South Africa: CDC prioritizes jobs, SMME development The Coega Development Corporation (CDC) continues to prioritise access to economic opportunities for the development of small, medium and micro enterprises (SMMEs) while providing job creation and related opportunities. The CDC recognises that a thriving SMME sector is vital to delivering on the countrys economic development objectives, CDC SMME Programme Manager Unathi Maholwana said on Monday. The CDCs vision to champion socio-economic development remains central to its standing, as a preferred investment destination and trusted infrastructure implementing agent of choice in South Africa. Our entire business model is based on the ability to deliver sustainable long-term business development while being cognisant of the need to improve the lives of people through job creation and related opportunities. Therefore, the focus on sustainability strengthens the value proposition for investors and clients of the future, Maholwana said. She said the CDC recognises that a thriving SMME sector is vital to delivering on the countrys economic development objectives. Through the development of the Tshwane Automotive Special Economic Zone (TASEZ) R324.3 million was achieved on SMME procurement spend out of the R2 billion expenditure on the project, from April 2021 to December 2021. SMME development is often undertaken during the construction of infrastructure and related projects. The overall SMME expenditure for the CDC, inclusive of TASEZ, industrial development zone, and external programmes is currently at R811 million. This translates to black woman-owned businesses having benefited to the tune of R100 796 046.70 with black youth-owned businesses coming in at R72 527 600.30 and black people with disability businesses at R1 140 023.19. Access to economic opportunities remains one of the key aspects driving SMME development, and the CDCs objective is to facilitate, promote and drive the inclusion of SMMEs in procurement opportunities, Maholwana said. The programme targets SMMEs that are at least 51% black owned, with a Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB) grading of 1 to 6. The CDC SMME Development Programme, led by the SMME Unit, also comprises the training and mentorship of SMMEs on tendering for construction contracts, basic business concepts, applying health and safety standards, and business finance. From April 2021 to December 2021, a total of 213 SMMEs benefitted from this training at a cost of R710 300 and as at 31 December 2021, the CDCs total value of contracts awarded to SMMEs through the SMME Units Development Programme equates to R537 852 730. SMMEs are welcome to register on the CDC database as follows: Application forms (coega.co.za > Coega Services > SMME) must be completed in full and returned to the SMME Development Unit with all required supporting documents as stipulated on the application form. All supporting documents must be valid and active at the time of submission. Once verified, the business will be registered on the database and the applicant will receive a SMS with the reference number of the business registered. For information and guidance, SMMEs can contact the CDC SMME Development Unit via smmedevelopment@coega.co.za or 041 403 0612. SAnews.gov.za This story has been published on: 2022-03-15. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. RTHK: Russia sanctions Biden, Trudeau Russia's foreign ministry announced sanctions on US President Joe Biden and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Tuesday alongside several officials in a reciprocal response to Western measures. The measures, also applied to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, "is the consequence of the extremely Russophobic policy pursued by" Washington, Moscow said in a statement. In a separate statement, Russia's foreign ministry announced punitive measures against 313 Canadians including Trudeau and several of his ministers. In response to Russia's military intervention in Ukraine, the US banned Russian President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov while adopting sanctions largely cutting Russia off from the rest of the world financially. Moscow did not specify the exact nature of the measures, which it calls "personal sanctions" and a "stop list", stating that they would be based on "the principle of reciprocity". Also on the Russian list are US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, Central Intelligence Agency Director William Burns and White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki. Russia also banned from entry Biden's son Hunter and former secretary of state and Democrat presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. The foreign ministry warned Moscow will soon announce additional sanctions against a range of "Russophobic" US officials, military officers, lawmakers, businessmen and media personalities. (AFP) This story has been published on: 2022-03-15. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. The Malaysian state of Melaka has kicked off a week-long campaign to woo foreign investments in maritime, IT, energy, electric vehicles and other sectors at the Expo 2020 Dubai with an initial target of RM500 million ($119 million) in projects. The state is also showcasing its latest and ambitious waterfront economic zone, which it says will help transform the once-thriving trading port into a modern metropolis and an important investment hub in Southeast Asia. Chief Minister Datuk Seri Utama Sulaiman Md Ali, who led a high-powered delegation of investors and government officials, said the Expo would also help boost tourism in Melaka, which is listed as a Unesco World Heritage Site since 2008. Melaka, along with George Town, are historic cities of the Straits of Melaka. Both cities have developed over 500 years of trading and cultural exchanges between East and West. The influences of Asia and Europe have endowed the towns with rich multicultural heritage. Our history as a maritime hub and a busy trading centre goes back a long way. The deep, sheltered harbour on the narrow channel which took our name, the Straits of Melaka, positioned us at the crossroads of one of the busiest sea lanes in the world, Sulaiman said in his speech at the launch of the Melaka Week. Besides preserving heritage, Melaka is also forging ahead in its drive for a more relevant and sustainable economic future. It is aggressively pushing to develop the economic corridor called the Melaka Waterfront Economic Zone or M-WEZ. Launched just a year ago, state authorities are banking on international investors to help turn the huge 25,000-acre site into a vibrant corridor. A unique aspect of this corridor is it is maritime-oriented, given the long coastline and its position as a natural, deep-water harbour. Thus, our main focus is to boost the maritime sector as a major economic contributor to the state, Sulaiman said. We will encourage the development of container and general cargo ports, cruise and ferry terminals, free-trade zones, logistics hub, oil and gas terminals, ship repair yards and ship-to-ship, or STS, transfer facilities. M-WEZ will also have new areas dedicated to tourism products, duty-free zones, shopping malls, offices, hotels, residences and IR 4.0 industries among others. Sulaiman outlined several compelling reasons why Melaka will be attractive to investors looking to invest or expand their operations. Besides its strategic location almost midway between Kuala Lumpur and Singapore, the Melaka Waterfront will be able to tap the vast market in nearby Sumatra, which has 60 million people and a growing middle-class. It is only 47 km from Melaka to the closest point in Sumatra. There are long-term plans to have a rail network via a tunnel underneath the Straits of Melaka between Dumai in Sumatra and Melaka. Melakas economy is generated mainly by the services sector, which accounts for 48.6 per cent of the GDP. But the manufacturing sector is growing and now accounts for 37.3 per cent of the GDP. There has been a spate of new investments coming to Melaka. They include German semiconductor giant, Infineon Technologies, which has pledged to invest 3.25 ringgit billion ($775 million) in Malaysia, and mostly in Melaka, over 10 years until 2029. With almost 9,000 employees, Infineon is the largest employer in Melaka, contributing two per cent of the total work force in the state. Melaka is also home to other global companies such as Texas Instruments, Honda, SunPower, Petronas and Konica Minolta. Sulaiman said he expects some Melaka companies to sign up several MoUs with investors from the UAE, the US and other countries this week. TradeArabia News Service New Delhi: The AIIMS-Delhi has decided to provide tele-consultancy to all patients undergoing treatment at the hospital in an effort to reduce the need for them to visit the facility during the lockdown. The patients can register online and seek medical advice over the phone from April 20. An official statement said AIIMS is at the forefront of the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic but it is also conscious about the medical attention needed by non-COVID patients. AIIMS is providing tele-consultations to non-COVID patients who had previously taken appointments, ensuring social distancing is maintained and lockdown orders are not violated. "All patients who were undergoing treatment in AIIMS New Delhi and had been advised a follow-up, can now register online for obtaining a follow-up appointment. On the given date, doctors of concerned department/speciality will call up these patients and give them the requisite medical advice. The follow-up patients of AIIMS, New Delhi, can visit this link https://ors.gov.in/followup/ and obtain appointments," the statement said. For the first time in its history, the All India Institute of Medical Sciences here decided to indefinitely shut down OPD services, including speciality and all new and follow-up registration. The order had come into effect from March 24. AIIMS had issued a circular postponing all non-essential elective procedures and surgeries and directed for only emergency life-saving surgeries with effect from March 21. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: At least 26 Indian Navy personnel have tested positive for coronavirus, in the first major case of COVID-19 outbreak in country's armed forces, even as the Centre asserted Saturday that 30 percent of all cases in the country are linked to the Tablighi Jamaat event in Delhi. As the country completed 25 days of the nationwide lockdown on Saturday, with 15 more days to go till May 3, Union Home Minister Amit Shah reviewed the situation across India, including taking stock of the supply of essential commodities even as state governments continued to take steps to mitigate the hardships arising due to the shutdown. Amidst spiralling numbers of coronavirus cases in India with 14,792 confirmed infections and 488 deaths on Saturday, Union health ministry joint secretary Lav Agarwal said positive trend has been noted in 47 districts across 23 states and UTs, and also there are 22 new districts in 12 states that have not reported any fresh cases during the last 14 days. All these are the 170 hotspot and 207 non-hotspot districts identified by the government. Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal also said there has been a "slight decrease" in the number of COVID-19 cases in the national capital in the last three days, but appealed to people living in containment areas to follow rules and don't step out of their homes as he noted that 26 members of one family tested positive for coronavirus in an area in Jahangir Puri, declared as containment area. At a daily media briefing about the COVID-19 situation in the country, Agarwal said, "a total of 4,291 COVID-19 cases or 29.8 per cent of the 14,378 coronavirus infections reported till Saturday morning are linked to the Tablighi Jamaat congregation." Most of the Tabligihi Jamaat event-related cases have been found in states with high burden of the disease, such as Tamil Nadu (84 per cent), Telengana (79 per cent), Delhi (63 per cent), Uttar Pradesh (59 per cent) and Andhra Pradesh (61 per cent), he said, adding some states which have reported fewer COVID-19 infections, also had cases with links to the Nizamuddin event. The only coronavirus case reported in Arunachal Pradesh till now is related to the Nizamuddin event. Similarly, 32 of the 35 cases reported in Assam and 10 out of 12 cases from the Andaman and Nicobar Islands are linked to the same congregation, he said. "The reason I drew your attention to this event is to highlight that even if one person does not follow the guidelines of social distancing and the lockdown, the entire country has to suffer the consequences," Agarwal said. The outbreak of coronavirus at a key naval shore-based facility in Mumbai where 26 sailors have tested positive for the virus may also impact the overall growth rate of cases in the country as sources indicated that the numbers are likely to go up. The incident is a wake-up call for stricter implementation of all laid down norms to insulate around 15 lakh armed forces personnel from the pandemic, military officials said. All the three forces have already enforced a "no movement" policy under which almost all their bases have been put under total lockdown barring the wings handling key operational matters and strategic surveillance, they said, adding the top brass in the defence ministry is reviewing the overall preparedness of the armed forces to deal with the pandemic. While the union health ministry placed the total number of coronavirus cases in the country at 14,792 and the death toll at 488 in its Saturday evening update, according to a PTI tally based on figures from states, the total number of cases was 14,848 with 2,067 recovered while the death toll crossed the 500-mark. According to Agarwal, the mortality rate due to COVID-19 in the country was around 3.3 percent, while the recovery rate stood at 13.85 percent with 1,992 people cured of the total tally of 14,378 cases. Meanwhile, the Maharashtra government decided to pay Rs 2,000 each to over 12 lakh registered construction workers in the state who have lost their livelihoods due to the ongoing coronavirus lockdown, the Uttar Pradesh sent buses to get back students stranded in Rajasthan's Kota area. Nearly 3,000 students stranded in Kota due to the ongoing lockdown left for their home in 100 buses sent by the UP government but another 7,000 were waiting for their turn in the Rajasthan city on Saturday. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Washington: US President Donald Trump has warned China that it should face consequences if it was "knowingly responsible" for the spread of the novel coronavirus, upping the ante on Beijing over its handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. Trump, who has expressed disappointment over China's handling of the coronavirus disease, alleged non-transparency and initial non-cooperation from Beijing with Washington on dealing with the crisis. "If they were knowingly responsible, yeah, then there should be consequences. You're talking about, you know, potentially lives like nobody's seen since 1917," he told reporters at a White House news conference on Saturday. Trump said his relationship with China was very good till the time the deadly COVID-19 swept across the world. "The relationship was good when we were signing that, but then, all of a sudden, you hear about this. So, it's a big difference. You know, the question was asked would you be angry at China. Well, the answer very well might be a very resounding yes, but it depends," Trump said. The president underlined that there was a big difference between a mistake that got out of control and something done deliberately. "In either event, they should have let us go in. You know, we asked to go in very early and they didn't want us in. I think they knew it was something bad and I think they were embarrassed," Trump said. He claimed that China was pitching for former vice president Joe Biden, who is the presumptive nominee of the Democratic Party for the presidential election. "If sleepy Joe Biden wins, China will own the United States," Trump said, adding that his administration had gained billions of dollars from China due to his assertive trade policies. The president said the coronavirus crisis had hurt everybody. "We had the greatest economy in the world by far. China isn't even close. Go back two months. And we're going to keep it that way," he said. Trump also asserted that Iran was now a much different country than it was before. "When I first came in, Iran was going to take over the entire Middle East," he said. "Right now, they just want to survive." The United States has slammed China for the "delay" in sharing information with its technical experts on the deadly coronavirus. China's ruling Communist Party poses a "substantial threat" to Americans' health and their way of life, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said last month, blasting Beijing for engaging in the intentional "disinformation campaign" and trying to deflect from its handling of the coronavirus crisis. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman on Friday denied any cover up and accused the US of attempting to divert public attention. "There has never been any concealment, and we'll never allow any concealment," Zhao Lijian told a media briefing. According to data maintained by Johns Hopkins University, over 35,000 people have died in the US and the country has 734,969 infections, the highest in the world. The death toll in China is 4,632 with no fatalities reported on Saturday, according to China's National Health Commission. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. The home ministry has sought strict implementation of the guidelines in all parts of the country to contain the spread of COVID-19. (Photo Credit: News Nation Photo) New Delhi: The Centre has asked states and union territories to strictly comply with the lockdown measures announced to combat the novel coronavirus pandemic and not to dilute them at any level. In a communication to chief secretaries of state governments and Union Territory administrations, Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla said some states and UTs are issuing orders allowing activities which have not been allowed as per the guidelines issued by the home ministry under the Disaster Management Act, 2005. "I would again urge you to ensure compliance of the revised consolidated guidelines, and direct all authorities concerned for their strict implementation in letter and spirit without any dilution and to ensure strict compliance of lockdown measures," he said. The consolidated revised guidelines on the measures to be taken by central ministries and departments, and state and Union Territory governments were issued on April 15 after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced extension of the nationwide lockdown till May 3. The lockdown was earlier from March 25 to April 14. The home ministry has sought strict implementation of the guidelines in all parts of the country to contain the spread of COVID-19. The home secretary also drew the attention of the chief secretaries to the guidelines which categorically say that state and Union Territory governments will not dilute them in any manner and strictly enforce the same. They can, however, impose stricter measures than the guidelines as per the requirement of local areas. Bhalla also pointed out to a recent Supreme Court observation that all state governments, public authorities and citizens will faithfully comply with the directives and orders issued by the Union of India in letter and spirit in the interest of public safety. The observations, which must be treated as the directions of the apex court, was conveyed in "my letter dated April 1 to all states and UTs (union territories)", he said. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: The government on Friday removed restrictions on exports of medicines made from Paracetamol amid the outbreak of Covid-19. However, restrictions on exports of Paracetamol active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs or raw materials) will continue, the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) said in a notification. To export a product, which is under restricted category, an exporter requires no-objection certificate or permission of a licence from the DGFT. " .The formulations made from Paracetamol (including fixed-dose combinations) are made free for export with immediate effect. However, Paracetamol APIs will remain restricted for export," it said. The government on March 3 had put export restrictions on 26 pharma ingredients and medicines, including paracetamol. However on April 6, it removed the export restrictions on 24 APIs and formulations excluding Paracetamol. India exported formulations made from Paracetamol worth USD 5.41 billion during April-January 2019-20. It was USD 5.8 billion in 2018-19. According to Mumbai-based doctor Sachin Ramteke, Paracetamol is used commonly to treat body pain and fever. "It is used as symptomatic treatment to control body temperature," he said. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: Doctors will conduct the clinical trial of plasma enrichment technique to treat severely-ill coronavirus patients in the next three to four days, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said on Thursday.Addressing an online briefing, the chief minister said, "If the trial is successful, we will be able to save the lives of serious COVID-19 patients." Under the plasma enrichment technique, antibodies from the blood of patients who have recovered from COVID-19 are used to treat severely infected patients. It is aimed at assessing the efficacy of convalescent plasma to limit complications in COVID-patients Kejriwal further said the condition of several COVID-19 patients, who were admitted to hospitals in last week of March and first week of April, is improving now and many of them will be discharged in the next three-four days. "With collective efforts, we will be able to contain coronavirus in Delhi," Kejriwal said. He said 15 lakh people in the national capital have applied for ration cards and the Delhi government has been providing food to 10 lakh people everyday. If you are planning to visit and are going abroad then you should go to Sri Lanka because here you can find many great places to visit. Sri Lanka is a very beautiful place and your mind will be fascinated by going here. Sri Lanka is involved in a tourist destination and after visiting here you will enjoy it differently. Now today we are going to tell you about those places in Sri Lanka where you will have a different pleasure. Let's know about those places. Mihintale: This place which has spiritual significance for the people of the Buddhist community is also called the mountain range. Yes and after reaching this place, you can see the best views around. Ravan Waterfall: The watercolour that falls in this place, considered part of the Ella Wildlife Sanctuary, looks white like milk. It is said that sitting here and watching this view is very relaxing to the heart. Gal Vihara: It is a kind of temple made of rocks and it is said that it was built by Parakrambahu I in the 12th century. In fact, the tourists who come to Sri Lanka like to visit this place also, because they like the architecture done here very much. Adam Peak: It is present at a very good location and the monastery of Gautam Buddha is built at this place. Let us all know that the spiritual significance of this place is excellent. Sigiriya Rock Fortress: It is said that this famous tourist destination of Sri Lanka was built in the fifth century. Yes and the people here consider it to be one of the wonders of the world and it is also a UNESCO heritage place. Best things to buy at affordable prices then go to Janpath Market If there is a plan to visit in March, then it will be right to go to these places These biggest zoos in the country become the center of attraction of tourists Who is Marina Ovsyannikova and is her protest real 15 March, 19:55 Story A moment Marina Ovsyannikova carrying an anti-war poster, appeared behind the news anchor, Ekaterina Andreeva. (Photo: / ) On March 14, an incident occurred during a live broadcast on the Channel One Russia television channel. A woman carrying an anti-war poster appeared behind the news anchor, Ekaterina Andreeva. Many considered her a heroine, but there is reason to believe this is a staging. The activist was quickly identified. She turned out to be Marina Ovsyannikova, the editor of the Channel One Russia TV channel. This became known thanks to the Telegram messenger channel of Putin critic and journalist Ksenia Sobchak, who posted Ovsyannikova's video address made before the evening news program. In the address, the Odesa native says that she regrets her many years of work at a propaganda resource, openly accuses (Russian dictator Vladimir) Putin of aggression toward Ukraine and calls on Russians to go to rallies. On March 15 she was ordered to pay 30,000 rubles fine for her video address All this sounds like a real challenge to Putin's regime. The protest against the bloody dictatorship from a half-Ukrainian woman sounds bold, impudent, but at the same time it is quite logical. But there are still some concerns A video shows a moment Ovsyannikova protests live on Russia's main propaganda news channel Pervyi Kanal https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D_MG0os17XM Why may Ovsyannikovas protest be fake? Firstly, rumors that live broadcasts on Channel One are actually pre-recorded have often been spread by social media users. Russia is a state with near-total censorship, so this is a plausible claim. Ovsyannikovas protest may have been coordinated at the very least: several recordings of what was happening from different angles at once were posted in Sobchak's Telegram channel "Caution, the news," including behind the scenes, i.e. the moment when Ovsyannikova ran with a poster to the studio. This may suggest that Ovsyannikova was not acting alone, and had informed either confederates or at least collaborators to her stunt. By the way, speaking about Sobchak The daughter of Putin's closest ally and patron, Anatoly Sobchak, who periodically becomes an opposition politician, has been especially zealous in covering this story. She was the first one who posted Ovsyannikova's pre-recorded video address. It happened quite quickly after the incident on Channel One 40 minutes later. This likely indicates that Ovsyannikova was cooperating with Sobchak, at the very least. What was in that video address? Here is the text voiced by Ovsyannikova: "What is happening in Ukraine is a crime. Russia is an aggressor country and the responsibility for this aggression rests on the conscience of only one person. That person is Vladimir Putin. "My father is Ukrainian, my mother is Russian, and they've never been enemies. This necklace I'm wearing (a decoration in blue-white-red and blue-yellow colors is on Ovsyannikovas neck) is a symbol of the fact that Russia must immediately end this fratricidal war. And our fraternal peoples will still be able to make peace. Read also: Captured Russian conscript addresses Putin "Unfortunately, I've spent the last few years working for Channel One, making Kremlin propaganda, and I'm very ashamed of this. Ashamed that I allowed lies to be broadcast from TV screens. Ashamed that I allowed others to zombify Russian people. "We were silent in 2014 when all this started. We didn't protest when the Kremlin poisoned (Russian opposition leader Alexei) Navalny. We just silently watched this inhuman regime at work. And now the whole world has turned its back on us. And the next 10 generations won't wash away the stain of this fratricidal war. "We, the Russians, are thinking and intelligent people. It's in our power alone to stop all this madness. Go protest. Don't be afraid of anything. They can't lock us all away," she urged. Her statement has raised a few questions from Ukrainians, who have pointed out that talk of fraternal people has been used by Kremlin propagandists to justify Russian imperialism of Ukraine for centuries. Another is the reference to Crimea - even Russian opposition leader, such as Alexey Navalny, have stated their belief that Crimea is and should be Russian. The question remains, though one that is less relevant to the truth or falsity of the journalists protest, is what does Ovsyannikova regret about 2014, and what is her opinion regarding Crimea? Who needs this incident on Channel One? Paradoxical as it may sound, Channel One may benefit from this stunt - specifically Konstantin Ernst, its CEO. Channel One has often been accused of pre-recording live broadcasts, and the March 14 incident may be an attempt to refute these rumors. It may also be an effort to curry favor with Western observers for Russian liberals, though this remains an incredibly vague goal. Could it be real? Theres no doubt that at least some Russians see the war against Ukraine as a crime being committed by their government and their dictator, Vladimir Putin. Thousands have been arrested at anti-war protests around the country and official repression has skyrocketed since the start of the war. Theres also no denying that, if real, Ovsyannikova has taken on great personal risk - her career in Russian media is now over, and she may face years in prison for her act. No evidence that the Channel One segment was pre-recorded has been presented, and rumors spread by social media users remain just that. Live news broadcasts are quite common in other parts of the world, so it would not be especially surprising if the broadcast interruption was not a staged event. Additionally, pictures of Ovsyannikova in court have already appeared, which would represent a very large investment into maintaining the illusion of a fake that ultimately results in little more than conversation on social networks and a days worth of headlines for Western press. While the Russia media often uses propaganda and fakes, they are rarely so elaborate, and typically quickly disproven. Whats it all for then? Regardless of whether or not Ovsyannikovas protest was real or not, it nonetheless was yet another shred of evidence for the Russian populace that their dictators special military operation is nothing short of a full scale war against Ukraine and the Ukrainian people. The Russian people also carry responsibility for the crimes the Putin regime is committing in Ukraine, and their culpability, in large parts, rests on the Russian states ability to brainwash and spread propaganda. In this regard, Ovsyannikova protest can be seen as another manifestation of Russian discontent with their governments murder of Ukrainian citizens, and, if it spreads, may arm Russians with the tools they would need to end this war. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook Increasing prices of petroleum products are the talk of the town today. As the state has imposed hefty taxes on the fuels, consumers complain this is a visible breach of consumer rights. But, while the focus has been the petroleum prices, other aspects of consumer rights are swept under the rug, claim activists working in the sector. Jyoti Baniya, a leading consumer rights activist of Nepal, in this recent interview with Onlinekhabar on the occasion of World Consumer Rights Day, says has presented several such examples. Baniya, an advocate and the chairperson at Forum for Protection of Consumer Rights-Nepal and Nepal Chairperson for SDG goal 12, has been working in the field of consumer rights since 1993, even before the concept was widely introduced in Nepal. With his academic and experience in the field, he has been making continuous efforts to make people aware and proactive to protect their rights. Excerpts: When you talk about consumer rights in Nepal, how much do you think Nepalis are aware of it? It is the bare minimum. If we are to look at the urban crowd, the consumers are aware of consumer rights, at least what the term means, whereas the rural crowds are not. However, neither of the crowd is active when it comes to acting against consumer rights violations. So, if we are to ensure consumer rights, just being aware of the rights is not enough; one has to act upon it too. The realisation though can be seen majorly in the recent price hikes. Consumer rights are violated in every aspect of the market. It is seen in terms of production and quality of the goods and services, valuation of the products, governments proactiveness or implementation of the law. The sellers are also not being responsible for creating false and exaggerated advertisements that mislead the consumers to purchase the goods. What are the grave problems of consumer rights in Nepal? File: Kalimati Fruit and Vegetable Market For me, its rampant prices. The market is so unregulated that the sellers are demanding rampant prices for their goods and services. The end-users are paying so much more than they have to. Take an example of telephones. Where the rest of the world charges people for every second of their usage [1 sec=1 pulse], Nepal charges people for every 10 seconds at once [10 secs=1 pulse]. So, even if one does not talk for 10 seconds, they end up paying up for the whole time. Legally, the sellers are only allowed to charge up to 20 per cent more than their cost price including customs and travel costs. But, here, the cashew nuts that they import at Rs 400 per kg are being sold at Rs 1,700 to 2,100, which is very off-balance. Similarly, cars sold here are priced double the price at the customs points. But people are still buying them. But, dont you think the state, not the traders, should have been blamed? Yes, but ensuring the consumer rights of the end-users is the responsibility of the producers too. Yet, the producers of goods and services are the least bit concerned about the quality of the things they are producing. Standardisation and metrology are two issues that have been of major concern in Nepal. The sellers are using uneven weights and rigged (digital) scales to sell the products to the consumers. It is hard for an individual to find out they have been robbed. I agree the government authorities are the least bit worried about what goes on in the market. The officials are politically inclined and feel that market monitoring and evaluation is not their priority. Meanwhile, the Department of Supply Management and Protection of Consumers does not even have the required human resources or the budget to conduct the monitoring. Until a few years ago, the team used to conduct even random raids or monitoring routines and even take media personnel with them giving them exposure and making people aware. However, today, the monitoring teams only respond to the reports they receive. Also, the government has weakened its monitoring, following the Covid-19 situation, which has resulted in the sellers rampantly increasing prices hampering the end-users more. Meanwhile, if we look at the ever-increasing fuel prices, it is also unfair to people. Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) buys in the fuel from the Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) that was purchased some six months at Rs 93 per litre. However, it is selling that at Rs 150 per litre, under the pretence of the rising Ukraine-Russia crisis. Despite that, it is still claiming that it is at a loss. It is irresponsibility on their part. So, how do you think the problems could be solved? Photo: Pexels/ Uriel Mont People continue to be robbed or pay the said amount because they do not have the awareness of consumer rights nor do they have an alternative to purchasing the same. According to the law, after the federal system is in effect, the local units are required to set up a local market as per the Subnational Governance Program. So far, only Bagmati Province passed the programme but it is yet to set up the market. Meanwhile, Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration (MoFAGA) have adopted the programme and working accordingly. Likewise, only 33 local-level municipalities have moved forward with the process so it will be a while before we see a regulated market and ensure the rights of the consumers as per the law. But, Nepal already has sufficient laws to manage the market. Why are you still hopeless yet? Nepal has Consumer Protection Act, 2018, which was first introduced in 1998. The act ensures the constitutional rights of every citizen to get quality goods and services, obtain information and file a lawsuit when their rights are violated. Despite the law being on paper for more than two decades, its implementation in every form and manner has been to its bare minimum. Consumer rights protection is only there in theory, but not in practice, as consumers and sellers are not proactive. Consumers lack awareness. Sellers are practising policies such as [goods once sold will not be returned and consumers are accepting it. They do not know it is against the law. Sellers need to take the responsibility of providing quality products to the consumers. But, maybe, the legal provisions are not sufficient. What do you think? The act ensures that any consumer whose rights have been violated is entitled to get compensation. Likewise, it has provisions for fines from Rs 100,000 to 300,000 or a jail term of three months to one year or both for the consumer rights violators. However, even with the increasing awareness about consumer rights, the violations are not realised or reported. Of the total violations, maybe just 2 per cent are reported. The reports are also reported by the organisation and really by the individuals. I mean to say the legal provisions might be inefficient but the biggest problem is public ignorance. Its because when the violations are reported, the response from the authorities has been good. For example, of the noteworthy events is a verdict made by the Supreme Court in favour of a woman who applied for a job in Israel. She filed a case against a health clinic that gave her fake reports without a proper health check-up that cost her visa and employment. She got a compensation of Rs 600,000. What can people do in the immediate future to cope with the problems? First of all, people should be aware of their rights. Then, they should not shy away from asking sellers the cost price of the products for them (the price they paid to purchase them). Law says they can only charge 20 per cent more than what they pay for them, so if they do not want to be robbed, they have to be proactive. Asking the bill for the purchase is another thing to do. Upon the violation, they can go to inspection officers to report such cases. They can also go to the consumer rights organisations report it to Hello Sarkar and other stakeholders Along with the consumers, the government authorities have to be proactive to build a systematic structure that benefits the consumers, as per the law. Overall, the sellers, the producers and the officials in the supply chain all have to be responsible for their parts. Politics is a bad game. Elections are pointless. In recent decades, such ideas, especially among the youth, have been growing stronger in Nepal. But, some individuals, among the young people, think otherwise. A few of them feel now is the time to change the way of politics as Nepal is holding the next local elections in May. Accordingly, across Nepal, many independent candidates have stood up to file their candidacy for the upcoming elections. These candidates claim they have a special focus on the mayoral positions in their respective municipalities to initiate changes that have been long due even after the federal system was introduced. Though history has not been in their favour, they are still hopeful that youth like them who are frustrated by the same old, ineffective system will join their hands together and bring about the change. Here are three stories in which the candidates hope to spark new changes. The incentive of independence Photo: Pixabay If you look at the people who have filed their candidacy in different positions for the local elections, many have aimed for the mayoral position. Their common objective? To be in the position of change and focus on the local needs and resources. Political parties have been working in their vested interest for so long. But, local units are not the place for party-favoured politics. It needs to be about the people and function independently, Sumit Kharel, who aspires to become the mayor of Budhanilakantha municipality in Kathmandu, says, A mayor is in the centre of all the local level development or lack thereof, we have all seen the proof in these last five years. So, filing the candidacy for the mayors position is the most appropriate chance to give back to the community. Neetu Khadka, the mayoral candidate for Baglung municipality in Baglung for the next local elections, also shares Kharels views and adds, Political parties work with their party cadres and they promise a lot to the locals to win the elections. After they win, they feel obligated to return the favour giving rise to nepotism and favouritism, which have hindered local development. Hence, the mayor belonging to political parties are busy in doing meetings, programmes and making promises from their cabins rather than actually working. Kharel, who worked as an assistant for the outgoing Budhanilakantha mayor for four years, attests, There are so many ideas that were bounced through when I worked for him, yet only rarely did they take shape. So, to free oneself from the obligations [towards the parties], the mayor has to be an independent candidate. Khadka adds, The party ticket itself has been like tender bidding or a bargaining chip. For an individual to get to file the mayors position takes years and a lot of money. Individual candidacy is the way to break through the painstaking process. The independent candidates say their focus is on the local elections also because shifting the national political party system will be difficult and do not want to undertake the role now. Ganes Paudel, the mayoral candidate for the Pokhara metropolitan city in Kaski, also agrees with the duo. Youth today want better governance that is free from vested interests, syndicates, irregularities, violence and protests of party politics that have chipped away the system meant to build them up. The local elections are the time for a change and a bit of honesty and transparency can go a long way. Hope against hope Photo: Pixabay The independent candidates have their hopes, but history has not been kind to them. The competition during local elections is tough given that the political parties have had a stronghold among the voters since the start. But, the independent candidates say they are aware of this, yet add their fight is against that very idea. I am hopeful that young voters will cast their votes for the change, shares Kharel. We recently did a survey in Budhanilakantha and the young and new voters share our frustrations from the weak governance and lack of focus on development among leaders. Apart from that, I am also hopeful about the women voters and swing voters. To gain those votes during the local elections, the new batch of possible leaders are also opting for new ways of marketing. They say they focus on making their faces, names and electoral symbols known first. Recently, the political parties and, in extension, the government have lost peoples trust. But, people should never lose trust in the government. The country is also not ready for the right to reject or none of the above options either as we need a separate system for that to work. The immediate escape from the frustrations and disappointment seem to be voting for independent candidates during the local elections, adds Kharel. Paudels target is also the same. He is more hopeful now that political literacy has increased among voters. Though we are far from enough, in the recent years, people have become aware of the importance of their votes, and do that without the influence of their closed ones. Khadka, on the other hand, is hopeful yet worried. My target is also definitely the youth. But, in Baglung, a lot of the young population are outside, for education or employment. Hence, the major group is missing. If the Nepali youth abroad are allowed to vote in this years local elections, I certainly see more chances of winning and making a difference. A fight for faith Photo: Flickr Hopes are good for the future, but they say, they are also okay with the loss. Even with the loss, we will never stop working on the agenda, says Khadka. What we are standing up for is local development, as intended in federalism system. It is not a fight against the political parties. So, we will continue to push our agenda regardless of who wins during the local elections, she assures. Paudel also shares, Though we are all filing our candidacy separately, many of us are a part of the Ateri campaign. Youth have always been called stubborn for being a rebel or not following the old ways. But during the local elections this time, we want to change the notion and continue to rebel for the good. We believe in our campaign and we will continue to work on the agenda of our respective municipalities, irrespective of results. Their common vision for this years local elections includes policies that strengthen the young and women population. For the common local benefits, the independent candidates also aim to set up ward-level one-stop primary health clinics as well as focus on projects that enhance physical and mental well-being. Further, they say the focus will be on infrastructures, education and recreational activities. Irrespective of win or loss, Kharel also says the independent candidates will need the support system across the nation. He is hopeful this will also herald the new era when people relearn their dependency on government and focus on sustainability. BNET, the national telecommunications infrastructure company, has announced a number of new appointments to its executive team. The appointments will see Eng Adel AlShowaikh as Director of Passive Access Network, Ebrahim Abusaqer as Director of Financial Planning & Reporting and Ammar AlAamer as Director of Digital Operations at BNET. Ahmed Jaber Aldoseri, CEO of BNET, commented: The new members, who form a solid group of experienced and distinguished executives, will add value to our organisation. We wish them a journey full of achievements with BNET, and we look forward to providing them with the necessary support as we work side-by-side towards achieving BNETs strategic goals. Eng AlShowaikh brings more than 30 years of experience in the field of Telecommunications, Regulatory Consultancy and Civil Engineering, where he held the position of Manager Telecommunications Access & Infrastructure at the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA). Eng AlShowaikh holds a bachelors degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Baghdad, Iraq. Commenting on the appointment, Eng AlShowaikh, said: I look forward to contributing my experience towards the success of the company and further achieving its goals and realising its vision with the support of the team. Abusaqer brings over 18 years of experience from the banking sector, during which he held several positions. Abusaqer joined BNET from the National Bank of Bahrain where he was the Relationship Manager of Commercial Banking & SME, he holds a Bachelor's degree in Banking and Finance from the University of Bahrain in addition to specialised degrees in the corporate finance field. Upon joining BNET, Abusaqer stated: It gives me great pleasure to be joining BNET, a company who has been able to have a significant impact on the market, despite the fact that it has only been two and a half years since its establishment. I look forward to being a part of its upcoming growth and development. AlAamer is an experienced team leader with more than 14 years of experience as a software developer. AlAamer holds a bachelors degree in Computer Science from AMA International University, In addition to many other certifications in the field of technology. AlAamer previously held a position as Head of Systems Development in the Information and e-Government Authority. Commenting AlAamer said: I would like to express my gratitude and appreciation to BNETs executive team, and look forward to working closely with the companys employees to achieve further success and prosperity. BNET aspires, through its people, to continue elevating the telecom sector in Bahrain through a precise and organised working model. The company aims to ensure that it is fully equipped to meet the requirements of a digital economy and achieve the kingdoms vision for the future of the telecommunications sector.-- TradeArabia News Service Kathmandu, March 15 Nepal has banned websites and mobile applications that facilitate cryptocurrency deals, Hyper Fund and online betting. Nepals telecommunications regulator, Nepal Telecommunications Authority, says it has directed all internet service providers and mobile phone networks to block their customers access to such websites and apps. Earlier, the Ministry of Finance had asked the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology to block such websites and apps. Of late, Nepali authorities have been taking several efforts, one after another, to control such transactions. On the other hand, the central bank has launched a study to prepare for the introduction of its own digital currency. Home Society Over 1,000 Nepali students receive permits to go abroad for studies every day Kathmandu, March 15 With the Covid impact on the wane in Nepal, the number of Nepali students to go abroad for education is increasing at a high rate. The Ministry of Education, Science and Technology says it has been issuing permits (no-objection certificates or NOCs) to 1,000 to 1,200 Nepali students daily. The ministrys NOC Section chief Hari Prasad Niraula says the number of students flying to Australia, Japan, the United Kingdom, Canada and India is high. If you talk about the last week, the pressure is not normal. It has been difficult for us to provide services, he says. If the trend continues, he questions, What happens with Nepals higher education after around five years? Meanwhile, the section says it will verify the no-objection certificates online only as calling the applicants in person resulted in a massive crowd every day. Home Business Govt prepares to revive Budhigandaki hydropower project, but the Chinese company may not get it Kathmandu, March 15 The government is preparing to revive the ambitious Budhigandaki hydropower project. However, it is highly likely that the China Gezhouba Group Company will not be given the contract. In a bid to revive the project, the Ministry of Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation has assigned the NEA Engineering Company under the Nepal Electricity Authority to update cost estimation. In the mid-2010s, the estimated cost of the project was Rs 311 billion (approximately USD 2.593 billion). Now, the government wants to calculate the cost again considering changes in the market prices of construction materials since then. Once the estimation will be over, the ministry will make another decision about the future of the Budhigandaki hydropower project, and it will deprive the Chinese company of the contract. In November 2017, the Sher Bahadur Deuba-led government had decided to cancel the contract signed with the China Gezhouba Group Company. The government, then, had announced to construct the project on its own. However, following the parliamentary elections the next year, new prime minister KP Sharma Oli had decided to give it back to the Chinese company. But, now again, it is highly likely that the government will develop a new investment model for the Budhigandaki hydropower project, in which both the government and the private sectors chip in their shares. Home Politics Ukraine-Russia crisis: Nepal appeals to citizens to stay away from Ukraine as far as possible Kathmandu, February 23 The government has appealed to Nepalis to stay away from Ukraine as far as possible in the wake of the recently developed Ukraine-Russia crisis. In a notice on Wednesday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has urged Nepalis staying there to come back home via regular flights unless they have something emergency there. Likewise, it has requested other Nepalis outside Ukraine to postpone visiting the country unless emergency. The Nepali Embassy in Berlin, Germany, is in contact with 38 Nepalis in Ukraine and all of them are safe, the statement says. If Nepalis in Ukraine need any assistance, they can contact the following officials: Women-founded companies in the U.S. raised more money from venture capitalists in 2021 than ever. Reports indicate they secured 83% more funding than the previous year, primarily attributed to the record-setting $329 billion U.S. startups raked last year. But according to data from PitchBook, less than 2% of VC funding went to all-women-founded teams in 2021. It's identical to what's happening in Africa: Less than 1% of all VC dollars went toward startups with one or more women founders last year, according to The Big Deal, which details investments in Africa. On the bright side, founding teams counting both women and men as members raised 17% of VC investments in Africa in 2021. These numbers are more frightening when retraced almost a decade back. According to Briter Bridges, another publication that tracks VC investments in Africa, only 3% of the total funding raised by startups in Africa since 2013 has gone to all-women co-founded teams. So despite total funding for women-founded companies reaching $834 million in 2021, per Partech Africa -- a VC firm and data tracker of African investments -- and the number of women in venture capital increasing, their representation remains minute against a faster-growing percentage of startups run by men. Women-founded startups in Africa to have raised $100 million or more are led mainly by white CEOs. Not that it's any fault of theirs, but the representation of their companies being Africa-based skew funding results in such a way that they don't capture how much of an enormous feat it is for African women to raise $1 million. Before 2021, only a handful (women-led startups that raised $1 million or more with African women as CEOs) had secured that much funding. In 2021, 11 such startups achieved that feat, a record year for this group. We spoke with six of them to share their fundraising experiences in a venture capital market that can be unfriendly toward women. Story continues Editor's note: These responses have been edited for length and clarity. Heres who we talked to: Jessica Anuna, CEO, Klasha Please tell us what your company does. Klasha is a technology company that allows international merchants such as H&M or Zara to receive payments online in local African currencies and money methods. African consumers can make payments to international merchants in over five African currencies through the KlashaCheckout; the merchant then receives their payout in G20 currencies. This allows international merchants to scale into Africa seamlessly through our technology and, in turn, allows African consumers to access global goods and services frictionlessly. What theories concerning women founders did you have at the back of your mind when starting your company, and did it affect you at the early stages? I was cognizant that women only received less than 1% of venture funding globally, but that wasnt at the forefront of my mind as I started my journey or as I pitched to VCs or angels. In fact, it wasnt something I thought about at all, probably because I was new to raising money and didnt fully grasp some of the biases that existed. Ive always been bullish about shipping products that created an impact during my career, so I knew if we had a strong enough product-market fit, we would get funded. At what point did you begin looking for investors for your company? Right at the start, our first institutional check was from Techstars in Dubai six months after we started the company. They believed in the team, vision, mission and the opportunity of building streamlined cross-border commerce solutions for African consumers. The market opportunity was there; e-commerce is less than 10 years old in Africa, with a 3% penetration rate and a 27% personal consumption rate in Africa, the second-highest after Asia. How did you handle your first "no," and how has that changed recently, especially with your company raising more than a million dollars? I got nos right from the start and that was fine. Id get a no, ask why and affect their feedback if I agreed with it and it aligned with my vision for the company. Today, more VC firms are willing to speak with us, but that doesnt guarantee additional funding. Some still pass on investment or pass and invest at a later stage or in a different round, which has happened on a few occasions. There are fewer than 50 women-led tech startups that have raised $1 million or more in Africa. Being one of about 15 last year, what challenges did you face when raising this much as a founder and CEO? Our round closed quite quickly last year, so I think the major challenge was ensuring I did thorough due diligence on each investor and chose funds or angels that could add value to the company and that I wanted to work with. Investors typically deploy large capital into financial-based companies. Because Africa is currently undergoing modernization and consumer spending and consumption are increasing, conversations with VCs were more streamlined than our previous rounds. Given these biases, do you think more women would get investments if there were more women investors? Today, only 2.8% of women are funded globally. A recent Boston Consulting Group study found that when women-led startups can acquire funding, theyre more likely to be successful than their male counterparts, delivering significantly higher revenue more than twice as much per dollar invested in the company. Jessica Anuna, CEO, Klasha Ultimately, VCs should seek to invest based on whether the company has strong unit economics, TAM and the whether the founding team has true domain expertise in what theyre building. If deals were approached this way more commonly, I believe women would get funded. Most VC firms are required to deliver returns on their investments. Some argue that investing in startups led by men will guarantee such returns, citing examples to back up that claim. Given a few instances of women-led companies doing such in Africa, how have you convinced investors that your business can achieve this? In my opinion, returns on investment arent linked to gender or the notion that there are little to no instances of female-led companies providing 10x returns on the continent. My current investor pool, which was led by women at Greycroft and Seedcamp, invested because of the opportunity of solving a problem continent-wide and the prospect of facilitating cross-border commerce through modern technology. When raising money, you have to be bullish, respond fast, and ship products even faster, proving traction and market adoption. We have a good product, continued solid month-on-month growth with a growing addressable market and, thus, that yielded investment. The power of ones network cannot be overemphasized in the business world. How were you able to utilize yours when it came to securing funding? I cannot stress how critical a strongly connected network is when raising money. Most, if not all, our funding was raised through strategic introductions to angels and funds through our new and existing investor pool. Today, we leverage our investor network and ask for introductions if were raising or want to connect with a fund for future rounds. In the VC space, it is said that those who hold the money tend to invest more in people who look like them. Thats why women founders are encouraged to transition into angel or VC investing to increase the number of women-led startups that get investments. Do you see yourself making this transition? I strongly believe in paying it forward, and when I have more bandwidth, I will invest in African companies with at least one woman in the C-suite. Tebogo Mokwena, CEO, Akiba Digital Please tell us what your company does. Akiba Digital is a South African-based fintech building an alternative credit scoring infrastructure (basically a new age credit bureau) for small businesses and individuals excluded by traditional credit bureau scores. I started this company after noticing a massive access problem experienced by thin-file individuals and SMMEs in South Africa, a problem that is prevalent in other countries in Africa. This segment often doesnt access affordable credit (and other financial services like insurance) and is excluded by high street lenders like banks. And I want to change that. What theories concerning women founders did you have at the back of your mind when starting your company, and did it affect you at the early stages? As a Black female technical founder, I got a lot of skepticism about my aptitude and whether my technical skillsets were enough to build a scalable fintech business. When I moved from being CTO to being CEO, I got a lot of skepticism about my business acumen. Both pushbacks were bizarre because I hold a triple major degree in computer science, genetics and biochemistry from UCT and UCLA, have a solid career as a software engineer and digital consultant from one of the largest asset management firms in SA and McKinsey, respectively. I have helped build a digital bank in South East Asia which scaled to over 2 million users now, before assisting on a build on another successful digital bank in Nigeria. Most male founders dont have such a track record, yet their aptitude doesnt get questioned. At what point did you begin looking for investors for your company? I only started looking for investors when I had confidence in our business model and needed investment to fuel it to scale. It took us two years of bootstrapping to get to a pre-seed raise in 2021. How did you handle your first "no," and how has that changed recently, especially with your company raising more than a million dollars? Initially, I took nos personally because I assumed it was a reflection of how others viewed my competence. Now, they give clarity on who is right to join us and help us build out our vision and it has nothing to do with me. I believe the right investors will jump in at the right time. There are fewer than 50 women-led tech startups that have raised $1 million or more in Africa. Being one of about 15 last year, what challenges did you face when raising this much as a founder and CEO? This is still a crazy statistic given where the African ecosystem is to date. Nonetheless, raising bigger rounds as a woman seems unfathomable for most VCs who are male-led and I see their biases come through in the types of questions I get asked that I know my fellow male founders dont get asked. One difficulty is valuation. For some reason, some VCs expect me as a female founder to under-value my business for it to justify them investing in us. We all know that the startup world, locally and globally, is a male-dominated one and when it comes to raising money, there tends to be some bias. Can you narrate some of the bias and gender inequality you encountered during this raise cycle? The biggest bias is how they choose to mostly undervalue female-led businesses versus male-led businesses despite the drastic difference in traction and competence backed by strong track records. The other bias is how they assume female-led businesses dont build businesses that can be scaled across different markets and into billion-dollar companies. Tebogo Mokwena, CEO, Akiba Digital Given these biases, do you think more women would get investments if there were more women investors? Yes absolutely! I think we all have our own inherent biases. The more representation we have in VCs, the better the flow of investment in under-represented minorities, not just women but even people of color, queer people or those living with disabilities; 10x returns can come from all forms, shapes and types of founders. Most VC firms are required to deliver returns on their investments. Some argue that investing in startups led by men will guarantee such returns, citing examples to back up that claim. Given a few instances of women-led companies doing such in Africa, how have you convinced investors that your business can achieve this? There have been studies that show that women-led businesses perform better than male-led businesses in terms of metrics that matter. However, male-led companies get valued more because of vanity metrics and overall biases that exist. This is not a fight I choose to fight, mainly for my sanity, but because most of us (and I mostly speak for myself here) have to conform to speak and portray ourselves in a way that makes us is less threatening to the bro culture to be seen in the same light. This, for me, means relying on my male founder friends to vet for me to investors. Secondly, I had to learn to share my prior achievements, including building this company from being the remaining solo founder in 2020 to being a 30-people team now. The power of ones network cannot be overemphasized in the business world. How were you able to utilize yours when it came to securing funding? I had to rely on male founder friends and other male investor friends to help me grow my network. Of course, I made it intentional to contribute to other female founders just so they are aware of the game we all play to be validated in the ecosystem as female founders. In the VC space, it is said that those who hold the money tend to invest more in people who look like them. Thats why women founders are encouraged to transition into angel or VC investing to increase the number of women-led startups that get investments. Do you see yourself making this transition? Oh yes, I plan to make angel investments exclusively to female founders as soon as yesterday! We can only make the change by passing it forward. Fara Ashiru Jituboh, CEO, Okra Please tell us what your company does. Okra simply enables developers and businesses to build personalized digital financial service products. Our mission is to digitize financial services for Africa. What theories concerning women founders did you have at the back of your mind when starting your company, and did it affect you at the early stages? I just always thought that there is an obviously huge gap between male and female funding, and we definitely need to find ways to reduce that. We were intentional about making sure we partnered up with investors who were looking to back the best teams and businesses, regardless of gender, race, or religion. At what point did you begin looking for investors for your company? After we incorporated the company, my co-founder and I created milestones and started talking to investors as soon as we hit them. How did you handle your first "no," and how has that changed recently, especially with your company raising more than a million dollars? To be honest, we approached fundraising very differently, and we were realistic enough to know that every investor wouldnt be a good fit and vice versa. Fara Ashiru-Jituboh, CEO, Okra An investors job is to deploy capital. You cant be upset if someone doesnt want to give you millions of dollars for your silly idea so because of this perspective, the nos didnt register to us as a rejection because we had to say no to a few potential investors as well. There are fewer than 50 women-led tech startups that have raised $1 million or more in Africa. Being one of about 15 last year, what challenges did you face when raising this much as a founder and CEO? Theres always a dance between investors and founders during a fundraise on getting the right amount of capital that the business needs and making sure the terms are favorable on both sides. This is always a challenge and Im grateful for an amazing co-founder who was on top of this as well. We all know that the startup world, locally and globally, is a male-dominated one and when it comes to raising money, there tends to be some bias. Can you narrate some of the bias and gender inequality you encountered during this raise cycle? Okra is arguably one of the most diverse companies globally from a gender and ethnic perspective diversity and inclusion is in the ethos of the company. I think at the time, a few people were surprised at how technically involved I am in the day to day of the product. Given these biases, do you think more women would get investments if there were more women investors? I think more female investors definitely means more female entrepreneurs, which is a great thing. I also believe it is important that, as a society, we recognize our natural human biases for better and more equitable decision-making. Most VC firms are required to deliver returns on their investments. Some argue that investing in startups led by men will guarantee such returns, citing examples to back up that claim. Given a few instances of women-led companies doing such in Africa, how have you convinced investors that your business can achieve this? We looked for thesis-driven investors who are first principle-driven this means that they were not looking for validation from history or the public to be bold. They had their own conviction based on fundamentals like the team, market size and product-market fit. We dont pay attention to investors who only pattern-match based on gender. The power of ones network cannot be overemphasized in the business world. How were you able to utilize yours when it came to securing funding? I believe in the 6 degrees of separation, so network is certainly helpful, but it only gets you to the door; substance gives you a sit on the table. For example, today, with near-zero interest rates in the U.S., I dont think I can do anything if my sister wants to raise VC funding without having any value or substance. But I can certainly help with my network if she already has a compelling product that customers love. In the VC space, it is said that those who hold the money tend to invest more in people who look like them. Thats why women founders are encouraged to transition into angel or VC investing to increase the number of women-led startups that get investments. Do you see yourself making this transition? Im not actively angel investing because Im 100% focused on Okra, but Im certainly open to supporting strong early teams, some of which might be public soon. Jihan Abass, CEO, Lami Please tell us what your company does. Lami is a B2B2C insurance-as-a-service platform and API. Lami has digitized the entire insurance value-chain end to end from KYC, pricing, underwriting, and claims processing all in one platform, and API that can be used to distribute any insurance product at any point of sale. What theories concerning women founders did you have at the back of your mind when starting your company, and did it affect you at the early stages? I think the main thing was that there are few female founders in the tech ecosystem and even fewer in the fintech space. What affected me starting out was that I felt there were very few people to talk to who were in similar shoes. Of course, there are women in businesses and leadership positions but few female founders to compare notes with. I struggled with the fact that I didnt see faces like mine. At what point did you begin looking for investors for your company? I had to go the unconventional route at the start regarding raising funds. I found it quite challenging to raise funds when I started out, mostly because I wasnt part of the tech ecosystem, so in order to start my business, I used all my savings and went to family and friends to raise the rest. That was what I used to build our MVP before raising from institutional investors in late 2020. How did you handle your first "no," and how has that changed recently, especially with your company raising more than a million dollars? I found it quite hard to hear the word no. I think it was very difficult for me not to take it personally, but of course, it was a learning opportunity for me. It also made me realize that investors may not understand your vision in some instances, but it also means they may not be the right investors for you. There are fewer than 50 women-led tech startups that have raised $1 million or more in Africa. Being one of about 15 last year, what challenges did you face when raising this much as a founder and CEO? I would say the biggest challenge I faced was getting a lead investor on board, especially because insurtech wasnt seen as exciting as it is now. Getting that first big investor to really believe and back us took time. We all know that the startup world, locally and globally, is a male-dominated one and when it comes to raising money, there tends to be some bias. Can you narrate some of the biases you encountered during this raise cycle? The main issue is the biases in the process and particularly around what investors or even who investors are used to seeing in front of them. I think the biggest challenge is knowing whether or not youre getting a good deal and what that compares to your male counterparts. I also found that the traction discussion was always quite interesting in the fundraising process. I think there are big biases in this in particular because what is the right level of traction and how is that determined? The ambiguity around these questions really does open up the door for biases. Whats your opinion on the disparity in funding between women founders and their male counterparts? And given these biases, do you think more women would get investments if there were more women investors? One of the issues we have is that some of the sectors investors are most excited about generally attract fewer women like fintech, insurtech, logistics. Due to that, I think we end up seeing fewer female-led businesses funded as the majority may be in sectors that are still new to investors. Jihan Abass, CEO, Lami I believe that having more female investors, more female IC members, board members will eventually lead to more investments in female-led businesses. My lead investor Accion has lots of female-led startups in their portfolio and I do believe that this is driven by the team they have. Most VC firms are required to deliver returns on their investments. Some argue that investing in startups led by men will guarantee such returns, citing examples to back up that claim. Given a few instances of women-led companies doing such in Africa, how have you convinced investors that your business can achieve this? Coming from Africa is an advantage and has played a big part in our success. I saw many of these challenges growing up, so I have a deeper understanding of how society operates and how people view things. This perspective provides an edge when building solutions for the continent. Our achievements have been consistent and making sure the VCs can see this growth we have made so far builds on trust and understanding of the potential growth Lami contains. I fundamentally believe that it is impossible for investors to expect big returns from businesses they never funded. If female-led companies were given the same levels of investments, I do believe wed have more unicorns not just in Africa but worldwide. The power of ones network cannot be overemphasized in the business world. How were you able to utilize yours when it came to securing funding? My network in the tech space was quite limited. But I had a few great friends who introduced me to investors in their network. Our lead investor contacted us after hearing me speak on a panel at a virtual event. In the VC space, it is said that those who hold the money tend to invest more in people who look like them. Thats why women founders are encouraged to transition into angel or VC investing to increase the number of women-led startups that get investments. Do you see yourself making this transition? I think what I can accomplish at this level as a founder is to hire more women within our organization to encourage participation in such a field. For example, hiring top female talent because I think ultimately, youre empowering them to see that its not impossible to build a fintech business. From there, they may potentially be able to go and start their own business. Being able to set up that kind of culture, hiring more women and empowering them could be an easier way to impact the transition of more women in fintech. I hope that one day Ill be on the other side of the table and provide support as an investor because I do believe that is the best way to transform the landscape. Honey Ogundeyi, CEO, Edukoya Please tell us what your company does. Edukoya is an education technology company on a mission to make high-quality education more engaging, personalized, and accessible for the next generation of Africans. Our primary offering is an online mobile learning platform that connects primary and secondary school learners with the 99.9th percentile of certified tutors for real-time one-on-one learning. What theories concerning women founders did you have at the back of your mind when starting your company, and did it affect you at the early stages? Less theory, more data and the lived experience of being a female founder, the numbers are there for everyone to see: $5 billion of capital-funded startups in Africa last year and only 1% went to companies without a male founder. Over the last 10 years, the share has averaged about 3%. It is a fact that female founders get less access to funding to build their startups, but regardless of that, I was still passionate about the problem I was solving and our solution, the strength of our team and my experiences. At what point did you begin looking for investors for your company? I raised our initial funding tranche at the earliest stages of the business when I was sure I had the right model and team that I could successfully build and scale across the continent. The pre-seed round was many times oversubscribed and closed relatively quickly. How did you handle your first "no," and how has that changed recently, especially with your company raising more than a million dollars? I was prepared for my first no. I understand that not everyone will buy into my vision. It is part and parcel of the fundraising process. The key thing I did was to inch towards the "yes" and the right "yes" while pitching and selecting the right partners on this journey. Now that we have raised some capital, the first investment milestone is just the start, not the actual milestone. It enables us to progress towards our goal to educate the next billion learners. There are less than 50 women-led tech startups that have raised $1 million or more in Africa. Being one of a handful last year, what challenges did you face when raising this much as a founder and CEO? On the fundraising journey, I was extremely lucky to find an amazing crop of investors led by Target Global and some super amazing supportive founder angels who were willing to back my vision. The main challenges are mostly around conscious and unconscious bias faced as a female founder. Honey Ogundeyi, CEO, Edukoya The other conscious and unconscious biases show up differently during the pitching process -- having to justify round size, managing relationships with investors who are not comfortable with firm boundaries from female founders, and the type of questions I received compared to male peers. We all know that the startup world, locally and globally, is a male-dominated one and when it comes to raising money, there tends to be some bias. Can you narrate some of the bias and gender inequality you encountered during this raise cycle? The ecosystem has come a long way since I built my first startup in 2013. There is still so much to be done to encourage gender-equal platforms for tech founders. I am also passionate about mentoring and working with female founders and the stories are very alike. In some cases, female founders are told that having a male partner or co-founder would allow investors to take them more seriously. Some were even rejected because they were asked to choose between the startup and their families; it can be an extremely challenging test of endurance to find the right investors. But I believe as female founders, we have to trust in our vision, realize everyone will not be a good fit, and keep working to find the right investors without compromising on our personal and business values. Given these biases, do you think more women would get investments if there were more women investors? Yes, more female investors would increase the number of female-funded tech startups. However, female investors will often come from technology careers, so to get more female funders requires a systematic shift and change across the whole ecosystem. We need to create more safe places for women in tech companies, we need to create more female angel investors and, most importantly, we need to work within the existing structures to ensure more angels and VCs write women more checks and become aware of their bias in the fundraising process to create an enabling environment for more women funded founders to thrive and co-exist. The power of ones network cannot be overemphasized in the business world. How were you able to utilize yours when it came to securing funding? I have worked in the technology space for over 18 years and built a track record of execution, performance, and network that helped secure funding. I was also fortunate at a certain point to be able to structure the round and select the right partners for me at that time. It is important for founders to do their due diligence. Develop relationships in advance of when you need the funding and figure out if this is the right backer for you and your team. Its a two-way street. Not every investor is right for you and thats OK. Its a long journey and you should be selective as well with who you want on the journey. In the VC space, it is said that those who hold the money tend to invest more in people who look like them. Thats why women founders are encouraged to transition into angel or VC investing to increase the number of women-led startups that get investments. Do you see yourself making this transition? I am a hundred percent focused on building Edukoya, and I am pleased that I was also deliberate in including female angel investors when building my pre-seed round. There are too many all-male cap tables, which also needs to be addressed. I continue to be deliberate about this now at Edukoya, in my teams, in the boardroom and on the cap table. We need to make room for exceptional women. This is an important way to begin to build the ecosystem we want to see. Nelly Chatue-Diop, CEO, Ejara Please tell us what your company does. Ejara is a crypto-led 21st-century financial institution for Francophone Africans and its diasporas. We are building bridges between crypto and traditional finance by enabling access to various investment and saving offerings while incorporating African familial values of wealth and community into our construction. What theories concerning women founders did you have at the back of your mind when starting your company, and did it affect you at the early stages? Having worked in finance and tech across Europe and the U.S. early in my career, I had already assimilated the experience of being a Black woman in a white-male-dominated world. In executive positions, this was even more the case. So for me, entrepreneurship was just a natural progression and it shows in the data: Less than 1% of funding goes to black women. We are under-represented, so I dont let these facts and figures affect me at any given time in my life. I choose to focus on what is most important: solving problems and creating products that change lives. You could say my corporate experience toughened my skin. At what point did you begin looking for investors for your company? Very early on, as soon as I started feeling more confident in my vision than my numbers. As a founder, you never want to wait until you need money to raise money; its better to get ahead of the curve. How did you handle your first "no," and how has that changed recently, especially with your company raising more than a million dollars? The funny thing is, investors never say a clear "no" to you for fear that another more experienced/prestigious investor will invest. They always want to be able to come back at any time in case the pendulum swings. During my first attempt, I quickly realized this and saw myself getting further away from the business while fundraising with investors with no genuine interest; I decided to stop the process and focus on the company, my customers, my team and myself. This meant finding a pathway through bootstrapping the business. There are fewer than 50 women-led tech startups that have raised $1 million or more in Africa. Being one of about 15 last year, what challenges did you face when raising this much as a founder and CEO? As a founder in Africa, the most complicated thing is educating foreign investors about the market opportunity we represent. Many investors, especially from the West, know nothing about Africa. If you are not in Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa or Egypt, they have no reference. So, you have to do thorough educational work before you even talk about your business. Nelly Chatue-Diop, CEO, Ejara Some investors also have ulterior motives and think they can pass preferential clauses that they would never dare try in Europe or the U.S. Since local lawyers are not used to handling these deals, it requires spending time personally to protect your company from shark investors. We all know that the startup world, locally and globally, is a male-dominated one and when it comes to raising money, there tends to be some bias. Can you narrate some of the bias and gender inequality you encountered during this raise cycle? Ive been lucky enough to work with funds such as Coinshares, Anthemis, and Mercy Corps that dont look at gender or color but only at your vision and your ability to execute it. De facto, if I feel that a fund is biased or talks down to me, I eliminate it from my list. Its up to you to have confidence in yourself and dictate your terms. I had one investor that tried to belittle my corporate experience saying it had no bearing in me being able to lead a company. Another one went as far as dismissing my analysis on his sharky terms, even criticizing the expertise of my top-tier female investors that agreed with me. It is unfortunate, but this is the reality of the male-dominated world we live in and these are the challenges women must be prepared to face. Given these biases, do you think more women would get investments if there were more women investors? The short answer is a big yes, and thats why I am so excited by the likes of Serena Ventures, FirstCheck Africa, Ingressive Capital, Backstage Capital and so many more. The lack of women, especially women of color, in decision-making positions such as partner or principal in funds plays a vital role in the gender funding disparity. There is also a need to educate our women to learn to leverage their network to create and structure their funds. It is a rather obscure world for the average Jane and democratizing it would do a lot of good for us. Most VC firms are required to deliver returns on their investments. Some argue that investing in startups led by men will guarantee such returns, citing examples to back up that claim. Given a few instances of women-led companies doing such in Africa, how have you convinced investors that your business can achieve this? First, people that argue about past data when they are just imbalanced and filled with biases are not worth a second of my time. How can you make progress if you are only looking backwards? Once again, its all about finding the people who believe in your vision. Our investors have already invested in emerging markets and know the growth opportunities related to these blue ocean markets. They also believe in our ability to execute, and the existing traction was already a telltale sign. Everything else doesnt matter to them. These are the kind of people I choose to surround myself with. I dont need to convince all the investors on the planet. I just need a few aligned with my values and found them; everything else is noise. The power of ones network cannot be overemphasized in the business world. How were you able to utilize yours when it came to securing funding? Nothing beats Twitter. I used to DM a lot of female founders to share learnings. It was very easy to network that way and still is. Then one thing led to another. I told them about my business, kept them updated and as they saw the traction, they started introducing me to investors and people that knew investors. All of a sudden, I found myself raising money. Even investors themselves introduced me to other investors, which I didnt expect to happen. At the end of the day, we are human beings, and relationships matter a lot. Business is built from connection and trust. Sending a cold email may or may not work, but an introduction is always better. In the VC space, it is said that those who hold the money tend to invest more in people who look like them. Thats why women founders are encouraged to transition into angel or VC investing to increase the number of women-led startups that get investments. Do you see yourself making this transition? I am focused on my mission; nothing else matters at this point. However, I have friends who are starting businesses and I am happily helping them by investing, so you could say in a way that I am already doing it. Here are the other startups with women founders and CEOs that raised $1 million or more within the past year: Shuttlers, Bankly, Jetstream, Kwara, ReelFruit and OZE. KuicK Research Biomarkers Are Transforming The Cancer Diagnostic And Drug Development Process Says Kuick Research Delhi, March 15, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Global Breast Cancer Antibodies Biomarkers & Clinical Trials Insight 2028 Report Highlights: Global Breast Cancer Antibodies Market Opportunity: > USD 15 Billion Breast Cancer Antibodies Clinical Trials Insight: > 150 Drugs In Trials Breast Cancer Biomarkers Sourced During Clinical Trials Breast Cancer Biomarkers Insight By Antibodies Classification Insight On Biomarkers Sourced From Trials By Drugs & Indication Biomarker Name & Function Insight By Antibody Biomarker Insight Based On Drugs In Multiple Trials Phase & Multiple Indication Download Report: https://www.kuickresearch.com/ccformF.php?t=1646994975 Global Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors Biomarkers & Clinical Trials Insight 2028 Report Highlights: Global Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors Market Opportunity: > USD 30 Billion Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors Clinical Trials Insight: CTLA-4, LAG3, PD-1/PD-L1, TIGIT Inhibitors Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors Clinical Trials Insight: > 300 Drugs In Trials Biomarkers sourced During clinical Trials Biomarkers Insight By Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors Classification Insight On Biomarkers Sourced From Trials By Drugs & Indication Biomarker Name & Function Insight By Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Drug Biomarker Insight Based On Drugs In Multiple Trials Phase & Multiple Indication Download Report: https://www.kuickresearch.com/report-immune-checkpoint-inhibitors-biomarkers Biomarkers fall under the category of biological molecules or genes which have their presence in blood and other body fluids. These naturally occurring characteristics are discovered using bioinformatics and play a significant role in finding and understanding diseases and their behaviors. For example, blood pressure, platelets count is biomarkers as they help in the diagnosis of leukemia. Further, the biomarkers can be used for various other reasons including estimating risk of disease, screening for cancer and associated stages, and to determine the response to therapy. Story continues In last few years, immunotherapy has changed the treatment landscape of many different cancer types. There are several different forms of immunotherapy used clinically, including cytokines, antibodies, vaccines, and immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). Although immunotherapeutic approaches have shown encouraging response, they are effective e in approximately 20% to 30% of cancer patients. The majority of patients have no response or are resistant to the treatment, which is largely associated with cold tumors with few or absence of T cells, low tumor mutational burden, and poor antigen presentation. Given this, there is urgent need to develop and validate more accurate biomarkers to assist in patient selection with immunotherapy. The most validated and clinically used biomarkers for immune checkpoint inhibitor response are programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1), microsatellite instability/defective mismatch repair (MSI/dMMR), and tumor mutational burden (TMB). The surge in the demand of cancer biomarkers has propelled the further research and development activities in this domain. Further, the introduction of artificial intelligence has also shown to enhance the search of effective cancer biomarker. For instance, a recent study demonstrated that artificial intelligence-derived digital pathology-based biomarker can help guide treatment decisions for men with localized intermediate-risk prostate cancer. The biomarker ArteraAI-Predict ADT) showed that a majority of men treated with radiation therapy as part of a large randomized phase 3 trial did not require androgen derivation therapy and could have avoided the adverse events and costs associated with that treatment. This is the first validated predictive biomarker for the benefit of ADT with radiotherapy in prostate cancer patients. A number of regional and global players operate in this market. These companies compete based on the innovation of their products, their quality, their brand reputation, and their market presence in order to sell their products through various industries. A variety of strategies are being employed by companies to remain competitive. For instance in 2021, US FDA approved first diagnostic kit, Cerascreen KRAS RGQ PCR kit, to identify KRAS G12C mutations in QIAGEN NV NSCLC tumors and expand precision medical options for lung cancer. Further in 2020, Thermo Fisher Scientific signed a contract with to expand the use of the targeted Oncomin-Dx test in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and accelerate local biomarker testing. As per our report findings, the global cancer biomarker market will witness exponential growth in coming years. The major driving factors to the market include increase in prevalence of cancer, availability of targeted cancer therapies, rising awareness among population for early diagnosis of cancer, and rising demand of personalized medicine. In addition, increasing regulatory approval of novel drugs and diagnostics pertaining to cancer biomarkers is estimated to increase the adoption rate. The other major players in the market include Abott Laboratories, Amgen, Novartis, Sino Biological, Merck, Agilent Therapeutics, and others. The report provides a detailed analysis of ongoing, biomarker-based clinical trials initiated by big pharmaceutical companies. Further, discussion on the upcoming opportunities that is likely to impact the evolution of this market over the coming years. The report also provides a detailed forecast featuring analysis of the current and projected future opportunity across key market segments. CONTACT: Contact: Neeraj Chawla Kuick research Research Head +91-981410366 neeraj@kuickresearch.com https://www.kuickresearch.com Computers For Success Canada - Ordinateurs pour l'excellence Canada MONTREAL, March 15, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Computers for Success Canada (CFSC-OPEC) is grateful to Desjardins for having joined the CEO Pledge, a joint effort from some of Canadas leading businesses to commit their used technology to the Government of Canadas CFS+ program. By lending its support to this initiative in Quebec and Ontario, Desjardins is not only helping to reduce e-waste by prioritizing reuse over recycling, it is also contributing to the programs goal of providing people in Canada with the skills and tools to participate in our digital economy, said Toby Harper-Merrett, Executive Director, CFSC-OPEC. It's important that Canadians, particularly our youth, have equal access to technology. We've seen how vital this was throughout the pandemic, said Guy Cormier, President and CEO of Desjardins Group. I'm proud to join other leaders and add my name to the CEO Pledge. At Desjardins, we're strongly committed to investing in the success of our youth, and this initiative will give them the tools they need to achieve their dreams. Desjardins will donate 3,000 devices to the Computers for Schools Plus program in 2022. While the program has many positive impacts (environmental, economic and social), one of the less known one is the impact on youth employment. Through paid internships, we have been able to change the lives of hundreds of young people over the years, said Maryse Lavoie, Director of the CFS+ program in Quebec. Many of our interns have found work here at OPEQ or in other organizations as a result of their internship. Desjardins tremendous support will positively impact communities and help RCT shape the digital economy in Ontario with affordable technology access, employment opportunities for youth and enhancing essential digital skills, expressed Shauna L. McCaffrey, Executive Director of Renewed Computer Technology. The CEO pledge has been an impactful initiative led by CFSC across Canada that fosters the real impacts being delivered by the CFS+ program. Story continues About Computers for Schools Plus Computers for Schools Plus (CFS+) is a national partnership-based program that refurbishes digital devices from government, private business and individuals for use by schools, libraries, not-for profit organizations, Indigenous communities and eligible low-income individuals. This program is funded by the Government of Canada. About CFSC-OPEC Computers for Success Canada Inc.| Ordinateurs pour lexcellence Canada Inc. (CFSC-OPEC) is a not-for-profit organization established in 2005, supporting Government of Canada digital inclusion and economic development programs. CFSC-OPECs services include project management, communications, partnership development, and strategic planning. About Desjardins Group Desjardins Group is the largest cooperative financial group in North America and the fifth largest cooperative financial group in the world, with assets of $397 billion. In 2021 it was ranked as one of Canada's Top 100 Employers by Mediacorp. To meet the diverse needs of its members and clients, Desjardins offers a full range of products and services to individuals and businesses through its extensive distribution network, online platforms and subsidiaries across Canada. Ranked among the world's strongest banks according to The Banker magazine, Desjardins has one of the highest capital ratios and credit ratings in the industry. Contact Julie Brouard Manager, Communications and Partnerships Computers for Success Canada Inc. julie.brouard@cfsc-opec.org 514-793-8073 NEW YORK, March 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The global commercial aircraft leasing market has the potential to grow by USD 14.50 billion between 2020 and 2025. The market observed a year-over-year growth of 8.71% in 2021. However, the growth momentum is expected to decelerate at a CAGR of 9% during the forecast period. Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled Commercial Aircraft Leasing Market by Leasing Type and Geography - Forecast and Analysis 2021-2025 The report provides a comprehensive analysis of market size, YOY growth rates, and market behavior through 2025. Find out more about the report coverage. Download a Free Sample Now The 120-page report segments the commercial aircraft leasing market by type (wet lease and dry lease) and geography (APAC, Europe, North America, South America, and MEA). The wet lease segment is expected to generate maximum revenue in the market throughout the forecast period. Wet leasing enables airline operators to extend their operations into regions where airlines do not have legal permission to operate under their own name. Also, in the wet lease agreement, the company that owns and manages the aircraft fleet provides aircraft, crew, maintenance, and insurance services (ACMI) to the lessee. Such benefits are driving the growth of the segment. APAC will have the largest share of the market. The market currently holds 43% of the global market share and is expected to dominate the market in terms of growth throughout the forecast period. The growth of the commercial aircraft leasing market in APAC is driven by the increasing flow of investments in the aviation industry in the region. In addition, commercial airline operators in the region are focusing on expanding their operations due to the increasing number of passengers. These factors are driving the growth of the regional market. China and Japan are the key markets for commercial aircraft leasing in APAC. Get highlights on segment-wise, region-wise, and country-wide analysis. Request a Free Sample Report The market is driven by the strong market position of Irish and Chinese lessors. Ireland offers high capital allowance rates and low withholding rates to companies operating in the aircraft leasing industry. This is encouraging many international players to conduct core leasing operations from Ireland. Similarly, the presence of favorable regulatory policies has resulted in the rapid growth of the aircraft leasing industry in China. For instance, as of 2020, there were more than 7,000 bank leasing companies in China. Besides, many Chinese companies are increasingly resorting to acquisition as a means of business expansion. Such developments are fostering the growth of the global commercial aircraft leasing market. Story continues In addition, the influence of taxes on aircraft leasing is anticipated to boost the growth of the commercial aircraft leasing market. Major Five Commercial Aircraft Leasing Companies: AerCap Group: The company offers a portfolio of over 1044 commercial aircraft worldwide to be leased. Air Lease Corp.: The company is engaged in purchasing and leasing commercial aircraft to its valued airline customers worldwide. Avolon Aerospace Leasing Ltd.: The company is involved in the leasing of commercial aircraft. The company has a fleet of around 842 aircraft with operations in more than 60 countries. BANK OF CHINA: The company offers a number of different aircraft to clients through their subsidiary BOC Aviation along with financial and technical assistance. BBAM US LP: The company provides a range of commercial aircraft from their fleet of Airbus, Boeing, and Embraer aircraft to over 90 carriers worldwide. Identify other dominant players and their offerings and factors impacting the growth of the market participants. Download a Free Sample Now Related Reports: Railcar Leasing Market in North America 2021-2025: The railcar leasing market in North America is segmented by product (freight cars, tank cars, and locomotives), end-user (petroleum and chemical, coal, agricultural products, and others), and geography (US and Rest of North America). Download Exclusive Free Sample Report Vehicle Leasing Market in Europe 2021-2025: The vehicle leasing market in Europe is segmented by type (passenger cars and commercial vehicles) and geography (the UK, Germany, France, and the rest of Europe). Download Exclusive Free Sample Report Commercial Aircraft Leasing Market Scope Report Coverage Details Page number 120 Base year 2020 Forecast period 2021-2025 Growth momentum & CAGR Decelerate at a CAGR of 9% Market growth 2021-2025 USD 14.50 billion Market structure Fragmented YoY growth (%) 8.71 Regional analysis APAC, Europe, North America, South America, and MEA Performing market contribution APAC at 43% Key consumer countries China, US, Germany, France, and Japan Competitive landscape Leading companies, competitive strategies, consumer engagement scope Companies profiled AerCap Group, Air Lease Corp., Avolon Aerospace Leasing Ltd., BANK OF CHINA, BBAM US LP, Dubai Aerospace Enterprise (DAE) Ltd., General Electric Co., ICBC Co. Ltd., Nordic Aviation Capital, and Sumitomo Mitsui Finance and Leasing Co. 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: Executive Summary Market Landscape Market ecosystem Impact of COVID-19 on the industrials sector Value chain analysis Market Sizing Market definition Market segment analysis Market size 2020 Market outlook: Forecast for 2020 - 2025 Five Forces Analysis Five forces summary Bargaining power of buyers Bargaining power of suppliers Threat of new entrants Threat of substitutes Threat of rivalry Market condition Market Segmentation by Leasing Type Market segments Comparison by Leasing type Wet lease - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 Dry lease - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 Market opportunity by Leasing type Customer landscape Geographic Landscape Geographic segmentation Geographic comparison APAC - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 Europe - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 North America - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 South America - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 MEA - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 Key leading countries Market opportunity by geography Market drivers Market challenges Market trends Vendor Landscape Overview Vendor landscape Landscape disruption Vendor Analysis Vendors covered Market positioning of vendors AerCap Group Air Lease Corp. Avolon Aerospace Leasing Ltd. BANK OF CHINA BBAM US LP Dubai Aerospace Enterprise (DAE) Ltd. General Electric Co. ICBC Co. Ltd. Nordic Aviation Capital Sumitomo Mitsui Finance and Leasing Co. Ltd. Appendix Scope of the report Currency conversion rates for US$ Research methodology List of abbreviations About Technavio 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. Contacts 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) Cision View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/commercial-aircraft-leasing-market-to-record-usd-14-50-bn-growth--evolving-opportunities-with-aercap-group-and-air-lease-corp--technavio-301501671.html SOURCE Technavio Firm formerly known as Prime Locations Cayman to now operate as Corcoran Cayman Islands NEW YORK, March 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Corcoran Group, LLC today announced its continued expansion by welcoming its latest Caribbean affiliate with the launch of Corcoran Cayman Islands, owned and led by Paul Young. The announcement, made by Pamela Liebman, President and CEO of The Corcoran Group, marks another milestone for the firm's global footprint. Corcoran logo (PRNewsfoto/The Corcoran Group) A British territory made up of three diverse islands in the western Caribbean Sea, the Cayman Islands are known for stunning beach resorts, a variety of scuba activities, and world-class deep sea fishing excursions. The islands are also widely recognized as the birthplace of recreational diving in the Caribbean, and a top choice for diving holidays. Known also for its consistently incredible weather, the Cayman Islands are a perfect fit for Corcoran's continued expansion. "Our presence in the Caribbean is extremely important as we continue to grow our global footprint, and this arrival into the Cayman Islands is no exception," said Liebman. "The importance that Paul and his team have placed on teamwork and a tight-knit working environment are invaluable, and perfectly in-line with our values at Corcoran. I'm pleased to welcome Corcoran Cayman Islands to our robust network and I'm confident that they will help us attract more U.S.-based buyers to the region." The firm formerly known as Prime Locations Cayman was founded in 2016 by Young. Located in the heart of Seven Mile Beach on Grand Cayman, the team recently moved into a new office at The Grove, which also serves as a sales gallery. Born in Canada, Young started his sales-oriented career in the 1980s, and his journey has taken him through several start-ups and experiences with notable area developers. He is also the sole shareholder and a member of CIREBA (Cayman Islands Real Estate Brokers Association) since 2002. The Corcoran Cayman Islands team prides themselves on their local connections and deep community roots, which will ensure they continue to create optimal client experiences with every transaction. Story continues "We are a company that operates on three important principles: product knowledge, communication, and follow-through. These cornerstones ultimately translate into a very positive, trusting experience for our clients," said Young. "The Cayman luxury property market, as well as our high quality of life and infrastructure, position us as one of the premier destinations for Caribbean real estate. We look forward to introducing clients to the many compelling opportunities now available through the wider Corcoran network." About The Corcoran Group The Corcoran Group has been a leading residential real estate brand for nearly 50 years. Through its New York City, Hamptons, and South Florida brokerages, along with its rapidly growing affiliate network, the firm is home to more than 160 offices and more than 5,700 independent salespersons in key urban, suburban, and resort markets nationwide. Corcoran agents earn and keep their clients' trust with an unwavering commitment to white-glove service, expertise, and integrity. In every market served, Corcoran helps you find the home that's just right for you. The Corcoran brand comprises both offices owned by a subsidiary of Realogy Brokerage Group LLC and franchised offices, which are independently owned and operated. For more information about The Corcoran Group, please visit www.corcoran.com. Cision View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/corcoran-welcomes-latest-affiliate-in-cayman-islands-301502953.html SOURCE The Corcoran Group Moro Hub, a subsidiary of the digital arm of Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (Dewa), signed a MoU with RealNetworks to complement its Integrated Physical Security Platform with the leading facial recognition technology. The MoU establishes a framework for Moro Hub to integrate SAFR deep-learning engine with its Integrated Physical Security Platform (IPSP) to deliver accurate, fast, unbiased face recognition (FR) and additional computer vision features. With this collaboration, Moro Hub aims to offer a holistic Integrated Physical Security Platform and accelerate an efficient and secured integrated business environment for its clients. SAFR combined with the next generation hosting capabilities of Moro Hub will provide flexibility and reduce dependency on bandwidth and compute resources, it stated. "Our partnership with RealNetworks is a key step towards accelerating our efforts to elevate the security services in the country, to promote, preserve and enhance smart living and seamless business operations," remarked its CEO Mohammad bin Sulaiman. In addition, this partnership will set new standards in the market by providing the highest levels of FR accuracy for automated surveillance, providing access control and generating analytics while ensuring maximum flexibility and efficiency on deployment, thereby ensuring safe cities. RealNetworks VP (Middle East) Walter Candelu said this partnership aims at setting new standards for the security implementations in the region. "We at RealNetworks take pride in partnering with Moro Hub, the fastest growing digital entity in the region, with a clear objective to bringing cutting-edge technologies to the clients fingertips," he added. LONDON, March 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Eat and Cook in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia is the 2022 recipient of the American Express One To Watch Award. The American Express One To Watch Award recognises a restaurant considered to be a rising star of the region and aims to celebrate gastronomic excellence, innovation and potential. Eat and Cook is the winner of the American Express One To Watch Award as part of the Asias 50 Best Restaurants 2022 awards programme Eat and Cook was born out of adversity. During the COVID pandemic, chefs Lee Zhe Xi and Soh Yong Zhi lost their respective jobs as hotel chefs. Turning misfortune into a moment of opportunity, the pair pursued their passion project: to create an omakase-style restaurant serving modern interpretations of classic Malaysian dishes. At Eat and Cook, Lee and Soh present ingredient-driven tasting menus that expand the possibilities of Malaysian cooking. In keeping with the omakase tradition, the menu changes daily according to the availability and quality of local produce. While honouring authentic Malaysian flavours, each dish is distinguished by the chefs' technical mastery, creative ambition and deep respect for their culinary heritage. William Drew, Director of Content for Asia's 50 Best Restaurants, says: "As the winner of the American Express One To Watch Award 2022, Eat and Cook is recognised for its refined cooking techniques, surprising combinations and creative execution. Its owners are creating a new identity for modern Malaysian cuisine." Acknowledging the award, Chef Lee says: "On behalf of the Eat and Cook team, we are honoured to receive this award. It's a validation of the hard work we've put in over the last year and of our commitment to elevating Malaysian cuisine. This award will inspire us to continue our mission to bring the Malaysian dining experience to the next level." Hannah Kelly, Vice President of Strategic Dining Partnerships and Benefits for American Express, says: "The success of Eat and Cook embodies the ingenuity and tenacity of those in the restaurant industry and American Express is proud to stand behind this international community." Story continues The achievements of Eat and Cook's inspiring chefs will be celebrated as part of the ceremony for Asia's 50 Best Restaurants 2022 on 29th March, which will be broadcast to a global audience via Asia's 50 Best Restaurants Facebook and the 50 Best Restaurants TV YouTube channel. Media contact: asias50best@finnpartners.com Media Centre access: https://mediacentre.theworlds50best.com/ 50_Best_Asia_2022_Logo SOURCE 50 Best Crypto exchange EQONEX onboards Capitalise.ai auto-trading natural language platform to provide crypto trading clients with enhanced trading tools to analyse and automate execution SINGAPORE, March 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Digital asset financial services company EQONEX Limited (NASDAQ: EQOS) and Capitalise.ai, a global technology leader of a groundbreaking trading automation and analysis platform, have partnered to provide EQONEX clients with a range of simple-to-use, advanced trading features to elevate their trading performance including automated trading strategies, research, analysis, and real-time alerts. The Capitalise.ai platform will provide EQONEX traders with the ability to analyze and deploy a range of strategies that were previously only utilized by sophisticated, technical traders. The platform removes barriers for traders that may not have technical or coding skills, by enabling them to create and test trading scenarios using everyday English text commands. It also delivers alerts and insights on-the-go, provided by Capitalise.ai's engine. Capitalise.ai's proprietary technology is based on artificial intelligence, machine learning and natural language processing to turn English-based text rules entered by traders into custom algorithmic trading strategies that can automatically provoke alerts and be instantly executed. EQONEX clients will receive free access to Capitalise.ai's full suite of analytics and automated trading tools, including back-testing, trading bots, smart notifications and much more. Users will also be able to access Capitalise.ai's mobile app for Android and iOS, so that they can stay in control of their trades 24/7, 365 days a year, and free themselves from sitting in front of the desktop. "EQONEX is focused on meeting the discerning needs of experienced traders who are looking to unlock the potential of crypto markets through safe, reliable trade execution on a trusted exchange. We are excited to expand the benefits of our platform by offering the game-changing technologies offered by Capitalize.ai to empower our traders to upskill and optimize their trading strategies and performance," said Andrew Eldon, Interim CEO of EQONEX. Story continues Amir Shiovich, Capitalise.ai CEO & Co-Founder: "2022 has started beautifully for Capitalise, and as the online trading industry is booming, I expect things to look even better soon. I am delighted to welcome EQONEX on-board, and I am sure that they will find Capitalise valuable as much as our other partners do. We look forward to making a real impact on their traders' habits and day to day lifestyle." Free access to Capitalize.ai is available to EQONEX customers by creating an account at Eqonex.capitalise.ai. About EQONEX EQONEX is a NASDAQ-listed digital assets financial services company focused on fairness, governance and innovation. The group encompasses cryptocurrency exchange EQONEX as well as an over-the-counter trading platform. It also offers a front-to-back integrated trading platform, Access Trading, a securitization advisory service, EQONEX Capital, market leading hot and cold custodian Digivault and asset manager Bletchley Park. About Capitalise.ai Capitalise.ai is a world leader creator of an analytics and trading automation platform that amplifies top-tier brokerage firms' performance by offering a game changing trading experience for traders worldwide. In the last year, Capitalise.ai more than tripled its partnerships, number of active traders, usage scale and trading activity. With Capitalise.ai, brokers can offer their traders analytical instruments and seamless automated trading experience previously reserved only for highly technical traders with the know-how to build scripts on their own or use technical solutions. For the first time, traders with zero technical skills can automate their trading, using freestyle text, such as "if/then" plain English rules. Capitalise.ai's platform is extensive and rich in capabilities and features and is being utilized by leading brokers worldwide. Among its partners are leading brokerage firms such as Interactive brokers, FXCM, Binance, FTX, Eightcap, Erisx and more. https://www.capitalise.ai/ . Cision View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/eqonex-and-capitaliseai-join-forces-to-provide-crypto-traders-with-automated-ai-trading-strategies-execution-and-research-301502583.html SOURCE EQONEX Leading EV charging company also appoints three new high-profile directors as it accelerates execution of its US strategy QUEBEC CITY, March 14, 2022 /CNW/ - AddEnergie Technologies Inc., operator of the FLO EV charging network, is proud to announce the new composition of its Board of Directors and Tom Werner's appointment as Chair. With broad and diversified experience in fast-growth technology companies, green industries and deep knowledge of the US market, FLO | AddEnergie's expanded Board of Directors will play a key role in guiding and supporting the company's ongoing expansion across North America. FLO Logo (CNW Group/FLO) Tom Werner, new Chair of the Board, is a business advisor with extensive experience in leadership roles in technology and energy organizations. He was on the front lines of the solar revolution serving as CEO of SunPower for 18 years. During his tenure, Tom grew the business from a privately held company of 35 employees with revenues of less than $5 million to a publicly traded industry leader with a market value that reached $11 billion and an installed base of 350,000 clients. Alongside Tom, FLO | AddEnergie is pleased to announce the appointment of three other highly qualified directors: Renee Bergeron Senior Vice President and General Manager of AppSmart, the largest B2B recurring technology services marketplace in the world. Renee has been a thought-leader in the technology industry for more than 25 years including at Ingram Micro and Fujitsu. Richard Cherney Senior partner at Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP in the Mergers & Acquisitions, Capital Markets & Securities and Private Equity practices. Richard advises public and private companies, including Alimentation Couche-Tard (Circle K), New Look Vision Group, the Kaycan group of companies and Air Canada. Dany St-Pierre President of Cleantech Expansion. Dany advises entrepreneurs in the smart mobility sector with her more than 20 years of sales and marketing experience with globaltransportation and energy manufacturers such as Bombardier, Siemens, Alstom and Nordex. Story continues "I am proud to welcome these seasoned business leaders to our Board of Directors," said Louis Tremblay, President and CEO of FLO | AddEnergie. "Each of these individuals brings a unique perspective, tremendous insight and experience that will help us achieve our growth ambitions and our vision to be a world leader in EV charging. I am particularly excited to see Tom Werner take the helm of our board. Tom's background as thought leader in solar and renewable energy and deep experience across the value chain and strong track record of delivering growth and value creation will no doubt contribute greatly to the execution of FLO | AddEnergie's strategy. I look forward to working with all board members to see everything that we can accomplish together." Tom, Renee, Richard and Dany will work alongside FLO | AddEnergie's current experienced and knowledgeable directors: Norman Hebert President and CEO of Groupe Park Avenue for the last 30 years. Norman leads more than 1,000 employees in 21 car dealerships across Canada. Hans Kobler Founder & Managing Partner of Energy Impact Partners (EIP). Hans has spent his career focusing on transformative businesses as an investor, advisor and operator. Pierre Nelis Chief Operating Officer at Inno-Centre. Pierre advises innovative SMEs and early-stage technology companies in the pursuit of their growth and performance objectives. Louis Tremblay President, CEO, and founder of FLO | AddEnergie and a trailblazer in the field of electric mobility. Louis cofounded AddEnergie in 2009 and, since then, he has guided the company to become a leader in EV charging solutions and operator of a major North American charging network. "On behalf of the Board and all of FLO | AddEnergie's employees, I would also like to extend special thanks to our outgoing Chair, Robert Benoit, for his guidance, expertise and support over the past 12 years," said Mr. Tremblay. "Robert's thoughtful leadership was instrumental as the company consolidated the success of its business model in Canada and launched its ambitious US growth strategy. I am particularly grateful for his wisdom and generosity" concluded Tremblay. To find more detail about the FLO | AddEnergie Board of Directors, click here. About FLO | AddEnergie FLO | AddEnergie is a leading North American electric vehicle charging network operator and a provider of smart charging software and equipment. In conjunction with its parent company, AddEnergie, FLO leverages its vertical integration to offer EV drivers the best possible charging experience. Every month, the company enables more than half a million charging events, thanks to over 60,000 high-quality EV charging stations deployed at public, commercial and residential installations. FLO employees are located across North America, from the headquarters in Quebec City, to assembly plants in Shawinigan, to offices in Montreal, Vancouver and Sacramento, and they also work remotely in key US and Canadian markets. For more information, visit flo.com. Cision View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/flo--addenergie-welcomes-former-sunpower-ceo-tom-werner-as-chair-301502459.html SOURCE FLO Cision View original content to download multimedia: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/March2022/14/c5633.html As Japan begins to open its borders to foreign travel following a three-month restriction in response to the Omicron variant, Pacific airline companies are preparing to reap the benefits of increased travel activity to and from the East Asian nation. We're gearing up in anticipation of the Japanese market, which is the most important international market for Hawaii opening up over the next couple of months, Hawaiian Airlines CEO Peter Ingram told Yahoo Finance Live in a recent interview. We're really monitoring that situation very closely. And that's going to dictate a big part of how our schedules look for the summer. Travelers from Japan typically are the largest tourism group in Hawaii, according to Hawaii Public Radio. In 2019, Hawaii welcomed 1.5 million arrivals from Japan, The Hawaii Tourism Authority reported. A surf board concession stand is closed on Waikiki Beach due to the business downturn caused by the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Honolulu, Hawaii, U.S. April 28, 2020. Picture taken April 28, 2020. REUTERS/Marco Garcia The Japanese government announced that it would increase the limit on new arrivals from 5,000 to 7,000 each day and, beginning April 1, will raise the figure to 10,000. The worlds eleventh-most populous country has been a bit of an outlier in regards to international travel restrictions in the past few months, taking a more aggressive approach to limit potential coronavirus outbreaks. I think there's the same potential for [increased demand] on the international side, as policy changes are put in place in places like Australia, which we've already seen, and then Japan and Korea, which are starting to relax some of their restrictions for transborder travel, Ingram said. And that positions us pretty well. Visitors wearing protective face masks walk under decorations for the New Year at Nakamise street leading to Senso-ji temple at Asakusa district, a popular sightseeing spot, amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, in Tokyo, Japan, December 24, 2021. REUTERS/Issei Kato In November, Japan shut its border to non-Japanese travelers in response to the outbreak of the Omicron variant. Even now, access to Japan from the U.S. is extremely limited. Travel for tourism is still not allowed in Japan. We've seen a great recovery in terms of demand for domestic leisure travel and demand domestically for travel into Hawaii, Ingram said. [The recovery] was upset a little bit in the back part of the year with the Delta surge and then the Omicron surge at the end of the year. But as we've entered 2022, and we've come down from that peak in Omicron cases, demand is very strong and shaping up to be a good summer domestically. Story continues Ihsaan Fanusie is a writer at Yahoo Finance. Follow him on Twitter @IFanusie. Follow Yahoo Finance on Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, Flipboard, and LinkedIn Canadians can now experience Alicia Keys transcendent line of dermatologist-developed skincare and body care offerings + soul-nurturing rituals TORONTO, March 15, 2022--(BUSINESS WIRE)--"Were so busy all the time, I dont think we create these small rituals for ourselves. Even the five minutes it takes to wash my face creating that space for myself makes me feel more beautiful, more powerful, more possible. Thats Soulcare." ~Alicia Keys. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220315005583/en/ (Photo: Business Wire) Its a soul-lifting day in Canadian beauty as Keys Soulcare, the lifestyle beauty brand created by Grammy-winning artist, producer, entrepreneur and New York Times bestselling author Alicia Keys, launches exclusively at Sephora Canada. Today, Canadians can discover Alicias vision of changing the face of beauty, paying special attention to what affects our skin and our soul. Keys Soulcare goes beyond skincare to care for the whole self body, mind and spirit. Alicia teamed up with board-certified dermatologist, Dr. Renee Snyder, to create clean, safe and effective product offerings always cruelty-free. Keys Soulcare offerings will be available for purchase at Sephora.ca and through the Sephora app. The brand will launch in Sephora Canadas 85-plus retail stores, including its flagship locations in Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver on March 31. Since launching in the fall of 2020, Keys Soulcare has redefined skincare and selfcare through its emphasis on modern skin science, plus ancient beauty rituals. All Keys Soulcare offerings are formulated with time-honored ingredients like manuka honey, turmeric, aloe, bamboo and malachite along with modern ingredients like bakuchiol, hyaluronic acid, ceramides and niacinamide to create highly effective formulas that are gentle enough for all skin types. Each offering also features a unique affirmation to encourage us to transform our everyday beauty routines into moments of personal ceremony, as written by Alicia, herself. Story continues "As a purpose-driven brand deeply rooted in the belief that beauty comes from the inside out, we are excited to share Keys Soulcare with Sephora Canadas community of lightworkers," said Kory Marchisotto, President of Keys Soulcare. "With Alicia as our Goddess in Chief, our brand essence radiates from her four guiding lights inspiration, intention, ritualization, and holistic care. We marry efficacious product offerings, rich content and uplifting conversations to nourish the Skin and nurture the Soul." "Were thrilled to welcome Keys Soulcare to the Sephora Canada family," said Jane Nugent, Senior Vice President Merchandising, Sephora Canada. "Many of our clients place wellness and ritual at the heart of their beauty routines and we couldnt be more excited to introduce Keys Soulcares unique offering to our beauty community." SKIN-NOURISHING OFFERINGS Harness the possibilities of whats to come with Keys Soulcares skin-nourishing offerings and soul-nurturing affirmations. Here are some of Alicias favorite offerings: SAGE + OAT MILK SCENTED CANDLE, $62 MSRP, 7.5 OZ The start of any ritual begins with lighting a candle. This artisanal hand-poured candle is made of vegan soy wax. Sage exudes a smoky, calming warmth while the sweet, nutty fragrance of oat milk soothes the mind and body. The scent was developed in connection with the renowned perfumer Catherine Selig of the fine fragrance house Takasago, and Alicia has said, "the scent is me in a bottle; literally a bottle of me!" Affirmation: I shine at full wattage. GOLDEN CLEANSER, $35 MSRP, 5.75 FL OZ This delicate and soothing facial pore cleanser helps purify your skin and your spirit by gently removing dirt, makeup and impurities with antioxidant-rich manuka honey, soothing turmeric and calming chamomile. Used for centuries by New Zealands Maori people, manuka honey is a purifying antioxidant that helps draw moisture into the skin for long-lasting hydration. An Ayurvedic essential for over 4,000 years, the golden spice turmeric is a gentle purifying and calming agent for the skin. Alicia notes, "I love learning from ancient cultures; every community has something valuable to share." Affirmation: I am devoted to this moment. BE LUMINOUS EXFOLIATOR, $40 MSRP, 2.29 OZ A water-activated powder exfoliator, formulated with antioxidant rich Japanese hojicha powder, mung beans, oats and lactic acid that transforms into a gentle creamy foam to buff away dullness, brighten complexions and reveal true radiance. Alicia uses this illuminating ritual once every couple of days to polish her skin and spirit. Affirmation: I am layered, complex and divine. SKIN TRANSFORMATION CREAM, $51 MSRP, 1.76 OZ (also available in Fragrance-Free) A hydrating face cream that helps reveal plumped and radiant-looking skin. A plant-based alternative to retinol, bakuchiol is an antioxidant-rich exfoliator that helps improve the tone and texture of the skin. Malachite, the stone of transformation, has been used for thousands of years to cleanse, purify and calm the spirit and skin. Ceramides and hyaluronic acid provide long-lasting hydration for a look of radiance and renewal. "I like to massage the Skin Transformation Cream into the skin with the obsidian face roller and focus on staying present in the moment as it absorbs," observes Alicia. Also available as Fragrance-free. Affirmation: I welcome all circumstances as catalysts for change. LET ME GLOW ILLUMINATING SERUM $40 MSRP 30mL Radiate confidence and let your inner light shine through with this hydrating, illuminating complexion and makeup priming serum. This vegan formula contains antioxidant-rich rose water to help infuse skin with a burst of hydration and replenish dry, dull skin. Niacinamide helps brighten and balance the look of your complexion. It reveals a healthy, golden glow while helping brighten, plump, and smooth the look of your skin. "This is my first step after my morning cleansing & skincare ritual," shares Alicia. "It really prepares my skin and makes it glow." Affirmation: I give myself permission to glow. SOUL-NURTURING RITUALS The Keys Soulcare offerings were developed to create your own beauty rituals. "Rituals allow us to press reset, return to center and refocus," Alicia explains. "They clear negative energy and encourage mindfulness." All Keys Soulcare rituals begin by lighting the Sage + Oat Milk Candle to energize and add clarity to your thoughts with the scent of sage. Then, state the offerings affirmation aloud. "Cleansing with the Golden Cleanser, exfoliating with the Be Luminous Exfoliator, applying the Skin Transformation Cream and giving my face a nice massage using the Obsidian Facial Roller is one of my favorite self-care rituals," notes Alicia. "Were so busy all the time that I dont think we create these small rituals for ourselves. Even the five minutes it takes to wash my face when Im able to create that space for myself I feel more beautiful, more powerful, more possible. Thats soulcare." "Keys open doors and Sephora Canada is another door we get to walk through together," said Marchisotto. "We invite the Canadian community to discover our offerings, set an intention and embrace skin-nourishing and soul-nurturing beauty." To discover all of our offerings for skin, body and soul, connect with our community of lightworkers, learn more and vibe higher, visit keyssoulcare.com or follow along on Instagram @keyssoulcare. About Keys Soulcare: Keys Soulcare is a lifestyle beauty brand created with artist, producer, entrepreneur and New York Times best-selling author Alicia Keys. Born of Alicias personal skincare journey and her passion for bringing light into the world, the brand vision is more than skin deep. With an inclusive point of view, an authentic voice, and a line of skin-loving, dermatologist-developed, cruelty-free product offerings, Keys Soulcare aims to bring new meaning to beauty by honoring ritual in our daily life and practicing intention in every action. The brand is available online and through exclusive retail partnerships. Learn more by visiting www.keyssoulcare.com About Sephora Americas: Since its debut in North America more than 20 years ago, Sephora has been a leader in prestige omni-retail with the mission of creating an inviting beauty shopping experience and inspiring fearlessness in our community. With the goal of delivering unbiased shopping support and a personalized experience, Sephora invites clients to discover thousands of products from more than 340 carefully curated brands, explore online and through our mobile app, enjoy services at the Beauty Studio and engage with expertly trained beauty advisors in over 500 stores across the Americas, including over 85 stores across Canada. Clients can access the free-to-join Beauty Insider program and digital community, which together enhance the experience of Sephora's passionate clients. Sephora has been an industry-leading champion of diversity, inclusivity, and empowerment, guided by our longstanding company values. In 2019, Sephora announced a new tagline and manifesto, "We Belong to Something Beautiful," to reinforce its dedication to fostering belonging amongst all clients and employees and to publicly strive for a more inclusive vision for retail in the Americas. Sephora continues to give back to our communities and advance inclusion in our industry through its social impact and equity programming, called the Sephora D&I Heart Journey. For more information, visit: https://www.sephora.ca/about-us and @SephoraCanada on social media. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220315005583/en/ Contacts Keys Soulcare Corporate Communications Melinda Fried mfried@elfbeauty.com Keys Soulcare Canadian Consumer PR Agency Siobhan Barrett Siobhan@1Milk2Sugars.com LG Household & Health Care is minting 3,000 non-fungible tokens (NFTs) on OpenSea to promote its beauty brand Belif with plans to further expand linkage with the metaverse. See related article: TV home shopping in South Korea moves to the metaverse Fast facts LGs Klaytn blockchain-based NFT collection consists of 12 characters from the Belif beauty brand universe, with which the company aims to promote brand values in customers. In 2020, South Koreas burgeoning cosmetics industry was the third-largest cosmetics exporter behind France and the U.S., according to the countrys Ministry of Food and Drug Safety. A total of 3,000 NFTs called the Belif Universe Collection will be on sale this month, arranged as a bundle with one of LGs best-selling cosmetic products, Numero Essence. The collection will be minted five times this year collectors of all five NFTs will be given various membership benefits. In partnership with NFT project Treasures Club, LG says it will continue to pursue its ventures in NFTs and the metaverse. See related article: 20,000 line up for S.Korean convenience stores NFTs on White Day Highlights include: Hole C22-151 1.11 g/t gold equivalent over 260 metres from surface at Cangrejos Hole C22-156 1.55 g/t gold equivalent over 184 metres at Cangrejos Including 1.98 g/t gold equivalent over 126 metres Hole C22-157 Including 1.17 g/t gold equivalent over 110 metres VANCOUVER, BC, March 15, 2022 /CNW/ - Lumina Gold Corp. (TSXV: LUM) (OTCQX: LMGDF) (the "Company" or "Lumina") is pleased to announce results from seven drill holes at its Cangrejos project (the "Project") in Ecuador. Five of the reported drill holes are from Cangrejos and two are from Gran Bestia. To date, twenty-seven drill holes have been completed and six drill holes are in progress, totalling 11,785 metres of drilling. Six drill rigs are currently on site and two additional drill rigs will join the campaign at the end of March. One of the new drill rigs will initially be dedicated to geotechnical and hydrological drilling in support of the Pre-feasibility Study ("PFS"). Holes C22-151, C22-153 and C22-158 were drilled in the western and central portions of the Cangrejos deposit where high grades largely occur within intrusive and hydrothermal breccias. The breccias are locally cut by a later phase of weakly mineralized porphyry, which was the predominate rock type intercepted in hole C22-153. Hole C22-158 contained mineralization that continued laterally beyond the pit limits defined by the 2020 Preliminary Economic Assessment ("PEA"). At Gran Bestia, mineralization is largely hosted in breccia. C22-155 and C22-157 exhibit strong mineralized grade continuity from surface and extend beyond the current PEA pit limits. While most drilling to date at Gran Bestia is in-fill, an exploration hole (C22-160) has been angled to the northwest into un-drilled terrain where the resource is open. The drill hole has been completed and results are pending. Table 1: Drill Results Hole Deposit / Azimuth / Dip () From (m) To (m) Interval (m) Au (g/t) Cu (%) Au Eq (g/t) Cu Eq (%) Total Depth (m) C21-150 Cangrejos 2 168 166 0.56 0.04 0.67 0.49 546 Incl. 330 / -85 62 96 34 0.94 0.64 1.05 0.76 And 312 322 10 0.24 0.05 0.32 0.24 And 368 378 10 0.47 0.04 0.54 0.4 And 460 470 10 0.30 0.02 0.33 0.24 C21-151 Cangrejos 0 260 260 0.96 0.09 1.11 0.81 460 Incl. 330 / -65 50 176 126 1.27 0.09 1.41 1.03 And 202 228 26 1.57 0.17 1.84 1.34 C21-153 Cangrejos 122 136 14 0.41 0.07 0.53 0.38 640 And 330 /-66 518 552 34 0.22 0.05 0.30 0.22 And 568 578 10 0.28 0.05 0.35 0.26 C22-155 Gran Bestia 2 120 118 0.32 0.04 0.38 0.28 343 And 0 / -90 212 294 82 0.32 0.04 0.38 0.28 C22-156 Cangrejos 12 64 52 0.26 0.04 0.30 0.22 509 And 150 /-84 106 148 42 0.34 0.04 0.40 0.29 And 248 432 184 1.33 0.14 1.55 1.13 Incl. 256 382 126 1.74 0.16 1.98 1.44 C22-157 Gran Bestia 0 316 316 0.7 0.09 0.84 0.61 336 Incl. 330 /-62 16 126 110 1.03 0.09 1.17 0.86 C22-158 Cangrejos 6 18 12 0.45 0.09 0.61 0.45 470 And 330 / -50 90 106 16 0.24 0.15 0.47 0.34 And 212 358 146 0.34 0.08 0.46 0.33 Incl. 264 280 16 0.68 0.09 0.81 0.59 And 424 434 10 0.40 0.04 0.47 0.34 Note: Intervals in the reported holes are calculated using a cut-off of 0.2 g/t Au with maximum internal dilution of ten continuous metres. Sampling is done in consistent, continuous 2-metre intervals. The highest gold value used in the reported weighted averages is 7.557 g/t Au. In addition to the above results there were multiple intercepts of lower-grade material in the drill holes. Equivalent values were calculated using Gold equivalent values were calculated using the following prices: a gold price of US$1,500 per ounce, a copper price of US$3.00 per pound, a molybdenum price of US$7.00 per pound and a silver price of US$18.00 per ounce. Figure 1: Drill Hole Location Map (CNW Group/Lumina Gold Corp.) Quality Assurance Story continues All Lumina sample assay results have been independently monitored through a quality control / quality assurance ("QA/QC") program that includes the insertion of blind standards, blanks and pulp and reject duplicate samples. Logging and sampling are completed at Lumina's secure facility located at the Cangrejos Project. Drill core is sawn in half on site and half drill-core samples are securely transported to either Bureau Veritas Labs' (BV) or ALS Labs' ("ALS") sample preparation facilities in Quito, Ecuador. Sample pulps are sent to BV's or ALS' chemical labs in Lima, Peru for analysis. Gold content is determined by fire assay of a 30 gram charge with total copper content determined by four-acid digestion with ICP finish. Both labs are independent from Lumina. Lumina is not aware of any drilling, sampling, recovery or other factors that could materially affect the accuracy or reliability of the data referred to herein. Qualified Persons Leo Hathaway, P.Geo., Senior Vice President of Lumina and the Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects for the Cangrejos Project has reviewed, verified and approved the contents of this news release and has verified the data underlying the contents of this news release. About Lumina Gold Lumina Gold Corp. (TSXV: LUM) is a Vancouver, Canada based precious and base metals exploration and development company focused on the Cangrejos Gold-Copper Project located in El Oro Province, southwest Ecuador. Cangrejos is being advanced to a Pre-Feasibility Study and is the largest primary gold deposit in Ecuador. Lumina has an experienced management team with a successful track record of advancing and monetizing exploration projects. Follow us on: Twitter, Linkedin or Facebook. Further details are available on the Company's website at https://luminagold.com/. To receive future news releases please sign up at https://luminagold.com/contact. LUMINA GOLD CORP. Signed: "Marshall Koval" Marshall Koval, President & CEO, Director Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information Certain statements and information herein, including all statements that are not historical facts, contain forward-looking statements and forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Such forward-looking statements or information include but are not limited to statements or information with respect to adding additional drill rigs at the end of March. Often, but not always, forward-looking statements or information can be identified by the use of words such as "will" or "projected" or variations of those words or statements that certain actions, events or results "will", "could", "are proposed to", "are planned to", "are expected to" or "are anticipated to" be taken, occur or be achieved. With respect to forward-looking statements and information contained herein, the Company has made numerous assumptions including among other things, assumptions about general business and economic conditions, the prices of gold and copper, and anticipated costs and expenditures. The foregoing list of assumptions is not exhaustive. Although management of the Company believes that the assumptions made and the expectations represented by such statements or information are reasonable, there can be no assurance that a forward-looking statement or information herein will prove to be accurate. Forward-looking statements and information by their nature are based on assumptions and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the Company's actual results, performance or achievements, or industry results, to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements or information. These factors include, but are not limited to: risks associated with the business of the Company; business and economic conditions in the mining industry generally; the supply and demand for labour and other project inputs; changes in commodity prices; changes in interest and currency exchange rates; risks relating to inaccurate geological and engineering assumptions (including with respect to the tonnage, grade and recoverability of reserves and resources); risks relating to unanticipated operational difficulties (including failure of equipment or processes to operate in accordance with specifications or expectations, cost escalation, unavailability of materials and equipment, government action or delays in the receipt of government approvals, industrial disturbances or other job action, and unanticipated events related to health, safety and environmental matters); risks relating to adverse weather conditions; political risk and social unrest; changes in general economic conditions or conditions in the financial markets; and other risk factors as detailed from time to time in the Company's continuous disclosure documents filed with Canadian securities administrators. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking information, except in accordance with applicable securities laws. Cision View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/lumina-gold-announces-cangrejos-drill-results-1-55-gt-gold-equivalent-over-184-metres-at-cangrejos-301502388.html SOURCE Lumina Gold Corp. Cision View original content to download multimedia: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/March2022/15/c7649.html This week, Max Q again puts the focus on the ongoing invasion of Ukraine by Russia, and the resulting halo effects that's having on the international space industry. Neither private companies, like OneWeb, nor national space programs have been spared from ongoing shockwaves from the conflict. Perhaps most significantly for the space sector, the Russian invasion is undoing decades of collaboration, with no indication that things are going to turn around any time soon. Russia is uttering threats and taking action in response to mounting global sanctions, and last month we talked about Roscosmos head Dmitry Rogozin issuing vague and ominous warnings about operation of the ISS without Russian participation. This week, Rogozin came up with another memorable phrase while ending Russian supply of rocket engines to companies in the States. Let them fly on something else, their broomsticks, I dont know what, Rogozin said during a state media broadcast. It may come as a surprise to more casual space fans that Russian engines actually do still power American rockets including ULA's Atlas V, and Northrop Grumman's Antares. But ULA obviously saw this eventuality coming at some point, and contracted Blue Origin to supply rocket engines for its next-generation Vulcan launch vehicle. Notably, the market for launch and engines has so radically transformed that the withholding of Russian space assets is not quite the blow that it might've been even a decade ago -- though BryceTech analyst Phil Smith told SpaceNews it does [put] some customers in a lurch. Image Credits: Aubrey Gemignani/NASA The fallout goes further. French space company Arianespace said it would suspend Soyuz rocket launches in accordance with "the sanctions decided by the international community." Meanwhile, OneWeb, a British manufacturer and operator of satellites, said it would no longer use the Soyuz after it refused to capitulate to Russian demands that it guarantee its satellites would not be used for military purposes. Story continues One reason the U.S. and NASA aren't nearly as reliant on Russian rockets and rocket tech is the Commercial Crew program, which saw NASA seek two new sources for ferrying astronauts to and from the ISS. SpaceX successfully completed NASA's rigorous test program for human flight and is now offering said service (while other contract winner Boeing is in progress, but with a few bumps in the road). Last week NASA announced that it has officially re-upped its Commercial Crew contract with SpaceX, adding to its existing deal three more missions worth a combined total of $900 million. spacex crew dragon on launch pad SpaceX's Crew Dragon on the launch pad for the Crew-3 mission. Image Credits: SpaceX In policy news, NASA will receive $24 billion in funding for the 2022 fiscal year, after Congress passed a sweeping $1.5 trillion spending bill. (Check out this closer look into the funding from the The Planetary Society.) Most notably, that includes $1.19 billion for the agency's Human Landing System (HLS) program, which aims to land astronauts on the moon for the first time since the Apollo era. HLS made lots of headlines earlier this year, after NASA awarded to SpaceX a single contract to develop the lander. The competitors, Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin and defense contractor Dynetics, filed with a government watchdog a complaint over the sole award; after that was rejected, Blue even went as far as to sue NASA in federal court. But there may be hope yet for these competitors -- legislators go out of their way to require NASA to lay out a plan of how it will "ensure safety, redundancy, sustainability, and competition" (emphasis mine) in the program. Another postmortem from Astra Astra Space released a preliminary postmortem on the company's February rocket launch that resulted in a complete loss of payload. It was Astra's first mission from Cape Canaveral, Florida (thus far, all launches have been conducted from the company's spaceport in Kodiak, Alaska), and the first time its rocket was carrying a customer payload. Things didn't go as planned. The botched launch was due to two things, the company said in its preliminary findings: an issue with the fairing separation mechanisms, which led to an off-nominal stage separation, and a software issue with the upper-stage engine, according to Astra's senior director of mission management and assurance, Andrew Griggs. The company has already introduced new controls to ensure these errors don't happen again, he said. "Through constant iteration and extensive testing, we have been able to demonstrate that the changes eliminate the failure mode we saw on LV0008, while making the software suite much more robust." "With the root causes identified and corrective measures in place, were preparing to return to the launch pad with LV0009 soon stay tuned!" he added. [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8jlQmW7mnYM] In other news... China is opening its space station to commercial customers, a government official said. The country is aiming to complete the construction of the Tiangong space station this year. Hermeus , a startup developing hypersonic aircraft that can fly at Mach 5 speeds, raised a $100 million Series B led by Sam Altman, and with participation by Founders Fund and In-Q-Tel. According to its website, Hermeus aims to develop a passenger aircraft by 2029. Satellogic, a startup-turned-public company via SPAC, has partnered with Astraea to provide observational data to the Ukrainian government and its allies. SatixFy is going to go public via a merger with blank-check firm Endurance Acquisition Corp. The deal will give the Israeli satellite communications equipment company a value of $813 million. Slingshot Aerospace raised $25 million in a part-two Series A led by Draper Associates and ATX Venture Partners. The startup aims to create a real-time digital landscape of space and use situational awareness to decrease the chance of in-orbit collisions and other risks. SpaceX launched another batch of Starlink satellites on Wednesday, adding 48 broadband spacecraft to its already vast constellation. Tomorrow.io has called off its merger with special purpose acquisition company Pine Technology Acquisition Corp. Tomorrow CEO Shimon Elkabetz said, "it became apparent through both our strategic initiatives and overall market conditions, that the best choice for the company and its expansive growth is to remain private for now." Tomorrow, a weather intelligence platform, was due to net up to $450 million in gross proceeds and a $1.2 billion valuation. Spaceship Soyuz on Baikonur spaceport ready for launch. Image Credits: Vladimir Zapletin/Getty Images. This week's Max Q was brought to you by me, Aria Alamalhodaei. I'm back at the helm after an extended break. Thoughts, comments and tips can be sent to aria.techcrunch@gmail.com. You can also catch me on Twitter at @breadfrom. See you next week. MEXICO CITY, Mar 15 (Reuters) - Mexico's Grupo Aeromexico shares plunged for a fourth day in a row on Tuesday after nearly a fifth of the company's capital was sold at 1 cent a share through a public offering as part of its restructuring plan to exit bankruptcy. Shares in Grupo Aeromexico, which operates the country's main airline and filed for bankruptcy in 2020, fell 27% to 59 cents and have lost about half their value in the past four days. Analysts have said trading in the shares has not reflected a creditor deal that was approved in January. "We attribute the movements of the last few months to mere speculation, since it was known that the value of the shares would be practically zero," said Brian Rodriguez, a stock market analyst at Monex financial group. Through the tender offer, which took place between Feb. 15 and March 14, investment vehicle Alinfra purchased 133.2 million shares of the airline at a price of one cent each. A subsequent share exchange will dilute the company's current capital stock to less than 0.01% of its capital after the restructure. Aeromexico declared bankruptcy in June 2020 amid a slump in demand due to the coronavirus pandemic. Its shares were trading at around 15 pesos each in January 2020. (1 dollar = 20.8227 Mexican pesos) (Reporting by Noe Torres; Writing by Valentine Hilaire; Editing by Ana Isabel Martinez and Richard Pullin) The Customs Affairs and Bahrain Airports Services (BAS) have signed a service level agreement (SLA), which aims to enhance the standard of customer services. Customs President Shaikh Ahmed bin Hamad Al Khalifa and BAS Chief Executive Officer Mohammed Khalil Ahmed attended the signing of the deal, reported Bahrain News Agency (BNA). The agreement was sealed within the framework of constructive cooperation between the Ministry of Interiors Customs Affairs and BAS. Minister Blair visits flood-impacted areas in B.C., including Abbotsford and Merritt, to reaffirm commitment to help the province prepare, respond and recover from emergencies Minister Blair visits flood-impacted areas in B.C., including Abbotsford and Merritt, to reaffirm commitment to help the province prepare, respond and recover from emergencies Canada NewsWire VANCOUVER, BC, March 14, 2022 VANCOUVER, BC, March 14, 2022 /CNW/ - The Government of Canada continues to be there for British Columbians as they recover from the flooding and extreme weather events that devastated the province last November. The Honourable Bill Blair, President of the Queen's Privy Council for Canada and Minister of Emergency Preparedness, just concluded a visit to flood-impacted areas in British Columbia, including Abbotsford and Merritt, to discuss disaster recovery efforts and see some of the work being done to enhance preparedness for future weather related emergencies. This included discussions with local mayors, Indigenous leadership, and emergency responders impacted by last year's unprecedented flooding. This marks Minister Blair's second trip to the province since being named Canada's first standalone minister for emergency preparedness. The Minister surveyed the Barrowtown pump station, a critical piece of infrastructure that empties water from the Sumas Prairie area into the Fraser River, alongside Abbotsford Mayor Henry Braun, the Honourable Mike Farnworth, Deputy Premier and Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General, and Pam Alexis, MLA for Abbotsford-Mission. He also visited the city of Merritt where he was briefed by Mayor Linda Brown, councillors, and city officials, and surveyed homes and residential areas that sustained significant damage. Recognizing the importance of traditional knowledge and local governance in informing emergency management, Minister Blair met with Chief Alice McKay of Matsqui First Nation and Chief Dalton Silver of Sumas First Nation. Together, they committed to strengthening their partnership and increasing the participation of First Nation communities in the response and recovery efforts. Story continues During his meetings, Minister Blair discussed the Committee of British Columbia and Federal Ministers on Disaster Response and Climate Resilience's (the Committee) work to build back from these extreme weather events in a way that better protects British Columbians from future climate events, creates cleaner and healthier communities, and supports Canada's efforts in reaching our climate goals and net-zero emissions targets. Minister Blair also highlighted his upcoming meeting with provincial and territorial counterparts responsible for emergency management on March 17, where Ministers will discuss shared priorities to prepare for future emergencies, including extreme weather events caused by climate change, while ensuring strong response and recovery capabilities. Quote "The Government of Canada continues to stand with those individuals, families, and communities in British Columbia impacted by November's flooding as they recover and rebuild. Over the past two days, as part of this commitment, I visited residential areas, homes and businesses of those affected, to hear their stories and to see the damage that remains first-hand. I have reaffirmed our support to help them get through this, every step of the way." - The Honourable Bill Blair, President of the Queen's Privy Council for Canada and Minister of Emergency Preparedness Quick Facts Emergency management responsibility in Canada is shared by federal, provincial and territorial governments and their partners, including First Nations and treaty nations. The Committee is building on the work of local emergency management and taking action on several fronts, including emergency housing and support for farmers, to make sure affected communities recover from this disaster as quickly as possible. The Government of British Columbia will leverage the federal Disaster Financial Assistance Arrangements (DFAA), administered by Public Safety Canada, which provides financial assistance to provincial and territorial governments, at their request, when response and recovery costs following an extreme weather event exceed what individual provinces or territories can reasonably be expected to bear on their own. The federal government has provisioned for $5 billion in 2021-22 for its share of recovery costs under the DFAA as well as other costs related to the recent extreme weather events in British Columbia. Following last year's devastating floods, the Government of Canada and the Province of British Columbia committed to matching donations made to the Red Cross. Thanks to the generosity of Canadians, the Red Cross received more than $30 million in donations for a total of more than $90 million raised. Associated Links SOURCE Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Canada Twelve years after it was first announced, NASAs massive Space Launch System will finally make its public debut. The super heavy-lift rocket and Orion spacecraft will begin the rollout to the launch pad at Floridas Kennedy Space Center on Thursday, a much-anticipated development for a launch system thats been beset by delays and a mounting price tag. Following the rollout Thursday, which is expected to take 11 hours, NASA will conduct a slew of tests to determine launch readiness, like validating the software systems and servicing the boosters. After that, NASA will commence a wet dress rehearsal, a series of additional prelaunch tests, during which the system will be loaded with its propellant tanks. Artemis launch director Charlie Blackwell-Thompson told reporters during a media call Monday that the wet dress could take place on April 3, should the rollout go as expected. Its been a long time coming. Congress directed NASA to develop SLS to replace the Space Shuttle, the agencys original spaceflight workhorse, back in 2010. SLS is envisioned as a vehicle to return humans to the moon as part of NASAs Artemis program, and possibly even further into the solar system. But ever since, the project has faced repeated setbacks and technical issues. A year ago, NASAs Inspector Generals office issued a damning report on the costs and contracts associated with the SLS program, finding that rising costs and delays have pushed the overall budget for the project far beyond the original scope. Arguably, the biggest winners out of this snafu have been the aerospace primes -- notably Boeing, which is heading SLS development, Northrop Grumman and Aerojet, whose contracts made up 71% of the total funding spent in 2019 on all SLS contracts, according to the Inspector General. All of this has added up to an extremely costly project. At the beginning of March, a NASA auditor reported that the operational expenses for the first four Artemis missions will total $4.1 billion -- each. The cost of constructing a single SLS accounts for around half of that, or $2.2 billion. NASAs associate administrator for exploration systems development, Tom Whitmeyer, seemed to tacitly comment on the price tag, telling reporters that the project is a national investment. From my perspective, it's a strong national investment [and] international engagement in our economy, he said. SLSs high price tag is partly due to the fact that neither stage of SLS is reusable, so each mission will need its own rocket. As opposed to SLS, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk estimated last month that his companys super-heavy, fully reusable rocket, Starship, would cost less than $10 million per launch within the next few years. SpaceX is developing a version of the rocket for NASA as part of the Artemis program, after winning a $2.9 billion contract for the task last year. BETHESDA, Md., March 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Nobelpharma America, LLC, a pharmaceutical and medical device company headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, today announced its presence at the 43rd National Conference on Pediatric Health Care, organized by the National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners, with booth #359 onsite in Dallas March 22-24, 2022 and an online booth at the virtual conference April 26-29, 2022. Nobelpharma America (PRNewsfoto/Nobelpharma America) "We are excited to have the opportunity to meet with nurse practitioners who play a critical role in caring for children, including those with rare diseases such facial angiofibroma associated with tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC)," said Yoshiki Kida, President and CEO of Nobelpharma America. "Our presence at the National Conference on Pediatric Health Care enables us to engage with child health care experts who are often on the front lines of supporting children's health concerns." Further details around Nobelpharma America's participation can be found below. In-person and Virtual Meetings for Nurse Practitioners Nobelpharma America will have an interactive live booth and a virtual exhibit as part of their involvement at the National Conference on Pediatric Health Care. Both booths will display corporate information on Nobelpharma America as well as its efforts in the rare disease community. Information regarding rare diseases, such as Tuberous Sclerosis Complex, will also be displayed. This information may allow medical experts to learn about rare diseases that have limited treatment options and are often overlooked because of the small number of patients affected. To attend Nobelpharma's live booth in Dallas, Texas, please register for the event and visit our booth #359 on March 22-24, 2022 or visit virtually from April 26-29, 2022. For more information, visit https://www.napnap.org/. To register for the live conference visit, https://napnap.users.membersuite.com/events/6c1d3361-0078-c86a-d948-1d202668456d/details Story continues To register for the virtual conference visit, https://napnap.users.membersuite.com/events/6c1d3361-0078-c071-d948-788df57d5c7c/details Legal Statements Nobelpharma products are approved in Japan only and have not been approved or deemed safe and effective by the U.S. FDA. Nobelpharma products are not commercially available in the U.S. Nothing contained herein should be considered a solicitation, promotion or advertisement for any product including those under development. About Tuberous Sclerosis Complex (TSC) TSC is a rare genetic disease that affects approximately one in 6,000 live births. Nearly one million people worldwide are estimated to have TSC, with approximately 50,000 in the United States. TSC causes non-cancerous tumors, or hamartomas, to form in vital organs including the skin. TSC may also cause facial angiofibromas, which are pink or red bumps usually located on the cheeks, nose, and chin that may cause bleeding, itching, redness, and significant disfiguration without treatment. Many individuals with TSC also present with autism, epilepsy, and other neuropsychiatric disorders. About Nobelpharma America Nobelpharma America, LLC (NPA) is focused on the commercialization of pharmaceuticals and medical devices that expand treatment options for people with rare diseases. In 2019, NPA became the first wholly owned global subsidiary of Nobelpharma Co., Ltd., which is based in Tokyo. The company, which is named after Alfred Nobel, remains committed to honoring his innovative and scientific legacy by developing treatments for diseases that often go overlooked because of the small number of individuals affected. For more information visit nobelpharma-us.com . Cision View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/nobelpharma-america-announces-presence-at-the-national-association-of-pediatric-nurse-practitioners-43rd-national-conference-on-pediatric-health-care-in-dallas-and-online-301502198.html SOURCE Nobelpharma America Rating Action: Moody's affirms Rhodes State College's (OH) A3 issuer and underlying rating; affirms Aa2 enhanced ratingGlobal Credit Research - 14 Mar 2022New York, March 14, 2022 -- Moody's Investors Service has affirmed the A3 on Rhodes State College's (OH) issuer and outstanding revenue bonds rating and affirmed the Aa2 enhanced rating. The college had $2.9 million of debt outstanding at June 30, 2021. The bonds have an expected final maturity in 2033. The outlook for the underlying rating is stable.Please click on this link http://www.moodys.com/viewresearchdoc.aspx?docid=PBM_PBM907594257 for the List of Affected Credit Ratings. This list is an integral part of this Press Release and identifies each affected issuer.RATINGS RATIONALEThe affirmation of the A3 issuer rating incorporates the college's regional role as an affordable education provider, improved financial position and low debt burden. Operations at the college will remain stable, benefitting from modest enrollment growth, steady operating support from the State of Ohio (Aa1 stable) and good budget flexibility. The college's financial position will remain healthy, supported by an increase in monthly days cash on hand to 241 days and receipt of COVID-related federal stimulus. These positive rating factors balance the college's small scale and high total adjusted debt driven by significant unfunded post-retirement benefit liabilities.The affirmation of the A3 revenue bond rating and lack of rating distinction between the college's A3 issuer rating reflects the broad revenue stream pledged towards the repayment of outstanding revenue bond debt.The affirmation of the Aa2 enhanced ratings are based on the strength of the Ohio Board of Regents Community and Technical College Credit Enhancement Program (Aa2 stable), sufficiency of interceptable revenue and the transaction structure. The college's fiscal 2022 interceptable state share of instruction (SSI) provides a strong 37.5x coverage of fiscal 2021 debt service.RATING OUTLOOKThe stable outlook reflects Moody's expectations of effective enrollment management, stabilized operating performance, maintenance of improved unrestricted financial resources and a low debt burden.FACTORS THAT COULD LEAD TO AN UPGRADE OF THE RATINGS- Sustained healthier operating performance that adds to the college's financial reserves- Stabilized enrollment, allowing for net tuition revenue growth- Upgrade of the Ohio Board of Regents State Credit Enhancement Program (for enhanced rating)FACTORS THAT COULD LEAD TO A DOWNGRADE OF THE RATINGS- Inability to sustain positive operating performance or maintain improved liquidity levels beginning in fiscal 2022- Inability to stabilize enrollment- Downgrade of the Ohio Board of Regents State Credit Enhancement Program (for enhanced rating)LEGAL SECURITYRated debt consists of General Receipt Bonds, which are secured by a gross pledge and first lien on the college's general receipts, including tuition and fees, and other legally available revenue, but excluding state appropriations, and restricted gifts and grants.In addition to the general receipts pledge for the bonds, the bonds are secured by the Ohio Board of Regents State Credit Enhancement Program, which allows the Chancellor of the Ohio Department of Higher Education to redirect the college's state aid in the form of SSI to the bond trustee to pay debt service if there is a shortfall in general receipts revenue.PROFILEFounded in 1971, JRSC is one of 23 community and technical colleges in Ohio that serves a 10-county region in the northwest part of the state. The college has notable programs in health sciences, engineering technology, and information technology, among others. In fall 2021, JRSC enrollment was 3,402 FTEs.METHODOLOGYThe principal methodology used in the underlying ratings was Higher Education Methodology published in August 2021 and available at https://www.moodys.com/researchdocumentcontentpage.aspx?docid=PBM_1257002. The principal methodology used in the enhanced rating was State Aid Intercept Programs and Financings published in December 2017 and available at https://www.moodys.com/researchdocumentcontentpage.aspx?docid=PBM_1067422. Alternatively, please see the Rating Methodologies page on www.moodys.com for a copy of these methodologies.REGULATORY DISCLOSURESThe List of Affected Credit Ratings announced here are all solicited credit ratings. For additional information, please refer to Moody's Policy for Designating and Assigning Unsolicited Credit Ratings available on its website www.moodys.com. Additionally, the List of Affected Credit Ratings includes additional disclosures that vary with regard to some of the ratings. Please click on this link http://www.moodys.com/viewresearchdoc.aspx?docid=PBM_PBM907594257 for the List of Affected Credit Ratings. This list is an integral part of this Press Release and provides, for each of the credit ratings covered, Moody's disclosures on the following items:- Rating Solicitation- Issuer Participation- Participation: Access to Management- Participation: Access to Internal Documents- EndorsementFor further specification of Moody's key rating assumptions and sensitivity analysis, see the sections Methodology Assumptions and Sensitivity to Assumptions in the disclosure form. Moody's Rating Symbols and Definitions can be found at: https://www.moodys.com/researchdocumentcontentpage.aspx?docid=PBC_79004.For ratings issued on a program, series, category/class of debt or security this announcement provides certain regulatory disclosures in relation to each rating of a subsequently issued bond or note of the same series, category/class of debt, security or pursuant to a program for which the ratings are derived exclusively from existing ratings in accordance with Moody's rating practices. For ratings issued on a support provider, this announcement provides certain regulatory disclosures in relation to the credit rating action on the support provider and in relation to each particular credit rating action for securities that derive their credit ratings from the support provider's credit rating. For provisional ratings, this announcement provides certain regulatory disclosures in relation to the provisional rating assigned, and in relation to a definitive rating that may be assigned subsequent to the final issuance of the debt, in each case where the transaction structure and terms have not changed prior to the assignment of the definitive rating in a manner that would have affected the rating. For further information please see the ratings tab on the issuer/entity page for the respective issuer on www.moodys.com.The ratings have been disclosed to the rated entity or its designated agent(s) and issued with no amendment resulting from that disclosure.Regulatory disclosures contained in this press release apply to the credit rating and, if applicable, the related rating outlook or rating review.Moody's general principles for assessing environmental, social and governance (ESG) risks in our credit analysis can be found at http://www.moodys.com/researchdocumentcontentpage.aspx?docid=PBC_1288235.Please see www.moodys.com for any updates on changes to the lead rating analyst and to the Moody's legal entity that has issued the rating.Please see the ratings tab on the issuer/entity page on www.moodys.com for additional regulatory disclosures for each credit rating. Maxwell Brekke Lead Analyst Higher Education Moody's Investors Service, Inc. 7 World Trade Center 250 Greenwich Street New York 10007 JOURNALISTS: 1 212 553 0376 Client Service: 1 212 553 1653 Florence Zeman Additional Contact Housing JOURNALISTS: 1 212 553 0376 Client Service: 1 212 553 1653 Releasing Office: Moody's Investors Service, Inc. 250 Greenwich Street New York, NY 10007 U.S.A JOURNALISTS: 1 212 553 0376 Client Service: 1 212 553 1653 2022 Moodys Corporation, Moodys Investors Service, Inc., Moodys Analytics, Inc. and/or their licensors and affiliates (collectively, MOODYS). All rights reserved.CREDIT RATINGS ISSUED BY MOODY'S CREDIT RATINGS AFFILIATES ARE THEIR CURRENT OPINIONS OF THE RELATIVE FUTURE CREDIT RISK OF ENTITIES, CREDIT COMMITMENTS, OR DEBT OR DEBT-LIKE SECURITIES, AND MATERIALS, PRODUCTS, SERVICES AND INFORMATION PUBLISHED BY MOODYS (COLLECTIVELY, PUBLICATIONS) MAY INCLUDE SUCH CURRENT OPINIONS. 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But the error which came as the Justice Department pursued evidence of Costellos contacts with Bannon related to a subpoena issued by the Jan. 6 select committee has no bearing on the broader case, they argued in a 10-page court filing Monday night. Rather, prosecutors say Bannons team attempted to twist relatively common investigative steps into a scandal and revealed in a court filing the personal information of the other Robert Costellos, exposing them to harassment. Whats more, they say Bannons legal team may have leaked information from discovery materials to a Daily Beast reporter. U.S. District Court Judge Carl Nichols has scheduled a hearing on the issue, and others in Bannons case, for Wednesday morning. Bannons trial on two misdemeanor counts of contempt of Congress is set for July 18, but his attorneys are battling to have the charges thrown out. Bannons legal team used a court filing last week to call attention to the apparent dead-ends investigators encountered as they tried to identify Costellos phone and email accounts. Costello said hes never used some of the accounts authorities obtained details about. Prosecutors suggested that investigators had not simply guessed at various possible email addresses, but consulted databases to get those leads. The three email addresses about which the Defendant complains are addresses that law enforcement databases identified as being associated with Mr. Costello and one of his known addresses in Manhasset, New York, prosecutors from the U.S. attorneys office in Washington wrote. Investigators concluded that two of the accounts didnt belong to the correct Robert Costello, but they believed one Gmail account could pertain to him, the Monday night filing said. Story continues However, the investigation proceeded to seek and obtain details on emails from that account and logs of calls from a related phone number, even though the initial details on the Gmail account showed a middle name that should have signaled the account belonged to a different Robert Costello, prosecutors conceded. The Government acknowledges that in reaching this conclusion, it did not recognize the inconsistent middle name in the billing information, prosecutors wrote. These were appropriate investigative steps. Phone records and orders issued under Section 2703(d) are regularly used to help Government investigators confirm use of accounts and means of communication and to exclude accounts ultimately determined to be irrelevant. Prosecutors, though, added that a Daily Beast story chronicling the error which included details that went beyond what was revealed in Bannons court filing appeared to have been posted online more than an hour before Bannons claims about DOJ went live on the court docket. The government asked Nichols to question Bannon about whether he provided the information to the reporter, a potential violation of a court order governing the evidence in the case. The Government does not know how the reporter obtained the uninvolved individuals information, Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda Vaughn and other prosecutors wrote in the filing, but the subscriber information provided in this case was provided pursuant to the Protective Order, which prohibits the Defendant or his counsel from using the materials for any purpose other than in connection with the defense of this case ... without further order of this Court. Despite the dust-up over the mistakenly obtained phone and email records, prosecutors insist that the issue is ultimately unrelated to the underlying criminal prosecution of Bannon. The records relating to accounts that do not belong to Robert Costello have nothing to do with this case. They are irrelevant, prosecutors wrote. The Defendant does not explain how the Governments internal deliberations, grand jury subpoenas, and ex parte submissions in attempting to establish Mr. Costellos means of communication go to proving or disproving any element of the offense. MELBOURNE, Australia, March 15, 2022--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Rio Tinto welcomes the release today of a joint Commonwealth Government and First Nations Heritage Protection Alliance Discussion Paper designed to strengthen state and federal cultural heritage protection laws. Rio Tinto supports strengthening safeguards for cultural heritage at both state and Commonwealth legislative levels, including the reform process currently underway to ensure an incident like the destruction of rock shelters at Juukan Gorge in Western Australia never happens again. These reforms must ensure that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are placed at the centre of decision-making on matters relating to protection of their cultural heritage. Rio Tinto Chief Executive, Australia Kellie Parker said "We have heard the call for Rio Tinto to play a greater role in the strengthening of state and Commonwealth cultural heritage protection laws. "This call has been made by the Commonwealth Parliamentary Committee that inquired into the destruction of the Juukan Gorge rock shelters, Traditional Owners, the National Native Title Council, the First Nations Heritage Protection Alliance, and our investors. The call is reinforced in the Dhawura Ngilan Vision Statement. "We firmly believe a co-design process with Traditional Owners will strengthen cultural heritage management and protection to ensure it is valued and celebrated for its intrinsic worth. "There are and will be differences in views on how this will be best achieved but we will continue to work in close consultation with Traditional Owners and their representative organisations to better understand and protect their cultural heritage and ensure mining is done in the right way." Last month, Rio Tinto developed a joint management plan with the Yinhawangka Aboriginal Corporation in Western Australia. This plan ensures the protection of significant social and cultural heritage values, as part of the proposed development of the Western Range iron ore project in the Pilbara. It is the result of a strong collaboration between the Yinhawangka people and Rio Tinto. Story continues Kellie Parker said: "Our determination not to repeat the events leading up to the destruction of the Juukan Gorge rock shelters is ingrained in everything we do. "Significant changes continue to be made at all levels of our business. While we are hopeful we have put in place the right foundations for a better future, we know we will be judged by our actions and not our words." riotinto.com View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220314005953/en/ Contacts Please direct all enquiries to media.enquiries@riotinto.com Media Relations, UK Illtud Harri M +44 7920 503 600 David Outhwaite M +44 7787 597 493 Media Relations, Americas Matthew Klar T +1 514 608 4429 Media Relations, Australia Jonathan Rose M +61 447 028 913 Matt Chambers M +61 433 525 739 Jesse Riseborough M +61 436 653 412 Investor Relations, UK Menno Sanderse M: +44 7825 195 178 David Ovington M +44 7920 010 978 Clare Peever M +44 7788 967 877 Investor Relations, Australia Amar Jambaa M +61 472 865 948 Rio Tinto plc 6 St Jamess Square London SW1Y 4AD United Kingdom T +44 20 7781 2000 Registered in England No. 719885 Rio Tinto Limited Level 7, 360 Collins Street Melbourne 3000 Australia T +61 3 9283 3333 Registered in Australia ABN 96 004 458 404 Category: General Ripple, a blockchain-based digital payment network, has made a proposal for South Korea to make clear distinctions in cryptocurrencies between payment tokens, utility tokens, and security tokens, in a policy paper released on Tuesday. Read related article: Amid SEC lawsuit, Ripple buys back stock and raises value to US$15B Fast facts Ripples policy paper says South Koreas current definition of a virtual asset is fairly broad, as it covers a digital token with economic value that is digitally tradable and transferable. The paper, written in conjunction with GBC Korea and Oxford Metrica, also delves into cross-border payments using Ripples technology, and fostering digital asset innovation sandboxes in regulated environments. We believe the policy recommendations outlined in this paper strike the right balance between providing regulatory clarity, while having a regulatory framework thats forward-looking and flexible, said Rahul Advani, policy director APAC at Ripple. South Korean regulators have already applied strict anti-money laundering and know-your-customer requirements for digital asset businesses, which left only four exchanges eligible for providing cash-to-crypto services. South Koreas newly elected president Yoon Suk-yeol pledged to bring forth a new regulatory framework for blockchain and crypto to nurture the industry while safeguarding investors. Read related article: A crypto bull wins the presidency: What it means for South Korea * Updates with Zelenskiy comments, EU official, details * Czech, Polish, Slovenian leaders head to Kyiv * Zelenskiy aide says war over by May * Apartment in capital hit by shells * Russia calls TV news broadcast protest "hooliganism" By Pavel Polityuk, Natalia Zinets and Omer Berberoglu LVIV, Ukraine/KYIV, March 15 (Reuters) - Three European prime ministers headed to Kyiv by train on Tuesday for the first visit of its kind since war began, even as buildings there were ablaze and rescue workers were trying to pull survivors from the rubble of fresh Russian bombardment. That foreign leaders could attempt to visit the Ukrainian capital was a striking symbol of Ukraine's success so far in fending off an assault that Western countries believe was aimed at seizing Kyiv weeks ago. "It is our duty to be where history is forged. Because it's not about us, but about the future of our children who deserve to live in a world free from tyranny," said Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, who crossed the border with Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala and Janez Jansa of Slovenia. Fiala said the aim was "to confirm the unequivocal support of the entire European Union for the sovereignty and independence of Ukraine." The visit comes at a time when Ukrainian officials are playing up the hope the war could end sooner than expected, saying Moscow may be coming to terms with its failure to impose a new government on Kyiv by force. In the latest hint at compromise, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Tuesday Kyiv was prepared to accept security guarantees that stop short of its long-term objective of the NATO alliance membership, which Moscow opposes. Ukraine understands it does not have an open door to join NATO yet, Zelenskiy said in a video message: "If we cannot enter through open doors, then we must cooperate with the associations with which we can, which will help us, protect us ... and have separate guarantees." Story continues Peace talks between Russian and Ukrainian delegations via a video link restarted on Tuesday after a pause on Monday, the first time a round of talks ran to a second day. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said it was too early to predict progress: "The work is difficult, and in the current situation the very fact that (the talks) are continuing is probably positive." EXPLOSIONS, FLAMES The European leaders will arrive in a city still under bombardment, where around half of the 3.4 million population has fled and residents spend nights sheltering in underground stations. Two powerful explosions rocked Kyiv before dawn on Tuesday and tracer fire lit up the night sky. A high-rise apartment building was in flames in the morning after being struck by artillery. Firefighters tried to douse the blaze and rescue workers helped evacuate residents trapped inside using mobile ladders. Officials said four people had died in Russian shelling of the capital in the early hours. Sitting on the ground outside, resident Igor Krupa said he survived because he had slept under a makeshift shelter of furniture and metal weights: "All the windows went out and all the debris went into the apartment." But despite reducing some cities to rubble, Europe's biggest invasion force since World War Two has been halted at the gates of Kyiv, and Russia has failed to capture any of Ukraine's 10 biggest cities. In his most confident public statement yet, Zelenskiy called on Russian troops to surrender. "You will not take anything from Ukraine. You will take lives," he said. "But why should you die? What for? I know that you want to survive." Czech and Polish officials said the prime ministers' mission was coordinated with the EU and agreed by the bloc's leaders at a summit last week. However, some officials in Brussels were circumspect. While every peace initiative was welcome, the trip "poses serious security risks," noted one EU official. "Some leaders might also wonder: will this jeopardise or will this improve conditions for negotiations with the Russians. It remains to be seen, of course. It's a fine line." AT CROSSROADS One of Zelenskiy's top aides said the war would be over by May, or even end within weeks, as Russia had run out of fresh troops. "We are at a fork in the road now," Oleksiy Arestovich said in a video. He said he expected either a peace deal within one or two weeks or another Russian attempt with new reinforcements, which could prolong the conflict for another month. "I think that no later than in May, early May, we should have a peace agreement, maybe much earlier: we will see," Arestovich said. In Rivne in western Ukraine, officials said 19 people had been killed in a Russian air strike on a TV tower. If confirmed it would be the worst attack on a civilian target so far in the northwest where Russian ground troops have yet to tread. Peace talks have focused so far on local ceasefires to let civilians evacuate and bring aid to surrounded cities. Worst-hit is the southeastern port of Mariupol, where hundreds have been killed since Russia laid siege in the war's first week. Russian troops let a first column of cars leave Mariupol on Monday but attempts to bring in aid convoys have failed for 10 straight days. Ukrainian officials said they would try again. While Russia has failed to seize any cities in the north and east, its has had more success in the south, where Moscow said on Tuesday it now controlled the entire Kherson region. In an intelligence update on Tuesday, Britain's ministry of defence reported demonstrations against Russian occupation in the southern cities of Kherson, Berdyansk and Melitopol. The war has brought economic isolation upon Russia and led to a near total crackdown on free speech there, with all major independent media shut and Western social media apps switched off. An employee of the main state TV channel stood behind an anchor during a news broadcast late on Monday and held up an anti-war sign. She was quickly arrested. Kremlin spokesperson Peskov called her protest "hooliganism". The United Nations says nearly 3 million people have fled Ukraine since the start of the war. Tanya, who crossed the Danube River to Romania, said she had fled the southern frontline town of Mykolaiv to save her child. "Because the people that are there now are Russians, Russian soldiers, and they kill children." (Reporting by Reuters bureaus; Writing by Peter Graff; Editing by Tomasz Janowski) New KRM22 Limits Manager and KRM22 Risk Manager offerings integrated into TT platform, beginning in Q2 BOCA RATON, Fla. and CHICAGO and LONDON, March 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Trading Technologies International, Inc. (TT), a global provider of high-performance professional trading software, infrastructure and data solutions, and KRM22 plc (AIM: KRM), the technology and software investment company that focuses on risk management for capital markets, announced today the first two KRM22 risk offerings that Trading Technologies is now integrating into the TT platform. Trading Technologies (PRNewsfoto/Trading Technologies) The companies made the announcement at the start of the 2022 International Futures Industry Conference in Boca Raton, Florida. In the second quarter, TT will launch KRM22 Limits Manager, a limit management system designed by KRM22 to combat time-consuming and potentially error-prone pre-trade risk processes by automating, maintaining and tracking trading limits within an easy-to-use application within the TT Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) platform. The other new offering, slated for launch in the third quarter, will be KRM22 Risk Manager, a sophisticated, real-time, post-trade risk service which will significantly enhance the risk toolset available on the TT platform. KRM22's innovative risk scoring system will help traders instantly assess real-time margin and liquidity, creating a new way for futures traders to generate alpha under the most volatile market conditions. Jason Shaffer, TT EVP Product Management, said: "After completing the migration last year of all clients to our new SaaS TT platform, we're now able to put more power into the hands of our customers than ever before. This is exactly the sort of functionality our clients have told us they want to be able to access from within the platform to streamline their operations, and it represents the first of many integrations to come from innovative providers such as KRM22. These two new products meaningfully enrich our overall offering and further demonstrate our commitment to growing the value of being on the TT network." Story continues KRM22 CEO Stephen Casner said: "TT users will be able to add this important functionality without any infrastructure work or technology staff time. KRM22 Limits Manager can bring trading staff valuable new tools for simplifying their processes and reducing errors, and back-office personnel key operational efficiencies, along with complete audit trail and limit history information. We're delighted to bring our cooperative agreement with TT to this critical product introduction phase." About Trading Technologies Trading Technologies ( www.tradingtechnologies.com ) creates professional trading software, infrastructure and data solutions for a wide variety of users, including proprietary traders, brokers, money managers, Commodity Trading Advisors (CTAs), hedge funds, commercial hedgers and risk managers. In addition to providing access to the world's major international exchanges and liquidity venues via its TT trading platform, TT offers domain-specific technology for cryptocurrency trading and machine-learning tools for trade surveillance. About KRM22 KRM22 is a closed-ended investment company which listed on the London Stock Exchange's Alternative Investment Market (AIM) on 30 April 2018. The Company has been established with the objective of creating value for its investors through the investment in, and subsequent growth and development of, target companies in the technology and software sector, with a focus on risk management in capital markets. Through its investments and the Global Risk Platform, KRM22 helps capital market companies reduce the cost and complexity of risk management. The Global Risk Platform provides applications to help address firms' market, compliance, operations and technology risk challenges and to manage their entire enterprise risk profile. Capital markets companies partner with KRM22 to optimize risk management systems and processes, improving profitability and expanding opportunities to increase portfolio returns by leveraging risk as alpha. KRM22 plc is listed on AIM, and the Group is headquartered in London, with offices in several of the world's major financial centers. See more about KRM22 at www.KRM22.com . KRM22 Cision View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/trading-technologies-and-krm22-announce-first-products-to-launch-under-new-distribution-agreement-301502437.html SOURCE Trading Technologies; KRM22 The Malaysian state of Melaka has kicked off a week-long campaign to woo foreign investments in tourism, maritime, IT, energy, electric vehicles and other sectors at the Expo 2020 Dubai with an initial target of RM500 million ($119 million) in projects. The state is also showcasing its latest and ambitious waterfront economic zone, which it says will help transform the once-thriving trading port into a modern metropolis and an important investment hub in Southeast Asia. Chief Minister Datuk Seri Utama Sulaiman Md Ali, who led a high-powered delegation of investors and government officials, said the Expo would also help boost tourism in Melaka, which is listed as a Unesco World Heritage Site since 2008. Melaka, along with George Town, are historic cities of the Straits of Melaka. Both cities have developed over 500 years of trading and cultural exchanges between East and West. The influences of Asia and Europe have endowed the towns with rich multicultural heritage. Our history as a maritime hub and a busy trading centre goes back a long way. The deep, sheltered harbour on the narrow channel which took our name, the Straits of Melaka, positioned us at the crossroads of one of the busiest sea lanes in the world, Sulaiman said in his speech at the launch of the Melaka Week. Besides preserving heritage, Melaka is also forging ahead in its drive for a more relevant and sustainable economic future. It is aggressively pushing to develop the economic corridor called the Melaka Waterfront Economic Zone or M-WEZ. Launched just a year ago, state authorities are banking on international investors to help turn the huge 25,000-acre site into a vibrant corridor. A unique aspect of this corridor is it is maritime-oriented, given the long coastline and its position as a natural, deep-water harbour. Thus, our main focus is to boost the maritime sector as a major economic contributor to the state, Sulaiman said. We will encourage the development of container and general cargo ports, cruise and ferry terminals, free-trade zones, logistics hub, oil and gas terminals, ship repair yards and ship-to-ship, or STS, transfer facilities. M-WEZ will also have new areas dedicated to tourism products, duty-free zones, shopping malls, offices, hotels, residences and IR 4.0 industries among others. Sulaiman outlined several compelling reasons why Melaka will be attractive to investors looking to invest or expand their operations. Besides its strategic location almost midway between Kuala Lumpur and Singapore, the Melaka Waterfront will be able to tap the vast market in nearby Sumatra, which has 60 million people and a growing middle-class. It is only 47 km from Melaka to the closest point in Sumatra. There are long-term plans to have a rail network via a tunnel underneath the Straits of Melaka between Dumai in Sumatra and Melaka. Melakas economy is generated mainly by the services sector, which accounts for 48.6 per cent of the GDP. But the manufacturing sector is growing and now accounts for 37.3 per cent of the GDP. There has been a spate of new investments coming to Melaka. They include German semiconductor giant, Infineon Technologies, which has pledged to invest 3.25 ringgit billion ($775 million) in Malaysia, and mostly in Melaka, over 10 years until 2029. With almost 9,000 employees, Infineon is the largest employer in Melaka, contributing two per cent of the total work force in the state. Melaka is also home to other global companies such as Texas Instruments, Honda, SunPower, Petronas and Konica Minolta. Sulaiman said he expects some Melaka companies to sign up several MoUs with investors from the UAE, the US and other countries this week. TradeArabia News Service Live, in-person events are returning to the Gari Melchers Home and Studio this weekend after a two-year pandemic hiatus. The historic home and museum in Stafford is partnering with the University of Mary Washington to host a three-day chamber music festival in the pavilion. The festival will feature student flute and guitar ensembles and a student chamber trio on Friday and the U.S. Air Force Woodwind Quintet on Sunday. Saturdays event is The Sounds of Silents, a screening of two short silent film comedies1917s Easy Street, directed by and starring Charlie Chaplin, and 1923s The Balloonatic, with Buster Keatonwith new scores composed by Andrew Simpson, a pianist and professor of music at The Catholic University of America. Simpson will join an ensemble to premiere the musical scores and will speak about silent film as an art form that combines film, music and drama. All festival performances are free except for The Sounds of Silents, which is $12/person and requires advance registration at garimelchers.org/sounds-of-silents. Friends of Belmont receive free admission to The Sounds of Silents. Masks are required for all performances. Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. A recent graduate of Courtland High School in Spotsylvania intends to file a lawsuit against the Spotsylvania County School Board on Friday. The Edwards Law Firm announced the pending litigation in a Facebook post on Monday afternoon. The suit will be filed in Spotsylvania General District Court on behalf of Makaila Keyes, 19, a 2020 graduate of Courtland. It alleges that the School Board, specifically Kirk Twigg, April Gillespie, Lisa Phelps and Rabih Abuismail, violated the Freedom of Information Act, employment and education law in actions taken during its Jan. 10, 2022, meeting. The petition alleges that School Board Chairman Mr. Kirk Twigg willfully and knowingly violated Ms. Keyes [FOIA] rights when, against the warnings of certain colleagues, he chose to: (1) Propose, push, and pass a substantially and materially altered meeting agenda without an opportunity for public inspection; (2) Declare and conduct an unlawful closed meeting that was on neither the original proposed agenda, nor on the substantially and materially altered substitute agenda, and; (3) Declare and conduct an unlawful closed meeting without holding a vote to go into closed session, the law firms statement reads. The firm says the lawsuit will also allege that Gillespie, Phelps and Abuismail violated FOIA when they followed Twigg into the unlawful closed meeting without a vote, without public notice, and against their colleagues warnings of impending FOIA violations, according to the statement. The School Board has been notified of the intent to file the lawsuit, according to the firm. The lawsuit will request the payment of fines of between $4,500 and $17,000 by each of the named members. Want to see more like this? Get our local education coverage delivered directly to your inbox. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. The Fremont Police Department conducted a traffic stop at approximately 5:30 p.m. March 14 near the 700 block of East 23rd Street. Drugs were located during the traffic stop, resulting in the passenger, Elizabeth S. Gouldson, 26, of Denison, Iowa, being arrested for possession of a controlled substance (THC). The driver of the vehicle, Mason D. Schreck, 20, of Fremont, was cited and released for driving during suspension. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 The Fremont Area Chamber of Commerce, in conjunction with Butler Ag Equipment, is hosting an agricultural-themed Family Feud event. The event is scheduled from 4-6 p.m. March 24 at Butler Ag Equipment at 2831 County Road 20 Ave. Admission is free to audience members. Signup for the Family Feud Farm Edition is $20 for a team. The event is taking place during Ag Week. Tara Lea, president of the Fremont Chamber of Commerce, said this event will help expose those with limited knowledge about agricultural and farming to the industryall while being an enjoyable event for the entire family. This is a fun thing we want to do for Ag Week, while educating folks on agriculture and showing them whats going on, Lea said. The event will function like an ordinary game of Family Feud, having contestants guess the most likely answers to questions given to ordinary peoplethe only caveat being that all questions will be related to agriculture or farming. Currently eight teams are signed up, all from various professions, Lea said. Itll be our own March Madness. Some of the businesses and people competing have a lot of ag knowledge and some have little ag knowledge so it will be really fun to see how things go, Lea said, laughing. Some questions will be real questions pertaining to farming or agricultural-related life and some will simply be entertaining. Therell be some serious questions in there, but a lot of very fun ones, too, like one might be breeds of cattle and one might be what does a farmer never leave home without? That will definitely be hilarious during the event, Lea said. Lea said different Fremont businesses will be competing in the event in teams of four. The champion Family Feud will be crowned at the end of the night, with a coveted trophy and a cash prize. Details and arrangements are still being made, but Lea said first place will receive upwards of $50 with second place possibly receiving a prize as well. Even dead-last may receive a prize at the Family Feud event. We are still debating on a worst-team prize, like a book on How to Farm for Dummies, but we havent gotten that far yet, Lea said. Butler Ag also will host a sister event during Family Feud, which will include other activities for the entire family, giving those who are not in the event a chance to come out and make some fun for themselves. Those that dont have a team, want to watch and learn and be entertained, Butler Ag is hosting an after-hours event during it, Lea said. The after-hours event will include alcoholic beverages, snacks and games. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Steel, a private first class in the U.S. Army, was killed during a combat operation in the Binh Dinh Province of South Vietnam. It happened on Feb. 28, 1967. He was only 19 years old. Decades after the young Fremonters death, local veterans are planning a special event to honor Steel and other Dodge County men who died in the Vietnam War. The public is urged to attend the Vietnam Veterans Memorial observance. The event starts at noon, March 26, in Clemmons Park, 16th Street and Luther Road in Fremont. U.S. Congressman Don Bacon, a veteran who served in the U.S. Air Force, will be the guest speaker. In this time of global crisis, event organizers hope area residents will mark the March 26 date on their calendars and attend an observance designed recognize Vietnam veterans and their families. And to pay special tribute to those who paid the ultimate price to preserve this nations freedom. This is the first time in two years that the local observance has taken place. It was canceled in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. A full slate of activities is planned. They include: A welcome to those attending, given by Dale Finney of Fremont, state president of the In Country Vietnam Motorcycle Club of Nebraska. Prayer by the Rev. Anthony Gerber, senior pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church in Fremont. Presentation of Colors by Fremont Honor Guard. The song, God Bless America by a choral group, yet to be announced. Keynote speech by Congressman Bacon and a speech by Fremont Mayor Joey Spellerberg. Laying of the Wreaths by representatives of different branches of the military. Reading of names of Dodge County men who lost their lives during the Vietnam War. Finney will read the names and a bell will be rung. Rifle salute by the Fremont Honor Guard. The song Taps will be played. The choral group and attendees will sing Amazing Grace. Finney will provide closing remarks. Refreshments will be provided afterward in the Disabled American Veterans building at 137 N. D St. This is open to the public. In case of inclement weather, the observance will take place at Trinity Lutheran Church. Bacon, an advocate for veterans, spent almost 30 years in the U.S. Air Force, retiring as a brigadier general. During his career, he specialized in electronic warfare, intelligence and reconnaissance. He served two tours as a Wing Commander at Ramstein Air Base in Germany and Offutt Air Force Base in Bellevue and other command positions, which include an expeditionary squadron command in Iraq. Bacon served 16 assignments including four deployments in the Middle East to include Iraq in 2007 to 2008 during Operation Iraqi Freedom. Hes received numerous honors and earned two masters degrees. He was elected to Congress in 2016, representing Nebraskas Second Congressional District. Bacon serves on two committees within the U.S. House of Representatives: the House Armed Services Committee and the House Agricultural Committee. Representatives from several veterans organizations are working on this event. We hope that everyone can attend to show their respect for those who served in Vietnam in these stressful times in the world, said Al Crook, senior vice commander, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Fremont Post 854 Sr. vice commander. Al Martinez, service officer for the Disabled American Veterans for Fremont, said the event is intended to honor the orphans, the widows, the POW-MIAs and all those who served during the Vietnam War and paid the high cost of freedom. Veterans hope the public will consider what it cost some Americans to help keep this country free including a teenager named Kenneth Steel. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Nebraska lawmakers are looking to up the ante on a package of incentives meant to attract more teachers to Nebraska. A bill (LB1218) would create the Teach in Nebraska Today Program, which would provide first-year educators up to $5,000 a year for up to five years. The bill is one of the Education Committees priorities this year, as lawmakers look to address the teacher shortage impacting Nebraska schools. The program was added as an amendment to a bill that, as introduced, would strike the requirement for a basic skills test and provide other avenues for candidates to enter the teaching profession. Sen. Lou Ann Linehan of Elkhorn, a member of the Education Committee, said the teaching crisis is a long time coming. Teaching vacancies have been increasing for years across the U.S., but the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated the issue. Some educators left the profession due to burnout. According to the Nebraska Department of Education, 14% of teacher positions across 143 school districts were unfilled during the 2021-22 school year. In addition, the number of districts that reported open positions increased from 53 to 143 from 2020-21 to 2021-22. Linehan said one of the reasons for the shortage is the low pay most teachers earn early in their careers, which discourages many students from pursuing teaching jobs. She said many teachers dont earn high pay until later in their careers. Its not a 21st century pay scale, Linehan said. The Teach in Nebraska Today Program would incentivize Nebraskas teaching students to stay in the state, but could also recruit teachers from out of state, said Sen. Lynne Walz of Fremont, chair of the Education Committee. The Nebraska Department of Education would choose which applicants receive aid. Though Walz said the program would prioritize first-year teachers, remaining money could be allocated to teachers in their second or third year. The program could award up to $5 million each fiscal year, according to the bill. The program is designed as student loan assistance, according to the bill, but Linehan and Walz confirmed that teachers would not need student loan debt to qualify for the program. Linehan said the aid could also help teachers with other financial needs, such as a down payment on a house or buying a car. Weve got to do something, Linehan said. Teachers would need to be working full time in order to qualify for the program. The bill defines full time as, at a minimum, working an average of four hours per contract day. The Education Committee recently advanced LB1218 to the full Legislature. If passed, the program would begin in 2023. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 The University of Nebraska is raising the income threshold for a program allowing Nebraska students to attend tuition-free beginning in the 2022-23 school year. Launched in 2020 during the coronavirus pandemic, the Nebraska Promise guaranteed free tuition for Nebraska undergraduate students from families with a household income of less than $60,000 -- the median household income in the state. On Monday, NU President Ted Carter announced the income threshold would be raised to $65,000, which will expand the program to an estimated additional 175 students. More than 7,000 students have qualified for the free tuition program at the university's campuses in Lincoln, Omaha and Kearney since it was created. At the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, that includes a total of 2,969 students, the university said, while 2,831 students at the University of Nebraska at Omaha have accessed the program. A total of 1,029 students at the University of Nebraska at Kearney, 153 at the University of Nebraska Medical Center and 63 at the Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture have also qualified for Nebraska Promise. "Over the past two years, the chancellors and I have heard so many stories of students whose dreams of a college education have been made possible because of the Nebraska Promise," Carter said in a statement. "We know times are still uncertain and that every dollar matters to students and families," he added. "We've decided to extend the Nebraska Promise to more Nebraska families because access to higher education is more important now than ever." To be eligible for Nebraska Promise, students pursuing a bachelor's degree at any NU campus must take at least 12 credit hours and earn a 2.5 grade-point average. Students must also complete the Free Application for Financial Student Aid (FAFSA) each year before the priority deadline in order to remain eligible. The tuition-free program covers up to 30 credit hours per academic year, and does not apply to costs beyond tuition such as fees, books, or room and board. Students who receive scholarships and grants from either NU or other sources can apply those dollars to those costs, however. Carter said the expansion of the Nebraska Promise is among the steps the university is taking to improve access and affordability. Tuition rates remain frozen at NU for the 2022-23 school year, after regents approved keeping costs steady last year. The creation of NU's program in 2020 led other area colleges to establish similar free tuition programs for students from qualifying households. Nebraska Wesleyan University launched the Access NWU Scholarship, while Union College created the Bridge to Union Scholarship. Reach the writer at 402-473-7120 or cdunker@journalstar.com. On Twitter @ChrisDunkerLJS Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 At least four Pakistani soldiers were killed and 10 others were wounded on March 15 when an improvised explosive device detonated near a convoy of security forces in southwestern Pakistan, officials said. No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack in the Balochistan Province's Sibi district. Local officials told RFE/RL that security forces cordoned off the area and rescue services transported wounded and the dead to the hospital by helicopter. At least seven security personnel were killed and 25 were wounded a week ago in a suicide attack in Sibi, just minutes after Pakistani President Arif Alvi attended a cultural event in town. The Islamic State extremist group claimed responsibility for the March 8 suicide attack. Resource-rich Balochistan, Pakistan's largest and most volatile province, borders Afghanistan and Iran. It has been plagued by sectarian violence, attacks by Islamist militants, and a long-running separatist insurgency that has led to thousands of casualties since 2004. Newly emerged video of the summary execution of an Afghan accused of fighting against the Taliban in the Panjshir Valley and the torture and killing of a shopkeeper in the northeastern region have added to the growing list of brutal acts of vengeance carried out by the extremist group since its return to power in August. Video and images obtained by RFE/RL's Radio Azadi indicated that 48-year-old shopkeeper Ghulam Sakhi had been severely tortured, with extreme bruising to both of his legs, signs of beatings to his torso, and his head heavily wrapped with a bandage. Ahmad Shah Ayubi, a resident of the southeastern district of Khanj, told Radio Azadi that Sakhi was dragged from his home in the village of Mata by Taliban fighters on the night of March 12 after taking part in a rally against the recent torture and killing of another man in the province. Ayubi said Sakhi's battered body was thrown in front of the deceased's home the next morning. "A number of young people assembled to take [Sakhi's] body to the provincial government building," he said. Fearing that the rally would spread, the Taliban's governor for Panjshir arrived in Mata and told the protesters that the perpetrators of the crime had been arrested, Ayubi said. Mawlawi Dad Mohammad, the Taliban police chief in Panjshir, told Radio Azadi on March 14 that 12 people had been arrested in connection with the killing and that an investigation had been launched. Panjshir, a rugged mountain valley located about 100 kilometers northeast of the capital, was the scene of short-lived resistance to the Taliban after the militant group seized Kabul on August 15, 2021. Since the Taliban conquered the valley in September, locals have claimed that the militants have committed human rights abuses against the civilian population including extrajudicial killings, torture, arbitrary detentions, and forcible evictions. Sakhi's killing comes after video of the summary execution of 25-year-old Bilal Jawani in Panjshir was posted this week on social media. The killing took place in September in the village of Hesarak in the Rukha district as the Taliban was fighting to wrestle control of Panjshir. The video shows Jawani, with his hands bound behind his back, being surrounded and questioned by his accusers before he is shot multiple times at close range and falls dead on rocky terrain. The incident has led to protestations of Jawani's innocence by his family and to an outcry on social media about yet another example of the Taliban's brutality despite its pledges to adhere to human rights standards. Speaking to Radio Azadi on condition of anonymity due to fears of retribution by the Taliban, a relative said Jawani did not have ties to the anti-Taliban National Resistance Front of Afghanistan or to the former Afghan National Army (ANA). "He had no connection with the resistance front or the previous government. He was a teacher," the relative said. The relative said Jawani was executed because he was wearing camouflage clothing that resembled that worn by the ANA. "The Taliban martyred him because of his military uniform, without any evidence of [his ties to the] resistance or the previous government." Revenge On Panjshir The Taliban announced on September 6 that it had captured the Panjshir Valley, a traditional hotbed of resistance that the militants had never managed to control while in power from 1996 to 2001. The region is the birthplace of Ahmad Shah Masud, an ethnic Tajik commander who had successfully defended his homeland against Soviet forces and the Taliban and used his clout to unite other ethnic factions to create the Northern Alliance in 1996. Following his assassination by Al-Qaeda militants in 2001, Masud continues to be revered as a local hero. The fall of the Panjshir Valley in September was seen as a significant step in the Taliban's effort to consolidate power after foreign troops withdrew and the militants toppled the Western-backed Afghan government. During intra-Afghan and international peace talks that took place in the run-up to the withdrawal of foreign forces, the Taliban attempted to cast itself as a more moderate version of the group that had been accused of extreme human rights abuses during its first stint in power from 1996 to 2001. With that came pledges to observe international human rights norms, a promise it repeated shortly after forcibly taking power. Following the emergence of the video of Jawani's killing, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid told Radio Azadi that the group was aware of the footage and that an investigation was under way. "The killer will be brought to justice. Whoever he is, whatever he has done is wrong," Mujahid said. But Jawani's relative expressed skepticism about the Taliban's judicial practices and called for outside intervention. "We are not satisfied with [the Taliban's] government. No one is satisfied," the relative said. "We call on the United Nations to bring the perpetrators to justice." The office of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) has not yet commented on Jawani's killing. The Taliban has consistently been criticized by UNAMA and international rights watchdogs for its human rights practices, including the treatment of girls and women, acts of retribution against ethnic and religious minorities, and the killings of former members of the Afghan police force and the ANA despite claims that it had introduced an amnesty to protect them. Saudi Arabias Tourism Development Fund (TDF) has signed a framework agreement with Playa Hotels & Resorts to introduce its all-inclusive resort offering to the Saudi Arabian coasts including the Arabian Gulf and the Red Sea. Through the agreement, TDF aims to provide tourists with a luxurious and one-of-a-kind experience by bringing Playa Hotels & Resorts innovative concept to Saudi Arabia, marking its first launch outside of the Americas. Ultimately, the agreement will serve to enhance the Kingdoms tourist experience while supporting job creation in the sector. TDF will also explore funding opportunities to support private sector investments, including Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) represented by Playas equity in the projects. TDF supports the diversification of tourism investments in the Kingdom through the launch of new and unique hospitality projects in accordance with the highest global standards, in alignment with the National Tourism Strategy. The agreement was signed at the Fund's headquarters by Qusai Al-Fakhri, CEO of TDF and Bruce D Wardinski, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Playa Hotels & Resorts. Al-Fakhri said: Through this partnership with Playa Hotels Resorts, we demonstrate our commitment to providing the Kingdom with the latest in world-class hospitality offerings. This agreement is the most recent in a series of efforts to enable the private sector to develop high-potential tourism destinations in line with the National Tourism Strategy. We look forward to continuously innovating to bring tourists and investors unparalleled opportunities like this. Wardinski said: We are pleased to partner with TDF to bring this unique concept to the Kingdom, which will benefit tourists through a world-class, elevated offering. At a time when the all-inclusive segment is rapidly growing, we have a strong track record of translating our extensive management and investment expertise into real value for our stakeholders, employees, and the local communities in which we are located. We look forward to serving investors and tourists alike in the Kingdom. Playa Hotels & Resorts is the leading owner and operator of all-inclusive resorts in Mexico and throughout the Caribbean, and its formula for success is its long-term partnership with some of the most respected and trusted global hotel brands such as Hyatt, Hilton, and Wyndham. Through these partnerships, guests are assured new standards of cleanliness while enjoying Playa's unmatched experience of luxury. The Groups all-inclusive model offers competitive advantages including predictable revenue and occupancy, greater share of customer wallet, generating additional revenue through high-margin premium services, and high customer satisfaction. TDF plays a pivotal role in advancing tourism development in Saudi Arabia by enabling private investors to participate in the sector. It provides support to SMEs and large institutions alike, ranging from planning to providing support from various tourism-related government agencies. The Fund offers a variety of tailored solutions that suit the needs of investors, including direct financing, bank guarantees, and co-financing with banks. TradeArabia News Service It doesnt take long for Scotty Devenish to let you in on a secret. A few minutes into talking to the musician for the first time, he divulges that he is a total bird nerd. Devenishs bond with birds began as a kid and became one of those things everyone knows about him. When Devenish was moving away to attend the U.S. Air Force Academy, a friend gifted him a book about birds and signed it, for the bird man of Massapequa, referring to the area where they grew up in Long Island, N.Y. The bird man nickname could still fly. Devenish recently spotted a Western tanager, a bird he once drew pictures of as a child, in his backyard in Colorado Springs and totally freaked out. This is when Devenish jokes that he tends to tell strangers too much about himself. Its the Irish in me, he said. I have the gift of gab. If you go For more info about Irish Scotty, visit facebook.com/irishscotty. Here's his lineup of St. Patrick's Day shows: 5 p.m. Tuesday, Jack Quinn's, 21 S. Tejon St. 6 p.m. Wednesday, McGinty's, 11115 W. U.S. 24, Divide 2 p.m. Thursday, Jack Quinn's, 21 S. Tejon St. 8 p.m. Thursday, Abby's Irish Pub, 9697 Prominent Point 7 p.m. Friday, Great British Food Company, 5905 Corporate Drive 6 p.m. Saturday, McGinty's, 11115 W. U.S. 24, Divide Thats another thing everyone knows about Devenish. And why another nickname applies: Irish Scotty. Devenish introduced the moniker for his solo musical act in 2020, after years of playing with Colorado-based Irish bands such as Big Paddy and the McDeviants. There were two reasons for Devenish to go out on his own. It was easier to find gigs as a solo act during the pandemic. And solo gigs were easier to schedule with Devenishs full-time job as a pilot with United Airlines. Irish Scotty, a culmination of Devenishs lifelong connection to the traditional tunes of his familys heritage, can usually be found playing at area pubs once or twice per month. Luckily for lovers of Irish music, Devenish has something special planned for the week of St. Patricks Day. Irish Scotty will play eight shows in a span of eight days, starting last Saturday and wrapping up this Saturday. Hes calling the stretch of shows, happening at places such as Jack Quinns and Abbys Irish Pub, Holy Week. Its a serious name for what Devenish calls a fun way to celebrate our Irish heritage. Hes never before played this many shows to celebrate St. Patricks Day, which falls on Thursday and welcomes days of festivities around town. After figuring out he could take these dates off work, Devenish put the word out to pubs in the area. They all wanted to book Irish Scotty. This is a lot, he said. I hope I still have a voice after that. Irish Scottys show is a good fit for the holiday started in honor of Saint Patrick, one of Irelands patron saints, that has become a widely recognized excuse for green-adorned revelry. Devenish knows the true traditions, passed down from many people proud to be Irish. He grew up with a house full of Irish music, often heard on the radio after church on Sunday. He soon learned all the words to the sing-along songs and how to play them on a variety of musical tools. The tin whistle came first. Then the flute, his choice instrument in elementary school. He added the guitar, harmonica and bodhran, an Irish frame drum. And the songs. Devenish guesses he knows about 200 Irish tunes, many of which his family has been singing for as long as theyve been making that same Irish soda bread. The recipe is from the 1800s. For his shows, Devenish is inspired by his visits to Ireland, where his grandparents were born and where many family members live. Even though he pulls from the same repertoire of songs, Devenish says its never the same set twice. He often includes favorites such as Kiss Me, Im Irish, by Gaelic Storm and Danny Boy. Through the years, Devenish, 47, has thought about playing different types of music. But no other genre feels quite like home. I think its because its in my blood, he said. I feel it more personally. Its in my soul. It connects me to my past and to my family. He has already started sharing the music with his family. One of his two sons is learning the piano and joined Devenish at a recent show. Devenish looks forward to sharing the tunes with others over the upcoming days of green beer and cheer. Its fun to celebrate because the Irish are a fun lot, Devenish said. Everybodys Irish on St. Pats. 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. You have permission to edit this article. Edit Close Women students, activists fear the ban on the Hijab will now extend to educational institutions in the state where it was previously allowed. Muhammad Raafi | TwoCircles.net Support TwoCircles BANGALORE As the Karnataka High Court upheld the ban on Hijab, students, and activists termed the court verdict as discriminatory, humiliating and hurtful. Soon after the court pronounced the verdict on Tuesday, Muslim students in various schools and colleges across the state boycotted the classes in protest. Karnataka has remained on edge after a group of girls were prevented from wearing the Muslim headscarf during school time in December last year. Navida Asadi, a Muslim activist based in Hassan city of Karnataka told Twocircles.net that Hijab is about the modesty of the Muslim women who practice it. We will not compromise on our modesty, she said, It is also our constitutional right to practice our religion and we will not sacrifice that right. Asadi said that the rights and the religious freedom of Muslim women cannot be curbed in the name of secularism. Secularism is not meant to erase our religious identity. Scores of Muslim girls have not attended their schools or colleges in the last month due to the initial interim ban on Hijab while many have missed their exams. In Hassan city, a Muslim girl was not allowed to appear in her practical exams as the invigilator asked her to remove the Hijab, which she didnt. She missed the exams and lost her academic year. Hiba Sheikh, a student of Government First Grade College, Mangalore told TwoCircles.net that she will not attend the classes till the ban is not revoked. She said she will continue the fight and said the court verdict was discriminatory as it goes against the teachings of Islam. Hijab is an essential practice in Islam. After weeks of deliberations, the Karnataka High Court ruled that the wearing of the hijab does not form a part of essential religious practice in the Islamic faith. The court ruled that schools have valid grounds to set dress codes prohibiting headdresses in the interest of avoiding religious and other divides. The aim of the regulation is to create a safe space and the ideals of egalitarianism should be readily apparent to all students, the court said. In Islam, wearing Hijab is an important article of faith for Muslim women, and many in Karnataka said that Muslim girls have worn it in schools for decades, just as Hindus, Sikhs, and Christians have done with their religious insignia. The state high court initially ordered a temporary ban on the wearing of all religious symbols, including Hindu and Christian ones, in schools. Schools later reopened under heavy security with a ban on gatherings of more than four people. In several instances authorities made teachers and students take off their hijab publicly at the school gate. Muslim women said that the ban on hijab violates their religious freedom guaranteed under the constitution of India and that they rather would stay home rather than go to schools or colleges without hijab. Sumaiyya Roshan, a student activist based in Karnataka told TwoCircles.net that the ban is disappointing. It is unfortunate and inappropriate for the court to give such a verdict when all Muslim women who observe Hijab have stated from the beginning that it is their religious right and it is an important part of their religion. Roshan said, the women practice Hijab to assert our Muslim identity and it is a way of submission to God. That is the most important thing, and that is the entire objective of donning a hijab. She is apprehensive that now the schools and colleges where Hijab wasnt an issue earlier might also come up with such restrictions. It is hurtful. We have always had faith in the judiciary. But it has disregarded the choices and religious freedom. It isnt acceptable to us. Muhammad Ibrahim, father of Aaliya Meher, a student of pre-university college school in Shivamogga district said that the court verdict is tantamount to attacks on Muslim symbols and practices and is part of the Hindu far-right agenda of imposing majoritarian values on minorities. The Karnataka High Court order said that it studied the Quranic inscriptions and hadith and decided that hijab is not essential. However, Anas Tanvir, a Supreme Court lawyer, believes that the court has made a mistake in this regard. The court has created a dichotomy between freedom of conscience and freedom of religion and said that those who have freedom of religion do not have freedom of conscience. It is a mistake, it is the wrong interpretation of the law, Tanvir said. Rekha Sharma, the chairperson of the National Commission of Women has, however, welcomed the decision. It is firstly not a religious practice, as per Quran. Secondly, when a student enters an institute, they must follow the rules & regulations, she told the media after the verdict. Calling herself an ardent supporter of womens rights, she said she has always said women can wear anything, anywhere, but if theres a uniform code in an institute, it must be followed. Muhammad Raafi is a journalist based in New Delhi. He tweets as @MohammadRaafi DENVER, CO - JUNE 7: After large crowds of Denver Public Schools students, families, and supporters arrive at City Park, they kneel and sit in silence for 8 minutes and 46 seconds to signify how long George Floyd suffered by having a police officer's knee on his neck. The crowd first gathered at Civic Center Park and marching to the Martin Luther King, Jr. statue at City Park in support of Black Lives Matter on June 7, 2020 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo By Kathryn Scott) Exploding head syndrome is a sleep disorder in which you hear a loud noise either as you're falling asleep or waking up in the night. The sound isn't real and isn't heard by anybody but you. It's not dangerous, and about 10% of people will have at least one episode in their lifetime. As forces battle in Ukraine, Colorado astronaut says Russians have much to lose by failing to cooperate in space Workers and volunteers on Tuesday unloaded box after box of syringes, gloves, suction equipment, skin scrub trays, masks and gowns onto trucks from a UCHealth loading dock in Colorado Springs as part of an an effort to help the people of Ukraine during the war with Russia. Two UCHealth locations one in Colorado Springs, the other in Denver collected about $200,000 in medical supplies to help Ukraine, which was invaded by Russia about two weeks ago. The supplies were purchased during the height of the COVID pandemic, and UCHealth officials said they saw an opportunity to donate the much-needed supplies while coronavirus cases have slowed down. "We're doing our part in helping in any way we can," said Keith Bresciani, the UCHealth Southern Colorado inventory manager. "We can't be there physically but we can supply the support that is needed. And this is what we thought we can do to help." The shipment will be expedited in hopes of arriving in Ukraine as quickly as in a few days, said Baret Walker, the executive director of Project C.U.R.E. in Denver, which is handling the delivery of the medical supplies. They will be used for trauma care in field hospitals during emergency situations, officials said. Project C.U.R.E., which started 35 years ago from an Evergreen garage, is the world's largest distributor of donated medical equipment to countries across the globe. The nonprofit hopes its contacts and relationship with Poland can help get the supplies to western Ukraine in a timely fashion, Walker said. "It's an unthinkable humanitarian human crisis going on," Walker said. "We know several of the hospitals and clinics we've traditionally served have been impacted. ... Earlier this week, we heard 31 hospitals have been bombed. We are working now on outfitting field clinics and (population) centers and where we can get our supplies to." On Tuesday, 17 palates of medical supplies were loaded onto trucks from the UCHealth loading dock in Colorado Springs. Thousands of people are thought to have been killed, both civilians and soldiers, though the actual number is unknown. The U.S. believes Russia underestimated the strength of Ukraines resistance before launching its invasion and has suffered thousands of casualties, Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines told lawmakers Tuesday in Washington. UCHealth and Project C.U.R.E.'s efforts to send the supplies to Ukraine are not rooted in politics, officials said. "There are people in need," said Bresciani. "Whether we agree or disagree, they are in need. We have an ability to help them and it's our due diligence to do that." The Associated Press contributed to this report. Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site. 0108263 License for publishing multimedia online Registration Number: 130349 Registration Number: 130349 A pattern firmly entrenched for years El Paso County receiving more calls of suspected child abuse and neglect to the state hotline, referr Saturday marked the 60th day of the 2022 Colorado General Assembly. Here's a look at what lawmakers accomplished during the first half hint: observers say not a whole lot and what's ahead for the rest of the session. The federal appeals court based in Denver has agreed that a parole officer cannot be held liable for arresting a man without probable cause contrary to state law because such conduct does not clearly violate the Fourth Amendment. Two bills are on the legislative agenda this year that hope to end daylight saving time in Colorado. U.S. conducts air exercises over Yellow Sea in show of force against North Korea RTHK: Biden to join Nato leaders in Brussels next week Nato leaders will meet in Brussels on March 24 in an "extraordinary" summit to discuss Russia's military offensive in Ukraine, the alliance's chief said on Tuesday, as the White House confirmed US President Joe Biden will attend. At this critical time, North America and Europe must continue to stand together," Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg wrote on Twitter. White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki confirmed Biden would attend the meeting at Natos headquarters. "His goal is to meet in person face-to-face and talk about and assess where we are at this point in the conflict," she told reporters at a news briefing. "We've been incredibly aligned to date. That doesn't happen by accident." Asked if Biden would also visit Poland, do anything tied to Ukrainian refugees or meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Psaki declined to comment, saying trip details were still being worked out. Zelenskyy separately hinted on Tuesday at a possible compromise as peace talks continued with Russia, saying Ukraine was prepared to accept security guarantees that stop short of its long-term objective of membership of the Nato alliance, which Moscow opposes. "If we cannot enter through open doors, then we must cooperate with the associations with which we can, which will help us, protect us...and have separate guarantees," he said in a video message. Throughout the day, Russian air strikes and shelling smashed buildings in the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, while a convoy of civilians headed out of the besieged port city of Mariupol for safer parts. At least five people were killed in the renewed bombardments on Kyiv on the 20th day of the Russian assault, authorities said. Buildings were set ablaze and people lay buried under the rubble. About 2,000 cars managed to leave Mariupol and a further 2,000 were waiting to follow, the city council said. Peace talks between Russian and Ukrainian delegations via video link also resumed. Ukrainian officials played up hopes the war could end sooner than expected, saying Moscow may be coming to terms with its failure to impose a new government on Kyiv by force. (Reuters) This story has been published on: 2022-03-15. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. DES MOINES She became emotional inside the Iowa Secretary of States Office. And shortly after, Deidre DeJear beamed about making history. DeJear, the likely Democratic candidate for Iowa governor, filed her nominating signatures Tuesday at the Iowa Capitol, officially putting her on the ballot for the 2022 elections. DeJear became the first Black woman in Iowas history to be the Democratic or Republican candidate for governor. We just made history, DeJear told the roughly two dozen supporters who gathered at the Capitol for the occasion. But its the type of history that outlines the possibilities. Were seeking to run for this office because we want to see change happen. No other Democrat is actively campaigning for governor. DeJear would face Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds in this falls election. DeJears campaign submitted roughly 6,600 signatures Tuesday. Candidates for governor are required to submit at least 3,500 signatures, including at least 100 from at least 19 counties. Reynolds submitted more than 16,000 signatures last week. Us submitting these papers is less about me and more about where were going, DeJear told her supporters. FRANKEN REFILES: Mike Frankens campaign resubmitted nominating signatures this week after an error was caught in the first batch of signatures that the campaign submitted March 9. Franken is among the Democrats running for U.S. Senate in Iowa. According to the Secretary of States Office, some of the Franken campaigns forms were not properly completed, which could have negated the nominating signatures on those pages. The office notified the Franken campaign, which collected more signatures and filed them this week, presumably putting Franken on the ballot. Franken, a U.S. Navy veteran from Sioux City, is one of three candidates vying to earn the Democrats nomination in the U.S. Senate race. The others are former U.S. Rep. Abby Finkenauer of Cedar Rapids and Minden physician Glenn Hurst. Longtime Republican U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley faces a primary challenge from Sioux City lawyer and state Sen. Jim Carlin. REPUBLICANS BACK PATE: All of Iowas top elected Republicans announced their support of Secretary of State Paul Pate, the states top elections official. Pates campaign announced the endorsements from Republican U.S. Sens. Chuck Grassley and Joni Ernst, U.S. Reps. Ashley Hinson, Mariannette Miller-Meeks and Randy Feenstra, Gov. Kim Reynolds, Lt. Gov. Adam Gregg and Agriculture Secretary Mike Naig. Former Gov. Terry Branstad also joined the list of endorsers. As a former county auditor who ran elections at the local level in Iowa, I know firsthand the importance of maintaining the security and integrity of our election system, Ernst said in a news release from the Pate campaign. And thanks to Secretary Pates work and leadership through efforts like voter ID, he has done exactly that. UNIONS ENDORSE FINKENAUER: The Iowa chapter of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers and the Fort Madison chapter of the United Food and Commercial Workers endorsed Abby Finkenauers campaign for U.S. Senate. A former congresswoman and state legislator from Cedar Rapids, Finkenauer is one of three Democrats vying for the partys nomination in the U.S. Senate campaign. The others are Mike Franken of Sioux City, a retired admiral, and Minden physician Glenn Hurst. Rep. Finkenauer has a long history of support for labor unions, and workers issues have always been a priority for her both in the Iowa House of Representatives and in Congress, UFCW Local 617 President Robert Cale said in a news release from the Finkenauer campaign. As Iowa communities continue to battle COVID-19, we need strong leaders in Congress who will put our workers and families first, and we know that Rep. Finkenauer will be the kind of leader that Iowa needs in the U.S. Senate. Love 0 Funny 1 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 An Iowa nursing home that has filed for bankruptcy, been cited for contributing to the death of a resident and fined more than $685,000 is now listed among the nations 88 worst care facilities. The QHC Fort Dodge Villa in Webster County has been added to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Special-Focus Facility List, which is a national list of care facilities with some of the worst records of regulatory compliance. The home had already been deemed eligible for special-focus status due to a long history of serious care issues. With the facility now on the list, it joins other care facilities around the nation that are enrolled in a special program intended to stimulate improvements in their quality of care through increased regulatory oversight. The Fort Dodge home, which has about 75 residents, has the lowest possible overall rating from CMS, which evaluates care facilities performance based on inspectors findings, staffing levels and quality of care. It is one of two Special-Focus Facilities in Iowa that are on the list and now subject to increased oversight, and both are run by QHC Management of Clive. The company allegedly owes taxpayers more than $1 million in unpaid fines. QHC and each of the facilities that it operates have filed for bankruptcy. The owners are actively pursuing a sale of the chain, which consists of eight nursing homes and two assisted living facilities that provide care for up to 700 Iowans. The Special-Focus Facility List is updated quarterly by CMS and includes homes deemed by CMS to have a history of serious quality issues. While 10 Iowa homes are on the list as candidates deemed eligible for that sort of assistance, they are not actually enrolled in the program or receiving the assistance. Thats because the number of facilities on the list remains relatively constant. New facilities cant be named a special-focus facility, regardless of how poor their care is, until other homes in that same state improve and graduate from the list a process that can take four years or more. Nationally, there are normally about 88 nursing facilities on the list, with one or two slots filled by each state. In addition to the Fort Dodge home, QHC Winterset North is on the list and has been there for 15 months. According to CMS, the Winterset home remains on the list because it has not yet shown any improvement. A third QHC home in Mitchellville is on the list of homes that are eligible for special-focus status due to its history of care issues. In addition to the Mitchellville home, the other Iowa facilities currently deemed eligible for special-focus status are Arbor Court of Mount Pleasant; Aspire of Muscatine; Aspire of Primghar; Big Creek Nursing and Rehabilitation Community of Polk City; Fleur Heights Center of Des Moines; The Ivy of Davenport; Northern Mahaska Specialty Care of Oskaloosa; Rock Rapids Health Centre of Rock Rapids; and Westwood Specialty Care of Sioux City. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 As a semi-respected small-town newspaper editor, regionally known humor columnist and former cigar-chomping, hooch-swilling, skirt-chasing, cholesterol-lowering-medication-taking, underpaid and overworked bureau chief of the fictional yet highly respected Monkey Action News Team, I dont use my journalistic status, real or imagined, to promote goods or services. I stopped after I gave a thumbs up to Cousin Juniors plumbing business and shortly thereafter he flooded the basement of the VFW hall, ruining 48 miniature American flags and a life-size cutout of Gen. George S. Patton. But, in the real world, I do make exceptions from time to time. Phil Lee, the rocking troubadour, the self-proclaimed Mighty King of Love, has a new album out and it is a dandy. Its called Phil Lee & Other Old Time Favorites. I recommend buying it with cold hard cash, a credit card or a handful of that cryptocurrency everyone is talking about. I can hear some of the skeptics now: Hes only promoting Phil Lees new album in hopes of accessing the backstage debauchery and plethora of gorgeous groupies that are a staple of any Phil Lee show. And my answer is, in the words of the late, great Hank Williams, mind your own business. Phil, a North Carolina boy, has been crisscrossing this great nation for decades, sometimes driving a truck, sometimes unleashing his wickedly clever songs on audiences large and small. He moved to the West Coast a few years ago. Instead of falling into the areas psychedelia or smooth Eagles-like output as some of us feared, he went back to his roots for the new one, back when he was part of the opening act for the farm report on WRAL-TV in Raleigh. Ill let Phil explain it: In 1968 (to the best of my recollection your honor) my Grandma Flossie wangled me a job on television playing drums for a guy who became a huge influence on my whole approach to show business Homer A. Briarhopper. His suits and his Howdy, neighbors wave and the big smile, just the way he engaged the audience and his style of playing to the audience, stuck with me. Every show was a couple of toe tappers, a few country favorites, a rocker or two for the kids, and always one for the sick and the shutins. He was always inclusive, everybody was welcome and there was literally something for everyone. Fun for the whole family! Unfortunately, I got away from all that for about 60 years, but I wanted to do an album for my mama before she kicked the bucket. Honestly though, it looks like theres a race for the finish at this point that I may win. My old time favorites on Phil Lee & Other Old Time Favorites include I Like Women, a reworking of an earlier gem called Daddys Jail and the gospel standard Just A Closer Walk With Thee, the song Harry Dean Stanton sings in the film Cool Hand Luke. Back to Phil: There are a couple of co-writes and a couple of traditional songs Ive always wanted to do...it was just songs I had written, songs that my mother was particularly fond of like Daddys Jail or Wheres the Family Today? a co-write with my old friend James Brown, may God rest his soul. These are mostly songs Id always meant to do but they were never right for the arty records I was doing. Its one of those records with no secret devil-worshipping messages, no FUs, just an album of tunes my mama and I like. There you have it. I say pick up a copy or digital download of Phil Lee & Other Old Time Favorites. I guarantee its better than Cousin Juniors plumbing skills. Hollifield is editor of The McDowell News in Marion, North Carolina, and humor columnist. Contact him at rhollifield@mcdowellnews.com. Jessica Jones, president of the Pittsylvania chapter of the Virginia Educators Association, likened the sense of emptiness brought about when the pandemic first closed schools in 2020 to a tiny pinhole punched into a cup filled with water. While liquid remains in the cup, a pool also starts building underneath. And its not clear where the water is flowing out. The thought was to try to get a new cup, but no cups were available and then once you realized it, all the liquid was gone, she told the Register & Bee. Those early days were a very sad, trying, confusing, and tumultuous time for everyone because neither the students nor the adults could answer the question of, What do we do next, she said. The initial two-week shutdown in March 2020 because of the growing COVID-19 threat eventually led to closed classrooms for the entire school year, as ordered by then-Gov. Ralph Northam. It was then educators knew things would be vastly different. Dominated by remote-only learning to start the fall 2020 session, schools switched to a hybrid solution of having students in classrooms about two days in the week while others continued in virtual style. That provided some teacher-to-student contact, but it was far from perfect. There will be many years before we recover the loss that has occurred during these past two years, Angela Hairston, superintendent of Danville Public Schools, told the Register & Bee. Smaller classes, mitigation strategies, virtual learning, extended year, increased tutoring and a much needed focus on mental health has been the tip of the iceberg during this last year of recovery. For Pittsylvania County Schools, instructional teams worked to minimize the impact of the pandemic as much as possible, said Superintendent Mark Jones. Although there is no substitute for in-person instruction, through the creation of innovative virtual learning environments and other measures designed to reach all students, educational professionals throughout the school division worked to mitigate learning loss, he said. For example, in 2021, the division provided what he calls a comprehensive summer school program to help those who had fallen behind. It also provided door-to-door transportation and meals. Another program is in the works for this coming summer, he said. In addition, in-school and after-school tutoring options are available. Jessica Jones explained some students have bounced back, but others still must navigate their way to improvements not only in academics, but social and emotional trauma. The business at hand is still the same: meet every child where they are and work with them to get them where they need to be every day, she told the Register & Bee. The morale As the pandemic rolled on, spirits were frequently tested, Mark Jones said when asked how the pandemic impacted the morale of teachers and staff members. However, this shared experience only strengthened our ability to respond collectively to circumstances beyond our control, he explained via email. It would be inaccurate to claim that the uncertainties surrounding the pandemic and the difficulties imposed by it did not have a dampening impact upon the morale of teachers and staff; however, these individuals, because of their commitment to the students that they serve, worked to maintain their positivity, drawing strength from the knowledge that, through their efforts, they were enabling their students to continue learning despite the effects of the pandemic. The drop in morale came from many aspects, Jessica Jones said. In addition to hurdles with education, teachers had to cope with personal loss, like family and friends who died from the virus. Some werent able to maintain finances because of loss of income from working multiple jobs, or not being able to find a rhythm to address all the ever-changing challenges that were occurring in the workplace or at home, she said. Hairston believes everyone teachers, staff, parents and students across the nation should re-prioritized their lives in light of lessons learned from the pandemic. We are far more focused on what matters and far more empathetic, she said. However, unrealistic expectations have plagued our school districts across the nation. Silver linings The pandemic spearheaded a technological revolution for many schools, especially those in rural Pittsylvania County. Mark Jones sees that as a silver lining. As a result, the term Virtual Learning is now firmly rooted in our educational vernacular and has become a viable alternative to traditional instructional settings, he said. The pandemic also showed us the value in the soft things: a hot meal, a kind word or hug from a teacher or friend and perhaps most importantly, a safe place to land. In Danville Public Schools, Hairston says theres renewed focus on equity and access to learning. An appreciation for teachers and educators as a whole, she explained when asked about positives springing from the pandemic. An improved appreciation for what matters. She also pointed to a better appreciation for virtual learning with its Virtual Academy located in a former elementary school. At Averett University, spokesperson Cassie Jones sees a heightened sense of resiliency and dedication after the pandemic caused so much chaos. This pandemic has taken a huge emotional, physical and psychological toll on everyone, but there are gifts that have surfaced, she explained. Our students continue to embrace these challenging times with thankfulness and great attitudes; faculty members continue to demonstrate the very reasons why our students appreciate them so much; and our incredibly talented staff at all levels work against enormous odds to ensure the care and well-being of our students. She said the pandemic propelled an added energy for the campus and helped students and staff members learn to live in ambiguity and uncertainty. At Danville Community College, a food drive in spring 2021 was a memorable moment for spokesperson Faith ONeal. It was wonderful to see our faculty and staff come together to support the community during such a challenging time, she said. We served more than 400 families that day with nutritious fruits, vegetables and dry goods. The tumultuous time also pushed the use technology for DCC. Although we would have never chosen to endure this pandemic, our faculty and staff were able to learn and use new technologies that will persist even after the pandemic ends, ONeal said. These technologies will allow better access for students who cannot physically be on campus. Want to see more like this? Get our local education coverage delivered directly to your inbox. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Casting aside for a moment the heartbreaking blows the coronavirus pandemic dealt the Dan River Region over the last 730-plus days, there have been some rays of sunshine amid the dark clouds. A striking advance in technology was an early side effect of the illness about two years ago. Working from home for most also seemed to bring an added bit of flexibility to what was previously a hectic work schedule. Even for an advanced technical institution like Danville Community College, the pandemic swiftly forced a new wave of virtual education. Although we would have never chosen to endure this pandemic, our faculty and staff were able to learn and use new technologies that will persist even after the pandemic ends, spokesperson Faith ONeal said last week. These technologies will allow better access for students who cannot physically be on campus. But those interviewed by the Register & Bee for this series agree the top positive impact was a deeper sense of unity and connection with the community. One of the biggest silver linings of the pandemic for us has been strengthened partnerships with other organizations in the area that are working towards the same goals, McKenna Luzynski, a senior epidemiologist with the Southside Health District, told the Register & Bee. The constantly changing pandemic opened new lines of communications between the Virginia Department of Health, hospitals, medical providers and nonprofit groups. As we emerge from COVID-19, well be able to build on this foundation to collectively move our community towards a healthier state, she said. One of the first joint efforts in early 2021 was a community vaccination clinic that brought Sovah Health-Danville, the health department and Averett University among others together on a collaborative charge to get shots into the arms of eager Dan River Region residents. We hosted the first vaccine clinic in the region, and are proud to have helped in the vaccination of thousands in our community, Cassie Jones, a spokesperson for Averett, told the Register & Bee. Seeing how a campus and community could unite to care for one another was incredible. Jones described it as likely the single most significant accomplishment during the COVID-19 crisis for the university. Dr. Scott Spillmann, director of the Pittsylvania-Danville Health District, also praised the newfound connections with faith organizations, governmental leaders and community groups, but said the personal experiences were the most powerful. Just as fire does not destroy metal and purifies it, the pandemic has brought our team closer together and weve learned to rely on each other even more, he said. Beyond the tangible aspects, the ordeal over the last two years strengthened the bonds of coworkers tossed into a nightmarish situation. Any time a team endures a high stress situation, they grow closer, Dr. Sheranda Gunn-Nolan, market chief medical officer for Sovah-Health, explained to the R&B. We continue to be amazed by the strength and perseverance of our team members as we approach year three of this pandemic, and we are so grateful for our employees and physicians for their continued dedication to our patients. And its not just health care workers who built a better team. Education leaders said teachers also have a new bond emerging. Among the most positive impact has been the sense of common purpose and community that was strengthened among staff throughout the division during the pandemic, explained Pittsylvania County Superintendent Mark Jones. But perhaps the greatest impact is a greater awareness of overall health. We see people taking control of their health more than previously with routine conversations and discussing risks and the need for preventative care, Gunn-Nolan said. Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. The company building a natural gas pipeline through a bucolic Bent Mountain property should be made to pay its owners $650,000 for their losses, a jury was told Monday. Mountain Valley Pipeline used its legal power of eminent domain to take part of a 560-acre tract owned by the Terry family four years ago. How much it should now compensate the owners will be decided during a weeklong trial in Roanokes federal court. The land is worth $2 million, according to Joe Sherman, a Norfolk attorney who represents Frank Terry and his brother and sister, John Coles Terry and Elizabeth Terry Reynolds. Plowing a trench for the buried pipeline through a scenic stretch of forests, meadows and the headwaters of Bottom Creek would reduce the propertys value by about a third, Sherman said during opening statements Monday. The pipeline corridor will run though this land forever, he told the jury. The Terrys cant afford to compromise, and you shouldnt either. Mountain Valley contends that just compensation or the difference between the fair market value of the land before and after it was condemned for the pipeline is closer to $150,000. Dueling testimony between appraisers for each side is expected at the trial, which could lead to the second jury verdict in a just compensation case involving the deeply divisive infrastructure project. Last May, a jury awarded $430,000 to a Bent Mountain couple who described how their dream home a slice of heaven they spent years nurturing had been forever changed by the pipeline. Less than a dozen compensation cases remain pending in U.S. District Court in Roanoke. In 2017, Mountain Valley sued the owners of about 300 parcels who refused to sell their land, using its muscle of eminent domain to take what it needed for a 303-mile pipeline that will pass through the New River and Roanoke valleys. Most of the cases have been settled, either through voluntary agreements or after a judges ruling on evidentiary issues forced a resolution. About 85% of the landowners in the pipelines path agreed to sell to Mountain Valley and were not sued, the company says. The Terry property has already been a battleground in the pipeline war. Cole Terrys wife and daughter, Theresa Red Terry and Theresa Minor Terry, spent more than a month camped in tree stands in effort to stop tree cutting when work reached Bent Mountain in the spring of 2018. More recently, opponents squared off with construction crews when blasting began on the Terry property last summer. Passed down through seven generations, the land includes a historic home built in 1890 and the headwaters of Bottom Creek, classified as a Tier III waterbody, the highest quality in Virginia. About a half-mile of the pipeline will pass through the parcel. Although Mountain Valley obtained an easement of about 8 acres, its impact on their entire track is taken into account by appraisers. Other potential uses, which in the past have included discussions for a wind farm at the top of Bent Mountain, must be considered in determining a fair market value, Sherman said. Over the years, eminent domain has traditionally been used for government projects to take private land for a public good, such as the construction of highways. The Natural Gas Act gives private companies like Mountain Valley the authority to condemn land for pipelines when there is a determination of public necessity, which the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission found in 2017. Following FERC approval, U.S. District Judge Elizabeth Dillon granted Mountain Valley immediate possession of the land it sought in early 2018. In what critics call a take first, pay later practice, the issue of compensating landowners was decided in separate proceedings that followed. The land subject to this weeks trial is the home of Frank Terry, who owns it jointly with his brother and sister. Coles Terry and Elizabeth Reynolds, who own other parcels nearby, also had portions of their property taken by eminent domain and are scheduled for just compensation trials later this year. COVINGTON A Covington police officer is among three people dead after a shooting Monday in the city, Virginia State Police said. As of Tuesday morning, officials had not yet identified the officer who was killed. State police said that the other casualties included the initial shooter in the incident, Toney S. Poulston Jr., 42, of Covington, and an older relative who Poulston shot, Randall Lee Paxton, 64, also of Covington. According to a brief state police account, Paxton and his wife worked at a store and gas station in the 100 block of North Alleghany Avenue. Poulston entered the store at about 4:30 p.m. and "a domestic situation ensued," state police said. Paulston shot Paxton, state police said. Law enforcement was alerted to "Poulston's erratic and escalating behavior" and both city police and officers from the Alleghany County Sheriff's Office hurried to the scene. They found Poulston coming out of the store. He was armed with a handgun, state police said. There was gunfire and both Poulston and a city officer were killed, state police said. No other details of the confrontations between Poulston and Paxton, and Poulston and police were given. After securing the area, officers entered the store and found Paxton dead. His wife was in the store and was not injured, state police said. No one else was hurt in the shootings, state police said. Covington police Chief Christopher Smith asked state police to investigate the deaths of his officer and Paxton, and Smith and Sheriff Kevin Hall asked state police to investigate the officer-involved shooting, state police said. That investigation is continuing. A North Carolina firm and another just across the Virginia state line are joining a select coalition of environmentally conscious investors pushing federal officials to require that companies provide a complete picture of how their operations are contributing to climate change. Asheville-based Earth Equity Advisors and the Sustainable Investment Alliance headquartered in Fancy Gap, Va., are among 75 organizations banking on their $4.7 trillion in combined assets to get the attention of U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Gary Gensler. In a letter to Gensler this week, the group calls for regulations that will force companies to report the full scope of their greenhouse gas emissions, not just what is released directly by their own operations. In most cases, carbon emissions indirectly linked to companies dwarf what their facilities themselves release, the letter argues. These so-called Scope 3 emissions, as defined by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, are generated by a companys pre-production supply chain, through energy use during production, and when finished products are delivered and eventually used by consumers. In short, they involve any activity related to a companys operations that happens away from its own facilities, including when employees drive to or from work, or take business trips. Transition risk A study of 25 major global companies released in February by the Germany-based New Climate Institute found that 87% of their greenhouse gas emissions were tied to such value chain aspects of their business and not on actual production. Yet despite the fact that Scope 3 emissions often represent the largest portion of companies carbon footprints, they typically are not part of firms greenhouse gas emissions disclosures. That lack of environmental transparency, the organizations argue in their letter to the SEC, leaves investors like them especially vulnerable. Judson Meinhart, a Winston-Salem-based adviser with Parsec Financial Wealth Management, agreed. Comprehensive emissions information would shed light on how well companies are positioned to manage and lessen climate change transition risk, he explained. Investors would be far better equipped to discern stronger companies from those with a need for improvement, and in turn better accomplishing the goals of an ESG (environmental, social and governance) investor. Reuters recently reported that in 2021, a record $649 billion poured into ESG-focused funds worldwide through Nov. 30, up from the $542 billion in 2020 and $285 billion a year earlier. ESG funds now account for an estimated 10% of worldwide fund assets. GREENSBORO For the first time this weekend, Mabel Poblet saw her hanging lobby sculpture up close at the Steven Tanger Center for the Performing Arts. It was very emotional for me, Poblet said Monday in Spanish, translated by an interpreter. I almost cried. At 36, Mabel (pronounced Ma-BELL) Poblet of Havana is considered one of Cubas top emerging artists. This year, she finally obtained a visa that enabled her to travel to the Tanger Center. On Sunday, Poblet made her way here, to add finishing lighting touches to the sculpture that she designed and created long distance. A team led by a contracted New York art consultant had installed it more than two years ago, just before the Tanger Center originally was scheduled to open. When her sculpture was hung in 2020, it was a project I had been working on for five to six years already, Poblet said. Seeing it in real life its like bringing a child to life. And its very well integrated into the building and the lobby. On Monday, Poblet attended a morning reception under her hanging sculpture. That afternoon, she went to the Greensboro Childrens Museum. There, children from The Experiential School of Greensboro made new art from remnants of Poblets installation. They then visited the Tanger Center to see Poblets creation. Poblets sculpture, called Genesis, consists of nearly 200 strands of laser-cut acrylic disks their colors reflective metallic or clear. The disks range in diameter from 6 to 24 inches. They rotate gently in the air current. Lighting plays a key role. During the recent touring Broadway show, Wicked, a green light was cast on the reflective disks. On Sunday, Poblet worked with a lighting technician to add a new color palette that alludes to the four seasons. When someone comes in to see a performance, they will see one color, Poblet said. When they exit, they will see a different color. That way, they are interacting with the art work. The lobby installation takes up much of the ceiling 74 feet by 30 feet of space and 12 feet from top to bottom. It hangs in the 8,000-square-foot, two-story lobby called Phillips Hall for the locally-based family foundation that gave $5 million to the Tanger Center project. Of that, $500,000 was earmarked for art installation. New York art consultant Cynthia Reeves led the foundations search for an artist. They considered 30 before selecting Poblet. Genesis became the first piece of its kind commissioned out of Havana since the 2015 brief opening of full diplomatic relations with Cuba. When creating a piece of art, Poblet said: Normally, I start with an idea based on a life experience I had. Then I start taking notes on the idea. Then I start drawing, making an idea of how it could formally work. She makes a three-dimensional model and uses a computer for design. The acrylic disks are light in weight and reflect surroundings and spectators. Thats something we wanted to incorporate in the artwork to make the spectator be part of the artwork, Poblet said. But Poblet couldnt be here for fabrication or installation. Her visa had expired in 2019. She finally got another in the Dominican Republic, but it was canceled because of the pandemic. She had to wait another year before obtaining one in Madrid. So Reeves led efforts to have the artwork fabricated and engineered in the United States. Poblet said she was pleased when she saw the results online. They respected all what I wanted, Poblet said. Its the first piece I have made on that scale. I think that will be a step forward in my career as an artist. Poblet will soon depart to coordinate future projects in the United States, then return to Havana. She will leave satisfied by the result as well as satisfied customers. Its an honor for me to be part of this, and also its an honor to be part of this bridge of the homage to the Phillips family and the Tanger Center, Poblet said. I hope that the public of Greensboro will enjoy the artwork, will feel integrated into the artwork and will be part of it just like I was. Contact Dawn DeCwikiel-Kane at 336-373-5204 and follow @dawndkaneNR on Twitter. The City of Greensboro will receive slightly more than $3 million to buy electric buses, according to a release from the U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Transit Administration. The money is intended to replace older buses that have exceeded their useful life. The money is part of $409.3 million in grants to 70 projects in 39 states funded through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. Along with a local match of 465,000, the city will be able to purchase four battery-electric buses and charging hardware, according to Kevin Elwood, spokesman for the Greensboro Transit Authority. The money cannot be used for operating expenses, Elwood said. Transit agencies are replacing aging buses and facilities with newer, cleaner infrastructure that is more efficient to operate and maintain, said FTA Administrator Nuria Fernandez said in the release. Modern buses, especially those powered with electric batteries or fuel cells, improve air quality and help us address the climate crisis. The city currently has 55 buses in its fixed-route fleet, 17 of which are battery-electric, Elwood said. For paratransit services, it has 48 buses, none of which are battery-electric, he said. Contact Kenwyn Caranna at 336-373-7082 and follow @kcaranna on Twitter. Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. GREENSBORO Pastor and businessman Anthony Knotts was led into a courtroom on Monday morning in handcuffs and wearing an orange jumpsuit the only inmate on a docket full of civil matters. Im just here for the circus, an attorney said as he grabbed a seat just minutes prior to the proceedings. Among the rows of family and supporters, someone let out an audible gasp at the sight of Knotts, shuffling his feet in leg chains. Mr. Knotts, I want to clear the air a little bit on this, said Superior Court Judge John O. Craig III, who had signed the bench warrant that put him in jail. The owner of the popular restaurant Seafood Destiny, with two locations in Guilford County and another in Chapel Hill, owes a decade-old debt of more than $100,000 much of it because of interest to Pat Lowe and Ed Cobbler, former church members who have gone through the legal system for repayment. They would later say they had no idea it would come to facing Knotts in handcuffs in order to get their money back. Your incarceration has absolutely nothing to do with the merits of the case, said Craig, looking down from the bench as television cameras picked up his words. Knotts is an ordained minister for more than 20 years and the leader of The Embassy Church. Hes just as well known as the founder of the Seafood Destiny chain, a soul seafood concept he came up with in his backyard. He was our pastor for six years, Lowe said after Mondays proceedings. Its been a nightmare. This could have been resolved years ago. We said lets make a payment plan. Craig spent just a few minutes on the case, most of it explaining how Knotts ended up before him. Its merely done, the judge continued, because you ignored a valid order of a Superior Court judge, and we cannot tolerate that. Everyone has to comply to a court order. I dont care who it is. Craig issued the bench warrant after Knotts didnt show for two court-ordered appearances to answer questions about his finances. The first debtors examination involving Lowe and Cobblers claim was scheduled for Dec. 13, 2021. When Knotts didnt show, a second examination was slated for Jan. 3. After missing that appearance, creditors asked the judge to impose sanctions. On Jan. 11, an order was issued for Knotts to appear in court on Feb. 14 to explain his absences. When Knotts was absent again, Craig issued the bench warrant and asked the Guilford County Sheriffs Office to hold him without bond until the next civil motion hearing on the courts calendar, which was Monday. After addressing Knotts, Craig asked attorneys for Lowe and Cobbler to conduct the debtors examination in another hearing room. Before Craig let them go, he addressed what he called misinformation thats been circulated through social media and local news outlets. This is a really simple thing, and I hate its been blown out of proportion, Craig said. It has nothing to do with punishing you for the debt. It has everything to do with you ignoring the court order. Im sorry that you had to sit in the jail, but thats the explanation. Knotts, surrounded by attorneys, thanked the judge and was taken out of court. While incarcerated, he had asked his longtime attorney and friend to issue an apology to the judge, creditors and especially his family. Seven days ago, I was a lost person living under the perception of success while facing the pressures and challenges of family and failing, Knotts wrote in a letter that criminal defense attorney Jason Keith linked to his personal Facebook page. I truly believe this has been my belly-in-the-whale experience like Jonah and my Road-to-Damascus experience like Paul. Totally humbling ... but life changing! Lowe and Cobbler were standing in the courthouse hallway when many of the people who came to support Knotts were leaving. Some directed comments toward the couple that were tinged in anger. A few walked by the married couple slowly without saying a word, their eyes focused on the two, leaving Lowe emotional. The money was borrowed while the couple belonged to Knotts Embassy Church in the mid-2000s. The couple had been attending a church that the burgeoning Embassy ministry used after their services were over on Sundays. Sometimes following their service, Lowe and Cobbler would stay to hear Knotts preach. We felt like we were led to that church, Lowe said. We loved the spirit of the people. Cobbler, a former police officer, said Knotts came to him one day asking if he had a credit card he could borrow to buy a plane ticket to London, where he wanted to attend a religious event. Cobbler gave it to Knotts without reservation, he said. Knotts paid back the $2,000. Cobbler said Knotts later asked to borrow a credit card again this time, to help with his business ventures. Cobbler let him use an American Express card, which had a large credit limit. The agreement was that Knotts would pay the debt each month. He said he didnt have a problem with that, Cobbler said. But (the balance) kept growing. When Cobbler asked for the card back, the balance had grown to $45,000. Cobbler said Knotts post-dated a couple of checks as part of a repayment plan, but they were returned by the bank. At the same time, Cobbler and Lowe were making payments that were inflated because of a high interest rate. Every time we talked, he said, Ill give it to you, Cobbler said. The two were still attending Embassy Church, but as they continued to press Knotts over the debt, they said other parishioners quit talking to them. The two eventually went to court, but still wanted to work with Knotts. We said, Pastor, just take care of this, Cobbler said. Lowe and Cobbler said they held no animosity, and although they left the church, believed that Knotts would make good on the money he owed. But that didnt happen. When their attorney suggested asking a judge for a debtors examination to force Knotts to answer questions about his finances, they agreed. People holding judgments against others can then use that information to garnish belongings. Eventually, that process led to Mondays scene inside the Guilford County Courthouse. We were devastated, Lowe said of having that personal relationship sour. Im still devastated. Contact Nancy McLaughlin at 336-373-7049 and follow @nmclaughlinNR on Twitter. NEW YORK (AP) Police said early Tuesday they've arrested a suspected gunman who has been stalking homeless men asleep on the streets of New York City and Washington D.C., killing at least two people and wounding three others in less than two weeks. Law enforcement arrested the suspect in Washington, D.C., and he was being interviewed by police, the Metropolitan Police Department said on Twitter. Police in the two cities earlier released multiple surveillance photographs, including a close-up snapshot clearly showing the man's face, and urged people who might know him to come forward. "Additional information will be forthcoming" the statement on Twitter said. "Thanks to the community for all your tips." The mayors of New York City and Washington D.C. had appealed to the public for help Monday in the search for the gunman. Investigators acknowledged Monday, though, that they knew little about the suspected killer or his motive. Washington D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser and New York City Mayor Eric Adams, speaking together at a news conference Monday, had urged anyone living on the streets to go to city shelters where they might be safer. "We know that our unsheltered residents already face a lot of daily dangers and it is unconscionable that anybody would target this vulnerable population," Bowser said. Adams said New York City police and homeless outreach teams would focus on finding unhoused people in the subways and other locations to urge them to seek refuge at city-owned shelters. In Washington, city outreach workers were passing out flyers among the homeless population, urging people to "be vigilant" and featuring multiple pictures of the suspect. *** ROCKY MOUNT Sedriq Crandell didnt think much of the fire alarm. After working at the QVC distribution center in Rocky Mount for the past four years, there had been plenty of prank alarms. But the smell of smoke wafting in the air as he and hundreds of other workers filed out of the facility told him this time was different. Soon, flames burst through the roof of the building and small explosions could be heard from inside. Thats when people began to panic. Some climbed a barbed-wire fence that was preventing them from fleeing farther, ripping their clothes on the way over. We didnt know what was going to happen, recalled Crandell, 27, at his home in Rocky Mount. The fire was getting bigger and bigger and bigger. My whole mindset was I hope this place doesnt explode. That was when it became scary. The Dec. 18 fire at the QVC plant in Edgecombe County was devastating. The fire complicated by water supply issues that disabled QVCs sprinkler systems and fire pumps destroyed more than 75% of the 1.5 million-square-foot distribution center and killed one worker. It also led to the elimination of 1,953 jobs in an area with the highest unemployment rate in the state. The QVC distribution center was such a large employer that people traveled from more than 17 counties to work there, according to Norris Tolson, chief executive officer of the Carolinas Gateway Partnerships, an economic development agency in the Rocky Mount area. QVC has not yet decided what the long-term future of the facility will be and Tolson said his agency is having conversations with the company about reinvesting in the property. We are hopeful, he said. But, for the foreseeable future, it will be out of commission. On a recent day, security guards manned the entrance as bulldozers slowly tore down the remaining shell of the building. The cause of the fire has not been determined, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is offering a cash reward for information. In response to the fire, the company gave its workers a $500 bonus and extended pay and benefits up until last month. On Monday, Gov. Roy Coopers office announced that the state received a $4 million federal workforce grant to help train and support workers displaced by the fire. But workers like Crandell are left uncertain about the future. Whats next? asked Crandell, a father of two children under the age of 5. Since the fire, the Rocky Mount region, a community of more than 145,000 people, has tried to answer those questions. The QVC plant was built in Rocky Mount after Hurricane Floyd devastated the city in 1999. It continued to grow while many of the citys largest employers, like the Hardees corporate office and Centura Bank, saw their presence decline in the 2000s. It was a great catch for Rocky Mount at the time, Tolson said. When the fire happened late last year, the community responded quickly. More than $250,000 has been donated to assist workers who were laid off. The United Way of the Tar River Region set up a telephone line to connect workers to charities that could help pay for food and home bills. Most QVC employees worked jobs that paid $25,000 to $35,000 annually, but included benefits, like health insurance and a 401(k). The community has really come together, said state Rep. Shelly Willingham of Rocky Mount. We are going to have a ripple-like effect from all of this ... but it has brought people together. Locally, there is optimism about finding jobs for all of these workers. Existing employers and the local community colleges have held job fairs and hired some former QVC workers, including 120 at McLane Co., a firm that distributes food to convenience stores and wholesale markets. The Rocky Mount region had been on the upswing before this fire, Tolson said. It had landed some critical investments at a new rail hub owned by railroad giant CSX. That is going to create a lot of jobs in the coming years, said Tolson, who noted more than 70 companies are considering expanding in the area. The citys location almost smack in the middle of Interstate 95, between New York and Miami has made it a popular destination for distribution outposts, including a Corning center and the pharmaceutical giant Pfizer, which has become Rocky Mounts largest employer. Near downtown, Rocky Mount Mills, a redevelopment of an old cotton mill, is becoming a popular attraction for food and breweries. Crandell said he isnt looking to leave Rocky Mount. But he said hes not found many better opportunities than QVC. Crandell said hes living off savings at the moment. There will come a day when I will have to get something. I had never imagined my own murder until one morning in January at the small church my husband and I attend in northern Alabama. I am sitting in the back pew in the church the Sunday after Epiphany. A man with a military-style haircut opens the front door. The service is almost over. He smiles at me over his face mask as he quietly closes the door. I smile back with my eyes. He whispers, Can I sit here? nodding to the empty space beside me. I nod back. Then I see the gun on his hip and my eyes widen. My heart jump-starts, my knees lock, my body goes cold. He is clothed in olive green, and I cant tell if he is military or paramilitary, a Proud Boy or a plainclothes cop. Is he going to murder us all? In Alabama, a bill allowing churches to set up their own police forces was signed into law in 2019. The legislation was inspired by a 4,000-person megachurch in Birmingham that was concerned private security measures were inadequate in an era of mass shootings. Twenty years ago, my husband, Hugo, and I built a getaway cabin on Lookout Mountain at the tail end of the Appalachians. Its a peaceful place to relax with family. Theres a resilient, rebellious spirit alive and well here, along with a thriving community of artists. Next to me, the mans automatic pistol, two cartridges heavy on his other hip, is only inches away. Do I shake off my good Southern manners and go up to the crows nest where my husband is streaming the service on Zoom to alert him to the danger? A thin layer of sweat gathers under my arms in the chilly church. Fear floats beneath the surface of my awareness, an anxiety fed by the frequent news about mass murders in sacred places like schools and churches and synagogues. As the man with the gun sings along with the congregation, I can only envision our massacred bodies and imagine myself tackling him no matter what he does. I convince myself I will fight back, but my body betrays me as I remain frozen, unable to act. Alabama is an open-carry state and has no laws prohibiting firearms in places of worship. During a service in 2015, a pastor in East Selma, Ala., tried to wrestle a gun from a man after he shot his girlfriend and her son at church. After the pastor was shot, congregants grabbed the gun from the shooter. Before 1963, no mass murders defined as four or more peopled killed had been carried out on a faith-based property in the U.S., according to Carl Chinn, a church security expert and author of Evil Invades the Sanctuary. At the First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, Texas, a gunman stormed a service in 2017, killing 26 people and injuring 20 more. It remains the deadliest shooting at a house of worship in the U.S. in modern times. The man with the gun takes Holy Communion, and still I do nothing but watch as Hugo follows him and kneels beside him at the altar. I take refuge in the belief Hugo will do something if he feels we are threatened. When Father Bill leans toward the man with the gun, he says, I hope youre a sheriff, as he offers him the thin, tasteless wafer and recites, Bread of Heaven. At the end of the service, Father Bill is standing a few feet away from the man with the gun. May the peace of the Lord that passeth all understanding go forth with you, he says. His eyes flicker across the gun. As we file out, I realize the man is a sheriff when a parishioner greets him as such and shakes his hand, thanking him for his service. Later, I ask Father Bill what he thought when he first eyed this gun-toting man. I started rushing through the service, wondering if I needed to stop and tell everyone to scatter, he says. Then he imagined his own death. My friend just died of COVID, and I realized it might not be COVID that kills me. It might be the unknown man with a Glock instead. Hes so upset hes considering hiring private security for future services. Twenty-five years ago, if a man with a gun on his hip walked into church or anywhere else, I would have widened my eyes, but I would have assumed, without hesitation, that he worked in law enforcement. Not today. When so much of America is armed, how am I supposed to tell the difference between a would-be terrorist or an undercover cop? And as long as this is the case, I will continue to live in a heightened state of fear, never truly at peace, especially in a church in an open-carry state. Lanier Scott Isom is an author and journalist in Birmingham, Ala. She co-wrote Lilly Ledbetters memoir, Grace and Grit: How I Won My Fight at Goodyear and Beyond. Think about this He (President Kennedy) reminded them that once an attack began our adversaries could respond with a missile barrage from which many millions of Americans would be killed (13 Days A Memoir of the Cuban Missile Crisis by Robert F. Kennedy). I am a retired military officer. I, too, am appalled at the heinous actions of Vladimir Putin as he orders the murdering of peaceful Ukrainian citizens. I, too, wish the carnage to immediately stop. Nuclear arsenals, however, prevent a quick resolve. President Kennedy was lauded for his pragmatic resolution of the Cuban missile crisis. Mr. Biden is taking a parallel approach. Patience and an enormous amount of diplomacy are ahead. As RFKs memoir reminds us, it is not only the first action that needs to be hammered out, but the second, third, fourth and so on until both sides can survive the crisis. Ukraine is not a NATO member. An automatic military response is inappropriate. In the global community, our president is (overtly) doing all he legally can. There is little doubt in my mind that Mr. Biden and his staff are exploring actions two through infinity. Those demanding military action now, think, are you willing to risk a nuclear holocaust? John Dickey Greensboro Bradford Pear trees An N.C. State specialist claims that these trees spread in natural forests and create food deserts for birds (Knock on wood: The many reasons why Bradford Pears are a menace to society, March 14). I cant argue that, as I am not a tree expert. Residents can cut down their trees, no more than five and provide before and after photos and they will get five new trees. Here is what I find hard to believe: My neighbor down the road planted 10 Bradford pears more than 10 years ago and they are beautiful, especially this time of the year. How many folks like them are going to cut five trees down so that they can plant small seedlings? Probably 1%. This also makes no sense. As of last Friday, when registration started, it was temporarily halted due to an overwhelming response. Sounds like salesmans tactics to me. These trees are more than 30 feet high and approximately 6-8 inches in diameter, and thus something that the average property owner is not capable of removing. The average property owner also probably cant afford to have them professionally removed and disposed of, or the stumps ground. These trees were planted for their beauty, not to be removed 1020 years down the road for (what?) being invasive. Give me a break. Bob Slone Jamestown The climate crisis I agree with the letter writer; our climate issues are heating up fast (March 7). Oil is becoming harder to acquire due to the Ukraine-Russia crisis, causing gas prices to soar, with an approximate 3% of American oil coming from Russia (USA Today, March 3). USA Today also reported that the demand for gas may increase with loosening COVID restrictions and warmer weather prompting road trips. Fuel prices are reported to be at the highest average rate ever, at $4-$6 per gallon, but none of this would even matter if gas wasnt needed to operate our vehicles, right? In 2019, the EPA noted that 29% of carbon emissions in the United States come from the transportation sector. Given the fact that climate change is a global issue, now is a very good time to consider the transition to vehicles that use clean energy, such as electric or hybrid (electric is more Earth-friendly). Please think more seriously about making lifestyle changes specifically related to environmental care. There are plenty of ways to reduce ones carbon footprint. In addition to switching to an electric car, encourage members of Congress to support carbon-pricing legislation as well. Karlah Burton Greensboro Thank you for reading! Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription to continue reading. Over a dozen candidates have filed for election to six offices on the ballot this November in Lewis and Clark County. A county commission seat, the county treasurer/clerk and recorder position, sheriff/coroner position, county attorney, county superintendent of public schools and one county justice of the peace seat are all up for election this November. Longtime County Attorney Leo Gallagher is not among the candidates. Charles Lane, Kevin Downs and Daniel Guzynski all filed for election to the county attorney office now held by Gallagher. He did not seek reelection this term after serving in the position for nearly 20 years. Lane and Downs are both deputy county attorneys for Lewis and Clark County and Guzynski is chief of the Montana Attorney General Office's Prosecution Services Bureau. If elected again, Id take the oath at the age of 69 and I just dont want to commit to staying on the job until Im 73, Gallagher said Monday in an email. I know all the candidates and work with them about every day. I dont plan to endorse anyone as I think any of them could do the job." He said he wants the people to decide who they want to serve, rather than having him chose or leave the appointment to the Board of County Commissioners if he retired mid-term. Gallagher was appointed county attorney in 2001, when Mike McGrath became the attorney general. Ive been trying cases since 1978, including a five-year stint as a deputy county attorney with McGrath, he said. So, Ive been in the job for a long time. Ive been lucky enough to run unopposed. I dont know if thats because of my job performance or because its a job most lawyers wouldnt want to do." He said he plans to keep practicing law. Id like to think Im still a pretty good lawyer, Gallagher said. Im in reasonably good health and I have tread left on the tires. He said he doesnt what he will do next year other than practice law and hopefully have a few more weekends to spend with his wife and grandkids. He said the fifth grandchild, a girl, arrives Friday morning. Three people filed for the county commission seat now held by Commissioner Jim McCormick. McCormick announced he would not seek reelection earlier this year due to health reasons. Local attorney Candace Payne, local business owner Craig Conrad Evarts and Realtor Curt Dallas all filed for election to the seat. The seat represents district 3 in Lewis and Clark County, which represents the west side of Helena, Lincoln and a large swath of west Lewis and Clark County, including Canyon Creek, Marysville and Silver City. Leo Dutton will seek reelection to the county sheriff/coroner position. Dutton was appointed to a partial term in 2008 and has won several elections since that time. Another person, John "Doc" Holiday, filed for the position. Holiday could not be reached for comment. The county treasurer/clerk and recorder position will see a race this year as Amy Reeves, who was appointed to the position in September 2020, seeks reelection against local Bettijo Starr, a Helena native who works in real estate on legal documentation. Additionally, Justice of the Peace Michael Swingley will seek reelection to his position against Shawn White Wolf, a Helena local who previously ran for a county commission seat in 2015. County Superintendent of Schools Katrina Chaney will seek reelection. She will be running unopposed as the only other person who filed for the position withdrew their application, according to Reeves. Also, incumbent Judge Chris Abbott is running unopposed for District Court Judge District 01 - Department 4. The primary election for these positions is scheduled for June 7. The general election is scheduled for Nov. 8. Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Several Helena-area state seats for the primary will be competitive. And then some will be very competitive. As of Mondays filing deadline, two House district races have multiple candidates, while several have two and one race remained uncontested. In the House District 70 race, Republican incumbent Julie Dooling is seeking reelection. Democrats Jeremiah Johnson and Jon Jackson are also running. Two Republicans are squaring off in the House District 75 race, incumbent Marta Bertoglio, a broker, and Timothy McKenrick. House District 79 has Democrat Laura Smith, an attorney and former deputy director of the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services and Republican Dennison Rivera, a marketing entrepreneur and state chair of the Montana Young Republicans, in the running. In House District 80, Republican incumbent Becky Beard was the lone candidate. House District 81, the open seat held by Democrat Rep. Mary Caferro, has four candidates; one Republican and three Democrats. The GOP hopeful is Jill Sark, a bureau chief in the senior longtime care division for the state Department of Public Health and Human Services. Democrats are educator Melissa Romano, community organizer Jacob Torgerson and Jake Troyer, owner of a strategic consulting company. Caferro is now running for House District 82, which was held by fellow Democrat Moffie Funk, who is termed out of office. Fellow Democrat Craig Sundberg also filed. Also in the race is Republican challenger Alden Tokay, communications director with the Montana Republican Party. As of Mondays filing, Democrat incumbent Kim Abbott is running for House District 83 and Republican Bob Leach has also entered the race. The House District 84 race has five candidates two Democrats and three Republicans -- seeking the seat now held by Democrat Mary Ann Dunwell. Republicans Kurt J. Aughney, a quality assurance director for a state agency, Keith Pigman and Kaitlyn Ruch, student and office manager for the Montana Republican Party, have filed as have Democrats, Jill Cohenour, a chemist, and Noah J. Horan, political scientist. In the Senate District 41 race, incumbent Democrat Janet Ellis, who retired from Montana Audubon, filed for reelection and Republican Dave Galt, a self-employed consultant, has filed as well. Democrat Mary Ann Dunwell, retired public information officer with the state who now has a House seat, and Republican Matt Olson, former owner and operator of the Dairy Queen on Prospect Avenue, are running for the Senate District 42 race. Secretary of State Christi Jacobsen said 333 candidate filings were submitted to her office before the filing closed at 5 p.m. Monday. Several candidates filed over the final weekend, and 40 filed on Monday, including a handful in person at her office. There is a June 7 primary election and general election on Nov. 8. Assistant editor Phil Drake can be reached at 406-231-9021. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. The USS Montana, the newest Virginia-class fast-attack nuclear submarine, has been delivered to the U.S. Navy and a Treasure State-based group supporting the vessel posted on its website that the commissioning ceremony has been scheduled for June 25, at Naval Station Norfolk in Virginia. The 7,800-ton sub, also known as SSN 794, was turned over to the Navy on Friday by Huntington Ingalls Industries, Americas largest ship builder. The $2.6 billion Montana is the first Navy vessel to be named after the state since 1908. The USS Montana Committee states that over the next several days it will provide information on how tickets for the commissioning ceremony may be requested. The website is https://ussmontanacommittee.us/ The committee posted that Montana Cmdr. Jon Quimby told them that the delivery and acceptance of SSN 794 by the Navy represent a major milestone toward commissioning of the submarine and its joining the fleet. He said the submarine is expected to move from the Newport News shipyard to the nearby Naval Station Norfolk soon and will be certified for unrestricted operation. He said she will have a short upkeep period and then undergo some Navy acceptance tests before her commissioning. Montana, which successfully completed sea trials last month, is the 10th Virginia-class submarine to be delivered by HIIs Newport News Shipbuilding division and the 21st built as part of the teaming agreement with General Dynamics Electric Boat. Montana is the third of the 10-ship group of Virginia-class submarines known as Block IV that are focused on lower ownership cost. By making smaller-scale design changes, the Navy will increase the length of time between maintenance stops and increase the number of deployments. They have 12 Tomahawk missile tubes and four torpedo tubes, according to the U.S. Department of Defense. We continue to be proud of our partnership with the U.S. Navy in delivering the most advanced ships in the world to our warfighters, said Jason Ward, Newport News Shipbuilding vice president of Virginia-class submarine construction. Virginia-class submarines, which are nuclear-powered fast-attack submarines, will replace the Navys Los Angeles-class submarines as they are retired. More than 10,000 shipbuilders from Newport News Shipbuilding and Electric Boat have participated in Montanas construction since the work began in May 2015. The submarine was christened by the ships sponsor, former U.S. Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell, during a ceremony in September 2020. Love 3 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Jim Brown, the president of the Montana Public Service Commission, has entered the race for a seat on the Montana Supreme Court. Brown's campaign is against Justice Ingrid Gustafson's bid for re-election and challenger Mike McMahon, a district court judge in Lewis and Clark County. "The reason I'm running for this position is because folks from Montana reached out to me in the last several weeks after seeing who had filed for the Supreme Court and asked me to consider running," Brown said Tuesday. That included, Brown said, his clients, colleagues, friends, district court judges and trade associations. Brown, a 51-year-old from Dillon, was elected to the PSC as a Republican in 2020. He is a private attorney and former lobbyist for the Montana Wool Growers Association. The concerns about his opponents that sparked his campaign, Brown said, include a biennial review by the Montana Chamber of Commerce of the Montana Supreme Court released in 2020 ranking justices by how business-friendly the chamber deemed their rulings. "Justice Gustafson scored the lowest of any of the sitting justices in terms of judicial score on pro-business matters," Brown said. "She scored a 64% which would be a D, if you're applying that to grades." McMahon, meanwhile, has drawn the ire of Brown's supporters for his rulings in both civil and criminal matters. McMahon ruled against the Legislature's so-called campus carry bill, which would have, in part, prohibited the Montana Board of Regents from regulating firearms on college campuses. Brown also mentioned McMahon's ruling in the negligent homicide case of Gregg Trude; during sentencing McMahon revealed that he had a relationship with the victim in the case and the Supreme Court's sentencing review division later found his sentence was "clearly excessive." McMahon has stood by his rulings and referred to his judicial philosophy as being that of a "strict constructionist." Gustafson, meanwhile, has pushed back against criticism of her rulings, saying her record has been "consistent and reliable." Brown is the only candidate who is not a sitting judge, but he has been a practicing attorney for 17 years and, after graduating from law school in Seattle, clerked for the Chief Justice of the Washington Supreme Court. The PSC is a five-member quasi-judicial body that regulates monopoly utilities, and Brown said that process should translate to the high court. "That means we engage in judicial-like functions," Brown said. " Essentially, we serve the same function as district court judges because we do findings of fact and conclusions of law and hear testimony from witnesses and rule on procedural matters and evidentiary matters." Brown has been leading the PSC for a little more than a year. In episodes that happened before he was elected, the agency fielded broad criticism for an internal email-spying scandal and a financial compliance audit that revealed falsified documents and lax spending practices. Brown said he believes his time spent on the commission so far has helped settle the discord between members. Asked what he might say to voters who see his campaign for the Supreme Court, roughly a year into his term at the PSC, as abandoning his post, Brown said he didn't take the question lightly. "That's an equation I certainly took into account when people were reaching out to me to run," he said. "I felt like the experience I bring to the court can do a lot of positive things for the court system in Montana. It's all about public service and moving the state forward." Brown has also been the staff attorney for the state Republican party and once represented Western Tradition Partnership, the so-called "dark money" group that challenged Montana's election disclosure laws. The group's challenge reached the U.S. Supreme Court and won based on the Citizens United ruling that allowed unlimited spending by corporations in elections. Brown and other Republicans have heralded the ruling as a win for free speech. "My entire career has been spent representing agriculture, agricultural producers and small businesses, and fighting for the constitutional rights of Montanans," Brown said Tuesday. " The Supreme Court position is one of the most important positions in Montana because the determination of individual rights and the range of constitutional protections and also because an orderly court system is important to resolve disputes between parties, and I think my background on the Public Service Commission for the last 14 months shows that I'm in a uniquely qualified position to strengthen the Montana Supreme Court." Love 4 Funny 0 Wow 1 Sad 0 Angry 3 Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. The period for candidates to get their name on the ballot closed Monday evening, setting the scene for this years midterm elections. For the first time in nearly three decades, Montanans will be picking representatives for two spots in the U.S. House. That came after the 2020 U.S. census determined the state had grown enough in population to regain the seat lost in the 1990s. The newly drawn western district will feature busy primaries with nine candidates: five Republicans and three Democrats, as well as a Libertarian. The GOP primary includes Ryan Zinke, who was previously elected to Congress and also was appointed to be secretary of the interior in the Trump administration. The other Republicans running include former state Sen. Al Olszewski and Kalispell resident Mary Todd, as well as Matt Jette of Missoula and Mitch Heuer of Whitefish. On the Democratic side, Missoula lawyer Monica Tranel, Bozeman nonprofit executive Cora Neumann and former state Rep. Tom Winter are running. The race also includes Libertarian John Lamb of Bozeman. Eleven candidates are running in the Eastern district, including incumbent Republican U.S. Rep. Matt Rosendale. He'll be challenged in the primary by Billings residents James Boyette and Kyle Austin, as well as Charles Walkingchild of Helena. Democrats running include Mark Sweeney of Phillipsburg, and Penny Ronning and Skylar Williams, both of Billings. The race also includes Libertarians Samuel Thomas, Roger Roots and Sam Rankin, as well as Independent Gary Buchanan. Two seats on the state Public Service Commission are open. The districts were recently redrawn by a panel of federal judges after a lawsuit pointed out they were wildly unequal in population. Democrats did not field a candidate for District 1, which features a three-way primary between incumbent Republican Randy Pinocci, K. Webb Galbreath of Browning, and Arlo Christianson of Great Falls. In the PSC's District 5, there is a contested primary between Republicans Ann Bukacek of Kalispell, Dean Crabb of Marion, Derek Skees of Kalispell and Joe Dooling of Helena. For Democrats, the primary is between Kev Hamm of Helena and John Repke of Whitefish. Incumbent Jim Rice and Bill DAlton of Billings are both running in the nonpartisan race for state Supreme Court Justice No. 1. In the No. 2 seat incumbent Ingrid Gustafson of Billings is running to keep her seat against Helena Judge Michael McMahon and James Brown, the chair of the PSC. In the Legislature, all 100 seats are up for re-election in the state House. Republicans have gained on their majority in that chamber over the last several cycles, and at least 19 GOP candidates are already guaranteed victory as they are running unopposed. There are five Republicans running unopposed for state Senate seats, of which there are 25 up for election this year. That's in addition to about 10 seats in the Legislature where only Republicans have filed and will feature primaries. That information is according to the Secretary of State's website as of 5 p.m. Monday. Two Democrats in the House are running unopposed. In a late-January speech at an event kicking off the filing season for Republican legislative candidates, state Rep. Rhonda Knudsen, of Culbertson, said the Montana Republican Leadership Legislative Campaign Committee was working to field a candidate for every district in the state Legislature up for election this cycle. Knudsen is one of the Republicans running unopposed this year. Knudsen focused on tying Montana Democrats to the national party, saying "No Montana Democrat should get a pass for standing in lockstep support of Joe Biden and Nancy Pelosi." That's exactly why we're working so hard to run Republican candidates in every race across the state. And take a look, I think we're meeting our goal, Knudsen said, gesturing to Republicans filling the steps inside the state Capitol behind her. We are going to come back with an even stronger legislative majority in November. While fielding candidates proved less of a challenge for the GOP, the party will have several contested primaries. As Republicans have added to their majorities in the state Legislature, the party has also shifted to see more conservative candidates come out of past primaries. In Eastern Montana, well-known Republican legislators Geraldine Custer and Barry Usher are facing off for Senate District 20, for the seat held by another longtime lawmaker, outgoing Republican state Sen. Duane Ankney. The district runs from north of Billings and Laurel to Miles City and includes Roundup and Colstrip, as well as Forsyth. Already the race looks to be a battle over which strain of Montana Republican will best represent the district. Custer has branded herself a pragmatist who has aligned with a group of other Republicans to pass things like Medicaid expansion, while Usher has generally voted with a wing of the party farther to the right. Were all Montanans. We need to look out for Montanans and quit worrying about who someone voted for and that kind of thing, Custer, of Forsyth, said Monday. The conspiracy theories need to stop I think the Republican Party has been taken over by the John Birchers or something similar. I just feel like for anyone thats in the middle of the road that they dont control, theres a lot of hostility out there for us. Usher, who lives in Yellowstone County, said he thinks hes a better fit for the rural district. This race comes down to looking at our voting records, Usher said. It comes down to we both have voting records and who votes more with your values? I voted with the voters of (this) Eastern Montana rural district better. After seeing that a Democratic candidate hadnt filed for the seat, Jenna Martin joined the race for House District 52 on Billings South Side over the weekend. Republican incumbent Sherry Essmann, who was appointed to the seat last June, is running, and shell be challenged by Rodney Garcia, who was in the House in the 2019 session and lost a state Senate primary in 2020. Garcia drew scrutiny after he said during a state GOP event in 2020 he believes the U.S. Constitution calls for the shooting or jailing of those who identify as socialists. Martin said in an interview Monday she wasnt considering a run until she looked through candidate filings and saw no Democrat had filed in several districts in the Billings area. There was just no one and there was no one in the district next to mine and there was no one in the district next to that, Martin said. At first Martin was uncomfortable and nervous, but then she woke the next morning to a flood of calls and messages on social media offering assistance and support for her campaign. Everything I could have needed I got over the weekend from completely random people on Twitter, Martin said. I was on the phone for hours this weekend just talking to people that I have never met in real life. Martin said she has closely followed the state Legislature because of how it intersected with mental health and housing, as well as child care issues she is passionate about. She remembers hearing a state representative say on the House floor during the 2021 session about child care that he hoped a study would "consider these issues and find ways of making it maybe more expensive as a way of encouraging parents to stay at home with children. That lawmaker, state Rep. Neil Duram of Eureka, is one of the Republicans running unopposed this year. When it came time, there was no names on that filing and I felt my stomach just sank and I was like OK, this is what we do now, Martin said. Sheila Hogan, the executive director of the Montana Democratic Party, said in an interview Monday that the party fielded strong candidates, and said of the races being challenged, two-thirds of the Democrats running have either won in that district or a similar one. Theyre experienced campaigners, Hogan said These folks are proven campaigners. The rest is just noise. We didnt look for just a warm body. We wanted people with experience, not only as campaigners but as lawmakers and we are meeting our goals. Tim Warburton is a Democrat running in Billings House District 46. He filed for the race Sunday. A veteran of a city council campaign, he hadnt planned to run for the state House this year. As I watched and saw there were so many races, so many districts that had candidates that were unopposed, Im really one thats against that. I really feel like voters should have a choice, whether youre a Democrat or Republican. Reporter Sam Wilson contributed to this story. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 1 Sad 1 Angry 1 Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. WASHINGTON The Senate unanimously approved a measure Tuesday that would make daylight saving time permanent across the United States next year. The bipartisan bill, named the Sunshine Protection Act, would ensure Americans would no longer have to change their clocks twice a year. But the bill still needs approval from the House, and the signature of President Joe Biden, to become law. "No more switching clocks, more daylight hours to spend outside after school and after work, and more smiles that is what we get with permanent Daylight Saving Time," Sen. Ed Markey of Massachusetts, the original cosponsor of the legislation, said in a statement. Markey was joined on the chamber floor by senators from both parties as they made the case for how making daylight saving time permanent would have positive effects on public health and the economy and even cut energy consumption. "Changing the clock twice a year is outdated and unnecessary," Republican Sen. Rick Scott of Florida said. "I've said it before and I'll say it again: Americans want more sunshine and less depression people in this country, all the way from Seattle to Miami, want the Sunshine Protection Act," Sen. Patty Murray of Washington added. Nearly a dozen states across the U.S. have already standardized daylight saving time. In Montana, lawmakers passed a bill last year that would let the state move to permanent daylight saving time. It required at least three other Western states to pass legislation to move to year-round daylight saving time and Congress passed a bill to allow states to observe daylight saving time year-round, in addition to getting an okay from the U.S. Department of Transportation. Information from the National Conference of State Legislatures shows Washington, Idaho and Wyoming have passed bills to allow for permanent daylight saving time. Montana lawmakers also passed a joint resolution calling on Congress to enact year-round daylight saving time. Daylight saving time is defined as a period between spring and fall when clocks in most parts of the country are set one hour ahead of standard time. Americans last changed their clocks on Sunday. Standard time lasts for roughly four months in most of the country. Members of Congress have long been interested in the potential benefits and costs of daylight saving time since it was first adopted as a wartime measure in 1942. The proposal will now go to the House, where the Energy and Commerce Committee had a hearing to discuss possible legislation last week. Rep. Frank Pallone, the chairman of the committee, agreed in his opening statement at the hearing that it is "time we stop changing our clocks." But he said he was undecided about whether daylight saving time or standard time is the way to go. Markey said Tuesday, "Now, I call on my colleagues in the House of Representatives to lighten up and swiftly pass the Sunshine Protection Act." The Montana State News Bureau contributed to this story. Love 12 Funny 0 Wow 2 Sad 0 Angry 1 SHELBYVILLE A Calumet City man police caught speeding at 115 mph on Illinois 128 in Shelby County is now facing multiple charges, according to prosecutors. Shelby County States Attorney Nichole Kroncke said Travon N. Brown, 23, was also found to be in possession of cannabis. He was booked on that charge after his arrest on Feb. 28 and charged with speeding in a 55 mph zone, driving without a license, insurance or valid registration. Kroncke said drivers who break the posted speed limit by more than 35 mph face a maximum jail sentence of up to 364 days. Brown is due to appear April 11 in Shelby County Circuit Court. Contact Tony Reid at (217) 421-7977. Follow him on Twitter: @TonyJReid Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. DECATUR Illinois Army National Guard Command Chief Warrant Officer David Hammon flew his Black Hawk helicopter into Decatur for the last time Tuesday, and came under withering fire. From a firehose. The Decatur Airport fire truck soaked the helicopter first and then, after Hammon hopped out, it soaked him as well. The anointing with water is part of the farewell tradition in the Guard when pilots like Hammon make their last flight, and the 59-year-old from Sherman is taxiing into retirement after a 42-year career. He emerged dripping wet but smiling as senior Guard officers welcomed him back one last time to the Aviation Support Facility at the Decatur Airport. His wife Michelle was also there and had some water issues of her own, fighting back tears as her husband bid adieu to the flying part of his job before he officially retires for good April 30. Its bittersweet and emotional, very emotional, she said. And, absolutely, he is going to miss it; aviation is his passion. But it will be nice to have him home and see what the next chapter brings us. A military career has already brought Hammon all over the world, with two tours in Iraq and assignments that have taken him to Europe and Central America as well as Alaska, Cuba and even Iceland. And while old soldiers may never die, they do sense a moment when it is time to fade away. I joined when I was a senior in high school, said Hammon. I love this stuff but, you know, time travels on. As he speaks, hes busy looking over one of the latest Black Hawk models flown in from its base in Kankakee. There is a very young-looking warrant officer pilot standing next to it who catches Hammons eye as he examines the type of machine that will carry the mission into the future. The organization is in good hands, added Hammon with a smile. Its time to hand off to the next guy and keep the organization moving forward. The senior officers watching him go said they hope that some of the qualities that marked Hammons career will linger among the comrades lives hes touched in his long tour of duty. He just cares so much about people, said Command Sgt. Maj. Mike Behary, the senior enlisted member in the Illinois Army National Guard. He takes care of people and like, if they need something, he is always there to help and, no matter what level he is at, he will help the lowest people. Sometimes when you see soldiers get to the higher levels, they tend to forget some of that stuff, but he is somebody that never did. Hes had an amazing career. Contact Tony Reid at (217) 421-7977. Follow him on Twitter: @TonyJReid Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. As Irish as we might consider St. Patricks Day, it's actually an American creation. The annual celebration, which we often associate with the start of spring, is celebrated on March 17. The date is believed to be the death date of the actual Saint Patrick in the fifth century. Saint Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland. He was originally born in Roman Britain, but at the age of 16, he was kidnapped and brought to Ireland. He escaped, then returned, and is credited with bringing Christianity to the people of Ireland. One of the most well-known legends of Saint Patrick is that he educated the Irish people of the Holy Trinity using the native Irish shamrock. The native shamrock of Ireland has three leaves which Saint Patrick used to depict the Christian Holy Trinity. Records show that a St. Patricks Day parade was held on March 17, 1601, in a Spanish colony in what is now St. Augustine, Florida. In 1772, Irish soldiers serving in the English army marched in New York to honor the patron saint. That led to parades in other early American cities. One of the notable American commemorations of the day is when the city of Chicago releases green vegetable dye into the Chicago River. This year, that was done on Saturday, March 12. St. Patricks Day is also widely celebrated with different types of food, including Irish soda bread, cabbage and corned beef. It's not St. Patrick's Day without wearing green, a color that represents Irish nationalism. Legend says anyone who wears green is considered invisible to leprechauns, mythic troublemakers. In what appears to be our first celebratory day post-COVID (or at least post the worst of it), there are plenty of reasons to share joy, and plenty of room under the flag to make everyone Irish for a day. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 New Braunfels, TX (78130) Today Cloudy early followed by partly cloudy skies and gusty winds this afternoon. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High near 90F. Winds SSE at 20 to 30 mph.. Tonight Cloudy this evening. Scattered thunderstorms developing after midnight. Low 73F. Winds SSE at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of rain 40%. New Braunfels, TX (78130) Today Cloudy with gusty winds. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High around 90F. Winds SSE at 20 to 30 mph.. Tonight Cloudy this evening. Scattered thunderstorms developing after midnight. Low 73F. Winds SSE at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of rain 50%. The Bank of Marion will host local high school seniors for Bank Day Tuesday, March 15 as part of a statewide effort sponsored by the Virginia Bankers Association (VBA) Education Foundation and the VBA Emerging Bank Leaders. The program introduces students to the banking industry and helps them learn about careers in banking, financial services, and the vital role that banks play in their communities. The third Tuesday in March was declared Bank Day by the Virginia General Assembly in 1991. The Bank of Marion has sponsored this program every year since. As a part of the program, participating students will write an essay for a chance to win a college scholarship. Six regional scholarships of $2,500 each will be awarded by the VBA. From those six winners, an overall statewide winner will be chosen. That student will receive an additional $5,000 scholarship - $7,500 in total. There will also be six honorable mention scholarships of $1,000 each. In all, 12 students statewide will receive scholarships totaling $26,000. Bank Day is one of the best short-term experiences for studentsthe opportunity to learn about the many services that banks offer and the ways Virginia banks support the communities they serve, and to start the networking that often leads to part-time and summer jobs, scholarships, and a start on a career path in the financial world, Bruce Whitehurst, president & CEO of the Virginia Bankers Association, said. BRISTOL, Va. The timeline to build and open the citys proposed new elementary school has been delayed, with the opening now planned for August 2024. City leaders had been working toward finalizing financing for the more than $22 million project to close three older schools and consolidate into two buildings on the Van Pelt Elementary campus. Work was originally expected to begin this month. But 52-week lead times to order several needed components forced the anticipated opening to be pushed back from August 2023 to August 2024, Superintendent Keith Perrigan told the city School Board on Monday during its regular meeting. [Contractor] J.A. Street started talking with suppliers about developing a schedule, and three items specifically roofing insulation, steel and [electrical] switchgears were potentially 52 weeks out. Street moved the opening date from August 2023 to December 2023, Perrigan said. That caused two problems for us. The annual payment for the school would be made through savings generated through consolidation. If you cant consolidate at the beginning of the [school] year and you issue annual contracts to teachers, it would be hard to realize savings, and the city might have to come up with at least half of the annual payment, if not more, Perrigan said. Bristol Virginia Public Schools can do anything we opened schools in the middle of a pandemic. But it would be very challenging to consolidate from four elementary schools into two over Christmas break, he said in explaining the second factor. Much of the haste was to be able to access $2 million in federal Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief funds, which had to be spent next year. I contacted Virginia Department of Education and made them aware of the supply chain issues that we were having that would cause us to not meet the deadline, Perrigan said. As a result, the Department of Education has extended our deadline to use our ESSER funds to August 2024. This will give our contractor two full years to move dirt and get the new school open. Board Chairman Randy Alvis, who has served on the board for more than a decade as they continued to promote the need for this project, is fine with the additional time. I would rather it be pushed back, us have time, J.A. Street not have to rush to get the building done. I think when you rush, things can get overlooked. Its better for everyone, Alvis said after the meeting. My biggest concern about a delay was if we could use the ESSER funds. That is a big deal. Im thankful for the Department of Education extending that deadline for us. All in all, its fine, Alvis said. The citys bond counsel and financial advisers have developed the bond financing package, which is expected to come back for approvals next month. It will come to the School Board first, then City Council and then to the IDA. We meet April 7, and City Council meets April 12, Perrigan said. The bond counsel and the financial folks were working feverishly to get everything done and get it approved by last week when we had it [originally] scheduled. When VDOE gave us the blessing to extend to August 2024, that changed the whole ballgame. If everything is finalized in April, site work would likely begin in June, Perrigan said. In other matters, the board voted 4-0 to approve school calendars for the next two years. Classes would begin this year Aug. 17 with a holiday break scheduled from Dec. 19-Jan. 2, second semester starting Jan. 17 and the last day of school set for June 1, 2023. The second calendar is nearly identical. In other matters, the board voted 4-0 to approve a series of expenditures: $669,200 to low bidder Trademark of Virginia to install a secure vestibule at Virginia High School and restroom improvements at Virginia Middle School. A $44,100 annual contract for mowing at city school facilities to Doss Lawn & Landscaping LLC. More than $147,000 with CDW-G for 111 internet access points, switches and related equipment to improve internet service in schools. Almost $123,000 to DAI for improved internet firewall protection subscription and monitoring services. Up to $2 million to complete a comprehensive energy performance contract to reduce utility usage in school facilities. Want to see more like this? Get our local education coverage delivered directly to your inbox. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. With the state budget deadlocked in Richmond, school divisions statewide will pause in developing their budgets for fiscal 2022-23. Virginias General Assembly adjourned last Saturday without approving a biennial budget, which means Gov. Glenn Youngkin must call a special session to finalize the plan. Each chamber passed its respective budget in February, and a conference committee has been working to negotiate a compromise. The two plans contain raises for state and state-funded employee positions, but at different levels, and are about $3 billion apart. On Monday night the Bristol Virginia School Board approved its proposed $52.9 million spending plan for 2022-23, with the understanding revisions may be needed. For the school system, the difference between the two state budgets equates to about $2.3 million, Superintendent Keith Perrigan said. It will be different for every division statewide. Its just a matter of what adjustments do we make if a conference budget is approved, Perrigan said. If its closer to the Senate version, well basically make no adjustments. If its closer to the House version, well have to make pretty significant adjustments. The House budget reduced the amount of at-risk add-on (funding for divisions with high poverty rates) the division would receive in the first year and lowers the proposed teacher salary increases from 5% to 4% in each year of the biennium. Much of the difference lies in salaries, Perrigan said. Well just have to wait and see where that lands. There is a lot of negotiating to be done between now and then, Perrigan said. Del. Will Wampler, R-Abingdon, said the two plans are about $3 billion apart, primarily for tax relief supported by Youngkin. The double deductions are a lot of that tax money back to citizens in Virginia, along with grocery tax relief and gas tax relief, which are all in the House budget, but not in the Senate budget, Wampler said. The House budget is sound. It makes some smart investments in mental health and public education not only increasing teacher pay but for facilities. The state would provide funding for localities to modernize, rebuild and renovate schools championed by Del. OQuinns loan and rebate bill. Thats a really meaningful piece of this. It will be up to the budget conferees to negotiate the compromise, and state allocations to public schools will also be negotiated, Wampler said, including support staff funding and funding for assistant principals and principals. Wampler said Washington County, Virginia, schools are looking at a $4.1 million difference between the two versions. State Sen. Todd Pillion, R-Abingdon, agreed there is much work to be done. There is about a $3 billion gulf in total between the Senate and House versions of the budget. A major driver of that is how the Senate and House differ in the approach to tax relief and how that then impacts investments in other areas. I believe that we can and should do a mixture of both given our state revenue projections, Pillion said. Budget conferees are working to address differences in the budgets, and I am confident we will see strong elements of both the Senate and House budgets in the final version when Gov. Youngkin calls us back to Richmond for special session, Pillion said. The General Assembly is set for its reconvened session April 27. Wampler expects the budget session could occur before then. The fiscal year begins July 1. In 2014 it took until June 12 before the General Assembly broke through gridlock and approved a biennial budget, after a fight with then-Gov. Terry McAuliffe over his plan to expand Medicaid. Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Since the invasion into Ukraine, all manner of sanctions have been lobbed at Russia everything from ending state procurement contracts, to pulling vodka from store shelves and the recent stringent ban on importing Russian oil. That last one is aimed, hopefully, at easing the spike in prices at the nations gas pumps, which on average have exceeded $4 a gallon in Virginia, per latest estimates by AAA. Freezing vodka sales from liquor stores is a move directed at hobbling the Russian economy. However, in the wave of swift global moral condemnation, Gov. Glenn Youngkin also came on strong with his flex against Russia. In addition to taking decisive action, in support of Ukraine, Youngkin called for two Virginia localities, Norfolk and Roanoke, to sever their ties with sister city alliances in Russia, as per his Feb. 26 press release. Norfolk and Roanoke have decades-long relationships with several cities internationally, including Pskov and Kaliningrad in Russia. Those cities and their sister-city nonprofits now find themselves caught in the middle of a political debate. In a tale of two cities, each are taking different approaches. However, in an effort to remain neutral and continue helping others, nonprofits should steer clear of murky crossovers into politics, which can interfere with the important work they do. The National Council of Nonprofits has maintained the sector should avoid partisan issues that could compromise the publics overall trust in a nonprofits mission or its status as a nonpartisan problem solver, per the councils website. Further, charitable organizations, churches and others with 501(c)(3) statuses are prohibited in participating in any political campaign or candidate endorsement, as per the U.S. tax code. Both cities have established relationships for at least three decades. Under Roanoke Valley Sister Cities Inc., the Southwest Virginia locality has been linked to Pskov, Russia, and the Pskov Oblast Sister City Organization since 1992. Over the past decade, as per the RVSCI website, both have been involved in humanitarian, educational and medical endeavors. Similarly in Norfolk, the Hampton Roads city has had connections to Kaliningrad since the early 1990s. The Russian port city on the Baltic Sea has a population of 1 million and has enjoyed mutual exchanges with Norfolk-based academics, students and other programs. Late February, Norfolk Sister City Association President Marguerite Inscoe sent a letter to the Norfolk City Council stating the nonprofit did not wish to sever ties amid the Russian invasion. Her letter came after Youngkin took his stance against Russia, and Norfolk Mayor Kenny Alexander also called for the nonprofit to cut ties, as first reported in The Virginian-Pilot. Inscoes letter, dated Feb. 28, said lasting peace can best be achieved through the development of personal relationships. We desire to continue our quest to establish a meaningful relationship with the people of Kaliningrad. However, the nonprofit conceded that the decision to establish or disestablish relationships was up to city officials. Last Tuesday, the City Council voted to suspend sister-city relationships with Kaliningrad until peace and sovereignty are restored in Ukraine, as reported in The Pilot. Perhaps severing sister city connections is not quite the same as a political or candidate endorsement. But the Norfolk nonprofit, in support of Ukraine, has placed a hood over the Kaliningrad directional marker, which will remain covered until the invasion is over, Inscoes letter stated. Its a tacit but firm political statement against Russia. While the Norfolk nonprofit said its relationship over the years with Kaliningrad has waned, plans in Roanoke to continue rapport with Pskov mostly are a go. The Roanoke City Council, as reported by Cardinal News, recently passed a resolution condemning Russias unwarranted and inhumane invasion of Ukraine, while also voting to defy Youngkins call to break off sister-city ties. In turn, reps at RVSCI say the organization will continue to maintain contacts in Pskov, albeit somewhat muted ones. That includes an exchange program with Ferrum College in Virginia and Pskov State University in Russia. Our mission is that of promoting mutual understanding, friendship and peace with all of our sister cities, RVSCI President Mary Jo Fassie said in an email. We are ... not a government entity, and should have the freedom in the U.S.A. to continue our mission ... and not be forced to adopt the political decision of the governor of Virginia (nor any other politician) who did not reach out to us before issuing his statement. As reported earlier this week, more than 400 civilians have perished during Russias invasion of Ukraine, and more than 800 people have been injured, per the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. Fassie said the nonprofit would like to see a cease-fire and Russian troops withdrawn from Ukraine, so it might continue the dialogue started with Pskov for virtual and ultimately in-person exchanges. RVSCI also is sending a $1,000 donation to the Kosciuszko Foundation Ukrainian Relief Fund, a program aligned with the sister city organization in Poland a country where many Ukrainian refugees have fled to and found a safe haven, Fassie added in her email. It seems to be a better use of mental energy than brashly suspending relationships, though many cities around the country are opting to do just that. Rather than a murky crossover, let nonprofits stay on one side and politics stay on the other. The images of families seeking safety and trying to flee Ukraine are especially difficult for me to watch, knowing that my mother experienced the very same thing in Estonia in 1944. Back then, she escaped the advancing armies of Joseph Stalin. It was a different target in a different decade, but with the same communist Russian regime and the same dictatorial mindset. Putins attack on Ukraine is creating a myriad of crises, not least among them being an energy crisis. Putin is threatening to withhold energy from Europe, which would send gas prices sky high not just on that continent, but globally. Surrounding countries are scrambling, announcing plans to double down on renewable energy and rapidly accelerate a transition to large scale solar, wind, and other clean energy sources for purposes of national security and energy independence. Whats happening overseas should be a loud, blaring wakeup call to the United States, including right here at home in North Carolina: we cannot transition to a clean, independent energy economy soon enough. The United States has the battery technology, the manufacturing prowess, and the natural resources an abundance of sun and wind to make the transition to clean energy sources happen very quickly. Certainly we should use existing resources to maintain energy independence during the transition, but true, permanent energy independence will only happen when we overcome our dependence on fossil fuels. What has happened in Ukraine should give us all the resolve to accelerate that transition. Its time for a change. Its time for a change because, with the energy generation distributed in smaller plants all across the state, well be delivering power nearer to where its generated, keeping us from being as susceptible to the issues that come with mega power plants being targets. Its time for a change because in the transition to clean energy we will not only strengthen national security by lessening our dependence on foreign energy interests, we will also grow our economy by leaps and bounds. Transitioning to clean energy creates jobs, manufacturing opportunities, and brings investment and increased tax base to our state. Its time for a change because by accelerating the production of cheaper, cleaner energy here at home that isnt impacted by foreign supply chain disruptions and conflicts overseas, we can materially lower gas and electricity prices for North Carolinians. Clean energy is price stable. Solar and wind are already the cheapest sources of energy around, and producing electricity that way gets more affordable every year. A recent study out of Stanford University indicates that we can reduce residential electricity costs by 63% if we transition to 100% renewable energy, creating 5 million new jobs, to boot. Its past time for a change. Peoples lives depend on it. Peoples livelihoods depend on it. Our national security depends on it. Tommy Luckadoo is the chair of the board of directors for Conservatives for Clean Energy in North Carolina and resides in Hickory. " " The sun sets over St. Peter's Basilica, located in the world's smallest country. Alexander Spatari/Getty Images It makes a great trivia question What is the world's smallest country? You could decide to look at population or the actual area the country occupies. In this case, the answer is the same either way: Vatican City. Vatican City, an enclave within Rome, may seem a surprising answer. Its name implies it's a municipality, not a country. Plus, it's home to the headquarters of the Roman Catholic Church. But Vatican City was declared an independent state in 1929 via the Lateran Treaty, an agreement signed by Italian Prime Minister Benito Mussolini and Pope Pius XI. The treaty granted Vatican City sovereignty in exchange for papal recognition of the kingdom of Italy. Advertisement So, exactly how tiny is this unique country? Vatican City is a mere 0.2 square miles (0.52 square kilometers), which is smaller than New York City's Central Park. Nevertheless, it has its own post office, telephone system, radio station, banking system and even its own currency, the Vatican euro. About 800 people live here, 75 percent of whom are members of the clergy. While Vatican City is a bona fide country, it's not recognized by the United Nations (U.N.), the world's largest intergovernmental organization. Instead, it's considered a permanent, nonmember observer, which means it's welcome to sit in the U.N.'s General Assembly and access most U.N. services and benefits, but it can't cast a vote. And that's just fine with Vatican City. Unlike its only other U.N. counterpart, Palestine, which has repeatedly applied to become a full U.N. member, Vatican City has never done so. In fact, it's the only independent nation to ever decline U.N. membership. Experts believe it has eschewed membership because the pope doesn't wish to directly interfere in international policies. In addition, if it were to apply for membership, the U.N. might challenge the idea that it's a true country per the U.N.'s definition, which includes the ability to assist with global security. Instead, the U.N. could argue it is simply a religious organization. Other Tiny Countries Vatican City is the world's smallest country by quite a bit. Yet that doesn't mean the runners-up are substantially larger. According to World Population Review, the next four smallest countries by area are: Monaco, a principality on the French Riviera (0.78 square miles or 2 square kilometers) Nauru, an island in the southwest Pacific Ocean (8.1 square miles or 20 square kilometers) Tuvalu, a nine-island nation in the south Pacific (11.6 square miles or 30 square kilometers) San Marino, a mountainous country within north-central Italy (24 square miles or 60 square kilometers) If you're looking at population, the next four smallest countries after Vatican City are: Nauru (10,876 inhabitants) Tuvalu (11,931) Palau, a 500-island archipelago in the western Pacific (18,169) San Marino (34,017) Pitcairn Island has a population of just 50 people, but since it is a British Overseas Territory, rather than an independent nation, we've excluded it from our list of smallest countries. Now That's Big Although Monaco is the second-smallest country in the world, its population is 39,783, making it the most densely populated country on Earth, according to World Population Review. " " Steel engraving of Julius Caesar being killed by Brutus and the other conspirators, 1880. Grafissimo/Getty Images In William Shakespeare's "Julius Caesar," the most fascinating character isn't the power-hungry Caesar, but his trusted friend and murderer, Brutus. Caesar's famous almost-last words in the play, uttered with disbelief as Brutus plunges the final dagger into the Roman dictator, are "'Et tu, Brute? (You too, Brutus?) Then fall, Caesar!" Marcus Junius Brutus (circa 85 B.C.E. to 42 B.C.E.) was a real person a Roman statesman who was torn between his loyalty to Caesar, a longtime protector, and his loyalty to the Roman Republic. Ultimately, Brutus saw Caesar's tyranny as the greatest threat and, with his co-conspirator Gaius Cassius Longinus, instigated a Senate plot to kill him. Brutus paid a terrible price for his "noble" betrayal of Caesar. Brutus quickly lost the battle for public opinion the conspirators wanted to be known as "liberators" for freeing Rome, but they were labeled "assassins" and then lost the military battle to Caesar's allies Mark Antony and Octavian. From then, the name Brutus was synonymous with betrayal and treachery. Dante reserved the ninth and deepest level of hell for Brutus, Cassius and Judas Iscariot, the three ultimate traitors who are eternally consumed by the three mouths of Satan. But who was the real Brutus, and what drove a respected politician and virtuous nobleman to stoop to such a low act? For answers, we reached out to Kathryn Tempest, author of "Brutus: The Noble Conspirator" and a reader of Roman history, Latin language and literature at the University of Roehampton London. Advertisement Defending the Republic Was in Brutus' Blood Brutus was born into a noble family that counted among its ancestors some of the earliest defenders of the Roman Republic, a representative form of government dating from 509 B.C.E. that blended monarchy and democracy. " " A wood engraving of Brutus, taken from an ancient bust in the Villa Albani, Rome, Italy, published in 1893. ZU_09/Getty Images Tempest says that Brutus ultimately descended from Lucius Junius Brutus, who, as one of Rome's first consuls, made senators swear an oath never to allow a king to rule over Rome. And on his mother's side of the family, Brutus was related to Servilius Ahala, a fifth-century Roman hero who killed an aspiring tyrant with a dagger. "Brutus had a lot going for him when he entered politics," says Tempest. "On top of the aristocratic connections, he had inherited an ideological cache that he used to great effect when it came to cultivating his own political identity." Very little of Brutus' own writing survives, but contemporaries refer to his treatises "On Virtue," "On Duty" and "On Suffering," high philosophical values that Brutus seemed to have embodied. In Shakespeare's play, even Mark Antony admits that Brutus was "the noblest Roman of them all." And Plutarch, the Roman biographer, wrote that "Brutus was the only man to have slain Caesar because he was driven by the splendor and nobility of the deed, while the rest conspired against the man because they hated and envied him." Advertisement Siding Against Caesar Tempest says that it's well-established by ancient sources that Julius Caesar had a long-running affair with Brutus' mother, Servilia. The Roman historian Suetonius wrote that Servilia was Caesar's favorite (among many) mistresses and that he once gifted her a massive pearl worth "six millions of sesterces." Some ancient sources wondered if Brutus was actually a product of that infamous affair, but Tempest says the math doesn't add up. Brutus was too old by the time Servilia and Caesar got together, but it does appear that Caesar took a "fatherly" interest in Brutus' career and looked out for him. In 49 B.C.E., Caesar refused to hand over his powerful armies to the Senate, provoking the Roman Civil War. His adversary was Pompey the Great, who sources say was responsible for the death of Brutus' father years before. It would certainly make sense that Brutus would side with Caesar, his mother's paramour and protector, over Pompey, whom Brutus refused to even speak with, according to Plutarch. Ultimately, Brutus made the difficult choice to back Pompey, who bowed to the authority of the Senate and relinquished his own powerful army, over Caesar who was selfishly fighting to protect his own dignity. "It's hard to get behind that as a motive for war," says Tempest. Brutus fought valiantly for Pompey in the decisive Battle of Pharsalus, but as soon as it was clear that Caesar was going to win, Brutus was "the first to defect," says Tempest. Instead of punishing Brutus for his treachery, Caesar welcomed him with open arms. Part of it might have been fatherly affection, but it was also savvy politics. "Caesar wanted someone with the reputation of Brutus on his side, because it gave him a form of legitimacy," says Tempest. "Caesar could say that his side was standing up for the Republic." Advertisement The Plot and Caesar's Real Last Words Brutus was back on Caesar's side, but not for long. Caesar made his kingly ambitions clear, publicly refusing the crown from Mark Antony, but accepting the title of "dictator for life" and ruling from a golden throne. Something had to be done to save the republic from Caesar's tyranny, and Brutus was the one to do it. Together with Cassius, Brutus began recruiting allies in a plot to depose Caesar. "How did they identify suitable conspirators?" asks Tempest. "It's not something you can just drop into conversation 'Hey, do you want to kill Caesar?'" Instead, it was the custom of the time to ask rhetorical questions to spark philosophical debate. What do you do when a leader has too much power? Is it right to disturb a state of peace, especially if it leads to another civil war? That's likely how Brutus and Cassius hashed out their 20 or so co-conspirators in the Senate. What about Mark Antony, Caesar's right-hand man; should they kill him, too? "Brutus said, absolutely not," says Tempest. "If we kill Antony, we can't justify it on the grounds of murdering a tyrant. Others argued that Mark Antony was too dangerous to keep alive, and that certainly came back to bite Brutus later." " " The Eid Mar ("Ides of March") denarius, issued by Marcus Junius Brutus in 43 or 42 B.C.E. The front of the coin features a portrait of Marcus Brutus. The two daggers on the reverse differ to show more than one person was involved in the slaying. Classical Numismatic Group, Inc./Wikipedia/Public Domain On the Ides of March in 44 B.C.E., Caesar was fatally stabbed 23 times in the Senate. The historian Suetonius wrote two versions of Caesar's death. In the first, the dictator accepted his murder in silence, burying his head in his toga and collapsing into its folds. In the second version, Caesar was more defiant and had strong words for Brutus, the almost-son who delivered the final dagger. In Greek, Caesar says, "Kai su, teknon," which translates literally as "You too, child." In Shakespeare's famous play, the line is written in Latin as "Et tu, Brute?" This literally means "And you, Brutus?" and is often taken as a vulnerable question: "Even you, Brutus?" or "You, too, my child?" But Tempest reads it as a curse along the lines of "Back atcha, kid," or "What goes around comes around." No question mark here; rather, an exclamation. "Teknon means 'kid,' and it's not a biological connection, but derogatory," says Tempest. "Even though Suetonius favors the first version of Caesar's death the one where he falls in silence the idea that Caesar actually went down cursing Brutus is a Caesar I can believe in." Advertisement A Bad End for Brutus Brutus and Cassius hoped to be greeted as liberators, but they made some foolish decisions in the wake of Caesar's shocking assassination. First, says Tempest, they let Cicero strike an amnesty deal with Mark Antony that effectively made the tyrannicides look like criminals begging pardon. Second, they allowed Mark Antony to bury Caesar in a public ceremony in which he "whipped the crowd into an absolute frenzy against the liberators." "Effectively, within a month, all of the conspirators had to leave Rome because it was too dangerous for them," says Tempest. "Soon enough, they had all left Italy, too." Once overseas, Brutus and Cassius recruited large armies and went to war against not only Mark Antony, but also Caesar's adopted son, Octavian. In two decisive battles at Philippi in October of 42 B.C.E., both Brutus and Cassius suffered gutting defeats. Cassius took his own life rather than surrender to the humiliation of Mark Antony and Octavian, and Brutus ultimately decided to do the same. Brutus wanted his death, like his life, to be noble, and to cement his reputation as a martyr to the cause of liberty and the republic. But his detractors would paint his suicide as the ultimate act of failure and say that Brutus died for a vain and meaningless cause. Now That's Interesting In the wake of Caesar's assassination, Brutus tried to sway public opinion by minting coins. On the front was a handsome bust of Brutus. On the back were two daggers, a "cap of liberty" worn by freed slaves and the words "Ides of March" as a day to celebrate freedom. " " Joe Biden addresses the nation on election night, 2020. Drew Angerer/Getty Images It was a hard-fought campaign that had the entire U.S. indeed much of the world on edge: Who was going to become the 46th president of the United States? People watched as six states Georgia, Nevada, Arizona, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin had results too close to call on election night. But over the next few days, all these states declared for the former U.S. vice president. In all, Biden won 306 electoral votes to incumbent Donald Trump's 232 [source: Lewis]. The 2020 election was notable for several reasons. First, it had the highest voter turnout since 1900, with each party receiving more than 74 million votes. Biden alone got more than 81 million votes, the most ever cast for a president in an election in U.S. history. And his running mate Kamala Harris is the first woman and first person of color to hold the office of vice president. The election was also noteworthy because Trump refused to concede his loss, claiming without any evidence that the vote was rigged [source: The Associated Press]. Advertisement Biden takes office during a tumultuous time. There is the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Unemployment is high, and the U.S. economy is weak. The summer of 2020 was marked by protests against racism, police brutality and even against the requirement in some states to wear a mask to stop the spread of the coronavirus. And just two weeks before his inauguration, a mob of Trump supporters stormed the Capitol, mistakenly believing the election had been "stolen" and that Trump was the real winner. In November, after he had secured victory, Biden declared that it was time to heal. "I sought this office to restore the soul of America and to make America respected around the world again and to unite us here at home," he said in his victory speech. So, what will a Biden administration be like? We'll take a look at Joe Biden, his 36 years as a Democratic senator, his eight years as vice president alongside President Barack Obama, and how he plans to govern on climate change, immigration and other hot-button issues. " " Portrait of Voltaire (1694-1778) holding a copy of "The Henriade" painted by Maurice Quentin Delatour, 1728. Leemage/Corbis via Getty Images Voltaire didn't invent the Enlightenment he was the Enlightenment. Born Francois-Marie Arouet in 1694 in France, Voltaire wrote countless plays, poems, satires and polemics his collected works take up 200 volumes and centuries before there was a Madonna, Bono or Beyonce, the one-named Voltaire was Europe's first truly modern celebrity. (Historians have differing views on why he gave himself that one-name moniker.) Voltaire was so much more than an Enlightenment "philosopher" or "thinker" he lived his beliefs. Voltaire embodied the Enlightenment principles of intellectual freedom, sharp-tongued critique and the righteous battle of reason versus superstition. And he did it on a public stage through his canny use of new publishing outlets like magazines and journals. Voltaire's "fans" weren't only entertained by his witty writing and shocked by his public attacks against the church and other old-guard institutions; they were hungry for details of Voltaire's tabloid-ready private life. Illicit love affairs, illegitimate offspring, prison stints and forced exile became as synonymous with the name Voltaire as his satirical masterpiece "Candide." Advertisement Master of "New Media" Voltaire would have loved Twitter. The Enlightenment was fueled by an explosion in new forms of print media like pamphlets, journals and even magazines, says J.B. Shank, a history professor and director of the Center for Early Modern History at the University of Minnesota. The ideas circulated in these publications would be discussed and debated at new intellectual arenas like urban coffeehouses, public libraries and upper-class salons. "The 18th century was its own moment of new media and new media authorities, which created a new kind of fame," says Shank, author of "The Newton Wars and the Beginning of the French Enlightenment" and "Before Voltaire: The French Origins of 'Newtonian' Mechanics." "Voltaire emerges as this famous intellectual, writer and wit. He's really just famous for being Voltaire." In "The Invention of Celebrity" by Antoine Lilti, the French historian notes that Voltaire understood "like nobody else" how to keep his name in the news through hilarious satires, bawdy poetry and shameless attacks on the "old regime" orthodoxy. "Even those who had never read [Voltaire's] books had heard his name," writes Lilti. Advertisement Philosophie vs. Philosophy It's wrong to call Voltaire a philosopher in the classical sense. He was what 18th-century France called a philosophe and what we might call today a "public intellectual." Through Voltaire's voluminous writings plays, prose stories, letters, journalism he contributed to a new type of public discourse that was free-spirited, critical, anti-establishment, and often funny and entertaining. "Put all that together and what the French called it was 'philosophie,' which is anything but what you'd get if you signed up for a college philosophy course today," says Shank. Voltaire became the "avatar" or embodiment of Enlightenment philosophie and in so doing popularized a new kind of modern intellectual stance. Voltaire and his compatriots weren't writing as mere intellectual exercises. They wanted their words and ideas often delivered with wit and shock value to shape and influence public opinion, and from there to chip away at the very foundations of old-guard European society. Advertisement "Crush the Infamy!" Voltaire's motto was "Ecrasez l'infame!" which roughly translates to "Crush the infamy!" The "infamy" in Voltaire's eyes was everything that was wrong with European society, from priests telling people what to believe and how to live, to royal dynasties sending countless men to their death in meaningless wars. It was the role of the philosophe to rail against the old regime and expose its dangerous absurdities. "The idea was to mobilize intellectuals to call out the outrages of society and to marshal true thought, reason and sanity in the name of progress and improvement," says Shank. "The spirit of this motto is a shout through the bullhorn of 'We need to defeat the idiots!'" Think of Voltaire as an 18th-century John Stewart, John Oliver or Trevor Noah. The material may be biting and sarcastic, but the underlying passions are dead serious. Voltaire used his celebrity persona as the brash, aggressive, provocateur to call out real violations of public trust by established institutions, particularly the Catholic Church and its undo influence on the state. A great example was the Calas Affair, when a wealthy Protestant merchant was sentenced to death by Catholic judges in the city of Toulouse for the alleged murder of his son, supposedly because the son wished to convert to Catholicism. Not only was the father, named Calas, brutally torn limb from limb by teams of horses, but his widow and surviving children were cut off from his inheritance. Voltaire launched a public campaign to get justice for Calas, whom Voltaire believed was convicted out of blind prejudice without a shred of evidence. With a lawyer's mind (Voltaire trained in the law in his youth) and his trademark wit, Voltaire wrote a series of unflinching pamphlets and letters that were published throughout France and even made their way to England in translation. In them, he brilliantly ridiculed the state's case and appealed to a higher court for a retrial, in which Calas was eventually exonerated posthumously and his family's fortune restored. Advertisement Liberty, Hedonism and Luxury Voltaire's celebrity status was solidified after the Calas Affair. Free thought, reason and tolerance had prevailed over the cruel machinations of church and state. The philosophe, freely speaking his mind in the light of day, had swayed public opinion and righted a wrong through intellectual combat. The Calas episode neatly encapsulated one of the pillars of the Enlightenment, which was unfettered liberty of speech, no matter the topic and no matter the opinion. "Voltaire never actually said, 'I disagree with what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it,'" says Shank. "But even if he didn't say it, he should have. It's a perfect distillation of his philosophical stance." For Voltaire, free speech was just part of the total liberty package. Voltaire was an infamous libertine who had no patience for the repressive morality of the church that held priestly celibacy as the sexual ideal. In his erotic poetry and unapologetic personal life, Voltaire preached the merits of hedonism. "Anchoring all of this is Voltaire's idea that I'm a material human being with pleasures and passions, but also pains, and that the whole Christian apparatus is trying to suppress those pleasures," says Shank. Voltaire was no starving artist, either. Thanks to some savvy investments, including a scheme to win a Paris lottery, Voltaire lived a lavish lifestyle and defended his desire for nice things. Like Adam Smith, Voltaire supported a free market system in which personal self-interest wasn't viewed as a "sin," but drove competition, innovation and progress. Voltaire died in 1778, 11 years before the start of the French Revolution, after which the provocative public intellectual was raised from a popular literary celebrity to a French national hero. When the revolutionary government decided to entomb France's "Great Men" in the Pantheon, Voltaire was the very first to receive the honor. HowStuffWorks earns a small affiliate commission when you purchase through links on our site. Now That's Cool Voltaire was a huge fan of Sir Isaac Newton and popularized the tale of Newton discovering the universal law of gravity when he saw an apple fall out of a tree. How do we make sense out of all this data? Photo: Shutterstock Australian businesses may have embraced big-data strategies but more than half are struggling to keep up with the volume, variety, and velocity of data, according to new surveys highlighting just how much poor data management is costing. Fully 15 per cent of 2100 surveyed IT decision makers said they arent coping well with the explosion of data and a further 45 per cent said they were coping but were having some issues, Clouderas new Enterprise Data Maturity Research Report found. Similar proportions reported issues around the rest of the 5 Vs of data variety, veracity, velocity, and value of data with 90 per cent of respondents admitting that their organisation would be generating more revenues if it could figure out how to manage data more effectively. Just half of respondents said their organisation has had an enterprise data strategy in place for more than a year, with a third saying they had implemented such a strategy in the past year and 14 per cent still working on a strategy. Although sectors such as financial services, retail, and telecommunications had become extremely data savvy, Cloudera vice president and managing director for Australia & New Zealand Robert Yue said, Australian organisations were behind global benchmarks when it came to turning data strategies into measurable business outcomes. The challenge now, Yue said, is how to do more with data as we focus our sights on the anticipated economic upswing of 2022 despite the continued challenges of COVID-19. Were seeing a significant behavioural shift related to the broader industry trend that every company is a software company, he continued, noting moves such as Commonwealth Bank of Australias investments in AI firm H2O.ai and property-tech startup Own Home. Many of our customers are finding innovative ways to overcome pain points like speed, to anticipate and stay ahead of their own customer needs. Fully 79 per cent of respondents admitted that they have not yet centralised and integrated their big-data infrastructure across the organisation compared with 65 per cent globally and 71 per cent said they have not yet democratised their systems by providing access to analytics tools to all employees. Better data means better business Despite pandemic-era pressures to increase digital transformation and improve the use of data, many companies still arent good enough at collecting and analysing their data. Fully 87 per cent of respondents to Experians latest Global Data Management Research Report said they had become more reliant on quality data and insights, with 83 per cent flagging the importance of AI-driven DataOps strategies to integrate data into everyday decision-making. Although widespread access to good-quality data is closely linked to better decision-making, 72 per cent of respondents said they have so much data that its hard to see where better data management can add the most value. The last year has tested every industry, with a new requirement for business models to be agile and change in line with their customers rapidly shifting demands, said Andrew Abraham, Experians global managing director for data quality. Businesses who have improved their data quality were not just better equipped for this but exceeded their performance expectations. That said, many companies are struggling to get the skills they need to actually improve data quality with 84 per cent admitting that skills deficiencies are hampering organisational agility and flexibility. Business experiences with data accuracy, and issues around how data is managed, remain and are unlikely to improve, Abraham said, unless businesses upskill current employees and continue to work with wider industry and government on addressing the data skills gap. Democratisation of data was a critical way of closing this gap by leaning on cleaner, more-accessible data to help every employee get the insights they need. Making this happen is still proving challenging, however: more than a third of respondents to a recent InterSystems study said they werent satisfied with their current data management technology stack, and 55 per cent said they would prioritise technologies for building data-driven organisations this year. Companies like Allianz Australia, Clouderas Yue said, are addressing this deficiency by focusing on building internal culture and empowering their people to become data champions. This, in turn, supports their customers through access to new levels of actionable data and information about their portfolio. They are a great example of an organisation getting it right. More than 114 million Internet users in Russia may be disconnected from the global Internet within days, with reports suggesting the countrys government will use technical measures to block its population from foreign reporting about its invasion of Ukraine. Reports suggest Russia is now transitioning Internet service providers to state-controlled DNS (domain name service) servers, enabling government regulator Roskomnadzor to explicitly ban outside news, video, communication and other services. That amounts to an information blackout for the estimated 76.9 per cent of the population that has Internet access in Russia, whose government has blocked Western information services such as Twitter and Meta-owned Facebook and Instagram. The latter service was recently blacklisted after suspending normal content rules that would have previously banned users who called for violence against Russian President Vladimir Putin and the soldiers currently demolishing Ukraines civilian areas. Yet banning those services is just the run-up to what analysts believe could be the complete disconnection of the countrys population. Russias government has been preparing for such a move for years banning virtual private networks (VPNs) and proxy services; blocking access to the Tor anonymity network used by the BBC and others; and passing a sovereign Internet law in 2019 enabling complete disconnection that would shift the country to a Russia-only domestic Internet. Yet while it might block consumer services, the system is unlikely to prove impenetrable, argue analysts from threat-intelligence firm Flashpoint, who note that hackers are already trading strategies for bypassing technical controls. Due to the infrastructure of Russias Internet, the firm notes, a kill switch for outside Internet communication is a significant undertaking. Although the Russian government claims to have already set up this infrastructure, it remains questionable whether the infrastructure would pass its first real-life test. The great Ural filter Russias push to block access to unfiltered reporting is a deep nod to Chinas long-running Great Firewall of China a collection of URL blockers and other technical controls that prevent Chinese citizens from accessing Western Internet services. The Great Firewall works at low level to actively interfere with requests to outside services using a combination of blocking methods that include deep packet filtering, DNS spoofing, IP range banning, packet forging, and more. Its pervasive interference has complicated life for outside information services like Google, which exited the Chinese market after government demands for censorship. In 2019 Google shut down Project Dragonfly, a skunkworks project initially designed as a compromise before widespread employee protests saw it axed. Weve seen forever that the Fourth Estate is a valid intel gathering target for governments with different levels of, shall we say, ability to absorb negative press, said Alex Tilley, counter threat unit lead researcher with Secureworks, who was watching media organisations become prime targets of information warfare even before the invasion. Everyones come to understand that this is how intelligence is done in the 2020s, Tilley said, referencing ongoing hacking and blocking campaigns such as the recent hack of News Corp attributed to the Chinese government. Theres a thirst for information to understand how they how their response is being viewed, and who is talking to journalists about what theyre doing inside their country. That level of understanding of whats going on is at its highest peak now, if not during a time of war. Its just how this is all done now. The success of Chinas nationwide filter has had a chilling effect on freedom of expression in that country and seems to have become an aspirational goal for Russia, which has cosied up to its increasingly uncomfortable neighbour and this week asked China to provide military and economic assistance. Just as the government of Iran also orchestrated a nationwide shutdown of Internet services, blocks on popular content-sharing services will support Russias propaganda machine by letting it control the public narrative around its systematic annihilation of Ukrainian civilians. Yet whether Russia can completely disconnect from the world remain to be seen, Flashpoint analysts warn: While Russian domestic technology firms can make some restrictions possible, they concluded, claims that the Kremlin can flip a switch and isolate their population from the Internet are mostly propaganda. Unlike Iran or China, which built a disconnected Internet infrastructure much earlier, the scale of the task for Russia is enormous and requires immense coordination. It is presently unclear whether Russia meets the technical conditions for an effective disconnection. Russia is ahead of Iran and North Korea in the number of sanctions imposed against it, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba has said. "In general, against Russia, in punishment for the brutal violation of international law and Russian aggression against Ukraine, the world community has already introduced 3,612 restrictive measures in the 18 days since the invasion. Together with the restrictions that have been introduced since 2014, the total number of sanctions imposed against Russia is 6,366. At the moment, Russia is ahead of Iran and North Korea and has become the sanctioned world leader, the leader in the number of sanctions imposed against it," Kuleba said at the online briefing on Monday. The Ukrainian Foreign Minister stressed that while Ukrainian children are dying from Russian air bombs, new sanctions should continue to be applied. "We have a clear list of those sanctions that we still want to be applied, and we are following this list very clearly," Kuleba said. The minister urged companies and governments to stop buying Russian oil, coal and gas. "We also insist on closing world ports for Russian ships, refusing to process cargo that is sent to ports in the Russian Federation, disconnecting new Russian banks from the SWIFT system, primarily Sberbank of Russia," he said. Ita Buttrose: "The ABC has aimed to strike the right balance between privacy considerations and serving our digital media audience." The ABC appears to be hell-bent on introducing compulsory logins for its iview service, rebutting points raised by the Australian Privacy Foundation with somewhat tired objections that do not appear to really hold up under scrutiny. And the taxpayer-funded corporation has hinted that such logins may also become mandatory for other digital services, with its chair Ita Buttrose not ruling it out, by saying in a response to the APF: "There are no current plans to make a login requirement necessary for other ABC digital products." Buttrose's statement was part of a short response sent to the APF on 8 March. It was made public only on Monday, along with the APF's reply. For the most part, the APF made the same arguments as it did in the original letter which iTWire reported on 3 March. The ABC announced the compulsory logins in a statement on 17 February, claiming that it would collect user data, but would not sell the same. However, the data will be shared with both Google and Facebook. Buttrose tried to justify the mandatory logins by saying that 80% of the European Broadcasting Union members, including the BBC, had similar requirements. She offered this spin to justify the logins: "The login requirement has been introduced for the VOD [video-on-demand] component of ABC iview so that the ABC can provide a modern service with the features Australians expect, and also to improve the ABCs capacity to provide and make discoverable, quality content that reflects all Australians." Dear @ABCTV the fact that you are going to make us sign in to use iview soon is incredibly frustrating. I don't need you suggesting content for me, I know how to find what I want to watch. it's an invasion of privacy and I really wish you would re think it. AlexSprings (@WadeyeAlex) March 12, 2022 But she avoided responding to the APF's charge that forcing iview users to register may well be suspected to be the first step in the broadcaster being prepared for privatisation and commercial exploitation. She also avoided the APF's contention that the mandating of logins was a violation of the Commonwealth Privacy Act of 1988. The ABC carries no advertising and hence does not require to sneakily gather its users' data in order to monetise the same. Thus, the arguments mounted by Buttrose appear to be thin and devoid of reason. The APF had pointed out that the ABC's privacy impact assessment of the new measure had been conducted in-house, rather than by an independent expert in an open and consultative manner. But Buttrose avoided responding to this point as well in her reply. The ABC conducted a survey of just 1500 users and based its decision on the data that was gathered. Referring to this data, Buttrose said: "A vast majority of Australians surveyed by the ABC desire VOD features that can only be made available by logging into an account, such as continue watching across devices, recommendations, and profiles. Will someone please explain why I have to set up a log-in procedure to access ABC iview that my taxes pay for. I do not want to be tracked or pinged with what I might want to listen to or view. Liz Dax (@lizdax1) March 10, 2022 "Our research indicates that if we do not require people to log in to access those features, then they will not take the time to do so, and those features will not be available to them. In the long term, this would be likely to lead to a loss of viewers, and it would also mean that the value to Australians from the investments the ABC makes in quality content would be diminished." The APF countered this, with a trace of sarcasm, saying: "Thanks for the reference to audience research releases. We are however still none the wiser about how the 95% positive result was obtained here from the sample of over 1500 we would be happy to supply some questions for a future survey to see whether making proportionality factors (the adequate functionality without registration and the potential implications of registration, tracking and profiling) more explicit would give a different result! "In addition, ABC giving significant weight here to the implications of a sample of a mere 1500 people (in the order of less than ~0.01% of the adult population) suggests that useful conclusions may be inferred for a sample of somewhat less than 100% of an audience, which seems to be the assumption behind of the mandatory registration scheme and its arguments about the intolerable impact of having only 80-90% or so registered. What's the rational behind @ABCaustralia forcing everyone onto #iview accounts? They tried it last year and backed off 'Spose the data helps them out in some way. Be nice to see an official statement regarding the reasons for the move FixatedPersonsUnit (@FixatedUnits) March 10, 2022 "This reliance on sampling is unremarkable, but it is also inconsistent with the argument for the necessity of every user needing to be registered in order to understand audience preferences. It supports our contention that the common market research rule of thumb holds true: a sample of less than 100% can still give quite usable results." In the absence of any government concern over the fact that user data is going to be siphoned up by the ABC based on flimsy reasoning, the logins seem likely to start operating on Tuesday. When iTWire sought comment from the ABC on 3 March, the corporation had this as part of its response: "Viewers will still be able to watch all the ABCs live broadcast streams on ABC iview web including ABC TV, ABC News, ABC Kids and ABC ME without needing to log in. "All other ABC television and radio services, and the broader suite of ABC apps, are available without creating an account and logging in." One has to hope that that bit, at least, is true. EFFINGHAM Hospital Sisters Health System Illinois Division recently announced a scholarship opportunity for students pursuing a career in nursing. The HSHS Scholars program is open to qualifying students attending an accredited nursing program. Students can earn up to $20,000 of funding for educational expenses. In addition to financial help, recipients will have a job upon graduating and passing boards in an HSHS Illinois Division hospital. HSHS St. Anthonys Memorial Hospital and the other HSHS ministries in Illinois have many education and career development programs with partners in our area and within our system. This scholarship is another way we can support nursing students early in their careers while developing a strong, highly-competent workforce for our hospitals and the patients we serve, said Bobbi Kinkelaar, chief nursing officer. Interested students can apply at hshs.org/ILnursingscholarship. The deadline to apply is May 1. Applications are reviewed upon submission and top candidates are chosen for interviews. Applicants should have an interest in working in a HSHS Illinois Division hospital as an RN upon graduation and upon passing boards. For more information about the HSHS Scholars program, email ILscholarships@hshs.org. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Want to see more like this? Get our local education coverage delivered directly to your inbox. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Yang Jiechi (L), a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, meets with U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan (R) in Rome, capital of Italy, March 14, 2022. /Chinese Foreign Ministry China and the U.S. should strengthen dialogue and cooperation, properly manage differences and prevent conflict and confrontation under the current international situation, senior Chinese diplomat Yang Jiechi said when meeting with U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan on Monday in Rome, the capital of Italy. According to the Chinese Foreign Ministry, the two diplomats had "candid, in-depth and constructive communication" on bilateral ties and "the Ukraine issue, the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue, the Iran nuclear issue and the Afghanistan issue." China-U.S. ties Yang, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, said the implementation of the consensus between the two heads of state is the most important task for China-U.S. relations. Chinese President Xi Jinping had a virtual meeting with U.S. President Joe Biden last November, during which Xi proposed mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation as three principles for developing China-U.S. relations in the new era. President Biden responded positively, saying that the United States does not seek a new Cold War or to change China's system, nor will it oppose China through strengthening alliances, supporting "Taiwan independence," or seeking confrontation with China, said Yang, who is also the director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the CPC Central Committee. The Chinese side always views and handles bilateral relations in accordance with the three principles put forth by President Xi, Yang said, expressing his hope that the U.S. side can truly deliver on President Biden's promises. The two sides agreed to increase understanding, manage differences, expand consensus and strengthen cooperation to accumulate conditions for bringing China-U.S. relations back to the track of sound and steady development at the meeting. China's Taiwan Stressing that the Taiwan question concerns China's sovereignty and territorial integrity, Yang said in the three Sino-U.S. joint communiques, the U.S. side explicitly recognized that there is only one China and that the one-China principle is the premise for establishing diplomatic relations between China and the United States and is the political foundation of their relations. The current U.S. administration has pledged to adhere to the one-China policy and not to support "Taiwan independence" in regard to the Taiwan question, but its actions are obviously inconsistent with its statements, he said. The Chinese side expresses grave concern over and firm opposition to the recent wrong words and deeds of the U.S. side on Taiwan-related issues, Yang said, adding that any attempts to condone and support "Taiwan independence" separatist forces or play the "Taiwan card" and use the Taiwan question to contain China will be futile. China urges the U.S. side to recognize the high sensitivity of the Taiwan question, abide by the one-China principle, the provisions of the three Sino-U.S. joint communiques, the commitments made by the U.S. side, and stop going further down a dangerous path. Xinjiang, Tibet, Hong Kong Yang expounded on China's solemn position on issues related to Xinjiang, Tibet and Hong Kong, pointing out that these issues concern China's core interests and are China's internal affairs that allow no foreign interference. Any attempt to use these issues to suppress China will fail, he said. Yang said seeking common ground while shelving differences and building a bridge of cooperation on top of proper settlement of differences is the right way for China and the United States to get along with each other, which has been tested by practice since the Shanghai Communique was issued 50 years ago. He said the two sides should learn from history, grasp the premise of mutual respect, hold the bottom line of peaceful coexistence, and seize the key of win-win cooperation. A handout from the White House echoed Yang's remarks, saying the two officials "underscored the importance of maintaining open lines of communication between the United States and China." It also said they had a "substantial discussion" on the Ukraine crisis but did not elaborate further. The state Auditors Office said Monday that $438 million in state and federal unemployment benefits were not paid in a timely manner by the N.C. Division of Employment Security for the first 12 months of the COVID-19 pandemic. The findings and conclusions in the 52-page report did not come as a surprise given the division was short-handed and overwhelmed by the surge in initial unemployment claims, particularly in the March-May 2020 period. The states unemployment rate went from 3.6% in February 2020 to 13.5% in April 2020, which represented the highest monthly level since the early 1970s. Altogether, the division was found to not have made $438 million in UI benefits in a timely manner from Jan. 1, 2020, through March 31, 2021. That affected 1.47 million claims. During that same period, the division paid $11.6 billion overall, so the $438 million represented 3.8% of those payments. The main determinations in the report are that: the divisions unemployment claim process is not designed to make payments timely; management did not monitor payment timeliness; and the division was not prepared for economic downturns that will inevitably occur. Commerce secretary Machelle Baker Sanders said in a statement accompanying the audit that she agreed with the auditors assessments. Sanders said the division has taken steps to resolve the payment timeliness issues to prepare for future overwhelming demand for claims processing. Wave of claims From March 2020 through March 2021, the division received about 3.5 million unemployment assistance claims from about 1.5 million claimants. Some individuals were required to file a second claim after being determined to be ineligible for initial state benefits in order to qualify for federal benefits that often include extended state benefits. Before the pandemic, initial weekly state UI claims typically were in the low four-figure range. According to the audit, federal labor regulations require states to ensure that at least 87% of first benefit payments are issued to unemployment insurance claimants within 14 days in states with a waiting period of one week, such as North Carolina. In response to the pandemic, the 14-day requirement was waived for weeks ending April 4, 2020, through Sept. 4, 2021. However, the requirement to ensure that at least 87% of first benefit payments were issued within 14 days was not waived, according to the report. For examples, state initial UI benefits were paid within the 14-day period about 74% of the time. Some federal extended benefit programs ranged in meeting the timeliness standards from 11% to 90%. Auditors determined that the divisions timeliness of first unemployment benefit payments has not met the federal timeliness standard for the last 10 years (nine of which were prior to the COVID-19 pandemic). Auditors made several recommendations to improve the UI claims and payments processes, all aimed at making the process for filing claims quicker. Among the recommendations, is that DES should review its benefits claims process and create a comprehensive plan for major economic downturns. Sanders said the division learned from the initial claims processing delays and implemented procedures to rapidly hire and train vendors and contractors for additional call-center staffing during a severe economic downturn, as well as reassign division workers to process claims. Sanders said part of the delay was caused by increased levels of fraudulent UI claims and the time it took to adapt to new federal anti-fraud requirements. Sanders said the payment delays magnified the importance of the division modernizing its claims system before the next downturn to be able to process large volumes of claims more quickly. The filing crunch forced the division to hire additional staff to handle claims processing, as well as the May 2020 resignation of the divisions assistant Lockhart Taylor in the aftermath of bipartisan criticism from state legislators. Taylor became the public face of the states unemployment insurance benefits system once the brunt of the COVID-19 pandemic began to be felt in mid-March 2020. He made numerous appearances during Coopers press events and before several legislative working groups addressing the pandemic. At the time of Taylors resignation, there were 368,000 initial UI claims that had not been processed. DES overall sluggish response to the crisis during March and April particularly as individuals waited hours on the phone or for days trying to complete their online claim drew bipartisan criticism from legislators. It eventually became a source of frustration for Gov. Roy Cooper even as Taylor oversaw increases in DES and contract staff to handle the waves of claims. Confirms what we already knew Rep. Lee Zachary, R-Yadkin, who has western Forsyth County in his district, said the auditors report just confirms what we already knew. The division was overwhelmed and not able to recover for months. Citizens who clearly qualified were being denied or their payments delayed. It was a debacle. Although Zachary said that while the division was just not prepared for such a large number of applications, but in all fairness, many of our systems state, federal and local were not prepared for the pandemic and why should they have been. Being prepared cost money, tax dollars. Generally we, as a society, try to plan ahead, but just cant afford to keep all systems battle ready. Rep. Pricey Harrison, D-Guilford, also said the audit results were not surprising considering her legislative office has handled hundreds of constituent complaints about access to unemployment benefits, some still outstanding. Its been extraordinarily frustrating for North Carolinians who faced extreme financial hardship through no fault of their own. That said, I dont think any of us could have anticipated the impact the pandemic had on our economy, Harrison said. I think the agency was overwhelmed and in time established a system that was more responsive. Hopefully, we will be in better shape for any similar events in the future. Concerned about COVID-19? Sign up now to get the most recent coronavirus headlines and other important local and national news sent to your email inbox daily. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. In the world of business, location (as they say) is everything. That theory isnt lost on Lily Leedom, who spent 15 years in corporate real estate investment and development. In her current career, however, that concept has struck closer to home, both figuratively and literally. In 2018, Leedom founded SalterieOne, an artisan salt company inspired by and sourced with the pristine sea water from Duxbury Bay, Massachusetts, a coastal bay near her familys home. The path to creating a thriving salt company which, in just a few years, has built sales channels that include supermarkets and specialty stores as well as direct-to-customer retail sales with a long list of loyal subscribers wasnt a direct one. As part of a personal journey to healthier eating, Leedom began searching for a high-quality, domestically made, handcrafted sea salt. What she found instead was salt that was typically imported and, more often than not, highly processed (stripping it of its natural essential nutrients and minerals) and made with chemicals and additives. Thats when Leedom began taking a closer look at what was around her. I live by a beautiful bay, which has a really high tide turnover and is full of millions of oysters that naturally filter the water, she shares. When I couldnt find the salt I wanted and made that connection that I lived in an area with this incredible natural resource I decided to try making it myself. Armed with 5-gallon buckets, Leedom would haul water from Duxbury Bay back to the kitchen of her nearby 10-acre farm. I knew nothing about salt, other than it made my food taste better, she says of the early days of experimenting with making salt, which included the help of friends and Google as well as her entrepreneurial spirit. Taking the plunge After some trial and error, Leedom created an all-natural, flaky sea salt that she felt was good enough to give to friends and family. The journey to that milestone, however, wasnt without its challenges, including the time Leedom almost lost her Volvo station wagon to the ocean. Harvesting alone one winter, Leedom reversed her car, as usual, down a ramp, parked and then got to work. I was sloshing around in the freezing cold water with a bucket, and I started to see my car sliding backwards, she recalls. Have you seen those situations where someone is able to lift a car? It felt like that. I ran and pushed the car up the icy hill. With both car and determination intact and armed with positive feedback from her salt recipients, Leedom was ready to take her project further. While researching next steps, she came across some local historical documentation that reinforced she was on the right path. Once I discovered that Duxbury Beach used to be called Salters Beach, and that salt harvesting was once prolific in our area, I was immediately excited to revitalize a centuries-old industry, she says. In August 2019, production at SalterieOne, formerly Duxbury Saltworks, took off when the company moved to a waterfront manufacturing facility, where water can be pumped directly into the building, eliminating the time-consuming bucket-hauling. Having Island Creek Oysters, another company that takes from the sea to create a quality product, as a neighbor was another plus for Leedom, who values connecting with her local community. From the earth Equally as important among the companys values is sustainability. That was one of reasons I loved the business idea at the start, says Leedom. We are only using a natural resource that exists in abundance and seek to be as efficient as possible. To that end, Leedom is in the process of researching solar panels for the manufacturing facility. While most salt is mined from old salt mines and then processed and packaged, its a different story at SalterieOne. The first step in creating their sea salt involves collecting and filtering water from Duxbury Bay. To further refine the main ingredient of their flavorful sea salt, SalterieOne triple-filters the water. From there, the water is slowly heated to form a rich, condensed brine in which sea salt flakes form naturally. At this point, SalterieOnes harvesters know exactly when the salt is ready to be removed from the brine and dried at a very low temperature to maintain the integrity of the flakes. Our salt is fluffy and breaks apart in your fingertips when you pinch it, explains Leedom. It is designed to melt on food and really elevate the profile of whatever youre putting it on. The careful and deliberate process helps ensure that each flake is perfectly textured and retains key minerals such as magnesium, potassium, calcium and other nutrients that are important to the bodys natural day-to-day functions. Over time, SalterieOne has honed its manufacturing process with the goal of making the most beautiful flakes possible. Its a lot of experimentation with time and humidity and the way those things interact in our lab during different times of the year, says Director of Sales and Partnerships, Emily Goodman-Simeone, of the exponential number of variables that go into the work they do at SalterieOne. When we say hand-harvested it means that somebody is watching the flakes all the time and making sure its exactly what we want the end result to be. Transforming taste In addition to its popular Classic Sea Salt, which is designed to be used at any point in cooking process, SalterieOne also offers special salt blends, all of which use the Classic Sea Salt as a foundation. Goodman-Simeone says that conversations with the companys loyal customers have sparked ideas for some of the blends. The close relationship that SalterieOne has with their customers and the local community is due, in part, to a direct line of communication. They call us, and I call them back, she says, matter-of-factly. One customer shared with Goodman-Simeone that she regularly uses SalterieOnes North Blend, which includes organic maple sugar, cinnamon and orange peel, in her coffee to cut bitterness. Another customer swore that having a variety of SalterieOnes salt blends at the dinner table helped turn her daughter into a vegetable-lover. I think a lot of us now understand that theres a huge quality difference between craft and noncraft products, such as with chocolate, beer and wine, says Leedom, who recognized salt was a category that had yet to be transformed. People really didnt know that you could use a salt that is as pure, flavorful and flaky as ours. We saw that market opportunity and went for it. Browse SalterieOne products available in the Feast and Field Shop: Jimmy Stanley couldnt have imagined that what began as a night of partying with his employee would end with his employee stabbing him more than 30 times in a Winston-Salem hotel room. But that is exactly what happened a year ago on March 12, 2021, a Forsyth County prosecutor said. On Friday, almost a year to the day later, that employee, Justin Allen Bolden, 32, of Leonard Road in Lexington, pleaded guilty in Forsyth Superior Court to assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill, inflicting serious injury, and robbery with a dangerous weapon. As part of the plea arrangement, Assistant District Attorney Matt Breeding voluntarily dismissed a charge of attempted first-degree murder. Judge Eric Morgan of Forsyth Superior Court handed down two sentences that Bolden will serve at the same time up to 10 years on the assault charge and up to 9 years on the robbery charge. Nobody would understand the pain and terror I felt in that room with Justin while being repeatedly stabbed, Stanley said in a statement Breeding read in court on Friday. Stanley did not attend the hearing. I now suffer from horrible nightmares where I wake up not knowing if im (sic) dead asking myself did I make it out of that room. Stanley said he suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder and has chronic pain due to nerve damage. He said he finds it hard to eat because of stab wounds to his intestines, gastrointestinal tract and stomach. Stanley said he becomes nauseous. He has had several surgeries to help repair the damage. This caused just as much emotional damage as it did physical damage to me, Stanley said. Im (sic) not the same person as I was before this. Winston-Salem police officers were called to University Inn and Suites on Peters Creek Parkway about 5:30 a.m. on March 12, 2021. They found Bolden and another man, Jonas Seyoum, standing in the hotels parking lot. Bolden had blood on his clothes, and Stanley was found with multiple stab wounds. Before being rushed to the hospital, Stanley told police Bolden stabbed him. Seyoum told police that he saw Bolden stab Stanley in the stairwell. Seyoum said that when he showed up, Bolden began acting as if he was helping Stanley. According to a search warrant, Seyoum showed police a cellphone video showing Bolden standing over Stanley after the attack and grabbing Stanleys pockets. Breeding said Winston-Salem police interviewed Stanley and Bolden. They both told police that they worked together. Specifically, according to a search warrant, Stanley said Bolden worked for his asphalt company. On March 11, 2021, the two men had just finished a construction job and went to Savannahs Gentlemens Club, a strip club on Peters Creek Parkway. They drank alcohol and did illegal drugs. After the club closed, they checked into University Inn and Suites. Stanley told police that he woke up at 4:30 a.m. on March 11, 2021. The room was in disarray and Bolden was naked. Bolden was on his bed, surrounded by cigarettes and cables that he had pulled from the hotel rooms television, Breeding said. Stanley told Bolden to put on some clothes to go buy some drinks from a vending machine, both men said. After that, the mens stories diverge. Bolden told police that when he came back to the hotel room, he saw Seyoum stabbing Stanley and that he tried help Stanley. He said he used his pocket knife to protect Stanley and that Seyoum kicked him and ran off. Bolden said he grabbed Stanleys cellphone to call 911, but Breeding said there was no proof that the phone was used to call 911. Stanley told police that when Bolden started stabbing him as soon as he returned to the room with the drinks. Stanley said he had no idea what prompted the attack but suspected it was because he had just gotten a large amount of money for the construction job the two men had worked. According to the search warrant, Stanley begged for his life, telling Bolden that he could have whatever he wanted. Bolden taunted him. According to the search warrant, medical records indicated that Stanley was stabbed over 30 times in his upper torso, face and neck. A toxicology screen showed that Stanley had multiple controlled substances in his system, including amphetamines and opiates. When Winston-Salem police searched Stanleys clothing, they found a large amount of cash and his car keys. Bolden had Stanleys cellphone. Jerry Jordan, Boldens attorney, said that Bolden has had a drug and alcohol problem for most of his life. Bolden will be getting treatment for his substance abuse issues while in prison, Jordan said. Bolden apologized for his actions while in court Friday, Jordan said. Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Let's take a look at COVID-19 news from today, March 14. What could lie ahead for the US in the third year of the pandemic Things seem to be looking up as the US crosses into year three of the Covid-19 pandemic. Vaccines still do a good job of keeping people alive and out of the hospital. There's increasing access to tests and treatments. The numbers of cases, hospitalizations and deaths are heading in the right direction. If living in a Covid world has taught us anything, however, it's that the coronavirus can surprise even the smartest public health experts, and the world certainly isn't out of the woods yet. Read more here: White House requests supplemental Covid funding from Congress White House Covid-19 response coordinator Jeff Zients on Monday renewed the Biden administration's urgent call for Congress to pass pandemic supplemental funding or face "severe consequences." His remarks came amid uncertainty for the legislative path forward for additional money for the federal government's pandemic response. The Biden administration requested $22.5 billion in supplemental Covid-19 relief funding in the massive government funding package, known as the omnibus. Negotiators had proposed a scaled-back $15.6 billion for Covid relief, but House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced that Covid provisions would be stripped from the funding bill. Read more here: China battles multiple outbreaks, driven by stealth omicron China banned most people from leaving a coronavirus-hit northeastern province and mobilized military reservists Monday as the fast-spreading stealth omicron variant fuels the country's biggest outbreak since the start of the pandemic two years ago. The National Health Commission reported 1,337 locally transmitted cases in the latest 24-hour period, including 895 in the industrial province of Jilin. A government notice said that police permission would be required for people to leave the area or travel from one city to another. Read more here: For kids with COVID-19, everyday life can be a struggle Eight-year-old Brooklynn Chiles fidgets on the hospital bed as she waits for the nurse at Children's National Hospital. The white paper beneath her crinkles as she shifts to look at the medical objects in the room. She's had the coronavirus three times, and no one can figure out why. Brooklynn's lucky, sort of. Each time she has tested positive, she has suffered no obvious symptoms. But her dad, Rodney, caught the virus when she was positive back in September, and he died from it. Read more here: *** During the Afghanistan and Iraq wars, I probably gave a hundred presentations to Navy and Marine Corps personnel where I said something like this: There is such thing as a law of war, the United States military recognizes it, and, if you violate it, you could be court-martialed and end up in prison. No matter where American combat troops are, there is a military lawyer who has said the same. The premise is that America acts in a morally justifiable manner, and if you deviate from that, you will be held accountable. In over 22 years as a Navy judge advocate, few things made me prouder than when I gave training on the Law of Armed Conflict. We protect civilians, attack only military objectives and prevent unnecessary suffering. We do not harm unarmed people and non-combatants. We do not inflict destruction on or target civilian population centers if we can avoid it. We do not attack hospitals, first aid stations, refugee centers, churches, synagogues, mosques or cultural or historical sites. We do not inflict unnecessary suffering, even on our enemies. We do not use force to terrorize. We minimize the damage that comes from the use of force. And no, we are not going to use chemical weapons. I gave this training to pilots, infantrymen, special operators, ship drivers and others headed into Afghanistan, Iraq and the Persian Gulf. Every American military unit receives this training. The Law of Armed Conflict, or law of war, is a body of customs and treaties, developed over hundreds of years, that form a set of international norms for how warfare should be conducted. The horrors of World Wars I and II provided the impetus for much of the modern law of war, including the Geneva Conventions, which most countries, including the United States, have ratified and agreed to abide by. Americans have made our share of mistakes and some have not always followed these principles, but those are the exceptions. Our military acts on the basis that there is a moral component to everything we do, and that we will hold ourselves accountable when we fall short. Courts-martial and other trials attest to this. Which is why, in watching the wanton, senseless destruction that Russia has visited upon Ukraine, in a war that was utterly pointless to begin with, I cannot help but pray that there will be consequences for the evil and moral depravity that Russian President Vladimir Putin has unleashed. America should lead the way in ensuring this is so. Russia and Putin must be held accountable for what they have done. The world did this after the Balkan Wars of the 1990s. The Allies did so at Nuremberg, Germany, and in Tokyo after World War II. This should be no different. There was no reason for Russia to invade Ukraine in the first place, but there certainly is no reason for it to shell and bomb its cities and destroy churches, hospitals and ancient cultural and historical sites, or to terrorize and kill innocent civilians. Russia is destroying Ukraine block by block, but for what purpose? How many women and children, and elderly and infirmed and handicapped, will suffer for no reason? And God help us if Putin uses chemical weapons. The Western world must investigate and prosecute what has occurred in Ukraine. Many American military officers and government officials have the expertise and experience to do so. We should summon them now and get our allies to do the same. If no one is held accountable, what good are we as Americans? This is a defining moral moment, and a morally clarifying one. There is also a lesson here for Americans. We sometimes seem bent on destroying ourselves with petty internal political squabbles while the evil and sociopathic of the world watch and take advantage. The invasion of Ukraine gives us the chance to see what really matters and shows us that, as Americans, we share some basic moral foundations. Most of us without anyone telling us what to think or feel looked at this war and knew instinctively what was morally right and what was evil. We knew which side of the line we had to be on. We must remember who is on the right side of that divide, and hold those on the other side accountable. The Ukrainians have shown resilience, unity of purpose and dedication to a cause greater than oneself. But these are American values, too qualities that saved the world from tyranny in World War II and made us a beacon of hope around the world. If we are to answer the call of our times and carry out our heritage as Americans, we must remember this and act accordingly. Chris Geis is a lawyer in Winston-Salem and a retired commander in the U.S. Navy Reserve. Ever the showman, High Point Universitys charismatic president, Nido Qubein, teased a major announcement earlier this month for all it was worth and as things turned out, it was worth millions. But first, Qubein, a motivational speaker, author and businessman by trade, took a few minutes to warm up the crowd with jokes and bold pronouncements of ambition before the main event. The campus has added 108 buildings and has expanded from 90 to 525 acres since 2005, Qubein reminded us, as slides depicted aerial images of the campus then and now. He liked those slides so much he clicked on them twice. This school is going to the moon, said a man to whom understatement is a foreign tongue. Yet, after the litany of big headlines that followed, which he ticked off like a shopping list, whos to say it isnt? Qubein announced that the fast-growing private school in the heart of the Furniture City had received a total of $100 million in donations from three unnamed families within a span of 30 days. Plus, he unveiled a plan for $400 million in new construction on the campus by the 2024-25 term. Plus, he announced a new law school, for which a new dean already has been hired, though the persons name will not be made public until May. Plus, he discussed plans for new schools of optometry, nursing and entrepreneurship. Forgive my enthusiasm, Qubein told the room full of media, trustees and civic leaders, as well as a streaming audience. This has become par for the course over the years. In Nido Qubeins world, hype and reality are one and the same. Someway, somehow, what you hear is what you get. He just keeps on delivering. All things are possible, he said, Theres no such thing as unrealistic dreams. To paraphrase a line from a famous movie: Well have what hes having. To be sure, there have been more than a few skeptics, who see smoke and mirrors in HPUs warp-speed transformation from sleepy to unstoppable since Qubein took charge. They wonder whether HPU has been living on a bubble with all of its aggressive growth and spending and building. But wouldnt that bubble have burst by now? In 2005, when Qubein arrived as a nontraditional choice for president, HPU had three academic schools. By 2025, when the university celebrates its centennial, it expects to have 14. The endowment has tripled. Qubein didnt specifically mention those skeptics, but he disputes the perception that the university has had to borrow heavily to sustain its breakneck pace of growth. Not one cent will be borrowed, he said of the funds that will pay for the new construction. For instance, the $100 million in donations from those three families will go to the law school, the dental school and a new library. The university hasnt taken out a loan since 2010, Qubein said, and it has $800 million in net assets versus $100 million in debt. Among planned construction will be buildings for the law school and the library as well as the new dental, nursing and optometry schools. And, as Qubein reminded his audience, all of this has occurred during trying times for many colleges and universities, especially private ones. When other schools are struggling to maintain enrollment, HPUs enrollment has quadrupled since Qubein became president. The university has become both a point of pride for High Point and Guilford County, as well as an economic engine. Qubein cited an annual regional economic impact of $850 million. As for the impact of the planned new schools, the nursing programs upgrade from a department to a school may be the most critical to the state, where a severe nursing shortage looms. Under consideration since 2018, the optometry school, meanwhile, will be the only one in North Carolina. Of course, with each success a question lurks. Qubein has been president for 17 years. How much longer? And who will succeed him? Then again, on Wednesday morning you got the impression that he plans to do this forever. Early on, when Qubein first began to dazzle us with fundraising coups and land acquisitions and new buildings, seemingly by the sheer force of his will, it was easy to be a doubter. Not anymore. The results speak for themselves. That is, they would, if the universitys relentless president hadnt beaten them to it. BEIJING, March 15 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday sent a congratulatory message to Serdar Berdimuhamedov on his election as the president of Turkmenistan. In his message, Xi pointed out that as a friendly neighbor and strategic partner of Turkmenistan, the Chinese side is sincerely delighted at the rapid progress Turkmenistan has made in nation building and national rejuvenation since its independence 30 years ago. Noting that he attaches great importance to the development of China-Turkmenistan relations, Xi said he is willing to work with president-elect Berdimuhamedov to take the 30th anniversary of the establishment of the two countries' diplomatic ties as a new starting point, build on past achievements and forge ahead into the future so as to jointly write a new chapter of the China-Turkmenistan strategic partnership. Disorder My dad parked his U.S. 5th Army howitzers next to the Colosseum in June 1944 during the liberation of Rome. I worked on a project in Berlin six months before the wall came down in 1989. A post-Cold War order in Europe is now shattered with the major invasion of Ukraine. The U.S. southern border is in disorder. The streets of New York City are in disorder. America and the world are facing disorder. You can talk and spin until you turn blue in the face. The U.S. must get its act together. Time is running out. Richard Sharp Mount Airy What theyre doing The writer of the March 10 letter Familiar? lists the clear pattern thats emerged to kill democracies and asks, Sound familiar? The steps do indeed sound familiar. He delineated exactly what Republicans are doing. Step 1: Amend the Constitution to make it easier to gain and remain in power. Republicans are currently pushing for a constitutional convention so they can add their partisan principles to the Constitution. We cant let that happen! Step 2: Expand and pack the Supreme Court with loyalists who can be relied upon to rubber-stamp your actions. Yes, thats exactly what Republicans have done, by refusing to consider President Barack Obamas nominee, Merrick Garland, then by pushing three extremists through in rapid succession Amy Coney Barrett almost before her predecessor, Ruth Bader Ginsberg, was even buried. Step 3: Rule by decree, emergency power or any other available form of non-legislative power. Like former President Trump, with his multiple executive orders and his conviction that the Constitution allowed him to do whatever I want to do. Step 4: Bar opposition candidates from the ballot by any combination of vetting rules, dubious indictments or court challenges. Like Republicans have been doing by passing new laws to suppress votes. Fortunately, theyve not succeeded, but Im sure theyll keep trying. My thanks to the letter writer for making this clear. Im glad to know that Im not alone! Siri Bruccilieri Winston-Salem Trumps suggestion Former President Trump recently suggested that to defeat Russia, all we have to do is paint our fighter jets with Chinese logos, then attack Russia. That would surely fool those stupid Russians! Theyd go to war with China and wed win! But why even go to that much effort? Better yet, the Ukrainians could paint what looks like the entrances to tunnels on solid walls. When Russian tanks try to enter them bam! And people say hes not a genius. Rodney Page Winston-Salem Needed specifics The broad term banned books has been heard a lot more recently and it can strike fear in the heart. But appropriate setting and subject matter are important to consider before jumping to conclusions. I feel the March 8 article Activism grows after school book bans finally provided some needed specifics. The books in question arent in a bookstore but in K-8 school libraries books that are pornographic and have pedophilic content as well as sexuality themes, according to Yael Levin, a spokeswoman for No Left Turn in Education. I also have heard parents reading this content aloud to school boards. As a teacher, I served on several review committees of teachers and parents tasked to address objections. The process was transparent and fair as we read and discussed the content or appropriate age level. The recently passed Florida bill prohibiting sexuality to be in elementary curriculum should be unnecessary for responsible educators and administrators. As a parent, grandparent and teacher, I feel some parents have abdicated their responsibility and expected schools to provide the sum total of their childrens education. In this lapse, these inappropriate materials have crept in. Parental involvement and activism should be applauded not feared or dismissed. Patricia Williams Advance The Lincoln City Council on Monday approved a blight designation for the Bishop Heights shopping center, moving the nearly empty center a step closer to redevelopment. The designation of the property at 27th Street and Nebraska 2 opens the door to using tax-increment financing as part of a formal redevelopment plan for the site. Tax-increment financing, or TIF, allows developers to use future property taxes generated by projects to pay for certain upfront costs. RED Development, the company that owns SouthPointe Pavilions, is partnering with Lincoln-based White Holdings and EPC Real Estate Group to redevelop the center. They have not submitted their plans to the city yet but have shown them to neighbors. They include demolishing the strip mall owned by RED, the former home of Shopko and other businesses, as well as the former U.S. Bank building owned by White Holdings. Dan Marvin, the citys urban development director, told the council Monday that developers hope to build apartments, possibly some smaller restaurants and shops and an office building. The plans to build luxury apartments would help fulfill the city's comprehensive plan goals of making 25% of new homes within the current city limits. He said the city contracted with a company to do a blight study of the site in 2019 and officials updated the study to note theres been no physical improvements since then and, if anything, its deteriorated further. Marvin said the shopping center once held Treasure City, a discount store, which was ultimately replaced by Shopko. When Shopko declared bankruptcy in 2019, the shopping area began to go downhill because it no longer had an anchor store. Neighbors expressed concerns about traffic, but the redevelopment project may actually reduce traffic, he said. Kent Seacrest, who is representing developers, said when the South Beltway opens it could cut truck traffic along Nebraska 2 by one-third to one-half, which could reduce traffic snarls along South 27th Street near the shopping mall by increasing the green-light time. Existing businesses Wells Fargo and Arby's, which own their buildings, plan to remain, and Arby's has expressed interest in renovating its restaurant. The Lincoln-Lancaster County Planning Commission unanimously approved the blight study before it came before the council. The next step will be a redevelopment plan, which will come before the council in the coming months. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 The business news you need Get the latest local business news delivered FREE to your inbox weekly. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Duncan Aviation will get $3.35 million from a little-known city fund to help pay for a $36.6 million project to build a new hangar and maintenance areas. City officials created the Fast Forward Fund in 2009 when it set aside $6 million in surplus special assessments to boost economic development by helping businesses with improvements. But its rarely been used just a little more than $1 million has been granted to four projects during its 13-year history, the last time in 2018. A City Council resolution to provide the money passed unanimously Monday, but not before several amendments and a lengthy discussion led by two council members, who thought $3.35 million was too much money to award Duncan. Several council members said they werent aware of the fund until recently and Jane Raybould argued the council should reduce the amount to $1.5 million so more businesses could take advantage of the fund. This is the largest ask ever of the $6 million Fast Forward Fund, she said, adding that combined with a $150,000 award to Duncan in 2011 to relocate a water main and $207,297 to Airpark Industrial Park for road construction and water utilities in 2018, its an incredible amount. Two other projects that got money from the fund were $600,000 to Hudl to build a skywalk bridge and $60,800 to Zoetis to install a right-turn lane to its business. I have no idea whatsoever why there hasnt been any other interest from other companies in the city of Lincoln. This is relatively easy, free money that helps jump-start a lot of economic development projects, Raybould said. I have no idea why it hasnt been promoted more by Lincoln Partnership of Economic Development or other entities. It's a phenomenal fund. Councilwoman Tammy Ward, who introduced the resolution Monday, said she began working with the mayors office and Duncan last fall, and Duncan officials have given tours to council members to educate them on the project near the Lincoln Municipal Airport. The aviation company is planning to build a 45,000-square-foot hangar and 62,000 square feet of additional maintenance and storage space, add parking spaces and sidewalks, and make stormwater drainage improvements. The project will create 60-70 new jobs with wages that are at least $70,000, or 120%, of median wages in Lincoln. Ward said Duncan is the largest privately owned jet service in the world and considered expanding the operations at its Michigan plant. It employs 1,400 people in Lincoln and is confident it can fill the new positions, she said. Kramer Lyons, Duncan vice president and associate general counsel, said this will be the third hangar of its kind, and a necessary addition to handle the large planes that come for maintenance and inspections. These airplanes are getting bigger. Theyre in high demand now, he said. We have to increase space. ... We need hangar space to take care of demand in the market. Now, Duncan handles about 12% of the market for the large planes, but that will increase in the coming years, he said. Duncan will build the hangar but it will be owned by the Lincoln Airport Authority since it's on its land, so eventually the business will pay rent. Councilman Richard Meginnis said he didnt understand how that makes good business sense for the city, since the benefits will ultimately go to the Airport Authority. Councilman Tom Beckius disagreed. Money sitting idle in a bank account for 14 years does not drive economic development. Unfortunately, thats been the case with the Fast Forward Fund, for the last 14 years, or the vast majority of it, he said. We now have someone coming to us saying were not keeping jobs, were adding jobs, we're adding good-paying jobs. ... How is this not a win?" The council voted down an amendment to reduce the amount going to Duncan, but passed an amendment to change the wording in the resolution to indicate the $70,000 was salary only, not wages and benefits. Raybould tried to suggest a motion that would stipulate that if Duncan got additional money from the Lincoln Airport Authority which is contributing about $500,000 to help with stormwater improvements it wouldnt take it. Ward said it wasnt appropriate to ask a business to reject funds or grants it might receive and the motion didnt move forward. Raybould said that based on her experience, Duncans cost estimates for the various elements of the project were inflated. But she also wanted to reduce the amount going to Duncan so there would be more money available to other businesses. About $1.7 million will remain in the fund once the money goes to Duncan. I want to say to my colleagues I recognize this is a worthy request, but I can guarantee you there are so many other worthy requests out there we havent heard of yet, she said. Other council members said they were open to considering ways to replenish some money in the Fast Forward Fund, but didn't want to reduce what they awarded to Duncan. Reach the writer at 402-473-7226 or mreist@journalstar.com. On Twitter @LJSreist Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 1 The business news you need Get the latest local business news delivered FREE to your inbox weekly. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Mary Jo Tietjen was at bell choir practice at her church on a recent Wednesday night when the choir's director, Nancy Youngman, got a call from Bryan Health asking if they'd be willing to participate in a remembrance ceremony for patients who have died of COVID-19. On Tuesday at Bryan East Campus, Tietjen, a registered nurse manager for Bryan, and four other members of the Holy Trinity Episcopal Church hand bell choir, including another Bryan staffer, Patty Butler, rang their bells to remember the 488 people who have died at Bryan from COVID-19 since the pandemic started two years ago. A similar service took place at the same time Tuesday at Bryan West Campus. Even though Tietjen hasn't been involved in direct patient care of COVID-19 patients, many of the people she supervises have. "It's quite emotional," she said. Those emotions were on stark display Tuesday, as Bryan staffers recounted both the joy of helping nurse people back to health and the sadness of losing those who succumbed to the disease. Bob Ravenscroft's voice broke as he talked about how many COVID-19 patients the hospital system has cared for over the past two years. Ravenscroft, Bryan's vice president of advancement, praised the valiant work of nurses, respiratory therapists and others who helped ensure more than 3,300 patients got better and went home. "I shudder to think how many times these bells would have rung," without that hard work, he said. Nina Redl, a chaplain at Bryan who was there for many of the patients who died and their families, stressed the importance of the support that staff members provided to each other. "None of us could have gotten through the last two years if it hadn't been for the people we work with closest, for the people we can lean on, the people we can trust, the people we hold close to as our work family," she said. Reach the writer at 402-473-2647 or molberding@journalstar.com. On Twitter @LincolnBizBuzz. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 1 Angry 0 Build your health & fitness knowledge Sign up here to get the latest health & fitness updates in your inbox every week! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. More Nebraskans are returning to such activities as concerts, movies and sporting events as the states COVID case counts continue their downward trend. The state reported only 650 new COVID-19 cases last week, the lowest number in nearly eight months. Nebraska continues to have among the nations lowest case rates, last week trailing only Louisiana. Cases were down 98% from omicron peak levels seen seven weeks earlier. An average of 180 Nebraskans were hospitalized with the coronavirus last week, down 28% from the previous week. The 152 people hospitalized on Friday represented the lowest number since mid-July. Dr. Mark Rupp, chief of the infectious diseases division at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, said Monday that its now OK for residents to enjoy the easing of the pandemic. I think we do have this hiatus right now that Im telling people they should be enjoying, he said. That doesnt mean throwing caution to the wind, he said, but enjoying some of the venues they havent visited for some time. Many people, Rupp said, already are voting with their faces and choosing not to wear masks in indoor public places. Some venues and retail stores, however, continue to require them, as do health care facilities. Rupp said Nebraskans need to realize that the situation can and likely will change. If it does, people will need to adapt to changing public health recommendations and return to such measures as masking and distancing. Some countries in Europe and Asia are seeing upticks in COVID cases, driven by omicron or its relative, a variant known as BA.2. In the meantime, Rupp said, its critical to boost defenses by encouraging more people to get vaccinated and boosted. From what researchers have seen so far, a third dose continues to provide protection from serious illness, hospitalization and death. Health officials have, however, already been advising people with compromised immune systems to get a fourth dose. Albert Bourla, CEO of vaccine maker Pfizer, told CBSs Face the Nation on Sunday that people eventually will need a fourth dose to help fend off another wave of COVID-19. Many variants are coming, and omicron was the first one that was able to evade in a skillful way the immune protection that were giving, Bourla said. The protection we are getting from the third (dose) is good enough actually quite good for (preventing) hospitalizations and deaths. But protection after three doses, he said, is not that good against infections and doesnt last very long when faced with a variant like omicron. Pfizer, he said, will be submitting data on fourth doses to the Food and Drug Administration. Federal health officials have not yet weighed in on the likelihood of recommending a fourth dose. Rupp said he has not yet seen Pfizers data; the FDA typically makes it available to the public after it is submitted. But one small study in Israel indicated that a fourth dose didnt provide much additional protection. Breakthrough infections still occurred, although protection against serious illness continued. I dont think theres an imperative right now for otherwise young, healthy people to be clamoring for a fourth dose, Rupp said. He added that his guess would be that fourth doses may be recommended for more people this fall, which will be about a year out from the third shot for many people. Nebraska recorded 13 confirmed and probable deaths last week, bringing the total for the pandemic to 4,026. That was down from 57 the previous week. The state has recorded 476,844 cases of COVID-19. A 78-year-old Lincoln man was arrested last week after a woman in her 20s told investigators that he had sexually abused her for at least six years when she was a child, according to court filings. Karel Znamenacek has been charged with second- and third-degree sexual assault of a child for the crimes that allegedly occurred more than 10 years ago, according to the affidavit for his arrest. The woman told police in January that Znamenacek began regularly sexually abusing her when she was 5 and continued until she was 11 or 12, LPD Investigator Frank Foster wrote in the affidavit. The woman alleged Znamenacek sexually assaulted her at least 50 times. Znamenacek turned himself into Lincoln police Wednesday at the Lancaster County Jail, where he was held on a $100,000 percentage bond. Thursday, he paid $10,000 to be released. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. What started as an apparent custody dispute ended with a Lincoln man and woman in jail on suspicion of felony charges after two motor vehicle collisions and two police pursuits Sunday night into Monday morning, according to Lincoln police. The first incident happened shortly after 11:30 p.m. Sunday, when two women were waiting at a gas station parking lot to pick up a 1-year-old child from Chelan Garcia, a 28-year-old man. Driving a Kia Sorento, Garcia pulled into the EZ GO parking lot near 27th and O streets and crashed into the vehicle the two women had been waiting in, LPD Sgt. Chris Vigil said. One of the women a 26-year-old told police that Garcia exited the Kia and struck her in the face before pulling a handgun and threatening to kill both women, Vigil said. The women fled the gas station and called police. Officers found the Kia at about 1:30 a.m. Monday near 30th and Vine streets, where they found Garcia standing near the car. Police took him into custody after a short foot pursuit, but as they did, the Kia left the area at a high rate of speed, Vigil said. LPD found the car again at about 2:30 a.m. near 31st and O streets and attempted a traffic stop, Vigil said, but 28-year-old Elizabeth Moran fled in the vehicle, prompting a pursuit. During the chase, Vigil said Moran, who is Garcia's girlfriend, stopped the Kia and backed it into a police cruiser before fleeing again, eventually crashing into bushes near 52nd and A streets. Upon crashing, Vigil said Moran refused to communicate with officers. They shattered one of the car's windows to speak to her and negotiated the release of two children the 1-year-old and a 4-year-old who were in the Sorento, Vigil said. Moran was arrested on suspicion of two counts of felony child abuse, operating a motor vehicle to avoid arrest, using a vehicle to assault a police officer and a slew of additional misdemeanor charges. Garcia was booked on suspicion of terroristic threats, third-degree domestic assault, obstructing government operations and misdemeanor child abuse. Police haven't found the gun Garcia was accused of wielding at the gas station, Vigil said. Both Garcia and Moran were taken to the Lancaster County Jail. Reach the writer at 402-473-7223 or awegley@journalstar.com. On Twitter @andrewwegley Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 1 Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. One person was hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries and others may be relocated after a central Lincoln fourplex caught fire Tuesday morning. Lincoln Fire and Rescue crews responded to 1317 S. 19th St. shortly after 11 a.m., Capt. Nancy Crist said in a news release. First-responders encountered heavy smoke and flames coming from the back of the two-story, four-unit building. All five of the building's residents had evacuated by the time crews arrived. One was transported to CHI St. Elizabeth. Fire Capt. Curt Faust said unattended cooking caused the fire, with damage estimated at $90,000. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Three months or so before Felipe Vazquez tried to escape police by smashing through the window of a house at 33rd and Vine streets and firing three shots, a young woman said he told her he wasn't worried about police coming after him for a prior incident. Mayte Brown testified Tuesday in Columbus that Vazquez had told her someone else was charged for that. Prosecutors didn't ask her to elaborate on the prior incident as part of a pretrial order limiting that information from going in front of the jury hearing Vazquez's case for the first-degree murder of Lincoln Police Officer Mario Herrera, who was fatally wounded by gunfire during Vazquez's escape attempt Aug. 26, 2020. Brown, 24, said Vazquez, a friend of her son's father, Orion Ross, was buying an old cellphone she had and in her car when the conversation took place. She doesn't know exactly when it happened but says she remembers the gist of what he said next. "If he were to be picked up for that, then he would shoot at police or try to kill them. I don't know exactly what the words were. It was something very similar, of this sort," Brown said. On cross-examination, asked to clarify more specifically when the alleged conversation took place, Brown said it happened after the prior incident and before the shooting. During that exchange, she offered a one-word description of the prior incident, prompting a defense motion for a mistrial outside the presence of the jury, which Lancaster County District Judge Andrew Jacobsen denied. Asked about her own conviction in 2019 for giving false information to a police officer and shown court documentation about her guilty plea, Brown said she had no memory of it or much of that year because of a personality disorder. For the last two years, she said she's taken medication for it. Brown said the day of the shooting, Ross had connected with her over FaceTime from Vazquez's house. Ross, who had a warrant for his arrest that day, too, ran with Vazquez and was found hiding under a slide on the playground at Hartley Elementary School just across the street. Defense attorney Nancy Peterson asked Brown about a text she sent saying she would "sell her soul to get him out," because Ross is her son's dad. It was just talk, Brown said. "Just like Felipe was talking tough when he said what he said?" Peterson asked. "Yes," Brown said. The case continues this week in Platte County District Court, where the trial was moved because of pretrial publicity. Reach the writer at 402-473-7237 or lpilger@journalstar.com. On Twitter @LJSpilger Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. OMAHA Charles Herbster's campaign said it pulled a TV ad featuring law enforcement officials, amid concerns that the ad may have violated state law. Nebraska law appears to prohibit sheriffs from campaigning for candidates while in uniform but three elected sheriffs and a captain wore their uniforms and badges while endorsing the Republican gubernatorial candidate, who is considered a front-runner in the race to replace Gov. Pete Ricketts. The Omaha World-Herald reached out to Herbster's campaign about the apparent violation Tuesday morning. Spokesperson Emily Novotny responded that, while the campaign does not believe the ad violates state law, it took it off the air. No taxpayer funds were used in the making or airing of the ad, she said. "Nebraska sheriffs are elected officials and have earned the right to proudly wear their uniforms and, as elected leaders, to have a voice on important matters and issues," she said. "We understand that some have raised concerns, and out of respect for the sheriffs, Herbster for Nebraska has pulled the advertisement from the air. We remain grateful for the outpouring of support from law enforcement across that state, and we proudly back the blue." The campaign said it contacted TV stations Thursday about pulling the ad, but it would take a few days to stop showing up. The ad still was running on Omaha and Lincoln stations on Tuesday afternoon. In the ad, Seward County Sheriff Michael Vance, York County Sheriff Paul Vrbka and Lincoln County Sheriff Jerome Kramer all appear in uniform. So does Capt. Josh Gillespie from York County. Captains are appointed, not elected. Former Nebraska State Patrol Col. Tom Nesbitt is the only person who appears in street clothes. They all say lines that, taken together, amount to them vouching for Herbsters support of law enforcement. Im voting for Charles W. Herbster, the four uniformed officials say in unison at the ads conclusion. The World-Herald attempted to reach all three sheriffs and had not received a response as of midday Tuesday. Buffalo County Sheriff Neil Miller, who is president of the Nebraska Sheriff's Association, said the association has not and will not endorse a candidate for governor or other offices with multiple candidates. He referred the World-Herald to the individual sheriffs to answer any questions about their appearance in the ad. Asked for his opinion whether its OK for sheriffs to appear in uniform in an ad endorsing a candidate, Frank Daley, the executive director of the Nebraska Accountability and Disclosure Commission, pointed to an advisory opinion from 1994 as the commissions official position. The commission in that opinion concluded that an elected and serving county sheriff couldnt engage in "overt and deliberate campaign activities" while wearing their sheriffs uniform. But they could use photos of themselves in uniform for campaign literature, it found, and respond to the public's questions while in uniform and on duty. Relevant state law has changed since 1994. However, Daley said current law essentially codified things from some of the commissions opinions. Theres no more recent opinion that applies to that current law. University of Nebraska-Lincoln law professor Kyle Langvardt said the changes seemed to make the law more explicit. Current law states that public officials and employees cant use or authorize the use of public resources for the purpose of campaigning for or against a candidate or ballot question, with some exceptions. Back in 1994, the Nebraska Accountability and Disclosure Commission found that a sheriff's uniform was a public resource. Another Nebraska law states that, while no employee of the state or a political subdivision (like a county) can be banned for participating in political activities outside of office hours or while performing their official duties, they cant engage in any political activity while wearing a uniform required by the state or any political subdivision thereof. Those statutes seem very straightforwardly to prohibit this kind of campaigning in uniform, Langvardt said. That's especially clear in the case of the captain, according to Langvardt. There's a little more ambiguity when it comes to sheriffs, he said, but the law still appears to prohibit them from campaigning in uniform. Not all states have laws that would come down the same way on this question, he said. But "every state does have some kind of law that restricts the use of ... public resources in a campaign, and I think that when police departments are involved in campaigning, you know, that that feels especially dangerous or sensitive. "It shouldn't be surprising that the law would try to restrain the use of the badge or a police officer's uniform in campaigning for a candidate." You don't want to create the impression that the government or the police department, specifically, is endorsing a candidate and putting a "huge thumb on the scale," he said. And regardless of intent, it can create that appearance. Law enforcement officers show up in at least one other ad for a candidate for statewide office this election season: an ad for state Sen. Mike Hilgers of Lincoln, whos running for attorney general. That commercial features footage of Hilgers talking to a group of apparent law enforcement officials. Theyre wearing matching polo shirts, not uniforms. A campaign spokesperson said that decision was made by the Omaha Police Officers Association. Anthony Conner, president of the association, confirmed it was his decision. He said he always wants to keep a clear distinction between when he is wearing a uniform and representing the police chiefs vision and when he is representing the union and can speak politically. Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 1 Screen image captured at Beijing Aerospace Control Center in Beijing, capital of China, Oct 16, 2021 shows three Chinese astronauts, Zhai Zhigang (C), Wang Yaping (R) and Ye Guangfu, waving after entering the space station core module Tianhe. [Photo/Xinhua] Crew members of China's Shenzhou XIII mission will soon give their second open lecture from the orbiting Tiangong space station to students around the world, according to the China Manned Space Agency. The agency said in a statement on Tuesday that the lecture will take place in the coming days and will be livestreamed worldwide. The astronauts will carefully plan for the event and will cover topics solicited from the public, it noted. The Shenzhou XIII mission crew Major General Zhai Zhigang, Senior Colonel Wang Yaping and Senior Colonel Ye Guangfu conducted their first open lecture in December from the Tiangong station while traveling in an orbit about 400 kilometers above the ground. They showed viewers how they live and work inside the station, which consists of a core module, a spacecraft with human-rating certification and two robotic cargo spaceships. The astronauts carried out experiments to display interesting physical phenomena in space, such as "disappearing buoyancy" and a "water ball". They answered questions from students before ending the livestream. Millions of primary and middle school students across China watched the 60-minute televised event hosted by the China Manned Space Agency, the Ministry of Education and other government departments. Groups of invited students in Beijing, Nanning in the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, Wenchuan in Sichuan province, and the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions participated in video chats with the crew during the lecture. It was the first lecture of the Tiangong (Heavenly Palace) Class series, China's first extraterrestrial lecture series that aims to popularize space science. Zane Stubbendecks world is now bursting with color. The green tint of a Sprite bottle, the bright yellow and red of a McDonalds sign and the many glorious hues of a Nebraska sunset. And its all because of an argument between the Lincoln teen and his buddy, EJ Soucek, a few years ago about whether there was a pink stain on Souceks sock. Stubbendeck couldnt see it. His world had always been composed of gray, tans, browns and yellows. Thats what Ive always lived with, he said. The discussion that day led to a test for color blindness an issue that affects about 100,000 Nebraskans, 13 million people in the United States and 350 million worldwide and a vow by Soucek that someday he was going to get his friend a pair of glasses to correct the problem. That day finally arrived for Stubbendecks recent 19th birthday. Soucek and several friends pooled their money and bought Stubbendeck a $250 pair of EnChroma outdoor glasses, which help people with color blindness see color. They hid them in a Burberry sunglasses case at the bottom of a Nike bag stuffed with wrapping paper. At first, it was really nerve-wracking, Soucek said. I didnt know if they were going to work. I knew his color blindness was really severe. Stubbendeck was nervous, too, just because of all of the attention surrounding his surprise gift. A few seconds after putting on the glasses, his hands began to shake. Then he began to cry. When you do put on the glasses, things start to fade into color out of the gray, he said. Seeing it slowly change was kind of a surreal moment. I looked over and saw a bright color. It was red, but I didnt know it was red. No words can express it because Id never felt that before. Several people recorded the emotional moment when Stubbendeck could see pinks, reds and greens for the first time. A social media post by Souceks sister, Alyssa Osorio, has almost 400,000 views. The video caught the eye of EnChroma, which asked Stubbendeck if he would like to be a brand ambassador for the company. It also gave him a pair of indoor glasses that Stubbendeck hates to take off, no matter how misty they get at the car wash where he works until he can figure out how to make it as a social media influencer. EnChroma has told him that if he wears the glasses consistently, they can start to correct his vision. Stubbendeck isnt sure how it all works, but hes been more than willing to give it a try. Taking them off makes me feel like Im missing out, he said. Whenever I take them off, its a little bit sad. He says he's so grateful to his friends for a present he wished he would have known about long ago. Its hard to describe being color blind, he says. But putting on the glasses is like flipping a switch. Everything turns vibrant and colors pop. The day after giving Stubbendeck his present, Soucek took his fellow Lincoln Northeast graduate to the top of a parking garage to watch the sunset. Theyd always been a favorite of Stubbendecks, because he could see the yellow. But thats nothing compared to what he can see now with his glasses. I always told him I was going to get them for him, so I feel like I did a pretty good thing, Soucek said. He talks about it every time Im with him. Its definitely the most meaningful thing Ive bought him. Im glad I did. Love 2 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Lt. Gov. Mike Foley on Tuesday endorsed Charles Herbster's bid for the Republican gubernatorial nomination, opening a political split with Gov. Pete Ricketts, who is supporting Jim Pillen's candidacy. Foley delivered his formal endorsement at a news conference in the Capitol Rotunda, repeatedly pointing to Herbster's pro-life views and suggesting that "he asks intelligent questions" about the governorship and state issues. "He is rock-solid pro-life," the lieutenant governor said. Foley's endorsement triggered a sharp response from Ricketts and a news release from Pillen stating that he "turned down (Foley's) request to be my lieutenant governor" when they met in Lincoln last summer. Foley, in turn, said "the Pillen campaign reached out to me" at the time. Ricketts told the Nebraska Examiner that he was "very disappointed with the lieutenant governor's choice" and believes Herbster would be "a terrible governor." "I think it's incredibly poor judgment on (Foley's) part," the governor said. Herbster opened the brief news conference at the Capitol with a prayer for the people of Ukraine and the people of Russia, then answered only a couple of questions before they were shut off. Sens. Tom Briese of Albion, Tom Brewer of Gordon, Steve Erdman of Bayard and Steve Halloran of Hastings stood with Herbster at the podium. A number of other senators watched the proceedings from outside the legislative chamber. Herbster identified himself as a Christian who is focused on "faith, family and freedom" and warned that America may be "in the process of losing all three." His brief remarks ended with an expression of concern for the impact of "an open border" with Mexico that has triggered an outpouring of undocumented immigrants. Questioned briefly after the event, Foley said his political goal is to be elected once again as state auditor this November with his tenure as lieutenant governor coming to an end, but he said he would always remain open to other options. Pillen claimed that Foley "was pretty unhappy when I turned down his request to be my lieutenant governor." Foley, he said, handed him a printed copy of the results of the 2014 Republican gubernatorial primary election when they met, demonstrating that he had attracted 42,394 votes; Ricketts won what was a six-candidate race with 58,671 votes. Reach the writer at 402-473-7248 or dwalton@journalstar.com. On Twitter @LJSdon Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. GREEN LAKE COUNTY A third district attorney has declined to file charges against Wisconsin elections commissioners after Racine County Sheriff Christopher Schmaling requested prosecution. I do not believe there is sufficient evidence to prove beyond a reasonable doubt at trial that a crime was committed, Green Lake County DA Gerise LaSpisa, appointed by Democratic Gov. Tony Evers, said in a statement first reported by WisPolitics.com. Marge Bostelmann, a Republican appointee to the Wisconsin Elections Commission, lives in Green Lake County. Schmaling, following an investigation led by RCSO Lt. Michael Luell, called for five of WECs six commissioners to face criminal charges for waiving laws related to absentee voting in nursing homes during the 2020 elections. In February, Racine County DA Tricia Hanson declined to press charges, saying that she did not have the jurisdiction to charge the commissioners, since none of their actions occurred in Racine County. Last week, the Milwaukee County District Attorneys Office announced it would not be issuing charges against the two WEC commissioners, both Democrats, who live in Milwaukee County. The Milwaukee DAs decision, as the RCSO put it, found that ... the words shall and not are not mandatory and/or controlling in the interpretation of the statute (regarding election law), but merely directory and not mandatory. The district attorneys of Sheboygan and St. Croix counties have yet to announce decisions. A letter from a Milwaukee assistant district attorney said that, upon reviewing RCSOs investigation and the relevant state laws, it seems clear that, in providing guidance regarding SVDs (Special Voting Deputies), the WEC was exercising a discretionary power of office, as the WEC is statutorily authorized to provide guidance and advisory opinions in the administration of elections. The letter continued: It must be noted that the overarching purpose of the election laws is to give effect to the will of the electors. Upon the announcement that the Milwaukee DA would not be filing charges, one of the commissioners who lives in Milwaukee County, Democrat Mark L. Thomson, tweeted: Allowing seniors to vote is not a crime. Bostelmann, who voted to waive the use of SVDs in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, is the former clerk of Green Lake County. In November 2021, Green Lake County Republicans denounced Bostelmann and the WEC. Green Lake County is located in south-central Wisconsin, about 40 miles north of Madison, 90 miles northwest of Racine and 30 miles east of Wisconsin Dells. Schmaling, Luell and others including Michael Gableman, the former Wisconsin Supreme Court justice leading the taxpayer-funded investigation of the 2020 election have alleged that some of the nursing home residents who voted in the 2020 election were abused and taken advantage of by staffs of the facilities they lived in. Typically, nursing home staff are not allowed to serve as SVDs and assist their residents in filling out absentee ballots. The WEC said the statutes related to SVDs not be enforced amid the COVID-19 pandemic, arguing that SVDs would likely not be allowed to enter nursing homes but that those who lived in nursing homes should still have the ability to vote by mail. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. MADISON A 14-year-old boy was arrested on tentative charges of OWI and driving without a valid license after a crash on the East Side Monday night that sent five people to hospitals with injuries that werent considered life threatening, authorities reported. One of the two vehicles was believed to be traveling at high speed when the crash happened about 9:40 p.m. Monday in the 300 block of North Sixth Street, Madison Fire Department spokesperson Cynthia Schuster said in a statement. A vehicle that had been occupied by four people was found resting against a retaining wall in a residential front yard. Two people got out of the vehicle, but two others were trapped in the backseat and had to be extricated by firefighters, Schuster said. The second vehicle, a small SUV that was occupied by one person, was found near the first with front-end and side damage, Schuster said. Ambulances took two people to SSM Health St. Marys Hospital, two teenagers to American Family Childrens Hospital, and one person to University Hospital, Schuster said. Madison Police Chief Shon Barnes daily blog reported the crash at the same time as the Fire Department report and the arrest of the boy, and police spokesperson Stephanie Fryer confirmed to Lee Newspapers that they were the same incident. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. A Racine teenager allegedly was involved in causing $8,000 worth of damage to a rental property last year. He made his first appearance in court Monday. RACINE A Racine teenager allegedly was involved in causing $8,000 worth of damage to a rental property last year. He made his first appearance in court Monday. Juan I. DeLuna Jr., 18, of the 1600 block of Thurston Avenue, was charged with felony counts of burglary of a building or dwelling and criminal damage to property. According to a criminal complaint: On March 1, 2021, an investigator received an online report that said on Feb. 2 a familys rental property at the 1600 block of Thurston Avenue was left vacant by the tenants renting the property. He said that a neighbor told him she heard a commotion coming from the property late on Feb. 27. He then went to the property the next day and saw various holes on the walls of the dining room, hallways, living room and bedrooms all throughout the house. Kitchen cabinet doors were also broken and damaged. He told the investigator that the estimated amount of damage was $8,000. The investigator made contact with the neighbor who said she saw two teenage boys, who she knew to be residents of the rental, go inside it at around 8:30 p.m. on Feb. 27. She heard a lot of noise coming from inside the property before the teenagers then left. The investigator spoke with one of the teenagers, identified as DeLuna, who admitted to being at the property on Feb. 27. He claimed he was only there for a minute to drop off the key and denied damaging the property. The investigator spoke to another teenager who said he was in Kenosha on Feb. 27. The investigator then told him his father said he was in Green Bay. He then stated that he was actually in Green Bay and denied being at the rental property. DeLuna was given a $1,000 signature bond in Racine County Circuit Court on Monday. A preliminary hearing is set for March 30 at the Racine County Law Enforcement Center, 717 Wisconsin Ave., online court records show. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 1 Angry 0 Two Caledonia residents are seeking the District 17 County Board seat: one is an incumbent of 18 years and one is a newcomer whos never held a public office. District 17 covers a western portion of Caledonia, the northern part of Raymond and the northeast corner of Norway. Incumbent Robert Grove runs his family-owned grain and livestock farm. Challenger Keith Cruise is a Horlick High School teacher. The District 17 candidates were asked to submit written responses to questions, given below. More than half of Racine Countys tax levy is spent on law enforcement. Do you think local government should cut back on law enforcement spending or continue making it by far the countys highest tax levy priority? CRUISE: While I dont believe half of the budget is spent on law enforcement it is not an insignificant amount, as a community, we need to support those we charge with protecting the county. That being said, many factors outside of criminality impact the safety of a community. Issues such as mental health services, affordable housing, youth activities, job opportunities, and the like all contribute to a safer community and should receive investment as well. To put all our resources in one basket seems short-sighted. GROVE: I support law enforcement in Racine County, and yes, I support the current funding as being Racine County is a corridor community between Chicago and Milwaukee of drug and human trafficking. I also feel being this, funding includes the court system, our jails, personnel and the continuing education of those involved within. Our sheriff is responsible for fulfilling multiple state mandates. We want the county to be a safe place to live, work and play in. What other issues do you see in the race? CRUISE: The willingness to collaborate and work across municipal boundaries to solve issues like mental health services, affordable housing, youth activities, job opportunities, and the like, are all important issues. A balanced approach to Investment in resources that impacts the quality of life for our children, working adults and seniors and creates a sustainable future is the job of every legislative body at every level of government. GROVE: I feel supporting smart business and housing development should be an issue along with improving our county highways and parks. Why should voters choose you for County Board? CRUISE: I believe I am the best person for this position. I am a long-time resident who has invested time and treasure into the community. I believe my temperament, education, experience and vision make me the best choice. GROVE: With being a lifetime resident of Racine County living in the Village of Caledonia and 18 years of experience in Racine County government, I have attained knowledge that goes a long way for the decisions made by the County Board. The Journal Times asked the candidates three questions. Two of them appear here. The third question Why should voters choose you for County Board? and the associated responses appear in an online version of this story on JournalTimes.com Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. KENOSHA Rocio and Charles Cunningham of Kenosha blame COVID for the death of their 7-month old daughter. Calani Cunningham died Feb. 25 after a virulent bout of staphylococcus aureus, a bacterial infection that ran like wildfire through the infants tiny body, affecting her organs and causing severe brain damage. The Cunninghams believe, despite the severity of the infection, had it been caught earlier their daughter might still be alive. They blame COVID, not just because it was her daughters original diagnosis but because, in their opinion, that COVID diagnosis prevented medical professionals from considering other possible causes for Calanis illness. In a recent interview in their Kenosha home, the Cunninghams discussed events that led to Calanis death and offered advice for other parents for preventing a similar tragedy. The timeline They first noticed Calani didnt feel well on on the evening of Saturday, Feb. 19. She wasnt eating or sleeping very well, cried a lot and had a fever of 102, said Rocio, 30. Also she was breathing rapidly and it looked like she couldnt catch her breath. Sunday morning they took Calani to the emergency department at Aurora Medical Center, Kenosha, where a swab test indicated their daughter had COVID. Staff instructed them to take Calani home and give her over-the-counter medications. On Monday when Calanis breathing worsened, they took her to a pediatric clinic where they were advised to take her to Childrens Hospital if her symptoms did not improve. On Tuesday, the Cunninghams took Calani to the ER of Childrens Wisconsin, Milwaukee. There Calani was put on an IV and a high-flow oxygen machine and the hospital staff did some blood work, her mother said. Although they were told the oxygen should help Calani relax, it did not. At that time, Calanis neck began to swell. I voiced my concern but was told it was normal, that this happens all the time with COVID, Rocio said. Calani was kept overnight for observation. She was taken to a floor of the hospital that the Cunninghams say was not the place for a baby as sick as Calani. On that floor she was pretty much being treated as an outpatient, said Charles, 31. It was like, Shes getting over something and we know whats wrong with her ... so were pretty much sitting there until were ready to go home. Wednesday morning when they went to see their daughter they were dismayed to see she had not improved. Some conditions, including swelling of her neck and stomach and breathing, had worsened. (Medical staff) just referenced the neck swelling back to COVID and compared it to other children who had had COVID, Charles said. There were several people who monitored her but the attitude was We have a COVID diagnosis on her and shes a COVID-positive patient, so this is what weve seen. It more like a relaxed comment and they were just waiting for her to get better. When Charles asked about it, he said he was told Everythings going to pass in two or three days, you just have to give it time. But she did not get better, Rocio said. Wednesday at 2 p.m. Calani was given an ultrasound of her neck and at 3 p.m. it was decided to move her to the ICU. Before she got there, her vitals crashed. Calani was intubated and put on life support and her condition stabilized. Meanwhile, fluids extracted from the babys neck and lungs found she had staphylococcus. Doctors were hopeful they could treat the infection. By Thursday afternoon the Cunninghams learned that a CT scan showed catastrophic damage to Calanis brain and lungs. Faced with a worst-case outcome, the Cunninghams terminated their daughters life support on Friday afternoon. Voicing concerns Calanis death was attributed to Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, also known as MRSA. Thats what she was battling, not COVID, Rocio said. It was a staph infection that they missed. Two hospitals missed it. It was definitely treatable and survivable but just ignored. They had tunnel vision on one diagnosis, Charles added. The Cunninghams said they may never know why Calani contracted a fatal infection, but they want answers. They want to know, if the infection had been found sooner, could it have been treated for a better outcome. They feel that chest X-rays and/or blood work done early on might have saved their daughter. Had we not been in this pandemic we feel they would have explored other contributing factors. We feel the whole world is caught up in COVID-COVID. Our medical professionals are so caught up in it they have forgotten there are other things going on. She sat for so long and in so much pain. If they had just taken COVID out of their heads and thought We have to figure out why this 7-month-old is not breathing correctly they probably would have caught what was wrong, Rocio said. Their concerns were echoed by medical staff, the Cunninghams said. (In the ICU) some nurses said, She got to us way too late, he said. Even the surgeons told us she never should have been on that floor (where she was prior to the ICU), Rocio said. On the suggestion of medical staff, the Cunninghams lodged a formal complaint with the hospitals department of patient services. When contacted, Aurora Health Care said it was unable to share any information about the familys concerns, adding, The safety of our patients is always our top priority, and our hearts go out to this family for their unimaginable loss. Childrens Wisconsin offered the following: The childs family is in our thoughts and has our deepest sympathy. Nobody should have to endure the loss of a child. Childrens Wisconsin is committed to providing the best and safest care to every child and family we serve, and we have a process in place for reviewing concerns and working with families. Broken hearts, not spirits While pushing for answers, the Cunninghams has established a GoFund Me page to help them pay medical and funeral expenses and share Calanis story. The message is about voicing concerns to medical professionals, Charles said. Even though we took ourselves to a hospital and they are professionals, you have to understand that professionals are still humans and human make mistakes. So its OK to voice your concerns and its OK to advocate and ask questions and demand answers, he said. I dont know whats going to happen down the road, but I feel like were going to roar until something changes. Im not letting her go out like that, Rocio said. So Im fighting until I cant fight any more, at least until Im at a place where her storys going to keep being heard, and were going to keep helping other parents. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Former state Supreme Court Justice and GOP-appointed special counsel Michael Gableman is set to address the legally impossible task of decertifying Wisconsins 2020 election as a featured speaker at two election data events in Utah, his office confirmed Monday. One of those events on March 25 in South Jordan will feature a woman indicted last week for election tampering after the 2020 election, according to the event listing. Gableman, who recently released the second interim report in his review of the Nov. 3, 2020, election in Wisconsin, is set to explain the decertification report, according to an event listing shared on Facebook. Angela Joyce, a spokesperson for Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, said on Friday that Gableman would be responsible for his own expenses. Gableman staffer Zakory Niemierowicz confirmed on Monday that Gableman will be attending the event after being invited to speak. Niemierowicz said the former conservative justice will address the entire report, not just the part about decertification. The Wisconsin State Journal reported last week that Gablemans interim report falsely claimed nursing homes in Dane and Milwaukee counties had 100% voter turnout, when in fact the percentage of registered voters who cast ballots in all but one Dane County facility ranged from 42% to 91%. Gableman insinuated that malign actors had filled out ballots on behalf of nursing home residents, even though there is no evidence of widespread fraud. Gableman, who was hired by Vos last year to review the election at a cost of $676,000 to taxpayers, is also set to speak March 26 in St. George, Utah. The event listing misidentifies Gableman as a Wisconsin Supreme Court justice; he has not been on the court since 2018. Tina Peters, indicted by a grand jury last week over election tampering after the 2020 election, is scheduled to tell her incredible story of exposing Dominion fraud at the March 25 event. Thats a reference to Dominion Voting Systems, a company consistently targeted by people who question the results of the 2020 presidential election. It is one of the many entities or people Gableman has subpoenaed during the course of his investigation, despite no evidence that the company was complicit in widespread fraud, or that any widespread fraud happened at all. Dominion currently has several outstanding lawsuits against Fox News and prominent election deniers for allegedly spreading false claims that the company was involved in fraud. A county clerk in Colorado, Peters faces felony and misdemeanor charges including criminal impersonation, identity theft, first-degree official misconduct and failing to comply with the secretary of state. She is currently running to be secretary of state in Colorado. Reached for comment, event organizer Sophie Anderson said, I have no interest in contributing to a smear campaign. She added that Gableman is a hero. Anderson then requested questions in writing but did not immediately respond to them. The Utah events will be Gablemans next in a string of public appearances following the release of his second report. In the past two weeks, Gableman has appeared on podcasts or television shows with the Gateway Pundit, Tucker Carlson and Steve Bannon that have consistently cast doubt or provided a platform for people to cast doubt on the 2020 election results. Both the Gateway Pundit and Carlson, through his Fox affiliation, are targeted in defamation lawsuits regarding alleged wrongful claims about the 2020 election that they made or helped circulate. Gableman, who previously traveled to Arizona to observe that states widely criticized recount and to South Dakota for a symposium led by MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell, has had no shortage of election deniers working for him in his GOP-ordered review of Wisconsins 2020 election. Gableman also made a baseless claim at a pro-Donald Trump rally in 2020 that the election in Wisconsin had been stolen by bureaucrats. Joyce confirmed Monday that taxpayer money Gableman used to travel to South Dakota and to a Chippewa County Republican Party event will be deducted from his future payments. Documents revealed last year that Gableman had hired Andrew Kloster, a former member of the Trump administration, and Ron Heuer, the president of the Wisconsin Voter Alliance, which last year filed a lawsuit asking the Wisconsin Supreme Court to toss Wisconsins presidential election results and replace the will of voters with electors appointed by the states Republican-controlled Legislature. Records ordered to be released last week by a Dane County judge show Gableman has also had regular communications with Erick Kaardal, an attorney for the conservative Thomas More Society, and Harry Wait, president of the conservative group Honest Open Transparent Government. Kaardal is actively challenging the use of private election grants provided to the states five largest cities to help administer the 2020 election during the COVID-19 pandemic. While Gableman ramps up his call for decertifying the 2020 election, he faces a growing number of state lawmakers, including a handful of Republicans, urging him to wrap up the probe. I wish this whole 2020 election stuff would be done because we have to continue to look forward at 2022 and 2024, but we also have to make sure people have confidence in their elections and I think that falls on elected officials to push back against misinformation, Assembly Majority Leader Jim Steineke said in a Monday interview on the Wisconsin Eye program Newsmakers. Recounts, reviews and court decisions have affirmed that President Joe Biden defeated Trump by close to 21,000 votes in Wisconsin. 86 subpoenas Last week Gablemans office provided to Rep. Mark Spreitzer, D-Beloit, copies of 86 subpoenas. Spreitzer had requested the documents earlier this month. Niemierowicz wrote in an email to Spreitzer the list included in-state subpoenas that were served along with the out-of-state subpoenas that were signed by Vos. Vos name was misspelled twice in the email. Several of the subpoenas were issued to local and state election officials, the mayors of the states five largest cities and two companies that make vote-counting systems, Election Systems & Software and Dominion Voting Systems. Many of the subpoenaed parties have rejected Gablemans requests for in-person meetings or documents, while the former state Supreme Court justice has also withdrawn some requests, including one filed with immigrant rights group Voces de la Frontera Action. Other subpoenas for out-of-state entities were never actually issued and further underscore the broad and unusual scope of Gablemans review. Drafted subpoenas that were never served include those for organizations Gableman has long criticized as part of his review the Center for Tech and Civic Life, or CTCL, and the National Vote at Home Institute, including the groups consultant Michael Spitzer-Rubenstein. CTCL, a group largely funded by Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg to help administer the 2020 election, provided millions in private election grants to cities across the state funds that Republicans, including Gableman, have targeted 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. Other subpoenas drafted by Gableman targeted two Hyatt Regency hotel employees and an engineering director for Airbnb. Spreitzer, a member of the Assembly elections committee, described the list of subpoenas as a real fishing expedition. Its clear to me that theres no actual organized plan here, that they dont know what theyre looking for and at this point it seems like the litigation around some of these subpoenas is being used as an excuse for the new contract that Speaker Vos signed that will continue to waste more taxpayer dollars over the coming months, Spreitzer said last week. Vos recently signed a new contract extending Gablemans probe through April 30. Gablemans effort was originally planned to be completed last fall but failed to meet several deadlines. The new contract maintains Gablemans existing budget, but does allow for the possibility of added funds to cover the costs of multiple lawsuits related to the probe. The contract also stipulates that Gableman consult with Vos after the lawsuits are concluded to determine if the review should end or if additional investigation is warranted. We would all like it to end, quite frankly, but there are still some lawsuits out there, Steineke said of Gablemans review. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 File photo shows the White House and a stop sign in Washington DC, the United States. [Photo/Xinhua] Some US politicians and media outlets have repeatedly fabricated and spread false information to take advantage of the Ukraine crisis to smear China. This despicable behavior does not in any way cover up the United States' responsibility for the Ukraine crisis, which it has essentially engineered as a way to weaken Russia and tighten its grip on Europe. As a permanent member of the UN Security Council, China has always made its own judgments and it has expressed its views on the Ukraine crisis in an objective and impartial manner. It believes that the complicated historical causes of the frictions between Ukraine and Russia that the US has aggravated, exploited and lost control of cannot be resolved without a new European security mechanism that is not wedded to the divisions of the past. As the escalation of the fighting indicates, the US-led maximum pressure tactics, including imposing sanctions on Russia and providing weapons to Ukraine, only makes the situation worse. The most pressing task at present is to promote peace talks instead of pouring oil on the flames. China, as always, stands on the side of peace, cooperation, fairness and justice. It actively supports any effort that is conducive to easing tensions and securing a political settlement, and opposes any action to the contrary. That is why China, shouldering its responsibilities as a major country, is doing what it can to promote talks between the two warring parties and has been in close communication with various parties trying to help promote a consensus on the way to end the fighting and how to move forward. What China has been doing is the opposite of the malicious disinformation campaign Washington is waging against China and in stark contrast to the actions of the US, which, far removed from the consequences of its actions, continues to make trouble in its bid to profit from the crisis. China does not support the use of sanctions, since it believes that rather than being a solution to crises, they only serve to exacerbate them at the expense of people's livelihoods. Over the past 20 years, sanctions have been a weapon of choice for the US against various countries. Over that period, the unilateral sanctions imposed by the US have increased tenfold, according to data published by the US Treasury Department. The US imposed 3,800 sanctions on governments, individuals, organizations and market entities worldwide during the previous presidency. That's three new sanctions a day on average. That many other countries have refused to join the Western countries in sanctioning Russia reflects their sober judgment of the situation. The US is not in a position to dictate that China join its sanctions targeting Russia. That the US is smearing China for not doing so only exposes how it has been unable to exert control over the troubles it has orchestrated and how desperate it has become after realizing the dilemma it has created for itself. 1. Yes. Raising the bar for future developments will boost the citys housing market. 2. Yes. It will help in newer areas, but more needs to be done to change Killeens image. 3. No. The new standards will just slow down homebuilding and drive away developers. 4.No. The ordinance will do little more than drive up the price of new homes in the city. 5. Unsure. Its hard to say what the effect will be until they have been in place for a while. Vote View Results RTHK: Polish, Czech, Slovenian PMs meet Zelenskyy in Kyiv The Polish, Czech and Slovenian prime ministers met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv on Tuesday in the first visit by foreign leaders to Ukraine's besieged capital since Russia's attack on the country. The prime ministers, who arrived by train, sat round a table with their Ukrainian counterpart Denis Shmyhal and the Ukrainian president, who detailed the situation to them. "They are shelling everywhere. Not only Kyiv but also the western areas," Zelenskyy told them in comments translated into English, a video posted on his Telegram account showed. "We have to halt this tragedy unfolding in the East as quickly as possible," Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said in a post on Facebook announcing their arrival. Ukraine had the "unequivocal support" of the European Union, he added. Shmyhal earlier confirmed their arrival in a post on Twitter, saluting "the courage of true friends of Ukraine". He said their talks would focus on support for Ukraine and "strengthening sanctions against the Russian aggression". Morawiecki, Czech premier Petr Fiala and Slovenia's Prime Minister Janez Jansa, are visiting as "representatives" of the European Union, said an early statement from the Polish government. The visit comes as Russia pummels targets across Ukraine including Kyiv, which has nearly been encircled by Moscow's troops, and as Russia and Ukraine are due to resume talks to end the nearly three-week war. (AFP) This story has been published on: 2022-03-15. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Thank you for reading! Please purchase a subscription to read our premium content. If you have a subscription, please log in or sign up for an account on our website to continue. KEARNEY A man serving a prison sentence for robbing Kearneys Walgreens in 2005 has died in prison. Melvin Stamper, 53, died Sunday night at the Nebraska State Penitentiary in Lincoln. He was serving an 18- to 34-year sentence for two counts of robbery and possession of a deadly weapon by a felon in robberies in Kearney and North Platte. The cause of death hasnt been determined. As is the case whenever an inmate dies in the custody of the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services, a grand jury will conduct an investigation. In the late evening of June 23, 2005, Stamper, then of Montrose, Colo., entered Walgreens at 2516 Second Ave., pointed a handgun at a clerk and demanded cash. When the clerk opened the register, Stamper reached inside and took $240. Stamper then got into the passengers side of a dark-colored minivan and fled. The following day Kearney Police Department officers contacted Stamper and another man at 11th Street and Central Avenue following a report of unwanted men in the area. Stamper was wearing similar clothing to and had features similar to those of the suspects described in the robbery. Both men were arrested, although its unclear whether the second man was prosecuted. Stamper was sentenced to 8-14 years in prison for the Kearney robbery. He also was serving a 10- to 20-year sentence for robbery for a June 22, 2005, robbery of Kwik Stop in North Platte at the time of his death. @HubChic The statues original resting place was in the center of Kearneys busiest intersection at the time: Central Avenue and 25th Street, which at the time was the Lincoln Highway. Felipe Vazquez's mother Monday described conversations she had with her son about the 2020 shooting that took the life of Lincoln Police Officer Mario Herrera. "I asked him what happened, to tell me the truth," Adela Gonzalez, of Albuquerque, New Mexico, told the jury, her words translated from Spanish. As Vazquez's trial for first-degree murder, attempted first-degree assault on an officer and five other felonies moved into the second week, jurors heard from both of his parents. On Monday, his mother. Gonzalez, said her ex-husband, Epignio Vazquez, picked up Felipe for a summer vacation when he was 10 or 11 and never brought him back. Their divorce when he was about 3 had been hard on Felipe, she said. So she didn't report it when he took their son first to Colorado and then Nebraska. And she didn't have much contact with her son after. But after his arrest for the shooting at the age of 17, Gonzalez said she got video phone calls from him while he was in custody. He told her that on Aug. 26, 2020, police had surrounded his dad's house at North 33rd and Vine streets. She didn't know it, but police were looking for Velazquez on a felony warrant and he'd barricaded himself inside his stepbrother's bedroom. "He told me that he was afraid," Gonzalez said. "He broke a window with his hand, and he had to run away." She asked him why he didn't just come out and turn himself in. "And what did he say?" Lancaster County Attorney Pat Condon said. "That he was just afraid and wanted to run away," Gonzalez said. Vazquez told her he had a gun and fired it into the air. In fact, police say he fired three shots. One struck Herrera in the torso. He ultimately died from his wound on Sept. 7, 2020. Condon asked her about one recorded conversation. "He told you he didn't think the state could prove their case, correct?" he asked her. "Yes," she said. "And that he didn't intend to shoot the officer?" Condon continued. "That was not his intention. He didn't want to do it," Gonzalez said. "That's what he told you," Condon clarified. "Yes, correct," she said. In the end, that will be a question for the jury. The case continues in Platte County District Court where the trial was moved due to pretrial publicity. Reach the writer at 402-473-7237 or lpilger@journalstar.com. On Twitter @LJSpilger The University of Nebraska Board of Regents decision last month to eliminate the philosophy major at the University of Nebraska at Kearney falls in line with a trend that has been seen across the country. Steven Volk, the co-director of the Consortium on Teaching and Learning with Great Lakes Colleges Association an association of more than a dozen liberal arts colleges in Indiana, Michigan, Ohio and Pennsylvania noted that the percentage of humanities degrees has been declining since the early 2000s and especially since 2012. Volk, who is a professor of history emeritus at Oberlin College in Ohio, noted that less than 10% of all undergraduate degrees in 2020 were in the humanities. He added thats down by about 25% since 2012. Were seeing particularly sharp declines in four major areas. That would be in history, English, philosophy and art history, he said. The online publication Inside Higher Ed noted that Liberty University, Western Oregon University and Elizabethtown College have dropped philosophy as a major in recent years. The impending elimination of the major elicited a passionate response during public comments before the regents Feb. 11 vote. About half a dozen people, including Thomas Martin, a UNK philosophy professor, spoke against the move. Martin, who wrote an op-ed in The World-Herald after the vote, argued that the boards decision to eliminate the bachelor of arts degree in philosophy is further evidence of academia devaluing the humanities in favor of workforce development. In his op-ed, Martin said the number of credit hours a UNK undergraduate student must take in humanities courses has decreased from nine to three the equivalent of one class. To Martin, the de-emphasis on humanities courses makes for a servile future workforce that will not be conditioned to understand what it means to be human and navigate life and relationships accordingly. That, he said, puts the state and the nation on a path akin to perhaps the United States greatest historical rival. Were moving towards an education that the Soviet Union would have been proud of, he told The World-Herald. The student simply becomes a worker. (Its) all about careers, careers, careers. Youve learned a means of life, but you dont know what the ends of life are. The elimination of the philosophy major at UNK came down to the small number of graduates the program produced, said Charles Bicak, UNKs senior vice chancellor for academic and student affairs. According to documents provided to the regents, philosophy coursework will continue and a minor will still be offered. Its a decision that comes not without great thought, consideration and effort at improvement, Bicak said. Bicak added that current philosophy majors will be able to complete their degrees. At the regents meeting, NU President Ted Carter said UNK produced a five-year mean of 1.6 philosophy degrees. That number falls well short of the minimum mean of seven degrees as specified by Nebraskas Coordinating Commission for Postsecondary Education (CCPE). Some exceptions are in place for degrees that dont meet that criteria to remain viable at their respective universities, said Michael Baumgartner, CCPEs executive director. Those include whether the program meets a unique need in the state or region, whether it provides access to underserved populations and whether an interdisciplinary program is critical to the role and mission of the institution. But with the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and the University of Nebraska at Omaha also offering bachelors degrees in philosophy, the UNK philosophy program didnt enjoy those protections. Over the past five years, UNL has added liberal arts majors such as emerging media arts and acting while eliminating other majors such as classical languages and medieval and Renaissance studies. It also has added and eliminated various majors outside of liberal arts in that time frame, although most of the added majors appear to be outside of the liberal arts spectrum. The Nebraska State College System which consists of Chadron State College, Peru State College and Wayne State College actually has added four philosophy courses since 2012 for a total of 23 courses. Jodi Kupper, vice chancellor for academic planning and partnerships for the state college system, noted that while philosophy is offered only as a minor at member schools, students can combine those courses with other liberal arts courses in pursuit of an interdisciplinary/liberal arts degree. The state college system has awarded a five-year mean of 49 degrees in that field. Volk, with the Great Lakes Colleges Association, advocates integrating the moral and ethical questions posed by humanities courses such as philosophy into such programs as engineering and business. My way of thinking about this: How do we build much more integrated higher education futures that both connect to careers and employment but that (also) connect to humanity and the ethical issues that humans face within those fields? he said. That, I think, is a much more successful way than saying we have to have a philosophy major because its necessary. I would say we have to have philosophy because its necessary, he said. But it needs to be in every field and not just in philosophy." KEARNEY The Kearney Public Schools Board of Education adopted a revised English/language arts curriculum at its board meeting Monday. Superintendent Dr. Kent Edwards explained that it was a 15-month process to adopt the new English curriculum for the schools. The decision came down to two different curriculum, CKLA and SABIS. SABIS is somewhat similar to what we have, but its more on the art of reading as opposed to the science of reading, said Edwards. Board Secretary Alex Straatmann expressed his concerns with adopting the new curriculum because only one of the programs was piloted in KPS schools. Looking at the two and deciding to just pilot the one, I would have liked to have more data points in the district. I know that Grand Island and Lexington, LPS, use this curriculum but I would have liked to have had more date within our own district and how these pilot programs would have reflected each other, Straatmann said. Edwards went on to explain that one of the reasons the school district did not pilot SOVIS was because the pilot program began in the midst of the pandemic, and many teachers were too overwhelmed to take on the curriculum for a pilot program. The board approved the CKLA curriculum with a 5-1 vote. Straatmann voted against the adoption of the curriculum. The school will spend $425,900 to upgrade Chromebooks through PC Connection for fifth grade, ninth grade and elementary students for the 2022-23 school year. The school received multiple quotes from six vendors. Board member Kathy Gifford clarified that the upgrades are a planned part of the schools budget. Also during the meeting, the board approved the number of option-in students for the 2022-23 school year. The board approved the resolution that will allow 392 opt-in students for grades 7-12 and 577 opt-in students for grades K-6. There are no option-in openings for K-12 special education programs with KPS. In other business, the board: Accepted a bid of $217,895 from Springer Roofing of Kearney for the roofing project at Northeast Elementary School and a bid of $177,525 for the roofing project at Bright Futures. Accepted the resignations effective at the end of the 2021-22 school year for Tracy McCoy, early childhood/elementary special education coordinator; Breann Zimmer, agriculture teacher at Kearney High School; Kenda Olson, math teacher at Kearney High School; Kathy Everitt, Spanish teacher at Kearney High School; Erica Wood, language arts teacher at Kearney High School; Abby OConnor, fifth grade teacher at Northeast Elementary School; Taylor Shelton, sixth grade science teacher at Sunrise Middle School; and Savannah Brandt, math teacher at Kearney High School. Approved the employment for the 2022-23 school year of Mackenzie Burnham, family and consumer science teacher at Kearney High School; Alyssa Strong, sixth grade social studies teacher at Sunrise Middle School; Megan Peter, eighth grade social studies teacher at Sunrise Middle School; Brooke Boroff, social studies teacher at the Hanny Arram Center for Success; Janette Goure, eighth grade social studies teacher at Horizon Middle School; Jacob Zimbleman, sixth grade social studies teacher at Horizon Middle School; Ross Berggren, math teacher at Kearney High School; Amanda Rood, math teacher at the Hanny Arram Center for Success; Jacob Redman, social studies teacher at Kearney High School; Parker Humpal, fourth grade teacher at Meadowlark Elementary School; and Ana Rodriguez Trejo, art teacher at Sunrise Middle School. One of two suspects sought by police for a Jan. 8 homicide in La Crosse has been taken into custody. Karvel T. Freeman, 35, of Madison, was arrested March 9 in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, on a La Crosse County warrant. Freeman and Nelson D. Brown, 25, of Rockford, Illinois, are accused in the gunshot death of 36-year-old Ernest Knox during an after-bar party at a Rose Street apartment. Freeman and Brown both face charges of first-degree intentional homicide and second-degree recklessly endangering safety. Brown also faces felony charges of felon in possession of a firearm and bail jumping. Brown remains at-large. La Crosse police say his location remains unknown and that the investigation is active. Freeman is being held without bond as a fugitive from justice in the Rutherford County Jail in Tennessee. He has a court hearing set for March 30. Knox died of a single gunshot wound to the chest. According to a witness at the scene, Brown discharged the firearm after being signaled by Freeman. Anyone with information about Browns whereabouts is urged to call the La Crosse Police Department at 608-782-7575. Tips can anonymously be provided to the La Crosse Area Crime Stoppers at 608-784-TIPS (8477) or online at lacrossecrimestoppers.com. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Mayo Clinic Health System will host another virtual forum on the coronavirus next week, with community members invited to watch and submit questions. COVID-19: Whats New and Whats Next? will be held online at noon Wednesday, March 23. The forum will cover whether the drop in COVID cases is likely to continue, if we are moving toward an endemic, the latest medication and treatments, and a psychological perspective of the pandemic. Wisconsin dairy and corn and soybean farmers have been benefiting from higher commodity prices, which continue as farmers prepare for spring planting, says Wisconsin Farmers Union Vice President Darin Von Ruden of rural Westby. He and his wife, JoAnn, and their son, Brett, have about 120 cattle on their beef and organic dairy farm, including about 50 milking cows. They also raise corn, barley and alfalfa, all as feed for the cattle. The Von Rudens own 230 acres and rent another 125 acres. In talking with farmers, I think overall that dairy (farmers) had an average year last year, Von Ruden said in an interview in early February on his farm. I talked with some who had been struggling. Some of the government payments that came out last year helped get them over the top and to be able to actually make a few dollars, Von Ruden said. So that was a positive sign, although wed like to receive (income) from the marketplace versus getting a subsidy from the government. With current milk prices, Von Ruden said, It looks like theyll at least be up to cost-of-production levels. But what will input costs look like? Von Ruden noted that corn and soybeans are inputs for the dairy industry, and prices of those two commodities have gone up. If corn and soybean farmers are doing good, it usually means that dairy farmers are struggling a little bit, Von Ruden said. The biggest concern for corn and soybean farmers probably is the rising cost of fertilizer, he said. Fertilizer prices have been on a steady increase over the last six or seven months or so. Its been nice having a price thats covering your costs anyway, Von Ruden said of the prices that corn and soybean farmers have seen for their commodities. Overall, it certainly is going to help pay down the debt from the previous six or seven years of lower prices. But its going to take another two or three years of (good) prices for corn and soybeans to really get back to an even playing field. The outlook for beef and pork producers isnt quite as bright, partly because of higher costs for the corn and soybeans used for livestock feed. Von Ruden is optimistic about the outlook for his familys farming operation in 2022. Right now everything is looking good, he said. We had decent moisture going into last fall, and weve had snowfall in the winter. The forecast (for Wisconsin weather) is for somewhat average rainfall, Von Ruden said. So hopefully that will help with getting the crops in the ground and getting them growing. Probably the biggest concern that most farmers have right now is input costs. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 The bipartisan Wisconsin Elections Commission has unanimously denied a complaint seeking sanctions against the 10 Republicans, including a member of the commission, who signed paperwork attempting to hand Wisconsins Electoral College votes to President Donald Trump. The complaint was filed more than a year ago by Jeffrey Mandell, an attorney with the liberal law firm Law Forward, and alleged the Republicans committed fraud when they met at the Capitol on Dec. 14, 2020, to sign official-looking documents purporting that Trump had won the state. The meeting of Republicans occurred following advice from attorneys with close ties to Trump. Documents have underscored efforts by those in Trumps inner circle to circumvent the Electoral College process in several states, including Wisconsin, following the 2020 election, despite recounts and court decisions affirming that President Joe Biden defeated Trump in the battleground state by almost 21,000 votes. Mandell received a letter Tuesday from the Wisconsin Department of Justice indicating that all six members of the commission, including Republican appointee Robert Spindell, who was one of the 10 Republicans who signed the documents, had dismissed the complaint in a March 9 closed session. The Complainants argument that the Respondents were not electors presumes the outcome of the state procedures, attorneys for the commission wrote in a memo. And as noted above, Wisconsin law does not prohibit an alternative set of electors from meeting. The commission concluded Mandells complaint does not raise a reasonable suspicion that the respondents violated Wisconsin election law, according to the letter. Mandell said he was disappointed in the commissions decision, but even more so that Spindell was allowed to vote on the matter. Spindell participated in this decision, and that is just egregious, Mandell said. It is contrary to every elementary principle of justice that someone gets to be the judge on whether their own conduct was lawful. I think thats pretty crazy and deeply disappointing. Mandell could appeal the commissions decision in circuit court, but said he is weighing his options at this point. From the outset, our goal has been to shed light on this travesty, seek accountability for the fraudulent electors & ensure this never happens again in WI, Mandell tweeted. That project continues. Were actively pursuing numerous avenues for accountability. Our work on this is far from done. Law Forward also filed a complaint with the Milwaukee County District Attorneys Office and another with the Office of Lawyer Regulation, the agency that handles complaints against lawyers, against former chair of the state Republican Party Andrew Hitt, who also signed the paperwork. The U.S. Department of Justice is also looking into the matter. The Republicans have said the meeting occurred based on legal advice and was done to preserve their legal options amid litigation surrounding the election. Others to sign the documents in Wisconsin include 8th Congressional District GOP chair Kelly Ruh; 1st Congressional District GOP vice chair Carol Brunner; Dane County Republican Party chair Scott Grabins; La Crosse County Republican Party chair Bill Feehan; 5th Congressional District GOP chair Kathy Kiernan; 6th Congressional District GOP chair Darryl Carlson; 1st Congressional District GOP vice chair Pam Travis; and Mary Buestrin, vice chair of the Midwest region for the Republican National Committee. Spindell said in a text message Tuesday the documents were signed following legal guidance from the Republican Party of Wisconsin and Trump campaign, and doing so was necessary to preserve Trumps record and the (Partys) position in these many federal and state cases swirling around (Wisconsin) at the time. It would have been malpractice on the part of any attorneys not to have the Trump campaign & RPW take all steps to preserve its record and options, Spindell wrote. Hitt and Ruh were subpoenaed earlier this year by the U.S. House committee investigating the insurrection attempt at the U.S. Capitol. The committee subpoenaed individuals in six other states where similar documents were signed. The committee is examining whether Republicans were trying to present Vice President Mike Pence with conflicting slates of electors so that he could have thrown the election to a House vote that would have handed the election to Trump, something Pence refused to do. The meeting of Wisconsin Republicans occurred on the same day that the Democratic slate of Wisconsin electors convened in the same building to deliver the states 10 electoral votes to President-elect Biden. It also occurred after the Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled that Biden had won the election and a month after Wisconsin county clerks canvassed the presidential election results. Hitt said in a statement he had no illusions the actions we took as Republican electors in December of 2020 were going to change the rightful result of the election either in Wisconsin or nationally. We simply gathered on the advice of legal counsel to ensure all options were preserved in case of a court decision favorable to the Trump legal team in ongoing litigation, Hitt said. I assumed, correctly, our paperwork would be ignored, as it should be, absent a court decision finding legitimate cause to declare President Trump won Wisconsin. Love 0 Funny 1 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 2 Passenger Coffee, which operates out of downtown Lancaster, has recently been named the best coffee shop in Pennsylvania, according to a recent report from Food & Wine magazine. Writer David Landsel highlighted one coffee shop per state, singing Passenger's praises in his writeup. "There are states where the top pick will be a welcome find if you ever find yourself there, and then there is Pennsylvania, where Passenger Coffee is not only one of the best roasters in the entire country, but also one of the friendliest and most accessible," writes Landsel. This isn't the first year Passenger Coffee has been awarded Food & Wine magazine's best coffee shop in Pennsylvania; the cafe was also deemed the best in the state in 2018 and 2019. Passenger has two locations in Lancaster city: its coffee and tea room at 7 W. King St. and at its roastery at 131 N. Plum St. Both cafes are open daily from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. "At either location, you will find yourself in wonderfully capable, well-trained hands, and in the perfect environment to sample their precise, exciting coffees, which are now served in better shops all over the country, and sometimes beyond," Landsel writes. "Worth a visit from anywhere." For more information about Passenger Coffee, and the types of coffee and tea it offers, visit passengercoffee.com. The Alzheimers Association Greater Pennsylvania Chapter and the YMCA of the Roses are collaborating to provide classes, support, care for those impacted by Alzheimers in Lancaster and York counties. The partnership will give the association a broader reach into the community to help with greater awareness on the importance of brain health. Some of the classes which will be new to the YMCA but have been taught by the association include the 10 Warning Signs of Alzheimers and understanding Alzheimers and Dementia. In-person classes will resume in April. YMCA staff are expected to under training this month to become community educators to lead these classes. As part of the partnership, the organizations will hold a forum at a date to be determined in late summer in York County to identify community needs to, among other things, develop education programs and support groups. The YMCA of the Roses has been serving south central Pennsylvania for 168 years, Cori Strathmeyer, director of Healthy Living for the YMCA of the Roses, said in a statement. Through programs and partnerships, we help individuals and families improve their health and wellbeing. YMCA of the Roses was created when the Lancaster Family YMCA merged with the YMCA of York and York County in December. More than 6 million Americans live with Alzheimers disease, including about 280,000 in Pennsylvania, according to the association. Roughly 11 million Americans serve as caregivers, more than 500,000 in Pennsylvania alone. The Alzheimers Association is a voluntary organization dedicated to Alzheimers care, support and research. For more information, visit https://www.alz.org/. Editor's note: An early version of this story did not include the full amount of restitution sought. A Lancaster city man pleaded guilty Monday in Lancaster County Court to causing around $63,000 in damage to government property during protests following a fatal police shooting here in September 2020. Christopher Vazquez, 33, was one of about 20 people charged in the county following protests of the Minneapolis police killing of George Floyd and the shooting here of Ricardo Munoz, 27, outside his Laurel Street home. The shooting was later determined to have been justified. Of those arrested locally, Vazquezs case is one of about a half-dozen so far that have been resolved. His case also involved some of the most serious charges. During protests at the scene of the Sept. 13, 2020, shooting of Munoz, Vazquez threw bricks at a Pennsylvania State Police SUV, then lit an umbrella on fire and put it inside, according to police. Later, downtown, he threw bricks at the police station front door. Vazquez then threw bricks at the front door of the post office on West Chestnut Street, police said, and at vehicles registered to the Lancaster Parking Authority in the first block of West Orange Street. Vazquez pleaded guilty Monday before Judge Margaret Miller to two counts each of riot and reckless burning both third-degree felonies two counts of disorderly conduct, four counts of institutional vandalism and one count of failure to disperse. Vazquez will be sentenced after a background investigation. Prosecutors are also seeking about $63,000 in restitution. He remains in Lancaster County Prison. A message left Monday for Vazquezs attorney was not immediately returned. The prosecution declined comment on the plea until sentencing. Other protester cases About a dozen defendants charged following the 2020 protests are still awaiting trial. They include Dylan Davis and Jessica Lopez, along with Matthew Modderman, an LNP | LancasterOnline employee. Davis is charged with riot, dangerous burning and related offenses, while Lopez is charged with riot and related offenses. Modderman is charged with blocking traffic and related offenses. About a half-dozen cases have been resolved. They include three members of Green Dreamz, a self-described non-profit civil rights group. Carlos Jimenez Jr., Alaak Deu and Justin Pitt pleaded guilty last June to blocking traffic during a protest in Columbia. They were each fined $100 and ordered to pay prosecution costs. And Julio Torres is serving four years of probation after pleading guilty in January 2021 to aggravated assault, resisting arrest and disorderly conduct. Torres prompted the countys president judge to notify the public that Torres said he was positive for COVID-19 when he was arrested. Torres attorney said it was a misunderstanding, attributing it to Torres being soft-spoken. Torres is also serving a four-year probation sentence after pleading guilty in July 2021 to robbing a Greenfield Inn employee in June 2019. Torres punched and choked the victim and gouged his eye after the man confronted Torres going through his car, police said. East Lampeter police charged Torres with the robbery while he was in prison on the protest-related charges after DNA testing on the robbery victims bloodied shirt was linked to Torres. A 21-year-old man has been charged with the shooting death of another man at a Lancaster city gas station Monday night. Carlos Almanzar-Torres, of Lancaster, was charged with criminal homicide and recklessly endangering another person. Almanzar-Torres shot 19-year-old Damian Santiago following a fight at an A-Plus Sunoco gas station at 111 West Orange Street near North Prince Street at 10:17 p.m., Lancaster city police said in a news release. Investigators determined Almanzar-Torres and Santiago encountered each other at the gas station and began fighting. Almanzar-Torres pulled a handgun from his jacket pocket, chased Santiago around the inside of the store and shot him in the right shoulder, police said. Santiago collapsed inside the store. Almanzar-Torres told police he approached Santiago to shoot him again, but instead punched him as many as four times. Two store employees were "in close proximity" to Almanzar-Torres when he fired the gun, according to the news release. Police did not say how many shots were fired. Almanzar-Torres left the scene and turned himself in at the Lancaster City Police Station about an hour later, telling police "his anger got the best of him," according to an affidavit of probable cause. Investigators determined Almanzar-Torres and Santiago knew each other and that the incident was not random. A court docket states Almanzar-Torres was arraigned on his charges Tuesday morning and is currently in Lancaster County Prison after being denied bail by Judge Jodie Richardson. He will face a preliminary hearing before Richardson on March 25. An attorney was not listed for Almanzar-Torres in the docket. Worshipers and community members gathered Monday night at Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Columbia to reflect on and pray for those affected by the war in Ukraine. The event was organized by the Columbia Area Ministerium of Churches. Close Baltimore City Police Department forensic officers investigate shooting on the sidewalk outside of Dunbar High School. The school system confirmed that a young man was shot in the leg outside of the building. "We are currently investigating," according to spokesman Andre Riley. (Kenneth K. Lam/Baltimore Sun) An 18-year-old was injured Tuesday afternoon in a shooting outside Paul Laurence Dunbar High School in East Baltimore, police said. Some students were standing outside the gym near the 1400 block of Orleans Street on Tuesday afternoon around 3:21 p.m., when a group of individuals approached them, according to the Baltimore Police. Advertisement An unknown person pulled out a firearm and shot a young man who attends the school in his leg, police said. The victim was taken to an area hospital with a non-life-threatening injury, they said. It was not immediately clear whether the shooter was affiliated with the school, police added. Advertisement The incident drew the attention Police Commissioner Michael Harrison and Mayor Brandon Scott, both of whom condemned the attack. We will be vigilant ... in tracking down these individuals who saw it fit to be so cowardly and hazardous to come on school grounds to shoot a student right outside the school building, Scott said. This is something as a city, a community, we cannot accept. The mayor called on community members to check in on friends and family who are tied to the school. Authorities are working with the Johns Hopkins University and the Maryland Transit Authority to review security cameras in the area in hopes of identifying a suspect. Eastern District detectives are asking anyone with information to call 410-396-2433 or to leave an anonymous tip with Metro Crime Stoppers at 1-866-7Lockup. A new Pennsylvania law protects your right to be informed about what issues government officials plan to deliberate or act upon at public meetings. That means you get a heads-up that township supervisors might OK a cellphone tower behind your house. Or that the county could raise your taxes. Or that your school district is preparing to lay off teachers. Act 65 of 2021 requires government agencies to make meeting agendas available to the public at least 24 hours before a meeting. The law that took effect Aug. 29 and was sponsored by state Sen. Patrick J. Stefano, R-Fayette/Somerset/Westmoreland, also says that, with exceptions including emergencies or to take up insignificant matters, an agency may not take official action on an item not listed once the agenda has been finalized and made available to the public. This update to the Pennsylvania Sunshine Act, which protects the publics right to attend all meetings of government agencies where agency business is discussed or acted upon, is an example of the open government championed during Sunshine Week. Sponsored by the News Leaders Association, this years observance from March 13-19 also underscores the importance of what access to public information means to you, your family, your community and our democracy. The Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association worked with Stefano on the agenda legislation. The official trade organization for print, digital and news media-related members statewide, the association seeks to promote transparency and access to government records and activity. The Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association actively works on improvements to the Right-to-Know Law, which guarantees your right to access and obtain copies of public records held by government agencies. Last year, the association testified at three legislative hearings focused on problems our newspapers have encountered with the Right-to-Know Law. The open government and freedom of information advocated by Sunshine Week and brought to life through legislative efforts like those by Stefano are rooted in this nations beginnings The liberties of a people never were, nor ever will be, secure, when the transactions of their rulers may be concealed from them, Founding Father Patrick Henry warned in 1788. However, enduring government accountability and transparency, as well as citizen participation, are not easily and absolutely achieved. The Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association and its members continue to oppose legislative efforts to remove public notices from newspapers of general circulation. These notices, required by law, inform the public of proposed government actions, as well as meetings for which agendas are now required. Public notices must remain in newspapers and on their websites they are also on the associations publicnoticepa.com website to reach the widest audience. In an article for The Conversation (theconversation.com) at the beginning of the pandemic, University of Arizona School of Journalism Director David Cuillier wrote of instances in which citizens were kept out of public meetings, were refused records requests and were stopped from getting information about how officials were handling the coronavirus. In Pennsylvania, virtual public meetings that became the norm in the height of the pandemic increased attendance and participation. However, remotely conducted meetings were also bedeviled by technical difficulties that diminished citizens ability to watch and hear what was happening and to publicly comment. Some people were completely shut out of meetings, which resulted in Sunshine Act violations. Others could not participate due to lack of, or deficient, internet service, an issue that plagues wide swaths of the state and cuts across many demographics. Now the state Legislature is discussing which of the meeting protocols launched during the pandemic will be changed as the Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association works to ensure meaningful access. The commonwealths Disease Prevention and Control Law enacted in 1955 to protect those who contracted syphilis from public stigma has long given the state Department of Health unchecked discretion to determine what infectious disease and community health records, if any, will be released to the public. To date, no public records requester citizen, legislator or journalist has overcome the laws confidentiality provisions. This needs to change. Legislation sponsored by state Rep. Craig Staats, R-Bucks, would make disease and community health information under the 1955 law subject to the Right-to-Know Law without threatening to expose private health records. The Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association strongly supports state House Bill 1893. Last fall, the bill passed the House and is now in the Pennsylvania Senate. Access to COVID-19 or other infectious disease and public health information not only helps the public to better understand, prepare for and respond to disease outbreaks, but it also holds government accountable for its actions, or lack thereof. Research suggests that access to government information is indeed essential for our health and well-being, Cuillier, who is also president of the National Freedom of Information Coalition, wrote in The Conversation piece. Studies have shown that making government information open leads to cleaner drinking water, safer restaurant food, less corruption, and more confidence in government. James Hamilton, the Stanford economist, has found that for every $1 spent by news organizations on public records-based investigative reporting, the public derives $287 in benefits, Cuillier wrote. The free flow of information makes for a better society and a better economy. Its a smart return on investment. Pennsylvania news organizations work tirelessly to keep their communities informed. To that end, transparency laws are an essential journalistic tool that fosters citizen engagement, good government and better communities across Pennsylvania. Brad Simpson is president of the Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association. Jazzy Jam for Empowerments Yes! Thats My Dress! Event On March 26, 2022 Pasadena non-profit Jazzy Jams For Empowerment will be hosting a community event, Yes! Thats My Dress! A prom dress pop-up giveaway designed to get young women of color prepared the 2022 prom season. Jazzy Jams For Empowerment (JJE) is an organization that has been working to benefit black communities for years. Founded by Jacqueline Snell, President, this organization was designed to sponsor support and bring out immense change in communities for people of color. Snell, a Pasadena Native, realized the need for community building and support when her daughter first entered the Pasadena Unified School District (PUSD). ADVERTISEMENT Id lived in Pasadena my entire life and realized that my daughter wasnt receiving the same resources that I had in school, she told the Los Angeles Sentinel. This put a fire in Snell to start her own program to benefit young members of the community. She started by working to implement creative, hands-on education opportunities that promote healthier lifestyles. She also worked with Councilwoman Jacque Robinson to put on concerts to provide Pasadena schools with new resources such as computers for learning computer science. It was during the COVID-19 pandemic when Snell started to see bigger problems surrounding mental health within black communities. She stated that with so much sickness and unrest amongst black people. I had to revamp JJE, turning into 501-c3, to better serve the people in the mental sector. This led to the Yes! Thats My Dress! Event. Jacqueline partnered up with JJE Director of Marketing, Teanna Ross, to set up this prom pop-up. Ross has been doing these events since 2017 with different organizations and was excited to bring this annual event of hers to JJE. Ross was influenced to put on these events while building her own community of black women after the birth of her son. When I was growing up in Pasadena, there were many community resources designed just for girls that had a huge impact on my life, Ross said through teary eyes. I was building a community that offered me so much support during the struggles I had after my sons birth, and I just wanted to give that back. I realized I needed to be the change I wanted to see. This prom pop-up is a FREE event, where girls [high school juniors and seniors] will be able to receive completely new dresses from Macys and the Macys Gives program. AT&T Pioneers and Beccas Closet have also partnered with JJE to donate completely new dresses. JJE is hoping to serve about 150 girls with dresses as well as new shoes from them wear on their big day. They also admitted to the Los Angeles Sentinel that they have a few surprises up their sleeve for event attendees. With teenaged black women having the highest suicide rates today, JJE has vowed to touch base on the organizations dedication of implementing better mental health services to communities of color. They have brought on counselors and therapist as a way to support and encourage young girls during their transitional high school experiences. Therapist and Counselors will also in attendance to provide services for parents. ADVERTISEMENT We want to shower the community with positive, uplifting gifts with our connection centered event. We will fill these girls up with words of affirmation with hopes to boost their self-esteem, while providing them with mental health serves to stop the stigma of mental health and mental health awareness, said Ross. Snell then continued to say that the African American community lacks a foundation of mental health. JJE wants to really acknowledge the importance of the mental because we feel that the mental brain effects all that we do. We cannot attain to understand who we are if we dont know who we are, so we work to encourages health and a healthy lifestyle and encourage self-esteemespecially with African American children. It really starts at the root! When asked whats next for Jazzy Jam For Empowerment, the President stated that they are looking to do an event for young men next. We dont discriminate. We are currently looking for ways to better service young men of color, and hopefully will do another drive for them next year around this same time. The Yes! Thats My Dress! Event will be on March 26th at The Westin Pasadena (191 N. Los Robles Ave. Pasadena, CA 91101) from 12:00 PM to 4:00 PM. For more information about Jazzy Jam For Empowerment or the event visit http://www.jazzyjamforempowerment.org. Registration for the event is required for attendance. To register for the event visit https://bit.ly/JazzyJamPasadena. Tuesday, March 15, 2022 NBC News and the New York Times provide an update on an interesting removal case. Manny Arora, attorney for Anna "Delvey" Sorokin, said yesterday that he has not heard from the infamous socialite scammer who posed as a German heiress. He assumes that she is being deported to Germany after nearly a year in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody. ICE did not respond to a request for comment. Sorokin was the subject of the Netflix series "Inventing Anna." She served about four years in prison after found guilty of a variety of criminal charges. "Sorokin falsely claimed to be a German heiress named Anna Delvey who had a $60 million inheritance and was raising funds to launch a Manhattan social club. She swindled hundreds of thousands of dollars from friends, banks and New York City luxury hotels to float her lavish lifestyle. Continue reading" KJ https://lawprofessors.typepad.com/immigration/2022/03/fake-heiress-anna-sorokin-of-inventing-anna-has-likely-been-deported-her-immigration-attorney-says.html Major school districts around the United States are permitting students to attend class without face coverings for the first time in nearly two years. The rules relating to face coverings, or masks, have caused fights among educators, school boards and parents throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. New York City is the largest school district in the country. It ended its mask requirement on March 7. Philadelphia lifted its school mask requirement on March 9. It joined other big cities such as Houston and Dallas that made similar moves in the past week. Chicago schools ended their mask requirement Monday. Parents, teachers and school leaders all must balance the new rules. Some families are happy that their children no longer have to wear masks. But others say they are still worried and are urging their children to continue wearing face coverings for now. Educators are caught in the middle. In Anchorage, Alaska, top school official Deena Bishop says lifting the mandate in the citys nearly 100 public schools was a welcome change. She said there were months of arguments over masks. So Im glad that weve taken that fight awayand now we can go back to focus on learning, Bishop said. Falling COVID-19 infection rates and new federal health recommendations are leading states to drop the requirements. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently issued new guidelines saying most healthy Americans, including students, can safely stop wearing masks. But those who disagree about ending school mask requirements often point to low vaccination rates among American children. Only about 25 percent of children ages 5 to 11 have been fully vaccinated against the coronavirus. Just 58 percent of children ages 12 to 17 are vaccinated, the CDC says. New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Illinois and Delaware recently lifted their statewide school mask requirements. New Jersey and Rhode Island officially dropped theirs last Monday. California, Oregon and Washington all dropped their statewide mandates on March 12. In many places, the decisions are being made at the local school district level. Officials in many large cities, such as Boston, Los Angeles and Washington, D.C., have said they will keep mask rules for now. Officials say that could change if vaccination rates rise among their students or if they can reach agreements with teachers unions. Unions have been strong supporters of keeping the mask requirements in place. Chicago schools announced last week that masks will no longer be required starting March 14. The city's teachers union then promised to take officials to court. They said the move will break an agreement with the district to keep the mask rule through the end of the school year. In New York City, elementary school student Jack Jalaly stopped wearing his mask when they became optional. For children, its really great because you can see the way words are pronounced and you can see spellings, said Jack's mother, Andrea. But third-grad student Derrick Carter-Jacob kept his mask on even after New York removed the requirement. Leave it on. Theres no reason for him to take it off until basically everybody is safe, said his parent, Michael Jacob. John Bracey is a Latin teacher at Belmont High School near Boston, Massachusetts. He said he will keep wearing his mask through the end of the academic year, even if district officials decide to end the mandate. I have major concerns on so many levels, Bracey said. I just cant find a public health or moral justification for removing them. Melissa Bello is a parent in Needham, Massachusetts, outside Boston. She said her two children were among those who happily removed their masks last week. She said her 8-year-old son has hearing loss and has had trouble understanding what people are saying when they wear masks. Hes working harder every day in school and coming home more tired, Bello said. Theres not enough consideration for those kinds of tradeoffs in these mask mandates. Im Dan Novak. Dan Novak adapted this story for VOA Learning from reporting by The Associated Press. Quiz- Face Covering Requirements End, But Some US Parents Are Worried Start the Quiz to find out Start Quiz ____________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story district n. an area established by a government for official government business focus v. to direct your attention or effort at something specific mandate n. an official order to do something optional adj. available as a choice but not required justification n. an acceptable reason for doing something consideration n. the act of thinking carefully about something you will make a decision about People who make products by hand in Kenya, known as artisans, are concerned about competition from similar goods coming from China. Thousands of people are known for making items they sell at a large market in Nairobi. Njoroge Macharia makes stoves, known as jikos in the local language, Swahili. He said similar stoves coming from China are hurting his business because they are less costly. Those from China are not better than ours. Ours are really good, said Macharia, who has made stoves for 40 years. Data show Kenya imported nearly $4 billion of goods from China in 2021, but sent out only $1.5 billion to Asia. Magdalen Vivi sells kitchen items. She said non-stick pots that come from outside of Kenya are more popular than the steel or aluminum pots and pans made in Kenya. She said she has not seen non-stick items made in Kenya. A study by the African Union shows that Africa is one of Chinas largest markets. Mary Wambui is one shopper who said she prefers the less costly items from China. Every time you come here, there is something new that has come up, she said. Wohoro Ndhoho is an economics expert in Kenya. He said a lack of automation technology means most products made by Kenyans are handmade. That means for a product like a bread pan, it takes a Kenyan one hour to make the pan. In the same hour, a Chinese factory can make 1,000, he said. The national organization that represents artisans who sell their goods at Kenyas markets says the imports from China are hurting the countrys economy. Charles Kalomba is secretary-general of the organization. He said the people he represents make high-quality stoves that save energy. The stoves coming from China may look the same, but they are a little different. Kenyan leaders are hoping to negotiate a trade agreement that will permit more sales to China. Wilfred Marube is the leader of Kenyas export promotion and branding agency. He said China and Kenya made an agreement in January to work together. Now the two nations are working to find a way to open Chinas market to Kenyan agricultural products. One person who is looking forward to more sales to China is Tiku Shah, who sells high-quality frozen avocados. Shah said the challenge for Kenya is to increase the number of avocados it can grow and send to China and its 1.4 billion people. A lot of us are not ready for that scale of business, Shah said. It's a big business on a big scale. It requires a lot of investment, and it requires a very dedicated market focus." In 2020, China ranked 11th on the list of Kenyas export destinations, says national data. With the new agreements, Kenya hopes to see China rise on that list. Im Dan Friedell. VOAs Victoria Amunga wrote this story. Dan Friedell adapted it for Learning English. Do you think your country could use avocados from Kenya? Let us know. Write to us in the Comments Section and visit our Facebook page. Words in This Story kitchen n. the place in the home where food is prepared automation n. the act of running something like a factory or a machine using machines or robots instead of people promote v. to make people aware of something, such as a new product brand n. a category of products made by a certain company or producers avocado n. a fruit with rough dark green or purple skin, smooth light green flesh, and a large seed in the middle often used before another noun scale n. the size of something in relation to something else dedicated adj. having very strong support or loyalty to a cause or plan focus n. the act of paying attention to something Three European prime ministers visited Kyiv on Tuesday. The prime ministers of neighboring Poland, Czechia and Slovenia came to Ukraine by train for the first such visit by foreign leaders since the Russian invasion. "It is our duty to be where history is forged. Because it's not about us, but about the future of our children who deserve to live in a world free from tyranny," said Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki. Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala and Janez Jansa of Slovenia joined him on the trip. Fiala said the visit was to show complete support of the entire European Union for the sovereignty and independence of Ukraine." Explosions, fires in Kyiv The European leaders arrived in a city still under Russian attack. Buildings were burning and workers were trying to save civilians from the damaged remains. Around half of the 3.4 million people who call Kyiv home have fled. Those who stayed are sheltering in underground stations. On Tuesday, several powerful explosions rocked Kyiv in the early morning hours. A tall building was burning after being struck by artillery. Firefighters tried to put out the fire and rescue workers helped those trapped inside. Yesterday we extinguished one fire, today another. It is very difficult, said a firefighter who gave Associated Press reporters only his first name, Andriy. People are dying, and the worst thing is that children are dying," he said. "They havent lived their lives and they have already seen this. Sitting on the ground outside, Igor Krupa said he survived because he had slept under a shelter of furniture and metal weights. He told Reuters, "All the windows went out and all the debris went into the apartment." Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russian artillery hit four buildings in Kyiv and killed several people. He called on Russian troops to surrender. "You will not take anything from Ukraine. You will take lives," he said. "But why should you die? What for? I know that you want to survive." Around the country In Mariupol, Russian forces have surrounded the city of 430,000 people for weeks. Local officials estimate the weeks-long attack has killed more than 2,300 people there and left survivors without food, water, heat and medicine. Mariupol city officials reported that 2,000 civilian cars were able to leave along a humanitarian pathway. The pathway runs for more than 260 kilometers west to the city of Zaporizhzhia. They said another 2,000 cars were waiting to leave. In the east, Russian forces launched more than 60 strikes overnight on Ukraines second-largest city, Kharkiv. Local administration chief Oleh Sinehubov said the strikes hit the citys historical center, including the main marketplace. He said buildings were still burning as rescuers pulled several bodies from the ruins of destroyed apartment buildings. In the western Ukrainian city of Rivne, officials said 19 people had been killed in a Russian airstrike on a television tower. If confirmed, it would be the worst attack on a civilian target so far in the northwestern part of the country. In the southern city of Mykolaiv, airstrikes killed nine people on Sunday. People prepared food for soldiers who were waiting for another round of attacks. We are bombed during the day and during the night, said Svetlana Gryshchenko, whose soldier son was killed in the fighting. Its a nightmare what Russia is doing on the territory of Ukraine. The United Nations says nearly 3 million people have fled Ukraine since the start of the war. Protests of the war The war has led to a complete ban on all independent media and free speech in Russia. But an employee of Russias state TV Channel One entered a live news broadcast late on Monday and held up an anti-war sign. Stop the war. No to war, she said. The broadcaster then cut to a different report. The independent group OVD-Info said the woman, Marina Ovsyannikova, was quickly arrested. She is one of the nearly 15,000 people who have been arrested for protesting what the Russian government describes as a special military operation. I'm Ashley Thompson. Hai Do adapted this story for Learning English based on Reuters and Associated Press reporting. _______________________________________________________ Words in This Story forge - v. to form or create tyranny - n. cruel and unfair treatment by people with power over others extinguish - v. to stop something from burning debris - n. pieces that are left after something has been destroyed nightmare - n. a very bad dream American and Chinese officials met to discuss Chinas support for Russia in its invasion of Ukraine Monday. The meeting followed reports that Russia had asked for Chinese military equipment and help to avoid Western economic measures. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan met with Chinas senior diplomat Yang Jiechi in Rome. He said the United States was concerned that China is using the war to advance its own interest. Before the meeting, Sullivan warned China to avoid helping Russia overcome the effects of the international sanctions. We will not allow that to go forward, he said. The possibility of China offering Russia financial help is one of several concerns for President Joe Biden. A U.S. official said that Russia had also requested Chinese military equipment to continue its war with Ukraine. Russia has seen large losses of tanks, helicopters and other equipment since the start of the war more than two weeks ago. The smaller Ukraine army is equipped with anti-tank and anti-aircraft missiles. Russia on Monday denied it needed Chinas help. No, Russia has its own potential to continue the operation, which, as we have said, is unfolding in accordance with the plan and will be completed on time and in full, said Dmitry Peskov. He is President Vladimir Putins spokesman. The Biden administration is also accusing China of spreading Russian disinformation. There is fear that the disinformation could be used to justify a possible Russian attack using chemical or biological weapons. Russias invasion of Ukraine has put China in a difficult position with two of its biggest trading partners: the U.S. and the European Union. China needs those markets. Yet it also has shown support for Russia saying the countries share a friendship with no limits. Before the talks, Sullivan said he would be looking for limits in what China will do for Russia. What I can tell you is we are communicating directly and privately to Beijing that there absolutely will be consequences" if China helps Russia get past the sanctions, he said. He was speaking on American television. On Monday, the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said The U.S. has been spreading disinformation targeting China recently over the Ukraine issue. It is malicious. Zhao also said that all parties should cool down. Im Susan Shand. The Associated Press reported this story. Susan Shand adapted it for Learning English. ____________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story advance - v. to move forward sanctions - n. an action that is taken or an order that is given to force a country to obey international laws by limiting or stopping trade with that country, by not allowing economic aid for that country allow - v. permit potential n. capable of becoming real accordance n. n a way that agrees with or follows consequence n. something that happens as a result of a particular action or set of conditions malicious adj. having or showing a desire to cause harm to another person We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section, and visit our Facebook page. 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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. Some state government jobs will no longer require applicants to have a four-year college degree under a new initiative announced by Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan Tuesday to expand job opportunities. Thousands of state jobs in every department will be open to applicants with relevant experience and training, particularly in the information technology, administrative and customer-service sectors, which previously required a college degree. The workforce development initiative comes as the state is experiencing a record number of job vacancies, which is creating issues across state agencies, according to the Department of Legislative Services. Advertisement The state has more than 8,600 vacant positions within the executive branch. The Maryland Department of Health and the Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services each have a 14% vacancy rate, and numerous other departments have vacancy rates of 10% or higher. Positions that have the highest vacancy rates include parole and probation agents, correctional officers, case managers for juvenile services, registered nurses, social workers, nursing assistants, vocational rehabilitation specialists, IT and fiscal services. Advertisement The state government is one of Marylands largest employers with more than 38,000 workers. The Maryland Department of Budget and Management estimates that more than half of all government jobs can be staffed by workers with relevant skills, rather than a college degree. Under the initiative, more than 300 state government jobs currently are open to applicants without a bachelors degree who are active in the labor force, have a high school diploma or equivalent, and have developed skills through community college, apprenticeships, military service, boot camps or previous job experience. We really want an economy where if you can do the job, you can get the job. And if you can learn new valuable skills, you can earn more, said Byron Auguste, co-founder and CEO of Opportunity@Work, at a news conference. Breaking News Alerts As it happens Be informed of breaking news as it happens and notified about other don't-miss content with our free news alerts. > Augustes nonprofit will partner with the state budget and management department to identify eligible workers for state jobs. Out of more than 2.8 million workers in Maryland, more than 1.3 million, or 47%, are considered skilled by relevant experience that does not include a four-year college degree. Nationally, the demographic of workers who are skilled through alternative routes is 61% Black and 55% Hispanic; 66% are rural workers of all races, and 61% are veterans, according to data provided by a state spokesman. Through these efforts that were launching today, we are ensuring qualified, non-degree candidates are regularly being considered for these career-changing opportunities, Hogan said at a news conference. Patrick Moran, president of AFSCME Council 3, said that the union, which represents the majority of the states public workers, was blindsided by Hogans announcement. Union leaders expressed disappointment over Hogans decision not to consult the union about ways to improve employee recruitment and retention in a staffing crisis. It is unfortunate that the Hogan administration is deskilling state services. This is another poor attempt to suppress wages and reduce the quality of state services in Maryland, Moran said in a statement. Thousands of state employees worked hard to gain the knowledge and skill set to gain state employment and work for the people of Maryland only to have the Hogan administration pull the rug out from under them. Advertisement Salaries and job standards would be not lowered by hiring candidates without a bachelors degree, Hogan said. The governors spokesman took issue with Morans criticism. This initiative will likely do more to help open doors and expand opportunities for state workers than anything Pat Moran has ever done, the spokesman, Mike Ricci, said. Baltimore County Councilwoman Cathy Bevins said Monday that she will not seek another term after representing the countys 6th District for more than a decade. I have spent my life dedicated to public service, first handling constituent services for former County Executive Jim Smith then as a member of the Baltimore County Council, she wrote in a letter posted to her Facebook page. Now it is time for a new chapter in my life, and I am very much looking forward to the opportunity to focus on my family. Advertisement Bevins, a Democrat, found herself in hot water last year after moving to a home outside her district a violation of the county charter. Bevins said she made a mistake and acted on erroneous advice from the councils legislative attorney. To rectify the issue, Bevins said she moved into a rented apartment in the 6th District. Bevins statement about her resignation did not reference the matter, and she did not respond to a request for comment. Advertisement Bevins, first elected to the council in 2010, is the first woman in county history to serve as council chairwoman three times. Her term ends in December. Cathy Bevins has been a dedicated advocate for her district for years, consistently delivering for those she represents on the county council, County Executive Johnny Olszewski Jr. wrote in a statement included in Bevins letter. On behalf of our residents, I thank her for her tireless service. In 2019, Bevins was assigned police protection after voting in favor of an anti-discrimination housing bill that prohibited county landlords from rejecting renters solely because they use federal housing vouchers. Bevins, who had voted against the measure years earlier, received threats and saw her personal information posted online after the favorable vote. In an interview at the time, Bevins called the approval overdue. In her statement, Bevins called her tenure on the council a true privilege. As a little girl growing up in Dundalk I never imagined that I would ever be a member of the Baltimore County Council, she wrote. It has not always been easy, but it has always been incredibly rewarding. In a statement included in Bevins letter, Councilman Tom Quirk, who already has announced he will not seek reelection, applauded her tenacity. We came into office at the same time and we are now leaving together, the 1st District Democrat wrote. Ive always found Cathy to be true to her word and she never ran away even when significant pressure would come. So far, Democrat Caitlin Klimm-Kellner and Republican Tony Campbell have filed to run for the 6th District seat. The statewide candidate filing deadline is April 15. Advertisement Campbell commended Bevins years of service but said that her issues with residency represented a lack of accountability in county government. The Morning Sun Daily Get your morning news in your e-mail inbox. Get all the top news and sports from the baltimoresun.com. > That will unfortunately be her tie to the ending of her time in office, said Campbell, a political science professor at Towson University who previously ran unsuccessfully to represent Maryland in the U.S. Senate. Without an incumbent in the race, the door may open a bit wider for fresh faces, said Campbell, whos running a campaign focused on improving public safety by bolstering the police department. It may make it easier reaching out to folks, he said of Bevins departure. But you still have to make your case. The countys redistricting process also could shake up the race. Under the countys new district map, currently before a judge after a legal challenge, Democrat Mike Ertel also would be running in the 6th District, rather than in the 5th District against Republican David Marks. Ertel, who won a three-person Democratic primary in the 5th District back in 2010, lost the seat to Marks. Therefore, the prospect of running in a race with no incumbent is exciting, Ertel said, and the new 6th District lines would allow him to represent areas closer to where he grew up Baltimores Hamilton neighborhood. Advertisement Ertel previously served as president of the Towson Communities Alliance and on the board of trustees of the Community College of Baltimore County. I think were ripe for some new leadership in the county, he said. And I feel like I really understand a lot of those issues well, being on the community side of it. The 30-piece musical Santa Ynez Valley Wind Ensemble will perform its first spring concert of the year at 2 p.m. Sunday at Bethania Lutheran Church in Solvang. Arkansas Times columnist Gene Lyons is a National Magazine Award winner and co-author of "The Hunting of the President" (St. Martin's Press, 2000). You can email Lyons at eugenelyons2@yahoo.com. To best understand how committed Dons Home Furniture is to providing quality, handcrafted Amish and American-made furniture to its customers, one merely needs to look at the way they deliver their products. Rather than use cardboard, this independently owned furniture store wraps each piece in a blanket, which is better for the environment and the beautiful furniture. This is really important to us and our customers, says Blaine Neupert, co-owner and president of the Madison, Wisconsin, store. And so it goes at Dons Home Furniture, which has been in business for more than 30 years. But before Dons became the largest Amish-made furniture showroom in the country with more than 140 Amish vendors to choose from, it was Dons Collection of Reproductions, a small shop carrying primarily new oak furniture designed to replicate antiques of the early 1900s. Founded by Don Kotlowski, who has a background in antiques, and his wife, Pat Derer, the store has grown over the years with a few name changes and larger locations along the way. In 1992, Kotlowski sold the store to his son-in-law, Neupert, who, along with his ex-wife, Tina Neupert, and their two children, Amanda and Brandon, now run the business. While there have been many changes over the years, including the addition of sofas, area rugs, accessories and wall art, the emphasis on pride of craftmanship and eschewing factory-built furniture has remained. Quality has always been what we are known for, and we continue to hear that from our customers to this day, says Neupert. In fact, it was that commitment to craftmanship that inspired Blaine and Tina to visit Amish areas in Ohio and Indiana in the late 1990s to establish personal relationships within those tight-knit communities and ensure Dons Home Furniture was offering the highest-quality Amish-built furniture it could. We really appreciate the opportunity to work with Amish family businesses in the furniture industry as they have deeply rooted family values that parallel our family-owned business, says Neupert. Our Amish partners are reliant upon everyone else in the community to foster their success. Some provide furniture hardware and parts, others specialize in making tables and another in chairs, and they work together to create amazingly beautiful furniture that lasts through generations. With more than 20,000 square feet of showroom space, Dons Home Furniture offers an extensive selection of dining room, living room, bedroom and office furniture. We blow peoples minds when they see the variety of styles that our Amish builders can make, says Neupert. Their perception of what Amish furniture is changes." In addition, Dons Home Furniture provides customers with choices in hardwoods, fabrics, style and stains that include regular, painting, glazing and distressing. We love helping customers get creative to truly make their furniture as unique as they would like. Beyond its hard-earned reputation as a furniture store like no other, Dons Home Furniture values its commitment to the world around it. We take great pride in our partnerships not only with our Amish makers but with our American manufacturers, says Neupert. They, in turn, provide Americans with jobs, which strengthens the communities in which they live. Additionally, Dons Home Furniture connects to their neighbors via local charities. As a family-owned business, our owners and staff live and take pride in this community, says Neupert. We consistently, and proudly, support nonprofit groups and events because they are incredibly important to the success of our community. For more information, visit donshomefurniture.com. This content was produced by Brand Ave. Studios. The news and editorial departments had no role in its creation or display. Brand Ave. Studios connects advertisers with a targeted audience through compelling content programs, from concept to production and distribution. For more information contact sales@brandavestudios.com. Susan Bulgrin, who owns three local Culver's restaurants, is donating 100% of her Tuesday sales to Chef Jose Andres' World Central Kitchen to benefit Ukrainian refugees and those going hungry inside Ukraine. Bulgrin, who owns Culver's restaurants on Todd Drive and Cottage Grove Road in Madison and in McFarland, said Tuesday's business has been strong so far. "It's been great," she said. "The people who are coming are very gracious and are here to help. So that's been wonderful. I couldn't be more pleased." She said she couldn't predict how much money the effort might raise. Bulgrin said she's been watching the news and realizing that the people of Ukraine, refugees and those inside Ukraine, are in dire need of food. "They are struggling mightily," she said, noting that she's read that some haven't eaten in three days. World Central Kitchen is quickly expanding its #ChefsForUkraine response to distribute food including hot, fresh meals in five countries. It has opened a kitchen and food supply depot in Poland, on the border with Ukraine, and has multiple warehouses active in Lviv where trucks are filled with food to reach cities like Odessa and Mykolayiv, according to the organization's website. It is also supporting restaurants to serve meals in Ukrainian cities including Kharkiv and Kyiv, which remain under active attack, according to its website. As a restaurateur, Bulgrin said, she feels compelled to help raise money for food and water. "There's a real crisis," she said. "People are going without... As I looked at that, I said, 'What can I do?' And one of the things that I've learned is that there's a wonderful organization called World Central Kitchen that actually goes into these areas that are in desperate need. And they cook for people. They train people who are on the ground, and they work with them to try and do whatever they can to feed people." Andres started the organization in 2017, focusing on Puerto Rico in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria. "It's amazing what they do," Bulgrin said. "Whether it's Ukraine or any other country that's in desperate need, I just wanted to make sure that (the Ukrainian) people realize we're here to help them and to support them." Eric Skrum, a spokesman for Culver's, said the majority of Culver's restaurants are independently owned and operated, and participating restaurants are donating sales amounts from 10% to 100%. He said "Make Your Meal Matter" signs are being displayed in the participating Culvers restaurants. Culver Franchising System owns and operates six restaurants that are donating 10% of Tuesday's sales to World Central Kitchen's efforts, Skrum said. Read more restaurant news at: go.madison.com/restaurants Stay up-to-date on what's happening Receive the latest in local entertainment news in your inbox weekly! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Concerts on the Square will return in its traditional form at its traditional home this summer, the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra announced Tuesday. The free shows will be held on the Square Wednesdays at 7 p.m. starting June 29, with the last show scheduled for Aug. 3. In 2020, WCO did very limited concerts at Breese Stevens Field with no audience. The concerts were available online. In 2021, WCO held a socially distanced version at Breese Stevens. If all goes according to tradition, there will be food vendors and groups gathered on blankets on the lawn around the Square. People can begin putting down blankets to reserve spots at 3 p.m., and the WCO will have limited reserved seating and tables. We needed to get back to the square. Thats home. But its about so much more than the music. Its about bringing our community together for a free event they can count on throughout the summer, WCO CEO Joe Loehnis said in a statement. Our musicians cant wait to play again for the tens of thousands of people who come out each week, and we promise to deliver performances no one will forget. Here is the 2022 lineup: June 29: Motown with Spectrum July 6: Summer Celebration July 13: Reflections on Liberty July 20: The Planets & Ho-Chunk July 27: Rachmaninovs Third Aug. 3: Finale with Foley In 23 years of planning Concerts on the Square, this is the most exciting series of programs Ive been lucky enough to put together, Andrew Sewell, WCOs music director, said in a statement. Were coming back to Capitol Square with tons of energy, tons of fun and tons of memorable music. Stay up-to-date on what's happening Receive the latest in local entertainment news in your inbox weekly! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. A 14-year-old boy was cited for OWI and driving without a valid license after a crash on the East Side Monday night that sent five people to hospitals with injuries that werent considered life threatening, authorities reported. One of the two vehicles was believed to be traveling at high speed when the crash happened about 9:40 p.m. Monday in the 300 block of North Sixth Street, Madison Fire Department spokesperson Cynthia Schuster said in a statement. A vehicle that had been occupied by four people was found resting against a retaining wall in a residential front yard. Two people got out of the vehicle, but two others were trapped in the backseat and had to be extricated by firefighters, Schuster said. The second vehicle, a small SUV that was occupied by one person, was found near the first with front-end and side damage, Schuster said. Ambulances took two people to SSM Health St. Marys Hospital, two teenagers to American Family Childrens Hospital, and one person to University Hospital, Schuster said. A 21-year-old woman who was driving the SUV said the other driver ran a stop sign and T-boned her vehicle, Madison police spokesperson Stephanie Fryer said in a statement. The 14-year-old admitted to driving the other vehicle, which was full of open intoxicants and had a 16-year-old boy riding in the front passenger seat and two women, 27 and 38, in the back seat, Fryer said. The car belonged to the 38-year-old woman, and the women and teens live in the same apartment complex, Fryer said. The teens ultimately were released to their mothers, Fryer said. Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Madison police said Tuesday they are investigating the possible arson of a Ukrainian flag on the East Side overnight Sunday into Monday. A woman who lives in the 1700 block of Winnebago Street called police around 7:30 a.m. Monday after she noticed her Ukrainian flag missing and burnt debris in her yard where the flag had been hanging, police spokesperson Stephanie Fryer said in a statement. The woman said she last saw the flag around 7 p.m. Sunday, Fryer said. The investigation is ongoing, Fryer said. Police ask that anyone with information on the incident contact them at 608-255-2345. Tipsters may remain anonymous by contacting Madison Area Crime Stoppers at 608-266-6014 or P3Tips.com. Individuals contacting Crime Stoppers can receive a reward of up to $1,000 for tips that lead to an arrest. Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Quadren L. Wilson, the unarmed Black man who was shot by two state Division of Criminal Investigation agents in early February, has been returned to the hospital and will possibly undergo surgery for an infection of his wounds, his lawyer said. Wilson, 38, of Beaver Dam, went to the hospital Monday night and was ordered not to eat or drink anything, said Stephen Eisenberg, Wilsons lawyer. Eisenberg said the nothing-by-mouth order, which he confirmed through the jails health care provider, could mean Wilson is set to receive anesthesia. Im assuming, this is my guess, it has something to do with an infection in his back, Eisenberg said. Hes been complaining about back pain on and off. Wilson was still at the hospital as of 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday, said Elise Schaffer, a spokesperson with the Sheriffs Office. Schaffer could not comment on why Wilson was hospitalized though added I would not say its serious. Eisenberg added that jail staff have been attentive to Wilsons medical needs during his incarceration. Wilsons family has for weeks demanded he be returned to the hospital for better treatment after they maintain DCI agents Mark Wagner and Nathan Peskie shot Wilson in the back at a Far East Side intersection on Feb. 3. Wilson was booked at the Dane County Jail less than a day after undergoing surgery for his gunshot wounds. Wilson was in a segregation unit at the jail for one day back in early February, then was moved to a male dorm for three days and has been housed in the Public Safety Building since then, Schaffer said. Multiple members of Wilsons family could not be reached for comment on his recent hospitalization. Wilson was held at the jail on a probation violation for nearly two weeks before he was charged with selling fentanyl to someone who later died from an overdose in a McDonalds bathroom in the town of Blooming Grove in April 2021. Eisenberg has sought to dismiss the complaint against Wilson, which was allowed to proceed to trial last Friday. But Court Commissioner Scott McAndrew has said there are holes in the case against Wilson, cautioning that while the bar is very low at this stage in the case, prosecutors could certainly encounter credibility issues involving their main witness, a woman whose information about a man who sold her and her friend drugs led investigators to Wilson. The woman, who was with the person who overdosed in the Blooming Grove McDonalds, only described the dealer as a light-skinned Black man, about 6 feet tall and 250 to 300 pounds. Wilsons attorney has noted that could describe any number of people. While the phone number the woman had for the dealer is connected to Wilson, prosecutors allege, her description of the dealer does not match what Wilson looked like in April 2021. In court on Friday, Wilsons attorney produced a photo of Wilson posted to Instagram on April 10 showing Wilson with a 3-inch beard. The woman who is alleged to have bought drugs from Wilson said her dealer had a mustache but no beard that day. The Dane County Sheriffs Office, which is investigating the shooting of Wilson, has not yet released their findings. Authorities have yet to elaborate on why authorities shot an unarmed Wilson after two unmarked police vehicles crashed into Wilsons car to trap his vehicle at the intersection of American Parkway and Eastpark Boulevard. Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. An altercation between two students at East High School highlighted the work set out for a committee on school safety the Madison School Board officially created Monday after a video of the fight was posted to social media. The board voted unanimously Monday evening to launch its student safety and wellness committee made up of community members, students and staff five months after it was first discussed in the wake of multiple fights at East High. In the video taken Monday at East and later removed from Facebook, a student verbally confronts another student in a classroom before physically attacking the student, and eventually tackling the student onto a table, which subsequently buckles. Another person is seen in the video attempting to separate the two students, but its unclear whether the person who intervened is a student or staff member. The Wisconsin State Journal viewed the video but did not obtain permission to post it. District spokesperson Tim LeMonds confirmed the altercation and said a teacher was present and on the phone calling for support per district protocol as the incident unfolded. The formation of a student safety and wellness ad hoc committee meant to address ongoing concerns in buildings across the district was first discussed after a melee outside of East in November drew significant police response and sent students exposed to pepper spray to the hospital. More than a third of Easts student body opted to stay home from school the next day due to threats related to the fight that circulated on social media. Days later, the school board committed to addressing violence at East as community members called for the district to mitigate threats before they again reach the level seen in November. The goal of the 13-member committee which will include students and parents, school and community partners, and school staff is to address the root cause of disengagement and violence in schools and to create districtwide policies focused on student safety and wellness. But the length of time it took to form the committee has caused concern among parents. I dont think they understand how dangerous this has become and how it has harmed young students who are just trying to get an education, said Lynn Lee, whose daughter attends East. I feel terrible for the students and the teachers who are continually forced to deal with impossible situations like (Mondays) and all of the students involved who are not receiving the learning environment they deserve, he said. Madison School Board president Ali Muldrow and vice president Savion Castro did not respond to a request for comment on the length of time taken to form the committee. Board member Ananda Mirilli, who will co-chair the ad hoc committee along with East student body president Gordon Allen, said board members are still submitting recommendations for committee members, and theyre still searching for students and support staff to take part. The first ad hoc committee meeting is scheduled to take place Thursday at 5:30 p.m., according to an agenda for the Monday school board meeting. Additional meetings are scheduled April 7 and 21. The meetings will be broadcast on the boards YouTube page. Want to see more like this? Get our local education coverage delivered directly to your inbox. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. The worn light-brown house with dark trim on the Near East Side is woven into the history of the citys earliest African American neighborhood. But it might soon be gone. Greg Werth, the new owner, who restores vintage homes, intended to save the two-story Carmichael House, built in the mid-1850s and moved to 114 N. Blount St. in 1923. Its one of three houses, all constructed around the 1850s and moved from Downtown to the area in the early 20th century, that constitute the tiny East Dayton National Register District associated with some of the areas leading Black pioneer families. The house and two others in the district the Hill residence and a grocery, which operated for more than 50 years at 649 E. Dayton St., and the Miller house next door, 647 E. Dayton St., once a rooming house that was the first residence of many Black families looking for opportunity and a better life are the last vestiges of the citys original African American community on the Near East Side. Those two structures became city landmarks. Once Werth bought the Carmichael House from the Hill family in December, peeled away the interior plaster and more closely inspected the foundation, he realized the house couldnt be saved and restored. He is now seeking city permission to raze and replace it with new construction that echoes the current structure. I purchased it with every intention of saving the place, he said. Nobody could have seen the true problems with the house until the plaster was removed. Im left with no choice but to tear the place down. I plan to pay homage to the house in as many ways as I can. Until this week, the Hill family thought Werth intended to restore the structure. Now it has signs on the front porch that say Keep Out and Caution, Unsafe Building, Do not Enter and yellow caution tape stretched across the front porch stairs. The family sold the house because it could not afford the property taxes and cost to do a restoration, said Freddie Mae Hill, one of nine siblings whose grandparents operated the grocery at 649 E. Dayton St. and whose namesake aunt was the first African American to graduate from UW-Madison. If we had the money, we would have fixed it up ourselves, she said. I hope it will not be torn down. There are only three buildings left from way back. (But) theres nothing we can do about it. Its really up to the city. On March 7, the citys Landmarks Commission considered the proposed demolition and found the structure has historic value as contributing to the East Dayton National Register Historic District, city preservation planner Heather Bailey said. The Plan Commission will take the advisory recommendation into consideration when evaluating the proposed demolition of the house as soon as May. A rich history If not for a sign and some plaques, it would be easy to miss the rich African American history at the corner of North Blount and East Dayton streets. The Hill properties were originally owned by John Turner, a formerly enslaved man from Kentucky, and his wife, Martha, who organized the Douglass Beneficial Society, a self-help organization based on the teachings of Frederick Douglass, as well as the communitys first Sunday school. In 1901, the Turners provided a boarding house and meeting place for the Beneficial Society by moving a two-story building from Downtown to 649 E. Dayton St. Around that time, Turner, Miller and others organized the first Black church in Madison, the African Methodist Episcopal Church, the group moving an old frame Norwegian Lutheran Church now gone to 631 E. Dayton St. The church and Beneficial Society helped attract other Black families to the area. After her husband died, Martha Turner eventually sold the building at 649 E. Dayton St. to the wife of the Rev. Charles Thomas, pastor of the church. The Thomases lived in the house and opened a grocery store there. In 1908, William and Anna Mae Miller moved a large, substantial house to 647 E. Dayton St. to serve as another rooming house for Black immigrants to the city. The wife organized the Book Lovers Club, an active but short-lived literary society. In 1986, developer Randy Alexander used old photographs and other information to restore the exterior to its 1908 appearance. John Hill, who had first visited Madison while visiting a relative attending the university, moved his family from Atlanta to Madison in 1910. In 1917, Hill bought the house with attached grocery at 649 E. Dayton St. and he and his wife Amanda, ran the store for more than five decades. The store prospered during World War II and became a neighborhood institution. Freddie Mae Hill, their granddaughter, still lives there. In 1923, Hill moved an old house to 114 N. Blount St. to serve as the home of Ida Carmichael, the widowed mother of Amanda Hill. It was the last new house to be moved to the area. After the 1920s, the neighborhood stabilized but did not grow, with many new Black immigrants moving to the Greenbush area south of Downtown. Colenthia Hill Hunter, another of John Hills nine grandchildren, said she has warm memories of the store and growing up at 118 N. Blount St., which was eventually demolished, and 114 N. Blount St. She said she is upset by the possible loss of another piece of the citys Black history. Too many issues Werth, the fifth generation to be raised in his familys 1800s farmhouse in Markesan, about 60 miles north of Madison, said he became interested in restoration when his father invested a lot of time and effort to save the family home. Since graduating from UW-Stevens Point, he has restored more than a dozen vintage houses, mostly in Madison. The historic house at 114 N. Blount St. fit the profile for restoration and he said he told the Hill family that was his intent. But the house simply has too many issues, Werth said, including: A block wall foundation built before the homes arrival at the site, built to the wrong dimensions and altered prior to the home being placed on it, which compromised the structural integrity. The foundation is significantly bowed in. Beams intended to support the flooring and roof systems were never properly done, and the entire center of the house has been wholly unsupported and steadily caving-in for at least 50 years. The house was balloon framed, typical of a house of its vintage. But it was built without structural sheathing installed, meaning it has nothing to keep it standing straight. The house was built with undersized lumber, leading to significant sagging of the floors and interior support systems. The house was remodeled and added to multiple times without any thought toward structural design. There is no way to repair this home without replacing and rebuilding every aspect of it from the ground up, which is why I am seeking to demolish it, Werth said. I am not the guy who came to demolish this place. Im the unfortunate guy who has to do so. While I would love it if we could save and repurpose all historic buildings, I do recognize the reality of there being some structures that are not feasible to repair, Bailey said. In terms of there being a preservation win for this situation, I would love for there to be more visibility for the deep roots of Madisons African-American history, she said. I want more people to know how important the East Dayton neighborhood was and how the people who lived there made a difference to our city. Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. For many viewers, the movie "Awakenings" is a powerfu message about the indomitability of the human spirit, even when locked up in a body immobilized by Parkinson's disease. For people who actually have Parkinson's disease, the movie speaks more personally. "I tended to be a little depressed by it," says EdBlazek, 72. Diagnosed with Parkinson's disease eight years ago, Mr. Blazek, of White Marsh, is president of the Parkinsonian Society of Greater Baltimore. Advertisement Although the movie takes some dramatic liberties, it presents an awful historic reality: In the wake of the great influenza epidemic of 1918, a kind of sleeping sickness -- known scientifically as encephalitis lethargica -- swept through the world. Aftereffects of the virus left some victims like statues, suffering from what was known as post-encephalitic Parkinson's disease. The movie shows them speechless, unblinking, still. Life passed them by as they languished for decades in a warehouse-like institution. Advertisement "The movie did an excellent job of putting it all together," says Mr. Blazek. However, he adds, "It was a different kind of disease." In fact, the post-encephalitic Parkinsonism seen in the movie and described in the book "Awakenings" was unusual on many counts. The encephalitis that caused it seems to have disappeared, and reports of people with post-encephalitic Parkinsonism are "incredibly rare," according to Dr. Stephen Reich, assistant professor of neurology at the Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions. And while Dr. Oliver Sacks, neurologist-author of the book "Awakenings," is pleased with the film, he is also "concerned that people understand that the Parkinson's symptoms portrayed in the movie are much more severe than ordinary Parkinson's," says Kate Edgar, an editor who works with him. There are, however, points of similarity: Parkinsonian immobility occurs because the part of the brain that produces a chemical called dopamine is destroyed. Dopamine transmits the nerve cells' instructions for movement, balance and muscle tone. The reason for the cell destruction in regular Parkinson's disease is unknown, though viral infection has been ruled out, according to Dr. Paul Fishman, assistant professor of medicine at the University of Maryland Medical Center. As dopamine production shuts down, usually over a period of years, the brain gradually loses its ability to make the body move; muscles are left without instruction. "There's rigidity of muscles, a 'cogwheel' rigidity [causing] a ratchety quality as you move the limbs," Dr. Reich said. "There's slow movement, called 'brady-kinesia,' and shuffling gait. Patients have trouble with balance. Their posture tends to be bent. They have diminished facial expression." "Some of these patients speak very softly and slowly. They are not usually mute, but they have trouble in articulating, and you have to take a lot of time and effort to understand them," Dr. Fishman said. Advertisement Until the discovery of a product that could replace dopamine, nothing could be done for Parkinson's patients. In the 1960s, that drug was found: L-dopa (also called levodopa). But in the early days of therapy, when "Awakenings" occurred, the appropriate doses had not been worked out, and the side-effects were not always predictable or controllable. In the movie, the drug restored normal activity briefly, and then took the patients past mobility and into a state of tics, twitches and dysfunctional hyper-movement. "The amount [of L-dopa] was enormous by current standards," Dr. Fishman said. "The doses were 10 to 100 times as much as we would give a Parkinson's patient today. Even though levodopa has action mostly at the [dopamine-producing area], it has action at other places as well, so there are problems at other locations, like psychosis and confusion. Excessive levodopa can make a Parkinson's patient hallucinate. That's especially true when the Parkinson's patient has other kinds of brain damage, as occurred in many of the post-encephalitics. In ordinary Parkinson's, that's not usually what happens; the disease is incurable, but dopamine-replacement, along with an arsenal of newer drugs, reduces severity of symptoms. "For the average patient," Dr. Reich said, "Parkinson's ends up being a nuisance more than anything else. It does not take years off life. The disease is progressive and can be disabling, but the average patient can be treated effectively and can maintain independence. No doubt it is troubling, but the majority of patients are not in nursing homes. The majority are taking care of themselves." Mr. Blazek is part of that majority. His illness started with a slight tremor in his right hand, and a slowing down of his walking speed. He's taking several drugs, including one that combines L-dopa with a product that reduces side effects, and his symptoms have not become disabling. Advertisement "I have tremor in my legs once in a while, tremor in both hands. And I do stammer from time to time," he said. But he's still driving his car, still helping organize Parkinson's support groups, still putting out newsletters for Parkinson's patients here and nationwide. "I'm still doing just about everything," he said. For more *Call: The American Parkinson's Disease Information and Referral Center at Johns Hopkins Hospital, at 955-8795. Advertisement *Or read: "Awakenings," by Oliver Sacks (Harper Perennial paperback, 1990). "The Parkinson's Handbook," by Dwight C. McGoon (W. W. Norton, 1990). Police agencies across the state, the state public defenders office and other agencies statewide will receive over $50 million to mitigate public safety issues and address workforce shortages, Democratic Gov. Tony Evers announced Tuesday. The grants come after a legislative session in which Republicans blamed Evers for not doing enough to address crime in the state and Republican gubernatorial contenders call for tough-on-crime policies. The grants, which use federal funds allotted for the COVID-19 pandemic response, are separate from Republican-authored bills also calling for Evers to divert federal COVID funds to address police shortages and recruitment challenges. Evers in the past has vetoed bills that would use federal COVID funds. About $19 million of the grant money will be used to provide at least $7,000 to every local and tribal law enforcement agency in Wisconsin. The Dane County Sheriffs Office will receive around $335,000, and the Madison Police Department will receive about $834,000. With that money, agencies can address training, recruitment bonuses and technology. Violence is not a foregone conclusion, Evers said in a statement. It is not inevitable. There is more we can do, and this is another public health crisis that deserves our attention and our action. The biggest share of the money about $20 million will go to Milwaukee County and city. About 75% of that money will be used to address court backlogs by increasing the number of cases city and county departments can address at once. The rest of the money will allow for more mental health clinicians to work in Milwaukees 911 center, pretrial GPS supervision to be staffed 24 hours a day and formalize Milwaukee Countys Mental Health Treatment court, among other things. This funding will help the Milwaukee County justice system implement a broad-based plan to address a number of complex issues created by the pandemic, Wisconsin Supreme Court Chief Justice Annette Kingsland Ziegler said in a statement. This is a great example of the different branches of government working together at the state and local level to address problems that none of us could address as effectively working alone. The state public defenders office is set to receive $5.5 million to establish teams that travel to the places in Wisconsin where their attention is most necessary to reduce court backlogs. The SPD appreciates the resources being provided to Milwaukee, state public defenders office spokesperson Willy Medina said in a statement. We will monitor the effect of adding additional prosecutorial resources outside of Milwaukee to provide feedback on whether additional resources are warranted. Another $5.7 million will go toward filling and creating assistant district attorney positions. The State Crime Lab will receive $5 million to outsource controlled substance and DNA testing and training for firearm examiners. In a statement, Sen. Van Wanggaard, R-Racine, pointed out that Evers vetoed a bill, SB 119, that would have penalized local governments that attempt to defund local police departments. Now, months from an election he is giving communities pennies on the dollar to correct the harm he has caused, he said. While more money for policing is almost always good, nothing Governor Evers has proposed will stop the crime epidemic across the state. Homicides in 2020 were at a five-year high, with 302 in 2020 and 185 in 2019, according to Wisconsin Department of Justice data. Data from 2021 hasnt yet been made available. Aggravated assault was also at a five-year high in 2020, though crimes like larceny, theft, burglary and robbery are at the lowest level they have been in five years. One of the grants $1 million for the Wisconsin Technical College System to support part-time police academy programs is similar to a Republican-authored bill, AB 836, that passed both chambers. Sen. Andre Jacque, R-De Pere, who authored the bill, noted twice in March that Evers had yet to take action on the bill. That bill has yet to be sent to Evers desk. In February, the technical college system in a statement took issue with bill language requiring two technical college boards to establish a program, and asked the authors to revise the bill to instead permit the colleges to opt in. The final bill language still has the two-school requirement. In a statement following the grants, Jacque said his bill prompted Evers to use federal COVID funds for local police. The Governor has total control of how these federal ARPA dollars are spent, Jacque said. Im glad he finally received the message sent to him by the State Legislature and the President. Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Wisconsin state lawmakers claimed more than $1.16 million in daily expense reimbursements in 2021, marking a roughly 7% decrease compared with allowances claimed in 2019, the previous non-election year. Lawmakers in the Senate claimed more than $316,000 in expenses, while their Assembly colleagues claimed nearly $850,000, according to records from the chief clerks offices in both chambers. The daily allowances, also referred to as per diems, cover expenses lawmakers accrue while in Madison on legislative business and are paid out in addition to their yearly salary of $55,141. In the Senate, 16 of the chambers 33 lawmakers claimed more than $10,000 in expenses. Democratic Sen. Jon Erpenbach, who lives about 30 miles north of Madison in West Point, was the top recipient with $15,525 and 135 days in the Capitol. Im usually down in Madison four or five days a week, but I try to keep per diems at three, three-and-a-half days on average, Erpenbach said. So there are days Im in there where I just dont take it. Sen. Melissa Agard, D-Madison, claimed the second-most in the Senate, with $14,087.50 in expenses over 245 days. I take my role as a public servant seriously, and part of that role is making myself accessible for my constituents and colleagues, Agard said in an email. People in my district have told me that they want a policy maker that works tirelessly on their behalf, and I take that to heart. I am always ready to roll up my sleeves and get to work, whether at the Capitol or in the 16th Senate District. Thirty-five of the Assemblys 99 members claimed more than $10,000 in expenses. In that chamber, Republican Rep. Calvin Callahan, who resides about 180 miles north of Madison in Tomahawk, received the most with $19,890 for 153 days. Top 10 Here are the top 10 legislator per diem payouts for 2021. SENATE Sen. Jon Erpenbach, D-West Point: $15,525 Sen. Melissa Agard, D-Madison: $14,087.50 Sen. Janet Bewley, D-Mason: $13,800 Sen. Devin LeMahieu, R-Oostburg: $13,570 Sen. Howard Marklein, R-Spring Green: $13,455 Sen. La Tonya Johnson, D-Milwaukee: $12,880 Sen. Tim Carpenter, D-Milwaukee: $12,190 Sen. Jerry Petrowski, R-Marathon: $12,190 Sen. Mary Felzkowski, R-Irma: $11,615 Sen. Kathy Bernier, R-Chippewa Falls: $11,500 ASSEMBLY Rep. Calvin Callahan, R-Tomahawk: $19,890 Rep. Alex Dallman, R-Green Lake: $15,453 Rep. Rob Swearingen, R-Rhinelander: $15,147 Rep. Dave Murphy, R-Greenville: $14,917.50 Rep. Robert Summerfield, R-Bloomer: $14,458.50 Rep. Donna Rozar, R-Marshfield: $14,152.50 Rep. Robert Wittke, R-Racine: $14,076 Rep. Tyler August, R-Lake Geneva: $13,999.50 Rep. David Steffen, R-Green Bay: $13,923 Rep. Shae Sortwell, R-Two Rivers: $13,846.50 Callahans office said in a statement he has been diligently working for his constituents, including authoring more than 50 bills and co-authoring 100 others. As a freshman representative sitting on six different committees, Rep. Callahan recognized the need to learn about the issues being brought before him, so that he could serve his constituents in a judicious manner, Callahans spokesperson Wyatt Cooper said. Reps. Alex Dallman, R-Green Lake, and Rob Swearingen, R-Rhinelander, were the next top per diem recipients with $15,453 and $15,147, respectively. Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu, R-Oostburg, received $13,570 for 118 days, while Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, received $7,803 for 73 days. The Assembly speaker receives an additional stipend of $25 per month. Rep. Jimmy Anderson, D-Fitchburg, was the only lawmaker in either house who claimed less than $1,000 in per diems. Anderson, a quadriplegic who is especially susceptible to COVID-19 and claimed just $153 last year, expressed frustration that lawmakers collecting per diems didnt do more. I do think that people who are going to be collecting thousands upon thousands of dollars should be doing more to help out the people of Wisconsin, who for the most part dont get to collect per diems to go to their jobs, Anderson said. State and Assembly lawmakers claimed more than $1.25 million in per diems in 2019, which marked a 6% decrease from payouts claimed in 2017. About $555,000 in payments were claimed in 2020, a drop from the nearly $800,000 collected in 2018. The decrease was due in part to the Capitol building being closed to the public in 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Republican-led Legislature also did not convene for a floor session over an eight-month span that year. Erpenbach said the amount of per diem payments last year likely underscores the return to more normal activities in the Capitol, including committee meetings. The Legislature also undertook the states time-consuming biennial budget process last summer. Whether its Farm Bureau days, Tavern League, whatever, there wasnt a lot of that in 2020, Erpenbach said. There was a lot more of that last year. In the Assembly, lawmakers can collect $76.50 per day for non-overnight stays and $153 for overnight stays. The cap for the daily allowance is $115 for Senate lawmakers who live outside of Dane County and $57.50 for those who live within the county. Per diems cover room, board and meals on days lawmakers are in Madison on legislative business, excluding Saturdays and Sundays unless a special session or committee meeting is called. Lawmakers can also be reimbursed for actual expenses incurred when attending a committee meeting outside Madison. Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. The Madison City Clerks Office is reminding voters that, in line with a recent state Supreme Court decision, drop boxes will not be accepting absentee ballots and no one but absentee voters themselves can return their ballots to be counted. That warning applies statewide after the Wisconsin Elections Commission last month rescinded guidance allowing for the use of drop boxes which were popular around the state in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic to comply with the Supreme Courts Feb. 11 ruling. Drop boxes were used to handle the surge in 2020 absentee voting as public health officials were warning against large gatherings, like at polling places. The surge became a lighting rod after Donald Trump lost the presidency, at which point Republicans and conservative groups began pointing out they were not specifically authorized under state law. In a 4-3 decision, the courts conservative majority refused to extend a stay through the April 5 election on a previous ruling out of Waukesha County that prohibited the boxes. The case was brought by the conservative Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty. The states nonpartisan Legislative Audit Bureau in October found the boxes were used in at least 43 cities, 46 villages and 156 towns throughout the state in the 2020 election. According to a map the agency created, from 24 to 54 municipalities in each of seven regions of the state used them, including in the northeast and northwest parts of the state where Trump won the vast majority of counties. It also found 11 states use the boxes. Drop boxes were among the supplies Wisconsins clerks purchased in 2020 with money from the Mark Zuckerberg-funded Center for Tech and Civic Life, which has also become a target of Republican ire and that of GOP-appointed special counsel Michael Gableman, who baselessly sees the Chicago-headquartered group as integral to an illegal conspiracy to boost turnout in Democratic-leaning areas in the 2020 election. 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. Although on a per-capita basis, Wisconsins five largest, and mostly Democratic, cities received two to four times more money than smaller communities. The clerks office said absentee voters can either mail their ballots back, hand deliver them to any in-person absentee voting location starting March 22, take them to the clerks office at the City-County Building, or bring them to their polling place on Election Day by 8 p.m. Voters must return their ballots themselves. Madisons 14 drop boxes remain in place but locked for next months election. Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. A trained musician who has spent more than three decades in orchestra and cultural arts management has been selected to head the business side of the Madison Symphony Orchestra, one of the citys largest arts organizations. Robert Reed, 57, will join the staff June 6 as its executive director, the MSO announced Tuesday. He currently holds that title with the Plano Symphony Orchestra, near Dallas, and has previously worked in orchestra administration in Tucson, Arizona; Kansas City, Missouri; Jackson, Mississippi; San Francisco; Buffalo, New York; Nashville, Tennessee; and elsewhere. Reed will succeed Richard Mackie, who retired last summer after 22 years with the MSO. I have been in this industry for 32 years, Reed said during a visit to Madison this week. Ive worked for large organizations such as the San Francisco Symphony, and smaller organizations, so Ive had a wide breadth of activity. For where I am in my life, I felt this was perfect for me, he said of the MSO, which holds its regular season concerts in the 2,255-seat Overture Hall, located in the Overture Center for the Arts. Its an orchestra thats doing some really wonderful and exciting things, in a venue that is absolutely stunning, and is in a community that has been clear that it supports the symphony orchestra, Reed said. For a city of Madisons size, to have an orchestra of this size and with this financial stability, it tells you that this community loves the symphony. Reed will oversee the Madison Symphony Orchestras $5 million annual budget, 13 full- and part-time employees and relations with the more than 100 professional musicians who perform as the MSO. Reeds enormously experienced background and his immediate connection with everyone who was a part of the search process bodes well for an exciting next stage for the orchestra, music director John DeMain, who will celebrate his 30th year as conductor of the MSO in the 2023-24 season, said in a statement. Reed was hired after a nine-month, nationwide search conducted by a search committee with the assistance of the firm HC Smith, MSO board president Ellsworth Brown said. The board selected Reed from a field of four finalists, Brown said in a statement. Out and about Along with overseeing the business side of the organization, a big part of his job will be forming partnerships and relationships in the area which could mean communities both in and around Madison, Reed said. I definitely want everyone to know what the brand of Madison Symphony Orchestra is, he said. Although Overture Center is a stupendous place, not everybody can necessarily come to the orchestra, so the orchestra has to go to people. He is a huge fan of the MSOs existing HeartStrings program, which takes chamber music into health care and residential facilities, Reed said. The orchestra also runs numerous education programs for youth. An inspiration A native of Louisville, Kentucky, Reed studied clarinet and earned his bachelors and masters degrees in music performance at the College-Conservatory of Music at the University of Cincinnati. His first exposure to classical music was as a fourth-grader, when he and his classmates joined thousands of other students to see a symphony orchestra concert for young people, he said. It was a Eureka! moment, and my career was charted from that moment on, Reed said. I am a product of arts education. After that first concert, Reed said, he visited the band room at his elementary school. He told the band director that he wanted to play the clarinet, although he didnt know the name of the instrument at the time just that he liked the sound of it. He still plays clarinet, though now just for fun, he said. As virus wanes Despite the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, Mackie and the team that led the organization after Mackies retirement kept the MSO in great shape financially, Reed said. While audience and sales projections for the current 2021-22 season were set at a very conservative level due to the pandemic, attendance far exceeded the targets that were set, and audience numbers for the annual A Madison Symphony Christmas in December were on par with pre-COVID times, according to the orchestra. The MSO will return to an eight-concert subscription series in 2022-23, up from seven concerts this year, and will maintain its popular organ programming and Beyond the Score concerts featuring music and narration, the organization said. The MSO will celebrate its centennial in 2025-26. Theres a lot I look forward to learning about the community, Reed said, and how the symphony will continue on for the next 100 years. Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. The holding companies of both Monona Bank and State Bank of Cross Plains, with almost $3 billion in combined assets, announced Tuesday that both financial institutions intend to merge to create the largest bank headquartered in Dane County next year. In what Monona Bankshares and S.B.C.P. Bancorp are calling a merger of equals, the two banks are not expected to fully integrate under a new, yet-to-be-determined name and brand until spring 2023. Until then, both institutions will continue to function independently, said Paul Hoffman, Monona Bank CEO and eventual president of the combined businesses. Monona Bank was founded in 1991, and State Bank of Cross plains in 1908. The unnamed community bank will employ more than 400 associates across 23 locations throughout south-central Wisconsin, including Madison. Hoffman explained that a merger of equals refers to when two firms that are the same size come together to form a new single company. The merger was unanimously approved by the boards of directors of both companies and signed Monday, and is anticipated to close at the end of 2022 pending regulatory and shareholder approvals. Both banks expect to retain all employees, Hoffman said, and no layoffs are expected at this time. The merger is also set to result in added services for bank customers, he said. We both have really strong mortgage departments, but we are excited to provide even more offerings for mortgages, Hoffman said, adding that State Bank of Cross Plains will add its wealth, trust and agricultural lending departments to Monona Banks service repertoire. Customers will additionally have more resources to keep their accounts secure, as well as digital banking tools at their disposal, he said. Both organizations believe strongly in the principles of independent community banking and want to preserve our fundamental beliefs that banking should be built on respectful and supportive relationships that encourage a local focus, Jim Tubbs, S.B.C.P. Bancorp president and eventual combined bank CEO, said in a statement Tuesday. When we invest in our neighbors, we enhance the entire community to be a stronger, more stable, and truly vibrant place to live and work. Clothing, shoes and other pieces of evidence collected in the infamous Baltimore murder case against Adnan Syed will be sent off to a California lab for new DNA analysis, a city judge has ordered. Together, Syeds attorney and Baltimore prosecutors asked the court last week to consider new post-conviction DNA testing, arguing that the results could help settle Syeds long-standing claims of innocence in the 1999 murder of Hae Min Lee. Advertisement Lee was strangled to death and her body discovered in a clandestine grave in Leakin Park. Police and prosecutors maintained Syed, her ex-boyfriend, was culpable for her killing. He stood trial twice for her murder and was convicted in 2000 and sentenced to life in prison plus 40 years. Syed is incarcerated at the states Patuxent Institution in Jessup. He has appealed multiple times and has always maintained he is innocent. Circuit Judge Melissa Phinns order Monday requires Baltimore police to send a handful of items recovered in the investigation to the Forensic Analytical Crime Lab in Hayward, California, within 15 days. Advertisement interactive_content While the judge deferred to the labs experts and Syeds lawyer to determine the type of DNA analysis, she said the testing must be conducted in a manner generally accepted in the scientific community for forensic criminal identification. The results will be run through the FBIs criminal justice DNA databases, known as CODIS, or the Combined DNA Index System. Breaking News Alerts As it happens Be informed of breaking news as it happens and notified about other don't-miss content with our free news alerts. > Phinns order marks the latest twist in a more-than-two-decade legal saga that was propelled to international prominence when it was examined by the hit podcast Serial beginning in 2014. Other podcasts and an HBO series brought more attention to Syeds case. Syeds lawyer, Erica J. Suter, director of the University of Baltimore Innocence Project Clinic, argued in the joint motion with prosecutors that the absence of her clients DNA on the items tested could persuade a judge or jury that Syed didnt commit the murder. She asked for what is known as touch DNA analysis, as well as examinations to determine whether a DNA profile can be identified and to test for the profiles of people born as men. Touch DNA refers to the forensic footprint, skin cells or bodily fluids, someone leaves behind when they touch something. Results can be interpreted to different effects, however. The Maryland Office of the Attorney General in 2018 oversaw the DNA analysis of evidence in Syeds case fingernail clippings, blood samples and a condom and none of the samples tested positive of Syed. His lawyers argued that was proof he didnt kill Lee, while prosecutors said it didnt prove anything. Items being tested under Phinns order werent tested during the state attorney generals review. The idea for the latest testing came up when Suter contacted the Baltimore States Attorneys Offices Sentencing Review Unit about Syeds case this past spring after the state passed a law enabling those convicted of crimes as youths to petition for a sentence modification. In that review, city prosecutors agreed that forensic analysis unavailable at the time of Syeds trial would be appropriate for his post-conviction claims. DNA analysis has come a long way during the past 23 years, experts say. DNA analysis used to require a large sample to identify a profile; over time, the tests became more and more sensitive. BURLEY An Albion man with deep Cassia County roots is running for the Idaho State House District 27 B seat. Pat Field, 61, farms in Grandview, where he grows sugar beets, corn, alfalfa and wheat. He and his wife, Lisa, have lived in Mini-Cassia for 18 years. I hope voters will give me a chance to make a difference in our community. I want to hear their voices as well and represent them in the statehouse, Field said. Field said the family roots go deep in Cassia County. His mothers family settled in Albion in 1890. We moved here because we heard the schools were very good, Field said. Field attended Ricks College for a year and a half and then served a church mission. When he returned he and his wife married. Field has not previously held a political office but said politics were always discussed at our kitchen table. His mother served in the House of Representatives and his father was president of Idaho Farm Bureau. Occasionally the family hosted foreign diplomats at their home, including some from Libya during the Muammar al-Qaddafi regime. Shockingly, many of the foreign diplomats who visited their home were never heard from again, Field said. His parents were always adamant that he and his older seven siblings see the world from a broad viewpoint. Consequently, we saw a lot of things that wed like to bring into our community and things we never want to bring, Field said. Field watched the emerging candidates after Rep. Fred Wood announced his retirement from the seat. There are a lot of good candidates but not with an agricultural background, he said. His top concern is water rights, which, he said, will become more critical with the potential water shortage due to the short snowpack level this winter. I think I have a unique perspective on water and agriculture, Field said. Other industries are important, he said, but he will bring a grassroots perspective to Boise with his agricultural experience. It all starts and stops with agriculture, he said. People, he said, have to have a passion for what they do. And I have a passion to protect my industry, Field said. The best way for me to do that is to become part of the system and share my background and my perspective. Love 2 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 2 BURLEY A Jackson area man is running for Idaho House Seat B in District 27. Ryan Cook, 47, grew up on a farm in the eastern part of Minidoka County. He graduated from Minico High School and received associate degrees in diesel mechanics and diesel-electric from Idaho State University. Cook has owned a trucking and excavation business for 19 years. Ive been watching to see how they are voting and I think we need to put a little common sense back into the Legislature, Cook said. He is concerned that the districts representatives have not served on enough subcommittees to represent their constituents, especially the agriculture subcommittee. We have one of the bigger agriculture districts, he said. I grew up in agriculture. It is my background. Cook has watched some of the transportation subcommittee meetings. When I watched them I got a little upset, he said. Some of the members did not seem to have a background in or knowledge about transportation issues. They are the ones making the rules for me, he said. Cook said a top issue for him would be getting more funding for state roads in the district. He is also concerned that heavy representation in Ada County and Canyon County sometimes means rural areas of the state do not get their needs met. Id like to see some more of our tax money come back home, he said. Cook said his business slows down during the winter months with the agricultural cycle, which gives him the time to devote to the office. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 1 Angry 3 TWIN FALLS For companies looking to relocate to the area, or for local companies that want to grow their business, there are not a lot of suitable industrial sites in town. But that could soon change, as a proposed industrial park could make a million square feet of industrial space available. City Council on Monday resolved to accept a report prepared by Kushlan and Associates that found 78 acres at 3300 East and Orchard Road as eligible for an Urban Renewal Area and has directed the Urban Renewal Agency to develop a plan to create the new area. Phil Kushlan, who attended the meeting by phone, told the Council he found the area met several criteria for eligibility as an Urban Renewal area. The obligation of this study is to show that at least one of the conditions are met, and you have six that are met, Kushlan said. From that perspective, the area under consideration in our view is eligible. Kushlan was formerly the Executive Director of the Capital City Development Corporation, which is Boises Urban Renewal agency. The resolution is the first step in designating a new Urban Renewal Area. The next step for the project is the development of a plan that specifies the infrastructure improvements needed and arranges for those costs to be covered through the incremental taxing mechanism of the URA. Once the plan is complete, City Council and Planning and Zoning will go through a series of processes to confirm the creation of the Urban Renewal Area. There will be a series of hearings where taxpayers and other taxing entities are invited to participate. City Manager Travis Rothweiler said the creation of the plan will likely take the rest of 2022 to complete, and after rounds of public hearings, approval from Planning and Zoning and the City Council, the Urban Renewal Area could be established in 2023. The projects developer, Summit Creek, plans to build what they describe as a Class A industrial park, the first of its kind in the area. Plans to build a multi-tenant industrial park with sites in varying sizes, from 5,000 to 200,000 square feet at the location, which is south of Clif Bar. Rothweiler, who is also interim director of the Urban Renewal Agency, said the project will help meet growing demand for manufacturing and industrial space in Twin Falls. We get requests all of the time for facilities to come in, looking for buildings of various sizes, Rothweiler told the Times-News. Right now the city of Twin Falls cant continue to grow its local economy and create additional jobs because we dont have a space to site them. The property to be developed is mostly unimproved farm field, serviced by aging two-lane roads. To help make the infrastructure improvements necessary service an 80-acre industrial park, Summit Creek requested that the area be considered for an Urban Renewal Area, which would implement the financial mechanisms to help fund infrastructure improvements such as roads, water, sewer, electric, fiber, and other utilities without putting that burden on taxpayers. The Council previously voted to annex the property in December. After Summit Creek requested the property be considered for a URA, the city contracted with Kushlan Associates who found the area eligible for designation as an Urban Renewal Area as specified by Idaho Code. The reason Im excited about the project is because it opens up additional lands for opportunities for the future, Rothweiler said. Its going to help grow our tax base, and its going to extend public infrastructure in areas at no cost to our ratepayers. Urban Renewal is a tool that helps defer the start-up costs of large projects, by allowing developers to recoup some of the costs of providing public infrastructure. When they install the water and sewer and power, theyre doing so with their dollars, rather than asking taxpayers to cover it. And in return, developers will have costs related to infrastructure investments reimbursed over time. At Mondays meeting, Rothweiler summarized the other significant projects that the Urban Renewal Agency has participated when he presented the URAs 2021 report. The URA has agreed to negotiate exclusively with Galena Grou, which plans to build a mixed-use multi-story commercial and residential building downtown at Second Avenue South and Hansen Street South, adjacent to the current five-story building at 160 Main now under construction. The plans for the new building also involve a multi-story parking structure with 100 spaces to be for public use and could begin construction at the end of this year. In 2021, the Urban Renewal Agency also approved a proposal from the Childrens Museum of the Magic Valley for the development of a property at Third Avenue South and Idaho Street South into a multi-story museum. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 2 TWIN FALLS Magic Valley Energy, an affiliate of LS Power, will be adding to its renewable energy portfolio in southern Idaho. The company announced Monday it plans to develop a second wind-energy project, named the Salmon Falls Wind Project, in rural Twin Falls County. The need for renewable energy across the West continues to grow, project director Luke Papez said in a statement. Idaho has been a longstanding leader in the generation of clean energy and the Salmon Falls project continues this legacy, positioning Idaho at the forefront of production of wind energy in a safe and environmentally sustainable manner, while supporting significant increases in economic benefits that few other opportunities can provide. The proposed area is on ground managed by the Bureau of Land Management. The project could potentially bring 800 megawatts of renewable energy, according to the wind-energy producer. The site features favorable wind resources, compatibility with existing land uses, a general absence of sensitive biological resources and proximity to existing and future high voltage transmission lines, the company statement said. Can grazing and renewable energy co-exist? The Lava Ridge Wind Project could bring hundreds of wind turbines to public land where a few families have been raising cattle for generations. Magic Valley Energys existing project, the Lava Ridge Wind Project, is moving through the Environmental Impact Statement process. Required by environmental law, a draft EIS will be available this summer, detailing possible positive and negative environmental effects of the proposed project. The company is aiming to start construction in 2023 if the project is approved. The Lava Ridge Wind Project would place up to 400 turbines on 73,000 acres of BLM ground, northeast of Twin Falls. Protecting history: Minidoka internment camp survivors opposed to wind project Survivors of the Minidoka War Relocation Center are worried about the impact of the Lava Ridge Wind Project. The closest turbine is currently planned to be 2 miles from the site. The Salmon Falls Wind Project is in the initial stages of development and will also require an EIS, according to the BLM. Construction could begin in 2024. Tax revenues generated during the construction period are estimated to exceed $46 million, according to MVE. The project will also bring up to 20 permanent jobs. Bureau of Land Management extends public scoping period on proposed wind energy project Following two widely attended virtual public scoping meetings, the BLM's Shoshone Field Office plans to extend the public scoping period by 30 days, accepting public input until Oct. 20. Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 1 MORGANTON Morgantons homeless population has been growing rapidly over the last 10-15 years, leaving city officials and the public looking to answer a major question: Where are they coming from? City Manager Sally Sandy offered several possibilities during a presentation about homelessness at a March 7 city council meeting, including a statement that other municipalities, counties and law enforcement agencies are bringing their homeless to Morganton. Growing population In July, there were about 70 homeless people living in Morganton. Thats according to the point-in-time count held that month, and its a far cry different from the homeless population the city had about 15 years ago, said Capt. Jason Whisnant with the Morganton Department of Public Safety. He said at the March 7 meeting hes been a lifelong Burke County resident and has worked at MDPS for more than 20 years. In my earlier years at public safety, there was a handful of homeless folks that you could count on one hand and we all know who those folks were, Whisnant told the city council at the meeting. You had Cat Man Theodore Lambert and you had Cowboy and a few more of those guys, but typically you could just count them on one hand. But the homeless population has grown exponentially in the last 10-15 years, Whisnant said. At Julys point-in-time count, about 70 people were identified living around 22 camps and Whisnant said that number is likely a low estimate. Whisnant provided more statistics from the point-in-time count to The News Herald, including a survey of the homeless population where only 33% of respondents said they were from Morganton and Burke County. The majority of the respondents 40% of them said they were from out of state, Whisnant said, and another 27% said they were from other areas around North Carolina. He said its not out of the realm of possibilities that other municipalities are bringing their homeless to Morganton, but law enforcement do not believe other agencies are forcing people to come to Morganton. Instead, they think if other agencies are bringing a person to the city, its because the person requested it. Allegations and responses Sandy named a few agencies and municipalities she believed were bringing members of their homeless community to Morganton, and among those was the Catawba County Sheriffs Office. An initial statement from CCSO Capt. Aaron Turk said bringing people experiencing homelessness to Morganton is not a practice authorized by the agency, nor is it one deputies are permitted to exercise. In a Friday evening follow-up, a statement from Turk said the sheriffs office learned of Sandys comments from a media outlet Friday morning. That led him to talk to Assistant City Manager Sonja Marston by phone, who said she would find out the specifics of the allegation made at the meeting. When Marston called Turk back around noon Friday, she told him the information Sandy used was 4th hand and it came from an employee at a Morganton Dollar General. According to Turks statement, Marston said the information hadnt been fully confirmed or corroborated, and she apologized for any statements that may have been inaccurate. The News Herald spoke with Turk late Friday, who said its possible a deputy may have brought a person to Morganton if, for example, they requested to be brought here. Anythings possible, Turk said. Were not definitively saying that it hasnt happened, what were saying is that our practice is that deputies are not permitted to do it, we have no information on our side that its happened. Turk said without a more specific time frame to guide search efforts, the sheriffs office wouldnt be able to find the internal records within calls for service, statistics and data. He said he checked with CCSOs patrol commander who checked with platoon lieutenants who all said they didnt know of the sheriffs office dropping anyone off in Morganton. He said the area serviced by the sheriffs office doesnt really have an impactful homeless problem that causes them to be taking those experiencing homelessness from one location to another frequently. But if they were to interact with someone who said they were from Morganton or wanted to get to Morganton, and the sheriffs office had decided to offer transportation, it would be more likely they would transport the person to the Burke/Catawba county line and ask the Burke County Sheriffs Office to pick them up and finish the transportation. He also said if a person needs shelter, the sheriffs office typically refers them to the Salvation Army shelter in Hickory. Sandy told The News Herald late Friday that she still believes other municipalities bring their homeless to Morganton. She said its something thats been reported multiple times by multiple people over the last several years, including by a former director of Burke United Christian Ministries. I do believe there are homeless persons finding their way to Morganton from other communities, Sandy told the newspaper by text message. I believe some are getting here with assistance and because of our many services here. Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. The Nigerian government has debunked local reports that it has chosen Qatar Airways (QR, Doha Hamad Intl) as the preferred bidder for its new national airline, Nigeria Air, pointing out that the bidding process has only just opened, Ch-Aviation reports. The report, coming just two days after the issuance of a Request For Proposal (RFP) which was published in local and international news media, is not only false but capable of discrediting the process for the establishment of the airline, and discouraging interested parties, the Ministry said in a statement published by local media. We wish to state categorically that no corporate entity or individual has been appointed or selected, or even preferred for the project as the process for selection has just started with the Request for Proposal. We wish to state that throughout the process leading to the publication of the Request for Proposal, the guiding principle has been transparency and accountability which we promised will remain till the final delivery of the project, and by which we stand. The West African country is planning to launch Nigeria Air (Lagos), as national carrier, and has opened a bid submission process that is expected to end in June this year. Nigeria Air is to be a public-private partnership with the federal government to maintain 5% stake, while 49% would be held by strategic equity partners and 46% by Nigerian entrepreneurs. The airline will have two hubs; Lagos and capital Abuja. The Egyptian government has branded rubbish reports it is in talks with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for an assistance package. Planning minister Hala El-Said told Reuters the Arab country is not seeking a loan from the Washington-based institution, Arab Finance reports. The IMF is a great support to Egypt and should something happen, we will announce it, the minister stated. The denial follows speculations this month by analysts at JPMorgan that the African country might apply for another assistance package from the IMF if the economic situation deteriorated. WASHINGTON President Joe Biden will travel to Europe next week for face-to-face talks with European leaders about the Russian invasion of Ukraine, White House press secretary Jen Psaki announced Tuesday. Biden will meet with European leaders at an extraordinary NATO summit in Brussels on March 24. He will also attend a scheduled European Council summit, where efforts to impose sanctions and further humanitarian efforts are underway. Advertisement While hes there, his goal is to meet in person face-to-face with his European counterparts and talk about, assess where we are at this point in the conflict in the invasion of Ukraine by Russia. Weve been incredibly aligned to date, Psaki said. That doesnt happen by accident. The president is a big believer in face-to-face diplomacy. So its an opportunity to do exactly that. The White House announced the presidents travel shortly before Biden on Tuesday signed a bill providing $13.6 billion in additional military and humanitarian aid to Ukraine as part of a $1.5 trillion government spending measure. Advertisement Biden said at the bill signing ceremony that the U.S. was moving urgently to further augment the support to the brave people of Ukraine, as they defend their country. The trip follows Vice President Kamala Harris visit to eastern flank NATO countries of Poland and Romania last week to discuss with leaders the growing refugee crisis in eastern Europe sparked by the Russian invasion and to underscore the Biden administrations support for NATO allies. Breaking News Alerts As it happens Be informed of breaking news as it happens and notified about other don't-miss content with our free news alerts. > Polands foreign minister Zbigniew Rau said Tuesday that a visit by Biden to Poland was very probable when he comes to Europe. More than 1.8 million Ukrainians have fled to Poland since the start of the war, according to the United Nations. More than 3 million people have fled Ukraine since Russian launched its invasion. It would be hard to imagine a better place for the United States and for the entire alliance to stress their position than the brightest link on the eastern flank, that Poland is, Rau told Polish state TVP INFO. Psaki said she did not have additional details about whether Biden would visit Poland during the trip. The White Houses announcement of Bidens visit to Brussels came on the same day that leaders of Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovenia set out for Kyiv by train despite the security risks to show their support for Ukraine. It was a visit EU officials said was not sanctioned by other members of the 27-nation bloc. Daniel Hamilton, a former deputy assistant secretary of state for European affairs, said Bidens trip to Europe comes as the White House looks to continue to maintain whats been a largely unified western opposition to Russia since the invasion. As the war continues, its important that the president show he is not sitting comfortably across the Atlantic, but that he is part of the coalition meeting with European colleagues in Europe and that the United States is a European power, said Hamilton, non-resident fellow at Brookings Institution, a Washington think tank. Advertisement Associated Press writers Monika Scislowska and Tracy Brown contributed reporting. The Senegalese army announced that it had launched an operation against rebels in Casamance, the scene of an old conflict in the south of the country. This offensive is launched less than two months after the death of four Senegalese soldiers and the capture of seven others by the rebels in the border area with Gambia. The seven soldiers, members of the West African military mission in the Gambia (Ecomig), have since been released. As part of their regalian missions of securing people and property, the armies launched an operation on Sunday, March 13, 2022, whose main objective is to dismantle the bases of the MFDC (Movement of Democratic Forces of Casamance) faction of Salif Sadio located along the northern border with Gambia, the Senegalese general staff said in a statement. This operation also aims to destroy all armed gangs conducting criminal activities in the area, it said. The armies remain determined () to preserve the integrity of the national territory at all costs, it concluded. Casamance has been the scene of one of the continents oldest conflicts since independence fighters took to the streets with rudimentary weaponry after the repression of an MFDC march in December 1982. The rebellion has thrived on the peculiarities of this fertile region, which is largely isolated from Senegal by the Gambia and prone to feelings of neglect. After claiming thousands of lives and ravaging the economy, the conflict has persisted at a slow pace, with flashpoints like the massacre of 14 men near Ziguinchor in 2018. The trial of these events is scheduled in a few days. Maxime Mokom was transferred Monday to the International Criminal Court from Chad, where he was arrested in late February. This anti-balaka leader is being prosecuted for crimes against humanity and war crimes, committed in 2013 and 2014 in the Central African Republic. Maxime Mokom was the subject of a secret arrest warrant issued against him by ICC judges in December 2018. Three months later, he had been appointed Minister of Disarmament, despite accusations of crimes against humanity and war crimes, issued by the prosecutor. The list of crimes of which he is suspected is long: murder, extermination, forced transfer of population, torture, persecution, enforced disappearances, mutilation, cruel treatment and many others. According to the Courts communique, the anti-balaka carried out attacks against the Muslim civilian population, suspected of being accomplices of the Seleka. The Seleka, which overthrew President Francois Bozize in 2013, of which Maxime Mokom is a close associate. He is the fourth Central African official to be placed behind bars by the ICC. He joins Patrice-Edouard Ngaissona, former political coordinator of the anti-Balakas, whose trial is still ongoing at the ICC. Maxime Mokoms first appearance before the courts judges is expected to take place in the coming days. Operation Barkhane will not be deployed in Burkina Faso. This was made known by General Laurent Michon, commander of the Barkhane force, during a visit to Ouagadougou. In the country, the populations do not seem to be in favor of a possible arrival of Barkhane. Sincerely said, we dont want the Barkhane force here in Burkina. They were in Mali, they did nothing there. So in Burkina we dont want Barkhane. They say they are helping our forces, but what did they do in Mali? If people talk about Barkhane forces, it really hurts me. Its only to come here to loot us or nothing, said Samuel Compaore, a citizen. The head of Barkhane, General Laurent Michon, reassured journalists. There will be no redeployment of Barkhane to Burkina Faso. According to the French general, the force is withdrawing from Mali and has no intention of moving to Burkina or neighboring Niger. In Ouagadougou, there is no support for a possible establishment of Barkhane in the country. However, the French army says it will remain in the tri-border area and is committed to the fight against terrorism. It will be able to assist the armies of Sahelian countries that express the need. Dr. Mariona Graupera, co-lead of the research and Endothelial Pathobiology and Microenvironment group leader at the Josep Carreras Leukaemia Research Institute. Credit: Josep Carreras Leukaemia Research Institute The abundance and function of blood vessels in adipose tissue conditions the development of obesity. This is the surprising conclusion reached by the study led by laboratories from the Josep Carreras Leukaemia Research Institute and CIC bioGUNE, both members of the Cancer Networking Biomedical Research Center (CIBERONC). Obesity is a multifactorial epidemic disease closely related to the development of multiple pathologies, originated by the exacerbated expansion of adipose tissue. The development of prevention and treatment strategies for this disease is, therefore, an urgent biomedical need. Adipose tissue has important blood supply requirements, and the contribution of vessels to the development of obesity had not been clarified until now. Dr. Graupera's laboratory is internationally recognized for the study of the regulation and function of blood vessels, addressing the research by using genetically modified animal models. In order to clarify the contribution of blood vessels to the development of obesity, Graupera and Carracedo studied a mouse model with increased vascular functionality, and observed that the animals were resistant to the development of obesity. "At that moment we knew that the vessels were instructing the body to control the management of fat," says Graupera. From this point on, the research team focused its efforts on identifying the mechanism in the vessel's crosstalk with the adipose tissue. "It has been a process in which we have had to turn to cancer research to understand obesity," says Carracedo. The leaders of this research integrated international experts in different disciplines into the project to provide a comprehensive response to the phenomenon they just described. Years of research led to the conclusion that blood vessels use a language of communication based on small molecules or "metabolites" to instruct adipose tissue. The adipocytes, in response to the message from the vessels, release fat, which the vessels capture as food to proliferate. Dr. Carracedo continues "it is paradoxical that the mechanism by which the vessels produce these metabolites is identical to the one we recently described in the context of prostate cancer." And Graupera adds "while the vessels activate this process during a controlled increase in proliferation, the tumor cells do so in an uncontrolled and aberrant way." This study sheds light on the importance of blood vessels in regulating health and disease in our body. "Vessels have historically been considered inert blood transport tubes, but we are discovering that they perceive alterations in our body and respond by regulating and organizing the function of multiple tissues." Graupera concludes, "the fact that the vessels respond differently in each organ suggests that we are facing a tissue that is specialized throughout our body, and this opens up exciting opportunities to improve human health through the regulation of blood vessels." The teams from CIC bioGUNE and the Josep Carreras Leukaemia Research Institute have worked hand in hand with Ruben Nogueiras from CIMUS in Santiago de Compostela, Marc Claret from IDIBAPS in Barcelona and Paul Cohen from the Rockefeller University in New York. The publication and part of the research has received funding from the Fundacion BBVA grants program to research teams under the project "Endothelial molecular alterations induced by excessive energy intakea new concept in obesity and metabolic disorders EndObes." Explore further More blood vessels in adipose tissue may alleviate type 2 diabetes More information: Erika Monelli et al, Angiocrine polyamine production regulates adiposity, Nature Metabolism (2022). Journal information: Nature Metabolism Erika Monelli et al, Angiocrine polyamine production regulates adiposity,(2022). DOI: 10.1038/s42255-022-00544-6 Dana-Farber's Alan DAndrea describes how research on Fanconi anemia led to discovery of a promising cancer drug. Credit: Rose Lincoln/Harvard Staff Photographer The clinical trial of an old antibiotic for a new purpose is offering hope to thousands of patients with drug-resistant breast cancer whose early remissions have given way to resurgent tumors. Novobiocin was once used in humans but today is largely limited to animal applications, such as treating mastitis in dairy cows. Its trial as a cancer drug is expected to begin this spring at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. If it proves effective, the fact that it's still manufactured and already approved in people should allow it to become rapidly available to patients, trial organizers say. While the discovery of a potentially powerful anti-cancer agent in a veterinary niche may seem serendipitous, it sits at the end of a long chain of discovery. That chain has already deepened our understanding of a group of well-known cancersbreast, ovarian, pancreatic, and prostatethat together afflict more than 600,000 people and kill about 140,000 each year. Research in recent decades has revealed that half of ovarian cancers, 15% of breast and prostate, and 10% of pancreatic cancers share a flaw in their DNA repair mechanism that make them susceptible to drugs like novobiocin. The work has also shown that they are related to a rare, often fatal childhood disease called Fanconi anemia. In fact, the discoveries trace back to the suffering of Fanconi anemia families, hinging on a key moment two decades ago at a Maine summer camp where children suffering Fanconi anemia offered their blood for science. The distressing irony is that the resulting treatments, which now offer hope to thousands of cancer sufferers, are not only ineffective for Fanconi children, they're potentially fatal. "This is a terrible disease," said Alan D'Andrea, who heads Dana-Farber's Susan F. Smith Center for Women's Cancers and who has worked on Fanconi anemia since the early 1990s. "The children have birth defects. They have a strong disposition to developing anemia and then leukemia. And their cells are super-sensitive to DNA damaging agents." The condition is rare and genetic. As a recessive disease, a child must inherit two copies of a Fanconi geneone from each parentfor the condition to develop. It affects just one in 130,000 U.S. births each year, which translates to about 28 children, many of whom are afflicted with short stature, microcephaly, abnormal facial features, or other birth defects. Anemia tends to emerge around age 7, often followed by acute myeloid leukemia and eventually bone marrow failure. Many patients don't live to adulthood, and the average age of death in 2000 was 30. D'Andrea, who also directs Dana-Farber's Center for DNA Damage and Repair, became interested in Fanconi anemia in a roundabout fashion. While he was an undergraduate in Quincy House at Harvard College in the late 1970s, his mother developed breast cancer. She recovered, but the episode sparked an interest that led D'Andrea to the lab of William Haseltine at Dana-Farber, then called the Sidney Farber Cancer Institute. Haseltine was studying DNA repair, a subject that grabbed D'Andrea's interest. The pair pioneered using new tools of gene sequencing to investigate DNA damage and repair. Later, while studying at Harvard Medical School, D'Andrea became interested in leukemia and then, as an assistant professor at the Medical School and Dana-Farber in the early 1990s, in Fanconi anemia. D'Andrea thought that a better understanding of the condition might not only help those afflicted with it, but also produce insights broadly applicable to leukemias, which affect 61,000 Americans and kill 24,000 per year. D'Andrea's efforts were met with enthusiasm. Families of Fanconi sufferers often struggle alone, trying to manage a condition frequently unrecognized by physicians and ignored by researchers. The Fanconi Anemia Research Fund was just a year old when D'Andrea got involved in 1990, but it was already beginning to support research on the condition. "I first met Alan in the year 1990; our daughter Katie died in 1991," said Lynn Frohnmayer, one of the fund's founders. "We were advised to consult with a DNA expert at Harvard about her condition, so we talked to him for a long time. It's hard to remember a time when he hasn't been part of what we were doing." Community was no less important than research to Fanconi families, who gathered annually at a summer camp on Maine's Sebago Lake. "I'd go to this camp every summer and teach the families what we knew about the disease," said D'Andrea, the Alvan T. and Viola D. Fuller American Cancer Society Professor of Radiation Oncology. "At the same time, we would collect blood samples from the children or the parents, and sometimes skin biopsies. We assumed at this point that if we could clone the genes that were involved for Fanconi anemia, we might discover something very fundamental about why these children get leukemia, and also discover some kind of DNA repair pathway." D'Andrea's methodidentifying defective Fanconi genes and using them to understand the function of the normal genetook time, but slowly revealed the disease's genetic underpinnings. As Fanconi genes were discoveredscientists have so far identified 23D'Andrea's lab demonstrated how the proteins they encode work together in a biochemical pathway required for DNA repair. "We figured out that these genes probably work together in some kind of a genetic DNA repair pathway and that was exciting," D'Andrea said. "But it was a backwater field of cancer research. I would give talks on Fanconi anemia at big meetings and there'd be 12 people in the audience, and they'd be reading the newspaper, not paying attention." In the early 2000s, D'Andrea was at the camp drawing blood from an 11-year-old girl who had recently developed leukemia. He was talking with her mother, who was in her 30s, and noticed that her arm was in a sling. When she said she'd had a mastectomy after a breast cancer diagnosis, his interest was piqued. In the mid-1990s, researchers had identified mutations in two genes, BRCA1 and BRCA2, that increase the risk of early breast cancer. The BRCA genes are tumor suppressors that play a role in DNA repair. In most women, healthy BRCA genes prevent tumors by keeping DNA functioning properly. In women who inherit mutated genes, faulty DNA repair opens the door to tumor growth. D'Andrea's work over the prior decade had pointed to faulty DNA repair as a cause of Fanconi anemia, so when he heard the young mother's story, something clicked. He tracked down the girl's father and asked about his family history. The man said he had been healthy, but that his mother had died of ovarian cancer. After D'Andrea raced back to the lab, he and colleagues examined DNA from the girl's samples. They found that she had two copies of a faulty breast cancer geneBRCA2one inherited from each parent. "Suddenly, this rare disease, Fanconi anemia, and this rare pathway that we have been studying crashed into breast cancer and ovarian cancer research," D'Andrea said. "And not only those cancers in the general population, but BRCA2 and, subsequently, BRCA1, extremely important cancer-susceptibility genes. We call it today the Fanconi anemia/BRCA pathway." In hindsight, the connection seems obvious, D'Andrea said. "We had been studying all these other Fanconi anemia genes and we knew that process had something to do with DNA repair. It made sense. Sometimes the most important discoveries in science are obvious when you hit them. You realize this child with Fanconi anemia had mutations in the BRCA genethat's why this child got cancer. When you get cancer as a child, you get leukemia, you don't get breast cancer, you don't get ovarian cancer. Leukemiathat was a very severe form of BRCA deficiency." Subsequent research found that the Fanconi anemia/BRCA pathway was disrupted not only in some breast and ovarian cancers, but also in a significant number of prostate and pancreatic cancers. "Not only did these children have Fanconi anemia, but their parents and grandparents have other cancers: breast, ovarian, andwe now knowprostate cancer and pancreatic cancer," D'Andrea said. "These poor families, they have children with Fanconi anemia, a fatal childhood disease, and their older siblings, parents, older family members who have a mutation in one of the genes, they get breast, ovarian, prostate, pancreatic cancer." The discovery of a common DNA repair pathway linking Fanconi anemia to deadly cancers brought immediate attention to the condition and to DNA repair as a common feature of some cancers. It also provided a new way to treat them. Subsequent research showed that cancers caused by BRCA mutations become more dependent on other DNA repair pathways. Drugs called PARP inhibitors were developed to attack a key protein in a backup DNA repair pathway used by BRCA-deficient tumors. PARP inhibitors rapidly disrupt tumor growth, leading to dramatic remissions, but only for a time. A year to 18 months after PARP treatment begins, tumors often recur as the cancer mutates to use a third DNA repair pathway, which relies on a protein called polymerase theta. To counter that move, D'Andrea turned to modern drug-screening techniques, examining thousands of compounds' effectiveness against polymerase theta. Novobiocin rose to the top. Subsequent trials in mouse models confirmed its effectiveness, which led to plans for the spring trial. Should novobiocin prove an effective tool, researchers will shift to examining how tumors respond over time and whether they can eventually evade the drug's effects by using one of the body's other DNA repair pathways, according to Geoffrey Shapiro, Dana-Farber's senior vice president for developmental therapeutics and a professor of medicine who is collaborating with D'Andrea on the novobiocin trial. Having an additional drug will also let researchers explore combination therapies that might be harder for tumors to overcome. Such therapies are already extending the lives of many patients and, in some cases, reducing cancer to a chronic disease. "Ultimately, we will be combining all these DNA repair inhibitors to try to maximize response up frontif it's safe enough to do that," Shapiro said. "This is our next decade of work." Fanconi anemia remains a target for D'Andrea and other researchers. Thanks to recent advances, including improved survival rates for bone-marrow transplants, more patients are living into their 30s or later. This is good news for families, but the threat of cancer is ever-present, and comes with a cruel twist. While treatments such as PARP and novobiocin grew out of Fanconi-related science, the key difference between Fanconi patients and others with cancer makes those treatments not only useless but potentially deadly for people with the condition. For most cancer patients, the DNA repair defect that is vulnerable to PARP inhibitors and, potentially, novobiocin is in their tumor cells, which creates targets for treatment. In Fanconi patients, the defect is present throughout their bodies, meaning that the inhibitors would attack all their cells, not just cancerous ones. Frohnmayer said chemotherapy and radiation therapy are also dangerous for Fanconi patients, which limits cancer-fighting options to a heavy emphasis on early detection and surgery while the search for other treatments continues. "The first gene was discovered in 1992, so we were in the dark. All we had were these horrible statistics," Frohnmayer said. "Today it's much more hopeful. People know that getting through the bone-marrow-failure part of the problem is at least a possibility, maybe even a likelihood. We're working really hard on the cancer problem. And you can at least have the hope that, by the time your child is in danger, there's going to be a better answer than we have today." Explore further Study identifies new gene mutation associated with defective DNA repair and Fanconi anemia This story is published courtesy of the Harvard Gazette, Harvard University's official newspaper. For additional university news, visit Harvard.edu. Credit: CC0 Public Domain Denmark unveiled plans on Tuesday to ensure that future generations are tobacco-free, and is considering banning the sale of cigarettes and other nicotine products to anyone born after 2010. "Our hope is that all people born in 2010 and later will never start smoking or using nicotine-based products", Health Minister Magnus Heunicke told reporters. "If necessary, we are ready to ban the sale (of these products) to this generation by progressively raising the age limit," he said. Currently, Danes must be 18 years old to buy cigarettes or e-cigarettes. According to the health ministry, around 31 percent of 15-to-29-year-olds smoke. Smoking is the main cause of cancer in the Nordic country of 5.8 million people, and responsible for 13,600 deaths per year. A poll commissioned by the Danish Cancer Society showed that 64 percent of people surveyed were in favor of the Danish government's plan, and 67 percent among those aged 18-34. New Zealand in December announced a pioneering plan to ban the sale of tobacco by progressively raising the age limit as of 2027. In Denmark, the Social Democratic government said it also plans to address youths' alcohol consumption. It will raise the legal age for purchases of drinks containing less than 16.5 percent alcohol from 16 to 18. Explore further England set to light up e-cigs on prescription for smokers 2022 AFP (Mouse adipose tissue) The panel shows the protein amount in adipose tissue. Fasted mice exhibited a significant reduction in Rubicon in adipose tissue compared with fed mice. mTORC1 activity indicator p-S6K1 was also reduced in fasting conditions, which suggests that mTORC1 is inactivated with fasting. Lamin B was used as the loading control. Credit: Tadashi Yamamuro et al. The coming of spring harkens spring cleaning; a time to de-clutter your home and discard things that are no longer needed. In the body, a cellular process calledautophagy occurs regularly to "de-clutter" our cells. Recently, researchers in Japan have shed new light on the relationship between this process and the body's metabolic response to fasting. In a new study published in Autophagy, researchers led by Osaka University investigated the role of autophagy. Autophagy is the process by which unwanted cellular components are eliminated via degradation, during fasting conditions. Previous studies have shown that fasting causes fat tissue, also known as adipose tissue, to break down, which leads to hepatic steatosis (an accumulation of fat in the liver) and ketogenesis (the production of ketones, which are by-products of fat breakdown). A gene called Rubicon Autophagy Regulator (RUBCN) acts as a negative regulator of autophagy, meaning that it functions to suppress autophagy. The research team led by Osaka University previously demonstrated that the loss of RUBCN in fat tissue during aging leads to systemic fat loss. Because RUBCN levels are also reduced during fasting, the researchers hypothesized that this reduction may promote fat loss through the upregulation of autophagy. "We wanted to further our understanding of how autophagy is involved in the body's metabolic response to fasting," says lead author Tadashi Yamamuro. "To do so, we evaluated the effects of modulating autophagy in the adipose cells of fed and fasting mice." (Left: Mouse liver) The panel shows the Hematoxylin-Eosin staining in the liver from 24-h-fasted mice. Control mice exhibited a significant accumulation of lipid droplets, whereas this accumulation was reduced in adipose-specific Atg5 knockout mice in which autophagy was suppressed.(Right: Blood ketone body level) The panel shows the blood ketone body levels in fed or 24-h-fasted mice. Control mice exhibited a fasting-induced increase in blood ketone body levels, whereas this increase was impaired in adipose-specific Atg5 knockout mice in which autophagy was suppressed. This result indicates that adipose autophagy is required for ketone body production in the liver. Credit: Tadashi Yamamuro et al. The researchers used several mouse models to perform their investigation, including an adipose-specific model that lacked RUBCN and an adipose-specific model that lacked ATG5, a gene that is essential for autophagy to occur. Fat loss, triglyceride levels, and liver weight were evaluated in these mice and compared with control mice under fed and fasting conditions. "In control mice, fat loss, hepatic steatosis, and ketonemia were observed under fasting conditions," says senior author Tamotsu Yoshimori. "Fed RUBCN knockout mice exhibited responses that were similar to those of fasted control mice, while fasted ATG5 mice exhibited reduced fat loss, hepatic steatosis, and ketonemia." Adipose autophagy is induced with fasting, thereby degrading Rubicon to further promote autophagy. Autophagy in adipocytes degrades SRC-1 and TIF2, and their reduction leads to a decrease in adipogenic gene expression and fat mass. Fat is transferred from adipose tissue to the liver and used for ketone body production. Credit: Tadashi Yamamuro et al. The researchers also found that fasted control mice exhibited a substantial decrease in the expression of adipogenic, or fat-promoting, genes. In ATG5 knockout mice, this reduction was not observed, indicating that autophagy plays a role in the reduction of adipogenic gene expression. Taken together with the findings from the research team's previous study, it appears that upregulation of autophagy in adipose tissue is a hallmark of both fasting and aging. In addition to revealing a previously unknown mechanism of the fasting response, these findings may have important implications for our understanding of metabolism during aging. Explore further Activation of Mondo A protein could protect against aging and age-related disease More information: Tadashi Yamamuro et al, Loss of RUBCN/rubicon in adipocytes mediates the upregulation of autophagy to promote the fasting response, Autophagy (2022). Tadashi Yamamuro et al, Loss of RUBCN/rubicon in adipocytes mediates the upregulation of autophagy to promote the fasting response,(2022). DOI: 10.1080/15548627.2022.2047341 This illustration demonstrates the structure of the LF Chip: B cells and T cells were cultured together in the extracellular matrix (ECM)-lined lower channel, and were fed via the consistent flow of nutrient-containing medium through the upper channel. This flow is also what appears to have caused the spontaneous assembly of the cells into lymphoid follicles. Credit: Wyss Institute at Harvard University To quote veteran science writer Ed Yong's simple yet extremely accurate words in The Atlantic, "The immune system is very complicated." As the COVID-19 pandemic had made abundantly clear, science still doesn't fully understand the sophisticated defense mechanisms that protect us from microbe invaders. Why do some people show no symptoms when infected with SARS-CoV-2 while others suffer from severe fevers and body aches? Why do some succumb to cytokine storms of the body's own making? We still lack exact answers to these questions. Today's scientists, however, now have a new tool to help them tease out the immune system's mysteries, thanks to a group of researchers at the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University. They cultured human B and T cells inside a microfluidic Organ Chip device and coaxed them to spontaneously form functional lymphoid folliclesstructures that reside in lymph nodes and other parts of the human body that mediate immune responses. They consist of different chambers that harbor "naive" B cells and T cells, which together initiate the cascade of events that leads to a full immune response when they are exposed to a specific antigen. In addition to allowing researchers to probe the normal function of the immune system, these Lymphoid Follicle (LF) Chips can also be used to predict immune responses to various vaccines and help select the best performers, offering significant improvement over existing preclinical models like cells in a dish and non-human primates. The achievement is reported today in Advanced Science. "Animals have been the gold-standard research models for developing and testing new vaccines, but their immune systems differ significantly from our own and do not accurately predict how humans will respond to them. Our LF Chip offers a way to model the complex choreography of human immune responses to infection and vaccination, and could significantly speed up the pace and quality of vaccine creation in the future," said first author Girija Goyal, Ph.D., a senior staff scientist at the Wyss Institute. When B cells and T cells were cultured in the LF Chip under flow conditions (left), they spontaneously formed 3D structures that were later identified as nascent lymphoid follicles. When the same cells were cultured in static conditions (right), no structures formed. Credit: Wyss Institute at Harvard University An accidental discovery Like many great scientific discoveries, the LF Chip project is the result of serendipity in the lab. Goyal and other Wyss Institute scientists wanted to investigate how B and T cells circulating in the blood would change their behavior once they entered a tissue, so they obtained those cells from human blood samples and cultured them inside a microfluidic Organ Chip device to replicate the physical conditions they would experience when they encountered an organ. When the cells were placed inside one of the two channels within the device, nothing remarkable happenedbut when the researchers started the flow of culture medium through the other channel to feed the cells, they were surprised to see that within the Organ Chip, the B and T cells started to spontaneously self-organize into 3D structures that appeared similar to "germinal centers"structures within LFs where complex immune reactions take place. "It was so unexpected that we completely pivoted from the original experiment and focused on trying to figure out what they were," said Goyal. When the researchers started probing the mysterious structures that had formed inside the Organ Chip under flow conditions, they found that the cells were secreting a chemical called CXCL13. CXCL13 is a hallmark of LF formation, both within lymph nodes and in other parts of the body, in response to chronic inflammation, such as in cancer and autoimmune conditions. The team also found that B cells within the LFs that self-assembled on-chip also expressed an enzyme called activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID), which is critical for activating B cells against specific antigens and is not present in B cells that are circulating in the blood. Neither CXCL13 nor AID were present in cells that were cultured in a standard 2D dish, suggesting that the scientists had indeed successfully created functional LFs from circulating blood cells. In LFs in the human body, activated B cells mature and differentiate into multiple types of progeny cells including plasma cells, which secrete large amounts of antibodies against a specific pathogen. The team detected the presence of plasma cells in the LF Chips after they applied several stimuli used in the laboratory to activate B cells, such as the combination of the cytokine IL-4 and an anti-CD40 antibody, or dead bacteria. Remarkably, the plasma cells were concentrated in clusters within the LFs, as they would be in vivo. "These findings were especially exciting because they confirmed that we had a functional model that could be used to unravel some of the complexities of the human immune system, including its responses to multiple types of pathogens," said Pranav Prabhala, a Technician at the Wyss Institute and second author of the paper. Predicting vaccine efficacy on-a-chip Now that the scientists had a functional LF model that could initiate an immune response, they explored whether their LF Chip could be used to replicate and study the human immune system's response to vaccines. In the human body, vaccination induces special cells called dendritic cells to take up the injected pathogen and migrate to lymph nodes, where they present fragments of them on their surface. There, these antigen-presenting cells activate the B cells with the assistance of local T cells in the LF, causing the B cells to differentiate into plasma cells that produce antibodies against the pathogen. To replicate this process, the researchers added dendritic cells to LF Chips along with B and T cells from four separate human donors. They then inoculated the chips with a vaccine against the H5N1 strain of influenza along with an adjuvant called SWE that is known to boost immune responses to the vaccine. LF Chips that received the vaccine and the adjuvant produced significantly more plasma cells and anti-influenza antibodies than B and T cells grown in 2D cultures or LF Chips that received the vaccine but not the adjuvant. The team then repeated the experiment with cells from eight different donors, this time using the commercially available Fluzone influenza vaccine, which protects against three different strains of the virus in humans. Once again, plasma cells and anti-influenza antibodies were present in significant numbers in the treated LF Chips. They also measured the levels of four cytokines in the vaccinated LF Chips that are known to be secreted by activated immune cells, and found that the levels of three of them (IFN-, IL-10, and IL-2) were similar to those found in the serum of humans who had been vaccinated with Fluzone. The Wyss researchers are now using their LF Chips to test various vaccines and adjuvants in collaboration with pharmaceutical companies and the Gates Foundation. "The flurry of vaccine development efforts sparked by the COVID-19 pandemic were impressive for their speed, but the increased demand suddenly made traditional animal models scarce resources. The LF Chip offers a cheaper, faster, and more predictive model for studying human immune responses to both infections and vaccines, and we hope it will streamline and improve vaccine development against many diseases in the future," said corresponding author Donald Ingber, M.D., Ph.D., who is the Founding Director of the Wyss Institute as well as the Judah Folkman Professor of Vascular Biology at Harvard Medical School (HMS) and Boston Children's Hospital, and Professor of Bioengineering at the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. Explore further A new tool for studying COVID's impact on gut health More information: Girija Goyal et al, Ectopic Lymphoid Follicle Formation and Human Seasonal Influenza Vaccination Responses Recapitulated in an OrganonaChip, Advanced Science (2022). Journal information: Advanced Science Girija Goyal et al, Ectopic Lymphoid Follicle Formation and Human Seasonal Influenza Vaccination Responses Recapitulated in an OrganonaChip,(2022). DOI: 10.1002/advs.202103241 The findings show that obesity and physical inactivity increase the impact of the disease on the autonomic nervous system. Credit: Fabio Lira A study conducted at Sao Paulo State University (UNESP) in Brazil shows that even mild to moderate infection by SARS-CoV-2 can cause an imbalance in the cardiovascular system of young adults without pre-existing diseases. The researchers also concluded that both obesity and a low level of physical activity are key factors in post-COVID that help alter the autonomic nervous system, which regulates such vital functions as blood pressure, heart rate and breathing. The study, which was supported by FAPESP, involved male and female patients aged 20-40 before they were vaccinated. "The results offer elements that should encourage people even with mild symptoms of COVID-19 to seek a more detailed diagnosis. The processes triggered by the virus can have consequences of which the patient is unaware," said Fabio Santos de Lira, principal investigator for the project. Lira is a professor in the Department of Physical Education at UNESP's School of Sciences and Technology in Presidente Prudente, and one of the authors of an article on the study published in a special issue of the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, titled "Impact of Lifestyle Interventions in Immune Response, Inflammation and Vascular Health." The study was part of a broader project called Fit-COVID, which aims to explain some of the gaps in scientific knowledge on the natural history of the disease with a specific focus on immune, inflammatory and metabolic markers, in parallel with an assessment of the time-related modulatory effects of physical activity and body composition. The researchers recruited COVID patients in Presidente Prudente, a city in the interior of Sao Paulo state with some 232,000 inhabitants. In end-February 2022, it had 39,049 confirmed cases and 982 deaths from the disease. The participants had been diagnosed by RT-PCR not more than six months previously and had mild to moderate symptoms of COVID. A control group included age-matched healthy subjects. A total of 57 people were evaluated, with 38 remaining as the study sample after exclusions owing to chronic disease, drug use and vaccination, among other reasons. They underwent an initial assessment that included body mass index (BMI, the ratio of weight to height squared, used to determine overweight and obesity) and measurement of physical activity by three-axis accelerometer. Autonomic nervous system (ANS) functioning was assessed by measuring heart rate variability. The main finding was that the post-COVID patients, even having had mild to moderate symptoms, displayed augmented activity of the sympathetic nervous system (a division of the ANS that regulates the response to danger, intense effort and stress), diminished activity of the parasympathetic nervous system (the other division of the ANS, responsible for resting functions, digestion and energy conservation), and lower overall variability than the control group. In other words, heart rate was higher and the organism did less to mitigate this in the post-COVID patients. In subjects who were overweight or obese, and/or physically inactive, autonomic heart rate modulation was less effective. According to the authors, the study provides new insights regarding the role of BMI and physical activity on post-COVID autonomic deregulation that may contribute to a better understanding of the pathophysiology and treatment of post-acute COVID symptoms. "We didn't expect such an altered cardiovascular system, because they were young and didn't have other diseases. Our study shows that significant functional alterations are possible in people who have had COVID, even without severe symptoms. This heart rate variation, for example, could become arrhythmia in future," said Luciele Guerra Minuzzi, a postdoctoral fellow at UNESP and a co-author of the article, alongside Ana Paula Coelho Figueira Freire, first author and a researcher at the University of Western Sao Paulo (UNOESTE), and Bruna Spolador de Alencar Silva, last author and also a postdoc at UNESP. The variations were reflected in the subjects' day-to-day activities, such as the capacity to perform physical exercises, climb staircases and even walk. They reported fatigue and weakness. A simple test such as a six-minute walk is sufficient to detect the problem. According to Minuzzi, the group earlier found evidence of metabolic dysregulation in hospitalized severe COVID patients, including high levels of lipids in the bloodstream and altered glycemia. A study published in August 2021 by scientists at Appalachian State University in North Carolina (U.S.) detected autonomic dysregulation in young adults recovering from COVID, but used an invasive method, whereas the Brazilian researchers opted for a simpler, cheaper and non-invasive method. At the time, the conclusion was that the physiological impact of COVID on resting heart rate may last as long as two to three months, possibly owing to autonomic dysfunction. The results were attributed to exacerbated inflammation during COVID, not least owing to the release of inflammatory cytokines. Next steps According to Lira, the researchers are now analyzing other results of the same tests and will publish further findings soon. The project involves a multicenter study, with scientists at the University of Coimbra and the Coimbra Polytechnic Institute (Portugal) also participating. In addition, the same patients continue to be tracked after being vaccinated. They were assessed six weeks after receiving the vaccine. The next assessment will be performed in the 18th month after vaccination. More information: Ana Paula Coelho Figueira Freire et al, Role of Body Mass and Physical Activity in Autonomic Function Modulation on Post-COVID-19 Condition: An Observational Subanalysis of Fit-COVID Study, International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (2022). Journal information: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health Ana Paula Coelho Figueira Freire et al, Role of Body Mass and Physical Activity in Autonomic Function Modulation on Post-COVID-19 Condition: An Observational Subanalysis of Fit-COVID Study,(2022). DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19042457 African American women have higher rates of triple negative breast cancer. Study shows the molecular mechanisms that may be a cause. Credit: Dipali Sharma, Ph.D. Different activity in two molecular networks could help explain why triple negative breast cancers tend to be more aggressive in African American (AA) women compared with white American (WA) women, a new study led by Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center researchers suggests. The findings, published online Dec. 20 in eLife, may explain the marked racial disparity in mortality for this subset of breast cancer and offer new strategies for treating this deadly disease. "The incidence of breast cancer in African American women is lower than in white American women, but mortality is higher. Our work shows the molecular mechanisms that cause cancer cells to grow and spread faster in African American women," says study leader Dipali Sharma, Ph.D., professor of oncology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and John Fetting Fund for Breast Cancer Prevention researcher. Better diagnosis and treatment have decreased breast cancer mortality in the past few decades, cutting death rates by about 40%, but AA women are still 42% more likely to die from this disease than WA women. Although AA women have a lower incidence of breast cancer than WA women overall, the disparity in mortality can be partially explained by a higher incidence among AA women of triple negative breast cancer, an aggressive breast cancer subset characterized by a lack of estrogen, progesterone and HER2 receptors. However, even among triple negative breast cancers, those in AA women tend to be even more aggressive than those in WA women, significantly decreasing AA survival rates. To better understand this phenomenon, Sharma and her colleagues compared the behavior of triple negative breast cancer cell lines isolated from AA and WA women. When grown in petri dishes, the cells from AA women multiplied at a faster pace, were more invasive to surrounding tissue, were more likely to migrate, and had more "stem-like" cells capable of creating new tumors compared with the cells from WA women. When placed into mice, the cells from AA women created larger tumors faster and metastasized quicker compared with the cells from WA women. "The triple negative breast cancer cells from African American women were more aggressive from the get-go," says Sumit Siddharth, first author on the paper and postdoctoral fellow at Johns Hopkins Medicine. Searching for the molecular mechanisms behind these differences, the researchers assessed gene activity in each of the cell lines and in tumor samples from AA and WA women. They found that two genes, known as GLI1 and Notch1, were more active in cells isolated from AA women compared with those isolated from WA women. Both genes produce proteins known as transcription factors, explains Sheetal Parida, a study co-author and postdoctoral fellow, and are responsible for regulating large networks of other genes that can broadly affect cell function. To determine whether GLI1 and Notch1 could serve as effective targets for triple negative breast cancers, the researchers dosed the cell lines from WA and AA women with an inhibitor for each of these two genes along with a common chemotherapy agent used to treat these cancers. Although each agent was largely ineffective on its own, combining all three drugs significantly inhibited growth, invasion and migration in the AA cell lines. Treating mice with tumors grown from these cell lines had similar positive effects, reducing tumor size and metastasis. Sharma says that she and her team plan to continue to test GLI1 and Notch1 inhibitors in mouse models of triple negative breast cancers to find the best combination with chemotherapies and eventually investigate this strategy in clinical trials of patients with this disease subtype. "Eventually," she says, "we may be able to close the survival gap between African American and white American women with triple negative breast cancers." Explore further Plant compound shows promise against triple-negative breast cancer More information: Sumit Siddharth et al, Concomitant activation of GLI1 and Notch1 contributes to racial disparity of human triple negative breast cancer progression, eLife (2021). Journal information: eLife Sumit Siddharth et al, Concomitant activation of GLI1 and Notch1 contributes to racial disparity of human triple negative breast cancer progression,(2021). DOI: 10.7554/eLife.70729 KYIV, Ukraine Russia stepped up its bombardment of Kyiv on Tuesday, smashing apartments and a subway station, while civilians in 2,000 cars fled Mariupol along a humanitarian corridor in what was believed to be the biggest evacuation yet from the desperately besieged seaport. On the diplomatic front, another round of talks began between Russia and Ukraine via video, and the leaders of three European Union countries including Poland, a NATO member on Ukraines doorstep planned a visit to the embattled capital in a bold show of support. Advertisement With the number of people driven from the country by the war eclipsing 3 million, large explosions thundered across Kyiv before dawn from what Ukrainian authorities said were artillery strikes, as Russias assault on the capital appeared to become more systematic and edged closer to the city center. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said barrages hit four multi-story buildings in the city and killed dozens of people. The shelling ignited a huge fire in a 15-story apartment building and spurred a frantic rescue effort. Advertisement The strikes, carried out of the 20th day of Russias invasion, targeted a western district of Kyiv, disrupting a relative calm that returned after an initial advance by Moscows forces was stopped in the early days of the war. The U.N. said close to 700 civilians in Ukraine have been confirmed killed, with the true figure probably much higher. Fox News video journalist Pierre Zakrzewski was killed when the vehicle he was traveling in was hit by fire Monday on the outskirts of Kyiv, the network said. He was the second journalist killed in Ukraine in two days. The leaders of Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovenia set out for Kyiv by train despite the security risks, in a visit EU officials said was not sanctioned by other members of the 27-nation bloc. The aim of the visit is to express the European Unions unequivocal support for Ukraine and its freedom and independence, Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala said in a tweet. He was joined by fellow Prime Ministers Janez Jansa of Slovenia and Mateusz Morawiecki of Poland, as well as Jaroslaw Kaczynski, Polands de facto leader. New efforts to bring civilians to safety and deliver aid were underway around the country. The Red Cross said it was working to evacuate people from the northeastern town of Sumy near the Russian border in about 70 buses. One of the most desperate situations is in Mariupol, the southern city of 430,000 where officials say a weekslong siege has killed more than 2,300 people and left residents struggling for food, water, heat and medicine. The Mariupol city council reported that 2,000 civilian cars had managed to leave along a humanitarian corridor that runs for more than 160 miles west to the city of Zaporizhzhia. Another 2,000 cars were waiting to leave along the route, the council said. Advertisement As for the latest round of talks, Ukrainian presidential aide Mykhailo Podolyak said they were discussing a cease-fire and Russian troop withdrawal. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Moscow would press its demands that Ukraine drop its bid to join NATO, adopt a neutral status and demilitarize. Zelenskyy told European leaders gathered in London that his country realizes it cant join NATO. We have heard for many years about the open doors, but we also heard that we cant enter those doors, he said. This is the truth, and we have simply to accept it as it is. When Russia launched the war three weeks ago, fear of an imminent invasion gripped the Ukrainian capital, and residents slept in subway stations or crammed onto trains to flee. But as the Russian offensive bogged down, Kyiv saw a relative lull. U.S. officials said Russian forces were about 9 miles from the center of the city as of Monday. Fighting has intensified on Kyivs outskirts in recent days, and air raid sirens wailed inside the capital. Mayor Vitali Klitschko announced a 35-hour curfew extending through Thursday morning. Tuesdays artillery strikes hit the Svyatoshynskyi district of western Kyiv, adjacent to the suburb of Irpin, which has seen some of the worst fighting of the war. Advertisement Flames shot out of the 15-story apartment building and smoke choked the air as firefighters climbed ladders to rescue people. The assault blackened several floors of the building, ripped a hole in the ground outside and blew out windows in neighboring apartment blocks. Rescue workers said at least one person was killed. Yesterday we extinguished one fire, today another. It is very difficult, a firefighter who gave only his first name, Andriy, said outside the building, tears falling from his eyes. People are dying, and the worst thing is that children are dying. They havent lived their lives and they have already seen this. Resident Volodymr Trophimov said he watched as a building was hit. And then there was a howl, and I watched out of the window, and it crashed into the building and all the windows were smashed, he said. Shockwaves from an explosion also damaged the entry to a downtown subway station that has been used as a bomb shelter. City authorities tweeted an image of the blown-out facade and said trains would no longer stop at the station. A 10-story apartment building in the Podilsky district of Kyiv, north of the government quarter, was damaged. Russian forces also stepped up strikes overnight on Irpin and the northwest Kyiv suburbs of Hostomel and Bucha, said the head of the capital region, Oleksiy Kuleba. Breaking News Alerts As it happens Be informed of breaking news as it happens and notified about other don't-miss content with our free news alerts. > Many streets have been turned into a mush of steel and concrete. People have been hiding for weeks in basements, and are afraid to go out even for evacuations, Kuleba said on Ukrainian television. Advertisement In the countrys east, Russian forces launched more than 60 strikes overnight on Ukraines second-largest city, Kharkiv, according to regional administration chief Oleh Sinehubov. The strikes hit the citys historical center, including the main marketplace. Sinehubov said fires were raging and rescuers pulled dozens of bodies of civilian from the ruins of destroyed apartment buildings. Ukraines parliament voted to extend martial law for another month, until April 24. Under the measure, requested by Zelenskyy, men between 18 and 60 are barred from leaving the country so they can be called up to fight. In Mykolaiv, a strategic southern city near the Black Sea where airstrikes killed nine people Sunday, residents braced for more attacks. Volunteers prepared food and sorted donated clothes at an abandoned naval yard that was turned into a support center for troops. Molotov cocktails were on hand to take on invaders. We are bombed during the day and during the night, said Svetlana Gryshchenko, whose soldier son was killed in the fighting. Its a nightmare what Russia is doing on the territory of Ukraine. Associated Press writers Raf Casert in Brussels and AP journalists from around the world contributed to this report. Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain Having a tough time being around people without masks again? That's not surprising, considering how our brains work, says Abigail Hardin, Ph.D., a psychologist and assistant professor at Rush University Medical Center. "Our brains have evolved specifically to detect threats," Hardin says. "Since the pandemic began, the fear center of our brains has been activated by seeing people unmasked. We've been pairing the experience of fear, including the fear of illness and potential death, with the experience of seeing someone unmasked, for more than two years. So it will take some time to unlearn that process or unpair those two experiences." Understanding possibility vs. probability To help us with that "unlearning" as we enter this new phase of the pandemic, Hardin recommends thinking about the difference between a possibility and a probability. If you're feeling anxious around someone unmasked in public, it might be worth asking yourself, "Is it possible that I can get COVID-19 in this situation?" The answer is yes, although it is much less probable now than during the recent surge. Consider that about 68% of people ages five and older in Illinois are fully vaccinated, and the Chicago area currently has a low COVID-19 community level. Then ask yourself, "Is it likely that I will get COVID-19 in this situation?" To answer that, you will need to consider your own health and vaccination status, whether you are indoors or outside, how crowded an area is and so forth. Generally speaking, if you are fully up to date on your vaccinations (meaning vaccinated and boosted if you are eligible), your risk for infection or severe COVID-19 is much less compared with people who are unvaccinated. As the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says, the decision to wear a mask can be based on personal preference informed by personal level of risk. So if you decide to keep your mask onor avoid situations with unmasked peoplethat's your choice. Don't judge your body What if you do want to remove your mask in public but you start to feel anxious? Hardin suggests not being judgmental about your body's reaction. "Look at your anxiety the way a scientist would," she says. "Where are you feeling it? Is your chest tightening? Do you have butterflies in your stomach? Are your hands starting to sweat? Just acknowledge it but don't place a value judgment on it." When you start to feel anxious, it's important to remember that you don't have to change anythingyou can just wait until the anxiety fades. "The thing about anxiety is that it never sticks around for too long, our bodies just won't let it," she says. "It will hit the high and then come back down. So if you can surf the wave, then you might find yourself feeling more centered." All about boundaries In the coming weeks or months, you may choose to set boundaries regarding when you want to wear a mask or when you want to enter a public space. Such boundaries are lines that you set for yourself, not for someone else, Hardin says. Setting effective boundaries requires the ability to communicate assertively, she says. Assertive communicators often use phrases like, "I feel," "I want" and "I need," without becoming aggressive or upset, she adds. So if your friends want to go to a venue where there's no mask requirement but you still want to wear a mask, you might say, "Hey, I understand that you're comfortable taking your mask off, but I'm not yet. So I need to keep my mask on for the rest of the day. Thank you for understanding." Dealing with FOMO As many people return to pre-pandemic activities, those who have weakened immune systems or other conditions that prevent them for fully returning to "normal life" may experience a "fear of missing out," also known as FOMO. If you are living with an autoimmune disease, disability or other condition that puts you at risk, Hardin recommends staying connected with others in a similar situation, even if it is just virtually. "This can help you maintain that social connectedness, so you don't feel like you're being left behind as the world opens up," she says. And as more social opportunities become available, Hardin recommends considering the needs of the most vulnerable in your family or circle of friends and choosing activities that fit everyone's personal risk and comfort level. "The impetus needs to be on those of us who are able-bodied or are low risk, so we can be allies to our friends and loved ones who are at higher risk for COVID-19," Hardin says. "We all want the world to go back to normal, and the reason we want that is because we all want to feel connected to each other again." Explore further Returning to life without masks in Chicago Credit: Burnet Institute While Australia is among the world's highest vaccinated countries, a number of Pacific nations are struggling to vaccinate even one-quarter of their population. It's an issue that has profound implications not only for the local populations, but for Australians and, indeed, the entire globe, according to Dr. Stefanie Vaccher, epidemiologist and senior research fellow at Burnet Institute. Geographic borders don't provide protection against virus mutations that occur largely within unvaccinated populations where the virus spreads unchecked, Dr. Vaccher points out. And despite hopeful hypotheses to the contrary, Dr. Vaccher makes it clear the next variant could well be more potent than the delta and omicron variants, which both wreaked havoc across Australia. That's why Dr. Vaccher, currently based in Papua New Guinea with Burnet, is adamant that at a global level, "the virus isn't over for anyone, until it's over for everyone." Australia can play a major role according to Dr. Vaccher, but it's not as simple as supplying large quantities of vaccines and considering it "job done." The low vaccination rates in PNG for example aren't due to lack of supply, she explains. There's adequate supply at national level, with much of it going unused and in some cases in danger of expiring. "There's plenty of vaccines available, but uptake is the major issue due to vaccine hesitancy and low demand," Dr. Vaccher said. It's a complex issue that intersects with local culture, geography, religion and politics, according to Dr. Vaccher. "Addressing misinformation and wrongly held beliefs is a real key," she said. She points to language barrier issues, and the extensive resources required to translate education and information materials relating to COVID-19 into Tok Pisin, PNG's official languagelet alone the 700 to 800 languages that are spoken throughout the country. "On top of that, literacy rates aren't extremely high in PNG, so other options such as radio broadcasts and sending out small outreach teams are vital," Dr. Vaccher said. "However, due to vaccine skepticism in some areas, there have been issues with people swearing, throwing things and physically assaulting outreach teams. Regional surveys show that people in PNG have low trust in government and what they read online from the media. However, they do tend to trust community leaders like pastors, or other religious figures, but often these people are vaccine hesitant, or sometimes outrightly against them. This also includes a considerable proportion of healthcare workers, unfortunately. The point is, just saying, 'oh, we've shipped a million vaccines over' isn't helpful." Instead, Dr. Vaccher believes greater efforts need to be made to bring local communities on board. "It's about supporting local leadership to effect meaningful engagement and impact; to help have discussions at a local levelto say, 'I've been vaccinated, I didn't have any bad side effects, I feel protected, I haven't had COVID, or, I had COVID, but it was very mild, and I know other people have gotten very sick, as they were not vaccinated.'" "It's these types of conversations where change occurs, but that's a lot of discussions that need to be had across a region that is diverse culturally, linguistically and geographically. That takes time and resources, and you have to build a level of trust." Dr. Vaccher said efforts are also impacted by practical and logistical challenges. "Transport has always been an issuegetting health care workers out to some of the more remote communities can be difficult if they don't have fuel or the car is being used by another team," she said. "Healthcare workers are often overstretched already, so staffing is another common problem. It's important to be able to work with the provincial health authorities and local governments to go through fundamental planning steps to identify who needs to be vaccinated, how that process is going to happen, and then make sure there's the resources available to enact it." Dr. Stefanie Vaccher visiting a rural health centre in West New Britain Province, PNG. Credit: Burnet Institute Dr. Vaccher believes the scientific community at a global level has a considerable role to play in ensuring research applies not only to wealthier, well resourced nationsbut also to low- and middle-income countries. "For example, in PNG there isn't an adequate cold chain, so there isn't really the possibility to have the mRNA vaccines that you see a lot more positive media coverage of in Australia. The majority of published studies examine the efficacy of Pfizer boosters or Moderna boosters, but those vaccines are not feasible to implement in a lot of countries globally. So how about we provide robust evidence that shows an AstraZeneca booster or JJ (Johnson & Johnson) booster is still effective, because, people aren't going to want to get the vaccine that they're told isn't going to be safe and effective." Dr. Vaccher believes that throughout COVID-19 pandemic the majority of countries have been inwardly focused, but that must change in order to help prevent dangerous new variants developing in unvaccinated populations. "Now more than ever is an opportunity to think bigger and think globally," she said. "There's more boosters being given out every day around the world than there are vaccine doses in low- and middle-income countries. It's not about researchers just collecting datait's about working with people on the ground, working with communities, local governments and health authorities to understand the situation and find out what the needs are and how they can use their resources to best assist. "Generating a better understanding of the efficacy of different vaccine combinations in use in places like PNG is the first step. For instance, a three-dose combination of AstraZeneca/AstraZeneca/Johnson & Johnson won't have been used in Australia, but is common in PNG. The next step is outreach, supporting local leaders to ensure that those results are being translated, understood and the messages are reaching their communities to generate demand for vaccination. "That's where our strength at Burnet lies, in that we are in a position to support this breadth of activities. We have the life sciences researchers, the epidemiologists, the social scientists that can translate and implement findings, and most importantly, we have teams on the ground and partnerships across PNG with long-term relationships with the community." Burnet has a range of projects underway to address vaccine hesitancy and create demand; working closely with local organizations including PNG's National Department Of Health, provincial health authorities, and Catholic Church Health Services to develop local information, education and communication materials. The initiatives coincide with work focusing on health system strengthening to improve access and service delivery. "Burnet is in a really good position to be able to provide further support in this area. But there's also plenty of other organizations that have resources that can be drawn upon to work together to make that more impactful, faster and relevant," Dr. Vaccher said. While vaccine coverage is a major concern, Dr. Vaccher believes economic, infrastructure and political issues across many Pacific Island nations make other control measures such as self isolation, testing, the use of masks, and crowd density limits difficult to apply. Working from home is not a feasible reality for the vast majority of the population, for example, or stocking up at the shops if you need to self isolate. That implies you have money to be able to buy several weeks' of groceries at time, and have electricity to be able to keep things fresh in a fridge or a freezer. "The nature of life in a lot of these countries is very community focused. There tends to be multiple generations of family or extended family living together or moving between houses. That makes it very difficult to prevent the virus from spreading. "Masks are often not used. A lot of the cloth masks that are used aren't washed often, so there is limited effectiveness in that. Often stricter health measures, such as bans on large gatherings are not popular with people, so there can be a reluctance from politicians to push for them and implement them. "There's countries across the Pacific that are recently having outbreaks for the very first time such as Kiribati, Solomon Islands, and Palau. It's now March 2020 for them. It's easier in a place like Australia, where you can isolate, where testingfor all its issuesis accessible, and where the government has social support strategies. However, that's not the reality for a lot of people across the Pacific, and across the world. "PNG has already experienced devastating outbreaks, and I think the risk across the Pacific more broadly is that the region will now really kick off in terms of cases, and there isn't the health infrastructure to cope. I think Australians naturally want to return to their normal lives, but that's not feasible for a lot of people. As such, the risk for virus mutations and more severe variants remain a concerning issue globally. "I think the main message for Australians is that COVID-19 isn't overit's a very long way from being over." In the past two decades, a growing number of preteens have taken medicines or other chemicals as a way to end their lives, new research warns. The mental health of children has become a big talking point in light of the pandemic, but the study data showed the problem has been percolating for years: There has been a 4.5-fold increase in suicidal ingestion cases among children between the ages of 10 and 12 since 2000. Study co-author Dr. David Sheridan, a pediatric emergency room doctor at Oregon Health and Science University, said mental health concerns are a growing issue in emergency department patients. "We've just seen rapidly escalating numbers of adolescents coming in with suicidal thoughts. And it seems like we've been seeing younger patients as well," Sheridan said. To verify this anecdotal information, the researchers turned to data collected in the National Poison Data System for children aged 6 to 18. The cases were coded to show whether it was a suspected suicide attempt or recreational misuse or abuse of a drug or chemical, as well as the final outcome in each case. During the study period, there were more than 1.2 million cases, about two-thirds in girls. Nearly 29% of the cases resulted in serious outcomes, including just over 1,000 deaths. While recreational ingestion stayed constant, suicidal ingestions increased dramatically. In adolescents, the increase was 2.4-fold higher, compared to a 4.5-fold increase in those aged 10 to 12. "It's a good thing that recreational use is not increasing, but it's just a very concerning thing that the suicidal ones are significantly increasing," Sheridan noted. Despite the dramatic increase, the actual number of teens with suicidal ingestion continues to be much higher than preteens, Sheridan said. He added that it's important for parents to know that the drugs these children are taking are sometimes those that are the most commonplace in households, including acetaminophen (Tylenol), ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil) and allergy medications like Benadryl. "Unfortunately, there are kids who are suicidal and they're impulsive, and so they just take whatever is at home," said Sheridan, who suggested locking up even these common medications if you have kids in this age range. Though the study authors noted that suicidal thinking can be fueled by many factors and is not well understood, they also said that many social media platforms were launched around 2013, which happened to dovetail with the rise in cases. Sheridan, however, urged caution about connecting the two. "This study was not designed to look at what is causing this rise or what the factors are," Sheridan said. "I think the goal is to highlight this is happening, to fuel more research to hopefully get to the bottom of what you're asking, which I think is a really important thing." The researchers would also like to see what happened with suicidal ingestion cases during the full course of the pandemic and are waiting for the data to catch up; only one pandemic year was included in the study. The findings were published online March 14 in JAMA Pediatrics. Susan Tellone, clinical director for the Society for the Prevention of Teen Suicide, said it's important to open the conversation about mental health so that people are able to talk about it as openly as they talk about their physical health. A positive side effect of the pandemic is that is happening more. "I'm very hopeful that we can reduce the stigma and shame attached to mental health and have it start to look like we talk about our physical health, because our brain is an organ, just like our heart, our lungs and every other part of our body," Tellone said. Parents can do that with their own children by asking, "Are you OK?" Tellone said. "And if you're not OK, what's going on in your life right now that's making you feel sad," Tellone suggested. "And to ask the question, 'Has it gotten so bad that you're actually thinking about not wanting to live?'" It's important to be able to have that conversation with your kids, Tellone said, and to help them when they're just starting to feel out of sorts. Three important words to keep the conversation going are, "Tell me more," she said. "And just listen without advice or judgment, just 'I'm here for you. Tell me more,'" Tellone said. During the pandemic, children have experienced isolation and uncertainty along with everyone else, and they've had an enormous amount of loss, Tellone noted. Many kids are being raised by parents who are under a lot of pressure and stress. "For our children, there's many factors that come into the rise in suicidal ideation, but I think the pandemic and the chronic level of uncertainty has taken its toll and it's taken its toll on families," Tellone said. Explore further How the COVID-19 pandemic is affecting kids More information: The The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline has information and a hotline at 1-800-273-8255. David C. Sheridan et al, Changes in Suicidal Ingestion Among Preadolescent Children From 2000 to 2020, JAMA Pediatrics (2022). DOI: 10.1001/jamapediatrics.2022.0069 Journal information: JAMA Pediatrics 2022 HealthDay. All rights reserved. Ovary. Credit: Public Domain Over 20,000 women across the U.S. and Canada are diagnosed with ovarian cancer annually. The symptoms of this disease are often overlooked until it has spread, making it difficult to detect and treat with conventional methods like radiation and chemotherapy. Dr. Cory Books, Associate Professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at California State University, Fresno, is looking to harness the immune system to fight cancer. He is interested in a particular protein, called mucin, that is found throughout the body and is involved with the production of mucus. This protein is altered in cancer cells, which makes it a unique target for researchers. "The cell stops adding sugars to the protein, so instead of having this mucus layer, now it has a solid protein layer, and cancer uses that to help spread itself through the body," Brooks said. This alteration helps ovarian cancer grow and spread, but it also leaves a signal that can help clinicians locate the cancer and kill it. "What that means now is that there's sort of this unique signature that we can target with antibodies to develop a new treatment for cancer," Brooks said. Researchers have been interested in this protein since the late 1980s but have never before been able to visualize how antibodies interact with the molecule. Credit: Canadian Light Source With the help of the CMCF beamline at the Canadian Light Source (CLS) located at the University of Saskatchewan, Brooks and his team were able to see how antibodies bind to the protein for the first time. The CLS produces light millions of times brighter than the sun, which this team used to find out the structure of the protein. The group's insights will help other researchers and clinicians understand how the immune system can be encouraged to fight ovarian cancer, killing cancer cells and preventing further growth. Traditional cancer treatments like radiation and chemotherapy have harsh side effects because they damage the "good" cells in your body while also killing the cancer cells. In contrast, the antibodies from immunotherapy are very specific and dramatically reduce adverse effects while effectively targeting the cancer. Brooks said he would not be able to do his research without synchrotron technology. The X-rays at the CLS allow his team to see what is happening inside a protein with high resolution. "The CLS has progressed in such a way that we ship our samples to them and we can control the facility's robotics right from my office in California. The advancing technology is quite remarkable," Brooks said. The team is hopeful that their research will help with developing immunotherapy treatments for ovarian cancer. The research was published in Proteins: Structure, Function, and Bioinformatics. Explore further Examining the secret hideouts of ovarian cancer More information: Brandy White et al, Crystal structure of a human MUC16 SEA domain reveals insight into the nature of the CA125 tumor marker, Proteins: Structure, Function, and Bioinformatics (2022). Brandy White et al, Crystal structure of a human MUC16 SEA domain reveals insight into the nature of the CA125 tumor marker,(2022). DOI: 10.1002/prot.26303 During the pandemic, many adolescent carers experienced growing pressures and loss of a break from their caring role. Credit: Tohoku University Adolescent caregivers in the UK were more at risk of experiencing psychological distress and poor mental well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic than their non-caregiver peers. The finding, by Tohoku University researchers in Japan, was published in the Journal of Adolescent Health and highlights the urgent need for better support systems for young caregivers. There are approximately 800,000 young caregivers in the UK, defined as anyone under the age of 18 who looks after someone who is ill, disabled or elderly in need of care, without being paid. During the COVID-19 pandemic, most adolescent caregivers in the UK experienced growing pressures due to school closures, the disruption of established routines and a lack of breaks from home life and caring roles. "While some studies have looked at the short-term effects of the first UK national lockdown, little is known about the long-term consequences of COVID-19 on adolescent health," says Miharu Nakanishi at the Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine. Nakanishi and colleagues in Japan and the UK examined the connection between the caring status of adolescents and their mental health outcomes before and during the pandemic. They analyzed data from 3,927 people who took part in two surveys, including 3,616 non-caregivers and 311 adolescent caregivers. The Millennium Cohort Study is collecting data on the physical and mental health of 18,818 people born across the UK between 2000 and 2002. The COVID-19 survey was launched in May 2020 to explore the pandemic's effect on the lives of people from different generations and backgrounds. The researchers combined data from the two surveys to explore how the psychological symptoms and mental well-being of young caregivers were impacted by the pandemic. Psychological symptoms were measured using the Kessler Distress Scale, which asks participants to rate their own anxiety and depressive symptoms. Mental well-being was measured using the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale, a set of questions designed to test different aspects of positive mental health. They found that, compared with non-caregivers, the adolescent caregivers in the study reported higher psychological distress and lower mental well-being scores during the pandemic. Compared with non-caregivers, adolescent caregivers experienced significantly lower scores for social support and higher scores for loneliness "Our study highlights the urgent need for better psychosocial support for adolescent caregivers," says Nakanishi. "They need systems in place to help them return to school and catch up with their studies and other students, such as psychoeducational sessions to build psychological resilience." Next, the research team plans to collect data on the mental health outcomes of young caregivers in the Tokyo Teen Cohort, Japan during the pandemic. Comparing the results between countries will reveal more information about how different levels of COVID-19 restrictions impact mental health in early adulthood. More information: Miharu Nakanishi et al, Adolescent Carers' Psychological Symptoms and Mental Well-being During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Longitudinal Study Using Data From the UK Millennium Cohort Study, Journal of Adolescent Health (2022). Journal information: Journal of Adolescent Health Miharu Nakanishi et al, Adolescent Carers' Psychological Symptoms and Mental Well-being During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Longitudinal Study Using Data From the UK Millennium Cohort Study,(2022). DOI: 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2022.01.228 Former U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and former diplomat Michael McFaul are headlining the upcoming annual Mansfield Lecture on April 18. Their conversation, Fostering Freedom at Home and Abroad, will be moderated by University of Montana President Seth Bodnar. The annual lectures feature speakers who can bring discussion of critical topics to audiences across the state. At a time when people around the world are wondering whether democracy is in decline, Rice and McFaul will share their insights from experiences as policymakers, scholars and citizens in order to put democracys challenges into perspective, the Mansfield Center wrote in a press release. The two speakers will engage in a conversation about creating and sustaining democracy, with topics ranging from Russian aggression in Ukraine to the importance of engaging rural America on Monday, April 18 at 11:30 a.m. on Zoom. The University of Montana embraces its role in supporting a knowledgeable and engaged citizenry, Bodnar said. The Mansfield Lecture is just one way we support our students and the community in engaging grand challenges of our nation and the world. McFaul was born in Glasgow, Montana, and raised in Bozeman, where he was a speech and debate partner with Sen. Steve Daines at Bozeman High School. He went on to serve as the 7th U.S. ambassador to Russia from 2012-2014 under former President Barack Obama. He is currently a professor at Stanford University teaching international studies in the Department of Political Science. McFaul is also the director of the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies at Stanford. Rice served as the 66th United States secretary of state from 2005-2009 under former President George W. Bush. She also was a United States national security adviser under Bush from 2001-2005 and was the first woman to hold the position. Additionally, Rice served as senior director of Soviet and East European Affairs from 1989-1991. Rice is the current director of the Hoover Institution at Stanford University and is a founding partner of Rice, Hadley, Gates & Manuel LLC, an international strategic consulting firm. We are honored that two renowned leaders in national security affairs accepted our invitation to join the distinguished line of Mansfield Lecture speakers, said Deena Mansour, the executive director of the Mansfield Center. Recent speakers include Dr. Anthony Fauci, who attracted 9,000 attendees, as well as Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Nicholas Kristof. The lecture series was founded in 1968 in honor of Sen. Mike Mansfield. Our work emphasizes civil exchanges of ideas from a diverse range of viewpoints, the importance of democratic institutions and the role ethical values play in public life. Featuring a Republican and a Democrat in civil discourse is critical to this mission, Mansour said. The event is free and open to the public, but seats are limited on Zoom and advance registration is required to attend. You must be logged in to react. Click any reaction to login. Love 2 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 1 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. " " While having homeowners insurance is not required by law, most homeowners will be required to buy it to obtain a mortgage loan. David McNew/Getty Images You're not actually required by law to buy an insurance policy on your home, according to the Insurance Information Institute, an industry group that provides information for consumers. But for most homeowners, it might as well be a requirement. That's because if you want to take out a loan to buy a home, you're most likely going to have to buy insurance. Advertisement "Most of the time, a mortgage company will require a buyer to purchase homeowners insurance," Robert Buckel, vice president and product manager for Erie Insurance, explains via email. "The mortgage lender is also listed on the homeowners policy so their interests are protected in the event of a claim." If you happen to live in a flood zone, you may be required to purchase flood insurance as well, Buckel says. And if you live in an area prone to earthquakes, some lending institutions will require special coverage for that risk as well. If you buy a co-op or a condominium where you share a structure with other owners, you'll get some protection from the master policy that protects the areas that the residents share, such as the roof, basement, elevator, boiler and walkways, according to this primer from the Insurance Information Institute. (That policy usually is paid for out of your homeowners association fees, as Zacks.com explains.) Even so, your mortgage lender still will require you to have an individual policy to cover your particular living unit and your possessions. But even once your home is paid off, you still have an important financial incentive to buy homeowners coverage. Don't forget that you have an investment to protect "For most people, their home is the largest asset that they own, and it is very important to protect that investment," Tim Bowen, assistant vice president of home operations at MetLife Auto & Home, explains via email. Not surprisingly, surveys commissioned by the Insurance Information Institute have shown that between 94 and 96 percent of American homeowners have insurance. HowStuffWorks may earn a small commission from affiliate links in this article. Now That's Interesting Another study released in 2018 by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners found that nearly 80 percent of homeowners with insurance have HO-3 coverage, which insures against risks except for some that are specifically excluded by the policy, such as flooding. St. Brigid of Kildare's shrine in Faughart, County Louth, Ireland. (Photo by RDImages/Epics/ Hulton Archive via Getty Images On March 17, the world celebrates the feast day of St. Patrick, a zealous British bishop of the fifth century who became famous for spreading Christianity in Ireland. Patrick is Irelands main patron saint. But as a medieval historian, I suggest that we also pause to remember another of Irelands patron saints, the nurturing, compassionate St. Brigid. This year, following a three-year campaign by a feminist organization, herstory.ie, the Irish government finally acknowledged Brigids importance by declaring a new national holiday on her feast day of Feb. 1. Until now, Ireland counted her among their official three patrons, along with St. Patrick and St. Columcille, or Columba, but gave workers a day off only on St. Patricks Day. So who is St. Brigid? Unlike Patrick, who came from Britain, Brigid was born in Ireland, sometime around A.D. 450, the child of a slave and a king in the province of Leinster. Unfortunately, Brigid left no historical record of her missionary work. Patrick wrote two letters that still exist: one a defense of his missionary career and the other a rebuke to a slave-raiding British king. All information about Brigid comes from biographies of saints written long after she lived. A churchman named Cogitosus was the first to write about Brigid, in about A.D. 650, or approximately 200 years after her birth. St. Brigid of Kildare. junak/ iStock via Getty images Cogitosus recounted Brigids many purported miracles: As a girl, she gave away the households butter and bacon to hungry beggars and dogs, then miraculously replaced the food for her family. Later in life, she turned a wooden column into a living tree with one touch and hung her cloak on a sunbeam. After she founded her monastic community at Kildare and became its abbess, she also traveled, preached and was said to have cured Christians of serious debilities such as blindness and muteness, all in imitation of Christ. While many early female saints have miracles attributed to them, few of them actively proselytized. Cogitosus tells us that Brigid worked some other unique marvels. She miraculously ended the unwanted pregnancy of one of her fellow sisters, causing the foetus to disappear without coming to birth and without pain, as Cogitosus put it. She tamed both domestic and wild animals, which was handy when her cows went astray. She could also, according to Cogitosus, manipulate the landscape. Once when her kinsmen were building a plank trackway through the bogs, Brigid moved a river to make it easier for them. Instead of battling wrongdoers, she found peaceful resolutions to violent situations. Once, for example, she deterred a band of bloodthirsty murderers by making it appear as if they had committed a killing that never even happened. Even after her death, miracles supposedly continued to occur at her shrine. In fact, Brigids intervention from beyond the grave helped builders gather materials to build a new and magnificent shrine for her at Kildare, or so wrote Cogitosus. She guided an immovable boulder down a hill to her community for their new millstone. She caused a problematic door to hang correctly. These were minor but useful miracles typical, I would argue, of the sensible saint. Royal patronage for Patrick By comparison, Patricks earliest hagiographers, writing only decades after Cogitosus, depicted their saint in constant conflict with the heathens he tried to convert to Christianity. When Patrick arrived in Ireland in the mid-fifth century, he seems to have bullied Irelands most powerful king into baptism, but only after dueling and then miraculously killing the kings chief druids. In hagiography, druids were the Irish and British version of pagan wizards. After watching the druids perish, King Loegaire Mac Neill decided It is better to believe than die, wrote Patricks hagiographer, Muirchu around A.D. 700. Also according to Muirchu, Patrick routinely cursed unbelievers. When one evildoer tried to lure Patrick into an ambush by pretending to be ill, Patrick supposedly caused the patient to drop dead. Patrick was always larger than life in these early accounts, baptizing hundreds of souls at a time. Around the same time that these hagiographers worked, Brigids cult center at Kildare became one of the wealthiest and most powerful religious communities in Ireland. Cogitosus wrote that Kildare was the head of virtually all the Irish churches and occupies the first place, excelling all the monasteries of the Irish. Its jurisdiction extends over the whole land of Ireland from sea to sea. Throughout the Middle Ages, Leinster elites continued to donate land and goods to Kildare. They vied to place their female kinfolk as abbess of Kildare until the community closed during the 16th-century dissolution, when the occupying English Protestant government of Ireland shut down all monasteries. Kildare, however, could never match the status of Armagh, Patricks chief church, which had the advantage of even greater royal patronage and grander donations by mightier kings. Similarly, within the church hierarchy of medieval Europe, as in Catholicism today, Brigid could never outrank Patrick, because she was not a priest. Only priests could baptize, ordain, perform the sacrament of the Eucharist and give last rites. Women were not, and still are not, allowed to become ordained priests in Roman Catholicism. In the 19th century, when Irish nationalists sought a symbol of their Catholicism and country in the budding fight for independence, they chose the missionary bishop and founder of Armagh. A national holiday was declared in 1903 to honor St. Patrick. Brigids church falls to ruin St. Brigids Cathedral in Ireland. MJPinkstone/ Collections iStock via Getty Images In the meantime, Brigids church at Kildare had fallen into ruin. It was only in 1875 that it was rebuilt by the Protestant Church of Ireland. Brigids devotees resigned themselves to Kildares secondary status as one of the two pillars of the Kingdom, along with Patrick the pre-eminent, as one medieval hymnist put it. This is despite a tale, circulated by a ninth-century hagiographer, that Brigid was accidentally ordained as a bishop apparently, Bishop Mel was so intoxicated with the grace of God as he prepared to veil Brigid that he read the wrong prayers over her. This virgin alone in Ireland will hold the episcopal ordination, Mel declared, and a column of fire shot from the saints head. Unfortunately, other clerics refused to take the story seriously. Brigid was venerated as Mary of the Gael, a saint for women, shepherds, beggars, refugees and those in childbirth. Her feast day, Feb. 1, is the same day as Imbolc, an ancient holiday celebrating the start of spring, season of fertility. Indeed, her associations with Imbolc have long raised suspicions about the possible pre-Christian origins of her cult at Kildare. Today, some people keep St. Brigids Day by weaving a special reed cross or visiting a holy well whose waters, blessed by Brigid, are believed to heal illness. The Brigidine Sisters of Kildare attend their ever-burning flame for Brigid, as nuns did in the Middle Ages. These seem like modest observances compared with the massive parades that flood the main streets of towns around the globe in annual celebration of Patrick. This year on March 17, when youre wearing the green and singing Dirty Ol Town, take a moment to whisper thanks to St. Brigid, the compassionate, sensible, native-born patron saint of Ireland, and ask if Irelands premier patron saint should be a woman. ___ The most interesting religion stories from three major news organizations. Get This Week in Religion. Lisa Bitel does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment. ___ A local charter school has planned a community yard sale to help raise funds for an upcoming student trip. On Saturday, March 19, the New Dimensions School campus will open to the community to offer a morning of bargain shopping and food for a good cause. Organized by the schools Beta Club, a national honor society and service club open to New Dimensions middle school students, the proceeds from the sale will go toward the upcoming middle school spring trip to the Outer Banks. According to the schools information officer, Kelly Lookadoo, the sale will feature all kinds of treasures from gently used clothing for all ages and sizes to furniture, home decor, toys and more. New Dimensions also will sell coffee and baked goods beginning at 7:30 a.m. and hot dogs for lunch beginning at 11 a.m. Additional tables also will be available for anyone renting a space to sell their own items. The cost of renting a table is $20. Lookado said that there are currently between five and 10 independent vendors signed up to sell at the sale, and the school hopes to add a few more before Saturday. According to Cara Shelton-Harper, New Dimensions dean of students, this is the first time the school has sponsored a yard sale as far as she is aware. She also said the Outer Banks field trip has always been something New Dimensions middle school students and their families have looked forward to. This is the first time since pre-COVID that the kids have been able to go on an overnight trip, and we are very excited and lucky to have the opportunity, she said. She said many middle school parents also chaperone the trip, making it a special experience for New Dimensions families. The Outer Banks trip is an opportunity for all middle schoolers to explore the coastal area of North Carolina, Shelton-Harper said. She said the trip will feature visits to the Wright Brothers National Memorial and Jockeys Ridge State Park, along with a ghost tour, aquarium trip, beach time and more. In addition to the trip, Shelton-Harper said that some of the money raised also will be used to help fund the schools science technology, engineering and mathematics programs. She added that STEM education is a major focus for New Dimensions. (Our STEM program) has already offered many opportunities for our students such as Lego robotics, bridge building, duck hatchlings, Science Olympiad and so much more, she said. The yard sale is one of five fundraisers New Dimensions has planned for the upcoming weeks, Shelton-Harper said. In addition to the yard sale, the following fundraisers are coming up: Fatz Spirit Night Friday, March 25. A portion of all proceeds will be given to New Dimensions middle school. Fatz Pancake Breakfast Saturday, April 2. Tickets are $10. $25 Sams Express Car Wash gift cards are on sale for $20 now through April. Deep River Snacks and Pepsi product fundraiser $20 per case of drinks or bulk snack items, now through April 8. The yard sale will take place from 7 a.m. until 2 p.m. near the schools drop-off and pick-up entrance and in the cafeteria. The school is at 550 Lenoir Road, Morganton. For information or to rent a table, contact Shelton-Harper at 828-334-8791 or csheltdon@ndschool.org. Jason Koon is a staff writer and can be reached at jkoon@morganton.com. The Baltimore Sun chose as its Marylanders of the Year for 2021 the 24 health officers from around the state, 13 of whom are pictured here. Front row, left to right: Letitia Dzirasa of Baltimore City, Laurence Polsky of Calvert County, Maura Rossman of Howard County and Sue Doyle of Carroll County. Middle row, left to right: Dianna Abney of Charles County, Lori Brewster of Wicomico County, Maria Maguire of Talbot County and Lauren Levy of Cecil County. Back row, left to right: Meena Brewster of St. Marys County, William Webb of Kent County, Gregory Branch of Baltimore County, Nilesh Kalayanaraman of Anne Arundel County and Roger Harrell of Dorchester County. (Lloyd Fox/Baltimore Sun) Two things that seem unrelated the senseless and brutal Russian invasion of Ukraine and the problems that hit the medical examiners office in Baltimore prompt me to revisit a subject I have raised before: The need to call Americans to public service. We dont do it nearly enough. Whats more, the pandemic showed that too many Americans neither appreciate nor work for the common good in a way that, however exaggerated, once seemed innate to the national character. We need to talk about it more. Advertisement Among the observations one could make about the horrors inflicted on Ukraine by Russia and the criminal who serves as its president is an obvious one: People in the U.S. and allied countries need to elect good leaders. This horrible and horribly complex crisis, with talk of the possible use of chemical and nuclear weapons, points up the vital importance of competence in government, particularly when it comes to foreign relations. It should be clear to everyone who lives in a democracy: You cant just wish for better leaders, you have to vote for them. And good people need to be encouraged to step up and serve their communities, states and country. Advertisement I can state what I mean by good in 2022: Educated, informed, decent, ethical men and women who think critically and objectively, free of extreme partisanship and self-interest, and always with respect for the Constitution and with high regard for the greater good, saving the planet and keeping peace. As I said, this seems obvious the need to have competent leadership at all levels of government but its obviously not obvious to millions of Americans who have voted know-nothings, do-nothings, lightweights, bigots and divisive loudmouths into office. The pinnacle of that dereliction of voter duty was the election of Donald Trump as president. Thats history now, and hopefully we wont have to live through that again. But, in light of Ukraine, its important (and frightening) to reflect on where we would have been had Trump won a second term. Wed have in the White House the first president in the 73-year history of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization to speak about withdrawing from it. We would have a president who expressed admiration for Putin, then suggested that he would threaten to attack Russia with nuclear weapons because of its invasion of Ukraine. Trump was an exclamation point at the end of a sentence written over 40 years. He and the plutocrats he chose to run his administration arrived in Washington nearly four decades after another Republican president, Ronald Reagan, started harping on government as a problem. Republicans constantly engaged in anti-government rhetoric, denigrating federal employees as bureaucrats, criticizing and cutting regulatory agencies, crowing about the vaunted private sector as an answer to the nations needs and opposing anything that might be called progressive. All of that took a huge toll on what people came to expect from government and, I believe, the desire to work in it. But, when you hit a crisis point, who do you want running things savvy men or women who believe government service is a noble mission or ignoramuses who seek office for publicity and power? It should be clear by now that good government is needed for many things, from education to national defense to the environment and public health. And yet, the angry turn against public health authorities during the COVID-19 pandemic is Exhibit No. 1 that too many Americans have lost their appreciation of those in public service as well as the common good. People who protested shutdowns, mask mandates and vaccines were almost alien to me; the outrage and defiance was foreign to an ideal that seemed ingrained in all Americans, if not always realized that we come together, in war or peace, in any crisis, to work toward whats best for all. I dont think thats gone completely, but the concept needs to be recharged. Advertisement We also need to reaffirm the nobility of public service and better reward those who get into it. I refer not only to the men and women in our military or first responders; any of those we automatically regard as heroes. Im talking about a whole array of jobs that need to be filled by good people teachers and tutors, judges and public defenders, solid waste workers and highway crews, parole and probation agents, social workers and guidance counselors, public health officers and workers, bank regulators and tax agents, animal welfare officers and health inspectors. There are tough and necessary jobs that must be done; the people who do them need to be inspired, supported and praised. Marylands Office of the Chief Medical Examiner suffered in recent years from staff shortages and, as a result, autopsy delays left dozens of families waiting to bury loved ones, criminal cases at risk and the offices accreditation in jeopardy. The chief of the office resigned last month, just as federal teams were coming in to help clear the backlog of cases. The episode served as a reminder of the importance of the office, the need to keep it staffed and above all, to provide it with sufficient support. If we dont do that call people to serve in government and support them in good times and bad, things fall apart. Its past time to push the reset button on public service and again call Americans to work for the common good. It seems timely that the remains of the Endurance, a ship symbolic of humans ability to persevere in the harshest environments, was just found where it sunk 106 years ago off Antarctica. The 28 men who had boarded it in London wandered the frozen wilderness for nearly two years. Miraculously, all survived. It may be indecent to make too much of a parallel between that tale of bravery and the story of Ukrainians fighting week after week against vicious Russian attack. The Endurance crew were explorers and scientists who volunteered for an exciting mission to explore the ice cap at the South Pole. Ukraines people never asked to undertake the suffering under Russian President Vladimir Putins cruel and insane campaign. But as Ukrainians die in the thousands, they show no signs of ending their resistance. What both narratives have in common in addition to the blessing of personal courage and determination to carry on is extraordinary leadership. There are books written about Capt. Ernest Shackletons skill at shepherding the Endurances passengers through many months exposed in the coldest, windiest region on Earth. They were forced to eat mostly penguins, as well as their beloved sled dogs. For several months after the Endurance got stuck in ice, the crew could return to the ship for supplies and shelter. But then the ship went down, virtually forcing the men onto a drifting ice floe. They eventually took life boats to Elephant Island, an outcropping of desolate rock. A handful then sailed for help on a tiny wooden open boat. With the most primitive equipment they navigated 800 nautical miles through famously treacherous waters to an outpost in South Georgia, a lonely island in the South Atlantic. Books are surely being written about the leadership skills of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. He has roused his people to battle the invaders until the end, while putting himself in grave personal danger. His most famous quote was that directed to the U.S. government after it offered him safe escape from the capital, Kyiv. The fight is here, he said. I need ammunition, not a ride. This show of steely resolve by Zelenskyy and his compatriots drew other countries into the mission of saving Ukraine. That nearly global support might have changed the course of the war. Early on, some marveled that a former comedian could transform himself into a Churchillian wartime president. Perhaps, though, thats part of Zelenskyys strength. Shackleton was also a performer a savvy fundraiser who sold the rights to his story before the ship set off. Of course, there was an immense difference in the two leaders ability to communicate with the outside world. Every minute, scenes of the horror in Ukraine can reach most of the worlds TV screens. Antarctica was totally cut off from civilization. Though twice the size of Australia, no human had reportedly set eyes on the continent until 1820. In addition, the explosion set off by World War I extinguished most interest in the fate of the Imperial Trans-Antarctica Expedition. I send Alfred Lansings book Endurance: Shackletons Incredible Voyage to friends undergoing medical trauma. It offers an inspirational reminder that people can ride out terrible odds. As the Endurance went down, there was no sign of fear or even apprehension among its former passengers, Lansing wrote. Interviews with the valiant Ukrainians fighting the Russian assault likewise include reports of their fear going away. Perhaps the dimming of terror reflects glimmers of hope amid the nobility of enduring such hardship. This month, another team of explorers located Shackletons three-masted ship at the bottom of the Weddell Sea. Its name in brass letters, Endurance, shined in the glow of their searchlights. Follow Froma Harrop at twitter.com/fromaharrop , or email her at fharrop@gmail.com . Of all the many, many, many reasons we could find to legitimately criticize North Carolinas gift to Crazytown, Rep. Madison Cawthorn his stolen-valor lie about being accepted to the U.S. Naval Academy; the 160 women who claim to have witnessed his sexually predatorial behavior at the Virginia Christian college he briefly attended; his racist dog whistles; his support for the Jan. 6 insurrectionists; his endorsement of political violence; the naked ambition that has led him to seek election in whichever district might provide him the most success; the blind eye hes turned to his constituents; and what did that tree ever do to you? its perhaps his latest exploit that has us truly seeing red. Appearing at a town hall meeting March 5 in Asheville, Cawthorn told a group of supporters, Remember that Zelenskyy is a thug. Zelenskyy? Maybe he meant Cal Zelenskyy, who delivers pizza in Old Fort. But no; he continued: Remember that the Ukrainian government is incredibly corrupt and is incredibly evil and has been pushing woke ideologies. Woke ideologies being todays politically correct, a catch-all term for anything conservatives dislike. No, this is Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy that Cawthorn was bad-mouthing, who has been leading his nation against a foreign invasion conducted by an unhinged dictator. This is the Zelenskyy who has defied an invasion force probably a hundred times mightier than Ukraine one that has committed atrocities and war crimes by destroying hospitals and schools and homes, sending at least 2.5 million refugees to other countries. This was the Zelenskyy who answered an offer of asylum with the words, The fight is here; I need ammunition, not a ride. This is the Zelenskyy who cleverly withstood pressure from former President Donald Trump to open a bogus investigation is that whats stuck in Cawthorns craw? of President Joe Bidens family. Zelenskyys not running. Hes not blathering. With all odds against him, hes fighting. This is a David and Goliath story and Cawthorn thinks Goliath got a bad rap. Many leaders in his own party spoke up quickly to contain the damage and distance themselves from Cawthorn. They include our own Sen. Thom Tillis, who tweeted that the notion that Zelenskyy is a thug or the Ukrainian government is evil is part of the deranged propaganda that the Russian government has been spreading across the world. Thankfully, the vast majority of Americans and nearly every single member of Congress are united in support of Ukraines fight for freedom, Tillis wrote. Cawthorn is an outlier ... in the largest sense possible on our side, U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said. Cawthorn was even called out in a Wall Street Journal op-ed by Republican operative Karl Rove, who said that his comments dont reflect Republican opinion. Cawthorns comments might easily be written off as part of a misunderstood, nuanced evaluation of the situation if not for the degree of aid and comfort being offered Putin by other conservatives including Fox News hosts Tucker Carlson and Sean Hannity, who last week promoted Russian disinformation about U.S.-funded bioweapons labs in Ukraine. And if not for Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., slipping up earlier in the week by live broadcasting information that could have compromised Zelenskyys safety. And if not for the repeated praise offered the Russian dictator by Trump. All of that leads to questions about what Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., calls the Putin wing of the Republican Party. Cawthorn himself eventually tried to walk his comments back, condemning Russias invasion and saying hes praying for Ukrainians. Last week was noteworthy in Washington for some meaningful and beneficial legislation passed in bipartisan fashion by serious lawmakers who are working hard for the American people. They include a bill to modernize and strengthen the U.S. Postal Service and a $1.5 trillion spending bill that will avert a government shutdown and provide much-needed aid for Ukraine. Cawthorn has contributed nothing to that work. The communities in our states 11th Congressional District have their share of problems, including the opioid crisis that has affected every other segment of society, underfunded educational resources and the challenge of drawing economic opportunities to help them thrive. They would do better to elect a representative who addresses those issues rather than one who repeats Russian talking points and distracts them with culture wars. This editorial was published March 13 in the Winston-Salem Journal. A plane flies over Dorsey Road as it prepares to land at BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport. (Algerina Perna/Baltimore Sun Media Group) Thanks for Dana Munroes story, Pittman, Ball support commission to study health, environmental impacts of BWI Airport on neighboring areas (March 10). Sen. Pam Beidle asked how this commission could influence the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) and Southwest Airlines asserted that the BWI Roundtable makes the commission redundant. Advertisement If health studies like the one regarding the effects of Next Generation flight paths in Queens, New York, where citizens lose a year from their lives because of bad public policy wont influence the FAA, then what will? The BWI Roundtable, despite years of hard work, hasnt to date changed anything. It has no budget, and it has no power, which the MDOT and Southwest Airlines know full well. For the FAA, the Roundtable is literally a box on a checklist posted on its website that they tick to demonstrate that they have reached out to the community. Unfortunately, this reach is only for show. Advertisement This proposed commission, however, will have a bite because it will have a budget. Its purpose is not explicitly to influence the FAA, but to conduct studies on the public health, medical, and environmental impacts on individuals residing in communities surrounding new and existing commercial aviation infrastructure, in order to advise the Maryland legislature on public policy. Now, the only influence on public policy is a corporate-like lust for the cash generated by BWI that fills the states coffers. However, health problems cost the state money, too. As we emerge from the COVID pandemic, with our lungs and our nerves frazzled, lets protect our citizens with scientific studies that document the health and environmental consequences of the FAAs Next Generation flight paths. Barbara Deckert, Elkridge The writer is a former BWI Roundtable Altemate for District 12. Add your voice: Respond to this piece or other Sun content by submitting your own letter. Four incumbent commissioners in Butte-Silver Bow County will likely retain their seats this election year since they drew no opponents by the Monday filing deadline, but one Bill Andersen in the 10th District faces four challengers. The only other contest is between Tommy Walker and Nate Watson. They are vying to succeed 11th District Commissioner Cindi Shaw, who is not seeking re-election. But since local races in Butte-Silver Bow are nonpartisan and there are only two candidates, both will be on the November ballot. Of the five candidates in District 10, only the top two vote-getters in the June 7 primary will advance to November. Andersen is running for a fourth term while Trenin Bayless, Brody Shields, Maisie Sulser and Brian McGregor are seeking their first. Meanwhile, there will be primary or general election contests in at least eight Montana House districts in southwest Montana. In November, incumbent Democrat Derek Harvey of Butte will face Republican Jim Kephart of Butte in House District 74. Republican Suzzann Nordwick is challenging Rep. Donavon Hawk, D-Butte, in District 76, Rep. Sara Novak, D-Anaconda, faces Republican John Fitzpatrick of Anaconda in District 77. Rep. Ken Walsh, R-Twin Bridges, faces a primary challenge from Republican Jackson Duprey of Butte in House District 71. Rep. Marta Bertoglio, R-Clancy, faces Republican Timothy McKenrick of Boulder on June 7 in House District 75. And in District 72, Tom Welch, R-Dillon, will face Democrat Holt Gibson of Dillon in November. Democrat Art Noonan and Republican Jason Freeman of Butte are trying to replace retiring, longtime Butte Democrat legislator Jim Keane in House District 73. Gregory Frazer of Deer Lodge, who flipped House District 78 from Democrat to Republican last year, filed on Jan. 17 and had no opponent until Monday when Republican Steven Grant of Deer Lodge got in. Monday was the last day to get ones name on the primary or general election ballot in Montana in nonpartisan races or in partisan ones as major-party candidates. People can still file as write-in candidates, but their names wont appear on the ballot and they face other obstacles that make it very difficult to win. The only county-wide post on the ballot in Butte-Silver Bow is for the justice of the peace seat held by Ben Pezdark. He is seeking re-election and drew no opponent by the Monday deadline. Six of 12 seats on the Butte-Silver Bow Council of Commissioners are up this year, but four incumbents drew no challengers. They are Shawn Fredrickson in District 1, Michele Shea in District 2, Josh ONeil in District 7 and Eric Mankins in District 9. The only primary contest is for the District 10 seat that Andersen has held since he first ran in 2010, with the top-two vote getters in the June 7 primary advancing to November. The district runs through the middle of Uptown west to east from Montana Technological University to Shields Avenue. Andersen says some colleagues, constituents and friends encouraged him to run again, many noting his penchant for being a contrarian and somebody who is going to stand up against the norm and the status quo. Among other issues, he says he has voted against some annual budgets because they included too many new county positions funded by taxpayers, and hes opposed other measures based on his constituents wallets. A good portion of my district is poor and the extra costs are the reason I voted against some rate increases and other fees, he said. Andersen says he has experience and institutional knowledge on council but still seeks advice from some former commissioners because a lot of what we deal with has roots sometimes going back 10, 15, 20 years. Here are the other candidates and why they say they are running. TRENIN BAYLESS Bayless is executive office project manager for the Montana Office of Public Instruction. He completed a Ph.D. in materials science and engineering at Montana Tech. He says hes running because of the old mantra be the change you want to see in the world and believes Butte has an old guard that once served the city well but hasnt recognized the radical changes its undergoing. He says her refers to himself as a refugee from Missoula, where cost-of-living increases have made it near impossible for low-income earners to rent and live comfortably. Ensuring students, millennials, zoomers and everyone with a salary below 50k a year can live meaningfully in our community is something that many of the fiscally focused fiduciaries in local government have little interest in, he said. I care about the working class of Butte because Ive seen what will happen if theyre ignored. His priorities include reasonable housing and property prices, supporting small businesses and entrepreneurs, maintenance of Buttes Superfund site and support for Montana Tech and its student body that doesnt come at the expense of the rest of Butte. BRODY SHIELDS Shields says he was born and raised in Butte and is currently a trooper with the Montana Highway Patrol, though he plans to leave the agency later this month to help people in a different way. Ive always loved history and Ive always loved this town, he said. This town is one of the birth places of unions. One of the birth places of workers rights. I want to continue to preserve the history of Butte while making an effort to grow for the future. Shields said he wants to focus on the people of Butte. To me that means finding ways to bring jobs to this city as well as building our infrastructure to help build affordable housing to preserve the Butte idea of helping others when their plate is empty and yours is full, he said. He also said he wants to make sure the government that got rich off the backs of hardworking Butte citizens is responsible for the waste they left us to wade in. MAISIE SULSER Sulser is an architect with an architectural and construction company Restor Design + Build she and her husband relocated from Billings to Butte in January 2021. She says she served on several nonprofit boards in Billings and learned the power of collaboration and organization groups can have, and believes she has the experience, background and passion for local leadership. Having been in Butte fulltime for over a year now, Ive already seen a lot of change and evolution in the citys administration and organization and I want to be part of it in a bigger way than as a resident and business owner, she said. She says she respects Buttes past and the role it has played on the world stage and, I simply want to be a meaningful part of its present and future that carries that past with us. Sulser also wants to see more women in leadership roles, particularly government. BRIAN McGREGOR McGregor was a professional musician who fell in love with Butte and moved here in 2004, buying the Silver Dollar Saloon on South Main Street, which he still owns. He has long been a proponent of saving historic buildings in Uptown Butte. He said his main motivation for running was a disconnect I see between the council and citizens. I want to see more engagement between the Council of Commissioners and the public more understanding of local government and the process of making decisions affecting the county. As it is, some people dont even know who their commissioner is. McGregor says he wants to change that. Id like to see a program of public outreach by the county, he said. As it is, were having decisions made in the dark basically affecting everybody in the county. I want people to be more conscious of local government and involved in the local process. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Butte just may be a bit crowded on St. Patricks Day. Because of the pandemic, there has been no parade since 2019 and it appears people are gearing up to celebrate. A perfect example is Gene Riordan, one of the proprietors of Maloneys Bar. He and his crew have been making preparations for some time now. Were ready to roll, said Riordan. I hope we have enough Jameson! Despite the fact that the Irish holiday falls on a Thursday, Riordan is expecting a full-blown St. Patricks Day. Im all geared up for it, and ready for the Irish, he said, laughing. Riordan may be on to something because it just may be a full-blown St. Patricks Day. Many motels are filled or filling up fast. The Miners Hotel at 53 W. Park St., is booked for the Irish holiday. The hotels desk clerk, Cassidy Smith has had to turn people away. I feel bad about doing that, Smith said. All 55 rooms are taken at the Finlen Hotel & Motor Inn, 100 E. Broadway St., too. We are completely full, said desk clerk Sandra McNair. Its the same story at Motel 6 at 220 N. Wyoming St. The motel is booked solid, said a spokesperson. Another clear indication that residents are gearing up for March 17 is the amount of corned beef being purchased. Ladenn Greissl, a butcher at Western Meat Block, said things have been crazy at his workplace. We have sold around five barrels so far, said Greissl, who explained each barrel weighs about 200 pounds. Two days later, that number expanded to seven barrels, according to Nick Martin, another busy butcher at Western Meat. Pickled ribs have become a customer favorite, as well, at Western Meat Block because, according to Greissl, the ribs are corned the same way as the beef. I prefer the ribs, admitted Greissl. Theyre good. Conveniently located on the parade route is the Terminal Food Center, 100 W. Park St. Its been a busy place this past few weeks. The store has sold out on corned beef. Its all gone, said owner Chris Mandic, all 3,000 pounds. Mandic has another customer favorite coming up Thursday. He plans to set up shop right outside his front door to sell their popular Terminal dogs, along with some beer. Sandy and Bob Yakawich have been busy preparing for Thursday. The couple will serve up corned beef and cabbage, along with red potatoes, at the Knights of Columbus. According to Sandy, they will spend a lot of time in the kitchen, cooking 300 pounds of corned beef, 120 pounds of cabbage, and 150 pounds of red potatoes. Yes, well be busy, said Sandy, but were all ready and willing. In addition, homemade pasties will be offered, along with Reuben sandwiches, kielbasa dogs, blarney stones, and an abundance of potato salad to the tune of 50 pounds. She and her daughter, Dannie Kore, had already sold 200 dozen of Dannies Famous Blarney Stones and are making 80 more dozen for March 17. Sandy doesnt mind the chaos. Its time to bring the parade back and get the action going, she said. Butte-Silver Bow Sheriff Ed Lester just hopes that action doesnt get too out of hand. He will have extra crews working on St. Urhos Day on Wednesday, March 16. There will also be additional help from the Montana Highway Patrol, with an additional traffic enforcement unit on the streets and on the nearby interstate. With the weather predicted to be in the mid-40s, Lester is expecting a good crowd on Thursday. We want people to have a good time but to be respectful toward each other when celebrating, he said, and please plan for a sober ride home. Starting at noon, double crews will be working Thursday, with additional call outs for the evening and night shift. MHP troopers will also assist in traffic enforcement and crowd control. We are very thankful for the assistance from the Montana Highway Patrol for this year and in years past, said the sheriff. Love 14 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 6 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. ARCHIVED - Eagle owls seized from illegal owners in Murcia released into their natural habitat The four endangered birds were confiscated from individuals in Jumilla and Cartagena Four eagle owls seized by the Guardia Civil's Nature Protection Service (Seprona) in Jumilla and Cartagena last summer have been released into the regional park of El Valle and Carrascoy, after a period of rehabilitation at El Valle Wildlife Recovery Centre. The stunning endangered birds, which were being kept captive illegally by individuals in Jumilla and Cartagena, each have an identification ring so that their movements and behaviour can be charted to help improve their chances of survival and the future conservation of the species. Director General of the Region of Murcia's Natural Environment Department, Fulgencio Perona, explained that "once Seprona seized the specimens last year, a team from the Recovery Centre transferred them to the El Valle facilities to begin appropriate treatment". "After the first examination, it was found that all four eagle owls were in shock and had deformations at the ends of their flight feathers. Exhaustive clinical examinations and veterinary treatment was carried out and they were transferred to a muscle-building facility where the flight capacity and, therefore, the ability to adapt to the natural environment of each one of them was assessed," he added. You might like: Eye-catching eagle owl rescued from water storage tank in Molina de Segura This particular species is the largest nocturnal bird of prey in the Region, reaching a wingspan of up to 188 centimetres. It has brown plumage and a voluminous head, topped with two tufts and large orange eyes. Both males and females emit a characteristic sound that can be heard over long distances and is most evident at night during the mating season. The eagle owl is fairly well distributed throughout most of the peninsula and the Region of Murcia, and "population trends, although with some fluctuations, seem positive", according to the Region of Murcia's Natural Environment Department. Image: CARM ARCHIVED - Europe allocates 84.5 million euros to Spain to counteract effects of Brexit Spain will receive a total of 249 million euros in financial aid from the European Commission The European Commission (EC) agreed a payout of 85.5 million euros to Spain on Monday March 14 as part of its fund to support the economic sectors most impacted by the United Kingdoms decision to leave the EU. The disbursement for Spain is included in a package of financial support of more than 812 million euros that will be doled out to twelve Member States before the end of the month. These funds are in addition to the 1,266 million euros approved for April 2023. This funding will help the economies of the Member States to mitigate the adverse impact of Brexit on their economies and regions, by supporting regions and economic sectors, small and medium-sized enterprises and job creation and protection, the Commission said in a statement. The EU has determined which states receive the financial aid based on a number of factors, such as the importance of trade with the United Kingdom, the value of fishing catches now located in the exclusive UK zone and the population of the maritime regions bordering Britain. Countries will have until December 31 next year to use the cash to cover expenses incurred since January 2021 as a result of Brexit. It is now up to the Member States to make the best possible use of available funding to support regions, local communities, citizens and small and medium-sized enterprises to diversify their activities, retain jobs and requalify the workforce when necessary, the statement reads. Of those countries which qualified, Spain has received the seventh-highest total funding amount of 249 million, behind Ireland, the Netherlands, France, Germany, Belgium and Denmark. You might also like: Brexit deals blow to Gibraltar ambulances travelling to Spain Image: Archive DES MOINES The Iowa Supreme Court has declined to take up the case of William Beeman, convicted of stabbing a woman to death in 1980 and dumping her body at Wildcat Den State Park. Now 64, Beeman says new evidence would clear him. But appellate courts have rejected that notion. Finding no illegality or abuse of discretion in the district courts denial of Beemans motion for a new trial, we annul the writ of certiorari, read the latest decision March 2 from the Iowa Court of Appeals. Muscatine District Court Judge Stuart Werling initially denied a motion to reconsider granting Beeman a new trial in 2020. In court documents, Werling said the evidence from the original trial that was in question was not so favorable to Beeman so as to undermine the confidence in the verdict. The Courts review of all of the evidentiary claims raised by Beeman, taken collectively, do not create a reasonable probability that the outcome of his trial would have been different. Beeman has served 42 years of a life sentence in prison for the murder of Michiel Winkel. Evidence at trial included a signed confession from Beeman. He is being represented by attorneys from The Exoneration Project, a Chicago-based organization that provides free legal assistance to people who may have been wrongly convicted. The project has raised issues, including a coerced confession and other suspects. They also introduced scientific evidence. Werling had determined the evidence presented did not constitute newly discovered evidence and that the issues brought up were of no value to the defense. Beemans attorneys argued in 2019 he has always maintained his innocence and the confession was coerced at the end of a two-day interrogation. Beemans attorneys also objected to the DNA evidence in the trial going missing. However, a law requiring such evidence to be kept was only passed in 2005. In resistance to the 2020 motion to reconsider, Muscatine County attorney James Barry and former Muscatine County attorney Alan Ostergren argued any newly discovered evidence would not change the verdict and that the motion lacks merit and should be denied. Winkel was found dead near the campground just off a walking trail in the park. Beemans attorneys argued new medical evidence about the state of Winkels body indicate she could not have died five days earlier on April 21, 1980, as the state alleges. Defense attorneys claim Beeman had broken his foot on April 22, 1980, and April 21 was the only day Beeman could have killed Winkel under the states theory. Winkel had been kicked in the head and choked before the murderer inflicted a lethal injury by stabbing her 17 times in the chest. Investigators initially focused on several men who were Winkels friends or boyfriends but eventually focused on Beeman who was a disc jockey at a nightclub Winkel frequented. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 WAPELLO During her Jan. 11 Condition of the State address, Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds promised to provide retention payments to Iowa teachers. The Wapello School Board followed suit during a special meeting on Monday, agreeing to a retention payment package for staff members who had not qualified for the state payments. In her address, Reynolds said full-time pre-kindergarten through grade 12 in-person classroom teachers who continue to work throughout the pandemic would qualify for a $1,000 payment. According to a summary sheet developed by board member Brandon Marquardt, the estimated $47,750 cost for the school district payments would be covered by ESSER (Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund), a component of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021. That is the same program the state of Iowa is using for its retention payments. Marquardts summary sheet showed 13 certified teachers would receive payments ranging from $250 to $1,000, while 42 non-teaching staff members would receive payments ranging from $500 to $1,000. Although the only action taken during the special meeting was to approve the payments, the board also discussed possible options for using the districts remaining $829,911 in ESSER funding. Those funds must be spent by June 30, 2023, under current federal law and the board has already discussed a variety of possible projects ranging from hiring interventionists to installing air conditioning. When Marquardt developed his summary sheet, he had identified seven separate phases of possible spending. Phase 1 had been the retention payments to staff members who had not qualified for the state retention payment program. That phase would be completed by March 2022. Phase 2 was staff bonus payment totaling $89,750. It would be completed by June 2022. Phase 3 would provide $30,000 to add three additional weeks of summer school in 2022 to provide additional opportunities to students who fell behind because of lost learning. That phase would cover June and July 2022. The plans Phase 4 called for $150,000 in technology and other spending and would be completed in July/August 2022. Another round of retention bonus payments was identified as Phase 5 of the plan of action developed by Marquardt. That would cost $90,750, with payment on June 1, 2023. Phase 6 would repeat the summer school recovery of lost learning that had previously been identified in Phase 3. Another $30,000 would be provided for this phase, which would be completed in June 2023. Phase 7 was the final phase listed on the summary sheet. It would anticipate future budget cuts in the 2023-2024 fiscal year and provide $110,000 to re-identify staff members to interventionists. Even with the total Phase spending of $547,250, $330,411 of the districts ESSER funding would remain and could be used for infrastructure or additional or increased bonus payments. After discussing the summary sheet, the board decided to seek input from the district staff. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 After attending last weeks Louisa County Conservation Board (LCCB) meeting held on Tuesday, March 1, I feel the need to again write about what I observed. I was very happy to hear the public voice their opinion to the Board to not sell because of the value of public recreation, and especially conservation. In fact, it was truly humbling to witness testimony from three family members, one even coming back from Minnesota to give us a little history, and their thoughts on why the land should remain public, and not sold. To sum up generally, they talked about their connection to the land during hard times, especially as a wood source for heating, but when their family came together to make the difficult decision to sell, it was not about money. They wanted people to have a connection, to perpetually be used for future generations. They didnt view that land as a commodity, that was not their soul. Again, having them there to give their testimony, to me was powerful! But I certainly dont wish to undermine the others who spoke of their personal connection to not only that parcel of public land, but to the value of public land and conservation in general. Another landowner commented about the loss of trust when government county conservation boards sell off land that individual or family landowners deed over to the government for future generations to enjoy, only to have some individuals in government decide in the future that the land should only be used as a commodity, and sell it. So, after the people spoke, Josh Hardin and Brad Quigley motioned to table the vote on whether to sell Baird Timber for another meeting, and although this was brought in a heated discussion amongst the board, as some from the board thought that since many folks from the community came, including former family members of Baird Timber to voice their opposition to the sale, those members thought that voting would be the right thing to do. Teresa Coleman was the deciding vote to allow tabling the decision for some time in the future. Recall that from my observations from attending multiple LCCB Board meetings now, Josh Hardin was the board member who proposed and brought this land sale idea to the agenda, backed again by Brad Quigley and Teresa Coleman with their stated goals to use the money to potentially help pay for campground development at Virginia Grove, and that without evidence, they seemed to convince themselves that nobody uses this piece of public property anyway. During this latest meeting, even though other people independent of me brought up the conservation benefits, Im not convinced that these particular board members feel that connection to conservation. In the Code of Iowa section 350.2 it states, Members of the county conservation board shall be selected and appointed (by the supervisors) on the basis of their demonstrated interest in conservation matters. Hopefully more people start to come to LCCB Board and Board of Supervisor open meetings. I question whether all the members of the LCCB demonstrate an interest in conservation. I feel that some members lean more toward development and commoditization, rather than any spiritual connection to being out in nature. In my opinion selling the public land of America is not right! WASHINGTON A Columbus Junction teenager has pleaded not guilty to charges of first-degree robbery and attempted murder. After the right to a speedy trial was waived, a jury trial for Jaden Zavier Miller, 17, was scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. June 14 in the Washington County Courthouse. A pretrial conference is scheduled for June 3. He remains in the Washington County jail in lieu of a $500,000 bond. Attempted murder and first-degree robbery are both Class B felonies punishable by up to 25 years in prison. According to court records, Miller and Mya Eden Wright, 19, of Iowa City, were arrested on Jan. 28. On Jan. 7, the Washington Police Department responded to the report of a shooting that occurred in the 600 block of West Adams Street. The victim of the shooting was identified as Kenneth R. James. James was reportedly shot while he was sitting in a car in the 600 block of Adams Street in Washington. James reportedly told police that he had been set up by Mya and that the shooter was her boyfriend. During the investigation, Officers reported, Wright and Miller allegedly arranged to meet James for the purpose of a drug transaction, and they allegedly conspired with the intent to commit a robbery. The report claims Miller possessed a handgun and fired a single shot, striking James in the torso. The report said the two were identified by a witness and were found near the scene of the crime. The investigation continues, and additional charges are possible. Miller already is awaiting an April 5 trial in Washington County District Court on a charge of willful injury causing serious injury, in which he has pleaded not guilty. In that case, Miller is accused along with another person of beating and severely injuring a man at the McDonalds restaurant on Oct. 2, 2021, at 200 W. Madison St. in Washington. Prosecutors in that case had moved to change the conditions of Millers release after it was learned on Jan. 13 that he was not living at his reported address. Instead, Miller was found living in another persons house in Washington. Additionally, two handguns were discovered inside the room where Miller was staying, according to Washington County District Court records. When Miller was arrested, a judge had revoked a pretrial release, and a bench warrant had been issued a $20,000 bail. A jury trial, in that case, is set for April 5. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan speaks at a news conference on Feb. 8, 2022, in Annapolis, Md. More than two years before the next presidential election, a shadow primary has begun to take shape among no fewer than three fierce Republican critics of former President Donald Trump to determine who is best positioned to occupy the anti-Trump lane in what could be a crowded 2024 presidential field. (AP Photo/Brian Witte, File) (Brian Witte/AP) Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan is planning trips to Iowa and New Hampshire. Rep. Adam Kinzinger, a Republican from Illinois, is considering a rough timeline for a potential presidential announcement. And allies of Rep. Liz Cheney, a Wyoming Republican, are openly talking up her White House prospects. More than two years before the next presidential election, a shadow primary is already beginning to take shape among at least three fierce Republican critics of former President Donald Trump to determine who is best positioned to occupy the anti-Trump lane in 2024. Advertisement Their apparent willingness to run even if Trump does, as is widely expected represents a shift from previous years when Never Trump operatives failed to recruit any GOP officeholders to challenge the incumbent president. But with the 2024 contest almost in view, the question is no longer whether one of Trumps prominent Republican critics will run, but how many will mount a campaign and how soon they will announce. Those close to Cheney, Hogan and Kinzinger expect one of them, if not more, to launch a presidential bid after the 2022 midterms. While all three are nationally known to some degree, their goal would not necessarily be to win the presidency. Above all, they want to hinder Trumps return to the White House, at least compared with 2020, when his allies cleared the field of any Republican opponents and persuaded some states to cancel primary contests altogether. Advertisement Its there as an option, but its not necessarily because this is all some big plan so I can be in the White House, Kinzinger told The Associated Press when asked about his timeline for deciding on a presidential run. Its looking and saying, Is there going to be a voice out there that can represent from that megaphone the importance of defending this country and democracy and what America is about? There certainly, Im sure within the next year or so, will be a point at which you have to make a decision. If its not me doing anything, certainly well be all in for whoever can represent us, Kinzinger said. Republican primary voters are expected to have other options. Several former Trump loyalists who have emerged as on-again, off-again Trump critics are also eyeing the GOPs next presidential nomination. Among them: former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, former Vice President Mike Pence, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley. But most in this group have offered Trump far more praise than criticism, leaving the likes of Cheney, Hogan and Kinzinger as the only consistent Trump antagonists in the 2024 conversation. The range of prospects suggests an openness within the GOP to move past Trump and his divisive politics, even as many Republican voters suggest they would like to see him run a third time. About 7 in 10 Republicans said the former president should run for president again in 2024, according to a CBS poll last month. Among the most common reasons they cited: Hes the best Republican candidate and has the best chance of winning. Lest anyone question his intentions, Trump told thousands of supporters Saturday night in South Carolina, We may have to run again. He remains the most popular figure among Republican voters and plans to use the upcoming midterms to keep bending the party in his direction. He was in South Carolina, for instance, to support GOP rivals to two incumbent members of Congress who have crossed him. But those close to Cheney, Hogan and Kinzinger insist a significant number of less vocal Republican voters are eager to move past Trump, especially after he inspired the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. After all, 10 Republican representatives voted to impeach Trump and seven Republican senators subsequently voted to convict him. Advertisement There is a large and growing lane of Republicans and Americans across the political spectrum who are fed up with toxic politics and want to move in a new direction, Hogan told the AP. While Im focused on finishing my term as governor strong, Im going to continue to stand up and be a voice for getting our party and our country back on the right track. For now, Cheney, Hogan and Kinzinger remain friendly and in semi-regular contact. The 65-year-old, term-limited Hogan will leave office at the end of the year. He already decided against a 2022 Senate campaign, rebuffing an aggressive lobbying effort from Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell. He said he saw himself as an executive more than a legislator. Kinzinger, among 10 Republican House members who voted to impeach Trump, chose not to seek reelection after his district was redrawn in the Democrats favor. Only Cheney, who also voted to impeach, is running to retain her seat in this falls midterms, although she is no lock to win her primary election in August. Trump is pushing hard for Cheneys defeat. And while her allies indicate she is focused on her reelection, its an open secret that she is seriously considering a presidential run once the 2022 race is decided. By some measures, the 55-year-old daughter of former Vice President Dick Cheney has the strongest national profile. Cheney is building a national fundraising network, as demonstrated by a $7.1 million fundraising haul in 2021, among the most in the nation for any House member. Advertisement Wyoming state Rep. Landon Brown, a Cheney ally, said this network will allow her to compete on a national scale. Of a Cheney presidential run, he said, I dont see any reason it wouldnt happen. Shes opened up the door across the country by standing up on a national platform that bridges that middle gap of the people that were frustrated on both the left and the right, Brown said. I dont think it would be easy, but she would be a formidable candidate, for sure. Cheney has encouraged 2024 speculation by delivering prominent speeches about the future of the Republican Party in recent months, including a November address in New Hampshire, which typically hosts the first presidential primary election. Meanwhile, both Hogan and Kinzinger are building political organizations that could serve as vehicles to promote their presidential ambitions after they leave office early next year. Hogans advocacy group, America United, has millions in the bank, according to an adviser. To strengthen his network, Hogan is planning to travel to Iowa and New Hampshire the first and second states on the traditional presidential primary calendar to stump for local candidates in coming months. Hogan is working to help Trumps loudest Republican critics in other states as well. Advertisement Maryland Policy & Politics Weekdays Keep up to date with Maryland politics, elections and important decisions made by federal, state and local government officials. > Hogan had lunch last week with Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey, who has refused to embrace Trumps lies about the 2020 election. Hogan also plans to host events for Sen. Lisa Murkowski, a Republican from Alaska, and Rep. David Valadao, a California Republican. He voted to impeach Trump for inspiring the Jan. 6 insurrection while Murkowski voted for Trumps conviction. Kinzingers outside group, Country First, now claims chapters in 38 states and a growing fundraising base. The 44-year-old Illinois congressman, a lieutenant colonel in the Air National Guard, plans to spend much of the year working to defeat Republicans in the midterms who promote Trumps false claims of voter fraud. Last month, he announced a plan to encourage Democrats and independents to cast ballots in Republican primaries when possible to oust pro-Trump candidates. Kinzinger said he would even consider a 2024 run as an independent if thats the best way to stop Trump, although he prefers to stay a Republican. This country is built really for two parties, like it or love it or hate it, he told the AP. Never rule anything out. But my hope would be to be able to find the salvation of the GOP. Advertisement Associated Press reporters Mead Gruver in Cheyenne, Wyoming, and Meg Kinnard in Florence, South Carolina, contributed to this article. The South African government wants to ensure that every home in South Africa has 50GB of data per month by the 2025/6 financial year. This is according to the National Infrastructure Plan 2050 recently published by public works minister Patricia de Lille. Government e-enablement will be leveraged to promote a digital society and universal connectivity, the plan stated. High-speed broadband will be available and accessible in all communities by 2024/5, achieving access comparable to competitor nations. In addition to the medium-term goal of giving every household access to 50GB of data per month, the government has set a short-term target of 10GB of data by 2023/4. There will be consideration of free basic data for low-income users, similar to such access to water and electricity, the National Infrastructure Plan said. This aligns with communications minister Khumbudzo Ntshavhenis remarks during her State of the Nation debate speech. However, Ntshavheni clarified that the data would not be limited to needy households. Data would be given to all families regardless of income, she said. Government has not yet detailed how households will receive their free data. In written responses to parliamentary questions earlier this year, Ntshavheni said her department had requested money for a broadband fund from the National Treasury. Funding has been requested from the National Treasury to establish the Broadband Fund with the objective to subsidise household connectivity and public Wi-Fi hotspots in low-income households and rural communities nationally, Ntshavheni stated. The National Infrastructure Plan also mentions the broadband fund, suggesting that government would pursue partnerships with private companies to enable it. Arrangements required to enable private participation in public interest digital delivery will be in place by 2022/3, the plan stated. Most immediately, this will include special vehicles to promote blended finance and procurement rules that enable long-term partnerships such as the proposed Broadband Fund. MyBroadband recently contacted South Africas mobile network operators regarding governments goal of providing 10GB of free data per month to each household. Cell C chief legal officer Zahir Williams described it as an unexpected announcement. There is normally prior industry consultation with affected stakeholders and interested parties pertaining to policy, legislative and regulatory processes before significant initiatives are implemented, Williams stated. We will, therefore, await commencement of the necessary stakeholder consultations and be guided accordingly. Vodacom, MTN, Telkom, and Rain did not provide feedback by the time of publication or declined to comment, as they are preoccupied with the ongoing spectrum auction. The 2022 MyBroadband Conference will be hosted on 19 May 2022 in an exciting online format that will showcase South Africas premier IT and telecommunications companies. The online format makes it possible for delegates across South Africa to attend the event, listen to the speakers, and engage with exhibitors. Aki Anastasiou will serve as MC for the event and host interviews with the countrys top ICT executives. Topics covered at the 2022 MyBroadband Online Conference include 5G, fibre, mobile broadband, mobile devices, IoT, digital transformation, online security, and innovation. Delegates will also learn more about fibre rollouts, mobile network technologies and growth, and ISP services. Registrations now open Registrations for the 2022 MyBroadband Online Conference are now open, and you can register for free using the voucher code below. Register here: 2022 MyBroadband Conference Website Voucher Code: Mybroadband2022 The tickets cover all aspects of the event, including access to all presentations and interviews, the expo area, and fun giveaways. Kith & Kin AND St. Helena Drama? I cant imagine how this past weekend could have been any more fun. *** First, a hearty Slainte! to Kathi Brotemarkle, Ron Brunswick, Linda Howard, Ann Gilleran and Michael Waterson, the members of Kith & Kin, who put on a pair of fabulous shows at the White Barn. Ive been a fan of theirs for decades (no exaggeration) and theyve yet to disappoint. *** Second, a standing ovation to St. Helena Drama! Its production of The Addams Family lived up to the high standards set by past musicals, and the thrill of singing and dancing onstage for the first time in two years was palpable among the exuberant cast. The scene-stealing Rhett Ryan was a flamboyant and hilarious Uncle Fester. As a vivacious and perfectly cast Morticia, Kaitlyn Valenzuela was a true triple threat acting, singing and dancing with flair and charm. A suave Gabriel DuBois brought pathos and wit to the challenging role of Gomez. Abigail Langhoff shone in a flashy supporting role that brought down the house at the end of Act 1. I could go on, but suffice to say the show was a triumph. *** Rianda House's annual Texas Hold'em Tournament returns Friday, March 25, at Bourn Hall at Grace Episcopal Church. Dinner and practice tables start at 5:30 and the tournament at 6:30. Bid in the silent auction, compete for prizes, and see if you have what it takes to reach the final table. Tickets are $80 for tournament players and $35 for dinner guests. Go to riandahouse.org or call 963-8555 ext. 101. *** The St. Helena Public Library is holding an all-day scavenger hunt in honor of St. Patricks Day on Thursday, March 17. Drop by and search for the clovers hidden around the library and whats this I hear about a pot of gold? *** Also at the library, Pacific Union College Elementary students will present an evening of string orchestra music at 5 p.m. Wednesday, March 30. The eclectic program ranges from William Hofeldts She Will Hang the Night With Stars to the Star Wars soundtrack to Vivaldi. And all this from elementary students? Im impressed *** The St. Helena Cooperative Nursery School is holding an open house to welcome interested families from noon to 2 p.m. Friday, March 25, at 1201 Niebaum Lane in Rutherford. For information call 963-212 or go to sthelenacoop.org. *** Music fans, mark your calendars for an open house at Pacific Union Colleges Paulin Center for the Arts from noon to 2 p.m. Sunday, April 24, in Angwin. Meet the teachers, try an instrument, tour the elegant Paulin Hall, and sign up for private lessons. *** My condolences to the family and loved ones of Tony Pina, who died March 3 not long after celebrating his 90th birthday with almost 300 well-wishers. A hard-working rancher, a loyal and generous friend, a war hero (two Bronze Stars in Korea), and not a mean or pretentious bone in his body. Rest in peace, Tony. *** A big thanks to the firefighters who jumped all over a small wildfire in Angwins Las Posadas State Forest last Thursday. They had the one-acre blaze contained just 46 minutes after the first report came in. Fantastic work, but also a reminder that fire season is here, even in mid-March. Lets be vigilant and cautious. Admittedly, it is not an easy topic to approach, but it has arisen as several people asked me, Why hasnt God done something about the horrible suffering in Ukraine? It seems humanity is at it again. Where people long to be free to rule themselves, to live by their own customs and traditions, and chart their way into a future they have designed for themselves, another powerful leader has deigned to over-rule them. In a country where peace has been shattered by violence and war, it is hard to understand the motives of those perpetrating this horror. Is it ideas about who we are and whose we are? Does it have to do with might making right and power over others raises the powerful higher? We continue to make enemies of sisters and brothers. We persist in fighting wars out of fear that there is not enough to go around, and we need what they have, that if we dont show strength, well become the next victim. These wars have as much to do with the terrors within us as they are blamed on real and imagined threats from without. We are constantly tearing at the bonds that tie our destinies to one another, we have become disjointed. To this tragedy, faith offers an alternative. There is a power beyond us, a wisdom deeper than our feeble understanding, a grace that longs to embrace each and every one of us. God is still with us, and among us. God, who through all time, has been with the disenfranchised, the oppressed, and the outcast. The divine, who in Christ, became one of us, with us in our pain, our sadness, our beauty, our hardships, our messiness, our ugliness, our struggles, and our joys. God accompanies us, walks alongside us, beside us, including us in creating the world. Alongside and within us, God calls us to work for peace, hope, love, unity. We are meant to be partners with God in creating the world we want to see; holding fast to the values of grace, forgiveness, beauty. There have been multiple stories of people whose hearts and souls have been moved to respond and support those suffering in the Ukraine. My favorite was the pastry shop in Texas that was raising relief funds by selling cheesecake. The line went around the block. And when their supply ran out, the people in line still donated to the cause. I saw it too in the young Ukrainian girl singing Let It Go in a bomb shelter (she was eventually taken to her grandmothers house in Poland). These acts of charity and support are not in balance with the suffering endured, but they are a start. Our prayers, our imaginative responses of support, our simple acts of kindness, these things are what we have and where God is. May they multiply in the coming days and weeks. Jonathan Eastman is pastor of the Presbyterian Church of Saint Helena, 1428 Spring St. The church has returned to in-person worship at 10 a.m. on Sundays with live stream and recordings on its YouTube channel, First Presbyterian Church of Saint Helena, California. A man was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after a stabbing Sunday afternoon in north Napa, and two other people face felony allegations in connection with the attack, police reported. Eugene Paul Ritter, 41, was arrested at 4:40 p.m. after the stabbing of a 31-year-old man near Old Soscol Way and Trancas Street, according to Sgt. Pete Piersig of Napa Police. He was booked into the Napa County jail for investigation of attempted murder and was being held without bail Sunday night. 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. Arrested with Ritter were Donald Lee Ponder, 48, and Jeanna Marie Kessler, 40, who were both booked into jail on suspicion of false imprisonment and criminal conspiracy, according to police. Kessler and Ponder were being held on $25,000 bail. Napas central dispatch center received a report of the assault at 4:37 p.m., and officers found the victim with several stab wounds, as well as three suspects running west through a nearby shopping center in the 600 block of Trancas Street, Piersig said in an email. Ritter and Ponder, who had no listed address, were detained along with Kessler, listed as an Oregon resident. The stabbing victim, who also has no listed address, was taken to Providence Queen of the Valley Medical Center, and his injuries were not considered life-threatening, according to Piersig. The victim told police detectives that the three suspects approached him under the Trancas Street bridge south of Trancas Crossing Park before Ritter knocked him down by swinging a metal chain at his leg, swung a rock at his forehead and then sat on him to pin him to the ground, Piersig said. As Kessler and Ponder held the victim down by the shoulders, Ritter stabbed him multiple times, leaving a gash to the left shin that required stitches, according to Piersig. Ritter then held the knife to the victims throat and said he would kill him, leading the victim, fearing for his life, to overpower his attackers and run away, Piersig said, adding that crime scene investigators found suspected blood on the west side of the Trancas bridge. The victim told police the attack was retaliation for an earlier incident involving a man who was a friend of the three suspects, according to Piersig. On Friday, the victim reported to police that his bicycle had been stolen after he had locked it at Financial Plaza near Trancas and Soscol, then called police again for assistance on Saturday to report finding the bike in an apartment in the 2900 block of Soscol where the suspects friend was, Piersig said. Police arrested the suspects friend on several warrants from El Dorado County. Anyone who witnessed the incident is asked to contact Napa Police Detective Brandt Keown at 707-257-9592, or bkeown@cityofnapa.org. The Arts Council Napa Valley Education Alliance has recognized nine students are as Visual and Performing Arts Students of the Month winners for February. Four students tied in two different categories, Studio Arts and Band. The Arts council initiative seeks nominees monthly, culminating in a scholarship ceremony at the school year's end. 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. They are now accepting nominations for March from college, high school, middle school, and elementary levels from visual and performing arts teachers throughout the county. Go to the Arts Council Napa Valley website for more information and access to the nomination form. Nominations are due by the 25 of every month. Here are Februarys winners: High School Studio Art (TIE): Litong (Asteria) Liu, Justin Sienna High School junior Asteria uses art to feel purpose and comfort as she explores her feelings of anxiety and confidence as a study abroad student from China here in Napa. Her artwork concerns the complexities of materialism as it relates to self-worth. Her teacher Aleta Andrews says that Asteria is actively pursuing a future in art as a career. I have seen tremendous growth in her personality and art, which is an amazing thing to witness in a student. Studio Art (TIE): Fatima Romero-Munoz, Vintage High School senior AP Studio Art student Fatima Romero-Munoz has shown tremendous growth both technically and conceptually as an artist. She has a fascination with psychology, and her work investigates the oddity of human behavior. She paints based on photos (both posed and candid) telling stories of a variety of students and their personal experiences (positive, negative and sometimes bizarre) with school bathrooms, explains her teacher of four years, Crystal Clark. Clark describes Fatima as a compassionate person and bright student who is treasurer for the VHS Art Club, an active member of the Spanish Club, and is a sprinter on the track and field team. Theater Arts: Kalise Espiritu, American Canyon High School senior Kalise Espiritu has worked through her very shy and quiet nature in the last four years in Summer Heartts theater program to become one of its strongest, most talented members through a drive simmering quietly under her sweet disposition." She most recently played French maid Yvette in ACHSs production of "Clue On Stage" and will be Rona in their spring musical, "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee." She has worked as an actor and designer for the schools productions and gives 100% of herself regardless of her role. These qualities make her a great role model to the underclassman in the program. Heartt said, I am most taken with Kalises ability to surprise me ... She thinks deeply, is constantly improving, and is hungry for opportunities to learn. She will move on to CalState Northridge to continue her studies in theater arts. Digital Arts: Nadia Sousa, Justin Siena High freshman Nadia exhibits a strong grasp of conceptual visual understanding as an illustrator and artist, even as a freshman. Her hard work and general scholarly nature have amazed her teacher Monica Jacobson, who describes her quick to understand complex problem solving, while producing thoughtful work which engages the viewer. Middle and Elementary Level Digital: Oliver Sto Domingo, American Canyon Middle School eighth grade While Oliver is recognized for their digital art, teacher Jenifer Leahy points out that they are just as talented with pencil, colored pencil, and acrylic paint. It is rare when a Middle School teacher gets to see a student grow creatively for all three years. Still, Leahy says Oliver has exhibited a calm [and] quiet nature, but a colorful one, with a strong desire to stand up for others rights, especially in the LGBTQ+ community. They draw their inspiration from music lyrics and encouragement from friends. Studio Arts: Claire Hayashi, Silverado Middle School seventh grade Claire's artwork has a clean, graceful style that grows increasingly complex and precise with every new piece. Her teacher, Julia Zmed, who has had the pleasure of watching Claire's artistic abilities blossom, describes her as a "quiet, but determined artist with admirable focus. Claire challenges herself by "always choosing to go way beyond the extra mile. She is a bright and driven student and an accomplished swimmer. Band/Orchestra (TIE): Annabel Vivanco, Silverado Middle School, eighth grade Annabels passion for playing Cello in SMS Orchestra for the past three years has genuinely impressed her teacher Brian Beggs. Annabel is a leader in her classroom as a positive force willing to help and encourage others. Beggs says Annabel is a strong cello player and also shows great listening skills. Annabel willingly accepts challenges and is eager to learn new and difficult music. Band/Orchestra: Zachary Alim-Quenga, American Canyon Middle School eighth grade Zachary has been a percussionist at ACMS for the past three years and excels on snare drum and mallets, says his teacher Deborah Walden. As a section leader, he has helped the other percussionists learn their part and become better at their craft. Walden describes Zackary as a confident, kind, and patient student who is well respected by his peers. This responsible and considerate student has transported all percussion equipment to and from the parking lot during COVID-19 restricted rehearsals. Having a responsible student like Zachary has been a huge help to me. I am very thankful, Walden said. Studio Art: Katherine Torres, Phillips fifth grade Katherine is a diligent and thoughtful artist, continuously improving her techniques and creating unique work. Artist Alma Thomas inspired the project shown for Black History Month and Valentines Day. After watching videos of Thomas' work, she came up with her own love inspired creation. Her teacher Taherine Torres says, Katherine, like Thomas, sees the world as colorful and bright, even during troubling times like the pandemic. The Napa Police Officers Association recently alleged the city of Napas testing process for an internal 2021 police lieutenant exam that zero applicants passed was unfair and brought its concerns to the citys Civil Service Commission earlier this month. But the commission an advisory body that oversees the citys employment system ultimately took no action after the commission members decided they didnt have authority over the situation. 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. The city of Napa, like all public agencies, hires employees through a merit-based process. That means the city is required to set up systems to test job candidates and score them using objective measures. Those who score the highest are generally put on a list of potential hires, which the citys Human Resources department then gives out to the hiring department heads. NPOA President Darlene Elia wrote a Feb. 7 email to the citys Human Resources Department detailing the unions concerns. She said in the email that applications for the promotional lieutenant position were opened to current employees in August 2021. Four members of the NPOA met minimum qualifications, she wrote, and one member pulled their application on the day of the September examination for the position, leaving three job candidates in total. At that point, with only three candidates, Human Resources Director Heather Ruiz and Police Chief Jennifer Gonzales had the option of waiving the exam per the civil service rules, Elia added. But they chose to proceed with the exam instead. All three candidates then took the test. And all three failed it. Elia specifically took issue with the scoring model used during the process, which she had been changed to make passing the merit-based tests more difficult. In the past, she said, the citys scoring models would consider candidates qualified if they averaged, in several categories, a three or above on a seven point scale. But that was changed at some point to require at least a 70% average amounting to a required average of five on a seven-point scale to comply with the citys civil service rules, Elia said. (There were three components to the exam: a panel interview accounting for 50% of the score, a decision-making exercise accounting for 25%, and a written exercise also accounting for 25%, according to MJ Tueros, people and culture manager for the HR department.) Elia also said the Civil Service Commission was never notified that nobody had passed the test. She said that, indeed, the commission is almost never notified when nobody passes a test. What we are asking of the Civil Service Commission is for them to review the testing process that occurred during that September 2021 lieutenant exam, Elia said at the meeting. The stance of the NPOA is that this process and scoring matrix was developed to be so difficult theres no way for any of the internal candidates to receive a passing score. The city is now going through an open recruitment for the lieutenant position, which means external candidates have been able to apply. Elia requested that the open recruitment process be paused while the commission reviews the 2021 internal recruitment testing process. But Human Resources director Ruiz, Napa Police Chief Gonzales and other HR staff members defended the testing process. Ruiz did, however, concede that, through a mistake in the citys process, the exam and other exams with zero passing members had not been reported to the Civil Service Commission. We will be sure that all exam processes are reported out to commission whether or not there are any candidates who make the list, Ruiz said. However the lack of reporting on the outcome should not negate the entire process that went into the recruitment. As for the scoring, Ruiz said, a panel of nine subject-matter experts consisting of NPD staff, external law enforcement staff, other city staff, and external people all agreed that none of the candidates had passed the exam. All panelists are made aware of what a passing score is before the exam through a training process, Ruiz added. She said that, when it became clear no one was going to pass, she even stopped the process and asked the panelists if they were OK with failing all of the candidates. We went around the room one by one and each panelist said they concurred with the outcome and that none of the candidates passed, Ruiz said. NPOA is, in essence, asking the commission, without having observed the performance of these candidates, to substitute your judgment for that of nine expert panelists who unanimously determined that none of the candidates merit passing the test based on their performance. Ruiz added that the NPOA or any of the candidates could have appealed the test results to the commission 10 days after they were notified, but that didnt happen. Ruiz also said that, in an open recruitment process, internal candidates still have advantages over external candidates. For example, they may benefit from going through the same process previously, she said, and because a civil service rule limits the number of eligible candidates to no more than two over the number of vacancies if an internal applicant makes the cut. Lets say we had six candidates who passed on recruitment, Ruiz said. Three of them are internal, three of them are external. Lets say, in my hypothetical, the external candidates score 99, 97 and 95. Thats their score. Three internal candidates score 75, 72 and 70. The chief has one vacancy. Its only the three internal candidates that will be referred to the chief, so that gives an advantage to those internal candidates, not a disadvantage, even when its an open recruitment. Chief Gonzales said that, when she became chief last year, she planned to promote internally for the lieutenant position, but chose to open the recruitment after the results of the test. Gonzales added that moving from a police sergeant to a police lieutenant is one of the most difficult advancements in the industry, in part because the promoted officer then becomes part of the departments management team. That, she said, means the actions lieutenants take are received as examples of acceptable behavior from lower-ranked officers. High-quality police work, she added, is also very difficult, and she didnt want to promote someone to lieutenant who hadnt proven themselves ready for the job. Decisions that lieutenants are responsible for can erode public trust, she said, and its important for modern-day police leadership to raise standards to provide the public the professional level of policing that they deserve. An officers split-second decision has the power to turn the entire country upside-down, and weve seen that recently with the murder of George Floyd, Gonzales said. We cannot take these roles and responsibilities lightly, nor shall we abuse public trust by appointing someone who has not successfully demonstrated readiness just to fill a vacant position, or to give someone below that an opportunity to promote. Our community expects and deserves better than that from us. You can reach Edward Booth at (707) 256-2213. Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. A biotech firm is seeking permission to release genetically modified mosquitoes into the open air of California for the first time later this year, aiming to reduce the expanding populations of invasive mosquitoes and prevent deadly disease. The controversial research project planned for the Tulare County community of Visalia, with potential expansion into Fresno, San Bernadino and Stanislaus counties will over time introduce 2 million male mosquitoes with a "kill switch" built into their DNA. When they mate with wild insects, their offspring die, causing an eventual collapse of the population. 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. Their target: Swarms of the mosquito, first detected in Los Angeles County in 2011, which have since spread northward into 20 California counties. While California's native mosquito emerges at dusk, these black-and-white-striped invaders hunt for blood during the day, when people are outside. Elsewhere, they transmit potentially fatal Zika, dengue, yellow fever, chikungunya and other viruses. The lab-bred insects trademarked under the name "Friendly" by British company Oxitec are male, so they don't bite or spread disease. Modified they only mate with others of their species, not California's native mosquitoes. Only the female offspring die; the males live and become carriers of the deadly gene, passing it on to shrinking future generations. Approved by federal regulators this week and now under review by the state's Department of Pesticide Regulation, the research project is welcomed by Tulare County's Delta Vector Control District. It's a more ecologically beneficial way to control mosquitoes than spraying insecticides, said the district's Mustapha Debboun, a medical and veterinary entomologist and retired U.S. Army colonel who has worked more than 27 years in the field of insect-borne diseases. Insects are increasingly resistant to pesticides, he said. And the engineered mosquitoes do not harm beneficial bugs like bees and butterflies. "It's ingenious," said Debboun, who worries that Zika and Dengue virus could quickly spread if introduced into the U.S. by travelers from a country where the pathogens are found. "Instead of using a human being to apply a pesticide to kill these mosquitoes, we're using male mosquitoes to do the job for us," he said. "It's nature against nature." Some Tulare County residents complain that the invasive mosquitoes, which arrived in the region five years ago, are a growing nuisance. At a meeting of Visalia's City Council, Councilman Brian Poochigian said that he and his family were bitten six or seven times every time they left home. "I'm scared to send my kids outside without spraying them down," he said, according to the Visalia Times-Delta. "We can't eat outside in our backyard because we get bitten." But others say the project is being rushed into field testing without sufficient review and public consultation. "We're lab rats," said Angel Garcia, a native of Tulare County's citrus-growing town of Lindsay. "The community was not included in the process. If they really want to protect public health, we need to be at the table," said Garcia, of Californians for Pesticide Reform. "There seems to be no transparency, no independent review and no public participation." According to critics, there's no publicly available data to support Oxitec's claims that the introduced mosquitoes will reduce incidence of mosquito-borne diseases. According to an independent peer-reviewed study from Yale University scientists, two years of continual releases of the mosquitoes at a test site in Brazil failed to reduce populations of . Furthermore, none of the worrisome viruses have been transmitted within California, opponents say. "The California release would be the largest release of any genetically engineered insect in the United States," said Sacramento resident Dana Perls of Friends of the Earth. "It's much larger than we feared. And it's irresponsible." The male mosquitoes carry two introduced genes. One, called the self-limiting gene, prevents offspring from surviving to adulthood. It disrupts the proper functioning of the young insect's cells by over-producing a protein, interfering with the cells' ability to produce other essential proteins needed for development. The other is a fluorescent marker gene. It produces a protein throughout the body of the insects, which glows red under a special light. This helps researchers track the insects in the wild. It is part of a growing effort to explore the use of genetic engineering as an alternative to pesticides. The U.S. Department of Agriculture is seeking to enlist such techniques to eradicate an invasive diamondback moth in New York, which eats vegetable crops, and a cotton-munching pink bollworm in Arizona. Millions of the Oxitec mosquitoes were released in the Florida Keys last year. The company says that the results of that project will be shared in the coming months as data is evaluated. For the California experiment, the male mosquitoes and eggs will arrive in just-add-water "Mosquito Rearing Boxes." The pilot project will take place in residential neighborhoods of Visalia, the gateway to Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks in the agricultural San Joaquin Valley. The precise locations and start date will be announced if the project receives state approval. Visalia was selected because the problem with the invasive mosquito is greatest in urban settings, such as backyards, said Debboun. The insect can breed in tiny wet spaces, such as soda bottle caps. If Oxitec later finds female mosquitoes with the gene surviving to adulthood, it must stop the project and apply pesticides to the treated area where the surviving females were detected, according to the EPA. Animals that eat mosquitoes are not expected to be harmed. The experiment will be contained naturally because the invasive mosquito is a homebody, rarely venturing more than 500 feet from its birthplace, say supporters. But in the event of storms, wildfires or other significant natural disasters, the company is required to move the rearing boxes to a secure facility with triple shatter-proof containment. The assurances do not appease critics such as UC San Francisco-based Dr. Robert Gould, president of San Francisco Bay Physicians for Social Responsibility. "Once released into the environment, genetically engineered mosquitoes cannot be recalled," he said. "Rather than forge ahead with an unregulated, open-air genetic experiment, we need precautionary action, transparent data and appropriate risk assessments." Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. A new judgment day arrives soon for rooftop solar development in California, with the states Public Utilities Commission due to issue a rewrite of its abortive attempt to dun current and future residential solar owners unprecedented sums, thus discouraging the development of home-based solar energy. Never mind that more than 1 million homes in this state have solar panels, making California a world leader in localized use of energy from the sun. Never mind also that cutting back expansion of rooftop solar would compel utilities like Pacific Gas & Electric, Southern California Edison and San Diego Gas & Electric to buy ever more energy from solar thermal plants in remote parts of the states vast and sun-drenched deserts. Theres nothing these privately-owned, profit-driven utilities want more than that. For them, buying power from distant solar farms means vast profits. Thats because getting the deserts solar power to cities requires hundreds of miles of new transmission lines, which cost many billions of dollars. Since the private utilities get a guaranteed rate of return (e.g. profit) on capital investment that usually varies between 10 percent and 14 percent per year for 20 years, the more desert-based solar thermal, the more money they collect from customers. So it was no wonder the utilities all lined up behind the PUCs clumsy first attempt at cutting back rooftop solar. They even financed the largest citizen group pushing for that change. The attempt, killed just before it could be adopted in late January, would have assessed new monthly fees for owning rooftop solar, also reducing payments to owners when they send excess energy to the states overall electric grid. Opponents call the present system a subsidy of the rich by the poor and others, including renters who dont control their rooftops. And it is, to a degree. But those folks would pay far more in rate increases from new solar thermal transmission lines than they now pay in unofficial subsidies to rooftop solar owners. Not a single official analysis of the PUCs now-dormant proposal even mentioned this key fact. The precise amount of new rate increases to assure utilities profit from new power lines remains unknown, because no one can yet predict how much more solar thermal power they will buy. Because the PUCs plan did not mention this reality, it was incomplete and deceptive. Similarly, when PG&E happily applies for rate increases to pay for undergrounding many of its fire-prone lines, it also wont mention its guaranteed new profits. Gov. Gavin Newsom also didnt mention this when he demanded the PUC change its proposed new solar pricing system. He responded only to complaints from rooftop owners who disliked the planned new structure and to complaints it would cost thousands of green solar-installation jobs. But there is no doubt the PUC knew it was ignoring a vital factor in the pricing of solar power. Said a February 2021 PUC study on electric rates of the last 10 years and the next decade, The growth in rates can be largely attributed to increases in capital additionsin transmission and distribution. The study went on to forecast a 10-year average annual price increase for power from PG&E at 3.7 percent. The figures were 3.5 percent for Edison and 4.7 percent for SDG&E. That would give each company guaranteed rate increases just about the same as those theyve gotten over the last nine years, when PG&E prices rose by 37 percent and SDG&E rates by 48 percent, according to the report. It is plain dishonest for the PUC and critics of the present rooftop solar program to ignore this reality and claim the pulled-back proposal would have meant savings for renters and lower-income electric customers. But dishonesty rarely stops the often scandal-plagued PUC. It has played ball with the utility companies, in matters as varied as wildfire expenses, by reportedly not collecting fines it claims to assess and by forcing customers to pay for the Edison-caused shutdown of the San Onofre Nuclear Power Station (SONGS). The discredited rooftop solar plan was part of that old song, and the new plan will be, too, unless it strongly factors in utility profit increases and rate hikes that would follow decreased rooftop solar installations. Thomas D. Elias writes the syndicated California Focus column. He is author of the book, The Burzynski Breakthrough: The Most Promising Cancer Treatment and the Governments Campaign to Squelch It. Readers may reach him at tdelias@aol.com. A majority of Marylanders believe climate change is having major impacts inducing more extreme weather events, harming wildlife and raising sea levels according to a new poll from Goucher College. While groups including Democrats, younger people and people of color were most likely to call the impact major, even vast majorities of Republicans, people over age 55 and people without college degrees agreed that climate change is having at least minor tangible impacts on the planet. Advertisement But there were some areas in which all respondents were less likely to assign major impacts from climate change, including on human health, fishing and agriculture industries, and on air quality. Previous polling showed that a majority of Marylanders believe climate change is happening, said Mileah Kromer, director of the Sarah T. Hughes Center for Politics at Goucher College, who oversees the poll. But the poll released Tuesday shows people see climate change more greatly affecting their lives and their environment. Advertisement Across party lines, people recognize theres impact from climate change, Kromer said. There might be some disagreement from Republicans and Democrats on the causes of climate change. But I think on the impacts, at least to some extent theres some broad bipartisan support. Kim Coble, executive director of the Maryland League of Conservation voters, said she was not surprised to see so many Marylanders acknowledging the consequences of climate change. So many people have personal stories or connections to loved ones affected by extreme storms or wildfires, for example, she said. The poll results suggest more education is needed to help more people understand the urgency of dealing with climate change, she added. She said she has seen the need for that the past couple of years as the General Assembly has debated climate legislation, including a major bill that passed in the Senate on Monday. The cost of inaction is health. It is the economy. It is fishing, Coble said. If youre not responding with urgency, there is something missing. The poll found 55% of Maryland voters agreed there have been major climate impacts when it comes to rising sea levels and retreating shorelines as well as wildlife and ecosystems. Nearly as many, 54%, saw major impacts regarding extreme weather, including hurricanes, floods and heat waves. On health, 81% of voters saw some impact, but were about evenly divided on whether that impact was minor or major. Maryland Policy & Politics Weekdays Keep up to date with Maryland politics, elections and important decisions made by federal, state and local government officials. > Voters were more likely to assign greater impacts to climate change if they were younger, were not white, had college education, and lived in the Washington, D.C., suburbs. With all of the questions, respondents suggesting no climate impacts whatsoever were in a distinct minority. Overall, only 16% said climate change had no impact on human health, including one in three Republicans, 23% of people aged 55 and over, and 21% of white people, for example. Advertisement Climate change is indeed causing shorelines to recede, and rapidly in some parts of Maryland and the world, and research has shown an increase in extreme weather disasters is not just anecdotal. On human health, climate change impacts include increases in heat-related illnesses and deaths, which research shows tend to be undercounted, and challenges to food security. Goucher also asked respondents about their thoughts on COVID-19 and pandemic-related restrictions. As counties move to end many restrictions, including ending mask mandates, 44% of respondents said those changes are about right, while 28% said restrictions are being lifted too early and 25% said theyre being lifted too slowly. Marylanders are divided in their concern about themselves or a loved one contracting COVID-19 53% are very or somewhat concerned and 47% are not at all or a little concerned. That compares with 71% who were very or somewhat concerned at this time last year, and 29% who were not at all or a little concerned. The poll is based on a survey of 635 Maryland adults via landlines and cellphones, and has a margin of error of 3.9 percentage points. It was conducted from March 1 to March 6. Results released Monday found a 2-to-1 majority of Maryland voters support legalizing marijuana. Pikeville, KY (41501) Today Mostly cloudy skies this morning will become partly cloudy this afternoon. High 72F. Winds NW at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Partly cloudy. Low 54F. Winds NNE at 5 to 10 mph. 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 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 Armenia opposition MP: Ex-President Serzh Sargsyan will not hold office in new government Beijing closes over 60 subway stations due to COVID-19 outbreak 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 Number of children in Japan falls to record low Karabakh President meets with of Free Homeland-UCA parliamentary faction members Armenian judge waves Artsakh flag at Ironman Triathlon (PHOTOS) There is still lot to do in 'October 27' case, says Armenia Prosecutor General Ambassador Wiktorin to finance minister: EU ready to continue providing assistance to Armenia government Armenia Prosecutor General admits there are difficulties in investigation of 'March 1' criminal case 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 Gold is getting cheaper U.S.-Armenia Strategic Dialogue issues joint statement Newspaper: Armenia Patrol Guard Service head to be summoned to Investigative Committee to give explanation Armenia parliament regular sittings continue Newspaper: Armenia opposition members falling into National Security Service trap by opening links Civil disobedience protests resume in Yerevan Earthquake shakes Armenia-Georgia border zone Microsoft urges to abandon Internet Explorer Mark Milley: Potential for significant international conflict between great powers is increasing EU: Poland fines in rule of law dispute now top $170 million Putin and Lukashenko discuss ongoing situation Greece and Bulgaria say new LNG terminal will help reduce dependence on Russia German vice chancellor calls for rapid construction of LNG terminals Rally of Resistance Movement takes place in France Square Robert Kocharyan takes part in opposition march Mario Draghi calls on EU to abandon requirement of unanimity in making foreign policy decisions Finland and Sweden not yet decided whether to join NATO Croatian president uses veto power to block Finland and Sweden from joining NATO Slovakia will seek exemption from the EU embargo on Russian oil imports NEWS.am digest: Blinken meets Mirzoyan in US, people detained during protests in Yerevan Turkish Foreign Ministry on meeting of special envoys in Vienna Opposition rally in central Yerevan starts with Sirusho's performance Italy to face serious issues in winter if Russian gas supplies are cut off now Johnson announces new military aid to Ukraine in amount of 300 million euros Resistance Movement rally on France Square in Yerevan EU hopes to adopt sixth round of sanctions against Russia at next EU Council meeting Peaceful rallies of disobedience held in Spitak Spain extends OVID-19 entry restrictions Vayk joins demand for Nikol Pashinyan's resignation Putin and Macron discuss Ukraine Citizens demanding Pashinyan's resignation block road from Vayots Dzor to Yerevan Peaceful rallies of disobedience held in Vanadzor demanding PM's resignation Citizens demanding Pashinyan's resignation block Gyumri-Yerevan highway Sirusho: Today I will join our compatriots in France Square Third meeting of Armenia and Turkey special representatives held in Vienna Dollar rises slightly after long decline, euro also goes up in Armenia Civil disobedience actions in regions: Yerevan-Goris highway blocked Azerbaijan settling occupied Armenian Hadrut, Shushi cities of Artsakh New colors and new services: Team Telecom Armenia completes rebranding Armenia legislature speaker receives France-Armenia Friendship Group delegation France senator: We are leaving for Armenia with Senate group Putin signs decree on economic measures against unfriendly countries Armenia legislature speaker: Authorities have repeatedly proposed dialogue to opposition Backpack action of protest being held outside Armenia parliament (PHOTOS) Armenia defense ministry: Azerbaijan MOD statement does not correspond to reality Armenia defense minister receives Kansas National Guard delegation Armenia Police: Yerevan-Sevan motorway reopened Ned Price: Mirzoyan-Blinken meeting will launch US-Armenia strategic dialogue Mirzoyan, Nuland discuss Armenia-Azerbaijan peace agreement process Civil disobedience actions are carried out in some Armenia cities Armenia 2nd-President Kocharyan, ex-deputy PM and now lawmaker Gevorgyan trial to resume Pashinyan to Morawiecki: This year we mark 30th anniversary of Armenia-Poland diplomatic relations No new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia Armenia Central Bank leaves refinancing rate unchanged at 9.25% Demonstrators demanding PM Pashinyan's resignation block Sevan-Yerevan motorway Police: 117 demonstrators apprehended in Yerevan Kansas National Guard leadership visiting Armenia Bloomberg: EU new gas partners Armenian member of Turkey legislature says he was thrown at table of wolves Italian PM slams Lavrov for his 'Hitler' statements in interview with local television An anti-war protester interrupted a live news bulletin on Russia's state TV Channel One on Monday, holding up a sign behind the studio presenter and shouting slogans denouncing the war in Ukraine, Reuters reported. The sign, in English and Russian, read: "NO WAR. Stop the war. Don't believe propaganda. They are lying to you here." Another phrase, which looked like "Russians against war," was partly obscured. "Stop the war. No to war," the woman protester could be heard shouting, as the news anchor continued to read from her teleprompter. The protester could be seen and heard for several seconds before the channel switched to a different report to remove her from the screen. The woman was named by OVD-Info, an independent protest-monitoring group, and by the head of the Agora human rights group, as Marina Ovsyannikova, an employee of the channel. Pavel Chikov, head of Agora, said Ovsyannikova had been arrested and taken to a Moscow police station. TASS news agency said she may face charges under a law against discrediting the armed forces, citing a law enforcement source. In a video recorded before the incident and posted online, a woman who appeared to be Ovsyannikova described herself as a Channel One employee, and said she was ashamed to have worked for years spreading Kremlin propaganda. She said her father was Ukrainian, and her motherRussian. "What is happening now in Ukraine is a crime, and Russia is the aggressor country. The responsibility for that aggression lies on the conscience of only one man, and that man is Vladimir Putin," she said. "Now the whole world has turned away from us and the next 10 generations of our descendants will not wash away the shame of this fratricidal war," she said. Also, she urged Russians to go out and demonstrate. The United States has warned China that if Beijing decides to assist Moscow in the face of Western economic sanctions, it will face consequences. This was stated by spokesperson Ned Price of the US Department of State, in Mondays Department press briefing, VOA reported. The statement came after US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan and US Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Daniel Kritenbrink met in Rome with Yang Jiechi, a member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and Director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the CPC Central Committee. The National Security Advisor and our delegation raised directly and very clearly our concerns about the PRCs support to Russia in the wake of the invasion, and the implications that any such support would have for the PRCs relationship not only with us, but for its relationships around the world. That includes our allies and partners in Europe and in the Indo-Pacific, Price said. (...) we are watching very closely the extent to which the PRC, or any other country for that matter, provides any form of support whether thats material support whether thats economic support, whether thats financial support, to Russia. Any such support from anywhere in the world would be of great concern to us, he added. We have communicated very clearly to Beijing that we wont stand by if we will not allow any country to compensate Russia for its losses, Price stressed The White House stated that Sullivan and Yang discussed the situation in Ukraine in detail during their meeting in Rome. President-elect of the Republic of Korea Yoon Seok-yeol discussed by phone with British PM Boris Johnson the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and the situation in Ukraine, Yonhap reported, citing the official representative of the South Korean politician Kim Eun-hye. According to her, the telephone conversation took place on Monday and lasted 15 minutes. During the conversation, the parties expressed concern about North Korea's missile launches, agreed to cooperate on the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, and stressed the need to coordinate efforts with the United States and the UN Security Council. Yoon Suk-yeol and Boris Johnson condemned Russia's special military operation in Ukraine, calling it a threat to shared values, an attack on freedom and democracy around the world. The politicians expressed hope for strengthening bilateral cooperation in the digital and military spheres, as well as in industry. The UK PM promised to give the newly elected president of South Korea an autobiography of Winston Churchill (1874-1965), as Yoon Seok-yeol had previously spoken of his reverence and interest in this historical figure, Yonhap reported. Members of public organizations involved in the search for the missing found the remains of 26 people in the state of Sonora in northern Mexico. This was announced on Monday by the Televisa TV channel with reference to the prosecutor's office of the region. The bodies were in secret burials in the yards of abandoned houses in the Ciudad Obregon area. Representatives of the authorities have begun to conduct laboratory tests necessary to identify the victims. According to preliminary data, we are talking about the victims of organized criminal communities operating in the region. Ciudad Obregon was ranked second in the 2021 ranking of the 50 most dangerous cities in the world, compiled by the Mexican non-governmental organization Civic Council for Public Safety and Criminal Justice. The first place in the list went to the village of Zamora in the western state of Michoacan. In 2021, 33,308 people became victims of violence in Mexico, 1,246 fewer than a year earlier, according to the Ministry of Public Safety and Citizen Protection. Half of all intentional homicides are committed in six states: Guanajuato, Mexico City, Michoacan, Baja California, Jalisco and Chihuahua. A Maryland Democratic Party official and longtime party donor has resigned after an email she sent questioning the electability of Black candidates in the states governors race, the state party chair announced Monday. Barbara Goldberg Goldman, who was the deputy treasurer for the party in Maryland, has tendered her resignation and I have accepted it, Yvette Lewis, the state party chair, said in a statement. Advertisement We do not condone or support the comments in her email, Lewis wrote in the announcement. They do not represent the values of the Maryland Democratic Party. The resignation was announced a day after Axios reported on an email Goldman sent in December, when she explained why she was endorsing former U.S. Labor Secretary Tom Perez for the gubernatorial nomination in Maryland. Advertisement There are 10 candidates running in Marylands Democratic primary, and three Republicans running in the GOP primary, including former Maryland Commerce Department Secretary Kelly Schulz. Republican Gov. Larry Hogan is term-limited. Goldman began her Dec. 15 email: So, my thinking beyond here is the age-old question: Which candidate(s) have a better chance in the General election of beating an attractive female Hogan team member for whom both Dems and Repubs have expressed genuine likability? She added: Consider this: Three African-American males have run statewide for Governor and have lost. Maryland is not a Blue state. Its a purple one. This is a fact we must not ignore. In the last 20 years, only eight have been with a Democratic Governor. We need a winning team. IMHO. Registered Democrats outnumber Republicans 2-1 in Maryland. Marylands Black population is 29%, the highest percentage outside the Deep South. Marylands past two Democratic nominees for governor have been Black. Maryland Policy & Politics Weekdays Keep up to date with Maryland politics, elections and important decisions made by federal, state and local government officials. > The three Black candidates seeking the Democratic nomination this year former Prince Georges County Executive Rushern Baker, who unsuccessfully sought the nomination in 2018 and received 29% of the vote in the primary; former U.S. Education Secretary John King; and Wes Moore, an author and nonprofit executive condemned Goldmans comments, saying those sentiments should have no place in the party or the country. A spokesman for Moore said the idea that there would be skepticism about a candidates electability because they are Black should have no place in the Democratic Party in Maryland a state with both incredible diversity and disparities or anywhere else in America in 2022. In a letter Sunday asking for her resignation, Baker called the email utterly inexcusable and said such comments merely serve to excuse and legitimize acts of institutional racism (...). A spokesman for Perez, who is Latino, said Goldmans ill-conceived comments do not reflect the values of our campaign and said Perez had urged her to resign. Advertisement Party chair Lewis underscored Marylands diversity in her statement Monday. I am excited that our Gubernatorial candidates reflect this diversity, Lewis wrote. I also know that whoever emerges as our nominee will be a superb candidate and an outstanding Governor. Baltimore Sun reporter Bryn Stole contributed to this article. Between March 3 and March 5, the Azerbaijani armed forces advanced about a kilometer near Nerkin Hand village of Kapan city of Armenias Syunik Province, and set up tents. Nerkin Hand prefect Khachatur Baghdasaryan told about this to Armenian News-NEWS.am. "They came down from the border, sat in our territory. The Ministry of Defense is aware; they have come, set up a [military] post. The village cemetery is monitored from the [aforesaid] position of the Azerbaijani side, the sources of drinking water are also monitored, the pastures of our village are located in that area, [but] the residents are afraid to do agricultural work there," Baghdasaryan said. He added that Kapan mayor Gevorg Parsyan is aware of this problem since day one, and he visits their village on a regular basis. In an interview Tuesday with Armenpress, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan touched upon the 5 principles of a peace treaty which, according to Azerbaijan, were handed over to Yerevan. Yesterday, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan publicized 5 principles of peace treaty, as they claim, which were handed over to Armenia. Was that the document passed to Armenia? Yes, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan publicly announced the proposals handed over to Armenia. By the way, it is noteworthy that the letter dated February 21 was passed to the Armenian side only on March 10. What is the position of the Armenian side on the mentioned proposals? First of all, it should be emphasized that every negotiation on a peace treaty must be held without preconditions. As for the main proposals, the two countries, having signed the "Agreement on the Establishment of Cooperation of Independent States" on December 8, 1991, in fact have already recognized each other's territorial integrity and accepted that they have no territorial claims towards each other. It should be noted that the provisions mentioned in the proposal do not fully reflect the whole agenda of the existing problems. It is vital for the Armenian side that the rights and freedoms of the Armenians of Artsakh [(Nagorno-Karabakh)] are clearly guaranteed, and the status of Nagorno-Karabakh is finally clarified. For us, the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is not a territorial issue, but a matter of rights. As we have already informed, the Armenian side responded to the proposal of Azerbaijan in line with the already mentioned position. The proposals of Azerbaijan refer to the process of delimitation and demarcation between the two countries, as well as the unblocking of transport infrastructure in the region. How are these processes going? We believe that the agreements reached within the Trilateral Statements of November 9, 2020, January 11, 2021, and November 26, 2021, should be fully implemented, and we are consistent in this regard. As you know, we have even made comprehensive proposals for the implementation of these agreements, such as the proposal to launch a delimitation process through the mirrored withdrawal of troops and the introduction of an international monitoring mechanism, which, however, was rejected by the Azerbaijani side. What format do you see the possible negotiations on a peace treaty within? Earlier, the Foreign Ministry of Armenia stated that it had applied to the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairmanship to organize negotiations on a peace treaty on the basis of the UN Charter, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and the Helsinki Final Act. YEREVAN. At its meeting Tuesday, the Board of the Central Bank of Armenia (CBA) decided to raise the refinancing rate by 1.25 percentage point to 9.25 percent, the CBA informed Armenian News-NEWS.am. The Lombard repo facility rate is at 10.75 percent. And the Deposit facility rate is at 7.75 percent. The Republic of Armenia Ministry of Defense (RA MOD) has categorically denied the reports about a new advance by the units of the Azerbaijani armed forces. According to the MOD, "in the mentioned area, which is under the control of Azerbaijan, the Azerbaijani units have several positions, which, due to not being equipped, cannot be used during the winter period. Now, in connection with the change in weather conditions, the Azerbaijani military is just returning to those positions. There can be no question of any [new] advance. The RA Armed Forces completely carry out the tasks set before them, both in that as well as in all other parts of the border, including monitor any movement of the Azerbaijani armed forces and keep the situation under supervision." YEREVAN. Tuesdays Yerevan court session 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 Armeniahas been put off until 4pm. This decision was made by presiding Judge Anna Danibekyanand in connection with Gevorgyan's absence from the courtroom. Armen Gevorgyan had informed the court at the March 1 hearing that a PACE special session on Ukraine was to be held on March 14 and 15, and that he had to attend it remotely. However, Judge Danibekyan had set the next court session for today, and she began this hearing by asking why Armen Gevorgyan's was absent. His defense lawyer, Lusine Sahakyan, reminded the judge that the latter knew why her client was not in the courtroom. Judge Danibekyan started checking the schedule of the aforementioned PACE session. Moreover, she commented on the time difference in favor of Strasbourg, Francethe venue of this session. Even the prosecution did not object to the rescheduling of this court hearing. Despite all this, Judge Anna Danibekyan put off this court session until 4pm so that Gevorgyan come to court by then. Along the lines of the abovementioned criminal case, Robert Kocharyan and Armen Gevorgyan are charged with taking bribesand based on the respective testimony of businesswoman Silva Hambardzumyan. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan of Armenia on Tuesday received Toivo Klaar, the European Union (EU) Special Representative for the South Caucasus and the Crisis in Georgia. The Head of the EU Delegation to Armenia, Ambassador Andrea Wiktorin, was also present at the meeting. The Prime Minister expressed satisfaction with the dynamic development of the Armenia-EU partnership and highlighted the efforts aimed at strengthening relations. Touching upon the democratic reforms being carried out in Armenia, Pashinyan stressed that the Armenian government is steadily moving forward towards the implementation of the democratic agenda of Armenia, and thanked the EU for supporting that process. EU Special Representative Klaar noted that the European Union attaches great importance to its partnership with Armenia and reaffirms its readiness to support Armenia's democratic reforms. The interlocutors referred to the processes taking place in the South Caucasus, the current situation in Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh), and the escalation of tension. In the context of strengthening peace and stability in the region, Nikol Pashinyan and Toivo Klaar exchanged views on the delimitation and demarcation of the Armenia-Azerbaijan border, the unblocking of regional communication routes, and the Armenia-Turkey dialogue. The Prime Minister of Armenia highly assessed the efforts of the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, aimed at strengthening regional stability. In this context, Nikol Pashinyan highlighted the meetings held in Brusselsthrough the mediation of the President of the European Council and the President of France, and in Sochi, Russiamediated by the President of the Russian Federation, and the implementation of the agreements reached within their framework. The sides stressed the need for the Nagorno-Karabakh conflicts comprehensive settlement under the auspices of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs. The parties agreed to continue their active contacts. WASHINGTON Sen. Joe Manchin, a West Virginia Democrat, said Monday that he opposes the nomination of Sarah Bloom Raskin to a key position on the Federal Reserves Board of Governors, endangering her prospects of winning Senate confirmation. [ UPDATE: Sarah Bloom Raskin, embattled Federal Reserve pick from Maryland, withdraws nomination ] Raskins nomination has been stuck in the Senate Banking Committee since Republicans last month unanimously refused to vote on it to prevent her being approved on a party-line vote. Manchin is not a member of the committee but his opposition means that for Raskin to win Senate approval, she would need to pick up a Republican vote. Advertisement Committee Republicans led by Pennsylvania Sen. Pat Toomey, have opposed Raskin on the grounds that she has been an outspoken supporter of having the Fed consider the threat to climate change in its regulation of banks. President Joe Biden has nominated Raskin to serve as the Feds vice chair for supervision, a top financial regulatory post. Toomey has asserted that Raskin would seek to use the Feds regulatory authority to discourage banks from lending to oil and gas drilling companies. Raskin denied that in a February hearing. But Manchin, who has long been a strong advocate for energy companies, expressed similar concerns. Advertisement Her previous public statements have failed to satisfactorily address my concerns about the critical importance of financing an all-of-the-above energy policy to meet our nations critical energy needs, the senator said. I have come to the conclusion that I am unable to support her nomination. Sarah Bloom Raskin, a nominee to be the Federal Reserve's Board of Governors vice chair for supervision, speaks during the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee confirmation hearing Feb. 3 in Washington. (Ken Cedeno/Pool via AP) (KEN CEDENO/AP) White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Raskin is one of the most qualified individuals to ever be nominated to this position. Raskin previously served on the board from 2010 to 2014 and as deputy Treasury secretary. The White House will keep working with Ohio Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown, the chairman of the Senate Banking Committee, to garner bipartisan support, Psaki said. A spokesperson for Brown said that he is working to move forward Ms. Bloom Raskins nomination. Raskin was confirmed unanimously by the Senate the first time she was nominated to be a Fed governor. Maryland Policy & Politics Weekdays Keep up to date with Maryland politics, elections and important decisions made by federal, state and local government officials. > Four other Biden nominees to the Feds board are also on hold because of the committee Republicans boycott of a vote on Raskin. Biden has nominated Chair Jerome Powell to serve a second four-year term; Powell is now serving as acting chair. The president has also nominated Lael Brainard, a Fed governor, for the central banks No. 2 post, and economists Lisa Cook and Philip Jefferson for positions on the board. [ Torn by family tragedies, a Maryland widow and Rep. Jamie Raskin question insurance companies suicide rules ] Psaki said the Biden administration supports moving all five nominees through the Senate together, and urged Republicans on the committee to show up so that they can go through the banking panel and to the Senate floor. Some analysts said Manchins opposition could doom Raskins nomination. We do not see how Raskin can be confirmed without the support of Joe Manchin as we expect every Republican will oppose her nomination, said Jaret Seiberg, a banking analyst at Cowen Washington Research Group. Advertisement Raskin was considered likely to take a much tougher line with banks than did Randal Quarles, an appointee of former President Donald Trump who previously held the position of vice chair for supervision. But the opposition to her came mainly from the energy industry, while many banking lobbyists saw her as at least a known quantity. Raskin served as Marylands top banking regulator from 2007 to 2010 and had been endorsed by banking representatives in the state. Blooms husband, Jamie Raskin, represents Marylands 8th District in the U.S. House of Representatives, which includes Carroll, Montgomery and Frederick counties. Associated Press reporter Josh Boak contributed to this article. The Vietnamese government announced on Tuesday the full opening of the country's borders to foreigners, which have remained closed for the past two years due to the coronavirus pandemic, the news portal VnExpress reported. According to the decision of the Cabinet of Ministers, starting from today, all restrictions on entry into the country by foreigners, which were imposed in the spring of 2020 because of the outbreak of coronavirus infection, will be removed. The government also restores the visa-free entry policy to Vietnam for citizens of many countries, including Russia, which was in effect before the pandemic. Now Russians can once again visit Vietnam by taking advantage of the visa-free regime for a stay of up to 15 days. The government's decision to open the country to foreigners is aimed at reviving the local tourism industry after the pandemic. According to the National Tourism Administration of Vietnam, the COVID-19 pandemic has dealt a serious blow to the Vietnamese tourism industry, contributing to a significant decline in the local tourism market. With the epidemic generally under control in Vietnam and in line with a strategy approved by the Government, the country has entered a phase of safe, flexible adaptation and effective containment of COVID-19, the authorities intend to create favorable conditions to boost the tourism business to give it a new momentum. This year, Vietnam plans to receive at least 5 million foreign visitors, and in the next five years, gradually return the foreign tourist flow to the pre-pandemic level as of 2019 - 18 million people. In recent times, as we all know, the situation is tense; we can describe it as "stable tense." Deputy Minister of Defense Arman Sargsyan told this to reporters Tuesday in the National Assembly of Armenia. "Although we have not had any serious problems since the night of the 14th of the month and today as well, the situation remains tense. [But] it is not about Syunik [Province]; tensions are in the Artsakh [(Nagorno-Karabakh)] sector. Measures are being taken, through negotiations and other actions, so that issues of possible provocations, possible escalation [of tension] do not arise," he said. The deputy defense minister assured that the Azerbaijani armed forces have not advanced any further. Arman Sargsyan noted that there are humanitarian problems in several villages of Artsakhand related to the damaged natural gas pipeline. "The statements of the Azerbaijani side are moves aimed at creating a general panic, climate of fear, and launching a process of de-Armenianization. Steps are being taken to maintain the tense situation. I can say as of the morning, when I came to the meeting, at that moment I was informed that the situation is stable. Our [military] units are vigilant, they are monitoring the process, and will take preventive measures if necessary," he added. Asked whether he sees a danger of broader military operations in Artsakh, he Sargsyan responded: "I can not rule out any provocation, no one can rule it out. Maybe possible provocations, steps will be taken by the adversary in connection with geopolitical changes. But I can say for sure that we are not taking any aggressive steps. Naturally, when there are clashes, they also have casualties. There was no case when we did not respond to their aggression. I say we are not taking any steps contributing to the increase of tension. However, in case of aggression against us, Armenia takes the necessary defensive steps." Japan has decided to freeze the assets of 17 more Russians, bringing the total number of people subject to sanctions in connection with the 'Ukraine crisis' to 61, Reuters reported. The move comes after the United States imposed sanctions on a host of Russians, including billionaire Viktor Vekselberg and 12 State Duma deputies. Vekselberg also came under Japanese sanctions, as did 11 State Duma deputies and five family members of banker Yuri Kovalchuk, according to Japan's Finance Ministry. "Japan will act in line with other G7 countries on sanctions," said Hirokazu Matsuno, a senior government official. "As for sanctions hereafter, we'll continue to watch conditions and, along with other G7 nations, respond appropriately," Matsuno told reporters at a news conference. Tokyo has also imposed sanctions on Russia's central bank and seven private banks, among other organizations, as well as various Belarusian citizens, banks and organizations. Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi told reporters that the Ukraine crisis showed the need to reform the UN Security Council, where Russia has a permanent seat, and he said Japan would press its case to become a permanent member. As part of tougher restrictions against Moscow, Japan also said it would expand its ban on exports to Russia to include 31 goods, such as semiconductors, communications equipment, sensors and radars, as well as 26 technology packages. The European Union has banned leading rating agencies from assessing Russia's sovereign debt and companies in the country as part of its latest sanctions package. "These sanctions will further contribute to ramping up economic pressure on the Kremlin and cripple its ability to finance its invasion of Ukraine," the Commission said in a statement. "They have been coordinated with international partners, notably the United States," it added. The world's top three credit rating agencies, S&P Global, Moody's and Fitch, risk losing their EU licenses if they violate the ban. Other measures in the EU package included a ban on imports of Russian steel products currently under EU safeguard measures, which it estimated would amount to about 3.3 billion euros in lost export revenue for Russia. There was also a ban on exports of luxury goods, such as cars and jewelry, and an increase in the number of sanctioned wealthy people linked to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Britain has announced a new package of sanctions against Russia, including a ban on exports of luxury goods and 35 percent duties on 900 million pounds ($1.2 billion) worth of Russian imports. "The export ban will come into force shortly and will make sure oligarchs and other members of the elite, who have grown rich under President Putins reign and support his illegal invasion, are deprived of access to luxury goods," the statement reads. Britain will "deny Russia and Belarus access to Most Favoured Nation tariff for hundreds of their exports, depriving both nations key benefits of WTO membership," the government said in a statement. Britain has published a list of goods, including vodka, which will now be subject to additional duties of 35 percent in addition to any existing duties. The government said iron, steel, timber, copper, aluminum, silver, lead, iron ore and beverages are among the Russian imports that will face higher tariffs. In addition, Britain imposed sanctions against Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, former Russian President and Deputy Chairman of the Security Council Dmitry Medvedev, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov and Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, as well as Russian businessmen, including Mikhail Fridman, Petr Aven and Andrey Melnichenko. Slovakia has charged a former military academy officer and another man with spying for Russia, police and a special prosecutor said, Reuters reported. The announcement came a day after the NATO country expelled three Russian diplomats. Russia said it would respond to the unjustified expulsion. Acting police chief Stefan Hamran said at a press conference in Bratislava that the police had detained and charged a former vice-rector of the military academy named Pavol B. with cooperation with the Russian military intelligence GRU since 2013. This person was an intelligence contact with Russian GRU officers for whom he was seeking, collecting and disclosing information of strategic importance, Hamran said. Another suspect, he said, is Bohus G., an employee of a website that was shut down by the government earlier this month for spreading disinformation. According to Hamran, he admitted to seeking information from secret intelligence reports for Parliament. Defendants can face from 4 to 13 years in prison if their guilt is proven. Two more people were detained but released without charge, police said. Special Prosecutor Daniel Lipsich said the Ukraine crisis has brought renewed attention to espionage activities. Russia has classified Slovakia as an unfriendly state, and for this reason, these cases will be given great attention, he said. Armenian News - NEWS.am presents the daily digest of top news as of 15.03.22: An adviser to Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that even in the worst-case scenario the war with Russia may end by mid-April. Zelenskyy also noted Kyiv has already been given to understand that NATO's "open door" policy does not apply to Ukraine. He once again urged closing the sky over the territory of Ukraine, but also noted that the probability of a positive decision is low. While military analysts say unanimously that the Ukrainian militarys resistance and combat-readiness caught Moscow by surprise, the Russian defense management center said that strategically important Melitopol and Kherson cities are under full control of the Russian Armed Forces. But the fighting is going on all along Ukraines big cities. A strike on a housing block in Kyiv has killed at least two people, the Ukrainian emergency service has said as several areas of the capital came under attack. The bodies of two people were recovered, 27 people were rescued. Meanwhile, PMs of the Czech Republic, Poland and Slovenia will travel to Kyiv on Tuesday to meet Zelenskyy. The purpose of the visit is to confirm the unequivocal support of the entire European Union for the sovereignty and independence of Ukraine. Earlier on Monday, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu discussed the latest developments in Ukraine during phone talks with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov on Monday, a Turkish Foreign Ministry source told RIA Novosti. Iranian FM Hossein Amir Abdollahian, in turn, said on Tuesday that his Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba asked during a phone conversation to convey a message to Russian FM Sergey Lavrov that Ukraine favors a political settlement of the conflict. Meanwhile, Tesla CEO Elon Musk has gained attention after calling out Russian president Vladimir Putin for a fight. "I hereby challenge Vladimir Putin to single combat. Stakes are Ukraine," he tweeted. The post got over 35,000 retweets at the time of publishing, and 230,000 likes. European Union ambassadors have approved a new package of sanctions against Russia, which will come into force after publication in the Official Journal of the EU, the French presidency of the EU Council tweeted on Monday. The Committee of Permanent Representatives of EU countries in coordination with international partners has agreed on a fourth package of sanctions, which targets individuals and entities involved in the aggression against Ukraine, as well as several sectors of the Russian economy. Turkey has sent a new batch of the Bayraktar TB2 combat UAVs, ammunition, military equipment, body armor, and helmets to Ukraine, MK reported. Earlier, Selcuk Bayraktar, technical director of the Turkish military defense giant Baykar Makina, had informed that the MIUS combat UAV was already being manufactured and was named Kizilelma (Red Apple). Armenian FM Ararat Mirzoyan reflected on the 5 principles Azerbaijan put forward for a peace treaty to be pursued by Armenia and Azerbaijan. These principles identified by Azerbaijan particularly include mutual recognition of each other's sovereignty, delimitation and demarcation of borders and opening of transport and communications. Thus, Azerbaijan's listed demands essentially imply a veiled rejection of Nagorno-Karabakh's independence. Meanwhile, Ararat Mirzoyan noted that the Azerbaijani proposals dated February 21 were passed to the Armenian side only on March 10. Speaking about the Armenian stance towards the proposals, the FM noted that every negotiation on a peace treaty must be held without preconditions. According to him, however, the provisions mentioned in the proposal do not fully reflect the whole agenda of the existing problems. It is vital for the Armenian side that the rights and freedoms of the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh are clearly guaranteed, and the status of Nagorno-Karabakh is finally clarified. For us, the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is not a territorial issue, but a matter of rights, the FM said. Ararat Mirzoyan also recalled that the MFA had applied to the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairmanship to organize talks on a peace treaty on the basis of the UN Charter, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and the Helsinki Final Act. The governor of the Central Bank of Armenia (CBA), Martin Galstyan said that the Central Bank revises its economic growth forecast for Armenia Our forecast for GDP growth has been reduced from the previous 5.3 percent to 1.6 percent, which is mainly due to the development of the industry, he said. According to him, at the beginning of the year, the CBA had predicted that the countrys industry should grow by 1.6 percent in 2022, but with new developments, there are some problems in mining and manufacturing. At its meeting Tuesday, the Board of the Central Bank of Armenia (CBA) decided to raise the refinancing rate by 1.25 percentage point to 9.25 percent. The Lombard repo facility rate is at 10.75 percent. And the Deposit facility rate is at 7.75 percent. Martin Galstyan also noted that the share of transfers from Russia decreased to 40% in Armenia, while no serious capital outflow is expected. The share of transfers in Armenia's GDP decreased from 15% to 7-8%, he also added. The Central Bank also shared the current exchange rates in Armenia. Thus, the exchange rate of US dollar today, made AMD 507.94, having decreased by over AMD 7 as of Tuesday, while the euro rate has reached AMD 507.94 down by AMD 7.03. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan had a phone talk with the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken. The Prime Minister thanked the American side for its consistent support to Armenia in the democratic reforms. The parties noted the need for stability and peace in the South Caucasus. The two also exchanged views on the delimitation and demarcation of the Armenian-Azerbaijani border, the chances for unblocking communications in the region, as well as the ongoing dialogue between Armenia and Turkey. The sides also referred to the processes taking place in the international arena, including the situation in Ukraine. Nagorno-Karabakh residents have no natural gas supplies for the eighth day in a row Since a natural gas pipeline in the territory currently controlled by Azerbaijan was damaged on March 8, talks are being held with the Azerbaijanis, but the latter are hindering the repair work. Specialists are not even able to visit the territory to find out what caused the accident. The matter of restoring the natural gas supply in Artsakh is under negotiation, Lusine Avanesyan, spokeswoman for the Artsakh President, told NEWS.am. Avanesyan informed that the Artsakh residents currently provide heating for themselves with the use of electricity and woodthe latter mainly refers to villages. As of today, the use of tobacco products and their substitutes in all public catering establishments is prohibited in Armenia. An anti-smoking law was passed by the Armenian parliament in February 2020. It bans smoking while driving cars or buses and imposes a ban on tobacco advertising. The ban on smoking in cafes, restaurants and other public catering facilities entered into force in March 2022. Baku reacted to the statement of Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan about Azerbaijan's so-called proposals on the normalization of relations between the two countries. The Armenian Foreign Minister said that the talks on a peace agreement with Azerbaijan should be held without preconditions. "We do not consider it necessary to reiterate the position that we have repeatedly stated. Taking into account the importance of normalization of relations between the two countries and peacebuilding in the region after the conflict, Azerbaijan has put forward relevant proposals and is ready to move forward in this direction. If Armenia is also serious about this issue, it should present its concrete proposals and thus demonstrate its willingness to start substantive and result-oriented negotiations," Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry said in a comment. The Armenian population, in general, wants to normalize relations with Turkey, Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan said this in an interview with Anadolu Agency during the Diplomatic Forum in Antalya. "I would like to recall important episodes between Armenia and Turkey in previous months. The leaders of the two countries exchanged public statements expressing their willingness to start negotiations between the two countries. Special representatives were later appointed and have already held two meetings, in Moscow and Vienna, during which they agreed to continue negotiations without preconditions, aimed at a full normalization of relations. I visited Antalya to reaffirm the Armenian government's political will to achieve full normalization of relations with Turkey and open an era of peace and sustainable development in the region. Overall, we assess positively the process of normalization of relations between Turkey and Armenia. Armenia is ready to establish diplomatic relations with Turkey and open its borders. I was happy to hear from my Turkish colleague that they also have the political will to bring this process towards that goal. Now that world events are moving very quickly, we should not hesitate to take concrete steps. People already enjoy direct flights from Yerevan to Istanbul. Opening the borders will have a positive impact on communication between the two countries, trade and economic relations, people-to-people contacts and overall stability in the region. This is the first visit of a high-ranking Armenian official to Turkey in a decade. If the settlement process goes well and we achieve positive results, reciprocal visits are also possible. In general, the Armenian population wants to normalize relations with Turkey. This is also reflected in public opinion polls. Of course, there are groups in both Armenian and Turkish society that are skeptical about this process. Officials on both sides need to take the lead in addressing these issues. During my meeting with Cavusoglu we exchanged views on some painful points, and I hope they will be taken into consideration," the Armenian Foreign Minister said. US President Joe Biden will visit Brussels next week to attend an extraordinary NATO summit, the US mission to NATO said on Twitter. NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg convened an extraordinary summit in Brussels on 24 March over the war in Ukraine. "We will address Russias invasion of Ukraine, our strong support for Ukraine, and further strengthening NATOs deterrence and defence. At this critical time, North America & Europe must continue to stand together," Stoltenberg said. YEREVAN. Past daily of the Republic of Armenia (RA) writes: An announcement is posted on the official website of the Yerevan Municipality that by the () decision of the plenipotentiary representative of the Mayor of Yerevan, RA citizen Ashot Galstyans notification on holding a rally () and a march () on March 19 until in the area adjacent to the Embassy of the Russian Federation [(RF)] in the RA has been taken into account." Past has received noteworthy information about this upcoming rally. Our sources convey that the RF political elite is quite bewildered and indignant at the fact that some circles that generate anti-Russian sentiments have become more active in Armenia especially these days; instead, only 1-2 pro-Russian ralliesand with quite few people, in thathave been held [in Yerevan]. This is assessed in Moscow as a frivolous attitude by our country towards the strategic ally at war. And so, it was decided on Saturday, March 19, to organize a mass rally and a march [in Yerevan] in support of the Russian Federation. By the way, according to our information, taking into account that, according to various polls, those with a pro-Russian view make up the vast majority in Armenia, the organizers of the rally believe that the assembly will be a unique indicator for Moscow to find out whether or not those who consider themselves friends of RF are really ready to express a clear position at a crucial moment. ATLANTA Emory University and Childrens Healthcare of Atlanta are looking for adults and children showing symptoms of COVID-19 to participate in a study helping to test COVID-19 tests. To be eligible, individuals must have symptoms and not have been tested for the virus during their current course of illness. Those who fit the criteria should come to a new Emory testing site at 59 Executive Park South, Atlanta, GA 30329. As part of the study, all individuals will receive a COVID-19 PCR test at no cost to them and may be asked to provide additional samples (nasal or oral swabs or saliva). Participants will also receive a $50 gift card as compensation for their time. Standard COVID-19 results are usually available within 24 to 48 hours. Appointments take approximately 30 minutes and can be scheduled online here. Emory, Childrens and Georgia Tech comprise the Atlanta Center for MicrosystemsEngineered Point-of-Care Technologies (ACME POCT) , and are leading the national effort to test COVID-19 tests as part of the Rapid Acceleration of Diagnostics (RADx) program. RADx, which is funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), was established to help bring new COVID-19 diagnostics tools to market for use in clinics, hospitals and peoples homes. Research is only as strong as the community behind it. Participating in this study will help us ensure that the COVID tests which reach the drugstore shelves are reliable, fast and user friendly, says Wilbur Lam, MD, PhD, one of the studys principal investigators. Another of the principal investigators, Greg Martin, MD, MSc, says widely accessible tests are critical as we move toward normal. As we move into the next phase of this pandemic, tests are key to minimizing the spread of COVID, Martin says. Emory, Childrens and Georgia Tech have received more than $64 million from the NIH since the pandemic began for their RADx work. This new research site will be staffed with nurses and research coordinators from both Childrens and Emory, providing support for participants of all ages during their visit. Many of the at-home and point-of-care COVID-19 tests available today have been put through their paces in Atlanta as part of their work toward Emergency Use Authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Lam is a pediatric hematologist and oncologist at Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center of Childrens Healthcare of Atlanta, professor of the Emory University School of Medicine Department of Pediatrics and at the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering. Martin is professor of pulmonary and critical care medicine with the Emory UniversitySchool of Medicine Department of Medicine and past president for the Society of Critical Care Medicine. Nestled on the University of Miamis Coral Gables Campus lies a gem of a venue that is open for everyone to explore. The Bill Cosford Cinema closed during the pandemicbut it is now back and welcoming guests with an array of programming that is aimed to pique the interest of a variety of audiences. As manager of the Cosford Cinema, Rene Rodriguez has rolled out a new seriesWatching Movies Withwhere prominent members of the South Florida community are invited to select a movie and sit for a Q&A moderated by Rodriguez. The idea is taking people who are not necessarily known for movies, but are really well-known in the community, and asking them to share a different side of themselves with the audience. Its about exploring those connections that make us a community, said Rodriguez. Rodriguez, a former film critic for the Miami Herald, explained that the series kicked off last month with Carmen Pelaez, an award-winning actor and playwright who chose to screen Saturday Night Fever. What was great was hearing her talk about the film from her perspective, said Rodriguez. She used to live in New York, so she had a very distinct viewpoint on the movie and hearing her talk about it and putting it into context helps you see the movie through someone else's eyes. It truly is a great opportunity to see a unique movie and talk to the person who chose it as one of their favorites. On March 19, the community is invited to join Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald staff writer and award-winning Haiti correspondent, at 5 p.m. for the next Watching Movies With event for a screening and discussion of George Tillman Jrs Soul Food, starring Vanessa Williams, Vivica A. Fox, and Nia Long. The event is free. When I worked with Jacquie at the Miami Herald she was always talking about movies. Many people dont know she has a passion for films, explained Rodriguez. What's significant about the movie she picked is that it was one of the first big budget studio movies with an all-Black cast that starred women. On April 2 at 5 p.m., Dave Barry, a Pulitzer Prize-winning author and humor columnist, will participate in a screening and discussion of director Barry Levinsons 1982 coming-of-age comedy Diner. Tickets are free for University of Miami students and cost $10 for everyone else. The film is about five friends growing up in Baltimore, Maryland, in the early 1960s. It has an all-star cast which includes Kevin Bacon and Mickey Rourke, who later on in their careers made it big, said Rodriguez. It will be fascinating to hear the discussion with Barry on how he relates to the movie because he was the same age as the characters in the movie at the time when it was released. Lastly, Carlos Frias, a popular food critic in South Florida, will lead a discussion and screening of the film, Big Night at 5 p.m. on April 16. The film centers around two brothers who have emigrated from Italy to open an Italian restaurant in America. This will definitely be a fun one to attend for those who are foodies in the community, Rodriguez noted. As the new manager for the cinema, his goal is to build up momentum with an aim of hosting two of these series a month. The more students get involved, the more events we can put together. The possibilities are endless. Our goal is to have the cinema serve as an educational venue to fulfill the Universitys mission, Rodriguez explained. Film applies itself to every single discipline and every year there are movies that come out with every imaginable subject with great learning topics for everyone. Giving people a reason to attend the cinema again is precisely Rodriguezs aim. Before becoming manager at the cinema, he worked at the Miami Herald. And initially, he learned a lot from Bill Cosford, the cinemas namesake, who was a film critic for the newspaper. Bill took me under his wing and became my mentor at the Herald, Rodriguez recalled. He pointed out that having the opportunity to be the manager at the Cosford Cinema is a full circle moment that he cherishes. I started coming to the cinema in high school when it was then known as the Beaumont Cinema. I was always a huge movie buff, and UM is where it all started and sparked my interest, said Rodriguez. The fact that I'm back at where it all began feels like kismet, and its great to be where I am right now in my career. Except for University students, tickets are required for the Watching Movies With series and are available at cosfordcinema.com. For more information follow the cinema on Instagram at billcosfordcinema. The impacts of war can be destructive on many fronts. But new research from two University of Miami faculty members reveals that the mental health toll of military conflicts for people living in Ukraine is particularly severe. Antonaccio Along with a team of researchers, sociology professors Olena Antonaccio, Robert J. Johnson, and doctoral alumna Anastasiia Timmer, who is now an assistant professor at California State UniversityNorthridge, surveyed more than 1,200 residents and 300 internally displaced persons in the Ukrainian cities of Lviv and Kharkiv three years after the conflicts that started in 2014 with Russia. This included the annexation of Crimea, and the war with Russia-backed separatists in the Donbas region. While they were not surprised to find symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among many Ukrainians, the researchers also demonstrated that these harmful effects of war were not limited to those on the front lines, but also affected civilians with no direct war exposure. We found that civilians in Ukraine who experience war vicariouslythrough watching it on television or on social mediacan begin to experience elevated symptoms of mental distress, said Johnson, a sociologist who has also studied the impacts of war on Middle Eastern populations. Antonaccio, a criminologist who grew up in Lviv, added: Our results suggest that the traumatic effects of war can extend beyond those directly enmeshed in it, and that its damaging consequences are wide-ranging. These direct and vicarious experiences with war also raised the likelihood for Ukrainians in both cities to consider using physical violence on another person. The teams findings were published recently in the British Journal of Criminology, and are part of a larger research project that collected data in Ukraine from 2017 to 2019. No matter how people experienced war, either through being a participant in the conflict or talking about it to their neighbors, these experiences increased their willingness to use interpersonal violence, Antonaccio pointed out. The researchers then looked for specific connections between war trauma and the likelihood to commit violence. For example, people who were exposed to war vicariously and lived in Kharkiv, the city closer to the Donbas war zone, were getting angrier, which increased their likelihood to commit interpersonal violence, Antonaccio said. This means that these people were more willing to threaten or physically harm another person, to hit someone, to threaten or use a weapon like a gun or knife, and to hurt someone severely, the report indicates. Johnson As the level of stress in a population increases, the more they are willing to fight, Johnson added. We can see this happening in Ukraine today. It also underscores the many obstacles that lay ahead for Ukrainians with a much larger war playing out today across the entire nation, the researchers reported. Today, most of Ukraine is in this situation, Antonaccio said. We fear that these consequences will now be magnified, and even if the war stops soon, it will be many years before the negative consequences will fade. From the 2017 survey, the team learned that 98 percent of people experienced some form of war exposure, and this led many people to be more willing to inflict violence on others. In addition, people who had vicarious war exposure and experienced daily strains, such as difficulty making enough money or finding proper health care, were even more likely to say they would use violence against another person. An earlier study published by the team in 2021 measured levels of PTSD among the populations of Lviv and Kharkiv, as well as those of people who were internally displaced by the 2014 war. The research indicated that most adult Ukrainians had elevated rates of PTSD, but the frequency was dramatically higher among people who were forced to move out of their homes because of the war. While Antonaccio and Johnson are working on future articles, they hope that this study sheds light on the vulnerable population of Ukraine as the war with Russia continues. In the 2014 conflict, Johnson said, 1.5 million people fled to other parts of Ukraine and 13,000 people died, even though little was reported about it. Both researchers also agree that once the current clash with Russia subsides, there will be a need for the many organizations looking to help Ukraine to offer mental health services there. This is a nation stressed for lack of resources, so if theres some way to help, it is for those who have the skills or resources to go and offer the Ukrainians some comforteven if its at the borderbecause it is crucial at this time, Johnson said. And if we can be granted an outcome where the Ukrainians are successful in their defense, those resources will still need to be delivered to Ukraine because its citizens were already struggling before this war. China, US hold 'candid' dialogue in Rome China's top diplomat, Yang Jiechi, says the international community should support efforts to de-escalate the Russia-Ukraine conflict. File photo: AP China and the United States said they conducted "candid, in-depth and constructive communication" over bilateral relations as well as international issues such as Ukraine on Monday. Yang Jiechi, a Politburo member and director of the Foreign Affairs Commission, met with US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan in Rome. According to Xinhua News Agency, the two sides exchanged views on Ukraine, the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue, Iran and Afghanistan. Yang said the international community should support talks between Russia and Ukraine and efforts to de-escalate the crisis. He also said China is firmly against attempts to spread disinformation over Beijing's role in the conflict. (Additional reporting by Xinhua) Turkey awaits Russia go-ahead for Mariupol evacuation People shelter from shelling inside the entrance to an apartment building in Mariupol. Photo: AP Turkish defence ministry sources said on Tuesday that Ankara is awaiting approval from Russian authorities pending a security evaluation to evacuate citizens from Ukraine's southern port city of Mariupol. The sources said landmines in the area had been cleared and work is continuing to open humanitarian corridors and for buses to enter the city. Ukraine's foreign ministry said on Saturday that Russian forces had shelled the Sultan Suleiman mosque in Mariupol, where more than 80 adults and children, including Turks, had taken refuge. Moscow has denied targeting civilian areas in what it calls a "special military operation" in Ukraine. Some 1.4 million children have now fled Ukraine since the Russian attack began on February 24, meaning nearly one child a second has become a refugee, the UN said Tuesday. "On average, every day over the last 20 days in Ukraine, more than 70,000 children have become refugees," James Elder, spokesman for the UN children's agency UNICEF, told reporters in Geneva. That amounts to around 55 every minute, "so almost one per second," he said. (Reuters, AFP) Three European leaders travel to under-fire Kyiv A resident waits to be rescued at a Kyiv apartment building hit by shelling on Tuesday. Photo: AP Shelling struck Kyiv on Tuesday, killing at least four people according to authorities, as Russian forces closed in on the Ukrainian capital and the mayor announced a 35-hour curfew starting from 8pm. The attacks came as three European prime ministers rode a train for Kyiv, the first visit by foreign leaders to the city since Russia began its campaign some three weeks ago. Two large blasts echoed across the centre of the city just before dawn on Tuesday. Late on Monday, tracer bullets had flashed across the night sky as Ukrainian forces apparently targeted an enemy drone. "Today is a difficult and dangerous moment," said mayor Vitali Klitschko. "The capital is the heart of Ukraine, and it will be defended. Kyiv, which is currently the symbol and forward operating base of Europes freedom and security, will not be given up by us." Kyiv has been spared the worst of the fighting up until now, but the Russian military is slowly tightening pressure on the city and the shelling has intensified. Setting off from Poland with Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala and Janez Jansa of Slovenia, Polands Prime Minister, Mateusz Morawiecki, said: "It is our duty to be where history is forged. Because it's not about us, but about the future of our children who deserve to live in a world free from tyranny." Fiala said the aim was "to confirm the unequivocal support of the entire European Union for the sovereignty and independence of Ukraine." Around half of Kyivs 3.4 million population has fled and many are spending nights sheltering in underground stations. Major road and train routes from the capital are still open, however. Russia has so far failed to seize any big cities in the north and east, but its forces have had more success in the south, where Moscow said on Tuesday it was now in control of the entire region of Kherson. In his most confident public statement yet, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called on Russian troops to surrender, saying they and their officers already knew that the war was hopeless. "You will not take anything from Ukraine, he said. You will take lives. There are a lot of you. But your life will also be taken. But why should you die? What for? I know that you want to survive. Meanwhile, in the city of Rivne in western Ukraine, hundreds of miles from the combat zone, Ukrainian officials said 19 people had been killed in a Russian air strike on a television tower. If confirmed, that would be the worst attack so far on a civilian target in Ukraine's northwest. (Reuters) According to the press service of the Kremlin, Putin outlined his fundamental assessments of the Russian-Ukrainian negotiations to develop agreements, taking into account Russia's demands. "At the same time, it was noted that Kiev does not demonstrate a serious attitude towards finding mutually acceptable solutions," the Kremlin said, RT reported. Putin focused on the EU's silence regarding the Ukraine military's missile attack on the centre of Donetsk. "The President of Russia paid special attention to the fact that the leadership of the European Union, while publicly assessing what was happening, ignored yesterday's criminal and inhuman action of the Ukrainian military -- a missile attack on a residential area in the centre of Donetsk using cluster munitions," Kremlin said. Putin, during a telephonic conversation, told the King of Bahrain, Sheikh Hamad bin Ise al-Khalifa, about the reasons and goals of the special operation of the Russian military to protect Donbass. --IANS san/arm ( 198 Words) 2022-03-15-22:10:06 (IANS) The spokesperson said that the grouping of troops of the Donetsk People's Republic and the continuing offensive broke through the defence of Ukrainian nationalists, and took control of Panteleimonovka before reaching the Verkhnetoretskoye-Novoselovka-2 line. "Over the past day, aviation and air defence of the Russian air forces shot down 16 air targets: 1 Su-24 and Su-25 aircraft of the Ukrainian Air Force, 1 Mi-8 helicopter and 13 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles, including 6 Bayraktar TB-2," Konashenkov said. Konashenkov also said that operational-tactical, army and unmanned aviation hit 136 military infrastructure assets of Ukraine, including 7 command posts and communication centres, 4 anti-aircraft missile systems, 3 multiple launch rocket systems, 4 radar stations for reconnaissance, target illumination and targeting of S-300 anti-aircraft missile system, 1 electronic warfare station, 4 ammunition and fuel depots and 72 areas of military equipment concentration. The Russian forces claimed that three hangars containing 4 Ukrainian Su-25 assault aircraft, 1 Mi-24 and 5 Mi-8 helicopters were destroyed at a military airfield near Kramatorsk. In total, 156 unmanned aerial vehicles, 1,306 tanks and other armored combat vehicles, 127 multiple launch rocket systems, 471 field artillery and mortars, and 1,054 units of special military vehicles of the Ukrainian armed forces have been destroyed. On the evening of March 14, units of the Russian Airborne Troops captured a strong point of nationalists and foreign mercenaries near Guta-Mezhigorskaya, it claimed. Russian paratroopers also seized 10 US-made Javelin anti-tank missile systems and a number of other weapons supplied by western countries to Ukraine, the Russian forces claimed. All seized Javelin anti-tank missile systems and other foreign weapons have been handed over to the units of the People's Militia of the Donetsk and Lugansk people's republics. --IANS miz/arm ( 327 Words) 2022-03-15-22:16:03 (IANS) New Delhi [India], March 15 (ANI/PRNewswire): The 8th edition of ISGF's flagship annual event, the India Smart Utility Week (ISUW) 2022, an International Conference and Exhibition on Smart Energy and Smart Mobility was held from 02 - 04 March 2022 on a 3D Virtual Platform. ISUW 2022 has witnessed the participation of Visionary Leaders, Utility CEOs, Regulators, Policy Makers and Subject Matter Experts from 61 Countries. From the overwhelming feedback received, ISUW 2022 was an astounding success attended by 2744 Delegates including 740 Utility Officials from India and Overseas and 396 eminent Speakers shared their knowledge and ideas. ISUW 2022 provided an effective platform for virtual interactions during sessions on varied themes such as Digitalization of Utilities and Digitalization Roadmaps; Regulations for the Evolving Green Grid of the 21st Century; Cyber Security for the Digitalized Grids; Power System Flexibility; Electric Vehicles and the Electric Grid and Grid Integrated Vehicles (GIV); Green Hydrogen Mission; Disruptive Technologies and Innovations for Utilities. Special plenary sessions were held on "Evolving Architecture of the 21st Century Grid with Two-Way Power Flows" and "Role of Media in Promotion of Green Energy and Energy Transition to Net Zero". ISUW 2022 also had 12 Focused Workshops and Roundtables on topics such as Empowering Women in Power and Water Sectors (In Partnership with WePOWER); Workshop on Optimization of Levelized Cost of Green Energy (In Partnership with Schneider Electric); Smart Communication Solutions for Smart Utilities and Smart Cities (In partnership with Telecommunications Standards Development Society, India (TSDSI) and Telecommunication Engineering Centre (TEC)); Workshop on Live Line Maintenance in Utilities (In Partnership with Hot Line Training Centre and Altec, Inc); Interconnection of Regional Grids in Asia (In Partnership with European Union, SARI/EI, IRADe and USAID); Smart Metering - Rollout Challenges, System Integration Architecture, Smart Meter Operations Centre (SMOC); Electric Cooking (In partnership with Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) and Climate Parliament); Urban Air Mobility Systems Pilots in India (In Partnership with Boeing); Adoption of District Cooling Systems in India (In Partnership with Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) and Asia Pacific Urban Energy Association (APUEA)). Seminars were conducted on Smart City Gas Distribution (In Partnership with Natural Gas Society and India CGD Forum) and Smart Water Distribution. Also, top rated 25 technical papers were presented by respective authors. Bi-lateral Smart Grid workshops with European Union, USA (In partnership with US Commercial Services; USAID and USIBC) and Germany (In Partnership with GIZ, Germany) were conducted at ISUW 2022. The event also witnessed Inspirational Talks by celebrity speakers such as Anita Sengupta, Professor of Astronautics and Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Hydroplane Ltd on the "Future of Electric Planes and Power Systems" hosted by Shoma Chaudhury, Senior Journalist; Talk by Michael Potter, Founder, Geeks Without Frontiers and Senior Fellow, International Institute of Space Commerce on "Accelerating Humanity as a Multiplanetary Species"; and Talk by Samer El Sayary, Architect and Researcher of Outer Space Architecture on "Project Lunar Oasis - Architecture and Energy Systems for Space Colonization". The Valedictory Session was conducted in hybrid format with 6th edition of ISGF Innovation Awards. This year ISGF Innovation Awards were conferred on 39 outstanding innovations and individuals under 12 categories out of 129 nominations received. These awards are given to recognize and promote some of the outstanding innovations by utilities, technology providers start-ups and Visionary Leaders. ISUW 2022 Conference and Exhibition was inaugurated on 2nd March 2022. The inaugural address was delivered by Hon'ble Minister of State for New and Renewable Energy, Chemicals and Fertilizers, Shri Bhagwanth Khuba. The dignitaries present at the inaugural ceremony were Richard Schomberg, President - RJSenergy, EDF Fellow and IEC Special Envoy for Smart Electrification; Debasish U Banerjee, Managing Director, CESC Limited; N Venu, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, India and South Asia, Hitachi Energy; Deepti V Dutt, Head - Strategic Initiatives, Public Sector, AWS India ( AISPL); Amal Sinha, Executive Director, BRPL and BYPL; Jean-Michel Glachant, Director, Florence School of Regulation; Praveer Sinha, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Tata Power Company Ltd; Gauri Singh, Deputy Director General, International Renewable Energy Agency; HE Ugo Astuto, European Union Ambassador to India; Ashok Lavasa, Vice-President - Private Sector Operations and Public-Private Partnerships, Asian Development Bank (ADB); Reji Kumar Pillai, President, ISGF and Chairman, GSEF; and Reena Suri, Executive Director, ISGF. ISUW 2022 conference provided ample opportunities for delegates to engage in intellectually stimulating virtual interactions with other speakers and attendees. ISUW 2022 offered an excellent platform for utility and government officials, regulators, experts from technology providers and academia for networking and experience sharing with their peers from around the globe. Most Indian utilities, regulatory commissions and government departments participated to discuss on the latest developments, trends and technologies. The event was supported by Ministries of Power; NITI Aayog; Jal Shakti; Housing and Urban Affairs; Department of Telecommunications of Ministry of Communications; and institutions such as Global Smart Energy Federation(GSEF), Green Business Certification Inc (GBCI), PHD Chamber of Commerce, ETSI, International Smart Grid Action Network (ISGAN), Central Board Of Irrigation And Power (CBIP), The European Committee for Standardization (CEN), The European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization (CENELEC), India CGD Forum, Indo-German Energy Forum (IGEF), South Asia Regional Initiative for Energy Integration (SARI/EI), Indo- German Chamber of Commerce; and Everything About Water (EAW). 19 reputed Media Houses joined ISUW 2022 as Supporting Media Partners. In the 3D Exhibition, the Delegation of the European Union (EU) to India through the EU-India Clean Energy and Climate Partnership (CECP) project had set up a dedicated "EU Zone" showcasing technologies, products and expertise from EU Member States, industry associations, projects and companies at ISUW 2022. ISUW 2022 also played host to 11th EU-India Smart Grid Workshop, being organized in 2 parts. Part A focused on Smart Grid Handbook for India while Part B covered ongoing and prospective projects for Building Energy Communities and Social Innovation, as well as on Interconnection of Regional Grids in Asia. Other country partners who joined ISUW 2022 along with European Union (EU) were GIZ, USAID, US India Business Council, US Commercial Service and Great Britain. ISUW 2022 was joined by Amazon Web Services as Powered by Partner. BSES Rajdhani Power Limited; BSES Yamuna Power Limited; The Tata Power Company Limited; Tata Power Delhi Distribution Limited; Bengaluru Electricity Supply Company Limited, CESC Limited and Indraprastha Gas Limited joined as Host Utilities. Hitachi Energy India Limited joined as Platinum Partner; NEDO, Japan was ISGF Innovation Awards Partner; Gridspertise and Smart Energy Water were the Gold Partners; Fluentgrid Limited, Nanostone Water and Altech were Technology Partners; Schneider Electric, Wi-SUN Alliance, G3PLC Alliance and Nokia were Silver Partners. As part of ISUW 2022, a 3D digital exhibition with features similar to physical exhibition was also organised to showcase latest technology and projects on various domains of Smart Grid from India and around the world. There were 24 exhibitors who exhibited at the event. Overall, ISUW 2022 was an enriching experience for all stakeholders. India Smart Grid Forum (ISGF) is happy to announce that ISUW 2023 will be held from 01-04 March 2023 in New Delhi. For Partnership, Exhibition and Participation queries, please write to isuw@isuw.in. For more details, kindly visit www.isuw.in. India Smart Grid Forum (ISGF) ISGF is a public-private partnership initiative of Govt. of India with the mandate of accelerating smart grid deployments across the country. With 180+ members comprising of ministries, utilities, technology providers, academia and research, ISGF has evolved as a Think-Tank of global repute on Smart Energy, Electric Mobility and Smart Cities. Mandate of ISGF is to accelerate energy transition through clean energy, electric grid modernization and electric mobility; work with national and international agencies in standards development and help utilities, regulators and the industry in technology selection, training and capacity building. This story is provided by PRNewswire. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/PRNewswire) Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], March 15 (ANI/PRNewswire): In line with its focus on responsible banking, DBS Bank India has announced the launch of its Green Deposit Programme for corporate clients providing a simple way for companies to support environmentally-friendly projects or avenues. DBS Bank is one of the few banks globally to integrate Sustainable Development Goals by offering lending & trade credit solutions to sustainable and environmentally-friendly green sectors and now offering a Green Deposit product. Under the Bank's sustainability programme, Green Deposits will fund green industries and initiatives such as; green building sustainable water initiatives that include wastewater management, renewable energy and clean transportation. The Green Deposits proposition combines all the benefits of a regular fixed deposit with a commitment from DBS to support green and sustainable loans disbursed by the bank. Green Deposits serve as an ideal opportunity for corporates looking to include sustainability agenda into their treasury activities or those having limited options for investing in environmentally-beneficial projects. Commenting on the initiative, Divyesh Dalal, Managing Director and Head - Global Transaction Services, DBS Bank India, said, "Through sustainable financing, banks play an important role in accelerating the transition to an ESG friendly future. DBS is bolstering support for customers to adopt sustainable business practices, enabling them to contribute towards Sustainable Development Goals. Our Green Deposits programme aims to finance green industries and initiatives for renewable energy, managing wastewater and clean transport." The deposits can provide a threefold benefit: Demonstrate customer's commitment towards environmental sustainability; Customers can invest surplus cash in deposits supporting sustainable projects with positive environmental impact; Customers can receive stable returns on investment without compromising the security of the deposit placement. A pioneer in understanding international green finance benchmarks, DBS Bank has established its capacity and expertise in providing Green Loans. In 2020, DBS had partnered with CapitaLand Group to place its first green deposit for one of their group entities. The total net worth of outstanding green loans disbursed by DBS Bank in India is worth INR 1,546 Crores. To drive further progress in Asia's sustainable financing landscape, DBS advocates scaling up transition finance and supporting clients in adopting incremental and instrumental solutions - all of which are necessary to broaden and deepen the market. To scale up India's cotton industry, the Bank partnered with fashion retailer Inditex, one of the world's largest retailers, to arrange financing for the Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) to procure organic cotton from the farmers in a timely fashion. The World Economic Forum reported that an estimated $2.5 billion in additional annual investment is necessary to fully achieve the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals in developing countries.[1] India is increasingly working towards achieving an inclusive, sustainable economy. India's performance on the NITI Aayog SDG India Index has improved from an overall score of 60 in 2019-20 to 66 in 2020-21. [2] References: [1] Development Finance, Global Issue, World Economic Forum https://intelligence.weforum.org/topics/a1G0X0000062jYyUAI?tab=publications [2] Economic Survey 2021-22 https://www.indiabudget.gov.in/economicsurvey/doc/eschapter/echap06.pdf DBS is a leading financial services group in Asia with a presence in 18 markets. Recognised for its global leadership, DBS has been named "World's Best Bank" by Euromoney, "Global Bank of the Year" by The Banker and "Best Bank in the World" by Global Finance. The bank is at the forefront of leveraging digital technology to shape the future of banking, having been named "World's Best Digital Bank" by Euromoney and the world's "Most Innovative in Digital Banking" by The Banker. In addition, DBS has been accorded the "Safest Bank in Asia" award by Global Finance for 13 consecutive years from 2009 to 2021. DBS was also ranked No. 1 on Forbes' list of the World's Best Banks in India for two consecutive years. DBS Bank has been present in India for 28 years, opening its first office in Mumbai in 1994. DBS Bank India Limited is the first among the large foreign banks in India to start operating as a wholly-owned, locally incorporated subsidiary of a leading global bank. DBS provides an entire range of banking services for large, medium and small enterprises and individual consumers in India. In 2016, DBS launched India's first mobile-only bank - digibank, which now has ~1 million savings accounts. In November 2020, Lakshmi Vilas Bank was amalgamated with DBS Bank India Limited. The bank now has a network of nearly 600 branches across 19 states in India. DBS provides a full range of services in consumer, SME and corporate banking. As a bank born and bred in Asia, DBS understands the intricacies of doing business in the region's most dynamic markets. DBS is committed to building lasting relationships with customers and positively impacting communities through supporting social enterprises, as it banks the Asian way. It has also established an SGD 50 million foundation to strengthen its corporate social responsibility efforts in Singapore and across Asia. In 2020, DBS introduced the "Towards Zero Food Waste" initiative as part of a global sustainability practice to encourage a shift in behaviours and mindsets to reduce food waste. With its extensive network of operations in Asia and emphasis on engaging and empowering its staff, DBS presents exciting career opportunities. The bank acknowledges the passion, commitment and can-do spirit in all our 30,000+ staff representing over 40 nationalities. For more information, please visit www.dbs.com. This story is provided by PRNewswire. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/PRNewswire) New Delhi [India], March 15 (ANI/PRNewswire): Lyra network was honoured with the "IFCCI La French Tech Award 2022" at the Indo French Business Award 2022 (IFBA awards), co-organised by the Indo-French Chambers of Commerce and Industries (IFCCI) and Business France India in the presence of Franck Riester, Minister of State for Foreign Trade and Economic Attractiveness of France, and the Indo-French Business community in India on the 10th of March 2022, New Delhi. Christophe Mariette, Chairman, Lyra Network India, participated in the French delegation comprising of 8 companies from France as part of the minister's official visit on 10th and 11th of March in New Delhi and Bangalore. B2B Meetings and CEO meet Business France India organised 7 B2B meetings in Mumbai and Delhi for Lyra network India as a part of the official delegation during this 2-day Minister visit. Apart from the business meetings, team Lyra Network also participated in the CEO Meet in presence of 80+ CEOs from across India representing the biggest Indo-French companies of India and the minister himself, followed by the IFBA Awards thereafter on the evening of the 10th of March, both organized by the IFCCI. "We are very proud to win this award and to be a part of this delegation with the French minister. Thank you, Business France India, and IFCCI. We are happy to say that this visit has put Lyra in the spotlight by bringing us a unique chance to showcase our offerings and our vision to revolutionize the omnichannel world of payment. Lyra is strengthening its core with new field experts," said Christophe Mariette, Chairman, Lyra India. Lyra - a one stop solution for digital payments Lyra network, a major player in the fintech space with 10+ subsidiaries across the world including India, is one of the most preferred partners for financial establishments. Founded in 2001, in France, Lyra Network India, the local subsidiary, started its operations in 2007 under the leadership of Rajesh Desai, CEO and MD of Lyra Network India along with Christophe Mariette. After 15 successful years, it has expanded its horizons in sectors like Payment Gateway Services, Banking Solutions and White Label Solutions. Lyra offers highly secure payment acceptance solutions like ecommerce payment gateway Lyra EPOS, SIM Solution, POS Routing Solution, Payment Switch, WhatsApp Payment Solution, and many more add-on innovative services in the payment processing field and pay-tech solutions for banks and fin-techs. Lyra is ready to foray the POS solution market Being one of the experienced leaders in SIM solutions, Lyra is now ready to conquer the POS solution market. The brand is aware and is poised with its expert knowledge of the payment industries, different technologies, and how to approach each POS-PSP integration. Combined with Lyra SIM solution and Lyra Switch, Lyra POS solutions, Lyra ecommerce Payment Gateway will enable merchants to access end to end secure connectivity for transaction processing efficiently. Lyra Network will offer a complete omnichanel solution. "Lyra's mission is to build relevant, reliable, and secure solutions to facilitate online payments. We are on the verge of launching our new solution, POS solution along with our ecommerce solution. And I am sure, Lyra will soon seize this new territory," said Rajesh Desai, CEO & MD, Lyra India. Lyra is also planning to keep up this streak by collaborating with the government, fintechs, merchants, and banks as an active connectivity partner for future projects. The company looks forward to investing in new technologies and using them to offer convenient and secure digital payment solutions. Lyra aims to achieve bigger milestones and overcome thresholds with strong commitment. In November, Lyra network will mark its 15th anniversary in India. The brand takes pride in its achievements and is confident to maintain its leadership as a payment service provider while offering multiple pay-tech solutions in the dynamic payment domain. Founded in 2001 by Alain Lacour, Lyra secures payments in e-commerce and retail and develops value-added services to manage transactions and equipment on a daily basis. Based in Toulouse, Lyra is present internationally in 11 countries (India, Brazil, Germany, Spain, Colombia, Argentina, Chile, Mexico, Peru and Uruguay). The group has more than 450 employees for a turnover of 66 million euros in 2021. The Lyra Group in a few figures + 20 billion payments secured in 2021 in the world + 250,000 e-commerce sites, + 4,000,000 payment terminals in the world. Business France is the national agency supporting the international development of the French economy. Responsible for fostering export growth by French businesses, as well as promoting and facilitating international investment in France. It promotes France's companies, business image and nationwide attractiveness as an investment location, and runs the VIE international internship program. Business France has 1,500 personnel, both in France and in 55 countries throughout the world, who work with a network of partners. Since January 2019, as part of the reform of the state support system for exports, Business France has given private partners responsibility for supporting French SMEs and mid-size companies in the following markets: Belgium, Hungary, Morocco, Norway, the Philippines, and Singapore. For further information, please visit: www.businessfrance.fr This story is provided by PRNewswire. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/PRNewswire) Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], March 15 (ANI/PRNewswire): UST, a leading digital transformation solutions company, and Well-Beat, an Israeli start-up adding the human touch to healthcare through behavioural AI, have developed a first-of-its-kind digital patient engagement SaaS solution. The digital solution delivers personalized conversational guidelines to the clinician at the point of care with prompts specific to a patient's motivational factors. It helps deliver direct and indirect behavioural nudges to patients based on over 1,400 factors - including but not limited to the progression of their disease state. It takes inputs from short surveys, medical records, and connected devices and dynamically adapts patient communication to provide intelligent interventions and customized patient experiences. The solution works with existing Electronic Health Record (EHR) systems and connected devices - and so it does not require any changes to clinical workflows or onboarding to a new platform. It gives administrators a blockchain-based patented tool for assessing the patient ecosystem with a unique set of APIs that increases the capability of the existing EHR. "Our new patient engagement solution combines the best of behavioural science with the best of artificial intelligence," said Syam Adusumilli, Chief Healthcare Transformation Officer, UST. "We saw a real need, a human need, on the frontlines of healthcare delivery to reduce the cognitive load on clinicians and make encounters with patients more effective. We knew that dynamic personalization technology was mature enough to be viable. With over two decades of health tech experience, we knew we had the team in place here at UST to make it cost-effective, easy to implement, secure and compliant." "Our goal is to deliver personalized patient outreach and customized intervention by dynamically adapting to patients' behaviour patterns. It also reduces the admin burden for providers, helping with a key aspect of provider burnout," said Ravit Ram Bar-Dea, Co-Founder & Chief Executive Officer, Well-Beat. "We knew UST had a vast depth of experience across the entire healthcare technology ecosystem and would be the perfect partner to help us realize our goal and bring this new solution to market." Early trials at Sheba Medical Center, Tel-Aviv, Israel, yielded a three-times improvement in adherence and 87% provider and patient satisfaction scores. Professor Robert Klempfner, MD, Director of Cardiac Rehabilitation Institute, Sheba Medical Center, reports, "The new information and insights flow enrich the existing programs and enable new programs to be developed even in remote care. It is a success for everyone." He added, "I was pleasantly surprised by the rapid uptake of the system by both patients and our healthcare team. It was very easy to use; it was not intrusive, and patients were highly engaged. The team has insight into elements that were not there before." For more information about the digital patient engagement solution, visit ust.com. Take a demo in the HIMSS22 Consumerism and Patient Engagement Pavilion in Orlando, FL, March 15 - 17, Kiosk 5076-18. For more than 22 years, UST has worked side by side with the world's best companies to make a real impact through transformation. Powered by technology, inspired by people, and led by our purpose, we partner with our clients from design to operation. Through our nimble approach, we identify their core challenges, and craft disruptive solutions that bring their vision to life. With deep domain expertise and a future-proof philosophy, we embed innovation and agility into our clients' organizations--delivering measurable value and lasting change across industries, and around the world. Together, with over 29,000 employees in 30+ countries, we build for boundless impact--touching billions of lives in the process. Visit us at www.UST.com Well-Beat provides a next-generation patient behavioural change solution, based on human behaviour understanding and proprietary data-driven technology. At its core, the solution empowers healthcare providers and organizations to dramatically increase treatment regime adherence in patients. The company's mission is to bring humanity to healthcare through raising the level of engagement and personal responsibility of patients to their health and wellness regime. By incorporating Well-Beat insights into their daily practices, healthcare providers can generate more effective face-to-face meetings with patients, along with digital intelligent interventions, to ultimately provide the most suitable wellness program and approach for each patient. Through adjusting adjustment of personalized interactions to every patient, Well-Beat enables healthcare organizations to boost their operational efficiency, increase revenues and reduce long-term healthcare costs, while maintaining the level of treatment. https://www.well-beat.com/ This story is provided by PRNewswire. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/PRNewswire) At 13.38 pm, One 97 Communications Ltd share was trading at Rs 610.85, which is 9.55 per cent down from its previous day's close at Rs 675.53. This is the lowest ever price of One 97 Communications Ltd share. The scrip has tumbled by over 20 per cent in the last two days after the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) barred Paytm Payments Bank from onboarding new customers. One 97 Communications Ltd share had slumped 12.84 per cent on Monday. The company's market capitalisation slipped below Rs 40,000 crore for the first time. On the day of its stock market debut on November 18, 2021, the market capitalisation of One 97 Communications Ltd stood at Rs 1.01 lakh crore. The company has lost over Rs 60,000 crore in market capitalisation in less than four months. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) last week imposed restrictions on Paytm Payments Bank and asked it to appoint an IT audit firm to conduct a comprehensive system audit of its IT system. In its reply to the RBI's action, One 97 Communications Ltd said, "The bank (Paytm Payments Bank) is taking immediate steps to comply with RBI directions, including appointment of a reputed external auditor to conduct a comprehensive System Audit of its IT systems. PPBL remains committed to working with the regulator to address their concerns as quickly as possible." (ANI) Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], March 15 (ANI/PRNewswire): JAIN Online, the e-learning arm of JAIN (Deemed-to-be-University), a NAAC A++ University as per the recently revised framework is organizing a virtual job fair on 21st March 2022. Over one lakh candidates with UG and PG degrees in Commerce, Management, Sciences, Humanities, CS IT, Engineering & Technology, Healthcare, and Hospitality are expected to participate in the job fair. Reputed companies like ANZ Bank, Nippon Toyota, ICICI Prudential, ESAF Small Finance Bank, Muthoot Microfin, Malabar Gold, Decathlon to name a few, have listed their open job roles here. Apart from these, popular startups like Dunzo, Big Basket, Upgrad, Cultfit, No Broker are going to participate in the job fair. Titled as "Connect to Careers", the job fair is in line with JAIN Online's perception to help the students to choose the right careers by offering the ideal platform to get their dream jobs. The virtual job fair will help recruiters across India to connect with over one lakh candidates for different profiles. The recruiters will have the access to video resumes of candidates, candidate response dashboards, options to conduct online assessments, etc which will make the recruitment process easy and effective. Speaking about the job fair, Dr Raj Singh, Vice-Chancellor, JAIN (Deemed-to-be-University), said, "We at JAIN, have always strived to connect education with employability since the inception of JAIN Group and have acted as a stepping stone for students towards achieving their goals. The 'Connect to Careers' job fair has been instrumental in connecting the prospective employees to the right recruiters not only in the private sector but also NGOs, research organizations, and government sectors. We are hopeful that the upcoming job fair, too, will bring a great opportunity for companies to hire students who are industry-ready and for students, the right job that matches their knowledge and skills." Connect to careers program was started in 2018 by JAIN Group to enhance employability for students and job seekers. A total of more than 3500 participants have benefited from this campaign so far through this life-enhancing campaign. Recruiters and job seekers can refer to - https://onlinejain.com/connect-to-careers to know more about the job fair and registration details. JAIN Online, the e-learning arm of JAIN (Deemed-to-be University), is one of the leading online education providers in India. With skilled academic experts and digital innovators, JAIN Online offers learners the flexibility of studying from anywhere and at any time. The list of global and extensive education offered through the platform is aimed at empowering individuals to learn new skills through new-age and industry-relevant programs. JAIN Online is steadfast in its pursuit to offer diverse ways of learning that will help learners to advance their careers and life. JAIN (Deemed-to-be-University) Promoted by JAIN Group, The University is classified as one of the Category-I Institutions by the University Grants Commission (UGC) for their 3 decades of contribution in the field of education. The University is recognized among the top universities in India and considered a preferred learner-centric destination for students from different countries across the globe. Known for its emphasis on education, entrepreneurship, research, and sports, JAIN (Deemed-to-be University) has some of the best minds in the educational and research fields and centres that inspire entrepreneurship and innovative thinking. This story is provided by PRNewswire. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/PRNewswire) Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], March 15 (ANI/PRNewswire): KNOLSKAPE Solutions, one of the world's premier Experiential Learning Technology companies, today announced a new round of funding led by India-based VC Mela Ventures. More than 375 organizations across 75 countries have already benefited from KNOLSKAPE's award-winning new-age learning methodologies. With this investment, KNOLSKAPE will continue to develop state-of-the-art learning programs for organizations and leaders and further raise the benchmarks it has set in the L&D domain. The funding will also propel the firm's growth plans in the US and European markets. Since its foundation in 2008, KNOLSKAPE has been driving innovation in the experiential learning space. Leveraging the world's most extensive library of online business simulations, rich talent intelligence, and a cutting-edge learning experience platform, KNOLSKAPE helps leaders and organizations build current and future capabilities to take their businesses from 1x to 10x growth. With a direct presence in the US, India, Singapore, Malaysia, and partner offices in 45 cities across the globe, KNOLSKAPE serves a rapidly growing global customer base across 12 industries. Rajiv Jayaraman, Founder, and CEO - KNOLSKAPE Solutions, said, "KNOLSKAPE's mission is to help organizations and leaders become future-ready through experiential learning. We are delighted to partner with Mela ventures to scale the organization to greater heights globally. The team at Mela Ventures is passionate about building skills and capabilities for the digital workforce. We couldn't have asked for a better partner at this stage in our growth path. We've emerged as one of the leading players in the Asian market. We will utilize the funding to expand our presence in the US and Europe." Krishnakumar Natarajan, Managing Partner - Mela Ventures, said, "There is a pressing need for an Experiential Learning Platform to address the fundamental shifts in talent development. KNOLSKAPE has already made great strides in the learning space by delivering its programs to more than one million learners. We see great potential in 'KNOLSKAPE' to further build on its reputation as a world-class Experiential Learning company and take the category leader position. We are thrilled to be partnering with Rajiv and his team through our investment." As KNOLSKAPE achieves yet another milestone in its growth journey, the realization and impact of experiential learning is set to reach more beneficiaries in the realm of professional talent development. A certified Great Place to Work organization, KNOLSKAPE is a renowned leader in the experiential learning space. Using artificial intelligence, business simulations, gamification, machine learning, mobile, videos and virtual reality, KNOLSKAPE delivers transformative experiences for the modern learner and the modern workplace. KNOLSKAPE is a 120+ strong team with offices in Singapore, India, Malaysia, and USA serving a rapidly growing global client base across industries such as banking and finance, consulting, IT, FMCG, retail, manufacturing, infrastructure, pharmaceuticals, engineering, auto, government & academia. KNOLSKAPE is a global Top 20 gamification company, recipient of Brandon Hall awards, and has been recognized as a company to watch for in the Talent Management Space, by Frost & Sullivan, and as a disruptor in the learning space, by Bersin by Deloitte. Mela Ventures Trust is a SEBI-approved AIF Category-2 fund for early-stage companies. With a goal to build next-gen entrepreneurs, the fund focuses on building a portfolio in areas, such as AI/ML, AR/VR, IoT, Cloud Migration and Deep Technologies. Mela Ventures was founded by Industry veterans, Krishnakumar Natarajan and Parthasarathy NS who have co-founded Mindtree and taken it from a startup to a multi-billion-dollar market cap enterprise. For more information, visit https://www.melaventures.in/ This story is provided by PRNewswire. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/PRNewswire) Sonipat (Haryana) [India], March 15 (ANI/OP Jindal University): Jindal School of Liberal Arts and Humanities (JSLH) is launching a new and innovative BA (Hons) degree in Sociology with effect from August 2022. Drawing on the multidisciplinary strengths of JSLH, the new programme covers the traditional areas of Sociology to give the students a strong basis and an education in the subject comparable to the best international universities. It also expands into areas of creativity, the social impact of new technologies and public health, and has a strong practical and applied component. The programme is designed to give students access to a wide range of careers in the arts, technology, health, research, social work and journalism, among others. The new programme was initiated on 9 March with a forum on the topic of "Who Am I? Thinking Sociologically About Oneself," featuring a panel of Indian and international speakers and launching a video competition for current and prospective students on the theme. The panelists included Professor (Dr) Sanjay Jhingan, International College of Liberal Arts, Japan; Anjali Pathak, Human Rights practitioner; and Mary Reisel, Rikkyo University, Japan. The talk was moderated by Professor (Dr) John Robert Clammer, Director of the BA (Hons) Sociology, JSLH. In Professor Clammer's words, "The vision for the new programme is to create a degree of high international standard that is competitive with comparable degrees in India and abroad and innovative in two principal ways. The first of these is to develop specialisations in emerging areas including the sociology of technology, health, creativity and applied aspects of the subject. The second, while maintaining international standards and curriculum, is to root the teaching and research in the context of contemporary Indian society and its needs and issues. This will make the degree attractive to both local as well as international students". The Dean of Jindal School of Liberal Arts and Humanities, Dr Kathleen A. Modrowski said, "The educational landscape is rapidly changing due to the critical needs in today's world, advances in technology and the job market. The boundaries between sociology and other disciplines have become more porous making it possible to look at the world through multiple lenses and discover and apply solutions to real life situations. Based on a liberal pedagogy of interdisciplinarity and experiential learning, students in the B.A (Honours) Sociology programme will gain a profound sense of purpose from a learning environment that nurtures individual aspirations as it cultivates foundational skills. The 'Who Am I' panel discussion and competition will spark students' ideas about the fundamental structures of human society and the processes that create, renew and evolve the way humans live". The Founding Vice Chancellor of O.P. Jindal Global University, Prof. (Dr.) C. Raj Kumar said, "O.P. Jindal Global University is an Institution of Eminence and is ranked as the best private university in India and in the top 500 universities globally. This new BA (Hons) Sociology programme intends to fulfill the University's slogan of a 'Private University Promoting Public Service'. It will equip students with the skills to take up a range of careers in public and social service through its highly applied character which aims to link scholarship with practice in a unique way. Situating the degree in JSLH offers students the opportunity to dynamically combine their major with elective courses in subjects such as Political Science, Social Psychology, Economics, Philosophy, Literature, and the Fine and Performing Arts. Additionally, the wider resources of O.P. Jindal Global University--with its expanding range of Schools including Business, Government, International Relations, Psychology, Journalism, Art and Architecture, and Languages and Literature--are also available to students to draw on." This story is provided by OP Jindal University. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/OP Jindal University) Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], March 15 (ANI/BusinessWire India): Skechers, the leading American lifestyle and performance footwear brand has collaborated with internationally renowned muralist James Goldcrown once again to launch a limited-edition footwear collection for women. Red hearts from the artist's iconic Love Wall designs will feature in a special collection, Skechers X JGoldcrown for the second year in a row after the positive reception from consumers globally last year. The colourful and inspiring prints will be featured on a range of shoes for women--including Skechers Uno fashion sneakers, Skechers BOBS sneakers, and more colourful styles. Commenting on the launch of the 2022 Skechers X JGoldcrown collection, Rahul Vira, CEO, Skechers South Asia Pvt. Ltd, said: "We are thrilled to be back with new Skechers X JGoldcrown styles through this collaboration with James Goldcrown. This special offering represents the love that we all can spread as humans and sneaker lovers from the world over as well as in India echoed that sentiment." "Skechers gave me a lot of creative freedom when we were developing this footwear and apparel collection featuring the signature hearts from my Love Walls," said Goldcrown. "It's a great time for this collaboration with everything that is going on in the world. Something as simple as a heart can really touch people--so hopefully we will spread some love." Born in West London, James Goldcrown is a self-taught muralist, artist and photographer now based in New York and Los Angeles. Goldcrown broke into the fashion photography world at age 17 and seven years later found himself in Africa filming the documentary To Die No More about the AIDS/HIV epidemic. He eventually found new inspiration from his street art roots and the internationally recognized Love Wall premiered at Miami Basel in 2015. His instagrammable murals have achieved cult status with 50K-plus #Lovewall public hashtags. Goldcrown works with brands in the lifestyle, restaurant, beauty and fashion industries with his iconic design appearing in cities around the world. The Skechers X JGoldcrown exclusive collection for women is now available at Skechers.in, select Skechers retail stores and select accounts. For an inside look video at James Goldcrown's inspiration behind his iconic Love Wall hearts and the Skechers capsule, visit here. This story is provided by BusinessWire India. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/BusinessWire India) Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], March 15 (ANI/PR Newswire): Rotary Club of Bangalore Cantonment and Koncept Ambience, a leading real estate developer of Bengaluru, today announced the opening of the 'Champions of Change'- Young Achievers Awards 2021-22. The 'Champions of Change'-Young achievers award is an initiative to reward the youth of Karnataka for their service and laudable work in the State of Karnataka. The state-wide annual awards will honour outstanding achievements of individuals and their contribution to Karnataka in the following focus areas as recognised by the Rotary, to be relevant for the societal welfare and good: -Disease prevention and treatment -Water sanitation and hygiene -Peace and conflict resolution and prevention -Basic education and literacy -Maternal and Child health -Growing local economies -Supporting the Environment Individual candidates or Groups domiciled in Karnataka between the ages of 25 to 40 years can apply or be nominated by March 31, 2022, through the website and URL given below, by a simple process to be selected for the final screening, by an eminent jury in April 2022. The selected individuals in the male and female category will be awarded a cash prize of Rs. 1,00,000 each in addition to a citation, at a marquee venue in Bangalore on May 14 2022 in the presence of an august audience. Koncept Ambience is the principal sponsor of the Young Achievers Awards 2021-22. Commenting on the Award, Avinash Agarwal, Director, Koncept Ambience said, "We are proud to be associated with Rotary Club Bangalore Cantonment for this award. There is a lot of talent in Karnataka among the youth and we strongly believe that they need to be encouraged and recognised; This is just a small step in that direction. We hope more youngsters benefit from this award and are motivated to pursue their dreams." Commenting on the Award, TV Mohan, Chair of the Award said, "It is a matter of great pride for all of us in the Rotary Cantonment to encourage the youth of Karnataka who have raised the bar in social, community, medical and environmental projects and services, especially during these difficult times. We are very proud that the Koncept Ambience group has so readily sponsored these initiatives by the Rotary to make the world a better place and to reward the young 'Champions of Change'." Website for Applicants/ Nominations : https://yaa.rotary-bc.org Email to apply/ nominate : yaa@rotary-bc.org Rotary Club of Bangalore Cantonment is part of the International Rotary Foundation and family. It was founded in 1984 in the Cantonment area of Bangalore and in the over 30 years of its existence been in the forefront of social, community and environmental projects in and around Karnataka serving and uplifting the downtrodden and marginalised sections of our society. It has also done outstanding work in climate change, deforestation, tribal welfare, vocational training, medical aid as well as in artificial limbs etc. Rotary Cantonment has received high accolades and many awards both at the national as well as at the international level. In 38 years, Koncept Ambience has set a new paradigm in eco-conscious luxury living. With invigorated design and architecture, and spaces crafted around nature. Koncept Ambience has been creating a whole world of wellness and luxury living, since 1984. -Hyderabad's premier luxury developer-Makers of India's first retail and shopping mall - Swapnalok Complex (1987)-Makers of India's first gated community - Whisper Valley (1984)-India's most experienced villa developer-Over 6 million sq.ft. delivered-Over 4 million sq.ft. in the making This story is provided by PRNewswire. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/PR Newswire) Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], March 15 (ANI/PR Newswire): STL (NSE: STLTECH), an industry-leading integrator of digital networks, has launched the Digital Equalizer and Improved Learning (DEIL) Program in association with the American India Foundation (AIF). This is a first-of-its-kind partnership where a not-for-profit organisation and a corporate come together to create impactful life for millions through a unique model that can continue despite social and ecological disruptions. Through this program, STL will create access to quality education for over 300,000 beneficiaries across 300 schools in Silvassa, Aurangabad, and Nandurbar. The program is in line with SDG 4 standards and commits to quality education and capacity building for teachers and community enablers over the next 3 years. During the pandemic, children from underprivileged communities were devoid of even basic education as they did not have access to digital platforms. The Project aims at democratising education by ensuring that each child gets equal access to quality learning opportunities. AIF is committed to improving the lives of India's underprivileged, with a special focus on women, children, and youth. And as STL continues to transform billions of lives through digital networks, giving access to quality education to underserved communities is at the core of its social initiatives. Keeping this in view, STL partnered with AIF to launch the DEIL program by leveraging BYJU's school learning app. Commenting on this initiative, Mansi Kasliwal, VP-Social Initiatives, BYJU'S, said, "We are delighted to collaborate with STL and the AIF that have been working relentlessly in the field of social development. We are committed to leveraging technology to bring about positive systemic changes in making quality education accessible. With our 'Education for All' initiative, we are empowering children from the remotest areas in the country with good quality education for free." Speaking on this partnership, Mathew Joseph, Country Director, AIF, said: "The last two years have exposed the wide chasm between the connected and the unconnected, revealing hordes that are far behind on the digital uptake. Millions of students from underserved communities do not have the access to high-quality education, or the right resources, curriculum, and guidance to continue and scale their learning. AIF's partnership with STL and BYJU'S aims to address such inequalities in digital readiness ensuring that we do not leave those who are less digitally equipped even further behind in a post-pandemic world." Commenting on STL's initiative, Akanksha Sharma , Global ESG Head, ESG-CSR and Sustainability, STL, said: "Through this program, we are bridging the digital divide by providing quality digital content in vernacular mediums led by community participation. This unique model will guarantee last-mile access to education and new-age learning techniques in remote rural areas across Aurangabad, Silvassa, and Nandurbar. We are confident that with this program a 2X improvement in learning outcomes of students and teachers' instruction delivery will be visible over the next few years. This particular initiative in the Aspiration Districts flagged by Niti Aayog is a significant endeavour to accelerate India's progress on SDG 4." AIF is committed to improving the lives of India's underprivileged, with a special focus on women, children, and youth. Through high-impact interventions in education, health, and livelihoods, AIF has impacted 8.4 million lives across 26 states of India over the last 20 years. Learn more at https://aif.org/ BYJU'S is the world's leading edtech company and the creator of India's most loved school learning app which offers highly adaptive, engaging and effective learning programs for students in LKG, UKG, classes 1-12 (K-12) and competitive exams like JEE, NEET and IAS. STL is a leading integrator of digital networks providing All-in 5G solutions. Our capabilities across wireless connectivity, optical networking, software, and services, place us amongst the top 5G RAN vendors by Gartner. These capabilities are built on open-source and converged architectures helping telcos, cloud companies, citizen networks, and large enterprises deliver next-gen experiences to their customers. STL partners with service providers globally in achieving a green and sustainable digital future in alignment with UN SDG goals. STL has a strong global presence in India, Italy, the UK, the US, China, and Brazil. Read more, Contact us. stl.tech |Twitter | LinkedIn | YouTube Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/876464/Sterlite_Technologies_STL_New_Logo.jpg Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1766686/STL_Byju_s.jpg This story is provided by PRNewswire. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/PR Newswire) New Delhi [India], March 15 (ANI/SRV): Hue Culture, India's first-ever Colour Consultancy firm has recently launched its services to curate bespoke interior and exterior colour palettes that empower the customer's spaces with the right behaviour and mood. So far, the firm has impacted over 30 families to date. Additionally, architects and interior designers across the country are looking to collaborate with Hue Culture to enhance their services and improve the end-customer experience. Ar. Mamta Khubhani, Founder of Hue Culture, is now associated as an Applied Colour Consultant with Floating Terraces by Studia Symbiosis, a grid framework of terraces and courtyards. Through this, she is seeking to establish a relationship between the built and the landscape. Hue Culture aims to bring customers a step closer to their dreamy spaces. The highly-skilled team of professional and seasoned colour consultants assist with the right shades that match the customer's personality to meet their desired behaviour and inspiration from the spaces. One of the residents of Gurugram, Manvi Arora, stated after colour consultations with Hue Culture, many day-to-day factors had positive impacts and she is looking forward to assessing positivity all around. The Key Services 360-degree colour consultation for all kinds of spaces. The organization offers colour consultancy for residential spaces, educational spaces, corporate spaces, commercial & hospitality, and design professionals. Home Consultation Curating the right colour scheme for a happy home. Shades that reflect the values and mood of the personality of the family. So whether a busy couple or a big family struggling to create a happy home or a space that enhances the health of the elderly and children. Every kind of environment-related problem is sorted with the right colour consultation. Corporate Consultation An average person spends one-third of his life at work, which means the workplace has a strong influence and the ability to affect one's personal life. The colour palette suggested by Hue Culture for the workspaces will bring visual ergonomics that is the need of today as it enhances productivity, reduces stress, improves mental health, brings harmony, and stimulates collaboration. Commercial & Hospitality Consultation Colours influence behaviour and thoughts, which makes it vital to use the right colours, hues, and tones in an environment to achieve the expected desired from own spaces. Whether wishing to make an inviting lobby or calming a patient in the dental clinic or even planning on increasing the appetite to stimulate the mind of your team & enhance productivity, Hue Culture helps you to achieve all your business goals by applying colour psychology and assisting you to create an environment that people would love to associate with. Professional Consultation It deals with colour consultancy collaborations with architects, interior designers, brand designers, and colour designers. They are even open to collaborating with third-party designing teams to work together to build better spaces together. Colour is an alchemical force: one with the ability to change a space, a mood, or even a mindset. Simplifying the use of colours & understanding their psychological effects is the magic of colour psychology. Their team fully comprehends how colours influence behaviour & the impacts it can have long after the designer has left. Online Color Consultation- Information Technology touches every aspect of the world today & Hue Culture enables clients to enhance their competitive advantage and derive the best value from their investments. Innovative online colour consultancy allows visualization and gives life to your dreamy envisioned spaces in real. How Does It Work? Hue culture is all about consulting the right shades for your spaces as per your personality and behaviour. One can even start with their colour consultancy and get the interiors of your dream spaces with just a few clicks. Introduce the type of spaces virtually to their team. The second step involves filling in the Preliminary evaluation questionnaire stating all the specific details and expectations from your spaces. After analyzing the questionnaire, a colour consultant will work with you for every step and understand your needs. Then finally, an expert colour consultant will curate a bespoke colour palette for your space that brings life to your visionary spaces in real. Eureka Moment Colour is an amazing phenomenon that influences every life process from eating, sleeping to living in colour: what you buy, how you relax. This power got AR Mamta Khubani intrigued to study, understand and research more about colours. Her interest in this field grew while designing an educational institute, where she experimented with colours in all classrooms, the outcome was truly phenomenal & focused. The second incident was when she took upon a Chartered Accountant office design, she used specific colours, related to the profession. As soon as the office became operational, the employees experienced enhanced productivity, which was induced by the right colour scheme. After this, she actually realized her passion for colours and the need for the right shades in the design industry. Colour affects one's behaviour, influencing one's action, reaction, and response in a certain space. So there is a need to build spaces in the right hues for better living and functionality. That is when the idea of Hue Culture clicked in the mind of the founder, Mamta Khubani. She is now, the first Indian applied colour consultant having a background in interior design with over 15-plus years of experience in the commercial and hospitality segment. The main idea of Hue Culture is to enhance the functionality of spaces with the right shades. Colour consultants are not painters who will be directing the spaces with shades according to the fashion but with shades that meet the purpose and mood of the spaces. People see colours, but colour consultants understand colours, so they know what kind of shades can do wonders in the spaces. To know more, visit - Website- https://hueculture.in/ and Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/hue_culture/ This story is provided by SRV Media. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/SRV) Sam Ghosh-promoted Cosmea Financial Holdings on Tuesday announced its foray into education technology (ed-tech) space and said it would provide vocational training to around 1 million youth in the next one-and-a-half year. The company has formed a joint venture with Delhi-based Primero Skills and Training Private Limited. The joint venture entity is named Torus Primero Edutech Private Limited. It aims to provide vocational training to 1 million youth across 40 sectors over the span of the next 18 months, the company said in a statement. Torus Primero Edutech plans to target the Indian skill, education and edtech sector, which is estimated to be a $300 billion opportunity by the end of this decade. The company said it would use cutting-edge technology to offer its courses and industry recognised certifications. The joint venture also dovetails in Cosmea Financial Holdings (CFHs) plan of being a financial hub providing the entire gamut of financial services by providing skilled resources for all business initiatives that are being launched under the flagship Torus brand. Torus Primero Edutech aims to provide skilling, reskilling and upskilling to participate in the global knowledge economy and lead to better employability opportunities. This will contribute to the Government of India's skill development initiatives and is in line with the National Education Policy. "Using an intuitive technology platform, we will provide new-age skills across high growth sectors - finance, retail, hospitality and healthcare in India and the Middle East. We further plan to align over a million jobs for our trainees in the next five years through this platform," said Jayanta Das, CEO, Torus Primero. (ANI) Gurugram (Haryana) [India], March 15 (ANI/NewsVoir): ApplyBoard, the global education technology platform revolutionizing the international student journey, and Royal Bank of Canada (RBC), one of Canada's largest financial institutions, today announced a joint Proof of Financial Support solution. This unique collaboration will help Indian students looking to fulfill their dreams of higher education in Canada. A key element of the Canadian study permit application process is for students to demonstrate an ability to support themselves financially during their studies abroad. By using ApplyProof, ApplyBoard's document verification platform, eligible Indian students can now submit their study permit application to the Government of Canada's Student Direct Stream (SDS) program with the added trust and security of a digitally verifiable Guaranteed Investment Certificate (GIC) provided by RBC. "Together with RBC, we are building trust in students' Proof of Financial Support and helping to strengthen their study permit applications," says Iman Hassani, Head of ApplyProof. "Leveraging RBC's strength in the Canadian financial sector and ApplyProof's secure and efficient verification capability, we're making education in Canada more accessible to Indian students." A stand-alone platform developed by ApplyBoard, ApplyProof transforms the way official student documents are accessed, verified, and shared with immigration officials, admissions officers, and other applicable stakeholders in the study permit process. With the unique solution now offered by ApplyBoard and RBC, international students from India will be able to apply for an RBC Guaranteed Investment Certificate (GIC) that, if required, can be verified by Canadian immigration officials in a matter of seconds via the ApplyProof platform. "This joint Proof of Financial Support solution is one of the many steps we are taking toward our mission to make education accessible globally," says Meti Basiri, CMO and Co-founder of ApplyBoard. Upon arrival in Canada, international students can access a wide range of services and offers for newcomers through RBC's digital banking solutions and over 1,100 branches across the country. "RBC has a longstanding history of and commitment to supporting newcomers, including international students, who bring innovative ideas and fresh perspectives to campus communities across Canada," says Amit Brahme, Senior Director, Newcomer and Cultural Client Segment, RBC. Canada is a popular study-abroad destination for Indian students thanks to Canada's successful work-permit programs, inclusive immigration policies and strong multicultural representation. According to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, almost 130,000 Indian nationals were approved to study in Canada between January and November 2021, surpassing the full-year record of 111,000 in 2019. To learn more about the RBC International Student GIC Program or to begin an application through ApplyProof, visit www.applyboard.com/discover/gic. ApplyBoard empowers students around the world to access the best education by simplifying the study abroad search, application, and acceptance process to more than 1,500 institutions across Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia. ApplyBoard, headquartered in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada, has helped more than 300,000 students from more than 125 countries along their educational journeys since 2015. To learn more, please visit www.applyboard.com. ApplyProof is a stand-alone platform developed by ApplyBoard, Canada's education technology leader. It transforms the way official student documents are accessed, verified, and shared with students, government and education stakeholders. Driven by the need for trust in international student documents and mitigating fraud, ApplyProof enables government stakeholders to verify the authenticity of a document by viewing the digital original held securely on ApplyProof servers using unique identifier passcodes. ApplyProof offers secure, private and SOC2 compliant technology. To learn more, please visit www.applyproof.com/about. Royal Bank of Canada is a global financial institution with a purpose-driven, principles-led approach to delivering leading performance. Our success comes from the 88,000 plus employees who leverage their imaginations and insights to bring our vision, values and strategy to life so we can help our clients thrive and communities prosper. As Canada's biggest bank, and one of the largest in the world based on market capitalization, we have a diversified business model with a focus on innovation and providing exceptional experiences to our 17 million clients in Canada, the U.S. and 27 other countries. To learn more, please visit rbc.com. We are proud to support a broad range of community initiatives through donations, community investments and employee volunteer activities. See how at rbc.com/community-social-impact. This story is provided by News Voir. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/NewsVoir) New Delhi [India], March 15 (ANI/BusinessWire India): AB CHALEGI FINGER KEY, the campaign in the news, connecting with just about every debate on the elections, keeps the finger at its centre. With the finger you open a lock, albeit a digital one, the kinds Ozone offers; with the finger, you push the party symbol you want. This brilliant connection between the digital lock and electronic voting gave birth to the idea of building on their already popular campaign and extend it to the hottest debating arena. The current campaign follows closely in the wake of their Guccha Singh Campaign, a runaway hit, urging people to move from a Chabiyoun Ka Guccha, a bunch of keys, to the new age digital locks with multiple access mode that gives unmatched security with utmost ease. Right now, Ab Chalegi Finger Key is an IP being launched in association with NDTV and ABP. It enjoys tremendous hype around it, with almost all the news agencies vying for it, given the current election season and the ensuing debates that are the mainstay for most channels. The multi-episode program to run on these channels nudges the voter towards the right choice for themselves, and the society at large. Timed aptly, the campaign kicked off on National Voters Day. Ozone's locks, among other technically advanced ways, allow the owner to also use a fingerprint to do the locking. And once locked with the finger it is next to impossible to open without a fingerprint match. On how things came about, Abhishek Aggarwal, President, Ozone Overseas said, "At Ozone, our prime focus is to provide solutions that are high-tech, safe, and hassle-free for the consumer. Through this campaign, we aim to sensitize people that by exercising the power of their finger they can choose the right government for better security & progress just like with a swipe of their fingers they can secure their valuables." "We are consistently working towards enhancing the customer experience by altering the traditional usage of keys with our digital key that effortlessly eliminates the breach of security system, allowing the consumer more control and efficiency," he further added. Ujjwal Anand, Country Head, Dentsu Impact, who has made it a habit to keep his ears to the ground, talking about the backstory said "Elections give that one chance to the voters to exercise their rights for a safe, secure and brighter future. By using the power of the voting finger, they can make changes that really matter. "is baar kiski chalegi", " is baar kaun ayega" " satta kisko milegi" are all turn of phrases that we get to hear particularly around the election frenzy. We decided to give a spin to these phrases and hinge our campaign articulation around the verbiage. And so "AB CHALEGI FINGER KEY"." Mayank Khattar, National Creative Director, Dentsu Impact, on the creative process, said "While in the earlier campaign the mascot we created was around a popular face and larger than life Guchcha (bunch of keys) this campaign takes the engagement to a different space, by tapping into the culture of elections and voting in India; the finger as a voting tool, readily recognizable, took the centre stage. We used the finger as a symbol of power in people's hands. Overall tonality of the campaign has been thought-provoking, urging people of states where the elections are being conducted, to acknowledge and exercise their voting rights and chose a better, progressive future. Just like our digital locks that takes the security of our homes and valuables to a different level that too with five access modes, giving the control in people's hands. The instant connection of the people with empowering index finger is striking." The evolution of the idea, from being a pure advertising campaign to using the Indian elections as a platform is an interesting one and once again underlines the power of good insight. The campaign is live on ABP and NDTV along with print, OOH, radio and digital. This story is provided by BusinessWire India. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/BusinessWire India) According to Deadline, 'Ms. Marvel', penned by writer Bisha K. Ali, will tell the story of Kamala Khan (Iman Vellani), a Pakistani-American teen based in New Jersey. Ms Marvel had made her first appearance in 2014 as Marvel's first Muslim character to star in her own title. Now, she will be Marvel Studios' first onscreen Muslim hero. The upcoming show also stars Aramis Knight, Matt Lintz, Laurel Marsden, Rish Shah, and Saagar Shaikh with Ali serving as head writer on the series. It will be directed by filmmakers Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah along with two-time Oscar winner Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, and Meera Menon. As per Deadline, Kevin Feige, Marvel Studios chief, has even said that along with being part of this series, the Ms Marvel character will also be part of future Marvel films. (ANI) Bollywood actor Kangana Ranaut, who never shies away from speaking her mind, recently praised 'The Kashmir Files' after watching the film, saying that it has purged Bollywood of its 'sins'. The 'Panga' actor watched Vivek Agnihotri's directorial on Monday and shared her reaction with the paparazzi after stepping out of a theatre. Lauding the film and its makers, Kangana said, "Itni achi film banayi hai inhone ki Bollywood ke paap dho diye (They have made such a great movie that Bollywood's all sins have been washed away)." The actor further said that everyone from the industry should promote 'The Kashmir Files'. "Bollywood people make such nonsense movies and promote them like anything. They should promote this movie," Kangana added. She also urged everyone to watch and support the movie, while adding that it should be declared tax-free in all the states. This is not the first time that Kangana has praised the film and slammed the Bollywood industry. Last week, Kangana had shared a note on her Instagram Stories about 'The Kashmir Files'. "Please notice the pin-drop silence in the film industry about #thekashmirfiles not just content even its business is exemplary... investment and profit proportion might be such a case study that it will be the most successful and profitable film of the year," she said. The actor added, "It also broke many myths about theatres being exclusive for big budgets event films or visual/VFX spectacles post-pandemic, it is breaking every myth and preconceived notion that was there and bringing back the audiences to the theatres, 6 am shows in multiplexes are full it's unbelievable!!!" 'The Kashmir Files', which revolves around the genocide of Kashmiri Pandits in 1990, had released in theatres on March 11. It stars Anupam Kher, Mithun Chakraborty, Pallavi Joshi, Darshan Kumaar, and others. The film has been declared tax-free in several states including Uttar Pradesh, Tripura, Goa, Haryana and Uttarakhand. Coming back to Kangana, she will soon be seen in movies including 'Tejas', 'Dhaakad', 'Manikarnika Returns: The Legend Of Didda', 'Emergency', and 'The Incarnation: Sita'. She is also producing the upcoming film 'Tiku Weds Sheru' under her production house, Manikarnika Films. Currently, she is hosting the OTT reality show 'Lock Upp'. (ANI) Alia Bhatt, who turned 29 on Tuesday, is an actor who, even at such a young age, has carved a niche for herself with her never-ending charm and versatile performances. Born into the Bhatt family, she is the daughter of filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt and British-Indian actor Soni Razdan. Alia made her Bollywood acting debut in 2012 with Karan Johar's 'Student of the Year', and since then in her decade-long career, she has evolved from being the cute girl to an actor who defies intricate restrictions and demonstrates her talent. Be it her character in 'Dear Zindagi' or her rugged desi look in 'Udta Punjab', Alia's films have frequently featured protagonists who contribute to highlighting one social problem or another. Today, on the occasion of her birthday, let's revisit some films from the actor that showcase her acting prowess. 1. Highway (2014) In this Imtiaz Ali directorial, Alia played the role of a girl who gets kidnapped and gradually discovers freedom post her abduction. The actor did a fantastic job portraying her character, who was a mix of innocence and feistiness. She even went on to win the Filmfare Best Actress (Critics) award for her performance. 2. Dear Zindagi (2016) Through the actor's portrayal of Kiara, a director struggling with depression, Alia easily won hearts in this movie with her simplicity and subtlety. Through this movie, which also starred Shah Rukh Khan, its director Gauri Shinde showed viewers how hard it can be to conquer our inner demons. 3. Udta Punjab (2016) Even though the film also featured Shahid Kapoor, Kareena Kapoor Khan and Diljit Dosanjh, Alia stole the show in this hard-hitting drama on drug addiction in Punjab. Her role as a migrant labourer caught in the web of smuggling drugs was appreciated by audiences and critics. 4. Raazi (2018) Based on true events, the movie narrated the story of Sehmat Khan, an Indian spy who is caught between her loyalty to her country and her feelings for her Pakistani husband. The film's plot was inspired by Harinder Singh Sikka's novel, 'Calling Sehmat' and Alia did not fail to impress with her portrayal of a spy. 5. Gangubai Kathiawadi (2022) Adapted from 'Mafia Queens of Mumbai' by Hussain Zaidi, this latest release of Alia, which has already crossed the Rs 100 crore mark, sees her transform into Gangubai, a sex worker turned mafia queen. From acing the body language of the character to winning hearts with her swag, Alia has delivered one of the best performances of her career to date. Meanwhile, keeping in mind Alia's diverse filmography, fans can be rest assured that the best work from the actor is yet to come. Currently, she is awaiting the release of Ayan Mukerji's 'Brahmastra' and will also be seen in 'RRR' and 'Rocky aur Rani ki Prem Kahani'. (ANI) As per Deadline, Josh Greenbaum's directorial combines CGI and live-action elements to follow an abandoned dog (Ferrell) who teams up with other strays, including one portrayed by Foxx, to get revenge on his former owner (Forte). However, details regarding Isla's character have not been disclosed yet. American Vandal's Dan Perrault penned the script of 'Strays', which is scheduled to hit theatres on June 9, 2023. (ANI) Three persons of a village in Bihar's Katihar district died in mysterious circumstances on Tuesday, while two others are battling for their lives in hospitals, officials said. The incident occurred at Jubarganj Rishi Tola village under Koda police station. While villagers are claiming that the three died after consuming poisonous liquor, the local administration is yet to confirm this. District Magistrate Udayan Mishra said that the matter is under investigation. The villagers claimed that the five had consumed liquor on Monday evening and their condition deteriorated late in the night. The victims were taken to adjoining Purnea district and admitted to the government hospital there, but three of them died. With this, 22 persons have lost their lives in five districts in the last one week. On Saturday, five persons died in Bhagalpur, and four in Gopalganj. Five others also died in Gopalganj on Friday, and three in Siwan and two in Bettiah on last Tuesday. --IANS ajk/vd ( 170 Words) 2022-03-15-22:34:03 (IANS) The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs on Monday expressed disappointment at the "abysmal" 3.68 per cent women representation in the Central Armed Police Force (CAPFs). The reaction of the panel, headed by Congress' Anand Sharma, came in its report on 'Demand For Grants' on Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), submitted to the Rajya Sabha on Monday. The Committee observed that in 2016, it was decided by government to reserve 33 per cent posts at constable level for women in the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) to begin with and 14-15 per cent posts at constable level in border guarding forces such as the Border Security Force (BSF), Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), and the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP). "The Committee is disappointed to note that women constitute only 3.68% of the total strength of CAPFs. The Committee recommends that MHA should take concrete steps to increase the representation of women in CAPFs," the report said. It also recommended that phase-wise recruitment drives for women may be conducted on fast track, particularly in the CISF and the CRPF, and also that steps should be taken to create a conducive environment in the border outposts by creating separate arrangements, so that women are motivated to join security forces. The Parliamentary Standing committee on MHA, in its 237th report, had also expressed aanguish over women being abysmally under-represented in the state police force as they constitute only 10.30 per cent of the entire police force. According to the Bureau for Police Research and Development, the total sanctioned strength of women in the state police forces is 20,91, 488, whereas the actual strength is as low as 2,15,504. The panel, in the latest report, also observed that that the CAPFs function under much stress, given the nature of their duty which requires their postings in harsh climatic conditions. So, to ease their mental state and reduce stress, leaves at appropriate intervals are a necessity, so that they can spend time with their families, it recommended. It also noted that the MHA is examining/deliberating on increasing the leaves of CAPFs personnel while the proposal should be considered positively and finalised at the earliest, as it would boost the morale of the CAPFs. "Proposals for additional posts may also be positively considered for enabling the decision," the report said. Referring to deferred work of Census 2021, the Committee was of the view that the census being a pan-India decadal exercise should present the culture, traditions and diversity of the different regions of the country along with the numerical data. It sad that the number of questions in the census have increased but the annual reports have not been written by the registrars/officers for the past few censuses. "Therefore, the Committee recommends that the MHA may take up with Registrar General of India (RGI) to restart the publication of annual reports from the upcoming census onwards," the panel report said. --IANS ams/vd ( 504 Words) 2022-03-14-21:00:04 (IANS) Ahead of the Karnataka High Court verdict on the hijab matter on Tuesday, Bengaluru Police Commissioner Kamal Pant on Monday issued prohibitory orders, banning any gatherings, protests, as well as celebrations of any type in any public place of the city for 7 days, between March 15 and March 21. Since the issue involved rules regarding uniforms in schools and colleges and their enforcement, various types of reactions after pronouncement of the judgement can not be ruled out. In order to maintain public order in the city it is appropriate to issue prohibitory orders, the Police Commissioner said in his order. The special three-judge bench, headed by Chief Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi, will pronounce the judgement on Tuesday morning with the matter being listed in the first half of the day. The three judge bench, which also comprises Justice Krishna S. Dixit and Justice Khaji Jaibunnesa Mohiyuddin, had reserved judgement after hearing arguments and counter-arguments in daily hearings. --IANS mka/vd ( 172 Words) 2022-03-14-21:10:04 (IANS) Police said during surprise naka checking by police along with army's 55 RR and CRPF, a suspicious person was noticed and apprehended. He has been identified as Abrar Bashir, resident of Takia Pulwama, and incriminating materials, arms and ammunition including a pistol, a magazine, 12 rounds, and a grenade were recovered from his possession. "As per police records, the arrested terrorist is a categorised terrorist as he had recently joined the terror folds of proscribed terror outfit JeM," a police official said. A case has been registered and further investigation into the matter is in progress. --IANS zi/vd ( 125 Words) 2022-03-14-22:08:02 (IANS) The ministry has also constituted a National Medical and Wellness Tourism Board with Tourism Minister as its Chairman. Union Tourism Minister G. Kishan Reddy in a written reply in Lok Sabha on Monday informed the House that as part of its on-going activities, Tourism Ministry releases global print, electronic and online media campaigns under the 'Incredible India' brand-line to promote various tourism destinations and products of the country. 'Medical Visa' has been introduced, which can be given for specific purpose to foreign travellers coming to India for medical treatment. 'E- Medical Visa' and 'E-Medical Attendant Visa' have also been introduced for 156 countries, the minister said. Reddy noted that the ministry also provides financial assistance under Market Development Assistance Scheme to Medical Tourism Service Providers accredited by National Accreditation Board for Hospitals & Healthcare Providers (NABH) for participation in Medical Tourism Fairs and other programmes. --IANS avr/shs ( 201 Words) 2022-03-14-23:28:05 (IANS) India on Friday had said that a technical malfunction led to the accidental firing of a missile. Pakistan Army had said that an Indian projectile had entered the Pakistani airspace and caused some damage to surrounding areas after it fell near a place called Mian Channu in their territory. The Indian Defence Ministry said that it has ordered a court of enquiry into the incident adding that it was a matter of relief that there was no loss of life due to the accidental firing. "On 9 March 2022, in the course of routine maintenance, a technical malfunction led to the accidental firing of a missile. The Government of India has taken a serious view and ordered a high-level Court of Enquiry," the Defence Ministry said in a statement. "It is learnt that the missile landed in an area of Pakistan. While the incident is deeply regrettable, it is also a matter of relief that there has been no loss of life due to the accident," it said. (ANI) The prices of edible oil are soaring as the import of sunflower oil from Ukraine and Russia has stopped amid the ongoing war between the two countries. Kanhaiya Lal Gujrathi, Director, Poona Merchant's Chamber, told ANI, "The oil prices have increased by around Rs 300 to Rs 400 per 15 kg container. There is a shortage of oil in the market as the import has stopped totally." Another trader said, "There is a shortage of oil in the market and the rate, especially of the sunflower oil, has increased by around Rs 600 per 15 kg container which is going to impact the common man." The sunflower oil is imported in India majorly from Ukraine and Russia. Gujrathi said, "Before the war between the two nations started, the soyabean oil was sold around Rs 1950 which has now increased to Rs 2500, while the sunflower oil was earlier at Rs 2,150 which has now crossed Rs 2,750." A retailer while speaking to ANI said, "The rates of oil will not come down until the war is going on. People have started to stock up on edible oil as they fear that they will not get enough in future." (ANI) Preparations for the festival of colours were seen in full swing throughout the country. The local shopkeepers have seen a tremendous rise in sales ahead of Holi. "With the business doing well this time, we hope to celebrate a mega Holi this year," said a shopkeeper. Marking the onset of the spring season, Holi is a festival of colours, symbolic of joy and victory of good over evil. Holi celebrations for the last two years were under the shadow of the COVID-19 pandemic. The recent relaxations of the COVID-19 guidelines cheered the shopkeepers as the demand soared. (ANI) The Madurai police arrested three persons for allegedly abducting a jewellery store owner and robbing him of Rs 2.5 crore on Sunday night when he was on his way to Kanyakumari to buy valuable assets. The accused have identified as M Arunkumar, Y Alex Pandian, and R Praveen Kumar, who is the driver of the jeweller, all aged 26. According to police, the jewellery shop owner, S Dharmaraj (61) of Arasaradi, along with his assistant Govindarajan (50) and Praveen were enroute to Nagercoil in his car when he was abducted. The two accused - Arun Kumar and Alex Pandian - forcibly entered the car at Nesaneri Vilakku and abducted Dharmaraj while Govindarajan and Praveen had got down to attend to nature's call. "Since Govindarajan and Praveen left their mobile phones inside the car, they could not alert the police. In the meantime, a police officer who passed through the route informed police control room. Without any further any delay, DIG R Ponni and Madurai SP V Baskaran were informed and a three-team member team was formed," said the police. The duo got down at Sedapatti village and fled with the cash. As Dharmaraj was not in position to explain the ordeal, the police inquired from Govindarajan and Praveen and found that the former has been working with the jeweller for the past 15 years and Praveen for two years. Based on the confession of the driver who said he had informed the accused, who are his friends, about the cash, police traced Alex Pandian and Arunkumar and trio was arrested. (ANI) Union Minister Pralhad Joshi on Tuesday welcomed the Karnataka High Court's decision to uphold the Hijab ban in educational institutions and appealed to everyone to maintain peace by accepting the order of the Court. "I welcome the Court's decision. I appeal to everyone that the state and country have to go forward, everyone has to maintain peace by accepting the order of the High Court. The basic work of students is to study. So leaving all this aside they should study and be united," said Joshi. The Karnataka High Court on Tuesday dismissed various petitions challenging a ban on Hijab in education institutions and said that wearing a Hijab is not an essential religious practice of Islam. A bench of Karnataka High Court comprising Chief Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi, Justice Krishna S Dixit, and Justice JM Khazi said that no case is made out for invalidating the Government Order of February 5. Moreover, it added that the prescription of school uniforms is a reasonable restriction which students could not object to. The Hijab row had erupted in January this year when the Government PU College in Udupi allegedly barred six girls wearing the hijab from entering. Following this, the girls sat in protest sat outside college over being denied entry. After this, boys of several colleges in Udupi started attending classes wearing saffron scarves. This protest spread to other parts of the state as well leading to protests and agitations in several places in Karnataka. As a result, the Karnataka government said that all students must adhere to the uniform and banned both hijab and saffron scarves till an expert committee decided on the issue. On February 5, the pre-University education board released a circular stating that the students could only wear the uniform approved by the school administration and no other religious attire will be allowed in colleges. The order stated that in case a uniform is not prescribed by management committees, then students should wear dresses that go well with the idea of equality and unity, and do not disturb the social order. A batch of petitions was filed against the government's rule in the Karnataka High Court by some girls seeking permission to wear the hijab in educational institutions. A bench of Karnataka High Court comprising Chief Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi, Justice Krishna S Dixit, and Justice JM Khazi heard the petitions challenging the government rule on dress code. On February 10, the high court issued an interim order stating that said students should not wear any religious attire to classes till the court issued the final order. The hearings related to the Hijab case were concluded on February 25 and the court had reserved its judgement. (ANI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday morning ensured that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national president Jagat Prakash Nadda was garlanded first at the Parliamentary party meeting in a clear gesture meant to acknowledge the role of the organisation in the recently concluded Assembly elections. The Parliamentary party meeting of the BJP gave rousing welcome to Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Ambedkar Bhavan on Tuesday morning. The meeting, a first in the ongoing second part of the Budget session of Parliament, took place in the backdrop of the recently concluded Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand Goa, Manipur, and Punjab. In a clear gesture to acknowledge the role of the party workers and leaders in the BJP's victory in four states, the Prime Minister nudged Nadda to come in front of him and get garlanded first. The party leaders interpreted Prime Minister's gesture, saying that this is a clear message that the organisation is supreme and the party president's role as far as electoral success is no less than that of PM Modi. Besides PM Modi and Nadda, Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Road and Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi, leader of the House in Rajya Sabha Piyush Goyal were present in this meeting. The meeting took place at the Ambedkar Centre on Janpath road due to the ongoing repair work in the Parliament library building. The BJP has retained power in Uttar Pradesh by winning 255 out of 403 constituencies, securing a 41.29 per cent vote share. The BJP emerged as the single largest party in Goa winning 20 seats in the 40-member state Assembly and decimated Congress to 11 seats. The BJP has secured a majority in Manipur Assembly elections, reducing other parties to single digits and will now form the government in the state for the second consecutive term. In the elections, the BJP went solo this time and contested all seats alone. It won 32 seats out of 60 in Manipur. The BJP has come back to power for the second consecutive term in Uttarakhand with a two-thirds majority in the 70-member Assembly. (ANI) There will be no place for dynastic politics in the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the family led political parties will continue to be challenged, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday told the Parliamentary party meeting, adding that he takes onus for denying tickets to children of the party leaders in the recently concluded Assembly elections, sources said. The Prime Minister applauded the party leaders for the victory of the BJP in four out of five states which went to the polls recently. It was also reliably learnt that the major focus of the Prime Minister in his speech was on the ills of the dynastic politics, with sources saying that he ensured that tickets were denied to a number of claims made by the party leaders for their children in the states where the elections were held. The message needs to go to people that family and dynastic politics are not leading the country anywhere, sources quoted PM Modi having told the Parliamentary party meeting, which was held at the Ambedkar Bhavan. "Several members of Parliament and party leaders were seeking tickets in the recently concluded elections for their children and many of them were denied. For those who are not given tickets for the children, the responsibility entirely lies with me," the Prime Minister is learnt to have said in the meeting. The Prime Minister further said that increasing 'Parivarad (dynastic politics)' leads to casteism, sources added. Sending a strong message, PM Modi said that the BJP is fighting dynastic politics, and it was important that the party leads by example, sources said. Several times in the past, including in Parliamentary party meetings, the Prime Minister has hit out at the Gandhi family for promoting dynastic politics while lacking credentials. PM Modi also gave an account of the evacuation of the stranded Indians from Ukraine in the meeting, sources added. Besides PM Modi and Nadda, Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Road and Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi, leader of the House in Rajya Sabha Piyush Goyal were present in this meeting. The meeting took place at the Ambedkar Centre on Janpath road due to the ongoing repair work in the Parliament library building. The BJP has retained power in Uttar Pradesh by winning 255 out of 403 constituencies, securing a 41.29 per cent vote share. The BJP emerged as the single largest party in Goa winning 20 seats in the 40-member state Assembly and decimated Congress to 11 seats. The BJP has secured a majority in Manipur Assembly elections, reducing other parties to single digits and will now form the government in the state for the second consecutive term. In the elections, the BJP went solo this time and contested all seats alone. It won 32 seats out of 60 in Manipur. The BJP has come back to power for the second consecutive term in Uttarakhand with a two-thirds majority in the 70-member Assembly. (ANI) Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday said that a high-level probe has been ordered into the inadvertent firing of a missile that landed in Pakistan on March 9 saying that "if any lapses are found, action will be taken accordingly". Addressing Rajya Sabha, the minister informed that standard operating procedures (SOPs) for "operations, maintenance, and inspection" of such systems were being reviewed in the wake of the incident. "I'd like to tell this House about an incident that occurred on 9th March 2022. It's related to an accidental missile release during the inspection. During routine maintenance and inspection of the missile unit, around 7 pm, one missile got accidentally released. While this incident is regretted, we are relieved that nobody was hurt due to the accident," the Defence Minister told Rajya Sabha. Singh sought to assure Parliament that the "Indian missile system is very reliable and safe" and that the "safety procedures and protocols are of the highest order". "I can assure the House that the missile system is very reliable and safe. Moreover, our safety procedures and protocols are of the highest order and are reviewed from time to time. Our Armed Forces are well-trained and disciplined and are well experienced in handling such systems," Singh said in the Upper House of Parliament. The Defence Minister informed that the government has taken serious note of the incident, and that "a formal high-level inquiry has been ordered". "The inquiry would determine the exact cause of the accident," said Singh "We attach the highest priority to the safety and security of our weapon systems. If any shortcoming is found, the same would be immediately rectified," he said. India on March 11 had said that a technical malfunction during routine maintenance had led to the accidental firing of a missile. Pakistan Army had said that an Indian projectile had entered the Pakistani airspace and caused some damage to surrounding areas after it fell near a place called Mian Channu in their territory. The Defence Ministry then said that it had ordered a court of enquiry into the incident adding that it was a matter of relief that there was no loss of life due to the accidental firing. (ANI) After the Karnataka High Court upheld the ban on wearing Hijab in educational institutions, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Tuesday urged the students to focus on education, saying "it is a question of fate and education of our children". The Chief Minister said, "It is a question of fate and education of our children. Education is more important than anything else. Therefore, we should all follow the verdict of a three-member bench of the High Court. Everyone should co-operate while implementing the orders of the High Court." All should accept the judgment and maintain peace and law and order, he added. He said, "All students must comply with the High Court order. Your education is very important. He said all should attend classes, not skip the examinations, shape your future." The CM also said, "Necessary arrangements have been made to maintain law and order. As the case is settled by a High Court decision, everyone must agree. On the contrary, if the law is taken into hand, our home department will take necessary action." Karnataka Minister ES Eshwarappa said, "I welcome the HC's decision. Muslim students of the state faced problems for a long time. Someone had misguided them. Quality education should be given to all students. So everyone should accept the order." (ANI) The Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways has achieved a landmark when the motor vessel (MV) Ram Prasad Bismil became the longest vessel ever to sail on the Brahmaputra river on Tuesday. The 90 meters long flotilla is 26 meters wide, loaded with a draft of 2.1 meters, successfully completed the aspiring pilot run of heavy cargo movement from Haldia Dock in Kolkata after it anchored at Pandu port in Guwahati. The vessel along with two barges - DB Kalpana Chawla and DB APJ Abdul Kalam - were flagged off from the Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port in Haldia by Union Minister of Ports, Shipping & Waterways (PSW) and AYUSH, Sarbananda Sonowal flagged them off on February 16. The significance of this pilot run lays down the path for commencement of barging operation from Kolkata to Guwahati via Indo Bangladesh Protocol Route (IBRP). The engineering marvel of this historic consignment remains at maintaining the minimum navigational draft of at least 2.0 meters, especially at critical stretches like the Sirajganj - Daikowa stretch of IBPR. The Government of India along with the Government of Bangladesh funded the dredging of this stretch - with an 80:20 ratio respectively - for seamless navigation. The Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) as well as Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) worked together so that this historic cargo movement can move smoothly. Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal closely followed all developments and monitored the dredging work done by IWAI at various areas in this stretch so that the movement between NW1 & NW2 can start on a priority basis. Sonowal said, "The vision of our Prime Minister Narendra Modiji is to energise the Ashtalakshmi potential of Northeast to power the growth engine of India." "Under his vision of 'Transformation through Transportation,' we worked tirelessly to rejuvenate the water transport in the region. This is not only the cheapest & ecologically most adapt the mode of transportation, it also allows the long-awaited connect for the business of Northeast through the marine network with the rest of the world," he added. Speaking further, Sonowal said, "As the pilot run of this longest vessel plying on the Brahmaputra anchors a success at Pandu today, we must recognize that this was made possible by the team to chalk out a working route during this season of challenging depth at many stretches. We remain deeply committed to bringing business viability of water transport in Assam and reinvigorate the vitality of Brahmaputra as Northeast India's economic fortune." Sonowal said thanked the Prime Minister for supporting this initiative with all of his heart. "We must also deeply thank the Bangladesh government without whose support this would not have been possible. On behalf of the people, I would like to extend our deepest gratitude for partnering with us to revive one of the best modes of transportation & creating an opportunity for mutual benefit and economic growth," he added. The cargo ship MV Lal Bahadur Shastri carried a consignment of 200 MT foodgrains for Food Corporation of India (FCI) from Patna to Pandu, successfully completing the Pilot Movement cargo between Ganga, the National Waterway 1 (NW1), and Brahmaputra, the National Waterway 2 (NW2).In addition to this, an Over Dimensional Cargo (ODC) for Numaligarh Refinery was also transported via IBPR further onto NW2. (ANI) Senior party leaders of the state and other party officials will attend the meeting Despite the party's massive campaigning with the slogan 'Ladki Hoon Lad Sakti Hoon' in Uttar Pradesh, the party suffered a disastrous defeat. The BJP emerged victorious winning 255 seats in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections. The SP was the second largest party with 111 seats and its ally SBSP secured the win in six constituencies. Mayawati's BSP was reduced to only one seat. (ANI) Earlier in the day, the Karnataka High Court on Tuesday dismissed various petitions challenging a ban on Hijab in education institutions and said that wearing Hijab is not an essential religious practice of Islam. A bench of Karnataka High Court comprising Chief Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi, Justice Krishna S Dixit, and Justice JM Khazi said that no case is made out for invalidating the Government Order of February 5. The Hijab row had erupted in January this year when the Government PU College in Udupi allegedly barred six girls wearing the hijab from entering. Following this, the girls sat in protest sat outside college over being denied entry. After this, boys of several colleges in Udupi started attending classes wearing saffron scarves. This protest spread to other parts of the state as well leading to protests and agitations in several places in Karnataka. A batch of petitions was filed against the government's order in the Karnataka High Court by some girls seeking permission to wear the hijab in educational institutions. (ANI) After the Karnataka government upheld the ban on Hijab in educational institutions on Tuesday, Bharatiya Janata Party MP Tejasvi Surya said that it was an important step in strengthening opportunities for the girls, especially for those belonging to the Muslim community. "I welcome the judgment of the Karnataka High Court; it's a very important step towards strengthening the educational opportunities & rights of girl students, especially for those belonging to the Muslim community," BJP MP Tejasvi Surya told ANI. Speaking further, he also stated, "A section of society was trying to deprive Muslim girls of embracing education & modernity... going in appeal is people's right and they may do so, however... it's necessary for all parties to follow the order of the court, both in letter & spirit." Earlier in the day, the Karnataka High Court dismissed various petitions challenging a ban on Hijab in education institutions and said that wearing Hijab is not an essential religious practice of Islam. A bench of Karnataka High Court comprising Chief Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi, Justice Krishna S Dixit, and Justice JM Khazi said that no case is made out for invalidating the Government Order of February 5. The Hijab row had erupted in January this year when the Government PU College in Udupi allegedly barred six girls wearing the hijab from entering. Following this, the girls sat in protest sat outside college over being denied entry. After this, boys of several colleges in Udupi started attending classes wearing saffron scarves. This protest spread to other parts of the state as well leading to protests and agitations in several places in Karnataka. A batch of petitions was filed against the government's order in the Karnataka High Court by some girls seeking permission to wear the hijab in educational institutions. (ANI) The Central government on Tuesday informed the Delhi High Court that bearing in mind the convict, Nimisha Priya, is an Indian national, the government shall take all proactive steps to institute an appeal before the next appellate forum in accordance with Yemen's prevalent law in the case. Advocate Anurag Ahluwalia who appeared for the Central government further apprised the court that the consul present in Yemen shall extend all cooperation and facilitate the travel of the petitioner. The court of Justice Yashwant Varma on Tuesday recorded the undertakings advanced by the Central government and disposed of the petition. Advocate Subhash Chandran KR appeared for the petitioner organization Save Nimisha Priya-International Action Council. Accordingly, the concerned ministry is requested to duly pursue the remedy against the order of conviction as affirmed by the court of appeal. The High Court further requested the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) to communicate to the concerned consulate to facilitate the travel of the petitioner as well as to provide help of interpreters if so required. On Monday, the Delhi High Court had asked the Centre to make clear instructions on a petition seeking to facilitate diplomatic interventions and negotiations on behalf of a woman, who has been sentenced to death by a Yemen Court for the murder of a Yemeni national in 2017. The plea states that an appeal court in Yemen on March 7, 2022, dismissed an appeal filed by Indian citizen Nimisha Priya, who has been sentenced to death for the murder of a Yemeni national in 2017. The petition has been moved by "Save Nimisha Priya - International Action Council" to assist Nimisha Priya and her family. The organization has been formed in the month of September 2020 by a group of Non-Resident Keralites - Indians, working in different countries and also in different parts of India. Nimisha stands accused of the murder of Talal Abdo Mahdi, a Yemeni national, who died in July 2017 after she allegedly injected him with sedatives to get to her passport that was in his possession. Nimisha had alleged abuse and torture by Mahdi. In the plea moved in Delhi High Court, the petitioner's lawyer, Subhash Chandran KR told the court that Nimisha Priya, after her sentence by a trial court in 2020, had filed an appeal against the death penalty in an appeal court in Yemen capital. However, the appeal court has upheld the death sentence. "Though another chance of appeal to the Supreme Court still exists, Nimisha Priya is unlikely to be spared the punishment awarded by the lower court for the 2017 murder. The apex court rarely sets aside the verdict of the appeal court as it will only examine if any procedural errors affected the outcome of the case, not its merits. She can hope to come out of the death row even now only if the victim's family accepts blood money and she manages to get relief from legal procedures," the petitioner said. The Respondents herein are well aware of the instant case as the Embassy of India in Yemen engaged a lawyer to contest the appeal before the appeal court after huge outcries made by the petitioner, said the plea. The petitioner mentioned that even after the appeal, judgment whereby the sentence to death is upheld, the negotiations are not started yet with the victim's family. "Neither Nimisha's family members nor the members of the Petitioner organization are able to travel to Yemen for negotiations at present as the respondents have declared a travel ban for Indians to Yemen since 2016," the petitioner said. "In this context, strong and timely interventions of Respondent Indian authorities to facilitate the negotiations are highly warranted considering the current socio-political situations in Yemen. The Petitioner and family of Nimisha are facing serious challenges to deal with the ongoing legal process there. Even the trial court judgment of 2020 has not been received yet. If the family of the victim agreed to pardon her by receiving "blood money" the petitioner is unable to pay the same as financial transactions to Yemen is also restricted by the Indian authorities," the petitioner said. In these circumstances, the petitioner sought to issue direction to the Centre to facilitate diplomatic interventions as well as negotiations with the family of the victim on behalf of Nimisha Priya to save her life by paying blood money in accordance with the law of the land in a time-bound manner. The petitioner also sought to issue direction to respondents to immediately initiate necessary steps for filing a formal appeal before the Supreme Court to save the life of Nimisha Priya in accordance with the law of Yemen and to make necessary arrangements for receiving the money collected or to be collected by the petitioner in India and transfer the same to the account of the family of the victim in Yemen through the official/diplomatic channel if the family of the victim is ready to pardon her by receiving the blood money. (ANI) With the purpose of making farmers self-reliant the government has decided to make agriculture hi-tech in this year's Union Budget. It is a high priority sector for India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The government has made provisions to develop it in a new way by moving beyond traditional farming. From rural housing to chemical-free agriculture, a five-kilometer-wide corridor along the Ganges, and water for irrigation in Bundelkhand through the Ken-Betwa link project, all of this ensures that the Budget caters to the needs of every Indian. A new public-private partnership (PPP) scheme will be launched to deliver digital and high-tech services to farmers. "Kisan Drones" will be used for crop assessment, digitisation of land records and pesticide and nutrient spraying. The implementation of a comprehensive scheme to promote domestic oilseed production has been announced in the Budget. "A sensible and comprehensive plan would be adopted with the goal of enhancing domestic production of oilseeds to minimise our dependence on oilseed imports," said Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. For the agriculture sector, it is a balanced Budget that focuses on strengthening agriculture and farmers with infrastructure promotion, incentives, and technological incentives. Farmers and villages will not only be able to improve their income, but they will also be able to become self-sufficient. The year 2023 has been designated as the Year of Millets by the government. Its objective is to raise awareness about the nutrition and cultivation of coarse cereals in the changing climatic conditions. The minimum support price (MSP) of Rs 2.37 lakh crore will be paid directly into farmers' accounts. Government procurement included in the Budget proposal for the first time. The government's approach is a fitting retort to those who disseminate misinformation about MSP. Chemical-free natural farming will be promoted throughout the country, with a focus on farmers' lands in 5-km wide corridors along the Ganges, at the first stage. The alternative minimum tax payment for cooperatives has been reduced from 18.5 per cent to 15 per cent. (ANI) A health department official, who moved a petition against her suspension order for using a mobile phone at the workplace came up for hearing before the Justice SM Subramaniam. Refusing to go into the issue, Justice Subramanian observed that it has become normal for Government employees to use mobile phones for their personal use during work hours and it is not a good practice. The court has directed the State Government to frame regulations in this regard and initiate action against erring government employees. It has also directed the State Government to file a detailed report in four weeks. (ANI) A Delhi Court on Monday granted bail to ex Municipal Councillor Ishrat Jahan who is an accused in Northeast Delhi riots larger conspiracy case. She was booked under the anti-terror law Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) by the Delhi Police Special cell in connection with the conspiracy of Delhi riots 2020. She was granted bail in 2021 in another FIR registered in 2020. Additional Sessions Judge Amitabh Rawat observed in the order, "The entire conspiracy as spelt out in the charge sheet, as far as it ascribes the role of accused Ishrat Jahan, who is a woman, for the limited purpose of bail application on a prima facie consideration, persuades this court to allow the present application for bail despite the embargoes contained in Cr. P. C. And UAPA." The Court allowed the bail application of Ishrat Jahan on her furnishing of a personal bond of Rs. 50,000/- with two sureties in the like amount subject to certain conditions including that she shall neither leave the jurisdiction of NCT of Delhi without prior permission of the court nor shall she indulge in any kind of criminal activity, cooperate in the investigation and not indulge in any activity influencing the investigation. Advocate Pradeep Teotia, counsel for the accused had argued that Jahan is an advocate and had been a Municipal Councilor from Ghondli, Delhi. She has been falsely implicated in this case out of political vendetta. She was earlier arrested in FIR No. 44/20 lodged at Police Station Jagatpuri in which bail was granted on March 21, 2021, but she was arrested on the same day in the present matter, he argued. The Counsel for the accused further argued that section 43D UAPA only puts restrictions but is not an absolute bar to the grant to the bail. There is no cogent material in the entire charge sheet to prima facie disclose for the commission of a terrorist act or conspiracy or an act preparatory to the commission of a terrorist act. There has been no recovery of any ammunition or firearm from the accused or any reading material propagating violence, stated the Counsel. It was also argued that the accused is not a member of any banned group or organisation or any WhatsApp group. She is not involved in any terrorist act or armed rebellion. There is no video footage or electronic data or recoveries to show the alleged offence against the applicant. She had not led any mob violence nor was she part of any meeting called by accused Amanullah to form the JACT group. The prosecution has failed to show any incriminatory message between the accused and accused Amanullah or Devangana Kalita and the only chat with accused Tasleem which is not incriminatory. It was argued in rebuttal that the prosecution had laid great emphasis on 1,097 calls and messages exchanged between Ishrat and Amanullah. However, on perusal of the charge sheet, only 132 calls (outgoing and incoming) have been brought on record. Out of these 29 calls are zero second calls. Moreover, the prosecution has failed to show any incriminating messages etc. exchanged between Ishrat and Amanullah in order to establish conspiracy regarding riots among them. On the other hand Special Public Prosecutor (SPP) Amit Prasad had argued that in the present case, there are two embargoes on the court while considering the application for bail under Section 437 Cr.P.C. The first limitation is Section 437 Cr. P.C. which circumscribes the jurisdiction of this court in relation to offences carrying punishment upto life imprisonment. The second limitation is the restriction contained in the proviso to Section 43D (5) UAPA. The court is required to record a finding on the basis of broad probabilities after analyzing the entire charge sheet and accompanying documents. A mini-trial cannot be done by dissection of the evidence. It was further argued opposing the bail that individual role is not to be considered in a case of conspiracy where there are multiple accused persons who have done their individual bits in formulating and carrying out the conspiracy. It is not necessary that an individual accused must take part in the commission of each and every one of the conspiratorial acts. Conspiracy is mostly proved by circumstantial evidence. The riots that occurred in Northeast Delhi were not spontaneous outbursts of violence rather it was a criminal act of causing planned violence under a deep-rooted conspiracy. (ANI) Around 5.3 lakh posts are lying vacant in various police stations across the country, Minister of State in the Ministry of Home Affairs Nityanand Rai informed Lok Sabha on Tuesday. Rai, in a written reply to a question by Indhiya Jananayaga Katchi MP Dr T. R. Paarivendhar on vacancies in police stations across the country. Minister of State in the Ministry of Home Affairs Rai in his response said that as per data on Police Organisations compiled by the Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPR&D), sanctioned strength of police is 26,23,225, actual strength is 20,91,488 and 5,31,737 vacancies are there as on January 1, 2020. On being asked regarding the action taken by the government to fill these vacancies and the time by which all these vacant posts are likely to be filled, he replied that "Police" is a State subject falling in List-II (State List) of the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution of India. "It is primarily the responsibility of the State Governments to fill up the vacancies in the police force in their respective States." He added the Centre also issues advisories to the States for filling up these vacancies in the States and to bring in the requisite reforms in the police administration to meet the expectations of the people. "In the States/UTs wise list of sanctioned and actual strength of police as per BRP&D, except the state Nagaland that has 1375 more police personnel then the sanctioned strength, rest of states short fall of their sanctioned strength. In UP over one lakh vacancies of policemen are pending followed by West Bengal (55,294) and Bihar (47,099)." (ANI) The Supreme Court on Tuesday said it will hear tomorrow the plea seeking to cancel bail to Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Ajay Mishra Teni's son Ashish Mishra, who is an accused in the Lakhimpur Kheri incident. A bench headed by Chief Justice of India NV Ramana listed the matter to be heard on Wednesday saying that it will constitute the same bench tomorrow, who was earlier dealing with issues arising out of the Lakhimpur Kheri incident. Meanwhile, advocate Prashant Bhushan, appearing for the petitioner, said that soon one of the prime protected witnesses was brutally attacked, few days after the bail was granted to Ashish Mishra and the alleged attackers also said that now BJP has won the election they will take care of him. Family members of the victims of the Lakhimpur Kheri incident have moved the Supreme Court challenging Allahabad High Court order, which granted bail to Ashish Mishra. In the Special Leave Petition, family members of the deceased have challenged the Allahabad High Court order dated February 10, 2022, wherein Ashish Mishra has granted regular bail. The petitioner said that the Allahabad HC's order is unsustainable in law. They also said that they have approached the Apex Court as the State of Uttar Pradesh has failed to prefer any appeal against the impugned order. "The lack of any discussion in the High Court's order as regards the settled principles for grant of bail is on account of lack of any substantive submissions to this effect by the State as the accused wields substantial influence over the State government as his father is a Union Minister from the same political party that rules the State," read the petition. "The impugned order is unsustainable in eyes of law as there has been no meaningful and effective assistance by the State to the court in the matter contrary to the object of the first Proviso to Section 439 of Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973, which provides that in grave offences notice of bail application should ordinarily be given to the Public Prosecutor," said the petitioner. "Even the victims were prevented from bringing the relevant material as regards the settled principles for grant of bail to notice of High Court as their counsel 'got' disconnected from the hearing on 18.01.2022 before he could barely make any submissions and repeated calls to the court staff to get reconnected were to no avail and application filed by the victims/petitioners, " the petition said. "Contrary to settled law, the High Court failed to form its opinion on the basis of the chargesheet on broad probabilities and has instead gone on the basis of far fetched imaginary possibilities. The observation of the High Court that, "there might be a possibility that the driver tried to speed up the vehicle to save himself, on account of which, the incident had taken place", is perverse especially when there was nothing on record to show the same and there is evidence in fact in the chargesheet to the contrary showing that the vehicles had been dashing at high speeds of 70-100 km/hr from the time they left the venue of the 'dangal'; when they passed the petrol pump; when they crossed the police crossing; all the way to the scene of the crime; and the same has been attested to by various eyewitnesses including police officials on duty," the petition said. The petitioner said that Allahabad High Court has not considered the heinous nature of the crime; the character of the overwhelming evidence against the accused in the chargesheet; position and status of the accused with reference to the victim and witnesses; the likelihood of the accused fleeing from justice and repeating the offence; and the possibility of his tampering with the witnesses and obstructing the course of justice, while granting relief to the accused. (ANI) Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur collaborated to launch a first-of-its-kind robust Risk Surveillance Centre for better monitoring, control and management of the spread of COVID-19 and similar infections in the future. The Centre will help understand the transmission of infection and identify risk factors for infectious diseases through compilation and analysis of data at pre-decided intervals to strengthen interventions by concerned Government departments and agencies, the CII said in a statement. "Established with the support of corporates such as Jubilant Food Works, Jubilant Foundation, DCM Shriram Foundation, National Engineering Industries Ltd, CESC Limited," it said. "The pandemic spread underlined the pressing need for evidence-based strategy and preparedness for formulating public health policies to curtail the spread of and minimise the impact of infectious diseases. It has been established that mathematical forecast models based on health data are reliable for planning future action." As per the CII statement, the Centre will throw up an evidence-based data-driven risk surveillance model or tool to help understand the co-circulation of the COVID-19 infection or other infections based on studies undertaken. The Centre's launch is a step ahead in CII's multi-pronged COVID-19 related interventions for which it has been working closely with the Government and other stakeholders such as local medical authorities and communities, supported by industry. The CII Foundation is implementing this project. "As a CSR collaborative, the project is being supported by multi-industry partners, including the convergence of efforts by stakeholders such as the Government, academic and research bodies, industries, civil society, and people," the statement further reads. Speaking at the online launch of the Centre, Hari S Bhartia, Chairman of CII Task Force on Risk Surveillance, Past President, CII and Co-Chairman and MD Jubilant Pharmova, who conceived the idea of the Centre, said that a virus sees no borders so cooperation on sharing information and data at every level and from everywhere is required to prepare us better for endemics and pandemics. Dr Randeep Guleria, Chairman of CII Public Health Council and Director of AIIMS Delhi, sharing his perspective of public health, said that as we look at prediction models, we must keep in mind several factors such as rapid urbanisation, increased global travel and the rise of zoonotic diseases, amongst other factors. He emphasised the need for such prediction models so that timely action can be taken: there is a pressing need to put more money into research and develop vaccines at a pandemic speed. Dr Guleria shared that while an early warning system has been set up at a global level, there is a need for political will and investment to make it a robust and reliable system. Speaking from a perspective of healthcare preparedness, Dr Naresh Trehan, Chairman, CII Healthcare Council and Chairman and Managing Director Medanta - The Medicity, appreciated the efforts but also posed questions on how the spread of the virus can be prevented and how the virulence of the virus can also be predicted, adding that these are aspects that need to be examined when we look at prediction models. Appreciating the collaborative effort and emphasising the need for larger collaborations, Suchitra Ella, Deputy Chairman of CII Southern Region and Joint Managing Director, Bharat Biotech, said collaborations with institutions and public health foundations and also across regions and countries where such infections are prevalent, would help strengthen the ability to predict, monitor and manage infectious diseases. She also spelt out hope of this Centre encouraging Bio-tech Startups, which will change the ecosystem of managing communicable diseases. "Vaccine research and product development are highly dependent on information about the disease and its spread, so information from the Centre will help enormously, and may also likely contribute to public health systems in developing countries." Making a strong case for risk surveillance, Professor Abhay Karandikar, Director, IIT Kanpur, said surveillance is a crucial reason why the pandemic was handled better in other parts of the world where risk surveillance was good. Professor Manindra Agrawal, Professor, Department of Computer Science and Engineering, IIT Kanpur, under whose guidance the Centre will operate, said that the pilot project would give a very good understanding of critical points where interventions can be made for impact. The studies being undertaken at the Centre should provide good tools for decision-makers to address such pandemics. "The Centre, which has been partially operational since the second wave of Covid hit the country, has undertaken some studies. Based on its findings, two reports were prepared and launched today," the CII said. The first report, Spread of Delta Wave in India, identifies key factors that impacted the spread of the second wave in India, while the second report, Spread of Omicron Wave in the World, presents immunity bypass properties of Omicron and its impact in different countries, it added. (ANI) The Centre has sought clarifications from the Governments of Rajasthan and Manipur on their respective anti-lynching bills, informed Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai on Tuesday in Lok Sabha. Anandpur Sahib Congress MP Manish Tewari had asked whether the Government has been delaying the review consultation process with the bill from Rajasthan Government under inter-ministerial consultation since 2019 and the one from Manipur since 2018. Rai replied that the Government has received "The Rajasthan Protection From Lynching Bill, 2019" and "The Manipur Protection from Mob Violence Bill, 2018". After consultation with the nodal Ministries/Departments, certain clarifications have been sought from the respective Governments. Tewari had also asked whether the National Crimes Records Bureau (NCRB) started collecting data on mob lynching, hate crimes and cow vigilantism, and why the data were not published. The minister replied that in the year 2017, NCRB collected data on cases of mob-lynching, hate crimes etc, but it was observed that the data was unreliable. In a reply to the question of whether it is a fact that there has been a four-fold increase in hate speech incidents between 2015-2020 as recorded in the Crime in India-2020 report by the National Crimes Record Bureau, Rai said that NCRB does not maintain data under heading "hate speech". The question was also asked on whether it is a fact that lynching is not defined as a crime under the Indian Penal Code, Rai replied that yes, it is not defined under IPC. (ANI) This came after Lok Sabha MP Mala Roy asked about the status of having a National Register of Citizens (NRC) for the entire country. Roy also asked when the work related to NRC will be completed along with the status of NRC in Assam. In a written reply, MoS Home Rai said, "Till now, the Government has not taken any decision to prepare National Register of Indian Citizens (NRIC) at the national level." "On the direction of the Supreme Court, the supplementary list of inclusions and the list of exclusions for NRC, Assam have been published on August 31, 2019," he further said. (ANI) \ With 361 people arrested and 54 convicted, Uttar Pradesh has recorded the highest number of arrests and convictions, as compared to other states and Union Territories, under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) in the year 2020, Ministry of Home Affairs informed Lok Sabha on Tuesday. The information was shared by the Minister of State in the Ministry of Home Affairs Nityanand Rai, in a written reply to the question asked by MP Saptagiri Sankar Ulaka from Koraput in Odisha on the total number of under-trial who are in jail under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA), 1967 along with the number of persons denied bail on what grounds. Rai said that as per the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution of India, Police and Public Order are state subjects. "However, the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) compiles the data on crime as reported to it by the States and Union Territories and publishes the same in its annual publication 'Crime in India'. The latest published report is for the year 2020," he replied. On being asked the duration each under-trial UAPA prisoner has been in jail without bail, the Minister replied that specific data regarding the number of persons who were denied bail the duration of each under-trial prisoner in jail without bail, under the UAPA is not maintained by NCRB. As per the NCRB report on the number of persons arrested, persons on bail, persons convicted and persons acquitted under the UAPA in the year 2020, Uttar Pradesh has recorded the highest number of arrested persons followed by Jammu and Kashmir (346) and Manipur (225). "In terms of conviction rate under UAPA, UP has the highest number that is 54 followed by Tamil Nadu 21, Jharkhand 3 and Jammu and Kashmir 2. And people arrested under UAPA but out on bail, the highest number was in Jammu and Kashmir 103, Tamil Nadu 44, Kerala 22 and Manipur 19," Rai said. Further, he informed that the number of arrested persons under UAPA who have been acquitted were highest from Tamil Nadu (50) and followed by Jharkhand (46), Assam (13) and four in Jammu and Kashmir. (ANI) IAS Anurag Verma, Principal Secretary of Home Affairs & Justice Department issued an order advising the residents to follow appropriate COVID behavioural measures. "In exercise of the powers conferred under section 2 of the Epidemic Disease Act, 1897, read with all other enabling provisions of Disaster Management Act, 2005, in supersession of all previous instructions on the subject all COVID-19 related restrictions are removed with immediate effect." However, the residents of the State are advised to follow COVID appropriate behavioural norms," he added. According to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, 4,722 recoveries have been reported in the last 24 hours, taking the total tally to 4,24,46,171 in the country. The recovery rate stands at 98.72 per cent. India's active cases currently stand at 33,917 and are 0.08 per cent of the cumulative caseload. The daily positivity rate is at 0.37 per cent whereas the weekly positivity rate stands at 0.46 per cent. In the last 24 hours, 7,01,773 samples were collected. Meanwhile, 180.40 crore vaccine doses have been administered so far in the country. More than 182.84 crores (1,82,84,94,230) vaccine doses have been provided to States/UTs so far through the Government of India (free of cost channel) and through the direct state procurement category. (ANI) With Holi round the corner, Indore residents are filled with enthusiasm and joy to celebrate the festival of colours without any fear of COVID-19 disease after two years. The festivities have gripped Indore markets, boosting sales of colours, balloons, and water guns (pichkari). Speaking to ANI, Hemlata Suryavanshi, a local shopkeeper said, "We are observing an increase in sales this time as COVID-19 cases decline. However, sales were very less in the past two years. The sales of colours, balloons and water guns are increasing every day." "We're very excited to celebrate Holi without the fear of COVID-19 after two years. We will finally get a chance to come out of our houses and celebrate Holi with our friends," said Vartika, a local resident. Another local resident, Balkrishna said that his family will celebrate Holi out of station for the first time after two years due to COVID-19 infection. "We never celebrated Holi at our home, but have been celebrating the festival at home for the past two years. The government has eased the restrictions now, so we will go somewhere this time," he stated. Holi celebrations for the last two years were under the shadow of the COVID-19 pandemic. The recent relaxations of the COVID-19 guidelines cheered the shopkeepers as the demand soared. Marking the onset of the spring season, Holi is a festival of colours, symbolic of joy and victory of good over evil. (ANI) According to the findings of a new study, anyone can be trained to be creative. The results of the study were published in the journal 'Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences'. Researchers developed a method for training people to be creative, one that shows promise of succeeding far better than current ways of sparking innovation. This new method, based on narrative theory, helps people be creative in the way children and artists are: By making up stories that imagine alternative worlds, shift perspective and generate unexpected actions. The narrative method works by recognizing that we're all creative, said Angus Fletcher, who developed the method and is a professor of English and a member of The Ohio State University's Project Narrative. "We as a society radically undervalue the creativity of kids and many others because we are obsessed with the idea that some people are more creative than others," Fletcher said. "But the reality is that we're just not training creativity in the right way," Fletcher added. Fletcher and Mike Benveniste, also of Project Narrative, discussed the narrative method of training creativity in a just-published article in the Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences. The two researchers successfully used the narrative approach to train members of the U.S. Army's Command and General Staff College. Fletcher wrote a publicly available training guide based on his methods that was tailored to officers and advanced enlisted personnel. They have also worked with the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, the Ohio State College of Engineering and several Fortune 50 companies to teach creativity to their staffs and students. The current foundation of creativity training is the technique known as divergent thinking, which has been in use since the 1950s. It is a "computational approach" to creativity that treats the brain as a logic machine, Fletcher said. It works through exercises designed to, among other things, expand working memory, foster analogical thinking and promote problem-solving. But divergent thinking hasn't delivered the results that many hoped for, Fletcher said. A major issue is that its computational approach relies on data and information about the problems and successes of the past. "What it can't do is help prepare people for new challenges that we know little about today. It can't come up with truly original actions," Fletcher said. "But the human brain's narrative machinery can." The narrative method of training for creativity uses many of the techniques that writers use to create stories. One is to develop new worlds in your mind. For example, employees at a company might be asked to think about their most unusual customer - then imagine a world in which all their customers were like that. How would that change their business? What would they have to do to survive? Another technique is perspective-shifting. An executive at a company might be asked to answer a problem by thinking like another member of their team. The point of using these techniques and others like them is not that the scenarios you dream up will actually happen, Fletcher said. "Creativity isn't about guessing the future correctly. It's about making yourself open to imagining radically different possibilities," he said. "When you do that, you can respond more quickly and nimbly to the changes that do occur." Fletcher noted that the narrative approach of training creativity through telling stories resembles how young children are creative - and research shows that young children are more imaginatively creative than adults. But the ability of children to perform creative tasks drops after four or five years of schooling, according to studies. That's when children begin intensive logical, semantic and memory training. The narrative approach to creativity can help people unlock the creativity they may have stopped using as they progressed through school, Fletcher said. One advantage for organizations that train employees to be creative is that they no longer need to strive to hire "creative people," he said. "Trying to hire creative people causes problems because the people that leaders identify as creative are almost always people just like themselves. So it promotes conformity instead of originality," Fletcher said. "It's better to hire a diverse group of people and then train them to be creative. That creates a culture that recognizes that there are already creative people in your organization that you aren't taking advantage of," he added. While this narrative method of creativity training has already been received positively, Fletcher and his colleagues have started a more formal evaluation. They are conducting randomized controlled trials of the creativity curriculum on more than 600 U.S. Army majors who are part of the Command and General Staff College. They are also continuing to work with new organizations, such as the Worthington Local School District in Ohio. "Teaching creativity is one of the most useful things you can do in the world, because it is just coming up with new solutions to solve problems," he said. (ANI) Karnataka High Court today dismissed various petitions challenging a ban on Hijab in education institutions and said that wearing a Hijab is not an essential religious practice of Islam. "Karnataka High Court gave its judgment on Hijab today and it should be welcomed. The dress code of school or college must be followed by everyone of any religion," Singh said while addressing a program "Women Transforming India" in Delhi. During the program, Singh cited various examples of Indian women shining in different sectors like Mary Kom, PV Sindhu, Falguni Nayak and Leena Tiwari. "There is no sector left which does not have women participation like Mary Kom, PV Sindhu in sports. Falguni Nayak, Leena Tiwari gave their companies a worldwide name. A 23-year-old girl launched her startup after giving up Rs 1 crore job package," the minister said. He further informed that the number of startups has witnessed a huge increase from 500 to 60,000 since 2014. Singh also asserted that the participation of women will boost the Indian Army. (ANI) People who used to claim that Kashmir would burn after the abrogation of Article 370 -- a temporary provision in the Indian Constitution -- have stopped talking as a common man in Kashmir has endorsed the Centre's decision with heart and soul. The participation of the common man in the development process has left the critics speechless. Now, they don't even talk about reversing the clock as most people in Jammu and Kashmir are happy and content. Prior to the abrogation of Article 370, setting up a business unit in Jammu and Kashmir for a common man used to be a Herculean task. Only the influential could establish industries and other profit-making ventures. People close to men in power were considered a privileged lot and the youth, who carried no tag, were not even entertained. In "Naya JnK" no one needs any tag or recommendation. The business ventures are approved on merit. The laws and rules are the same for everyone. During the past 2-years, as many as 890 Central laws have become applicable in Jammu and Kashmir. The steps taken by the Centre have brought common citizens closer to the system. They have understood that they were misled for the past 70-years. There is a difference between raising slogans and providing good governance. The present regime is working hard to empower the Kashmiri youths. The schemes that have been launched for them are a comprehensive package aimed at making them self-reliant. The energies of young people are being channelled in a positive manner. The Prime Minister's Office and the Ministry of Home Affairs are monitoring each and every move. The helmsmen in Jammu and Kashmir have been told in clear terms that a common man is a priority and he cannot be ignored. The new avenues are helping youth to explore the options, which they had not even imagined two years ago. The young minds that were polluted by the terrorist bosses sitting across the Line of Control (LoC) are no more falling into the trap of radicalism. They are not getting carried away by false propaganda, which used to be the biggest tool for the unscrupulous elements. Most youths have realized that "Azadi" and Pakistan were illusions created by a handful of people to fill their coffers. The shops that used to sell dreams stand closed as these are finding no customers. Jammu and Kashmir youths, by grabbing the opportunities, have rejected the stones and guns. They have proven beyond doubt that they were waiting for a chance to build their careers but were left in the lurch by the ones whom they reposed their faith on. Now, if youths want to do something, they just have to share their idea with the departments concerned. Jammu and Kashmir is witnessing such a type of governance for the first time in the past 70-years. From micro-units to big industries, youth can dream of anything. They are no longer running after government jobs. They are aware that being an entrepreneur is not that difficult in "Naya JnK" and if they show sincerity the helmsmen would provide them with all possible assistance to stand on their own feet. The youths of Jammu and Kashmir are becoming independent and are emerging as role models for Generation-Next. The bold steps taken by the Centre show that sincere steps are a way forward and youth are a driving force. (ANI) Following Karnataka High Court's decision to uphold the ban on Hijab in educational institutes in the state, a plea has been moved in the Supreme Court challenging its order. The plea has been moved against Karnataka HC's order dismissing various pleas challenging the ban on Hijab in educational institutes. The petitioner, through his plea, has submitted that the High Court has erred in creating a dichotomy of freedom of religion and freedom of conscience wherein the court has inferred that those who follow a religion can not have the right to conscience. Earlier today, the AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi expressed disagreement with Karnataka High Court's judgement on Hijab and had hoped that petitioners would appeal before the SC. Calling the High Court's decision a violation of the fundamental rights to freedom of religion, culture, expression and Article 15, Owaisi had said that it will have a negative impact on Muslim women. "Modernity is not about eschewing religious practices. What is the problem if one wears the hijab?" Owaisi had questioned. Students of a college in Chennai also staged a protest against the Karnataka High Court's verdict today. Meanwhile, Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai had also urged the students to focus on education, saying "it is a question of fate and education of our children". Notably, the Karnataka High Court today held that the prescription of uniform is a reasonable restriction that students could not object to and dismissed various petitions challenging a ban on Hijab in education institutions. The High Court, while upholding the Karnataka government's order which directs strict enforcement of school and college uniform rules, had dismissed petitions challenging the Hijab ban saying that they are without merit. In its order, Karnataka High Court observed that the Holy Quran does not mandate the wearing of the hijab, and stated that it is a cultural practice and is used as apparel as a measure of social security. The court said that the Quran shows concern for the cases of 'molestation of innocent women' and therefore, it recommended wearing of this and other apparel as a measure of social security. Maybe in the course of time, some elements of religion permeated into this practice as ordinarily happens in any religion. "However, that per se does not render the practice predominantly religious and much less essential to the Islamic faith," the court said. Further, it was observed that the hijab imbroglio gives scope for the argument that some "unseen hands" are at work to engineer social unrest and disharmony. The Hijab row had erupted in January this year when the Government PU College in Udupi allegedly barred six girls wearing the hijab from entering. Following this, the girls sat in protest outside the college over being denied entry. After this, boys of several colleges in Udupi started attending classes wearing saffron scarves. This protest spread to other parts of the state as well leading to protests and agitations in several places in Karnataka. As a result, the Karnataka government said that all students must adhere to the uniform and banned both hijab and saffron scarves till an expert committee decided on the issue. On February 5, the pre-University education board released a circular stating that the students can only wear the uniform approved by the school administration and no other religious attire will be allowed in colleges. The order stated that in case a uniform is not prescribed by management committees, then students should wear dresses that go well with the idea of equality and unity, and does not disturb the social order. A batch of petitions was filed against the government's rule in the Karnataka High Court by some girls seeking permission to wear the hijab in educational institutions. A bench of Karnataka High Court comprising Chief Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi, Justice Krishna S Dixit, and Justice JM Khazi heard the petitions challenging the government rule on dress code. On February 10, the high court issued an interim order stating that said students should not wear any religious attire to classes till the court issues the final order. The hearings related to the Hijab case concluded on February 25 and the court had reserved its judgement. (ANI) US e-commerce giant Amazon on Tuesday told the Supreme Court that there were talks for settlement between Amazon and Future Group but there has been no headway in the mediation proceedings on the assets of Future Retail Ltd (FRL). A bench of Chief Justice of India NV Ramana and Justices AS Bopanna and Hima Kohli was informed by senior advocate Gopal Subramanium, who was appearing for Amazon, that even as the top court had ordered to keep hands off, FRL stores "have been taken over" by Reliance. "Nothing can happen through conciliation, we tried but nothing can happen," Subramanian told the bench. He also complained that even when proceedings are pending before different forums the FRL shops "have been taken over by Reliance and not only has Reliance taken over, it has also come in public disclosure". "When an order was passed by Emergency Arbitrator, Reliance had made a filing with stock exchange to say that they will enforce their obligations as far as the Future Group is concerned," Subramanium said. The senior advocate further submitted that he doesn't don't want a message to go that orders of court can be happily flouted. Senior advocate Harish Salve, appearing for Future Group, submitted that no assets have been transferred and the stores have been taken over by Reliance. He said that not a single store has been surrendered, Reliance came and overnight removed the boards as law permits. "We have been saying from day one that Amazon is driving us to our knees, they have done it, we are broke. We have no money to fight it," he added. Salve submitted that Future Group has been unable to pay the rent for over two years and the landlords are therefore terminating its leases. "We had no money to pay them, which is what we have been telling all forums. Reliance signed up with the landlords. We were in no position to pay. Rents have not been paid for two years. We are broke, we have no money," Salve added. He further said the shop takeover started 15 days ago. "We have no control if Reliance is acting outside this litigation. Reliance is taking over and we can't do anything. We haven't signed anywhere. In fact, Biyani went and protested." Senior Advocate Mukul Rohatgi appeared for Future Coupons Limited. The apex court said it will hear arguments further on Wednesday. On March 3, Amazon proposed before the Supreme Court to have an informal dialogue with the Future Group to settle the ongoing dispute between the parties amicably. Amazon.com NV Investment Holdings LLC and FRL are embroiled in a legal fight over FRL's Rs 24,713 crore merger deal with Reliance Retail. Amazon has been opposing the Future group's decision to go ahead with the merger deal of FRL with Reliance Retail. It got the Emergency Award of the Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SIAC) in its favour which restrained Future group from going ahead with the merger deal. (ANI) Dakota graduated from Bret Harte in 2013 and went to Davidson College, NC where she earned a bachelor's degree in Arab studies. After spending time studying in the Middle East and Europe, she is happy to be home, writing about the community she loves. 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. A Delhi Court on Tuesday denied interim bail to Shahrukh Pathan, an accused in Jafrabad firing case during Northeast Delhi violence. Pathan had sought 20 days interim bail on the ground of angiography of his father. However, the court has granted him custody parole for taking him to GB Pant Hospital for attending the coronary angiography of his father. Additional Sessions Judge Amitabh Rawat dismissed the application moved by Shahrukh Pathan seeking interim bail considering the stage of evidence and given the past conduct of the accused. However, considering the medical grounds shown and his presence at the time of the stent/coronary angiography to be conducted of his father, custody parole is being granted to the accused on March 22, 2022. The court observed, "The accused is involved in the present case and charges have been framed against him and the case is fixed for prosecution evidence and public witness is yet to be examined. It is also noted that after the commissioning of offenses, the accused had absconded and was apprehended from Shamli in Uttar Pradesh by officials of the Crime Branch." The court also noted that the medical document as verified shows that it is not a surgery of the father of the accused Sabir Ali which has been proposed but an elective coronary angiography, which is not critical in nature. The counsel for the accused had submitted that the father of the accused is 65 years old and has been suffering from various ailments and the doctor has advised for coronary angiography with a stent as arteries are blocked and date of surgery is fixed on March 19, 2022. The presence of the accused is required during pre and post-surgery. He is not likely to tamper with the evidence or influence the witnesses. On the other hand, Special Public Prosecutor (SPP) opposed the application stating that the father of the accused was not admitted to GB Pant Hospital. He is being treated as an outpatient. He has planned for elective coronary angiography on March 22, 2022 which is not critical in nature and is planned on an elective basis. (ANI) General officer Commanding (GoC) of Srinagar-based 15 Corps Lieutenant General D P Pandey, on Monday, inaugurated Computer Centre and Nursing Home at Kupwara in North Kashmir. He stated that north Kashmir's Kupwara district has borne the brunt of violence over the past many decades but now, the district is almost free from the scourge of militancy. "Kupwara was the worst hit by militancy and violence. But today, and for the past few years, the district is peaceful and people are living in a peaceful atmosphere as they have rejected the violence. This area was once a hotbed of militancy but of late, people of this place are enjoying the peace," Pandey told reporters during his visit to Kuna, Trehgam area of the northern district of Kupwara post-inauguration. He also interacted with students and locals of the area. The officer said that there is an atmosphere of peace prevailing in the entire Kashmir and the security grid is fully prepared to deal with any situation. "Operations are being carried out wherever we get inputs of militants hiding, " he said, adding that "but it was the collective responsibility of the society to prevent killings of security forces personnel who come to their homes on leave and also to stop youth from treading the wrong path." "On the LoC, we are alert to foil all possible infiltration bids," he said. He said that local militant recruitment was much less this year compared to previous years. The officer also praised the people of Kunan-Poshpora village for empowering their daughters by educating them. He said the people of Kupwara have suffered the worst situation but now, they are allowing both their sons and daughters to realise their dreams which were not possible a decade ago. Gulzar Ahmad, in charge of the computer centre, said, "Initially, we have started 4 centres here in collaboration with the army. These centres will be functional from today, as per the guidelines of the Ministry of Civil Development. We have appointed the trainers here as well." The local students lauded this step taken by the Indian army. A nursing student, Afroza Jan said, "Earlier, we had to travel to Srinagar for the training, we are thankful to the army and the government for providing us with these centres." Nida Ashraf, another nursing student said, "There are no proper hospital facilities in the village but with these training centres, we can provide medical help to the people." (ANI) The Union Ministry of Finance on Monday informed the House that as many as seven cases are being probed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in which "cryptocurrency has been used for money laundering", wherein the agency has also seized assets worth Rs 135 crore. It was also informed that in 2020, the ED had also arrested one person accused of facilitating companies to launder Proceeds of Crime (PoC) by converting it into cryptocurrency and thereafter transferring it to foreign countries. In a written reply, Minister of State in the Ministry of Finance, Pankaj Chaudhary said, "Reports have been received from Law Enforcement Agencies (LEAs) in connection with usage of cryptocurrency by cybercriminals. Directorate of Enforcement (ED) is investigating seven cases under Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002 in which cryptocurrency has been used for Money Laundering." The MoS informed that the cases investigated by the ED under PMLA have revealed that the accused have laundered Proceeds of Crime (PoC) through cryptocurrency. Investigations conducted by Enforcement Directorate, so far, revealed that some foreign nationals and their Indian associates have laundered the PoC through cryptocurrency accounts at certain exchange platforms. "In one such case, an accused has been arrested by the ED in the year 2020 for facilitating the foreign-related accused companies to launder the PoC by converting money generated out of crime into cryptocurrency and thereafter transferring to foreign countries," the MoS informed. A prosecution complaint has been filed in this case before the Special Court, PMLA. "So far, ED has attached PoC amounting to Rs. 135 Crore (approximately) under PMLA in the above-mentioned cases," Chaudhary said. On the question of the government's policy to check misleading advertisements on cryptocurrency, Chaudhary said that the Centre and the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), to protect the interest of consumer/investors, have been cautioning users, holders and traders of cryptocurrency, from time to time, about the potential economic, financial, operational, legal, customer protection and security related risks associated in dealing with cryptocurrency. (ANI) Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao on Tuesday slammed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over the Hijab controversy in Karnataka for raking up the issue to allegedly create tensions. "What does the government have to do with who wears what? Why the hijab controversy? Why are you charging up the atmosphere?," said Rao in the state assembly. Karnataka High Court today dismissed several petitions challenging the ban on Hijab in education institutions and said that wearing a Hijab is not an essential religious practice of Islam. It held that the prescription of uniform is a reasonable restriction that students could not object to and dismissed petitions challenging a ban on Hijab in education institutions. The Hijab row erupted in January this year when the Government PU College in Udupi allegedly barred six girls wearing hijab from entering the college. Following this, the girls sat in protest outside the college over being denied entry. After this, boys of several colleges in Udupi started attending classes wearing saffron scarves. This protest spread to other parts of the state leading to a massive uproar. As a result, the Karnataka government said that all students must adhere to the uniform and it banned both hijab and saffron scarves. On February 5, the pre-University education board released a circular stating that the students can only wear the uniform approved by the school administration and no other religious attire will be allowed in colleges. (ANI) Punjab Chief Minister-designate Bhagwant Mann will take oath as CM on Wednesday at Khatar Kalan, the birthplace of legendary freedom fighter Bhagat Singh. Through a video released on Twitter on Sunday, Mann announced his oath-taking ceremony date and invited the people of Punjab to attend the ceremony at Khatkar Kalan. "On March 16, in Bhagat Singh's Khatkar Kalan, not just Bhagwant Mann will take the oath and become CM, but along with me all three crore people of Punjab will also become CM. Together we will make Shaheed Bhagat Singh's Rangla Punjab," wrote Mann. Further addressing the people he said, "This government will be your own government. On March 16, I request all of you to be present at the ceremony at 10 am in Khatkar Kalan to support your brother." The swearing-in ceremony of Bhagwant Mann will be a low-profile event with the absence of big political leaders. Mann has invited Delhi Chief Minister and AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal to the oath-taking ceremony. According to AAP sources, apart from Kejriwal, no other Chief Minister of any state will be present in the swearing-in of Bhagwant Mann. Similarly, no Union Minister or any big leader of the national level has been invited for this oath-taking ceremony. Only AAP leaders and local leaders of Punjab will be present at the swearing-in ceremony. Sources said current caretaker Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi has also not been invited to the swearing-in ceremony of Mann. However, all 117 MLAs have been invited to the ceremony. Further, the family and people close to Bhagwant Mann have been invited. These include several artists associated with Punjab. Meanwhile, an area of nearly 100 acres is being used for the ceremony in Khatkar Kalan in Shaheed Bhagat Singh (SBS) Nagar district on March 16. Speaking to ANI, A Venu Prasad, Additional Chief Secretary to Punjab Government, said four-five lakh people are expected to attend the event. "A seating arrangement for 1 lakh people has been done. More seats are being placed. The venue will be of 100 acres area--50 acres for the main event and 50 acres for parking," he said. He also said that a travel advisory will be issued for the day for the general public in view of the ceremony. On the security of the event, he said, 8,000 to 10,000 police personnel will be deployed. "DGP has said that more security personnel will be provided if needed," Sarangal added. "As per protocol, three stages will be set up. There would be a total of eight parking places - divided into different sectors," he said. Speaking about his governing skills, Mann earlier said, "We know how to run the administration. I have been a member of this (Lok Sabha) House for seven years. People have re-elected our government in Delhi. We have the experience," said Mann. "Many veteran politicians have lost the elections, and new people have won. I am sure new ideas will come in the state. There will be out of the box thinking in this government," he added. Mann tendered his resignation from the membership of Lok Sabha to Speaker Om Birla on Monday. On his last day in the House as an MP, Mann told ANI, "I will miss this House. Punjab has given me a huge responsibility. I promise to the people of Sangrur that a bold voice for them will echo soon in this House." Mann, who was contesting from Dhuri assembly constituency in Sangrur district, won by a margin of 58,206 votes over Congress' Dalvir Singh Goldy. Earlier, AAP registered a landslide victory in the Punjab polls with 92 seats, pushing most of its rivals to the margins. Congress won 18 seats in the 117-member Assembly. (ANI) The Supreme Court had granted him bail. Speaking to mediapersons outside the jail premises, Perarivalan and his mother Arputham Ammal thanked everyone "who stood with them in their fight for justice". Arputham Ammal said, "This is an important phase in the 31 years of fight for justice. This bail is an interim relief and my fight will continue with your support until my son and all other prisoners - in this case - are released from jail." She also thanked the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, M.K. Stalin, Opposition leader and former Chief Minister, Edappady K. Palaniswami, and other "who stood by her". Perarivalan's mother said, "I would like to recall the name of Sengodi (who had immolated herself against the capital punishment awarded to Rajiv Gandhi assassination convicts including Perarivalan), who gave her life for the cause and I do thank the media, lawyers, and human rights activists at this moment." She said that she and Perarivalan will "meet everyone who stood by them". Perarivalan was arrested in June 1991 and served 31 years of prison term. Justices Nageswar Rao and B.R. Gavai of the Supreme Court had granted him bail taking note of the petition by Perarivalan's lawyers that he had served more than 30 years in prison. --IANS aal/shs ( 246 Words) 2022-03-15-19:06:04 (IANS) The Delhi High Court on Tuesday asked the city police to probe without influence from any side into the incident in which a 23-year-old youth Faizan was forced to sing 'Vande Mataram' during the 2020 riots. The youth had later succumbed to the injuries sustained during the violence. "The Court has no ground to disbelieve the highest officer of the police, your IPS rank officer. You are responsible person but I am directing you, without influence from any side, you have to investigate the matter as per the mandate of CrPC as well as Delhi Police Rules and Regulations," the bench said. During the course of the hearing, Advocate Vrinda Grover, appearing for petitioner Kismatun, the mother of the deceased youth, pointed out the large number of injuries in post mortem. In the last couple of hearings, the court had pulled up Delhi Police over the nearly two years delay in the investigation of the incident. In one of the hearings, the bench of Justice Mukta Gupta had come down heavily on the delay of the Delhi Police, saying: "You have done your level best? These were five children who were assaulted. One has died and four are surviving. It is an offence of murder, right? In this case, you have not taken the help of eyewitnesses but gone around the world." The video of the incident, showing the injured youth, identified as Faizan, lying on the ground as some uniformed men forced him to sing 'Vande Mataram' and the national anthem, had gone viral during the riots. The riots broke out in northeast Delhi in February 2020 after clashes between anti-CAA (Citizenship Amendment Act) and pro-CAA protesters took a violent turn. The mayhem, which coincided with then US President Donald Trump's maiden trip to India, saw over 50 people lose their lives. --IANS jw/skp/ ( 320 Words) 2022-03-15-19:24:01 (IANS) The Supreme Court on Tuesday stayed the Centre's ban, on national security grounds, on Malayalam TV news channel Media One A bench headed by Justice D.Y. Chandrachud said: "At the present stage, we are of the view that a case for the grant of interim relief has been made out on behalf of the petitioners having due regard to the contents of the files which have been perused by the Court." The bench, also comprising Justices Surya Kant and Vikram Nath, added: "We accordingly order and direct that pending further orders, the order of the Union government dated January 31, 2022 revoking the security clearance which was granted to the petitioner, Madhyamam Broadcasting Limited, shall remain stayed." The bench allowed the petitioners to continue operating the news and current affairs TV channel called Media One on the same basis on which the channel was being operated immediately prior to the revocation of the clearance on January 31, 2022. Senior advocate Dushyant A. Dave, representing the TV channel, assailed the approach of the Kerala High Court in declining to disclose the contents of the files to the petitioners. He pressed the application for interim relief and submitted that there is no objection to the top court perusing the files. During the course of the hearing, the bench examined the files. Additional Solicitors General K.M. Nataraj and S.V. Raju represented the Centre before the top court. The bench asked the Centre to file a counter-affidavit on or before March 30, 2022. The bench said: "The issue as to whether the contents of the files should be disclosed to the petitioners in order to enable them to effectively pursue their challenge in these proceedings is expressly kept open to be resolved before the petitions are taken up for final disposal. The files shall be produced in the Court on the next date of listing." "We clarify that perusal of the files by the Court at this stage is not an expression on the tenability of the contentions of the petitioners that they would be entitled to inspect the files. The issue is kept open to be resolved at the stage of the final disposal." The top court has scheduled the matter for further hearing on April 7. On March 10, the Supreme Court on Thursday issued notice on a plea by the Malayalam news channel Media One challenging the Kerala High Court order, which upheld Centre's decision to not renew its telecast licence on national security grounds. Media One had moved the top court after a division bench of the high court comprising Chief Justice S. Manikumar and Justice Shaji P. Chali noted when certain issues with respect to the security of the state are concerned, the government is at liberty to decline to renew the permission granted, without disclosing the complete reasons for the non-renewal. The high court on March 2 dismissed the appeals filed by the channel's management and journalists challenging a February 9 single-bench order, which refused to lift the ban. --IANS ss/vd ( 517 Words) 2022-03-15-20:00:02 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday interacted with the stakeholders of 'Operation Ganga', under which about 23,000 Indian citizens and 147 foreign nationals belonging to 18 countries were evacuated from war-torn Ukraine. During the interaction, representatives of the Indian community and private sector in Ukraine, Poland, Slovakia, Romania and Hungary narrated their experiences of being part of Operation Ganga, the challenges they faced, and expressed their sense of satisfaction and honour at having contributed to such a complex humanitarian operation. According to the Prime Minister's Office, Modi expressed his warm appreciation for the Indian community leaders, volunteer groups, companies, private individuals and government officials who worked for the success of the evacuation missions. "He praised the patriotic fervour, the sense of community service, and the team spirit displayed by all the stakeholders involved in Operation Ganga. The Prime Minister especially praised the various community organisations, pointing out that their selfless service exemplifies the Indian civilisational values that they continue to embody even in foreign shores," the PMO said. Speaking about the efforts made by the government to ensure the safety of Indian nationals during the crisis, the Prime Minister recalled his personal interactions with leaders of Ukraine and its neighbouring countries, and expressed gratitude for the support received from all the foreign governments. Reiterating the high priority that the government attaches to the safety of Indians abroad, the Prime Minister said that India has always acted with alacrity to assist its citizens during any international crisis. --IANS uj/arm ( 258 Words) 2022-03-15-21:12:03 (IANS) The Department of Fisheries has no proposal for providing a weather-based index insurance scheme to cover the loss suffered by the fishing community due to adverse climatic changes, the Parliament was told on Tuesday. However, there is a scheme that provides for insurance for normal circumstances, Fisheries, Animal Husbandry, and Dairying Minister Parshottam Rupala told the Lok Sabha in a written reply. Be it inland fisheries or marine, the changing climatic conditions have posed multiple hazards, including increasing instances of floods and cyclones, for fisher folks over the years. The draft National Fisheries Policy does recommend insurance of life, craft and gear and other assets of fishers from the vagaries of nature, he said. On what the government does for the fishing community, the Minister said that the Department is implementing a flagship scheme, the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) with the highest-ever investment of Rs 20,050 crore for a period of five years with effect from 2020-21 to 2024- 25 across India. The PMMSY provides livelihood and nutritional support for socio-economically backward active traditional fishers' families during the fishing ban/lean period under which governmental financial assistance at the rate of Rs 1,500 per month is paid for three months annually. This comes from Rs 3,000 per annum provided to each enrolled beneficiary along with beneficiary contribution of Rs 1,500 annually. The PMMSY also provides support for insurance to fishers and insurance premium subvention for fishing vessels under its Centrally Sponsored scheme component. Insurance coverage for fisher folks includes Rs 5,00,000 against accidental death or permanent total disability, Rs 2,50,000 for permanent partial disability and insurance coverage for hospitalisation expenses in the event of accident for a sum of Rs 25,000, the Minister said. --IANS niv/vd ( 299 Words) 2022-03-15-21:16:02 (IANS) Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan speaks at a news conference on Feb. 8, 2022, in Annapolis, Md. More than two years before the next presidential election, a shadow primary has begun to take shape among no fewer than three fierce Republican critics of former President Donald Trump to determine who is best positioned to occupy the anti-Trump lane in what could be a crowded 2024 presidential field. (AP Photo/Brian Witte, File) (Brian Witte/AP) Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan is planning trips to Iowa and New Hampshire. Rep. Adam Kinzinger, a Republican from Illinois, is considering a rough timeline for a potential presidential announcement. And allies of Rep. Liz Cheney, a Wyoming Republican, are openly talking up her White House prospects. More than two years before the next presidential election, a shadow primary is already beginning to take shape among at least three fierce Republican critics of former President Donald Trump to determine who is best positioned to occupy the anti-Trump lane in 2024. Advertisement Their apparent willingness to run even if Trump does, as is widely expected represents a shift from previous years when Never Trump operatives failed to recruit any GOP officeholders to challenge the incumbent president. But with the 2024 contest almost in view, the question is no longer whether one of Trumps prominent Republican critics will run, but how many will mount a campaign and how soon they will announce. Those close to Cheney, Hogan and Kinzinger expect one of them, if not more, to launch a presidential bid after the 2022 midterms. While all three are nationally known to some degree, their goal would not necessarily be to win the presidency. Above all, they want to hinder Trumps return to the White House, at least compared with 2020, when his allies cleared the field of any Republican opponents and persuaded some states to cancel primary contests altogether. Advertisement Its there as an option, but its not necessarily because this is all some big plan so I can be in the White House, Kinzinger told The Associated Press when asked about his timeline for deciding on a presidential run. Its looking and saying, Is there going to be a voice out there that can represent from that megaphone the importance of defending this country and democracy and what America is about? There certainly, Im sure within the next year or so, will be a point at which you have to make a decision. If its not me doing anything, certainly well be all in for whoever can represent us, Kinzinger said. Republican primary voters are expected to have other options. Several former Trump loyalists who have emerged as on-again, off-again Trump critics are also eyeing the GOPs next presidential nomination. Among them: former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, former Vice President Mike Pence, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley. But most in this group have offered Trump far more praise than criticism, leaving the likes of Cheney, Hogan and Kinzinger as the only consistent Trump antagonists in the 2024 conversation. The range of prospects suggests an openness within the GOP to move past Trump and his divisive politics, even as many Republican voters suggest they would like to see him run a third time. About 7 in 10 Republicans said the former president should run for president again in 2024, according to a CBS poll last month. Among the most common reasons they cited: Hes the best Republican candidate and has the best chance of winning. Lest anyone question his intentions, Trump told thousands of supporters Saturday night in South Carolina, We may have to run again. He remains the most popular figure among Republican voters and plans to use the upcoming midterms to keep bending the party in his direction. He was in South Carolina, for instance, to support GOP rivals to two incumbent members of Congress who have crossed him. But those close to Cheney, Hogan and Kinzinger insist a significant number of less vocal Republican voters are eager to move past Trump, especially after he inspired the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. After all, 10 Republican representatives voted to impeach Trump and seven Republican senators subsequently voted to convict him. Advertisement There is a large and growing lane of Republicans and Americans across the political spectrum who are fed up with toxic politics and want to move in a new direction, Hogan told the AP. While Im focused on finishing my term as governor strong, Im going to continue to stand up and be a voice for getting our party and our country back on the right track. For now, Cheney, Hogan and Kinzinger remain friendly and in semi-regular contact. The 65-year-old, term-limited Hogan will leave office at the end of the year. He already decided against a 2022 Senate campaign, rebuffing an aggressive lobbying effort from Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell. He said he saw himself as an executive more than a legislator. Kinzinger, among 10 Republican House members who voted to impeach Trump, chose not to seek reelection after his district was redrawn in the Democrats favor. Only Cheney, who also voted to impeach, is running to retain her seat in this falls midterms, although she is no lock to win her primary election in August. Trump is pushing hard for Cheneys defeat. And while her allies indicate she is focused on her reelection, its an open secret that she is seriously considering a presidential run once the 2022 race is decided. By some measures, the 55-year-old daughter of former Vice President Dick Cheney has the strongest national profile. Cheney is building a national fundraising network, as demonstrated by a $7.1 million fundraising haul in 2021, among the most in the nation for any House member. Advertisement Wyoming state Rep. Landon Brown, a Cheney ally, said this network will allow her to compete on a national scale. Of a Cheney presidential run, he said, I dont see any reason it wouldnt happen. Shes opened up the door across the country by standing up on a national platform that bridges that middle gap of the people that were frustrated on both the left and the right, Brown said. I dont think it would be easy, but she would be a formidable candidate, for sure. Cheney has encouraged 2024 speculation by delivering prominent speeches about the future of the Republican Party in recent months, including a November address in New Hampshire, which typically hosts the first presidential primary election. Meanwhile, both Hogan and Kinzinger are building political organizations that could serve as vehicles to promote their presidential ambitions after they leave office early next year. Hogans advocacy group, America United, has millions in the bank, according to an adviser. To strengthen his network, Hogan is planning to travel to Iowa and New Hampshire the first and second states on the traditional presidential primary calendar to stump for local candidates in coming months. Hogan is working to help Trumps loudest Republican critics in other states as well. Advertisement Afternoon Update Weekdays Updating you on the day's biggest news before the evening commute. > Hogan had lunch last week with Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey, who has refused to embrace Trumps lies about the 2020 election. Hogan also plans to host events for Sen. Lisa Murkowski, a Republican from Alaska, and Rep. David Valadao, a California Republican. He voted to impeach Trump for inspiring the Jan. 6 insurrection while Murkowski voted for Trumps conviction. Kinzingers outside group, Country First, now claims chapters in 38 states and a growing fundraising base. The 44-year-old Illinois congressman, a lieutenant colonel in the Air National Guard, plans to spend much of the year working to defeat Republicans in the midterms who promote Trumps false claims of voter fraud. Last month, he announced a plan to encourage Democrats and independents to cast ballots in Republican primaries when possible to oust pro-Trump candidates. Kinzinger said he would even consider a 2024 run as an independent if thats the best way to stop Trump, although he prefers to stay a Republican. This country is built really for two parties, like it or love it or hate it, he told the AP. Never rule anything out. But my hope would be to be able to find the salvation of the GOP. Advertisement Associated Press reporters Mead Gruver in Cheyenne, Wyoming, and Meg Kinnard in Florence, South Carolina, contributed to this article. Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel has expressed deep condolences to the bereaved families and announced ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh each for kin of deceased and Rs 50,000 each for the injured. According to the police, the accident took place near Joba, around 8 kilometres from Gariaband, when the victims, all from Majarkatta, were returning from a function at Mohlai village. Vishwadeep Yadav, Sub Divisional Magistrate, Gariaband said, "The tractor-trolley collided with a truck while taking a turn. The collision left the tractor-trolley in two parts. The driver had to be removed from the tractor-trolley with the help of JCB machine." Yadav further added, "Five people died in the accident and 17 were injured, 14 of whom have been referred to another hospital for further treatment." The entire staff of the administration including Superintendent of Police (SP) JR Thakur, Additional SP, Additional Collector and SDM reached the spot and arrangements were made for immediate assistance of Rs 2,000 to the families of the injured. (ANI) The findings of a recent mathematical analysis, of tipping in large, spatially heterogeneous systems, which natural systems like ice sheets, lakes, and forests often are, suggest that the consequences of crossing a tipping point might often be much subtler and less severe than generally assumed. The study by Dr Robbin Bastiaansen et al. from Utrecht University, The Netherlands has been published in 'Environmental Research Letters'. In most scientific works on tipping points in the Earth system, as well as in public discussions, it is often assumed that tipping leads to catastrophic and irreversible changes for the whole system. But in the paper, titled Fragmented tipping in a spatially heterogeneous world, it is argued that such a view is based on too simplistic modelling. The authors reveal that when spatial heterogeneity is added to the simulations, the severity of hitting a tipping point seems to strongly depend on the spatial size and heterogeneity of the system. This means that in large, heterogeneous, systems tipping might often instead lead to minor, stepwise, and even reversible changes. Many climate sub-systems, such as ocean current systems, ice sheets, and large biotopes like rain forests, are indeed large and spatially heterogeneous. The finding can be illustrated with a pair of lakes of different sizes. In a small pond, there is only little variation (little heterogeneity) within the system and consequently, nutrient pollution can induce tipping in which excessive growth of algae makes the full pond turbid. In a larger lake, however, tipping might not involve the whole lake. Parts of the lake might avoid turbidity because of the sheer size of the system which makes it more heterogeneous. Passing a tipping point is, therefore, less critical in the large lake than in the small one. Indeed, the heterogeneity also makes tipping more easily reversible in the large system. In small lakes, restoration via an improvement of the nutrient balance is often very difficult as the system is trapped in a turbid state. In larger lakes, however, even the removal of small amounts of nutrients can immediately lead to an expansion of the clear parts of the lake. Moreover, because species may survive in the clear parts of the lake and later reinhabit the turbid areas as they once again might clear up, also the impact of tipping on the ecosystem can be much less severe if parts of the system maintain their original state. Generally, the study from Bastiaansen et al. informs us that what comes after the crossing of a climate tipping point is still very much an open question. The study, however, does not make Bastiaansen think we should simply relax about climate tipping. "I am still worried about tipping points. Because I can imagine critical things might happen especially as climate change persists. But I am not as worried that once we cross a tipping point, everything is going to hell immediately. I think it is going to be much more subtle than the kind of narrative that has been painted in some papers about planetary boundaries: that once we cross over one tipping point everything just collapses simultaneously. I don't think that is the case," concluded Robbin Bastiaansen. (ANI) Beirut [Lebanon], March 14 (ANI/Sputnik): The world community should not neglect providing assistance to Lebanon, which has received hundreds of thousands of Syrian refugees over the past decade, Arab League Secretary General Ahmed Aboul Gheit said on Monday. "In reality, if we pay attention to what Lebanon had to undergo in the course of past 10 years or more, we will take into account the price it had to pay and the events that the Lebanese had to face due to the presence of hundreds of thousands, if not millions of refugees from Syria, without receiving proper assistance from the world community. Meanwhile, we observe all European and world assistance to Ukrainian refugees amid the situation in Ukraine -- this raises the issues of double standards," Aboul Gheit told reporters after a meeting with Lebanese President Michel Aoun in Beirut. Aboul Gheit went on to say that Ukraine is experiencing a serious crisis, but it does not mean that the world community should neglect the difficult situation in Lebanon due to the presence of the Syrian refugees. (ANI/Sputnik) Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al-Saud landed in the Nepali capital from Sri Lanka on his private aircraft leading a 23-member delegation. High level visit from the oil-rich nation to Nepal comes after a gap of 12 years. He was welcomed at the VVIP lounge at the Tribhuwan International Airport by Foreign Secretary Bharat Raj Poudyal. Saudi Arabia's Ambassador to Nepal Musaid Suleiman M Al Marwani, and senior officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Saudi Embassy in Kathmandu were also present. During the two-day visit, the Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal is scheduled to hold separate courtesy meetings with President Bidya Devi Bhandari and Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba on Tuesday. Foreign Minister Dr Narayan Khadka of Nepal also will hold talks with his Saudi counterpart early in the morning at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. After the meeting, the two foreign ministers are scheduled to sign an agreement on enhancing mutual cooperation. The agreement will pave the way for cooperation between Nepal and Saudi Arabia in the fields of communication, education, culture, industry and sports, Nepal's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said. Saudi Arabia is a major destination country for Nepali workers. About 400,000 Nepalis are currently employed in the Gulf country. The Saudi Prince is scheduled to return home tomorrow afternoon. (ANI) Citing sources, CNN reported that among the assistance Russia requested was pre-packaged, non-perishable military food kits, known in the US as "meal, ready-to-eat" or MREs. Earlier, it was reported that Russia has asked China for military assistance including drones, to support its invasion of Ukraine, a top US official cited by CNN broadcaster said. Following Russia's military operation in Ukraine, the US and its European allies have introduced sanctions targeting several major Russian banks and high-rank Russian officials, including President Vladimir Putin, besides ousting Russia from the SWIFT financial system. Liu Pengyu, the Chinese embassy spokesperson in Washington, said he was unaware of any suggestions that China might be willing to help Russia."I've never heard of that," Pengyu said in a statement when asked by CNN about the reporting of Russia's request for military aid. On February 24, Russia began a special military operation in Ukraine. Meanwhile, US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan and several officials from State Department will meet Chinese Communist Party Political Bureau Member and Director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission Yang Jiechi in Rome to discuss the impact of Russia's war against Ukraine on regional and global security. (ANI) India on Monday (local time) said that urgency is needed to advance the work of the UNSC 1540 Committee to prevent terrorists from acquiring Weapons of Mass Destruction, stating that "procrastination cannot be an option anymore." Speaking at UNSC 1540 Committee on non-proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction, A Amarnath, Counsellor in India's Permanent Mission to UN said that India reaffirmed its commitment to global efforts against the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. "Procrastination cannot be an option anymore......greater urgency needs to be given to advance the committee's work," Amarnath said on Monday (local time). He said that India accords great importance to the implementation of resolution 1540. "We have established a strong statutory national export control system. India is also among the few countries who regularly provide national reports of implementation on resolution 1540 to the committee in this regard," Counsellor in India's Permanent Mission to UN said. He added that the mandate of the committee has already been rolled over twice while the committee's work was impacted by the pandemic-related restrictions. "India has organized several outreach events involving these stakeholders. We have been organizing periodic outreach programs on export controls for industry, including sector-specific and regional specific events in India as well as the academic and research institutions, particularly covering intangible technology transfers," he said further. On 28 April 2004, the United Nations Security Council unanimously adopted resolution 1540 (2004) under Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter which affirms that the proliferation of nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons and their means of delivery constitutes a threat to international peace and security. The resolution obliges States, inter alia, to refrain from supporting by any means non-State actors from developing, acquiring, manufacturing, possessing, transporting, transferring or using nuclear, chemical or biological weapons and their means of delivery. (ANI) Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan's response to the no-confidence motion tabled against him and his government has been to get the police to act tough against several prominent lawmakers. This could either mean that Imran Khan is over-confident of his own powers and survival, or he feels insecure and is working overtime to save himself. The question now is whether the no-confidence motion moved by the opposition has any chance of success, given the current level of support for Imran Khan from the Pakistan Army? The more important question is, can the Army remain neutral in the political struggle unfolding in Pakistan? The answers remain hazy at this stage, but it is certain that the Pakistan Army will back Imran Khan. The immediate result of the tabling of the no-confidence motion against PM Imran Khan was the raid by a police contingent (11 March 2022) on the Parliament Lodges to expel members of the Ansarul Islam, the volunteer force of the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F). This force had been invited to provide security to the opposition lawmakers. The police claimed to have arrested, during the operation, at least four legislators, along with two dozen Ansarul Islam volunteers. The other occurrence was that both the Opposition and the government and groups of dissenters have been in touch with each other in the aftermath of the no-confidence motion tabling. PM Imran Khan's immediate focus appeared to be Punjab, rather than the Federal dispensation because of the revolt within the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaaf (PTI) against the Punjab Chief Minister, Usman Buzdar. Khan spent the entire day (10 March) in Lahore meeting with his provincial Assembly members. His presence in Lahore for the whole day was basically to bolster support for Chief Minister Buzdar. The catch here is that PM Khan cannot resolve the no-confidence issue without first solving the Punjab crisis. Many members of the 'angry group' within the PTI met Imran Khan and said that they had attended the Jahangir Tarin group and Aleem Khan Group meetings to convince them to come back to the party. The ruling PTI coalition has a total of 179 members in the National Assembly, while the opposition claims to have the support of 162 members. It also claims to have the allegiance of 24 members of the ruling party, which could tilt the balance in favour of the opposition, as and when the motion is placed and voted upon in the National Assembly. The tabling of the no-confidence motion, however, signals a degree of confidence within the opposition that they are ready to take on Imran Khan, already surrounded by a plethora of challenges, ranging from a sinking economy to a troubled security environment, with the TTP on the ascendant. While this may be so, the historical record shows that no government in power has ever been removed by a no-confidence motion. What are the signs currently of dissidence within the PTI that could signal the likelihood of a shift in the power equation in Islamabad? The growing ranks of dissidents have worsened with the passage of time and the revolt against the Punjab Chief Minister signals the unravelling of the party that could also threaten the survival of the PTI government. A major problem is that there is no consensus on any other candidate. The PML-Q will not accept anyone other than Pervaiz Elahi as the chief minister. With the no-confidence motion hanging over the head of the PTI government, the PML-Q has upped its stakes. The party's bargaining position seems to have been further strengthened with the reported offer by the opposition to give the top provincial office to the PML-Q leader. While the opposition has been galvanized somewhat by the tabling of the no-confidence motion, PM Imran Khan continues to use other means to muzzle his critics. The latest in this series is the passage in the National Assembly of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes (Amendment) Act (PECA) 2022 by Ordinance. The timing of this bill comes at a time when the ruling PTI government is faced with a no-confidence motion. The new Act for instance, the ordinance, gives the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) powers to arrest anyone and put them in jail till the conclusion of the trial. Federal officers also have the authority to unlock any electronic device. Another provision open to gross abuse is the provision that the complainant doesn't necessarily be the aggrieved person or institution; it can be any member of the public, making the new law open for abuse. The PECA 2022 signals that PM Khan wants to ensure that there is no criticism levelled against him, especially when he is beleaguered politically on all sides. The new law, along with the Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill, 2020, that seeks to jail anyone who "ridicules or brings into disrepute or defames the military" has made life difficult for journalists, human rights activists, and social media champions. Imran Khan knows very well that a free press in Pakistan could very well turn criticism into political mileage. That is why the insistent on curbing media freedom and in the larger context an attempt to muzzle anything that remotely pulls up the military for its faults. The tabling of the no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Imran Khan creates an uncertain political situation for Pakistan. Unfortunately, whatever the outcome of the motion, the net loser is Pakistan for political instability will persist. Pakistan's economy is on a downward spiral and without doubt, the PTI government under Imran Khan is responsible for a large part of the problem. If Imran Khan wins the vote, then he will be emboldened to continue on the path taken so far. If the opposition wins, then the selection of a prime ministerial candidate will occupy political space and time. In the meantime, the only beneficiary will be the Army. That is why it has been said that the Army has turned 'neutral' in the ongoing political crisis. But is this really so? (ANI) External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar earlier in January held a virtual meeting with Basil where the two ministers reviewed the progress in extending the Indian credit facility of USD 1 billion for importing food, essential items and medicine. As Sri Lanka faces a severe economic crisis, India has continued to assist its neighbouring country in its fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, and to mitigate its adverse impact and its developmental priorities. India provided more than USD 500 million in foreign currency swaps to strengthen Sri Lanka's foreign reserves, taking the total up to USD 900 million. India also extended the repayment time frame for the USD 500 million debt of Sri Lanka under the Asian Clearance Arbitration. This crucial visit of Basil Rajapaksa comes ahead of Sri Lanka's talks with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on a plan for aid for the crisis-ridden country. The talks, which are slated to take place in mid-April, are likely to include assistance with debt restructuring and managing its foreign exchange shortage. Reports said that Sri Lankan FM will travel to the US next month to present the country's proposal to IMF officials. The Daily Mirror reported that the island nation must repay about USD 4 billion in foreign debt this year. The decision to engage with the international lender comes following months of resistance from the government despite calls from Opposition leaders and experts for a recovery plan. Moreover, Sri Lanka's forex reserves have depleted to 2.3 billion US dollars by February 2022. (ANI) While Russian forces invade Ukraine and the West responds with unprecedented sanctions, US space agency NASA said they are continuing to work with their Russian counterparts. "NASA continues working with all our international partners, including the State Space Corporation Roscosmos, for the ongoing safe operations of the International Space Station," a NASA spokesperson Dan Huot told ANI. "The new export control measures will continue to allow US-Russia civil space cooperation. No changes are planned to the agency's support for ongoing in orbit and ground station operations." Hout added. This comes after Dmitry Rogozin, the head of Russia's space agency Roscosmos and a longtime ally of Putin, took to social media and warned that US sanctions could have "dire" consequences for the International Space Station program. There were some fears after Russia invaded Ukraine that the Russian Space Agency would ditch Vande Hei, an American astronaut who is scheduled to return to Earth in a Russian capsule from the International Space Station on March 30. Despite the concerns, NASA said Vande Hei will be on the Soyuz rocket later this month. NASA has said that Vande Hei's plans to touch down in Kazakhstan have not changed. The Russia-Ukraine crisis three weeks ago has caused space programs to cancel launches and to break contracts. Concerns over Russia's willingness to help return Vande Hei to Earth came up after President Biden announced a series of economic sanctions on Moscow in response to its invasion of Ukraine. The sanctions would "degrade their aerospace industry, including their space program," Biden said during a White House news conference. For the past 24 years, the US and Russia have worked together to construct and maintain the ISS where research has led to some of the most important discoveries of the 21st century. The ISS has been permanently occupied for more than 20 years with its main operators being the United States and Russia. American astronauts routinely return back to Earth on the Russian Soyuz capsules. NASA and space agencies in Europe, Japan, and Canada want to keep the ISS running until 2030, but the Russians have not committed beyond 2024. (ANI) With the Russia-Ukraine crisis in foresight, the US and Europe fear that Chinese President Xi Jinping will take the opportunity to attack Taiwan. The start of Russia's "military operation" last month has pushed Taiwan to the forefront of geopolitics again. While the western countries are afraid that Taiwan will face the same situation as Ukraine, the leaders of both the country (Taiwan and China) insisted that Taiwan and Ukraine are not on the same platform, American editorial magazine National Review reported. On the other hand, Beijing stated that Taiwan is their internal matter and linking it to Ukraine would only add this matter to the western developed conspiracy "democracy against dictatorship". While Taipei emphasizes that they are different from Ukraine in terms of its geostrategic and global supply-chain importance. Russia started its military operation in Ukraine on the grounds of protecting its people from the so-called "genocide" in Ukraine, NATO's expansion to the east and the need to "demilitarize" and "denazify" Ukraine. The Washington-based magazine argues these justifications as an excuse for their aggression against Ukraine. The editorial claimed that Xi is an accomplice to Putin's war of aggression. It says that the Chinese President has greatly increased his military intimidation of Taiwan since coming to power. On the same day that Putin started its military operation in Ukraine, nine Chinese military planes were seen inside Taiwan, violating Taiwan's air-defence identification zone, according to National Review. The editorial magazine also believes that China will attack Taiwan, regardless of the outcome of the Ukraine-Russia crisis. It further added that there are high chances of Xi launching its military operation in Taiwan. The Chinese President has already ordered his military to accelerate war preparation by achieving the People's Liberation Army's centenary goal of "liberating Taiwan" by 2027, National Review reported. The National Review also stated that the US and other western countries need to be firm and clear in their resolve to defend Taiwan. And China's one-China policy needs to be abandoned so that the sovereignty of Taiwan won't be impacted. The U.S. passed the Taiwan Relations Act in 1979 after cutting off their diplomatic ties with China, promising that the US would "maintain the capacity of the United States 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 on Taiwan," and subsequently than US President Reagan made "six assurances" and called for arms sales for Taiwan's defence. However, these are not binding obligations under international law, but rather unilateral commitments, according to National Review. (ANI) Baltimore Police continue to investigate a spate of violence over the weekend when seven people were killed and six others wounded in shootings across the city, including a quadruple shooting in Howard Park. Police Commissioner Michael Harrison said Monday that investigators are still working to determine whether the four victims shot Saturday night at Gwynn Oak Avenue and Liberty Heights Avenue were targeted. Advertisement Two of the individuals were inside of the vehicle when they were shot, and were trying to piece together how the other two were connected, even if they were connected in some kind of way and how, Harrison said. Were not prepared to go into detail. Police initially said all four victims were inside of a vehicle. Advertisement The quadruple shooting resulted in three dead, who the police identified Monday as Darian Savoy and Timothy Brown Jr., both 26, and Jawan Hall, 25. Police said a 73-year-old man also was injured. Mike Sal, who owns the Jimmys convenience and smoke shop near where the shooting occurred, said Monday that all four victims were customers of his shop. Its sad, he said in between greeting customers who came inside the shop Monday afternoon. Its really not safe here no more. Sal said the injured 73-year-old man was coming to the shop when the shooting occurred, and didnt appear connected with the other victims. Baltimore Police investigate a shooting on Gwynn Oak Avenue Saturday night that killed three and injured one. (Emily Opilo) Sal said hes owned the business for the past five years and knew of other shootings outside the store in that time. Community leaders have long complained about violence in the same block, which includes a liquor store and a ShopRite grocery store. At least three other people have been killed in the 4700 block of Gwynn Oak Avenue since 2015, according to city crime statistics. Last year, Howard Park had two homicides and two non-fatal shootings. Sal said a police officer is often posted outside the BP gas station across the street on Liberty Heights Avenue, but its not enough to stem the violence. Police are not really paying attention to this area, he said. Advertisement The Howard Park community association is calling an emergency meeting Thursday where Harrison, Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott and other city leaders have been asked to discuss the recent violence. The four people killed or wounded in Howard Park were among 10 shot in the city on Saturday alone. Over the weekend the violence we experienced continued to traumatize our communities, unsettling all of us who are working hard to fight this culture of violence, Harrison said Monday afternoon after a police academy graduation for 22 new officers. We do not have any evidence that any of these incidents are related, he said. But, he added, investigators are working to look for any links and any connections. [ Baltimore homicides interactive link ] Police are currently looking at persons of interest in several of these incidents, however it is very preliminary, Harrison said. Scott said in a statement Monday that he had full confidence that BPD will be able to hold these criminals accountable, but this cowardly senseless violence has to stop. Advertisement The mayor was in Washington on Monday at a National League of Cities conference to talk about the large increase in violence in cities across the country. Baltimore has seen an increase in gun violence and other crimes, including robberies and carjackings, compared with this point last year. Homicides are up 25%, with 68 people killed as of Monday, and there has been a 28% increase in shootings, with 132 people injured in shootings so far this year. Public safety continues to be my top priority, Scott said. We know we have to do better as a city, as a community and as individuals to ensure that these shameless acts of violence do not continue to plague our communities. We will continue to improve our policing, crime prevention and interruption strategies to address violence from all possible angles. Baltimore City Police Commissioner Michael Harrison welcomes the new class of 22 police officer trainees at the University of Baltimore on orientation day at the Baltimore Police Academy. Harrison spoke to the media about the spate of violence that left seven dead and six wounded over the weekend. (Amy Davis) The violence continued Sunday and Monday. Police said one man was in critical condition, and another is suffering non-life-threatening injuries after separate shootings Sunday night and early Monday morning. At 9:48 p.m. Sunday, police responded to the 4600 block of Shamrock Avenue in Northeast Baltimore for a reported shooting. In the rear alley, they found a 22-year-old man suffering from a gunshot wound to his lower back. He was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Then, at 12:21 a.m. Monday, police responded to the unit block of Bristol Avenue in South Baltimores Brooklyn neighborhood for a reported shooting. There, they found a 34-year-old man suffering from gunshot wounds to his head and chest in the drivers seat of a vehicle. He was taken to the hospital in critical condition. Advertisement Police believe the man was driving along Bristol Avenue when two shooters began firing at his vehicle. The vehicle crashed, and police say the shooters then fled on foot toward the Anne Arundel County line. Afternoon Update Weekdays Updating you on the day's biggest news before the evening commute. > Around 6:30 p.m., Western District patrol officers were sent to an area hospital for a walk-in shooting victim. Police said they found a 20-year-old man suffering from a non-life-threatening gunshot wound. Officers found a crime scene in the 2400 block of Winchester Street in the Bridgeview/Greenlawn neighborhood. About two hours later, officers were called to an area hospital for another shooting. Police said officers found a 35-year-old man suffering from a gunshot wound. He is expected to survive, police said. Police said a crime scene was found in the 2900 block of Stranden Road in South Baltimores Lakeland neighborhood. Four other men were killed in shootings over the weekend. Police identified them Monday as: Advertisement Aaron Rashad Lee, 31, who was killed Friday in the 2200 block of West Lexington Street in the Penrose neighborhood; Olen Smith Jr., 39, who was fatally shot Saturday in the 800 block of Stiles Street in Little Italy; Marvin Pryor, 20, who was killed Saturday in the 2500 block of West Patapsco Avenue in South Baltimores Lakeland neighborhood; Bryant Timmons, 26, who was killed Saturday in the 6800 block of Sturbridge Drive in Northeast Baltimores Hamilton Hills neighborhood Anyone with information about any of the shootings is asked to call police or Metro Crime Stoppers at 1-866-LOCKUP to make an anonymous report. Baltimore Sun reporters Christine Condon and McKenna Oxenden contributed to this article. The UN human rights chief has condemned the beheading of 81 people, charged with terrorism-related offences, by Saudi Arabia during the course of a single day. In a statement released following Saturday's mass execution, High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet urged Saudi authorities to "bring the country's counterterrorism laws fully into line with international standards". Bachelet said she understood that 41 of those put to death on March 12 were Muslims from the Shiite minority who had taken part in anti-government protests in 2011-12, calling for greater political participation. Another seven were Yemenis and one was a Syrian national. "Our monitoring indicates that some of those executed were sentenced to death following trials that did not meet fair trial and due process guarantees, and for crimes that did not appear to meet the most serious crimes threshold, as required under international law," she said. The High Commissioner also expressed concern that some of the executions appeared to be linked to the ongoing armed conflict in Yemen, between Houthi rebels and a Saudi-led coalition, backing the internationally recognized Government forces. The UN rights chief said implementing death sentences following trials that do not provide the required "fair trial guarantees" is prohibited by international human rights and humanitarian law and "may amount to a war crime." Moreover, the death penalty is "incompatible with fundamental tenets of human rights and dignity, the right to life and the prohibition of torture". She said that failure to provide relatives with information on the circumstances of their loved ones' executions "may amount to torture and ill-treatment". "Authorities should return the bodies of those executed to their families," underscored the top UN rights official. Bachelet voiced her concern over the broad definition of terrorism in Saudi legislation, including non-violent acts that supposedly "endanger national unity" or "undermine the State's reputation." "This risks criminalizing people exercising their rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly," she warned. Despite a global move away from the death penalty, Saudi Arabia is among some 38 countries that continue to implement it. "I call on the Saudi authorities to halt all executions, immediately establish a moratorium on the use of the death penalty, and commute the death sentences against those on death row," said the High Commissioner. (ANI) Highlighting the positive role played by India in the last two years, Maldives President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih in his national address has especially thanked the Indian Government's role in helping his country cope with the COVID-19 pandemic, including gifting vaccines. In his address, Solih mentioned several friendly bilateral partners but singled out New Delhi for assisting Maldives' COVID-19 response efforts. "In the last two years, India has generously aided us on many occasions. India donated the most number of vaccines. India purchased financial bonds worth USD 250 million to help recover our economy. We received a lot of equipment from India essential to provide health services, Solih said. Maldives President underlined that India eased up access for Maldivians requiring urgent health care, allowing them to travel to the country. "This privilege was not afforded to any other country besides the Maldives." "I also wish to thank, on behalf of all Maldivians, our friendly bilateral partners who assisted our COVID-19 response efforts. I take this opportunity to highlight India, Japan, USA, UAE, China, Bangladesh, WHO and some of the UN agencies for their support," Solih said. According to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), the Maldives has always been a close and important maritime neighbour for India. Multifaceted ties between the two countries have strengthened despite the pandemic-related disruptions. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Solih had a telephonic conversation in July 2021. Bilateral cooperation with Maldives includes the creation of people-friendly infrastructure - housing, water and sanitation, health and education, ports, roads and stadiums. It also includes maritime security; connectivity and people to people exchanges. India gifted 200,000 doses of Covishield vaccines to the Maldives in January - February 2021 and this set the stage for a rapid and successful vaccination drive in the Maldives. Today, more than 90 per cent of the eligible population in the Maldives is vaccinated. This has enabled the Maldivian economy to get back on a path to recovery. India's "Neighborhood First" policy and Maldives's "India First" policy work in tandem to tackle shared concerns and advance mutual interests, MEA said in its annual report. (ANI) Amid the ongoing political turmoil in the country, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) senator Javed Khan announced that the voting for no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Imran Khan is expected to take place after March 27. The PTI senator said in a tweet that the "biggest rally" in Pakistan's history will take place in Islamabad's D-Chowk on March 27 in front of the Parliament House, where the Pakistani PM will give a "historic speech." "Voting on the no-confidence resolution will take place after March 27. The opposition will face complete defeat. Confidence in PM Imran Khan will [increase]," Pakistani newspaper Dawn reported. The opposition had submitted the no-confidence motion in National Assembly on March 8. The National Assembly speaker Asad Qaiser was advised to summon a session before March 22 after declaring that the no-confidence motion against the Pakistani Prime Minister is filed. As per the rules, the NA speaker is bound to convene the assembly session within 14 days after submission of the requisition notice. Voting on the no-confidence motion must take place between three and seven days after the session is summoned, according to Dawn, citing Pakistan's constitution. Earlier on Monday, Pakistan's Planning and Development Minister Asad Umar also announced the date of the rally through his Twitter account and further stated, "The world will witness how the people of Pakistan stand by their captain (PM Imran) for their freedom and sovereignty." Last week, while addressing a public meeting in Lower Dir district, Pakistani PM urged people to gather at D-Chowk on the eve of the no-trust vote. The Opposition parties in Pakistan are jettisoning mutual hatred to oust Imran Khan as they submitted the no-trust motion in the National Assembly secretariat on March 8. While the Imran Khan government has exuded confidence to defeat the no-trust motion, the Opposition is sure that they will oust Khan. (ANI) Vienna [Austria], March 15 (ANI/Sputnik): Ukraine informed the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) about a damaged power line at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant (NPP), now external power supply has been restored, IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi said. "Ukraine informed the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) today that efforts were continuing to resume external electricity supplies to the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant (NPP), a day after Ukrainian specialist teams repaired one of two damaged power lines connecting the site to the grid, Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said," the IAEA said in a statement. It said diesel generators have been providing backup electricity to the site of the 1986 accident since it lost all off-site power on March 9. "Ukraine said on 13 March that its specialists had fixed one of the power lines and that the NPP would be reconnected to the Ukrainian electricity network the following morning. However, Ukraine's transmission system operator, Ukrenergo, earlier today said the line had again been damaged "by the occupying forces" before power had been fully restored to the NPP. Later in the day, the regulatory authority told the IAEA that at 13:10 CET external power had again been restored and that staff at the Chornobyl NPP had restarted operations to reconnect the NPP to the grid," the IAEA said. According to the statement, the IAEA requested information from Ukraine after reports about ongoing work to detect and dispose of unexploded munitions on the Zaporizhzhia NPP's territory. "The IAEA is aware of reports that Russian forces have carried out munition explosions at the site of the Zaporizhzhya NPP, and it is seeking information about the situation from Ukraine. The regulator had previously informed the Agency about ongoing work to detect and dispose of unexploded munitions found at the damaged training centre and elsewhere at the NPP following events on 4 March, when Russian forces took control of the site," it said. Russia started a special military operation in Ukraine on February 24 in response to calls from the Donetsk and Luhansk people's republics for protection against intensifying attacks by Ukrainian troops. The Russian Defense Ministry said the special operation is targeting Ukrainian military infrastructure only and the civilian population is not in danger. Moscow has repeatedly said it has no plans to occupy Ukraine. Western nations have imposed numerous sanctions on Russia. (ANI/Sputnik) "Our government has decided to provide Ukraine with military equipment but not weapon systems. Negotiations on specific details, such as [a list of] goods and then transportation, and a plan on shipments, are underway," Boo said at a press briefing. The spokesman also noted that Seoul will seek ways to purchase or produce weapons in third countries and in South Korea itself to phase out the use of Russian weapons by the national army. In late February, Seoul decided to provide Ukraine with humanitarian aid in the amount of $10 million amid Russia's military operation. The assistance package included 40 tonnes of medical goods, including first aid kits, face masks and respirators. On February 24, Russia began a military operation to "demilitarize and denazify Ukraine," responding to calls for help from the breakaway republics of Donetsk and Luhansk. The Russian Defense Ministry said the operation is targeting Ukrainian military infrastructure only. (ANI/Sputnik) With an eye on the no-confidence motion moved by the opposition parties against the Imran Khan government later this month in the National Assembly, Pakistan's federal government has tightened the security to maintain law and order situation. The decision to deploy paramilitary forces was made after the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) party announced a plan to hold a public gathering in Islamabad on March 27, Pakistan's Geo News reported citing sources. The report said that Pakistan's Interior Ministry has sent a summary to the Cabinet regarding the deployment of at least 1,000 paramilitary personnel in Islamabad. After PTI made the announcement about holding the public rally, the opposition Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) called the people and workers of opposition parties to begin a long march towards Islamabad on March 23 to stage a sit-in. This announcement was made by PDM president Maulana Fazlur Rehman after attending the meeting of the joint opposition at the residence of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) president and Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly, Shehbaz Sharif, Pakistani newspaper Dawn reported. Amid the ongoing political turmoil in the country, PTI senator Javed Khan announced that the voting for no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Imran Khan is expected to take place after March 27. The PTI senator said in a tweet that the "biggest rally" in Pakistan's history will take place in Islamabad's D-Chowk on March 27 in front of the Parliament House, where the Pakistani PM will give a "historic speech." "Voting on the no-confidence motion will take place after March 27. The opposition will face complete defeat. Confidence in PM Imran Khan will [increase]," Pakistani newspaper Dawn reported. Last week, while addressing a public meeting in Lower Dir district, Imran Khan urged people to gather at D-Chowk on the eve of the no-trust vote. The opposition parties in Pakistan are jettisoning mutual hatred to oust Imran Khan as they submitted the no-trust motion in the National Assembly secretariat on March 8. While the PTI government has exuded confidence to defeat the no-trust motion, the Opposition is sure that they will oust Imran Khan. (ANI) More than 60 civilians were killed and another 200 injured in the blast, Just Earth News reported citing ISIS of Khorasan faction, based in Afghanistan. The impact of the bombing was such that nearly every house in the locality of Imambargah and nearby street has one or two members of their family either dead or wounded. This attack has led to strong criticism from different countries. The office of the Supreme Religious Authority in Iraq, Grand Ayatollah Sistani, and other Iraqi leaders denounced the incident and urged the Pakistani government to take steps to protect the Shia community. Shias comprise nearly 20 per cent of Pakistan's population and are the target of violence by Sunni Islamist militant groups, including the Pakistani Taliban or Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan. Shias are mostly excluded from positions of power. Doctors, businessmen and other professionals have been targeted in Karachi by Sunni terrorists on a regular basis. According to one estimate, over 1,900 Shias were killed in bomb blasts or targeted gun attacks from 2012 to May 2015 alone. (ANI) Amid the ongoing Ukraine crisis, the UK Visas & Immigration (UKVI) has decided to suspend priority and super-priority visa processing services for all applications being made from outside the UK. Even "applications for study, work and family visas may take longer to process," according to the UKVI update. "UK Visa Update: UKVI is prioritising Ukraine Family Scheme applications in response to the humanitarian crisis caused by the invasion of Ukraine, and so applications for study, work and family visas may take longer to process," the UK embassy in India tweeted. "UKVI are unable to offer updates on individual cases and please do not attend the VAC until you have been invited to do so. In cases of emergency please contact http://gov.uk/contact-ukvi-inside-outside-uk for help. Please note that this is a chargeable service," the embassy said in another tweet. On Monday, British Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, Michael Gove, launched a webpage for sponsors to record their interest, ahead of Phase One of the scheme opening for applications. According to a government release, the homes for Ukraine scheme will allow individuals, charities, community groups and businesses in the UK to bring Ukrainians to safety - including those with no family ties to the UK. Phase One of the scheme will allow sponsors in the UK to nominate a named Ukrainian or a named Ukrainian family to stay with them in their home or in a separate property, the release said. UK Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Michael Gove said: "The courage shown by the Ukrainian people in the face of devastation caused by the invasion of their great country is nothing short of remarkable." "The United Kingdom has a long and proud history of helping others in their hour of need and our new Homes for Ukraine scheme offers a lifeline to those who have been forced to flee. I'm asking people across our country who can provide a home for Ukrainians to consider being sponsors," Gove added. Ukrainians arriving in the UK under this scheme will be granted 3 years leave to remain, with entitlement to work, and access benefits and public services. Applicants will be vetted and will undergo security checks. (ANI) As China continues to maintain a no-go zone for a military drill in the South China Sea, analysts believe that this could be used to push its claims in the waterway. The drills certainly form part of the routine set of exercises that are conducted with greater intensity in recent years, Collin Koh Swee Lea, a research fellow at Singapore's S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, told VnExpress International. "It also appears to coincide with the announcement on defence spending." Tensions in the South China Sea area have continued to rise in the context of China's naval expansion and the establishment of military outposts on illegally built artificial islands. The "nine-dash line" claim that China has unilaterally and illegally made, covering almost the entire South China Sea area, has been clearly rejected by the international community. The drill is a continuation of China's long-term plan of gradually taking over control of the seas within the nine-dash line, which has been roundly rejected by the international community, said Peter Layton, visiting fellow at the Griffith Asia Institute in Australia. To make any future use of force in the South China Sea - known in Vietnam as the East Sea - appear legal, China has devised numerous laws ostensibly extending its domestic enforcement powers across all and any vessels operating in 80 percent of the sea, which it claims, he said. "These enforcement powers include boarding, inspecting and if necessary using armed force." Another expert thought China would use this drill to push its claims in the South China Sea when the international community is focused on the conflict in Ukraine. "This was what China did in 2020 when many countries were focused on dealing with Covid: It undertook many activities to assert its claims in the South China Sea," said Hoang Viet, a lecturer at the Ho Chi Minh City University of Law, Vietnam. Amidst the gravity of bitter fighting in Ukraine as President Vladimir Putin prosecutes his invasion, China announced its defence budget for 2022 on the opening day of its fifth annual session of the 13th National People's Congress (NPC). In 2022, the 7.1 per cent rise in Beijing's defence expenditure is overshadowed by war in Europe. In monetary terms, China's 2022 defence spending is CNY1.45045 trillion (USD229.39 billion). Indeed, the budget revealed on 5 March confirms a continuing rebound in expenditure. Last year, China increased spending by 6.8 per cent to CNY1.355 trillion (USD209.4 billion). The overall increase of approximately USD20 billion this year is actually the largest ever (the second largest was USD13.4 billion in 2021, and the largest was USD13.6 billion in 2014). (ANI) The Indian Government is likely to fulfil its promise of raising its renewable energy capacity from the current 10 Gigawatt (GW) to the targeted 500 GW by 2030, said a report in Saudi publication on Monday. India is one of the few countries that not only followed their commitments done at the Paris Climate Convention in 2015 but also exceeded them, according to the Saudi Gazette. The Saudi publication argued that the Indian government, especially after 2014, has undertaken a number of schemes to meet the energy needs of the future to keep the environment safe. The Central Government has also approved phase 2 of the Inter-State Transmission System, Green Energy Corridor recently. The program will help in meeting the goal of 450 GW of installed renewable energy. This corridor shall smoothly integrate multiple state grids like Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh as well. A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between India and Nepal has also been signed recently for the construction of the bridge over the Mahakali River in Dharchula. This project is seen as the strengthening tool which will strengthen the diplomatic ties between the two countries, according to the Saudi gazette. In India's union Budget 2022, the Government announced an allocation of Rs 19,500 crore for the boost in manufacturing of solar modules under the flagship Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme. This allocation has been done to double India's energy sector in the next 20 years. Saudi publication appreciated the Bihar state's effort as the state has announced the commissioning of the first floating power plant, which will produce green energy from solar panels and will also help in promoting fish farming underwater. The government's online 'green' job portal which connects enterprises with professionals hunting for jobs in the renewable energy green sector, is also been appreciated by the Saudi publication. (ANI) In an effort to help area residents get back into the workforce and provide needed services, Carroll County government has contracted with Carroll Community College to provide commercial drivers license training free of charge to up to 12 students. Carroll County Workforce Development requested that county commissioners approve the contract last week, awarding up to $62,800 to Carroll Community College to provide CDL-A training for 12 students. Training will be provided to six students for $5,166.67 each ($31,000 total); six more students may be added for $5,300 each ($31,800 total). Advertisement Funds for the contract are available through the American Rescue Plan Act. Associated costs are within the countys allocated budget and no additional funds will be needed. This seems like a good use of ARPA money, said Commissioner President Ed Rothstein, a Republican representing District 5. Advertisement Heather Powell, director of the workforce development center, said the contract will allow for training to occur in Carroll County, rather than sending students out of the county. Typically, CDL-A courses are available in Baltimore or Hagerstown and are conducted on evenings for 14 weeks, or weekends for 20 weeks. This is one of our rapid trainings we wanted to do for our citizens in getting them back to work and helping the economy, Powell said. The contract would provide CDL-A training and a permit and license in an accelerated time frame. Students will train for eight weeks full-time, including classroom training and, hopefully, behind-the-wheel training in Westminster. Normally students must travel to Baltimore for several months. Afternoon Update Weekdays Updating you on the day's biggest news before the evening commute. > Three weeks of classroom training will be at the workforce development center in Westminster. A location for the driving portion is yet to be determined, Powell said. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a workforce shortage has occurred across many industries. The shortage of CDL-A truck drivers has been especially acute and is partially responsible for supply chain delays. The American Rescue Plan has tasked local workforce areas with providing essential training. That has resulted in a growing workforce and has helped in-demand industries to recover. Powell said so far seven people have enrolled in the course, and several other people who work during the day and wouldnt be available for the daytime program have inquired. Were still doing eligibility on those individuals and if there are ways to connect them with a traditional CDL-A training, we do that as well, Powell said. In line with India's principle of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, foreign nationals were also evacuated from conflict-torn Ukraine and brought to New Delhi, said External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Tuesday. Speaking in Rajya Sabha on the situation in Ukraine and Operation Ganga, Jaishankar said, "In line with India's principle of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, foreign nationals were also evacuated from conflict zones and brought to India. They included 147 citizens of 18 countries. Many Ukrainian nationals that are family members of Indian nationals have also been evacuated." He also said that as tensions increased, the Indian Embassy in Ukraine started a registration drive for Indians in January 2022 and as a result, around 20,000 Indians registered. "Most Indian nationals were students pursuing medical studies in Ukrainian universities dispersed throughout the country," he said. Jaishankar noted that more than half the students were in universities in eastern Ukraine that borders Russia and has been the epicentre of the conflict so far. "Students hail from 35 states/UTs of India with over 1,000 students each from Kerala, UP, Haryana, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Bihar and Rajasthan," he added. 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 conflict-torn Ukraine. Jaishankar highlighted the advisories issued to Indian citizens in Ukraine to leave Ukraine in view of ongoing tension between Moscow and Kyiv. "In view of the continued buildup of tensions in February, the Embassy issued an advisory on February 15, advising Indians in Ukraine whose stay isn't essential, to leave the country temporarily. It also advised Indians not to travel to Ukraine or undertake non-essential movements within Ukraine," he said. "Further advisories were also given on February 20 and 22. Air bubble instructions then imposed were immediately lifted in consultation with the Ukrainian side to increase the number of direct flights. Around 4,000 Indians departed from Ukraine by direct/indirect flights till February 23," Jaishankar stated. He further stated that despite the government efforts, a large majority of students elected to continue staying in Ukraine. "Despite our efforts, however, a large majority of students elected to continue staying in Ukraine. There was a natural reluctance to leave educational institutions and affect their studies. Some universities actively discouraged and showed reluctance to offer online courses," he added. (ANI) Rejecting the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government's offer for withdrawing the no-trust motion against Prime Minister Imran Khan, the Opposition has made it clear that the resolution will only be withdrawn if the premier announces his resignation, reported local media. This comes as Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry on Sunday offered the Opposition a deal to withdraw the no-confidence resolution, saying "let's see what can be given in return", reported The News International. However, the Opposition rejected any option of having negotiations with the government on the subject of the no-confidence resolution. "Our no-confidence motion is not about dissolving assemblies, rather than it is to oust this incompetent government, who has ruined the economy and shown insensitivity towards the masses," the media outlet quoted Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) Rana Sanaullah as saying during a Geo News Programme on Monday. "Government did not even bother to shake hand with the Opposition in last four years, therefore now, no dialogue will be held with the government," he added. Refusing to accept the deal offered by the government, the PML-N leader said that the Opposition would not withdraw the resolution against Imran Khan at any cost. "Only on one condition we can withdraw the no-trust-move if Imran Khan announces his resignation," the Pakistani publication quoted him as saying. Speaking about the public rally announced by Imran Khan in Islamabad a day before the no-trust vote, Sanaullah claimed that he had information that the primary motive behind the rally was not to stop lawmakers from going to the assembly to cast their vote, instead Imran Khan would announce his resignation at the rally. "If the government wants to hold a rally a day before voting, surely it can do it, but if the government announces a sit-in, then we will not spare them," he added, according to the media outlet. The PML-N leader further claimed that the Opposition had the required numbers to dislodge the government, adding that the negotiation with the PTI allies was going in a positive direction. The Opposition parties in Pakistan submitted the no-trust motion in the National Assembly secretariat on March 8. (ANI) Nepal's Education Minister Devendra Paudel and Indian Ambassador Vinay Mohan Kwatra jointly performed the groundbreaking ceremony of Nepal's largest library, the Tribhuvan University Central Library on Tuesday. The building of Nepal's one of the biggest libraries is being built under Government of India's USD 50 million grant assistance in education sector. "For this Central Library as well as about 40 campuses under the Tribhuwan University and construction of hundreds of schools, I thank the Government of India and Axim Bank," Education Minister Paudel said. The Library is being constructed at a cost of NRs 316.9 million and will be built as per earthquake-resilient reconstruction norms of Nepal. The new 3-storey building of Tribhuvan University Central library will be equipped with modern facilities and will include several academic sections along with ancillary facilities. Central Building Research Institute (CBRI), premier institute in India in the field of earthquake-resilient reconstruction, will provide technical expertise for construction of this library. A Memorandum of Understanding was also signed between the Ministry of Education, Science & Technology, Government of Nepal and Embassy of India for implementation of the project. "The vision is to build all inclusive architectural infrastructure with modern facilities that define what a full-fledged library should be and to meet this vision, the embassy has taken a particular interest to ensure that this library is the best in structure and also in ease of its functioning. During the design phase of the library, the CBRI (Central Building Research Institute) premier institute in India in the field of earthquake-resilient reconstruction referred to the adopted best facilities in libraries of India," Indian Ambassador Vinay Mohan Kwatra said addressing the event. The Indian envoy also reiterated that this project was a testament to the multi-faceted, strong and robust development partnership between India and Nepal. The ambassador stated that India remains committed to continue collaborating with Government of Nepal in socio-economic development. India has committed USD 250 million earthquake reconstruction grant assistance to the Government of Nepal. Of this, USD 50 million is in the education sector under which 71 educational institutions across eight districts are being built; 14 of these have been already handed over and remaining are under active construction. The present Tribhuvan University Central Library building was built with Government of India's assistance in 1967. Other major projects undertaken by Government of India in Tribhuvan University include construction of Gandhi Bhawan in 1973. (ANI) Despite challenges posed by a serious ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine, India ensured the safe return of 22,500 citizens to their homes under 'Operation Ganga', External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar told Rajya Sabha on Tuesday. Speaking about the situation in Ukraine and the implications that it has had for India, including for our national residents there, Jaishankar further said 150 foreign nationals of 18 countries were also evacuated from conflict zones and brought to India in line with India's principle of 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam'. Among the foreign nationals evacuated are India's immediate neighbours like Bangladesh and Nepal, said the Minister, adding, "many of the Ukrainian nationals that are family members of Indian nationals have also been evacuated, and we also provided free passage to Ukraine nationals from India to Poland in our evacuation flights." Under 'Operation Ganga', Jaishankar said, 90 flights have been operated, out of which 76 were civilian flights and 14 were Indian Air-force flights. "The evacuation flights were from Romania, Poland, Hungary and Slovakia. While Indian Air-Force rose to the occasion, most of the private airlines, that includes Air India, Air India Express, Indigo, Spice Jet, Vistara, Go-Air and Air Asia, also participated enthusiastically." During this period, the Minister stated, Prime Minister himself spoke to Presidents of Russia and Ukraine on multiple occasions. "He (PM) specifically took up the issue of safe evacuation of Indian nationals, especially from Kharkiv and Sumy. PM also spoke to the Prime Ministers of Romania, Slovak Republic, Hungary and President of Poland to seek their support for facilitation of entry of Indian nationals to their countries." I was in constant touch with my counterparts from Ukraine, Russia, Poland, Romania, Hungary, Slovakia and Moldova for similar reasons, said the Minister. He also said that Foreign Secretary maintained contact with the Ambassadors of Ukraine and Russia in New Delhi, while our Ambassadors in Kyiv and Moscow followed up in their respective capitals. Prime Minister deputed four Union Ministers as Special Envoys to Romania, Hungary, Slovak Republic and Poland to facilitate Operation Ganga. This included Jyotiraditya Scindia to Romania, Kiren Rijiju to the Slovak Republic, Hardeep Singh Puri to Hungary and Gen (Retd.) and VK Singh to Poland. Their personal supervision of the evacuation processes made a substantial difference in the ease of border crossing and the care taken of our citizens thereafter. Jaishankar said a tense situation between Russia and Ukraine erupted into conflict on February 24 and the root causes for this are complex, going back to a range of issues including the security architecture, political governance and inter-state politics. What is pertinent to note is that the hostilities placed the Indian community of 20,000 plus in direct danger, said the Foreign Affairs Minister. "Even while we were participating in the global deliberation of this evolving situation in the UN Security Council, the pressing challenge was to safeguard our citizens and ensure that they were not in harm's way," said the Minister. "At the direction of the Prime Minister, we launched Operation Ganga, thereby undertaking one of the most challenging evacuation exercises during an ongoing conflict situation," he added. The Minister said, "our community was dispersed across Ukraine, posing its own logistical challenges". "The exercise was undertaken at a time when military actions including airstrikes and shelling were underway. It involved movement in a war-torn situation in a large country, at times over a1,000 km. And it required exiting borders clogged by an estimated 2.6 million refugees." "The entire exercise involved a whole of Government approach with Prime Minister himself chairing review meetings, almost on a daily basis. At the MEA, we monitored the evacuation operations on a 24x7 basis as well," said Jaishankar. The Minister said that as tensions increased, the Embassy of India in Ukraine had started a registration drive for Indian nationals in January 2022. As a result, around 20,000 Indian nationals registered with our Embassy in Kyiv, he added. "Most of the Indian nationals were students who were pursuing medical studies in Ukrainian universities dispersed throughout the country. More than half of the students were in Universities in Eastern Ukraine that borders Russia and has been the epicentre of the conflict so far," said the Minister. The students hailed from 35 States and UTs of India with more than 1,000 students each from the States of Kerala, UP, Haryana, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Bihar and Rajasthan, informed Jaishankar. (ANI) As the Russia-Ukraine war enters its twentieth day, Kyiv has imposed a new curfew from 8 pm (Local Time) on March 15 until 7 am on March 17, said the Ukrainian local media. Mayor of Kyiv, Vitali Klitschko, said that the residents are only allowed to go outside to head to the bomb shelters, reported the Ukrainian media outlet The Kyiv Independent. Meanwhile, the Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba held talks with his Israeli counterpart Yair Lapid where Lapid assured Kuleba that Tel Aviv will not be the route for Moscow to bypass sanctions. Kuleba expressed his gratitude for Israel's mediation efforts and for providing humanitarian aid. "We discussed ways of ending the war in Ukraine. Agreed that the rights of Ukrainians arriving in Israel will be respected," wrote Kuleba in his tweet. Earlier on Monday, at a joint press conference in Bratislava, Slovakia with his Slovakian counterpart Ivan Korcok, Lapid condemned Russia's military offensive as unjustified. Lapid said that Israel is working to ensure that the country's financial institutions do not make possible the circumvention of crippling sanctions imposed on Russia over its invasion of Ukraine, reported The Times of Israel. "Israel will not be a route to bypass sanctions imposed on Russia by the United States and other Western countries," Lapid said adding, "The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is coordinating the issue together with partners, including the Bank of Israel, the Finance Ministry, the Economy Ministry, the Airports Authority, the Energy Ministry, and others." Russia started a special military operation in Ukraine on February 24 in response to calls from the Donetsk and Luhansk people's republics for protection against intensifying attacks by Ukrainian troops. The Russian Defense Ministry said the special operation is targeting Ukrainian military infrastructure only and the civilian population is not in danger. Moscow has repeatedly said it has no plans to occupy Ukraine. Western nations have imposed numerous sanctions on Russia. (ANI) The meeting was co-chaired by Sher Singh, Member (Planning), Ganga Flood Control Commission (GFCC) on the Indian side and the Susheel Chandra Acharya, DG, Department of Water Resources and Irrigation (DWRI) on the Nepali side. "The minutes of the meeting were signed on March 14th," the Indian embassy in Nepal said in a release. The Joint Committee also undertook site visits to various areas on the India-Nepal border where management of flood, erosion and inundation issues fall within the Committee's mandate. The Committee also visited the sites of emergent works proposed to be undertaken on a set of rivers in the border areas, the release said. The site visit, which took place from March 9 to 12, was followed by the main meeting in Kathmandu on March 13th, the release added. (ANI) Afghan embassies in foreign countries that do not recognize the Taliban government are facing financial difficulties as well as pressure from Taliban officials in Kabul to replace the former government's diplomats with their own supporters, according to a media report. Notably, nearly 60 ambassadors and other diplomats posted in the government of former President Ashraf Ghani have not recognized the Taliban government, Pakistan vernacular media reported citing foreign media reports. According to Pakistan vernacular media, Afghan ambassador to Italy Khalid Zakaria has accused Taliban supporters of threatening and torturing staff at some embassies. The Taliban administration also tried to persuade him to work for the new Afghan government, but he refused, according to the media outlet. Notably, the Afghan government collapsed on August 15 when then-president Ashraf Ghani fled to Afghanistan, leading to the Taliban taking over the country. The Taliban's swift ascension to power in Afghanistan has triggered economic disarray and a dire humanitarian crisis in the country. Since the group came into power, they have cracked down on foreigners and women, at times forcing them to quit their jobs and depriving them of education. The crimes against the protesters or whoever raises their voice against the Taliban-led government have also increased significantly in Afghanistan. (ANI) Taking to Twitter, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Spokesperson, Arindam Bagchi, said, a total of 8,000 MTs has been sent as on date to Afghanistan. "Our partnership continues. Despatched fourth convoy of humanitarian assistance consisting of 2,000 MTs of wheat to Afghanistan today. Total of 8,000 MTs sent as on date. @WFP_Afghanistanis partnering with us for the internal distribution of wheat within Afghanistan," Bagchi tweeted. The first consignment of humanitarian aid of 2,500 tonnes of wheat from India reached Afghanistan's Jalalabad through Pakistan on February 26. Meanwhile, the second convoy of India's humanitarian assistance carrying 2,000 MTs of wheat left Attari, Amritsar on March 3 for Jalalabad, Afghanistan, the MEA had said. Moreover, India sent the third consignment of 2,000 metric tonnes of wheat to Afghanistan in 40 trucks via the Attari-Wagah border on March 8. Earlier this month, India had announced that it will send 50,000 metric tonnes (MT) of wheat to Afghanistan overland through Pakistan. Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla had flagged off the first such consignment from Amritsar. (ANI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi interacted virtually with officials of a number of embassies and groups involved in the evacuation of Indian students stranded in the war-hit Ukraine. He also held discussions with officials of Indian embassies based in Hungary and Romania. In the meet, Union Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, Union Minister of Law and Justice, Kiren Rijiju, Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri and Minister of State for Civil Aviation General (Retd) VK Singh were also present. Notably, Scindia was sent to Romania, Rijiju to the Slovak Republic, Puri to Hungary and VK Singh to Poland as special envoys under Operation Ganga. External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar, on Tuesday, in a statement in the Rajya Sabha on the ongoing situation in Ukraine, highlighted that the evacuation from Sumy in Ukraine was extremely complex and Prime Minister Narendra Modi's personal intervention with the Presidents of Ukraine and Russia materialised the ceasefire and consequently the evacuation of Indian students from the city. He noted that the evacuation from Sumy was complex as Indian students faced the prospect of being caught in the crossfire. The EAM said that the evacuation from Sumy needed a credible ceasefire and this was finally materialised due to the personal intervention of PM Modi with the Presidents of Ukraine and Russia. So far, India has been able to airlift around 22,500 stranded citizens in more than 80 special evacuation flights. Through its 'Operations Ganga', India has also been able to rescue several citizens of the neighbouring countries like Bangladesh and Nepal. During the operation, buses and trains brought Indians to the western borders of Ukraine and then, they were flown to India via Bucharest, Budapest, Suceava and Warsaw. The last batch of over 600 students who were evacuated from Sumy was brought back to India via Poland. In recent months, 'Operation Ganga' has been India's largest evacuation drive to bring back stranded Indians after operation 'Devi Shakti' was launched by the Narendra Modi government in Afghanistan last year. (ANI) External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Tuesday said that evacuation of Indian students from Sumy in Ukraine was extremely complex and needed a credible ceasefire which finally materialised due to the personal intervention of Prime Minister Narendra Modi with the presidents of Ukraine and Russia. Making a statement on 'Situation in Ukraine' in both Houses of Parliament, Jaishankar said the Prime Minister took up the "issue of safe evacuation of Indians, especially from Kharkiv and Sumy". The Prime Minister had spoken to both Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on March 7. He had spoken to the two leaders earlier also in the wake of the conflict in Ukraine and for the safe evacuation of Indian students. "The Sumy evacuation, which was the last one on a significant scale, was also extremely complex as our students faced the prospect of being caught in the crossfire. Their evacuation from the city needed a credible ceasefire, a daunting challenge in the current situation," Jaishankar said. "This finally materialized due to the personal intervention of the Prime Minister himself with the Presidents of Ukraine and Russia. Noting the extraordinary challenges before us, we also dispatched a special team of senior officers to the vicinity of Sumy. Their coordination with the military forces deployed there, with the ICRC and the arrangement of logistics was responsible for the final outcome," he added. The minister said during the entire period, India's Embassy in Ukraine has been working incessantly to contact Indian nationals, arranging and facilitating transport, coordinating with local authorities, providing food. "Throughout the evacuation exercise, our Embassy was in constant touch with the Ukrainian authorities. We appreciate their positive response to our requests during this period. Their intervention was responsible for running additional trains needed for the evacuation exercise. The Embassy also provided travel documents within a very very short time in cases where Indian nationals had lost their passports," Jaishankar said. "They also partnered with neighbouring Embassies to resolve challenging situations on the border. On March 13, in view of the rapidly deteriorating security situation in Ukraine, including attacks in its western part, it was decided to temporarily relocate the Indian Embassy in Ukraine to Poland. This situation will be reassessed in light of further developments," he added. Jaishankar said the Prime Minister also spoke to his counterparts of Romania, Slovak Republic, Hungary and the President of Poland to seek support for the facilitation in the entry of Indians to their countries. India has evacuated around 22,500 stranded citizens from Ukraine. India has also evacuated citizens from the neighbouring countries including Bangladesh and Nepal.Buses and trains brought Indians to the western borders of Ukraine and they were flown to India through flights that took off from Bucharest, Budapest, Suceava, and Warsaw. (ANI) Finksburg businesses may begin to apply early next month for up to $10,000 in matching funds from Carroll County via the Finksburg Facade Improvement Program. The Carroll County Department of Planning, in conjunction with the Finksburg Planning and Citizens Council, was recently awarded $50,000 from the State of Maryland for the program. Applications will be accepted beginning April 1. Advertisement The program will offer matching grant funds to eligible property and business owners in the Finksburg Sustainable Community corridor to improve the appearance of building facades and signs. Goals of the program are to encourage renovation of building facades and signs, improve the appearance of the Finksburg corridor, leverage private improvements by making revitalization efforts affordable and community based and preserve and enhance the economic vitality of commercial services. Advertisement Business owners must commit at least 50% of the total cost of improvements in order to receive a matching grant of up to $10,000. The state grant is provided through the Community Legacy program, administered by the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development. The department said the program is aimed at strengthening communities through activities such as business retention and attraction, encouraging homeownership and commercial revitalization. For more information about the program, including information about eligible applicants and improvements and how to apply, visit FinksburgFIP.org or contact the Carroll County Department of Planning at 410-386-5145. Earlier on Monday, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla welcomed a Parliamentary delegation from Austria. Birla said, "The Austrian Parliamentarians arrived in India on March 13 and have already visited Agra. They will proceed to Hyderabad before returning to Austria on March 17." The Austrian Parliamentarians on Sunday visited the Taj Mahal, one of the Seven Wonders of the World, and appreciated the beauty of the ancient monument. "It is a wonderful place, a marvellous place, an ancient monument. Agra has changed very much, a great work," said one of the members of the delegation. The delegation was gifted the miniature of the Taj Mahal as a souvenir by the Indian side. (ANI) Continuing its repression of people in Tibet, China has stepped up its surveillance measures and restricted online communications between Tibetans and their family members and friends staying abroad, said a media report. Notably, Tibetans living in exile in India had been relying on free social media chat apps to talk to their family members back home in Markham county in the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR), however, the communication links have now been broken with the Chinese government's new surveillance measures, reported Radio Free Asia. "I was able to communicate with my family and relatives back in Tibet using social media chat apps, (but) the communication was completely cut off a few months back due to greater surveillance and restrictions," the media outlet quoted Kelsang Gyatso, a Tibetan living in exile in India, as saying. "It's very worrisome not having any information on how they are doing, and I'm sure it's the same for them also not knowing about my well-being," he added. Tibet, a formerly independent Himalayan country, was invaded by China in 1950 and has been governed by China's ruling Communist Party since then. According to human rights groups, Chinese authorities in the TAR and Tibetan areas of nearby Chinese provinces restrict freedoms of religion, expression, movement, and assembly, and ignore residents' concerns about mining and land grabs by local officials, who use force to subdue those who protest against such repression. Notably, the Chinese government's November 2020 announcement of tightening controls on online communications it claimed undermined national unity was followed by an uptick in reported detentions of Tibetans in 2021 for alleged online offences, the media outlet reported citing Human Rights Watch's latest World Report. "Tibetans who contacted people outside China were harassed and punished, regardless of the content of their communications," said the report. China's hardline policies have made it more difficult for Tibetans in exile to communicate with their families and friends back home, RFA reported citing Tibetan sources inside and outside the region. In a bid to shut down the flow of information to the outside world, China has also been tracking Tibetans in Tibet communicating with those in exile, according to sources inside Tibet. As per these sources, the Chinese government has started prohibiting the transfer of money from Tibetans in the TAR to outside recipients. Moreover, to suppress the voice of dissent, the Chinese government makes it even more difficult for Tibetans in exile involved in political campaigns, dignitaries, and journalists to communicate with their families inside Tibet. "It is a fact that Chinese authorities specifically harass and surveil family members of Tibetans in exile who are usually actively involved in political campaigns, and journalists," the media outlet quoted a Tibetan journalist living in India as saying. (ANI) The Indian Embassy in Ukraine is diligently pursuing the repatriation of mortal remains of Naveen Shekarappa Gyanagoudarm, a final year medical student of Kharkiv Medical University, who succumbed to injuries received when he had gone to fetch groceries from a shop, External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar said on Tuesday. "We deeply mourn his untimely demise. Our Embassy in Ukraine is diligently pursuing the repatriation of his mortal remains to India," Jaishankar said in a statement in both Houses of Parliament on the 'Situation in Ukraine'. Naveen Gyanagoudarmwas a resident of Karnataka's Haveri district. The 21-year-old student of Kharkiv National Medical University was reportedly standing in a queue to buy food when he was killed in shelling in the Ukraine conflict. The minister also mentioned the assistance provided to another Indian national Harjot Singh, who suffered bullet injuries on his way out from Kyiv. "His medical expenses were taken care of and arrangements made for his movement from Kyiv to the Polish border. He was brought back in an IAF flight to India accompanied by a doctor arranged by our Mission in Poland," Jaishankar said. The minister said that despite the challenges posed by the serious ongoing conflict, India has ensured that about 22500 citizens have returned home safely. (ANI) Mongolia has long relied on Russia in balancing its ties with China but due to the Ukraine crisis and consequent sanctions on Russia, Moscow may not be able to fully support Ulaanbaatar in confronting Beijing on the 10th Jetsundamba (JD) issue, said a media report. According to The Hong Kong report, the issue of the declaration of the 10th Jetsundamba (JD) is gaining traction in Mongolia. The 10th JD, the religious head and highest reincarnate lama of Mongolia, is considered third in the Buddhist hierarchy after the Dalai Lama and Panchen Lama. The 10th JD is believed to be a child presently living in Mongolia but holding US citizenship. During a meeting of the Buddhist monks community held on December 17, 2021 in Ulaanbaatar, it was decided that the declaration about the 10th JD be made without any further delay, the report said. However, China seems intent on stalling the declaration, because the JD, other than the Dalai Lama and the Panchen Lama, would be an influential voice in the reincarnation of the Dalai Lama, The Hong Kong reported. The report further said that China is likely to take full advantage of the situation and aggressively try to entrench itself into Mongolia's Buddhist circle in order to influence the naming of the 10th JD, which would have implications on the Dalai Lama succession issue, and in turn, decide the future course of Tibetan Buddhism. The report said that Beijing has indicated that it would recognize the child as the 10th JD only if he was not recognized by the Dalai Lama and the Mongolian government sent him to study in China. According to the report, China seems to be trying to influence not just the Mongolian Buddhist circles, but also the political leadership and government using different tactics, including exerting economic pressure through border closure, to gain control over Mongolia's Buddhist affairs. Beijing has long relied on economic coercion to deter Mongolia from supporting Tibetans and the Dalai Lama. This was best witnessed when it imposed heavy sanctions on Mongolia following the Dalai Lama's visit in November 2016 to Ulaanbaatar, when he announced that the 10th JD had been identified, The Hong Kong Post reported. (ANI) New York [US], March 15 (ANI/Sputnik): A ceasefire in Ukraine is possible when Russia's demands, including demilitarization and denazification, are fulfilled, Russian Ambassador to the United Nations Vassily Nebenzia said on Tuesday. "The ceasefire will take place when conditions that were put forward by Russia are implemented and they are very well-known," Nebenzia said. "Demilitarization of Ukraine, denazification of Ukraine, no threat which would come from that territory, that country to Russia, no joining NATO ... The goal of Ukraine joining NATO is in the Ukrainian constitution so it should be dropped from there first and foremost." (ANI/Sputnik) Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Tuesday said that it is time to admit that Ukraine will not become a North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) member, according to a media report. "It is clear that Ukraine is not a member of NATO, we understand this, we are adequate people. For years we have heard about supposedly open doors, but now we have also heard that we cannot enter there, and this is true and we need to admit it," Sputnik quoted Zelenskyy as saying at the meeting of leaders of the Joint Expeditionary Force. Meanwhile, the United States has said that it will continue to assess what other forms of air defence it might be able to provide to Ukraine amid Russia's military operation, Sputnik reported citing envoy to NATO Julianne Smith. "You've heard the President and Secretary of Defense talk about the fact that we are continually assessing what additional needs our friends have. We will continue looking at what other aspects of or other forms of air defence we might be able to provide to Ukraine," the media outlet quoted Smith as saying. "And of course, you've no doubt seen the news that Congress just recently approved an additional USD 13.6 billion of support for Ukraine. So this is an evolving story," he added. Notably, Zelenskyy on Monday urged NATO to impose a no-fly zone over his country or see its member states attacked by Russia. In his virtual address, Zelenskyy said: "I reiterate that if you do not close our sky, it is only a matter of time before Russian missiles fall on your territory, on NATO territory, on the homes of NATO citizens." He spoke a day after thirty-five people were killed and more than 130 injured when Russian troops launched airstrikes on a military training ground, near the border with NATO member Poland. (ANI) Taking to Twitter, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said that both sides reviewed progress of ongoing projects in connectivity, hydropower, forest management, water supply and sewerage, skills, Japanese language. "Foreign Secretary @harshvshringla chaired 6th Act East Forum with Ambassador Suzuki @EOJinIndia. Reviewed progress of ongoing projects in connectivity, hydropower, forest management, water supply & sewerage, skills, Japanese language & exchanged views on further cooperation," Bagchi tweeted. The meeting was attended by representatives of relevant Ministries and State Governments of the North Eastern Region of India. In addition, officials of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the Japan Foundation (JF) participated, the MEA said in a statement. They reviewed the progress of ongoing projects in various areas including connectivity, hydropower, forest management, water supply and sewerage, skill development and Japanese language education. They also exchanged views on possible new areas of cooperation, the statement added. (ANI) In a virtual interaction with the stakeholders involved in Operation Ganga, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday praised their patriotic fervour and sense of community service that exemplifies the Indian civilizational values. "Interacted with Indian community organizations, civil society and volunteer groups involved in @opganga. Collective efforts ensured the safe return of about 23,000 Indians from Ukraine. We remain committed to ensure the safety and well-being of Indians in distress abroad," tweeted PM Modi after the interaction. Notably, as per an official statement from Prime Minister's Office, under Operation Ganga, launched for evacuation of Indian nationals stranded in war-torn Ukraine, about 23000 Indian citizens, as well as 147 foreign nationals belonging to 18 countries, have been successfully evacuated from Ukraine. During the interaction, representatives of the Indian Community and private sector in Ukraine, Poland, Slovakia, Romania and Hungary narrated their experiences of being part of Operation Ganga, the challenges they faced and expressed their sense of satisfaction and honour at having contributed to such a complex humanitarian operation. PM Modi expressed his warm appreciation for Indian community leaders, volunteer groups, companies, private individuals and government officials who worked tirelessly for the success of the operation. He praised the patriotic fervour, the sense of community service, and the team spirit displayed by all stakeholders involved in Operation Ganga. Prime Minister also praised the various community organisations, pointing out that their selfless service exemplifies the Indian civilizational values that they continue to embody even on foreign shores. Speaking about the efforts made by the government to ensure the safety of Indian nationals during the crisis, PM Modi recalled his personal interactions with leaders of Ukraine and its neighbouring countries and expressed gratitude for the support received from all the foreign governments. "Around 23,000 Indians have returned to the country from Ukraine. Running this evacuation operation was challenging under such circumstances," said PM Modi. Reiterating the high priority that government attaches to the safety of Indians abroad, Prime Minister recalled that India has always acted with alacrity to assist its citizens during any international crisis. Guided by India's age-old philosophy of Vasidhaiva Kutumbakam, India has also extended humanitarian support to nationals of other countries during emergencies, he said. "We also evacuated nationals of 18 other countries from Ukraine. We have sent over 90 tonnes of humanitarian assistance to Ukraine and its neighbouring countries," he stated. (ANI) The legislation to extend the martial law, which was submitted by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, was supported by 343 lawmakers out of 345 present in the parliament, Zheleznyak said. Kyiv imposed martial law after Russia launched a special military operation against Ukraine on February 24. (ANI/Xinhua) This comes after Lavrov and his Irani counterpart Hossein Amir-Abdollahian held a bilateral meeting in Moscow on Tuesday. Moscow is waiting for Washington to return to the legal framework of the agreement and lift its sanctions that not only hurt Iran but also other countries, the news agency quoted Lavrov as saying during a briefing following the talks. Refuting the allegation that Moscow is slowing down the revival of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, commonly known as the Iran nuclear deal, Lavrov said that the US wants to shift the blame onto others because of its own indecisiveness. During the bilateral meeting of the Iranian and Russian delegations on Tuesday, Abdollahian welcomed Russia's "constructive efforts in Vienna to help reach an agreement on the lifting of sanctions on Iran", according to Xinhua. The Iranian foreign minister also expressed hope that the US would let go of its "exorbitant demands" so that all parties participating in the Vienna talks can reach a consensus. (ANI) The Board of Education of Harford County unanimously voted Monday to rename William Paca/Old Post Road Elementary School and John Archer School after it was pointed out by residents and the NAACP that the existing names had ties to slavery. Advertisement Environments for student learning, extracurricular activities and other school-sponsored activities shall be designed by the school system as to be equitable, fair, safe, diverse and inclusive, Superintendent Sean Bulson said in a report presented to the board. The superintendent and Harford County Public Schools staff believe that maintaining the name of a slave owner as part of a school name is inconsistent with the educational mission of HCPS, said Patrick P. Spicer, legal counsel for the board. Advertisement In June 2020, a petition containing 1,500 signatures was forwarded to the board, asking the superintendent to rename William Paca/Old Post Road Elementary School in Abingdon, according to agenda documents. Since then, several residents have spoken during public comments at board meetings in support of removing Pacas name from the school, according to Spicer, who read from the meetings agenda documents. After hearing a student speak on the issue, Vicki Jones, president of the Harford County branch of the NAACP, met with the student and together they requested during a board meeting last summer that William Paca Elementary School be renamed, according to Jones. William Paca was born in Abingdon in 1740. A signer of the Declaration of Independence, Paca was a federal judge, served in the Maryland legislature and became governor of the state. He also owned more than 100 slaves. John Archer was a Harford County physician born near Churchville in 1741. He served in the Revolutionary War, held various government positions and served in Congress. He, too, was a slave owner. William Paca Elementary School was built in 1964 as a second building on the Philadelphia Road campus of Old Post Elementary School, which was built in 1956. After researching Paca, Towson University removed his name from a student housing building last year, which set off an alarm for Harfords NAACP chapter, Jones said. Recently, Harfords NAACP leaders met with the Board of Education to formally request name changes for both schools, according to Jones. Staff from the John Archer School said in public comments Monday that they did not find out about the boards discussion on changing the name until that morning, although the boards agenda with the recommendations was posted on the districts website Friday. Advertisement While many from the school agree with the name change, they were upset that neither the board or administration notified them directly about the change in advance of Mondays meeting. Bulson apologized for not notifying the John Archer School community, and said many people do not know the history behind those names. I think very few people are aware of this part of our history and the connection because when I think of the John Archer School, I do not connect it to the person who John Archer was. I connect it to a building that is one of the most inspiring places I have ever seen when it comes to taking care of children. John Archer School in Bel Air opened in 1971 and serves students with special needs in grades one through 12 from throughout the county. The school is scheduled to move into a new building in 2026. Advertisement Supporters of the school asked the board to push back a name change decision until the move, citing costs for changing the schools name such as logos and rebranding, which board members and Bulson declined, stating they would not hold off for years on a change that should take place now. Harford County was the last county in the state to integrate public schools, Jones said. I think it is time and imperative that we continue to move in a direction that instills pride and a sense of belonging in all of its [county] residents. The NAACP hopes the school that this situation will help shine a light on the ingrained racism in communities across the country, including Harford County, Jones said. Instead of celebrating and memorializing white men who enslaved people who look like almost 60% of the students, lets create a narrative that values and celebrates a more positive imagery for the students and the community, Jones said. Advertisement Board member Jansen Robinson said the board should not just rename the schools but also find ways to educate residents about the countys history. To think about all that is happening across the country and in our own backyard, I cannot help but wonder, how do we make the case for not teaching people? Robinson said. I support renaming the schools. ... But I think if we only rename the schools, we are not taking advantage of what the moment is allowing us. Afternoon Update Weekdays Updating you on the day's biggest news before the evening commute. > As the board moves forward with the name changes, it should teach people why the names were changed, board member Patrice J. Ricciardi said. Changing the names does not change history, and history should not be erased, Ricciardi said. It should be explained, so everyone understands the impact of these changes and why these changes are being made. There are no other county schools that have names related to slave owners, according to Spicer. Archer music teacher Katie Ford also expressed concern that the name change would take place days before the schools 50th anniversary celebration. According to administrative policy, however, the board cannot make a name change until 60 days after the board has made its decision, Spicer said. Advertisement Community members asked the board to hold focus groups or information sessions to allow for input on the new names and time frame for the changes. This is just the beginning of a process, not the end of one, Bulson said. Brussels [Belgium], March 15 (ANI/Sputnik): The European Union is concerned about the forthcoming challenges to its agri-food system and possible trade disruptions expected due to Russia's special military operation in Ukraine, EU Commission spokeswoman for Trade and Agriculture Miriam Garcia Ferrer said on Tuesday. "The coming months we will experience challenges to the agri-food system. The Commission is currently very closely monitoring the situation and the possible impact it can have on our farmers, but also on the security globally and worldwide, because we are aware Ukraine and Russia are important suppliers of certain commodities that are widely exported around the world," Ferrer said at a briefing. At the same time, she stressed that there is no immediate threat to food security because the EU is a big producer of cereals. "But we are, of course, concerned on the impact this is having already on prices and, of course, disruption of trade flows and the global food security," Ferrer added. On February 24, Russia began a special military operation in Ukraine, responding to calls for help from the breakaway republics of Donetsk and Luhansk. In response, Western countries imposed comprehensive sanctions against Russia, prompting many foreign companies to suspend or downsize operations in Russia. (ANI/Sputnik) Highlighting the need for the parties concerned to agree on "humanitarian pauses", the resolution calls for a "negotiated ceasefire for enabling the rapid, safe, voluntary and unhindered evacuation of all civilians". Condemning all violations of international humanitarian law and human rights, including the Geneva Conventions, the resolution demanded respect and protection for all medical and humanitarian personnel engaged in medical and related duties, according to Sputnik. Notably, 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. The UN Security Council has recently held a series of discussions regarding the ongoing situation in Ukraine. Meanwhile, the head of the Russian Foreign Ministry's international organizations department, Pyotr Ilyichev on Monday said that a UN Security Council resolution could be needed to approve any agreement reached between Russia and Ukraine, reported Sputnik. (ANI) The sanctions have been imposed against Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council Dmitry Medvedev, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, Kremlin administration chief Anton Vaino, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, Minister of Economic Development Maxim Reshetnikov, Deputy Prime Minister Marat Khusnullin, foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, lawmaker Irina Rodnina, Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin, among others, Sputnik reported. Further, the sanctions also target Editor-in-Chief of the Russian media outlet RT broadcaster Margarita Simonyan, her husband and film director Tigran Keosayan, ice dancer and Peskov's wife Tatiana Navka, media personalities Vladimir Solovyev and Konstantin Ernst, as well as several prominent businessmen. Meanwhile, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Tuesday said that the UK will continue to support Ukraine as they are tightening economic sanctions against Russia. "President @ZelenskyyUa has mobilised world opinion against the brutality of Vladimir Putin. We will continue to support him and his people -tightening economic sanctions and providing support to help Ukrainians protect themselves from bombardment," tweeted Johnson. Notably Western countries have rolled out a comprehensive sanctions campaign against Moscow in response to the Russian special military operation in Ukraine. The sanctions include airspace closures and restrictive measures targeting numerous Russian officials and entities, media, and financial institutions. However, Moscow has repeatedly stressed that it has no plans to occupy Ukraine and that the aim of its special operation is to demilitarize and "denazify" Ukraine, targeting only military infrastructure. (ANI) Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Tuesday, while virtually addressing Canada's Parliament, once again appealed for a no-fly zone over Ukraine and expressed gratitude to Ottawa for support at this time of crisis. "Can you imagine when you called your friends, your friendly nation, and you ask, 'Please close the sky, close the airspace, please stop the bombing.' How many more missiles have to fall on our cities until you make this happen? And they ... express their deep concerns about the situation. When we talked with our partners, they said, 'Please, hold on, hold on a little longer,'" he said. "I know you support Ukraine. We've been friends with you ... but also I would like you to understand and I would like you to feel this, what we feel every day. We want to live and we want to be victorious. We want to prevail for the sake of life," Zelensky added. "You've offered your help, your assistance, at our earliest request, you supply us with the military assistance, with humanitarian assistance, you imposed severe sanctions, serious sanctions. At the same time, we see that unfortunately, they did not bring the end to the war," he said in the speech. While giving an analogy, Zelenskky asked the Canadian lawmakers to imagine how they would personally react to an invasion of the country's own cities. Zelenskyy tells the parliament to image Ottawa airport bombed and Vancouver under siege."Can you only imagine that on 4:00 a.m., you start hearing bomb explosions, severe explosions? Can you imagine hearing you, your children, hear all of these severe explosions? Bombing of airport? Bombing of Ottawa airport? Tens of other cities of your wonderful country -- can you imagine that?" he said. "Imagine someone is laying siege to Vancouver. Can you just imagine that for a second? All these people who are left in such city. That is exactly the situation that the city of Mariupol is suffering right now," he said. "And they are left without heat or hydro or without means of communicating, almost without food, without water." He continued the analogy saying, "Can you imagine the famous CN Tower in Toronto, if it was hit by Russian bombs? Of course I don't wish this on anyone, but this is our reality in which we live." Zelensky told the leaders by video link that 97 children have been killed in Ukraine so far. "Some companies say they have left, but they are just waiting for the moment they can return to the Russian market. They don't care about 97 children; up to now, 97 children have been killed here," Zelenskyy said. Russia started a special military operation in Ukraine on February 24 in response to calls from the Donetsk and Luhansk people's republics for protection against intensifying attacks by Ukrainian troops. The Russian Defense Ministry said the special operation is targeting Ukrainian military infrastructure only and the civilian population is not in danger. Moscow has repeatedly said it has no plans to occupy Ukraine. Western nations have imposed numerous sanctions on Russia. (ANI) "Consultations on the main negotiation platform renewed. General regulation matters, ceasefire, withdrawal of troops from the territory of the country," he tweeted. The update comes after the fourth round of talks between the two sides began on Monday before being "paused" until Tuesday. Russia started a special military operation in Ukraine on February 24 in response to calls from the Donetsk and Luhansk people's republics for protection against intensifying attacks by Ukrainian troops. The Russian Defense Ministry said the special operation is targeting Ukrainian military infrastructure only and the civilian population is not in danger. Moscow has repeatedly said it has no plans to occupy Ukraine. Western nations have imposed numerous sanctions on Russia. (ANI) A veteran war photojournalist of Fox News, Pierre Zakrzewski, was killed while reporting in war-torn Ukraine, the Fox News Network said on Tuesday, reported CNN. Fox News chief executive Suzanne Scott wrote to employees, "It is with great sadness and a heavy heart that we share the news this morning regarding our beloved cameraman Pierre Zakrzewski," adding "Pierre was killed in Horenka, outside of Kyiv, Ukraine." Zakrzewski was a veteran war photojournalist who had "covered nearly every internal story for Fox News from Iraq to Afghanistan to Syria," Scott said. As per the chief executive, Zakrzewski was with correspondent Benjamin Hall "when their vehicle was struck by incoming fire." He informed that Benjamin Hall remains hospitalized in Ukraine. "His talents were vast and there wasn't a role that he didn't jump in to help with in the field - from photographer to engineer to the editor to producer - and he did it all under immense pressure with tremendous skill," Scott said. "He was profoundly committed to telling the story and his bravery, professionalism and work ethic were renowned among journalists at every media outlet," reported the news channel. "He was wildly popular - everyone in the media industry who has covered a foreign story knew and respected Pierre," Scott added. Scott said it was a "heartbreaking day for Fox News Media and for all journalists risking their lives to deliver the news." Earlier, the US State Department said that it stands ready to assist injured Fox News correspondent Ben Hall in any way it can. "I'm heartbroken by reports that my colleague, a State Department correspondent, was injured in Ukraine today. Our thoughts are with him, his family, and all of his colleagues, and we wish him a full recovery. We stand ready to assist in any way we can," State Department Spokesperson Ned Price said in a tweet. On February 24, Russia began a special military operation in Ukraine after the Donetsk and Luhansk people's republics requested help in defending themselves.The Russian Defense Ministry said the special operation is targeting Ukrainian military infrastructure only and the civilian population is not in danger.The West however denies these claims by the Russians and in response, Western nations have imposed comprehensive sanctions on Moscow. In addition, they introduced sanctions on Belarus for supporting Russia's operation in Ukraine. (ANI) As the Russia-Ukraine war entered its twentieth day and Russian troops advanced towards Ukraine's capital Kyiv, the fourth round of talks between Russia and Ukraine resumed. "Consultations on the main negotiation platform renewed. General regulation matters, ceasefire, withdrawal of troops from the territory of the country," Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's aide tweeted. Moreover, Russia has imposed sanctions against US President Joe Biden, Secretary of State Antony Blinken and other US officials. Russia is also imposing sanctions against Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and over 300 lawmakers. Moscow also imposed sanctions against Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly and Defense Minister Anita Anand. Ukraine's Ministry of Foreign Affairs shared the details of the losses that the Russian Armed Forces have incurred noting that more than 13,500 Russian troops have been killed with 404 Russian tanks being destroyed since Russia began its war on Ukraine. According to Ukraine's MFA data, 1,279 armoured vehicles of different types, 81 aircraft, 95 helicopters, 150 artillery pieces, and 64 MLRs were hit during the combat. As Russian troops advance towards Kyiv, the city has imposed a new curfew from 8 pm (Local Time) on March 15 until 7 am on March 17. Mayor of Kyiv, Vitali Klitschko, said that the residents are only allowed to go outside to head to the bomb shelters. A veteran war photojournalist of Fox News, Pierre Zakrzewski was killed while reporting in war-torn Ukraine. Fox News chief executive Suzanne Scott wrote to employees, "It is with great sadness and a heavy heart that we share the news this morning regarding our beloved cameraman Pierre Zakrzewski," adding "Pierre was killed in Horenka, outside of Kyiv, Ukraine." Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy while virtually addressing Canada's parliament once again appealed for a no-fly zone over Ukraine and expressed gratitude to Ottawa for support at this time of crisis. Zelenskyy said that it is time to admit that Ukraine will not become a North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) member. A Russian UN Security Council resolution has called for a humanitarian ceasefire in Ukraine to enable the safe evacuation of civilians. Highlighting the need for the parties concerned to agree on "humanitarian pauses", the resolution calls for a "negotiated ceasefire for enabling the rapid, safe, voluntary and unhindered evacuation of all civilians". Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that both Russia and Iran support a fast resumption of the full implementation of the Iran nuclear deal. This comes after Lavrov and his Irani counterpart Hossein Amir-Abdollahian held a bilateral meeting in Moscow. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Tuesday said that evacuation of Indian students from Sumy in Ukraine was extremely complex and needed a credible ceasefire which finally materialised due to the personal intervention of Prime Minister Narendra Modi with the presidents of Ukraine and Russia. Making a statement on 'Situation in Ukraine' in both Houses of Parliament, Jaishankar said the Prime Minister took up the "issue of safe evacuation of Indians, especially from Kharkiv and Sumy". (ANI) Washington [US], March 15 (ANI/Sputnik): US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman and her French counterpart Francois Delattre discussed the situation in Ukraine and agreed to continue imposing sanctions on Russia in response to its special military operation in the neighboring country, US State Department spokesperson Ned Price said on Tuesday. "Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman spoke today with French Foreign Ministry Secretary General Francois Delattre," Price said in a statement. "They agreed on the need for continued support for Ukraine and committed to continue to impose costs on Russia for its aggression." Earlier on Tuesday, the European Union adopted the fourth package of economic and individual sanctions against Russia, including prohibiting all transactions with some state-owned enterprises, ceasing all new investments in the Russian energy sector and enacting trade restrictions on iron, steel and luxury goods. On February 24, Russia undertook a special operation to demilitarize and de-Nazify Ukraine in response to requests from the Donetsk and Luhansk people's republics to defend from intensifying attacks by Ukrainian troops. The Russian Defense Ministry has said the special operation is solely targeting Ukrainian military infrastructure. In response, the United States, European Union and their allies have imposed comprehensive sanctions on Russia. (ANI/Sputnik) Russian President Vladimir Putin held talks with the King of Bahrain, Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, where he "spoke about the reasons for and goals of the special military operation to protect Donbass." "Vladimir Putin spoke about the reasons for and goals of the special military operation to protect Donbass, about the measures being taken to protect civilians and about Russia's efforts concerning talks with Ukraine representatives," read Kremlin statement. Both sides discuss the Russia-Bahrain cooperation in politics, trade and the economy. "The leaders discussed topical issues of Russia-Bahrain cooperation in politics, trade and the economy," said Kremlin in a statement. They also talked about measures to counter the spread of the coronavirus infection, including the "successful use of Russian vaccines in the Kingdom". The leaders expressed the shared intention to further develop the friendly ties between Russia and Bahrain, Kremlin said. The President and the King agreed to continue their personal contacts. Russia started a special military operation in Ukraine on February 24 in response to calls from the Donetsk and Luhansk people's republics for protection against intensifying attacks by Ukrainian troops. The Russian Defense Ministry said the special operation is targeting Ukrainian military infrastructure only and the civilian population is not in danger. Moscow has repeatedly said it has no plans to occupy Ukraine. Western nations have imposed numerous sanctions on Russia. (ANI) The United Kashmir People's National Party (UKPNP) held the demonstration attended by about 40 people. The main agenda of the protest was to condemn Pakistan's forcible occupation of Kashmir and denial of basic rights. "We are here today to protest against serious human rights violations in Pakistan and its occupied Kashmir. We are here to ask the international community and the United Nations (UN) to intervene and to provide relief to the people who are victims of the (Pakistani) state policies," a protestor said while addressing the gathering. "Pakistan has no locus-standi on its occupied Kashmir. It has illegally occupied Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan," he added. The group leaders also called for the exit of Pakistan from Kashmir, while highlighting human rights violations against ethnic minorities in the country. "There are thousands of people who have been forcefully disappeared from different parts of Pakistan, especially from Sindh, Balochistan, (Khyber) Pakhtunkhwa and Pakistan occupied Kashmir," the protestor said. The protests against Pakistan's occupation comes at a time when the country faces heavy internal turmoil, while its sponsorship of terrorism in India's Kashmir provides ever-diminishing returns. Earlier this month, citizens in Srinagar held a sit-in protest against the continued terror attacks and disturbances in the state. The protests came following a grenade attack in the city that left two people including a 19-year-old student dead. The protestors raised slogans holding placards reading "Akhar Kab Tak?" (For How Long We Must Suffer?) The echo of "Save Youth, Save Kashmir" reverberated in the capital. (ANI) After successfully investing and selling an imaginary $100,000 in the Fall Stock Market game, a team of four students from Pointers Run Elementary School in Clarksville were recognized as the Maryland Central Regional Elementary School Champions for their abilities to play the stock market. Though it was not real money, Dara Oladapo, Hope Waldman, Mahith Vemuganti and Rida Siddiqui, all 10-year-old fifth graders, learned a lot about stocks and how the stick market is influenced by current events and the economy. Advertisement The Pointers Run team competed against 713 other teams and were able to increase their portfolio by about 2%, the largest percentage in the region. The team will be recognized at the Maryland Council on Economic Educations Annual Student Achievement and Awards Program this spring. This opens their eyes to what it means to save and invest, said Amy Cargiulo, their adviser and a gifted and talented resource teacher at the school. Starting at a young age is really important. Advertisement Meeting once a week during their lunch and recess periods, the students worked together to decide what stocks to buy or sell. Everyone had to agree before any action could be taken and the students read articles and kept abreast of what was happening to defend their suggestions. We looked at bad stocks that kept going down, so we didnt buy them, and we looked at cheap ones for good causes, Hope said. Topics such as the lack of available rental cars and the demand for vaccines were some of the issues the students discussed before investing in or selling stock in companies such as Tesla, Disney and Pfizer at different times. Go with what you know, Cargiulo said the students learned. Diversify your portfolio in case something happens. Allen Cox, of the Maryland Council on Economic Education, has been the coordinator for the Maryland stock game since 1985. About 4,000 teams of students in grades four through 12 exist in Maryland. Afternoon Update Weekdays Updating you on the day's biggest news before the evening commute. > The point is to create that spark getting kids interested in savings and investing, Cox said. Amy is particularly good because not only are they learning about savings and investing, but she is a math teacher and this reinforces skills she is already teaching them, mathematical things. Before COVID, Cox would have teams come to Towson Universitys T. Rowe Price Finance Lab, where he would provide a lesson and then give them a tour of the campus and lunch in the dining hall. Advertisement Though she says she is not an expert by any means in the stock market, Cargiulo has been leading the club for more than 16 years. She offers both a fall and spring session, averaging 25 students per session. The beauty of it is the kids are so involved, they are able to get other kids to continue it when they leave, Cargiulo said. Ive had two boys come back as juniors in high school who started a school team. While the stock market game is about short-term investing, Cox believes it creates the foundation for interest in long-term investing for students as they become adults. Some people look at the stock market game as trying to create little day traders, Cox said. There are lots of aspects to this. It teaches long-term, too. They will remember this experience. Defending Indian Government against questions from the Opposition over the delayed evacuation of Indian students from Ukraine amid worsening war with Russia, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Tuesday said that the delay was caused due to "confusing political statements" by the Ukrainian government. "Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had himself said that there was no need to panic. leaders in Ukraine were saying at the time that people leaving would contribute to creating a sense of panic...Sitting here, it is very easy to pass judgements saying: we should have done this earlier or faster, but please understand what was the situation of the students...who do they listen to?", said Jaishankar in the Rajya Sabha on the "Situation in Ukraine". He said that Indian students were actually encouraged, in fact, positively discouraged by the Ukrainian universities from leaving the country. "President Zelenskyy was publically saying, 'Please don't be alarmed. What we should prevent at any cost is to prevent the spread of panic.' Now, what was happening to the poor students living in Ukraine was, they were watching Ukrainian television, they were reading Ukrainian newspapers, they were receiving signals from the Ukrainian Government telling them, 'don't get alarmed, don't leave'. In fact, you heard leaders saying that anybody leaving is contributing to a sense of panic," said Jaishankar. He said that Indian students were confused and hence there was a delay in the evacuation process. "Whom do the students listen to? They listen, first of all, to the University, they listen to the student advisors, they listen to the local Government and they listen to other students. They talk to their families and ask them if they should come back or not. Having said all that, let us also recognize that about 4,000 of them actually returned due to our advisories," said Jaishankar. He also asked the Opposition members to avoid making sweeping judgements that you should have done that, you should have done this, saying, "Please think of the students. Don't tell students who are in that situation that at that time their judgement was wrong. I think they did what they thought was right under the circumstances and we should not second guess them at this time. In fact, from our side, we also increased the number of flights at that time to encourage people to come, and reduced the cost of flights back home." Despite challenges posed by a serious ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine, India ensured the safe return of 22,500 citizens to their homes under 'Operation Ganga'. Speaking about the situation in Ukraine and the implications that it has had for India, including for our national residents there, Jaishankar further said 150 foreign nationals of 18 countries were also evacuated from conflict zones and brought to India in line with India's principle of 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam'. Among the foreign nationals evacuated are India's immediate neighbours like Bangladesh and Nepal, said the Minister, adding, "many of the Ukrainian nationals that are family members of Indian nationals have also been evacuated, and we also provided free passage to Ukraine nationals from India to Poland in our evacuation flights." Under 'Operation Ganga', Jaishankar said, 90 flights have been operated, out of which 76 were civilian flights and 14 were Indian Air-force flights. "The evacuation flights were from Romania, Poland, Hungary and Slovakia. While Indian Air-Force rose to the occasion, most of the private airlines, that includes Air India, Air India Express, Indigo, Spice Jet, Vistara, Go-Air and Air Asia, also participated enthusiastically." During this period, the Minister stated, Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself spoke to Presidents of Russia and Ukraine on multiple occasions. "He (PM) specifically took up the issue of safe evacuation of Indian nationals, especially from Kharkiv and Sumy. PM also spoke to the Prime Ministers of Romania, Slovak Republic, Hungary and President of Poland to seek their support for facilitation of entry of Indian nationals to their countries." I was in constant touch with my counterparts from Ukraine, Russia, Poland, Romania, Hungary, Slovakia and Moldova for similar reasons, said the Minister. He also said that Foreign Secretary maintained contact with the Ambassadors of Ukraine and Russia in New Delhi, while our Ambassadors in Kyiv and Moscow followed up in their respective capitals. Prime Minister deputed four Union Ministers as Special Envoys to Romania, Hungary, Slovak Republic and Poland to facilitate Operation Ganga. This included Jyotiraditya Scindia to Romania, Kiren Rijiju to the Slovak Republic, Hardeep Singh Puri to Hungary and Gen (Retd.) and VK Singh to Poland. Their personal supervision of the evacuation processes made a substantial difference in the ease of border crossing and the care taken of our citizens thereafter. (ANI) US President Joe Biden will travel to Belgium to attend an extraordinary NATO summit on March 24 along with participating in a European Council Summit, a White House statement informed on Tuesday. "President Biden will join an extraordinary NATO summit on March 24 to discuss ongoing deterrence and defence efforts in response to Russia's unprovoked and unjustified attack on Ukraine as well as to reaffirm our ironclad commitment to our NATO Allies," said White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki. "President Biden will also join a scheduled European Council Summit to discuss our shared concerns about Ukraine, including transatlantic efforts to impose economic costs on Russia, provide humanitarian support to those affected by the violence, and address other challenges related to the conflict," she further said. "In these testing times, our transatlantic action is more important than ever. @POTUS [Biden] will join EU leaders Thursday 24 March to discuss support for #Ukraine and its people, strengthening transatlantic cooperation in responding to Russia's aggression against Ukraine @ZelenskyyUa [Volodymyr Zelenskyy]," European Council President Charles Michel said in a tweet. However, whether President Biden would travel to Poland to meet his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy could not be confirmed with Press Secretary Psaki saying that "We are still working through the final details of President Biden's trip," Sputnik reported. Earlier, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg informed on Tuesday that he is convening an extraordinary summit of the alliance on March 24 over the situation in Ukraine. "I have convened an extraordinary Summit on 24 March at #NATO HQ. We will address #Russia's invasion of #Ukraine, our strong support for Ukraine, and further strengthening NATO's deterrence & defence. At this critical time, North America & Europe must continue to stand together," Stoltenberg tweeted. The development comes as the fourth round of talks between Russia and Ukraine resumed in Belarus. "Consultations on the main negotiation platform renewed. General regulation matters, ceasefire, withdrawal of troops from the territory of the country," Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's aide tweeted. Meanwhile, Russia has imposed sanctions against US President Joe Biden, Secretary of State Antony Blinken and other US officials. Russia is also imposing sanctions against Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and over 300 lawmakers. Moscow also imposed sanctions against Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly and Defense Minister Anita Anand. As Russian troops continued their advance towards Kyiv, the city imposed a new curfew from 8 pm (Local Time) on March 15 until 7 am on March 17. Mayor of Kyiv, Vitali Klitschko, said that the residents are only allowed to go outside to head to the bomb shelters. (ANI) Amid a surge in COVID-19 cases in China, the Chinese authorities have tightened anti-virus controls in some parts of Shanghai infuriating its residents over the lack of empathy by the authorities. A video uploaded by a Chinese Twitter account on March 14 shows Shanghai residents who have been locked in a particular location raising their voices through a megaphone talking to the security officials. In the video, it can be seen that the resident is saying, "Shanghai Municipal government has locked us in here and our responsibility has been passed on to the firm (most probably referring to the company they work in). (They) don't care if we live or die? The pandemic is spreading at an explosive rate. There is no one here for us." "All of us are living together, the ones who are infected and the ones who are not. We have little kids here and pregnant women as well. Don't you have family members? There is no one here for us, what's the use of having a police car parked here?" said the resident. The person also mentioned that they have been locked there for 6 days now. Case numbers in China are rising, and the entire city of Shenzen, population 17 million, is in lockdown. The northeastern province of Jilin was the worst hit, accounting for more than 3,000 cases, according to the National Health Commission. Since the coronavirus first emerged in the central city of Wuhan in late 2019, China had successfully suppressed large-scale outbreaks through its strict "zero-Covid" strategy, which involved hard lockdowns that confined huge sections of the population to their homes. But Tuesday was the sixth day in a row that more than 1,000 new cases were recorded in the world's second-biggest economy. The country identified 3,507 new locally spread cases in the last 24 hours, up from 1,337 a day earlier, reported China's National Health Commission. Moreover, another Twitter video shows that doctors and nurses in Shanghai are fighting because there weren't enough PPEs. Amid a rapid resurgence of COVID-19 cases, Shanghai-based renowned infectious disease expert Zhang Wenhong remarked that it is "not time for China to lie flat" and debate over zero-COVID, and instead Beijing should take the period as an opportunity to lay out anti-epidemic strategies that are complete and sustainable. He made these remarks in a post on the Chinese social media platform Sina Weibo on Monday. He said that it is "the most difficult period" for China since the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Zhang noted that it is "still not time for China to lie flat." "We should have clearer methods for the future rather than debating over zero-COVID or co-existence," he was quoted as saying by the Chinese state media tabloid Global Times. The state media reported that Chinese observers warned local governments to avoid taking extreme measures such as city lockdowns, as they would harm the local economy. (ANI) The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) Secretary-General Rebeca Grynspan talked about India's former External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj while addressing the International Women's Day event held by the Indian Permanent Mission in Geneva. UNCTAD is a permanent intergovernmental body established by the United Nations General Assembly in 1964 to support developing countries to access the benefits of a globalized economy more fairly and effectively. "Just 3 years ago, India's esteemed foreign service was led by an eminent woman, Sushma Swaraj. Today, as we mark International Women's Day, I would like to offer this statement in recognition of her work and the work of women like her, who have led the way in the pursuit of gender equality," Grynspan said. Talking further about the need to promote gender neutrality in the society at large, she said, "Like Sushma Swaraj (had) pointed out, gender equality must truly become a movement of the people, a movement from the bottom up, that brings together men and women from all ages and walks of life, only then will we be able to close the terrible gaps, (that) this pandemic has revealed and widened." She further talked about UNCTWD's work in the field of gender neutrality. "We must move from recognition to action, we will do this through more efforts such as the 'e-trade for women' initiative. We will do this through more cross-cutting gender statistics in our flagship reports and we will do this through stronger consensus building on issues at the top of the trade and gender agenda," the UNCTAD Secretary-General said. She further said that India can count on UNCTAD as an ally in the pursuit of gender equality while also extending her thanks to the Indian Mission for the invitation to the event. (ANI) As we begin to relax rules around the COVID-19 precautions that have helped keep us safe for two years now, it's understandable to be at least a little anxious. But when that anxiety becomes especially time-consuming or distressing, experts say it may qualify as a mental health condition. What is health anxiety? If people werent already thinking about communicable disease threats, COVID certainly put it at the forefront, Michael Wheaton, an assistant professor of psychology at Barnard College who specializes in treating OCD and OCD-related disorders, told TODAY. But for those with health anxiety, that tends to take up a much bigger part of their life. "Generally speaking, health anxiety is characterized by a preoccupation with the possibility of having or acquiring serious illness or disease," Samantha Farris, assistant professor of psychology and director of the Rutgers Emotion, Health and Behavior Laboratory, told TODAY. (People who have a health condition may have anxiety or concerns about managing their illness, which is a different situation.) If I were to get the sniffles one day because of a change in the weather or allergies, someone with elevated health anxiety would likely interpret that as a sign of infection, which would then increase anxiety and increase preoccupation with those symptoms, Matthew Tull, professor in the department of psychology at the University of Toledo, told TODAY. All of us likely have some level of health anxiety now and then, and many of us certainly experienced "transient health anxiety" during the pandemic, Farris said. But at the extreme end, what we refer to as health anxiety can be related to a few different mental health conditions that can have a very real impact on someone's life. One of those conditions is illness anxiety disorder (formerly called hypochondriasis). This tends to manifest as excessive worries about normal aches and pains we all experience every once in a while. People with illness anxiety disorder may misinterpret those puzzling-but-actually-fine bodily sensations as signs of a serious condition, like cancer. Story continues Health anxiety could also overlap with the symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder, Wheaton said. People with this condition are typically more focused on the potential to contract an illness in the future rather than on possibly having an illness already. We also see a lot of what we call 'safety behaviors' where people will take more extreme measures to protect their health, Tull said, which might include avoiding all contact with other people, excessive hand-washing or spending a lot of time seeking out information about a particular health condition. What does health anxiety feel like? Remember, its not inherently problematic to be worried about your health. Anxiety is a normal human emotion that can be beneficial, Wheaton said. It can be protective and help keep us safe. But with health anxiety, it starts to go too far, he explained. The amount of anxiety that you feel doesnt match the situation, or youre anxious about things that are false alarms. Especially during a pandemic, it makes sense to be at least a little bit vigilant about what your body is doing and to take precautions to stay safe, Farris said. But for people with health anxiety, those protective steps don't alleviate their concerns. Instead, their anxiety usually becomes more severe. But the exact way health anxiety manifests can be different for different people. "There's so much diversity in terms of how people present," Cynthia Radnitz, of CBT Specialists of New Jersey, told TODAY. People with health anxiety might worry that theyre sick without having any specific symptoms or might worry that a transient ache is a sign of a serious undiagnosed issue. They may frequently turn to their doctor or seek out testing for reassurance. Or they might spend hours scrolling online to learn more, but not be satisfied with what they find. In the early days of the pandemic, Wheaton said, a lot of people that I was seeing were very concerned about different potential routes of getting COVID. He recalled people experiencing shortness of breath or a scratchy throat and their minds immediately jumping to COVID-19. Others, he said, would repeatedly check their oxygen saturation level or their temperature to monitor themselves even without symptoms. These behaviors may be so severe that they interfere with daily life, making it difficult to get enough sleep or complete tasks at work, for instance. As a rough guideline, if you're spending more than an hour a day occupied with worry, anxiety or compensatory safety behaviors, that's a significant amount of time, Wheaton said. And at that point, you might want to think about seeing a mental health professional. How can you manage health anxiety during the pandemic? There are a few ways to manage and work through health anxiety right now, experts told TODAY. Start by assessing whether or not your level of anxiety is proportional to your actual risk. Humans are not exactly the best at accurately assessing risk, and depending on your individual risk factors for COVID-19 (or other illnesses) the actual risks may be different for you than those around you. But if you feel yourself getting anxious, Farris recommended a technique she calls "evidence-based thinking" or "checking the facts" to find the most plausible explanation for what you're feeling and to see if you may be overestimating the need for concern. For example, if you're someone who gets seasonal allergies every year and you develop some congestion around that time, it makes sense to be a little concerned and maybe to even take a COVID-19 rapid test just to be sure. But you can use your past experiences with allergies and trust in your body to navigate that situation. Notice when your thinking becomes catastrophic or all-or-nothing. These thought patterns may cause people with health anxiety to cling to a mask or to social isolation as all that stands between them and severe illness, Farris explained. But no single public health precaution can fully prevent COVID-19. Instead, we are living in the uncomfortable, mushy gray area where there is a spectrum of risk as well as precautions we can layer to make ourselves safer. Set limits, even small or incremental ones, on the amount of time you spend seeking information and reassurance. Whether it's scrolling through social media posts, endlessly Googling symptoms or constantly texting your doctor with questions, people with health anxiety often feel compelled to seek out more information or reassurance about what they're feeling or what they're afraid of. "People use this kind of consumption of information to decrease their perceived threat level," Radnitz said. While it can be helpful to a certain degree, it crosses a line if that information-seeking is regularly keeping you up late at night or otherwise interfering with your life. And, again, if you find answers you're looking for but don't feel satisfied (or even begin to feel more anxious), that could be a sign of a more concerning pattern. "At what point does it cause more stress than it should? Or more distress than it should? At what point does it start interfering with your functioning? And at what point do you get diminishing returns?" Radnitz said. The limit may be different from person to person. Stick to reputable, reliable sources of information. "One of the biggest things people can do is be careful about the information that they seek out on the internet," Tull said. "With all the misinformation out there, that can definitely can have a negative impact on perceptions of risk." But when even reputable sources of information disagree with each other (and, sometimes, with major public health agencies), the experts TODAY spoke to all agreed that it can be genuinely challenging to know what's best. If you have access to a primary care doctor, check in with them about what makes sense for your individual situation, Wheaton said. And Farris recommended looking for where expert advice overlaps (on COVID-19 vaccines and boosters, for instance) and what most reputable experts generally agree is the correct approach. Recognize when your attempts to soothe anxiety are no longer helpful or just lead to more anxiety. For instance, if you simply feel more comfortable wearing a mask even in situations where it's not strictly necessary according to official guidelines, that's understandable. But if wearing the mask doesn't help alleviate your discomfort, that could be a sign that your level of health anxiety is elevated, Farris said. Consult local guidelines or your doctor about the specific precautions you should take. "How we've been trying to help people with this is (to tell them) to just follow the guidelines and don't go above and beyond the guidelines," Wheaton said. If the guidelines say to wash your hands for 20 seconds when you come inside, you don't need to wash them for longer than that, for example. This may be tricky knowing that your individual risk factors might make blanket public health guidance less relevant for you, like you may need to keep masking due to an underlying condition even though those around you can go without. If that's the case, check with your doctor to get recommendations for your specific situation. How to ease anxiety about returning to "normal" activities If mask mandates ending, calls to return to the office and other "normal" activities are causing you anxiety, the experts suggested a few ways to work through that while keeping in mind that the pandemic is ongoing and the local COVID-19 picture may look different from place to place. Brainstorm ways to engage in meaningful activities especially those that provide social support while still maintaining some precautions, Tull recommended. "The more that people start going out there and doing the things that they need to do, the idea is that there's a greater tolerance of or habituation to some of that anxiety and, ultimately, it will reduce," he explained. When it's safe to do so in your area, think about activities you can do with friends outside or while still wearing a mask, for instance. Ground yourself with mindfulness exercises and try not to follow every anxious thought to its catastrophic conclusion. If there are scary thoughts crossing your mind, "we want to be careful not to respond to them as if they were true," Wheaton said. "We just want to say 'OK, what's a realistic way of looking at this?'" Tull also recommended using mindfulness exercises to "connect with the present moment and take a step back from some worrisome thoughts." Accept that there is still plenty of uncertainty around COVID-19. But remember that you can approximate the risks and still take appropriate precautions. "It's a tricky thing," Wheaton said, but part of this is "about not necessarily demanding that the situation be completely safe." Think about what level of risk you're willing to accept in order to participate in certain activities while knowing that "absolutely no risk" is probably not going to be a viable long-term option. Have compassion for yourself and what you're feeling, whether that's anxiety, grief or something else. "It's important to not beat yourself up about having anxiety or being concerned; it means you care, and it's your health it's important to you," Farris said. "It's just not helping you in the way that you need right now. So you're kind of teaching your brain how to help you better." Be compassionate to those around you, too. Keep in mind that others may have different levels of risk tolerance and COVID-19 risk factors in their lives, which may lead them to make decisions or engage in behaviors that are not the same as yours. If you're a manager or someone in a position of authority, "give people some space to talk about those fears and that anxiety," Tull said, "and recognize that there might need to be some flexibility." Going immediately from having precautions to having no precautions will just cause more anxiety and resistance in those who are experiencing that anxiety, he said. Related: A 13-year-old boy was riding his scooter during spring break when he was struck by a vehicle and killed, North Carolina police say. Now, the Greenville Police Department is asking the public for help in finding the vehicles driver. Officers responded to a call about a person lying in a ditch around 1:30 a.m. on March 14, according to a news release. He was identified on Tuesday, March 15, as Jaquile Ray Jackson. Investigators believe the suspect vehicle was traveling on MacGregor Downs Road toward Bs Barbecue Road when it struck Jaquile, who investigators believe was traveling on a red non-motorized Razor scooter, the news release said. The vehicle left the scene. Police say they believe that the incident happened shortly before 1:30 a.m. when the call came in about a person lying in a ditch. Jackson lived two miles from where his body was found, according to WITN. Jacksons aunt, Cherry Artis, shared a photo on Facebook of Jackson on the morning of March 14 before his body was identified, asking the community to keep an eye out for him. Im so hurt they didnt have to leave my baby like that, Artis wrote on Facebook, according to WITN. Jackson was a sixth grader at Pitt Academy, police told WITN. The school is on spring break, according to the academys calendar. Hundreds of community members shared the news of the hit-and-run on Facebook, joining the police in calling for justice. This poor kid was hit and left on the side of the road like trash and justice needs to be served, one commenter wrote. This hurts my heart so bad. No parent should EVER have to bury their child. Anyone who witnessed the incident or may have been in the area of MacGregor Downs Road during the time it happened, is asked to contact the Greenville Police Department at 252-702-4032 or Crime Stoppers at 252-758-7777. Greenville is about 82 miles west of Raleigh. Birthday party shooting leaves 2 dead, including 15-year-old, North Carolina cops say Story continues Man accused of trying to rape 19-year-old woman during job interview, Alabama cops say Father of missing Washington 5-year-old girl pleads guilty to endangering her siblings MMA fighters stop shooter inside Texas restaurant. Police praise their quick thinking The Daily Beast FacebookKailia Posey, the child pageant star of Toddlers & Tiaras, died by suicide, her family has said.On Monday, it was reported that Posey, who turned 16 last month, had been found dead in a car at a Birch Bay State Park, in Washington state, but no cause of death was given.On Tuesday, Poseys deeply religious family told TMZ that she had taken her own life, saying in a statement, Although she was an accomplished teenager with a bright future ahead of her, unfortunately in one impetuous mome Japanese Breakfast and Machine Gun Kelly have shrugged off comparisons between the Korean-American artists album art, and the new cover unveiled by the US rapper. Earlier this week, Rolling Stone published an article addressing what the journalist perceived to be similarities between Machine Gun Kellys cover art for his forthcoming album, Mainstream Sellout, and Japanese Breakfasts Grammy-nominated LP, Jubilee. Some fans on social media also seemed to notice similarities between the two. MGKs shows him wielding a guitar while being pelted by pink tomatoes, while Japanese Breakfasts shows frontwoman Michelle Zauner posing in a yellow dress with persimmons suspended in front of her. 2022s feud of the year, Japanese Breakfast joked in response, linking to the article. So should we beef over tomatoes orshould I thank them for introducing me to your album, because i just listened and i really like it, MGK replied. Thank you, Japanese Breakfast replied, adding a tomato emoji. 2022s feud of the year https://t.co/1HJtJR71y9 Japanese Breakfast (@Jbrekkie) March 14, 2022 I dont actually think it looks anything like my album cover at all, Zauner told Pitchfork in a follow-up interview, but I think its very funny that Rolling Stone put up an article about it just because theres a circular fruit in the foreground. I mean his is people throwing tomatoes at him, and mine is persimmons peacefully hanging around me, so I think theyre very different concepts. Addressing the pink aesthetic of MGKs album art, she said: Yeah, its a very contemporary Avril aesthetic. Which, as much as I stan Avril, is an aesthetic I dont really embrace for myself. She added: Ive never met Machine Gun Kelly. He seems like a fine person. I cant imagine having rock beef with anyone, but if I had to choose, it would probably be Machine Gun Kelly. Machine Gun Kelly, real name Colson Baker, releases Mainstream Sellout on 25 March. Kameleon007 / Getty Images Social Security is a lifeline for millions of retirees and other older Americans who are still in the workforce. Making sure you qualify for every dollar youve got coming to you is not a step you want to skip and believe it or not, Social Security is not guaranteed. In fact, there are more than a half-dozen ways that you could miss out on benefits that you were counting on and that you paid for with your tax dollars. Find Out: All You Need To Know About Collecting Social Security While Still Working Read More: 30 Greatest Threats to Your Retirement You Failed the Social Security Earnings Test Early claimers who are still working have to pass the Social Security earnings test in order to qualify for benefits. There is no such test once you reach full retirement age. In 2021, the Social Security Administration (SSA) temporarily withheld $1 in benefits for every $2 earned over $18,960, although theres a more forgiving monthly test for those entering the year of full retirement. You Came Up Short on Credits In order to receive Social Security payments, you have to first work for a certain amount of time, pay taxes into the system and build up enough credits to qualify for benefits. In 2021, you got one credit for every $1,470 in income earned, up to one credit per quarter or four credits per year. Most people must have 40 credits to receive Social Security benefits, which means you have to work for 10 years before youre eligible. You Have Debt That Qualifies For Garnishment Its hard for private lenders to snatch your Social Security payments, but your benefits can be garnished to satisfy certain kinds of other debts. Among them are alimony, child support and restitution, but the states determine what constitutes a valid order for garnishment. If your benefits have been garnished for any of these reasons, contact the appropriate state agency, not the SSA. If you guessed that tax debt is one of the other exceptions, you would be correct. The Department of the Treasury can garnish up to 15% of your Social Security benefits every month until your tax debt is paid. The Treasury Department can also garnish your benefits for nontax debt, including any federal student loans you might have defaulted on. Story continues Youre Covered Under the Civil Service Retirement System Instead of paying into Social Security, some federal employees hired before 1984 have instead been contributing to the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS). The CSRS was formed as part of the 1920 Civil Service Retirement Act and was replaced by the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) in 1987. CSRS recipients do not receive Social Security benefits unless theyre eligible through another job or through a spouse. Youre Covered By the Railroad Retirement Act Some railroad workers are also covered by a retirement system outside of Social Security and are ineligible for benefits. People who participate in the Railroad Retirement Act pay more of their salaries into the fund but receive higher payments when they retire particularly career employees with at least 30 years on the job. You Dont Qualify For a Divorced Spouses Benefits Some people are eligible to receive benefits on their former spouses records, but they have to meet certain qualifications first. You must have been married for 10 years or longer and you must not be remarried, although you can still qualify if your former spouse remarries. There are other requirements, too, so if you were planning on applying for benefits on a former spouses record, make sure you qualify first. You Moved Like, Far in Retirement In most cases, you can collect Social Security in another country if you live abroad in retirement, although you have to follow strict and specific rules from both the SSA and your host country. The SSA, however, is generally forbidden from sending payments to a handful of countries, but dont worry. None of them are exactly beacons for U.S. retirees. They include Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. Some exceptions can be made for some eligible retirees in those countries, but you can never collect Social Security in Cuba and North Korea. More From GOBankingRates This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: 7 Reasons You Might Not Receive Social Security Benefits The Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich next to a picture of his superyacht Solaris in Porto Montenegro on Saturday. Marc Atkins/Filip Filipovic/Getty Images Two superyachts owned by the Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich are sailing around the Mediterranean. Abramovich's Eclipse is heading in the direction of his Solaris yacht, ship-tracking data shows. There was no destination port for either superyacht listed on MarineTraffic's website. A $700 million superyacht belonging to the Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich seems to be heading toward his other $600 million vessel in the Mediterranean Sea, ship-tracking data shows. MarineTraffic's map suggests that if the two superyachts keep on their current courses, they would eventually meet in the Ionian Sea, a part of the Mediterranean separating Greece and Italy. Eclipse, Abramovich's 533-foot superyacht, was just off the coast of Algeria on Tuesday, sailing east across the Mediterranean Sea, MarineTraffic data indicated. The ship worth $700 million, according to SuperYacht Fan has been underway from St. Martin in the Caribbean since February 21, the data shows. Related video: The one thing most self-made millionaires do when they wake up Abramovich's 460-foot vessel, Solaris, which was off the eastern coast of Italy on Friday, was between the coasts of southeastern Italy and Albania on Tuesday, MarineTraffic data indicated. The website showed Solaris moving south. Some Russian oligarchs and billionaires believed to have close ties to President Vladimir Putin including Abramovich are moving themselves, their yachts, and their private jets in the wake of sanctions announced by international governments. Their assets could be seized as part of measures aimed at the Russian elite in response to Moscow's decision to invade Ukraine. Abramovich is one of seven Russian oligarchs sanctioned by the UK on Thursday. The sanctions include freezing their assets and barring them from doing business with the country. Other jurisdictions, including the European Union, have announced similar sanctions. Spanish authorities said on Monday that they had seized a $153 million superyacht that was later linked to the Russian oligarch Sergei Chemezov, the CEO of the Russian state-owned defense conglomerate Rostec and a close ally of Putin. Story continues There was no destination port for Eclipse or Solaris listed on MarineTraffic's website, so it's unclear where Abramovich's superyachts will dock next. Solaris worth $600 million, according to SuperYacht Fan had been docked in a Spanish shipyard since late 2021 for repairs until it departed last week. Reuters first reported that Abramovich was spotted in a VIP lounge at Ben Gurion Airport in Israel on Monday the same day that flight-tracking data indicated a private jet linked to him flew from Israel to Istanbul. It was unclear whether Abramovich was on the plane, Reuters reported. Read the original article on Business Insider 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) LVIV, Ukraine Russian forces destroyed a theater in Mariupol where hundreds of people were sheltering Wednesday and rained fire on other cities, Ukrainian authorities said, even as the two sides projected optimism over efforts to negotiate an end to the fighting. The airstrike ripped apart the center of the once-elegant building, where hundreds of civilians had been living since their homes had been destroyed in the fighting, Ukraines foreign ministry said in a statement. Advertisement Many people were buried in the rubble, officials said, though there was no immediate word on how many had been killed or injured. Satellite imagery from Monday showed the word children written in large white letters in Russian in front of and behind the building, the Maxar space technology company said. Another horrendous war crime in Mariupol, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said on Twitter, calling the bombing a massive Russian attack. Advertisement The Russian defense ministry denied bombing the theater or anywhere else in Mariupol on Wednesday. In Kyiv, residents huddled in homes and shelters amid a citywide curfew that runs until Thursday morning, as Russian troops shelled areas in and around the city, including a residential neighborhood 2.5 kilometers (1.5 miles) from the presidential palace. A 12-story apartment building in central Kyiv erupted in flames after being hit by shrapnel. And 10 people were killed while standing in line for bread in the northern city of Chernihiv, the Ukrainian General Prosecutors Office said. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, meanwhile, went before the U.S. Congress via video and, invoking Pearl Harbor and 9/11, pleaded with America for more weapons and tougher sanctions against Russia, saying: " We need you right now. U.S. President Joe Biden announced the U.S. is sending an additional $800 million in military aid to Ukraine, including more anti-aircraft and anti-tank weapons and drones. He also called Vladimir Putin a war criminal in his sharpest condemnation of the Russian leader since the invasion began. Ukrainian soldiers and firefighters search in a destroyed building after a bombing attack in Kyiv, Ukraine, March 14, 2022. (Vadim Ghirda/AP) International pressure against the Kremlin mounted and its isolation deepened as the International Court of Justice, also known as the World Court, ordered Russia to stop attacking Ukraine, though there was little hope it would comply. Also, the 47-nation Council of Europe, the continents foremost human rights body, expelled Russia. While Moscows ground advance on the Ukrainian capital appeared largely stalled, Putin said the operation was unfolding successfully, in strict accordance with pre-approved plans. He also decried Western sanctions against Moscow, accusing the West of trying to squeeze us, to put pressure on us, to turn us into a weak, dependent country. Another round of talks between the two sides was scheduled for Wednesday. After Tuesdays negotiations, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said a neutral military status for Ukraine was being seriously discussed by the two sides, while Zelenskyy said Russias demands for ending the war were becoming more realistic. Advertisement Hopes for diplomatic progress to end the war rose after Zelenskyy acknowledged Tuesday in the most explicit terms yet that Ukraine is unlikely to realize its goal of joining NATO. Putin has long depicted Ukraines NATO aspirations as a threat to Russia. Lavrov welcomed Zelenskyys comment and said the businesslike spirit starting to surface in the talks gives hope that we can agree on this issue. A neutral status is being seriously discussed in connection with security guarantees, Lavrov said on Russian TV. There are concrete formulations that in my view are close to being agreed. Russias chief negotiator, Vladimir Medinsky, said the sides were discussing a possible compromise for a Ukraine with a smaller, non-aligned military. Prospects for a diplomatic breakthrough were highly uncertain, however, given the gulf between Ukraines demand that the invading forces withdraw completely and Russias suspected aim of replacing Kyivs Westward-looking government with a pro-Moscow regime. Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak denied Russian claims that Ukraine was open to adopting a model of neutrality comparable to Sweden or Austria. Podolyak said Ukraine needs powerful allies and clearly defined security guarantees to keep it safe. Advertisement Another source of dispute is the status of Crimea, which was seized and annexed by Russia in 2014, and the separatist-held Donbas region in eastern Ukraine, which Russia recognizes as independent. Ukraine considers both part of its territory. The fighting has sent more than 3 million people fleeing Ukraine, by the United Nations estimate. The U.N. reported that over 700 civilians have been confirmed killed but that the real number is higher. In going before Congress, Zelenskyy said that Russia has turned the Ukrainian sky into a source of death for thousands of people. But Biden has rejected Zelenskyys requests to send warplanes to Ukraine or establish a no-fly zone over the country because of the risk of triggering war between the U.S. and Russia. The head of the International Committee of the Red Cross, Peter Maurer, arrived in Ukraine to try to obtain greater access for aid groups and increased protection for civilians. Amid the vast humanitarian crisis caused by the war, the Red Cross has helped evacuate civilians from besieged areas and has delivered 200 tons of aid, including medical supplies, blankets, water and over 5,200 body bags to help ensure the dead are treated in a dignified manner. Nowhere has suffered more than the encircled city of Mariupol, where local officials say missile strikes and shelling have killed more than 2,300 people. The southern seaport of 430,000 has been under attack for almost all of the three-week war in a siege that has left people struggling for food, water, heat and medicine. Advertisement Local authorities said Russian forces took hundreds of people hostage at a Mariupol hospital and were using them as human shields. Bodies have been buried in trenches in Mariupol, and more corpses lay in the streets and in a hospital basement. Using the flashlight on his cellphone to illuminate the basement, Dr. Valeriy Drengar pulled back a blanket to show the body of an infant 22 days old. Other wrapped bodies also appeared to be children, given their size. Daily Top Stories Daily Get the day's top news, sports, opinion, features and local events. > These are the people we could not save, Drengar said. Nearly 30,000 people managed to escape the city on Tuesday in thousands of vehicles by way of a humanitarian corridor, city officials said. But with humanitarian aid unable to get in amid the constant bombardment, people burn scraps of furniture to warm their hands and cook the little food still available. Advertisement Kyiv regional leader Oleksiy Kuleba said Russian forces had intensified fighting in the Kyiv suburbs and a highway leading west, and across the capital region, kindergartens, museums, churches, residential blocks and engineering infrastructure are suffering from the endless firing. In other developments, the mayor of the city of Melitopol, who was seized by Russian forces five days ago, has been freed, said Zelenskyy chief of staff Andriy Yermak. No details were given about how he became free. Ukraine also appeared to have successes, with satellite photos from Planet Labs PBC analyzed by The Associated Press showing helicopters and vehicles ablaze at the Russian-held Kherson airport and air base after a suspected Ukrainian strike on Tuesday. Associated Press journalists around the world contributed to this report. ISTANBUL (Reuters) -A jet linked to sanctioned Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich landed in Moscow early on Tuesday, after taking off from Istanbul following a brief stop there, FLIGHTRADAR24 data shows. The jet linked to Abramovich, the owner of Britain's Chelsea soccer club, arrived in Istanbul from Israel on Monday, shortly after he was seen in Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion airport. Abramovich was among seven Russian billionaires added to a British sanctions list last week to try to isolate President Vladimir Putin over Russia's invasion of Ukraine. European Union diplomats have embraced a similar move. The Russian oligarch, who also holds Israeli and Portuguese citizenship, has denied having close ties to Putin. A photograph obtained by Reuters showed Abramovich sitting in Tel Aviv airport's VIP lounge with a face mask pulled down over his chin on Monday. Reuters could not verify whether he boarded the flight to Istanbul from Tel Aviv on Monday or the one from Istanbul to Moscow. Abramovich said last week he was selling the London club, but that sale is now on hold with Chelsea operating under a special government licence, and the Premier League board has disqualified him as a club director. A British transport ministry source said on Friday that Britain was searching out helicopters and jets belonging to the sanctioned oligarchs. Multiple properties including opulent yachts worth hundreds of millions of dollars have been seized by authorities in Europe in recent days. Refinitiv ship tracking data showed Abramovich's $600 million yacht Solaris was underway using engine off the coast of Albania Tuesday morning with the status "awaiting orders". Its destination was shown as Turkey after taking off from Montenegro but that was removed late on Monday. (Reporting by Ali Kucukgocmen; Editing by Kim Coghill and Stephen Coates) The most damning pieces of evidence against Elwood Jones in the 1994 slaying of Rhoda Nathan are the pendant reportedly found in his car trunk and the hand infection that landed him in the hospital soon after the murder. Esther Geiermann, who served on Jones' jury, said even if you dismiss the pendant as planted, as Jones' supporters long have, the bacteria is harder to explain. "How could he have gotten that bad infection when the only way is to get it is a bite on the hand?" she asked a reporter with the Accused podcast. Prosecution experts indeed testified that the bacteria found in that infection almost always comes from the human mouth and since Nathan was punched so hard in the mouth that she lost two teeth, they theorized that Jones must have gotten the infection during the attack. But is that the only way he could've been exposed to the bacteria called eikenella corrodens? The proof behind Elwood Jones' case In the fourth season of Accused, an award-winning podcast by journalists with The Cincinnati Enquirer, Nathan's death and the subsequent police investigation are re-examined in detail. In this episode, we take a look at the evidence some say is the ultimate proof that Jones is the real killer of the 67-year-old grandmother. This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Accused Podcast: A look at the evidence against Elwood Jones J.C. Penney Co. Inc., adding some Southern California attitude to its offerings, has launched an exclusive Airwalk line of sneakers, skate shoes and sandals, and will add Airwalk apparel in time for back-to-school 2022. Airwalk, considered a pioneer of the skate culture, is owned by Authentic Brands Group. More from WWD ABG is excited to announce the launch of Airwalk at J.C.Penney, said Jarrod Weber, ABGs group president lifestyle, chief brand officer. This is a new comprehensive apparel and footwear plan for the brand within this channel. The styles and designs will continue to pay homage to the brands DNA and we are focused on building the next generation of Airwalk consumers. Airwalk should also help Penneys attract many more customers of a younger age. We want customers to be excited about who they can become and the experiences they can have when they wear our collections, said Michelle Wlazlo, Penneys executive vice president and chief merchandising officer. Airwalk at J.C. Penney makes the brands signature So-Cal spirit and fashion accessible to everyone, whether they connect with the brand through attitude or activity. For more than three decades, Airwalk has been bringing its SoCal style and attitude to consumers around the world through its sneakers. The company says the brand inspires nostalgics and those who crave the unconventional to go against the grain and express their individuality. Penneys Airwalk collection has distinctive graphics and bold colors. The high-tops and low-tops are available in mens, womens and kids sizes. In December 2020, the Simon Property Group and Brookfield Asset Management, which acquired Penneys retail and operating assets, lifted Penneys out of bankruptcy. ABG owns several retail and fashion brands among them Brooks Brothers, Lucky Brand, Barneys New York, Greg Norman, Nine West and Forever 21. ABG is a strategic partner in Penneys with Simon and Brookfield, and has become a big factor in feeding merchandise to Penneys and hopefully, fueling sales. The key to Penneys long-term survival is to rev up revenues, particularly in the face of greater competition from the likes of Kohls Corp. and Target Corp. Since 1986, Airwalk has been creating performance and lifestyle gear focused on skateboarding and action sports. The brands offerings include mens and womens apparel, footwear, accessories including skate hard goods, which are available in the U.S., Latin America, Europe and Asia. Companys Year-End Conference Call March 31, 2022 Chico, CA --News Direct-- Ameramex International AmeraMex International, Inc. (OTCQB: AMMX), a provider of heavy equipment for logistics companies, infrastructure construction and forestry conservation, announced that it has received equipment orders totaling $870,000. This brings Y-T-D sales totaling $5.6million. The equipment is expected to ship before the end of the first quarter. The first order consists of one Taylor THDC-955 Loaded Container Handler. The Container Handler was on a three-month, lease-to-purchase program and the customer purchased out the lease. The second and third orders were also for Taylor THDC-955 Loaded Container Handlers. The Handlers just came off lease from a customer in Alaska. One of the Handlers is shipping to a customer in Washington State and the other to a customer in California. THDC-955 Loaded Container Handler For more information and pricing of equipment for the logistics, construction, and forestry industries, or to book a demonstration of the Kovaco Electrics 100 percent electric skid steer loaders, ASV Posti-Tract and Skid Steer Loaders or a Magni Telescopic Handler, contact the AmeraMex/Hamre Equipment sales team at 530.895.8955. AmeraMex CEO is hosting the Companys year-ended December 31, 2021, conference call on March 31, 2022, at 8:30 a.m. Pacific. The conference call dial-in number for both U.S. and international callers is 1.201.689.8560. Please dial into the conference center five minutes before the call begins and ask the operator for the AmeraMex conference call. An audio replay of the call will be available from March 31, 2022, at 2:30 p.m. Eastern Time until April 14, 2022, at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time. The replay is accessible by dialing 1.412.317.6671 and entering pin number 13727852. About AmeraMex International AmeraMex International sells, leases and rents heavy equipment to companies within multiple industries including construction, logistics, mining, and lumber. AmeraMex, with a US and international customer base, has over 30 years of experience in heavy equipment sales and service. Follow AmeraMex on Twitter @ammx_intl and visit the AmeraMex website, www.AMMX.net or www.hamreequipment.com for additional information and equipment videos. Story continues Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements. All statements other than statements of historical facts included in this press release are forward-looking statements. In some cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by words such as "believe," "expect," "anticipate," "plan," "potential," "continue" or similar expressions. Such forward-looking statements include risks and uncertainties, and there are key factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Investors are encouraged to review the Companys filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Investors should not place any undue reliance on forward-looking statements since they involve known and unknown, uncertainties and other factors which are, in some cases, beyond the Companys control which could, and likely will, materially affect actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements. Any forward-looking statement reflects the Companys current views with respect to future events and is subject to these and other risks, uncertainties and assumptions relating to operations, results of operations, growth strategy and liquidity. The Company assumes 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 added information becomes available in the future. Contact Details McCloud Communications LLC Marty Tullio +1 949-632-1900 marty@mccloudcommunications.com Company Website https://www.ammx.net View source version on newsdirect.com: https://newsdirect.com/news/ameramex-international-announces-sales-of-heavy-equipment-totaling-approximately-870-000-673966819 Northern Arizona University The Arizona Board of Regents has denied that a Black tenured professor at Northern Arizona University was discriminated against because of his race. In a motion filed Thursday, March 10, in the U.S. District Court of Arizona, the board asks a federal judge to dismiss a racial discrimination lawsuit filed by Ricardo Guthrie, a tenured associated professor in NAU's Ethnic Studies program. In the lawsuit filed in January, Guthrie claimed he was not allowed to retain a department chair position after he raised complaints about systemic discrimination against Black faculty members at the university. The regents' motion asking for dismissal calls Guthrie's lawsuit "fatally flawed in several material respects," chief among them that Guthrie failed to comply with legal requirements under the Civil Rights Act when filing the lawsuit. "(Guthrie) recites a host of allegations for which he failed to comply with the mandatory charge-filing requirements under the Title VII," of the Civil Rights Act, the motion by the regents says. Guthrie's lawsuit names the Arizona Board of Regents as the main defendant. The regents oversee NAU. In his lawsuit, Guthrie alleged that in 2016 he became the first Black person appointed to chair an academic unit in the NAU College of Social and Behavioral Sciences. But despite his accomplishments, Guthrie "experienced and witnessed a continuous culture and pattern of unlawful racial bias, discrimination, harassment, and retaliation at the university," his lawsuit said. After raising complaints about the discrimination he said he witnessed at NAU and filing complaints with the university's Equal Access Office, Guthrie was not allowed to pursue a second four-year term as chair/director of the Ethnic Studies Program, the lawsuit said. The actions against Guthrie "were intentional and based on his race and color and because he filed protected complaints alleging racial discrimination against himself and other Black candidates and employees," the lawsuit said. Story continues In a separate court filing, the regents one-by-one denied the allegations of racial discrimination and retaliation made by Guthrie in his lawsuit. Reach the reporter at daniel.gonzalez@arizonarepublic.com or at 602-444-8312. Follow him on Twitter @azdangonzalez. Support local journalism. Subscribe to azcentral.com today. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Board of Regents denies NAU professor faced racial discrimination An Arizona State University freshman died in an accidental fall while celebrating spring break in Mexico, the school said Tuesday. Classes resumed at ASU this week, but without 18-year-old Aiden Nevarez, who died during the school holiday, university spokesman Jay Throne told NBC News. Nevarez and his friends arrived at the Hotel Riu Santa Fe in Cabo San Lucas on March 6, when the he fatally fell over a short wall, they told NBC affiliate KPNX. The friends described a short vegetation-lined wall, with palm trees on the other side. That small barrier allegedly masked what's a 20-foot drop on the other side. "He was the happiest, most genuine kid that I knew," said friend and fellow ASU student Jack Fitzgerald, who was on the trip. "He was so loved, everybody loved Aiden." Just a day before his death, Fitzgerald recalled how happy his friend was about this trip and life in general. "I could almost kind of quote it word-for-word, but he says, he goes, 'Jack, we have the best lives ever,' " he recounted. A representative for the hotel could not be immediately reached for comment on Tuesday. We love him so much and were going to miss him until we see him again, the ASU student's grieving mother, Sayra Nevarez, told the Arizona Republic newspaper. I know wherever hes at right now, hes going to conquer because thats who Aiden was. SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australia on Tuesday said it would lift its entry ban for international cruise ships next month, effectively ending all major COVID-related travel bans after two years and boosting a tourism industry hit hard by the pandemic restrictions. Australia banned the entry of cruise ships in March 2020, when they were the source of about 20% of Australia's early coronavirus infections. The vessels became a flashpoint in its pandemic response after symptomatic passengers were allowed to disembark in Sydney, many of whom later tested positive. The federal government said it would not renew the current ban beyond April 17 as the country begins to live with the coronavirus after reaching higher vaccination levels. Last month, Australia fully reopened its airports to vaccinated international travellers. Before the pandemic, Australia welcomed more than 600,000 cruise ship passengers across its ports from almost 350 vessels in 2019, according to official data, a major source of revenue for the country's A$60 billion ($43 billion) tourism industry. "I can't wait to see our cruise terminals once again filled with arriving international passengers, getting this important industry ship-shape and back out on the water once more," Minister for Home Affairs Karen Andrews said in a statement. The further ease in restrictions come amid the threat from the highly contagious BA.2 sub-variant of the Omicron coronavirus strain, which authorities have warned could double daily infections in the next four to six weeks. Despite calls from health experts to reintroduce some curbs, including making masks mandatory in indoor venues, Prime Minister Scott Morrison over the weekend said the country was ready to live with COVID-19 as though it were the common flu. More than 31,000 new cases and 21 deaths have been reported by Tuesday afternoon, with South Australia and the Northern Territory due to report. Australia's total tally stands at just over 3.2 million confirmed cases and 5,612 deaths. ($1 = 1.3955 Australian dollars) (Reporting by Renju Jose. Editing by Gerry Doyle) A wanted poster for the suspect involved in the shootings of five homeless people in New York and Washington, DC. Katie Balevic/Insider Authorities arrested a suspect who they say shot multiple homeless people in Washington, DC and New York City. Two of the five victims who were shot since the beginning of March died. Advocates for the victims blamed city officials for "dehumanizing" the homeless. The suspect accused of shooting multiple homeless men in New York City and Washington, DC was arrested on Tuesday morning. Law enforcement took the suspect, identified as Gerald Brevard III, who allegedly shot five men, into custody in DC at about 2:30 a.m. "Early this AM, law enforcement arrested the suspect in Washington, DC," the DC Police Department said in a statement Tuesday. "He is currently being interviewed at our Homicide Branch. Additional information will be forthcoming. Thanks to the community for all your tips." Brevard III, whose identity was first released by The Daily Beast, likely targeted the victims at random, MPD Chief Robert Contee said at a press conference. Brevard III's father, Gerald Brevard Jr., told the Beast that he was "crushed" by his son's arrest and that he had spoken with his son as recently as Monday, a day before Brevard III's arrest. "It was a normal conversation," Brevard Jr. told the Beast. "But he was dealing with mental illness for the longest time. He has been in and out of mental hospitals." "This has all come as a surprise. I never thought he would be violent," the suspect's father added. "He was always mild-mannered." Brevard III appeared in court on Wednesday on the charge of first-degree murder while armed. His attorney, Ronald Resetarits, argued for his client's release due to his ties to the community. The request was denied by Judge Tanya Jones Bosier, and Brevard III was held without bond. His next court appearance is April 1. Resetarits did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment. The string of shootings began on March 3 in DC and spanned over a week. The latest attack occurred last weekend in New York City. Here's a complete timeline of the shootings across the two cities: Story continues All five shootings were connected to the same weapon, police say During the early hours of March 3 in the District when authorities found where a victim, identified as Jerald Bernard Turner shot in the back and right shoulder, according to a police report obtained by Insider. Turner told police he had been sleeping when he was awoken by the suspect and shot. He was transported to a local hospital and treated for his non-life-threatening injuries. The suspect fled the scene. A few days later on March 8, officers discovered another man, Charles Maurice Harris, who was shot multiple times near 1700 block of H Street. He was also sent to the hospital "with no further incident," the police report said. A photo taken near 1700 block of H Street NE in Washington D.C where one man was shot multiple times by the suspect. Taylor Ardrey/ Insider On March 9, officers responded to a report of a fire on the 400 block of New York Avenue. When police arrived at the scene, police found an unconscious man, later identified on March 15 as 54-year-old Morgan Holmes. He died of his injuries, and an autopsy report revealed that he had two gunshot wounds and was stabbed multiple times. Days later on March 12 at about 4:30 a.m., the New York Police Department assisted a 38-year-old man who suffered a gunshot wound to the right arm while he was asleep on King Street near Varick Street in Hudson Square. The victim screamed "What are you doing?" at the assailant, who fled the scene, the New York Times reported, citing NYPD Deputy Chief Hank Sautner. The police said the victim was taken to a local hospital in stable condition. Police investigate after a homeless man was found shot to death on Murray Street and Greenwich Street in Manhattan, New York City on Sunday, March 13, 2022. Gardiner Anderson/New York Daily News/Tribune News Service via Getty Images) Later that same morning, at about 6 a.m., police said the same suspect fatally shot a man who was sleeping outside in a sleeping bag, per the Times. Police found the victim dead at the scene at 148 Lafayette Street in SoHo at about 5 p.m. with gunshot wounds to the head and neck, according to a police report. The NYPD did not release the names of either victim. Police said ballistic evidence connected all five shootings to the same weapon, WABC-TV reported. 'Communities in DC and New York City are heartbroken and disturbed' Following the shooting incident, officials in both Washington, DC, and New York raised the alarm and called for the capture of the suspect. In a joint statement that came days before a suspect was detained, DC Mayor Muriel Bowser and New York City Mayor Eric Adams said, "Our communities in DC and New York City are heartbroken and disturbed by these heinous crimes in which an individual has been targeting some of our most vulnerable residents." "The rise in gun violence has shaken all of us and it is particularly horrible to know that someone is out there deliberately doing harm to an already vulnerable population," the statement added. WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 14: Washington, DC, Mayor Muriel Bowser (R) speaks as New York City Mayor Eric Adams (L) looks on at a news conference at the John Wilson Building March 14, 2022 in Washington, DC. The Metropolitan Washington and New York City police departments are asking the public for help in identifying an individual who is wanted for multiple shootings of the homelessness in both cities. Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images) Advocates condemn policies to clear out the unhoused amid violent attacks In late February, Adams and New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced an aggressive plan to clear homeless riders from the subway system in an attempt to quell the string of violent attacks on riders that spiked amid the pandemic. Amid calls for an increased presence of law enforcement on trains and platforms, the plan sent more police and mental health workers into the subway system. Advocates, however, blamed the attacks against homeless New Yorkers on these "subway sweeps." Housing Works, a non-profit that advocates for victims of homelessness and HIV/AIDS, said in a tweet to Adams, that "whatever you want to call subway sweeps this year, they will always fail." "People fear shelters, survive on the streets, and the constant criminalization of street survival ends like this. Is this what you want?" Posters near the site of where a homeless man was shot in New York City. Katie Balevic/Insider Housing Works's co-founder and CEO Charles King told Insider said "there has been a massive effort towards dehumanizing and de-legitimizing homeless people." Representatives for Adams and Hochul did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment. Jacquelyn Simone, the Policy Director for the Coalition for the Homeless, said Adams should prioritize more housing for the homeless instead of focusing on subway sweeps to remove them from public transportation. "How many examples like this do we need to see before the City starts valuing the lives of homeless New Yorkers as much as the lives of those lucky enough to have homes?" Simone said in a statement to Insider. "Despite the headlines, homeless New Yorkers are far more likely to be victims of violent crime than perpetrators. Instead of feeding into the dangerous narrative of homelessness as a blight a quality of life issue for housed New Yorkers Mayor Adams needs to recognize that his policies are placing them in harm's way," Simone added. Read the original article on Insider PRZEMYSL, Poland While over 3 million people have fled Ukraine since Russias invasion, a small but growing number are heading in the other direction. At first they were foreign volunteers, Ukrainian expatriate men heading to fight and people delivering aid. Now, increasingly, women are also heading back. Motivated by a desire to help loved ones in trouble, or to contribute to the defense and survival of their country and compatriots in ways large and small, these women are braving the bombs that have increasingly pounded Ukraine since Russian forces invaded on Feb. 24. Advertisement Many are not refugees themselves but women who had been living and working abroad. Others had already chosen to stay put in their country but were forced to cross the border to shop for needed goods as supplies dry up under the onslaught at home. I will go back and help. I am a health worker, so the hospitals need help, said Iryna Orel, 50, lugging her luggage as she boarded a train from Przemysl, Poland, to Lviv in western Ukraine. And I will stay until the end. Advertisement With Ukraines government ordering men to stay and fight, the vast majority of people fleeing Ukraine have been women, children and the elderly. For those who cant or wont leave, the perils they face by remaining are many, and images such as those of a mortally wounded pregnant woman rushed on a stretcher from a maternity hospital in Mariupol testify to the dangers. People wait in a line to board a train leaving for Lviv in Ukraine at the train station in Przemysl, Poland, March 14, 2022. (Daniel Cole/AP) Still, some women have chosen to head back toward the gunfire and bloodshed to contribute in whatever way they can. Reached by phone after arriving in the port city of Odesa, which has so far remained under Ukrainian government control, Orel said she was frightened at first by the air raid sirens and sounds of explosives, but sitting and shaking with fear does not help. She envisions her role as providing medical care, but other women might choose to help defend the country militarily, she said. Women can fight, she said. Many women are patriotic to defend Ukraine why not? Women rushing into war zones or taking part in war efforts is nothing new. Female soldiers were a visible part of the Ukrainian military before the war including in combat roles. Some women, like many men, are taking up arms for the first time. Plus, gender equality in the workplace as well as the military has traditionally been more common in post-Soviet states like Ukraine than many other parts of the world. Since the invasion, Polish border guards have tallied over 195,000 crossings of people from Poland to Ukraine, more than four in five Ukrainian nationals, spokeswoman Anna Michalska said Tuesday. That includes people who come and return to buy needed food and other supplies in Poland and go back, or who bring relatives across and return. So some people are counted a number of times. Poland has taken in more than 1.8 million refugees over 60% of the total exodus of 3 million people since the invasion, according to U.N. agencies. The U.N. refugee agency had initially predicted some 4 million refugees would flee a figure that may soon be eclipsed. Advertisement What to say, really? Three million refugees in the space of just over two weeks. This is frightening and it doesnt stop, the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, said in an interview in the Afghan capital, Kabul, where he was visiting to assure Afghans that despite the horrors of the war raging in Ukraine they have not been forgotten. Everybodys asking how many refugees will come out of Ukraine, he said. The answer is very simple: I simply dont know. Aid deliveries are making their way into Ukraine, as well as reported flows of weapons and fighters ready to use them. The International Committee for the Red Cross said 200 tons of medical supplies and relief items had arrived in the country, including water, mattresses, blankets, food, first aid kits, plastic tarps and more than 5,000 body bags. Less noticed has been the entry or cross-border shuttling of women who are either trying to bring help from abroad or stay in the country to continue their lives as best they can. I am returning to Ukraine to help people evacuate, said Maria Khalica, who lives in Italy and was headed to the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv. I am in a more stable state now than my friends, who are under rocket attacks and bombs. I know that Kyiv is also going to be occupied and we are taking the last chance to help other people there, Khalica added, adding that she believes Russian forces will eventually seize the capital. Advertisement Some women are returning to join their families and others to help in any way they can, either as health workers or with the army. Daily Top Stories Daily Get the day's top news, sports, opinion, features and local events. > We plan to return to the family and we will decide with the family what to do next said Olga Simanova, 56, who traveled from Germany to return to her familys hometown of Vinnycja. Meanwhile, the numbers of those fleeing continue to grow. James Elder, a spokesman for UNICEF, said some 1.4 million children have fled Ukraine since the invasion or about 73,000 per day on average. That, he said, amounts to 55 every minute. So we are almost since war started on the 24th of February (at a point where) a child has become a refugee out of Ukraine every second. They have fled to countries across Eastern Europe: Romania has taken in more than 450,000, Moldova more than 337,000, Hungary over 263,000 and Slovakia some 213,000, according to the latest UNHCR tally on Tuesday. The Polish capital of Warsaw, alone, has taken in about 300,000 refugees, about a 15% increase of its population of more than 1.7 million. Advertisement These are enormous numbers, said Moldovan Foreign Minister Nicu Popescu, which has reached out to Italy for financial aid. The number of refugees represents 4% of the whole Moldovan population. Keaten reported from Geneva. Monika Scislowska in Warsaw, Poland; Vira Loy in Przemysl, Poland; Helena Alves in Chisinau, Moldova; and Kathy Gannon in Kabul, Afghanistan contributed to this report. Emily Moloney felt good about her place in the Miami economy when the year began: She was earning $85,000 in a tech job and covering rent on a one-bedroom downtown apartment. Then came the notice of a $750 rent increase within 90 days. I let them know this is basically an eviction, Moloney, 31, said of the 40% hike needed to stay in her home. I found Miami pretty affordable, until now. Moloney was one of about 30 people who joined Miamis latest rally to protest rent spikes and demand government action on a housing market thats considered a crisis by affordability activists, elected leaders and others warning of rising prices endangering the workforce. Daniella Pierre, 40, local NAACP chapter president, joins in the protest of high rent and the need for affordable housing by demanding action from landlords and politicians. Fair housing advocates from Miami Coalition to Advance Racial Equity, Struggle for Miamis Affordable and Sustainable Housing (SMASH), and others rally ahead of the county commission meeting at County Hall in Miami on Tuesday, March 15, 2022. A national ranking of rental costs from apartment-listing company Redfin found the greater Miami area, which includes Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach, had the fifth highest rent increases last year in the country, up 31%. Are you a renter in Miami-Dade at risk of being evicted? Heres what you need to know Data from Apartment List found the Miami area not quite as inflated as other metro areas, with a 27% rent increase landing the region at 11th on that ranking. Nelida Jean-Baptiste Pellot said she gave up on Miami last summer after losing her home to a fire. Making about $50,000 a year as a community organizer, the 36-year-old said finding a new place to live meant grim choices. The places I could afford were scary: mold, rats, roaches, she said. Now shes living in Vero Beach. Poll: How are rising rents affecting you? Are you moving? Are you staying? The Rent is Too Damn High rally was organized by SMASH an advocacy group formally named Struggle for Miamis Affordable and Sustainable Housing. It was timed to coincide with Miami-Dade commissioners passing a new rule requiring 60-day notice for rent increases over 5%. The board also is considering legislation that could lead to a referendum on whether to freeze rents for a year a proposal expected to come before the commission by the summer. Story continues Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava, left, pets the dog of former Miami resident Nelida Jean-Baptiste Pellot, center, as she takes the time to talk with protesters outside County Hall. Fair housing advocates rallied in protest of high rents and for affordable housing ahead of the county commission meeting at County Hall in Miami on Tuesday, March 15, 2022. The countys mayor, Daniella Levine Cava, joined the event and said the current path of soaring rents was not sustainable. Im with you 100%, she told participants. Were grateful for you stepping up and being the voice of the community for this crisis that cannot continue. David Peery, 64, founder and executive director of Miami Coalition to Advance Racial Equity, leads the rally against high rent by requesting testimonials from attendees to bring awareness to South Floridas housing crisis. The fair housing advocates from Miami Coalition to Advance Racial Equity, Struggle for Miamis Affordable and Sustainable Housing (SMASH), and others rally in protest of high rents and for affordable housing ahead of the county commission meeting at County Hall in Miami on Tuesday, March 15, 2022. Daniella Pierre, 40, told the crowd that housing prices are driving out middle-class professionals such as teachers. She said theres no option if she ever loses her spot in an affordable building. Ive looked all over the county, said Pierre, president of the Miami-Dade NAACP. I cant go anywhere. Moloney walked to the rally, where the crowd outside Miami-Dades Stephen P. Clark government center chanted Housing is a human right. I had to be here, she said. One message she wanted to share was the possibility of tenants pushing back. While her landlord wanted a $750 increase, Moloney said she was able to negotiate a smaller rise of $250. Does a landlord have to give notice of a rent hike? In Miami-Dade, the answer is yes Im not going to live above my means, she said. You have to know if your landlord is relying on your rent to survive, or if theyre price gouging. I knew they were price gouging. Sofia Prado, 24, described herself as struggling on the lower end of Miamis rental market, with a pipe leaking into the wall and a fridge thats so cold its basically a freezer. She and a roommate share a 400-square-foot efficiency in Little Haiti, where a bunk bed allows for more space. Rent is $975 a month. Lily Vasquez, of the nonprofit WYN Women, is photographed handcuffed and in the jail attire in protest of high rents and the lack of affordable housing. Fair housing advocates from various groups rallied in protest of high rents and for affordable housing ahead of the county commission meeting at County Hall in Miami on Tuesday, March 15, 2022. A dog walker with a carpentry side job who is studying psychology at Miami Dade College, Prado previously lived in South Dade for the cheaper rent. But the commute ended up being too long to the Miami area, where she has school and work. Prado grew up in Miami, with parents from Nicaragua working in construction and housekeeping to pay bills. Now she is looking to leave Miami. Life isnt easy. I get it, Prado said. Honestly, if it wasnt for school, I would have left already. President Joe Biden will travel to Brussels next week to meet with NATO leaders in his first European visit since Russian President Vladimir Putin started invading Ukraine, the White House announced Tuesday. At the show of unity on March 24, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Biden will "reaffirm our ironclad commitment to our NATO allies." MORE: Limits emerge to blame-Putin politics: The Note His trip follows the prime ministers of Poland, Slovenia and the Czech Republic heading to Kyiv on Tuesday, as shelling continues there, in a show of support to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy despite the danger on the ground. PHOTO: President Joe Biden speaks at the National League of Cities Congressional City Conference, on March 14, 2022, in Washington, D.C. (Patrick Semansky/AP) Just before the White House announcement, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg tweeted, "I have convened an extraordinary Summit on 24 March at #NATO HQ. We will address #Russia's invasion of #Ukraine, our strong support for Ukraine, and further strengthening NATO's deterrence & defence. At this critical time, North America & Europe must continue to stand together." Biden will also join a scheduled European Council summit "to discuss our shared concerns about Ukraine, including transatlantic efforts to impose economic costs on Russia, provide humanitarian support to those affected by the violence and address other challenges related to the conflict," Psaki said. MORE: Russia-Ukraine live updates: NATO leaders including Biden to meet next week The goal of Biden's trip to Brussels will be to meet "face-to-face" with his European counterparts to assess Russia's invasion of Ukraine, she said. PHOTO: Firefighters work at the scene of an apartment building bombing in Kyiv, Ukraine, March 15, 2022. (Felipe Dana/AP) "We've been incredibly aligned to date. That doesn't happen by accident," Psaki added. "The president's a big believer in face-to-face diplomacy. So, it's an opportunity to do exactly that." She said that the NATO meeting is the "real focus right now," and wouldn't say if Biden will be making additional stops in Poland or to meet with refugees. Nearly three million people have fled Ukraine since the invasion began, according to the U.N. Refugee Agency (UNHCR). Story continues MORE: Map: Where Ukraine refugees are heading Russia fired a barrage of missiles into Western Ukraine over the weekend, hitting a large military base near the Polish border and raising concerns an attack could hit neighboring NATO ally Poland, potentially triggering an Article 5 response. Zelenskyy is scheduled to deliver a rare and historic, virtual address on Wednesday to members of Congress, which Biden will be watching, Psaki said. In an address to Canadas Parliament Tuesday, Zelenskyy wasnt shy to call out Prime Minister Justin Trudeau by name in an emotional appeal for more help to Ukraine. PHOTO: Raquela, 2, and Manuela watch cartoons on an iPhone at Dumbraveni sports arena which has been converted to a temporary shelter, after they fled with their families from the beseiged Ukraine in Suceava, Romania March 15, 2022. (Clodagh Kilcoyne/Reuters) While the U.S. has imposed a slate of economic and trade sanctions to isolate Putin, it's unclear what still remains available at the Biden administration's disposal since it has said there would be no no-fly zone, no U.S. troops in Ukraine and no help in delivering planes that NATO ally Poland wants to get to Ukrainians. MORE: NATO's Article 5 could pull the US and its allies further into the Russia-Ukraine conflict NATO has not agreed to Zelenskyy's central plea to enforce a no-fly zone over Ukraine, with Psaki saying Tuesday the measure "essentially means us shooting down Russian planes, and them essentially shooting back at us." Next week will mark Biden's third foreign trip and second to NATO headquarters in Brussels. It comes on the heels of Vice President Kamala Harris and Secretary of State Antony Blinken making stops in Europe this month. Biden to head to Brussels next week for show of unity with NATO leaders originally appeared on abcnews.go.com (Independent) US President Joe Biden will fly to Brussels, Belgium for an extraordinary summit of Nato leaders later this month, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said Tuesday. Ms Psaki said Mr Biden will use the trip to discuss Natos ongoing deterrence and defence efforts in response to Russia's unprovoked and unjustified attack on Ukraine, and to reaffirm Americas ironclad commitment to the alliance. She added that the president will also join a previously-scheduled European Council summit, at which he plans to discuss shared concerns about the invasion, including US and European efforts to impose economic costs on Russia and provide humanitarian support to the millions of Ukrainian refugees displaced by the invasion. More follows... Washington President Biden will travel to Europe next week to meet with allies to discuss the West's response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine and their joint efforts to impose steep costs on Moscow over its attack, White House press secretary Jen Psaki confirmed Tuesday. Psaki said during the White House press briefing the president will participate in an extraordinary NATO summit at its headquarters in Brussels on March 24 with leaders from the alliance's 30 member countries "to discuss ongoing deterrence and defense efforts in response to Russia's unprovoked and unjustified attack on Ukraine as well as to reaffirm our ironclad commit to our NATO allies." Mr. Biden will also join a European Council summit, set for March 24 and March 25, "to discuss our shared concerns about Ukraine, including transatlantic efforts to impose economic costs on Russia, provide humanitarian support to those affected by the violence and address other challenges related to the conflict," Psaki continued. "His goal is to meet in person, face-to-face with his European counterparts and talk about and assess where we are at this point in the conflict, in the invasion of Ukraine by Russia," she said. "We've been incredibly aligned to date. That doesn't happen by accident. The president is a big believer in face-to-face diplomacy, so it's an opportunity to do exactly that." In response to the White House's confirmation of Mr. Biden's upcoming trip to Europe, Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, said in a tweet that "transatlantic unity and coordination remain crucial for ramping up pressure on the Kremlin to stop the unjustified war." The trip will be Mr. Biden's first to Europe since Russia began its attack on Ukraine more than two weeks ago and follows Vice President Kamala Harris' visit to Poland and Romania last week. In the wake of Russia's invasion, the Biden administration has worked in concert with European allies to impose sweeping economic sanctions on key Russian financial institutions, officials and oligarchs to cut Moscow off from the global economy. The U.S. and the West have also provided more than $1 billion in military and humanitarian aid to Ukraine to help the country defend itself from Russia. Story continues Last week, Congress passed a government funding bill that also provides $13.6 billion in aid to Ukraine, which Mr. Biden signed into law Tuesday afternoon. The president said the U.S. is "moving urgently to further augment the support to the brave people of Ukraine as they defend their country." The humanitarian assistance passed by Congress will better position the U.S. to meet the needs of the Ukrainian people, he said. "With billions more included in this bill for new humanitarian assistance, we're going to be able to quickly ramp up our response, and help alleviate the suffering that Putin's war is causing the Ukrainian people in the region," he added. Kathryn Watson contributed to this report. How the world could be affected by Ukraine war What military support can the U.S. offer as Ukraine's President Zelenskyy pleads for help? Ukraine's years-long buildup of resistance against Russia If the players in the men's draw of the BNP Paribas Open are looking for a hot player to avoid, they might want to stay away from Spain's Carlos Alcaraz. Alcaraz is the 19th seed in the Indian Wells event, but he is playing like a player with a deep run in the bracket in him. After a 6-3, 6-3 win in his first match over American Mackenzie McDonald, Alcaraz easily handled fellow Spaniard Robert Bautista Agut 6-2, 6-0 on Monday. The win on Stadium 3 pushed Alcaraz into the quarterfinals, where he will face Gael Monfils, the upset winner over top-seeded and World No. 1 Daniil Medvedev on Monday. "The full match, I think it is one of my best performances in a match," Alcaraz said after the win. Alcaraz and Bautista Agut have trained with each other and know each other's game well, Alcaraz said. "I saw him a lot playing. I know his level, his game," Alcaraz said. "That's a point that you can focus the match well, knowing his game." Opelka advances to play Nadal Reilly Opelka, the 17th-seed, is one of several young Americans still alive in the mens draw after Monday. Opelka advanced with a narrow, 6(4)-7, 6-4, 6-4 comeback win over Canadian Denis Shapovalov in Stadium 2. American Reilly Opelka returns a shot to Denis Shapovalov of Canada during the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, Calif., on Monday, March 14, 2022. More: Game, Set, Shad: American men flooding the zone in impressive showing at Indian Wells so far More: BNP Paribas Open: Rafael Nadal train keeps rolling; he tops Daniel Evans to go to 17-0 in 2022 Opelka, 24, is now into the Round of 16 for the first time at Indian Wells. Hell play Rafael Nadal on Wednesday. The tallest player on tour at 6-foot-11, Opelka overcame a first-set loss Monday against 13th-seeded Shapovalov to secure his first top 20 win of the year. Sakkari, Vondrousova advance In the women's draw, No. 6 seed Maria Sakkari had an easy time in her third-round match, a 6-3, 6-0 win over Petra Kvitova in just 65 minutes. Sakkari struggled in her first match, a three-set victory over Katerina Siniakova, but those struggles disappeared against Kvitova on Monday. Story continues Sakkari won 96 percent of her first serves (24 points on 25 serves) and faced just two break points the entire match. She also pounced on Kvitova's second serve, winning 60 percent of those points. One of the favorites to make a run in the women's draw was No. 4 seed Anett Kontaveit of Estonia, but Kontaveit's tournament came to a sudden end with a 3-6, 7-5, 7-6 (5) loss to 30th-seeded Marketa Vondrousova. The match lasted 10 minutes short of three hours. The back-and-forth match featured 31 breakpoints, with Vondrousova able to hold off eight of the 14 break points she faced. She also managed to survive 11 double faults in the match. No. 20 seed Elise Merten also faced a three-set match, but it was qualifier Daria Saville of Australia walking away with the 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 victory. Saville is just 409th in the ATP rankings, but she reached the quarterfinals of the WTA event in Guadalajara, Mexico, in February and reached the round of 32 in Adelaide in January. Canadian Denis Shapovalov returns a shot to American Reilly Opelka during the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, Calif., on Monday, March 14, 2022. This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: BNP Paribas Open: Carlos Alcaraz is the player everyone wants to avoid LONDON (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Boris Johnson will ask Saudi Arabia to condemn Russia's aggression against Ukraine in talks later this week, Johnson's spokesman said on Tuesday. Asked if Johnson will ask Saudi Arabia to condemn Putin's actions in Ukraine, the spokesman said: "Absolutely". "We certainly want to broaden the coalition against Putin's actions," the spokesman told reporters. (Reporting by Alistair Smout, editing by Elizabeth Piper) By William James and Elizabeth Piper LONDON (Reuters) -Britain imposed sanctions on hundreds of Russian individuals and entities on Tuesday, using a new law to catch up with the European Union and United States in targeting people accused of propping up Russian President Vladimir Putin. Britain, the EU and U.S. hope the sanctions will deter Putin from pressing his invasion of Ukraine. In the latest round of sanctions, brought quickly after the government's Economic Crime Bill became law, Britain moved against those close to Putin, such as former president Dmitry Medvedev, Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu and Russian television executive, Konstantin Ernst. Russian businessmen Mikhail Fridman and Pyotr Aven, oligarchs who amassed their wealth before Putin came to power, were also put under sanctions, as were Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov and foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova. Britain said the latest round of sanctions included elites with a net worth of 100 billion pounds ($130.63 billion). "We are going further and faster than ever in hitting those closest to Putin - from major oligarchs, to his prime minister, and the propagandists who peddle his lies and disinformation. We are holding them to account for their complicity in Russias crimes in Ukraine," foreign minister Liz Truss said. "Working closely with our allies, we will keep increasing the pressure on Putin and cut off funding for the Russian war machine," she said in a statement. She said Britain had imposed more than 370 new sanctions, taking the total to over 1,000 since Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24. Britain earlier said it would ban the export of luxury goods to Russia and impose a new 35% tariff on 900 million pounds ($1.2 billion) worth of Russian imports, including vodka, metals, fertilisers and other commodities. "Our new tariffs will further isolate the Russian economy from global trade, ensuring it does not benefit from the rules-based international system it does not respect," finance minister Rishi Sunak said in a statement. Story continues Russia says it is carrying out a "special operation" to disarm and "denazify" Ukraine, which Kyiv and its allies call a baseless pretext to invade a democratic nation of 44 million people. The government said the export ban would come into effect shortly and it would soon set out which products were affected, but added they would likely include high-end fashion, works of art and luxury vehicles. Many British firms including carmakers Jaguar Land Rover and Aston Martin and luxury fashion label Burberry have already said they are temporarily shutting their outlets in Russia or suspending the supply of goods. The government said the goods subject to an additional tariff of 35% had been chosen to minimise impact on Britain while maximising impact on the Russian economy. The goods include iron, steel, fertilisers, wood, tyres, railway containers, cement, copper, aluminium, silver, lead, iron ore, residue/food waste products, beverages, spirits and vinegar glass and glassware, cereals, oil seeds, paper and paperboard, machinery, works of art, antiques, fur skins and artificial fur, ships and white fish. The government also said it was cutting off all export finance support to Russia and Belarus, meaning it will no longer issue any new guarantees, loans or insurance for exports. Existing British exposure to Russia through its export credit agency is around 100 million pounds. ($1 = 0.7677 pounds) (Reporting by William James, writing by Elizabeth Piper, Editing by Kylie MacLellan, Paul Sandle and Nick Macfie) Mar. 15Some minor changes will be coming in the name of protecting the city of Aiken's water supply. The Mason Branch Reservoir has had some issues identified with its current boundary, according to a presentation given during Aiken City Council's work session Monday night. The reservoir, which is a water supply for the city, doesn't have very sizable boundaries, said Allen Conger. Conger is part of Wood Environment and Infrastructure, a consulting and engineering firm that has been working with city staff on this issue. Conger said the boundary is reduced "to nine feet in certain locations." The existing boundary is 172 acres, which would be increased to 387 acres around the reservoir with the new plan. This difference in acreage would come from the Brunswick Tract, which surrounds the reservoir. The city owns both the reservoir and the tract. "We would have a surveyor and a real estate attorney that would help us change the legal descriptions of both the Brunswick tract and the (Mason) Branch Reservoir, change the boundary, locate it in the field (and) post it appropriately," Conger said. This revised boundary would expand the protected area to include approximately 3,000 feet of jurisdictional streams and 22 acres of wetlands besides the reservoir, according to the presentation. "Whether it's recreation use, whether it's development, whether it's passive trails, we just want to make sure that the reservoir is preserved," said Stuart Bedenbaugh, city manager. In other business, council passed unanimously on second reading a request for $4.5 million in revenue bonds to be sold in order to "continue the planning, engineering and design" of Aiken's planned new water plant. The plant will cost approximately $42 million with construction beginning by mid-year 2023, according to agenda notes. Residents who would like to watch a recording of the meeting can visit the city's YouTube page. President Joe Bidens decision to stop purchasing Russian oil is the correct one. The question is, What took him so long to make it? As the Russian invasion of Ukraine ravages that country, the purchase of oil from Russia was morally reprehensible, even for a mere 11 days. This decision should have been made on day one of Russias unprovoked invasion into a sovereign country. Advertisement Russia is one of the worlds largest oil producers. Russian oil commands a 12 percent global market share. Prior to the Ukrainian invasion, Russia was exporting 6.5 million barrels daily 4.3 million going to Europe and the U.S. Our share was between 600,000 and 800,000 barrels per day. Even with that small amount being purchased, the decision to cut off oil from Russia will lead to even higher prices at the pump for U.S. consumers. However, continuing to buy oil from Russia was hypocritical. Every drop of oil purchased from Russia helped Russian President Vladimir Putin finance his ruthless invasion of Ukraine. Clearly, it was time for our political leaders to do the right thing. Advertisement CNNs Michael Smerconish surveyed his viewers about this very question Should we ban all Russian energy imports? The results were overwhelming. More than 95 percent of 37,700 respondents said yes. Another poll by Quinnipiac University found that 71 percent of respondents would support a ban on Russian oil even if it meant higher gasoline prices. Democrats (82 percent), Independents (70 percent) and Republicans (66 percent) supported a ban. More than 1,300 respondents participated in the Quinnipiac poll. These polls show that Americans, already feeling deep pain at the pump, are willing to make the sacrifice and do their part to support Ukraine and its people. Unfortunately, other options for how to replace Russian oil are reportedly being considered by the administration Venezuela, Saudi Arabia and possibly Iran. Senior U.S. officials made a recent visit to Venezuela for talks about easing sanctions on oil exports from that country. Venezuela is led by Nicolas Maduro, a dictator who has been charged with crimes against humanity by the Organization of American States. The International Criminal Court also has said there is a reasonable basis that Maduros administration has committed crimes against humanity. Maduro has supported Putins war on Ukraine. Purchasing more oil from Saudi Arabia is morally problematic as well. President Biden promised to treat Saudi Arabia as a pariah because of the role Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman played in the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. During his campaign, the president said there is very little social redeeming value in the present government in that country. Is the president now willing to eat those words? Ironically, the crown prince has declined to speak to Biden in recent weeks, unhappy over U.S. policy in the Middle East region. A third option for oil is Iran an option that concerns many Iran hawks. If the U.S. agrees to a new nuclear deal with Iran, it could lead to the lifting of sanctions on that country. Experts say Iran could ramp up crude oil supplies by one million barrels per day over the next two months. Many geopoliticians contend Iran is the largest financial supporter of global terrorism. Does our political leadership possess the ethical values to proceed in any of these three directions? Lets hope not. Advertisement The answer to this dilemma can be easily solved by our becoming energy independent. We seemed to be well on our way until President Biden blocked the Keystone XL pipeline. He also banned new oil and gas development on public land. We can resume achieving that goal by reinstating the pipeline and lifting the ban. Theres no reason our country should remain beholden to other countries especially ones run by autocrats, dictators and murderers for our energy. Hopefully, President Biden has reconsidered his statement last summer when he said that global warming was our biggest national security threat. On the day when Russian began its invasion of Ukraine, his climate czar John Kerry said the climate implications of Putins invasion were just as important as the Ukrainians losing their lives in the fight to protect their national sovereignty. Really? We need to fix this problem of energy dependency now. For a world leader like the U.S. to be energy dependent on other nations, regardless of their politics, makes no sense and represents a clear and present danger to our nations security. Tom Jurkowsky is a retired Navy rear admiral who served 31 years on active duty as both an enlisted man and officer. He is the author of the book The Secret Sauce for Organizational Success: Communications and Leadership on the Same Page. He lives in Annapolis. SANAA, Yemen (AP) A car bombing in southern Yemen killed four people on Tuesday and wounded a dozen others, including a senior security commander, officials said. No one immediately claimed responsibility for the bombing but such attacks are common in war-torn Yemen, where fighting between government forces and Iran-backed Houthi rebels has raged for over seven years. The al-Qaida and the Islamic State groups are also active in several regions of Yemen. Tuesday's bombing took place in the city of Zinjibar and targeted the convoy of Abdel-Latif al-Sayed, commander of the so-called Security Belt force in the southern province of Abyan, the officials said. Zinjibar is the Abyan provincial capital. The Security Belt militia is trained and funded by the United Arab Emirates and loyal to the secessionist Southern Transitional Council. However, it is also nominally an ally of the Saudi-led coalition that has waged war on the Houthi rebels since 2015 in an effort to restore Yemen's internationally recognized government to power. The casualties al-Sayed's companions and guards were taken to hospitals for treatment, they said. The explosion damaged at least four vehicles of al-Sayeds convoy, according to the security officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief media. Images from the scene showed at least one burnt white Toyota pick-up truck. Al-Sayed spoke to local media and said he was slightly wounded in what he called a terrorist attack. He did not give further details. In October, at least 14 people were killed in two separate explosions in the southern city of Aden, the seat of the internationally recognized government. LAS CRUCES - A man accused of shoving his wife and child then barricading himself inside his apartments was released from jail on an unsecured bond as the man's defense attorney indicated that a case dismissal was in the works. A grand jury indicted Jonathon Strickland, 26, on Aug. 6, 2021, on two counts of abuse of a child, one count of battery against a household member, one count of aggravated battery against a household member, one count of assault against a household member, one count of criminal damage to the property of a household member, one count of deprivation of the property of a household member, and one count of resisting an officer. According to an affidavit, police believe that Strickland shoved his wife and infant child into a wall, leaving the infant with a "lemon-sized" hematoma and deep gash. When police arrived, they said Strickland barricaded himself inside the apartment. After he was arrested, a judge ordered Strickland jailed until the case was resolved. In an earlier incident, on March 19, 2021, Strickland led police on a brief chase from their station on Picacho Avenue to the Campo Street and Hadley Avenue intersection. Police said that incident also stemmed from alleged domestic violence. The chase concluded when police shot Strickland. In that case, the charges against him were ultimately dismissed, court records show. Now, a judge allowed Strickland to leave jail on a $25,000 unsecured bond during a hearing on Monday after his attorney told another judge that prosecutors wanted to dismiss the case because they'd been barred from presenting evidence. Ashlee Placencio, Strickland's defense attorney and lawyer with the Law Office of the Public Defender, filed a motion requesting 3rd Judicial District Judge Conrad Perea to reconsider Strickland's pretrial detention. Placencio said that a previous district judge relied on the strength of the evidence arrayed against Strickland to find that he was dangerous and that no conditions of release would reasonably assure the public's safety. Since then, Perea ordered that evidence be banned from submission. Story continues Placencio had requested before the hearing on Moday that Perea order any evidence banned because prosecutors had not complied with rules regarding evidence sharing between prosecutors and defendants. According to state law, prosecutors are required to turn over any exhibits and evidence they've collected no more than 10 days after a defendant faces arraignment. "The state did not provide a single piece of discovery no police report, no video, no witness list, no statements, or recorded statements," Placencio said. After Perea ordered the exhibits banned, Placencio said that Assistant District Attorney Linzui Vergara said she was working a motion dismissing the case. Vergara just needed approval from her supervisor, Placencio said. "Unfortunately, we don't know what happened. But we know that the state was not ready for trial," Placencio said. With the case in limbo, Placencio said she filed a motion requesting Perea reconsider Strickland's pretrial detention. For a judge to allow a defendant out of jail, state law dictates that a judge must find that new information (which was unknown or unavailable during the initial detention hearing) exists and that the new information is relevant to the detention. "There is no way that the state can meet its burden at trial to prove Mr. Strickland guilty beyond a reasonable doubt," Placencio said. "And because the strength of the evidence is so weak, there is no possible way that they have any witnesses at all to testify in this matter." Samuel Rosten, an assistant district attorney standing in for Vergara, said that the District Attorney's Office would not contest Placencio's request. Ultimately, Perea accepted Placencio's motion to allow Strickland out of jail. He concurred with her reasoning and said that his order banning prosecutor's evidence met the criteria. Perea ordered Strickland not return to the address where the alleged domestic violence occurred and ordered no contact with his children without the permission of the Children, Youth, and Families Department. Justin Garcia is a public safety reporter for the Las Cruces Sun-News. He can be reached via email at JEGarcia@lcsun-news.com. Keep reading: This article originally appeared on Las Cruces Sun-News: Case against man held on child abuse, domestic violence charges to be dropped Jonbon can get the home team off to a flying start in the Sky Bet Supreme Novices Hurdle (PA) Tiger Roll can bring the curtain down on an incredible career by raising the roof with a fourth win in the Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase - and a sixth Cheltenham Festival win in all. The 12-year-old will be best remembered for winning the Grand National twice and it is a shame that he never got the chance to emulate Red Rum. Nevertheless, his Cheltenham exploits are simply incredible and while Quevega has six victories to her name, they all came in the same race. What makes Tiger Rolls achievements far more meritorious for many is that eight years ago he won the Triumph Hurdle and he also won the National Hunt Chase back in 2017. Even if those were his only career highlights it would be some record, but to add two victories at Aintree as well and we are talking about a little living legend. It is because of that all the talk about his handicap mark should not sour his achievements, but Gordon Elliott could not have been more bullish in a recent update about his well being. Wednesdays best bets CHELTENHAM: 1.30 Sir Gerhard, 2.10 Ahoy Senor, 2.50 Camprond, 3.30 Shishkin, 4.10 TIGER ROLL (NAP), 4.50 Before Midnight, 5.30 Facile Vega. HUNTINGDON: 1.15 Propelled, 1.50 Joly Maker, 2.30 Hello Sunshine, 3.10 Poker Master, 3.50 Haas Boy, 4.30 Queen Of The Court, 5.05 Swapped. KEMPTON: 6.00 Sea Grey, 6.30 Stevenson, 7.00 Enough Already, 7.30 Mohareb, 8.00 Just In Time, 8.30 Dembe. NEWCASTLE: 5.14 Lopes Dancer, 5.45 Tejano, 6.15 Diderot, 6.45 Saorla, 7.15 El Bello, 7.45 Atrafan. DOUBLE: Sir Gerhard and Tiger Roll. At the turn of the year French import Prengarde was all the rage for this, but there was very little encouragement to take from his only run in Ireland to date and Easysland seems a shadow of the horse who beat a below-par Tiger Roll a couple of years ago. A victory for the Tiger will send the returning crowds wild. In the opening Ballymore Novices Hurdle, Willie Mullins decision to swerve the much stronger Supreme on the opening day can pay off with Sir Gerhard. Story continues He looked a strong stayer when seeing off stablemate Kilcruit in the Champion Bumper last season and nothing he has done over hurdles has suggested he will not reach the very top. While he does lack experience having had only two outings, it shows the regard in which he is held that some were a little disappointed that he only won a Grade One by six lengths at the Dublin Racing Festival. Bank on Mullins to have sorted his jumping out since then. The most successful trainer in Festival history might have to give best in the feature on day two, the Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase, however. While he does hold an extremely strong hand with Energumene and Chacun Pour Soi, they face an immovable object in the shape of Nicky Hendersons Shishkin. It is hard to see how Energumene can turn the tables on Shishkin from their Ascot meeting given the Irish raider met every fence on the perfect stride, had the rail to help and Shishkin made a few niggly mistakes but still came out on top. Mullins himself appears to favour Chacun Pour Soi, who is brilliant at his best but many will find it hard to forgive him for folding up the hill 12 months ago. He has since disappointed on his only other UK start in the Tingle Creek at Sandown. Put simply, Shishkin looks bomb proof and should he get beaten then it will be a long week for the home team. The Brown Advisory Novices Chase looks a cracker, with Bravemansgame as good a jumper as a novice to be seen for years. He already has one verdict over Ahoy Senor to his name at Kempton, which makes their score one apiece after Lucinda Russells charge came out on top over hurdles at Aintree. Kempton was always likely to suit the speedier Bravemansgame, though, and the Scottish raider will be much more at home over this stamina test. It can often turn into a real slog, which will also work against LHomme Presse who steps up to three miles for the first time, and it may be that Ahoy Senor does a Champ on his more speedier rivals and outstays them up the hill. Philip Hobbs Camprond will be much more at home over the Coral Cup trip than he was over the minimum in the Greatwood, when he was last seen. He was far from disgraced there, when fourth to West Cork, but it seems noteworthy that Hobbs has kept his powder dry since November, so he must think a mark of 140 is reasonable. With course form in the bag, the recent dry spell is also in his favour. Before Midnight was only beaten a length by subsequent Game Spirit winner Funambule Sivola when in receipt of 4lb. Given Funambule Sivola has a genuine each-way chance in the Queen Mother earlier on the card, Sam Thomas Before Midnight could still have some wriggle room from his mark of 148 as he bids for glory in the Grand Annual. He was very impressive when making all at the track in October to beat Sky Pirate, winner of this race 12 months ago who cannot be discounted off just 4lb higher. Quevegas son Facile Vega has looked a bit of a freak in winning two bumpers to date and is taken to remain unbeaten in the Weatherbys Champion Bumper. Maxar satellite imagery closeup of Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine on March 10, 2022. Maxar Technologies via G Workers held hostage by Russian forces at the Chernobyl power plant have been blaring the Ukrainian national anthem daily, The Wall Street Journal reported. The exhausted and poorly-fed workers at the plant in Ukraine have done this out of defiance, the WSJ reported. Russian forces seized control of the plant on the first day of Putin's invasion of Ukraine. Workers being held hostage by Russian forces at the site of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in northern Ukraine have been blaring the Ukrainian national anthem every morning in defiance of their captors, The Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday. More than 200 staffers at the plant have been held there at gunpoint to complete around-the-clock routine tasks since Russian forces seized control of the site on the first day of Russia's invasion of Ukraine nearly three weeks ago. The poorly-fed technicians and support staff some of whom need medicine are battling immense exhaustion after spending roughly 500 hours since February 23 on the job at the site of the world's worst nuclear-power disaster, according to the Journal. But workers have started to defy their captors. Rebellious workers blast Ukraine's national anthem, "Ukraine Has Not Yet Perished," through loudspeakers at Chernobyl every morning at 9 a.m., the Journal reported. And every morning, Ukrainian workers stand up with their hands over their chests as the anthem plays, according to the newspaper. Trapped staffers have even been arguing with their Russian captors over Russia's invasion, reported the Journal. The employees, who have been surviving off of porridge and canned food, sleep on chairs near beeping machinery and on mounds of clothes by the workstations, according to the Journal. Their phones have been confiscated, but in one-minute calls that the Russian troops permit the staffers to make to family members, they have spoken of "extreme fatigue, dizziness, nausea, and terrible headaches," the Journal reported. Story continues "The psychological situation is deteriorating," shift supervisor Valentin Heiko, a veteran of the defunct plant, recently told managers in a phone call, according to the Journal, which cited two people on that call. "Everyone wants to go home, but we know we need to stay," Heiko said. Russian President Vladimir Putin launched Russia's war against Ukraine on February 24, attacking several cities with military strikes. But his advances have stalled in the face of fierce Ukrainian resistance. Russian forces have now intensified bombing and shelling campaigns against Ukrainian cities, with civilian casualties continuing to rise. Insider's live blog of the Russian invasion of Ukraine is covering developments as they happen. Read the original article on Business Insider The Chevron logo is displayed at a Chevron gas station. PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images Chevron is preparing to expand its ventures with Venezuela's state-run oil company PDVSA, Reuters reported. The company's presence in Venezuela is dependent on political moves between the country and the US. Chevron's expansion in the country could boost global crude oil supplies. Chevron is prepared to trade Venezuelan oil in place of banned Russian oil imports if the US eases its sanctions on Caracas, Reuters reported. The release of more Venezuelan oil would help offset oil losses in wake of the Russia ban, put in place on March 8 over its invasion of Ukraine. However, the move is dependent on fraught political talks with the South American nation. Still, sources told Reuters that Chevron has been preparing to expand its four ventures with Venezuela's national oil company PDVSA. It has assembled a trading team to market oil from the South American nation, asked the US government for a license to have greater control over the ventures, and is starting to arrange Venezuelan visas for its employees from Aruba, Reuters reported. Chevron declined to comment on the report but told Insider that it will continue to comply with US sanctions on Venezuela. The company is commited to its investments and workforce in the country, Chevron also said. Venezuelan oil is an important alternative to Russian supply Sanctions were imposed on Venezuela by the Trump administration in 2019 to pressure Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro to leave power. Since then, the country has allied itself closely with Russia. Seeking to break the ice and develop alternatives to Russian oil, the US and Venezuela held their first high-level bilateral talks in years on March 5 in the Venezuelan capital of Caracas. Crude oil prices have surged as a result of the supply crunch from sanctions against Russia, jumping nearly 20% on March 7 to almost $140 a barrel for the first time in nearly 14 years. The price appears to now be heading towards a weekly decline of 4%. Story continues Chevron's moves in Venezuela could boost crude supplies to offset the loss. Before US sanctions, its joint ventures with PDVSA produced around 200,000 barrels of oil per day, according to Reuters. They now produce 140,000 barrels per day, Bloomberg reported. "Since Venezuelan barrels were banned in the United States in 2019, and Colombia and Mexico reduced key exports to the United States, Russian barrels have been feeding the Gulf refiners," one person involved in the bilateral talks told Reuters. Chevron's expanded presence in Venezuela is still dependent on a number of political moves Thawing relations between Washington and Caracas in recent weeks appear to have had some impact. US officials are seeking the release of more jailed Americans in Venezuela, after Maduro released two last week, Reuters reported. Washington also wants more guarantees of free elections and the resumption of talks with Venezuela's opposition, the agency also reported. During the talks in early March, Maduro had, in turn, pushed for a total lift on sanctions on its oil exports, sanctions on him and other government officials, as well as a return to government control of Citgo Petroleum, a US subsidiary of PDVSA. Even if sanctions are relaxed, challenges still abound for the Venezuelan oil industry. Years of government mismanagement mean the industry is nowhere near its oil-producing boom days in the 1990s when it produced 3.2 million barrels of oil a day. It now averages around 800,000 barrels a day. Read the original article on Business Insider The Chicago Bulls began their final West Coast trip of the season on a low note, losing 112-103 to the Sacramento Kings on Monday night at the Golden 1 Center. Coming out of the All-Star break, the Bulls faced the second-hardest schedule in the league to finish the season. There werent many guaranteed wins on the calendar in the final two months, but Mondays matchup in Sacramento looked like one of them. With Alex Caruso back from a two-month absence and Zach LaVine cleared to play after missing the last game with knee soreness, the Bulls seemed positioned for a dominant night. But they bled points even with their top players on the court, falling behind by 20 at halftime. The final minute saw uncharacteristic miscues by some of the Bulls best players. Caruso gave up a back cut to the basket, DeMar DeRozan got blocked under the basket and LaVine misfired on a 3-pointer. In 13th place in the Western Conference at 25-45, the Kings position in the standings is slightly deceptive. They hung close to West giants such as the Denver Nuggets and Utah Jazz, whom they faced in three of their last nine games. DeAaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis are beginning to fire as a pairing since the Kings acquired Sabonis at the trade deadline. But for a Bulls team with LaVine and Caruso available and postseason goals looming on the horizon, this shouldnt have been a troublesome matchup. The loss cut even deeper for the Bulls (41-27) as they fumbled a chance to move into third place in the Eastern Conference. The Philadelphia 76ers lost to the Nuggets earlier in the night, opening the door for the Bulls to move up. Instead, they fell to only a half-game ahead of the fifth-place Boston Celtics in the tightly contested race for playoff seeding. The Bulls were a step late and an inch out of place throughout the first half, skipping passes out of bounds and coughing up turnovers on shot-clock violations. They lost the battle in the paint as Fox and Sabonis pounded the ball to the rim. Story continues Fox scorched the Bulls for 33 points and nine assists when the teams met in February, a 125-118 Bulls win at the United Center. He poked similar holes in the Bulls defense Monday, finishing with 34 points and six assists. The Kings hounded DeRozan, throwing relentless double teams at the Bulls leading scorer any time the ball touched his hands. This tactic has become the status quo for opponents against DeRozans lethal midrange attack. And it worked. DeRozan took only eight shots in the first three quarters, struggling to make an offensive impact under the Kings pressure, and he finished with 21 points on 7-of-17 shooting. The situation was worsened by a frosty first half of shooting for LaVine, who didnt pull the typical attention from the Kings defense. With DeRozan smothered and LaVine off his rhythm, Nikola Vucevic shouldered the offensive responsibilities as the Bulls scraped away at the 20-point deficit. Vucevic went straight into the chest of Sabonis, squaring up to overpower the younger center around the rim as the game wore on. Vucevic and Coby White were the only Bulls in double digits by the end of the first half. Vucevic finished with 23 points and 10 rebounds. LaVine made three assists at the start of the second half, seeming to snap out of the funk from his time off the court. He was sidelined for Saturdays win over the Cleveland Cavaliers as he continues to nurse soreness in his left knee. LaVine scored more than half of his 27 points in the second half, gaining speed in his downhill play toward the rim. As the Bulls clawed back within a point, LaVine nearly brought enough to pull them ahead. But his shooting couldnt make up for a torrid shooting night for the Kings, who went 10-for-25 (40%) from 3-point range and 39-for-82 (47.6%) overall from the field. The trip only gets harder for the Bulls, who will face the Utah Jazz and Phoenix Suns two of the top four teams in the West in the next four days. _______ LONDON (Reuters) - China denied on Tuesday claims by U.S. officials that Russia had sought military assistance in Ukraine and accused Washington of spreading "malicious disinformation" that risked escalating the conflict. "The U.S. has repeatedly spread malicious disinformation against China on the Ukraine issue," the Chinese embassy in London told Reuters in a statement. "China has been playing a constructive role in promoting peace talks," it added. "The top priority now is to ease the situation, instead of adding fuel to the fire, and work for diplomatic settlement rather than further escalate the situation." Several U.S. officials said Russia had asked China for military equipment after its Feb. 24 invasion of Ukraine, sparking concern in the White House that Beijing might undermine Western efforts to help Ukrainian forces defend their country. The Kremlin denied any such request had been made. (Reporting by Guy Faulconbridge; Editing by Clarence Fernandez) BEIJING (Reuters) - The G20 grouping of nations is not an appropriate forum to discuss the Ukraine issue, a spokesperson for China's foreign ministry told a regular news conference in the Chinese capital on Tuesday. The G20, or Group of 20, consists of 19 countries, including China and the European Union. Its next summit is set for October on the Indonesian resort island of Bali. (Reporting by Eduardo Baptista; Writing by Martin Quin Pollard; Editing by Clarence Fernandez) Fifteen weeks before the primary election, a judge is to open a trial Tuesday in which Republicans seek to scrap a Democratic-approved map of Marylands congressional district boundary lines. The civil trial, which could last the rest of the week, is important for a number of reasons, and its outcome bears on whether the statewide primary which includes contests for congressional, state legislative and county offices is held as scheduled June 28. Advertisement Here are questions and answers about the trial in Anne Arundel County Circuit Court and whats at stake: What are the allegations? In two lawsuits being considered together, Republican elected officials and voters argue that a new map of the states eight U.S. House districts was unfairly drawn to favor Democrats and doesnt abide by Maryland constitutional guidelines. Advertisement The Maryland General Assembly has set new boundaries for the state's eight congressional districts following the 2020 census. Marylands last two congressional redistricting cycles have involved extreme partisan gerrymandering, said a brief filed last week by attorneys for a group led by Del. Neil Parrott, a Washington County Republican running for the seat of Democratic Rep. David Trone in a district stretching from Montgomery County through Western Maryland. Republican Del. Kathy Szeliga is among the leaders of the second GOP group. The new map would probably preserve the Democratic dominance in Maryland, with that party likely to retain control over seven of the eight congressional seats. The sole district represented by a Republican, the Eastern Shore-based seat of U.S. Rep. Andy Harris, would become more competitive. What is gerrymandering? Gerrymandering occurs when mapmakers of either party orient district boundaries in pursuit of political advantage. It commonly involves stacking large numbers of the opposite partys voters into a limited number of districts, leaving that party with too few voters to compete everywhere else. Gerrymandering complaints often arise when one party controls the redistricting process and can maximize the number of safe seats it holds in which the rival party has too few voters to win. How could the June 28 primary be affected? Election officials were already tasked with implementing the new congressional map approved by Democratic lawmakers in December. The General Assembly overrode the veto of Republican Gov. Larry Hogan, who said the new boundaries were illegal. The process of integrating another new map into the election would take considerable time. After new lines are drawn and approved, elections officials must find polling places and adjust voter information to reflect those boundary shifts. The state has indicated that any significant, court-ordered changes to the map would likely force the election to be delayed. Advertisement The election could also be pushed back by other redistricting fights. In December, three Republican state delegates and others challenged the legality of the General Assembly-approved map of delegates and state senators districts. The three delegates say the maps dont abide by Maryland constitutional guidelines. Alan M. Wilner, a retired judge appointed to that case, has said he hopes to file a final report by early April with the Maryland Court of Appeals, which will then rule. What are the issues in the congressional map case? Republicans argue in court filings that the map was was forced by one party upon another and contains non-compact districts with odd twists and turns. Breaking News Alerts As it happens When big news breaks in our area, be the first to know. > The case is partly about interpreting the Maryland constitution. A 1972 amendment to the section of the constitution on the state legislature decrees that those legislative districts shall consist of adjoining territory, be compact in form and of substantially equal population, and that lawmakers must consider natural boundaries and the borders of political subdivisions like counties and cities. The Maryland Constitution includes no such rules for congressional districts, and lawyers for Maryland Attorney General Brian Frosh, a Democrat defending the states position, argue that the framers of the states constitution anticipated that politics would play a role when they assigned the job of drawing districts to state lawmakers. Advertisement Republicans accuse Froshs attorneys of hiding the motivation behind the maps by trying to limit their lawyers access to Democratic legislative staff or others who helped create the boundaries last year. Froshs attorneys have said in court filings that if necessary they would invoke legislative privilege, which protects some information about legislative acts from being used in court. They are citing that to prevent the plaintiffs from deposing the people or materials used to create these maps, said Doug Mayer, a former Hogan aide working with an advocacy group called Fair Maps Maryland that organized the congressional and state legislative map suits. The congressional case is being heard by Lynne A. Battaglia, a retired state appeals court judge and former assistant U.S. attorney who was once chief of staff for former Democratic Sen. Barbara Mikulski. Mar. 15DERRY It was a chilly, drizzly jump in a local lake that brought out law enforcement to make a splash for a good cause. Derry Police took a dip into Beaver Lake at Gallien's Beach on Saturday, March 12, to benefit New Hampshire Special Olympics. Twenty-three police officers raced into the cool waters of the lake, raising more than $15,000. As law enforcement personnel ran into the water, many spectators and supporters lined the shores of the lake to watch the action. FREEHOLD A Monmouth County grand jury handed up an indictment Tuesday charging a Colts Neck man with bank robberies in Keyport, Middletown and Eatontown in November and December. Conor Kavanagh, 29, faces three counts of armed robbery, each carrying a possible prison term of up to 20 years, Acting Monmouth County Prosecutor Lori Linskey said. Kavanagh approached a teller at the PNC Bank inside the Stop & Shop on Route 36 in Keyport about 1:15 p.m. on Nov. 13, a Saturday, Linskey said. He allegedly passed a note that said he had a weapon. He fled with an undisclosed amount of cash, driving off in a green Toyota pickup truck, she said. Kavanaugh allegedly struck again on Dec. 14, about 4 p.m. on that Tuesday. He robbed the Wells Fargo bank on Newman Springs Road in the Lincroft section of Middletown the same way he robbed the Keyport bank, wearing similar clothes and driving off in a green Toyota pickup, Linskey said. Kavanagh is accused of robbing a Wells Fargo branch on Route 36 in Eatontown three days later. The suspect passed a note to a teller saying he had a weapon, Linskey said. For subscribers: Cutting-edge DNA technology links Paul Caneiro to Colts Neck murders, but is it reliable? Trending news: To save Ukrainian lives, Shabbat rules can be broken for Orthodox Jewish Chamber Following the Lincroft robbery, Middletown police developed leads that pointed to Kavanagh as a suspect, she said. After the Dec. 17 bank robbery in Eatontown, Middletown detectives and FBI special agents saw Kavanagh driving a green pickup truck matching the description of the vehicle in the other robberies, Linskey said. Detectives searched the pickup and discovered cash from the Eatontown bank robbery and the clothing the suspect was seen wearing on surveillance video, Linskey said. They later discovered information about a storage unit in Shrewsbury connected to Kavanagh, a search of which turned up cash from the two earlier robberies, she said. Story continues Kavanagh's cell phone showed he had been searching for local banks online, she said. Kavanagh was arrested and taken to Monmouth County Jail in Freehold Township where he is still being held. He is being represented by the Office of the Public Defender in Freehold. Linskey is urging anyone with information about Kavanagh that could aid in the investigation to contact MCPO Detective Brian Migliorisi or Detective Jason Gold, both of the prosecutor's office, at (800) 533-7443. Kavanagh appears to have had other brushes with the law. according to court records. A man with the same name and date of birth was charged with theft, burglary and criminal mischief in Eatontown in October. He was sentenced to three years in state prison in 2018 in an eluding, obstruction, aggravated assault against a police officer and resisting arrest case in Monmouth County. He was charged with criminal mischief in Howell in 2010 and a terrorist threats case in Monmouth County that same year, drawing 18 months of probation. Ken Serrano covers crime, breaking news, investigations and local issues. Reach him at kserrano@gannettnj.com. This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Colts Neck NJ man draws three counts of armed robbery in indictment State lawmakers have emphasized that addressing Connecticuts crisis in childrens mental health care would be a top priority in the current legislative session, Now, a wide range of proposals will soon be under consideration by the General Assembly, including efforts to expand mental health support for student athletes, to shore up the child care industry and providing funding for children seeking care in the wake of abuse or neglect. This session, some of the most important things that will happen across all different committees may be the work on childrens mental health, state Sen. Saud Anwar, a D-South Windsor, said Tuesday during a meeting of the Childrens Committee. Efforts to address the crisis in childrens mental health have broadly earned bipartisan support in the state legislature. I know that all caucuses want to do something in the area of mental health this session, Senate Republican Leader State Sen. Kevin Kelly, R-Stratford, said during the Childrens Committee meeting. Here are some of the ways that lawmakers aim to improve the lives of Connecticut children: Expanding youth mental health resources Senate Bill No. 2, a lengthy bill including a number of provisions that would support mental health prevention programs, was passed out of the Childrens Committee on Tuesday. Anwar described Senate Bill No. 2 as a primary prevention bill, while the related House Bill No. 5001, which addresses school-based mental health resources and workforce issues, represents a secondary and tertiary prevention bill. Senate Bill No. 2, which spans more than 40 sections, includes provisions to expand access to mental health support for student athletes, study the mental health impact of social media on K-12 students, provide training in adolescent screening and intervention to local health departments and boards of education and establish a Childrens Behavioral Health Cabinet within the executive branch. The bill would also establish a fund to cover the cost of mental health services, to be administered by the Department of Children and Families, to address the social determinants of mental health, ranging from adverse early life experiences to poor educational opportunities and poverty. Story continues We sometimes look at mental health in isolation, but sometimes the environment and social determinants of health can lead to mental health issues, and in order to resolve them, we need resources...so this bill is going to address that part as well, Anwar said. House Bill No. 5001 a wide-ranging proposal to expand behavioral health services for children is currently before the legislatures Public Health committee. That bill would increase support for pediatricians, fund the staffing of in-school mental health clinicians, create evidence-based peer support programs in schools and confront insurance issues that impact the mental health field. Supporting child care Legislators have also drawn attention to a deepening crisis in childcare, as day care centers struggle with short staffing and stagnant wages. In addition to addressing mental health issues, Senate Bill No. 2 would extend a lifeline to the child care industry, which experts and providers say is in a state of crisis. The bill would increase the per-child cost of the Office of Early Childhoods school readiness program which provides affordable childcare in high-need communities and raise the hourly salary of child care workers in the state, among other provisions. Working parents really have long struggled to find affordable, quality child care in our state, said Rep. Robin Comey, D-Branford, said Tuesday, noting that the issue predated, but was exacerbated by, the COVID-19 pandemic. Comey argued that the bill would address the true cost of child care by providing living wages for child care workers, which she called a move in the right direction for the state. Addressing sexual abuse issues A number of legislative proposals would address child sexual abuse issues and expand support for victims, including H.B. 5242, which would create a task force on online child sexual abuse and exploitation. H.B. 5238, which would make funding available for the medical care of minor victims of sexual assault or child abuse and neglect, was passed out of committee on Tuesday. Rep. Liz Linehan, D-Cheshire, noted during the Childrens Committee Tuesday that there is already a fund within the Office of Victim Services that allows for out-of-pocket reimbursement for victims of certain crimes; H.B. 5238 would expand the fund to include victims of child abuse and neglect substantiated by the Department of Children and Families. What this simply would do is help those children who have high deductible health plans or no health coverage, Linehan said. It would essential get them the counseling that they need. Establishing a childrens mental health day A bill that would establish a Childrens Mental Health Day in Connecticut was passed out of committee last week. Senate Bill No. 205 would designate May 26 as an annual Get Outside and Play for Childrens Mental Health Day, in order to raise awareness of childrens mental health and wellness. During a public hearing earlier this month, Department of Children and Families commissioner Vannessa Dorantes argued that the Childrens Mental Health Day would cement the importance of childrens mental health care beyond the pandemic, though she recommended that the legislation be expanded to encompass a Childrens Mental Health Month. Eliza Fawcett can be reached at eflawcett@courant.com. Mar. 15Cleveland County commissioners Monday approved a $36,000 annual contract to pay for an updated detainee monitoring system. The devices provided through the contract will monitor county jail detainees' heart rate variabilities and motions, according to the contract. The technology is provided through the company 4Sight Labs and will be distributed to the county through Turn Key, which provides medical services to detention facilities throughout Oklahoma. Turn Key bidder Mark Braley said after the meeting that he went to work for Turn Key after the company approached him with the upgraded monitoring technology. Braley worked as a deputy county commissioner under District 2 Darry Stacy at the time Turn Key approached him. "I enjoyed the county, but once I saw this product, and I looked at the position that law enforcement and corrections are in right now, I said, 'Man, this is something that could benefit. This saves lives.' How do you vote against saving lives?" Braley said. District 2 foreman Paul Meyer, who took the dais Monday in commissioner Darry Stacy's absence, abstained from the vote. Meyer declined to specify why he abstained from the vote when asked after the meeting, but also said he doesn't see any potential conflicts of interest in the contract. Braley pointed to Meyer's abstention as evidence that the county has avoided conflict of interest in the contract. He also said county legal counsel said the contract was not a conflict of interest. Stacy did not immediately respond to request for comment Monday about potential conflicts of interest in the contract and the bidding process for the monitoring system. District 1 Rod Cleveland joined District 3 Harold Haralson in voting for the contract after clarifying Turn Key's relationship with 4Sight. Mar. 15CANTON For the foreseeable future, county employees will not have a buyout plan to opt out of county health insurance coverage, since a resolution to establish such a plan was reconsidered at the Board of Legislators meeting last Monday. "When we changed our health insurance plan in 2017, we offered a buyout to employees who opted not to participate in our plan; most private sector businesses do that, so we thought it would be a good idea," said Legislator David W. Forsythe, R-Lisbon. He explained, however, that the buyout plan developed at the time did not cover employees hired before the date the buyout plan was to become effective. "I think the process was flawed on our part, and our hearts got in the way of our best intentions," he said. As a result, Legislator Kevin D. Acres, R-Madrid, who sponsored the resolution, urged his colleagues to vote against it which they did. "It was a good attempt to right a wrong, but it was not met with pleasure by leadership on the other side, and I encourage everyone to vote against this," he said. Both he and Mr. Forsythe said the Civil Service Employees Association union rejected the buyout plan offer in the resolution. Amy Simmons, president of the county CSEA union, could not be reached for comment. "Effective April 1, 2017, for the first time, St. Lawrence County established a Health Insurance Buyout Plan for County Employees to opt out of the County Health Insurance coverage, and the Health Insurance Buyout Plan was developed at the recommendation of the County Health Insurance Committee who worked closely with the County Union Representatives to develop the plan," the resolution states. The resolution goes on to say how the buyout plan didn't apply to employees hired before April 1, 2017 who were not covered through the county health insurance plan unless they enrolled in it for one year. The buyout plan included several rules and contingencies, including the need for employees to provide proof of enrollment in non-county health insurance. It is unclear when or if another buyout plan will be negotiated. Cristiano Ronaldo of Manchester United in action during a first team training session (Getty) Cristiano Ronaldo is not one for self doubt, but even he felt some relief on Saturday evening. After a difficult few months at Manchester United, where the logic of the transfer was again questioned, the Portuguese was finally doing what he was signed for. Ronaldo was once more the goalscorer, once more the hero. Another defeated team felt that familiar deflation, from one of his thunderous headers. It is a feeling Atletico Madrid know too well. It is an image Atletico Madrid know too well. As Sundays match at Stamford Bridge emphasised, football has a funny way of bringing many different threads to really energise a fixture, and Tuesdays Champions League second-leg match at Old Trafford is a perfect example of that. This one, at least, is almost entirely based on events on the pitch. There, Ronaldo has mostly been underwhelming. That was true of the 1-1 draw in the first leg of this last-16 tie. The Metropolitano crowd loved that, given how much pain he has inflicted on them over the years. Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates during his iconic comeback win with Juventus over Atletico Madrid (Getty Images) But hes now come to form at an ominous time, in a competition he has still been revelling in. Even if its true that some of Manchester Uniteds group-stage issues were down to trying to accommodate Ronaldo, he offered the solution to those problems by scoring the goals that put the side into the last 16. Figures at other clubs do still have that lingering fear that the Portuguese can help United put one of those runs together. This is the Champions League. Its happened enough times before, most notably 2005, 2012 and 2021. This is also the competition that has seen Ronaldo inflict the most pain on Atletico. Much has been made of the statistic that Simeones side have been eliminated from the knock-outs by sides featuring Ronaldo in five successive seasons: 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2019 - the Madrid side dropped out in the group stage in 2018 before winning the Europa League. It is the last of those that will loom over Atletico most, given it is closer to the Ronaldo we see now. Story continues Debates were starting to rise around Juventus over whether he actually fitted the team, with the evidence for that seen in a dysfunctional 2-0 defeat in the first leg in Madrid. It looked like the beginning of the end. And maybe it was. It just could be a pretty long end, as Ronaldo again finished Atletico with a hat-trick for a 3-0 win. Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates during his iconic comeback win with Juventus over Atletico Madrid (Getty) They will have noted his performance on Saturday with trepidation. Simeone knows more than anyone these games shouldnt be played out in the mind, despite his club being more subject to hang-ups and ghosts than most. He has done more than anyone to resist them, by pushing successive teams to their limits, through the most sophisticated defensive organisation. If anyone can limit the 2022 Ronaldo, even when hes on a surge, it is Simeone. He also no longer needs Atletico to sit back deep to do it. The era of away goals approaches is now gone. The way we both play, I imagine it will be a dynamic game, Simeone said. A game where there will be alternative moments. Well press high. It will be the classic type of match you expect in a game like this, the vertigo you suffer sometimes when a team plays at home. There will be a vintage excitement at Old Trafford, but also a certain pressure. This could well decide their season, and maybe Ronaldos second stint at the club - for now. So much has been bound up in the Champions League, not least the Portugueses main contribution so far. It is where he has done his best work. After a week of speculation about his future at Manchester United, Cristiano Ronaldo responded in characteristic fashion (PA) The league hadnt been so sparkling until Saturday, with that compounded by the reality that reaching the Champions League again would be seen as the bare minimum. It wouldnt be an achievement, even in these circumstances. A run to Paris, though? That is the one potential source of salvation and redemption. It might also seem a source of mirth right now. United just do not look good enough. The truth is the Champions League has thrown up more improbable feats, though. Ronaldo has been responsible for many. Just ask Atletico. He has caused them plenty of self-doubt. By Medha Singh (Reuters) - Bitcoin loves flirting with the mainstream. But now, as the U.S. president says he wants to get serious, it may be getting cold crypto feet. When Joe Biden ordered officials to prepare reports on the role of cryptocurrencies in future finance last Wednesday, bitcoin leapt as much as 9% and ether 8%, as many crypto fans hailed a potential milestone in mainstream acceptance. "The real importance of it is that the president of the United States is talking about crypto," said Jack McDonald, CEO of Standard Custody, a firm handling digital asset custody solutions for institutional investors. Yet cryptocurrencies are complicated. While bitcoin danced above $42,500 following the news, it has since given up those gains and is now back at around $38,000. Similarly ether has slunk back down to straddle $2,500. That seems a muted market reaction to the White House's first formal pronouncement on crypto - though who can truly understand bitcoin, still licking its wounds from China's rejection and nursing nagging disquiet it's losing its identity. Regulation can be a double-edged sword. Some industry watchers see bullish signs for bitcoin, saying the presidential announcement could presage U.S. regulations on crypto that will draw far more institutional money from the likes of pension funds and insurance firms. "Biden's executive order could signal the end to the wild west of crypto as we know it," said Edmund Kulakowski, senior financial crime consultant at London-based regulatory software company Fenergo. Yet it may not be such good news for those crypto players that thrive in the wild. "Quant-driven hedge funds running arbitrage and quant strategies typically shine in more volatile and unstructured markets," said Ganesh Iyer, chief marketing and strategy officer at New York-based technology company IPC. "Only time will tell how and when this market will mature. Until that point there is an opportunity now for hedge funds to utilize ultra-low latency networks to make the most of volatile, compliance-light and liquid crypto markets." Story continues WHO'S THE SHERIFF? There's also little certainty over America's regulatory intentions, with Biden having given federal agencies six months to produce guidance on how best to proceed. For one thing, it's not clear who's going to be the crypto sheriff, or for that matter whether crypto should be treated as a security or commodity. Both the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), which oversees listed stocks and therefore tokens that are deemed to be securities, and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) which has oversight of commodity and derivatives markets, are among those required to give their input into the reports. "Specifics related to the SEC, CFTC and other financial regulators are light," said Jerald David, president of Arca Labs, the innovation arm of Los Angeles-based digital asset manager Arca. Shane Rodgers, a former investment banker and CEO of PDX Coin, a crypto-to-fiat payments app and utility coin, said he was waiting to see how the regulation might shape up, particularly in terms of defining the role of the SEC. Until there is more visibility, he added, "the government can forget innovation in the crypto space in the U.S. because I, for one, will not be hiring any people or spending large amounts of R&D money in this country". AMERICA'S CRYPTO POWER What seems certain, regardless of how this plays out, is that U.S. action will have a major impact on the global crypto industry. America, the epicentre of traditional finance, is fast becoming the same for crypto; 43% of the world's crypto hedge fund managers are now based there, according to PwC, while the United States is now also the centre for bitcoin mining after China's crackdown on that part of the industry last year. McDonald at Standard Custody described Biden's order as a "symbolic document". "He did not come out and say it's fraud or bad actors doing bad things," he added. "Quite the contrary, there is an admission that digital assets have a place in the future, that this industry requires a thoughtful approach to regulation." (Reporting by Lisa Mattackal and Medha Singh in Bengaluru; Additional reporting by Elizabeth Howcroft in London; Writing by Alun John in Hong Kong; Editing by Vidya Ranganathan and Pravin Char) Dallas police officers fired 24 rounds at a suspect who the department said opened fire at the officers after they tried to conduct a traffic stop on the man for a felony warrant, according to a Tuesday news release. No one was injured by the gunfire, but three officers were injured when the suspect rammed their patrol cars, police said. The man was found around 2:10 a.m. on March 12 at the Vina Game Room at 12809 Audelia Road, according to police. Seth Michael Anderson, 34, was known to police as a felon with a history of fleeing police, according to the department. The department said he ran from police and at one point hit multiple police vehicles and injured three officers before continuing to flee. He was eventually boxed in at an apartment complex at 9350 Skillman St., where he opened the driver side door and began shooting at police, according to the department. Police said officers took cover before returning fire. After exchanging fire, Anderson got out of the vehicle and raised his hands as if to surrender before taking off in an attempt to run from police on foot. He was tased and taken into custody, according to police. Anderson is charged with four counts of aggravated assault against a public servant, a first-degree felony; a probation violation for manufacture and delivery of a controlled substance, a first-degree felony; one count of evading arrest or detention with a vehicle, a third-degree felony; one count of unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon, a third-degree felony; and one count of resisting arrest, search or transport, a Class A misdemeanor. Dallas police released body and dash camera footage of the chase and the shooting. The video contains audio and visuals of Anderson and police exchanging gunfire, as well as profane language. The footage shows one officer telling dispatch that a driver had just rammed his vehicle as the driver leaves the area. One officer tells others that the driver hit a squad car and another calls for an ambulance. Story continues Dash camera footage from the vehicle of Officer Hemm, identified only by his last name, shows Anderson strike the door of another vehicle as he drives away, pushing the door into an officer who is standing behind it. Hemm can be seen running around from the back of his car to the front, getting back in and pursuing Anderson through the apartment complex. Officer Hemm is shown getting out of his police vehicle after telling dispatch he believed the driver was going to bail, then ducking and running behind his car as the driver, identified by police as Anderson, begins shooting at officers. Anderson can be seen opening his door in the dash camera video and firing a handgun toward Hemms vehicle. Shots fired, shots fired, Hemm can be heard shouting in his body camera video. Dash camera video shows bullets striking Hemms vehicle. At one point, Anderson appears to stop shooting and then start again a few seconds later. At one point, Hemm appears to load a new magazine into his handgun in the body camera video. Police return fire in the video, then tell Anderson to put the car in park, keep his hands where they can see them, get out of the vehicle with his hands up and to not reach for anything. In the dash camera video, Anderson can be shown slowly exiting the vehicle, at first with his hands in the air then with them held in front of him as he lowers himself to the ground. Do not reach, I will [expletive] shoot you dead, Hemm shouts as Anderson gets out of the vehicle after having shot at officers. I will end you. Police said they recovered 14 spent shell casings from Andersons gun at the scene. Almost immediately when his hands touch the ground, Anderson can be seen in the dash camera video jumping up and running. When officers tell Anderson to get on the ground, he runs into the apartment complex and officers pursue. At one point, an officer appears to attempt to tackle Anderson but is unsuccessful. About 10 seconds later, Anderson falls to the ground and officers catch up to him. Do not [expletive] move, I will put a bullet in your head, Hemm says in the body camera footage as he reaches Anderson. Hemm can be seen putting the gun to Andersons head and tells him to lie flat on the ground. As more officers arrive, one with a rifle, Anderson tells them to shoot me already. Just do it, Anderson can be heard shouting. Do it. Im reaching for a gun. Just shoot me already. Im reaching for a gun. Just shoot me. It is unclear from the video if Anderson actually still had the gun with him or not. At least four officers worked to get Anderson into handcuffs. In Hemms body camera footage, as Anderson appears to be trying to keep one hand away from the cuffs, an officer at one point tases him after he screams, Kill me. Please. Kill me. Kill me. Kill me. They tell him to stop resisting as Anderson appears to try to keep officers from cuffing his other hand. The department said this was its first shooting in which officers fired their guns this year. Indianapolis officials have at last acknowledged the death of a Black man 100 years ago was a lynching and not a suicide as previously recorded. In March 1922, 19-year-old George Tompkins was found hanging from a sapling in the Indiana city's Riverside Park with his hands tied behind his back. Although the coroner that examined Tompkins said that he could not have hanged himself, suicide was listed as the cause of death on his death certificate. America is changing faster than ever! Add Changing America to your Facebook or Twitter feed to stay on top of the news. That was corrected Saturday, with homicide listed on a newly issued death certificate. "We will bring justice to something that was unconscionable to me; that 100 years ago something like this could have happened" said Marion County deputy chief coroner Alfie McGinty, according to local station WTHR. McGinty displayed a new copy of the teen's death certificate during a memorial service, which included placing a headstone at Tompkins' previously unmarked grave. "We are proud to be a part of this history some 100 years later, and we will remember George Tompkins." Advocates from the Indiana Remembrance Coalition, a community group that works to address the state's history of lynching, spearheaded the effort to shed light on Tompkins's slaying and to correct his cause of death. "Even in the Black community, most people have never heard about this chapter in our city's history," said Clete Ladd, a member of the Indiana Remembrance Coalition. "We need to know these things...because the past has shaped the present." At least 4,400 Black Americans were lynched in the U.S. during the period between the Civil War and World War II, according to report from the Equal Justice Initiative. Congress did not pass legislation making lynching as a federal crime until 2020, and only this year voted to make it a federal hate crime. Story continues READ MORE STORIES FROM CHANGING AMERICA ENTIRE POLICE DEPARTMENT RESIGNS IN MISSOURI UN CALLS FOR US, OTHERS TO END 'IMPUNITY' FOR POLICE VIOLENCE AGAINST BLACK PEOPLE RACIAL CONTROVERSY ERUPTS AROUND ROYALS AT BUCKINGHAM PALACE PRINCIPAL ESCORTED OUT OF HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION AFTER DELIVERING FIERY SPEECH Mar. 15State is already home to large Ukranian population in northeast COLUMBUS Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine this week has directed the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services to convene a summit of various service organizations to ensure Ohio's preparedness to welcome Ukrainian refugees, if asked. "Like many Ohioans, I am disgusted by the senseless aggression of the Russian military and want to support Ukrainian families being driven out of their country," DeWine said. "While we do not yet know what role Ohio will play in helping these families, I want us to be prepared when the time does come." On March 17, ODJFS will bring together multiple organizations who could play a role in the relocation of Ukrainian families at a summit in Northeast Ohio. These will include resettlement agencies, faith-based organizations, charities and others interested in supporting Ukrainians. The summit is intended to help the organizations better understand their possible role in refugee resettlement, and to assess what Ukrainian needs may be. It is intended to facilitate an exchange of ideas among interested parties. While refugee programs are all federal programs, the ODJFS Refugee Services Program works with local resettlement agencies to provide the federal government with information on capacity. It also oversees programs that help refugees achieve economic self-sufficiency and social adjustment following their arrival in the U.S. Actual services are provided by nine resettlement agencies and other non-profit groups located throughout Ohio. Since 2018, more than 500 Ukrainians have been resettled in Ohio, mostly in Cleveland. Many were resettled due to the Lautenberg Amendment, a federal program established in 1990 that allows religious minorities from the former Soviet Union to seek refuge in the United States. More than 14,000 Ukrainian nationals have been resettled in the U.S. under the Amendment in the past five years. "ODJFS is pleased to help bring Ohio's resettlement agencies and other charitable organizations together to seek ways of helping displaced Ukrainians," ODJFS director Matt Damschroder said. "Over the next few days, we'll be finalizing an agenda and providing more information to the key players in this effort." Damschroder noted that early discussions with some resettlement agencies revealed that while the current outpouring of donations has been appreciated, there will be long-term needs and those wishing to give may want to wait until more specific information about the needs is known. EXCLUSIVE: Civil rights attorney Ben Crump tells theGrio that the U.S. Department of Justice is investigating all possible civil rights violations from the top to bottom in Taylors police-involved killing. A day after the second anniversary of Breonna Taylors police-involved death, her mother and civil rights attorneys met with U.S. Department of Justice officials looking for answers in the federal investigation of the Kentucky officers who killed her while she was sleeping during an execution of a no-knock warrant search that turned deadly. The Justice Department is giving very few details of the meeting with Tamika Palmer, the mother of Breonna Taylor, and civil rights attorney Ben Crump. Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke and attorneys in the Civil Rights Division met with the mother of Breonna Taylor, members of her family and her attorneys. As has been previously stated, this matter is currently under investigation and we have no further comment, the DOJ said in a statement provided to theGrio. Attorney Crump, however, told theGrio that department officials reiterated to him and Palmer that the recent not guilty decision in the case against police officer Brett Hankison involved in the raid that ultimately killed Taylor has no bearing on their federal investigation that is wide-ranging. Right now they are investigating all possible civil rights violations from the top to bottom. As you know, everything is pattern and practice. When they did the study two years prior to Breonna being killed in the city of Louisville, 82% of all the no-knock warrants executed with them kicking in peoples doors were against African-Americans, Crump told theGrio. So, you know, they are looking at if there were any civil rights violations that happened that resulted in her death. (L-R) Civil rights activist Tamika Mallory of Until Freedom, Tamika Palmer, Breonna Taylors mother, attorney Lonita Baker, and attorney Ben Crump gather during a press conference at Jefferson Square Park on September 25, 2020 in Louisville, Kentucky. (Photo by Jon Cherry/Getty Images) Louisville, Kentucky police officer Jonathan Mattingly, who shot Taylor six times, was not charged. A grand jury decision to not charge Mattingly surrounded whether to not the officer endangered the neighbors with gunshots and not the fatal shooting of Breonna Taylor, who was shot in various body parts, including her feet. Story continues However, the city of Louisville settled a wrongful death suit with Taylors family who received $12 million. The city and its police department have since implemented significant reforms to its ranks. Still, questions continue to swirl around when the Department of Justices will conclude its investigation on the Taylor death. When asked, sources close to the matter contend they dont believe this will take years. On a related note, when the sweeping law enforcement reform bill, the George Floyd Justice In Policing Act, broke down on the Hill, the Biden Justice Department acted in place of Congress by banning no-knock warrants and chokeholds for federal law enforcement officers. Biden is also mandating body cameras for federal officials. U.S. Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division Kristen Clarke, joined by U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland, speaks on a federal investigation of the City of Phoenix and the Phoenix Police Department during a news conference at the Department of Justice on August 05, 2021 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images) A White House official told theGrio, these actions took place as Republicans would not come to the table in good faith and even backed away from minimal mandates on policing from then-President Donald Trump who was in support of police over accountability. Meanwhile, the White House is still working on the pieces of the puzzle to get elements of the George Floyd Justice In Policing Act passed into law. Democratic lawmakers are looking at the possibility of passing each component of the George Floyd bill as a stand-alone as it could not work in the comprehensive all-inclusive bill. Just this last week the Senate passed the anti-lynching bill into law. It is the first-ever anti-lynching law on the books in the United States. A lynching component was part of the failed George Floyd Justice In Policing Act. TheGrio is now on your TV via Apple TV, Amazon Fire, Roku, and Android TV. Also, please download theGrio mobile apps today! The post After DOJ meeting with Breonna Taylors family, questions linger on police accountability appeared first on TheGrio. Watch: Coming up on EastEnders... On EastEnders next week Jean and Harvey are leaving Walford, plus Kheerat is in need of help, while Tommy is in trouble as his tormentors trap him. Its your EastEnders spoiler guide to 21-24 March 2022. Jean and Harvey decide to leave Warning EastEnders spoilers ahead (BBC) Jeans behaviour is set to become increasingly erratic and when she inadvertently injures Arthur on a bouncy castle, Stacey bans her from being alone with the children. But Jean believes shes more than capable and ends up taking Arthur off to the tube station, where she happens to let slip about what happened to Kush. When Stacey later finds out, shes apoplectic, with her rage resulting in Jean turning her back on her and moving in with Harvey. Read more: Next week on Coronation Street Read more: Next week on Emmerdale Harvey, though, has problems of his own and, after an upsetting prison visit to see son Aaron, he suggests to Jean that they get out of London. Jean is in full agreement and insists on leaving straight away. Mack and Mia are left traumatised Mitch Baker (ROGER GRIFFITHS), Mac, Karen Taylor (LORRAINE STANLEY), Mia (BBC) There remains an awkwardness between Mitch and Karen, who arent yet comfortable again in each others company. But the two of them are forced to put on a united front when they get a worrying phone call about Mack and Mia Arthur has told them about Gray killing Kush. Going into doting grandparent mode, the two of them must then console the distressed youngsters. Eve tries to help Kheerat but will Suki let her? Dotty Cotton (MILLY ZERO), Eve Unwin (HEATHER PEACE) (BBC) Suki and Dotty are left shocked when they find out from Kheerats lawyer that hes set to plead guilty. Upset by this decision, Suki then begs the brief to find another way. Dotty, meanwhile, manages to secure some cash from Sonia and then uses it to get legal advice from Eve about Kheerats case. By Wednesday, Eve has made a worrying discovery about Kheerats lawyer but will Suki accept the help thats being offered? Thursday will then see the day of Kheerats hearing dawn. And as Suki waits nervously for news, she ends up taking out her anxiety on Eve. But what will the outcome be in court? Story continues Jada makes party plans Will Mitchell (FREDDIE PHILLIPS), Jada Lennox (KELSEY CALLADINE-SMITH) (BBC) Sharon is going away with Albie, so Jada starts making party plans. Zack, though, isnt happy and tells her to cancel it. But when Will later call in to the salon in the hope of attending, Jada realises that her friends have already sent out a big invite to her friends. In order to ensure that Martin and Zack dont find out, Jada encourages the two guys to go out for the night. But as the party gets underway, it isnt long before Sonia turns up to put a stop to the celebrations and take Will home. And when Zack finds out whats gone on behind his back, he issues Jada with an ultimatum: either she tells Sharon about the illicit party or he will! Tommy is in danger Tommy Moon (SONNY KENDALL) (BBC) Tommy is left panicked when he watches a video made by his bully Sid, who can be seen in the footage making fun of him. And when Tommy then arrives at the school playground, hes immediately targeted. Luckily, Isaac spots whats happening and intervenes, before turning up at Kats to tell her that her son is being bullied. In the wake of Isaacs visit, Kat decides to take action but might she be too late? After all, at that very moment, Tommy is away from school grounds and being set up by his tormentors An employee of a move theater in east Fort Worth on Monday was shot in his upper body outside the business, police said. The victim, a man, was fired upon about 5:30 p.m. at the AMC Eastchase 9 theater. His injury was serious, but not life-threatening, and he was taken to a hospital, a MedStar spokesperson said. The employee was talking to a group of people outside when he was shot, a Fort Worth police spokesperson said. Assailants took items from the victim and left. Police did not announce arrests. Elizabeth Foster On March 15, 1992, my sister was taken from this world after 21 years, 4 months and 6 days of living on it. I write this essay to give my late sister, Elizabeth Helen Foster, a voice in the best way I know how. For many years, I really tried to forget most of what happened since that dreadful day the authorities found her body in a shallow grave along U.S. 441 in Gainesville. However, the memories come rushing back to me like they were yesterday. Her body was beaten and bruised after being sexually assaulted, with the final blow shattering the front of her skull and rendering her unconscious. She was dumped like trash into a shallow grave just big enough to fit her tiny 52, 115-pound frame while she was still breathing. The soil around the area was gray almost like ash with heavy vegetation and growth all around, giving off a sweet smell as if nothing horrifying had ever occurred there. I was 13 years old when I visited this site with my parents shortly after my sisters body was located. I remember the air was humid and the sky was sunny and pleasant as any typical Florida afternoon in March. I could hear the sounds of birds chirping and children laughing and playing in the distance. It was surreal for what we laid witness to that day. The Foster family Multiple failures throughout the course of time, caused by human error and possibly a lack of real empathy, brought my sister to that moment. My sisters killer was a serial killer. In 1972, he was arrested and convicted of murdering a Miami woman, Linda Fida, a former beauty pageant contestant. She was sexually assaulted, choked to death and stabbed multiple times until the blade bent and could not be used anymore. Her lifeless corpse was then plunged into her own bathtub full of water to be drowned, because her killer was not convinced she was actually dead. Her killer confessed without remorse and was dubbed a sociopath. He was sentenced to life imprisonment. It was known he would kill again if ever let out of prison. However, a life prison sentence in Florida in the 1970s and 1980s was not for life. This killer only served 13 years and was released from prison by the parole board, while prisoners sentenced for non-violent drug offenses sat in prison for double the length of time. Story continues In 1989, Tiffany Sessions, a University of Florida student, disappeared. She looked oddly similar to my sister. Her family was of the highest ilk with the likes of celebrities such as Dan Marino to help them raise funds and resources to try and locate Sessions. Her disappearance and death would remain unsolved for much longer than anyone expected. In the late 1990s, my parents agreed to exhume my sisters body to collect additional DNA evidence to find her killer. Yet, this DNA remained shelved for many more years. In 2009, three years after my fathers passing and my mothers trauma reaching its apex, my mother and I called a meeting with the authorities. A young woman detective, a forensic analyst, gave us personal assurances that she would push certain pieces of evidence through the extensively backlogged FBI crime lab. In 2012, an oral swab from my sisters remains was finally tested. It wasn't from the guy they had been convincing my parents for the better part of two decades had killed my sister, but an inmate in prison for a different crime of kidnapping, sexual assault and attempting to kill a 15-year-old minor in Clearwater. He was Linda Fida's killer, in a prison less than 40 miles from my residence. He was suffering from Stage 4 lung cancer and did not have much time to live. Following his death, the authorities discovered his diary with numerous entries possibly identifying five to seven or more female souls he took from this earth one being entry No. 2, Tiffany Sessions, with her date of death demarcated in the entry. My sister, Elizabeth Foster, was a hero even after death because through the oral DNA swab, the police were able to identify the perpetrator of Sessions murder. My sister was not the daughter of wealth or a former beauty pageant contestant. She was the girl who loved to laugh with her friends and cared deeply about others. She was the big sister who would make fun of her annoying little brother, but at the same time would invite him to occasionally sit in her room with her and listen to records or ask if she looked nice in an outfit. She was the girl that loved to take random photos and would come home from college on break with new pets to the surprise of my parents. Elizabeth Foster as a child She was the girl who loved big and was extremely naive to a lot of the troubles and dangers of the world. I cant blame my parents for letting her go so far away to college as they did their best, but they were kind of naive too. Being the father of daughters, I cant be naive and stick my head in the ground. I have to share my sisters story and the souls that we lost too soon because we as a society failed them. I end with this quote from Eleanor Roosevelt: Learn from the mistakes of others. You can't live long enough to make them all yourself. Love you, Betsy. Your little brother. Richard A. Foster is the younger brother of Elizabeth Foster. Join the conversation Send a letter to the editor (up to 200 words) to letters@gainesville.com. Letters must include the writer's full name and city of residence. Additional guidelines for submitting letters and longer guest columns can be found at bit.ly/sunopinionguidelines. Journalism matters. Your support matters. Get a digital subscription to the Gainesville Sun. Includes must-see content on Gainesville.com and Gatorsports.com, breaking news and updates on all your devices, and access to the eEdition. Visit www.gainesville.com/subscribenow to sign up. This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: Richard Foster: Reflections 30 years after my sister's murder Videos Sorry, there are no recent results for popular videos. A tell-all book by one of the Louisville Metro Police officers involved in the shooting that killed Breonna Taylor hits shelves Tuesday morning. Retired Sgt. Jonathan Mattingly teamed with conservative media outlet, The Daily Wire, to publish "12 Seconds In The Dark: A Police Officers Firsthand Account of the Breonna Taylor Raid." The release date March 15 is just two days after the two-year anniversary of Taylor's March 13, 2020, death. Mattingly fired six rounds that night, striking Taylor at least once, after he was shot by her boyfriend, Kenneth Walker. Mattingly required emergency surgery to repair his femoral artery. Walker has maintained he did not know it was police at the door and the criminal charges against him have been dismissed. Sgt. John Mattingly sets the record straight on this shocking story that gripped the nation in: 12 Seconds In The Dark: A Police Officers Firsthand Account of the Breonna Taylor Raid. Pre-order your copy now: https://t.co/VqbVCGabck pic.twitter.com/wMnDP3BKIU Daily Wire (@realDailyWire) March 7, 2022 In promotions for the book, Mattingly lambastes the media and celebrities for "lies" told about Taylor's death. FACT CHECK 2.0: Separating the truth from the lies in the Breonna Taylor police shooting "When you read '12 Seconds in the Dark,' you will find out the truth of what really happened the night of the Breonna Taylor raid," he says in one Daily Wire video. The Courier Journal has obtained a copy of the book and will report on its contents. In a brief Monday interview with Megyn Kelly titled "How the Media Botched the Breonna Taylor Coverage" Mattingly and Kelly discussed his past interview with ABC News, done in partnership with The Courier Journal in October 2020. Story continues In addition to footage of Mattingly's interview with TV personality Michael Strahan, Kelly also showed viewers a clip of Strahan, Robin Roberts and George Stephanopoulos discussing the interview in the Good Morning America studio. "The nerve of these people who know absolutely nothing, absolutely nothing, about law enforcement, nothing, to sit there in judgment of you," Kelly said to Mattingly. "The unmitigated gall. They sit there, on that set, as pundits, judging a guest after he did them the courtesy of giving them an exclusive interview. "To me, as a member of the media, John, it's infuriating. That infuriates me," she said. "What did you feel after you saw them do that to you?" "I was ticked off," Mattingly said, noting the conversation lasted for several hours. "There was a lot of good conversation, a lot of thing that could have been positive for police and public relations, and they chose to leave all that out." Mattingly's book is available from major booksellers, such as Amazon and Barnes & Noble. The Courier Journal first broke the news of Mattingly's book deal last April. The book was originally to be called "The Fight for Truth: The Inside Story Behind the Breonna Taylor Tragedy," and published Tennessee-based Post Hill Press. The uproar over the news was swift, prompting publishing giant Simon & Schuster to say it would not distribute the book for Post Hill Press. In an August op-ed for conservative website American Thinker, Mattingly wrote he'd decided to "explore other options for my book," and it October it was announced he was publishing with DW Books, a new division of The Daily Wire. Three officers fired a total of 32 rounds at Taylor's apartment: Mattingly shot six times, Myles Cosgrove shot 16 and Brett Hankison, 10. Hankison stood trial for wantonly endangering Taylor's neighbors, but was acquitted by a jury after three hours of deliberation. No one has been charged for Taylor's death. An FBI investigation into the shooting remains ongoing. Taylor's mother, Tamika Palmer, talked to the Department of Justice in Washington, D.C., Monday Reach Tessa Duvall at tduvall@courier-journal.com and 502-582-4059. Twitter: @TessaDuvall. This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Jonathan Mattingly, ex-LMPD cop, pitches new book on Megyn Kelly show By Emma Farge PAYERNE, Switzerland (Reuters) - The heads of the U.S. and Swiss air forces stressed the need for Western countries to strengthen security cooperation at an event on Tuesday that highlighted neutral Switzerland's increasingly assertive role in world affairs. The generals watched a Swiss pilot fly a Hornet fighter in a simulation flight that was part of an official visit aimed at boosting cooperation as Bern prepares to receive more U.S. fighter jets by 2025. "Recent events underscore the importance of working together to strengthen our strategic partnerships in order to meet our shared security requirements," U.S. Air Force Chief of Staff General Charles Brown told journalists, referring to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. While the visit and the Swiss decision to buy F-35 fighter jets were planned beforehand, events in Ukraine have prompted a debate in Switzerland about the country's defences and its role in the world, including its Western ties. Bern's break with its past to adopt EU sanctions on Russia have sharpened the tone. "By participating in the sanctions, Switzerland is now at war," Christoph Blocher, an influential figure in the far-right SVP party and billionaire entrepreneur, told the NZZ paper. His party sees the move as part of a worrying interventionist trend and also opposes Bern's bid for a seat at the Security Council of the United Nations - a body Switzerland only joined via referendum in 2002. In response, President Ignazio Cassis told parliament sanctions are not akin to military force against Russia and that Bern was doing its utmost to ensure a peaceful resolution. The government is considering several proposals on how to shore up its defence including drafting women for the first time and boosting military spending by 2 billion Swiss francs a year. Swiss air force chief Peter Merz said there was now an opportunity for closer cooperation with Europe, especially with Germany's plans to buy the same stealth jets built by Lockheed Martin. "We are embedded with a great family of F-35s and this brings the potential of very close cooperation not only with the United States, but with many other European countries," he said. (Additional reporting by Michael Shields, John Revill and Stephanie Nebehay, Editing by Alexandra Hudson) The claim: The Russian attack on a Mariupol maternity hospital was staged Russian officials and conspiracy theorists are promoting a baseless claim about the March 9 bombing of a maternity hospital in the Ukrainian city of Mariupol, an attack Western leaders have described as a war crime. The airstrike killed three civilians, including a child, and left 17 wounded. But online, some assert the hospital bombing never took place. The Kyiv regime's bogus claim that Russian missile hit a maternity hospital, reads a March 10 Facebook post that generated more than 300 shares in less than a week. More info is emerging about the fake scene staged at the Mariupol hospital. As evidence, social media users cited photos of an injured pregnant woman they claimed was a crisis actor, someone who is paid to play a victim in high-profile tragedies. The term is popular among conspiracy theorists and has been used by Russian state media in recent weeks to downplay the invasion of Ukraine. Follow us on Facebook! Like our page to get updates throughout the day on our latest debunks The Ukrainians used the model Marianna from Mariupol for the shots, reads a March 10 Facebook post. Marianna is a well-known beauty blogger and posed for the photo shoots in the ruins of the hospital. She played two pregnant women at once, changed clothes and applied new bloody make-up. Other social media users suggested the Mariupol maternity hospital stopped functioning and that personnel and patients were kicked out after the building was occupied by the Azov Battalion, a far-right extremist group with a small presence in Ukraine. But photo and video evidence, eyewitness accounts and official statements confirm the attack was real. USA TODAY reached out to the social media users who shared the claim for comment. Hospital attack wasn't staged On March 9, Ukrainian officials said a Russian airstrike destroyed Mariupol Hospital No. 3. The attack was verified by the World Health Organizations Surveillance System for Attacks on Health Care and the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. Story continues Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy shared footage of the damage to Telegram. The Mariupol City Council also shared footage on the messaging app, saying Russian forces dropped "several bombs on a childrens hospital, according to a Google translation. Journalists with the Associated Press documented the aftermath and witnessed the damage firsthand, capturing footage of pregnant women fleeing, children crying and medics shouting. Maxar Technologies published before-and-after satellite images of the hospital showing extensive damage. Fact check roundup: What's true and what's false about the Russian invasion of Ukraine The Kremlin denied the Mariupol hospital bombing and alleged it was Western propaganda, contrary to photo and video evidence. Photos don't show 'crisis actors' The images of the injured woman wearing polka-dotted pajamas and wrapped in a blanket show Mariana Vishegirskaya, a Ukrainian beauty blogger who survived the airstrike. She is not a "crisis actor," as some posts claim. We were lying in wards when glass, frames, windows and walls flew apart, Vishegirskaya told the AP. We dont know how it happened. We were in our wards and some had time to cover themselves, some didnt. An injured pregnant woman walks downstairs in a maternity hospital damaged by shelling in Mariupol, Ukraine, Wednesday, March 9, 2022. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka) ORG XMIT: NYAG513 For months, Vishegirskaya has shared to Instagram footage of her pregnancy and images of her posing with cosmetics. Theres no evidence she is a crisis actor, as the AP reported. The narrative gained traction after the Russian Embassy in London compared a photo of Vishegirskaya fleeing to one of a woman being carried away on a stretcher. The embassy claimed in a tweet that she played roles of both pregnant women." But the image of the woman on a stretcher shows a different individual, whose identity USA TODAY could not verify. Surgeon Timur Marin told the AP medics were unable to save the woman and her baby. Vishegirskaya gave birth March 11. Fact check: Video shows Austrian climate protest, not 'crisis actors' in Ukraine Twitter previously told USA TODAY it removed the tweets from the Russian Embassy in London because they violated the platforms abusive behavior policy, which prohibits content that denies mass casualty events took place. Extremists didn't occupy hospital There's no evidence the hospital was a nonoperational facility used by Azov fighters for military purposes, as social media posts and Russian officials have claimed. The Russian Embassy in Israel tweeted an image of a military tank in front of a building to claim the hospital was occupied by the Azov Battalion. However, researchers at Bellingcat, an open-source investigation firm, found the photo was captured more than 6 miles away from the hospital. The actual location of the photograph used by @israel_mid_ru to support their claim the Azov battalion was operating at the Mariupol maternity hospital bombed by Russia was geolocated by @digitaljonah to 47.101092, 37.671539, over 10km away from the actual hospital site. https://t.co/uFuao8c1gm pic.twitter.com/ZaOP8jCnD6 Bellingcat (@bellingcat) March 11, 2022 The UN said in a March 11 statement that the "the hospital was both clearly identifiable and operational when it was hit." On March 2, the hospital shared a Facebook post asking for fuel tanks to keep the facility running, as Mariupol has been without power and water. Our rating: False Based on our research, we rate FALSE the claim that the Russian attack on a Mariupol maternity hospital was staged. Reports from the WHO, the UN and news organizations confirm the bombing took place March 9. Photos shared in social media posts show a Ukrainian beauty blogger who survived the attack, not a "crisis actor." Our fact-check sources: Thank you for supporting our journalism. You can subscribe to our print edition, ad-free app, or electronic newspaper replica here. Our fact-check work is supported in part by a grant from Facebook. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Fact check: Russian attack on Mariupol hospital was not 'staged' Crosley Green's freedom is in jeopardy. Nearly four years after a federal judge reversed Green's 1990 murder conviction paving the way for his release last April the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals Monday reversed the lower court's decision. Describing the litigation history in this case as "complex and confusing," the appellate court ruled that the Middle District Court of Florida erred in reversing the murder conviction due to a Brady violation. Monday's ruling says the Middle District Court should not have ruled on the Brady issue because it had not been "fully exhausted" -- or ruled on -- in state courts. "The Court granted the writ on an unexhausted claim and denied the writ on the rest," the ruling states. "The State appeals the granting of the writ, and we reverse." Green's attorneys promise to appeal the ruling. We are deeply disappointed that the 11th Circuit overturned the District Courts ruling that Crosley Green was unconstitutionally convicted. We believe that the District Court was correct. Mr. Green is innocent; he was wrongfully convicted and deserves a new, and this time, a fair trial," said Keith J. Harrison, a partner at Crowell, which has fought for Mr. Greens release for the past 14 years. "Our fight for justice for Mr. Green will not be over until he is exonerated. There are various ways we can appeal this ruling, and we plan on doing just that, Green was convicted and sent to death row for the 1989 kidnapping and murder of Charles "Chip" Flynn. Green was accused of carjacking Flynn and his ex-girlfriend Kim Hallock before taking them to an orange grove where a shootout occurred. Hallock drove to safety and Flynn was left to die. Flynn refused to tell responding officers what happened and he never asked if Hallock had made it to safety. He later died on his way to the hospital. Green's sentence was later vacated and he was sentenced to life in prison. Story continues The story: Crosley Green: A white man is murdered, a Black man is accused. Something doesn't add up. Crosley Green gets emotiional talking about his siter who died while he was in prison. Florida Today's Engagement Editor John Torres had an exclusive interview with Crosley Green and Green's lead attorney Keith Harrison at the home Green is staying at in Titusville after almost 32 years in prison. The Middle District Court of Florida ruled in July 2018 that Green be released or re-tried due to a Brady violation that occurred when prosecutor Chris White did not share notes with Green's defense attorney. The notes indicated that responding officers believed Hallock was responsible for the shooting and that no kidnapping or shootout had taken place. The state appealed the ruling and Green was released last April and placed under house arrest pending the ruling by the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals. Now, he may have to return to prison. More about Crosley Green: Torres: Knowing the fight is not yet finished, Crosley Green adjusts to life and freedom Who is convicted murderer Crosley Green? Crosley Green to be released from prison In a previous hearing, White now retired defended his actions. "I dont believe I have any duty to say to the defense have you guys thought about this angle and this angle?" White said. "I dont have this obligation." A few years ago, White was asked about the notes by Erin Moriarty of 48 Hours. "Do they give me cause to believe Kim Hallock committed this murder? My answer is no," he said. Florida Today's Engagement Editor John Torres had an exclusive interview with Crosley Green and Green's lead attorney Keith Harrison at the home Green is staying at in Titusville after almost 32 years in prison. But in 2020 Green's attorney, Keith Harrison, countered that White mocked the idea that Hallock could be responsible for the crime during his closing argument at trial. White made that statement knowing full well that the two responding officers both felt she was responsible. "This is a case in which Crosley Alexander Green was convicted of a crime he did not commit," Harrison said. It is unclear how soon Green will have to return to prison or whether he can remain free while his attorneys appeal the latest ruling. The ruling does not become "official" until a mandate is issued 30 days from Monday's decision. It would be surprising if Green's attorneys did not file an appeal during that time period. Since Mr. Greens conditional release in April 2021, he has found full-time employment, and he is spending his time with his large, extended family," Harrison said. "Judge (Roy) Dalton granted Mr. Green release as the case remained on appeal at the Eleventh Circuit. There is a mandatory period of time before the Eleventh Circuit's ruling becomes final. Our hope is that Mr. Green will remain under his current conditions of release while the court proceedings continue. A statement issued by State Attorney Phil Archer's office said: "There is a mandatory 30-day period before the 11th DCA's ruling becomes final and our office will reserve further comment while the matter remains open before the Court." In 2020, Harrison said other avenues of appeal included asking for a rehearing in front of the same three judges, asking the case to be heard en banc, meaning in front of all the 11th Circuit Court judges or to ask the U.S. Supreme Court to review the case. He has vowed to continue fighting for Green's freedom. Retired prosecutor Gary Beatty said he believes Green will have to return to prison. He also says the 11th Circuit Court made the correct decision and believes the case is now dead. "The District Court in essence invented a whole new Brady rule in order to reverse Green's conviction. For that reason, the United States Supreme Court is highly unlikely to hear an appeal from the 11th Circuit decision," he said. "Unless the Supreme Court agrees to hear the case, Green's appeals are finished. And even if they hear it, I predict they will affirm the 11th Circuit." Local defense attorneys said they were surprised by the ruling and said this highlights how difficult it is to get post-conviction relief. They preferred not to be named because they sometimes have to argue cases before the 11th Circuit Court. Contact Torres at 321-242-3684 or at jtorres@floridatoday.com. You can follow him on Twitter @johnalbertorres or on Facebook at facebook.com/FTjohntorres. Support local journalism and become a subscriber. Visit floridatoday.com/subscribe This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Federal Appeals Court rules against Crosley Green Anyone with simple tax returns can file their taxes for free. Here are some optionsand how to use them. By Octavio Blanco For the past six years, Milagros Melendez, a 72-year-old retired home-care worker, has filed her taxes digitally with the help of volunteer tax professionals in an immigrant-assistance program. The program, called the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA), is just one of many free tax filing options available to consumers. For Melendez, who lives in a predominantly Latino neighborhood in Northern Manhattan, the free service offers peace of mind. Her tax preparation is performed by volunteers who speak Spanish and who must take and pass tax-law training that meets or exceeds Internal Revenue Service standards. Ive never dedicated myself to learning about taxes, it just wasnt my area of expertise, she says. Plus, now that shes retired and on a fixed income, using the free tax prep service eliminates a financial burden. Before, she would go to her neighborhood tax preparation service, a travel agency, which, she says, charged her around $125. And since the service files her taxes digitally, the time for processing and delivery of any refund is expedited. Services offering free digital filing have become especially important during this tax season, because the IRS has warned about pandemic-related delays. Refund delays can be annoying, but for lower-income taxpayers, they can bring serious financial consequences. Paper tax returns are all but guaranteed to encounter long delays, the IRS says. This years deadline for filing your federal taxes or requesting an extension is April 18. A tax refund is the largest windfall that many Americans will receive all year, says Bankrates industry expert Ted Rossman. But with the number of free services available, Rossman says, many taxpayers should be able to file taxes online. And if they have simple returns, they can even file themselves without the help of an expert. Story continues With that in mind, here are some options to consider. File a Digital Return Yourself for Free Anyone who wants to file their own taxes digitally can do so for free using the IRS Free File System. If you earn $73,000 or more, it allows you to download a digital version of the 1040 tax form that you can fill out yourself and file digitally to the IRS, free of charge. No need to go to the Post Office to get the paper version. But be prepared: Though the digital version performs some basic calculations, youll have to do the rest of the math yourself. And at this income level, youre not eligible for free tax help. Also, check with your state tax office to see if it has any free digital services. Important Reminders Its easiest for simple returns. While there are many free digital forms available to download, most taxpayers will only need a 1040, which is straightforward if youre reporting a simple tax return composed mainly of income, without itemized deductions. Before you begin, make sure you have the following information: Social Security numbers and birthdates for everyone on your tax return. The adjusted gross income (AGI) from last years federal tax return. A valid email address, and a U.S. phone number. Youll also need a copy of your prior year Federal tax return to confirm your AGI. All income and tax statements you received for the current year tax return, such as Forms W-2, W-2G, 1099-G, 1099-INT, 1099-MISC, 1099-R, and any other income statements. Your current year estimated tax payment amounts, if any, and your bank account information to get your refund by direct deposit or to electronically pay any taxes owed. Youll need to create a new Free File Fillable Forms account, even If you used the program in previous years. This account is separate from your irs.gov account, which you dont need to update. How to Find It Go to the Free File webpage on the irs.gov website and click the Use Free File Fillable Forms button. >> Review the information on the page and, when ready, click on the Start Free File Fillable Forms button. >> This will bring you to a page where youll be given even more important information to review. When ready, click the Start Free File Fillable Forms button displayed on the page. >> Here youll input your personal information and create your annual account. >> Once submitted, youll be sent a confirmation email from customer_service@freefilefillableforms.com. >> From the email youll be given a link to log in to your account and access the 1040, which you can now complete and file to the IRS. If you need help filling it out, detailed step-by-step instructions are available from the IRS. When you finish, make sure to print out your return and keep it for your records. Accounts and tax return information are erased each year, on October 20, according to the IRS. File a Digital Return With Free Tax Help If you earn $73,000 or less, youre eligible for free tax help from companies that have partnered with the IRS. A tax prep service walks you through the filing process and makes sure you have the right information and documents. But it also performs important (and sometimes complicated) calculations on your return. Some services even include a free state tax return. Important Reminders You must access the services through the IRS website. If you go to the providers directly, any account you create there will not work on the Free File system. The tax prep service is a public/private partnership between the IRS and third-party providers. This years partners are: 1040Now.NET, ezTaxReturn.com, FreeTaxReturn.com INC, FileYourTaxes.com, On-Line Taxes at OLT.com, TaxAct, FreeTaxUSA, and TaxSlayer. Two of the third-party services offer their tool in Spanish: ezTaxReturn.com and TaxSlayer. None of the remaining services offer any language other than English. How to Find It Go to the Free File webpage on the irs.gov website and click the Choose an IRS Free File Offer button. >> From this page you can choose to browse the offerings or to use the finder tool which pinpoints the service best suited for you. For the browse tool, click the Browse All button. >> Here youll see each of the services, along with important information to help you decide which is the right one for you. For the finder tool, click on the Start Lookup Tool button. >> In the following pages youll be asked to input important personal information that will be used to recommend an appropriate tool. Once you choose (or get a recommendation) a guided tax-prep service, click on the View This Offer button. >> Youll be sent to the partners free site where youll follow the prompts to set up your account and begin your filing. VITA and Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE) These twin programs offer free tax return preparation and counseling to qualified individuals. VITA offers free tax help to people who generally make $58,000 or less, those who have disabilities, and people with limited English proficiency. The TCE program offers help for those who are 60 years of age and older, and specializes in pensions and retirement-related issues, according to the IRS. Find a full list of the tax services these programs provide. Important Reminders Make sure to bring these important documents: Photo ID, Social Security cards for you, your spouse, and dependents. Wage and earning statements (Forms W-2, W-2G, 1099-R, 1099-Misc) from all employers. Interest and dividend statements from banks (Forms 1099). Health insurance exemption certificate, if received. A copy of last years federal and state returns, if available. Proof of bank account routing and account numbers for direct deposit such as a blank check. Total paid for daycare provider and the daycare providers tax identifying number such as their Social Security number or business employer identification number. Forms 1095-A, B, and C, health coverage statements, and copies of income transcripts from IRS and state, if applicable, according to the IRS. If you dont have a Social Security number, an individual taxpayer identification number (ITIN) assignment letter may be substituted for you, your spouse, and your dependents. If you dont have an ITIN you can apply for one in-person using the services of an IRS-authorized Certifying Acceptance Agent (CAA). Heres a list of VITA sites that can help you apply for an ITIN. Both spouses must be present to sign the required forms when filing taxes electronically on a married-filing-jointly tax return. How to Find a VITA or TCE Location VITA and TCE sites are often in community and neighborhood centers, libraries, schools, shopping malls, and other convenient locations, according to the IRS. To find a location near you visit the IRS VITA/TCE Locator Tool online or call 800-906-9887. Many TCE sites are operated by the AARP Foundations Tax Aide program. To locate the nearest AARP TCE Tax-Aide site between January and April, use the AARP Site Locator Tool or call 888-227-7669, according to the IRS. H&R Block & TurboTax Neither H&R Block or TurboTax are partnering with the IRS Free File program but they both offer free online guided tax-preparation products for simple tax returns. H&R Blocks free service will help taxpayers who have a W2 with their simple returns. H&R says it can also help those who are claiming unemployment income and its software will also guide users through the child tax credit claims process. TurboTaxs free service will help taxpayers with a W2 to complete their simple tax returns, which it defines as a 1040 only. This service helps those claiming the standard deduction and can also help taxpayers report limited interest and dividend income (Forms 1099-INT or 1099-DIV). The software will also walk users through the earned income tax credit (EIC), child tax credit, and student loan interest deduction process, according to its website. Both companies charge a menu of fees for more complex tax filings and other features. More from Consumer Reports: Top pick tires for 2016 Best used cars for $25,000 and less 7 best mattresses for couples Consumer Reports is an independent, nonprofit organization that works side by side with consumers to create a fairer, safer, and healthier world. CR does not endorse products or services, and does not accept advertising. Copyright 2022, Consumer Reports, Inc. A former Radio 1 DJ has been sentenced to 12 years in prison for preying on children in the Philippines through his online dating profile. British national Mark Page, 63, of Ingleby Barwick, Teesside, wasfound guilty by the Teesside Crown Court on Wednesday of four abuse charges for arranging the commission of a child sex offense, leading the judge to describe him as the embodiment of depravity. Page was convicted on two charges of abuse for using a webcam traced back to his home to talk to Filipino children in 2016 and another two for his visits to the Southeast Asian country in 2016 and 2019. The court learned that the former Radio 1 host and Middlesbrough FC's stadium announcer had used the alias Pancho while looking for young Filipino girls on the website Find Your Filipino Beauty. The court also learned that Page had attempted to negotiate a sexual encounter with a 12-year-old girl and a 13-year-old boy, arguing 3,000 Philippine pesos (approximately $57) was too expensive. The offenses of which you have been convicted involve the grotesque sexual abuse of young children for your own sexual gratification, Judge Paul Watson QCsaid. You took advantage of the poverty and deprivation in an underdeveloped country in which children are routinely forced, through economic and social deprivation, into acts of prostitution. Authorities were able to track down one of Pages victims, a then-13-year-old waitress, who is now living in a safe location in the Philippines. During his hearing, prosecutors heard Page had used his frequent business travels to the Philippines as a cover for his predatory agenda. Page purportedly traveled to the Southeast Asian country regularly as "managing director of armed forces radio station Garrison FM." The father of three had his phone, tablet and laptop seized in 2020. Investigators reportedly checked his devices as well as his Skype activity and bank transfers before charging him. Authorities purportedly found graphic messages describing the sex acts he wanted the victims to perform in those devices. During the hearings, Page claimed his accounts were hacked and that someone else used his phone during the incidents between 2016 and 2019. He reportedly did not mention this, however, in his original police interviews, instead stating he had no comment. Speaking to reporters, Detective Sergeant Kevin Carter from the Paedophile Online Investigation Team said he was very pleased with the sentence, adding that Page didn't want to take responsibility during the proceedings or the investigation. Page attempted to present himself as a respectable and credible individual, yet his actions betrayed the trust and confidence of many people, not least his family and close friends, Carter said. Featured Image viaMark Page Story continues Enjoy this content? Read more from NextShark! 99 Ranch Worker in Daly City Tests Positive for COVID-19 Woman Has Meltdown on Train After Being Asked to Wear Mask Properly in Taiwan Los Angeles issues apology, makes memorial pledge on the 150th anniversary of Chinese massacre China Blocks Clubhouse App After Local Users Discuss 'Sensitive Topics' BATON ROUGE Former State Police Superintendent Kevin Reeves repeatedly testified that there was no coverup under his watch in the 2019 violent arrest and death of Ronald Greene in a legislative hearing that became heated here Tuesday. Reeves' attorney Lewis Unglesby was removed from the witness table by committee Chair Tanner Magee of Houma after several testy exchanges between Magee and Unglesby. Later, Reeves' snapped back when Baton Rouge Rep. Edmond Jordan suggested Reeves would have handled the case differently had Greene been white instead of Black. It's the first time Reeves, who retired in Oct. 2020 as the controversy over the Greene case escalated, testified in public. More: 'Modern day lynching': Louisiana lawmakers begin investigation of Ronald Greene's death "I don't believe there was any coverup by State Police in this matter," Reeves said. "There was no effort to my knowledge to cover up or mislead the public about Ronald Greene." Former State Police Superintendent Kevin Reeves, forefront, testifies before a special House committee investigating the 2019 death of Ronald Greene on Tuesday, March 15, 2022. Reeves died following a brutal beating by State Police after a two-parish, high-speed chase ending with Greene crashing his vehicle in Union Parish. Greene's family members said they were led to believe Greene died as a result of injuries from the crash rather than from the beating from State Police. A second autopsy didn't mention the crash as contributing to Greene's death. It listed factors contributing to his death as cocaine use and injuries incurred during the beating from State Police. No trooper has been arrested or charged with a crime, though the incident is being investigated by the U.S. Justice Department. Read this: District attorney in Ronald Greene case believes State Police 'absolutely' committed crime Reeves portrayed his role as hands-off during the investigation. "I did not oversee or take any role in the Greene investigation," Reeves said. "I did not have an active role in the investigation." Story continues Reeves said that was standard operating procedure to avoid any appearance of interference or that an investigation could be political. That frustrated lawmakers on the special House committee investigating Greene's death with several accusing Reeves of being disengaged. "I'm surprised the top wasn't briefed more often," said Rep. Tony Bacala, R-Prairieville, a former sheriff's deputy. "That's a little shocking to me." Reeves denied he was disengaged, instead describing his actions as "letting the case run through the process without any interference." At one point during questioning from Jordan when the lawmaker said race contributed to Greene's death, Reeves said, "You don't have the right (to call me racist). I've devoted my life to saving lives," he said. Time and time again Reeves insisted there was no coverup. "I do not believe there was a coverup in the investigation of Mr. Greene's death," he said. "I have no knowledge of any coverup in the Ronald Greene matter. I had no information anybody was covering up anything." But Greene's mother Mona Hardin, in emotional testimony near the end of the hearing, said there was an "obvious coverup" in her son's death. Ronald Greene's mother Mona Hardin testifies before a special Louisiana House committee on Tuesday, March 15, 2022, that is investigating her son's death at the hands of State Police. "It's awful somebody in such a high position could have so many 'I don't know the answers,'" she said, weeping. "What I saw here was a travesty." Magee said the hearings will continue as soon as next week with more witnesses. Greg Hilburn covers state politics for the USA TODAY Network of Louisiana. Follow him on Twitter @GregHilburn1. This article originally appeared on Lafayette Daily Advertiser: Former Louisiana State Police head: No coverup in Ronald Greene death PARIS (Reuters) - French government spokesman Gabriel Attal said on Tuesday it was paramount that French companies respect sanctions against Russia decided by the European Union and that oil giant TotalEnergies was doing that. "What matters is that French companies implement sanctions," Attal told France 2 television, when asked about TotalEnergies, which is under pressure from activist investors and NGOs to exit Russia following its invasion of Ukraine. A fourth package of EU sanctions decided on Monday called for no new investments in Russia, which was what TotalEnergies had already decided to do, Attal added. TotalEnergies has condemned Russia's aggression against Ukraine and has suspended new investments in the country but has not followed the example of British peers BP and Shell which are withdrawing from Russia. Activist investor Clearway Capital has written to the board of TotalEnergies calling on it to exit its Russian operations in light of the war in Ukraine or face a vote on the issue at its next shareholder meeting. Two leading French NGOs also plan to take legal action against TotalEnergies over possible human rights abuses unless it cuts its business ties with Russia, they said in a letter to the energy major's CEO. [L5N2VH4W9] The French oil major holds a 19.4% stake in Novatek, Russia's largest producer of liquefied natural gas (LNG), as well as a stake in the Novatek-led Arctic LNG project. (Reporting by Dominique Vidalon, Editing by Benoit Van Overstraeten and Louise Heavens) Nurse Blake Lynch, right, leads dozens of nurses, nursing students and supporters as they gather outside the Joint Commission offices in Oakbrook Terrace with boxes loaded with 540,000 signatures calling for safe staffing ratios for health care centers as a condition of accreditation on March 15, 2022. Nurses also took turns telling personal stories on burnout, handling low medical supplies and patient suffering during the pandemic. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune) A social media influencer is galvanizing nurses across the country to petition an Illinois-based organization for safer staffing at hospitals and other health care settings a campaign that, this week, has included a rally, commercials on local TV and a mobile billboard traveling to Chicago-area hospitals. Florida nurse Blake Lynch, better known as Nurse Blake on social media, has been working with Change.org and a Virginia- and New York City-based advocacy group called Impact in Healthcare, on the effort to ask the Oakbrook Terrace-based Joint Commission to require safe staffing ratios as a condition of accreditation. The nonprofit Joint Commission accredits and certifies health care organizations across the country if they meet an array of requirements. Advertisement Nurse Blake Lynch leads dozens of nurses, nursing students and supporters as they gather outside the Joint Commission offices in Oakbrook Terrace March 15, 2022. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune) Lynch, who is known for posting funny videos about nursing on Instagram, TikTok and Facebook, started a petition on Change.org about the issue that, so far, has more than 540,000 signatures, making it the largest health care petition on the platform this year, said Michael Jones, a managing director at Change.org. Change.org and Impact have been working with Lynch to run commercials on local TV stations, in recent days, on the topic and theyve been sending a mobile, electronic billboard to major Chicago-area hospitals including Stroger, University of Illinois Hospital, Northwestern Memorial and Rush University Medical Center, among others. They also held a rally Tuesday outside the Joint Commissions headquarters that drew several dozen people, after delivering the petition to the organization. Advertisement In addition to asking the Joint Commission to require safe staffing, Lynch and Impact want the Joint Commission to develop a task force of health care providers to determine appropriate staffing ratios across different settings and disciplines, annually report hospitals compliance with certain staffing ratios and develop peer-reviewed research on staffing ratios, among other things. Dozens of boxes loaded with 540,000 signatures for safe staffing ratios at health care centers are placed at the entry doors of the Joint Commission offices in Oakbrook Terrace March 15, 2022. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune) Dr. Jonathan Perlin, Joint Commission president and CEO, said in a statement Tuesday that the COVID-19 pandemic brought additional attention to the need for more trained health care workers and the need to focus on their health and well-being. But, he said, Staffing is a complex issue that is larger than, and cannot be resolved by, The Joint Commission alone. We look forward to working with other authorities on this issue. The context of Tuesdays events is not one that is conducive to the meaningful dialogue required. Unfortunately, there is no one-size-fits-all or immediate solution. Addressing the root causes of the staffing shortage is the only way to create long-term and sustainable improvement. Hospitals and medical organizations across the country are now facing staffing shortages, partly because of burnout among workers from the pandemic. Safe staffing at hospitals has long been a key issue for nurses unions, which cited it as a main reason for strikes in recent years at Stroger, Community First Medical Center, University of Illinois Hospital and University of Chicago Medical Center. Often the nurses want hospitals to meet ratios for the numbers of patients allowed per nurse. Some hospitals have countered that they staff based on patient acuity, meaning they aim to align patients needs with nurses skills. Dozens of nurses, including Leander Londres, left, along with nursing students and supporters gather outside the Joint Commission offices to require lower staffing ratios as a condition of accreditation during a rally in Oak Brook Terrace on March 15, 2022. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune) Illinois law requires hospitals to staff based on acuity, and to have committees of nurses who make recommendations for hospitals staffing plans. California has a law requiring that hospitals meet certain ratios. Lynch and Impact said they didnt organize the overall Joint Commission campaign with the unions. The Illinois Nurses Association, however, encouraged its members to participate in the rally Tuesday and helped lead it. Advertisement Its not fair to the patients. Its not fair to the nurses, said rally attendee Debreshia Anderson, an emergency department nurse at University of Illinois Hospital who is with the Illinois Nurses Association, of staffing woes. Nurse Ashley Bryant, who also attended the rally Tuesday, said she nearly left the profession during her first nursing job in 2020 at a long-term care facility, when she routinely was asked to care for 25 patients herself. There was no help. It was completely overwhelming, said Bryant, who has since moved on to a new job at Northwestern Medicines Marianjoy Rehabilitation Hospital in Wheaton, where she says she no longer has that problem. When it comes to safe staffing, the Joint Commission should take the lead as a hospital accrediting body, Lynch said. They want to talk about a nursing shortage but, unfortunately, thats because nurses are really at their wits end in the profession, theyre just leaving, Lynch said. Its dangerous. All were asking is that they help look into safe staffing with us and make it a priority, their No. 1 priority. Carrying dozens of boxes loaded with 540,000 signatures for safe staffing, dozens of nurses, nursing students and supporters walk towards the Joint Commission offices. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune) Blake, who said he worked at hospitals across the country, said he started feeling burned out as a nurse about four years ago and considered leaving the profession. He started his Nurse Blake Facebook page around that time, partly as an outlet. Advertisement In addition to posting on social media about safe staffing, Lynch also makes satirical videos, such as one in which he pretends to be a nurse manager asking a nurse about their weekend and another in which he poses as a hospital executive giving an underwhelming thank you speech to health care workers at his hospital. In other videos, he criticizes the Joint Commission. Lynch now has about 1.6 million followers on Facebook, has done a comedy tour and owns a company that offers continuing education for nurses. Safe staffing, its not going to change overnight. Its not going to be fixed tomorrow, but if we dont start talking about it now, its never going to be changed. WASHINGTON The revelation that Virginia "Ginni" Thomas, the wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, attended President Donald Trump's rally ahead of the attack last year on the U.S. Capitol has once again opened the couple up to scrutiny and raised questions about when members of the high court should recuse themselves. Ginni Thomas acknowledged in an interview with The Washington Free Beacon this week that she attended the rally outside the White House on Jan. 6, 2021, where Trump whipped up a crowd with false allegations of voter fraud before a group of his supporters descended on the Capitol as lawmakers certified President Joe Bidens victory. A longtime conservative activist, Ginni Thomas said she left the rally before the president took the stage and had no part in the subsequent riot at the Capitol. But the acknowledgement was the latest example underscoring the unusual dynamic between Justice Thomas, who has weighed in on several cases held over from the 2020 election, and his wife, who has questioned whether the election was fraudulent. When the Supreme Court earlier this year allowed a House committee investigating the Capitol attack to receive Trump administration documents, Thomas was the only justice on the nine-member court to publicly oppose the move. In a blistering dissent in another case last year, Thomas disagreed with the court's decision not to take up a challenge to the expanded use of mail ballots in Pennsylvania and raised questions about the reliability of mail-in voting, echoing some of the same arguments raised by Trump. Ginni Thomas has vigorously pushed back on the criticism and court observers note that Justice Thomas has been a leader of the conservative wing for decades long before Trump emerged as a force in the Republican Party. In the interview with the Washington Free Beacon, Ginni Thomas said the two keep their professional lives separate. "Clarence doesnt discuss his work with me," she said, "and I dont involve him in my work." Story continues Thomas, like other justices, has argued that politics do not play a role in the decision making on the nation's highest court. The biggest misconception about the court is when the media portrays outcomes as being based on personal preferences on issues such as abortion rather than the law, Thomas told Notre Dame University last year. I think that they think that we make policy, Thomas said. They think you're for this or for that, they think you become like a politician. And I think that's a problem." A Biden commission studied the court and reviewed options for making recusals when a justice withdraws from a case because of a conflict of interest or lack of impartiality more transparent. And lawmakers have proposed legislation to force justices to explain their recusals. Basic judicial ethics, federal law and Supreme Court precedent require justices to recuse in a number of situations, yet some of the justices refuse to heed those requirements," said Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I. "It contributes to the deep rot at the Court. The justices need to address it or their credibility will tumble even further." Clarence Thomas speaks on Sept. 16, 2021 at the University of Notre Dame. The debate over Supreme Court recusals The latest acknowledgment of Ginni Thomas' attendance at the rally drew attention to the debate over recusals, a murky process that has drawn criticism from watchdog groups for years. The scrutiny has been bipartisan, directed at justices who were named by Republican as well as Democratic presidents. The issue of recusals was thrust back into the fore recently in connection with Bidens nominee to the Supreme Court, U.S. Circuit Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson. Jackson, who appears to be on a glidepath for confirmation to the seat being vacated by retiring Associate Justice Stephen Breyer, has faced questions over her role at Harvard University and whether she should recuse from an upcoming blockbuster case involving affirmative action at the school. Jackson serves on Harvard's board of overseers. Supreme Court watchdogs have argued for years that additional clarity is needed for when justices should recuse and that push has received some bipartisan support. In the rare instance when the justices actually talk about why they do or dont recuse in certain close calls, they give completely different answers from one another, said Gabe Roth, executive director of Fix the Court, a nonpartisan group that advocates for greater transparency in the federal judiciary. President Donald Trump watches as Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas administers the Constitutional Oath to Amy Coney Barrett on the South Lawn of the White House White House in Washington, Monday, Oct. 26, 2020, after Barrett was confirmed to be a Supreme Court justice by the Senate earlier in the evening. Holding the Bible is Barrett's husband, Jesse Barrett. When do justices recuse themselves and how often do they do it? Federal law requires justices to disqualify themselves in any proceeding in which his impartiality might reasonably be questioned. The law goes on to cite specific circumstances for recusal, including situations in which the justice has a personal bias or prejudice concerning a party or in which the justice or a spouse has a financial interest in the subject matter in controversy. But theres a good deal of wiggle room in that language. The decisions by justices about whether to recuse themselves from cases can't be challenged in court, although the circumstances can be contentious. In 1993, the court issued a statement of policy signed by seven of nine justices that said when relatives of justices are lawyers, recusals are only required when the lawyer participated in an earlier stage of litigation or was a partner of a firm. Recusals were only required when the lawyer participates in a case at the high court. From left, Justice Clarence Thomas, Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Stephen Breyer. Justices recused themselves from decisions about whether to hear cases 200 times per year on average from 2015 through 2020, according to a presidential commission Biden appointed to study the court. Justices averaged about four recusals per year at the stage of deciding cases, according to the commission. Roths group, Fix the Court, tracks when a case arrives at the court that a justice participated in, sometimes as a lower-court judge or as solicitor general, the government official who represents the federal government at the Supreme Court. Because recusal decisions cant be challenged, justices rarely explain their reasoning. For example, Breyer routinely recuses himself from cases involving his brother, a U.S. District Court judge in California. Chief Justice John Roberts recused himself from a 2020 case involving the Smithsonian Institute perhaps because he serves as a chancellor of the institution. But that made a couple of cases where justices offered lengthy explanations more remarkable. In 1981, then-Associate Justice William Rehnquist recused himself from a case lingering from the Watergate era, as he had in several other cases, because of former Attorney General John Mitchells personal participation in it, rather than as a lawyer. Rehnquist had worked at the Justice Department with Mitchell before being appointed to the court. In 2004, the late Associate Justice Antonin Scalia issued a 21-page memo after participating in a case involving Vice President Dick Cheney. The Sierra Club, a participant in the case, filed a motion for Scalia to remove himself because he went hunting with Cheney. But Scalia refused, explaining the case hadnt arrived at the court when the trip occurred. It was not an intimate setting, Scalia wrote of about 13 hunters on the trip. Of course we said not a word about the present case. Republicans criticized the late Associate Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg's involvement in cases dealing with President Donald Trumps administration after she described him as a faker during the 2016 presidential campaign and said she couldnt imagine what the country would be with Donald Trump as our president. Roths group has found three current justices who own individual stocks Roberts, Breyer and Associate Justice Samuel Alito have in recent years failed to recuse themselves from deciding petitions to the court in which a company whose shares they own is a party. Its just unforced errors that make people doubt the integrity of the judiciary, Roth said. Proposals for making recusals more transparent The debate over potential remedies to make recusals more transparent have focused on financial issues rather than the potential for political influence like in the Thomas case. In reviewing options for improving how recusals work, the Biden commission outlined proposals such as requiring justices to state their reasons for recusing, establishing a procedure for another justice or the court to review recusal decisions and reforming recusal laws to make it easier to avoid financial conflicts. Justin Driver, a professor at Yale Law School who served on the commission, noted that recusals occurred in 10% of the decisions about whether the high court will hear a case involving a Forbes 100 company. Driver called that a reasonably large number. Driver suggested solutions could require justices divest investments when conflicts arrive or prohibit justices and their families from owning individual stocks. I don't believe that this would succeed in transforming the judicial oath into anything like a vow of poverty, Driver said. Lower federal courts use a computer system to catch potential conflicts of interest, but even that system has drawn scrutiny. The Wall Street Journal reported last year that more than 130 federal judges had overseen cases involving companies in which they or their families owned stock. Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., sponsored legislation in 2018 that would have mandated a code of conduct at the Supreme Court and required the justices at least explain their recusals. That bill drew bipartisan support, and some provisions have worked their way into subsequent proposals. The sweeping voting rights legislation House Democrats passed last year included a code of conduct for the Supreme Court, but that bill failed to gain traction in the Senate. Roberts asserted in a report in 2011 that Congress has no constitutional authority to impose a code of ethics on the Supreme Court, only on lower federal courts. Associate Justice Elena Kagan told lawmakers during a hearing in 2019 that Roberts was weighing a code of conduct for the high court, but it's not clear what, if any, progress has been made in the three years since. Jackson, nominated to fill the vacancy created by Breyers retirement, is almost certain to face questions about whether she will recuse in the Harvard case. The Supreme Court announced in January that it would decide whether the use of race in the admissions process at Harvard University and the University of North Carolina violates civil rights law and the Constitution, reviving a controversial legal debate over affirmative action that has been years in the making. That case will likely be heard in the fall after Jackson would be seated. Former Sen. Doug Jones, D-Ala., who is guiding Jackson through her Senate confirmation, said Jackson would wait for her hearing to address the matter. I dont really see a drawback for the recusal, Roth said of Jacksons situation. I think it would send an incredibly strong signal. U.S. President Donald Trump greets Supreme Court Associate Justice Stephen Breyer and Supreme Court Associate Justice Sonia Sotomayor after addressing a joint session of the U.S. Congress on February 28, 2017 in the House chamber of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, DC. Concerns about the Supreme Court appearing political Legal observers and even Supreme Court justices fret that their decisions could lose authority if viewed as political rather than based on interpreting the law. Approval of the Supreme Court slipped to 40% in September, a record low and down from 49% in July, according to a Gallup poll taken after the court declined to block a Texas abortion law. A C-SPAN poll released Tuesday found 72% of voters support a code of ethics for the Supreme Court. Trust in the federal government has taken a powerful hit in recent years, said Robert Green, CEO of Pierrepont Consulting & Analytics, which conducted the poll. Concerns about politicizing the court range across the political spectrum. In a December case involving a Mississippi abortion law, Associate Justice Sonia Sotomayor questioned whether the public would view the courts actions as political. "Will this institution survive the stench that this creates in the public perception that the Constitution and its reading are just political acts?" Sotomayor asked. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Ginni Thomas went to the Jan. 6 rally. Should Clarence Thomas recuse? GRI is Driving Accountability for Companies in Coal Sector Northampton, MA --News Direct-- GRI New sustainability reporting standard for coal sector from GRI How can a sector that is responsible for 30% of global carbon emissions be held to account for its impacts, including ensuring that coal companies meet growing stakeholder demands for transparency in how they align with the low-carbon transition? Published today, GRI 12: Coal Sector 2022 is the authoritative, internationally applicable standard for coal organizations to communicate their impacts on the economy, environment and people. GRI is developing new standards to enhance accountability on the issues that matter most within sectors. As demonstrated by coal which remains a significant source of energy and revenue generation these issues are often complex and inter-linked, highlighting the urgency of improved reporting. The Sector Standard for Coal enables comprehensive and comparable disclosure on: How companies respond to climate change mitigation demands , as reflected in the Paris Agreement, including plans to transition away from coal mining. Accountability for social impacts that span human rights issues and the safety and wellbeing of employees and communities with added focus on assessing risks related to catastrophic incidents, such as tailings facility failure. Measures to effectively manage impacts on the environment and biodiversity , given the coal sector is a major contributor to water, air and soil pollution. Robust reporting on the closure of coal mines and the ways this affects communities and workers, with the focus on how organizations contribute to a just transition. Fulfilling financial obligations and steps to tackle corruption recognizing coal mining often takes place in developing economies or areas of poverty including transparency on payments, ownership structures and contracts. Judy Kuszewski is Chair of the Global Sustainability Standards Board, the independent entity that sets the GRI Standards. She said: Story continues It is abundantly clear that, to reach the ambition in the Paris Agreement, an urgent transition away from coal has to be a part of the solution. Indeed, as the UN Secretary-General set out in response to the new assessment from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, coal and fossil fuels are choking humanity. That is why more scrutiny is needed on the companies that remain in the coal sector, with accountability for their impacts. GRIs Coal Standard reflects these challenges not only in terms of climate change and a just transition, but across the full socio-economic and environmental spectrum. From minimizing waste to corruption-free operations, GRI 12 guides companies to deliver comprehensive and comparable reporting. Global challenges call for different actions from different sectors. Numerous stakeholders including investors, governments and civil society require decision-useful data to assess the sustainability performance of companies. That is why we are growing the family of GRI Standards, with coal now added alongside our Oil and Gas Sector Standard, and more to come soon. Applicable for any organization in coal mining, exploration, processing, transport and storage, GRI 12 was developed by a working group that ensures multi-stakeholder and global legitimacy. This expert group includes representatives from the UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre, standard setters EITI and SASB, and investment institutions FTSE Russell and S&P Global. The working group emphasized climate change as the most critical issue for the sector, requiring enhanced disclosure. Anne-Claire Howard, former CEO of Bettercoal and ResponsibleSteel, and a member of the GRI working group, added: While it is clear that the world must radically reduce its use of coal, we cannot ignore that coal continues to be consumed. Therefore, we need to home in on the sustainability performance of coal companies and assets, as opposed to simply removing them from investment portfolios. That is why the new GRI Sector Standard for Coal is so important. The Standard seeks to reconcile two opposing forces: the unacceptable climate impacts from coal mining, and the broader impacts from the continuation of existing production. Measuring and reducing emissions from mining operations is one aspect, while social issues such as working conditions and labor rights also need to be managed. As such, the way this Standard frames a just transition is highly relevant. The project to deliver a Sector Standard for Coal was initiated and approved by the Global Sustainability Standards Board. Prior to finalization, an exposure draft of the Sector Standard underwent a global public comment period. GRI 12 comes into effect for reporting from January 2024, with early adoption encouraged. An assessment by the International Energy Agency estimates that coal-fired energy generation accounts for 30% of CO2 emissions. While coals position in in the global energy mix is diminishing, IEA research finds production is growing in China, India, Australia, Indonesia and South Africa. The outcome of the UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) in November saw agreement by countries to phase down (rather than phase out) use of coal. GRI Sector Standards will initially cover 40 sectors, starting with those with the highest sustainability impacts. The first completed Sector Standard for oil and gas published in October 2021. A Sector Standard for agriculture, aquaculture & fishing is expected to launch this summer, with standards for mining, textiles & apparel, and food & beverage next in the pipeline. Sector Standards complete GRIs modular system of reporting. Organizations begin with the Universal Standards, then use the applicable Sector Standard(s) to determine material topics, and report on those using relevant Topic Standards. Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) is the independent, international organization that helps businesses and other organizations take responsibility for their impacts, by providing the global common language to report those impacts. The GRI Standards are developed through a multi-stakeholder process and provided as a free public good. View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from GRI on 3blmedia.com View source version on newsdirect.com: https://newsdirect.com/news/global-reporting-initiative-publish-standard-to-address-sustainability-impacts-of-coal-785614187 SANTIAGO (Reuters) -Chile Interior Minister Izkia Siches's visit to the restive region of Araucania was interrupted by gunshots near her motorcade on Tuesday, forcing her to temporarily take shelter in a police station, police and government officials said. The gunshots did not target her convoy, however, a government spokeswoman said. Siches was shown on local television later leaving the police station. Siches's visit was to start dialogue to address conflicts in Araucania between authorities and local Mapuche indigenous groups in the southern region, which is under an official state of emergency due to violence and regular attacks. Government spokeswoman Camila Vallejo said the shots were fired in the air and the motorcade wasn't hit or targeted. Vallejo said that Siches will continue the visit as scheduled. "It won't be easy," Vallejo said at a press conference at the La Moneda government palace. "But we have the conviction that it's the right thing to do." (Reporting by Alexander Villegas and Natalia Ramos; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama) Haiti wants a former politician accused in the brazen assassination of President Jovenel Moise last July to be returned to the country from Jamaica. The countrys foreign minister has sent an official request to Jamaica seeking the return of former senator John Joel Joseph, a high-ranking Haitian government source confirmed to the Miami Herald. In Jamaica, Joseph is charged with illegal entry after he, his wife and two sons were arrested in January in rural St. Elizabeth parish. It is unclear if Haitian authorities are requesting Josephs deportation or extradition. Haiti and Jamaica do not share an extradition agreement. Joseph, who also goes by the name Joseph Joel John, is a Haitian citizen. He ended up in Jamaica after spending months in hiding after the July 7, 2021, assassination of Moise at his private residence. The late president, whose mandate officially ended last month according to the international communitys timetable, was shot 12 times and his wife was seriously injured after an alleged hit squad of former Colombian military stormed his home. They were joined by two Haitian Americans and current and former Haiti National Police officers. Joseph is considered a key suspect in the case who can shed light on the motive behind Moises slaying and why the mission changed from kidnapping and arresting the president to killing him. Several other suspects interviewed by both Haitian and U.S. investigators have said the initial plan was to arrest the president, who had been accused by opponents of remaining in office beyond his term. Haitian police say Joseph was in contact with several of the suspects in the assassination plot and attended meetings about the attack. A 124-page Haiti National Police investigative report obtained by the Herald also accused him of paying for the rental vehicles that were to be used in the assassination. Documents seeking Josephs return to Haiti were sent to Jamaica on March 10, the same day that Joseph appeared in a Kingston court, where a judge put off a decision on his fate. Story continues Mr. John Joel Joseph is considered a fugitive from justice and is suspected of being an accessory to a crime, the Haiti official said. All of this has been clearly stated in the correspondence. Jamaica Minister of Justice Delroy Chuck did not respond to an inquiry from the Herald about the request. The investigation of Moises murder has stalled in Haiti, where the first investigative judge resigned from the case before even starting, the second had it taken from him after he was accused of corruption and failed to meet a legal deadline to bring formal charges, and a third turned down a request to take over the investigation due to safety concerns. Earlier this month a fourth investigative judge, Merlan Belabre, was assigned to the case. But in a handwritten press release dated Saturday, Belabre expressed concerns about his safety, saying that 10 days after his naming no effort had been made to ensure his and his familys security. The executive power, the superior council of the judicial power have delivered me and my family to the assassins and kidnappers, he said in the note, which several sources confirmed was written by him. The little progress there has been in the investigation has occurred in the U.S. Two suspects are currently in custody when they voluntarily came to the U.S. after being detained outside of Haiti. A Colombian former soldier, Mario Antonio Palacios Palacios, was picked up by U.S. federal agents in Panama on Jan. 3 during the process of being deported to Colombia by Jamaica. The second suspect, Rodolphe Jaar, a convicted drug trafficker, was escorted by U.S. federal agents to Miami last month after being detained in the Dominican Republic. Both are believed to be cooperating with U.S. prosecutors, who in a criminal complaint have accused both of conspiring to commit murder or kidnapping outside of the United States and providing material support resulting in death, knowing that such support would be used to carry out a plot to kill the Haitian president. The Interpipe Steel plant in Dnipro, Ukraine, is shown, Thursday, March 10, 2022. Getting steel gas pipes to Texas oil companies and railway wheels to European high-speed train operators has been put on hold as hundreds of Interpipes roughly 10,000 employees in Ukraine have joined the fight against Russia. Working with a skeleton crew, some of Interpipes facilities are running their canteens and making metal barriers to block Russian tanks and convoys. Its bomb shelters house dozens of local families at night. (Eugene Sabadyr/AP) It can be hard to measure the ways that Russias war in Ukraine has disrupted the global supply of parts and raw materials needed to complete a variety of products from cars to computer chips. But cutting off one of those supply links brought a depressing feeling to Andrey Bibik, head of the Interpipe steel plant in Dnipro, Ukraine. He spent the first hours of the war winding down his bustling 24-hour operation and sending almost everyone home. Advertisement Its empty and lonely. You dont hear a sound. You see everything is frozen, he said. Getting Interpipes steel transmission pipes to Texas oil companies and its railway wheels to European high-speed train operators has been put on hold. Hundreds of the plants roughly 10,000 employees have joined the fight against Russia. Others have fled; a remaining skeleton crew runs its canteens and makes spikey metal obstacles to block Russian tanks and convoys. Its bomb shelters house dozens of local families at night. Advertisement It was a hard choice to stop production. We had plenty of orders, a lot of customers awaiting our material. But if you have to choose between safety, and possible profits, I think the answer is obvious, said Bibik, whos worked at the company for nearly two decades. The most important thing we have is life and we really need to take care of the people we love. Similar production halts have spread across other industries in Ukraine, motivated not just by safety concerns but also because the war and mass exodus of refugees have closed off roads and railways to commercial freight traffic. Some of Interpipes finished products bound for overseas export are now stalled at the Black Sea port of Odesa. Ukraine accounts for only about 0.3% of the worlds exports, while Russias share is about 1.9%, according to a report by the Dutch bank ING. Still, some industries doing business with these nations are starting to feel the wars impact. For Russia, a key producer of energy, steel, and raw metals such as nickel, copper, platinum, and palladium many of which are important to the auto industry the supply concerns are tied to punishing Western economic sanctions and Russias moves to retaliate against them. For Ukraine, the war itself is cutting off supplies. We want to give priority to the refugees, people trying to move out of the war zone, and humanitarian and military convoys, said Interpipes Houston-based chairman and former CEO Fadi Hraibi. The disruption of another Ukrainian industry the making of wiring harnesses used in cars is already hurting European automakers. Ukraine has more than 30 automotive plants, most of them centered near the western border with Poland and other European neighbors, according to a government agency that promotes foreign investment. German parts supplier Leoni said production has been interrupted at its two western Ukraine plants in Styri and Kolomyja and that its looking for temporary alternatives. We are aware that this situation is currently affecting not only Leoni, but the entire industry, said spokesperson Gregor le Claire. Ukraine is also among the worlds largest suppliers of neon, a gas used in lasers that help etch integrated circuits onto computer chips. That worries auto industry executives, who fear that tight neon supplies could worsen a global chip shortage that has already forced production cuts and made vehicles scarce worldwide. Advertisement Interpipe has five factories in Ukraine, all located in the industrial hub of Dnipro and its surrounding oblast, or region, which holds a strategic position on the Dnieper River southeast of the capital, Kyiv. Until Russian airstrikes began targeting Dnipro on Friday, the countrys fourth-largest city had been mostly quiet except for occasional air raid sirens in the two weeks after Russia invaded the country. But executives at Interpipe made a quick decision on Feb. 24 to shut down all of its facilities. Russian President Vladimir Putin launched the invasion before dawn and by lunchtime, plant operations were wound down, Bibik said. That evening, he watched the last five workers get shuttled off to the suburb where they live. All of Interpipes workers are still being paid, Bibik and Hraibi said. Interpipes customers in the energy and rail industries typically order their pipes, wheels, and other products months in advance, but Hraibi said the disruptions will cause shortages and lead some to look for alternatives. For some wheel customers, such as a Saudi Arabian railway operator, Interpipe is the sole supplier, he said. Two of the companys chief steel industry rivals, OMK and Evraz, are in Russia and he hopes customers will avoid them. I dont know if our business will survive, he said. We do all thats necessary to support the people, to keep our employees, to be able to restart in a month or two or three, whenever things get back to at least closer to normal. But in reality, nobody can predict whats going to happen. AP Auto Writer Tom Krisher contributed to this story from Detroit. Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) Today is Monday, welcome to Hillicon Valley, detailing all you need to know about tech and cyber news from Capitol Hill to Silicon Valley. Subscribe here: thehill.com/newsletter-signup. Follow The Hill's tech team, Chris Mills Rodrigo (@millsrodrigo) and Rebecca Klar (@rebeccaklar_), and cyber reporter Ines Kagubare (@ineskagubare) for more coverage. Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.), chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said he's amazed Russia hasn't launched massive cyberattacks against the West following recent sanctions over Moscow's invasion of Ukraine. Meanwhile, cyber experts say the U.S. and the EU have made significant investments over the years in helping Ukraine improve its cyber defenses. Let's jump into the news. Intel chair 'amazed' over lack of cyberattacks Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.), chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said on Monday he was surprised Russia hasn't launched more destructive cyberattacks against Ukraine and the West despite having the capability to do so. "I am still relatively amazed that they have not really launched the level of maliciousness that their cyber arsenal includes," Warner said during a cyber webinar hosted by the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Many cyber experts and U.S. intelligence officials predicted that Russia would launch massive cyberattacks, especially following crippling economic sanctions imposed by the U.S. and Europe, but so far those predictions haven't materialized. Read more here. West cyber investment pays off amid war Recent U.S. and European investments in cyber defense in Ukraine are being put to the test following Russia's invasion of the country. In the weeks and months leading up to the conflict, the U.S. and the European Union (EU) deployed a team of cyber warfare experts to help counter Russian cyberattacks from disrupting the country's critical infrastructure. A newly formed EU cyber rapid response team consisting of 12 experts and a "hunt forward" team with U.S. Cyber Command were dispatched to Ukraine to look for active cyber threats inside the networks and strengthen the country's cyber defenses. Story continues This was in response to a wave of cyberattacks that targeted local banks and Ukrainian government websites - including the parliament and the foreign affairs and defense ministries - weeks and days before the invasion. Russia has denied any involvement. Read more here. NEW AD SLAMS TECH ON RUSSIAN MISINFO A new ad from a group advocating for tech reform will slam industry giants over their handling of Russian disinformation amid the war in Ukraine. The Tech Oversight Project's 30-second TV ad will run in the Washington, D.C., market starting Tuesday and accuses tech giants of helping spread Russian disinformation despite their public pledges to crack down on the state-controlled media. "Big Tech says they're taking action, but new reports show some of them are still helping Russia spread disinformation," a narrator says, according to a copy of the ad exclusively shared with The Hill. The group, which launched in January and is primarily funded by the Omidyar Network and the Economic Security Project, is pushing for antitrust reform as a way to curb companies' power. Read more here. SENATORS PRESS MAYORKAS ON CYBER READINESS A bipartisan group of senators is pressing Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas on the U.S.'s readiness for Russian cyberattacks amid Moscow's invasion of Ukraine. The group of 22 senators, led by Sens. Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.) and Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), wrote a letter to Mayorkas on Sunday asking for a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) briefing on "efforts to protect the United States homeland from Russian government cyber and disinformation threats in the wake of Russia's violent and unprovoked invasion of Ukraine." The senators are specifically concerned that Russia may use cyber and disinformation activities to retaliate against the U.S. for crushing sanctions it has placed on Moscow in response to its war on Ukraine. The U.S. has imposed sweeping penalties on top Russian government officials, oligarchs, banks and businesses since Moscow began its invasion on Feb. 24. Read more here. VIRTUAL EVENT ANNOUNCEMENT The Future of Education-Thursday, March 17 at 1:00 PM ET/10:00 AM PT After two years of virtual and hybrid learning, many students are still playing catch up. The federal government has provided billions of dollars in relief funds to school districts across the country. How have state officials been using these funds and how can equity issues be tackled? Join us at The Hill's annual Future of Education Summit for headliner conversations with Education Secretary Miguel Cardona, Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.), Rep. Jahana Hayes (D-Conn.) and Govs. Jared Polis (D-Colo.) and Chris Sununu (R-N.H.). Save your spot here. RUSSIA'S INSTAGRAM SHUTDOWN Russia's state communications regulator, Roskomnadzor, warned Instagram users about the government's initial plans to remove the popular social media app at midnight on Sunday, according to Reuters. Roskomnadzor announced in an emailed statement on Friday that Instagram will be prohibited to use in the country, giving its users two days to clear all of their photos and data from the app. Roskomnadzor also encouraged residents to use the country's own "competitive internet platforms" as an alternative to the Instagram ban, Reuters reported. Read more here. BITS AND PIECES An op-ed to chew on: Time for NASA to go all in on commercial space Lighter click: No bless yous? Notable links from around the web: The internet's meth underground, hidden in plain sight (NBC / Ben Goggin) Shaming Apple and Texting Musk, a Ukraine Minister Uses Novel War Tactics (The New York Times / Adam Satariano) The FTC's new enforcement weapon spells death for algorithms (Protocol / Kate Kaye) One last thing: Meta narrows latest update Facebook owner Meta Platforms on Sunday said that it plans to narrow its guidance on its content moderation that temporarily allows users in some countries to call for violence against Russian aggressors and soldiers within the context of the war in Ukraine. The updated policy will prohibit calls for the death of a head of state, Reuters reported, citing an internal company post. "We are now narrowing the focus to make it explicitly clear in the guidance that it is never to be interpreted as condoning violence against Russians in general," Meta global affairs President Nick Clegg wrote in the post, according to the news service. Read more here. That's it for today, thanks for reading. Check out The Hill's technology and cybersecurity pages for the latest news and coverage. We'll see you Tuesday. Billie Lourd tied the knot with producer Austen Rydell in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, over the weekend in a beautiful ceremony that the actress revealed she wasn't super well prepared for. The daughter of late actress Carrie Fisher and granddaughter of Debbie Reynolds spoke to Vogue about the nuptials and the details of her wedding looks, noting that she had procrastinated a bit when it came to her rehearsal dinner dress. As for the rest of what she wore throughout the weekend, however, much of it was serendipitous and inspired by her mother. Billie Lourd pays homage to mother Carrie Fisher and grandmother Debbie Reynolds during her wedding. (Photo: Getty Images) Most notably, Lourd's custom Rodarte dress that she wore for the ceremony on Saturday was a nod to Fisher, who had been interviewed by the brand's designers back in 2014. "When I started thinking about who I wanted to design my wedding dress, they were the first people who came to mind. I have always been a massive fan of their work and thought their elegant, ethereal, unique style was a perfect fit for mykind of elegant, ethereal, unique personality," Lourd said of Kate and Laura Mulleavy. "I also felt a strong connection to them because of their connection to my mom and because they are California gals just like me!" Lourd's jewelry for the evening included her engagement ring, which was created using a diamond from the ring that Lourd's rather originally used to propose to Fisher. Two other rings from her mom's collection represented the bride's "something borrowed" and "something blue." But it was Lourd's shoes made by Rene Mancini that brought a surprising and sentimental touch to her walk down the aisle. "My dad was walking around town shopping and came upon the store and found the perfect shoe," Lourd told Vogue. "They reminded him of the shoes my mom used to wear in the 90s. But he had the same experience I had with my rehearsal-dinner dress. It was a month before the wedding, and they told him they take four months to make the shoes. He talked to Mohamad, the manager of the store, and told him when the wedding was and asked him if he could somehow rush them, and he magically made it happen! When he came to pick up the shoes, it turned out my dads hunch about my mom was right. Mohamad told him that my mom used to shop at their store in New York City in the 90s. The perfect shoe turned out to literally be the perfect shoe. It was serendipity!" Story continues The ceremony itself was then officiated by Fisher's two best friends who were "hysterically brilliant and touching," according to the bride. "And in true Carrie fashion, we threw glitter in the air at the end of the ceremony. It was magical. I could not have dreamed up a more perfect wedding." The night wasn't without a tribute to the bride's grandma. In fact, Reynolds was the inspiration behind the second Rodarte dress that Lourd wore for the reception. "It was inspired by my glam-ma Debbie Reynolds's iconic dance outfits that she used to wear in all of her shows and is probably the most fun party outfit of all time," she said. "I am obsessed beyond belief. I'm probably going to make it into an art piece in my house because it's way too legendary to just hang on a hanger in a closet. I have never had more fun in any dress ever!" Want lifestyle and wellness news delivered to your inbox? Sign up here for Yahoo Lifes newsletter. In a surprise move, far-right activist Ammon Bundy, who is representing himself, did not present an opening argument or witnesses in his defense on charges related to his violation of a ban prohibiting him from entering the Idaho Capitol. Bundy, whos running for Idaho governor, appeared in Ada County Magistrate Court on Tuesday for the second day of what was expected to be an almost week-long trial. Bundy was charged with three misdemeanors two counts of trespassing, his second offense within five years, and resisting or obstructing officers arrests and seizures. They stem from April incidents in which Bundy was arrested, twice in one day, for entering the Capitol while under a one-year ban from the building. That ban resulted from his August 2020 arrest for refusing to leave the Lincoln Auditorium at the Capitol during a legislative special session. Ada County Magistrate Judge Kira Dale said she was surprised that the trial was ending so quickly. Frankly, I just didnt expect to be here today, Dale said. The development came right after Bundy, prosecutors and Dale had an impassioned conversation without the jury present about what information involving Bundys past court cases could be discussed before jurors. Bundy wanted jurors to hear those details, but Dale maintained her order that prevents the jury from knowing about prior cases. This is just marching me to the gallows, Bundy said. Bundy argues case is about what the jury didnt see Bundy chose to present during closing arguments, which was the first time he spoke directly to the jury. This case is not about what you saw, but what you didnt see, Bundy said. Aside from speaking about Bundys past cases, two other topic areas were off-limits during the trial the constitutionality of the trespass statute and whether Department of Administration Director Keith Reynolds had the right to issue the one-year ban from the Idaho Capitol, according to court documents obtained by the Idaho Statesman. Story continues Bundy told the Statesman in an interview at the courthouse Tuesday that the justice system is not about the truth anymore. I cant talk about why I went to the Capitol? What was my state of mind? What was I thinking about? What the actual statute says? Bundy said in regards to the order. I cant say those things. After Bundys closing arguments, Ada County Deputy Prosecutor Whitney Welsh rebutted, saying, There is nothing confusing about this case. Mr. Bundy would have you think that what he believes about the law matters, Welsh said Maybe it does on a philosophical level but not with regard to this case. The jury went into deliberation at 4:30 p.m. Bundy says juror had extreme bias One member of the seven-person jury told Dale in confidence they felt vulnerable after hearing some of the statements Bundy made in the footage of his arrest presented in court. In one of the videos, Bundy from the back of an Idaho State Police car can be heard telling state troopers that he would sue them and come after them legally. The statement made the juror uncomfortable. Dale excused members of the media, the prosecution, the other jurors, any audience members and Bundy to have a roughly six-minute conversation with the anonymous juror. The juror was not identified. Initially, Dale kept the juror, which prompted Bundy to disagree and argue there was an extreme bias. Obviously Im the scary guy. Thats pretty obvious, in the news and in the media, Bundy said in regards to the jurors feelings toward him. But once the evidence in the case was presented, Dale excused the juror before deliberation as the court only needs six jurors to reach a verdict. The jury must reach a verdict unanimously. Bundys ties to child welfare case The Emmett resident spent the majority of Tuesday at the Ada County Courthouse. But just down the hall from his trial, a hearing was held in a child welfare case of a 10-month old baby who has been the subject of protests led by Bundy. On Saturday, protesters gathered outside the St. Lukes Boise Medical Center to oppose authorities taking custody of the child, who is the grandchild of Diego Rodriguez, a campaign consultant of Bundy. Police have said the child was in danger of immediate harm. Bundy was arrested Saturday on suspicion of trespassing after he failed to leave St. Lukes Meridian Medical Center, where the baby was initially transported. An arraignment has yet to be set, according to online records. On Tuesday while in court Bundy posted a YouTube video on his Twitter page and asked people to gather at St. Lukes Boise Medical Center. Less than two hours later, the hospital was placed on a brief lockdown because of a developing security incident, according to a statement from the hospital. Anybody who is at the courtroom, please go to the hospital, Bundy said in the minute-long video. Anybody who is out there, please go to the hospital. This is an emergency. At the end of the video, a man can be heard asking Bundy to come back to the courtroom as Dale was ready to proceed with the trial. Prior to the protest at the hospital, at least two dozen people were gathered outside the Ada County Courthouse with many people holding signs that said, Medical kidnapping is not okay, and Babies are not state property. Intel has confirmed plans to build a semiconductor plant in Germany as part of an investment of up to 80 billion ($88 billion) in Europe over the next decade. The initial outlay for the facility in Magdeburg, the capital of Saxony-Anhalt, is 17 billion ($19 billion). The so-called "mega-site" will actually comprise two factories. Planning will start right away with construction expected to get under way in the first half of next year, as long as Intel gets the thumbs up from the European Commission. Production should commence at what Intel is calling "Silicon Junction" in 2027. As such, the plant won't help offset the global chip shortage any time soon. Intel says the dual plants will build chips using its top-of-the-line Angstrom-era transistor tech. It expects to create 7,000 construction jobs for the duration of the build, 3,000 permanent positions and thousands more jobs across partners and suppliers. Elsewhere, Intel will invest another 12 billion ($13 billion) to expand a factory in Leixlip, Ireland. It will double the manufacturing space and expand foundry services there. The company's also in discussions with Italy to build an assembly and packing facility there at a cost of up to 4.5 billion ($4.9 billion). Intel plans to build its European research and development hub near Plateau de Saclay, France. It expects to create 1,000 jobs as a result, with 450 of those opening up by the end of 2024. Intel aims to set up its main European foundry design center in France too. Further investments are earmarked for Poland and Spain. The company says the plan is "centered around balancing the global semiconductor supply chain with a major expansion of Intels production capacities in Europe." In February, the European Union announced a $49 billion effort to prevent future chip shortages and reduce reliance on parts manufactured in Asia. The EU Chips Act will empower private companies and governments to work together to drastically advance Europes position in the semiconductor sector," Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger said. "This broad initiative will boost Europes R&D innovation and bring leading-edge manufacturing to the region for the benefit of our customers and partners around the world." LONDON (AP) U.S. chipmaker Intel unveiled plans on Tuesday to invest up to 80 billion euros ($88 billion) across Europe as part of an ambitious expansion aimed at evening out imbalances in the global semiconductor industry that have led to big chip shortages. CEO Pat Gelsinger said Intel was investing the money over the next decade along the entire semiconductor value chain." The company plans to spend tens of billions of dollars setting up or expanding chip production sites and establishing research and development or design centers in Germany, Ireland, France and Italy. Why are we doing this? Because the world has an insatiable demand for semiconductors, or chips, Gelsinger said in a webcast. Intel said its bringing its most advanced technology to Europe to address the need for a more balanced and resilient semiconductor supply chain. European Union leaders last month announced a $47 billion Chips Act to help the continent become a major semiconductor producer and curb its dependency on Asian markets for the tiny components, which act as the electronic brains for everything from cars to smartphones and game consoles. Demand for chips has surged as the global economy bounced back from the COVID-19 pandemic, but supply hasnt kept up because of bottlenecks. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen hailed the announcement as the first major achievement under the EU Chips Act. I'm sure it will pave the way for more companies to follow suit," said von der Leyen, who wants the EU to double its share of global chip production to 20% by 2030. The first phase of Santa Clara, California-based Intels investment plans include 17 billion euros to beef up its European production capacity with a leading-edge semiconductor fab mega-site in Magdeburg, Germany. The site will include two semiconductor factories, or fabs, that will make chips with Intel's most advanced technology. If the European Commission gives approval, it's expected to break ground next year and come online by 2027, creating 3,000 high tech jobs. Story continues Germanys economy minister, Robert Habeck, welcomed the news, saying it would boost Europes digital sovereignty. The new facility will receive financial support from the German government. The plans also call for 12 billion more euros of investment to expand Intels existing site in Leixlip, Ireland, by doubling manufacturing space and expanding its new foundry services business, which builds chips designed by other firms. That will bring the company's total Irish investment to more than 30 billion euros. Intel says its also in talks with Italy to enable a state-of-the-art back-end manufacturing facility that would involve potential investment of up to 4.5 billion euros and create thousands of direct and indirect jobs. There are also plans for a research and development hub and a foundry design center in France, expanded lab space in Poland and a partnership with local researchers for an advanced computing lab in Spain. Intel, the worlds No. 2 semiconductor maker according to technology research and advisory firm Gartner, is also expanding in the U.S. with a $20 billion factory in Ohio. ___ Frank Jordans in Berlin contributed to this report. The latest Iowa Poll results show steady approval for Iowa U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley, 87, since the last Iowa Poll in November. Meanwhile, his disapproval numbers have inched up slightly. U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassleys approval numbers among Iowans remain mostly unchanged as he runs for an eighth term in office: By a narrow margin, more Iowans approve than disapprove of his job performance. According to a new Des Moines Register/Mediacom Iowa Poll, 45% of Iowans approve of the way the Republican senator is doing his job, while 43% disapprove and 12% are not sure. The results show steady approval for Grassley, 88, since the last Iowa Poll in November. Meanwhile, his disapproval numbers have inched up slightly from 41% in November. Over the course of four polls conducted in 2021, Grassleys approval numbers fluctuated between 45% and 48%, while his disapproval numbers climbed from 38% to 41%. Last year was also the first time the Iowa Poll recorded Grassleys approval numbers dipping below 50% for a sustained period. Iowa Poll: More Iowans approve of U.S. Sen. Joni Ernsts job performance than disapprove Now, Grassley is viewed favorably by 47% of Iowans and unfavorably by 40% in the latest poll. The gap between the percent of Iowans who view Grassley favorably to those who don't decreased by 7 percentage points from the last time the question was asked in September 2021. Last fall, 51% of Iowans viewed Grassley favorably and 37% viewed him unfavorably. The 40% unfavorable rating in the current poll is the highest Grassley has gotten in an Iowa Poll. Meanwhile, Grassleys two most prominent Democratic challengers former U.S. Rep. Abby Finkenauer and retired Navy admiral Mike Franken remain unknown to many Iowans. Just under half dont know enough about Finkenauer to form an opinion, while two-thirds are unfamiliar with Franken. The poll of 813 Iowa adults was conducted from Feb. 28 to March 2 by Selzer & Co. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.4 percentage points. More: US Sen. Chuck Grassley will run for reelection, seeking 8th term: 'I hope the people of Iowa will be happy' Just over two-thirds of Republicans approve of Grassleys job performance Story continues Just over two-thirds of Iowa Republicans approve of Grassleys job performance, at 68%, while 21% of Republicans say they disapprove. Among Democrats, 13% approve and 80% disapprove. Grassley has the approval of a plurality of political independents, at 47%, while 39% of independents disapprove. Jeff Rose, a 63-year-old Republican poll respondent and bank CEO from Bettendorf, said hes met with Grassley on several occasions over the years and considers himself a big supporter. I like the job he did when he was head of the Judiciary Committee, Rose said. And I just think hes red, hes a Republican, so hes on the conservative side. I think hes fairly close to fair and balanced. As chair of the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee, Grassley declined to hold hearings on President Barack Obamas Supreme Court nominee, Merrick Garland. Grassley later chaired the committee during the confirmation process for two Supreme Court justices appointed by Republican President Donald Trump: Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh. Grassley has not enjoyed as high approval ratings among Republicans in recent polls as his fellow Iowa GOP office holders. In the current poll, Gov. Kim Reynolds garnered an 88% job approval rating among Republicans a 20-point difference over Grassleys approval in his own party. Patricia Keys, 70, of Cedar County, is one of the Republican poll respondents who disapproves the job Grassley is doing. She said shes voted for Grassley in the past but disagreed with his vote last August for a bipartisan $1.2 trillion infrastructure law, which Keys believes cost too much money. Keys said she believes Grassley has become a career politician, which is not what he was when he started. If hes the only option, if no one is running against him in the Republican Party for the primary, then I would vote for him, she said. If somebody Republican would run against him, I would watch them in the campaign and see what their policies are and maybe its time for Chuck to retire. Still, Keys said shed vote for Grassley over a Democrat in the general election. Grassley faces a primary challenge from Iowa state Sen. Jim Carlin, a Sioux City Republican. What do Trump supporters think? Grassley does slightly better among those who voted for former President Donald Trump in 2020 than he does among Republicans. Seventy-two percent of Trump voters say they approve of Grassleys performance, while 17% disapprove. Trump endorsed Grassley in an October rally at the Iowa State Fairgrounds in Des Moines, calling him a great American patriot and saying when Ive needed him for help he was always there. Trumps support of Grassley is not a plus for Logan Henry, a 29-year-old poll respondent from Cass County. Henry is a political independent but consistently votes for Democrats. It seems to us that a majority of the Republican politicians seem to be coalescing around these certain extreme points, said Henry, who is back in school after serving in the U.S. Air Force. More: Democrat Abby Finkenauer is running for the U.S. Senate seat long held by Chuck Grassley Many Iowans don't yet know Grassley's challengers Former U.S. Rep. Abby Finkenauer announced in July 2021 she is running in the 2022 Democratic primary for Republican U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley's seat. Grassleys likely Democratic challengers still have work to do to introduce themselves to Iowans, the poll shows. Finkenauer, 33, who served one term representing northeast Iowas 1st Congressional District, has a 30% favorable rating and 24% unfavorable rating, meaning just over half of Iowans know enough about her to form an opinion. In September, she was viewed favorably by 30% of Iowans and unfavorably by 28%. The September Iowa Poll, conducted just before Grassley announced his reelection campaign, found Grassley leading Finkenauer 55% to 37% among likely voters. From September: Chuck Grassley leads Abby Finkenauer in test of possible US Senate matchup, Iowa Poll shows Mike Franken, 64, a retired Navy admiral, is viewed favorably by 21% of Iowans and unfavorably by 11%, meaning just under a third of Iowans know enough about him to form an opinion. Franken got into the 2022 race in October, three months after Finkenauer. He also competed for the Democratic nomination in the 2020 U.S. Senate race, when he took about 25% of the vote against Democratic nominee Theresa Greenfield. Rt. Admiral Mike Franken announced in October 2021 he is running in the 2022 Democratic primary for Republican U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley's seat. Holly Kauffman, a 32-year-old Democratic poll respondent from North Liberty, said she has a favorable view of Finkenauer. I always like to see a woman on the stage, she said. Kauffman, a music teacher, said she also likes Finkenauers positions on education issues, immigration and trying to increase funding for endometriosis. As for Franken, Kauffman said, honestly this is kind of embarrassing, but this is the first time Ive heard the name. Still, she said, shed be open to voting for him in the Democratic primary. Theres always room to learn more about a candidate, she said. Correction: An earlier version of this story incorrectly identified U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley's age. He is 88. About this Poll The Iowa Poll, conducted February 28-March 2, 2022, for the Des Moines Register and Mediacom by Selzer & Co. of Des Moines, is based on telephone interviews with 813 Iowans ages 18 or older. Interviewers with Quantel Research contacted households with randomly selected landline and cell phone numbers supplied by Dynata. Interviews were administered in English. Responses were adjusted by age, sex and congressional district to reflect the general population based on recent American Community Survey estimates. Questions based on the sample of 813 Iowa adults have a maximum margin of error of plus or minus 3.4 percentage points. Questions based on the subsample of 612 likely voters in the 2022 general election have a maximum margin of error of plus or minus 4.0 percentage points. This means that if this survey were repeated using the same questions and the same methodology, 19 times out of 20, the findings would not vary from the true population value by more than plus or minus 3.4 percentage points or 4.0 percentage points, respectively. Results based on smaller samples of respondents such as by gender or age have a larger margin of error. Republishing the copyright Iowa Poll without credit to the Register and Mediacom is prohibited. Stephen Gruber-Miller covers the Iowa Statehouse and politics for the Register. He can be reached by email at sgrubermil@registermedia.com or by phone at 515-284-8169. Follow him on Twitter at @sgrubermiller. George Shillcock is the Press-Citizen's local government and development reporter covering Iowa City and Johnson County. He can be reached at GShillcock@press-citizen.com and on Twitter @ShillcockGeorge This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Iowa Poll: More approve of US Sen. Chuck Grassley than disapprove ROME (Reuters) -The prime ministers of Italy, Spain, Portugal and Greece will meet in Rome on Friday ahead of a regular summit of European Union leaders, the Italian government said on Tuesday. A Greek government source said the Rome meeting would focus on energy issues. Spain's Pedro Sanchez and Portugal's Antonio Costa will meet Italian Premier Mario Draghi in person, while Greece's Kyriakos Mitsotakis, who has tested positive for COVID-19, will join via video link. The EU summit will be held in Brussels on March 24-25. In a two-day gathering in Versailles, France last week, heads of EU countries discussed ways to reduce their economic exposure to Moscow and to cut energy imports from Russia by 2027. The leaders said they were ready to impose harsher economic sanctions on Russia over its invasion of Ukraine and that they could give Ukraine more funds for arms to fight back. They said the discussions in France would be developed further at the formal meeting in Brussels. (Reporting by Angelo Amante, additional reporting by Renee Maltzeou in Athens, editing by Gavin Jones and Catherine Evans) GOTEMBA, Japan (AP) Japanese and U.S. Marines had their first airborne landing and combat training together on Tuesday near Mt. Fuji as the two allies strengthen military cooperation amid growing maritime activity by China and Russia in the regional seas. Japan has been expanding its defense budget and capability for about a decade and is now revising its key national security strategy in the face of threats from China, North Korea and now Russia. On Tuesday, 400 troops from Japan's Amphibious Rapid Deployment Brigade and 600 U.S. Marines based on Japans southern island of Okinawa jointly practiced landing and combat operations in a scenario of an enemy invasion of a remote Japanese island, using tilt-rotor Ospreys, amphibious armored vehicles and artilleries such as M777. The exercise comes at a time when Russias invasion of Ukraine has intensified worries about what could happen in East Asia, where Chinas growing assertiveness has escalated tension around Taiwan. While Japan has shifted its security focus to the southwest, it also faces Russias growing naval activity and its increased cooperation with China. Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said the Japanese navy spotted a fleet of six Russian warships Monday passing the Soya Strait between Hokkaido and Sakhalin as part of Russia's major naval exercises, days after another Russian fleet crossed the Tsugaru Strait between Aomori on the northern tip of Japan's main island and Hokkaido. He said Russia also conducted a land-to-air missile firing last week on the Russian-held Kuril islands, which Japan also claims. The dispute over the islands Moscow took at the end of World War II has prevented Japan and Russia from signing a peace treaty. Russia's military has been escalating abnormal naval drills in areas including the Okhotsk in sync with their invasion of Ukraine, Matsuno said. We told Russia we are watching its intensifying military activity with grave concern." Story continues Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has repeatedly pledged to fundamentally strengthen Japans defense power, including considering possessing a controversial preemptive strike capability. Japan has purchased American fighter jets, missile defense systems and other arsenals to increase interoperability as the two sides increasingly work together. Tuesdays drill was part of a three-week joint exercise aimed at advancing interoperability between the allies to strengthen their deterrence and response capability, defense officials said. We are committed to securing the peace and stability in the region through Japan-U.S. joint responses. Any potential adversary will see this as our actual capability, not just words, said Col. Masashi Hiraki, commander of Japan's First Amphibious Rapid Deployment Regiment. Japan, together with the U.S. Marines, have the will and ability to defend the region, and I expect this to provide deterrence." "We are operating across all domains to achieve the effects that are required to be successful on todays battlefield" seamlessly between the two allies, said Col. Michael Nakonieczny, Commanding Officer of the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit based in Okinawa. The Japanese amphibious unit, part of the army and Japan's first marines since World War II, was launched in 2018 to bolster the country's defense in the East China Sea. Japan is particularly concerned about Chinese military activity there in waters surrounding the Japanese-controlled Senkaku islands, which Beijing also claims and calls Diaoyu. Japan has significantly expanded its joint drills with the United States as well as other partners including Australia, India, France, Britain and Germany that also share concern about Chinas push for its territorial claims in the region, which has some of the worlds busiest sea lanes. ___ Yamaguchi reported from Tokyo. Mar. 14Comedian Jim Gaffigan will bring the laughs with "The Fun Tour" on Tuesday, July 5 at 8 p.m. at the Fraze Pavilion. The Emmy-winning and six-time Grammy-nominated performer regularly contributes commentary for "CBS Sunday Morning." He also co-created and starred in TV Land's "The Jim Gaffigan Show." Family and religion are also factors in his clean comedy. Tickets go on sale Saturday, March 19 at 10 a.m. Cost: $45-$70. In related news, the nostalgic Rick K. Road Trip will perform Friday, June 24 at 8 p.m. The group is described as performing "an exciting and unique blend of high energy rock n' roll from the 1960s through today" with "Las Vegas professionalism and class." Tickets also go on sale Saturday, March 19 at 10 a.m. Cost: $5 general admission. Tickets for both shows can be purchased online or in-person at Fraze FanFare in Town & Country Shopping Center. For more information, visit fraze.com. A man who authorities say stabbed a Crest Hill police officer was fatally shot by a second officer Monday night in the southwest suburb, according to the Will County sheriffs office, which is handling the investigation. Crest Hill police officers had been responding to a domestic battery complaint involving the man who was killed, later identified as 30-year-old Matthew Parks, according to the sheriffs office. Reached by phone Tuesday morning, one of Parks relatives said he had long struggled with his mental health. Advertisement Officers initially were sent to the 1400 block of Pioneer Road after receiving a 911 call from a woman around 6:45 p.m., during which she told the 911 dispatcher her husband had punched her in the face and that there were children present. The dispatcher also was told the man had a knife, according to the sheriffs office. Investigators believe Parks may have attacked one of the responding officers as a means of provoking police to use deadly force because 911 dispatchers said they could also hear someone in the background making comments about suicide by police. Dispatchers overheard crying and arguing during the call as well, officials with the sheriffs office said. Advertisement After at least four officers arrived, Parks reportedly stabbed one of them in the leg, cutting the officers femoral artery, the sheriffs office said. The injured officer was rushed to an area hospital in serious condition and underwent surgery for his injuries, according to the sheriffs office. Officials released an update saying the officer made it through the surgery overnight and he was recovering Tuesday morning, officials said. Authorities said after Parks attacked the officer, a police sergeant then shot Parks several times. Officers tried to save Parks life, but he died at the scene before he could be transported to a hospital, according to authorities. Parks had been struggling with his mental health for years and had previously discussed suicide by cop, according to his sister, Marissa Skold. Unfortunately, this is the end result of not getting help, Skold told the Tribune. The Will County sheriffs office did not identify the officers involved but said the injured officer had been with the Crest Hill Police Department since September 2019. The sergeant who fatally shot the suspect had been with the same department since September 2004. According to the sheriffs office, the case remains under investigation by detectives, crime scene investigators and the Will and Grundy Counties Major Crimes Task Force. Advertisement It was not immediately clear whether any of the officers might be reassigned to administrative functions, or desk duty, during the course of an investigation into the use of deadly force, as is common in other jurisdictions, including Chicago. Joseph Jeremy posing with a machete (left and top right) and victim Ryan O'Connor. (Police) A teenager who stabbed a father to death during a robbery laughed as his victim lay dying in the street. Joseph Jeremy, 18, killed 26-year-old Ryan OConnor shortly after the young dad left his brothers house in Alway in Newport last June. Jeremy had driven from Cardiff to Newport in a stolen Ford Fiesta, along with friends Lewis Aquilina, 20, Elliott Fiteni, 20, Kyle Raisis, 18, and Ethan Strickland, 19. Jeremy and Aquilina left the vehicle at Balfe Road, with Mr OConnor falling as he tried to run away. Jeremy then stabbed the victim in the front and back before making his escape in the Fiesta. The car drove past the scene with witnesses describing Jeremy "laughing, shouting and mocking" as Mr OConnor lay dying. Mr OConnor died after suffering five stab wounds that pierced his left lung and heart. Jeremy and Aquilina, both of Cardiff, were found guilty of one count of murder and one count of robbery at Newport Crown Court on Monday. Read more: Police probe two 'kidnap' incidents within an hour of each other in West Midlands Joseph Jeremy (L) and Lewis Aquilina have been found guilty of murder. (Gwent Police) Strickland had been driving as the group headed back to Cardiff when police began a pursuit on the A48 Western Avenue. After speeding over a police stinger, Strickland crashed the Fiesta and all five occupants were arrested. Police found two knives inside the car, including a 15-inch blade. A third knife was found in a nearby estate. Officers also found a video of Jeremy chasing a boy with a knife on smartphones they seized from the defendants. Pictures also showed Jeremy, Raisis and Strickland posing with the knives used in the murder. Raisis, of Cardiff, was found guilty of one count of manslaughter and one count of robbery, and Strickland, of Cardiff, was found guilty of robbery. Raisis and Strickland were found not guilty of murder by the jury, while a 20-year-old man from Cardiff was found not guilty on all charges. A date for sentencing has yet to be fixed. Read more: Cowboy builder banned from knocking on any door in UK after 300k con Story continues Mr OConnor suffered five stab wounds, which pierced his left lung and his heart. (Gwent Police) The family of Mr OConnor issued a statement after the verdicts, saying: Ryans tragic death has left us broken, and those responsible will never realise the impact their actions have had on our family, which will never be the same again. It is of some comfort that these violent and dangerous individuals are now off the streets and not able to inflict on anyone else the pain and heartbreak we feel every minute of every day. Were constantly faced with reminders of Ryan and what happened that night. We miss him so much and he is forever in our hearts and minds. Ryans dad, John, sadly passed away during the course of this trial. Johns condition deteriorated following Ryans death; it impacted him greatly and he was never the same after Ryan was cruelly taken away from us. He never got to see justice done for his son. The Duchess of Cambridge attended the annual Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey. Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images, Karwai Tang/Getty Images Kate Middleton stepped out in a Catherine Walker coatdress on Commonwealth Day. The duchess' necklace and earrings, believed to have been Princess Diana's, had a special meaning. She previously wore them to meet Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, People reports. The Duchess of Cambridge wore a coatdress and matching jewelry with a hidden meaning for a Commonwealth Day service on Monday. Kate Middleton appeared to send a message of support for Ukraine with her ensemble, which was entirely blue, one of Ukraine's national colors. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (@KensingtonRoyal) March 14, 2022 Arriving at the event at London's Westminster Abbey, Middleton was photographed wearing a Catherine Walker coatdress and Lock & Co hat, the Daily Mail reports. She completed the look with sapphire earrings and a necklace, believed to be from Princess Diana's collection, People reports. The publication added that the duchess was previously photographed wearing the jewelry to meet Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and his wife, Olena Zelenskyy, at Buckingham Palace in October 2020. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge stepped in for the Queen and hosted an audience with the couple during their two-day visit to the UK. The Cambridges met Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and his wife Olena in October 2020. Jonathan Brady/WPA Pool/Getty Images Middleton and Prince William have been vocal in their support for Ukraine amid Russia's invasion of the country. "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," the couple wrote in a joint statement to their Twitter account on February 26. "Today we stand with the President and all of Ukraine's people as they bravely fight for that future," they added. The duke and duchess visited the Ukrainian Cultural Centre in London last week, where they delivered trays of chocolate brownies and granola bars to the volunteers, The Independent reported. Story continues They also offered the services of their charitable foundation for any young people affected by the war who may need assistance with their mental health, the publication added. Kensington Palace did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment. Read the original article on Insider Lawyers for Paul and Ruben Flores filed a 500-page motion asking the judge to move Kristin Smarts murder trial outside the county a move that has only been granted three times in the past five decades in San Luis Obispo County, the most recent in 2001. The motion claims the two cannot receive a fair trial in San Luis Obispo because of the pretrial publicity the case has seen for nearly 26 years. Paul Flores is alleged to have killed Kristin Smart after an off-campus Cal Poly party in May 1996, and Ruben Flores, Paul Flores father, is charged with accessory after the fact. The two were arrested in April 2021 25 years after Smarts disappearance. Smarts body has never been found. What is the likelihood of its success? Five factors must be evaluated when considering a change of venue: the nature and gravity of the offense, the nature and extent of the news coverage, the size of the community, the status of the defendant in the community, and the popularity and prominence of the victim. The Tribune spoke with two experts to break down the motion and assess its chances. Jeff Stein has been a local criminal defense attorney for more than 40 years and was president of the SLO Bar Association. Dr. Christine Ruva is a psychology professor at the University of Florida whose research focuses on pretrial publicity and jury bias. Ruva has also consulted on several cases nationwide regarding pretrial publicity and jury bias. Cal Poly student Kristin Smart was 19 when she went missing after an off-campus party on Memorial Day weekend in 1996. What makes this case different from other change-of-venue requests? Based on its long history and high profile, the Smart case has established a unique notoriety in SLO County. That has affected how the defense is making its case for relocation. For example, the other successful change-of-venue motions in San Luis Obispo County included a poll that surveyed community members about their knowledge and opinions of the case. But the Flores motion didnt include such a survey, and it may not need it, Stein said. The defense laid out all the news coverage, social media and blog posts, true crime media and claims of harassment the Flores family says it has faced ever since Smart disappeared. Story continues Whats different between all those other cases (that changed trial locations) and this one is that social media came into existence in the gap between all those other cases and this one, Stein said. Smarts disappearance had already been covered extensively before social media, but details of the case have spread even more among social media users, especially those interested in true crime stories. Stein also said the billboards publicizing Smarts disappearance made the case unique in terms of the kinds of publicity it received. The news conferences held by San Luis Obispo Sheriff Ian Parkinson and San Luis Obispo District Attorney Dan Dow also stood out, Stein said. I have never seen anything like those two highly respected officials delivering what appeared to be definitive conclusions of responsibility in a public setting for a pending case, he said. SLO County Sheriff Ian Parkinson announces the arrest of Paul Flores and his father, Ruben Flores, in the 1996 disappearance of Cal Poly student Kristin Smart, at a news conference on Tuesday, April 13, 2021. Paul Flores is suspected of murder in the 25-year-old missing persons case. The evidence the defense presented in its motion showing potential jury bias was so overwhelming, a poll may have been redundant, Stein said. For Ruva, simply the length of time of the publicity surrounding the case stands out compared to other cases. The case has not left the news in SLO County for nearly 26 years, and this repetition can create strong preconceived notions among potential jurors. There might be counties that, again, would know of the case, but they wouldnt have been saturated to the degree that the county where the case occurred was, Ruva said. Why is jury selection not enough? The best way to combat pretrial publicity is through careful and vigorous jury selection, using the process of voir dire to question potential jurors and determine whether they can give fair consideration to the case. Flores lawyers argue potential jurors in SLO County would be biased no matter what, and Ruva agrees. People are really bad at identifying their own bias or the extent of their own bias, Ruva said, adding that the legal definition of bias and scientific definition of bias are different. If a potential juror says they can disregard information theyve learned or listened to as a result of pretrial publicity and withstands questions about it, that is usually enough for someone to be legally unbiased. But this process works best in identifying explicit bias, Ruva said. People can have implicit biases regarding several factors, including race, gender and information theyve previously learned about the case. So if the information a potential juror learned lends itself toward a guilty verdict, then that juror may give greater value to evidence that supports that implicit bias. And people often give information they learned first more credibility, Ruva said. In one of Ruvas studies, researchers looked at whether education about unconscious bias could remedy pretrial publicity bias in potential jurors. It didnt work. Its something thats really difficult, she said. Potential jurors are also prone to source memory errors, Ruva said, explaining that jurors may have a difficult time sorting out what information they learned before the trial and what information they learned during the trial. Stein said the jury selection process is usually reliable, and judges are skilled at pulling biases out of potential jurors. But in high-profile cases like this one, a potential juror may be motivated to lie or claim to be unbiased in order to bring justice to a beloved victim or defendant who they believe is a criminal. For example, take Scott Petersons trial, Stein said. Peterson, who had lived in SLO County for several years, was found guilty for the murder of his pregnant wife in Modesto. Petersons team accused juror Richelle Nice of being biased against him and lying during the jury selection process. Petersons death sentence has since been overturned because of it and a judge is deciding whether Peterson should have a new trial. It is kind of symbolic and indicative of the fact that people oftentimes will be willing to say inaccurate things purposefully in order to get to what they want, Stein said. How do you balance informing the public with undue pretrial publicity? The publics right to know and a defendants right to a fair trial are competing interests that have only been exacerbated by increasingly easy access to news, conversation and speculation. The higher profile the case, the bigger the challenge. Its getting more difficult in this media-saturated age that were living in, right? Ruva said. People have information in the palm of their hands now with their phone, so theyre constantly bombarded. The news media is subject to ethical rules, Ruva said. Reporting is fact-checked, journalists are transparent about who their sources are, and the goal is to minimize harm to community members they are covering. But then you have people in true crime or on Facebook where you can get really sensationalized and emotional, and all kinds of stuff come out that the courts have no control over. Much of what is said in true crime media and social media is not admissible in court, Ruva said. But the First Amendment protects true crime media and social media posts, so misinformation, disinformation and conspiracies can spread easier than ever before. Ruva said she thinks it will only get more difficult for criminal cases to find impartial juries because of this. Stein agrees that social media has made limiting pretrial publicity more difficult. One remedy, he said, would be to close preliminary hearings to limit what the pubic knows about a case before it goes to trial. California Penal Code Section 868 specifically allows a judge to order a court proceeding closed in the interest of protecting a defendants right to a fair trial. But at the same time, the premise behind court proceedings being public is to hold the courts accountable and maintain integrity of judicial processes. Should the Flores case move locations? In short, both Ruva and Stein agreed that the Kristin Smart cleared the bar for a case that should be relocated. People will align their change-of-venue views with their guilt-or-innocence views, and the law is really not interested in alignment of that sort, Stein said. The law is really interested in alignment of fairness of the trial above and beyond anything else. Ruva said because of the cases long history and the pervasiveness of publicity, it will be very difficult to find jurors who havent heard about it and already formed opinions in SLO County. Even if they want to be really, really good jurors and set aside bias, we know that that doesnt happen, Ruva said. And a lot of this bias is just unknowable because we dont understand most people dont understand how (previous) information biases the taking in of new information. And Stein agrees. It has the worst profile of pretrial publicity of any case in the 42 years Ive been in San Luis Obispo County, Stein said, which would support either making the determination that its absolutely meriting transfer or change of venue or that its prophylactically meriting change the venue to protect against the reversal on appeal. The prosecution has yet to file a response to the change-of-venue motion. A hearing regarding whether the trial should be moved will be held on March 30. Do you think the case should be moved? Let us know below. Cant see the survey? You may need to turn off your ad blocker. ATLANTA (AP) Robert Peterson misses spending Sundays with his mother, cooking and running errands. Dana Toole plays a video of her sister over and over just to hear her voice. Michael Webb has started speaking out about gun control since his ex-wife's fatal shooting. A year after a gunman killed eight people at three Georgia massage businesses, their family members and friends are struggling with grief and trying to heal while dealing with the intense public attention focused on the horrific slayings. Our whole world just changed. It blew up in that moment, said Peterson, whose mother, Yong Ae Yue, was among the dead. It was a bit overwhelming. We didnt ask to be here. It was weird to have people so interested. Robert Aaron Long, 22, shot and killed four people Xiaojie Emily Tan, 49; Daoyou Feng, 44; Delaina Yaun, 33; and Paul Michels, 54 and seriously injured a fifth person at Youngs Asian Massage in Cherokee County on March 16, 2021. Authorities say he then drove about 30 miles (48 kilometers) south to Atlanta, where he killed three women Suncha Kim, 69; Soon Chung Park, 74; and Hyun Jung Grant, 51 at Gold Spa, crossed the street and killed Yue, 63, at Aromatherapy Spa. Two of the Cherokee County victims and all of the Atlanta victims were women of Asian descent. The killings heightened anger and fear among Asian Americans already experiencing a rise in hostility, which has continued. The shootings brought increased awareness to that trend and galvanized more people, including non-Asians, to get involved in the movement to fight it. Many Asian Americans and their allies bristled at suggestions that Long, who told investigators he felt ashamed of sexual urges and saw the spas as a source of temptation, wasnt motivated by racial bias. The Cherokee County district attorney, citing the racial diversity of the victims there two of whom were white and one Hispanic among other things, did not find evidence of racial animus. But the Fulton County district attorney is pursuing a sentencing enhancement under the state hate crimes law, saying she believes race and gender played a role in the Atlanta killings. Story continues Webb who was still very close to Tan, his ex-wife said the shootings opened his eyes to anti-Asian violence and made him worry for his two daughters, who are both of Asian descent. Noting that Long bought his gun the day of the shootings, Webb speculated that if there had been a waiting period, theres at least a reasonable likelihood (Tan) would still be alive. A gun owner for decades, Webb said he's long had moderate views on gun control. Background checks, mandatory safety classes and waiting periods make sense to him and, since the shootings, he's spoken out about that publicly. Toole, Yaun's half sister, said she was terrified to leave her house after the shootings and is considering getting a gun. A newlywed with an infant daughter and teenage son, Yaun was at the Cherokee County spa with her husband, who survived. If she'd had a gun, maybe she'd be alive, Toole said. She had no way of defending herself, said Toole, who fears leaving her own children without a mother. Long pleaded guilty in July to murder and other charges in the Cherokee County shooting. He was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Toole said she felt angry watching him in court because she didn't see any remorse. But she agreed with the district attorney's decision not to seek the death penalty. Just because he took other people's lives that day, to me it didn't give us the right to take his, she said. Webb said he and his daughter, Jami Tan's daughter whom he adopted after they married favored the death penalty for Long. But after the district attorney explained the lengthy process for a death penalty case, they quickly came around to the idea of locking him up for life and putting it behind them. We really felt a relief it was over, he said. Long still faces charges including murder in the Atlanta killings and has pleaded not guilty. The Fulton County district attorney is seeking the death penalty in addition to a hate crime sentencing enhancement. Peterson said he and other victims' family members agreed the death penalty was appropriate, but its more important to him to have the killings labeled a hate crime. As the son of a Korean mother and a Black father, he said he's conflicted because he doesn't generally support the death penalty and its disproportionate use on people of color. With a background in sociology and social justice, Peterson wants to start an organization in his mothers honor to fight discrimination and promote social equity. It's the small things about his mother her laughter, her cooking and the way she loved hearing about her sons' lives that Peterson misses. He'd get annoyed when she'd call and ask him to drive from Atlanta to her home in the suburbs to change a smoke detector battery or update her computer. But now he lives in his mother's house and doing the same little tasks for his widowed neighbor fills me with joy, he said, tears welling in his eyes. Being and feeling wanted and needed, feeling safe thats what I miss most, Peterson said. Toole hasn't visited her sister's grave since her funeral because she doesn't want to believe she's gone. She breaks down when she drives past the cemetery or the spa. On Toole's 30th birthday, seven weeks after the shooting, she stayed in because her sister wasn't there to celebrate as planned. The close pair loved going to Six Flags amusement park and had water fights at family parties. Toole even recalls Yaun's faults with affection: She was always late, but it didn't matter because she always showed up. Though Webb and Tan divorced roughly a decade ago, they spoke regularly. Tan, who owned the Cherokee County spa, worked constantly and saved most of her earnings, planning to retire in her early 50s to travel and spend time with her family. The sadness really comes from the fact that her life was cut short before she could fulfill her dream, Webb said. She was healthy and strong. It's just so, so sad. Adam Toledo's sister, Esmeralda Toledo, 24, left, delivers a message about her little brother on May 26, 2021, during a news conference to announce plans for a program called Adam's Place. It's a retreat in rural Wisconsin that will provide a safe place for children between ages of 10 and 14. (Abel Uribe / Chicago Tribune) Almost a year after 13-year-old Adam Toledo was killed by a Chicago police officer in a Little Village alley, sparking shock and grief around the country, Cook County States Attorney Kim Foxx announced her office would not bring criminal charges against the officer who fired the fatal shot. Nor will they charge the officer who killed 22-year-old Anthony Alvarez, who was shot by police just days after Toledos death. Advertisement Both Toledo and Alvarez were carrying guns on the nights they were shot, and despite the sorrow of their families and Foxxs deep, deep concerns about police foot pursuits, prosecutors determined that both officers reasonably believed they were in danger when they opened fire, Foxx said at a news conference Tuesday. There are no winners in this very tragic situation, she said, saying there was not sufficient evidence to bring murder charges against either officer. Advertisement Cook County State's Attorney Kim Foxx announces on March 15, 2022, that no charges will be filed in the shooting deaths by Chicago police of Adam Toledo or Anthony Alvarez. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune) In keeping with policy, the Office of the Illinois States Attorneys Appellate Prosecutor also reviewed the cases and agreed that the officers should not be charged, Foxx said. Toledo was the youngest person to be fatally shot by Chicago police in years. His death sparked an outcry that only intensified after the release of graphic footage from body-worn cameras and surveillance video. In a split second, Toledo can be seen running from Officer Eric Stillman, tossing a gun behind a fence, turning toward the officer, raising his hands and being shot, video shows. All those actions happened almost simultaneously, Foxx said, and Toledo was shot as he completed his turn. While surveillance footage captured from the other side of the fence makes it clear Toledo lobbed the gun away, video from the body-worn camera mounted on Stillmans chest does not clearly show Toledo throwing the gun. Stillman knew Toledo had been carrying a weapon, and believed the teen was turning toward him to shoot, Foxx said. Weve concluded that there was no evidence to prove that Officer Stillman acted with criminal intent, Foxx said at the news conference. Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 30 Veronica Alvarez, mother of 22-year-old Anthony Alvarez, holds a photo of her son and his grandmother, Maria Luisa Lira, at her home on Feb. 23, 2022, in Chicago. (Erin Hooley / Chicago Tribune) Also Tuesday, Toledos family filed a wrongful-death lawsuit against the city and Stillman, saying the officers use of deadly force was unjustified and excessive, records show. Adam never brandished, pointed, or otherwise threatened Stillman with a firearm or any other weapon whatsoever, the suit states. Advertisement A spokesperson from the citys Law Department said the city had not yet been formally served with the lawsuit and declined to comment further, citing pending litigation. In a statement, attorneys for the Toledo family said they would be contacting the U.S. Department of Justices Civil Rights Division to address this horrific travesty. In the second shooting addressed by Foxx, which took place just two days after Toledo was shot, Alvarez was running from police on the Northwest Side, carrying a gun in one hand and a cellphone in the other. He stumbled as he ran, but Officer Evan Solano did not see him slip and fall, Foxx said. (Solano) observed Mr. Alvarez in a crouching position with a handgun in his right hand, Foxx said, noting that the officer believed that Mr. Alvarez was waiting to ambush him. He also observed Mr. Alvarez looking back at him while running with the gun in his hand, Foxx said. He thought Mr. Alvarez was turning to shoot toward him and his partner, who he believed was behind him. Solano ordered Alvarez to drop the gun and then fired several shots. Advertisement A new policy on foot pursuits Both Toledo and Alvarez were shot in the course of foot chases, which led to calls for a set of guidelines governing police foot pursuits. Alvarezs family has filed a lawsuit alleging the city bears responsibility for the death in part because police had no such policy when he was shot. While the city implemented a temporary policy in May, a couple of months after the shootings, the final guidance still is in its last stages of completion after rounds of community feedback. Foxx said Tuesday she has concerns about foot pursuits, which can be dangerous for both police and civilians. In particular, Solano and his partner created the conditions which the use of deadly force became necessary, she said. There was no need to begin chasing Alvarez in the first place, Foxx said. While he had fled from police when they tried to make a traffic stop the night before, officers knew the mans home address and could have found him there later if they wanted to question him, Foxx said. Alvarez was not committing any apparent crimes when officers approached him, and he would not even have been arrested for the traffic offenses from the night before, Foxx said. Solano may have committed several errors during the foot chase as well, Foxx said, such as rounding corners blind and not waiting for his partner when he saw Alvarez with a gun. Advertisement Solano was stripped of his badge and police powers and placed on paid desk duty in June pending an investigation by the Civilian Office of Police Accountability. It wasnt immediately clear why Solano was stripped two months after the shooting took place. Stillman, meanwhile, has not been stripped of his police powers and remains on full duty, Chicago police confirmed. Foxx said she met with members of the Toledo and Alvarez families earlier Tuesday, and acknowledged that prosecutors decisions were profoundly disappointing to them. The grief on their mothers, their fathers, family members faces was almost unbearable, she said. To lose a child is beyond what any of us would want to imagine. To lose a child at the hands of law enforcement was unfathomable for them. Oscar Martinez, Alvarezs father, told the Tribune he feels destroyed. During their meeting with Foxx on Tuesday morning, he said, they asked why the officer didnt go to Alvarezs home to find him instead of chasing him. They said just because he (Alvarez) had a gun, the officers life was at risk, Martinez said. And we told them, There are other ways to stop him. Thats what theyre trained for. Advertisement Martinez said his faith in God and the community support the family has received are giving him strength to keep fighting for justice for his son, Martinez said. I have no words, he said. I feel destroyed, hurt. Foxx came into office in 2016 after strongly criticizing the way her predecessor, Anita Alvarez, handled the fatal police shooting of 17-year-old Laquan McDonald. Alvarez waited more than a year to bring charges against the officer in that case, a pace that Foxx said at the time was far too slow. Foxx also campaigned on a promise to request that each police shooting be investigated by a special prosecutor, stating that Cook County states attorneys have an inherent conflict of interest because they work so closely with police. That promise did not come to pass; however, since 2019, police shootings have been assessed for charges by a unit within the states attorneys office that is largely separated from the regular chain of command. In a statement on behalf of Alvarezs family, attorney Tania Dimitrova said they were saddened and disappointed in Foxxs decision not to charge Solano. Advertisement Attorney Tim Grace, who represents both Stillman and Solano, said he believes the Cook County states attorneys office understands the difficulties that Chicago police encounter every single day. Both of my officers went to the states attorneys office and explained why they were required to use deadly force, Grace said. We didnt hide from anything. Grace said despite the outcome, both officers are devastated that they had to take a life. I think a lot of times we dont understand the torment that goes through these officers after the shooting, he said. Theres not enough counseling in the world to get them through what they had to do. Toledo case Toledo was in Little Village in the early morning hours of March 29, 2021, accompanied by 21-year-old Ruben Roman. Roman allegedly was captured on video firing the gunshots that brought officers to the area, authorities have said. He fired off shots at the corner of 24th Street and Sawyer Avenue, and he fled with Toledo shortly afterward, with officers pursuing them into an alley, according to Cook County prosecutors. Advertisement Roman was arrested first, after apparently having handed the gun to Toledo. Toledo kept running, video of the shooting shows, pursued by Stillman. Hours after it was announced that prosecutors declined to charge Chicago Police Officer Eric Stillman, who fatally shot 13-year-old Adam Toledo in 2021, people walk past a mural of Toledo on Ogden Avenue at Lawndale Avenue in Chicago on March 15, 2022. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune) To support murder charges against Stillman, prosecutors would have to prove that he knew Toledo had dropped the gun at the time he fired, according to a memo outlining prosecutors decision not to bring charges. But Stillman made his risk assessment and pulled the trigger of his firearm in a split second while Toledo was turning toward him, the memo notes. In addition, an autopsy found that Stillmans bullet traveled from the left side of Toledos body to the right, indicating that at the moment Toledo was shot, he was turning toward the officer, not facing him head-on. The 9 mm Ruger that was recovered near Toledo matches the fired shell casings that were found on the corner where Roman was shooting, prosecutors have said. Before video of Toledos shooting was released, Roman was charged with gun crimes and felony child endangerment. However, when Roman was formally indicted by a grand jury, child endangerment charges were not included meaning Romans charges are no longer tied to Toledos death. He is awaiting trial; his next court date is scheduled for later this month. Advertisement Foxx said Tuesday that her office ultimately determined the evidence did not support bringing child-endangerment charges against Roman. Essentially, the actions of Mr. Roman were not the reasons for Adam Toledos death, she said. Alvarez case Anthony Alvarez was shot a couple of days after Toledo, on the citys Northwest Side. Footage released by the Civilian Office of Police Accountability shows Alvarez stumbled as he ran, carrying a gun in one hand and a cellphone in the other. By the time he got up and tried to continue moving away, Solano had caught up to him. Hey! Drop the gun! Drop the gun! Solano yelled, and raised his own weapon to fire off five shots. A portrait depicting Anthony Alvarez is painted on a free public bookcase in the 5200 block of West Eddy Street on March 15, 2022, in Chicago. (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune) Alvarez collapsed to the ground in a tidy front yard, moaning in pain. An autopsy later revealed he was shot in the back and thigh. Why are you shooting me? he said. Advertisement Because you had a gun! the officer responded. In a memo outlining their decision not to bring charges against Solano, prosecutors noted that an individual holding a handgun in the manner in which Alvarez did, unholstered, unconcealed, with his finger near the trigger, could be considered an imminent threat. mcrepeau@chicagotribune.com pfry@chicagotribune.com scasanova@chicagotribune.com WARSAW, Poland (AP) The prime ministers of Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovenia traveled to the embattled Ukrainian capital of Kyiv and met with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Tuesday in a show of support for Ukraine even as bombardment by the Russian military edged closer to the center of the city. The three leaders went ahead with the hours-long train trip despite worries within the European Union about the security risks of traveling within a war zone. It is here, in war-torn Kyiv, that history is being made. It is here, that freedom fights against the world of tyranny. It is here that the future of us all hangs in the balance, Polands Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said on Twitter. The long journey over land from Poland to Kyiv by Morawiecki, Poland's deputy Prime Minister Jaroslaw Kaczynski and Prime Ministers Petr Fiala of the Czech Republic and Janez Jansa of Slovenia sent the message that most of Ukraine still remains in Ukrainian hands. But underlining the deteriorating security situation in Kyiv, a series of strikes hit a residential neighborhood in the city again on Tuesday. Zelenskyy posted a video on Facebook of him sitting around a table with the leaders briefing them on the wars developments. After the meeting, he said he was sure with such friends Ukraine would be able to defeat Russia. And most importantly, we absolutely trust the leaders of these countries and, therefore, when we speak of security guarantees, of our future in the European Union, or speak of sanctions policy, we know 100% that everything we are discussing will really lead to that positive goal for our country, for our security and for our future, Zelenskyy said. Fiala said the main purpose of the visit was to tell Ukraine it is not alone. We know youre fighting for your lives ... but we also know youre fighting for our lives, our freedom," Fiala said. "Probably the main goal of our visit, the main message of our mission, is to say that youre not alone. Our countries stand by you. Europe stands by you. Story continues The Central European leaders said they were on an EU mission. But officials from the 27-nation bloc insisted that the trio had undertaken the trip independently. All three countries were once part of the communist bloc and now belong to both the EU and NATO. Jansa described the visit as a way to send a message that Ukraine is a European country that deserves to be accepted one day into the EU. Two weeks earlier, Zelenskyy made an emotional appeal to the European Parliament on that very subject. We are fighting also to be equal members of Europe," Zelenskyy told EU lawmakers on March 1. "I believe that today we are showing everybody that is what we are. Jansa said the war has awoken Europeans to idea that the bloc represents fundamental ideas that are under threat and which Ukrainians are defending with their lives. "Thank you for not only defending your homeland and Europe as a territory, but for defending the very core of European values and our way of life. Your fight is our fight and together we will prevail, tweeted Jansa, a right-wing populist friendly with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban. Jansa, 63, served as defense minister during the small states brief and successful uprising against the Yugoslav army when Slovenia declared independence in 1991. Lately, he has been comparing Ukraine's resistance to Slovenia's uprising against a much stronger enemy. The presence in Kyiv of Kaczynski, Polands de-facto leader, carried a symbolic significance. He is the twin of the late President Lech Kaczynski, who died in a plane crash on Russian soil in 2010 along with 95 other Poles, among them political and military leaders, as they traveled to commemorate Poles executed by the Soviet secret police during World War II. A Polish investigation determined that the crash was an accident caused by fog and pilot error. Still, Kaczynski, 72, has long suspected that Russian President Vladimir Putin had a role in provoking the accident, a suspicion that has not been proven. Morawiecki said on Facebook that the visit was agreed by the EU and that the United Nations was also informed. Yet in Brussels, officials said they had been informed of the visit but characterized it as one taken independently into a war zone. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, who was asked about the visit, didn't endorse it outright but said I think it is important that leaders of NATO countries, of European member states, are engaging closely with President Zelenskyy. The visit had been planned for several days but was kept secret for security reasons, said Michal Dworczyk, chief of staff for Morawiecki. Shortly before dawn and hours before the leaders were due in Kyiv, large explosions thundered across the city from what Ukrainian authorities said were Russian artillery strikes. The shelling ignited a huge fire and a frantic rescue effort in a 15-story apartment building. At least one person was killed and others remain trapped inside. Shock waves from an explosion also damaged a downtown subway station in Kyiv that has been used as a bomb shelter. City authorities tweeted an image of the blown-out facade, saying trains would no longer stop at the station. Before his departure, Morawiecki on Facebook recalled how the Lech Kaczynski had made a visit to the capital of Georgia in 2008 when that ex-Soviet country was under attack from Russia. He quoted President Kaczynski, who said at the time in Tbilisi: Today Georgia, tomorrow Ukraine, the day after tomorrow the Baltic states, and then maybe its time for my country, for Poland. ___ Raf Casert reported from Brussels. Lorne Cook in Brussels and Dusan Stojanovic in Belgrade, Serbia, contributed to this report. ___ Follow all AP stories on Russia's war on Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine. Florida homeowners will probably have to continue riding out a turbulent property insurance market on their own for the next year after state lawmakers ended their annual legislative session without enacting any reforms. House and Senate leaders couldnt agree during the roughly 60-day session on a solution to relieve homeowners of double-digit rate increases, so they passed nothing. Bottom line: Homeowners lost, and thats what troubles me, said Sen. Jim Boyd, R-Sarasota, who sponsored the main property insurance reform bill in the Senate. Short of calling lawmakers back to Tallahassee for a special legislative session to address the problem which some senators said was a possibility homeowners can expect no new relief to their bills in 2022. Florida lawmakers approve $112 billion budget, largest in state history The property insurance industry is widely believed to be in crisis. Homeowners rates have been going up by double digits the last few years, and more than a dozen companies have recently suspended new business in Florida, limited the types of homes they cover or canceled policies outright. A handful of companies have gone out of business in the last two years. Multiple lawmakers said this year that rising property insurance rates were one of the most common complaints they were hearing from constituents. When asked Monday about the Legislatures failure to pass a property insurance bill, Gov. Ron DeSantis pivoted to discuss the rising costs of inflation, which he has frequently blamed on President Joe Biden and Congress. I supported a lot of the stuff the Senate was talking about on a variety of these things, said DeSantis, who is running for reelection this year. I stand ready to do even more, but people should just be prepared: The gas, the groceries, utilities, all these things are going to go up in an era of fighting inflation. Catastrophic claims specialist Eric Kline inspects the roof of a house in Kendall in 2017. Looking to roofs for a possible solution One issue lawmakers had hoped to tackle was the high number of roof replacement claims that industry executives say are partly to blame for rising prices. Many companies say they are now refusing to insure homes with older roofs as a result of the number of fraudulent roofers who are going door to door convincing homeowners that they can file a claim to have their roof replaced. Story continues Last year, lawmakers tried to limit the types of advertisements roofers could offer, but a federal judge temporarily blocked it. This year, Boyds Senate Bill 1728 would have required roofers to inform homeowners that theyre responsible for paying any deductibles and alert them that its illegal for a contractor to pay or rebate the cost of the deductible. DeSantis free state of Florida faces new restrictions on First Amendment rights It also originally would have allowed insurers to offer policies that would only pay the depreciated value of the roof, or an actual cash value an idea that would almost certainly leave Floridians with older homes footing most of the bill. That idea was dropped in lieu of requiring homeowners to pay a 2% deductible for roof replacements, something considered more palatable to lawmakers. For a $400,000 home, for example, the homeowner would have had to pay a deductible of up to $8,000, or 2%, to replace a roof, with the insurer picking up the rest. The deductible would not have applied if the home was a total loss or if the roof was destroyed by a hurricane. Replacing a shingle-roofed home can cost anywhere from about $9,000 to more than $25,000 depending on the size of the home and shape of the roof. It wouldnt fix the problem, but we thought it would help the problem, said Boyd, who is an insurance broker. Culture wars session of Florida Legislature is nearly over, but emotions are still raw The Senate passed the bill, but House leadership wouldnt accept it. On Thursday and Friday, with time running out for the legislative session, negotiations hinged on the Houses insistence on modifying the deductible plan. They wanted it to be optional for insurers, not mandatory. Its already optional for insurers, though, Boyd said. It just wouldnt have made any difference to the problem. House Speaker Chris Sprowls, R-Palm Harbor, said he had serious questions about the Senates 2% deductible plan, including whether it would make any difference to homeowners rates. He raised a scenario of wind causing a tree to fall and destroy a homeowners roof. Does that mean youve got to pay 2% of your deductible, and really, its just sort of an act of God? Sprowls said Monday. I think that theres a lot of issues like that. Raises for state workers highlight record spending budget approved by Legislature Litigation is an issue Sprowls also noted that lawmakers passed a property insurance bill last year, and that insurers say it takes 18 months for such reforms to make much effect. Its frustrating for me as a homeowner. Its frustrating for a lot of people, Sprowls said of skyrocketing rates. But I want to make sure that were making the right reforms that are going to have an impact on the marketplace and dont inadvertently have an adverse impact on homeowners. There are several reasons why some insurers are struggling. According to a 2019 Florida Office of Insurance Regulation study, the state made up 8.16% of all homeowners claims in the country, but 76.45% of the nations lawsuits. The cost of reinsurance, which insurers buy to cover their claims, has gone up. And some companies that have gone out of business appear to have struggled for everyday business reasons. Once foes, Florida Republicans, trial lawyers find conservative agenda is common ground The industrys woes are affecting consumers directly. After Orlando-based St. Johns Insurance went into receivership last month, the Florida Insurance Guaranty Association approved adding a 1.3% increased assessment on all policies sold in the state. To Joe Petrelli, CEO of Demotech, which rates Florida insurers, the proposed legislation didnt go far enough to deal with the amount of litigation in the industry. Absent meaningful and significant tort reform, everything else is a drop in a bucket and a Band-Aid, Petrelli said. Without that reform, Petrelli said he didnt see things improving for consumers any time soon. I think its going to be disastrous all the way around, for consumers, insurance companies, modeling companies, rating agencies, and, of course, regulators. Senate President Wilton Simpson, R-Trilby, said there is a possibility that lawmakers will return for a special legislative session. The last time the Legislature went into a special session over property insurance was 2007. We were disappointed we couldnt get more done this year, but thats part of the process, Simpson said last week. And so we decided it would be better for the next Legislature to take that issue up. By Elaine Lies TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan said on Tuesday Ukrainian evacuees will be able to convert short-term entry visas into longer-term ones allowing them to work, the latest move by Tokyo, long refugee-shy, to welcome Ukrainians fleeing their war-torn land. The number of refugees fleeing Ukraine since Russia invaded on Feb. 24 hit more than 2.8 million on Monday. Japan, despite being the world's third-largest economy, has long been reluctant to accept refugees. In 2020, according to United Nations data, it took 47, with 44 admitted for "humanitarian" reasons. But within days of the invasion, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Japan would take some Ukrainians in. Officials said applications would initially be limited to relatives and friends of the roughly 1,900 Ukrainians already in Japan. On Tuesday, Justice Minister Yoshihisa Furukawa said that Ukrainians - who initially enter Japan on a 90-day short-term visa - will be able to change to a special visa status permitting them to work, a key step towards building a longer-term life in Japan. Further steps, as well as a comprehensive support plan, are being worked out by the central government. A total of 47 Ukrainians have arrived in Japan since the outbreak of the war. Cities around the country have offered housing, while companies - spearheaded by Pan Pacific International, operator of a major Japanese discount store chain - have promised jobs and financial support. The speed of Japan's response is nearly unprecedented, say refugee advocates, citing heavy media coverage and Kishida's early embrace of the issue. "Given Japan's close alliance with the United States, I think there's also an element of wanting to contribute as a member of the Western bloc," said Norihisa Orii, director at Pathways Japan, a refugee aid organisation. Japan's distance from Europe may limit numbers, at least initially. Sergiy Korsunsky, Ukraine's ambassador to Japan, told Reuters he expected no more than a few hundred Ukrainians to come to the country. Story continues "We need to start saying thank you to Japan, to the government of Japan," said Alexander Dmitrenko, a Canadian-Ukrainian lawyer working to set up a refugee support plan. "(And to) those people who uncharacteristically for Japan have taken a very strong strance, very swift action, to support Ukraine generally, and specifically our refugees." (Additional reporting by Daniel Leussink and Kiyoshi Takenaka) Mar. 14BIDDEFORD, Maine Students in Anna Gervais' first grade classroom at St. James School cut golden flower petals out of sheets of construction paper on Monday afternoon with tiny, blunt-ended safety scissors. Next, they glued them around brown circles, making sunflowers, Ukraine's national flower and a symbol of resistance against Russian aggression. Then, they hung each flower in their classroom window, for the world to see. The show of support for the war-torn country in eastern Europe took place throughout the school, in every classroom, from pre-school to eighth grade. Originally, the school was going to celebrate Pi Day on Monday but shifted gears when Pope Francis urged Catholics to show support for Ukraine. Clockwise from left: A student at St. James School in Biddeford hangs a paper sunflower in their classroom window on Monday, March 14, 2022, in a school wide show of support for Ukraine. Students are also praying for peace and collecting money for Ukrainian relief at the school, run by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland; A first-grader at St. James School in Biddeford constructs a paper sunflower; St. James School first grade teacher Anna Gervais helps student Amen Daniel hang her paper sunflower on their classroom window. Credit: Troy R. Bennett / BDN St. James is run by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland. "In God, no act of love, no matter how small, and no generous effort will ever be lost," Francis said. Students also made blue-and-yellow Ukrainian flags and peace symbols for the windows. In addition to the crafts, the entire school said prayers for peace and began collecting donations for Catholic charities providing relief. In Gervais' classroom, some students asked questions about their own safety. With patience, their teacher assured them they were safe and their project was to support a small, far-away country that wanted to be free and peaceful. Upstairs, fifth grade students were more sure of the details of the conflict which started on Feb. 24. A Ukrainian flag waved on a video monitor at the front of their classroom. Story continues Clockwise from left: Sunflowers, peace symbols and other signs of support adorn windows at St. James School in Biddeford on Monday, March 14, 2022, during a school wide project showing support for Ukraine; Sixth graders hang paper sunflowers in the classroom; Ethan Davie, a seventh grader, constructs paper sunflowers with classmates. Credit: Troy R. Bennett / BDN In the basement, seventh and eighth grade students listened to peaceful, Ukrainian instrumental music as they cut and glued in near silence. By the end of the day, St. James School's front windows were full, top to bottom, with sunflowers. More articles from the BDN Mar. 14Maine's tribes won expanded jurisdiction over certain domestic violence and sexual violence crimes committed on their land in the $1.5 trillion spending bill signed into law by President Joe Biden on Friday. The Violence Against Women Act expired in 2018 after Congress failed to renew it. While programs continued to be funded, Maine's tribes have not been covered by the law because of a 1980 land-claims settlement between three of the tribes, Maine and the federal government that prevented them from benefiting from national programs unless specifically included. A 2019 attempt to reauthorize the law was defeated after national gun rights advocates opposed language that would have prevented people previously convicted of stalking from possessing guns. A bill that would have re-upped VAWA and included the Maine tribes passed the House last year, but was never taken up by the Senate. But the issue resurfaced in the spending bill that included similar language, giving them more authority than allowed under Maine law through a 2020 bill brokered between tribes and Gov. Janet Mills. It is a significant extension of tribal rights in Maine as the Legislature contemplates whether to change the 1980 federal agreement or make different concessions in state law. "The Penobscot Nation's law enforcement and court systems are capable of implementing the criminal jurisdiction provisions within VAWA, but have just been left out of the underlying law," said Penobscot Nation Chief Kirk Francis in a statement. "This error has finally been corrected, and we will now be able to use all the resources available to protect Native women, children and public safety officers located on our lands." The bill allows tribes to have jurisdiction over dating violence and domestic violence crimes and restores authority over crimes such as child violence, sexual violence, stalking, sex trafficking and assault of police officers, according to a U.S. Senate Committee on Indian Affairs brief. Story continues That part of the spending bill also boosts grant funding for related programs and reestablishes the Bureau of Prisons Tribal Prisoner Program, along with codifying a program allowing tribes access to criminal information databases. The spending bill was supported by all four members of Maine's delegation. Sen. Susan Collins, the sole Republican in Maine's delegation, pushed for the House language to be included in previous Senate versions of the bill, Collins' office said. Francis specifically thanked U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree, a Democrat from the 1st District who has pushed in previous years for the state's tribes to be included in the reauthorization along with this year's budget language inclusion. "I'm thrilled this long-overdue correction has finally become law," Pingree said. More articles from the BDN A man got a little creative and led a counterfeit money scheme by using bleach, real $1 bills and a printer that he traveled with to create fake $100 bills totaling $235,000, federal officials in Virginia said. This comes after he was convicted twice in 2015 for using counterfeit money, court documents obtained by McClatchy News state. Most recently, hed bleach the real dollars and print images of $100 onto them before handing them out to co-conspirators for them to make purchases, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. New Jersey resident Hollis Forteau, 38, was sentenced to five years in prison on Monday, March 14, federal officials said. Mr. Forteau is sincerely regretful for any harm that he had caused, his lawyer Daymen Robinson told McClatchy News in a statement. He will immediately begin to reimburse those who suffered economic lost and do his best to make amends for his conduct. In December 2019 and January 2020, Forteau and at least six others working with him drove from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to Virginia, where he directed the others to make purchases at local retailers with the fake cash, according to court documents. Then, prosecutors say, they drove to the same retailers at a different location to return the items they illegally bought and obtain real cash. Forteau would take a cut of the money, prosecutors said. To ensure a consistent supply of the fake bills, Forteau traveled with a printer, which was bought with counterfeit money, and a laptop to create them in hotel rooms, according to court documents. He used genuine bills so the fake ones would feel real even if store employees marked them with a counterfeit detection pen. However, some stores can detect fake money through a scanner, so Forteau and the others targeted locations where these machines werent in use, court documents state. Three female co-conspirators were caught in early January 2020 when a Sunglass Hut worker followed their car to another parking lot after they used fake $100 bills at the store, according to prosecutors. They were arrested. Story continues Forteau blamed one of them during a phone call placed to the jail where she was taken, saying she was definitely going to pay a price for this, the documents state. Whats worse, me smacking the s--- out of you or being hit like this [i.e., being arrested], he said, according to court documents. The three women were charged with possession of the fake cash, fraudulently obtaining money and conspiring to commit a felony, according to the Virginia Gazette. Once they were released from jail, Forteau picked them up and headed back to Pennsylvania. On the way there, they made more purchases with fake money, according to officials. However, Forteau was on the U.S. Secret Services radar after their arrests, and he was arrested in September 2021, a sentencing memorandum said. He was found with his printer, laptop, a wad of 29 bleached $1 bills, a fake $100 bill and several printer ink cartridges, court documents state. While detained, his romantic partner was in possession of a rental Kia he was driving. Authorities obtained a search warrant and found 110 fake $100 bills inside, according to prosecutors. Some were concealed inside a package of Swisher Sweet cigars while the rest were stuffed behind the cars door panels. Court documents say Forteau is the father of three children, including a 16-year-old daughter who described his detainment as extremely difficult to a judge involved in the case. I would like to let you know how much of a good father he is to myself and my brothers. I also acknowledge what he has done and how it has affected me personally, she wrote. Your honor this is not my fathers first time being locked up but I do pray that it is his last time. He is and has already missed out on some important moments in my life. Forteau is the first to be sentenced in this case out of his co-conspirators, a spokesperson for the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Eastern District of Virginia, Kelsey Kovacs, told McClatchy News in a statement. Electronics headed to North Dakota would be worth over $2M, feds say. But theyre fake Georgia man convicted of using homeless people to commit bank fraud faces prison time Home Depot worker swaps $387,500 in deposits for fake cash and keeps money, feds say Duo tries to bail out person with fake money, then gets busted for drugs, Maine cops say MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - A former governor of Mexico's Nuevo Leon state was arrested Tuesday for his alleged participation in electoral crimes, according to the state attorney general. Rodriguez, or "El Bronco" as he is known in Mexico, was an independent candidate in the 2018 election, ultimately won by current President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador. Mexico's electoral authority fined Rodriguez before the election for allegedly raising almost $700,000 in illicit campaign funds, an accusation he denied at the time. Rodriguez was arrested for his "probable participation in events with characteristics of electoral crimes," the attorney general said in a statement, identifying Rodriguez as C. Jamie Heliodoro "N". An attorney for Rodriguez could not be immediately reached. "The investigated person will remain in custody in a state social reintegration center at the disposal of a judge who will resolve his legal situation," the statement said. The statement did not give further details about the charges against him. (Reporting by Raul Cortes and Cassandra Garrison; Editing by Karishma Singh) Enrique Tarrio, the high-profile leader of the Proud Boys extremist group, appeared subdued in Miami federal court Tuesday as a magistrate judge ordered that he remain behind bars before his trial on charges of plotting the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol building to stop Congress certification of the presidential election. Magistrate Judge Lauren Louis said evidence that hes a danger to the community is unrebutted, rejecting a request by Tarrios defense attorney to release him on a $1.25 million bond secured by his family members in Miami. She did not rule on the Justice Departments other basis for his detention, that Tarrio, a lifelong Miami resident, is a risk of flight. Tarrio, 38, who after his arrest last week remains in custody at the Miami Federal Detention Center, will now be transferred to Washington, D.C., to face an indictment accusing him and five other Proud Boy members of conspiring to obstruct an official proceeding and related charges including destroying government property. At Tuesdays detention hearing, Justice Department prosecutors described Tarrio as a command and control leader who, despite his absence on the day of the U.S. Capitol assault, directed fellow Proud Boy members in encrypted chat room messages to storm Congress and stop Joe Bidens victory over Donald Trump for president. This was a crime that was carried out by Mr. Tarrio and his co-conspirators that struck at the heart of our democracy, prosecutor Jason McCullough told the judge, calling the insurrection a crime of terrorism. Tarrios defense attorney, Nayib Hassan, argued that the Proud Boys leader was not a violent person and did not order anyone to occupy the Capitol building, hurt any police officers or destroy any government property. At no point in time did Mr. Tarrio instruct anybody to go into the Capitol building, Hassan said. The indictment describes Tarrio as the former national chairman of the Proud Boys who helped organize a group of hardcore members the Ministry of Self Defense to develop national rally planning for a Stop the Steal protest on Jan. 6 to coincide with Congress certification of the Electoral College vote that same day. The indictment further accuses Tarrio and the other five Proud Boys defendants of devising a militant strategy to target the Capitol building, using the internet not only to develop strategies and recruit members but also to raise funds and buy paramilitary gear for the assault. Story continues In text exchanges with other Proud Boys members, Tarrio backed a 1776 Returns plan that called for occupying crucial buildings in D.C., including the House and the Senate, and he supported staging the main operating theater at the Capitol steps, according to the indictment. In one exchange on the morning of Jan. 4, Tarrio advised his colleagues that you want to storm the Capitol although his defense attorney asserted Tuesday that he made that comment in the form of a question, not an order. Prosecutors did not address his point. Later that day, Tarrio was arrested in connection with a prior protest in the District of Columbia where he burned a Black Lives Matter banner, spent the night in jail and was released the next day on a judges order saying he must leave the city. Instead, on Jan. 5, Tarrio met in a Washington, D.C., parking garage with the founder of another extremist group, the Oath Keepers, about coordinating efforts to target Congress, according to the indictment. A documentary film crew was also on hand to record Tarrio and the Proud Boys activities, court records show. They were with Mr. Tarrio when he was released [from jail after his arrest], and they were with him at the parking garage, FBI special agent Nicholas Hanak testified at Tuesdays hearing. Tarrio left the evening of Jan. 5 for Baltimore. At his hotel room the next day, he watched TV news accounts of the Stop the Steal rally on the National Mall and the subsequent attack on the Capitol building. He also made comments on social media and in an encrypted chat room. After I finish watching this Ill make a statement about my arrest [on Jan. 4] ... But for now Im enjoying the show ... Do what must be done. #WeThePeople. A few minutes later, Tarrio posted: Dont f***ing leave. Almost 800 people, many from Florida, have been arrested in the aftermath of the Jan. 6 insurrection. Unlike Tarrio, the vast majority of them were actually there at the time of the assault. In the first case to go to trial, Guy Reffitt, a Texas militia member who was at the head of an early wave of rioters, was found guilty this month of five felony charges, including obstruction of an official proceeding, carrying a firearm during the attack and threatening witnesses. Reffitt faces a maximum possible sentence of 60 years in prison, but will likely get much less time under federal sentencing guidelines. A middle school student in Moses Lake, Washington, was arrested after being found with a gun and ammunition, Moses Lake Police said in a news release. According to the release, which was shared on Facebook, police were told on Monday, March 14, that a student at Chief Moses Middle School had made threats to shoot up the school and that they had a firearm on campus. Officers contacted the student and said they found him with a pistol and two magazines of ammunition. The student also had a list of potential targets, police said in the release. The school district notified the students on the list and is taking steps to offer services to affected staff and students, police said. In a March 14 statement, the Moses Lake School District said school administrators received the report that a student had a gun in their possession at around 9:45 a.m. The student and their backpack were removed from the classroom, the firearm was confiscated, and the student was arrested and removed from campus, district superintendent Carole Meyer said in the statement. The school did not go into lockdown because the student was immediately detained, Meyer said. In a series of updates later that day, Meyer added that the student was an eighth-grader and that officers recovered the weapon and ammunition within minutes of the report. In addition to criminal charges, the student will be referred to the juvenile court system and face disciplinary action, Meyer said. We are also extremely proud of the students that came forward and notified our security officers, allowing us to address the situation quickly and efficiently, Meyer said. We can never underestimate the role we all students, parents, and teachers play in keeping our schools safe. Moses Lake is about 177 miles southwest of Seattle. New CMS weapon detectors at high schools identical to scanners used at Panthers games Teacher suspended after restraining armed student at Georgia high school, lawyer says 5 shot, 1 killed at Columbia apartments that are home to college students, cops say Stanton Healthcare Applauds the Idaho Legislature for Passing Texas-inspired Heartbeat Bill to Ban Abortions After Six Weeks NEWS PROVIDED BY Stanton Healthcare March 14, 2022 BOISE, Idaho, March 14, 2022 /Christian Newswire/ -- Stanton Healthcare has been part of the core team that is leading the way in passing legislation to ban abortions in the state of Idaho. Senate Bill 1309, which was just passed by the Idaho legislature, is extremely significant as it is modeled after the Texas law and has already withstood several federal court challenges, including not being blocked by the U.S. Supreme Court or the state of Texas' Supreme Court. Stanton's Physician Assistant, Samantha Doty, testified before the Senate State Affairs Committee, and said the following: "At Stanton we believe that abortion is wrong at any point in the pregnancy because from the moment of conception a uniquely distinct human being is created. Although our desire is to see abortions completely outlawed in the state of Idaho, we believe enacting SB 1309 would a huge step in the right direction." Stanton's Director of Community Outreach, Linda Thomas, testified during the House State Affairs Committee hearing, and stated: "Abortion is not women's healthcare. Abortion regret is real. However, even if a woman feels relief immediately after, or seems to never be negatively impacted by having an abortion, it doesn't mean it was a right choice. "Abortion is wrong and must end because it causes the violent death of the most vulnerable human beings on purpose for profit. Babies, and their mothers, deserve far better than abortion. Stanton stands ready to offer the professional, quality care women are seeking at no charge." Stanton Public Policy Center was launched in 2020 to create awareness and to advocate for the women Stanton serves in the state of Idaho and beyond, as communicated by Stanton Founder and CEO, Brandi Swindell: "When our Stanton medical team and staff testifies in support of legislation that protects preborn babies, we are bringing the hearts and voices of our Stanton clients, the mothers and their preborn babies, to the Capitol to work hand-in-hand with our lawmakers. "We are proud to be a part of seeing this legislation passed, and thankfully there will be limits on abortion in the state of Idaho. However, there will still be women facing unexpected pregnancies and there will still be children in the womb that need support. Stanton is prepared to provide quality care to the women who will need the support, resources, and life-affirming care provided through our trained medical staff. "Idaho is part of a group of states in the nation leading the way to protect preborn babies by passing this legislation. It is incredibly important to create a post-Roe world. We believe God has raised us up for this very purpose to ensure there is never a woman or a family facing an unexpected pregnancy that doesn't have the resources, support, and quality healthcare they deserve." Stanton Healthcare, based in Boise, has life-affirming clinics in Idaho and affiliates across America and internationally. Stanton provides compassionate and professional womens healthcare along with holistic services to clients experiencing an unexpected pregnancy. For more information, contact Linda Thomas at 208-803-1646. SOURCE Stanton Healthcare CONTACT: Linda Thomas, 208-803-1646 Then-Ald. Patrick Daley Thompson, 11th, leaves the the Dirksen U.S. Courthouse in Chicago on Feb. 10, 2022, after attending his trial on charges alleging he lied on federal tax returns about a line of credit he received from a Bridgeport bank that later collapsed (Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tribune) Hours after the mayor announced the list of applicants vying to replace convicted Ald. Patrick Daley Thompson, his lawyers filed a motion for a new trial Tuesday arguing in part that prosecutors made highly improper and prejudicial remarks in closing arguments and misled the jury by trying to tie his elected office to the charges. The 27-page motion comes a month after a federal jury convicted Thompson of two counts of lying to federal regulators about loans hed received from a failed Bridgeport bank and five counts of filing false tax returns that illegally claimed mortgage interest deductions that he never paid. Advertisement Thompson resigned as alderman of the 11th Ward the day after the Feb. 14 verdict, as required by state law. U.S. District Judge Franklin Valderrama set a sentencing hearing for July 6. In their motion Tuesday, Thompsons attorneys asked Valderrama to overturn the jurys verdict and acquit him instead on all charges, saying the government had failed to meet its burden of proof. Advertisement Such motions are routine to preserve the record on appeal and rarely granted by the trial judge. The motion also asked in the alternative that the judge grant Thompson a new trial, saying that both the governments closing argument and rebuttal argument were highly improper and prejudicial. Attorney Chris Gair said prosecutors incorrectly portrayed Thompsons failure to pay taxes as some kind of premeditated scheme, when in fact, there was absolutely no evidence supporting these claims and the government knew it. Gair also said that Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Netols made several over-the-top statements in rebuttal that sought to tie Mr. Thompsons position as alderman to the charges and use it as a basis to convict him of wholly unrelated crimes. In one particular passage pointed out by the defense, Netols told jurors that Thompson was blaming everyone for his mistakes, including officials at the now-shuttered Washington Federal Bank for Savings, the government and even the voters who elected him. And then, of course, I guess the voters are probably at fault, too, because by electing him to his public offices..., Netols said before Gair rose to his feet and loudly objected. After the judge sustained the objection, Netols simply told the jury, Hes overscheduled for all of these reasons. Its all its everyone elses fault. Gair said in his argument that Netols comments were not even remotely proper, and that the judge sustaining the defense objection is not enough. Advertisement The motion fails to mention, however, that Gair began his own closing argument by emphasizing a certain political surname and saying prosecutors were bent on finally nailing a Daley. It shows you just how desperate the government is to convict Patrick Daley Thompson, Gair said, raising his voice an octave as he said the Daley name. This case is full to the brim and overflowing with reasonable doubt. Prosecutors have two weeks to respond. Thompson, 52, the grandson and nephew of Chicagos two longest-serving mayors, was indicted in 2021 on charges of falsely claiming mortgage interest deductions on his tax returns and repeatedly lying about the lines of credit he received from Washington Federal before it collapsed in December 2017. The charges were an offshoot of a much larger investigation into the banks failure, including a multimillion-dollar embezzlement scheme allegedly orchestrated by the banks president, John Gembara, who was found hanged in the home of a customer days before federal regulators shut it down. A total of 14 others have been charged. The jurys swift verdict against Thompson marked the first time a member of the Daley family has ever been convicted of a federal crime. Thompson was also the 37th current or former Chicago alderman to be found guilty of a federal crime since the early 1970s. Advertisement Each count of lying to banking regulators carries up to 30 years in federal prison, while each count of filing false tax returns has a maximum of three years behind bars. A sentence of probation will also likely be in play for Thompson, who has no prior criminal record. Meanwhile, Mayor Lori Lightfoot has until April 15 to appoint someone to fill the post for the rest of Thompsons term. On Tuesday, her office released names and resumes of 27 applicants to fill the seat. A committee is reviewing the applications and will provide a final slate of candidates to the mayor for selection. jmeisner@chicagotribune.com Anna Starenkova, who's from Odesa, Ukraine, is one of the refugees staying at Olga Thomas' apartment in Romania. Olga Thomas' apartment in Romania typically serves as her photography studio and an Airbnb. But for now, it's serving as a safe haven for refugee Ukrainian women and children. "When the conflict started and the Ukrainians started to flee into Romania, I asked myself how I can participate and help," said Thomas, a Milwaukee resident. "The answer presented itself." A longtime photographer, Thomas owns a photography business in both Milwaukee and Romania, where she was born and raised. Romania borders Ukraine to the southwest. RELATED: A Bay View resident was looking for a chess club. Now people of all ages are gathering for games in her front yard. The day after Russia began its invasion of Ukraine, Thomas listed her two-bedroom apartment in downtown Bucharest on several social media groups that connect refugees with free temporary housing. "It's not just me," she said. "Hundreds of thousands of people who own Airbnbs and people who are able to host refugees are opening their homes to the Ukrainians right now." According to a USA Today report, Airbnb and an affiliate nonprofit are offering free, short-term housing to up to 100,000 refugees from Ukraine. This is Milwaukeean Olga Thomas' apartment in Romania. She is letting Ukrainian refugees stay there. One of the refugees who got connected with Thomas is Anna Starenkova, who's from Odesa, Ukraine. "We leave Ukraine because of war, because our life was in (a) dangerous situation," Starenkova said. "I listened to my heart and my mind and decided I must go to Bucharest." When Starenkova asked if a couple of her friends could stay at the apartment too, Thomas replied: "Bring in as many people as you feel comfortable living with." And shelter isn't the only thing Thomas is providing. Her friends in Romania drop off food, clothing, diapers and supplies for the people staying at her place. "What food do you eat? What things do you need?" Starenkova said Thomas asked her. "In one moment, she organized all of the things that I need." Story continues Starenkova said Thomas checks in daily and even planned a Romanian dinner that was cooked for her and her friends. "We talk and we smile and we were really very happy in that moment," Starenkova said. Thomas said she's been moved by how Starenkova has helped out her fellow refugees. Starenkova, who has a car, picks up mothers and their children from the border and transports them to Romania's capital. While the number is constantly changing, Thomas said, her apartment is currently hosting about six women and four children. Olga Thomas organized this lunch for Ukrainian refugees staying at her apartment in Romania. "Olga (has) the most kindness and most nicest people of what I've met in my life, really" Starenkova said. "It's (a) woman with the biggest heart in America. It's true." "Kindness is my biggest core value," said Thomas, a former photojournalist. "It's important for me to help others in need." To see more than a dozen ways to help Ukrainian people in need, visit bit.ly/WIHelpUkraine. Contact Hannah Kirby at hannah.kirby@jrn.com. Follow her on Twitter at @HannahHopeKirby. Our subscribers make this reporting possible. Please consider supporting local journalism by subscribing to the Journal Sentinel at jsonline.com/deal. DOWNLOAD THE APP: Get the latest news, sports and more This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Milwaukee woman letting Ukrainian refugees stay at her Romania Airbnb The suspected gunman in the shooting of an off-duty Milwaukee police detective was arrested after an hourslong standoff ended peacefully Tuesday. Two months after Detective Andrew Wilkiewicz was shot after a botched carjacking in the city's Third Ward, Chief Jeffrey Norman confirmed in a news conference at the scene that Keasean J. Ellis-Brown, 19, was taken into custody. The department urged members of the public to stay away from the 2900 block of N. 9th St. at about 3 p.m. because of a "tactical situation," according to a news release. "This couldve really had some horrible outcomes, but cooler heads prevail and the right type of behavior and attitudes was put forth," Norman said. Ellis-Brown has already been charged with five felonies in connection with the Third Ward shooting, including attempted first-degree intentional homicide. He is one of three teens charged in the incident and was the only one not to be taken into custody in the hours afterward. He has been at large since then and the FBI offered a $10,000 reward for information leading to his arrest. Norman said around 11:30 a.m. Tuesday police received credible information that Ellis-Brown was inside a house along the 2900 block of North 9th Street, in the North Division neighborhood of Milwaukee's north side. After arriving at the building a duplex Norman said Ellis-Brown refused to come out, prompting the arrival of tactical enforcement and crisis negotiation units. Ellis-Brown exited the home around 3:30 p.m. Norman credited officers with showing "great patience." With investigators still filing in and out of the home as he spoke, Norman said it was not yet known how long Ellis-Brown had been there, if anyone was staying with him or why he had been inside that particular building. He was not sure if any weapons were found inside. A woman who lived in another unit of the home, who asked not to be named, said she hadn't seen Ellis-Brown before. Story continues Timonte L. Karroll-Robinson and Dionta'e L. Hayes also are charged in connection with the Third Ward incident. On Jan. 13, Wilkiewicz was inside of the Shack Shake, at 220 E. Buffalo St., when a delivery driver arrived outside the establishment. When the driver briefly exited the vehicle to ask if one of her three children could use the restroom, a man jumped inside of it, only to leave just as quickly after realizing kids were inside the car, according to the criminal complaint. The man, identified in the complaint as Ellis-Brown, dropped his phone in the process, which was picked up by the driver. The man then followed her back inside the restaurant and tried to forcefully take back his phone, the complaint said. Wilkiewicz then stepped in and identified himself as police. During the struggle, Wilkiewicz was shot nonfatally. Ellis-Brown fled in another car with two other teens who dropped him off at his home, the complaint said. Surveillance footage from inside showed him leaving the home shortly afterwards after changing clothes. He was accompanied with another person carrying bags with various items and shoes inside. Ellis-Brown and another teen were out on bail in other felony cases at the time of the incident, according to court records. Contact Elliot Hughes at elliot.hughes@jrn.com or 414-704-8958. Follow him on Twitter @elliothughes12. Our subscribers make this reporting possible. Please consider supporting local journalism by subscribing to the Journal Sentinel at jsonline.com/deal. DOWNLOAD THE APP: Get the latest news, sports and more This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Suspect in Third Ward off-duty detective shooting taken into custody Mississippi Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann (R) announced on Monday that he and other lawmakers would work to suspend the state's gasoline tax for six months as prices skyrocket. Mississippi's current tax on gas, which goes to the state's Department of Transportation, currently is 18.4 cents per gallon. But Hosemann proposes giving the department $215 million from a capital expense fund to make up for the temporary loss, according to The Associated Press. "We can do that because we're having a very good year in Mississippi," Hosemann said at a news conference. Republican leaders, including state House Speaker Philip Gunn and Gov. Tate Reeves, have also said they want to phase out the state's income tax. Reeves has even voiced a willingness to call a special legislative session about the matter if the House and Senate reach an impasse on the issue, the AP reported. Republicans control the state House and Senate in Mississippi, though leaders of each chamber disagree about potentially reducing or eliminating income taxes in Mississippi. They also disagree on if that plan should include a sales tax increase, the wire service noted. But the temporary move on gas would come as average prices across the country have risen by nearly 80 cents in the past two weeks amid President Biden's ban on Russian oil, natural gas and coal imports. Average prices in the U.S. hit a record high of $4.43 per gallon on Saturday, $1.54 more on average than prices at this time last year. The previous record high for gas prices was $4.11 per gallon, a price recorded more than a decade ago in July 2008 during the recession. Police responding to a shooting in progress call at a Texas sushi bar arrived to find the suspect had already been taken into custody by patrons of the restaurant. Officers were called to the Houston restaurant after a panic alarm went off at RA Sushi, Bar and Restaurant at about 11:30 p.m. March 14 and several callers reported a shooting, according to a police news conference recorded by KHOU. About 40-50 people were inside the Highland Village restaurant when a 24-year-old man near the bar fired a shot at the ceiling, Sgt. Ricardo Salas said on video. At that time, a patron was able to take the gun away from the suspect, he said. In speaking to local media outlets, one of those customers said he and a friend visiting from Dallas rushed toward the shooter. We were eating, and the next thing you know, a gunshot just popped off, Patrick Robinson said, according to KTRK. So everything paused and then everybody started running to get down under a table. We got him down, apprehended him, got the gun away from him and the bag that he had, he continued. Robinson said he and one of the other responding customers are UFC fighters trained in mixed martial arts, KPRC reported. We fight for a living, so it was just quick instincts, he told KHOU. Police praised their fast response, adding that nobody was injured during the incident. If it wasnt for the quick thinking of a good Samaritan taking that gun away who would have known what could have happened, Salas said. Multiple people could have been injured out here. So were very thankful. Police did not know the shooters motive as of the press conference, but Salas said the man had narcotics and contraband with him when he was arrested. He added the shooter may have been under the influence at the time of the shooting. The man was not cooperating with police after being taken into custody, Salas said. He was wanted for failure to appear in court for a criminal mischief misdemeanor, police said, and now faces additional potential charges, including possession of a stolen gun and discharge of a firearm in a municipality. Story continues Beloved teacher found shot to death in Texas. Shocked and deeply saddened Man gunned down after he refused to hand over his keys to carjackers, Texas cops say Toddler killed herself with moms boyfriends gun, feds say. Now Texas man is charged 18-year-old suspected of killing man at McDonalds is shot days later by Texas police A woman holding a small dog walks in front of an apartment in a block which was destroyed by an artillery strike in Kyiv, Ukraine More than 3 million people have fled Ukraine close to three weeks since Russia's invasion started, the International Organization for Migration announced on Tuesday. The Russian invasion has sparked a humanitarian crisis, with one top U.S. official already saying that Russia has committed "war crimes." The invasion has triggered one of the quickest migrations in Europe in recent history. National authorities had provided figures that contributed to the International Organization for Migration's calculation, spokesperson Paul Dillon said, The Associated Press reported. Another spokesperson for the organization, Safa Msehli, said that within that figure, more than 150,000 of the refugees were third-country nationals. Three European Union leaders will be meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Tuesday in Kyiv "to confirm the unequivocal support of the entire European Union for the sovereignty and independence of Ukraine," according to Czech Republic Prime Minister Petr Fiala. While Vice President Harris traveled to Romania and Poland last week, sources confirmed to The Hill that White House officials are weighing a possible trip for the president to take to Europe. A group of Republican lawmakers is suing the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to force an end to coronavirus mask requirements on airplanes. The group of 16 GOP members of Congress is led by Representative Thomas Massie and was joined by Senator Rand Paul. The lawsuit called the current CDC guidelines an "illegal mask mandate for individuals traveling on commercial airlines. The lawsuit includes Representatives Andy Biggs, Dan Bishop, Lauren Boebert, Andrew Clyde, Warren Davidson, Bob Good, Paul Gosar, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Brian Mast, Alex Mooney, Barry Moore, Ralph Norman, Bill Posey, Matt Rosendale and Chip Roy. The politicians claim Congress did not approve the mandate and that the CDC does not have the "authority" to enforce the requirement. On 18 March the requirement was extended until 18 April, despite federal mask and vaccine passport requirements being lifted by the Biden administration. "The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention does not have the legal authority to force people traveling on commercial airlines to wear masks," Mr Massie said in a statement. "Congress never passed a law requiring masks on commercial flights." He said the lawsuit was aimed at the "faceless bureaucrats" who support the "CDC's unscientific regulation. "In honor of the TWO-YEAR ANNIVERSARY of 15 Days To Slow The Spread, I've joined 16 of my colleagues in suing the CDC to END the mask mandate on airplanes," Ms Boebert tweeted. "It should be a personal choice, not an unscientific mandate!" Masking provides some limited protection to the individual wearing it, but mask use is primarily intended to keep individuals from spreading pathogens to other people. According to the Transport Security Administration, it was working with the CDC and the federal government to devise a "revised policy framework for when, and under what circumstances, masks should be required in the public transportation corridor. Story continues The agency said the framework will be based on Covid-19 community transmission levels as well as any future emerging virus variants. The lawsuit comes a week after a group of 90 Republican members of Congress wrote a letter insisting the TSA "follow the science" and drop the mask mandates. The letter argued that "eliminating the mask mandate will provide a safer travel experience for everyone involved" as it would help to reduce the number of "unruly passengers" who become irate when forced to wear a mask. In 2021, there were a reported 5,981 incidents on flights involving passengers, with 4,920 involving masks in some way. The Nampa School Districts board on Monday selected a new trustee to replace a board member who resigned earlier this year. Marco Valle, who was chosen out of three finalists, will serve as the districts Zone 2 trustee. Valle will replace Mike Kipp, who resigned in January. Valle will be sworn in next month. In his application, Valle said he is a concerned citizen who believes in forward progress and a proactive approach to the success of our children. He described himself as a problem solver and someone who looks at things from a different perspective. He said his vision for the role included partnering with companies to provide vocational training, developing relationships with charter schools to align our vision and meet the needs of our students, teaching students about safety and prioritizing the mental health of students. Its not a question of being conservative, or Republican, or Democrat; its a question of serving our kids, Valle told the board after being selected. Sometimes I speak too loud, but I am very passionate and I will hold people accountable to what they say. And I hope people will hold me accountable. After Valle is sworn in, four of the five trustees on the Nampa school board will have assumed their roles this year. Nampa faced series of resignations When Kipp announced his resignation in January, he said he was grateful to have served as a trustee and to have received support from people in the district and the community. But he said his time in the position was difficult. The majority of my time in office has been tumultuous and challenging due to the global pandemic, he wrote. I am stepping down because I am weary, tired, and due to the toll this service has taken on my family and me. Kipp faced a failed recall effort last year. The effort stemmed from parents who were upset with his positions on COVID-19 learning protocols, including his vote to continue with remote learning, the Idaho Press reported at the time. Story continues About a week after Kipp resigned, former Superintendent Paula Kellerer announced she would also be leaving her role. Kellerer said in her resignation letter that the school board and superintendent need to create a vision that puts children first, but sometimes values and deeply held individual beliefs are too far apart. Gregg Russell, who served as assistant superintendent of teaching and learning, was named interim superintendent last month. After the resignations, parents and teachers worried about what it could mean for the district and encouraged the board to work to listen to everyone, not just those who agreed with them. Becca Savransky covers education for the Idaho Statesman in partnership with Report for America. The position is partly funded through community support. Click here to donate. Strong winds have caused a large cruise ship with thousands of passengers on board to run aground off the Dominican Republic. The 326-metre-long Norwegian Escape was heading out to sea when the incident occurred on Tuesday. A spokesperson for Norwegian Cruise Line said the Norwegian Escape "made contact with the channel bed as it was departing Puerto Plata". Passengers said they heard a loud thud and some said they felt the ship listing to one side. No passengers or crew were injured. It took seven hours to free the ship. After an initial attempt using tugboats failed, a decision was made to wait for high tide. Once freed, the Norwegian Escape returned to port for checks. Another update: gotta wait for high tide in the morning. Stuck until at least then. #NorwegianCruise #NorwegianEscape The Disney Dude (@DisneyTalk101) March 15, 2022 A statement from Norwegian reads: All guests and crew are safe, and there are no reports of damages to the ship. Operations on board have not been impacted and all services and activities continue as scheduled. The cruise has now resumed and the ship continued its voyage to the Virgin Islands. Launched in 2015, the ship carries 4,266 passengers and 1,733 crew. Gregorio Pillado, 79, stands with his medications after arriving home from his job in Chicago on Feb. 25, 2022. At left is his wife, Martina Alonso, 69. Pillado requires medications for heart and blood ailments. Because the two are undocumented immigrants, they are not eligible for social services to alleviate the strain on their living situation. Pillado and Alonso are among of the increasing number of aging undocumented workers in Illinois. (Antonio Perez/Chicago Tribune) Editors note: The Chicago Tribune and Injustice Watch teamed up to report on the challenges facing Illinois aging undocumented population in a series of stories focused on access to health care and housing. In a cold basement apartment on the Southwest Side, Gregorio Pillado and Martina Alonso count pennies and pray for relief. Advertisement Pillado, 79, has been working at a nearby meatpacking plant for 20 years, lifting thousands of pounds of frozen meats into large vats, eight hours a day, five days a week. His $16 an hour pretax is the married couples only source of income. With it, they manage to pay for their groceries, medicines, utilities and their $800 monthly rent but not much else. [ Para leer en espanol, haga clic aqui. ] Alonso, 69, used to bring in money by catering small parties and selling bags of chopped-up nopales (prickly pear), but she had to stop after she fell and injured her wrist months ago. Advertisement In the early morning hours of Feb. 10, 2022, Martina Alonso, 69, left, helps Gregorio Pillado, 79, get ready to depart for his job in a meatpacking plant in Chicago. (Antonio Perez/Chicago Tribune) Pillados health has declined dramatically over the last few years. First he had to get a pacemaker implanted. Then he had surgery to remove a hernia. Now he has another hernia, but he doesnt know whether hell be able to get it removed. His health problems make him incapable of handling his old workloads, and he worries about if or when hell get fired. Ya no tengo la misma fuerza y energia que antes. I dont have the same strength or energy as I once did, Pillado said. Se me quita el sueno cuando me pongo a pensar en que pasaria si Gregorio perdiera su trabajo. Alonso said she loses sleep ruminating over what would happen if her husband of 50 years lost his job. Pillado and Alonso have no savings, no retirement plan and no authorization to live in the U.S. Theyre far from alone. There are at least 3,900 undocumented immigrants age 65 and older living in Illinois. But by 2030, the number of undocumented seniors in the state will top 55,000 a 1,300% increase in just a decade, according to a report published by Rush University Medical Center last year. Most undocumented immigrants arrived in the country decades ago and have lived here without a viable pathway to citizenship. Mexican immigrants will make up two-thirds of the undocumented older adult populations in Illinois, followed by immigrants from Eastern Europe, Eastern and Southeastern Asia, and Central America. Now, this generation of immigrants faces the prospect of having lived and died in the shadows. Undocumented immigrants are blocked from accessing social programs that many seniors rely on, such as food stamps, public housing, Medicare and Social Security Insurance programs that they pay billions of dollars into every year. Their families and communities weave a patchwork of formal and informal resources to make up the difference. Gregorio Pillado prepares to take prescription medicine after getting home from his job on Feb. 25, 2022. Pillado takes medication for heart and blood ailments. (Antonio Perez/Chicago Tribune) The social cost for families of these older adults not having access to services that they desperately need is huge, said Padraic Stanley, a program coordinator and social worker at Rush and one of the reports lead authors. Advertisement Without a social safety net, many undocumented seniors are forced to work until they drop, said Adela Carlin, a public aid lawyer whos helped dozens of immigrants in the Chicago area access charity funds. When youre undocumented, theres no such thing as a retirement age, she said. You work until you cant anymore. There was no future there for us Pillado and Alonsos story mirrors that of many other undocumented seniors in Illinois. The couple immigrated to Chicago with their younger daughter, Rocio Pillado, then a teenager, in 2000. They came to Illinois at the tail end of a three-decades-long massive Mexican migration wave thats been in sharp decline since 2008. The couples elder daughter had already come to Chicago a few years prior, and their only son stayed in Mexico to raise his own family. Immigrating from Mexico to the U.S. without breaking the law was impossible for the family. Without a family member whos a citizen, an employer to sponsor their green card applications, or a credible fear of persecution in Mexico that would qualify them for asylum, there was no legal pathway for Pillado, Alonso and Rocio to move to the U.S. The same goes for migrants without a sponsor or asylum case from China, Pakistan, Nigeria or any other country that has had 50,000 or more residents immigrate to the U.S. in the past five years. Queriamos una casa bien bonita, said Alonso. They wanted to build a small house in their hometown, a dim prospect if they had stayed in Mexico. Martina Alonso, 69, prays inside St. Mary Star of the Sea Church in Chicago on Dec.16, 2021. (Antonio Perez/Chicago Tribune) Before they immigrated, Pillado, who never received a formal education, sold churros on the street while Alonso worked on and off at warehouses and factories. There was no future there for us, Alonso said. The family hired coyotes to help them cross the border illegally. Pillado came first, hoping to secure a job, but he was quickly apprehended and detained by immigration officers. When they hadnt heard from Pillado for months, Alonso and Rocio made their way to the border, hoping to reconnect with him on the other side. But immigration officials had deported Pillado back to Mexico. When he found out his family had left for the U.S., he crossed the border again as quickly as he could. He wasnt caught the second time. I came back for my family, he said. Advertisement [ Pareja de inmigrantes regresa a Mexico para jubilarse tras tres decadas de trabajar en Chicago: Es el sueno de muchos indocumentados ] Under current immigration law its nearly impossible for the family to legalize its status especially for Pillado, whose prior deportation puts him on the fast-track for immediate removal from the country if immigration officials apprehend him. And even if Alonso and Rocio managed to get a green card sponsor, they would have to leave the U.S. for at least three years, and up to 10, before being allowed to come back legally assuming the application even goes through, which in itself takes years to process and often ends up costing thousands of dollars in application fees and lawyers fees. These roadblocks are rooted in a 1996 law signed by then-President Bill Clinton. In essence, the law known as the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigration Responsibility Act made it harder for people to legally immigrate to the U.S. and made it easier for the federal government to deport them. Many immigration scholars agree that these restrictions incentivized undocumented immigrants to hunker down in the U.S., freezing them in place at the risk of being banished from the country. So, in Chicago, thats what Pillado, Alonso and Rocio did. Back up plan? Sell nopales It didnt take Pillado long to secure a job at the meatpacking plant; and Alonso and Rocio found work through temp agencies. They kept expenses low by living together in a small apartment in the Back of the Yards neighborhood. The two-unit building they lived in was owned by a distant family member who lived upstairs. The idea was to pay off the mortgage together and get some equity out of it, so they could return to Mexico to retire. Gregorio Pillado, 79, takes a nap following dinner and a long shift at work on Dec. 16, 2021. (Antonio Perez/Chicago Tribune) The three of them lived in the apartment for about seven years, but the house went belly-up during the Great Recession, forcing the family to spend much of its savings on moving and finding a new place to live. Then in 2016, an even greater tragedy hit the family: The couples son in Mexico unexpectedly died at age 35, leaving his wife and three children behind. Nunca lo volvi a ver, es el dolor mas grande que tengo, I never saw him again. Its the deepest pain I carry, Alonso said. The couple now sends money to their grandchildren in Mexico every time they can another reason why they keep working into their old age. Para la escuela o lo que necesiten, for school or whatever they need, she said. Advertisement In the five years since their sons death, Pillado and Alonsos dream of returning to their homeland has faded. Without their son to take care of them in Mexico, the couple now depend exclusively on their daughters in their twilight years. Their elder daughter now has two children of her own, meaning that most of the caretaking duties fall on Rocio, 36, whos also undocumented. With many social services cut off to undocumented seniors, family members and community organizations are forced to fill in the gaps left by the state. That compounds the historic income and health inequities between undocumented immigrants and citizens, Carlin said. Theres always been a generational and a racial wealth gap, and so these workers started behind everybody else, she said. And theyre not able to catch up by age 65 or 70. [ We look forward to this all year long: Hundreds of immigrants make dayslong road trip to reunite with families in Mexico ] And research shows that as undocumented immigrants get older, they begin to rely more heavily on their children for basic needs like food and housing, which puts a burden on the next generation. Rob Paral, a Chicago demographer and expert on the states immigrant population trends whose research was used in the Rush report, estimates that 70% of undocumented immigrants age 55 and older in Illinois live in multigenerational households, compared with 28% of native-born older adults. Rocio lived with her parents well into her 30s, moving with them from the two-flat in Back of the Yards to their cramped basement apartment in West Lawn. She put off her own dreams of buying a house to continue to care for them. Rocio Pillado, center, visits her parents, Gregorio Pillado and Martina Alonso, as they take Rocio's dog for a walk in Chicago on March 14, 2022. (Antonio Perez/Chicago Tribune) When she finally moved into her own apartment with her longtime partner in November, they rented a place a short drive away from her parents basement unit. I felt like I needed to start building my own life. I know that they need me, but I also needed to start doing things on my own, she said. But Rocio remains her parents primary caretaker. She brings them groceries, helps pay their bills, and takes days off work to take them to their doctors appointments. Those trips, which became more frequent over the last few years, eventually cost her a job at a warehouse. Advertisement Gregorio Pillado, right, hugs and kisses his wife, Martina Alonso, goodbye before heading to his job in a meatpacking plant in Chicago. (Antonio Perez/Chicago Tribune) It didnt take long for Rocio to find a new job. But it quickly dawned on her that at some point soon, her parents wont be able to work anymore and that shes their only lifeline. Like her parents, Rocio dreams of owning a house, one big enough to fit her and her parents. But shes unsure how long itll take her dream to materialize; she makes less than $20 an hour and is unable to save much at the end of the month. Rocio hopes that Congress provides her and her parents with a viable path to citizenship. But even then, she puts her parents ahead of herself. Si a mi me pusieran a escoger entre ellos y yo, If I had to choose between giving citizenship to my parents or me, she said, yo diria ellos. I would say to them. For now, the familys plan is for Pillado to keep working and for Alonso to start cooking again if she recovers. And if Pillado loses his job, pues a hacer lucha con los nopales, Alonso said with a half smile. Sell nopales, I guess, she said. larodriguez@chicagotribune.com carlosballesteros@injusticewatch.org Happy Wednesday, neighbors! Let's get this day started. Here's what's happening today in Atlanta. First, today's weather: Occasional rain. High: 61 Low: 49. One of the easiest ways to connect with local customers and stay top-of-mind in town is to sponsor the Atlanta Daily. Click here to learn more. Here are the top 5 stories today in Atlanta: A concrete stairwell collapsed, killing a worker at an apartment in northwest Atlanta Tuesday afternoon, Atlanta Fire Rescue said. Atlanta police, fire crews and EMS responded to the accident at 1220 Gun Club Road following reports that the stairwell fell on a construction worker at the Hollywood/Shawnee apartment complex. The man, who wasnt breathing when police arrived, died a short time later, according to a spokesperson. Representatives from Atlanta Gas Light headed to the scene, as well, since the falling concrete struck a gas meter, and released a statement saying the falling debris did not cause any leaks. (Free: WSB Atlanta; Subscription: The Atlanta Journal Constitution) After two years of quarantine, the Atlanta Science Festival is back in full force, featuring two weeks of hands-on and online scientific fun through March 26 for enthusiasts of all ages. Saturday, Georgia Tech physics professor Sabetta Matsumoto and artist and architect Amy Landesberg discussed some common threads between art and science during "Conversations in Creativity," presented by Science Gallery and WABE at Pullman Yards. The Atlanta Science Festival will feature 100 events capped off with the Exploration Expo March 26 from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. at Piedmont Park. (WABE 90.1 FM) Georgia has recorded the fewest confirmed COVID cases since the delta variant began its surge in July 2021. According to the Georgia Department of Public Health, there were 182 confirmed cases of COVID-19 on Monday. The last time numbers were that low was July 4, 2021, when DPH recorded 182 cases. This week is the two-year anniversary of the World Health Organization declaring the COVID-19 epidemic to be a global pandemic. In the past two weeks, confirmed COVID-related deaths have decreased by about 30 percent and hospitalizations are down 37 percent, according to Channel 2 Action News. (Atlanta Patch) Monday, dozens of residents and local advocates protested the city of Atlantas planned removal of an installation on Peachtree Street downtown that dedicated two lanes to walkers and bicyclists. For over 200 days, a city-sponsored pilot program to reimagine three blocks of Peachtree, between Baker and Ellis streets, featured bollards and planters that protected lanes from cars on both sides of Peachtree. Thursday, the city announced that the pilot project was coming to an end this week, catching supporters by surprise, especially since future phases of the project had been partially funded. The day before the announcement that the installation would be taken down, in fact, the Atlanta Regional Commission approved a $1.2 million grant for the project, with the city contributing an additional $300,000. Officials havent said what could happen to those funds. (Free: Urbanizecity.com; Subscription: The Atlanta Journal Constitution) Walmart and Capital One are locating tech hubs in Atlanta, bringing hundreds of tech jobs to the city. The announcements are a reflection of major employers being increasingly drawn to the metro area, citing its growing number of technology graduates from colleges like Georgia Tech and efforts to boost racial diversity in tech ranks.Walmarts Global Tech division will be hiring 140 in fields such as data science and software engineering. Capital One said it will be filling hundreds of jobs for engineer positions focused on cloud, data, machine learning and cybersecurity, as well as product managers. While Walmart has not yet found office space, Capital One said its 15,000 square foot office will be located in Ponce City Market in the Old Fourth Ward. (Free: Bexarcountynewsonline.com; Subscription: The Atlanta Journal Constitution) From our sponsor: Story continues Todays newsletter is brought to you by Ring, a Patch Brand Partner. We all know that Ring is the leader in video doorbells for home security. But did you know that Ring now makes a home security system that is getting raves from consumer electronic experts? (Reviewers at CNET called the new system known as the Ring Alarm Pro a giant leap for home security). So why the kudos? In a nutshell: the Ring Alarm Pro can protect your home both online and off. It includes a built-in eero Wi-Fi 6 router to help you get reliable physical and digital security in one, innovative device. Now you can help protect your home with all of the benefits of the Ring Alarm, to keep your home safe and secure, while experiencing fast, reliable connectivity. To learn more about the system CNET called the future of home security or to build your own custom system, you can visit Ring here. Today in Atlanta: Leprechauns on the Loose at DeKalb County Public Library (All day) Free Walk-Up COVID-19 vaccine/booster clinics in partnership with the Dekalb County Board of Health. You don't need an appointment, ID, proof of citizenship or health insurance. Open to the entire Oglethorpe and DeKalb community! (10:00 AM) L5P Biz Association member meeting at Little Five Points Center for Arts and Community. (10:00 AM) Women in Design Breakfast, part of Georgia's Womens History Month featuring panel discussions, masterclasses and practical workshops to support and celebrate women's careers, education and business ventures. (11:00 AM) The Atlanta Science Festival is a two-week celebration of local science and technology taking place March 12-26 throughout metro Atlanta. Explore the world of STEM with approximately 100 engaging events for kids and adults. Learn more: atlantasciencefestival.org. (1:00 PM) From my notebook: Nextdoor Neighbor, Cooks Landing: "Jovan Trash Hauling Services special for the month of March. Book your appointment today. Let's get those cars in the garage, safe from criminals and the sun! #jovantrashhaul #jovanenterprisesllc #trashhaul #junkremoval text 404-759-8841" (Nextdoor) Nextdoor Neighbor, Briarlake: "Cedar waxwings! Before we get too far into spring (which I love), I wanted to post these photos of cedar waxwings that I took in our neighborhood in February. They are such fascinating birds. Don't they look like masked bandits?" (Nextdoor) Nextdoor Neighbor, Charleston Pointe: "Hi Neighbors! I hope each of you are doing well! Our Troop still has Girl Scout Cookies for sale. Everything pictured here is whats left. " (Nextdoor) Nextdoor Neighbor, Midtown West: "Hey neighbors! If you didn't hear, Mayor Dickens announced the immediate demolition of the shared Peachtree space at Andrew Young International Boulevard and Peachtree Street. If you like having pedestrian-friendly additions to our town and moving toward a greener city, please take a few seconds to check out www.savesafepeachtree.org and if you agree with what you see, sign the petition. Thank you!" (Nextdoor) Nextdoor Neighbor, Summerhill: "March 18: Get vaccinated! Free gift cards while supply lasts." (Nextdoor) More from our sponsors thanks for supporting local news! Events: Announcements: Online Mental Health Therapy (Details) Add your announcement Other classifieds: Are you a parent or guardian in the Greater Atlanta area? (Details) Add your classified Loving the Atlanta Daily? Here are all the ways you can get more involved: Send a friend or neighbor this link so they can subscribe Get your local business showcased in front of readers Send me a news tip or suggestion at atlanta@patch.com Now you're in the loop and ready to head out the door on this Wednesday! See you all tomorrow morning for your next update. Kathy Cioffi This article originally appeared on the Atlanta Patch A New York City woman is accused of kidnapping and torturing a man she met on Instagram for more than 12 hours while demanding a $100,000 ransom from his brother, authorities said Tuesday. Valerie Rosario, 21, is alleged to have "lured" the unidentified victim, 24, to a Bronx apartment on Feb. 7, police said. At least two men with firearms are alleged to have waited until he went inside and then entered the apartment after him. One of the men hit the victim with a pistol, according to a complaint provided by the Manhattan District Attorneys Office. The suspects undressed the victim and put him in a bathtub, the complaint says. They then poured flammable liquid on him, burned him with a flame and repeatedly stabbed him with a knife, it alleges. An apartment complex on Marble Hill Avenue in the Bronx. (Google maps) Around 2:40 p.m., the victim's brother said he received a FaceTime call and saw three masked individuals surrounding the victim, the complaint states. One of the suspects cut the victim while stating, Give us $100,000 or we will kill him," according to the complaint. Police said the victim was later driven from the Bronx apartment to a location in Queens, where a detective saw one of the suspects in a van with a knife. The suspect, Javier Vargas, 24, of the Bronx, was arrested Feb. 7 and charged with robbery, assault, kidnapping and unlawful imprisonment. The victim was in the back of the van wrapped in a moving blanket with his nose and mouth covered with tape, police said. He was taken to the hospital in stable condition. Rosario and another suspect, Michael Candelario, were taken into custody Wednesday and charged with attempted murder, robbery, assault, kidnapping and unlawful imprisonment. Rosario was arraigned last week. Judge Soma Syed remanded her into custody, granting a request from prosecutors. Raymond Loving, Rosario's lawyer, said she denies all allegations against her. The two other defendants were also arraigned and remain in custody. Their attorneys could not immediately be reached for comment. CLEVELAND Mike Gibbons, whom polls show emerging as a top contender in Ohios Republican Senate primary, was scheduled to meet Tuesday with former President Donald Trump at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, two sources familiar with the plans said. Gibbons, an investment banker, is the latest candidate in the race to seek a private audience with Trump, who has not endorsed anyone but has shown increasing interest in the GOP field. And meetings with Trump can be consequential, even without an endorsement. Businessman Bernie Moreno ended his campaign last month immediately after he huddled with Trump, saying they had agreed that too many Trump candidates were running. Two other Republican candidates former state Treasurer Josh Mandel and author J.D. Vance also met with Trump in recent weeks. The primary is scheduled for May 3, but it could be moved back because of delays finalizing new state legislative and congressional maps. Several recent polls, both public and private, have shown Gibbons pulling into a tie for first place with Mandel, the longtime front-runner. A Fox News survey released last week had Gibbons at 22 percent, followed by Mandel, at 20 percent, and Vance, at 11 percent. Also competing are Jane Timken, the former state party chair, and state Sen. Matt Dolan. Gibbons, who is largely self-funding his campaign, also leads the field in advertising, having spent more than $8 million through Tuesday, according to the ad tracking firm AdImpact. He has also been touring the state for months in a large charter-style bus emblazoned with his name. I dont think I could do more, because I am on the road every day, he said in an interview last week. Im going to go to every nook and cranny in this state that will listen to me. Trump and other Republicans have shown particular concern about the candidacy of Dolan, the only leading contender who is not aggressively competing for Trumps endorsement. Morenos exit hinted at concern about Dolan. A self-funder whose family owns the Cleveland Guardians, Dolan is running as a traditional Republican in the style of Sen. Rob Portman, whose decision not to seek re-election has opened the seat. And Dolans poll numbers have improved since his ads began blitzing Ohios TV and radio airwaves. On the Democratic side, Rep. Tim Ryan is the front-runner in a primary that includes the progressive activist Morgan Harper. In the opening statements of Billy Ray Turner's first-degree murder trial, both the prosecuting and defense attorneys asked the jurors a question: What does it take to kill a man? According to Shelby County Asst. Dist. Atty. Paul Hagerman, the murder of Memphian and NBA star Lorenzen Wright took a plan and an evil heart not Turner's heart, but that of Wright's ex-wife, Sherra Wright. Hagerman painted a picture of Turner, 51, who was Sherra Wright's yardman, as a key participant in the plan to lure Wright from his Atlanta home to Memphis, and then to the grassy field in southeast Shelby County where he was shot to death just after midnight on July 19, 2010. Sherra Wright, Hagerman argued, did not have a criminal history. But she did have jealousy, greed, and "$2 million reasons." "So she had to reach out to people that she trusted or that were indebted to her," Hagerman said. Turner, he said, was Sherra Wright's friend, yardman, and secret love interest, and those three qualities left him vulnerable to Sherra Wright's manipulation. Related: Trial of Lorenzen Wright murder suspect is underway with jury selection Previous coverage: Sherra Wright abandons effort to have her sentence reduced in killing of husband Lorenzen Wright Jimmie Martin, Sherra Wright's cousin, was an individual with a shadowy criminal history and who was indebted to Sherra Wright. Sherra Wright, Hagerman said, had paid for Martin's bond and his attorney fees as he moved through his trial for murdering his girlfriend (Martin is currently serving a sentence on this conviction). Together, Martin and Turner completed the triad of Wright's killers. Hagerman played the audio of the 911 call that pinged to a Germantown dispatcher. The audio contained what was likely Wright's last word, an expletive, followed by 11 gunshots. Dispatchers who fielded Wright's call tried calling him back to no avail; they were unable to pick up Wright's location, and did nothing more, according to the federal complaint filed when Wright's family filed a $2 million lawsuit against the City of Germantown (the family settled with the city in 2013 for $135,000). Story continues Because the dispatcher waited nine days, Hagerman said, police missed the initial chance to gather bullet casings and the gun they belonged to, which was found tossed in some bushes. Police would have questioned Sherra Wright and possibly found the last text she sent, to Turner, before the crime was committed. They would have also found blood on a barbed wire fence that did not belong to Wright. But because the City of Germantown failed to do so, Hagerman said, the three conspirators in Wright's death had time to come up with a plan to clean the crime scene and align their stories. As Wright's body decomposed in the blistering July sun, his three killers also had time to retrieve the murder weapon and drop it into a lake in Walnut, Mississippi, where it would stay for several years while the case grew cold. Defense points to Billy Ray Turner's life and Jimmie Martin's past in rebuke of murder allegation Turner's defense attorney, John Perry, also opened with his own version of the same question. "What does it take to kill a pillar of this community?" Perry asked. "What would it take to kill a seven-foot basketball star?" The answer to those questions, Perry said, are found in examining motives and evidence that finger Sherra Wright and Martin as Wright's killers, not Turner. It was Martin, Perry said, who changed facts frequently when talking to investigators. It was Martin who described Turner as Sherra Wright's "secret love interest." And it was Martin who stood to benefit from immunity from prosecution in Wright's death, a permanent, "get out of jail free card." Turner, Perry argued, was not a straggler with limited means who showed up to cut Sherra Wright's grass. He was instead a business owner, with his own truck and his own equipment. He also owned a motorcycle, another sign of a well-established life. Turner's criminal history includes a year and a half stint in prison in his early twenties. But, Perry said, he lived his life "straight as an arrow" after his release. The kind of person needed to orchestrate Wright's murder, Perry said, is the same person who is sitting in prison right now for killing their intimate partner Martin. The same kind of person who would ask Turner to borrow his car, and in turn set him up. "It takes a punk's heart, that's sitting in prison right now, for taking a firearm and shooting his fiance, that he lives with, to death," Perry said. As Perry continued his attempt to prime Martin as the more likely suspect, he pointed to Martin's information to investigators as automatically suspicious because of the timing 23 days after being convicted for murder. And in the time between his initial statements to investigators in 2012 until after the gun was found in 2017, Turner changed the details of his story. "The state of Tennessee made a big ol' mistake," Perry said, "They gave [Martin] a permanent get-out-of-jail-free card. They signed a contract that says no matter what you say... if it changes, if it weaves, if it bobs...there's nothing new we're going to do to you." Investigators referred to Martin as an "unindicted co-conspirator" in 2018 until a hearing for Sherra Wright, when Martin was named. Perry called the idea of an unindicted co-conspirator a "farce." Text exchanges mentioning logistics around Wright's murder date occurred between Martin and Sherra Wright, not Tuner, Perry said. When the jury does listen to the testimony of a convicted killer, they will likely see the truth. "The jury will have to jump over hurdles, consistently, to find Billy Turner guilty," Perry said. Micaela Watts is a reporter for The Commercial Appeal and can be reached at micaela.watts@commercialappeal.com. This story will be updated. This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Lorenzen Wright murder trial opening statements from Billy Ray Turner Welcome to Tuesday's Overnight Health Care, where we're following the latest moves on policy and news affecting your health. Subscribe here: thehill.com/newsletter-signup. The Senate quietly approved a proposal that would make daylight saving time permanent, setting off a major debate between early risers and night owls as to which group deserves to be prioritized. Today we'll look at the White House stepping up its warning over COVID-19 funding and why that doesn't necessarily mean there's any progress on passing it. For The Hill, we're Peter Sullivan (psullivan@thehill.com), Nathaniel Weixel (nweixel@thehill.com), and Joseph Choi (jchoi@thehill.com). Write to us with tips and feedback, and follow us on Twitter: @PeterSullivan4 @NateWeixel and @JosefChoi. Let's get started. Virus response cutbacks detailed The warnings from the White House about a lack of COVID-19 funding are getting louder, but there's still no clear path forward in Congress. Among the new consequences outlined Tuesday: The allocation of monoclonal antibody treatments to states will be cut by 30 percent starting next week and the supply of the treatments could be totally exhausted by May. The government will not have enough money to buy vaccine doses for all Americans if a fourth shot is needed or if a modified vaccine to fight a new variant is required. Testing capacity will decline starting in June. Path forward cloudy: Senate Republicans are insisting the funds be fully paid for, while a group of House Democrats objected to one of the offsets, rescinding a fraction of aid to states from a previous relief package, leaving no clear path forward for the funds. Despite the urgency of the request, administration officials did not provide any path forward through Congress on Tuesday, saying they would "defer to Congress" on the legislative specifics. While Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said on Monday that she hopes to vote on "at least part" of the funding this week, an administration official said the White House is not discussing reducing its request and is still pushing for its full request of $22.5 billion. Story continues Read more here. PFIZER TO ASK FDA TO AUTHORIZE SECOND BOOSTER FOR THOSE 65+ Pfizer will ask the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to authorize a second COVID-19 vaccine booster dose for adults over the age of 65, per multiple reports. The FDA and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) would need to sign off on the request, which could happen quickly once the data are reviewed. Pfizer is reportedly basing its submission on data from Israel, one of the only countries where a second booster shot has been approved for some people. While it's not clear which data from Israel could be used, preliminary results were mixed; a fourth dose lowered the risk of infection among people over 60, and substantially lowered the risk of severe illness. But a fourth shot was not as effective at preventing mild or asymptomatic infection among younger health workers, raising questions as to its value in that population. It's also not clear how a second booster would perform against other variants, should they arise. Chile and Germany have also begun giving a fourth COVID-19 shot for those in high-risk groups. While cases in the U.S. have continued to drop, a small surge has been observed in Europe and Asia due to the BA.2 strain. Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla in recent days has said the company is close to submitting data on the need for a fourth dose. Studies show immunity wanes over time after a third dose, especially against the omicron variant. Read more here. CDC SEWER DATA SUGGESTS BUMP IN US COVID-19 CASES About a third of wastewater sampling sites across the U.S. are showing an uptick in COVID-19 cases, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In the 15-day period running from Feb. 24 to March 10, 145 wastewater sampling sites out of 401 active sites revealed an increase of 10 percent or more in coronavirus wastewater levels, the CDC data table shows. Sixty-two of those sites showed an increase of 1,000 percent or more, while 48 increased anywhere from 100 percent to 999 percent. Examining wastewater through household and building toilets, showers and sinks, as well as non-household sources like rain and industrial uses, does not identify confirmed cases but provides an early warning about the rise of COVID-19. Amy Kirby, the program lead for the CDC's National Wastewater Surveillance System, said last month that 40 percent to 80 percent of people who have COVID-19 shed viral RNA in their feces. Read more here. Senate panel advances pandemic prep bill Sen. P Murray The Senate Health Committee on Tuesday advanced on a broad bipartisan vote a bill aimed at improving preparedness for future pandemics. The 20-2 vote, with GOP Sens. Rand Paul (Ky.) and Mike Braun (Ind.) voting no, illustrates that there are some areas for bipartisan cooperation around improving the country's response to pandemics, even amid a fierce battle over funding. One of the most notable aspects of the wide-ranging measure is the establishment of a task force modeled after the 9/11 Commission to investigate both the U.S. response to COVID-19 and the origins of the pandemic, a fraught subject that has included debate over whether the cause could have been a lab leak in China. There are multiple probes of the U.S. response underway in Congress, but they're contentiously split along partisan lines. Democrats are focused on investigating the Trump administration for political interference, while Republicans are focused on questions about the pandemic's origin. The money: The legislation includes changes such as creating an Office of Pandemic Preparedness in the White House, improving public health communication and data collection, and making the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention a Senate-confirmed position with a strategic plan developed every four years. But it does not directly include major new funding. It would authorize some new funding that could be approved by Congress through the annual appropriations process. Read more here. GET IN THE KNOW Sign up for NotedDC: The Hill's insider take on the heartbeat of politics and policy. Feds provide $2B to cover COVID-19 funerals The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) on Tuesday announced that more than $2 billion in funding has been allotted for funeral costs of about 300,000 American families that lost a loved one since the COVID-19 pandemic began. "FEMA's COVID-19 Funeral Assistance program has helped provide over 300,000 people with critical financial relief during a time of such unexpected, unimaginable and widespread loss," FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell said in a statement. Under the COVID-19 Funeral Assistance program, up to $9,000 in funeral expenses are covered per person. On average, about $6,500 has been given to families per death, the agency said. Reaching out: To raise awareness of funeral cost assistance, FEMA will be launching an ad campaign in four states with high rates of coronavirus-related deaths: New York, Pennsylvania, Texas and California. In order for families to be eligible for assistance, they must provide death certificates that show evidence that COVID-19 was the cause of death of a loved one who died after May 16, 2020. Read more here. WHAT WE'RE READING Better air in classrooms matters beyond COVID. Here's why schools aren't there yet (NPR) As virus data mounts, the J.&J. vaccine holds its own (New York Times) What rising Covid-19 infections in the UK and Europe could mean for the US (CNN) STATE BY STATE Want vulnerable Californians to have healthier pregnancies? Doulas say the state must pay up (Kaiser Health News) Families are desperate for child care, but providers face a "roller coaster" trying to survive (Texas Tribune) Oklahoma Senate passes bill to change health commissioner requirement (KSWO) OP-EDS IN THE HILL Is a COVID-19 spring break surge inevitable? That's it for today, thanks for reading. Check out The Hill's health care page for the latest news and coverage. See you Wednesday. The latest Polo Ralph Lauren collection draws inspiration from HBCUs. (Photo: Nadine Ijewere/Polo Ralph Lauren) Polo Ralph Lauren will release a capsule collection inspired by Spelman, Morehouse and collegiate Black fashion's impact on American style and evolution. The HBCU (historically Black colleges and universities)-influenced collection, which launches on March 29, will feature outerwear, knits, tailored suits, dresses, footwear and accessories designed by Spelman and Morehouse alumni who work at the company. This capsule marks the first time the brand has produced a campaign with an all-Black cast, utilizing talent from students, faculty and alumni at both institutions. Acclaimed fashion photographer Nadine Ijewere lensed the shoot. Polo Ralph Lauren's director of concept design and special projects, James Jeter, is a 2013 graduate of Morehouse College and the creative powerhouse behind the capsule collection. Jeter drew inspiration from old Spelman and Morehouse yearbooks for the collection. The designs will pay homage to the styles worn at Spelman and Morehouse from the 1920s to 1950s and showcase the sartorial prestige and distinction present at HBCUs during that era. "A lot of this project was really about changing ownership around how we think about clothing. So who owns three-piece suits? Who owns cable cardigans? Who owns the circle skirt, for instance? And while it's typically and historically been relegated to Ivy League schools, if you see a lot of these archival images from [Morehouse and] Spelman, that has really helped to inform a lot of the way that we approached not only the design but the way that we approached the campaigns as well,"Jeter told WWD. This collection's archival nod to HBCU fashion is a part of a larger push to reshape outdated narratives and showcase the American dream from a more inclusive lens. "It's so much more than a portrayal of a collegiate design sensibility. It's about sharing a more complete and authentic portrait of American style and of the American dream ensuring stories of Black life and experiences are embedded in the inspiration and aspiration of our brand," said fashion designer Ralph Lauren in a press release. Story continues The Ralph Lauren collection will be available to global consumers on March 29. (Photo: Nadine Ijewere/Polo Ralph Lauren) The announcement has received mixed reviews on social media. While some are excited at the prospect of a legacy luxury brand prioritizing Black institutions and their contributions to fashion, others are skeptical of the antiquated style of clothing and prioritization of certain HBCUs by larger institutions. Something is a bit offWASPY/preppy style was a self preservation tool for many generations of Black ppl. The thought of likening ones self to whiteness would make you safe/seen. The same is seen in Gay history. Leveraging prep to pass/masc. That stuff goes unacknowledged imo https://t.co/QNyguVKsKK Shelby Ivey Christie (@bronze_bombSHEL) March 15, 2022 "Something is a bit off WASPY/preppy style was a self-preservation tool for many generations of Black [people]," tweeted Shelby Ivey Christie, a fashion and costume historian. "The thought of likening ones self to whiteness would make you safe/seen." Other people have shared their thoughts on HBCUs such as Spelman and Morehouse receiving more mainstream attention than other historically Black colleges and universities. Related video: Shoe retailer DSW partners with HBCU design students "Love what Ralph Lauren did for Spelman and Morehouse, but I would really appreciate if larger companies, like Polo, would expand to other HBCUs for campaigns like this," read one tweet. "I wish brands, celebrities and donors would realize there are other HBCUs than Morehouse, Spelman and Howard," read another. Christie also acknowledged the "white histories" embedded in some HBCUs that may influence the opportunities and collaborations they get. Her tweets also pointed out that the collaboration is not between Morehouse and its actual sister school, Bennett College, but instead with Spelman, the No.1 HBCU in the country. And Ive said before that many private HBCUs like those two have very white histories. White founders, namesakes, presidents for decades. So. Shelby Ivey Christie (@bronze_bombSHEL) March 15, 2022 This isnt meant to ruffle feathers 2 things can be true at once. Spelhouse is real + important to those institutions AND more can be done to include Bennett especially given the financial hardship they faced a couple years ago. Thats just my opinion. Im not tussling over it. Shelby Ivey Christie (@bronze_bombSHEL) March 15, 2022 Beyond clothing, the Polo Ralph Lauren campaign will also feature a film, A Portrait of the American Dream, and a commemorative yearbook available on March 28 and March 29, respectively. This collaboration is an expansion of Ralph Lauren's continued partnership with Spelman and Morehouse and their commitments to address systemic racism and racial inequity. In December 2021, Ralph Lauren announced a $2 million commitment to support scholarships for Black, African and African American students, including those at Morehouse, Spelman and 10 additional HBCUs. Want lifestyle and wellness news delivered to your inbox? Sign up here for Yahoo Lifes newsletter. Are the days when nature is healing now behind us? (Getty) You may already have heard of the "anthropause," the global decline in activity caused by lockdowns and other Covid-19 restrictions. Now, scientists say, the world may be on the cusp of an "anthropulse". Named by Professor Christian Rutz, from the University of St Andrews, who also coined the term anthropause, the anthropulse refers to a boom in activity as pandemic rules are lifted and people travel more freely. This would likely have a negative impact on the natural world, as traffic, flights, industrial and commercial activities all rise, leading to greater levels of greenhouse gas emissions and other kinds of pollution. While the expression "nature is healing" gained currency during lockdowns, the opposite may be the case as the anthropulse takes effect. "As restrictions are gradually being lifted, a surge in travel activity beyond pre-pandemic levels or anthropulse seems imminent," the St Andrews team said. Professor Rutz has called for coordinated action to study the impacts. He said that measuring the effects of pauses and pulses in human mobility on wild animals and their environments will help us plan for a more sustainable future. With people keen to make up for time lost over the last two years, and planning to see friends and family, or enjoy an overdue holiday, this could cause a global spike in human mobility, said Prof Rutz. Professor Richard Primack, a conservation biologist from Boston University in the US, said: The pandemic caused endless suffering but, as scientists, we simply cannot afford to miss the opportunity to assess the environmental consequences of these pauses and pulses in human mobility. Dr Marlee Tucker, a movement ecologist at Radboud University in the Netherlands, who collaborates with Prof Rutz on several animal-tracking projects, said: There are very important lessons we can learn for conservation biology and environmental planning. "We are doing this work to search for innovative ways of mitigating adverse environmental impacts. Story continues One such project is already underway. The Covid-19 bio-logging initiative is a project which Professor Rutz helped launch in May 2020, and investigates wildlife movements before, during and after Covid-19 lockdowns. Using data collected with tiny animal-attached electronic devices called "bio-loggers", the team has amassed more than one billion GPS location records for some 13,000 tagged animals from all around the world including birds, mammals and a variety of marine species. The research team said they hope to understand better how different aspects of human activity affect the natural world, including the movements of people, various types of motorised traffic, and associated pollution levels. Ultimately, they hope, this period of crisis may allow humanity to identify a clear path towards building a more sustainable future. The research is published in the journal Nature Reviews Earth and Environment. CHICAGO The Chicago police officer who fatally shot 13-year-old Adam Toledo in Little Village last year will not face criminal charges, Cook County States Attorney Kim Foxx announced at a news conference Tuesday. The officer who killed 22-year-old Anthony Alvarez in a shooting on the Northwest Side just days later also will not be charged, Foxx said. Nearly a year after the shootings, prosecutors concluded that they could not meet the necessary burden of proof to bring charges, Foxx said during what she called a somber announcement. There are no winners in this very tragic situation, she said. In keeping with policy, the office of the Illinois States Attorneys Appellate Prosecutor also reviewed the cases and agreed that the officers should not be charged, Foxx said. Toledo was the youngest person to be fatally shot by Chicago police in years. His death sparked an outcry that only intensified after the release of graphic footage from body-worn cameras and surveillance video. In a split second, Toledo stops running from Officer Eric Stillman, tosses a gun behind a fence, turns toward the officer, raises his hands and is shot, video shows. All those actions happened almost simultaneously, Foxx said. While surveillance footage captured from the other side of the fence makes it clear Toledo lobbed the gun away, video from the body-worn camera mounted on Stillmans chest does not clearly show Toledo throwing the gun. Stillman believed Toledo was turning toward him to shoot him, Foxx said. Weve concluded that there was no evidence to prove that Officer Stillman acted with criminal intent, Foxx said at a news conference Tuesday. Officer Stillman fired only one shot. Officer Stillman explained that after he fired the one time, he saw Adams right hand was empty, he assessed the situation and did not fire again because he believed the threat no longer existed. Also Tuesday, Toledos family filed a wrongful-death lawsuit against the city and Stillman, saying the officers use of deadly force was unjustified and excessive, records show. Story continues Adam never brandished, pointed, or otherwise threatened Stillman with a firearm or any other weapon whatsoever, the suit states. A spokesperson from the citys Law Department said they had not yet been formally served with the lawsuit and declined to comment further, citing pending litigation. In a statement, attorneys for the Toledo family said they would be contacting the U.S. Department of Justices Civil Rights Division to address this horrific travesty. Despite the painful loss of Adam, the Toledo family continues to call for peace on the streets of Chicago as they pursue justice through the court system, the statement read. Just two days later, Alvarez was running from police on the Northwest Side, carrying a gun in one hand and a cellphone in the other. He stumbled as he ran, but Officer Evan Solano did not see him slip and fall, Foxx said. (Solano) observed Mr. Alvarez in a crouching position with a handgun in his right hand, Foxx said, noting that the officer believed that Mr. Alvarez was waiting to ambush him. He also observed Mr. Alvarez looking back at him while running with the gun in his hand, Foxx said. He thought Mr. Alvarez was turning to shoot toward him and his partner, who he believed was behind him. Solano ordered Alvarez to drop the gun and then fired several shots. Both Toledo and Alvarez were shot in the course of foot chases, which led to calls for a set of guidelines governing police foot pursuits. Alvarezs family has filed a lawsuit alleging the city bears responsibility for the death in part because police had no such policy. While the city implemented a temporary policy in May, a couple of months after the shootings, the final guidance is in its last stages of completion after rounds of community feedback. Foxx said Tuesday she has concerns about foot pursuits, which can be dangerous for both police and civilians, she said. In particular, Solano and his partner created the conditions which the use of deadly force became necessary, she said. There was no need to begin chasing Alvarez in the first place, Foxx said. While Alvarez had fled from police when they tried to make a traffic stop the night before, officers knew his home address and could have found him there if they wanted to question him, Foxx said. Alvarez was not committing any apparent crimes when officers approached him, and he would not even have been arrested for the traffic offenses from the night before, Foxx said. Solano may have committed several errors during the foot chase as well, Foxx said, such as rounding corners blind and not waiting for his partner when he saw Alvarez with a gun, Foxx said. These policy violations may have further exacerbated the conditions that led to this deadly encounter, she said. Solano was stripped of his badge and police powers and placed on paid desk duty in June pending an investigation by the Civilian Office of Police Accountability. It wasnt immediately clear why Solano was stripped two months after the shooting took place. Stillman, meanwhile, has not been stripped of his police powers and remains on full duty, Chicago police confirmed. Foxx said she met with members of the Toledo and Alvarez families earlier Tuesday, and acknowledged that prosecutors decisions were profoundly disappointing to them. The grief on their mothers, their fathers, family members faces was almost unbearable, she said. To lose a child is beyond what any of us would want to imagine. To lose a child at the hands of law enforcement was unfathomable for them Oscar Martinez, Alvarezs father, told the Tribune he feels destroyed. During their meeting with Foxx on Tuesday morning, he said, they asked why the officer didnt go to Alvarezs home to find him instead of chasing him. They said just because he (Alvarez) had a gun, the officers life was at risk, Martinez said. And we told them, There are other ways to stop him. Thats what theyre trained for. Martinez said his faith in God and the community support the family has received are giving him strength to keep fighting for justice for his son, Martinez said. I have no words, he said. I feel destroyed, hurt. Foxx came into office in 2016 after strongly criticizing the way her predecessor, Anita Alvarez, handled the fatal police shooting of 17-year-old Laquan McDonald. Alvarez waited more than a year to bring charges against the officer, a pace that Foxx said at the time was far too slow. Foxx also campaigned on a promise to request that each police shooting be investigated by a special prosecutor, stating that Cook County states attorneys have an inherent conflict of interest because they work so closely with police. That promise did not come to pass; however, since 2019, police shootings have been assessed for charges by a unit within the States Attorneys office that is largely separated from the regular chain of command. In a statement on behalf of Alvarezs family, attorney Tania Dimitrova said they were saddened and disappointed in Foxxs decision not to charge Solano. Family members are committed in their efforts to bring justice for Anthony, which includes holding the Chicago Police officers involved in the shooting accountable for their actions, Dimitrova wrote, saying she hopes prosecutors also look into a subsequent road-rage incident in which Solano was involved. Attorney Tim Grace, who represents both Stillman and Solano, said he believes the Cook County States Attorneys office understands the difficulties that Chicago police encounter every single day. Both of my officers went to the states attorneys office and explained why they were required to use deadly force, Grace said. We didnt hide from anything. We did not invoke our right to remain silent. They eagerly and honestly explained their actions that day. Grace said despite the outcome, both officers are devastated that they had to take a life. I think a lot of times we dont understand the torment that goes through these officers after the shooting, he said. Theres not enough counseling in the world to get them through what they had to do. Toledo was in Little Village in the early morning hours of March 29, 2021, accompanied by 21-year-old Ruben Roman. Roman is on video firing the gunshots that brought officers to the area, authorities have said. He fired off shots at the corner of 24th Street and Sawyer Avenue, and he fled with Toledo shortly afterward, with officers pursuing them into an alley, according to Cook County prosecutors. Roman was arrested first, after apparently having handed the gun to Toledo. Toledo kept running, video of the shooting shows, pursued by Stillman. To support murder charges against Stillman, prosecutors would have to prove that he knew Toledo had dropped the gun at the time he fired, according to a memo outlining prosecutors decision not to bring charges. But Stillman made his risk assessment and pulled the trigger of his firearm in a split second while Toledo was turning toward him, the memo notes. In addition, an autopsy found that Stillmans bullet traveled from the left side of Toledos body to the right, indicating that at the moment Toledo was shot, he was turning toward the officer, not facing him head-on. The 9 mm Ruger that was recovered near Toledo matches the fired shell casings that were found on the corner where Roman was shooting, prosecutors have said. Before video of Toledos shooting was released, Roman was charged with gun crimes and felony child endangerment. He was released to an electronic monitoring ankle bracelet after a charitable bond fund paid his $40,000 bail, saying he was being used as a scapegoat for Toledos death. However, when Roman was formally indicted by a grand jury, child endangerment charges were not included meaning Romans charges are no longer tied to Toledos death. He is awaiting trial; his next court date is scheduled for later this month. Foxx said Tuesday that her office ultimately determined the evidence did not support bringing child-endangerment charges against Roman. Essentially, the actions of Mr. Roman were not the reasons for Adam Toledos death, she said. In the lawsuit filed on behalf of Toledos family following Foxxs announcement, the familys attorneys argued that Stillman unholstered his gun while in pursuit contrary to the advice provided in Chicago polices Foot Pursuit Training Bulletin a set of recommendations that were not included in the formal directives governing police actions. The lawsuit also said that Stillman failed to de-escalate the situation as required by Chicago polices use of force policy at the time of the shooting. Anthony Alvarez was shot a couple of days after Toledo, on the citys Northwest Side. Footage released by the Civilian Office of Police Accountability shows Alvarez running from the gas station onto a sidewalk while the police SUV follows him on the street. Alvarez then can be seen making his way through the alley where footage captured the ensuing foot pursuit. Alvarez stumbled as he ran, carrying what appeared to be a gun in one hand and a cellphone in the other. By the time he got up and tried to continue moving away, Solano had caught up to him. Hey! Drop the gun! Drop the gun! Solano yelled, and raised his own weapon to fire off five shots. Alvarez collapsed to the ground in a tidy front yard, moaning in pain. An autopsy later revealed he was shot in the back and thigh. Why are you shooting me? he said. Because you had a gun! the officer responded. In a memo outlining their decision not to bring charges against Solano, prosecutors noted that an individual holding a handgun in the manner in which Alvarez did, unholstered, unconcealed, with his finger near the trigger, could be considered an imminent threat. Last month, Giselle Higuere filed suit against the city on behalf of Alvarezs estate and on behalf of their daughter, 3-year-old Ailani Alvarez. Alvarez helped Higuere pay her rent, helped care for their daughter and though they were separated they had family outings with Ailani, Higuere told the Tribune last month. Higuere said she keeps a photo in her bedroom of Ailani and Anthony. Now that Ailanis learning to talk, she sometimes asks about him, Higuere said. She decides to ask what happened to her dad and why doesnt she see him anymore, she said. So that kind of makes it a little tough when you dont know what to say to your kid. Photograph: Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters The former leader of the Proud Boys, a violent far-right nationalist group whose members were prominent in the January 6 riot, was found in possession of comprehensive plans to surveil and storm government buildings, prosecutors said. Related: Mug shot: Republican Josh Hawley told to stop using January 6 fist salute photo Enrique Tarrio, the groups former chairman who was arrested last week and charged with conspiracy over the deadly attack, had a nine-page document entitled 1776 Returns, named for the year of American independence, the New York Times reported. The document, mentioned only in general terms in Tarrios indictment, contained details of a complex plan for supporters of Donald Trump to invade and occupy at least seven House and Senate office buildings on the afternoon Congress met to certify Joe Bidens election victory, according to Times sources. Trump has promoted the lie that the election was stolen and incited the attack on Congress as part of a wider effort to have the result overturned. The document features five sections, the Times reported: infiltrate, execution, distract, occupy and sit-in. The plan called for the recruiting of at least 50 Proud Boys and other Trump supporters to enter and occupy each building, causing trouble for security personnel who tried to stop them. Once inside, the instructions stated, the activists would be encouraged to chant slogans such as We the People and No Trump, no America. Supporters unable to gain access to the buildings would be encouraged to distract law enforcement and other authorities by pulling fire alarms at nearby stores, hotels and museums. In the days before 6 January, Proud Boys were to undertake reconnaissance of roads near the seven buildings, looking out for roadblocks and other obstacles. Questions remain over the origin of the document and whether Tarrio, 38, shared it with any of the individuals charged alongside him. They are Ethan Nordean, 31, of Auburn, Washington; Joseph Biggs, 38, of Ormond Beach, Florida; Zachary Rehl, 36, of Philadelphia; Charles Donohoe, 34, of Kernersville, North Carolina; and Dominic Pezzola, 44, of Rochester, New York. Story continues But its existence lends context to the US justice departments decision to charge Tarrio with conspiracy, even though he was not in Washington on the day of the riot. According to the indictment, Tarrio nonetheless continued to direct and encourage the Proud Boys prior to and during the events of 6 January 2021 and later claimed credit for what had happened on social media and in an encrypted chat room during and after the attack. Tarrio has denied involvement in planning the riot. His lawyer, Nayib Hassan, declined comment to the Times. On Tuesday, a judge in Miami ordered that Tarrio remain behind bars while awaiting trial, despite his family having collected a $1.25m bond. The judge, Lauren Louis, said evidence that hes a danger to the community is unrebutted, the Miami Herald reported. More than 770 people have been charged in connection with the Capitol riot, at least 30 members of the Proud Boys, court records show. Tarrio, from Miami, recently stood down as chair of the group, after being sentenced last year to five months in prison for burning a Black Lives Matter banner and unlawfully bringing weapons to a Washington protest. He was also exposed last year as a long-time informant for the FBI and local law enforcement agencies. WASHINGTON A former national chairman of the right-wing Proud Boys organization was ordered detained until trial Tuesday following his indictment and arrest in connection with the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. A federal magistrate judge in Florida ordered Enrique Tarrio detained after a detention hearing in Miami. A spokesman for the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia, which is prosecuting Jan. 6 cases, confirmed the judge's decision. Neither of Tarrio's attorneys immediately responded to a request for comment. Federal prosecutors argued in a detention memo Monday evening that no conditions of release could ensure the public's safety and Tarrio's future appearances in court if he were released. The prosecutors also argued that Tarrio had made "public comments aimed at chilling witnesses against his co-conspirators" and had taken steps to evade law enforcement. Five people accused of being Tarrios co-conspirators had also been ordered detained pending trial. Tarrio is charged with one count of conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding, one count of obstruction of an official proceeding, one count of obstruction of law enforcement during a civil disorder, two counts of destruction of government property and two counts of assaulting, resisting and impeding certain officers. Federal authorities say Tarrio created a new chapter of the Proud Boys titled the Ministry of Self Defense in late December 2020 and communicated with the members over an encrypted app. Tarrio wasn't at the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. He had been arrested when he arrived in Washington on Jan. 4 because he burned a #BLACKLIVESMATTER banner in the nation's capital the previous month, when supporters of President Donald Trump had gathered in support of his efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election. After Tarrio was arrested and released Jan. 5, he met with Oath Keepers founder Elmer Stewart Rhodes III and others in the parking garage near the Capitol. Video of the encounter was recorded by a documentary crew, and, according to the feds, it included audio of a person referring to the Capitol. Story continues Tarrio sent a message after the Capitol attack to other Proud Boys members saying they should "Do it again," prosecutors allege. The Justice Department argued that there was a "serious risk that Tarrio would seek to tamper with key witnesses or evidence" if he were released pending trial and that Tarrio had a "cavalier attitude towards the law," citing his seven adult arrests and three convictions. Tarrio, prosecutors argued, "spearheaded" a conspiracy to obstruct certification of Joe Biden's Electoral College victory. "A grand jury has found probable cause to believe that Tarrio was a lead orchestrator of plot to corruptly obstruct, influence, and impede an official proceeding specifically, a plot that included an attack on the Capitol while a Joint Session of Congress reviewed the election results. He encouraged the mob to stay in the building and suggested to close confidants that they should do it again," prosecutors wrote. "In so doing, Tarrio showed a contempt for the laws and Constitution of this country that make it impossible to trust that he would comply with any conditions fashioned by this Court for his release." BENI, Democratic Republic of Congo (Reuters) - Suspected Islamist militants have killed more than 60 people over five days of attacks on villages in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, local residents said on Tuesday. The assailants, believed to be rebels from the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), have targeted at least five villages, and the offensive was still ongoing, the residents told Reuters. Overwhelmed by violence in its eastern regions, Congo's government appointed military officers to run North Kivu and neighbouring Ituri province in May. Uganda sent more than 1,000 troops in December to wage joint operations against the ADF. But the attacks have continued unabated as ADF fighters have lashed out at local civilians in retaliation for the military campaigns. "The fighting continues even at this hour and victims' bodies are being evacuated on motorbikes," said Kinos Katuho, a civil society leader in the village of Mamove. He said 62 deaths had been recorded across the five villages and accused the army of doing nothing to protect villagers. "I returned (home) to find my whole family killed, my sisters, my children," said another Mamove resident, Suzanne Mwassi, who hid in the surrounding bush for two days after militants attacked over the weekend. Congolese army spokesman Antony Mwalushayi said more than 300 soldiers had been sent to the area and that two ADF militants were killed on Tuesday. Dozens of militias are active in eastern Congo, legacies of two regional wars between 1996 and 2003. They routinely fight Congolese security forces and one another, competing for land, political influence and mineral resources. The ADF, which was created in Uganda before moving to eastern Congo in the 1990s, has been blamed for thousands of deaths since 2013, many in middle-of-the-night massacres carried out with machetes and hatchets. Uganda also blamed the ADF for a triple suicide bombing in the capital Kampala on Nov. 16 that killed seven people and injured dozens more. Islamic State, to which the ADF pledged allegiance in 2019, claimed responsibility for the bombings. United Nations researchers say they have found no evidence of Islamic State control over ADF operations. (Reporting by Erikas Mwisi; Writing by Sofia Christensen; Editing by Aaron Ross and Ed Osmond) Cook County Board of Review Commissioner Tammy Wendt must fire her cousin from his chief of staff position in her office and pay the county $2,000 for violating rules against nepotism, the countys Ethics Board has ruled. The formal admonishment comes after Wendt hired her cousin Todd Thielmann as her top staffer, triggering an investigation from the ethics board tasked with fining employees who flout the ordinance governing best practices within their offices. Advertisement Tammy Wendt, right, an attorney who was on the legal team of Chicago police Officer Jason Van Dyke, hired her cousin to be her top aide just after she was sworn in as a Board of Review commissioner. She's pictured here during Van Dyke's trial in 2018. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune) Wendt, a Democrat from Palos Heights who ousted a Republican incumbent in 2020, filed Monday to run for reelection to the tax appeals board and will face Ald. George Cardenas, 12th, in the June 28 primary. Neither Wendt nor Thielmann could be reached for comment. Thomas Szromba, chair of the Ethics Board, wrote in a Thursday decision that Wendt disobeyed two provisions: a ban on hiring relatives such as first cousins, and a requirement to avoid such violations in order to maintain a fiduciary duty to the county. The latter infraction came about because Wendt was still employing her cousin as of last week and did not correct course after being given multiple notices about the nepotism ban including from the ethics board, the other two commissioners on the Board of Review and media inquiries, Szromba wrote. Advertisement In her on-going violation the Ethics Codes probation on employment of relatives, Wendt has not only violated her fiduciary duty owed to the County, but she has done so in a manner that flagrantly disregards the tenants of government accountability to the public and transparency, Szromba wrote. The Ethics Board finds this particularly troubling as it is clear that Wendt has long been aware of the violation and has taken no steps to rectify it. Sign up for The Spin to get the top stories in politics delivered to your inbox weekday afternoons. Besides the Ethics Board ruling, the Cook County Office of the Independent Inspector General also investigated Thielmanns hiring. The county watchdog found that Wendt violated the ethics ordinance and should remove her cousin from his post, according to a January report. The inspector generals office did not publicly name Wendt, but the Ethics Board ruling confirmed she was the subject of the watchdogs inquiry. According to public records, Thielmann was hired in December 2020, immediately after his cousin took office, with a $135,000 salary and received a raise to $150,000 the next month. Wendt has 30 days from the date of the Ethics Board decision to file a request for reconsideration. In previous statements to the Tribune, Wendt also an attorney who was on the defense team of Jason Van Dyke, the former Chicago officer convicted of murder in the shooting of Laquan McDonald has been unapologetic about her hiring decision. This (is) an attempt to silence me. ... I did not hire who was sent to me nor do I owe any political favors, Wendt said in July 2021. ayin@chicagotribune.com Sen. Marco Rubio signaled Tuesday that he will likely vote against fellow Miamian Ketanji Brown Jacksons confirmation to the Supreme Court after a meeting with the federal judge failed to assuage his concerns about President Joe Bidens nominee. As I said when Judge Jackson was nominated, I cannot support any nominee that believes it is appropriate for judges to craft new policies and create rights instead of interpreting and defending the Constitution as written, the Florida Republican said in a statement following a meeting with Jackson. Judge Jacksons story is inspiring and I appreciated the opportunity to meet with her. Unfortunately, our conversation today did nothing to ease my concerns that we have starkly different understandings of the Constitution and the role of the Supreme Court, Rubio said. Jackson will be the first Black woman to serve on the Supreme Court if confirmed by the full Senate, which Democrats hope to accomplish before Easter. Despite the strong wording of his statement, Rubio couched his stance Tuesday evening and told reporters that he would wait until next weeks confirmation hearings to make his final decision about how to vote on Jacksons nomination. Rubio was one of three senators who did not participate in the vote when Jackson was confirmed last year to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. Im going to wait for this thing to be completed, Rubio said when asked if there was any way he could be persuaded to support the judge. I mean, again, Im not sure any single one meeting would accomplish that. Its a pretty high standard, but I mean especially for someone who doesnt have a long judicial history. Jackson has roughly nine years on the federal bench, serving on the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia from 2013 to 2021. She was elevated last year by Biden to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. Justice Amy Coney Barrett, whom Rubio supported in 2020, had served three years as a federal appeals judge before her Supreme Court confirmation. Story continues Jackson and Rubio both hail from Miami. Jackson, the daughter of Miami educators, was a debate star and student body president at Miami Palmetto Senior High School, where she graduated in 1988. Rubio, the son of Cuban immigrants, graduated in 1989 from South Miami Senior High School, less than six miles away from Jacksons alma mater. Rubio said he and the judge discussed their Miami ties during the meeting. She went to Palmetto, which is a rival of my high school, but Im not going to hold that against her, Rubio said with a smile. We beat them her senior year. Rubio said he had asked Jackson about her view of the judiciary and said her answers were consistent with what she said in the past, but added that she ventured into some of the newer issues that are before society today that didnt exist, technology and things of that nature, so its an interesting response. In contrast to many senators, Rubios office did not announce his meeting with the judge in advance. Jacksons meeting with the Florida senator took place on the same day that she also met with Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., in a highly publicized but brief meeting. When Biden announced Jacksons nomination to replace retiring Justice Stephen Breyer last month, Rubio said at the time that his decision on whether to support the fellow Floridian would be based on whether Judge Jackson has a demonstrated commitment to original intent, judicial restraint, and the understanding that the Supreme Court is a trier of law appellate court and not a trier of fact trial court. His likely opposition to the judge is sure to be a topic of debate in his reelection race against Democratic Rep. Val Demings, who would be the first Black woman to represent Florida in the Senate if elected. Demings praised Jacksons credentials and touted her Florida ties when her nomination was announced last month. In less partisan times she is the kind of nominee who might have been confirmed unanimously by the U.S. Senate, Demings said at the time. Demings campaign blasted Rubio after his critical statement of Jackson following their Tuesday meeting. Marco Rubio has proven yet again that hes too weak to reject the party bosses who tell him what to do. Instead of setting politics aside and considering an exceptionally qualified Floridian to serve on the Supreme Court, hes continuing his relentless push to dismantle voting rights and strip women of their right to choose, said Demings campaign spokesperson Christian Slater. Jackson requires 51 votes for confirmation, which Democrats can provide on their own through Vice President Kamala Harris tie-breaking vote. Still, Democratic leadership has repeatedly expressed its hope that Jackson will receive GOP votes as she has during her past confirmation processes for other federal positions. But its unlikely that any of those GOP votes will come from Florida, where the judge spent the bulk of her childhood. Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., met with Jackson last week. Scott, a former Florida governor who chairs that National Republican Senatorial Committee, has not been as explicit in his criticism of the judge as Rubio, but he alluded to concerns about times that Jacksons decisions have been overturned during her nine years as a federal judge. Shes going to have understand shes on the judiciary, shes not on the legislative branch, Scott said. I appointed 407 judges when I was governor of Florida and thats what I asked people, you know, its your job to convince me that they really understand that, you know, you have a limited role and thats only to interpret the law, not make the law. COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) Several Republicans competing for the partys nomination to run for U.S. Senate in Ohio are facing scrutiny for their ties to Russia as the country intensifies its war against Ukraine. Much of the attention has focused on former Ohio Republican Party Chair Jane Timken, whose husband's family founded a company that does business in Russia. But other candidates in the race to succeed retiring GOP Sen. Rob Portman, including J.D. Vance and Mike Gibbons, also have links to business deals in Russia that could become vulnerabilities in the May 3 primary. While domestic issues generally dominate midterm political contests, Russias invasion of Ukraine with its harrowing images of civilian casualties has become an animating subject of the competitive Senate race in Ohio, which has a large Ukrainian American population. In a race with several millionaire candidates, the war is highlighting the risks that come with being wealthy and having tangled investment interests involving foreign countries. The easiest target has long been Timken, whose husband sits on the board of the like-named Fortune 500 ball bearing manufacturer based in North Canton, Ohio. Even before Ukraine, her adversaries sought to pin the Timken Co.'s international business dealings on Timken. Timken Co. last week suspended its operations in Russia, where it has a manufacturing plant and an 8-year-old relationship with United Wagon Co., a Moscow-based manufacturer and servicer of freight cars. The company signed the deal in 2014, around the time Russia seized Crimea. Conservative PACs, mostly backing Republican Josh Mandel in the race, pilloried Timken in attack ads as shameless for outwardly supporting Ukraine and calling for tough sanctions on Russia while making money off her investments in the company. She has reported owning roughly 2,800 shares in Timken Co., whose stock price initially rose after the Feb. 24 invasion. Timken campaign spokesperson Mandi Merritt calls the attacks on Timken unfair. Story continues Its a nonsense line of attack that Jane is somehow responsible for every business decision of a multibillion-dollar company where she never even worked, Merritt said in a statement. Janes record of standing up for Ukraine and championing Ohioans is unmatched. Portman, a co-chair of the Senate Ukraine Caucus, has endorsed Timken and campaigned with her around the state earlier this month. After Timken criticized Vance for voicing indifference to the fate of Ukraine in the days leading up to the invasion, a Vance ally tweeted: "No candidate has business ties in Russia except for Jane Timken. Her husbands company has provided steel for their tanks, rail, and military. The attacks continued from the left, with one labor union ally trying to label Timken Russia Jane. But Vance has business interests in Russia of his own. In May 2021, he joined Peter Thiel and other prominent conservative venture capitalists and invested in the video platform Rumble, a YouTube alternative favored by the political right. After tech companies including Meta and Twitter limited Russias state-controlled news network RT to minimize the spread of propaganda, the Russian government announced it would move to Rumble. Rumble has consistently supported free speech on its platform even speech it may find offensive, Vance campaign spokesperson Taylor Van Kirk said in an email, adding that this is unlike Twitter, which censors a sitting U.S. President while allowing the Chinese Communist Party, North Korea and the Ayatollah Khomeini (to name a few) to continue their propaganda. Gibbons, another Senate candidate, is distancing himself from a Russian business deal announced by his company, Brown Gibbons Lang & Company, in 2011. Campaign spokesperson Samantha Cotten said BGL was merely promoting the transaction of another member of the 38-company Global M&A association. The transaction sale of a 57% stake in a Belarusian machine-building plant to Moscow-headquartered HMS Group was exclusively executed by another company, she said. HMS specializes in pipes for the Russian oil industry and one of its main customers is Gazprom, the state-owned gas giant and majority owner of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, whose operation was suspended because of the war. Lost in the ad attacks against Timken is the fact that their intended beneficiary, Mandel, has taken thousands of dollars in campaign contributions from Timken family members, employees and PACs over the years. According to campaign finance data made available by the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics, so have many other candidates on Ohio's 2022 ballot. They include two other Senate candidates Republican state Sen. Matt Dolan and the best known Democrat in the race, U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan as well as Republican Gov. Mike DeWine and a rival in the GOP gubernatorial primary, former U.S. Rep. Jim Renacci. Among other entanglements, the real estate company owned at the time by the family of Mandels then-wife, Ilana, sold off its stake in the Brooklyn Nets and Barclays Center to Russian oligarch Mikhail Prokhorov in 2016. The billionaire has since sold the assets. ___ Associated Press writer Jill Colvin contributed to this report from Canton, Ohio. (Reuters) - Russian aviation authorities have fired an official who said last week that China had refused to supply Russian airlines with aircraft parts in the wake of Western sanctions, the Kommersant newspaper reported on Tuesday, citing sources and the official. Valery Kudinov, an official at Russia's Federal Air Transport Agency (Rosaviatsia) responsible for maintaining airplane airworthiness, said Russia was in talks to source parts from countries including Turkey and India after a failed attempt to obtain them from China. An industry source confirmed to Reuters that Kudinov had been sacked, adding that he lost his job because of his public statements about China. Rosaviatsia declined to comment. Russian newspaper Kommersant cited Kudinov as saying that he had been fired for disclosing information under a federal law governing how civil servants must behave. Russia's aviation sector is being squeezed by Western sanctions over the invasion of Ukraine. Russia on Monday passed a law allowing the country's airlines to place airplanes leased from foreign companies on the country's aircraft register and use them in Russia even without permission of their owner, after Bermudian and Irish regulators suspended the certifications of Russian planes registered there. Sanctions have already cut off the supply of most foreign aircraft and parts to Russia, as major international airplane manufacturers Boeing and Airbus have halted the supply of components. The United States and Europe have closed their airspace to Russian airlines, with Russia responding in kind. (Reporting by Reuters; Editing by Susan Fenton) Russia asked China for military and food-related help as Moscow continues its invasion of Ukraine. Two sources familiar with the matter told CNN that Russia asked for prepackaged, nonperishable military food, including items known in the U.S. as "meals, ready-to-eat." One of the sources told the outlet that China may be willing to comply with the request because it is support that is not lethal, a situation that would provoke the West. A Western official and a U.S. diplomat also told CNN that the U.S. has information that indicates China has expressed willingness to offer Russia military and financial assistance. However, it remains unclear if China will actually provide that assistance, the outlet reported. The requests raise questions surrounding Russia's overall preparedness for the invasion as well as the logistical problems that experts say have obstructed Russia progress in the attack. Open source reports have previously shown Russian troops breaking into grocery stores for food as the military has run low on certain supplies, CNN added. Meanwhile, White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan warned his Chinese counterpart in Rome of "potential implications and consequences" for China should the nation support Russia. "We do have deep concerns about China's alignment with Russia at this time, and the national security adviser was direct about those concerns and the potential implications and consequences of certain actions," a senior Biden administration official told reporters during a briefing following Sullivan's meeting. White House press secretary Jen Psaki has also said Sullivan indicated China would face "significant consequences" if the country provides Russia with military or other support that "violates sanctions or supports the war effort." A bold Russian journalist appeared in court Tuesday, quelling fears that shed gone missing after she disrupted a live broadcast in protest of President Vladimir Putins invasion of Ukraine. Marina Ovsyannikova, an editor at the state televisions flagship Channel 1 News, was charged with organizing an unauthorized public event and ordered to pay a 30,000 ruble fine, which is just more than $280, BBC News reported. Her appearance in the Moscow courtroom marked the first time she had been seen or heard from since she burst into the newsroom Monday evening, giant sign in hand, shouting Stop the war and No to war! The news anchor attempted to continue to speak over Ovsyannikovas shouts, but she ultimately failed to successfully drown her out and distract from the large poster. Dont believe the propaganda, it read in Russian. Theyre lying to you here. It was also signed in English: Russians against war. In the end, the broadcast was cut off, and a pre-recorded segment was played instead. Human rights attorney Pavel Chikov in a tweet said no one, including her lawyers, had been able to get in touch with her in the wake of her protest. Marina Ovsyannikova has not yet been found. She has been imprisoned for more than 12 hours, Chikov said, the Telegraph reported. The pre-investigation check does not provide grounds for detention and imprisonment, he added. The Russian Investigative Committee, the countrys main government investigative body, reportedly launched such check into Ovsyannikova on the basis that she allegedly broke into the news studio. Citing an unidentified source, Russias state-run Tass reported that she could also face charges of discrediting the actions of Russias armed forces. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov during a news briefing Tuesday waved off Ovsyannikovas actions as hooliganism, adding that the news network, not the Kremlin, was dealing with this. ____ Lev Parnas, left, and his lawyer Joseph Bondy leave federal court following closing arguments in his trial, Thursday, Oct. 21, 2021, in New York. AP Photo/Stefan Jeremiah A Russian oligarch was indicted for a scheme to illegally donate to US political campaigns. The Justice Department unsealed an indictment that named Andrey Muraviev on Monday. Muraviev allegedly donated more than $1 million to garner retail cannabis licenses. A Russian oligarch was charged with making illegal contributions to political campaigns in the US as a foreign national in order to curry favor for retail cannabis licenses, the Justice Department announced on Monday. The DOJ said Andrey Muraviev, 47, was linked to Lev Parnas, Andrey Kukushkin, and Igor Fruman, all of whom were previously charged in connection to illegal campaign contributions. "As alleged, Andrey Muraviev, a Russian national, attempted to influence the 2018 elections by conspiring to push a million dollars of his foreign funds to candidates and campaigns. He attempted to corrupt our political system to advance his business interests," US Attorney Damian Williams said in the DOJ announcement. Insider previously reported that Parnas and Fruman, associates of former President Donald Trump's attorney Rudy Giuliani, were entangled in an illegal straw donation scheme. The scheme aimed to disguise $1 million in campaign donations on behalf of Muraviev so they could garner favors from politicians who could grant Muraviev retail marijuana and cannabis licenses, the Justice Department said. Federal law prohibits foreign nationals from donating to political campaigns. The Justice Department said that Muraviev's money was "used to reimburse and fund federal and state political donations in Florida, Nevada, and Texas" and that he also agreed to pay for donations to politicians in New York and New Jersey. "To obscure the fact that Muraviev was the true donor of the money, the funds were sent to a business bank account controlled by Fruman's brother, and then the donations were made in Fruman's and Parnas' names," the DOJ said. Story continues Parnas and Kukushkin were convicted on six campaign finance-related charges in October 2021 and are awaiting sentencing. Furman pleaded guilty in September to one count of solicitation of a contribution by a foreign national and was sentenced to a year in prison in January. Mother Jones previously reported that Muraviev is the founder of one of Russia's largest cement companies, Sibir Cement. Additionally, as of 2012, he had invested $50 million in his Parus Capital account, a Russia-dedicated investment fund, the outlet reported. Attorneys for Parnas, Fruman, and Kukushkin did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment. Insider was unable to reach Muraviev. Read the original article on Business Insider Protesters sit on the balcony of a mansion linked to Oleg Deripaska with banners as police stand by. REUTERS/Peter Nicholls Activists occupied a London mansion linked to Oleg Deripaska to protest the Ukraine invasion. A spokeswoman for Deripaska criticized the police and said the mansion was owned by his family. She accused the UK of "colluding" with the protesters, who were arrested after nearly 20 hours. A Russian oligarch said he was "appalled at the negligence of Britain's justice system" after a group of activists broke into a London mansion that he said belongs to his family. London's Metropolitan Police said the protesters entered a mansion in Belgrave Square, a luxury residential area in central London, around 1 a.m. local time Monday. The force said at 8 p.m. on Monday night that four people who stationed themselves on the house's balcony had come down and were arrested. British media reported earlier on Monday that the house was owned by Oleg Deripaska, and a 2007 England and Wales High Court document said he "beneficially owns" it. Deripaska is the billionaire founder of the Russian aluminum company Rusal and one of the oligarchs the UK sanctioned over Russia's invasion of Ukraine. In a Monday statement, Larisa Belyaeva, a spokesperson for Deripaska, said the oligarch and his family were "appalled at the negligence of Britain's justice system shown by Boris Johnson's cabinet in introducing the sanctions and colluding with the sort of people who raid private property," Reuters reported. The statement also said the house was owned by Deripaska's family rather than him personally. Activists and police outside the Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska's house on Belgrave Square, London, on Monday. Sinead Baker/Insider It is not clear whether her comments came before or after the protesters were arrested. Insider visited the site on Monday afternoon, when the four activists were on the building's balcony with a banner that read: "This property has been liberated." Some police officers were on the balcony with the activists, while other officers repeatedly went up and down in a crane to talk to them. Story continues The activists chanted "free Ukraine" as well as anti-police slogans. One member of the group told reporters that they intend to "house Ukrainian refugees and refugees from all nations," The Telegraph reported. Another said: "We want Ukrainian refugees to have this property," The Washington Post reported. Read the original article on Business Insider Dr. Mia Taormina, right, chair of the department of infectious disease at Duly Health and Care, pictured at her Lombard clinic, was part of the team that diagnosed the first case of COVID-19 in DuPage County at Elmhurst Hospital. (Anna Vriesema/Duly Health and Care - Handout) On March 9, 2020, Dr. Mia Taormina, chair of the department of infectious disease at Duly Health and Care (formerly named DuPage Medical Group), was part of the team that diagnosed the first case of COVID-19 in DuPage County. The case was diagnosed at Elmhurst Hospital, just a few days after Taormina returned home from giving a lecture in Costa Rica. I mean, its so ironic, she said. I remember giving an interview similar to this saying, this could absolutely be something that we have to deal with for the next two years. And its so weird that here we are, and we really are at that transition point. This is the life cycle of a typical pandemic to have these surges and these waves that are this high and this severe for a couple of years. Advertisement With March marking the two-year anniversary of COVID-19 being declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization, Taormina, who sees patients at Duly locations in Elmhurst, Hinsdale and Lombard, recently spoke over the phone about where the pandemic is now, why it feels like its over even though its not quite and offers a silver lining after a tumultuous two years. Below is an edited version of a longer conversation with Taormina. Advertisement Q: The million-dollar question for the last two years has been, When will it be over? Are we there yet, or is it premature to think so? A: It is premature. Were still waiting. We are not to the point where we are declaring this to be seasonal or endemic. We are still meeting criteria for what a pandemic is, which is when you have an endemic and epidemic multiplication and (have) contagious places all around the world on different continents simultaneously. Now for the first time, I would say were in a transition period because the World Health Organization is even making statements along the lines of the numbers are down, and theyre trending down essentially globally. Q: Is there hope that COVID-19 will soon evolve into an endemic like the flu? With more information now known, how similar, or different, are they? A: It can be similar to the flu in the sense that we will have something that we have to live alongside. We think about the 1918 Spanish influenza, we are still getting flu shots to this day that cover descendants from that strain. Probably omicron and delta are going to be the strains, and the sublineages of those are going to be the ones that we live alongside. What makes this not flulike, even though arguably influenza historically has caused more pediatric deaths than COVID, is these post-infectious, post-COVID syndromes that are happening in all age groups. Q: What are some examples of post-COVID complications in younger age groups? A: Even though there are many kids that got COVID and theyre fine; they were not hospitalized and just had mild cold symptoms, (some of them) cant smell or taste for weeks, and theyre going to school and theyre not hungry, so theyre not eating (and now) they cant concentrate. So theyre not doing as well on their tests, or theyre just fatigued. And maybe they were really, really looking forward to that swim practice every day, and now theyre asking their parents if they can just come home after school and skip practice. Thats the kind of thing that is going to be more long lasting and thats whats more worrisome. Q: Are you concerned by the states departure from most mask mandates in recent weeks? A: I think this is where it becomes a challenging conversation point. We had to come to this eventually. We knew that numbers winding down would inevitably lead to a place where we can go ahead and relax these mask mandates and mask requirements. In my perfect world, it would have been when we had vaccine eligibility for everyone, including the littlest kids. And I think some of what had happened downstate kind of pushed us over the finish line several weeks sooner than I think we should have been. It wasnt following the trends and the parameters that we had been using along the way. Advertisement Q: Where do you think we should be in terms of masking? A: I actually think that we are in a very good place right now. The numbers are very low. And I think for the most part, people can start to make choices about masking moving forward. Now I maintain that there still needs to be attention to layers of mitigation. This pandemic is not over, right? So someone whos choosing to go mask optional needs to evaluate what other layers of mitigation they have in place. And that should include being up-to-date on vaccines, meaning fully vaccinated and boosted. And it should also include being mindful about social distancing, ventilation and hand hygiene. Q: Does the lack of a mandate impact the day-to-day of those that are immunocompromised especially kids in schools even more than it did before? A: It does. There are certainly kids that are at risk for severe COVID illness, complications and deaths, and they may not develop the antibody response that a child who is not immune suppressed would develop. So we do have that vulnerability when were in these enclosed spaces, like a classroom all day long. And thats something where if I had an immunosuppressed child, I would have to really scrutinize what the day-to-day looks like to determine if it was a safe environment. Q: Given that several schools in the state have implemented a mask-optional, or mask-recommended policy, how are we doing in terms of transmission rates? A: You can look at whats happened since these mass mandates went away as early as the beginning part of February. And by and large, there havent been any crises and thats because the numbers are down and because probably a lot of these kids have antibodies and dont know it. So thats another factor thats in the background as well. Advertisement Q: Speaking of antibodies, could even more people have been unknowingly infected with COVID-19 than the numbers show? A: Absolutely. I dont have an official reference for you, Ive read some estimates as high as 40% to 45% of the entire country has omicron antibodies. So simply, without having a numerical value, its very, very much safe to say that a significant percentage of the population is carrying antibodies at this point in time with just how high the surge was. It was 1 million cases a day at the peak of this thing. Q: Are we past the point of herd-immunity or is that still a goal? A: We sort of lost that window. The best possible window we had to achieve herd immunity by my view was from April 2021 onward. That was the time when every adult in the U.S. was eligible to get vaccinated. We then had about two to three months before delta hit to try and vaccinate as many people as possible. And if we did, we may not have had delta or delta as severe as it was. Q: It almost feels like herd immunity has been reached. Why is that? A: Do we have a herd immunity feel right now at this moment? Yeah, we probably do because we have many states with 50, 60, 70% of people vaccinated and many of the unvaccinated are walking around with omicron antibodies, whether they know it or not. So right now were living that feel and it remains to be seen how this kind of weathers the next several months. Advertisement Q: Is there a silver lining somewhere at this two-year mark? A: The reassuring part if there is a little bit of a silver lining is the numbers are way down. So its a lot different walking around next to a 1-2% circulating virus in the community versus 5, 10, 15, 20% in some of the huge numbers that we saw during omicron. And during this lull from now, till say the fall, when inevitably things just tick up in the fall flu season, I hope that gives us more time to get more free at-home tests in the hands of folks, more free N95s in the hands of folks and more treatment readily available everywhere. Where we dont have to hunt for monoclonal antibodies. You dont have to hunt for Paxlovid. You just get a diagnosis and heres your Paxlovid, and thats whats going to make this different moving forward. Q: Do you think the surges are behind us, for the most part? A: Theres always a chance we can get a surprise because weve had many surprises before. So if something God awful comes and we have a mutation that evades all of our immunity that could put us in a very sticky situation, but the technology behind a messenger RNA vaccine is such that they can be tweaked and modified to have a vaccine or to have variant-specific booster doses in a matter of months not years. It would be unfavorable, but there are options. zsyed@chicagotribune.com Roman Abramovich in a VIP lounge at Ben Gurion Airport in Israel. REUTERS/Stringer Abramovich was spotted at an Israel airport on Monday, Reuters reported. Flight-tracking data shows a jet linked to the oligarch flew from Israel to Turkey the same day. It's unclear whether Abramovich boarded the flight to Turkey on Monday, Reuters reported. Roman Abramovich, the Russian oligarch who was sanctioned by the UK last week, was spotted at an airport in Israel on Monday before a private jet linked to him flew to Turkey, Reuters first reported. A photograph seen by Reuters showed the billionaire sitting in a VIP lounge in Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion Airport with his face mask pulled down. On the same day, a Gulfstream G650ER jet, with the registration LX-RAY, flew from Ben Gurion Airport to Istanbul, Turkey, data from Flightradar24 showed. Media reports have suggested that Abramovich is the owner of the jet, which costs $65 million, according to a private-jet comparison site. Reuters said it couldn't independently verify if Abramovich boarded the flight to Turkey. Turkey has criticized Russia's invasion of Ukraine but has also opposed sanctions imposed on Russia, according to the newswire. The report on Abramovich's whereabouts offers a glimpse into how the wealthiest Russians may be attempting to move themselves and their assets to safe havens in order to put them out of the reach of sanctions. Abramovich is one of seven Russian oligarchs who were sanctioned by the UK on Thursday as part of efforts to punish Russian President Vladimir Putin and cripple his country's economy after the Kremlin ordered the invasion of Ukraine. Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, speaks as Abramovich looks on during a meeting with top businessmen in 2016. Mikhail Svetlov/Getty Images The sanctions mean Abramovich's assets are frozen in the UK and he is banned from doing business there. It also means he can't proceed with the sale of his English Premier League soccer team, Chelsea FC. Abramovich who Bloomberg's Billionaires Index estimated has a net worth of $13.6 billion was reportedly granted Israeli citizenship in 2018 after facing delays in renewing his UK visa. Story continues Israel's government hasn't sanctioned any Russian oligarchs yet, The Times of Israel reported. But it's trying to keep oligarchs sanctioned by other countries out of the country, The Washington Post reported. Private airplanes are now limited to 48 hours on the ground in the country, according to the paper. "Israel will not be a route to bypass sanctions imposed on Russia by the United States and other Western countries," Israel's Foreign Minister Yair Lapid said during a visit to Slovakia on Monday, The Post reported. Read the original article on Business Insider By Ludwig Burger and Thomas Escritt BERLIN (Reuters) - Wintershall Dea AG said on Tuesday Russian oligarch German Khan, who was sanctioned by the European Union, was stepping down from its board, causing further upheaval at the German oil company with several ties to Russia. Wintershall Dea said its business activities would be unaffected by the move but it was examining whether LetterOne's shareholding would be affected. The oil and gas producer is a joint venture of German chemicals giant BASF and LetterOne, the holding company controlled by Russian oligarch Mikail Fridman, who is also linked to Russian President Vladimir Putin and who was sanctioned by the EU last month. "No confidential information regarding Supervisory Board topics will be shared with German Khan any longer," Wintershall Dea said in a statement. Khan, alongside Chelsea football club owner Roman Abramovich, was among a new list of business leaders whose assets were frozen by the EU for supporting the Russian state. That was part of new sanctions against Russia for its invasion of Ukraine, including bans on Russian energy sector investments, luxury goods exports to Moscow and imports of steel products from Russia. Khan was also among three LetterOne shareholders who last week quit as directors from the London-based investment group they co-founded with oligarch Mikhail Fridman as it tries to distance itself from Russia. Earlier on Tuesday, Khan also resigned from private Russian lender Alfa-Bank, which he co-owns. "With regard to the most recent inclusion of German Khan to EU and UK sanctions lists, it is being examined whether this has further consequences for LetterOne as shareholder of Wintershall Dea AG," the company added. "As a matter of precaution, all payments to LetterOne will be stopped for the time being." BASF holds 67% of the voting rights in Wintershall Dea, or a total stake of 72.7% when non-voting preference shares are taken into account, with the remainder held by Letter One. Story continues Announcing the sanctions, the EU described Khan as "believed to be one of the most influential persons in Russia" who, like Fridman, "maintains a close relationship with Vladimir Putin and continues to trade significant favours with him." Wintershall Dea, which has had a large oil and gas exploitation business in Russia, was also a major financial backer of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, which was blocked from going into operation by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz shortly before Russia's invasion of Ukraine last month. Wintershall Dea, which has relied on Russia for nearly half of its oil and gas production, earlier this month stopped payments to Russia and wrote off its 1 billion euro ($1.1 billion) financing in Nord Stream 2. (Reporting by Thomas Escritt; Editing by Chris Reese, Will Dunham and Cynthia Osterman) The Wall Street Journal reported Monday that Saudi Arabia invited Chinese President Xi Jinping to visit Riyadh in an effort to strengthen ties with Beijing. The invitation to Riyadh comes as Saudi Arabia's relations with the U.S. have been strained, according to the Journal. The trip, which would mark Xi's first foreign visit since the COVID-19 pandemic started, is set to take place after Ramadan, which begins in April, the newspaper reported. "The crown prince and Xi are close friends and both understand that there is huge potential for stronger ties," a Saudi official said, according to the Journal. "It is not just 'They buy oil from us and we buy weapons from them'." Xi's potential visit would offer a stark contrast to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and his relationship with President Biden, who pledged during the 2020 election to treat the kingdom like a "pariah" state. Most recently, Prince Mohammed has refused to speak with Biden in recent weeks over efforts to subdue spiking oil prices during Russia's invasion, the Journal reported. Throughout the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Saudi Arabia has rejected requests from the U.S. to pump more oil to tamper surging crude prices. Meanwhile, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has also stayed out to a U.N. Security Council resolution condemning Moscow's attack on Ukraine. A Seattle man has pleaded guilty to allegedly trying to leave the U.S. and join the terrorist organization ISIS. In a statement on Monday, the Department of Justice said Elvin Hunter Bgorn Williams was arrested by authorities following a lengthy investigation. The FBI has closely monitored Williams's activity, saying he began communicating with those he believed were ISIS recruiters who could get him into an Islamic State terror cell in the Middle East and other parts of the world, according to the statement. According to his plea agreement, Williams also told his family that he was an ISIS member, posting a Facebook video where he swore an oath to the terrorist organization. Authorities arrested Williams in May as he was preparing to board an international flight with the intention of joining ISIS. Williams booked flights from Seattle to Amsterdam and en route to Egypt, where he planned to join the terrorist organization. The FBI was first tipped by a Seattle-area mosque in November 2020 of Willliams's intentions to possibly join the Islamic State. Williams, 21, has pleaded guilty to attempting to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization. He is scheduled to be sentenced on June 14, facing a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) speaks with Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) on Capitol Hill. Drew Angerer/Getty Images Sen. Dick Durbin is presuming Democrats will not pass Biden's economic agenda this year. But he's leaving some room to be surprised if Manchin ends up striking a deal. "I've been burned by this stove enough times. I'm not going to grab it another time," he said. The second most-powerful Democrat in the Senate seems sour on reviving any part of President Joe Biden's economic agenda and he's presuming Democrats will have little to show for it in this year's midterms. "I am planning to finish this year and hope to guide the Democratic caucus to success but not assuming that reconciliation be part of it," Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois told reporters on Tuesday, referring to the process Democrats are employing to sidestep Republicans on the spending plan. He went on: "If it turns out to be, great. Maybe it'll surprise me. But I've been burned by this stove enough times. I'm not going to grab it another time." Durbin seems to have all but given up on enacting the centerpiece of the Democratic agenda. "We've had the football pulled so many times, I'm not gonna run up to it anymore," he told Insider later on Tuesday. He added that he'd like to see a list of priorities from "two senators in particular," an implicit reference to Sen. Joe Manchin, a conservative Democrat from West Virginia along with Sen. Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona. It reflects a simmering frustration among Democrats with the pair of Democratic centrists, who flummoxed the caucus with their competing demands for the large spending bill. Manchin seeks to raise taxes on the rich while Sinema drew a hard line against any tax rate increases last fall. But Manchin declared his opposition in December to the House-approved Build Back Better spending bills, abruptly ending months of talks with the White House. Without Manchin's vote, Democrats can't advance the plan over united GOP opposition in the evenly-split Senate. Story continues The party's efforts to expand healthcare and childcare, combat the climate emergency, revive a monthly check program for parents, and more has been on the backburner ever since. The conservative Democrat said last month he hadn't been in formal talks with Biden administration on follow-up legislation. Not everyone says they'll throw in the towel. Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon, chair of the Senate Finance Committee, pushed back against Durbin. "I'm not giving up, that's for sure," he told Insider. "That would be turning our back on all of those who are depending on getting some relief for these unaffordable medicines." He also added that securing passage of clean-energy tax credits would help break the US dependence on fossil fuels. Gas prices have spiked in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Manchin has thrown mixed signals about his priorities. He sketched out a slimmer bill that's more focused on prescription drug savings, tax reform, climate-related spending, and deficit-reduction that could get his vote. But Congress has been busy dealing with other measures instead like keeping the government funded and ensuring the passage of emergency military and financial aid to Ukraine. There's been little sign of progress on a scaled-back bill. He said last week he was hesitant to encourage the development of electric vehicles, a top Democratic priority and a key part of the package. "I don't want to have to be standing in line waiting for a battery for my vehicle, because we're now dependent on a foreign supply chain mostly China," Manchin said at a clean-energy conference. Read the original article on Business Insider WASHINGTON (AP) A man who signed up for a yoga class in Tallahassee, Florida, and opened fire there in 2018 had a well-documented history of disturbing behavior warning signs that were missed. The shooting that left two women dead and wounded six others spotlights the growing concern posed by extremists with hatred toward women, according to a case study the U.S. Secret Service released Tuesday. The deep look at the killings, conducted by the Secret Services National Threat Assessment Center, was an effort to study how contempt for women can radicalize men and spark violent and deadly behavior. The research is aimed at helping to train law enforcement, school and community officials to better identify potential attackers and stop them before they strike. So-called misogynistic extremism has increased in recent years, proliferating on the internet. Though this attacker didn't have a specific label, he identified with the growing movement of men who call themselves anti-feminists, male supremacists or incels involuntary celibates. Many recent mass shooters had a history of violence against women, officials said. The hatred of women requires increased attention from everyone, said Steve Driscoll, a research specialist at the center. The shooter, 40-year-old Scott Paul Beierle, killed himself after opening fire at Hot Yoga Tallahassee, law enforcement officials said. The case study stressed the importance of speaking up when someone's behavior is concerning and the need for community stakeholders including residents, school officials, law enforcers and business owners to have a role in helping to prevent violence. Over and over again, we see a tolerance for these objectively concerning behaviors, said Dr. Lina Alathari, chief of the National Threat Assessment Center. The goal is to ID and assess behavior and to intervene. It is not about prosecution or criminalizing. The center is tasked with researching, training and sharing information on the prevention of targeted violence. Alathari said the Florida yoga class shooting case study, which drew on publicly available documents and details, will be used to train communities on how to better spot warning signs and intervene before violence happens. Story continues A superficial look into Beierle's history shows a man who pursued higher education, served in the military, and held highly regarded professional positions of trust, the study said. Beierle was a substitute teacher and an Eagle Scout. But his history of isolated if not disturbing incidents, when pulled together, showed red flags. He was arrested for groping women, was banned from a college campus, wrote violent songs about torturing women and posted hateful videos online. He also idolized mass killers who targeted women. At times, his behavior elicited concern from parents, siblings, friends, roommates, coworkers, workplace managers, school officials, students, law enforcement, the online community, neighbors and other community members," the study said. But those concerns were rarely elevated, and when they were they weren't taken as a whole across the community. A few people reported his actions to police. He got banned from local bars because of his treatment of women. His parents slept with their door locked and were concerned about his inappropriate touching of girls. But no one was looking at the whole picture, they said. What we can say is early intervention is key, Alathari said. This clearly demonstrates that preventing targeted violence is a whole of community approach. Mar. 15SHAMOKIN With $27,000 being raised in less than 48 hours, former Northumberland County Commissioner Vinny Clausi and Transfiguration of Our Lord Ukrainian Catholic Church priest Mykola Ivanov are hopeful to reach their goal of $100,000 to give to Ukrainian orphanages. On Monday, Clausi and Ivanov spoke to a crowd of people inside the Shamokin church. "We must not forget the children," Ivanov said. "We want to raise this money and make sure the children are being taken care of." An emotional Clausi began the press conference with tears. "What is going on is horrible and we must think about the children," he said. "I wanted to help and the way we can do that is to raise the funds for the children of Ukraine." Clausi and Ivanov started the fundraising effort off with a donation of $10,000 of Clausi's money in hopes residents would follow suit and donate $5 per household to reach a minimum goal of $100,000. Clausi said if each household in Northumberland County donates $5, with approximately 35,000 households in the county, the total would be $175,000 which he hopes to achieve. Clausi said he will then purchase flights for himself and Ivanov his parents and his wife's parents still live in Ukraine to fly to Poland and meet Ivanov's friends from Ukraine at the border to deliver the money so it could be distributed to orphanages across the country. Ivanov said he is in the process of reaching out to the mayor of Lviv, Ivanov's hometown, to see how to meet up with him to give the donations. Mount Carmel resident Tom Vednarczyk came to the press conference in order to donate $1,000 after he said he read articles about the fundraiser. "I think this is a wonderful idea," he said. "I hope other communities join in and do the same thing." Shamokin Mayor Richard Ulrich also was in attendance and said the city supports the fundraiser. "This is such a wonderful thing they are doing," he said. "We stand behind this effort and the people of Ukraine." Story continues Ivanov said he is unsure if when he arrives in Poland he would be able to see his relatives because his parents are still living in Lviv and have decided to flee the country. Anyone looking to donate has various options, Clausi said. Checks can be made to Northumberland Citizens For a Cause and can be dropped off at Klacik & Associates, PC, at 101 W. Independence St., in Shamokin. Anyone looking to donate online can visit the GoFundMe page at Northumberland Co Citizens for Ukraine Orphans. The campaign will end on March 31. Clausi said he will be visiting various businesses and asking them to help out with a small donation. A Round Lake man is charged with punching the mother of their newborn baby after a hospital room argument over what to name their child, Lake County authorities said. Tevin M. Hoskins, 27, appeared in Lake County bond court Tuesday on two counts of domestic battery. Advertisement He was arrested by Highland Park police Monday after the alleged assault at Highland Park Hospital. Hoskins had gone to the hospital to see the mother and their child, who had been born there less than 12 hours before, Lake County Assistant States Attorney Caitlin Valiulis said at the hearing. Advertisement He was in their room when he and the mother began arguing over what to name the child, the prosecutor said. At some point, Hoskins punched the mother in the head, causing a cut that required two stitches to close, Valiulis said. The woman also had bruising on an arm, the prosecutor said. The newborn was with nurses at the time of the alleged assault and was not in the room, the prosecutor said. Judge Theodore Potkonjak ordered bail set at $35,000 for Hoskins, who was remanded to the Lake County jail. The judge said during the hearing that Hoskins had a 2021 battery conviction in Wisconsin on his record. Information on that offense was not immediately available. WASHINGTON The Space Development Agency plans to solicit proposals for its next round of tracking satellites in the coming weeks an accelerated schedule enabled by major funding increase included in the defense spending bill. The $550 million SDA increase included in the fiscal 2022 appropriations bill which the president is expected to sign into law Tuesday before the current stopgap funding terms expire will allow the agency to accelerate its plans to launch 28 missile warning satellites to low Earth orbit from 2026 to early 2025, according to a senior defense official who spoke to reporters Tuesday on background. The increase along with another $50 million added for various demonstration efforts grows SDAs total development and prototyping funding for fiscal 2022 from $636 million to $1.2 billion. The official stressed that SDA did not ask for the funding boost, but claimed it as clearly an endorsement of what weve been up to. The satellites, which will carry overhead persistent infrared sensors for missile tracking, are part of SDAs Tranche 1 Tracking Layer a key component of the agencys National Space Defense Architecture that is ultimately planned to consist of hundreds of satellites operating primarily in LEO. The first batch of eight tracking satellites, referred to as Tranche 0, are slated for launch in 2023. Were really excited to push forward and make sure that we get all of our Tranche 0 and Tranche 1 constellations delivered on time and on budget, the official said. The official noted that even with the increase, fiscal 2022 funding represents just a portion of the Tranche 1 Tracking Layer budget and does not pay for all 28 satellites. SDA estimates the Tranche 1 Tracking Layer will cost about $2.5 billion to develop and launch, the official said. While the additional funding will have a schedule impact, the official said an earlier version of the appropriations legislation recommended a $750 million boost, which would have allowed SDA to launch the Tranche 1 tracking satellites in late 2024. Story continues Soon after the release of the tracking solicitation, SDA plans to issue a draft solicitation for Tranche 1 prototype satellites, part of a separate effort to experiment with new capabilities. The plan had been to request bids for those prototypes early this year, but since the funding release accelerated the Tranche 1 tracking schedule, the agency opted to move more slowly on the demonstration effort. We are very concerned with the bandwidth of our industrial performer base as well as our internal SDA bandwidth, so were not going to release both of those solicitations at the same time, SDA Director Derek Tournear said earlier this month. The official told reporters Tuesday that SDA is closely monitoring the supply chain for its satellites, noting that parts shortages especially electronics continue to be a concern for the agency. In fact, the agency had previously made schedule changes to allow contractors to request long-lead items earlier in order to mitigate supply issues. Those are still items that our primes are working pretty closely with their subcontractors to make sure they can mitigate, the official said. They all have closure plans on how to get there, but those parts are not sitting on the shelf ready to go right now. Meanwhile, the program is making progress on its Tranche 0 Tracking Layer effort, with L3Harris and SpaceX each building four wide-field-of-view satellites. SDA awarded the contracts in 2020 L3Harris received $193 million and SpaceX $149 million and both companies have completed critical design reviews. SDA is also working in concert with the Missile Defense Agency as it oversees the development of medium-field-of-view satellites through its Hypersonic and Ballistic Tracking Space Sensor program. MDA in 2021 awarded Northrop Grumman a $155 million contract and L3Harris a $122 million contract for those satellites. Mar. 14This was originally published in The Daily Brief, our Maine politics newsletter. Sign up here for daily news and insight from politics editor Michael Shepherd. The Legislature is defined in part by bills brought back every two years with little chance of passage. For a long time, repealing Maine's ban on Sunday hunting was one of those causes. Only Maine and Massachusetts bar Sunday hunting in a longstanding "blue law." Lawmakers have tried to erode the ban 35 times in the last 45 years, according to a rough state estimate. There may be a way forward in 2022. Legislative leaders from Senate President Troy Jackson, D-Allagash, to Assistant Senate Minority Leader Matt Pouliot, R-Augusta, have backed some form of Sunday hunting, alongside the National Rifle Association and most Maine hunters. Notable opponents include paper interests that own much of the northern land prized by big-game hunters from here and away and some guides. Last year, the Legislature watered down yet another Sunday hunting bill opposed by Gov. Janet Mills' administration over fears that landowners would bar all hunting if such a measure passed. Lawmakers instead ordered the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife to assemble a stakeholder group and survey Mainers on the issue. The results, from late last year into early this year, were fascinating. It found Sunday hunting overall is opposed by most Mainers, with only 33 percent supporting it. Support rose to 45 percent if explicit landowner permission was required. Permission led to a big drop in support among hunters, but a narrow majority still supported the expansion. Requiring permission also led to an increase in support among landowners, though wide majorities in central and southern still opposed Sunday hunting. The bill being considered this year draws a line bisecting the state from Route 2 near Bethel via Bangor to the Canadian border at Route 9 in Washington County. North of the line, hunting would be allowed on Sundays. South of it, landowners could hunt on their own property on Sundays and give written permission for others to hunt there. This approach is similar to a bill from minority legislative Republicans that was defeated in 2021 amid action on other hunting measures. This year's approach will have familiar opponents. What is different is the state study that has now put the measure in the hands of majority Democrats. Sen. Jim Dill of Old Town, the wildlife committee's chair, is the bill's sponsor. The Mills administration may still be wary after the inland fisheries department said it was "sensitive to the concerns of private landowners." But we are beginning to see how Sunday hunting may begin in Maine a big north-south divide. More articles from the BDN While St. Patrick's Day, with its soda bread, green beer and corned beef and cabbage, seems to garner much of the attention in mid-March, another saint has a feast day with its own food traditions. St. Joseph's Day, on March 19, honors the man most Christians consider the foster father or earthly father of Jesus Christ. In Italy, where St. Joseph is beloved, the feast of St. Joseph coincides with the country's celebration of Father's Day. According to legend, a drought in Sicily in the Middle Ages led to crops failing and people starving. People prayed to St. Joseph, and after the rains came and plots were planted, a celebration was held to honor the saint. Wealthy families prepared bountiful feasts that they shared with people who were less fortunate. This became known as Tavola di San Giuseppe (St. Joseph's table). St. Joseph's altars can be found in churches in Sicily, but the tradition is generally more popular in regions of the United States where Italians particularly Sicilians have settled. A tray of fresh St. Joseph's Bread heads from the kitchen out to the store front at Savoia Pastry Shoppe in Rochester Tuesday, March 8, 2022. Amy Preziosi was born in a small town in the province of Avvelino, south of Naples, Italy, and didn't hear about the custom of St. Joseph's tables until she immigrated to Rochester at the age of 13. "To us it was something new," she said. "I remember going to peoples homes and they would have this elaborate spread of meatless food. Now, Preziosi is an active volunteer with the Italian American Community Center, off Manitou Road in Gates. Up until the pandemic, the center would observe the feast of St. Joseph with a Mass for St. Joseph at the nearby St. Padre Pio chapel. After Mass, members would head to the community center where a St. Joseph's table would offer a bounty of meatless food including rice, pasta, fish, frittatas, vegetables and more. That would be followed with a three-tiered St. Joseph's altar that held a statue of St. Joseph, St. Joseph's breads, flowers, candles, celery and oranges. "It was beautiful," Preziosi said. People would be sent home with bags filled with an orange and panino. Story continues Pre-pandemic, you would also find St Joseph's tables or altars at many Rochester-area churches and businesses. Most of these celebrations have been canceled since 2020. But this year, Savastano's Bakery & Pizzeria in Gates will have a St. Joseph's table for its customers on March 19. Our Mother of Sorrows, a Catholic church in Greece, will observe the day by handing out to-go bags filled with St. Joseph's bread, an orange and a St. Joseph prayer card after Masses that weekend. Bakeries continue to prepare treats associated with the feast day for people to celebrate at home. St. Joseph's breads are made in a variety of flavors and shapes, many of them with religious symbolism. Two other treats associated with the day are Sfingi di San Giuseppe (usually just called "sfingi" in Rochester), as well as zeppole. These can vary from place to place, but in Rochester are usually fried sweetened bread dough filled with a ricotta or custard filling. Here are some of the places where you can find St. Joseph's breads, sfingi and zeppole. Savastano's Bakery & Pizzeria Saint Joseph's Bread, in the shape of a cross, at Savastano's Bakery and Pizzeria in Gates Wednesday, March 9, 2022. Savastano's Bakery & Pizzeria makes shiny St. Joseph's breads that are enlivened with anise and studded with diced fruits. They may be ordered plain or topped with sesame seeds. Some are frosted, while others are not. It also offers St. Joseph's rolls in two sizes. It also donates decorative St. Joseph's breads to churches. A secret ingredient for all of its holy day breads: a drop or two of holy water. The breads are available for several days leading up to March 19, and may be ordered up to Easter. Go: 477 Spencerport Road, Gates; 585-247-0448; savastanosbakerypizzeria.com. Savoia Pastry Shoppe Zeppole, which are associated with St. Joseph's Day, are popular pastries at Savoia. Savoia Pastry Shoppe makes its soft, shiny St. Josephs breads in a variety of shapes, including canes, hearts, fish and crowns. They are sprinkled with sesame seeds. They will be available through March 19. It also makes sfingi and zeppole; its sfingi are also sold at Rubino's Italian Food Market, 1304 East Ridge Road in Irondequoit. Go: 2267 Clifford Ave., Rochester; 585-482-1130; savoiapastry.com. Etna Italian Pastry Shop Sfingi, which are usually filled with ricotta filling, on display at Etna Italian Pastry Shop, 1913 Long Pond Road in Gates. Etna Italian Pastry Shop will have sfingi and zeppole through Easter. They are hand formed fried dough, filled with a choice of custard or ricotta filling to order. Go: 1913 Long Pond Road, Gates; 585-429-6369; etnapastryshop.com. Baker Street Bakery The St. Joseph Breads at Baker Street Bakery are made in a variety of shapes, some with sesame seeds and some without. Baker Street Bakery makes its St. Josephs breads with a brioche dough flavored anise and fennel seeds. They are offered in cross or staff shapes, plain or sprinkled with sesame seeds. They will be available through March 19. Go: 745 Park Ave., Rochester; 585-241-3120; bakerstbakery.com Dolce Italy Rochester Dolce Italy, a cozy East Avenue bakery that serves traditional Italian pastries, is serving zeppole Go: 1803 East Ave., Rochester; 585-448-5731; dolceitaly.us. Gaetano's Bakery and Catering At Gaetano's Bakery and Catering, Phil "PJ" Noto makes an anise-flavored St. Joseph's Bread studded with golden raisins. It is available now and will continue for as long as people buy it, up to Easter. It is made in a long shape, a "J" shape and a round loaf with a cross. Some are frosted and some are unfrosted. The retail store at 1439 West Ridge Road in Greece has been closed since March 2020. St. Joseph's breads are sold at: Pino's Deli at 2590 West Ridge Road in Greece; call 585-227-8160; Tree Town Cafe at 745 Penfield Road in Brighton; call 585-348-9720; Special T Cakes & Desserts: 870 Long Pond Road in Greece; call 585-621-1515; and Skips Meat Market Fairport: 102 Fairport Village Landing in Fairport; call 585-377-5360. Have a favorite food tradition? Email information to Tracy Schuhmacher at TracyS@Gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter or Instagram, or sign up for her weekly newsletter. This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: St. Joseph's Day brings breads, sfingi, zeppole to Rochester bakeries These 13 students received special awards Sunday night during the Great Plains Lutheran High School Winter Activities Banquet. Award winners include, from left in front, Trent Lien, Ethan Kjenstad, Sam Hansen, Connor Kannas, Alex Heil and Austin Rubendall; middle row, Jakson Cowles, John Abrahamson, Halle Bauer, Mali York, Bryn Holmen and Kimberly Goens; and back row, Ruby Leins and Chloe Wolfe. Thirteen students received special awards Sunday during Great Plains Lutheran High Schools Winter Activities Banquet. Honors were presented for girls and boys basketball, cheerleading and one-act play. Special award winners include: Girls Basketball Mali York, MVP and 2X4 (Player Who Hits the Hardest); Bryn Holmen, Panther Award; and Halle Bauer, Most Improved. Bauer and York each also earned All-Eastern Coteau Conference second team honors. Boys Basketball Sam Hansen, Co-MVP; Ethan Kjenstad, Co-MVP; Trent Lien, Panther Award; Alex Heil and Connor Kannas, Most Improved; and Austin Rubendall, Newcomer of the Year. Hansen (first team) and Kjenstad (second team) each earned All-Eastern Coteau Conference honors. Cheerleading Chloe Wolfe, MVP; and Ruby Leins, Panther Award. One-Act Play John Abrahamson, MVP; and Jakson Cowles, Panther Award. Letter winners, by activity, are: Girls Basketball Seniors Bryn Holmen and Mali York; juniors Briana Cordle and Kim Goens; sophomore Halle Bauer and Olivia Holmen; freshmen Esta Cameron, Myra Lentz, Madeline Prahl, Kaitlyn Rawerts, Lydia Schleusener and Emma Dornbusch; and managers Paige Schoer, Leksi Decker, Norah Kratz and Naomi Hoff. Boys Basketball Seniors Gavin Dornbusch, Connor Kannas, Ethan Kjenstad, Sam Hansen and Trent Lien; sophomores Alex Heil and Myles York; and managers Olivia Zanto, Haylee Cowles and Yabesera Wurgessa. Cheerleading Seniors Ruby Leins and Madeline Ramsey; junior Dayzee Holloway; and sophomores Madison Rabine and Chloe Wolfe. One-Act Play Seniors John Abrahamson and Jakson Cowles; juniors Haylee Cowles, Naomi Hoff and Norah Kratz; and sophomore Sebastian Rosenthal. This article originally appeared on Watertown Public Opinion: Students honored at Great Plains Lutheran's Winter Activities Banquet KHARTOUM (Reuters) -Protesters marched in Khartoum and other cities on Tuesday, one day after a Sudanese government official said security forces had gang raped a young woman. Rallies in Khartoum and several other cities were called after reports of the assault emerged late on Monday. One flyer read: "Wars are not fought on women's bodies." Sudan has been rocked for months by protests rejecting an October 25 military coup, organised by neighbourhood-based resistance committees. Protesters in the capital on Tuesday faced heavy tear gas and stun grenades as they marched towards the country's presidential palace, a Reuters reporter said. Among them were many young women and girls, and some carried signs reading, "They will not break you" and "We will not be broken." "What happened yesterday is not just oppression of women but of the whole Sudanese people, and we will continue to take to the street until our demands of freedom, justice, and human dignity are granted," said Amira Salih, a 38-year-old teacher. Sulaima Ishaq, who heads Sudan's Violence Against Women Unit at the Ministry of Social Development, said a 19-year-old South Sudanese woman, who was not a protester, was on a public bus as protests wound down on Monday evening, when forces fired tear gas, causing passengers to disembark. The woman was then raped by two members of the forces and assaulted by others, Ishaq told Reuters, adding that the incident was under investigation by police. Eyewitnesses told Reuters they could see the forces attacking the woman from nearby buildings. Police did not respond to a request for comment. In December, the United Nations said it had received 13 allegations of rape and gang rape after a Dec. 19 attempted sit-in was dispersed in central Khartoum. The incident comes as the U.N. and several countries have been critical of security crackdowns, which have killed at least 87 people since October. At least 133 people at protests were injured on Monday, including 35 by shotgun pellets, doctors aligned with the protest movement said. Elsewhere, student protests erupted for the second consecutive day in the cities of Atbara and Nyala, while protesters in Port Sudan took to the streets as a government delegation visited the city, unverified images on social media showed. (Reporting by Nafisa Eltahir in Cairo and Khalid Abdelaziz in KhartoumEditing by Raissa Kasolowsky, Alexandra Hudson) DETROIT (AP) First came the beeping alarms and the dashboard lights warning that something had gone haywire. Then the drivers side windows suddenly and mysteriously rolled down. Kendall Heimans Volkswagen SUV then pulled the scariest stunt of all: It abruptly braked for no reason. Heiman, a clinical social worker in Lawrence, Kansas, was driving her 15-year-old son to a class on Jan. 5 when her 2021 Atlas Cross Sport went bonkers. The malfunctions turned a normally routine two-mile round trip into a white-knuckle ordeal. It literally feels like the car is possessed, Heiman said. "Im not feeling like Im driving my car. My car is driving me. Heimans experience, it turns out, wasnt unique. Since late 2020, 47 VW owners have complained to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration about the same glitches in their 2020 and 2021 VW Atlas and Atlas Cross Sport SUVs. Some drivers reported that they narrowly escaped collisions, though a review of the complaints found no reports of crashes. In a statement, NHTSA said it has been gathering information from VW about the problem and is monitoring complaints and other data sources. The agency hasn't opened a formal investigation. And it would have to collect and analyze additional data before it could seek a recall. Complaints about unexpected braking involving the VW SUVs began in September of 2020, eight months before Heiman bought her SUV, NHTSAs records show. In a statement, Volkswagen said it is working on the problem but stopped short of saying it's recalling the affected vehicles. VW is aware of concerns involving faulty door wiring harnesses in certain Atlas and Atlas Cross Sport vehicles, the company said. We are working closely with NHTSA regarding the next steps towards identifying the affected vehicles. After her SUV's unexpected braking on Jan. 5, Heiman initially kept driving, figuring that the problem was a bizarre fluke. The SUV and a VW app flashed malfunction alerts, she said, but neither displayed a message to stop driving the vehicle. Story continues Her Cross Sport braked unexpectedly a few more times that day, but she was able to override it with the gas pedal. Heading into a roundabout on the way home with her son the same day, the SUV abruptly braked and came to a complete stop, Heiman said, and another SUV narrowly missed rear-ending her. She shut the engine off and restarted it to override what she thinks was a malfunction of automatic emergency braking. Jan. 5 was the first time she had encountered the problem with the Cross Sport, which she bought new in May 2021. Once home, Heiman called her dealers service department and got an appointment the next day. On the way there, she said, the SUV braked mysteriously again while exiting a two-lane highway. They didn't tell me it wasn't safe to drive to the dealer, she said. In the shop, a mechanic detected a problem with a wiring harness in the drivers door, but she was told there weren't any parts to fix it. (Electrical shorts in wiring harnesses can cause multiple problems in vehicles, including brake activation.) After discussing the safety risks with her, the dealership arranged for a rental car, Heiman said, and eventually the use of a new all-wheel-drive VW SUV. The same day, Heiman reported the problem to VW in an online chat and was referred to a regional manager who was of little help, she said. VW declined to comment on Heiman's assertions. On Jan. 12, Heiman complained to NHTSA but said she never heard back from the agency. (NHTSA says it reviews all complaints but in most cases doesn't respond directly to them.) For more than two months, Heiman said, her burnt orange Cross Sport, which had 12,600 miles on it and had cost $45,000, sat at the dealership waiting for the part. But late last week, after a reporter contacted the dealership, Heiman received a call telling her that the part had come in and that her vehicle had been repaired. Others who filed complaints with NHTSA wrote that dealers told them they were out of loaner cars and that they should keep driving their vehicles. They also could not guarantee that my parking brake would not engage again while the car was in drive, but did not want to offer me a rental car because Volkswagen doesnt consider it a safety issue, one unidentified owner from Sidney Center, New York, wrote in a complaint. Heiman's experience with Volkswagen made her worry about others who have encountered the same problems with the same VW models. She wonders why the automaker and government safety regulators havent recalled them. If there is a recall, it's not clear how many vehicles would have to be repaired. In 2020 and 2021, VW sold 203,000 of both models combined. Many owners wrote in complaints that the automatic emergency braking system had abruptly stopped their Atlas and Atlas Cross Sport SUVs for no reason. Safety advocates say the new technology, which uses cameras and computers to detect obstacles and stop or slow down if a driver doesnt react, shows great promise to prevent crashes. But the technology is also causing concerns for automakers. NHTSA recently opened investigations into unexpected braking by the systems in some Honda and Tesla vehicles. It has been investigating Nissan Rogue small SUVs since 2019. In documents about the Honda investigation, NHTSA said that six people complained of crashes with minor injuries. Inadvertent or unexpected braking activation while driving can cause unexpected speed reductions that can lead to increased vulnerability to rear end impact collisions, the agency wrote. Investigations often lead to recalls. But they can take months or even years to complete. NHTSA is working on developing rules that will require automatic emergency braking system on all new light vehicles and heavy trucks. In addition, automakers have agreed to make the system standard on most of their models by September of this year. We all want to have technology, said Michael Brooks, chief counsel for the nonprofit Center for Auto Safety. But if it doesn't work and it actually causes other safety issues like phantom braking, then it suggests they need a bit of a performance standard for all of these AEB systems. ____ AP Researcher Jennifer Farrar in New York contributed to this report. NEW YORK (Reuters) -A man arrested in the stabbing of two employees at New York City's Museum of Modern Art will face assault charges in the attack and a previous incident involving a former staff member, a police official said on Tuesday. Gary Cabana, suspected of the stabbing after the museum denied him admission over the weekend, was arrested in Philadelphia without incident after he was found sleeping at a Greyhound bus terminal, New York Police Department Chief of Detectives James Essig said at a news conference. The 60-year-old man will face charges of second-degree assault for the weekend stabbing and third-degree assault on allegations that he had punched another employee in a separate incident, Essig said. Cabana is also accused of aggravated harassment for allegedly sending threats via email. "He has been taken into custody and we are waiting extradition and the arrest warrants to bring him back to New York where he will be charged," Essig said. Police tracked down the suspect after he checked into a Philadelphia hotel and set a fire in a fifth-floor room earlier in the night, 6ABC Action News reported. It is unclear what led the suspect to Philadelphia. Local police did not immediately respond to a request for comment. "We got information that this individual was also suicidal and was suffering from some mental health issues so we realized he was armed and very dangerous," Philadelphia Police Chief Inspector Scott Small told the ABC affiliate. Police say Cabana jumped over a counter and stabbed two MoMA employees on Saturday after they refused to let him into the museum, where he previously had been barred for unruly behavior. Surveillance video footage showed the assailant fleeing the museum on foot moments after the incident. The two victims were rushed to a hospital for treatment of multiple stab wounds to their upper bodies, and were expected to survive, New York police said. New York police launched a hunt for the suspect, whom they said was familiar to MoMA staff as a museum regular. The suspect was also known to police from previous disorderly conduct incidents, including at least one at the museum in recent days, police said. (Reporting by Brendan O'Brien in Chicago and Tyler Clifford in New York; Editing by Will Dunham and Tim Ahmann) By Krisztina Than BUDAPEST (Reuters) - Hungary will not send any weapons to Ukraine and will stay out of the war, Prime Minister Viktor Orban told a rally of his supporters on Tuesday, accusing the opposition of trying to drag Hungary into the conflict on its eastern border. The conservative nationalist leader has a tight race for election to a fourth consecutive term on April 3 because for the first time since 2010 his right-wing Fidesz party will face a united front of six opposition parties. Orban's path to re-election is complicated by Russia's invasion of Ukraine, which has put his decade-long close relations with Russian President Vladimir Putin in a new light, drawing sharp criticism from the opposition. Addressing a rally of tens of thousands of supporters who waved the Hungarian national flag in front of parliament, Orban said Central Europe was only a "chess board" for big powers and if Hungary did not stand up for its interests, it could easily fall victim of the crisis. "Russia looks at Russian interests, while Ukraine looks at Ukrainian interests. Neither the United States, nor Brussels would think with Hungarians' mind and feel with Hungarians' hearts. We must stand up for our own interests," Orban said. "We must stay out of this war ... therefore we will not send any troops or weapons to the battlegrounds." Orban said the choice for voters on April 3 will be between his party that wants peace and the leftist opposition "which would stagger into a ruthless, protracted and bloody war." The six-party opposition, led by Peter Marki-Zay, a small-town mayor and father of seven, has sharply criticised Orban's relations with Russia, saying Orban had built an illiberal state along Putin's model, with rampant corruption and curbs on media freedoms. The government denies the allegations. Speaking to an opposition rally by the Danube river, Marki-Zay, who has campaigned on a strongly pro-European platform, said Hungarians' choice has never been this easy in elections. Story continues "We only have one choice: we must choose Europe instead of the east ... and freedom instead of authoritarianism," he said, with supporters chanting "Europa, Europa." Referring to European Union concerns about a decline in democratic standards in Hungary, Marki-Zay has said Orban's "unlimited power has resulted in unlimited corruption" while millions of Hungarians struggle to make ends meet. Fidesz slightly widened its lead in a late February opinion poll by Median to 39% compared with 32% for the opposition bloc. Orban has condemned the Russian invasion and has said Budapest would not veto EU sanctions agreed against Russia but that these must not affect Hungary's energy supplies. (Reporting by Krisztina Than; Editing by Mark Heinrich and Grant McCool) A Tiananmen Square protester who was jailed in China for two years following the pro-democracy movement was stabbed to death in his New York law office on Monday. Li Jinjin, 66, was stabbed in the neck and body around 11:40 a.m. on Monday at his office in Flushing, the New York Daily News reported. Police on Monday arrested Xiaoning Zhang, 25, who faces a murder charge, according to the outlet. Li participated in the 1989 Tiananmen Square pro-democracy student protests against Chinese authoritarian rule. In 1993, after he had been jailed for roughly two years, Li sought asylum in the U.S., where he worked as an immigration lawyer and advocated for the people involved in the Tiananmen movement, according to the Daily News. Zhang last week allegedly made a disruptive scene in Li's office, according to the victim's friends who spoke to the newspaper. Chuang Chuang Chen, the CEO of the China Democracy Party, told the newspaper Zhang came to the U.S. on a student visa but wanted asylum because she had been raped by police in Beijing and sent to a mental health facility. She had requested Li take her case, which he refused. Li's friends told the Daily News it may have been because she was mentally unstable. "I can't believe it. She not only destroyed his life, but the hope of our community," Li's friend Wei Zhu told the publication. "He wanted to realize democracy in China. He will never realize that dream." A Chinese dissident immigrant lawyer was stabbed to death allegedly by a woman in his law firms office in New York, where he had settled after seeking asylum in the US. Li Jinjin, 66, had served nearly two years in prison for participating in the 1989 Tiananmen Square pro-democracy protests and had continued to advocate publicly for those jailed or killed by Chinese authorities during the nations democracy movement. Mr Li was fatally stabbed by a 25-year-old woman identified by police as Xiaoning Zhang on Monday after he reportedly refused to take on her case. Police have recovered two knives from the crime scene and taken the woman into custody, who faces murder charges. However, it wasnt clear when she would be arraigned or if she had retained an attorney. Mr Lis friend and lawyer Wei Zhu along with Chuang Chuang Chen, the chief executive of China Democracy Party, said the killing might have stemmed from his refusal to take Ms Zhang on as a client. I can't believe it. She not only destroyed his life but the hope of our community. He wanted to realise democracy in China. He will never realise that dream, Mr Zhu told New York Daily News. He added: Even when this woman made trouble in the office, police came to drive her away. Mr Li told the police please, do not arrest her. Su Xu, a receptionist for an insurance broker that shared an office with Mr Li, said the lawyers white shirt was covered in blood and he was lying unconscious. The receptionist added that when the accused walked in she was very quiet and then she attacked the lawyer. According to Mr Chen, the accused had arrived in the US in August on an F-1 visa to go to a school in Los Angeles. The legal scholar was often quoted by news organisations looking for insight or commentary on the Chinese dissident community or on relations between China and the west. Prior to his imprisonment in China, he had been a legal adviser to a labour union that had challenged the government on worker rights. Concert performer and educator Zhou Guangren leaves behind a legacy of expertise and appreciation. Zhou Guangren, a renowned pianist and music educator, died at her home in Beijing on March 7 at the age of 93. Her career as a musician spanned decades. She performed as a soloist worldwide and was known as a tireless music educator, training many Chinese pianists. With the country's classical music scene booming and many children learning music, especially the piano, Zhou was frequently invited to appear at music competitions and give master classes to young Chinese music students-both professionally trained young people and amateur music lovers. "As a prominent member of the faculty at the Central Conservatory of Music, Zhou was devoted to music education during her lifetime," according to an obituary issued by Beijing-based Central Conservatory of Music, a top music school in the country where Zhou worked for more than five decades, on March 7. "She made a great contribution to China's piano music. She was the 'soul' of China's piano music education." A commemorative event was held in Beijing on Friday. Born in Hannover, Germany, in 1928, to a Chinese couple, who were overseas students, Zhou returned to China with her family and settled down in Shanghai in 1933. She studied at a German school in Shanghai and became interested in playing the piano at around 9 years of age. Her father was not supportive of the idea that his daughter was going to become a pianist because he believed that Zhou, with her language talent, would become a diplomat. With Zhou's persistence, her father rented a piano and let Zhou study the musical instrument. She fell in love with the instrument and even decided to drop out of school to concentrate on learning it. At 16, Zhou started to teach younger children to play the piano to make money and pay for her own music tuition, since her father stopped paying for her piano classes. "I was very attracted to the classical music world. There are so many beautiful music pieces by composers like Mozart, Chopin and Beethoven. I was eager to learn. The happiest thing for me to do every day was to practice those music pieces," said Zhou in an earlier interview with China Central Television. Shanghai in the 1930s and early 1940s was home to foreign concessions, which allowed Zhou to learn to play the piano with teachers from different countries. She also received training from Chinese musicians, including Qian Qi and Ding Shande. In 1948, Zhou was invited to perform with a Shanghai-based string ensemble. She played Mozart's Piano Concerto No 20 in D Minor K 466, which made her a rising star, appearing in newspapers and magazines. In 1949, she started to teach at the Shanghai Conservatory of Music and, in 1951, Zhou won the third prize at the Piano Competition of the 3rd World Festival of Youth and Students, making her one of the first Chinese musicians to receive an international prize. In 1955, Zhou took up a teaching post at the Central Conservatory of Music. In 1980, Zhou became a visiting scholar at the University of Missouri, in Kansas, the United States, and in the same year, she toured the country, promoting cultural exchange programs by performing both Chinese and Western music pieces and giving lectures at 29 American universities. In 1982, she returned to China to continue her teaching at the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing. In the same year, she had an accident when three fingers were squashed as she tried to protect a piano from being damaged. The incident threatened her career but Zhou overcame great pain to again master the keyboard. Merely a year after the accident, she returned to the stage, performing Chopin's Berceuse, Op 57 at the Peking University in May 1983. After her accident, she shifted more to piano education. In 1983, Zhou founded the Xinghai Piano School, the first of its kind in China focusing on youngsters and children. In 1990, she set up the second music school, the Yueyou Piano School, for amateur pianists. Since 1980, she had frequently been a judge in major international piano competitions worldwide. She was the Chairperson of the Jury of the China International Piano Competition in 1994-the year the competition was launched. "I met Zhou for the first time in 1983, right after she founded the Xinghai Piano School in Beijing. I was 11 years old, hoping to see her since she had a huge reputation. Instead of giving music lessons to children, she was playing games with them. It softened my impression of piano teachers, who were often rigid and rarely smiled," recalls Chinese pianist Sheng Yuan, who learned to play the piano at the age of 5. Santa Fe Community Convention Centre, where much of the festival will be hosted (Tourism Santa Fe) Santa Fe will be hosting its inaugural literary festival this year. The highly anticipated event will take place over a long weekend this spring (20 23 May 2022). With its high-altitude, desert climate and rusty-hued terrain, the capital city of New Mexico has long been a home to creatives seeking out inspiration and rejuvenation. Santa Fe has been home to artists and writers for generations including Georgia OKeeffe, DH Lawrence, Willa Cather, and writers today such as George RR Martin. The Santa Fe Literary Festival invites guests to partake in the citys rich cultural traditions. More than 30 individual events will take place across the weekend, including keynote speeches by major literary figures and more intimate talks by national and international writers. Colson Whitehead has been awarded the Pulitzer Prize for fiction twice (2017 and 2020) (AFP via Getty Images) Literary legends including Colson Whitehead, Sandra Cisneros, and Poet Laureate Joy Harjo will feature alongside bestselling authors such as John Grisham and George RR Martin. It will be an immersive weekend of programming, with guests also given the chance to dine with celebrated chefs and acclaimed food writers. John Grisham is one of many recognisable names to participate in this years festival (Getty Images) How to get tickets You can purchase tickets for the Santa Fe Literary Festival at the official website. There are three types of tickets available to purchase; All-Access Festival passes, individual event tickets, and literary day trip tickets. There will also be free programming on the Festival Community Stage. There are only 225 All Access Festival passes available, so make sure you are quick to snap one up. If you are lucky enough to secure one then you will have your choice of dozens of author events, two chef lunches, afternoon teas, plus Santa Fe experiences and excursions. Santa Fes decade-spanning cultural legacy is rich and steeped in history (Santa Fe Tourism) The festivals Literary Day Trips include a series of full and half-day excursions each with a different focus that will take place on the Monday of the festival (23 May). For those wishing to book accommodation the festivals website offers a range of options and some discounted rates for those staying over the festival weekend. The Independent, as the events international media partner, will be providing coverage across each day of the festival as well as during the lead up with exclusive interviews with some of the headline authors. For more on the festival visit our Santa Fe Literary Festival section or visit the festivals website. To find out more about buying tickets click here. A Toledo man allegedly found with methamphetamine, cocaine and a stolen firearm in a July 2021 traffic stop is facing multiple felony charges in Ottawa County Common Pleas Court. PORT CLINTON A Toledo man allegedly found with methamphetamine, cocaine and a stolen firearm in a July 2021 traffic stop is facing multiple felony charges in Ottawa County Common Pleas Court. Ralphael Boyd, 35, of Toledo has been charged with possession and trafficking in methamphetamine, possession of cocaine, receiving stolen property, carrying concealed weapons, and improper handling of firearms in a motor vehicle. His charges were included in a list of Ottawa County grand jury indictments released last week. Boyd's charges stem from a July 24, 2021 traffic stop on Ohio 2 near Ohio 19. He was allegedly found in possession of the drugs, as well as a stolen firearm, when he was stopped by deputies of the Ottawa County Sheriffs Office. According to a sheriff's office incident report, deputies smelled the odor of burnt marijuana coming from Boyd's vehicle and initiated a probable cause search of the car. One deputy located a loaded firearm, a Smith and Wesson SD9 VE. Upon running the weapon through dispatch, it was learned the gun was listed as stolen in Wood County. Also found in the vehicle search was a Crown Royal bag containing a digital scale, cellphone, small baggies with white and pink powder inside, two small baggies with teal powder inside, a small baggie with marijuana inside and a small drawstring bag with a baggie of blue pills. The suspected narcotics were sent to the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation for testing, according to the report. Deputies seized $5,610 in cash and brought it back to the sheriff's office. Suspect accused of fleeing police faces multiple charges Also indicted after a recent ession of the Ottawa County grand jury was Antwuan Dawson, who is being held in the Ottawa County Detention Facility. He faces multiple felony charges, including failure to comply, receiving stolen property, tampering with evidence, and assault of a corrections officer. According to reports of the Ottawa County Sheriffs Office, Dawson, along with four teenage females, fled from officers in a stolen car last month. Story continues Several days after his incarceration, Dawson allegedly assaulted a corrections officer. Ottawa County Prosecutor James VanEerten noted that an indictment is merely a formal charge in the common pleas court, and does not denote guilt or innocence. dacarson@gannett.com 419-334-1046 Twitter: @DanielCarson7 This article originally appeared on Fremont News-Messenger: Ottawa County grand jury indictments released; Toledo man charged This press release was distributed Monday by the United States Attorneys Office Central District of Illinois: Jason R. Musselman, 34, of the 100 block of Clinton Street, Toulon, appeared in federal court on March 11 in relation to a criminal complaint that charged him with production of child pornography, distribution of child pornography and possession of child pornography. Musselman had been arrested earlier that same day. More: State Police arrest Toulon alderman on child porn possession charge The complaint alleges that agents with the Illinois State Police and Homeland Security Investigations executed a search warrant on Musselman, his residence, and his electronic devices on Jan. 19 as part of an ongoing child pornography investigation. Agents then obtained evidence that Musselman had produced numerous images of child pornography in his residence between approximately 2010 and 2013, that he had distributed images of child pornography on December 21, 2021, via the Kik internet messaging platform, and that he possessed material containing those and other images of child pornography on Jan. 19. Also on March 11, U.S. Magistrate Judge Jonathan Hawley ordered Musselman temporarily detained pending a detention hearing on March 15, 2022, at 12:30 p.m. at the federal courthouse in Peoria. If convicted, the maximum statutory penalties for the alleged crimes charged are up to 30 years imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000, and up to a lifetime period of supervised release. The United States has 30 days to present the case to a grand jury, which will decide if there is probable cause. Members of the public are reminded that a criminal complaint is merely an accusation; the defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty. Agencies participating in the investigation include the Stark County States Attorneys Office, Illinois State Police, the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and the Washington Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Holst Schryer is representing the government in the prosecution. This article originally appeared on Star Courier: Toulon's Musselman appears in federal court on child pornography charges Donald Trump in Moscow in 2013 for the Miss Universe competition. Alexander Aleshkin/Epsilon/Getty Images Trump speculated that Putin's invasion of Ukraine was an attempt to bring back the Soviet Union. "You could see it was a country where there was a lot of love," Trump said of the Soviet Union. Trump's remarks glossed over the mass repression and deprivation of the Soviet Union. Former President Donald Trump speculated that Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine was a project to rebuild a Soviet empire that had been "full of love." Trump made the remarks on Sunday in a radio interview with the Fox News host Jeanine Pirro. He was asked about the unfolding crisis in Ukraine, which Russia invaded in late February. "He's got a big ego," Trump said of Putin. "Again, I know him very well ... I understand he's gotten rid of a lot of his generals." He speculated that the Russian president likely felt "cornered" and could do "unspeakable" things to make progress in the invasion, which has faced fierce Ukrainian resistance. Trump appeared to be raising similar concerns as the US intelligence officials who have spoken of the possibility of Russia turning to chemical weapons or expanding its attacks on civilians. Trump also speculated that Putin had likely been motivated by a desire to rebuild the Soviet Union, which included Ukraine and other now independent states in eastern Europe and Asia. "They wanted to rebuild the Soviet Union," Trump said, adding: "That's what this is all about to a large extent. And then you say, what's the purpose of this? "They had a country. You could see it was a country where there was a lot of love, and, you know, we're doing it because somebody wants to make his country larger or he wants to put it back the way it was when actually it didn't work very well." After the Soviet Union's dissolution in 1991, Ukraine voted to become an independent republic. As part of the USSR, Ukraine was subjected to political repression. As many as 4 million people in Ukraine died in a man-made famine created by the Soviet leader Joseph Stalin in the 1930s. Story continues Though the Soviet Union made some striking scientific advances and spread some prosperity, it brutally punished political dissent and by the early 1990s poverty was widespread. One of Trump's predecessors, Ronald Reagan, famously described the Soviet Union as an "evil empire." Trump visited Russia before the collapse of the Soviet Union, making a trip to Moscow in 1987 to explore a possible hotel deal. Trump has long attracted controversy for his remarks about Putin. In late February he described Russia's authoritarian leader as a "genius" and "very savvy" for declaring two regions in eastern Ukraine independent as a pretext for launching the invasion. In recent weeks Trump has condemned Russia's aggression, describing the killing of Ukrainian civilians as a "holocaust" in one interview, but he has not criticized Putin personally. He has also claimed that were he still the president, Russia would not have launched the invasion. In Sunday's interview he pointed to his decision as president to provide enhanced military aid to Ukraine. But critics including Fiona Hill, his former Russia advisor, have said Trump's hostility toward NATO, divisive policies, and threat to withhold military aid from Ukraine may have encouraged Putin's aggression. Read the original article on Business Insider A Democratic Party fundraising committee said it will hold Donald Trump accountable by filing a formal complaint against him after he was accused of illegally spending political donations on campaigning for president without registering as a candidate. American Bridge, a Democrat-aligned political action committee (PAC), said late Monday that it has already submitted a complaint to the US Federal Election Commission (FEC) about Mr Trumps conduct. Were holding him accountable for dodging the law, the group said. Meanwhile, Mr Trump boasted to his supporters that contrary to reports he failed to deter Vladimir Putins ambitions in the post-Soviet sphere, no one was tougher on Russia than him and that my personality is what kept us out of war. He also speculated that Russias invasion of Ukraine could lead to World War III, adding that his successor Joe Biden can still end this tragedy without getting Americans snared into a gruesome and very bloody war. Key points Democratic PAC to go ahead with legal complaint against Trump Jan 6 documents reveal detailed plan to storm government buildings Trump warns against third world war Trumps Ukraine phone call central to impeachment may have emboldened Putin Dealing with Trump and his allies like wrestling an alligator Democratic PAC accuses Donald Trump of illegally raising funds for undeclared 2024 presidential run 05:39 , Shweta Sharma A Democratic Party fundraising committee says it is filing a formal complaint against Donald Trump, accusing him of illegally spending political donations on campaigning for president without registering as a candidate. American Bridge, a Democrat-aligned political action committee (PAC), said on Monday that it had submitted a complaint to the US Federal Election Commission (FEC) about Mr Trumps conduct. Read Io Dodds detailed report Democratic PAC accuses Donald Trump of illegally raising cash for undeclared 2024 run Jan 6 panel documents reveal detailed plan to storm government buildings Story continues 05:04 , Shweta Sharma A document that was found in the possession of a far-right leader by federal prosecutors has revealed that there was a detailed plan to storm the government buildings around Capitol on 6 January 2021, people familiar with the document said. The former head of the Proud Boys, Enrique Tarrio, was charged with conspiracy and was found in possession of a nine-page document, according to the New York Times. The document which was titled 1776 Returns was cited by prosecutors when they charged him last week. The document is expected to explain why prosecutors chose to charge Mr Tarrio, who was not at the Capitol during the attack. It does not specifically mention the attack on the Capitol building but suggests that once the buildings are full and ready to go the leads and seconds should enter and open doors for others to go in and causing trouble to distract the security staff. And in case the crowds are not able to gain entrance to the buildings quickly, it suggests they pull fire alarms at nearby stores, hotels and museums in a bid to distract police and guards, sources told The Times. GOP lawmaker denies to to attend Tucker Carlson's show full of Russian propaganda 04:32 , Shweta Sharma Republican representative Adam Kinzinger ripped into Tucker Carlson after the Fox News host invited him to appear on his show. In a video posted on Twitter Monday, Mr Kinzinger said he will not validate his show by making an appearance while calling his rhetoric of the West investigating the Russian leader as evil. I got an invitation to do Tucker Carlsons show tonight. And theres no way Ill go on his show, for a number of reasons, he said. But first, let me state that his insistence that the West was provoking war with Putin, his spreading lies about bio-labs, and his continued spewing of conspiracy theories are nothing but complete evil, he added. His show is full of Russian propaganda and not news, and I will not validate his show by making an appearance. I do not want to be associated with it in any way, Mr Kinzinger said. He then urged the viewers to consider donating to the Stand with Ukraine fund. Tucker Carlson invited me on his show tonight, but thats not going to happenever. While he echoes Putins lies, Ill remain focused on supporting the Ukrainian people. My video statement: pic.twitter.com/plfOhh6bNb Adam Kinzinger (@AdamKinzinger) March 14, 2022 Pro-Trump vigilante group posed as county workers, says New Mexico official 04:09 , Shweta Sharma As supporters of former president Donald Trump continue to peddle their baseless theories of voters fraud in the 2020 election, a right-wing group in New Mexico impersonated city workers to get information in a Republican majority county. The New Mexico state auditor said that some members of a far-right Telegram group were going door to door in Otero County to get information about the residents vote, reported DailyBeast. Otero County, which has more than 60 per cent of residents voting for Mr Trump in 2020, has already spent $50,000 on an audit to find evidence of election fraud. However, it turns out the audit company the county hired contracted New Mexico Audit Force or NMAF, a Telegram group, that has been promoting conspiracy theories. The state officials said NMAF is falsely representing its members as county employees during its canvas of local households and raised potential civil rights concerns. Our investigation appears to have found that commissioners may have put their own personal interest ahead of the public interest, Brian Colon, New Mexicos state auditor, said. His office has now issued a letter to Otero Countys three commissioners, citing potential violations around the audit. Joe Biden attends first in-person fundraiser since pandemic 03:36 , Shweta Sharma Joe Biden on Monday attended the first in-person fundraiser since the coronavirus pandemic hit the world, marking a return to a traditional form of politics. The Washington event, which was attended by two dozen wealthy donors focused on climate change, raised at least $3 million for the Democratic National Committee, an adviser for the White House who spoke on condition of anonymity, said. Focusing his address on climate change, the president tied the issue to other problems such as inflation and Russias invasion of Ukraine that has caused the oil markets to become volatile. "There are three things we can deal with at the same time," Mr Biden said. "The climate crisis, consumer costs and national security theyre not at odds with one another. If you look at them the right way, theyre compatible." With the onset of the pandemic, Democrats were forced to take a sharply different track than Republicans, including former President Donald Trump, who has hosted in-person fundraisers at his Mar-a-Lago resort for months. Trump accused of campaign finance violation 03:00 , John Bowden A left-leaning group is going after Donald Trump and arguing that the former president is campaigning for president again without officially filing his intent to run. American Bridge argued in a complaint to the Federal Election Commission that Mr Trumps campaign-style rallies which he has hosted since leaving office should be viewed as part of a 2024 presidential bid that has already begun. Read more from the Associated Press: Trump accused of breaking campaign laws by teasing 2024 run News site accuses key Trump ally of copyright infringement 02:00 , John Bowden Politico is demanding that Sen Josh Hawley, a top ally of Donald Trump in the GOPs Senate caucus, stop using a photo one of the companys photographers took of the senator giving an encouraging fist pump to protesters ahead of the deadly Capitol riot. We did not authorize [the photos] use by the Hawley campaign for the purpose of political fundraising, a spokesperson for Politico said. Read more from The Independents Nathan Place: Politico tells Josh Hawley to stop using Capitol riot photo on campaign merchandise Tulsi Gabbard to Romney: Provide evidence that what I said is untrue and treasonous or resign 01:00 , John Bowden Former Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard issued a stern response to Sen Mitt Romney on Monday after the Utah senator accused her of spreading treasonous lies. The Hawaiian ex-lawmaker released a video claiming that US-funded biolabs around the world were dangerous and should be shut down. She also claimed there was a significant risk of such labs releasing pathogens in Ukraine as a result of ongoing warfare there, despite Ukraines government ordering such facilities to destroy any dangerous samples. Read more from The Independents Eric Garcia: Gabbard to Romney: Provide evidence what I said is untrue and treasonous or resign Trump ally faces backlash for sharp criticism of Ukraine and Zelensky 00:00 , John Bowden Rep Madison Cawthorn was condemned in a local newspaper this week after he was seen on video insulting Ukraines Volodymyr Zelensky by calling him a thug. The far-right conservative and supporter of Donald Trump was labeled North Carolinas gift to Crazytown in an editorial by the Winston-Salem Journal, a major newspaper in the state. Read more from The Independents Andrew Naughtie: Madison Cawthorns local paper slams him for calling Zelensky a thug Fox News correspondent hospitalised after being injured in Kyiv Monday 14 March 2022 23:00 , John Bowden A Fox News correspondent who has clashed with the views of some of the networks opinion hosts on the issue of Ukraine was hospitalised on Monday after being injured in the country. Few details are known yet, but explore what we do know with The Independents Rachel Sharp: Fox News correspondent hospitalised after being injured in Kyiv Trump lashes out at Time Warner for canceling his favourite network OAN: Far more popular than anyone knows Monday 14 March 2022 22:00 , John Bowden Donald Trump lashed out in a statement at Time Warner on Monday after the cable TV provider announced that it would drop right-leaning One America News, a home for conspiracies about the election and other issues, from its list of available networks. The blow is serious for the channel, which features programming aligned with Mr Trumps politics. I believe the people of this Country should protest the decision to eliminate OAN, a very important voice, the former president said in a statement on Monday. Demand that OAN be allowed to stay on the air. It is far bigger and more popular than anyone knows, and importantly, it represents the voice of a very large group of people! Read more from The Independents Nathan Place: Trump lashes out at Time Warner for canceling his favourite network OAN Ginni Thomas attended Jan 6 Trump rally before Capitol riot Monday 14 March 2022 21:28 , John Bowden The wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, activist Ginni Thomas, confirmed in a new interview on Monday that she attended the Stop the Steal-themed rally at the White House on January 6 before the capital was attacked. But according to Ms Thomas, she didnt actually participate in the riot: She got cold and went home. Read more from The Independents Andrew Feinberg: Ginni Thomas attended Jan 6 Trump rally before Capitol riot Don Jr claims nothing controversial in fathers 2020 election rant that got kicked off YouTube Monday 14 March 2022 19:00 , John Bowden Donald Trump Jr has responded to the decision by YouTubes policy team to take down an interview with former President Donald Trump in which the ex-president once again pushed falsehoods about the 2020 election. There was nothing really controversial spoken about in this thing," Mr Trump Jr claimed in his own video on Monday. He went on to claim that the narrative pushed by big tech companies was being exposed by his father. Zelensky to speak to Congress Monday 14 March 2022 18:14 , John Bowden Ukraines President Volodymyr Zelensky will speak to Congress this week as his pleas for more western assistance in Ukraines defence against a Russian invasion continue. Mr Zelensky will speak before US lawmakers on Wednesday. We look forward to the privilege of welcoming President Zelenskys address to the House and Senate and to convey our support to the people of Ukraine as they bravely defend democracy, Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer wrote to colleagues on Monday. Read more from The Independents Eric Garcia: Pelosi and Schumer invites Zelensky to give a virtual address to Congress ICYMI: Trump proposes making all executive branch employees fireable by POTUS Monday 14 March 2022 17:35 , Andrew Naughtie In one of the wilder pronouncements issued at his Saturday rally, Donald Trump called for all employees of the executive branch of the government to serve directly at the pleasure of the president, allowing him or her to fire them at will. "We will pass critical reforms making every executive branch employee fireable by the president of the United States. The deep state must and will be brought to heel." -- Trump proposes a drastic expansion of presidential power pic.twitter.com/u09FV910iA Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) March 13, 2022 Mr Trumps threats to dispatch various government figures repeatedly landed him in serious trouble while he was president, so if the rules were changed after his re-election he would be far more free to behave as he liked. Congressman defeated by AOC says Trump paved the way for her victory Monday 14 March 2022 17:10 , Andrew Naughtie Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez shot to national fame when she defeated establishment Democrat Joe Crowley in a congressional primary in 2018 and speaking on a podcast this week, Mr Crowley attributed her victory in part to the rise of Donald Trump. I have a better, real clear understanding of just how powerful the election of Donald Trump was, he said on Pro Politics with Zac McCary. In many respects, it lit the fire onto the base of our party, and I think thats a good thing in many respects, you know. Maybe personally, it didnt work out for me, but I think he created the energy we needed to oust him as president in four years. Read more: Trump inadvertently helped AOC win House seat, says former Rep. Joe Crowley https://t.co/1ceRFf5gno Washington Examiner (@dcexaminer) March 14, 2022 Hunting Trump on British soil Monday 14 March 2022 16:44 , Andrew Naughtie Donald Trump spends most of his time safely ensconced at Mar-a-Lago in Florida, but that didnt stop an intoxicated driver in Suffolk, England rolling up outside RAF Mildenhall which is used by the US Air Force and demanding to speak to him. Drunk driving suspect arrested at US airbase looking for Donald Trump Lay down your lives: Trump in context Monday 14 March 2022 16:16 , Andrew Naughtie Journalist Jay Bookman makes a chilling point about one of Donald Trumps standout lines at his South Carolina rally this weekend... You don't "lay down your very lives" by voting in a school board race, or attending a school board meeting, or donating to or campaigning for a school board candidate. In what kind of activity do you "lay down your very lives?" Violence, that's what kind. He calls for violence. https://t.co/bVbyBYerrA Jay Bookman (@jaysbookman) March 14, 2022 Its worth noting that Mr Trump was apparently reading from a teleprompter when he said this, rather than speaking off the cuff. Supreme Court justices wife denies helping plan 6 January rally Monday 14 March 2022 15:49 , Andrew Naughtie Ginni Thomas, the controversial right-wing activist and wife of arch-conservative Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, has spoken to the Washington Free Beacon to deny reports that she helped organise the White House rally on 6 January 2021 that preceded the riot at the US Capitol. Clarence Thomas's wife Ginni Thomas goes to the friendly Washington Free Beacon "to clear up a few things": "She did not help organize the White House rally that preceded the riot at the Capitol. She did attend the rally, but got cold and left early."https://t.co/TWwwzk2Fcs Edward-Isaac Dovere (@IsaacDovere) March 14, 2022 Ms Thomass activism has become increasingly controversial since the 2020 election, in whose aftermath she played a part in conservative efforts to overturn the result in favour of Donald Trump. ICYMI: Former Ukraine ambassador on Trumps infamous phone call to Zelensky Monday 14 March 2022 15:01 , Andrew Naughtie Former US ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch yesterday told NBCs Meet the Press that contrary to his claims to have been tough on Russia, Donald Trump in fact emboldened Vladimir Putin in his machinations against his neighbouring country. Recounting that Putin saw how Trump viewed Ukraine... as a pawn, Ms Yovanovitch described the impact of Mr Trumps effort to effectively extort Volodymyr Zelensky into investigating the Biden familys business interests. The release of that transcript showed the world that we had an administration that was willing to trade our national security for personal and political gain, she said of the call that ended up leading to Mr Trumps first impeachment. Read more: Trumps Ukraine phone call may have emboldened Putin, former ambassador says Whitmer kidnap plot trial held up by Covid-19 Monday 14 March 2022 14:33 , Andrew Naughtie The trial of four men accused of plotting to kidnap and possibly murder Democratic Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer has already hit bumpy road thanks to confusion over the role of an FBI informant and now theres another spanner in the works in the form of a positive Covid-19 test among one of the trials essential participants. Ms Whitmer became a top target of Mr Trumps during the early Covid-19 pandemic as she imposed tough restrictions on her state in an attempt to slow the viruss spread. At one point, the then-president tweeted the words Liberate Michigan! and when the violent plot against her was intercepted and the men arrested, Ms Whitmer herself blamed Mr Trump and others rhetoric for inspiring violence against her and other Democratic politicians. Read more on the trial below. COVID-19 delays trial in plot to abduct Mich. Gov. Whitmer Anti-Trump Republican puts pressure on colleagues Monday 14 March 2022 14:05 , Andrew Naughtie Joe Walsh, a former Tea Party congressman turned intense critic of Donald Trump, had this to say to Mitt Romney after he called out Tulsi Gabbard on her sympathy for Kremlin talking points... Agreed Mitt. But so has Donald Trump. So has Madison Cawthorn. So has Marjorie Taylor Greene. So has Tucker Carlson. And there are many other Republicans/conservatives as well. Call them all out Mitt. https://t.co/ViURZLhEyz Joe Walsh (@WalshFreedom) March 13, 2022 Far-right activist and candidate arrested in Idaho Monday 14 March 2022 13:37 , Andrew Naughtie Ammon Bundy, the rancher and far-right agitator known for his role in various armed standoffs over cattle grazing on public land, was arrested on Friday for trespassing at a hospital where a malnourished child had been taken away from their parents. Mr Bundy, who enjoys a following on the extreme anti-government right and who has been arrested several times over the past two years, is a candidate for governor of Idaho, where he will be challenging a Republican incumbent as an independent. Read more: Far-right activist Ammon Bundy arrested by Idaho police DeSantis-Trump matchup in Florida still looks one-sided Monday 14 March 2022 13:00 , Andrew Naughtie For all the talk of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis challenging Donald Trump in a 2024 Republican primary, NBCs Mark Caputo writes that there is currently no contest between the two men in Mr DeSantiss home state: Gov. Ron DeSantis is in a strong position to win Florida again, but he could get crushed in a presidential primary if he faces Donald Trump, according to a poll of voters in Miami-Dade, the largest and most diverse county in the state, released Monday. In a hypothetical primary matchup between Trump and DeSantis, the former president leads his former protege 55-32 percent among Republicans in the county, the new poll from Bendixen & Amandi International suggests. Among Hispanic voters in the county, Trumps support was even stronger: those of Cuban descent backed him over DeSantis by 62-32 percent and non-Cuban Latinos supported the former president by 63-22 percent over the governor, according to the poll. Read the story below. In Miami-Dade the giant & diverse Rosetta Stone of Floridas politics Donald Trump beats Ron DeSantis by 24 points in a hypothetical 2024 presidential primary But DeSantis still has strong reelect in the county of +7 https://t.co/pvnnqm8drl Marc Caputo (@MarcACaputo) March 14, 2022 How Trump paved the way for right-wing embrace of Putin Monday 14 March 2022 12:25 , Andrew Naughtie The Bulwarks Amanda Carpenter, a thought-leader in the centre-right Trump critic community, offers up this analysis of how Donald Trump gave many in the GOP and on the right in general the confidence to publicly sympathise with Putins Russia. Its not a coincidence that two major scandals of the Trump erathe Mueller investigation and Trumps first impeachmentinvolved Russian interference and Ukraine. Or that Trump went on to pardon members of his inner circle ensnared in the Russia probe, such as his former campaign manager Paul Manafort and former national security advisor Mike Flynn. All of these characters belong to the same story. Flynn is now on Telegram, pushing the predictable party line: I was told that biolabs in Ukraine was a conspiracy theory yet here we are. They are now admitting it openly. Fellow Trump pardonee-turned-podcaster Steve Bannon, ever the political entrepreneur, is channeling the conspiracy into direct political action. His demand: No Republican should vote for any money on Ukraine, zero dollars until we know exactly what is going on with the labs. None of this goes to say these men, or the others parroting similar lines, bear any responsibility for Putins war crimes in Ukraine. But its ghastly how eager they are to latch on to Putins version of events to score cheap points against Democrats and advance their own interests. Read more below. Back in 2016, Russia had to create a troll farm to influence US opinion. Well, Putin doesnt have to do that anymore. From me. https://t.co/KLlOkAfPmK Amanda Carpenter (@amandacarpenter) March 14, 2022 Is Putins wing of the GOP, as Cheney put it, the dominant wing of the Republican Party? Theres some debate but as long as Trump remains leader of the party, Republicans will have to accept a large degree of Russian accommodation. See: Hannitys interview w/ Trump last week Amanda Carpenter (@amandacarpenter) March 14, 2022 GOP pushback against actual Russian propaganda continues Monday 14 March 2022 11:54 , Andrew Naughtie Mainstream Republicans anti-Trumpers in particular have been pushing back on narratives coming from some quarters of US politics that echo Kremlin talking points on Ukraine. Here, Mitt Romney and Adam Kinzinger go after Tulsi Gabbard, the former Democratic congresswoman and presidential candidate who recently addressed right-wing Republicans at CPAC. Tulsi Gabbard is parroting false Russian propaganda. Her treasonous lies may well cost lives. Mitt Romney (@MittRomney) March 13, 2022 Actual Russian propaganda. Traitorous. Russia also said the Luger center in Georgia was making zombies. Tulsi should go to Russia https://t.co/SEEw8MEZB6 Adam Kinzinger (@AdamKinzinger) March 14, 2022 Read more: Mitt Romney accuses Tulsi Gabbard of treasonous lies about Russias invasion Donald Trump talks to supporters at a campaign rally in an airplane hanger at Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport on February 27, 2016 in Bentonville, Arkansas. Benjamin Krain/Getty Images Trump denied news reports that he's fundraising to build a new plane. On March 9, a private plane carrying Trump made an emergency landing after one of its engines failed. Trump's PAC sent a fundraising email last week about a new plane called "Trump Force One." Former President Donald Trump denied news reports that he's fundraising for the construction of a new private plane called "Trump Force One." "The story was incorrect," Trump told The Hill in a phone interview published Monday night. "I already have a plane, the same one I used on the 2016 campaign." He added that his plane is "owned by me and financed by me, with no debt." Last week Trump's Save America political action committee sent a fundraising email titled "Update: Trump Force One," which touted the reveal of a new plane. "Before becoming the greatest President of all time, I traveled the Country in my plane, known as Trump Force One," read the email signed by Trump, referring to his private plane that he frequently used on the 2016 campaign trail. "I have a very important update on my plane, but I need to trust that you won't share it with anyone: my team is building a BRAND NEW Trump Force One," the email continued. The email did not directly ask potential donors to contribute money for the construction of the plane, but included several links to Trump's donation page. Multiple news reports characterized the email as Trump asking for donations to build a new plane. Trump told the Hill the reporting was "ridiculous." "Can you imagine me using campaign funds for a plane?" he continued. Trump's PAC sent the fundraising email just hours after news broke that he flew in a GOP donor's private plane that was forced to make an emergency landing over the weekend. Shortly after takeoff in New Orleans on March 9, one of the plane's engines failed, prompting an emergency landing in Louisiana. Trump hitched a ride back to his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida on a GOP donor's jet, Politico reported. Last year, CNN reported that Trump's private plane was out of commission and sitting idle at a New York airport. Trump told the Hill that his plane is being serviced in Louisiana and should be ready to fly in three months. Read the original article on Business Insider Two Independence police officers fired their guns in the shooting death of a 39-year-old man following a reported disturbance on Friday night, the Missouri State Highway Patrol said Tuesday. Tyrea M. Pryor was killed after police said he displayed an AR-style rifle to both Independence police officers after a police pursuit and a crash. Its unclear if Pryor fired the gun at the two officers. Independence police responded to calls of a disturbance just before 8 p.m. on Friday in the 800 block of East College Street. The responding officers saw a white sedan speeding away from the residence and began to pursue. The police chase ended shortly after, Lowe said. But the suspect vehicle continued to flee and struck another vehicle near the intersection of U.S. 24 Highway and Noland Road. Two female passengers from the vehicle were interviewed by investigators and taken to an area hospital with injuries caused by the crash, Lowe said. The driver of the other vehicle was uninjured. Sgt. Bill Lowe, a spokesman for the Missouri State Highway Patrol, said he did not know how many shots the officers fired and that it would be determined throughout the investigation being conducted by the highway patrol. The investigation is ongoing. The Independence police officers have not been identified. Both have been placed on administrative leave as a part of the departments policy, Taylor said in an email to The Star on Saturday. A kitchen gas leak at a Mexican resort led to an explosion that killed two and injured at least 21 people. The explosion occurred at around 1.30pm on Monday less than 48 hours after a British businessman was shot dead at the resort in front of his 14-year-old daughter on Saturday. Mexican authorities said two employees were killed at Kool Beach in Playa del Carmen, south Cancun. Four of those who were injured were foreigners. Municipal president Lili Campos noted that the two people that were killed couldnt be removed because of the risk that the building may collapse. The 21 people injured were taken to hospitals at the resort. The Quintana Roo prosecutors office tweeted: The two people who have lost their lives in the explosion at the restaurant in Solidaridad have been identified. Both are males and were workers at the restaurant. 18 people were taken to hospital and eight have now been allowed to leave. Following on from earlier communications, the cause of the explosion was from a gas leak. The identities of those who were injured have not been released. Local media published footage of injured people being carried away on stretchers and visitors on the beach ran for safety. Members of the Mexican Army and emergency and rescue personnel transfer an injured person near a restaurant where there was an explosion in the kitchen area of a Kool Beach beach club in Playa del Carmen (EPA) View of rubble after an explosion at a restaurant in the tourist area of Playa Mamitas, in Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo State, Mexico, on March 14, 2022 (AFP via Getty Images) Members of the Mexican Army secure an area near a restaurant where there was an explosion in the kitchen area of a Kool Beach beach club in Playa del Carmen, in the state of Quintana Roo, Mexico, 14 March 2022 (EPA) A spokesman for the regional prosecutor said, we have launched an inquiry into the explosion caused by a gas leak in the kitchen of a restaurant in the beach area in the municipality of Solidaridad. British businessman Chris Cleave was killed at the resort on Saturday when two men on a motorbike shot him close to his home in front of his teenage daughter, according to the Mirror. Mr Cleave, 54, was shot in his vehicle while he was in traffic. Firefighters work near a restaurant where there was an explosion in the kitchen area of a Kool Beach beach club in Playa del Carmen, in the state of Quintana Roo, Mexico, 14 March 2022 (EPA) Ahead of the murder, the real estate agent from Cornwall had been threatened by a drug cartel. There has been a spike in deadly violence at the resort, with a bar manager from Argentina being shot twice in the head in addition to two Canadians who were killed during a January shootout. By Luc Cohen NEW YORK (Reuters) - A U.S. judge on Tuesday rejected a bid by a retired Venezuelan general to dismiss drug trafficking charges against him on the basis of foreign sovereign immunity, saying the doctrine does not apply to a "rogue state." Cliver Alcala in 2020 was charged with four counts of drugs and weapons crimes. U.S. prosecutors say he participated in a "narco-terrorism" conspiracy in which senior Venezuelan government officials conspired with the FARC Colombian rebel group to ship cocaine to the United States. Alcala's attorney, Cesar de Castro, said in Manhattan federal court that because Alcala was a uniformed military officer at the time of the alleged conspiracy, any action he took would have been in his official capacity and thus could not be prosecuted in the United States. U.S. District Judge Alvin Hellerstein disagreed. "Sovereign immunity does not affect a rogue state or rogue officials," Hellerstein said. "We're dealing with criminal conduct at the highest levels of government." Prosecutors said that Alcala in 2008 held a meeting with Diosdado Cabello, now a Venezuelan lawmaker from President Nicolas Maduro's socialist party, and agreed to coordinate drug-trafficking with the FARC. Cabello and Maduro were also charged but remain in Venezuela. Alcala pleaded not guilty after surrendering to U.S. agents in Colombia. The 2020 indictment came as the Trump administration aimed to force Maduro, who Washington accuses of election-rigging and rights violations, from office. Maduro and Cabello have denied accusations of drug trafficking, and argue Washington is seeking to overthrow their government to control the OPEC nation's oil. Alcala retired from the military in 2013. He has since become a critic of Maduro and backed opposition leader Juan Guaido, recognized by Washington as Venezuela's rightful leader. (Reporting by Luc Cohen in New York; Editing by Noeleen Walder and Bill Berkrot) Six FAW-Volkswagen foreign experts received recognition from local governments in Jilin in 2021, according to a manager's promotion and expatriate experts' commendation ceremony held at FAW-Volkswagen Changchun Base on March 10. These experts received the Changbai Mountain Friendship Award, Outstanding Foreign Experts of Jilin Province, and Changchun Friendship Award, a recognition from Jilin provincial government and Changchun municipal government. It is the highest honorary award given to foreign experts by the province and the city, which highlights the recognition of the local governments for the efforts and contributions made by FAW-Volkswagen in promoting the development of industrial clusters and revitalizing Jilin's economy. Furthermore, it was a recognition of the achievements of FAW-Volkswagen's management committee and the sincere cooperation between the Chinese and foreign teams. The company has attracted 246 foreign experts from 21 countries around the world, who have chosen to work for FAW-Volkswagen and contribute to the high-quality transformation and development of the enterprise and the prosperity of the regional economy. In the face of internal and external risk challenges, the company got the first place in production and sales in 2021, consolidating its position as an industry leader. At the ceremony, 43 Chinese and foreign managers were also promoted in the second half of 2021, said Jin Xianzhen, vice president (Human Resources) of FAW-Volkswagen Automotive Co., Ltd. Dr. Andre Stoffels, the first vice president (finance) of FAW-Volkswagen, said that this year marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Germany, and FAW-Volkswagen has also entered a new stage of corporate development. "Looking back, with the sincere cooperation between the Chinese and German teams, FAW-Volkswagen has developed into a leading company in China's passenger car industry and is a model of Sino-German friendship and cooperation." In his speech, FAW-Volkswagen board member and general manager Pan Zhanfu said that thanks to the wise leadership of both Chinese and German shareholders and the joint efforts of every employee, FAW-Volkswagen had achieved brilliant business results in the past three decades. Thirty years of hard work and struggle have also led to the growth and development of outstanding employees. Therefore, the company held this promotion ceremony for managers and foreign experts to acknowledge their achievements and inspire a stronger sense of mission. In addition, the company wanted to convey the spirit of hard work and struggle, hoping that more outstanding employees would follow the example of the promoted managers, and work hard to create more value. The commander of military forces in the Middle East said Tuesday that the U.S. plans to approve the sale of F-15 fighter jets to Egypt, a move that will likely spark another brawl on Capitol Hill over whether to continue weapons transfers to the country despite its human rights record. Gen. Frank McKenzie, the head of U.S. Central Command, told the Senate Armed Services Committee that the impending deal for the jets followed a drawn-out process. "In the case of Egypt, I think we have good news in that we're going to provide them with F-15s, which was a long, hard slog," McKenzie told senators. "They felt it was too long, it took too long." McKenzie didn't provide further details. The State Department has not publicly notified a fighter sale to Egypt, and a spokesperson did not provide specifics. "As a matter of policy, the Department does not comment on or confirm proposed defense sales until they have been formally notified to Congress," a State Department spokesperson said. Some lawmakers will likely work to block the sale of the Boeing-built jets over Egypt's human rights record. A sale of fighters which could total in the billions of dollars also would dwarf the $130 million in military aid the Biden administration is withholding over concerns with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sissi's lack of progress on human rights. A fighter purchase, if approved through the U.S. foreign military sales process, would still need to be notified to Congress, giving lawmakers a window to block it. The McKenzie announcement comes just days after the Senate tussled over a $2.2 billion sale of cargo planes to Egypt. Senators last week rejected in a wide vote a push by Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) to block the sale of a dozen C-130J aircraft. Proponents of the deal noted that selling cargo planes isn't the same as selling weapons. Paul, Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) and others have pushed to limit arms sales to Egypt. But Cairo is a longtime U.S. ally in the region and has received billions in military aid. Story continues The Biden administration has walked a fine line on Egypt. Secretary of State Antony Blinken in January elected to continue withholding $130 million in military aid, just days after the State Department notified Congress of the cargo plane sale. The aid was part of a tranche of $300 million fenced off by Congress on condition of human rights improvements and strengthening the rule of law. The State Department allowed Egypt to access the remaining $170 million. Testifying at a hearing on military posture in the Middle East and Africa, McKenzie was asked by Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) what weapons countries such as Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates had requested that the U.S. hasn't provided yet. The UAE has notably sought Lockheed Martin-built F-35 jets. McKenzie told senators that the U.S. remains "the partner of choice" for those countries, but added they find the lengthy process "frustrating." "That's the basic criticism of our ability to provide weapons to our friends and partners. It takes too long to actually get them. It moves in fits and starts. And of course, with our weapons come our values," McKenzie said. "They're not going to be able to do anything they want with those weapons." But some lawmakers have opposed continuing to arm Egypt while the government continues to crack down on its political opponents. "We should end military sales to Egypt's criminal masters," Paul said on the Senate floor last week. "Partially taking away some military aid while offering new sales that are 10 times what we've withheld shows weakness in the face of oppression." British-made luxury goods, including cars, will no longer be exported to Russia. AFP via Getty Images The UK government is banning luxury goods exports to Russia. The ban includes handbags, luxury cars, and art. The UK is also imposing new tariffs on Russian imports, including vodka. The UK government announced a ban on luxury goods exports to Russia on Tuesday as well as imposing new tariffs on Russian imports, including vodka, in its bid to isolate Russia from the global economy following its invasion of Ukraine. In a press release announcing the news, the UK government said that the new export ban will come into force shortly and "will make sure oligarchs and other members of the elite, who have grown rich under President Putin's reign and support his illegal invasion, are deprived of access to luxury goods." The UK has already imposed sanctions on seven Russian oligarchs, including the owner of English Premier League soccer club Chelsea FC, Roman Abramovich, and "Putin's right-hand man" Igor Sechin. In the announcement Tuesday, the government said that its G7 Allies Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and the US also plan to ban exports of luxury goods to Russia. The UK government included a list of the 900 million ($1.17 billion) worth of goods such as iron, steel, fertilizers, and vodka that will be impacted by additional 35% tariffs when imported into the UK. UK finance minister Rishi Sunak said in a statement Tuesday: "These tariffs build on the UK's existing work to starve Russia's access to international finance, sanction Putin's cronies and exert maximum economic pressure on his regime." Read the original article on Business Insider LVIV, Ukraine (Reuters) - The northern Ukrainian region of Chernihiv issued a warning of country-wide air attacks on Tuesday, urging citizens to head to shelters. It was not immediately clear whether other regions had issued similar warnings of new air strikes by Russian forces that invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24 . "Attention. Air raid ALL UKRAINE! Take shelter!," said the warning, shared in an online post. (Reporting by Natalia Zinets and Max Hunder, Writing by Alessandra Prentice, Editing by Timothy Heritage) GENEVA (Reuters) - The United Nations human rights office called on Russian authorities on Tuesday to make sure that an anti-war protester who interrupted Channel One television is not punished for exercising her right to free speech. The Kremlin said on Tuesday that the actions of a woman who interrupted a live news bulletin on Russia's state TV Channel One on Monday night to denounce the war in Ukraine amounted to "hooliganism". Ravina Shamdasani, U.N. human rights spokesperson told a Geneva news briefing on Tuesday that Russian authorities should ensure that the woman "does not face any reprisals for exercising her right to freedom of expression". (Reporting by Stephanie Nebehay) The U.S. military conducted an aircraft carrier-led exercise in the Yellow Sea and intensified air defense artillery drills at a base in South Korea in response to increased missile tests from North Korea, U.S. forces said Tuesday. "The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) has significantly increased the pace and scale of ballistic missile launches since September 2021," U.S. Indo-Pacific Command (Indopacom) said in a statement. "The United States strongly condemns these launches," which include intercontinental ballistic missile tests on Feb. 27 and March 5. In response, Indopacom conducted an air demonstration in international airspace over the Yellow Sea, mobilizing fighter jets from the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier along with other regionally based Air Force aircraft. At the Osan Air Base, in South Korea, the 35th Air Defense Artillery Brigade "increased the intensity of their certification exercise" to demonstrate its capabilities and commitment to defend the peninsula "against any threat or adversary," according to a statement from U.S. Forces Korea (USFK). "DPRK's significant increase in its missile testing activity undermines peace, security and destabilizes the Northeast Asia region," USFK said. "While this type of training is routinely conducted by U.S. Patriot batteries across [South Korea], its increased intensity of its certification underscores the seriousness USFK takes against the DPRK's recent missile launch behavior," the statement added. North Korea made waves last month when it tested a relatively new intercontinental ballistic missile system, a move the Biden administration called a "serious escalation" by Pyongyang. Indopacom said the recent missile launches were "a brazen violation of multiple U.N. Security Council resolutions" as well as its "international commitments" that threaten nearby countries and the world. North Korea last tested an intercontinental ballistic missile in 2017, which was followed by a self-imposed halt on long-range missile and nuclear testing. Pyongyang insisted the new launches were held to prepare for a satellite launch, but there is speculation the isolated nation could test the missile at full range as soon as this week. That move would break the four-year hiatus from such demonstrations, Reuters reported. The death of U.S. documentarian Brent Renaud on Sunday marks the first killing of a U.S. journalist while on the job since 2018. Renaud, 51, was shot and killed by the Russian military while in a car crossing a Ukrainian checkpoint in Irpin, a suburb of Kyiv. Renaud was in the country covering the invasion, as well as the plight of Ukrainians attempting to flee. "RSF is deeply troubled by reports of the death of filmmaker Brent Renaud and the wounding of a fellow journalist while reporting in a suburb of #Kyiv," Reporters Without Borders tweeted. "We call for light [to] be shed on the circumstances of the attack. Journalists must not be targets of war!" Renaud is the first U.S. journalist killed covering the war in Ukraine. Pierre Zakrzewski, a Fox News cameraman, and Oleksandra Kuvshynova, a Ukrainian journalist, were killed after an attack on Monday. Fox News correspondent Benjamin Hall was also injured during the attack. Yevhenii Sakun, correspondent and cameraman for Ukrainian television, was killed on March 1 from shelling by the Russian army. America is changing faster than ever! Add Changing America to your Facebook or Twitter feed to stay on top of the news. According to data from the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the last killing of a working U.S. journalist was in 2018 when five journalists - Gerald Fischman, 61, Rob Hiaasen, 59, John McNamara, 56, Rebecca Smith, 34, and Wendi Winters, 65 - were murdered in a mass shooting at the Capital Gazette in Annapolis, Md. There were 55 killings of journalists and media workers worldwide in 2021, according to the UN, and 9 out of 10 journalist killings since 2006 have gone unresolved. "Reporting on this war is a vital public service, and it has already claimed the lives of at least two other journalists in just a few weeks," Gulnoza Said, Europe and Central Asia program coordinator for the Committee to Protect Journalists, said in a press release. "Ukrainian and Russian authorities must do their utmost to ensure safety of all journalists, and to thoroughly investigate attacks on the press." Story continues READ MORE STORIES FROM CHANGING AMERICA THIS IS THE GENDER WAGE GAP IN YOUR STATE FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE TO RELEASE NINE ENDANGERED RED WOLVES NEAR THE OUTER BANKS EDUCATION DEPARTMENT TO ERASE $415 MILLION IN STUDENT LOAN DEBT FOR NEARLY 16,000 BORROWERS JUST 20 MINUTES OF DAILY EXERCISE AT 70 COULD STAVE OFF MAJOR HEART DISEASE: STUDY FEARS OF AVOCADO SHORTAGE RISE AFTER IMPORT BAN SILICON VALLEY TURNS TO TINY HOMES TO END HOMELESSNESS BY 2025 China is taking swift and thorough measures to contend with its latest wave of COVID-19 outbreaks, as multiple regions in the country have seen surging infections recently. The Chinese mainland Sunday reported 1,337 locally transmitted COVID-19 cases and 788 local asymptomatic cases in more than a dozen provincial-level regions, the National Health Commission (NHC) said Monday. Amid the new spike in COVID-19 cases, several cities with infections have adhered to the dynamic zero-COVID approach through a raft of measures. These include launching multiple rounds of mass testing, ordering closed-loop management of some communities, and suspending traffic and classes to stem the virus. Swift, strict actions Chinese Vice Premier Sun Chunlan Sunday stressed taking the most thorough epidemic response measures to stem the COVID-19 outbreaks in northeast China's Jilin province, among the hardest-hit areas as Omicron spreads in the country. On Sunday, the province registered 895 confirmed domestically transmitted COVID-19 cases and 131 asymptomatic carriers. Inspecting a virus-hit middle school and residential community in the province, Sun, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, urged utmost efforts in testing, quarantine, and treatment to stamp out all community infections soonest. Its capital city Changchun and the second-largest city Jilin have been placed under closed management to contain the spread of the virus, and residents were asked not to leave home unless necessary. Jilin City has conducted seven rounds of city-wide nucleic acid testing over the past 10 days. Nearly 2,900 people tested positive. No deaths have been reported so far. While hospital beds are running tight, many cities are building makeshift hospitals to admit and treat as many COVID-19 patients as possible. Changchun is building a makeshift hospital at an exhibition center that can provide more than 1,500 beds. As of Monday, five makeshift hospitals are operational in Jilin City, with over 9,000 beds. The sixth one, with nearly 2,000 beds, is under construction. In southern China's metropolis Shenzhen, which reported 75 confirmed locally transmitted cases on Sunday, the bus and subway systems were suspended, and businesses, except those providing essential services, have been closed from Monday to March 20. Employees must work from home if they can, and residents are barred from leaving the city in south China's Guangdong province. Challenges and confidence The Omicron BA.2 variant has been identified as the culprit of recent COVID-19 resurgences in many places. "The Omicron BA.2 variant was behind the sudden resurgence of COVID-19 cases in Jilin City. It is more contagious and harder to detect and appears to spread more quickly," said Sun Dianwei, head of the center for disease control and prevention in Jilin City. Sun said that based on the data analysis as of March 11, around 56 percent of those infected in the city showed no symptoms -- making it harder to track down the new cases. "If we do not take swift and resolute prevention and control measures, it will easily lead to a large number of community infections and a surge in cases," said Lin Hancheng, an official with Shenzhen Municipal Health Commission. Several officials have been held accountable for dereliction of duty in preventing and controlling the latest COVID-19 outbreaks. Jilin City mayor Wang Lu lost his position due to ineffective epidemic prevention and control. Six Guangdong officials were sacked for management loopholes. As part of the swift COVID-19 responses, China has added antigen detection as an option for COVID-19 testing among the public to boost the early discovery of COVID-19 cases, said the NHC Friday. The new domestic wave of COVID-19 resurgence is currently at the early stage of rapid growth, Zhang Wenhong, head of the Center for Infectious Diseases with the Shanghai-based Huashan Hospital of Fudan University, said in a blog on China's microblogging platform Weibo. Hailing China's anti-epidemic endeavor over the past two years, Zhang suggested more efforts in promoting booster vaccinations among the elderly and affordable home detection reagents. The U.S. has alleged via a diplomatic cable to NATO allies and some Asian countries that China is prepared to provide military and economic support to Russia during its ongoing invasion of Ukraine. An anonymous U.S. official privy to the message further stated that China would likely deny such accusations. "It's real, it's consequential and it's really alarming," a separate official was quoted as saying. The claim comes as U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan met with Chinese diplomat Yang Jiechi in Rome in a seven-hour meeting on Monday. During the security talks, Sullivan expressed the U.S. governments concerns about the close ties between the Chinese and the Russian governments. According to a short statement released by the White House, Sullivan raised a "range of issues in U.S.-China relations, with substantial discussion of Russia's war against Ukraine." Mr. Sullivan raised a range of issues in U.S.-China relations, with substantial discussion of Russias war against Ukraine. They also underscored the importance of maintaining open lines of communication between the United States and China. The White House (@WhiteHouse) March 14, 2022 Yang, in response, stressed Chinas opposition to the U.S. support for Taiwan, which concerns Chinas sovereignty and territorial integrity. State Department spokesman Ned Price told the press that the U.S. would be "watching closely" to see if Russia receives support from China or other nations. Russia has denied having asked for foreign support, stating that its own military force would be enough to achieve its objectives in Ukraine. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian has also called reports that Russia was seeking military equipment from China "disinformation." Amid ongoing sanctions against Russia, U.S. and other international officials have warned that aligning with Russia could also result in new sanctions. Featured Image via Guardian News (left), Presidential Executive Office of Russia / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0) (right) Story continues Enjoy this content? Read more from NextShark! Portland Man Charged With Hate Crimes, Robbery After Attacking Afghan Store Owner SF Korean BBQ Restaurant Faces 'Dine and Dash' Customers Two Nights in a Row Visiting Korean Students Allegedly Detained, Sent Back Home After Landing at LAX Man Kidnapped as a Baby Meets His Real Parents 38 Years Later CARACAS (Reuters) - The government of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro is seeking meetings with political and business groups, and unions, among others, so that they can join negotiations alongside opposition politicians led by Juan Guaido, it said on Tuesday. Jorge Rodriguez, president of the ruling party-dominated National Assembly and leader of the government's delegation in negotiations, said they would seek meetings with various sectors following Maduro's instructions, who last week called for talks to be more "inclusive." Rodriguez did not mention a return to talks established in Mexico last August, which were suspended by the government following the extradition to the United States of Colombian businessman Alex Saab, a close Maduro ally. The opposition maintains that it appoints its delegates, not the ruling party. Since 2020 the opposition has complained that the ruling party has established another opposition more to its liking by bringing together deputies that were expelled from a number of political organizations for corruption. These deputies deny the allegations and now sit in Venezuela's National Assembly, with Rodriguez arguing they have the right to take part in talks. The South American country is gripped in a long-running political and economic crisis that has led to the migration of more than 5 million people since at least 2017, according to UN data, while Maduro's government blames the economic collapse on U.S. sanctions. (Reporting by Vivian Sequera; Writing by Oliver Griffin; Editing by Sam Holmes) Mar. 15On the first day of free agency, the Vikings lost two free agents. Sources said that safety Xavier Woods will sign a three-year, $15.75 million deal with Carolina and that offensive lineman Mason Cole will sign a three-year deal with Pittsburgh. Woods started all 17 games last season on a one-year, $1.75 million contract after playing four years with Dallas. The Vikings, who have salary-cap issues, had interest in retaining Woods but couldn't compete with what the Panthers offered. Woods got a hefty raise after ranking No. 39 in 2021 by Pro Football Focus out of 92 NFL safeties. Cole, entering his fifth NFL season, was acquired from Arizona before last season and started seven games in 2021. After playing only on special teams in the first half of the year, he moved into the starting lineup at center when Garrett Bradbury went on the COVID-19 reserve list for two games. He started two more games at center after Bradbury returned. He then moved to right guard for three starts before sitting out the final three games of the season due to an elbow injury. The NFL's legal tampering period started Monday. Woods and Cole can sign their contracts as soon as Wednesday, the first day of the new league year. The Vikings have a possible in-house candidate to replace Woods in Camryn Bynum, who looked good as a starter in the two games last season that Harrison Smith was on the COVID list. Cole could be more difficult to replace since he looked good at right guard when he started in place of Oli Udoh, who had his share of struggles during the season. With Cole now out the picture, there are questions for the Vikings also about their long-term situation at center. Bradbury is entering what could be the final year of his contract since odds are his $13.202 million fifth-year option for 2023 won't be picked up. The Vikings entered free agency with 19 unrestricted free agents and one restricted in kicker Greg Joseph. They are expected to retain Joseph after Monday putting a $2.433 million tender on him. NORWICH, VT Peter Welch, a Democrat and Vermont's lone member of the U.S. House of Representatives, announced Monday night he had tested positive for COVID-19. Welch, 74, made the announcement in a post to Twitter. Welch said he had been experiencing "mild symptoms." "I am grateful for the protection I have from my vaccine and booster. If you're eligible, please get vaccinated & boosted," Welch wrote. "I will be isolating and working from home this week." On Tuesday, Democratic Reps. Andy Kim of New Jersey and Jared Golden of Maine also tested positive for COVID-19 on Tuesday. Neither were at the House Democratic retreat in Philadelphia last week, which was attended by about half of the House Democratic Caucus' 222 members. RELATED: Maine's Jared Golden Tests Positive For COVID-19 Following the convention, Reps. Zoe Lofgren of California, Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut and Madeleine Dean of Pennsylvania all tested positive. It's unclear whether Welch attended the convention. This article originally appeared on the Across Vermont Patch brindle dog laying in grass, reunited with owner after a year Mary Swift / Adobe Stock An eagle-eyed relative helped this North Carolina woman reunite with her dog Mochie, who'd been missing for a year before she saw him again at an animal shelter 200 miles away from their home. Mochie, a 5-year-old hound mix, escaped from Emerald Tinae's Wilmington, N.C., home about a year ago, but on March 3, she got to see him again during a reunion full of wagging tails, kisses, and cuddles. "When [Guilford County Animal Services] called me on the phone to tell me the microchip was mine I was already crying," Tinae told WGHP. The escape artist dog"He'll open doors, windows. He'll get out. When he wants out, he'll get out," Tinae told the TV stationdisappeared last year, but his mom wasn't sure what happened to him, even wondering if he was stolen. RELATED: Thanks To Microchip, Arkansas Man To Reunite With Cat He Thought Was Dead His whereabouts were unknown until November when Guilford County Animal Services captured him and brought him to its facility in Greensboro. They scanned his microchip, but its information was out of date, WGHP reported. He stayed in the shelter for months120 days all toldbefore Tinae's daughter saw his adoption photo and profile online. Tinae was soon on her way to Greensboro. "The fact that we were able to reunite him [with] someone so far away to someone who doesn't live in this county is really great," Kendelle Federico, the shelter's foster coordinator, told WGHP. This story serves as another important lesson: Yes, microchips are incredibly important for our dogs, but keeping them updated with correct information is, too. The Biden administration and members of Congress are pointing fingers at one another over the stalling out of more than $15 billion in pandemic funds that are needed to continue combating Covid-19 in the U.S. and around the world. Even as the administration warns it may need to cancel new orders of Covid-19 drugs as soon as next week and wind down access to testing soon after that, there appears to be no clear strategy from either the White House or Capitol Hill to secure the funds. We will leave to Congress the details of how they get this over the finish line, a senior Biden administration official told reporters on a call Tuesday. Theres bipartisan recognition that we need this money and that the money they provided over a year ago has been well spent, but we defer to Congress on the specific legislative approach. Top appropriators on Capitol Hill point the finger back at the administration, saying the White House did not make a convincing enough case for the money to win over Republicans who recently voted to declare the pandemic over and are loath to spend billions more fighting the virus. There's a doubt that they need this money with a lot of us, said Sen. Richard Shelby (R-Ala.). I've said this for weeks, a real accounting of the money [already spent on Covid] that the American people deserve and then go from there. If there's no money left, and it's not hidden somewhere, and if they show a need, then you got, maybe, a persuasive case. Even Republicans who support the funding and are worried about the consequences of the money running out say the administration isnt doing enough. I'm for replenishing these accounts, stressed Roy Blunt (R-Mo.), the Senates top Republican in charge of health care spending. But it's their job to help make the case as to how much they need and how long it will last. Id like to have some of those facts, so I could advocate for that amount of money in that amount of time. Story continues The Biden administration, meanwhile, insists its doing all it can to hammer home for lawmakers that failing to swiftly approve the funding will have serious consequences particularly as cases surge again in Asia and Europe and health experts warn of a possible spring surge in the U.S. Senior White House and administration officials said in a memo given to reporters on Tuesday that, since January, theyve held more than three dozen calls and meetings with members of Congress in both parties, briefed congressional committees at least 10 times and sent at least a dozen letters to the Hill to warn that funds for COVID response were running out and provide tables on the status of COVID funds that Congress had already pumped out over the last two years. But while Speaker Nancy Pelosi promised a vote on the $15 billion this week, the White House hasnt outlined a plan for pushing it through the Senate, where they need at least 10 Republicans to support the new money. In public and private, Biden administration officials instead have emphasized the consequences of leaving the pandemic response unfunded, hoping the tactic will ratchet up pressure on lawmakers to reach a compromise. The White House has repeatedly warned that testing capabilities are already declining, and supplies of therapeutics are on track to run out within months. On Tuesday, the administration publicized a list of programs that it may need to abruptly halt or scale back if Congress declines to fund the response, including the looming cutoff of the program that reimbursed providers for treating uninsured Covid patients. "HHS will begin to scale back this program starting next week and end it completely in early April," a senior administration official said during the call with reporters. More concerning, the official said, would be the cancellation next week of orders of drugs to treat Covid patients. Testing will also have to wind down in the second half of this year, the official warned, as will research and development of new Covid treatments. Failure to invest now will leave us less prepared for future surges, another senior official said. Providing funding only when cases rise is far too late to make a difference. This approach comes amid lingering frustration with House Democrats over their decision last week to pull the Covid funding out of a broader government spending and Ukraine aid package. While federal agencies had originally argued that well over $30 billion was needed for the domestic and international response, the White House and top appropriators had worked out a deal with Senate Republicans to put $15.6 billion into the response that would be paid for in part by clawing back aid meant for states and localities. Though the administration was wary of diverting money from states, it also concluded that it was the only way to secure additional Covid funding and had received assurances from Democratic leaders that their members would go along with it. But House Democrats from states that would lose the most revolted, forcing leadership to abandon the plan and the leverage that came with passing the funding as part of broader legislation. Since then, Biden officials have signaled that congressional Democrats made their own mess and itll largely be up to them to clean it up. A senior Democratic aide told POLITICO that discussions are underway in the House about making changes to the bill, with a focus on finding alternative pay-fors that would be acceptable to the Senate. The aide also stressed that they were sticking to the $15.6 billion figure even as Biden administration officials argued Tuesday that at least $22.5 billion is needed just for the short term. Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle said stripping the Covid funding out of the must-pass spending bill was a blow to its chances. Once we lost it in the House, itll be tough to get back, Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) told reporters Monday night. I don't know if those House members deluded themselves into believing that there was some other path, but I think it's hard to find an alternative path other than in the budget. Groups that met with Capitol Hill leaders this week say theyre also worried there isnt a solid plan to secure the funding. We asked about the likelihood of it getting bundled with restaurant aid. We asked about the timing are we talking days or weeks? And we literally just got a bunch of we dont knows, one health advocate close to the talks who was granted anonymity to speak about private conversations told POLITICO. All we got was them telling us: Keep telling folks that Covid isnt over. MEXICO CITY Alba Becerra said she cant forget the sound of the explosions in the Ukrainian town of Horenychi, 10 minutes from Kyiv, where she lived until Feb. 25. At dawn that day, the invading Russian forces bombed an airfield there. I didnt want to leave. My whole life was there, Becerra, 50, told Noticias Telemundo from Mexico City. The bombs convinced me I had to grab a few things, put them in a suitcase and leave with my son, my daughter-in-law and cats. Becerra, a language teacher who lived in Ukraine for 32 years, was part of the first group of 81 people the Mexican government evacuated from Romania on March 4. In that group were 44 Mexicans, 28 Ukrainians, seven Ecuadorians, one Peruvian and one Australian who managed to escape the rigors of war. The Mexican government recently announced that a second plane will fly to Romania to evacuate a second group. Image: Mexicans and other Latin Americans who were living in Ukraine arrive at the Benito Juarez International airport on an evacuation flight provided by Mexico's government on March 4, 2022, in Mexico City. (Fernando Llano / AP) Nearly 3 million people have been forced to flee Ukraine since the invasion began. About 116,000 of them are third country nationals, not Ukrainians. The majority have fled to neighboring Poland. Hungary, Moldova, Romania and Slovakia have also taken in people fleeing across the border. The war appears far from over. Russias forces have pummeled Ukraine, and deadly strikes hit a residential part of Kyiv on Tuesday. For Becerra, the ordeal began Feb. 24. She had accompanied a Mexican friend to run errands at the Mexican Embassy in Kyiv when the invasion began. Since the subway was closed, people flooded the streets. The trip back home, which usually takes 25 minutes with traffic, took 7 1/2 hours. At 11 the next morning, Becerra was on her way out of Ukraine in her car. Although she had few belongings, she said she managed to leave with what was most important: her son, daughter-in-law and six cats. Amid curfews and heavy traffic with hundreds of thousands of people struggling to reach the borders, Becerra passed through cities like Vasylkiv, Bila Tserkva, Khmelnytskyi, Kamianets-Podilskyi and Chernivtsi. Story continues Image: Mexican citizens and relatives remain in Romania, amid the Russian invasion in Ukraine, in Bucharest (Edgard Garrido / Reuters) They only sold us 20 liters of gasoline at the stations, and we had to wait many hours in the cold, Becerra said. We had to walk along sidewalks and back roads. Thats why it took us four days to make a trip that normally takes 12 hours at most. Despite the relentless attacks by Russia, many foreigners have decided to stay in Ukraine to help fight back. Others have stayed in nearby countries, so they can return as soon as possible. Larissa Garcia, who is Mexican, evacuated Ukraine along with Becerra but stayed in the Romanian capital of Bucharest to be close to her husband, who is in the midst of the war. Feeling like a refugee and not a tourist are very different feelings. I realized that when I got here, and its very unpleasant, Garcia said. Im not going back to Mexico. My soul, my heart and my spirit are in Ukraine. Garcia lived in Ukraine for 26 years and owns a company that distributes beauty products. Many Mexicans who were repatriated this month said the anguish did not end when they reached their homeland. The war accompanies them everywhere. Checking their friends notifications on social media and watching the news immediately takes them back to the cruelties of war. Image: Mexican citizens and relatives remain in Romania to travel to Mexico after the Russian invasion in Ukraine (Edgard Garrido / Reuters) Manuel Gonzalez Oscoy, a specialist in clinical psychology at the National Autonomous University of Mexico, explained to Noticias Telemundo that it is normal for people who have just arrived in the country to continue feeling shocked by the updates they receive from Ukraine. These people left everything, from one day to the next, and those losses, in addition to the deaths and the horrors of war, must be processed with professional help, Gonzalez Oscoy said. Gonzalez Oscoy did not rule out that, in some cases, the survivors of armed conflicts could develop other conditions like post-traumatic stress disorder. Medical advice and treatment are needed for people experiencing recurrent memories, nightmares and episodes of severe emotional distress. The repetition of events, like memories, must be discussed a lot in order to unblock and assimilate them. From a neurochemical perspective, it has been shown that communication helps a lot, he said. Rosalia Tovar, 36, who arrived in Mexico on the government evacuation flight said, I wake up every morning longing and dreaming of waking up in my bed, in my house in Kyiv and that there is no war. For Tovar, activism and networking have helped her be resilient and process all the anguish from recent weeks. You have to understand that its not a vacation. It feels like an exile, and thats why you have to stop thinking like a victim and assume the role of a volunteer, she said. Tovar is working with a project to virtually teach kids who are outside the conflict zone. She is also taking part in marches in support of Ukraine. As soon as it is possible, Becerra said, I will return, and I intend to join society to help as a volunteer in the reconstruction. Follow NBC Latino on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. A Hispanic grocery store in Wichita can soon reopen its doors to the public after paying unpaid taxes. Carniceria El Guero LLC has paid off their debt in full, and the business will be allowed to reopen, a Kansas Department of Revenue spokesperson said in an email on Tuesday. The business, at 2920 W Central Ave., was seized last month for over $29,000 in unpaid back taxes, according to a KDOR news release. Bud Palmer Auction house was scheduled to sell the contents inside the business on Tuesday morning. The auction was canceled. The Eagle reached out to the owner of Carniceria El Guero to get an anticipated reopening date but has not heard back. We will update this story when we get that information. This is a developing story. Check back on Kansas.com for updates. A Rhode Island woman was charged in federal court Monday with fraudulently claiming to be a Marine Corps veteran with lung cancer in a scheme to collect hundreds of thousands of dollars in veterans benefits and charitable contributions. Rhode Island U.S. Attorney Zachary Cunha said Sarah Jane Cavanaugh, 31, of Warwick, is charged with using forged or counterfeited military discharge certificates, wire fraud, fraudulently holding herself out to be a medal recipient with intent to obtain money, property, or other tangible benefit, and aggravated identity theft. There is no record of Cavanaugh ever serving in the U.S. military, Cunha said. He told investors he was a spec ops war hero. Prosecutors say it was a ruse. Cavanaugh appeared in U.S. District Court in Providence and was released on a $50,000 unsecured bond. Her attorney did not immediately respond to an email request for comment and the firm, Marin and Barrett, Inc., told a reporter who called that they were busy Monday dealing with current client issues that need undivided attention. Cavanaugh worked at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Providence, Rhode Island. Shes accused of accessing the records for a Marine who utilizes VA services and using them to falsify military discharge documents, and also using her work email to purchase and later display on a Marine uniform a Purple Heart and Bronze Star, according to court documents. Cavanaugh did so to request financial assistance and falsely claim that she was being treated for lung cancer from exposure to burn pits in war zones and inhaling particulate matter from a bomb explosion, Cunha said. Posing as a combat veteran, Cavanaugh collected $207,000 from the Wounded Warrior program to pay for groceries and physical therapy, collected about $18,500 in financial assistance from Code of Support in Virginia for mortgage payments, repairs to her home furnace, a gym membership and other bills, and $4,700 from a fundraising website, Cunha said. Story continues Claiming to be a Purple Heart and Bronze Star recipient, Cavanaugh collected $16,000 from another charity that provides therapy for veterans through art programs, CreatiVets, according to court documents. 2 men falsely claimed military service to get their cases moved to a veterans court An investigation was launched after the Providence nonprofit HunterSeven contacted the Providence VA because they were suspicious of Cavanaughs appeal to them. The organization helps veterans with cancer. Executive Director Chelsey Simoni said Monday they had issued a $3,000 check to Cavanaugh in January but canceled it once they realized she was lying about service, in part because another female Marine told them that she wouldve known about Cavanaugh if they served at the same time and Cavanaugh truly did earn a Purple Heart and Bronze Star for valor. Simoni said that what upsets her most is that Cavanaugh took up time she couldve used to help veterans who do have cancer. I was in pain for her. I listened to her, everything a nurse should do, she said. She not only abused that, she took my compassion and lied. Meanwhile we could have put our services elsewhere. Thats what bothers me. Karissa Alyn Fretwell, 25, of Salem, and her three-year-old son, William (Billy) Fretwell are reported missing on May 17, 2019. After more than two years of delays, the trial of a man accused of kidnapping and murdering a Salem woman and her 3-year-old son has been scheduled for summer 2023. Karissa Fretwell, 25, and her son, Billy, 3, vanished from their West Salem apartment May 13, 2019. Their bodies were discovered June 15 in a heavily-wooded area in Yamhill County. Billy's father, Michael Wolfe, now 54, of Gaston, was arrested and charged with their kidnapping and murders. His trial has been delayed numerous times, primarily due to a technical legal fight over how a new state law impacted the county's ability to seek the death penalty. Friends and family have expressed frustration at the slow-turning wheels of justice. Inside the Fretwell murders Read more about the lives and deaths of Karissa and Bill Fretwell Murders of mother and toddler son grip Salem community Karissa and Billy's disappearance and subsequent deaths gripped the Willamette Valley community. Fretwell survived her troubled teen years to become an inspiration for young women and single mothers, working part-time jobs, attending Western Oregon University and caring for Billy. When she eventually sought financial support from Wolfe, who was married at the time of Billy's birth and their murders, it may have cost them their lives. Friends said Karissa was hesitant at first to file for child support, but it got to the point where she felt she was running out of options. She was working part-time, going to school with dreams of becoming an English teacher and spending more than 30% of her income on child care alone. In April 2019, the court ordered Wolfe to pay Karissa $904 a month. A judge signed the order May 10. Three days later, she and Billy disappeared. Tiny photographs of Karissa Fretwell beaming and holding her son Billy, with purple ribbons attached to safety pins, are handed out at their July 7, 2019 celebration of life. Purple was Karissas favorite color. Trial date set, but settlement could be on the table Monday's hearing in Yamhill County Circuit Court the first to take place since December marked a turning point in the case. Prosecutors and Wolfe's defense attorneys came to an agreement on a tentative trial date during the half-hour hearing, setting the start of proceedings for June 26, 2023. The trial is slated to last six weeks. Story continues Wolfe appeared via video from the Yamhill County Jail. Wearing a dark-colored shirt, he kept what he called his "planner" over his mouth, occasionally glancing down to take notes. The court had postponed Wolfe's December trial due to an ongoing legal argument between prosecutors and defense attorneys over whether he should be eligible for the death penalty. Wolfe initially faced an aggravated murder charge for Karissa's death until it was dismissed and replaced with counts of first-degree murder and first-degree murder constituting domestic violence following the 2019 passage of Senate Bill 1013 a law narrowing the scope of the death penalty. The legal fight has been over whether the aggravated murder charge for Billy should be removed due to the new law as well. Last year, Wolfes attorneys unsuccessfully appealed to the Oregon Supreme Court to dismiss the charge for the 3-year-old. Attorneys took it a step further and filed an appeal in January with the U.S. Supreme Court. On Feb. 28, the high court denied Wolfe's petition and tossed the case back to Yamhill County Circuit Court to continue proceedings. Michael Wolfe, 52, appears in court as attorneys argue for dismissing an aggravated murder charge for allegedly murdering 3-year-old William "Billy" Fretwell, his biological son. Photographed at the Yamhill County Courthouse in McMinnville on Dec. 27, 2019. The agreement on the trial date was not without discussion. Wolfe's attorney, Patrick Sweeney, said the trial would need to wait until next year, pointing to a backlog of cases that had stacked up during the pandemic. "Our calendars are just filled," Sweeney said. "We're estimating the trial will be six weeks long. Honestly, we don't clear until the summer of 2023." Sweeney suggested fall of 2023 but state prosecutor Kate Lynch, who requested an "as-soon-as-possible date," agreed to the summer at the request of Fretwell's family. Prosecutors and defense attorneys debated concerns over the challenges of jurors being present for a six to eight-week trial in the middle of the summer. At one point, Judge Cynthia Easterday brought up the possibility of a settlement conference, a meeting between opposing sides to reach a resolution to the case without having to go to trial. Both Sweeney and Lynch said they were open to the idea. Fretwell's mother, Nyla Bales, who appeared at the court hearing, told the Stateman Journal Billy would have been 6 this year. When asked how she felt about the case moving forward, she responded, "It's all part of the process. We have to let the process do its thing." Allegations against Wolfe In the days and weeks after Karissa and BIlly's disappearances, Salem Police detectives interviewed several friends who told officers Karissa had recently been in court against Billy's father. Police questioned Wolfe on May 18 at his house in Gaston. Wolfe acknowledged having an intimate relationship with Karissa about four years prior but said he hadn't seen her since a child support hearing April 15, 2019. He told them the hearing "did not go well." Wolfe gave police a timeline of his whereabouts leading up to Karissa and Billy's disappearance, including his 6:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. shift from May 10-13 at Cascade Steel. He said he took the following week off. Flowers are placed on Karissa Fretwell's SUV outside her apartment in West Salem on June 14, 2019. Wolfe was interviewed again at the Salem Police Department after being advised of his Miranda rights. He maintained he hadn't seen Karissa. Cascade Steel video surveillance and AT&T phone records contradict his claims, according to court records. Footage showed Wolfe leaving work at about 8:45 p.m. on May 13. A cell tower picked up his phone heading south, then detected him in the vicinity of Karissa's Salem apartment at about 9 p.m. on the day she was last seen alive. Video surveillance also showed Wolfe returning to Cascade Steel at 2:35 a.m. May 14 carrying a white trash bag containing unknown items and leaving again at 2:52 a.m. Karissa's phone pinged near Wolfe's workplace and in the general area of Wolfes Yamhill County home on May 14. Police said the evidence was consistent with their phones being in the same approximate place. That afternoon, a text message was sent from Karissas phone about 1.4 miles southeast of Gaston, placing it near Wolfe's house. Police have not revealed what the text message said or who it was sent to. Many of the details were outlined by Salem Police Detective Anthony VanDekoppel in the probable cause statement used to obtain a warrant for Wolfe's arrest. "Based on the interviews of Karissas family and friends, I believe the only known person who would benefit from the disappearance or criminal homicide of Karissa and William is Michael (Wolfe)," VanDekoppel wrote in the affidavit. Timeline: The disappearance of Karissa, William Fretwell Wolfe also disappeared briefly, and Salem police listed him as a wanted man. They searched his rural home in Gaston and another property near Hopewell on May 23. Wolfe was taken into custody the next day at Blue Star Donuts in Portland. Karissa's and Billy's bodies were discovered June 15, 10 miles west of Yamhill on heavily-wooded property owned by the timber company Weyerhaeuser. The bodies of Karissa Fretwell, 25, and her son Billy, 3, were discovered June 15 on land owned by Weyerhaeuser in Yamhill County. Michael Wolfe, who is charged with their murders, was known to recreate in the heavily-wooded property. Photo taken Dec. 6, 2021. Investigators knew Wolfe was familiar with the area and had a permit to cut firewood there. He also recreated in the area and had Oregon hunting and fishing licenses and a registered watercraft. The entrance to the area just past Yamhill's city water treatment plant and where the pavement ends has a large gate and signage. The posted rules say it is illegal to go in or out after sunset. An autopsy determined Karissa died of a single gunshot to the head and her death was ruled a homicide. A firearm also was found, but officials couldn't say at the time if it was connected to her murder. The cause of Billy's death was undetermined in the autopsy. Officials have never publicly released information about whether additional testing helped determine the cause of death. Virginia Barreda is the breaking news and public safety reporter for the Statesman Journal. She can be reached at 503-399-6657 or at vbarreda@statesmanjournal.com. Follow her on Twitter at @vbarreda2. This article originally appeared on Salem Statesman Journal: Trial set in murder of Salem mom, child after years of delays The mayors of New York and Washington, D.C., on Monday night asked for public help tracking down a man suspected of killing at least two homeless people and wounding three others over the past two weeks. They released videos and photos of the suspect and boosted the reward for information on the attacks to $70,000. "We are looking for a person who is clearly depraved and is targeting people who are vulnerable," said D.C. Mayor Muriel E. Bowser (D). The first three attacks were in Washington, D.C., on March 3, 8, and 9, all involving men shot while sleeping. The first two attacks were not fatal, but the third man, identified as Morgan Holmes, 54, was found stabbed and shot inside a burned tent. The attacks in New York City were 90 minutes apart on Saturday morning; the first man woke up after being shot in the arm and scared the suspect away, while the second man was found in a sleeping bag Saturday afternoon with gunshots in his head and neck. A D.C. Metropolitan Police homicide captain who used to live in New York first linked the two shooting sprees while scrolling through social media on Sunday, Metropolitan Police Chief Robert Contee said at Monday night's press conference. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives then linked ballistic evidence from at least one shooting in New York to at least one shooting in D.C. "Our reach is far and wide, and we're coming for you," Contee told the suspect. But investigators acknowledged that so far they have little information on the suspect, including how he traveled between New York and D.C. or whether he has killed anybody in any other city. New York Mayor Eric Adams (D) said the New York Police Department on city homeless outreach teams would urge unhoused people to seek refuge at city homeless shelters. "Homelessness should not be a homicide," Adams said. You may also like GOP senator says a war between NATO and Russia 'would end pretty quickly' Taraji P. Henson calls for Empire co-star Jussie Smollett's release: 'The punishment does not fit the crime' There's a way to bring down gas prices, but you won't like it STORY: And personally to the woman who entered the studio of Channel One with a poster against the war, he added. An anti-war protester interrupted a live news bulletin on Russia's state TV Channel One on Monday (March 14) holding up a sign behind the studio presenter. The sign, in English and Russian, read: "NO WAR. Stop the war. Don't believe propaganda. They are lying to you here." Another phrase, which looked like "Russians against war," was partly obscured. Russia calls its actions in Ukraine a "special military operation". A sign the color of the Ukrainian flag with a peace symbol An adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says that the conflict in Ukraine could end in early May when Russian forces run out of resources to continue fighting. Ukrainian media published a video of Ukrainian adviser Oleksiy Arestovich suggesting the end of the war was dependent on how many resources Russia wanted to commit to the campaign, according to Reuters. But the adviser predicted that early May would likely be the latest time for the Eastern European conflict to end. "We are at a fork in the road now: there will either be a peace deal struck very quickly, within a week or two, with troop withdrawal and everything," Arestovich said, according to Reuters. "Or there will be an attempt to scrape together some, say, Syrians for a round two and, when we grind them too, an agreement by mid-April or late April." Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24 and has faced stiff resistance from Ukrainian forces heading into the fourth week of the campaign. Zelensky estimated last week that Russia has lost between 5,000 and 6,000 soldiers so far. But Russian forces have made advances in the east, surrounded the besieged city of Mariupol and are now bombarding the capital of Kyiv. Ukrainian and Russian negotiators broke for a technical pause on Monday and are set to resume discussions on Tuesday. While Arestovich has predicted Russians could run out of steam, he said small-scale fighting between Russia and Ukraine could stretch out for a year, although Ukraine is insisting on the complete withdrawal of Russian forces, Reuters reported. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Ukrainian Presidential Press Office via AP Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky claimed in a Monday night address that Russia has had more soldiers die in Ukraine over the last few weeks than it did in its two Chechen wars. "Our brave defenders continue causing the Russian forces devastating losses," Zelensky said. "Very soon, the number of downed Russian helicopters will reach 100. They have already lost 80 military planes, hundreds of tanks, thousands of other military vehicles and equipment. In 19 days, the Russian army had more soldiers killed than in two bloody wars in Chechnya. What for?" The first Chechen War was fought between 1994 and 1996, and the second between 1999 and 2009. The exact death tolls are not known, but The Guardian reports that the official estimate is that 5,732 Russians died during the first war and around 7,400 in the second war. Zelensky made an appeal to Russian troops during his address, saying in Russian: "On behalf of the Ukrainian people, we give you a chance to live. If you surrender to our forces, we will treat you as humans have to be treated: with dignity. The way you have not been treated in your army. And the way your army doesn't treat our people. Choose." You may also like GOP senator says a war between NATO and Russia 'would end pretty quickly' There's a way to bring down gas prices, but you won't like it Shock and awe: An unprecedented financial conflict BEDFORD A Goodview man pleaded no contest Tuesday in Bedford Circuit Court to driving while intoxicated in a November 2021 crash that injured a couple with a baby in their vehicle. The infant wasnt injured, according to Commonwealths Attorney Wes Nance. Brandon Wayne Bateman, 35, entered the pleas Tuesday to two felony counts of maiming; one count of DWI, the fourth offense in 10 years; and driving without a license because of previous offenses under the influence. Nance said Nov. 6, 2021, Batemans pickup was seen by witnesses driving erratically on Virginia 122 in excess of 80 miles per hour. At around the Bunker Hill plant, near Joppa Mill Road, the truck ran off the side of the road, overcorrected and struck another vehicle at a high rate of speed. The couple in the other vehicle suffered injuries, Nance said. Witnesses and emergency responders smelled a strong odor of alcohol on Bateman and his blood alcohol content was above the legal limit at .19, Nance said. The man in the vehicle Batemans truck struck suffered a concussion and injuries to his teeth, and the woman in that vehicle had a broken femur and other fractures as a result of the crash, according to Nance. A sentencing date has been set for 1 p.m. June 24 in Bedford County Circuit Court. An agreement on sentencing has not been reached but Nance said the active incarceration would be capped at 10 years. A mental health and substance abuse evaluation will be done prior to the sentencing, according to Batemans attorney. Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. BEDFORD An MS-13 gang member who pleaded guilty to his role in the March 2017 slaying of a Lynchburg teenager in Bedford County was sentenced Tuesday to 75 years in prison. Lisandro Antonio Posada-Vasquez, 28, is among a group of gang members involved in the brutal murder of Raymond Wood, 17. Posada-Vasquez in September 2018 pleaded guilty to capital murder, but because of changes in state law abolishing the death penalty he entered a guilty plea Tuesday to an amended charge of aggravated murder. He also was convicted of abduction for a financial benefit and gang participation. A robbery charge against him was dropped Tuesday at his sentencing hearing in Bedford County Circuit Court. Commonwealths Attorney Wes Nance has said Posada-Vasquez was among those in the group who directly inflicted fatal wounds on Wood that night. Wood, who sold marijuana and according to prosecutors was seen by the gang as a rival, was abducted from his front lawn in Lynchburg and driven to a rural Bedford County road, where he was choked unconscious and stabbed repeatedly. Posada-Vasquez was one of four gang members sent to the Lynchburg area and at the time was living in Montgomery County, Maryland, Nance has said. The gang set up a fake marijuana deal to lure Wood out of his home and drove him to Roaring Run Road in Bedford County, according to prosecutors evidence. A passing driver came across the scene of Woods murder and Posada-Vasquez was one of several assailants to flee the area into the woods, Nance has said. The defendant was arrested with others after a vehicle stop in Forest the morning after Woods murder, which prompted a large investigation that crossed state and national borders and marked the first time Central Virginia had seen such a gruesome crime attributed to the MS-13 gang. A knife more than 10 inches long was the murder weapon; it was buried shortly after the killing and recovered by investigators in June 2018, according to evidence. Four others aside from Posada-Vasquez have been charged or convicted in connection with killing Wood. Amy Tharp, a state medical examiner who conducted Woods autopsy, has testified the cause of death was sharp force injuries to the neck, torso and right arm, and Wood had rapid blood loss. Judge James Updike sentenced Posada-Vasquez to life in prison on the combined charges, which is suspended after 75 years, and credited him with time served since his 2017 arrest. The horrific crime calls for a lengthy prison sentence, Nance said. Its one more defendant that has finally gotten to a day of justice for Raymond Wood and his family, Nance said. Were very satisfied with that. He said three jury trials for co-defendants have put the Wood family through a lot and Posada-Vasquez was the first to plead guilty and take responsibility for his actions. Kevin Josue Soto Bonilla was found guilty of capital murder and received a life sentence in December 2019. Victor Arnoldo Rodas was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to 55 years in February 2019 in connection with Woods killing. The sentencing for Josue Moises Coreas-Ventura, who last month was convicted by a jury for aggravated murder in commission of abduction for financial benefit, is set for October. Another co-defendant, Cristian Sanchez Gomez, awaits trial on charges of murder, robbery and abduction for financial benefit. So one more hurdle has been cleared, but there is still several to go, Nance said. Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Campbell County School Board members were given the first opportunity Tuesday night to read through a new resolution that would condemn inherently divisive concepts such as critical race theory from being taught in Campbell County schools. During the boards February meeting, Rustburg school board representative David Phillips brought forth an item to the floor directing staff and Superintendent Robert Johnson to draft a resolution that would condemn the use of inherently divisive concepts, which includes critical race theory, in Campbell County schools. The board, to an audience full of applause, unanimously voted to approve staff to draft the resolution. Johnson returned to Tuesdays school board meeting at the Campbell County Technical Center with that drafted resolution, but this time, members of the community had their opportunity to speak on it. Reginald Herndon, president of the Campbell County branch of the NAACP, spoke against the resolution during the meetings public comment section and had a question for the school board and Johnson: What do you hope to accomplish? It is the consensus of our executive committee that the school board passing a resolution against inherently divisive concepts in schools, including critical race theory, is not in the best interest of our children of color, Herndon said. Herndon asked on behalf of the NAACP branchs executive committee that the board not go forward in voting for the resolution. Albert Randolph, who also came out to speak in opposition of the resolution, said in his opinion, as a former educator in the school system, the standards of learning have never been divisive, or taught critical race theory. It would be my desire that the board have a group that can address some of these issues so that we are all represented as we move forward, Randolph said. Not all speakers at the meeting felt the same way. Doug Barringer, a resident of Campbell County, said he is in favor of expanding the resolution beyond the current scope of banning CRT. We should expand this to any curriculum that teaches contrary to the founding principles of our nation and the standards of our community, Barringer said. We should basically consider any education that teaches any form of prejudicial or discriminatory doctrine. We should also specify that any materials that are divisive will not be included in classroom discussion. Another speaker at the meeting, Christel Coman, said while I am pleased with the resolution drafted tonight, I am disheartened in knowing that the fight for this began in August 2021, and not until an Executive Order did we see the courage to craft this. Its not enough. It should not just be a resolution, but it should be enacted as a school policy and in no way be misunderstood by any employee, thus having complete legal standing in any due process occurrence. Since last June, Campbell County school officials have said CRT has not been taught in their school system. Campbell County Schools does not teach, nor do we plan to adopt, any critical race curriculum, then-Chairman Phillips said during a meeting. The resolution reads, Therefore, be it resolved, that Campbell County Public Schools will not teach Critical Race Theory. Nor will CCPS implement the use of divisive materials to supplement board-approved curriculum materials, including the use of the 1619 Project. The 1619 Project is an ongoing initiative from The New York Times Magazine that began in August 2019, the 400th anniversary of the beginning of American slavery. It aims to reframe the countrys history by placing the consequences of slavery and the contributions of black Americans at the very center of our national narrative, according to the 1619 Project website. It goes on to say that, in accordance with Gov. Glenn Youngkins Executive Order One, no concepts in violation of Title IV and Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 will be taught in Campbell County schools. Johnsons intent was for the board to vote on the resolution during Tuesdays meeting, but staff was unable to get it on the meetings first agenda in time, pushing it to come up again during the boards April 12 meeting. Want to see more like this? Get our local education coverage delivered directly to your inbox. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Vietnamese Embassy in Russia works to support citizens fleeing Ukraine The Vietnamese Embassy in Russia will continue to work alongside Russian relevant agencies to safely receive Vietnamese citizens fleeing to Russia from eastern Ukraine, according to Counsellor Nguyen Tung Lam. Vietnamese people return from Ukraine on March 8 Approximately 70 Vietnamese nationals remain in Kherson, whilst 24 families made up of 80 people are in Mariupol, both of which are war zones, the Vietnamese Embassy said on March 14. This comes after a working delegation of the Embassy and the Vietnamese Association in Krasnodar received 14 Vietnamese people who had fled from Kherson to Krasnodar. The group, including three children, were among the first Vietnamese citizens to leave Kherson. The evacuation of the group was a difficult process due to the tense conflict. It serves to demonstrate the efforts by the Vietnamese Embassy and the Vietnamese association in Russia, together with support given by the Russian Ministries of Defence and Foreign Affairs. Previously, the Russian Defense Ministry said Russian units had organised the removal of citizens from Turkey, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Lebanon, Lithuania, Vietnam, Greece, India, the United States, and Russia to safely leave the Kherson region of Ukraine. A total of 141 foreigners, including 14 Vietnamese citizens, have so far been moved from the centre of Kherson to Russian territory. A new law in the U.S. state of Texas forces schools to allow any and all teachers to bring guns on school grounds. The law also encourages parishioners to bring guns to church. The United States has long been known for its fanatical gun culture, and among the 50 states, Texas is one of the craziest. With the new law, some schools are going farther than just allowing teachers to bring guns; they are actively encouraging teachers to do so. Micah Lewis, superintendent of schools in Grand Saline, a small town of 3,000 in northeastern Texas, said he thinks teachers can stop a school shooting: "One of the guardians said to me, 'Can you believe that we're at this point?' When I went into education 30 years ago, I never thought this would happen." How dangerous must gun-filled America have to be for politicians and public education officials to suggest that teachers need guns to protect themselves from guns? Ironically, the proposed solution admits the scale of the problem. More than 16,000 people were murdered in the United States in 2021. That's a rate of five per 100,000, which is five times higher than the murder rate of Germany, eight times higher than South Korea, and 25 times higher than Singapore. Guns are the problem. How is it going to help to give more guns to poorly-trained, unlicensed individuals? Is it an admission of the failure of American policing to essentially treat teachers as police officers? Some schools are taking a more limited approach, allowing teachers to keep their weapons in the glove compartment of their cars but not bring them into school. That raises a whole new set of questions. If there really was a violent attack on the school as happen again and again in America how would having a gun in the parking lot help? Moreover, the fact that criminals know teachers might have guns in their parked cars could encourage a spate of auto robberies. According to Five Thirty Eight, a data journalism outlet, "Theft is another major way that guns move to the illegal market." The city of Philadelphia alone reported 1,244 guns stolen from individuals in 2020. Parked cars are just sitting ducks asking for gang members to rob them and add more guns to the streets. School shootings are a uniquely American problem. According to the Center for Homeland Defense and Security, 42 students and faculty were killed at schools across the U.S. in 2021, and 151 were wounded. Consider that was a year in which most of the schools were closed due to coronavirus. And the coronavirus pandemic continues with American students crowded inside without masks. Some governors, like Florida's Ron DeSantis, are even trying to prevent kids from getting vaccinated. The very schools that are pushing teachers to bring guns and put their lives on the line are also the conservative schools that are least likely to take precautions to protect teachers and students from the deadly pandemic. Did these school administrators take math classes? They have done a poor job assessing risk. True, dozens of kids dying from mass shootings each year in the U.S. are indeed dozens more than in almost any other country. But the overall risk of a mass shooting is still low in real terms much lower than the risk of dying from coronavirus. The CDC reported that over 1,000 children aged 0 to 18 have died of coronavirus. That means the coronavirus is more than 10 times more likely to kill a kid than a bullet. But Texas (and some other states) took the unprecedented step of arming teachers to try to fight violent shooters, while doing less than nothing to protect kids from the virus. Mitchell Blatt is a columnist with China.org.cn. For more information please visit: http://www.china.org.cn/opinion/MitchellBlatt.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. Scuttled natural resources nominee Andrew Wheeler will keep his $185,567 salary in his new role as a senior adviser to Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin. Democrats who hold the majority in the Senate refused in the General Assembly session to confirm Wheeler for secretary of natural resources, citing his record of trying to undo environmental protections as a previous head of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The governor's office said Monday that Wheeler will stay on as a senior adviser. His salary remains at $185,567, according to the Department of Human Resource Management. Travis Voyles, the deputy secretary now serving as acting secretary of natural resources, earns $130,000, according to the state. The General Assembly rarely rejects a governor's choice for Cabinet secretary, but Wheeler became a lightning rod over his record at EPA; three former agency directors in 2019 who had served under Republican presidents expressed concern about Wheeler's environmental record, as did many other former agency employees. How should we Americans feel about reports from Ukraine that, amid the chaos of Russias brutal invasion of Ukraine, some Africans, Arabs and other refugees of color have been treated unfairly? As if we didnt have enough bad news generated by Russias autocratic leader, Vladimir Putin. You dont have to be Black like me to feel shock and dismay over reports of Africans, Arabs, Indians and other refugees of color being blocked or pushed to the back of the line as they tried to join white Ukrainians on trains and buses and at border crossings. The sheer volume of reports and anecdotes churning across the news and social networks is enough to give one pause, to say the least, especially for people who dont usually associate Ukraine with people of color. Take it from me, as an African American who has traveled a lot, there are some of us everywhere. This was further confirmed for me by a BBC report that, based on government data, found African students account for about a fourth of the more than 76,000 foreign students in Ukraine. Reuters reported that the official government count on African and other Black people had not been updated in 20 years but the education ministry reported more than 16,000 African students in the country. The ugly allegations detract from the glory of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyys courageous fight and the good-hearted souls around the world who have opened their hearts, their wallets and even their homes to help the million-plus refugees forced to flee Russias brutal invasion of Ukraine. In challenging times like these, we need to stick by a golden rule: Dont judge all Ukrainians or any other ethnic group by the prejudices and bad judgment of a few, especially in the chaos of war. We also should be fair in judging who deserves to get our attention. Among other considerations, that process must begin with the language that we use, particularly when you work as I do in news media. For example, CBS News foreign correspondent Charlie DAgata apologized for words that suggested we should be particularly shocked by war in Ukraine because the country is relatively civilized and European. This isnt a place, with all due respect, like Iraq or Afghanistan, that has seen conflict raging for decades, he said. This is a relatively civilized, relatively European I have to choose those words carefully too city where you wouldnt expect this to happen. So its partly human nature but theyre not in denial. And that was his attempt to choose words carefully. But Im not angry with DAgata. As he said in his apology, he meant to say that Ukraine had not seen war on this scale in recent years, compared to conflicts hed covered in other parts of the world. Instead, he said the quiet part out loud, as the saying goes, in a culture that has too long presumed Europeans to be more civilized than other people. At least, he wasnt as embarrassing as David Sakvarelidze, the former deputy prosecutor general of Ukraine, who described his feelings in a BBC interview as very emotional for me because I see European people with blue eyes and blond hair being killed by Russias assault. At least he was being candid, I guess. Days earlier, Bulgarian Prime Minister Kiril Petkov was similarly candid in explaining why his country was welcoming refugees from Ukraine. These people are Europeans, Petkov said. These people are intelligent, they are educated people. ... This is not the refugee wave we have been used to, people we were not sure about their identity, people with unclear pasts, who could have been even terrorists. With that, we hear a hint of the xenophobic attitudes that have roiled European politics for years over immigration issues in ways that make Donald Trumps proposed Mexican border wall look like a minor kerfuffle. American politics are hardly strangers to such tribal conflicts but, compared to most countries, our American identity is bound together by shared ideas and values more than by tribe. In dealing with the rest of the world, our diversity is our strength, contrary to such monocultural naysayers as Fox News Tucker Carlson. Instead of seeking an eye-for-an-eye, the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. preached that we should reach out to embrace others in times of crisis. Its a big world out there, but smaller in many ways than we might think. Pages column is provided by Tribune Content Agency. Japan has backed its condemnation of war in Ukraine with sanctions on Russian officials and oligarchs, but experts say they're not the only audience for Tokyo's outrage -- China is meant to get the message, too. Since Moscow attacked Ukraine, commentators have drawn comparisons between Russia's actions and China's stated ambition to seek the "reunification" of Taiwan with the mainland. The "what if" scenario has not been lost on Japanese leaders. In the first days of the invasion, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida was quick to frame the Ukraine crisis as a global issue. "This is a very serious situation which doesn't just affect Europe, but also Asia and the whole world order," he told reporters. And the Japanese public seem to be in lockstep with his views. In a country typically more focused on domestic issues, the war is dominating news coverage. Thousands of anti-war protesters have taken to the streets of cities nationwide, and a recent poll shows that over 80% of the 1,063 people surveyed support Japan's economic sanctions against Russia. For Japan, support for Ukraine serves a dual purpose, according to Yoko Iwama, an international relations and security expert at the National Graduate Institute of Policy Studies. "The purpose of Japan's response is to send a message that we will be ready and we will resist if there's an invasion (of Japanese territory), that we will not allow the borders to be changed by force," said Iwama. "We don't want a real war, the objective is political -- that China is persuaded from an aggressive act like the one that Putin has taken in the last several days and weeks." It's against that backdrop that Japan's former prime minister, Shinzo Abe, raised a previously unthinkable suggestion during an interview three days after the Russian invasion. Abe, still an influential figure in the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, floated the idea of Japan entering a NATO-like nuclear weapons sharing program -- hosting US nuclear weapons on Japanese soil. It was a shocking proposal for country that suffered the devastating impact of the two atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki during World War II -- but one Abe says should no longer be taboo. ...continue reading Japan Times - Apr 28 Falling to his knees and placing his forehead on the floor, the president of the tour boat company operating the Kazu I, which disappeared Saturday in the Sea of Okhotsk with 26 people aboard, apologized Wednesday, saying that the ships captain made the decision to go ahead with the tour that morning. Japan's financial regulator will introduce new capital requirements for large banks, known as Basel III, two years later than originally planned, Nikkei has learned. Originally scheduled to go into effect in the fiscal year ending March 2022, the new requirements will not be introduced until the fiscal year ending March 2024. The Financial Services Agency had already postponed implementation of the new regulations by a year to ensure that they would not hinder the government's fiscal support during the COVID-19 outbreak. But the pandemic has dragged on, and Russia's invasion of Ukraine has caused more turmoil in financial markets. The financial regulator decided to further delay implementation of the regulations so that banks can focus on supporting their clients. Japan is following the footsteps of the European Union, which is also delaying the rollout of the regulations. Basel III refers to a set of international capital adequacy requirements for banks that was established in response to the global financial crisis in 2008. The rules aim to raise banks' quantity and quality of capital, enabling them to absorb greater losses by requiring them to accumulate more capital and to strictly assess the risk of losses associated with their investments and lending. In September 2021, the FSA announced that major Japanese banks operating overseas, such as the top three megabanks -- Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group and Mizuho Financial Group -- would be subject to the new rules in the fiscal year ending March 2023. Smaller regional banks, shinkin banks and credit unions would follow suit in the fiscal year ending March 2024. ...continue reading Japanese manufacturers are starting to explore alternatives to Russia in sourcing their raw materials, as concerns about supply stability are growing due to the disruptions in production and logistics associated with the countrys special military operation in Ukraine. Material prices on international markets are rising, making it difficult for makers to switch suppliers. If the situation drags out, the raw materials we used to purchase from Russia and Ukraine will need to be obtained through alternative avenues. We are preparing for that, Nippon Steel Corp executive vice-president Shinichi Nakamura told reporters last week after discussing the situation in Ukraine with officials of the Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry. Nippon Steel imports iron ore from both Russia and Ukraine, as well as coking coal from Russia. The two countries account for about 14 per cent of the companys total iron ore pellet imports. For now, the company will continue production using existing inventory, but it plans to increase procurement from Australia, Brazil, and elsewhere if the fighting continues. JFE Steel Corp imports 18 per cent of its coking coal from Russia and is considering alternative supply options such as Australia and Canada. Japan is considering raising the daily cap on overseas arrivals to 10,000 from the current 7,000 starting in April, further easing its COVID-19 border controls, government sources said Tuesday. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has said the government will relax the border control measures, criticized as being too strict, in stages, taking into account the infection situation at home and abroad and border control steps implemented by other nations. The spread of omicron has been apparently slowing in many parts of the country, and some urban areas such as Tokyo want to have quasi-emergency antivirus curbs end as scheduled next Monday. Japan effectively banned the entry of nonresident foreign nationals in late November in response to the emergence of the highly transmissible variant. The government has gradually eased the rules since March and the daily cap on people entering Japan, including Japanese nationals returning from overseas, was raised to 7,000 on Monday. Foreign tourists are still not allowed entry. The Iowa Western Community College Board of Trustees approved a budget for 2022-23 after holding a public hearing during its March meeting Monday at the Shelby County Center in Harlan. The budget, unchanged from the preliminary budget published earlier this spring, sets spending limits at $61,039,326 for the general fund, $26,503,117 for the physical plant and $5,737,282 for the bond and interest fund. The budget would result in a property tax levy of $1.37785 per $1,000 of taxable valuation a decrease of 8.023 cents from its current level of $1.45808 per $1,000 of taxable valuation. Revenue would be boosted by a 5.6% increase in the colleges tax base, continuing a 15-year upward trend, according to Eddie Holtz, vice president of finance. The budget is based on an assumption that enrollment will be basically flat. Still, the board may need to increase tuition, but that will not be decided until May. The administration is still working to determine how much is needed because of a larger-than-expected increase in health insurance costs, Holtz said. Iowa Western did not increase tuition for the 2021-22 academic year. Instead, it was able to use COVID-19 relief money to offset what would have been a $7-per-credit-hour bump. Most of Iowa Westerns revenue 59% comes from tuition and fees, according to Holtz. State funding accounts for about 32%. The remainder is 5% from local support, 1% from federal funding and 3% from other sources. Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. A woman whos been with the Iowa West Foundation since it starting doling out grants will retire at the end of this week. Program Officer Deb Debbaut, a Council Bluffs native, joined the foundation in 1996, Iowa West said in a release. Her last day will be Friday, with an open house-style celebration scheduled from 4 to 6 p.m. on March 31 at the PACE Hoff Center. Those wishing to send Deb their well wishes electronically can go to bit.ly/debdebbaut. Debbauts history with the foundation includes grants administration, nonprofit capacity building, multi-year funding and serving as the liaison for the Healthy Families portfolio, among a litany of other professional accomplishments over the course of 26 years, the foundation said. When I think about my time at the foundation, its not one program or project that comes to mind, but the people who are behind those organizations and the heart they have for their communities, Debbaut said in the release. I appreciate being a hometown girl that had the opportunity to be a change maker in our community. I look forward to following the success of the foundation and being an ambassador. A non-traditional student herself in that Debbaut went straight into the workforce following her graduation from Lewis Central High School she advocated for the creation of the STARS scholarship program, an initiative geared toward parents and grandparents wanting to further their education. Now operated by the Council Bluffs Schools Foundation, the program boasts nearly 300 graduates. In addition, as chair of the Midwest region for PEAK Grantmaking, Debbaut leveraged her connections with national foundations again to further advance regional philanthropy and put local foundations on the national map, Iowa West said. From my very first days at Iowa West Foundation, it was clear that Deb has a huge heart, Matthew Henkes, vice president of the Iowa West Foundation and Debbauts direct supervisor, said in the release. She champions the causes of those who risk being overlooked or underserved in our community. She has a passion for the work of the Foundation and a strong personal compass. I have had the honor of working closely with Deb these past eight years and know our team is better for all she has taught us. Prior to joining the foundation, Debbaut enjoyed a 23-year career in banking. She earned her associate degree in business administration from Iowa Western Community College and her bachelors degree in management, systems, and personnel with a minor in banking and finance from Buena Vista University. Iowa Western named her Alumni of the Year in 2019. In retirement, she and her husband of nearly 50 years, Marion, look forward to enjoying their hobbies of outdoor photography and kite flying. Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. BOONE (AP) Authorities now say that speed and alcohol were likely factors in a November crash that killed a police officer from Boone. The Polk County Sheriffs office said Tuesday that Officer Mario Gonzalez was alone when his vehicle crashed on a highway near the town of Grimes. It wasnt immediately clear how fast the vehicle was going. He died of blunt force trauma. Gonzalez worked full-time for the Boone department from 2016 to October 2019, then began working part-time. He also was a member of the Iowa National Guard. Gonzalez was 26. He is survived by his wife and two young children. You are here: World Flash Ukraine and Russia took a technical pause in their peace talks, Ukrainian Presidential Advisor Mykhailo Podolyak, also a member of the delegation, said Monday. "A technical pause has been taken in the negotiations until tomorrow. For additional work in the working subgroups and clarification of individual definitions," Podolyak tweeted. Earlier in the day, Podolyak said that the talks between Ukraine and Russia went on, although they were "hard." The fourth round of negotiations between Ukrainian and Russian delegations was held earlier on Monday via video link. We have used your information to see if you have a subscription with us, but did not find one. Please use the button below to verify an existing account or to purchase a new subscription. The UAE and Morocco are considering measures to bolster cooperation in the area of energy transition, said UAE industry minister and ADNOC chief Sultan bin Ahmed Al Jaber. Speaking at an energy conference in Rabat Monday, Al Jaber said that the UAE is the first investor in Morocco and areas of investments cover energy transition, tourism and industry. While stressing the need to push for investments in the field of renewable energy, Al Jaber said that further investments are needed in oil and gas capacity to avoid supply and demand disruptions. Later in the day, Al Jaber held talks with head of the Moroccan government Aziz Akhannouch on economic and industrial cooperation. He also met Moroccan foreign minister Nasser Bourita. The Emirati official also conferred with Moroccan minister of industry and trade Ryad Mezzour on means to promote trade and industrial bilateral relations and the possibility to carry out joint industrial projects. During their meeting, the two officials agreed to create a joint task force entrusted with exploring avenues of cooperation in industrial complementarity between the two countries. The UAE was guest of honor at the 15 conference on energy transition in MENA region held in Rabat. The event discussed the outlook for Moroccos energy security, the push to increase the share of renewables and the outlook for domestic gas and hydrogen output. The General Confederation of Moroccan Employers (CGEM) and the Israeli Employers and Business Organizations (IEBO) signed, Tuesday in Tel Aviv, a strategic partnership agreement, on the sidelines of the Israel-Morocco Economic Forum. This agreement was concluded by CGEM President Chakib Alj, IEBO President Ron Tomer, and the President of the Federation of Israeli Chambers of Commerce (FICC) Uriel Lynn. Under this agreement, the two sides vow to pursue dialogue to explore important issues regarding relations between Morocco and Israel and contribute to the mutual expansion of trade, investment and technology development. The parties also commit to establishing a channel of communication through a bilateral business council to promote cooperation between the two organizations and develop exchanges of information and experience on issues of common interest to the respective members for the promotion of business development in both countries. This will be done through the establishment of an effective and systematic consultation and cooperation between the parties especially on trade and investment development policies. The objective is also to exchange information on economic issues, legislation, sectoral and tourism data, including foreign trade, customs and currency system and to serve as local focal points of the demands of members of the two unions. In addition, CGEM and IEBO commit to holding regular meetings to facilitate the exchange of views in order to review the forecasts and implementation of this agreement, to encourage the exchange of trade missions, B2B events and trade missions. These meetings would also provide the visiting delegations business missions from the other party with support with reasonable preparation, as well as to encourage the establishment of Moroccan companies in Israel and Israeli companies in Morocco, operating in priority sectors, which will be defined jointly. Moreover, the parties concerned will improve the exchange of commercial information on import and export activities, research and development, innovation and technological cooperation opportunities between the two countries. This will be achieved through the publication of documents concerning economic development, opportunities and policies of foreign trade and investment, taxation and legislative changes in both countries, in addition to encouraging a joint economic study on potential opportunities for trade between the two countries and provide lists of importers/exporters of all sectors according to the demand. The Israel-Morocco Economic Forum, held on the sidelines of the inaugural Casablanca-Tel Aviv flight of Royal Air Maroc (RAM), was attended by 80 Moroccan business leaders and more than 300 Israeli companies operating in various sectors such as agriculture, industry, health, education, renewable energy and water, with the aim of paving the way for a strong economic and commercial partnership. At the opening of the Forim, CGEM chief stressed that Morocco and Israel, two of the most prosperous and dynamic economies in their respective regions, have a clear strategic vision and a strong desire to stimulate the volume of trade and investment, to improve mutual access to markets and to stimulate shared social and economic growth. Following the resumption of diplomatic relations between the two countries in December 2020, bilateral cooperation is experiencing noteworthy developments in sectors of mutual interest such as tourism, health, agriculture, water, industry, education and technology, with the ambition to increase trade to $500 million, he pointed out. The economies of the two countries have very complementary assets, noted Chakib Alj. If matched well, they can lead to countless opportunities and unleash the spirit of entrepreneurship and innovation that already exists in Morocco and Israel. Mr. Alj also highlighted Moroccos competitive advantages as an investment destination that is ranked today in the top 50 most attractive, business-friendly and trustworthy economies in the world. Sound Energy, the Moroccan focused upstream gas company and holder of the Tendrara gas concession, announced this Tuesday that it has concluded an agreement with lOffice National des Hydrocarbures et des Mines (ONHYM) to connect to the Maghreb-Europe gas pipeline (GME). This agreement marks another important step towards the effective entry into force of the agreement signed by ONEE and Sound Energy in November 2021 for the sale of natural gas from the Tendrara Concession in Eastern Morocco over a 10 year period. Gas company Sound Energy has signed a pipeline tie-in agreement to the Maghreb-Europe Gas pipeline with ONHYM for gas from Phase 2 of the Tendrara project, the company said in a press release. The GME Pipeline is owned and operated by ONHYM which got operatorship from the previous operator on November 1, 2021. Under the pipeline tie-in agreement, ONHYM has now approved the connection of the Tendrara Production Concession via a gas export spur pipeline to the GME Pipeline, which will be built over 120 km. Under the agreement, following the provision of certain technical information by Sound Energy regarding the Tendrara Production Concession export spur pipeline and the approval of proposed technical and financial terms for the construction of the tie-in infrastructure, ONHYM has committed to put in place the tie-in infrastructure between the Tendrara export pipeline and the GME pipeline, enabling Tendrara gas to reach all clients connected to GME, the press release explained. The agreement fulfills one of the key remaining conditions to Sounds binding gas sale and purchase agreement for the sale of natural gas from the Tendrara Concession in Eastern Morocco over 10 years with Moroccos state-owned power company Office National de lElectricite et de lEau Potable (ONEE). The gas in question will also be sold from Tendraras Phase 2. The terms of the gas sale agreement were announced by the company on November 30, 2021, but the deal was recently extended. Following the Pipeline Tie-in Agreement, the gas sale agreement remains conditional upon all necessary authorizations and permits having been granted for the construction of the Phase 2 gas installations, the final investment decision when taken being approved by the Moroccan Ministry of the Energy Transition and Sustainable Development, and the Ministry of Economy and Finance. The completion of the tie-in agreement to the GME pipeline marks further progress on the various conditions required to reach final investment decision on the Phase 2 development of the Tendrara production concession. This development is a key element of the roadmap released by the Energy Ministry in August 2021 to supply future Moroccan energy, Graham Lyon, Sound Energys Executive Chairman, said. During a conference held Monday in Rabat, energy minister Leila Benali said that Morocco will access for the first time the LNG market in April using the existing infrastructure in the country and in Europe. Over the past two months, the minister had said in multiple appearances that Morocco was in talks with Spain to use its LNG terminals and regasifications units to import gas through the Maghreb-Europe pipeline, which has become fully owned by Morocco since October 2021. Moroccos access to the LNG market is conducive to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, she told an energy conference in Rabat, insisting that natural gas is a non-negotiable pillar of Moroccos energy strategy. Following a lengthy discussion Monday morning, the Lincoln County commissioners voted to approve a proposal to upgrade the HVAC and smoke control system at the Lincoln County Detention Center. The hardware and software are outdated and have required thousands of dollars in repairs, according to Booker Boyer, jail maintenance, and Jeff Higgins, courthouse maintenance supervisor. The commissioners selected the higher option of $24,961 to accomplish the upgrade. The lower option was for $16,000. Control technician Scott Schroeder of Johnson Controls explained what was needed to repair the system. The problem is in having access to the system, Schroeder said. With the current system, his company is unable to troubleshoot issues remotely. Problems then require the county to bring in a local company or have a Johnson Controls representative travel to North Platte. Either option costs the county an inordinate amount of money to troubleshoot and repair $209 an hour for a Johnson company representative, plus travel expenses. So youre saying the first proposal would fix part of the problem, said Commissioner Micaela Wuehler, and the second would fix everything. Schroeder affirmed that was the case, saying the current system cannot be updated enough to address the issues. The issues include unreasonable climate conditions in the sheriffs office as well as in the inmate cells and associated rooms. In other action, the board: Authorized Chairman Chris Bruns to sign a right-of-way application submitted by Hershey Telephone Co. Appointed Commissioner Jerry Woodruff to represent the county to the Community Action Partnership of Nebraska. Tabled the contract with Winston Michael Contracting Inc. for construction of a salt shed to clarify information and language in the proposed agreement. Authorized Bruns to sign the special designated liquor application by Big Red Liquor LLC for a fundraiser March 26 at the Lincoln County Fairgrounds. Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. The North Platte Public Schools Board of Education approved updated graduation requirements according to Nebraska state statute. The requirement that all students enrolled in North Platte High School beginning with the graduation class of 2024 and beyond will be required to take personal finance. In order to comply with the statutes, NPPS will increase the required course credit hour from 150 to 155 and reduce elective course credit hours from 95 to 90. The board also approved the English language arts and career and technical education programs of study. Vikki Carlson, director of secondary teaching and learning, said the Nebraska Department of Education requires districts to adopt the standards they develop or by law, the district would have to create its own. This is a very standard procedure we go through, Carlson said. She said the district puts a lot of faith in Nebraska educators who spend a couple of years developing the standards. The standard revision process for all four core content areas, math, English, science, social studies, Carlson said, comes around every seven years, so were at that point with English language arts. The career and technical education program, Carlson said, has changed over the last couple of years because industry standards change quickly. That revision timeline has now been moved up to every five years, Carlson said, simply because industry standards out in the workforce change so dramatically. The board also approved the 2022-23 teacher evaluation that has been aligned to the Educator Effectiveness Standards. The board approved the certified master agreement to begin salary negotiations with staff for the 2022-23 school year. It was a collaborative effort in the process that we go through this, said Stuart Simpson, executive director of finance, and come to a good negotiation process and a good master agreement for our teaching staff and the district. Simpson said at the end of the previous years negotiations, an extra-duty committee was formed. We formed the committee to look at all of our extra-duty staff and the payment thereof, Simpson said, and pay them accordingly to the job that they have done. Simpson said the base salary for certified staff increased by $550. There was a publication notice that said differently, Simpson said. We wanted to clarify that we increased our base to $39,050. Another section of the agreement addressed compensation for teachers who host a student teacher. (Those teachers) will receive a $500 stipend for working with (student teachers) because that takes a lot of time to mentor them through the process, Simpson said. Kevin Mills, director of human services, updated the board on staffing and said there are currently 10 open positions. The most difficult position to fill is family and consumer sciences. He said there are very few students at the college level going into the FCS field. Flash Yang Jiechi, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, met with U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan on Monday in Rome, capital of Italy. Both sides conducted candid, in-depth and constructive communication over China-U.S. relations, as well as international and regional issues of common concern. The two sides agree to jointly implement the consensus reached by the two heads of state, increase understanding, manage differences, expand consensus and strengthen cooperation, so as to accumulate conditions for bringing China-U.S. relations back to the track of sound and steady development. Yang, also director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the CPC Central Committee, said the implementation of the consensus between the two heads of state is the most important task for China-U.S. relations. He said that Chinese President Xi Jinping has proposed mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation as the three principles in developing China-U.S. relations in the new era, which has charted the course for the development of the bilateral ties. U.S. President Joe Biden responded positively with such important commitments as that the United States does not seek a new Cold War or to change China's system, nor will it oppose China through strengthening alliances, support "Taiwan independence," or seek confrontation with China, Yang said. The Chinese side always views and handles bilateral relations in accordance with the three principles put forth by President Xi, Yang said, expressing his hope that the U.S. side can truly deliver on President Biden's promises. Under the current international situation, China and the United States should strengthen dialogue and cooperation, properly manage differences and prevent conflict and confrontation, which not only serves the interests of the two people but also meets the expectation of the international community and the interests of people across the world, he added. Stressing that the Taiwan question concerns China's sovereignty and territorial integrity, Yang said in the three Sino-U.S. joint communiques, the U.S. side explicitly recognized that there is only one China and that the one-China principle is the premise for establishing diplomatic relations between China and the United States as well as the political foundation of their relations. The current U.S. administration has pledged to adhere to the one-China policy and not to support "Taiwan independence" in regard to the Taiwan question, but its actions are obviously inconsistent with its statements, he said. The Chinese side expresses grave concern over and firm opposition to the recent wrong words and deeds of the U.S. side on Taiwan-related issues, Yang noted, adding that any attempts to condone and support "Taiwan independence" separatist forces, or play the "Taiwan card" and use the Taiwan question to contain China will be futile. China urges the U.S. side to recognize the high sensitivity of the Taiwan question, abide by the one-China principle, the provisions of the three Sino-U.S. joint communiques and the commitments made by the U.S. side, and stop going further down the dangerous path. Yang expounded on China's solemn position on issues related to Xinjiang, Tibet and Hong Kong, pointing out that these issues concern China's core interests and are China's internal affairs that allow no foreign interference. Any attempt to use these issues to suppress China will fail, he said. Yang noted that seeking common ground while shelving differences and building a bridge of cooperation on top of proper settlement of differences is the right way for China and the United States to get along with each other, which has been tested by practice since the Shanghai Communique was issued 50 years ago. The two sides should learn from history, grasp the premise of mutual respect, hold the bottom line of peaceful coexistence and seize the key of win-win cooperation, he said. The two sides also exchanged views on international and regional issues including the Ukraine issue, the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue, the Iran nuclear issue and the Afghanistan issue. A reading of Wyoming Game and Fish Departments annual Grizzly Bear Relocation Report is a window into a wild world. Beyond the numbers 45 bears trapped, 30 euthanized, 19 relocated are some surprising details on bear behavior. For comparison, in 2020 WFGD recorded capturing 26 bears. Eighteen of the bears were euthanized. Included in the unusual incidents was the subadult male captured in Park County that exhibited bold behavior around guest lodges and trailheads, including following horseback riders on several occasions. The bear was euthanized. Brian DeBolt, large carnivore conflict coordinator for WGFD in Lander, said the bears behavior is a good example of an animal that has lost its fear of humans. It obviously associated people with some sort of food source, he said. County Park County, which includes the East Entrance to Yellowstone National Park and the gateway community of Cody, recorded 43% of all the WGFD bear capture events in 2021, down from 56% in 2020. Its darn sure the busiest, Debolt said, adding the county has the longest season of bear conflicts in the state and the most varied types. Thats partly because Park County is so big, he added. Park County residents had close encounters with other bears, based on WGFDs annual report, including these two in June: a bear hanging out at a guest lodge and eating hay in the feed bunks with the lodges horses; a bear that was captured after chasing a dog through a group of people. In the fall, a bear was captured after feeding in a pumpkin patch and corn maze while another was trapped and euthanized after hanging out about two miles downstream from Cody and exhibiting aggressive behavior towards people rafting the [Shoshone] river. He was a really old male, DeBolt said. Im sure he was half starved to death. The bear would bluff charge rafters, slapping at the water with its paws, he added, estimating the bears age at around 25 years old. A photograph on the cover of this years WGFD report shows the old boars worn down teeth. Twenty is pretty old for a bear, DeBolt said. You live out there, walking every footstep in the woods, that takes a toll on you. The oldest bear ever identified in Wyoming was 34. The animals are aged by counting annual rings in their teeth. DMA Many of the Wyoming bear problems were outside the Designated Monitoring Area, a zone created by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service identifying the best biologically suitable habitat for Yellowstone-area grizzlies. The DMA was established in 2012 as the area within which the Interagency Grizzly Bear Study Team counts the bears and their mortalities to monitor the population. Bear deaths outside the DMA are also counted but dont figure into the mortality thresholds. The mortality thresholds help guide the agencies as they work to maintain bear populations inside the DMA and watch for concerning trends. Across the three states where the DMA has been drawn Montana, Wyoming and Idaho 65 grizzly mortalities were recorded by the IGBST last year, 11 of those in Montana (three of which were in Carbon County) and six in Idaho. Seven of those were bears that likely died in 2020 but not found until 2021. Of the total, 39 died within the DMA and 19 outside. "The total number of mortalities inside has been pretty constant," said Frank van Manen, supervising research wildilfe biologist for the IGBST. "Now we're seeing a greater proportion of the total mortalities outside that area." Fifteen of the bears that died or were killed were females, seven of which were subadults along with one female cub killed by another bear. Fifteen of the deaths are classified as known, under investigation. Some of these are likely "self-defense" mortalities caused by hunters in run-ins with bears, van Manen said. Others may be illegal kills. The most bear deaths recorded in the past decade occurred in 2018 when 68 grizzlies died, five likely in the previous year and 50 within the DMA. It's difficult to point to a reason why mortalities rise, van Manen said. Last year's drought didn't affect important food sources like whitebark pine seeds, cutworm moth sites or berries. More important to bear managers is the estimated mortality rate in comparison to the population. Population As of 2021, at least 1,069 bears were estimated to be living in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem the highest count since studies began in the 1970s. This figure is up dramatically from an estimated 727 the year before thanks to a revision in the methodology used to estimate grizzly numbers, van Manen explained. In the past, he said bear managers were conservative in their estimates to ensure bear populations were growing, undercounting by around 40% to 45%. "This new number reflects enhancement of the technique," van Manen said, which is backed up by extensive analysis using telemetry of marked bears. "Now that we have a biologically recovered population ... it's much less of a concern," he added. The grizzly bear's population structure seems to be "pretty stable," van Manen said. In the early 2000s bear ages increased, but now age classes are relatively well distributed. "There are probably more older animals than in other bear populations," simply because there's no hunting in the park, he added. As bear density increases, it can result in fewer young bears surviving. Males will kill cubs to induce a female to breed with them. Full With the grizzly population up, due to protection of the animals under the Endangered Species Act, the prime habitat inside areas like Yellowstone is occupied, forcing some bears out of the protection of the mountains. Yellowstone is the bucket and the bucket is full, DeBolt said. Thats why they keep pouring out of there. The Bighorn Basin, the region between the Absaroka Mountains to the west and the Bighorn Mountains to the east, is one of those areas where grizzlies cant or wont be able to make a living. There, three bears were killed, two yearlings and an adult female, in mid-May after falling into the cement-sided Heart Mountain Canal. Other bears were captured after following the Shoshone River east, similar to an expansion onto the plains seen east of Glacier National Park and the Bob Marshall Wilderness in northwest Montana. Were seeing bears as close to the Bighorns as to the Absarokas, DeBolt said. Weve had confirmed grizzly bear sightings closer to Fort Collins [Colorado] than the center of Yellowstone. The bears are definitely expanding. Break-ins Hank the Tank, a black bear believed responsible for breaking and entering about 30 properties in Californias Lake Tahoe area last month, has nothing on Wyomings grizzlies for forced entries. Hank was later identified by DNA as three bears. A Fremont County bear was captured and killed for numerous conflicts associated with breaking into trailers, trucks visiting camps, [and] attempted entry into [an] occupied tent along the East Fork of the Wind River. In Park County, a grizzly was captured and killed for breaking into a barn through the wall. The incidents emphasize the strength of grizzly bears. Males range from 300 to 700 pounds and females can top the scales at 200 to 400 pounds. Depredation One of the most common reasons for grizzly bears to be captured and euthanized is livestock depredation. Twenty-eight bears were captured in 2021 as WGFD targeted bears killing livestock. Out of these, 16 were euthanized. In 2020, livestock depredation led to the deaths of 13 Wyoming bears, with another six euthanized elsewhere in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem for killing sheep or cows. The worst offenders killed multiple cattle or sheep. One bear captured in Fremont County, an adult female, was euthanized after killing at least six calves in 11 days. In Sublette County a subadult male killed six yearling cattle in two weeks prompting officials to trap and euthanize the bear. Theres no rhyme or reason why there are more one year and not the next, DeBolt said. And not all bears take advantage (of livestock). Bears caught incidentally, or who are not repeat offenders, may be released elsewhere. In 2021 in Wyoming bears were relocated 19 times compared to nine in 2020. Keeping bears out of trouble is almost a year-round task anymore, with little down time for bear management officials, DeBolt said. I dont know what the cause is, but we definitely have bears going to bed later and getting up earlier, he said. Out in the Bighorn Basin, they have to stay awake as long as they can to put on enough fat to make it through the winter. Fox News cameraman and editor Pierre Zakrzewski, left, in Kyiv with a group of other journalists. Photo: Fox News Veteran Fox News cameraman Pierre Zakrzewski, 55, and Ukrainian journalist Oleksandra Sasha Kuvshynova, 24, were killed in Ukraine on Monday when the vehicle they and Fox News correspondent Benjamin Hall were traveling in came under fire in Horenka, a town northwest of of Kyiv. Among the reporters who died covering the Russian invasion of #Ukraine, was Sasha Kuvshynova, a Ukrainian journalist working for FOX News in Kyiv. She was just 24. RIP, Sasha. '. pic.twitter.com/f7OsyT8SRr Ostap Yarysh (@OstapYarysh) March 15, 2022 Pierre was a constant in all of our international coverage, Fox News president and executive editor Jay Wallace said in a statement. I, like countless others, always felt an extra sense of reassurance when arriving on the scene and seeing him with camera in hand. The legacy of his positive spirit, boundless energy and eye for the story will carry on. I dont know what to say. Pierre was as good as they come. Selfless. Brave. Passionate. Im so sorry this happened to you. pic.twitter.com/IvxlPWGDAl Trey Yingst (@TreyYingst) March 15, 2022 Fox News confirmed the death of Kuvshynova in a memo to its employees. Sasha was just 24 years old and was serving as a consultant for us in Ukraine, the memo said. She was helping our crews navigate Kyiv and the surrounding area while gathering information and speaking to sources. Please also pray for Oleksandra Kuvshynovas loved ones. She was a young Ukrainian journalist sharing the story of her countrys invasion. Our friends who worked with her said she was vibrant & full of life. I cant even imagine the pain her parents are going through right now. https://t.co/lDEzthfYuG Atia Abawi (@AtiaAbawi) March 15, 2022 Hall was injured and hospitalized in Ukraine. Fox News reported on Wednesday morning that he has now left the country. Fox just reported on air that Benjamin Hall is out of Ukraine. "Ben is alert and in good spirits. He is being treated with the best possible care in the world and we are in close contact with his wife and family," Suzanne Scott says. "Please continue to keep him in your prayers." Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) March 16, 2022 Zakrzewski, who lived in London with his wife, had been in Ukraine since February. He had covered conflicts in Iraq, Syria, and Afghanistan for Fox News. According to a network statement, he played a key role in getting our Afghan freelance associates and their families out of Afghanistan after the U.S. 2021 withdrawal and received special recognition from the network late last year for his work. This is how I want to remember Pierre Zakrzewski. Big smiles. Fantastic human being. Kind, generous & radiates an upbeat can-do energy. From Kabul to Kyiv, he never stopped wanting to help. He was found dead alongside Ukrainian journalist, Oleksandra Kuvshynova. RIP Miss you. pic.twitter.com/jaKg39zmtc Marcus Yam (@yamphoto) March 15, 2022 The circumstances of the attack that killed the journalists remain unclear. The Ukrainian Ministry of Defense claims the vehicle came under fire from Russian troops. In a Facebook post, Ukrainian prosecutor general Iryna Venediktova described the attack as more evidence of Russian violence against civilians and vowed that her office will focus on war crimes that have affected the citizens of our partner countries. Zakrzewski and Kurshinova are the third and fourth journalists confirmed to have been killed in Ukraine since the invasion began on February 25. On March 1, Ukrainian cameraman Yevhenii Sakun died after Russians bombed a television transmission tower in Kyiv. On March 13, American documentary filmmaker and journalist Brent Renaud was killed after the vehicle he was traveling in was fired on in Irpin. American photojournalist Juan Arredondo and an as yet unidentified Ukrainian were also injured in that attack. This post has been updated. Two women from Texas talk to each other about traveling to Oklahoma as they recover from their abortions at the Trust Women clinic in Oklahoma City. Photo: Evelyn Hockstein/REUTERS Here is a scientific fact: Ectopic pregnancies are not viable. They occur when a fertilized egg implants outside the uterus, which dooms the pregnancy and, without treatment, can doom a woman, too. Ectopic pregnancies can lead to hemorrhage and are the leading cause of death for women in the first trimester of pregnancy. Heres another fact: There is one way to save a woman from an ectopic pregnancy, and that is through termination an abortion. A proposed Missouri bill ignores these facts outright. H.B. 2810 would make it a felony, punishable by ten-years-to-life in prison, to perform an abortion after ten weeks of pregnancy, including in cases of ectopic pregnancy, the Springfield News-Leader reports. The bills architect, state representative Brian Seitz, offered a familiar justification for his work. This bill is about protecting life, he told the newspaper. In a confusing email to Bloomberg News, Seitz claimed that his bill had been misrepresented by critics and that it would do nothing to curtail that LEGAL activity, as it can present a clear and present danger to the mother. Perhaps Seitz does not understand that abortion is both a legal activity and the cure for ectopic pregnancies. Or perhaps he does know but simply doesnt care about the facts. In either case, he would hardly be the first anti-abortion conservative to potentially put women at risk through his disregard for basic medical science. The anti-abortion movement turns to such pseudoscience to conceal its hostility for abortion-seeking women. For proof, examine the movements record. Anti-abortion activists commonly make a variety of medical and scientific claims about contraception and abortion that have no evidential basis. They have insisted that abortion leads to cancer, infertility, and psychological disorders. The owners of Hobby Lobby believed that intrauterine devices, or IUDs, and the Plan B pill cause abortions. In Ohio, a previously proposed bill would have prohibited insurers from covering abortion services but provided an exception for doctors to reimplant an ectopic pregnancy into a womans uterus, Bloomberg News reports, which is impossible. Current bills in Ohio and South Carolina would require doctors to tell patients who receive medication abortions that the procedure can be halted or reversed. A dozen other states have already passed similar laws, even though the claim they advance is based on an unproven, potentially dangerous treatment that isnt endorsed by the medical community. The truth, of course, is that abortion is safe. IUDs and the Plan B pill prevent pregnancy, and theres no reliable way to reverse a medication abortion. Most women who have an abortion say they dont regret it, data that undermines a key anti-abortion claim. Were abortion tantamount to infanticide, we might expect the average woman to feel something akin to shame, even grief, yet many report a sense of relief. The movement not only misunderstands medical science, it misunderstands women. Take, for example, a recent NPR story documenting the case of a Texas woman who experienced an early stillbirth. At high risk for sepsis, a deadly blood infection, the woman needed a termination but could not procure one in Texas because of the states restrictive new abortion laws. She had to take a flight to the nearest state that would provide the procedure. I had to come up with a game plan with my OB in case I went into labor on the flight. And I made sure that I bought us front-row seats so I could be close to the bathroom in case it happened. And Im like, no one should ever have to do that, the woman, Anna, said. Contacted for comment, John Seago, the legislative director of Texas Right to Life, had little to say. The case was horrific, he admitted, but said, Even in the worst circumstances, another act of violence on an innocent victim is not the best solution that we have. That attitude will eventually kill a woman, as it did in Ireland with the case of Savita Halappanavar. The 31 year-old dentist died in 2012 when she could not obtain a medically necessary abortion in the country. Irish voters later repealed the countrys restrictive anti-abortion amendment by referendum in 2018. Faced with such facts, which dont fit their version of reality, anti-abortion activists resort to fiction. They can do little else to defend their position, which is metaphysical at its heart. This is a debate over personhood, which is difficult if not impossible to resolve in a scientific sense: Medical experts cannot explain when ensoulment might take place. Where philosophical persuasion fails, pseudoscience fills the gap. Activists can then wholly inhabit the reality they prefer and ignore facts that are inconvenient, a tendency that nurtures extremism. The Missouri bill is an exceptional case, one example of an anti-abortion politician gone rogue. The states senate majority leader, another Republican, has said the bill is DOA there in its current form. Seitz, meanwhile, said he intends to introduce a clarifying amendment to the bill, though its hard to imagine exactly how this would work. For now, the text speaks for itself, as does the broader legislative push to which it belongs. Missouri already has a law in place that would automatically ban abortion if Roe v. Wade falls in the Supreme Court this year the outcome the movement has sought for so many decades. The world the right wing wants is a world without abortion, and that is a world in which women still die, in back alleys and in hospitals. Decrease Font Size Font Size Increase Font Size Article body Auburn Universitys College of Education is joining forces with the College of Sciences and Mathematics Department of Mathematics and Statistics and other state institutions to address the shortage of mathematics teachers in Alabama. Using $3.2 million in funding provided by the National Science Foundations Noyce Scholarship Program, Auburn is partnering with Tuskegee University, Alabama State University, the Alabama Math, Science and Technology Initiative, or AMSTI, the East Alabama Regional Inservice Center, or EARIC, and area school districts on a groundbreaking project titled Developing, Recruiting and Empowering Alabama Mathematics Teachers, or DREAM-Math. The program will offer a Master of Education in secondary mathematics that will lead to teacher certification and four years of support as teachers embark on their careers at high-need schools. DREAM-Math project leaderswhich include co-Principal Investigators Huajun Huang and Hans-Werner van Wyk from the Department of Mathematics and Statisticsare looking for recruits to fill the programs first cohort, which will begin in May. Cohort members will complete 36 credit hours during a four-semester period leading to masters-level teaching certification and will receive a stipend that will cover tuition, fees and living expenses during their instruction. They also will be provided $10,000 annually for each of the first four years of their teaching careers at a high-need school upon completion of the program. Too often people who may be interested in shifting to a career as a mathematics teacher face almost insurmountable hurdles, including time and expense, said W. Gary Martin, the Emily R. and Gerald S. Leischuck Distinguished Professor for Critical Needs in Education in Auburns College of Education. DREAM-Math offers a streamlined, high-quality preparation program along with financial support from the National Science Foundation to help them achieve that dream. Creating a program like DREAM-Math requires the involvement of many partners to recruit participants, to effectively prepare them to be mathematics teachers and to support them as they begin their careers. Along with many other partners, eight surrounding school districts have been integrally involved in the development of this program. Cohort candidates must be science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM, graduates with 15-18 hours of mathat or above Calculus 1who do not have teaching certificates, and they must apply for graduate school by April 30. Administrators are waiving the Graduate Record Examination, or GRE, for applicants, but candidates must earn an acceptable score on the Praxis II test to be admitted into the program. If we can attract potential people from our local community to pursue mathematics teaching, they may be more likely to return to our school and stay on for the long run, said Beverly Price, deputy superintendent of teaching and learning for Alexander City Schools, a DREAM-Math partner. We are excited for this opportunity to work with Auburn University and the other partners on this promising endeavor. By creating the cohort, DREAM-Math project leaders hope to help feed the pipeline of mathematics educators and fill the crucial need for teachers throughout the state. Program organizers will be reaching out to alumni and students from the participating universities, K-12 school districts and state agencies to help recruit candidates for the cohort. As a leading state institution with a land-grant mission, Auburn University is committed to resolving the mathematics teacher shortage dilemma, said College of Education Dean and Wayne T. Smith Distinguished Professor Jeffrey Fairbrother. By partnering with Tuskegee University, Alabama State University and other leading organizations, we will do our part to improve the states educational system and build a better future for Alabamians who seek a quality education. I applaud the efforts of our faculty, staff and leadership, as well as the National Science Foundation, for addressing this pressing need, and I am confident we will be successful with this endeavor. According to experts, the lack of STEM teachers throughout Alabama has been amplified by the COVID-19 pandemic, high turnover rates and the lack of qualified and certified candidates. The DREAM-Math project aims to reverse that trend and strengthen the states group of mathematics educators. As the acting department head and a mathematics education faculty member, I frequently get calls from schools that desperately need a mathematics teacher, said Marilyn Strutchens, the Emily R. and Gerald S. Leischuck Endowed Professor for Critical Needs in Education and Mildred Cheshire Fraley Distinguished Professor. DREAM-Math was developed to provide a boost in the number of new mathematics teachers to help meet this urgent need. The DREAM-Math program has the full support of Auburns senior leadership. The DREAM-Math project embodies Auburns commitment to the people of Alabama and will equip science, technology, engineering and mathematics teachers to address the critical education needs in our state, said Auburn Senior Vice President for Advancement John Morris, who serves as president of the Auburn University Foundation and Auburn University Real Estate Foundation. The work of Dr. Martin and his colleagues through the DREAM-Math project will create a much-needed pipeline of exceptional studentsfuture STEM educatorsand address the continuing shortage of well-prepared, diverse mathematics teachers in Alabamas schools and districts. We are committed to the success of the DREAM-Math Teachers Project and believe this work will have a significant impact on the lives of students, families and communities throughout the state. Auburn and its partners are looking for a dozen participants in the 2022 cohort and 14 for the 2023 cohort. Anyone interested in participating in the program may apply through its website or contact co-principal investigators Martin at martiwg@auburn.edu or Strutchens at strutme@auburn.edu. Marina was so brave. She's going to be in jail for a long time and I'm sure she knew that. Reply Thread Link Yeah, she will. She has two kids too. Reply Parent Thread Link Some of the trusted Twitter list says it might be a lesser charge if they consider this a first, singular offense. (Im guessing they wont, but there is hope.) Reply Parent Thread Link Putin's on the rampage Reply Parent Thread Link I really admire that kind of bravery. I hope she's doing as well as she can be and that her message at least caused some people to stop and think. Reply Parent Thread Link I hope that she reached some people and make them reconsider the lies they are being feed, truly a brave act. Reply Parent Thread Link I hope her messages changed some peoples view of the war. Shes brave as fuck. Reply Parent Thread Link It's usually a fine for the first-timer. Reply Parent Thread Link that is so tragic about the mother and baby. their poor family. is there a translation of the woman's video she posted to social media? Reply Thread Link Macron cosplays Zelensky pic.twitter.com/NYAFP7GWIH Mykhailo Golub (@golub) March 14, 2022 lmao Macron is really trying with these regularly scheduled photoshoots Reply Thread Link not the Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson eyebrow raise in the first pic... Reply Parent Thread Link giving Dreamworks male hero Reply Parent Thread Link I dont even know what to say lmao Reply Parent Thread Link This physically made me cringe omg Reply Parent Thread Link this is what happens when you unban speidi Reply Parent Thread Link I think he's so sexy I'm sorry lol Reply Parent Thread Expand Link I really and truly regret to report that I'm into it lmao Reply Parent Thread Link That second pic, the woman leaning on the door frame made me think this is like the chic version of Kirk Cameron's birthday pic Reply Parent Thread Expand Link I was expecting to see him a green t-shirt. #SonImDisappoint :X Reply Parent Thread Link it's like he wants to be a meme Reply Parent Thread Link When I first saw those on my Twitter timeline I thought they were fake Reply Parent Thread Link lmao i think macron is fine from a foreign policy perspective but if i was allowed to vote here in france i'd have a hard time voting for him and i know how mad he makes french ppl but on a shallow stupid level i enjoy the clownery and i want to see more Reply Parent Thread Expand Link The attacks on civilians are just too brutal... I can't watch it anymore. This is ethnic cleansing. Reply Thread Link The video of Kadyrovs guys talking about how they were too late to kidnap children from an orphanage, claiming it had just been emptied, was sickening. They accuse Ukrainians of using civilians as human shields, i.e. people daring to be in hospitals, homes, or evacuating cars that the Russians are deliberately targeting, but what was their undersupplied, freezing army planning to do with a bunch of kids? Just completely amoral people. Reply Parent Thread Link Am I the only one getting support Ukraine ads on here? I guess Im just surprised because I wouldve thought thered be pro Russia ads. Reply Thread Link lol my adblock saves me from all ads Reply Parent Thread Link It does on my computer but not on my phone lol Reply Parent Thread Link I have, and one for some random rail system in the US, I can't remember which state. It used to be only Russian ads, but now it's whatever the hell it feels like, I guess. Reply Parent Thread Link i think lj survived because russia forgot about it lol Reply Parent Thread Expand Link Yeah same, I thought it was a little suspicious tbh because all my ads used to be 100% Russian. Reply Parent Thread Link If you guys don't have adblock, you can just change your DNS to Adguard's DNS, and voila no need for a separate adblocker/app Reply Parent Thread Link I hope Marina Ovsyannikovas bravery wasnt in vain. Reply Thread Link Ok you guys. YOU GUYS! Tell me when Ive goofed lol. I changed the other post to say 13 Mar. Im such a doofus Reply Thread Link It was correct as 14th for me here in NZ Reply Parent Thread Link right? lmfao, i come here and think ive missed a post because im a day ahead! Reply Parent Thread Link Theyre trying one of the mayors they kidnapped for treason and terrorism Its just constant acts of terror and crimes against humanity Im trying to donate and participate with every link the OP posts but it just feels really hopeless Reply Thread Link Today we are announcing several updates to our company position in Russia, in response to the Russian war in Ukraine and the brutal situation it has created. pic.twitter.com/6c7qWTLC4z Pfizer Inc. (@pfizer) March 14, 2022 Reply Thread Link I think similar to Pepsi reporting theyll keep baby formulas and such in Russia this a good decision in terms of still helping people there There are reports Russia is going to prosecute companies who leave or do stuff like this Im wondering how they could even make that happen? McDonalds is one of the companies theyre allegedly going to go after lol Reply Parent Thread Link Russia is a mafia state who will order people to physically intimidate workers, if I was doing business in Russia I would leave immediately because who knows if you'll be held hostage as part of some corporate takeover Edited at 2022-03-15 12:46 am (UTC) Reply Parent Thread Link This news came today, and frankly, i have no idea what it means, but they suggested criminal responsibility for russian companies who comply to international sanctions, especially against banks. So responsibility for changing banks? I really don't know what is worse for Russia's economy sanctions or government's fight against sanctions. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link This Vice link is great though: https://www.vice.com/en/article/88gbax/qanon-thinks-trump-says-chy-na-to-send-a-secret-message-about-ukraine I just feel this everyday: me, staring endlessly at an app that lets you watch everything fall apart in real time: I feel awful, wonder what thats about preorder CHAOTIC NEUTRAL now (@edburmila) March 11, 2022 After taking a break from disinformation twitter (journalists that follow Qanon and other disinformation sources), I went back today and fuck everything. Apparently Qanon influencers are basically peddling that Ukraine has been manufacturing bioweapons and creatws Covid for the US? And so Russia has a valid right to invade? And Fox has picked it up and peddling this shit.This Vice link is great though:I just feel this everyday: Reply Thread Link Every misinformation piece regarding Ukraine is usually the preface to Russia actually using that theres been concerns about them using bio agents on citizens next Reply Parent Thread Link So heres my whole story with @kevincollier on how the Ukrainian biolabs conspiracy came to take over the global far-right, and put Putin back in the good graces of American conspiracy theorists. It has decades of history in it. I hope you read it.https://t.co/YOxOiqrQwi Ben Collins (@oneunderscore__) March 14, 2022 I mentioned it in another post, too, but this conspiracy theory has its origins in 80s when the USSR used chemical warfare against stiff resistance in Afghanistan and Laos, and so accused the US of similar things. Kind of alarming in the context of them going scorched earth on Ukraine because they dared to fight back. yeah, heres a story going over its evolution:I mentioned it in another post, too, but this conspiracy theory has its origins in 80s when the USSR used chemical warfare against stiff resistance in Afghanistan and Laos, and so accused the US of similar things. Kind of alarming in the context of them going scorched earth on Ukraine because they dared to fight back. Reply Parent Thread Link Oh yeah? Ben Collins was one of the disinformation guys that i saw covering the story, its just fucking bleak and that Fox picked it up to carry it is terrifying garbage Reply Parent Thread Link i feel that tweet deeply. there is just so much injustice, death and ecological catastrophe in this world. i feel like it's my minimum responsibility to bear witness but i don't know what to do with all of this misery. Reply Parent Thread Link Marina is so brave. Rest in Peace to that lady and her baby. Reply Thread Link Nobody knows where Marina Ovsyannikova is. There are multiple human rights lawyers trying to offer their services to her, but the cops are brushing them off. Marinas ex-husband, a Russia Today employee, is stonewalling everyone. Its nearly 3am in Moscow. https://t.co/9UB6FF2Sui pic.twitter.com/hBWkHTsQ4y Kevin Rothrock (@KevinRothrock) March 14, 2022 This is worrisome to say the least. This is worrisome to say the least. Reply Thread Link what does stonewalling mean? blocking? Reply Parent Thread Link Yeah, blocking, and stalling, and i guess not answering questions. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link I hope for the best but I fear for the worst :( she's so brave Reply Parent Thread Link :( this is so upsetting. The moment I saw reports of this earlier... I was terrified for her, what she did was incredibly brave :( :( :( Reply Parent Thread Link I extend my heartfelt condolences to the family of Brent Renaud who lost his life while documenting the ruthlessness & evil inflicted upon people by Russia. May Brents life & sacrifice inspire the world to stand up in fight for the forces of light against forces of darkness. pic.twitter.com/bvQjM470OU (@ZelenskyyUa) March 14, 2022 Hey, NYT, this is what your response to Brent Renaud's death should've looked like. Clowns. Reply Thread Link the nyt's response amounted to "he doesn't even go here" and it was really weird Reply Parent Thread Link this man is such a fucking real one Reply Parent Thread Link UPDATE: Among the assistance Russia requested of China was prepackaged, nonperishable military food kits, known in the US as meal, ready-to-eat, or MREs, according to two sources familiar with the matter. w/ @NatashaBertrand https://t.co/LqPifkGvQh Katie Bo Lillis (@KatieBoLillis) March 14, 2022 Reply Thread Link Indeed, while Russian soldiers are starving and breaking into Ukrainian's homes begging for bread, Prigozhin's "not for sale" military food rations have flooded Russia's ebay-like sites at $3 a can. Corruption is destroying Russia - and as @AricToler says, might just save Ukraine https://t.co/1FsCNCOUUO pic.twitter.com/Ya2zDXLSDO Christo Grozev (@christogrozev) March 14, 2022 Reply Parent Thread Link If anyone is interested, I just listened to a good podcast called "The Fire These Times." It's by this Lebanese writer and he's going to do a series on Ukraine interviewing a variety of people who's perspectives we might not always get to hear. The first one came out on the 7th and it's with this British-Syrian writer/activist. I really liked it and they framed a lot of the West response to what's going on now and in previous invasions as narcissism, which I really found fascinating. It makes a lot of sense though. Western narcissism makes us place all the blame on ourselves in a way that stops us from doing anything all the while we don't listen to the voices of those affected the most. Reply Thread Link Contractor Cited Twice in Six Months for Exposure to Fall Hazards Employees exposed to fall hazards are at risk of serious injuries and even death. A roofing contractor has decided to ignore OSHA citations and fines by continuing to put workers at risk of serious fall hazards. According to an OSHA press release, an investigator observed six roofers atop a six story duplex on Nov. 2, 2021 without fall protection just six months after the contractors last citations in June 2021. OSHA found that Apple Roofing Solutions LLC had failed to provide fall protection equipment to workers, training them on its use and provide a ladder that extended at least three feet about the landing surface. The agency issued one willful, one repeat, and one serious violation with penalties amounting to $49,722 for the November investigation. Prior to that, in June of 2021, OSHA cited the company for the same hazards, identified during an inspection at a different job site. Proposed penalties at that time were $21,140. Apple Roofing Solutions continues to show a flagrant disregard for the safety and well-being of its workers, and the law. Fall hazards make roofing work among the construction industrys most dangerous jobs and among OSHAs most frequently cited hazards, said OSHA Area Director Robert Bonack in Appleton in the press release. While this company seems willing to ignore the dangers of falls and the potential for serious injuries, debilitation or worse, OSHA will hold Apple Roofing Solutions, and other employers like them, accountable for failing to meet the legal requirements to provide safe working conditions. OSHA and other safety-related organizations have tried to create awareness around the dangers of working at heights without proper training or equipment. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 1,008 construction workers died on the job in 2020 with 351 of those related to falls from elevation. The agency suggests all contractors use their stop falls webpage to find safety information as well as video presentations in both English and Spanish. Flash Greece and China have signed a Joint Action Program aimed at strengthening cooperation on tourism in the coming years. Greek Tourism Minister Vassilis Kikilias and China's Ambassador to Greece Xiao Junzheng, on behalf of the Chinese Ministry of Culture and Tourism, signed the agreement on Monday in Athens. "We welcome today's political signature of this MOU concerning my field of expertise which is tourism ... and the possibility to strengthen the cooperation," Kikilias told the press after the signing ceremony. The Joint Action Program 2022-2024 focuses on enhancing Sino-Greek cooperation in tourism sectors including cultural, medical, wellness and wedding tourism. Culture and people-to-people exchanges, including tourism cooperation, are key areas for enhancing bilateral relations, Xiao said. "(It is) also a very important step for our two countries to celebrate the 50th anniversary (of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and Greece) and to enrich our cooperation in the Year of China-Greece Culture and Tourism (2021-2022)," the ambassador added. China and Greece both have comparative advantages in tourism, he said, and the signing of the Joint Action Program shows their determination to overcome difficulties and look to the future. The two countries set an example for the international community to conquer the pandemic, strengthen coordination and nurture economic recovery, Xiao noted. After a massive sell-off on Monday, oil prices continued plummeting early on Tuesday, with Brent dipping below $100 per barrel for the first time since February 28, as speculators abandon the volatile market and Russia claims it wants the Iranian nuclear deal to be signed as soon as possible. As of 8:30 a.m. EDT on Tuesday, WTI Crude had slumped by 7.61% at $95.22, and Brent Crude had dipped by 7.30% at $99.44. Brent Crude was trading below $100 per barrel for the first time this month, after hitting the triple-digit mark on March 1. Most of the geopolitical premium from Russias invasion of Ukraine has been lost in a highly volatile market, which spooked many speculators. Concerns about Chinese demand in view of renewed lockdowns also weighed on sentiment. Open interest in oil has dropped to the lowest since 2015, after futures exchanges have raised initial margins significantly since Putins war in Ukraine began, thus making trading the same amount of oil futures much more expensive. Moreover, the spike in oil prices and the heightened volatility has led many hedge funds and speculators to close out longor bullishpositions. On Monday, Brent Crude traded below its 21-day simple moving average (SMA) for the first time since Russia attacked Ukraine, Ole Hansen, Head of Commodity Strategy at Saxo Bank, said. The war premium continues to deflate as speculators head for the hills and after the recent surges in diesel and gasoline have raised some demand concerns, Hansen added. Oil was plunging on Tuesday after Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said today that Russia is in favor of the Iran nuclear deal resuming as soon as possible. At the end of last week, the talks about the United States and Iran returning to the 2015 nuclear deal that would allow the Islamic Republic to legitimately export its oil were paused due to external factors, said Josep Borrell, High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy. Moscow has reportedly made last-minute demands that the sanctions against Russia over its war in Ukraine do not impede its trade with Iran. By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Canada is discussing a boost in its oil exports to make up for banned Russian volumes, for both the United States and Europe, the countrys natural resources minister has said. Jonathan Wilkinson spoke to his counterparts from the G7 group last week, saying In the context of the discussions, not just with the Americans, but the Europeans as well, we have essentially asked each other, those of us that are oil and gas producers, to look at whatever we can do, in an interview with the Canadian Press. Wilkinson appears to be optimistic that the way to increase oil exports to countries that need more oil could be finalized by March 23, when European and North American energy ministers meet in Paris at an event organized by the International Energy Agency. My expectation is, by the time I go to Paris, we will have a pretty good view about what we may be able to do, Wilkinson told the Canadian Press. I mean, we have constraints around pipeline capacity, obviously, but the ability to fully utilize that, at this point in time to help to stabilize global energy markets, and to assist our friends and allies in Europe is definitely something that we are looking at. Despite the expressed optimism, Canada would be as hard-pressed to satisfy European oil needs as the U.S., Australia, and Qatar are in satisfying the continents gas needs. Almost all of what Canada produces currently is exported to the United States, so to boost exports to Europe in any meaningful way, it would need to take supply away from the United States. The United States, which banned Russian oil and oil product imports earlier this month, is now looking for alternative suppliers of the heavy crude Gulf Coast refineries needed to produce fuels. It even reached out to Venezuela, reportedly promising sanction relief in exchange for exclusive oil supplies. By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Reader Update: Oil prices have crashed back below $100 this week despite the ongoing war in Ukraine and a structurally tight market. To fully understand what is moving oil markets, make sure you sign up for Oilprice.com's premium service, Global Energy Alert. Chart of the Week - In spite of the IEA claiming that Europe could essentially halve its dependence on Russian gas imports within a year, March gas flows have so far averaged 30% higher than February. - Leading oil majors Shell, BP, and Equinor announced they would not be trading Russian oil and products for the foreseeable future, but that is not the case with gas. - European spot gas prices have in fact come down over the past week on higher Russian pipeline supplies, with May 22 TTF prices trending around 115/MWh ($40/mmBtu). - Gazprom exports in Jan 01-March 15 to non-CIS countries have totaled 30.7bcm, down 28% year-on-year, primarily on the back of Europe seeing mild weather throughout the winter season. Market Movers - Nigerias Federal High Court barred UK-based oil major Shell (LON:SHEL) from selling any assets in Nigeria until a decision is reached in a $2 billion penalty case for an alleged oil spill in Rivers State. - Activist investor Clearway Capital has started calling on the board of French oil firm TotalEnergies (NYSE:TTE) to exit its Russia operations or face a shareholder vote very soon. - Brazils state-run oil company Petrobras (NYSE:PBR) is nearing a deal with US private equity firm EIG Energy Partners to sell a 51% stake in the natural gas pipeline that connects Bolivia and southern Brazil, with the deal assumed to be worth $500 million. Tuesday, March 15, 2022 The return of Iranian oil to markets is back on the global agenda after Moscow received guarantees that it could continue trading with Iran after sanctions are lifted. This news sent crude prices below the $100 per barrel mark, the lowest level in three weeks. The reappearance of COVID-19 in China only added to the downward pressure in oil markets as the country hit a two-year high of 3,500 cases on Monday, doubling day-on-day. Stringent curbs were reintroduced in many major cities, most notably Shanghai and Shenzhen being put under lockdown, stoking fears that Chinese demand over the upcoming weeks might drop below the stagnating levels of January-February. Thus, despite a war raging in Ukraine and markets still being structurally tight, some of the pricing pressure on refiners has eased. Related: U.S. Sanctions Cant Keep China From Buying Russian Oil OPEC Maintains Cautious Outlook on Oil Markets. Shying away from changing any of its 2022 outlook figures, OPEC warned of oil demand risks coming from Russias invasion of Ukraine, claiming a prolonged war could derail the introduction of 4 million b/d of incremental demand this year. EU Tightens Russia Sanctions, Skirts Embargo. The European Union is set to adopt a new round of sanctions directed against Russian oil firms Rosneft (MCX:ROSN), Transneft (MCX:TRNFP), and Gazprom Neft (MCX:SIBN), introducing an investment ban on any new production and exploration projects of theirs, reiterating that EU companies could still buy oil from them. Permian Basin Production to Hit Record in April. According to the US Energy Information Administration, oil output from the Permian Basin spanning across Texas and New Mexico will rise by 70,000 b/d next month to reach an all-time high of 5.208 million b/d. Extreme Oil Price Volatility Scares Hedge Funds. Hedge funds and other money managers cut their bullish positions amidst unprecedented volatility, selling 97 million barrels worth of Brent contracts in the week to March 08, though NYMEX WTI bullish bets remained essentially unchanged. Nigeria Descends into Force Majeure Again. Just as oil markets are desperate to find additional sources of crude supply, oil majors ENI (NYSE:E) and Shell (LON:SHEL) concurrently declared force majeure at the Brass River and Bonny Light terminals, respectively, after a blast at a connecting pipeline left both terminals cut off. Coal Remains at the Core of Chinas Energy. Chinas President Xi Jinping reiteratedthe importance of coal in the countrys energy matrix, saying that China could not slam the brakes on coal, with domestic output already at all-time highs, as it intends to avoid energy crunches akin to the one seen last autumn. India Becomes Main Buyer of Urals. With international trading majors having difficulties selling Urals cargoes into Europe on the back of tightening sanctions, Indias state-owned refiner IOC (NSE:IOC) mopped up 3 million barrels of the Russian crude in this weeks tender, reportedly at a discount of $20-25 per barrel. Asias Petchem Sector Hit by Soaring Crude. Asias petrochemical producers are reportedly cutting operating rates at naphtha-fed steam crackers, to an average of 70% so far this month, as soaring naphtha prices have shrunk Asias ethylene-naphtha spread to as little as $220 per metric ton. Danish Majors Sign Huge Green Methanol Deal. Danish utility firm Orsted (CPH:ORSTED) and shipping giant Maersk (CPH:MAERSK) have reached a deal to build a 675MW power-to-X facility in the US Gulf Coast that would produce 300,000 tons per year of e-methanol, powered by 1.2GW of new onshore wind and solar firms. Saudi Aramco Doubles Down on Chinese Downstream. Saudi Aramco (TADAWUL:2222) has taken a final investment decision to enter a JV to build a 300,000 b/d refinery and an ethylene-based steam cracker in Panjin, Liaoning, to be overwhelmingly supplied (70%) with Saudi barrels. London Tries to Get UK North Sea Producers Back on Board. Following four consecutive years of annual production declines and several major projects annulled on environmental grounds, the UK Government has now asked North Sea producers to boost the supply of domestic natural gas. Canada Railway Strike Might Spark Another Supply Disruption. Thousands of workers at Canadian Pacific Railway (TSE:CP) have threatened to strike this week, potentially disrupting major flows of grain, potash, and coal from Friday onwards, potentially sending all those commodities flying. LME to Restart Nickel Trading Tomorrow. The London Metal Exchange will resume nickel trading on March 16th following a price spike above $100,000/mt last week, with Chinas Tsingshan reaching an agreement with major banks not to make margin calls on its multi-billion-dollar positions. By Josh Owens for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: By signing up to our newsletter, you agree for your email address to be shared with our third party mail providers. Japan, a major importer of energy products, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), one of OPEC's top producers, have agreed to cooperate in stabilizing the crude oil market, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said on Tuesday. "I talked with UAE (United Arab Emirates) Crown Prince Mohammed over the phone ... and agreed to cooperate to bring about stability in the international crude oil market," Reuters quoted Kishida as saying at a news conference. Asked whether Japan has called on the UAE to raise oil production more than planned, the Japanese prime minister declined to comment. Japan has asked the UAE to make "proactive contributions" as a major oil producer amid surging energy prices, Kyodo News quoted Kishida as saying. On Tuesday, Kishida spoke over the phone with Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, with whom he discussed international issues, including the oil market. "During the call, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed stressed the UAE's keenness to maintain energy security and stability of global markets in light of recent developments, as well his desire to strengthen relations with Japan, especially energy ties," Emirates news agency WAM reported. Last week, Japan said it was considering its options about Russian oil after the United States banned U.S. imports of energy from Russia, including oil, coal, and LNG. "We'd like to work together with (other) Group of Seven nations and the international community to handle the matter, while considering a stable energy supply and security as the best interests of Japan," Kishida said back then. The UAE, for its part, was responsible for a lot of volatility in the oil market last week, after saying first it would encourage fellow OPEC members to boost their production above their agreed quotas, only to backtrack on these assurances a day later. UAE energy minister Suhail al Mazrouei said that "The UAE believes in the value OPEC+ brings to the oil market." By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Mexico cannot give up oil until it kickstarts its lithium production, President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador told media this week, referring to planned reforms that include the nationalization of lithium production. "The reform establishes that the nation take advantage of its lithium [reserves] as a strategic mineral for the country's development," Lopez Obrador said as quoted by BNAmericas. "It will not be possible to replace oil if there is no development of lithium [to support] alternative energy generation." The lithium concession proposal is part of a wider push for returning government control to the Mexican energy industry. The plan has prompted worry among private energy businesses and even in Washington. The new energy bill that the Lopez Obrador government is pushing could see as much as $22 billion worth of wind and solar power projects shelved as the bill prioritizes the development of gas generation, hydropower, and nuclear. Many of the renewable energy projects involve U.S. companies and large international energy majors such as Spain-based Iberdrola. "We see a great opportunity to work together on clean energy, to work together towards decarbonization as a North American block," U.S. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm said, as quoted by Argus, during a visit in Mexico to discuss energy matters earlier this year. "But we also expect questions around the electricity reform to be resolved." The proposal to develop lithium resources could point to a concession to renewable energy on the part of Lopez Obrador's government, although nationalization plans will hardly be welcomed by the mining industry. The energy bill also includes canceling all private power purchase agreements and other reforms aimed at strengthening the dominant role of state utility CFE. The ruling party is currently trying to generate enough support for the bill to secure the two-thirds majority of legislators that it needs to turn it into law. By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Greenpeace France and the local chapter of Friends of the Earth have threatened TotalEnergies with a lawsuit if the supermajor does not pull out from Russia, Reuters has reported, citing a letter by the two non-governmental organizations to TotalEnergies' chief executive. The organizations said in their letter that under French criminal law, corporate executives could be held responsible for their companies' involvement with countries participating in armed conflict, which, according to the two, can constitute complicity in war crimes and crimes against humanity. "We hereby formally request that you ... put an end without delay to your activities connected with the Russian oil and gas market in order to cease any business relationships that may contribute to the commission of serious violations of human rights," Greenpeace France and Friends of the Earth France wrote. Two weeks ago, the French supermajor said it would suspend any new investment in Russian energy, but would not exit the country. TotalEnergies has a 19.4-percent stake in Novatek, the country's largest private producer of liquefied natural gas. As of 2020, its Russian assets accounted for 24 percent of TotalEnergies' proven reserves and 17 percent of its oil and gas production, according to Reuters. "TotalEnergies supports the scope and strength of the sanctions put in place by Europe and will implement them regardless of the consequences (currently being assessed) on its activities in Russia," the company said in late February. Before Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth began to exert pressure, an activist shareholder did the same. Clearway Capital last week called on the French company to pull out of Russia, threatening it with a shareholder vote if it refuses to do so. "We believe there to be a groundswell of support among the company's shareholder base for decisive action from TotalEnergies," the founder of Clearway Capital, Gianluca Ferrari, told Reuters. By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Most Americans now support a resurrection of the Keystone XL oil pipeline project for carrying oil from Canada to the United States, a new poll showed after the U.S. banned imports of Russian energy following Putins war in Ukraine. A total of 71 percent of Americans favor very much or favor somewhat U.S. President Joe Biden issuing an executive order to restart the construction of Keystone XL, according to an exclusive poll of Americans conducted by Maru Public Opinion for Postmedia. The poll showed that most Americans would now approve President Biden issuing an order to green light the restart of the building of the Keystone XL pipeline that would transport oil from Canadas oil sands region through the Midwest to refineries in Texas. Support for Keystone XL was much lower in 2017 when 42 percent of Americans favored building the pipeline, while 48 percent were opposed, according to a national Pew Research Center survey from February 2017, which showed a stark partisan gap between support and opposition. A total of 76 percent of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents favored building the Keystone XL pipeline, while about as many Democrats (74 percent) were opposed. On his first day in office, President Biden rescinded the presidential permit to Keystone XL given by former president Trump, effectively killing the project. In the new poll of Maru Public Opinion for Postmedia, 64 percent of Americans say Canada should be the country the U.S. should turn to for more oil supply if the price of oil is the same, compared to just 10 percent favoring either Venezuela or Saudi Arabia for replacing Russian supply. After Russia invaded Ukraine, the top officials of the oil-producing province Alberta said that Canadas oil could replace American imports of Russian crude. Last week, Canadian natural resources minister Jonathan Wilkinson told Reuters in an interview that Canada was looking for ways to increase pipeline flows of crude oil to its southern neighbor. By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Flash Foreign experts and observers have spoken highly of Chinese President Xi Jinping's insights regarding the endeavors of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the Chinese people in the new era, saying they help decode China's success and chart the course toward high-quality development. CPC leadership key to development When participating in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region delegation's deliberation at the Fifth Session of the 13th National People's Congress on March 5, Xi, also general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, said "upholding the overall Party leadership is the path we must take to stick to and develop socialism with Chinese characteristics." "Exercising full and rigorous self-governance of the Party is the path we must take to maintain the Party's vigor and vitality and ensure its success on the new journey," he added. Nourhan al-Sheikh, a professor of political sciences with Cairo University, said that from the eradication of absolute poverty to the successful hosting of the Beijing Winter Olympics, China's unprecedented achievements cannot be separated from the strong leadership of the CPC. Under the CPC's leadership, China has fulfilled the goals of economic and social development, embarking on "a path that suits its own national conditions, which has brought important inspiration to the world, especially developing countries," she added. Khalid Rahman, director general of the Institute of Policy Studies, an Islamabad-based think tank, said that under the CPC's leadership, China has become the second largest economy in the world and its development has brought about broad benefits. Notably, China's success in eliminating extreme poverty can be regarded as a miracle, the scholar said. Kingphet Mongkhonvilay, deputy director of the general office of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party Central Committee, said that through full and strict self-governance and anti-corruption fight, the CPC wins support from the Chinese people. The CPC has also strengthened its long-term governance capacity, and ensured that the power entrusted by the people is always used for their well-being, the official said. Volker Tschapke, honorary president of Germany's Prussian Society, told Xinhua that for China, "there will be only one way into a successful, prosperous, and peaceful future, which is the overall CPC leadership, with the very special Chinese way of the very special Chinese socialism." Road to better life "Socialism with Chinese characteristics is the path we must take to realize the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation," Xi said, adding that "working hard in unity is the path the Chinese people must take to make historic achievements." Anna Malindog-Uy, a professor and researcher with Manila-based think tank Philippines-BRICS Strategic Studies, said "Socialism with Chinese characteristics is the solid guarantee to meet Chinese people's desire for a happy life and the goal of 'common prosperity'." The scholar said that the country's efforts for rural vitalization and agricultural modernization will improve people's life in rural areas. In the view of Cavince Adhere, a Kenya-based scholar of international relations, China has made various commitments during the "two sessions" with an aim to promote domestic development and contribute to the well-being of people across the world. The unity of the nation and the Chinese people's ability to pull in the same direction are critical to fulfilling the commitments, Adhere said. More opportunities for world Expounding on his vision of development, Xi said "putting into practice our new development philosophy is the path we must take to develop our country into a strong nation in the new era." Eduardo Regalado, a senior researcher at the Cuban Center for Studies on International Politics, said that China is pursuing higher-standard opening-up and promoting the high-quality cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative, sharing development opportunities with other countries. The new development philosophy, which is being blended into various aspects of China's economic and social development, is of great significance for the world, the researcher added. With its development philosophy, China is expected to make new contributions to the world, for example in ecological protection, said Hamed Vafaei, director of the Center for Asian Studies at the University of Tehran. Sheriff Ghali, a professor of political science at Nigeria's University of Abuja, said that by fostering a new pattern of development and promoting high-quality growth, the Chinese economy will become more dynamic and bring more opportunities to the world. Omaha would get a new veterans hospital and Fremont and Council Bluffs would get new veterans clinics under proposals outlined in a Veterans Affairs report that calls for a massive, nationwide overhaul of its facilities. The main losses for the state under the proposal would be eventual reductions in urgent care hours and nursing home beds at the Grand Island VA Medical Center and the closure of a small outpatient clinic in Sidney. It looks good for Nebraska veterans, said Holden Armstrong, communications director for the Nebraska Department of Veterans Affairs. The recommendations are, however, just a first step in what will be a long process, and one subject to change. The recommendations next will be reviewed by an independent commission, which has a year to review them. Members will seek public comment and likely will visit many of the communities listed in the proposals. The panels recommendations eventually would go to Congress and President Joe Biden. If theyre approved, it would take a decade or more to implement many of the recommendations. That is a long way of saying we are a long way from any action happening, said Ron Woolery, a regional VA spokesman. Overall, 35 VA medical centers in 21 states would be closed or rebuilt under the proposal as part of the nearly $2 trillion infrastructure overhaul, according to the Military Times. In the report, VA Secretary Denis McDonough wrote that the changes are a rethinking of where VA facilities are located and how they deliver care. The average age of a VA facility is 60 years old. More health care now is being delivered on an outpatient rather than an inpatient basis. Most VA facilities also were built before women entered the armed forces in force. The report recommends building a new hospital in Omaha on or in the vicinity of the current hospital footprint near 41st Street and Woolworth Avenue rather than renovating the building. Built in 1950, both inpatient and surgical spaces as well as the emergency department are old and undersized, and the structure wont allow for renovations to bring it up to current VA standards. The recommendations for Nebraska carry a price tag of $1.07 billion. The report also recommends that the VA explore construction and community partnership opportunities with academic affiliates or others. The Omaha VA already has been exploring a public-private partnership to improve inpatient hospital and surgical facilities for veterans. One possibility would include such a facility as part of a proposed new teaching hospital and national surge facility, dubbed Project NExT, on the University of Nebraska Medical Center campus. To help lay the groundwork for a potential new inpatient facility, U.S. Rep. Don Bacon and U.S. Sen. Deb Fischer, both Nebraska Republicans, last summer introduced legislation reauthorizing the CHIP-IN for Veterans Act. The 2016 federal law provided for public-private partnerships that made possible the new, $86 million outpatient center on the Omaha VA campus. Fischer said she and her staff are reviewing the VAs report, which was required by the VA MISSION Act that Congress passed in 2018 and that she co-sponsored. As this process continues, Fischer said in a statement, I will closely monitor it every step of the way to ensure Nebraska veterans receive the quality care they have earned now and into the future. I worked with former Rep. Brad Ashford to advance our bill that successfully facilitated the development of the new VA ambulatory clinic in Omaha. The clinic was built ahead of schedule and under budget as a result of the public-private partnership the bill created. My priority will be to continue to work to provide Nebraska veterans with needed services. Bacon said he fully supports the initiative to build a new VA medical facility in Omaha, as well as the VAs openness to exploring not only VA construction but also community partnership opportunities. Whether its providing physical therapy, hearing and vision services, or more beds, we need to ensure Americas heroes receive the medical treatment they have earned through their service to our nation, he said in a statement. In addition to recommending a new Omaha VA hospital, the report calls for adding physical therapy, audiology and optometry services at its Bellevue clinic and establishing new clinics in Fremont and Council Bluffs. That would increase access to primary care and outpatient mental health services in those areas. The report also calls for shifting urgent care services at the Grand Island VA Medical Center to same-day appointments, due to low urgent care volumes. The agency also recommends scaling back the number of nursing home beds at the Grand Island facility once a new 34-bed center opens at Midland Hospital in Papillion. That facility, a partnership between CHI Health and the VA Nebraska-Western Iowa Health Care System, is expected to open in June on the fifth and sixth floors of the hospital at 11111 S. 84th St. It will provide short-stay rehabilitation, skilled nursing care and memory care to veterans. The Sidney, Nebraska, outpatient clinic recommended for closure has seen declining use in recent years. It served only 663 people in 2019, a level the report labeled unsustainable. Veterans would have access to similar care at a local hospital. Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. During the course of the pandemic, it has become clear that the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 can infect not only humans but also animals. Many scientists, in fact, think the virus, SARS-CoV-2, initially emerged from bats. Studies have found antibodies to the virus in white-tailed deer, and another study last fall found signs of widespread infections in tissue samples collected from Iowa deer. The virus also has been found in a variety of other animals, from big cats in zoos to raccoons and skunks in the wild. For now, capacity is limited across the U.S. to monitor animals for pathogens such as the coronavirus that can spread to humans, said Dr. Bryan Buss, who serves as Nebraskas state public health veterinarian. But that is poised to change. Recently, the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services received a $100,000 grant that will allow the agency to work with a number of partners to develop a surveillance system for such diseases. Theres really a limited amount of information about whats happening in our wildlife population, Buss said, so its pretty important and timely work. In addition to looking for the virus in as many animals as possible, he said, another goal is to establish a sustainable system for reporting test results electronically. Plans call for building that system on an existing electronic reporting connection with the Nebraska Veterinary Diagnostic Center at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, which tests animals for rabies. The lab will conduct all of the coronavirus testing under the new initiative. The animals submitted for rabies testing also will be tested for the coronavirus. Other partners, including the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission and Omahas Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium, will provide samples collected from animals for testing. Buss said the researchers also hope to work with humane societies to see if there are ways to test other domestic animals, such as feral cats. Funding for the project was awarded by the Council for State and Territorial Epidemiologists. Separately, the U.S. Department of Agriculture is launching a series of projects aimed at creating an early warning system for zoonotic diseases, those that can be spread between animals and people. That agency has received funding through the American Rescue Plan Act $300 million, according to the New York Times. Buss said the projects can complement each other. The more we can learn collectively, looking at this in a number of ways ... the better off well be, said Buss, a career epidemiology field officer with the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention assigned to Nebraska. Creating a surveillance system in Nebraska is important, he said, because all of the animals that live in the state create many opportunities for contact between people and animals. Farms and ranches account for 90% of the states land area, and 1.2 million acres are open for hunting, trapping and fishing. The states three zoos together draw 2.65 million visitors a year. Right now, Buss said, the overall risk of transmission between humans and animals is low, as is the risk of humans getting the virus back from animals. But researchers, he said, are concerned that new variants could emerge in animals and spread to humans and that animals could serve as reservoirs capable of spreading the virus to other species. Its worth looking at, and were trying to build this for the future, not only for SARS-CoV-2, he said, but for other diseases that spread from animals. The largest potential source of animal samples for testing under the Nebraska project, he said, are deer killed by hunters. The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission has banked about 1,500 lymph nodes from deer, which were collected last fall with hunters permission at state check stations that were testing for chronic wasting disease. Buss said the partners plan to reach out to hunters for permission to test the nodes for the coronavirus. The plan is not to test all of the banked nodes but a representative sample from across the state. This fall, the partners will ask hunters upfront for permission to test for both illnesses. Todd Nordeen, the commissions big game disease and research program manager, said the agency also has sent some nasal swab samples from pronghorn antelope and elk that have been briefly captured for other agency studies. Those studies look primarily at the movement, distribution and resources used by wildlife in western Nebraska. Some blood serum samples also may be used. Nordeen, who is based in Alliance, said the immediate aim is to see how widespread the virus has become across species. In the meantime, the project already has bolstered coordination among agencies that are tasked with dealing with such diseases. Theres still a lot unknown about (SARS-CoV-2) in animals, he said. This effort should help us gain more answers in that regard. Dr. Bruce Brodersen, director of the veterinary diagnostic lab, said antelope and elk samples will be tested soon. Itll be interesting to see what species are affected, he said. Dr. Sarah Woodhouse, the Omaha zoos director of animal health, said zoo staff have chosen to sample animals they think are at greater risk of getting COVID-19 based on animal infections in zoos around the world and on which animals can get closest to guests. The zoo has been monitoring its snow leopards its home to a pair, a male and a female with weekly fecal collections. Both have been negative. Now they will add tigers. Two of the zoos tigers previously tested positive for COVID-19 but since have been clear. Also on the list are two ambassador cheetahs that go to events. While theyre not allowed to get within 10 feet of people, and people at the events are asked to mask around them, the animals are in closer contact with humans and keepers. Also to be monitored are the African wild cat and coatimundi in the zoos Desert Dome, two species of otters in the Lied Jungle as well as orangutans, siamangs and squirrel monkeys in the jungles Adventure Trail area. A coatimundi tested positive at another zoo, and otters fall in the same family as mink, which have been subject to large outbreaks on farms. Woodhouse said the state health department also is helping collect swabs of guano from the jungles Egyptian fruit bats. While zoo staff have seen no evidence of COVID in the bats, the zoo has been closing the jungle early since the pandemic began to minimize contact between the bats and visitors. The bats are most active in early evening. Itll be comforting to know were doing some surveillance and making sure our animals arent being exposed to COVID, both for the sake of our animals and keepers and for the sake of our guests, she said. The zoo, Woodhouse said, also plans to participate in an evolving USDA-Animal Plant Health Inspection Service study. That project will involve testing blood samples collected from zoo animals before and after the pandemic began for antibodies to COVID, which would provide evidence of exposure to the virus. If the researchers find the virus in the samples theyre testing, Buss said, they will attempt to sequence its genome at either the Nebraska Public Health Laboratory or the USDA National Veterinary Services Laboratory. Scientists recently identified a new, highly mutated version of the virus in white-tailed deer in Ontario. A similar viral sequence was found in a person in the area who had close contact with deer. No evidence has been found, however, that the deer variant is spreading among or poses any added risk to people, the New York Times reported. Buss said its not well understood how the strain evolved. Among the things the Nebraska researchers want to know is whether a reservoir of the virus exists in some other species or there is more widespread circulation among deer than is currently known. If the researchers find the virus in the animals theyre testing, Buss said, they plan to go back and look for it in other species in the area, such as rodents and rabbits. We may wind up with very few positives, he said. But if we do find it, were going to be pretty aggressive in doing some investigation in the wild. Omaha World-Herald: Afternoon Update The latest headlines sent at 4:45 p.m. daily. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. LINCOLN Nebraska would put about $250 million into boosting North and South Omaha and other pockets of poverty under a COVID recovery proposal advanced Monday by the Legislatures Appropriations Committee. Committee members voted unanimously to approve a package of projects totaling nearly $1.03 billion and benefiting all parts of the state. The plan would use almost all of the $1.04 billion in federal COVID recovery money that Nebraska is getting through the American Rescue Plan Act. But the committee left more than $3 billion of requests on the cutting-room floor, including some of the ideas put forth by Gov. Pete Ricketts and many bills offered by state lawmakers. I knew going in we would have more disappointed people than happy people, said State Sen. Robert Hilkemann of Omaha. Certainly not everything I wanted got funded. The committee plan falls short of the $450 million investment that Sens. Justin Wayne and Terrell McKinney had proposed as a way to transform a historically neglected part of Nebraska. The two North Omaha senators had said the federal COVID money offered a once-in-a-lifetime chance to help North Omaha recover from the pandemic and improve the lives of area residents. They later joined forces with Sen. Tony Vargas of Omaha, who proposed a similar plan for South Omaha. Despite the smaller figure, Wayne called the Appropriations Committee package a step in the right direction. He said he intends to seek additional money from the cash reserve fund, which is expected to hit a record high level by the end of the two-year budget period. The Legislature is expected to debate Legislative Bill 1024, the Wayne/McKinney proposal, this week after finishing first-round debate on the regular budget bills. The COVID package is slated for debate after lawmakers wrap up the budget. The package includes money for 37 projects and initiatives. Among them: replacing aging rural ambulances, boosting health and human services provider payment rates, repairing wastewater systems in state parks, and funding nonprofit construction projects that were interrupted by the pandemic. Others include: developing rural and urban low-income housing, updating a climate change study, building a rural health complex at the University of Nebraska at Kearney, and repairing an irrigation canal that runs from Fort Laramie, Wyoming, to Gering. Committee members decided on most pieces of the package during a rare Saturday session and made only minor tweaks on Monday. During the Saturday session, Vargas offered the proposal to allocate $150 million of ARPA money for business development, community and cultural recovery, job training and other needs in qualified census tracts, with at least $100 million of that going to North and South Omaha. Qualified census tracts are areas with a high concentration of low-income residents. Half of Nebraskas qualified census tracts are in North and east Omaha, but there are some in several communities. Vargas also proposed putting $91 million of ARPA money into affordable housing development, including about $50 million that would be directed toward urban areas. The committee approved both of Vargas proposals, along with $60 million to develop a new industrial park near Eppley Airfield in North Omaha. The industrial park development was part of the plan put forth by Wayne and McKinney. Omaha World-Herald: Afternoon Update The latest headlines sent at 4:45 p.m. daily. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. A proposal that would take decision-making powers in a pandemic from the Douglas County health director is not a political decision, according to the councilman who drafted the ordinance. Under the proposed ordinance, introduced by Councilman Vinny Palermo and supported by Mayor Jean Stothert, the county health director would have the power only to certify the presence of an epidemic. After a threat is recognized, a newly established special epidemic health director would be responsible for coming up with a plan to manage it. This was made for the simple thought that we have directors across the board that make great decisions for the city, but in time of a pandemic, we didnt have one, and we dont have one, Palermo said. He was referring to the lack of an official health director for the City of Omaha, a role that the county health director fills in public health emergencies. A city ordinance delegating such authority to the county health director has been in place since 1949. During an epidemic, the health directors role would be limited to activating the new special epidemic director, who then would make recommendations regarding health precautions and regulations. Palermos plan would give the special epidemic director the powers previously held by the county health director during an epidemic. But any order from the new epidemic director could be rejected by the mayor. The City Council then would have the ability to overturn or uphold that rejection by majority vote. Under the ordinance, the newly created special epidemic health director position would be filled by the physician medical director for the Omaha Fire Department. Nearly two months ago, Douglas County Health Director Lindsay Huse issued a mask mandate for Omaha amid a surge of COVID-19 infections. She cited an astronomical spike in cases and already overburdened health care system as her justification for the mandate. At the time, the mandate appeared to have the backing of a majority of City Council members. Some health officials, including the chief of the University of Nebraska Medical Centers infectious diseases division, also voiced support for the mandate. But a trio of council members not including Palermo opposed it, as did Gov. Pete Ricketts and Stothert. Stothert did, however, concede that Huse had the authority to issue the mandate. The mayor said neither she nor the council could void the mandate, which Huse eventually lifted in February. It was something that I opposed and the council had no say in it, Stothert told The World-Herald on Saturday. Those making the decisions for the people of Omaha should be those elected to serve them. Palermo said that identifying a special epidemic health director, codifying the required consultation with health experts before developing orders and having elected officials consider the orders before implementation ensures a thorough and complete process. A spokesman for the Douglas County Health Department said department officials would have no comment on Palermos plan. Tuesdays meeting, which starts at 2 p.m. in the citys legislative chambers, 1819 Farnam St., will be the first time the proposed ordinance comes before the council. A public hearing on the measure is scheduled for March 29. Omaha World-Herald: Afternoon Update The latest headlines sent at 4:45 p.m. daily. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Flash Yang Jiechi, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, on Monday elaborated on China's position on the situation in Ukraine during his meeting with U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan in Rome. Yang, also director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the CPC Central Committee, said that the Chinese side does not want to see that the situation in Ukraine has come to this point. China always stands for respecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries, and abiding by the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, he said, adding that China is committed to promoting peace talks. He called on the international community to jointly support the Russia-Ukraine peace talks so that substantive results can be achieved as soon as possible, and to help de-escalate the situation as early as possible. All parties should exercise maximum restraint, protect civilians and prevent a large-scale humanitarian crisis, Yang said, adding that China has provided emergency humanitarian assistance to Ukraine, and will carry on its efforts to this end. Yang also said that it is important to straighten out the historical context of the Ukraine issue, get to the bottom of the problem's origin, and respond to the legitimate concerns of all parties. He called for taking a long-term view, actively advocating a vision of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security, and encouraging relevant parties to conduct equal-footed dialogue, and set up a balanced, effective and sustainable European security framework based on the principle of indivisible security in a bid to preserve peace in Europe and around the world. Yang stressed that the Chinese side resolutely opposes any words and deeds that spread false information, or distort and discredit China's position. Charles W. Herbsters campaign said it pulled a TV ad featuring law enforcement officials amid concerns that the ad may have violated state law. Nebraska law appears to prohibit sheriffs from campaigning for candidates while in uniform but three elected sheriffs and a captain wore their uniforms and badges while endorsing the Republican gubernatorial candidate, who is considered a front-runner in the race to replace Gov. Pete Ricketts. The World-Herald reached out to Herbsters campaign about the apparent violation Tuesday morning. Spokesperson Emily Novotny responded that, while the campaign does not believe the ad violates state law, they took it off the air. The Herbster for Nebraska campaign does not believe that our advertisement with our great Nebraska Sheriffs violates state statute, Novotny wrote in an email. No taxpayer funds were used in the making or airing of our advertisement. Nebraska Sheriffs are elected officials and have earned the right to proudly wear their uniforms and, as elected leaders, to have a voice on important matters and issues. We understand that some have raised concerns, and out of respect for the sheriffs, Herbster for Nebraska has pulled the advertisement from the air. We remain grateful for the outpouring of support from law enforcement across that state, and we proudly back the blue. The campaign said they contacted TV stations on Thursday about pulling the ad, but it would take a few days to stop showing up. The ad still was running on at least two Omaha TV stations Tuesday afternoon. In the ad, Seward County Sheriff Michael Vance, York County Sheriff Paul Vrbka and Lincoln County Sheriff Jerome Kramer all appear in uniform and badges. So does Capt. Josh Gillespie from York County. Captains are appointed, not elected. Former Nebraska State Patrol Col. Tom Nesbitt is the only person who appears in street clothes. They all say lines that, taken together, amount to them vouching for Herbsters support of law enforcement. Im voting for Charles W. Herbster, the four uniformed officials say in unison at the ads conclusion. The World-Herald attempted to reach all three elected sheriffs Monday afternoon and Tuesday morning and had not received a response as of midday Tuesday. Buffalo County Sheriff Neil Miller, who is president of the Nebraska Sheriffs Association, said the association has not and will not endorse a candidate for governor or other offices with multiple candidates. He referred The World-Herald to the individual sheriffs to answer any questions about their appearance in the ad. Asked for his opinion whether its OK for sheriffs to appear in uniform in an ad endorsing a candidate, Frank Daley, the executive director of the Nebraska Accountability and Disclosure Commission, pointed to an advisory opinion from 1994 as the commissions official position. The commission in that opinion concluded that an elected and serving county sheriff couldnt engage in overt and deliberate campaign activities while wearing their sheriffs uniform. But they could use photos of themselves in uniform for campaign literature, it found, and respond to the publics questions while in uniform and on duty. Relevant state law has changed since 1994. However, Daley said current law essentially codified things from some of the commissions opinions. Theres no more recent opinion that applies to that current law. University of Nebraska-Lincoln law professor Kyle Langvardt said the changes seemed to make the law more explicit. Current law states that public officials and employees cant use or authorize the use of public resources for the purpose of campaigning for or against a candidate or ballot question, with some exceptions. Back in 1994, the NADC found that a sheriffs uniform was a public resource. Another Nebraska law states that, while no employee of the state or a political subdivision (like a county) can be banned for participating in political activities outside of office hours or while performing their official duties, they cant engage in any political activity while wearing a uniform required by the state or any political subdivision thereof. Those statutes seem very straightforwardly to prohibit this kind of campaigning in uniform, Langvardt said. Thats especially clear in the case of the captain, according to Langvardt. Theres a little more ambiguity when it comes to sheriffs, he said, but the law still appears to prohibit them from campaigning in uniform. Not all states have laws that would come down the same way on this question, he said. But every state does have some kind of law that restricts the use of ... public resources in a campaign, and I think that when police departments are involved in campaigning, you know, that that feels especially dangerous or sensitive. It shouldnt be surprising that the law would try to restrain the use of the badge or a police officers uniform in campaigning for a candidate. You dont want to create the impression that the government or the police department, specifically, is endorsing a candidate and putting a huge thumb on the scale, he said. And regardless of intent, it can create that appearance. Advisory opinions such as the one Daley referenced are born out of a formal process: Someone asks for an opinion, NADC staff draft a proposed opinion, the public can weigh in on the draft, and the full commission votes on it. If a member of the public were concerned and wanted to file a complaint, we would certainly take up the matter, Daley said. And, he said, if a candidate wanted to seek an opinion for the purpose of planning his or her future ads, the commission would respond to that request. He could not confirm whether anyone had filed a complaint about the Herbster ad, he said, because that process is confidential. Law enforcement officers show up in at least one other ad for a candidate for statewide office this election season: an ad for State Sen. Mike Hilgers of Lincoln, whos running for attorney general. That commercial features footage of Hilgers talking to a group of apparent law enforcement officials. Theyre wearing matching polo shirts, not uniforms. A campaign spokesperson said that decision was made by the Omaha Police Officers Association. Tony Conner, president of the association, confirmed it was his decision. He said he always wants to keep a clear distinction between when he is wearing a uniform and representing the police chiefs vision and when he is representing OPOA and can speak politically. Its not the first time in recent history that Omaha-area law enforcement has been careful to draw a line between their time on-duty and off-duty political activity. Omaha city ordinance bans city employees from actively participating in any political campaign. But it specifies that an employee can exercise his or her right as a citizen to express his or her opinion. Last year, Omaha Police Chief Todd Schmaderer endorsed Mayor Jean Stothert for reelection while trying to separate that endorsement from his role as a public servant. He wore dress clothes rather than his uniform for the announcement, and he said he took time off work and wasnt there in an official capacity. <&rule> Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. LINCOLN Three bills that would heavily restrict or ban abortions in Nebraska hit a roadblock in the Legislature, but the journey isnt over for all of them just yet. Though there were motions to advance all three bills out of the Judiciary Committee on Tuesday, all three motions failed during an executive session. The committee did not kill any of the bills, and each would require a vote by the committee or the full Legislature to move further. State Sen. Joni Albrecht of Thurston said she is already planning to file a pull motion for her bill, Legislative Bill 933, which could happen as early as this week. Albrecht said she is confident she can get the 25 votes needed to pull the bill out of committee. LB 933 would ban all abortions in the state if the U.S. Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade, or if the U.S. Constitution or federal law is amended to give control over abortions to individual states. Such measures are referred to as trigger bills. Sen. Steve Lathrop of Omaha, chair of the Judiciary Committee, said he doubts that Roe v. Wade would be overturned, even with more conservative justices on the court. I just dont see that as an outcome, Lathrop said. Albrecht, who is not on the Judiciary Committee, said she introduced LB 933 so the Legislature could avoid a special session in the event that the criteria is met before the next regular session. She said this will save Nebraskans money and ensure the ban takes effect instantly. We can start saving lives immediately, Albrecht said. Lathrop said he also didnt like that the LB 933 did not include exceptions in rape or incest cases. The bill would not provide exemptions, but would allow licensed physicians charged under the law to claim as a defense that the abortion was necessary to prevent the womans death or serious, permanent impairment of a life-sustaining organ. The remaining two bills would ban abortions after a certain period, both of which come early in a pregnancy. LB 1086 would ban chemical abortions after seven weeks, but would not regulate surgical abortions, according to Sen. Suzanne Geist of Lincoln, who introduced the bill. Sen. John Lowe of Kearney, who named LB 1086 as his priority bill, said he is also considering a pull motion. Lowe said he is still talking with other senators, but he wants at least one of the three bills to make it out of committee. LB 781, introduced by Sen. Julie Slama of Sterling, would ban abortions after a so-called fetal heartbeat can be detected. That usually occurs at about six weeks gestation, before most women are aware that they are pregnant. Slama said she does not intend to file a pull motion. All three bills would penalize the physicians or other officials involved in administering an abortion procedure or providing an abortion-inducing drug in most cases classifying it as a felony. The woman undergoing an abortion, however, would not be charged. Several committee members raised concerns with this aspect. Lathrop said he didnt like that LB 781 would put doctors in a position where they would have to defend themselves. Abortion rights were the subject of a Judiciary Committee hearing in February, in which abortion-rights supporters outnumbered opponents. Most of the testimony was against LB 933, with speakers arguing that access to abortion was essential to womens rights. Meanwhile, a separate bill in the Health and Human Services Committee, LB 716, would make abortions more accessible across Nebraska. The bill, introduced by Sen. Megan Hunt of Omaha, would expand the types of providers allowed to perform abortions. Currently, only physicians are authorized to do them. Hunts bill would allow qualified advance practice registered nurses, certified nurse midwives and physician assistants to also perform abortions. LB 716 has also not made it out of committee. World-Herald Staff Writer Martha Stoddard contributed to this report. Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. What kind of mess have we gotten ourselves into? The art of politics aspires to the ideal but frequently wallows in the drudgery of governing. Aristotle warned, Moral virtue is the primary purpose of [government]: to cultivate the habits that lead to good character. Despite his on-going bout with brain cancer, former Congressman Brad Ashford continues to inspire faith in our better angels. Although some feel otherwise, Ashfords courage to stand on convictions while lofting an olive branch across the political aisle, cultivates statesmanship. Ashfords career transcended the seediness of team politics. Lets whisper a prayer for the Ashford family. Born in the shadow of monarchy, Americans have long been wary of government. Increasingly, our historically healthy skepticism seems to have given way to unhealthy cynicism. I am frequently disappointed when those I know and once admired sit silently and abide the angry voices of modern political discourse. These elected officials and ideological leaders know better than most that the legitimacy of Americas model of self-governance rests upon the faith and trust of voters. Im your top prime cut of meat, Im your choice. I wanna be elected. Alice Cooper Despite the endearing claim of divine providence, history hath shewn, when the people no longer hold confidence in themselves, in the leaders they elect, or in the institutions that govern them; damage to the institutions of self-governance ensues. Oh yes, society will continue but self-governance may not. As hyper-partisans attack our national institutions including free and fair elections, one (wo)man: one vote, and free speech; the ideals and aspirations of the American Dream, including opportunity, fairness and equality will wither. Im your Yankee doodle dandy in a gold Rolls Royce. I wanna be elected. In the film The Dark Knight [Batman], Alfred, the butler, told the caped crusader, Some men just want to watch the world burn. In the ongoing false narrative of widespread election fraud, the former president is actively undermining voter confidence in the most important democratic principle: the legitimacy of officials duly elected in free and fair elections. To the danger of every Americans dreams, this overt attempt to undermine American self-governance is now emanating throughout our political system. In Colorado, election commissioner Tina Peters-R, is on trial for her alleged role in a deceptive scheme to breach voting technology that is used across the country. I never lied to you, Ive always been cool. I wanna be elected. Reliable news outlets report that efforts are being made in Nevada, Minnesota, Georgia, Michigan, Colorado, California and Wisconsin to place officials or pass laws that could open the doorway to changing election results. While winning elections is the sole motivation of political parties, moving the goal posts (or changing the rules) is monstrously unethical. Those who love this country and wish to see it continue shining freedoms beacon to the world can no longer sit by silently and allow this damaging subterfuge to continue. Were gonna win this one, take the country by storm. Were gonna be elected. While defining the voice of reason can and should be debated, those who wish ill on Americas model of self-governance by undermining the institutions by which voters rule themselves must be challenged and condemned. America faces many challenges today including Russian tyranny in the Baltic, Chinese sabre rattling over Taiwan, Iranian rocket attacks on U.S. military personnel in Syria, a fraught post-pandemic economy, environmental issues and the anxiety of rapid demographic change. To divide Americans amid these domestic and global challenges by undermining faith and confidence in free and fair elections is an unconscionable act of short-sighted selfishness and sickening political theatre. I know we have problems. We all have problems. And personally, I dont care. Rick Galusha, Ph.D., teaches political science at Bellevue University. Hes hosted a blues radio show for 30 years and was the president of Homers Music Stores. Galusha was active in the creation of the Old Market Business Association and served as the groups first president. Live music is headed back to downtown Bloomington this summer with the return of the Saturdays on the Square concert series. Presented by Pantagraph Media and the Castle Theatre in partnership with the city of Bloomington, the series brings regional acts to perform free, family-friendly concerts on the downtown square. This year's lineup is: June 25: Style in Stereo with Kyle Yap Style in Stereo with Kyle Yap July 9: Wedding Banned, "the world's greatest wedding band" Wedding Banned, "the world's greatest wedding band" July 16: Dan Hubbard, full band show with Leah Marlene Dan Hubbard, full band show with Leah Marlene Aug. 6: Southern Accents, a tribute to Tom Petty "I am excited for our second year of Saturdays on the Square. Our event turn-out last year was fantastic," said Dan Adams, president of Central Illinois Media. "Much of this is due the participation of the City of Bloomington and The Castle Theatre and our many valuable sponsors. "Its going to be a memorable set of shows and we cannot wait to share this with our community." City Manager Tim Gleason said he was excited that the city was able team up with Pantagraph Media and the Castle Theatre to bring back the events. "They bring in some great artists and live music playing on a Saturday night is one of the great things about summer in Bloomington," he said. Contact Allison Petty at (217) 421-6986. Follow her on Twitter: @AllisonAPetty Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 1 Stay up-to-date on what's happening Receive the latest in local entertainment news in your inbox weekly! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. BLOOMINGTON A traffic stop Saturday in Bloomington has led to drug charges for a Heyworth woman. Prosecutors said Lanee R. Rich, 18, was a passenger in a vehicle stopped near South Center and Olive Streets in Bloomington for a traffic violation. An odor of cannabis emanating from the vehicle led police to search the car, prosecutors said. Rich was found in possession of less than 15 grams each of clonazepam and alprazolam individually packaged, prosecutors said. Rich is charged with two counts each of unlawful possession of a controlled substance with the intent to deliver and unlawful possession of a controlled substance. She remains jailed in lieu of posting $5,035. An arraignment is scheduled for April 1. Contact Kade Heather at 309-820-3256. Follow him on Twitter: @kadeheather Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 1 Sad 0 Angry 0 Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. SPRINGFIELD A union-backed bill putting primary contractors on the hook for wage theft committed by their subcontractors is facing opposition in the General Assembly from minority contractor trade groups. The measure, House Bill 5412, makes primary contractors those who contract directly with the customer liable for wages, fringe benefits and attorneys fees if the subcontractors they hire fail to pay their employees. In other words, it allows a worker with a grievance against the subcontractor to sue the primary contractor to rectify the situation. The statute of limitations in existing law allows 10 years for an employee to file such a suit. Bill sponsor Rep. Marcus Evans, a Chicago Democrat who chairs the House Labor and Commerce Committee and is an assistant majority leader in the chamber, called the bill a cut-and-dried, pro-worker effort, as well as a tax on the big guys. It would not require, but would likely lead to, primary contractors purchasing more performance and bid bonds or requiring subcontractors to purchase bonds showing that they have the funding to pay workers and complete the job adequately. Despite backing from a powerful carpenters union, the Mid-America Carpenters Regional Council, the bill specifically exempts union projects, homes built on private property, and projects funded by state, local and federal governments. Evans said thats because unions already have a method of recourse for wage theft through their union representation. Minority contractor opposition Minority contractor trade groups including the Hispanic American Construction Industry Association, the Black Contractors Owners and Executives, and the Federation of Women Contractors oppose the bill, citing concerns that it would drive up costs for small subcontractors and non-union shops. By adding to the risk a primary contractor takes in hiring a subcontractor, blanket liability incentivizes the primary contractor to use in-house labor and avoid hiring outside help, the advocacy groups argued. Added bonding would also have a disproportionate impact on a sector of the construction industry that includes more minority- and women-owned contractors, according to Octavia Altheimer, the executive director at BCOE. This bill is more so about the haves and have nots. If you have it the performance and bid bonds it's beneficial to you. If you don't have it, then you suffer. Period, point blank, she said at a news conference. In short, they argued, the bill raises the cost of non-union labor. It's all about risk mitigation at this point for the prime contractors, Jackie Gomez, executive director of HACIA, said at a news conference. They're going to require wealth-based bonds, so if you think about your wage and welfare bonds, that's an additional cost and burden to our small minority- and women-owned businesses that just cannot be afforded to them. While bond costs differ depending on a number of factors, a wage bond generally costs about 1 to 4% of a bond amount, so a bond covering $100,000 in wages would cost the contractor about $1,000 to $4,000, according to the advocacy groups. Evans acknowledged the added cost to primary contractors, but he likened the matter to having car insurance. We're going to cover workers and ensure that their wages are going to be compensated, he said. Somebody would have to bear the cost for that. In this piece of legislation, thats the prime contractors. Union backing Terrance McGann, a lawyer for the Mid-America Carpenters Regional Council, said the strength of the bill is that it creates accountability for primary contractors who previously walked away with impunity in wage theft disputes. Whether it's in an organized market or an unorganized market, the pattern that we have seen is that in many of these even mid- to large-sized construction projects, the lowest bidder generally gets the bid, he said. And there's no responsibility on behalf of the general contractor to ensure the success of those subcontractors. In current law, workers who are stiffed by a subcontractor can sue the subcontractor or file a complaint with the Illinois Department of Labor, but thats often a long process. McGann said the bill addresses the case where a subcontractor performs a job then files for bankruptcy or becomes insolvent without paying workers. And unless we can get an additional source of payment, generally there's no remedy left to these workers and their families, he said, adding the bill creates an alternative means of recovery. Another section in the bill which states that the subcontractor shall indemnify the primary contractor in cases of wage theft creates a legal avenue for the primary to recover funds expended due to the subcontractors wage theft, he added. Other states In addressing opposition, Evans pointed to laws on the books in other states such as California, Maryland, Virginia and New Jersey, as well as Washington, D.C. The fact that there are no widespread reports of minority contractors going out of business is proof enough that there will be no crippling effects of the new blanket liability bill, he said. Are they going out of business? No, Evans said. So we know that minority businesses operate with language like this, and it's good for the worker. Dan Johnson, a lobbyist for HACIA, BCOE and FWC, said lawmakers should collect more data on the states that have passed such a law to get a clearer picture of the effects. Imposing expensive liability on tens of thousands of businesses without any data to justify such a detrimental expansion isn't responsible, he said. The minority contractor groups suggested alternative changes to the current law, such as creating a reimbursement fund for workers paid into by increased fines on companies committing wage theft, and creating a list of companies and their officers on the Department of Labor website of those who committed wage theft. Senate outlook Whether the bill in its current form has enough support in the General Assembly to become law remains uncertain. It passed the House in two tries on March 3, receiving 62 votes two more than the constitutional majority needed to pass after failing to reach that threshold earlier in the night. No Republicans supported the bill. In the Senate, the measure will be sponsored by Sen. Cristina Castro, D-Elgin, after paperwork is filed to shift sponsorship from Senate President Don Harmon, according to staff. Castro was unavailable for a phone call Monday but said in an email statement that discussions are ongoing. Ive seen some of the concerns raised about the potential costs contractors might face with this measure, but right now, the hard-working laborers on these projects are facing the real burden of wage theft, she said in a statement. I do understand this can be a hard topic to navigate, and conversations with other legislators as well as stakeholders, including those currently still opposed, are still very much ongoing. I look forward to listening with an open mind any ideas those concerned might offer. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Flash Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday sent a congratulatory message to Serdar Berdimuhamedov on his election as the president of Turkmenistan. In his message, Xi pointed out that as a friendly neighbor and strategic partner of Turkmenistan, the Chinese side is sincerely delighted at the rapid progress Turkmenistan has made in nation building and national rejuvenation since its independence 30 years ago. Noting that he attaches great importance to the development of China-Turkmenistan relations, Xi said he is willing to work with president-elect Berdimuhamedov to take the 30th anniversary of the establishment of the two countries' diplomatic ties as a new starting point, build on past achievements and forge ahead into the future so as to jointly write a new chapter of the China-Turkmenistan strategic partnership. CHENOA Authorities on Tuesday released the name of the Chenoa woman killed Monday morning in a crash in rural McLean County. Elsie L. Sizer, 44, was driving east on U.S. Route 24 between Gridley and Chenoa when she crossed into the westbound lane where her car was struck by a semi truck traveling west, Illinois State Police said. After a preliminary investigation, state police said Sizer, who was the sole occupant of the vehicle, crossed lanes for some unknown reason, just before 8 a.m. Monday near the intersection of Route 24 and 2480 East Road. Sizer was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash. McLean County Coroner Kathy Yoder said preliminary autopsy results indicate she died from multiple blunt injuries caused by the collision. The crash remains under the investigation of the coroners office and Illinois State Police. Contact Kelsey Watznauer at (309) 820-3254. Follow her on Twitter: @kwatznauer. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. The father of a 3-year-old boy who accidentally shot his mother to death in a Chicago suburb has been detained and will likely face gun charges, the community's police chief said Monday. Dolton Police Robert Collins Jr. said investigators were working with prosecutors from the Cook County State's Attorney's office to determine the exact charges but that there was no indication that he fired the weapon or even knew the boy was holding the weapon at the time of Saturday's shooting. We do not have anything to indicate that the dad fired the weapon so the avenue we are pursuing is that the gun was his responsibility, Collins said of the father whose name has not been released. He added that he expected charges would be filed by Monday night or Tuesday morning. Collins said investigators have already determined that the father legally owned the weapon but did not have a concealed carry permit he would have needed to carry it in the vehicle. The shooting happened around 8:30 p.m. Saturday. Police said the family was sitting inside their car the father in the driver's seat, the mother in the passenger seat and the boy in a car seat in the back outside a Food 4 Less store in the community about 20 miles south of Chicago when the boy found the weapon. He somehow got ahold of the gun and began playing with it in a playful manner, pointed the gun and fired the shot, Collins said. A bullet struck 22-year-old Daejah Bennett in the neck, the chief said. She was taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead. Collins said detectives conducted what is called a forensic interview with the child. A person who specializes in talking to children interviewed the boy and during that interview, The child said he was the one who fired the gun," he said. We are confident he fired the gun. This is just such a tragedy, he said. The shooting was the latest example of an all too familiar story in the United States: A child finds a gun and inadvertently fires it. According to a leading gun control advocacy group, Everytown for Gun Safety, in 2020, unintentional shootings by children under 18 years old left 142 people dead and 242 wounded. In 2021, the number of deaths climbed to 154 and the number of people wounded rose slightly to 244. And, according to the group, 16 people have been killed and 29 have been wounded in these shootings so far this year. According to a 2021 report that examined a six-year-period ending in 2020, the group suggested a number of factors have contributed to a significant increase in these shootings in recent years. In 2020, gun sales surged 64 percent, and this risecoupled with school and childcare center closures as a result of the pandemichas increased the risk for all household residents: the number of unintentional shooting deaths by children was 31 percent higher from March through December 2020 than during the same period in 2019," the report said. While teenagers between 14 and 17 years old accounted for more of these incidents in which they shot themselves or someone else accidentally 776 during that six-year period, children five years old or younger accounted for the second highest total of 610. In fact, that total was higher than the combined total of elementary and middle school-age children who unintentionally shot themselves or someone else, the group found. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot will give city workers who didnt get their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine by Sunday a chance to get the shot before placing them on no-pay status, she said Monday. Lightfoot implemented a rule requiring city workers get vaccinated by March 13 or lose pay. Asked Monday how the city would enforce its policies, Lightfoot said supervisors would call workers in to verify that they arent vaccinated and give them an opportunity to comply. They will then be given an order to get vaccinated and if they dont, she said, then theyll be placed on no-pay status, which is considered nondisciplinary. That gives the city flexibility as it balances its public health rules with staffing issues, particularly in the Chicago Police Department. Were not doing mass firings today, Lightfoot said. Lightfoots latest pronouncement comes after the city won another round in court last week in its legal battle with the Chicago Fraternal Order of Police over the vaccine mandate. But she faces pressure not just from the police union which has appealed the latest legal ruling and claims the mandate will results in an exodus of officers but also from a group of aldermen still seeking to undo the rule. The lawsuit filed last year by Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 7 and other police unions against the city resulted in a February arbitrator ruling that upheld the requirement for city employees to be vaccinated, and set this Sunday as the deadline to get the first shot. A judges decision last week to deny the unions request to reconsider, and to lift a previous order pausing the vaccine policy, were additional setbacks for the local FOP, whose president, John Catanzara, has for months insisted the mandate violated union collective bargaining agreements. The FOP has appealed that ruling, but Catanzara acknowledged to his membership in an online video Friday that unvaccinated officers could be placed on no-pay status Monday. However, he said the arbitrator indicated Friday that officers who have pending vaccine exemption requests will be excused from the rule until they receive a determination, and that those denied exemptions will get a six-week reprieve. Catanzara said hundreds of officers could fall into that category. As of Monday morning, 30 Police Department employees and 19 Fire Department employees were on no-pay status, a city spokesperson said. Some city employees previously had their pay cut because they refused to report their vaccine status or submit to regular COVID-19 testing. According to city data, 2,367 Police department employees still have not reported getting vaccinated, down from 2,777 last week. Nearly 80% of the department is vaccinated, compared to nearly 89% of the whole city workforce. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 It's been a wild ride for the 20-year-old singer-songwriter from Normal, who made the top 7 on Sunday. Take a look back at her time on "Americ President Joe Biden has canceled more than $15 billion in student loans for 675,000 borrowers, more than any other U.S. president. Still, this amounts to only about 1% of the $1.75 trillion of currently outstanding student debt. The coronavirus pandemic has put this debt crisis on hold; the suspension of federal loan payments and interest charges in March 2020 has been extended until May 1. As we approach the return of student loan payments, dozens of American Muslim groups have come forward with a solution that stems from the values of their faith: canceling interest. (Riba, the exploitative extending of loans with interest, is a major sin forbidden in the Quran.) Some student loan borrowers have made payments for years and still owe as much as they originally borrowed. Judaism, Christianity and Islam have traditionally discouraged lending at interest. Scholars of these traditions have differed on how these prohibitions are best observed in the context of the contemporary financial system, but this prohibition poses a special problem for Muslim students today because many cannot pay for higher education to better their lives without taking out loans that charge interest. As a Muslim chaplain at a private university in Chicago, I often counsel students who say they feel deeply conflicted about taking interest-based loans. So they search for alternatives. Private organizations, including religious groups, annually provide more than $3 billion to help students obtain higher education. The International Association of Jewish Free Loans and other American Jewish groups offer interest-free loans to students as well as others in need of funds. So does A Continuous Charity, an organization run by American Muslims with chapters in nine states. Many of these resources are available to people regardless of religious background. President Joe Biden has said he supports legislation to cancel some amount of student debt but also that he is unlikely to do so by executive order. Many Democratic congressional leaders including Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., and Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., have been vocal in asserting Bidens legal authority to do so on his own. Some economists also question whether universal debt forgiveness, which would disproportionately benefit Americans who attended college, should be the priority in addressing poverty and financial need. Those debates will continue, but this particular proposal may be able to find unexpectedly wide appeal. One legislative proposal for eliminating interest payments on federal student loans has come from Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., who proposes the Leveraging Opportunities for Americans Now, or LOAN, act. This bill has been formally introduced but has not advanced in the committee process. Rubios bill would replace interest on federal student loans with a one-time, non-compounding origination fee, and also provide for borrowers to be automatically placed into an income-based repayment plan. While the details of Rubios plan may or may not satisfy the call of the Muslim groups, or the needs of student borrowers more widely, it is a bipartisan initiative that envisions student loans in a new way. Higher education in the United States remains one of our great strengths, one which draws immigrants from all over the world seeking to improve their lives. Financing a fully accessible system that prioritizes students, and maintains the confidence of society across polarized divides, is something worth fighting for. Abdul-Malik Ryan is Muslim chaplain and assistant director of the Office of Religious Diversity and Pastoral Care. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 In light of the developing catastrophe in Ukraine, one wonders if President George W. Bush regrets not having taken a harder line against Russian President Vladimir Putin when he invaded Georgia in 2008. Or if President Barack Obama wishes he had tried harder to muster NATO and the rest of the free world to resist Putins annexation of Crimea in 2014. But thats the trouble with overused cliches such as Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it. They sound surpassingly wise but, in practical terms, they dont tell us very much about how we should behave now. Often cliches such as these raise more questions than they answer. If Bush had resisted Putin in 2008 or Obama had in 2014, we do not know whether Russia would be currently residing quietly within its national boundaries or whether we would have already experienced World War III and would now be facing World War IV, the one that Einstein supposedly said would be fought with sticks and stones. In fact, the best that the cliche might do for us now is to remind us that in ten or twenty years we may look back on 2022 and wonder why we didnt act more decisively to prevent a ruthless autocrat from brutally destroying a country with nascent inclinations toward democracy, the rule of law and the free world. The sanctions and the military and humanitarian support are damaging the Russian economy and are helping Ukrainians resist the assault on their country. But few argue that the sanctions are going to be enough to stop Putin. And while military aid is welcomed by the Ukrainians, it may be only enough to help them prolong rather than win the war and drive the casualty toll into the many thousands. Proxy wars never turn out well for the proxies. When we consider this war in 20 years, what will we wish we had done differently? We may wish that Bush and Obama had been more resistant in 2008 and 2014. We may wish that President Donald Trump had exhibited a stronger commitment to NATO. We may reevaluate Trumps treatment of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Would Ukraine have been in a better position to resist Putin if Trump had welcomed the callow Zelenskyy into the fold of the free world and endorsed his anti-corruption efforts and the inclinations of his country toward the West? Would things be different now if Trump had not given the impression of conditioning an Oval Office visit for Zelenskyy and military aid for Ukraine on Zelenskyys agreement to investigate the Bidens? And in 20 years will we wish that the Biden administration had made a greater commitment to stopping Putin militarily? My preference is for soft power and diplomacy. But its a sad fact of history that often only hard power military force will stop an autocrat such as Putin. Putin may not be Hitler. But Hitler wasnt Hitler until he became Hitler, and Putin is demonstrating an alarming Hitlerian willingness to commit any atrocity necessary in order to win. Putin may look like Hitler only in retrospect, and, in retrospect, we may wish that we had done what was necessary to stop him. But heres a regret that I hope we dont have in 20 years: May we not fail to fully understand the stakes in the current conflict. Autocracy is on the rise and democracy based on laws and aspirations for equality are under threat. Trumps biggest mistake may have been to encourage Putin with a false equivalency between our nation and his. When a commentator pointed out in 2017 that Putin is a killer, Trump defended him: There are a lot of killers. You think our countrys so innocent? Touche. But we must not let our mistakes and failures confuse us about the essential difference between our nations commitment to democracy, equality and the rule of law and the brutal totalitarianism currently expressing itself in Ukraine. May we not recognize only 20 years later that its a distinction worth fighting for today. John M. Crisp is an op-ed columnist for Tribune News Service. jcrispcolumns@gmail.com Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 In the course of any presidency, few nominations are as consequential as the selection of a Supreme Court justice. Members of the Supreme Court are appointed for life, and with such tenure comes enormous generational influence over how laws are interpreted. There is no reason for Judge Ketanji Brown Jacksons nomination hearing in the Senate, set to begin March 21, to become a blood sport, though both parties have long, ignominious histories of conflating the Constitutional responsibility of providing advice and consent with bitterly partisan performance theater of the absurd. A president should get his or her choice confirmed unless the nominee has ethical issues or unresolvable conflicts of interest. At this point, we see neither issue in Jacksons background, nor indications that her judicial record and reasoning violate legal tenets or are out of the mainstream. Jacksons resume also is outstanding and checks the traditional boxes for high court nominees. A Harvard law graduate, Jackson, 51, would be the eighth justice with a Harvard or Yale law degree on the current court. She was confirmed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit last summer and before that served roughly eight years as a federal district judge. Jackson also clerked for three federal judges, including Justice Stephen Breyer, whom she is nominated to replace, and has been lauded as a hardworking, evenhanded student of the law. Jacksons nomination, which fulfills a promise then-presidential candidate Joe Biden made on the campaign trail, also represents the continuing evolution of the court from a panel occupied by only white men through most of its history to a more diverse panel that embodies varied life experiences and perspectives on the law. Nonetheless, Jacksons nomination comes at a time when the Senate is evenly split between Democrats and Republicans. Polls show that a majority of Americans perceive the high court now made up of six conservatives and three liberals as overtly political. Although Jackson could be confirmed on a straight party line vote with Vice President Kamala Harris casting the tiebreaker, a bipartisan vote to confirm her would not change the courts ideological balance and could help restore faith in the court as a nonpartisan institution. Jackson and the nation deserve a thoughtful, respectful, principled and engaging discussion of her judicial philosophy, which likely will touch on immigration, abortion, employee rights, criminal justice, affirmative action as well as the arcane nuances of interpreting the text of the Constitution. We are confident that she will continue to display character, an even temperament and respect for the rule of law worthy of a Supreme Court justice. The Dallas Morning News Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Manufacturers of everything from flash drives to glass for Apple iPhone screens are warning of shipment delays as they comply with Chinese controls to curb the spread of COVID-19, further straining global supply chains. Authorities across China are trying to try stem the spread of the country's worst COVID-19 outbreak in two years, putting millions of people in lockdown, curbing transport and shutting factories. Some of the toughest measures have been applied in the key manufacturing hubs of Shenzhen, Dongguan and Changchun, as well as the Chinese financial centre of Shanghai, which is home to the world's busiest container port. Fabien Gaussorgues, who provides contract manufacturing services from a factory in Dongguan, said he was struggling to procure parts needed for electric scooters, warehouse robots and electric toys because of the shutdowns. "It's not critical yet but it's getting more difficult every day," Gaussorgues said. "Suppliers in Shenzhen cannot produce, so they're not delivering goods. So next week we don't have material for production," he added. Lens Technology , which supplies lenses and glass material to customers such as Apple (AAPL.O), said on Monday the production and delivery of some products would be impacted after it suspended work at its Dongguan plant. And Netac Technology (300042.SZ), which makes portable hard drives and USB flash drives, similarly warned of shipment delays as its factory in Shenzhen had to stop work. While major ports in Shenzhen and Shanghai said they were operating normally, logistic providers said there were trucking delays due to road and testing restrictions and some firms in Shenzhen had stopped their warehouses from accepting deliveries. Refinitiv data showed increased container congestion at key Chinese shipping hubs, with the number of vessels awaiting docking in the outer anchorages of the Yangtze Estuary, Pearl River Delta, Zhoushan and Qingdao port more than double the average of March 2021. Chinese share prices, which plunged on Monday, slumped to close at 21-month lows on Tuesday as surging coronavirus cases threatened the outlook for the world's second-largest economy. Other companies which have warned that the COVID-19 curbs are impacting their businesses include Chinese automaker BYD (002594.SZ), KFC operator Yum China (9987.HK), iPhone assembler Foxconn (2317.TW), Toyota (7203.T)and Volkswagen (VOWG_p.DE). BYD, headquartered in Shenzhen where most companies have been told to ask staff to work from home, said that there had been some impact on production at its site. "We are actively coordinating a response and carrying out epidemic prevention and control," BYD said. Yum, operator of KFC and Pizza Hut in China, said on Monday during an earnings briefing that its operations had been significantly impacted by the outbreaks, and same-store sales fell 20% year-on-year in the first two weeks of March. "It's a very tough month for every food service retailer in China," a source at a large Western catering chain told Reuters. Source: REUTERS 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 Absa Bank Ghana has signalled its commitment to closely collaborate with leading energy companies such as Tullow Ghana, in developing the oil and gas sector. The two companies made headlines late last year when their concerted approach to deal execution led to the delivery of Ghanas first-ever wholly-owned sea vessel currently operating in the oil and gas sector. Tullows leadership in awarding a contract to Flat C Marine Services (a local company) and Absa Banks financial partnership in delivering the sea vessel, highlighted the potential of local businesses in the oil and gas sector, when given the support. The partnership even led the Absa Group to name Tullow Ghana as a recipient of the banks Supplier Development Award due to its commitment to local content advancement and inclusion. In a brief ceremony to formally present the award to Tullow, Absa Bank emphasised the strength of collaboration and partnerships and pledged to continuously support the elevation of local businesses in all the key sectors of Ghanas economy. Director of Business Banking at Absa Bank Ghana, Grace Anim-Yeboah said: As a Bank, our support for local businesses is a key part of our overall strategic intent. Our willingness to go the extra mile in financing the Flat C vessel, in collaboration with Tullow, shows the trust and confidence we have in the local services sector. We shall continue to create a closer partnership with Tullow Ghana in expanding and enhancing the growth of the oil and gas sector. We hope to also extend the same model to other key sectors of the economy. Representatives of Tullow Ghana expressed their appreciation for the award, insisting that it will provide motivation for them to relentlessly continue to develop the capacity of Ghanaian businesses in the industry. Tullow also outlined its 10-year Ghana Value Maximization plan as a blueprint to invest US$4billion into the oil and gas sector. The award was presented by Kobla Nyaletey, Managing Principal for Retail and Business Banking (Ag) at Absa Bank. Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Technical/ vocational institutions occupy a unique position in the educational system of the country as they provide hands-on, practical and entrepreneurial skills to students who ultimately graduate to meet the needs of various sectors of the labour market. History is replete with examples of the significant roles technical universities and polytechnics have played in the socio-economic growth and human resource development of many nations. Indeed, with the upgrading of the Polytechnics into Technical Universities with the legal backing of the Technical Universities Act, 2016 (Act 922), the prospects for technical university graduates have even heightened. To empower polytechnic education in Ghana, the government revised the original law, PNDC Law 321 of 1992, to govern the operations of polytechnics in the country. The Technical Universities Act 2016, (Act 922) clearly spelt out the distinctive and important role of the technical universities in the context of national development and therefore, mandates the technical universities to train the needed manpower to manage and maintain the expected growing resources and technologies in industries. With the passage of Act 2016, (Act 922), the expected output from polytechnics has received a new focus which demands that drastic and concerted efforts on the part of all stakeholders are made towards achieving the noble goals of providing the requisite enabling environment for teaching, learning and research. The technical universities in the country have their own governing councils and the right to design their own curricula, plan their management and development activities. Mandate The act mandates the technical university councils, to among other functions, Ensure the attainment of the aims of that technical university Determine the strategic direction of the technical university Be responsible for the management and administration of finances and properties of that technical university Promote applied research including the provision of technology innovations and solutions to firms and businesses as part of the outreach activities of that technical university Foster linkages and collaboration with relevant national and international industries and institutions in relation to matters affecting income or expenditure Ensure relevance of the programmes and courses of the technical university with the other sub-sectors of the educational system and be responsible for discipline in the technical university For Ghana to meet the demands of the competitive world, there is therefore, the need for a more innovative and career-oriented higher education system that will meet the socio-economic and educational needs of the country. Currently, the 10 technical universities are the Accra Technical University (ATU), Tamale Technical University (TATU), Takoradi Technical University (TTU), Sunyani Technical University (STU) and the Kumasi Technical University (KTU). The others are the Takoradi Technical University, the Ho Technical University, the Cape Coast Technical University, the Bolgatanga Technical University and the Wa Technical University. It is in this direction that the Koforidua Technical University has positioned itself, after 25 years of existence, to ensure that it lives up to the mission of producing the much-needed middle-level professionals with specific technical skills that help to drive the countrys industrialisation process. With Innovating for Development as its motto, the Koforidua Technical University (formerly Koforidua Polytechnic) was established in March, 1997 in fulfilment of the vision of government that polytechnics should offer tertiary education with the mission of producing high-level, career-focused and skilled manpower to support the countrys industrial growth and thus advancing the middle-level manpower development of the country, aimed at consolidating the educational system. As one of the 10 technical universities in the country, the Koforidua Technical University has over the years of its existence, grown into an institution of excellence, having churned out the much-needed middle-level professionals with specific technical skills that help to drive the country's industrialisation process. From the initial one block structure (which labelled the institution as the One Block Polytechnic) in 1997, Koforidua Technical University has expanded exponentially in terms of student enrolment, programme diversity, faculty and infrastructure. Keeping the importance of education in mind, the authorities of KTU continuously strive to promote student achievement and preparation for global competitiveness by fostering educational excellence and ensuring equal access. The student population has been increasing and so have the teaching and non-teaching staff. Programmes Koforidua Technical University, which started with two (2) Higher National Diploma (HND) programmes in Marketing and Purchasing and Supply with forty-seven (47) students in 1997, currently boasts of five faculties, namely the Faculty of Applied Science and Technology (FAST), Faculty of Engineering (FoE), Faculty of Health and Allied Science (FHAS), Faculty of Built and Natural Environment (FBNE) and the Faculty of Business and Management Studies (FBMS), with over eight thousand (8,000) students. The university evolves programmes and courses which will enable students to acquire relevant knowledge, skills and the right attitude for sustainable development. The university has taken the challenge by expanding and diversifying its programmes to include more technical and engineering programmes, the focal point of technical university education to prepare graduates with professional careers. 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. Featured Video About 42 per cent of women in the country are anaemic, the Upper East Regional Director of Health Services, Dr Emmanuel Kofi Dzotsi, has disclosed. He said at least 45 per cent of the figure were pregnant women, with another 48 per cent of them being adolescent girls. Anaemia remains a major public health concern in Ghana, and common among children, adolescent girls and women of childbearing age, Dr Dzotsi told the media during a briefing on the Girls Iron and Folic Acid Tablet Supplementation (GIFTS) programme in the Upper East Region last Friday. He said at least 43 per cent of pregnant women in the region who reported for antenatal care last year were anaemic. The encounter was to update the media on the progress of the programme and to court support towards the implementation phase while demystifying myths about the programme. He said periodic blood loss through menstruation required additional iron and other essential nutrients for women and adolescent girls. Background The United Nations Childrens Fund (UNICEF), with support from other developmental partners and the Ghana Education Service (GES), started the programme in all districts and municipalities. The programme provides iron and folic acid (IFA) tablets once weekly to adolescent girls in junior and senior high schools, technical and vocational institutes, and those out of school. The GIFTS programme was adopted by the Ghana Health Service as one of several ongoing actions to reduce the high rates of anaemia in adolescent girls and women. It targets adolescent girls from 10-19 years and women from 20 years. In school, adolescent girls take the tablet every Wednesday throughout the term under the supervision of a teacher, and those out of school are registered at the nearest health facility and given a monthly dosage. Pregnancy period Dr Dzotsi stated that anaemic girls or women had lower pre-pregnancy iron stores and the pregnancy period was often too short to build iron stores for the growing foetus and mother, stressing that adolescence is an opportune period for interventions to address anaemia, a critical time for laying a strong nutrition foundation for childbearing. Providing IFA supplements during adolescence and continuing into adulthood improves iron status and reduces the risk of developing iron deficiency and anaemia, he indicated. He stressed that in a setting like ours, where anaemia prevalence is above 40 per cent, the World Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines recommend mass IFA supplementation for menstruating women to boost their iron level. Dr Dzotsi said it was not true that the tablets could cause barrenness, stressing instead that it makes the adolescent girl or woman healthy before getting pregnant. What we are doing is to replace the iron lost by girls and women during menstruation so that when the time is due for them to get pregnant, the iron level will be very high to take care of the mother and the baby, he stated. He advised women and adolescent girls to consume iron-rich foods such as liver, fish, poultry, eggs, meat, beans, fruits among others. 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. Featured Video The Minister of Health, Kwaku Agyeman Manu says media reports suggesting that the government had sold the Accra Psychiatric hospital are not true. The Minister in a Facebook post reacting to the reports that the facility had been sold to private investors, said instead it is to be redeveloped under the government's Agenda 111 programme into a new modern 220-bed Psychiatric Hospital under an Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) Contract. Mr Manu said tenders had been received and were being evaluated before being presented for Parliamentary approval. "It hasnt been sold. It is to be redeveloped under Agenda 111 into a new modern 220-bed Psychiatric Hospital under an EPC Contract," the Minister posted. "Tenders have been received and are being evaluated currently. Afterwards, it will go for VFM, Cabinet and loan will go for Parliamentary approval". He also explained that staff will only be relocated after all steps towards getting the contractor on-site are completed and work is ready to commence work. "Staff might be relocated to Pantang to make way for redevelopment, but the authorities will ensure that until and unless all steps towards getting the contractor on site are completed and contractor is ready to commence work, there will be no relocation". Mental Health Authority reaction The hospital is going to be redeveloped as part of Agenda 111 and both patients and staff will be redistributed, the Mental Health Authority has also explained. "Yes a durbar was held by the Director of the hospital with the staff to notify them but this is government project and not a sale to private investors," the MHA clarified. Click to Tweet 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. Featured Video Ghana has the highest glaucoma cases in Africa, and it is the country with the second-highest cases in the world, the Ghana Optometric Association (GOA) has reported. Ghana has an estimated 232,500 who are blind out of which 45,000 are through glaucoma, Dr Alfred Gardemor, the GOA Public Relations Officer quoted the data from a document from the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness. In an interview with the Ghana News Agency, Dr Gardemor reported: Glaucoma is the leading cause of irreversible blindness worldwide and most prevalent in people of African descent. About six million have glaucoma and up to half a million of them are already blind in Africa. In most of Africa, only about one in 20 of those with the disease are aware, with over 50 percent being unilaterally blind on presentation. Low awareness of the disease, late presentation/diagnosis and poor adherence to follow-up visits are major challenges to glaucoma management. Speaking at the Ghana News Agency -GOA My Eye! My Vision campaign platform, Dr Gardemor said glaucoma was one of the leading causes of blindness in the world, especially in older people. The fortnight initiative is a collaborative public education advocacy campaign to promote the need for people to access eye care and also to draw attention to vision health. Speaking on the topic: Glaucoma the silent thief of sight, Dr Gardemor who is also an optometrist at the Nsawam Government Hospital explained that most glaucoma patients had a genetic basis. He said in most patients, there was an elevation of intraocular pressure that caused damage to the optic nerve and provoked an early death of the nerve cells that compose it. He stressed that there was no cure for glaucoma, but early treatment could stop the damage and protect the vision. People with glaucoma who manage it well can live a normal and independent life. The big problem with glaucoma is that, in the early stages, people with glaucoma live their lives largely unaffected by the condition while it deteriorates silently, he added. The GOA PRO indicated that glaucoma is the silent thief of eyesight and as part of the 2022 World Glaucoma Week celebration in Ghana, GOA will be raising awareness on Glaucoma and sight preservation adding that, there will be a series of engagement between the public and optometrist across the country. The aim is to alert citizenry to have regular eye and optic nerve checks in other to detect glaucoma as early as possible. Source: GNA Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Ghana has pledged its continuous commitment to the Commonwealth by fervently upholding its core values. We reaffirm our belief in this unique organisation as a powerful influence for good in the world, a message from the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, to commemorate Commonwealth Day yesterday said. Ghana joined member countries of the Commonwealth in Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, America, Europe and the Pacific to commemorate the day. Observed on March 14, every year, the day provides an opportunity for member countries to celebrate the friendship, unity and achievements of the Commonwealth. This years event was on the theme: Delivering a Common Future". Ghanas commitment Ms Botchwey expressed Ghanas commitment to work with other member states to ensure a more equal and hopeful future for the Commonwealth and the world. She explained that the Commonwealth, also known as the "Family of Nations", had stood the test of time and had, among others, amplified the voice of small and vulnerable states, championed the promotion of justice and human rights and upheld the rule of law. The minister said the Commonwealth had also empowered women, girls and the youth, provided electoral assistance for countries and advocated the protection of the environment in terms of the blue economy through its Blue Charter and climate change. As we mark this day with 2.5 billion other members of the Commonwealth family, I would like to take this opportunity to pledge, on behalf of the government and the people of Ghana, our commitment to the Commonwealth by fervently upholding its core values. It is our hope that as we commemorate this momentous occasion, we will cooperate more, with mutual respect and goodwill, to provide a common future for our people. We commit and look forward to a future that is evidently marked by fairness, peace, sustainability and security, she said. Fight against COVID-19 Touching on the fight against the COVID-19, she said although the world was still grappling with the negative impact of the pandemic. Thankfully, the development of COVID-19 vaccines has raised our hope of returning to normalcy within the shortest possible time. While the challenges may seem insurmountable, I know that as a Commonwealth family, although we may be apart, we stand together, united in purpose, she said. Queen praised Ms Botchwey congratulated Queen Elizabeth II on her dedication and services to the Commonwealth. It may be recalled that on 6th February, this year, Her Majesty the Queen became the first British monarch to celebrate a Platinum Jubilee, marking 70 years of service to the people of the United Kingdom, the Realms and the Commonwealth. I wish to convey Ghana's readiness to join the other members of the Commonwealth family to celebrate this historic milestone, she said. Background The Commonwealth, also called the Commonwealth of Nations and formerly the British Commonwealth of Nations, is one of the worlds oldest political associations of states and its roots go back to the British Empire, when countries around the world were ruled by Britain. It is now a free association of sovereign states comprising the United Kingdom and a number of its former dependencies which have chosen to maintain ties of friendship and practical cooperation. 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. Featured Video A senior state attorney, Hilda Craig has pleaded with the Tema High Court to deny the bail application of #FixTheCountry convener, Oliver Barker-Vormawor. Vehemently opposing the bail application by lawyers for the Cambridge University PhD student, Hilda Craig argued that the accused does not have a fixed place of abode in the country. He lodges with friends, hes not regularly in the country, she told Justice Daniel Mensah. The state attorney said the applicants (Oliver Vormawor) conduct while in custody left much to be desired and maintained that he cannot be trusted to assist with investigations. But lead counsel for Mr. Vormawor, lawyer Akoto Ampaw argued that there was no evidence to back claims that his client had the capacity and was prepared to carry out his reckless statement. He noted that the accuseds comments could best be described as loose talk borne from youthful exuberance. He said Mr Vormawors statement was a conditional phrase, adding that, with the E-levy not having been passed, the treason felony charge imposed is simply a charge by the state to prevent the granting of bail. Citing Section 96(1) and 96(4) the Criminal and other offences (Procedure Act), Act 30 , he prayed the court not to use bail as punishment for his client. Section 96(4) provides that, a Court shall not withhold or withdraw bail merely as a punishment. Lawyer Akoto Ampaw further argued that Oliver Barker-Vormawor posed no flight risk since his passport was in the possession of the prosecution. But Hilda Craig rebutted counsels submissions, noting that although his passport had been confiscated, he could leave the country using unapproved routes as has been observed by several Ghanaians. When Justice Daniel Mensah enquired why a lawyer and PhD student would jeopardise his career and status, Hilda Craig explained that the gravity of the charge against could propel him to do so. Justice Daniel Mensah, after hearing both parties noted that the courts mind is made up but will need time to make a detailed ruling. The case has been adjourned to Wednesday, March 16, 2022, for the ruling. View this post on Instagram A post shared by (@utvghana) Source: UTV/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. Featured Video The Sekondi Magistrate Court presided over by Her Worship Rosemary Edith Hayford has discharged the 1st accused person in the ongoing case involving three senior high school (SHS) students accused of burning to death a Bolt driver in Sekondi Takoradi in the Western Region. The discharge of Adolf Eshun follows a recommendation from the Attorney Generals Department that he be set free. Adolf Eshun, a student of Bompeh SHS in Takoradi, has since December been on remand with a charge of conspiracy to commit murder of a Bolt driver, who was later identified as naval officer AB1 Okyere Boateng. But in its advice to the court, the Attorney Generals office said although Adolf Eshun on 22nd December, 2021 ordered a Bolt for suspects Patrick Baidoo, 19, and Joseph Lord Ni Adjei Oninku, 17, who had told him they were stranded, he was not part of the planning and execution of the crime. The victim died at the 37 Military Hospital, where he was airlifted to for further medical care Lawyer for the 1st accused Joseph Evans Abeka said what the court said was consistent with their long held view that Adolf Eshun was innocent. so the Attorney General rightly advised that he shouldnt be prosecuted. He should be discharged, so he has been discharged. If in future the police need him to come and testify, he will come, but for now he is a free person and can even start school tomorrow. Mother of freed Adolf Eshun could not hold back her tears and said what has happened is the doing of God. Im also grateful that my son indeed did not take part in the crime and Im hopeful that he has learnt all his lessons. The 2nd and 3rd accused persons are still on remand awaiting the Bill of Indictment from the Attorney Generals Department for committal process to commence. The case has been adjourned to Monday, April 11, 2022. 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. Featured Video A CCTV Camera Technician, Prince Sevor, who published nude videos of a businesswoman on a website, has been sentenced to 10 years imprisonment by an Accra Circuit Court. Sevor has been ordered to pay GH10,000 as compensation to the woman for the trauma caused her. This was after the court, presided over by Mrs Christina Cann, found him guilty on charges of non-consensual sharing of intimate videos and four counts of sexual extortion. Prosecuting, Chief Inspector Agartha Asantewaa narrated that the complainant (name withheld), is a businesswoman at Abor in the Volta Region. Accused, now a convict, also resided at Akatsi in the same region. Prosecution said in May, 2021, Sevor found the MTN number of the complainant on her Facebook page and used a UK number; 447514044792 to contact her on her WhatsApp. Prosecution said Sevor posed as a female by the name Richael Hughes of Mozambique but resident in the UK. He and the complainant became good friends and the two started chatting via WhatsApp. In the course of their friendship, Sevor lured the complainant to send her nude videos, and the complainant obliged thinking that Sevor is female. Prosecution said Sevor also secretly screen-recorded the complainant during one of their WhatsApp video calls while she was naked. It said when he got hold of the nude videos, he used a different WhatsApp account to chat with the complainant and he introduced himself as one John Mawuenyaga. Sevor told the complainant that he hacked her WhatsApp account to get her nude videos. Prosecution said Sevor then sent the nude videos to the complainant and demanded that she paid him GHC5,000, else he would publish the videos on social media. The complainant pleaded with the convict and paid GH2,000 in two tranches of GH750 and GH1,250 on May 17 and 18, 2021, respectively. The complainant, after paying the GH2,000, blocked the number of the accused so he could not reach her to collect the GH3,000 balance. Sevor then went ahead and published the complainants video on www.empressleaks.biz website. Prosecution said he sent the videos to two witnesses in the case and asked them to inform the complainant to bring the GH3,000. On June 10, 2021, Prosecution said the Director-General of the Criminal Investigations Department of the Ghana Police Service was petitioned. On August 10, 2021, Sevor was arrested at Akatsi when he collected another GH500 from the victim. Source: GNA Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Four people lost their lives in an accident involving a Mercedes Benz bus and a Renault cargo truck at the Peki-Avetile portion of the Eastern Corridor Road soon after midnight Monday (March 14, 2022). According to the police, the cargo truck with registration number GT 69 15 loaded with bags of cement, with a passenger on board was travelling from Accra to Dambai when the tragedy occurred. On reaching a section of the road, in front of the Peki College of Education (GOVCO), the truck collided head-on with the Benz bus, GR 1967-F, which was travelling from the Oti Region to Accra, with food stuff and passengers on board. The Benz bus overturned in the middle of the road while the truck veered off the road and crashed into a shop metres away. The Director of Police Public Affairs in the Volta Region, DSP Effia Tenge said four adults on board the Benz bus, including three females and the driver died on the spot. She said the police had so far established the identities of the females while efforts were underway to identify the remaining deceased person. The Director of Public Affairs, however, did not disclose the identity of any of the deceased. DSP Tenge said that the bodies of the deceased had been sent to the morgue at the Peki Government Hospital for preservation and autopsy. Meanwhile, she said, seven other people, including the driver of the cargo truck, who sustained various degrees of injury, were receiving treatment at the same hospital. The road has since been cleared and opened to traffic, said DSP Tenge. 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. Featured Video Archbishop Nicholas Duncan-Williams has said: Im still a work in progress and told Christians to stop seeing me as an angel. Those of you who see gifted people, anointed people as angels, theres something wrong with you, he told his congregation on Sunday, 13 March 2022 during the second service at Action Chapel International. Archbishop Duncan-Williams said people who see men of God in that light dont understand the Christian walk; you dont understand grace and mercy; you dont understand the humanity and divinity of man. And one of the things we should be careful of that I said in the first service: We have this notion, perception and belief that the Church is for angels, its for holy people, and, so, when you come to church, you expect everybody to act like an angel and when people act out of character as fallen man that we are, even though we are redeemed by the blood of the land, were still in the flesh, were still in the body as long as we live in this body and this flesh, every now and then, well act like the fallen man and you must make room for that. We must make room for mistakes. And we must stop expecting people to act like an angel, he said. There is no angel in the Church, the preacher stressed. He said: We are all sick people. Weve all come to Jesus hospital and Hes the doctor and weve all come to Jesus for healing. We are all sick, so, stop asking me, What is your sickness? You, too, what is your sickness? And, stop asking me, What are you doing here? You, too, what are you doing here? Weve all come to be healed. And stop expecting angels. There are no angels in the Church, he reiterated, explaining: The same people you find in the marketplace are the same people in the Church. So, when you come to church and people mistreat and mishandle you, stop being shocked. All this shock, shock, shock; Im shocked, Im surprised, I cant believe it; you better believe it that everywhere human beings like you are, therell be problems. That is who we are. And the Church is not exempted. Irrespective of that, Archbishop Duncan-Williams said: As messy as the Church can be sometimes, ladies and gentlemen, it is the safest place to be. Dont leave the Church, dont come out of the ark. If you come out of the ark, the flood will drown you; itll carry you away, he admonished. And, the enemy is looking for you out there; he cant get you, so, what he has to do is to come among us and trigger you, provoke you by some fallen natures of man, which we all have, including me; so, dont look at me like Im an angel; I aint an angel. I got feelings like you. Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The corpse of a Russian model has been found stashed in a suitcase more than a year after she went missing. Gretta Vedler, 23, was killed one month after she posted on social media calling President Vladimir Putin a psychopath and forecasting his drive to enhance the integrity of Russia" would end in tears. Her jealous ex-boyfriend Dmitry Korovin, 23, has confessed more than a year later to strangling her to death after a row over money in Moscow. Dmitry told interrogators that he slept in a hotel room for three nights with her corpse which he put in a newly-bought suitcase. Then he drove her body 300 miles to the Lipetsk region and left it in the boot of a car for more than a year. He kept posting pictures and messages on the models social media, to make friends believe she was still alive, he told detectives. A male friend called Evgeniy Foster, a blogger in Kharkiv, the Ukrainian city blitzed by Russian forces, became suspicious and found a friend in Moscow to file a missing person case, triggering a search which eventually located her body. Back in January 2021, a month before she was murdered, the model blasted Putin over his crackdown on protests and what she saw as a desire to forge a bigger Russia. Given the fact that Putin went through a lot of humiliation in childhood, he could not stand up for himself due to his [slight] physical form, it is not surprising that he left after law school and joined the KGB, she wrote. Such people are timid and fearful from childhood, afraid of noise and darkness, strangers, so traits such as caution, restraint, and lack of communication are developed early in their character. I can only assume, in my opinion, a clear psychopathy or sociopathy is seen in him. She told her followers: For psychopaths, it is important to constantly experience a sense of fullness and sharpness of life, so they love risk, intense experiences, intense communication, intense activity - an intense and dynamic life. Maybe he really wants to enhance the integrity of Russia and sincerely wishes the good for the Russians. But can he really do anything? She made clear she had grave doubts. I think you know the answer to this question yourself, she posted. Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The White House has insisted that China will face 'significant consequences' if it sends military aid to Russia after National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan on Monday held an 'intense' seven-hour meeting with Beijing's top diplomat. However, Press Secretary Jen Psaki refused to lay out President Joe Biden's red lines on what would trigger action, or describe what those consequences might be during the daily briefing. 'I think what we have conveyed and what was conveyed by our national security adviser in this meeting, is that should they provide military or other assistance that of course violates sanctions or, or supports the war efforts, that there will be significant consequences,' she said. 'But in terms of what the specifics look like, we would coordinate with our partners and allies to make that determination.' National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan met Yang Jiechi, a member of the Chinese Communist Party's politburo, at a Rome hotel on Monday morning. It came after reports at the weekend that Russia had approached China for help in resupplying its armed forces. But a senior administration official characterized it as a 'frank exchange' of views and said the meeting was long-planned. 'What I would say in general is that we do have deep concerns about China's alignment with Russia at this time,' said the official, 'and the national security adviser was direct about those concerns and the potential implications and consequences of certain actions.' The official said it had not been set up to discuss concerns that Russia had asked China for military help. Source: www.dailymail.co.uk 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 Ukrainian actor, Pasha Lee reportedly gave his bulletproof vest to a child in a heroic gesture right before his death. The 33-year-old actor had been helping children flee a house during an evacuation in the town of Irpin when he was killed by Russian shelling, it was reported. Lee, known for his acting, presenting, and voice dubbing work, was killed near Kiev, Ukraine as the area surrounding the city was occupied on March 6. Five days ago Lee posted a photo of himself in military gear, with the caption 'LET'S UNITE'. He also took to Instagram to share resources for helping Ukrainian refugees across the world. His last photo, tagged in Irpen two days ago, was captioned: 'For the last 48 hours, there is an opportunity to sit down and take a picture of how we are being bombed, and we are smiling, because we will manage.' Sergiy Tomilenko, Chairman at the National Union of Journalists of Ukraine, shared a tribute to the late actor on his Facebook page. It read: '(Pasha Lee) went to fight for Ukraine from the first days of the war and died in Irpen, where there are still fierce battles with Russian occupants. 'The National Union of Journalists of Ukraine expresses its sincere condolences to (Pasha's) family and friends. 'Our words of support to all the staff of the DOM channel, which embodies the noble mission of broadcasting for the deoccupation of Donetsk and Luhansk regions and Crimea.' Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video A young bride-to-be is inconsolable after her fiance lost his life in a car accident on his way to their marriage ceremony on Sunday, March 13. According to the Police, the driver lost control of a Ford Escape vehicle and ran into a ditch, resulting in the death of the groom Mohammed Zakaria Babangida and injuries to the four other occupants of the vehicle. The four other occupants were rushed to the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology Hospital for medical care. One of the victims who sustained life-threatening injury has since been transferred to Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) for further treatment. The accident occurred at Fumesua on the Kumasi-Accra highway around 1:00 pm. Accident Police say the groom was travelling from Juabeng to Kumasi and the driver of the vehicle was overspeeding at the time of the accident. "When they got to Fumesua, the driver was overspeeding, so he lost control of the steering wheel and in the process hit a nearby culvert and landed in a ditch," ASP Francis Mireku, the Ejisu Divisional Motor Transport and Traffic Directorate (MTTD) Commander said in an interview with TV3. "The driver died shortly on arrival at the hospital. Three of them are currently at Tech hospital (KATH) and one has been referred to Komfo Anokye hospital.". The deceased has been buried in accordance with Islamic customs. Meanwhile, the Ejisu Motor Transport and Traffic Directorate (MTTD) has commenced an investigation into the accident. 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. Featured Video Dr Emmanuel Kofi Dzotsi, the Upper East Regional Director of the Ghana Health Service (GHS) has called for salaries of newly posted doctors to be decentralized to check their refusal to accept postings to the Region. He suggested that if salaries of newly trained doctors were channelled to the Regions, they would be compelled to accept postings to where their services were most needed. For instance, if doctors are posted here, and they are not able to come, we can redirect their salaries to the Region so that when they come, then we pay. We should not encourage them to have access to work in other places, he said. Dr Dzotsi said this when he shared his view, in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA), on measures to ensure doctors posted to the Region reported and stayed to deliver their services. The suggestion by the Director was on the backdrop of 10 doctors who refused to accept postings to the Region in 2021. He noted that even though the suggestion would compel doctors to report to their posted Regions, there must be proper negotiation, So that it doesnt become a punitive measure, that will deter them. He suggested that newly posted doctors could be made to understand that their salaries would be in the region they would be posted to, and they would be entitled to certain incentive packages including promotion after three years, the offer of a study leave to specialise, and furnished accommodation, among others. Dr Dzotsi said authorities at the national level could enforce the initiative, insisting that, We should not give the leeway for them to have another alternative to leave the region. We need the populace in this region to be served. When the GNA visited the Regional Hospital in Bolgatanga, which is the major referral centre, to ascertain the number of doctors in the facility, the Acting Medical Director, Dr Aiden Suntaa Saanwie, said the facility had 11 doctors instead of the ideal number of 40 medical doctors to operate optimally. He said as a referral centre which should have a minimum of 27 Specialists, the Hospital was managed by only five, adding, Even with this five, we have just two Gynaecologists, one joined recently, until then, it was only one Gynaecologist. He said the few doctors were stressed out, and that affected the quality of service delivery in the facility, We are human beings, if we have to run night shift and continue during the day, you can imagine the impact it will have on us. Dr Saanwie said as part of initiatives to attract and retain doctors, the Hospital provided accommodation for all of its doctors, paid utility bills, filled Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) for them, In addition, we have doctors incentive package. For Medical Officers, we peg at GH1,500 and for Specialist, it is at GH3000.00. He said despite the incentive packages, doctors still refused postings to the region, and even doctors from the northern part of the country used social pressures as an excuse not to serve their people. Source: GNA Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Nana Ofori Owusu, PPP National Chairman, has cautioned against the bastardization of the Supreme Court following its ruling on the right of Deputy Speakers in Parliament to cast their votes in the House. The Supreme Court, on Wednesday, March 9, 2022 gave a verdict on the case saying a "Deputy Speaker is entitled to be counted as a Member of Parliament for quorum" and should be allowed to "vote and take part in the decision of Parliament". This ruling has however been met with contention from the Minority members of Parliament and members of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) who, to them, the verdict is nothing but a travesty of justice. Former President John Dramani Mahama, passing a comment on the ruling, dreaded the Supreme Court has set a "dangerous precedent of judicial interference in Parliamentary procedure for the future". NDC Member of Parliament for Ningo-Prampram, Sam George also tweeted; "The sham called Justice delivery in our Republic. Despicable!'' The President of the Republic, Nana Akufo-Addo, on his part, agreed with the court saying ''The legislative power of Parliament [that is vested] that is of the State which is vested in Parliament is subject to the provisions of the constitution. All organs of the Ghanaian State including me as the Head of Executive, we are all subject to the teachings of the constitution. There is nobody in the Ghanaian State that is above the fundamental law of the land''. He cautioned that any defiance to the verdict will ''lead to the very matter that we have striven so long to avoid; the concentration [of power] of unregulated power in our State. We don't want that. We've had that experience before and we brought about this constitution in order not to allow that to reoccur'' and expressed shock over what he believes is over-concentration on this subject matter, saying ''I'm astonished about how much public energy has been wasted, I say so with the greatest of respect, been wasted in an area on an issue where there is so much clarity and I'm happy that the court''. Addressing the matter during a panel discussion on Peace FM's ''Kokrokoo'', Nana Ofori Owusu asked the critics to respect the court. "The outcomes of the courts, we all have to live with it. Expressing our opinions too is our right that maybe we don't agree with the ruling but if you don't agree with it, we cannot bastardize the institution," he said. To him, this ruling is ''going to have a serious effect on the entire governance structure of this nation. So, we need to start thinking through it, start looking at the ramifications, start preparing ourselves in our we're going to conduct business of governance [from] henceforth from the parliamentary level all the way to the Assembly and how we will work to move forward". He charged any person objecting to the ruling to should seek a review but not make utterances to soil the image of the Judiciary. Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Deputy Communications Director of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), Mame Yaa Aboagye, has slammed Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin for using what she terms as "foul language" on the President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo. President's Stance President Nana Addo, commenting on the recent Supreme Court ruling that says a "Deputy Speaker is entitled to be counted as a member of Parliament for quorum" and can as well "vote and take part in the decision of parliament", expressed dissenting views to the criticisms against the ruling. He explained that, "our Speaker is expressly not a member of the Assembly, that's why he doesn't have the right to vote. In fact, he is really not even to participate in the deliberations of the House. He is the referee making sure that the debate is conducted properly and the rules of procedure or the orders of the House are complied with. That's his role". The President also added, "that is not the case with the Deputy of Speaker and that matter is transparent on the face of our constitution. Indeed, even the Presiding members of our district Assemblies, they have the right to vote. Look at the district Assembly law because they are members of the Assembly and once you are a member of the Assembly, you are representing certain constituencies." "The legislative power of Parliament [that is vested] that is of the State which is vested in Parliament is subject to the provisions of the constitution. All organs of the Ghanaian State including me as the Head of Executive, we are all subject to the teachings of the constitution. There is nobody in the Ghanaian State that is above the fundamental law of the land," he expounded. He also stressed; "If you are denied the right to vote, [it will mean] it is tantamount to denying the right of the people you represent to have a say in the decision of the Assembly. That will not be right. So, I couldn't understand all this furore and controversy artificially generated". Speaker Rebukes President But the Speaker, in response to the President, described the court ruling as a ''reckless incursion into the remit of Parliament''. He labeled the President's statements as ''myopic'' saying, "I have resisted the temptation of making a comment on the judgment of the Supreme Court on the issue of the voting rights of Deputy Speakers when presiding. But the unfortunate and myopic comment of the President has compelled me to let it out. The SC decision, is to say the least, not only an absurdity but a reckless incursion into the remit of Parliament". "The trend of unanimity is equally troubling. It doesnt help explore and expand our legal jurisprudence. The Presidents comment is myopic and unfortunate. It only goes to worsen the schism between the Executive and Parliament," Rt. Hon. Alban Bagbin further said in a statement issued by him. Mame Yaa Fires Back Mame Yaa Aboagye bemoaned the Speaker's reply to the President saying he (Bagbin) must know his position goes with responsibilities and one of which is to use decorous language. She rebuked the Speaker saying, "you don't use words like myopic, reckless among others for the First Gentleman of the country when speaking to him in your capacity as Speaker of Parliament. As a Speaker, you are bound by your conventions to use appropriate words. For me, Speaker Bagbin was harsh and should retract his words". Mame Yaa Aboagye called for an apology from Mr. Bagbin stressing, "he must take back his words, apologize and act honorably as a Speaker. This behaviour doesn't suit the sanctity of his office''. The NPP Deputy Communications Director however applauded the President for giving an insightful interpretation to the court ruling. "You know His Excellency Nana Akufo-Addo is an excellent lawyer and knows the constitution of Ghana so well. He gave an apt comment showing his unmatched understanding of legal issues. Any person who wants to be fair and objective should go back and listen to the President or read his comment online and will understand that he was absolutely right in what he said. This is the man that we all have to support; such an intelligent leader. NPP is indeed the right party for Ghanaians. I have no doubts we will win the 2024 elections," she asserted. 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 An aspiring Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Odeneho Kwaku Appiah (popularly known as COKA), has stated that the party requires a new direction and leadership to restore it to its status as a formidable force. He stated that although the party had been winning the popular votes in the Ashanti Region, its performance had been declining over the years while that of the main opposition party the National Democratic Congress (NDC) had been increasing. Using the figures of the last two general elections as a test case, Mr Appiah said the NPP polled a total of 75 per cent of the total votes in 2016 presidential elections and decreased to 72 per cent in the 2020 election. During the same period, he said the NDC improved its performance from 23 per cent to 26 per cent and so he was of the view that something was not going right and called for a change in attitude towards party activities. Leadership Odeneho Appiah stated this in an interview with the media in Kumasi to publicly announce his intention to contest the Ashanti Regional chairmanship of the party. With the dwindling numbers of the party at the polls in the region, he gave an assurance that he would move into action and bring all party members together under one umbrella to tackle the battle ahead. He said for the party to retain power and break the eight, there was the need to change the current leadership of the party and replace it with a new one with the zeal and purpose to help the party achieve its objective. Strategy Under his leadership as regional chairman, he said, there would be the need to adopt new strategies which should translate into the kind of leaders the party would elect even at the national level to run the affairs to break the eight as it desired to. He observed that some of the things that happened during the last constituency primaries affected voter turnout in the December 2020 election. He said a whopping 517,000 registered voters did not turn out to cast their ballot and added that there was the need to get all those registered voters to come out during election time to vote. According to him, the number of people who did not turn out to vote in the last election in the region were more than the voter population of the Savannah and North East Regions combined. He wondered how that large number of voters did not turn out to vote when the voter registration was done just three months before the polls. Address concerns According to him, the party ought to pay serious attention to some of the things and ensure that everyone was brought to table to help in maintaining the party in power. Odeneho Appiah, who is currently the Afigya Kwabre South Constituency Chairman of the NPP, said democracy is about numbers and we do not have to sideline anyone. Aside from voter apathy which he identified as affecting the party, he said former party executives who had finished serving their terms do not get involved in party activities anymore. We do not have to allow them waste away. We need to bring all of them together to contribute their ideas and resources to move the party forward, he said. Odeneho Appiah said he would reach out to all those who felt abandoned in one way or the other and bring everybody together and unite the party for victory. 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. Featured Video Chief Executive Officer of the State Transport Corporation (STC), Nana Akomea, has scolded Ex-President John Mahama and the Minority Leader in Parliament, Haruna Iddrisu over their comments regarding the Supreme Court verdict on Deputy Speakers' right to be counted as Members of Parliament and vote in the August House. The Supreme Court, by a unanimous decision, ruled that a "Deputy Speaker is entitled to be counted as a Member of Parliament for quorum" and can "vote and take part in the decision of Parliament". But the former President fears the court has set a "dangerous precedent of judicial interference in Parliamentary procedure for the future". The Minority Leader, also passing a remark on the ruling, believes the verdict is in support of the government's e-levy pending approval and implementation. Addressing the issue on Peace FM's ''Kokrokoo'' programme, Nana Akomea rebuked the two leaders stating emphatically that, "what President Mahama and Mr. Haruna Iddrisu said are uncalled-for. It doesn't befit elders, especially President Mahama. The Supreme Court has made its judgement; not everyone will agree with them. There's nothing wrong with that. You can say, when you also scrutinize the law, you disagree with the Supreme Court". To him, it is insulting to the Supreme Court for these leaders to utter such words about the Judges' ruling. " . . it's an insult to say the Supreme Court judgement wasn't based on the law but has a different basis. What you mean it's the court didn't look at the law to give the judgement but rather they looked at other considerations. When you say the court judgment is mischievous and a judgement of convenience, then it means they look at something different from the law. You have insulted them," he exclaimed. He continued; ''Elders like President Mahama and Haruna Iddrisu shouldn't say that . . If you are a former President and I have belief that you still want to be a President and you undermine the Supreme Court in this way, how are you going to work with them?'' Nana Akomea cautioned Ex-President Mahama, Haruna Iddrisu and the likes to refrain from making those comments about the court. ''Such statements shouldn't have emerge from President Mahama's mouth or the mouth of Haruna Iddrisu. It's distasteful . . . They should set a better example!", he admonished. Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The Chief Executive Officer of the State Transport Corporation (STC), Nana Akomea, has deflated all arguments that Parliament is a master of their own, therefore the Supreme Court giving a verdict on the Deputy Speakers of Parliament is an interference of the parliamentary rules. The Supreme Court has come under intense public heat after a seven-member panel unanimously ruled that a "Deputy Speaker is entitled to be counted as a Member of Parliament for quorum" and can "vote and take part in the decision of Parliament". While some critics like former President John Mahama say the Supreme Court, by their ruling, has set a "dangerous precedent of judicial interference in Parliamentary procedure for the future", others like the Member of Parliament for Ningo-Prampram, Sam Nartey George, describe the decision as "despicable". In a series of tweets, he said; The sham called Justice delivery in our Republic. Despicable! he said in a tweet. "Abi we all go dey the Chamber inside. Come and give the referee the ball to play some let us see. The sweetness of the pudding is in its eating." The Supreme Court, to some critics, is by this ruling interfered with the business of Parliament because, to them, the House has its own rules and regulations. Reacting to the issue, Nana Akomea noted that Parliament has no choice but to obey the Supreme Court ruling. Speaking to host Kwami Sefa Kayi on Peace FM's 'Kokrokoo' programme, he emphasized; "If they refuse, it means Parliament is breaking the law. It's a very simple matter; it means you're breaking the law. So, you cannot refuse." He expounded that, "there is no contradiction in what the Supreme Court is saying. They are saying they cannot give rules for Parliament, so go and do your rules. There's no contradictions. How Parliament, the procedure that Parliament will use to obey the law is left to Parliament. That's why we say Parliament is the master of its own rules but Parliament is not a master of its own laws. Parliament is subject to the law''. To him, the Legislative House must begin implementing the verdict because "they cannot and they will not choose to disobey what the court has said". "They would have to bring a procedure to allow the Deputy Speakers to vote because that is the law," he stressed. Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Seasoned Journalist, Kwesi Pratt Jnr., has refuted claims that the Supreme Court is the final arbiter when it comes to issues bordering on the laws of the country. The Supreme Court has been challenged by some notable people in Parliament and the soceity following its verdict that a Deputy Speaker of Parliament is a Member of Parliament and can actively take part in decision-making in the House. The court specifically said a "Deputy Speaker is entitled to be counted as a Member of Parliament for quorum" and can "vote and take part in the decision of Parliament". Some critics have agreed to the court ruling while others also share dissenting views. Critics like former President John Mahama, Ningo-Prampram MP, Sam George and Minority Leader Haruna Iddrisu among others, who object to the court decision, describe the verdict as ''shocking'', ''despicable'', ''sham'' and a support for the e-levy proposal by the current administration. With critics like President Nana Akufo-Addo, STC Boss Nana Akomea and others, who agree to the verdict, the Supreme Court has finally settled the dispute and their ruling holds. However, they direct the opposition to seek review of the verdict from the Apex Court. President Akufo-Addo, declaring his position, said "the legislative power of Parliament [that is vested] that is of the State which is vested in Parliament is subject to the provisions of the constitution. All organs of the Ghanaian State including me as the Head of Executive, we are all subject to the teachings of the constitution. There is nobody in the Ghanaian State that is above the fundamental law of the land". He added that, ''if they are denied the right to vote, [it will mean] it is tantamount to denying the right of the people you represent to have a say in the decision of the Assembly. That will not be right. So, I couldn't understand all this furore and controversy artificially generated". Wading into the discussions on the Supreme Court ruling, Kwesi Pratt sought to disabuse the minds of Ghanaians regarding the seeming absolute authority vested in the Supreme Court to adjudicate cases. He further accentuated that, ''the Supreme Court has never been or will never be the final authority on anything including the law. The Supreme Court exercises the power of the people. The Supreme Court acts in the name of the people. We have apportioned our sovereignty to the Supreme Court. So, ultimately, it is the people of Ghana who are the supreme-authority''. Mr. Pratt also argued that the Supreme Court can be abolished by Ghanaians. ''The constitution itself, it has provisions for amendment. Am I lying? So, at any time, the people of Ghana can decide to amend the constitution. Indeed, the people of Ghana, they have a right to abolish the Supreme Court [yes] and set up something in its place. The Supreme Court, as currently constituted, is a constitutional creature; so, if you change the constitution, you can change the provisions on the establishment of the Supreme Court and the Supreme Court will become a new creature.'' He strongly held that assertion that the ''Supreme Court is the final authority and so on, [it] is not true. It cannot be true at least at the level of theory because they are acting in our name''. Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov announced sanctions for President Joe Biden, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, and a string of senior U.S. officials as President Vladimir Putin hit back in revenge for harsh sanctions. The announcement came as Washington was unveiling fresh sanctions on President Alexander Lukashenko, Moscow's ally in Belarus, and 11 key Russian defense officials. The Russian move effectively bars Biden and 12 other U.S. figures - including Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, C.I.A. director Bill Burns - from entering Russia. Daleep Singh, an economist on the National Security Council who is seen as the architect of sanctions on Russia, also makes the list. The list also includes high-profile figures such as White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki as well as the president's troubled son Hunter. Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who was also named on the list saw the funny side. 'I want to thank the Russian Academy for this Lifetime Achievement Award,' she said in a tweet. In a statement, the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it was acting 'in response to a series of unprecedented sanctions' and was imposing its own measures 'on the basis of reciprocity.' The sanctions come after weeks of increasing pressure on Moscow, as the U.S. and allies try to isolate Russia and Putin's cronies. Russian forces have apparently stalled in Ukraine, and have made little progress in takin the capital Kyiv. Instead they have kept up a bombardment of Ukrainian cities and used long-range missile to attack targets in the west of the country. The State Department added to its list of sanctions on Tuesday, barring Lukashenko and his family from entering the U.S. or doing business with Americans. 'Today's designations demonstrate the United States will continue to impose concrete and significant consequences for those who engage in corruption or are connected to gross violations of human rights,' said Office of Foreign Assets Control Director Andrea Gacki. 'We condemn Russia's attacks on humanitarian corridors in Ukraine and call on Russia to cease its unprovoked and brutal war against Ukraine.' The US has previously hit Belarus with sanctions because of its backing for the Russian invasion, extending export control policies to the country. The 13 Americans sanctioned by Moscow; Joe Biden - president Antony Blinken - secretary of state Lloyd Austin - secretary of defense Mark Milley - chairman of the joint chiefs of staff Jake Sullivan - national security adviser Bill Burns - CIA director Jen Psaki - White House press secretary Daleep Singh - deputy national security advisor for international economics Samantha Power - USAID administrator Hunter Biden - President Biden's son Hillary Clinton - former secretary of state Wally Adeyemo -deputy secretary of the Treasury Reta Jo Lewis - president of the Export-Import Bank of the US Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The Former National First Vice Chairman of the ruling New Patriotic Party, Mr Stephen Ayesu Ntim has rallied members of his party to work tirelessly to set the new record of breaking the 8 in the political history of Ghana. According to him, breaking the 8 mantra of the party will only become a reality through loyalty, commitment and discipline to the course of the party. He said; 2024 Elections is very unique that for the first time, a party in power has a chance to break the 8 years jinx because the party has worked hard for it and thus deserves it. Time Aso for the NPP to break the 8. Time Aso for Ghanaians to maintain NPP in power beyond the 8 years. Yes, Time Asoo because we have done the job and still doing more. As promised in our manifesto, we have constructed the roads, we have set up the factories, we have digitized the economy, we have created the jobs, we have stabilized the power sector, we have provided the free SHS, we have provided the infrastructure, we have done our part. So it is time for NPP to continue its good works and it will take hard work from all of us here In a meeting with constituency executives in the Greater Accra Region, he admonished them to join his team as they worked together for the betterment of the party. He said he has the experience as a former national first vice and the maturity to steer the affairs of the party in the right direction for victory 2024 and beyond. Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Former President John Mahama has advised Justice Abdulai, the applicant in the case on the voting rights of Deputy Speakers presiding over parliamentary proceedings to seek for review of the Supreme Court judgment. He raised concern about how possible it would be for the Deputy Speakers who had been empowered to vote during proceedings to impartially determine the winning side in situations there were voice votes. The first vote in most cases taken on motion in Parliament is a voice vote, the presiding officer, whether the Speaker or any of his/her Deputy Speakers, is supposed to listen to which is the loudest, the ayes or the nays and make a determination. If the Deputy Speakers are allowed to vote, then they must take part, first, in the voice vote, if you are presiding and can shout aye or nay with your party in the voice vote, how do you impartially determine which was the loudest? What is the determination of the Supreme Court? That Deputy Speakers can shout aye or nay with the side they agree or disagree with in the voice vote? Former President Mahama queried and insisted that the Supreme Court judgment was absurd. He called on Mr Abdulai to apply for a review of the judgment and described the judgment as regrettable, and he looked forward to the applicant applying for a review of the judgment. The judgment was given in a case brought by a law professor, Justice Abdulai, who was contesting the First Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Joseph Osei-Owusus decision to count himself for a vote on the 2022 Budget Statement and Economic Policy which backed the position of Mr Osei-Owusu, who defended his decisive vote in the approval of the budget, although he was presiding as Speaker. The court also struck down order 109 (3) of the Standing Orders of Parliament, describing it as unconstitutional. On November 30, last year, Mr Osei-Owusu, who is also the Member of Parliament (MP) Bekwai in the Ashanti Region, presided over the overturning of an earlier vote of the House rejecting the governments 2022 Budget. The First Deputy Speaker welcomed the judgment, describing it as refreshing but the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, however, described it as absurd and reckless. Source: The Ghanaian Times 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 Single women over 30 in most African Countries, especially Ghana, can never catch a break. No matter how successful you are, people always find a way to rub marriage in your face. Although the people of Ghana are a very religious group, hence, believe that, Gods time is always the best, they never seem to apply that same saying when it comes to marriage. One of the many successful single women over 30 in Ghana who has been asked the when are you getting married question is award-wining Broadcaster, Serwaa Amihere. Although Ms. Amihere has done amazing for herself, her womanhood is not complete without a man by herself, according to Ghanaians. While some equate getting married as the ultimate form of happiness for a woman, Serwaa thinks otherwise. In a tweet on Monday, Serwaa stated that people always assume married people are not happy. According to her, getting married does not automatically make one happy. Unmarried does not automatically mean unhappy. To marry is also not to be happy, she tweeted. Unmarried does not automatically mean unhappy. To marry is also not to be happy. Serwaa Amihere (@Serwaa_Amihere) March 14, 2022 Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video A Ferrari car on sale at the showroom of a dealership at Barvikha luxury village shopping mall outside Moscow, Russia. The Uk and EU will ban the sale of luxury cars, boats and planes valued at more than 50,000, which would apply to models from manufacturers such as Audi, BMW and Ferrari. Photo: Maxim Zmeyev/Reuters The UK has slapped fresh tariffs on some Russian imports as well as a ban on exports of some high-end luxury goods to Russia. It comes as the European Union (EU) has also agreed to ban the sale of luxury consumer goods to the country that are worth more than 300 (253, $330). The moves form part of the latest wave of sanctions against Moscow as a result of Russias invasion of Ukraine. In the UK, a new 35% tariff will be imposed on 900m ($1.2bn) of Russian goods, including vodka, fur, fertilisers, tyres and cement, on top of existing tariffs. Meanwhile restricted items from the EU will include perfumes, handbags, beer, champagne, caviar, suits, and cigars, among other consumer goods. The purchase of some Russian steel and iron finished products will also be banned from the EU, as well as pearls, diamonds, gold and precious stones. Britain is also denying Russia and Belarus access to Most Favoured Nation tariff for hundreds of their exports, which will remove key benefits of World Trade Organisation (WTO) membership. Read more: Explainer: How economic sanctions work "Our new tariffs will further isolate the Russian economy from global trade, ensuring it does not benefit from the rules-based international system it does not respect," Rishi Sunak said on Tuesday. "These tariffs build on the UKs existing work to starve Russias access to international finance, sanction Putins cronies and exert maximum economic pressure on his regime." International trade secretary Anne-Marie Trevelyan said: "The UK stands shoulder to shoulder with our international partners in our determination to punish Putin for his barbaric actions in Ukraine, and we will continue our work to starve his regime of the funds that enable him to carry them out. "The World Trade Organisation is founded on respect for the rule of law, which Putin has shown he holds in contempt. By depriving his government of key benefits of WTO membership, we are denying him further resource for his invasion." Story continues Watch: Chancellor Rishi Sunak says sanctions on Russia 'will already be making an impact on the Russian economy' The EU will also ban the sale of luxury cars, boats and planes valued at more than 50,000, which would apply to models from manufacturers such as Audi, BMW (BMW.DE) and Ferrari (RACE). Russia currently represents around 2% of global sales for Europes major luxury car brands. Motorcycles worth more than 5,000 will also be banned as part of the fresh sanctions, alongside parts and accessories. It comes as several European carmakers have already voluntarily suspended sales to Russia since the start of the conflict. On Monday, EU diplomats weighed up the stricter measures, which also include a ban on new investments in Russian energy projects, after many days of heavy debate. However, there are exemptions included. The new package does not target transactions needed for purchasing or transporting Russian fossil fuels nor are titanium, aluminium, copper, nickel, palladium and iron ore subject to the restrictions. Read more: European markets fall as UK workers suffer biggest pay squeeze since 2014 The ban comes as a direct blow to the Russian elite, according to Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission. In a recent statement she said: Those who sustain Putins war machine should no longer be able to enjoy their lavish lifestyle while bombs fall on innocent people in Ukraine. Last week, president Joe Biden confirmed a complete US ban on Russian oil, gas and coal imports in a speech at the White House. "The American people will deal another powerful blow to Putin's leadership," he said. "Americans have rallied to support the Ukrainian people, and made it clear we will not be part of subsidising Putins war." He highlighted that the ban on Russian oil imports had bipartisan support in Congress, as well as widespread support nationwide amid skyrocketing gas prices. Watch: Why are gas prices rising? This is a step that were taking to inflict further pain on Putin, but there will be further cost as well here in the United States, he said. The UK is also set to phase out the import of Russian oil and oil products by the end of 2022, following similar moves by the US. The government said the transition period will give the market, businesses and supply chains more than enough time to replace Russian imports, which make up 8% of UK demand. Britain is less reliant on Russian fossil fuels than many European countries. Beyond Russia, the vast majority of UK imports come from partners such as the US, Netherlands and the Gulf. The ban is not set to apply to Russian gas. Watch: EU tightens sanctions, but won't ban Russian oil Credit: CC0 Public Domain The interplay between the terrestrial carbon cycle and emissions of carbon dioxide from streams and rivers into the atmosphere is at the center of a new Yale School of the Environment-led study aimed at calculating the amount for the global carbon emissions budget. The study by a team of researchers co-authored by YSE Professor of Ecosystem Ecology Peter Raymond and published in PNAS compiled 5,910 direct measurements of fluvial CO 2. Globally, the magnitude of stream and river CO 2 emissions is affected by seasonal changes, watershed biogeochemistry and hydrology. Global estimates of the flux were uncertain. Co-authors include Shaoda Liu, a YSE postdoctoral associate; Catherine Kuhn, Kelly Aho, David Butman, Ph.D. and postdoctoral researcher; and researcher Guiseppe Amatulli. "This study demonstrates that there is more CO 2 coming out of streams and rivers in places where terrestrial landscapes are fixing more carbon," says Raymond. "It furthers our understanding of important connections in the global carbon budget between terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems." The study builds on Raymond's research published in 2013 that developed the first global map of the surface area of water bodies and their carbon emissions. But in 2013, there were no on-site direct measurements, and the calculations were based on alkalinity and pH and other data, Raymond explains. "We're starting to tone down the uncertainty," he says. "And that's a testament to the folks in the field taking the measurements now." The study found that monthly emissions fluxes vary more in the Arctic and northern temperate rivers than in tropical and southern temperate rivers. Its findings highlight the importance of hydrology in water's role in routing terrestrial carbon to the atmosphere via global drainage networks. "The amount of carbon moved and respired by the Earth's rivers affects the balance between Earth's terrestrial biosphere, the ocean and the atmosphere. Our work highlights the importance of terrestrial hydrology in determining where and when rivers move a large amount of terrestrial biosphere carbon into the atmosphere,'' says Liu, who is also an assistant professor at Beijing Normal University. The amount of terrestrial CO 2 that gets stripped into streams and rivers and then emitted into the atmosphere is modulated by river discharge, the study found. "We are really interested in this connectivity, and we'd like to understand how variability and hydrology creates differences in this connectivity. That becomes important for the chemistry of streams and rivers in particular," he says. Climate change and human impact will also play a role in the terrestrial carbon cycle and emissions from streams and rivers as some areas become dryer and other areas become wetter. "An area of future research will be determining the anthropogenic component of this flux. It's currently unknown," Raymond says. Explore further Streams and rivers emit more carbon dioxide at night than day More information: Shaoda Liu et al, The importance of hydrology in routing terrestrial carbon to the atmosphere via global streams and rivers, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (2022). Journal information: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Shaoda Liu et al, The importance of hydrology in routing terrestrial carbon to the atmosphere via global streams and rivers,(2022). DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2106322119 A map of the strongest El Nino on record in 2016, showing sea surface temperature. Red is higher and blue lower than normal. Credit: NOAA. The climate pattern El Nino varies over time to such a degree that scientists will have difficulty detecting signs that it is getting stronger with global warming. That's the conclusion of a study led by scientists at The University of Texas at Austin that analyzed 9,000 years of Earth's history. The scientists drew on climate data contained within ancient corals and used one of the world's most powerful supercomputers to conduct their research. The study of the past, which was recently published in Science Advances, was motivated by the need to get a clearer picture of how climate change may affect El Nino in the future. El Nino is the warm phase of the El Nino Southern Oscillation, a climate phenomenon that sets the stage every few years for weather patterns worldwide. Strong El Nino events, such as the ones in 1997 and 2015 that brought wildfires to the rainforests of Borneo in Asia and caused widespread bleaching to the world's coral reefs, happened about once a decade. Computer models, however, are unclear about whether El Nino events will become weaker or stronger as the world warms due to climate change. "Much of the world's temperature and rainfall are influenced by what happens in the tropical Pacific Ocean where El Nino starts," said the study's lead author, Allison Lawman, who began the research as a Ph.D. project at the UT Jackson School of Geosciences and is now a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Colorado Boulder. "The difference in rainfall between greater or fewer strong El Nino events is going to be a critical question for infrastructure and resource planners." A 500-year simulation of El Nino intensity from the study period. Although the data appears chaotic, finding how these patterns change during periods of past climate change could hold the key to future climate projections, according to climate researchers at University of Texas Institute for Geophysics. Credit: Allison Lawman Lawman and her collaborators used the Lonestar5 supercomputer at UT's Texas Advanced Computing Center to run a series of climate simulations of a period in Earth's history before human influences, when the main source of climate change came from a tilt in the planet's orbit. The simulations were verified using a coral emulator Lawman had previously developed to compare them with climate records from ancient corals. They found that although the occurrence of strong El Nino events intensified over time, the change was small compared with El Nino's highly variable nature. "It's like trying to listen to soft music next to a jackhammer," said study co-author Jud Partin, a research scientist at the University of Texas Institute for Geophysics. To achieve this, Partin, Lawman and the study's other authors call for further investigations into even earlier times in Earth's history, such as the last ice age, to see how El Nino responded to more intense changes in climate forces. "Scientists need to keep pushing the limits of models and look at geological intervals deeper in time that could offer clues on how sensitive El Nino is to changes in climate," said co-author Pedro DiNezio, an associate professor at University of Colorado Boulder. "Because if there's another big El Nino, it's going to be very hard to attribute it to a warming climate or to El Nino's own internal variations." Explore further Increasing frequency of El Nino events expected by 2040 More information: Allison E. Lawman et al, Unraveling forced responses of extreme El Nino variability over the Holocene, Science Advances (2022). Journal information: Science Advances Allison E. Lawman et al, Unraveling forced responses of extreme El Nino variability over the Holocene,(2022). DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abm4313 A fruiting body of Sordaria macrospora. Credit: Ines Teichert In order to examine tissues under the microscope, they usually have to be cut into thin slices. But it is impossible to analyze whole tissues or living organisms in this way. However, this is exactly what two Mexican research groups have managed to do in collaboration with Dr. Ines Teichert from the Department of General and Molecular Botany at Ruhr-Universitat Bochum (RUB). They used light sheet microscopy and an albino mutant of the filamentous fungus Sordaria macrospora, a popular model organism for studying the formation of fruiting bodies. The group published their findings in the Journal of Biophotonics on 20 February 2022. Optical sections without any damage Microscopic techniques that have high resolution are used to analyze tissues. However, many methods can only be applied to thin specimens. Using light sheet microscopy (LSFM), so-called optical sections are created in the tissues. "In LSFM, a light sheet is projected into the sample with the help of an illumination lens," explains Ines Teichert. A detection lens arranged perpendicular to the illuminated plane picks up the emitted light. In that way, the tissue itself is less damaged by the selective radiation, and it is possible to take a great number of images with an excellent optical resolution at high speed, enabling a 3D reconstruction even at greater tissue depth. Ines Teichert sent an albino mutant of the filamentous fungus Sordaria macrospora with a mutation in a melanin biosynthesis gene and a genetic nuclear marker to Ensenada, Mexico, where the research groups for optics, headed by Professor Israel Rocha-Mendoza, and for microbiology, headed by Professor Meritxell Riquelme, collaborated on the project. They constructed a light sheet microscope to visualize the inner structures of different types of small and large samples, ranging from microscopic cells and fungi to cleared mouse brains and shrimps with sizes up to tens of millimeters. The albino mutant allowed the researchers to see S. macrospora insides from the outside without the need for any clearing treatment. Special light beams In earlier work, the Mexican groups reported a light sheet microscope system for rapidly acquiring multifluorescent Neurospora crassa images using Gaussian light-sheets beams. However, Gaussian beams conveyed intrinsic optical properties that compromised the optical sectioning ability to image the samples over a large field of view. Those drawbacks provoked by Gaussian beams illumination are minimized using multicolor Bessel beam instead. The filamentous fungus examined in the present study is a genetic model system for studying fruiting body development. It forms pear-shaped black fruiting bodies two to four millimeters in size. In addition to the conventional Gaussian beams, the research groups also used so-called Bessel beams to produce the light sheet. These beams are non-diffracting and self-healing, so they maintain their shape during propagation. These optical properties result in homogeneous light sheets that provide uniform illumination. Yryx Luna-Palacios, a Mexican Ph.D. candidate, performed the Bessel beams implementation to the light sheet microscope and conducted the fungal imaging in this work. "Using the two methods, we did indeed observe colored cell walls and nuclei in young fruiting bodies," says Ines Teichert. Using Bessel beams, it was possible to image even larger areas. "This research constitutes a proof-of-concept study," says the researcher. "Now that we know that living fungi can be studied with light sheet microscopy, we will be able to address other questions, too." For example, questions such as the localization of proteins during fruiting bodies development in fungi, i.e. how new tissues are formed. Explore further A new light-sheet microscopy unit enables an extended field of view and reduced photodamage More information: Yryx Y. LunaPalacios et al, Multicolor lightsheet microscopy for a large field of view imaging: A comparative study between Bessel and Gaussian lightsheets configurations, Journal of Biophotonics (2022). Yryx Y. LunaPalacios et al, Multicolor lightsheet microscopy for a large field of view imaging: A comparative study between Bessel and Gaussian lightsheets configurations,(2022). DOI: 10.1002/jbio.202100359 Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain Seventy percent of the world's population now live in dictatorships, according to this year's report on democracy from the Varieties of Democracy (V-Dem) Institute at the University of Gothenburg. "On the same day that we concluded this year's democracy report, President Putin of Russia ordered a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. This war is being waged by the same man who, 20 years ago, triggered the third wave of autocratization in the world," says Staffan I. Lindberg, Director of the V-Dem Institute. The invasion of Ukraine confirms what the V-Dem Institute has been warning of for yearsthat democratic decline, termed autocratization, leads, among other things, to more wars. Trends are showing that autocratic leaders have become increasingly emboldened and do not care what others think. The report that has just been released shows gloomy figures for the state of democracy in the world. For the average world citizen in 2021, the level of democracy is back at 1989 levels, which means that the last 30 years of democratic progress are now a thing of the past. "The figures were the highest in 2012, when there were 42 liberal democracies in the world. In other words, democracies that include things that go beyond government by the people itself: a state governed by the rule of law and fundamental human rights. In 2021, that figure is down to 34 liberal democracies. This means that only 13% of the world's population live in a democracy as we define it in Sweden, for example. Autocratization means that democracies are dismantled, and this is largely done by elected leaders who tear down democratic institutions: the media, civil society, independent organizations and the judiciary. The report also describes how autocratization appears to be changing its shape via increased levels of polarization, disinformation and coup d'etat. The greatest democratic decline over the past year has occurred in the Pacific region, Eastern Europe, Central Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean. "Our measurements show that closed autocracies have increased from 25 to 30 countries globally. Dictatorships are on the rise around the world. Today, 5.4 billion people, 70%, live in dictatorships. When V-Dem classed Hungary as a non-democracy in its 2020 democracy report, the EU got its first dictatorship. The latest report shows that the trend is continuing in the EU, where 20 percent of Member States have been autocratized over the last decade. Explore further Democracy in decline for one-third of the world More information: Autocratization Changing Nature? Autocratization Changing Nature? v-dem.net/media/publications/dr_2022.pdf Xi's insights decode China's success, steer development in new era, experts say Xinhua) 16:15, March 14, 2022 Deputies attend the opening meeting of the fifth session of the 13th National People's Congress (NPC) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, March 5, 2022. (Xinhua/Liu Weibing) BEIJING, March 14 (Xinhua) -- Foreign experts and observers have spoken highly of Chinese President Xi Jinping's insights regarding the endeavors of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the Chinese people in the new era, saying they help decode China's success and chart the course toward high-quality development. CPC LEADERSHIP KEY TO DEVELOPMENT When participating in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region delegation's deliberation at the Fifth Session of the 13th National People's Congress on March 5, Xi, also general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, said "upholding the overall Party leadership is the path we must take to stick to and develop socialism with Chinese characteristics." "Exercising full and rigorous self-governance of the Party is the path we must take to maintain the Party's vigor and vitality and ensure its success on the new journey," he added. Nourhan al-Sheikh, a professor of political sciences with Cairo University, said that from the eradication of absolute poverty to the successful hosting of the Beijing Winter Olympics, China's unprecedented achievements cannot be separated from the strong leadership of the CPC. Under the CPC's leadership, China has fulfilled the goals of economic and social development, embarking on "a path that suits its own national conditions, which has brought important inspiration to the world, especially developing countries," she added. Khalid Rahman, director general of the Institute of Policy Studies, an Islamabad-based think tank, said that under the CPC's leadership, China has become the second largest economy in the world and its development has brought about broad benefits. Farmers work in the fields in Weining, southwest China's Guizhou Province, March 8, 2022. (Xinhua/Yang Wenbin) Notably, China's success in eliminating extreme poverty can be regarded as a miracle, the scholar said. Kingphet Mongkhonvilay, deputy director of the general office of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party Central Committee, said that through full and strict self-governance and anti-corruption fight, the CPC wins support from the Chinese people. The CPC has also strengthened its long-term governance capacity, and ensured that the power entrusted by the people is always used for their well-being, the official said. Volker Tschapke, honorary president of Germany's Prussian Society, told Xinhua that for China, "there will be only one way into a successful, prosperous, and peaceful future, which is the overall CPC leadership, with the very special Chinese way of the very special Chinese socialism." A staff member operates a drone in a field of the Datian rural cooperative in Jiangxiang Town, Nanchang County of east China's Jiangxi Province, March 8, 2022. (Xinhua/Peng Zhaozhi) ROAD TO BETTER LIFE "Socialism with Chinese characteristics is the path we must take to realize the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation," Xi said, adding that "working hard in unity is the path the Chinese people must take to make historic achievements." Anna Malindog-Uy, a professor and researcher with Manila-based think tank Philippines-BRICS Strategic Studies, said "Socialism with Chinese characteristics is the solid guarantee to meet Chinese people's desire for a happy life and the goal of 'common prosperity'." The scholar said that the country's efforts for rural vitalization and agricultural modernization will improve people's life in rural areas. In the view of Cavince Adhere, a Kenya-based scholar of international relations, China has made various commitments during the "two sessions" with an aim to promote domestic development and contribute to the well-being of people across the world. The unity of the nation and the Chinese people's ability to pull in the same direction are critical to fulfilling the commitments, Adhere said. Aerial photo taken on Nov. 3, 2021 shows a wind power field in Luduo Township of Baoying County of Yangzhou, east China's Jiangsu Province. (Xinhua/Li Bo) MORE OPPORTUNITIES FOR WORLD Expounding on his vision of development, Xi said "putting into practice our new development philosophy is the path we must take to develop our country into a strong nation in the new era." Eduardo Regalado, a senior researcher at the Cuban Center for Studies on International Politics, said that China is pursuing higher-standard opening-up and promoting the high-quality cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative, sharing development opportunities with other countries. The new development philosophy, which is being blended into various aspects of China's economic and social development, is of great significance for the world, the researcher added. With its development philosophy, China is expected to make new contributions to the world, for example in ecological protection, said Hamed Vafaei, director of the Center for Asian Studies at the University of Tehran. Sheriff Ghali, a professor of political science at Nigeria's University of Abuja, said that by fostering a new pattern of development and promoting high-quality growth, the Chinese economy will become more dynamic and bring more opportunities to the world. (Web editor: Peng yukai, Liang Jun) Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain Thirty percent of women experience domestic violence in various circumstances but the rate increases during natural disasters such as bushfires, floods, and cyclones while community attention is focused on recovery and reconstruction. A review of 39 papers on domestic violence at Flinders University has assessed the lived experiences of Australian women enduring natural disasters while suffering domestic violence to better inform emergency management policies and improve safety for women in future disasters. So why does it happen? Previous studies on women's experiences did not find an underlying reason behind the violence but participants suggested it was already persistent and that frustrations based on their partners feelings of insecurity after a natural disaster was a catalyst for further violence. For example, almost 47% of female participants in an Australian study who were assaulted for the first time in their relationship, acknowledged receiving disrespectful gestures from their partners multiple times beforehand and foreseeing the tendency for violence in their partners. "Previous research on increased domestic violence and intimate partner violence following the New Zealand earthquakes suggested that the complaints were regarded as sudden outbursts from male partners and therefore ignored. This shows the barriers that women face in accessing assistance from support organizations," says co-author of the review published in the Australian Institute for Disaster Resilience, Dr. Tazrina Chowdhury. "The culture of denial and deeply embedded social structures gave men the opportunity to get away with such offenses because, in many cases, these incidents were overlooked by law enforcement personnel, health workers, neighbors and even the victims themselves who rationalize spousal abuse as an understandable response to post-disaster trauma and frustration for men." Of the respondents in a previous study, 78% strongly agreed or agreed that during a bushfire emergency, women are more likely to rely on male family members and peers for warning information, evacuation instructions and rescue activities which can prevent them from acting during emergencies. Women of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander background have also faced challenges in getting involved in community resilience programs because the management approach of the Australian Government does not often recognize nor include Indigenous gender issues. "Ethnic diversity and lifestyles should be acknowledged and incorporated in planning and policies to maximum the inclusion of women to develop practical and sustainable resilience plans," says review co-author and Director of the Torrens Resilience Institute, Professor Paul Arbon. "Our review highlights there is consensus on the challenges faced by women in Australia, and more research regarding interventions is required to reduce the negative effects of disasters on women. This review aims to inform emergency management practice in Australia and to direct further research to improve the outcomes for women and their safety." "The recurring issues faced by women in disasters highlight the significant need for their input into emergency management policies because people who have lived experiences can inform the decisions about important considerations in an inclusive manner." The researchers say future research should develop better understandings of women's experiences, considering age, ethnicity, education and qualifications, marital status, levels of financial independence and other variables to distinguish patterns of women's changing perceptions of their life situations in disasters. This can develop an improved understanding of women's roles and potential in emergency and disaster preparedness and response activities, and in building the resilience of families and communities. More information: Tazrina Jahan Chowdhury et al, Understanding the experiences of women in disasters: lessons for emergency management planning, Australian Journal of Emergency Management (2022). Tazrina Jahan Chowdhury et al, Understanding the experiences of women in disasters: lessons for emergency management planning,(2022). DOI: 10.47389/37.1.72 Detail views of the fully reduced AstraLux i-band images, which show a field of view centered on the exoplanet host star Gamma Cephei A. The stellar companion Gamma Cephei B, located southwest of the star, is marked with a white arrow in each image. The point spread function of the bright exoplanet host star is subtracted in all images, which are also high pass filtered. Credit: Mugrauer et al., 2022. Astronomers from Jena Observatory in Germany and elsewhere have performed follow-up observations of a nearby binary star system known as Gamma Cephei. Results of the observational campaign, published March 8 on arXiv.org, deliver essential information about the properties of this system. Gamma Cephei is a binary star system located some 45 light years away in the constellation of Cepheus. The primary star Gamma Cephei A is a subgiant of spectral type K1III-IV CN1the third brightest in this constellation. The star is around five times larger than the sun and its mass is estimated to be 1.41 solar masses. In 1988, an exoplanet orbiting this star was discovered that received designation Gamma Cephei Ab and was later dubbed Tadmor. The planet has a mass of about 1.7 Jupiter masses and orbits its host every 903 days at a distance of 2.05 AU from it. The secondary star Gamma Cephei B is probably a red dwarf of class M4 and its mass is estimated to be approximately 0.4 solar masses. The companion is separated from the primary star by about 20.18 AU. The orbital period of the system was measured to be about 67.5 years. A group of astronomers led by Jena Observatory's Markus Mugrauer has observed the Gamma Cephei system as part of their multiplicity study of exoplanet host stars. They conducted imaging and spectroscopic observations of this binary using the 2.2 m telescope at the Calar Alto Observatory in Spain and the 0.9 m telescope of the University Observatory Jena. "We present follow-up imaging and spectroscopic observations of the exoplanet host star Gamma Cephei A, and of its low-mass stellar companion Gamma Cephei B. We used the lucky-imager AstraLux at the Calar Alto observatory to follow the orbital motion of the companion around its primary, whose radial velocity was determined with spectra of the star, taken with the Echelle spectrograph FLECHAS at the University Observatory Jena," the researchers wrote in the paper. Results from AstraLux and FLECHAS observations combined with additional observational data, compiled from the literature, allowed Mugrauer's team to determine a new orbital solution of the Gamma Cephei system. The astronomers used the determined Keplerian orbital elements to derive the system parameters. The study found that the orbit of Gamma Cephei has an eccentricity at a level of 0.41 and the orbital period of the system is 66.84 years, therefore slightly shorter than previously thought. The separation of the companion from the primary star was measured to be 19.56 AU, hence smaller than suggested by other studies. The masses of Gamma Cephei A and B were found to be about 1.29 and 0.38 solar masses, respectively. The researchers noted that the obtained mass of the companion is in good agreement with that derived by them from the near-infrared photometry available in the literature. Based on their new orbital solution for Gamma Cephei, the authors of the paper suppose that the companion star will reach its apocenter at the end of 2024 and its angular separation to the primary will increase until early 2029, when it will exhibit an angular separation of about 1.97 arcseconds. They predict that Gamma Cephei B will be separated from the primary star by more than 1.4 arcseconds until 2043. More information: M. Mugrauer et al, Follow-up observations of the binary system Gamma Cephei. arXiv:2203.04128v1 [astro-ph.SR], M. Mugrauer et al, Follow-up observations of the binary system Gamma Cephei. arXiv:2203.04128v1 [astro-ph.SR], arxiv.org/abs/2203.04128 2022 Science X Network Credit: CC0 Public Domain Since the Syrian civil war began in 2011, approximately 20,000 Syrian refugees have resettled in the United States, with an estimated 130 families resettling in Houston. Prior to their resettlement, most Syrian refugees reported experiencing traumatic events including torture of self or loved ones, death of family members or friends and loss of property, income and self-sufficiency. To examine the physical and mental well-being of the Houston Syrian refugee population, researchers in the UH College of Pharmacy and UH Department of Psychology conducted a pilot study which revealed that Syrian women in Houston are sadder and experience more stress-induced reactivity than Syrian men. The results are published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. "Our data and previous studies suggest that refugee women are at a greater risk of mental health problems, such as depression, anxiety, and PTSD, which increases the risk of psychopathological disorders among this vulnerable group," reports Samina Salim, associate professor of pharmacology. "Displacement from their home country and social strain were the major sources of stress in Syrian refugee females." Using the Afghan Symptom Checklist (ASC), Refugee Post-Migration Stress Scale (RPMSS), Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) and Self-Report Questionnaire (SRQ), Salim and her team conducted online surveys of 94 Syrian refugees (38 males, 55 females and 1 non-binary). Syrian refugee females scored higher than males on ASC (37.78 vs. 31.64), particularly in the subscales of sadness with social withdrawal (28.89 vs. 24.31) and stress-induced reactivity (6.56 vs. 4.86). Similarly, females scored higher than men in RPMSS (60.54 vs. 45.15), including the social strain domain (8.08 vs. 5.18). "Although the new environment in the host country, the U.S., is safe and protected, the new stressors of becoming a minority in a new country, learning a new language, and new social and cultural norms add multiple layers of stress on top of an already stressed and trauma-inflicted life," said Johanna Bick, assistant professor of psychology and study co-author. The team's recommendations for future interventions include the use of culturally sensitive language-tailored community enrichment programs (English language skills, health educational programs for refugees with low literacy, etc.) which will allow greater assimilation of Syrian refugee women into American society. The research found along with inadequate communication, unemployment and being confined to home (without the ability to drive) contributed to social strain among women. "Syrian refugee men, on the other hand, reported less stress related to the social strain domain, as they were not confined or isolated as the women. Since men were the breadwinners of the family, and through employment built social interaction, they were more proficient in English than women," said Salim. In the strictly patriarchal society, where women typically have many children and bear the burden of their care, marriage was found to be a source of stress for the women. "The marital pressures, financial insecurity, and high family expectations collectively create a high-stress environment," Salim added. Explore further Thinking of welcoming a Ukrainian refugee into your home? Our research can help you be a good host More information: Fatin Atrooz et al, Displacement and Isolation: Insights from a Mental Stress Survey of Syrian Refugees in Houston, Texas, USA, International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (2022). Journal information: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health Fatin Atrooz et al, Displacement and Isolation: Insights from a Mental Stress Survey of Syrian Refugees in Houston, Texas, USA,(2022). DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19052547 Bostrychus africanus is a staple in West Africa. Credit: Julian Osuji The African BioGenome Project (AfricaBP) published a position paper in the journal Nature highlighting the goals, priorities, and roadmap of the impressive Africa-led effort to sequence the genomes of plants, animals, fungi, and protists that are endemic to the continent of Africa. Professor Nicola Mulder head of the Computational Biology division at the University of Cape Town (UCT) and Principal Investigator of H3ABioNet an institutional partner to AfricaBP, is one of three advisory board members to this important project. Following its pilot launch in June 2021, AfricaBP now hosts 109 African scientists and 22 African organizations, representing researchers, institutions and corporations from all five regions in the African Union. AfricaBP is a partner to three complementary large-scale, global genomic efforts including the 10,000 Plants Genomes Project (10KP), the Vertebrate Genomes Project (VGP), and the Earth BioGenome Project (EBP). AfricaBP has built a strong case for the need to understand the continent's biodiversity through genomics and ensure sustainable use of native plants, animals, fungi, and protists. For example, culturally relevant food resources, such as orphan crops, and other staples that are crucial to regional food security, remain unsequenced. This genetic information is important to safeguard biodiversity and improve resilience in response to future environmental pressures such as climate change. Therefore, collecting, sequencing, and storing genomic information on the continentby and for the African peopleis a fundamental priority for AfricaBP. This will build resilience in breeding, sustainable food systems, and biodiversity conservation across the continent to deliver on the goals of the post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework of the Convention on Biodiversity (CBD) and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals while complementing efforts by the Human Hereditary and Health (H3Africa) consortium. The primary goals of AfricaBP cannot be accomplished without support from African governments, the African Union Commission, national and regional agencies, and international partners and organizations. Recognizing the errors of the past, AfricaBP plans to move forward with an equitable process to share the benefits materialized from its activities. For example, it will work with policymakers on recommendations for laws and regulations governing national access and benefit sharing to include a cohesive continental agenda, while following and adapting the Nagoya Protocol for the project's needs. In addition to new policies to support AfricaBP, national governments will need to work in collaboration with regional and international partners to invest in infrastructure to support genomics and bioinformatics in Africa. The estimated cost for AfricaBP is USD1 billion (R1.15 billion) over 10 years. While this may seem like a huge endeavor, such an investment not only benefits the research enterprise, but will have a return multiple times over in economic development to meet sustainable development goals. Beyond the direct benefits of new technology and economic growth guaranteed by discoveries and investments in genomics and bioinformatics in Africa, AfricaBP also plans to develop a knowledge hub for the field. Continuous and sustained investment in the early-career pipeline to support this effortincluding universities and other technical educationwill ensure opportunities for African scientists and incentives to stay in Africa after they have received training through genomics and bioinformatics projects housed on the continent. AfricaBP envisions developing a fellowship for early-career researchers to invest in the next generation of scientific leaders and sustain this vital work into the future. "AfricaBP is not just a scientific project, but a socio-scientific project through which we hope to bring genomics and bioinformatics capacities closer to the African people," said ThankGod Echezona Ebenezer, founder and Co-Chair of AfricaBP as well as a Bioinformatician at the European Bioinformatics Institute, United Kingdom. Roksana Majewska, AfricaBP Pilot Committee Chair and a researcher at North-West University shared that "AfricaBP is a huge, bold, and potentially truly transformative endeavor, which has a real chance to meaningfully support the autonomy, sustainable growth, and long-term wellbeing of African communities." "AfricaBP will ensure that cutting-edge scientific technologies that have mainly been accessible in high income countries are available for use within the continent," added Anne Muigai, current Chair of the AfricaBP and Professor of Genetics at the Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology in Kenya. Overall, AfricaBP is committed to improving food security, natural resources conservation, and open data sharing in an inclusive and equitable way that centers on the priorities of the African people. It is an ambitious and promising project ready to lead the continent onto the next big stage of research and innovation. Explore further Earth BioGenome Project begins genome sequencing in earnest More information: ThankGod Echezona Ebenezer et al, Africa: sequence 100,000 species to safeguard biodiversity, Nature (2022). Journal information: Nature ThankGod Echezona Ebenezer et al, Africa: sequence 100,000 species to safeguard biodiversity,(2022). DOI: 10.1038/d41586-022-00712-4 Provided by University of South Africa - Cape Town Renewable and fossil-fuel energy is produced when wind generators are seen in front of a coal fired power plant near Jackerath, Germany, Friday, Dec. 7, 2018. A senior German official predicted Tuesday that the war in Ukraine and its impact on fossil fuel prices worldwide will provide a "massive boost" for the means and measures needed to curb climate change. Patrick Graichen, Germany's deputy energy and climate minister, said rising global prices for oil, gas and coal will accelerate the uptake of low-emission technology that simultaneously reduce countries' reliance on imports from Russia. Credit: AP Photo/Martin Meissner, File A senior German official predicted Tuesday that the war in Ukraine and its impact on fossil fuel prices worldwide will provide a "massive boost" for the means and measures needed to curb climate change. Patrick Graichen, Germany's deputy energy and climate minister, said rising global prices for oil, gas and coal will accelerate the uptake of low-emission technology that simultaneously reduces countries' reliance on imports from Russia. "The core technologies to become independent of (Russian President Vladimir) Putin and to drive forward climate protection are the same," he told reporters in Berlin. "They are renewables, they are efficiency and electrification," said Graichen. "These three will now get a massive boost." Graichen spoke at the presentation of the annual report on Germany's greenhouse gas emissions, which rose sharply in 2021 after a pandemic-induced dip the year before. Preliminary figures show Germany released the equivalent of 762 million metric tons of heat-trapping carbon dioxide into the atmosphere last year. That's 33 millions tons, or about 4.5%, more than in 2020. Ottmar Edenhofer, director of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, said the rise in emissions last year was partly the result of high natural gas prices that have made it cheaper to burn more-polluting coal. A Uniper energy company coal-fired power plant and a BP refinery are seen beside a wind generator in Gelsenkirchen, Germany, Jan. 16, 2020. A senior German official predicted Tuesday that the war in Ukraine and its impact on fossil fuel prices worldwide will provide a "massive boost" for the means and measures needed to curb climate change. Patrick Graichen, Germany's deputy energy and climate minister, said rising global prices for oil, gas and coal will accelerate the uptake of low-emission technology that simultaneously reduce countries' reliance on imports from Russia. Credit: AP Photo/Martin Meissner, file Wind turbines turn behind a solar farm in Rapshagen, Germany, Thursday, Oct. 28, 2021. The climate change conference COP26 will start next Sunday in Glasgow, Scotland.A senior German official predicted Tuesday that the war in Ukraine and its impact on fossil fuel prices worldwide will provide a "massive boost" for the means and measures needed to curb climate change. Patrick Graichen, Germany's deputy energy and climate minister, said rising global prices for oil, gas and coal will accelerate the uptake of low-emission technology that simultaneously reduce countries' reliance on imports from Russia. Credit: AP Photo/Michael Sohn, File An aircraft crosses a bridge over a highway at the airport in Frankfurt, Germany, Thursday, Jan. 27, 2022. A senior German official predicted Tuesday that the war in Ukraine and its impact on fossil fuel prices worldwide will provide a "massive boost" for the means and measures needed to curb climate change. Patrick Graichen, Germany's deputy energy and climate minister, said rising global prices for oil, gas and coal will accelerate the uptake of low-emission technology that simultaneously reduce countries' reliance on imports from Russia. Credit: AP Photo/Michael Probst, File Long exposure photo shows cars and trucks driving on a highway in Frankfurt, Germany, Thursday, Feb. 24, 2022. A senior German official predicted Tuesday that the war in Ukraine and its impact on fossil fuel prices worldwide will provide a "massive boost" for the means and measures needed to curb climate change. Patrick Graichen, Germany's deputy energy and climate minister, said rising global prices for oil, gas and coal will accelerate the uptake of low-emission technology that simultaneously reduce countries' reliance on imports from Russia. Credit: AP Photo/Michael Probst, File The latest figures mean Germany has again failed in its goal of cutting emissions by 40% compared with 1990 levelsa goal supposed to be achieved by 2020. The government has acknowledged that a huge effort will be required to halve emissions by 2030 and achieve 'net zero' by 2045. Officials say the building and transport sectors in particular are failing to meet targets. Among the measures currently promoted by the government are the uptake of electric vehicles and the replacement of oil-or-gas furnaces for home heating with highly efficient electric heat pumps. The head of the German Environment Agency, Dirk Messner, suggested transport sector emissions could also be sharply reduced if drivers were to limit their speeds to 100 kph (62 mph) on highways and 80 kph (50 mph) on large extra-urban roads. Germany currently has no universal speed limits on its Autobahn network, and the issue of introducing one is politically contentious. Graichen declined to comment on plans by Germany's finance minister to subsidize gasoline prices, a measure that environmental groups say would undermine efforts to reduce emissions. Explore further Germany hits climate target thanks to pandemic 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Rising GDP is often prized by politicians, but theres more to fair and prosperous sustainability than economic growth. Credit: Singkham, Shutterstock The publication of the latest EU Transitions Performance Index (TPI) provides an important opportunity to assess how countries are progressing towards fair and prosperous sustainability beyond headline growth figures. For over 70 years, one figure has trumped all others when it comes to measuring a country's success: Gross Domestic Product (GDP). It is used as the key indicator to measure the size and strength of economies, and rising GDP has traditionally been equated with rising prosperity; a goal prized by politicians, policymakers, and economists the world over. But what have been the actual costs of this quest for perpetual growth, and might there be a better way of assessing a country's progress? Take climate change, a crisis fueled by rising emissions and over-consumption, which both contribute to rising GDP. A reliance on one headline indicator, which is unable to distinguish between "beneficial" and "harmful" economic activities, or inequalities in society, means we may be missing much of what matters for measuring and promoting wellbeing and sustainability. A more holistic view of progress Measuring what matters is behind the development of a new composite indicator, the Transitions Performance Index (TPI), by the European Commission. TPI is both a scoreboard and a composite indicator that monitors and ranks countries based on their transitions towards fair and prosperous sustainability. Its aim is to offer a more holistic view of a country's progress. Speaking at its launch event in 2020, Commission Research and Innovation Director-General, Jean Eric Paquet, explained the importance of developing new indicators to drive forward the ambitious policies that are required post-pandemic. His comments echoed those of Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen, whose State of the Union Address described how COVID-19 had 'laid barethe limits of a model that values wealth above wellbeing." Assessing the performances of 72 countries, including all 27 EU Member States, TPI uses pre-existing, international data from the past decade. Its second edition, which was published on 14 March, points to strong performances from all Member States, most notably Denmark and Ireland; second and third in the global ranking behind only Switzerland. In the report, Mariya Gabriel, Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education & Youth, noted: "Our Transitions Performance Index (TPI) provides a tool for developing well-balanced policies in a complex and multi-faceted reality by keeping track of the recovery and the transition towards a more sustainable, competitive and inclusive growth model for the post-pandemic era." Dr. Daniela Benavente, a Chile-based economist and specialist in the construction of composite indicators, helped to develop and refine TPI for the Commission. For her, shifting the development focus through TPI can be a gamechanger. "We have to change the paradigm of development as not being just growth, not being just economic development, but being all these other environmental, social and governance issues, otherwise it's just not sustainable," she explained. A superleague for sustainability For Benavente, TPI offers the potential to better embed sustainability in policymaking, encouraging and enabling countries to share best practice towards more sustainable futures. She said: "The fact that we're using an index is important, the focus is on metrics and evidence, but there is a normative effect in signaling what it is that matters." Within the TPI, countries are ranked and allocated into five performance groups denoting their status from "leader," "strong," "good," "moderate" and "weak." Underneath TPI's four main performance pillars"economic," "environmental," "social" and "governance"sit 16 sub-pillars which range from education to health, through to participation in decision-making. The latest edition has also evolved to better mirror transitions in the economy and the environment. It has two new key features, including a focus on digital data to capture the role of digitalization in the economy, and a new indicator to track countries' material footprint to better reflect the environmental impact of consumption. According to Benavente, another way of looking at these indicators is that some emphasize opportunity (education, work, and inclusion), others resilience (health, fundamental rights), others prosperity (wealth, non-renumerated time), and others intergenerational fairness (emissions reduction, sound public finances, material footprint, biodiversity). She credited its focus on governance as a crucial component for setting TPI apart from other indicators. "Everything has to do with governance, how you make decisions, how you involve the public in policymaking. Whilst this is not always easy to capture, without good governance you can never achieve resilient, inclusive and sustainable growth." Worryingly, the latest data suggests that despite overall improvements in countries' TPI performance, governance transition scores are declining globally. Building sustainable policies Elizabeth Dirth, senior policy consultant at the Zoe Institute for future-fit economies, has been involved in multiple projects focused on redefining and measuring prosperity, including through the organization's own "Compass Towards 2030" dashboard. She said indicators like TPI are essential, but the key question is how they are embedded in policy processes. "Fundamentally, indicators don't give us a direction of travel. We need to set goals and targets and, while it's really important to have visibility of these issues and their inter-connections, we have to also talk about where we are going, what are our goals, aspirations; what's our North Star?" Ensuring TPI can be successfully applied to policy has been built into its development by Dr. Benavente and colleagues. In contrast to most indices, which cover one year at a time, progress is judged over the 20112020 decade against pre-defined policy "goalposts." What is interesting, said Dr. Benavente, is that the EU and Member States are already performing particularly strongly in the TPI. "It's not that the EU is picking the right indicators, it's that they have understood what good growth looks like and from their policies and targets, their collective efforts are working well," she explained. For the EU, the TPI is expected to play an important role in measuring progress towards objectives under the 8th European Action Program (EAP) to 2030 and the European Green Deal. The European Parliament recently requested the Commission to provide a "beyond GDP" dashboard, as part of the EU's efforts to implement the UN Agenda 2030. Grace O'Sullivan MEP is the rapporteur for the European Parliament on the 8th EAP. An ecologist by training, she understands the links between environmental, economic and social policies. For instance, the EU's framework program for environment policy recognizes the need for economic transformation. The important part is how progress is measured. "There exists a plethora of indicator sets that measure progress by looking at more than just GDP, and these could and should serve as useful governance tools for policymakers. The 8th Environment Action Program recognizes the potential of these indicator sets, like the TPI, to act as a helpful tool in measuring progress towards a more sustainable and just EU," she explained. Bending the curve Whilst TPI offers a way ahead for more sustainable prosperity, Elizabeth Dirth stressed that a 70-year history of GDP cannot be undone overnight. "The challenge is that GDP is not only deeply embedded in our policy processes and frameworks, but also embedded in the technical aspects of how we understand our economic health. Sometimes there's an under-estimation around the decoupling in our mindsets." One of the areas where these trade-offs will be most acutely faced is the environment. Despite certain examples of progress, the latest TPI suggests that most countries have so far not "bended their curves" towards the green transition, remaining on a path of increasing emissions, material use, loss of biodiversity and energy inefficiency. These issues will increasingly come to the fore for developing and emerging economiesfrom Morocco to Indonesiathose which currently perform well on the TPI sustainability indicators but now look to further industrialize. This economic development could hamper their environmental scores. Dr. Benavente points to the TPI's two-page country profiles which include detailed metrics that highlight a country's performance against a range of indicators and use progress arrows to provide a warning when things are off track. "The red arrows are the alarms," she said, 'be mindful and bend those curves!" She hopes that in time TPI can act as a brake in tilting curves, enabling emerging economies to develop but in more sustainable ways. "Clearly, economic growth remains important, and countries want to grow. But the message has to be: grow within confines, be careful and build on your strengths to address your weakness, not one at the expense of the other," she added. In the context of emerging EU policies, post-COVID recovery plans and UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), it is now hoped the TPI can act as an important counterbalance to GDP. Backed up by ambitious policies, it provides a valuable way of assessing how countries are progressing towards greener, more resilient, and more inclusive societies. Explore further The COVID-19 is a unique opportunity to move towards more sustainable and equitable society Dense stands of Douglas fir trees surround South Twin Lake in California. Decades of logging and fire suppression have shifted the composition of forests in the region, favoring fire-sensitive softwoods, like fir, over fire-resistant hardwoods, like oak. Credit: Clarke Knight, summer 2018 Decades of logging and fire suppression have left California's forests prone to drought, infestation and catastrophic wildfire. Climate change is only exacerbating these impacts. But for thousands of years before, during and after European colonization, Indigenous tribes have lived within and among these forests, intentionally lighting fires to manage landscapes and ecosystem mosaics, enhance habitat, produce food and basketry materials, clear trails, reduce pests and support ceremonial practices. A new study published this week in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences combines scientific data with Indigenous oral histories and ecological knowledge to show how the cultural burning practices of the native people of the Klamath Mountainsthe Karuk and the Yurok tribeshelped shape the region's forests for at least a millennium prior to European colonization. The study found that forest biomass in the region used to be approximately half of what it is now, and that cultural burning by the tribes played a significant role in maintaining the forest structure and biodiversity, even during periods of climate variability. For example, while there were probably fewer lightning-sparked fires during the cool, wet time period known as the Little Ice Age, data from the study suggests that burning in the region actually increased during that time, and that forest biomass remained relatively low. "Using multiple lines of evidence, we were able to detect an influence on forest conditions by native people and show that their stewardship kept these forests at a stable, lower level of biomass for at least a millennia," said study lead author Clarke Knight, who completed the research as a graduate student at the University of California, Berkeley. "The idea that we need to just let nature take its course really underestimates the management need, because these woods were actively managed for at least a thousand years and probably longer." A recent study in the Sierra Nevada found that the density of trees in that region has also increased dramatically over the past century by a factor of six- to sevenfold, contributing to more severe wildfire. Understanding both the stable, historical state of California's forests, as well as the role of human stewardship in maintaining them, will be key to California's success in reducing the risk of catastrophic wildfire, while effectively managing its forests for climate change mitigation. "California is expecting its forests to do a fair bit of carbon storage to help meet its greenhouse gas emissions goals," said study senior author John Battles, a professor of forest ecology at UC Berkeley. "But more and more, we are finding that the resilient forests that were here in the past looked nothing like what we have now, and to get a fire-safe forest, we might have to sacrifice a lot of carbon storage. It's a well-known trade-off, but these findings bring it into stark relief." Managing California's fire-adapted landscapes For thousands of years, Indigenous peoples have used intentional burning and other forms of resource stewardship to help care for California's fire-adapted landscapes, and these practices are integral to many tribal cultures. Cultural burning is often guided by a detailed knowledge of the environmental conditions that are most favorable to burning and the effects of the fire. "Fire has historically been the primary tool for people to live in this place," said Bill Tripp, director of natural resources and environmental policy for the Karuk tribe, in a video produced by the tribe. "Not only is it rooted into practices that were traditionally employed at different times of the year, it was deeply rooted, and remains deeply rooted, in the ceremonial practices of the Karuk people." Research has shown that fire suppression policies in the Klamath Mountains have led to the forest becoming dense and overgrown and have shifted the composition of the forest from fire-resistant hardwoods like oak and more fire-sensitive softwoods like Douglas fir. The inability to burn has also impeded the rights and cultural expression of the Karuk and Yurok people and depleted the supply of traditional foods and other resources on their ancestral lands. However, while many now agree that frequent fire was once a fixture of many of California's forests, there remains some debate over the relative effects of Indigenous burning practices versus climate-driven factors, such as lightning, in shaping pre-colonial forests. To better understand the historical role of cultural burning in the Klamath Mountains, Knight assembled a team of collaborators with expertise in both paleoecology and the cultural history of the Karuk and Yurok tribes, including some current tribal members. The team also worked with the tribes to obtain permission to collect samples from their land and conduct research using their oral histories and Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK). For the Karuk tribe, this meant following the principles of the Practicing Pikyav Policy, which is a guide and protocol for collaborative research between university scientists and the tribe. "It really seemed necessary to talk to the people who live on the land to figure out what the story of this place was, because there's so much more beyond an empirical data set about the history of a landscape," said Knight, who is currently a postdoctoral researcher at the U.S. Geological Survey. "Thankfully, they are open to that and were able to share their history and Traditional Ecological Knowledge with us." The study focused on the watersheds encompassing Fish Lake and Lake Ogaromtoc in the Western Klamath Mountains. To estimate how the forest biomass near the lakes has changed over the past 3,000 years, members of the research team collected sediment cores from the two lakes and then painstakingly counted the number of tree pollen grains at each sedimentary level of the core samples. With the help of carbon dating and careful modeling, this data could be used to estimate forest biomass at different times in the past. Likewise, charcoal counts in the sediment cores revealed how often fires had once burned near the lakes. Clues about the timing of historical fires were also obtained by examining nearby trees for fire scars and comparing the years of burning from tree rings. Study co-author Frank Lake, a research ecologist for the U.S. Forest Service and a Karuk descendant growing up among the Karuk and Yurok tribes, helped integrate this data with tribal histories and traditional knowledge. In many cases, this ethnographic information helped explain both geographic and temporal patterns in the paleoecological and fire history records. For example, fire scars found near the lakes suggested that fires occurred more often near Fish Lake than Lake Ogaromtoc, which is consistent with accounts that the areas around the lakes were used for different tribal purposes. In addition, patterns in fire frequency and forest biomass during the cool, wet Little Ice Age also indicate a significant human influence on the forest. "If you're trying to detect a signal of increased fire due to human stewardship, having a cooler, wetter climate is a perfect time to do so because it will really stand out in the record," Knight said. "And that's exactly what we found: More charcoal accumulation, more charcoal production, so, therefore, more fires and decreases in biomass that correspond with that fire." While it may not be possible to restore California's forests to how they were 150 years ago, the findings highlight the critical importance of active forest management in the West, especially as climate change brings warmer and drier weather. To help restore fire resilience and reinstate cultural burning practices in the Klamath Mountains, the Karuk tribe has partnered with the U.S. Forest Service and other organizations to form the Western Klamath Restoration Project, which is dedicated to using forest management techniques rooted in Traditional Ecological Knowledge. "In the fire-prone West, not managing our forests is not an option," said study co-author Matthew Potts, the S.J. Hall Chair in Forest Economics at UC Berkeley. "You have to decide how to actively manage a landscape that's at risk for fire, especially when you have lots of people living in those landscapes. The challenge remains in keeping up the momentum and effort towards managing these important resources." Explore further Australia's forests became catastrophic fire risk after British invasion More information: Clarke A. Knight et al, Land management explains major trends in forest structure and composition over the last millennium in California's Klamath Mountains, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (2022). Journal information: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Clarke A. Knight et al, Land management explains major trends in forest structure and composition over the last millennium in California's Klamath Mountains,(2022). DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2116264119 Credit: Jet Propulsion Laboratory A small asteroid hit Earth's atmosphere over the Norwegian Sea before disintegrating on March 11, 2022. But this event wasn't a complete surprise: Astronomers knew it was on a collision course, predicting exactly where and when the impact would happen. Two hours before the asteroid made impact, K. Sarneczky at the Piszkesteto Observatory in northern Hungary first reported observations of the small object to the Minor Planet Centerthe internationally recognized clearinghouse for the position measurements of small celestial bodies. The object was posted on the Minor Planet Center's Near-Earth Object Confirmation Page to flag it for additional observations that would confirm it as a previously unknown asteroid. NASA's "Scout" impact hazard assessment system then took these early measurements to calculate the trajectory of 2022 EB5. As soon as Scout determined that 2022 EB5 was going to hit Earth's atmosphere, the system alerted the Center for Near Earth Object Studies (CNEOS) and NASA's Planetary Defense Coordination Office, and flagged the object on the Scout webpage to notify the near-Earth object observing community. Maintained by CNEOS at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, Scout automatically searches the Minor Planet Center's database for possible new short-term impactors. CNEOS calculates every known near-Earth asteroid orbit to improve impact hazard assessments in support of the Planetary Defense Coordination Office. "Scout had only 14 observations over 40 minutes from one observatory to work with when it first identified the object as an impactor. We were able to determine the possible impact locations, which initially extended from western Greenland to off the coast of Norway," said Davide Farnocchia, a navigation engineer at JPL who developed Scout. "As more observatories tracked the asteroid, our calculations of its trajectory and impact location became more precise." This animation shows asteroid 2022 EB5's predicted orbit around the Sun before impacting into the Earths atmosphere on March 11, 2022. The asteroid estimated to be about 6 feet (2 meters) wide was discovered only two hours before impact. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech Scout determined that 2022 EB5 would enter the atmosphere southwest of Jan Mayen, a Norwegian island nearly 300 miles (470 kilometers) off the east coast of Greenland and northeast of Iceland. At 5:23 p.m. EST (2:23 p.m. PST), 2022 EB5 hit the atmosphere as predicted by Scout, and infrasound detectors have confirmed the impact occurred at the predicted time. From observations of the asteroid as it approached Earth and the energy measured by infrasound detectors at time of impact, 2022 EB5 is estimated to have been about 6 1/2 feet (2 meters) in size. Tiny asteroids of this size get bright enough to be detected only in the last few hours before their impact (or before they make a very close approach to Earth). They are much smaller than the objects that the Planetary Defense Coordination Office is tasked by NASA with detecting and warning about. "Tiny asteroids like 2022 EB5 are numerous, and they impact into the atmosphere quite frequentlyroughly every 10 months or so," said Paul Chodas, the director of CNEOS at JPL. "But very few of these asteroids have actually been detected in space and observed extensively prior to impact, basically because they are very faint until the last few hours, and a survey telescope has to observe just the right spot of sky at the right time for one to be detected." A larger asteroid with hazardous impact potential would be discovered much farther from Earth. NASA's goal is to keep track of such asteroids and to calculate their trajectories in order to have many years' notice ahead of a potential impact should one ever be identified. But this real-world event with a very small asteroid allowed the planetary defense community to exercise capabilities and gave some confidence that the impact prediction models at CNEOS are highly capable of informing the response to the potential impact of a larger object. 2022 EB5 is only the fifth small asteroid to be detected in space before hitting Earth's atmosphere. The first asteroid to be discovered and tracked well before hitting Earth was 2008 TC3, which entered the atmosphere over Sudan and broke up in October 2008. That 13-foot-wide (4-meter-wide) asteroid scattered hundreds of small meteorites over the Nubian Desert. As surveys become more sophisticated and sensitive, more of these harmless objects will be detected before entering the atmosphere. Explore further Tiny asteroid discovered Saturday disintegrates over Africa More information: More information about CNEOS, asteroids, and near-Earth objects can be found at More information about CNEOS, asteroids, and near-Earth objects can be found at cneos.jpl.nasa.gov and www.jpl.nasa.gov/asteroid-watch NASAs Ingenuity Mars Helicopter acquired this image in the northwest portion of a region known as Seitah using its high-resolution color camera during its 20th flight on Feb. 25, 2022. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech NASA has extended flight operations of the Ingenuity Mars Helicopter through September. In the months ahead, history's first aircraft to operate from the surface of another world will support the Perseverance rover's upcoming science campaign exploring the ancient river delta of Jezero Crater. Along the way, it will continue testing its own capabilities to support the design of future Mars air vehicles. The announcement comes on the heels of the rotorcraft's 21st successful flight, the first of at least three needed for the helicopter to cross the northwest portion of a region known as "Seitah" and reach its next staging area. "Less than a year ago we didn't even know if powered, controlled flight of an aircraft at Mars was possible," said Thomas Zurbuchen, the associate administrator of NASA's Science Mission Directorate. "Now, we are looking forward to Ingenuity's involvement in Perseverance's second science campaign. Such a transformation of mindset in such a short period is simply amazing, and one of the most historic in the annals of air and space exploration." Ingenuity's new area of operations is entirely different from the modest, relatively flat terrain it has been flying over since its first flight last April. Several miles wide and formed by an ancient river, the fan-shaped delta rises more than 130 feet (40 meters) above the crater floor. Filled with jagged cliffs, angled surfaces, projecting boulders, and sand-filled pockets that could stop a rover in its tracks (or upend a helicopter upon landing), the delta promises to hold numerous geologic revelationsperhaps even the proof necessary to determine that microscopic life once existed on Mars billions of years ago. Upon reaching the delta, Ingenuity's first orders will be to help determine which of two dry river channels Perseverance should take when it's time to climb to the top of the delta. Along with routing assistance, data provided by the helicopter will help the Perseverance team assess potential science targets. Ingenuity may even be called upon to image geologic features too far afield (or outside of the rover's traversable zone), or perhaps scout landing zones and caching sites for the Mars Sample Return program. "The Jezero river delta campaign will be the biggest challenge the Ingenuity team faces since first flight at Mars," said Teddy Tzanetos, Ingenuity team lead at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California. "To enhance our chances of success, we have increased the size of our team and are making upgrades to our flight software geared toward improving operational flexibility and flight safety." The Ingenuity Mars Helicopters carbon fiber blades can be seen in this video taken by the Mastcam-Z instrument aboard NASAs Perseverance Mars rover on April 8, 2021, the 48th Martian day, or sol, of the mission. They are performing a wiggle test before the actual spin-up to ensure they were working properly. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU Higher flights Several of these upgrades have led to reduced navigation errors during flight, which increases both flight and landing safety. A recent software change already on the rotorcraft frees Ingenuity from its previously programmed maximum altitude of 50 feet (15 meters). The altitude gains could result in incremental increases in both air speed and range. A second upgrade allows Ingenuity to change airspeed as it flies. Another enables it to better understand and adjust to changes in terrain texture during flight. Future software upgrades may include adding terrain elevation maps into the navigation filter and a landing-hazard-avoidance capability. Before aerial reconnaissance of the delta can begin, Ingenuity has to complete its journey to the area. Scheduled for no earlier than March 19, Ingenuity's next flight will be a complex journey, about 1,150 feet (350 meters) in length, that includes a sharp bend in its course to avoid a large hill. After that, the team will determine whether two or three more flights will be required to complete the crossing of northwest Seitah. This annotated image depicts the multiple flights and two different routes NASAs Ingenuity Mars Helicopter could take on its trip to Jezero Craters delta. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona/USGS The first experimental flight on another world took place on April 19, 2021, and lasted 39.1 seconds. After another four flights, six more minutes in the air, and traveling a total distance of 1,637 feet (499 meters), NASA transitioned Ingenuity into an operations demonstration phase, testing its ability to provide an aerial dimension to the Perseverance mission. With the completion of Flight 21, the rotorcraft has logged over 38 minutes aloft and traveled 2.9 miles (4.64 kilometers). As Ingenuity pushes farther into uncharted territory, these numbers will inevitably go up, and previous flight records will more than likely fall. "This upcoming flight will be my 22nd entry in our logbook," said Ingenuity chief pilot Havard Grip of JPL. "I remember thinking when this all started, we'd be lucky to have three entries and immensely fortunate to get five. Now, at the rate we're going, I'm going to need a second book." Explore further Ingenuity Mars Helicopter spots Perseverance from above Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain The need to include nanoplastics in existing regulatory frameworks arises from the increasing number of studies demonstrating the bioavailability and harmfulness of smaller plastic particles, compared to larger fragments of plastic. Currently, three important policy and legislative processes are on-going in parallel that will impact the future regulation of plastics in general, and of intentionally produced micro- and nanoplastics in particular. First, the European Commission is considering the restriction proposal commissioned by the European Chemicals Agency on intentionally added microplastics. Second, there is a discussion about how to define polymers under the European Chemicals Regulation, REACH, so that polymers are not automatically exempted from registration and submission of health and environmental safety information. Third, the European Commission is in the process of revising its proposed definition of nanomaterials. In a viewpoint article published in Environmental Science & Technology, researchers address regulatory concerns related to intentionally produced nanoplastics and outline how the inclusion of the three above-mentioned policy and legislative processes could impact the future regulation of nanoplastics. The discussion in the paper is about whether, nanoplastics could be classified as microplastics, nanomaterials, or polymers for regulatory purposes, According to the researchers, there is no credible scientific reason not to include nanoplastics in existing regulations as they meet all the criteria of chemicals and nanomaterials. Emerging knowledge on the harmfulness of nanoplastics is a strong motivation for including intentionally produced nanoplastics in relevant regulations, as particle-specific hazards may be relevant. The researchers point out that since molecular weight and particle size are inter-convertible, it doesn't matter which parameter is chosen as the basis for regulation. However, given the huge effort that has already gone into shaping REACH for nanomaterials, the practical approach would be to include nanoplastics in the regulation of nanomaterials. Explore further Polystyrene nanoplastics inhibit key signaling pathways for activation of immune T cells More information: Fazel Abdolahpur Monikh et al, Can Current Regulations Account for Intentionally Produced Nanoplastics?, Environmental Science & Technology (2022). Fazel Abdolahpur Monikh et al, Can Current Regulations Account for Intentionally Produced Nanoplastics?,(2022). DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.2c00965 The oil droplets symbolize the pop-up factories (RAINs). Depending on the signal strength, RAINs can assume different sizes and also fuse to then trigger global cell responses. Credit: Lisa Maria Martin, Charlotte Kayser, MDC A living cell is exposed to a variety of stimuli. Countless messengers dock on its surface, where receptors in the cell membrane receive the incoming "orders." Signaling cascades are then triggered inside the cell, which ultimately responds by producing or breaking down substances, or by switching genes on and off in the cell nucleus. So far so clear. But what's exactly going on here? Researchers at the Max Delbruck Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association (MDC) have now discovered that the processes are far more complex than previously thought. Andreas Bock is the co-last author of the study that has been published in the journal Cell and recently headed the Receptor Signaling Lab at the MDC. He is now a professor at Leipzig University. There are more than 800 different G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), which together make up the most important group of membrane proteins. The surface of a single cell can have up to 100 different GPCRs, each of which responds to very different external signaling molecules. "So you have this very high level of specificity on the outside, but only a handful of molecules inside the cell that respond to activation," Bock says. "And yet they perform multiple and completely different tasks." How exactly this works is something scientists have puzzled over for a long time. Communication via nanometer-sized spaces One of the molecules working inside the cell is cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP). If the cardiac muscle cells are stimulated with adrenaline, for example, cAMP levels increase, causing the heart to beat faster and with more force. If the same cells are stimulated with prostaglandin, however, the same amount of cAMP is produced and yet the cardiac muscle barely reacts. Using a technique known as fluorescence microscopy, researchers examined isolated single cells to find out how cAMP signals from two different receptors are generated and processed simultaneously within a cell. One of the receptors is important for insulin secretion, while the other influences heart and lung function. They discovered that tiny domains with a radius of 30 to 60 nanometers are formed at the site of the activated receptor. Bock compares these nanospaces to pop-up factories that form just beneath the cell membrane and get to work the moment an "order" comes in. "When one such nanospace reaches full capacity, the cAMP spills over into the next, and so the signaling cascade travels down into the cell interior," he says. Dr. Charlotte Kayser explains that the discovery of nanodomains greatly increases the complexity of cellular signaling pathways. Kayser is co-first author of the study, together with Dr. Selma Anton, a former Ph.D. student at the MDC, and Dr. Isabella Maiellaro, also a former group member and now at the University of Nottingham. "The signals that originate at the GPCR initially remain at the local site and only affect the enzymes in their immediate vicinity," she says. "Other regions of the cell are not affected by them, which allows signaling pathways to be turned on and off very precisely." Scientists have long regarded the cytosol liquid inside a cell as a large "swimming pool" in which everything floats around freely. But it seems that previously unknown structureswhich MDC researchers are now calling "signaling nanoarchitecture"exist in this liquid and can be switched on as needed. "We can't visualize these nanospaces yet," Bock says. But he suspects that cAMP is kept within the tiny spaces by a gel-like structure. These could be large scaffold proteins, for example, or cAMP-degrading enzymes that use a high concentration of cAMP to create a boundary between the cytosol and the nanodomain. What does this discovery mean for cell biology? It seems, therefore, that a cell is not in fact a switch that can either be "on" or "off." The co-last author and initiator of the project Professor Martin Lohse from ISAR Bioscience in Munich explains that it functions more like a chip that processes many signals simultaneously over a very small area. "This is very important for neurons, for example, as it allows them to process different signals at each of their various protrusions: one site can be activated while another lies dormant and a third is inhibited," he says. It is not yet clear what impact this discovery will have on medicine, but Bock suspects that it will open up a new field of research. Future therapeutic agents could be developed to target individual components of these nanodomains, and thus act with much more precision or have fewer side effects. When the scientists exposed the cell to low concentrations of messengers, the nanodomains were clearly delineated. At higher concentrations, the spaces began to merge. That, too, could have therapeutic relevance: "For substances that stimulate receptors to varying degreeslike different opioids, for examplethis could mean the effects produced would differ not only quantitively but also qualitatively depending on whether the cAMP signals triggered in the cell remain confined to the immediate vicinity or encompass the entire cell," Lohse adds. For now, however, the researchers need to gain a better understanding of how these tiny pop-up factories are built. Initial findings suggest that such nanodomains fail to form properly in diseased cells like liver cancer cells and cardiac muscle cells from heart failure patients. Explore further Enzyme prisons: Cell signaling with just one molecule More information: Martin J. Lohse, Receptor-associated independent cAMP nanodomains mediate spatiotemporal specificity of GPCR signaling, Cell (2022). www.cell.com/cell/fulltext/S0092-8674(22)00191-X Journal information: Cell Martin J. Lohse, Receptor-associated independent cAMP nanodomains mediate spatiotemporal specificity of GPCR signaling,(2022). DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2022.02.011 Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain A leading ecologist from the University of St Andrews calls for coordinated action to investigate the environmental impacts of humanity's emergence from the COVID-19 pandemic. In early 2020, COVID-19 lockdowns caused an 'anthropause'a drastic global reduction in human mobility. Two years later, as restrictions are gradually being lifted, a surge in travel activity beyond pre-pandemic levelsor 'anthropulse' seems imminent. In an article published in the journal Nature Reviews Earth and Environment, Professor Christian Rutz, from the School of Biology at the University of St Andrews, explains how, under the most tragic circumstances, the COVID-19 pandemic afforded opportunities to study humanity's impact on the natural world. He argues that measuring the effects of pauses and pulses in human mobility on wild animals and their environments will help us plan for a more sustainable future. Rutz's team had previously coined the term 'anthropause', to describe the period of unusual planetary calm caused by early COVID-19 lockdowns. The word quickly found its way into everyday language usage and inspired many research projects investigating how nature responded when approximately half of the world's human population sheltered at home. One of these projects is the COVID-19 Bio-Logging Initiative. This international research consortium, which Rutz helped launch in May 2020, investigates wildlife movements before, during and after COVID-19 lockdowns, using data collected with tiny animal-attached electronic devices called 'bio-loggers'. The team has amassed more than one billion GPS location records for some 13,000 tagged animals from all around the worldincluding birds, mammals and a variety of marine species. Now, as the world slowly emerges from this devastating pandemic, we may witness a temporary reversal of earlier lockdown effects. People are keen to make up for time lost over the last two years, and are planning to see friends and family, enjoy an overdue holiday, and catch up with work commitments. "This could cause a global spike in human mobility," explains Rutz, who has given this phenomenon a fitting name 'anthropulse'. A post-pandemic anthropulse would likely have significant environmental impacts, which Rutz and other scientists are preparing to document. Professor Richard Primack, a conservation biologist from Boston University, U.S., comments: "The pandemic caused endless suffering but, as scientists, we simply cannot afford to miss the opportunity to assess the environmental consequences of these pauses and pulses in human mobility." Dr. Marlee Tucker, a movement ecologist at Radboud University in the Netherlands, who collaborates with Rutz on several animal-tracking projects, agrees: "There are very important lessons we can learn for conservation biology and environmental planning. We are doing this work to search for innovative ways of mitigating adverse environmental impacts." The scientists are keen to understand better how different aspects of human activity affect the natural world, including the movements of people, various types of motorized traffic, and associated pollution levels. Ultimately, they hope, this period of crisis may allow humanity to identify a clear path towards building a sustainable future. Explore further COVID-19 lockdown reveals human impact on wildlife More information: Studying pauses and pulses in human mobility and their environmental impacts, Nature Reviews Earth and Environment (2022). Studying pauses and pulses in human mobility and their environmental impacts,(2022). DOI: 10.1038/s43017-022-00276-x Cover artwork from Polymer Chemistry (March 2022). Credit: Flinders University An imaginative approach to polymer surface coating has produced a sustainable way to remove mercury from waterwhile providing a wide range of protection including for preventing metal corrosion and solvent damage of plastic PVC pipes. The smart coating, made from low-cost chemicals from oil refining and other sources, also can prevent acid and water damage of concrete surfaces and be repaired in situ by a simple heating process, says Flinders University project leader Max Mann. "Made easily from elemental sulfur and dicyclopentadiene (DCPD is a by-product of petroleum refining), this new coating is multi-functional which gives us wide scope to use it in a wide range of useful ways and for longer lasting industrial products and components," says Flinders University Ph.D. candidate Mr Mann, lead author of the cover article in this month's issue of Polymer Chemistry. "This exciting new area of research extends fundamental chemistry to several practical applications." "The method for making the coating is safer than methods previously used for related coatings. The team developed a lower temperature process that prevented runaway reactions," adds co-author University of Liverpool researcher Dr. Bowen Zhang. Along with its protective powers against corrosion, solvent damage and acid and water damage, the research found the active coating can capture toxic metals such as mercury. The coating is repairable and scratches and damage can be prepared by the simple application of heat, the Flinders-Liverpool team found. This process is possible because of the coating's chemical structure which allows sulfur-sulfur bonds to be broken and re-formed. Flinders University chemistry Professor Justin Chalker says the research is a significant step forward in multi-functional coatings. "The unique chemical composition of the smart coating enables protection of substrates, active removal of toxic mercury species from water and oil, and is repairable which ensures its sustainability," says Matthew Flinders Professor Chalker, from the Institute of Nanoscale Science and Technology at Flinders University. "The coating is solvent resistant and can also remove mercury from oil and water mixtures, which is of importance to remediation in the petroleum and gas industry." Mr Mann conducted part of this study in the UK on an exchange at Dr. Tom Hasell's University of Liverpool lab as part of ongoing collaboration between the Chalker Lab and Hasell Lab in Liverpool. More information: Maximilian Mann et al, Processes for coating surfaces with a copolymer made from sulfur and dicyclopentadiene, Polymer Chemistry (2021). Maximilian Mann et al, Processes for coating surfaces with a copolymer made from sulfur and dicyclopentadiene,(2021). DOI: 10.1039/D1PY01416A People wait for a train to Poland at Lviv railway station, Ukraine, in February 2022. Credit: Bumble Dee / Shutterstock The UK government has announced a scheme allowing people to open up their homes to refugees fleeing the war in Ukraine. "Homes for Ukraine" will allow individuals, charities and community groups to take Ukrainians into their homes, rent-free for a minimum of six months. Prime Minister Boris Johnson said "historically and by nature" the British people are "very generous, open and welcoming." In return for their kindness, hosts will be awarded a monthly "thank you" payment of 350. Since the Syrian war began in 2011, I have researched and worked with Syrian refugees who have fled to neighboring countries such as Jordan, and also those who have been resettled in the UK and Europe. I have witnessed firsthand how the UK and Europe has welcomed refugees but has struggled to integrate them into their host communities, particularly when there are language and religious barriers. Resettlement in any country creates challenging situations, both for the refugees seeking a new life, and for the communities in which they are resettled. Many in the host communities are sympathetic towards refugees, while simultaneously fearing what foreign migrants moving into their towns and villages might mean for their local cultural and economic environment. Schemes that involve staying with locals are not a new concept, and have proven to be both highly effective for refugees' integration and eye opening for hosts. In the UK, charitable organizations such as Refugees at Home, City of Sanctuary, Refugee Action and The Buddy Project work to match refugees with hosts to provide the best chance at successful integration. It is not yet known if these organizations will be involved in the government scheme. In 2017, my colleagues and I conducted a qualitative study on Takecarebnb, an organization that matches refugees looking for temporary accommodation with volunteers in the Netherlands. We observed Syrian refugees' experiences living with host families and found the scheme had benefits for both refugees and their hosts. The organization is now permanently backed by the Dutch government. The success of Takecarebnb shows how home-stay schemes can support refugees' resettlement and integration, while easing host communities' anxieties and even changing their perceptions about refugees. Findings from my research with refugees in Jordan, UK and the Netherlands can provide some guidance for people thinking about opening their homes to a Ukrainian refugee. 1. More than just a roof over someone's head Welcoming a refugee into your home is about much more than providing a bed. Hosts become the key to refugees' integration in a new society after being ripped from their home. Hosts do this by guiding refugees towards educational institutions and introducing them to a network of local people and potential employment opportunities. Other invaluable day-to-day tasks include providing them with a safe environment, explaining local traditions, supporting language development and interpreting letters and emails. 2. Supporting people in limbo Our research made clear that living in a state of limbowhere one's return date home is unknownis one of the hardest issues for refugees. Hosts and volunteers can boost the refugee's sense of belonging by asking about their homeland, learning about their history, traditions and food while teaching them about local culture. This form of cultural exchange supports refugees' identity struggles during forcible displacement. Another way hosts can support refugees during this time is through art and craftwork. Making art can be a profound way of connecting with others and with one's own experiences, enabling people to express what cannot be put into words, and relate to each other in the process. Our research shows these activities can be therapeutic for refugees in limbo, allowing them to connect with their national identity while developing a sense of belonging in their new community. 3. Hosting is not a one-way street Hosting is also an investment and enrichment for the host's own lives. The hosts in our studies show that as months go by they feel a great sense of connection and companionship, with many stating they had found "friends for life." For those who had children in the household, they found that their childrens' eyes had been opened to a whole new world, learning a new language and culture and becoming more tolerant of those who are different from them. What the refugee crisis has shown us in recent years, and particularly over the last few weeks, is that there are countless people willing to support refugees by opening up their homes to themthey just need a platform that enables them to do so. This time, the UK government is supporting this scheme rather than leaving it to charities to organize and fund it. Johnson said this would be the "best thing for refugees, because they want a scheme that is safe, that is welcoming and that works." However, as wars in Syria, Afghanistan and now Ukraine continue indefinitely, relying on a bottom-up wave of help and hospitality could eventually run out of steam. The UK and other governments should develop long term plans to support refugee integration rather than leaving this enormous responsibility to the public and risk exploiting their generosity. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. TROY The man accused of killing Cambridge graduate Morgan Bates was arraigned in Rensselaer County Court on Tuesday. Ian J. Hasselwander, 28, of Petersburg, has been indicted on felony counts of second-degree murder and first-degree strangulation. His attorney pleaded not guilty on his behalf. Hasselwander is accused of strangling Bates with a tie of some sort and stabbing her twice in the neck, according to court documents. Hasselwander then allegedly attempted to bury her body in Cherry Plain State Park. Bates was reported missing on Feb. 22. State police found her body on Feb. 27 in a secluded area of the park in a foundation hole and covered with logs. Hasselwander is an ex-boyfriend of Bates. Chief Assistant District Attorney Matthew Hauf told Judge Jennifer Sober that among the evidence in the case are statements that Hasselwander made to law enforcement and a recording of an interview, according to WNYT-TV NewsChannel 13, The Post-Stars media partner. There are also wiretap conversations, according to Hauf. District Attorney Mary Pat Donnelly told NewsChannel 13 following the court hearing that the investigation is ongoing. Hasselwander has not confessed and did not lead police to the body. She said did not say what led authorities to find the body or to charge Hasselwander, but said the investigation included conversations with family members. They are not disclosing more details in order to protect the family. Michael Goot is night and weekend editor of The Post-Star. Reach him at 518-742-3320 or mgoot@poststar.com. Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. QUEENSBURY A Queensbury man was arrested for allegedly selling narcotics following an investigation by the Warren County Sheriffs Office Narcotics Enforcement Unit. William J. Miner, 54, of Indiana Avenue, sold crack cocaine to the NEU multiple times during the investigation, according to police. Miner was charged with three felony counts of third-degree criminal sale of a controlled substance and one felony count of fourth-degree conspiracy. He was arraigned before Warren County Judge Robert Smith and sent without bail to the Warren County Jail, where he is being held on unrelated charges. In December, Miner was arrested alongside Hudson Falls resident Edward T. Condon, 58, of Main Street, following a traffic stop on River Street in Queensbury. Police said the pair were found to be in possession of 12 grams of crack cocaine, and the pair was charged with a felony charge of possession of a controlled substance. Condon was released to appear in Queensbury Town Court on a later date. QUEENSBURY A dad and daughter trip abroad to experience World War II history up-close gained a new focus when war broke out in Ukraine. Dan Janssen and his 13-year-old daughter Ruby had plans to trace the final years of Anne Franks journey by visiting Holland, Poland, and Germany, similar to the trip he took with his older daughter Ava when she was in eighth grade. After Ukraine was invaded by Russia, their itinerary shifted. We will by flying into Amsterdam and then taking a train into central Germany and then we will drive to the camp and then to Berlin where we will drop the car off and jump on an eight-hour overnight bus ride that takes us to Warsaw, Janssen said. In Warsaw, the pair will be meeting up with Nata Maievska, a Ukrainian film student studying in Poland. The Janssens plan to accompany Maievska to purchase mattresses and blankets from IKEA to then deliver to a Ukrainian refugee camp. An avid traveler, Janssen said he met Maievska in October 2021 staying at the same hostel in Warsaw while he was there for an international film festival. The two have remained Facebook friends, which prompted Janssen to reach out during this time of crisis. When all of this happened, she was studying in Poland, he said. She is now a refugee since she cannot return to Ukraine, but she told me her parents decided to stay in Kyiv to fight. Maievska is now dedicating her free time to aiding those seeking safety in Poland. The Janssens have been collecting money on the cellphone app Venmo to bring along with them to purchase the bedding and bring it to the refugees. We will be purchasing and delivering the items to be used at the camp that same day, so were really excited to be able to offer that kind of complete assistance, he shared. He said their efforts are solely of humanitarian nature, rather than donating to the military or other aid organizations. Janssen and his daughter are active members of the Queensbury Red Cross Club, but chose to self-fund and pursue these efforts on their own accords. Janssen is encouraging those who want to donate money and help pay for the bedding to contact him by email to meet, or donate to the Venmo account he created: @Daniel-Janssen-PA-C. The pair leaves for the trip on Thursday and will return to the states Monday. 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. Love 13 Funny 1 Wow 5 Sad 1 Angry 0 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. QUEENSBURY Warren County has secured federal grant funding to open 20 new child care businesses in Warren and Saratoga counties. The countys Employment and Training Administration obtained $205,000 in funding and, working with partners in Saratoga County and child care advocacy agencies, will seek to open child care provider businesses to address the gaps that are keeping parents out of the workforce. The goal is to have 10 new child care providers open in each county. The child care crisis not only impacts our families and our workforce but our businesses are also impacted because of parents missing work, higher turnover costs, and the loss of productivity in the workplace, said Liza Ochsendorf, Warren County director of Employment and Training, in a news release. The funding was included in a government funding bill that was passed by the Senate on Thursday. Lynn Sickles, executive director of Southern Adirondack Childcare Network, said that Warren County is facing a child care crisis. Working parents are scrambling to find child care in a limited supply market. The Southern Adirondack Child Care Network is looking forward to partnering with Warren County Employment and Training to increase the supply of sustainable quality child care businesses in our area, she said. The funding application stemmed from a survey performed by an informal child care coalition comprised of members from both Warren and Saratoga counties in 2020-2021. The Employment and Training departments in both Warren and Saratoga counties will help market, recruit and sponsor new child care provider candidates. The Southern Adirondack Child Care Network and Brightside Up, a child care resource agency for the Capital District, will facilitate the required training in each county. Those who have questions about the program can call Warren County Employment and Training at 518-743-0925 or email Ochsendorf at ochsendorf@warrencountyny.gov. Those interested in opening a child care business can call the Southern Adirondack Child Care Network at 518-798-7972. Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 1 FORT EDWARD Members of the Washington County Board of Supervisors finance committee debated Thursday why Hartford Central School had accrued a property tax bill, and what to do about it. Hartford Supervisor Dana Haff said the school bought the 3-acre parcel across the road from its campus in November 2018. The property should have gone off the tax rolls when the school purchased it, but the previous owner recently found out by chance that the property was on the list of delinquent properties. Haff said the property is still listed under the name of the previous owner and, according to Haff, neither the owner nor the school ever received a bill. By the time the school learned about the bill, it was up to $576: $307 in principal, $113 in interest, a $150 abstract fee, and a $6.26 penalty for late payment. Interest on the bill was accruing monthly for almost 3 years, Haff said. I get this call all the time, said County Treasurer Al Nolette. Not getting the bill doesnt absolve you from paying. Laura Chadwick, director of the county Office of Real Property Tax Services, said her staff doesnt go through every property transfer before bills go out. When properties go from taxable to tax-exempt, the exemption doesnt take effect until the following March 1. Salem Supervisor Sue Clary said it was the responsibility of the attorney who handled the closing to inform the school that it would have a tax bill. Hartford Central School Superintendent Andrew Cook said the school would pay the principal and 5% penalty but was reluctant to pay the interest. We cant open the gate for you, said Brian Campbell, committee chair and Hebron supervisor. That would be a precedent. Theres nothing additional we could have legally done for you, Nolette said. Due to a state moratorium imposed in March 2020, he couldnt send delinquent tax notices until earlier this year. In a non-COVID year, the new owner would have been notified in November (of the year the tax was due) that the tax hadnt been paid, he said. Real property tax law allows the county to waive interest but not principal, penalty and abstract fee, he said. Haff wanted a resolution to waive the bill. Cambridge Supervisor Cassie Fedler said that would be opening the floodgate to other requests for relief. The system did work, she said. Al worked within the law. Haff countered with a request to waive the interest and abstract fee. County Attorney Roger Wickes said such a resolution should be as specific as possible so it would only apply to this situation, not COVID, not that they didnt get a bill, he said. If the resolution were worded to apply only to school districts, that will limit who else can complain, Wickes said. Argyle Supervisor Robert Henke said he didnt want to waive the abstract fee. I pay Hartford school taxes, Campbell said. Im totally opposed to this. There was no second, and Haffs motion died. This has been very educational for everyone on the board, Campbell said. He thanked Haff for bringing up the matter. White Creek Supervisor Jim Griffith said the school might be able to claim the bill as a COVID-related expense. In other matters: The county continues to trend up in sales tax revenue, Nolette reported. The county has seen a growth of 24.52% over the same time last year. He couldnt predict the impact if proposed state and federal gas tax relief is adopted. Nolette said he expects sales tax revenue will grow for the first and second quarters, but rising fuel costs could eat up much of the countys profit. The revenues may not bring our costs down, just keep us afloat, he said. Marchiselli grant money for county highway projects is starting to arrive, Nolette said, allowing the county to retire $2.2 million of a $5 million loan it took out last year to cover construction costs. That will help fund the replacement of a bridge in Shushan, he said. Property tax payments are coming in at a higher rate than usual, Nolette said. He expects to see fewer delinquent taxes turned over to the county for collection in April. Foreclosure letters for delinquent 2019 taxes will go out the week of March 14, Nolette said. There are more than 80 parcels from 2018 that should have gone to foreclosure auctions in 2020. Since a new law requires him to meet with each property owner individually, it will take some time to get through, he said. No dates have been scheduled for foreclosure auctions. Nolette and committee members discussed tax payments by credit cards. Nolette said residents can use credit cards for their county taxes after April 1. Towns that want to use credit cards can do so but should make sure their vendor charges fees to the person paying, not the town. Haff said his town allowed people to use credit cards until it discovered it was paying a middle merchant fee. If a town has to pay a fee, its not collecting all its taxes, he complained. Nolette said there is a fee-free solution that he could discuss with Haff. He added that credit card payments are very accurate and the convenience is especially appreciated by second-home owners who live outside the area. Love 0 Funny 2 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 LAKE GEORGE The Lake George Central School Districts search for a new superintendent has narrowed to two finalists, and early next week district residents can meet the two potential candidates. John Luthringer and Christopher Clancy will spend a full day visiting the school district on March 21 and 22, respectively. Each day will conclude with a chance for district residents to meet the candidates. Meet the finalists will take place at 5:30 p.m. on both days in the auditorium of Lake George High School. As the current director of instructional technology at the Queensbury Union Free School District, Luthringer has already had the chance to work with staff and teachers from the Lake George district. Luthringer said he has been working very hard to become a superintendent. As superintendent of Lake George, I would look at how I can continue to build on the foundations of the school, Luthringer said. Both Luthringer and Clancy share a passion for education and both said they grew up knowing they would end up working in schools. Education is in my family, Luthringer said. It was always something I knew I was going to do. I love working with kids which is why I became a teacher, Clancy said. Clancy taught 5th grade in the Queensbury district and was the technology coordinator in the Lake George district from 2010 to 2012. Clancy and his wife moved to central New York in 2012 to be closer to family. Currently, Clancy is the assistant superintendent for instruction and special programs at Canastota Central School District in Madison County. Weve been waiting to get back to Lake George. It is a community I love, Clancy said. Like Clancy, Luthringer said his favorite thing to do is be around students and provide support and leadership. Luthringer mentioned that while COVID numbers are on the decline, schools across the state are still dealing with the ramifications of the pandemic. As superintendent, I will make sure students are getting the support they need in regards to mental health, he said. Luthringer also mentioned that students will need support as schools continue on a pathway to normalcy. Clancy said he has gained a breadth of experience from his varied career in education. He has worked as a teacher, principal and now as an assistant superintendent. Meet the finalists is open to the public, and those who wish to attend should register ahead of time, either by phone, 518-668-5456 ext. 1207, or by email at bartons@lkgeorge.org. The position became available after Lynne Rutnik, who served for five years, resigned in 2021 to take a position at the Schenectady City School District. Doug Huntley has served as the interim superintendent since then. Huntley was the superintendent for the Queensbury Union Free School District from 2008 to 2020, and came out of retirement to step into the vacant position in Lake George. Drew Wardle is a reporter for The Post-Star. You can contact him at 518-681-7343 or email him at dwardle@poststar.com. Love 3 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 2 Angry 0 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Warren County is encouraging residents and visitors celebrating St. Patricks Day this year to make it home safely with the help of a new cellphone app. An app available on Android and Apple phones called Have a Plan was created by the New York State STOP DWI initiative and allows users to plan their night of celebrations to include a safe ride home. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, almost half of crash fatalities during the St. Patricks Day period in 2019 involved a drunken driver. Warren County STOP DWI coordinator Reagan Kelley is urging those who will be drinking for the holiday to make arrangements for a ride. St. Patricks Day is likely to be heavily celebrated this year as people feel more comfortable getting back to socializing. If your plans include heading out to a local event or establishment, dont just rely on the luck of the Irish, Kelley explained in a county news release. You dont have to risk getting behind the wheel and becoming a drunken driving statistic, or worse, a fatality. Use the Have a Plan App, designate a driver who has had zero alcohol or call a taxi, Uber or Lyft. Have fun, but dont end up in the back of a patrol car. Or worse. The countys STOP DWI program has also partnered with local law enforcement agencies to facilitate one of this years several high-visibility engagement campaigns from Thursday through Saturday, March 17-19, designed to reduce the number of alcohol-related driving offenses, injuries and deaths. Love 2 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 NORTHFIELD Atlantic County commissioners voted Tuesday not to investigate the finances of the Atlantic County Utilities Authority, after ACUA President Rick Dovey answered questions about spending $10,000 on a campaign against a proposed trash transfer station. Commissioner Caren Fitzpatrick, of Linwood, had sponsored a resolution to authorize the investigation but withdrew it later in the meeting. She said she felt she had an obligation to question such spending but got the answers she needed. The commissioners unanimously voted to withdraw it. To find that $10,000 was spent on what amounts to a campaign not related to trash or recycling ... we want to know why, Fitzpatrick said in explaining the resolution. Thats what this is about. Councilman Ernest Coursey, of Atlantic City, asked Dovey whether he had authorization from his board of directors to start the opposition campaign. The campaign included yard signs saying Stop the Dump and other materials in opposition to the project proposed for a site off Washington Avenue in Pleasantville. Workers installed the signs around Pleasantville using ACUA trucks that are still marked as county vehicles, causing confusion about who was sponsoring the campaign. There was not a vote by our board, Dovey said. I have the authority to do it, and they ratified it when the bills came due. The trash transfer station would only accept construction debris, according to developer James DiNatale. It would then load the debris onto train cars and ship it via rail to out-of-state landfills. Pleasantville Mayor Judy Ward and other supporters of the project have said it would generate about $400,000 a year in fees to Pleasantville and would lengthen the life of the ACUA landfill. Dovey has said the landfill will be full in about six years and the county will have to decide where to send its waste, which will be much more expensive than disposing of it at a county site. DiNatale has not yet completed his application to the county to start the process for his projects consideration, Dovey said. If he doesnt complete it, the project will die. In addition to approval from the countys Solid Waste Advisory Commission and the county commissioners, the project would also need state Department of Environmental Protection approvals and more. Dovey said he had tried to present information to Pleasantville residents before starting the campaign at a special meeting run by city officials but had not been given the time needed or allowed to share visual aids. He has said the loss of construction debris tipping fees at the ACUA landfill would substantially raise municipal trash tipping fees for Atlantic County towns. Commissioner John Risley, of Egg Harbor Township, said he felt the ACUA had the right to spend money on a public education campaign to let people know about a proposed transfer station that may be built near their homes or businesses. Other Republican commissioners also expressed doubt that the investigation was a good idea, or said they would prefer picking up a phone and calling Dovey rather than proposing an official investigation. Im astounded. Two weeks ago everybody sitting at this table was very supportive, Fitzpatrick said of the last meeting where the possibility of an investigation was first broached. I dont know what happened. This is very very odd and disappointing. But she moved to withdraw her resolution later. Fitzpatrick said at the last meeting March 1 that she had obtained invoices through a public records request showing the ACUA had spent $10,721 on the campaign to oppose the trash transfer station. Several members of the public at Tuesdays meeting spoke up in favor of the work done by the ACUA, which in addition to collecting trash and recyclables runs a solid waste treatment plant in Atlantic City with solar and wind energy fields. Irvin Moreno-Rodriguez, of Pleasantville, thanked Dovey for the opposition campaign, saying it informed him about what was going on in his neighborhood. Moreno-Rodriguez said city officials should have informed residents but didnt. I guarantee you we will ensure this transfer site is never built in Pleasantville, Moreno-Rodriguez said. REPORTER: Michelle Brunetti Post 609-841-2895 mpost@pressofac.com Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. PLEASE BE ADVISED: Soon we will no longer integrate with Facebook for story comments. The commenting option is not going away, however, readers will need to register for a FREE site account to continue sharing their thoughts and feedback on stories. If you already have an account (i.e. current subscribers, posting in obituary guestbooks, for submitting community events), you may use that login, otherwise, you will be prompted to create a new account. With a new age of marijuana sales in New Jersey on the horizon, Somers Point is turning to the public to chart a new path forward for the citys cannabis industry. The Somers Point City Council passed a resolution on March 10 authorizing the city to publish a survey about marijuana policy on its website. The survey, designed by the Somers Point Economic Development Advisory Commission, is to ask residents which types of marijuana industries the city should allow and where said marijuana businesses should be allowed to operate. The survey will go online on the citys website once it is ready. City Councilwoman Karen Bruno, who represents the 2nd Ward, said having a survey would help council better understand the specific thoughts and feelings of Somers Point residents. Councilman Sean McGuigan, representing the 1st Ward, echoed Brunos sentiments and said the support Somers Point citizens had shown for marijuana legalization in the 2020 state referendum could mean that voters only support its legal use and that they might still oppose having marijuana businesses operate within city limits. A February draft of the survey asks residents to choose among a list of five policy options. These range from legalizing all types of marijuana business in the city to prohibiting all of them outright. The intermediary options include allowing for all types of marijuana business except retail; allowing for retail stores, but having them be strictly regulated with respect to their locations, hours of operations, and total number; and allowing for retail stores, but banning the smoking of marijuana in public places. There is also a section on the survey for residents to leave comments about marijuana policy. The surveys summary said commercial marijuana cultivation was not feasible within Somers Point, due to the large area it requires. It left the door open for small manufacturing, distribution and wholesale businesses to operate within the city. Retail businesses are deemed to have the most potential for being able to open within the city. The summary says that both small, boutique stores and larger stores were possible, if developers meet relevant zoning requirements and other regulations. City Council voted in July 2021 to ban the sale of growing of marijuana anywhere in the city although such an ordinance was widely seen as a placeholder act, allowing the council to develop more definitive marijuana regulations after the states Aug. 21, 2021 deadline. New Jersey citizens approved a state referendum to legalize marijuana on Nov. 3, 2020 by a 2-to-1 vote. Municipalities that do allow the marijuana industry may tax the cultivation, manufacturing or retail purchase of marijuana at a rate no higher than 2%, and tax the wholesale purchase at a rate no higher than 1%. The New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory Commission will begin accepting applications for marijuana retail licenses Tuesday. It began accepting applications for manufacturing licenses and cultivation licenses three months prior, on Dec. 15, 2021. Applicants should demonstrate that they have obtained resolutions of support from their local municipal governments. Priority is given to businesses that satisfy certain diversity and equity criteria. Contact Chris Doyle cdoyle@pressofac.com Contact Chris Doyle cdoyle@pressofac.com Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. The more frequent wildfire disasters become, the less time communities will have to recover from each catastrophe. But it can take months for a towns water to be safe to drink again after a wildfire. Thats why Andrew Whelton, a Purdue University professor of civil engineering and environmental and ecological engineering, has been regularly showing up to wildfires with his students and dozens of coolers for the past four years. The scene of people and coolers gathered outside of a post office probably looks like a misplaced tailgate party, but instead of hauling around cold drinks, Wheltons team is setting out to fill up each cooler with water samples. Using these samples, Whelton guides a community on the best way to restore its water systems. The faster we can decontaminate water systems, the faster communities can recover economically, Whelton said. He and his students ship their coolers full of several-hundred water samples back to their lab at Purdue, where they continue researching ways to prevent widespread water contamination for communities in the future. Wheltons wildfire trips began in 2018, when he visited California three times in the aftermath of Camp Fire, the deadliest and most destructive wildfire in the states history. Just the year before, he had also provided guidance from afar to groups dealing with water contamination from Californias Tubbs Fire. The studies Whelton has published since assisting with these two wildfires have attracted the attention of other disaster response groups, which now routinely call on him for input on the best way to decontaminate a water system. When he gets these calls, Whelton rounds up some students and hops on a plane. These trips with coolers could get more frequent in the years to come. Fire seasons have been getting longer, and the Western U.S. has experienced an increasing number of wildfire disasters over the past few years. Generally, when we get to a town that has been impacted by a wildfire, there are a bunch of people who can help, but they may not have the expertise or firsthand understanding of what questions they need to ask or how to answer those questions, Whelton said. We square them up and point them in a direction where they can find their way. Speeding up recovery efforts Whelton flew to the site of Colorados Marshall Fire twice in January. The fire had burned over 6,000 acres, destroying almost 1,000 homes. Amid a whirlwind of meetings, damage reconnaissance and water testing in the area, Whelton had a comforting realization: Various groups assisting the areas recovery effort were already using findings from his studies published just within the last two years. These findings, based on data Wheltons team had analyzed from Californias Tubbs Fire and Camp Fire, were milestone discoveries for understanding the impact of wildfires on plastic pipes, which run through every modern home and building. Prior to these discoveries, studies had primarily focused on how the high temperatures of wildfires degrade plastic, causing it to release chemicals into the air. But Whelton and his students found evidence suggesting that heat-degraded plastic pipes also can leach chemicals into drinking water. These chemicals, called volatile organic compounds (VOCs), are often toxic but not easily detected by color or odor. Together with his students and collaborators, Whelton compiles and cross-checks information on drinking water contamination from utilities in California, Oregon and Colorado. Since the Tubbs Fire, labs from these states have identified more than 60 VOCs that can be found in drinking water after a wildfire. Whelton and other Purdue faculty are continuing to investigate the relationship between VOC water contamination and fire-damaged plastics using water samples from the Marshall Fire. Even though these studies are ongoing, the findings have already made it clear that disaster response groups need to test water systems for these VOCs before deeming drinking water safe to use. A study conducted by the California Department of Public Health, published in February, also found evidence in support of these findings. I was at a meeting in Colorado, and I could not believe that five years after the Tubbs Fire, we were talking about VOC water contamination like it was common, Whelton said. Here we are, at the most destructive wildfire in Colorados history, and the state, the Environmental Protection Agency and others know to test for these VOCs. And then they found them. Looking for answers without a playbook then creating the playbook Whelton and other faculty affiliated with Purdues Center for the Environment, currently transitioning to be part of Purdues new institute for climate, environment, food and sustainability, are accustomed to applying their expertise to a range of circumstances around the country and across the world. For Whelton, this means getting calls to help at the sites of other disasters in addition to wildfires. While assisting Colorados recovery effort in January, he simultaneously provided guidance to groups addressing lingering problems with cleaning up a fuel spill in November in Hawaii. Each of these visits results in a richer collection of questions that Whelton hopes to answer with his research. When a city runs out of treated water and needs to resort to using lake water, as was the case for the Marshall Fire, what are the additional health risks? What are all the chemicals to look for in water contaminated by fuel, such as in Hawaii, and how long do the chemicals remain in the water? Whelton doesnt stop at understanding the science of water contamination. Through his studies, he has also made infrastructure and public health recommendations, such as how to improve building codes to prevent wildfires from polluting drinking water and better inform households of water safety issues. Even though no disaster has the same protocol, Whelton constantly updates the webpage of the Center for Plumbing Safety with playbooks that he and others have written for addressing water contamination. The idea of the center, led by Purdue, is to work with other university and industry partners to give public health groups a better starting place on lessons learned from previous disasters. Underlying problems for disasters to come No matter the type of disaster, Whelton has noticed a common issue. Engineers and scientists are not receiving an education that prepares them to operate in the unknown, which is a disaster-type situation, he said. Disasters require you to look for things that are ill-defined and figure out what to do about them. This means you have to think in a way that is not prescribed. Last fall, Whelton began teaching a disasters and emergencies class at Purdue specifically for this purpose. Through this course, students learn critical thinking strategies and how to interact with various public health and environmental agencies. What Im focused on doing is not only helping engineers and scientists to become good practicing engineers and scientists, but also training them to methodically evaluate health risks when confronted with something that really flips the world upside down, Whelton said. About Purdue University Purdue University is a top public research institution developing practical solutions to todays toughest challenges. Ranked in each of the last four years as one of the 10 Most Innovative universities in the United States by U.S. News & World Report, Purdue delivers world-changing research and out-of-this-world discovery. Committed to hands-on and online, real-world learning, Purdue offers a transformative education to all. Committed to affordability and accessibility, Purdue has frozen tuition and most fees at 2012-13 levels, enabling more students than ever to graduate debt-free. See how Purdue never stops in the persistent pursuit of the next giant leap at https://stories.purdue.edu. Writer, Media contact: Kayla Wiles, 765-494-2432, wiles5@purdue.edu Source: Andrew Whelton, awhelton@purdue.edu Rosemyrta Heick's children learned to bake from their mother. The kitchen was her kingdom, and she'd whip up all kinds of treats, from wedding and birthday cakes to breads and brownies. Her son, Bill Heick, remembers the wonderful taste of her cakes and how much fun the kids had while she was in her element. "She'd always turn the cakes over onto parchment paper, and when she stacked the cakes up to decorate and so on she left the leavings on the parchment paper, and that's what the kids got to eat," he said. The Tipton woman's crowning baking achievement, however, was made without Bill Heick and his twin sister in the house. They went to stay with their aunt so she could focus on making a cake worthy of a United States president. When former President Herbert Hoover came back to West Branch in 1954 for his 80th birthday celebration, Rosemyrta was the one who baked his birthday cake. The Quad-City Times back then The Daily Times covered the celebration, and Hoover cutting his cake. Janet Burch, Rosemyrta Heicks eldest child, doesnt remember exactly how her mother came to be the chosen baker for the event, but guesses it was through word of mouth. The baker went to Miss Farmers School of Cookery in Boston after high school, and since women generally didnt own their own businesses at the time, she baked birthday and wedding cakes, along with other treats, from her own house. She was the only one of her siblings to continue with education past high school. She was a woman ahead of the times, Burch said. Hoovers six-tier birthday cake required seven dozen eggs, 46 cups of flour, 30 cups sugar, 12 cups shortening, 20 cups milk, salt, baking powder and vanilla, with a golden 80 and laurel leaves placed on top. The baker used two ovens and took two days to finish her masterpiece. The topper was the only piece Rosemyrta didn't make herself, and according to the Herbert Hoover Library and Museum, she went back and forth with the New York City bakery that made it to ensure it met her standards. A local lumberyard made a special board for the cake to rest on, with 80 holes drilled along the perimeter to hold all the candles. Burch got to stay with her mother throughout the baking process and attend the celebration with her parents, as she was trusted to not get under foot at 6 years old. The cake was all-white and so massive that the baker waited until they made it to the birthday tent in West Branch to assemble everything, transporting everything from Tipton in a neighbors new car. She remembered watching her mother spread frosting along each tier, carefully layering each cake and placing delicate decorations all over. The baker stood next to the former president as he lit the candles, brushing elbows with history. I have great memories of the day, even though I was only 5 or 6 [years old], Burch said. Great memories. Barbara Scott, Rosemyrta Heick's younger daughter and Bill Heick's twin, said she's always been amazed at the sheer volume of ingredients her mother needed to bake. For Hoover's birthday cake, Rosemyrta donated her time and materials. Scott doesn't remember her mother baking birthday cakes, but she does recall the aroma of baking bread, and loaves lining the counter. "I remember, in our house we had a probably 20-pound flour bin, that's how much baking she did," Scott said. Burch, Scott and Bill Heick still bake, though not as extensively as their mother. Bill Heick makes a mean pan of brownies, he said, and Scott primarily bakes bread and will look at her mother's old recipe cards for inspiration. Burch said she might have been a baker in another life, and the COVID-19 pandemic has given her plenty of time to indulge the hobby. Rosemyrta died 60 years ago this May, her son said. When their father died in 2007, they were going through the family house and found newspaper clippings and photos from Hoover's birthday celebration and their mother's process of baking the cake. They decided to give the materials to the Herbert Hoover Library and Museum in West Branch so it could be preserved for other people to learn about. "It's just going to get burned up someday if we didn't do something, so we donated them to the library," Bill Heick said. Charlie Crispin Rosemyrta Heick's nephew and owner of Popcorn Charlie & Co. in Davenport saw the picture of Hoover cutting the cake in a photo gallery and reached out to his cousins, wondering if they knew its history since they were so young at the time. The whole family knew the story, but as the years passed, later generations didn't remember their relative's brush with fame. Crispin's sons didn't know everything until he showed them the information from the library. "I think I might have mentioned it from time to time, but they really didn't pay attention until I had it in writing," Crispin said with a laugh. When Crispin reached out, it was a confirmation for Scott that their mother's story had been solidified in history. While Rosemyrta Heick was referred to only as Mrs. Harold Heick in coverage of the celebration, her kids have ensured her full name will be remembered. "I was already proud of our family, but it's an honor, for sure," Scott said. "It's International Women's Month I think that makes it all the more special." Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Like most Americans, Ive spent the last few weeks contemplating the implications of Russias unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, including those that extend beyond ever-increasing gasoline prices and grocery bills. As I was explaining to my inquisitive 6-year-old, war is, sadly, a perennial state of human existence. This isnt the first war of her lifetime, and no matter how much we strive for peace throughout the world, it wont be the last. But unlike the wars of the recent past even those in which U.S. troops were committed the fight in Ukraine feels closer to home. The images and stories of ordinary men taking up arms, of women constructing Molotov cocktails in their town squares and of families resolutely hunkering down in defense of their nation are as terrifying as they are compelling. They are hopeful, too. They remind us that when their culture, freedoms and way of life are under assault, many people will risk and even lose their own lives to ensure their long-term survival. What would we do in such circumstances? A recent Quinnipiac University poll posed that same question to Americans: Would you stay and fight or leave the country? A bare majority, 55 percent, said they would stay and fight, while 38 percent said they would leave. When confronted with a terrible hypothetical that would put them in the shoes of the Ukrainians, Americans say they would stand and fight rather than seek safety in another country, said Quinnipiac polling analyst Tim Malloy. Thats one way to spin it, I guess. For me, the fact that just under half of my friends and neighbors would hypothetically abandon their homeland and all it stands for in the face of a foreign invader is less than encouraging. Many people dont even seem to have hypothetical patriotism, let alone fortitude. Further disheartening is that the youngest Americans, those ages 18-34 and most physically capable, were even less likely to stay and fight. Only 45% said they would remain, while 48 percent would flee. Comparatively, two-thirds of the 50-to-64-year-old cohort said they would remain. Thats not wholly surprising given that so much of the recent discontentment with America is concentrated among the youth. Equally unsurprising is that political differences also play a role in willingness to defend our nation. Republicans (68%-25%) and independents (57%-36%) said they would stay and fight, while Democrats said, 52%-40%, that they would leave the country. That seems consistent with our political divide. Many people on the left find America, because of its historical failures and present-day inadequacies, unworthy of our defense. But there are elements of that thinking on the political right now, too. For all the chest-thumping of the MAGA right, a surprising number of people believe that the U.S. much like Ukraine has brought destruction upon itself and any attack would be wholly warranted if not deserved. I dont disagree that we are a decadent society one that has generally enjoyed so much freedom for so long that we have sometimes lost all perspective. To wit, I received a promotional email last week from the childrens clothier, explaining that, in an effort to defend the children of the world from ongoing violence and discrimination, it would donate equal amounts to a domestic LGTBQ nonprofit and an international aid organization. As if transgender policies in Texas and Florida (even if one believe them to be misguided) are the moral equivalent of deadly rocket attacks on a childrens hospital in Ukraine. They are not. America, in spite of its shortcomings and failures, is worth defending. Our highest ideals liberty, equality and democracy would never be truly achieved if we were to turn and run from an invader. While I have no delusions about my ability to fight, if we ever faced an existential crisis like the people of Ukraine now face, I would choose to stay. I hope more of us would do the same. Cynthia M. Allen is a columnist for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Readers may send her email at cmallen@star-telegram.com. 2022 Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Visit at star-telegram.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Rosemyrta Heick's children learned to bake from their mother. The kitchen was her kingdom, and she'd whip up all kinds of treats, from wedding and birthday cakes to breads and brownies. Her son, Bill Heick, remembers the wonderful taste of her cakes and how much fun the kids had while she was in her element. "She'd always turn the cakes over onto parchment paper, and when she stacked the cakes up to decorate and so on she left the leavings on the parchment paper, and that's what the kids got to eat," he said. The Tipton woman's crowning baking achievement, however, was made without Bill Heick and his twin sister in the house. They went to stay with their aunt so she could focus on making a cake worthy of a United States president. When former President Herbert Hoover came back to West Branch in 1954 for his 80th birthday celebration, Rosemyrta was the one who baked his birthday cake. The Quad-City Times back then The Daily Times covered the celebration, and Hoover cutting his cake. Janet Burch, Rosemyrta Heicks eldest child, doesnt remember exactly how her mother came to be the chosen baker for the event, but guesses it was through word of mouth. The baker went to Miss Farmers School of Cookery in Boston after high school, and since women generally didnt own their own businesses at the time, she baked birthday and wedding cakes, along with other treats, from her own house. She was the only one of her siblings to continue with education past high school. She was a woman ahead of the times, Burch said. Hoovers six-tier birthday cake required seven dozen eggs, 46 cups of flour, 30 cups sugar, 12 cups shortening, 20 cups milk, salt, baking powder and vanilla, with a golden 80 and laurel leaves placed on top. The baker used two ovens and took two days to finish her masterpiece. The topper was the only piece Rosemyrta didn't make herself, and according to the Herbert Hoover Library and Museum, she went back and forth with the New York City bakery that made it to ensure it met her standards. A local lumberyard made a special board for the cake to rest on, with 80 holes drilled along the perimeter to hold all the candles. Burch got to stay with her mother throughout the baking process and attend the celebration with her parents, as she was trusted to not get under foot at 6 years old. The cake was all-white and so massive that the baker waited until they made it to the birthday tent in West Branch to assemble everything, transporting everything from Tipton in a neighbors new car. She remembered watching her mother spread frosting along each tier, carefully layering each cake and placing delicate decorations all over. The baker stood next to the former president as he lit the candles, brushing elbows with history. I have great memories of the day, even though I was only 5 or 6 [years old], Burch said. Great memories. Barbara Scott, Rosemyrta Heick's younger daughter and Bill Heick's twin, said she's always been amazed at the sheer volume of ingredients her mother needed to bake. For Hoover's birthday cake, Rosemyrta donated her time and materials. Scott doesn't remember her mother baking birthday cakes, but she does recall the aroma of baking bread, and loaves lining the counter. "I remember, in our house we had a probably 20-pound flour bin, that's how much baking she did," Scott said. Burch, Scott and Bill Heick still bake, though not as extensively as their mother. Bill Heick makes a mean pan of brownies, he said, and Scott primarily bakes bread and will look at her mother's old recipe cards for inspiration. Burch said she might have been a baker in another life, and the COVID-19 pandemic has given her plenty of time to indulge the hobby. Rosemyrta died 60 years ago this May, her son said. When their father died in 2007, they were going through the family house and found newspaper clippings and photos from Hoover's birthday celebration and their mother's process of baking the cake. They decided to give the materials to the Herbert Hoover Library and Museum in West Branch so it could be preserved for other people to learn about. "It's just going to get burned up someday if we didn't do something, so we donated them to the library," Bill Heick said. Charlie Crispin Rosemyrta Heick's nephew and owner of Popcorn Charlie & Co. in Davenport saw the picture of Hoover cutting the cake in a photo gallery and reached out to his cousins, wondering if they knew its history since they were so young at the time. The whole family knew the story, but as the years passed, later generations didn't remember their relative's brush with fame. Crispin's sons didn't know everything until he showed them the information from the library. "I think I might have mentioned it from time to time, but they really didn't pay attention until I had it in writing," Crispin said with a laugh. When Crispin reached out, it was a confirmation for Scott that their mother's story had been solidified in history. While Rosemyrta Heick was referred to only as Mrs. Harold Heick in coverage of the celebration, her kids have ensured her full name will be remembered. "I was already proud of our family, but it's an honor, for sure," Scott said. "It's International Women's Month I think that makes it all the more special." Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Red eyes, menacing fangs and curved claws. The big inflatable rat a universal labor symbol set up in front of any company using replacement workers made its first appearance Tuesday on the union picket line outside Davenport military contractor Eaton-Cobham Mission Systems. Erected just days after an Eaton representative claimed a total of 50 members of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers Local 388 and Local 1191 crossed the picket line late last week, the 12-foot rat also served as a symbol of escalating tensions between the union and the company. Union members at Tuesday's picket line dismissed the notion 50 machinists had crossed the line. "Eleven," said one man standing next to the big rat. "We know how many members have crossed, and we know why they are crossing. "We are holding together and morale is very good. Really. We are committed to a better contract that protects workers and their families." Katie Kennedy, Eaton Aerospace senior manager of global communications and marketing, first made the claim of 50 union members crossed the picket line. She confirmed that number late Monday. The alleged crossings came roughly one week after Kevin McKeown, senior vice president and general manager of the Eaton-Cobham site in Davenport, wrote a two-page letter to members of Local 388 and Local 1191 that outlined how workers would get their jobs back after a strike and included suggestions on how union members could cross the picket lines. That letter was sent March 4, the same day 97% of union members voted down Eaton's second contract offer. "Eaton sent a letter to employees represented by the union last week informing them we would begin hiring permanent replacement workers," Kennedy said in an email earlier this week. Kennedy has stressed Eaton wants to reach an agreement with the union and has insisted the "two sides are close" on a number of aspects. John Herrig, directing business representative for District 6 of the IAMAW, declined to comment on how many union members have crossed the picket line. He also said the union had "no comment" on Eaton's decision to train contract workers. Herrig said the union and Eaton had reached an agreement to meet March 15, but "now it appears the company is unwilling to meet face-to-face until March 22." The men and women walking the picket line Tuesday expressed frustration over Eaton's determination to draw out negotiations. "The Eaton people say they want an agreement, that we are quote-unquote close," a union member standing in the shadow of the rat said. "So why wait until March 22? We all the know the answer to that. They think they can break us. "That's not going to happen." 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. Eaton, a multinational power management company headquartered in Dublin, Ireland, announced June 1 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. Love 0 Funny 5 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Davenport police warned parents on Monday to be alert and aware of the dangers of a new social media trend involving toy guns. Police responded to calls over the weekend of children shooting water-based gel beads from toy guns at unsuspecting motorists as part of a TikTok trend making its way across the country, according to a news release. Davenport police officials noted the LaGrange, Georgia, Police Department recently seized a toy gun painted black and silver to give it the appearance of a real gun. Authorities urged parents and guardians to take the opportunity to speak with children about using social media platforms mindfully and ensure they understand the potential "dire consequences" of such behavior. "The Davenport Police Department said it cannot stress enough the dangers involved in these types of activities," according to a news release. "Pointing a gun at someone whether it is real or fake, can result in dire consequences" due to individuals who mistake their toy guns for real ones. It also presents the potential for injuries and crashes by distracted drivers, as well as a fine and possible imprisonment. Davenport city ordinance prohibits the use of dangerous toys within the limits and is considered a simple misdemeanor. Police urged parents to be alert and check to see whether their child may have altered the color or appearance of toy guns. Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 1 Sad 2 Angry 3 St. Ambrose University Professor Joe Miller is running for a spot on the Scott County Board of Supervisors, he announced Tuesday. Miller, a Democrat, in 2021 was tapped by Davenport Mayor Mike Matson to stand-in to represent Davenports 7th Ward until city elections filled the vacant seat. Miller is a business professor, and directs the St. Ambrose business colleges sales program. According to a news release, his research has been published in the academic journals such as the Academy of Management Journal, the Journal of World Business, and the Harvard Business Review. I believe my extensive business expertise and background will enable me to help restore Scott County competitiveness as we continue to lag behind other large counties in the state in terms of economic growth, Miller said, according to the media release. In a press release, Miller criticized the countys approach for federal COVID-19 relief dollars and its plan to build a new 40-bed youth detention center. The county board plans to vote on its upcoming fiscal 2023 budget on Thursday, which will include its plan to spend $7.2 million in American Rescue Plan dollars on the new 40-bed juvenile detention facility, which has faced push back from Supervisor Ken Croken and social justice advocates for being too large for the countys needs. I continue to be disappointed by the Boards refusal to listen to even the experts, much less the community. Once you come to understand that incarceration is the least effective approach to reducing juvenile crime; your next move should not be to build a bigger jail, he said, according to the news release. As a board member of the North/West YMCA, it is apparent to me that we should be investing more in community-based programs that keep kids in school and in the community. Furthermore, the Boards blind determination to push forward with a $25 million capital project without taxpayer approval in the form of a referendum is unprecedented, particularly considering the citizens who will have to bear the brunt of such an outcome. Three of the five at-large supervisor seats are up for election in 2022. Ken Croken's term expires at the end of the year, but he plans to run for Iowa House District 97, a newly drawn district in Scott County that lacks an incumbent. Supervisors John Maxwell, a Republican, and Brinson Kinzer, a Democrat, are also up in 2022, and plan to run for reelection. Tony Knobbe has said he plans to run for county treasurer, though his term isn't up for election until 2024. Miller is the fourth non-incumbent candidate to announce a bid for a board of supervisors seat. Jean Dickson, a former Pleasant Valley school board member announced plans to run as a Republican. Davenport attorney Jazmin Newton plans to vie again for a spot on the board as a Democrat. She lost by fewer than 70 votes to chairman Ken Beck in the 2020 election. State Rep. Ross Paustian, a Republican from Walcott, also threw his name in the ring for a seat. As of now, three Republicans and three Democrats plan to be on the ballots for the June 2022, partisan primary elections. Three seats are up for reelection, so voters can advance up to three candidates from each party to the general election ballot so long as each reaches a threshold of 35% of partisan votes cast. A native of Detroit, Michigan, Miller graduated from Grand Valley State University with a bachelor of fine arts degree and from Wayne State University with an MBA in marketing and finance, as well as from Michigan State University with a PhD in marketing, according to the release. Miller and his wife of 28 years have two children, according to the press release: a daughter who is a college freshman, and a son at Davenport North High School. Before moving to Davenport, Miller lived in the Rochester, New York area for nine years, working as a faculty member at Rochester Institute of Technology. Love 7 Funny 2 Wow 2 Sad 2 Angry 0 Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. DES MOINES The parade of candidates filing their official paperwork for this years elections continued Monday, with Republican U.S. Rep. Randy Feenstra taking his turn at the Iowa Secretary of States Office. Feenstra is completing his first term representing western Iowas 4th Congressional District and is seeking re-election. Feenstras campaign submitted more than 2,500 signatures, his campaign staff said. KRAUSE OUT: The COVID-19 pandemic has claimed another casualty. Burlington Democrat Bob Krause has withdrawn from the race for his partys nomination for U.S. Senate, citing the impact of the pandemic on gathering the 3,500 signatures needed to get his name on the ballot. Senate hopefuls need 3,500 signatures with at least 100 signatures from at least 19 different counties. Krause said he was blindsided by the impact that the pandemic had on gathering signatures. In the past, generating nomination petition signatures through the precinct caucuses has always generated an adequate number of signatures to qualify, he said. However, the resurgence of the COVID-19 pandemic before the precinct caucuses caused county parties to shift to Zoom caucuses where few or no signatures were gathered. Krause said when his first signature packets came back after the caucuses, he had about 1,400 signatures. Krause said he will support the winner of the June 7 Democratic primary. Candidates Abby Finkenauer, Mike Franken and Glenn Hurst still are in the race. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 During his 1980 presidential campaign, Ronald Reagan promised that one of the first Supreme Court vacancies in my administration will be filled by the most qualified woman I can possibly find. In 1981, after he entered the White House, he said he identified such a person in Sandra Day OConnor. What it means to be the most qualified, in Reagans words, is a question that looms large again because of President Bidens campaign promise to appoint a Black woman to the Supreme Court. He has nominated Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson for the position that will be vacated when Justice Stephen G. Breyer, for whom she clerked, retires. At the time that OConnor was nominated, she had no federal judicial experience and scant appellate experience. She graduated with a B.A. in economics and at the top of her Stanford Law School class. When she left Stanford, she was unable to secure a paid position and began working as a volunteer for the San Mateo County attorneys office in California. She later served for four years as the assistant attorney general of Arizona. OConnor was appointed to, and subsequently elected to, the Arizona Senate, where she served as majority leader. She was elected to the Maricopa County State Superior Court in 1975, then appointed to the Arizona Court of Appeals in 1979. Less than two years later, she was nominated to sit on the U.S. Supreme Court. In other words, she had some experience as a prosecutor, quite a bit as a politician, and a few years on the state judiciary. So was OConnor really the most qualified woman whom Reagan could find? Not if we consider objective, non-political credentials. At the time of Reagans campaign promise, there was another, much more qualified female candidate available by objective standards. Judge Constance Baker Motley was arguably the most qualified female jurist at the time particularly for a Supreme Court seat. Motley received her B.A. in economics from New York University. She received her law degree from Columbia Law School in 1946. She was the first African American woman to argue before the U.S. Supreme Court, winning nine of 10 cases she brought there. Motley also wrote the principal brief in one of the most important cases ever argued before the court, Brown vs. Board of Education. She was elected to the New York State Senate in 1964. Two years later, she was appointed to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. By 1981, she had been on the federal bench for 15 years. Motleys winning percentage before the Supreme Court bests even that of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who won five of the six Supreme Court cases she argued. How was she not deemed the most qualified woman for the Supreme Court in 1981? This is not to say that OConnor wasnt qualified. She was. But this stands as a clear reminder that most qualified may be in the eye of the beholder. OConnor had something other than qualification working in her favor. Unlike Motley, OConnor was a Republican. So when Reagan overlooked Motley to name the first female justice on the Supreme Court, political affiliation played a greater role than work experience. Bidens nominee, Ketanji Brown Jackson of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, will probably be confirmed. She has impressive educational, legal, governmental and judicial credentials. By any metric, Jackson is extremely well-qualified. She has more judicial experience upon nomination than the combined prior judicial experience of Justices John G. Roberts Jr., Clarence Thomas, Elena Kagan and Amy Coney Barrett when they were nominated. She has wide trial and governmental expertise. She has already been confirmed by the Senate for three positions. Like Reagan, Biden promised to give the Supreme Court the most qualified woman available. He was not bound by any objective criteria, and most qualified was the presidents assessment alone to make. From the very beginning of this country, the Constitution has placed the nominating decision for a given Supreme Court seat entirely in the hands of the president. It will be the Senates job to either support or reject the choice. There are no age restrictions (unlike members of Congress and the president), no educational requirements (you dont have to be a lawyer) and no citizenship restrictions. Like five current members of the court, Jackson was a judicial law clerk for a Supreme Court justice. Unlike any of the others, she has served as a public defender, bringing that experience to the ideal of equal justice under law, the phrase above the entrance to the Supreme Court. Jacksons life is a story of exceptional achievement. Although only Bidens opinion counts when it comes to whether she is the most qualified Black woman, she is certainly well-qualified for the Supreme Court by any relevant criteria. I like to think that somewhere Constance Baker Motley, who died in 2005, is celebrating. Meg Penrose is a professor of constitutional law at Texas A&M School of Law. 2022 Los Angeles Times. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 SPRINGFIELD I always feel bad for the spouses. When politicians get charged with a crime, the political powers that be go after their mates too. Early this month, Gov. JB Pritzker booted Shirley Madigan from her position as chair of the Illinois Arts Council. Its a position that she served well and ably in for 37 years. When she took that job, Ronald Reagan was president, J.B. Pritzker was in high school and House Speaker Chris Welch was in the third grade. In the decades I covered state government, Ive never heard a bad word about her. Ever. She has done remarkable work on behalf of the people of Illinois bringing art programs throughout the Land of Lincoln. For example, last month my oldest daughter competed in a poetry recital sponsored by the Arts Council. And she has developed partnerships with public television to educate viewers about Illinois artists. The job is voluntary. She has never received a dime for her work but has contributed mightily. But this month Pritzker said he wants to take the council in a new direction and fired her. No one believes the governor. He gave her the boot because her husband, former Speaker Mike Madigan, is in trouble and Pritzker wants to distance himself. So, a few hours before Mike Madigan was indicted on corruption charges, Pritzker picked up the phone and called him to let him know his wife was fired. Oh, they dressed it up a bit and let her submit her resignation. But you get the idea. The implications of the conversation were clear: a powerful man was talking to a once powerful man and letting him know his wifes fate. She wasnt a part of the conversation. She was treated as an appendage, not someone contributing in her own right, not even worthy of being spoken to directly when being let go. It smacks of sexism. Now, Ill be the first to say that the governor has every right to put whoever he wants into that job. And no one owns a job forever. But one has to ask if this is a gracious way to cut someone loose. Her only transgression would appear to be that she is married to the wrong fellow. No doubt, some will say she almost certainly wouldnt have received the position if it wasnt for her husband. I wont argue that. But Ill also point out that anyone who gets elected to high office in Illinois or serves in a prestigious post like heading the Arts Council is there because they have the backing of powerful, influential people. A few years ago, I heard similar sentiments expressed against Illinois Chief Justice Anne Burke. "Illinois voters should be appalled that Justice Burke has been named chief justice in the wake of her husband being under federal investigation. Its scandalous that we would have a couple like that, the wife of an indicted alderman sitting as the Chief Justice of our Supreme Court. In Illinois, you just cant make it up," former state Rep. Jeanne Ives told the DuPage Policy Journal. Annes husband, Ed Burke, is Chicagos longest-serving alderman. He faces 14 federal corruption charges. And let me emphasize this: Both Burke and Madigan are merely accused of breaking the law. They have not stood trial or been convicted of a crime. In the United States of America, a person is innocent until proven guilty. Regular readers of this column know my strong libertarian sentiments. Im skeptical of government. Im not a fan of either Mike Madigan or Ed Burkes political philosophies. Thats OK. In a democracy, we want diverse points of view in the public forum. While I admire the work and intellect of Anne Burke and Shirley Madigan, I havent always agreed with their positions, either. But this isnt a defense or an endorsement of either persons policy positions. Its merely an observation that in the American legal system relatives of those accused of crimes are not punished simply for their kinship. And the American sense of fair play would seem to command that should be the case for public life as well. Even after her husband, former Gov. George Ryan, went to prison, his wife Lura Lynn continued to serve on the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission. She was instrumental in helping make the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum a reality. President Barack Obama sought her out when he spoke in Springfield to honor our sixteenth president. That was a kindness that spoke well of the man. He gained nothing by talking to the wife of a convicted politician. But that didnt stop him from according her the dignity and respect she deserved. It sets an example of graciousness worthy of emulation. Scott Reeder is a longtime statehouse journalist who lives near Springfield. He can be reached at scottreeder1965@gmail.com. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 History Nebraska to present 2022 awards Moni Hourt of Crawford is the recipient of the History Nebraska Advocacy Award, presented during a special Legislative event March 15 at the historic Kennard House in Lincoln. History Nebraska annually recognizes people that provide significant contributions to the preservation and interpretation of Nebraska history. Hourt was a dedicated teacher for many years and serves as a substitute when needed. She taught in the Crawford Public Schools from 2008 until 2015; prior to that, she taught at the rural Sioux County Schools from 1991 until 2006. She also worked for Chadron State College on the Coffee Gallery in the Sandoz Center from 2006 until 2009. As a researcher of Dawes and Sioux Counties in northwest Nebraska, Hourt is a dependable resource for the Fort Robinson History Center staff at Fort Robinson State Park. Along with providing accurate historical details of the area, she brings home schooled children to Fort Robinson to instill a passion for Nebraska's history. Of the award, Hourt said it doesnt really belong to her but to the community, as they have been the folks who have trusted her with telling their stories during her time with The Crawford Clipper. She further expressed appreciation to the parents for trusting their children with her in her 29 years of teaching History Day. The History Nebraska Advocacy Award is given annually to recognize outstanding contributions or assistance by an individual or organization to History Nebraska through volunteerism, advocacy, or donation. Additional 2022 History Nebraska Awards winners include: 2022 Champion of History Award Susan La Flesche Picotte Center, Inc., Walthill, NE The Susan La Flesche Picotte Center Inc was selected for their diligent work to preserve, promote, and educate visitors about Dr. Susan La Flesche Picotte. Since 2019, the organization has raised over $2.9 million to restore the Susan La Flesche Picotte Memorial Hospital, including emergency stabilization and completing the exterior restoration utilizing the Nebraska Historic Tax Credit program. When the project is complete, the organization plans to use the space to interpret Dr. La Flesche Picotte's legacy, educate visitors about native cultures and language, youth activities, and more. Champion of History Award Vickie Schaepler, Kearney Schaepler has been selected for her efforts to share the history of Japanese immigrants to western Nebraska, and has been a key individual behind preserving Japanese Hall in Scottsbluff. After learning that the building, built in 1928, was scheduled for demolition, she and a crew of people from across Nebraska raised money to move the building to the Legacy of the Plains Museum campus. The building will be restored and serve as a museum about the Japanese and Japanese American communities. The goal is to open the museum this year. History Nebraska Excellence In Teaching Award Rod Mullen, Omaha Growing up in North Omaha, Mullen's dedication to the teaching profession has inspired countless students to go into teaching and is an inspiration to future teachers of color. Last year, Mullen worked with others on the Omaha Public School Making Invisible Histories Visible program. He joined rising ninth graders on a two-hour walk along North 24th Street, sharing memories of growing up in Omaha's predominantly African American neighborhood. He helped students understand what was a thriving area of North Omaha and contextualized its decline in the 1970s and 1980s. Fellow teachers comment on Mullens's passion for history, his reliability, and the relationships he creates with fellow teachers and students. Nebraska State Historic Preservation Award Preston and Emily Leise, Hartington After purchasing a building built in 1900 in downtown Hartington, they knew that rehabilitation work was in their future. When the Hartington downtown district was named to the National Register of Historic Places, they could begin using the Nebraska Historic Tax Credit to bring their building back to its original luster. The Leises utilized historic images of the original windows to create replacements, replaced the roof, added ADA access, and repointed mortar based on the color and texture of the historic mortar. Elements of the interior that could be saved were carefully refinished, and new electrical and HVAC were added as part of the rehabilitation. The project was completed last year. Asa T. Hill Memorial Award Rob Bozell, Omaha Over his 40 year career as an archeologist for History Nebraska, Bozell has broadened the collective understanding of Nebraska's past from the Plains Apache who called the Sandhills home to the scientific expedition wintering over at Engineer Cantonment in 1819, and countless histories in between. Bozell has made archeology more accessible to all. He has trained and inspired numerous colleagues and students over the past four decades and has served as the face of Nebraska Archeology beyond the field, delivering countless public lectures and making numerous appearances in popular media. His work on developing collegial relationships with tribal communities has been particularly influential. Even in retirement, he continues to lead the effort to repatriate the human remains and sacred objects housed at History Nebraska under NAGPRA. James L. Sellers Award Brent Ruswick, Media, Pennsylvania, and Celine Butler, Cheyney, Pennsylvania Co--authors Brent Ruswick of Media, Pennsylvania and Celine Butler of Cheyney, Pennsylvania wrote "No Mutually Acceptable Solution: The Struggle to Integrate Campus Life at the University of Nebraska-Omaha, 1968-1972," published in the Fall 2021 issue of Nebraska History Magazine. Selected by the Nebraska Wesleyan University history department faculty, the judges chose this article because they were "impressed by the originality of the topic and the strength of the authors' argument. While many tend to think of the issue of school desegregation primarily in the context of K-12 education, Ruswick and Butler vividly portrayed the unique contours of the issue as it was experienced by college students in Omaha. In doing so, they succeeded in telling a new story about the complexity of historical change in Nebraska, demonstrating how nationally contentious issues played out on the local stage without simply mirroring the familiar themes of national history." History Nebraska collects, preserves, and shares Nebraskas history for all people. History Nebraska operates the Nebraska History Museum in Lincoln and historic sites around the state including Chimney Rock National Historic Site, Fort Robinson History Center, Neligh Mill State Historic Site, Thomas Kennard State Historic Site, Senator George Norris State Historic Site, John Neihardt State Historic Site, and over 500 historical markers placed across Nebraska. History Nebraska administers the State Archives and Library; the State Historic Preservation Office; the Gerald R. Ford Conservation Center; the Office of the State Archeologist; publishes Nebraska History Magazine and books; and is responsible for the administration of the Nebraska Hall of Fame Commission. More at https://history.nebraska.gov and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. You must be logged in to react. Click any reaction to login. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 A former priest who previously worked in Rapid City and was convicted of stealing donations from Catholic churches has been sentenced to five years in prison for sex crimes against minors. Marcin Garbacz, 43, was sentenced Friday to five years in prison for the sex crimes, which is in addition to 93 months he was sentenced for financial crimes. Garbacz will also have to register as a sex offender. Court documents show he pleaded guilty to engaging in illicit sexual conduct in a foreign place during a change of plea hearing on Nov. 8, 2021. Garbacz was originally charged with engaging in illicit sexual conduct in a foreign place and possessing child pornography. A charge of witness tampering was added in March 2021 for trying to "intimidate, threaten and corruptly persuade" a witness in a letter sent on Jan. 8, 2021. According to a new release from the U.S. Attorney's Office, Garbacz took a video of a nude minor while traveling to his home country of Poland. Garbacz was sentenced to almost eight years in prison in November 2020 for stealing from the diocese. A jury convicted him of 50 counts of wire fraud, nine counts of money laundering, five counts of filing false tax returns, and one count of transporting stolen money between 2012 and 2018. Contact Siandhara Bonnet at siandhara.bonnet@rapidcityjournal.com You must be logged in to react. Click any reaction to login. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 1 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. PIERRE | The National Park Service has denied Gov. Kristi Noems request to mark the Fourth of July with fireworks at Mount Rushmore, citing opposition from Native American tribes as well as the possibility of igniting wildfires. Mount Rushmore is the best place in America to celebrate our nations birthday I just wish President Biden could see that, the Republican governor said in a statement Tuesday. Last year, the President hypocritically held a fireworks celebration in Washington, D.C., while denying us our own event. This year, it looks like they are planning to do the same." Noem said she would continue the court battle. She filed a federal lawsuit against the Biden administration after it refused to issue a permit for a similar celebration last year. A federal judge rejected her arguments in June, prompting an appeal to the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in St. Louis. In a letter dated Monday from the U.S. Department of Interior, Mount Rushmore National Memorial Superintendent Michelle Wheatley said a fireworks event would not be safe and responsible. Noem successfully pushed for a return of the event in 2020 after a decade-long hiatus. It gave former President Donald Trump an opportunity to be featured at a patriotic display attended by thousands of people during the coronavirus pandemic. In the letter to the South Dakota Department of Tourism, Wheatley noted the March 2021 wildfire that closed the memorial for three days. Current drought conditions and the 2022 wildfire outlook indicate that fireworks would cause a high likelihood of a wildfire ignition, she wrote. Local Native American tribes objected to the celebration being held on land they hold as sacred. There is ample documented opposition from the Tribes to the 2020 event, and we understand from ongoing meetings with the Tribes that these concerns have not diminished. the letter stated. You must be logged in to react. Click any reaction to login. Love 14 Funny 4 Wow 0 Sad 1 Angry 1 A Sturgis man has been arrested following a bank robbery Monday in Spearfish. Deric Darren Dufek, 31, was arrested in Deadwood shortly after the heist and is facing robbery and grand theft charges. According to the Spearfish Police Department, dispatchers received a 911 call at approximately 1:30 p.m. Monday from Great Western Bank in the 500 block of Main Street stating the bank had been robbed. Investigators said a male subject entered the bank, presented a threatening note to a teller demanding money and then left the bank with an undisclosed amount of cash. Police gathered witness statements and obtained video of the robbery. Police said the evidence gave them a description of not only the suspect, but also the suspect's vehicle. Just over an hour later, police said the suspect's vehicle was located in Deadwood by law enforcement. When additional law enforcement arrived, investigators said they were able to seize more evidence and identify Dufek as the suspect. Dufek was arrested in Deadwood and faces charges in Lawrence County of second-degree robbery and grand theft more than $2,500 and less than $5,000. Spearfish police said he may also face federal charges. A check of the state's online court system did not return a previous criminal history for Dufek. Spearfish police said they had assistance in the investigation from the Lawrence County Sheriffs Office, South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, the Deadwood Police Department, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Contact Nathan Thompson at nathan.thompson@rapidcityjournal.com. You must be logged in to react. Click any reaction to login. Love 0 Funny 2 Wow 3 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. A large trucking, warehousing and logistics company based in Pennsylvania is expanding operations to Virginia and opening a new location in Richmond that is expected to employ 25 people. A. Duie Pyle, a 98- year-old family-owned company that mostly does business now in the northeastern United States on Tuesday announced its plans to open locations in Richmond, Roanoke and Manassas. The company provides transportation and distribution services mainly under a less-than-truckload, or LTL, business model, shipping from 27 service centers and 16 warehouse facilities. In Richmond, the company plans to open an operation at an existing 16,500-square-foot building at 3609 East Belt Boulevard that will employ about 25 people. The facility will be a cross-dock service center, which focuses on delivering products to customers without warehousing the goods. Peter Latta, chairman and chief executive officer of A. Duie Pyle, described the investment as a strategic expansion that will enable the company to improve shipping, schedules and overnight delivery capabilities. The company said its already hiring in Richmond. People can apply at pylejobs.com. They said pay could be up to $100,000 a year, depending on the job performed and hours worked. The other Virginia locations will be in Manassas at 10461 Colonel Court with 30 new jobs and in Roanoke at 3348 Salem Turnpike Northwest with 20 new jobs. The company decided to open a location in Richmond because of good access to key highways along the East Coast and the Port of Virginia, said Jennifer Wakefield, president and chief executive officer of the Greater Richmond Partnership, a regional economic development group. This investment shows that Pyle has chosen three very key transportation points, in Virginia, said J. Ward Best, chairman of the Virginia Trucking Association. The addition of A. Duie Pyle to an already robust and thriving transportation sector also points to the continued need for more qualified professional drivers, Best said. Our industry faces a nationwide shortage of drivers that will only continue to grow with increased demand for transportation of goods. Other recent logistics industry announcements in the Richmond area include pharmacy chain Walgreens announcement in February that it will invest $34.2 million to open a fulfillment center at the Atlee Station Logistics Center in Hanover County, and online retailer Amazons announcement in 2021 that it will build a fulfillment center on 119 acres of ancillary land at Richmond Raceway in Henrico County. During last weeks Board of Supervisors meeting, Hanover County IT Director Kevin Nelson presented a progress update on the countys Connect Hanover initiative and answered raised questions. The initiative intends to provide broadband and high-speed internet access to all unserved homes and businesses in Hanover County in the next three years. After careful search, the county partnered with All Points Broadband as its designated internet service provider. All Points will help the county deliver broadband access with minimum speeds of 100 Mbps to remaining unserved areas through a fiber-to-the-home solution. In addition, Dominion Energy and Rappahannock Electric Cooperative have partnered with the county and All Points to deploy middle-mile fiber that All Points will use to connect end-customers to the internet. So our process started with identifying the problem. We had to find the unserved areas, Nelson said. And that was done through some field work by our contractor, but also through having our citizens actually go to a website, click and say, I do not have access to broadband. The original assessment identified 7,235 unserved passings, which refers to the residents, businesses and public facilities they can provide service to in the county. The county and All Points applied for a Virginia Telecommunications Initiative (VATI) grant for project funding, which was approved earlier this year. Nelson said the state VATI grant and countys American Rescue Plan funds will make up approximately 50% of total project funding, with funding from All Points making up the remaining 50%. Total funding for the project ranges from a $56 to $60 million investment. Nelson presented a county map based on the initial findings of the 7,235 unserved residents in the county. He said the dark blue spots shown on a coverage map represent the 6,198 passings that the state set aside VATI funding for, which will be served by All Points. The red spots display the 1,037 passings that Lumen Technologies, formerly known as CenturyLink, plans to provide with the same high-speed internet access using federal Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF) money. The pink portion of the map represents an estimation of the existing Comcast service area. I am happy to tell you today that all of those people, and including people who maybe dont see their dots but have registered on the site, will receive high-speed internet, Nelson said. There are still some details on how thats going to be delivered, but they will get it. Nelson emphasized that the broadband initiative is a universal access project for the county and the map does not represent all unserved citizens. As the county is still collecting information, Nelson urged any remaining residents without broadband internet access to register online at: https://fiber.allpointsbroadband.com/. In addition, he said the states definition of unserved can include when an existing Internet Service Provider wants to charge a high fee. So if youre in the suburban service area and you dont have high-speed internet, still go and register, Nelson said. He said the countys original application for state VATI funding included the 7,235 identified unserved residents and left a cushion for any remaining unidentified residents. Lumen Technologies challenged their initial application, as 1,037 of the listed homes were in areas that Lumen had applied for RDOF funding. Despite efforts by the county to challenge Lumen, arguing they offered a better solution using the All Points broadband uniform, the state upheld Lumens challenge and required both parties to enter into an agreement that is suitable to the countys needs and desires, Nelson said. Nelson said if the county and Lumen cannot reach an agreement by April 25, the state will offer the county the full grant. In addition, the county is required to sign agreements with the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development and All Points by April 25. VATI funding will become available on July 1. Henry Supervisor Sean Davis and South Anna Supervisor Susan Dibble expressed community concern over Lumens ability to provide the same service as All Points. Dibble said they will continue to monitor and hopefully work with Lumen to ensure that both parties will provide the same service and everyone has access to high-speed internet. I think when Mr. Herzberg and I came on the board, our No. 1 priority was this high-speed internet, Dibble said. So its very important to both of us. We have so many rural folks, and were definitely interested and hoping we can keep our people happy and very happy in three years. Nelson said despite certain challenges presented, the county remains on schedule to begin construction this upcoming fall. With the states approval, All Points has already begun ordering equipment for the project. Service will become available to customers as construction in their particular area is completed. Nelson said they dont have an exact construction schedule yet to determine the order of areas targeted, but they will likely have a phasing schedule in the summer. He aims to develop a website that will display who has access to service and the phasing schedule. On behalf of a submitted citizen inquiry, Chair and Chickahominy Supervisor Angela Kelly-Wiecek asked if consumers in the Lumen service area will be able to choose All Points as their service provider. Nelson said while they cant use grant money for citizens who already have access, they will have infrastructure in certain areas. All Points is willing to accept these interested customers, but further discussion and planning is required, he said. Similarly, Kelly-Wiecek said she has received questions from residents who are currently served in the suburban services area by Comcast who have expressed interest in a choice. I try to remind people that we are fortunate to have an option, Kelly-Wiecek said. We understand that many customers believe having competition is whats really going to deliver the very best product. Cold Harbor Supervisor Michael Herzberg and Dibble raised questions regarding newly developed areas. What about new addresses or new homes that are built? Dibble said. And how would they verify that theyre on the list? County staff and board members will plan how to proactively incorporate future developments into the countys universal broadband initiative. We will have staff look at what our actions will be going forward to ensure that we dont get into a situation where 10, 15, 20 years down the road, we have another segment of our population who is in a bubble with no internet, Kelly-Wiecek said. Nelson said a public hearing is planned for the second board of supervisors meeting in May to appropriate grant funds. Some found it unusual that a controversial item that authorized Hanover County Public Schools (HCPS) to engage Alliance Defending Freedom for legal review of Policy 7-1.2 at no cost to HCPS was included on the boards consent agenda, a positioning that allowed the resolution to pass without discussion or a separate vote. At the beginning of the meeting, Chickahominy District representative Bob Hundley asked that the item be moved from the consent agenda to the action items section, allowing a separate vote on the matter. There was no explanation regarding the reasoning that prompted the Arizona-based organization to become involved in review of the policy that addresses equal opportunities for all students, but board members approved the request by a 4-3 vote. Mechanicsville school board member Sterling Daniel said he didnt think the extra legal counsel was necessary, but South Anna District representative Bob May motioned to approve the agreement. Board chair Ola Hawkins and Hundley joined Daniel in opposing the action. Its the latest round in a battle to amend the policy regarding equal education opportunities for students in Hanover schools. Last year, the board made some changes to the policy but opted to not include crucial elements to the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) guidelines that ensure transgender students the right to access use the bathroom of their choice. Failure to include those guarantees that some contend is mandated under VDOE policy resulted in a lawsuit filed in December 2021 by the Virginia ACLU on behalf of five transgender students in Hanover County. Peggy Lavinder of Mechanicsville said groups like Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) should not have input regarding HCPS policies, especially ones that address long-standing inequities. ADF has a long history of targeting the rights of the LGBTQ community, Lavender said. They are an extreme, conservative Christian organization that seeks to blur the line between church and state. They have no place in the discussion of Policy 7-1.2 Equal Education Opportunity. Lavender told board members she would like to know how this item ended up on the agenda and said she contacted Cold Harbor board member Steven Ikenberry for answers. He told me that he wanted to hear from all sides, she said. Lavender questioned if groups like Equality Virginia were consulted. The answer was no, she said. Rebecca Highfield questioned board members regarding the nature of the group being considered for legal counsel. Are you aware that Alliance Defending Freedom is a recognized hate group with an agenda to deny the rights of. transgender students, she said. This group should not get to impose their religious views on our school policies. Kimberly Thurston of Mechanicsville said she supported the boards intention to involve Freedom Alliance in the equity discussion. I am thrilled to see that you all as a board are encouraged to review policy update from Alliance Defending Freedom, she said during the public comment period. They are not a hate group. Im encouraged to see this on the consent agenda. In response to the school boards decision, Equality Virginia, the ACLU of Virginia, the Hanover County NAACP, He She Ze and We, and Side by Side Virginia have joined together to host a community meeting to give background about what is happening in Hanover schools and provide support to students and families who wish to organize and take action against this decision. The virtual meeting will be held at 6 p.m. today, March 16 on Zoom. RSVP online at bit.ly/HanoverCM. In a related matter, the board approved a resolution recognizing March as Equity in Education Month by a unanimous vote. Thurston urged board members not to adopt that proposed resolution recognizing March as the Virginia School Boards Associations Equity in Education Month. She urged the board to delay a decision on that resolution until they could research a 19-page report from the states Department of Education. I want to explain to you why continuing equity proclamations, committees and policies in Hanover will not find you the results you are looking for, Thurston said. Equity recognizes that each person has different circumstances and allocates exact resources and opportunities necessary to reach equal outcomes. Equal outcomes are never achievable and are a waste of time and effort to attempt. Stop pushing to lower the standards that we hold high here in Hanover in order to be equitable, she added. Thurston said programs like No Child Left Behind and similar efforts are failing an entire generation of students. Pat Hunter-Jordan said the proclamation offered encouraging words, but had reservations regarding its effect on minority students in Hanover County. This board continues to embrace right wing politics while acting as if it supports equity as weve seen with the proclamation listed tonight, Hunter-Jordan said. They are good words, but wheres the action behind those words to show actual support of equity. She said proposals from the Equity Committee have been ignored, and urged that board appointments be rotated to eliminate the same group of people serving on those appointed boards. This would bring a new perspective to the table. In other matters, thanks to a $1.1 million supplemental appropriation, school officials will begin purchasing iPads for students in kindergarten through second grade. Depending on ordering schedules, those iPads should arrive by next years start of school, and some could be received as early as the end of this session. The board also approved a plan establishing a Provisional Academy for Teachers (PATH) in Hanover County. As you may recall from my budget presentation, we talked about the need to make sure we are offering our own provisionally-licensed teachers the opportunity to obtain their full license by using our in-house resources, Superintendent Michael Gill said. The three-year program would allow provisional teachers to obtain the six classes required to gain full accreditation in a local program at no cost to them. The proposed program would serve about 60 teachers and must be approved by the Virginia Department of Education. Board members approved the plan by a unanimous vote. The board was also scheduled to discuss possible revisions to the Citizen Participation policy at this meeting, but Hundley asked for a one-month delay to tweak the current proposals that would prioritize speaking positions during the public comment period. Its not too late. There are still a few weeks left of a special exhibit at the Jamestown Settlement in Williamsburg where Indigenous tribes in Virginia are sharing personal cultural treasures and stories as part of a main exhibit of historical photos. Debra Martin is a citizen of the Pamunkey tribe. Some of her relatives photos are part of the exhibit. This is a picture of Uncle Paul here. He was a chief from 1930 to 1937, she said as she points to a photo of her great-uncle Paul Miles paying annual tribute to Gov. John Garland Pollard. But her most cherished possession in the exhibit is her mothers regalia. A ceremonial dress her mother made during the 1930s, it has been passed on through three generations. Her mother wore it to ceremonies, pow wows and to the Dog Mart in Fredericksburg, where she and others from Native communities were allowed to participate in the annual market. I remember this dress from when I was a child visiting my grandparents on the Pamunkey Reservation. It was in an old wardrobe, and I was always enthralled with it, she said. My mother never talked too much about wearing it. And it was something that she sort of left behind, I think because during the period when she was growing up it was not cool to be Indian. Jamie Helmick,manager for special projects and programs, said the exhibit is part of an increased effort by the JamestownYorktown Foundation to include Indigenous people in telling their history. A reminder of that former exclusion stands amid the exhibit: one of eight replica ceremonial posts borrowed from an older exhibit outside. It was not carved by an Indigenous person. FOCUSED is a visual experience of the last 100 years of tribes in Virginia and their resilience despite laws to erase them. There are contemporary photos by Tracy Roberts, a member of the Occaneechee tribe, and photos from the 1940s and 1950s by Baltimore Sun photographer A. Aubrey Bodine. The earliest photos are by anthropologist Frank Speck, who photographed Indigenous tribes in Virginia from 1915 to 1924. Frank Speck wanted to document the Virginia tribes and the thriving culture they had at that point in time, said Helmick. So, he took as many photographs as he could of the tribes in Virginia. Among striking art objects is an opulent turkey feather mantle woven in the 1930s by Mollie Adams of the Upper Mattaponi tribe. Part of that movement with Speck and everybody else who was fighting the Racial Integrity Act was to try to get tribal members to reclaim a lot of their lost traditional arts, said Helmick. So, this was the first attempt at making a feather mantle that had not been done in some time. Virginias Racial Integrity Act made identifying as Indigenous illegal. Now, tribal members are telling stories of their histories and cultures, on videos at the exhibit and online at the museums website. The art here includes pottery, gourds and flutes. Visitors can walk around a vertical glass case that encloses story quilts by Denise Lowe Walters. They tell the history of her tribe, the Nottoway. Those decades of discrimination led to tribes hiding their identities. Helmick said many tribal members got into the habit of not sharing with the general population they were Native. So, you can, for decades, probably talk to many Virginia Indians as you move through Virginia, but they probably would never designate themselves as such because they just got in the habit of not saying what their race is, unfortunately. she said. I think the tribes are definitely at a point where theyre trying to move past that and theyre very proud of their culture and you see a lot of cultural reemergence, as you have for the last 400 years, but especially today, now that they feel more comfortable sharing their culture with people, youre seeing a great resurgence of it. A Jan. 31 demand letter to the Hanover County School Board from the ACLU of Virginia threatening federal legal action on behalf of a transgender student was the catalyst behind an impromptu closed special session on Feb. 22 by the School Board as well as the boards 4-3 vote last week to engage Arizona-based Alliance Defending Freedom for legal review of the countys equal education policy at no cost to HCPS. The demand letter, in which the students name and school were redacted in a copy provided to the Richmond Times-Dispatch, ordered the School Board to immediately comply with federal law by allowing the student to use the boys restrooms at his school, per Title IX, which prohibits discrimination based on ones sex, and the Equal Protection Clause affirmed under the 4th U.S. Circuit decision in 2015 in the Gavin Grimm case. Grimm, a transgender man, sued the Gloucester County School Board after it barred him from using the boys restrooms. A federal court the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the action taken by the school division was unconstitutional and violated his rights under Title IX. Last summer, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear the case, which means the 4th Circuits decision stands. The ACLUs letter was met with a response from Hanover School Board Attorney Lisa Seward on Feb. 11. That response said the communal boys restrooms at [the school] are available for your clients usage effective immediately, and that the schools administration stands ready to support the student should there be any additional questions or concerns. In December, the ACLU filed a lawsuit on behalf of the parents of five transgender students. The lawsuit alleges that Hanovers School Board violated a 2020 state law that requires school boards to create policies that address the treatment of transgender and nonbinary students. Hanovers board voted unanimously on Nov. 9, 2021, to approve policy revisions that allow school officials to use the name and gender consistent with the students gender identity upon request of the student and parent. But it did not approve the bathroom policy, as its widely known both at the state and federal levels. The difference with the Jan. 31 letter is that it refers to students constitutional rights under federal law rather than the boards actions under state law. The letter offered this context: The student is a transgender 18-year-old man who transitioned while in middle school and since that time, has been addressed as a boy by Hanover teachers and staff at his middle and high schools. However, throughout middle and high school and until just recently, he was not allowed to use the boys bathrooms, but was instead given access to the nurses bathroom. That changed in October 2021, the letter said, when the board began debating its transgender policies. At that time, the student was given a key to a bathroom that was kept locked during the day but was identified as a bathroom for transgender students, it said. Excluding [this student] and other transgender students from using the common restrooms consistent with their gender identity, and segregating them into separate facilities, is a flagrant violation of federal law, the letter states. The Hanover County School Board has placed each individual school board member and each school employee in the perilous legal position of violating rights that have been clearly established by binding circuit precedent. Under that legal precedent, it continues, school officials and employees who violate clearly established constitutional rights are not protected by qualified immunity and can be held liable in their personal capacity for compensatory and punitive damages. The letter goes on to say that this student may be the first student to take this step, but if the Hanover County School Board persists in its flagrant disregarding of federal law, he will not be the last. School Board members did not talk about their decision publicly last week when voting to engage ADF, a Christian conservative legal advocacy organization known for its anti-LGBTQ stance. It was, however, the subject of the closed board meeting on Feb. 22. Board members have said previously that they are not allowed to speak publicly on topics discussed in closed session. When asked whether last weeks action to engage ADF was a direct result of the Jan. 31 letter, School Board Chair Ola J. Hawkins, one of three board members who voted against ADFs involvement, said in an emailed statement that I do not have anything further to add other than what has been discussed and decided upon at our meetings and in official correspondence. Calls and emails to an ADF spokeswoman were not returned. The ACLU, along with Equality Virginia, the Hanover County NAACP, He She Ze and We, and Side by Side, issued a joint statement last week, condemning the boards vote on ADF. The organizations are collectively hosting a virtual public meeting Wednesday at 6 p.m. A link to RSVP for the meeting can be found on Equality Virginias Instagram page. Organizers said that as of Monday, more than 230 people have registered to participate. Virginia State Police said a man jumped from the Route 288 bridge into the James River on Tuesday afternoon after a car crash. He didnt survive the fall. Troopers responded at 1:45 p.m. to a crash involving multiple vehicles in the northbound lanes near the World War II Veterans Memorial Bridge over the James River, police said in a news release. Police spoke to witnesses who said one of the drivers exited their vehicle and jumped off the bridge. The driver whom police said was an adult male jumped off the bridge into the river and didnt survive, according to state police spokesperson Sgt. Jessica Shehan. I have confirmed from the troopers on the scene that the male who jumped from the bridge is deceased, Shehan said. She said police wont release the victims name or information at this time. A U.S. Navy sailor fatally shot his wifes boyfriend after catching them engaged in a sexual act inside their Virginia Beach home Friday, according to court documents. Tyler Lamar Jenkins, 26, was arraigned Monday on one count of second-degree murder and a firearms charge in the killing of a 28-year-old California man, Timothy Talley III. A bail determination sheet filed in Virginia Beach District Court said Jenkins wife called 911 to report that her husband had shot her boyfriend in their residence. Police responded to an apartment complex in the 4800 block of Crystalline Place at 9:47 p.m., where they found Talley with multiple gunshot wounds and pronounced him dead. Court documents filed in the case state the wife told police that Jenkins entered the room where she was engaged in a sexual act with Talley, and Jenkins fired a gun at Talley. The incident, she said, made her fear for her life. A police news release issued Saturday described the slaying as a domestic related shooting death, but did not describe the relationship between Talley and Jenkins and didnt provide a motive for the shooting. Court records state that after Jenkins told police someone was having sex with his wife in their house, he asked, What am I doing wrong? Jenkins admitted to police that he shot Talley three times. The gun was recovered at the scene. As program director of NASAs James Webb Space Telescope, Pittsylvania County native Gregory L. Robinson gets to examine the history of the universe. Robinson, a 1978 graduate of Dan River High School, has been program director for the $10 billion project for four years. It is the largest and most powerful space science observatory in history, according to NASA. An astrophysics mission that is a follow-up to the Hubble Space Telescope, the Webb Telescope is 100 times more powerful and will allow a 13.5 billion-year look back in cosmic time to see galaxies being formed. It will allow us to characterize exoplanets to better understand the habitability of those planets, Robinson said via an audio interview Thursday morning. Exoplanets are planets outside the solar system that orbit stars other than the sun. Scientists will use the Webb Telescope to determine the origin and evolution of planets and other bodies in the solar system and compare them to exoplanets, according to NASA. There are thousands of exoplanets in nearby galaxies, Robinson said. The Webb telescope also enables NASA to better characterize the planets in the solar system, including Mars, by allowing a more detailed look at them. Robinson earned a dual degree in math and electrical engineering, studying at Virginia Union University and Howard University. He also earned a masters of business administration degree in 1993 from Averett College (now Averett University) and attended Harvard Universitys Senior Executive Fellows Program at the Kennedy School of Government. After a stint at AT&T, Robinson entered the space industry in 1988 and has worked full time for NASA since 1989. He worked in a variety of leadership positions before leading the Webb project. Webb had been in development for more than 20 years and was launched Christmas Day and deployed in early January. It was almost canceled in 2010 and 2011, Robinson said. They were going through some major technical, programmatic problems, he said. When Chesterfield police Cpl. Elliott Anderson became that departments liaison to the LGBTQ+ community, he admits to having a substantial learning curve. I was not as educated or as knowledgeable about the community as I needed to be, Anderson said Tuesday, adding that he didnt want to be the ignorant cisgender guy. But Rodney Lofton, then deputy director of Diversity Richmond, told him: Hey, I will get you there. We will bring you along. When it came to HIV awareness and prevention and nurturing a region more inclusive of all LGBTQ+ people, Lofton always brought us along, even as he lived with HIV for decades. Lofton died Monday in Phoenix, several months after being diagnosed with lung cancer. But in Richmond, he leaves a legacy of civic engagement and as a bridge-builder between marginalized communities. He always reminded people that you have to meet the marginalized where they are, said Ravi Perry, a former Diversity Richmond board member who heads the political science department at Howard University. They might be under a bridge, or in social services, or at a nightspot. They arent all on the steps of church on Sunday morning. And if youre really serious about lives and saving them, you cant expect them to come to you. He was that guy. Whether it was the Black church, historically slow to respond to the AIDS crisis, or a predominantly white LGBTQ organization such as Diversity Richmond reflecting the racial exclusion of the larger society, Lofton manifested change. Before his work was done, Third Street Bethel AME Church in Jackson Ward would host a Sunday service in conjunction with the inaugural Black Pride RVA. Loftons brainchild, the Black and Bold Awards recognizing Black LGBTQ achievement, would partner with the Black History Museum and Cultural Center of Virginia, which would host the awards. He also injected much-needed diversity into Diversity Richmond. Which was what Bill Harrison, then executive director of Diversity Richmond, had in mind when he brought Lofton onboard. I made him promise when he came to work there that if I, as a white man, needed to be called out on something, please do it. That I expected him to do it. And he did. And it solidified our friendship in so many ways, Harrison said. For decades, Lofton advocated for those living with HIV, speaking nationally and internationally and working in the field of HIV/AIDS prevention and case management in Richmond, Washington, and Albuquerque, N.M. He served on the City of Richmonds task force to establish a Human Rights Commission that he would be appointed to serve on. Lofton was also a renaissance man who worked with Kool and the Gang and former Supremes member Mary Wilson, and penned two novels, The Day I Stopped Being Pretty: A Memoir and No More Tomorrows: Two Lives, Two Stories, One Love both nominated for Lambda Literary Awards. Word of his death unleashed an outpouring of sadness on social media. He has probably touched every possible corner in the city of Richmond and Virginia, said Luise Cheezi Farmer, board chair of Diversity Richmond, which will host a memorial service for Lofton at 11 a.m. on March 26. He was not just an employee at Diversity Richmond; he was a friend and he was a confidant. Jackie McDonough spotted Lofton staring at a home for sale next to hers in Highland Park. OK, are you going to get it? she asked. That would be the start of a rich friendship, filled with food and fun and pool parties. He was so easy to talk to. And we used to talk in the morning on the front porch. He got up early, and I got up early. After Lofton moved to Arizona, she purchased the house next door where Lofton and his husband lived. She said Lofton helped prepare the young men in her family to be more respectful of gay and lesbian people. Because of that, we were ready when one of my grandnieces came out as gay. We were ready. And shes fine, and its so good that she has been accepted. But it wasnt like that for Rodney when he was a child; when he was a teenager. He used the negative experiences he had growing up as a gay Black man; they informed the work that he went on and did. Lofton had the same transformative impact on Harrison. I think Rodney helped us realize how little we as white people know about racism, he said. He was so comfortable in his own skin. Hes left quite a mark on the city of Richmond. It makes you think, What have the rest of us done? New supply chain jobs are coming to Roanoke, according to a state announcement Tuesday. The logistics company A. Duie Pyle will create 20 new jobs in Roanoke, plus 55 jobs in Richmond and Manassas, by establishing cross-dock service centers in those cities to facilitate transporting of goods, according to the announcement from the office of Gov. Glenn Youngkin. A company spokesperson said the companys total investment in the three Virginia sites is $20 million. The Roanoke jobs could pay up to $100,000 based on the tasks performed and hours worked, according to the spokesperson. Global supply chains are experiencing unprecedented pressure, Youngkin said in the announcement. We are pleased that A. Duie Pyle will take advantage of Virginias infrastructure and transportation network as a vital provider of supply chain solutions. The family-owned, Pennsylvania-based company provides a range of transportation and distribution services, according to the announcement. Pyles Roanoke facility will be at 3348 Salem Turnpike NW, in a business park across from the Fair View Cemetery. A. Duie Pyles chairman and CEO, Peter Latta, said the company has a long history of providing for customers throughout the U.S. Northeast. Expanding our footprint with three new facilities across the Commonwealth of Virginia has positioned us to directly reach key metropolitan areas along the Eastern Seaboard, said Peter Latta, Chairman and CEO of A. Duie Pyle. This strategic expansion enables us to improve shipping and schedules, while strengthening our overnight delivery capabilities to neighboring states. Roanoke Mayor Sherman Lea said the company would provide a great boost to the Roanoke economy. The city of Roanoke appreciates A. Duie Pyles significant new investment in our city, Lea said in the announcement. For 98 years, this reputable, family-owned company has provided significant services in the transportation and logistics arena, and we welcome them to our great city. Sen. John Edwards, D-Roanoke, also said he welcomed Pyle to Roanoke, which he called the Gateway to Southwest Virginia. Building a 21st-century supply chain is vital to the future economic success of our nation and our Commonwealth, Edwards said in the announcement. The City of Roanoke has a long history as a transportation hub, connecting the Northeast Corridor to points south and west, and investments such as this show the future will run through Roanoke as well. And Del. Sam Rasoul, D-Roanoke, said: As our economy grows in the coming months, these jobs come at a good time to uplift workers, Rasoul said. I look forward to seeing the employees flourish in Roanoke with good-paying and well-benefited jobs. John Hull, executive director of the Roanoke Regional Partnership, said Pyles investment in Roanoke is a testament and a complement to the regions logistical advantages. With a strategic location on the Interstate 81 corridor, the Roanoke Region is primed for investment from companies seeking a location with strong market access, Hull said. I am excited to welcome A. Duie Pyle to the Roanoke Region. For more information about A. Duie Pyle, go online to www.aduiepyle.com. Roanoke City Councilman Robert Jeffrey Jr. stole $15,000 in pandemic relief funds by inflating the number of full-time employees at his media and real estate companies with false applications submitted to grant-making authorities, prosecutors told jurors as Jeffreys trial started Monday. Previewing his case, Jeffreys lawyer raised the possibility that someone other than Jeffrey, such as one of his employees who has a criminal record, had submitted the forms that are the backbone of the governments case. Jeffreys defense is scheduled to start on the second day of trial Tuesday. Theyre not going to be able to prove each and every element beyond a reasonable doubt, Jeffreys lawyer, Jonathan Kurtin, told jurors. A jury heard evidence on the two charges Jeffrey obtained the money by false pretenses. Circuit Judge David Carson presided over the long-anticipated trial that pits the freshman councilman against the office of veteran Commonwealths Attorney Don Caldwell. Carson will preside over this trial and then another thats scheduled for Jeffrey, one for each of two different scenarios alleging financial fraud, and scheduled back to back. Caldwell did not participate nor appear in the courtroom, but sent three of his assistants for the first case. Kurtin twice referenced the size of the prosecution team, noting that he alone would defend Jeffrey. Kurtin said that, given authorities stated confidence that they have the evidence to convict, why do they need three assistant commonwealths attorneys to do that? The felony charges filed last year against the businessman turned politician would force Jeffrey from office if he is convicted and exhausts appeals. Jeffrey, 52, has maintained his innocence and chose not to take a leave of absence from council during his legal issues after his fellow members made that request. During the first year of the COVID-19 outbreak, 2020, the federal government poured money into local relief efforts, including millions to stabilize struggling small businesses. Roanoke set a requirement that it would issue business grants only to existing, local, for-profit companies with full-time employees working at least 30 hours a week or 130 hours a month just before the crisis began. Jeffrey was elected to city office in November of that year. Slightly more than a week later, applications in his name were received by the Economic Development Authority of the city of Roanoke, which administered the grant program. Taken at face value, the applications came from Jeffrey, the publisher of ColorsVA magazine, and the then-manager of two affordable housing complexes, and requested $7,500 in grant funds apiece to stabilize his two companies, Jeffrey Media Inc. and RLJ Property Management, which employed five and six full-time personnel, respectively. Sheri Mason, assistant commonwealths attorney, said in her opening statement that neither company had any full-timers. This is a pretty straightforward case, Mason said. Part-time personnel worked at both organizations, former employees testified later Monday. Mason called on Marc Nelson, director the citys Economic Development Department, to outline how the program worked, including the online submission of applications. The applications under scrutiny at Jeffreys trial bore electronic signatures in the name of Robert L. Jeffrey Jr. On cross-examination, Kurtin asked Nelson to explain how his office knew Jeffrey signed the applications. Nelson said he had assumed the signer was the named applicant. How do you know who signed it? Kurtin asked. If you put it that way, sir, we dont, Nelson said. Karen Jones, who worked for Jeffrey during the events in question, told jurors under earlier questioning by Kurtin that she had been convicted of felony embezzlement twice. Persons other than Jeffrey, such as Jones, could have signed the applications electronically in the name of their boss, Kurtin asserted to Nelson. They could have, sir, Nelson replied. Jones, during her time on the stand, said she didnt know anything about the Jeffrey companies applying for pandemic relief grants. Later, Kurtin ran Melissa Murray, an EDA employee, through similar questions. When Kurtin asserted that Murray didnt know for sure who submitted the electronic signature Robert L. Jeffrey Jr. on the allegedly falsified applications, Murray replied, I cant know that for certain. But not long after that prosecutors displayed bank records for Jeffreys companies on a large screen. One was a record of deposits. Karen Beale, deposit operations specialist at American National Bank & Trust, pointed to copies of the checks that the Roanoke EDA issued to Jeffreys companies within those records. Beale said that Jeffrey set up the accounts and he would have been asked to show identification when he did. Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. As program director of NASAs James Webb Space Telescope, Pittsylvania County native Gregory L. Robinson gets to examine the history of the universe. Robinson, a 1978 graduate of Dan River High School, has been program director for the $10 billion project for four years. It is the largest and most powerful space science observatory in history, according to NASA. An astrophysics mission that is a follow-up to the Hubble Space Telescope, the Webb Telescope is 100 times more powerful and will allow a 13.5 billion-year look back in cosmic time to see galaxies being formed. It will allow us to characterize exoplanets to better understand the habitability of those planets, Robinson said via an audio interview Thursday morning. Exoplanets are planets outside the solar system that orbit stars other than the sun. Scientists will use the Webb Telescope to determine the origin and evolution of planets and other bodies in the solar system and compare them to exoplanets, according to NASA. There are thousands of exoplanets in nearby galaxies, Robinson said. The Webb telescope also enables NASA to better characterize the planets in the solar system, including Mars, by allowing a more detailed look at them. Growing up in the area, Robinson never dreamed he would one day work for NASA. Some people have a grand plan from kindergarten through life, he said. I had none of that when I was a youngster. But he had a knack for math and science, taking advanced math classes in high school. Growing up Black in Pittsylvania County, Robinson attended a segregated Southside Elementary School through fourth grade. His parents were tobacco sharecroppers. He later attended Mount Hermon and Glenwood elementary schools, and Blairs Junior High School before entering Dan River High School in the ninth grade. He went on to earn a dual degree in math and electrical engineering, studying at Virginia Union University in Richmond and Howard University in Washington, D.C. In spite of the challenges posed by segregation during Robinsons childhood, I still say those were the best school years of my life, he said. It helped that he had quality teachers who nourished students minds. We had really tough teachers who were incredibly smart and great teachers, he said. They brought that wealth of knowledge to the classroom. They also brought a wealth of discipline. Robinson also earned a masters of business administration degree in 1993 from Averett College (now Averett University) and attended Harvard Universitys Senior Executive Fellows Program at the Kennedy School of Government. After a stint at AT&T, Robinson entered the space industry in 1988 and has worked full-time for NASA since 1989. He worked in a variety of leadership positions for NASA before leading the Webb project, including NASA-level deputy chief engineer and deputy center director at the John H. Glenn Research Center in Cleveland. Launched Webb had been in development for more than 20 years and was launched Christmas Day and deployed in early January. It was almost canceled in 2010 and 2011, Robinson said. They were going through some major technical, programmatic problems, he said. A lot of the new technology was still immature. The Webb Telescope is NASAs largest and most powerful space science telescope ever built, according to NASA. The plan is for the telescope to travel to an orbit about a million miles away from Earth to undergo six months of commissioning in space. Astronomers worldwide will then be able to conduct scientific observations to broaden our understanding of the universe, NASA states. Webb will also complement the science achieved by other NASA missions. The telescope is an international project among NASA and its partners including the European Space Agency and the Canadian Space Agency. Thousands of engineers and hundreds of scientists along with more than 300 universities, organizations and companies from 29 states and 14 countries worked to develop Webb, according to NASA. A typical day for Robinson is a lot less hectic than it was before the launch of Webb. He spends a lot of time at the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, where the observatory is being operated. He also spends time on the phone with members of the Webb team and keeps NASA administration informed of the project. Top honor He recently received the Roy L. Clay Sr. Technology Pinnacle Award, which recognizes African Americans across the country who are tech pioneers. Known as the Godfather of Silicon Valley, Clay is most known for developing new software for Hewlett-Packard computers and paving the way for other African Americans in the tech industry. The software we see in Hidden Figures, they were using his programming, said Clay, referring to the 2016 movie about a team of Black women who played a large role at NASA during its space programs early years. Hes done many other things in pioneering the computer industry in Silicon Valley and the whole Bay Area. Robinsons endeavors seem to have inspired his daughters. Two of them have science-related careers, while the third works in business, he said. Robinson lives in Manassas with his wife, Cynthia Robinson. VIRGINIA BEACH A U.S. Navy sailor fatally shot his wifes boyfriend after catching them engaged in a sexual act inside their Virginia Beach home Friday, according to court documents. Tyler Lamar Jenkins, 26, was arraigned Monday on one count of second-degree murder and a firearms charge in the killing of a 28-year-old California man, Timothy Talley III. A bail determination sheet filed in Virginia Beach District Court said Jenkins wife called 911 to report that her husband had shot her boyfriend in their residence. Police responded to an apartment complex in the 4800 block of Crystalline Place at 9:47 p.m., where they found Talley with multiple gunshot wounds and pronounced him dead. Court documents filed in the case state the wife told police that Jenkins entered the room where she was engaged in a sexual act with Talley, and Jenkins fired a gun at Talley. A police news release issued Saturday described the slaying as a domestic related shooting death, but did not describe the relationship between Talley and Jenkins and didnt provide a motive for the shooting. Court records state that after Jenkins told police someone was having sex with his wife in their house, he asked What am I doing wrong? Jenkins admitted to police that he shot Talley three times. The gun was recovered at the scene. According to the bail determination sheet, Jenkins has been employed by the U.S. Navy since 2014. He was denied a public defender due to his income and is scheduled to appear in court on May 12. A bond hearing may be scheduled once he retains a private attorney. Editors note: This commentary by Hurt is the fourth in a multipart series examining the Virginia Standards of Learning, adapted by the author from a series of essays published in September 2021 by Bacons Rebellion. Previous installments appeared March 3, 8 and 10. The next installment will run Thursday. During the 2020-21 school year, individual school divisions across Virginia were tasked with developing plans to address the instruction of their students during the COVID-19 pandemic while keeping students and staff safe at the same time. Every division offered fully virtual instruction options into which families could opt their children. The decisions to open schools for in-person instruction made by school divisions varied widely. Some divisions offered in-person instruction from day one, five days a week. Other divisions opened the year fully virtual, and at some point offered in-person instruction later in the year. There was even one division that offered no in-person instruction to the vast majority of students. According to Virginia Code, school divisions are required to offer students 990 instructional hours per year. The table that accompanies this essay displays by region the average number of in-person instructional hours from 2021. Incentives (or lack thereof) In response to the significant disruption of instruction, the Virginia Superintendent of Public Instruction exercised emergency authority to waive school accreditation for the 2020-21 and the 2021-22 school years. Verified credits were essentially waived for the purpose of awarding diplomas for the graduating class of 2020. During the 2021 school year, high school students could earn a verified credit if they scored at least 350 on their SOL tests (400 is passing), and few expedited retakes were administered due to this flexibility. Similarly, since accreditation was waived, many elementary and middle schools administered far fewer expedited retakes than in previous years. Within the Comprehensive Instructional Program consortium (statewide data has not been obtained) in 2019, 11.6% of the SOL attempts were retests and in 2021 only 4.23% of the attempts were retests. Within these 45 Virginia public school divisions, the degree to which 2021 retake rates changed from 2019 to 2021 accounted for approximately 37% of the difference in SOL pass rate differences from 2019 to 2021. Had school accreditation not been waived, the pass rates would have certainly been higher, but it is unknown by how much. In-person instruction and poverty The 2021 In-Person Instructional Hour Waivers data from the Virginia Department of Education was compared to the overall division pass rates for the 2021 SOL test data. An analysis of these two datasets suggest that a little over 29% of the variance of SOL outcomes was due to the amount of in-person instruction offered by school divisions in 2021. The divisions that outperformed this trend to the greatest degree tended to have relatively small enrollments of students who lived in poverty. The divisions that underperformed this trend to the greatest degree enroll a significantly higher percentage of students who live in poverty. To determine the combined effects of poverty and in-person instruction on SOL outcomes, a regression analysis was conducted. The results of this analysis suggest that the combined variables of in-person instructional hours and poverty rates accounted for approximately 47% of the variation of SOL pass rates among Virginias 132 public school divisions in 2021. This means that factors outside of teachers and administrators control (poverty enrollment and the amount of in-person instruction) accounted for nearly half of the variance among divisions in 2021 SOL outcomes. Please note that many divisions have successfully overcome the negative correlation between poverty enrollment and SOL outcomes (which had been declining until 2021), but the added variable of the in-person instructional hours compounded this problem. It is likely that more affluent parents have a greater capacity to ensure their children attend to their school work in a virtual setting than less affluent parents. When students are in class, teachers have proximal control and can make sure students attend to their studies regardless of their socio-economic status. During the 2021 school year, one of the biggest problems teachers and administrators had was getting virtual students to fully participate in the educational process. Conclusion It is quite clear that the 2021 data does not provide a reliable evaluation of our instructional efforts as it had in pre-COVID years. It is somewhat likely that decisions made by our elected officials and unelected bureaucrats impacted our SOL outcomes as much as the efforts of our teachers and administrators. What can be accurately said at this point is that we have far more students behind where they should be than at any point in recent history. Matt Hurt is the director of the Comprehensive Instructional Program based in Wise. " " The Louvre Pyramid is considered one of the world's most iconic design masterpieces. Wikimedia Commons/(CC BY-ND 2.0) Thirty years after it was unveiled, the Louvre Pyramid stands in front of the world's most visited museum, and despite its relative youth, it has become a vital part of Paris' renowned cityscape. Vying with the Eiffel Tower and the Arc de Triomphe for the title of Paris' most recognizable landmark, the Pyramid officially opened in 1989 and gained instant notoriety, and not the kind the designers were hoping for. The glass-and-metal structure designed by Chinese-born architect and founder of Pei Cobb Freed & Partners, the late I.M. Pei, sits atop the Louvre's underground, yet light-filled, lobby connecting the museum's three pavilions Denon, Richelieu and Sully. With a square base and an apex of 71 feet (21 meters), its dimensions form a miniature Great Pyramid of Giza. Initially constructed in the 12th century as a fortress, what is today the Louvre Museum served as a royal residence before becoming a public museum in 1793 after the French Revolution. So how did a modern take on ancient Egyptian architecture end up in the City of Light? Here are seven facts about this Pyramid. Advertisement 1. It Was Built To Serve a Purpose While it may be an architectural marvel earning plenty of attention on its own, the Pyramid was commissioned for a functional purpose. French President Francois Mitterrand announced the Grand Louvre project in 1981, which included a redesign of the museum and the addition of space. The museum would incorporate the Richelieu Wing of the palace, which at the time served as the home of the Ministry of Finance. When the Grand Louvre project was completed, the exhibition space doubled, with the Pyramid acting as the new visitor entrance and offering access to the museum's three pavilions. "The program called for more than 92,000 square meters [990,279 square feet] of floor space," Pei said in Philip Jodidio's 2009 book "I.M.Pei: The Louvre Pyramid." "It was not possible to imagine creating that much area above ground near the Louvre, thus we needed to put it beneath the courtyard ... We experimented with various forms, we even tried a cube or a curved, hemispheric shape. But, if you look at the silhouette of the Louvre, there is no curve, so we had to exclude curves. I concluded that the pyramid was the only shape that was acceptable. It is the most appropriate form." " " The glass and metal structure was designed by Chinese-born architect, I.M. Pei, founder of Pei Cobb Freed & Partners. Bertrand Rindoff Petroff/Contributor/Getty Images Advertisement 2. It Was Called an "Architectural Joke" Mitterrand selected Pei for the Grand Louvre project, eschewing an architecture competition often held for large public projects, a decision that "infuriated many," according to Architect Magazine. Pei's design was not much better received than Mitterrand's unilateral decision, and criticism abounded. "I had fully expected controversy in this instance, and I was not surprised when we were attacked," Pei told Jodidio. When the design was initially presented, the Pyramid "sparked much media controversy and unleashed passions on both aesthetic and technical grounds," according to a press statement from the Louvre. But today, the Pyramid is a celebrated part of the Paris landscape, like that other initially controversial structure the Eiffel Tower. Although Captain Bezu Fache refers to the Pyramid as "a scar on the face of Paris" in the "Da Vinci Code" film, a 2010 article in Arch Daily says that "the juxtaposition of the modern structure and the French Renaissance architectural style of the museum creates a complimentary effect that enhances each of the design's details and beauty." Advertisement 3. It's Actually Too Small Now Despite the intention of the Pyramid to improve visitor reception and the addition of 650,000 square feet (60,386 square meters) of space underground, the resulting accommodations of the Grand Louvre project have already been surpassed by the museum's growing popularity. In 1989, the Louvre welcomed 3.5 million visitors, but in 2018, 10.2 million people visited. Insufficient for receiving such astounding attendance the number would average to more than 27,000 people per day if the museum were open every day, which it is not reorganization took place in 2014 to 2016. The Pyramid Project improved visitor flow by reorganizing entrances and reception areas. With the addition of two information covered information desks built into large, easily identifiable soundproof pillars, better signage, redesigned ticketing facilities and other changes, access control at the Pyramid entrance was doubled. Advertisement 4. New Glass Was Developed to Build It Pei insisted on total transparency in the Pyramid glass so when visitors looked through it, there would be no perceptible change to the Palace. Finding a clear glass presented a serious challenge because glass has a faint bluish or greenish tint. So he enlisted French manufacturing company Saint-Gobain to create a new glass specifically for the project. "Months of exhaustive research went into the development of this 21.5-millimeter [0.8 inch] extra-clear laminated glass, with its exceptional mechanical properties and high optical quality," Patricia Marie, director of communications for Saint-Gobain, explains in an email. "This glass has in particular been cleared of its iron oxides to avoid any green reflection." It took about two years to get it right, and removing the iron oxides required the company to construct a special furnace. The resulting "Diamond Glass" is laminated like automobile windshields, so if it breaks by an impact, the plastic retains the fragments. There are 19,375 square feet (1,800 square meters) of glass in the pyramid 675 "lozenges" (the rhombus shape glass segments we associate with the Pyramid) and 118 triangles, Marie says. These rest on a structure composed of 6,000 metal bars, bring the total weight of the Pyramid to 200 tons (180 metric tons). Just in case any glass pieces ever break, Saint-Gobain made enough to build two pyramids, though after more than 30 years, no repairs have yet been needed. " " In 2002, a Seattle company developed a remote-controlled robot that climbs the Pyramid to clean the glass. Wikimedia Commons/(CC BY-ND 2.0) Advertisement 5. Cleaning It Is a Monumental Task If the Louvre Pyramid has escaped the need for glass repair, maintenance has been another story. If you think cleaning your windows is difficult, what about windows with a 71-foot sloped structure? Regular boom or carriage systems dropped from the top of the building are useless, and scaffolding is impossible. Lift bucket systems don't work either. So in the early days, mountaineers were actually hired to scale the Pyramid and clean the glass, but an automated method was needed. In the 1990s, a robot was designed to do the job. Then in 2002, Seattle company Advanced Robotic Vehicles developed a new model, a "double breadboxed-sized robot." Maneuvered by remote control, the robot climbs the Pyramid on tracks and is secured to the glass via suction cups. It boasts a squeegee and rotating brush. However, some tasks are impossible to automate, Marie explains. The water features near the Pyramid deposit a mist loaded with tartar on the glass, and it's necessary to descale the glass from time to time. "Ropers are still used to repair the joints," she says. "Only a human being can achieve it." Advertisement 6. Its Design Aligns with French Tradition Despite its seeming contrast with the French Renaissance style of the museum, the Louvre Pyramid is in keeping with some French architectural traditions. Pei's choice of a pyramid was not arbitrary, according to W. Jude LeBlanc, associate professor at Georgia Tech School of Architecture. In fact, the country had a Neoclassical relationship with the Platonic solid, and while not a tetrahedron itself due to its square base, the Louvre Pyramid speaks to this relationship. "Forward looking and innovative, Neoclassical architects of the late 1700s, such as Boullee, Lequeu and Ledoux, experimented with pyramidal forms deployed as monuments, cenotaphs or other programs," LeBlanc explains. In fact, when the Pyramid opened in 1989, The New York Times remarked that it "communicated" with existing monuments of Paris and that the country's architectural history was "laden with references" to architects like these, who "relied heavily on blunt geometric forms, including pyramids." LeBlanc further notes that Napoleon's exploits in Egypt were reflected in some examples of 19th-century Empire style. And of course, it's also just a short walk from the Louvre to the Place de la Concorde and its 3,300-year-old obelisk brought from Egypt's Luxor Temple in 1833 and erected by King Louis-Philippe. " " Despite seeming to contrast with the French Renaissance style of the museum, the Pyramid's design is in keeping with some French architectural traditions. Wikimedia Commons/(CC BY-ND 2.0) Advertisement 7. It's Not the Louvre's Only Entrance Although the Pyramid was constructed to accommodate a visitor entrance, it's not the only way to get into the Louvre and sometimes it's not the best way in. Considering the significant number of visitors who flock to the museum, buying tickets online in advance is recommended. By purchasing a ticket online for a specific date and time slot, visitors can expect to enter the museum in less than 30 minutes. Upon arrival at the museum, even those with advance tickets will join a queue, possibly in front of the Pyramid. However, visitors with single or group tickets, can enter through the Passage Richelieu, which is just off the Rue de Rivoli across from the Palais Royal-Musee du Louvre metro station. The Carrousel du Louvre, an underground shopping and dining space opened in 1993, is another way in. The Carrousel provides direct access to the museum, and it's also the location of the suspended Inverted Pyramid. Whichever entrance you choose, they all converge beneath the Louvre Pyramid in the lobby that provides convenient access to the three wings, just as Pei intended. Now That's Interesting Fans of "symbologist" Robert Langdon can follow his Da Vinci Code course through the Louvre with a special visitor trail outlined by the museum, entering through the Pyramid and concluding at the Inverted Pyramid. COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) Would your next corporate retreat benefit from a wraparound porch and chandeliers? Former Columbia Mayor Steve Benjamin is betting on it. The longtime city leader, who did not seek re-election in November, has purchased a mansion in Columbias historic Robert Mills district with plans to make it an event space. Dubbed The Mansion on Blanding, the property at 1329 Blanding St. is intended to be used for everything from weddings to corporate gatherings, according to a yet-unpublished website shared by Benjamin. Among the features in the 5,000-square-foot house are wraparound porches, a caterers kitchen and a boardroom for corporate meetings. Theres a lush backyard for outdoor weddings. A brick triplex separate from the main house comes with the property, which Benjamin said he will use for Airbnb rentals. The mansion, located at the intersection of Blanding and Marion streets, was constructed in 1886 by Tozer Engine Works George Louis-Dial, but the propertys roots in Columbia history are deeper than that. Benjamin said the deep history is partly why he fell in love with the Blanding Street property long ago. I love history, I love the historic district, he said, adding he feels a soft spot for this building in particular because of its connection to early abolitionists. The propertys initial owner, Abraham (or Abram) Blanding, built the citys first waterworks in 1820 and then donated it to Columbia free of charge. Blanding also spoke out against slavery and worked to uplift Columbias Black residents. Blanding donated property on Sumter Street for the religious training of African Americans. That land eventually became host for what is now Ladson Presbyterian Church at 1720 Sumter St, according to that churchs website. Renters hoping to book an event at Blandings original home will be disappointed, however. The original house was reportedly burned during Union Gen. William Shermans infamous occupation of Columbia. When Louis-Dial bought the property in the late 1800s he built the mansion that currently sits on the site. That house is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the Dial-Willis-Heyward House. Most recently, the building was used as a law office. Benjamin purchased 1329 Blanding St. under Blanding House LLC, for which he is the registered agent, for $850,000 in early October, according to the property deed. The property, which includes parcels for 1329 and the triplex at 1323 Blanding St., had an assessed value of $718,600 in 2021, according to Richland County records. Benjamin said he could eventually take on partners. He said the site should be ready to host events by April. Hes already tested the venue, which recently hosted his daughters 17th birthday party. LAKE CITY, S.C. Stacy Leanne Sims of Lake City has been arrested on charges of child neglect and assault and battery in the third degree and placed on administrative leave by Florence County School District 3, according to press releases. Florence County School District 3 and the city of Lake City issued press statements Tuesday, following Sims arrest by the Lake City Police Department. The school district notified the police department about allegations pertaining to an incident with students. The school district and Lake City Police Department are continuing to investigate. The incident happened at the Lake City Early Childhood Development Center and involved a teacher and two children, ages 5 and 6, according to the city of Lake Citys statement. Sims was arrested Tuesday and charged with two counts of unlawful neglect of a child or helpless person by the legal custodian and faces two additional counts of assault and battery, third degree, involving a minor, according to the citys statement. She was arrested and transferred to the Florence County Sheriffs Office Detention Center Monday by the Lake City Police Department. Bail has been set at $7,500 for each of the child neglect charges. She also has been instructed to follow the guidelines set by the school district and to avoid contact with the victims and victims families by direct or indirect contact through social media or third-party contact. The assault and battery charges werent included in her bail hearing Tuesday. Sims first court appearance date was set for 9 a.m. April 28. Harris Bail Bonds of Florence, S.C., posted bond for Sims. Sims has been a teacher with Florence School District Three for 10 years. FSD3 has high expectations for all employees as our goal is to provide all students with a quality education in a safe environment. FSD3 expects all employees to treat all students with respect, empathy and compassion, according to the school districts statement. No further details will be released at this time. Contact the Lake City Police Department, 843-374-5411, or Crime Stoppers, 1-800-222-TIPS, with any information related to this incident. FLORENCE, S.C. Drums banged and cymbals clanged at Wilson High School Auditorium Monday to commemorate South Carolina State University Day at Florence One schools. South Carolina State University and Florence One signed an agreement to offer dual enrollment classes to students. This partnership allows high school students to earn college credit at South Carolina State while still being enrolled as a high school student. The classes offered will be from South Carolina States core curriculum. South Carolina State cannot guarantee that any courses would be eligible for college credit at another institution. We are gathered to witness and celebrate a new beginning, said Frederick Evans, vice president of academic affairs at South Carolina State University. This program allows students to have a head start on their college career, assists them with the transition from high school to college, saves time and money and provides meaningful and challenging academic experiences. To participate in the dual credit enrollment program, students must apply to South Carolina State and be accepted to the university. Dual enrollment students are expected to complete the courses just as if they were students in a traditional college setting. Grades will be reflected on their high school transcripts as well as their college transcripts. This is a historic day for Florence School District One and South Carolina State. We want to increase the opportunities for each student in our district and this does it the right way, said Maggie Gause, director of student support services. We have a lot of students who we send to South Carolina State and we have a lot of faculty who are alumni of South Carolina State. Why not partner with the Bulldogs? This opportunity will give students the opportunity to complete their college degree more quickly. We are trying here at Florence One to build a superior academic institution that allows great students to receive great opportunities, said Dr. Richard OMalley, Florence One superintendent. Today is a great example. We are the first school district in South Carolina to partner with South Carolina State for dual enrollment. In addition to the signing agreement, scholarships were issued and certificates of acceptance were announced. JaNiya Rouse Scott received the presidential scholarship, which is a full ride. This scholarship means a lot, Scott said. I am shocked. Words cannot explain how I am feeling at this moment. It is shocking that I wont have to pay for anything to go to school. Honor students from South Carolina State spoke to students about the opportunities that are offered. Jessica Outlaw, a senior accounting student, said, This summer I am going to Apple because of this university. Do not let the small talk steer you away because this school has changed my life. Outlaw graduated from South Florence High School in 2018. Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. HARTSVILLE, S.C. The Pee Dee will lose another powerful voice in the South Carolina General Assembly. South Carolina House Speaker Jay Lucas announced Tuesday he would not seek a 13th term representing House District 65 or a fifth term serving as the speaker of the House. Lucas, who is known for incorporating song lyrics into his speeches, turned to music to make his announcement, specifically the song Time by Roger Waters. Waters is co-founder of Pink Floyd. He left the band in 1985 and went onto a lengthy and successful solo career. Today, I want to reference one more amazing lyric, Lucas said. In the song Time, Roger Waters reminds us that time doesnt stop for any of us and that we are powerless to try to stand in its way. In the absolute best and most powerful verse about time, he says: And you run, and you run to catch up with the sun but its sinking Racing around to come up behind you again The sun is the same in a relative way but youre older Shorter of breath and one day closer to death. Lucas said in an address to house members. He said the song tells a hard truth: that time is a constant and serves as a limit on everything and everyone. Lucas has served as speaker of the South Carolina House of Representatives since 2014. He said when he ran to become speaker one of his goals was to reform the rules of the South Carolina House of Representatives to allow speakers to serve a total of eight years. The committee he put together to change the rules ultimately decided on 10 years. Lucas said he felt it would have been hypocritical for him to serve for longer than his recommendation. I thought it would be a little disingenuous of me to go another two more years, Lucas said. It could have gotten elected for another two years but then again I would have been breaking my word to the people who elected me the first time. He added it would be very difficult to transition from speaker back to being a regular member of the South Carolina House of Representatives. South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster said Lucas had served the people of South Carolina with distinction for over two decades, and he was fortunate enough to call him a friend for all of those years. Our work together has been close and constant and his leadership has produced unprecedented growth and prosperity for all the people in our great state, McMaster said in a statement. I look forward to continuing our partnership through the end of this session. Lucas was the first Republican official elected from Darlington County in more than 100 years when he won election in 1998. Now, the county is essentially evenly divided between Republicans and Democrats. South Carolina Republican Party Chairman Drew McKissick said the party sincerely thanked Lucas for his service and commitment to conservative causes. Over the years, weve worked together on building our party, securing the integrity of our elections and strengthening the Republican cause across our state, McKissick said. Lucas said he did not have a designated successor for House District 65 or the speakers position. Anytime you have movement in the House at the top, its going to create a lot of movement underneath with the speakers job, with chairmanships, Lucas said. You just kind of have to sit back and let that run its course. He did, however, offer advice to the next representative from House District 65. Lucas called the district one of the most unique and rural districts in the state and added the next representative needed to have a good car to make it to all the areas of the four-county district. He also recommended that the next person representing the district make sure to make their cellphone number available to communicate with residents of the district. Lucas also said his decision not to seek another term was not a retirement. This is not a retirement for me, Lucas said. I do want to do something of substance in the future. What that is, I dont know at this point in time but I am looking forward to the next chapter of my life. State Sen. Hugh K. Leatherman Sr., the Pee Dees most powerful voice and advocate, died last year. Morning News Content Coordinator Matthew Robertson contributed to this story. Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Seguin, TX (78155) Today Becoming partly cloudy and windy. High near 90F. Winds SSE at 20 to 30 mph. Higher wind gusts possible.. Tonight Cloudy skies this evening followed by scattered showers and thunderstorms overnight. Low 73F. Winds SSE at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of rain 40%. Briton who travelled to join Ukraine military leaves, calling fight a suicide mission Ben Spann founded the charity, Change Your life, Put Down Your Knife, which is aimed at tackling knife crime (Chane Your Life, Put Down Your Knife / YouTube) A British man who travelled to Ukraine to fight Russian troops in the war says he left the country amid fears he could get caught up in a "suicide mission". Ben Spann, 36, from Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, took up arms in Ukraine despite having no military experience or links with the country. He said he didn't tell his wife or 16-year-old son he was leaving and spent five days in a safe house in western Ukraine with four ex-British soldiers when he arrived. While in Ukraine, Mr Spann, who runs an anti-knife crime charity, said he had a gun pointed at his head by a "Ukrainian SWAT team" that searched the safe house where he was staying. Watch: Meet the Brits flocking to Ukraines frontline He said he also saw the bodies of two dead Russian soldiers propped up at a checkpoint in a warning to Vladimir Putins troops. Speaking of his decision to return home, Mr Spann said he had been getting "some real grief" from his wife and son after they learned he had gone to fight in the conflict and that he feared getting killed by going into more dangerous areas. "As these guys made the decision to venture further into the country, I made the decision to go back to the border," he told Sky News. This map shows the extent of Russias invasion of Ukraine (Press Association Images) A firefighter walks below a shelled building in Kyiv, Ukraine, on 15 March, 2022. (AP) He said he made his way back to the Polish border, where he entered Ukraine, before travelling back to the UK. Mr Spann's comments come as the war entered its twentieth day, with Ukraines capital Kyiv and several other cities coming under heavy bombardment, although US defence officials say Russian troops have made little progress since the weekend. The Red Cross said it is hoping to organise the evacuation of two convoys of some 30 buses with civilians out of the besieged northeastern Ukrainian city of Sumy and their passage to a safe area, a spokesperson said on Tuesday. Ben Spann founded the charity, Change Your life, Put Down Your Knife, which is aimed at tackling knife crime (Chane Your Life, Put Down Your Knife / YouTube) Ewan Watson, spokesperson of the International Committee of the Red Cross, told a UN briefing in Geneva that the operation would be carried out with the Ukrainian Red Cross but was not underway yet. Story continues He noted there had been delays with similar evacuations from Mariupol, where he said people are "essentially being suffocated in this city now with no aid". Some 2.95 million Ukrainians have fled their homeland since Russian forces invaded 20 days ago, including 1.8 million in Poland, UN refugee agency spokesperson Matthew Saltmarsh said. Some 300,000 have gone on to western Europe, he added. They include 1.4 million children, meaning 73,000 children have become refugees on average each day over the last 20 days or 55 children every minute or almost one per second, UNICEF spokesperson James Elder told the same briefing. On Monday, the UK launched its Homes for Ukraine scheme to help those fleeing the conflict. As of Tuesday morning, some 89,000 people have signed up to register their interest. The Independent has a proud history of campaigning for the rights of the most vulnerable, and we first ran our Refugees Welcome campaign during the war in Syria in 2015. Now, as we renew our campaign and launch this petition in the wake of the unfolding Ukrainian crisis, we are calling on the government to go further and faster to ensure help is delivered. To find out more about our Refugees Welcome campaign, click here. To sign the petition click here. If you would like to donate then please click here for our GoFundMe page. The Singapore State Courts. (PHOTO: Dhany Osman / Yahoo News Singapore) SINGAPORE A drunken man got into a taxi he had not booked and hurled profanities at the 48-year-old cabby who asked him to alight. Australian Francis Dion James, 52, was fined $2,000 on Tuesday (15 March) after he pleaded guilty to one count of using insulting words on a public service worker. Francis, a marina engineer at the time, has paid up. Another two charges for failing to wear a mask, and shouting and creating a scene while drunk, thus causing annoyance to the taxi driver, were considered for his sentencing. On the evening of 4 June last year, the victim was at Block 8 Marina View, Asia Square Tower 1 waiting for a passenger who had booked his tax when Francis boarded the vehicle. The victim realised that Francis was not the passenger who had booked his cab and asked him to alight, but Francis refused. The victims passenger later cancelled the booking and the victim called the police as he was unable to manage the situation. He informed the police, I got a drunkard on my taxi. He is not supposed to be inside as he did not book the taxi. As the victim waited for the police, Francis kept pushing him and repeatedly abused him with profanities. Police officers arrived and engaged Francis, who was not compliant. He was observed to be unstable in his gait and reeked strongly of alcohol, with a flushed face. Francis had also been captured on CCTV footage not wearing a mask covering his nose and mouth. Franciss lawyer Cheryl Sim, told the court that her client was deeply remorseful for the incident. Francis has had to forego employment opportunities and family events such as the birth of his grandchild due to his case. He has sought counselling and has since decided to give up alcohol forever and remain sober, said Sim. He has also compensated the victim and apologised in person. The prosecution confirmed that the victim has accepted the apology. For using insulting words on a public service worker, an offence under the Protection from Harassment Act, Francis could have been jailed up to a year, and or fined up to $5,000. Stay in the know on-the-go: Join Yahoo Singapore's Telegram channel at http://t.me/YahooSingapore By Andrea Shalal and Emma Farge WASHINGTON/GENEVA (Reuters) -The United States, European Union, India and South Africa have reached a consensus on key elements of a long-sought intellectual property waiver for COVID-19 vaccines, according to a proposed text reviewed by Reuters. Sources familiar with the talks described the text as a tentative agreement among the four World Trade Organization members that still needs formal approvals from the parties before it can be considered official. Any agreement must be accepted by the WTO's 164 member countries in order to be adopted. Some elements of the consensus deal, including whether the length of any patent waivers would be three years or five years, still need to be finalized, according to the text. It would apply only to patents for COVID-19 vaccines, which would be much more limited in scope than a broad proposed WTO waiver that had won backing from the United States, according to the document. The document authorizes use of "patented subject matter required for the production and supply of COVID-19 vaccines without the consent of the right holder to the extent necessary to address the COVID-19 pandemic". It said IP rights would also be waived for ingredients and processes necessary for COVID-19 vaccine manufacture, a move aimed at granting critical know-how to many countries lacking expertise, especially for advanced mRNA-type vaccines. The text contained several limitations, including that the waiver is only available to WTO member countries that exported less than 10% of global exports of COVID-19 vaccine doses in 2021. The tentative agreement does not include COVID-19 treatments or tests, and the limitations would likely exclude China from any waiver, a source familiar with the negotiations said. The text, which was produced in negotiations last week, was being circulated to officials in Brussels, Washington, Johannesburg and New Delhi before being presented to other WTO members. Adoption of the IP waiver by the consensus-driven organization is far from certain. Story continues 'PROMISING PATH' USTR spokesman Adam Hodge said the informal discussions among the four principal parties had not yet resulted in agreement, but had produced a promising compromise and consultations were continuing. "The difficult and protracted process has resulted in a compromise outcome that offers the most promising path toward achieving a concrete and meaningful outcome," Hodge said in an emailed statement. A WTO spokesperson did not immediately respond to a Reuters query on the talks. The tentative deal comes after months of negotiations over how to accelerate COVID-19 vaccine production in developing countries, where vaccination rates have lagged far behind wealthy countries. In talks brokered by WTO Director General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, the United States, EU, India and South Africa broke away from negotiations among the organization's 164 members to try to craft an agreement. Objections from some countries with large pharmaceuticals sectors, including Switzerland and Britain, had stalled progress in negotiations among the larger group. India and South Africa had first proposed the WTO vaccine IP waiver in 2020 as the COVID-19 pandemic exploded. A spokesperson for pharmaceutical industry trade group PhRMA said efforts to waive intellectual property commitments are unnecessary and harm efforts to end the pandemic. Voluntary technology transfer and partnerships have helped vaccine makers to target production of 20 billion doses in 2022, more than enough for the world, she said. (Reporting by Andrea Shalal and David Lawder in Washington, Emma Farge in Geneva and Phil Blenkinsop in Brussels, additional reporting by Caroline Humer; Writing by David Lawder; Editing by Tim Ahmann and Richard Pullin) 18 1.1% 818 10% 1.2% 1.33% 3%12% 57% 27% 510.4 62 10% 8844.4 Jupiter Lai 6% 6 810 15% 4% 62 Twitter 5% 8844.4 102 2.45 68.66% B.Duck 2021 5% THE HENLEY II3.8 LYOS23 1088 For years, Joe Schulz had talked to his father about one day taking over the family farm in Seward County and becoming the fifth generation to do so. But the path seemed uncertain, if not impossible, when he graduated from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 2018. I always figured Id farm at some point, but I didnt know when, Joe Schulz said. I had conversations with my dad in high school and college, but, with farming trends, it didnt make a lot of sense. Years of low commodity prices had hurt family farms across the state and nation, including the Schulz operation, which was focused on growing 1,300 or so acres of corn and soybeans near Goehner. That was, until 2018, when a new company showed up in Seward County looking for farms to raise thousands of chickens for a proposed processing plant near Fremont. Lincoln Premium Poultry wanted ag operations in eastern Nebraska and western Iowa to produce rotisserie chickens for Costco. And though the Schulzes were hesitant at first, they decided the poultry barns offered a new potential revenue stream and an opportunity for Joe Schulz to become the latest generation in his family to farm near Goehner. We decided it was a good way to expand the family business while bringing another family member in and diversifying our operation, he said. While both of the proposed poultry operations in Lancaster County met opposition one in the southwest part of the county will be built after litigation; the other near Raymond Central High School was denied a permit by county commissioners the poultry barns were welcomed with open arms one county to the west. Jonathan Jank, president and CEO of the Seward County Chamber and Development Partnership, said the Schulzes are one of seven families in the county raising chickens for Lincoln Premium Poultry. Nearly all of them have similar stories, Jank said, with the new barns often bringing a young person back to their hometowns to become the latest to work in the family business. Its been amazing to see fourth and fifth generations come back to the farm, he said. Thats what Ive realized when analyzing commodity prices going up and down: Livestock diversifies operations. Though Schulz Poultry is less than 4 years old, it tapped into a branch of Joe Schulzs family tree that was nearly a century old. His great-grandfather, Erle Smiley, founded and ran a hatchery in the Seward area in the 1930s, later becoming an international poultry judge. But, between then and now, the family had switched its focus to row crops. In that time, large-scale poultry barns largely disappeared from Nebraska so much so that the Schulzes held a town hall meeting to inform their neighbors about the barns they hoped to build. We held an open house in Goehner because people didnt know what poultry barns looked like, said Jim Schulz, Joes uncle and a partner in Schulz Poultry. It was more curiosity than opposition. In the end, the Schulzes proposal to build the barns sailed through the Seward County Planning Commission and county board before becoming reality. The first chickens arrived at four barns on the Schulz property in March 2019. Four more opened in January. Each of the eight barns holds 45,000 birds, which arrive at just a couple hours old and spend the next 42-44 days in the barns. During that time, producers follow a regimen regarding temperature, food, light, etc., prescribed by Lincoln Premium Poultry. Once birds reach the right age, theyre transported from their home barns to Fremont, where Lincoln Premium Poultry processes 2 million birds a week, said Jessica Kolterman, a Seward native and spokeswoman for the company. The seven poultry farms in Seward County represent just a small portion of the companys operations, which stretch from York County on the west into Iowa and from Dixon County to eventually southwestern Lancaster County. The plant in Fremont processed its first chickens in September 2019. The whole organization was about a $550 million investment by Costco, and farmers invested close to that collectively, Kolterman said. In Seward County alone, its probably about a $35 million investment. Jank had similar numbers, citing a 2018-19 estimate that placed the increase in property tax valuation for Seward County subdivisions at $35 million, and that was before the Schulzes built four more barns. Latest figures linked 40 new jobs to the 40 broiler barns. The ripple effect doesnt stop there, either, he said. These poultry facilities are the best of both worlds, Jank said. You talk to local implement dealers, the bank, the car dealerships all have been positively impacted by projects. It impacts insurance, restaurants, all those things. Joe and Jim Schulz echoed those sentiments, noting that those working to build the barns often visited restaurants in Goehner, Utica and Seward, and if they needed equipment, they headed to the hardware store in Beaver Crossing. I think it helped a lot in that way, Joe Schulz said. Weve got a full-time guy and a part-time guy, so were adding to the economy, and were paying a lot of property taxes to our school district. And helping guarantee the future of the Schulz farm relied heavily on revisiting its past, something that isnt lost on Jim Schulz. It means a lot, he said. My grandfather had five sons, so he had a built-in succession plan for his business. My dad and uncle farmed together for 50 years. Theres probably a tear in the eye of my dad and grandpa looking down. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 St. Brigid of Kildare's shrine in Faughart, County Louth, Ireland. (Photo by RDImages/Epics/ Hulton Archive via Getty Images On March 17, the world celebrates the feast day of St. Patrick, a zealous British bishop of the fifth century who became famous for spreading Christianity in Ireland. Patrick is Irelands main patron saint. But as a medieval historian, I suggest that we also pause to remember another of Irelands patron saints, the nurturing, compassionate St. Brigid. This year, following a three-year campaign by a feminist organization, herstory.ie, the Irish government finally acknowledged Brigids importance by declaring a new national holiday on her feast day of Feb. 1. Until now, Ireland counted her among their official three patrons, along with St. Patrick and St. Columcille, or Columba, but gave workers a day off only on St. Patricks Day. So who is St. Brigid? Unlike Patrick, who came from Britain, Brigid was born in Ireland, sometime around A.D. 450, the child of a slave and a king in the province of Leinster. Unfortunately, Brigid left no historical record of her missionary work. Patrick wrote two letters that still exist: one a defense of his missionary career and the other a rebuke to a slave-raiding British king. All information about Brigid comes from biographies of saints written long after she lived. A churchman named Cogitosus was the first to write about Brigid, in about A.D. 650, or approximately 200 years after her birth. St. Brigid of Kildare. junak/ iStock via Getty images Cogitosus recounted Brigids many purported miracles: As a girl, she gave away the households butter and bacon to hungry beggars and dogs, then miraculously replaced the food for her family. Later in life, she turned a wooden column into a living tree with one touch and hung her cloak on a sunbeam. After she founded her monastic community at Kildare and became its abbess, she also traveled, preached and was said to have cured Christians of serious debilities such as blindness and muteness, all in imitation of Christ. While many early female saints have miracles attributed to them, few of them actively proselytized. Cogitosus tells us that Brigid worked some other unique marvels. She miraculously ended the unwanted pregnancy of one of her fellow sisters, causing the foetus to disappear without coming to birth and without pain, as Cogitosus put it. She tamed both domestic and wild animals, which was handy when her cows went astray. She could also, according to Cogitosus, manipulate the landscape. Once when her kinsmen were building a plank trackway through the bogs, Brigid moved a river to make it easier for them. Instead of battling wrongdoers, she found peaceful resolutions to violent situations. Once, for example, she deterred a band of bloodthirsty murderers by making it appear as if they had committed a killing that never even happened. Even after her death, miracles supposedly continued to occur at her shrine. In fact, Brigids intervention from beyond the grave helped builders gather materials to build a new and magnificent shrine for her at Kildare, or so wrote Cogitosus. She guided an immovable boulder down a hill to her community for their new millstone. She caused a problematic door to hang correctly. These were minor but useful miracles typical, I would argue, of the sensible saint. Royal patronage for Patrick By comparison, Patricks earliest hagiographers, writing only decades after Cogitosus, depicted their saint in constant conflict with the heathens he tried to convert to Christianity. When Patrick arrived in Ireland in the mid-fifth century, he seems to have bullied Irelands most powerful king into baptism, but only after dueling and then miraculously killing the kings chief druids. In hagiography, druids were the Irish and British version of pagan wizards. After watching the druids perish, King Loegaire Mac Neill decided It is better to believe than die, wrote Patricks hagiographer, Muirchu around A.D. 700. Also according to Muirchu, Patrick routinely cursed unbelievers. When one evildoer tried to lure Patrick into an ambush by pretending to be ill, Patrick supposedly caused the patient to drop dead. Patrick was always larger than life in these early accounts, baptizing hundreds of souls at a time. Around the same time that these hagiographers worked, Brigids cult center at Kildare became one of the wealthiest and most powerful religious communities in Ireland. Cogitosus wrote that Kildare was the head of virtually all the Irish churches and occupies the first place, excelling all the monasteries of the Irish. Its jurisdiction extends over the whole land of Ireland from sea to sea. Throughout the Middle Ages, Leinster elites continued to donate land and goods to Kildare. They vied to place their female kinfolk as abbess of Kildare until the community closed during the 16th-century dissolution, when the occupying English Protestant government of Ireland shut down all monasteries. Kildare, however, could never match the status of Armagh, Patricks chief church, which had the advantage of even greater royal patronage and grander donations by mightier kings. Similarly, within the church hierarchy of medieval Europe, as in Catholicism today, Brigid could never outrank Patrick, because she was not a priest. Only priests could baptize, ordain, perform the sacrament of the Eucharist and give last rites. Women were not, and still are not, allowed to become ordained priests in Roman Catholicism. In the 19th century, when Irish nationalists sought a symbol of their Catholicism and country in the budding fight for independence, they chose the missionary bishop and founder of Armagh. A national holiday was declared in 1903 to honor St. Patrick. Brigids church falls to ruin St. Brigids Cathedral in Ireland. MJPinkstone/ Collections iStock via Getty Images In the meantime, Brigids church at Kildare had fallen into ruin. It was only in 1875 that it was rebuilt by the Protestant Church of Ireland. Brigids devotees resigned themselves to Kildares secondary status as one of the two pillars of the Kingdom, along with Patrick the pre-eminent, as one medieval hymnist put it. This is despite a tale, circulated by a ninth-century hagiographer, that Brigid was accidentally ordained as a bishop apparently, Bishop Mel was so intoxicated with the grace of God as he prepared to veil Brigid that he read the wrong prayers over her. This virgin alone in Ireland will hold the episcopal ordination, Mel declared, and a column of fire shot from the saints head. Unfortunately, other clerics refused to take the story seriously. Brigid was venerated as Mary of the Gael, a saint for women, shepherds, beggars, refugees and those in childbirth. Her feast day, Feb. 1, is the same day as Imbolc, an ancient holiday celebrating the start of spring, season of fertility. Indeed, her associations with Imbolc have long raised suspicions about the possible pre-Christian origins of her cult at Kildare. Today, some people keep St. Brigids Day by weaving a special reed cross or visiting a holy well whose waters, blessed by Brigid, are believed to heal illness. The Brigidine Sisters of Kildare attend their ever-burning flame for Brigid, as nuns did in the Middle Ages. These seem like modest observances compared with the massive parades that flood the main streets of towns around the globe in annual celebration of Patrick. This year on March 17, when youre wearing the green and singing Dirty Ol Town, take a moment to whisper thanks to St. Brigid, the compassionate, sensible, native-born patron saint of Ireland, and ask if Irelands premier patron saint should be a woman. ___ The most interesting religion stories from three major news organizations. Get This Week in Religion. Lisa Bitel 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. ___ Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 SIOUX CITY The Sioux City Community School District's proposed property tax levy for the next school year would fall slightly compared to last year, but local taxpayers would still pay somewhat more, due to increased valuations. The school board on Monday night acknowledged a total budget in the range of $210 million and $215 million and set a required public hearing for it on April 11. The proposed levy was lowered to $12.45 per $1,000 of assessed valuation, compared to the current levy of $12.48. This is the 14th time in 15 years the district has lowered the levy. For a home valued at $103,961, the school district's share of annual taxes would total $1,294, a $46 increase from the previous year, according to an example provided by the district. Officials pointed to higher valuations this year for the increase. The district has an estimated $216.1 million in general fund spending. Education and Secondary School Relief funding makes up $27 million of the expenditures and this years largest additions in instruction, support services, transportation, and operations and maintenance. The districts unused spending authority is projected to be $51.3 million at the end of fiscal year 2022, an all-time high, according to school officials Board President Dan Greenwell said the district is using $1.2 million of the spending authority balance that has been build up over the last few years. He said they will continue to spend more of the spending authority over the next few years. Greenwell said the higher costs are going towards adding teachers and addressing learning losses. We expected it, we knew it was it going to happen and were utilizing what I consider some of the excess spending authority that we did have, he said. During Monday night's meeting, there was little discussion of the proposed budget, with no disagreements on the budget items or tax rate. Greenwell said the tax levy would have been lower next year, but the management fund expenditures levy increased 22 cents. The increase was due to more district devices needing to be covered by Break Fix insurance, which covers the districts one-to-one computers. The insurance costs increased by 60 percent, or $738,391. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 2 Sad 0 Angry 0 Want to see more like this? Get our local education coverage delivered directly to your inbox. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. SIOUX CITY -- The Sioux City Council, by voting to approve its consent agenda Monday, awarded a purchase order and a service provider agreement for Cone Park summer tubing equipment. Sioux City Parks and Recreation Director Matt Salvatore told the council that summer tubing operations are expected to be up and running by the second week in June. Two lanes of the plastic-type surface will be installed at the park annually on the hill at the beginning of the summer season and be removed at the end of the year to make way for snow tubing. Salvatore said his department looked at the cost of three lanes, but a third lane was over budget. "You can see how it goes," Councilman Alex Watters said. "If there's high demand, then build on another lane." Salvatore previously told The Journal that summer tubing will be offered in 2 1/2-hour sessions with 85 participants per session. The city needs to purchase 7,235 square feet of underlayer, edging, ramps and lubricant, as well as 85 tubes for the initial startup, according to city documents. City staff contacted both known summer tubing equipment vendors. Neveplast USA, LC, of Basye, Virginia, was the lone bidder at $195,449.54. The bid will be fulfilled and shipped from Italy, according to the documents, which also noted that the contract would be governed by Italian law and have "very limited warranties." A third party, Shenandoah Ground Works LLC, of Basye, Virginia, will install the equipment at a cost of $2,000. "Shenandoah Ground Works is doing the installation, but we will be observing, so we that we can do it ourselves," Salvatore told the council. Summer tubing and a mountain bike trail system, which is expected to begin construction in 2023, will make the acclaimed winter park a year-round destination. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. That was a big win for Sen. Tom Brewer -- and I wonder if any other member of the Legislature could have achieved it. Brewer has earned the respect of his colleagues, not only with his life story of military valor, but also with his hard work in the Legislature, which he pursues while combating health challenges that would have grounded most of us long ago. Brewer, Nebraska's only Native senator, is a warrior. He battles for his constituents in District 43, which encompasses a dozen counties in north-central Nebraska along with a slice of another. Heck, he even climbs mountains. All of that showed last week when he guided his "constitutional carry" gun rights bill that would allow Nebraskans to carry a concealed handgun without the need to acquire a $100 state permit through a filibuster and on a path to potential enactment. It was a closer call than the final vote indicates: Three senators changed their votes to yes on a motion to invoke cloture and end a filibuster after the number of affirmative votes reached the required number of 33. The bill was then advanced on a 35-9 tally. That battle may not be over yet, with opponents raising the volume on concerns that the bill, without further amendment, could allow individuals to carry concealed handguns without any need to acquire a permit, even if it's cost-free, or receive gun safety training. * * * Ahead this week in the Legislature at the two-thirds mark with 20 legislative days to go: * Monday: Debate on Sen. Tom Briese's bill to move Nebraska to year-round daylight saving time just a day after this year's time change occurs. * Tuesday: The beginning of what looks like a long and consequential debate on the state budget. * Wednesday: Debate on Sen. Justin Wayne's bill to create the North Omaha Recovery Act, an ambitious proposal to designate $450 million in federal pandemic recovery funds for housing and community recovery. Big issues piling up now as the Legislature approaches its end game. * * * A political and human drama unfolds this week as Rep. Jeff Fortenberry goes on trial in Los Angeles on federal charges accusing him of making false statements to FBI agents in connection with illegal foreign contributions to his 2016 re-election campaign. There's a ton on the line for Fortenberry, including his seat in Congress, his political future, perhaps his congressional pension and, of course, the personal burden borne by his wife and five daughters. Fortenberry is facing a dangerous Republican primary election challenge from Sen. Mike Flood of Norfolk, who has the endorsement of Gov. Pete Ricketts, the leader of the Republican Party in Nebraska, and former Gov. Dave Heineman. This is both a personal and political story. And it is unfolding 1,500 miles away less than two months before Nebraska's May 10 primary election. Finishing up * War is brutal, but the Russian assault on Ukraine and its people is barbaric. * Aren't higher gas prices a really small payment for us to make while others are paying for this war of aggression with their lives, their families, their homes and their future? * Although Sen. Anna Wishart of Lincoln was recorded as not voting on a motion to advance so-called STARWARS legislation that includes construction of a new lake between Lincoln and Omaha, she does support the bill. * Who fills the role of driving continued legislative support for STARWARS water development projects next year when Speaker Mike Hilgers of Lincoln is likely to be the state's new attorney general? Probably Sen. Mike McDonnell of Omaha, who designated the legislation as his priority this session, although the next Speaker would also play a leadership role. * The long legislative debate over "constitutional carry" or "concealed carry" gun rights once again demonstrated the sharp divide between the Lincoln-Omaha metropolitan complex and the rest of Nebraska. And it has shown up dramatically in recent election results. * It shouldn't take an infusion of federal funds to make us begin to think big. * Wonder what Mikhail Gorbachev, now 91, is quietly thinking as Russia regresses farther and farther away from the opening he forged three decades ago. It's much safer for Gorbachev to remain silent now, and that's a reminder of the joke he told during an appearance at the Lied Center in Lincoln about the angry guy who went to the Kremlin to kill Gorbachev, but returned without success because the line was too long. * Spring lies a scant week ahead. Play ball! Reach the writer at 402-473-7248 or dwalton@journalstar.com. On Twitter @LJSdon Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 OMAHA -- Charles Herbster's campaign said it pulled a TV ad featuring law enforcement officials amid concerns that the ad may have violated state law. Nebraska law appears to prohibit sheriffs from campaigning for candidates while in uniform but three elected sheriffs and a captain wore their uniforms and badges while endorsing the Republican gubernatorial candidate, who is considered a frontrunner in the race to replace Gov. Pete Ricketts. The World-Herald reached out to Herbster's campaign about the apparent violation Tuesday morning. Spokesperson Emily Novotny responded that, while the campaign does not believe the ad violates state law, they took it off the air. No taxpayer funds were used in the making or airing of the ad, she said. "Nebraska Sheriffs are elected officials and have earned the right to proudly wear their uniforms and, as elected leaders, to have a voice on important matters and issues," she said. "We understand that some have raised concerns, and out of respect for the sheriffs, Herbster for Nebraska has pulled the advertisement from the air. We remain grateful for the outpouring of support from law enforcement across that state, and we proudly back the blue." The campaign said they pulled the ad on Thursday. In the ad, Seward County Sheriff Michael Vance, York County Sheriff Paul Vrbka and Lincoln County Sheriff Jerome Kramer all appear in uniform. So does Capt. Josh Gillespie from York County. Captains are appointed, not elected. Former Nebraska State Patrol Col. Tom Nesbitt is the only person who appears in street clothes. They all say lines that, taken together, amount to them vouching for Herbsters support of law enforcement. Im voting for Charles W. Herbster, the four uniformed officials say in unison at the ads conclusion. The World-Herald attempted to reach all three sheriffs Monday afternoon and Tuesday morning and had not received a response as of midday Tuesday. Buffalo County Sheriff Neil Miller, who is president of the Nebraska Sheriff's Association, said the association has not and will not endorse a candidate for governor or other offices with multiple candidates. He referred the World-Herald to the individual sheriffs to answer any questions about their appearance in the ad. Asked for his opinion whether its OK for sheriffs to appear in uniform in an ad endorsing a candidate, Frank Daley, the executive director of the Nebraska Accountability and Disclosure Commission, pointed to an advisory opinion from 1994 as the commissions official position. The commission in that opinion concluded that an elected and serving county sheriff couldnt engage in "overt and deliberate campaign activities" while wearing their sheriffs uniform. But they could use photos of themselves in uniform for campaign literature, it found, and respond to the public's questions while in uniform and on duty. Relevant state law has changed since 1994. However, Daley said current law essentially codified things from some of the commissions opinions. Theres no more recent opinion that applies to that current law. University of Nebraska-Lincoln law professor Kyle Langvardt said the changes seemed to make the law more explicit. Current law states that public officials and employees cant use or authorize the use of public resources for the purpose of campaigning for or against a candidate or ballot question, with some exceptions. Back in 1994, the Nebraska Accountability and Disclosure Commission found that a sheriff's uniform was a public resource. Another Nebraska law states that, while no employee of the state or a political subdivision (like a county) can be banned for participating in political activities outside of office hours or while performing their official duties, they cant engage in any political activity while wearing a uniform required by the state or any political subdivision thereof. Those statutes seem very straightforwardly to prohibit this kind of campaigning in uniform, Langvardt said. That's especially clear in the case of the captain, according to Langvardt. There's a little more ambiguity when it comes to sheriffs, he said, but the law still appears to prohibit them from campaigning in uniform. Not all states have laws that would come down the same way on this question, he said. But "every state does have some kind of law that restricts the use of ... public resources in a campaign, and I think that when police departments are involved in campaigning, you know, that that feels especially dangerous or sensitive. "It shouldn't be surprising that the law would try to restrain the use of the badge or a police officer's uniform in campaigning for a candidate." You don't want to create the impression that the government or the police department, specifically, is endorsing a candidate and putting a "huge thumb on the scale," he said. And regardless of intent, it can create that appearance. Law enforcement officers show up in at least one other ad for a candidate for statewide office this election season: an ad for state Sen. Mike Hilgers of Lincoln, whos running for attorney general. That commercial features footage of Hilgers talking to a group of apparent law enforcement officials. Theyre wearing matching polo shirts, not uniforms. A campaign spokesperson said that decision was made by the Omaha Police Officers Association. Anthony Conner, president of the association, confirmed it was his decision. He said he always wants to keep a clear distinction between when he is wearing a uniform and representing the police chiefs vision and when he is representing the union and can speak politically. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 In an interview with Reuters, Dmitry Peskov, Russian President Vladimir Putin's spokesman for decades, made a startling offer. Moscow could end the Ukraine war immediately, said Peskov, if four conditions were met. Ukraine should cease all military action, recognize Crimea as part of Russia, accept the independence of the Luhansk and Donetsk separatist enclaves, and enact a constitutional commitment to "neutrality," which would prevent Ukraine from ever joining NATO. Were this to be done, said Peskov, the war "will stop in a moment." As this would restore the situation in Ukraine to the "status quo ante" that existed before Putin ordered the invasion, Peskov's offer seemed not to be believable. Yet, according to The New York Times, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky "seemed surprisingly open to the idea." Zelensky "said he had 'cooled down' on joining NATO, saying it was clear the western alliance 'is not prepared to accept Ukraine.'" As for Luhansk, Donetsk and Crimea, said Zelensky, "We can discuss and find a compromise on how these territories will live on." Monday, Ukraine and Russia held a fourth session of peace talks, and expressions of optimism were heard from both sides. Ukrainian negotiator Mykhailo Podolyak volunteered that Russia is beginning to talk constructively. "I think that we will achieve some results literally in a matter of days." Yet, Russia's strategic goals, manifest in its unfolding military action, seem to go far beyond the moderate demands of Peskov. Three weeks into this war, what do Russia's goals appear to be? First, besiege and bring down the Kyiv government of Zelensky and replace it with a Russian client regime. Second, divide Ukraine along the lines of the Dnieper River, which bisects the country north to south, and create an East Ukraine as a pro-Russian state. Third, seize and occupy the entire coast of the Sea of Azov, turn it into a Russian lake, and capture all of the Ukrainian Black Sea coast from the Donbas to Mariupol, Crimea, Kherson, Odessa and Transnistria, the last a slice of seceded Moldovan land Moscow now controls. This would leave a landlocked rump state of west Ukraine, which would be a buffer between NATO nations Romania, Hungary, Slovakia and Poland -- and Russia-backed East Ukraine. The Wall Street Journal said Monday that Russia's realization of these goals would be tantamount to victory in Putin's war: "A Ukraine divided in two, with Russia in control of the east, and a rump, Western Ukraine cut off from the coast might look like a victory to Mr. Putin -- especially if sanctions are removed in some cease-fire agreement." With this kind of peace in hand, Putin could then warn the NATO nations that if they attacked East Ukraine directly, or indirectly by arming insurgents, they would face "consequences you have never seen." As no NATO nation risked war to save Georgia from Russia in 2008, or to save Ukraine from the Crimean and Donbas amputations of 2014, it is not likely NATO would risk war with Russia, and a potential third world war, if Russia declared a truce once it got full control of eastern Ukraine. Where would that leave the West? The Americans and British would likely treat Putin as a pariah and never meet with him again. But would President Emmanuel Macron of France and Chancellor Olaf Scholz of Germany cut off all communication with Russia, when they have been making daily phone calls to Putin and regular visits to Moscow, even as Putin's war of aggression was raging? If Russia and Ukraine reached a ceasefire and a truce, would the EU and NATO nations of Europe not swiftly stand down themselves, rather than keep the Ukrainian resistance fighting? If Kyiv falls to a Russian strategy of encirclement and strangulation, capitulation and conquest, how long would it be before EU nations seek an end to Russia's isolation and a new era of detente? Or would the continued existence of a regime headed by Putin mean permanent hostility? Three years after Nikita Khrushchev sent Soviet tanks into Budapest to crush the Hungarian Revolution of 1956, the Soviet premier was riding up Pennsylvania Avenue in an open convertible with Dwight Eisenhower to spend the night at Blair House before a 12-day tour as the guest of the president of the United States. As of now, the winner of this Russia-Ukraine war appears to be China. Given the severity of U.S. sanctions and the ostracism of Russia from the West, China is the only partner nation and economy to which Moscow can turn to recoup its losses. If this war continues to unfold in a manner that is slow, painful and ugly, China and Russia are likely to establish far better relations with each other than either has with the United States. But how is China, which is engaged in cultural genocide against its Uyghur minority of 10 million, a racial and ethnic persecution featuring reeducation camps, rapes, forced abortions and sterilizations, a morally superior regime to Putin's? Love 0 Funny 1 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 As gas prices have surged over the past several monthsand shot up even further following Russias incursion into UkraineRepublicans have predictably tried to pin blame on the White House. Joe Biden caused this and doesnt seem to care, the Republican National Committees deputy communications director tweeted last week, echoing the stickers that Trump-voting motorists have been slapping onto gas pumps across the country. But President Joe Biden did not cause this. In fact, other than sanctions against Russiawhich the GOP broadly supportedthe primary reasons why filling up your tank has gotten more expensive over the past year have almost nothing to do with Americas chief executive. This shouldnt be a surprise, since presidents almost never have much direct control over gas prices. But unfortunately voters act like they do, which is sort of the sad cosmic joke of American politics. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But I digress. Lets debunk the argument, shall we? Why Absolutely Nothing Republicans Are Saying About Gas Prices Makes Sense Members of the GOP have been saying that a big reason the cost of gas soared over the past few months is that the president simply hasnt let oil companies drill enough. Specifically, they say, the White House has bottled up American fossil fuel production by issuing fewer oil leases on federal lands and by stopping pipeline construction. For example: Republicans on the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee complained in a letter this month there has not been one lease sale on federal lands since you imposed a ban in violation of federal law. (They implored Biden to take the shackles off American energy.) And the House Republicans campaign chief blamed the gas price spike on the administration shutting down drilling on federal lands, freezing all the permits offered to oil drillers, and killing the Keystone XL pipeline. Advertisement Advertisement It is true that U.S. oil production is lower now than it was in in February of 2020, when it hit an all-time record high of 12.8 million barrels. (That was before the market crashed at the onset of the coronavirus crisis.) But based on the GOPs rhetoric, you might be tempted to think that U.S. oil production had collapsed since Biden stepped into the Oval Office. Advertisement Thats just not the case: In fact, oil production has actually increased, from about 11 million barrels per day to 11.5 million barrels through 2021. As Biden himself noted last week when announcing sanctions on Russian energy, domestic oil companies pumped more crude during the first year of his presidency than in the first year of Donald Trumps. The number of oil rigs operating in the United States is still growing, too. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Indeed, much to the frustration of climate activists, Biden has actually done very little to slow fossil fuel production on federal property. Biden did promise to halt new drilling on federal lands during his campaign. And in the first months of his term, he temporarily paused the sale of new public oil leases. But a federal judge struck down this pause in June, and then, in November, the Biden administration held the single largest-ever auction of oil and gas drilling leases from the Gulf of Mexico, locking in a future guarantee of more than 1 billion new barrels of oil from that region. (Its worth noting that the administration was not required to make this sale, as the Justice Department itself admittedit was entirely the governments choice.) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Biden administration also did pause sales again last month, after a Trump-appointed judge blocked the administration from considering climate costs when auctioning oil leases. So its a GOP-approved official whos forced this halt on land sales while the administration rejiggers its energy accounting. More to the point: Even if Biden had approved the Gulf of Mexico tracts earlier in his term, or leased more federal lands before the current pause, it wouldnt have made much difference in todays oil prices. It would have taken many monthsin some cases, yearsto extract, refine, and put those billion barrels on the market. Its also false to say the Keystone XL pipelines shutdown plays a role here. Last June, when Biden canceled an important permit for the Alberta-to-Nebraska crude pipeline, only 8 percent of the entire line had been constructed; the completed pipe wouldnt have gone online until next year at the earliest. The Keystone talking point likewise ignores that the Biden administration allowed the controversial Line 3 pipeline in Minnesota to finish construction and go online in the fall, allowing for ongoing transports of Alberta crude. So theres little reason for House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy or South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem to be so upset. Were not suffering for crude imports from Canada, anyway, in large part because tens of millions of barrels travel into the U.S. by rail. The Real Issue: Oil Companies Are Actually Just Trying to Pad Their Profits The real reason U.S. oil production hasnt returned to peak production levels has less to do with Bidens energy policies than with the fossil fuel industrys desire to earn a buck. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As demand for oil has resurged from its mid-2020 lows, producers have been under pressure from shareholders to put profits over production increases and return cash to shareholders rather than pump it back into drilling, to quote the Financial Times and Wall Street Journal, respectively. As a result, companies have only expanded production slowly. Just listen to oil executives themselves. Whether its $150 oil, $200 oil, or $100 oil, were not going to change our growth plans, the CEO of Pioneer, which is the largest oil producer in the Permian Basin, the key oil-producing area of the Southwest, said at a Bloomberg event last month. If the president wants us to grow, I just dont think the industry can grow anyway. Advertisement Occidental Petroleum CEO Vicki Hollub has likewise said her company is focused on paying back investors at the moment: I feel now that we do need to return cash to the shareholders in the form of dividends or buybacks, especially during the better cycles. Profit motives have held back oil production outside the U.S. too. OPEC countries hard hit from the recession kept a tight cap on output last falldespite pressure from the U.S. and Japan and India to pump morein order to goose their revenues. They only began to relent last week, when the United Arab Emirates announced it would increase production, leading prices to retreat a bit. As oil historian Gregory Brew told me last month, the UAE does have spare oil capacity at handand it doesnt want continued high prices to potentially suppress global demand. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Energy companies and oil-rich Middle Eastern monarchies arent the only ones cashing in. An L.A. Times report notes that some of the California gas stations that were charging $7 per gallon were setting their prices far above state and national averages because they found that desperate drivers were willing to payeven if it hurts. Why All This Actually Sort of Matters Aside from political points scoring, why does any of this matter? Well, it has implications for a policy debate thats unfolding in Washington. Advertisement Advertisement At the moment, the Biden administration is looking to secure new sources of oil to offset the loss of Russian crude, and has been talking to Iran and Venezuela about increasing production in return for reducing sanctions on those countries. But this move has triggered a bipartisan backlash from foreign policy hawks, who dont want the U.S. doing business with either of those nations. Republicans have introduced a bill to ban the U.S. from purchasing oil from those countries, and have argued that Biden should be focused on increasing U.S. production instead. Advertisement RT if you agree Biden should be turning to AMERICAN energy producers for more oil and gasnot dictators in Venezuela, Iran, and Saudi Arabia. Steve Scalise (@SteveScalise) March 7, 2022 Advertisement This position only makes sense if you think the Biden administration is holding the U.S. oil industry back. But the TL;DR here is that it is not Bidenits the drillers themselves who are holding it back. Oil prices have come down quite a bit in recent days thanks to various global developments, but they are still hovering above $100 a barrel. Unless our government is willing to do business with some unsavory regimes, American drivers are probably going to keep feeling pain at the pump. But as long as theyre blaming Biden, Republicans will probably be just fine with that. In the week since Florida lawmakers passed H.B. 1557, dubbed the dont say gay bill, the laws most prominent supporters have refused to publicly tell the truth about what the measure actually says. According to the laws sponsors and cheerleaders, H.B. 1557 is a simple ban on teaching very young students about sex. It is needed, they say, to prevent groomersspecifically, gay and trans teachersfrom attempting to corrupt and indoctrinate children with explicit classroom materials. The dont say gay moniker, they insist, is misleading: Teachers and students can still talk about LGBTQ issues; they just cant force 8-and-unders to learn about gay sex and gender transition. Advertisement This framing of H.B. 1557, which Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis is expected to sign into law, is, objectively, a lie. It is refuted by the text of the bill itself, as well as its legislative history, which shows that Republican lawmakers rejected efforts to turn the measure into a straightforward prohibition on sex education in early grades. In reality, H.B. 1557 uses intentionally vague language to outlaw a huge amount of speech about LGBTQ people, families, and issuesnot just sexin every grade. And it relies upon a vigilante enforcement mechanism to chill an even broader amount of speech by subjecting violators to humiliating investigations and ruinous lawsuits. The fact that H.B. 1557s supporters lie about these basic facts suggests that they know their bill is indefensible and must conceal its true meaning to drag it over the finish line. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Subscribe to the Slatest Newsletter A daily email update of the stories you need to read right now. We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try again. Please enable javascript to use form. Email address: Send me updates about Slate special offers. By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms Sign Up Thanks for signing up! You can manage your newsletter subscriptions at any time. At every turn of the legislative process, Republican lawmakers and commentators have misrepresented this bill. During floor debates in the Florida House and Senate, a stream of GOP legislators asserted that the bill would merely expand parents rights and limit young childrens exposure to graphic sexual instruction at school. Ben Shapiro said the measure is devoted to protecting small children from the predations of adults, dismissing any other interpretation as propagandistic lies. Conservative media figures are all reading from the same script, accusing Democrats and mainstream media of exaggerating the laws purpose and effects. On the far end of the spectrum, Christina Pushaw, DeSantis press secretary, called H.B. 1557 the anti-grooming bill, claiming that anyone who opposes it is probably a groomer. Advertisement Set aside, for now, this revival of the odious myth that gay people prey on children, attempting to convert or recruit them into homosexuality, then molesting them. Instead, to puncture these lies, lets look at the words that Republican legislators used when drafting H.B. 1557. Unlike tweets, articles, and speeches in defense of the bill, words are the law, and they are worth reading closely. Claim No. 1: H.B. 1557 only applies to very young children. Advertisement Proponents of the law unfailingly center this assertion in their defense of the bill. H.B. 1557, they say, is an effort to shield children ages 4 through 8 from sex education, and from any acknowledgment of LGBTQ families. This claim is easily dispatched with a quick look at the relevant provision, which states: Advertisement Advertisement Classroom instruction by school personnel or third parties on sexual orientation or gender identity may not occur in kindergarten through grade 3 or in a manner that is not age appropriate or developmentally appropriate for students in accordance with state standards. Advertisement Advertisement Note the word Ive emphasized: or. This word is disjunctive, meaning it separates different things. Here, it separates two groups of students to whom the law applies. The first group is students in kindergarten through grade 3. The second group is the remainder of students with no grade limitationso grades 412. The bill applies two different rules for these two different groups. For the first group (grades K3), it imposes an absolute ban on classroom instruction on sexual orientation or gender identity. For the second group (grades 412), it imposes a partial ban, outlawing instruction that is not age appropriate or developmentally appropriate in accordance with state standards. (It is unclear which standards the bill refers tomore on that soon.) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement To understand this point, think about a hypothetical bill that says: No person shall consume alcohol who is under 21 or over 21. Imagine if the sponsor said: My bill reinforces the ban on underage drinking. That would be partly true, because it does forbid alcohol consumption under the age of 21. But, of course, it also forbids alcohol consumption over the age of 21. By ignoring the text after the disjunctive, the sponsor has elided the fact that their bill applies to everyone, not just minors. H.B. 1557s proponents are playing a similar trickalthough, to state the obvious, alcohol consumption can harm minors, while a reference to LGBTQ families does not. Claim No. 2: H.B. 1557 only applies to sex education. Advertisement Republicans slipped this measure into a broader package ostensibly aimed at expanding parents control over their childrens education in public schools. They framed it as a limitation on sex education, but, ironically, it does not target explicit sexual materials. Rather, the bill bans classroom instruction on sexual orientation or gender identity while saying nothing about instruction about the act of sex itself. Advertisement So what speech, exactly, does the law censor? The answer hinges on the preposition on. Here, again, a hypothetical is helpful. Imagine a bill that bans classroom instruction on slavery. A reasonable teacher would know that any overt mention of slavery is out. They would probably assume, too, that identifying someone as an enslaved person, or noting that someone owned slaves, would be forbidden. A discussion of the abolition movement would have to exclude any reference to its actual goals. Ditto for the 13th Amendment. Any instruction that touches on slavery would be suspect, best avoided to forestall career-ending consequences. Advertisement Advertisement The same goes for instruction on LGBTQ families and issues: Any speech that touches upon this third rail might trigger a complaint. Could a third grade teacher read the childrens book Heather Has Two Mommies in class? Surely not, even though its gentle illustrations are the furthest thing imaginable from sex education. In advance of Parents Day, could the teacher talk about her two adoptive fathers? Definitely not. During a discussion of civil rights heroes, could the teacher talk about trailblazing feminist lawyer Pauli Murray, a gender-nonconforming queer person? It would be a close call. What if they/them pronouns confused students and required an explanation? The teacher might have to explain Murrays gender identityand that, no doubt, is illegal. Advertisement The terrain gets even rougher in grades 412. H.B. 1557 does not clarify which state standards educators can use to decide if LGBTQ-related speech is age appropriate or developmentally appropriate. There are currently no statewide standards governing LGBTQ instruction, so teachers just have to wing it. If an eighth grade teacher assigned President Barack Obamas second inaugural address, could they explain his reference to Stonewall? Could an 11th grade course about the Supreme Court mention Obergefell v. Hodges, the decision legalizing same-sex marriage? Would an explanation of Obergefell be developmentally appropriate for 16-year-olds? What rational teacher would dare take the risk, knowing the potential ramifications? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If Republicans wanted to avoid these difficult questions, they could have clarified that they meant to restrict sex education, not LGBTQ-related speech. But they didnt. And when a Democratic legislator proposed an amendment replacing the current text with a ban on discussion of sexual activity, Republicans voted it down. Advertisement H.B. 1557 does not outlaw sex ed. It erases LGBTQ families. Claim No. 3: H.B. 1557 does not suppress free speech. It is impossible to understand the scope of this bills censorship without looking at its convoluted enforcement mechanisms. The law requires school districts to adopt procedures for a parent to notify the principal if they have concerns about LGBTQ instruction, and to create a process for resolving those concerns within 7 calendar days. If the concern is not resolved within 30 calendar days, the school district must explain why. A parent can always file a complaint if the concern is not resolved to their satisfaction. The Florida commissioner of education then appoints a special magistrate to recommend a resolution, which the state Board of Education must approve or reject. DeSantis is currently stacking this board with far-right allies; his most recent nominee, Esther Byrd, has previously indicated her support for QAnon, the Proud Boys, and the Jan. 6 rioters. Advertisement Aggrieved parents have a more direct option: They can sue the school district. If a court agrees that an instructor violated the law, it may issue an injunction, damages, and attorneys fees to the parents. This award could run well into the tens of thousands of dollars and almost surely result in the termination of the offending teacher. With this vigilante scheme, Florida has copied from Texas playbook, empowering private citizens to enforce oppressive laws through direct legal action. Even if no parent ever sues under H.B. 1557, the threat of enforcement will hang over school districts. Just as doctors stopped performing abortions when Texas passed S.B. 8, teachers will stop mentioning LGBTQ issues once this bill takes effect. Thats the point: The law has a chilling effect on speech, frightening educators into silence. A parent can ruin teachers lives by filing a complaint or a lawsuit; even if a teacher is ultimately exonerated, they will have suffered through an intrusive investigation and faced accusation of misconductor groomingthat will never fade away completely. Many reasonable educators would rather stay quiet than risk a months- or yearslong probe into their classroom speech, one that may well end in their dismissal or, at a minimum, a permanently stained reputation. H.B. 1557s proponents are correct that the bill does not use the word gay. But this reductive defense exploits the measures unusual structure to obscure its inevitable impact. If the law were defensible on its own merits, Republicans would not resort to these facile lies when making the case for its passage. Admittedly, I went through all five stages of grief when I first saw a reference to deltacron, a coronavirus variant. Another one? I thought, immediately thinking about all the friends Im gonna have to cancel on. But wait and take a breath before you reach for your phone. Deltacron, or deltamicron if you like more syllables in your portmanteaus, might be appearing in the news, but so far it seems to be more bark than bite. As its unofficial name suggests, its a combination of the delta and omicron variants, with a spike protein thats extremely close to omicrons and the rest of its genome coming from delta. It could have come from a person who was carrying both delta and omicron; the viruses could have combined in an infected cell, and then that product could have continued to replicate in the infected person. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Viral recombination is to be expectedespecially when this virus has gotten to infect so many people. But the phenomenon doesnt necessarily spell disaster. In this instance, I dont think theres any need for general worry from the population, said Dr. Amesh Adalja, an infectious disease doctor and senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security. I think deltacron is more of a clickbait term than actually a real threat that we face. We know that coronaviruses are going to recombine and there [are] going to be recombinant viruses, but theres no evidence that this is spreading rapidly or poses any major threat. The recombinant was identified in samples collected in January. GISAID, an international database recording coronavirus gene sequences, shows that in the months since, its only been reported from France, Denmark, Germany, Belgium, and the Netherlands. (Reuters reported that its been found in the United States as well.) France has the highest number of reported deltacron casesa total of 35. Denmark has the second highest number of hits: eight. The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control has it listed as a variant of interest, which is a lower designation than variant of concern. The World Health Organization and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention dont even have it listed as a variant of interest. Advertisement Advertisement Fusing delta and omicron doesnt give it superpowers, says Adalja (though research into it is still ongoing). The name makes it sound like it has all of deltas and omicrons strengths and none of their weaknesses. But thats really not the case at all. The fact that its a combination of things weve seen before is actually a good thing. Its unlikely to cause more severe disease compared with its origin variants. Given that the spike protein is so similar to that of omicron, if youve got antibodies that work against the omicron spike, theres no reason they wouldnt work against the recombinant spike, said Adalja. Even if the spike protein was derived from delta, weve seen that too, and we know our vaccines are able to protect against serious illness. This also applies to the antivirals that work against delta and omicron. Being anxious about a new recombinant or variant is understandableits likely that another tricky variant will come on the scene at some point. Globally, there has been an increase in COVID-19 cases, with Hong Kong in particular experiencing a deadly surge. This trend does not seem to be caused by an entirely new variant, though omicrons offshoot BA.2 might be partially responsible for an increase in cases in Europe, along with relaxing restrictions. While deltacron seems to be nothing special, the virus in and of itself is still worth being wary of. A version of this article originally appeared in the Record. Ukraines internet networks have suffered increasing disruptions in recent days as Russia continues its assault, threatening to sever the countrys ability to court diplomatic allies online and share images of apparent attacks on civilian targets, including hospitals. Ukraine has a fairly sophisticated networking infrastructure that allowed the country to stay mostly online during the assault, despite some local and regional outages around areas with the fiercest fighting. But data shared by global network monitors last week suggests the countrys networks face ongoing physical and digital threats that have significantly degraded local service. Advertisement Large outages today in #Ukraine. Ukrtelecom (AS6849) down nationally at 9:35 UTC (11:35am local) for ~40min. Triolan (AS13188) has been down nationally for over 12hrs due to reported cyber attack. Still almost entirely offline. Vizes from @gatech_ioda and @kentikinc: pic.twitter.com/v1wmKsR7kE Doug Madory (@DougMadory) March 10, 2022 Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On Twitter, Doug Madory, director of internet analysis at Kentik, flagged Thursday major apparent national-level outages at two local providers, Ukrtelecom and Triolan. Global network data reflected the vast majority of traffic involving the providers dropping off for roughly 40 minutes at Ukrtelecom and more than a day at Triolan. Triolan is a collective of independent network operators in Ukraine that is a major broadband provider in the countrytypically among the top five to 10 carriers in terms of global traffic flow, according to Madory. Advertisement Advertisement But web traffic involving Triolan dropped dramatically around 10:30 p.m. local time on Wednesday, and remained below half of normal levels based on assessments from Madory and traffic flows from the Internet Outage Detection and Analysis Project at Georgia Tech University through Friday Advertisement Advertisement According to a statement posted to Telegram by Triolan on Thursday, service disruptions were attributed to what the company described as a second round of cyberattacks that disabled routing equipment in ways that left them unable to remotely recover service. This is a vicious strategy of the enemy, who is trying to damage information networks and leave people without communication, according to a translation of the statement. We are trying to stop the attackers as soon as possible and resume the network in all areas. Advertisement Advertisement In Telegram post Sunday, Triolan said it was working with teams to manually restore networksat times operating around local emergency curfewsand estimated service would be restored on Monday. Data from IODA Monday showed a return to just under 80 percent of pre-disruption capacity. Advertisement Advertisement Triolan normally represents a major broadband provider in the country, according to Madory. The national disruption at Ukrtelecom Thursday was much shorter and also was not complete, but disrupted the majority of traffic, according to Madory. The cause of the issue is unclear. Madory previously flagged a three-hour apparent near complete disruption of Ukrtelecom access on March 8. Ukrtelecom is Ukraines incumbent telecommunication provider and a major provider for mobile and broadband internet access in the country. The company previously reported several regional outages in an update on March 5, adding that its crews had restored services to Vinnytsia, Zhytomyr, Rivne, Volyn, Khmelnytsky, Lviv, and Ternopilregions that were disrupted by hostilities. In that update, the company also noted continued disruptions in Chernihiv, Sumy and Kherson regions due to fighting. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ukrtelecom did not immediately respond to an inquiry about recent traffic disruptions. Ukrtelecom was previously a state-controlled entity, but is now owned by the countrys richest person, Rinat Akhmetov, via the holding company System Capital Management, or SCM. Akhmetov has long been seen as aligned with Russian interests in the country, including former Ukrainian leader Ukrainian Victor Yanukovych who was deposed in a 2014 revolution after violently cracking down on protesters. According to the report on the investigation into Russian influence operations during the 2016 U.S. presidential election led by special prosecutor Robert Mueller, Akhmetov hired future Donald Trump presidential campaign manager Paul Manafort to promote Yanukovychs political party in 2005. (Manafort pleaded guilty to criminal counts related to that investigation, including failing to register as a foreign agent of Ukraine, and was sentenced to years in prison, but released to home confinement during the pandemic in 2020.) Akhmetov left Ukraine via private jet on Feb. 13, before the invasion, according to local news reports. The oligarch has since come out against the invasion, calling Putin a war criminal and telling Forbes he is doing everything he can to help Ukraine. Future Tense is a partnership of Slate, New America, and Arizona State University that examines emerging technologies, public policy, and society. Slate has relationships with various online retailers. If you buy something through our links, Slate may earn an affiliate commission. We update links when possible, but note that deals can expire and all prices are subject to change. All prices were up to date at the time of publication. From The United States of Anonymous: How the First Amendment Shaped Online Speech, by Jeff Kosseff. Copyright 2022 by Cornell University. Reprinted by permission of the publisher, Cornell University Press. The story of Ryan S. Lin and the cyberstalking campaign that he unleashed on his former roommate and others reveals some of the harmful ways that people can operate anonymously. Although Lins story received some media attention in 2018 when he was sentenced to 17.5 years in federal prison, none of the coverage that I read documented the full extent of the harms, and how his ability to shield some of his identifying information contributed to his persistent campaign of harassment. Advertisement This story comes from the extensive court record of his prosecution. As a warning, some details are graphic and shocking; I include them because it is important to avoid minimizing the damages of the cyberstalking campaign. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ryan S. Lin was born in China in 1992 and moved to the United States a few years later. As a young child in Connecticut, his mother said, he had exhibited antisocial behavior, though he received good grades. His behavior appeared to deteriorate in middle school, when he was suspended for, among other reasons, an inappropriate message that he sent to a girl in his school. In seventh grade, he taught himself how to code. Lin was suspended six times in middle school. Lin was seen by a mental health provider, who concluded, Ryan has his own rules and doesnt follow social rules. Due to his fathers health problems, Lins family did not continue Ryan Lins therapy. As a high school student, he hacked his classmates Facebook proles and harassed them. He was admitted to Carnegie Mellon University, where he studied for three semesters. He studied at a community college, and then Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, where he graduated magna cum laude with a computer science degree in 2015. He served as webmaster of RPIs International Chinese Study Association, but as a result of a dispute he deleted the groups website. Two classmates of Lin from Rensselaer would later tell federal law enforcement that Lin had harassed them, including by creating false social media accounts in one of the students names. The students said that they reported Lin to school administration and received cease and desist orders against him. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Lin moved to the Boston area after graduating, though he had problems at work due to conicts with superiors, difficulties socializing with others, and troubles with focusing. He responded to an advertisement for a room rental in a Watertown, Massachusetts, house, and moved in in late April or early May 2016. Three other people were living in the house, including Jennifer Smith, a woman in her 20s who worked at a restaurant and in pet care. (Jennifer Smith is not her real name; it is the pseudonym provided to her in an FBI affidavit.) Advertisement Advertisement Within a few weeks of moving into the house, Lin purchased marijuana from Smith, according to the FBI. She awoke to him banging on her bed room door in the middle of the night, alleging that she did not provide the agreed-upon amount of marijuana. Lin sent text messages to Smith, at times referring to her recent abortion. Advertisement Smith had not discussed her abortion with Lin or the other people in the house, but she had written about the abortionand her former romantic partner, Michaelin an electronic journal that could be accessed from her MacBook. Smiths laptop was not password protected, and contained a document with all her online account passwords. She stored the laptop in her bedroom, which did not lock. Advertisement Advertisement Toward the end of May, when Smith was alone in the house with Lin, their shared toilet overowed. The plumber found in the toilet the bottles from Smiths anxiety and depression medications, which had been missing. Lin denied ushing the bottles. Smith moved out of the house within days. About a month later, Smith returned to pack her belongings, and saw printouts of her journal in her bedroom, the FBI wrote. When she confronted Lin, he told her that he had not printed the journal. Advertisement Advertisement In a text message to one of the two remaining roommates, he identied her employer and exact earnings. He allegedly told one of the roommates that he had placed hidden cam eras in the home. The roommates complained to the landlord, and by around Aug. 1, 2016, Lin was no longer living in the home. A few days before Lin was evicted from the house, an email was sent from an account that appeared to belong to Smith (but did not) to Lin, Smith, the two other housemates, and two other people, according to the FBI. The email included excerpts from Smiths online journal, along with explicit body images and pictures of Smiths face. Lin responded to the email chain. It is fascinating how someone can be so incredibly de- pressed, paranoid, and slutty at the same time, he wrote. I am quite sure I will never read such an intense story again that involves so much sluttiness and crazy thoughts. Smith also began receiving offensive messages on social media. For example, an Instagram account named jsnmma in December 2016 posted, It would be so nice if you could go back in time further and undo your abortion. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Lins unauthorized access to her computer and accounts provided him with not only the diary, but also private images and a sexually suggestive video of Smith, the government detailed in court lings. He created a collage that included pictures of Smiths face, Smiths buttocks in underwear, a females naked breasts, and a vagina. He distributed the diary, the video, and the images widely. For instance, in April 2017, an email account purporting to belong to Smith sent an email to local university staff, police department employees, staff at Smiths former schools, and others, that promised to teach the recipients how they could spice up their sex life. The email included intimate portions of Smiths diary, the video, the collage, and her medical records. Advertisement Lin also used text messaging services, often one based in Canada, to anonymously send messages to Smith. Among the messages that he sent her: why get abortion? why dont [sic] u kill yourself, and SUCH A DISGUSTING GIRL. KEEP YOUR LEGS CLOSED AND KILL YOURSELF!!!!!! Pretending to be Smith, Lin posted ads on various dating websites, seeking people to fulll fantasies of rape and violent sex. One ad was titled Would anyone like to tie me up tonight? Advertisement Advertisement Lin took advantage of local police departments anonymous tip submission system. On July 24, 2017, Lin caused the Waltham, Massachusetts, police to visit Smiths home by submitting tips that there was a bomb at the house, and that drug activity was occurring at the home. The next month, he sent anonymous tips to four other local police departments about a bomb at Smiths home address. The residents are not going to wake up to see the morning, or they will wake up disgured. BOOM! Prosecutors also identied more than 100 anonymous bomb threats that Lin had fabricated, claiming that bombs had been planted at Bentley University, Waltham High School, and other nearby locations. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Lin used information from Smiths online accounts to apply for unemployment benets in Smiths name, cancel her drivers license registration, and apply for nancial services from Bank of America. Smith was not the only target of Lins harassment campaign. He repeatedly sent vulgar emails and text messages to Smiths mother, including threats to rape both Smith and her mother. He emailed the collage and diary excerpts to Smiths mother and her mothers coworkers. He emailed child pornography to Smiths mother, thanking her for the pur chase and including the last four digits of her credit card number. Advertisement Smiths father, a surgeon, also was among Lins targets, prosecutors detailed. Pretending to be Smith, Lin sent an email to Smiths father and his coworkers. The email contained the collage, with a message: I am very proud of my daddy who is a doctor here! He is such a great doctor and part of that is because I let him operate on me when I was little! I still am and always will be daddys little girl, so enjoy all. The harassment caused her father to install an alarm system and security cameras at home and purchase two rearms to protect himself. Advertisement Anonymity and pseudonymity fostered Lins continued campaign against Smith, her family, and others. When people saw Lins messages, at least some may not have had any way of determining with certainty whether they came from the person he was pretending to be or from an impersonator. As federal prosecutors would write in court lings, many of his traumatized victims suspected Lin but were not certain who their stalker was, why he had targeted them, how he had found them, or how he knew so much detailed personal information about them. Advertisement In a brief led in federal court, prosecutors described the great care that Lin took to guard his identity when carrying out his crimes. He used TOR to connect to VPNs and overseas providers, he encrypted his hard drives, he used over 1,000 different IP addresses in connection with his criminal conduct, he used hundreds of separate accounts with well- known overseas encrypted e-mail providers, he used dozens of spoofed text providers, and multiple VPN services, they wrote. For the bomb threats in particular, when placing the threats, Lin used TOR and VPNs to then connect to the anonymous online tip lines, knowing that they were not logging his IP addresses. He alternatively used well-known overseas email providers that do not log and do not respond to law enforcement. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Yet Lin left enough of a trail to allow dogged investigators to eventually link him to the acts. The FBI eventually obtained access to records from his Gmail account, including screenshots of an iPhone that show anonymous texting and encrypted email apps. Lin also responded on Twitter to a VPN providers tweet that it did not log its customers traffic: There is no such thing as VPN that doesnt keep logs. If they can limit your connections or track bandwidth usage, they keep logs. This tweet would prove prophetic, as the lack of complete anonymity protections on VPNs would be essential to the FBIs ability to tie him to the cyberstalking. A key piece of evidence came from Lins activities on Rover, a pet service app that Smith used. The app matches pet care providers, such as Smith, with potential clients and allows clients to pay their pet care providers. In April 2017, Ashley Plano asked Smith via Rover to walk her dogs. Ashley Planos Rover account had recently been created using teleportxf@gmail.com. Smith called Ashleys phone number, but nobody answered. Later that day, Ashley messaged to say she did not want Smith to walk her dog, but the communications caused Smith to disclose her phone number by calling Ashley. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A user of an anonymous text messaging service began text messaging Smith at that phone number two days later. Also on that day, Ashley Plano requested the deletion of her Rover account. The FBI associated Lin with the Ashley Plano Rover account because the Gmail account that Ashley Plano used to create the Rover account was accessed on the same day as a Gmail address known to belong to Lin, from the same IP address. The IP address belonged to WANSecurity, a VPN provider. On three more days in April, the Rover account and Lins Gmail account were accessed via the same IP addresses provided by another VPN provider, Secure Internet LLC. Records from another VPN provider, PureVPN, found that a user had accessed both Gmail accounts from the same IP address provided by WANSecurity. Signicantly, Pure VPN was able to determine that their service was accessed by the same customer from two originating IP addresses: the RCN IP address from the home Lin was living in at the time, and the software company where Lin was employed at the time, an FBI agent wrote.49 Advertisement Lins former employer allowed the FBI to examine his old computer, but the former employer had already reinstalled the operating system on the computer when the FBI requested access. FBI employees recovered some artifacts, including visits to news articles about area bomb threats, visits to an anonymous text message site, and proof that PureVPN had been installed on the computer. Advertisement Advertisement When law enforcement arrested Lin on Oct. 6, 2017, they conducted a search of his home and recovered parts of an electronic diary that Lin had kept. The diary entries document the methodological way in which Lin carried out his campaign against Smith and the role that ano nymity played in his crimes. Advertisement In May 2018, Lin pleaded guilty to cyberstalking, distribution of child pornography, hoax bomb threats, computer fraud and abuse, and aggravated identity theft. Advertisement While he was jailed in the Wyatt Detention Center, inmates said that he had tried to hack the Law Librarys computers, and an officer found in Lins cell papers that explained how to use anonymity technology such as Tor to access CP (presumably child pornography). A detainee informed the U.S. Attorneys Office in August 2018 that Lin had told him that Lin planned to bomb two courthouses and kill two female prosecutors on his case. Victims, including Smith and her mother, spoke at Lins Oct. 3, 2018, sentencing hearing. They told Judge Young about the chaos that Lin caused in their lives and the community. My life devolved into waiting for Ryans next attack, Smith said at the hearing. I couldnt work. I couldnt hide. I couldnt use my computer. I was afraid to leave the house. I also was afraid to be at home. The phone in my pocket was a weapon being used against me. Advertisement Advertisement Smith recounted the seemingly endless torrent of horror that Lin unleashed on her and others and the tremendous emotional and nancial toll that it took on her for more than a year. I hope that in the future the legal system will be more capable of quickly dealing with internet crimes to protect people from heinous abuse amplied by anonymity and the ubiquity of the current technologies in daily life, she said. Despite the governments overwhelming presentation of individualized and communitywide harm, Lins attorney requested that Young sentence Lin to seven years in prisonabout 10 years less than what the government sought. At the sentencing hearing, Lins lawyer, J. W. Carney Jr., stressed that Lins undiagnosed profound autism had shaped his behavior, but Judge Young appeared to struggle with that excuse. The criminal acts are not the pattern of someone who suffers with autism, Young told Carney. Even if I grant those things, these criminal acts seem wholly at variance with what I know about autism. Advertisement Advertisement Lin briey addressed Young before receiving his sentence. He apologized to his victims. Im very sorry for turning your lives into a nightmare and I deeply regret my actions, Lin said. And I really wish I could just turn back that clock and undo all those foolish decisions, but unfortunately thats clearly not possible.64 Lin said he planned to continue receiving treatment while in prison, and that he hopes to use his computer skills to, umto do good things when I get out, to innovate and improve society rather than waste my life and my time just bothering people on the internet. Advertisement Advertisement Lins apology did not appear to sway Young, who sentenced Lin to 17.5 years, which the government requested. Young said that Lins conduct was monstrous, and the fact that they were committed from a computer does not diminish the crimes. In fact it ought to bring home to all of us how interconnected we are and what havoc can be wreaked by the improper evil criminal conduct in which you so gleefully engaged, Young said. Advertisement Although I could not understand Lins motives, I wanted to get a better understanding of what the impact was, beyond the black-and-white words of the court record. So I arranged to speak with Smith through her attorney, Carrie Goldberg, who specializes in representing victims of cyber harassment, stalking, and revenge pornography. (I count Goldberg as a good friend, and I deeply admire the crucial work that she performs.) With remarkable candor, Smith discussed what it was like watching this person who has no control or social aptitude to use every platform I have ever used to steal my identity, harass me. Lin was someone who Smith lived with for a month and barely knew, making it hard to explain the barrage of emails and text messages to her coworkers, friends, and family. That was one of the more confusing things to people who didnt know what was going on, Smith said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement From the start, Smith said, she knew Lin was behind the stalking and harassment. But the police were of little help because he disguised himself so well. One local police detective was determined to help hera warrior, she called him. He even attended cybersecurity classes to learn more about the technology that Lin was using, and he issued subpoenas to many platforms. But he could not unmask Lin. The police werent really able to do anything other than watch my house and try to make sure that nobody showed up. Smith sought help from two different law rms, but they were of little use. One rm thought that the perpetrator was another former roommate of Smith and tried to convince her to hire a private investigator, but Smith was certain that it was Lin. Advertisement In the early summer of 2017, a coworker told Smith about her former classmate, Goldberg, and the work that she did representing people in similar situations. Smith called Goldberg, and approached her with suspicion, because by that point she was worried that anyone she spoke with might be part of Lins harassment. She asked questions about her back-ground to ensure that she was speaking with Carrie Goldberg, and not an impersonator. Goldberg had her secretary call Smith back from her main office line, helping to ease Smiths concerns. At that point, Smith knew that she found who she needed. Goldberg worked with her contacts at the US Justice Depart ment, including Mona Sedky, a veteran lawyer in the Justice Departments Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section who has prosecuted a number of high-prole and shocking crimes involving cyberstalking, sextortion, and other computer crimes. Within a few months, the Justice Department identied and charged Lin. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Documenting the constant barrage of evidence was like a second full-time job for Smith. I was lucky because I was a sympathetic enough victim with the economic means to afford help and the fortitude to get justice, she said. She also questions whether federal authorities would have been interested if his harassment of her had not included bomb threats and child pornography. It could have easily not been an FBI case, she said. Advertisement The child pornography and bomb threats contributed to the length of his sentence. Without those factors, the sentence might have been shorter. But to Smith, 17.5 years is like a ticking time bomb. I spoke to her about two years into the sentence, and she was convinced that when he is released, he will continue to target her. I feel like I have a deadline, she said. She is taking computer classes to learn how to protect herself online. Advertisement As Smith recounted Lins persistent campaign against her and the way that it has effectively silenced her, I could not help thinking of feminist legal scholarship, beginning in the 1970s and 1980s with Andrea Dwor kin and Catharine MacKinnon and extending to todays work by scholars such as Mary Anne Franks. They establish that advocacy for free speech often focuses on protecting the speech of men, even when it has a chilling effect on the speech of women. Advertisement I spent days immersed in Ryan Lins case le, struggling to gure out how to prevent future devastation caused by similar online crimes. There are no easy law-based solutions, in part because Lins use of anonymity is not straightforward. The harms arose not because Lins identity was a complete mystery, but because he used anonymity protection to temporarily prevent his prosecution. Many of his victims suspected he was behind the harassment campaigns, but the anonymity technology such as Tor and VPNs made it harder for law enforcement to identify him with sufficient certainty for prosecution and likely enabled him to carry out the malicious acts for longer than he could have under his real name. Advertisement The First Amendment did not shield Lins identity from disclosure. Even the most stringent First Amendment anonymity safeguards allow for unmasking in particularly compelling circumstances, and a plaintiff could have a very strong case against Lin. The likelihood that a court would allow Lins unmasking suggests that the First Amendment anonymity framework provides a reasonable balance between free speech and the need to redress harms. A shortcoming of the subpoena-based unmasking system is that by the time the perpetrator is identied, much harm already has occurred. And ling a civil lawsuit against Lin probably would not have helped Smith stop the barrage of harassment, as Lin still would have been free to keep posting, and a lawsuit may have angered Lin and prompted even more persistent online harassment. So reining in the First Amendment protec- tions for anonymity would not necessarily prevent harassment campaigns such as the one carried out by Ryan Lin. The legal system eventually worked to unmask Lin and bring him to justice, but the harassment went on for far too long and had indelible effects on Smith and others. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It would have been harder, if not impossible, for Lin to carry out his campaign for so long had he been unable to use anonymizing technology such as VPNs and Tor and required to operate online under his real name. Yet it is difficult to conceive of how such a requirement could be effective, short of a law that requires all online platforms to register and display peoples real names, while also banning anonymizing technology. Such a law would almost certainly run afoul of the First Amendment, as it would effectively silence not only harassers, but also citizen journalists, political dissidents, and other speakers who have legitimate reasons to seek anonymity. And even if such a prohibition on any online anonymity could somehow pass constitutional muster, a dedicated harasser likely could circumvent the requirement, perhaps by falsifying identifying information or using contraband technology. While a real-name requirement and a legal prohibition on anonymizing technology might prevent some potential harassers from being anonymous online, I question whether such a ban would be effective for computer experts such as Lin. Advertisement In her excellent memoir, Nobodys Victim, in which she recounts representing Smith and many other targets of cybercrime, Carrie Goldberg describes two schools of thought that drive abhorrent anonymous online behavior. The rst, known as the online disinhibition effect, holds that people who engage in bad behavior online under masked identities have slipped into a sort of alternate reality, and that due to their online anonymity, they feel free to engage in unbridled assholery with zero repercussions. Another line of thinking, Goldberg writes, is that online trolls are more than merely a product of their environments, and are instead evil, tending toward cruelty even when not online. The second explanation suggests substantial challenges in combatting online harms, and that we must do more than just address whether people can remain anonymous. How do we combat that underlying cruelty? Advertisement Advertisement Improvements to the criminal justice system might help to prevent some similar crimes, but that also is far from certain. As evidenced by Lins 17.5-year sentence, many laws already presented the specter of substantial punishment. Judge Young sentenced him to the maximum number of years in prison allowed under the plea agreement. I agree with Young that the fact that the crimes were committed via computer does not diminish the harms. Lins sentence is remarkably long compared to many other computer crime cases. Still, the existence of the federal criminal laws did not deter Lin from committing these persistent crimes. Perhaps Lin truly believed that his computer skills would prevent him from ever being identied. Perhaps Lin was unaware of the possible punishments. Or perhaps something else caused him to disregard the risk of substantial prison time. I can only hope that the media coverage of Lins heavy prison sentence deters at least some potential cybercriminals. But Lins case is unique in that skilled federal government cyber experts took on the investigation. The FBIs capacity and jurisdiction are limited, and we cannot expect that federal agents and prosecutors will be able to investigate every cybercrime. At the very least, local and state police need more dedicated cybercrime expertise, along with effective and punitive laws against cyberstalking and other computer crimes. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ryan Lins story reveals a broad societal failure. For years, a young person had harassed others without the necessary intervention from healthcare providers, schools, and law enforcement, despite repeated indications of problematic behavior. The many people who Lin victimized were harmed by the systems failure to address so many warning signs. Anonymity technology was a tool that allowed his harassment to last longer than it otherwise would have, but the underlying problems were rooted far deeper. Thanks to legal, technological, and social norms that have developed over decades, we live in a culture of anonymity empowerment. While this culture creates many opportunities for society, it also means that some people may misuse their anonymity to harm others. Our institutions must adapt to this culture of anonymity empowerment to better identify potential problems at the outset. Future Tense is a partnership of Slate, New America, and Arizona State University that examines emerging technologies, public policy, and society. With the war in Ukraine, the state needs to ramp up its defence spending, the prime minister admits. Font size: A - | A + Comments disabled Slovakia has fulfilled its commitment towards NATO regarding defence spending in advance, according to the Finance Ministry. The ministry's state secretary (deputy minister) Marcel Klimek noted that Slovakia has met its commitment to spend 2 percent of its GDP ahead of schedule, in 2020 and in 2021. Skryt Remove ad Article continues after video advertisement Skryt Remove ad Article continues after video advertisement NATO member states made a commitment at the 2014 summit in Wales to spend at least 2 percent of their respective GDPs on defence by 2024. In the years that followed, however, Slovakia has had problems fulfilling this commitment, and lagged behind with the modernisation of its armed forces. In 2021, the expenditure on defence reached 1,95 billion, which represented 2.1 percent of GDP for that year, Klimek reported. "The current government is the first one to have met Slovakia's commitment towards NATO, even ahead of schedule," Klimek wrote. In the coming years, however, the state budget had counted on a defence expenditure of 1.8 percent GDP, the TASR newswire wrote. Following the extraordinary EU summit in Versailles, PM Eduard Heger (OLANO) said that Slovakia will need to revise its budget and increase defence investments, in light of the war in neighbouring Ukraine. "Leaders are saying that it is necessary to fulfill the commitment of spending 2 percent GDP on defence. Some countries have admitted they have not been meeting this commitment, but they realise it is very important," Heger said following the summit, as quoted by the SITA newswire. One notable modernisation project is the exchange of Slovakia's fighter jets. The currently used Russian-made and Russian-serviced MiG-29 jets should be replaced with 14 fighter jets made in the USA. The government of Robert Fico approved the purchase of F-16 Block 70/72 for 1.6 billion in 2018. The producer announced last week that due to shortages in supplies, the planes will come approximately one year later than planned, in 2024. Meanwhile, the Slovak government has approved the arrival of NATO troops within the so-called enhanced forward presence. They will bring defence technology with them, notably the Patriot air protection missile system. Slovakia officially joined NATO on March 29, 2004, alongside Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania and Slovenia. Related article Slovak government does not rule out Russia may conduct airstrikes in the immediate vicinity of the Slovak border in coming days. Font size: A - | A + Comments disabled Russia may attack the airport in the western-Ukrainian city of Uzhgorod. The runway of the airport ends just 50 metres from the border with Slovakia, Defence Minister Jaroslav Nad (OLaNO) said in parliament on Tuesday. Nad gave this as an example as to why it is vital for Slovakia to enhance the defence of its eastern border. The Slovak parliament approved the mandate for NATO troops to arrive to Slovakia within the enhanced forward presence project at its March 15 session. The cabinet passed the proposal unanimously last week. MPs supported the proposal with 96 votes of the 133 MPs present in the house during the vote. The NATO troops are expected to arrive within weeks since receiving the mandate, according to Nad. Skryt Remove ad Article continues after video advertisement Skryt Remove ad Article continues after video advertisement Speaking to the MPs, Nad remarked that the unprecedented Russian aggression against Ukraine is "finally changing" attitudes among Slovak authorities and the Slovak public in creating an enhanced forward presence (EFP) unit in Slovakia. Nad asked the MPs to approve the mandate for 2,100 troops, though he specified that for now he expects the arrival of fewer troops, around 1,200 at the beginning. The mandate is for soldiers from Czechia (who will provide the framework for the unit), Poland, Slovenia, the Netherlands, Germany and the USA. Related article Related article Allied troops to come sooner. It means bigger players will not sacrifice small countries like Slovakia Read more The EFP unit will bring some important capabilities Slovakia lacks at the moment, notably the Patriot air defence system, and it will also strengthen Slovakia's capabilities in cyber war and drone security. We are getting things for free, Nad told the MPs. He said that it is a fundamental and the greatest strengthening of Slovakias defence in its history. It clearly shows that the Washington Treaty applies. It clearly shows that the allies are ready, capable and willing to come and protect this territory from the aggressor, the minister said. Nad also confirmed in his remarks in parliament that Slovakia is going to gradually get rid of its MiG-29 fighter jets. China guards against strong rebound of COVID-19 Xinhua) 08:04, March 15, 2022 * The Chinese mainland Sunday reported 1,337 locally transmitted COVID-19 cases and 788 local asymptomatic cases. * The Omicron BA.2 variant has been identified as the culprit of recent COVID-19 resurgences in many places. * Several cities with infections have launched multiple rounds of mass testing, ordered closed-loop management of communities, and built makeshift hospitals to stem the virus. BEIJING, March 14 (Xinhua) -- China is taking swift and thorough measures to contend with its latest wave of COVID-19 outbreaks, as multiple regions in the country have seen surging infections recently. The Chinese mainland Sunday reported 1,337 locally transmitted COVID-19 cases and 788 local asymptomatic cases in more than a dozen provincial-level regions, the National Health Commission (NHC) said Monday. Amid the new spike in COVID-19 cases, several cities with infections have adhered to the dynamic zero-COVID approach through a raft of measures. These include launching multiple rounds of mass testing, ordering closed-loop management of some communities, and suspending traffic and classes to stem the virus. SWIFT, STRICT ACTIONS Chinese Vice Premier Sun Chunlan Sunday stressed taking the most thorough epidemic response measures to stem the COVID-19 outbreaks in northeast China's Jilin Province, among the hardest-hit areas as Omicron spreads in the country. On Sunday, the province registered 895 confirmed domestically transmitted COVID-19 cases and 131 asymptomatic carriers. A medical worker takes a swab sample from a resident for nucleic acid test at a community in Jilin City, northeast China's Jilin Province, March 12, 2022. (Xinhua/Zhang Nan) Inspecting a virus-hit middle school and residential community in the province, Sun, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, urged utmost efforts in testing, quarantine, and treatment to stamp out all community infections soonest. Its capital city Changchun and the second-largest city Jilin have been placed under closed management to contain the spread of the virus, and residents were asked not to leave home unless necessary. Jilin City has conducted seven rounds of city-wide nucleic acid testing over the past 10 days. Nearly 2,900 people tested positive. No deaths have been reported so far. While hospital beds are running tight, many cities are building makeshift hospitals to admit and treat as many COVID-19 patients as possible. Changchun is building a makeshift hospital at an exhibition center that can provide more than 1,500 beds. As of Monday, five makeshift hospitals are operational in Jilin City, with over 9,000 beds. The sixth one, with nearly 2,000 beds, is under construction. Aerial photo taken on March 12, 2022 shows a temporary hospital under construction at a driving school in Jilin City, northeast China's Jilin Province. (Xinhua/Zhang Nan) In southern China's metropolis Shenzhen, which reported 75 confirmed locally transmitted cases on Sunday, the bus and subway systems were suspended, and businesses, except those providing essential services, have been closed from Monday to March 20. Employees must work from home if they can, and residents are barred from leaving the city in south China's Guangdong Province. CHALLENGES AND CONFIDENCE The Omicron BA.2 variant has been identified as the culprit of recent COVID-19 resurgences in many places. "The Omicron BA.2 variant was behind the sudden resurgence of COVID-19 cases in Jilin City. It is more contagious and harder to detect and appears to spread more quickly," said Sun Dianwei, head of the center for disease control and prevention in Jilin City. Sun said that based on the data analysis as of March 11, around 56 percent of those infected in the city showed no symptoms -- making it harder to track down the new cases. A staff member sprays disinfectant inside a bus in Futian District of Shenzhen, south China's Guangdong Province, March 13, 2022. (Photo by Chu Yan/Xinhua) "If we do not take swift and resolute prevention and control measures, it will easily lead to a large number of community infections and a surge in cases," said Lin Hancheng, an official with Shenzhen Municipal Health Commission. Several officials have been held accountable for dereliction of duty in preventing and controlling the latest COVID-19 outbreaks. Jilin City mayor Wang Lu lost his position due to ineffective epidemic prevention and control. Six Guangdong officials were sacked for management loopholes. As part of the swift COVID-19 responses, China has added antigen detection as an option for COVID-19 testing among the public to boost the early discovery of COVID-19 cases, said the NHC Friday. The new domestic wave of COVID-19 resurgence is currently at the early stage of rapid growth, Zhang Wenhong, head of the Center for Infectious Diseases with the Shanghai-based Huashan Hospital of Fudan University, said in a blog on China's microblogging platform Weibo. Hailing China's anti-epidemic endeavor over the past two years, Zhang suggested more efforts in promoting booster vaccinations among the elderly and affordable home detection reagents. (Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Liang Jun) https://sputniknews.com/20220314/delhis-aap-protests-against-bjp-for-delay-in-civic-polls-1093860391.html Delhis AAP Protests Against BJP For Delay in Civic Polls Delhis AAP Protests Against BJP For Delay in Civic Polls In the last election for the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won 181 of the 272 seats and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)... 14.03.2022, Sputnik International 2022-03-14T12:25+0000 2022-03-14T12:25+0000 2022-03-15T12:25+0000 india india new delhi delhi municipal elections bharatiya janata party (bjp) aam aadmi party narendra modi narendra modi arvind kejriwal /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e6/03/0e/1093861023_0:258:2727:1792_1920x0_80_0_0_221fe1392fa836844655dd955c64abc9.jpg Delhi's ruling AAP on Monday protested against the federally ruling BJP over the State Election Commission (SEC) deferring civic elections in the city. The civic bodies Municipal Corporations of Delhi (MCD) are ruled by the BJP while the Government of Delhi is led by state chief and AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal.AAP's politician and Delhi Minister Gopal Rai, the partys lawmaker Atishi Marlena, and their party's MCD in-charge Durgesh Pathak led the protest which started from the partys office in the Deen Dayal Upadhyay Marg area in the morning. Hundreds of AAP workers from across the city converged and raised slogans against the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.Addressing the gathering of AAP workers, Pathak said that the BJP has forced the SEC to defer the MCD polls fearing defeat in the polls. "They know that if once the AAP will come to power in MCD their politics in the national capital will end, he said. He also alleged that Delhis election commissioner gave in to the pressure of the federal government. It has been learnt from reliable sources that the Prime Ministers Office (PMO) has a file which has the cases of corruption against him (the election commissioner). He was threatened that if he announced the dates of elections, he would be put behind bars."He claimed that if the MCD polls were conducted on time, the AAP would have successfully won 260 of the 272 seats, with a margin of around 5,000 votes on each seat.Pathak also claimed that if the polls were deferred, there was a strong possibility of AAP making a clean sweep in the MCD polls. He appealed to people to support his party. Delhi Minister Gopal Rai and AAP politicians Atishi Marlena also addressed the protesters and slammed the BJP for postponing the MCD polls.However, the AAP politicians and workers couldnt march towards the BJP headquarters as planned because the police blocked their path.After being stopped by the police, AAP workers raised slogans against Prime Minister Modi and the BJP. They also staged a sit-in protest in front of the barricades.The politicians then asked the party workers to leave the protest site and reach out to the people of the city to make them aware of the undemocratic practices adopted by the BJP-led federal government.Pathak told the protesters that the party wanted to intensify the agitation against the deferment of the polls and would soon inform the party workers about it.On Saturday, AAP national convener and Delhi State Chief Arvind Kejriwal slammed the federal government over the delay in MCD polls and appealed to Prime Minister Modi to let the civic body polls take place.He said that forcing the election commission to postpone the elections is unprecedented, unconstitutional, and bad for democracy."As per media reports, the elections have been postponed because the federal government has plans to bring a bill in the Budget Session of Parliament, which is resuming from Monday, to unify the three municipal corporations of Delhi.The MCD was trifurcated into three civic bodies the North Delhi Municipal Corporation, South Delhi Municipal Corporation, and East Delhi Municipal Corporation in 2012. india new delhi delhi Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2022 Rahul Trivedi https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/05/12/1082926121_0:-1:627:627_100x100_80_0_0_d882e1a63f627c25b7a534fb8b8234d7.jpg Rahul Trivedi https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/05/12/1082926121_0:-1:627:627_100x100_80_0_0_d882e1a63f627c25b7a534fb8b8234d7.jpg News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Rahul Trivedi https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/05/12/1082926121_0:-1:627:627_100x100_80_0_0_d882e1a63f627c25b7a534fb8b8234d7.jpg india, india, new delhi, delhi, municipal elections, bharatiya janata party (bjp), aam aadmi party, narendra modi, narendra modi, arvind kejriwal, politics, politics, politics, politics, protest, protest, political protest, protest rally https://sputniknews.com/20220315/anti-radiation-pills-sell-out-in-us-amid-panic-buying-triggered-by-nuclear-war-media-hysteria--1093881389.html Anti-Radiation Pills Sell Out in US Amid Panic Buying Triggered by 'Nuclear War' Media Hysteria Anti-Radiation Pills Sell Out in US Amid Panic Buying Triggered by 'Nuclear War' Media Hysteria Amid Moscows ongoing special operation to demilitarise and "de-Nazify" Ukraine, NATO countries have rejected repeated calls from Kiev to impose a no-fly zone... 15.03.2022, Sputnik International 2022-03-15T05:41+0000 2022-03-15T05:41+0000 2022-03-15T05:59+0000 situation in ukraine us ebay nuclear war us centers for disease control and prevention russia ukraine chernobyl volodymyr zelensky international atomic energy agency (iaea) /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/106306/79/1063067909_0:354:1019:927_1920x0_80_0_0_6619ab410f5eacf4cf8521786de17836.jpg Americans have been panic-buying potassium iodide tablets, which can counteract the effects of radiation poisoning, with manufacturers in the US confirming depleted inventories over spiralling fears of a possible nuclear war, CNN reported.Russias special operation to demilitarise and "de-Nazify" Ukraine, presented by the Western press as an invasion, despite the Kremlin repeatedly assuring that its goal is to only target military infrastructure, with no plans to occupy the neighbouring country, has fuelled a 'nuclear war' media hysteria. With Western media outlets pushing headlines questioning whether Americans ought to be worried about nuclear war with Russia, manufacturer IOSAT is currently sold out of its 14-pack boxes of IOSAT tablets, made by Anbex, ordinarily selling for $13.99 on its website. The surging demand has driven prices up, with identical tablets now for sale for $149 on eBay.On Monday, four boxes of Thyrosafe potassium iodide tablets were selling for $132.50. Another listing showed a box of IOSAT 130 mg pills costing $89.95 each.The website of New York-based company Anbex, Inc., a leading supplier, currently states that they are out of stock of IOSAT potassium iodide 130mg and 65mg tablets."He added that orders began piling up in mid February, with buyers ranging from individuals and resellers to hospitals, municipalities and governments."The big run started on February 23 through February 28. We sold out of all the inventory we had," added Jones, indicating that at the time reports had come in of Russian units taking control of Ukraine's Chernobyl nuclear power plant.Russia has since offered exhaustive clarifications regarding the situation with Chernobyl.According to Russian Deputy Defence Minister Nikolai Pankov, Ukrainian nationalists had committed a dangerous provocation, attacking the power grid facilities that provide electricity to the Chernobyl NPP, but Russian experts took prompt measures to switch to backup diesel generator power sources.Subsequently, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said that statements coming from Kiev claiming that there was a safety threat from radiation posed by the Chernobyl NPP after it was taken under the control of Russian forces were simply not true.Furthermore, Russia has informed the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) that the management and operation of Chernobyl, as well as the Zaporozhskaya NPP, is being carried out by Ukrainian personnel, but a group of Russian experts is also providing assistance.Ukraines President Volodymyr Zelensky also raised the topic of nuclear weapons, when he suggested withdrawal from the Budapest memorandum by which Kiev was compelled to remove the nuclear weapons left behind when the USSR collapsed. According to his claims, signatories of the memorandum had failed to uphold security guarantees given to Ukraine in exchange for it to enact voluntary nuclear disarmament.Kiev has also been urging NATO countries to introduce a no-fly zone in Ukraine's airspace to hamper the mission of Russian aviation as part of the special operation in the country. However, the alliance members argued that the no-fly zone could trigger a Third World War with Russia. The Kremlin has also cautioned NATO that implementing a no-fly zone could result in the bloc being considered a party to the conflict.Not a Cure-AllIn the event of a nuclear explosion, radioactive iodine released into the atmosphere can be breathed into the lungs as well as contaminate water, soil, plants and animals, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).According to the CDC, radioactive iodide can harm the thyroid, an endocrine gland in the front of the neck that produces many hormones regulating the body.In the case of radiation exposure, the thyroid gland can absorb too much radioactive iodide, which can result in thyroid cancer. Potassium iodide, whether in liquid or pill form, can saturate the thyroid gland, thus preventing it from absorbing radioactive iodine.However, with the panic buying, CDC is warning Americans that taking too many of the anti-radiation pills, which are not a cure-all, can cause severe illness or death.A single dose protects the thyroid gland for no more than 24 hours, warns the CDC, adding that the pills work best for certain age groups.Potassium iodide is officially recognised in the US as a treatment in the wake of a nuclear attack or radiation spill. According to vice president of sales and marketing for Anbex, Troy Jones, demand for the pills had similarly soared when former President Donald Trump tweeted in 2018 that he had a "much bigger & more powerful" button than North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un.Another occasion was on 13 January 2018, when the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency sent out a false ballistic missile alert over television, radio, and cellphones in the US state of Hawaii, saying: "This is not a drill". State officials later blamed a miscommunication during a drill for the first message.Let's stay in touch no matter what! Follow our Telegram channels to get all the latest news:Sputnik News US - https://t.me/sputniknewsusSputnik News India - https://t.me/sputniknewsindia https://sputniknews.com/20220313/efforts-to-repair-damaged-power-lines-at-chernobyl-nuclear-power-plant-continue---iaea-1093819337.html https://sputniknews.com/20220310/russian-foreign-ministry-nuclear-war-is-impossible-it-would-be-the-end-of-civilisation-1093751246.html https://sputniknews.com/20200125/hawaii-governor-false-missile-alarm-twitter-1078137971.html ukraine chernobyl Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2022 Svetlana Ekimenko Svetlana Ekimenko News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Svetlana Ekimenko us, ebay, nuclear war, us centers for disease control and prevention, russia, ukraine, chernobyl, volodymyr zelensky, international atomic energy agency (iaea) https://sputniknews.com/20220315/assange-extradition-case-to-formally-move-to-political-stage--fiance-1093889672.html Assange Extradition Case to Formally Move to Political Stage Fiancee Assange Extradition Case to Formally Move to Political Stage Fiancee LONDON (Sputnik) Julian Assanges fiancee Stella Moris on Tuesday said that the extradition of the WikiLeaks founder to the United States on charges related... 15.03.2022, Sputnik International 2022-03-15T09:23+0000 2022-03-15T09:23+0000 2022-03-15T09:23+0000 world julian assange extradition /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/0a/1b/1090243658_0:160:3073:1888_1920x0_80_0_0_ae1aa68fb239351fbbe37737028e2983.jpg Now the extradition will formally move to a political stage. Julian's fate now lies in the hands of Home Secretary Priti Patel. This is a political case and she can end it, Moris said in a statement.On Monday, the UK top court refused to grant Assange permission to appeal against the London High Court decision to extradite him to the US, where he could face a lifetime in prison, arguing that the case "didnt raise an arguable point of law."Moris, who is set to marry the WikiLeaks founder in Belmarsh prison next week, noted, however, that Patel can end the United Kingdom's exposure to international ridicule because of his incarceration.Assange has been on remand at the Belmarsh maximum-security prison in southeast London since October 2020, after serving an 11-month sentence for breaking bail conditions. In 2012, instead of appearing in court as his bail conditions demanded, Assange sought shelter in the Ecuadorian embassy in London, where he remained until 2019 over concerns that he might otherwise end up extradited to the US.In December, 2021, the London High Court ruled in favour of the US appeal to extradite Assange, overturning an earlier decision that the Australian journalist cannot be extradited to the US due to health issues and the inhumane conditions he might face in the US prison system.Assange is wanted by the United States on espionage charges after WikiLeaks published thousands of classified documents that shed light on the atrocities committed by American troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. If put on trial and convicted in the US, Assange may be sentenced to up to 175 years in prison. Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2022 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 world, julian assange, extradition https://sputniknews.com/20220315/biolabs-in-ukraine-pose-threat-to-all-europe-not-just-russia-diplomat-warns-1093884397.html Biolabs in Ukraine Pose Threat to All Europe, Not Just Russia, Diplomat Warns Biolabs in Ukraine Pose Threat to All Europe, Not Just Russia, Diplomat Warns Earlier, the Russian Defence Ministry said that there were about 30 biolaboratories on the territory of Ukraine, fulfilling orders from the US Department of... 15.03.2022, Sputnik International 2022-03-15T06:33+0000 2022-03-15T06:33+0000 2022-03-15T07:06+0000 situation in ukraine europe russia /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e6/03/0f/1093885395_0:50:960:590_1920x0_80_0_0_c313feb047a7aba0afa439b782099066.jpg Biolaboratories in Ukraine pose a danger not only to Russia but to the whole of Europe, Aleksey Polishchuk, the head of the Russian foreign ministry's second CIS department, told Sputnik.Purpose of Russias operation in Ukraine is, among other things, to stop the threat posed by biolaboratories, Aleksey Polishchuk added.The Russian diplomat added that Moscow was forced to recognise the Donbass republics' independence, but the decision on their possible return to Ukraine is up to LPR and DPR residents.The diplomat noted that for seven and a half years, Russia had been seeking the implementation by Kiev of the Minsk agreements, aimed at the civilized return of Donbass to Ukraine on the terms of a special status and respect for the rights and interests of citizens, adding that back then, Donetsk and Luhansk agreed to this. But, during this time, Kiev did everything to prevent the residents of Donbass from returning, keeping the region in an economic, transport and financial blockade, he said.As part of the special operation launched in Ukraine on 24 February, the Russian armed forces had found 30 biological laboratories in Ukraine, which were fulfilling orders from the US Department of Defense and possibly involved in biological weapons production.Last week, the Russian defence ministry unveiled new findings after analysing documents obtained from experts from Ukrainian biolaboratories. According to the information, Washington spent over $200 million to study pathogens of birds, bats and reptiles in Ukraine and possibility of transmission of African swine fever and anthrax through these animal.Russia started a special military operation in Ukraine on 24 February in response to calls from the Donetsk and Lugansk people's republics for protection against intensifying attacks by Ukrainian troops. The Russian Defence Ministry said the special operation is targeting Ukrainian military infrastructure only and the civilian population is not in danger. Moscow has repeatedly said it has no plans to occupy Ukraine. Western nations have imposed numerous sanctions on Russia. Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2022 Maxim Minaev Maxim Minaev News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Maxim Minaev europe, russia https://sputniknews.com/20220315/china-rejects-claim-that-russia-sought-military-aid-iran-strikes-erbil-1093876687.html China Rejects Claim That Russia Sought Military Aid; Iran Strikes Erbil China Rejects Claim That Russia Sought Military Aid; Iran Strikes Erbil China rejects the US claim that Russia is seeking military aid for the Ukraine operation. 15.03.2022, Sputnik International 2022-03-15T08:35+0000 2022-03-15T08:35+0000 2022-03-15T08:36+0000 the critical hour russophobia guantanamo bay erbil mossad ukraine biolab radio /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e6/03/0e/1093876662_38:0:1282:700_1920x0_80_0_0_7d4be95c50f0c945c2c5037417711b0d.png China Rejects Claim That Russia Sought Military Aid; Iran Strike Erbil China rejects the US claim that Russia is seeking military aid for the Ukraine conflict. Scott Ritter, former UN weapon inspector in Iraq, joins us to discuss Ukraine. The US and its allies seem to be readying themselves for a government in exile for Ukraine. Also, neocons are pushing to send unusable outdated weapons to Ukraine.K.J. Noh, peace activist, writer, and teacher, joins us to discuss China. China rejects the US claim that Russia is seeking military aid for the Ukraine conflict. Also, the US is recklessly working to increase tensions with China.Dan Lazare, investigative journalist and author of "America's Undeclared War," joins us to discuss the Biolabs in Ukraine. Dan Cohen interviews weapons researcher Dilyana Gaytandzhieva regarding the expansive US biological weapons program in Europe.Steve Poikonen, national organizer for Action4Assange, joins us to discuss Russophobia. We examine the current movement of de-Russification in the collective West. The US empire is moving to erase the cultural and economic influence of Russia in society. How will this effect a society that has claimed to be open and in opposition to racism and discrimination?Laith Marouf, broadcaster and journalist based in Beirut, Lebanon, joins us to discuss the Middle East. Iran has struck a base in Erbil, Iraq arguing that it is an Israeli intelligence base of operations. Also, Saudi Arabia performs a mass execution and the Iran nuclear talks are on hold.Dr. Gerald Horne, professor of history at the University of Houston, author, historian, and researcher, joins us to discuss the backlash from sanctions against Russia. Some observers are arguing that the backlash from economic sanctions against Russia will eventually push the collective West to the bargaining table. Also, we discuss the push by the Biden Administration to complete the Iran nuclear deal and convince Venezuela to sell oil to the US despite sanctions.John Kiriakou, journalist, author, and host of Political Misfits, joins us to discuss Guantanamo Bay. GOP Senators are indicating that Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson's work on behalf of Guantanamo Bay detainees will be raised as an issue in her confirmation hearings.Danny Haiphong, Author and Contributor to the Black Agenda Report, joins us to discuss Russia and the race problem. Danny Haiphong argues that "Western imperialism, led by the United States, is a racist project that requires a systematic dehumanization campaign on a scale unseen in human history to justify its violent history of colonial conquest, slavery, and genocide."We'd love to get your feedback at radio@sputniknews.comThe views and opinions expressed in this programme are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect the position of Sputnik. guantanamo bay erbil ukraine Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2022 Wilmer Leon https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/02/12/1082114047_0:-1:238:238_100x100_80_0_0_4e3adef3e334e381bffe19d388f4b776.jpg Wilmer Leon https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/02/12/1082114047_0:-1:238:238_100x100_80_0_0_4e3adef3e334e381bffe19d388f4b776.jpg News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Wilmer Leon https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/02/12/1082114047_0:-1:238:238_100x100_80_0_0_4e3adef3e334e381bffe19d388f4b776.jpg the critical hour, russophobia, guantanamo bay, erbil, mossad, ukraine, biolab, , radio https://sputniknews.com/20220315/cops-evacuate-nyc-church-as-manhunt-for-moma-stabbing-suspect-continues-1093878983.html Cops Evacuate New York City Church as Manhunt for MoMA Stabbing Suspect Rages On Cops Evacuate New York City Church as Manhunt for MoMA Stabbing Suspect Rages On Police evacuated a church in Manhattan on Monday while searching for 60-year-old Gary Cabana, who allegedly stabbed two 24-year-old employees at the Museum of... 15.03.2022, Sputnik International 2022-03-15T02:10+0000 2022-03-15T02:10+0000 2022-03-15T02:24+0000 crime nyc museum of modern art (moma) stabbing /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e6/03/0f/1093879217_115:0:682:319_1920x0_80_0_0_a99c7af84d17be1f243de56d4b4e744e.png A 911 call prompted police to evacuate the St. Francis of Assisi Church on West 31st Street around noon. Investigators searched for Cabana but were unsuccessful. No arrests have yet been made.Somebody calls 911 and says, Hey, the guy youre looking for the museum thing, I just saw him go into the church,' a police source told The New York Post. And then somebody else says, He went into this building and he didnt come out.They find the guy and it turns out not to be the right guy. Its just a guy who looks like the MoMA guy. Were looking for him. Well get him, the source added.Cabana is accused of stabbing two 24 year-old employees at MoMA on Saturday. The incident unfolded after he had his museum membership revoked on Friday following two reported outbursts. Barred from the grounds, his attempt to enter the museum on Saturday to watch a film proved problematic. Cabana told The Post that he received a letter from the museums security director stating he was aggressive [and] disruptive.Unfortunately, suspicion from the museums staff proved to ring true. Surveillance video shows the man barging through the entrance, jumping over the front counter, and cornering three cowering employees. The security guard threw random objects at the enraged man and the victims were able to escape.Both the victims were rushed to Bellevue hospital and treated for their non-fatal stab wounds. They have since then been released.Cabana fled the scene and has been on the lam, but contacted a reporter from The Post to share his insight as to why he stabbed the two individuals who are less than half his age.In a deranged message on Facebook, Cabana wrote, What is worse? Hackers or Journos. Right now, I LOVE MY HACKERS for taking my mind off this frame job by MoMA. Cabana believes he is being falsely accused and said he was neither warned nor escorted on the two occasions he allegedly caused disruptions that led to his membership being revoked.Bipolar disorder is a tough road to hoe. Dr. Jekyll to Mr. Hyde, wrote the suspect, who says a woman named "Barbara" is responsible for the frame job. In a message on Instagram to The Post, Cabana blames the young women he stabbed for conspiring with Barbara.He then told The Post he was heading to Mar-a-Lago, a resort in Palm Beach belonging to former President Trump.Let's stay in touch no matter what! Follow our Telegram channel to get all the latest news: https://t.me/sputniknewsus nyc Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2022 Mary Manley https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e6/01/0b/1092187887_0:0:2048:2049_100x100_80_0_0_0c2cc4c84f89aff034cc55bb01fb6697.jpg Mary Manley https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e6/01/0b/1092187887_0:0:2048:2049_100x100_80_0_0_0c2cc4c84f89aff034cc55bb01fb6697.jpg News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Mary Manley https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e6/01/0b/1092187887_0:0:2048:2049_100x100_80_0_0_0c2cc4c84f89aff034cc55bb01fb6697.jpg crime, nyc, museum of modern art (moma), stabbing https://sputniknews.com/20220315/eyewitness-shares-horror-of-azov-neo-nazis-gunning-down-defenceless-fleeing-civilian-in-mariupol-1093885906.html Eyewitness Shares Horror of Azov Neo-Nazis Gunning Down Defenseless Fleeing Civilian in Mariupol Eyewitness Shares Horror of Azov Neo-Nazis Gunning Down Defenseless Fleeing Civilian in Mariupol The Azov Regiment, formed in 2014 as a group of neo-Nazi volunteer paramilitaries and infamous for their 2nd SS Panzer Division Das Reich-style rune logo, has... 15.03.2022, Sputnik International 2022-03-15T07:36+0000 2022-03-15T07:36+0000 2022-03-15T11:31+0000 situation in ukraine ukraine russia donbass donetsk people's republic lugansk peoples republic azov regiment neo-nazi /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/102559/56/1025595686_0:179:3000:1867_1920x0_80_0_0_f6c4fcc2f2b085a8fbbe7bf42fa801ff.jpg Ukraines neo-Nazi fighting force, the Azov Regiment, gunned down in cold blood a resident of Mariupol in front of other civilians attempting to flee the city, a woman who survived the terrifying ordeal, tells Sputnik. As she shared the horror of that day, the woman described how the militants that Russia has initiated a criminal case against opened fire at the car in which she, her husband and two children were trying to leave the city.The woman described how the militants got out some huge weapon, she didnt know what it was, and aimed it at the car.She added that the militants called them over, asked where they were going, and then said, "Have you come here to die? We can just gun you and your wife down and take the children!" As the youngsters sobbed, "Don't shoot!" the militants finally pointed the family in the direction of Sartana and told then to run for their lives.And we went and ran," the shaken woman said.The Azov regiment, based in Mariupol, the southeastern Ukrainian coastal city currently surrounded by Russian and Donetsk Peoples Republic forces, has been indiscriminately targeting civilian areas and resorting to use of local residents as human shields during their retreat.Earlier, the Russian defence ministry accused the Azov detachment of using heavy Grad artillery to strike residential areas and a school on the outskirts of Mariupol, killing multiple civilians.Lugansk Peoples Republic head Leonid Pasechnik has alsostated that retreating Ukrainian nationalist forces destroy destroying everything in their path.Originally a group of neo-Nazi volunteer paramilitaries, formed in late 2014, taking part in hostilities in Donbass, Azov has since evolved into a regiment boasting over 2,500 troopers and has been integrated into the Ukrainian National Guard.It openly flaunts the rune logo that echoes the Wolfsangel, one of the symbols used by the 2nd SS Panzer Division Das Reich, and has a UN-documented history of crimes.In 2016, a report by the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OCHA) accused the Azov regiment of violating international humanitarian law, detailing incidents over a period from November 2015-February 2016 where Azov fighters embedded their weapons in used civilian buildings. The report also accused the battalion of raping and torturing detainees in the Donbass region.On 24 February, Moscow began a military operation to demilitarize and de-Nazify Ukraine after weeks of escalating shelling, sabotage and sniper attacks by Ukrainian forces against the Donbass republics, whose predominantly Russian-speaking population has been subjected to abuse, genocide for eight years."Established in the spring of 2014 in response to the Western-backed coup in Kiev, the Lugansk and Donetsk People's Republics (LPR, DPR) refused to accept the overthrow of the countrys legitimate government and its replacement by ultranationalist and pro-western forces.Russia formally recognised the DPR and LPR ahead of its special military operation, which began in response to an official request for assistance from the authorities of the Donbass republics.The Russian government has repeatedly stated that the goal of the current operation was to neutralise Ukraine's military capacity and not harm the civilian population of the country.Let's stay in touch no matter what! Follow our Telegram channels to get all the latest news:Sputnik News US - https://t.me/sputniknewsusSputnik News India - https://t.me/sputniknewsindia https://sputniknews.com/20220314/azovmazon-ukrainian-neo-nazi-regiment-themed-merch-appears-on-us-online-retail-giants-site-1093865819.html https://sputniknews.com/20220304/why-is-the-west-silent-about-ukrainian-neo-nazi-movements-azov-battalion--bandera-legacy-1093561142.html donbass Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2022 Svetlana Ekimenko Svetlana Ekimenko News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Svetlana Ekimenko ukraine, russia, donbass, donetsk people's republic, lugansk peoples republic, azov regiment, neo-nazi https://sputniknews.com/20220315/goodbye-petrodollar-riyadh-reportedly-weighs-accepting-chinese-yuan-for-oil-purchases-1093904079.html Goodbye, Petrodollar? Riyadh Reportedly Weighs Accepting Chinese Yuan for Oil Purchases Goodbye, Petrodollar? Riyadh Reportedly Weighs Accepting Chinese Yuan for Oil Purchases Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Tuesday said that talks in Vienna to revive the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which limits Irans... 15.03.2022, Sputnik International 2022-03-15T20:19+0000 2022-03-15T20:19+0000 2022-03-15T20:18+0000 saudi arabia saudi aramco china petrodollar yuan /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/02/08/1082017105_0:219:2863:1829_1920x0_80_0_0_3f9132d32aea2b2eb6ea41cfa853b898.jpg In part of a continuing trend of spurning Washington, Riyadh is reportedly considering pricing some of its oil sales in Chinese yuan instead of US dollars, the Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday.According to the paper, talks have been ongoing for six years, but have accelerated in recent weeks due to increasing frustration in Riyadh with Washington, including over the Biden administrations hostility toward the Saudi-led coalitions war in Yemen and its intent to revive the 2015 Iran nuclear deal.After news of the potential deal broke on Tuesday, the value of offshore yuan surged relative to the US dollar during Asian trading, Bloomberg reported. However, it remained down relative to its value just a few days ago.When asked by a reporter about the rumored deal on Tuesday, a US State Department spokesperson said that the US was not asking its allies to choose between them and China. A decline in oil purchases made in US dollars means fewer international buyers will have surplus US currency that needs to be recycled, which is typically done by trade or investment. In contrast, a petroyuan would increase those same dynamics for China, potentially leading to increased trade and investment.China already buys one-quarter of Saudi Arabias massive oil export, which are the worlds largest, and, since 2018, Beijing has offered renminbi-priced oil contracts. Last week, Saudi Aramco, the kingdoms state-owned oil corporation, announced it would help build a massive new oil and petrochemical refinery in northeastern China. The facility will be able to produce 300,000 barrels of oil per day and will have a 1.5 million metric ton-per-year ethylene cracker and a 1.3 million metric ton-per-year paraxylene unit.While the US has long been hands-off about Saudi politics, Biden has been far more critical than his predecessors, and its reportedly left a dent in US-Saudi relations.Last year, the Biden administration claimed it was ending offensive support for Saudi Arabias war against the Yemeni Houthi movement, which ousted Yemeni President Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi in 2015. Roughly 400,000 Yemenis have died since the war began in 2015, more than half of them due to the total collapse of infrastructure and the Saudi blockade of the country, according to the United Nations.Despite the claims, US-made bombs are reportedly still falling on Yemeni cities.In an interview with The Atlantic earlier this month, the Saudi crown prince told the magazine Simply, I do not care whether Biden understands him or not. Its up to him to think about the interests of America. Go for it.Let's stay in touch no matter what! Follow our Telegram channel to get all the latest news: https://t.me/sputniknewsus saudi arabia china Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2022 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 saudi arabia, saudi aramco, china, petrodollar, yuan https://sputniknews.com/20220315/israel-attempts-to-help-ukraine-with-aid-and-mediation-but-how-is-it-being-taken-in-kiev-1093884040.html Israel Attempts to Help Ukraine With Aid and Mediation, But How is it Being Taken in Kiev? Israel Attempts to Help Ukraine With Aid and Mediation, But How is it Being Taken in Kiev? So far, Israel has made a significant exception to its refugee policy, letting in some 5,000 Ukrainians. The Middle Eastern country is also planning to set up... 15.03.2022, Sputnik International 2022-03-15T07:01+0000 2022-03-15T07:01+0000 2022-03-15T07:02+0000 situation in ukraine middle east ukraine israel /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e6/03/0f/1093884559_0:38:3070:1765_1920x0_80_0_0_8343e286a83c5264e28b1ed8b1c884f4.jpg Since 24 February when Russia launched its military operation in Ukraine aiming to "demilitarise and de-Nazify" the country, Israel has been trying to maintain neutrality.Although Tel Aviv did condemn Russia for its actions in Ukraine and voted against Moscow at the United Nations General Assembly, officials refused to back Western sanctions.Instead, they opted for manoeuvring, taking measures to please all sides of the conflict.Limited Restrictions:Israel has come under immense pressure from the US to join its anti-Kremlin sanctions. The Jewish state has managed to stand firm in the face of Washington's demands.It hasn't banned Russian planes from landing in Israel (even though all flights to Russia have been cancelled due to the hostilities). It hasn't forbidden Israelis from carrying out cash transactions with Russians, although monetary transfers are only possible in US dollars. It also hasn't agreed to block access to Russia's leading news channels and websites, although it has become extremely difficult to open them through the various internet browsers.Humanitarian Efforts:However, in order to please the Americans, Israel has exerted maximum efforts in helping out Ukrainian refugees and those who are still stranded in the country.Israel, which rarely accepts any refugees in order to maintain the country's Jewish identity, has allowed 5,000 Ukrainian refugees in. Reports suggest that many others are still on their way, with Israel bracing itself for up to half a million newcomers by the end of this year.Apart from making immense exceptions to its refugee policy, Israel has also started earmarking money to help the Ukrainians. Since the start of the hostilities, Israeli NGOs have come up with a number of initiatives aimed at helping the Ukrainian people. They have collected food and clothes, medicine and other necessary equipment. Some have travelled to Ukraine to treat the wounded. Others have donated money to help them out.Now, however, this assistance has been taken to yet another level. On Monday, Israel announced it would erect a make-shift hospital in the West of Ukraine, some 11 kilometres away from the Polish border. The medical facility would only operate for a month, would cost Israel some $6.5 million, and would be paid for with taxpayers' money.Mediation Efforts:Apart from cash, Israel has also stepped up its mediation efforts. Recently, Prime Minister Naftali Bennett has made a brief visit to Moscow where he met Russia's President Vladimir Putin. The two have also spoken four times over the phone, and the Israeli premier suggested Jerusalem as a potential venue for a peace summit.Similar dealings have also been registered with the Ukrainians, and reports suggest that the PM maintains constant contact with the Ukrainian leader, Volodymyr Zelensky.Not Enough:But how are these actions taken in Ukraine? For many, Israeli efforts are simply not enough. At the beginning of March, Zelensky said he was disappointed with Bennett, who was not "wrapped" in the Ukrainian flag.Ukrainian ambassador to Israel Yevgen Korniychuk has also slammed Tel Aviv for its inaction. He lamented the country had refused to provide Kiev with the Iron Dome defence system and other equipment. He criticised Israel for not sanctioning Russia, not blocking its TV channels and not taking enough refugees in.Harsh words have also been said about Israel's mediation efforts. Recently, a high-ranking official in the Ukrainian government told i24NEWS that the Jewish state was acting as a "mailbox" that aimed at relaying messages from one side to another. It hadn't taken an active role in resolving the conflict, he claimed.Will this criticism impact decision-makers in Israel? It's unlikely, partially because Israel and Russia have a number of common interests, including coordination in Syria and partially due to the fact that the majority of the Israeli public (67 percent) believes Israel should stay out of the raging conflict.Let's stay in touch no matter what! Follow our Telegram channels to get all the latest news:Sputnik News US - https://t.me/sputniknewsusSputnik News India - https://t.me/sputniknewsindia ukraine israel Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2022 Elizabeth Blade Elizabeth Blade News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Elizabeth Blade middle east, ukraine, israel https://sputniknews.com/20220315/israel-faces-largest-ever-cyberattack-after-alleged-attempt-to-sabotage-iranian-nuclear-facility-1093898566.html Israel 'Faces Largest-ever Cyberattack After Alleged Attempt to Sabotage Iranian Nuclear Facility Israel 'Faces Largest-ever Cyberattack After Alleged Attempt to Sabotage Iranian Nuclear Facility Simmering tensions between sworn adversaries Iran and Israel jumped dramatically last week after an Israeli airstrike killed two Revolutionary Guard officers... 15.03.2022, Sputnik International 2022-03-15T13:55+0000 2022-03-15T13:55+0000 2022-03-15T13:55+0000 iran israel cyberattack /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/0a/1c/1090280496_0:50:960:590_1920x0_80_0_0_8743a8d11784273ec1e50276944bf953.jpg The massive denial of service attack targeting Israeli government websites on Monday constituted the largest-ever cyberattack to be carried out against the state of Israel, a defence establishment source has told Haaretz.The cyberattack, which began at around 6:15 pm Monday evening, continued until 7:30 pm and reached a bandwidth of 15-20 gigabytes, crashing websites across the gov.il domain, including the ministries of interior, health, welfare and justice. Prime Minister Naftali Bennetts website and the ministry of defence websites were also affected, with the communications ministry convening a meeting in the attacks aftermath to assess the damage with emergency services.In the past few hours, a DDoS cyberattack against a communications provider was identified. As a result, access to a number of websites, among them government websites, was blocked for a short time. As of now, all of the websites are operational, Israels National Cyber Directorate said in a tweet.DDoS attacks (digital denial of service) work by overwhelming targets servers with data requests until they are paralyzed and can no longer function.The Jewish States cyber authority declared a state of emergency over the shutdown to determine damage and check strategic infrastructure, including utilities companies. The countrys telecoms companies were subsequently tasked with restoring service.Haaretz source said that the coordinated attacks were carried out by a state actor or other large organization.The Jerusalem Post pointed out that the cyberattack took place immediately after an alleged attempt by Mossad to attack Irans Fordow nuclear enrichment site. Rafael Franco, a senior former Israeli National Cyber Directorate deputy director, told the newspaper that an Iranian-affiliated group called Black Shadow was responsible for a separate cyberattack on Israels diamond exchange over the weekend. Ram Levi, CEO of Israeli cybersecurity company Konfidas, said Mondays DDoS attack likely originated in Iran.Irans Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps announced Monday night that they had prevented a sabotage attempt against Fordow, with IRGC intelligence said to have foiled the operation. Government sources speaking to Iranian media blamed Israel for the attempted sabotage, citing similar attempts in years past. An IRGC-affiliated Twitter page reportedly claimed responsibility for Mondays DDoS attacks and boasted that the Zionist regime will not forget tonight.Israel and Iran have waged a years-long cyberwar, accusing one another of targeting websites, but also real-world infrastructure such as gas stations, ports and utilities. Last year, Iran accused Israel of nuclear terrorism in the wake of a sabotage attack against the Natanz nuclear plant. Also last year, Israeli media reported that Iran-affiliated hackers had infiltrated the servers of a major Israeli internet hosting company, causing widespread outages. Separately, Iran-linked hackers were accused of attacking the Israeli defence ministry, leaking files, operational maps, letters, correspondence and photos from ministry systems. https://sputniknews.com/20220314/irans-irgc-reportedly-prevented-sabotage-at-fordow-nuclear-facility-1093871535.html iran Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2022 Ilya Tsukanov Ilya Tsukanov News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Ilya Tsukanov iran, israel, cyberattack https://sputniknews.com/20220315/kiev-was-preparing-full-scale-offensive-against-donbass-in-march-2022--lpr-head-1093898027.html Kiev Was Preparing Full-Scale Offensive Against Donbass in March 2022 LPR Head Kiev Was Preparing Full-Scale Offensive Against Donbass in March 2022 LPR Head On 24 February, Russia began a military operation to "demilitarise and denazify Ukraine." LPR Head Leonid Pasechniks in an interview with Sputnik Serbia spoke... 15.03.2022, Sputnik International 2022-03-15T17:20+0000 2022-03-15T17:20+0000 2022-03-15T17:20+0000 situation in ukraine ukraine world lugansk peoples republic /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e6/03/06/1093629886_0:160:3073:1888_1920x0_80_0_0_310cf2f875ac40b10f76565c9374dd9f.jpg Sputnik: How is the operation to liberate the occupied territories of the Lugansk region going, in particular the key position of the Ukrainian armed forces within the Lugansk People's Republic (LPR) in Severodonetsk?Leonid Pasechnik: The LPR People's Militia forces are currently engaged in liberation battles for Popasnya. During the eight years of war in Donbass, the enemy has established a strong, powerful foothold in this settlement. At the same time, Ukrainian nationalist formations remain blockaded in Rubezhnoye, Severodonetsk and Lysychansk. The Ukrainian fighters are not letting civilians out of these towns, using their houses as firing points and people as human shields similar to actual terrorists.At the same time, the enemy, retreating, abandoning equipment and weapons on the ground, realizing their impending defeat, does not abandon attempts to do as much damage as possible to people and civilian infrastructure. Every day the nationalists are shelling the front-line regions of the Republic. The number of homes destroyed and damaged in less than a month is in the hundreds. Dozens of civilians, including children, were wounded, some killed.However, we know that the criminal Kiev regime will face very soon the punishment it deserves and will answer for all its crimes. Sputnik: What have the LPR forces found at abandoned Ukrainian army positions? Anything that suggests links to NATO?Leonid Pasechnik: Data repeatedly provided by our military, and afterwards by the Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation, confirms that Kiev was preparing a full-scale offensive against Donbass in March 2022. Of course, the Ukrainian armed forces (UAF) and all the nationalist battalions operating in the country were preparing for this. Personnel underwent training by foreign instructors from at least the United States of America, Canada and the United Kingdom. Although the list could be much longer. Ukrainian armed units have been receiving the latest equipment and armaments from their Western partners. Moreover, Kiev was incredibly proud of this.Liberating our territory, the Republic's defenders almost daily find their gifts dumped: Swedish guided anti-tank missiles, American-made grenade launchers, American Javelin portable anti-tank missile systems and so on. What the Ukrainian government was so proud of and wanted to use to defeat Donbass is now arming the LPR People's Militia and will be used by our military against the very Ukrainian nationalists who refuse to voluntarily lay down their arms but continue the genocide of the people of Donbass.Sputnik: Is it true that those suspected of having links to the DPR, LPR, and Russia were have been in towns controlled by the UAF?Leonid Pasechnik: Yes, most regrettably that is true. Ukrainian nationalist battalions terrorized the civilians of Donbass not only because of some kind of family ties, support for the Lugansk and Donetsk People's Republics and Russia but also for personal gain. They kicked residents out of their homes, took away their cars, robbed them and beat them up. Some people were told this was due to alleged ties with the Donbass Republics or Russia, while others were told they thought a person was a spotter just because he was walking down the street and talking on the phone. Such nightmarish stories are numerous. Anyone who has experienced first-hand what war in Donbas is like will tell you a lot about the cynicism and cruelty of the Ukrainian liberators.The LPR People's Militia recently discovered sites of massacres of civilians in the Popasnya direction. The bodies were found near the Popasnya railway. Retreating enemy units drove people out of basements and used them as human shields. Those who resisted or tried to escape were shot. Some managed to survive. At the moment, we cannot evacuate the bodies due to massive shelling by Ukrainian armed formations.Sputnik: Is there any risk of sabotage attacks in the liberated territories?Leonid Pasechnik: Certainly, we cannot completely rule out such a scenario. The mop-up operations have not yet been fully completed in all the liberated territories. Scattered groups of Ukrainian nationalists may try to carry out sabotage and terrorist attacks. Nevertheless, the law enforcement authorities who started to work in such territories are, as they say, on their toes at all times.Sputnik: How is the population of the newly liberated territories reacting? How are people greeting the LPR People's Militia?Leonid Pasechnik: The residents of the liberated territories are happy to be back home after eight years. Many are in tears, hugging our soldiers, grateful that they have finally been liberated. As I have already said, over the eight years that the people have been under the oppression of the Ukrainian nationalists, they have had to endure many terrible, horrific experiences. Now they realise that they have nothing to fear. ukraine Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2022 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 ukraine, world, lugansk peoples republic https://sputniknews.com/20220315/live-from-kiev-as-russias-special-op-in-ukraine-enters-day-20-1093888900.html Live From Kiev as Russia's Special Op in Ukraine Enters Day 20 Live From Kiev as Russia's Special Op in Ukraine Enters Day 20 The West scaled up military assistance to Ukraine, as well as anti-Russia sanctions, after Moscow launched a special military operation in Ukraine in the early... 15.03.2022, Sputnik International 2022-03-15T10:07+0000 2022-03-15T10:07+0000 2022-03-15T10:07+0000 situation in ukraine world ukraine /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e6/03/01/1093483717_0:161:3071:1888_1920x0_80_0_0_c37a4e34399eb81b99bf2599cb88aec6.jpg Sputnik is live from Kiev amid Russia's ongoing special military operation in Ukraine.The delegations from the two countries are scheduled to resume their peace negotiations on Tuesday. Russia started a special military operation in Ukraine on 24 February in response to calls from the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics for protection against intensifying attacks by Ukrainian troops - days after Moscow formally recognised the independence of the Donbass republics. The Russian Defence Ministry said the special operation is only targeting Ukrainian military infrastructure and the civilian population is not in danger. Moscow has repeatedly said it has no plans to occupy Ukraine.Follow Sputnik's Live Feed to Find Out More! ukraine Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2022 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Live From Kiev as Russia's Special Op in Ukraine Enters Day 20 Live From Kiev as Russia's Special Op in Ukraine Enters Day 20 2022-03-15T10:07+0000 true PT139M36S 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 world, ukraine, Crimea to Restore All Railway Lines With Ukraine - Parliament Speaker Konstantinov All railway lines that once connected Crimea and the Kherson region of Ukraine but were later destroyed by the Ukrainian side will be fully restored, Crimean parliament speaker Vladimir Konstantinov said in an interview with Sputnik. Earlier, Crimean leader Sergey Aksyonov said the railroad from Crimea to Kherson had been technically restored. The route is currently used for the delivery of humanitarian aid and building materials. The line was dismantled eight years ago by Ukrainian nationalists on the border of Crimea and the Kherson region near Armyansk. Crimea and the southeastern part of Ukraine had previously been connected by another railway line going toward the city of Melitopol, the Zaporizhzhia region. "You can [count on a full-fledged transport connection with Ukraine]. It is already being restored. And in the future, transit through the Kherson region will definitely be restored - towards Odessa and Kharkov," Konstantinov said. The Crimean parliament speaker said the second railway line going to the southeast of Ukraine will also be restored. Everything will be restored," he said. https://sputniknews.com/20220315/michigan-gov-whitmer-reportedly-set-to-veto-gop-bill-aimed-to-suspend-state-gas-tax-1093903825.html Michigan Gov. Whitmer Reportedly Set to Veto GOP Bill Aimed to Suspend State Gas Tax Michigan Gov. Whitmer Reportedly Set to Veto GOP Bill Aimed to Suspend State Gas Tax The Michigan state Senate reportedly approved the bill 24-14 in a mainly party-line vote on Tuesday, after the state House voted in support 63-39 last week... 15.03.2022, Sputnik International 2022-03-15T20:59+0000 2022-03-15T20:59+0000 2022-03-15T20:58+0000 us gas gas supplies inflation michigan republicans gretchen whitmer /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e6/03/0f/1093905039_0:0:3071:1728_1920x0_80_0_0_ba994e3a4e3786136799f97d47fac1bd.jpg The Michigan legislature voted to suspend the state gas tax, but Democrat Governor Gretchen Whitmer has allegedly indicated that she will veto the bill, the US media reported on Tuesday.The bill to suspend the gas tax, supported by Republicans, calls for a six-month suspension of the state's 27.2-cent-per-gallon gas and diesel tax. If Whitmer signs the law, it will go into effect between the beginning of April and the end of September, reportedly saving drivers in the state an estimated $725 million, according to the Associated Press.All but two Democrats voted against the bill, instead proposing a temporary halt to the 6% sales tax on gasoline while maintaining financing for the schools and municipalities that benefit. The state's per-gallon tax goes toward road and bridge maintenance, according to the report.Whitmer is said by sources to be certain to veto the bill. The governor reportedly wants the federal gas tax to be repealed. For gas, that federal levy is 18.4 cents per gallon, and for diesel, it is 24.4 cents per gallon. She is also calling for permanent and targeted state income tax deductions and credits for retirees and low-wage workers.During a news conference on Friday, Whitmer was asked about the effort and mentioned her desire to suspend the federal gas tax. According to the Detroit News, she emphasized that any tax relief have a "real laser focus" on those who are "struggling to keep their heads above water." The bill to suspend the gas tax at the state level was introduced by Republicans in the midst of rising gas prices around the country. As the cost of the fuel continues to rise, a number of other states, including Maryland and Georgia, are considering temporarily halting their state gasoline levy. A gallon of regular unleaded gas reportedly cost $4.23, on average, across the state, down marginally from a record high set last Thursday. It was up from $3.35 a month earlier and $4.18 the week before.The suspension of the gas tax at the federal level is gathering traction among Democrats on Capitol Hill, particularly as gas prices rise and the ongoing Russian special military operation in Ukraine continues.Let's stay in touch no matter what! Follow our Telegram channel to get all the latest news: https://t.me/sputniknewsus https://sputniknews.com/20220315/gas-prices-in-united-states-will-likely-continue-to-go-up--white-house-1093903377.html michigan Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2022 Kirill Kurevlev Kirill Kurevlev News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Kirill Kurevlev us, gas, gas supplies, inflation, michigan, republicans, gretchen whitmer https://sputniknews.com/20220315/moscow-disheartened-over-us-eu-silence-on-deaths-of-donetsk-civilians-caused-by-ukrainian-shelling-1093890241.html Moscow Disheartened by US, EU Silence on Deaths of Donetsk Civilians in Ukrainian Missile Attack Moscow Disheartened by US, EU Silence on Deaths of Donetsk Civilians in Ukrainian Missile Attack 20 people were killed and 36 more were injured on Monday after a Ukrainian Tochka-U tactical ballistic missile exploded in the heart of the Donetsk People's... 15.03.2022, Sputnik International 2022-03-15T09:43+0000 2022-03-15T09:43+0000 2022-03-15T10:27+0000 ukraine donetsk tochka-u /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e6/03/0f/1093890947_0:160:3073:1888_1920x0_80_0_0_cc8ff05481b83ae8103e2f43167d642f.jpg Moscow is disappointed over Western silence in the wake of the 14 March attack on Donetsk civilians, Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov has said."I will not give any personal assessment on this matter. I just want to state this and urge everyone to pay attention to this fact," Peskov added.A Ukrainian Tochka-U ballistic missile equipped with cluster munitions was shot down over the centre of the city of Donetsk on Monday, killing 20 civilians and injuring 36 others. Russian Defence Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov suggested that the shelling of the Donetsk People's Republic using such illegal cluster munitions was evidence that Ukrainian forces were seeking to kill as many civilians as possible, and said a decision on the Tochka-U's use would require approval from the Ukrainian military leadership in Kiev.The Russian army and its Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republic allies launched a military operation aimed at demilitarising Ukraine on 24 February after weeks of escalating Ukrainian shelling, sabotage and sniper attacks on Donbass cities. The operation was started three days after Russia moved to recognise the self-proclaimed Donbass republics as independent states. Last week, the Russian Defence Ministry recovered and published documents it said served as evidence of Ukrainian plans to kick off a full-scale offensive in the Donbass starting in March.The conflict in the Donbass began in the spring of 2014, when Kiev sent troops to try to crush a fledgling independence movement which arose in the aftermath of a Western-backed coup d'etat in Kiev. Over 14,000 people have been killed in the Donbass conflict over the past eight years, with Russian and European efforts to force Kiev to end the conflict diplomatically failing to bear fruit, and Ukraine's leaders refusing to provide constitutionally-guaranteed autonomy to the breakaway regions in exchange for their return to Kiev's jurisdiction. https://sputniknews.com/20220314/children-among-victims-as-ukrainian-military-attacked-donetsk-with-tochka-u-missile-dpr-head-says-1093854330.html ukraine donetsk Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2022 Ilya Tsukanov Ilya Tsukanov News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Ilya Tsukanov ukraine, donetsk, tochka-u https://sputniknews.com/20220315/no-go-for-joe-1093907048.html No-Go for Joe No-Go for Joe The Russian Foreign Ministry announced on Tuesday that, due to a "series of unprecedented sanctions," Moscow has accordingly updated its "stop list" to include... 15.03.2022, Sputnik International 2022-03-15T23:12+0000 2022-03-15T23:12+0000 2022-03-15T23:10+0000 ted rall cartoons us russia ukraine sanctions retaliatory measures hillary clinton travel /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e6/03/0f/1093906080_0:126:1201:801_1920x0_80_0_0_a821b278b63fec90aef8bb1981e8fd3e.jpg The Russian Foreign Ministry proclaimed on Tuesday that its updated blacklist comes as an "inevitable consequence of an extremely Russophobic policy adopted by the current US administration." In addition to US President Joe Biden and the aforementioned US officials, those now barred from entering Russian territory include former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Central Intelligence Agency Director William Burns, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki, and Hunter Biden--the US president's 52-year-old son.As for Canada, which has blacklisted 560 Russian nationals, Moscow has barred Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Foreign Minister Melanie Joly, Defense Minister Anita Anand and "most of the lawmakers from the Canadian parliament's House of Commons." Moscow highlighted that the Russian government remains open to contact with those on the blacklist, and may readdress the measure in the event of high-level discussions. Let's stay in touch no matter what! Follow our Telegram channel to get all the latest news: https://t.me/sputniknewsus https://sputniknews.com/20220315/russia-imposes-sanctions-against-joe-biden--hillary-clinton-other-top-us-officials-1093899589.html ukraine Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2022 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 ted rall, cartoons, us, russia, ukraine, sanctions, retaliatory measures, hillary clinton, travel https://sputniknews.com/20220315/notorious-con-artist-anna-sorokin-to-be-deported-from-us---report-1093879458.html Notorious Con Artist Anna Sorokin to Be Deported From US - Report Notorious Con Artist Anna Sorokin to Be Deported From US - Report Sorokin arrived to New York City in 2013, purportedly to open a high-end members-only arts club, and early on began to make many influential acquaintances, but... 15.03.2022, Sputnik International 2022-03-15T03:13+0000 2022-03-15T03:13+0000 2022-03-15T03:11+0000 society us anna prison deportation /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e6/03/0f/1093879558_0:0:3072:1728_1920x0_80_0_0_6a49bcaba022a0bbcdf54d4651f1409d.jpg After nearly a year in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody, scammer socialite Anna 'Delvey' Sorokin has been released and will be deported from the United States, the New Post reported on Monday.According to the outlet's sources, she was scheduled to fly to Frankfurt, Germany, on Monday night. The 31-year-old convicted swindler is reportedly outraged over her deportation because she had filed an appeal to stay in the United States, and the appeal was expected to be heard on April 19. She has been detained at the ICE's Orange County Correctional Facility in Goshen, New York, since being released from prison in February 2021 on suspicion of overstaying her visa. Sorokin's applications to stay in the country were reportedly refused by the US Justice Department's Board of Immigration Appeals this February.According to the report, Sorokin was expected to appear on the 'Call Her Daddy' podcast on Wednesday.Insider reported that Sorokin's lawyer, Manny Arora, said that his client has a 30-day window to appeal the decision, that deporting her before March 17 is "not legally appropriate," that there may be a paperwork issue, but "in the end, [ICE] can do whatever they want."Moreover, Sorokin and three other ICE prisoners sued the federal government last month after getting infected with COVID-19 while in jail. According to the ACLU's case filed in federal court, quoted by the outlet, Sorokin tested positive for the virus on January 19, weeks after she submitted a written request for a booster vaccine injection that went unanswered.One of Sorokin's acquantainces reportedly told the NY Post last month that "Anna was only out for a few weeks before ICE scooped her up. She was very sarcastic on Instagram I think they were watching her."Sorokin became notorious as a high-profile con artist who posed as a socialite from a wealthy German family, calling herself Anna Delvey, and turned much of the creme in the city around her finger.Sorokin was born in Domodedovo, a working-class town southeast of Moscow, that is also home to one of the city's three primary international airports. Vadim Sorokin, her father, was a truck driver, and her mother ran a tiny convenience store. Sorokin was 16 when the family relocated to Germany in 2007.During a 10-month run, she conned acquaintances and various businesses, including some of NYC's top hotels, out of an estimated $275,000 in cash. She was found guilty of one count of attempted grand larceny, three counts of grand larceny, and four counts of theft by a Manhattan jury. On February 11, 2021, she was released on good conduct after nearly four years in prison.Let's stay in touch no matter what! Follow our Telegram channel to get all the latest news: https://t.me/sputniknewsus https://sputniknews.com/20220216/inventing-anna-star-julia-garner-recalls-weird-meeting-with-con-artist-anna-delvey-in-prison--1093091246.html anna Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2022 Kirill Kurevlev Kirill Kurevlev News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Kirill Kurevlev society, us, anna, prison, deportation https://sputniknews.com/20220315/photos-irans-revolutionary-guards-unveil-new-smart-drone-submarine-faster-speedboats-1093902553.html Photos: Irans Revolutionary Guards Unveil New Smart Drone Submarine, Faster Speedboats Photos: Irans Revolutionary Guards Unveil New Smart Drone Submarine, Faster Speedboats Irans fleet of submarines and so-called midget subs are currently operated by the Iranian Navy, not by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), meaning... 15.03.2022, Sputnik International 2022-03-15T20:23+0000 2022-03-15T20:23+0000 2022-03-15T20:22+0000 iran irans revolutionary guards (irgc) submarine drone /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e6/03/0f/1093902528_0:0:800:451_1920x0_80_0_0_6a1580a485011fd18100471b015e7bef.jpg The IRGC unveiled several new weapons on Tuesday, including its first drone submarine, described as a smart submarine in a broadcast carried by state television.An unveiling ceremony took place in Irans southern port of Bandar Abbas, which sits at the center of the Hormuz Strait, the strategic entrance to the Persian Gulf. It was observed by IRGC Commander Maj. Gen. Hossein Salami and IRGC Navy Chief Rear Adm. Ali Reza Tangsiri, according to the Tasnim News Agency.Also unveiled at the event were new fast attack water craft boasting a top speed of 95 knots and the capability of firing missiles and rockets, as well as carrying out reconnaissance missions. The IRGC operates a massive speed boat flotilla of thousands of boats, which it uses to exercise control over its extensive coastline and would likely use to wage a form of asymmetric naval warfare in the event of any conflict.The IRGC also revealed that it has new missiles with a longer range and better ability to withstand electronic interference.Iranian media gave no indication of how the new drone submarine would be used. Various other nations use unmanned submarines for everything from reconnaissance to combat, including the United States, Russia and China.The IRGC is an elite paramilitary formation that complements the Iranian military. The US has designated the group a foreign terrorist organization, despite the IRGC never having been linked to a terrorist attack. In January 2020, the US under the Trump administration assassinated its commander, Maj. Gen. Qasem Soleimani, in a drone strike outside of Baghdad, Iraq. The Trump White House claimed Soleimani was there to coordinate attacks on several US embassies, but the Iraqi government later revealed that the military commander was on a secretive mission aimed at healing relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia.Let's stay in touch no matter what! Follow our Telegram channel to get all the latest news: https://t.me/sputniknewsus iran Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2022 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 iran, irans revolutionary guards (irgc), submarine, drone https://sputniknews.com/20220315/private-indian-university-asks-students-parents-to-sign-form-against-anti-national-activities-1093891106.html Private Indian University Asks Students, Parents to Sign Form Against 'Anti-National' Activities Private Indian University Asks Students, Parents to Sign Form Against 'Anti-National' Activities In 2019, the Uttar Pradesh government cleared a draft under which private universities across the state needed to ensure that their campuses would not be... 15.03.2022, Sputnik International 2022-03-15T14:09+0000 2022-03-15T14:09+0000 2022-03-15T14:09+0000 india india bharatiya janata party (bjp) uttar pradesh college university university /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e6/03/0f/1093897587_0:85:1280:805_1920x0_80_0_0_d27d696d2c89b0a6f985776a898fc313.jpg The Times Group-owned Bennett University in India's state of Uttar Pradesh has asked its students and their parents not to take part in, support or promote "anti-social activity" within or outside the campus. A parent has told Sputnik on condition of anonymity that they received an email on 14 March explaining that the decision was made in accordance with state law."Anti-national" activities - as defined by the university - are unlawful gatherings or protests and actions which "question, threaten or disrupt the sovereignty, integrity and unity and security of India".The directive also says that if any student fails to follow the order, the penalty could include "expulsion from the college". There are a total of 27 universities in the state, and they have to comply with directives as the government provides grants and affiliation to these private universities. india uttar pradesh Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2022 Deexa Khanduri https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e4/0c/1e/1081607388_0:0:961:960_100x100_80_0_0_e9e931b8c1e18fb41f3074e2145d7a3a.jpg Deexa Khanduri https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e4/0c/1e/1081607388_0:0:961:960_100x100_80_0_0_e9e931b8c1e18fb41f3074e2145d7a3a.jpg News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Deexa Khanduri https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e4/0c/1e/1081607388_0:0:961:960_100x100_80_0_0_e9e931b8c1e18fb41f3074e2145d7a3a.jpg india, india, bharatiya janata party (bjp), uttar pradesh, college, university, university https://sputniknews.com/20220315/revival-of-iran-nuclear-deal-enters-homestretch-russias-lavrov-says-1093889497.html Effort to Revive Iran Nuclear Deal Entering Homestretch, Russia's Lavrov Says Effort to Revive Iran Nuclear Deal Entering Homestretch, Russia's Lavrov Says Talks on reviving the landmark nuclear agreement - which promises an end to Western sanctions against Iran in exchange for limits on the Islamic Republic's... 15.03.2022, Sputnik International 2022-03-15T09:17+0000 2022-03-15T09:17+0000 2022-03-15T11:17+0000 iran /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e6/03/0f/1093890787_0:59:3008:1751_1920x0_80_0_0_90857240ebbf76f49099da95ea5c4ff0.jpg Work to revive the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action nuclear deal has entered the homestretch, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has said.The Russian foreign minister indicated that the two countries were "preparing new documents designed to formalise" a new level of cooperation.Already, Lavrov said, notwithstanding "well-known factors" aimed at pressuring the two countries, "our trade turnover is steadily growing at a record pace. Last year it increased by nearly 80 percent, exceeding $4 billion."Lavrov also expressed gratitude to Tehran for its "objective position" on the Russian military operation in Ukraine.The Russian foreign minister emphasised that cooperation on international affairs has always been a keystone of ties between Moscow and Tehran.Foreign Minister Amir-Abdollahian said that his discussions with Lavrov would include talks on pursuing the agreements reached between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi during Raisi's visit to Moscow in January, as well as the situation in Ukraine and the new situation in regional and international affairs.Amir-Abdollahian said Iran could not remain indifferent to events in Ukraine, and noted that Tehran stands for an end to all conflicts worldwide - whether in Ukraine, Afghanistan or Yemen. He added that the Islamic Republic also condemns the policy of unilateral sanctions. The diplomat also stressed that there was no connection between events in Ukraine and the revival of the JCPOA.Iran Nuclear DealIran expressed willingness late last month to "immediately conclude a good deal" with the remaining Western parties to the JCPOA and the US if the latter were prepared to "show real will." Negotiations were put on pause last week over the US seizure of a pair of Greek tankers loaded with $38 million of Iranian oil. The negotiations were also reportedly hindered by Russia's demand for US written guarantees that its sanctions against Moscow won't affect trade with Iran.Israel's political class has expressed concerns about the possible revival of the JCPOA, with senior officials including Prime Minister Naftali Bennett warning repeatedly that Tel Aviv wouldn't be bound by the agreement's terms. In the US, Senate Republicans wrote President Biden a letter on Monday stating emphatically that they would not support the agreement's restoration, accusing his administration of having "given away the store" to Tehran.The JCPOA was negotiated by Iran, the US, Russia, China, France, Germany and the European Union in 2015, and promised the removal of Western sanctions against the Islamic Republic in exchange for commitments to limit the uranium enrichment and stockpiling activities of its peaceful nuclear programme. The Trump administration unilaterally pulled out of the deal in 2018 after heavy Israeli lobbying. The Biden White House moved to restart negotiations with Iran and other remaining parties of the JCPOA last year, with the two sides spending months deadlocked over which party should make the good faith steps on restoring the agreement. Tehran has also stressed repeatedly that it would not allow the original terms of the nuclear deal to be weighed down by side issues such as Iran's ballistic missile programme or its regional foreign policy. https://sputniknews.com/20220119/iranian-president-seen-performing-evening-prayer-at-kremlin-photo-1092376196.html https://sputniknews.com/20220227/iranian-fm-tehran-ready-to-immediately-conclude-a-good-deal-should-west-show-real-will-1093410213.html iran Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2022 Ilya Tsukanov Ilya Tsukanov News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Ilya Tsukanov iran https://sputniknews.com/20220315/russian-armed-forces-take-full-control-of-kherson-region-mod-says-1093885418.html Russian Armed Forces Take Full Control of Kherson Region, MoD Says Russian Armed Forces Take Full Control of Kherson Region, MoD Says The Russian special military operation to demilitarise and "de-Nazify" Ukraine has entered day 20, with defence and government officials previously saying that... 15.03.2022, Sputnik International 2022-03-15T07:04+0000 2022-03-15T07:04+0000 2022-03-15T07:41+0000 situation in ukraine ukraine /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e6/03/0f/1093886530_0:276:3151:2048_1920x0_80_0_0_2767d0be36d994c3f496e27df243120e.jpg The Russian armed forces have taken full control of the entire territory of Kherson region during the ongoing special military operation in Ukraine, the Russian Defence Ministry stated during a daily briefing on Tuesday.According to the spokesperson for the ministry, Major General Igor Konashenkov, units of Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) troops continue offensive operations and managed to break through the defences of Ukrainian nationalists. They took control of the settlement of Panteleimonovka in Donetsk region.Konashenkov also revealed that Russian paratroopers have seized 10 US-made Javelin anti-tank missile systems after capturing a forpost of nationalists and foreign mercenaries. Furthermore, all the foreign weapons seized by the Russian forces are being transferred to the Lugansk and Donetsk People's Militia, Konashenkov stressed. The defence ministry spokesman also announced that three hangars with four Ukrainian Su-25s and six helicopters have been destroyed at a military airport. Since the launch of the special military operation on 24 February, the Russian military has destroyed a total of 156 drones, 1306 tanks and other armoured combat vehicles, 127 multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS), 471 field artillery guns and mortars, as well as 1,054 units of special military vehicles, Konashenkov stated.Russia started a special military operation in Ukraine on 24 February in response to calls from the Donetsk and Lugansk people's republics for protection against intensifying attacks by Ukrainian troops. Russian President Vladimir Putin emphasized that the goal is to protect the people of Donbass, "who have been subjected to abuse, genocide by the Kiev regime for eight years".The Russian Defence Ministry said the special operation is targeting Ukrainian military infrastructure only and the civilian population is not in danger. Moscow has repeatedly said it has no plans to occupy Ukraine. Western nations have imposed numerous sanctions on Russia.Let's stay in touch no matter what! Follow our Telegram channels to get all the latest news:Sputnik News US - https://t.me/sputniknewsusSputnik News India - https://t.me/sputniknewsindia ukraine Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2022 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 ukraine https://sputniknews.com/20220315/russian-diplomat-rejects-speculations-about-russias-demands-blocking-revival-of-jcpoa-1093904552.html Russian Diplomat Rejects Speculations About Russia's Demands Blocking Revival of JCPOA Russian Diplomat Rejects Speculations About Russia's Demands Blocking Revival of JCPOA MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Permanent Representative of Russia to International Organizations in Vienna Mikhail Ulyanov on Tuesday called speculations about Russia's... 15.03.2022, Sputnik International 2022-03-15T20:07+0000 2022-03-15T20:07+0000 2022-03-15T20:06+0000 iran joint comprehensive plan of action (jcpoa) vienna talks russia agreement /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/04/1d/1082754984_0:0:3147:1771_1920x0_80_0_0_6fcc3f7aa8cc0fe0323c7e8a89c8cee5.jpg "We observe a lot of speculations regarding 'Russia's last-minute demands at the final stage of the #ViennaTalks' which allegedly block the agreement on restoration of #JCPOA. This is a lie, as I tweeted a number of times over the last week. Some demands were accepted, by the way," Ulyanov posted on Twitter.The Russian diplomat dismissed similar speculations on Monday by saying that some participants had raised concerns over the deal.Earlier in the day, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian also said that "Russia is not creating any obstacles to reaching agreements" on the JCPOA. Many Russian officials, including Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov and Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, also dismissed these allegations earlier on Tuesday.The JCPOA was signed in 2015 by the United Kingdom, Russia, China, Germany, the United States, France, the European Union, and Iran, imposing restrictions on the advancement of the Iran nuclear program in exchange for the lifting of the US sanctions. In 2018, former US President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew from the JCPOA and reimposed sanctions on Iran. The Iranian government responded with a gradual retreat from JCPOA obligations.Since April 2021, Vienna has been hosting talks to restore the deal. The seventh round of Vienna talks on bringing Iran back to the nuclear deal and lifting US sanctions ended on December 17. The parties agreed on two drafts of the deal, which included provisions covering Iranian interests.The eighth round of Vienna negotiations was launched in late December 2021 and resumed in early February after a short break. iran Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2022 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 iran, joint comprehensive plan of action (jcpoa), vienna talks, russia, agreement https://sputniknews.com/20220315/russian-security-council-draft-resolution-seeks-ceasefire-to-allow-evacuation-of-ukraine-civilians-1093900003.html Russian Security Council Draft Resolution Seeks Ceasefire to Allow Ukrainian Civilians to Evacuate Russian Security Council Draft Resolution Seeks Ceasefire to Allow Ukrainian Civilians to Evacuate The Russian military has taken a series of measures aimed at minimizing civilian casualties amid its ongoing military operation in Ukraine. Kiev and its... 15.03.2022, Sputnik International 2022-03-15T15:12+0000 2022-03-15T15:12+0000 2022-03-15T16:48+0000 ukraine /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e6/02/1c/1093462031_0:0:3073:1728_1920x0_80_0_0_50af75c4924e24b7bd88186994fba490.jpg Russia has put together a draft text of a United Nations Security Council resolution calling for a ceasefire mechanism in Ukraine aimed at enabling the safe evacuation of civilians from areas where fighting is taking place.The draft text, seen by Sputnik, underscores the Security Council's concern for civilian casualties, as well as "the deteriorating humanitarian situation in and around Ukraine" generally, including growing numbers of internally displaced persons and refugees in need of humanitarian aid.The document calls on all parties to "ensure the protection of civilians and to refrain from attacks on, dismantling of or rendering unusable civilian objects," and condemns indiscriminate shelling of civilian infrastructure and the deployment of military equipment in or around densely populated areas.UN chief Antonio Guterres previously estimated that the body would need up to $1.7 billion to provide adequate humanitarian assistance to Ukraine over the next three months.The Russian draft calls for the protection of all civilians, including humanitarian personnel and vulnerable persons. Medical and humanitarian personnel, their vehicles, equipment, hospitals and other medical facilities are also given protected status under the draft resolution.Finally, the draft calls on all parties to allow for the safe and unhindered passage of persons outside Ukraine, including foreign nationals, and for the facilitation of humanitarian aid to those in need inside and outside the country.Ukraine Incomparable to US and NATO WarsCommenting on the draft proposal on Tuesday, Russian Ambassador to the UN Vasily Nebenzya told reporters that Moscow would soon "see whether the Security Council will be able to fulfill its mission on the adoption of a resolution on the humanitarian situation in Ukraine."Nebenzya stressed that the Russian-sponsored resolution would include a requirement that all parties respect international humanitarian law and human rights, and condemn deliberate attacks on civilians. The diplomat also suggested that the resolutions on the issue submitted earlier by France and Mexico contain clauses which have nothing to do with the humanitarian situation in Ukraine.Commenting on the Russian military operation in Ukraine and its goals, Nebenzya said that a lasting halt in hostilities would be achieved when Russia's conditions - including Ukraine's demilitarization and denazification, and guarantees that Ukraine cannot join NATO, are fulfilled. This includes removing NATO membership from the text of the country's constitution for a start, the diplomat said.Nebenzya also dismissed comparisons between the Russian military operation in Ukraine and the actions of the US and its allies in places like Iraq and Libya. https://sputniknews.com/20220315/moscow-disheartened-over-us-eu-silence-on-deaths-of-donetsk-civilians-caused-by-ukrainian-shelling-1093890241.html https://sputniknews.com/20220315/eyewitness-shares-horror-of-azov-neo-nazis-gunning-down-defenceless-fleeing-civilian-in-mariupol-1093885906.html https://sputniknews.com/20220315/biolabs-in-ukraine-pose-threat-to-all-europe-not-just-russia-diplomat-warns-1093884397.html https://sputniknews.com/20220314/russian-mod-key-neo-nazi-forces-in-mariupol-residential-areas-destroyed-1093865139.html ukraine Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2022 Ilya Tsukanov Ilya Tsukanov News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Ilya Tsukanov ukraine https://sputniknews.com/20220315/son-of-incumbent-turkmen-leader-wins-presidential-elections-in-country-with-7297-1093887380.html Son of Incumbent Turkmen Leader Wins Presidential Elections in Country With 72.97% Son of Incumbent Turkmen Leader Wins Presidential Elections in Country With 72.97% MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Serdar Berdymukhamedov, the son of incumbent Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov and the current deputy prime minister, have won... 15.03.2022, Sputnik International 2022-03-15T07:51+0000 2022-03-15T07:51+0000 2022-03-15T07:51+0000 asia & pacific turkmenistan /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e6/03/0f/1093887353_0:121:2519:1538_1920x0_80_0_0_7fe8b661f14f44c38f7612864f7dc54f.jpg "The deputy chairmen of the Turkmen government, Serdar Berdymukhamedov [wins the election with] 72.97%," the CEC said in a statement.Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov said last week that young leaders should be granted the opportunity to govern the country. In this regard, the chairperson of the Central Election Commission was reportedly asked to begin preparing for the elections. The Central Asian country held snap presidential election on 12 March. The inauguration will take place on Saturday. turkmenistan Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2022 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 asia & pacific, turkmenistan https://sputniknews.com/20220315/tiktok-influencers-reportedly-recruited-by-biden-to-amplify-blame-on-russia-for-soaring-gas-prices-1093891921.html TikTok Influencers Reportedly Recruited by Biden to 'Amplify' Blame on Russia For Soaring Gas Prices TikTok Influencers Reportedly Recruited by Biden to 'Amplify' Blame on Russia For Soaring Gas Prices The White House held a Zoom briefing on Ukraine for an estimated 30 TikTok celebrities stars on 10 March, reported The Washington Post earlier, where... 15.03.2022, Sputnik International 2022-03-15T10:53+0000 2022-03-15T10:53+0000 2022-03-15T10:53+0000 situation in ukraine us tiktok influencer russia ukraine joe biden /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/03/16/1082421141_0:85:3343:1965_1920x0_80_0_0_c1f812387b6be1ae6d9326b408221485.jpg Teenage TikTok influencers have already entered the messaging fray after reportedly being enlisted by the Joe Biden administration to coordinate an onslaught blaming Russias President Vladimir Putin for globally skyrocketing gas prices.On 10 March the White House held a Zoom briefing on Ukraine for 30 of the social media platforms celebrities, some of whom boast millions of followers, according to a recording of the call obtained by The Washington Post.Now, several days later, Ellie Zeiler, 18, who boasts more than 10 million followers on TikTok, where she usually dances or poses in trendy outfits, has posted a video where she posed the question, "Why is gas so expensive?"According to the influencer, the "obvious reason," is that demand is rising against the backdrop of the winding down COVID-19 pandemic, with people resuming travelling. However, she adds that the Zoom call with the WH was predominantly about Ukraine and Russia, so how does that relate?"Amplifying the WH MessageIndeed, according to the report in The Washington Post on 11 March, celebrities of the video-sharing app received updates from National Security Council staffers, including special adviser Matt Miller, and White House press secretary, Jen Psaki on the US strategic goals in the region as millions of fans seek real-time information on what is happening in Ukraine.Seeking to ostensibly harness the power the content creators had in communicating with their followers, the Biden administration had turned to Gen Z For Change, a nonprofit advocacy group. An effort was made to identify top content creators on the platform, who were subsequently sent out invitations to the briefing, elucidating the United States role in the Ukraine conflict.Victoria Hammett, deputy executive director of Gen Z For Change, after contacted dozens of the Tiktokers, is believed to have assembled potential questions for the briefing.Kahlil Greene, 21, credited with over 534,000 followers on TikTok, was cited as saying:Gen Z content creator Jules Terpak said the White Houses decision to thus empower influencers to communicate about the crisis was essential to ideally set the tone for how others decide to assess and amplify what they see online.Gen-Z for Change tweeted on Friday that the discussion focused on the US governments "strategic goals in Ukraine so were better able to debunk misinformation."Ever since Russia started its special operation to demilitarize and de-Nazify Ukraine on 24 February, after weeks of escalating shelling, sabotage and sniper attacks by Ukrainian forces against the Lugansk and Donetsk People's Republics (LPR, DPR), natural gas and oil prices have skyrocketed. The trend gained even more traction after both Europe and the US have been joining the sweeping Russian sanctions campaign. President Joe Biden announced a ban on Russian energy imports, including oil and gas, on 8 March. At the same time, fueling a media frenzy in the Western press, the Biden administration is driving the message that higher energy prices have been thrust upon Americans by Russias alleged invasion of Ukraine."Americans are paying a higher price at the pump because of the actions of President Putin," echoed JenPsaki, WH press secretary, on 8 March.Accordingly, media outlets, like ABC News, have been toeing the line, with headlines proclaiming that, Putin's price hike will be borne by American consumers."When President Joe Biden was asked on Tuesday about gas prices, he quipped, Theyre going to go up Cant do much right now. Russia is responsible." https://sputniknews.com/20220312/tucker-carlson-claims-bidens-anti-russia-sanctions-make-us-the-loser--1093815164.html https://sputniknews.com/20220312/blame-putin-for-everything-1093794424.html Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2022 Svetlana Ekimenko Svetlana Ekimenko News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Svetlana Ekimenko us, tiktok, influencer, russia, ukraine, joe biden https://sputniknews.com/20220315/tulsi-gabbard-is-accused-of-treason-for-discussing-biolabs-in-ukraine-1093876142.html Tulsi Gabbard is Accused of Treason for Discussing Biolabs in Ukraine Tulsi Gabbard is Accused of Treason for Discussing Biolabs in Ukraine On todays episode of The Backstory, hosts Jamarl Thomas and Manila Chan discussed current events including Israel hit by a major cyberattack, Tulsi Gabbard... 15.03.2022, Sputnik International 2022-03-15T08:42+0000 2022-03-15T08:42+0000 2022-03-15T08:42+0000 us the backstory democrats nuclear power china nato hybrid war biological weapons radio /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e6/03/0e/1093876045_0:0:1920:1080_1920x0_80_0_0_0a89113b05eff0c06db71ac353ba290a.jpg Tulsi Gabbard is Accused of Treason, for Discussing Biolabs in Ukraine On todays episode of The Backstory, host(s) Jamarl Thomas and Manila Chan discussed current events including Israel hit by a major cyberattack, and American actor William Hurt dying at 71. GUESTAlex Rubenstein - Independent Investigative Journalist | NYT Journalist Killed in Ukraine, Would This Have Happened Under Trump?, and Gas Prices Under BidenEd Martin - President of Phyllis Schlafly Eagles | Putin is to Blame, Big Tech is Making Money, and Tucker Carlson AttackedIn the first hour, Manila and Jamarl spoke with Alex Rubenstein about the murder of Brent Renaud, President Zelensky, and the public disbelief of Ukrainian Nazis. Alex discussed the wartime websites funded by George Soros and mainstream journalists viewed as a protected class. Alex talked about President Biden and President Zelensky's awards to the Azov Battalion.In the second hour, Manila and Jamarl spoke with Ed Martin about the 2022 midterms, Republican policy, and Congress spending taxpayer money. Ed spoke about the "blame Putin" strategy and Americans primed to accept narratives from politicians. Ed talked about the danger of China and how Democrats have pushed for World War III.We'd love to get your feedback at radio@sputniknews.comThe views and opinions expressed in this programme are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect the position of Sputnik. us china Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2022 Lee Stranahan https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/02/13/1082125222_0:0:293:292_100x100_80_0_0_a8bc846f559660e5bf7574f8a9608a1d.png Lee Stranahan https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/02/13/1082125222_0:0:293:292_100x100_80_0_0_a8bc846f559660e5bf7574f8a9608a1d.png News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Lee Stranahan https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/02/13/1082125222_0:0:293:292_100x100_80_0_0_a8bc846f559660e5bf7574f8a9608a1d.png us, the backstory, democrats, nuclear power, china, nato, hybrid war, biological weapons, , radio https://sputniknews.com/20220315/uk-homes-businesses-face-soaring-costs-as-sanctions-end-supply-of-russian-biomass-wood-pellets-1093888662.html UK Homes, Businesses Face Soaring Costs as Sanctions End Supply of Russian Biomass Wood Pellets UK Homes, Businesses Face Soaring Costs as Sanctions End Supply of Russian Biomass Wood Pellets Natural gas and oil prices have skyrocketed amid the ongoing Russian operation to demilitarize Ukraine. After Washington and London announced bans on energy... 15.03.2022, Sputnik International 2022-03-15T09:16+0000 2022-03-15T09:16+0000 2022-03-15T09:16+0000 uk heating gas prices russia ukraine gas prices /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e6/03/0f/1093887582_0:195:2950:1854_1920x0_80_0_0_6c02f050edf614a447fc1e3d45a8fd29.jpg Homes and businesses in Britain that resort to biomass boilers for heating have been forced to contend with soaring costs of wood pellets amid the sanctions slapped on Russia over its special military operation in Ukraine, reported The Telegraph.Prices have reportedly grown by between 25pc and 40pc to reach 385 a tonne.Russia is a major exporter of the pellets used instead of gas (or oil) to generate heat, but now UK importers are frantically searching for alternative supplies to make up for the losses.Mark Lebus, chair of the UK Pellet Council, was cited as saying that the sector in question was elaborating "immediate and alternative measures to restructure its global supply chain, working with overseas partners to help ensure a continuous supply of biomass wood pellets for UK customers".Lebus acknowledged that as wood pellets would no longer be sourced or imported from Russia, this would impact supply worldwide, not just to Britain.While a majority of homes in the UK have been heated by gas-fired boilers, surging gas costs have prompted homes and companies to switch to wood pellet heating systems in recent years. The move has been actively encouraged by government support, as part of the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI).Launched in 2014 and aimed at the domestic market, the government-backed scheme encouraged homeowners to change from using fossil fuels for heating to renewable energies, such as wood pellet boilers. It is a quarterly payment scheme, set to run for up to 7 years from the date of commission. In line with it, payments are based on the number of kilowatt-hours of heat produced and used.The wood pellet crisis comes as dual-fuel (gas heat on the stovetop and electric heat in the oven) gas and electricity bills are forecast to rise by more than 50pc next month.This is set to follow the increase of the price cap on energy bills by regulator Ofgem by 54% or around 693. The energy price gap is the maximum amount that suppliers can charge customers for each unit of gas and electricity they use. After it is raised on 1 April, bills will increase from 1,277 to 1,971 for an average household, affecting 22 million customers.Mark Lebus believes that the UK government should try to bolster domestic production of wood pellets.Both Europe and the US have been hit with skyrocketing natural gas and oil prices as countries have been jumping on the bandwagon of Russian sanctions, unleashed over its operation, started on 24 February, seeking to "demilitarise and de-Nazify Ukraine".Oil prices touched a near 14-year high of $130.50 a barrel on 6 March, with analysts fearing that the price could surge to $240 by summer if Western countries persist with sanctioning Russian oil exports.US President Joe Biden had announced a ban on Russian energy imports on 8 March as part of America's new "severe" sanctions. The UK followed suit, announcing a phasing out of imports from Russia, in conjunction with the US, the EU and other partners, to end our dependence on Russian hydrocarbons.Sweeping sanctions came after Russia formally recognised the Donetsk and Lugansk Peoples Republics (DPR and LPR) ahead of its special military operation, which began in response to an official request for assistance from the Donbass authorities.The Russian government has repeatedly stated that the goal of the current operation was to neutralise Ukraine's military capacity while not harming the civilian population of the country. https://sputniknews.com/20220314/uks-poorest-families-most-exposed-to-biggest-cost-of-living-crisis-faced-in-generations--1093846146.html https://sputniknews.com/20220306/gas-prices-why-eu-and-uk-sanctions-game-will-see-no-winners-1093621488.html Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2022 Svetlana Ekimenko Svetlana Ekimenko News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Svetlana Ekimenko uk, heating, gas prices, russia, ukraine, gas prices https://sputniknews.com/20220315/ukraine-crisis-why-western-nuclear-warmongering-is-fraught-with-risks-1093901679.html Ukraine Crisis: Why Western Nuclear Warmongering is Fraught With Risks Ukraine Crisis: Why Western Nuclear Warmongering is Fraught With Risks The US mainstream media are evaluating the risk of nuclear war; Americans are panic-buying iodine tablets to counteract the effects of radiation poisoning; and... 15.03.2022, Sputnik International 2022-03-15T17:26+0000 2022-03-15T17:26+0000 2022-03-16T10:24+0000 situation in ukraine us world opinion ukraine nuclear sanctions nato nato expansion javelin /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/03/09/1082290535_0:177:3015:1873_1920x0_80_0_0_875aaeab8a0eaeb285066edde109482f.jpg "I think a lot of people, particularly in Washington, like to remind people of how serious this is - if the United States actually confronts the Russian Federation or if America's allies do," says Joe Siracusa, US politics expert and professor of history and diplomacy at Curtin University, Australia. "President Biden went out of his way to say that we're not putting a boot on the ground in Ukraine because that would be World War III In the West, there is very little understanding of nuclear history since the end of the Cold War. Most media reporters and even universities in the US assume that the end of the Cold War also marked the end of interest in nuclear weapons."The Russian special operation to demilitarise and de-Nazify Ukraine was launched on 24 February in accordance with Article 51, Chapter VII, of the UN Charter:"Nothing in the present Charter shall impair the inherent right of individual or collective self-defence if an armed attack occurs against a member of the United Nations, until the Security Council has taken measures necessary to maintain international peace and security," the Charter reads.Article 51 was invoked by Russia after the US, NATO and the EU unanimously rejected Moscow's request to provide legal-binding guarantees of NATO's eastward non-expansion, Ukraine's non-admission to the bloc, removal of striking systems from Russia's doorstep as well as the withdrawal of the forces in Eastern Europe to the positions of 1997.In the beginning of the Russian special operation some NATO member states' issued threats to "hold Russia" and Belarus "accountable'' for the move and threatened that Moscow would "pay a price." In the wake of the inflammatory rhetoric, Russia's nuclear deterrence forces were put on high alert on 27 February. Earlier, Russian President Vladimir Putin warned NATO member states against militarily engaging in the Ukraine crisis.Nevertheless, some Western policy-makers came up with ideas of sending a NATO contingent to Ukraine and implementing a "limited no-fly zone" in the Eastern European state. The bold proposals as well as Poland's plan to transfer 28 MiG-29 jets to Ukraine via the United States have been scrapped by Washington.The White House quoted both the threat of a potential nuclear escalation and expressed doubts that additional warplanes would anyhow change the balance of forces on the ground in Ukraine. Meanwhile, some US politicians, such as Senator Lindsey Graham, went even so far as to call for assassinating the Russian president, prompting a storm of criticism in the US social media over unnecessary escalation.Mainstream Media 'Hype' Over Ukrainian NPPs & Putin's 'Nuclear Card'There was also "hype" about Russians allegedly attacking Ukraine's nuclear power stations thus inviting the danger of nuclear collapse and contamination, according to George Szamuely. However, it turned out that it was the Ukrainian sabotage units who provoked clashes at the Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) on 4 March and attacked the power grid facilities that provide electricity to the Chernobyl NPP last week. Both sabotage attempts were repelled by the Russian military forces with nuclear reactors and critical infrastructure sustaining no damage.There's yet another fake idea being peddled by the Western media which says that Russian President Putin is "getting desperate" and might therefore use "weapons of mass destruction," Szamuely notes. In particular, The New York Times quoted ex-US National Security Council official Fiona Hill speculating of Putin using "a nuclear card." NYT also published Thomas L. Friedman's op-ed which claimed that Russia is facing imminent "defeat" in Ukraine and would resort to "using nuclear weapons."However, the scholar suspects that it's not just scaremongering but the way of some opportunistic politicians to get the US and NATO involved in the Ukraine conflict.Arms Supplies are Exacerbating the ConflictWhile Joe Biden appears to understand what nuclear mutually assured destruction is all about, American and European conventional weapons continue to arrive in Ukraine, notes Siracusa. The Western military-industrial complex "doesn't really care" who NATO member states are at war against as it is seeking profits in the first place, according to the professor.What is worse, the threat is amplified by the weakness of the current leadership in Washington, according to George Szamuely. He warns that the US leadership is not putting a restraint on Western arms supplies to Ukraine, thus further exacerbating the conflict.Meanwhile, Russia's 13 March attack on the Yavorov military training base near the Ukrainian city of Lviv has drawn a clear red line on both foreign arms supplies and inflow of foreign mercenaries to Ukraine, the scholar remarks. "Russia was sending a signal that if you continue along this path, if you continue to supply weapons to Ukraine, we will attack those convoys," he stresses.The arms supplies to Ukraine are aimed at prolonging the conflict, as NATO is willing to fight to "the last Ukrainian and the last Russian," says Marko Gasic, London-based international affairs commentator. ukraine Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2022 Ekaterina Blinova Ekaterina Blinova News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Ekaterina Blinova us, world, opinion, ukraine, nuclear, sanctions, nato, nato expansion, javelin, stinger missiles, nuclear war, joe biden https://sputniknews.com/20220315/us-company-seeking-mercs-to-start-immediately-after-russia-razes-training-base-in-ukraine-1093901965.html US Company Seeking Mercs to Start Immediately After Russia Razes Training Base in Ukraine US Company Seeking Mercs to Start Immediately After Russia Razes Training Base in Ukraine Earlier this month, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba boasted that as many as 20,000 foreign volunteers had expressed readiness to head to Ukraine to... 15.03.2022, Sputnik International 2022-03-15T16:44+0000 2022-03-15T16:44+0000 2022-03-15T16:44+0000 ukraine /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e6/03/0d/1093836191_256:0:1280:576_1920x0_80_0_0_078a6009d2a7048182945be41bd11319.jpg US private security and mercenary for hire job market aggregator Silent Professionals has posted a want ad from an unnamed US-based corporate client seeking multiple extraction/protective agents and team for part-time, covert, extraction/evacuation operations in Ukraine.The featured job opportunity, which features an immediate start date, promises mercs $1,000-$2,000 per day immediate pay, plus a completion bonus discussed with employer.The customer is an equal opportunities employer, with both men and women welcome to apply. However, the ad asks that only highly experienced candidates with at least five years of military experience in this region of Europe send applications. The job posting also requires at least one year of overseas combat experience, and strong working knowledge of Soviet-era and NATO small arms, as well as good critical thinking skills and ability to navigate using map and compass.Ability to speak Russian, Ukrainian and other local languages is preferred, as is a strong working knowledge of Ukrainian highways and general terrain.The ad appears to have been listed on Silent Professionals earlier this month, but has enjoyed renewed attention in the aftermath of the Russian precision missile strikes on the Yavorov military compound in Lvov region, western Ukraine a major staging area for foreign mercenaries entering the country, on Sunday.Ukrainian officials have reported that upwards of 1,000-1,500 foreign volunteers from the so-called Ukrainian Foreign Legion had been trained at the Yavorov facility to date, and said the strike claimed the lives of 34 mercs and injured over 130 others. A Lvov regional administration spokesperson used the Russian strikes as a pretext to repeat calls on NATO to close the sky over Ukraine!British media expressed fears that at least three British ex-special forces troops were killed in the Yavorov attack, and estimated that over 100 people had been killed, many scores more than originally reported. Dutch media indicated that an unknown number of its nationals were killed in the attack. Canadas Globe and Mail newspaper said at least one Canadian had been hurt. At least one French national was also killed.Ukraine reportedly temporarily suspended the recruitment of foreign mercs after the Yavorov strike. https://sputniknews.com/20220307/joint-chiefs-chairman-secretly-visited-weapons-shipment-hub-near-ukrainian-border-report-1093664572.html https://sputniknews.com/20220315/us-not-ruling-out-training-ukrainian-troops-in-third-countries-says-trainers-pulled-back-for-now-1093884767.html ukraine Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2022 Ilya Tsukanov Ilya Tsukanov News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Ilya Tsukanov ukraine https://sputniknews.com/20220315/us-congressmen-urge-meta-to-resist-pro-russian-ads-run-by-chinese-media---letter-1093899771.html US Congressmen Urge Meta to Resist 'Pro-Russian' Ads Run by Chinese Media - Letter US Congressmen Urge Meta to Resist 'Pro-Russian' Ads Run by Chinese Media - Letter WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - A group of six US lawmakers has urged Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg in a letter to take a tougher stand on China's state media in connection... 15.03.2022, Sputnik International 2022-03-15T15:04+0000 2022-03-15T15:04+0000 2022-03-15T15:04+0000 meta china russia us /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e6/03/0b/1093765086_0:222:2853:1826_1920x0_80_0_0_606e06dbf2172771a21a62af617d6d33.jpg As an example, the appeal cites Chinese publications spreading "false reports" on Facebook that Russia's objective in Ukraine is American biological laboratories.The lawmakers urged the company to answer their questions by March 31. They hope to find out what steps Meta is taking to prevent the spread of Russian "disinformation" through non-Russian accounts, and whether the company will expand its measures that ban state media from buying ads worldwide. The lawmakers also want to know how much Chinese broadcasters have spent on advertising and whom it is targeting.On February 24, Russia launched an operation in Ukraine after the breakaway Donbas republics appealed for help in defending themselves against Ukrainian troops. The Russian Defense Ministry said the special operation is targeting Ukrainian military infrastructure only. Several days into the operation, the Russian armed forces said the Ukrainian military were using typical terrorist methods, such as hiding behind civilians and civilian quarters. china russia us Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2022 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 meta, china, russia, us https://sputniknews.com/20220315/us-looks-to-block-indian-deal-for-russian-oil-but-says-buy-wont-violate-sanctions-1093906504.html US Looks to Block Indian Deal for Russian Oil, But Says Buy Won't Violate Sanctions US Looks to Block Indian Deal for Russian Oil, But Says Buy Won't Violate Sanctions The US is navigating a complex web of oil markets in an attempt to secure petroleum supplies for itself and dodge spiking gas prices while simultaneously... 15.03.2022, Sputnik International 2022-03-15T22:33+0000 2022-03-15T22:33+0000 2022-03-15T22:35+0000 india russia oil us sanctions /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/107855/09/1078550992_0:24:2597:1485_1920x0_80_0_0_46f1a96e05294417d90c26ad2cc34747.jpg Speaking before the Indian Parliament on Tuesday, Indian Oil Minister Hardeep Singh Puri told lawmakers the government was engaged in talks "at the appropriate level of the Russian Federation" to buy Moscows glut of oil created by a Western boycott.India is the worlds third-largest importer of oil after China and the United States, but gets just 3% of its petrol from Russia, according to Agence France-Presse.The news follows talks last week between Puri and Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak.Russias oil and petroleum product exports to India have approached $1 billion, and there are clear opportunities to increase this figure, he added.In response, on Tuesday, Washington sought to dissuade New Delhi from the deal: think about where you want to stand, White House spokesperson Jen Psaki said. However, she noted that India buying Russian oil wouldnt violate US sanctions against Moscow.So far, India has plotted a fairly neutral course on the situation in Ukraine, where Russia launched a special operation in late February to neutralize the country as a potential NATO springboard into Russia and eliminate neo-Nazi forces responsible for an eight-year-long war against Russian-speaking separatists in the eastern Donbass region. New Delhi has abstained during United Nations votes as the international drama plays out, and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has urged Kiev and Moscow to settle their differences via direct talks.The US announced a total boycott of Russian petroleum and sanctioned Russias state-owned corporations Gazprom and Rosneft in response to Russias operation, and the United Kingdom announced it would phase out Russian oil imports by the end of the year. The two Anglo powers have pressured the European Union to follow suit, but many of the blocs members get the majority or a plurality of their oil from Russia, so the economic and social ramifications of a boycott are being extensively debated.Oil prices came back down below $100 a barrel on Tuesday, having spiked to $130 a barrel last week following US President Joe Bidens announcement of the gas boycott.In response to the price spike, Biden has attempted to persuade Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates to increase oil production to offset the loss of Russian oil, but neither Arab leader would answer the White Houses calls. On Thursday, Saudi state-owned oil firm Saudi Aramco announced a new deal to build a huge petroleum refinery and associated petrochemical complex in northeastern China capable of producing 300,000 barrels of oil per day.In early February, China National Petroleum Corp (CNPC) signed a 10-year agreement with Russian state-owned gas firm Rosneft for refineries in northwestern China to receive 100 million metric tons, or 200,821 barrels per day of oil.Whether or not there is a JCPOA, our posture toward Iranian oil ban would not change, State Department spokesperson Ned Price told reporters Tuesday. We would not replace Russian oil with Iranian oil. That would not be on the table." india russia Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2022 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 india, russia, oil, us sanctions https://sputniknews.com/20220315/us-promises-russia-sanctions-wont-affect-nuclear-cooperation-to-salvage-iran-nuclear-deal-report-1093902714.html US Promises Russia Sanctions Wont Affect Nuclear Cooperation to Salvage Iran Nuclear Deal: Report US Promises Russia Sanctions Wont Affect Nuclear Cooperation to Salvage Iran Nuclear Deal: Report The US and its allies have slapped hundreds of sanctions on Russian officials, tycoons, companies and entire economic sectors in recent weeks over the military... 15.03.2022, Sputnik International 2022-03-15T18:00+0000 2022-03-15T18:00+0000 2022-03-15T18:27+0000 joint comprehensive plan of action (jcpoa) russia united states /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/106453/76/1064537643_0:158:3077:1889_1920x0_80_0_0_31a830443c92431e2c1fc81ccb7c4dc4.jpg Washington will seek to limit Moscows ability to participate in projects with Irans nuclear energy sector once the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action nuclear deal is reactivated using sanctions, a senior US State Department official has told Reuters.Perhaps it is now clear to Moscow that, as we have said publicly, the new Russia-related sanctions are unrelated to the JCPOA and should not have any impact on its implementation, the official said.Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov indicated earlier on Tuesday that Moscow had received written assurances from the US side that its new sanctions against Russia would not affect cooperation with Iran. These guarantees include Russian-Iranian cooperation related to the Bushehr nuclear power plant, Lavrov said.Lavrov met with Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian on Tuesday in Moscow to discuss the JCPOA, the Ukraine crisis, and Russian-Iranian affairs. In a press conference ahead of the meeting, the Russian diplomat expressed confidence that negotiations to revive the JCPOA had entered the homestretch.Amir-Abdollahian, for his part, expressed hope that the American side will give up its excessive demands in the moments close to an agreement so that we can announce a good and lasting agreement, which is supported by all parties to the negotiations, in the near future.The Trump administration unilaterally pulled out of the JCPOA in 2018 and restored crushing energy and banking sanctions against Iran. Tehran provided the agreements remaining signatories with a one-year window to create a mechanism to evade the sanctions impact. When the clock ran out, Iran began to enrich and stockpile uranium to levels beyond limits set by the JCPOA.After coming into office, President Biden signalled US readiness to restart talks on rejoining the JCPOA. Negotiations were organized in Vienna. Iran and the US came close to reaching an agreement by the end of last year but hit a deadlock after each side demanded that the other be the first to make a goodwill gesture to show their commitment to the agreement. Iran has also emphasized that it will not allow its conventional missile deterrent or its foreign and security policy in the Middle East to be limited via the nuclear agreement.The homestretch of negotiations on the JCPOA come on the heels of the US move to institute a near-total ban on Russian energy supplies last week. Part of the US shortfall in supplies is broadly expected to be replaced via imports from one or more energy giants, such as Saudi Arabia, Venezuela or Iran. However, US media reported last week that Saudi and Emirati leaders refused to pick up to talk to Biden repeatedly in recent weeks. At the same time, US lawmakers have proposed legislation to ban imports of black gold coming from Iran and Venezuela two countries that have already been ruthlessly sanctioned over the years.On Saturday, former President Donald Trump slammed Biden for locking down US oil and gas production and accused him of crawling around the globe on his knees begging and pleading for mercy from Saudi Arabia, Iran, and Venezuela. https://sputniknews.com/20220315/revival-of-iran-nuclear-deal-enters-homestretch-russias-lavrov-says-1093889497.html https://sputniknews.com/20220313/trump-bashes-biden-for-crawling-around-globe-on-his-knees-to-find-alternative-oil-supply-sources-1093825019.html Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2022 Ilya Tsukanov Ilya Tsukanov News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Ilya Tsukanov joint comprehensive plan of action (jcpoa), russia, united states https://sputniknews.com/20220315/us-senate-bill-aims-to-freeze-russian-gold-reserves-1093873607.html US Senate Bill Aims to Freeze Russian Gold Reserves US Senate Bill Aims to Freeze Russian Gold Reserves Fog of War, Holocaust Revisionism, Iranian Missile Attack and Bio Labs in Conflict Zones. 15.03.2022, Sputnik International 2022-03-15T08:32+0000 2022-03-15T08:32+0000 2022-03-15T08:32+0000 political misfits russia ukraine youtube iran iraq china bio-terrorism medical labs /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e6/03/0e/1093873582_56:0:1300:700_1920x0_80_0_0_78289c40fba71021092545e671d16f1a.png US Senate Bill Aims to Freeze Russian Gold Reserves Fog of War, Holocaust Revisionism, Iranian Missile Attack and Bio Labs in Conflict Zones. At the top of the show, Mark Sleboda, international affairs and security analyst, breaks down the latest developments on the ground from Ukraine over the weekend. They talk about a Fox News report this morning that Andrei Soldatov, the head of the FSB, Russian Intelligence Services, was placed under house arrest. Then they discuss reports of the Russian strike on the Ukrainian base that resulted in dozens of deaths and more than 100 injured. The base was practically on the border of Poland. What does this mean in terms of an expansion of the conflict if anything? And, they talk about Russian relations with China.Then, Kevin Gosztola, journalist, writer for Shadowproof.com and co-host of the podcast Unauthorized Disclosure joins the conversation to talk about media coverage of former US ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul saying Adolf Hitler wasnt as bad as Vladimir Putin because Hitler didnt kill ethnic Germans. Then, Rachel Maddow Shows blog repeating this absolutely vile bit of revisionism as a nugget of social media wisdom. They discuss the onward march of censorship in this conflict. On Friday, as we were airing, YouTube made its announcement that it would drop Russian state funded media worldwide and remove content denying, minimizing or trivializing the war in Ukraine as part of its policy toward well-documented violent events.Next on the program, Mohammad Mirandi, Professor of English Literature and Orientalism, University of Tehran called in to talk about the Iranian government confirming today responsibility for a rocket attack on a facility near the US consulate in the northern Iraqi city of Irbil. The attack was in retaliation for an Israeli missile strike in Syria last week that killed two members of Irans Revolutionary Guard Corps. The strike in Irbil drew a harsh response from the Iraqi government which called it a violation of international law and demanded an explanation from Iran.For the last segment, Sam Husseini, independent journalist. You can find his writings and Substack at Husseini.org joins the Misfits to talk about his long running hunt for the origins of Covid-19. And, the evolution of theories that it might have come from a lab; from lies and conspiracy to accepted possibility. They talk about the process and speed the media reports on research of potentially dangerous pathogens in Ukraine. They compare examples of the virtues of skepticism in media - the lesson in both of these stories isnt to have been on the right bandwagon from the beginning - its not to be on one - its very hard to find well known media outlets these days that havent chosen a team.The Misfits sign off till tomorrow.We'd love to get your feedback at radio@sputniknews.comThe views and opinions expressed in this programme are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect the position of Sputnik. russia ukraine iran china Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2022 Michelle Witte https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/02/11/1082103644_0:1:240:241_100x100_80_0_0_aa1e89cc3422c54bfdeb46decb112e73.jpg Michelle Witte https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/02/11/1082103644_0:1:240:241_100x100_80_0_0_aa1e89cc3422c54bfdeb46decb112e73.jpg News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Michelle Witte https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/02/11/1082103644_0:1:240:241_100x100_80_0_0_aa1e89cc3422c54bfdeb46decb112e73.jpg political misfits, russia, ukraine, youtube, iran, iraq, china, bio-terrorism, medical labs, , radio https://sputniknews.com/20220315/us-state-department-looking-to-scrounge-up-soviet-s-300s-to-deliver-to-ukraine-report-1093894313.html US State Department Looking to Scrounge Up Soviet S-300s to Deliver to Ukraine: Report US State Department Looking to Scrounge Up Soviet S-300s to Deliver to Ukraine: Report The United States and its allies have already delivered well over $3 billion in military equipment to Ukraine in recent years, and committed to send hundreds... 15.03.2022, Sputnik International 2022-03-15T11:50+0000 2022-03-15T11:50+0000 2022-03-15T12:47+0000 ukraine s-300 /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e6/03/0f/1093895130_0:67:1281:787_1920x0_80_0_0_9bc1f47c63b7e3a15d297a79e3aefb34.jpg The State Department is 'working to identify' which countries have access to Soviet-made S-300 air defence system and brainstorming how they can be sent to Ukraine, sources said to be familiar with the matter have told CNN.Sources further indicated that Washington was not sure at the moment where they would get the missiles used by the S-300. The latter are manufactured only by Russian defence companies.The Biden administration has faced requests from Congress to transfer a variety of heavy Soviet-built military equipment to Ukraine, including the aforementioned S-300s, as well as MiG-29 jet fighters.The Pentagon shut down a proposal by Poland to send 28 MiG-29s to Ukraine via the US, saying the idea was not "tenable" due to the risks of provoking an open conflagration with Russia. Poland proposed sending its 30+ year-old Soviet MiGs to Ukraine in exchange for newer F-16s from Washington. US officials initially expressed support for the idea, but their eagerness cooled after Warsaw indicated that it would like to see direct US involvement - with the MiGs supposed to be shipped to Kiev through the US-operated Ramstein Air Base in Germany, instead of being sent directly across the Polish-Ukrainian border.First introduced into service with the Soviet military starting in the late 1970s and early 1980s, the S-300 was considered one of the most cutting-edge air defence system in the USSR's arsenal at the time of the country's destruction in 1991. Moscow exported the system to several allies in Eastern Europe, including Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia and East Germany. From the 1990s onward, the system has also been sold to a range of countries across Asia and the Middle East, as well as Greece and Venezuela. Within NATO, the system is currently operated by Bulgaria, Greece and Slovakia. East Germany's S-300s were returned to the USSR prior to the country's annexation by the Federal Republic in 1990.Ukraine inherited about 250 S-300 launchers from the USSR, but by the early 2010s only six complexes had been overhauled, with one additional unit repaired in 2012. The Russian military has reported on the destruction of at least 18 Ukrainian S-300 radar systems and one S-300 complex in the course of its ongoing military operation in Ukraine. Last Wednesday, the defence ministry said 137 Ukrainian air defence systems, including S-125s, S-300s and Buk-M1s, had been destroyed in Russian strikes, with these losses said to constitute over 90 percent of Ukraine's air defence capability. ukraine Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2022 Ilya Tsukanov Ilya Tsukanov News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Ilya Tsukanov ukraine, s-300 https://sputniknews.com/20220315/us-targets-lukashenkos-wife-in-new-russia-belarus-sanctions--1093901168.html US Targets Lukashenko's Wife in New Russia, Belarus Sanctions US Targets Lukashenko's Wife in New Russia, Belarus Sanctions WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - The US Treasury unveiled new Russia- and Belarus-related sanctions on Tuesday, with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko's wife... 15.03.2022, Sputnik International 2022-03-15T16:15+0000 2022-03-15T16:15+0000 2022-03-15T16:15+0000 us russia sanctions /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/05/09/1082842691_0:164:3057:1883_1920x0_80_0_0_9be619cb20214ba2a4b169e35065f724.jpg The sanctions also target the Kurchaloy district branch of the Chechnya interior ministry.Halina Lukashenko was designated "pursuant to E.O. 13405 for being a senior-level official, family member of such an official, or a person closely linked to such an official who is responsible for or has engaged in public corruption related to Belarus," the Treasury explained.A number of Russian deputy defense ministers, as well as the heads of the Federal Service of Military-Technical Cooperation and Rosoboronexport, Dmitry Shugayev and Alexander Mikheev, respectively, were also added to the sanctions list.Commenting on the sanctions, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said they are related to alleged human rights abuses and the Russian military operation in Ukraine, and accused Belarus of supporting and facilitating Moscow's actions.On February 24, 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. The Russian Defense Ministry said the special operation is targeting Ukrainian military infrastructure only. Several days into the operation, the Russian armed forces accused the Ukrainian military of using typical terrorist methods, such as hiding behind civilians and civilian quarters. us russia Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2022 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 us, russia, sanctions https://sputniknews.com/20220315/us-trying-to-destroy-relationship-with-russia-deputy-fm-says-1093893290.html US Trying to Destroy Relationship With Russia, Deputy FM Says US Trying to Destroy Relationship With Russia, Deputy FM Says Recently, the United States and its allies imposed comprehensive sanctions against Russia in response to its special military operation in Ukraine. 15.03.2022, Sputnik International 2022-03-15T10:55+0000 2022-03-15T10:55+0000 2022-03-15T11:48+0000 world russia us /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/105609/91/1056099190_0:0:2501:1407_1920x0_80_0_0_f5bb4f732d7a003c0bdfa0e92640e31b.jpg Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said that the US was trying to destroy relations with Russia. He added that Russia hopes that the US will understand that it is necessary to continue discussing strategic stability issues with Moscow.Russia not going to curtail contacts with the US; contacts continue, according to Ryabkov."This is their choice. I think that after some time in Washington, the realisation will come that, for example, strategic stability needs to be discussed. This is an issue that needs to be worked out, the subject is very complicated, and under the influence of the political situation, interrupting this business is about the same thing as declaring a ban on civil aviation flights. That is, people fell into hysterics, lost their self-control - and now they are taking such steps," Ryabkov added.Russia and the United States hold diametrically opposed positions on Ukraine, Sergei Ryabkov said. Russia started a special military operation in Ukraine on 24 February in response to calls from the Donetsk and Lugansk people's republics for protection against intensifying attacks by Ukrainian troops. The Russian Defence Ministry said the special operation is targeting Ukrainian military infrastructure only and the civilian population is not in danger. Moscow has repeatedly said it has no plans to occupy Ukraine.At the same time, the Donbass militia is continuing its counteroffensive against Kiev's forces.The United States and its allies, including Japan, responded by imposing comprehensive sanctions against Russia, while many foreign companies decided to leave the country's market. russia us Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2022 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 world, russia, us https://sputniknews.com/20220315/zelenskys-appeal-to-congress-unlikely-to-budge-lawmakers-on-idea-of-no-fly-zone-in-ukraine-report-1093903483.html Zelenskys Appeal to Congress Unlikely to Budge Lawmakers on Idea of No-Fly Zone in Ukraine: Report Zelenskys Appeal to Congress Unlikely to Budge Lawmakers on Idea of No-Fly Zone in Ukraine: Report Ukrainian officials have spent over two weeks now calling on the US and NATO to institute a no-fly zone amid Russias ongoing military operation. Last week... 15.03.2022, Sputnik International 2022-03-15T18:55+0000 2022-03-15T18:55+0000 2022-03-15T18:55+0000 no-fly-zone volodymyr zelensky congress /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/107604/46/1076044610_0:103:2047:1254_1920x0_80_0_0_fa5ed5c4a845a94b2316fb9ddf7cbfac.jpg Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskys planned virtual address before a joint session of Congress on Wednesday will be certain to include another appeal urging Washington to institute a no-fly zone over Ukraine, but his chances of convincing US lawmakers on the measure are slim, senior former Republican and Democratic officials have told The Hill.He is going to be pleading with the Congress of the United States, with both Houses, with Democrats and Republicans, for more help to Ukraine. He will be making what is fundamentally a moral case, former Trump-era Ukraine negotiator Kurt Volker said.Republicans have expressed more hawkish appetites toward Russia amid the Ukraine crisis, with a group of forty GOP senators penning a letter to Biden urging him to assist Poland with the delivery of over two dozen of its aging MiG-29 fighters to Ukraine. The administration initially greenlit the idea when Poland first proposed it, but its eagerness cooled after Warsaw specified that the jets should be sent via a US airbase in Germany something that may have risked open conflict with Russia.President Zelensky offered a preview of his US address to the Americans on Tuesday morning when he addressed Canadas House of Commons.Zelenskys address to US lawmakers will begin at 9:00 am Eastern Standard Time on Wednesday, with the speech expected to be simultaneously broadcast live on C-SPAN and other media outlets.The Ukrainian president spoke to US lawmakers virtually on 5 March, but that address was closed to the media. In that call, Zelensky reportedly made the same urgent appeal about a no-fly zone.Claudio Graziano, the European Unions top general, told an Italian newspaper Monday that a decision on a no-fly zone over Ukraine could only be taken at the United Nations, where Russia has veto power. In the current case, without such a decision from the UN, [a no-fly zone] would constitute an act of war against Russia, Graziano stressed.President Putin warned against a no-fly zone last week, saying that a decision to impose such a zone would have colossal and catastrophic consequences not only for Europe but also the whole world.The US and its NATO allies have implemented no-fly zones over mostly poor and militarily weak countries three times since the end of the Cold War, targeting Iraq, Bosnia and Libya with such air policing missions. In each instance, the US and its allies used the no-fly zones not only to prevent the operation of aircraft over designated areas, but to bomb ground targets. The Iraqi government estimates that up to 1,400 civilians were killed in the US and British-policed no-fly zone over the Middle Eastern country between 1991 and 2003. Between 1993 and 1995 in Bosnia, NATO reportedly struck Serb forces, but also waterworks, bridges and hospitals, killing over 150 civilians and irradiating the region with depleted uranium shells. The no-fly zone put in place over Libya in 2011 saw NATO jets attacking forces loyal to Muammar Gaddafi, with rebels successfully overthrowing the longtime Libyan leader and turning the North African nation into a failed state. https://sputniknews.com/20220307/us-senators-fear-setting-up-no-fly-zone-over-ukraine-could-spark-world-war-iii-1093663413.html Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2022 Ilya Tsukanov Ilya Tsukanov News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Ilya Tsukanov no-fly-zone, volodymyr zelensky, congress Spring and summer are known to animal advocates as kitten season, and the Fredericksburg SPCA wants to help the community get ready to help care for hundreds of tiny fluff-balls. The SPCA expects over 400 kittens to come into our care this upcoming season and public education and support will be crucial in helping us save lives, said Von Young, marketing and communications manager for the Fredericksburg Regional SPCA. As a Best Friends Animal Society Network Partner, the Fredericksburg SPCA is committed to making Virginia a no-kill state by 2025. This big goal comes with the knowledge that the most vulnerable animal in shelters is also the most unexpectedneonatal kittens. Young said people often assume that a litter of kittens alone has been abandoned by its mother. In most cases, the mother cat is nearby, and removing the kittens from her can be detrimental to their health. Its also normal to find a single kitten that appears to be abandoned, as mothers often move their kittens one-by-one to different locations to keep them safe, Young said. The Fredericksburg SPCA recommends watching and not disturbing a litter of kittens unless they are obviously abandoned, injured or in an unsafe location, such as too near a busy road. The SPCA said community members can provide shelter and leave food and water out for the mother cat. Once kittens are about 6 weeks old, they can be safely weaned and brought inside for fostering. The Fredericksburg SPCA will host a Kitten 101 training event Thursday at 5 p.m. Staff will discuss what to do if you discover a litter of kittens, what kind of specialized care to provide to very young kittens, and how to become a foster. The organization is also seeking supplies ahead of kitten season. The wishlist includes wet and dry food for mothers and nursing kittens, kitten milk replacement and nursing bottles, non-clumping litter, blankets, thermometers, kitchen scales, litter boxes and scoopers. We encourage businesses and groups in our community to host kitten supply drives and can provide digital assets to help get them started, Young said. Thursdays Kitten Care 101 is free and will be both in-person and virtual. Those interested can sign up to attend at fredspca.org/events. Courtesy of U.S. Rep. Abigail Spanberger and President Joe Biden, $200,000 in federal money is coming Culpeper Countys way, to replace the decades-old flat roof on The Carver Center near Cedar Mountain. The multi-purpose center, housed in the former George Washington Carver Regional High School, is being developed as a rural community education campus. Until 1968, Carver educated African American students from Culpeper and three other area counties before the state desegregated its public schools. On Tuesday afternoon, Biden signed into law Spanbergers legislation earmarking money for the roof, which is integral to continuing to convert the decades-old school building into a home for classrooms, a commercial kitchen and Virginia Extension offices. It means Abigail Spanberger has put Carver as a top priority in this community, Carl Stafford, Culpepers senior extension agent, said of the news in an interview. Securing this federal funding is an achievement. Spanberger taking this to Washington, in the form of a budget request, was a big, big deal to me. The 7th Congressional District lawmaker secured the funding for Culpeper as part of a fiscal 2022 appropriations package passed by the House and Senate. The Carver Center roof is the first Virginia Extension project, statewide, to receive money from Congresss new Community Project Funding, once commonly referred to as earmarks, a spokesman for Spanberger said Tuesday. After major reforms, Congress created Community Project Funding to ensure members, in concert with the communities they represent, can directly apply for federal money to support locally planned projects during the annual appropriations process. Gary Deal, chairman of the Culpeper County Board of Supervisors, expressed gratitude for the appropriation. These funds will directly contribute to the Carver Centers revitalization as a cultural, agricultural and vocational education campus, Deal said in a statement. As a lifelong resident of Culpeper, I am very proud of the Carver initiative, and the benefit and camaraderie it brings to the region. The Carver Center holds great potential and continues to gain momentum in direct response to the tireless effort put forward by the George Washington Carver Regional High School Alumni Association, 4-County Museum, George Washington Carver Agricultural Research Center, Virginia Cooperative Extension, Culpeper County staff, and the Culpeper County Board of Supervisors, Deal said. The story of the Carver Center continues to be written by the many organizations and individuals working in collaboration for the preservation of this important landmark. The appropriation will support creation of a Carver-campus food processing center that includes a commercial kitchen for educational use and small business operations. That project will help sustain food businesses and small and medium-sized local farms, Spanbergers office said. The money will also help The Carver Center continue addressing unemployment and poverty, reducing the loss of farmland, and improving the local economy, the congresswomans office said. The George Washington Carver Regional High School Alumni Association appreciates all efforts to restore, maintain and enhance our historical facility, said the Rev. Frank D. Lewis Sr., chairman of the alumni group. As the building is re-purposed and new programs and activities are housed, it is important that physical updates are made to ensure its longevity. ... The roof project will also provide an opportunity to achieve one of the associations major goals, the restoration of the schools original name to the building. Spanberger said she is proud to have worked with Culpeper leaders to aid The Carver Centers incredible mission. Since coming to Congress, I have been focused on bringing federal resources home to Central Virginias communitieslike this funding, the Democratic legislator said in a statement. I am encouraged that the $200,000 allocated to this project will now be going straight to Culpeper, and I want to thank Culpeper Countys local officials for their engagement with my office and their commitment to their neighbors. The Carver Center serves Culpeper and neighboring communities by housing vocational training, agricultural education programs, and a museum dedicated to educating the public on the inequities of segregation. The Carver 4-County Museum, housed in the schools former library, receives visitors for tours and has earned acclaim in the region for its exhibits and programs, Lewis said. Stafford said he has told his colleagues in Virginia Extension he appreciates that, now, people in the nations capital know what and where The Carver Center is, thanks to Spanberger and Deputy Agriculture Secretary Jewel H. Bronaugh. The latter official, who has taken part in programs at Carver, was previously Virginias commissioner of agriculture and consumer services and state director of the U.S. Department of Agricultures Farm Service Agency. Spanbergers office said she worked with community leaders in all 10 counties of the 7th District to gather their requests for Community Project Funding. For the full list of her submissions, click here. To be eligible, projects must be sponsored by local or state governments or nonprofit groups and otherwise meet qualifications for federal grants. Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Q. Can kids ride in the back of pickup trucks? My husband and I argue about this a lot. I think it is unsafe. A. Riding in the back of pickups has been a pretty hot topic over the years. Many states now have specific regulations in place. As for Nebraska, children under the age of 18 cannot ride in the back of pickup trucks. Nebraska state statute requires all passengers under the age of 18 to wear a seat belt while riding in a motor vehicle. While seat belt violations in adults are a secondary offense (meaning that cannot be the primary reason for a traffic stop), seat belt violations for juveniles are a primary offense and a traffic stop can be conducted based on this alone. It is also unlawful for a person to ride on the running board, hood, top, fender, or other exterior part of any motor vehicle that is in the process of being started or is in motion on any street within the city. No driver of said vehicle should knowingly permit any person to ride in such a manner. It should go without saying but its also unlawful for any person to cling or attach him/herself to any exterior part of any motor vehicle that is in motion on any street within the city, or to hitch, tie on, or otherwise connect and bicycle, coaster wagon, toy sled, or other toy vehicle to such motor vehicle. It shall also be unlawful for the driver of any such motor vehicle knowingly to permit any person to do any such prohibited acts, or to start, operate, or continue in motion such vehicle knowing that any person is clinging or attached to any exterior part of such vehicle, or that there is hitched, tied or otherwise connected to such vehicle any bicycle, coaster wagon, toy sled, or other toy vehicle. A few other reminders for child restraint requirements; All children up to the age of 8 must ride correctly secured in a federally-approved child safety seat. Children must ride rear-facing until up to age 2 or until they reach the upper weight or height limit allowed by the car seats manufacturer. Children under the age of 8 must ride in the back seat, as long as there is a back seat equipped with a seatbelt and is not already occupied by other children under eight years of age. Children ages 8 to 18 must ride secured in a safety belt or child safety seat. Childcare providers must transport all children securely in an appropriate federally-approved child safety seat or safety belt. Children up to age 18 are prohibited from riding in cargo areas. Drivers found to be in violation can be issued a citation which is accompanied by a fine, court cost, and point loss on the operators driving record. Sgt. Krisa Brass is with the Scottsbluff Police Department. She will answer questions submitted by readers each week. To submit a question for consideration, email policeinfo@scottsbluff.org. Submit Your News We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Go to form PHNOM PENH, March 15 (Xinhua) -- Military intelligence chiefs of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) on Tuesday vowed to continue enhancing the bloc's centrality, solidarity and unity, according to a press statement. The commitment was made during the 19th ASEAN Military Intelligence Meeting (AMIM-19) chaired by Lieutenant General Hun Manith, director general of Cambodian Defense Ministry's General Directorate of Intelligence. Under the theme "Solidarity for Harmonized Security," the meeting brought together chiefs and representatives of military intelligence from ASEAN countries, who discussed, shared information and exchanged views on common security issues in the region. "In addition, the meeting decided to promote, strengthen and expand cooperation, continue to share information in a timely manner and jointly address various issues threatening the security sector, in order to achieve a strong ASEAN military intelligence community for peace, stability, and prosperity," said the statement. The meeting also touched on regional security issues, recent security developments, and traditional and non-traditional security rivalries, anti-terrorism, and the COVID-19 pandemic. "The meeting-in-person is a testament to the spirit of good cooperation, solidarity and friendship among ASEAN member states," Manith said during the meeting. The meeting concluded with a handover ceremony between Cambodia and Indonesia as the next chairman of the 20th AMIM in 2023. ASEAN groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. When Jim McAllister and his son Jordan acquired Midwest Farm Service, they went from selling around five center pivots a year to 92 of them in a year. Even though theyd been in the pivot business for two decades at that point, it was quite the leap to make. Still, the sales acumen of them and their Gering-based team helped them earn some of the industrys most prestigious awards. At the beginning it was very tough to keep it going, the elder McAllister said, but as the years went by it got easier and easier. McAllister Irrigation began in 1999, and over the years Jim and Jordan worked on creating, repairing and maintaining pivots. Jordan had been helping his father out in the field since he was just a kid. Thats all hes ever done, his father said. Hes never had a different job. The two now officially co-own their business. Jordan said he enjoys the work because hes always able to get outside and do something different, instead of having the same exact tasks day in and day out. Most of their work is done in the field, maintaining the pivots that their customers have problems with. The center pivots are designed to ensure that farmers dont need to hire farmhands to water all their crops. The massive, water-spewing machines can easily cover the majority of a farmers field. However, the more land they have, the more pivots theyll need to make sure they can water it all. With todays technology, its never been easier to figure out if your center pivots need maintenance or repairs. They dont even have to go there person. They can just look at their phone to start it, stop it, Jim said. A farmer keeping track of their pivot on their phone will save time, water and energy. The McAllisters said they can have between 15 and 20 service calls a day during the spring and summer, when their services are most often requested. When theyre done, Jim said, the farmer should be able to push a button and their center pivot can start raining water. No matter if its storm damage or a pivot falling over, both father and son are experienced enough to know what to do. Between me and him, we kind of do a little bit of everything around here, Jordan said. However, theyre far from the only people at the business. They currently have ten workers helping them in different capacities. Three of these are new hires, brought on after McAllister Irrigation acquired Midwest Farm Service on Jan. 1, 2020. The other seven had worked there before. Some employees man the front desks and others help create new pivot designs. More still head out to the fields to repair pivots when called upon. Though the McAllisters are involved in just about every aspect of the business, it is still very much a team effort. If it was just me and him (Jim) this deal wouldnt be where it is today, the younger McAllister said. Joining them in the desk or field work are a pair of Miniature Australian Shepherds, Cinch and Riggin, bringing the technical total up to 14 workers. It was through all the teams handiwork and dedication that their irrigation business has had such success as of late. Theyve even won a few major awards. Since the acquisition, Jim and Jordan now work for Zimmatic, one of the three major center pivot brands. The company hands out awards for their best-selling pivot dealers on a biennial basis. For the 2019-2020 season, the McAllisters doubled the Midwest Farm sales in just eight months. They were recognized as one of the top 30 Zimmatic dealers at the North American Irrigation Dealer Convention in Hawaii earlier this year. They were also named the best new dealer for 2020. For the 2021-22 season, the McAllisters and their team are currently the twelfth-best Zimmatic dealer. Jim McAllister guaranteed they would wind up in the top ten. With around 150 Zimmatic dealers across the continent, its a lofty goal for their sophomore season. Father and son both said customer service is a crucial part of reaching so many farmers. Service after the sale, thats the big thing. Thats what has helped us grow so much, Jim said. After we sell a pivot, we dont forget about you. Jordan agreed, adding, If you dont have service, you dont have repeat business. There are only so many farmers in the area, they explained. They are all looking for pivot dealers that are a good fit for them, so it just boils down to who they want to do business with. The best way to prove yourself to a customer is to keep coming back, ready to help. Submit Your News We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Go to form Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Riverside Discovery Centers puma cubs now have names after officials reviewed over 1,000 ballots in the puma naming contest. The winning duo with 289 votes were Mateo and Diego. Zoo Director Anthony Mason said they had pre-printed ballots that listed five pairs of name choices. After voting closed Feb. 28, staff reviewed the submissions and Mateo and Diego topped the list. We know people have been waiting to hear what their names are because a lot of people were voting, so we wanted to just get the names out there, Mason said. Its exciting to see a young animal. They are getting bigger now, so its still a good opportunity to come see them now before they are fully grown. The first puma Riverside Discovery Center brought in was found living under a porch and was severely underweight. Mateo is the one found here in Nebraska in the eastern part of the state and they think he was abandoned by mom, Mason said. He had been seen a couple of times on trail cams and was looking skinny and then was found on somebodys porch. The trail camera footage captured Mateo several times without his mom, so it was clear she was not in the area and offering care. The Nebraska Game and Parks took the puma cub after he was seen in close contact with humans. When it was determined he would not be reassimilated into the wild, a species coordinator with the Association of Zoos and Aquariums reviewed the waitlist of zoos wanting a puma. The Riverside Discovery Center had been actively pursuing acquiring a puma and happened to be second on the list. Western Nebraskan residents commonly refer to pumas as mountain lions. Mason said they believe Mateo was the runt of the litter and was abandoned, although the exact reason is unknown. We were on a waitlist for about a year, waiting for this type of situation to come up, Mason said. We brought in Mateo and it just so happened that we were on a state and national waiting list and it just so happened when we happened to be next on the list that one came up in the state of Nebraska, Mason said. Within a couple of days bringing him (Mateo) in, we were contacted again. Diego was almost identical in size and age Diego was available in Montana. If youre going to put them together, you pretty much have to do it when theyre this young, he said. We knew that we did want to have a second puma and the coordinator actually recommends that if you have enough space to pair them up that its a good idea. With limited space in the country to house wild animals that cannot be released back into the wild, it allows the species to be saved and gives them companionship that is socially enriching and rewarding. We went and brought in the one were now calling Diego about a week or so after the first one was brought in, Mason said. The pumas arrived around the age of 6 months old, so both were born in the spring, although Mason does not know the specific date. Mason invites the public to visit Mateo and Diego. He said he is grateful for the communitys support and participation in naming the pumas. The zoo is open 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., but will be transitioning to its summer hours in the next month. Submit Your News We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Go to form Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. SCOTTSBLUFF Western Nebraska Economic Development (WNED) is preparing a Multi-County Regional Housing Study for Scotts Bluff, Morrill and Kimball counties, including each community. The study will highlight current demographic and economic statistical data, local housing unit target demand and a five-year Housing Action Plan for new housing development and existing housing rehabilitation activities. The housing study is being funded by a grant from the Nebraska Investment Finance Authority, in combination with local funding. WNED is being assisted by Hanna:Keelan Associates P.C., a Lincoln-based community planning and research consulting firm. An important component of this housing study is a regionwide housing survey. All citizens of Scotts Bluff, Morrill and Kimball counties, as well as each community, are encouraged to participate. The survey will be advertised on city, county and the Twin Cities Development websites, as well as various social media outlets. A Workforce Housing Needs Survey will also be made available to persons employed at select businesses and industries in those three counties and communities. Thesurveys must be completed by Friday, March 25. Questions regarding the housing study or surveys can be directed to Michelle Coolidge, community development director, Twin Cities Development, at 308-632-2833 or development@tcdne.org. Submit Your News We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Go to form On a cold blustery day, typically a hot cup of coffee, tea or cocoa really hits the spot. However, for Western Nebraska, its lemonade; at least, thats what Gering-based Lemon Love owner Desiree Ramirez quickly found out. I think one of our busiest days was when I think it blizzard last year, she said in a Jan. 15 interview. I was like, lets just see if we get anybody. It was one of our craziest delivery days ever. She said no matter the weather, her customers never fail to show up. We have set up when its not good weather. We have set up when its down-pouring, and it just doesnt stop people, she said. Sometimes I will joke a little like, Oh gosh, is there like nothing else to drink in this town? Ramirez said at least part of it might have to do with the atmosphere of a food truck or trailer. Theres a charm to food trailers, food trucks, she said. Theres definitely a community. I think people are just drawn to that vibe. Thats what led her to the food truck business around three years ago. Ramirez had been a nail tech for 26 years and then a restaurant manager at Tangled Tumbleweed for a few years after that prior to opening Lemon Love. She said that after she reached all of her goals as a nail tech, she wanted to find something that would drive her, so she decided to dip her toes in the food industry. I wanted to do a food trailer for quite a while, probably the last 10 years, Ramirez said. I know I love cooking. I love baking. I love making things, but I didnt know if I liked that (business) aspect of it. So, I thought it was a good little step for me to try. Ramirez found that she enjoyed the business and hospitality aspect of the food industry, and decided to finally go after her dream of owning and operating a food truck. While she was starting out, her truck wasnt quite ready to serve food, so she began with just serving freshly squeezed lemonade. The popularity of the drink took off, and Ramirez realized she didnt necessarily have to add solid food to the equation. That took on a life of its own, and its now a lemonade truck a beverage truck, I guess, she said. Not only do we do fresh pressed lemonade; we do plant based energy drinks, and we also do Red Bull. The truck doesnt just serve straight lemonade, although it definitely can; Ramirez has over 30 different flavors to mix in, adding a little extra pizzazz to a family recipe. My grandmother always made lemonade, she said. I stayed with her all the time, and I was just trying to replicate that flavor, that memory. As the word got out about this unique beverage truck, more and more orders came flowing in. Lemon Love offers delivery on occasion and has now traveled as far as Texas to set up at events. We look for events that draw a good crowd, that have a good reputation, that (are) clean, accessible to everybody. So, theyve all been wonderful, she said. Weve done the Balloon Glow. Weve done Bands on Broadway. Weve done the food court Alliance has a food trailer park. Thats so awesome, so we did that. Weve done events in Torrington. Weve gone all the way to Lubbock, Texas. Thanks to her growing popularity, Ramirez uses Lemon Loves fruitful clout to help other local businesses just starting out. She can easily support her business on lemonade alone, but shes always willing to help out a local baker or cook get their name out there. Ive been trying to incorporate other people that are either trying to start a business or already have one, and Ill call them up, Hey, do you want to bake me some cupcakes or cookies, whatever? she said. I love it because I know what it felt like to not have the confidence, and so this gives them a little bit of try it through me, and then if it launches something for you then great. I just love to help people see that (they shouldnt) be afraid and just go for it. With how successful her juiced up lemonade stand has been, Ramirez often wishes she would have taken the leap of faith sooner. Its one of the best things. I wish I never would have waited as long as I did, she said, but I always let that negative (feeling), the fear Well, what if it doesnt work? But what if it does work? And it has worked. Despite the what ifs having prolonged her dream, shes glad her business is where its at now. Through Lemon Love, she has managed to build a whole other community around lemonade and food trucks. Your customers will become your friends, she said. Ill tell them, Oh, I deliver, and theyre like, Oh yeah, but we like to go to the truck. We like to go to talk to you. We like to see you. Its very heartwarming and its heartfelt. She said in the Jan. 15 interview, Thats one thing about food truck business; its camaraderie, looking out for each other. To keep up with Lemon Love, find them on Facebook, @lemonlovelemonades, or its website, lemonlovelemonade.com. Submit Your News We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Go to form Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. LOS ANGELES On the opening night of Silk Sonic's residency at the Park MGM in Las Vegas, Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak revived some of the best things about the 1970s: warm, sensuous grooves, tailored polyester suits and the throwback joys of an evening without a smartphone. As mandated by the band, audience members were made to lock their mobile devices in small pouches for the evening, courtesy of a company named Yondr. Once secured in their pouches, they could only be unlocked electronically at a station near the entrance of the venue. "We're taking your phones a-way!" Mars sang out to the crowd near the start of the concert. "That was one of the best parts of the show," said Margaret Whitener, 51, who attended the Feb. 26 performance. "It's nice to be in the moment with no electronic distractions, especially during the pandemic, when many are forced to be more connected than ever. And if people can share concert footage online, why would others want to pay to go?" Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the live music industry has been operating in fits and starts over the past two years. Artists and fans tried to make due with living-room livestreams and video chats, but with omicron receding and masking and vaccine requirements dissipating, many acts are now returning to the road, with some seeking respite from a pandemic-exacerbated dependence on technology. "Being the master of ceremonies and being able to read the room understand the dynamics of what this room needs to feel like that feeling goes away when you're looking at a wall of (phones)," Mars told the Los Angeles Times. "With the cameras, you're like, 'I don't know if I want to try out this dance move tonight,' or you're afraid this joke might go on the internet." Graham Dugoni believes this problem far predated the pandemic: He founded Yondr in 2014, after attending San Francisco's Treasure Island Music Festival the year before. "I kept seeing so many people on their phones, texting other people in other places and then recording someone who didn't know they were being recorded and violating their privacy," said Dugoni. "Once the intention leaves the room, it's hard to get back." The business grew throughout the 2010s, as Yondr began to be implemented in schools and courtrooms. Alicia Keys, John Mayer and Jack White became Yondr's most high-profile ambassadors, opting to use the service on tours. Although the pandemic significantly curbed in-person events, Dugoni is pleased to report that in 2022, business is booming once more. "During the pandemic, people have become aware that it's not great to be looking at the screen eight hours a day," he said. "The ability to step into a space and be temporarily kind of unplugged is valuable." With venues selling out at levels comparable to pre-pandemic times, concertgoers are clearly eager to get literal face time with their favorite artists but their interactions remain, to the frustration of artists, mediated by their phones. Many performers, from Jeff Tweedy to Bjork, have asked fans in good faith to refrain from using the devices during concerts. Indie-rock star Mitski performed to a sold-out audience at Los Angeles' Shrine Auditorium, but not before issuing a prerecorded announcement just prior to taking the stage that asked fans to curb their excessive phone use, "so I can see you when you sing along." Yet the frosty glow of smartphone screens still obscured this reporter's view of Mitski and her band during her opening number, "Love Me More." "They gotta get it for TikTok," hissed one young man in the crowd. The issue came to a head for Mitski fans in late February, when the artist, who left social media in 2019, posted a rare series of tweets addressing the glut of phones at her shows. "When I'm on stage and look to you but you are gazing into a screen," she wrote, "it makes me feel as though those of us on stage are being taken from and consumed as content, instead of getting to share a moment with you." While some fans sympathized, others said that smartphones were a necessity for young concertgoers. Some argued that phones helped alleviate issues like social anxiety and dissociation amid big crowds. After a day or two of inflamed discourse between her fans, Mitski's tweets were deleted. (Mitski declined to comment for this story.) Among Mitski fans at the Shrine, divisions abounded and were surprisingly varied across generational lines. "(Mitski) is at odds with the digital age because she only wants to be performing when she's onstage," said writer Chingy Nea, 28, who also attended the show. "It has to be hard as a performer when everybody would rather be an amateur videographer than an active participant." "I think she has such a liberated approach to music-making," said Rocky, 21 (they declined to use their surname). "I used to record everything, but I realized that whatever satisfaction I (can get) watching those videos, it wasn't worth the attention I was giving my phone in real-time." Krystle, 36, disagreed: "A video is a souvenir, and it doesn't cost as much as a T-shirt," she said. "Just don't use flash and you won't bother anybody." The unrelenting demands of social media have many emerging artists, expected to market themselves online with the same fervor with which they make their art, on the verge of fizzling out. In January, electro-pop artist Chelsea Cutler, 25, professed as much in an Instagram post that accumulated over 104,000 likes and support from artists like Maren Morris, Hayley Kiyoko and James Blake. "I don't feel like a content creator, I feel like a musician and a performer," she lamented in her post. "I don't know how to keep up with how insatiable our content culture has become." "TikTok is a massive discovery platform for music, but users post 10 seconds of a song in videos, and it goes viral without anyone knowing who the artist is, the story behind it or anything," Cutler explained to The Times. "It all feels super disconnected. And when we're in the studio, the lack of attention span these days makes an artist think about writing shorter songs, instead of thinking about the art." Putting smartphones in sealed bags may seem like a dramatic action to take in what is now the third decade of the internet's existence, but it's a concession that some artists believe will bring people together. "Without phones, there's no fear involved," said Mars. "You just get to paint truly live in the moment. And I think there's a beauty in seeing something fail and then being able to talk about it with the crowd." NUCLEAR, BIOLOGICAL AND CHEMICAL WEAPONS March 15, 2022: The Iranian response to Israeli attacks on their two underground nuclear fuel production sites at Natanz and Fordow is to build the new Kuh-e Kolang Gaz La underground facility near the Natanz site. The new operation is 1,600 meters underground, 50 percent deeper than Natanz or Fordow. The space available inside Kuh-e Kolang Gaz La will be about 50 percent less than the two current underground sites and Iran is installing more efficient centrifuges to match current Natanz/Fordow production while occupying less space. The new facility may be more difficult to disable with an airstrike, but the last two attacks were carried out using malware or bombs planted by Israeli Mossad operatives, with the assistance of Iranians opposed to the current Iranian religious dictatorship and its obsession with creating nuclear weapons. Iran continues to work on nuclear weapons. In 2021 the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) reported activity at the Iranian Natanz underground nuclear fuel enrichment facility. Israel had smuggled a large bomb into Natanz and detonated it on April 11th. The IAEA reported on Natanz enriched uranium production 54 days before the April explosion and 40 days after it. Iran initially called the explosion an accident. Within a week Iran admitted the explosion was an attack that did major damage to their new high-performance nuclear enrichment (turning uranium into weapons grade material) equipment. IAEA inspectors were allowed to view the damage and the recent IAEA report provides details of Natanz operations before and after the April explosion. IAEA found that between February and May 2021 Iran enriched 335.7 kg (738.5 pounds) of uranium ore to five percent of Uranium 235. Unenriched uranium ore is only about .7 percent U-235. Uranium enrichment is a process that increases the content of Uranium 235 in uranium ore sufficiently so that it can be used as power plant fuel or for a nuclear weapon. For a power plant 5-10 percent enrichment is needed. Anything over 20 percent enriched can be used for a nuclear bomb. The most effective and reliable nuclear weapons use 80-90 percent enriched nuclear material. Natanz was producing 107 kg of five percent enriched uranium a month until the explosion, after which production fell to zero. Iran had threatened to enrich some uranium to 60 percent, Previously the highest Iran had gone was 20 percent. IAEA believes Iran had only produced 2.4 kg of 60 percent enriched uranium so far. A nuclear weapon would require at least 40 kg of 60 percent enriched uranium. Soon after the April explosion Iran was hard at work repairing the damage at Natanz, their most modern and productive enrichment facility. The other enrichment facility is at Fordow and is also underground. Together these two facilities operate 5,060 centrifuges and Iran has another 13,000 centrifuges in storage to replace those that wear out or are lost to accidents, deliberate sabotage or attacks. The April 2021 attack on Natanz caused massive equipment failure and damage on a scale similar to the 2010 attack carried out with software designed to get into the heavily guarded Natanz compound, and the computer-controlled equipment there. Later analysis indicated that the deep-underground (about 50 meters, or 155 feet) plant was effectively destroyed by the 2021 explosion. The target was its thousands of centrifuges. Israeli hackers got to the centrifuges in 2010 via a computer worm hack called Stuxnet. A worm is malware (hacker software) that gets into target systems via stealth and physical media like USB thumb drives. Stuxnet was released four or five years before it got to Natanz, apparently via a USB drive containing the normally invisible (to most users) malware. Once that USB drive is used on any local or Internet network connected computer, Stuxnet automatically copies itself onto all computers connected to the network. On each computer, especially industrial microprocessors that are used to control equipment, Stuxnet checked for centrifuge control software unique to the Natanz facility. When finally found in 2010, Stuxnet proceeded to modify the centrifuge control software to mimic known types of equipment failure and did so gradually. By the time the Natanz system operators discovered something was very, very wrong, thousands of their expensive new centrifuges were damaged so badly that they had to be replaced. The 2021 attack on Natanz used a different approach, because the Iranians had spent a lot of time, effort and money to prevent another Stuxnet attack. The 2021 attack required several years of preparation. The Israelis first got the technical details of the Natanz electrical system as well as details of the new generation of centrifuges Iran installed there. The Israeli plan used explosives detonated where it would shut down the primary and back-up power systems when the maximum number of new centrifuges were powered up and vulnerable to severe damage if these systems failed simultaneously. This worked as intended and Natanz again suffered major centrifuge loss that took months to get back into production again and over a year to completely fix. Needed security upgrades are uncertain until Iran can find out more about exactly how the attack was carried out. They knew a lot of explosives had been involved but were unsure of how the attacker figured out how and where to place them without being discovered. To aid in solving that mystery Iran went public with details, and the name of a suspected key operative. Iran is looking for Reza Karimi, a 43-year-old Iranian who left the country several days before the attack. There were other Iranians involved as well as the suspected Israel Mossad agents who came to Iran and worked with a growing number of Iranians seeking to overthrow their current religious dictatorship. The Iranians have been seeking more of these Mossad Iranians since a 2018 Mossad operation in the capital when a heavily protected warehouse containing top-secret documents was covertly entered, half a ton of documents on the Iranian nuclear program were removed and 24 hours later showed up in Israel. Until 2021 Iran denied this Mossad operation took place and that the documents were real. Since 2018 Israel has allowed foreign intel and nuclear program experts to examine the documents and that led to international acceptance of the documents as authentic. There were no casualties at Natanz because of the bomb, which was a deliberate part of the attack plan. As a result, many Iranians supported the attack and the Iranians living outside their homeland openly expressed their hostile attitude towards the Iranian nuclear program. The two attacks on Natanz were very damaging to Iranian claims that they do not have a nuclear weapons program. In the aftermath of both attacks it became clear that Iran was using powerful new centrifuge designs to create nuclear material that was far more refined (above 20 percent) than needed for a nuclear power plant. Iran needs a lot of nuclear material refined to 90 percent to make nuclear weapons. The data Mossad made public in 2018 and the aftermath of the 2021 attack demonstrate that Iran is still seeking nuclear weapons. This growing number of Mossad operations in Iran has led to public criticism, often by the senior clerics who actually rule the country. There has been more of this public criticism in Iran because the government has, for decades, devoted major resources to destroying Israel. That effort has consistently, and often spectacularly failed at great cost to Iran. This makes the religious dictatorship look incompetent because, these senior clerics always insisted, they were doing Gods Work. The 2021 Mossad attack made a lot more Iranians realize that the Mossad was apparently entrenched inside Iran and finding more Iranians willing to work with Mossad against projects many Iranians agreed were endangering and impoverishing Iran, and a major cause of the declining living standards and growing crackdowns by the IRGC (Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps) and police. The IRGC knew that the Israelis had been successful at establishing a clandestine Mossad presence in Arab nations but thought Iranians were too sophisticated for that. That might have been the case for Iranians who trusted their government. That trust began to erode decades ago and even the IRGC, in one of its recent actual public opinion reports to the religious leadership, revealed that most Iranians now hated their government and many were also fed up with Islam. Which brings us to the present, as Iranian leaders realize that many Iranians are willingly and effectively working with the enemy. Iran is trying to portray itself to foreigners as the innocent victim of Israeli aggression. Iranians insist that Natanz was only producing enriched uranium suitable for power plant fuel. But recent IAEA reports describe evidence that Iran is seeking to develop a nuclear bomb and needs highly (to 90 percent purity) uranium for that. The foreigners are not as easy to deceive as before but more questions are being asked about Natanz. Inside Iran the accidental fire at Natanz in mid-2020, described as a construction accident, is now being revisited as details come out of how Mossad agents inside Natanz got 150 kg of explosives into the underground complex and managed to hide them, and their remote-control detonators, where they would not be found and would do maximum damage when detonated. Even before this bold Israeli attack on Natanz, Iran was violating the IAEA inspection requirements for the 2015 treaty that lifted the Iranian economic sanctions. Since Natanz Iran has announced further restrictions on the IAEA and is demanding that full compliance with the 2015 treaty be restored before Iran will negotiate the restoration of the IAEA inspections. This is unacceptable to the United States, where a new government came to power in early 2021 and announced it was willing to rejoin the 2015 treaty that the previous government had suspended in 2017 because Iran was cheating on the nuclear weapons restrictions of the 2015 treaty. Those accusations proved to be true and Iran is not changing its negotiating tactics. The threatened Israeli airstrikes never had the underground enrichment facilities as a primary target. An Israeli airstrike would go after targets on the surface that are also vital to the nuclear weapons or ballistic missile program. What bothers Iran is that Israel probably knows a lot more about those other targets and to what extent their destruction would cripple the Iranian nuclear and ballistic missile programs. This is a more worrisome Israeli threat, especially their ability to do what Iranian leaders believed unlikely or impossible. New Delhi, March 15 (IANS) To have evacuated safely more than an estimated 18,000 Indian nationals from Ukraine amidst the ongoing conflict, is truly a commendable task. Also, to have done it without much fanfare speaks volumes of the coordination put it by the government of India to ensure swift and speedy evacuation. That is the hallmark of 'Operation Ganga', initiated to evacuate all Indian nationals living in Ukraine, but stranded due to ongoing military operations on Ukrainian territory by the Russia. The most important foreign policy priority in the ongoing conflict for India has been the safe and secure evacuation of Indians, both students and other residents alike, to India. Operation Ganga is a combined civil and military effort to ensure all Indian nationals return home safely. India brought back its nationals from Romania, Poland, Hungary, Slovakia and Moldova after they had crossed over to these countries from Ukraine via land border transit points. This process began on February 22. By March 10, more than 80 flights had been operated to rescue stranded Indians. Initially, India used its fleet available with the civil airlines, but by March 1 the Indian Air Force (IAF) was called in to help; this was the day when an Indian student was killed in Kharkiv. The first flight carrying Indians landed in Mumbai on February 26 and was received by Piyush Goyal, Minister for Commerce and Industry. Once the IAF got into action, it became possible to increase the effort as the C-17 Globemaster has a capacity to carry 400 passengers. Notably, the C-17 Globemaster not only brought back stranded Indians but also helped to deliver humanitarian aid to Ukraine, which is experiencing a shortage of food, fuel, medical supplies, and other essentials. Just last year, the IAF C-17 helped in evacuating citizens and officials from Kabul when the Taliban captured Afghanistan. Not only has India ensured safety for its citizens but is also helping its neighbours. In a recent video, a student from Pakistan can be seen thanking the Indian embassy in Kiev and Prime Minister Modi. This is not the first time that India has evacuated its citizens from conflict zones. In 1990, when Iraq invaded Kuwait, India evacuated nearly 200,000 Indians stranded there over a period of two months. In 2015, India undertook Operation Raahat to rescue thousands of Indians and hundreds of people from other countries at the height of the conflict between the Yemeni government and Houthi rebels. Then in 2021, India launched Operation Devi Shakti to evacuate its nationals from Afghanistan after the fall of Kabul in August that year. In the case of Ukraine, the government has operated some 80 flights under Operation Ganga to safely bring about 18,000 Indians back home. Of these, private airlines operated 46 as on March 9. Notably, the government decided not to charge anything from those being evacuated. This means that the Centre will have to pay approximately Rs 66-70 crore per flight for a two-way operation. Of the 46 evacuation flights, 29 were operated to Bucharest in Romania, 10 to Budapest in Hungary, six to Rzeszow in Poland, and one to Kocise in Slovakia. With Prime Minister Modi leading from the top, the Ministry of External Affairs established 24x7 control centres to provide the impetus for the necessary flow of information out of Ukraine. This ensured that the Centre was able to match records of Indian nationals with available databases. This process was further helped by friendly countries in Eastern Europe, like Poland who waived documentation requirements for Indians to enter and then fly home. A key part of this exercise was the constant conversations that the government had at the highest levels, with heads of state. This ensured smoother facilitation of the evacuation process. Coordination for the operation came right from the top and despatch of senior ministers of the government to the countries mentioned above provided the necessary coordination and direction on the ground to ensure smooth completion of all formalities. That the Prime Minister himself held daily meetings to supervise this mission demonstrated India's seriousness. Modi sent four Ministers, namely Jyotiraditya Scindia, Hardeep Singh Puri, Kiren Rijiju, and V.K. Singh to Hungary, Romania, Slovakia, and Poland, respectively, to oversee the evacuation of Indians. The real challenge of evacuating those Indians stuck in eastern Ukraine was of moving people amidst the raging conflict. This is why India proposed the creation of humanitarian passages to both Russia and Ukraine, so that the evacuation would be less hazardous. India deployed one team also in the Russian city of Belgorod, close to the border with Ukraine, in case the possibility of evacuation from the Russian side arose. This did not happen given the intensity of conflict in eastern Ukraine. The closure of the Ukrainian air space further complicated matters as India could not extricate its nationals from Kiev or any other Ukrainian city. This is what created the necessity of moving most people by road or rail to friendly countries across the Ukrainian border for eventual evacuation by air to India. India has now considerable experience of Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief, both within the country and overseas. It has also functioned as a first responder to countries in its neighbourhood, like it did in Nepal during the 2015 earthquake. The lessons from Operation Ganga will definitely be internalised and adopted to meet such contingencies in the future. The reality is that Indians are spread and settled all over the world and many of them are resident in potential conflict zones. The case of Ukraine is a telling example of how a perfectly quiet situation can turn into a 'hot' zone in a short time. The way forward is for India to further refine its capabilities of evacuation, while monitoring the presence of Indians in potentially hazardous zones. Overall, though it must be said "job well done", when looking back at Ukraine. Theres power in repetition, and three Smyth County women plan to repeat their message over and over until it takes root. Their task is challenging. Theyre confronting generations of belief that bigger and better jobs, lifestyles, hope -- can be found elsewhere and, more simply, that theres nothing to do here. Sarah Gillespie, Kendra Hayden, and Amanda Livingston passionately disagree with those longtime contentions. To counter them, the trio is giving voice to another idea: Smyth Strong. They contend that Smyth Strong is more than a feel-good slogan or logo, but that it can become a community-wide spirit that reinforces the truth that Were stronger together. Such a grassroots spirit, they argue, will benefit citizens quality of life. As united as they are behind Smyth Strong and working for the countys growth, the women all work for different entities, undertake different goals, and bring different perspectives to the table. Smyth County born and bred, Gillespie acknowledges that as a younger woman she moved away in search of better prospects, but ultimately found out that shes a Smyth County girl who wanted to move home. Now serving as executive director of the Chamber of Commerce of Smyth County, Gillespie believes she found the perfect job, one that allows her as an entrepreneur to help others who are following or want to follow that path. When she helps people launch new small businesses, Gillespie said, she gets as invested in the work as the owners do and frequently becomes their friend. Theyre growing a dream and an idea, she said, explaining her passion. Hayden has lived in Smyth County so long that shes ready to declare native status. Ive always loved Smyth County, she said, citing the kindness and opportunity shes experienced here. She serves as Smyth Countys economic development project manager and has worked in the countys economic development office since 2015. Livingston describes herself as the new kid on the block. She moved from Atlanta, Georgia, to Southwest Virginia in 2012. In January 2021, she took on the role of Smyth Countys tourism director, working for the tourism association. Her husband is opening a small business in downtown Marion. Were planting roots and are invested in the success of the county, Livingston said. Power of Perspective Seeing Smyth County with fresh eyes gives Livingston an advantage, she believes. Being just enough of an outsider, I see how wonderful and welcoming and beautiful Smyth County is, she said, reflecting that it hurts her to realize that other people may not be able to see that view. Those who dont share her view can also hurt her work to attract visitors and potential future residents to the community. Livingston explained that she can tell travelers and tourists all about the natural treasures, restaurants, and other attractions of Smyth County, but that can all be undone if they walk into a local service station, ask what there is to do here, and get nothing as their answer. We want people [residents] to see how special this community is, Livingston said. Hayden explained that attitudes about the county can even impact residents livelihoods. If residents possess a more hopeful view of their community, it carries over into quality of life, which is a key attractor for new business and industry. For generations, Hayden said, people have projected a negative message about Smyth County, which has been repeated, children have heard it and listened to it and carried it forward. Now, Gillespie said, theyre going to hammer home a new message one they hope will be adopted in all parts of the community and help shape the countys identity. The Beginnings The concept of Smyth Strong started coming together in the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic when the unknowns and fears about the economic future kept business owners up at night. Local officials wanted businesses, especially small businesses to know they werent on their own. Smyth Strong was unveiled in the summer of 2020 as the name of a fund created to help local small businesses survive the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. The fund was the combined effort of the town of Chilhowie and the Saltville Industrial Development Authority, Smyth Countys supervisors and its Economic Development Authority, and the chamber of commerce. Over the course of a few months, the fund transformed from providing loans to offering grants ranging from $1,000 to $10,000 to Smyth County small businesses. Taking on New Life Over time, Smyth Strong began to take on a bigger life one that could pool resources and supplement various agencies and departments work rather than duplicating efforts. In an earlier discussion, Livingston said the trio wants to make the most out of every tax dollar. She gave a nod to County Administrator Shawn Utt for helping Smyth Strong move beyond its early phases. A Rallying Identity Thursday, Utt reflected on the movement, saying, Smyth Strong is an initiative we are pushing out to help bring everyone together to make us all stronger. What began as a program to help strengthen small businesses during the pandemic has grown to help make the entire county a stronger being. We need an initiative that we all (county, towns, businesses, and citizens alike) can rally around. Smyth Strong can be that very initiative. We need to make everyone stronger. More Than Words As Smyth Strong expands, Utt said it will feature additional programs to help encourage businesses to invest in themselves as well as programs that will help market the county to the greater region. Thursday night, the Smyth County Board of Supervisors OKd funding to help Smyth Strong accomplish those goals. Following the recommendation of its American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Committee, the supervisors approved awarding $300,000 of its about $5.9 million federal pandemic relief money for small business support. Gillespie said, We want to help businesses that have weathered COVID to grow. Last month, the supervisors approved giving $50,000 from that same pool of money to Smyth County Tourism for marketing to people who live outside of the county. Livingston explained that the marketing will get under way immediately and particularly target residents of the Tri-Cities, Roanoke and Richmond regions, and North Carolina. As those people start to plan their summer vacations, the tourism director said, We hope theyll remember Smyth County. Tourists, she said, can be a communitys temporary taxpayers. They come to visit and leave tax money behind. The purpose of it all, Gillespie said, is economic development. She emphasized, We dont want to tread water in the area of growth. Through Smyth Strong, they want to support broadband development as essential to growth for existing citizens and businesses and to attract newcomers. Gillespie noted that theyre exploring initiatives to help youth flourish and retain this communitys native talent. One such event is coming in April, when the chamber will host Student Government Day & Opportunity Fair at Chilhowie Christian Church. Students will learn about local government and get to explore education, career and even volunteer opportunities that are available in the region. Knowledge is Power To support their message, the three women are also launching a new podcast, Peaks & Valleys, which will be hosted on the chambers website that will also feature a Smyth Strong landing page. In the near future, Peaks & Valleys will be available on iTunes and Spotify. Peaks & Valleys, Gillespie said, will help people get to know officials and see the person behind the government title. Its so easy for people to forget that leaders and officials are humans, she said. Hayden reflected, We hope knowledge will be power and citizens will learn that officials are working for the communitys good. To help keep Smyth Strong in the forefront, a logo has been designed to be used throughout county and town agencies and beyond. That logo will soon appear on pens and a variety of swag. Last summer, talking about Smyth Strong, Hayden stressed that they dont want to operate from the mindset of scarcity. Growth happens collectively, she said as she explained they want to form new connections that allow for the boldest ideas to be brought forward while strengthening any weak areas. Employees at the Longview paper mill NORPAC narrowly voted against unionizing last month in the staff's first effort to organize. The National Labor Board reports of the 226 votes counted on March 1, 110 chose to unionize and 116 voted against unionization. NORPAC reports 85% of employees eligible to vote for unionization participated in the count. A NORPAC representative said this was the first time employees voted on whether to unionize at the Longview mill. The International Longshore and Warehouse Union, Local 21, filed the petition for NORPAC to vote on whether to unionize last fall. NORPAC's unionization vote count was tallied Feb. 22; then a revised count was finished March 1 after challenges were made to some ballots, the National Labor Board reports. Petition The NORPAC, or North Pacific Paper Corporation, paper mill off Industrial Way was founded in 1979, and today produces copy paper and packaging material. The ILWU, Local 21, filed a petition with the National Labor Board to unionize NORPAC workers Nov. 29. The petition states the union would have included all full-time and regular part-time employees in the paper maker department, including machine operators and customer service staff. Clerical positions, guards and supervisors would not be included, states the report. The National Labor Board reports two NORPAC employees voted to unionize under the Association of Western Pulp and Paper Workers Union and 108 voted to unionize under ILWU. A Labor Board spokesperson said "no union received a sufficient number of votes to be designated as the collective bargaining representative." The Association of Western Pulp and Paper Workers Union tried to unionize NORPAC several times, but never reached the voting stage, reports the union-support publication Northwest Labor Press. The AWPPW represents some workers at the Nippon Dynawave Packaging paper mill in Longview. NORPAC benefits A NORPAC spokesperson said the company announced a 2.5% general wage increase for all hourly employees during the fall, around the time the unionization petition was filed. The increase took effect Jan. 10. The representative also said on Monday employees have an employee-matched 401(k) plan. ILWU released a statement Monday saying they support workers' right to unionize in general to offer better wages and health and retirement benefits. In March, NORPAC reported the company was praised for its work with employees in areas like wages and benefits by Gallagher one of the largest insurance brokers in the world. A Gallagher spokesperson said companies that participated in a survey with the organization were eligible for the "best-in-class" distinction NORPAC received, and awardees like NORPAC received high rankings in areas like turnover rates, compensation strategies and health plan prices. Company changes National timberland management company Weyerhaeuser sold the NORPAC mill in 2016 to One Rock Capital Partners, a private equity firm with offices in New York and Los Angeles. After the sale, The Daily News reported staff and wage changes at the company. In spring 2017, employees' wages were cut by 10% and the company stopped providing a match to workers' 401(k) plans, according to a report by The Daily News. Competition from Canadian newsprint producers in fall 2017 led NORPAC to stop newsprint production on one paper machine, and about 50 employees were laid off as a result. In spring 2018, NORPAC announced the restart of newsprint production after the U.S. imposed tariffs on Canadian newsprint and the hiring of 50 new employees. In 2019, the company announced a newsprint machine would be converted to create packaging products from 100% recycled waste paper, safeguarding 400 jobs at the Longview mill. In April 2020, The Daily News reported up to 45 salaried employees were laid off, while other employees took a 5% pay cut. NORPAC said, in general, some layoffs occurred due to changes in the market during the pandemic, but declined to discuss specific pay or number of laid-off staff to back TDN's report. Love 3 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 4 Angry 1 The business news you need Get the latest local business news delivered FREE to your inbox weekly. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Kelso officers removed a small, homemade explosive found by a student on a Kelso elementary school playground Monday morning. Kelso police were notified around 8:30 a.m. that a student found an explosive at Wallace Elementary School prior to school starting in the 1200 block of South Fifth Avenue. The student handed the explosive to the principal, who called the authorities, said Kelso Police Capt. Rich Fletcher. Fletcher said the device was secured away from the school until the Portland bomb squad could take the explosive for proper disposal. No additional explosives were located at the school after a search, he added. The explosive was made out of a small prescription bottle filled with a fuse and other material, Fletcher said. Kelso School District spokeswoman Michele Nerland said two students were on the playground when the device was discovered in the northwest corner of the grounds. Nerland said the school day was not disrupted since the device was located prior to the start of classes. Students families were notified yesterday of the event. Wallace Elementary School is a 58,000-square-foot building built in 2020 and houses students in kindergarten through fifth grade. The $28.5 million school can hold up to 450 students. Love 0 Funny 1 Wow 2 Sad 2 Angry 1 Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Samsung Galaxy Book laptops are launching in India later this week. Here are all the details you need to know. Samsung Galaxy Book laptops are coming to India later this week but these wont be limited affair highly priced Windows notebooks! In fact, based on a report, it is said that the Galaxy Book laptops could disrupt the laptop market in the same way Xiaomi did with its Mi Notebook laptops back in 2020. There are six new models launching at its March 17 launch event, with all of them being the latest models. Price details have also been hinted a bit. The Galaxy Book 2 and Galaxy Book 2 360, which were announced at this years CES event, will be coming to India. Along with these, Samsung will also bring the Galaxy Book 2 Pro, Galaxy Book 2 Pro 360, Galaxy Book 2 Business, and Galaxy Book Go. The information comes via a report from Gadgets360, in which a Samsung executive has confirmed the same. Samsung Galaxy Book laptops coming to India While the exact prices are yet to be revealed, the Samsung executive has confirmed that the entire laptop range will start at a price of Rs. 40,000 in India. This could make it the most affordable range of Windows laptops we could be seeing in India. At launch, Samsung will also bring cash back offers and bundled gifts for customers who pre-book the new models. The Galaxy Book Go will be the most affordable device in Samsungs laptop lineup. The Galaxy Book Go is said to be aimed at students and those customers who want something lightweight on the go. This model will help Samsung take on the Realme and Xiaomi laptops in the sub-Rs. 50,000 space. However, while Realme and Xiaomi offer Intel processors at this price range, it is Samsung offering a Qualcomm Snapdragon 7c Gen 2 platform chip to power the laptop. Samsung claims up to 18 hours of battery life and offers a 180-degree hinge. India will only get the Wi-Fi variant while global markets get the 5G variant of the same. What remains to be seen is how the rest of the models are priced in India. With Apple dominating the high-end segment of the laptop market in India, will Samsung take the fight to the popular Apple MacBook Air, or even the 13-inch MacBook Pro? We will have to wait and see. The Escobar malware has been found stealing passwords from phones,even from SMS text messages! Malware masquerades as McAfee antivirus app. In a shocking expose, a new Android banking Trojan named "Escobar" has been found stealing one-time codes from Google Authenticator! This was considered as being impossible and yet, this banking Trojan is doing exactly that. What is shocking is that the Escobar malware is impersonating McAfee antivirus app. The malware is hidden inside an app found on Google Play Store and unsuspecting people have downloaded it only to suffer loss. The app not only steals SMS text messages, media files, but controls phone calls, tracks location, uses the phone's camera, uninstalls apps, injects new URLs into web browsers and, most devastating of all, uses the VNC remote-desktop function. The malicious app has been spotted by Bug slayer MalwareHunterTeam. They spotted a fake McAfee app a couple of weeks ago and found that the Android package was named as "com.escobar.pablo." Pablo Escobar was a Colombian drug lord who was killed in 1993. The trojan app was downloaded from the Discord content-delivery network CDN. This McAfee Escobar malware can even break into your online bank accounts as well as other online services like email and social-media accounts. Hence, it is advised to stay alert and dont download any app from any third party source and even if you download some app from Google Play Store, do verify it thoroughly. Heres how you can protect yourself from Escobar malware How to protect your phone from Escobar malware 1. Get Android antivirus app on your phone. 2. Avoid installing apps from outside the Google Play store or any suspicious app. 3. Use the strongest two-factor-authentication (2FA) method. Using a USB security key is the best option. 4. Read the permissions carefully that app requests before installing it. 5. Make sure Google Play Protect is turned on. What to do if you suspect that you've been infected with Escobar malware If you suspect that your mobile phone has been infected by a banking Trojan such as Escobar, Cyble, heres what you can do 1. Backup your media files only, not your apps. 2. Turn off your mobile data and Wi-Fi. 3. Remove your SIM card. 4. Factory-reset your phone. 5. Use your Google account to restore as much of your personal data. 6. Check your bank balance for any suspicious activity, and report it to your bank if you find some. A proposal that would have effectively banned the mining and transactions of energy-intensive cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin in the European Union failed to win approval A proposal that would have effectively banned the mining and transactions of energy-intensive cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin in the European Union failed to win approval by a parliamentary committee, as the bloc pushes ahead with regulation of the fast-growing sector. The EUs Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee voted on a final draft of the Markets in Crypto-assets (MiCA) legislation on Monday, which included a clause pledging to make cryptoassets traded or issued within the bloc subject to minimum environmental sustainability standards. A final tally of the committees voting showed the proposed clause was defeated with 23 votes in favor, 30 against and six abstentions. Looking for a smartphone? To check mobile finder click here. Also read: Crypto industry pundits said the proposal would have acted as a de-facto ban on cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin and Ether, which operate using a proof-of-work consensus mechanism and require large amounts of energy to mint tokens and record transactions. The proposal had promised to allow time for such tokens to improve their carbon footprint in order to comply with the new rules, though. A previous version of MiCA had suggested banning proof-of-work tokens outright. Ernest Urtasun, shadow rapporteur on the MiCA legislation and a member of the European Parliament within the Greens/EFA political group, said the proposal wasnt intended to force a ban on proof of work tokens like Bitcoin. It was not as simple as this. Our proposal was more complex and more taking into account the need of the industry to adapt, he said. The committee passed a separate proposal to add cryptocurrency mining to the EUs taxonomy for sustainable finance, which would define whether crypto can be viewed as a sustainable investment. MiCA now needs to be approved by the EUs executive arm, as well as EU member states and the full European Parliament before it can become law. Bitcoin, Ether and other cryptocurrencies traded flat following the outcome of the vote. Cryptos energy consumption is a hotly debated topic. Industry supporters say its impact on the environment can be limited by encouraging miners to use renewable energy sources, but demand for Bitcoin and other tokens has pushed up their carbon footprint significantly in the last year. Data from the Cambridge Centre for Alternative Finance put Bitcoins estimated power consumption at an annual rate of 138 terawatt-hours in early 2022, more than the size of a country like Norway. Bitcoin won that vote, said Michael Saylor, chief executive of software company MicroStrategy, during a webinar hosted by the Economic Club of New York on Monday. You need energy to create real property. Markus Ferber, a lawmaker and the EPP Groups spokesman in the committee, said the failed proposal sent a clear signal that the EU wishes to support the crypto industry as it grows. Banning proof of work would have meant for the EU to become crypto no mans land, Ferber said. If we want to foster innovation, we should be open for new technologies, not banning them. When the government first started talking about 5G a few years ago, it was clear that we consumers wouldn't be able to benefit anytime soon. But with the COVID-19 pandemic, industries and Malaysians quickly began using the Internet for things like video meetings, e-commerce, online events and more. This explosive growth meant that there was a real need to expedite the growth of 5G in Malaysia. Today, we want to briefly walk you through how much 5G has progressed here in Malaysia exactly in the last few years. Where are we so far? Kicking off for real, in the background The move to start building 5G networks first started building momentum in 2019. Before the pandemic even started, the Malaysian government began talking about 5G trials that were to be conducted in Putrajaya and Cyberjaya. In July 2019, the first live field trial by Celcom recorded a maximum Internet speed of 1.256Gbps. Huawei also held a live trial in September 2019 which resulted in a max speed of 1.336Gbps, showing that there's still room for improvements. While average speeds will probably be lower (especially if there's network congestion), it's still way faster than any 4G network in Malaysia, which can go up to around 30Mbps. That's a difference of 41 times, so you can see how 5G can benefit us just with connection speed alone. The Malaysian Communication and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) confirmed that 5G spectrum bands would be officially allocated by 2020. But nothing much happened in the months to come, and 5G remained mostly irrelevant for Malaysian consumers. Average 4G vs 5G speeds 5G now in sight for consumers It was the same for most of 2021. But in July 2021, Digital Nasional Berhad (DNB) announced a partnership with Ericsson to accelerate the deployment of 5G networks in Malaysia. Ericsson will be the sole partner for the firm, implementing a Single Wholesale Network (SWM) model. The company would build and operate 5G infrastructures in the country and provide access to local telcos. This was when we consumers got a glimpse of a 5G-equipped Malaysia. Since the first announcement in mid-2021, DNB has rolled out 5G networks to a few states. The first three states included Cyberjaya, Putrajaya, and selected parts of Kuala Lumpur. Last year, DNB also announced that it planned to implement 5G networks in 5 major cities - Selangor, Penang, Johor, Sabah, and Sarawak. The company reiterated this earlier this month, declaring that it wants to cover 37.9% of populated areas by the end of the year. This rollout plan would add Negri Sembilan, Melaka, and Perak to the list. 5G tower in Johor Bahru Switching tracks from SWN, yay or nay? Unfortunately, things might slow down soon as a new issue comes to a head. You see, local licensed telcos decided to call for a change near the end of 2021. At the time, Celcom, Digi, Maxis, and U Mobile requested that the government allow a second 5G network service. The reason given was Malaysia's fast initial deployment, as well as the security and competition that having a second network would bring. There are other risk factors too, which were listed in an article by GSMA. What the four companies meant to say is that a coordinated effort by a consortium of telcos could further accelerate the deployment of 5G. Of course, DNB doesn't agree with switching to a Dual Wholesale Network (DWM) model. From what we were told, an SWM plan would reduce costs, improve efficiency, and deliver faster infrastructure buildup. DNB would also provide 5G services to the local telcos for free until 31 March. Even after that, DNB plans to charge a lower fee compared to current 4G services. List of potential risks with SWM model For reference, let's compare the costs of 4G plans vs the expected costs of 5G. DNB has promised that it will charge less than 20 cents per gigabit to telcos. The telcos are then likely to charge more on top of that to turn a profit. On the other hand, the 4G services that are owned by local telcos cost 45 to 55 cents per gigabit. As you can see, that's more expensive for connection speeds that are over 40 times slower. On the topic of SWM vs DWM, DNB CEO Ralph Marshall claimed that local telcos would prefer to continue profiting from 4G for as long as possible before making a transition to 5G. This would result in a slower rollout of 5G services in Malaysia. Moreover, this delay could result in a widening of the digital divide between urban and rural areas, as urban areas would typically gain access to new technologies first. It's also said that the switch could result in lower competition, less efficient use of the 5G spectrum, and a negative impact on the national interest of the Malaysian government. If you're interested, you can check out the lengthy 20-page letter to Dr Ong Kian Ming (Parliament member for Bangi). So, what does this mean for consumers? Would the deployment of 5G services slow down as our government ponders the merits and demerits of switching tracks? Well, the government is expected to announce this tomorrow. Hopefully, things would be resolved quickly and we can all enjoy 5G connectivity soon. Have you got a 5G capable smartphone yet? What would you do with 5G Internet at those speeds mentioned above? As always, stay tuned to TechNave for more articles on 5G and tech. BEIRUT, March 15 (Xinhua) -- Lebanon and Egypt on Tuesday agreed to strengthen cooperation between their trade unions, the Lebanese National News Agency reported. The agreement came during a meeting held in Beirut between Mohammad Choucair, head of the Federation of Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture in Lebanon, and Hisham Fouad, visiting vice president of the Egyptian Trade Union Federation. Fouad said his visit aims to strengthen union cooperation, especially with the General Confederation of Lebanese Workers. "We will follow up on ideas discussed during this meeting to strengthen our cooperation in a way that would benefit Lebanese workers from training in our academies and centers," Fouad said. For his part, Choucair stressed the importance of activating dialogue mechanisms between representatives of workers and employers in the two countries to achieve the interests of all parties in a balanced way. Choucair also thanked Egypt for its continuous support for Lebanon while praising "the great development that Egypt has achieved in a record time" during the incumbent administration. Facebook's Meta logo sign is seen at the company headquarters in Menlo Park, Calif., on, Oct. 28, 2021. Ireland's privacy watchdog has fined Meta, 17 million euros, or about $19 million, for violating Europe's privacy law. The regulator, the Data Protection Commission, has been investigating how Meta Platforms Inc. complied with the requirements of the law, known as General Data Protection Regulation, in how it handled personal data in 12 data breach notifications between June and December 2018. The agency said Tuesday, March 15, 2022 that it found that Meta didn't have the right measures in place to show it could protect EU users' data. Meta said the fine is about record keeping practices from 2018 that it has since updated, not a failure to protect people's information. Credit: AP Photo/Tony Avelar, File Ireland's privacy watchdog has fined Facebook's parent company, Meta, 17 million euros, or about $19 million, for violating Europe's privacy law. The regulator, the Data Protection Commission, has been investigating how Meta Platforms Inc. complied with the requirements of the law, known as General Data Protection Regulation, in how it handled personal data in twelve data breach notifications between June and December 2018. The agency said Tuesday that it found that Meta didn't have the right measures in place to show it could protect EU users' data. "This fine is about record keeping practices from 2018 that we have since updated, not a failure to protect people's information," the company said in an emailed statement. "We take our obligations under the GDPR seriously, and will carefully consider this decision as our processes continue to evolve." Under GDPR, the Irish regulator leads cross-border data privacy cases for big tech companies that have their European headquarters in Dublin. It has investigated Meta for a number of data and privacy issues and fined the company's WhatsApp communications service 225 million euros, or $267 million at the time, in September, for another GDPR violation. Explore further Irish watchdog fines WhatsApp $267M after EU privacy probe 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain With extreme weather events rising in frequency, the need for a prepared modern energy grid grows. The greatest demand for electricity in Texas is traditionally during the hottest days of the year, when air conditioners turn on full blast to beat the heat. But in February 2021, an unusually long spell of cold weather took the region by surprise. It resulted in high demand for electricity, more than 4.5 million Texans losing power, 210 deaths and direct economic costs estimated at $15$27 billion. Texas's event made news for its terrible societal and economic impact. Researchers from the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory studied it from another angle: how Texas and other parts of the country can improve power system planning and electricity market operations. Their article, "Extreme weather and electricity markets: Key lessons from the February 2021 Texas crisis," was published in the Jan. 6, 2022 issue of Joule. "Usually, we don't think about electricity because it's always there," said Audun Botterud, a principal energy systems engineer at Argonne who co-authored the article with lead author Todd Levin and W. Neal Mann, Jonghwan Kwon and Zhi Zhou. "The Texas event really illustrated how critical the electric power system is to society and how dependent we are on it. It also illustrated how bad things can get if we lose power for extended time." Climate projections show that extreme weather events will happen more often with every uptick in global warming. The Texas event was the first cold weather event in the U.S. to deliver the kind of punch usually felt after a major hurricane. More research can help the power industry enhance their long-term plans and also operate reliably in the short-term in the face of such changes. This is especially true as a greater share of power comes from renewable energy sources like wind and solar, which depend heavily on weather. "There are a lot of connections between the electricity sector, other energy sources such as natural gas and its associated infrastructure," said Levin, also a principal energy systems engineer. "Weather has always been a factor in power system planning but we have to rethink our procedures as the climate changes and our technologies become more sensitive to weather." Plans made based on historical weather patterns don't reflect the changing climate and the impact on tomorrow's energy sources. "It's easy to look back in hindsight and say we could have avoided what happened in Texas," said Levin. "But looking forward, how can we strengthen power systems to withstand extreme weather events? It's not necessarily realistic or even ideal to build a system that never has power outages. The cost of creating it might outweigh the benefit. We have to do more research and analysis to understand the trade-offs." According to the authors, power system plans need to use new information from state-of-the-art climate projection models. Systems may find, after review, that it's worth the cost to weatherize equipment. Electricity markets may need to rethink designs so power is available when people need it most, tomorrow and five years from now. Additionally, to reduce the likelihood and impact of system-wide emergencies, transmission lines that connect regions could improve national or regional coordination. Policy, regulatory frameworks and improved forecasting can help, too. "As we face a future where renewable energy becomes more prominent, the effect of weather becomes more important in power systems planning," said Botterud. "The event in Texas makes us examine how we can better manage power systems in the future." Explore further Predicting and preparing for the impact of approaching storms More information: Todd Levin et al, Extreme weather and electricity markets: Key lessons from the February 2021 Texas crisis, Joule (2022). Journal information: Joule Todd Levin et al, Extreme weather and electricity markets: Key lessons from the February 2021 Texas crisis,(2022). DOI: 10.1016/j.joule.2021.12.015 Semiconductor designer Arm plans to axe up to 15 percent of staff, it said Tuesday, after Japanese owner SoftBank failed to offload the subsidiary to US chip giant Nvidia. Arm, located in the English university city of Cambridge, said the proposed cuts from a global workforce of more than 6,000 comes after Nvidia last month scrapped a blockbuster $40-billion takeover following regulatory objections. "If the proposals go ahead, we anticipate that around 12-15 percent of people in Arm would be affected globally," the company said in a statement. The heaviest job losses would be in Britain and the United States, reports said. "Like any business, Arm is continually reviewing its business plan to ensure the company has the right balance between opportunities and cost discipline," the group added. "Unfortunately, this process includes proposed redundancies across Arm's global workforce." The failure of the blockbuster takeover comes as a chronic global shortage of computer chips hobbles manufacturers worldwide, particularly in the automotive sector. While Arm does not make chips, the designer licenses the architecture that enables devices to function. Founded in 1990, Arm specialises in microprocessors and dominates the global smartphone market. Its technology was present in Apple's first iPhone released in 2007. Arm chips are present also in sensors, smart devices and cloud services. Nvidia, known for graphics cards favoured in the video game industry, saw sales soar during COVID lockdowns as gaming exploded in popularity. But its takeover collapsed in the face of competition investigations by watchdogs in Britain, the European Union and the United States. SoftBank, which purchased Arm in 2016 for $32 billion, is now seeking to offload the unit via an initial public offering. 2022 AFP Former Sen. David Perdue and his wife Bonnie didnt have to wait long in line Monday to cast their ballots for the May 24 primary, which will determine who will receive the Republican nomination for the race to serve as Georgias next governor. remaining of Thank you for reading! On your next view you will be asked to log in to your subscriber account or create an account and subscribepurchase a subscription to continue reading. The Bryan-College Station economy continues to grow, according to the most recent data released by Texas A&M University's Private Enterprise Research Center. The unemployment rate for Brazos, Burleson and Robertson counties was 3.8% in December, according to the universitys report, falling from 5.4% in December 2020. Its was the third-lowest unemployment rate in the state and lower than both the national unemployment rate of 4% and the state unemployment rate of 5%. Andrew Rettenmaier, executive associate director of the Private Enterprise Research Center, said the low unemployment rate is a positive sign for the area economy. The last time we had a 3.8% unemployment rate was in 2017. From 2017 to February 2020, our unemployment rate got down to around 2.7%, so we still have a higher unemployment rate than weve had, Rettenmaier said. Glen Brewer, president and CEO of the Bryan-College Station Chamber of Commerce said there is a shortage of workers in the area, particularly in the leisure and hospitality industry. Hopefully as COVID numbers dwindle down, there will be some more people that want to come back into the workforce, and maybe theyre not being included in the unemployment rate because they havent been looking for work, Brewer said. Wade Beckman, owner of 3rd On Main, Admiral Catering, Amico Nave and Shipwreck Grill restaurants, said the pandemic shifted the job market from one with a high-quality pool of applicants to one in which employers must seek candidates to fill positions. I think its getting better. Were actually seeing some applicants now. Our advertising, if we do post, were getting a few more people that are qualified, but its still very tight, Beckman said. Beckman said hes heard about restaurant closures across the country, but he believes the local area is in a better position. Beckman said his restaurants havent got to the point where they couldnt keep up with demand, but still lack a bench of employees. There are some restaurants in town that have (closed), that have changed their hours, sections and menus. I dont know if everybodys back to their original menus, but they had to come up with a menu that could be executed by less people, Beckman said. Some of those things have transpired into kind of the new norm, so to speak. Traffic at Easterwood Airport picked up at the end of 2021, but hasnt returned to pre-pandemic levels. The airports passenger count for 2021 was 78% of the count in 2019. In 2021, American Airlines saw 86% of its 2019 traffic, while United Airlines had 65% of its 2019 traffic. In July and December, American Airlines exceeded its 2019 passenger counts for the same months in 2019. Brewer said local officials are continuing to look for an airline interested in replacing United, which ended its two daily flights to Houston from Easterwood Airport in January. It helps business and, frankly, Texas A&M University is one of the top two largest universities in the United States, so not having quick flights to Houston does make a difference, Brewer said. Its not acceptable that we dont have that, so were going to fight to make it happen one way or the other. Dennis Jansen, director of Texas A&Ms Private Enterprise Research Center, said the areas strong unemployment rates, employment growth and retail sales signal a continued recovery from the pandemic. Jansen said he expects momentum in the oil and gas industries to help boost the recovery. I think that oil and gas has been a headwind in the face of the Texas economy for the past year or so, and I think it will no longer be a headwind going forward. I think thats probably good news for Texas and for the local area, Jansen said. Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. JERUSALEM, March 15 (Xinhua) -- The visiting General Confederation of Businesses of Morocco (CGEM) and two leading Israeli business organizations have inked a cooperation agreement in Tel Aviv on Tuesday. The Manufacturers Association of Israel (MAI) said the agreement was reached during the first visit of a senior Moroccan businesspersons' delegation since the two countries renewed their diplomatic ties in December 2020, the MAI said in a statement. The deal, signed between CGEM, MAI, and the Federation of Israeli Chambers of Commerce, aims to promote trade relations, facilitate joint B2B events and help companies to do business in each other's country, the MAI said in a statement. The Moroccan delegation includes 80 senior members from industrial sectors such as automotive, aerospace, food and beverage. Israel signed a bilateral agreement with Morocco in February aiming to expand annual trade volume to 500 million U.S. dollars within the next five years. OMAHA The president and vice president of the Nebraska State Board of Education said Friday theyre in no rush to revive the controversial health education standards the board put on ice last September. Board president Patsy Koch Johns and vice president Robin Stevens said the board has no plans at this time to revive the standards. They said the board must address concerns about the standards-writing process before considering a restart. We at this time have not discussed any plans about bringing it back, said Koch Johns of Lincoln. The two leaders commented in a news release aimed at clarifying the boards recent actions regarding academic standards. In it, they pushed back on the perception that the boards recent actions regarding standards were bringing it closer to reviving the standards. In February, a majority of board members voted down a motion by recently appointed board member Kirk Penner to permanently scrap the health standards. This month, the majority voted to draft a policy expressing the boards intent to develop academic standards in all subject matter areas, including health. That policy has yet to be adopted. In the release, Stevens said the board will need a specific vote to restart the health education standards process, and this is not currently an item under consideration by the Board. To be clear, he said, the conversations, around ensuring the proper policies and processes are in place, are necessary before even considering future draft health education standards. Stevens, of Gothenburg, is facing two challengers in the race to retain his District 7 seat on the board. Three other board spots are on the ballot this year, including Penner's seat representing District 4. In an interview Friday, Nebraska Commissioner of Education Matt Blomstedt told the Omaha World-Herald that its unlikely the standards would be revived this year. Reviewing the process the department uses to develop standards, and potentially making changes, will take time, he said. I think Im pretty confident in saying its not 2022, and I would find it highly unlikely its 2023, he said. For more than a year, the state has wrestled with the idea of writing health standards for Nebraska schools. Local school districts currently write their own. The state standards would be recommended but not required for districts. The initial draft of the standards proposed a year ago was praised by advocates of LGBTQ children as inclusive. The standards contained language recognizing diverse family structures, gender identities and sexual orientations. After complaints the material was not appropriate for children and reflected a political agenda, most of those references were stripped in a second draft. But that draft still was criticized by Gov. Pete Ricketts, who said it promoted gender ideology. The board postponed the standards indefinitely Sept. 3. Subsequently, then-board president Maureen Nickels appointed an ad hoc board committee to troubleshoot what went wrong with the process. On March 4, the board adopted six recommendations from the committee. One was to draft a policy expressing the boards intent to develop academic standards in all areas. Penner, who voted against the recommendations, said he disagrees with the boards position that it can write standards beyond the core academic areas authorized by the Legislature. He said the reason the standards failed has nothing to do with process. The issue isnt the process, its the content of the health standards, he said. Another recommendation adopted by the board at its March 4 meeting calls for writing a policy to define the boards role in the standards-writing process. Board members also voted to have the Nebraska Department of Education hire a consultant to review the standards process and suggest improvements. Blomstedt said Friday that he probably wouldnt get a consultant on board until summer. I would probably aim for a June time frame, thats usually when we have some chance to dive into those things, he said. The intent is to examine the process, including looking at how other states do it, before attempting a redo of health standards, he said. Meantime, critics have been unsuccessful in stopping the health standards with legislative action. A bill in the Legislature this session would have made clear that the board can write standards only in core academic areas. With 20 days left in the session, that bill proposed by Sen. Joni Albrecht remained in the Education Committee. In his budget request to state lawmakers, Ricketts included language that would have barred the education department from using any of its appropriation to research, adopt or implement state sex education standards for schools. Members of the Appropriations Committee last week advanced the budget to the full body without the language, but an amendment has been offered to add it in. A bill in the Nebraska Legislature proposes using American Rescue Plan Act funds to help with medical center expansion projects. Submitted by Grand Island Sen. Ray Aguilar, LB1183 would use $20 million in federal pandemic relief funds for capital construction grants to the states federally qualified health centers via the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services. There is a great need for this funding, Aguilar told The Independent. There are seven health centers throughout Nebraska and they all have been under the strain for funding to expand because of the pandemic, he said. Grand Islands center has already started an expansion, and the funding would go a long way in assisting the finishing up of that process. It was Grand Islands Heartland Health Center that reached out to Aguilar, he said. The health center in Grand Island is something Im very familiar with. My wife used to serve on the board there, so I have knowledge of the people there and the director (CEO Tami Smith), he said. She called me with a request if there could be a possibility that they could get some of that funding. Well, theres one way to find out. Well apply for it. Smith appeared before the Appropriations Committee on Feb. 22 to testify in favor of the bill. According to a release from Unicameral Update, Smith said the health center, which served 841 patients when it opened in 2014, served nearly 6,700 patients last year. Heartland Health Center also opened a satellite clinic in Ravenna in 2020 after that communitys local clinic closed. HHC would like to expand further, but does not have the space to bring on new providers or patients, Smith said, noting that limited access leads to worse health indicators and a higher likelihood that people will forego health care altogether, Unicameral Update reported. LB1183 also emphasizes serving low-income families, the uninsured, rural residents and racial and ethnic minority groups. The pandemic is so contagious and if people dont have a source of medical treatment to get the vaccinations, to get tested, that makes the pandemic that much more hard to get rid of. It is so necessary to manage this problem we have with the pandemic, Aguilar said. While the needs of individuals across the state differ, the need for these medical centers to expand is the same, Aguilar said. Theyre serving the same population and dealing with the same issues as far as the pandemic is concerned, he said. There are different building projects going on and that want to happen, so theres a variation of need as far as that goes. There are many competing ideas in the Legislature for how to use the states ARPA money, Aguilar said. Theres like 120 different bills out there with requests, he said Thursday. On Saturday, the Appropriations Committee is going to work all day on whittling down that list somewhat. Sometime next week we should know where Grand Island stands on all of their requests. Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. PLAYER OF THE WEEK Led Boise State to a 4-1 record on the week, batting .526 (10-19) at the plate. Had four home runs and a team-high six RBI. Scored five runs in the Broncos five contests. Collected a .526 on-base percentage and a 1.158 slugging percentage on the week. PITCHER OF THE WEEK Went 2-1 and earned a save in the circle, while making four starts for San Diego State. Pitched to a 0.00 ERA in 13 innings, striking out 20 batters and not allowing a single walk. Limited opposing hitters to just a .128 average on the week. Pitched a complete game, earning a six-inning (9-1) win over Weber State. FRESHMAN OF THE WEEK Helped SDSU to 3-1 record on the week. Registered a .500 average at the plate, collecting six hits and a .533 on-base percentage. Tallied four runs, two RBI and a stolen base on the week. Boise State sophomoreclaimed Mountain West Softball Player of the Week honors, while San Diego State duoandwere named MW Pitcher and Freshman of the Week, respectively.Its the sixth career MW weekly award for Balint and second for Espinoza and first for Hall. Paris, TX (75460) Today Cloudy skies this morning followed by thunderstorms during the afternoon. High 84F. Winds SE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 60%.. Tonight Thunderstorms likely this evening. Then a chance of scattered thunderstorms overnight. A few storms may be severe. Low 66F. Winds SE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 60%. ULAN BATOR, March 15 (Xinhua) -- Mongolia will impose a one-year ban on collecting deer antlers, the country's Ministry of Environment and Tourism said Tuesday. "In order to prevent ecological imbalance and damage to forest resources due to forest and grassland fires, citizens and legal entities have been prohibited from collecting and preparing deer antlers for a period of one year," the ministry said in a statement. A total of 65 wildfires were reported across Mongolia in 2021, causing 3.1 billion Mongolian Tugriks (over 1 million U.S. dollars) in environmental damage, the ministry said. One of the main causes of wildfires was human error, the ministry said, noting that many people who went to forests to collect cedar nuts and deer antler threw cigarette butts which caused fires. VIENNA The city has a new Home Development Program that is offering up to $10,000 to anyone building a new home on certain properties in the city. Mayor Steve Penrod has been mayor of Vienna less than a year. One of the things he wanted to do as mayor is improve the city. He explained that Vienna has distressed property within its boundaries, basically places where houses need torn down. They just sit there. Its not fair to the people with nice houses, he said. To encourage people to build new homes in Vienna, the city passed the Home Development Program in January. Penrod said the money, from the citys TIF funds, is a reimbursement for certain development costs. It includes, but is not limited to: property acquisition; site preparation such as clearing old buildings, surveying or earthwork; and utility line installation and connections, such as water, sewer, gas and electric. The city council put aside $50,000 as a pilot program this year, Penrod said. To be eligible for the program, projects must be for a new, single-family dwelling. Modular and mobile homes are not eligible. The home does not have to be occupied the owner. Projects must be started within 60 days and must be complete in 270 days. Funds will be distributed after the home is completed and an occupancy permit is issued by the city. If this years pilot program does well, Penrod expects the city council to expand the program. He said the program will also extend the citys tax base which is important at a time of rising costs. The new houses will have a greater value than derelict properties, which will increase the amount the city gets in property taxes. He said the city has approved one application. Others have shown interest in the program. Penrod said he has gotten questions from other cities. They have called and want to do something similar. He has even taken some calls from the Chicago area. I hope it catches on and we generate something across the whole Southern Illinois region. That would be wonderful, Penrod said. "I am impressed by the leadership of the city with this new program. The intent of TIF is to spur economic growth and when new homes can be built in our community it is a win for everyone, Joshua W. Stafford, superintendent of Vienna High School and a local resident, said. New construction grows the tax base and by doing so will lower the overall property tax rate for all taxpayers. Stafford added that Vienna has great schools, great churches, a world-class bike trail and is located in the heart of the Shawnee National Forest. The city is surrounded by endless recreational opportunities, is geologically friendly with access to two major interstates within minutes, and has benefits too numerous to list. Carbondale also offers assistance to home buyers through two programs: the Down Payment Assistance Program and Single Family Housing Conversion Program. The Down Payment Assistance Program offers up to $3,000 towards a down payment to prospective homebuyers who are purchasing their first home within the city limits. The Single-Family Housing Conversion Program offers a $5,000 grant to approved buyers of single-family houses that have been registered rentals to owner-occupied homes. The home must be have registered in the City of Carbondales Mandatory Rental Housing Inspection Program in excess of two years at the time of purchase. For more information on Viennas program, call City Hall at 618-658-5161. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Editor's note: Midwest Meteorologist Matt Holiner has the next two days off. He will return Wednesday morning with your video weather forecast. In the meantime, here is your weather outlook for the next few days. Southern Illinois will continue to be treated to spring-like weather conditions this week, according to the National Weather Service. High temperatures will run largely in the 60s, and may reach to around 70 on Wednesday and Thursday. Despite patchy sprinkles or light rain here and there, most of the week looks dry. Today's forecast for Carbondale calls for a chance of sprinkles before 10 a.m. Mostly cloudy skies will gradually become sunny, with a high near 67 degrees and a light, variable wind. The best chance of wet weather comes late Thursday night into Friday. With the clouds and rain will come a cool off to end the work week and start the weekend. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 An attorney for the S.C. Press Association is calling for transparency during South Carolina State Universitys search for a new president. The university released a statement on Jan. 27 announcing the start of the search for its 13th president, with S.C. State trustee board Chairman Rodney Jenkins appointing a presidential selection committee. Article III, Item 1 of the trustee board's bylaws was cited in the release as having given the trustee board sole responsibility for the selection, periodic evaluation and retention or termination of the university president. It was also stated in the release that the selection committee was established as a trustee board ad hoc committee, also in accordance with the trustee board's bylaws. When asked if a vote to appoint the committee and its members was taken in a public meeting during which a public vote was held, university spokesman Sam Watson said via email, The chairman appointed the committee. But S.C. Press Association attorney Jay Bender says the committee, could only have been established by a public vote, by a vote in a public meeting. And then the appointment of the members, if it was to be voted on, had to be voted on in public. They couldn't do any of that lawfully behind closed doors. Committee members include: trustee Douglas Gantt, chairman; trustee Monica Scott, vice chair; trustee Louvetta Roseboro Dicks, secretary; trustee Danny Varat, member; trustee William Oden, member; Dr. David Staten, ex-officio member; trustee Henry "Hank" Allen, ex-officio member and trustee Jameel Allen Sr., alternate member. In the universitys release, Jenkins said he charged the committee with ensuring an accurate, transparent, deliberate, intentional and accountable selection process, as well as one which would engage, key university stakeholders, including faculty, staff, students, alumni and business and community partners. Jenkins had also stated in the selection process would proceed, in a very confidential manner. The only candidate who will be publicly identified will be the person ultimately selected by the board, he said. Bender said, "There's two things wrong with that. Number one, it's illegal and, number two, with the notable lack of success this board has had in identifying presidents who can be successful, you would think the trustees would want the broadest base of support they could possibly get for any candidate." The attorney said Jenkins' statement was in clear violation of the state's Freedom of Information Act because Section 30-4-40 of the FOIA states: All materials, regardless of form, gathered by a public body during a search to fill an employment position, except that materials relating to not fewer than the final three applicants under consideration for a position, must be made available for public inspection and copying. Bender said, What you're entitled to see is all material gathered with respect to the group from which the final selection is made, provided that group is not fewer than three persons. ... They don't have to give you access to all of it, but you are entitled to access to that group from which the final selection is made. Bender continued, The group from which the final selection is made cannot have fewer than three persons in it. You're entitled to a breakdown of the whole group of applicants. ... If they have a question about it, they should read the Supreme Court of South Carolina decision in New York Times Co. vs. Spartanburg School District No. 7. Jenkins has said that the board had no intention of not obeying the FOIA and that a revised statement, one which would have deleted his statement about publicly identifying only the person ultimately selected by the board, would be issued. It was not. Instead, Sonja Bennett-Bellamy, S.C. State vice president for institutional advancement and external affairs, said in an email on March 7 that no other statements would be issued outside of the Jan. 27 statement. When the committee reaches a point in the search where candidates are being vetted, we will be more than happy to answer any additional questions, she said. Bender its probably reasonable for there to be some time for the search to proceed. There may not be any answers right now, but I would get the written request in for access to those records," Bender said. I know that if you want a broad base of support for whoever you hire, you introduce the competing candidates to people who are going to be serving or attending the university. To spring just one name on the faculty, on the students, on the supporters is not the way to build a consensus that you have the best candidate for the job, he said. Bender said the applicants are to be named when the university gets down to the final three or final five, however it is, you're entitled to see their applications, you're entitled to see their resumes, supporting letters. That would include names. They're not required to do it in advance of making the decision, but if they were smart, they would identify three or four persons that they have interest in, identify them publicly and bring them in to meet with the various university constituencies: trustees, students, faculty, benefactors," he said. The field cannot be narrowed by the search committee unless it's done in a public meeting, Bender said. He said he was not singling out S.C. State when it came to deficiencies in complying with the FOIA. It's always easy to cover-up incompetence and corruption if you do it in secret. The problem is the people who run South Carolina State, who run Coastal Carolina, who run the University of South Carolina are not our rulers. They are our representatives, and they need to be responsive to us as members of the public, he said. Selection committee now search committee The members of what was then the presidential selection committee did not provide a report during the trustee board's Feb. 3 meeting. They did change the name from a presidential selection committee to a presidential search committee. Trustee Monica Scott, committee vice chair, suggested the change since the committee will only help with the search for a new president. University trustees will select the new president. The South Carolina State University Board of Trustees Presidential Search Ad Hoc Committees next meeting is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 15. They will meet via teleconference. To access the public portions of the meeting, dial 800-753-1965 and enter passcode: 536 9972. Contact the writer: dgleaton@timesanddemocrat.com or 803-533-5534. Follow "Good News with Gleaton" on Twitter at @DionneTandD. Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 2 Sad 0 Angry 1 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. NORTH North Councilwoman Paige Jeffcoat stated during the North council meeting in February that one of her constituents has been having trouble getting on the meeting agenda to discuss the closure of an alleyway near said citizens property. Jeffcoat asked North Mayor Julius Jones publicly during the meeting why the town did not have an attorney present at meetings, if the town had an attorney, and why a citizens inquiries about getting on an agenda for a council meeting were not being answered. Jones stated they do have an attorney who does not attend meetings and repeatedly stated, regarding the constituents/citizens concerns that Jeffcoat was sharing, We should not discuss this ... during open session. It should be discussed during a closed (executive) session. Councilwoman Wanda Whetstone said that a citizen just needs to contact the Town Hall prior to a meeting to get on the agenda. Jeffcoat alleged that the citizen had called multiple times and was not placed on the agenda. She also alleged that the ordinance which states that only past or present business on the agenda can be discussed during public comments was changed from a previous administration. According to past coverage and observation from The Times and Democrat, the policy/ordinance is the same as it was when Patty Carson, the previous mayor, was in office. In fact, the handout, Guidelines for Citizen Participation, given out on the meeting agenda still states that the policies for public comments. The ordinance was effective March 14, 2016, which would have been from the previous administrations, Carsons, on forward. Jeffcoat did not state whether she meant the most previous administration or the one that came before it had a different policy regarding public comments. She left the meeting quickly during the adjournment as final notes were being taken and could not be reached for additional comments. Lori Salley of McGregor and Company, earlier in the meeting, gave the 2021 Audit Report for Council and stated they are giving the town a clean opinion for it. Salley mentioned they did have to change one thing during the audit, putting the separate Victims Assistance account as part of the regular account, and mentioned that the general fund and water and sewer fund are very healthy for the town. Your only long-term liability is your pension liability, she added. Salley next said, Fund balance vs. expenditures is 93%. That is very good! She said they had to add in that the Town of North received $167,237 in American Rescue Act funds in October. (The town, according to Jones, will be meeting in a future council meeting with a representative from the Municipal Association of South Carolina regarding usage of these funds.) Jones earlier in the meeting stated that $352,473 total of American Rescue Act funds will be received by the town. Jones also addressed a rumor he investigated by meeting with the school superintendent and said, North schools are not being considered for closure. He mentioned the district is discussing a new HVAC for the high school gym but their facilities are some of the newest ones in the area. Chief Lin Shirer added, regarding the schools, that the new school resource officer for the town, Candace Stone, graduated from the Police Academy on Feb. 4. Shirer also said he wanted Jones and members of council to co-sign with him on mutual-aid agreements with the towns of Pelion, Springfield, Norway and Swansea. Jones and the council members present all co-signed mutual-aid agreements. After we sign them, the other towns will sign them, Shirer added. Shirer also added, We have a bigger police department than other towns. We often go to assist with other towns in the region. Al Jenkins, regional representative for U.S. Sen. Tim Scott, attended the meeting to state his availability for assistance and also stated they are still in negotiation for state funding. I have not received any response about how things are going with dispersing the funds for the towns, Jenkins told Jones and council members. In other business: Jones said a citizen ran off the road and destroyed one of the Welcome to North signs and that the person will be paying for the sign. 30 bags of trash were picked up by a North group as part of an Orangeburg County cleanup day on Saturday, Jan. 15. Marshall Jackson, Council member Jeff Washington, Marko Livingston, Terry Porterfield, Andre Stack and Awanda Livingston all volunteered to pick up trash on that day. Jones said, When I told a council person in Orangeburg that our group did it on the coldest day of the year, she said that we have very dedicated people. Jeffcoat stated she has finally re-established A.A. meetings with the North United Methodist Church and has restarted the local chapter by contacting the main office of the organization. Meetings will be from 6:30-7:30 p.m. on Thursdays in the Fellowship Hall of the church. Whetstone stated that, thanks to her efforts with contacting them, Orangeburg County Animal Control has removed three of the big dogs and one puppy that had been nuisances in the area. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Holly Hill Elementary School Beta Club members have won a statewide contest for their song encouraging people to get vaccinated. The school won the first-place, $10,000 prize in the Sing it to Win It jingle-writing contest. I am very proud of the kids I worked with. They worked hard for me and the other six sponsors, but when the competition came I knew we were going to win it, Holly Hill Elementary Guidance Counselor and Beta Club sponsor Joseph Brown said. I played the music. The kids helped me come up with the words and that was the result, he said. Brown said, Our kids had fun recording it. The school will use the prize winnings to help defray some of the costs for the 24 students to go to Nashville, Tennessee for the National Beta Club convention this summer. The prize will help lower the cost for each student from $900 to $641 a child. The school district will also seek to help defray more of the trip's costs. The students winning musical piece included the lyrics: COVIDs been around too long, Has made us weak when we were strong Its up to you to do or not We just ask, Please get your shot! It shouldnt be complicated, We just want you vaccinated. Take it from us kids at school, Wearing these masks is not Too Cool. Vaccines wont cramp your style, We just want to see your SMILE. The contest was sponsored by the S.C. Department of Education and the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control. Schools or clubs had to compose an original song that would encourage adults and others to get vaccinated. The contest was brought to my attention by Mrs. Roe Hunt, our schools SIS Op (student information system operator) who saw it on the news during our Thanksgiving break, Brown said. "With so many of our students qualifying for the national convention in Nashville this summer, I knew winning first place would help reduce the cost for our parents and students. The contest was open to K-12 students throughout the state. The jingle will be professionally recorded and played across the state. Students who won the contest are: Amari Lawton, Madison Palmer, Harlem Brown, Jermaine Paulin, Kaleb Thompson, Aaliyah Dizzley, Jaiden Gilliard, Nathaniel Simmons, Kharysma Freeman, Zackorie Heatley, Lauren Jenkins, Haley Robinson, NyAsia Hart, Chanel Swint, Quentin Brown, DaNaya Washington, Bethany Bunch, Telesia Simmons, Xzavier Summerson, Faith Taplin, Skylar Miller, Emma Thornley, Jermaine Pauling and Phoebe Lupton. The Beta Club at HHE began actively participating in competitions in 1998. Holly Hill Elementary will compete with 19 other states at the national BETA event in Nashville. HHEs Beta club has won more than 60 state and national awards, and has been recognized as a School of Merit and a School of Distinction. We are so proud of our Beta members efforts each year as they compete against students from across the state, Brown said. Our Beta sponsor team of Mr. Jason Bryant, Mrs. Miriam James, Dr. Carlos Jenkins, Ms. Chanel Murray, Mrs. Myrrh Suan and Mrs. Shelia Washington along with support from our principal, Mr. Johnnie Smith, and the entire HHE family play a role in our success, he said. We cant thank our teachers in pre-K through third grade enough for preparing our students to become Betas, and our fourth- and fifth-grade teachers for keeping them prepared during their two years as Beta members, Brown said. We also could not achieve our success if not for the support of our parents and community. To help with the clubs national convention travel expenses, reach out to Brown directly at Joseph.Brown@ocsdsc.org. Concerned about COVID-19? Sign up now to get the most recent coronavirus headlines and other important local and national news sent to your email inbox daily. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Clemson University researchers have discovered a genetic variation associated with an often deadly esophageal disorder frequently found in German shepherd dogs. German shepherds are predisposed to congenital idiopathic megaesophagus (CIM), an inherited disorder where a puppy develops an enlarged esophagus that fails to move food into their stomachs. Puppies with the condition regurgitate their food and fail to thrive, often leading to euthanasia. While German shepherds have the highest incidence of the disease, other breeds are susceptible, too, including Labrador retrievers, Great Danes, dachshunds and miniature schnauzers. Researchers do not yet know if the same genetic variation is involved in disease development in other breeds. Researcher Leigh Anne Clark, an associate professor in the Department of Genetics and Biochemistry, and her collaborators developed a genetic test for the disease that German shepherd dog breeders can use to reduce the risk that puppies in future litters will develop the disease. The journal PLOS Genetics published the findings on March 10. CIM is often discovered when the puppies are weaned from the mothers milk to solid foods at about four weeks of age. Gravity doesnt help They dont have swallowing activity. When the puppies swallow food, it just sits in their esophagus and doesnt trigger those sequential contractions that normally occur to help push the food into the stomach, said Sarah Bell, a graduate research assistant in genetics and the first author of the study. Because a dogs esophagus is horizontal instead of vertical like ours, gravity doesnt aid the transportation of food into the stomach. Mauka, a German shepherd puppy with congenital idiopathic mega esophagus, must eat and drink while sitting upright in a high chair. Photo provided. To get food and water in their stomachs, puppies with megaesophagus must eat and drink while sitting upright in a dog highchair and remain there for up to 30 minutes afterward. Some will outgrow the condition, but many require lifelong symptomatic management with upright feedings, small liquid meals multiple times a day, gelatin cubes, and drug therapies. In the study, Clark and Bell performed a genome-wide scan to identify genes associated with the disorder. The scan revealed an association on canine chromosome 12 and a variant within melanin-concentrating hormone receptor 2 (MCHR2), which affects appetite, weight and how food moves through the gastrointestinal tract. Clark and her team believe that an imbalance of melanin-concentrating hormones plays a role in CIM. The study also revealed that male puppies are twice as likely to be affected by the disorder than females. The researchers suspect that higher estrogen levels allow food to pass to the stomach more effectively, thereby protecting against disease development. What theyve found in people is that estrogen has the effect of relaxing the sphincter that connects the esophagus to the stomach. By having more estrogen, the smooth muscle there is naturally more likely to open. This increases the motility of food into the stomach, Bell said. In dogs with megaesophagus disease, a drug called sildenafil has shown good results. What it does is to relax the sphincter that connects the esophagus and stomach. Sildenafil is the generic name for the active ingredient in Viagra. Clark said sildenafil increases the percentage of dogs that outgrow the disease and no longer have to use a high chair when eating. Genetic test The MCHR2 variant, along with the dogs sex, can predict whether a dog will develop a megaesophagus with 75% accuracy. Owners can swab their dogs gums and submit the sample to genetic testing companies to learn which variant(s) their dog inherited. The test is a tool breeders can use to reduce disease incidence while preserving genetic diversity. One thing I stress with any disease in any breed is dont make a problem where there isnt one. If youve been breeding German shepherds for 20 years and youve never bred a megaesophagus puppy, then dont use this test, she said. But if youre a breeder and youve had megaesophagus puppies, you may benefit from the test. This work was supported in part by funding from the Collie Health Foundation, the American Kennel Club Canine Health Foundation, the Upright Canine Brigade, the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals and the National Institute of General Medical Sciences of the National Institutes of Health. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 The U.S. and Europe are trying to stop Russias bloody conquest of Ukraine, but at the same time they are relying on Russia to help revive the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran. No wonder Russia feels emboldened to call for even more capitulation from the West. We have asked for a written guarantee ... that the current process triggered by the United States does not in any way damage our right to free and full trade, economic and investment cooperation and military-technical cooperation with the Islamic State, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said. The worlds rogue regimes are increasingly working together, and here Russia is trying to leverage Iran for relief from the sanctions imposed over Vladimir Putins invasion of Ukraine. Lavrovs demand points to the fundamental absurdity of this process: Iranian officials have refused to speak with Americans directly, and Russia has played a central role as a mediator since negotiations began last year in Vienna. The Biden administration claims theres no linkage between Iran and Ukraine sanctions. The new Russia-related sanctions are unrelated to the JCPOA and should not have any impact on its potential implementation, a State Department spokesman said. We continue to engage with Russia on a return to full implementation of the JCPOA. Russia shares a common interest in ensuring Iran never acquires a nuclear weapon. A common interest? Russia has worked to help Iran evade sanctions, and you can bet Iran will help Russia do the same. This triumph of hope over reality has been a consistent theme in the Obama-Biden approach to Iran. The 2015 accord provided Iran with billions of dollars in sanctions relief in exchange for temporarily slowing nuclear development. Obama officials hoped this would moderate Irans behavior abroad. But the deal didnt stop the countrys missile development or support for terrorism, both of which the Islamic Republic pursued with a vengeance after 2015. Donald Trump left the deal in 2018 and pursued a maximum pressure sanctions campaign. Iran began openly violating the deal and gaining irreversible nuclear knowledge gains that have made the old deal increasingly irrelevant. The Trump administration also imposed sanctions related to Irans terror support, and leaks to the media suggest the Biden administration is willing to lift both those and the nuclear sanctions to get a renewed deal. The 2015 deal was also based on the assumption that the West had a full accounting of Irans nuclear program, but the regime has stonewalled the International Atomic Energy Agency. The United Nations agency and Tehran have announced a plan to clear up questions about undeclared nuclear sites, but IAEA chief Rafael Grossi suggested the issues ultimately might not be resolved. Iranian military sites are still likely to be off-limits to inspectors in a new deal. Why the U.S. desperation? Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Face the Nation that it wants to put Irans nuclear program back in the box, but its a box made of cardboard. Even if Iran abides by the deal again, its provisions already have started to expire and by 2031 Tehran will be able to freely produce and stockpile weapons-grade uranium. A new deal will also shower Iran with tens of billions of dollars to stir mayhem in the Middle East. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg suggested that all options are on the table when asked whether the U.S. could purchase Iranian oil. Brilliant: Impose sanctions on Russia then support Russian ally Iran. No agreement will stop Iran from its determination to become a nuclear power, and Russia wont enforce the deal. The two malign powers will work together to harm U.S. interests around the world. This editorial is from The Wall Street Journal via The Associated Press. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 This subscription will allow existing subscribers of The World to access all of our online content, including the E-Editions area. NOTE: To claim your access to the site, you will need to enter the Last Name and First Name that is tied to your subscription in this format: SMITH, JOHN If you need help with exactly how your specific name needs be entered, please email us at admin@countrymedia.net or call us at 1-541 266 6047. (TBTCO) - Thi truong 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. Today Mostly cloudy skies this morning will become partly cloudy this afternoon. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 82F. Winds WNW at 10 to 15 mph. Tonight Partly cloudy skies. Low 58F. Winds light and variable. Tomorrow Some sun in the morning with increasing clouds during the afternoon. High 87F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph. Travelers are seen at Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi, Vietnam, on March 15, 2022. Vietnam on Tuesday fully reopened its borders for international tourists, its tourism authorities said. (VNA via Xinhua) HANOI, March 15 (Xinhua) -- Vietnam on Tuesday fully reopened its borders for international tourists, its tourism authorities said. At a press briefing held Tuesday, general director of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism Nguyen Trung Khanh said foreign nationals can now enter Vietnam by air, land and sea through all border gates as long as they meet the COVID-19 prevention and control requirements, Vietnam News Agency reported. Prior to this policy, foreign tourists could only travel to Vietnam by air after booking a tour package with a designated travel agency under a vaccine passport program. Despite being offered a quarantine waiver, foreign tourists were restricted to visit just a few localities with the process heavily monitored. On Monday, the Vietnamese government ordered the health ministry to ease entry requirements for foreign tourists, with an aim of removing most of the related travel restrictions as per a proposal submitted earlier in February. Under the proposal, international travellers will only have to prove that they have been fully vaccinated or recovered from COVID-19 with a negative test result while having insurance coverage of at least 10,000 U.S. dollars for possible COVID-19 treatment in Vietnam. As part of the efforts to restore tourism activities, Vietnam also resumed the visa exemption policy for citizens from 13 countries including Japan, South Korea, and Russia from Tuesday. In addition, from Tuesday immigration procedures for foreigners are ordered to be restored, according to a notice by the government office. Vietnam received a record number of over 18 million international visitors in 2019, showed official data. In 2020 and 2021, the number of international arrivals in Vietnam plunged 78.7 percent and 95.9 percent, respectively, due largely to the impact of COVID-19. The Southeast Asian country has set a target of receiving over 5 million foreign tourists in 2022, according to the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism. Travelers are seen at Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi, Vietnam, on March 15, 2022. Vietnam on Tuesday fully reopened its borders for international tourists, its tourism authorities said. (VNA via Xinhua) Community members gathered for a vigil on Sunday in the Natrona County High School parking lot to pray for three students who were seriously burned in a fire. High school students and athletes Haley Acuna, Jayce Berry and Kayden Pharr suffered severe burns on Mar. 4 from a flash fire in a shop west of Casper. All three were flown to regional burn centers. Acuna is recovering at the University Burn Center Hospital in Salt Lake City, Utah. Berry and Pharr were both flown to the Childrens Hospital in Denver, Colorado. Melisa Overstreet arranged the vigil on Facebook, asking attendees to wear orange and black, the high schools colors. They are fighting a battle, but we stand with them, Overstreet said in her post. We rally together, right now, to continue to pray for their long road to recovery, she said at the vigil, standing on the tailgate of a truck. Pharrs sister, Ellary Golumb, stood on the tailgate beside Overstreet. I just wanted to thank everyone for the donations, for coming together as a community to show support, she said. Its a lot on all the families, but having all this support all the way around really, really helps us keep high spirits. The gathered group signed posters with words of encouragement. Overstreet said they will send the posters to the students so that they can hang them in their rooms. We want them to be reminded on the hard days that we are praying for them even when they cant get on social media, Overstreet told the Star-Tribune. It was very touching, very emotional, Pharrs aunt, Shannon Bailey, said. Were grateful that people are thinking about us and other families. Community members also created GoFundMe pages last week to help the students families with expenses. Those campaigns have so far raised over $50,000 for the students. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 1 Angry 0 Want to see more like this? Get our local education coverage delivered directly to your inbox. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Legislative leaders have asked a Senate panel to consider whether to launch a formal investigation into allegations recently brought against Sen. Anthony Bouchard, R-Burns. The request for an investigation comes days after the Senate voted to remove Bouchard from his committee assignments for a long pattern of misconduct, said Sen. Larry Hicks, R-Baggs. The subcommittee must determine if the factual situation is sufficient to warrant a reasonably prudent person to believe that you committed misconduct, Senate President Dan Dockstader, R-Afton, wrote in a Monday letter to Bouchard. Bouchard has until March 25 to provide a written answer to the committee tasked with deciding whether a formal investigation is warranted. The committee who consists of the senators on the Legislatures Management Council will determine if more evidence is needed to proceed and if Bouchard should be asked to testify before the panel. Bouchard has for years been known for his combative brand of politics, which has sometimes included public spats with legislative colleagues. But the most recent allegations, and his removal from the committee, follows exchanges he allegedly had with Eric Boley, a lobbyist and president of the Wyoming Hospital Association. Boley filed a March 9 complaint against Bouchard that said the senator had yelled at him, called him a liar and has been combative and disrespectful to witnesses before the Legislatures health committee. Senator Bouchard uses intimidation and bullying tactics frequently and this behavior must be brought to your attention for corrective action, Boley wrote. I have felt personally and professional attacked on several occasions by the Senator and Im grateful the meetings are recorded to back up my claims. Boley specifically cited an encounter with Bouchard on March 8 in the Senate lobby. The Legislature was in session at the time. Boley alleged that Bouchard and Sen. Tom James, R-Green River, entered [his] personal space, confronted him in an abusive and demanding tone and tried to intimidate [him] with their body language (hands on hips, arms waving, in my face). This behavior is not the Wyoming way, Dockstader said in a Friday press release. It is of utmost importance that we uphold decorum and civility in the Legislature. That is the expectation of all our members. Anything less is a distraction from the important work we are doing for the people of Wyoming. Boley did not respond to request for comment Tuesday. This year, Bouchard served on Senate committees governing health and agriculture. He was also a member of the management audit committee and select committee on legislative facilities. Bouchard took issue with the fact that he was stripped of his committee assignments before there was any investigation. After a whisper campaign took place, stripping me of all of my committees, the President of the Senate suddenly has an epiphany that they should have followed the due process in Rule 22? Its an insult to everyones intelligence, and damaging to the integrity of the Senate, Bouchard said. But Hicks was adamant that the motion to kick the Burns senator off his committees was not a direct result of the complaint. Theres been requests from numerous members for over a year to take some type of disciplinary action, Hicks said. Those who voted to expel Bouchard from his committees said that his poor decorum has come in multiple forms: being overly confrontational in committee to the point where its scared the public out of testifying; multiple instances where hes blown up on the Senate floor; and addressing specific people on the floor of the Senate, which is against the rules. During debate on the Thursday vote that stripped him of his committees, Bouchard said that members of the Senate had it out for him and that he was specifically being called out to silence him because he often pushes back on other lawmakers. The reason he feels like hes being picked on is because he repeatedly does not follow the rules of the Senate, Hicks told the Star-Tribune. Bouchards social media presence has also played a role in the action taken against him. He will often post provocative and combative things on his personal and official Facebook page, including a post directly after he was kicked off the committees. Everybody retains their First Amendment right, Hicks acknowledged. You can go out and post whatever you want, but theres also a responsibility with going out onto public media when you carry the title Senator. You have a higher responsibility. Bouchard once called Senate Floor Leader Ogden Driskill a swamp monster and Hicks a slime ball. Being stripped of committee assignments takes away significant legislative power, but Bouchard said hes excited to be able to attend more committee meetings and provide public testimony at them. While almost a super-majority voted to remove Bouchard from his committees, multiple dissenters spoke out in opposition, including the moderate Sen. Cale Case, R-Lander. I want a little more due process, Case told the Star-Tribune. I dont doubt the allegations. Im just saying that its kind of a lack of transparency possibly. Its a dangerous situation where you remove people [because] youre annoyed with their opinions and positions. Might have been better to have a committee do the investigation, make a report, then act on that. Sen. Bo Biteman, R-Ranchester, and others said that they wanted more discussion and evidence, while others worried that this vote could set a dangerous precedent. The Senate has three options to discipline its members: censure, taking away committee assignments and expulsion. Politics in Wyoming have become increasingly uncivil in recent years, observers say. Hicks and Driskill linked that trend to Bouchards entrance in the Legislature. Decorum would be much different in the Legislature today, theres not a doubt in the world, Driskill said. Its not that one lawmaker can have that large of an effect on a 30-person body, Hicks said, but rather Bouchards ways of politicking have brought others along with him after they feel empowered by his tactics. Hicks and Bouchard have a rocky and combative relationship, which reared its head Thursday after the vote. Look at the way he looks at me, that sneer, Bouchard said to Hicks, who was sitting in the Senate lobby as Bouchard was interviewed by reporters. Bouchard went on to accuse Hicks of calling him names, which Hicks denied with some sarcasm. Bouchard is also in the midst of a campaign to unseat Rep. Liz Cheney, who angered former President Donald Trump and some of the Republican base with her vote to impeach the former president. Driskill still sees a successful future for Bouchard in the Senate. For me, if he wants to come back and be a normal member, Im happy to say, Lets start over again and lets act with decency and decorum. Follow state politics reporter Victoria Eavis on Twitter @Victoria_Eavis Love 3 Funny 3 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. In his vetoes last week, Gov. Mark Gordon rejected multiple budget provisions that would have limited when and how he spent federal relief dollars, almost giving him free reign with well over $100 million. The Wyoming Legislature, however, overrode his vetoes with overwhelming majorities. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Wyoming was granted over $1 billion in federal relief money via the American Rescue Plan Act. The Wyoming Legislature took multiple steps to construct some guardrails around how Gordon spends the money. The Legislature passed Senate File 98, which restricts how the governor can spend unobligated dollars from any of the federal COVID-19 assistance programs. Gordon vetoed the bill, saying that it unnecessarily constrains the Governors authority to expend funds on emergency programs. But late Friday, the Senate and House nearly unanimously overrode his veto. The bill will now become law. The Legislature also passed a budget bill specifying how roughly half of the $1 billion in federal aid from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) will be spent. In budget bills, the governor has whats called line-item veto authority, meaning that he can reject specific provisions in the bill without vetoing the bill as a whole. The language in Senate File 98 is nearly identical to other provisions Gordon vetoed in the ARPA budget, which restricts when the governor may spend leftover federal dollars. By vetoing those lines, Gordon would have had control over all unassigned funds until the federal deadline on Dec. 31, 2024. These dates restrict my authority to expend funds on emergency programs, and take away flexibility and adaptability, which is especially important given the ongoing economic hardships caused by the pandemic, Gordon said in his veto letter. Now is not the time for the Legislature to tie the hands of the Executive to respond to the needs of our citizens. Please do not confuse my use of my line-item authority for a plan to spend recklessly. In the almost nine months when I had the flexibility and authority to spend American Rescue Plan Act dollars, I did that judiciously and in line with my commitment to and partnership with the Legislature. Thus, the limitations of this section are unnecessary. Lawmakers were unconvinced, and the constraints will remain. Prior to the session, Gordon used his control over the funds to launch the $27 million Wyoming Innovation Partnership which aims to diversify and expand Wyomings economy and workforce without the Legislative branch. Another Gordon veto would have given him control over an additional $50 million, but the Legislature once again overrode him. That money was aimed at addressing possible future waves of COVID-19, but Gordons veto made it a general appropriation to the governors office. After all is said and done, tall guardrails remain around the governors spending abilities. But without the Legislatures veto overrides Friday afternoon, Gordon could have $122 million in unobligated federal money under his control. The governor would have stoill been restricted by the guidelines laid out in the federal relief bill, but those constraints arent tied too tight. Lawmakers on the Joint Appropriations Committee the committee that sponsored Senate File 98 and the budget bill viewed the governors actions as the classic tug of war between the different branches of government. Its the healthy tension that exists between the executive and the legislative branch, said Appropriations Committee Chairman Sen. Drew Perkins, R-Casper. Its always going to be there. If Gordon had ended up with $122 million, its unclear how it would have been used. He doesnt share specific intentions for the money, said Michael Pearlman, director of communications for the governors office. The Legislature is responsible for appropriations and sometimes those appropriations can be overly prescriptive. Members of the legislative branch see it differently. Rep. Clark Stith, R-Rock Springs, and Rep. Tom Walters, R-Casper, both members of the Appropriations Committee, believe that it is the Legislatures job, and not the governors, to determine how money can and cant be spent. Walters added that the restrictions on Gordons spending laid out in Senate File 98 are not harsh at all. Unlike previous federal aid programs in response to the pandemic, the ARPA money does not have a tight deadline: States must allocate the money by Dec. 31, 2024, and spend it by Dec. 31, 2026. Follow state politics reporter Victoria Eavis on Twitter @Victoria_Eavis Love 0 Funny 1 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Gov. Mark Gordon has signed an executive order ending the states COVID-19 public health emergency, his office announced Monday. At the same time, Gordon signed a second order that his office said will allow working nurses time to get licensed in the state. Wyoming has done a wonderful job in persevering through the pandemic, he said in a statement. The emergency is over, but peoples responsibility to one another is not. There is one lingering concern Wyomings shortage of healthcare workers, he continued. This shortage includes nurses, and has existed long-before COVID and was only exacerbated by the pandemic. His order pertaining to nurse staffing went into effect Monday and will remain so for 60 days. 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 a spike caused by the omicron variant, COVID-19 has been on the decline in Wyoming. On Sunday, the states hospitals were treating 23 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 40. Gordons announcement was not a surprise. He said last month that the public health emergency would run out in mid-March. That earlier announcement said that the majority of Wyomingites will not be impacted by the end of the states public health emergency (the states declaration covers different areas from its national counterpart, which is still in effect). Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 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 POINT Fortin man and his teenage son were among four people detained yesterday by residents of Beach Road, Fullerton Village, Cedros, who fought back against cable theft on their street. The suspects, of Techier Village, Mahaica, were blocked by villagers from leaving the street and nabbed in the bushes as they attempted an escape. South Africa: Pay your power bill: Eskom State owned power utility Eskom is calling on all customers whether business, government or the general public to pay their electricity bills. This after the power utility won a legal battle against the Letsemeng Local Municipality in which the local government institution was instructed to pay its R41 million electricity bill. The SCA [Supreme Court of Appeal] made it clear that the fact that a municipality raises a disputeas a defence or claims that it is unable to pay does not absolve it of its legal obligations to pay Eskom for the bulk electricity it receives. The SCA has authoritatively made it clear that there is no legal basis for delinquent municipalities failure to pay Eskom. Eskom welcomes the decision and assures the public that it will continue with its efforts to recover the debt owed by delinquent municipalities, the energy supplier said. Eskom said the decision by the SCA is ground breaking in light of the R44 billion in total owed to the cash strapped power utility. Eskoms attempts to recover the debt have often been frustrated by conflicting high court judgments - some of which have been used by delinquent municipalities as justification for their failure to meet their obligations to Eskom. In this ground breaking judgement on the issue of municipal debt, the SCA laid down clear legal principles which uphold Eskoms right to receive payment for the bulk electricity it suppliers to municipalities. The appeal was instituted by Eskom against the decision of the Free State High Court which had earlier dismissed Eskoms application which sought to compel the municipality to pay for the bulk electricity received from Eskom, the power utility said. Meanwhile, Eskom has called for patience after customers in at least three districts in the Eastern Cape continue to live with electricity blackouts. Parts of the Amathole, OR Tambo and Chris Hani districts in the province have been battling power outages as a result of inclement weather in that part of the country. Eskom has experienced network setbacks as more storms made landfall in some parts of the Eastern Cape last weekend leaving numerous customers without electricity supply. Eskom technicians are working hard to ensure complete restoration of power supply, the power utility said. The area has been beset with power failures for the past three months with heavy rainfall, strong winds and thunderstorms battering the province. The energy supplier explained the persistent rains are a risk to technicians working on the ground and Eskom infrastructure. Inclement weather puts the Eskom network at risk and can affect the electricity supply for customers, potentially leaving customers with prolonged periods without electricity. Eskom urges customers to be patient and follow the channels made available to log faultsand to treat all electrical appliances as live at this time, Eskom said. SAnews.gov.za This story has been published on: 2022-03-15. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. UN chief calls for efforts to promote gender equality, women's rights Xinhua) 08:22, March 15, 2022 UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres addresses the opening of the 66th session of the Commission on the Status of Women at the UN Headquarters in New York on March 14, 2022. Guterres said Monday that gender equality and women's rights must be at the heart of a renewed social contract that is fit for today's societies and economies. (Eskinder Debebe/UN Photo/Handout via Xinhua) UNITED NATIONS, March 14 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Monday that gender equality and women's rights must be at the heart of a renewed social contract that is fit for today's societies and economies. He made the appeal at the opening of the 66th session of the Commission on the Status of Women. This year's priority theme is "achieving gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls in the context of climate change, environmental and disaster risk reduction policies and programs." The unprecedented emergencies of the climate crisis, pollution, desertification and biodiversity loss, coupled with the COVID-19 pandemic, and the impact of new and ongoing conflicts, have accelerated and intensified into widespread and interlinked crises that affect all people. But women and girls face the greatest threats and the deepest harm, said Guterres. Gender discrimination means just a tiny proportion of landowners and leaders are women. Women's needs and interests are often ignored and pushed aside in policies and decisions about land use, pollution, conservation and climate action, he said. Just one-third of decision-making roles under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, the Kyoto Protocol and the Paris Agreement are occupied by women. And only 15 percent of environment ministers are women, he noted. Around the world, only one-third of 192 national energy frameworks include gender considerations. And gender considerations are rarely taken into account in climate financing, he added. "This demonstrates once more that we live in a male-dominated world with a male-dominated culture. We are still living with the results of millennia of patriarchy that excludes women and prevents their voices from being heard," he said. "We cannot realize any of our goals without the contributions of all. This is why everyone, including men and boys, should be working for women's rights and gender equality." The Paris Agreement is essential to the rights of women and girls. Addressing biodiversity loss, land degradation and pollution is vital to creating lives of dignity for all on a healthy planet. But the goals will not be met without women's full and equal participation and leadership, he said. "Gender equality and women's rights must be at the heart of a renewed social contract that is fit for today's societies and economies. We are seeing a pushback on women's rights. We must push back on the pushback," he said. Women's equal leadership and participation are vital to creating peaceful, resilient communities and societies. The perilous state of peace in today's world cannot be separated from long-standing structures of patriarchy and exclusion, he said. "The climate and environmental crises, coupled with the ongoing economic and social fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic, are the defining issues of our time. Our collective response will chart our course for decades to come. To forge the sustainable future we need, women and girls must be front and center, leading the way," said Guterres. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres (at the podium and on screens) addresses the opening of the 66th session of the Commission on the Status of Women at the UN Headquarters in New York on March 14, 2022. Guterres said Monday that gender equality and women's rights must be at the heart of a renewed social contract that is fit for today's societies and economies. (Eskinder Debebe/UN Photo/Handout via Xinhua) (Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Liang Jun) Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (L) welcomes visiting German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Ankara, Turkey, March 14, 2022. Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday said his country has to maintain close ties with both Kiev and Moscow. He made the remarks while responding to a question as to whether Turkey will comply with international sanctions against Russia at a joint press conference here with visiting German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. (Photo by Mustafa Kaya/Xinhua) ANKARA, March 14 (Xinhua) -- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday said his country has to maintain close ties with both Kiev and Moscow. He made the remarks while responding to a question as to whether Turkey will comply with international sanctions against Russia at a joint press conference here with visiting German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. Turkey has to maintain friendship with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin, Erdogan said, adding "as for the sanctions issue, we did what was necessary so far within the framework of UN rules." "Despite Russia, we made for Ukraine what the NATO countries could not do," Erdogan said. For his part, Scholz said Turkey and Germany have common concerns regarding the Ukraine crisis and agree on the necessity for a ceasefire. Stressing further efforts to develop economic relations, and in particular advance energy cooperation, with Turkey, Scholz said that Germany aims to free itself from the dependency on Russian energy and gradually create the necessary sovereignty for its own decisions, thus cooperation with Turkey is possible. Scholz arrived in Turkey on Monday for his first official visit since he took office. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (R) welcomes visiting German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Ankara, Turkey, March 14, 2022. Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday said his country has to maintain close ties with both Kiev and Moscow. He made the remarks while responding to a question as to whether Turkey will comply with international sanctions against Russia at a joint press conference here with visiting German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. (Photo by Mustafa Kaya/Xinhua) Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (R) and visiting German Chancellor Olaf Scholz attend a joint press conference in Ankara, Turkey, March 14, 2022. Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday said his country has to maintain close ties with both Kiev and Moscow. He made the remarks while responding to a question as to whether Turkey will comply with international sanctions against Russia at a joint press conference here with visiting German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. (Photo by Mustafa Kaya/Xinhua) 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. A shooting Saturday that left a 17-year-old dead and and a deputy seriously injured started when a 911 caller Saturday evening said, I want to kill all of you. I have scissors, officials said on Monday evening. The incident happened just after 6:30 p.m. when a male called 911 making several threats, according to a narrative provided by the Pima County Regional Critical Incident Team. A few minutes later, Deputy Eduardo Toral was the first to arrive on the scene, a neighborhood in the 3900 block of South Rocky Peak Court, near West Ajo Way and South Kinney Road. When he got there the teen threw a rock at Torals patrol vehicle. Toral stopped in the street and yelled at the teen repeatedly to show what he was carrying. The teen then attacked with a pair of scissors through the open window of his patrol vehicle, stabbing Toral several times. Deputy Taylor Dunn arrived during the attack and shot the teen, Zakareya Ibrahim, who died at the scene. Dunn was not hurt. Deputy Toral was taken to a hospital with severe injuries to his spinal cord, face and shoulder. The shooting is the first case being handled by a multi-agency task force that was formed to increase transparency into just such incidents. With the task force overseeing the case, the criminal investigation into whether any laws were broken will be handled by one of the other nine departments in the team. Those agencies are: PCSD, Tucson Police Department, Oro Valley Police Department, Marana Police Department, Sahuarita Police Department, the University of Arizona Police Department, Pima Community College Police Department, the Pascua Yaqui Nation and the South Tucson Police Department. The Tucson Police Department is leading the investigation into Saturdays incident, but investigators from other agencies could be called in to help. Additionally, the Sheriffs Department will handle its own administrative investigation to determine if officers violated department rules or policies. During a recent news conference to announce the joint partnership, Sheriff Chris Nanos framed the task forces eventual mission as being apart of a national movement toward greater public transparency. This is something being done across the nation, and we decided were going to do it now, Nanos said at a news conference. Transparency is really just that. It talks about our openness and our willingness to be honest with not just those that work within our organizations, but those we serve, particularly our community. Edward Celaya is a breaking news and marijuana reporter. He has been on both beats since May 2021. Subscribe to stay connected to Tucson. A subscription helps you access more of the local stories that keep you connected to the community. Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. PHOENIX The states top elected Republican says he believes the lawsuit filed by his political party to quash early voting is ill-conceived. It would undo the work of many Republican governors and secretaries of state over the past several decades, Gov. Doug Ducey told reporters on Tuesday. And the governor said the lawsuit filed by the Arizona Republican Party and one of its members with the Supreme Court is poorly crafted. The governors position aligns him with Democratic secretary of state, who also is defending the practice and legality of early voting and already has asked the justices to throw out the challenge. By contrast, Republican Attorney General Mark Brnovich, who is running for U.S. Senate, declined to take a position on whether the GOP lawsuit has any merit. Instead, he said the challenge should be thrown out for procedural reasons. Duceys comments come as the Arizona Democratic Party and two of its national organizations have sought permission from the justices to intervene to defend the current laws against the legal attack by the Republicans. But that is getting a chilly response from Hobbs who, while she is a Democrat, told the high court they bring nothing new to the case and, in fact, could ultimately delay the resolution. Meanwhile, the Coconino County Board of Supervisors has submitted its own friend of the court legal arguments telling the justices they cant simply decide the issue on academic legal arguments. County Attorney William Ring said they have to consider the rights of those who could lose their right to cast early ballots. This court must justly consider whether action upon the petition (by the Arizona Republican Party) can or will so interfere as to prevent the free exercise of the right of suffrage, he told the court. And that, Ring wrote, means the justices have to consider the facts that measure and gauge the personal impact upon the content of individual expectations that are assured by (the Arizona Constitution). In filing suit, Alexander Kolodin, representing the state GOP, contends there is nothing in the Arizona Constitution that allows for voting other than on Election Day and other than at polling places. But GOP gubernatorial hopeful Kari Lake, in her own friend-of-the court filing, has a different take on what the state constitution requires or allows. Absent an actual reason why the voter cannot vote at the polls, voting occurs at the polls on Election Day, not Election Month, wrote Tim La Sota, her attorney. And a reason does not include that the able-bodied, physically present voters simply does not want to take the minimally burdensome step of presenting him or herself at a polling place on Election Day. And Lake said that early voting can lead to the kind of gamesmanship she said occurred in Wisconsin, where Joe Biden outpolled Donald Trump by 20,682 votes. In filing suit, Alexander Kolodin, representing the state GOP, contends there is nothing in the Arizona Constitution that allows for voting other than on Election Day and other than at polling places. Yet lawmakers have been allowing for some form of absentee voting since 1918. And he big change came in 1991 when the Legislature approved and Republican Gov. Fife Symington signed the current law allowing anyone to request an early ballot without needing an excuse. But Kolodin told the justices the lack of specific constitutional authority, coupled with what he said is language about casting ballots for initiatives at polling places, makes all that legally irrelevant. Ducey, for his part, isnt buying the argument Im certain the way its written its destined to fail, he said. The court has not yet set a date to hear arguments. But attorney Roopali Desai, who represents Hobbs, told the justices she wants to keep the issue simple. And, that, Desai said, means not letting others formally intervene, including state and national Democratic parties. The secretary is preserving Arizonans right to vote and defending Arizonas early voting system against petitioners baseless challenges, she wrote. At bottom, inserting more defendants into this action to assert duplicative defenses if unnecessary and inefficient, Desai told the court, saying that allowing the Democrats into the case could unduly delay or prejudice getting it resolved, suggesting they instead are free to file their own friend-of-the-court brief. On Twitter: @azcapmedia Subscribe to stay connected to Tucson. A subscription helps you access more of the local stories that keep you connected to the community. 4320 N. Campbell Ave., #43 520-389-8926 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Mondays through Fridays and from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. Baked goods from muffins and danish to scones and cinnamon rolls that are used in Ren Coffeehouse nearby, and of course, espresso. HELSINKI, March 15 (Xinhua) -- Some European countries have seen a rising number of COVID-19 infections again after further relaxations of pandemic restrictions. More experts warned of severe consequences if giving up all restrictions too early, especially with the spread of a more transmissible subvariant of omicron. FURTHER RELAXATION On Tuesday, Dutch Health Minister Ernst Kuiper announced that the government would further scale down COVID-19 rules from next Wednesday. The mask obligation in public transport will disappear. The advice to work from home will be canceled. A negative test is no longer required at events with more than 500 participants. In Britain, from 4 a.m. local time the coming Friday, all COVID-19 travel restrictions will be lifted, including the passenger locator form for arrivals into the country, as well as all tests for passengers who do not qualify as vaccinated. France has also proceeded to lift restrictions on the mandatory vaccine pass and masks in indoor areas on March 14. On March 9, the Austrian government suspended its sweeping compulsory vaccination mandate, which has been in effect since early February. The Alpine country lifted most of its COVID-19 restrictions from March 5, scrapping entry requirements such as vaccination, recovery from the virus, or a negative test result, for most places. The Spanish Ministry of Health has informed that it will now update the number of new COVID-19 cases and deaths twice a week instead of every weekday. Germany could see the removal of most COVID-19 protection measures from March 20. People will only be required to wear masks in hospitals, care facilities, and public transport. RISING INFECTION The coronavirus infections are rising in all four UK regions for the first time since the end of January, with Scotland already reporting record-high infection data, according to the latest estimates from the Office for National Statistics. Official figures on Tuesday showed Britain added 492,103 COVID-19 cases and 714 deaths over the last seven days. In early March, infection numbers have surged in Austria since the further easing of COVID-19 restrictions. On March 10, the country reported 49,432 COVID-19 infections in the previous 24 hours, a new daily record since the pandemic outbreak. Austrian media reported that the high infection numbers had caused severe teacher shortages in schools. In the Netherlands, over the past week, the number of people admitted to the hospital rose sharply by 14 percent, and the number of patients in the ICU also increased by 6 percent. The number of infections remained high in the country. The National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) reported on Tuesday that for the past seven days, 429,252 new positive tests came in. TOO EARLY? Krunoslav Capak, director of the Croatian Institute of Public Health, said that the new BA.2 variant, a subvariant of the Omicron virus, was spreading faster in Western European countries. With the arrival of warmer weather and the fall of new cases, people relaxed, thinking that the epidemic was over, he added. "That is not correct. The virus is still here, and the numbers are still high. We need to be careful and think that the virus is still among us and can be dangerous again," Capak said. Therefore, "everyone still needs to adhere to epidemiological measures." Ahmad Hamwi, an Austrian physician, said he shares the same view with many experts that lifting COVID-19 restrictions in Austria is too early. He advised mandatory mask-wearing indoors and efforts to further boost the vaccination rate. According to Dutch experts, it is not yet clear whether the peak has already been reached. They cautioned that a further relaxation of the rules might cause a continued increase of positive cases, and the health system will come under intensified pressure as a result. "Experts are skeptical about when the pandemic will end. Historically, each pandemic has a different outcome, and it is noted that many more chapters remain to be written in the book of the COVID pandemic," said Maria Theodoridou, president of the National Vaccination Committee of Greece, on Monday. PHOENIX State senators voted Monday to enact specific new requirements for what schools and teachers have to make available to parents. As approved on a 16-13 party-line margin, SB 1211 requires a listing of all materials and activities for student instruction. This ranges from textbooks and digital materials, to online applications and school assemblies and guest lectures. This will not be a hardship on teachers as they need post only the titles and information within seven days, said Sen. Paul Boyer, R-Glendale. Separately, the bill requires school districts and charter schools to provide information on their websites for parents to get advance access for review of current learning materials and activities being used in class. And the materials would have to be organized, at a minimum, by subject, grade and teacher. It also would need to be displayed in electronic formats that can be searched or sorted. All the Democrats on the Senate floor voted against the measure. I am 100% in favor of transparency and parental involvement, said Sen. Christine Marsh, D-Phoenix. I know firsthand that open communication between parents and teachers allows for better instruction and adaptability for the students, she said. But there are other ways to facilitate that without this particular bill which will have unintended consequences on both students and on teachers. Marsh said the additional requirements will create more work for teachers that ultimately will result in them being able to spend less time with their students. Theyre going to be busy loading thousands of points of data online every week or two, she said. But Boyer called SB 1211 one of the most important, if not the most important bill of the session. And Boyer, who said he is returning to full-time teaching next year, brushed aside the concern about the additional workload. Its painless, he said. As teachers, were always submitting lesson plans every single week, Boyer said. Its so simple teachers can just upload to a Google Doc or a Word Doc, just the titles of whatever it is. And theres something else, he said, that makes this a good idea. Some of you know that parents, not all of them, but some of them do distrust their school districts, Boyer said. This bill helps to alleviate that. He also said actually will help teachers, enabling them to see what others in the field are doing. Maybe, just maybe, I can apply some of the same kind of teaching materials in my classroom, Boyer said. But Sen. Tyler Pace, R-Mesa, questioned whether whats in the bill is workable, particularly at the elementary school level. For example, he said his son is in the third grade where they give him his choice of what to read from perhaps a thousand books. Which one of those thousand books is required reading? Pace asked, and has to be listed online. Still, Pace voted for the measure, saying he hopes there are changes when the measure is considered by the House where it now goes. Sen. Michelle Ugenti-Rita, R-Scottsdale, also voted with all the Republicans to approve the measure. But she questioned whether this was little more than window dressing to look as though we are doing something to deal with a deeper problem. Putting up loads and loads and loads of information isnt really going to solve the problem that we have in K-12, Ugenti-Rita said. We have a leadership problem in K-12, she continued. We have a problem with teacher unions. We have a problem with board members who sit on school boards who are elected in non-partisan races and nobody knows who they are. In fact, Ugenti-Rita proposed legislation this session to require board candidates to list their political affiliations, only to have it defeated. This will leave parents with the impression that something is done when nothing is done, she complained. Instead, Ugenti-Rita said, SB 1211 will add a lot of busy work for teachers. The measure outlines enforcement procedures, including requiring a response from the school principal to a complaint with 15 days and then, if the parent is not satisfied, gives the governing board another 25 days. It also spells out that parents can pursue legal action, as can the state school superintendent, the auditor general, the attorney general or the county attorney. Not everything that teachers would have to post would come afterwards. The measure spells out that materials on certain subjects actually have to be put on display at least 72 hours before first use. These include issues of discrimination and diversity and bias based on race, ethnicity, sex or gender. Also covered by this 72-hour rule is action-oriented civics, defined as assignments or projects that require students to contact elected officials or other outside entities, whether to advocate for a political or social cause or to participate in political or social demonstrations. 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 . Subscribe to stay connected to Tucson. A subscription helps you access more of the local stories that keep you connected to the community. PHOENIX Arizona lawmakers are not going to give business owners the right to kill vandals who damage or deface their property. But the reason for that decision is less than clear. Only 13 of the 16 Senate Republicans voted in support Monday for SB 1650. The proposal by Sen. Michelle Ugenti-Rita sought to expand the ability of not just business owners but their employees to use deadly force beyond saving lives or stopping rapes to criminal damage if the perpetrator also was armed with a deadly weapon or dangerous instrument. And that latter category, it was pointed out, could include anything that, depending on how it is used, is readily capable of causing death or serious injury, something that lawmakers debated in committee could include a block of wood or even a pen. Mondays vote was a surprise as it reflected what appears to have been a change of heart by Sen. Sonny Borrelli, R-Lake Havasu City. In committee, Borrelli said he sees the issue through the eyes of business owners who, unless they act, could see their entire livelihoods destroyed. He even recalled the 1992 Los Angeles riots that occurred in the wake of police being acquitted in the beating of Rodney King. By Monday, though, Borrelli was telling a different story. I can understand you use force to save your life, of your friends, your family or another person, he said. Any kind of reasonable force I will stand for, will stand with. But this, Borrelli said, is different. He noted that the crime of committing criminal damage is a Class 3 felony. It carries a presumptive prison term of 3.5 years. You can replace property, Borrelli said. You cant replace life, he continued. This bill is a little on the extreme side. Borrelli said he had hoped that Ugenti-Rita would have watered down the measure. She did not. But Ugenti-Rita told Capitol Media Services after the defeat that she sees something quite different in his vote. I think he was retaliating because I voted against his bill, she said. That refers to SB 1457 which dealt with security issues for voting machines. It came up two votes short on Monday as Ugenti-Rita and Sen. Paul Boyer, R-Glendale, joined with Democrats to vote against it. Borrelli, for his part, said that has nothing to do with it. Its not spite, he told Capitol Media Services. But he declined to answer other questions including why his views reversed in the six weeks between the time he supported it in the Senate Judiciary Committee and when it came for a final vote Monday. Ugenti-Rita also lashed out at Senate President Karen Fann, R-Prescott. She said Fann knew that she was two votes shy of the majority 16 she needed, but chose to schedule a vote anyway. Fann, however, said there was nothing sinister about that, pointing out that she had delayed a final vote before. And the Senate president said she was trying to get final votes on all Senate measures by Monday so they could go to the House. We needed to keep moving, Fann said. 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 . Subscribe to stay connected to Tucson. A subscription helps you access more of the local stories that keep you connected to the community. Ukraine and how it will end The only way NATO and the USA could get complete support from NATO and USA populations was to promise that none of these nations would be compelled to send military forces against Russia. What we will see as an outcome will be either Ukraine with eastern borders pushed back/expanded to the borders at the end of WWII and controlled by Russia, or real war waged until one side is defeated in combat. It cannot end any other way. Michael Nichols Southeast side Rosemont recharge of CAP water Re: the Jan. 8 article Rosemont given OK to store CAP water. Be a good neighbor, Tucson. Since the CAP Boards approval of Rosemont Coppers 10-year water storage agreement, the mayor and council have shown its opposition to having Hudbay voluntarily recharge approximately 1,250 acre-feet of their allocation of CAP water in the lower basin. I believe their disdain for Rosemont Copper is blinding their vision of good water policy for the future. The CAP board recognized recharging at this location is good water management and helps our neighbors to the south, Sahuarita and Green Valley Hudbay continues to follow through on their agreement to build the water lines that will allow our friends to the south to have direct access to the CAP in the future regardless of the status of the Rosemont projects. There is roughly 7,000 acre-feet of recharge capacity in the lower basin recharge facility. Its time the city officials act as good neighbors and either utilize the lower basin for recharge or let Hudbay do it. Rick Grinnell, co-founder of Southern Arizona Business Coalition East side COVID-19 and the Spanish flu It was announced recently that worldwide deaths from COVID-19 have exceeded 6 million. Every single death is a tragedy, but I would like to compare these deaths with the Spanish flu of 1918. There were no official figures documenting the exact number of worldwide deaths, but the estimates are from 20 million to 50 million. The population of the world in 1918, at 1.8 billion, was about one-fourth of what it is now this equates to 80 million to 200 million current deaths. I believe 100 years from now, the Spanish flu will be remembered for the number of deaths, but COVID-19 will be remembered only for the political and dysfunctional way it was handled. Douglas R. Holm East side Asylum seekers before homeless What if the county supported the homeless as much as they do the asylum seekers? What if we used the $7.9 million the county spent on migrants since 2021 for our own citizens? Here is just one idea: Using Pima County-owned land, we could have built a great campground for our homeless. It could have had overhead solar for shade and electricity. We could have built restrooms, bathing and laundry facilities. This campground could have been a wonderful steppingstone for many of those fighting for survival. $7.9 million isnt a huge amount of money, but it could have been a start of something that helped a number of people to get back on their feet. I wonder why we prioritize one group over the other. John Calloway East side Ukraine in NATO is a red herring Re: the March 9 letter Ukraine joining NATO. The writer, as a few previous contributors, seems to feel Russias concerns about Ukraine potentially becoming a NATO partner provide some level of justification for proactive defensive actions. Based upon Putins obvious disregard for truth and his previous Crimea annexation, methinks more is at play. He has two NATO members (Estonia and Latvia) already bordering his country, but apparently of no concern. Making the Ukraine part of the motherland will only up that by four more in Romania, Slovakia, Hungary and Poland. The simple fact is he knows Ukraine is a economic crown jewel and key to further incursions. The NATO treaty became a necessity with Russias blatant territorial expansionism displayed in Czechoslovakia and Berlin following WWII. If Putin really wants to be free from NATO presence he should not emulate his Soviet predecessors and stick to bare chested horseback riding. Tom Hansen North side Russian letter Z must be zapped In Russia, the Z is fast becoming seen as a staunchly pro-war symbol of President Putins invasion of Ukraine. It has been sported by politicians, seen on the sides of cars, vans and bus shelters. Recently, Russian gymnast Ivan Kuliak is facing disciplinary proceedings by the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) for displaying the letter Z on his singlet at the podium next to a Ukrainian rival in Qatar. What Ukraine and the rest of the world view the Russian Z as, zealot for Putin and zorino for the lies and misinformation he spreads to his people and the rest of the world. In reality, Putin is less than zero. Ukraine and the world need to zap the Russian Z along with Putin and his army. Max LaPlante Southeast side Punishing Putin at the pump Remembering the horror and anguish I felt when that apartment building collapsed in Florida, killing hundreds under falling rubble, I feel avenging anger toward the psychopath commander of Russias army as he orders them to blow up dozens of apartment buildings in Ukraine, every night. President Biden is now leading the world to block Russias largest source of income by ending the purchase of Russias oil. That raises the price of oil, but Im willing to pay more for gasoline because it punishes Putin. We must assure, however, that those higher gasoline prices do not bestow higher profits on gas and oil companies. Those profits must be taxed, and the money must be used to supply Ukraine with all the resources they need to punch out Putins army. Lets punish Putin at the pump to punch out Putins army! Bruce Joffe South Tucson Reject all lies Re: the March 9 letter Lies of Russia. The letter talked about Putins egregious lies being told to the Russian people about the Ukraine invasion and war. It ended saying that Americans should be sure not to fall for these lies from Russia or any other country. A very large number of Americans bought, swallowed and still embrace the lies of Donald Trump, including The Big Lie that the election was stolen. Serial liars Putin and Trump both count on, and prey on, people who dont question the lies. The difference is that here in America, the truth is readily available for those who desire it and believe that truth matters. Deb Klumpp Oro Valley Oil and gas drilling I cant believe how the Republicans keep blaming Biden for the lack of oil and gas to get us through the Russian embargo. If people would check, there are about 9,000 gas and oil permits that have been issued but not used. I think the companies that own these permits could have been producing enough oil and gas to get us through these times. These permits have been issued by the Biden Administration and the previous administration as well. This is the perfect time to expand our renewable energy sources so we dont have to depend on the likes of Putin, Saudi Arabia, Iran and Venezuela. Neil Norton Oro Valley Energy alternatives Re: the March 10 letter America must produce more oil. As I read this letter I reflected on how Ive been thinking just the opposite. Banning the import of oil from Russia could be an incentive to increase our production of alternative forms of energy. Juxtaposing Thursdays letter was the Opinion page cartoon of a burning house representing climate change with a nonchalant couple, lounging in the front yard, saying I suppose somebody should maybe do something about that eventually. Is it going to raise gas prices to ban Russian oil? Of course. Is it going to cost a lot to combat climate change? Yes. Will the cost in lives and destruction of our planet be even higher without those efforts? Absolutely! Sister Karen Berry Midtown Sinema is stateswoman I did not vote for Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, but I will next time. She is a principled, honest stateswoman. She votes for what she thinks is the best for this country, and I admire her. Sen. Mark Kelly is the direct opposite. He votes a straight party-line vote for the Democrat agenda. Mark Kendall Marana Subscribe to stay connected to Tucson. A subscription helps you access more of the local stories that keep you connected to the community. Local poetry enthusiasts will have the opportunity to work on their own poetry while basking in the beauty of the scenic Saguaro National Park during a series of free workshops coming to Tucson next month. The Poetry in the Parks tour is making its first-ever stop in Saguaro National Park East on the mornings of Saturday, April 16 and Sunday, April 17. The two-day event is hosted by poet Jodie Hollander, a professional poet of 10 years and author of My Dark Horses. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, the three-hour workshops are limited to 10 participants per day in Saguaro National Park. Spots are reserved on a first-come, first-served basis. Other stops on the Arizona Poetry in the Parks workshop tour include Casa Grande Ruins National Monument, Montezuma Well National Monument and Walnut Canyon National Monument. We were really, really happy to have Saguaro (National Park) as part of this tour, Hollander said. It started off in Flagstaff and then it just sort of expanded across the state. And the hope is that each year will expand a little bit more. We spoke to the Grand Canyon and they're possibly interested in joining in in the future. So we're hoping to turn it into like a statewide poetry tour each year during National Poetry Month (in April). The first Poetry in the Parks event was held in 2019 in Flagstaff while Hollander was the poet in residence at the Museum of Northern Arizona. The first event was so successful that the Flagstaff National Monument Chief of Interpretation thought it would be a great idea to expand the tour to more places in Arizona, Hollander said. As Hollander planned and finalized the program for 2020, COVID-19 struck and delayed the workshop tour until this year. Register for more free articles. Log in Sign up I have been wanting to get this thing off the ground for two years now, Hollander said. And, you know, with COVID restrictions constantly fluctuating, we weren't even sure until a few weeks ago whether we were going to be able to do this in 2022. So when we got the green light, I was just elated. The theme at this years Poetry in the Parks is Writing the Saguaro, which is an open-ended theme that allows participants to reflect on their inner or outer landscape, according to Hollander, who added that for her, an inner landscape is what's happening within a person's psychology in their own mind and their own body. Each workshop involves studying poetry, including line breaks, musicality, telling details and elements that work in poetry. After the study session, participants can work on their poems and workshop them with an optional sharing segment at the end of the event for those who would like to receive feedback on their work. I found in my past experience that usually it's just a matter of getting people in the door to try it (poetry), Hollander said. And once they try it, they love it. But for some reason, the word poetry sometimes scares people, but maybe less in Tucson, because there's a strong poetry culture there. Hollander previously lived in Flagstaff part-time before her move to Fort Collins, Colorado and says that she is most looking forward to seeing all of the cacti at Saguaro National Park during her first visit to Tucson. She called the Poetry in the Parks event a dream come true for her. I would love to generate more excitement about poetry, you know, especially in Arizona, she said. Not that there's a dearth of poetry but my goal is always to show people what poetry can do for them and what it can do for others and to just sort of bring more excitement and enthusiasm around poetry if possible. To RSVP for the Saguaro National Park Poetry in the Parks event, email National Park Service Interpretive Ranger Erich Koenig at Erich_Koenig@nps.gov. Two Owasso students were recently awarded $1,000 scholarships presented by the Oklahoma Farm Bureau Young Farmers and Ranchers Committee. Brooke Costello and Kara Kitch, both seniors at Owasso High School, were among nine statewide recipients of this years initiative. The YF&R scholarship program is an exciting way to invest in the newest generation of agriculturalists in our industry, said Brittany Hukill, OKFB YF&R chair. The nine scholarship recipients, one from each OKFB district, have a wide variety of career aspirations, and have chosen degrees across the agriculture industry including agricultural business, education, animal sciences, agricultural engineering and agricultural communications. Both Owasso students plan to attend Oklahoma State University, with Costello pursuing a degree in animal science, and Kitch taking up agricultural communications. Our committee looks forward to seeing how each of these students uses this investment to grow in agriculture and represent our state well in their careers, Hukill said. Its not likely that COVID-19 will be a distant memory for a while yet, but as infections and hospitalizations continue to decline, state and local health and government officials are beginning to moderate their responses to the pandemic, both in the precautions they're urging and the data they're dispersing. For Sand Springs City Manager Mike Carter, that means an easing of concern about masks and public gatherings. For state health officials as well as for Carter it means a little less number-crunching. The Oklahoma State Department of Health said last week that it has begun to move toward the endemic phase of the pandemic, and that includes gradual changes in data reporting.The Health Department has discontinued its daily situation updates as well as its weekly community data report. Instead, the department will release data each Thursday via a report that will provide an average based on weekly accumulations. A box with that data for this week is included with this story. As a result, a weekly community data report that Sand Springs City Manager Mike Carter has been compiling will no longer be distributed. Adjusting data reporting will be an evolving process that ensures we are monitoring key data in Oklahoma and across the country to best prepare for possible surges, said Keith Reed, interim state health commissioner. I want to reassure Oklahomans that we will continue to be vigilant when it comes to COVID-19 and the safety of all the communities we serve. The Health Department stated in a press release that the agency stands well equipped to battle future possible surges and if seen fit can bring back daily data reports. In what Carter hopes will be his final weekly COVID email to local officials, he wrote last Wednesday that if the state feels the need to return to weekly reporting in the future, we will also start our report again. Carters reaction to the state Health Departments news last week was a marked departure from his feelings in mid-November, when the agency announced that it would no longer release ZIP code and city-level data after it revamped its COVID-19 webpage. The department said then that the change was made to align more with the agencys standard way of reporting, which is at the county and state level. COVID infections were on the rise in nearly every municipality in the Tulsa metro area, however, and the loss of that community-level data alarmed local government officials and public health experts alike. Eight days after the reporting was halted and after pushback from journalists and municipal officials, including Carter the department did an about-face. Four months later, facing the same announcement by state health officials, Carter said Thursday afternoon, I think its a different situation now. I hope and believe that were coming to the end of this situation here, and I hope it stays this way. He said he was encouraged by the Health Departments reassurances that the reports would resume if conditions warrant. That tells me theyre going to keep watching it and can return to daily reports at any point if we have a surge or anything else, he said. The Health Department said last week that it became increasingly evident during the omicron surge that the daily case count number was many days delayed and at best only represented a portion of what we knew must be the true current case count numbers. Many factors contributed to that, including lags in laboratory reporting, at-home testing that did not get reported, asymptomatic cases and those who might have been sick but did not get tested, the department said. The agency said the change in data reporting will allow the department to focus on key metrics that more accurately represent the impact of disease in the community, such as hospitalizations. Although numbers on their own dont always make a great impact, for Carter, its what the community data spawned that really matters. I think its really the conversations weve had between the city, the schools and the other communities, and its helped us to really think about where we go with things, he said. I never think knowledge is a bad thing. That means Carter still plans to keep an eye on COVID, and he thinks residents should, too. I think the weekly report that theyre still going to do will be key, and also I think just situational awareness, he said. I didnt always need the report to tell me how things were going, he said, recalling that mentally going down a list of everyone he knew who was infected in a given week was sometimes all the data he needed to know how the community was faring. Carter said people should watch the trends in your own lives and take them seriously. And especially people with compromised immune systems should pay attention to vaccinations and boosters and stay on top of that, he said. Im not aware of anyone having any negative impacts from taking advantage of those. Carter is feeling similarly more relaxed about the necessity of mask use. Theres still room for mask usage, but I dont think theyre necessary as a daily wearer, he said. I think if you have somebody whos suspected (of having COVID) or if youre not feeling well, thats different. All along there have been times when it was more helpful and less helpful to wear a mask, he said. Although signs encouraging masks to be worn in all municipal facilities went up in August, when the city topped 200 infections, they were never required. We encourage people to wear masks if they feel they want to wear a mask or if theres a need to wear a mask, but we are not enforcing any mandates or requirements, Carter said Thursday. Masks also were encouraged at last years Herbal Affair & Festival the 2020 festival was canceled entirely but for this years event, slated for Saturday, April 16, we anticipate people will be able to attend as they want to attend, he said. And we think that is fine. Among Tulsa-area communities, Sand Springs has had perhaps more than its share of death and illness as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The March 2 community report showed that of the citys roughly 20,000 residents, one in every 163 people has died of COVID. The citys death toll was listed at 122. Nearly 8,200 residents more than 41% of the community have been infected with COVID-19. Still, Carter is hopeful and grateful hopeful that the worst is in the past and grateful that the city came through as well as it did. I am very thankful for the way our public has handled the pandemic the whole way through, he said. We havent had the negativity that some other places have had. Sand Springs has always been a place where we come together. Its been a hard two years, but it hasnt been as hard in Sand Springs as it has been in some other places. Concerned about COVID-19? Sign up now to get the most recent coronavirus headlines and other important local and national news sent to your email inbox daily. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Dear Dr. Fox: Thank you so much for your wisdom. Your words are a breath of fresh air in these dark times. Your activism and compassion are deeply appreciated. S.W., Tulsa, Oklahoma Dear S.W.: Your words of appreciation and support are welcome in these challenging times, where I see so much inhumanity, stupidity and selfishness causing harm on many fronts. One of the essays on my website (drfoxonehealth.com/post/a-reflection-on-animals-nature-and-the-human-condition) lays out some of the major issues we face, and their possible resolution. As Dr. Albert Schweitzer whose philosophy of reverence for life is the ethical, scientific and spiritual basis of the One Health movement said, Until he extends his circle of compassion to all living things, man will not himself find peace. Nor will we find health. Dear Dr. Fox: Headlines keep saying to slow climate change, but no one will admit that it is too late. Global climate change isnt coming; its here. But we continue to waste time talking about slowing the destruction when we should be making plans to survive the catastrophic changes. The Earth passed carrying capacity more than two decades ago. Starvation is a daily occurrence; wars are never-ending, always growing in size and destruction; diseases can circle the globe in less than 72 hours. Yet humankind continues its myopic belief that we can save the planet. It can be saved, but not by the puny plans of todays politicians and bureaucrats. The only thing that would heal the planet is the removal of half the human race. Time has run out, the deck is stacked against us and nature never loses. Nature abhors imbalance, and our planet has been severely damaged by the careless actions of humans over the centuries. A rebalancing through natural occurrences is nothing new, and if we paid attention to history, we would know that. Disasters like hurricanes, fires and floods reorder the natural state. Opportunistic diseases decimate populations in both the human and animal kingdoms. Nature will use every resource available to restore balance, and we are foolish to think we can tame it. This does not mean some dystopian Mad Max scenario, but it does mean a lot of pain and loss. The real test will be whether or not we can learn to temper our worst instincts and build a world where we live in close harmony with nature. If we persist in trying to fix climate change (and all the other problems we created) while hanging on to old-style governments and religious systems, it will never work. Humankinds Achilles heel is that we never learn from history, and are therefore doomed to repeat it. L.D.Y., Broken Arrow, Oklahoma Dear L.D.Y.: Many readers will find your synopsis of the human condition affirming of their worldview, while others will see it as a depressing, fatalistic diatribe against human progress. Others may contend that none of this has any place in a syndicated newspaper column by a veterinarian. But for some time, I have sought to use this column to expand peoples understanding of the connections between animal, human and environmental health. The animal, plant, microorganism and mineral kingdoms are interdependent and connected by the web of life that comprises the planetary biosphere. These kingdoms and their connections are endangered by the expanding, biosphere-disrupting and desecrating anthroposphere that modern industrial civilization has created. No man is an island. Many people, young and old, are aware of this, and suffer from what is now medically recognized as eco-anxiety. But there is hope. We can all do something, starting with learning about the scientific, medical, ethical, economic, social and political solutions that can be adopted for the common good. For some inspiring signs of international action advancing the concept and praxis of One Health, see this list of resources compiled by veterinarian Dr. Cheryl Stroud: onehealthcommission.org/en/resources__services/one_health_strategic_action_plans. We have surely reached the end of the beginning, and must now choose: Either evolve, or continue on the path of suffering, destruction and the extinction of the life and beauty of our planet. In particular, the individual egocentrism and collective anthropocentrism in religious traditions and political ideologies must be removed to help achieve a more eco-centric, empathetic way of life. Send all mail to animaldocfox@gmail.com or to Dr. Michael Fox in care of Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106. TAHLEQUAH Northeastern State Universitys annual Symposium on the American Indian, a weeklong celebration of Native culture and scholarship, will return for its 49th year starting April 4, the school announced. The free event, to conclude April 9, is hosted by NSUs Center for Tribal Studies. Two keynote speakers will appear virtually, but all other events will be held in person on campus, officials said. Sara Barnett, director of the Center on Tribal Studies, said this years theme is Fulfilling Our Ancestors Dreams and that the focus will be on celebrating the next generation of indigenous scholars and community leaders. Indigenous authors, lawyers, health care professionals, teachers, philosophers and leaders are using their education for the good of their families and their tribal communities, Barnett said. These emerging scholars and leaders are indeed standing on the shoulders of our ancestors, not taking for granted the sacrifices made in order for us to carry on our culture and the legacy of resilience. Keynote speakers will include Robin Zape-Tah-Hol-Ah Minthorn, director of indigenous education initiatives at the University of Washington Tacoma; Megan Red Shirt-Shaw of the University of South Dakota, founder of the Natives in America literary publication; and Corey Still, director of student programming and research for the American Indian Graduate Center in Albuquerque, New Mexico. A host of other speakers will also participate, sharing indigenous perspectives on topics such as art, STEM education and the judicial system in Indian Territory. Each of the presenting scholars brings with them their own experience, education and tribal histories and will address the areas of culture, language and philosophy in their presentations, Barnett said. Other highlights include a screening of the film The Thick Dark Fog and a Cherokee language teaching demonstration. The symposiums traditional concluding powwow will wrap up the event. For a complete schedule, go to nsuok.edu/symposium, call 918-444-4350 or email tribalstudies@nsuok.edu. <&rule> Featured video: Vice President Kamala Harris pledges investment in Native communities Want to see more like this? Get our local education coverage delivered directly to your inbox. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Legislation advancing in the Oklahoma Legislature would strip authority over school meals from the education department. The author of a bill voted through Senate on Tuesday said his interest is strictly about creating stronger links between federally funded child nutrition programs and local sources of nutritious foods, but the House author said pandemic-related concerns are also driving his legislation. The House author told us that some in the Legislature feel too much focus was put on making sure kids were fed during the pandemic and not on educating kids, said Carolyn Thompson, chief of government affairs and deputy chief of staff at the Oklahoma State Department of Education. House Bill 3432 would designate the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food, and Forestry as the state agency in charge of the National School Lunch Act instead of the state Department of Education (SDE). That measures author, Rep. Dell Kerbs, R-Shawnee, confirmed he sees the move as an opportunity to take something off of educations plate and hopefully move more schools away from heat and serve meal options. We think there were some challenges that could have been better handled (during the pandemic), Kerbs told the Tulsa World on Friday. The dissemination of that (school meal) process and the dissemination of educational products may have been out of balance in some districts. We know that is not an SDE issue. Thats a district-level issue. He added: Theyre doing their job the last thing we want is any child starving. But when they (schools) have these secondary things that they have to worry about, lets take something off of their plate and let them focus on education. 'Not because of anything negative' Senate Bill 1624 says it would grant the Board of Agriculture the authority to administer the National School Lunch Act. The author of that measure, Sen. Adam Pugh, R-Edmond, serves as chair of the Senate Education Committee, which approved the bill 7-1 on Feb. 22. The measure passed 30-14 in the Senate on March 15. For me that is not where this bill is coming from, Pugh said, referring to concerns Kerbs said numerous lawmakers have. Ive run a number of bills for food policy. This is about leveraging a lot of really good things that Ag already has at their disposal, not because of anything negative happening. I see this as better alignment of agency mission and of our services. What the goal is is health outcomes. Ive talked about (how) the way we eat and what we eat drives our health outcomes down. Both lawmakers said they would ensure the necessary data and accounting bureaucracy are installed at the Agriculture department with Kerbs estimating 1-2 years necessary before the administration of the feeding program is moved over. But state education officials say the legislation would create duplication within the states overall bureaucracy, because their department must still obtain child nutrition data for a host of purposes including calculating state aid funding, school accountability and accreditation, and the federal E-Rate Program that provides schools with discounted telecommunications services. 'More opportunity for challenges' Jennifer Weber, executive director of child nutrition at the state education department, said: Several school districts have just caught wind of this, and I cant answer when they ask what the issue is. The additional work it would cause us is ridiculous. Kerbs said the state would have to obtain a waiver from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to move its child nutrition program out of the state Department of Education, but he believes between 12-15 other states have obtained such waivers. Only in Texas, Florida, New Jersey, Nevada and Arkansas have school nutrition programs been divorced from state education agencies. Some of us feel theres more opportunities for farm-to-table or farm-to-school programs and outside-the-box thinking with child nutrition, Kerbs said. We want to go back to the church ladies who cook at the church are also cooking in the school cafeteria. Now, more so than ever, people really want to know where their food is coming from. Chris Bernard, executive director of Tulsa-based Hunger Free Oklahoma, said his organization remains politically neutral on the legislation. But even after reaching out to the lawmakers involved, he continues to have questions and concerns. Bottom line: Bernard doesnt see any need for the administration for school meal programs to move. Kids have to eat to learn, so school meals are just as important as the other things, he said. The state Department of Ed has prioritized these programs the last five years and made big strides in reaching kids in need. People think the quality of meals can get better, but thats a question for individual districts, not the state Department of Ed. Bernard believes it is true that the Ag Department, with adequate funding, human resources and time, could be properly set up to administer the states school meal programs. But he said there is no question that bureaucracy would be increased. Moving child nutrition to Ag does not create more dollars for Farm to Table or whatever. Its the same programs, same reimbursement for schools, and schools will have the same paperwork and same data requirements, he said. Schools already have to deal with SDE and DHS (the Oklahoma Department of Human Services), but they would add a third state agency as a party to complicate these data-sharing processes, which can create more opportunity for challenges. 'A solution in search of a problem' Tulsa Superintendent Deborah Gist is among school leaders who have just taken notice of the advancement of this legislation and are questioning the need for a drastic change in program administration. This is a solution in search of a problem, Gist said. Making a change to the way in which these federal funds are distributed in our state to serve children and families means creating and adjusting entire bureaucracies to accommodate the change, and quite honestly, no one has time for that. Tulsa Public Schools offered drive-through pickup on Friday for packets of snacks and meals for children 18 and under to help local families get through next weeks spring break. Child nutrition workers prepared enough for 250 children 100 more than normally turn out for such events. Each one received 1 gallons of milk, five shelf-stable snacks such as applesauce, cheese crackers and corn tortilla chips, and five frozen dinners with an entree, fruit and vegetable. TPS ran out with 20 minutes remaining in the two-hour pickup window the district publicized to parents. Sen. Jo Anna Dossett, D-Tulsa, cast the lone no vote on Senate Bill 1624 at the education committee level. One of my questions is about duplication of bureaucracy. I am concerned about the child nutrition data the SDE must have to administer a number of other programs, and Im concerned about Ag and SDE being able to communicate, Dossett said. My own personal objection on behalf of Senate District 35 was I was not given proper evidence for such sweeping change. Looking at the bill right now, we are authorizing the Board of Ag to and incur any expenses as may be necessary for the accomplishment of this. Thats very permissive language. Im not sure whats broken such that we need to fix it. Staff writer Lenzy Krehbiel-Burton contributed to this story, which has been updated since originally published March 13, 2022, to include the results of a Senate vote and information about other states' programs. Tulsa World Newsroom: Reporter Andrea Eger talks about the latest developments in the investigation of Epic Charter Schools. Want to see more like this? Get our local education coverage delivered directly to your inbox. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. A new partnership with Tulsa Community College offers job-specific education for those who want to work in Oklahomas growing medical marijuana industry. The eight-week course was created in collaboration with a cannabis education platform called Green Flower. For a flat $750 cost, students can study in one of three programs for dispensary associates, cultivation technicians and manufacturing agents, according to a news release. The wealth of knowledge the new program would offer the local workforce should be great for patients and the industry, dispensary professionals agreed. It definitely sounds like an amazing opportunity for the future of cannabis, said Hugo Padilla, a manager at OKind Cannabis Co. Right now were hiring a bunch of people that sometimes arent qualified. Green Flower initiated the partnership with TCC, which then vetted the California-based company. We set out to find one school in the state that was truly workforce centric, trying to help people get new jobs and new careers, and Tulsa Community College was really our first choice, said Daniel Kalef, Green Flower vice president. A lot of research went into creating the curriculum for the programs, he said. We got input from the industry of people who run dispensaries and labs and grow operations saying, These are the skills that we would like people to know when they come in, Kalef said. Devin Parham, a manager at Natures Kiss dispensary, said he had to learn on his own how to qualify for a job in the cannabis industry. He pointed to restrictions on marijuana research from the federal level as keeping the industry in the dark. Its really hard to get correct information, so being able to get something locally that you can trust the sources and itll give you science-based facts I think goes a long way, Parham said. A news release about the new program notes that Oklahoma ranks ninth for the number of jobs in the cannabis industry. The 2021 jobs report by Leafly, a cannabis investor group, shows that the industry employs more than 16,000 people. At least last year, Oklahomas medical marijuana workers may have outnumbered the states construction workers, the report states. With unprecedented growth in this industry, there is a need to develop a workforce with cannabis specific skills, Pete Selden, vice president for workforce development at TCC, said in a statement. Because these programs are available on demand, it means an individual has tremendous flexibility for when they do the coursework. No other higher education institution in the state offers training created specifically for cannabis professionals, the release states. 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, Kalef said in a statement. Green Flower has similar partnerships with seven other community colleges in the U.S., according to the release. Featured video: "On a mission from God": Blues Brothers launch cannabis products in Oklahoma Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. The Oklahoma House of Representatives moved to tighten financial oversight of charter schools, and particularly virtual charter schools, with unanimous passage Monday of two major reform bills. House Bill 3643, by Rep. Sheila Dills, R-Tulsa, would make numerous changes to virtual charter schools governance and financial reporting in the wake of revelations concerning the use of state funds by Oklahomas largest such enterprise, Epic. It particularly targets third-party administrators, called education management organizations. HB 3644, also by Dills, would apply more stringent standards and responsibilities on all charter school boards and their sponsoring organizations. A third related bill passed last week. That bill, HB 3645, would define attendance standards for virtual charter schools. Charter schools play a vital role in providing school choice options for students and parents in Oklahoma, Dills said in a written statement Monday afternoon. Still, we must ensure that taxpayer dollars are protected and that we have an accurate and transparent accounting of how they are spent. We also need policies that ensure the academic needs of students are being met. State Superintendent Joy Hofmeister, a candidate for governor, conditionally endorsed HB 3644. This legislation would mean significant reform for oversight of charter school management, Hofmeister said, also in a written statement. While more work remains to be done to ensure there is not a repeat of the problems Oklahoma saw with Epic, House Bill 3644 tightens existing regulations that enable charter schools to be responsible stewards of taxpayer money. I commend Rep. Dills for authoring HB 3644 and thank House members for its passage today. Monday was something of a landmark day for Dills, who has been wrestling with charter school and especially virtual charter school reform for several years. The House actually passed similar legislation late last session but could not get it heard in the Senate. Its unclear whether Senate leadership feels differently this session. Provisions of HB 3643 include: Separation of virtual charter schools and education management organizations, including their governing boards and administration. Epic's founders were able to direct millions of dollars to themselves through an EMO they controlled. Epic has since severed ties with those founders. Specification that public funds are to remain public funds and subject to state audits and clawbacks of misused money. Requirement for training for financial officers. Requirement for filing of EMO contracts with the Oklahoma State Department of Education. Provisions of HB 3644 include: Requirement that charter school sponsors be more actively engaged in oversight and spend the 3% fee they collect on oversight and services for the school. Requirement that sponsors enforce academic performance metrics. Requirement that members of a charter school governing board be subject to the same instruction and continuing education requirements as the members of a local school board. Inside the newsroom: Staff writer Andrea Eger discusses the latest on the investigation of Epic Charter Schools Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Anyone with a pair of pliers and a car jack and the theft of a catalytic converter on their record could be in serious trouble under legislation approved Monday by the Oklahoma House of Representatives. House Bill 4375, by Rep. Ross Ford, R-Broken Arrow, would create a new felony for convicted catalytic converter thieves found in possession of two or more of the following tools: 1. Battery-powered reciprocating saw; 2. Reciprocating saw blades; 3. Pliers; 4. Wrenches; or 5. Vehicle jack with the intent of using them in the commission of a crime. The law would be similar to ones restricting tools used by other known miscreants such as burglars. The bill was one of three Ford bills passed Monday that would create new felonies or expand the definitions of existing ones. HB 4373 would expand third-degree burglary to include the theft of tires, wheels and catalytic converters the last of which has become a particularly popular item to steal and an expensive one to replace. HB 4376 would create a new felony for smash-and-grab burglary involving at least $500 in property damage in addition to the value of whatever is stolen. Also passed by the House on Monday were: HB 4370, by Ford, which would require school districts with more than 5,000 students to livestream all public board meetings. HB 4014, by Rep. Sherrie Conley, R-Newcastle, which occupied more of the Houses time than any bill on Mondays agenda despite not changing current law much. The bill would guarantee parents and legal guardians access to their childrens and wards library records. A 2014 law gives parents the right to access and review all school records relating to the minor child, but the title of law dealing with public libraries limits access to cardholder records to library employees, persons with written permission from the cardholder, and those with court orders. Conleys bill apparently was triggered by several complaints from a single school district, but she said that if one had been reported there were likely more like cockroaches, she said. The basic division fell along the lines of legislators who seemed to believe parents always act in their childrens best interest, or at least the right to do with children as they see fit, and legislators who dont. Parents, Conley said, have God-given parental rights that supersede state and federal law, the American Library Association and the United Nations. A few members, all Democrats, objected to blanket parental access to library records, pointing out that some parents can be vindictive and abusive and in some cases are even barred from contact with their children. Others asked how someone presenting themselves as a parent would be identified. HB 3720, by Rep. Mark McBride, R-Moore, which would require age-appropriate instruction on the Holocaust in grades six to 12. Five members voted no. <&rule> Featured video: Protect your car from catalytic converter theft Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. The state may borrow from cryptocurrency and similar technologies to build its own financial and information network outside of the usual systems in part to both facilitate legal medical marijuana businesses and to combat illegal ones, members of the House of Representatives said Tuesday. This is better than peanut butter, said Rep. Justin Humphrey, R-Lane. Even the crunchy kind. Humphreys House Bill 3279 is the vehicle for the Oklahoma Distributed Ledger Technology Assets Offering Act, and while he acknowledged that he doesnt understand all the details, he said he is pretty sure of the big picture. This has great potential, Humphrey said. This is a technology that is coming. I hope we get in front of the train and not in the caboose. Two of the Houses more tech-savvy members, Rep. Logan Phillips, R-Mounds, and Rep. Andy Fugate, D-Oklahoma City, were split on the measure. This bill has a chance of setting up Oklahoma as a leader in a disruptive technology, Phillips said. The bill as written will make a positive impact on Oklahoma. This will make Oklahoma a national leader if we do it. Fugate repeatedly questioned provisions he said could set up a contractor or contractors to reap huge rewards from building and operating the network, and he said he doubts that a voluntary system could deliver the benefits proponents claimed. Distributed ledger technology also known as blockchain technology uses decentralized networks of nodes or access points to provide simultaneous access, validation and record updating. It is generally considered more secure than centralized data storage. Humphreys bill would create a system that both offers voluntary digital financial services outside regular banking system regulations which largely exclude marijuana businesses, legal under state law or not and is capable of monitoring all aspects of a marijuana business, right down to utility usage and taxes. Fugate argued that such a system, as long as it is only voluntary, is likely to create more confusion and expense than to bring order to the chaotic medical marijuana industry. Humphrey disagreed and said the concept has implications for everything from law enforcement to tax collection and business licensing. He said hes been told it could boost state revenue as much as $300 million. Phillips said the technology itself could be a moneymaker if the state perfects and patents it in-house. We have the federal systems looking at this because it will be the first system created, Humphrey said. Florida is looking at this. We are miles ahead of them, and it will put us in a great position to create a new system for the state of Oklahoma and the rest of the country. HB 3279 is far from across the finish line. Although it passed Tuesday with relative ease, it must get through the Senate at least once and, because the title is off the bill, it must get through the House a second time before it can reach the governors desk. Featured videos: Biden signs executive order on cryptocurrency How cryptocurrency is changing the banking industry Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. It was one in, one out on Monday as the field of contenders for the U.S. Senate seat to be vacated by Jim Inhofe early next year continued to take shape. Campaign finance reports show that Gov. Kevin Stitt's reelection campaign had spent more than all of his challengers combined had raised through the end of March, and the gap appears to be getting wider. TAIPEI/BEIJING -- China's efforts to curb its largest COVID-19 outbreak in two years has forced companies from Apple supplier Foxconn to automakers Toyota and Volkswagen to suspend some operations, raising concerns over supply chain disruptions. Multiple Chinese provinces and cities have tightened restrictions in line with Beijing's zero-tolerance goal of suppressing contagion as quickly as possible, among them the southern Chinese tech hub of Shenzhen. Shenzhen, China's Silicon Valley, is carrying out mass testing after dozens of new local cases were recorded. Officials have suspended public transport and urged people to work at home this week as much as possible. White House press Secretary Jen Psaki said on Monday that the Biden Administration was monitoring the lockdown of the tech hub "incredibly closely." "What we're looking at is of course ... the impact on some of these ports around the impacted areas of China," she said in a Monday afternoon briefing. China has reported more local symptomatic COVID-19 cases so far this year than it recorded in all of 2021. Foxconn, formally known as Hon Hai Precision Industry Co Ltd, said its Shenzhen operations would be suspended until further notice, adding it would deploy backup plants to reduce disruption. Two sources familiar with the matter told Reuters that Foxconn and its subsidiaries' operations in Shenzhen would be suspended for the first half of the week. One of the people said the government was allowing companies to operate if they could create a "closed management" system where employees would live and work in a bubble. Such a system was in place during the Beijing Winter Olympics. Other Taiwan companies which said they had suspended Shenzhen operations included chip substrate and printed circuit board maker Unimicron Technology Corp, which also supplies Apple and Intel, and flexible printed circuit board maker Sunflex Technology Co Ltd . Sunflex said its plant would be closed until Sunday. Apple did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Intel declined to comment. Paul Weedman, who runs manufacturing consultancy Victure Industrial Co., Ltd in Shenzhen, warned that the restrictions were having a ripple effect beyond Shenzhen to the wider Guangdong province. Production for some of his customers' orders have been suspended, and many factory visits cancelled, he said. "Imagine you have a factory of 100 people and all of a sudden you cant do anything - you cant fulfil your existing orders, you cant accept new orders. The impact is not 2 or 3 weeks, but 3-6 months." Shenzhen's Yantian International Container Terminal (YICT), one of China's busiest ports, said in a WeChat statement it was operating normally, although two companies with warehouses at the port said they needed to temporarily suspend operations. Changchun lockdown Other cities have enacted restrictions to varying extents. Officials have locked down Changchun city, the capital of northeastern Jilin province, shut schools in the financial hub of Shanghai and suspended public transport in the manufacturing centre of Dongguan. Toyota said on Monday its joint venture with China's FAW Group had suspended production in Changchun, while its Tianjin city operations remained unaffected. Volkswagen, which also has a joint venture with FAW, said it had suspended production at its vehicle and component plants from Monday to Wednesday. FAW, which is headquartered in Changchun, did not respond to a request for comment. A factory owner in Dongguan, who gave his surname as Lau, said his plant was forced to shut down from Sunday until Tuesday. They were also experiencing some issues in obtaining materials from suppliers due to the virus restrictions, he added. "Hopefully they will let us carry on with the production soon," he said. "There's not much we can do. The whole world has moved on, except for China. They should just let go of the zero-COVID strategy." Vietnam's Ministry of Planning and Investment has submitted to Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh the appraisal report of a VND1.7 trillion (US$74.2 million) cable car project connecting two popular pagodas in Hanoi and Hoa Binh Province. The proposed Huong Binh cable car route has a total length of three kilometers, connecting Phu Nghia Commune in Lac Thuy District, Hoa Binh Province with Huong Son Commune in My Duc District, Hanoi. The service will shorten travel time between Hanois Huong Pagoda and Hoa Binhs Tien Pagoda from a 60-minute drive to a ten-minute cable car ride, according to Thai Binh Company, the project developer. The project is also expected to boost the potential of festival and pilgrimage tourism by improving the connectivity between Huong Pagoda, Tien Pagoda, and Tam Chuc Pagoda in Ha Nam Province, which is about 25 kilometers from Tien Pagoda. More than 35 hectares of land will be needed for the construction, while the total cost is approximately VND1.7 trillion, the Ministry of Planning and Investment stated. The project developer will contribute about VND258 billion ($11.2 million) while the remaining VND1.44 trillion ($63 million) will be provided by Vietcombank in the form of credit. Aside from the construction of the cable car route and related facilities, Thai Binh Company has proposed that a seven-story hotel and villas be built on the projects premises in Hoa Binh Province. The Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism has agreed with the implementation of the project. The Executive Board of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha in Hanoi stated that the project is suitable for the landscape of Huong Pagoda, which has been recognized as a special national relic site. The board asked the project developer to comply with the provisions of the Law on Cultural Heritage during the implementation. The Huong Pagoda special national relic site currently has a 1.5-kilometer cable car route on its premises. Operated by Huong Son Company, the service is capable of transporting 1,500 passengers every hour, with tickets costing VND120,000 ($5.2) per person. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Check out the news you should not miss today: Politics -- President of Sierra Leone Julius Maada Bio, his spouse, and the countrys high-ranking delegation arrived at Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi on Monday afternoon to begin a seven-day official visit to Vietnam, the Vietnam News Agency reported the same day. Society -- Director-General of WHO Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus congratulated Vietnam on covering 90 percent of the countrys adults as well as over 75 percent of its population with COVID-19 vaccines one of the highest rates in the world in a video sent to Vietnams COVID-19 vaccine appreciation ceremony in Hanoi on Monday. -- The Ministry of Health on Monday issued new guidance on COVID-19 patients under home quarantine which allows them to leave their room provided they wear face masks and keep a safe distance from others. -- A video has recently gone viral as it captured a nanny allegedly abusing a 11-month-old girl while she was feeding her at home in Binh Dinh Province, located in south-central Vietnam. -- Eight got injured in a violent conflict between local residents and workers over a hydroelectric plant project under construction in Sa Pa, Lao Cai Province on Monday afternoon. Lifestyle -- The eighth Japan - Vietnam Festival is expected to take place in Ho Chi Minh City in 2023 on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries, Tsutomu Takebe, special advisor of the Japan Vietnam Friendship Parliamentary Alliance, said on Monday while leading a delegation to visit Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper in Ho Chi Minh City. -- This years Five Films for Freedom, an annual global, online short film program in support of LGBTIQ+ rights held by the British Council in partnership with BFI Flare: London LGBTIQ+ Film Festival, will make five short films available for online audiences for free from March 16 to 27. Sports -- The PONY Japan Baseball Association (PJBA) wishes to strengthen cooperation with and support the development of baseball in Vietnam, Jin Matsubara, member of the House of Representatives of Japan and president of the association, made the statement at a ceremony to hand over gloves and baseballs to Vietnamese children's baseball clubs in Tokyo recently, the Vietnam News Agency reported on Monday. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! You know that feeling when youre riding a fancy brand-new rollercoaster and youre literally being smashed and banged around from side to side and never know what to expect next? Well, as cheesy as it sounds, I can think of no better analogy to describe my college experience a rollercoast A patient died after falling off the sixth floor of a hospital in Ha Tinh Province, north-central Vietnam in a suspected suicide. Nguyen Thi Dien, director of Ha Tinh Rehabilitation Hospital, confirmed to Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper on Monday that a patient had died after falling from the sixth floor of its building. The patient, 46-year-old V.T.T. from Thach Trung Commune, Ha Tinh City, was admitted to the hospital for stroke treatment over ten days ago, Dien said. At around 8:30 pm on Sunday, T. left his room on the fourth floor and headed for the sixth floor before falling from the building. The man was in a critical condition when he was found. T. was then rushed to Ha Tinh General Hospital for emergency treatment but succumbed to his wounds about an hour later. The patient previously suffered a stroke following an accident, according to Dien. He had been treated at Ha Tinh Rehabilitation Hospital in separate sessions, each lasting about 15 days. T. was paralyzed prior to his treatment but was eventually able to walk with a cane. Doctors said the patient had showed signs of depression for several days, the hospital director continued, adding that T. might have committed suicide. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Vietnam has injected 90 percent of its adult population with two COVID-19 vaccine doses and achieved one of the highest vaccination coverage rates in the world to protect its people, including the poorest and the most vulnerable, said WHO and UNICEF representatives. Vietnam sets an example to the world when it comes to COVID-19 pandemic combat and vaccination, Rana Flowers, Acting United Nations (UN) Resident Coordinator in Vietnam and Chief Representative of the UN Childrens Fund (UNICEF) in Vietnam, said at the COVID-19 Vaccine Appreciation Ceremony held in Hanoi on Monday. The event, jointly organized by Vietnams Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the UN in Vietnam, welcomed representatives from UN organizations, the World Health Organization (WHO), foreign embassies, and vaccine producers in Vietnam. The Southeast Asian country has reached an inoculation rate among the highest globally to protect even the poorest and most vulnerable, Flowers remarked. She affirmed that UNICEF and UN organizations will continue to support Vietnam in vaccine supply and production in order to bring a better life to Vietnamese, especially women and children. In his recorded remarks sent to the event, WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that Vietnam is among the countries that have successfully contained the pandemic. He congratulated Vietnam on having vaccinated 90 percent of its adult population and over 75 percent of its total inhabitants, becoming one of the countries with the highest vaccination coverage rates in the world. Vietnam is an example of vaccination success based on its political determination, national efforts, and international support, he said. Speaking at the event, Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh thanked foreign countries and organizations for their timely and valuable support for Vietnams fight against COVID-19 over the past two years. Stressing the significance of vaccines in the pandemic fight, PM Chinh said the Vietnamese government has stepped up vaccine diplomacy, established a vaccine fund, boosted the import, research and transfer of vaccine production technologies, and launched the biggest-ever vaccination campaign. Along with other epidemic prevention measures, vaccine has been the safest shield for people to prevent and combat the coronavirus, the head of government said. Nearly 40 percent of the vaccines Vietnam has received came through the COVAX Facility, PM Chinh said, noting that more than 30 countries have provided the jabs for Vietnam via the vaccine-sharing mechanism and bilateral channels, significantly speeding up the country's roll-out of its vaccine strategy and immunization campaign, the Vietnam News Agency reported. He also called for more assistance from various countries and organizations in vaccine provision, especially jabs against new variants and those for children aged from five to under 12. With its high vaccination coverage, Vietnam has recently seen hospitalizations as well as severe cases and fatalities falling, the government leader said. Vietnam has reopened the economy in the strategy of safely and flexibly living with the COVID-19 pandemic since October, and saw its gross domestic product in the last quarter of 2021 jump 5.22 percent year on year to reach an overall growth rate of 2.58 percent for last year. The Southeast Asian country has resumed international commercial flights since February 15, and is about to fully open its doors to international travelers from mid-March, he told the event. As a trustworthy partner and a responsible member of the international community, Vietnam backs global cooperation in the pandemic combat and has provided support for many countries in their COVID-19 fight, while contributing to the COVAX Facility and the WHOs COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund, the PM said. Vietnam has so far received nearly 222 million doses of vaccines from different sources, including the COVAX Facility, contractual purchases and donations, the Ministry of Health reported. Health workers have administered 183,322,407 vaccine doses to the countrys adult population, including 70,910,444 first shots, 67,816,092 second jabs, and the rest for additional primary doses and boosters, the ministrys data shows. For children of 12 to 17 years old, 8,748,687 first shots and 8,297,355 second doses have been given to them nationwide. Vietnam has documented 6,377,438 COVID-19 infections, with 3,271,978 recoveries and 41,477 fatalities since the pandemic erupted in the country in early 2020, the ministry said. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! By any measure ABCs Jennifer Collins has a mammoth portfolio. As Head of Factual and Culture she oversees factual, arts, religion, science, education, health, history and social affairs on both ABC Television and Radio National. That includes everything from crowd-pleasing hits such as Anhs Brush with Fame to Art Works on ABC TV Plus and everything in between. But the former Screentime and Fremantle exec admits she is hungry for more on ABC. I just want more arts. Big shows like Love on the Spectrum and Old Peoples Home are the ones with heart and warmth. Theyre kicking big goals for us, and well continue to do those big contemporary shows. But Id like to see more international co-productions around Science, she tells TV Tonight. Science audiences are really looking for those big blue-chip Science docos. Id love to work more with public broadcasters around the world with similar ambitions for science. So were doing Carbon: The Unauthorised Biography with Genepools Sonya Pemberton, narrated by Sarah Snook. Because of the budget, because were able to bring broadcasters together, they can put that money into visual effects. Its stunning, really stunning, and it makes that accessible for a much broader audience. Last week ABC announced two new arts titles, Great Southern Landscapes presented by Rachel Griffiths, and Stuff The British Stole with Marc Fennell. The slate is absolutely enormous. Weve got Tuesday nights at 8:00 and 8:30. Were running some shows at 9:30. Weve got more specialist content on ABC TV Plus on top of that. And then weve got slots on Sunday at 7:40 as well. Love on the Spectrum was our number one show last year. Huge audiences watched it on broadcast or on iview and then engaged with it on social for weeks and weeks. This year weve got the new spin-off of Old Peoples Home for Four Year Olds. We loved the four year olds but now weve got a new group, the teenagers, says Collins. Australia is the first country in the world to get a new version. Two groups of people with extreme loneliness, amazingly, in teenagers as well as old people. Theyre shooting right now with a the new cast of seniors. Its beautiful casting again. Endemol Shine really do a beautiful job of casting this show. Also coming is Back in Time for the Corner Shop with the Ferrone family, the third iteration in the Back in Time franchise. Its a great way of telling history, a really accessible, family-friendly format, she continues. Its always performed very well for us and really engaged audiences, but most importantly, got the kids watching. Theres few shows where kids want to actually sit with their parents and watch and that is one of them. We felt like the Corner Shop is so Aussie. The milk bar could tell so much about Australia, and I think even during COVID people are going local again. Miriam Margolyes returns with her brand of insight and opinion on Miriam Margolyes: Australia Unmasked. Miriam is out filming right now. Shes amazing polarising, sometimes yes, but that humour just cuts through. She can talk to anybody and she does talk to everybody. People love to chat with Miriam. Shes looking really, at class in Australia. Post COVID does everyone get a fair girl in Australia? Collins is particularly excited by Space 22 exploring if creativity has the power to heal? Its the first commission from BBC Studios Australia for us. Im personally very invested in this show in terms of arts and mental health. Were bringing those two together to see whether creativity can help with your mental health. Its Natalie Bassingthwaighte hosting for the first time on the ABC in this sort of role. Shes obviously been very public about her own struggles with mental health, she explains. Weve got seven participants, extraordinary stories people suffering from anxiety, depression, PTSD, etc. and putting them in a social experiment. We have artists come in to work with the participants. Theres an art therapist, Nula, whos amazing, and weve got Eddie Perfect coming in to do some music. Weve got Abdul Abdulla and Wendy Sharpe to see whether art therapy can actually help with your mental well-being and, spoiler alert, it does. Also coming is 3 part doco Tiny Oz, with host Jimmy Rees and artist JoAnne Bouzianis-Sellick, pitched squarely at parents watching with their kids. Each episode is one story about history. One is about the moving of Sydney zoo from Hyde Park, across to Taronga and how you do that when theres no Harbour Bridge. So youre walking the animal straight down Macquarie Street. An extraordinary story that tells you about how zoos have changed over the years. Further episodes explore pearling in Broome and hot air ballooning in Adelaide, to screen in May. Phillip Island is the broadcasting base for Southern Ocean Live hosted live by Hamish Macdonald and Dr Ann Jones revealing stories about whales, great white sharks, cuttlefish, albatross along our southern coastline. The following week, well put out Meet the Penguins because at the time we go to air we wont see lots of penguins at Phillip Island. So we will film across the night put together a Penguin special. Having natural history in primetime is pretty special. Art Works with Namila Benson returns tonight to ABC TV Plus in the earlier 8pm timeslot. Were really proud of getting an internal art show up. Its really important for us as the national broadcaster, says Collins. It was a hard year launching an art show when a lot of the galleries and exhibitions were closing down, artists were really struggling, festivals were closed. The team managed to put together a really good show, despite all of that. I think this is the year for Art Works. Namila is sensational, Im really excited that she came across from Radio National. Its just a great way of pulling all our arts content together. Ive been talking to all the state agencies about emerging and freelance producers who are working in different states and territories and stories they want to get air in their local regions. ABC is also in discussions with leading performing arts organisations to better showcase their work for audiences. Sadly, Anh Do is out this year with Anhs Brush with Fame due to his writing commitments, but Collins vows, he is going to come back onto the ABC not sure when, but it wont be this year. Collins also confirms that drawing upon marquee names presenting such as Rachel Griffiths, Claudia Karvan and Justine Clarke, is a balancing act. They have to be authentic. They have to have a real love books or country music or a love of arts like Rachel Griffiths. When we commission we really do look for those authentic hosts, but unashamedly were also looking for hosts that can bring in larger audiences, so we can take arts out to a broader audience, she adds. We want as many Australians to see our arts content as possible. Art Works returns 8pm tonight on ABC TV Plus. Tyler, TX (75702) Today More clouds than sun. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 88F. Winds SSE at 10 to 20 mph.. Tonight Considerable cloudiness. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 71F. Winds SSE at 10 to 15 mph. The University of North Georgia (UNG) has been named a Military Friendly School for 2022-23. This is the ninth time in 10 years UNG has made this list released by Viqtory Media and the first time since 2018 UNG has earned gold status. Of more than 1,800 schools who completed the 2022-23 survey, 282 were gold honorees. Gold award winners have programs that scored within 20% of the 10th-ranked institution within a given category. "We've received this multiple times over the years, but this is our first time in a while receiving gold. We've worked our way up making adjustments, and to receive gold again it really means a lot to the university," Christy Orr, assistant director for Nighthawk Engagement & Student Transitions (NEST), said. "It's a testament to the level of dedication UNG provides to our veteran population." UNG drew the highest marks for graduation and career, with the list tabbing the university as exceeding the Military Friendly standard by almost 95% in that category. UNG exceeded the Military Friendly standard by almost 85% in academic policies and compliance and by almost 89% in financial aid and assistance. "As the Military College of Georgia, we have a broader and better understanding because we are training students to be military leaders," Orr said. Much of this can be seen with UNG's NEST office, which has several initiatives aimed at assisting active-duty service members and veterans. "We offer the veteran lounges for them to meet each other, get access to free printing, provide snacks and drinks, and student workers are all veterans in the center. NEST is also the main point of contact for veterans in that we can help answer their questions or refer them to a specific staff member or department, depending on their needs," Orr said. Dennis Wilson, Republican candidate for the newly created House District 13 seat, has decided not to request a recount in the March 1 primary race that saw Angelia Orr defeat him by 411 votes out of nearly 20,000 votes cast. Wilson said the possible cost of such a recount outweighed the likelihood of picking up enough votes across the seven-county district to change the result. Its just not economically feasible, he said Monday. I just hate to wave that white flag, but Ill be moving on to other projects. The primary pitted Orr, a former Hill County district clerk, against Wilson, a former Limestone County sheriff, for the House seat that state legislators created last year in the states redistricting after the 2020 census. The district encompasses Bosque, Hill, Falls, Limestone, Freestone and Leon counties and the eastern part of McLennan County including, about 60,000 East Waco residents. Orr carried Hill, Bosque and Freestone counties, while Wilson showed strength in Limestone, Falls, Leon and McLennan counties. In McLennan County, Wilson had 1,125 votes to Orrs 848. Party chairpersons ratified the votes cast on March 10 with Monday the deadline for filing a recount petition with the Secretary of States office. With each party chair able to select four election workers to process a recount and their pay, a large-scale recount could cost Wilson several thousands of dollars, he said. The candidates county campaign organizers reported no incidents to suggest results werent reported accurately, Wilson added, leading him to determine that a recount likely would not change the final result. It just didnt add up, he said. The Republican primary winner complimented her opponent on a hard-fought but fair race. He was a really good opponent and campaigner. It was a good, nice, clean race, said Orr, who still faces a November general election. Ill be glad to work with him as a legislator and work with him on any legislation he would choose to bring up. Wilson thanked his campaign organizers for their work. Im proud of the race I ran and am very honored at the people who helped me, he said. Orr will face Democratic challenger Cedric Davis in the Nov. 2 general election. Davis, the Marlin city manager, defeated Cuevas Peacock of Waco by 2,474 votes to 892 in the Democratic primary. Close primary races such as the District 13 one focused attention on how voter and election restrictions passed by the Texas Legislature last year might affect voting, particularly that done by mail where new identity requirements caused higher numbers of invalid ballots. In McLennan County, 160 of 2,136, or 7.5%, of mail-in ballots for all primary races were rejected, said county elections administrator Jared Goldsmith. Thats definitely more than in the past, where we usually have less than 50 ballots rejected, he said. Most of the rejections were because voters failed to write a required security number, either a voter registration number or drivers license number, on the ballot envelope as well as the ballot, he said. Of the 2,641 mail-in ballots sent out by the elections office, 414 were not returned while 91 persons requesting ballots chose instead to vote in-person. The next elections for McLennan County residents will be city and school board races on May 7, which also will see two state constitutional amendments concerning property tax reductions for public schools. Run-off elections for state offices will be held May 24. Run-offs will be held for Republicans for state attorney general, railroad commissioner and land commissioner. Democrats have runoffs for state attorney general, lieutenant governor, state comptroller and land commissioner. Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Im a pacifist, a peace nick, a progressive liberal. Still, after Iran's attack on our diplomatic consulate in Erbil the capital of the autonomous Kurdish region of Iraq. I am convinced it's time to recognize we have no choice but to destroy Iran's nuclear and ballistic missile programs, destroy their military bases, sink their Navy, and decimate their airforce. This past Sunday, the ballistic missile strike intended to destroy our diplomatic consulate in Erbil was an act of war by Iran. The attack was launched even while we were attempting to negotiate a new nuclear agreement with Iran. The negotiations by Iran continue to be conducted in bad faith. The strike means we absolutely cant trust the Iranians and their Russian backers. As a result, we have no choice but to take military action to cripple Iran's nuclear and missile programs and to hobble their military capabilities. Now is the time to wipe out Iran's nuclear and missile programs, smash Irans navy and air force, and its helicopter and tank core. Why now? It's clear that Russia cant resupply its army, airforce and in waging war in Ukraine with spare parts, munitions, gasoline, or even simple food rations. The systemic corruption of Putin's Russia has hobbled its military capabilities. The Russians have lost over 13,500 troops according to Ukrainian estimates, more causualties than the U.S. lost in more than 2 decades in Afghanistan. They lost 404 tanks, 81 war jets, 95 Helicopters, and so on in just two weeks of their invasion of Ukraine. Now we've learned they have begun begging the Chinese for military resupplies. A line Beijing is hesitant to cross. So with the Russians in no position to re-arm the Iranians or come to the rescue of the Syrians, the Israelis can finally, after five years of begging the United States to allow it, to both take out the thousands of rockets and missiles the Iranians have supplied to Hezbollah in Lebanon and with our assistance, finally neutralize Irans nuclear and missile program. The obstacle of Israel doing this alone, according to a New York Times article by Ronen Bergman and Patrick Kingsley published on Dec. 18, 2021, was an inability to inflict any significant damage to the underground nuclear facilities in Irans Natanz and Fordow instillations. The two journalists were right in their assessment of Israel's military capabilities but with the added power of the United States' 58 B52s, 60 B1s, and 20 B2 Bombers, obliterating Iran's underground nuclear labs, its enriching uranium enrichment facilities as well as every building being used to develop nuclear warheads and ballistic missiles is possible. Another problem Ronen Bergman and Patrick Kingsley cited in their New York Times article is Israels shortage of refueling planes needed to conduct a series of bombing missions to complete the mission of castrating Iran's military capabilities and weapons development. The ability to refuel is crucial for bombers who may travel more than 2,000 miles round trip, much less do so in dangerous airspace over enemy territories. Our B52s, B1s, and B 2 bombers however do not need to fuel over enemy territory; they can refuel over the oceans and seas. Further, they can be escorted over enemy territory with the deadliest jet fighters in the world. The two New York Times journalists also argued a strike on Iran or Hezbollah and Iranian bases as being problematic. They insisted an attack would be met with Syrian and Iranian air resistance. Yet a coordinated attack with U.S. fighter jets would be a game-changer. Especially now that we know Russias air force is n such a state of disrepair and shortage of parts would any confrontation between Israeli, U.S. Jet fighters, and Syrian and Iranian MIGS, an opportunity to down the vast majority of their jet fighters and render every air defense system of both nations scrap metal. Given the sanction still in place and the dire financial condition of Russia, Iran, and Syria downing the bulk of their airpower and defenses could set them back 10 even 15 years. Simply put, Iran has no chance against our airpower which includes killer drones, cruise missiles, advanced jet fighters, and our array of heavy long-range bombers. As for fear of retaliatory attacks from Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza, allies of Iran that would try to force Israel to fight a war on several fronts simultaneously, they would find a war with Israel and the United States a tragic mistake. Our ability to target their weapon systems and coordinate our battle plans would end the ability their ability to counter-attack in 2 weeks. While Irans defense capabilities are also much stronger than they were in 2012, they're now better fortified than they were when Israel last seriously considered attacking Irans nuclear sites, having more accurate surface-to-surface missiles that can be launched swiftly from tunnels. The fact is a joint U.S. and Israeli strike would nullify those fortifications quickly and make a retaliatory strike much less effective. Ronen Bergman and Patrick Kingsley also quoted in their NY Times article last December Tal Inbar, an aviation expert and former head of the Fisher Institute for Air and Space Strategic Studies, an aviation-focused research group argument that It is possible that when the Israeli planes try to land back in Israel, they will find that the Iranian missiles destroyed their runways. That quote again was based on an assessment that Israel would be acting alone. Again if the United States and Israel coordinate a well-planned strike, the potential damage of any counter-strike would be dramatically impaired with a rapid series of cruise missile strikes. The time to put Iran, Syria, Hezbollah, and Hamas military power in the dust bin of history is now. Putin has foolishly shown how weak his military is by his illegal invasion of Ukraine. By eliminating and castrating the Iranian nuclear threat and Hezbollah and Hamas missiles, we may not only find Putin much more willing to withdraw his invasion forces from Ukraine, and sue for peace, we may find him deposed by a bullet in the back of the head by someone in the Kremlin who has had enough of his returning Russia to a totalitarian rule. The Saudis and their Sunni allies wouldnt break a sweat if the United States and Israel neutralized Iran, Hezbollah, and Hamas. If we've learned one thing from World War II, it's to stop the tyrants before they have the power to kill tens of millions of people. The west allowed Hitler to grow in power, to violate international laws and the Treaty of Versailles. Decisive action now could literally protect billions of lives from being lost in an unthinkable World War III. It could also lead to the re-establishment of democracy in Russia. The 1984 Orwellian nightmare being imposed on the Russian people must come to an end to ensure their human rights and guarantee them a prosperous future. News Wrap: Iran defends missile strikes near U.S. consulate in northern Iraq CEDAR FALLS - The Cedar Falls Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution will meet March 19 at First United Methodist Church, 718 Clay St. Cedar Falls. Social time starts at 9:30 a.m., followed by the meeting at 10 a.m. "Women and the Vietnam War" will be presented by Heidi Warrington, chaplain. Visitors may attend the meeting. Daughters of the American Revolution is open to any woman 18 who can prove lineage to an ancestor of the American Revolution. For more information about the DAR, contact cfchapterdar@gmail.com. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 WATERLOO A Waterloo man who unlawfully possessed a firearm was sentenced Tuesday to 15 months in federal prison. Vantez Wright Jr., 19, received the prison term after an Oct. 12 guilty plea to one count of possession of a firearm by a drug user. Judge C.J. Williams sentenced him in U.S. District Court in Cedar Rapids. Wright must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. At the guilty plea, Wright admitted that on Feb. 26, 2021, he knowingly possessed a firearm, a .45-caliber Springfield pistol. Officials allege he is an unlawful user of marijuana and, thus, prohibited from possessing a firearm. During the execution of a search warrant at Wrights house, police officers found a loaded .45 caliber handgun. Officers also found marijuana which he allegedly admitted to regularly using and selling for extra money. According to a news release, Wright stated that he preferred to have the gun at his house just in case. Later at the police station, he provided a urine sample which tested positive for marijuana metabolites, confirming that defendant had recently used marijuana. Wright was released on the bond previously set and is to surrender to the United States Marshal on May 9. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel C. Tvedt and investigated by the Waterloo Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Love 1 Funny 1 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. JESUP Chad Kohagen is ready to begin leading Jesup Community Schools following approval of his employment contract. The Board of Education Monday approved a two-year contract for the new superintendent with an annual salary of $150,000. The board announced Feb. 23 that he was the top choice of three finalists it had interviewed after longtime superintendent Nathan Marting resigned late last year. In an interview, Kohagen said he is just excited to get started over there and get the family over there. The 49-year-old is in his seventh year as superintendent of Lake Mills Community Schools in north Iowa. He and his wife, Casey, have five children a 16-year-old, triplets who are 13 and a 3-year-old. The Jesup Schools position starts July 1, but he is already getting acclimated to the new role. Kohagen has participated in a meeting online and is setting up others. Ill do my best to sink my teeth in, he said. Interim superintendent Mary Jo Hainstock noted that the board has made provision for transitional work that brings him to the district. If he works in the district prior to July 1, they will pay him $450 per day, she said. They really saw that as a part of the transition since Im only part-time and they want to make sure that Mr. Kohagen can hit the ground running on July 1st. Kohagen said his initial focus as superintendent will be listening and learning. Coming into a new position, I think the priority is to be a good listener, learning and hearing about what the strengths are, he said, and how to build on those. Obviously, its also my job to keep moving the district forward and improve the learning environment. Kohagen was interested in leading Jesup Schools for a number of reasons, including its proximity to where he and his wife grew up. Im a Denver, Iowa, grad; my wife is an Oelwein High School grad, he noted. His parents and some other family members live in Cedar Falls while much of his wifes family remains in Oelwein. He also applied for the job with some knowledge about the district. We already knew the school reputation was a good one, Kohagen said. My wife taught high school special ed there back in the early 2000s. He saw a strong school, a growing community in Jesup that is obviously progressive with their building projects. Kohagen praised the passage of $13.9 million bond issue earlier this month with strong community support to help fund an estimated $20 million in renovations and additions across the school campus. Overseeing a building project of this size will be new for him. So, it will be a prety good learning curve for me, as well, said Kohagen, noting that he will rely on staff who have already been involved with the process. Ive got some really good resources for me to lean on. Building decisions The board took some steps Monday related to the building project. Board members approved proceeding with a proposal of services by OPN Architects of Cedar Rapids, which assisted with planning prior to the bond issue referendum. Fees for basic architectural and engineering services would total $1.29 million with another $305,800 for supplemental services if requested. Mechanical electrical, plumbing and technology engineering would be done by Modus Engineering of Waterloo. Civil engineering would be done by Fehr Graham of Cedar Rapids and structural engineering would be done by Raker Rhodes of Iowa City. Hainstock said a formal agreement will return to the board next month for approval. Additionally, the board discussed the 2022-23 budget estimate and set a public hearing for April 11, when it is expected to be approved. As officials pledged in putting the bond issue on the ballot, the districts overall tax rate would not increase. It is proposed for $14.53 per $1,000 of taxable property value. Hainstock said a levy of $2.70 per $1,000 of taxable value, part of that overall rate, would be set to repay the general obligation bonds used to fund construction work. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Want to see more like this? Get our local education coverage delivered directly to your inbox. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. WAVERLY A parent is raising concerns about class sizes in Waverly-Shell Rock Community Schools elementary buildings and calling on the district to hire more teachers this year. Nichole Adams, who has two daughters at West Cedar Elementary School, delivered a petition on the topic to the Board of Education last week. I am deeply concerned about the impact of large class sizes, she told the board during a public comment period. Adams believes teachers and staff are spread too thin in the districts schools. She read the petition to the board. The Waverly-Shell Rock school district has allowed unreasonably large class sizes to become its new normal. We must support our students, teachers, and staff by reducing class sizes before the 2022-2023 school year, the petition begins. It goes on to say that two of the 34 elementary classrooms meet the State of Iowas recommendation of 17 students per class. The petition adds that 26 of the total classrooms, or just over 75%, exceed 20 students. This situation has not only overwhelmed our teachers and support staff, but has also mentally and emotionally hurt our students, the petition says. Additional teachers must be hired. Immediate action is imperative to safeguarding our communitys most precious assets; our children and our teachers. The petition proposes that the district rent or buy temporary classrooms to accommodate the smaller classes. In an email response to questions, Superintendent Ed Klamfoth acknowledged the concern about large class sizes and explained how the district has dealt with them. He particularly noted our kindergarten classes, where we were hit with a late summer surge of students. He said that caused class sizes in Waverly of 26, and 29 in Shell Rock. We have supported those classes with additional associates, and are planning to reduce those numbers as they enter 1st grade. He didnt answer a question about how many people signed the petition. A spokeswoman for the Iowa Department of Education said that the state does not place a cap on class size at any grade level. In the past, Iowa set the goal of 17 students per teacher in K-3 classrooms, funded with early intervention block grants. That law was repealed by the Legislature in 2018. The larger Waverly-Shell Rock elementary classrooms likely exceed the average size in the state. National Center for Education Statistics show as of 2017-18 self-contained Iowa public primary school classrooms averaged 20.8 students. The average nationwide was 20.9, with a low of 16.4 in Vermont and a high of 24.2 in California. Research doesnt show a clear relationship between smaller class sizes and improved student performance. A Tennesse study based on an experiment begun in 1985 has often been cited for the benefit of reducing class sizes, according to The Hechinger Report. But other studies since then have rarely been able to replicate the results. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Want to see more like this? Get our local education coverage delivered directly to your inbox. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. CEDAR FALLS The University of Northern Iowa is hosting its first-ever competition of ideas on how to increase sustainability and reduce landfill waste. Born from a collaborative effort between UNIs Office of Community Engagement, Iowa Waste Reduction Center and John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center, students, faculty, staff, and members of the community are invited to participate in The Cedar Valley Green Business Competition: Solving Sustainability Problems. Participants will pitch ideas on Earth Day, April 22. They are competing for a chance to win a $500 cash prize. We know there is a real problem with landfill waste and its effect on our environment, said Joe Bolick, director of the IWRC. For example, 20% of Iowa landfill waste is made up of food waste and 97 of Iowas 99 counties dont have commercial food waste composting available to them. Thats a major area of concern, and its just one part of a larger issue. The more people we can involve with their innovative ideas, the better. A series of workshops and feedback opportunities will provide more information and support to participants prior to the final pitch: March 31, 5-7:30 p.m.: Hands-on workshop at Gravitate Coworking, 200 State St., Suite 200 (food will be provid ed). Apri l 7, 5-7:30 p.m.: Optional pitch feedback at UNI Business & Community Services, 8120 Jennings Drive. April 22, 5 p.m.: Final pitches at the UNI Center for Energy & Environmental Education Auditorium and Atrium, 8106 Jennings Drive. We know there are great ideas out there, and that people sometimes need a little push to get them off the ground, said Laurie Watje, director of the UNI JPEC. We want to amplify the voice of anyone who is sustainability-minded and has an idea on how to reduce waste in the Cedar Valley. Those interested should register for the workshop, where more information and resources will be provided. Visit iwrc.uni.edu/cv-green-competition to sign up today. Please contact Katie Kreis, program associate at UNIs Business and Community Services at katie.kreis@uni.edu or (319) 273-4724 for more information. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 WATERLOO -- The El Kahir Shrine Circus returns to Waterloo's Hippodrome, 257 Ansborough Ave., for performances at 4:30 and 7:30 p.m. March 31 and April 1. Presented by Carden International Circus, the three-ring circus will feature acrobats, aerialists, daredevils, clowns and animals, including elephants, horses, camels, dogs and others. Tickets are now on sale. Doors open one hour before show time for performer meet-and-greet, animal rides and more. Go to www.spectacularcircus.com for more information and tickets. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 WATERLOO A longtime state legislator announced she will run for re-election for a safe Democratic seat in the Cedar Valley. Rep. Timi Brown-Powers, 54, a Democrat who was first elected in 2014, will seek a fifth two-year term in the Iowa House of Representatives, she announced last month. It has been an honor to serve the people of Waterloo for the past eight years, (and) I am proud of the work Ive been able to achieve for my constituents and neighbors, Brown-Powers said in her announcement. While the last few years have been difficult at times in the Legislature, I remain motivated to keep working to better our community. Shell continue to represent District 61 after redistricting, though the boundary changes initially put her in the same district as Democratic Rep. Ras Smith, who previously entered and later dropped out of the governors race. Smith later announced he would decline to challenge Brown-Powers for the House seat. District 61 previously included places like Washburn and Gilbertville, but is now more confined to southern Waterloo, a reliably safe district for Democrats. Brown-Powers only faced primary challengers in 2014, easily besting M. Brad Condon and Andrew Miller with 68.2% of the vote, then beat Republican Nathan Bolton in the general election with nearly 60% of the vote. She has faced no opposition, either inside or outside of her party, since. She serves as ranking member of the House Natural Resources Committee, as well as the committees of human resources, veterans affairs and appropriations. She has worked for MercyOne for more than 30 years. Constituent and community issues are at the center of my work, and because of that Ive introduced and passed beneficial legislation like making food banks tax exempt and increasing funding for mental health care to increase access, she said. She told The Courier in January her two biggest priorities for this legislative session were domestic violence and suicide prevention, and said later that month she was excited to see majority Republicans focus on mental health issues. Ive been here for eight years, and weve done very little to actually help those families and those folks with mental health, she said. I just hope that as we move forward we take a sincere look at mental health. Love 0 Funny 2 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 WATERLOO -- The Refugee and Immigrant Vaccine Alliance will host a community COVID-19 vaccine clinic in partnership with Peoples Clinic from noon to 4 p.m. March 27 at the First United Methodist Church, 614 Randolph St. No insurance or ID required. However, if you do have insurance, please make sure to bring your card. No appointment is necessary. Walk-ins encouraged. Interpreters are available in Karenni, Hakha Chin, Spanish, and Swahili. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 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. Surfing is about as Californian as you can get. For most beachgoers, watching the pros catch waves is a favorite pastimethey make it look so effortlessly fun, who could resist wanting to join in? But when it comes to actually getting on a board yourself, it can be intimidating. But really all a barney (that's lingo for new surfer) needs to get up and running is a lesson or two to understand the basicshow to paddle, how to pop up on the board, and how to lean into the ride. Luckily, there are plenty of surf schools to help. This summer, if you want to finally check surfing off your bucket list, sign up for a class at one of these five spots down the coast. You'll be hanging ten in no time. Adventure Out, Pacifica and Santa Cruz Generally, Southern Californian waters are better for novices, but the Bay Area has a few spots that make for good options, especially during the summer when the water is warmer and waves are smaller. Adventure Out offers lessons to newbs just a short drive away from SF, both in Santa Cruz and Pacifica, where you can book one- or two-day lessons (they highly recommend two days for those completely fresh to the sport). Each day includes three hours of lessons and you can choose private or group instruction. // adventureout.com Just an hour-and-a-half south of the Bay, the Richard Schmidt Surf School runs lessons year-round at ideal beginner surf spots along the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, stretching from Santa Cruz south to Big Sur. The school has been around since 1978 and instructors are world-class surfers with a ton of experience, so you'll be in good hands. Two-hour lessons cover all the basics, from safety to technique and tips and tricks. // richardschmidt.com Sea, Surf & Fun, Half Moon Bay Launched in 2011, Sea, Surf & Fun teaches classes in Half Moon Bay, only half an hour south of the city, at a calm but thrilling spot close to the famous surfing point Maverick's. Here, you'll get the chance to learn the ropes and even perhaps meet a seal or dolphin. Choose from 90-minute group lessons, semi private (2-3 students), or private lessons. In addition to the standard courses, the company also offers week-long surf camps for kids 7+. // seasurffun.com Mary Osborne Surf, Ventura For a chance to learn from a famous pro, head to Venturalocated on the coast just northwest of Los Angelesto take a lesson with Mary Osborne, an icon in the surf industry who spent 10 years in competition. In addition to the sport, she's become an ambassador for both environmental causes and female empowerment, traveling to remote places around the world. You can choose to take a 90-minute one-on-one lesson, a 90-minute group class (resuming in April 2022 on Saturday mornings) or an overnight surf getaway at the beachfront Crowne Plaza, inland at Ojai Valley Inn, or at a rented beautiful private home. // maryosbornesurf.com Surf House Adventures, Encinitas In North San Diego County, Encinitas is the ultimate surf townand Surf House Adventures is the ideal place to soak in the SoCal vibes and conquer the waves for the first time. Surf House Adventures is a boutique hotel on Highway 101 that also offers a surf camp and complimentary access to surfboards to totally immerse you in the surf life experience. Choose from a variety of options including one-off lessons, guided morning surfing and three-day all-inclusive packages. After you get your thrills, head back to relax in your surf-inspired room or the outdoor cabana. // surfhouseadventures.com Walgreens replaced some fridge doors with screens. And some shoppers absolutely hate it SAGINAW, Mich. (WJRT) - A teenager faces up to twenty years in prison, accused of making a threat at Saginaw's Arthur Hill High School. The alleged incident first broke on Friday. Teenage ward of the state charged with threat at Arthur Hill High School According to police, a teacher overheard the student in class Thursday afternoon saying he was going to bring a gun to the school. Police say he made the threat during class and a teacher heard it and informed school administrators. It's another indication how schools are reacting following the deadly Oxford School shooting in November, and how serious investigators take any threat. It's safe to say safety is always a priority, but school administrators have been dealing with the COVID pandemic and now that some of those restrictions are being lifted, a security expert says safety plans are now being updated. 18-year-old Cody Lampley was arraigned today on one count of false report or threat of terrorism. It was on Thursday at Arthur Hill during seventh hour when police say he was overheard saying he was going to get some friends and bring a firearm to school and "air it out". A teacher heard the statement, told school administrators who called police and now Lampley faces that terrorism charge. "He does not show any prior record but this is a serious twenty year felony, court is not going to set a personal recognizance bond," said Saginaw County District Court Judge David Hoffman during today's arraignment. Tom Mynsberge is a school security expert and credits police and prosecutors with holding anyone who makes a threat to a school accountable. "They are letting them know the ramifications for just simply, even if you think they are not serious, we have to protect, we have to be right once 100% of the time," says Mynsberge. Lampley is from Wayne County and, as a ward of the state, has been living here at at Holy Cross Children's Services in Saginaw. Police say he did not have a gun when he was arrested. Mynsberge is also seeing schools are reviewing their safety plans in recent weeks. "It was kind of a wake up call when Oxford occurred, so all these schools are reinvesting in their plans, they are updating them," he says. Lampley's bond was set at $20,000, 10%, but as of late this afternoon, he was still in the Saginaw County Jail. A final report has been issued in the investigation of Bob Saget's death. Saget, seen here attending an event in Beverly Hills on November 03, 2021, died in January. President Joe Biden speaks at the National League of Cities Congressional City Conference on March 14 in Washington. High Grade Gold and Initial Nickel Results At Golden Ridge Perth, Mar 15, 2022 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Horizon Minerals Limited ( ASX:HRZ ) is pleased to announce new gold and nickel drilling results from the 100% owned Golden Ridge gold project area located 18km southeast of Kalgoorlie - Boulder in the heart of the Western Australian goldfields (Figure 1*).HIGHLIGHTS- Further assay results received from the second phase of drilling at the Golden Ridge project, 18km southeast of Kalgoorlie - Boulder in the heart of the Western Australian goldfields- Extension drilling completed in 2021 comprised 42 RC holes for 5,308m to the north of the historic Golden Ridge mine and 4km south of the Boorara gold project- Significant new high-grade gold mineralisation intercepted including:o 2m @ 20.77g/t Au from 80m (GRRC21026)o 2m @ 26.11g/t Au from 69m (GRRC21018)o 1m @ 6.73g/t Au from 40m, 2m @ 2.27g/t Au from 44m, 2m @ 2.86g/t Au from 87mand 14m @ 3.62g/t Au from 106m including 1m @ 40.3g/t Au from 119m (GRRC21014)o 5m @ 8.06g/t Au from 57m (GRRC21035)o 1m @ 21.36g/t Au from 86m (GRRC21034)o 5m @ 3.98g/t Au from 62m (GRRC21013)- Results demonstrate continuity of the high-grade mineralisation that remains open to the north and at depth with follow up drilling to commence in the June Quarter 2022- Channel sampling across the southern ramp of the historic pit confirmed steeply dipping, shallow high-grade lodes remained in pit with results including:o 4m @ 10.49g/t Au from 6m and 2m @ 1.41g/t Au from 19m (CSGR01)o 1m @ 2.98g/t Au from 2m, 1m @ 1.07g/t Au from 7m and 3m @ 5.56g/t Au from 15m (CSGR02)- Multi-element composite assay results received from the 43-hole Air Core program at Golden Ridge South and two RC holes at Golden Ridge North. Widespread mineralisation up to 0.62% Ni, 460ppm Cu, 0.13% Co and 48g/t Ag has been intersected in ultramafic saprolitic clays and rocks- RC drilling up to 330m deep has commenced at Golden Ridge. The drilling will allow for downhole EM survey access that will help locate any nearby deep sulphide conductors and better delineate the ultramafic stratigraphyCommenting on the Golden Ridge results, Horizon Managing Director Mr Jon Price said: "Golden Ridge is continuing to demonstrate the potential for large scale extensions and the continuity to the northwest and the south is very encouraging. This highly mineralised system is now being tested for base metals with immediate initial success. We now look forward to the deeper drilling and EM survey data in our search for nickel sulphides and further gold extensions to the north and south."The drilling formed part of the 50,000m CY21 program testing high priority resource definition and new discovery targets across the 1,100km2 portfolio. The aim of the program was to organically grow the project pipeline within a 75km radius of Kalgoorlie. The Company currently has one RC rig drilling at Golden Ridge.The 2021 stage 2 Golden Ridge RC program was completed to generate an initial resource and test extensions to the north of the historic open pit. An Air Core program drill tested Golden Ridge to the south where new gold mineralisation was discovered. Recent multi-element work has highlighted anomalous levels of Ni-Co-Cu within a weathered ultramafic system.Next StepsA Golden Ridge gold Mineral Resource Estimate update is expected in the June Quarter 2022. This will include the northern extension area as well as the historic resource beneath the Golden Ridge mine.RC drilling will continue testing both precious and base metal targets at Golden Ridge through the June Quarter 2022 before moving to test targets in the northern Greater Boorara project area at Kanowna South, Perkolilli and Balagundi.*To view tables and figures, please visit:About Horizon Minerals Limited Horizon Minerals Limited (ASX:HRZ) is a gold exploration and mining company focussed on the Kalgoorlie and Menzies areas of Western Australia which are host to some of Australia's richest gold deposits. The Company is developing a mining pipeline of projects to generate cash and self-fund aggressive exploration, mine developments and further acquisitions. The Teal gold mine has been recently completed. Horizon is aiming to significantly grow its JORC-Compliant Mineral Resources, complete definitive feasibility studies on core high grade open cut and underground projects and build a sustainable development pipeline. Horizon has a number of joint ventures in place across multiple commodities and regions of Australia providing exposure to Vanadium, Copper, PGE's, Gold and Nickel/Cobalt. Our quality joint venture partners are earning in to our project areas by spending over $20 million over 5 years enabling focus on the gold business while maintaining upside leverage. Copyright 2022 Albuquerque Journal SANTA FE A new political action committee says it will back moderate Democrats in a host of contested primary races this year and support the challengers taking on at least two incumbents in the state House. The announcement comes after the Legislature grew more progressive over the past four years as challengers defeated eight Democratic incumbents. The Working Together New Mexico PAC was announced Monday by Albuquerque City Councilor Louie Sanchez and former Public Regulation Commissioner Karen Montoya. James Hallinan, who has worked for Democratic Attorney General Hector Balderas and others, is the committees executive director. The PAC said it will push to elect commonsense Democrats in races for six House seats, two statewide offices and a Bernalillo County Commission district. Its time for politicians to stop pandering to the far extremes and start solving our multitude of problems at home in New Mexico, Sanchez said in a written announcement. Sanchez is a business owner and retired Albuquerque police officer who won election to the City Council last year. The groups financial backers arent yet clear. Its first campaign report is due next month. Sanchez said the group looks forward to financial support from fellow commonsense Democrats and the business community from around the state. Candidates facing opposition by the PAC vigorously pushed back Monday on the characterization that they dont match ordinary New Mexicans values. Democratic state Rep. Roger Montoya of Velarde facing a primary challenge from former Rep. Joseph Sanchez, who was endorsed by the new PAC said he has stood up to progressives in his party when they go too far. Montoya voted, for example, against legislation to establish a clean fuel standard a proposal that died on a tie vote this year. He described his record as moderate. My votes reflect the people, the needs, and the hearts and minds of rural New Mexico, Montoya said. He and Sanchez are facing off in House District 40, which stretches from the outskirts of Espanola and Chimayo to the Colorado border. The PAC is also supporting a challenger to Democratic Rep. Andrea Romero of Santa Fe. The group endorsed Santa Fe County Commissioner Henry Roybal in District 46, which includes Pojoaque and parts of northern Santa Fe, Espanola and Chimayo. A third candidate, Ryan Erik Salazar, is also running for the Democratic nomination. Romero, the parliamentarian in the House, said Monday that she isnt surprised to see conservative forces in the state lining up to support one of her opponents. Our politics and ideas couldnt be more different, she said. Im proud to run on my progressive Democratic values against corporate interests funding Mr. Roybal. The Working Together PAC is registered as an independent expenditure committee, meaning it cannot coordinate with any other candidates campaign. All 70 House seats are on the ballot this year. The Senate is up every four years, with the next cycle in 2024. Democrats have grown their majority in the House from a 38-32 advantage over Republicans in 2017 to 45-24 this year, plus one independent. At least three Democrats lost primary challenges over that period. On the Senate side, Democrats have held their numbers roughly steady, but five anti-abortion incumbents lost to challengers in 2020, moving the Senate Democratic caucus to the left. Democrats have a 26-15-1 edge in the Senate. For the fifth straight year, the Hello Kitty Cafe Truck makes its way to Albuquerque. The traveling pop-up store will stop at Albuquerque Uptown from 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Saturday, March 19. According to organizers, the mobile cafe will be in the courtyard near California Pizza Kitchen. It also only accepts credit and debit cards. According to a press release, fans of Hello Kitty can look forward to an array of exclusive goodies and limited-edition collectibles, including: Hello Kitty Cafe lunchbox. Hello Kitty Cafe Lavender T-shirt. Hello Kitty Cafe canvas tote. Hello Kitty Cafe Rainbow Thermos. Hand-decorated cookie sets. Enamel pin sets and Madeleine cookie sets. Organizers said other best-selling items, such as, the Hello Kitty Cafe plush toys and Giant Hello Kitty Cafe Chef Cookies, will also be available for purchase. Since the Hello Kitty Cafe Truck made its debut in October 2014 as part of Sanrios first food-related venture, the cafe on wheels has delighted thousands of fans from all over the U.S., drawing crowds of up to hundreds of Hello Kitty lovers at each stop. To date, two Hello Kitty Cafe trucks have traveled to more than 100 cities across both coasts from Los Angeles, Seattle and Houston to Chicago, New York and Miami. Copyright 2022 Albuquerque Journal The Santa Fe New Mexican newspaper and the New Mexico Foundation for Open Government are seeking a formal court ruling on whether the city of Rio Rancho can legally withhold certain law enforcement records, such as public police reports and 911 calls, in the gunshot death of a 2-year-old boy last December. Such law enforcement records traditionally and routinely have been made available for public inspection, with certain redactions, under the state Inspection of Public Records Act. But Rio Rancho officials have contended such records are confidential under the New Mexico Childrens Code, which covers civil abuse and neglect proceedings, and juvenile delinquency matters. A Rio Rancho spokeswoman said Monday the city doesnt comment on pending litigation. The New Mexican, and other news media organizations, including the Albuquerque Journal, have filed repeated requests for such information under IPRA after the boy, whose father is a Santa Fe police officer, was fatally shot at his home Dec. 8. But to date no requested records have been produced. No one has been criminally charged in the case. The asserted justification for wholesale denial of the records request at issue here was plainly erroneous as a matter of law, states the lawsuit, which was assigned to state District Judge James Noel of Sandoval County. Should it go uncorrected by a court in this widely publicized case, it threatens to curtain from public view vast swaths of previously public information at the intersection of public safety and child welfare. The upshot would be to render invisible many important activities of law-enforcement agencies and child-protective agencies alike, and to undermine the accountability of public servants charged with investigating suspected violations of New Mexicos criminal statutes and safeguarding its most vulnerable citizens, states the lawsuit filed by Albuquerque attorney Charles Kip Purcell on behalf of the nonprofit organization, FOG, and the Santa Fe newspaper. A week ago, the office of New Mexico Attorney General Hector Balderas concluded that Rio Rancho had misapplied the Childrens Code in basing its denials for law enforcement records on exemptions contained in the Childrens Code. Balderas office, acting on a complaint filed by T.J. Wilham of KOAT-TV, urged the city to make the records public. Balderas also told the Journal his agency had been planning to sue Rio Rancho for violating IPRA . The response to the AG from Rio Rancho over the past week has been inconsistent. Rio Rancho City Attorney Greg Lauer sent an email to the AG and Wilham on March 7 contending the AGs opinion had no legal bearing. If or when lawmakers determine that indeed any person whatsoever can access what are now confidential records regarding child victims or child defendants whether a media type acting in some purported public interest or someone with a more prurient motivation perhaps well have a different conversation at that time, Lauer wrote. Until such a time may arrive, the law now in the statutes prescribes strict and broad confidentiality to protect child crime victims, not an unfettered and open season for anyone to exploit the blood or misery of those children. Yet, the next day, a Rio Rancho spokeswoman stated that the city was processing the medias records requests. Then a city records custodian alerted the news media that new IPRA requests would be required. On Monday, the city sent out an update extending the deadline by which records would be produced to March 24, but it isnt clear what will be made public. It also isnt clear how the boy was fatally injured. According to the lawsuit, the AGs office received a Dec. 8 email string from the city of Rio Rancho marked Confidential/Not approved for Public Release, that indicated a preliminary police investigation that day showed Lincoln Harmon had found a firearm in the home and discharged it himself.' Search warrant records filed in the 13th Judicial District Court showed Rio Rancho police seized two Glock handguns and two AR-15 rifles at the Harmon home in Rio Rancho the day of the shooting. An inventory of what was seized identified the boy as the victim and his policeman father as the owner of the firearms. There was also mention of a four-year-old child in the home. The only circumstance that seems to distinguish this case from the scores of cases in which police departments (including Rio Ranchos) unquestioningly honor IPRA requests for information about suspected crimes involving child victims or perpetrators is that a police officer is one of the parties under suspicion, stated the FOG and New Mexican lawsuit. The Citys insistence on maintaining blanket confidentiality ostensibly for the purpose of protecting the privacy interests of children seems primarily designed to protect a public-safety officer from public scrutiny. Over the past five years, shocking deaths of children such as Omaree Varela and Victoria Martens, in Albuquerque, have shone a spotlight on the ways in which police department and child welfare agencies have failed to protect New Mexicos most precious resource. We know about them because law enforcement officials have responsibly released investigative reports, lapel-camera video and other information. They might never have seen the light of day under the interpretation (of the sections of the Childrens Code) advocated by the City in this case, the lawsuit added. The IPRA requires compliance immediately after a request is received, but no later than 15 days. The city of Rio Ranchos latest directive from its records custodian suggests Rio Rancho may be attempting to restart the statuatory 15-day clock in the wake of the (Attorney Generals) determination letter, the lawsuit added. But the time for prompt and scrupulous compliance expired months ago, the lawsuit stated, when the IPRA requests by the media were originally filed and denied. The lawsuit seeks release of the requested records, as well as damages, costs and attorney fees. Copyright 2022 Albuquerque Journal SANTA FE Wearing the now well-known army green T-shirts favored by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, actors from the New Mexico Actors Lab raised $5,000 on Sunday for refugee relief with a performance of Ukrainian prose and poetry. It was a whirlwind effort pulled together in a week after the Labs artistic director and performer Nicholas Ballas had a brainstorm. I was in that funk about two weeks ago watching all the images coming out of Eastern Europe and wondering what can I do? Ballas said. Admittedly, not any kind of expert on Ukrainian prose or poetry, Ballas relied on his English degree and art school training to rapidly research and curate works of contemporary Ukrainian poets and writers. I know how to go through things and cull out what would work dramatically, Ballas said. Ninety-one attendees paid $50 each for the performance, and the $5,000 raised exceeded the original $4,000 goal, said Actors Lab Managing Director Robert Benedetti. The funds will be divided equally between the International Rescue Committee and Doctors Without Borders. While the preparation was intense it was rewarding for all involved. It was an adventure, it was like cramming for a final, said Ballas. Consistent themes in contemporary Ukrainian poetry that Ballas recognized included love of country, of nature and the land itself, as well as a healthy dose of black humor, he said. I attribute the latter to living in the shadow of a neighbor like Russia. The Lab Theater only holds 85 people but extra chairs were brought in. It was a wonderful event, the house was packed, Benedetti said. We had as many people as we could hold, the response from the community was terrific. We got a lot of donations over and above the $50 ticket price. The actors are more than willing to put on Sundays performance again, said Ballas, and the scripts and green T-shirts have been saved. I would love to do it again if I think there is an audience that can support it and we can raise more money. I dont think this war is going to go away in the next week or two, he said. He believes the war has galvanized the world and has reinforced the notion of a global community that has pulled together during the largest refugee exodus since World War II. I think its just an example of how we really do live in a global community in this information age, Ballas said. We hear about stuff thats going on the other side of the world and how it impacts us and if there are ways that individuals can make a difference from afar, then hallelujah. Its just a wonderful way for the world to be working right now. More information on the companys 2022 season and orders for season tickets are at its website, www.nmactorslab.com. NEW DELHI An Indian court Tuesday upheld a ban on wearing hijab in class in the southern state of Karnataka, saying the Muslim headscarf is not an essential religious practice of Islam in a ruling that is likely to further deepen religious tensions in the country. The high court in Karnataka state delivered the verdict after considering petitions filed by Muslim students challenging a government ban on hijabs that some schools and colleges have implemented in the last two months. The ban does not extend to other Indian states, but the court ruling could set a precedent for the rest of the country. The dispute began in January when a government-run school in Karnatakas Udupi district barred students wearing hijabs from entering classrooms, triggering protests by Muslims who said they were being deprived of their fundamental rights to education and religion. That led to counterprotests by Hindu students wearing saffron shawls, a color closely associated with that religion and favored by Hindu nationalists. More schools in the state followed with similar bans and the states top court disallowed students from wearing hijab and any religious clothing pending a verdict. The court in its ruling said the state government had the power to prescribe uniform guidelines for students as a reasonable restriction on fundamental rights. The ruling came at a time when violence and hate speech against Muslims have increased under Prime Minister Narendra Modis governing Hindu nationalist party, which also governs Karnataka state. Over the last few weeks, the issue has become a flashpoint for the battle over the rights of Muslims, who fear they are being shunted aside as a minority in India and see hijab bans as a worrying escalation of Hindu nationalism under Modis government. Some rights activists have voiced concerns that the ban could increase Islamophobia. No one can understand our anxiousness about what is to follow, Afreen Fatima, a New Delhi-based student activist, wrote on Twitter. The courts Hijab ban is a great injustice and a very worrying precedence. The scale of its repercussion is going to be brutal and inhuman. Karnatakas education minister B. C. Nagesh told reporters that female Muslim students who were protesting against the ban must respect the courts verdict and return to classes. He said his government will try to win the hearts of misguided students and bring them in mainstream of education. Some Muslim politicians called the verdict disappointing. I hope this judgement will not be used to legitimize harassment of hijab-wearing women, said Asaduddin Owaisi, a member of the Indian parliament. Ahead of the verdict, the Karnataka government banned large gatherings for a week in state capital Bengaluru to maintain public peace and order and declared a holiday Tuesday in schools and colleges in Udupi. The hijab is worn by many Muslim women to maintain modesty or as a religious symbol, often seen as not just a bit of clothing but something mandated by their faith. Hijab restrictions have surfaced elsewhere, including France, which in 2004 banned them in schools. But in India, where Muslims make up 14% of the countrys 1.4 billion people, the hijab has historically been neither prohibited nor limited in public spheres. Women donning the headscarf is common across the country, which has religious freedom enshrined in its national charter with the secular state as a cornerstone. PRZEMYSL, Poland While over 3 million people have fled Ukraine since Russias invasion, a small but growing number are heading in the other direction. At first they were foreign volunteers, Ukrainian expatriate men returning to fight and people delivering aid. Now, increasingly, women are also going back. Motivated by a desire to help loved ones in trouble, or to contribute to the defense and survival of their country and compatriots in ways large and small, these women are braving the bombs that have increasingly pounded Ukraine since Russian forces invaded on Feb. 24. Many are not refugees but Ukrainian women who had been living and working abroad. Others had already chosen to stay put in their country but were forced to cross the border to shop for needed goods as supplies dried up under the onslaught at home. I will go back and help. I am a health worker, so the hospitals need help, said Iryna Orel, 50, lugging her luggage as she boarded a train from Przemysl, Poland, to Lviv in western Ukraine. And I will stay until the end. With Ukraines government ordering men to stay and fight, the vast majority of people fleeing Ukraine have been women, children and the elderly. For those who cant or wont leave, the perils they face are many, and images such as those of a mortally wounded pregnant woman rushed on a stretcher from a maternity hospital in Mariupol testify to the dangers. Still, some women have chosen to head back toward the gunfire and bloodshed to contribute in whatever way they can. Reached by phone after arriving in the port city of Odesa, which has so far remained under Ukrainian government control, Orel said she was frightened at first by the air raid sirens and sounds of explosives, but sitting and shaking with fear does not help. She envisions her role as providing medical care, but other women might choose to help defend the country militarily, she said. Women can fight, she said. Many women are patriotic to defend Ukraine why not? Women rushing into war zones or taking part in war efforts is nothing new. Female soldiers were a visible part of the Ukrainian military before the war, including in combat roles. Some women, like many men, are taking up arms for the first time. Plus, gender equality in the workplace as well as the military has traditionally been more common in post-Soviet states like Ukraine than many other parts of the world. Since the invasion, Polish border guards have tallied over 195,000 crossings of people from Poland to Ukraine, more than four in five Ukrainian nationals, spokeswoman Anna Michalska said Tuesday. That includes people who come and return to buy food and other supplies in Poland and go back, or who bring relatives across and return. So some people are counted a number of times. Poland has taken in more than 1.8 million refugees over 60% of the total exodus of 3 million people since the invasion, according to U.N. agencies. The U.N. refugee agency had initially predicted some 4 million refugees would flee a figure that may soon be eclipsed. What to say, really? Three million refugees in the space of just over two weeks. This is frightening and it doesnt stop, the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, said in an interview in the Afghan capital, Kabul, where he was visiting to assure Afghans that despite the horrors of the war raging in Ukraine they have not been forgotten. Everybodys asking how many refugees will come out of Ukraine, he said. The answer is very simple: I simply dont know. Aid deliveries are making their way into Ukraine, as well as reported flows of weapons and fighters ready to use them. The International Committee for the Red Cross said 200 tons of medical supplies and relief items had arrived in the country, including water, mattresses, blankets, food, first aid kits, plastic tarps and more than 5,000 body bags. Less noticed has been the entry or cross-border shuttling of women who are either trying to bring help or stay in the country to continue their lives as best they can. I am returning to Ukraine to help people evacuate, said Maria Khalica, who lives in Italy and was headed to the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv. I am in a more stable state now than my friends, who are under rocket attacks and bombs. I know that Kyiv is also going to be occupied and we are taking the last chance to help other people there, Khalica said, adding that she believes Russian forces will eventually seize the capital. Some women are returning to join their families and others to help in any way they can, either as health workers or with the army. We plan to return to the family and we will decide with the family what to do next said Olga Simanova, 56, who traveled from Germany to return to her familys hometown of Vinnycja. Meanwhile, the number of those fleeing continues to grow. James Elder, a spokesman for UNICEF, said some 1.4 million children have fled Ukraine since the invasion or about 73,000 per day on average. That, he said, amounts to 55 every minute. So we are almost since war started on the 24th of February (at a point where) a child has become a refugee out of Ukraine every second. They have fled to countries across Eastern Europe: Romania has taken in more than 450,000, Moldova more than 337,000, Hungary over 263,000 and Slovakia some 213,000, according to the latest UNHCR tally on Tuesday. The Polish capital of Warsaw, alone, has taken in about 300,000 refugees, about a 15% increase of its population of more than 1.7 million. These are enormous numbers, said Moldovan Foreign Minister Nicu Popescu, who signed a 10 million-euro ($11 million) agreement with Italy on Tuesday to help with the refugee crisis. The number of refugees represents 4% of the whole Moldovan population. ___ Keaten reported from Geneva. Monika Scislowska in Warsaw, Poland; Vira Loy in Przemysl, Poland; Helena Alves in Chisinau, Moldova; and Kathy Gannon in Kabul, Afghanistan contributed to this report. Senior Chinese diplomat meets U.S. national security advisor Xinhua) 08:23, March 15, 2022 ROME, March 14 (Xinhua) -- Yang Jiechi, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, met with U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan on Monday in Rome, capital of Italy. Both sides conducted candid, in-depth and constructive communication over China-U.S. relations, as well as international and regional issues of common concern. The two sides agree to jointly implement the consensus reached by the two heads of state, increase understanding, manage differences, expand consensus and strengthen cooperation, so as to accumulate conditions for bringing China-U.S. relations back to the track of sound and steady development. Yang, also director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the CPC Central Committee, said the implementation of the consensus between the two heads of state is the most important task for China-U.S. relations. He said that Chinese President Xi Jinping has proposed mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation as the three principles in developing China-U.S. relations in the new era, which has charted the course for the development of the bilateral ties. U.S. President Joe Biden responded positively with such important commitments as that the United States does not seek a new Cold War or to change China's system, nor will it oppose China through strengthening alliances, support "Taiwan independence," or seek confrontation with China, Yang said. The Chinese side always views and handles bilateral relations in accordance with the three principles put forth by President Xi, Yang said, expressing his hope that the U.S. side can truly deliver on President Biden's promises. Under the current international situation, China and the United States should strengthen dialogue and cooperation, properly manage differences and prevent conflict and confrontation, which not only serves the interests of the two people but also meets the expectation of the international community and the interests of people across the world, he added. Stressing that the Taiwan question concerns China's sovereignty and territorial integrity, Yang said in the three Sino-U.S. joint communiques, the U.S. side explicitly recognized that there is only one China and that the one-China principle is the premise for establishing diplomatic relations between China and the United States as well as the political foundation of their relations. The current U.S. administration has pledged to adhere to the one-China policy and not to support "Taiwan independence" in regard to the Taiwan question, but its actions are obviously inconsistent with its statements, he said. The Chinese side expresses grave concern over and firm opposition to the recent wrong words and deeds of the U.S. side on Taiwan-related issues, Yang noted, adding that any attempts to condone and support "Taiwan independence" separatist forces, or play the "Taiwan card" and use the Taiwan question to contain China will be futile. China urges the U.S. side to recognize the high sensitivity of the Taiwan question, abide by the one-China principle, the provisions of the three Sino-U.S. joint communiques and the commitments made by the U.S. side, and stop going further down the dangerous path. Yang expounded on China's solemn position on issues related to Xinjiang, Tibet and Hong Kong, pointing out that these issues concern China's core interests and are China's internal affairs that allow no foreign interference. Any attempt to use these issues to suppress China will fail, he said. Yang noted that seeking common ground while shelving differences and building a bridge of cooperation on top of proper settlement of differences is the right way for China and the United States to get along with each other, which has been tested by practice since the Shanghai Communique was issued 50 years ago. The two sides should learn from history, grasp the premise of mutual respect, hold the bottom line of peaceful coexistence and seize the key of win-win cooperation, he said. The two sides also exchanged views on international and regional issues including the Ukraine issue, the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue, the Iran nuclear issue and the Afghanistan issue. (Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Liang Jun) WASHINGTON A man suspected of stalking and shooting homeless people asleep on the streets of New York City and Washington was arrested early Tuesday. Police said at least two people were killed and three others wounded in the attacks. The suspect, Gerald Brevard was arrested in Washington on murder, assault and other charges after news of the killings had added new fears to people spending nights on the streets of the two cities and elsewhere. The 30-year-old man, who lives in the Washington area, was charged Tuesday only in connection with the Washington cases and has not been charged in the New York attacks. Brevard has a criminal history that includes assaulting a police officer and assault with a deadly weapon and was in custody Tuesday. He was being questioned by both New York and Washington detectives. Police in the two cities earlier released multiple surveillance photographs, including a closeup showing the suspects face that was obtained from an ATM surveillance camera in Washington, and urged people who might know him to come forward. Investigators used ballistic evidence and tips to help link the shootings, and a tipster called police with information about the suspects identity, officials said. Police are now contacting other cities to determine whether or not the suspect might be responsible for attacks elsewhere. Though he hasnt been charged yet in the New York cases, police feel very confident they have identified the correct suspect, Metropolitan Police Chief Robert Contee said. All of the shootings involved .22-caliber bullets, and surveillance photos and video, along with witness statements, all pointed to a single suspect a man wearing distinctive sneakers, black pants and the same face mask, New York Police Department Chief of Detectives James Essig told reporters. Police on Tuesday identified the Washington victim who died as 54-year-old Morgan Holmes. The New York victim was not identified. New York detectives were in Washington and participating in interviews with the suspect, Essig said. But investigators did not immediately find anything further connecting the suspect to New York beyond surveillance video and ballistics evidence or any social media postings or other evidence explaining a motive. Brevard hasnt offered any inkling of a motive during interviews with detectives, and authorities believe he may have been randomly targeting the victims, Contee said. D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser and New York City Mayor Eric Adams credited the swift coordination between the two police departments and the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. ATF agents took Brevard into custody around 2:30 a.m. Tuesday morning before handing him over to detectives in Washington. They have not yet recovered a gun. This man targeted those experiencing homelessness with no regard for life, but this criminal is now off the streets, Adams said Tuesday. Gun violence against anyone, let alone our most vulnerable populations, is sick, but thanks to the coordination between different levels of law enforcement and the publics help, those experiencing homelessness can breathe a sigh of relief today. Court records show Brevard was arrested in July 2018 on assault charges and later pleaded guilty to attempted assault with a deadly weapon. He was found mentally incompetent to stand trial in June 2019. Records show Brevard was sent to St. Elizabeths Hospital, a psychiatric facility in the District. A month later, he was deemed competent to stand trial. Soon after, records show, he pleaded guilty and was sentenced to a year in prison. That sentence, however, was suspended. Investigators also are trying to determine why Brevard was out on the streets around 2:30 a.m., when he was arrested. Advocates for the homeless found comfort in the arrest but urged officials in both cities, which have significant populations of people without permanent shelter, to provide more assistance. The urgency of helping people move in off the streets must remain, because this is only the latest example of the risks faced by people without housing, said Jacquelyn Simone, policy director for the Coalition for the Homeless in New York City. Its not the first time that people have been the victims of violence or even homicides because of their housing status. Investigators in the two cities began to suspect a link between the shootings on Sunday after a Metropolitan Police Department homicide captain, a former New York City resident, saw surveillance photos that had been released on Saturday night by the New York Police Department while scrolling through social media. The man in those photos looked similar to the one being sought by the MPD homicide captains own department. Contee credited the coordination between the departments for the timely arrest. The earliest known shooting happened at around 4 a.m. on March 3 in Washington, police said, when a man was wounded in the citys Northeast section. A second man was wounded on March 8, just before 1:30 a.m. At 3 a.m. the next day, police and firefighters found Holmes dead inside a burning tent. He initially was thought to have suffered fatal burns, but an autopsy revealed he had died of multiple stab and gunshot wounds. The killer then traveled north to New York City, police said. Surveillance video showed a man who investigators believe is Brevard at Penn Station in Manhattan around 3:30 a.m. An hour later, a 38-year-old man sleeping on the street in Manhattan not far from the entrance to the Holland Tunnel was shot in his right arm as he slept. The victim screamed, and the gunman fled, police said. About 90 minutes later, the gunman fatally shot another man in SoHo, police said. He looked around, Adams said. He made sure no one was there. And he intentionally took the life of an innocent person. The mans body was found in his sleeping bag just before 5 p.m. Saturday. He had been shot in the head and neck, said Julie Bolcer, a spokesperson for the New York City medical examiners office. The victim had lain in the street for hours before authorities were summoned. Police believe Brevard quickly returned to Washington, D.C. after the attacks. Kess Abraham, who became homeless last month, said he was pained to learn of a guy who lived on the streets who probably was minding his own business getting murdered for no reason. It could have been any one of us whos homeless, Abraham said. The latest attacks were reminiscent of the beating deaths of four homeless men as they slept on the streets in New Yorks Chinatown in the fall of 2019. Another homeless man, Randy Santos, has pleaded not guilty to murder charges in those attacks. A year ago, four people were stabbed in New York City, two fatally, by a man who attacked homeless people in the subway system. That accused assailant, who also was homeless, is awaiting trial. ___ This story has been corrected to show that two people were killed in the shootings, not three. ___ Calvan reported from New York. Associated Press writers Colleen Long in Washington and Michael R. Sisak in New York contributed to this report. Copyright 2022 Albuquerque Journal Neighbors say the man who lived in a white brick one-story home on a corner lot in a foothills neighborhood kept to himself. Sometimes theyd see him doing yard work, although ivy and other vegetation seemed to have overtaken the homes walls and yard. One neighbor said shed brought him fruit from her trees to introduce herself when she moved in across the street. She said he was pleasant, telling her he mostly stayed home, and that his daughter came to visit now and then. On Monday, police say, 52-year-old John Dawson Hunter was suffering some sort of mental crisis when he started shooting randomly at people in the area of his home. Police say he shot three people one fatally and three officers were injured by debris before they shot and killed Hunter in front of his house. Two handguns were found where Hunter was shot. Alicia Hall, 31, was driving by when she was struck by gunfire. She died at the scene. On Tuesday, shattered glass could still be seen in the intersection and by the curb where Hall pulled over. Neighbors said they heard she lived in the area as well. Police flood scene The shootings sparked a massive law enforcement response as officers flooded the neighborhood east of Tramway. Gilbert Gallegos, an Albuquerque Police Department spokesman, said investigators are still trying to piece together the sequence of events. On Monday, Chief Harold Medina said officers were called to Montgomery and Tramway NE, near the James Dwyer Memorial Police Substation, around 2:17 p.m. Thats where they found a teenage girl in a car with her father had been shot. She was taken to the hospital and has since been released. Medina said while officers were rendering aid to the girl they heard gunshots to the east. Other officers went up the street and found a man had been shot in the leg. That man took himself to the hospital. Then, Medina said, officers found a woman, later identified as Hall, dead inside her vehicle not far from Hunters home. There some sort of confrontation occurred and several officers shot Hunter. He died at the scene. Police initially said two officers received minor gunshot wounds one grazed above his eye, the other struck by pellets below the vest but Gallegos clarified on Tuesday that there were actually three officers injured, but not from gunfire. It appears the officers injuries may have resulted from gunshots that struck a cinder block wall that broke up and sent debris in their direction, Gallegos wrote in a news release. It is not clear who fired the shots that struck the wall. He said detectives with the Multi-Agency Task Force are investigating to determine what happened. Gunshots recalled By Tuesday late morning little was left in the area to hint at the chaos from the day before. Less than half a block from where Hall was killed was a house featured in the fourth season of the hit Netflix series Stranger Things. Filming wrapped up in August and the season has not been released yet. The home has been turned into an Airbnb. Neighbors taking a walk nearby recounted hearing gunshots on their normally quiet street the day before and running back inside to call 911. Hunter does not have any criminal history in New Mexico, according to online court records, and APD officers had not been called to his house before Monday. According to online records, Hunters parents had owned the house since the early 1990s and he inherited it in 2014 after his mothers death. WENN/Derrick Salters Celebrity According to the disgraced actor's legal team, Jussie's family has been receiving 'vicious threats' since he was sentenced to 150 days in jail for his hate crime hoax. Mar 15, 2022 AceShowbiz - Jussie Smollett's family fears for his safety as they have been receiving threatening calls following his sentencing for his hate crime hoax. The family of the former "Empire" star has unveiled one of the "vicious calls" that they have allegedly received and the message is so disturbing. "I hope what they do to that guy in jail - here's what they're going to do, right. They're going to take a broom handle, and take that little [expletive], shove it in there, and he's gonna go, '[shrieking sound],' " a man's voice is heard in video of the call shared by Jussie's team on Monday, March 14, according to Rolling Stone. The threat appears to invoke the 1997 police assault on Abner Louima, who was sodomized with a broken broomstick by disgraced NYPD office Justin Volpe, who is now serving 30 years for the attack. A spokeswoman for Jussie said one of the actor's siblings received the alarming call on Friday morning on the number that was given as his emergency jail contact when he was taken into custody. The spokesperson said the sibling "started being bombarded with phone threats about harm that would be done to Jussie in the jail." Jussie's legal team claims that the threatening phone calls have raised serious concerns about his safety behind bars. The lawyers say this "no doubt reflects the hatred and wish for physical harm toward Smollett which he may experience during incarceration." Hence they demand an emergency suspension of his five-month jail sentence. In the filing, Jussie's lawyers also argue that the 39-year-old is at a "serious health risk" of catching COVID-19 due to a compromised immune system, citing the positive case rates in jails and prisons across the country. They additionally claim that because Jussie is being held in protective custody, which is essentially "solitary confinement," it could inflict "extraordinary damage on his mental health." In December 2021, Jussie was found guilty of five of the six counts of felony disorderly conduct pertaining to making four false police reports relating to his hate crime hoax. Then on Thursday, he was sentenced to 30 months of probation and ordered to pay $120,106 in restitution to the Windy City, and a further $25,000 fine. The judge also ruled that Jussie will spend the first 150 days of his probation in the Cook County Jail. Jussie was taken into custody at the Cook County Jail on the same day and has been placed in protective custody. His brother Jocqui Smollet later denied rumors suggesting that his sibling was "at risk of self harm." Meanwhile, his sister Jurnee Smollett and stars like Taraji P. Henson, Samuel L. Jackson as well as Alfre Woodard have shown their support for him. Jurnee and Taraji took to social media to call to his freedom, while Samuel, his wife LaTanya Richardson as well as Alfre have penned letters to the judge asking for leniency. WENN/AEDT/Barbara Loschan Celebrity The SpaceX founder invokes the wrath of social media users with his tweets directed to Russia's leader, which also draw response from the country's and Ukraine's officials. Mar 15, 2022 AceShowbiz - Elon Musk apparently thinks he single-handedly can end the war in Ukraine. Channeling his anger over Russia's attack on the neighboring country, the tech entrepreneur has challenged Russia's leader Vladimir Putin to a "single combat" with Ukraine at stakes. On Monday, March 14, Musk tweeted, "I hereby challenge Vladimir Putin to single combat. Stakes are Ukraine," with Putin's name and Ukraine written in Cyrillic script. In a follow-up tweet, he tagged the President of Russia and once again wrote in Russian, "Do you agree to this fight?" Elon Musk challenged Vladimir Putin to a fight. His tweets have drawn mixed response from Russia's and Ukraine's officials. Ukrainian Vice Prime Minister Mykhailo Fedorov supported Musk as tweeting, "I am sure that @elonmusk can send Putin to Jupiter." Vitali Klitschko, mayor of Ukraine capital Kyiv, also praised Musk's tweet. On the other hand, Dmitry Rogozin, director general of Roscosmos, the Russian space agency, disagreed. "You, little devil, are still young," he wrote. "Compete with me weakling; It would only be a waste of time. Overtake my brother first." Rogozin also cited the 17th fairytale by Russian poet A. S. Pushkin titled "The Tale of the Priest and of His Workman Balda". It is about a lazy priest who hires a cheap worker before the worker drives him insane. Meanwhile, social media users blasted Musk who doesn't show his support to Ukraine in the most productive way. "Dude I think you rock but please have some respect for innocent people dying! and use your intelligence to help deliver aid and support that they actually need .you are better than this tweet do something productive that actually helps them if anyone can you can !" one person suggested. Another pointed out, "Ukraine is not yours to gamble, Elon. Want to help? Donate a few billion to help the people of Ukraine buy weapons and food. They need money. They have a hero. Volodymyr Zelenskyy." A third critic added, "It's not your sky or earth to fight on it but it's human race not street fight @elonmusk !!" Instagram Celebrity The 'Nashville' alum's 7-year-old daughter Kaya appears missing after it's reported that she's in Ukraine with her dad, Wladimir Klitschko, but she's nowhere in sight in a new clip he shares on social media. Mar 15, 2022 AceShowbiz - Hayden Panettiere's daughter Kaya has reportedly been missing in action. The reports came less than a month after the former "Nashville" actress claimed that her 7-year-old daughter "is safe and not in Ukraine" amid Russia's invasion. The daughter of the 32-year-old actress and her ex, Wladimir Klitschko, was reported MIA after OK! Magazine claimed that the little girl is currently living with her dad in Ukraine. Though so, in a video shared by Wladimir, who has vowed to fight in the army against the Russian forces, via Instagram on Monday, March 14, she's nowhere in sight. The clip saw the damage caused by Russia following its attack. Nevertheless, it's safe to assume Kaya's protective mom and dad have her somewhere safe during this uncertain time, as Kaya's well-being has been at the forefront of the actress' mind. "Her daughter's safety and happiness is Hayden's No. 1 priority. She means more to her than anything," a source told the outlet on Monday. On March 12, a separate source told the outlet that Hayden "is in contact with Kaya and knows she's in good hands [with her dad]." The insider went on to add, "She wishes she could be there to comfort her." "Hayden truly thinks Wlad's an amazing father," the informant continued. The source then further explained, "There will be a point where she will try to have more custody [of Kaya], but now's not the time." "She and Wlad decided a long time ago that Kaya was better off with him," the insider added of the decision. However, the source stressed, "Hayden and Wlad speak every day" and that the former engaged couple has "done a good job co-parenting." Reports of Kaya being MIA came less than a month after Hayden herself stated that her little girl's not in Ukraine amid Russia's attack. In a comment section of her post on February 25, a fan asked her, "Please tell me that your daughter is currently stateside and not with her dad during this." In response, the artist replied, "She's safe and not in Ukraine," adding a thumbs-up emoji. Instagram Celebrity The Kylie Cosmetics owner is seen boarding a flight on a private pink-and-white jet to Palm Spring, California with her firstborn Stormi as well as her one-month-old son Wolf. Mar 15, 2022 AceShowbiz - Kylie Jenner is already introducing her newborn son to her jet-setting lifestyle. The 24-year-old mother of two has taken baby Wolf on his first plane ride as she was headed off to Palm Spring, California for a downtime with her family. On Sunday, March 13, the reality TV star was spotted outside a private pink-and-white jet on the tarmac at an airport in Los Angeles. Although the pictures are blurry, it can be seen that her daughter Stormi was with her when they stepped out a black car. Kylie was not pictured with baby Wolf, but a male attendant was seen holding a white blanket on the stairs of the plane to hide the one-month-old infant as he was brought aboard the aircraft. For the outing, Kylie was dressed in all black and carried a small black purse. Her daughter, meanwhile, was seemingly prepared for the hot weather in Palm Springs by wearing a white tank top and dark slacks while her hair was pulled up to a high ponytail. The four-year-old girl also carried a large pink toy in her arms. Kylie also took to her Instagram Stories to document her trip. She shared a video of her private jet as a very long black SUV van be seen backing up to the airplane. She filmed the clip from inside her $300,000 custom-made black Rolls-Royce. Kylie gave birth to Wolf, her second child with Travis Scott (II), on February 2. The cosmetic mogul has been staying low-key after welcoming her son, but was recently spotted hanging out with her firstborn Stormi in Los Angeles. She also was photographed with her mother Kris Jenner in South California earlier this month to check out a home under construction. It was revealed in February that Kylie and Travis were not living together despite welcoming their second child together. "Kylie and Travis are happy together," a source told PEOPLE. "He is working on new music, but is also around a lot. They still don't officially live together, but doing what works best for them." WENN/Nicky Nelson Movie While the 30-year-old 'Maze Runner' star doesn't experience live-threatening symptoms, he shares on Twitter that he 'had to cancel rest of press' for the movie. Mar 15, 2022 AceShowbiz - Dylan O'Brien was forced to cancel the rest of his press plans for "The Outfit" due to COVID-19. On Monday, March 14, the 30-year-old actor took to social media to share that he tested positive for the novel virus. "got the vid. all good mild symptoms," the star wrote on Twitter. "The Maze Runner" actor added that "Being vaxxed & boosted (and having it with Obama) is v much helping." While he didn't experience live-threatening symptoms, Dylan said that he "had to cancel rest of press. sobering reminder that we're still in a pandemic. stay safe be mindful x." Dylan O'Brien shared that he tested positive for COVID-19. Dylan was referring to former U.S. President Barack Obama, who also shared his COVID-19 diagnosis this past weekend. On Sunday, March 13, the former U.S. president announced that he tested positive for the virus, writing to his 131M followers on Twitter, "I just tested positive for COVID." Thankfully, he only had mild symptoms as he revealed that he "had a scratchy throat for a couple days, but am feeling fine otherwise." He added that he and his wife Michelle Obama "are grateful to be vaccinated and boosted, and she has tested negative." He went on to encourage people to get vaccinated, saying, "It's a reminder to get vaccinated if you haven't already, even as cases go down." It was said that he recently returned to Washington, D.C. after spending much of the winter in Hawaii. That wasn't the first time for Barack to promote COVID-19 vaccine. Back in March, he joined fellow former presidents Jimmy Carter, George W Bush, Bill Clinton and the former first ladies in a PSA to encourage Americans to get vaccinated. "This vaccine means hope," he said in the video. "It will protect you and those you love from this dangerous and deadly disease." Instagram TV Hall's injuries arrive after it was revealed that award-winning American journalist Brent Renaud was killed in Ukraine after reportedly being shot in the neck by Russian soldiers. Mar 15, 2022 AceShowbiz - It took a lot of courage for journalists to report from a conflict area. FOX News' correspondent Benjamin Hall reportedly was hospitalized after being injured on Monday, March 14 while covering Russia's war in Ukraine. The network's CEO, Suzanne Scott, said in a note to employees that Hall, a Washington, D.C.-based State Department correspondent, was hurt while reporting for the network. "Earlier today our correspondent Benjamin Hall was injured while newsgathering outside of Kyiv in Ukraine," Scott said. "We have a minimal level of details right now, but Ben is hospitalized and our teams on the ground are working to gather additional information as the situation quickly unfolds," she added. Scott went on to say in the memo, "The safety of our entire team of journalists in Ukraine and the surrounding regions is our top priority and of the utmost importance." She added, "This is a stark reminder for all journalists who are putting their lives on the line every day to deliver the news from the war zone." Concluding her note, she said, "We will update everyone as we know more. Please keep Ben and his family in your prayers." According to his FOX News bio, Hall is an experienced war correspondent. The 39-year-old, who joined FOX News in 2015, previously covered conflicts from the front lines in Libya, Syria, Iraq, Somalia, Egypt, Haiti and Iran. Hall's injuries arrived after it was revealed that award-winning American journalist Brent Renaud was killed in Ukraine after reportedly being shot by Russian soldiers. The 50-year-old was shot to death in Irpin, a suburb of Kyiv, on Sunday, March 13. "We crossed the first bridge in Irpin, we were going to film other refugees leaving, and we got into a car, somebody offered to take us to the other bridge, we crossed the checkpoint, and they started shooting at us," Juan Arredondo, a photographer and adjunct professor at the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism who was also injured in the same attack, told The Associated Press in a video. He noted that Renaud was shot in the neck. Juan himself was hit in the lower back, but is stable. Kyiv Chief of Police Andrey Nebitov wrote on Facebook, "A 51-year-old world-renowned media correspondent was shot in Irpen today. Another journalist is injured. Now they are trying to remove the victim from the war zone." He continued, "Of course, the profession of a journalist is a risk, but U.S. citizen Brent Renaud paid his life for trying to highlight the aggressor's ingenuity, cruelty, and ruthlessness." The young superstar, Kartik Aaryan bagged two massive awards for his stellar performance in Dhamaka, as he shares a sneak-peek into his line of releases in 2022, says this is going to be an exciting year. "I am excited about each one as I am playing different characters": Kartik Aaryan on the next line of releases! Helmed by Ram Madhvani, Dhamaka featured Kartik Aaryan as a journalist, his nuanced performance has fetched him an Iconic Award and Hello Awards, and now the actor shares his entire line-up of release for 2022. While interacting with a Bollywood portal on the sidelines of a recent award show, Kartik said, It is going be an exciting year for me, as Dhamaka just released, my next release is Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2, after that Shehzada, I am just about to complete the film, after that, I will start shooting for Satyanarayan Ki Katha, and after that, I will be doing Captain India. He adds, I am really glad the way this year going to go, and films will release back-to-back, so I am excited about each one as I am playing different characters in each one of them and I am excited as there is something new for me with movies and I hope the audience will be entertained. Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 is helmed by Anees Bazmee. Shehzada is a Rohit Dhawan directorial and he will be working with Sajid Nadiadwala for the first time in for their upcoming epic musical love saga which was previously titled, 'Satyanarayan Ki Katha.' The heartthrob will also be seen in Shashanka Ghosh's romantic thriller Freddy and will don the air-force officer uniform for the first time in Captain India helmed by Hansal Mehta. In keeping with setting new records, Aaj Tak again occupied the top spot across YT Live. On the 10th March, counting hours when the entire nation was glued to the election results from UP, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Goa and Manipur, Aaj Tak remained the most searched keyword across Google. As per Google Trends, Aaj Tak had the highest search rank more than the political parties that were contesting the elections. With an impressive search volume of 1 million+ Aaj Tak was trending in top 10 searches (as per Google trends on 10th March). The keyword Aaj Tak was searched for, even more than the political parties including the likes of BJP, Congress and AAP or SP running for the CMs office. No other news platform was close to Aaj Tak in terms of searches. People searched specifically for election centric news by typing in key word Aaj Tak apart from keying AajTak news, Aaj Tak Live, Aaj Tak News Live on google. The Hindi news brand was even more searched than the big political bigwigs such as Yogi Adithyanath, Akhilesh Yadav, Arvind Kejriwal and even our Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Google trends and Google search data firmly establishes Aaj Taks credence as the most trusted amongst viewers yet again. In the last 10 years, PR has taken a different dimension, especially after the entry of social media and the rapid shift to digital, especially in the pandemic period. At the same time the industry has been facing stiff challenges, moreover client expectations have also increased, with more emphasis being given to digital and online reputation management. The industry has undergone a radical shift and the current times have pushed the industry to change gears. In conversation with Adgully, Saumya Bhushan, Lead - Corporate Communications, Reckitt India, speaks about the significant changes in PR, the importance of collaborative working, the value of quality versus quantity, and more. You have worked both at the agency and the client side. Over the last 10 years there has been a considerable shift in the PR business. What are some of the significant changes that you have noticed from your side? Every business evolves and PR is no different. Listing down some of the significant changes that I have seen in my journey over the last decade: Digital and New Age media - The explosion of digital media has changed the way people consume content. It is imperative to understand what consumers need and be visible on those platforms. Integrating Traditional and New Age media is now a norm and not out of the ordinary. 360 Campaign - PR no longer plays the supporting role. The creative edge and understanding of varied audiences give the PR professionals an edge to draw up campaigns that work well for the business while delivering an impactful story. An integral part of the business - Communicators now play an integral role in building brand loyalty and brand visibility. Strategic insights help brands understand their audience better and integrate communications as a part of their annual plans. The PR industry is on a growth trajectory - We have over the last decade seen a huge spike in jobs on both the agency and corporate sides. This is because the function continues to gain more recognition. Measurement - The function has become more data-driven than before. Digital and Social media metrics and audience outreach and impact has helped the function add value to the business. When you work with your PR partner, how do you set your expectations? Collaborative working is key to achieving the best results. Our approach internally and externally with our partners is based on Building Shared success. The team/ agency follows Reckitts value systems and doing the right thing always. The direction, brief, and expectations given to our agency partners are in alignment with our overall brand strategy and plan. We work together towards a common objective and outcome. The role of digital has transformed the dynamics of media. Where does digital fit in your overall PR strategy for Reckitt Benckiser? As mentioned earlier, digital media has completely changed the way we consume content. Covid-19 has further accelerated growth of digital and social media. There are a large number of consumers spending more time diving into content online than offline. In addition, analytics, social listening, understanding the changing habits of the consumer provides insights on key upcoming trends and helps in communicating with the consumers using their own language. Digital media channels in conjunction with traditional media provide guidance and best outcome for both digital media outreach and PR outreach. India is still driven by the volume game when it comes to PR coverage. What is your take on this and how do you measure the impact and effectiveness of your various PR campaigns? The volume game is extremely short-lived and most professionals know the value of quality versus quantity. There might be just one story that can have a huge impact on the brand and consumers. As a Communications professional, I would always go back to the team that is on-ground to really understand if the story/stories have brought in the desired result. If it has reached the right audience in the right market with the right message, I believe that our job as PR professionals is successfully done. I have to add that I am tremendously glad to see Marketers are cognisant of the fact that AVE is an incorrect measure of impact. It is now more about brand resilience, brand loyalty, brand preference and sentiment. Being an FMCG brand your presence in the smaller towns will be high. What kind of PR strategy do you formulate for the Tier 2 and 3 towns to build your brand in those markets? Our presence pan India, including smaller towns, is critical. Reckitt brands have a strong purpose, aligned to our companys purpose to protect, heal and nurture in the relentless pursuit of a cleaner, healthier world. Outreach in the smaller towns is beyond PR. Through our products, programmes and partnerships, Reckitt is looking to make a difference on-ground. Our initiatives like Dettol Banega Swasth India, Harpic Mission Paani, and Durex Birds and the Bees Talk are focused on creating a positive impact on the society and the environment we live in. India is a dynamic market; in terms of page views, it is the second largest. India's market has had a tumultuous path; it is highly fragmented and diverse. From a consumer standpoint, India is undoubtedly further down the digital development curve, and it is gaining ground in terms of more advertising dollars shifting to digital. In India, digital advertising has increased exponentially. The COVID-19 epidemic has sent the corporate world into a frenzy of fast-paced and unexpected changes. It created difficult circumstances for both publishers and advertising. They had to focus more on working together and defending their enterprises during the epidemic. Content marketing is a mission-critical growth approach for most organisations since it is one of the most successful ways to increase audience engagement, enhance brand's profile, and drive sales. Content marketing is vital because it helps you create trust, develop connections, enhance conversions, and generate leads by answering your audience's queries. Customers demand high-quality, consistent content from their favourite companies in today's world. We are bombarded with advertisements with eye-catching information on a regular basis as customers. We are bombarded with adverts in our feeds, searches, and even emails that we may not even see half of them. At a time when the number of people installing ad blockers is at an all-time high and individuals are starting to automatically block ad content, it's more vital than ever to make sure your ad is being seen by the right people at the right time. You can't expect to get any results unless your message is hyper-relevant to them. Outbrain, a prominent open web recommendation platform, provides a high-quality and secure platform for firms to advertise on the internet. Outbrain advertising is a platform that can be of great help in this regard, since it provides native advertising solutions that are meant to help customers grow their reach while delivering relevant content to their target audiences. Outbrain always strives to help its partners stand out from the rest. Through established platforms and conventional publications, Outbrain is championing the growth of digital ecosystem in India. In the past, Outbrain's Unveil has looked at consumer trends and covered major product advancements for marketers. The requirement for agility and being able to grasp what consumers are thinking, how they desire to be communicated with, and what the correct communications tools are. These are crucial post-pandemic adoptions marketers should take. The biennial advertising innovation conference Outbrain Unveil 2022 reimagines native advertising in the post-pandemic world. The conference this year will concentrate on recent advancements in direct-to-consumer marketing. Unveil will concentrate on the most essential potential for marketers: interacting with clients on the open web. Unveil 2022, the one-day digital innovation roadshow, will take place on, March 16 in Europe(3.30 pm IST), and March 17(9.30 am IST) in the Asia Pacific. New products will be launched which will help out Outbrain partners more on how to get more creative, new ways to drive better results in performance, and how Outbrain has become more simple for its partners to use. Registration for the event is now available here. Lux Industries Limited, (BSE: 539542 | NSE: LUXIND), one of the countrys largest innerwear manufacturers, known for its innovative and customer-demand driven product offerings, manufacturing more than 100 products across 14 major brands comprising a complete range of innerwear and outerwear for men, women, and children, has yet again created a buzz with its new advertisement campaign film Chehre Pe Muskaan. The new Campaign which has been conceived for the brand Lux Cozi primarily highlights the ultimate comfort and luxury that Lux Cozi products offer to its consumers, which makes them so happy from inside that it is reflected on their faces. Targeted at the male consumers with an age bracket of 18 to 30 years (Urban + Rural), the campaign film stars the heartthrob of Young India, Varun Dhawan as the lead cast who also happens to be the Brand Ambassador for Lux Cozi. The Creative Agency of the Film is Ogilvy Mumbai, while the Director of the Film is Ms. Neha Kaul of Corcoise Films. As on today, the campaign is live across television, social media, outdoor, print and on ground channels. Speaking on the launch of the new campaign, Saket Todi, Executive Director, Lux industries said At Lux, we have always valued our consumers thoughts and behaviour more than anything. Their preferences and opinions have inspired us while their insights have helped shape our brand image and propelled our businesses in the right direction. This campaign is a testament to this ideal of ours. We believe that Lux Cozi as a brand must be dynamic and in sync with how the consumer is moving. Todays consumer for Lux Cozi is looking for a happy zone and we hope that this advertisement film will bring a smile on the faces of our consumers. Udit Todi, Executive Director, Lux industries commented, We at Lux have always aligned our product offerings with consumers requirements. Our research showed comfort and luxury were top most on their preference and hence an ideal combination to offer our target audiences. This commercial enunciates the brand's understanding of our TG's needs. I hear, the new campaign has already grabbed significant eyeballs and has been receiving excellent reviews across social media channels. The story board/narrative of the film The film opens in an office. Varun Dhawan with a big smile exiting the corner room of his pretty boss cabin. He seems like hes got a huge promotion. He exudes charm which comes from his inner confidence. As hes walking, hes grooving to a melody in his head. We see girls in his office reacting to his swag, trying to guess why he is so happy. In doing so, they are totally charmed. We see people noticing him and his happy mood and staring at him blankly. There are various reactions from the bystanders and people who are passing by. Moving to, we now see Varun enter his bedroom, where he continues to groove and smile while doing a signature move with his vest, smiling away at his reflection in the mirror. Voice Over + Superimpose: Koi kya jaane ki andar jaan hai tabhi toh chehre pe muskaan hai. Superimpose: Lux Cozi. Chehre Pe Muskan. Piyush Pandey, Chairman of Global Creative & Executive Chairman, Ogilvy India commented, The purpose of an undergarment is to make one feel cosy and comfortable. It is not to increase the sexual appeal or body display. The new Lux Cozi film featuring Varun Dhawan achieves the purpose with dignity and grace. A film that no one will feel uncomfortable watching with the family." Neha Kaul, Director, Corcoise Films, stated, Filming with the bundle of energy Varun Dhawan was a sheer delight. Discussions and jamming sessions with Varun were a great value-add and I am super delighted with the film. Lux Cozi is one of the fastest-growing brands in the Lux Industries portfolio. Lux Industries has always been proactive in adopting newer methods of production developing innovative products and targeting the right audience through first-of-its-kind branding and promotional activities. Its customer centric approach has helped the brand to expand their visibility and created strong brand equity for the entire brand portfolio across 47 countries. With a strong assortment of 15 brands offering mass, mid-premium and premium products across demographics, it has helped the brand to outperform the market and generate a pricing premium. Nandini Dias has chosen to move on from Lodestar UM after being its CEO for close to a decade. Nandini joined the group as a young media person 27 years ago and has since gone on to acquire the top position, leading the organisation to several Media Agency of the Year recognitions over the years. Nandini said, I leave Lodestar UM in the hands of a strong, capable, and empowered team that has stayed vested and bonded with me for a long time. In fact, almost all of the top 30 have been with me throughout my tenure as CEO something that I am particularly proud of. So it was with a heavy heart that I had to break the news to them about my decision to move on. It is rare that one gets the opportunity to hand over the reins after an organisation's best years, but this year was one of Lodestar UMs finest. Over a dozen new businesses, over 20 international awards, Campaigns Agency Of The Year - Silver, RECMA recognized it as the agency with highest Vitality and personally, my being recognised as the Media Agency CEO Leader Of The Year by the International Advertising Association (IAA) and feted by the Governor of Maharashtra. I couldn't choose a greater milestone year in which to hand over the baton and go out on a high. Over the years, Nandini has been recognized with numerous honours by several bodies - starting with being the Media Planner of the Year in 1998 to going on to be the Media CEO of the Year on various platforms in 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2021. Shes also been recognized by platforms like The World Leadership Congress and made it to The Times of Indias coveted list of Times Power Women, among others. Not to mention the fact that shes been on the Economic Times Most Influential list for several years now, the first woman leader to make it there. In 2018, she piloted a pan-industry citizens initiative - WorkToLiveToWork - that pushed a radical solution to save commuter lives on their way to work, for which she was awarded the prestigious Gamechanger Of The Year award. Shes won over 100 awards at Asia-Pacific Spikes, Festival Of Media Global and APAC, Creative Media Award, several Cannes Lions and many, many local awards. It is widely believed that her focus on innovative solutions transformed the culture of Lodestar UM into an award-winning one which led to the company being one of the most respected media groups in the industry today. Shashi Sinha, CEO, Mediabrands India said, Nandini has been my partner, ally, and friend for 27 years. She has led from the front to build Lodestar UM ground up to make it what it is today. A dynamic, vibrant top three agency in the country. Passion is what defines Nandini, whether it is creating business solutions, building strong media properties for her clients or making a difference to our society and communities or just bringing her teams together to celebrate a festival or a win, Nandini did it all with remarkable fervor. At a personal level, I will miss her terribly. But I have always believed that a good leader is defined not by what has been built but by what is left behind. Nandini leaves her indelible mark on Lodestar UM in the solid and hugely capable leadership team that she has nurtured and I can say with all confidence that they will only continue to build on her legacy. While not having taken a decision on the future yet, Nandini said, I started out with a fledgling agency and am handing over the Media Agency of the Year as I move on. So I am looking forward to taking a well-earned break for the first time in my life and am excited to see how things will unfurl. Making strides in its transformational growth, OMD India has appointed Iti Kaul to spearhead the digital practice for the agency from April 2022. Showcasing exemplary leadership in a lateral movement, Iti will take charge of the role from PHD Media, where she currently leads Digital Planning as its General Manager. Bringing with her a wealth of experience in this realm, Iti has over 13 years of rich experience in the industry. She has lent her astute digital strategies on global mandates across industries for Fortune 500 companies. A young thought leader to watch out for, Iti comes with an exhaustive understanding of nurturing client communities. She is adept at creating media plans that foster agile growth opportunities for brands - a practice she spearheaded at PHDs Digital Planning division out of the Gurgaon office. Commenting on the appointment, OMD Indias CEO, Anisha Iyer, said, The story of OMD India's growth and success is one that is driven by our people and their unwavering commitment to delivering better decisions for our clients, unapologetically and innovatively. Itis role will add significant leverage to our digital practice as we create the next wave of transformative experiences for our clients. We are thrilled to have her on board and are confident that her expertise and future-ready perspectives will elevate our work to drive greater impact and successes for client growth." Further building upon elevations within the Group, Iti is yet another leader to be promoted within Omnicom Media Group, spotlighting the company's sharp focus on driving growth for its people. In her new role, she will be reporting to Anisha Iyer. The Supreme Court today granted relief to the Malayalam TV channel 'MediaOne' by staying the Center's January 31 decision prohibiting the news channel from broadcasting due to 'security concerns.' The court has given the broadcaster permission to resume broadcasting until additional instructions are issued. The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting last month declined to renew the Malayalam TV channel's broadcast licence, citing national security concerns without specifying them. Madhyamam Broadcasting Limited, which owns MediaOne TV, then filed an appeal in the Supreme Court, challenging the Kerala High Court's decision to uphold the Centre's decision. Madhyamam Broadcasting Limited had filed to extend its broadcasting licences from September 30, 2021, to September 29, 2031. On March 10, the Supreme Court issued a notice on the channel's petition, as well as a request that the Centre submit relevant data from the Home Ministry about security concerns. Justices DY Chandrachud, Surya Kant, and Vikram Nath, in a three-judge bench, went over the files of the Home Ministry today. The court observed that the files have not yet been shared with the petitioner (MediaOne), and that the subject of whether they should be given in order for the petitioner to defend themselves would be discussed at future sessions. "We've been shut down for six weeks just because it's operated by persons from a minority group," MediaOne's Senior Advocate Dushyant Dave told the court. The Kerala chapter of Jamaat-e-Islami is backing the channel. The Supreme Court has ordered the Centre to file a comprehensive counter-affidavit on the channel's appeals against the High Court ruling by March 26. Dushyant Dave claimed at the last hearing on March 7 that the channel has been operational for 11 years. He explained: "We employ 350 people and have millions of viewers. We were shut down because of some secret Home Ministry files, and the Kerala High Court justified it behind our backs." It sparked concerns about the Right to Information (RTI) and media freedom, according to Dave. "Certain issues related to the security of the State are cited to the effect that Madhyamam Broadcasting Limited has certain ties with certain undesirable forces, which is considered to be a security danger," the Kerala High Court noted in its judgement. After the I&B Ministry alleged it breached rules of the Cable Television Networks Rules, 1994 during its coverage of the violence in Delhi relating to rallies against the Citizenship Amendment Act, MediaOne TV was pulled off the air in 2020. The notification came after a Delhi-based journalist said that "vandals shot from a rooftop at an anti-CAA demonstration location from 2 pm to 9 pm, injuring roughly five anti-CAA demonstrators." The ministry inspected a copy of the transmission, which slammed the government for its "cold-shouldered approach" to anti-CAA demonstrators and chastised Delhi Police for failing to file FIRs in response to a "provocative statement" by an unidentified BJP leader in Jafrabad, one of the places devastated by violence. State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation Bern, 15.03.2022 - The fifth SwitzerlandBrazil Joint Committee on Science, Technology and Innovation met in Bern on 15 March. The meeting between the State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI) and the Brazilian Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MCTI) was held in a hybrid format. The delegation heads, State Secretary Martina Hirayama and Brazilian Vice Minister Sergio Freitas de Almeida emphasised their intention to intensify the countries' bilateral relations in research and innovation. At the fifth SwitzerlandBrazil Joint Committee on Science, Technology and Innovation, delegation members discussed the most recent developments in the research and innovation landscapes of their respective countries. Talks focused on bilateral research and innovation cooperation between Switzeralnd and Brazil, as well as various ways to intensify and expand existing cooperation among researchers and research and funding institutions in both countries. Brazil is Switzerland's most important education, research and innovation partner country in Latin America. Switzerland also receives support from a Swissnex network active in Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo. The local Swissnex office facilitates increased cooperation between the two countries in its capacity as a member of the Swiss network for education, research and innovation. As the Leading House for Swiss stakeholders' partnerships in Latin America, the University of St. Gallen has also developed a range of cooperation instruments. Since 2011, the Swiss National Science Foundation has funded more than 140 research projects involving Brazilian researchers. Innosuisse, the Swiss Innovation Agency, also conducts bilateral calls for proposals (CFPs) in conjunction with its partner, the Brazilian Company of Research and Industrial Innovation. The CFPs are for cooperative projects in the area of industrial innovation. Almost 240 Brazilians have received a Swiss Government Excellence Scholarship for Foreign Scholars and Artists since 1962. Address for enquiries State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation SERI Communication T +41 58 462 96 90 medien@sbfi.admin.ch Publisher State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation http://www.sbfi.admin.ch Switzerland is part of the Schengen Area. The European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex) provides operational support to the Schengen states in controlling the external borders of the Schengen Area. Switzerland has been working with Frontex for over ten years. Moves have been under way since the end of 2019 to expand Frontex. The Federal Council and Parliament have decided that Switzerland would participate in the expansion of Frontex. A referendum has been sought against such a move. Opponents argue that Switzerland is partly responsible for alleged human rights violations by Frontex due to its financial support for the agency. Frontex will receive more money and staff as a result of the expansion. In addition, it is taking on new tasks such as the return of migrants required to leave the Schengen Area. In addition, the staff of the Fundamental Rights Office will be increased. It helps to protect the fundamental rights of those involved in operations at the Schengen external borders. Under the bill put forward by the Federal Council and Parliament, Switzerland would play its part in this reform. Its financial contribution to Frontex would gradually increase. And It would also provide more staff and material. If Switzerland rejects this further Schengen development, its cooperation with the Schengen and Dublin states would end automatically - unless the EU states and the European Commission were prepared to accommodate Switzerland. Started roughly 75 years ago, the Society for Range Management (SRM) is an organization made up of producers, land managers, scientists and students who are dedicated to conserving and maintaining the planets cherished rangelands. With a mission of providing leadership for the stewardship of rangelands based on sound ecological principles, SRM strives to be a collective voice for range management. SRM is all about rangeland and rangeland research, explained Dave Voth, SRM member and immediate past chair of the organizations advisory council. With a primary focus on academic research and policy advocacy, SRM has managed to remain one of the best kept secrets from producers who graze livestock on rangelands. Overall, the organization is trying to shift that perspective because SRM has a stockpile of useful information that producers could benefit from. Just outstanding information comes from this organization, Voth said. In an effort to share with producers, SRM has recently launched an educational program called Good Grazing Makes Cent$. The program aims to offer practical and applicable management practices that are not only good for the range, but for a producers bottom line, as well. This program is making a connection from good range management to economically viable practices. It is a great way to reach producers and to help them tell their good story, Voth stated. The program consists of monthly e-newsletters, educational videos, an in-depth social media discussion platform, and those enrolled in the program also have full access to all SRM resources. As input costs continue to rise, it can be easy to side-step certain rangeland management practices. Good Grazing Make Cent$ informs participants that management practices today, pay off in the long run. This point is made ever more important during years like this where drought has crippled much of the region. With dry conditions rendering rangelands fragile and vulnerable to long-term damage, SRM has the means to educate and support boots-on-the-ground managers to promote rangeland resiliency and sustainability. SRM can also offer producers help with drought management plans, which will come in handy over the next few months. In addition to improved management information, SRM also offers a wealth of proven research that highlights the benefits of good grazing practices. Members can tap into SRMs research to cite specific ways in which grazing managers are actually helping the planet. In a time when so much political and consumer emphasis is being put on green practices and environmental conservation, SRM provides producers with undisputable facts that support the livestock industry. With a full-time presence in Washington, D.C., SRM works to advocate to policy makers on behalf of rangeland management, as well. Bringing to light the time-honored grazing practices employed by so many producers across the country for generations will hopefully lead to a shift in dialogue the rancher is not destroying the rangeland, but enhancing it for wildlife, livestock, and generations to come. Another beneficial aspect of SRM is the fact that it is an international organization. As a member, Voth said it is impressive to be able to learn, collaborate, and gain insight from rangeland managers in different countries. Drawing similarities and learning from differences makes for stronger rangelands across the globe. Voth highly encourages anyone passionate about rangeland management to join SRM. All of North America is broken up into state or multi-state sections at rangelands.org, so visit the website to find a list of sections and their respective presidents. Farm & Ranch Guide Weekly Update Get the latest agriculture news delivered to your inbox from Farm & Ranch Guide. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Jaclyn Wilson Jaclyn Wilson raises Red Angus cattle at Wilson Ranch near Lakeside, Nebraska. Send comments to her at jaclyn@flyingdiamondgenetics.com. Follow Jaclyn Wilson Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today Its been a whirlwind two days trying to get cows hauled home from cornstalks. I have a couple more loads left to do today, and hopefully that will be the end until whatever fall may bring. Its going to be interesting to see if there are very many cornstalks available for grazing next winter based off of input costs and drought conditions. Around here more and more formers are bailing corn stalks, and you can always tell the fields that did. When the wind starts blowing, so does the dust. The time change is just messing everyone up right now on the ranch. Someone told me this weekend that the time change doesnt affect ranchers because they still work from sun up to sundown. I beg to differ. Since the time change, it seems more like I work from dark to dark, to heck with any sunlight. A couple of years ago I was visiting a farm in New Zealand where they had a number of employees. The schedule for all the employees was written on this big whiteboard in their office. Im not for sure why we had never thought of that before on the ranch, but when I got home that was implemented into our shop office. Everyone has their own separate color, the ranch work is in a different color, and the beef business is in a whole other color. Some months, one can hardly even find the days because of how much writing is on the calendar. The Boss Man and I were sitting in the office visiting last week and he brought up the fact that there was a lot of blue, which just happens to be my color, covering the calendar already for this month. I agreed, but the great majority of it is Zoom calls. That has been one good thing that has come out of the pandemic. People have realized that its OK to use technology to have a meeting instead of meeting face-to-face. Sure, the social interaction once in a while is nice but as a lot of us in rural Nebraska can attest to, we really dont need as much social interaction as some do. I have found I have a love-hate relationship with Zoom calls. I appreciate the cost savings and time savings and not having to travel miles upon miles to meetings that take full days or multiple days out of my schedule to meet in person. But there have been some challenges. I never really worried much about the ranchers being the ones caught on Zoom calls in their underwear, but I have worn every other kind of attire. Ive come straight from the barn after pulling a calf, so covered in stench that my eyes were watering during the meeting. Ive caught my appearance after calls where I have rings of dirt, grease or cow manure on my face or in my hair. Ive brought baby calves into meetings, broke up a dog fight, had my Malinois jump into my lap, and have had employees walk in and out on full-discussion mode. Ive taken calls in the tractor, on horseback and waiting for water to pump. My personal favorite was this morning when I had to pull the cattle pot over so I could participate in a Zoom meeting with Sen. Deb Fischer for Nebraska Humanities. At least I had no worries about her not understanding ranchers doing rancher things. Ive been later to more Zoom calls than to any in-person meeting. I always tell myself I have time for one more thing before I have to find service, and I am usually wrong. I finally figured out how to blur my background so I could quit hiding the bottles of coffee additives before each meeting. Ive also found a couple of habits that Ive picked up along the way. I just dont care as much on Zoom about my personal appearance. Ive dialed into meetings realizing at the last moment that I have on a ball cap or sweatshirt. At the same time, Ive learned one little trick: red lipstick will make me look 100 times more put together and less frazzled than I feel. If Im past the point of embarrassment and have to take a couple minutes to run home and at least try and look presentable, I have discovered Ill always grab the mouthwash. I still have no explanation for this. Evidently I have a deep seated fear of bad breath on my laptop. Connectivity has been an issue multiple times. Ill get frozen mid-sentence, get knocked off the color, or my personal pet peeve is when Im on a speaker roll and I get paused, ,prompting the listeners to ask can you repeat all that again please? I did get Starlink internet service a little over a month ago, which made a big difference. While I hope we get to the point where everyone is comfortable meeting in person again, I hope we continue to hold some virtual meetings. It has opened all of us up to a new platform I dont think some knew existed. Jaclyn Wilson is more than a rancher, raising Red Angus cattle at Wilson Ranch near Lakeside, Nebraska. Shes an artist with a welders torch. She holds leadership positions with several agriculture organizations. She can be reached at jaclyn@flyingdiamondgenetics.com. This column represents the views of one person and are not necessarily the opinion of the Midwest Messenger. Midwest Messenger Weekly Update Get the latest agriculture news delivered to your inbox from the Midwest Messenger. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. The race among Republicans who want to be the states school chief could come down to whethe Features featured Service to consecrate Albany pastor Oscar Benton as Bishop Special Illustration History will be made in the city of Albany when the National Church of God in Christ Inc. meets here to consecrate Oscar Benton Jr. to the sacred office of Bishop and Jurisdictional Prelate of India Sixth Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction March 23-24. ALBANY History will be made when the National Church of God in Christ Inc. meets here March 23-24 to consecrate Oscar Benton Jr. to the office of Bishop and Jurisdictional Prelate of India Sixth Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction. Benton is the Pastor of the Historic Monroe Street Church (AKA Words of Restoration International Ministries, Church of God in Christ) in the city of Albany. The church of God in Christ Inc., is the largest African American Pentecostal denomination in the United States, established by the late Bishop Charles Harrison Mason in 1907. The Church of God in Christ has congregations in 112 countries around the world and a membership of 6.3 million and continues to expand under the leadership of the newly elected Bishop J. Drew Sheard, who serves as Presiding Bishop, Chief Apostle of the Church of God in Christ: Eight in Succession. Benton answered the call to the ministry at age 14. He preached his initial sermon in 1976 in Gaston County, N.C. Benton was mentored by the late Bishop Robert Gittens and the late Bishop J.H. Sherman (Chairman of the Board of Bishops, Church of God in Christ). Benton was ordained in 1981 by the late Bishop Milton Mathis of the California Northwest Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction. Benton later was mentored by and served under California, Northwest Jurisdictional Prelate, the late Bishop W.W. Hamilton (General Board Member Church of God in Christ). Benton served as assistant pastor and president of the State Evangelist Department. He served in the United States Army and, while stationed at Fort Ord, Calif., served as District Evangelist President for the Monterey Peninsula District. Additionally, while serving in the United States Army in Berlin, Germany, Benton established Truth Deliverance Evangelistic Center, where many souls were saved and delivered. Benton has earned a bachelor of arts degree in Pastoral Ministry, a masters degree in Ministry, and a doctorate degree in Theological Studies from the Bethany Bible College and Seminary. He was appointed in July 1995 by Bishop A.D. Williams as pastor of Monroe Street Church of God in Christ in Albany, where he has served for 27 years as pastor and 46 years in the ministry, traveling across the world preaching the gospel. Benton served as administrative assistant to Bishop A.D. Williams and the late Bishop Oliver J. Haney of Northern First Georgia Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction for 18 years. Hes served as the superintendent of the Southwest Georgia Metro District for 17 years. He has served for the past 10 years as the Expeditor of the O.M. Kelley Institute in the National Holy Convocation, Church of God in Christ Inc. Benton is also a published author and has written several books and recorded an apostolic encouragement CD, as well as launched a Christian magazine entitled The Apostolic Voice. He also established the I-Can Center (InterCity Community Advancement Network) and established Kingdom Global Life Theological Seminary School. Benton traveled to India in June 2018. It was from that visit a fellowship was established in the Rajahmundry Region of India, which started with 34 pastors and through constant traveling to India and preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ and providing training, the work has grown to 120 churches that are a part of the now India Sixth Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction. Benton not only is the pastor of the historic Monroe Street Church of God in Christ, which is one of the first Pentecostal African American Church in the city of Albany, established in 1924; he also is an anointed gospel preacher, a visionary leader, and continues to have a tremendous impact in the city of Albany and in the community. Through his leadership, his church continues to provide outreach to the community; he has provided mentoring to young men and provided support in the community in the time of disasters that have taken place in Albany. Benton is married to the anointed Prophetess Diane Benton, who serves faithfully and works diligently besides her husband in the ministry. Benton has brought many innovative ideas, prayer meetings, revivals and conferences to enhance not just the lives of the congregation that he serves but to others throughout the city of Albany. He has birthed out many children not just in Albany, but throughout the world. Church officials proclaim it a great honor that the National Church of God in Christ Inc. will bestow this elevation upon Benton in the city of Albany. The Consecration service will be held March 24 at 7 p.m. at Litman Cathedral House of God Saints in Christ, 1129 W. Whitney Ave. in Albany. The host pastor is Bishop-elect Michael White. Family, friends and leaders from around the United States are planning to attend the historic occasion. For additional information, contact the church at (229) 496-1159 or contact Lady Diane Benton at (470) 757-2366 or email Ladybenton@icloud.com. Walter R., 92, Slippery Rock. Calling hours: 4 to 7 p.m. Tuesday (4-26-22) in CUNNING-HAM FUNERAL HOME Inc., 306 Bessemer Ave., Grove City. Online condolences to cunninghamfhgc.com Service: 11 a.m. Wednesday (4-27-22) in the funeral home. Burial: Mount Irwin Cemetery with Military Honors. The Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant (officially the Vladimir Lenin Nuclear Power Plant) in Ukraine lies just outside the abandoned town of Pripyat, about sixty miles north of Kyiv and ten miles from the southern border of Belarus. It is the site of the catastrophic 1986 nuclear accident that took the lives of hundreds from acute radiation syndrome, left unknown thousands with cancer, and poisoned the surrounding environment. It cost nearly a hundred billion dollars to contain, required over a half-million recovery workers to decontaminate the area, and killed or disabled a third of the Russians, Belarusians, Ukrainians, Latvians, Estonians, and others involved in that cleanup. Those workers, as well as the surrounding populations, have all experienced increased rates of miscarriages, cancer, and life-threatening ailments. Had so many not sacrificed themselves to contain the fallout, however, Ukraine, Belarus, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, and much of Germany could have become uninhabitable for more than a century. Chernobyl is back in the news because Russian troops have taken control of the area during their invasion of Ukraine. The International Atomic Energy Agency and European nations throughout the continent are understandably nervous about this predicament, but this essay is not about those concerns. It is about the lessons Western governments should have learned from that nearly apocalyptic event but instead ignored during the last two years of COVID mania. As details concerning the Chernobyl disaster became available after the collapse of the Soviet Union, the West reached the inescapable conclusion that the tragedy could have occurred only in a closed-off socialist system in which the State preserves its authority by maintaining a false image of always being correct and never being wrong. The lessons were clear: (1) When "science" must be State-sanctioned, then the objectivity required to foresee and correct problems disappears. (2) When dissent and conflicting analysis are treated as "misinformation" or "disinformation," then truth is routinely treated as a lie. (3) When concerns for national security and a culture of official State secrets dominate all government operations, then censorship of facts and viewpoints prevents timely problem-solving. Institutional lies have life-and-death consequences. The Chernobyl nuclear explosion was both a consequence of government lies and a blaring warning against closed socialist systems, "official truths," and State-controlled censorship. Still, the West disregarded all of this during COVID and followed the Soviets' example. HBO aired a five-part miniseries on Chernobyl in 2019, and the well-done effort to catalog the fateful events leading up to the nuclear blast masterfully exposes how State lies and State secrets lead to profound human tragedy. As the series moves back and forth from conversations among engineers at the power plant to high-level discussions among political apparatchiks advising Soviet president Gorbachev, nearly everyone involved is incapable of processing the overwhelming evidence that a nuclear explosion had occurred because doing so would mean that the "system" had failed horrendously. It was easier to embrace the lie that everything was fine than to acknowledge that the Soviet model was capable of error. When a dissenting scientist repeatedly expresses his belief that a reactor meltdown and explosion has occurred, the power plant's director calls his analysis "disgraceful." "I understand you've been saying dangerous things," he scolds the professor, before accusing him of spreading outright "disinformation." At another point during the series, as the team on the ground struggles to dispose of radioactive graphite, only to learn that the Soviet government has intentionally lied about the seriousness of the incident to the Germans providing equipment inadequate for the monumental task at hand, an exasperated party member (who already knows he will one day die from exposure) sardonically moans, "The official position of the State is that a global nuclear catastrophe is not possible in the Soviet Union." It is impossible to watch this show, released over six months before people first heard about COVID, without concluding that it was a remarkably prescient description of Western governments' reactions to the pandemic. What has been the most terrifying aspect of these last two years of unconscionable lockdowns, mandates, maskings, and forced injections? It was not the COVID-19 virus or the illness and death it has caused. It was Western governments' near-unanimous declarations that the State is always correct in its assessments of scientific problems and that the application of force against citizens is justified. When the pandemic was beginning and health officials declared cloth masks ineffective, State science was above reproach. When health authorities changed their minds months later and declared cloth masks mandatory, State science was still above reproach. Now that once again the weight of evidence has proved that masks did next to nothing to mediate the spread of disease, the State science has flipped but still claims a record of infallibility. More and more evidence is proving that lockdowns and reckless government spending did nothing but destroy small businesses, family savings, and national economies. Still, those who resisted house arrest, financial destitution, or other State-ordered threats to liberty were labeled criminals or worse, domestic terrorists. Just as with Chernobyl, protecting the authority of the State by hiding its (often ridiculous) lies has been more important than saving actual lives. When dissenting scientists repeatedly tried to warn about the harm lockdowns would have on childhood development, timely cancer treatment, drug, and alcohol dependency, and rates of suicide, their concerns were dismissed as contrary to the mission of the State. When dissenting scientists questioned the need for widespread dissemination of synthetic mRNA "vaccines" when evidence for the enduring effectiveness of natural immunity was increasingly strong, they were labeled "anti-vaxxers" and "science deniers" deserving of scorn. When dissenting scientists warned about using mRNA "vaccines" without first performing critical long-term studies on their potential side-effects, they were de-platformed from government-controlled social media, censored on YouTube and Facebook, and scrubbed from internet search engines. Yet an awful lot of what has been labeled as "misinformation" or "disinformation" by the West's state-corporate globalist cartel these last two years has proven to be either likely or one hundred percent true. For those COVID- or "vaccine"-related issues that remain uncertain, the CDC, the FDA, or individual pharmaceutical companies have taken it upon themselves to hide or bury the information from public view. Still to this day, the question of whether COVID-19 was developed in a Chinese lab funded by American taxpayers has been shrouded by Intelligence Community obfuscation. Were there any doubt before, it is indisputable that state secrets Soviet or Western always come before public health. Nothing the West has done in response to COVID distinguishes it from the Soviets' handling of the preventable Chernobyl tragedy. After brute force was used against citizens from Australia and New Zealand to Austria and Democrat-controlled cities in the U.S., Canada's recent "emergency" declaration and bank account confiscation against protesting citizens proved just how Sovietized the West has become. The worst part is that everything done against us has been repeatedly defended as for our own good. As an old communist in the Chernobyl miniseries exclaims before a rousing ovation: "The State tells us it wants to prevent a panic. Listen well! It's true, when the people see the police, they will be afraid. But it is my experience that when the people ask questions that are not in their own best interest, they should simply be told to keep their minds on their labor and leave matters of the State to the State. We seal off the city. No one leaves. And cut the phone lines. Contain the spread of misinformation. That is how we keep the people from undermining the fruits of their own labor." Tell me that doesn't sound just like Justin Trudeau, Jacinda Ardern, or Joe Biden. Image: ChristianIS via Pixabay, Pixabay License. Having been steered to the right by recent appointments, the U.S. Supreme Court now prepares to revisit the issue of affirmative action in college admissions, and leaders of the nations most selective undergraduate institutions will likely be watching closely. Consideration of race in college admissions, as one of multiple forms of diversity, has long been deemed permissible on the grounds that all students benefit educationally from interaction with those who are different from them. However, should the Court rule that diversity of skin tone can no longer be used as a proxy for diversity of viewpoint, how many of todays academic leaders will even be able to articulate aspects of such diversity that they truly value? Recently, I was one of five cosponsors of a motion to adopt the so-called Chicago Principles in defense of freedom of expression at Bucknell University, where we are all tenured professors. This landmark document was named for the University of Chicago, where it was published in 2015. The document traced its origins to a series of discussions, begun 25 years earlier, which not only sought to address issues of harassment on campus, but were envisioned also as means of broadening the discussion on issues of race, gender, and sexuality at the University of Chicago, and engaging with the bedrock ideals of free expression. Since the statement of principle was first published, it has been adopted by over 80 institutions. Given the noble history of the Chicago Principles, as well as the alignment of both their substance and intent with the ideals of academic freedom and inclusive excellence, both of which are at least given lip service widely in academe, their adoption at Bucknell would seem almost a foregone conclusion to casual observers. However, to those of us who have built our academic careers there, over the better part of three decades, it was by no means a certainty. In fact, it was more a question of how the motion would be derailed than whether or not it would be. When the time came, the ingenuity and zeal of our colleagues did not fail them. As one of the other cosponsors, Paul Siewers, has recounted elsewhere, before the motion could even be brought to the floor for debate, the vote on it was postponed indefinitely by a margin of 191 to 31, such that a supermajority will now be needed even to bring it to a vote in the future. Without even a hint of irony, those who exercised the parliamentary maneuver dismissed the resolution itself as unnecessary. Whereas an earlier version of the motion had met a similar fate, about five years ago, we knew all along that we faced an uphill battle. Nevertheless, we gave it our best effort, even going so far as to conduct a 90-minute webinar, featuring Cornel West and Robert George, two prominent academics from opposite ends of the political spectrum, who have stood together in their endorsement of freedom of expression in higher education. A recording of the webinar is linked to the article cited above. Interestingly, the same body of research that undergirds the educational benefit theory of affirmative action also offers a powerful argument in support of the Chicago Principles, one that I articulated in the opening act of our webinar with Professors George and West. In my presentation, I drew upon widely respected literature in the field of college student development to link engagement with diverse perspectives to both psychosocial and cognitive maturation, as well as the cultivation of complex problem-solving skills. Situating diversity within the realm of ideas does not negate our commitment to racial and ethnic inclusivity. On the contrary, it adds depth to our understanding of cultural differences, while also heightening our awareness of the diversity that exists within minority groups. For example, in his previously cited article, Paul Siewers recounted a conversation that he had with an international student from Africa, who expressed frustration with other peoples efforts to conflate his interests with those of African-American students. In reading this account, I was reminded of a similar conversation that I had with an international student from Latin America, who was presumed to be of like mind with Hispanic U.S. citizens, even by those who were aware of her background. Looking beyond the matter of admissions, a less superficial commitment to diversity might also benefit minority faculty in hiring, retention, and promotion. For example, I am reminded of the scholarly work of a former tenure-track faculty colleague, who explicitly drew upon her experience as a multiply minoritized woman to inform her analyses of issues in two separate subfields of her discipline. Her support and outreach to current and prospective minority students also uniquely advanced the mission of the university, but the full impact of her work could easily be overlooked in more shallow views of diversity. Needless to say, these subtler contributions of minority colleagues also would not be reflected in the sort of tabular data on faculty demographics that currently form the primary basis for bureaucratic bragging rights on diversity, equity, and inclusion. Meanwhile, a pending case before the U.S. District Court in Maryland will potentially shed light on protections against discrimination based on perspectives informed by membership in other protected classes. I shared coverage of this case with my faculty colleagues, as well, during the days leading up to our meeting. Against this backdrop, the relationship between ideological diversity and other forms of diversity becomes increasingly clear. More to the point, so does the relationship between corresponding forms of discrimination. Among the proscribed bases for discrimination, few fall more squarely within the realm of ideas than does religion. Thus, taking a strong stand in support of freedom of expression would seem a prudent course of action on multiple fronts. Moving forward, two important questions remain. First, will the Supreme Court ultimately reject the use of the color of ones skin as a proxy for the content of ones character? Second, if it does, will Bucknell ultimately find itself on the right side of civil rights history? Image: Bucknell University Early in WWII, the Chinese were in bad shape. The Japanese had invaded China proper in 1937 and advanced up the Yangtze valley, adopting a "scorched earth" approach, culminating in the "Rape of Nanking." It was unrestricted war, with no rules, and all citizens were "used" or executed. The details are too horrific to enumerate here. America, in the midst of its "isolationist" obsession, could not provide direct help to China. But President Franklin D. Roosevelt was concerned with the question of China's survival and hit on a subterfuge: set up an air unit of unofficial American mercenaries to fly modern aircraft in support of Chinese forces. So the American Volunteer Group (AVG) was established. The man who headed the AVG, Col. Claire Chennault, was a veteran fighter pilot who had been run out of the U.S. Army Air Corps by the "Bomber Mafia" thanks to his dedication to fighter plane tactics. After an invitation from Chinese Nationalist leader Chiang Kai-shek, he traveled to China and took command of its fledgling air force. Chennault's major problem was a lack of trained pilots. The AVG was intended to solve this. AVG pilots and support staff were based in central China. They were equipped with the P-40 Tomahawk fighter. Although inferior to Japanese Mitsubishi A-6M Zeros and Nakajima Ki-43 Oscars, the P-40 was a sturdy, capable design well able to hold its own in the right hands. In the U.S. Army Air Corps, Chennault had set out to prove that fighter aircraft (then called "pursuit" aircraft) could bring down multi-engine bombers utilizing the correct tactics. He actually demonstrated this, which infuriated the "Bomber Mafia," disciples of the late Gen. Billy Mitchell, who were convinced that bombers were the key elements of airpower and "would always get through," no matter what the circumstances. But in China, Chennault applied these tactics using the AVG, quickly demonstrating that the technically inferior P-40 was more than a match for the attacking Japanese, especially the bombers. The AVG distinguished themselves in the defense of both Rangoon and Chungking and, acting alone with no ground forces, stymied a Japanese attempt to invade southern China across the Salween River, the first time such a feat had been accomplished. The Chinese appreciated their efforts so highly that, noting the shark teeth decorating their aircraft, they bestowed upon them the name of the "Flying Tigers," which is the name under which they went into legend. My point here is that we provided all the equipment, and some of our trained pilots, who took a "leave of absence" (and were well paid). We can do it again. The AVG did a great deal of harm to the Japanese and opened a new front in that war all by themselves. We can do this in Ukraine. We can send high-hours aircraft; we can send old equipment. We can send skilled volunteer pilots. I'm sure the money to pay these guys can be found somewhere outside our government budgets. We have the equipment, and we have the pilots. Many would be willing to volunteer, but we need to do something after the war is over (unlike what occurred with the AVG pilots, who were dismissively treated by the same Army Air Force that had persecuted Chennault), reinstate these pilots with no loss in seniority and perhaps add their time in the AVG branch of the Ukrainian Air Force in their seniority when they return home and are reinstated in the USAF, Navy, or Army (aircraft include attack and rescue helicopters). Ukraine is suffering today much as China suffered in the early 1940s. Do we have the same nerve and backbone today that we had back then? Image: National Archives. The answer to high gas prices is to fight back and have some fun doing so. I suggest a phone call to the local office of your senator and representative to complain about racist energy policies. Public policies that specifically victimize people "of color," as high energy costs do, are by definition racist policies. I'd recommend calling the local office since there's a good chance you'll speak to a staff member who might be a younger person open to influence. I know: members of Congress are not. But if your experience is like mine, you'll get a lot of silence when you calmly and politely explain to them that because high energy costs disproportionately hurt blacks and other minorities, these policies are mean and hateful, and you find them disgusting and racist. For a young Democrat staff member, this is mind-numbing. But some young people look to be waking up. In the recent Quinnipiac poll that found Americans giving broad support (71% to 22%) for banning Russian oil at the cost of higher pump prices, it's interesting to note where there was some resistance. The age bracket with the largest opposition (35%) was 18 to 34. And the races with the largest opposition were Black at 37% and Hispanic at 32%. Attempts to excuse or minimize higher fuel costs generally come from greens in support of radical climate change policies. Using racism as an argument against climate change may well be more effective than using science. However, over at Powerline, there's an update on Dr. Roy Spencer's work on tracking "tropospheric satellite" measurements a real-world alternative to computer models that shows we have a lot more than ten years ahead of us. The satellite data only go back to 1979, but that is now getting to be a considerable length of time, 42 years. This graph from Dr. Roy Spencer's web site tracks the global average lower tropospheric temperature anomaly on a running, centered 13-month average basis. Over the 42-year period, global average temperature has increased at a rate of 0.13 degree Centigrade per decade. At that rate, it would take 80 years for average temperature to rise one degree. That is much less than the forecasts produced by alarmist climate models. This is probably far too complicated for the type of people now being turned out by our educational system. They've been taught all about "racism," though, so there's a good chance that might work. Image: Daniel Christensen. I have four children, three in high school, with the fourth almost in high school. We live somewhere in Texas where we can afford to live off one salary. This means that the public school my children attend is considered a poor school mostly ethnic minorities, lots of government funds/programs for the underprivileged, lots of special interest groups encouraging college attendance. The general assumption is that these children come from a long line of people who never went to college, and therefore need a lot of encouragement. With the current population breakdown, it is assumed that this part of my area is heavily Democrat, even though it isn't. One of my son's friends likes to discuss politics during lunch. During a recent conversation, one of his other friends, when asked which party he prefers, said, "I think I prefer Democrats." So the politically minded friend asked, "Which of their policies do you like?" The other friend said, "Let me look up their policies." A quick Google search later resulted in the top issue for Democrats being listed as abortion. This boy muttered, a bit confused, "What's abortion?" Another quick Google search later, and the boy muttered, "I don't think I support Democrats." This young man was in his teens. When confronted with some horrific realities of this life that Democrats are champions for, he instinctively knew that it was wrong. It is easy to be glum about the future, with the current state of society. But know that modern teenagers, who are known to lack common sense and sound judgment, when provided clear, concise information, can easily discern evil from good and choose good. While there are rough times ahead, this bodes well for society in the next 1530 years, at least here in Texas. Monroe Wesson is a pseudonym for an engineer living somewhere in Texas. Image: Brian J. Matis. Last fall, I spent a lovely week in Middleton, Wisconsin, a suburb a few miles outside Madison, the state capital. It's a clean, pretty place with a pleasant mix of charming Victorians, mid-'50s modern houses, and upscale apartments and homes. It also boasts the world's only (and therefore greatest) National Mustard Museum. That museum is now in hot water (spicy mustard?) for pulling its six Russian mustards from the shelves. In a hyper-connected world, virtue-signaling can be problematic and overreactions epidemic. The museum is a lot of fun. It's really nothing more than a two-story shop, but every inch of it is filled with cans, bottles, and jars of mustard from every corner of the world. Downstairs, it's a pure museum, with endless condiment containers, both old and new, from everywhere. (My natal state, California, turns out to produce prodigious amounts of mustard because California's vineyards seem to be suited not just for grapes, but for mustard, too.) Upstairs, there's an equally impressive array of mustards that one can buy. In the back, there's a counter where one can try exotic and imaginative mustard combinations. (I have a grim, dim memory of a banana mustard.) Image: Some of the exhibits at the National Mustard Museum. YouTube screen grab. Given that most people like mustard and that the museum is singularly focused on that condiment, one would think there is little the museum could do to become the center of a firestorm. However, as we've seen time and again over the past decade or so, when you mix relatively inconsequential acts by unknown people with Twitter, things can get explosive. In the case of the mustard museum, the inconsequential act was temporarily removing six Russian mustards from the shelves as a sign of solidarity with the Ukrainian people. And then there was the tweet, which merely observed what had happened without further commentary: as seen at the Wisconsin mustard museum pic.twitter.com/tynV4sCg5c David Is Employable (@ExodiacKiller) March 13, 2022 Given that most people like mustard and that the museum is singularly focused on that condiment, one would think there is little the museum could do to become the center of a firestorm. However, as we've seen time and again over the past decade or so, when you mix relatively inconsequential acts by unknown people with Twitter, things can get explosive. In the case of the mustard museum, the inconsequential act was temporarily removing six Russian mustards from the shelves as a sign of solidarity with the Ukrainian people. And then there was the tweet, which merely observed what had happened without further commentary: as seen at the Wisconsin mustard museum pic.twitter.com/tynV4sCg5c David Is Employable (@ExodiacKiller) March 13, 2022 That one little tweet, with its mild homage to Ukraine, got over 165,500 likes, along with more than 11 thousand retweets. It also created a furor among Russia's supporters. The Daily Wire talked to the museum's founder and curator, Barry Levenson, a former Wisconsin assistant attorney general and, like so many Jews, someone with ancestral ties to Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus. Levenson explained that he never meant to show animosity to the Russian people; he wished only to show support for Ukraine: "Gosh, as a former lawyer, I understand what happened in the Japanese internment camps and how wrong it was then," Levenson said in response to people who believe there was prejudice behind the decision. The museum "never intended" to encourage Russophobia, he told The Daily Wire. Levenson also made the distinction between the Russian people and Putin. "This is Vladimir Putin's government," Levenson said to The Daily Wire. "I don't know anybody supporting him," he added. Nevertheless, and despite all the "likes" on Twitter, the mob came for the mustard museum, leaving the clerks dealing with angry calls from around the world: The curator of the museum, which boasts more than 6,000 mustards from around the world, said that he was "not really sure what should be done. Some people are angry." "It was just a way of showing support for Ukraine, the invasion was wrong[.] ... Maybe it was an awkward way of showing support?" he pondered. The dream of the internet was that, by facilitating communication, we could bring the world together, making it smaller and more harmonious. In fact, we've created a world in which people feel compelled to opine about issues and others who are incapable of dealing with opinions contrary to their own. There's a lot to be said for the old expression "least said, soonest mended" and that applies both to those who would virtue-signal and, even more strongly, to those who get their knickers in a twist because a small, charming store in a Wisconsin suburb took six bottles off its shelf and explained why. It made headlines on Sunday, when Sen. Mitt Romney (RINO-Utah), claimed that Tulsi Gabbard had committed "treason" by noting, accurately and with concern, that the U.S. has admitted that there are unsecured biolabs in the path of the Russian military. Romney is not the only one who has taken pro-Ukraine cheerleading to such heights that anyone who's not out there cheering with him must be arrested. This scary, un-American trend abandons the Constitution, American law, and logic. Thomas Lifson wrote about Romney's malevolent attack on Tulsi Gabbard because she raised concerns about unsecured biolabs in Ukraine, so I won't rehash that issue. Heck, even I raised concerns about those unsecured labs based upon Victoria Nuland's testimony under oath before the Senate. Those who aren't concerned might want to pay closer attention to the news. Romney's attack was troubling for three specific reasons. First, he was trying to criminalize Gabbard's First Amendment right of free expression as to issues that are matters of public record. Second, he accused Gabbard of a crime based on a statute that carries the death penalty if a person is found guilty. Third, regarding the crime of treason, it occurs only if someone who owes allegiance to the United States levies war against it "or adheres to their enemies, giving them aid and comfort" (18 U.S. Code 2381). In this case, while we may disapprove of Russia, it is not America's "enemy" under any definition of the word. A geopolitical rival? Yes. An enemy? No, especially because Biden has explicitly disavowed any intention of going to war with Russia. Romney, who seemed to have lost his mind and his moral compass during the Trump administration, is an old, White politician, so it's entirely possible that only news junkies are paying attention to him. In many ways, it's more disturbing to learn that media types, who have larger platforms than Romney, are saying the same thing: if you don't engage in the prescribed Two Minutes Hate against Putin, you must be arrested and incarcerated: They are Russian Assets and there is a war. There's a case for detaining them militarily. Trials are a sign of good faith and patience on the part of democracy. Keith Olbermann (@KeithOlbermann) March 14, 2022 Again, while there is a war, we are not in the war. Putin is currently our enemy only in the academic sense of a geopolitical rival. And free speech is still a "thing" in America, even if that may not be the case for much longer with the Uniparty in D.C. lusting for war. Here's the deal: at the end of the day, Putin is an evil man committing a terrible crime against humanity in Ukraine. That's the easy part. The harder part is understanding what the best response is for America and its fellow NATO allies to take regarding a war of aggression against a civilian population in a country that is not in NATO, but that abuts NATO countries. And how does one counter a megalomaniac who obliquely threatens nuclear war? On the one hand, if you let him get away with that threat, you've handed him absolute power. On the other hand, if you challenge him, maybe he is crazy enough to fire a nuclear weapon. And what about those admitted biolabs in Ukraine, along with American involvement in the labs? More than 30 years after the Cold War ended, why are we involved in Ukrainian biolabs? Also, I must admit to curiosity about why several Democrat politicians, including Biden, sent their children to Ukraine to get rich and why the Obama/Biden government was so invested in Ukraine's regime change. These are all excellent questions and ones for which we, the American citizens whose media want to drag us into war with a nuclear power, are not getting good answers. Please understand that I am not saying we shouldn't hate Putin and take affirmative steps to aid Ukraine. I am, however, saying there is nothing wrong with expecting our government and its media outlets to approach the issue thoughtfully, explain without hysteria the positions they advocate, and argue intelligently against those who exercise their right to express concerns or even contrary ideas. Currently, the D.C. Uniparty and the media, with their rush to judgment and their vicious attacks against those who prefer to be more conscious and thoughtful, remind me of nothing so much as the Red Queen in Alice in Wonderland. Like her, they're rushing about and crying, "Off with his head" to anyone who offends them, and then dreaming of a trial that proceeds with "sentence first, verdict after." Lewis Carroll meant the Red Queen to be the personification of Anger and Stupidity. Those are the last traits we need from those in charge of America's government. Image: The women of The View. Twitter screen grab. Planned Parenthood obviously has more money than it knows how to spend well. Abortion on a mass scale is quite lucrative, of course, and those who profit from it by definition have a warped sense of humanity. Abortion fanatics can be very generous donors, anxious to see as many babies killed as possible, for reasons I cannot begin to fathom. But the latest effort by Planned Parenthood Action Fund, the political affiliate of the abortion mill, bespeaks a mentality that doesn't seem to grasp what abortion actually does: kill children. Behold the vehicle deployed at SXSW in Austin, Texas: Ice cream, you scream, we all scream for abortion rights! Catch us around SXSW and stop by to grab some free Bans Off swag, condoms, and education on the cold hearted policies of the Texas legislature. #BansOffOurBodies #SXSW pic.twitter.com/vGvF8WWg6r Alexis McGill Johnson (@alexismcgill) March 12, 2022 It is hard to think of an ice cream truck like this without imagining a crowd of children drawn to it by its recorded jingle broadcast over loudspeakers. Such trucks are a fondly remembered feature of many childhoods. Ice cream trucks and children are paired in the minds of most people. Based on the sign at the front of the truck, I guess the intent here is to convey the idea that limiting abortion as the Texas Legislature recently has done is "cold." Because women seeking to extinguish the life growing within them are disappointed when they can't do so conveniently? But what about the children who will never be born and never rush outdoors upon hearing the ice cream truck jingle, their happy voices and excited laughter never to be heard? Normal people almost automatically would think of that when connecting an ice cream truck with abortion. Perhaps it is different among the kind of people who attend SXSW? South By Southwest (SXSW) has, in its 25 years of existence, become one of the premier film, music, and cultural festivals in the world, a place where those who pride themselves on being in the avant-garde go to preen and revel in their hipness. After two years of virtual existence online due to COVID, it has resumed in-person operations. I can only be amazed at the mentality behind this stunt. But then again, profiting from abortion is something I cannot understand, either. Hat tip: Blaze Media. Photo credit: Twitter screen grab. Memo to anyone who believes that Russia is a bigger threat to the U.S. and the West in general than China is: Russia is reportedly now asking China for help with weapons and materials for its war against Ukraine. Think about that. Second memo to anyone who believes that Russia is a bigger threat to the U.S. and the West in general than China: China's economy is many times the size of Russia's. It also manufactures much of the world's modern consumer goods. And it currently dictates much of what the rest of the world can manufacture because it manufactures many of the computer chips and other necessities for doing so. Moreover, it is buying up land and ports around the world and otherwise positioning itself to dictate to other nations with its staggering-in-scope Belt and Road Initiative. Third memo to anyone who believes that Russia is a bigger threat to the U.S. and the West in general than China is: Though perhaps less brutish than Russia's, China's leaders are cleverer, more forward-looking, and in some ways more diabolical in plotting their nation's future vis-a-vis everyone else on Earth. Sickeningly, it is already clear that the winner of the Russia-Ukraine War will be...China. Perhaps even more nauseatingly, the country that will ultimately weather the COVID-19 pandemic in the best shape structurally and economically will almost certainly be...China, the nation that recklessly, if not deliberately, loosed the plague on the world. Western nations appear to have been somewhat awakened to harsh external realities by Putin's assault on Ukraine. That is a good thing, such as it is. Russia under Putin is hostile to our interests and sensibilities. However, if the same Western nations cannot pry themselves from their recent obsessions with "climate change," "gender fluidity," and "preferred pronouns" long enough to mount a sober, united, and sustained challenge to the erstwhile Middle Kingdom's current designs on world hegemony, their goose will be cooked. And that is not an ancient Chinese secret. But perhaps there is still hope. For, as Sun Tzu said, "Victory comes from finding opportunities in problems." For those of us living in Western countries currently beset by problems, the next chance we get to elect leaders who care more about the survival of their nations than they do about appearing "woke" will be an opportunity not to be squandered. Photo credit: Roman Kubansky, CC BY-SA 4.0 license. The former Russian-dominated Soviet Union was powerful and influential, encompassing 15 communist nations. It stood balanced against the democratic states over the years of the Cold War. When the Cold War ended, Russia's borders shrank dramatically. Putin wants to change this. Regardless of who rules Russia, for hundreds of years, it has repeatedly invaded other nations with varying degrees of success. From its earliest recorded history, Russia has always been hungry for surrounding lands, especially those with arable fields and warm water or North Atlantic ports: Since 1918, when the communists took power, Russia has sought to impose its will on Estonia, Latvia, Poland, Finland, Belarus, Ukraine, Budapest, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Moldova, Mongolia, Afghanistan, China, Japan. In the early years of the Soviet Union, many of those countries successfully resisted Soviet incursions, only to have the USSR attack again, more successfully, during and after WWII, under Stalin. Putin's role model is Joseph Stalin, who executed nearly a million of his own citizens during the 1930s. Millions more fell victim to forced labor, deportation, and famine. The Russian government, replacing the Soviet Union, has acknowledged that a long famine (known as the Holodomor) killed about 4 million in Ukraine in the 1930s. Years later, in April 2008, Russia's lower house of Parliament passed a resolution stating that no famine was organized along ethnic lines. But at least 16 countries recognized it as genocide. The U.S. Senate's 2018 resolution affirmed the findings of the 1988 Commission that Stalin had committed genocide. Like Stalin, Putin wants to wipe out all his enemies, at home and abroad. To blame this on alleged mental illness, cancer treatments, or Ukraine's failure to honor its promises doesn't explain the abuse of Russian power within and beyond its national boundaries for many decades. During the previous Russian invasions, Czechs, Poles, and Hungarians appealed to Western Europe and the United States to intervene. Their pleas were ignored because Western governments didn't want to risk a nuclear war. This restraint helped to restore the peace temporarily while leaving the nations of Eastern Europe to serve as buffer states. This time, things have changed. The new sanctions, along with sending weapons to Ukraine, show that the West has decided that it can no longer afford to rely on the buffers. Putin's own wars began in 2007, with his speech to the Munich Security Conference when he refused to accept the post-1989 European settlement after the fall of the Berlin Wall and protested NATO's continued expansion into Western Europe. Then, in 2008, he invaded Georgia, and in 2014, he occupied Crimea and the Donbas. And of course, he's now invaded Ukraine. It's obvious that Putin wants to re-design the entire world order. Image: The Soviet Union (bright orange) and its sphere of influence (light orange). Public domain. Since Ukraine was a part of the old Russian Federation, Putin rationalized in an essay last year that Ukraine's true sovereignty was possible only in partnership with Russia, saying, "Ukraine is not just a neighbor, it is an inalienable part of our own history, cultural and spiritual space." Ukrainians vehemently dispute this. Another Putin justification for attacking was that Ukraine wanted to join NATO. In fact, the opposite is true: Putin's attack justifies Ukraine's desire to join NATO. It's clear, in hindsight, that Putin expected a quick war. To everyone's surprise including Putin's Ukraine, rather than instantly surrendering, has fought back. Equally surprising is that, this time, Europe has not remained quiet. Instead, it has aggressively used economic sanctions to penalize Russia for its aggression. These sanctions, along with sending weapons to Ukraine, show that the West has decided that it can no longer afford to rely on the buffers. The news from the past weeks has shown a frustrated Putin escalating his initial, rather lethargic attack. He ordered his troops to use cluster bombs, which the U.N. has tried to ban, and brutal thermobaric bombs against Ukrainians. Using these weapons against a civilian population is so extreme that the International Criminal Court will investigate possible war crimes in Ukraine. Most recently, Russia started raining bombs on Kyiv, hoping to force an immediate surrender. What we're seeing in Ukraine has surprised the world, but it shouldn't have. Putin's aggression is entirely consistent with Russian behavior for over one hundred years. No matter his excuses and explanations, the root cause of this war is Russia's perpetual pattern of using force to absorb surrounding nations into its empire. This time around, though, the Ukrainians may have stymied the Russian war machine. Belarus opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya has been watching the Ukraine War from exile in Lithuania. She said, "I am sure Ukraine will win this war," explaining: First, the obvious: We the U.S. bear much of the responsibility for creating the poisoned atmosphere that inclined Putin to attack Ukraine. Thirty years of spurning Russia's openly expressed desire after the Soviet collapse for peace and normalcy between itself and Western Europe, including twenty years of gratuitous, deliberately threatening behavior by the West in 1999 and 2004, actual NATO expansions, in 2008, a promised further expansion, and in 2014, overt anti-Russian meddling in Ukrainian politics all culminated in Putin's desperate and dangerous act. In 1991, when the Soviets' external and internal empire dissolved, newly emerged and shrunken Russia's proffer of peaceful relations was real, the first actual chance for cooperative relations between Russia and the West since Tsar Alexander I helped to defeat the marble-tombed war-maker, Napoleon. That early 1990s Russian offer was successfully resisted through the Iago-like whisperings of America's military/industrial complex, fearful of losing the militarily powerful enemy that was key to its budgets, weapons systems, jobs, and profits. But in today's world, another motive for the West's stubbornly antagonistic stance toward Russia has entered the picture: without regard to the Ukraine war, Russia of late was as much the object of the Western left's loathing because of its return after the Cold War to nationalism and cultural conservatism, as it was the object of the left's admiration previously because of its embrace of communism. The resurgent Western left, now allied with the globalists, for years has despised Russia for its return to tradition, just as it despises Poland and Hungary for the same reason. Now, in the case of Russia, they can mask their cultural loathing in the more respectable garb of opposition to war. So, through the war we provoked, America's military industrialists have secured for at least a generation Russia's status as an enemy, and America's left (and globalists) has isolated, weakened, and now hope to destroy a powerful opponent of its various insanities and plans to impose them on the entire planet through unopposed, Western-sponsored globalism. Thus, the Ukraine war, brought to the world by 30 years of spurning peace and 20 years of deliberate provocation, all urged on by America's political elites and by its military industrialists, serves the interests of both our militarists and leftist globalists. The Republican and populist base senses much of the foregoing. Much of it listens sympathetically to Tucker Carlson, a brave man in this frenzied, war-mongering environment. Given these political realities, the Republican Party is going to regret pounding the war drums louder than the Democrats. A large part of the Republican/Trump base wants no part of the Ukraine war or any other war not directly motivated by America's interests. The borders and alliances of Ukraine part of Russia for the 300 years preceding 1991 are not. At the same time, an extended Ukraine war serves the domestic catastrophedistracting interests of Biden and the left. For Biden, it is just what the doctor ordered. And Republican airheads, helpfully spewing Russia-hatred and brimming over with testosterone, thus prolonging the war, are walking right into the trap. With Lindsey Graham calling for Putin's assassination and Mitt Romney labeling anyone a traitor who suggests that Western serial provocations might have raised understandable Russian security concerns, the Democrats could run as the peace party. A visitor from Mars, knowing nothing about U.S. politics beyond today's headlines, would certainly conclude that Republican elected officials are more eager to get into this conflict than the Biden administration and that Republicans are less troubled than the Biden administration by the possibility of a major war between Russia and the United States. Smart Republicans should be toning down their Russia-hatred and war rhetoric and urging a ceasefire and peace talks for the sake of the Ukrainian people and their own political prospects. But taking this approach in the present environment would require sharp political judgment, a knowledge of postCold War history, and a bit of courage, all of which are always in chronic short supply among Republican Party officeholders. "Re-elect the Democrats! They kept us out of war!" In 1916, a Democrat president named Wilson squeaked to re-election on that battle cry ("He kept us out of war!") in the midst of a heavily Republican era. Openly declared enthusiasm for jumping into foreign wars has never been a winning campaign strategy in American politics. But then, we are dealing here with a political party not noted for clarity of thought to its own probable and the Ukrainian people's certain sorrow. Photo credit: Gage Skidmore CC BY-SA 2.0 license. Vermont is under far-left ideological siege, as extremists employ a pattern of Alinskyish deviousness to twist facts, pervert process, and subvert the Constitution. These attacks consistently denigrate Vermonters and their culture, including farmers and Vermont's contributions to abolitionism and the Civil War. A core of Green Mountain culture is self-sufficiency and hunting, guaranteed in the Vermont Constitution but under vicious attack by rabid human haters. A volley of anti-hunting initiatives by Progressive legislators in Vermont's 2022 Senate included bills to eliminate foothold trapping, ban the hunting of coyotes with dogs, and restructure the state's administration of wildlife laws in order to bypass wildlife biologists in favor of one-sided PETA-driven Kumbaya extremism. Leading the Constitution-gnawing rat pack were usual suspects Senator Dick McCormack (who advocated banning unvaccinated Vermonters from entering public buildings and unvaccinated students from schools) and U.S. House wannabe Becca Balint, who sought to censure a fellow senator for the non-crime of disclosing the public email address of a trans-conditioning grade school teacher. The coyote-hunting bill was the centerpiece of the Machiavellian machination to sweep away all constitutional protections for Vermont hunting traditions. Proponents did not offer even a pretense for the purpose of the restrictions until Senator McCormack (increasingly referred to as "King Dick") proclaimed that "property rights" and "ethics" were in issue. Wildlife "ethics" issues are the province of paid biologists, not delusional activists. The leading lobbying group for these efforts, the Vermont Coyote Coexistence Coalition, routinely attacks hunters rather than defending coyotes. One recent post (approvingly applauded by the group admin) stated: Coyote hunters are bloodthirsty psychopaths. One lunatic with a rifle is more dangerous than 100 coyotes ... and dramatically less dignified. That is an extremist ethic. The hunting-haters' attorney explained that the "property rights" alleged were the rights of landowners of posted land to prevent hunting dogs from trespassing unbeknownst to them for which they wished to prevent all hunting with all dogs on thousands of acres of public lands! Hunters would even be banned from hunting coyotes with dogs on their own property, to "protect property rights" of animal rights extremists lying awake at night, fearing that someone's dog might go wee-wee on their tree. The lawyer revealed that the underlying effort seeks to eventually ban all dog hunting for rabbits, coon, bobcat, bear, and other traditions. There is no way to distinguish these uses of dogs from coyote dogs. Attorney Chuck Storrow proclaimed that "there is no need to use hounds, period. There is no need to hunt coyotes to begin with." The bill to ban coyote-hunting with dogs is part of a plan to ban all coyote-hunting, and all hunting of any kind using dogs, by eliminating the existing authority of wildlife professionals. Household pet dogs (not working hunting dogs) bite millions of humans annually; anti-hunters are more concerned about fabricating non-material "property rights" to prevent dogs from chasing coyotes than they are about protecting human safety Vermont lacks a strict liability dog bite statute. After the bill to reduce Vermont's Fish & Wildlife Board to a mere advisory agency failed (along with all the anti-hunting bills as drafted), a visibly disgruntled Senator Dick McCormack expressed his frustration to co-conspirator Senator Chris Bray when the two were unknowingly being recorded: Just go over it again in your mind. The Constitution gives a right to fowl. Fowling is done with dogs. Therefore there is a constitutional right to use dogs any way you want. No there isn't. That's a stupid argument. [ Sen. Bray: ] Also you don't have to fowl with dogs so it's not like an absolute so there are people who just walk and flush [ fowl? ]...They're both the dog and the hunter. These constitutional contortionists would impute a private property right to eclipse all public hunting with dogs while ignoring long traditions both cultural and legal. Progressives who claim unwritten constitutional rights to kill babies (in Vermont, through delivery) scream histrionically to extinguish well-established commonsense rights as unwritten. Of course, the Vermont Constitution specifically recognizes hunting rights, which encompass longstanding traditions not specifically recounted what of bowhunting for deer? In contrast, there is no actionable "property right" whatsoever as propounded by these naked emperors and their similarly naturist attorney "that's a stupid argument." Dick McCormack, et al. don't appear to comprehend the clear boundaries between law and fantasy. This well-heeled effort by toxic anti-hunting agitators in Vermont failed completely. Cheating and lying are very unsportsmanlike. Image via Pxhere. Who's the best woman? USA Today has declared a string of wokesters for its 2022 "Women of the Year" honors, and one of them is Dr. "Rachel" Levine. Seems you need to be a man to achieve excellence in womanhood these days. Being an actual woman is no longer enough. The awards are absurd, given that not many of the women on the list have actual accomplishments they're there because they're victims, like Simone Biles; radical activists like Janet Murguia; promoters of bad things like recreational marijuana, like Roopali Desai; people who deny the obvious, like fashion editor Nina Garcia, who credits her Colombian heritage rather than the opportunities America gave her with her success as an American fashion editor; or else women who have had some sort of role in inventing or promoting things that don't really work all that well, such as electric cars and the Moderna COVID vaccine. Naturally, Kamala Harris, whose chief achievement as a woman has been to sleep her way to the top and serve as an affirmative action placeholder for the Biden administration as well as impeachment insurance for corrupt old Joe, is on the list. And in Levine's case, it wasn't even necessary to have XX chromosomes, let alone merit just that masculine energy it takes to seek promotions in order to be the alpha dog. Levine, in fact, is a political hack who drew attention and promotions based on transgender status and nothing else. Why this person is "woman of the year" is rather insulting to actual women, who apparently no longer measure up to USA Today's standards for what it is to be female. In its hagiographic thumbnail, USA Today writes: Levine, 64, a trained pediatrician, became the nation's highest-ranking openly transgender official last March when the Senate confirmed her as assistant secretary of health. Levine has spent her [sic] professional life in medicine as an academic, a clinical researcher, a primary care physician and as Pennsylvania's physical general and secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Health but she [sic] admits her [sic] current role has proven to be the most challenging. Beyond the pandemic, Levine said she [sic] is concerned about the challenges women and girls face related to body image. She [sic] ran an eating disorder program at Penn State University and was struck by the pressures of social media related to appearance. "We need to be welcoming and celebratory for women of all aspects, of all sizes and shapes," she said. "And we have to work towards that compassion for all women and not put such an emphasis on thinness and appearance. I think that we need to work as a culture in the United States, but also globally, to be more compassionate and more accepting of girls and women, no matter what their size and shape." So much for the obesity epidemic. Coming from a public health official, let's just say Levine's knowledge of actual health and the impact of obesity, including childhood obesity, on health isn't there. Levine's wokester cred, though, is. Step aside, Michelle Obama. But actually, where did that topic blow in from? Levine makes trendy wokester comments on the issues of the day, gets an "admiral" promotion from feeble Joe Biden for declaring himself a woman, puts on makeup, and voila, is now "woman of the year." Levine actually has no accomplishments other than collecting promotions from the establishment, which is eager to demonstrate how woke it is. Levine rather resembles the court eunuchs of the past, who, deprived of their private parts, resorted to palace scheming, flattery, and winning favors from the emperor, focusing on the accumulation of gold and power. What is Levine's actual record? Seeding nursing homes and other facilities for the elderly in Pennsylvania with COVID patients, but not before spiriting his own mother out first. As Pennsylvania's secretary for health, Levine knew that something bad was coming down, and got his own out first, leaving the public to deal with the dead relatives. In this regard, Levine was not at all different from New York's Gov. Andrew Cuomo, and three other Democrat blue-state governors who did similar acts of killing them off without political consequences. As Christopher Tremoglie of the Washington Examiner wrote of Levine's promotion to admiral of public health: It is hard to believe merit was the determining factor, especially given that Levine's decisions as Secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Health resulted in the deaths of hundreds of senior citizens. Many critics would rush to label such a statement as transphobic (a completely made-up word), but just ask yourself, would you promote Andrew Cuomo to such a position after what he did to seniors in nursing homes? Of course not. So a white, straight man who did what Levine [also a man ed.] did would not be promoted to this position. Further, consider the statements in the media regarding Levine's appointment. Levine's education, background, and work experience are rarely mentioned. The emphasis is on being the "first openly transgender four-star officer." At some point, Levine's controversial tenure as Secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Health should have at least been discussed publicly. Broad +Liberty reported that Pennsylvania was the 5th highest state for confirmed case fatality rate. It was the 7th highest state for confirmed cases and the state with the 5th highest total of deaths from COVID-19. These are not exactly statistics that should warrant a promotion. Pennsylvania on Levine's watch had one of the worse rates of COVID deaths in the country. Reports state that Levine's policies, which were carried on even after warnings from Congress, contributed to 63% of the COVID deaths in that state. That's the actual Levine record. But Levine somehow got his mother out of it before it happened. As I wrote in November 2020, when Biden named Levine to the post: Protection for me, but not for thee, suck it up with life with the COVID patients, die early, and save the state some Medicaid costs. This is a heck of an inhuman person, someone who tolerated seeding nursing homes with COVID patients, while shielding [his] own from any consequences on the side. Yes, [he] claims it wasn't a nursing home, but it begs the question: Why did nursing homes need to be seeded at all with COVID patients. And if the health operation [he] runs is so wonderful, why did [he] get [his] mother out of it, getting her out of harm's way while not warning others? It's disgusting all the way around and this person should never be let near the levers of federal power, given this vile and lethal record. That's the cold, hard face of the "woman" of the year, according to USA Today, the example all the little girls out there are supposed to look up to. With Levine being what it takes to get onto USA Today's laurel list, is it any wonder that so many children out there are being convinced that they, too, are transgender? If that's the only way to get laurels, there will be impressionable kids who will take that self-destructive route. Image: Official portrait, public domain. New development projects on previously undeveloped land often encroach upon existing private properties and farmlands. Sometimes such a property includes cemeteries. Usually in such cases, the bodies are dug up and moved to a new cemetery with the developers footing the bill. But sometimes families refuse to move the graves of their ancestors forcing developers to build around the cemeteries or the graves, such as in Amity, in the state of Indiana, U.S, where there is a grave right in the middle of the road. Something similar happened when the Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport in the city of Savannah, Georgia, United States was being expanded. Centuries ago, this area was woods and farmland belonging to the Dotson family. Their family cemetery was packed with more than a hundred people including those of many slaves. Among these graves were those belonging to Richard and Catherine Dotson, who died within seven years of each other in the late 1870s and early 1890s, nearly two decades before the Wright brothers flew the first flight. The graves of Richard and Catherine Dotson on Runway 10 of Savannah Airport. Years later, as World War 2 approached, a military airport was opened and much of Dotsons' property became part of the airfield. The army moved most of the Dotson family cemetery to Bonaventure Cemetery, but four graves including that of Richard and Catherine Dotson, were left in place. After the war ended, the army airfield was turned into a civilian airport. Construction on the new airport started in the 1960s and new tracts of land were acquired for its expansion. During one such expansion in the 1970s, these old graves ended up in the path of a planned airport runway. Since federal law prohibits the moving of graves without the permission of the next of kin, the airport authorities decided to pave over the graves instead. The original location of the two graves are now marked by two tombstones laid flat with the runway. The graves are located, embedded into the asphalt, about eleven hundred meters from the west end of Runway 10. The graves are near the edge of the runway, so planes dont roll over the site, but passengers and pilots can see them when a plane taxis by. Photo credit: USAToday Photo credit: www.the-line-up.com Photo credit: Pinterest The Mathis Airport in Georgia, United States (now closed), is another airport that has a bunch of headstones laid flush with the runways surface. When the airport was built in the 1960s, the Anglin family gave permission to the airport to incorporate the graves under the runway. According to some Anglin family members, there are perhaps 16 to 20 people buried underneath the runway. A couple of headstones for graves flush with the runways surface at the Mathis Airport. Photo credit: www.airfields-freeman.com One of the tombstone embedded in the runway of Mathis Airport. Photo credit: Robert S/Flickr Sources: savannahnow.com / Wikipedia / Stuck at the Airport / northfulton.com Pawan Kalyan assures a debt-free Andhra Pradesh:- Two years before the Assembly elections in Andhra Pradesh, Janasena Chief Pawan Kalyan announced that his party would make it to power and will dethrone the ruling YSRCP which left the state in deep financial debts. Pawan Kalyan assured that AP will turn debt-free if Janasena forms the government in the state. He also promised that his party will have a special focus on the capital of the state Amaravati. He slammed the ruling YSRCP for ignoring Amaravati on the name of three capitals in the state. Pawan also promised that Janasena is not focused on splitting the anti-YSRCP votes in the upcoming 2024 elections. "I am waiting for the roadmap of BJP to dethrone YSRCP in the next polls. AP is now left in a deep financial crisis and it would reach new heights in the next couple of years. My focus would stay on making AP debt-free and Janasena will allocate a special budget for the construction of the capital Amaravati. We always start our work with a positive vibe. But the leaders of YSRCP started their rule by demolishing the Praja Vedika. With their improper sand policy, the future of 30 lakh building workers is at risk. YSRCP leaders have taken an oath to destroy the state which left AP in deep financial hurdles. Amaravati will be the capital of Andhra Pradesh and no government has the right to shift the capital. Policies cannot be changed along with Chief Ministers" told Pawan Kalyan. "YS Jagan promised to support the capital when he was the opposition leader but he changed his word after getting to power. He proposed three capital rule which was opposed by the people of the state. We will cancel the Contributory Pension Scheme after coming to power. All the vacant government posts will be filled soon. Janasena will create five lakh private jobs every year in the state" concluded Pawan Kalyan. (Video Source: JanaSena Party) Janasena will form the government in 2024: Pawan Kalyan:- Janasena Chief Pawan Kalyan turned emotional during the Formation Day celebrations of the party that took place last night in Ippatam near Amaravati. The actor-turned-politician expressed his confidence in forming the government in AP in the 2024 polls. He hinted about an alliance with BJP and promised that Janasena would report record majority to dethrone YSRCP in the next polls. Pawan said that he would follow the roadmap given by the BJP and he would do his best to prevent the split of the anti-YSRCP votes. Pawan also said that he will form an alliance considering the public interest and not for his private benefits. "The major agenda of Janasena is to develop Amaravati as a world-class capital. We will also transform Visakhapatnam as a global city. Cities like Tirupati, Vijayawada and Kurnool too will be developed. Janasena will come to power in 2024 for sure. Janasena will come up with an investor-friendly industrial policy to pull the backwardness of the Rayalaseema region. Janasena will also scrap the Contributory Pension Scheme after coming to power. We will ensure minimum support prices for the crops of the farmers. We have plans to create five lakh private jobs every year in the state and all the vacant posts will be filled" told Pawan. Attacking YSRCP, Pawan told "The government started the rule with the demolition of Praja Vedika and there is no scope for development. They are not bothered about the law and the judicial system. Hindu temples are attacked. The liquor business is made a cash cow. AP is now left in a massive debt of Rs 7 lakh crores. Janasena will make AP debt free. Reddys are given more powers and the Kamma community is attacked and targeted by the YSRCP. When I floated the party, we had no experience. But now, we have enough strength to form the government and Janasena will rise to power in 2024". (Video Source: JanaSena Party) Geekbench has banned the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 for benchmark manipulation. This is the latest development in the controversial Game Optimization Service (GOS) saga that the Korean brand has been embroiled in since early this month. GOS, as the name suggests, is a built-in service that Samsung has developed to optimize the gaming performance of its devices. It essentially throttles the performance of game apps wherever possible for the sake of battery efficiency and thermal management. Unfortunately, its enabled by default and theres no way to disable it. Even if you want to prioritize performance over everything else, you cant. This is essentially keeping users from exploring the full potential of their devices, which they have paid hundreds of dollars for. Moreover, Samsung doesnt throttle benchmark apps, which many people use to determine what a device is capable of. But GOS throttling game apps means the performance level that benchmark results show isnt available to users. Advertisement Geekbench sees this as benchmark manipulation. The company has already banned Samsungs Galaxy S22, Galaxy S21, Galaxy S20, and Galaxy S10 series devices for this. But it appears those arent the only Galaxy devices affected by GOS. The Galaxy Tab S8+ and Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra also artificially limit the performance of some apps. Geekbench delists the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 The folks over at Android Police tested the Galaxy Tab S8 duo with the genuine Geekbench app and a disguised one named Gensin Impact to make the devices identify it as a game app. They discovered that the single-core performance drop was as high as 24 percent with the latter. Multi-core performance also dropped by up to 11 percent. The Galaxy Tab S7 and Tab S5e didnt exhibit any notable difference in benchmark scores between the two versions of Geekbench. This shows that Samsung is throttling the performance of apps based on application identifiers rather than application behavior, which is a form of benchmark manipulation. As such, Geekbench has kicked out the Galaxy Tab S8 from the platform. Its unclear if all three models have been delisted or only the Galaxy Tab S8+ and Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra. Advertisement Samsung has already released an update that lets users disable GOS should they want to prioritize performance over everything else. The update is currently available to the Galaxy S22 series but should soon reach other affected devices. However, even if the new software package sets things right, Geekbench isnt restoring any of those devices. The companys current policy keeps manipulated devices banned permanently. Meanwhile, if youre using any of the affected Samsung smartphones or tablets, a software update is coming your way. It should reach all eligible units across the world over the next few weeks. Hopefully, Samsung has learned its lesson. The EU and UK antitrust regulators have launched an antitrust investigation against Google and Meta over their advertising practices. Two companies are said to have formed a Jedi Blue agreement to manipulate the ad market and restrict competition. This is not the first time that Google and Meta have faced antitrust lawsuits in Europe. Manipulating search results, user tracking, and abusing the market are some serious allegations against Google and Meta. Google recently faced a 2.1 billion lawsuit by a Swedish price comparison service. Moreover, Meta had just agreed to pay $90 million to settle a data privacy lawsuit. Advertisement The European Commission and the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) from the UK have just started the investigation. They want to know if Google and Meta have blocked other companies from offering advertising services to other brands. Also, whether they have limited other companies competitive capabilities. The recently found documents prove that Google and Meta colluded in 2018 to control the ad market. The UK & EU believe both companies tried to abuse the ad market Regulators are concerned that Google and Meta have done so in a joint venture. When two giant companies, which control a significant share of the online advertising market, become partners, it can create a large monopoly. Many publishers rely on online display advertising to fund online content for consumers. Via the so-called Jedi Blue agreement between Google and Meta, a competing technology to Googles Open Bidding may have been targeted with the aim to weaken it and exclude it from the market for displaying ads on publisher websites and apps. Margrethe Vestager, the Executive Vice-President from the EU said. If confirmed by our investigation, this would restrict and distort competition in the already concentrated ad tech market, to the detriment of rival ad serving technologies, publishers, and ultimately consumers. Advertisement The UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) also wants to investigate whether the so-called Jedi Blue agreement broke the law. The CMA is also scrutinising Googles conduct in relation to header bidding services more widely to see if the firm abused a dominant position and gained an unfair advantage over competitors trying to provide a similar service. The investigation continues, and if the EU and UK could prove the market abuse case by Google and Meta, both companies could face a fine for up to 10-percent of their global annual revenue. Of course, such cases take a long time to conclude a result. In February, long-time Coronado resident Bruce Shepherd was unanimously voted in to fill the recently vacated Coronado Unified School Board of Trustees seat. Shepherd has served on the CUSD Board in the past (1998-2002 and 2006-2014) YouTube has announced that it is blocking access to the channels related to the Russian state media, Engadget reports. Following the pressure on Russia over its invasion of Ukraine, tech companies are tightening the grip and blocking Russian-affiliated media from running ads or broadcasting their channels. YouTube had previously blocked RT and Sputnik channels in Europe over a direct order from the European Union. Now, the company is seeking to block Russian state media channels worldwide. Advertisement According to the latest YouTube announcement, the change is effective immediately. However, the whole process might take some time. We are also now blocking access to YouTube channels associated with Russian state-funded media globally, expanding from across Europe. This change is effective immediately, and we expect our systems to take time to ramp up. YouTube noted in its tweet. Google is in a critical condition over its policies toward the ongoing war. Some EU officials have recently asked Google to remove Russian state media websites from its search pages. YouTube is also removing some videos that might be misleading YouTube efforts against Russian state media are not limited to blocking their channels in Europe and worldwide. The company is also removing videos that might contain misleading information regarding the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine. Advertisement Twitter and Facebook have recently deleted some posts from Russias embassy in the UK that denied bombing a maternity hospital in Mariupol, Ukraine. YouTube is supposed to take the same path. YouTube also stated that its Community Guidelines dont allow for denying, minimizing or trivializing well-documented violent events. To date, YouTube has removed over 1,000 channels and over 15,000 videos about the Russia and Ukraine conflict due to hate speech, misinformation, and graphic content. The company said that it wouldnt tolerate contents that violated its policies. Google ad sales in the country have also stopped. Moreover, Google also halted the YouTube monetization and payments in Russia. We recently paused all YouTube ads in Russia. Weve now extended this to all of the ways to monetize on our platform in Russia. YouTube said. Advertisement Google and YouTube might take more severe actions against Russian state media as the invasion continues. Of course, Russia has also reacted to these sanctions and blocked access to Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Google and YouTube might be the next targets. PLEASE NOTE: ALL ONLINE PURCHASES ARE AUTOMATIC RENEWALS UNLESS YOU EMAIL JPAYNE@ANNISTONSTAR.COM OR CONTACT CUSTOMER SERVICE @ 256-235-9253.... Purchase an online subscription to our website for $7.99 a month with automatic renewal. Each online subscription gives you full access to all of our newspaper websites and mobile applications. To cancel you may contact Customer Service @ 256-235-9253 or email JPAYNE@ANNISTONSTAR.COM *NEW SUBSCRIBERS ONLY join with a NEW ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION is just $59.99 for the first year. Existing customers do not qualify for the specials! AMEX is not accepted through this site. After the first year, well automatically renew your subscription to continue your access at the regular price of $69.99 per year. Please note *Your Subscription will Automatically Renew unless you contact Customer Service To Cancel* Assets of 5 Lebanese banks frozen as part of inquiry Serves Aoun's election campaign, analysts say (ANSAmed) - BEIRUT, MARCH 15 - The assets of five Lebanese banks directly involved in the 2019 financial crisis were frozen on Tuesday on the orders of a judge considered close to President Michel Aoun. Some have said that the move can be seen as part of an election campaign ahead of parliamentary elections on May 15. The judge, Ghada Aoun, is not a relative of Aoun but has long been seen as close to his political current. She signed an order for the freezing of assets of the Bank of Beirut, Bank Audi, SGBL, Blom Bank, and Bankmed. In the autumn of 2019, Lebanese banks part of the national banks association applied de facto capital control by preventing account holders from accessing their deposits in hard currency. The Lebanese government announced the country's bankruptcy in March 2020. The Lebanese lira lost 90% of its value and anti-government protests that started in 2019 showed an erosion of popular support for traditional parties, accused of being part of a "corrupt" system. Judge Aoun is investigating relations between the five banks and the country's central bank, which has been under Riad Salame for 30 years. Salame is under investigation in Lebanon and several European countries for financial crimes. Salame - close to Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, President Aoun's rival - has in recent weeks been focused on by Judge Aoun. The judge had in recent days issued a travel ban on the managing directors of the five banks under investigation. Local analysts say that the moves by the judge are part of the president's attempts to show that he is genuinely interested in fighting corruption, amid growing loss of support from his party, the Free Patriotic Movement. Aoun himself, however - as well as other high-ranking government and security officials - are being investigated as part of an investigation (stalled for months) into a devastating explosion at the Beirut port in August 2020 in which 221 people were killed.(ANSAmed). BEIRUT - At least half a million people have been killed and identified in 11 years of conflict in Syria. Of them about 160,000 were civilians, including over 25,000 minors, according to a figure reported by the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR). SOHR relies on a network of local sources to monitor human rights violations in the country. It noted that 499,657 people had been killed and identified. The total number of verified deaths but including those who have not been identified, it said, was about 610,000. SOHR added that, of the 160,681 civilians killed in 11 years, some 49,359 had died under torture in the prisons of the Syrian government. This victims had been identified in detail by SOHR sources, it said. Another 52,508 people died under government artillery shelling in areas under control of anti-regime armed groups. Another 26,403 were killed by government airstrikes and 8,683 by Russian airstrikes. SOHR added that 4,563 civilians had been killed by the Islamic State (ISIS) in Syria and that 2,676 were by US-led anti-ISIS coalition bombing. Another 2,320 people were killed by anti-regime armed groups. SOHR published a detailed online report on the numbers it has recorded on civilian and military deaths in the country in 11 years of armed conflict. Coronado Girl Scouts celebrate Girl Scout week each year during the week of their founding. Several girls from Troop 6530 represented the entire service unit in accepting a proclamation from Coronado City Council naming the week of March 6-12 as Girl Scout Week in Coronado. Girls led the Pledge of Allegiance to start the City Council meeting and met city council members. They were accompanied by the CEO of Girl Scouts San Diego, Carol Dedrich. TEL AVIV - Two Palestinians were killed in recent hours after coming under fire from Israeli soldiers in the West Bank. The first incident was over the night in the Balata refugee camp near Nablus, where a teenage male was killed during an Israeli army operation. Local sources identified him as Nader Haytam Rayan, 17. The incident was confirmed by military radio. Another Palestinian was killed on Tuesday by the Israeli army during clashes near the Qalandiya refugee camp, according to the Palestinian health ministry. The ministry identified the man as Alaa Shaham, adding - according to media reports - that he had been "hit in the head by live bullets". The ministry said that six other protestors had been injured in the same incident. A military spokesman said that two Palestinian men wanted by the authorities had been captured in the refugee camp by a plainclothes military unit. When this unit tried to leave the camp, protests broke out that involved the throwing of rocks, heavy objects, and explosive devices from the roofs of homes. The soldiers reacted by shooting, they said. The military spokesman said that the Palestinian killed had been one of those taking part in throwing things from the roofs. The military radio also reported that, in a separate incident in the Bedouin area of Rahat in the Negev desert, a man who had shot at plainclothes border police was also killed. BEIRUT - The assets of five Lebanese banks directly involved in the 2019 financial crisis were frozen on Tuesday on the orders of a judge considered close to President Michel Aoun. Some have said that the move can be seen as part of an election campaign ahead of parliamentary elections on May 15. The judge, Ghada Aoun, is not a relative of Aoun but has long been seen as close to his political current. She signed an order for the freezing of assets of the Bank of Beirut, Bank Audi, SGBL, Blom Bank, and Bankmed. In the autumn of 2019, Lebanese banks part of the national banks association applied de facto capital control by preventing account holders from accessing their deposits in hard currency. The Lebanese government announced the country's bankruptcy in March 2020. The Lebanese lira lost 90% of its value and anti-government protests that started in 2019 showed an erosion of popular support for traditional parties, accused of being part of a "corrupt" system. Judge Aoun is investigating relations between the five banks and the country's central bank, which has been under Riad Salame for 30 years. Salame is under investigation in Lebanon and several European countries for financial crimes. Salame - close to Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, President Aoun's rival - has in recent weeks been focused on by Judge Aoun. The judge had in recent days issued a travel ban on the managing directors of the five banks under investigation. Local analysts say that the moves by the judge are part of the president's attempts to show that he is genuinely interested in fighting corruption, amid growing loss of support from his party, the Free Patriotic Movement. Aoun himself, however - as well as other high-ranking government and security officials - are being investigated as part of an investigation (stalled for months) into a devastating explosion at the Beirut port in August 2020 in which 221 people were killed. More than 120,000 individuals and organisations have expressed an interest in taking in Ukrainian refugees, the Government has said. According to the latest figures from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, 122,305 expressions of interest have been received by the Homes for Ukraine programme. The response to the scheme, which encourages members of the public to throw open their homes to people fleeing the fighting in Ukraine, comes amid intense criticism of the Governments response to the refugee crisis. Downing Street welcomed the huge public response to the appeal for accommodation as a sign of the support in the UK for the Ukrainian people. But Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey said the Government was still not doing anything to help those Ukrainians who had fled to neighbouring countries and were now trying to reach Britain. The new scheme aims to match refugees with individuals, charities and other organisations who can provide accommodation for at least six months, enabling Ukrainians without family ties in the UK to enter the country. The Prime Ministers official spokesman said: We have seen a huge response from the British public. The Prime Minister welcomes the generosity of the British people. We knew when we opened the scheme that there would be an outpouring of support but the speed of the uptake and the strength of the interest in this is massively welcome and a sign to the Ukrainian people of the level of support there is for them. I've been in Eastern Poland today meeting refugees fleeing Ukraine and the charities helping them. But the UK Government is nowhere to be seen. Priti Patel and Boris Johnson are betraying these refugees and the British people who are ready to welcome them with open arms. pic.twitter.com/Do4DTOM7jy Ed Davey MP (@EdwardJDavey) March 15, 2022 However Sir Ed, who was visiting the Polish border town of Przemysl, said that unlike other European countries there was little help on the ground for those refugees trying to travel on to the UK. He said the new scheme, which required them to make an online application to be matched with a sponsor in Britain, was too complicated and too bureaucratic. Our Government is so wrong. It is just a hopeless way of going about it. They are pretending they are doing something and they really arent, he said in a telephone interview with the PA news agency. How are you supposed to meet people on social media? These are people who are traumatised, they are exhausted, they are emotional. Sometimes they left in such a hurry they didnt even bring all their paperwork, apparently they have got to find a British contact somehow. Nonsense. We should be here saying if you want to come this is how we will do it for you. The Government isnt prepared to do the necessary for people who do want to come. It is just shocking. (Reuters) - An anti-war protester interrupted a live news bulletin on Russia's state TV Channel One on Monday, holding up a sign behind the studio presenter and shouting slogans denouncing the war in Ukraine. The sign, in English and Russian, read: "NO WAR. Stop the war. Don't believe propaganda. They are lying to you here." Another phrase, which looked like "Russians against war", was partly obscured. The extraordinary act of dissent took place on day 19 of the war which began when Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24 in what it calls a special military operation. "Stop the war. No to war," the woman protester could be heard shouting, as the news anchor continued to read from her teleprompter. The protester could be seen and heard for several seconds before the channel switched to a different report to remove her from the screen. "Wow, that girl is cool," Kira Yarmysh, spokeswoman for jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny, wrote on Twitter. She posted a video of the incident, which quickly racked up more than 2.6 million views. A man looks at a computer screen watching a dissenting Russian Channel One employee entering Ostankino on-air TV studio during Russia's most-watched evening news broadcast, holding up a poster which reads as "No War" and condemning Moscow's military action in Ukraine in Moscow on March 14, 2022 . - As a news anchor Yekaterina Andreyeva launched into an item about relations with Belarus, Marina Ovsyannikova, who wore a dark formal suit, burst into view, holding up a hand-written poster saying "No War" in English. (Photo by AFP) (Photo by -/AFP via Getty Images) State TV is the main source of news for many millions of Russians, and closely follows the Kremlin line that Russia was forced to act in Ukraine to demilitarise and "denazify" the country, and to defend Russian-speakers there against "genocide". Ukraine and most of the world have condemned that as a false pretext for an invasion of a democratic country. The woman was named by OVD-Info, an independent protest-monitoring group, and by the head of the Agora human rights group, as Marina Ovsyannikova, an employee of the channel. Pavel Chikov, head of Agora, said she had been arrested and taken to a Moscow police station. Tass news agency said she may face charges under a law against discrediting the armed forces, citing a law enforcement source. The law, passed on March 4, makes public actions aimed at discrediting Russia's army illegal and bans the spread of fake news or the "public dissemination of deliberately false information about the use of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation". The offence carries a jail term of up to 15 years. In a video recorded before the incident and posted online, a woman who appeared to be Ovsyannikova described herself as a Channel One employee and said she was ashamed to have worked for years spreading Kremlin propaganda. She said her father was Ukrainian, and her mother Russian. "What is happening now in Ukraine is a crime, and Russia is the aggressor country. The responsibility for that aggression lies on the conscience of only one man, and that man is Vladimir Putin," she said. "Now the whole world has turned away from us and the next 10 generations of our descendants will not wash away the shame of this fratricidal war," she said. She urged Russians to go out and demonstrate. Authorities have broken up anti-war protests. According to OVD-Info, which monitors protests and provides legal assistance to those detained, a total of 14,911 people have been arrested. Dominic West says it was very daunting joining the cast of Downton Abbey and that his first experiences on the set were surreal. The actor is set to star in the upcoming film Downton Abbey: A New Era, alongside series stalwarts Dame Maggie Smith, Hugh Bonneville and Michelle Dockery. West described his entrance into the Downton family during a new weekly re-watch podcast, Downton Abbey: The Official Podcast. The actor is set to star in the upcoming film Downton Abbey: A New Era, alongside series stalwarts Dame Maggie Smith and Hugh Bonneville (PA Wire) The podcast, hosted by Jacqueline Coley and Anita Rani, features exclusive interviews and behind-the-scenes access to the cast production teams. Speaking on the podcast, West said: Its very daunting coming onto a show thats been going for so long that is such a big phenomenon and such a big success. Id never been to Highclere (castle) beforeyou go up the drive and you come over the brow of the hill and there it is. Its like some Disney castle and you cant quite believe that its real. Its such an extraordinary outline against, against the horizon andso that was the first sort of intake of breath. On meeting his castmates, he added: I had a whole day or two, even with Maggie Smith. I was sitting next to her at that famous dining table. Im chatting away to hershes the funniest woman alive and also the sort of cattiest. It was funny sitting there talking to her, it was brilliant and all the casts sat down and you could see theyd been doing this for however long. West said that eating scenes in the series were difficult to film due to the heat and need to shoot individual characters, but added that he had been like a kid in a candy shop throughout the process. The film sees the return of Downton Abbey stalwarts Hugh Bonneville and Michelle Dockery (Ben Blackall/Universal/PA) Downton Abbey: A New Era is the highly anticipated cinematic return of the global period drama phenomenon which follows the lives of the aristocratic Crawley family and their servants. The film, written by Julian Fellowes, takes the familiar faces to the South of France to uncover the mystery of the Dowager Countesss newly inherited villa as they try to escape a film crew at Downton. It is due to hit UK cinemas from 29 April 2022. Downton Abbey: The Official Podcast will be available on all major podcast networks from March 15. The spokesman for the parents of teenage motorcyclist Harry Dunn has said his family will take in as many people as we can after signing up to help people fleeing the war in Ukraine. Radd Seiger, whose grandmother was born in the countrys capital, Kyiv, said he will be contacting refugee charities to open up his home in south Northamptonshire to a family. He said: Ive been trying to think of ways over the last few weeks of how I can personally help. Ive thought about travelling to Poland or Ukraine to help but it seems the best way I can help is to take in a Ukrainian family to offer them some respite from the trauma they have been suffering. Well take in as many people as we possibly can. Mr Seiger, a retired lawyer, has spent the last two-and-a-half years representing the family of Mr Dunn, who was killed when his motorbike crashed into a car outside US military base RAF Croughton on October 27 2019. The driver, American Anne Sacoolas, 44, had diplomatic immunity asserted on her behalf following the crash and was able to leave the country, sparking an international controversy. Asked about his personal ties to Ukraine, Mr Seiger told the PA news agency: My grandmother was born in Kyiv and left, as so many millions did in those days, to the United States in search of a better life. I inevitably feel close to these people and I cant just sit here and watch them suffer. I wouldnt say its the reason Im doing this, but obviously I feel compelled to help. Giving a message to anyone thinking of taking in a Ukrainian family, Mr Seiger added: I appreciate that many people are not in a position to do so, but I would encourage anyone who is in a position to do so to take that leap of faith. Theres going to be an exodus and it will only increase as time goes on. We cant turn a blind eye to that. People should do the right thing and welcome them in with open arms. Ireland will take 500 Ukrainian refugees who are currently in Moldova, the countrys premier has confirmed. Micheal Martin, who is in Washington for the St Patricks Day celebrations, said: We have just had a cabinet meeting by videolink, mainly on the Ukrainian war and the crisis that is unfolding, the humanitarian crisis. We confirmed the support scheme that was agreed earlier in the week in respect of the support for truckers and the haulage industry in light of the exceptional pressures that they are under. The Cabinet also decided to accept 500 Ukrainian refugees who have fled into Moldova, given the enormous pressure Moldova is under at the moment. We will be taking those refugees in towards the end of this week and that is in addition to those that have come in already. Hosting a meeting of the Cabinet from Washington DC this morning as Government discusses our latest response to the situation in #Ukraine pic.twitter.com/tqAI74VY7n Micheal Martin (@MichealMartinTD) March 15, 2022 Mr Martin, who will meet US president Joe Biden this week as part of the traditional St Patricks Day ceremony at the White House, said that about 6,646 Ukrainian refugees have now come into Ireland. He also said the EU had agreed further sanctions against Russia. He said: Thousands of units of accommodation have been secured by the Department of Children and they are continuing to secure additional accommodation. They are looking beyond that at the pledges which have been received and they will commence with those properties that are empty with a view to making sure that we can accommodate those who will continue to come into the country. He added: There is a range of European Union meetings happening over coming days. At todays #Eurogroup we took stock of the economic impact of the war in Ukraine, agreed a statement on budgetary coordination for 2022 and 2023 and discussed further progress on #BankingUnion My remarks at the press conference: https://t.co/eAeYhX9FOt pic.twitter.com/1T38AKXIip Paschal Donohoe (@Paschald) March 14, 2022 The European Union have announced further sanctions this morning particularly in terms of iron and steel, listing further individuals, getting rid of the most favoured nation status that Russia enjoyed at the WTO, so the benefits derived from the WTO would be denied Russia, and a number of other measures as well and further sanctions would be kept under constant review. We again call on Russia to end the war, it is an appalling tragedy unfolding, it is an appalling immoral attack on the people of Ukraine which has shocked the world in terms of its human toll, and it is absolutely vital that Russia would cease all hostilities. Earlier, the Irish Minister for Finance said the sanctions were having an impact on Russia. The measures that have been brought in are, in effect, undermining or may indeed stop the ability of the Russian economy to fund this murderous war, Paschal Donohoe said. And to see what has happened with the value of the rouble, that their stock markets are no longer functioning and that the central bank is now not able to access foreign exchange reserves and needs to convert the rouble, it is a sign that what is in place at the moment has already had a huge effect, combined with the decisions that private sector companies all over the world are now making. Kyiv has been attacked yesterday morning. Residences of hundreds of citizens were destroyed by the hostile missiles. #StopPutin pic.twitter.com/t5IlF5sHFL Larysa Gerasko (@GeraskoLarysa) March 15, 2022 Mr Donohoe also said that the Government is not considering any further measures to mitigate against the rising cost of living and energy costs and warned that the Government is not able to insulate the economy and businesses from higher costs. We will keep all of this under very active review. At the moment, and up to the budget which I will do in October, I and the Government have no further plans to add to what we have just done, he added. The reason for that is were still about to implement the measures that we have just agreed to. So the excise reduction last week between nine and 13 euros per tank of diesel and petrol, that has been implemented. For many that has been offset by the increase in the price of fuel that has happened since then. Today, Ireland, with over 50 fellow Member States & the EU, launched a joint statement condemning #Russia's aggression against #Ukraine. We reaffirm our full support for the Ukrainian people, in particular women & girls affected!#StandWithUkraine#CSW66 pic.twitter.com/Y1xk5ax2cE Ireland at UN (@irishmissionun) March 15, 2022 But the 125 euro payments that have been made to those who need additional support with the cost of fuel has just now been made to over 300,000 homes. The 200 euro credit that will appear in your energy bill is yet to be implemented, but will be implemented soon. The measures that we have put in place we believe are a strong response back to the difficulty that many are facing, but I want to underline that given the challenge that is under way, we will not be able to insulate either economy, businesses or even ourselves from this entire cost. Meanwhile Ukrainian ambassador to Ireland Larysa Gerasko said the Ukrainians who have arrived in Ireland are grateful for the warm welcome. I met many of our Ukrainians, some of them came to the consulate, she added. Our people, of course, they are frustrated, many of them came from the cities that are under shelling and firing. They got accommodation, PPS number, first aid. They have, of course, a lot of question on how to get education, how to register their kid to go school or kindergarten, how would you arrange to see a GP. Its everyday things but its very difficult for them, especially (for those) who havent any relatives or friends here to understand how this system in foreign countries work. Many of them dont speak English. So its also a problem but many people from the Ukrainian community here help our newcomers with the translation and many, many other things. She said that while it is difficult to predict the number of refugees who will seek help in Ireland, she estimates it to be about 80,000 people. She said that Ukrainians have been made aware that Ireland has waived its visa requirements. But many Ukrainians and even my friends, they dont know that they dont need a visa to get to Ireland, Ms Gerasko added. So we will make an information campaign again in Ukrainian mass media. Of course Im sure that many thousands will arrive. Mairead McGuinness, the Irish European Commissioner, said on Tuesday that sanctions were working against Russia. She said: I think perhaps we have overlooked their impact, because the Russian economy is in freefall. It is not because we want to hurt Russian citizens, it is because we want to hurt the war machine. And we are doing that and it is very effective. Ms McGuinness refused to be drawn on what actions the EU might take if a Russian strike was to hit the territory of a member state. The potential for the conflict in Ukraine to trigger a wider clash was underlined over the weekend with a strike close to the border with Poland. If there is a further escalation, what do we do? And the truth of all this is, while we hope there wont be, we have to remain flexible and agile, she said. We dont have a European army. We dont have that capacity. And I dont think we want to fight a war. We want to stop a war at all possible costs. She told RTE radio: We hope that some of the peace talks which are happening will yield results. Because frankly, this scenario that we are facing as citizens of Europe is quite concerning. In an interview with RTE News on Tuesday , the Taoiseach echoed her. He said world leaders were doing everything possible to defend Ukraine, while also trying to avoid a dangerous escalation with a nuclear power. Mr Martin said the EU, the US and other western powers were acting within the limits of being anxious not to provoke a third world war. So there are real limits to the degree of intervention the US and others can undertake here. But up to those limits, everything possible is being done, Mr Martin said. The Government is completely all over the place on the future of fracking and has ignored companies who want to carry out hydraulic fracturing, ministers have been told. Shadow climate change secretary Ed Miliband made the claim as MPs tried to smoke out the official position on the future of fracking in the UK. Conservative MP Lee Anderson (Ashfield) also urged the Government to be clear on whether energy firm Cuadrilla still needs to carry out the abandonment process of their wells in Lancashire, which at the moment are set to be concreted over. Business minister Greg Hands stressed that any future fracking sites needed to have the support of local communities. Asking an urgent question as households across the UK face rising energy costs, Mr Anderson said: This House was assured last week that both the Business Department and Number 10 agree that these wells should not be filled. However, Government rhetoric is not being matched by action on the ground, and Cuadrilla, the company that owns the wells have spent the last six days trying to get hold of anyone at BEIS (Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy) or the Oil and Gas Authority (OGA) to receive confirmation that they no longer need to carry out this abandonment process. But they are being ignored. Officials are dragging their heels and now with just days to go, Cuadrilla are still legally obliged to plug the wells by June 30 and the OGA keeps confirming this. He added: Either the Government thinks these wells should be filled or it doesnt. Concrete or not to concrete is the question. Frack or not to frack. If we dont want to see concrete being poured down our only viable shale gas wells in the middle of an energy crisis, the Business Secretary needs to act quickly. Business minister Greg Hands replied: In response to Putins barbaric acts in Ukraine and against the Ukrainian people, we need to keep all of our energy options open. We have always been clear that the development of shale gas in the UK must be safe and cause minimal disruption and damage to those living and working nearby sites. He added: This is not a new position. Shale gas and new approaches could be part of our future energy mix but we need to be led by the science and have the support of local communities, and that was in our general election manifesto, which he and I stood on at the last election. Mr Hands also said: I can tell him (Lee Anderson) that the Oil and Gas Authority, the independent regulator, has proactively approached Cuadrilla as recently as this week to ask if Cuadrilla will apply for an extension. However, Cuadrilla hasnt made a straightforward application to do so. As with any licensee, if Cuadrilla want to extend this deadline, they can apply for a straightforward extension from the Oil and Gas Authority. For Labour, Mr Miliband welcomed the question on fracking and said Ashfield MP Mr Anderson was right to try and smoke out the Governments position, adding: Its no wonder hes confused, but hell still remain confused I think after the ministers replies today They are completely all over the place on this. He added: This does matter, its about our energy security, its about communities deeply worried about the impact of fracking and about the climate crisis. Elsewhere in the debate, Conservative MP for Blackpool North and Cleveleys MP Paul Maynard told MPs: We have eight out of the 10 most deprived neighbourhoods in the country, all of who are deeply, deeply fearful of higher costs of energy. Does he not agree that this debate about fracking is a complete distraction from the task at hand of find speedy, effective and efficient measures to reduce energy costs in the short run, not a further long term gamble on unproven technology that is many, many years away from delivering anything meaningful to my constituents? Join Edith Salas of Salas Properties & host Jenn Barlow as they visit the Coronado Shores community. The towers have amazing views including the world famous Hotel del Coronado, downtown San Diego, San Diego Bay, the City of Coronado, Point Loma, and the Pacific Ocean. Scotlands First Minister on Tuesday is set to outline if coronavirus restrictions are to be eased further as the countrys top doctor urged caution. It comes hours after the Scottish Government reluctantly agreed to lift all international travel restrictions for Scotland this week at a four-nation meeting on Monday. Nicola Sturgeon announced last month that the requirement to wear face coverings on public transport and in certain public places would be converted to guidance as of March 21 assuming no significant adverse developments in the course of the virus. The First Minister also said there could be an easing on the requirements for businesses to log customer details, along with an end to the legal requirement for business to have regard for government guidance on coronavirus. But recent weeks have seen a spike in cases and the highest number of hospitalisations for more than a year. Today, 13,220 more people have tested positive for #coronavirus 1,663 people were in hospital yesterday which is 27 more than the day before. Sadly 22 more people who tested positive have died (10,969 in total) Latest update https://t.co/bZPbrCoQux pic.twitter.com/BKrJrW9r3l Scottish Government (@scotgov) March 11, 2022 Since the announcement made by the First Minister on February 22, daily case numbers have more than doubled from 6,427 to 13,220 on Friday although the figure rose sharply after officials began counting reinfections in daily figures on March 1. The number of people in hospital with Covid-19 also rose from 1,060 to 1,663 during the same period. Speaking on the BBCs Good Morning Scotland programme on Monday, chief medical officer Professor Sir Gregor Smith said ministers would be advised to take a cautious approach when the cabinet met on Tuesday morning ahead of an afternoon statement from the First Minister. I think that a cautious approach, at this point in time, is probably the right approach, and were already seeing the public adopting those additional protections, he said. But the chief medical officer said there were some hopeful signs hospital admissions could have begun to kind of top out just a little bit over the course of the latter end of last week. The Scottish Tories urged the First Minister to stick to the original time scale despite the increasing case numbers. The First Minister must not use the rise in infection rates as an excuse to kick the can further down the road. The last remaining Covid restrictions must end, as planned, next Monday, said Dr Sandesh Gulhane, the partys health spokesman. Of course, we must all remain vigilant and use common sense because Covid has not gone away but the First Minister accepted last month that we have to learn to live with it. Scottish Labour deputy leader, Jackie Baillie, said the Scottish Government should continue to support Test and Protect the contact tracing regime and ensure that testing remains free after the UK Government said it would scale it back from April 1. The continued progress towards some form of normality is to be welcomed after Scotland being under restrictions for so long, Ms Baillie added. But while this progress is welcome, it is clear that we are not out of the woods yet. Lib Dem leader, Alex Cole-Hamilton, pushed the Scottish Government to lay out a clear plan of action, that included a public information campaign to ensure Scots report positive test results, as well as the scrapping of the vaccine passport scheme and roll out air filters to every classroom in Scotland. Earlier, the Scottish Government said it was concerned about a lack of border control measures after it reluctantly agreed to align on a four-nation basis to scrap international travel rules this week. From 4am on Friday, fully vaccinated travellers will no longer be required to complete passenger locator forms under the change. Non-vaccinated travellers will cease having to take pre-departure and day two PCR tests, or complete locator forms. The changes will only apply to incoming travellers, and passengers should continue to check gov.uk for the latest information on requirements in other countries when travelling abroad. Scotlands Transport Secretary Michael Matheson said that despite the Scottish Governments reservations, the changes will significantly open up international travel. New laws to tackle dirty money in the UK have been fast-tracked through Parliament in a bid to target Russian oligarchs over the Ukraine invasion. Royal assent was granted for the Economic Crime (Transparency and Enforcement) Act as the Houses of Parliament sat beyond midnight to ensure the measures became law. The UK Government is now expected to announce further sanctions in response to Russias aggression against Ukraine. The legislation is set to establish a new register of overseas entities requiring foreign owners of property in the UK to declare their true identity. Squatters occupying a mansion belonging to Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska in Belgrave Square, central London (Jonathan Brady/PA) The register would need to be updated each year and punishments for failing to declare details, or submitting false information, would result in the asset being frozen and it cannot be sold or rented out. The passage of the Act through Parliament was aided by several concessions by ministers in the Lords, including the Government agreeing to a call by opposition parties to scrap exemptions from a foreign ownership of property register aimed at combatting the laundering of illicit cash. Ministers also committed to the rapid implementation of measures in the Act and to give an update to Parliament on progress within six weeks. The administration promised to bring forward further legislation to tackle economic crime early in the next parliamentary session and carefully consider amendments put forward. The Act went through the Lords without a vote despite concerns over the length of time being given to comply with the new register, requiring foreign owners of property in the UK to declare their true identity. The Government had reduced the grace period from 18 months to six, but critics had argued this was still too long and pressed for it to be cut further. However, business minister Lord Callanan argued curbing the transition period risked opening up the register to legal challenge and instead proposed a new disclosure requirement to prevent asset-flight ahead of the new rules being brought in. This would force any overseas entity disposing of any property from February 28 this year to provide information about its beneficial ownership. Lord Callanan said: Crucially, it addresses the concerns that corrupt people must not be allowed to sell up and escape transparency this register would bring. Its my submission this would be more effective than any further reduction in the transition period, which risks opening up the provisions of the register to legal challenge. Scottish ministers have renewed calls for the need for Ukrainians to require visas to be waived as the country prepares to welcome thousands fleeing conflict. The UK Government launched the sponsorship scheme Homes for Ukraine to allow people and organisations to give displaced Ukrainians a place to stay on Monday afternoon. Those offering a place to stay will receive a tax-free monthly payment of 350 which will not affect benefit entitlements or council tax status. At the weekend, Nicola Sturgeon and Mark Drakeford announced Scotland and Wales were willing to become super sponsors for refugees, to which Communities Secretary Michael Gove said we are doing everything we can in order to facilitate that. But in response to the scheme, the Scottish governments Minister for Refugees from Ukraine Neil Gray renewed calls for the UK Government to waive all visa requirements for Ukrainian nationals, and put people, not processes, first. He said there was concern that the sponsorship scheme would be slow and cumbersome and lack proper support and safeguarding. By acting as super sponsor rather than waiting for the UK governments matching process, we can provide safety and sanctuary to people immediately and welcome significant numbers of refugees from Ukraine to Scotland, he said. Mr Gray said this would include providing temporary accommodation and wraparound support while longer-term arrangements are put in place. He added: Whilst noting that the Secretary of State for Levelling Up Michael Gove has said that the UK Government will do everything it can to facilitate our offer, we await the UK Governments detailed response to our proposals. We are keen to support people now, so will be pressing the UK Government for detail that did not emerge today. Speaking about the scheme, SNP home affairs spokesperson Stuart McDonald said: We will do whatever we can to support this initiative. But we do very much regret that it is only phase one today, things are still not going fast enough. He called for the Government to stop asking Ukrainians to apply for visas altogether. He asked if the 350 a month will be available to sponsors such as community groups as well as individuals, and pushed for Scottish and Welsh governments to operate as super sponsors. Earlier, Mr Gray said he expected Scotland will be able to provide accommodation for at least 3,000 Ukrainian refugees, and there was no limit on the number that would be given sanctuary. NEW YORK (AP) Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan is planning trips to Iowa and New Hampshire. Rep. Adam Kinzinger, R-Ill., is considering a rough timeline for a potential presidential announcement. And allies of Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., are openly talking up her White House prospects. More than two years before the next presidential election, a shadow primary is already beginning to take shape among at least three fierce Republican critics of former President Donald Trump to determine who is best positioned to occupy the anti-Trump lane in 2024. Their apparent willingness to run even if Trump does, as is widely expected represents a shift from previous years when Never Trump operatives failed to recruit any GOP officeholders to challenge the incumbent president. But with the 2024 contest almost in view, the question is no longer whether one of Trumps prominent Republican critics will run, but how many will mount a campaign and how soon they will announce. Those close to Cheney, Hogan and Kinzinger expect one of them, if not more, to launch a presidential bid after the 2022 midterms. While all three are nationally known to some degree, their goal would not necessarily be to win the presidency. Above all, they want to hinder Trump's return to the White House, at least compared with 2020, when his allies cleared the field of any Republican opponents and persuaded some states to cancel primary contests altogether. Its there as an option, but its not necessarily because this is all some big plan so I can be in the White House, Kinzinger told The Associated Press when asked about his timeline for deciding on a presidential run. Its looking and saying, Is there going to be a voice out there that can represent from that megaphone the importance of defending this country and democracy and what America is about? There certainly, Im sure within the next year or so, will be a point at which you have to make a decision. Rep. Liz Cheney is a fierce Republican critic of former President Donald Trump. (AP) If its not me doing anything, certainly well be all in for whoever can represent us, Kinzinger said. Republican primary voters are expected to have other options. Several former Trump loyalists who have emerged as on-again, off-again Trump critics are also eyeing the GOP's next presidential nomination. Among them: former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, former Vice President Mike Pence, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley. But most in this group have offered Trump far more praise than criticism, leaving the likes of Cheney, Hogan and Kinzinger as the only consistent Trump antagonists in the 2024 conversation. The range of prospects suggests an openness within the GOP to move past Trump and his divisive politics, even as many Republican voters suggest they would like to see him run a third time. About 7 in 10 Republicans said the former president should run for president again in 2024, according to a CBS poll last month. Among the most common reasons they cited: Hes the best Republican candidate and has the best chance of winning. Lest anyone question his intentions, Trump told thousands of supporters Saturday night in South Carolina, We may have to run again. He remains the most popular figure among Republican voters and plans to use the upcoming midterms to keep bending the party in his direction. He was in South Carolina, for instance, to support GOP rivals to two incumbent members of Congress who have crossed him. But those close to Cheney, Hogan and Kinzinger insist a significant number of less vocal Republican voters are eager to move past Trump, especially after he inspired the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. After all, 10 Republican representatives voted to impeach Trump and seven Republican senators subsequently voted to convict him. There is a large and growing lane of Republicans and Americans across the political spectrum who are fed up with toxic politics and want to move in a new direction, Hogan told the AP. While Im focused on finishing my term as governor strong, Im going to continue to stand up and be a voice for getting our party and our country back on the right track. For now, Cheney, Hogan and Kinzinger remain friendly and in semi-regular contact. Rep. Adam Kinzinger is considering a rough timeline for a potential presidential announcement. (AP) The 65-year-old, term-limited Hogan will leave office at the end of the year. He already decided against a 2022 Senate campaign, rebuffing an aggressive lobbying effort from Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell. He said he saw himself as an executive more than a legislator. Kinzinger, among 10 Republican House members who voted to impeach Trump, chose not to seek reelection after his district was redrawn in the Democrats' favor. Only Cheney, who also voted to impeach, is running to retain her seat in this falls midterms, although she is no lock to win her primary election in August. Trump is pushing hard for Cheney's defeat. And while her allies indicate she is focused on her reelection, it's an open secret that she is seriously considering a presidential run once the 2022 race is decided. By some measures, the 55-year-old daughter of former Vice President Dick Cheney has the strongest national profile. Cheney is building a national fundraising network, as demonstrated by a $7.1 million fundraising haul in 2021, among the most in the nation for any House member. Wyoming state Rep. Landon Brown, a Cheney ally, said this network will allow her to compete on a national scale. Of a Cheney presidential run, he said, I dont see any reason it wouldnt happen. Shes opened up the door across the country by standing up on a national platform that bridges that middle gap of the people that were frustrated on both the left and the right, Brown said. I dont think it would be easy, but she would be a formidable candidate, for sure. Cheney has encouraged 2024 speculation by delivering prominent speeches about the future of the Republican Party in recent months, including a November address in New Hampshire, which typically hosts the first presidential primary election. Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan is planning trips to Iowa and New Hampshire. (AP) Meanwhile, both Hogan and Kinzinger are building political organizations that could serve as vehicles to promote their presidential ambitions after they leave office early next year. Hogan's advocacy group, America United, has millions in the bank, according to an adviser. To strengthen his network, Hogan is planning to travel to Iowa and New Hampshire the first and second states on the traditional presidential primary calendar to stump for local candidates in coming months. Hogan is working to help Trump's loudest Republican critics in other states as well. Hogan had lunch last week with Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey, who has refused to embrace Trump's lies about the 2020 election. Hogan also plans to host events for Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, and Rep. David Valadao, R-Calif. He voted to impeach Trump for inspiring the Jan. 6 insurrection while Murkowski voted for Trump's conviction. Kinzinger's outside group, Country First, now claims chapters in 38 states and a growing fundraising base. The 44-year-old Illinois congressman, a lieutenant colonel in the Air National Guard, plans to spend much of the year working to defeat Republicans in the midterms who promote Trump's false claims of voter fraud. Last month, he announced a plan to encourage Democrats and independents to cast ballots in Republican primaries when possible to oust pro-Trump candidates. Kinzinger said he would even consider a 2024 run as an independent if that's the best way to stop Trump, although he prefers to stay a Republican. This country is built really for two parties, like it or love it or hate it," he told the AP. "Never rule anything out. But my hope would be to be able to find the salvation of the GOP. Boris Johnson will press Saudi Arabia to condemn Russias invasion of Ukraine during a visit to the kingdom for talks over oil and gas, a Foreign Office minister has said. The Prime Minister is due to travel to Saudi to meet Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in the hope the Gulf state can increase its production of fuel supplies to make up for reduced reliance on Russia. But James Cleverly said he does not know whether the country has yet condemned Moscows invasion of Ukraine. Saudi Arabias Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is to hold talks with Prime Minister Boris Johnson (Victoria Jones/PA) The minister told ITVs Good Morning Britain that they voted in the same way as us at the United Nations General Assembly but he has been very much concentrating, obviously, on the situation in Ukraine so is not aware of the kingdoms position. He said it will be something Mr Johnson brings up when he visits. Mr Cleverly also suggested the need to move away from a reliance on Russia means the Prime Minister has to hold the talks despite concerns over human rights abuses and the use of the death penalty. The UKs position on the death penalty is long-standing and principled we oppose the death penalty on principle, we have communicated that to Saudi Arabia, he told Times Radio. I had conversations along these lines when I was the minister for the Middle East and North Africa in the Foreign Office, we communicate that with all countries that have the death penalty. Ultimately, of course, our situation with regard to energy generation is that the Prime Minister is right to seek alternatives so that we do not have to rely on Russian oil and gas and we choke off the finances which are currently being used to wage war against Ukraine. Its absolutely the right thing to do. Mr Cleverly said the UK is also urging China to condemn Russian President Vladimir Putins actions. US officials have said they have determined that China has signalled to Russia that it would be willing to provide both military support for the campaign in Ukraine and financial backing to help stave off the impact of severe sanctions imposed by the West. Mr Cleverly told Sky News: What were saying to all countries is that they should denounce this unprovoked illegal attack into Ukraine by Russia. They should not in any way be supporting Russia, and we urge countries to join the UK and the international community in condemning and sanctioning Russia to choke off the finances which are funding Putins war effort. There is no justification at all for this attack, and we urge China and all countries around the world to denounce it and absolutely not to support it. Mr Cleverly said the UK has not had any statements from China denouncing the invasion. Foreign Office minister James Cleverly said the UK has not had any statements from China denouncing Russias invasion of Ukraine (Stefan Rousseau/PA) Shadow levelling up secretary Lisa Nandy said that if China wants to be a global player, it needs to play its part in making the world safer. It needs to stand up to Russian aggression, she told Sky News. Ahead of his visit to Saudi Arabia, in an article for the Daily Telegraph, Mr Johnson said Western leaders had made a terrible mistake by letting Mr Putin get away with annexing Crimea in 2014 and subsequently becoming more dependent on Russian power sources. He said the addiction to Russian fuel had emboldened Mr Putin to bomb civilians during his invasion of Ukraine, while at the same time profiting from soaring global oil and gas prices. We cannot go on like this. The world cannot be subject to this continuous blackmail, said Mr Johnson, whose administration has already announced its plan to phase out importing Russian oil by the end of the year. As long as the West is economically dependent on Putin, he will do all he can to exploit that dependence. And that is why that dependence must and will now end. Good to meet with leaders from the oil and gas industry today which has an important part in producing the energy we need to move away from Russian hydrocarbons and transition to a more stable, sustainable and cleaner energy future. 1/2 pic.twitter.com/D9v467IOiw Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson) March 14, 2022 Stating that Russia produces virtually nothing else that the rest of the world wants to buy, Mr Johnson argued: If the world can end its dependence on Russian oil and gas, we can starve him of cash, destroy his strategy and cut him down to size. Offering a glimpse of what could be in his British Energy Security Strategy, which is due to be published this month, he said there is a need to press ahead with investment in renewables, including expanding the number of UK offshore wind farms and creating more solar power. He also said there needs to be a series of big new bets on nuclear power to make sure the UKs energy supply is no longer at the mercy of bullies like Putin. A British man trying to get his young daughter and ex-partner out of Moldova after they fled Ukraine has said the visa process is absolutely diabolical. The two-year-old daughter and ex-partner of Sam Croucher left the war-torn country on February 25 and he managed to get them booked into a hotel in Moldova, where they have remained for almost three weeks. Mr Croucher, who has been trying to organise visas, told Sky News: [The process] has just been absolutely diabolical. (PA Graphics) The Government has been doing a lot of talking but no action, quite frankly. Mr Croucher, who is based in Southampton, added that the communication has been terrible, the people on the phone are not very helpful at all. He said he spoke to someone on the phone who repeatedly confused Moldova with Dover in Kent. That doesnt give you much confidence in the system, he said. The Ukraine Family Scheme allows the family members of those settled in the UK and British nationals to seek refuge in the UK, so long as they pass security checks. Family members include children who are under 18 and parents of children under 18. Mr Croucher had said he is still waiting for his daughters UK passport, despite her meeting all the criteria, so he is unsure why the process is taking so long. Ukrainian refugees load their belongings onto a bus before it departs from the Centre Europeen de Sejours in Calais (Aaron Chown/PA) He has tried calling the Home Office, visa centres and Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office but has been met with automated messages or told someone will get back to him and they do not. You can see the Ukrainians digging ditches and filling sandbags and were over here struggling with paperwork and bureaucracy. Quite frankly. I feel ashamed to be British right now, he said. He added that his family are safe but feel massively frustrated and let down by the UK Government, as am I. A Government spokesperson said: We have expanded our Visa Application Capacity deployed additional staff across the EU, with a 24/7 helpline in place to ensure those who need appointments can get them to come here. This allows us to balance security risks while welcoming those in need. Detained British-Iranian mother Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe has had her passport returned and a British negotiating team is in Tehran, her MP has said. Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe has been detained in Iran since her arrest in 2016 on charges of plotting to overthrow the government allegations she has always denied. A 400 million debt relating to a cancelled order for 1,500 Chieftain tanks dating back to the 1970s had been linked to the continued detention of Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe and other UK-Iranian dual nationals held in the country. On Tuesday, Hampstead and Kilburn MP Tulip Siddiq tweeted: I am very pleased to say that Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe has been given her British passport back. She is still at her family home in Tehran. I also understand that there is a British negotiating team in Tehran right now. I will keep posting updates as I get them. According to her employer, the Thomson Reuters Foundation, her lawyer Hojjat Kermani, when asked whether Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe will be released, said: I am hopeful that we will have good news soon. I am very pleased to say that Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe has been given her British passport back. She is still at her family home in Tehran. I also understand that there is a British negotiating team in Tehran right now. I will keep posting updates as I get them.#FreeNazanin Tulip Siddiq (@TulipSiddiq) March 15, 2022 Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe was arrested in Iran as she prepared to fly back to the UK, having taken her daughter Gabriella then not even two years old to see relatives. She was accused of plotting to overthrow the Iranian government and sentenced to five years in jail, spending four years in Tehrans Evin Prison and one under house arrest. Her husband, Richard Ratcliffe, spent 21 days on hunger strike last year in London to draw attention to his wifes case. Richard Ratcliffe ended his hunger strike in central London outside the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (PA) In January, the daughter of another British-Iranian detained in Iran said her father was to begin a hunger strike due to a lack of progress in securing his release. Retired civil engineer Anoosheh Ashoori has been held at Evin Prison on charges of spying for Israel, which he denies, for more than four years. In a video posted in relation to the hunger strike, Elika Ashoori said she was at that time extremely concerned for her fathers health as he approaches his 68th birthday. In December, Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said the 400 million that Britain owes Iran is a legitimate debt that the Government wants to pay. Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe (Family handout/PA) Sacha Deshmukh, Amnesty International UKs chief executive, warned that the latest reports should be treated with caution as there had been false dawn after false dawn in the long-running process. He said: We sincerely hope these reports are correct. The detainees and their families have been suffering for years, and a resolution cant come quickly enough. Its been clear for a long time that the Iranian authorities have been targeting foreign nationals with spurious national security-related charges to exert diplomatic pressure. In the past weve had false dawn after false dawn over possible breakthroughs, so its only right to be cautious at the moment. Rupert Skilbeck, director of the Redress human rights organisation, also urged caution. He said: The latest indications coming from Iran are a positive sign, but there have been false dawns in Nazanins case before. So we remain cautious and continue to encourage the UK Government to do the right thing and ensure the debt it owes to Iran is paid, and that it does everything in its power to secure Nazanins release. In relation to the debt, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said: We continue to explore options to resolve this case and will not comment further as discussions are ongoing. On the cases of Britons detained, a Foreign Office spokesperson said: We have long called for the release of unfairly detained British nationals in Iran. We dont comment on speculation. Awkward! Clayton Echard introduced Rachel Recchia and Gabby Windey to his family during part one of the season 26 Bachelor finale on Monday, March 14, but no one was expecting it to lead to a shocking realization. Read article The former football player convinced Rachel and Gabby to stay after dropping the bombshell at the rose ceremony that he had been intimate with both of them. The women broke down in tears and stormed off but ultimately accepted roses from the leading man after Gabby tried to leave. ABC/Craig Sjodin Clayton later told his family about what happened with Susie Evans and how it impacted his relationships with Gabby and Rachel. Claytons dad told him that he messed up, while his mom couldnt get past the fact that the women left might just be consolation prizes. Clayton first introduced his family to Gabby, who tried to prove that she was still invested in her connection with him despite trying to leave during the rose ceremony. She emphasized that she wanted to be there and didnt think any less of Clayton because of the drama. His family thought they looked natural together, and Gabby gushed over making the right decision to stay. She added that she was more ready than ever to be with Clayton. Read article Rachel then met the Echards, raving that Clayton was perfect for her and she would accept a proposal from him. His family appreciated that Rachel didnt try to leave when things got tough and that she was confident in their relationship. However, even after both women met his loved ones, Clayton revealed that he could not choose between them if he had to. He ultimately confessed to his family that his heart was with Susie. As his family tried to convince him that Susie was done with him, Clayton insisted that he was the one who gave up on them. Jesse Palmer then informed him that Susie was still in Iceland so he could talk to her. The rose ceremony drama came after Clayton sent home Susie during the dinner portion of their fantasy suite date, which aired on Tuesday, March 8. The two got in an argument after he revealed that he had slept with Rachel and Gabby and told them he was falling in love with them. Susie considered both deal-breakers, and she was not willing to compromise on her beliefs, even after Clayton told her he was the most in love with her. Clayton divulged after the fantasy suites episode aired that all of his finalists told him to explore his relationships fully. I looked at it, like, if these women will stick around and watch me kiss other women in front of them which that would never be acceptable in the real world then these real-world boundaries are kind of set aside and theres a new playing field in this environment, he said during the Thursday, March 10, episode of Kaitlyn Bristowes Off the Vine podcast. If youre going to date 30 women, you owe it to them to compartmentalize the relationships and be with only them and think only about them when youre with them. And then when you go to the next woman, you give your all to them as well. Read article Clayton exclusively told Us Weekly at the Women Tell All taping that he was petrified by how things played out at the end of his season. I went in there hoping that I could make it as seamless as possible, he shared. And I think, honestly, it was the closest thing to a trainwreck. While the reality star admitted that he felt terrible about the mess, he insisted that he tried his best. I took the actions that I took thinking that they were the right actions to take at that time, he added. I since found out that, looking back at it, I should have asked more questions and made sure that all the women were on the same page. As for the ending, Clayton teased during his Off the Vine appearance: Nobody has the slightest clue of whats going to happen. Again, Im online a lot and Ill just say that I havent even seen one person get it right. Thats the way Ill tease it. Everyones making these judgments, and no one was even close to correctly pinning what happened. I would just tell people to reserve judgment until they see the full story and then I think people will understand why Ive done everything that Ive done. Part two of the Bachelor finale airs on ABC Tuesday, March 15, at 8 p.m. ET. Minnesota resident George Campbell handled the California funeral arrangements in 2021 for his parents, who died the same day at age 96, after 75 years of marriage. Barred from traveling by COVID-19 restrictions, he did the work by computer and phone. Complicated by difficulties with his parents' estate, obtaining the Federal Emergency Management Agency's $9,000 death benefit for coronavirus deaths took roughly three months. "It was a complicated process," said Campbell, 76, who is retired from a magazine journalism career writing about computers and consumer issues. "I remember thinking that a lot of people aren't going to be able to navigate this." Many don't even try. Eleven U.S. states had an application rate of 50% or higher for the FEMA benefit compared with their respective COVID-19 death totals as of mid-February, a USA TODAY analysis found. Minnesota resident George Campbell show the wedding photo of his parents, George and Lawanda Campbell, who died on the same day at age 96 in California after 75 years of marriage. Campbell overcame difficulties to obtain FEMA's funeral benefit for those who died of COVID-19. The average nationwide application rate was almost 48%, the data showed. North Carolina ranked the highest, at 63%, and Arizona came in the lowest at 27%. Why aren't Americans seeking a federal benefit aimed at providing financial relief at a time of deep emotional loss? "We know that we need to reach more people," said Jaclyn Rothenberg, FEMA's director of public affairs. The agency said in a statement that people over age 65 "typically have funeral/burial insurance or prepaid for their funeral." Potential applicants received death benefits from other sources, and some don't meet citizenship or other requirements for the benefit, FEMA said. Some people "do not want to reopen the emotional wound caused by the death by gathering required documentation and applying for assistance," FEMA said. Fifty-five percent of baby boomers, the generation born from 1946 to 1964, have life insurance, which often includes final expenses coverage, said Catherine Theroux, director of public relations for LIMRA, a not-for-profit trade association that provides research to hundreds of financial services companies. "That is the No. 1 reason people say they buy life insurance," she said. FEMA's estimate about life insurance coverage doesn't ring true to Frederick Allen, office manager for Monroe Mortuary Services, a Black-owned business in Polkton, North Carolina. In his experience, many African Americans don't have funeral insurance or prearranged funeral plans. Others cite a different reason for the low application rates general public unawareness about the funeral benefit despite an extensive publicity campaign by FEMA. "I think the No. 1 reason is people don't know about it," said Ed Michael Reggie, founder and chief executive officer of Funeralocity.com, an online company with comparison prices for every U.S. funeral home and crematory. "Some people are daunted" by the program, he said, citing the anticipation of red tape in the FEMA application process. Applicants endured long waits getting through to FEMA representatives when the program opened last year, but the agency has improved its performance, Reggie said. How it works Funded by federal appropriations enacted in 2021, the FEMA program pays for COVID-19 funeral-related costs incurred on or after Jan. 20, 2020, when the pandemic began ravaging the USA. Applicants who ran up funeral expenses for more than one COVID-19 death may receive up to $9,000 per deceased individual and a maximum of $35,500 per application. People who prepaid funeral expenses or had funeral insurance are not eligible. Applicants must have a death certificate that shows the death occurred in the USA, including American territories. If the death occurred between Jan. 20 and May 16, 2020, applications must include a signed statement from the original certifier or the medical examiner or coroner listing COVID-19 as a cause or contributing cause of death. Death certificates dated on or after May 17, 2020, must state that COVID-19 directly or indirectly caused the death. An applicant must be a U.S. citizen, a noncitizen national, such as a green-card holder, or a qualified immigrant who incurred the COVID-19 funeral expenses. Typical expenses eligible for the FEMA benefit include funeral services, casket or urn, burial, interment, burial plot or cremation niche, headstone or marker, clergy or officiant services, use of funeral home equipment or staff, costs of producing and certifying copies of death certificates and payments required by local or state ordinances. The U.S. median cost of a funeral with a viewing and burial in 2021 was roughly $7,848, according to data from the National Funeral Directors Association. The median cost of a funeral with cremation was approximately $6,971, the data showed. Electronic applications are not allowed. Applicants should contact FEMA by calling 844-684-6333, a toll-free number, Mondays to Fridays from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. EDT. FEMA representatives will assist with the application process and answer questions. FEMA will issue application numbers and mail letters that specify the documents needed to complete the applications. There's no deadline for applications, so people who racked up expenses for COVID-19 deaths earlier in the pandemic may still apply. That doesn't mean the process will be easy. Campbell said he saved funeral receipts for his parents, scanned them and uploaded them to a computer for easy access and transmittal. He encountered problems, both from his parents' estate and FEMA. One parent's bank account was named in trust documents, without the bank being notified. Clearing that up required a lot of paperwork and a court hearing, Campbell said. FEMA representatives were helpful, he said; however, they initially didn't understand that his father died from COVID-19, while his mother died of Alzheimer's disease. Campbell provided the required documentation. Allen, the Monroe Mortuary office administrator, said FEMA representatives twice said the agency had not received documents the company had faxed to the agency on behalf of clients who sought help with the applications. It took eight weeks or longer for the clients to receive the funds, he said. Campbell, asked to sum up the process, said, "Everybody seemed to be as efficient as any government agency can be." He suggested that FEMA should do more outreach to alert people about the benefit. "I don't remember seeing anything about it in the newspaper or on television," Campbell said. FEMA said the agency has translated web pages about the funeral benefit into 13 languages and one-page informational flyers into 29 languages. As of Feb. 13, FEMA's COVID-19 funeral assistance web pages had received nearly 6 million views, the agency said. A national outreach effort in communities with high numbers of COVID-19 deaths and lower than average application rates is planned this spring, FEMA said. The agency holds information sessions with African American, Latino and Asian-Pacific Islands communities, and a contractor will reach out to specific news organizations. "We need the media to help," Rothenberg said. That may not be enough, said Reggie, the Funeralocity CEO. "I don't know how they can get a megaphone and holler louder than everything else that's happening in the news," Reggie said. "That's what they may need." This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Federal funeral benefits for COVID-19 victims available but obscure The UK Government has announced a swathe of new sanctions against those close to the Kremlin, including politicians, oligarchs, propagandists, and companies. A total of more than 370 individuals and entities were hit on Tuesday, according to the Foreign Office, bringing the total number of sanctions listed to more than 1,000 since the invasion of Ukraine began. New rules brought in by the Economic Crime Act mean allow sanctions applied by allies to be quickly mirrored in the UK, before the Government later applies its own systems to the measures. Sanctions Update: After today we will have designated over 1,000 individuals and entities since Russias invasion. This includes over 370 new sanctions announced today possible thanks to the new Economic Crime Act. Putin must fail in Ukraine Liz Truss (@trussliz) March 15, 2022 Individuals facing sanctions will have their assets in the UK frozen meaning no UK citizen or company can do business with them and they are also banned from travelling to or from the UK. Here are some of those hit by the latest round of measures. Mickhail Fridman The founder of Russias largest private bank, Alfa Bank and shareholder in investment firm LetterOne, which owns the health store Holland and Barrett in the UK and energy assets across Europe. His net worth is reported as an estimated 11.9 billion. Mickhail Fridman is a shareholder in the firm that owns Holland and Barrett German Khan A business partner in both Alfa Bank and LetterOne. His net worth is reported as an estimated 7.8 billion. Petr Aven Former President of Alfa Bank and co-founder of LetterOne. His net worth is reported an estimated 4 billion. The Tate severed its tie with Mr Aven following the implementation of sanctions by the US and EU. Alexey Mordaschov Russias richest man, according to Forbes annual billionaires list. Mr Mordashovs net worth is reported as an estimated 22.4 billion. He is a majority shareholder in steel company Severstal and resigned from the supervisory board of tourism operator, Tui, after he was hit by EU sanctions. Andrey Melnichenko The founder of EuroChem Group. He has a reported estimated net worth of 13.7 billion. On Saturday, Italian police seized his 470-foot Sailing Yacht A at the northern port of Trieste. Viktor Vekselberg Aluminium baron and owner of the Russian conglomerate Renova Group. His net worth is reported at an estimated 6.8 billion. Alongside Mr Aven, the Tate has cut ties with the oligarch. Alexander Ponomarenko Chairman of the board of Sheremetyevo, the biggest airport in Russia. His estimated net worth is 2.22 billion. Dmitry Pumpyansky Owner and chairman of steel pipes manufacturer and supplier OAO TMK. His firm has been a supplier to state-owned energy company Gazprom since 1998, according to Forbes. His net worth is estimated at 1.84 billion. Vadim Moshkovich Former chairman of the board of directors of agro-industrial firm Rusagro who resigned last week after being hit by EU sanctions. His net worth is an estimated 1.84 billion. Dmitry Medvedev (Chris Ratcliffe/PA) Dmitry Medvedev Russian politician serving as deputy chairman of the Security Council of Russia since 2020. He was president between 2008 to 2012 and prime minister from 2012 to 2020. On March 1 he tweeted: Dont forget that in human history, economic wars quite often turned into real ones. Mikhail Mishustin A Russian politician and the current Prime Minister of Russia since January 2020. He was the head of the Federal Taxation Service from 2010-2020. He was formerly the President of the UFG Group (OFG Invest), one of Russias largest investment companies. Defence Secretary Ben Wallace with his Russian counterpart Sergei Shoigu during talks in Moscow last month (Tim Hammond/MoD Crown copyright/PA) Sergei Shoigu The General of the Army who also serves as Defence Minister. He met UK Defence Secretary Ben Wallace last month and assured him Russia was not going to invade Ukraine. He was previously appointed Governor of the Moscow Region. Dmitry Peskov Putins press secretary and a Kremlin spokesperson. He has suggested Russians ashamed of their countrys actions in Ukraine are not real Russians. Maria Zakharova Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson. Upon learning of the urgent appeal for immediate donations to help war displaced Ukrainian refugees, Coronados June Hicken so mobilized fellow congregants and friends to respond that within 72 hours their donations had packed a warehouse. And within 140 hours, the items were on a plane headed for Europe for ultimate distribution to Ukrainian refugees. WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell called on the White House on Tuesday to replace Sarah Bloom Raskin with a different nominee to become the Federal Reserve's top bank regulator. "President Biden's selection wildly wildly missed the mark. It's past time the White House admit their mistake and send us somebody suitable," McConnell said in a floor speech, noting that Raskin now faces bipartisan opposition. Her nomination, already stalled by Republican opposition in the evenly split Senate, was dealt a heavy blow on Monday after she lost the backing of Democratic Senator Joe Manchin. The White House is seeking Republican support to compensate for the loss of Manchin's vote. But two leading Senate Republican moderates, Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski, have signaled their opposition in a sign that Republican support may not be forthcoming. Manchin and Republican lawmakers have expressed concerns that Raskin would further a green energy policy at the Fed and distract the central bank from its customary focus on monetary policy at a time of high inflation. "Ms Raskin would have been a vice chair who sought to raise gas prices, raise home heating costs, and undermine the very institution of the Federal Reserve in the process. It's not surprising there's bipartisan Senate opposition," McConnell said. (Reporting by David Morgan and Katharine Jackson; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama and Andrea Ricci) Nearly 89,000 households have now signed up to provide a home for Ukrainian refugees as a Government minister said he was actually quite proud the website allowing Britons to put themselves forward had crashed within the first few minutes of going live. Some 88,712 households had registered for the Homes for Ukraine scheme by Tuesday morning, the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities said, as the Prime Minister aimed to match the efforts at home with foreign action. Boris Johnson is set to travel to Saudi Arabia on Tuesday in a bid to further wean the UK off Russian oil and gas. Before that, he will host visiting leaders of the Joint Expeditionary Force at Lancaster House, and the leaders of Finland and Sweden. Further sanctions against those connected to Vladimir Putin are also expected to be announced. As further attacks were reported in Ukraine, Foreign Office minister James Cleverly praised the British public for their efforts to support the country. He said he was glad the website crashed, because it is a reflection of that generosity of the British people after households rushed to sign up for the Homes for Ukraine scheme launched on Monday. The irony of this is Im actually quite proud that the system struggled, Mr Cleverly told LBC. We built it quickly. We could have, yes we could have spent more time stress-testing this website and delayed it a couple of days before launching. But, frankly, Im glad we moved quickly on this and were moving quickly to ensure were able to help the Ukrainian refugees. Screengrab from the UK Government website showing the scheme (UK Government/PA) He added: I know this is a weird thing to say as a Government minister Im glad the website crashed, because it is a reflection of that generosity of the British people. The scheme, launched by Communities Secretary Michael Gove, will allow Britons to host refugees for a minimum of six months in exchange for a 350 thank you payment. But already the programme has come under criticism as currently, households need to have a named refugee in order to take part, rather than being matched with those in need by the Government. However, Mr Cleverly said the latter process would hold up getting refugees the help they needed. He told BBC Radio 4s Today programme: There are charities, faith groups, who are already in contact with people in Ukraine, people that need help and support. So, actually, rather than introduce a potentially slow and bureaucratic process, where people have already got connections and there are a huge number of people and organisations that have already got connections with Ukrainians rather than replicate, duplicate and slow that down, we want to be as agile and as quick as possible. Thats why were saying that, you know, weve got organisations which are already in contact with Ukrainians. Weve now set up this site so British people can register their willingness to help and support. And, actually, what were looking to do is connect those both ends of that system together and do so in a way thats quick and efficient. Asked whether he will be taking part in the scheme, he told LBC: I have genuinely considered this. Ive discussed this with my wife. I dont know whether our personal circumstances will allow us to do this right at the moment. As you know, Nick, my wife, shes going through medical treatment at the moment, but its absolutely something that Im considering. It comes as two more British-based companies have said they will pull out of Russia due to heavy sanctions. Tobacco giant Imperial Brands has announced it has started negotiations to sell its Russian business as it plans to exit the country, where it employs 1,000 people in sales and marketing, and at a factory. UK-based car dealership business Inchcape has also said it will leave Russia because operating in the country is no longer tenable. (PA Graphics) Meanwhile, attacks were reported to continue across Ukraine, including in the capital Kyiv. Mr Cleverly told BBC Breakfast: It was meant to be some kind of lightning war where Russian troops swept across Ukraine. But what were seeing is the defence by the Ukrainian people has been ferocious. This, of course, is incredibly frustrating to Vladimir Putin and were now seeing an escalation, the targeting of civilians and civilian infrastructure which of course is illegal in international humanitarian law and the law of armed conflict. Ukraines President Volodymyr Zelensky, in a video released overnight, said negotiations with Russia were going pretty well and Mr Cleverly said he hoped a solution could be found. Asked on the BBCs Good Morning Scotland programme if he thinks the talks between the two sides will yield a positive outcome, he said: I really hope these talks are fruitful, but we will judge Russia by its actions, and what we want to see, of course, is for them to leave Ukraine. In the rapid news cycle of 2021, the shooting deaths of eight people including six Asian American women at three Atlanta-area spas on March 16 of that year stood a strong chance of being forgotten. But ABC News anchors Juju Chang and Eva Pilgrim both of whom were born in Korea made sure that didn't happen when it was discussed at a network meeting the following day. "We made our case that this should not go ignored," Chang recalled in a recent interview. The result of their efforts was "Murder in Atlanta," on a special edition of "20/20" the only network program to devote a full prime time hour to the story. Nearly a year has passed since the rampage, which put a laser-like focus on the massive surge in hate crimes and violence against Asian Americans during the pandemic. Chang remains dogged in keeping a spotlight on the issue, as she recently returned to Atlanta to report for "Nightline" on the long-term impact the killings had on the families of the victims and the movement to stop violence against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI). The episode will be available for streaming on Hulu after it airs Wednesday on ABC at 12:35 p.m. A second special with Chang's reporting"Stop the Hate: A Call for Unity" will run on the streaming service ABC News Live at 5:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. Pacific. The actions of the Georgia shooter, Robert Aaron Long, raised a myriad of issues facing the Asian American community. A Cherokee County Sheriff's Department spokesman repeated Long's statement that the shootings were motivated by a sex addiction he fed by visiting the spas employing the stereotype of hyper-sexualized Asian women. The spokesman was then removed from his duties when his Facebook account showed a post promoting T-shirts with racist language about China and the coronavirus. Such language is often parroted by perpetuators of AAPI attacks. Long pleaded guilty to four murders in Cherokee County and received a life sentence but has pleaded not guilty to charges for four killings in Fulton County, where the prosecution is pursuing the death penalty. Visitors at a makeshift memorial at Gold Spa in Atlanta for those who were killed in Tuesday's shooting rampage. (Megan Varner / Getty Images) Chang was raised in Sunnyvale, Calif., and is a 31-year veteran of ABC News. She has been co-anchor of "Nightline" since 2014. She talked about the personal impact the story is having on her and her familyand being a part of an increasingly diverse news operation willing to cover it. So much has happened in the last year to overshadow this story. Is that why it was important to revisit it? The news cycle flashed off of it in 72 hours. Journalistically, it was a big shocking event in the way that the victims were targeted and the motivation behind it. As an Asian American it was important to revisit it because I think it was a galvanizing moment in the AAPI community. I just interviewed a woman an activist yesterday, who said when that spa shooting happened, everyone stood up and said, "Were not going to take it anymore." It really was a high water mark in the maturation of activism in the community. What impact has the rise in AAPI hate crimes had on you? Have you had to sit down and talk to your three sons about this? Oh, absolutely. They're half-white and half-Asian as we like to say, half-Korean and 100% Jewish. [Chang is married to New York public TV executive Neal Shapiro]. They're very proud of both identities. I'll leave aside for a moment that antisemitism is on the rise as well. But for them I've had to be very frank just be situationally aware. Because in a lot of these attacks there's an intersectionality with poverty, people experiencing homelessness with mental-health issues. Those intersections are things that my kids encounter routinely in New York City. And so I've had to say to them, "I want you to be loud and proud about being Asian American, but if you encounter somebody who seems off that's not the time to be declaring your identity." Have you been affected personally? It was summer 2020 and I'm driving down the street in New York. I had my window open because it was summertime. I can't even remember if he cut me off or I cut him off. It was a road rage situation. And the guy rolls down his window and screams whatever Asian slur. I've encountered elements of that throughout my life, but it was heightened. It was aggressive. Everybody has anger management problems these days because of the pandemic. But it felt very racialized. Did I report it? No, which just suggests that I can't imagine how much verbal harassment, online harassment, workplace harassment that people have been subjected to in the AAPI community that, like me, would never report it. These violent attacks are bringing up issues for Asian Americans regarding incidents or indignities that happened to them and their family members. I talk about growing up watching my dad be treated shabbily because of the way he talked, or because of the way he looked. I didn't have words for it at the time, but I could tell that he was treated badly... I was born in Korea. We moved here when I was 4. When I was growing up though in Silicon Valley there wasn't a 25% Asian workforce like it is now. And I felt different. I felt other. I also think taking one look at me you wouldn't know that I wasn't born here. But I would very often throughout my life experience the whole perpetual foreigner thing. What bums out Asian people all the time is when they're asked, "Where are you from?" And the answer is, like, "Oh, I'm from California." And they say, "No, no, no, where are you really from?" The subtext of that is, "You're not from here; you're a foreigner." How are you feeling about Asian American representation in the newsrooms right now? One reason why these stories don't get covered as adequately as they should is because organizations often don't have enough people inside who have the sensitivity to them. We were the only network to do a prime time hour on this story and part of that was because Eva Pilgrim and I were able to one-two punch it, and ABC's ranks are widening we have multiple Asian Americans as on-air people. [ABC News President] Kim Godwin has gone out of her way to try to elevate Asian Americans in senior management behind the scenes. Can we do better? Sure. So you're seeing it improve. I totally have. I mean, [with] Eva, I'm not the only one in the room. And I am heartened by that. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. President Joe Biden will travel to Brussels next week to meet with NATO leaders in his first European visit since Russian President Vladimir Putin started invading Ukraine, the White House announced Tuesday. At the show of unity on March 24, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Biden will "reaffirm our ironclad commitment to our NATO allies." MORE: Limits emerge to blame-Putin politics: The Note His trip follows the prime ministers of Poland, Slovenia and the Czech Republic heading to Kyiv on Tuesday, as shelling continues there, in a show of support to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy despite the danger on the ground. PHOTO: President Joe Biden speaks at the National League of Cities Congressional City Conference, on March 14, 2022, in Washington, D.C. (Patrick Semansky/AP) Just before the White House announcement, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg tweeted, "I have convened an extraordinary Summit on 24 March at #NATO HQ. We will address #Russia's invasion of #Ukraine, our strong support for Ukraine, and further strengthening NATO's deterrence & defence. At this critical time, North America & Europe must continue to stand together." Biden will also join a scheduled European Council summit "to discuss our shared concerns about Ukraine, including transatlantic efforts to impose economic costs on Russia, provide humanitarian support to those affected by the violence and address other challenges related to the conflict," Psaki said. MORE: Russia-Ukraine live updates: NATO leaders including Biden to meet next week The goal of Biden's trip to Brussels will be to meet "face-to-face" with his European counterparts to assess Russia's invasion of Ukraine, she said. PHOTO: Firefighters work at the scene of an apartment building bombing in Kyiv, Ukraine, March 15, 2022. (Felipe Dana/AP) "We've been incredibly aligned to date. That doesn't happen by accident," Psaki added. "The president's a big believer in face-to-face diplomacy. So, it's an opportunity to do exactly that." She said that the NATO meeting is the "real focus right now," and wouldn't say if Biden will be making additional stops in Poland or to meet with refugees. Nearly three million people have fled Ukraine since the invasion began, according to the U.N. Refugee Agency (UNHCR). MORE: Map: Where Ukraine refugees are heading Russia fired a barrage of missiles into Western Ukraine over the weekend, hitting a large military base near the Polish border and raising concerns an attack could hit neighboring NATO ally Poland, potentially triggering an Article 5 response. Zelenskyy is scheduled to deliver a rare and historic, virtual address on Wednesday to members of Congress, which Biden will be watching, Psaki said. In an address to Canadas Parliament Tuesday, Zelenskyy wasnt shy to call out Prime Minister Justin Trudeau by name in an emotional appeal for more help to Ukraine. PHOTO: Raquela, 2, and Manuela watch cartoons on an iPhone at Dumbraveni sports arena which has been converted to a temporary shelter, after they fled with their families from the beseiged Ukraine in Suceava, Romania March 15, 2022. (Clodagh Kilcoyne/Reuters) While the U.S. has imposed a slate of economic and trade sanctions to isolate Putin, it's unclear what still remains available at the Biden administration's disposal since it has said there would be no no-fly zone, no U.S. troops in Ukraine and no help in delivering planes that NATO ally Poland wants to get to Ukrainians. MORE: NATO's Article 5 could pull the US and its allies further into the Russia-Ukraine conflict NATO has not agreed to Zelenskyy's central plea to enforce a no-fly zone over Ukraine, with Psaki saying Tuesday the measure "essentially means us shooting down Russian planes, and them essentially shooting back at us." Next week will mark Biden's third foreign trip and second to NATO headquarters in Brussels. It comes on the heels of Vice President Kamala Harris and Secretary of State Antony Blinken making stops in Europe this month. Biden to head to Brussels next week for show of unity with NATO leaders originally appeared on abcnews.go.com By the end of International Women's Day this year, a Twitter account that sent out hundreds of tweets calling out companies for their gender pay gap had gone viral. The Twitter account, @PayGapApp, is the brainchild of Francesca Lawson and her partner, Ali Fensome, of Manchester, England, who said they wanted to see companies pay up, literally, to the women they were celebrating. "It came from a place of frustration of seeing all these lovely messages of empowerment and celebration and inspiration, but without actually knowing whether they were true or not," Lawson, a 27-year-old copywriter and social media manager, told "Good Morning America." "If companies are so keen to promote themselves as celebrating women and equality, then that really needs to come through in their actions as well." Lawson and Fensome, a software developer, built their pay gap bot using public data thanks to a pay transparency law in place in the United Kingdom since 2017. The U.K. government requires that companies with over 250 employees submit annual reports on their gender pay gaps based on payroll data. Fensome said the fact that tweets from the @PayGapApp went viral, shows that people want more transparency when it comes to pay. PHOTO: The Twitter account @PayGapApp, created by Francesca Lawson and Ali Fensome, of Manchester, England, went viral on International Women's Day 2022. (@PayGapApp/Twitter) "It shows that there's such a demand for data, for transparency, for accountability," Fensome, adding that she hopes other similar efforts are started around the world, told "GMA." "What we want is for the data to make a difference, and the way that's going to happen is if it stays in the public eye and people maintain pressure." PHOTO: Francesca Lawson and Ali Fensome, of Manchester, England, created the Twitter account @PayGapApp. (Francesca Lawson ) There is no such federal law in the United States calling for pay transparency from companies, although a growing number of cities and states have enacted regulations. As the country marks Equal Pay Day and as women remain far behind in the workforce amid the coronavirus pandemic, pay transparency is being called upon as a leading solution to close the gender pay gap. "One of the problems with challenging pay discrimination right now is that it is really easy to be paid less than your male counterpart for years and have no idea that that is the case because most employers keep pay secret," said Emily Martin, vice president for education and workplace justice at the National Women's Law Center (NWLC), a policy organization that fights for gender justice. "What pay transparency means, fundamentally, is dismantling the secrecy of pay." On average, women working full time, year-round are paid 83 cents for every dollar paid to men, according to the NWLC. That makes Equal Pay Day, March 15, the day that women had to work into 2022 to make what white, non-Hispanic men earned in 2020 alone. The numbers are even starker for women of color, with Latinas typically earning only 57 cents for every dollar earned by white, non-Hispanic men, and Black women typically making 61 cents for every dollar paid to white, non-Hispanic men, according to the NWLC. When Victoria Walker, a freelance travel reporter, quit her New York City-based job in February as a writer for a travel website, she said she wanted to make sure the person coming in after her made what they deserved. Because her job salary was not listed publicly, Walker, 29, tweeted her salary advice when she announced her job move on Twitter. "Before I forget -- if you apply for my old job as Senior Travel Reporter, you should ask for no less than 115k, a signing bonus & a relocation bonus if you're moving to NYC," she wrote in a tweet that went viral. "In full transparency, I was at 107k." Oh! Before I forget -- if you apply for my old job as Senior Travel Reporter, you should ask for no less than 115k, a signing bonus &a relocation bonus if you're moving to NYC. In full transparency, I was at 107k. I believe being transparent is one way to achieve equity in media. Victoria M. Walker (@vikkie) February 2, 2022 Walker said she sent the tweet in hopes that people who applied for the job would not "inadvertently lowball themselves" when it came to their pay. She said she was really surprised by the viral response to the tweet. "A lot of people who werent even applying for the job were like, "Wait, this is what travel reporters can make," said Walker. "They told me they found theyve been underpaid and undervalued, and a lot of people didnt know about signing bonuses and relocations." PHOTO: Victoria Walker is a 29-year-old freelance travel reporter based in New York. (Courtesy Victoria Walker) Starting in May in New York City, employers, like Walker's former company, will be required to include a minimum and maximum salary with job listings under a bill passed in December by the New York City Council. At least eight states, including Colorado, California, Maryland, Washington and Nevada, and cities already have laws in place that implement some degree of pay transparency, according to Martin. "The laws vary from state to state, but they all are building on that idea of the importance of giving people who are applying for jobs more transparency, more information about the salary for the job," said Martin. "And sort of shifting the power dynamics around who controls that information in a way that they can really make a difference." Many of the state laws already in effect also have another bonus for women in that they prohibit employers from setting a person's salary based on their salary in their previous job, according to Martin. "Those salary history prohibitions are important for ensuring that pay discrimination doesn't follow someone from job to job through their career," she said. "When you put these things together, it has the effect of giving the job applicant more power over information and ensuring that the employer doesn't hold all the cards." MORE: Black Women's Equal Pay Day is a reminder of the continuing pay gap Because pay transparency laws have been in effect in various states, enough real-world data exists to show that it makes a difference in lowering the wage gap, according to Martin. Public sector employees, like at federal agencies, have also for decades been following a formal grade and steps system that makes salary ranges and information public. One 2019 study from PayScale, a compensation data and software firm, found that among companies whose female employees described a transparent pay process, women were estimated to earn between $1 and $1.01 for every dollar earned by men. Tips for women when asking for pay Katie Donovan, a pay equity expert, has been leading the fight for equal pay for women since 2011, when, while out to dinner, a friend revealed she was being paid $30,000 less than a male colleague whom she had trained. Donovan, the founder of Equal Pay Negotiations, a pay equality consultancy, said she immediately thought of being underpaid as a woman herself and remembers thinking at the time, "I don't want my nieces 20 years from now having the same, exact conversation." "At the end of the day, our jobs are a financial decision for 99.9% of us that decides every other financial decision, like can we rent, can we buy a house, can we get a car," she said. "And it's the financial decision that we have the blinders on, and that's by design, and that exhausts me." MORE: 5 things men can do to close the gender pay gap Donovan went on to lead the movement to ban employers from asking about salary history in job interviews. She said she sees the next fight in the equal pay battle as making sure that companies offer salaries that are not the median, which incorporates women's already low pay, but above, which incorporates what white men are getting paid. "If we really want to finally get a chance of achieving closing the pay gaps, we need to start with changing the data we've looked at," she said. "If we're aiming for the median of everyone, it's mathematically less than the median of white men." Here are four tips for women from Donovan and Martin. 1. Do your research on salaries beforehand: "In part because of the internet and in part because of these policy changes, we are living in a moment where you can find more information about pay in particular roles and particular companies than you could 10 or 15 years ago, and that is a source of power for workers," said Martin. "It always of course is a good idea to do your research in these situations and to learn as much as you can about what is publicly available or what the law requires an employer to provide in terms of pay information," she said. 2. Be comfortable asking about salary: "There's a little bit of culture shift happening with employers where there is more of an understanding that posting a salary range is a good equity practice, so we're seeing more employers do it even where the law doesn't require it," Martin said. "That in turn means that it is a more reasonable question for job applicants to ask of employers, even if employer hasn't posted it, to ask whether that information is available." 3. In most cases, you're protected against giving your salary history: "Under the Federal Equal Pay Act, a lot of courts have held that salary history isn't legal justification for paying a woman less than a man in the same role, so you do actually have some protection against pay discrimination based on salary history," Martin said. "That's one reason why if I were in that position, I would try to gently deflect an interviewer by saying something like, 'It sounds like what you really want to understand is the salary that I'm looking for in this job, and this is what it is,'" she said. "And hopefully that is informed by some data that you've been able to find in the world through sites like Glassdoor and the like about what the market rate is for the position." 4. Ask for more than the median salary range: "As a candidate, when you're given a job offer, you say, 'I'm not accepting median. That's low,'" said Donovan. "You aim for 75 percentile or higher, because thats where the white guys are hanging." Twitter bot exposes gender pay gap as experts call for pay transparency originally appeared on goodmorningamerica.com Gov. Gavin Newsom listens before speaking at a news conference to unveil the next phase of California's pandemic response in Fontana on Feb. 17. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) An effort by Republican state lawmakers to end Gov. Gavin Newsom's COVID-19 state of emergency was blocked in the Democratic-controlled California Legislature on Tuesday. For more than a year, GOP lawmakers have accused the governor of abusing his executive powers to respond to the crisis and asked legislators to vote to end the emergency in a state Senate committee hearing Tuesday, arguing the declaration was no longer necessary and constituted government overreach. The Newsom administration has said that the more than 2-year-old state of emergency must stay in place to continue the states pandemic response. The Democratic governor has used that broad authority to waive statutes and laws to facilitate testing and vaccination programs, and to ensure that California had enough capacity in hospitals to handle caseload surges. State Sen. Melissa Melendez (R-Lake Elsinore) said that it's the Legislature's responsibility as a co-equal branch of government to change the laws and statutes necessary to address the pandemic and that lawmakers have had more than two years to do so. She urged her colleagues not to abdicate that responsibility and noted that more than half the states in the country have ended their states of emergency and are still able to respond to the pandemic. "We ended school years and we shuttered businesses and we implemented lockdowns and we enforced remote work and we implemented all sorts of policies and testing," Melendez said when arguing in favor of her resolution. "We have grown over the last few years. We are equipped to deal with this and this constant state of emergency is no longer necessary." Melendez's resolution failed in the Senate's governmental operations committee by a 4-8 vote, split along party lines with a number of Democrats not voting. The measure is eligible to come up for reconsideration at a later date. During the debate, state Sen. Ben Allen (D-Santa Monica) said that "it's important that [the declaration] be ended at some point," but that he was concerned that doing so now would hinder the state's aggressive efforts to provide free COVID-19 testing and therapeutics. Senate Governmental Organization Committee Chairman Bill Dodd (D-Napa) praised Newsom's response to the pandemic, saying the executive actions he's taken have allowed California to fare better than many other states to combat the spread of the virus and reduce hospitalizations. "Nobody had a playbook on this thing. I think the governor got it right. I think he continues to get it right," Dodd said before the vote. "The existing state of emergency proclaimed by the governor is absolutely important to ensure that the state can quickly and efficiently continue to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic and be prepared for possible future variants and surges." Since he declared a state of emergency on March 4, 2020, Newsom has issued 70 executive orders involving the COVID-19 pandemic that addressed a range of issues, including price gouging, allowing mobile vaccination clinics, halting evictions and postponing the deadline for filing tax returns in 2020. Most of those have either been rescinded or have expired. In February, the governor terminated 19 provisions in executive orders, which included requirements that all state-owned properties be made available for emergency. Another 18 provisions will expire at the end of March, including those that protect COVID-19 relief funds from garnishment and allow for virtual corporate and public meetings, according to Newsoms office. Additional executive orders that limit liability for data breaches on telemedicine platforms and allow video assessments for those with COVID-19 symptoms who receive in-home supportive care are set to be rescinded on June 30. Under the 1970 California Emergency Services Act, the governor has broad authority to respond during a state of emergency such as a pandemic. The governor can make, amend and rescind state regulations and suspend state statutes, and has the power to redirect state funds to help in an emergency even funds appropriated by the Legislature for an entirely different purpose. The governor also has the authority to commandeer private property, including hospitals, medical labs, hotels and motels. Under the act, a state of emergency can only be rescinded by the governor or by a vote of the Legislature. Last year, the California Supreme Court upheld an appeals court ruling that affirmed Newsoms emergency powers. Two state Republican lawmakers had challenged Newsoms power, arguing he had no right to issue an executive order requiring ballots to be mailed to the states 22 million registered voters before the Nov. 3, 2020 election. Ann Patterson, the governors legal affairs secretary, said in February that rescinding the state of emergency would cripple Californias response to the pandemic. Under Newsoms executive powers that will remain in place, the state will continue to largely waive licensing requirements for healthcare facilities, workers and testing labs actions designed to boost the states vaccination and testing capacity and expand the scope of practice for pharmacists, technicians and EMS workers. Kathryn Austin Scott of the California Hospital Assn. told lawmakers that, if the state of emergency ended, medical facilities would lose thousands of healthcare workers who were allowed to come in from outside California due to a licensing waiver issue by the governor. Patterson also said that all state mask and vaccine mandates, including those for schoolchildren and healthcare workers, were enacted under the state health and safety code. Even if the state of emergency ends, those mandates would remain in place until rescinded by the states top public health officer. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. When he was 7, Diebedo Francis Kere left his native village of Gando in Burkina Faso at the insistence of his father so that he might learn to read and write. Gando, about 115 miles southeast of the capital of Ouagadougou, had neither a school nor electricity nor running water, so Kere headed to Tenkodogo, a nearby provincial capital. As he recounted in a 2013 TED Talk, Kere returned home on holidays, and at the end of every visit, he made the rounds to all the village compounds to say his goodbyes. At each stop, the women would tug at a knot in their skirts to reveal a penny tucked into their waistbands often their last penny that they'd give him as a parting gift. The pennies were their way of contributing to the boy's education. By investing in Kere, they hoped that he might be successful and that he would one day "come back and help improve the quality of life of the community." It was a worthwhile investment: Kere is now an architect, and in 2001, he did indeed return to Gando to build a much-needed elementary school. Crafted from locally made clay bricks, his one-story school not only made the most of filtered light and passive ventilation but the graceful design a series of rectangular volumes sheltered by a gently curving overhanging roof also drew the attention of the architectural press. It was the first of several such education buildings that Kere designed for Gando, buildings for which he also did the fundraising at times by cajoling his Berlin architecture school classmates into giving up extra coffee and cigarettes so they might give their spare change to him. For this work and for other designs in which he has brought together communities to build collectively, Kere on Tuesday morning was named the 2022 laureate of the Pritzker Architecture Prize. It's a historic turn for the Pritzkers: Kere is the first African and the first Black person to win the prize, which, since its inception in 1979, has primarily gone to male architects from Europe, the United States and Asia. "He knows, from within, that architecture is not about the object but the objective; not the product, but the process," reads the jury's citation. "Francis Kere's work shows us the power of materiality rooted in place." The award marks a continued interest in social architecture on behalf of the Pritzker's jurors. Last year's winners were French architects Anne Lacaton and Jean-Philippe Vassal, founders of the namesake firm Lacaton & Vassal, a duo known less for their form-making than for their surgical revamps of existing designs such as the expansion of a blocky public housing building in Bordeaux that added windows and patios to once-dim apartment units. Of his work, Kere said in a statement: "It is not because you are rich that you should waste material. It is not because you are poor that you should not try to create quality." Kere was born in Burkina Faso in 1965, the son of a traditional village chief in Gando. In 1985, after studying in Burkina Faso, he traveled to Germany on a vocational carpentry scholarship, but ultimately became intrigued by architecture. In the 1990s, he was awarded a scholarship to attend the Technische Universitat Berlin, and he completed an advance degree there in 2004. In fact, his design for a primary school in Gando was part of his studies. Recalling the sweltering concrete boxes he studied in as a boy in Tenkodogo, he was determined to devise a building and materials that would work economically and climatologically. He settled on a method of fortifying clay bricks with cement (which helps protect the structure from the wear of thunderous downpours) and created a floating, double-roof system that allows hot air to rise out of the building and cool air to filter in. Colorful louvered shades allow teachers to direct sunlight into the room depending on the hour of the day. In 2004, the school was the recipient of the Aga Khan Award for Architecture. Most significantly, the school was built collectively by village members who helped manufacture the bricks, erect the walls and pound and polish the mud floors. This not only allowed the village to build a new school in a timely and economical fashion but it also taught marketable construction techniques to untrained laborers. "My people can use these skills," Kere says during his TED Talk, "to earn money themselves." It is a system he has employed in other buildings around Gando, including a teachers' housing complex, whose curvilinear design was inspired by Burkinabe village compounds, and Naaba Belem Goumma Secondary School, whose first phase was completed in 2011 and whose second phase is currently under construction. Kere, who divides his time between Burkina Faso and Germany, where he runs a small namesake studio, also has more high-profile projects to his credit. These include his design for the Serpentine Pavilion at London's Serpentine Gallery in 2017; he was the first African architect to create a pavilion in the design series' history. On that occasion, he designed a circular, wood roof structure that hovered over curving blue walls punctured by a triangular pattern. Its form is evocative of a council tree, where gatherings are held in traditional villages. "The tree was always the most important place in my village," Kere told the Guardian's Oliver Wainwright on that occasion. "It is where people come together under the shade of its branches to discuss, a place to decide matters, about love, about life. I want the pavilion to serve the same function: a simple open shelter to create a sense of freedom and community." In the United States, Kere designed a temporary installation of a dozen colorful towers evocative of textiles for the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio, Calif., in 2019. That same year, he created a 2,100-square-foot pavilion for the Tippet Rise Art Center in Montana. Of the latter project, architecture writer Justin Davidson described the piece made from dead trees that had been harvested from nearby forests as evoking "an upside-down topography reminiscent of the hills all around." In addition to the social and economic aspects of his work, Kere's interest in sustainable building materials and passive ventilation nods to the realities of climate change and a future in which overtaxed mechanical heating and ventilation systems will have to give way to more passive methods of cooling and heating. As he says in his statement responding to his Pritzker win: "We are interlinked and concerns in climate, democracy and scarcity are concerns for us all. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. As Russian forces pressed their deadly assault on Ukraines capital Tuesday, the besieged country received new gestures of important international support: the arrival in Kyiv of leaders of three European nations and a planned trip to Brussels next week by President Biden for an emergency summit at NATO headquarters. The White House announced that Biden will attend an emergency session of NATO next week as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky pushed his call for urgent military aid in a virtual speech to the Canadian Parliament, a message he is expected to repeat Wednesday to the U.S. Congress. Biden's presence at the NATO summit is intended to showcase U.S. commitment to stopping Russia's brutal invasion of Ukraine and reassure European allies that Washington is a reliable partner, a once-cherished notion that was damaged during the Trump administration's favoring of an "America first" policy that often seemed to abandon traditional multilateral cooperation. It follows high-profile trips by Vice President Kamala Harris and Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken to Poland and other Eastern European countries that are experiencing the brunt of a massive exodus of refugees from Ukraine. Polish media speculated that Biden would also travel to Poland but the White House did not confirm that. The prime ministers of Poland, Slovenia and the Czech Republic, which all belong to NATO as well as the European Union, traveled by train Tuesday into the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, where they met with Zelensky, who posted a video of the encounter on social media. It was the first high-level visit by officials from either alliance since Russia invaded Feb. 24. "It is here, in war-torn Kyiv, that history is being made," Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said on Twitter. "It is here, that freedom fights against the world of tyranny. It is here that the future of us all hangs in the balance." In Kyiv, blasts hit a high-rise apartment building in the western Sviatoshynskyi district, leaving four people dead and 35 injured. Shock waves from the shelling damaged a subway station just three miles from Zelensky's office, bringing the war's destruction close to the city center. In total, Zelensky said attacks hit four multistory buildings in Kyiv and killed dozens, although the number could not be independently verified. In the east, officials said there were more than 60 overnight strikes on Ukraine's second-largest city, Kharkiv, that hit the historical center. Ukrainian representatives also began a second day of negotiations with Russia after cutting short discussions a day earlier for a "technical pause." Three previous rounds of talks have produced little progress, although Zelensky described Monday's session as "pretty good." On Tuesday afternoon, presidential advisor Mykhailo Podolyak tweeted that the talks were "ongoing" and that Ukraine wanted to address "general regulation matters, cease-fire, withdrawal of troops from the territory of the country." Ukraine, meanwhile, informed the United Nations' nuclear watchdog that the Chernobyl power plant in northern Ukraine was reconnected to the national electrical grid. Russian forces took control of the plant on the first day of the invasion, and two weeks later, on March 9, it lost electrical power. The International Atomic Energy Agency said that over the weekend teams of specialists repaired one of two damaged lines linking the plant to the power network, allowing staff to switch off the diesel generators they had been relying on. Russian troops are keeping all 211 technical personnel and guards at the plant, the site of the biggest nuclear accident in history. Even as they negotiated, Ukrainian leaders continued to plead for help from Western nations in putting a stop to Russian President Vladimir Putin's invasion. According to the United Nations, at least 636 people have died in Ukraine the number is probably much higher and at least 3 million refugees have fled the country, nearly half of them children. Half of the refugees have gone west to Poland. In Kyiv, residents were awakened about 5 a.m. Tuesday by a series of blasts that rumbled through buildings in the city center. Ukrainian authorities said they were Russian artillery strikes. Smoke billows from an apartment building hit by Russian shells Tuesday in Kyiv, Ukraine. (Efrem Lukatsky / Associated Press) The shelling killed at least four people in the apartment high-rise and sparked a fire that smoldered for hours after firefighters put out the flames. Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko announced a 35-hour curfew from Tuesday night to Thursday morning, saying on the Telegram messaging app that the city had reached "a difficult and dangerous moment." Before nightfall Tuesday, with the cold spell broken, some Kyiv residents enjoyed a day out in the sun, walking around parks and avenues that only a few weeks before were crowded with people. But when darkness came, the booms of explosions pounded in greater frequency. As curfew approached, soldiers manning checkpoints seemed tense. "Mister, why are you here?" one asked. "There's war." The soldier kept a hard stare on the pedestrian before finally letting him continue on his way. An artillery strike earlier Tuesday also hit the yard in front of a residential building in the Vynogradir neighborhood, spraying shrapnel into a number of apartments but leaving no casualties. Dazed-looking residents tiptoed through a carpet of glass and debris, and chucked out twisted window frames, damaged household appliances and pieces of furniture for hours after the attack. We werent hit. We are staying in a house outside Kyiv, but neighbors told us our apartment was hit, said one resident, who gave only her first name, Dasha. She picked through her living room, removing photographs from a blown-out frame and putting them in a bag. She stepped up to a shelf full of toiletries, reached a hand out to sweep them into the bag, then stopped as tears overcame her. Near the damaged Lukyanivska subway station, a powerful barrage was thought to have targeted the offices of Artem, a Ukrainian missile manufacturer. But the blast didn't spare the nearby row of shops, including bakeries, a cellphone store and a Roshen chocolatier. The force of the explosion blew through a nearby McDonald's, triggering a siren blaring through a commercial center. Volunteers help clean up debris from shops damaged Tuesday in Russian shelling of Kyiv, Ukraine. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) Maxim, the proprietor of three bakeries along the strip, loaded his espresso machine, coffee grinder and whatever else he could salvage into a truck. Igor Yuchov cleared out the shattered glass in front of his cellphone shop. Its our job to clean this and fix it, even now, he said. In a video recorded in front of one of the damaged apartment buildings, Ukrainian lawmaker Oleksiy Goncharenko shouted a desperate demand for Western countries to establish a no-fly zone. "One more attack in Kyiv.... Just close Ukrainian sky. Do it immediately," said Goncharenko. "Give us aircraft, air defense. We'll do everything ourselves but please help us." At NATO headquarters in Brussels, Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg on Tuesday scheduled an emergency summit for March 24 for the organization's 30 leaders to discuss ways to bolster NATO presence, especially in Eastern Europe. The alliance will address "further strengthening NATO's deterrence and defense in response to a new reality for our security, Stoltenberg said. White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki announced Biden would attend. Yet it was the presence of the European leaders Petr Fiala, the Czech premier; Janez Jansa, the prime minister of Slovenia; and Poland's Morawiecki and Jaroslav Kaczynski, the country's de facto leader that gave an immediate boost to the struggling government of Ukraine. After the meeting, Zelensky said: We absolutely trust the leaders of these countries and, therefore, when we speak of security guarantees, of our future in the European Union, or speak of sanctions policy, we know 100% that everything we are discussing will really lead to that positive goal for our country, for our security and for our future. The meeting, in the middle of a war where Russia has made advances but failed to take the capital, marks an impressive tribute to Zelensky, who refused offers of evacuation and has become an international hero for his defiant videos from the streets of Kyiv. While Russian forces have slowly moved closer to the city and caused major damage on its outskirts, such as to its northwest in Irpin, major routes to Kyiv are still open and functioning. Although their nations are North Atlantic Treaty Organization members, the alliance insists that its forces cannot risk establishing a no-fly zone over Ukraine, engaging directly with Russia warplanes and engulfing the world in a much larger conflict. "At this moment, speaking of our values, there is no country on the whole of our continent which is more European than Ukraine," Jansa tweeted. "Thank you for not only defending your homeland and Europe as a territory but for defending the very core of European values and our way of life. Your fight is our fight and together we will prevail." Ukraine is not a member of the EU, but Zelensky has asked for fast-track accession to the bloc for his embattled nation, which is unlikely to be granted. As he has several times during the last 20 days of war, Zelensky made a direct appeal to the Russian people in a video uploaded to Telegram on Monday night. As long as your country has not completely closed itself off from the whole world, turning into a very large North Korea, you must fight, Zelensky said, telling Russians to stand up against the Kremlin's war. You must not lose your chance. In his address Tuesday to the Canadian Parliament by video, he said that 97 children had been killed in the war so far. "I don't wish this on anyone, but this is our reality," he said, adding that, with the constant shelling, "every night is a terrible night." In his address to Congress, scheduled for Wednesday morning, Zelensky is expected to make another plea for a no-fly zone, more sanctions against Russia and more military assistance such as fighter jets to Ukraine. Congress recently approved $13.6 billion for military and humanitarian aid for Ukraine. The U.S. announced new sanctions Tuesday on several Russian individuals and on Alexander Lukashenko, the president of Belarus, who allowed his country to be a launchpad for Moscow's invasion of Ukraine from the north. Also on Tuesday, Britain imposed sanctions on 370 people described as oligarchs or "Putin's political allies and propagandists." For its part, Russia announced that it has imposed sanctions on 13 Americans, including Biden, Blinken and former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton. Psaki responded: What "I would say that wont surprise any of you is that none of us are planning tourist trips to Russia and none of us have bank accounts that we wont be able to access, so we will just forge ahead. Bulos reported from Kyiv, Kaleem from London and Wilkinson from Washington. Times staff writers Andrea Castillo and Anumita Kaur contributed from Washington. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. On Monday, a Florida judge granted a permanent injunction that will block authorities from releasing photos and other material related to the January death of Bob Saget. (Jordan Strauss / Invision/AP) A Florida judge granted a permanent injunction blocking the release of photographs and other materials related to the January death of Bob Saget, court records show. Judge Vincent Chiu of the Ninth Judicial Circuit Court of Florida approved the motion Monday, according to the records. "The entire Saget family is grateful that the Judge granted their request for an injunction to preserve Bobs dignity, as well as their privacy rights, especially after suffering this unexpected and tragic loss," said Brian Bieber, an attorney representing the family. "We are pleased this issue has been resolved, and the healing process can continue to move forward. All of the prayers and well wishes continuously extended to the family are beyond appreciated." Sagets wife, food and travel blogger Kelly Rizzo, and his three adult daughters had filed a lawsuit against John Mina, the sheriff of Orange County in Florida, and the District Nine Medical Examiners Office, both of which investigated the actors sudden death Jan. 9. According to court documents, the comedian's widow and children demanded that photo, video, audio and autopsy records that "graphically depict Mr. Saget, his likeness or features or parts of him" be withheld from the public. The civil complaint cited a belief that "certain news and media outlets have filed or plan to file public records requests" digging into Sagets death. On Feb. 15, the family filed a request for a temporary injunction, which was granted the following day, court records show. The filing came days after the entertainer's family confirmed that Saget had died of head trauma in his Orlando, Fla., hotel room after "he accidentally hit the back of his head on something, thought nothing of it and went to sleep." In a statement, Sagets loved ones said drugs or alcohol were not involved in his death. On March 8, his family filed the motion for a permanent injunction, court records show. Sagets private funeral was held Jan. 14 at Mount Sinai Memorial Park Cemetery in Los Angeles, with "Full House" co-star and close friend John Stamos delivering a heartfelt and raunchy eulogy. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Three journalists, including a filmmaker, a producer and a Fox News cameraperson, were killed covering the Russian invasion in Ukraine this week. Ukrainian producer and fixer Oleksandra "Sasha" Kuvshynova, 24, and Fox News cameraperson Pierre Zakrzewski, 55, were both killed in Gorenka, outside Kyiv, in a shelling on Monday, according to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Kuvshynova was working with Fox News as a consultant, the network confirmed. "She was incredibly talented and spent weeks working directly with our entire team there, operating around the clock to make sure the world knew what was happening in her country," Suzanne Scott, CEO of Fox News Media, said in a statement Tuesday. MORE: Russia-Ukraine live updates PHOTO: Oleksandra 'Sasha' Kuvshynova alongside Trey Yingst and Pierre Zakrzewski in this undated photo provided by Fox News. (Fox News) PHOTO: Cameraman Pierre Zakrzewski, left, poses with colleagues at the Kyiv Intercontinental Hotel, in an undated photo courtesy of the Fox News network. (FOX News via AFP-Getty Images) Zakrzewski was working alongside Fox News State Department correspondent Benjamin Hall "when incoming fire hit their vehicle outside of Kyiv" on Monday, the network said Tuesday. Zakrzewski had covered stories in Iraq, Afghanistan and Syria for Fox News. "Pierre Zakrzewski was an absolute legend at this network, and his loss is devastating," the network said. "The president of Fox, Jay Wallace, says that everyone always felt an extra sense of reassurance when they arrived on the scene and they saw that Pierre was there. He was a professional, he was a journalist and he was a friend," Fox News PR said Tuesday. "I condemn the killings of Oleksandra Kuvshynova and Pierre Zakrzewski. Journalists have a critical role in providing information during a conflict and should never be targeted," UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay said on Tuesday. "I call for the respect of international humanitarian standards, to ensure that journalists and media workers are protected." I don't know what to say. Pierre was as good as they come. Selfless. Brave. Passionate. I'm so sorry this happened to you. pic.twitter.com/IvxlPWGDAl Trey Yingst (@TreyYingst) March 15, 2022 Hall was hospitalized Monday, according to Scott, and on Wednesday, Fox News' Bill Hemmer announced Hall "is now safe and out of Ukraine." "Ben is alert and said to be in good spirits," Hemmer said. "He's being treated with the best possible care in the world. And we remind you please continue to keep him in your prayers as well as Sasha and Pierre, the news from yesterday." Shaun Tandon, president of the State Department Correspondents' Association, said in a Monday statement, "We know Ben for his warmth, good humor and utmost professionalism. We wish Ben a quick recovery and call for utmost efforts to protect journalists who are providing an invaluable service through their coverage in Ukraine." PHOTO: Journalist Benjamin Hall is seen in this undated video grab provided by Fox News. (Fox News) This incident follows the Sunday death of freelance journalist Brent Renaud, which was confirmed by the U.S. State Department. Renaud was in Ukraine to cover the global refugee crisis for a documentary with Sugar23, Time Studios and Day Zero Productions, according to Sugar23. "As an award-winning filmmaker and journalist, Brent tackled the toughest stories around the world often alongside his brother Craig Renaud," Time editor-in-chief and CEO Edward Felsenthal and president and COO of Time and Time Studios Ian Orefice said in a statement. "In recent weeks, Brent was in the region working on a TIME Studios project focused on the global refugee crisis. Our hearts are with all of Brent's loved ones." PHOTO: Brent Renaud attends the 74th Annual Peabody Awards at Cipriani Wall Street, May 31, 2015, in New York. (Charles Sykes/Invision/AP, FILE) Photojournalist Juan Arredondo said he was with Renaud when he was killed. In a video from a hospital bed, Arredondo said, "We crossed the first bridge in Irpin; we were going to film other refugees leaving and we got to a car, somebody offered to take us to the other bridge, and we crossed a checkpoint and they started shooting at us. So, the driver turned around, and they kept shooting. It's two of us, my friend is Brent Renaud, and he's been shot and left behind." "This kind of attack is totally unacceptable and is a violation of international law," Carlos Martinez de la Serna, program director of the Committee to Protect Journalists, said in a statement Monday. "Russian forces in Ukraine must stop all violence against journalists and other civilians at once." "Two examples of the dangers in covering war," Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby said of Hall and Renaud during a Monday press briefing. "This is a war that didn't need to be fought, to be sure. But just as to be sure, there are journalists from around the world on the ground trying to discover the truth and to show that truth and to tell these important stories." ABC News' Christine Theodorou and Luis Martinez contributed to this report. 3 journalists, including Fox News cameraperson, killed in Ukraine originally appeared on abcnews.go.com FILE - In this photo released on Nov. 6, 2019, by the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, a truck carrying uranium hexafluoride gas leaves the Ahmadi Roshan uranium enrichment facility in Natanz, Iran, to the centrifuges at the Fordo nuclear facility. On Monday, March 14, 2022, Iranian state television reported that the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard arrested members of a "network" working for Israel that planned to sabotage Iran's major underground nuclear facility at Fordo. (Atomic Energy Organization of Iran via AP, File) (ASSOCIATED PRESS) TEHRAN, Iran (AP) Iranian state television reported Monday that the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard arrested members of a network" working for Israel that planned to sabotage Irans major underground nuclear facility at Fordo. The TV claimed that the Zionist regime a Tehran reference meaning Israel has for years been trying to hit Fordo, a top nuclear facility in the country, but without success. The report did not say how many suspects were arrested, what their nationalities were or when and where the arrests supposedly took place. There was no immediate comment from Israel. Iran has recently stopped the International Atomic Energy Agency from accessing its surveillance camera footage and has resumed enrichment of uranium at Fordo as Tehrans nuclear deal with world powers fell apart and talks of returning to the deal paused. Iran however, has said it would keep the surveillance footage and hand it over to the IAEA if and when it's granted sanctions relief. The TV report said that those arrested approached employees at Fordo's IR-6 section, where it is believed that centrifuges for spinning uranium are developed, paying them in cash or cryptocurrency, and instructing them how to connect with an Israeli agent, who was acting as a manager of a company based in Hong Kong. Once cooperation" between an unspecified number of Fordo staffers and the agents began, the entire communication was monitored by the Revolutionary Guard, which provides security at Iran's nuclear facilities. According to the report, the alleged sabotage was to take place ahead of the Persian New Year, or Nowruz, which starts at March 21. Iranian authorities regularly report claims of dismantling spy and other networks seeking to harm Iran, but seldom offer any evidence. The TV report came as monthslong negotiations in Vienna aimed at restoring Irans tattered nuclear deal with world powers went on what their European hosts described as a pause" after Russia demanded relief from sanctions targeting it over its war on Ukraine. Iran claimed the pause was because of new U.S. demands. The talks were seeking to draw a roadmap for how the United States could rejoin the accord it unilaterally withdrew from in 2018, and how Iran would again limit its rapidly advancing nuclear program. Monday's claim also follows several suspected incidents targeting Irans nuclear program that have heightened regional tensions in recent months. In April, Irans underground Natanz nuclear facility experienced a mysterious blackout that damaged some of its centrifuges. In 2020, unexplained fires struck the advanced centrifuge assembly plant at Natanz, which authorities later described as sabotage. Iran is now rebuilding that facility deep inside a nearby mountain. Israel is widely believed to have carried out the Natanz sabotage, though it has not claimed it. Iran also blamed Israel for the November killing of a scientist who began the countrys military nuclear program decades earlier. In other developments, state TV also reported Monday that the countrys intel agents have arrested and dismantled two groups of militant, including six armed terrorists who had entered Iran to assassinate several foreign nationals working in the southeastern province of Sistan and Baluchistan on various infrastructure projects. The second group that was dismantled reportedly was a support team that had awaited the arrival of the first group. The report also said that all members of the two teams who were inside Iran at the time of the intelligence operation have been arrested. The TV did not elaborate where the foreign nationals came from or when the two groups were caught. Security forces have in the past repeatedly clashed with militant groups and also with drug traffickers in the province, located along a major smuggling route for Afghan opium and heroin. The prime ministers of Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovenia traveled by train to Kyiv on Tuesday to show support for Ukraine as Russian attacks on the capital city intensified. Polands Mateusz Morawiecki, Petr Fiala of the Czech Republic and Janez Jansa of Slovenia are the first foreign leaders to travel to Ukraine since Russias invasion began three weeks ago. Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal confirmed their arrival in a tweet on Tuesday afternoon. Their visit comes on the same day a series of strikes hit a residential neighborhood in Kyiv, killing at least four people, Ukrainian officials said. "At such breakthrough times for the world, it is our duty to be where history is forged, Morawiecki said in a Facebook post. Because it's not about us, but about the future of our children who deserve to live in a world free from tyranny." Jaroslaw Kaczynski, Poland's de facto leader, also joined them. "The purpose of the visit is to confirm the unequivocal support of the entire European Union for the sovereignty and independence of Ukraine," Fiala said in a statement. Czech Republic Prime Minister Petr Fiala, Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki and Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Jansa. (Photo illustration: Yahoo News; photos: Leon Neal/Pool via AP, NTB/Stian Lysberg Solum via Reuters, Nicolas Maeterlinck/BELGA MAG/AFP via Getty Images) According to the Associated Press, the leaders were expected to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who has been calling on Western leaders for support as Ukraine tries to defend itself from Russias assault. In a video message posted online earlier Tuesday, Zelensky called on Russian soldiers to surrender. On behalf of the Ukrainian people, I give you a chance, he said, according to an English translation of the address shared by his office. If you surrender to our forces, we will treat you the way people are supposed to be treated as people, decently. According to the United Nations, at least 691 civilians have been killed in Ukraine since Feb. 24, when Russia's military invasion began. And more than 3 million people have fled the war-torn country, with many refugees crossing the border into Poland. The White House announced Tuesday that President Biden will travel to Brussels on March 24 for a NATO summit to show support for Ukraine and reassure Americas allies in the region. A man takes photos with his phone as the sun sets in Kyiv, Ukraine, Monday, March 14, 2022. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana) The latest developments on the Russia-Ukraine war: KYIV, Ukraine A series of Russian strikes hit a residential neighborhood of Ukraines capital on Tuesday, igniting a huge fire and frantic rescue effort in a 15-story Kyiv apartment building. At least one person was killed and others remain trapped inside. The Ukrainian military said in a statement that the strikes were artillery strikes. They hit the Svyatoshynskyi district of western Kyiv, adjacent to the suburb of Irpin that has seen some of the worst battles of the war. Flames shot out of the apartment building as firefighters rescued people from ladders. Smoke choked the air. A firefighter at the scene confirmed one person died and that several have been rescued alive but others are still inside as rescuers try to reach them. Russian forces also stepped up strikes overnight on the northwest suburbs of Irpin, Hostomel and Bucha, the head of the Kyiv region Oleksiy Kuleba said on Ukrainian television. Russian forces also renewed efforts Tuesday to capture the important port city of Mariupol in the south, and unleashed new artillery strikes on downtown Kharkiv in the east, the general staff of Ukraines armed forces said on Facebook. ___ TOKYO Japans government is freezing the assets of 17 more Russian politicians tycoons and their relatives to step up sanctions and pressure Moscow to end its invasion of Ukraine. The list of sanction targets include 11 members of the Russian parliamentary chamber of Duma, banker Yuri Kovalchuk and his relatives, as well as billionaire Viktor Vekselberg, chairman of Renova Group, according to a statement jointly issued by the foreign, finance and trade ministries. The move brings the number of Russians targeted by Japans asset freezes to 61. Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno told reporters Tuesday the additional steps were taken "in order to stop Russias invasion (of Ukraine) as soon as possible. Matsuno said Japan will cooperate with other Group of Seven nations and other international community to respond appropriately in case of further sanctions. Japan has previously imposed sanctions against Russian central bank, seven private banks, and Russian and Belarusian individuals and groups. Tokyo also imposed an export ban to Russia of items including high technology equipment that may be used for military purposes. ___ UNITED NATIONS The United Nations chief warned Monday that Russias war on Ukraine is holding a sword of Damocles over the global economy, especially poor developing countries that face skyrocketing food, fuel and fertilizer prices and are now seeing their breadbasket being bombed. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told reporters that Russia and Ukraine represent more than half of the worlds supply of sunflower oil and about 30 percent of the worlds wheat and that grain prices have already exceeded those at the start of the Arab Spring and the food riots of 2007-2008. He told reporters that 45 African and least developed countries import at least one-third of their wheat from Ukraine and Russia, and 18 of them import at least 50%. These countries include Egypt, Congo, Burkina Faso, Lebanon, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen, he said. All of this is hitting the poorest the hardest and planting the seeds for political instability and unrest around the globe, Guterres warned. ___ KYIV, Ukraine Ukraines President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says that talks between Ukrainian and Russian delegations will continue Tuesday. Speaking in a video address, Zelenskyy said that the Ukrainian delegation did good work during Mondays talks. He didn't provide further details. He said he spoke Monday to Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett as part of efforts to quickly end the war and achieve honest peace. Bennett, who has sought to mediate a peaceful settlement, also spoke Monday to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Zelenskyy hailed a Russian state TV employee who interrupted the main evening news program on Russian Channel 1 by running into a studio with a poster against the war in Ukraine. The employee was later arrested by police. The Ukrainian president again addressed the Russian soldiers, urging them to stop fighting and saying: Im offering you a chance to survive. In a bid to shore up the economy badly battered by the war, Zelenskyy announced a plan to sharply reduce taxes for business. Gov. Gavin Newsom is suggesting that Walt Disney Co. reconsider its plans to relocate 2,000 jobs from Southern California to a new campus in Florida. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) In just a few words, Gov. Gavin Newsom asked Walt Disney Co. to reconsider its plans to relocate 2,000 jobs from Southern California to a new campus in Florida. Newsom said in a tweet, "Disney, the door is open to bring those jobs back to California the state that actually represents the values of your workers." The tweet is in response to the fallout from Florida moving closer to cementing its "Parental Rights in Education" bill, often referred to by the LGBTQ community as the "Don't Say Gay" bill, which would limit instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity in schools. Newsom took the controversy as an opportunity to ask Disney to reconsider its move. Chairman of Disney Parks, Experiences and Products Josh D'Amaro announced the move last summer and noted that Florida's lack of income tax and low cost of living influenced the decision. A Disney spokesperson did not respond to requests for comment. In a statement, Newsom's office said it welcomes Disney and all companies "to expand and grow in California because it is the best place to do business." "Californias economy is the 5th largest in the world because it fosters creativity, diversity, inclusion and innovation," the statement said. "The success of our state is because of those values, and a reason why so many of the worlds leading companies are found in California. LGBTQ employees with the House of Mouse expressed their hurt and anger in a statement over Disney's lack of response to the bill. We are writing because we are disappointed, hurt, afraid, and angry, said the statement attributed to the LGBTQ employees of Pixar and their allies. In regards to Disneys financial involvement with legislators behind the Dont Say Gay bill, we hoped that our company would show up for us. But it didnt. The Florida Legislature passed the bill this month, and Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis has signaled his intention to sign it into law. A family visiting the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World. (Joe Burbank / Orlando Sentinel via AP) Walt Disney Chief Executive Bob Chapek issued a public statement Friday, promising the corporation was taking the matter seriously and would pause all political donations in the state of Florida pending a review. "I truly believe we are an infinitely better and stronger company because of our LGBTQ+ community," Chapek said in the statement. "I missed the mark in this case but am an ally you can count on and I will be an outspoken champion for the protections, visibility, and opportunity you deserve." Chapek said Disney had pledged $5 million to LGBTQ rights groups, including the Human Rights Campaign, and said the company would sign the organizations statement opposing anti-gay legislation. The Human Rights Campaign, however, said it would turn down Disneys donation until the company takes further action against anti-LGBTQ legislation at the state level. The Human Rights Campaign will not accept this money from Disney until we see them build on their public commitment and work with LGBTQ+ advocates to ensure that dangerous proposals, like Floridas Dont Say Gay or Trans bill, dont become dangerous laws, and if they do, to work to get them off the books, the organizations interim president, Joni Madison, said in a statement. This should be the beginning of Disneys advocacy efforts rather than the end. Disney said in a statement that while the company was surprised and disappointed by the Human Rights Campaigns decision, we remain committed to meaningful action to combat legislation targeting the LGBTQ+ community. Times staff writer Ryan Faughnder contributed to this report. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. President Joe Biden's dual promises to consider NATO's Article 5 a "sacred obligation" but also not to have U.S. forces engage with Russia in Ukraine may be increasingly difficult as Russian President Vladimir Putin expands the scope of his attack with a barrage of missiles striking near Ukraine's border with NATO ally Poland over the weekend, along with intense shelling in Kyiv overnight. The U.S. has also warned about a possible chemical weapons attack and a senior administration official told ABC News earlier Monday that Russia is "desperately" asking for Chinese help with China "considering" giving the Russians "airstrike capabilities." MORE: Russia-Ukraine updates: Russian airstrikes may target Lviv, US official says But amid signs that Putin is escalating, it remains unclear what consequences Russia would face from the U.S. Russian forces targeted a military training site over the weekend in western Ukraine that had housed Western volunteers and members of the Florida National Guard training Ukrainian counterparts before the invasion. At least 35 people were killed and 134 injured, according to Ukrainian officials. There were "no Americans at all working there," Pentagon press secretary John Kirby said Sunday. PHOTO: Smoke rises amid damaged buildings following an attack on the Yavoriv military base, as Russia's invasion of Ukraine continues, in Yavoriv, Lviv Oblast, Ukraine, March 13, 2022 in this picture obtained from social media. (@BackAndAlive via Reuters) In what some are considering a provocative message to the West, the attack just 10 miles from Ukraine's border with Poland has raised the prospect of the Kremlin being increasingly likely to target Poland or other NATO allies helping to supply Ukraine. That comes on top of concerns that Russia is laying the propaganda groundwork to use chemical weapons in Ukraine and falsely accuse the Ukrainian military of doing so first. "They are clearly expanding some of their target sets here," Kirby said at a Pentagon briefing Monday. "I want to be careful here that we're not reducing the kind of damage and death he's causing to some sort of message signaling. I think that's being way too generous to what the Kremlin is trying to do inside Ukraine." At Monday afternoon's White House press briefing, a reporter presented press secretary Jen Psaki with a list of horrors witnesses in Ukraine "maternity wards being bombed, illegal weapons being used, pediatric hospitals being targeted" and asked where Biden draws the line on military intervention, noting former President Barack Obama drew a red line for Syria with chemical weapons. MORE: Americans remain critical of Biden's handling of inflation, support ban on Russian oil: POLL "You have to weigh how you can lead the world, how you can make very clear that actions are horrific, that they are not acceptable, they're not aligned with global norms while also thinking about our own national security interests," Psaki said. "And starting World War III is certainly not in our national security interests. Putting U.S. troops on the ground in Ukraine to fight a war with Russia is not in our set national security interests." PHOTO: Smoke rises amid damaged buildings following an attack on the Yavoriv military base, near the border with Poland, in Yavoriv, Ukraine, March 13, 2022. (BackAndAlive via Reuters) Pressed again later, Psaki repeated that Biden does not intend to send U.S. troops to Ukraine and would not specify what "severe consequences" Russia would face if it uses biochemical weapons. Asked then if it's possible the White House has no consequences left to inflict on Russia, with severe actions like a no-fly zone, transporting jets and putting U.S. troops on the ground currently off the table, Psaki called that characterization "inaccurate." MORE: Pentagon's John Kirby says latest airstrike indicates Russian forces are 'broadening their target sets' "Those are conversations that will happen continue to happen with our national security team and with our partners and allies around the world," Psaki said. Meanwhile Russia has repeatedly threatened to target other countries working to resupply Ukraine, declaring them parties to the conflict and raising fears that an attack could trickle into Poland, a NATO nation, potentially prompting NATO allies to enter the war. PHOTO: Firefighters evacuate an elderly woman from an apartment building hit by shelling in Kyiv, Ukraine, March 14, 2022. (Ukrainian State Emergency Service via AP) MORE: Limits emerge to blame-Putin politics: The Note After the strike near the polish border over the weekend ABC News Chief Global Affairs Correspondent Martha Raddatz asked Pentagon press secretary John Kirby on "This Week," "If they strike in Poland, what happens?" "We take our Article 5 commitment very seriously," Kirby said. "An armed attack against one is considered an armed attack against all. That is why, Martha, we continue to flow and to move and to reposition forces and capabilities along NATO's eastern flank to make sure that we can defend every inch of NATO territory if we need to." "President Putin has continued to escalate his attack, hitting hospitals, schools and residential buildings," State Dept. spokesperson Ned Price says at briefing. "Ukraine's stiff resistance has slowed Putin's assault." https://t.co/wobotUOmg4pic.twitter.com/6rhRcPDyZ0 ABC News Live (@ABCNewsLive) March 14, 2022 "Now, there's no reason we should need to because there's no reason that there should be war in Ukraine as it is, and we've made it very clear to Russia that NATO territory will be defended not just by the United States, but by our allies," he later added. Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham, at a roundtable at the University of South Carolina's School of Law on Monday, said while he is against a no-fly zone over Ukraine, he would support one if Russia used chemical weapons which the senator called "a war crime of monumental proportion." "If there's a chemical attack by the Russians in Ukraine, that would be a war crime of monumental proportion and all the treaties we've tried to construct around the use of chemical weapons will be considered a joke if he doesn't pay a price. So, I would be for a no-fly zone then," Graham said Negotiators from Russia and Ukraine met Monday to see if they could broker a ceasefire and a potential peace deal, but the virtual meeting was stopped due to what Ukraine's presidential adviser called a "technical pause." The talks are scheduled to continue Tuesday. The fourth round of talks come as a senior U.S. official told Raddatz on Monday that Russian attacks on Ukraine will increase, with the western city of Lviv, a highly-populated area, among potential targets. Russia may target the city because "they want to create more terror," the official said. Pentagon press sec. John Kirby on Russian airstrike at a military facility in western Ukraine: "We know that several structures were hit...This is now the third significant strike in western Ukraine." https://t.co/6IC2Ocnrmgpic.twitter.com/88bRxxVfxH ABC News (@ABC) March 14, 2022 Over the weekend, Biden approved the shipment of $200 million in additional lethal aid to Ukraine, including antitank and antiaircraft weapons, after Congress approved a new aid package, with those materials expected to arrive in Ukraine from prepositioned U.S. military stations in Europe and the U.S. PHOTO:President Joe Biden announces new economic actions against Russia in the Roosevelt Room at the White House on March 11, 2022, in Washington. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) Largely unified on the issue, Congress this week will also vote to codify Biden's executive action taken Friday, which downgraded normal trade relations with Russia the latest example of how lawmakers have pushed the White House to take forceful steps against Russia. And amid fears China could supply ally Russia with weapons, national security adviser Jake Sullivan met in Rome on Monday with China's top diplomat, Yang Jiechi, in the first high-level, in-person meeting since Russia's invasion of Ukraine. ABC News' Luis Martinez, Conor Finnegan, Matt Seyler, Shannon Crawford and Benjamin Siegel contributed to this report. Russian missile strike near Poland raises tough questions for Biden originally appeared on abcnews.go.com Ukraine and Russia: What you need to know right now Russia's invasion of Ukraine continues, in the Vyshgorod region near Kyiv (Reuters) - Prime ministers of the Czech Republic, Poland and Slovenia boarded a train to Kyiv for the first visit of its kind since the Russian invasion, in a show of European support for Ukraine in its fight to fend off Moscow's assault. The three government chiefs are expected to deliver pledges of assistance as Ukrainian and Russian negotiators resumed their peace talks. DIPLOMACY * President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Ukraine understands it does not have an open door to NATO membership and therefore was looking for security guarantees outside of the alliance. * Kyiv and Moscow resumed talks via a video link, which Ukrainian negotiator said focused on ceasefires and troop withdrawals. CIVILIAN TOLL * The confirmed civilian toll in Ukraine is 691 people killed and 1,143 injured, The United Nations human rights office said while repeating the true figures were likely "considerably higher." * Kyiv will impose a 35-hour curfew after intense shelling, which killed at least four people. * The death toll from Monday's air strike on a TV tower in northern Ukraine reached at least 19, regional governor said. FIGHTING * Russia said its forces had taken full control of the southern region of Kherson. Reuters could not independently verify the report. * Ukraine reported more air strikes on an airport in the west, heavy shelling on Chernihiv northeast of Kyiv and attacks on the southern town of Mykolayiv. Ukraine said its forces counter-attacked in Mykolayiv and the eastern Kharkiv region. FLEEING THE CONFLICT * Ukraine planned another attempt to deliver supplies to besieged port of Mariupol as the first group of civilians allowed out of the city reached safety. * About 3 million people have fled Ukraine, nearly half of them children, according to the U.N. refugee agency. About 1.8 million are now in Poland and some 300,000 in Western Europe. ECONOMY AND SANCTIONS* The European Union hit Moscow with more sanctions, banning Russian steel and iron imports, exports of luxury goods, investment in the Russian energy sector, and credit ratings of Russian issuers. * Britain will ban luxury goods exports to Russia and hit $1.2 billion worth of Russian imports with a 35% tariff, while blacklisting additional hundreds of individuals and entities for their links to Kremlin. {nL5N2VI2KO] QUOTES "It is our duty to be where history is forged," Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said of the three leaders' trip to Kyiv. (Compiled by Tomasz Janowski; Editing by Raissa Kasolowsky) Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky addresses European leaders meeting in London on Tuesday. He is scheduled to address Congress on Wednesday and is likely to ask for more financial assistance and weaponry to resist the Russian invasion. (Justin Tallis / Pool Photo) Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will address the U.S. House and Senate on Wednesday morning in a virtual session. The Ukrainian leaders passionate defense of his country as it fights off a brutal invasion from Russia has won over the world. Here are five major questions hanging over what could prove to be a historic address: What will Zelensky ask for? Since Russia invaded his country on Feb. 24, Zelensky has successfully pushed the U.S. government to impose tougher sanctions on Russia, send more arms to Ukraine and boost humanitarian efforts as its European neighbors grapple with nearly 3 million Ukrainian refugees who have streamed across their borders. He wants the American government to send more financial aid, impose stiffer sanctions and get more aggressive in both arming and defending Ukraine. The Biden administration has resisted his requests for fighter jets and the imposition of a no-fly zone over Ukraine. You can watch the speech, scheduled to begin at 6 a.m. PDT, via livestream. Why has Biden rebuffed Zelensky's no-fly entreaties? The administration worries that more aggressive actions could risk sparking World War III. A no-fly zone, in particular, would potentially put American pilots in direct conflict with their Russian counterparts. Some members of Congress have argued that the administration is being too cautious and that Russian President Vladimir Putin has more to fear from the U.S. Pressure from Zelensky and U.S. lawmakers since the Russians crossed into Ukraine has already succeeded in some respects. The administration, for example, implemented an embargo on Russian energy after resisting that step for a couple of weeks. How much pressure will Zelensky exert in his speech? Biden has cast the war as a defining moment in the worldwide struggle between democracies and autocracies. But he's been skittish about going too far. Zelensky is not afraid to make direct appeals. He could call out Biden by name, or even quote his own words, proving them to be hollow. In a speech to the Canadian Parliament on Tuesday, Zelensky asked Prime Minister Justin Trudeau how he would feel if his own children were the ones getting shelled. Zelensky also asked Western governments to "please do not stop in your efforts. Please expand your efforts. His speech, relayed via a translator, was passionate, addressing in vivid terms the horrors of Russia's attack on his nation. The congressional address has the potential to be more dramatic. Zelensky is in Kyiv, which is being encircled by Russian forces, and he will likely not waste his chance to appeal directly to U.S. lawmakers, who will be watching him in the House chamber. How might Congress react? Members of Congress tend to respond to polls, and Zelensky is enormously popular with the American people. He is the rare leader who commands bipartisan support. In the middle of February, more than half of respondents to an Economist/YouGov poll had no opinion of him or did not know who he was. By last week, the Economist/YouGov found Zelensky commanded 60% approval from American adults, with only 17% expressing an unfavorable opinion. The former actor and comedian has proven himself to be a masterful communicator, resisting efforts to leave his country and inspiring his people to fend off a powerful adversary. Biden, by contrast, has less leverage with lawmakers. His approval rating is in the low 40s. And just 33% of Americans are confident in his ability to handle an international crisis, according to the Economist poll. What is Zelensky most likely to win from the U.S.? The U.S. can most easily offer more assistance helping its European allies handle the refugee crisis. Vice President Kamala Harris was asked on a trip to Poland last week whether the U.S. would ease the process for Ukrainian refugees who have American relatives to enter the United States. She was noncommittal. White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said on Tuesday that the administration is open to changes. Currently they can apply through the refugee process but were continuing to discuss what options may exist, she said. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Senior Chinese official elaborates on China's position on Ukraine situation Xinhua) 08:24, March 15, 2022 ROME, March 14 (Xinhua) -- Yang Jiechi, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, on Monday elaborated on China's position on the situation in Ukraine during his meeting with U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan in Rome. Yang, also director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the CPC Central Committee, said that the Chinese side does not want to see that the situation in Ukraine has come to this point. China always stands for respecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries, and abiding by the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, he said, adding that China is committed to promoting peace talks. He called on the international community to jointly support the Russia-Ukraine peace talks so that substantive results can be achieved as soon as possible, and to help de-escalate the situation as early as possible. All parties should exercise maximum restraint, protect civilians and prevent a large-scale humanitarian crisis, Yang said, adding that China has provided emergency humanitarian assistance to Ukraine, and will carry on its efforts to this end. Yang also said that it is important to straighten out the historical context of the Ukraine issue, get to the bottom of the problem's origin, and respond to the legitimate concerns of all parties. He called for taking a long-term view, actively advocating a vision of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security, and encouraging relevant parties to conduct equal-footed dialogue, and set up a balanced, effective and sustainable European security framework based on the principle of indivisible security in a bid to preserve peace in Europe and around the world. Yang stressed that the Chinese side resolutely opposes any words and deeds that spread false information, or distort and discredit China's position. (Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Liang Jun) Biden to travel to Brussels for NATO summit next week; Zelenskyy says Ukraine may never join NATO: Live updates Ukrainian servicemen and volunteers carry a man injured during a shelling attack into a hospital in Mariupol, Ukraine, on March 15, 2022. Editor's note: This page recaps the news from Ukraine on Tuesday, March 15. Follow here for the latest updates and news from Wednesday, March 16, as Russia's invasion continues. Ukrainians must realize the country will not be joining NATO and must "count on ourselves and our partners who are helping us" to withstand the Russian onslaught, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Tuesday. Later in the day, the White House said President Joe Biden will travel to Brussels for a March 24 NATO summit on Russias invasion of Ukraine. Talks between Ukrainian and Russian delegations yielded a sliver of hope when Zelenskyy adviser Mykhailo Podolyak said there is certainly room for compromise. However, the invading forces continued their bombardment of Kyiv while a siege of the port city of Mariupol prompted about 20,000 civilians to flee. Negotiations are expected to resume Wednesday. Zelenskyy, speaking to representatives of the U.K.-led Joint Expeditionary Force, said Ukraine has heard for years about "the allegedly open doors of NATO but acknowledged his country will not be able to join. Instead, Ukraine needs separate security guarantees from its allies, he said. Zelenskyy had been a strong supporter of Ukraine's efforts to join NATO. Russian President Vladimir Putin, however, has called for a guarantee that Ukraine would never join NATO among terms for an end to the war. Still, Zelenskyy has repeatedly called for NATO to set up a no-fly zone above Ukraine to ease an aerial assault from Russia that has decimated Ukraine cities since the invasion began Feb. 24. And he said Tuesday that Europe could help yourself by helping us with more military aid. The Ukrainian military is using up weapons and ammunition meant to last a week in 20 hours, he said. Leaders of Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovenia were traveling to Kyiv on a European Union mission Tuesday to show support for Ukraine. Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said in a tweet announcing the trip that "Europe must guarantee Ukraine's independence and ensure that it is ready to help in Ukraine's reconstruction." THE NEWS COMES TO YOU: Get updates on the situation in Ukraine. Sign up here. LATEST MOVEMENT: Mapping and tracking Russia's invasion of Ukraine FULL COVERAGE: Latest updates, analysis, commentary on Ukraine Latest developments: A fourth Russian general was killed in fighting at Mariupol, Ukrainian officials said Tuesday, identifying him as Maj. Gen. Oleg Mityaev, commander of the 150th motorized rifle division. Russia did not confirm the death. Ukrainian forces on Tuesday evening repelled an attack on Kharkiv by Russian troops, who tried to storm the city from their positions in Piatykhatky, a suburb 15 kilometers (9 miles) to the north, the head of the Kharkiv region said. A funeral service was held Tuesday in Lviv for four Ukrainian soldiers killed in a Russian attack on a training base in Yavoriv in western Ukraine. The attack on Sunday killed at least 35 people. Zelenskyy addressed the Canadian Parliament, again pleading for a no-fly zone over his country. The speech came as Moscow announced it was banning Prime Minister Justin Trudeau from entering Russia. The Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights says at least 691 civilians have died and 1,143 have been injured since the war began. At least four children have died, the agency said. More than 3 million Ukrainians have fled the country, the U.N. refugee agency said. "Today we have passed another terrible milestone," tweeted U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi. "The war has to stop. Now." A humanitarian disaster is unfolding in Izium, an eastern city of 46,000 people, Deputy Mayor Volodymyr Matsokin said. The city lacks basic supplies and extensive Russian shelling has severely damaged infrastructure, he said. Belarus, a neighbor of both Russia and Ukraine but an ally of the former in the war, continued its crackdown on independent media by sentencing two journalists from the nation's oldest newspaper to 2 1/2 years in prison on charges of dodging communal payments they have rejected as politically driven. Biden to announce $800 million additional military aid for Ukraine President Joe Biden on Wednesday is expected to announce an additional $800 million in military aid for Ukraine, according to a White House official, bringing the total U.S. support for Ukraine to $1 billion in just the last week. Biden will announce the aid in an 11:45 a.m. ET speech, shortly after Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is expected to urge for greater assistance during a virtual address to the U.S. Senate and House earlier in the morning. Were moving urgently to further augment the support to the brave people of Ukraine as they defend their country, Biden said Tuesday. And Ill have much more to say about this tomorrow about exactly what were doing in Ukraine. The additional $800 million will mean more than $2 billion in U.S. aid has gone to Ukraine since Biden entered office. The money has paid for an assortment of military equipment including 600 Stinger anti-aircraft systems, 2,600 Javelin anti-armor systems, nearly 40 million rounds of small arms ammunition, 200 grenade launchers and ammunition, 200 shotguns and 200 machine guns, according to the White House. In addition, Biden signed into law a government funding bill Tuesday that will provide $13.6 billion in humanitarian aid, economic support and defense assistance for Ukraine and the region. Joey Garrison Russian forces take 500 hostage in Mariupol hospital, Ukraine official says Russian forces took control of a hospital in the port city Mariupol, holding about 500 people hostage late Tuesday, according to a regional leader. Pavlo Kyrylenko said on the social media app Telegram that Russian forces rounded up 400 people from their houses in the neighborhood and drove them into the hospital, where about 100 patients, doctors and other hospital staff were. Kyrylenko said Russians were using the hostages as human shields. Its impossible to leave the hospital, they are shooting hard, Kyrylenko said. He said staff are continuing to treat patients in makeshift wards set up in a basement despite damage done to the building from shelling. The siege of Regional Intensive Care Hospital in Mariupol comes the week after Russian forces bombed a maternity hospital in the same city. Three people were killed, including a child. Biden to attend NATO summit in Brussels to discuss Russias invasion President Joe Biden will travel to Brussels for a March 24 NATO summit on Russias invasion of Ukraine. White House press secretary Jen Psaki confirmed Bidens attendance after NATO General Secretary Jens Stoltenberg announced the extraordinary summit of all NATO allies at the NATO headquarters. At this critical time, North America & Europe must continue to stand together, Stoltenberg said in a statement on Twitter. This will be Bidens first to Europe since Russian President Vladimir Putin launched an invasion of Ukraine three weeks ago. Vice President Kamala Harris last week traveled to Romania and Poland, where she reaffirmed the United States commitment to defend members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Psaki said Biden will discuss ongoing deterrence and defense efforts in response to Russia's unprovoked and unjustified attack on Ukraine and reaffirm our ironclad commitment to our NATO allies. She said Biden will also join a scheduled European Council summit to discuss concerns about Ukraine, including transatlantic efforts to impose economic costs on Russia and humanitarian support to those affected by the violence in Ukraine. When asked, Psaki would not say whether Biden will visit Poland, where the vast majority of Ukrainian refugees have fled. Were still working through the final details of the trip and what it may look like, said Psaki, who did not rule out Biden possibly meeting with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Joey Garrison As advancement stalls, Russia seeks reinforcements Russian losses on battlefields in Ukraine have stalled its offensive and forced it to seek reinforcements from troops stationed in the Pacific and paying mercenary forces, according to the British Defense ministry. Russia has been seeking mercenaries from Syria and elsewhere to fight in Ukraine. "Russia will likely attempt to use these forces to hold captured territory and free up its combat power to renew stalled offensive operations," British defense attache Mick Smeath said in a statement Tuesday evening. Ukrainian resistance has hampered advancement by Russia, whose ability to hold territory it seizes would be degraded by continued losses, according to British military intelligence. Earlier Tuesday, a senior Defense Department official said the Russian offensive against Ukraines major cities, including Kyiv, was not progressing. However, Russian forces continue to bombard Kyiv with artillery and missile fire, striking residential areas with increasing frequency, according to the official, who shared battlefield assessments on condition of anonymity. Russias main force has made minimal progress toward Kyiv. The leading edge of the troops remain about 10 miles to the northwest and about 15 miles to the east of the citys center. Ukrainians continue to mount stiff resistance, including near the city of Kharkiv. -- Tom Vanden Brook Fox News cameraman and consultant killed while covering war Fox News cameraman Pierre Zakrzewski and journalist Oleksandra "Sasha'' Kuvshynova were killed while reporting with correspondent Benjamin Hall in Ukraine outside the capital city of Kyiv, Fox News Media CEO Suzanne Scott announced Tuesday. The group was traveling in a vehicle in Horenka nearly 20 miles from Kyiv when they were struck by incoming fire Monday, Scott said in a statement. Hall remained hospitalized. "Pierre was a war zone photographer who covered nearly every international story for Fox News from Iraq to Afghanistan to Syria during his long tenure with us," Scott said. "His passion and talent as a journalist were unmatched." Kuvshynova, 24, was a freelance consultant for the network's team in Ukraine who helped with her knowledge of Kiev and its surroundings as well as her country's language. "Her dream was to connect people around the world and tell their stories and she fulfilled that through her journalism,'' Scott said. American photojournalist Brent Renaud was killed Sunday when Russian forces fired on a car in Irpin, a town 30 miles outside Kyiv. A second American journalist, Juan Arredondo, was hospitalized with shrapnel wounds, police said. Ned Price, the State Departments chief spokesman, did not directly respond when asked if Russia is intentionally targeting journalists, but said the department is documenting attacks on people who should be completely off limits. He said it would merit a serious response if the department determines there is any intentionality here.'' Asha C. Gilbert Russian TV employee who protested war is fined $270, could face tougher penalty The Russian state television employee who interrupted a live news program by protesting against the war in Ukraine was fined the equivalent of $270 but could face harsher penalties under Russia's new law aimed at quelling opposition to the invasion. Marina Ovsyannikova was ordered to pay 30,000 rubles by Moscow's Ostankino District Court on charges of organizing unsanctioned actions for her call to demonstrate against the war. CNN reported that Ovsyannikova was questioned for 14 hours before her court appearance. More concerning than the fine was the possibility Ovsyannikova could be sentenced to up to 15 years in prison if found guilty of violating the punitive legislation adopted a day after the Feb. 24 invasion. Russia's top state investigative agency is looking into whether Ovsyannikova broke the new law by publicly spreading false information about the Russian military. Ovsyannikova, who said in a video that her father is Ukrainian and her mother is Russian, walked into a Channel One studio during Monday's evening news show with a poster saying no war and Russians against the war and warning viewers against believing propaganda spread by the station In the video, she said Russia is the aggressor country and one person, Vladimir Putin, solely bears responsibility for that aggression, and she urged Russians to join anti-war protests. Speaking in a video address early Tuesday, Ukraines President Volodymyr Zelenskyy praised Russians who do not stop trying to convey the truth, real facts And personally to the woman who entered the studio of Channel One with a poster against the war. Girl who went viral singing 'Let It Go' in Kyiv bomb shelter is now in Poland A video of a 7-year-old girl singing the song Let It Go from Disneys Frozen in a bomb shelter in Kyiv went viral last week. Now she has made it safely to Poland. The girl, Amelia, is in the country with her grandmother, the BBC reported. She told the outlet that, It was OK in the bomb shelter. There were other children there. My classmate, Artyom, was there too, she said. I would be very happy to be with my mother and father, in Kyiv, of course, she added. She also thanked the millions of people who saw the video of her singing the hit song from the Disney movie. Last week, Idina Menzel, who voiced Elsa, the character who sings Let it Go in Frozen, shared the video of Amelia singing on Twitter, writing, We see you. We really, really see you. -- Marina Pitofsky U.S. supplies another $186 million in humanitarian aid The Biden administration said Tuesday it would provide an additional $186 million in humanitarian assistance in response to the refugee crisis caused by Russias war against Ukraine. More than 3 million Ukrainians have fled the country since Russia invaded on Feb. 24th, with the majority crossing into Poland. This will provide further support for humanitarian organizations responding to the crisis and complement the generosity of the neighboring countries that are welcoming and supporting refugees, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement. Blinken said the new funds would help provide food, drinking water, shelter and emergency health care through international and non-governmental partners. This funding will also help victims of this conflict maintain contact with family members who have been separated and promote family reunification when possible, Blinken said. -- Deirdre Shesgreen Kyiv mayor: Men should fight, not 'sit somewhere and sympathize' Russia stepped up its bombardment of Kyiv on Tuesday, smashing apartments and a subway station as the assault edged closer to the city center. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said barrages hit four multi-story buildings in the city and killed dozens of people. The shelling ignited a huge fire in a 15-story apartment building and spurred a frantic rescue effort. Mayor Vitali Klitschko stressed that Kyiv is prepared to defend itself and was confident it will not fall. He urged the men who left the capital to return and fight. Everyone who loves Kyiv and wants it to survive should help as best they can," said Klitschko, a former heavyweight champion boxer. "Kyiv men, come back. We must protect our city and our future. Dont sit somewhere and sympathize." Russia sanctions President Biden, top national security officials The Kremlin has sanctioned President Joe Biden and 13 of his top national security and foreign policy aides, the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced Tuesday. Among the other officials sanctioned are Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin; Secretary of State Antony Blinken; CIA Director Bill Burns; White House press secretary Jen Psaki; national security adviser Jake Sullivan and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. When a country sanctions officials or a company, their assets in the country are seized and they're subject to arrest if they set foot on the country. The U.S. and the European Union have sanctioned a number of top Kremlin military officials, billionaires and members of the Russian legislature over Russian President Vladimir Putins invasion of Ukraine. It is unlikely the sanctions against the U.S. will have a material effect, given that none of the officials have reported assets in Russia. Western governments have ramped up efforts to seize the wealth of Russian oligarchs and financial institutions in their countries. Matthew Brown Zelenskyy: Russian troops who surrender will be treated 'decently' Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told Russian troops in an online video early Tuesday that they can surrender and will be treated "decently" and pleaded with European nations to provide his military with more weapons. "On behalf of the Ukrainian people, I give you a chance," Zelenskyy said in a video translated into English by his office, ahead of his scheduled speech to Canada's parliament Tuesday. "Chance to survive. If you surrender to our forces, we will treat you the way people are supposed to be treated. As people, decently." NATO leaders focus on bolstering forces near Russian border Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin was traveling to Brussels on Tuesday for a meeting of NATOs defense ministers that will focus on bolstering the alliances eastern front following Russias invasion of Ukraine. Austin then is scheduled to visit senior civilian and military leaders in Slovakia and Bulgaria, according to Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby. The NATO meeting comes after Russias cruise-missile attack Sunday on the Yavoriv military training base in western Ukraine. The attack killed at least 35 people and occurred not far from the border with Poland, a NATO ally. President Joe Biden and other senior officials have pledged to respond to any Russian attack that spills into NATO territory. Tom Vanden Brook Damage in Ukraine estimated at $500 billion and rising Preliminary losses from Russia's attack in Ukraine are already estimated at $500 billion and the damage grows worse every day, Minister of Finance Serhiy Marchenko said Tuesday. Supply chains have been broken, some businesses destroyed and others left unable to function because their workers have fled, Marchenko said. The true cost of the war won't be determined until it's over, he said. The International Monetary Fund, which has approved $1.4 billion in emergency financing for Ukraine, said this week that the country's economic output could shrink by up to 35% if the war drags on. Marchenko said some of the hundreds of billions in Russian assets frozen in the U.S. and Europe could be tapped to help his country rebuild. China defends position on Ukraine China's stance on Russias invasion of Ukraine is impartial and constructive while the U.S. has been immoral and irresponsible by spreading misinformation, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said Tuesday. Lijian accused the U.S. of spreading misinformation over reports Beijing had agreed to a Russian request for military supplies. Lijian also said the U.S. played a major role in the development of the crisis, a reference to NATO expansion. Lijian spoke at a press briefing on day after Yang Jiechi, one of China's top diplomats, met with U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan. Yang called on the international community to support peace talks and said "China always stands for respecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries." State Department spokesman Ned Price declined to confirm whether U.S. officials believe Beijing has conveyed its support for Moscow's assault on Ukraine but said the U.S. is watching very closely whether China or any other country is providing any form of support, including material, economic or financial assistance. Poland on edge as Russian airstrikes hit near border KRAKOW, Poland After a deadly Russian missile attack in Ukraine just 15 miles from the Polish border Sunday, some Poles are increasingly anxious saving money, checking to see whether their passports are up to date and making plans to flee if war spills over to their country. I said to my husband, If only one bomb touches Polish ground, I will pack myself, pack my grandma, pack my mom, and we are going abroad,' local artist Aga Gaj said. Poles are nervous following a Russian airstrike that killed 35 and injured at least 100 at a military base where Americans had trained Ukrainian forces before the war. The United States and NATO have regularly sent instructors to the base, known as the International Peacekeeping and Security Center. Just weeks before the war began, Florida National Guard members trained there. Read more here. Katelyn Ferral, USA TODAY Network Contributing: The Associated Press This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Ukraine recap: Biden to provide Ukraine with $800M in new aid A woman who interrupted a live news bulletin on Russian state TV to protest against the invasion of Ukraine has been praised by Downing Street for her incredibly brave act. Foreign Office minister James Cleverly earlier said the stunt, along with other demonstrations in Russia, was really important in telling the truth about the conflict in a country where it is now illegal to contradict President Vladimir Putins narrative of the war. On Monday evening, an anchor on state-controlled Channel One was speaking during a newscast when a woman appeared on camera behind her holding a sign with No war scrawled in English across the top and a message in Russian below it, calling on people not to believe Moscow propaganda. An independent human rights group that monitors political arrests identified the woman as Marina Ovsyannikova. The group, OVD-Info, posted on its website that Ms Ovsyannikova, who identified herself as an employee of the TV station, was taken into police custody. The Prime Ministers official spokesman told reporters: I think this was an incredibly brave act by this producer. The Prime Minister wants to pay tribute to all of those in Russia standing up to Putins campaign of violence. It is an illustration that there is a significant proportion of the people of Russia who do not believe this war is in their name and are incredibly bravely standing up to make that clear. Police detain a demonstrator during a protest in St Petersburg against Russias attack on Ukraine (Dmitri Lovetsky/AP) Ms Ovsyannikova, who is said to be a producer on the station she interrupted, appeared at a Moscow court on Tuesday after spending the night in police custody. The Ostankino District Court ordered her to pay a fine of 30,000 roubles (about 207) on charges of organising unsanctioned actions. The charge is a less serious offence than those established by a new censorship law passed earlier this month by Mr Putin, which criminalises the spread of information that is considered by the Kremlin to be fake news, controlling what can be reported about the conflict with Ukraine. Mr Cleverley said that protests in Russia, including the one seen on the Russian news programme, were incredibly important in terms of providing the Russian population with information. He told BBC Breakfast: It shows a huge degree of bravery for those individuals to protest against what we know is an oppressive, authoritarian state, but its really important that the Russian people understand what is being done in their name. Foreign Office minister James Cleverly (Stefan Rousseau/PA) They have been systematically lied to by Vladimir Putin and its really important they understand the truth of whats going on. Speaking in a video address early on Tuesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky praised Ms Ovsyannikovas actions. People in Russia have limited access to information from outside their country. Internally, Russias state TV regularly amplifies the government line that says troops entered Ukraine to save people from neo-Nazis and to defend Russians from a country that was preparing to attack. The assault on Ukraine is being characterised in Russia as a special military operation, with any suggestion of a war being waged against Kyiv branded as disinformation by the Kremlin. Moscow has also blocked social media sites like Twitter and Facebook. Online grocery business Ocado has signed a deal with supermarket giant Auchan to build a warehouse in Poland to serve customers in the Warsaw region. The deal is the second signed with the retailer, having agreed to partner with Auchan in Spain last year. Ocados exclusive deal will see a customer fulfilment centre built in 2024, with further sites in the pipeline, covering food and non-food products. Ocado boss Tim Steiner said the deal in Poland will be on an exclusive basis (Ocado/PA) The announcement comes as Ocado goes to the High Court in London in a battle against rival AutoStore over claims of patent infringement. AutoStore is claiming Ocado breached three of its patents for parts of its robot pickers in a dispute that has already seen hearings take place.in the US and Germany. The four-week trial will start on Tuesday, with Ocado aiming to prove that the patents AutoStore says have been breached were already in the public domain before they were filed. Bosses will tell the court that the designs were shared with a Russian bank in 2010 as part of plans to offer the robots to transfer money around its vaults, making the patents invalid. They will also argue that the patents have not been breached in any case because the designs are different and its robots are designed for picking food, rather than cash. The disputes have already cost both companies tens of millions of pounds in legal fees but Ocado is hopeful that a recent US ruling in its favour can help secure victory in court in London. Speaking about the deal in Poland, Ocado boss Tim Steiner said: We are pleased to bring a second Auchan business to our global platform, and to welcome Auchan Poland to the club of innovative and forward-looking retailers who are using the Ocado Smart Platform to power their online grocery business. Today though we recognise that this announcement comes at a very difficult time for everyone in Poland, including many cherished colleagues working in our technology development centres in Wrocaw, Krakow and elsewhere. The human tragedy unfolding in Ukraine, and the refugee crisis along its borders, has shocked the world. Auchan Retail Poland chief executive Gerard Gallet said: In the current very difficult context we are faced with, our teams are very committed to help Ukrainian refugees with the support of NGOs like Caritas and Red Cross. We strongly call for peace in Ukraine. At the same time, we would like to prepare our company for the future. Boris Johnson has urged the West to end its addiction to Russian energy as he prepares to head to Saudi Arabia to push for increased oil and gas production. It came as the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) confirmed that, as of 9.30pm on Monday, more than 43,000 households had offered to put up those fleeing the conflict as part of the UK Governments sponsorship scheme. A DLUHC spokesman said the total is continuing to rise, with offers doubling within a matter of hours. On Tuesday, the Prime Minister is set to travel to Saudi for talks with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in the hope the kingdom can increase its production of oil and gas to make up for a reduced reliance on Russia. In an article for the Daily Telegraph, Mr Johnson said Western leaders had made a terrible mistake by letting President Vladimir Putin get away with annexing Crimea in 2014 and subsequently becoming more dependent on Russian power sources. He said the addiction to Russian fuel had emboldened Mr Putin to bomb civilians during his invasion of Ukraine, while at the same time profiting from soaring global oil and gas prices. We cannot go on like this. The world cannot be subject to this continuous blackmail, said Mr Johnson, whose administration has already announced its plan to phase out importing Russian oil by the end of the year. As long as the West is economically dependent on Putin, he will do all he can to exploit that dependence. And that is why that dependence must and will now end. It came as Latvian Prime Minister Arturs Krisjanis Karins, whose country shares its eastern border with Russia, told the BBC: We have to think of all the things we can do in order to stop Putin because if we do not stop Putin he will simply continue in this way, in his fight against the democratic world. Stating that Russia produces virtually nothing else that the rest of the world wants to buy, Mr Johnson argued: If the world can end its dependence on Russian oil and gas, we can starve him of cash, destroy his strategy and cut him down to size. Offering a glimpse of what could be in his British Energy Security Strategy, which is due to be published this month, he said there is a need to press ahead with investment in renewables, including expanding the number of UK offshore wind farms and creating more solar power. Boris Johnson said the West had made a terrible mistake in failing to challenge Russian President Vladimir Putin over the annexing of Crimea in 2014 (Mikhail Klimentyev/AP) Mr Johnson also said there needs to be a series of big new bets on nuclear power to make sure the UKs energy supply is no longer at the mercy of bullies like Putin. However, the Prime Minister sought to level with the public, warning that diverging from Russian power will be painful and that financial assistance offered by Chancellor Rishi Sunak to help with rising bills this year cannot be afforded for long. On Tuesday, Mr Johnson will jet to Riyadh in a bid to secure the route to diverging from Moscow energy supplies but the Prime Minister faced calls to scrap the trip over human rights concerns, particularly after recent reports of a mass execution of Saudi prisoners. Before his evening flight, he is due to host leaders from the Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF), an alliance of northern European nations. Representatives from Denmark, Finland, Estonia, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Sweden and Norway had been expected to dine with Mr Johnson at his Chequers country retreat on Monday night before talks in London on Tuesday. The latest intelligence update published by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) said Russia is likely to make further attempts to subvert Ukrainian democracy amid reports that Moscow is to install its own mayor in the city of Melitpol following the alleged abduction of his predecessor. The MoD also said reports suggest Russia is planning to stage a referendum in the captured region of Kherson to legitimise it as a breakaway republic. Domestically, Britons came forward in such large numbers to offer to take in Ukrainian refugees that the website for registering interest crashed shortly after opening. It is a huge honour to welcome Nordic and Baltic partners of the Joint Expeditionary Force to the UK. Well work together to bolster European security and ensure we emerge from this crisis stronger and more united than before. pic.twitter.com/xlgJ2pq3ae Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson) March 14, 2022 The DLUHC spokesman confirmed that the Homes For Ukraine website temporarily stalled after it went live late on Monday afternoon due to the enormous generosity of the British public in expressing their interest to offer accommodation. Almost three million people have fled Ukraine since Mr Putin ordered the assault on Kyiv and civilians have continued to find themselves caught up in the fighting. Under the new scheme, sponsors can provide a route for Ukrainians without family ties to come to the UK for the first time. NEW UK individuals, charities, community groups & businesses can now record their interest in supporting Ukrainians fleeing the war through our new Homes for Ukraine scheme. Express an interest in becoming a sponsor now https://t.co/Tnh1cpJEle#StandWithUkraine pic.twitter.com/vbbINAz3XP Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities (@luhc) March 14, 2022 Sponsors can be of any nationality as long as they have permission to be in the UK for at least six months. Those putting up refugees can receive a tax-free monthly payment of 350 for each family they look after. Separately, a new law was passed that will make it easier for ministers to impose sanctions on people linked to the Russian regime. The Economic Crime (Transparency and Enforcement) Act cleared both Houses of Parliament on Monday evening, with the legislation receiving royal assent in the early hours of Tuesday. The fast-tracked legislation allows Britain to automatically sanction those who have had their assets frozen by the EU, US or Canada, opening the door to potentially hundreds more individual sanctions amid criticism that the UK Government has been slow to target those with Kremlin links. The Queen has hosted Canadas Governor General for afternoon tea the day after missing the Commonwealth Day service. The monarch, 95, carried out the official in-person engagement, welcoming Mary Simon to her Windsor Castle home on Tuesday. In the Oak Room, the Queen, who is also monarch of Canada, was pictured dressed in a blue and grey paisley-style patterned dress, standing without her walking stick as she shook hands with Ms Simon and greeted her husband, the journalist Whit Fraser. The Queen shakes hands with the Governor General of Canada, Mary Simon (Steve Parsons/PA) The Queens absence from the major Commonwealth event at Westminster Abbey on Monday was understood to be due to comfort rather than a specific illness. The head of state, who reached her Platinum Jubilee last month, has faced a bout of Covid in recent weeks and also spent more than three months from October on doctors orders to only conduct light duties. The Governor General is the Queens representative in Canada and acts on the monarchs behalf to uphold the countrys system of responsible government. Ms Simon, a former ambassador and lifelong advocate for indigenous people, is Canadas first indigenous Governor General. The monarch chats to her guests (Steve Parsons/PA) She took up her post in July in the wake of a scandal over the nations long mistreatment of indigenous people. Earlier on Tuesday, the Queen held two virtual audiences. The head of state received the ambassadors of Mongolia and Tajikistan via video-link at her Berkshire royal residence. Enkhsukh Battumur, Ambassador of Mongolia, and his wife Ganchimeg Purevdorj, are received by the Queen via video-link (Yui Mok/PA) Mongolian ambassador Enkhsukh Battumur, in traditional dress, presented his letters of credence as he spoke to the monarch online. The Queen also greeted Rukhshona Emomali, the republic of Tajikistans diplomat. On Monday, the Prince of Wales represented his mother in the central London abbey for the annual celebration of the Commonwealth. Rukhshona Emomali, Ambassador of the Republic of Tajikistan, presents her credentials to the Queen (Yui Mok/PA) In her message on Commonwealth Day, the monarch said it had made her happy, during her Platinum Jubilee year, to reaffirm the pledge she made in 1947 as a 21-year-old to devote her life in service. Irish Taoiseach Micheal Martin has said his meeting with US President Joe Biden this week will be dominated by discussions around the Russian invasion of Ukraine. However, Mr Martin said they would also discuss economic ties and the impact of Brexit on the Good Friday Agreement in Northern Ireland. Mr Martin is currently in US capital Washington for the traditional St Patricks Day celebrations, which will include an audience with Mr Biden on Thursday. He spoke to the media at the Irish Embassy after chairing a virtual meeting of the Irish cabinet which focused on the humanitarian response to the Ukrainian refugee crisis. Mr Martin said his meeting with Mr Biden this week would be a meeting of one Irishman with another Irishman. He added: Obviously, Ukraine will be the dominant issue and I think it will be important reaffirming and working through the relationship between the European Union and the United States, and how well that has worked in the context of this crisis. The President has been very strong in terms of the need for that multi-lateral system, in terms of the need for the restoration of the strong trans-Atlantic alliance that has always existed between Europe and the US, and he has been very effective in that regard. No more so than in respect of the current Ukrainian crisis. To be fair to the American government, our sense is they have called this right all along in terms of sharing their intelligence. Also working with EU countries in terms of sanctions. The Taoiseach said he would also be raising the issue of undocumented Irish currently living in the US. He said: Also, how can we work the existing channels of legal migration between the US and Ireland? We have to develop new mechanisms which develop a two-way exchange between our two countries which are legal exchanges of people. Mr Martin added: We also want to discuss the economic relationship between Ireland and the United States, which is a powerful relationship, not just in terms of the American multi-nationals which are present in Ireland, but also the number of Irish companies which are located in America creating thousands of jobs. US President Joe Biden will meet the Taoiseach this week (Jeff J Mitchell/PA) It is a very strong, mutual economic relationship and the culture and artistic relationship is also particularly strong. The Taoiseach said he would be meeting with several senior US politicians to discuss the Good Friday Agreement and the Northern Ireland Protocol. He said: We will also be thanking the president for his steadfast support of the Good Friday Agreement and the ongoing concern about the Good Friday Agreement, and indeed issues around the protocol and the impact of Brexit on Northern Ireland. We will discuss those issues with senior politicians over the course of this week. Reaffirming our position in terms of the importance of making sure that the Good Friday Agreement is not undermined but also that the protocol works and works effectively. The more and more we talk to people in Northern Ireland in industry and in business, the more it emerges that all want continued access to the European single market, the vast majority see it as very beneficial to inward investment into Northern Ireland. There are issues around the level of checks, the amount of checks and so on, we have taken those on board, so has the European Union, I believe it should be possible between the EU and the UK to resolve this. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has expressed his frustration with Nato over the refusal to implement a no-fly zone as Kyiv continued to come under fire. In a video call to Boris Johnson and representatives from Baltic and northern European countries gathered in London, Mr Zelensky said Nato had been hypnotised by Russia. He said Vladimir Putins invasion had undermined the European security infrastructure by invading a sovereign country. Nato was the strongest alliance in the world but some of the members of this alliance are hypnotised by Russian aggression. Prime Minister Boris Johnson arrives at Lancaster House (Justin Tallis/PA) We hear a lot of conversations about the third world war, that allegedly it could start if Nato will close the Ukrainian sky for Russian missiles and planes and, therefore, the humanitarian no-fly zone was not yet established, he said. That allows the Russian army to bombard peaceful cities and blow up housing blocks and hospitals and schools. Four multi-storey buildings in Kyiv in the early morning were bombarded, dozens of dead. Mr Zelensky expressed his frustration that Ukraine had not been allowed to join Nato, something which could have protected it from invasion because of the alliances mutual defence policy. Speaking through an interpreter he said the alliances open doors policy had not worked for Ukraine Of course Ukraine is not a Nato member, we understand that, he told the European leaders. We have heard for many years about the open doors, but we also heard that we cant enter those doors. This is the truth and we have simply to accept it as it is. He said other countries bordering Russia should think about their independent defence capabilities outside Nato. We are doing the best to get the jet fighters and missile defence systems. We need some new format, if we cannot enter the open doors (of Nato) then we have to co-operate with platforms and unions that allow us to do so. Western sanctions are not enough to end the Russian aggression, he said, calling for a full trade embargo. The president criticised firms which continued doing business with Russia and said the world is silent as nuclear power plants are captured and shelled. Many international companies have not yet withdrawn from the Russian market although severe sanctions were introduced, he said. Such firms dont care about the 97 kids who were killed so far. He called for Russian navy vessels to be barred from ports around the world and for all Russian banks to be excluded from the Swift financial messaging system. He said: We have to acknowledge Russia as a rogue state and there has to be a trade embargo with Russia. This is something that we need and you need as well, just like the rest of the world, to make sure there is peace in Europe and Ukraine. Boris Johnson was leading the meeting of the Joint Expeditionary Force nations Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden. I hear your point very loud and clear about the economic sanctions that we need to tighten Mr Zelensky told the leaders and ministers gathered at Lancaster House in London to help yourself by helping us. You know the kind of weapons we need, everyone knows, he said. He said the shipments of supplies from the UK and other nations were being rapidly used up. The amount that we are getting per week is used, usually by us within 20 hours, he said. As a result captured Russian equipment and old Soviet-era kit was being pushed into service. Mr Johnson told the Ukrainian leader: You challenge us, quite rightly, to do more and we all know that we can and we must do more. The Prime Minister said: I hear your point very loud and clear about the economic sanctions that we need to tighten, where we need to go harder on the banks, on Swift. He acknowledged it is a desperate moment and we must try to do more, particularly to support you in protecting the Ukrainian people from bombardment from artillery and by aviation. The UK has already said it is planning to send Starstreak anti-aircraft missile systems to Ukraine. Mr Johnson said the Ukrainian president had been inspirational and brave. He has spoken to the world and he has mobilised world opinion against the brutality of Vladimir Putin, he said. The revised site plan for the 50,800-square-foot Verizon data center on Turner Road in Roswell shows adjustments made since the original plan was submitted in September. On March 14, the Roswell City Council approved the telecom companys request to rezone the property to allow for expansion. Feature Your News Online $25.00 / for 30 days Highlight your business' news for just $25! We'll feature your content on our News From Local Business section & our Marketplace front page to give it maximum exposure for the next 30 days. Online Access for Print Subscribers. Do you have a print subscription with the Argus-Press? If yes, then click here to enjoy complimentary access to our Online Content! YEREVAN, MARCH 15, ARMENPRESS. Construction companies are carrying out construction works in the permanent deployment locations of the Armenian Armed Forces in the town of Jermuk in Vayots Dzor province and in the towns of Tsav, Vardavank, Karashen and Vaghatur in Syunik province, the Armenian Deputy Minister of Defense Arman Sargsyan said. He said the Armenian military conducted studies to ensure the security of military facilities and infrastructures, to examine the new boundaries after the war, to equip military positions, to ensure the temporary deployment facilities and conditions for troops, to select new permanent deployment locations for military bases and to specify possibilities for construction works requiring urgent solutions. Sargsyan said they are using light metallic modular homes as a fast solution given the urgency to house the troops, and the communal conditions in permanent deployment locations is being improved, with re-equipment underway. We can say that the construction of the Jermuk permanent deployment location is almost complete, Sargsyan added, noting that construction is underway also in Tsav, Vardavank, Karashen and Vaghatur. YEREVAN, MARCH 15, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan received European Unions Special Representative for the South Caucasus and the Crisis in Georgia Toivo Klaar, the PMs Office said. The meeting was also attended by Head of the EU Delegation to Armenia, Ambassador Andrea Wiktorin. At the meeting PM Pashinyan praised the dynamic development of the Armenia-EU partnership and highlighted the efforts aimed at strengthening those mutual relations. Touching upon the ongoing democratic reforms in Armenia, the PM said the government is consistently moving on the implementation of Armenias democratic agenda and would like to thank the EU for supporting this process. The EU Special Representative said the European Union attaches importance to the partnership with Armenia and reaffirmed the readiness to support the countrys democratic reforms. The sides also touched upon the ongoing processes in the South Caucasus, the current situation in Nagorno Karabakh and the increase of tension. In the context of strengthening peace and stability in the region, Nikol Pashinyan and Toivo Klaar exchanged ideas about the border demarcation and delimitation process between Armenia and Azerbaijan, the unblocking of communication routes and the Armenia-Turkey dialogue course. PM Pashinyan highly appreciated the efforts of the President of the European Council Charles Michel aimed at strengthening regional stability. He also highlighted the meetings held at the mediation of the European Council President and the President of France in Brussels and the President of Russia in Sochi, as well as the implementation of the agreements reached during those meetings. Both sides emphasized the necessity of the comprehensive settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict under the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairmanship. The sides agreed to continue the active contacts. YEREVAN, MARCH 15, ARMENPRESS. Inciting war or displaying aggression are not the goal of the Armenian Armed Forces, but the Armenian government is doing everything for the Armenian military to be combat-ready and capable of potential countermeasures, the Armenian Deputy Minister of Defense Arman Sargsyan told lawmakers during parliamentary committee discussions on the governments action plan performance report for 2021. During the session opposition Hayastan faction MP Gegham Manukyan asked Sargsyan on the development of the militarys reform concept. The governments report says that this concept will develop and transform the Armed Forces with the purpose of defending from aggression, and not for aggression. Was our military ever a military with the goal of aggression that now they want to create a non-aggressor military with a concept, or simply a toothless military? asked Manukyan. Sargsyan rejected Manukyans observation on a toothless military and said the concept aims to enshrine that the Armenian military doesnt have the purpose of aggression. In the past, even if it wasnt enshrined, naturally the Armenian militarys goal has never been to conduct aggressive actions or have other similar tactics. But we must record that the goal of the Armenian Armed Forces is not to incite war, the purpose is not to display aggression against its neighbors. And this will be enshrined. And there cant even be any talk about being toothless, the government is doing everything so that our military is combat-ready and capable of giving a potential counterattack with all available means, Sargsyan said. YEREVAN, MARCH 15, ARMENPRESS. Deputy Minister of Defense of Armenia Arman Sargsyan assesses the situation on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border stable, but notes that there are some problems. Commenting on the reports about the advancement of the Azerbaijani armed forces on the border, the deputy defense minister said there is no such advancement. I am telling you that its impossible to hide anything in Armenia. If there is such a problem, it will definitely be presented on the news website of the Defense Ministry without exception. At this moment the situation is stable, but it cant be said that there is no problem, he told reporters at a briefing. He said measures are being taken to avoid possible escalation and provocation problems. Amit Shah has been appointed as the BJPs central observer for the state legislature party meeting likely to be held soon New Delhi: Union home minister Amit Shah, one of the key strategists of the just-concluded Assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh, has been appointed as the BJPs central observer for the state legislature party meeting likely to be held soon. The party also appointed defence minister Rajnath Singh as the observer for Uttarakhand. Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman and law and Justice minister Kiren Rijiju have been appointed the partys central observers for Manipur. For the election of the legislature party leader in Goa, the BJP has appointed Union agriculture minister Narendra Singh Tomar and minister of state for fisheries and animal husbandry L. Murugan as the central observers. Former Jharkhand chief minister Raghubar Das has been appointed as co-observer in UP while minister of state for external affairs Meenakshi Lekhi is the co-observer for Uttarakhand. In a statement, BJP national general secretary Arun Singh said: The parliamentary board of the Bharatiya Janata Party has appointed central observers and co-observers for the election of the leader of the legislative parties in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Manipur and Goa Assembly. In Panaji, meanwhile, Goa BJP president Sadanand Shet Tanavade said on Monday that the new government in Goa will be sworn in after Holi, which falls on March 18, reports PTI. The swearing-in ceremony of the new government in Goa would be conducted post-Holi celebrations along with the other three states where the BJP has won a majority, Mr Tanavade told reporters. However, he did not specify the exact date of the swearing-in ceremony. Even four days after winning a maximum of 20 seats in the 40-member Goa Assembly, the BJP is yet to stake its claim to forming the next government, which will be the third straight term of the saffron party. Mr Tanavade said the Goa governor had already administered the oath to Ganesh Gaonkar as pro-tem speaker. The newly-elected members of the Goa Assembly will take the oath on March 15, when the term of the current Assembly expires. The governor has summoned the Assembly session on Tuesday. Mr Tanavade rubbished rumours about differences within the party unit over the leadership issue. There are no differences. The central leaders will decide on the state leadership, he said, when asked who will become the next chief minister of the coastal state. Sources said that Vishwajit Rane, health minister in Pramod Sawants Cabinet, had thrown his hat in the ring for the CMs post citing his better victory margin in the recent polls compared to the incumbent CM. Mr Rane represents the Valpoi seat. The talks ended without a breakthrough after several hours, with an aide to Zelenskyy saying the negotiators took a technical pause KYIV: Russian forces pounded Ukrainian cities early Tuesday in a bombardment that was deepening the humanitarian crisis as the countries kept open a narrow diplomatic channel with more planned talks. Shortly before dawn, large explosions thundered across Kyiv. A series of Russian strikes hit a residential neighborhood in the capital, igniting a huge fire and a frantic rescue effort in a 15-story apartment building. At least one person was killed and others remain trapped inside. There was a rare glimmer of hope in the encircled port city of Mariupol after a convoy of 160 civilian cars left along a designated humanitarian route, the city council reported. Over the past 10 days or so, the lethal siege has pulverized homes and other buildings and left people desperate for food, water, heat and medicine. The latest negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, held by video Monday, were the fourth round involving higher-level officials from the two countries and the first in a week. The talks ended without a breakthrough after several hours, with an aide to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy saying the negotiators took a technical pause and planned to meet again Tuesday. The two sides had expressed some optimism in the past few days. Mykhailo Podolyak, the aide to Zelenskyy, tweeted that the negotiators would discuss peace, cease-fire, immediate withdrawal of troops & security guarantees. Previous discussions, held in person in Belarus, produced no lasting humanitarian routes or agreements to end the fighting. In Washington, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said that while the Biden administration supports Ukraines participation in the talks with Russia, Russian President Vladimir Putin would have to show signs of de-escalating in order to demonstrate good faith. During a meeting in Rome with a senior Chinese diplomat, U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan warned China against helping Russia. Two administration officials, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive information, said China had signaled to Moscow that it would be willing to provide both military support in Ukraine and financial backing to help stave off effects of Western sanctions, which include a fourth set of EU sanctions announced late Monday. The Kremlin has denied asking China for military equipment to use in Ukraine. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Russia has its own potential to continue the operation and that it was unfolding in accordance with the plan and will be completed on time and in full. The Ukrainian military said in a statement that the Kyiv explosions were artillery strikes. They hit the Svyatoshynskyi district of western Kyiv, adjacent to the suburb of Irpin that has seen some of the worst battles of the war. Flames shot out of the apartment building as firefighters rescued people from ladders. Smoke choked the air. A firefighter at the scene confirmed one person had died and that several others were rescued, but that others remained inside as rescuers try to reach them. Russian forces also stepped up strikes overnight on the northwest suburbs of Irpin, Hostomel and Bucha, the head of the Kyiv region Oleksiy Kuleba said. Many streets (in those areas) have been turned into a mush of steel and concrete. People have been hiding for weeks in basements, and are afraid to go out even for evacuations, Kuleba said Tuesday on Ukrainian television. Russian forces also renewed efforts to capture Mariupol in the south, and unleashed new artillery strikes on downtown Kharkiv in the east, the general staff of Ukraines armed forces said in a Facebook statement. It claimed Ukrainian forces have killed 150 Russian troops and destroyed two Russian tanks in the battle for Mariupol. But overall, nearly all of the Russian military offensives remained stalled after making little progress over the weekend, according to a senior U.S. defense official who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the Pentagons assessment. Russian troops were still about 15 kilometers (9 miles) from the center of Kyiv, the official said. The official said that Russian forces have launched more than 900 missiles but that Ukraines airspace is still contested, with Russia not achieving total air superiority. Ukrainian authorities said two people were killed when the Russians struck an airplane factory in Kyiv, sparking a large fire. The Antonov factory is Ukraines largest aircraft plant and produces many of the worlds biggest cargo planes. The Ukrainian general prosecutors office on Tuesday released details of two deadly Russian attacks the day before: Shooting that hit a bus evacuating civilians from the Kyiv suburb of Hostomel, killing a a 65-year-old woman and wounding the driver; and an artillery strike that hit a university and open-air market, killing 10. Russian artillery fire also hit a nine-story apartment building in the northern Obolonskyi district of the city, killing two more people, authorities said. And a Russian airstrike near a Ukrainian checkpoint caused extensive damage to a downtown Kyiv neighborhood, killing one person, Ukraines emergency agency said. Kateryna Lot said she was in her apartment as her child did homework when they heard a loud explosion and ran to take shelter. The child became hysterical. Our windows and the balcony were shattered. Part of the floor fell down, she said. It was very, very scary. In an area outside Kyiv, Fox News reporter Benjamin Hall was injured while reporting and was hospitalized, the network said. In Russia, the live main evening news program on state television was briefly interrupted by a woman who walked into the studio holding a poster against the war. The OVD-Info website that monitors political arrests said she was a Channel 1 employee who taken into police custody. A town councilor for Brovary, east of Kyiv, was killed in fighting there, officials said. Airstrikes were reported across the country, including the southern city of Mykolaiv, and the northern city of Chernihiv, where heat was knocked out to most of the town. Explosions also reverberated overnight around the Russian-occupied Black Sea port of Kherson. Nine people were killed in a rocket attack on a TV tower in the western village of Antopol, according to the regions governor. In Mariupol, where the war has produced some of the greatest suffering, the city council didnt say how many people were in the convoy of cars headed westward for the city of Zaporizhzhia. But it said a cease-fire along the route appeared to be holding. Previous attempts to evacuate civilians and deliver humanitarian aid to the southern city of 430,000 were thwarted by fighting. Ukraines military said it repelled an attempt Monday to take control of Mariupol by Russian forces, who were forced to retreat. Satellite images from Maxar Technologies showed fires burning across the city, with many high-rise apartment buildings heavily damaged or destroyed. The Kremlin-backed leader of the Russian region of Chechnya said on a messaging app that Chechen fighters were spearheading the offensive on Mariupol. Robert Mardini, director-general of the International Committee of the Red Cross, said the war has become nothing short of a nightmare for those living in besieged cities, and he pleaded for safe corridors for civilians to leave and humanitarian aid to be brought in. The situation cannot, cannot continue like this, he said. History is watching what is happening in Mariupol and other cities. The Russian military said 20 civilians in the separatist-controlled city of Donetsk in eastern Ukraine were killed by a ballistic missile launched by Ukrainian forces. The claim could not be independently verified. The U.N. has recorded at least 596 civilian deaths since Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24, though it believes the true toll is much higher. Millions more have fled their homes, with more than 2.8 million crossing into Poland and other neighboring countries in what the U.N. has called Europes biggest refugee crisis since World War II. Russias military is bigger and better equipped than Ukraines, but its troops have faced stiffer-than-expected resistance, bolstered by arms supplied by the West. Today's headlines: China denies giving military assistance to Putin for Ukraine war; the Russian Orthodox Church in Amsterdam breaks relations with the Moscow Patriarchate; the Karnataka confirms ban on wearing the hijab; cyber attack on Israeli government sites; Vietnam reopens to tourists today, health saftey measures unknown; power cuts hit Yangon. RUSSIA-INDIA India's authorities are considering buying Russian oil and other raw materials, including fertilisers, at heavy discounts and accepting payments in roubles, theins.ru reports, based on various sources. India imports 80% of its oil, of which only 3% comes from Russia. The Russian proposal would lower energy costs. CHINA China denied US claims that Russia had asked Beijing for military assistance in the war in Ukraine. Analysts say it is plausible that a military agreement between Moscow and Beijing was struck before the invasion. Since China is not a member of the sanctions against Russia, it is not required to block exports, including arms exports. RUSSIA The Russian Orthodox Church in Amsterdam is the first of the foreign parishes to declare that it has broken relations with the Moscow Patriarchate because of the Ukraine war, according to the church's website, which states that "all the priests of the parish supported this decision, to protect the spiritual security of our faithful". UKRAINE In the Kiev metro, where masses of people are sheltering from the bombardments, the city's culture department, together with the Dovzhenko film centre, has organised screenings of entertaining films, which the besieged say "help a lot to resist". The screenings include archive films, but also new productions, and special films for young people and children, including cartoon series. INDIA After months of protests, tensions and hearings, the Karnataka High Court today issued a ruling on the Islamic veil, establishing that it is not an essential element of religion. This confirms the ban on Muslim students not being able to wear it in class. The students of Udupi University, where the controversy originated, said they would appeal to the Supreme Court. MYANMAR Residents of Burma's capital, Yangon, queued for water. Volunteers said they received between 150 and 200 calls a day from families with no water left in their homes. Last week, the military junta announced further electricity cuts due to rising gas prices. Myanmar used to face blackouts due to an outdated power grid, but since the coup on 1 February 2021 citizens have not been paying their bills in protest against the military. VIETNAM After two years of closure, Vietnam today reopens to tourists, but it is unclear whether there are any quarantine rules to be respected. In the last week, the country recorded an average of 165,000 new cases a day. Vietnam aims to host 18 million foreign travellers by 2026, equalling the number of tourists in the pre-pandemic period. ISRAEL The websites of the Israeli Ministries of Interior and Defence were hit by a hacker attack, Tel Aviv said, but proper functioning was restored. According to a source in Haaretz, this is the largest cyber attack ever launched against the Jewish state.asiatoday The figure includes teachers who quit or lost their job. Overall teaching staff is down by 7.2 per cent over the previous year, mostly female (7,778) rather than male (2,381). COVID-19 and remote learning are the main factors. Total number of schools is also down. Amman (AsiaNews) More than 10,000 teachers and professors lost or quit their job, for an overall decline in Jordans teaching staff of 7.2 per cent over the previous school year. The poor state of education in the Hashemite kingdom emerges from a recently released official report by the countrys Department of Statistics, this according to the London-based The New Arab online news website. There were 7,778 fewer female teachers because of resignation or end of service. Among male teachers, 2,381 quit or saw their contract end. The COVID-19 pandemic was one of main factors for the decline in teaching staff as it led to school closures and Internet-based remote learning. Likewise, Jordan had 424 or 5.6 per cent fewer schools, down to 7,127, over 2021. In view of the situation, a women's organisation, Solidarity Is Global Institute (SIGI), called for "overcoming the obstacles before teachers to preserve and support them to revive the educational process, especially in the recovery phase after the COVID-19 pandemic". SIGI goes on to say that teachers, male and female, play an essential role by providing quality education for all and boosting hope for better living conditions. To this end, offering teachers appropriate and decent working conditions is crucial. The report notes that 2,117,307 students were enrolled in primary and secondary schools for the 2020-2021 academic year, 49.4 per cent or 1,074,656 were female. They represent 19.7 per cent of the kingdoms total population. The number of teachers in the academic year 2020-2021 stood at 130,089, 69.5 per cent female, down from 140,248 teachers in 2019-2020. by Nirmala Carvalho The court upheld the states dress code that bans headscarves in schools. Islamic associations slam the decision, calling it a violation of Muslims freedoms, pledge support for an appeal to the Supreme Court. For Archbishop Menamparampil, When anyones identity or honour is threatened, they go [to] any length to protect it. So, if we Remove threats, avoid exaggerations, normalcy will return. Karnataka (AsiaNews) The High Court of Karnataka has rejected a petition against a dress code that would ban wearing the hijab in schools. Muslim students at the Government PU College for Girls in Udupi, who are behind the court case, immediately announced that their protest would continue and that they would not attend class without their heads covered. The High Court upheld the state governments decision to impose a dress code without head covering. Over the past few months, the hijab has become a flashpoint over the status of Indias Muslim minority. The ruling is thus bound to fuel the controversy ever further in a state government by Prime minister Narendra Modis Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). In arguing their decision, the judges wrote: We are of the considered opinion that wearing the hijab by Muslim women does not come under essential practices under Islam. The court held that the state has the power to prescribe a uniform, and that the uniform is a reasonable restriction on fundamental rights which the students cannot object to. Hence, there is no reason to overrule the Karnatakas dress code that doesnt allow head covering. The BJP welcomed the courts decision, but Muslim politicians and organisations across India rejected it. Asaduddin Owaisi, a member of the Lok Sabha, the lower house of the Indian parliament and chair of the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen, slammed the ruling, but expressed hope that [the] petitioners appeal before [the] SC (Supreme Court) will find support among other religious groups. The preamble to the constitution says that one has liberty of thought, expression, belief, faith, and worship, he twitted. I hope this judgement will not be used to legitimise harassment of hijab wearing women [. . .] in banks, hospitals, public transport. This atmosphere around an identity marker is so polarised that it worries Indias Christians as well. When anyones identity or honour is threatened, they go [to] any length to protect it, said Mgr Thomas Menamparampil, the archbishop emeritus of Guwahati, speaking to AsiaNews. At a[ny] given moment, this identity may be symbolised by a dress or food item; at another moment, by a language or a cultural norm, the prelate explained. The more serious the threat to a communitys identity or self-respect, the more fiercely its members are likely to defend it. At another moment they may attach far less importance to that symbol. Exaggerations regarding the hijab have come to prominence today because the religious community to which it belongs feels threatened, marginalised, and not respected. So, if we Remove threats, avoid exaggerations, normalcy will return. A Chinese delegation will travel to Kabul later this month to discuss the details. The original project is based on a deal signed in 2008 with the previous government. The site includes an ancient Buddhist city that is in danger of being lost. Afghanistans mineral resources are estimated at US$ 1 trillion. Kabul (AsiaNews/Agencies) Talks are underway to resume copper mining in Mes Aynak, in Afghanistans Logar region of Afghanistan, a spokesman for the Afghan Ministry of Mines and Petroleum said. The new Taliban government has asked China Metallurgical Group Corp (MCC Group) to pursue a project that was never completed for various reasons. The details will be discussed with a Chinese delegation set to travel to Afghanistan later this month. The agreements signed in May 2008 between the then Western-backed Afghan government and the MCC Group, called for the Chinese side to pay US$ 400 million a year for a 30-year mining concession. According to the Tolo News agency, the Chinese company invested more than US$ 2.5 billion in the first phase of the project, but was delayed by security reasons (Taliban carried out attacks and al-Qaeda was present), and because the site also contains a major archaeological site. The mine is part of Afghanistans copper belt, some 30 km from the capital Kabul, and includes the ruins of a city dating back 2,000 years when Buddhism was the local religion. Monasteries, stupas, cemeteries and wall paintings should be moved before mining starts, but at the moment it is not clear if and how this will be done. If the Chinese go for open mining, more than half of the finds would be in danger of being lost, the Wall Street Journal reported. However, the parties will have to discuss other issues. The 2008 contract committed China not only to move the antiquities, but also to build a power plant to supply electricity to the site and Kabul, and a railway to the border with Pakistan, as well as ensure that copper processing was done in Afghanistan and that locals whose land was to be taken would be bought out. According to Shahabuddin Dilawar, Taliban minister of Mines and Petroleum, the Chinese have tried to pull out of these commitments. Afghanistans mountains are rich in mineral resources, estimated at US$ 1 trillion a decade ago. Restarting the project would allow the Taliban to get liquidity and give China a secure supply of copper, an increasingly scarce mineral. Since the Taliban came back to power last August, Afghanistan lost international aid, which made up almost 80 per cent of the state budget; the ensuing economic crisis has left 97 per cent of the population living below the poverty line. Beijing already controls most of the world's rare earths, a group of metals used to make smartphones and other electronic products. Forced to move from village to village, sometimes by car, but mostly on foot, the Burmese flee the military junta's relentless bombardment. The testimony of one of the nuns of Reparation, whose convent was bombed a few days ago. Yangon (AsiaNews) - On March 10 the Burmese military junta bombed a convent of the Sisters of Reparation in the village of Doungankha, Kayah State. In addition to accommodation, the building included a chapel, a kitchen and a centre for spiritual exercises dedicated to Fr Carlo Salerio, founder of the congregation. The convent, used as a rest home by the older sisters, had been uninhabited for several months when it was hit. But soon after the coup d'etat in which the Burmese military ousted the civilian government led by Aung San Suu Kyi, the Sisters of Reparation hosted 150 women, children and elderly people seeking shelter from the conflict for several months. After an initial evacuation in June, following an attack on the Church of Our Lady of Peace, adjacent to the sisters' accommodation, the sisters and refugees returned to Doungankha. But by then, in the height of summer, the contagions had begun to grow. The sisters were split up and taken by ambulance to Loikaw by back roads and through rice fields to escape the violence of the military, who had been ordered to shoot at the ambulances as well. Five nuns died from the coronavirus. Loikaw, capital of Kayah State and home to nearly 60,000 people, was heavily bombed at the end of December and is now reduced to a ghost town. There are more than 500,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) throughout Myanmar, according to the UN refugee agency. We offer the anonymous testimony of one of the Sisters of Reparation, who is still forced to move from village to village to escape the bombings of the military. In recent months they have passed through 12 convents. "In the convent of Kunta (Kayah State), along with the sisters, there were also elderly people and orphaned children, a total of 18 people. It was very dangerous to leave the house: people fled, returned to their homes and then fled again. We lived among the bullets and couldn't sleep at night; we were terrified. 28 September was a nightmare day, one I will never forget. At 10 am I heard the first shots right around our house. There were three families with us: an infirm grandmother, two small children and a pregnant woman. When we heard the bullets hitting the roof and the glass breaking, we realised we could no longer escape. We hid in a room, even under the bed. The shooting lasted all day and intensified in the afternoon. The elderly were very scared, the children were crying. We didn't know what to do: we cried and prayed to drown out the sound of gunfire. One little girl asked me through her tears: "Sister, perhaps will we die here tonight?" I embraced her, assuring her that no one would die because the Lord would protect us and Our Lady was watching over us. It was a terrible night and we did nothing but entrust ourselves to the Lord. The next day the shooting had stopped and we went out to see the damage: bullet holes, broken glass, part of our house hit by the bombing. We thanked the Lord because there was no one there. But at that very moment we heard shots again and the superior told us: 'Sisters, we can't stay here any longer, let's go'. She informed the bishop that we were leaving the house and asked for help to evacuate the elderly and the children. The elderly left in a car with the superior, while we sisters, with the frightened children and their mothers, set off to find a safer place. When we finally arrived at a parish, we found a situation similar to the one we had just left: old people who could not escape, children crying, the smoke from the bombs. All this caused me immense pain. The fighting continued for three days; there were many dead and wounded and dozens of houses destroyed. The people who survived live with deep traumas. A week later we tried to return to our village: the houses had been burnt down along with the people, the pets starved to death. Some families had lost everything. This new situation forced people to flee to the mountains, where they became ill because of the cold and the lack of food, and where they had no possibility of treatment. At the end of October, the village chief advised everyone to flee again because the situation was not safe. We went to Loikaw, to the minor seminary. It seemed quiet and we stayed there until the military started bombing the refugee camps at the end of December. At this point, there was no safe place to hide. We found ourselves fleeing once again along with the people and to this day the young and old sisters of my community have not returned to their convent." Faced with this situation, the PIME Foundation has set up the S145 Emergenza Myanmar Fund (in Italian) to help initiatives by local churches, many founded by PIME missionaries before the expulsion of foreign missionaries in 1966. The goal of the campaign is to provide immediate help to thousands of people through the relief network the dioceses of Taungoo and Taunggyi are putting in place. Many local religious groups have responded to the emergency and in doing so are showing the most beautiful face of Myanmar, that of a people who, despite the suffering that has marked its history, choose the path of solidarity. Aid will be sent to them, starting with basic needs: shelter, food, and a school for children deprived of an education for the past two years because of the pandemic and the war. Donations can be made out to S145Emergenza Myanmar: - directly online at this link (in Italian) choosing S145Emergenza Myanmar among the projects (progetti); - by bank transfer payable to Fondazione Pime Onlus IBAN: IT 11 W 05216 01630 000000005733 (it is recommended that a copy of the transfer be sent by email to uam@pimemilano.com indicating name, address, place and date of birth, plus fiscal code if in Italy or equivalent social insurance number in other countries) - to the postal current account n. 39208202 made out to Fondazione Pime Onlus via Monte Rosa, 81 20149 Milan - in cash or check by going in person to the Centro PIME in Milan, via Monte Rosa 81 business hours Monday to Friday: from 9 am to 12.30 pm and 1.30 pm to 5.30 pm). Even before the March 11 fires at a New Britain synagogue and church led to her arrest on arson charges, Kimorah Parker was on the radar of police, according to a warrant for her arrest. Parker, 30, of New Britain, was a person of interest in vandalism at a Greek Orthodox church, a small fire at a church on Curtis Street and a fire in a Grove Hill house, the warrant says. The three incidents happened in the days before the Friday-night synagogue and church fires. Advertisement [ Suspect identified in fires set in New Britain houses of worship ] Parker, who police say also is known as Akeem McDavid, was seen walking near the Greek Orthodox Church immediately after someone threw a rock through its window, and she posted a comment on Facebook about the fire at the vacant home within hours of the blaze, the warrant says. The warrant doesnt say what her comment was, but on March 8 she posted: So some [expletive] burned down my dream house and said she was angry with New Britain. The day before, she posted a comment about how she knocked on every church door in her town but there were no answers. Advertisement Parker was arrested Saturday and charged with third-degree burglary and third-degree arson in connection with the fire at the vacant Congregation Tephereth Israel Synagogue, which was set in three separate places in the basement, the warrant says. She was in custody Tuesday at the Hartford Correctional Center on $260,000 bail. She has a history of convictions for interfering with police, larceny and assault and was on special parole at the time of her arrest, court records show. Friday-night fires According to the affidavit, 911 dispatchers received an anonymous call about 8 p.m. Friday from someone who said the synagogue at 76 Winter St. was on fire. The fire spread behind the basement walls and put a hole in the first floor. It was under control and stopped spreading by about 9 p.m. Meanwhile, about 8:50 p.m., a fire was reported at St. Matthews Evangelical Lutheran Church at 99 Franklin Square, about 1.2 miles away. Firefighters from West Hartford, Hartford and Bristol responded to that fire since New Britains crews were tied up with the first one. The St. Matthews fire was in the kitchen and was knocked down by 9:30 p.m., the warrant says. While the second team of firefighters was at St. Matthews, at 9:09 p.m., an alarm sounded at St. Joseph Church, 195 South Main St. A police officer responded and found no active fire, the warrant says, but investigators learned that someone had thrown a large, concrete container at a glass door pane, smashing it and allowing the person to use the inside door handle to let themselves in. A police dog later tracked a black latex glove found on the ground outside the church to Parker, according to the warrant. Breaking News As it happens Get the latest updates on Coronavirus and other breaking news events happening across Connecticut > Shortly before 10 p.m. Friday, a sergeant noticed a person police had identified as Parker in the area of the Christian Pentecostal Church at 1190 West Main St., the warrant says. She struggled with him and other officers when they tried to take her into custody, and she was charged with interfering with an officer. She had two butane lighters and documents from inside the synagogue on her, the warrant says, and she smelled of smoke. Advertisement Christine Dempsey may be reached at cdempsey@courant.com. Athens, TX (75751) Today Mainly cloudy. A few peeks of sunshine possible. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 86F. Winds SSE at 10 to 20 mph.. Tonight Scattered thunderstorms. Low around 70F. Winds SSE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 40%. In the world of old half-tons, few nameplates are as iconic as Fords F-100 . Born as the F-1 in 1948 and rechristened F-100 once the second generation came around in 1953, the pickup is also one of the favorite platforms for incredible conversions being performed in shops across the States.The one youre looking at now is not far in terms of design and technology than others of its kind weve seen over the years, but does bring a few unique touches that make it worthy of its fifteen minutes of fame.Listed by Mecum with an estimate of between $100,000 and $120,000, the pickup , which we named Sad Face for obvious reasons, packs certain features that tie it to both Italian supercars and American muscle cars.The paint that wraps around the worked body is called Satin White, a color made famous by certain Lamborghinis out there. It is enhanced by hydro-dipped carbon fiber elements, namely the door handles, windshield trim, headlight housings, grille, and bumpers - speaking of bumpers, they come from a 1968 Chevrolet Camaro.The pure exterior of the truck hides an interior in tan leather, sporting Dakota Digital gauges and an assortment of modern features people today would not imagine driving without: push-button start, a Pioneer touchscreen, and back up camera.Under the hood, the F-100 holds a 6.2-liter V8 engine working a 4-speed automatic transmission and breathing through a Netami dual exhaust system. It's not the engine itself that's impressive though, or the performance figures we know nothing about, but the skulls featured on it, screaming away at whoever is watching.The truck is scheduled to go under the hammer on Friday, March 18. HP Hoonigans F-150 driven by Suppy is a Fast and the Furious inspired truck, powered by the legendary JDM 2JZ engine that powers the MK4 Supra. The truck, in red, gets its inspiration from Brian OConners work truck, a 1999 Ford-F-150 SVT Its the spitting image of OConners work truck, with the only difference lying under the hood. Apart from cranking out 500 ponies, it also goes Stu tu tu tu when rev happy. Hoonigan also fit a huge Garret turbo and mated it to T-56 transmission.Zachs 1978 K5 Jimmy is a towering competitor . It doesnt look like it could do much on a drag strip. "It has zero safety equipment and too much power." He warns.Under the hood is a big block, Chevy 572, pumping out more than 700and 949 Nm of torque. Its power and monstrosity come to reality with the turn of a key - its the rowdiest exhaust tone you could imagine.Suppy might be an experienced mechanic and drifter, but hes not the toughest drag racers. Putting him up against a 700-HP hellraiser was a fail on Hoonigans part regardless of the powerplant underneath.The K5 Jimmy, on the other hand, might have a ton of power, but isn't the drag-friendliest car featured. Its boxy shape and heavy structure might just be disadvantageous enough for Hoonigans inexperienced racer to steal a win.After four races, the oil rig truck takes the day - flawless victory. The F-150 couldnt keep up even after changing the driver. Hoonigan complained they couldn't feel or hear their gear switches under the K5's loud exhaust, which reminds you of that famous quote about bringing a knife to a gunfight.Youll have to agree with me. The highlight of the race was the K5s donut stunt at the end of the clip. The coupe retails at $104,500, while the convertible is $115,580 sans destination charge. By comparison, the LC 500 coupe and convertible start at $94,125 and $102,175 before taxes. What do you get for your hard-earned cash, though? For starters, the grand tourer boasts Inspiration Series stainless-steel scuff plates and a center console-mounted serialized badge.Finished in Iridium exterior and black ornamentation, this fellow also flaunts a bi-tone interior that promotes endless driving enjoyment. As expected of the Lexus brand, its marketing talk doesnt really make sense.Based on the LC 500 Touring Package, the LC 500 Inspiration Series further sweetens the deal with 21-inch wheels paired with black finishes on the front grille, headlamps, and taillamps. We also have to mention the coupes rear air wing spoiler and the convertibles Dark Rose fabric top. On the inside, things are somewhat hard to fathom because the coupe gets comfortable seats while the convertible features sport seats. Shouldnt it be the other way around, given that the coupe is the stiffer, better-handling car? Oh wellFinished in semi-aniline black leather upholstery with Dark Rose accents and seatbelts, the cabin also impresses in terms of aural pleasure thanks to the 13-speaker Mark Levinson 915-watt Reference Surround Sound Audio System. Customers of the convertible are further offered a climate concierge with upper body heating and NuLuxe synthetic leather for the headliner.A head-up display, Dynamic Radar Cruise Control, Lane Keep Assist and Departure Alert, and Pre-Collision System also need to be highlighted, along with a 10-speed auto and a naturally-aspirated V8 powerplant.The 5.0-liter engine is much obliged to cut off fuel at 7,300 rpm. Peak horsepower is generated at 7,100 rpm to the tune of 471 ponies. As for peak torque, the Japanese marque quotes 398 pound-feet (540 Nm) 4,800 rpm. ICE Spied testing in sub-zero weather, the camouflaged prototype in the photo gallery is due in 2023 with a three-motor electric powertrain. Maseratis electric vehicles will bear the Folgore suffix, which is the Italian word for lightning. Reading between the lines, the Modena-based manufacturer is bringing together two of the most all-powerful gods of Roman mythology.While the A6 represents the beginning of Maseratis epic of road cars, the GranTurismo Folgore will open a new chapter for the Italian marque founded by the Maserati brothers in 1914 at number 1A on Via de Pepoli in Bologna. Dont, however, dismiss the automakers love for internal combustion because the GranTurismo has also been spied on video making twin-turbo V6 noises. The most likely culprit would be a derivate of the Nettuno from the mid-engined MC20, a 3.0-liter mill thats most likely paired with an automatic rather than the MC20 supercars dual-clutch transaxle.Maserati has confirmed 2023 as the year of the market launch, but were still not certain if that means the 2023 or 2024 model year. The Italian automaker is notorious for underdelivering on its promises, but however much it would take, the U.S. will eventually get the four-seat coupe. Later on, the lineup will be joined by the GranCabrio four-seat convertible thats expected with the same twin-turbo V6 and three-motor electric powertrains.Many eons ago when Folgore wasnt even a thing, Maserati teased its first luxury EV coupe in the guise of the ill-fated Alfieri concept . Back then, the company promised a top speed in excess of 300 kilometers per hour (186 miles per hour), full active torque vectoring, and active aero. Built on an aluminum spaceframe, the Maserati of EVs was also teased with a weight handicap of 175 kilos (386 pounds) compared to itssibling. But on the other hand, its not a secret that Apple typically favors the United States whenever new features are released, so the rest of the world has to wait for weeks, months, and sometimes even years to get its hands on modern capabilities.The 3D navigation bundled with Apple Maps, which made its debut in the United States last year, is still available only for a very limited number of users.But as it turns out, the company is now working on expanding the availability, with Germany said to be the latest country that has entered the testing stage.Worth knowing is that the 3D navigation isnt yet live for everybody living in Germany, as Apple is still in the experimental phase, and only a limited number of users get the chance to try it out. However, the feature appears to support both iPhones and CarPlay, with the 3D navigation seemingly working exactly like the one in the United States.The 3D buildings clearly make it easier for drivers to know precisely where they are and which way they need to go, but it looks like Apple is working on more goodies for those living in Germany.The company is also preparing the release of the new maps in the country, so whenever the navigation is enabled, Apple Maps will also show the location of traffic lights and stop signs. This feature was announced a long time for users in the United States and then gradually expanded to more countries, including the United Kingdom.For now, Germany doesnt seem to support the incident reporting feature, so Apple needs more time to align the release of the Apple Maps updates in the country with the one currently live in the United States. Deliveries went up too, by 31 percent to 14,659 units among strong demand for new hybrid models, such as the Bentayga and the Flying Spur. Meanwhile, operating profits rose to 389 million euros ($427 million), roughly 369 million euros ($405 million) more than in 2020.According to the British brand , their models are currently the most popular in the higher echelons of the luxury sector, specifically in the 200,000 to 250,000 range ($220,000 - $275,000).These results were achieved against a continued backdrop of economic uncertainty. They represent a major achievement for everybody involved at Bentley Motors, as we push forward with our Beyond 100 program to reinvent our entire product range in the build-up to carbon neutrality by 2030, said Bentley chairman and CEO, Adrian Hallmark.Speaking of the carmakers Beyond 100 plan, Bentley already invested 3 billion euros ($3.3 billion) at its Crewe factory. The first step towards carbon neutrality will be to only offer plug-in hybrid or battery electric vehicles by 2026, which means purists still have a few good years left to enjoy the brands spectacular internal combustion engines.As for todays cars, Bentleys range consists of three vehicles in the Bentayga, Continental and Flying Spur. The Bentayga is available in the following specs: Bentayga S, Bentayga V8, Bentayga Hybrid and Bentayga Speed, while the Flying Spur can be had in both Hybrid and Mulliner form.Meanwhile, the Continental GT is available as a V8, V8 Convertible, GT Speed and GT Speed Convertible, plus GT Mulliner and GT Mulliner Convertible. The EU is reportedly discussing a new set of sanctions following the invasion of Ukraine, and a ban on luxury car exports is currently on the table as well.As it turns out, the new restrictions would be aimed at vehicles that cost more than 50,000 euros (thats close to $55,000 for our American readers), and the European Union is specifically targeting brands like Audi, BMW, Ferrari, Mercedes-Benz, and Porsche In other words, anyone living in Russia and planning to buy a new car from one of these brands would no longer be allowed to do so if the cost of the vehicle exceeds $50,000.No official announcement has been made so far, but the European Union is said to be making progress on the discussions over a new sanctions package. More information on this front could be announced by EU officials themselves later this week.The majority of car manufacturers suspended their Russian operations in early March, shortly after President Vladimir Putin ordered the countrys military to invade Ukraine. At this point, Renault is the only big company thats yet to halt local manufacturing, as the French company is believed to be concerned such a decision would affect its local business.Renault holds a stake in Russian car manufacturer AvtoVAZ.In theory, luxury car manufacturers no longer sending any cars to Russia means other markets would get a few more units, therefore cutting the waiting times for specific regions. The chip shortage continues to cripple the car market all over the world, with customers claiming that in some cases, theyre being told the waiting times for new vehicles exceed 12 months. kW AWD SUV The first one is a vehicle we have been anticipating for quite some time already: we have only referred to it as ocean-X so far. There were rumors that it would be called Seal, but we preferred to be sure about it, and the production version of the car leaves no margins for doubt.Just check the images in our gallery, released thanks to the declaration information submitted to the Chinese MIIT (Ministry of Industry and Information Technology) . Now compare them to the sketches BYD released on February 25. The ocean-X mockup also helps to confirm we are talking about the same car.The body creases are undeniably similar, especially the ones over the rear fenders. The front bumper and also two lateral black inserts below the A-pillars make it clear that the Seal is the production version of the ocean-X . BYD calls it a coupe. Thankfully, now we have most of its technical specifications.The BYD Seal will be 4.80 meters (189 inches) long, 1.88 m (74 in) wide, 1.46 m (57.5 in) tall, and has a wheelbase of 2.92 m (115 in). Based on the e-platform 3.0, it presents Blade Batteries of undisclosed capacity, which means we have no idea about its range, only about its weight: 1,885 kilograms (4,156 pounds) in its lightest version and 2,150 kg (4,740 lb) in the heaviest one.The Seal will have three motor options: one with 150(201 hp), one with a 230 kW (308 hp) motor, and a derivative with two motors: 160 kW (214.6 hp) in the front axle and 230 kW in the back.That makes us suspect that BYD will offer the Seal as a front-wheel-drive and a rear-wheel-drive vehicle along with the obviousversion. If that is really the case, it will be a really interesting way of selling this model. Regardless of the power, the Seal top speed is electronically limited to 180 kph (112 mph). The AWD version goes from 0 to 100 kph (62 mph) in 3.8 seconds.Another product the MIIT declaration information forms revealed is the Frigate 07, aka Corvette 07 a name BYD will only use in China. Thisis the production version of the X Dream Concept presented at Auto Shanghai 2021, another vehicle built over the e-platform 3.0 . Curiously, it will not be a fully-electric vehicle but rather a plug-in hybrid which BYD calls DM-i.Like other vehicles of this family, the Frigate 07 DM-i will have a 1.5-liter engine called Xiaoyun. This four-cylinder mill is called Xiaoyun, and it is the most efficient combustion engine current available, with a thermal efficiency (BTE) of 43%. That means it converts 43% percent of the chemical energy provided by gasoline into movement. In the Frigate 07, this engine delivers 102 kW (137 hp).The electric motors deliver 145 kW (194.5 hp) to the front axle and 150 kW to the rear unit. BYD has not disclosed the total power of this hybrid powertrain nor how far the Blade Batteries can make this SUV travel on electric mode.The Frigate 07 is 4.82 m (189.8 in) long, 1.92 m (75.6 in) wide, 1.75 m (68.9 in) tall, and has a wheelbase of 2.82 m (111 in). Being longer than the Seal and having a shorter wheelbase shows the compromises a combustion engine can impose on any vehicle. The SUV weighs 1,934 kg (4,264 lb) and comes with 235/50 R19, 235/55 R19, or 245/50 R20 wheels. KYIV, Ukraine Russia stepped up its bombardment of Kyiv on Tuesday, smashing apartments and a subway station, while civilians in 2,000 cars fled Mariupol along a humanitarian corridor in what was believed to be the biggest evacuation yet from the desperately besieged seaport. On the diplomatic front, another round of talks began between Russia and Ukraine via video, and the leaders of three European Union countries including Poland, a NATO member on Ukraines doorstep planned a visit to the embattled capital in a bold show of support. Advertisement With the number of people driven from the country by the war eclipsing 3 million, large explosions thundered across Kyiv before dawn from what Ukrainian authorities said were artillery strikes, as Russias assault on the capital appeared to become more systematic and edged closer to the city center. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said barrages hit four multi-story buildings in the city and killed dozens of people. The shelling ignited a huge fire in a 15-story apartment building and spurred a frantic rescue effort. Advertisement The strikes, carried out of the 20th day of Russias invasion, targeted a western district of Kyiv, disrupting a relative calm that returned after an initial advance by Moscows forces was stopped in the early days of the war. The U.N. said close to 700 civilians in Ukraine have been confirmed killed, with the true figure probably much higher. Fox News video journalist Pierre Zakrzewski was killed when the vehicle he was traveling in was hit by fire Monday on the outskirts of Kyiv, the network said. He was the second journalist killed in Ukraine in two days. The leaders of Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovenia set out for Kyiv by train despite the security risks, in a visit EU officials said was not sanctioned by other members of the 27-nation bloc. The aim of the visit is to express the European Unions unequivocal support for Ukraine and its freedom and independence, Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala said in a tweet. He was joined by fellow Prime Ministers Janez Jansa of Slovenia and Mateusz Morawiecki of Poland, as well as Jaroslaw Kaczynski, Polands de facto leader. New efforts to bring civilians to safety and deliver aid were underway around the country. The Red Cross said it was working to evacuate people from the northeastern town of Sumy near the Russian border in about 70 buses. One of the most desperate situations is in Mariupol, the southern city of 430,000 where officials say a weekslong siege has killed more than 2,300 people and left residents struggling for food, water, heat and medicine. The Mariupol city council reported that 2,000 civilian cars had managed to leave along a humanitarian corridor that runs for more than 160 miles west to the city of Zaporizhzhia. Another 2,000 cars were waiting to leave along the route, the council said. Advertisement As for the latest round of talks, Ukrainian presidential aide Mykhailo Podolyak said they were discussing a cease-fire and Russian troop withdrawal. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Moscow would press its demands that Ukraine drop its bid to join NATO, adopt a neutral status and demilitarize. Zelenskyy told European leaders gathered in London that his country realizes it cant join NATO. We have heard for many years about the open doors, but we also heard that we cant enter those doors, he said. This is the truth, and we have simply to accept it as it is. When Russia launched the war three weeks ago, fear of an imminent invasion gripped the Ukrainian capital, and residents slept in subway stations or crammed onto trains to flee. But as the Russian offensive bogged down, Kyiv saw a relative lull. U.S. officials said Russian forces were about 9 miles from the center of the city as of Monday. Fighting has intensified on Kyivs outskirts in recent days, and air raid sirens wailed inside the capital. Mayor Vitali Klitschko announced a 35-hour curfew extending through Thursday morning. Tuesdays artillery strikes hit the Svyatoshynskyi district of western Kyiv, adjacent to the suburb of Irpin, which has seen some of the worst fighting of the war. Advertisement Flames shot out of the 15-story apartment building and smoke choked the air as firefighters climbed ladders to rescue people. The assault blackened several floors of the building, ripped a hole in the ground outside and blew out windows in neighboring apartment blocks. Rescue workers said at least one person was killed. Yesterday we extinguished one fire, today another. It is very difficult, a firefighter who gave only his first name, Andriy, said outside the building, tears falling from his eyes. People are dying, and the worst thing is that children are dying. They havent lived their lives and they have already seen this. Resident Volodymr Trophimov said he watched as a building was hit. And then there was a howl, and I watched out of the window, and it crashed into the building and all the windows were smashed, he said. Shockwaves from an explosion also damaged the entry to a downtown subway station that has been used as a bomb shelter. City authorities tweeted an image of the blown-out facade and said trains would no longer stop at the station. A 10-story apartment building in the Podilsky district of Kyiv, north of the government quarter, was damaged. Russian forces also stepped up strikes overnight on Irpin and the northwest Kyiv suburbs of Hostomel and Bucha, said the head of the capital region, Oleksiy Kuleba. News @3 Daily Catch up on the days top headlines sent directly to your inbox weekdays at 3 p.m > Many streets have been turned into a mush of steel and concrete. People have been hiding for weeks in basements, and are afraid to go out even for evacuations, Kuleba said on Ukrainian television. Advertisement In the countrys east, Russian forces launched more than 60 strikes overnight on Ukraines second-largest city, Kharkiv, according to regional administration chief Oleh Sinehubov. The strikes hit the citys historical center, including the main marketplace. Sinehubov said fires were raging and rescuers pulled dozens of bodies of civilian from the ruins of destroyed apartment buildings. Ukraines parliament voted to extend martial law for another month, until April 24. Under the measure, requested by Zelenskyy, men between 18 and 60 are barred from leaving the country so they can be called up to fight. In Mykolaiv, a strategic southern city near the Black Sea where airstrikes killed nine people Sunday, residents braced for more attacks. Volunteers prepared food and sorted donated clothes at an abandoned naval yard that was turned into a support center for troops. Molotov cocktails were on hand to take on invaders. We are bombed during the day and during the night, said Svetlana Gryshchenko, whose soldier son was killed in the fighting. Its a nightmare what Russia is doing on the territory of Ukraine. Associated Press writers Raf Casert in Brussels and AP journalists from around the world contributed to this report. Aemetis is a company that uses local food waste and non-food feedstock to produce green jet fuel in California. A future production plant with a capacity of 90 million gallons (340.6 million liters) of SAF per year is currently being built at the Riverbank Industrial Complex close to Modesto. Aemetis also plans to expand its biofuel plants in India. With more aviation operators turning to sustainable alternatives, companies such as Aemetis have a unique opportunity for growth.The Californian SAF producer will soon start to deliver green jet fuel to the Australian airline as a result of a recent agreement. The airline wants to power its future flights from Los Angeles and San Francisco to Australia using SAF. To do that, it will start using up to 20 million liters (5.2 million gallons) of biofuel per year, starting 2025. The SAF that is obtained from certified feedstock or from food waste is blended with conventional jet fuel, resulting in significant cuts in toxic emissions.The airline hopes that this new agreement will be a step further in ramping up SAF production worldwide so that the costs associated with it can decrease and lead to large-scale usage. Qantas also says that it would be the biggest customer for domestically-produced SAF, which is why its actively supporting local production as well. But it will take time for Australia to catch up with production levels in the U.S. and in Europe.This is the companys second major biofuel purchase agreement, after the one signed with Air bp last year, for powering flights from London to Australia. SUV The Prancing Horse exotic automaker does not seem ready to kick off the anti-Urus super-teaser campaign just yet. So, we might be in for a little bit of wait before the Italian company officially reveals its first-ever ultra-luxury high riding vehicle.Thus, it is up to our spy photographer collaborators and the automotive virtual artists to keep up the hype. No worries, earlier this month, the latest Ferrari was caught flaunting thick camouflage attire (it was still cold, after all) and looking more like a jacked-up station wagon than a veritable super-SUV.As for pixel masters, they are trying their best to sweeten the sour design taste left by that seemingly unintentional leak that depicted a very quirky visage for Ferraris upcoming Purosangue. Luckily, CGI experts have a way of making the rear seem a lot more bearable when trying to unofficially imagine the back end Now, Lars O. Saeltzer, the virtual artist behind the Larson Design moniker (aka lars_o_saeltzer on social media), has stepped out of his neo-vintage comfort zone. He probably decided the Ferrari Purosangue is enough of a major novelty to abandon his cool modern-retro imagination series for something truly contemporary. And we are glad that he did. Because of course, there is a twist.For example, in his vision , the full name is Ferrari Purosangue Crossover. And that is certainly not all. Because in the description, he also explains this will be a Lambo Urus fighter, flat, more sportscar than SUV, probably with suicide doors Well, that final Rolls-Royce-influenced part sure got us jumping from behind the virtual office desk!Now, if it pans out, that means it would have the best of both worlds . Aka, the ultra-luxury perk of the Cullinan and the sports-oriented life ethos of Lambos Urus super-SUV! What a powerful combination that would be. We do not even mind the odd styling anymore. The Romas design language was inspired by La Nuova Dolce Vita, which is Italian for Pleasurable Way of Life. This theme used to be very popular in Rome back in the 1950s and 60s, and it helps the Roma stand out even among its own kind its a significant styling departure from all other modern-day Ferrari road cars.That being said, I hope you werent too in love with the Romas styling because luxury tuner Mansory just went back to the drawing board with this sporty yet very classy hardtop coupe.In fact, theyre offering a complete conversion for the Roma, consisting of several carbon fiber parts (hood, mirror housings, front fender strip, trunk logo panel, rear spoiler, rear diffuser, side skirts, emblems), a new set of wheels (21-inches front, 22-inches rear), plus a lower ride height for a more planted aesthetic.Inside, the Mansory Ferrari Roma comes with an individualized cabin, featuring exclusive leather (customers choice), various carbon fiber accents like the side sills, as well as the tuner's logo smack dab in the middle of the steering wheel, replacing the Ferrari logo. Not sure how we feel about that, but again, the buyer can certainly choose the mods they want.As for performance, Mansory increased the output of the Romas 3.9-liter twin turbocharged V8 engine from 612 hp (620 ps) and 561 lb-ft (761 Nm) of torque, all the way to 700 hp (710 ps) and 638 lb-ft (865 Nm) of torque.Flat out, youll be doing 206 mph (332 kph) when legally possible. As for the cars ability to rocket from a standstill to 62 mph (100 kph), it now takes just 3.1 seconds (0.3 seconds quicker than stock). There are plenty of design concepts that seem revolutionary, but few of them turn into palpable solutions. This futuristic Sphere is one of the lucky few. The 3D-printed house concept was introduced last year by a Japanese company called Serendix Partners. The pod-shaped project came as no surprise since Serendix was the winner of NASAs 3D-Printed Habitat Challenge back in 2015.But whats even more impressive is that Serendix recently demonstrated that it can build one of its Spheres in less than 24 hours 23 hours and 12 minutes, to be exact. Thats how long it took to complete a 3D-printed house at the factory of Hyakunen Jutaku, a residential construction firm located in Komaki, Aichi Prefecture. Japan Today reports that it only took three hours to assemble the house after 3D-printing the 20-metric ton (20,000 kg) frame made of reinforced concrete.Painting the exterior was actually the part that took the longest, and the manufacturer hopes that increased automation of that process will cut the building time even more the Sphere could be brought to life in just a few hours in the future. No details about the interior were revealed, so its unclear whether thats included or not in the estimated building time. But its important to note that despite its minimalistic design, the Sphere also complies with Japanese earthquake and European insulation standards.Covering only 10 square meters (107.6 square feet), the Sphere might not be the most comfortable tiny home, but its good enough for a vacation home, a camping cabin, or even relocation shelter in case of a disaster. After having successfully demonstrated how fast it can be built, the Japanese company is ready to sell Spheres through various partners. As for the price, it was meant to be affordable, adding up to three million yen, which is around $26,000. But saving all that time that construction time is priceless. After postponing the wedding twice, Button, 42, and Ward, 31, are now finally married. The couple had been planning to step down the aisle for years, but they had to postpone after the unexpected" arrival of their son Hendrix, two. They also share daughter Lenny Monrow, one, who also delayed their wedding plans. They had to reschedule the wedding once more due to restrictions brought by the health crisis.Now, they finally managed to get it right over the weekend, in Palm Beach, Florida, and got married in a star-studded wedding reception, where Brittny wore three different bridal gowns.The former Formula One champion and his model wife used a white-creamy Ford Thunderbird convertible from the third generation to make their way to the church. They also had it in their wedding photoshoot, and it looked just as amazing as they did.The British driver has a soft spot for classics, and his collection includes a variety of models like the 1957 Chevrolet Corvette, a 1980 Pontiac Trans Am, a 1964 Ferrari 275 GTS, or more modern ones like the 2022 Lotus Evija, a 2021 Radford Type 62-2, and a Bugatti Veyron.However, it doesnt look like Jenson Button owns this Ford Thunderbird, as far as we know. The third generation was in production from 1961 to 1963. The one he and wife Brittny used on their wedding day was probably rented from a specialized company. Renee Zellweger and her TV presenter boyfriend, Ant Anstead , were among the A-list stars that attended the ceremony.The Formula One champion was previously engaged to model Louse Griffiths, 40, but they split after five years of dating. He also stepped down the aisle with another model, Jessica Michibata, and they split in 2015, after one year of marriage and seven years of dating.For his previous wedding, Button also used a classic convertible that drove Michibata to the church, a black Pontiac GTO Convertible. But he does have a type. Jetson One is an eVTOL (electric vertical takeoff and landing vehicle), a human-size manned machine that is oftentimes referred to as a flying car, even though it has no wheels and its closer to a drone (in appearance) than to a passenger vehicle. Jetson One is, as of the moment of press, the hottest eVTOL on the scene, hailed by many as the future of urban and personal mobility : electric, fun, fast, reliable and safe.If this is the future, Jetson One delivers it today by which, were to understand very soon. Unlike most startups, Swedish startup Jetson Aero promises deliveries for early 2023 on 2022 pre-orders. This isnt a lot, but its more than what other eVTOL companies have been promising: 12 units will be made in the first round of production, followed by 137 more units for the 2023 model, as the company expands and seeks to bring in more investors.Jetson One went viral last year, when a pre-production prototype was taken through a stroll in the woods after the official launch. This was the first time founders (and inventors) Peter Ternstrom and Tomasz Patan had a brush with Internet fame, even though theyd been working on the eVTOL since 2017. A test model was debuted in 2018 and, several iterations later, it became the pre-production model shown in the gallery above.So what exactly is it that makes this eVTOL stand out from a large crowd of similarly-promising personal aircraft? The difference is to be found in the inventors promise that it will show that anyone can fly. The Jetson One is a one-passenger eVTOL that will not require a pilot license and that, according to Patan, can be operated after as little as 5 minutes in the training room. Still, Jetson Aero will offer a 2-day training program for owners of the first-series units (all 12 of them). You cant compromise on safety.Another difference between Jetson One and other eVTOLs is that, unlike those, it doesnt claim to solve the climate change problem, nor double as a suitable alternative for personal transport . Jetson One might be the future, but it doesnt seek to solve any problem for the time being. Instead, it wants to be a fun and very expensive toy, so it creates a new segment on the market, to which it will cater exclusively.To put it differently, this first flying car is a testbed for future technologies. Jetson Aero believes the future is electric and airborne, but the One wont bring it about just yet. It will only deliver 20 minutes of fun times to rich owners, thus confirming what we already knew: flying cars are coming , but adoption will be slow, lengthy and at very high entry prices.That said, those who can afford to spend $92,000 on a flying toy (with a $20,000 deposit required for a reservation) will get one hell of a mean machine. Patan describes it either as a jetski of the sky or a one-passenger personal helicopter, with an emphasis on safety and ease of use. The controls are unlike those on any other aircraft , consisting of a three-axis joystick to control the direction, a thrust lever that controls the altitude, and an open cabin that offers the most profound sense of fun.Specific safety elements include an all-aluminum race-car inspired spaceframe safety cell design that will protect the operator in case of a low-altitude crash, triple-redundant flight computer, the possibility to continue flying if any one of the eight motors fails, and LiDAR sensors for terrain tracking and obstacle avoidance. A ballistic parachute with rapid deployment time is included, and the top speed is electronically capped at 63 mph (102 kph).Tesla battery cells are good for just 20 minutes of flight time, with a full charge on 220V taking just one hour, or two hours on 110V. However, to further cut downtime, the batteries are swappable. Maximum flight height is listed at 1,500 feet, or 457 meters.The One has been designed with real world practicality in mind, Jetson Aero says. Legally, you can fly it in open spaces in the United States and other territories without a pilots license or mandatory training, because its very light. Its light weight of just 86 kg (190 pounds) also helps with easy transport from place to place, as does the fact that it can fold and thus become even more compact.Jetson Aero says that it will focus on crash-testing the One in the first half of 2022, before officially starting production on the first units. Deliveries will be of partly-assembled units, but worry not: You complete the build. No special tools are needed, the company says. If you receive your Jetson at lunch, you will be flying before dinner.An easy-to-assemble, easy-to-pilot, easy-to-transport, safe, awesome, and all-electric flying thingy with great potential. If this is not the future of one-percenters, we dont know what is. Then again, thats what we thought of jetpacks too. ABS Designed to slot between the 390 Duke and 890 Duke , the newcomer should continue the story which introduced the world to the power and agility of the KTM LC8c parallel-twin platform. That pretty much means were not getting any major changes in the engine department.Two versions of the bike are on the table. Riders in Europe will get the 790 that develops 95 hp, making it ideal for use by ones holding A2 licenses. The rest of the world, however, will be treated to a beefier version, developing 105 hp and 87 Nm of torque.Regardless of engine output, the bike will feature the usual complement of KTM hardware and software, including WP APEX suspension at each end, three riding modes, and cornering, among others.KTM says the 2022 790 Duke will become available at dealers in June and will sell in Europe from 8,999 euros ($9,900, prices in other regions were not disclosed). But thats just the starting price, as the bike maker will offer a long list of customization options for the bike, including two new colors to back the classic KTM orange, namely gray and black.Like a middleweight boxer in his prime, the 2022 KTM 790 DUKE is a champion of merging agility and hard-hitting punch. More so, it continues the trend of being a leader in the market when it comes to power to weight ratio and equipment levels, KTM said in a statement.Full details on the 2022 790 Duke can be found in the press release section below. According to local police reports , the thieves broke into the delivery center sometime between 6:00 pm on Friday, March 11, and 9:00 am on Saturday, March 12. The theft was discovered over the weekend by a Tesla customer who wanted to check on his Model Y. Apart from the six vehicles that had their wheels stolen, another five were left without the aero hubcaps. The thieves also smashed the glass roof of one of the cars.Members of the German Tesla Fahrer und Freunde (TTF) forum visited the site after the news broke. The images they posted show the cars left without wheels sitting on bricks, potentially causing damage to the undercarriage and the battery pack. Local police estimate the damages to be in the five-figure range. The photos also show what appears to be an unprotected parking lot, with weeds spreading around, a far cry from the high-tech image of Tesla.According to user S-Tesla, cited by teslamag.de, the new delivery center in Weiterstadt had operated since February in a quiet area. The new center replaced the one in Frankfurt am Main, offering more space for cars. There is no fence around the site, and there is little to no traffic at night, so the thieves couldve dismantled a whole car without being disturbed.This must have been on purpose, as Tesla started a new delivery service in Germany, called Tesla Drop. The options allow Tesla customers to pick up their cars outside the business hours by using their Tesla account with the mobile app. The customers can unlock and inspect the car using the Tesla app. If all is good, they digitally sign the paperwork to confirm the delivery and drive off the lot. Michelin is one of the biggest tire manufacturers in the world. The French company has been running a factory situated in Davydovo, near Moscow, for almost 18 years now. It has 750 employees that work to achieve an annual production number of over two million tires. Most of these products end up on the Russian internal market, while small numbers have been sent regularly to some Scandinavian countries.As of today, Michelin is suspending its activities in Russia entirely. The plant will be closed and the employees will be sent home. Theres no indication regarding their payment, but as this is not a complete and final closure, we can safely assume the payroll will still be made on time. After all, Michelin is a global player in the car industry and it cant risk the sake of its employees because politics got in the way. What it can do is join others in sending a strong signal to decision makers.Michelin will also stop exports to Russia, according to a statement cited by Reuters . No products of the French company will reach the belligerent country from now until the decision to act otherwise will be taken.According to Michelins own assessment, the tire manufacturers business in Russia amounts to almost 2% of the groups total and just 1% of the global production of its ring-shaped components.Michelin joins hundreds of other companies that have left or suspended their operations in the country that attacked Ukraine.Apart from Stellantis and Renault's Avtovaz that blamed only supply issues, major carmakers have already closed their businesses for the moment, because of the war. Well see when and if things start to turn around. For now, an important share of the private sector is taking a moral stance on whats happening in Eastern Europe. kW Thanks to the homologation process through the Chinese MIIT (Ministry of Industry and Information Technology), we now have pictures of the production version and technical specifications for the car. The information that it would be 4.40 m long was not correct.The ORA Punk Cat is 4.75 m (187 in) long, 1.99 m (78.4 in) wide, 1.73 m (68.1 in) tall, and has a massive wheelbase of 2.92 m (115 in). If you have not connected the dots with the numbers alone, the Beetle on steroids is as long as a Tesla Model Y, as wide as an Audi e-tron GT , as tall as a Subaru Forester, and has the same wheelbase as a first-generation Porsche Panamera.This is probably why Great Wall is not concerned with a lawsuit for copyright infringement coming from Volkswagen. Being so large, the electric copycat would make the original Beetle look like a toy next to it. Its smallest tires will be 225/50 R20, and the largest ones will be 265/45 R21! Unfortunately, the size of its battery pack and its range were not disclosed. We only know that it has CATL ternary batteries, not LFP another piece of evidence that it will not be an affordable machine.The cherry on the top of the differences between the ORA Punk Cat and its German inspiration is the power it presents. Great Wall gave its new creation an electric motor from United Electronic that delivers 220(295 hp).As we warned our readers in July 2021, Great Wall already has patents for the Punk Cat in Europe and in China. While its sales in the companys home market will start in a few months, we have no idea when Great Wall will sell its vehicles in the Old Continent. For European standards, the Punk Cat may end up being too big. A retired Simsbury business executive is calling on state lawmakers to intervene in the planned multimillion-dollar upgrade of the state police firing range, saying its the wrong project in the wrong place. Ive lived with this dilapidated range next door for 40 years the idea of rebuilding it in Simsbury at substantial expense is ludicrous, Robert Patricelli told the General Assemblys Judiciary Committee last week. Its a gross disservice to our state police to go forward with this plan. Advertisement Patricelli testified that former Deputy Budget Director Kosta Diamantis last year rebuffed his request to look deeper for alternatives, and that since then hes gotten no answers from Gov. Ned Lamonts administration or state police leadership. I did meet with Kosta Diamantis in 2021, who had responsibility for this project, and he just shut me down, Patricelli said. He wasnt willing to consider anything else. Advertisement Diamantis quit under pressure in late October and is now at the center of a federal inquiry into school construction funding in Connecticut. Lamonts administration, however, maintains that it has examined other sites for several years without success and that Connecticut needs to improve the Simsbury range, which frequently floods because its in a floodplain near the Farmington River. Delaying site improvements would put certain critical aspects of Connecticut state police training behind schedule, such as tactical training, strategy and de-escalation, the department of emergency services said in written testimony to lawmakers. We can all agree that properly training our law enforcement officers is critical, especially as the state police seek to focus training on minimizing officer-involved shootings, the department said, adding that a swift improvement of the range will help police keep pace with trooper retirements. State Rep. John Hampton, a Democrat, and Republican Sen. Kevin Witkos, who both represent Simsbury, have joined Patricellis campaign to stop the shooting-range project and are looking to the General Assembly to give them leverage. Theyve added a provision to a wide-sweeping law enforcement bill that would block Lamonts administration from spending money on the project without approval by five powerful legislative committees. The judiciary committee will decide whether that proposal advances to a possible vote this spring. It is clear that additional legislative oversight is needed, Witkos, a retired Canton police officer, said in written testimony. For too long, this site has been inadequate and a disservice to the many men and women of the Connecticut state police who must utilize the facility for training purposes. Many other towns (Willington, Griswold and Voluntown) have already opposed this project for an outdoor range due to concerns of noise, disruption and loss of property value, and we believe it is not right for our community either, Hampton said in written testimony. Advertisement Rep. Doug Dubitsky, of Chaplin, pointed out that the state has pitched the idea of a firing range in several communities, but consistently has hit opposition. Nobody wants this thing. Everybody agrees it needs to exist somewhere, but nobody wants it in their town, Dubitsky said during the hearing. If not in Simsbury, then where? State police have used the outdoor range in Simsbury for many decades, even though its not centrally located or easy to reach from a highway. That means troopers from outlying barracks around the state can spend hours driving there and back. The biggest problem with the site is the tendency to flood; water levels can stay high for days or longer, leading to costly rescheduling of shooting practice. The state has authorized $2 million to start upgrading some of the buildings, but Hampton and others expect the cost could top $10 million to complete the plan to put them on stilts. Several years ago, the state police rightly recognized the fact that Nod Road simply did not suit the needs of their agency, Witkos said. Advertisement Five Things You Need To Know Daily We're providing the latest coronavirus coverage in Connecticut each weekday morning. > The state police voiced their desire for a property upwards of 100 acres, the flexibility to create both indoor and outdoor training areas, and above all, a property that would allow the agency to truly train and prepare their personnel for a variety of scenarios. The existing facility, even after being upgraded, would still fail to meet the needs of the department. Patricelli suggested Connecticut build a state-of-the-art indoor range and tactical training facility on the grounds of the Meriden police academy. It could probably be done for something in the field of the $21 million facility that Virginia built in 2020, he said. The state might be able to use federal infrastructure grants to cover some of the cost, Patricelli suggested. You raised any number of very valid points, Sen. John Kissel, an Enfield Republican, told Patricelli. The remote location of Simsbury along with the flooding and risk of lead contamination to the river make it the wrong place for the range, Kissel said. Geographically I dont necessarily have a dog in this fight, but Im well aware of what the state police are looking for, he said. Whether they get the indoor, all-purpose $25 million shooting range of their dreams, I dont know if well go that far. But whatever we settle on has to be more centralized. Advertisement Don Stacom can be reached at dstacom@courant.com One Way Machines Julian von Oheimb operates in a small German town by the name of Staufenberg, far away from the mundane distractions of urban centers like Frankfurt or Berlin. Customized Harleys have been von Oheimbs specialty ever since day one, and youre about to see why theres so much hype surrounding his builds.The bobber-esque marvel pictured in this articles photo gallery started out as a bone-stock 2007 MY Heritage Softail Classic from Harley-Davidson s lineup. After it had been subjected to the OWM treatment, this sexy thing (dubbed Quartermile) made its way to the Czech Republic, where it wowed the crowd at the 2018 edition of Prague Harley Days a massive event celebrating the manufacturers 115th anniversary.Without further ado, lets examine how Julians unique FLSTC came into being, shall we? Having discarded every last piece of OEM bodywork, the German craftsman proceeded to clean the bikes frame and lower its suspension, then he replaced the standard hoops with a snazzy pair of TTS substitutes that measure 21 inches up north and 18 inches down south.Their rims are embraced by sticky drag slicks at both poles, and the brakes have been upgraded using an assortment of Beringer goodies. In addition, the Softail s drive belt was removed in favor of a premium chain, while its 1,584cc V-twin engine got treated to a finned EMD cover, an aftermarket air filter, and one gorgeous exhaust system from BSL.Moving on to the cosmetics, we find a 1200 Customs repurposed fuel chamber taking pride of place center-stage. At the rear end, the new gas tank is accompanied by a bobber-style solo saddle and a bespoke rear fender thats been fabricated in-house, as were the Quartermiles one-off fork shrouds, oil tank, and license plate holder.With these components installed, it was time for OWM s mastermind to address the finishing touches, adding Motogadget instrumentation and a custom handlebar in the FLSTCs cockpit. Lastly, an outlandish headlight setup rounds out the adjustments in style, and the whole shebang is topped off with a majestic two-tone color scheme and gold accents. During the British Science Week, taking place until March 20, the UKs Science and Innovation Minister, George Freeman, announced that 13 new projects will be awarded a total of 2 million ($2.6 million). Among them is The Power to Explore, a Rolls-Royce space reactor program. The aerospace giant is currently developing a nuclear micro-reactor that could be used for powering the generation of water, oxygen, and fuel for solar exploration.This future power station that is designed to work just as well on Earth as in space is described as uniquely deployable, safe and autonomous. The company hasnt yet revealed technical details about the micro-reactor thats currently being developed, but its presented as a power-dense solution that can not only provide sustainable power for exploring other planets but it could also power spacecraft in the future.Rolls-Royce and the UK Space Agency announced in 2021 the launch of a pioneering study related to nuclear power for space exploration. Space nuclear power and propulsion is a game-changing concept that could unlock future deep-space missions that take us to Mars and beyond, said Dr. Graham Turnock, Chief Executive of the UK Space Agency.Other areas that the Rolls-Royce program is focusing on are decay heat and high-Mach propulsion systems. Decay heat, which is the heat that can be released for decades through the natural decay of nuclear material, could be used to power future innovative systems with impressive life spans. Through this recent funding, adding up to 249,000 ($324,000) for Rolls-Royce, the company will advance its micro-reactor for space.Other projects that were funded through the UK Space Agency include innovative imaging technology and communication tools for astronauts. On February 24, Russia invaded Ukraine, and NATO and the European Union responded by sanctioning Russia economically. Among these sanctions is the one that says European lessors of aircraft have until March 28 to pull all their planes out of Russia, regardless of standing contractual obligations. NBC News estimates thats about 500 passenger planes worth $10 billion, most of them used by Aeroflot and S7, the countrys biggest carriers.On Monday, Putin signed a law that allows Russian carriers to hold on to these aircraft and continue using them domestically. As of the moment of press, Russia has closed all its European borders, so no passenger planes are getting out. State news agency TASS has confirmed the new law, as reported by the Wall Street Journal To put it in very simple terms, all the airplanes that Russian carriers had on a lease from European companies are now trapped in the country. Under recent sanctions, they would have had to be returned to their respective lessors, but Putin is saying Russia gets to keep them. Russia is taking national aviation offline, apparently choosing to operate it outside of international laws.The other huge issue with this is passenger safety. Most of these leased airplanes are from makers Boeing and Airbus, and both have ceased operations in Russia under current sanctions Whatever aircraft are left inside the country will have to do without basic maintenance and repairs or even standardized checks. In turn, this will probably force Russian carriers to turn to Chinese companies for parts or to cannibalize planes on the ground, both of which have potentially dangerous consequences for the safety of future flights. kWh Sono Motors is ambitiously working on speeding things up and has just announced that in the following months, it will focus on testing, validation, and certification of its Sion. The validation cars will be put to the test in extreme conditions, both in Europe and the U.S., on tracks and public roads as well. These tests will be important for further optimizing their solar technology and refining driving dynamics.The company is currently building 37 series-validation vehicles that correspond to the planned final design and use series components. This fleet of validation cars will consist of 16 complete cars and 21 test structures. Some of them will go on a Europe-wide test-drive tour, as explained by the car manufacturer.Sono Motors will be assisted in the production of these series-validation vehicles by Automotive Body Solutions and Bertrandt, with the former (which is an expert in integrated body construction solutions) being responsible for the production of the aluminum space frame. The latter (which specializes in integrated vehicle development) will handle the assembly of the test fleet in Munich, Germany.The public debut for the SEV s final design is scheduled for this summer, while the series production of the Sion is planned for 2023.With 248 solar cells integrated into its body and a 54battery, the Sion boasts a range of up to 305 km (190 miles), being able to charge itself through the power of the sun. The car can also serve as a sustainable power plant for your home, thanks to Sonos bidirectional wallbox . Pre-orders for the Sion are open to anyone interested, with the SEV being priced at 28,500 (approximately $31,300). The third-generation city car has a lot of things in common with the Fiat 500 and Lancia Ypsilon. It is offered in a five-door hatchback body style, with a selection of small gasoline engines and on-demand all-wheel drive, reminiscent of its predecessors.So, do you think that Stellantis, Fiats parent company, will soon pull the plug on it? Not quite, because a report from Reuters , quoting the metal workers union, states that the Panda will live on for a few more years. In fact, it will remain in production, at the Pomigliano plant, in Italy, until 2026, and by then, it will be 15 years old.But why did they choose to go down this route, when most car buyers only want crossovers and SUVs, and the electric cloud is hovering above the automotive industry? For the simple fact that the Fiat Panda is still a huge cash cow in Europe.You see, according to CarSalesBase , 2021 was the models worst year in terms of sales in the Old Continent, yet the figure might surprise you: 131,723 thats how many Pandas were sold on the right side of the Atlantic Ocean last year. In 2020, the Italian automaker shifted 145,907 copies, down from the 184,027 in 2019. In 2018 and 2017, 168,094 and 187,049 examples were delivered respectively, and the models best year was 2016, when no less than 190,432 units were sold. In its first year in the market, 2011, the Panda accounted for 188,462 sales, and its third-worst year was 2014, with 152,045 of them shipped all over Europe. Lets start with the obvious and highlight its fantastic condition. The Mustang shines almost like a new car, and at some level, this makes perfect sense because a previous owner has allegedly repainted it at one point.eBay seller rjm.2008 claims the Mustang boasts a show-quality look, and the photos in the gallery seem to confirm this.Under the hood, this 1973 convertible comes with a 351 (5.7-liter) Cleveland 2-barrel that has just 48,000 miles (a little over 77,200 km) on the clock. This is a matching-numbers unit, and the mileage is obviously original.Now lets get to the more awkward part.Were being told the Mustang was originally purchased as a gift for the first owners wife. However, because driving the convertible with the top down messed her hair, the lucky lady barely used the Mustang, so the car spent most of its time parked in a garage.The owner eventually decided to sell it because it wasnt used much, and now the Mustang is at its third owner, once again searching for a new home.It makes little sense to discuss just how great this Mustang continues to look, pretty much because the photos perfectly show that everything is almost in a mint condition. However, if you want to be sure youre bidding for a car in a tip-top shape, paying a visit to the owner in Novi, Michigan, should be enough to thoroughly inspect everything.The bidding is underway as we speak, but the seller has also enabled a reserve, and this makes it harder for the car to find a new owner. The top bid at the time of press is $16,600, but the reserve is obviously yet to be unlocked.The auction is projected to end in approximately 6 days, so itll be interesting to see if someones bid is high enough to trigger the reserve. Toyota and Volkswagen are two of the biggest names that are now trying to cope with a new set of restrictions announced by the Chinese government earlier this week.Both companies have already suspended their local production, hoping everything would return to normal when the lockdown is supposed to come to an end next week.Volkswagen, for example, is part of a joint venture with China-based FAW Group. The two are building cars in Changchun, one of the regions that have been targeted by the new government restrictions. The local plant, which produces vehicles and various other components, is set to come back online on Wednesday, but the resuming of operations could be pushed back if other restrictions are announced. Toyota is also working with FAW as part of a separate joint venture, and just like rival Volkswagen, it has suspended the operations at the Changchun plants. On the other hand, Toyota is also operating other facilities in Tianjin, and the Japanese company confirmed no disruption has been recorded for this plant.The Chinese struggle will mostly impact the local operations of the affected companies, but on the other hand, some are concerned that similar restrictions could soon be announced in other regions as well.At the same time, most companies, including both Toyota and Volkswagen Group, stopped their production in Russia and abandoned the exports to the country following the invasion of Ukraine.At this point, its hard to estimate when things could return to normal, but at first glance, the Chinese lockdown, the Russian sanctions, and the chip shortage problems are all creating a mix thats wreaking havoc in the automotive industry, making it harder and harder for companies to cope with the disruptions in their daily operations. On March 9th, USAF pilots Hank "Hog" Griffiths and Maj. Jonathan Appleby flew BETA Technologies' ALIA eVTOL for the first time. The flight test took place at Beta's facility in Plattsburgh, New York, marking the culmination of a two-year collaboration between the Vermont-based aerospace company and the Agility Prime program.Launched two years ago, the program focuses on accelerating the commercial market for eVTOL aircraft. Since 2020, Air Force engineers have collaborated with BETA's flight test team to build and optimize ALIA in order to bring electric aviation closer to reality.Both partners moved quite fast with the vehicle's development. BETA received the Air Force airworthiness certification for an electric aircraft with personnel on board in 2021. Now, a year later, the eVTOL has already successfully taken to the skies with the first airmen on board. ALIA is an electric aircraft with a wingspan of 50 feet (15 meters) that was initially designed as a cargo carrier capable of carrying a pilot and three pallets. However, it can also fit up to five passengers and a pilot.The eVTOL can fly at a top speed of 173 mph (278 kph) and cover 288-mile (463-km) distances. Moreover, it takes just 50 minutes to recharge its batteries before it can soar to the skies again. BETA has also considered developing a charging infrastructure for its electric aircraft. The company has more than 60 charging stations under development from Vermont to Arkansas, and it plans to add even more.Last week's milestone shows that the company is on the right track with the development of its product. Griffiths and Appleby conducted multiple test flights and took turns operating ALIA, becoming the first USAF pilots to operate an eVTOL."Today's Air Force qualitative evaluation flight is the first of many that we will be doing with BETA Technologies and our other Agility Prime vendors," Griffiths said in a statement."In addition to accelerating these company's path to FAA type certification by providing access to USAF engineering expertise and test infrastructure, we are also evaluating these prototypes for opportunities to utilize them for unique military missions," he added. During a press call on Tuesday, Herbert Diess, Volkswagen Chief Executive, said the German automaker is making the drastic move due to the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine, Reuters reported.He added that the leading manufacturer plans to shift more into China due to the situation in Eastern Europe. When asked what the automaker would do if the Asian giant attacked Taiwan, he responded that he didnt believe that could be a possibility.He added that the Asian country wishes to keep its borders open and that China is a stronghold for Volkswagen.VW, among other leading automakers, has been on the receiving end due to the current situation in Ukraine. Honda and Ford cut production in domestic factories due to geopolitical issues and the industry-wide crisis.At the beginning of the year, industry experts were certain the chip shortage would end by the end of the year, but after Russia attacked Ukraine, the situation worsened and could go well beyond 2022 into 2025 Both Ukraine and Russia are exporters of critical raw materials needed in automotive production. Neon and krypton gases supplied by Ukraine are essential in developing microchips. Russia is the worlds largest supplier of crude oil and nickel used in making lithium-ion batteries used in EVs.According to Diess, VW faces a lack of wire harnesses sourced from Ukraine. The war between the two countries is causing a significant supply chain constraint that affects VWs local plants.If the switch doesnt happen in 3 to 4 weeks, the automakers overall outlook might need revisiting. Starting today, gasoline prices went up by PHP 7.10 per liter while diesel was hit with a massive PHP 13.15 increase across the board. The result? The price of diesel is now similar to (or more than) that of gasoline. Yesterday, AutoIndustriya.com reported that motorists will have to endure another round of oil price hikes . Unlike the price hikes that happened over the last ten weeks, this one is by far the biggest. Hard to believe, but that is what we've been seeing across multiple gas stations in Metro Manila. Beginning with this Shell gas station along J.P. Rizal in Marikina, V-Power Diesel is now more expensive than V-Power Gasoline. It's also a similar story at a Petron gas station near Evia Lifestyle Center in Las Pinas. At PHP 77.65 per liter, Turbo Diesel is now the most expensive at this particular Petron. In some gas stations, however, gasoline is still (slightly) more expensive than diesel. Take this Shell station along Timog Avenue near Scout Tuason. At PHP 81.71 per liter, V-Power Diesel is just a few centavos away from the price of V-Power Racing which currently sells for PHP 82.00 per liter. At a nearby Phoenix station that's also located along Timog Avenue, their diesel is selling at PHP 76.20 per liter making their gasoline products cheaper. It's the same situation at a Seaoil station in Quezon City, EDSA. With diesel now becoming more expensive than gasoline, what does the future hold for the automotive industry? Will we see a shift towards gas-powered cars over diesel-driven SUVs and pick-ups? And could this result in smaller, more fuel-efficient cars (or engines) dominating the market? As the price of Brent crude oil continues to be unpredictable, this might not be the last time we experience a huge oil price hike. The state Medical Examining Board revoked the Connecticut medical license of a physician for a second time Tuesday after he failed to follow the terms of reinstatement, including seeking help for alcohol abuse and submitting to random urine screenings. John D. Lynch II, MD, was granted a reinstatement by the board in January 2020. Under the terms, Lynch could have started practicing in February 2021, documents said. But by June 2021, a private therapist issued a report to the state Department of Public Health indicating that Lynch was not able to practice medicine with reasonable skill or safety. Advertisement DPH documents also said that since February 2021, Lynch has not attended individual or support group treatment meetings, failed to submit random urine screens and failed to participate in a required clinical skills evaluation. A therapist also reported that Lynch was off his regular medication due to the cost and would likely not be able to safely practice unless he resumed the medication, documents said. In 2012, the board revoked Lynchs license after he was fired from his job as an emergency department physician with Hartford HealthCare for coming to work smelling of alcohol, documents said. Advertisement He now lives in Virginia and was not practicing in Connecticut when the violations of the probation were reported to the DPH, documents said. The board temporarily suspended his Connecticut medical license on Nov. 16 until a hearing on the allegations could take place. It is unclear if he is practicing medicine in Virginia. Lynch or his attorney did not attend the hearing which took place on Dec. 1, DPH officials said. Under state law, Lynch is considered to have admitted the allegations since he did not respond to the charges or attend the hearing, DPH officials said. In other business, the board also granted a medical license to a pediatric ophthalmologist who has completed all of the requirements except a two-year graduate medical education program. Mariana Flores, MD, will be working at Connecticut Childrens Medical Center. This story was reported under a partnership with the Connecticut Health I-Team (c-hit.org), a nonprofit news organization dedicated to health reporting. Australia and the Netherlands are pursuing legal action against Russia's government over the downing of Malaysian Airlines flight MH17 in Ukraine more than seven years ago, officials from both nations announced Monday. Why it matters: The two countries will allege Russia breached international aviation law in the 2014 crash, according to a statement from Australia's Foreign Ministry. Driving the news: The two countries have launched a legal case against the Russian Federation in the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) for its alleged role in bringing down Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 in 2014, per a statement from Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison. Flight MH17 was shot own by a Russian surface-to-air missile system over rebel-held eastern Ukraine en route from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur, killing all 298 people on board. Of those killed, 38 were Australian, the prime minister's office added. Most passengers were from the Netherlands. What they're saying: "The Russian Federation's refusal to take responsibility for its role in the downing of flight MH17 is unacceptable and the Australian Government has always said that it will not exclude any legal options in our pursuit of justice," Morrison said in the statement. "While we cannot take away the grief of those whose loved ones died as a result of Russias actions, the Australian Government will pursue every available avenue to ensure Russia is held to account so that this horrific act never happens again," he added. Worth noting: Dutch officials said the move wasn't related to the Putin-ordered Russian invasion of Ukraine. "We cannot and will not allow the death of 298 people, including 196 Dutch nationals, to go unanswered," said Dutch foreign minister Wopke Hoekstra."The current events in Ukraine underscore the vital importance of this." The big picture: The Kremlin ceased negotiations in 2020 with Australian and Dutch officials regarding flight MH17. Almost 3 million people largely women and children have fled Ukraine in the last 19 days. As the numbers continue to rise, humanitarian organizations and advocates are warning that the conditions at Ukrainian borders could put these refugees at especially high risk for human trafficking. Plus, China tries to play both sides in Russias war on Ukraine. Guests: Daphne Panayotatos, advocate for Europe with Refugees International and Axios' Bethany Allen-Ebrahimian. Credits: Axios Today is produced in partnership with Pushkin Industries. The team includes Niala Boodhoo, Sara Kehaulani Goo, Julia Redpath, Alexandra Botti, Nuria Marquez Martinez, Sabeena Singhani, Lydia McMullen-Laird, Alex Sugiura, and Ben O'Brien. Music is composed by Evan Viola. You can reach us at [email protected] You can text questions, comments and story ideas to Niala as a text or voice memo to 202-918-4893. Go deeper: Transcript NIALA: Good morning! Welcome to Axios Today. Its Tuesday, March 15th. Im Niala Boodhoo. Today: China tries to play both sides in Russias war on Ukraine. But first, the risk of human trafficking from the conflict is our One Big Thing. NIALA: Almost 3 million people, largely women and children, have fled Ukraine in the last 19 days. The vast majority have sought refuge in Poland, which has taken in more than 1.7 million refugees. As the numbers continue to rise, humanitarian organizations and advocates are warning that the conditions at Ukrainian borders could put these refugees at an especially high risk for human trafficking. Daphne Panayotatos works with Refugees International. She's just back in DC from visiting several border crossings inside Poland last week. Hi, Daphne. DAPHNE PANAYOTATOS: Hi, thanks for having me. NIALA: You just got back from the Ukraine-Poland border. What was it like there? DAPHNE: We were there just about a week after the war started. So you can imagine it was a little bit of chaos. People really moving everywhere, trying to figure out what their next steps would be, having just fled real trauma, just days, if not hours before. So a lot of people went to border points ready to offer rides or places to stay for people who are for Ukrainians, who were arriving. So for example, there was a realtor from Germany who was actually at the Przemysl border crossing reception point to pick up his in-laws who were coming from Ukraine, who are Ukrainian, but he came with some extra vans, extra large vans that would be able to accommodate more people so that he could bring them back to Germany, where he had actually secured several apartments with funding from the city to pay rent for Ukrainians so that they would have a place to stay in Germany if that's where they wanted to go. NIALA: And so on the one hand that grassroots response is amazing, but that also carries with it risks? DAPHNE: Yeah, so that was just one of the countless examples of people who were coming from across Europe and from within Poland making space within their homes and hotels and hostels to offer accommodation to Ukrainians. And that's really wonderful, right? But in the rush to mobilize and crowdsource those efforts, there hasn't really been the time or the capacity, or even the institutional oversight to create a kind of transparent system with the necessary safe cards that we would need to make sure that people who are in a really vulnerable situation aren't being exploited or put in danger at this time. NIALA: And when you say danger, what specifically is Refugees International worried about? DAPHNE: We're already hearing reports of potential human trafficking that's happening. And trafficking can exist in many forms - There's sexual exploitation, there's forced labor. There have already been reports coming in from authorities, making arrests, or seeing, for example, men offering rides only to young women and approaching them. So you know, you can imagine it's really scary to be, to feel so moved by the welcome and the generosity that's being shown, but also not be really sure who to trust. And that's a really scary thought for people in this situation. NIALA: What can the EU do? What would you all like to see from neighboring countries around Ukraine do to protect these people? DAPHNE: The thing to keep in mind is that this isn't unique to the situation. This is a problem that we see in all humanitarian crises and displacement situations in particular and that means that we do have tools to address it. You know, some of those might be just at reception sites, making sure that there's more of a systematic way to track who is offering help and who is accepting that help, to do basic vetting and registration of license plates and drivers who are offering rides. Access to information is also very important, making sure that Ukrainians know their rights and options. And then I think the most important thing that the E.U. has done so far is that they've activated for the first time what's called the Temporary Protection Directive and this facilitates Ukrainians ability to access a range of rights, including, the right to live, study and work in the E.U. for up to three years without having to go through the process of applying for asylum. So that's huge because giving people a regular legal status with access to rights that gives them agency and stability, that's the best tool we have to fight protection risks. Leaving people in a condition of vulnerability, that's what exacerbates them. And then the last thing I would say is this is a regional problem and so it really needs a regional solution. We need to see cooperation, across borders between governments and the region to make sure that there's effective information sharing and, you know, standard procedures to provide protection to people who might be moving within the borders of the EU as a whole. NIALA: Daphne Panayotatos is an advocate for Europe with Refugees International. Thank you, Daphne. DAPHNE: Thank you so much. NIALA: In 15 seconds: understanding Chinas relationship with Russia during this war. [ad break] NIALA: Welcome back to Axios Today! Im Niala Boodhoo. China could be open to providing military support to Russia. That's according to U.S. officials and the U.S. is also saying China will face consequences if it tries to help Russia evade sanctions. What is China's role in the Russia-Ukraine conflict? Bethany Allen-Ebrahimian, China reporter at Axios is here to help answer that question. Hi Bethany. BETHANY ALLEN-EBRAHIMIAN: Hi, Niala thanks for having me today. NIALA: Bethany, where does China stand on all of this? BETHANY: So there's a difference between where China actually stands and where the Chinese government would like people to think that it stands. So China is very squarely pro-Russia, uh, Xi Jinping, and Vladimir Putin have a very close relationship. In the past few weeks, Chinese and Russian officials have publicly affirmed the importance of their partnership and called it in fact more than an alliance. However, Beijing has wanted to maintain a degree of strategic ambiguity. So it has also at the same time portrayed itself as neutral. It has suggested that it could play an important peacemaking role, you know potentially brokering negotiations between Ukraine and Russia. And has overall in its official statements that are directed at the U.S. and at Europe tried to portray itself as a helpful, responsible, neutral stakeholder. NIALA: And so is it fair to say that China's overall strategy is to kind of thread this needle? BETHANY: Yeah, that is its strategy. So Beijings has goals here are to ensure that Russia does not collapse, that Putin maintains his status as an important player on the global stage, and also to prevent Europe from separating itself from China and aligning more closely with the U.S. And to be fair, Beijing does not want the outbreak of World War III. It doesn't want the massive economic disruptions that will come with that. But what Beijing is not trying to protect is the value of Ukrainian sovereignty. You know, Beijing has a vested interest in seeing the weakening of the Western liberal order that the west is trying to protect in pushing back against Russia's invasion of Ukraine. NIALA: Bethany Allen-Ebrahimian reports on China for Axios and writes the weekly Axios China newsletter. Thanks Bethany. BETHANY: Thanks Niala. NIALA: One last thing before we go: March Madness starts today with the First Four games - but you still have until Thursday to get your bracket in - thats when the First Round starts. Betting on brackets - usually in office pools - is actually the biggest part of the 45 million Americans who are expected to gamble on the tournament. But heres the key: the biggest amount of money wagered will go towards non-bracket, single-game bets - thats a huge increase from last year and in part because 29 million more Americans can legally bet that way this year because of new legal betting markets launching in a handful of states. All of it adds up to more than $3 billion being bet on March Madness in 2022. Thanks to Axios Neal Rothschild for not just running the Axios pool but also explaining all of this to me in the office yesterday. Thats all weve got for you today! Text me your feedback and story ideas: Im at (202) 918-4893. Im Niala Boodhoo - thanks for listening - stay safe and well see you back here tomorrow morning. President Biden will travel to Brussels, Belgium, next week to meet with the European Council to discuss Russia's unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, White House press secretary Jen Psaki announced on Tuesday. State of play: The European Council summit is scheduled for March 24 and 25. While in Brussels, Biden will also attend a meeting with leaders of NATO on March 24. "We will address Russias invasion of Ukraine, our strong support for Ukraine, and further strengthening NATOs deterrence & defence," NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg tweeted on Tuesday. Details: Biden will join NATO leaders "to discuss ongoing defense efforts in response to Russia's unprovoked and unjustified attack on Ukraine, as well as to reaffirm our ironclad commitment to our NATO allies," Psaki said. "He will also join a scheduled European Council summit to discuss our shared concerns about Ukraine, including transatlantic efforts to impose economic costs on Russia, provide humanitarian support to those affected by the violence and address other challenges related to the conflict," she added. When asked if Biden would be meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Psaki said, "We're still finalizing the trip at this point in time. ... Nothing's on the table at this point in time." Between the lines: Psaki reasserted the U.S. position against establishing a no-fly zone, saying that Biden continues to believe that it could "be escalatory and could prompt a war with Russia." Go deeper: In an "intense" seven-hour meeting with China's top diplomat Yang Jiechi on Monday, national security adviser Jake Sullivan warned of "consequences" if Beijing materially supports Russia's war in Ukraine, a senior U.S. official briefed reporters. The big picture: China is already providing its most powerful partner with tacit support, but U.S. officials are now trying to draw red lines to prevent a full-on superpower proxy war. Driving the news: The FT's Demetri Sevastopulo reports that the U.S. has warned allies in a diplomatic cable that China has "signaled its willingness" to provide Russia with weapons. Those include surface-to-air missiles, per the report. While China's next moves remain uncertain, fears are growing that Washington and Beijing could end up arming either side in a brutal land war potentially escalating and prolonging it. Far beyond the battlefield, such a move would herald an even more adversarial era in U.S.-China relations, says Hal Brands of the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies. Sanctions and economic decoupling would "find a new gear," and remaining hopes of a constructive relationship would evaporate. What they're saying: The U.S. official declined to comment on the potential arms transfers, but said Sullivan shared deep concerns about Chinas alignment with Russia and warned of the potential consequences of certain actions during Monday's meeting in Rome. The meeting was planned weeks in advance and also covered other issues like North Korea, the U.S. official said. Beijing has denied receiving any request for weapons from Moscow, and it has not armed parties to other recent inter-state conflicts. State of play: In official public statements, China has presented itself as a neutral arbiter, a defender of sovereignty and international norms, and even a potential peace broker. China abstained from a UN vote condemning Russia, rather than back its most powerful partner. While Chinese government spokespeople have blamed the U.S. and NATO for Russias invasion and aren't actually using the word invasion theyre calling for restraint on all sides. Chinas state propaganda machine has picked sides, however. State media is spreading baseless conspiracy theories about supposed U.S. bioweapons labs, government censors are scrubbing any reports of civilian casualties, and Chinese internet forums are full of support for Moscow and vitriol for NATO, as the Economist' David Rennie has reported. If youre Chinese and watching state TV or looking at the heavily censored internet here, you would believe that Russian troops are behaving with extraordinary restraint, that they are there to dislodge Nazis from Ukraine, and that the Americans are the ones pouring fuel on the fire, Rennie notes. Between the lines: Chinese President Xi Jinping made relations with Russia a pillar of his foreign policy, and he appeared with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin before the invasion in a show of solidarity. But the war is going badly for Russia on the battlefield and, in particular, in terms of global public opinion. It has united the West and placed additional focus on Taiwan. All of that is costly for Beijing. The costs will increase if China helps Russia evade sanctions or offers more overt diplomatic support. They will rise higher still if Xi sends weapons. However, Xi may calculate that he needs a strong Russia to occupy U.S. attention and that a catastrophic outcome in Ukraine could destabilize the Putin regime, Brands notes. The bottom line: Xi's big bet on relations with Putin had been relatively low-risk before now. The U.S. wants to convince him that if he doubles down over Ukraine, he'll come to regret it. A group of Chinese international students at Cornell University booed and left an event last week in protest after a Uyghur student spoke about her brother's detention amid the Chinese government's genocide in Xinjiang. The big picture: Uyghurs and other marginalized groups with ties to China can face intimidation, state surveillance and threats to their family members in China when they speak out on U.S. campuses about oppression by the Chinese government. Some Chinese international students at universities in the U.S. and Canada have reported anti-Beijing speech to university authorities as a form of anti-Chinese racism, or they reported Uyghurs and Chinese dissidents on campus to Chinese diplomatic officials. Details: On Thursday, Rep. Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.) spoke about her career in public service at a weekly speaker series held for students in Cornell University's Master in Public Administration program. During the question and answer portion of the talk, Cornell student Rizwangul NurMuhammad asked Slotkin why the U.S. and international community had reacted with great speed and resolve to punish Russia for invading Ukraine but had yet to levy a similar sanctions regime on the Chinese government for its genocide in Xinjiang. NurMuhammad explained that her brother Mewlan was arrested in 2017, as Chinese authorities began mass detentions of Uyghurs in Xinjiang, and that she has not been able to speak with him since then. Slotkin replied that while Americans have a long Cold War history with Russia and can understand the implications of Russian military aggression, Americans don't know much about China, and may not know much about the human rights violations in Xinjiang. What happened next: "There was audible booing and jeering going on from the Chinese students partway through her question, and during the answer they started to get up and just walked out of the room," said Pedro Fernandez, a Cornell student in the same program who was at the event. Multiple people present at the event described the Chinese students' reaction to NurMuhammad as "jeering," "taunts," "snickering" and "booing." About 40 Chinese students then walked out of the lecture hall, according to a video of the event viewed by Axios and interviews with people present. What she's saying: "I dont feel safe," NurMuhammad told Axios. "The walkout made me feel numb." The message Chinese students conveyed was, "I have to stay silent because my speech and my personal experience are not welcome to be shared in that space," NurMuhammad said, adding she will continue to advocate publicly for Uyghurs. The response by university leadership also left her feeling "unsupported," NurMuhammad said, though she said university police, the student health center and crisis services center are being very supportive. A program administrator addressed remaining students immediately after the event ended and urged them to reach out to Chinese students for reconciliation, but the university administration did not reach out to NurMuhammad to hear her perspective or inquire about her welfare. On Friday, the administration told students in an emailed statement "we have an expectation and responsibility to engage with viewpoints that we disagree with," but that "we must also respect that walkouts are a legitimate form of protest and an appropriate expression of disapproval." Cornell University declined further comment and directed Axios to the statements already sent to students. The statement set off a chain of emails from program students who expressed outrage that the administration hadn't come out more forcefully in NurMuhammad's defense. "As an international student, I have been in classes where my country is used as an example of corruption and dysfunction, yet I don't take offense to reality," wrote one student in an email viewed by Axios. "Genocide isnt up for debate. There is no both sides to the story," Guled Mire, a student from New Zealand and former refugee, told Axios in an interview. "I am absolutely ashamed to be a student at Cornell right now." Fernandez described the administration's statement as "lopsided," saying it focused more on how the Chinese students experienced the event rather than what had happened to NurMuhammad. The other side: William Wang, president of the program's student government body, drafted a letter that was signed by more than 80 Chinese students in the program and sent to the administration on Thursday evening, then sent to all program students on Friday. "We left todays colloquium because we felt that the atmosphere in that room was extremely hostile towards us," the letter stated. "At that moment, we were not sitting in a classroom; we were crucified in a courtroom for crimes that we did not commit." Slotkin's talk wasn't focused on China, but she had said in an earlier portion of the event, "I'm thrilled there are so many Chinese students at Cornell" and "my beef tends to be with the Chinese government, I have no qualms and no issues with the Chinese people." Wang did not respond to a request for comment. What to watch: "The university needs to adopt a twin strategy, of educating students so that they have a space to discuss these issues without fear, while dealing with the very real feeling of threat and oppression that the Uyghur student feels," said Maya Wang, senior China researcher at Human Rights Watch. Beijing's tacit support for Putin during Russia's invasion of Ukraine hasn't been lost on Europeans, who are viewing the Chinese government with growing skepticism. Why it matters: "What we are witnessing now is a major shift when it comes to Chinas relations with central Europe, and with the EU in general," said Jakub Jakobowski, senior fellow at the China program at the Center for Eastern Studies in Warsaw. State of play: The Chinese government has presented itself as neutral in the conflict, but Chinese officials and state media have widely disseminated pro-Russia disinformation and government censors have scrubbed the Chinese internet of pro-Ukraine views. Russian banks and companies are turning to China for an economic lifeline amid tough Western sanctions. China's abstention from the UN Security Council resolution denouncing Russia's invasion also irked Europeans, who have rallied around Ukraine. This pro-Russia stance has accelerated a shift in Europe toward viewing Beijing not just as a trade partner but also a security concern. The European Commission labeled China a "systemic rival" in 2019, but the bloc has also emphasized its own strategic autonomy to distance itself from tougher U.S. policies on China. "For years, China was trying to present itself as a geopolitically transparent actor that has nothing to do with regional security in Europe and is only aiming at cooperation," Jakobowski said. Now "China is certainly becoming a part of the European security landscape, though not directly, but as a Russian enabler." European officials and the European public now "see quite clearly that there are similarities between Russia and China," Didi Kirsten Tatlow, senior fellow at the German Council on Foreign Relations, told Axios. Yes, but: Some top European officials still believe China can play a constructive role in the conflict. Josep Borrell, the EU's top foreign policy official, said last week that Beijing should be the one to mediate between Russia and Ukraine, a role the Chinese government has also proposed. Between the lines: China must balance opposing risks in its dealings with Europe and Russia, Patrik Oksanen, senior fellow at the Stockholm Free World Forum, told Axios. "If they support Russia too much, they will risk having a united West against them," Oksanen said." But "if they dont support Russia, and Russia collapses and leaves the international arena, then the U.S. could focus its attention on China instead." What to watch: How EU leaders translate their newfound skepticism of Beijing into policy. The tech world order that came together in the '90s at the Cold War's end is falling apart today as a new rift between Russia and the West opens and a great retrenchment begins. Why it matters: The breakup of the USSR in the early '90s opened an era in which internet use rapidly spread around the globe and U.S. tech companies viewed the entire planet as both factory floor and market. Working from that assumption helped a handful of companies grow to previously inconceivable size, wealth and power. But the triple whammy of a "decoupling" between the U.S. and China, a global pandemic, and Russia's Ukraine invasion is rapidly shifting the landscape and raising questions about how long those firms can maintain their colossal scale. Driving the news: A new COVID outbreak that's spread from Hong Kong to nearby Shenzhen, China, has led Foxconn the gigantic Taiwan-based tech supplier to temporarily close production complexes there that manufacture, among other things, Apple's iPhone. The supply chain disruptions that could flow from further lockdowns in China cap two COVID years in which tech's products and services have grown even more essential for people around the world even as companies' ability to provide them have faced new blockages and bottlenecks. At the same time, Ukraine's plight has pushed many U.S.-based tech giants toward taking sides in a major international conflict, turning the power of their platforms toward blocking Russian state propaganda. That's cheering to supporters of the Ukraine cause, but it also reminds governments around the world that they may not be able to count on those companies' products in a crisis. The big picture: Beginning in the '90s and accelerating after China joined the World Trade Organization in 2001, China became the tech industry's foundry. The relationship brought benefits to both sides. But more recently, it began to unravel, as U.S. distrust of China's government mounted, American awareness of China's human rights abuses grew, and China began to flex its muscles on the world stage. Now all that, plus the pandemic, has left the U.S. in a "bring production home from overseas" mood. At the same time, the Ukraine war is causing many countries, particularly those with authoritarian leaders, to think twice about welcoming U.S. tech giants. Putin's war is also driving Russia deeper into an alliance with China, and any effort by China to supply Russia with arms will further deepen the gulf between Washington and Beijing. The result is the start of a vast withdrawal from a single global tech market. This grand decoupling goes beyond the "splinternet" phenomenon the breaking up of the global internet into several different jurisdictional zones with different regulations and dominant powers. More broadly, the changes cast a long shadow over the tech industry's internationalist vision, suggesting that the past three decades of up-and-to-the-right growth may have peaked. Yes, but: A restructured international tech order, with native companies providing more software, services and even devices, could be more diverse, resilient, and vibrant than today's world, in which a handful of companies serve billions of customers in largely the same ways. Our thought bubble: Decentralization is a watchword for industry visionaries, and that's exactly what's happening right now in the tech economy around the globe. What's next: A modest retrenchment could see some tech manufacturing return to the U.S. while software services become less global in ambition. Two well-known Latino political consultants from dueling political parties are launching a new podcast that will examine Latino voters ahead of the 2022 midterms. The big picture: Data, surveys and recent primary elections show that Republicans are making inroads with Latinos. At the same time, advocates say Democrats neglect Latinos. Hispanics are now 18.7% 62.1 million people of the total U.S. population. There were around 30.6 million eligible Latino voters in 2020, according to a City University of New York study. Driving the news: Top Democratic operatives tell Axios they see expanding defections by Hispanic voters to the GOP, worsening Democrats' outlook for November's midterms. A Wall Street Journal poll last week found that by 9 points, Hispanic voters said they'd back a Republican candidate for Congress over a Democrat. Details: GOP consultant Mike Madrid and Democratic strategist Chuck Rocha announced their new podcast, "The Latino Vote," this month. Texas Hispanic Policy Foundation CEO and former Republican Texas state Rep. Jason Villalba will be the host. What they're saying: "It's just going to be like, open up the hood, get a beer, and sit back. We're going to get down and dirty with some politics and tell you how this engine works," Rocha, a former Bernie Sanders advisor, told Axios. Rocha and Madrid say they strongly disagree on policy, but both respect each other and want Latinos to succeed in the U.S. The two men are Mexican American. "Both parties have been doing it wrong for so long because of these white power structures. It's time for something different," Madrid, a founder of the Lincoln Project, told Axios. Yes, but: Both consultants promise the podcast won't be without its fireworks. "He is going to lean into his data. And I'm going to lean into stories," Rocha said. The intrigue: An Axios-Ipsos Latino Poll in partnership with Noticias Telemundo in December found that crime and gun violence were the number two concerns for Latinos, behind COVID-19 and immigration, social justice and voting rights. Madrid said Democrats are losing Latino voters by primarily focusing on immigration reform instead of the economy, even though immigration consistently ranks 5th or 6th among Latino concerns. Rocha, meanwhile, said Republicans alienate Latino voters with offensive messages, but Democrats fail to engage with Hispanic voters and reach out to them late in election cycles. Between the lines: In New Mexico, the state with the highest percentage of Latino residents, Republicans are investing in targeted outreach to Latino entrepreneurs, and small business owners, Democratic consultant Sisto Abeyta told Axios. Meanwhile, anger is building among Democrats in the traditionally blue state. Some Hispanic Democrats expressed outrage last year after white Democratic insiders chose a white woman to replace outgoing Native American Rep. Deb Haaland as the Democratic nominee. Subscribe to Axios Latino and get more news that matters about Latinos and Latin America, delivered right to your inbox on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The grassroots efforts across Europe to help and house Ukrainians arriving in unfamiliar countries have helped thousands find refuge, but could also be a human trafficker's dream," refugee advocates are warning. The big picture: Almost 3 million people mostly women and children have fled Ukraine since Russia invaded on Feb. 24, according to the U.N. refugee agency. The vast majority have sought refuge in Poland, which has taken in more than 1.7 million refugees in the last 19 days. On the ground: Daphne Panayotatos of Refugees International visited several border crossings into Poland last week, where hundreds of traumatized Ukrainians were greeted with free SIM cards, blankets, meals, and offers of rides. Hopefully, most people are well-intentioned, she told Axios, but added: Someones holding a cardboard sign that says I can take three people to Berlin and who knows? Its really creating a huge risk and without proper structures in place to register people, we could see some really negative consequences of this. World Vision Romania's Andreea Bujor notes that Romania, where over 400,000 Ukrainians have arrived, was already known as a hub of human trafficking. The priority when the war began was to provide emergency aid as quickly as possible, but now "we have to think about these things, too," Bujor says. Driving the news: Yesterday, the City of Berlin began warning Ukrainian refugees arriving by train to be careful of offers of money or accommodation, over concern they could be trafficked or forced into prostitution. Germanys interior ministry says more than 300,000 private homes have been offered as shelter for refugees. But the German government is now asking people to register their homes with the government, rather than approaching people individually. Polish authorities on Thursday detained a 49-year-old man for allegedly raping a 19-year-old Ukrainian woman. Aid groups are particularly concerned about the risks for children who were unaccompanied or separated from families, a danger highlighted by UNICEF and UNHCR last week. An estimated 100,000 children live in orphanages and institutions in Ukraine, according to a Monday release by Save the Children. "These children are some of the most vulnerable in Ukraine and face a heightened risk of trafficking, abuse, and other forms of exploitation," Save the Childrens Eastern Europe director Irina Saghoyan said in a statement. What to watch: A coordinated, regional response is key, Panayotatos said, because if one neighboring country has weaker controls traffickers will simply go there. Zoom out: A 2020 report from the European Commission said its conservative estimate is that human traffickers made 29.4 billion euros annually. Go deeper: Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Tuesday that Russia had received "written guarantees" from the U.S. that sanctions imposed over the invasion of Ukraine will not impair its nuclear cooperation with Iran. Why it matters: Lavrov may be backtracking from a demand he made last week that Russia's trade ties with Iran be exempt from the Ukraine sanctions, and signaling that Moscow won't block a deal from being finalized. Lavrov's demand seriously complicated the nuclear talks in Vienna and led to a "pause" in negotiations just as a deal had appeared imminent. The Russian demand was criticized in several Iranian media reports, though the Iranian government did not blame Russia publicly. Driving the news: Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian visited Lavrov in Moscow on Tuesday to try to resolve the issue. In a press conference alongside Amir-Abdollahian, Lavrov said Russia had received "written guarantees" in the text of the agreement to restore the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). "All projects and areas of activity envisaged by the JCPOA have been protected, including the direct involvement of our companies and specialists," Lavrov said. Yes, but: Lavrov did not say Russia had received guarantees that its trade with Iran would be protected. What they're saying: Lavrov denied the U.S. accusation that Russia was slowing the completion of the deal. The arrangement has not been finally approved in some capitals. Moscow is not among them," he said. A State Department spokesperson declined to comment on Lavrov's remarks but said, Perhaps it is now clear to Moscow that the new Russia-related sanctions are unrelated to the JCPOA and should not have any impact on its implementation." The spokesperson said the U.S. will not sanction Russian participation in nuclear projects tied to implementing the nuclear deal, but also wont provide assurances beyond that to Russia. Whats next: Western diplomats involved in the Iran talks said they still didnt get any official clarification from Russia other than Lavrovs comment and they wait to hear more from the Russians in order to understand whether this obstacle was really removed or not. Worth noting: In another signal that a deal might be close, Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, a U.K. national held in Iran since 2016, had her passport returned, leading to speculation Iran could free her as part of the deal. For the second consecutive year, the Connecticut legislature is considering a bill that would ban flavored e-cigarette products in an attempt to tackle what has become a vexing issue for some parents and public health officials after decades of progress curbing youth nicotine consumption. Senate Bill 367, An Act Concerning Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems and Vapor Products, would ban the sale of electronic nicotine delivery systems or vapor products and set new limits on nicotine concentration. Advertisement Though used by many former cigarette smokers to manage or end nicotine addiction, lawmakers and regulators have in recent years elevated their scrutiny of the products over fears that their popularity with children may contribute to a generational uptick in smoking with concerning health side effects. When nearly 90% of adult smokers today started smoking before the age of 18, and smoking continues to have lifelong health risks that could reduce lifespans and cause serious medical conditions, we know we need to continue to act to reduce smoking however we can, and as early as we can, said state Sen. Saud Anwar (D-East Windsor), who co-chairs the legislatures public health committee. Advertisement Targeting flavored vaping products is a key way we can reduce youth exposure to smoking as many as 85% of youths using vaping products use flavored products, Anwar said. Reducing acceptable nicotine levels in these products will go further by reducing the amount of nicotine a user consumes, potentially reducing reliance on the addictive substance. Nationally, an estimated 34% of high school students reported ever using a tobacco product, and 11.3% reported e-cigarette use within the previous 30 days, according to the 2021 National Youth Tobacco Survey. Fifty-one Connecticut patients had been hospitalized with vaping-associated lung injuries as of Jan. 21, 2020, according to the most recent data from the state Department of Public Health. Eight of those patients were under the age of 18, and 15 were between 18 and 24. The popularity of the flavored products among younger users is a point of concern for Kim Estes, a physical therapist from Oxford, Conn. Estes, a mother of two 16-year-old boys, said one of her sons was lured in by the smell and taste of a bubble gum-flavored nicotine product when he was 10. He has been addicted ever since, she said. The smell and taste of nicotine is not appealing to children normally, Estes told The Courant. The flavorings make it palatable, even attractive. Flavored e-cigarettes were used by 76.0% of adults who currently vape, according to a 2021 study in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, but were used in greater numbers (89.6%) in adult users ages 18-34. Estes said she wants to get the word out more and more about how dangerous this is, and how addictive nicotine is, because it is at such a high concentration. Advertisement Curbing the nicotine concentration in e-cigarette products is another element of Senate Bill 367, which would set the limit at 35 milligrams per milliliter roughly the same amount as a pack of cigarettes (the average cigarette contains about 10 to 12 milligrams of nicotine each, but only some of that is inhaled by the user.) The legislatures public health committee, which introduced the bill, held a public hearing Monday on the bill and other proposals that included testimony from several advocates and public health researchers touting the merits of a flavored product ban. Study called into question Anwar was particularly moved by the revelation that a major study, one on which many of the anti-flavor ban arguments hinge, might be fraught due to a quirk in data collection. The 2019 Youth Risk Behavior Survey, oft-cited by flavored nicotine product advocates, found that cigarette usage among San Francisco high school students increased after the city imposed a ban on flavored nicotine products. But this data is misleading, according to Jessica Liu, a Harvard researcher and doctoral candidate at the Harvard Chan School of Public Health. Liu told the committee that, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the data for the study was actually collected in the fall of 2018 before city began to enforce the ban in January 2019. Advertisement The 2019 YRBSS survey predated the enforcement, and therefore should not be used to evaluate the effect of the policy, Liu told committee members. Liu said these findings are contained in a peer-reviewed study that will soon be published. Cheryl Richter, a Stamford resident who serves as the executive director of the New York State Vapor Association, suggested that a ban on retail sales of flavored nicotine products wouldnt decrease youth usage, but would lead to an increase of black market sales. Instead, Richter suggested lawmakers limit the sale of such products to venues that require people be 21 or older to enter. When you have these products in every gas station, convenience store, grocery store and deli, right next to candy, thats where the kids are seeing it, she said. Equity and finances A ban on flavored e-nicotine products, including menthol products, has also raised health equity questions. Mitch Zeller, director of the FDAs Center for Tobacco Products, has acknowledged that African Americans and other certain populations have been disproportionately impacted by tobacco use. Advertisement The CDC notes that Historically, the marketing and promotion of menthol cigarettes have been targeted heavily toward African Americans through culturally tailored advertising images and messages. According to Anwar, state finances also may have played a role in discussions. When we were trying to ban the menthol, there was a big argument that its gonna have an impact on the finances of the state because, unfortunately, the state makes tax dollars from that, Anwar said. And thats part of the reason that we got such pushback from powerful parts of our state. Five Things You Need To Know Daily We're providing the latest coronavirus coverage in Connecticut each weekday morning. > A ban on menthol cigarettes was not included in last years proposal either, but Gov. Ned Lamont continues to support a ban on other flavored products. Connecticuts relationship with Big Tobacco was scrutinized by some when it was announced last fall that Philip Morris International had chosen Stamford for its new headquarters, relocating 200 jobs from New York City. Philip Morris International is a separate publicly traded company from Altria, which operates subsidiaries including Philip Morris USA. Altria in 2018 purchased a 35% stake in Juul Labs Inc, a popular e-cigarette startup. Advertisement Altria has since written down more than 85% of its original investment in Juul according to a recent regulatory filing, Reuters reported. I dont feel that I can comment directly on how Philip Morris International could impact Connecticuts tobacco control policies, said Meredith Berkman, a co-founder of Parents Against Vaping E-cigarettes, a national advocacy group. Our fervent hope and belief is that legislators will do the right thing, and end the sale of all flavored vaping products, because they understand that the research shows over and over flavors addict kids to these products, Berkman said. Seamus McAvoy may be reached at smcavoy@courant.com A fourth dose of the COVID-19 vaccine will likely only be necessary for elderly and immunocompromised people but not for the general public, Moderna president Stephen Hoge told Business Insider on Monday. Why it matters: His words are in contrast to Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla's comments on Sunday, who said that fourth doses will be necessary in order to maintain manageable levels of hospitalizations and mild infections. "Variants are coming and Omicron was the first one...but also we know that the duration of the protection doesn't last very long," Bourla said. State of play: Fourth doses are already authorized for some immunocompromised people. What they're saying: "For those who are immune-compromised, those who are older adults, over the age of 50 or at least 65, we want to strongly recommend and encourage [a fourth shot], the same way we do with flu vaccines," Hoge said. But Hoge stopped short of recommending fourth doses of the vaccine for the general public and said he doesn't expect "any kind of recommendations that would be across the board for everyone." "Whether or not public health continues to recommend it for everybody is a more complicated thing, because not everybody's wanting to get the first couple ones." The bottom line: "Is it necessary? I think that's a strong word. I think it will provide a benefit to anyone who gets it," Hoge said. Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine signed a bill Monday that will allow anyone 21 and older who is lawfully allowed to possess a weapon to carry a concealed gun without a permit. Our thought bubble: DeWine faces a multi-way challenge for the Republican primary for governor. His signing of the permitless carry bill comes just weeks before early voting starts. Between the lines: The Ohio governor was pressured to act to curb gun violence after a shooting killed nine people in Dayton in 2019, shortly into his first term. He proposed gun reforms, but the GOP legislature rejected it. The big picture: Ohio is now one of 23 states with permitless carry laws, also referred to as "constitutional carry." It joins states such as Alabama, Iowa, Tennessee, Texas and Wyoming. Previously, Ohio law required individuals to attend eight hours of training, receive a background check and submit an application through the local sheriff in order to obtain a permit to carry a concealed weapon. The new law, which passed the state legislature almost entirely along partisan lines, removes the permit requirement. Worth noting: Ohio law enforcement opposed the bill, with several police unions testifying against it, along with law enforcement leaders and the Ohio Association of Chiefs of Police. The prime ministers of Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovenia will visit Kyiv on Tuesday to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and convey the European Union's "unequivocal support" for Ukraine on day 20 of Russia's invasion. The latest: The dramatic visit comes as Ukraine still maintains control of Kyiv, though Russian forces continue to bombard targets including residential and other civilian buildings in the city. Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said at least four people were killed by a Russian strike against an apartment building and announced a 35-hour curfew beginning Tuesday night, according to the New York Times. Russian and Ukrainian delegations resumed negotiations on Tuesday, with Kyiv seeking the withdrawal of Russian troops from the country. Mykhailo Podolyak, an aide to Zelensky, said in a tweet that a potential ceasefire was discussed during the talks. The International Committee of the Red Cross said Tuesday it is helping people evacuate Sumy in north-eastern Ukraine by leading two convoys of approximately 70 trucks, though it told the United Nations that it has been unable to deliver aid to people in besieged Mariupol, according to Reuters. Authorities in Mariupol said in a post on Telegram that a large group of civilians in 2,000 cars fled the besieged city along a humanitarian corridor. Why it matters: By traveling to Kyiv, the three European leaders will be visiting an active war zone with the blessing of EU leadership, including European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. What they're saying: "The purpose of the visit is to confirm the unequivocal support of the entire European Union for the sovereignty and independence of Ukraine," Poland's government said Tuesday. "The aim of this visit is also to present a broad package of support for the Ukraine and Ukrainians," it added. The big picture: The EU also announced a fourth sanctions package against Russia on Tuesday that in part revokes its "most favored nation" trade status and other World Trade Organization benefits. Russia's invasion of Ukraine has set off the EU's transformation into a foreign policy heavyweight by sanctioning Moscow and aiding Ukrainians with military and humanitarian goods. The invasion has set Ukraine on an accelerated path to EU membership while motivating other countries, such as Georgia, to apply to join the bloc as domestic support for Ukraine has galvanized calls to integrate with the West. More than 3 million Ukrainian refugees have escaped the invasion by entering Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovenia and other countries in what United Nations labeled the fastest-growing refugee crisis in Europe since World War II. Go deeper: The latest on the Russia-Ukraine crisis Editor's note: This article has been updated with new details throughout. An increasing number of journalists are being killed, attacked, or threatened covering the war in Ukraine. Independent journalists are also facing threats trying to cover the conflict factually from Russia. Why it matters: Journalists covering the invasion are considered civilians under international humanitarian law. Targeting them can be considered a war crime. Driving the news: Fox News journalist Benjamin Hall was injured while reporting outside of Kyiv on Monday and is hospitalized, the network said Monday. Fox News hosts took to Twitter to send their colleague prayers and best wishes. Details about Hall's condition remained unclear. The news came just one day after the killing of Brent Renaud, a Peabody award-winning filmmaker who was on assignment for Time in Ukraine. News leaders are calling for an investigation into Renaud's death as a possible war crime. The big picture: Renaud was the second journalist confirmed to have been killed in Ukraine since Russian forces invaded the country on Feb. 24. A Ukrainian camera operator was killed when a TV tower was shelled last week. Russian forces opened fire on Western journalists from Sky News last week. Other journalists "have been shot at, shelled, robbed, and detained by Russian forces" the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) notes. Between the lines: For independent journalists in Russia, a new "fake news" law has made it impossible to do their jobs without risking up to 15 years of jail time. The CPJ said Russian authorities had so far detained at least 14 journalists covering anti-war protests. Be smart: Most news organizations so far have yet to pull their journalists from Ukraine, but they have been more proactive about pulling staffers from Russia, given the legal threat journalists face there. The New York Times, for example, said last week it would pull all of its journalists out of Russia, but it kept journalists on the ground covering the war in Ukraine, as did other news organizations. The big picture: Instances of journalists being targeting during Russia's invasion "is a reminder to the world of why a free and independent press is so important and worthy of protection and support," said Jen Judson, president of the National Press Club and Gil Klein, president of the National Press Club Journalism Institute, in a joint statement. What to watch: More than two dozen governments, including the U.S., have spoken out in support of press freedom surrounding the war. Data: Zignal Labs; Chart: Axios Visuals Public awareness around misinformation and disinformation has soared over the past two years, bringing information warfare and content moderation issues to the center of public conversation. Why it matters: "Whether they like it or not," everyday people have become "co-creators of todays infosphere, which comes with responsibilities," said Tami Kim, assistant professor at the University of Virginia's Darden School of Business. "They have to be proactive in not just seeking out the truth, but also in gathering as many perspectives as possible before forming and sharing their own. Details: New data from Zignal Labs, a social media analysis firm, found that conversations surrounding the topics of misinformation and disinformation began to grow significantly in 2020 and have only become more frequent. In total, there have been more than 53 million mentions of misinformation and disinformation on Twitter since the start of 2019. Those mentions increased by 221% in 2020, compared to 2019. The topic of mis- and disinformation started to become mainstream around the beginning of the pandemic, said Jennifer Granston, head of insights at Zignal Labs. The vaccine debate, in particular, helped fuel a new level of conversation around the impact of false information. Today, the topic is a large part of all public conversations around any major news event, from COVID to elections to racial justice issues, and now Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Driving the news: The monthly volume of mis- and disinformation discussion on Twitter has recently spiked around the war in Ukraine to its second-highest level since the 2020 election. Joey Schafer, a researcher at the University of Washington Center for an Informed Public, noted that world leaders have become more publicly engaged in the topic now, which could be fueling that spike. "Even just focusing on the Russian invasion of the Ukraine, weve seen a Wikipedia editor arrested for spreading anti-Russian information in Belarus, the Deputy Prime Minister of the Ukraine making pleas to tech CEOs like Mark Zuckerberg asking for Russian media to be removed from Facebook, and the White House providing informational briefings to TikTok influencers," he said. What to watch: As the public conversation around mis- and disinformation becomes more prevalent, social media firms have been forced to act faster to address public concerns. Twenty days into the war, Ukraines ambassador to the U.S., Oksana Markarova, is asking the world for "anti-air" support, calling Russias invasion "a full-scale genocide" of the Ukrainian people. Why it matters: A day before President Zelensky is scheduled to address members of Congress, Markarova has a dire warning for the U.S. and other democracies: Putins war will not stop in Ukraine. She requested support in the form of more weapons, diplomatic pressure and increased sanctions against Russia. What she's saying: Were living now in the 1939 moment. Its not enough to help Ukraine to fight on our territory. We have to do it together, because for Putin ... its about redrawing their borders in Europe. None of us who is democratic and believes in democracy is safe," Markarova said at the National Press Club. Markarova's address comes as fierce fighting rages across Ukraine and Russian missile strikes are targeting Kyiv and the country's second-largest city, Kharkiv. For twenty days, we are defending Ukraine our homes but we are also defending Europe and were defending democracy and we are defending freedom. Markarova asked for supplies of "any type of weapons" available with an emphasis on the anti-air defense. "Air [defense] is something we need urgent support with to protect Ukraine from this brutal attack that they are doing from the air. This is ask No. 1." Notably, she did not mention a no-fly zone, a request the U.S. and NATO have repeatedly denied. Archbishop Borys Gudziak of the Ukrainian Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia underscored the need for armored ambulances, medicine and surgical instruments. Markarova also asked American universities to support Ukrainian students, some of whom have parents fighting in the war or have lost everything back home. "We have many Ukrainian students here in the universities and we would like them to continue studying. It's our greatest resource when we will win and we will need to rebuild our country." The bottom line: In every field, there is something anyone can do to make a difference, Markarova said. Convey this to your government. Convey it to your congressmen, senators that American people are with Ukraine." Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky paid tribute to slain American journalist Brent Renaud in a statement to his family on Monday. Driving the news: Zelensky, who personally wrote Renaud's family to express his "heartfelt condolences" after the documentary filmmaker was killed by Russian troops, described the 50-year-old as a "talented and brave journalist." What he's saying: "Brent lost his life while documenting human tragedy, devastation and suffering of the millions of Ukrainians," Zelensky said of Renaud, who was from Arkansas. "With all his courage and determination, he traveled to the most dangerous war zones to film the unprecedented ruthlessness and evil, also inflicted upon our nation by the aggressor state." Zelensky added that Ukrainians, "who are fighting against the Russian regime to defend their homeland and democracy in the world, are mourning with you." The big picture: Renaud's vehicle came under heavy gunfire at a checkpoint outside Kyiv, according to the AP. The documentarian was accompanied by fellow American journalist Juan Arredondo, who was also shot but survived. In 2013, Renaud won an Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University journalism award for Arming the Mexican Cartels." Go deeper: The parties stressed the need for stability and peace in the region, emphasizing the need for a comprehensive settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict within the framework of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs, which will contribute to the establishment of peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan, a statement issued by the Armenian prime ministers press office said. It added that Pashinian and Blinken also exchanged views on the delimitation and demarcation of the Armenian-Azerbaijani border, the chances for unblocking communications in the region, as well as the ongoing dialogue between Armenia and Turkey. The sides also referred to the processes taking place in the international arena, including the situation in Ukraine, the statement said. During their telephone conversation Pashinian and Blinken also reportedly addressed issues on the U.S.-Armenian agenda. [They] attached importance to ensuring the continuity of the strategic dialogue in order to develop and strengthen bilateral cooperation in various spheres. The [Armenian] prime minister thanked the American side for its consistent support to Armenia in the democratic reforms, stressed that the further strengthening of democracy is the absolute priority of the Armenian Government, and that our country will resolutely continue to move in that direction, the statement reads. According to the official transcripts of the calls released by Pashinians press office, the main focus of the discussions was the escalation of tensions around Nagorno-Karabakh. But the ongoing war in Ukraine was also reportedly addressed during the conversations. The transcript of Pashinians phone call with Blinken, in particular, said that the parties stressed the need for stability and peace in the region, emphasizing the need for a comprehensive settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict within the framework of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs, which will contribute to the establishment of peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan. It added that Pashinian and Blinken also exchanged views on the delimitation and demarcation of the Armenian-Azerbaijani border, the chances for unblocking communications in the region, as well as the ongoing dialogue between Armenia and Turkey. The sides also referred to the processes taking place in the international arena, including the situation in Ukraine, the statement said. On the phone call with Trudeau, Pashinians press office said that the prime ministers of Armenia and Canada highlighted the importance of a comprehensive settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict within the framework of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs aimed at ensuring stability and peace in the region. The interlocutors exchanged views on the processes taking place in the South Caucasus, including the opportunities of delimitation and demarcation of the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan, as well as the Armenian-Turkish dialogue. The situation in Ukraine was touched upon, it said. Pashinians phone calls with the Western leaders come amid an escalation of tensions in and around Nagorno-Karabakh, but also amid statements issued in Yerevan, Baku as well as Ankara, raising prospects of normalization and peace in the South Caucasus region, including possible peace talks between Armenia and Azerbaijan and Turkish-Armenian rapprochement. In an interview with Armenias state-run Armenpress news agency Mirzoyan was asked to comment on the publication by Azerbaijans Foreign Ministry of five fundamental principles that Baku insists should underlie a future peace treaty with Yerevan. These, in particular, include mutual recognition of each others sovereignty and territorial integrity, mutual reaffirmation of the absence of territorial claims to each other and a legally binding obligation not to make such claims in the future, abstaining from threatening each others security, delimitation and demarcation of the border with the establishment of diplomatic relations and unblocking of transport links. Mirzoyan today implied that despite the existence of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict Armenia has had no territorial claims against Azerbaijan Signing the Agreement on the Establishment of Cooperation of Independent States on December 8, 1991, the two countries, in fact, already recognized each others territorial integrity and accepted that they have no territorial claims against each other, he said. Mirzoyan noted that the provisions mentioned in Azerbaijans proposal do not fully reflect the whole agenda of the existing problems. It is vital for the Armenian side that the rights and freedoms of the Armenians of Artsakh [Nagorno-Karabakh ed.] are clearly guaranteed, and the status of Nagorno-Karabakh is finally clarified. For us, the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is not a territorial issue, but a matter of rights, the top Armenian diplomat underscored. As for the process of delimitation and demarcation of the border between the two countries, as well as the unblocking of transport links in the region, Mirzoyan said: We believe that the agreements reached within the Trilateral Statements of November 9, 2020, January 11, 2021, and November 26, 2021, should be fully implemented, and we are consistent in this regard. As you know, we have even made comprehensive proposals for the implementation of these agreements, such as the proposal to launch a delimitation process through the mirrored withdrawal of troops and the introduction of an international monitoring mechanism, which, however, was rejected by the Azerbaijani side, he added. Asked about what format Armenia sees for the possible negotiations on a peace treaty with Azerbaijan, Mirzoyan referred to the earlier statement by the countrys Foreign Ministry that said that it had applied to the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairmanship to organize negotiations on a peace treaty on the basis of the UN Charter, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and the Helsinki Final Act. Later on Tuesday the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry reacted to Mirzoyans statements, stressing that Bakus position on normalization with Armenia is clear and consistent. Given the importance of normalizing relations between the two countries after the conflict and establishing peace in the region, Azerbaijan has put forward its proposals and is ready to move in this direction. If Armenia takes this issue seriously, then it should submit its specific proposals and thereby demonstrate its readiness to start substantive and result-oriented negotiations, the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry said in its comment. PARIS Have you grown bored of working from home over the past couple of pandemic-plagued years? Do you long for an adventurous and exciting overseas working vacation? Well, youre in luck because the Ukrainian rebels are hiring! They arent called that, officially. But neither is Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy doing a good job of clearly explaining the ramifications of westerners answering his appeal to join the fight against Russian soldiers in Ukraine. Within just four days of armed hostilities between the NATO-weaponized, neo-Nazi integrated Ukraine forces and the Russian army, the former actor turned Ukrainian president made a dramatic plea: All citizens of the world, friends of Ukraine ... anyone who wants to join the defense of Ukraine, Europe and the world can come and fight side by side with the Ukrainians against the Russian war criminals, Zelenskyy said. The countrys foreign minister, Dmytro Kuleba, followed up with an explanation of just how easy one could avail oneself of the opportunity. 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. Advertisement In this image from video provided by the Ukrainian Presidential Press Office and posted on Facebook early Tuesday, March 15, 2022, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaks in Kyiv, Ukraine. (Ukrainian Presidential Press Office via AP) (AP) And apparently several westerners heeded the call. We know this because they took to both traditional and social media to broadcast their presence in Ukraine. For instance, a Canadian sniper described ridiculously in media headlines as the worlds deadliest, posed for photos high above the streets of Kyiv ready to greet the first Russian invader he sees with his .338 rifle, according to Britains Daily Mail. Which is the kind of behavior that screams professional, top-tier covert operator. Anyone who has spent any time around western private military contractors knows that so many former Blackwater types have been itching to relive those glory years of hanging out in the green zone during the Iraq war. Rambo-style fantasies of smoking Russians like theyre in a video game, confident that theyre on the righteous side of the conflict, have apparently taken their place. Advertisement Except that theres a slight problem that plan. The law of war, going back to the Peace of Westphalia, pits these foreign fighters against almost certain death. This is due to the fact that while Zelenskyy refers to what seems like an official entity, the International Legion of Territorial Defense of Ukraine, it means nothing if these foreigners arent integrated into an actual Ukrainian army unit with the protection of the Geneva Conventions. Without those assurances, these fighters become unlawful enemy combatants subject to being smoked on the spot by the Russian army and without combat immunity or prisoner of war status consideration. This reality is already starting to sink in. A staging base for NATO support near Lviv, in western Ukraine, was decimated when 30 Russian missiles killed a reported 35 people and wounded 134 others, with Moscow citing the elimination of up to 180 foreign mercenaries, according to Al Jazeera.Social media is also rife with reports of foreign fighters fleeing to Poland, with others citing the disappointment of basically being bodies in front of the advancing Russians, as opposed to being utilized as a unit with operational capabilities. Being part of Meal Team 6 is apparently all fun and games until a professionally trained conventional force shows up with some actual missiles. It might help to improve the decision-making of potential recruits to view the participation of these foreign fighters not through the lens of the offer peddled by Zelenskyy, but rather through the lens of foreign irregular fighters in other recent combat zones. The CIA and Pentagon covertly backed the Syrian rebels in an ultimately failed attempt to overthrow Syrian President Bachar Al-Assad. There were also the Libyan rebels backed again by western interests to overthrow and ultimately murder Libyan President Muammar Gaddafi. And the MEK -- or Mujahedin-e-Khalq -- was delisted by both the EU and the U.S. as a terrorist organization when it became more interesting to consider them as Iranian rebels that could be useful in Iranian regime change. The foreign fighters who naively signed up for Zelenskyys war tourism package have similarly become the unwitting Ukrainian rebels in this new conflict -- the cannon fodder fire and forget proxy fighters which every modern NATO and western-backed war demands. Even the Ukrainian neo-Nazi fighters of the Azov regiment, previously trained by Western military advisers against Russia have since been integrated into the regular force. These foreign recruits havent even benefited from that much. Theres nothing quite like buying into war propaganda to the point of finding oneself on a battlefield facing a formidable opponent, and realizing, perhaps tragically too late, that you now have more in common with jihadists than you ever could have imagined. Rachel Marsden is a columnist, political strategist and host of independently produced talk shows in French and English. Her website can be found at http://www.rachelmarsden.com. Khachatur Baghdasarian, mayor of the village of Nerkin Hand in Armenias Syunik province, told RFE/RLs Armenian Service today that Azerbaijani servicemen set up five tents within the administrative territory of the community more than a week ago. They moved some 800-900 meters down into our administrative territory. They set up five tents and are now digging trenches, the local leader said. Baghdasarian said that Russian servicemen deployed in the area had been informed about the movement of the Azerbaijani military, but no reaction from them has followed yet. Deputy Defense Minister Arman Sargsian said today that Azerbaijani servicemen did not enter Armenias sovereign territory. They didnt enter our sovereign territory. The situation now is stable, but still we cant say that there is no problem, he said. The press service of the Defense Ministry also dismissed allegations about the advancement of the Azerbaijani military. In particular, it said that Azerbaijani servicemen had simply returned to positions that they previously controlled, but recently had to leave temporarily due to winter conditions. There can be no question of any [Azeri] advancement. In this and all other sections of the border the Armenian Armed Forces are fully fulfilling their tasks, including monitoring any movement of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces and keeping the situation under control, the Defense Ministry said. Residents of Nerkin Hand, however, rejected that version of events. They told RFE/RLs Armenian Service that Azerbaijan never controlled those positions before. The situation along the Armenian-Azerbaijani border escalated after the 2020 war in Nagorno-Karabakh in which Azerbaijan defeated the regions ethnic Armenian forces and regained control of territories adjacent to the Soviet-era Armenian-Azerbaijani border. Last May, Armenia accused Azerbaijan of moving its troops across the border and taking control of more than 40 square kilometers of its sovereign territory in the Syunik and Gegharkunik provinces. Baku denied any violation of the border with Armenia, maintaining that its troops had been stationed within the Soviet-era borders of Azerbaijan. Both Armenia and Azerbaijan acknowledge the need for conducting the delimitation and demarcation of their border, but Yerevan insists that before that a mirrored withdrawal of both Armenian and Azerbaijani troops should take place and an international monitoring mechanism should be introduced. On March 14, official Yerevan said that it had turned to the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs with a request to organize negotiations with Azerbaijan on a peace treaty on the basis of the UN Charter, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and the Helsinki Final Act. Armenias request for French, U.S. and Russian mediation comes amid unprecedented tensions between the West and Moscow over Russias invasion of Ukraine. The OSCE Minsk Group, which has an international mandate to broker a negotiated settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, has not yet provided an official response to Armenias request. In an interview with RFE/RLs Armenian Service today, French Ambassador to Armenia Anne Anne Louyot reaffirmed the statement of French President Emmanuel Macron made during the March 9 Armenian-French Cooperation Forum in Paris, in which he expressed his readiness to assist the parties in finding mutually acceptable conditions and achieving peace. French President Emmanuel Macron stressed that the war in Ukraine should not make us forget about the previous conflict that took place between Armenia and Azerbaijan, and we must definitely try to resolve this issue, the ambassador said. When asked about how she feels about Azerbaijans statements that the Karabakh conflict has been resolved by Baku as a result of the 2020 war and that there is nothing left for the OSCE Minsk Group to do, Louyot said: I would like you again to pay attention to the answer of President Macron, who said that the problem does exist and that this problem needs to be addressed. The French ambassador said that she does not know when the visit of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs to the region is planned and whether it is planned at all. The mediating troika have not been able to visit Nagorno-Karabakh since the six-week war in 2020 that ended in a Russian-brokered ceasefire. Chinese FM hold phone talks with Spanish counterpart Xinhua) 08:31, March 15, 2022 BEIJING, March 15 (Xinhua) -- Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Monday held a phone conversation with Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs Jose Manuel Albares. During their conversation, Albares congratulated China on its successful holding of the Beijing Winter Olympic Games and the two sides exchanged views on the current situation in Ukraine. Albares expressed his hope that the conflict in Ukraine will be put to an end as soon as possible through dialogue and diplomatic means and China will play an active role in promoting peace. Some forces have been constantly smearing China's objective and just position on the Ukraine issue and creating disinformation, Wang warned, adding that the Chinese side will continue to play a constructive role in the peaceful settlement of the Ukrainian crisis on multilateral occasions. The Ukraine crisis is the result of the accumulation and intensification of security frictions in Europe over the years, Wang said. He added that the Chinese side encourages Russia and Ukraine to achieve a ceasefire through peace talks, and expressed his hope that Europe and Russia will launch dialogue and negotiations on an equal basis, and find reasonable solutions to their security concerns, so as to set up a balanced, effective and sustainable European security framework. (Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Liang Jun) Ulyana Wingard, owner of The Garage Brewery, is photographed at her business on Monday in Chesapeake. Wingard, who is from Lviv, Ukraine, and whose family still resides there, sold T-shirts in a fundraiser for the Ukrainian defense and health ministries. (Kaitlin McKeown/Virginia Media) Chesapeake Ulyana Wingard checks on her family in Ukraine every day to make sure they are safe. Its heartbreaking, Wingard said. Advertisement With her parents, two younger brothers and other family members more than 4,700 miles away in the country ravaged by war, Wingard said she feels helpless but needed to do something to help. Born and raised in Lviv, Ukraine, Wingard immigrated to the U.S. 12 years ago. Advertisement Im proud that I was born in Ukraine even though Im now a citizen of the United States, deep in my heart Im still Ukrainian and my heart hurts for them just as much, Wingard said. She had opened her business, The Garage Brewery, in Greenbrier Station in Chesapeake in July 2019. As soon as the war started, Wingard and her staff brainstormed ways to raise money for her native country. Together, they created a blue and yellow T-shirt Ukraines colors featuring Stand with Ukraine on the front around the Ukrainian symbol for freedom and Puck Futin on the back. The first order of 144 tees sold out within 15 minutes, she said. Another 800 followed and were gone within a day. More than $20,000 has been raised, including additional monetary donations. All proceeds from the shirt sales go to the Ukraines defense ministry to support soldiers and its health ministry to help medics and wounded warriors, she said. Whats really amazing and beautiful about this whole thing is Im going to be shipping these T-shirts all over the United States to people who have never been to the brewery and probably will never be, but still want to support us and Ukrainians, Wingard said. A second T-shirt, designed by a local artist known as Joey Nobody, is for sale for $30. On the backside of the black shirt is a blue and yellow sunflower, two Russian tanks struck by a Molotov cocktail and Glory to Ukraine on the sleeve. Sarah Mitchell of Virginia Beach frequents The Garage Brewery and said she felt compelled to support the cause. She bought both shirts and has told multiple friends about the fundraiser. Advertisement Ulyana Wingard, owner of The Garage Brewery, stands next to a Ukrainian flag at her business on Monday in Chesapeake. She's planning to collaborate with another brewer to make a golden ale. (Kaitlin McKeown/Virginia Media) Ulyana is so supportive of our community so its great we can step up and return that support to her, Mitchell said. Wingard said she has also connected with the former head brewer of Pravda Brewery in Lviv. That brewery switched from beer production to Molotov cocktails in response to Russias invasion of Ukraine, according to Reuters. Inside Business Weekdays Business news for the Hampton Roads region > The two will collaborate next month to make a golden ale featuring 100 pounds of beets, a common component in Ukrainian beer, Wingard said. That will be a fundraiser as well, Wingard said. I feel like I can make a difference; even though its probably just a drop in the ocean. Im a strong believer that every little bit counts. Sandra J. Pennecke, 757-652-5836, sandra.pennecke@insidebiz.com ___ Advertisement Other Hampton Roads efforts to help Ukrainians SpartanNash, a grocery distributor with a military division in Norfolk, reported it is donating more than $1 million worth of food and supplies to Ukrainians. The company will ship products, such as energy bars, water and personal hygiene items, with the help of the nonprofit humanitarian and disaster relief organization Convoy of Hope to ensure the items get to refugees throughout Eastern Europe. SpartanNash also made a cash donation of $25,000 to Convoy of Hope to provide 7,500 meals to families in need. The company, which distributes products to U.S. military commissaries, has also stopped dealing with Russian-produced vodka. Tony Sarsam, president and CEO, said in a news release that SpartanNash looks for opportunities to provide aid to those in need whenever possible. Stay up to date on COVID-19 Get Breaking News Sign up now to get our FREE breaking news coverage delivered right to your inbox. Selena fans will soon hear new music from the Tejano icon, 27 years after the beloved star was killed. Her family is working with Warner Music to release the unnamed posthumous album. The Quintanilla family has produced multiple compilation albums featuring Selena's music since her 1995 murder, but this is the first that will include fresh sounds produced by A.B. Quintanilla, her brother. Abraham Quintanilla, the patriarch of the family, announced the upcoming release in a Thursday, March 10 video interview with Latin Groove News, a San Antonio-based media company. Her father, who continues to oversee Selena's estate, told Latin Groove News the album is expected to be released in April and will have a 13-song track list. Abraham Quintanilla says the album is comprised of 10 songs that are part of the Q Productions catalog. He says an additional three songs have music arrangements that have been reworked. For example, songs that were once released as cumbias, may now be ballads. Selena's father says some of the songs were recorded by Selena when she was 13, long before she became a Latina legend. He says A.B. Quintanilla digitally altered the music to make her voice sound more like the singing that made her a Grammy-winning icon. "She sounds on these recordings like she did right before she passed away," the 83-year-old Abraham Quintanilla says in the Latin Groove News interview. "But if you listen to it now, the same song with different arrangements and the voice work to where she sounds like (she did) right before she passed away, it's kind of amazing." He says the music sounds "incredible" and "beautiful," but recognizes that the public often fires back at the Quintanilla family on social media for creating posthumous content on the star. Abraham Quintanilla explains that Selena's contracts were not solely hers, but that it was a four-person agreement including himself, A.B., and Suzette. The Quintanilla patriarch says he made a promise to keep his youngest daughter's music alive and believes this is his way of upholding the nearly 30-year mission. Vinnie Zuffante/Getty Images)/Getty Images Abraham Quintanilla also recently released a book called "A Father's Dream." Jose Rosario with Latin Groove News says during the interview that the book is a "tear-jerker" with anecdotes Selena's father shares about her from her mother Marcella's pregnancy, when doctors thought the would-be star was a tumor, to her trailblazing music career. Selena's album is completed, but Warner Music is working on artwork, Abraham Quintanilla says. Suzette Quintanilla is working with the studio on creating the art for her sister's new release. If the album is released in April, it will coincide with Selena's 51st birthday. She was killed by Yolanda Saldivar, her fan club president, on March 31, 1995, two days before her wedding anniversary with Chris Perez and two weeks shy of her 24th birthday. On Sunday, March 13, Perez noted Selena's other music. He dedicated a Facebook post to celebrating the 28th anniversary of her 1998 album Amor Prohibido. The musician called it her "crowning achievement." "In my humble opinion, one of the greatest of all time thanks to her fans and their continued support," he writes online. Amor Prohibido became the first Tejano record to peak at number one on the Billboard Top Latin Albums chart, remaining in the top five for 98 consecutive weeks. The album holds the record for most weeks at number one on Billboard's Regional Mexican Albums chart at 97 nonconsecutive weeks, as well as crowning the chart in four different calendar years." Abraham Quintanilla thinks fans will be excited to hear the new music. "What amazes me and my family is that 27 years later, the public still remembers Selena," Abraham Quintanilla says. "They haven't let go of her, so they're waiting for a project like this to come out and I know it will be well received by the public." The National Labor Relations Board moved forward with a ballot count on Monday to determine whether to decertify a union that represents hundreds of ExxonMobil employees, who spent much of the last year locked out of their jobs. Workers voted 258-229 against decertifying their United Steelworkers Union representation. USWs Local 13-243 represents more than 600 workers at ExxonMobils Beaumont refinery and lube plant. The special election had previously been paused, and the ballots impounded, while the NLRB investigated the United Steelworkers Unions charges of unfair labor practices against ExxonMobil. The NLRB election to determine whether Beaumont Refinery and Blending & Packaging Plant bargaining unit employees would continue to be represented by the union was held via mail-in-ballot from Nov. 12 to Dec. 22. All ballots received by the NLRB were impounded by the board on Dec. 29. Related: ExxonMobil, USW respond to decertification election hold As expected, and despite ExxonMobils best efforts to divide the members of USW Local 13-243 during more than ten months of lockout, the NLRBs count of decertification ballots proved that the solidarity of the membership remains strong, USW Local 13-243 Leadership said in a statement to The Enterprise on Monday afternoon. We encourage our members to remain focused on working safely and looking out for each other as the recall and restart process continues in Beaumont. The union also said the fight for fairness didnt start or end with the lockout and encouraged workers to continue to hold ExxonMobil accountable for actions during the bargaining and labor dispute process. ExxonMobil sent a short Employee Information Bulletin on Tuesday afternoon, largely giving information about the vote process and total. Related: ExxonMobil employees get return to work date The parties have seven days after the election in which to file objections, ExxonMobil stated in the Employee Information Bulletin. On behalf of Company management, thank you for your professionalism and focus on safety during the past few weeks. We look forward to working together as a team. In late February, the union membership voted 214-133 to ratify the latest contract offered by ExxonMobil as both entities moved forward to end the nearly 10-month-long lock out. The union ultimately decided to accept the companys proposed return to work agreement with workers returning on March 7 and health benefits available for employees beginning April 1. meagan.ellsworth@beaumontenterprise.com twitter.com/megzmagpie A man accused of transporting about $30 million in meth has pleaded guilty in a Laredo federal court, according to court documents. On March 2, Juan Jose Grande-Rivas, 44, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute meth. He faces 10 years to life in prison. A sentencing date is pending. Police have identified a Beaumont man who was killed Saturday night as a homicide investigation continues into his death. Juan Salazar, 42, was found with multiple gun shot wounds in the 800 Block of Wall Street, according to the Beaumont Police Department. Police received a call shortly before midnight for shots fired and were searching the area when they discovered Salazar. Beaumont EMS responded and pronounced Salazar dead on the scene. The investigation is still on-going and detectives are seeking any information (related to) this crime, Beaumont police said in a news release. Related: Beaumont police identify man found shot to death Last week, police have identified another Beaumont man who was shot to death. Ashton Devon Randolph, 26, was found unresponsive with multiple gunshot wounds on a driveway outside of a home on Thursday. Police said officers received a call shortly before 7:30 p.m. in the 1000 Block of Irma Street for shots fired outside of the residence where he was found. His death is also being investigated as a homicide. Police are asking anyone with information about either investigation to contact the Beaumont Police Department at 409-832-1234. If you wish to remain anonymous and be eligible for a possible cash reward, contact Crime Stoppers of Southeast Texas: CALL -409-833-TIPS, LOG ON to 833TIPS.com or use the P3 TIPS app and submit your tip using a smartphone or tablet, the release said. All tips to Crime Stoppers of Southeast Texas will remain anonymous and you may qualify for a cash reward. meagan.ellsworth@beaumontenterprise.com twitter.com/megzmagpie Congressman Bobby Scott, left, and Secretary of Veterans Affairs Denis McDonough, right, at a press conference at Hampton VA Medical Center, Friday May, 7, 2021. (Lisa Vernon Sparks/The Virginian-Pilot ) A Department of Veterans Affairs study is calling for the Hampton VA Medical Center to close to be replaced by new centers in Norfolk and Newport News, supplemented by more work at the Naval hospital in Portsmouth. The Hampton VAMCs aging infrastructure does not meet current design standards and has major architecture and engineering challenges that make it impractical and inefficient to continue investing in the facility to provide patient care, the VAs Asset and Infrastructure Review Commission said. Advertisement In addition, the commission said, The existing Hampton VAMC faces many challenges, such as frequent flooding and severe access challenges for a large portion of the veterans it serves due to heavy traffic in the bridge and tunnel infrastructure. The commission was established by legislation in 2018 that focused on easing veterans access to care outside of VA facilities. Its job is to recommend ways to restructure the VAs health care system in response to changes in veterans numbers in different parts of the country and their evolving medical needs. It proposes building a new VA medical center in South Hampton Roads, which would take over inpatient mental health services as well as outpatient services, a community living center and residential rehabilitation services for veterans in South Hampton Roads. Advertisement A new Newport News medical center would take over outpatient services, a community living center and residential rehabilitation services for the Peninsula. Current research programs at Hampton would move to the Newport News facility. Hamptons inpatient medical and surgical care and emergency department should move to Naval Hospital Portsmouth, the commission said. The Hampton VA Medical Center is seen in 2020. (Jonathon Gruenke / The Virginian-Pilot) The commission said VA spinal cord injury and disorders care would remain in at its Richmond medical center. Hamptons spinal cord injury and disorders care would be consolidated with the Richmond VA medical centers service. The commission said the Hampton VAMCs facility condition assessment found deficiencies that would cost about $173 million to address. The center was built in 1940, and doesnt meet current standards for floor-to-floor heights, corridor widths, column spacing and utility infrastructure. VA came to these recommendations by asking ourselves one question above all else: Whats best for the veterans we serve? Because that is our number one goal, today and every day. Thats what our Asset and Infrastructure Review recommendations are all about, said VA Secretary Denis McDonough. But the commissions findings wont change anything immediately. The next steps include public hearings of the recommendations before the VA submits it own plan to the president for further review next year. In Hampton Roads, its recommendations also included establishing a womens health patient aligned care team in the proposed centers in Norfolk and Newport News. The commission recommends continuing with plans for a new outpatient clinic in Chesapeake. Advertisement It also proposes building two new outpatient clinics in the Richmond suburbs and another in Petersburg, as well as a new health care center in Fredericksburg. The commission said the number of veterans within 30 minutes of primary care available through VA facilities and community providers in eastern Virginia and northeastern North Carolina will hold steady at 194,277 if its recommendations are implemented. It said the number who are within 60 minutes of specialty care also would hold steady, at 194,408. The issue of access to care seems likely to be a centerpiece of the debate. Charles Brown, the national president of the Paralyzed Veterans of America, said the recommendations look like an attempt to diminish the VAs care for veterans with spinal cord injuries. I will fight tooth and nail against any proposals that blindly look to reduce access to VA care or put our veterans at a disadvantage. said Sen. Jon Tester, D-Montana, the chairman of the Senate Veterans Affairs committee. Sen. Mark Warner, whos pressed the VA for years to cut backlogs at the Hampton medical center, called the recommendations a preliminary but notable step to ensuring Virginias veterans have access to quality and timely care. But he said he still wants to see if the commissions recommendation for new VA Medical Centers in Newport News, Norfolk and Roanoke, the relocation of some services to more modern and convenient locations and the new outpatient clinics will actually increase the VAs capacity and expand access to various such services as primary care, residential rehabilitation treatment and outpatient mental health care. Advertisement Sen. Tim Kaine called the commission proposal a complex and detailed recommendation and said the public comment period will be critical for evaluating whether it will improve or degrade service. We must also be realistic about federal budget pressures, he said, adding Even if an aging facility is not ideal, a decision to close it without a guarantee of sufficient funding for newer facilities would be very dangerous. We could find ourselves in a situation where the VA would be reluctant to fund necessary improvements in Hampton while also lacking sufficient resources to credibly guarantee the delivery of better facilities. Daywatch Weekdays Start your morning with today's local news > This new infrastructure will aid in improving the patient experience with care delivery provided in modern spaces and aid in the recruitment of staff with facilities offering the latest technology the commission said. The commission said the cost of building new facilities in the region would be $3.75 billion, while the cost of modernizing existing ones would be $3.98 billion. It said its recommendations would mean lower annual operating costs as well. Nationwide, the recommendations recommend closing at least three medical centers and 174 outpatient health clinics and building roughly 255 new health care facilities and nursing homes to improve veterans medical services, Military Times reported. Advertisement The American Federation of Government Employees, which represents VA staff, called the commissions report a devastating set of recommendations ... that would result in a vast privatization of veterans health care by closing hundreds of clinics, at least three entire medical centers and adversely affect hundreds of other VA facilities. Dave Ress, 757-247-4535, dress@dailypress.com There have been a lot of settlements over the years between local petrochemical plants and state or federal regulators, but the one involving Chevron Phillips Port Arthur plant was different. This one was not a slap on the wrist, a fine or penalty that was so small that the large corporation could basically write it off as the cost of doing business. This one had teeth. It involved real money, and you can bet that it caught the attention of the people who run that plant and the companys board of directors. The company will pay $118 million for compliance measures at the three Texas petrochemical plants as well as a $3.4 million civil penalty. Thats not small change for any corporation. Best of all, the settlement is expected to reduce greenhouse gases emitted by these plants by more than 75,000 tons per year. That too, is a big number, the kind that can have a real impact on the air quality of Southeast Texas. At the Port Arthur plant, the company will amend its air quality permits to limit the flow of gas at certain flares. It will create a plan to minimize waste to further reduce flaring and install systems that ensure gases sent to flares are burned and not just released. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said this settlement was reached because excess emission of volatile organic compounds and hazardous air pollutants occurred after the company failed to properly operate and monitor its flares. Our air quality in the region has improved tremendously since the beginning of modern pollution controls a few decades ago, but it could be better. All too often, area residents smell odors around some plants and see unsettling clouds of emissions. Its hard to quantify exactly how this affects the health of area residents, but its not good. For people with asthma or other breathing problems, the effect is more direct and noticeable. Yet scientists have been saying for years that breathing these kinds of chemicals can lead to cancer or other serious health problems. The company said it wants to minimize these problems, stating in a news release: Chevron Phillips Chemical strives to ensure compliance, especially regarding flaring, and we are fully committed to environmental stewardship. We are pleased to have this matter settled with the EPA and are making additional investments to proactively reduce our environmental footprint as part of our sustainability strategy. Thats what area residents want to hear. But what they really need are actions that make those words a reality. Most petrochemical plants in Southeast Texas operate responsibly. They spend a lot of money to fight air and water pollution, and they make sure that their employees know that this is a top priority. Well and good. But that attitude needs to be reflected in the practices of every company in the region, not just most of them. The same week this settlement was announced, the region saw another unplanned release from Indorama Ventures in Port Neches. Company officials said the flaring was a correct response to a minor problem and that no toxic substances were released. We hope so, but when Southeast Texans sees clouds of dark smoke in the sky and get warning texts on their phones, they are going to be concerned and rightfully so. The production of oil and chemicals is not an easy process. It involves dangerous chemicals and practices at large, complex facilities. But accidents must be rare, and the fines for them must never be regarded as the mere cost of doing business. This settlement was not like that. It should become the rule rather than the exception, and we hope it signals a better future for Southeast Texas. SALT LAKE CITY (AP) U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas said he's concerned efforts to politicize the court or add additional justices may erode the institution's credibility, speaking Friday in Utah at an event hosted by former Republican U.S. Sen. Orrin Hatchs foundation. Thomas, the most senior justice on the nine-member court, said he often worries about the long-term repercussions of trends such as cancel culture and a lack of civil debate. You can cavalierly talk about packing or stacking the court. You can cavalierly talk about doing this or doing that. At some point the institution is going to be compromised, he told an audience of about 500 people at an upscale hotel in Salt Lake City. By doing this, you continue to chip away at the respect of the institutions that the next generation is going to need if theyre going to have civil society, Thomas said. Rulings this year will set laws on hot-button political issues, including abortion, guns and voting rights. The court has leaned increasingly conservative since three justices nominated by former President Donald Trump joined its ranks. Progressives have in turn called to expand the number of justices on the court, including during the 2020 presidential primary. Democrats in Congress introduced a bill last year to add four justices to the bench, and President Joe Biden has convened a commission to study expanding the court. Im afraid, particularly in this world of cancel culture attack, I dont know where youre going to learn to engage as we did when I grew up, he said. If you dont learn at that level in high school, in grammar school, in your neighborhood, or in civic organizations, then how do you have it when youre making decisions in government, in the legislature, or in the courts? In addition to condemning cancel culture, Thomas also blasted the media for cultivating inaccurate impressions about public figures including himself, his wife and late Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia. Ginni Thomas, Justice Thomass wife and a longtime conservative activist, has faced scrutiny this year for her political activity and involvement in groups that file briefs about cases in front of the Supreme Court, as well as using her Facebook page to amplify partisan attacks. As Congress prepares to hold confirmation hearings for Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, Thomas recalled his 1991 confirmation process as a humiliating and embarrassing experience that taught him not to be overly prideful. During congressional hearings, lawmakers grilled Thomas about sexual harassment allegations from Anita Hill, a former employee, leading him to call the experience a high tech lynching. If confirmed, Jackson would be the first Black woman on the court, and would join Thomas as the current court's second Black justice. Thomas, who grew up in Georgia during segregation, said he held civility as one of his highest values. He said he learned to respect institutions and debate civilly with those who disagreed with him during his years in school. Based on conversations hes had with students at his university lectures in recent years, he said he doesnt believe colleges are welcoming places for productive debate, particularly for students who support what he described as traditional families or oppose abortion. Thomas did not reference the future of Roe v. Wade, the landmark 1973 Supreme Court decision that extended abortion rights throughout the country. The court this year is scheduled to rule on Dobbs v. Jackson Womens Health Organization and whether Mississippi can ban abortions at 15 weeks. While the court deliberates over the case, lawmakers in Florida, West Virginia and Kentucky are advancing similar legislation hoping the court overturns Roe and establishes new precedent. Shutterstock.com Many people observe Saint Patricks Day and see it as a fun way to celebrate Irish culture. However there is actually much more to the holiday than people realize. Before the parades, green beer and leprechauns, there was a man named Saint Patrick who was lighting a fire in pagan 5th century Ireland. A man who was willing to stand the gap for Jesus Christ and usher in Christianity into the country. Misconceptions About St. Patrick First, there are some misconceptions about Patrick that many are unaware of. Patrick is not really a Saint with a capital S, as he never was officially canonized by Rome. Patrick was also not the first evangelist to arrive in Ireland. Saint Palladius actually takes that role, arriving in Ireland in 431 about five years before Patrick did. Patrick is also not Irish, but actually from what is now known as Dumbarton, Scotland which is just northwest of Glasgow. History of St. Patrick Patrick was only 16 when he was captured in a raid and became a slave in Ireland. Ireland in the year 405 was radically pagan and hadnt been very accepting of Christian beliefs. Patrick clung to the Christian faith during this time, despite having largely ignored it in his earlier teen years. His grandfather was a priest and his father was a town councilor, however Patrick admitted that he had yet to really know God. In fact, he even considered himself an atheist at one point. But while being forced into slavery and having to tend to his masters sheep, he spent the majority of his free time in prayer. Patrick felt that he was being punished by God for not being a believer. Patrick recounts his time as a slave in his memoir titled The Confession. In the memoir Patrick writes: I prayed a hundred times in the day and almost as many at night. After a dream suggested he escape, he left Ireland and returned home. He had written in his memoir, "I heard in my sleep a voice saying to me: 'It is well that you fast. Soon you will go to your own country.' And again, after a short while, I heard a voice saying to me: 'See, your ship is ready.' " Once home, Patrick became much more involved in ministry. He struggled deeply trying to understand if he should go back to Ireland and minister to those who had enslaved him. He turned to God in prayer and received an answer in a dream. Patrick knew he had to return, and convinced the church to send him on s small ship back to the island. Patrick didnt return to Ireland until his mid-40s. At the time, Ireland had been plagued with war, violence, and death. The place had become much worse than the last time Patrick was there. Saint Palladius had not been very successful in his mission to bring Christianity over, and the returning of Patrick replaced his efforts. Patrick, having spent more time intimately with the people of Ireland, was able to build a more effective strategy. Patrick was familiar with the Irish clan system because his former master, Milchu, had been a chieftain. Patrick began to convert the chiefs first, who would then convert their clans through their influence. Milchu was reportedly one of the earliest converts. Patrick would preach the gospel, baptize converts, confirm them and help appoint clergy. His ministry lasted 29 years, and he baptized over 120,000 Irishmen and planted 300 churches. Patrick helped Ireland became known as one of Europes Christian centers. Though Patrick didnt convert the island all by himself, his missionary journeys improved the rate of converts. History of St. Patricks Day as a Holiday St. Patricks Day started as a religious celebration in the 17th century to commemorate the life of Saint Patrick and the arrival of Christianity to Ireland. Also known as Feast Day, it always took place on the anniversary of Patricks death. In the early 18th century, Irish immigrants brought the tradition over to the American colonies, and it was there that Saint Patrick started to become the symbol of Irish heritage and culture that he is today. By the mid-19th century, the United States saw a massive influx of Irish immigrants that were hoping to escape the Great Famine. This transformed the relatively small-scale Feast Day observance into a full-blown celebration that people wanted to be a part of whether they were Irish or not. In 1903, Feast Day became a national holiday in Ireland, and over time it transformed into what is now called St. Patricks Day. The holiday has since been celebrated all over the world in countries like the United States, Great Britain, Canada, Argentina, and Australia. Its so popular, its thought to be celebrated in more countries than any other holiday. It began as a fairly relaxing holiday of going to mass, watching a parade and eating a hearty meal with family but quickly transformed into one of the biggest parties in the world. If it wasnt for St. Patricks dedication to bringing his faith to the new country, we wouldnt have such a great reason to celebrate. Megan Bailey is the Social Media Specialist and Content Producer for Beliefnet. She attended James Madison University where she received a degree in psychology. Tokyo Vice Trailer is Intense Michael Mann is Back 2 Minute Read Advertisement The first Tokyo Vice trailer exposes the real Tokyo its not all anime, weird fashion trends, and sushi. Id like to start by noting that this is a Michael Mann project and he directed the pilot. Heat, The Insider, Miami Vice that Michael Mann. The story is based on American journalist Jake Adelsteins non-fiction first-hand account of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police at the turn of the millennium. No one is who or what they seem in the neon-soaked underbelly of Tokyo. The first trailer shows Jakes experiences at the paper he works for. Hes not taken seriously at the start, but that changes as he digs into the underbelly of the city. Check out the first Tokyo Vice trailer Adelstein spent 12 years at one of Japans largest papers covering the crime beat. He worked on murders, corruption, and the Yakuza. The show looks to be focusing on his expose on Tadamasa Goto, which earned the journalist multiple death threats. Were not just talking ground-level mob bosses here, the implications of what he found were on an international level. Im not going to say no to a show with Ken Watanabe and produced by Michael Mann. Im just not. Its a bonus that the story is really intriguing. My one hope is that Elgort isnt as bad as he comes off in this first look. Tokyo Vice Synopsis & Cast Loosely inspired by American journalist Jake Adelsteins non-fiction first-hand account of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police beat, the crime drama series, filmed on location in Tokyo, captures Adelsteins (played by Ansel Elgort) daily descent into the neon-soaked underbelly of Tokyo in the late 90s, where nothing and no one is truly what or who they seem. The cast is led by Ken Watanabe and Ansel Elgort. Also included are Rinko Kikuchi, Rachel Keller, Ella Rumpf, Hideaki Ito, Sho Kasamatsu, and Tomohisa Yamashita. Advertisement The first 3 episodes of Tokyo Vice drops on April 7 on HBO Max. Subscribe to our newsletter! Get Tabletop, RPG & Pop Culture news delivered directly to your inbox. By subscribing you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Latest News From BoLS: Advertisement Read the Comments (0) A Navy veteran faked dozens of medical records claiming she had grave health issues, and lied about a drunk driver hitting her car while on active duty, as part of a scheme to steal over $1 million from the government, federal officials in Maryland say. The woman also admitted to helping her then-husband and dad, both military veterans, to get more than a half million dollars in veteran disability benefits they werent entitled to, the U.S. Attorneys Office for the District of Maryland said in a March 11 news release. Advertisement Angela Marie Farr, age 36, of Leonardtown, pleaded guilty to organizing the conspiracy to steal at least $1,010,000 from both the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and the Social Security Administration, the office said. She served in the Navy from 2005 until 2007 before she was administratively discharged. McClatchy News has reached out to Farrs attorneys for comment and was awaiting a response. Advertisement The documents Farr faked stated that Farr, her husband, and her father were homebound and required full-time assistance for basic tasks such as eating, bathing, and dressing, since they were purportedly wheelchair bound, according to officials and court documents obtained by McClatchy News. They also claimed they had military service-connected traumatic brain injury and seizures, an indictment said. However, all three individuals lived ordinary, active lives, according to the release. Farr ran an online marketing business, her then-husband would regularly work out at a CrossFit gym and Farrs dad supervised a logistics unit of 25 people while a civilian employee of the Navy, the release added. The documents Farr filed for herself claimed she suffered multiple seizures daily, required round-the-clock care for basic functions such as toileting and showering, and claimed that she also suffered from an aneurysm, heart attack, and leukemia, according to officials. The alleged scheme began in 2009, two years after Farr was discharged from the Navy, when she said she suffered post-traumatic stress disorder after being sexually assaulted while on duty three years earlier, according to her plea agreement. This is when she also falsely claimed to VA that she was seriously injured in a traffic accident when she was struck by a drunk driver while driving on duty in 2006. Farr proceeded to forge over 70 pages, claiming they were from the Navy, that were purportedly authored by criminal investigators, psychologists, and physical therapists, the agreement said. As a result, the VA rated her as 70% disabled. Daywatch Weekdays Start your morning with today's local news > She continued to file more false medical records while seeking more money in 2015, court documents show. Her mother is accused of falsely acting as her caregiver when VA representatives visited her home at the time, resulting in her disability rating increasing to 100%. Advertisement Farr also exaggerated her then-husbands and her fathers existing medical conditions by submitting false claims to the VA, according to officials. Her then-husband, a former Army member, got $370,912 in VA benefits and her father got $168,074 that they werent entitled to. In 2016, Farr applied for SSDI benefits claiming the same disabilities that she said she had when submitting the false medical records to the VA, the release said. In that application, Farr claimed that she was unable to work and was forced to medically retire, despite the fact that she was working for the Department of Defense at the time she applied. Farr and Pace were divorced in December 2017, the indictment said. Shes been ordered to pay restitution for the money fraudulently obtained as part of the conspiracy, the attorneys office said. If convicted on all counts she pleaded guilty to, she could face a maximum 15 years in federal prison, prosecutors said. Her sentencing is scheduled for August 4. A wounded woman stands outside a hospital after the bombing of the eastern Ukraine town of Chuguiv on Feb. 24, 2022, as Russian armed forces invade Ukraine (left photo) (AFP). A protester holds onto the shirt of a fallen comrade during a crackdown on demonstrations against the military coup in Hlaing Tharyar township, Myanmar, March 14, 2021. (AFP) As the war in Ukraine drags on, with no clear-cut Russian victory in sight, we are seeing important parallels with the conflict in Myanmar, which has fallen from the headlines. The Russian offensive in Ukraine has faltered and there has been a heavier reliance on indiscriminate air attacks with non-precision guided munitions and artillery. The Russians dont have sufficient forces to capture and hold cities, so they surround them and use long-range artillery fire. They are intentionally targeting civilians, apartment blocks, and hospitals. Like Myanmars military, Russian forces have laid siege and prevented humanitarian convoys from reaching civilians. There can be no pretense that this is simply collateral damage. The Tatmadaw, as the Myanmar military is known, has razed villages, burning down at least 6,700 homes, according to the group Data for Myanmar. Its a punitive act because they cannot hold territory. And yet their ruthless Four Cuts strategy employed for decades to deny insurgents support from local people has not deterred the public from supporting the shadow National Unity Government since last years coup. Both Russia and Myanmar rely on poorly trained, conscript militaries, with low morale. As Russian forces have been depleted through deaths, injury or desertion, we are seeing the leadership call up mercenaries from Chechnya, Syria, and their own Wagner Group, a Russian paramilitary organization. Ukrainian soldiers and firefighters search in a destroyed building after a bombing attack in Kyiv, Ukraine, March 14, 2022. (left photo) (Associated Press). Burned buildings destroyed by Myanmar junta military troops are seen in this aerial photo from in Mingin Township taken on Feb. 3, and released on Feb. 5, 2022, (AFP/Chin Twin Chit Thu). In Myanmar, where the Tatmadaw has been slowly hollowed out, there is greater reliance on the pro-junta Pyu Saw Htee militia. Both regimes have stepped up arrests of dissenters. Russia has imposed almost a total blackout of media not under state control, forcing most foreign reporters from its borders. Russia is transforming its internet into a Chinese-style intranet. In Myanmar, there have been attempts to shut down the internet in the conflict-wracked regions including Sagaing to prevent evidence of government atrocities, while policing social media to target dissent. In both countries, the assaults and arrests of journalists continue apace. As in the towns and cities that the Russians occupy, the Myanmar military has been summarily executing civilians. In both countries, the leadership believes that if they act with enough violence they can submit the civilian population to their will and will be able to evade all accountability. In recent fighting in Myanmar, more than five dozen civilians were burned to death. Neither government tries to hide their war crimes; indeed they want them there for all to see, as a warning of things to come. There is a shared belief that they can weather international sanctions, and both governments are displaying callous disregard for the economic crisis that they are causing their populations. Both have quickly reversed over a decade of economic progress. The junta in Myanmar oversaw an 18 percent contraction of the economy in 2021, and more than half the population now lives in poverty. Both regimes are sanctioned, and have seen much of their trade diminish. Today the citizens of Yangon are experiencing electric shortages and a lack of water. Incredible courage The wars in both countries have seen incredible courage against all odds. Weve witnessed valiant fighting by Ukrainian defenders as well as by Myanmars Peoples Defense Forces (PDFs) and their allied Ethnic Armed Organizations (EAOs). But they are up against insurmountable odds. Even if the Tatmadaw has a smaller fighting force than is often suggested, it is still larger and better resourced than the PDFs, with the power of conscription. Like the Russian army, the Tatmadaw is weaker and more poorly armed than budgets would suggest because of endemic corruption. Authoritarianism tends to weaken most institutions including the security services. When PDFs display captured equipment or army prisoners of war, its pretty shocking how poorly armed and equipped they are, given the militarys primacy and budget. But clearly much of the military budget goes to prestige items while young conscripts fighting the war remain poorly fed, armed and equipped. The PDFs continue to have significant challenges in raising funds and acquiring arms and ammunition. Recently we have seen several battles that have left about dozen PDF personnel killed having run out of ammunition. The NUG just announced that their PDFs will have a $30 million budget this year. While thats significant amount for sub-state militia, it is paltry compared to the resources of the Tatmadaw. Just through their asymmetrical dominance in material, the Russian military and the Tatmadaw are able to grind out a long war. Like the Ukrainian forces, the PDFs and their affiliated EAOs have high morale, relatively good discipline and a just cause that they are fighting for. They hold themselves to higher standards on the battlefield in terms of trying not to commit war crimes, intentionally target civilians or looting and pilfering. And unlike the Tatmadaw or the Russians, they enjoy overwhelming popular support. The one thing that the PDFs and EAOs have not focused on sufficiently is targeting the Tatmadaws long and vulnerable supply lines. The Myanmar military has never fought on as many fronts simultaneously and they have never had to fight in the ethnic majority Bamar heartland. Underdogs The Ukrainians have taken advantage of this vulnerability to a much greater degree. While the NUG may beg for the provision of manpads portable, surface-to-air missiles the best way to target the militarys air assets is by targeting the supply of jet fuel. As much as we can root for the underdogs in Ukraine and Myanmar, neither is likely to win a clear-cut military victory. But they dont have to. Guerrilla forces simply have to not lose. Russian Channel One editor Marina Ovsyannikova holds a poster reading Stop the war. Dont believe the propaganda. Here they are lying to you, during a broadcast on Russias most-watched evening news broadcast in Moscow, March 14, 2022, (left photo) (AFP/ Channel One). Japanese journalist Yuki Kitazumi raises his hands as he is escorted by police upon arrival at the Myaynigone police station in Yangon, Myanmar, Feb. 26, 2021. (Associated Press) They have to wear down the occupying force, trap them in a war of attrition that forces them to further alienate the population through barbaric attacks and systematic human rights abuses. And in that regard the PDFs are doing admirably. In both cases, the way the conflicts likely end is from within. In Russia, the oligarchs may not pose a challenge to President Vladimir Putin simply because they do not control any coercive instruments. The threat Putin faces comes from his own security services, which he appears to be scapegoating for the militarys poor performance. The real threat to junta leader Min Aung Hlaing and his deputy Soe Win comes from lower-ranking generals and colonels who have not shared in the military regimes spoils. These are the people who have to execute the war and who understand that given the rate of casualties and defections, they do not have the manpower to hold territory. These are the people that know how despised the military is and how little legitimacy its regime has. They are the people who know that the war is unwinnable and have an interest in protecting whats left of the militarys political, economic, and institutional interests. They know they can only do that through a negotiated settlement and that is impossible with this senior leadership still in place. Saleha Begum whose son, Bangladesh student leader Moazzem Hossain Tapu, has been missing since Jan. 26, 2016, cries while speaking about him during a rally in Dhaka, Dec. 10, 2021. The brother of a man who vanished in 2013 says police came to his home earlier this year and tried to force his father to sign a blank document, confirming U.N. allegations that Bangladeshs government is trying to silence families of presumed victims of enforced disappearances. Police responded by saying the incident was part of their investigation into the disappearance of Mahbub Hasan, a leader of Jatiyatabadi Chatra Dal, the student wing of the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). Police came to my home in the Sabujbagh area in Dhaka in January and tried to force my father to sign a blank document, but he refused. After local people gathered in front of my house, police left, Hasans brother, Shakil Khan, told BenarNews on Tuesday. On Feb. 6, an officer of the detective branch of police called me and said they are investigating my brothers issue. The officer asked me to meet him at his office whenever he calls, Khan said. Hasans and other families linked to victims of enforced disappearances have faced increasing incidents of harassment since December 2021, according to 16 United Nations human rights experts. The experts urged the government to end such reprisals, noting that the homes of at least 10 relatives of missing people had been raided late at night since the United States imposed sanctions on Bangladeshs Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) security force at that time. In a statement issued from Geneva on Monday, the group alleged that the Bangladeshi government was retaliating against activists and families of missing people who have worked with international organizations to bring enforced disappearances to light. During the raids, relatives were intimidated, threatened and forced to either sign blank sheets of paper or pre-written statements indicating that their family member was not forcibly disappeared and that they had deliberately misled the police, the U.N. experts said. This is unacceptable, the experts said. RAB and other security agencies should not be shielded from scrutiny and criminal responsibility. This kind of intimidation could deter others from reporting on issues of public interest and from cooperating with rights activists, the experts said, while calling for an immediate end to the raids. RAB was founded in 2004, and charged with internal security, intelligence gathering related to criminal activities and government-directed investigations, according to the U.S. Treasury. It is accused of more than 600 enforced disappearances in the past 12 years, according to Washington. Bangladesh police denied the experts allegations. There is no incident of harassing any family of missing persons. Police personnel sometimes visit the residences of missing persons as a part of an investigation, Md. Kamruzzaman, an assistant inspector general at police headquarters, told BenarNews. Police act with professionalism. Another police official said officers had good reason to make such visits. Police sometimes visit the houses of missing persons to check whether the missing person was back home or not as sometimes missing people return, Mohammad Faruk Hossain, the Dhaka Metropolitan Polices deputy commissioner for media and public relations, told BenarNews. Family members display photos of alleged victims of enforced disappearances during a rally organized by victims group Mayer Daak, in Dhaka, Dec. 10, 2021. [Sabrina Yesmin/BenarNews] Harassing the families Despite those denials, families of some victims told BenarNews that police were still hounding them. Police are harassing the families repeatedly over the phone or visiting their houses, said Afroza Islam Akhi, a coordinator with victims group Mayer Daak. Law enforcers should behave with the families of enforced disappearance victims carefully as they are passing days with serious stress. Instead of showing sympathy, authorities can be threatening, said Afroza, whose brother, BNP leader Sajedul Islam Sumon, disappeared in December 2013. Shilpi Akhter, whose brother, Farid Ahmed Raju, disappeared one month later from the southeastern Lakshmipur district, expressed similar concerns. Police visited our house at Chandraganj area twice once during the day and another at night just 15 days ago. They asked my family to go see someone at the police station, but we did not go as we were not convinced by their behavior, she told BenarNews. Mosleh Uddin, officer-in-charge of Chandraganj Police Station, said people should have no concerns about the investigations. I have visited houses of three missing persons in my area recently, he told BenarNews. I visited the houses just to collect information on whether the missing persons are back home or not. Nur Khan Liton, general secretary of human rights organization Ain-O-Salish Kendra (ASK), also confirmed the U.N. allegations. He proposed that the government establish guidelines for police and other law enforcers to behave with the families and demanded it form an independent commission to probe all enforced disappearance cases. We observed with concern that the families of enforced disappearance victims are suddenly facing intimidation by law enforcers over the last few months, he told BenarNews. Activists hug while taking part in a rally calling for Papuan self-determination in Papua, during commemorations in Jakarta of the 60th anniversary of West Papuas declaration of independence from Dutch colonial rule, Dec. 1, 2021. Indonesian security forces killed two people and wounded several more when they fired into a crowd of hundreds of protesters agitating in Yahukimo regency Tuesday against a government move to create new provinces in the restive Papua region, police said. Thousands of indigenous Papuans have staged daily protests since Friday against plans to carve Papua into six provinces. Critics say the plans are part of Jakartas divide-and-rule tactics to obstruct the separatist movement in Indonesias far-east. Police claimed that the protesters in Dekai, the main town in Yahukimo, were attacking personnel and setting fire to property, but one protester said police responded with gunfire to some who were throwing stones. Police breached the line and took photos of the protesters, one protester who gave his name as David told BenarNews. He said that police forced their way into the crowd to take photos, angering the demonstrators. The crowd did not accept [this] and had a quarrel with the police. During the argument, some in the crowd threw rocks at the police. Police responded to the stone-throwing with gunfire and tear gas. There was chaos and clashes, he said. The angry crowd then set fire to nearby buildings, including the Yahukimo Information and Communications Office, he said. David said several people were still being treated at Dekai General Hospital for gunshot wounds. Papua police chief Inspector Gen. Mathius Fakhiri claimed police took the action after protesters attacked officers and set fire to shops in Dekai as they were dispersing. After they finished with their speeches, there was commotion among the masses and because of provocation, they set fire to the row of shops, Fakhiri told journalists. Papua police spokesman Ahmad Musthofa Kamal identified the two slain protesters as Yakob Meklok, 30, and Esron Wipea, 22. A police officer named Brigadier Muhammad Andi suffered an open wound on the head and is currently being treated by a medical team, he said. Didimus Yahuli, the regent of Yahukimo, said he regretted the fatalities but placed the blame on protest leaders. The Yahukimo regency government has stated that there should be no demonstrations, he said. Protests against the proposal to divide up Papua have been held across the province since last week, including in the provincial capital Jayapura, and in Wamena and Paniai. A rally in Jakarta on Friday turned violent, leaving several protesters and a policeman injured, officials and activists said. An anti-government protester is treated for a gunshot wound at the Dekai Hospital in Yahukimo, a regency of Indonesias Papua province, March 15, 2022. [Piter Lokon/BenarNews] Divisions The protests stemmed from a statement made by Home Affairs Minister Tito Karnavian in December, who said the government and lawmakers would deliberate on a bill in 2022 to establish new administrative units in Papua. Last November, Mohammad Mahfud MD, the coordinating minister for political, security and legal affairs, said that breaking up Papua into more provinces would help economic and social benefits reach those it was intended for more efficiently and sooner. In addition to our national strategic interests to strengthen the integrity of the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia, there is also the need to accelerate social welfare, he had said about why the government wanted to divide Papua into smaller units. Papua has been home to a separatist insurgency since the 1960s. Indonesian security forces have been accused of human rights abuses in counter-insurgency operations. 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 United Nations-sponsored vote, which locals and activists said was a sham because it involved only about 1,000 people. However, the U.N. accepted the result, which essentially endorsed Jakartas rule. In 2003 the Indonesian government divided the western half of New Guinea island into two provinces Papua and West Papua. Now, officials have said the government is considering creating four new provinces: Papua Tabi Saireri, Pegunungan Tengah (Central Highlands), South Papua and Central Papua. Theo Sitokdana, a Papuan activist and political observer, said he agreed that Papua should be divided into smaller units, but not new provinces. What should be encouraged is the creation of new villages, districts and regencies, not provinces, Sitokdana told BenarNews. Because those are where Papuan indigenous people are. [By making new administrative units] indigenous Papuans can have more access to basic social services. Agus Sumule, a lecturer at the State University of Papua, said no academic studies had been done on the feasibility of creating new provinces. He argued that there would be funding gaps for new provinces that are not resource rich. For example, before the creation of West Papua Province, areas that are now regencies in West Papua received a share of Freeports revenue, but now they dont, Sumule told BenarNews. In a report published in 2013, the Institute for Policy Analysis of Conflict (IPAC) said that divisions at the regency level in the 2000s had failed to improve relations between Papua and the central government. If divide-and-rule policies in the early 2000s were based on the premise that smaller units would help defeat separatism, it is difficult to see any clear correlation between number of administrative units and support or lack thereof for independence, said IPAC, a think-tank based in Jakarta. Though new regencies allowed unrepresented clans to have a stake in the political process and helped focus attention on the lack of development there, serious problems of conflict and corruption had also arisen in many of the new districts that were not helpful to either development or peace, IPAC said. A researcher at the Papua Peace Network conflict resolution group, Adriana Elizabeth, said some members of the Papuan elite had pushed for the creation of new provinces to gain power. There are economic and political deals. New leaders mean new political largesse. The central highlands region is rich [in natural resources], including Freeport in Mimika, and investors obtain permits from the local government, she said. Adriana said carving up Papua serves Jakartas strategic and security interests. If one province becomes independent, Indonesia still has other Papua provinces, she said. Tria Dianti in Jakarta contributed to this report. Apollo Quiboloy, head of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ and a spiritual adviser to then-President-elect Rodrigo Duterte, speaks during a press conference in Davao City, southern Philippines, May 23, 2016. Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte is defending his spiritual adviser who the FBI is investigating over alleged labor trafficking and sex crimes, saying in his first public comments after U.S. prosecutors indicted Pastor Apollo Quiboloy that he remains a friend. Duterte visited the pastor at his broadcast station here in southern Davao city at the weekend, and affirmed his more than three-decade relationship with the jet-setting founder of the Philippine-based church known as the Kingdom of Jesus Christ, The Name above Every Name (KJOC). Well, we are friends. Id like to stress that to everyone, to all and sundry, Duterte told Quiboloy, according to transcripts of the meeting released by the presidential palace late on Monday. Neither the president nor Quiboloy mentioned the criminal allegations the pastor is facing in southern California, where KJOC has a branch and where he is wanted by the FBI in connection with a federal indictment brought against Quiboloy last year. Duterte also did not say whether his administration would hand over Quiboloy for extradition to the U.S. In November, a U.S. grand jury charged Quiboloy on suspicion of orchestrating a sex-trafficking operation that coerced girls as young as 12 to have sex with him or risk eternal damnation. The Filipino justice department has said it is willing to extradite the pastor known for his fiery sermons, if U.S. authorities send a request. So far, the department says it has not received one. Earlier on, Quiboloys spokesman had dismissed the U.S. indictment as a grand conspiracy of lies meant to humiliate the pastor through trumped-up charges. During his meeting with the pastor, Duterte said Quiboloy had supported him since the days when he worked as a prosecutor in Davao, Dutertes southern hometown where he served as the longtime mayor before being elected president in 2016. Duterte said he first met Quiboloy at a small chapel in Agdao, a Davao district where communist New Peoples Army (NPA) guerrillas had fielded their urban hit squads. From a small chapel, Quiboloys flock has grown to have four million followers nationwide, and two million abroad mainly drawn from Filipino expatriate communities. When I ran for mayor, he asked me to speak and I was the only politician in Davao that went to his church to speak. It was just a small church. There was no building, it was bare in 1988, Duterte said. So the friendship grew. And I value that friendship, he said. Pastor Apollo Quiboloy (second from right) prays with then-presidential hopeful Rodrigo Duterte at a birthday celebration during a thanksgiving worship service in Lingayen, northern Philippines, March 27, 2016. [Jojo Rinoza/BenarNews] The two men also reminisced about a time when they both visited the United States, and how there they were nobodies who had to drive their own cars. Quiboloy said his congregation supported Duterte because we know your sincerity, your advocacy, everything. We will miss your template of leadership in the presidency when youre gone out of office, Quiboloy said, adding that the presidents successor would surely be weighed down by comparisons to Duterte. The 76-year-old Philippine leader will be leaving office after the May 9 general election because of a constitutional provision that limits the president to one, six-year term. There is nothing that has been done in the Philippines that compares to the leadership you have, Quiboly said. Christianity plays a major role in Philippine society and Quiboloys megachurch, which also now controls a television station that broadcasts pro-Duterte programs, is considered a political force that can deliver votes. The president has said that Quiboloy serves as his spiritual adviser and that he has also lent him luxury vehicles and homes. Our opportunity to do right The FBIs wanted notice for Quiboloy said he was wanted for alleged participation in a labor trafficking scheme that brought church members to the United States, via fraudulently obtained visas, and forced the members to solicit donations for a bogus charity, donations that actually were used to finance church operations and the lavish lifestyles of its leaders. Females were recruited to work as the pastors personal assistants a job that allegedly required them to clean his residences, cook his meals and have sex with him, U.S. officials said. But even before the U.S. indictment, Quiboloy had already faced sexual assault allegations from a young member of his congregation back home in the Philippines. The case, however, did not gain traction because it was filed in Davao City, which was controlled by the Duterte family, according to people with knowledge of the case. Mae Fe Templa, a former social work undersecretary who once served as a consultant for the Davao government and who had helped the plaintiff in that case said she felt frustrated and helpless in pursuing it. If that case of the then-15 year-old girl had only prospered in court, the accused pastor would not have continued his act[s] in the U.S., Templa told BenarNews recently. I was so disgusted and professionally wanted to pursue [the case], but circumstances at the time just didnt allow [it], she said. The mother of the girl sued the church and attempted to rescue her own child, who was then living at the church compound. But state forces came to harass her, Templa alleged. Other case workers who have followed the case believe that the Philippine government should also investigate Quiboloy, said Maria Maglana, a known peace and development advocate in Davao. The people of Davao city will take a strong interest in ensuring that justice is served to the women and minor[s] who were reported[ly] coerced into having sexual acts with Quiboloy, she told BenarNews on Monday. The sex trafficking indictment against Quiboloy is our opportunity to do right by our women and girls, and uphold the rule of law, Maglana said. Jeoffrey Maitem contributed to this report from Cotabato City, southern Philippines. Relatives of two suspected insurgents who were killed in a shootout with the military arrive at Narathiwat Hospital in Narathiwat town in southern Thailand, Feb. 12, 2019. Human rights commissioners are calling on the Thai military to stop making house calls to families of suspected insurgents in the Deep South because, they allege, such visits harass people and violate their right to privacy. But the Thai military spokesman is pushing back against criticism of the controversial practice, saying the visits by tactical teams to the homes of suspects relatives are meant to spread goodwill and deepen understanding between the authorities and such families across Thailands troubled far south. In a rare move last week, the Office of the National Human Rights Commission of Thailand (NHRC) said it had investigated incidents based on a 2020 petition from the wife of a man who had been found not guilty of charges linked to a bomb-attack which injured more than 60 people at a superstore in Pattani province in May 2017 and was blamed on southern separatist rebels. The commission, which investigated the complaint against the 42nd Ranger Task Force in Pattani, concluded that the militarys visits were unconstitutional. Such actions were breaching territorial privacy, thus a violation of human rights, Wasan Paileeklee, the chief of the human rights body, said in a statement last week. The Internal Security Operations Command Region 4 should cease such an approach or practice in which troops are assigned to visit or monitor activities of the relatives who had no connection to alleged offenses to avoid impact on their privacy, Wasan said. ISOC-4, the regional military command whose duty is to fight against insurgents, has jurisdiction across Thailands heavily militarized southern border region. The commission also recommended that local religious leaders and female officials accompany troops during such goodwill visits so families that include women and children dont feel as intimidated. Grouchy visitors Commenting on the petition that led to the investigation, Wasan said the military had visited the mans family several times and questioned him about his behavior, forcing him to find a job in nearby Malaysia to escape fear, according to his wife. A family member who asked not to be named for security concerns said the military visitors were unfriendly. They came grouchy. The way they spoke was biased against us, the family member said. They were fully armed so children and the elderly felt intimidated when they met them. The people who tend to cause trouble here are the military. Many times the soldiers shot the villagers. When the villagers complained, they paid and threatened people to shut up, he said. Villagers filed a petition to the NHRC to stop the military. ISOC-4: No ill intention Col. Kiatisak Neewong, the spokesman for ISOC-4, insisted that military personnel are only paying goodwill visits. In the event that military personnel go to visit the suspects family, they have no bad intentions or dont want to intimidate or create conflict. The villagers dont understand and can become angry. The officers have to be patient to put up with this to the end, he told BenarNews. Despite that claim, families visited by the military said they felt as though they were under investigation, the NHRC report found. The Deep South encompasses Pattani, Narathiwat, Yala provinces and four districts of Songkhla province. Since the separatist insurgency reignited in January 2004, more than 7,300 people have been killed in violence across the mainly Muslim and Malay-speaking region, according to Deep South Watch, a Pattani think-tank. In 2005, the government enacted an emergency decree in nearly 37 districts in the Malay-speaking Muslim dominant provinces. The decree empowers officials to conduct broad searches of households and detain suspected insurgents for questioning without charging them for at least a week. The state of emergency in the border region has been extended 67 times most recently earlier this month. The cold-blooded gunman busted early Tuesday for shooting five sleeping homeless men in New York and Washington, D.C., was meticulous in his planning and merciless in his intent. Suspect Gerald Brevard III, a 30-year-old D.C. resident, wore a mask, a hood and blue surgical gloves as he hunted his prey, killing one homeless man and wounding two more in the nations capital before heading north for New York to execute another sleeping man and wound his fifth victim, police say. Advertisement Gerald Brevard III, a 30-year-old D.C. resident, wore a mask, a hood and blue surgical gloves as he hunted his prey, killing one homeless man and wounding two more in the nations capital before heading north for New York to execute another sleeping man and wound his fifth victim, police say. (DC Police Department) Youre shocked that someone can commit such a jarring act against a defenseless person, said NYPD Chief of Detectives James Essig hours after the arrest. Just going up and shooting somebody sleeping, defenseless on the sidewalk ... [he] has some serious issues. An NYPD source indicated police believe there were no other victims. Essig said the motive behind the killings remained a mystery after a massive manhunt ended with Brevards predawn arrest by by D.C. police. The suspected murderer was not not yet charged with any crime in New York. Authorities tracked him down using ballistics evidence, video and surveillance photos. Advertisement Brevard was seen wearing distinctive sneakers, black pants and the same face covering at the crime scenes, according to Essig. New York officials said the murder suspect had no ties with the Big Apple, and it was unclear what brought him north. The suspects father, also named Gerald, issued a statement describing his namesake son as a good person who suffers from untreated mental illness. I cannot speak to the details of the case, he told the Daily News in a text message. I can only speak to the issue of the failure of the judicial system identifying that my son suffers from mental illness, but not treating him ... The system has failed regarding the treatment of so many, including my son. A high-ranking NYPD source said the black-clad gunman left little to chance as he walked the streets looking for victims. And he took precautions to ensure his escape before pulling the trigger. There was a lot of consciousness in what he did, said the source. When he spotted a target, he did a full walk around the block, almost like a reconnaissance, to make sure the coast was clear so he could commit his act. Mayor Adams speaks during a news conference with Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser about the search for the gunman targeting homeless men. (Evan Vucci/AP) Authorities had yet to recover the murder weapon, identified by police as a .22-caliber pistol. Authorities recovered five of the shell casings from the shootings, which began March 3 in Washington and continued off and on until the last two attacks just 90 minutes apart this past Saturday in New York. Video showed the suspect in Penn Station early Saturday, indicating he possibly took the train up to New York. This man targeted those experiencing homelessness with no regard for life, but this criminal is now off the streets, said Mayor Adams after the Tuesday morning arrest. Gun violence against anyone, let alone our most vulnerable populations, is sick. Advertisement One day earlier, he joined Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser in a joint call for public help in tracking down the shooter. Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser, left, and Washington Metropolitan Police Chief Robert Contee asked for the public's help finding the gunman ambushing homeless people in D.C. and New York City. (Alex Brandon/AP) Daywatch Weekdays Start your morning with today's local news > According to court records, Brevard was arrested in July 2018 on assault charges before a legal battle over his mental health ensued. He spent time at St. Elizabeths Hospital, a Washington psychiatric facility, before eventually pleading guilty and receiving a one-year suspended prison term. The D.C. Metropolitan Police tweeted out news of the 2:30 a.m. arrest early Tuesday, ending the search for the callous suspect. Due to the excellent teamwork by great NYPD investigators and our partners in the @DCPoliceDept, @ATFHQ and @FBI, the suspect wanted for multiple shootings, including two homicides, of people experiencing homelessness has been apprehended in Washington D.C., tweeted NYPD Commissioner Keechant Sewell. Front page for March 15, 2022: Cops, feds seek man preying on NYC, D.C. homeless. A man shot and wounded at King and Varick Sts. in SoHo on Saturday was one of five homeless victims authorities believe were targeted this month by suspect (above) in New York City and Washington, cops said Monday. (New York Daily News) Cops and federal agents on Monday stepped up their hunt for the suspect, identifying him as a lone gunman preying on both cities most vulnerable residents. Adams responded by dispatching homeless outreach teams to encourage people on the streets to move to shelters. And the NYPD launched a mountainous effort with the city Department of Homeless Services to visit homeless camps throughout the city and ensure there were no other victims, according to a source. Advertisement The killers last known attack was early Saturday morning, when he shot and killed a man sleeping in a doorway in SoHo, police said. The man was the shooters second victim that morning. Only 90 minutes prior, he shot a homeless man, who was struck in the arm and survived, police said. The gunman, captured on surveillance video wearing all black, shot three men in Washington between March 3 and March 9. One of those victims died after being shot and stabbed multiple times before his tent was set on fire. If you'd like to leave a comment (or a tip or a question) about this story with the editors, please email us We also welcome letters to the editor for publication; you can do that by filling out our letters form and submitting it to the newsroom. A Shaftsbury, Vt., man is facing a drunken driving charge after police say he crashed his vehicle early Tuesday near the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts in North Adams. WASHINGTON Despite a hot housing market, no one is rushing to bid on a landmark property in the town of Washington whose fate sits before two courts. The nonprofit that owns the former Bucksteep Manor needs more time to find a buyer, as it works to unravel a tangle of liens and cut short a venture that raised public safety questions and alienated town officials. An attorney for owner Family Unity International told a Western Housing Court judge Monday it has been unable to line up a loan or sale that would enable it to pay off a debt of nearly $50,000 to an outside property manager appointed by the court. At the same time, the nonprofit, which had hoped to run programs at the 885 Washington Mountain Road property, faces a tax-taking action in Land Court. In that case, the town seeks to recover about $136,000 in unpaid property taxes. In a hearing Monday, Judge Jeffrey M. Winik of the housing court declined to grant a motion to speed the sale of the property to satisfy the debt to the receiver, YellowBrick Property LLC. Instead, he asked attorneys on both sides to propose plans to pay off the $50,000 debt and to arrange for care of the site over the coming months. Pittsfield attorney Christopher M. Hennessey, representing Family Unity, said the nonprofits president, Richard Loveszy, is willing to pay $5,000 a month toward the amount it owes the receiver. He said the property has drawn some interest from buyers and said he is in talks to line up a loan that could be used to pay off the debt. Wed like some time to try to get this financing in place, Hennessey told the judge. Katharine Ann Higgins-Shea, a Holyoke attorney representing YellowBrick, said her client wants to be paid within four months, about half the length of the proposed payment plan. They just dont want to get paid over nine months, she said. Thats not a very long timeline to get paid off, Winik said. The judge warned Family Unity that if it cannot sustain a payment plan, he would be more likely to grant a motion to have the property sold. Im going to let the receiver proceed to enforce the lien, by sale if necessary, Winik said. The judge said he was unlikely to allow that sale to be done by auction, given the propertys value. The main parcel, of 247.7 acres, is assessed at $1,274,000. Two other parcels that also are subject to the tax-taking action, on Lovers Lane Road, include more than 108 acres and are assessed at nearly $195,000, according to Land Court records. Loveszys group, based in the New York City borough of Staten Island, paid $1,533,900 for the Bucksteep properties in 2014. Family Unity provides services for people with autism and other communication disorders, according to Loveszy. The next housing court hearing is set for 11 a.m. April 11 in Springfield. Community News Editor / Librarian Jeannie Maschino is community news editor and librarian for The Berkshire Eagle. She has worked for the newspaper in various capacities since 1982 and joined the newsroom in 1989. Spearfish, SD (57783) Today Rain early...then remaining cloudy with showers in the afternoon. High 52F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 100%.. Tonight Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low 39F. Winds light and variable. Rajamouli requested Jagan Reddy to consider RRR as a special category film, as it was made on a massive budget. (By Arrangement) Less than 24 hours after ace director SS Rajamouli met Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy in Vijayawada on Monday and discussed a hike in theatre ticket prices, there are reports that the Government has agreed to raise the price of tickets for Rajamoulis upcoming film RRR by Rs. 100 The filmmaker (along with producer DVV Danayya) reportedly told the Chief Minister that their film falls under the special category and thus merits a higher ticket price. According to the recent guidelines published by the Andhra Pradesh government, filmmakers cannot hike the price of tickets unless 20 percent of the film was shot in the state. But Rajamouli requested Jagan Reddy to consider RRR as a special category film, as it was made on a massive budget. No official announcement has been made in this regard, however. When we hear of one of the greatest evangelists who ever lived, the Apostle Paul, it would be easy to imagine a glamorous life of travel, large crowds listening, and making a great name for himself. However, Paul knew what it was like to work a job and serve the Lord like anyone else. Scripture says that Paul was a tent maker. Today, we are going to uncover what it means that Paul was a tent maker. When Paul left Athens and went to Corinth, he stayed with Aquila and his wife Priscilla. Acts 18:3 says, Paul lived and worked with them, for they were tent makers just as he was. What I love about this is that we get a small glimpse into the mundane. This would be like saying Paul went and worked at the local coffee shop, or he went and built houses for the construction company, or Paul was a substitute teacher with them. If we are not careful, we can easily put Paul and other disciples of Jesus on a pedestal in the Bible. However, he was a regular man who heard the call of Jesus and chose to follow. He still had to make a living, he still needed money to buy food to eat, he still needed a place to sleep. Acts 18:4 says, Every Sabbath he reasoned in the synagogue, trying to persuade Jews and Greeks. Although Paul likely ministered with Aquila and Priscilla through people they met during their jobs and in his everyday life, Paul also took time to go to the synagogue and shared Jesus with the people. Maybe you feel as if you never have time to share your faith or that you are not doing ministry because your job title is similar to tent maker. Perhaps you are a businessman, a full time mom, a teacher, or a librarian. Whatever you are doing is part of your ministry. Paul led many people to Christ. He traveled as a missionary, but he still was faithful to work and provide for basic needs. I can picture Paul, Aquilla and Priscilla creating relationships and taking time to get to know their customers. They used their careers as platforms for sharing Christ with others. So often, we can make excuses about how we leave evangelism and outreach to pastors, missionaries, and church employees. The truth is that God has called you and me to serve Him and share Him with everyone whom He puts in front of us. 1 Corinthians 3:9-11 says, For we are Gods fellow workers; you are Gods field, Gods building. By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as an expert builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one must be careful how he builds. For no one can lay a foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. I love that we are fellow workers, co-laborer with Christ. We do not have to depend on our own strength; these verses make it clear that Jesus did the work and He already laid the foundation. However, there is a warning, But each one must be careful how he builds. What are we building our lives on? Are we creating our plans for our own glory or are we surrendering ourselves to the glory of the Lord? It is very tempting to compartmentalize our work from our faith. However, other than the sheer need of provision and the purposes of our work, the very reason we have jobs is to bring glory to God in them. Only a small percentage of people have ministry careers. However, we are all called to the ministry which Jesus has entrusted to us. This is found in Jesus final words to us before He ascended into Heaven after He died and rose again. Matthew 28:19-20 says, Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey all that I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, even to the end of the age. Jesus didnt say to a group of only religious leaders, to a certain race, or a specific gender to go, he told all of His disciples to go share His gospel of salvation. Jesus followers included the wealthy, the poor, the old, the young, women, men, and all ethnicities. Jesus came for the world. What is your tent? Do others see you point to Jesus with your tent? Do people see the same you at church on Sunday as they do at work on Monday? How can we start our days and pray for opportunities to see others around us? How can we use our daily jobs and seemingly menial tasks to direct others to Christs love for them? If you feel inadequate, remember that Jesus is the One whom we rely on. CRU (Formerly known as Campus Crusade for Christ) defines successful evangelism as Taking the initiative to share the gospel in the power of the Holy Spirit and leaving the results to God. We are not able to change anyones heart. We are only responsible to show up and share the hope that we have with others. It is a great comfort that the Holy Spirit is always with us and will give us the words to communicate the gospel clearly. I am just a tentmaker One might say Doing mundane work Each and every day Actions hidden beneath The throws of daily life Never go unnoticed by God Whos at my side Although my tent seems small It holds a lot of weight The lives in which it holds Have a special place Winds and storms may try To destroy the tents I make But they are built on the Rock Withstanding every shake I am just a tentmaker One might say But revealing the Passageway Into eternity More from this author What Does It Look Like to Seek Wholeness in Christ? How Does the Year of Jubilee Joyfully Point Us Back to Jesus? Glorify God with What He Has Placed in Your Hand Photo credit: Getty Images/gpointstudio Emma Danzeys mission in life stems from Ephesians 3:20-21, inspiring young women to embrace the extraordinary. One of her greatest joys is to journey with the Lord in His Scriptures. She is wife to Drew and they have been married for over a year. Drew and Emma serve with Upstate CRU college ministry in South Carolina. Emma is an avid writer for Salem Web Network and provides articles on the Bible, life questions, and on the Christian lifestyle. Her article on Interracial Marriage was the number 1 viewed article on Crosswalk for the year 2021. All the glory to the Lord! She has the joy of being the host of Her Many Hats podcast where she explores the many roles that women play while serving One God. Getting a good education makes for a generally more fulfilling life, from finding better job prospects and higher wage earnings, to more interesting life experiences. It's a promise made by high school guidance counselors, parents, and recruiters everywhere, as a sort of secular promised land for ambitious, hard-working students. Students seeking higher education commit considerable time, money and mental labor to follow a set learning path or core curriculum, one which is promised to take them to their desired goal of becoming different than they started. And even though success is not guaranteed, thousands of young men and women start this journey every year, because the rewards for success are undeniable. What many people don't realize is that God also has a set learning path that we believers must take on the journey toward our own promised land. Im not talking about a liberal arts education, but a season of preparation in the School of the Spirit which every believer eventually experiences. Our metaphorical promised land is not flowing with milk and honey, but rather, it is that place of God's divine blessing and favor created when His children learn to walk in His will. And to get to that place we must make a sort of exodus from our sinful past, our personal Egypt, much like the Israelites did as they left bondage and walked into the sun-scorched desert. Like them, we must not make a partial or temporary break from our Egypt. As the Scripture says, Come out from among them and be separate (2 Corinthians 6:17). We must not be one of those people who claims to be a Christian on Sunday, but acts like an unbeliever the rest of the week. Whats more, we do not have to meet any basic requirements beyond having our tuition paid by the blood of Christ! He provides all the study materials, classroom instruction and examinations we need to progress through our spiritual core curriculum. Every Bible great has gotten credentialed there, which, in honor of Moses, one of its greatest alums, I refer to as Desert University. Fortunately, Moses' experience is recorded in Scripture (Exodus 2-3) and like a syllabus, can get us mentally prepared to succeed during our own time there. You likely know his story already. Moses' Backstory Moses had a rough start in life. Born to Hebrew slaves in Egypt, he was supposed to be killed in an evil depopulation program against newborn Hebrew boys (Exodus 1:8-22). Moses' mother instead placed the baby in a makeshift raft on the Nile River and released him into God's hands. Long story short, baby Moses was rescued by Pharaoh's daughter and was thereafter raised and educated in Pharaoh's household. Through the historical account of Josephus, we have reason to believe that Moses became a trusted, successful military leader in Egypt and was popular with the Egyptian people. Some commentators indicate he was also quite handsome. At 40 years old and the grandson of Pharaoh, Moses seemed set up to become the next ruler over Egypt with the power to do anything he pleased including freeing the Hebrew slaves. But in one day, everything changed. Now it came to pass in those days, when Moses was grown, that he went out to his brethren and looked at their burdens. And he saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his brethren. So he looked this way and that way, and when he saw no one he killed the Egyptian and hid him in the sand. And when he went out the second day, behold, two Hebrew men were fighting, and he said to the one who did the wrong, Why are you striking your companion?" Then he said, "Who made you a prince and a judge over us? Do you intend to kill me as you killed the Egyptian?" So Moses feared and said, "Surely this thing is known!" (Exodus 2:11-14). Moses let his anger toward the injustice direct his behavior, and he acted outside of his authority. Then he tried, unsuccessfully, to cover up his sin. When Pharaoh heard of this matter, he sought to kill Moses. But Moses fled from the face of Pharaoh and dwelt in the land of Midian; and he sat down by a well (Exodus 2:15). In other words Moses fled from Egypt and enrolled at Desert University! From the outside, the desert looks like a place where you can run away from your problems a place of no influence, where you have little responsibility, cares or concerns. But in reality the desert is where God reshapes our mindsets and character so we can be sufficiently prepared to enter our promised land. So what can we expect to study there? Audiology 101: Learning to Hear the Voice of God Fast forward 40 years. Moses got married, had kids, and was tending sheep for his father-in-law. Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian, and he led the flock to the far side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up. So Moses thought, I will go over and see this strange sightwhy the bush does not burn up. When the Lord saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, Moses! Moses! And Moses said, Here I am. Do not come any closer, God said. Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground (Exodus 3:1-5). The goal of Audiology 101 is to get our attention and cause us to listen to the voice of God. To this end, God has a whole host of ways of getting our attention: The inner voice of the Holy Spirit. This is Gods preferable way of getting our attention. Its that little check on the inside that says, dont do that! Thats not for you. Its not My best, not My plan! It will lead you into trouble and will cost you dearly. Or, it's that little green light in your heart that says, Go for it, thats Me, thats good, thats My plan. Thats the way of My favor! The counsel of loved ones. These are close friends and family who have proven their love and loyalty over the years. At times God will use them to speak to us, especially when we are having a difficult time hearing God on our own. The pain of negative circumstances. It's not God's chosen way to get our attention, but its amazing how we can be so hard-hearted that God has to use the pain created by our poor choices to finally grab our attention. Perhaps C.S. Lewis said it best: God whispers to us in our pleasures but shouts to us in our pain. It is his megaphone for rousing a deaf world. Through supernatural events. Thats what He did for Moses with the burning bush. Possibly God was trying to speak to Moses for years before that, but Moses was simply not tuning in. Because of His great love, God used a miracle that Moses could not overlook, explain away, or ignore. When the Lord saw that he turned aside to see, God called out to him (Exodus 3:4). Ultimately, you cant hear God without taking a break from your routine; you must turn aside. You must decide to tune in to hear His voice, and tune out all the noise vying for that prime piece of real estate in between your two ears. Theology 201: Developing Intimacy with God Then He said, Do not draw near this place. Take your sandals off your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground (Exodus 3:5). There is a Jewish custom that teaches you must never touch anything holy with your skin; its considered disrespectful. Human skin is considered too unclean to touch something deemed holy. For example, if you wanted to pass a copy of the Torah (the Old Testament Book of the Law), to another person, you must first cover it with a cloth, because your skin could not touch a holy book. So why would God say to Moses, Take your sandals off your feet? Because God wanted Moses to recognize that this was an intimate moment with Him. In the same way today, God doesnt want to know us from afar; God wants to know us up close and personal. He wants to be a part of every aspect of our lives. Therefore, take off your shoes, children of God! Stop putting distance between you and your Father. Take off the unclean shoes of sin, carnal flesh, destructive habits, and of every secluded part of your life, and develop intimacy with God. Biblical Mathematics 301: Understanding Second Chances Moreover He said, I am the God of your fatherthe God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look upon God. And the Lord said: I have surely seen the oppression of My people who are in Egypt, and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters, for I know their sorrows. So I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up from that land to a good and large land, to a land flowing with milk and honey, to the place of the Canaanites and the Hittites and the Amorites and the Perizzites and the Hivites and the Jebusites. Now therefore, behold, the cry of the children of Israel has come to Me, and I have also seen the oppression with which the Egyptians oppress them. Come now, therefore, and I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring My people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt (Exodus 3:6-10). Remember, this conversation was happening forty years after he committed murder and fled from the Egyptian palace to hide in the desert. In the midst of all that depression and regret, God did something supernatural to make Himself known to Moses. And He said in essence, I still have a plan for your life. I'm giving you another chance to be your people's deliverer... because I am the God of another chance! Friends, sin may have exiled you. The devil may have disregarded you. Your friends may have forgotten about you. You may have even given up on yourself! But God still believes in you, and He is the God of another chance. But Moses said to God, Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the children of Israel out of Egypt? So He said, I will certainly be with you. And this shall be a sign to you that I have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain (Exodus 3:11-12). Who are you? I created you to be the best guy for the job, Moses! But what was even more important to see here is that God responds by saying, in essence, its really not about you, Moses, its about Me! My resources are unlimited, My power undeniable. Moses, this aint about you, so in order for you to do what Ive created you to do, you must get over your past and lean on Me! Like Moses, our time spent in this School of the Spirit is intended to change and transform us by teaching us to hear God's voice, developing intimacy with Him, and moving beyond reliance on our own capabilities. Remember, no matter what has happened in the past, no matter what you think has disqualified you, God's will and plan for the future does not change. So today, if you find yourself in a spiritual wilderness hiding from past mistakes, be encouraged! You've simply been enrolled in Desert University and classes are beginning soon! Related articles Does God Still Speak to Us? A Picture of Gods Perfect Grace in the Life of Moses How Can We Stop, Listen and Obey God's Voice? Photo credit: Getty Images/Nazareth Man Frank Santora is Lead Pastor of Faith Church, a multi-site church with locations in Connecticut and New York. Pastor Frank hosts a weekly television show, Destined to Win, which airs weekly on the Hillsong Channel and TBN. He has authored thirteen books, including the most recent, Modern Day Psalms and Good Good Father. To learn more about Pastor Frank and this ministry, please visit www.franksantora.cc. Photo by Michele Roman. Who was Herod Agrippa? Well, the name Herod was given to various rulers, probably because it meant heroic. It conveyed importance and was sometimes taken as a title by leaders who rose to power. The New Testament refers to three men named Herod, who each played an essential part in the history of early Christianity. What does the Bible tell us about Herod Agrippas Family? From Matthew 1 to Acts 26, several different Herods are mentioned. Herod the Great was king of the Jews when Jesus was born. He tried to have Jesus killed. Another man was Herod Antipas, who had John executed and sent Jesus back to Pilate. Herod Agrippa was the one who had Peter thrown in prison. Historical documents say Herod Agrippa was the father of Herod Agrippa II, and that Herod Agrippa was the last ruler with the royal title reigning over Judea. Where Does the Bible Mention Herod Agrippa? The book of Acts mentions King Herod Agrippa. He was one of the Roman-appointed rulers of the Herod dynasty. Herod Agrippa was the king of Judea from AD 41 to 44. He was born Marcus Julius Agrippa, named to honor a Roman statesman named Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa. He was a nephew of Herod Antipas and grandson of Herod the Great. According to historians, Herod Agrippa was the son of Aristobulus IV and Berenice. After his fathers death, his grandfather sent him to the imperial court in Rome. In Rome, Herod Agrippa was educated alongside Drusus, the son of Tiberius. Agrippa spent time in Rome and formed a friendship with Emperor Tiberius and future emperors Caligula and Claudius. These friendships were said to have helped him achieve his ruling position. Herod Agrippa was once arrested due to a debt he owed to the treasury of Caesar. He escaped, and his wife secured money for him to sail. At one point, he was put into prison for mentioning a desire for Tiberiuss death. Historians share that Herod Agrippa had a track record of keeping the peace with his subjects. He had coins minted without a human figurehead or deity in deference to biblical commandments not to make graven images. At one point, Agrippa reportedly interceded on the Jewus behalf when Caligula was attempting to create his own statue in the Temple. Herod Agrippa persecuted the church as a reason for keeping the peace: It was about this time that King Herod arrested some who belonged to the church, intending to persecute them. (Acts 12:1-3 NIV). Herod Agrippa and Peter Herod Agrippa had James, the brother of John, put to death by the sword. The people approved, and he had Peter seized, also. Peter was kept in prison because Herod didnt want to kill him during the Passover, which would be politically dangerous. There were squads of soldiers on guard to watch Peter. He was bound in chains, and sentries guarded the door. People prayed for Peters safety. The Lord intervened by sending His angel to rescue Peter from prison (Acts 12:5-17). While Peter slept and was bound by chains, a miraculous event occurred: The night before Peter was to be placed on trial, he was asleep, fastened with two chains between two soldiers. Others stood guard at the prison gate. Suddenly, there was a bright light in the cell, and an angel of the Lord stood before Peter. The angel struck him on the side to awaken him and said, Quick! Get up! And the chains fell off his wrists. Then the angel told him, Get dressed and put on your sandals. And he did. Now put on your coat and follow me, the angel ordered. (Acts 12:6-8 NIV) Herod was angry that Peter could not be found: In the morning, there was no small commotion among the soldiers as to what had become of Peter. After Herod had a thorough search made for him and did not find him, he cross-examined the guards and ordered that they be executed.( Acts 12:18-19 NIV) Was Herod Agrippa Related to Herod the Great? According to historians, Herod Agrippa was the grandson of Herod the Great. After his fathers execution, young Herod Agrippa was sent to his grandfather, known for colossal building projects such as the renovation of the Second Temple in Jerusalem. Herod the Great was the king who ordered children to be slaughtered because he learned that the Messiah was born in Bethlehem. After Herod the Great died, the Romans divided his territory into four sections. His sons (Herod Archelaus, Herod Antipas, Philip the Tetrarch) and his daughter (Salome I) each ruled over a section. When Philip died, Herod Agrippa took over his part of the territory. Was Herod Agrippa Related to Herod Antipas? Herod Antipas was born 21 BCE and died 39 CE. He was the son of Herod the Great. Herod Antipas was the uncle of Herod Agrippa. In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus is reported as referring to him as that fox. He replied, Go tell that fox, I will keep on driving out demons and healing people today and tomorrow, and on the third day, I will reach my goal. (Luke 13:32 NIV) As noted above, Herod Antipas inherited part of his fathers kingdom. When he became ruler, Herod Antipas restored part of two towns but also did something scandalous. Herod Antipas divorced his wife to marry Herodias, who was once the wife of his half-brother. John the Baptist criticized Herod for the marriage. Herodias talked her husband into putting John the Baptist in prison. Then, using her daughter as a ploy when she danced at Herod Antipas birthday feast, Herodias asked for the head of John (Mark 6:21-25). Herod Antipas didnt want to honor the request, but he promised in front of his nobles to give Herodias' daughter whatever she requested. So, Herod Antipas had the plan carried out (Matthew 14:9-12). Later, Pilate had Jesus sent to Herod Antipas because he was the ruler over Galilee (Luke 23:6-7). Herod Antipas had wanted to see Jesus because he thought Jesus might be John the Baptist come back to life (Matthew 14:2), but wasnt impressed with Jesus when he appeared. After mocking Jesus, Herod Antipas sent him back to Pilate (Luke 23:8-12). Why Did the Angel Strike Herod Agrippa? Herod Agrippa died in Caesarea. Herod Agrippa had games performed in honor of Claudius. He had been arguing with the people of Sidon and Tyre. They wanted to speak with him. After speaking with one of his trusted servants named Blastus, the people asked for peace because of their dependence on the kings country for their food supply. Herod wore his royal robes, sat on his stately throne, and gave the people a dramatic speech. Some Biblical scholars claim Herod Agrippa saw an owl perched over his head when he did not publicly react to the people saying he was a god. Some historians note this could have been a warning that he would die. As he spoke, there were shouts from the crowd saying, This is the voice of a god, not of a man. Herod did not give praise to God, and an angel of the Lord struck him down. He was then eaten by worms and died (Acts 12:20-23). Some biblical scholars say the worms gave him a stomach ache for five days, then he died. Whether he died suddenly or a prolonged amount of time, he was struck down by an angel of the Lord and died. Herod Agrippas fate shows us what can happen when we try to take the glory away from God and focus on ourselves. The word of God continued to grow after Herod Agrippa died. Reading Scripture and learning about Herod Agrippa can remind us to worship God and not people. In His Name, Melissa Henderson Photo Credit: iStock/Getty Images Plus/anthonyjhall Award-winning author Melissa Henderson writes inspirational messages sometimes laced with a bit of humor. With stories in books, magazines, devotionals, and more, Melissa hopes to encourage readers. Melissa is the author of Licky the Lizard and Grumpy the Gator. Her passions are helping in the community and church. Melissa is an Elder, Deacon, and Stephen Minister. Follow Melissa on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and at http://www.melissaghenderson. com This article is part of our People from the Bible Series featuring the most well-known historical names and figures from Scripture. We have compiled these articles to help you study those whom God chose to set before us as examples in His Word. May their lives and walks with God strengthen your faith and encourage your soul. The Bible Story of Elijah The Life of Ruth - 5 Essential Faith Lessons The Bible Story of Queen Esther The Greatest Villain - King Nebuchadnezzar The Bible Story of Mary Magdalene SPOKANE - Spokane County Sheriff Ozzie Knezovich blasted a hometown legislator for not returning calls and failing to move a bill last week that would have restored most police pursuits. He delivered those remarks Monday morning to Spokane County Commissioners Mary Kuney, Josh Kerns and Al French. Knezovich said Sen. Andy Billig, D-Spokane, is the Majority Leader so he was in a position to bring Senate Bill 5919 to the floor for a final vote on Thursday, the last day of session, but he did not. Knezovich said repeated calls to Billig last week went unanswered, and he had still not heard from the official. Bottom line, it was Sen. Billig who had the power to put that bill on the floor, he said. We knew we had the votes lined up - all it had to do was hit the floor." SB 5919 had been approved by the House on March 4. The Senate, which passed the original version, needed to concur with several amendments made by the House and then the legislation could have been signed into law by Gov. Jay Inslee. Three attempts by Republicans to bring the measure to the Senate floor on the final day of session were rebuffed. The end result of Billig's inaction, said Knezovich, is that 2021 restrictions placed on police pursuits remain in place, so it is Independence Day for criminals. The criminals know the law and they know they dont have to stop, he said. Billig was unable to be immediately reached for comment about Knezovichs remarks. In a press conference on March 10, he explained why Democrats did not take up the bill, which contradicted Knezovichs assertion. We did not have the votes to bring it to the floor, he said. We did not have that level of support. Billig had supported the bill when it was previously in the Senate. Opponents of amending last year's law argued police pursuits are highly dangerous and can hurt or kill innocent bystanders, as well as officers, suspects and passengers. Knezovich said the mantra, all law enforcement does is show up and kill people won the day in the 2022 session. When the CEOs chiefs and sheriffs say this [situation] is really bad, you think it would carry some weight, but it does not, he said. He was referencing strong support for SB 5919 registered by the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs. Under the law approved last year, police cannot start high-speed vehicle chases to pursue suspects in low-level crimes, such as shoplifting or car theft. They can pursue people suspected of violent crimes, such as rape, kidnapping or murder, only if they have probable cause to think the person committed or is committing the crime. Knezovich expressed frustration about his deputies having to let a burglary suspect drive away from an area where those crimes were occurring because they were prohibited from pursuit. He said the probable cause standard put in place last year for pursuits needs to be changed to reasonable suspicion, a distinction SB 5919 would have made. Probable cause means that the police officer not only has a suspicion that a crime has been or is being committed, but that the officer also has actual knowledge that the crime had been or is being committed. As it is now, said Knezovich, a burglary is not identified as a violent crime that can trigger a pursuit. He disagrees. He said a burglary suspect was recently arrested with a handgun and said that he intended to use it on the homeowner if confronted after he broke into the residence. The sheriff cited a past incident where a 77-year-old woman was killed by an armed intruder. Knezovich said a threat to kill someone is also not considered a violent crime so there can be no pursuit of a person who states their intent to do harm. Someone could walk up and punch a police officer and drive away, and we could not pursue them, he said. The end result of sweeping police reform bills that became law in 2021 is that criminals are now emboldened in their disregard for the law, said Knezovich. He said it was good to see that two bills to loosen restrictions on police actions did make it through the session. HB 1719 clarified that police officers can use non-lethal weapons such as bean bags and rubber bullets after legislation passed last year created uncertainty. HB 1735 made clear that police could use force in community caretaking situations, another area of uncertainty. Per the law, officers can use force to execute search warrants and to take minors into protective custody. Reasonable care and appropriate de-escalation tactics must still be exercised before force is applied. Things got slightly better in that regard, said Knezovich of these changes. (The Center Square ) Spokane County Sheriff Ozzie Knezovich blasted a hometown legislator for not returning calls and failing to move a bill last week that would have restored most police pursuits. He delivered those remarks Monday morning to Spokane County Commissioners Mary Kuney, Josh Kerns and Al French. Knezovich said Sen. Andy Billig, D-Spokane, is the Majority Leader so he was in a position to bring Senate Bill 5919 to the floor for a final vote on Thursday, the last day of session, but he did not. Knezovich said repeated calls to Billig last week went unanswered, and he had still not heard from the official. Bottom line, it was Sen. Billig who had the power to put that bill on the floor, he said. We knew we had the votes lined up - all it had to do was hit the floor." SB 5919 had been approved by the House on March 4. The Senate, which passed the original version, needed to concur with several amendments made by the House and then the legislation could have been signed into law by Gov. Jay Inslee. Three attempts by Republicans to bring the measure to the Senate floor on the final day of session were rebuffed. The end result of Billig's inaction, said Knezovich, is that 2021 restrictions placed on police pursuits remain in place, so it is Independence Day for criminals. The criminals know the law and they know they dont have to stop, he said. Billig was unable to be immediately reached for comment about Knezovichs remarks. In a press conference on March 10, he explained why Democrats did not take up the bill, which contradicted Knezovichs assertion. We did not have the votes to bring it to the floor, he said. We did not have that level of support. Billig had supported the bill when it was previously in the Senate. Opponents of amending last year's law argued police pursuits are highly dangerous and can hurt or kill innocent bystanders, as well as officers, suspects and passengers. Knezovich said the mantra, all law enforcement does is show up and kill people won the day in the 2022 session. When the CEOs chiefs and sheriffs say this [situation] is really bad, you think it would carry some weight, but it does not, he said. He was referencing strong support for SB 5919 registered by the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs. Under the law approved last year, police cannot start high-speed vehicle chases to pursue suspects in low-level crimes, such as shoplifting or car theft. They can pursue people suspected of violent crimes, such as rape, kidnapping or murder, only if they have probable cause to think the person committed or is committing the crime. Knezovich expressed frustration about his deputies having to let a burglary suspect drive away from an area where those crimes were occurring because they were prohibited from pursuit. He said the probable cause standard put in place last year for pursuits needs to be changed to reasonable suspicion, a distinction SB 5919 would have made. Probable cause means that the police officer not only has a suspicion that a crime has been or is being committed, but that the officer also has actual knowledge that the crime had been or is being committed. As it is now, said Knezovich, a burglary is not identified as a violent crime that can trigger a pursuit. He disagrees. He said a burglary suspect was recently arrested with a handgun and said that he intended to use it on the homeowner if confronted after he broke into the residence. The sheriff cited a past incident where a 77-year-old woman was killed by an armed intruder. Knezovich said a threat to kill someone is also not considered a violent crime so there can be no pursuit of a person who states their intent to do harm. Someone could walk up and punch a police officer and drive away, and we could not pursue them, he said. The end result of sweeping police reform bills that became law in 2021 is that criminals are now emboldened in their disregard for the law, said Knezovich. He said it was good to see that two bills to loosen restrictions on police actions did make it through the session. HB 1719 clarified that police officers can use non-lethal weapons such as bean bags and rubber bullets after legislation passed last year created uncertainty. HB 1735 made clear that police could use force in community caretaking situations, another area of uncertainty. Per the law, officers can use force to execute search warrants and to take minors into protective custody. Reasonable care and appropriate de-escalation tactics must still be exercised before force is applied. Things got slightly better in that regard, said Knezovich of these changes. Always keep in mind that people believe what they want to believe. Therefore, in a free society, lots of crazy stuff is circulating and some of it is believed. Let's look at Ukraine. Some Americans are convinced that a "no-fly zone" should be imposed on Russian planes over Ukraine. But who would enforce the zone and shoot at Russian planes that violated it? NATO countries? I don't know one that would sign up. So it would be left to the US Airforce to engage in combat with Russian MIGs. Does that sound like World War III? I believe so. What about flying fighter jets into Ukraine so their pilots can fight the MIGs? Well, Poland could do that but doesn't want to because it fears Putin's ire. The Poles suggest they fly the planes to a U.S. airbase in Germany, and then Americans fly them into Ukraine. Sound good to you? Here's the kicker. Russian pilots would quickly shoot down all combat planes as well as blow them to pieces as they wait to take off. The air war would be over quickly. Ukrainian pilots cannot compete with Russian pilots. Tonight on the No Spin News, we'll continue our honest reporting on Putin's war and the US economy. I hope you believe you will always get the truth from us. Vladimir Putin escalates his Invasion of Ukraine, anti-war protests hit Russia and Europe, Iran fires missiles towards a US base in Iraq, adults report more anxiety than any time in history. Plus, Bill's Message of the Day, an attack on America. NuclixBio announces a collaborative research agreement with PharmAbcine NuclixBio Inc., a South Korean biotech company that focuses on research and development of mRNA therapeutics, has signed a collaborative research agreement with PharmAbcine Inc. a clinical-stage biotech company focusing on the development of next-generation antibody therapeutics. Under the agreement, both companies will conduct collaborative research utilizing NuclixBio's proprietary circular mRNA platform named 'ringRNA' to develop novel mRNA therapeutics that can generate PharmAbcine's antibodies. These novel therapeutics will express antibodies intracellularly to target human TIE2 receptors present on epithelial cells. The newly developed drugs based on circular mRNA can have a better therapeutic effect compared to conventional linear mRNA-based therapies due to the proven prolonged half-life of circular mRNA. The circular form of mRNA also allows ribosomes, the particles that function to synthesize proteins, to continuously circulate around the loop of mRNA to produce a greater quantity of polypeptides, including therapeutic antibodies. Thus, the elongated half-life and therapeutic efficiency can improve patient convenience in terms of drug administration routes and intervals. As per the announcement of Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao, all Dalit families should get the Dalit Bandhu assistance. (Photo: Twitter) Khammam: All Dalit families in Chintakani mandal may not get the benefit of the Dalit Bandhu scheme, as a special team has imposed certain conditions to filter out many families. A pilot scheme is being run in the mandal, before its statewide roll-out. There were stated to be 5,102 Dalit families in Chintakani mandal and the figure has come down to 4,719 after the first round of survey, sources said. The figure may fall to about 2,000 families after various filters are imposed. As per the announcement of Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao, all Dalit families should get the Dalit Bandhu assistance. The government deputed a special officer in every gram panchayat to identify Dalit families. There are 26-gram panchayats in Chintakani Mandal, and officials found there were no Dalit families in Basavapuram and one family in Raghavapuram. The special officers are categorising Dalit families on certain parameters. The special officers first indicated that those who have crossed 60 years of age will not get the scheme. Those getting old-age pension will also not be included. Second, families who have a house in the village, with its address in the Aadhaar card, but are residing in the village for one to two years are not being included. Those who have settled one of the 26-gram panchayats in the mandal for the last two years and had the same addresses in their Aadhaar cards and are getting ration cards may be on the Dalit Bandhi list. There are instances of some men belonging to other mandals and districts who have settled in villages in Chintakani mandal with their spouses after marriage. They are being considered as eligible for Dalit Bandhu. N. Venkatesh, a native of Patharlapadu in Chintakani mandal and living in another place where he is employed, said that he did not appear to be eligible for Dalit Bandhu, going by the norms being followed by the officials. Sources said it appeared that the government is trying to prune the list by adding various filters such as ownership of lands and pucca buildings. It is expected that the Dalit Bandhu benefit will be given to fewer than 2,000 Dalit families in the mandal. Products inefficacy insurance is an aspect of liability insurance which is sometimes overlooked or misunderstood. This may be because it is closely aligned, but different, from products liability insurance. Products liability insurance Products inefficacy insurance Products inefficacy insurance is designed to cater for a very defined risk that operates alongside and in tandem with conventional products liability insurance cover.Products inefficacy insurance is provided by way of an extension to a liability policy. The extension would usually need to be specifically arranged and could be subject to its own limit of indemnity and deductible.To understand the purpose of products inefficacy insurance, one first needs to understand the purpose of conventional products liability insurance and the extent to which products liability insurance will respond to claims arising out of defective goods that have been sold or supplied.Products liability and products inefficacy insurance defined:* Products liability insurance involves claims arising out of personal injury or damage to property.* Products inefficacy insurance is an extension to products-liability insurance, covering failure of a product to fulfil its intended function where there is no personal injury or damage to property.The products-liability section of the policy is intended to provide cover for claims arising out of injury to persons or damage to property in connection with the nature or condition of a product that has been sold or supplied by the insured. The following exclusions, while not a complete list of the standard exclusions, are worth mentioning as they indicate what products liability insurance is not intended to cover. In this regard, products liability insurance excludes cover, among other things, in relation to:* The costs of the repair or replacement of a defective product that has been sold,* The costs of any recall of defective products, or* The failure of any product to fulfil its intended function or to perform as specified, warranted or guaranteed unless such failure shall result in injury or damage.The qualification, as highlighted above, pertaining to the exclusion relating to the failure of any product to fulfil its intended function or to perform as specified, warranted or guaranteed unless such failure shall result in injury or damage is important as this qualification preserves the primary intention of products liability insurance which is to provide cover for personal injury or damage to property arising from a product that has been sold or supplied.An example of where a product supplied fails to fulfil its intended function but where the liability arising should still be covered under the products liability section would be in the case of a safety harness which fails and results in a worker or a climber being injured. Because the failure of the safety harness resulted in personal injury, the products liability insurance section of the policy should respond to any claim arising from the injury.A products-inefficacy extension is designed to extend the standard products liability insurance cover to cater for claims arising out of the failure of a product to fulfil its intended function in situations where there is no consequent personal injury or damage. This is, however, not open-ended cover.The wording of the extension will typically make it clear that the cover is for claims against the insured where the claimant alleges that it has suffered a financial loss by reason of tangible property (other than the insureds product) being rendered of less value or rendered incapable of full commercial benefit due to the failure of the insureds product to perform as specified, warranted or guaranteed.Products inefficacy cover is particularly useful in situations where the insured supplies products that are used in the manufacture of other products. Products such as fertilizers, insecticides, animal feed, pharmaceutical products and paints are all examples of end-user products where the insured may have supplied an ingredient that, if it fails to work properly, could cause the end-product not to fulfil its intended function.For example, the insured may have provided substandard ingredients to a manufacturer of fertilizer which results in a lower than predicted crop yield. The financial loss claimed would be in relation to the difference between the expected yield and the actual yield. Products inefficacy claims could also arise if the insured supplies a mechanical or electrical component for incorporation into a piece of equipment where the defective part, while not causing injury or damage, results in the equipment being rendered incapable of full commercial benefit.To summarise therefore, a products inefficacy extension is designed to extend the standard products liability. It is important to understand how products liability insurance and products inefficacy insurance works in tandem with each other to cater for the liability risks faced by a business enterprise. Time spent with a professional broker assessing potential risks is thus essential to explore and choose appropriate solutions for insured businesses. A Nigerian court has stopped Shell Plc from selling any assets in Nigeria until a decision is reached on the company's appeal of a nearly $2bn penalty for an alleged oil spill. Source: Reuters/Toby Melville Oil spills A copy of the court ruling, which was seen by Reuters on Monday, was issued on 11 March and also ordered Shell to deposit the money in an account controlled by the court within two working days.A spokesperson for Shell's Nigeria unit said the company would immediately appeal the decision.A panel of three judges said Shell, acting through its agents or subsidiaries, was restrained from "selling, allocating, vandalising or disposing off any of its assets/properties ..." pending the determination of the appeal.Shell's appeal hearing is set to begin on 5 May."We are disappointed at this outcome. We have a strong belief in the merit of our case and will take immediate steps under the law to appeal and stay the execution of the decision until the appeal is determined," the spokesperson said.A Federal High Court in November 2020 ordered Shell to pay 800 billion naira ($1.95bn) to 88 communities of Egbalor Ebubu in Rivers state who had accused the company of an oil spill that damaged their farms and waterways.Shell, which denied causing the spill, then appealed the verdict.Shell started talks with the Nigerian government last year about selling its stake in the West African country's onshore fields, where it has been active since the 1930s, as part of a global drive to reduce its carbon emissions.The company, the most significant international oil major operating in Nigeria, has faced a string of court cases in the past over oil spills.Last year, Shell agreed to pay a Nigerian community $111.68m to settle a case over an oil spill that took place more than 50 years ago. Maguette Mbaye had always taken taxis to her banking job in Senegal's capital Dakar, but haggling over prices and inhaling fumes through the open windows every day wore her down. A taxi with the Yango app logo is seen in Dakar, Senegal March 3, 2022. REUTERS/Ngouda Dione She left all that behind when French ride-hailing app Heetch launched in January. The ride costs a little more, but she considers it a small price to pay for the peace of mind of a better car and fixed price."Sometimes we have dusty taxis where the windows don't close, the door only opens from the outside. Since I've been using Heetch I've been getting decent cars," said Mbaye, 33.Heetch is the second ride-hailing app to be launched in Senegal after Yango, which is owned by Russian tech giant Yandex, started operations in December.Both are testing a largely untapped market for ride-hailing services in Francophone West Africa, where the industry has been slower to take hold than in Anglophone countries, such as Nigeria and Ghana.A growing middle class and widespread smartphone use have created an attractive market in Senegal, but there are challenges. Many drivers are illiterate, have never used a GPS and are used to negotiating prices.Yango, active in 21 countries worldwide, launched in Ivory Coast in 2018, where it competes with industry giant Uber.Heetch, one of the top three ride-hailing apps in France, also plans to launch in Ivory Coast this month. It said about 3,000 people have downloaded the application so far in Senegal. Yango declined to provide figures.Any taxi driver can sign up for either app if they undergo training and their vehicle meets safety standards. While a few hundred have signed up for Heetch and Yango, some are unimpressed."What I earn from driving around the city is more than those who use Yango," said Modou Gning. "Where the customer is supposed to pay 2,000 CFA francs ($3.37), Yango charges 1,300. It's good for Yango, but not the taxi driver."The app companies are mindful not to antagonise taxi drivers, who in other countries have staged protests against ride-hailing apps."We are not a taxi killer application," said Patrick Pedersen, Heetch's general manager for expansion. On January 1, six girl students of a college in Udupi attended a press conference held by the Campus Front of India protesting against the college authorities denying them entry into classrooms wearing headscarves. (Representational image: PTI) Bengaluru: The full bench of the Karnataka High Court, which concluded its hearing in the Hijab case, is likely to pronounce its verdict today. The demand by a section of girls in an Udupi pre-university college to wear Hijab inside their classrooms erupted into a major row after some Hindu students turned up in saffron shawls with the issue spreading to other parts of the state, even as the government insisted on a uniform norm. According to the lawyers appearing for the petitioner girls from Udupi district, the matter pertaining to Hijab case has been listed for Tuesday as serial No. 1 and the court may spell out the operative part of the verdict from 10.30 am onwards. The full bench of the High Court comprising Chief Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi, Justice Krishna S Dixit and Justice J M Khazi was constituted on February 9 on a petition filed by girls from Udupi who prayed that they should be allowed to wear Hijab even inside the classroom along with the school uniform as it was part of their faith. On January 1, six girl students of a college in Udupi attended a press conference held by the Campus Front of India (CFI) in the coastal town protesting against the college authorities denying them entry into classrooms wearing headscarves. This was four days after they requested the principal permission to wear hijab in classes which was not allowed. Till then, students used to wear the headscarf to the campus, but entered the classroom after removing it, college principal Rudre Gowda had said. "The institution did not have any rule on hijab-wearing since no one used to wear it to the classroom in the last 35 years. The students who came with the demand had the backing of outside forces," Gowda had said. As the issue of Hijab versus saffron scarves spread to several educational institutions in many parts of Karnataka, the state government announced holiday from February 9 to February 15 in all the pre-university colleges and from February 9 to February 16 in degree and diploma colleges. The girls then approached the Karnataka High Court seeking relief and quashing the government order on February 5 restraining students from wearing any cloth that could disturb, peace, harmony and public order. The full bench of the High Court has been hearing the case on a day-to-day basis since February 10. In its interim order, the bench asked the state government to reopen the educational institutions, which were hit by the agitation, and restrained students from wearing Hijab and saffron scarves in the classroom till the final order is delivered. Ahead of the verdict, the Karnataka Police have enforced prohibitory orders banning protests in different parts of the state to avoid untoward incidents. Large gatherings have been banned in Bengaluru. Schools in Dakshina Kannada district have been closed for the day, to maintain law and order situation, according to reports. New Delhi: The first parliamentary party meeting of the BJP after the party retained power in four states and also after the resumption of the second phase of the Budget session of Parliament, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday, it was learnt, said it was his decision to deny tickets to children of MPs in the just-concluded Assembly polls as dynastic politics is a threat to democracy. Mr Modi also took on those who carry around the flag of freedom of expression but have been trying to discredit the film, The Kashmir Files. He said that the "entire jamaat (group) has been rattled for the last few days and is busy discrediting the film instead of assessing it on the basis of facts and truth. Many Opposition parties, including the Congress, have objected to the film. Endorsing the film which is based on the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits from Kashmir Valley in the 1990s, the PM asserted that history should be presented in the right context before the society. In a rare occurrence, the party also released the video clipping of the PM referring to the film during the meeting, which is usually briefed to the media by the parliamentary affairs minister. "You must have heard the discussion about The Kashmir Files, those who carry around the flag of freedom of expression, that whole group has been rattled for the last few days. Instead of assessing the film on the basis of facts and truth, a campaign is on to discredit it," Mr Modi said about the film, which has been made tax free in many BJP-ruled states and is also being promoted by many BJP leaders and supporters through social media. He stressed that history should be presented in the right context before society and just like books, poetry and literature play a role in this, the films can do the same. Hitting out at the flagbearers of freedom of expression who are trying to discredit the film and not assessing it on the basis of facts or truth, the PM said "They are shocked that the truth that they tried to suppress is now coming out with the backing of facts and efforts." The film released last week stars Anupam Kher, Mithun Chakraborty and Pallavi Joshi and is written and directed by Vivek Agnihotri. The PM also said that there can be many aspects of truth and different views. Those who think it is not correct can make their own film, but they are shocked that the truth that they tried to suppress is now coming out with the backing of facts and efforts," he said. Asserting that the BJP has to check the dynasty politics, which is a threat to democracy, the PM, sources said, said a conscious decision was taken to deny tickets to children of BJP MPs for Assembly polls. The meeting felicitated both Mr Modi and BJP president J.P. Nadda for the party's election victory in four of the five states. The PM, sources said, also asked MPs in the states where Assembly elections were held to assess on those seats till the booth level, which the party lost, the reasons for the loss. The PM also spoke about India's evacuation efforts from war-torn Ukraine, saying that when the government was working on their safe return, some political leaders were trying to politicise the issue and making statements without proper and accurate statistics and details. External affairs minister S. Jaishankar also gave a presentation on the evacuation exercise under Operation Ganga to help rescue stranded Indians leave Ukraine, sources said. Hyderabad: While the high courts Sword of Damocles is hanging over chief secretary Somesh Kumar for his failure to take back IPS officer Abhishek Mohanty into the Telangana state cadre, the government on Tuesday reported to the high court and the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT)s Hyderabad bench that it will implement their orders in this respect soon. Advocate general BS Prasad placed the GO-583 dated 14 March 2022, issued by the Telangana state general administration department, which stated that, pursuant to the CAT orders, Abhishek Mohanty is admitted into Telangana state cadre following his removal from the AP state cadre. However, the GO also said the said absorption is subject to the final outcome of the appeal filed by the Union Government against the CAT orders. After perusal of the GO issued by the GAD, the division bench of Telangana high court comprising Justice Ujjal Bhuyan and Justice Venkateswar Reddy, did not seek the personal appearance of chief secretary before CAT on Tuesday. The CS was to appear before CAT the last time. However, he approached the high court to stay the contempt proceedings against him initiated by CAT for not complying with its orders in taking Abhishek Mohanty into the Telangana cadre. The CS keeps fighting the case. Last week, the high court had given relief to Kumar to the extent of four days and made it clear that he either take Abhishek Mohanty into Telangana cadre or be ready to face contempt proceedings initiated by the CAT. As the HC has taken a strong stand over the suspected delaying tactic, the Telangana government on Tuesday came before the HC to express its willingness to comply with the orders and placed GO- 583 before it. Satisfied with the details placed before it by the government, the division bench closed the interim application of Kumar. However, the bench declined to either close or stay the contempt case pending before CAT against Kumar. The HC asked the advocate general to ask CAT to close the contempt case. CAT directed to submit the compliance report on its orders After the hearing concluded at the high court, counsel for the state requested the CAT Bench in Hyderabad to close the contempt case against Kumar. However, Polluri Bhasker and other sounsels representing Abhishek Mohanty objected to the request. They brought to the notice of CAT that the orders of the CAT dated 19 July 2021 had specifically directed the Telangana government to accommodate Abhishek Mohanty in the Telangana Cadre and issue appropriate posting to him. But the GO-583 issued by Telangana State only stated that it is admitting Mohanty into the Telangana cadre. It did not mention about his posting and also didn`t mention the payment of salary to Mohanty, which is due since the past six months, counsels argued. Considering these contentions, the CAT bench directed the government to submit the compliance report in pursuant to its directions, within two weeks. Once the compliance report was placed, the CAT may close the contempt case against CS. UN chief announces emergency funds for humanitarian aid in Ukraine Xinhua) 08:31, March 15, 2022 UNITED NATIONS, March 14 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday announced the release of 40 million U.S. dollars from the world body's Central Emergency Response Fund to ramp up vital humanitarian assistance in Ukraine. This funding will help get critical supplies of food, water, medicines, and other lifesaving aid into Ukraine and provide cash assistance to the needy, he said at a press encounter. Guterres underscored the crucial importance of respecting international humanitarian law, noting that at least 1.9 million people are displaced inside Ukraine and growing numbers are escaping across borders. The United Nations and humanitarian partners are working to ensure safe passage from besieged areas and to provide aid where security permits. More than 600,000 people have received some form of aid, he said. While the humanitarian situation in Ukraine is dire, there is another dimension of this conflict that gets obscured: its impact on the global economy, especially the developing world. Russia and Ukraine represent more than half of the world's supply of sunflower oil and about 30 percent of the world's wheat. Ukraine alone provides more than half of the World Food Programme's wheat supply, he said. Food, fuel and fertilizer prices are skyrocketing. Supply chains are being disrupted. And the costs and delays of transportation of imported goods, when available, are at record levels. All of this is hitting the poorest the hardest and planting the seeds for political instability and unrest around the globe, he said. Guterres noted that 45 African and least developed countries import at least one-third of their wheat from Ukraine and Russia, 18 of those countries import at least 50 percent, he noted. The Food and Agriculture Organization's global food prices index is at its highest level ever. Against the backdrop of these immense inter-connected challenges, Guterres announced the establishment of a Global Crisis Response Group on Food, Energy and Finance in the UN Secretariat. In the coming days, the United Nations will be consulting with member states to carry forward the global emergency response that will be required for these looming crises, he said. (Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Liang Jun) The accident sparked tension among the executives who hung up their bike keys and refused to deliver food orders on Monday morning. (Representational image: PTI) HYDERABAD: There was severe unrest among hundreds of delivery executives working for the major food delivery service provider Swiggy on Monday, following the death of a delivery boy in a road accident on Sunday. The accident sparked tension among the executives who hung up their bike keys and refused to deliver food orders on Monday morning. Demanding the company to pay compensation to the family of the deceased according to the norms of labour laws, they placed their long pending demand of increase in their delivery charges. This agitation caused inconvenience to several consumers who placed food orders on Monday. Around 400 delivery executives took part in this protest. Amar Rabha, 22, and a native of Assam, working in the city as a food delivery boy with Swiggy, died in a road accident on Sunday early morning, while returning after delivering the food order, near the Nallagandla flyover, Chanda Nagar, BHEL. Saddened by his death, around 400 delivery boys protested by refusing to deliver any food order, which was assigned to them on Monday morning. They demanded compensation to the family of the deceased and to hike the minimum base pay to Rs 35 which is now Rs 20, to increase the batch order to from Rs 10 to Rs 20, reintroduction of monthly incentives, increase in distance pay from existing Rs 6 to Rs 12 per kilometre and to stop assigning the order to third parties like Shadowfox or Rapido. The charges paid to the Swiggy delivery boys are, within the nine hours 45 minutes of compulsory login, for 32 deliveries Rs 1900, 23 deliveries Rs 1200, and 16 deliveries Rs 800. Many delivery boys work till late hours to complete 32 deliveries, engaging themselves for 24 hours. Telangana Gig and Platform Workers' Union, which supported this boycott, said, companies should take the responsibility for such incidents and extend their help immediately. Aitharaju Mahesh, a Swiggy delivery boy, said Many accidents are happening to delivery boys. Some 20 days ago, a delivery boy met with an accident at Kothapet. He suffered grievous injuries and the hospital bill was more than Rs 6,00,000, but as the insurance company paid only Rs 1 lakh, the family had to borrow money from somewhere to pay the bills. The company should take care of such bills. When such incidents take place, we are on the receiving end. According to Chanda Nagar police inspector, K. Kastro, Around 4 am, near Nallagandla flyover, the delivery boy travelling in a Scooty, skidded from a bike at a sharp turn, falling head on. Back of his head got injured, and he was rushed to the hospital, where he died. Ahmed Mohiuddin, a Swiggy delivery boy, Tarnaka Zone, said, In heavy city traffic, each delivery should be made in a span of 45 minutes, from the time we receive the order. We have to reach that food joint and wait for the food parcel, and then ride to the assigned place, deliver it to the customer, and as the watch moves closer to the 45-minute mark, we get tense. We increase the speed of the bike. If we fail to reach on time, we will be penalised, by pushing us into inferior levels. The United States has warned China against coming to Russias aid in Ukraine, saying there will be consequences if Beijing provides support to Moscows war effort. US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan made Washingtons concerns clear to the director of Chinas Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission Yang Jiechi during a meeting in Rome earlier in the day, State Department spokesperson Ned Price told reporters on Monday. We are watching very closely the extent to which the PRC [the Peoples Republic of China] or any country in the world provides support material, economic, financial, rhetorical, otherwise to this war of choice that President [Vladimir] Putin is waging against Ukraine, Price said. And we have been very clear both privately with Beijing, publicly with Beijing that there would be consequences for any such support. Russia launched an all-out invasion of Ukraine on February 24 after a months-long standoff that saw Moscow amass troops near the Ukrainian border as it demanded an end to NATO expansion into former Soviet republics. The war, which prompted a swift sanctions campaign by the US and its allies against Russia, has pushed more than 2.8 million people to flee Ukraine, according to the United Nations, as Russian forces besiege and bombard Ukrainian towns and cities. China has urged restraint in the conflict and expressed support for talks to end the war, but it has not denounced the invasion. Late last month, China abstained from a UN Security Council proposal that aimed to condemn the Russian assault on Ukraine. The measure was vetoed by Russia. The meeting between Sullivan and Yang came a day after several US media outlets reported, citing unidentified American officials, that Moscow was seeking military assistance from Beijing. China appeared to dismiss the reports without mentioning them specifically. The US has been spreading disinformation targeting China on the Ukraine issue, with malicious intentions, foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said on Sunday. Still, before meeting Yang, Sullivan also cautioned China against providing support to Russia. We will not allow that to go forward and allow there to be a lifeline to Russia from these economic sanctions from any country anywhere in the world, he told CNN on Sunday. In a statement describing the meeting in Rome, the White House said Sullivan and Yang had a substantial discussion on Ukraine. They also underscored the importance of maintaining open lines of communication between the United States and China, the statement read. A senior Biden administration official later described the meeting as an intense seven-hour session. We do have deep concerns about Chinas alignment with Russia at this time, the official, who spoke to reporters on condition of anonymity, said. And the national security adviser was direct about those concerns and the potential implications and consequences of certain actions. The WikiLeaks founders case is now expected to be formally sent to British Home Secretary Priti Patel for approvall WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has been denied permission to appeal to the UK Supreme Court against moves to extradite him to the United States, where he could face a lifetime in prison. The application has been refused by the Supreme Court and the reason given is that application did not raise an arguable point of law, a Supreme Court spokesperson said on Monday. Washington wants to put the 50-year-old on trial in connection with the publication of 500,000 secret military files relating to the US-led wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The ruling brings the long-running legal saga in the UK courts closer to a conclusion. A British district court judge had initially rejected a US extradition request on the grounds that Assange was likely to kill himself if held under harsh US prison conditions. US authorities later provided assurances that the WikiLeaks founder would not face the severe treatment that his lawyers said would put his physical and mental health at risk. In December, the High Court overturned the lower courts decision, saying that the US promises were enough to guarantee that Assange would be treated humanely. The case is now expected to be formally sent to British Home Secretary Priti Patel for approval, after which Assange can try to challenge the decision by judicial review. A judicial review involves a judge examining the legitimacy of a public bodys decision. WikiLeaks wrote on its Twitter account: The case now moves to @UKHomeSecretary Priti Patel to authorise the extradition. BREAKING: UK Supreme Court refuses permission to appeal in Assange extradition. The case now moves to @UKHomeSecretary Priti Patel to authorize the extradition https://t.co/Falow48IyP pic.twitter.com/nLdUMkbh5m WikiLeaks (@wikileaks) March 14, 2022 Extremely disappointing Assanges legal team said they will make representations to Patel as she considers whether to allow or block the extradition. It also indicated it could launch further appeals on other points in the case. No appeal to the High Court has yet been filed by him in respect of the other important issues he raised previously, his lawyers Birnberg Peirce Solicitors said in a statement. That separate process of appeal has, of course, yet to be initiated. Meanwhile, Barry Pollack, Assanges US-based lawyer, said Monday that it was extremely disappointing that the UKs Supreme Court is unwilling to hear the appeal. Mr Assange will continue the legal process fighting his extradition to the United States to face criminal charges for publishing truthful and newsworthy information, he said. The case has become a cause celebre for media freedom, with Assanges supporters accusing Washington of trying to muzzle reporting of legitimate security concerns. Assange is wanted to face trial for violating the US Espionage Act by publishing military and diplomatic files in 2010. He could face up to 175 years in jail if found guilty, although the exact sentence is difficult to estimate. He has been held on remand at a top-security jail in southeast London since 2019, for jumping bail in a previous case accusing him of sexual assault in Sweden. That case was dropped but he was not released from prison after serving time for breaching bail on the grounds he was a flight risk in the US extradition case. Assange spent seven years at Ecuadors embassy in London to avoid being removed to Sweden but was arrested when the government changed in Quito and his diplomatic protection was removed. Russian-Jewish oligarchs have been fleeing to Israel en masse over the past few weeks in a last minute effort to dodge US and EU sanctions, according to Israeli media reports. At least 14 private jets from Russian oligarchs landed in Israel after sanctions were imposed Samuel Ramani (@SamRamani2) March 14, 2022 Russian OligarchRoman Abramovich's private jet landed in Israel 8 hours ago. Israel's Holocaust museum, Yad Vashem, told US to exclude Abramovich from sanctions because it would hurt donations. Yad Vashem says Abramovich just made a VERY 'generous' eight-figure donation. 1/2 pic.twitter.com/7r6Eivrp9R Arctic Friend (@FriendEden100) March 14, 2022 Private jet of Russian Oligarch, Roman Abramovich, lands in Israel https://t.co/CTpsl9YBu2 Arctic Friend (@FriendEden100) March 14, 2022 Israel avoids sanctioning oligarchs, 14 private jets arrive from Russia. Putin pal Roman Abramovich's Jet is on its way to Israel. He donated $100 Million to Elad, a settler org responsible for ethnically cleansing 1000s of Palestinians. Netanyahu himself gave him citizenship. pic.twitter.com/boW6ipJtzG Rula Jebreal (@rulajebreal) March 13, 2022 Abramovich jet lands in Turkey after Russian oligarch seen in Israel https://t.co/qZvAde9lg6 pic.twitter.com/HkpmPBmDNl Reuters (@Reuters) March 14, 2022 : ' - https://t.co/0kwzrETwNR@NoganNir pic.twitter.com/W3MeiK1JkL 13 (@newsisrael13) March 14, 2022 Oligarchs move to Israel. No tax for ten years. And an agreement between Israeli and Russian secret services that they dont assassinate on each others territory https://t.co/8eWFpwOzNt Paul Lewis (@paullewismoney) March 12, 2022 From Business Insider, "At least 14 private jets from Russia landed in Israel in the past 10 days amid the latest round of oligarch sanctions": At least 14 private jets from Russia have landed at Ben Gurion Airport in Israel, per a report by The Times of Israel. The report cited a broadcast by Israel's Channel 12, which said that a number of rented private planes were coming from Russia and were landing in Israel. The planes' owners were unidentified and this has led to speculation that oligarchs may be looking at ways to slip around sanctions. [...] The UK, among others, recently sanctioned seven more Russian oligarchs, including Roman Abramovich as Insider's Kate Duffy reported. Other oligarchs had previously been sanctioned, including Gennady Timchenko, Boris Rotenberg, and Igor Rotenberg. Haaretz has more... As Ukraine war rages and the West tightens the screws on Russian oligarchs, many of them look to Israel to escapehttps://t.co/TrchJBE6as Haaretz.com (@haaretzcom) March 11, 2022 From Haaretz, "The Great Jewish Oligarchs' Escape: 'The Ground Is Trembling. They Will Stream Into Israel'": As Ukraine war rages and the West tightens the screws on Russian oligarchs, many of them look to Israel to escape Some hold Israeli citizenship, exactly for these kinds of circumstances Billionaires will benefit from Israeli law, allowing them to hide sources of income for a 10-year period [...] Israel is not obligated to any Western recommendations and has not announced restrictions of any sort on Russian businesses and in the meantime, private jets from Russia have continued to land at Ben-Gurion Airport. One jet owned by Roman Abramovich landed at Ben-Gurion on the day after Russias invasion began. Nevertheless, the prevailing assessment is that Israeli banks will adopt the European and American regulatory rules, as has already been happening in recent years. Since the crisis began, and all the more so since the full-scale fighting began, there has been a noticeable increase in interest by Jewish businesspeople operating in Russia in extracting their funds from the country. I am currently consulting for five businesspeople active in Russia, says attorney Ram A. Gamliel. There is a sense of panic. It is unclear where this is going. At the same time, you have to say the truth: if it were the opposite case if the authorities in Russia were those who were acting against the businesspeople they would be a great deal more frightened, Gamliel says that the period prior to the outbreak of the war, when harsh economic sanctions had not yet been imposed, gave the businesspeople a chance to properly prepare for the eventuality: The cutoff from SWIFT does not automatically hurt everyone; it hurts the center of investment inside Russia. Mainly, it makes it difficult to bring in or send out money from the country. Anyone who is smart managed to transfer funds during the waiting period. The oligarchs are businesspeople who amassed their wealth following the collapse of the Soviet Union, during the process of privatization of the countrys natural resources, like coal, oil, gas and aluminum. I have no proof of the source of the wealth of each and every one of them, but in the broad perspective there is no clean money whose source is in Russia. They benefited from the fruits of public corruption, says former Meretz lawmaker Roman Bronfman, a native of Ukraine. This is money the source of which is in an act of robbery perpetrated against all of the citizens of natural resources or of the state budget. The average [monthly] pension in Russia comes to $200, and the gaps between rich and poor are the highest in the world. At first, the oligarchs were aligned with Boris Yeltsin, who pinned his hopes on them, hoping they would help turn Russia into a liberal democracy. However, with the Putins rise to power in 1999, he began using the legal the system to persecute the three oligarchs of the Yukos oil conglomerate: Leonid Nevzlin (who has a 20 percent ownership stake in Haaretz), Vladimir Dubov and Mikhail Khodorkovsky. The first two fled to Israel, whereas Khodorkovsky was given a 10-year prison sentence on charges of theft and tax evasion. [...] Late last month, it was revealed on Israels Channel 12 that Yad Vashem had approached the U.S. ambassador to Israel, Thomas Nides, with a request that sanctions not be imposed on Abramovich. This news follows another bit of fresh information: that the oligarch has made a contribution to the museum amounting to tens of millions of dollars. These contributions are the buying of connections it is precisely for these events that the sanctions are happening now, says Bronfman. Another oligarch considered close to Putin and who contributes to Yad Vashem is the president of the0 European Jewish Congress, Viatcheslav Moshe Kantor. Kantors wealth was amassed following the breakup of the Soviet Union, thanks to his taking over of the extensive fertilizer industry. He has a controlling interest in Acron Group, which is traded on the London and Russian exchanges. Its share prices have been sharply down this month. Kantor is the head of a body called the World Holocaust Forum that underwrote the events marking 75 years since the end of World War II, which were held at Yad Vashem in January 2020. At the central event, Putin generated a public scandal by making incorrect statements that supported his own historical narrative of the war. Film clips with incorrect data were displayed on the screen, and it was unclear who was behind them. Yad Vashem Museum subsequently issued an official apology. The US House and Senate just voted to give Israel another billion taxpayer dollars in addition to the nearly $40 billion they previously agreed to give them over the next decade. Another $1 billion of US taxpayers' money goes to Israel; aren't you tired of paying taxes for roads, infrastructure, health, education, etc. only to see a significant portion go to Israel or US wars for Israel?? https://t.co/B8Pbai0cyy Cynthia McKinney PhD (@cynthiamckinney) March 12, 2022 After taking heat, Israel announced Monday "for the first time" that they'll comply with international sanctions against Russia. BREAKING: Israel announces publicly for the first time it will comply with the international sanctions against Russia. FM Lapid says "Israel won't be used as a means to bypass the sanctions on Russia" Barak Ravid (@BarakRavid) March 14, 2022 "Israel will not be a route to bypass sanctions imposed on Russia by the United States & other western countries," Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid claimed. Israel will not be a route to bypass sanctions imposed on Russia by the United States & other western countries. @IsraelMFA is coordinating the issue together with partners including the Bank of Israel, @Israel_MOF, @Misrad_Calcala, the Airports Authority, @Energy_IL, & others. - Yair Lapid (@yairlapid) March 14, 2022 We'll see what happens when this falls out of the news. [Header image of Roman Abramovich's B787-8 Dreamliner P4-BDL by Stephan Tournay, CC BY-SA 4.0. Left overlay of Abramovich by Brian Minkoff-London Pixels, CC BY-SA 4.0, right overlay of Abramovich by NewsIsrael13 via Twitter.] Follow InformationLiberation on Twitter, Facebook, Gab, Minds, Parler and Telegram. WSJ reports that the kingdom "is reviewing an offer from the company, formally known as Hon Hai Precision Industry, to build a dual-line foundry for surface-mount technology and wafer fabrication in Neom, a tech-focused city-state the kingdom is developing in the desert." For those who arent familiar with Neom, heres what the BBC has to say about the planned futuristic tech-centric city in the desert. The Kingdom plans to use its massive sovereign wealth fund to finance the effort. Glow-in-the dark beaches. Billions of trees planted in a country dominated by the desert. Levitating trains. A fake moon. A car-free, carbon-free city built in a straight line over 100 miles long in the desert. These are some of the plans for Neom - a futuristic eco-city that is part of Saudi Arabias pivot to go green. But is it all too good to be true? Neom claims to be a "blueprint for tomorrow in which humanity progresses without compromise to the health of the planet". Its a $500bn (366bn) project, part of Saudi Arabias Vision 2030 plan to wean the country off oil - the industry that made it rich. The factory isnt a done deal - at least not yet. The Saudis are reportedly still conducting due diligence and "benchmarking the offer against others Foxconn has made for similar projects globally". The Saudis are also reportedly in talks with the UAE about potentially building the factory there. Foxconn has long been looking to diversify its factory capacity away from China. But Riyadh wants the company to guarantee that it would direct "at least two-thirds of the foundrys production into Foxconns existing supply chain...to ensure there are buyers for its products and the project is ultimately profitable." But if the company meets all the Saudis requirements, the kingdom is prepared to co-invest, while also offering low-interest loans, and other incentives. Of course, just because Foxconn is planning to invest, doesnt mean it will. Lets not forget how the company supposedly promised to build a large factory in Wisconsin, but ended up with a project that was much smaller than it initially promised. The Kingdom has struggled to recruit western businesses for Neom Although, as we noted above, we would be curious to see how Apple reacts to Foxconns decision to possibly assemble the companys phones in the kingdom. Anti-tank missiles were the centerpiece of western arms shipments to Ukraine earlier in the war. New indications are that the focus is shifting to shoulder-fired anti-aircraft missiles (MANPADS), with the US and NATO getting as many as they can into the Ukraine. The expectation is that the MANPADS will offer Ukraine substantial anti-aircraft capacity. Shipping a lot of MANPADS into a country is always a danger, because if they end up in the wrong hands they could threaten civilian airliners, and after the wars they tend to go missing into the global black market. Thats been a problem more than a few times, with the US shipping MANPADS into Afghanistan during the Soviet War, only to lose control of many of them. The most recent concerns were in the NATO regime change in Libya, where Libyas huge cache of MANPADS were looted and sold across the region Both NATO and the airline industry are largely mum on the threats posed by such missiles. Russian officials are noting that the west is grossly ignoring a number of international agreements designed to prevent MANPADS proliferation. Senior US officials say its a risk worth taking, which is easy to say since the risk of proliferation is chiefly in Europe, and the US has ample experience in ditching responsibility for unintended, albeit easily-predictable, blowback. It seems that the missiles are being used as a replacement for the warplanes Ukraine sought, and which the US feared would be seen as too big of an escalation. The assumption seems to be MANPADS are less of a risk in that regard. Either way, its no secret what NATO is doing, and it sets a precedent where Russia or others might distribute MANPADS in other proxy wars they might want to get involved in. The Kremlin said Monday it may still opt to take control of large cities in Ukraine, as Moscow's military advances steadily towards several major urban hubs in its pro-Western neighbour. "Putin gave orders to hold back on any immediate assault on large cities because the civilian losses would be large," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters. He added however that the defence ministry "does not rule out the possibility of putting large cities, which are already almost fully encircled, under its full control". Exceptions would be made for areas "used for humanitarian evacuations," Peskov said. "US and EU leaders it seems are forcing Russia towards an assault of large Ukrainian cities to hold our country responsible for civilian deaths," he added. Peskov also denied reports Russia has asked China for military aid. "Russia has its own potential to continue the operation," Peskov told reporters. The clearest proof yet of the failure of lockdowns and Zero Covid as a long-term strategy against the coronavirus is now unfolding in Hong Kong. The territory is suffering the worst coronavirus epidemic anywhere since New York City in April 2020. For two weeks straight Hong Kong has had the equivalent of 10,000 American deaths a day. Now Sars-Cov-2 is catching up, all at once - even though Hong Kong is highly vaccinated. Since the beginning of March, the city, which has 7.4 million residents, has had over 3,500 Covid deaths. That figure would translate into over 150,000 Covid deaths in the United States - in two weeks. And it succeeded. As of late 2021, Sars-Cov-2 had infected barely 1 out of every 1,000 Hong Kong residents, a peer-reviewed study revealed. The breakdown comes after almost two years when Hong Kong tried everything possible to keep Covid out, including aggressive contact tracing, border controls, and rules on gatherings. It damaged its economy, made residents miserable, and drove away expatriates. The crisis in Hong Kong carries serious implications for China, which after two years of chasing zero Covid is seeing the start of an outbreak that it may not be able to control no matter how hard it locks down. The spiraling death toll also proves - again - the limits of vaccines against Covid. More than 80 percent of adults in Hong Kong have received either mRNA or Chinese vaccines, though the citys eldest residents are bizarrely enough the least likely to be vaccinated. The crisis is unlikely to ease soon. After falling last week, new infections rose again Monday, to 26,000 - the equivalent of more than 1 million in the United States. Authorities predict thousands more deaths through April. The death toll is especially stunning because the cases are essentially all Omicron, which is milder that earlier variants. Also, Hong Kong has almost no obesity, which trails only age as a risk factor for Covid. About 3 percent of adults in Hong Kong are obese, compared to 40 percent of Americans. Further, physicians have the benefit of two years of treating Covid cases. They are no longer killing patients by putting them on ventilators too aggressively, a mistake that significantly increased the death total in New York in 2020. Western media outlets have written only sporadically about the crisis in Hong Kong, and when they have they have generally put the blame on the fact that elderly residents in the territory have much lower vaccination rates than younger adults. Those stories are accurate. The rates of vaccination in people over 80 in Hong Kong have been bizarrely low - only about 35 percent of have received two vaccine doses - and it is not clear why. Hong Kong is now an authoritarian state and under increasingly strict and direct Chinese control. Along with its strict anti-Covid rules, the territory has reported arresting more than 10,000 people for anti-government protests and prosecuted at least 2,500 of them. So why Hong Kongs public health authorities were unable or unwilling to vaccinate elderly people - who have successfully been the focus of vaccination everywhere else in the world - remains a mystery. Now Hong Kong is struggling to vaccinate people 80 and over. But in the short run its efforts may only be making matters worse, because of the fact that the first Covid vaccine dose actually raises infection risk - an effect seen in Britain and elsewhere more than a year ago. Meanwhile, with so many people being infected so quickly, a relatively high number of vaccinated people are also dying. Meanwhile, across the border in China, Covid infections are accelerating. Anyone who opposes the World Economic Forums (WEF) Great Reset program will be sent to Chinese-style reeducation camps, according to a pledge by the WEF. Those who oppose Klaus Schwabs Great Reset should be imprisoned in communist China-style reeducation camps until they no longer embrace freedom, nationalism, and the right to bear arms, according to Wang Guan, a WEF young global leader. Wang is currently a chief political journalist for a Chinese state-run media outlet in the United States that broadcasts Chinese propaganda. In the National Pulse, Natalie Winters said, The WEF has grown known for globalist involvement around the world, including but not limited to pushing for the Great Reset amidst COVID-19. At its core, the group aspires to abolish property ownership, encapsulating this goal in the contentious phrase you will own nothing and be happy.' Truthbasedmedia.com reports: The same media outlet where Wang was installed by Schwab to brainwash Americans also defends the Chinese Communist Partys (CCP) genocide of Uyghur Muslims. CCP putting out propaganda films promoting concentration camps as places to learn valuable life skills In a short film put together to promote reeducation camps, Wang explained how he believes that the living conditions of Uyghur Muslims is a success, and that it serves the purposes of the CCP to ethnically cleanse China in this way. Fifty-four countries, most of them Muslim-majority states, defended Chinas counter-extremism efforts in Xinjiang, commending China in its development policies there, and in providing care to its Muslim citizens, Wang said in the video, adding, and they probably have a point. The same feature also depicted survivors of these reeducation camps praising the Chinese leaders for supposedly teaching them life skills to be successful. We met 33-year-old artist Abulizikari Aobuli, who perfected his painting skills in the re-education center and now works in a gallery, Wang said in the film. We caught up with 30-year-old Yuregul Yusan who works in the hospitality sector. We found 26-year-old Rukiya Yakup, who improved her Mandarin and now works as a real estate agent. And we met 23-year-old Halinur, whos now a cashier at a restaurant. How sweet: the CCPs concentration camps are just misunderstood technical colleges, apparently. According to local officials, the vast majority of the attendees picked up a skill or two, completed their training, and went home, Wang further said in another related video, which was put out by the China Global Television Network (CGTN). Twenty-six-year-old Rukiya Yakup spent 10 months in the education center. While there, she perfected her Mandarin skills and studied sales. Now, she is a real estate sales agent, earning over 8,000 yuan, more than 1,100 U.S. dollars a month, way above local average income. The 26-year-old was then shown on screen claiming that she feels happier now that she endured reeducation camp in China. She also said that she is happy she learned Mandarin because she can now receive both Han people and Uyghurs. My income is considerable, she added. Another WEF young global leader who has been pushing an agenda publicly is journalist Daria Kaleniuk. As the Pulse reported about her, Kaleniuk confronted British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and demanded that NATO enter the war in Ukraine. It would seem as though Schwab has his minions all over the world pushing different agendas all at the same time. And as we have come to expect, all of it revolves around his precious Great Reset. Clearview AI is a controversial facial recognition company that accused of breaching privacy rights and has retaliated against its critics. According to the company, its facial recognition technology could help Ukraine identify the dead, fight misinformation, and catch Russian assailants. After Russia started invading Ukraine, Clearview AIs CEO Hoan Ton-That contacted Kyiv to offer his companys help. It told Ukraine that it had not offered the technology to Russia. Ukraines defense ministry did not confirm that it was using the technology. However, its ministry for digital transformation had previously indicated that it was considering working with AI companies such as Clearview. Clearview AI adviser Lee Wolosky said that the company would provide Ukraine with free access to its database of faces, which it collects from online platforms. Ton-Thats letter to Kyiv, which was obtained by Reuters, said that the company had more than 2 billion images collected from Russian social media site Vkontakte. The database could help in the identification of the dead. According to Ton-That facial recognition is faster than fingerprints, in identifying the dead. His letter added that Clearviews tech could be used to debunk social media posts related to the invasion, identify Russian operatives, and reunite refugees with their families. Critics have warned of the consequences of using a technology that could misidentify people in the context of a war zone. Like it has caused the arrests of the wrong people when used by the police, facial recognition could cause civilian deaths when used in a warzone. Were going to see well-intentioned technology backfiring and harming the very people its supposed to help, said the executive director of the Surveillance Technology Oversight Project Albert Fox Cahn. Cahn explained that identifying dead people is a rather harmless way to use the technology, but once you introduce these systems and the associated databases to a war zone, you have no control over how it will be used and misused. Meanwhile Clearview is facing lawsuits in the US from those who feel it violates privacy rights by collecting images from the web. New Delhi: Union home minister Amit Shah, one of the key strategists of the just-concluded Assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh, has been appointed as the BJPs central observer for the state legislature party meeting likely to be held soon. The party also appointed defence minister Rajnath Singh as the observer for Uttarakhand. Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman and law and Justice minister Kiren Rijiju have been appointed the partys central observers for Manipur. For the election of the legislature party leader in Goa, the BJP has appointed Union agriculture minister Narendra Singh Tomar and minister of state for fisheries and animal husbandry L. Murugan as the central observers. Former Jharkhand chief minister Raghubar Das has been appointed as co-observer in UP while minister of state for external affairs Meenakshi Lekhi is the co-observer for Uttarakhand. In a statement, BJP national general secretary Arun Singh said: The parliamentary board of the Bharatiya Janata Party has appointed central observers and co-observers for the election of the leader of the legislative parties in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Manipur and Goa Assembly. In Panaji, meanwhile, Goa BJP president Sadanand Shet Tanavade said on Monday that the new government in Goa will be sworn in after Holi, which falls on March 18, reports PTI. The swearing-in ceremony of the new government in Goa would be conducted post-Holi celebrations along with the other three states where the BJP has won a majority, Mr Tanavade told reporters. However, he did not specify the exact date of the swearing-in ceremony. Even four days after winning a maximum of 20 seats in the 40-member Goa Assembly, the BJP is yet to stake its claim to forming the next government, which will be the third straight term of the saffron party. Mr Tanavade said the Goa governor had already administered the oath to Ganesh Gaonkar as pro-tem speaker. The newly-elected members of the Goa Assembly will take the oath on March 15, when the term of the current Assembly expires. The governor has summoned the Assembly session on Tuesday. Mr Tanavade rubbished rumours about differences within the party unit over the leadership issue. There are no differences. The central leaders will decide on the state leadership, he said, when asked who will become the next chief minister of the coastal state. Sources said that Vishwajit Rane, health minister in Pramod Sawants Cabinet, had thrown his hat in the ring for the CMs post citing his better victory margin in the recent polls compared to the incumbent CM. Mr Rane represents the Valpoi seat. Cops love military gear. For years, theyve cultivated a mindset that pits them against the public in a war against crime a war that justifies any collateral damage to the public and its trust in its protectors. The federal government has embraced this combative stance, handing out excess military gear to law enforcement agencies, provided theyre willing to say things about terrorism or war on drugs. This transfer of military power costs nearly nothing (if you dont count the publics trust and really, nobody in law enforcement thinks thats worth tabulating). If youve got a self-proclaimed war on your hands, the only solution is war gear. And its all free free as in taxpayers lunches and from accountability. US war machines march on, overly-outfitted by US military surplus efforts that give small town agencies a chance to play God of War on their home turf. Now that the Russian government has turned seemingly the entire world against it, US police agencies are pitching in to help war efforts that dont involve raiding the wrong address to recover minimal amounts of marijuana. Ukraines government has been asking for help and cops are stepping up to contribute. If youve already obtained it for free and found its far more than is actually needed to engage in local law enforcement efforts, why not give it to an entity far more deserving of US military largesse? Law enforcement agencies in several states have all announced in recent days that theyre donating dozens of pieces of body armor, such as ballistic helmets and vests. Some of the departments and their respective local partnersone of which is a top defense contractor with U.S. and Ukrainian government contractssay the donations will be distributed to Ukrainian citizens under siege by the Russian military. Please hold your applause. Forever. These arent agencies sacrificing gear needed by their own officers for the greater good. These are agencies giving away excess military gear they dont actually need but were able to acquire because oversight of this Defense Department program is almost nonexistent. And, in some cases, whats being given away might be useless, if not actually dangerous. The Vice report quotes the Colorado Department of Safety, which states the 80 sets of body armor and 750 helmets being sent to Ukraine are beyond life cycle. Meanwhile, in Pennsylvania, donations include bulletproof vests that are no longer under warranty. Its the law enforcement equivalent of asking the poor to get by on donated cans of pumpkin pie filling and lima beans. Sure, the bags weigh a lot, but what purpose do the donations serve? In other cases, agencies are donating military uniforms, which are slightly more useful in combat situations (and have no expiration date) but raise questions as to why law enforcement agencies have them in the first place. Theyre not members of the US military. So why are they able with the DoDs blessing to dress like they are? While its true this military surplus will probably be both appreciated and somewhat useful, the donations raise even more questions about the Defense Departments 1033 program and the seemingly-excessive amount of military gear police departments can acquire with little to no effort or justification. And theres no oversight of this transfer of military equipment, despite the fact its being handled by a federal contractor. No one appears to know whether this is legal or not and the Defense Department has flatly stated it has neither asked nor encouraged law enforcement agencies to redistribute goods acquired through its 1033 program. That vendor is a Sarasota-based Global Ordnance, a defense contractor and commercial arms and equipment distributor, whose sales reached nearly $200 million in 2020. Along with its subsidiary Global Military Products (GMP), the company has won at least a half-billion dollars in Defense Department contracts over the past decade, according to USAspending.gov, the Treasury Departments government spending tracker. The company also signed a cooperation agreement with Ukrainian state-owned defense conglomerate Ukroboronprom last September worth up to $500 million. Global Ordnance vice president for human resources Carrie Morales told VICE News that the equipment wasnt requested by the Pentagon, but that the company has a lot of people in Ukraine and other parts of Eastern Europe and that the donation is part of the companys humanitarian efforts. While its admirable US law enforcement agencies are pitching in to help stop an authoritarian from erecting USSR v. 2.0, these charitable contributions are highlighting questions that demand answers from the Defense Department and its downstream beneficiaries. Why are cops getting so much gear that they have no problem giving it away? And why are they still in possession of so much outdated gear something that could prove fatal for officers who think theyre protected by the best the US military has to offer? And if these contributions fail to protect Ukraine recipients, who is at fault? If Congress isnt willing to take a closer look at this, expect caveat emptor to usurp accountability for these well-meaning, but possibly harmful, donations. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky took to Twitter [1] Sunday to express heartfelt gratitude to Facebook owner Mark Zuckerberg for taking a clear stand on the Ukraine crisis and letting users violate rules against hate speech: War is not only a military opposition on UA land. It is also a fierce battle in the informational space. I want to thank @Meta and other platforms that have an active position that help and stand side by side with the Ukrainians. As a result of the Russian invasion of Ukraine we have temporarily made allowances for forms of political expression that would normally violate our rules like violent speech such as death to the Russian invaders. We still wont allow credible calls for violence against Russian civilians, a Meta spokesperson said in a statement [2] March 11. It naturally piques the curiosity why the social media behemoth is bending over backwards to violate its own longstanding regulations against hate speech to let Zelensky win the propaganda war in the informational space unless one takes into account the obvious fact that both Zuckerberg and Zelensky are Zionist Jews and take orders from Israels clandestine security agencies. Born to Oleksandr Zelensky and Rymma Zelenska, both Russian-speaking Jews, in Jan. 1978, Volodymyr Zelensky was groomed by covert Mossad operatives in Ukraine since his student life while he was studying law at the Kryvyi Rih National University. Instead of pursuing legal career, he chose acting as a profession at the behest of his influential patrons to gain nationwide publicity, particularly through comedy television series Servant of the People in which Zelensky prophetically played the role of the Ukrainian president. In fact, his production company Kvartal 95, which produces films, cartoons and television shows, was generously funded by deep pockets of Zionist billionaires. Comically exposing corruption and sleazy dealings of Ukraines politician and oligarch, the series Servant of the People aired from 2015 to 2019 and struck a chord with Ukrainian masses. Riding on the wave of media publicity, Zelensky won a landslide presidential election in 2019. Later, his political party, which he coincidentally named Servant of the People, won an overwhelming victory in a snap legislative election held shortly after his inauguration as president. In the 2001 census, a third of Ukraines over 40 million population registered Russian as their first language. In fact, Russian speakers constitute a majority in urban areas of industrialized eastern Ukraine and socio-culturally identify with Russia. Ukrainian speakers are mainly found in sparsely populated western Ukraine and in rural areas of east Ukraine. Russian, Belarusian and Ukrainian together belong to East Slavic family of languages and share a degree of mutual intelligibility. Thus, Russians, Byelorussians and Ukrainians are one nation and one country whose shared history and culture goes all the way back to the golden period of 10th century Kyivan Rus. What do Ukrainians have in common with NATO powers, their newfound patrons, besides the fact that humanitarian imperialists are attempting to douse fire by pouring gasoline on Ukraines proxy war by providing caches of lethal weapons to militant forces holding disenfranchised Ukrainian masses hostage. Russians and Ukrainians share Byzantine heritage and their longstanding dispute with Zionist Jews goes back to the medieval era. Byzantine emperors regarded Jewish subjects as gentiles and were particularly wary of wealthy Jewish merchants maintaining a stranglehold over banking and commerce sectors of the empire. In addition, Russians and Ukrainians together belong to the Greek Orthodox Church, one of the oldest Christian denominations whose history goes all the way back to the Christ and his apostles. Protestantism and Catholicism are products of the second millennium after a Roman bishop of the Byzantine Empire declared himself pope following the 1054 schism between the Orthodox and Catholic Churches. Since 2019, after being elected president through questionable methods, Zelensky has surreptitiously been working on a clandestine project to foment a crisis with Russia on a flimsy pretext. Any other political leader with an iota of rational faculties, even somebody as rogue as his predecessor Petro Poroshenko, would promptly have agreed to the Kremlins reasonable proposal that Kyiv must give a solemn pledge it wont join transatlantic NATO military alliance. Not only did he scornfully rebuff the Russian proposal but he also let Ukraines security forces stage joint military exercises and naval drills alongside NATO forces in the Black Sea right under Russias nose. His reckless disregard for suffering of Ukrainian masses with whom he does not identify being a Zionist himself and suicidally provoking Russia into an armed confrontation aside, he is merely a pawn in the grand scheme of things. Israels Zionist regime, to whom not only Ukrainian but also American presidents bow, has a score to settle with Russia. Donald Trump literally forced four Arab states, the UAE, Bahrain, Sudan and Morocco, to sign so-called Abraham Accords lending official recognition to Israel at the coaxing of his Jewish son-in-law Jared Kushner and in order to canvass Zionist lobbies for support in the run-up to Nov. 2020 presidential elections. Washingtons principal objective in Syrias proxy war was ensuring Israels regional security. The United States Defense Intelligence Agencys declassified report [3] of 2012 clearly spelled out the imminent rise of a Salafist principality in northeastern Syria in Raqqa and Deir al-Zor which were occupied by the Islamic State from 2014 to October 2017 in the event of an outbreak of a civil war in Syria. Under pressure from the Zionist lobbies in Washington, however, the Obama administration deliberately suppressed the report and also overlooked the view in general that a proxy war in Syria would give birth to radical Islamic jihadists. The hawks in Washington were fully aware of the consequences of their actions in Syria, but they kept pursuing the ill-fated policy of nurturing militants in the training camps located in Syrias border regions with Turkey and Jordan in order to weaken the anti-Zionist Bashar al-Assad government. The single biggest threat to Israels regional security was posed by the Iranian resistance axis, comprising Iran, Syria and Lebanon-based Hezbollah. During the course of 2006 Lebanon War, Hezbollah fired hundreds of rockets into northern Israel and Israels defense community realized for the first time the nature of threat that Hezbollah posed to Israels regional security. Those were only unguided rockets but it was a wakeup call for Israels military strategists that what would happen if Iran passed the guided missile technology to Hezbollah whose area of operations lies very close to the northern borders of Israel. Therefore, the Zionist lobbies in Washington persuaded the Obama administration to orchestrate a proxy war against Damascus and Lebanon-based Hezbollah in order to dismantle the Iranian resistance axis against Israel. But following the beginning of the Ukraine crisis in 2014 after Russia occupied the Crimean peninsula and Washington imposed sanctions on Russia, the Kremlins immediate response to the escalation by Washington was that it jumped into the fray in Syria in September 2015, after a clandestine visit to Moscow by General Qassem Soleimani, the slain commander of the IRGCs Quds Force who was assassinated in an American airstrike on a tip-off from the Israeli intelligence at the Baghdad airport on January 3, 2020. When Russia deployed its forces and military hardware to Syria in September 2015, the militant proxies of Washington, the Zionist regime and their regional clients were on the verge of driving a wedge between Damascus and the Alawite heartland of coastal Latakia, which could have led to the imminent downfall of the Bashar al-Assad government. With the help of Russias air power and long-range artillery, the Syrian government has since reclaimed most of Syrias territory from the insurgents, excluding Idlib in the northwest occupied by Turkish-backed militants and Deir al-Zor and the Kurdish-held areas in the east, thus inflicting a humiliating defeat on Washington, the Zionist regime and their regional allies, Turkey, Jordan and the Gulf States. Over the years, Israel has not only provided material support to militant groups battling Damascus particularly to various factions of the Free Syria Army (FSA) and al-Qaedas Syrian affiliate al-Nusra Front in Daraa and Quneitra bordering the Israel-occupied Golan Heights but Israels air force has virtually played the role of the air force of the terrorists and mounted hundreds of airstrikes in Syria during the decade-long conflict. In an interview to New York Times [4] in January 2019, Israels former Chief of Staff Lt. General Gadi Eisenkot confessed that the Netanyahu government approved his recommendations in January 2017 to step up airstrikes in Syria. Consequently, more than 200 Israeli airstrikes were launched on the Syrian targets in 2017 and 2018, as revealed [5] by Israeli Intelligence Minister Israel Katz in September 2018. In 2018 alone, Israel's air force dropped 2,000 bombs in Syria. The purported rationale of the Israeli airstrikes in Syria has been to degrade Irans guided missile technology provided to Damascus and Lebanon-based Hezbollah, which poses an existential threat to Israels regional security. Though after Russia provided S-300 air defense system to the Syrian military after a Russian surveillance aircraft was shot down by Syrian air defenses during an Israeli incursion into the Syrian airspace on September 2018, killing 15 Russians onboard, Israeli airstrikes in Syria have been significantly scaled down. Following the friendly-fire incident, though Israel has mounted occasional airstrikes at the capital Damascus, in Daraa and Quneitra in southern Syria and Deir al-Zor in eastern Syria, Israeli airstrikes in northwest Syria, including Aleppo, Hamah and Homs, which is within the range of advanced missile defense systems deployed at Khmeimim Air Base near coastal Latakia, have almost entirely ceased. Last month, the Kremlin issued an unequivocal condemnation [6] of recent Israeli airstrikes in Syria as crude violation of Syria's sovereignty that up until now were reluctantly tolerated by the Russian forces based in Syrias Tartus naval base and Khmeimim airbase southeast of Latakia, and also pledged that the Russian Air Force would conduct joint air patrols alongside the Syrian Air Force that would pre-empt the likelihood of further Israeli airstrikes. Israels continuing strikes against targets inside Syria cause deep concern, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said. They are a crude violation of Syrias sovereignty and may trigger a sharp escalation of tensions. Also, such actions pose serious risks to international passenger flights. Although Israel claims its air campaign in Syria is meant to target Iran-backed militias, the airstrikes often kill Syrian soldiers. Syrian state media said one soldier was killed and five more were wounded in one of the latest Israeli attacks at Damascus, which occurred on Feb. 9. Russia has held talks with Israel on Syria, and said last month it would begin joint air patrols with Syria. The patrols will include areas near the Golan Heights in southern Syria bordering Israel, a frequent site of the Israeli airstrikes, and Israel is said to be considering discontinuing the strikes altogether or slowing them down significantly. The Times of Israel noted that this marked a momentous change in policy for Russia: Following the patrol, Ynet reported that Israeli military officials were holding talks with Russian army officers to calm tensions. The report added, Israeli officials were struggling to understand why Russia, which announced that such joint patrols were expected to be a regular occurrence moving forward, had apparently changed its policy toward Israel. The report claimed that Israel might limit its air campaign in Syria as a result of Russias inexplicable policy reversal in Syria. In conclusion, it favored Israels strategic objectives to escalate the conflict in Ukraine in order to divert Russias attention and military resources to Eastern Europe, as the Zionist regime would then get a free hand to mount airstrikes in Syria and Lebanon with impunity, and might even attempt to rekindle decade-long proxy war alongside its Gulf Arab, Turkish and Jordanian allies in order to eliminate security threat posed by Iran-led resistance axis comprising Syria and Lebanon-based Hezbollah once and for all. Citations: [1] Zelensky tweet thanking Facebook for allowing hate speech: [2] Facebook allows posts urging violence against Russian invaders: [3] US Defense Intelligence Agencys declassified report of 2012: [4] An interview with Lt. Gen. Gadi Eisenkot, Israels chief of staff: [5] Israel Katz: Israel conducted 200 airstrikes in Syria in 2017 and 2018: [6] Russia cites deep concern over ongoing Israeli strikes in Syria: About the author: Nauman Sadiq is an Islamabad-based geopolitical and national security analyst focused on geo-strategic affairs and hybrid warfare in the Af-Pak and Middle East regions. His domains of expertise include neocolonialism, military-industrial complex and petro-imperialism. He is a regular contributor of diligently researched investigative reports to alternative news media. Here is a snapshot of the latest market-moving news out of Ukraine from the last few hours, courtesy of Newsquawk: Discussions/Negotiations Ukrainian President Zelensky said negotiations with Russia will continue on Tuesday. Ukrainian presidential adviser said Russias territorial claims are unacceptable and Ukraine is ready to continue negotiations on remaining issues, while the adviser added that a peace agreement could be signed within 1-2 weeks at the earliest and May at the latest, according to CCTV. Ukrainian Presidents office confirms that the Czech, Polish and Slovenian PMs are to visit Kyiv on Tuesday. Russian Kremlin says that work is continuing between the Russian and Ukraine delegations, does not wish to predict the outcome of talks but it is a positive that talks are continuing. Energy/Economic Updates US State Department said the US added 11 members of Russias Defense Enterprise to the anti-Moscow sanctions list, according to Sputnik. Japan imposed sanctions on an additional 17 Russians Equinor (EQNR NO) is to stop trading in Russian oil and oil products, while it will not enter any new trades or engage in the transport of oil and oil products from Russia, but noted will receive for oil cargoes in March as part of pre-invasion commitments. US Treasury official said Russian sovereign bond default would make it difficult for Russia to find future lenders, increase Moscows borrowing costs and drain resources, while the official sees limited exposure in the US financial system to Russian sovereign bonds and noted that falling prices of Russian sovereign bonds suggests investors see a high probability of a default and are preparing for alternative payment outcomes. Yamal-Europe pipeline has suspended flows, via Reuters citing Gascade data; preliminary bids for eastward flows to Poland have emerged; subsequently, gas flows via the Yamal pipeline have reversed and flow eastwards to Poland from Germany, according to Gascade data. Defence/Military US President Biden said they will make sure Ukraine has weapons to defend against the invading Russian force, while they will send money and food and aid to save Ukrainian lives. Ukrainian air force claimed that a Russian drone crossed into Poland before returning to Ukraine and was shot down by air defences. UK Ministry of Defence said it hadnt seen evidence to support Russian accusations of Ukraine intending to use chemical and biological weapons, while it added that Russia could be planning to use such weapons in a false-flag operation. ELINT News reported loud explosions in downtown Kyiv, which could be missile strikes. Russian forces have taken full control of Kherson, Ukraine, according to Sputnik citing the MoD. Ukraine Presidential adviser says Russian forces are not trying to take Kyiv at the moment; additionally, Mykolayiv Governor says the situation in the region is calmer as Russia forces have been pushed back slightly from the regional capital. Ukraine authorities have issued a country-wide air raid warning Third Party CNBCs Kayla Tausche tweeted that NATO leaders are discussing holding an extraordinary meeting in Brussels late next week which US President Biden and other heads of state would attend, according to officials, but added it is not yet final. Other On April 23, 2015, the NY Times ran a story under the headline: Cash Flowed to Clinton Foundation Amid Russian Uranium Deal. I quote the Times: The sale gave the Russians control of one-fifth of all uranium production capacity in the United States. But the untold story behind that story is one that involves not just the Russian president, but also a former American president [Bill Clinton] and a woman [Hillary Clinton] who would like to be the next one. At the heart of the tale are several men, leaders of the Canadian mining industry, who have been major donors to the charitable endeavors of former President Bill Clinton and his family. Members of that group built, financed and eventually sold off to the Russians a company that would become known as Uranium One. Frank Giustraa mining financier, has donated $31.3 million to the foundation run by former President Bill ClintonSince [US] uranium is considered a strategic asset, with implications for national security, the deal [to sell Uranium One and US uranium to Putin] had to be approved by a committee composed of representatives from a number of United States government agencies. Among the agencies that eventually signed off was the State Department, then headed by Mr. Clintons wife, Hillary Rodham Clinton. As the Russians gradually assumed control of Uranium One in three separate transactions from 2009 to 2013, Canadian records show, a flow of cash made its way to the Clinton Foundation. Uranium Ones chairman used his family foundation to make four donations totaling $2.35 million. Those contributions were not publicly disclosed by the Clintons, despite an agreement Mrs. Clinton had struck with the Obama White House to publicly identify all donors. Other people with ties to the company made donations as well. And shortly after the Russians announced their intention to acquire a majority stake in Uranium One, Mr. Clinton received $500,000 for a Moscow speech from a Russian investment bank with links to the Kremlin that was promoting Uranium One stock. Note to the women of The View: Try a citizens arrest of the Clintons. Stand up. Muscle up. Put the cuffs on these traitors. Live stream it. Thank you for your service. Whats that? You wont do it? Youre just a gaggle of monumental bullshitters with your big-time anti-Russian talk? You want to arrest Tucker Carlson but not the Clintons? I see. Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt said that the Russian/Ukraine conflict shows the need for tech giants to support military-industrial complex propaganda. Schmidt claimed during his appearance on CNBCs Power Lunch on Monday that tech giants need to march in lockstep to globalist national security priorities from now on. The war is going to help solidify the tech companies understanding of why national security is important, Schmidt said. If you believed, falsely, that 10 years ago, that war had been eliminated, that conflict was eliminated, we didnt need militaries and so forth to protect us, then you would say, Lets not work with the government, lets not focus on this stuff. And I think weve unfortunately and horrifically put that argument to bed. We need a strong national security in our country, and the tech industry needs to support it, he added. Schmidt called for Google and other tech giants to inundate Russia with propaganda in order to undermine their national sovereignty. I think we are collectively better keeping them integrated with information, Schmidt said, claiming that the control of information by monolithic tech corporations is helping Russian citizens see what theyre missing out [on]. Big League Politics has reported on Facebooks policy to allow terror threats against Russians as part of the sanctioned Two Minutes Hate against the nationalistic country: Does big tech truly care about the safety of their users? Facebook and Instagram are facing criticism after an explosive report by Reuters showed the two platforms are set to temporarily allow calls for violence against Russian soldiers and Russian President Vladimir Putin during the ongoing crisis in Ukraine. This news comes after President Vladimir Putin banned Facebook from his nation just days ago in retaliation to repeated platform censorship that targeted numerous Russian media outlets. Meta spokesperson Andy Stone shared the companys statement in an online post: As a result of the Russian invasion of Ukraine we have temporarily made allowances for forms of political expression that would normally violate our rules like violent speech such as death to the Russian invaders. We still wont allow credible calls for violence against Russian civilians. Reuters said that the social media company is also temporarily allowing some posts that call for death to Russian President Vladimir Putin or Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko. This is a gross violation of Facebooks own personal rules regarding hate speech, according to CNET. Reporting by Reuters said that calls for the leaders deaths will be allowed unless they contain other targets or have two indicators of credibility, such as the location or method, one email said, in a recent change to the companys rules on violence and incitement. They also wrote that the new policy changes apply to Armenia, Azerbaijan, Estonia, Georgia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, and Ukraine, according to an email. We are issuing a spirit-of-the-policy allowance to allow T1 violent speech that would otherwise be removed under the Hate Speech policy when: (a) targeting Russian soldiers, EXCEPT prisoners of war, or (b) targeting Russians where its clear that the context is the Russian invasion of Ukraine (e.g., content mentions the invasion, self-defense, etc.), wrote Meta in a recent email sent to moderators. Big Tech entities are going out of their way to fulfill every Orwellian prophecy under the sun. The Russia/Ukraine conflict has shown just how evil the technocratic one-world regime will become, and the globalists are just getting started. Russian President Vladimir Putin chairs a meeting with members of the Russian government in Moscow on March 10, 2022. (Mikhail Klimentyev/Sputnik/AFP via Getty Images) As sanctions cripple Russias aviation industry, President Vladimir Putin signed a law on Monday allowing foreign-owned aircraft to be re-registered as Russian for domestic use, according to state-run news agency TASS. Russian airlines would have the ability to seize and operate aircraft leased by companies that are no longer operating in the country over sanctions imposed due to the Ukraine invasion, TASS reported. Russian airlines have almost 780 leased jets, with 515 leased from abroad. The new law, part of Russias measures to combat the sanctions, says it aims to ensure the uninterrupted functioning of activities in the field of civil aviation. TASS reported that the aircraft will be certified using certification centers and test laboratories. The bill has rattled global leasing firms days before a March 28 deadline to repossess aircraft worth $10 billion as a result of Western sanctions imposed following Russias invasion of Ukraine. It comes after Bermuda and Ireland, where virtually all foreign-leased jets operating in Russia are registered, said they were suspending airworthiness certificates on the jets because they could no longer be sure they were safe. Control over the global health system is set to grow. This represents an assault on bodily autonomy down to your genetic structure. It also is an attempt to control the very soul mind, will and emotions of everyone on earth. Ultimately, souls will become a tradable commodity like wheat, corn or cattle. Welcome to Scientific Dictatorship, aka Technocracy. TN Editor STORY AT-A-GLANCE - The globalist cabal is planning to monopolize health systems worldwide through the creation of an international pandemic treaty that makes the World Health Organization the sole decision maker on pandemic matters - The WHO may also be planning to seize power over health systems more broadly. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has stated that his central priority as director-general of the WHO is to push the world toward universal health coverage - In the name of keeping everyone safe from infection, the globalist cabal has justified unprecedented attacks on democracy, civil liberties and personal freedoms, including the right to choose your own medical treatment. Now, the WHO is gearing up to make its pandemic leadership permanent, and to extend it into the health care systems of every nation. The idea is to implement universal health care organized by the WHO as part of the Great Reset - If this treaty goes through, the WHO would have the power to call for mandatory vaccinations and health passports, and its decision would supersede national and state laws. Considering the WHO changed its definition of pandemic to a worldwide epidemic of a disease, removing the requirement of high morbidity, just about anything could be made to fit the pandemic criterion, including obesity - The SMART Health Cards system is used by more than a dozen countries, 25 U.S. states, Puerto Rico and Washington, D.C.; the Australian Parliament is pushing a Trusted Digital Identity Bill; U.S. Congress is pushing the Improving Digital Identity Act, and the WHO has signed a deal with a Deutsche Telekom subsidiary to build the first global digital vaccine passport. All of these have one thing in common: the end goal, which is to expand them into a souped-up, global social credit system The globalist cabal is planning to monopolize health systems worldwide, and that plan is already underway. In June 2021, Dr. Julie Gerberding wrote a Time article1 laying out the framework for an international pandemic-surveillance network, which would include threat prediction and preemption as well. Gerberding served as director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention from 2002 until 2009.2 After leaving the CDC, she became the executive vice president of vaccines and then switched, years later, to strategic communications at Merck. This is particularly egregious as she was head of governments regulatory agency for vaccines and immediately took a job with one of the largest vaccine manufacturers in the world. Unethical in spades, but perfectly legal. Gerberdings next spin through the revolving door was being named CEO of the Foundation of the National Institutes of Health (FNIH), March 1, 2022.3 Yesterday, I discussed the massive conflicts of interest at the FNIH, as its board is loaded with Big Pharma executives and even a representative of BlackRock, one of the top three largest investment firms in the world. While Gerberding did not name the World Health Organization in her article, we now know thats the organization designated as the top-down ruler of all things related to pandemics. However, some of the statements that have been made suggest that, in time, the WHO may also seize power over health systems more broadly. The Globalists Next Move In a February 18, 2022, article, Dr. Peter Breggin, author of COVID-19 and the Global Predators: We Are the Prey,4 warned that the next move in the globalists war on humanity is to seize control over the health care systems of the entire world:5 We have discovered the next move of the global predators already in progress in their escalating assaults against individual and political freedom. The next big assault on human freedom involves a legalized takeover of national healthcare systems by the World Health Organization (WHO). This stealth attack with its initial plans already backed by many nations will begin full implementation in 2024 if it is not quickly recognized and fought! The Chinese Communist influence over WHO has been solid for more than a decade, and the party was able to install Tedros without any competition. He became the first and only Director-General who is not a physician and instead is a communist politician. Now the Director-General of WHO, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus known simply as Tedros has unveiled plans to take charge of all global health. While addressing the WHO Executive Committee on January 24, 2022, Director-General Tedros spelled out his global health plan, including his final priority for his enormous scheme: The fifth priority is to urgently strengthen WHO as the leading and directing authority on global health, at the center of the global health architecture. Tedross closing words to his report to the executive committee are chilling in their grandiosity and echo Marxist exhortations to cheering mobs by a Stalin, Mao, or Xi Jinping: We are one world, we have one health, we are one WHO. Tedros seeks to become super-Fauci for the world, and, like Fauci, he will do it on behalf of the global predators. The Rise of Health Fascism As explained by Breggin, the global health care takeover really began with Gates Decade of Vaccines, announced in 2010 at the World Economic Forums (WEFs) annual meeting in Davos. At that time, Gates installed Fauci on his vaccine advisory board, thereby guaranteeing his plans would receive support from the NIAID. Breggin continues:6 A theme for the Decade of Vaccines was Public-Private Partnerships Drive Progress in Vaccine Development, Delivery essentially the precursor to the Great Reset establishing a world governance of public and private health united in the spirit of fascism. By 2012, Gates achieved official UN approval for his scheme, establishing a broad network of global predators aimed at exploiting and dominating humanity through public health. Communist China would play a prominent role through its control over the UN and WHO and through its close relationships with global predators like Bill Gates, Klaus Schwab, Mike Bloomberg, Big Tech executives, and many other billionaires and world leaders. A decade and more later, during COVID-19, WHO has proven its usefulness to the predators in orchestrating science, medicine, and public health in the suppression of human freedom and the generation of wealth and power for the globalists. Under the guise of a global pandemic, the WHO, the WEF and all of its installed leaders in government and private business, were able to roll out a plan that has been decades in the making. The pandemic was a perfect cover. In the name of keeping everyone safe from infection, the globalists have justified unprecedented attacks on democracy, civil liberties and personal freedoms, including the right to choose your own medical treatment. Now, the WHO is gearing up to make its pandemic leadership permanent, and to extend it into the health care systems of every nation. The idea is the principle of health for all universal health care organized by WHO as part of the Great Reset, Breggin explains. The International Pandemic Treaty May 24, 2021, the European Council announced it supported the establishment of an international Pandemic Treaty, under which the WHO would have the power to replace the constitutions of individual nations with its own constitution under the banner of pandemic prevention, preparedness and response.7 March 3, 2022, the Council authorized the opening of negotiations for an international agreement. The infographic below, sourced from the European Councils website,8 summarizes the process. The WHOs World Health Assembly has also established an intergovernmental negotiating body (INB) for this purpose.9 March 1, 2022, the INB held its first meeting to draft and negotiate an international instrument on pandemic prevention, preparedness and response under the authority of the WHO.10 If this treaty goes through, the WHO would have the power to, for example, call for mandatory vaccinations and health passports, and its decision would supersede national and state laws. But considering the WHO changed its definition of pandemic to a worldwide epidemic of a disease,11 without the original specificity of severe illness that causes high morbidity,12,13 just about anything could be made to fit the pandemic criterion, including obesity, which was designated as a disease in 201314 and occurs globally. Tedros has also gone on record stating that his central priority as director-general of the WHO is to push the world toward universal health coverage.15 The world has already seen how any pandemic emergency, real or concocted, now or in the future, could then justify WHO taking over the entirety of government operations of sovereign nations, robbing all individuals of their freedoms, and fully crushing the democratic republics of the world, Breggin warns.16 The spirit of Communism can be felt throughout the document. We are told that the purpose of the new strategy will be guided by a spirit of solidarity, anchored in the principles of fairness, inclusion, and transparency. Notice, as in all pronouncements by global predators; there is no mention of individual rights, political liberty, or national sovereignty. The great engine of human progress, human freedom, will be replaced by the great destroyer of humanity, collectivism, under the rule of the elite. Tucked into the report were the real goals Here are three main purposes or goals of the proposed treaty: 1.response to any future pandemics, in particular by ensuring universal and equitable access to medical solutions, such as vaccines, medicines, and diagnostics 2.a stronger international health framework with the WHO as the coordinating authority on global health matters 3.the One Health approach, connecting the health of humans, animals, and our planet The report adds, More specifically, such an instrument can enhance international cooperation in a number of priority areas, such as surveillance, alerts, and response, but also in general trust in the international health system. Clearly, they were building support for Tedross January 24, 2022 announcement that WHO would take over the international health care system. WHO Moves Ahead With Global Vaccine Passport Program While countries around the world are now scrubbing their COVID measures, and many have announced they wont be pursuing vaccine passports after all, the vaccine passport program is still alive and well under the direction of the WHO. As reported by Off-Guardian, March 1, 2022:17 This week, while the eyes of the world are fixed on Ukraine and the next wave of propaganda, the World Health Organization is launching an initiative to create a trust network on vaccination and international travel. According to a report in Politico published last week, WHO making moves on international vaccine passport. The article quotes Brian Anderson, co-founder of the Vaccination Credential Initiative, which describes itself as a voluntary coalition of public and private organizations committed to empowering individuals with access to verifiable clinical information including a trustworthy and verifiable copy of their vaccination records in digital or paper form using open, interoperable standards. They are, to take the PR agency sheen off this phrase, a corporate/government joint project researching and promoting digital medical identification papers. In short, vaccine passports. Members of the VCI, which was founded in January 2021, include Google, Amazon, insurance companies, hospitals, biosecurity firms and most of the major universities in the U.S. Its steering committee consists of representatives from Apple, Microsoft, the Mayo Clinic and the MITRE Corporation, a government-funded research organization. As noted by Off-Guardian, the International Pandemic Treaty will undoubtedly include provisions on international vaccine certification. And why wouldnt it, seeing how a WHO-backed global health passport is already underway? While Off-Guardian predicted VCIs SMART Health Cards system might be chosen, the WHO has now signed a deal with a Deutsche Telekom subsidiary called T-Systems to build the first global digital vaccine passport.18 As reported by the Western Standard:19 The WHO fully intends to provide support to its 194 member states to facilitate the implementation of the digital verification technology for countries national and regional verification of vaccine status. COVID-19 affects everyone. Countries will therefore only emerge from the pandemic together. Vaccination certificates that are tamper-proof and digitally verifiable build trust. WHO is therefore supporting member states in building national and regional trust networks and verification technology. The WHOs gateway service also serves as a bridge between regional systems. It can also be used as part of future vaccination campaigns and home-based records, said Garrett Mehl, unit head of the WHOs Department of Digital Health and Innovation, on Deutsche Telekoms website. SMART Health Cards and Digital Identity Are Tools of Tyranny Already, the SMART Health Cards system is used by more than a dozen countries,20 25 U.S. states, Puerto Rico and D.C.21 The Australian Parliament is also paving the way to tyranny with its Trusted Digital Identity Bill 2021,22 and the U.S. Congress has its Improving Digital Identity Act of 2021.23 All of these have one thing in common: the end goal, which is to expand them into a souped-up, global social credit system one in which everything you do and say is monitored, recorded and assessed for threat value, and if you misbehave or engage in wrong-think, they have 101 ways to punish you and force you into compliance, from restricting your ability to travel to seizing your bank accounts. Dont think for one second that government wont have access to or use your data against you for political purposes. As explained by Off-Guardian:24 SMART Health Cards are run by VCI, which was created by the MITRE Corporation, which is funded by the United States government. If you give SMART access to your medical records, youd better believe the U.S. government and its agencies will get their hands on them. They might not have their own database, but they would have access to MITREs database when and if they needed or wanted it. And so would Apple, Amazon, Google and Microsoft. Thats how private-public partnerships work. Symbiosis. Corporate giants serve as fronts for government programs and, in return, they get a big cut of the profits, bailouts if theyre needed, and regulatory reforms that cripple their smaller competitors This allows the federal government truthfully claim to not be implementing a federal passport system, or keeping a vaccination database, all the while they are sub-contracting tech giants to do it for them. This system of backdoor government surveillance via corporate veneer is already spreading across the U.S., and it looks like it will play some part in any future pandemic treaty too. Surgeon General Demands Hit List From Big Tech U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy also appears to be building a narrative to justify an international health authority. March 3, 2022, Murthy formally requested that all major tech platforms submit data on the scale of COVID-19 misinformation. This includes social networks, search engines, crowdsource platforms, e-commerce platforms and instant messaging systems. Thankfully, his request is not legally enforceable. As reported by The New York Times:25 A request for information from the surgeon generals office demanded that tech platforms send data and analysis on the prevalence of COVID-19 misinformation on their sites, starting with common examples of vaccine misinformation documented by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.26 The notice asks the companies to submit exactly how many users saw or may have been exposed to instances of Covid-19 misinformation, as well as aggregate data on demographics that may have been disproportionately exposed to or affected by the misinformation. The surgeon general, Dr. Vivek Murthy, also demanded information from the platforms about the major sources of Covid-19 misinformation, including those that engaged in the sale of unproven Covid-19 products, services and treatments The request for information is part of President Bidens COVID National Preparedness Plan27,28 In addition to demanding misinformation data from the tech platforms, the surgeon general called on health care providers and the public to submit information about how COVID-19 misinformation has negatively influenced patients and communities. As noted by Dr. Meryl Nass,29 This is truly frightening. Misinformation (to be controlled via tech companies) is being treated as a crime, though never defined. Nass also highlights a new bill,30 introduced by two Democrat senators March 2, 2022, that would give tech companies cover to censor and turn over private data to government. In other words, Congress may legalize censorship and criminalize First Amendment rights to freedom of speech, Nass says. CDC Has Created Loads of Misinformation The irony here is that the most of the CDCs answers to COVID myths31 are themselves misinformation. For example, the CDC claims its a myth that natural immunity is better than the immunity you get from the COVID shot. Yet youd be hard-pressed to find scientific backing for that statement. They basically just made that up. Its a long-standing scientific fact that natural immunity is more robust and longer lasting than vaccine-induced immunity. The CDC also claims its a myth that mRNA shots are not vaccines. They say mRNA injections are vaccines because they trigger an immune response. What they dont admit is that they changed the definition of vaccine in the middle of the pandemic.32 Before the pandemic, a vaccine was a product that stimulates a persons immune system to produce immunity to a specific disease. In the latter half of 2021, as the mRNA shots were nearing distribution, the CDC changed that definition to a preparation that is used to stimulate the bodys immune response against diseases, effectively removing the need for a vaccine to produce immunity the key thing a vaccine is supposed to do. Incidentally, the CDCs answer to this myth basically refutes its answer to the myth that vaccine immunity is better than natural immunity, since the COVID shots dont provide immunity at all. They only stimulate an immune response, which by the way, can be either beneficial or detrimental, depending on how your immune system is stimulated. The CDC also still insists that the COVID jabs cannot change or interact with your DNA in any way, yet published research shows otherwise. Swedish research actually shows the Pfizer shots mRNA incorporates into human DNA in as little as six hours.33 Murthys unconstitutional request for data from tech companies on users who share information that violates the CDC narrative seems to be an effort to continue building justification for an international health authority with power to dictate truth around the world. If theres only one narrative, across every country, disseminated from a single entity, then the truth will be whatever they say it is. Eventually, research wont even be published unless it conforms to the chosen narrative. The WHO Is Totally Corrupt There are many reasons to reject the WHO as the sole arbiter of health facts. Its corrupt to the core, and has been for years.34 In the aftermath of the swine flu pandemic of 2009, the vaccine for which left many thousands injured, the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly (PACE) concluded that the handling of the pandemic by the WHO, EU health agencies and national governments led to a waste of large sums of public money, and unjustified scares and fears about the health risks faced by the European public.'35 Specifically, PACE concluded there was overwhelming evidence that the seriousness of the pandemic was vastly overrated by WHO, and that the drug industry had influenced the organizations decision-making. A joint investigation by the British Medical Journal and the Bureau of Investigative Journalism (BIJ) also uncovered serious conflicts of interest between the WHO which promoted the global vaccination agenda and the drug companies that created those vaccines.36 The WHO has also been accused of massive money mismanagement, spending more on travel expenses each year some $200 million in 2017 than it does on some of the biggest public health problems, including AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria combined.37 By now, most people also know that the WHO has been bought and paid for by Bill Gates. He contributes more to the WHOs $4.84 billion biennial budget than every member-state government. The U.S. has historically been the top funder, but the combined contributions from the Gates Foundation and GAVI made Gates the unofficial top sponsor of the WHO as of 2018. In the documentary TrustWHO38 (above), Lilian Franck reveals this and other clandestine influences that control the WHO, to the peril of public health. For example, weve seen that the WHO has strong allegiance to China, and shares Chinas ruthless suppression of counternarratives. The WHOs investigation into COVID-19s origin was a fake from start to finish, and even before the COVID pandemic, the WHO had been in discussions with Facebook to ensure people can access authoritative information on vaccines and reduce the spread of inaccuracies. Given the strong and ongoing evidence that WHO is heavily conflicted and controlled by industry, its usefulness as a guardian of public health needs to be seriously reevaluated. The Plan for a Never-Ending Pandemic While the White House has issued a plan to transition out of the pandemic,39,40 it seems more like a plan for a never-ending pandemic. As reported by STAT News:41 The report plots a course to what its authors call the next normal living with the SARS-CoV-2 virus as a continuing threat that needs to be managed. Doing so will require improvements on a number of fronts, from better surveillance for COVID and other pathogens to keeping tabs on how taxed hospitals are; and from efforts to address the air quality in buildings to continued investment in antiviral drugs and better vaccines. The authors also call for offering people sick with respiratory symptoms easy access to testing and, if they are positive for COVID or influenza, a quick prescription for the relevant antiviral drug The report suggests the U.S. response to Covid-19 should transition from one directed solely at this single disease to one where prevention, mitigation, and treatment efforts are focused on COVID as one of a number of respiratory viruses, including influenza. Part of the plan is to create a new post: deputy Assistant to the president for biosecurity within the National Security Council.42 The deputy assistant for biosecurity would be responsible for monitoring, addressing, and coordinating responses to and communications about any biosecurity and pandemic threats. Importantly, this post would also be responsible for coordinating efforts to counter foreign and domestic sources of anti-science misinformation on vaccines and drugs. The COVID Roadmap also details strategies to improve documentation, monitoring and accountability for communication goals. This includes monitoring health iniquities to increase public accountability and support values that promote social well-being and health equity in infectious diseases. It sounds to me like a plan to promote propaganda that shames people who dont want to sacrifice their own health for the greater good. It also includes the establishment of standards for streamlined clearance of health messages without political interference. Will the WHO be responsible for such standards? Probably. The roadmap also specifies that tech platforms and legacy media are to be urged to design mechanisms to detect, deflect and deny the posting of harmful and false advice that hurts public health. In other words, across the board censorship. If the WHO is given complete authority over health, censorship will be a given and science as we know it will basically cease to exist. Sources and References In the interview , Ingraham asked Gabbard, Congresswoman, why are we talking about no-fly zones instead of the fact that for the first time we have President Zelensky stepping back from his earlier NATO wishes and even demands? Gabbard expressed her frustration with the fact that allegedly no one was discussing a statement Ukraines President Zelensky made, about being open to the fact of saying, Hey, yeah, maybe well set this NATO membership thing aside, and hes willing to talk with Putin directly to negotiate. Gabbard suggested that the West was interfering with attempts to settle the conflict because, its good for the military industrial complex and it allowed Western leaders to have this proxy war with Russia, something that Hillary Clinton laid out just recently. Gabbard strongly condemned the war, saying: This war machine, this power elite in Washington, want to turn Ukraine into another Afghanistan, turn into killing fields where this long-term insurgency is supported. And they bleed out and cripple, kill as many Russians as possible for who knows how long, and theyre really showing their real aim in the fact that theyre not taking action right now to end this conflict. YouTube flagged the video, putting up a filter that said, the following content has been identified by the YouTube community as inappropriate or offensive to some audiences. The post YouTube flags Tulsi Gabbards criticism of military industrial complex as inappropriate, offensive appeared first on Reclaim The Net. People from various colonies hold a candle light march against closure of roads in Secunderabad Cantonment at Ramakrishnapuram bridge (S. Surender Reddy/DC) Hyderabad: Army personnel and their families stationed in Secunderabad cantonment are dismayed with municipal administration and urban development minister K.T. Rama Rao for his threat to disconnect water and power supply in defence areas, top defence sources have said. The minister had on Saturday warned that the state government would take serious action if local military authority (LMA) continues to block roads in the cantonment limits and creates hurdles for development works planned by the government. The LMA perceives the governments allegations as part of its confrontation with the Centre, which has been taken to the next level by Rao, sources added. Living without regular power and water supplies will be a serious setback to military personnel and their families who seek a peaceful stay before being sent to borders to protect the country's territorial integrity, sources told Deccan Chronicle. They said they were surprised at the ministers unsubstantiated allegations against the army. There has been no road closure in the recent past nor were there any complaints in this regard, they said. LMA has not placed any impediments in the state governments strategic road development programme (SRDP), sources pointed out. Defence authorities have so far not received any such proposal, despite the LMA repeatedly seeking SRDP details, the sources explained. Reportedly a meeting between the GOC of Dakshin Bharat area and the minister is in the offing. It is aimed at clearing misapprehensions about the armys activities. The sources recalled that army personnel were in the forefront across Telangana and Andhra Pradesh helping citizens when Covid-19 was at its peak. The efforts of the army personnel in saving lives of over 500 citizens from the 2020 floods is still fresh in the memory of people of Telangana, sources added. Borsa Italiana non ha responsabilita per il contenuto del sito a cui sta per accedere e non ha responsabilita per le informazioni contenute. Accedendo a questo link, Borsa Italiana non intende sollecitare acquisti o offerte in alcun paese da parte di nessuno. Sarai automaticamente diretto al link in cinque secondi. Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao on Tuesday said the GO 111 would be lifted soon after receiving the expert committee report on this issue. (Photo: Twitter) HYDERABAD: Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao on Tuesday said the GO 111 would be lifted soon after receiving the expert committee report on this issue. Speaking in the Legislative Assembly, the Chief Minister stated that GO 111 had become meaningless and redundant as Hyderabad no longer depended on Osmansagar and Himayatsagar lakes to meet its drinking water needs. Chevella TRS MLA Kale Yadaiah brought to the notice of the Chief Minister in the House that GO 111 had become an obstacle in the development of his constituency as it banned construction activities around these lakes. The Chief Minister said the GO 111 was issued in 1996 when Hyderabad was totally dependent on these lakes to meet drinking water needs by preventing undue industrialisation and heavy construction activities in the catchment areas of these twin lakes covering 83 villages and seven mandals and to check pollution of these lakes. However, now, the state government had overcome the drinking water shortage under the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) limits, and had created adequate alternate water resources for the city by bringing the Krishna and the Godavari waters, the Chief Minister said. He added that water supply was abundant to Hyderabad now with water being taken without difficulty through projects including the Sunkishala Intake Project and Mallanna Sagar due to which Hyderabad would not face water problems for another 100 years. Therefore, the time had come to revoke GO 111, Rao remarked. However, the Chief Minister cautioned that there could be anarchy if the GO 111, which affected 83 villages and seven mandals covering 1.32 lakh acres, was lifted at once. He asked municipal administration minister K.T. Rama Rao and officials concerned to address the issue in a phased manner after preparing master plans and green zones. An expert committee too was looking into the matter, the Chief Minister said. "The expert committee report is awaited and is expected soon. As and when we receive that report, GO 111 will be lifted," he said. Chief Minister. Chandrashekar Rao has slammed the BJP over its slogan of "double-engine" growth a scenario of higher growth when the same party is in power in the state and at the Centre. (Photo: Twitter) Hyderabad: Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao has slammed the BJP over its slogan of "double-engine" growth a scenario of higher growth when the same party is in power in the state and at the Centre. This, the CM said, was a myth. Comparing the statistics of Uttar Pradesh and Telangana on GDP and per capital income, he said this belied the claim of such a double-engine growth though the BJP retained power in Uttar Pradesh. Speaking in the assembly on Tuesday, Rao said the 'single-engine government' in Telangana had performed better than the 'double engine government' in Uttar Pradesh in several spheres. "The per capita income of Telangana is Rs 2.78 lakh while that of Uttar Pradesh is only Rs 71,000. Do you know where Uttar Pradesh ranks among states in growth rate? The last but one," he said amid slogans of "Shame, shame" by TRS MLAs. He said in Uttar Pradesh, from 2017 to 2021, when the BJP held power in both the state and the Centre, its double engine growth rate was 25.69 per cent while single-engine Telangana's growth rate was 55.46 per cent. "This is not a double-engine. This is terrible engine," he remarked. Rao came down heavily on the BJP government at the Centre, accusing it of killing the spirit of federalism and increasing communal frenzy among the people. He warned that communal madness will harm the country as it will stop development, investments, industries and jobs. Rao said all state legislatures should debate and condemn the policies being adopted by the Centre to take away the powers of the states. He said though the Constitution described India as a union of states, the Centre was damaging the federal setup. Citing statistics, he said the country's economic performance under BJP rule has been disastrous. The growth rate has come down to 6 per cent from 8 per cent during the UPA rule, the unemployment rate has gone up from 4.7 per cent to 7.11 per cent, and over 5 lakh industrial units have been shut down. "Only communalism and mob attacks have increased," the CM alleged and warned that if this continued, the country will be in danger. Unlimited website access 24/7 Unlimited e-Edition access 24/7 The best local, regional and national news in sports, politics, business and more! With a Digital Only subscription, you'll receive unlimited access to our website and e-edition. Our digital products are available 24/7 and are accessible anywhere, anytime. Leif Babin, a decorated former US Navy Seals officer and self-declared student of leadership, had once said there are no bad teams, only bad leaders. This quote is extremely apt in the backdrop of the continued outpouring of belief in Indias Congress Party, even after the debacle it faced in the recent Assembly polls, as articulated by many respectable people not sycophants by any chance whose opinions I have high regard for. Before starting this article, I recalled many written in recent years by several like me secular Indians who believe in the original worldview and earlier dynamism of the Congress. People still hope the Congress leadership shall arise from its self-induced comatose state and lead the country back to times when hate was not normal, and when the majority community felt they owed security to religious minorities, that there was a need to empower and uplift the poor and not just keep them trapped in an endless cycle of receiving charity in the name of benefits. Could I, or other like-minded persons, say anything very different than what was previously stated after the latest four-hour long meeting whose outcome was known immediately after it was convened? What do we make of a political party leader who, after another electoral rout that further chipped away at the territory it held previously, asks the general body a question whose answer is inlaid in its tonality: Do you think I have made a mistake? In this case, Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi neither stopgap, nor permanent but someone holding the job for another, not yet willing to resume the job had a specific poser: If some attendees at the Congress Working Committee meeting feel the Gandhi family is responsible for the state of affairs, she, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra were ready to do any sacrifice for the party and withdraw. After seeing the fate of the small group with the G-23 nametag (one of them quit and is part of the BJP now) and how they were reviled by significant sections of the party with backing from the top brass, who would give an honest answer and publicly state that the family was indeed accountable? Looking at repeated exercises like the latest CWC meeting, the Congress is little more than an old long-playing record, always stored at the bottom of the chest because that was the universal place in yesteryears for discs stuck in the groove. Families did not discard those records although they were jammed in a perpetual loop purely for reasons of nostalgia. Sadly, for the Congress, with its electoral capacity and influence diminishing by the day, it has been relegated to existing in the collective consciousness of those who dont agree with the BJPs majoritarian overdrive, as an unredeemed idea only because its leadership neither resumes charge after relinquishing it, nor do they allow anyone else to step in and try to revive its fortunes. At the end, one must ask the question: how much power does an idea have, if it is solely dependent on an ageing matriarch and GenNext mind you, Rahul Gandhi will complete two decades in politics in 2024 who neither wishes to resume charge, nor make way for someone else. How committed are they to the cause, the idea and ideals they represent? At the root of the Congress inability to reverse the partys decline that set in after 2014 is that the leadership has neither accepted its responsibility, nor apportioned it to anyone else. Instead, it has resorted to a blame game, laying the fault on the doors of the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. This has been most evident in the accusations after several leaders, including Rahul Gandhis personal loyalists, began crossing over to the BJP, the latest being R.P.N. Singh. Although an unsparing post-mortem has been the need of the hour from 2014 onwards, especially after 2019, the emphasis has been on allowing the party to drift along. Rahul Gandhi resigned after the debacle almost three years ago and since then it has been clear Sonia Gandhi is merely holding on to the job till the time that her son thinks that it is an appropriate moment for him to resume charge. The problem with this approach that the resignation was essentially a ploy to ensure sycophants gathered around imploring please continue to prevent criticism which eventually surfaced in the form of the G-23 letter is that it is dubious and motivated by personal interest of holding on to the office and not keeping the long-term interest of the party in mind. Following the CWC meeting and the two decisions, that Sonia Gandhi will continue and her two children will not withdraw, and that organisational polls scheduled in August-September may possibly be advanced, there has been a concerted bid once again by the loyalists to brush uncomfortable issues beneath the carpet. It does not take much wisdom to comprehend that the much-delayed changes made in Punjab and Uttarakhand were the primary reasons for the partys ouster from the former and failure to return to power in the hill state. The lessons have not been learnt and there is no certainty that the organisational polls shall be held because Rahul Gandhi may yet not be willing to take up the challenge. Despite the indignation that the leadership evokes, it continues getting the love of numerous people because they fear that in the event of its death, the Congress space shall be taken up by another BJP-like grotesque ideological imagination. But how long can the party survive on this belief? Eventually only those who have no utility elsewhere shall remain in the rump. The big challenge before the Congress now, before it can stage a comeback as a credible challenger to the BJP, is retaining pre-eminence in the Opposition space and forming alliances with other parties. The number of Congress-ruled states has declined from 2014 and is now down to just two Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh. These two will go to the polls in late 2023 and the BJP will get a shot at realising its objective of a Congress-mukt Bharat, in terms of state governments at least, if not in the ideas the party represents. There are polls in Himachal Pradesh, Gujarat, Karnataka and several states in Northeast India prior to that, but with the present disarray and the ambitions of the AAP, regaining territory is a daunting challenge. LONDON (AP) Britains top court on Monday refused WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange permission to appeal against a decision to extradite him to the U.S. to face spying charges. FILE - WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange greets supporters from a balcony of the Ecuadorian embassy in London, May 19, 2017. Britains top court on Monday March 14, 2022, refused WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange permission to appeal against a decision to extradite him to the U.S. to face spying charges. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein, File) LONDON (AP) Britains top court on Monday refused WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange permission to appeal against a decision to extradite him to the U.S. to face spying charges. The court said it refused because the case didnt raise an arguable point of law. Assange, 50, has sought for years to avoid a trial in the U.S. on a series of charges related to WikiLeaks publication of a huge trove of classified documents more than a decade ago. The case is now expected to be formally sent to British Home Secretary Priti Patel, who will decide whether to grant the extradition. A British district court judge had initially rejected a U.S. extradition request on the grounds that Assange was likely to kill himself if held under harsh U.S. prison conditions. U.S. authorities later provided assurances that the WikiLeaks founder wouldnt face the severe treatment that his lawyers said would put his physical and mental health at risk. In December, the High Court overturned the lower courts decision, saying that the U.S. promises were enough to guarantee that Assange would be treated humanely. Monday's news narrows Assange's options, but his defense team may still seek to take his case to the European Court of Human Rights. Nick Vamos, the former head of extradition at the Crown Prosecution Service, said Assanges lawyers can also seek to challenge other points that he had lost in the original district court decision. Barry Pollack, Assange's U.S.-based lawyer, said Monday that it was extremely disappointing that Britain's Supreme Court is unwilling to hear the appeal. Mr. Assange will continue the legal process fighting his extradition to the United States to face criminal charges for publishing truthful and newsworthy information, he said. Assange's British lawyers, Birnberg Peirce Solicitors, said they can make submissions to the Home Secretary within the next four weeks, ahead of her making any decision. American prosecutors say Assange unlawfully helped U.S. Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning steal classified diplomatic cables and military files that WikiLeaks later published, putting lives at risk. But supporters and lawyers for Assange argue that he was acting as a journalist and is entitled to First Amendment protections of freedom of speech for publishing documents that exposed U.S. military wrongdoing in Iraq and Afghanistan. They argue that his case is politically motivated. If convicted, Assange's lawyers say he could face up to 175 years in jail in the U.S., though American authorities have said the sentence was likely to be much lower than that. Assange has been held at Britain's high-security Belmarsh Prison in London since 2019, when he was arrested for skipping bail during a separate legal battle. Before that, he spent seven years inside the Ecuadorian Embassy in London to avoid extradition to Sweden to face allegations of rape and sexual assault. Sweden dropped the sex crimes investigations in November 2019 because so much time had elapsed. Assange's partner Stella Moris, who has two young children with him, said Sunday they have been given permission to marry in prison later this month. ___ Eric Tucker in Washington and Danica Kirka in London contributed to this report. The Brandon School Division no longer requires its staff and students to wear masks. Advertisement Advertise With Us The Brandon School Division no longer requires its staff and students to wear masks. Supt. Mathew Gustafson confirmed this fact during the BSD board of trustees regular meeting Monday night, mere hours before the Manitoba government was set to do away with these public health orders on a province-wide scale. Instead, the BSD superintendent said that mask wearing will now be a recommended practice, which is a move that was approved by every trustee who attended Mondays meeting. According to Gustafson, BSD administration decided to take this approach after consulting with the province the previous week, with government officials providing them with additional information on the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Gustafson said that BSD will also do away with a variety of other health measures as of today, including physical distancing requirements and the cohort system that has dominated day-to-day school life for the past couple academic years. Despite this shift in policy, Gustafson assured members of the public on Monday that BSD is still keeping certain COVID-19 safety precautions in place to ensure the well-being of students and staff moving forward. These measures include smaller class sizes, providing rapid antigen tests for those who are symptomatic and maintaining stringent cleaning practices for high-touch surfaces. BSD will also continue to update its self-reported COVID cases and absenteeism rates online. "Over the last two years, I think our success in keeping schools safe has been based on the co-operation and the empathy that our parents, students and staff have shown," Gustafson said on Monday. "And its my hope that as we move through this transition, regardless of how that looks, that we continue to have that co-operation and empathy." The BSD boards announcement on Monday falls in line with the provinces overall plan to lift most remaining public health restrictions regarding COVID-19 starting today, with Health Minister Audrey Gordon stating on Monday that her administration is hoping to facilitate a transition to a "new normal." "This path forward will be different for all of us, whether we choose to wear masks or not, or how and when we connect with family and friends," Gordon said in a news release. "Lets be patient, thoughtful and kind to each other as we navigate this new normal together." BSD is far from the only kindergarten to Grade 12 school division to follow the provinces lead on this front. Last week, the largest school division in Manitoba, the Winnipeg School Division, announced it is also planning to drop mask-wearing requirements in favour of recommendations. In Westman, the Turtle River School Division followed in kind on Thursday, with Supt. Bev Szymesko telling local families in a letter that the division will also drop a variety of other COVID mandates outside of just mandatory mask wearing. "As we move away from the COVID public health measures that have been in place over the last two years, lets proceed with caution and care," Szymesko wrote. "Please be kind and understanding to everyone as our community, home and school environment continues to change over the coming months." On Friday, Fort La Bosse School Division Supt. Barry Pitz sent a similar letter out to staff, students and parents in the Virden area. However, not everyone believes that dropping all health restrictions at this moment during the pandemic is the right move. Andrew Halayko, a professor who studies pulmonary health at the University of Manitoba, told the Winnipeg Free Press on Monday that these changes constitute an "unnecessary risk" in his mind. "I lean toward proactive approaches, not reactive, so its not easy to think of any good reason not to wear a mask at this time particularly in schools where vaccination rates are less than that in the general population," Halayko said. kdarbyson@brandonsun.com, with files from the Winnipeg Free Press Twitter: @KyleDarbyson A man has a long list of places he cant go in Brandon after pleading guilty to several crimes in Brandon Provincial Court Monday morning. Advertisement Advertise With Us A man has a long list of places he cant go in Brandon after pleading guilty to several crimes in Brandon Provincial Court Monday morning. Sebastian Benn, 29, pleaded guilty to a number of charges between last year and February 2022, including mischief and resisting arrest. On Nov. 1 at 11:50 a.m., police were dispatched to a report of a theft at Shoppers Drug Mart on Victoria Avenue East, Crown attorney Andrew Sieklicki said. At the time, the caller said a pair of earrings had been taken. Officers found Benn nearby, Sieklicki told the court. When they told him about the theft investigation, he reportedly told police unprompted he got the earrings from Superstore. Police later confirmed the earrings, which were found in his pocket, were from Shoppers. A few days later, on Nov. 24, police were dispatched to a report of a man yelling, singing and staring at a house on Lorne Avenue, the Crown told the court. Police arrived at approximately 7:25 p.m. and found a man matching the description walking down Seventh Street, who was identified as Benn. Sieklicki said Benn swore at police when they rolled down their window. Officers then got out of their cruiser to arrest Benn and he started yelling and tried to walk away, Sieklicki said. Benn "took up a defensive stance," he said, as police tried to arrest him. They took control of his right arm, but Benn started to "physically resist by pulling away," Sieklicki said. His body went rigid before police were able to force his arm behind his back and handcuff him. The final incident was on Feb. 6 at approximately 10 a.m., when police received a call about a man in the entryway of the BMO ATM on Victoria Avenue, according to Sieklicki. He was reportedly "making a mess" and writing on the walls. Police arrived and sent the man on his way, but a few hours later they received another complaint at the same bank. The Crown said the man was back at the ATM and pushing people out who were trying to use the machine. Officers saw garbage "everywhere," the Crown said, and writing on the walls. Sieklicki called Benns behaviour "erratic" and recommended a total of 54 days time served for the crimes. He also suggested an 18-month probation order, including bans from going to Superstore, Velvet Dip, Shoppers Drug Mart on Victoria Avenue East, both BMO locations in the city, CIBC, Victoria Chiropractic, the Clarion Hotel and the McDonalds restaurant on Victoria Avenue. Defence lawyer Andrew Synyshyn said it appears addiction is at play in the crimes and Benns mental health is declining. "Hes admitting he did the things he did he understands that other people have the right to use and enjoy their property and a right not to be harassed," Synyshyn told the court. He also has Gladue factors and had a rough childhood. Synyshyn said Benn has had a negative relationship with police. Speaking to the court, Benn apologized for the incidents and said he doesnt intend to come back before the court. He said he has a plan to "keep busy in a positive way." Judge Shauna Hewitt-Michta said she was worried about Benns track record and encouraged him to get help for his mental health and addiction. "Youve been making a nuisance of yourself around town the police all know who you are, now a bunch of people at these businesses know who you are," Hewitt-Michta said to Benn. She sentenced him to time already served in jail and put him on a 12-month probation order, including banning him from the places the Crown suggested for the year. dmay@brandonsun.com Twitter: @DrewMay_ KYIV, Ukraine (AP) Ukraine said it saw possible room for compromise in talks with Russia despite Moscow's stepped up bombardment Tuesday of Kyiv and new assaults on the port city of Mariupol, from where an estimated 20,000 civilians managed to flee through a humanitarian corridor. Advertisement Advertise With Us A resident sits outside a destroyed building after it was hit by artillery shelling in Kyiv, Ukraine, Monday, March 14, 2022. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana) KYIV, Ukraine (AP) Ukraine said it saw possible room for compromise in talks with Russia despite Moscow's stepped up bombardment Tuesday of Kyiv and new assaults on the port city of Mariupol, from where an estimated 20,000 civilians managed to flee through a humanitarian corridor. The fast-moving developments on the diplomatic front and on the ground came as Russia's invasion neared the three-week mark and the number of Ukrainians who have left the country amid Europe's heaviest fighting since World War II eclipsed 3 million. After delegations from Ukraine and Russia met again Tuesday via video, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said early Wednesday that Russias demands were becoming more realistic." The two sides were expected to speak again Wednesday. Efforts are still needed, patience is needed, he said in his nightly video address to the nation. Any war ends with an agreement. Zelenskyy, who was expected to address the U.S. Congress on Wednesday, thanked President Joe Biden and all the friends of Ukraine for $13.6 billion in new support. Volunteers sew Ukrainian flags and first aid kits at a workshop in Lviv, western Ukraine, Monday, March 14, 2022. Russian forces have continued their assault on Ukraine, firing on suburbs around the capital of Kyiv and other cities, even as the two countries held another round of diplomatic talks. The fighting is now in its third week. Thousands of soldiers and civilians have died and the war has forced more than 2.8 million people to flee Ukraine. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue) He appealed for more weapons and more sanctions to punish Russia, and repeated his call to close the skies over Ukraine to Russian missiles and planes. He said Russian forces on Tuesday had been unable to move deeper into Ukrainian territory but had continued their heavy shelling of cities. Over the past day, 28,893 civilians were able to flee the fighting through nine humanitarian corridors, although the Russians refused to allow aid into Mariupol, he said. A local resident searches for his belongings in an apartment building after it was hit by artillery shelling in Kyiv, Ukraine, Monday, March 14, 2022. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda) In other developments, the leaders of three European Union countries Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovenia visited the embattled capital Tuesday, arriving by train in a bold show of support amid the danger. Meanwhile, large explosions thundered across Kyiv before dawn from what Ukrainian authorities said were artillery strikes, as Russias bombardment of the capital appeared to become more systematic and edged closer to the city center, smashing apartments, a subway station and other civilian sites. Zelenskyy said Tuesday that barrages hit four multi-story buildings in the city and killed dozens. The strikes disrupted the relative calm that returned after an initial advance by Moscow's forces was stopped in the early days of the war. Firefighters extinguish fires in an apartment building after being hit by shelling in Kyiv, Ukraine, Tuesday, March 15, 2022. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana) A senior U.S. defense official, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss the Pentagon's assessment, said that the Russians were using long-range fire to hit civilian targets inside Kyiv with increasing frequency but that their ground forces were making little to no progress around the country. The official said Russian troops were still about 15 kilometers (9 miles) from the center of the capital. The official said the U.S. has seen indications that Russia believes it may need more troops or supplies than it has on hand in Ukraine, and it is considering ways to get more resources into the country. The official did not elaborate. Before Tuesday's talks, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Moscow would press its demands that Ukraine drop its bid to join NATO, adopt a neutral status and demilitarize. Firefighters work at the scene of an apartment building bombing in Kyiv, Ukraine, Tuesday, March 15, 2022. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana) In a statement that seemed to signal potential grounds for agreement with Moscow, Zelenskyy told European leaders gathered in London that he realizes NATO has no intention of accepting Ukraine. We have heard for many years about the open doors, but we also heard that we cant enter those doors, he said. This is the truth, and we have simply to accept it as it is. NATO does not admit nations with unsettled territorial conflicts. Zelenskyy has repeatedly said in recent weeks that he realizes NATO isnt going to offer membership to Ukraine and that he could consider a neutral status for his country but needs strong security guarantees from both the West and Russia. Firefighters work in an apartment building damaged by shelling in Kyiv, Ukraine, Tuesday, March 15, 2022. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky) The U.N. said close to 700 civilians in Ukraine have been confirmed killed, with the true figure probably much higher. Two journalists working for Fox News were killed when the vehicle they were traveling in was hit by fire Monday on the outskirts of Kyiv, the network said. Fox identified the two as video journalist Pierre Zakrzewski and Ukrainian journalist Oleksandra Sasha Kuvshynova, who was helping Fox crews navigate the area. Another journalist was killed Sunday in Ukraine. New efforts to bring civilians to safety and deliver aid were underway around the country. The Red Cross said it was working to evacuate people in about 70 buses from the northeastern town of Sumy, near the Russian border. Early this morning, activists from Greenpeace block a rail track leading to the oil refinery in Schwedt, Germany, Tuesday, March 15, 2022. With this action, Greenpeace protests against fossil imports from Russia and the indirect financing of the war in Ukraine. Crude oil from Russia arrives at the PCK oil refinery in Schwedt via the "Friendship" pipeline. Last year, the Russian energy company Rosneft took over a large part of the PCK oil refinery in Schwedt. (Patrick Pleul/dpa via AP) The exodus from Mariupol marked the biggest evacuation yet from the southern city of 430,000, where officials say a weekslong siege has killed more than 2,300 people and left residents struggling for food, water, heat and medicine. Bodies have been buried in mass graves. Kyrylo Tymoshenko, a senior aide to Zelenskyy, said that about 20,000 people managed to leave Mariupol on Tuesday in 4,000 private vehicles via a designated safe corridor leading to the city of Zaporizhzhia. On a day when thousands managed to leave Mariupol, Russian troops seized the city's largest hospital, said regional leader Pavlo Kyrylenko. He said the troops forced about 400 people from nearby homes into the Regional Intensive Care Hospital and were using them and roughly 100 patients and staff as human shields by not allowing them to leave. An elderly resident waits to be rescued by firefighters after the apartment building was hit by shelling in Kyiv, Ukraine, Tuesday, March 15, 2022. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana) Kyrylenko said shelling had already heavily damaged the hospital's main building, but medical staff have been treating patients in makeshift wards in the basement. Doctors from other Mariupol hospitals made a video to tell the world about the horrors they've been seeing. We dont want to be heroes and martyrs posthumously, one woman said. She also said it's insufficient to simply refer to people as the wounded: "its torn off arms and legs, gouged out eyes, bodies torn into fragments, insides falling out. Meanwhile, the Ukrainian armys general staff said Tuesday evening that Russian troops had launched another assault on the strategically important city. A firefighter comforts a woman outside a destroyed apartment building after a bombing in a residential area in Kyiv, Ukraine, Tuesday, March 15, 2022. Russia's offensive in Ukraine has edged closer to central Kyiv with a series of strikes hitting a residential neighborhood as the leaders of three European Union member countries planned a visit to Ukraine's embattled capital. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda) Fighting has intensified on Kyiv's outskirts in recent days, and air raid sirens wailed inside the capital. The mayor imposed a curfew extending through Thursday morning. Tuesday's artillery strikes hit the Svyatoshynskyi district of western Kyiv, adjacent to the suburb of Irpin, which has seen some of the worst fighting of the war. Flames shot out of a 15-story apartment building and smoke choked the air as firefighters climbed ladders to rescue people. The assault blackened several floors of the building, ripped a hole in the ground outside and blew out windows in neighboring apartment blocks. Rescue workers said at least one person was killed. Firefighters work in an apartment building damaged by shelling in Kyiv, Ukraine, Tuesday, March 15, 2022. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky) Yesterday we extinguished one fire, today another. It is very difficult, a firefighter who gave only his first name, Andriy, said outside the building, tears falling from his eyes. People are dying, and the worst thing is that children are dying. They havent lived their lives and they have already seen this." City authorities also tweeted an image of the blown-out facade of a downtown subway station that had been used as a bomb shelter and said trains would no longer stop at the station. A 10-story apartment building in the Podilsky district of Kyiv, north of the government quarter, was damaged. Russian forces also stepped up strikes overnight on Irpin and the northwest Kyiv suburbs of Hostomel and Bucha, said the head of the capital region, Oleksiy Kuleba. Relatives and friends attend a funeral ceremony for four of the Ukrainian military servicemen, who were killed during an airstrike in a military base in Yarokiv, in a church in Lviv, Ukraine, Tuesday, March 15, 2022. At least 35 people were killed and many wounded in Sunday's Russian missile strike on a military training base near Ukraine's western border with NATO member Poland. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue) Many streets have been turned into a mush of steel and concrete. People have been hiding for weeks in basements, and are afraid to go out even for evacuations, Kuleba said on Ukrainian television. In the country's east, Russian forces launched more than 60 strikes overnight Monday into Tuesday on Ukraines second-largest city, Kharkiv, according to regional administration chief, Oleh Sinehubov. The strikes hit the citys historical center, including the main marketplace. He said the bodies of dozens of civilians were pulled from destroyed apartment buildings. Relatives and friends attend the funeral of Ukrainian military servicemen Rostyslav Romanchuk in Lviv, Ukraine, Tuesday, March 15, 2022. Romanchuk was killed during Sunday's Russian missile strike on a military training base near Ukraine's western border with NATO member Poland. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue) On Tuesday evening, Ukrainian forces repelled Russian troops who tried to storm Ukraine's second-largest city, Kharkiv, from their positions in Piatykhatky, a suburb 15 kilometers (9 miles) to the north, the regional administration chief, Oleh Sinehubov, said on Telegram. He said the Kharkiv's defenders were able to push the enemy back beyond its previous position, in what he described as a shameful defeat for Russia. ___ Associated Press writers Lolita C. Baldor in Washington, Raf Casert in Brussels and AP journalists from around the world contributed to this report. ___ Follow the APs coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in Branson West has partnered with the Community Blood Center of the Ozarks to host a blood drive on March 25. Winston Churchill famously referred to Russia in 1939 as a series of layers: a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma. Very much like a matryoshka doll. The oil market of 2022 is a bit similar: a tight crude market, wrapping an even scarcer oil feedstock market, enclosing a diesel market in crisis mode. Oil benchmarks Brent and West Texas Intermediate tend to grab the attention of financial markets. However, regular consumers households and businesses dont buy crude; they purchase refined petroleum products such as diesel and petrol. Now, there isnt much diesel to buy. Diesel powers the global economy. Credit:Sean Dempsey Thats a big problem. Diesel is the workhorse of the global economy. It keeps trucks and vans, excavators and heavy machinery, freight trains and ships all buzzing. Wholesale and retail diesel prices surged last week to an all-time high, surpassing the peak set in 2008. In the US, average retail prices have surged above $US5 per gallon (in Australian dollars, equal to around $1.80 a litre) for the first time ever. In the UK, its selling above 1.70 ($3.10) per litre. In Australia, diesel prices have jumped to well over $2 per litre. The surge matters because of the ubiquity of diesel in modern life. As the fuel of transportation, the price rally will hit everyone, adding to inflationary pressures that are already running at a multi-decade high. More than the cost of oil, skyrocketing diesel prices should be the main worry of central banks. The United Nations top court is set to rule overnight on a request by Ukraine for its judges to order Russia to halt its devastating invasion. Loading But it remains to be seen if Moscow would comply with any order made by the International Court of Justice, or ICJ, which is sometimes known as the World Court. Russia snubbed a hearing last week at which lawyers for Ukraine accused their powerful neighbour of resorting to tactics reminiscent of medieval siege warfare in its brutal assault. If a nation doesnt abide by an order made by the court, judges could seek action from the U.N. Security Council, where Russia holds veto power. In the days since the March 7 hearing, Russia has intensified its military strikes on towns and cities across Ukraine hitting civilian infrastructure across the country, including a deadly strike on a maternity hospital in Mariupol, and sending more than 3 million refugees fleeing across borders. As part of a wider case that could take years to complete at the Hague-based ICJ, Ukraine asked judges to order Russia to immediately suspend the military operations launched on February 24 that have as their stated purpose and objective the prevention and punishment of a claimed genocide in the separatist eastern regions of Luhansk and Donetsk. AP You could have forgiven diners packed into Phil Wood and Lis Davies Paddington power eatery Ursulas for doing a double-take when a quartet of Labor titans turned out for the lunch service on Tuesday. Occupying a not-so-quiet table for four: former prime minister Paul Keating along with former NSW premier Bob Carr no less together with former foreign minister Gareth Evans and veteran Labor frontbencher John Faulkner. The quartet were all in casual attire apart from Carr, in a pin-striped suit and tie. Some things never change! And in their later years, the pugnacious crew still know how to make an impression. It was akin to witnessing Bigfoot riding the Loch Ness monster, a fellow patron told CBD. Well take their word for it. Time is rapidly running out for the Morrison government to cut through to a grumpy electorate, so the temptation to cut fuel excise must be immense. It would be a bad idea which wont stem the international forces of supply and demand, but desperation routinely trumps reason. In political terms, it would look like an answer and keeping up appearances often matters more than it should. Petrol prices have reached record highs in Sydney and Melbourne. Credit:Justin McManus Well behind in the polls and with cost of living pressures biting deep, the move to return some of the 44 in the litre the Commonwealth siphons off in tax and/or pause twice-yearly indexation would at least signal government empathy. A cynic might note it has little to lose because there is a better-than-even chance Anthony Albanese will have to work out how to fill the multi-billion-dollar revenue hole. It will, of course, do precious little to stem rapidly rising prices. Other downsides include robbing the budget of revenue thats used to fund roads and making it almost impossible to reimpose the tax without threatening the tenure of some future government. But the problems of future governments rarely worry current ones faced with extinction. The area where the dead creature lies is near Temma homestead, on Tasmanias west coast between Gape Grim and Sandy Cape. Beach check The monster lies half exposed at the foot of a scrub-dotted sand dune. But experts have called for haste in the scientific investigations, because they fear a gale may shift the sand and bury the monster probably 100 feet deep. A letter to the editor, March 15, 1962. Credit:SMH Archives The director of the Tasmanian Museum, Dr W. Bryden, said today that no plans had been made to recover the remains. A Tasmanian Government spokesman said the Government was interested, but had not yet taken any official action. However, it is known that the New York Museum of Natural History and the British Museum would like to get the carcass intact. One American scientific group has said that it is willing to send scientists, excavators and equipment to recover what it thinks may be the scientific find of the century. Meanwhile, the Tasmanian Government has been asked to stop people from hacking the carcass to bits. Already souvenir hunters have cut it about. Theories Mr Bruce Mollison, of the C.S.l.R.O. wild life section, is leading the party which flew from Hobart by plane. Mr Mollison, who has already examined the carcass, said today: I think it might be a creature from an ocean depth never fathomed by man. It is possible that the creature was there long before it was recently discovered. It might have been completely buried at first and partly exposed when the sands moved. One theory is that the creature was heaved up from the ocean depths by a submarine earthquake and was washed ashore by a tidal wave. A zoologist said today that it could have come from the Indian Ocean, where a warm current flows from Cape Leeuwin across the Great Southern Ocean and down the West Coast of Tasmania. Other big ocean inhabitants have been carried south by that current, he said. A Tasmanian Museum official said: Nothing like the flesh has been seen here before. The reported absence of eyes and other sense organs indicated that deep beneath the ocean it relied on its tactile sense, he added. Ray fish? Professor A. M. Clark, Ralston Professor of Zoology at Hobart University, said he believed the monster was the largest giant rayfish the world had ever seen or an outsize sunfish. I am inclined to believe it is a giant ray, he said. Normally the giant ray lives much further north of Tasmania and in warmer water. It swims at a depth of 400 to 500 feet. It was probably dying of an ailment and was then washed on to our coast. The fact that the monster is supposed to have a woolly covering and spikes is in accord with our theory. Not all fish have scales. The sunfish has tiny spikes which feel like emery paper when rubbed. The exterior covering of a monster of this size could resemble wool, particularly when it is decomposing. Visitors to the scene have reported that the monster had no eyes, but it is possible that the eyes are buried in the sand. Letter to the editor, March 15, 1962. Credit:SMH Archives Mr Ben Fenton, owner of an 1,800-acre cattle grazing property at Temma, said: This is one of the loneliest parts of Australia. There is nothing between us and the Antarctic 1,500 miles to the south, and the Cape of Good Hope, 4,000 miles to the west. I wouldnt be surprised at anything we found down here. Mr Fenton said he was one of the first local bush men to sight the monster. Ill never forget my first sight of it. It was sort of eerie. The monster lay on top of the beach. The whole body was exposed except for the underneath portion. There was no sign of blood. No eyes. No movement. I wouldnt liken it to a saucer shape exactly, but theyre right about the hump on its back. It had big leather cushions like a mantle around it and a covering of woolly fur. I know one thing for certain it was no whale or shark. Its undoubtedly one of Sydneys worst roads a traffic-choked thoroughfare between the CBD and Kings Cross, a wind tunnel replete with empty shops and cold corporate facades, a 1.4-kilometre stretch of urban wasteland that no one really knows how to fix. William Street or as the Committee for Sydney dubbed it, the boulevard of broken dreams has been an ugly duckling for a long time. But finally, heads are coming together to try to improve it. The architects impression of a proposed development on William Street, Woolloomooloo. Credit: The City of Sydney council has received a $160 million proposal to redevelop a 6500 square metre block of land at the corner of William and Forbes streets, currently occupied by Bayswater Car Rental and British American Tobacco. Developers Allen Linz of Rebel Property Group and HSNs Rafi Assouline are proposing a 10-storey building containing 229 apartments many with striking city and harbour views over low-lying Woolloomooloo with street-level retail and dining and a large rooftop garden. Parliamentary elder statesman Warren Snowdon has called on the Northern Territory police force to justify why officers must always carry guns while on duty in remote Aboriginal communities. Mr Snowdon, who has served the vast electorate of what is now Lingiari for more than 30 years, said remote policing procedures should be reviewed and community leaders heard in the conversation, which must also address poverty, alienation and the international disgrace of Aboriginal incarceration rates. Labor MP Warren Snowdon has represented vast swathes of the Northern Territory for more than 30 years. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen The 2019 Yuendumu shooting death of Aboriginal man Kumanjayi Walker by white officer Zachary Rolfe, who on Friday was acquitted of all charges in the Supreme Court, prompted the anguished Warlpiri people of the desert to call for no more guns and karrinjarla muwajarri, or police ceasefire. There were issues [in Yuendumu], obviously, and I dont want to make judgements around trying to detain someone, Mr Snowdon said. But most instances, in most circumstances which involve people in communities, dont require weapons. Not at all. In fact, quite the opposite. The federal Liberals face a catastrophic swing away from the party in Western Australia in the coming election, which could deliver Labor its best WA outcome since the 1980s, Greens internal party polling suggests. The Greens commissioned Online Research Units polling of 1016 West Australians from February 22 to March 2 to assess the likelihood of WA Senator Dorinda Cox retaining her seat. It is the first WA-focused polling to be released publicly ahead of the federal election. Prime Minister Scott Morrison has arrived in Western Australia to kick off his election campaign but polling suggests his party is in for a bumpy ride. Credit:Rhett Wyman It found she would, with the Greens primary vote in the Senate remaining stable at 12 per cent, but the most shocking results were found in responses to the first preferences question. The poll predicted the Liberals would hemorrhage 12.8 per cent of its first preference voters from the 2019 election to record its worst election result in this state in modern history, with a primary vote of 31 per cent. A Queensland parliamentary committee has stymied an effort to raise the age of criminal responsibility to 14, instead recommending a continued national approach to increasing the age to 12. The community support and services committee report, which follows an extensive public submission and hearing program that heard from more than 70 stakeholders, was tabled in Parliament on Tuesday. A wall at Darwins Don Dale youth detention centre. Greens MP Michael Berkman warned that a compromise proposal could delay further reform in raising the age of criminal responsibility to 14. Credit:Glenn Campbell It recommended that Parliament did not pass Greens Maiwar MP Michael Berkmans private members bill, commenting that there is more work to be done before such a move was made. This included national efforts among Australian attorneys-general to increase the age young people can be held responsible for criminal actions from 10 to 12, as called for by former Queensland police commissioner Bob Atkinson in his landmark 2018 youth justice system report. A woman and her partner were pulled from their submerged car in Brisbane after rescuers saw the light from her phone as she used it to send her last goodbyes to loved ones. Emergency Services Minister Mark Ryan detailed the dramatic rescue that happened in Nundah, in Brisbanes north, in Parliament on Tuesday. He said rescue team leader Adam Martin and his crew responded when a car was washed into floodwater, but after almost half an hour wading in chest-deep water, there were no signs of life. It was dark, Mr Ryan said. Time was ticking by, minute by critical minute. In October 2020 The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald published an article under the headline Seeing Red: Labors China Problem. One matter-of-fact sentence in the piece had me seething for days. The piece explored the oppositions bitter internal divisions about how to respond to an increasingly overbearing China under its president-for-life, Xi Jinping. A key element in the story was Labors Senator Kimberley Kitching, then chair of parliaments Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade References Committee and founding member of a bipartisan parliamentary group called the Wolverines. Labor Senator Kimberly Kitching was a founding member of the so-called Wolverines the purpose of which was to push back against bullying and civil rights abuses by China. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen While the groups name is an adolescent salute to the 1984 movie Red Dawn in which high school football stars thwart a Soviet invasion of the United States, its mission is a serious attempt to push back against the emerging superpowers diplomatic bullying and escalating crackdown on human rights. Human rights are not exclusive but rather universal, Kitching was quoted as saying, a regime should be opposed if it puts itself above the wellbeing of its people, oppresses minorities and crushes the human spirit. We are triallingon some articles. Share your thoughts The preliminary design of the new National Gallery of Victoria Contemporary building, the centrepiece of a $1.7 billion revamp of the Southbank arts and culture precinct, was unveiled on Tuesday. Creative Industries Minister Danny Pearson described the gallery as Melbournes Eiffel Tower, predicting it would attract one million visitors from interstate and overseas annually once it opens to the public in 2028. A render of the winning concept design for NGV Contemporary by Angelo Candalepas and Associates. This is going to be an absolute game-changer, and its going to put us on the global stage as being a destination for the finest art in the world, Mr Pearson said. This is going to be an absolute boon for our state, its going to be a magnet for tourists and showcase our credentials as the nations creative state. Many of the allegations facing sergeants McCann and Sims, as well as three other police sergeants caught up in the probe, point to a culture that prioritises loyalty and operational results over the law. However, none of the charges have been proved, and it is understood they are being contested by the accused policemen. The inquiry also raises serious questions for the Police Association, often described as the most powerful union in the state because of its sway over state politics and force command. The board of elected association directors on which Sergeant Sims sits is responsible for overseeing the unions strategy and operations, including the maintenance of a multimillion-dollar legal defence fund for officers suspended or charged by Professional Standards. Victorias anti-corruption agency, the Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission, investigates relatively few police misconduct cases due to resourcing and jurisdictional limits, leaving the bulk of misconduct probes with Professional Standards. This arrangement has led to years of calls from groups such as the Human Rights Law Centre and academics for IBAC or another independent anti-corruption body to handle all cases of suspected police malfeasance. Calum McCann in 2011. Out of their way An investigation by The Age has found details from a previously unreported court hearing that cast fresh light on Sergeant McCanns alleged falsification of affidavits, including one allegedly used to convince a magistrate to approve a police raid by using invented claims a man was selling drugs to high school students. Using court records, The Age tracked down one family affected by the allegedly unlawful raids. Retired health architecture specialist Marion Place said she was unaware the police raid targeting her son David in 2018 was the result of a search warrant affidavit police now say was corruptly compiled. Ms Pace said David had previously been in trouble with police and had a relatively minor criminal record, but since going clean had been unfairly harassed by select officers. They have gone out of their way to target Dave, she said. The Melbourne Magistrates Court recently heard allegations during a bail hearing for Sergeant McCann that he falsified an affidavit to obtain a search warrant to raid the Pace home. Anti-corruption officers are alleging that Sergeant McCann invented testimony from a police informant and inserted it into the Pace affidavit, including false information that an informer had identified a person called Dave selling drugs to teenagers at Kyneton High School and Sacred Heart College. The raid led to no charges and no drugs were discovered. A junior police officer has also told anti-corruption detectives that the information about Dave attributed to him in the search warrant affidavit is false. In a statement released to The Age in February, Victoria Police said it was notifying 15 Victorians named in the allegedly tainted search warrant affidavits, including a small number of people who had been convicted and one accused who was jailed. In another case that has led to corruption charges, Sergeant McCann is accused of forging the signature of another police officer to try to get a search warrant. Professional Standards detectives also allege Sergeant McCann interfered with evidence, pretending a banknote stored in his car had been seized in a raid. Phone taps and threats A recent bail hearing heard allegations that covert phone taps had captured Sergeant McCann and Sergeant Sims discussing a plan to undermine a second police officer who had agreed to testify against Sergeant McCann. The phone tap allegedly records Sergeant McCann telling Sergeant Sims that he had put things in place to undermine this witness and that he would face a bumpy road. As Sergeant McCann went on to allegedly denigrate this witness, Sergeant Sims is recorded on the phone tap laughing and saying: Very good, yeah, very good. When Sergeant McCann allegedly said his plan was to interfere with the witness new job as a detective at a metropolitan investigation unit, Sergeant Sims is recorded allegedly agreeing with Sergeant McCann that the witness could face problems in his new workplace. Other phone tap material aired in court captures Sergeant McCann allegedly describing how he would use his position on the Police Association board to undermine the unions financial support for a suspended Professional Standards inspector, Kathy Rudkins. Inspector Rudkins is not facing any criminal charges and her suspension with pay is unrelated to the allegations at the heart of the McCann inquiry. But in Sergeant McCanns November bail hearing, Detective Senior Sergeant Peter Fogarty, who is leading the probe into Sergeant McCann, alleged that Sergeant McCann had said he would use his position on the Police Association executive to influence the unions handling of any future request from Inspector Rudkins for union funding. The association said it had conducted a preliminary audit into Sergeant McCanns involvement with union funding decisions, which had not raised any concerns. The court also heard claims that Sergeant McCann sought the help of an allegedly corrupt Professional Standards detective to obtain sensitive information about the ongoing internal affairs inquiry into Inspector Rudkins. The same allegedly corrupt internal affairs detective is accused of leaking information about witnesses to Sergeant McCann. Senior Sergeant Fogarty also alleged that Sergeant McCann had leaked confidential information he received due to his role on the Police Association to another police officer who is being investigated for misconduct. A bail hearing In unsuccessfully seeking to have Sergeant McCann remanded into custody at his November bail hearing, Senior Sergeant Fogarty alleged there was a risk the accused policeman would continue to allegedly interfere with police officers who had agreed to testify against him. Senior Sergeant Fogarty said in late 2020, Sergeant McCann and a second sergeant under investigation, Brendan Fry, had arranged a meeting with a Professional Standards witness at Mr Frys house. Senior Sergeant Fogarty alleged that both Sergeant McCann and Sergeant Fry were pressuring this witness. Sergeant Fry is not facing any charges. Senior Sergeant Fogarty also alleged there had been other approaches to witnesses organised by Sergeant McCann, including to a police officer who was told by Sergeant McCann that if you make a statement, it would be awkward for you working here or there. Senior Sergeant Fogarty also alleged that Sergeant McCann had discussed a plan to use Sergeant McCanns wife to make false allegations against anti-corruption investigators. There is no suggestion this ever occurred. Loading Sergeant McCanns lawyer, leading criminal defence solicitor Tony Hargreaves, told the bail hearing that his client denied all wrongdoing and believed he was being treated unfairly by Professional Standards. He has been angry for a long time about the way this investigation has been conducted, Mr Hargreaves said, insisting the allegations presented by Senior Sergeant Fogarty would be contested. Major Australian animal protection organisations have joined forces to create an alliance representing 2 million people with a mission to reform what they say is the countrys broken animal welfare system. The Australian Alliance for Animals brings together Animals Australia, Compassion in World Farming, FOUR PAWS Australia, Humane Society International Australia, World Animal Protection Australia and Voiceless, the animal protection institute. Meg Good, Bidda Jones and Jed Goodfellow are co-directors of Australian Alliance for Animals. It will be headed by two of Australias leading animal welfare figures, Jed Goodfellow and Bidda Jones, who were previously at the RSPCA and Meg Good, formerly at Voiceless. In an interview with The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, Dr Goodfellow said the organisation was not ideological nor promoting a vegan lifestyle but simply about bringing Australias animal welfare rules into line with community expectations. Labor has favoured voters in marginal seats in a $200 million pitch to build local batteries to support renewable energy while also promising 64 per cent of the spending so far to electorates held by its own MPs. The flagship policy has enabled Labor leader Anthony Albanese and his shadow ministers to promise $500,000 for each battery during visits to seats that could decide the coming election, with more pledges to come in the weeks ahead. Labor leader Anthony Albanese has been announcing community battery projects in marginal seats. Credit:Renee Nowytarger The spending plan deepens a political row over the use of taxpayer funds to pay for local projects after The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age revealed a $750 million Labor blitz to promise pools, roads and sports facilities in marginal seats. But Labor declared it would not take lectures from Prime Minister Scott Morrison about its spending when the Auditor-General had rebuked the government for favouring Coalition and marginal seats with cash for sporting facilities and car parks. We are triallingon some articles. Share your thoughts Industry groups say the federal government must encourage higher electric vehicle uptake to reduce the countrys dependence on oil, with fuel prices at record highs. Prices for petrol and diesel have soared over the past two months, with Melbourne and Sydney recording all-time high average unleaded prices on Monday of 212.5 cents a litre and 216.5 cents a litre respectively. The price of oil is volatile and out of the federal governments control. Credit:Steven Siewert In the face of increased cost of living pressures on Australian families, some state leaders and federal government backbenchers have called on the Prime Minister to consider slashing the 44.2 cents a litre fuel excise to help ease the pain at the bowser. But peak automotive bodies and economists warn any excise cuts - which would cost the federal government $500 million per cent each year - could be swallowed up by higher prices. Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has been overruled after attempting to have an Opposition question blocked for being offensive during MPs return to Parliament. Integrity matters dominated question time on Tuesday, featuring a newly reshuffled LNP frontbench, the day after Public Service Commission chief executive Robert Setter denied claims he called Integrity Commissioner Nikola Stepanov a bitch on a witch hunt during a 2018 phone call. Dr Stepanov made the comment during a parliamentary committee hearing into a five-yearly review of her role as the states lobbyist watchdog and ethical adviser to MPs and public servants. Matters surrounding the two agencies, including claims a laptop was taken and wiped from Dr Stepanovs office by the PSC without her knowledge, are being looked into by the Crime and Corruption Commission. Homebuyers in flood-hit areas face higher deposit requirements, reduced valuations, higher fees and delays in approval times, whether or not their property was inundated. Cautious banks have started to require more thorough inspections to check a propertys flood risk before they finalise a home loan. Home lenders need to check the condition of flooded properties. Credit:Elise Derwin Houses in the highest-risk pockets could become less valuable over time, industry experts warn, although some buyers short memories could mean prices bounce back as they have in the past. Aside from the human toll, recent flooding across Sydney, northern NSW and Queensland has brought disaster risk into focus for anyone who had signed a contract to buy a home but not settled, or sold their own home with plans to buy another. Speaking at the Global Soft Power summit in London, former Belgian Prime Minister and leading member of the European Parliament Guy Verhofstadt said NATO needed reforming and that it should be done by using the European Union and creating an EU-army. Former Belgian Prime Minister and current Member of the European Parliament Guy Verhofstadt speaks to journalists at Brand Finances Global Soft Power Summit in London on Tuesday, March 15, 2022. Credit:Michael Josem He said that collectively the EU member nations spent four times as much as Russia on defence but that resources were often duplicated - such as competing military systems - and that had meant that Europe was incapable of sufficiently defending itself. We dont need to abolish 27 national armies but we need to create on top of that a joint armed forces of the European Union, he told The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age. We need to establish, inside NATO a European pillar, I think NATO has to be reformed into a defence alliance of big continental organisations, a European one, a North American one, an Asian one, so like a triangle. He said each grouping would be responsible for their continents security as well as assisting each other and said that could possibly see an expanded NATO that included current non-member Western countries and existing partners like Australia. I see a reform of NATO in a World Trade Organisation sort of way - a world defence community defending liberal democratic values, far better than we do it now, he said. Talks realistic Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Wednesday peace talks were sounding more realistic but more time was needed. Moscow has not captured any of Ukraines 10 biggest cities following its incursion that began on Feb. 24, the largest assault on a European state since 1945. Ukrainian officials have raised hopes the war could end sooner than expected, possibly by May, saying Moscow may be coming to terms with its failure to impose a new government by force and running out of fresh troops. Loading The meetings continue, and, I am informed, the positions during the negotiations already sound more realistic. But time is still needed for the decisions to be in the interests of Ukraine, Zelensky said in a video address on Wednesday, ahead of the next round of talks. In a hint of a possible compromise, Zelensky said earlier Ukraine was prepared to accept security guarantees from the West that stop short of its long-term goal of joining NATO. Moscow sees any future Ukraine membership of the Western alliance as a threat and has demanded guarantees it will never join. Biden to Europe President Joe Biden will travel to Europe next week for face-to-face talks with European leaders on the war, the White House said. Biden will meet with European leaders at an extraordinary NATO summit in Brussels on March 24. His goal is to meet in person face-to-face with his European counterparts and talk about, assess where we are at this point in the conflict in the invasion of Ukraine by Russia, said White House press secretary Jen Psaki. Weve been incredibly aligned to date. That doesnt happen by accident. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in his office in Kyiv. Credit:AP The White House announced the presidents travel shortly before Biden on Tuesday signed a bill providing $US13.6 billion in additional military and humanitarian aid to Ukraine as part of a $US1.5 trillion government spending measure. Biden said at the bill signing ceremony that the US was moving urgently to further augment the support to the brave people of Ukraine, as they defend their country. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Wednesday, in comments to CNN, pledged there would be Ukraine a lot longer than theres going to be a Vladimir Putin. While an EU army idea is backed by French President Emmanuel Macron, and the concept of a euro corps have been around for decades, critics say it would undermine NATO and support for the idea has never gained any serious momentum. The run-up to the invasion of Ukraine underscored the divisions in pan-European defence: countries on Russias periphery showed a willingness to take Moscows threats seriously, while larger members such as Germany and France were more reluctant to act. Verhofstadt said that the EUs commitment to collective defence, enshrined in article 42 of the treaty which states: If a Member State is the victim of armed aggression on its territory, the other Member States shall have towards it an obligation of aid and assistance by all the means in their power, in accordance with Article 51 of the United Nations Charter. In a certain way, its article 42 is more binding and a harsher commitment than article 5 of NATO, he said. In November 1989, as a very new and inexperienced lieutenant in the Australian Army, I attended a training course at the Sydney-based School of Military Engineering to learn about nuclear, biological, chemical defence. It was a sobering experience, noting that even in the closing stages of the Cold War, the Soviet Union still maintained a massive stockpile of chemical, biological and nuclear weapons. I learnt a lot on that course. Principally, I learnt that I never wanted to operate in such a horrifically contaminated, lethal environment. Firefighters attend the scene of a Russian rocket attack in Kharkiv on Monday. Credit:AP The spectre of chemical or biological warfare has been raised by the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Beginning in December last year, the Russian government has been shaping the information environment to provide a foundation for Russian use of chemical weapons. On December 21, at a Ministry of Defence collegium with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu accused the United States of planning a chemical attack in Donbas. Later in the same month, Russian media quoted a former Ukrainian Security Service (SBU) officer who apparently stated that Ukrainian armed forces will use chemical weapons to attack schools, hospitals, and mass gatherings in eastern Ukraine. This Russian disinformation has continued up to the last few days. On March 9, Russian permanent representative to the Organisation for the Prevention of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) Alexander Shulgin claimed Russia would provide documents as evidence of Russian fears of an alleged Ukrainian chemical escalation. Even their Chinese partners have joined this chorus of disinformation with Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Zhao Lijian claiming that Russia had found labs that the United States uses to conduct bio-military plans. The Russian military has a long history of developing and even using chemical and biological weapons. Many nations had chemical or biological weapon programs during the Cold War. But nothing came anywhere near the size and scope of the Soviet program. The Soviets ran a massive chemical and biological warfare program that involved dozens of facilities across the nation, and the involvement of multiple government ministries (besides the Ministry of Defence). Russian defector (and participant in this program) Ken Alibeks book on this topic is chilling reading. London: More than 122,000 Britons have volunteered their spare rooms and homes to Ukrainian refugees fleeing their homeland following a brutal invasion by Russian military forces. The heartfelt response from the nation in just 24 hours after a new scheme opened is a reaction to the more than 3 million who have fled Ukraine, mainly for Europe, since Russia launched its unprovoked war 20 days ago. More than 2 million more people are displaced inside Ukraine, according to the United Nations refugee agency, UNHCR. Ukrainian refugees at the Hungarian border town Zahony on Saturday. Credit:Getty After weeks of fierce public criticism towards the British government over a slow response to the growing humanitarian crisis, the website used to register to host Ukrainian women and children and families crashed within hours of launching on Monday evening after it was overwhelmed by traffic. More than 100 British businesses, including Tesco, Marks & Spencer, AstraZeneca and Nestle, have joined the effort to provide Ukrainian refugees with jobs. An employee of Russian state TVs network burst onto the set of the flagship evening news program Monday, chanting stop the war and denouncing government propaganda - a striking moment of public protest as the Kremlin cracks down on any criticism of its invasion in Ukraine. OVD-Info, a human rights group that tracks protest activity and detentions in Russia, identified her as Marina Ovsyannikova, an editor and producer with the broadcaster, and said she has been detained. Before storming the set of Channel One, Ovsyannikova recorded a video message in which she said: What is going in Ukraine is a crime. Unfortunately, I have been working at Channel One during recent years, working on Kremlin propaganda, Ovsyannikova said. And now I am very ashamed. I am ashamed that Ive allowed the lies to be said on the TV screens. I am ashamed that I let the Russian people be zombified. London: Australias hardline COVID isolation policies have dragged down the nations international standing in the past year. According to the annual Brand Finances 2022 Global Soft Power Index, government decisions that stranded citizens and foreigners overseas for more than two years knocked Australia and New Zealand out of the top 10 and 20 countries, respectively. According to the Australian government, soft power is the ability to influence the behaviour or thinking of others through the power of attraction and ideas which it says is vital to our foreign policy. The result marks a total turnaround from the ranking in the pandemics first year, when an initial Zero-COVID stance propelled Australia from 13th to 10th and made New Zealand the fastest rising nation on the list. Amazon.com Inc has gone on the attack in its bitter dispute with two Indian retailers, accusing them of fraud in Indian newspaper ads on Tuesday after suddenly took over many of stores. Amazon has been contesting the planned $3.4 billion sale of Future Group's retail assets to Reliance, first announced in 2020, and the case is currently before the Indian Supreme Court. Reliance, India's biggest conglomerate and retailer run by the country's richest man, began taking over the prized real estate with utmost stealth on Feb.25 when its staff showed up at many of Future biggest stores to assume control, sources have told Reuters. In ads headlined "PUBLIC NOTICE" in leading Indian newspapers on Tuesday, Amazon said: "these actions have been done in a clandestine manner by playing a fraud on the constitutional courts in India." Future and Reliance did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Amazon's public outcry comes even though on March 3 it offered to hold talks. The ongoing talks have raised hopes the dispute could be resolved. Future has said in filings this month that it could not pay rent at many outlets given its distressed financial situation and that Reliance, which had taken over many of its leases, had issued it with termination notices. Amazon is concerned that Reliance is continuing to take over Future stores even as the talks continue, according to a source with direct knowledge of the matter who was not authorised to speak to media and declined to be identified. The newspaper ads were aimed at alerting all stakeholders, including Future's lenders, that the transfer of assets to Reliance is legally prohibited, the source 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.) 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More subscription to our online content can only help us achieve the goals of offering you even better and more relevant content. We believe in free, fair and credible journalism. Your support through more subscriptions can help us practise the journalism to which we are committed. Support quality journalism and subscribe to Business Standard. Digital Editor Out-of-court talks between Future Group, (RIL), and Amazon to resolve the legal battle arising out of the sale of Future Groups assets to RIL have not led to a resolution, counsels for Future Coupons and Amazon told the Supreme Court on Tuesday. On March 3, Amazon had proposed a dialogue with Future Group and RIL to end the legal deadlock and the court had given them time until March 15 to come up with a settlement. Amazon told the court it would like to begin arbitration proceedings in Singapore, which had been put on hold by the Delhi High Court. Future Group had agreed to this. Amazons counsel said the Supreme Court had been told no assets (of Future Group) would be transferred, and the orders (of the court) had been flouted. However, Future Groups counsel denied this. On Tuesday, the Supreme Court allowed Amazon to file an interim application and the case was adjourned until March 16. According to a source in the know, Amazon will file an interim application, asking for a resumption of tribunal hearing and also an injunction on from transferring its assets to RIL. In a newspaper advertisement on Tuesday, the US e-commerce major accused and RIL of fraud over the transfer of stores. RIL started the takeover of Future Group stores on February 25. On March 9, Future Group said in two stock exchange filings it received termination notices on March 7 and March 8 for 947 stores, which it had sub-leased from Reliance entities. Future Lifestyle has received termination notices for 78 Brand Factory stores and 34 Central stores and these stores have been contributing 55-65 per cent of the companys retail revenues, it said in its stock exchange filing. Future Group has approximately 1,500 stores and the remaining stores (around 550 stores) are still with it. On March 15, Amazon filed a petition in the Delhi High Court to stop Future Retails (FRLs) $3.4-billion deal with RIL. Amazon has asked the court to issue an injunction (in terms of the directions passed by the arbitral tribunal), restraining respondents from taking steps to complete the impugned transaction with entities that are part of the RIL group. The case will come up for hearing on March 22. Amazons public notice seems to be irregular and improper considering the parties are currently litigating before courts. Amazon has made serious allegations of playing a fraud on the Courts and making false submissions before the Supreme Court against Future Group, said Sohil Shah, principal associate, Pioneer Legal. Sonam Chandwani, managing partner, KS Legal & Associates, said: The situation is deteriorating, and the two titans engaged in such a fierce conflict presents a dismal image. Pavana Padmakumar, an associate at law firm Pioneer Legal, said: What the public notice achieves for Amazon may be two-fold: Primarily, it re-emphasises Amazons intent to battle it out with FRL and its promoters, and secondly, to show the violation of a court order, thereby indicating contempt on the part of FRL. South Korean tech giant will set up a compressor plant at an outlay of Rs 1,588 crore near here, a senior group official said on Tuesday. Spread over 22 acres, the new plant will have a capacity to make eight million units per year. The compressors produced at the new plant will be used for the refrigerators made by the company and also for exports, said Ken Kang, President and CEO, Southwest Asia said. India has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with government. Speaking on the occasion, Chief Minister M.K. Stalin welcoming the fresh investment also requested Samsung to set up a semi-conductor plant in the state. He said Samsung's total investment in has gone upto about Rs 1,800 crore till date. --IANS vj/ksk/ (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Japanese investment bank representative on Indian fintech firms and Policybazaar, Munish Verma is stepping down from the companies boards. Two people in the know confirmed the development. The decision to step down from the boards of listed company is part of Softbanks global strategy to not be on boards of listed . The bank has communicated this aspect to the at the time of the listing. They prefer not to be part of the boards of listed as their primary goal is of investment. In very few selective cases has stayed on board of few investee firms, said a source in the know. will however retain the investments that it has in these firms. did not comment on the respond to the email sent by Business Standard. Both and had made no disclosure on board member stepping down to the exchanges. SoftBank owns 17.4 percent stake in Paytm and around 12.4 percent stake in . Experts in the sector said that generally such a decision is taken because the primary goal of the investor is to invest, and they do so in similar firms. By being on the board of the firm they are privy to information shared by the company to the board, said the source. managing partner Munish Ravinder Varma has resigned from the board of the digital financial services company One97 Communications, which operates under the brand, and PB Fintech, according to regulatory filings by both on Tuesday. Vision Funds India Holdings (Cayman) holds a 17.47 per cent stake in . "Munish Ravinder Varma , Non-executive, Non-Independent Director of the Company, has tendered his resignation vide resignation letter dated March 14, 2022, with effect from the closure of business hours on March 14, 2022, due to personal commitments and other preoccupations," said in a filing. PB Fintech, which owns brands like Policy Bazaar, Paisa Bazaar also announced the resignation of Varma from its board. SVF holds a 5.77 per cent stake in PB . Japanese investor is pulling out its representative from the boards of Indian listed entities Paytm and Policy Bazaar as part of its global policy. There will be, however, no change in investment made by Softbank in these companies, according to a source aware of the development. "As part of global policy, Softbank's representative will step down from the board of listed in India. At present, there are two Indian entities in this case- Paytm and Policy Bazaar. These have been informed about the decision," another source aware of the development said. The source said that Softbank in 90 per cent of the portfolio companies globally has exited within six months. Shares of One97 Communications Ltd further tanked nearly 13 per cent on Tuesday. The stock tumbled 12.28 per cent to settle at Rs 592.40 on the BSE. On the NSE, it plunged 12.71 per cent to settle at Rs 589. Shares of One97 Communications had on Monday declined nearly 13 per cent after the RBI asked Vijay Shekhar Sharma-promoted Paytm Payments Bank to stop opening new accounts amid "material supervisory concerns" observed in the bank. In two days, the company's market valuation plunged by Rs 11,809.43 crore to Rs 38,418.57 crore on the BSE. (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.) One Lt Gen and two major generals were among 117 awarded for gallantry and distinguished service as the Indian Army's northern command conducted an investiture ceremony here to honour its personnel deployed in the union territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. General-Officer-Commanding-in-Chief Lt Gen Upendra Dwivedi presented the awards to officers, junior commissioned officers, and other ranks. Ninety-two gallantry awards were presented to those who showed exemplary courage under extreme circumstances and 25 distinguished service awards were presented for selfless service to the nation, a defence spokesman said. Out of the 92 gallantry awards, 19 of them were awarded posthumously to the next of kin of the who were martyred during combat. They included Major Mayank Vishnoi of 44 Rashtriya Rifles (Rajput), who had rescued 12 trapped civilians and killed a terrorist during an anti-militancy operation in the valley. Another was Sepoy Chandan Kumar of 16 Bihar, who had shown exemplary courage during the Snow Leopard operation in Galwan valley in Ladakh, where Chinese and Indian troops were engaged for days in an aggressive face-off along the Sino-Indian border in May 2020. Subedar Sukhdev Singh (16 Grenadiers), Havaldar Gokaran Singh (21 Kumaon), Hav Hardhan Chandra Roy (59 Med regiment), Naib Subedar Ravinder (16 Grenadiers), Naik Gurcharan Singh (14 Punjab), Gunner Bupender (327 Med regiment), and Sepoy Rohin Kumar (14 Punjab) were awarded Sena Medal posthumously for sacrificing their lives on the Line of Control (LoC) fighting ceasefire violations from across the border. Three paratroopers - Balkrishan, Chhatrapal Singh, and Amit Kumar (all from 4 para special forces) - were honoured with the Sena Medal posthumously for eliminating several heavily armed terrorists trying to infiltrate through the LoC. Naib Subedar Rajwinder Singh (1 Sikh LI) had foiled an attempt by terrorists to storm a post and killed one of them on August 29, 2020. Naik Rajesh Kumar (21 RR), Sepoy Prashant Sharma (50 RR), Lance Naik Dinesh Singh (21 RR), and Raj Singh (10 RR), Jilajeet Yadav (53 RR), Rahul Rainswal (50 RR) demonstrated their courage during several anti-terrorist operations before making the supreme sacrifice. Lt Gen Amardeep Singh Aujila, under whose command army troops killed eight hardcore terrorists and foiled nine infiltration attempts, was among four recipients of Yudh Sewa Medal. Others who were awarded the medal are Brigadier K Ranjeev Singh, Colonel Pradeep Singh Saun, and Col Punyabachi Mohanty. Singh had successfully set up a new brigade and made it operation-ready, while Saun had led his troops from 42 Rashtriya Rifles to face a challenging situation in south Kashmir's Tral belt which led to neutralisation of 16 terrorists in eight successful operations. Mohanty was awarded for his role in anti-terrorist operations in J&K and his vital contribution during snow leopard operation in Ladakh. Eleven brigadiers, 19 Colonel and Lt Colonels and 23 Majors, Captains and Lieutenants too got award. Lt Col (now Col) Rajkumar Pallab was awarded Bar to Sena Medal (Gallantry). Seventy-one received Sena Medal (Gallantry), 10 Sena Medal (distinguished), and 11 others Vishisht Sena Medal. Maj Gen Rajiv Kumar Singh (Headquarters 91 Sub-area) and Maj Gen Ajay Chandpuria (headquarter 19 division) were awarded with Vishisht Sena Medal. Presenting the awards, Dwivedi said, I congratulate all the awardees and their proud families, whose singular acts of valour and selfless sacrifice have been instrumental in our success. (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 had supplied 16.29 crore COVID-19 vaccine doses to 98 countries as on February 21, the government informed Parliament on Tuesday. In a written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha, Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Bharati Pravin Pawar said the vaccine doses were supplied in the form of grants-in-aid, commercial sales by Indian manufacturers and through the GAVI's COVAX facility. "As per the information provided by the Ministry of External Affairs, by February 21, 2022, a total of 16.29 crore COVID-19 vaccine doses have been supplied to ninety-eight countries," she said. Along with vaccines and medicines, the government has also supplied oxygen concentrators, ventilators, protective gear, thermometers, sampling tubes, swabs, IV fluids, syringes, test kits etc. to 65 countries through the MEA, Pawar 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.) Three Indians stranded in Ukraine's southern region of Kherson have been evacuated through Simferopol and Moscow, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Tuesday. MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said the in facilitated the transit of the Indians and that they have already boarded their flights from Moscow. "Three Indians stranded in Kherson have been evacuated via Simferopol and Moscow. They boarded their flight from Moscow a short while ago. @IndEmbMoscow facilitated their transit and accommodation en route," Bagchi said in a tweet. Simferopol is a major city on the Crimean Peninsula. The Russian Defence Ministry on Tuesday said its troops have taken control of the Kherson region. India had also evacuated its nationals from Romania, Poland, Hungary, Slovakia and Moldova after they crossed over to these countries from through land border transit points. had closed its airspace for civilian aircraft after began a military operation in the east European 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.) Chinese scientists reveal how bats facilitate virus transmission Xinhua) 08:34, March 15, 2022 A bat is seen inside a karst cave named as "Laogan Cave" in Weining County of southwest China's Guizhou Province, May 12, 2016. (Xinhua/He Huan) KUNMING, March 14 (Xinhua) -- Chinese researchers have found that an immunosuppressive protein concentrated in the bat salivary glands could help the animal facilitate virus transmission. Bats are increasingly considered potential reservoirs of many viruses that cause zoonotic diseases through spillovers to other animals and humans. However, scientists have a limited understanding of the factors contributing to virus shedding from bats. According to researchers from the Kunming Institute of Zoology under the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Army Medical University, bats have a unique set of antiviral immune responses that control virus propagation while limiting self-damaging inflammatory responses. Many studies speculated that bats have immunologically privileged sites in the body where the flying mammal can tolerate the introduction and residence of foreign antigens without eliciting an inflammatory immune response. Oral cavities, as the channel of virus entrance and shedding, are taken as an immunologically privileged site in bats. The researchers said that they identified an immunosuppressant protein called MTX. MTX possibly creates an immunologically privileged environment and induces host immune tolerance to viruses in bats' oral cavities by counteracting the host immune response. The finding has been published in the U.S. journal the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). In further studies, they found that giving MTX to mice facilitated the infection of the H1N1 flu virus, leading to an enhanced virus invasion and tissue damages. The researchers said that MTX is highly concentrated in the bat salivary glands. Their study suggests a mechanism for generating immunological privilege and immune tolerance in bats and provides evidence of viral shedding through oral secretions. Meanwhile, MTX might be a potential candidate for developing anti-inflammatory drugs, said the researchers. (Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Liang Jun) The government is all geared up for the Covid vaccination of children in 12-14 years bracket starting Wednesday, with training imparted to staff from all stakeholder departments and vaccine doses received, as authorities have identified 6-7 lakh eligible population for this age group. The city government has received 6,31,400 doses of Corbevax vaccine till date, official sources said on Tuesday. About 6-7 lakh children in the 12-14 age group in are eligible for vaccination to begin with, and the number will keep on increasing as days pass, they said. "We are all prepared, with training having been imparted to staff from all stakeholder departments, vaccine doses received, and the education department also assisting us in the exercise. The challenge would be to ensure that the beneficiary coming for vaccination is not even a day younger than 12 years on any day of the vaccination," a senior official told PTI. "As vaccination for this age group begins Wednesday, on day one, there would be only be a token exercise and not a full-fledged one, with authorities in each district choosing one school for it. Some district may choose more than one school, but largely it will be a token exercise, meaning, only few children will be vaccinated," he said. Asked the reason behind the planned token exercise on day one, the official said as there are software integration issues for this age group on CoWIN portal, since it is a new group, so strict scrutiny for the age validity will be needed, and "so, mostly it will be done through walk-in on Wednesday". "We will check Aadhaar card or school I-card to ensure the beneficiary is absolutely eligible as per the norm," he added. Official sources said there will be dedicated outreach CVCs (Covid vaccination centres) for all private schools which will request the authorities. For government schools, similar sessions would be held in consultation with director of education and other authorities, they said. Vaccines will also be made available in some of the main CVCs, along with other Covid vaccines, sources claimed. According to data shared by the official sources, 140 CVCs across 11 districts in have been identified for the inoculation exercise. Meanwhile, the Centre on Tuesday released guidelines for COVID-19 vaccination of children between 12-14 years that will begin from March 16 and said only Corbevax vaccine would be used for the beneficiaries of this age group. Two doses of Biological E's intramuscular vaccine Corbevax would be administered to the beneficiaries in the 12-14 years age group at an interval of 28 days, the guidelines said. Biological E Ltd has supplied 5 crore doses of Corbevax to the Centre and the vaccine has been distributed to states, sources had said on Monday. District authorities in the national capital have also geared up for the vaccination of children in this age group. Vaccine doses and logistics material have been distributed to all districts in the city, officials said, adding that token vaccination exercise will be held on Wednesday on the occasion of the National Vaccination Day. Nearly 25-30 centres across the city will be made where COVID-19 vaccination will be conducted for the group. Most of these sites will be at schools. Along with doctors and nurses, teachers and civil defence volunteers would also be engaged in this "mass exercise," they said. A senior official from south east district here said vaccination for children of the age group of 12-14 years will be conducted at four sites. "Two centres have been made in Kalkaji, while one each in Sarita Vihar and Jangpura. More sites will be opened later in the day. Walk-in facility will also be available at the vaccination centres. "There are 84,000 children in the district, who fall in the age bracket of 12-14 years. They will be administered Corbevax vaccine. The vaccination will be conducted only at government facilities," the official told PTI. The Directorate of Education has also been approached to provide a school-wise list of eligible children so that they can be administered vaccines at their school premises only, officials said. An official of the south district said special training has been imparted to all the staff engaged in the drive. "In the training, they are told they should double check the age of children before administering the vaccine to them as no children below the prescribed age group should be considered for the vaccine," he said. The number of vaccination centres will be increased from Thursday onwards, the official added. According to the Centre's guidelines, vaccination of 12-14 years would be conducted through dedicated inoculation sessions to avoid their unintended vaccination with any other COVID-19 vaccines. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Union Finance Minister on Tuesday said that the Council should not be politicised as it is a body in which every finance minister from every state sits in and decides on how the disbursements happen. While intervening during the question hour in the Rajya Sabha on the issue of compensation which is yet to be paid to the states, the Finance Minister said: "I appeal through you, that we don't need to politicise this. Its an insult to the council." NCP lawmaker Vandana Chavan during the 'Question Hour' had cited inadequate release of funds to the state of Maharashtra, saying that the situation was similar in certain non-BJP states during her supplementary question on the GST related issue. Responding to her question, the Finance Minister said: "The council is a body which decides on how the disbursements happen...It is very well to point out that Maharashtra has a very big amount due, but in distribution as well, the share of Maharashtra has been fairly higher compared to other states." BJP Member Y.S. Chowdary also asked a question on GST compensation yet to be paid to the states, at which Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary informed the House about status of pendency with respect to Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. While responding to a question on the setting up of Siddha Medical Research Centre at Kollimalai hills in Tamil Nadu, Minister for Ayush Sarbananda Sonowal said: Considering the availability of the medicinal plants there, I would definitely visit the place and a decision will be taken after that." --IANS ams/shb/ (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The on Monday introduced a bill in the state assembly to exempt from the rule that bans diesel vehicles older than 10 years from plying in NCR areas. The Haryana Laws (Special Provisions) Amendment Bill, 2022, to amend the Haryana Laws (Special Provisions) Act, 2019, was tabled in the House by Transport Minister Mool Chand Sharma and will be taken up for discussion later in the ongoing Budget session. While introducing the bill, Sharma said in view of the financial condition of farmers and the ban on the operation of diesel vehicles older than 10 years in the Capital Region, it is necessary and expedient to enhance the validity of the principal Act up to June 30, 2025. The bill's objects and reasons state "... in order to provide temporary relief to the farmers and other affected people residing in the districts of Haryana falling under NCR in respect of operation of specified agriculture purpose vehicles, the Haryana Laws (Special Provisions) Act, 2019 was notified by the state government on March 18, 2019 having a validity of one year from the date of its commencement." "Now, the state government is of the opinion that in view of the financial condition of the farmers and continuing ban of operation of 10 year (old) diesel vehicles in the NCR including specified agriculture vehicles,... it is necessary and expedient to enhance the validity of the said Act up to June 30, 2025. "And in this period of time, various policy issues and support for phasing out the specified agriculture vehicles from the Capital Region are expected to be finalised," they stated. On March 7, Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar had said in the Assembly that the state will bring a legislation exempting from the ban. The NGT has taken a stand that plying of diesel and petrol vehicles older than 10 and 15 years respectively will not be allowed in the NCR area, the chief minister had earlier told the House. Meanwhile, six other bills were also introduced in the House on Monday. The bills would be taken up later and passed after detailed discussions. Many opposition MLAs targeted the BJP-JJP government during the discussion on the budget. Congress leader Kiran Choudhary, while participating in the discussion, said that the BJP-JJP government has patted itself on the back for prudent fiscal management but the state debt is mounting. "No big infrastructure work was done by this government. In reality, their budget is only jugglery of figures. It is a directionless budget," Choudhary said opening the debate on budget estimates for 2022-23 that were presented in the House by Khattar last week. BJP MLA Krishan Middha and JJP's Jogi Ram Sihag praised the government for bringing a pro-people budget. (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 Delhi High Court Tuesday termed as completely frivolous and dismissed a petition filed by a leader seeking a high-level enquiry against the (AAP) and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, alleging that they have links with Khalistani separatists. A bench of Acting Chief Justice Vipin Sanghi and Justice Navin Chawla also asked the counsel for the petitioner not to file such frivolous petitions. In your petition, you say that the authorities are cognisant of the letter of erstwhile Chief Minister of Punjab to the Union Home Minister. Where is the question of we directing for any enquiry? Please don't file such frivolous petitions. It is completely frivolous. Is there any reason to think that authorities will not take action or are not taking action? the bench said while dismissing the petition. The court was hearing a petition filed by leader Jagdish Sharma seeking an investigation into the allegations that and its Convenor Kejriwal have links with banned organisation Sikhs For Justice (SFJ) and other Khalistani forces and have received funds from them to contest the elections in Punjab. The petition referred to a letter written by former Punjab Chief Minister Charanjeet Singh Channi leveling the same allegations and former leader Kumar Vishwas' statement on the same lines. One letter of Gurpant Singh Pannu, the founder member of Sikhs for Justice was also found where it was written that SFJ has given its support to in the elections to the state assembly on 2017 and similarly in these elections too, the SFJ has exhorted the electorate to vote for . Taking into account this letter, the Chief Minister of Punjab has also written a letter to Amit Shah (Home Minister) for investigating this matter, that is, the connection of and its convenor with these separatist forces, the petition filed through advocate Rudra Vikram Singh said. It said considering the seriousness of the allegation, the home minister has replied to the erstwhile CM of Punjab assuring him of thorough investigation in the matter, and added that considering the life threat to the whistleblower Kumar Vishwas, the Home Ministry has provided Y Category security to him. The allegations were such serious in nature that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had also made an announcement to be aware of these separatist forces and the party who is supported by these separatist forces. Despite the allegations being so serious in nature and there may be a security threat to the country by this Aam Aadmi Party and Party Chief Arvind Kejriwal, no enquiry has been initiated by the Central Government, it said. The petition also sought temporary suspension of AAP's recognition and also bar the party from contesting any elections till the enquiry is completed. The Aam Aadmi Party has made a clean sweep in Punjab after winning 92 of the 117 assembly seats. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The on Tuesday denied any interim relief to Maharashtra cabinet minister and leader Nawab Malik in a case, and refused to pass an order for his release from judicial custody. Malik was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on February 23 this year under the Prevention of Act (PMLA) over a property deal allegedly linked to the aides of fugitive gangster Dawood Ibrahim. He is currently in judicial custody. The minority affairs minister had challenged his arrest and as an interim prayer, sought that he be released from custody immediately. However, a bench of Justices PB Varale and SM Modak on Tuesday denied any such interim relief to Malik. The bench said the minister's petition had raised some debatable issues and the court needed to hear at length the arguments from both sides before passing any final orders. "As certain debatable issues are raised, they require to be heard at length. We are not inclined to allow prayers in the interim application," the HC said. Following his arrest, Malik had filed a habeas corpus plea through senior advocate Amit Desai, claiming that his arrest by the ED and the consequent remands were illegal. He had sought that his arrest in the case be quashed and set aside and in the interim, he be released from custody immediately. The ED has accused Malik of being part of an alleged criminal conspiracy to usurp a property in Kurla area of Mumbai that currently has a market value of Rs 300 crore and belongs rightfully to one Munira Plumber. Malik has contended that he had bought the property in a bonafide transaction three decades ago, and that Plumber has now changed her mind about the transaction. Additional Solicitor General Anil Singha and Hiten Venegaonkar, both ED's counsels, had argued that Malik was arrested following due process under the law. They said the central agency had adequate evidence and eyewitness accounts to prove that Malik had conspired to purchase the property illegally. The ED had also contended that a habeas corpus plea in the present case was not maintainable and Malik should seek bail instead. (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.) National Commission for Women chairperson Rekha Sharma on Tuesday welcomed the decision of Karnataka High Court on ban, saying that students must follow the dress code prescribed inside an educational institution by the administration. "Girls and women have the right to wear anything of their choice and nothing should come in the way of their freedom to choose but inside an educational institution, in my view, students must follow the dress code prescribed by the administration," the chairperson said welcoming the court's decision. Earlier, a Karnataka High Court's special bench dismissed all petitions seeking direction for permission to wear in classrooms. The HC also stated that "wearing of is not an essential part of Islam. Prescription of uniform is constitutional and students can't object to it." The chief further said the verdict will now hopefully put an end to the ongoing controversy and will allow girls to go back to school and continue their education. The hijab row, which started as a protest by six students of the Udupi Pre-University Girl's College in Karnataka, turned into a big crisis. Today, on the day of judgement, security was beefed up across the state as a precautionary measure. A holiday was declared in the districts of Dakshina Kannada, Kalaburagi and Shivamogga for schools and colleges. Most of the districts imposed prohibitory orders in the surrounding areas of educational institutions. The Bengaluru Police Commissioner Kamal Pant issued prohibitory orders restricting protests, celebrations and gatherings in the entire city for seven days from March 15. --IANS uj/shb/ (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 High Court on Tuesday said was not part of the essential religious practice in Islamic faith and effectively upheld the ban against the headscarf in educational institutions in the state by dismissing pleas from seeking nod to wear it in classrooms. A three-judge full Bench of the High Court said the prescription of school uniform is only a reasonable restriction, constitutionally permissible which the students cannot object to, even as the aggrieved petitioner said they would continue their legal battle and termed today's order as "unconstitutional." The court suggested the possibility of some 'unseen hands' behind the row to engineer social unrest and disharmony and expressed dismay over the issue being blown out of proportion during the academic term. A plea challenging the High Court verdict was filed in the Supreme Court on Tuesday by a Muslim student who was one of the petitioners before the high court. The row that broke out at Udupi in January this year soon spread to other parts of the state before witnessing national repercussions, with voices for and against the headscarf, even as it resonated in some foreign countries like Pakistan. Chief Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi-led bench said, "We are of the considered opinion that wearing of by does not form a part of essential religious practice in Islamic faith." The other two judges in the panel were Justice Krishna S Dixit and Justice J M Khazi. It rejected the plea to initiate a disciplinary inquiry against the college, its principal and a teacher. The court also said that school uniform will cease to be a uniform if hijab is also allowed. We are dismayed as to how all of a sudden that too in the middle of the academic term the issue of hijab is generated and blown out of proportion by the powers that be, the Bench noted. State Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said everyone should abide by the verdict of the High Court and cooperate with the state government in implementing it. Muslim Personal Law Board and organisations of other religious groups to appeal against the order. Wont go to college sans hijab: Muslim girls The Udupi whose petitions seeking permission to wear hijab inside the classrooms were dismissed by the High Court said on Tuesday they will not go to college without hijab and fight the case legally till they get justice. They also claimed the verdict was unconstitutional. We had approached the High Court seeking permission to wear hijab in the classrooms. The order has come against us. We will not go to the college without hijab but we will fight for it. We will try all the legal ways. We will fight for justice and our rights, one of the girls said in a press conference in this coastal town. The verdict which came today is unconstitutional...the constitution itself provides us (our rights) to follow my religion and whatever I can wear," the girl stated and also referred to a government order on February 5 banning any cloth that disturbed peace, harmony and public order on the campus. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Government has brought back 22,500 Indians and 147 foreign nationals from and will use the Russia route for the evacuation of students who are still stuck in South Ukraine, External Affairs Minister told Rajya Sabha on Tuesday. In a statement on the situation in the war-hit country, the minister said the students had delayed their return from as some universities discouraged them and "confusing political signals'' were given there before the fighting started. Jaishankar defended the government's stand on the Ukraine-Russia conflict, noting that India has called for an immediate cessation of violence and reiterated at the highest levels to all parties that there is no other choice but the path of diplomacy and dialogue. The minister said 22,500 Indian citizens and 147 foreign nationals of 18 countries, including Nepal and Bangladesh, have been evacuated from . "There are some odd people, not in thousands, they are in double digits. We are tracking them. We have issued repeated advisories saying anybody who is left behind, please tell us wherever you are. At this moment we have an operation to get out some students who are stuck in the South (Ukraine) through the Russia route," Jaishankar said. India prepared in advance of the actual conflict situation and started issuing advisories asking people to leave Ukraine, Jaishankar said, rebutting the Opposition's charge of delayed action by the government. According to the minister, 20,000 Indian nationals registered with the Indian embassy in Ukraine after it started a registration drive. The minister said that 4,000 students left Ukraine through direct and indirect flights. In view of the continued build-up of tension, the Indian Embassy issued an advisory on February 15, 2022 advising Indian nationals in Ukraine whose stay is not essential to leave the country temporarily. It also advised Indian nationals not to travel to Ukraine or to undertake non-essential within Ukraine, the minister said. Further advisories were also given on February 20 and 22 pressing students to leave Ukraine. "Despite our efforts, however, a large majority of students elected to continue staying in Ukraine. We must understand the predicament in this regard. "There was a natural reluctance to leave the educational institutions and affect the studies. Some universities actively discouraged and showed reluctance to offer online courses. Many of them received conflicting advice regarding safety," Jaishankar said. He said that in the period leading to February 24, the political signals were confusing as well. "Public urgings not to be taken by alarmism and reports of force withdrawal created a confusing picture. The net result was that about 18,000 Indian nationals were caught in the midst of conflict when it started," Jaishankar said. The minister said that students did what they thought is right under the circumstance. "The Sumy evacuation, which was the last one on a significant scale, was also extremely complex as our students faced the prospect of being caught in the crossfire. "Their evacuation from the city needed a credible ceasefire, a daunting challenge in the current situation. This finally materialised due to the personal intervention of the Prime Minister himself with the Presidents of Ukraine and Russia," the minister said. He said final year medical student of Kharkiv Medical University Naveen Shekarappa Gyanagaudar lost his life in the conflict zone and the government will bring back his mortal remains. The minister said that the conflict between Ukraine and Russia has major economic implications and these can be seen in the rising prices of energy and commodities. "The Ukraine conflict has major economic implications. Its impact on energy and commodity prices is already visible. The disruption of the global supply chain is expected to be significant. India has substantial dealings with both Russia and Ukraine," Jaishankar said. He said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to the Presidents of Russia and Ukraine on multiple occasions and took up the issue of safe evacuation of Indian nationals, especially from Kharkiv and Sumy. "The prime minister also spoke to the prime ministers of Romania, Slovak Republic and Hungary and the president of Poland to seek their support for facilitation of entry of Indian nationals to their countries. I most sincerely thank these partner nations for opening their doors and helping our citizens in our hour of need," Jaishankar said. The minister said India has expressed deep concern about the worsening situation and called for an immediate cessation of violence and an end to all hostilities. "Our statements at the Security Council and the General Assembly have urged an urgent ceasefire and ensuring safe passage for stranded civilians. "We have reiterated at the highest levels of our leadership to all parties concerned that there is no other choice but the path of diplomacy and dialogue. "We have emphasised to all member States of the UN that the global order is anchored on international law, UN Charter and respect for territorial integrity and sovereignty of states," the minister 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.) The Karnataka High Court dismissed on Tuesday petitions seeking permission to wear in a Karnataka colleges, multiple news reports said. The prescription of school uniform is only a reasonable restriction, constitutionally permissible which the students cannot object to, said a three-judge bench, according to PTI. "We are of the considered opinion that wearing of by Muslim women does not form a part of essential religious practice in Islamic faith," said Chief Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi, who headed the full bench of the High Court. "In the above circumstances, all these writ petitions being devoid of merits are liable to be and accordingly are dismissed. In view of the dismissal of the writ petition, all the pending applications fell into insignificance and are accordingly disposed of," the bench said in its order. The petitioners, including a dozen Muslim students, had appealed that wearing the was a fundamental right guaranteed under Constitution and essential practice of Islam. After eleven days of the hearing, the High Court had reserved its judgment on February 25. The court also rejected the plea to initiate a disciplinary inquiry against the Government Pre-University Girls College in Udupi, its principal and a teacheragainst who Muslim students had filed the petition. The court, in an interim order on February 10, banned all students regardless of their religion or faith from wearing saffron shawls, scarf, hijab, religious flags or the likes within the classroom until further orders. This applied to institutions where college committees have prescribed a dress code/uniform for students, ANI reported. The Karnataka government, anticipating protests against the verdict, had closed schools and colleges in Udupi and Dakshina Kannada districts on Tuesday. Prohibitory orders have been clamped in Belagavi district, Mysuru city (March 15 to 20) and Bengaluru city (March 15 to 21) beginning 6am Tuesday. In the wake of severe heat wave conditions in and neighbouring districts, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has appealed to citizens to stay safe and hydrated and avoid going out in the afternoon. A person suffering from a heat stroke should immediately be taken to hospital, it said, and asked people to increase the intake of water and other healthy fluids. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an 'orange alert' (severe heat wave conditions in some parts) for Tuesday and a 'yellow alert' (heat wave conditions in isolated parts) for Wednesday. It has predicted that the maximum temperature in will be around 40 degrees Celsius over the next two days. On Monday, suburban Santactruz recorded the maximum temperature of 39.6 degrees Celsius, as per the MeT department. In view of the IMD's warning, the civic body took to Twitter to inform citizens about the do's and dont's and asked them to "stay hydrated and safe". To minimise the impact during the heat wave and to prevent a serious ailment or death because of the heat stroke, the also asked people to avoid going out in the sun, especially between 12 noon and 3 pm. It suggested people to carry water while going out in the afternoon. "Drink sufficient water and as often as possible, even if not thirsty," the said and asked people to avoid strenuous activities when the outside temperature is high. It also asked citizens to avoid tea, coffee, soft drinks, high-protein and stale food, and suggested that people use a hat or an umbrella and also use a damp cloth on head, neck, face and limbs if they work outdoors. The also asked people to take ORS (oral rehydration salts) and homemade drinks like lassi, torani (rice water), lemon water and buttermilk which help to re-hydrate the body. Use fans and take bath in cold water frequently, it said. "If a person faints or falls ill, he/she see a doctor immediately," it stated. The BMC also suggested that if a person suffers from sun stroke, he/she should lie in a cool place under a shade. Wipe with a wet cloth or wash the body frequently, and pour normal temperature water on the head, it said. The person should immediately be taken to the nearest health centre, it said. "The patient needs immediate hospitalisation, as heat strokes could be fatal," the civic body 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.) After the High Court dismissed petitions challenging the state government's restriction on wearing of in schools and colleges, the on Tuesday said the onus of ensuring education of the girl child and maintaining peace and harmony lies on the government led by Chief Minister Basavaraj S Bommai. general secretary and chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said the government should ensure that none is allowed to vitiate the atmosphere in schools and colleges and peace is not sacrificed for BJP's agenda of polarisation on communal lines. He said the matter is pending before the Supreme Court and all should await its verdict. "Post judgement of High Court, the onus of ensuring education of the girl child and maintaining peace and harmony in educational institutions remains the responsibility of Bommai Government. The issue is pending in Supreme Court and everyone should await the verdict," he said on Twitter. "Karnataka Government has to ensure - No person or religious group, be it the Bajrang Dal or SDPI or PFI, be permitted to vitiate the environment of Schools and Colleges in Karnataka. Initiate steps for attendance of girl child in schools and colleges, irrespective of religion. "Karnataka Government has to recognise that - 'Dharma' of imparting scientific and modern education to all children isn't abandoned at the altar of political expediency. Peaceful atmosphere and communal amity is not sacrificed for BJP's agenda of polarising the State on communal lines," Surjewala also said. Karnakata president DK Shivakumar said his greatest concern in the controversy is education, and law and order. "The Karnataka High Court has given a judgement but the responsibility for education, law and order and communal harmony is still with the government of Karnataka. "I appeal to the Government of Karnataka to show mature leadership and ensure : That law and order is maintained in and around schools and colleges. That the education of students is not hampered, regardless of religion and gender. That there is communal harmony," Shivakumar said. Congress spokesperson Shama Mohamed said she fails to understand how, wearing a (scarf over the head) violates the uniform of a school/college. "What happened to the fundamental rights written in our constitution," she asked. "In a secular democratic country like India,every woman has the right to wear what she feels comfortable in. No one should dictate to women what they can &cannot wear. In schools, colour co-ordinated head-scarves should be allowed as uniform. Why not allow women the choice," she said on Twitter. Earlier, the Karnataka High Court said hijab was not part of the essential religious practice in Islamic faith and effectively upheld the ban against the headscarf in educational institutions in the state by dismissing pleas from Muslim girls seeking nod to wear it in classrooms. A three-judge full bench of the high court said the prescription of school uniform is only a reasonable restriction, constitutionally permissible which the students cannot object to. While the Karnataka government urged everyone to abide by the order, saying education was primary, Muslim students' body Campus Front of India (CFI) protested against the "anti-constitutional order" and vowed to take all efforts to protect constitutional and individual rights. The government also said it will make attempts to "win the hearts" of the "misguided" Muslim girls. Six girl students of a college in Udupi had attended a press conference held by the CFI in the coastal town in January, protesting against the college authorities denying them entry into the classroom wearing hijab. (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.) Asserting that India's missile system is very reliable and the safety procedures are of the highest order, Defence Minister on Tuesday described the accidental missile release as regrettable and said a review of standard operations and maintenance was being conducted and any shortcoming if found, will be immediately rectified. Making a statement in Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha on the inadvertent release of a missile during an inspection on March 9, Singh said the government had taken serious note of the incident, and a formal high-level inquiry has been ordered which will determine the exact cause of the incident. During routine maintenance and inspection, a missile was accidentally released around 7 pm. It was learnt that the missile had landed inside the territory of . While this incident is regretted, we are relieved that nobody was hurt due to the accident, the minister said. He said armed forces are well-trained and are well experienced in handling such systems. Meanwhile, Pakistan's Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Tuesday rejected as incomplete and insufficient the response by India's defence minister about the accidental firing" of a missile, and once again demanded a joint probe into the incident. The accidental missile had prompted to prepare a retaliatory strike, people familiar with the matter told Bloomberg. had prepared to launch a similar missile to strike India but held back because an initial assessment indicated something was amiss, people familiar with the matter. Several Congress candidates on Tuesday blamed indiscipline in the party and its senior leaders, including Charanjit Singh Channi, for the crushing defeat in the Assembly polls. The Congress leaders said this interacting with the media as AICC in-charge for affairs Harish Chaudhary called a meeting to introspect on the party's defeat. Chaudhary met party candidates and said the meeting was called to find the reasons behind the party's defeat. Outgoing Chief Minister and party's state unit chief Navjot Singh Sidhu were also present at the Congress office. However, both refused to talk to the media. Amarinder Singh Raja Warring, who won from Gidderbaha seat, blamed indiscipline for the party's rout in the elections. "There was indiscipline in the party. People of Punjab felt that we are somewhere non-serious. There were several reasons but it was one of them," said Warring. Replying to a question, Warring said anybody who created indiscipline should be "thrown out of the party". Darshan Brar, who lost from Bagha Purana, blamed statements of and Sunil Jakhar for hurting prospects of the Congress. He expressed his displeasure over Jakhar's last month's statement, in which he had claimed that 42 MLAs wanted him to be the CM. Brar said Channi's "UP de Bhaiye" remark went against the party in the elections. Gurpreet Singh, who lost from the Bassi Pathana assembly seat, squarely blamed Channi for the party's crushing defeat in the polls. He said the Congress announced Sidhu as the party's chief ministerial face, it would have won at least 50 seats. "CM Channi is the only reason for the party's defeat. People did not like Channi as the CM face at all. Had (Navjot) Sidhu been announced as the CM, we would have won at least 50 seats," said Gurpreet Singh. When pointed out that Sidhu himself lost from his Amritsar East seat, Gurpreet Singh blamed Channi again. "If Charanjit Channi was the CM face then what could Sidhu do," he said. The Punjab leader said how could people of Punjab listen to Channi when his brother does not. Channi's brother Manohar Singh contested as an Independent from Bassi Pathana against Gurpreet Singh. "Is it the job of the CM to dance or milk a goat," he said, taking a dig at Channi. Instead, Channi should have focused on improving health and education sectors and job creation, said Gurpreet Singh. Replying to a question, he said as a huge sum of money was seized from Channi's nephew following the Enforcement Directorate raid, he should not have been declared as the chief ministerial face by the party high command. The former Congress MLA also alleged that Channi was richer than former chief minister Amarinder Singh. Congress candidate and outgoing minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu, who lost from Ludhiana West, said, "The reasons because of which we lost the elections will be out in the open soon. I do not think that the party was weak or we lost because of the leadership." A blame game has commenced within the Punjab Congress over the drubbing in the polls. AAP romped home by winning 92 seats in the 117-member Punjab Assembly. The Congress was routed in the elections and could win only 18 seats. On Monday, former state Congress chief Sunil Jakhar had hit out at Channi and called him a liability whose "greed pulled the party down". Without taking her name, Jakhar had also targeted senior party leader Ambika Soni for trying to project Channi as an asset. On Sunday, former Punjab minister and senior Congress leader Balbir Singh Sidhu, who lost from Mohali, had said that the Congress leadership scripted its own defeat by giving power to turncoats and opportunists who were alien to the Congress, its history and its culture. (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.) Several Ukrainian medical universities have started online classes, giving a ray of hope to the who feared a bleak future after fleeing the war-torn country amid a fierce Russian military offensive. Some students are, however, concerned about not being able attend practical classes. Several medical universities, mostly located in western Ukraine, have started online classes from Monday as holding physical classes in Ukraine has become impossible amid continued shelling by Russian forces. Other universities have also planned to resume online classes in the coming days, according to the . Danylo Halytsky Lviv Medical University, Ivano-Frankivsk Medical University, Vinnytsia Pirogov Medical University and Bogomolets National Medical University have started online classes from Monday. The said their teachers are taking classes from their home or safe places amid continued shelling. Kanishk, a first-year student at Danylo Halytsky Lviv National Medical University said he is relieved that the classes have resumed as they were uncertainties around their future. "Something is better than nothing. I am happy that the classes have resumed, finally. We were really worried about what would happen to our future now that Ukraine is engaged in a war with Russia," Kanishk told PTI. Kanishk said he and other students received a notice from the Dean's office about the resumption of classes from March 14. "As of today, the university is working and is ready to resume education online," the notification read. Another first-year student Manogya said the classes resumed on Monday and termed it a "very emotional" moment. "Teachers got very emotional. We discussed a little about the war. They have been teaching us from hideouts and safe places. I am glad the classes have resumed," she said. Giving details about the classes, she said, "We had four classes yesterday from 12:30 till 7. Today also, we have several classes. The time table has been provided to us. Its good and I am happy to see the effort of the teachers even during such times." Thousands of Indian students had to leave their studies mid-way and flee Ukraine following the Russian offensive. As part of the Indian government's Operation Ganga, over 20,000 Indian students have already been brought back from Ukraine. "We know it (online classes) is not enough. But it is still better as finally, we can resume our studies," Kinjal Chauhan, a Vinnytsia National Pirogov Medical student said. The students have also been informed that their exams will also be held online. "We will have vivas daily with a daily test on a site called Misa," Manogya said. The Kharkiv National Medical University is expected to start online classes from March 21. "Our university has announced that online classes will start from March 21. It is a good news that the classes are resuming," Aousaf Hussain (25), a student of the varsity said. However, a major concern among students still is not being able to attend practical classes. "Practical classes have not been held so far. Teachers are giving presentations and showing us slides to ensure maximum understanding. They are also recording videos of chemical reactions so that it is easier for us to understand," said Kanishk. (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.) Right ahead of the Covid-19 vaccination programme for 12-14 year old children, Pune based (SII) has now urged the Centre to include Covovax, the Novavax vaccine, in the children vaccination drive. Sources close to the development said that SII has urged the government to include Covovax in the national Covid19 immunisation drive for 12 years and above. SII has written to the Union Health Ministry urging them to use the vaccine for adolescents too in the government programme. The company has also indicated that they already have queries from several institutions, schools, hospitals, public sector undertakings (PSUs) etc to use the vaccine, and is looking to price it at Rs 900 per dose (excluding GST) in the private market, the source cited above said. The company is also keen to supply to the public immunisation drive, but has not indicated any price for supplying to the Centre. SII has written a letter to Union health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan saying that it is waiting for the health ministrys directions for supplies of Covovax to the Government of India. The vaccine already has a nod from the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) for use in children 12 years and above. However, the Centre has announced that it would use only Corbevax, the Biological E vaccine, for vaccinating the 71.1 mn children falling in the age group 12-14 years. Meanwhile, after a brief controversy broke out on Monday with one member of the National Technical Advisory Group (NTAGI) saying that the vaccine think tank had not approved vaccinating children below 15 years. Government sources, however, pointed out that the NTAGI was okay with expanding the Covid19 vaccination drive to below 15 year olds and that the vaccinations for 12-14 year olds will start from Wednesday. Co-Win registrations for this segment will start from March 16, said a senior government official. Attempts to reach NTAGi chief NK Arora were not successful. J P Muliyil, epidemiologist at CMC Vellore and member of the working group of National Technical Advisory Group (NTAGI) had said on Monday that the they were not in favour of expanding the vaccination drive to include more younger children after the Omicron wave, as there was no scientific evidence that it would be beneficial. At the same time, his peer His peer T Jacob John, senior virologist and former head of the departments of clinical virology and microbiology at Christian Medical College, Vellore said that it is better to go ahead with vaccinations, collect evidence and then if evidence shows that vaccination is not necessary, then do away with it. "But deciding to not vaccinate because of lack of scientific evidence may prove to be risky. Even if there is a single child's death in that case, it would be on our conscience," John told Business Standard. External Affairs Minister on Tuesday said were positively discouraged by universities in Ukraine from leaving. In his statement on the situation in the war-torn country, he said that 22,500 Indian citizens have returned safely from Ukraine. "Despite our efforts, however, a large majority of students elected to continue staying in Ukraine. We must understand the predicament in this regard. There was natural reluctance to leave the educational institutions and affect the studies. Some universities actively discourage and showed reluctance to offer online courses. Many of them received conflicting advice regarding safety," Jaishankar said. He said that in the period leading to February 24, the political signals were confusing as well. "Public urgings not to be taken by alarmism and reports of force withdrawal created a confusing picture. The net result was that about 18000 Indian nationals were caught in the midst of conflict when it started," Jaishankar said. The minister said that students did what they thought is right under the circumstance. He said that India prepared in advance of the actual conflict situation. He said the Indian embassy in Ukraine had started registration drive for India nationals in January and as a result 20,000 Indian nationals registered with Indian embassy. The minister said that 4,000 students left Ukraine through direct and indirect flights. He said that India also rescued 147 foreign nationals of 18 countries including Nepal and Bangladesh from Ukraine. The minister said that the conflict between Ukraine and Russia has major economic implications and same can be seen in the rising prices of energy and commodities. "The Ukraine conflict has major economic implications. Its impact on energy and commodity prices is already visible. The disruption of global supply chain is expected to be significant. India has substantial dealing with both Russia and Ukraine," Jaishankar 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.) MLAs in Telangana, who had been suspended during the Budget session of Legislative Assembly, on Tuesday said they would hold a protest fast on March 17 against the TRS government's alleged undemocratic attitude. "... the Chief Minister (K Chandrasekhar Rao) may stop our voice in the Assembly. But, he cannot do it outside," floor leader in the Assembly Raja Singh told reporters here, flanked by two other party MLAs Eatala Rajender and M Raghunandan Rao. He said the protest fast would be held from 11 AM to 5 PM on March 17 at the Indira Park here. Other leaders, including former MPs and MLAs, would also attend the protest, Singh said. Raghunandan Rao said Assembly Speaker Pocharam Srinivasa Reddy rejected their request to allow them to attend the House when they met him, as per state High Court's directive, before the commencement of the session on Tuesday. He also said they would continue their legal battle and approach the on the matter. Meanwhile, state Legislative Affairs Minister Vemula Prashant Reddy hit out at the BJP over allegations of hurting democracy, citing instances of suspension of opposition MLAs from legislatures in BJP-ruled states. The Telangana High Court on Monday directed the three BJP MLAs, suspended during the Budget session, to appear before the State Legislative Assembly Speaker on March 15 to present their views. The three -- Raja Singh, Raghunandan Rao and Eatala Rajender -- were suspended on March 7, when the Budget session began, for the rest of the session. The Budget session of the Assembly was adjourned sine die on Tuesday. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu on Monday highlighted the importance of evidence-based to ensure that governance is responsive to the changes and disruptions around us. He also called for constant rethink and readjustment of policies and programs as per emerging needs and requirements. Interacting with the participants of ISB's Advanced Management Programme in Public Policy (AMPPP) at Upa-Rashtrapati Nivas today, the Vice President called for developing innovative business models to find solutions to everyday problems faced by the common man such as solid waste management or monetization of crop waste to help farmers and check air pollution. Stating that India is going through unprecedented transformation on every front, Naidu listed various reforms such as increased use of IT to ensure transparency and ease of service delivery, GST, RERA, and labour codes. "These steps are leading to a better and conducive environment to do business in India," he said. Quoting the World Bank and IMF projections of the high growth rate of the Indian economy, the Vice President underlined that the country holds tremendous potential and opportunities for entrepreneurs and investors. "To bring about the desired change, it is important that the government and private sector work together and build a better and stronger India," he said. Talking about the rapid pace of urbanization in India, the Vice President said it presents its own set of challenges and opportunities. "Our policymakers will have to ensure that urban citizens have access to affordable housing, education, and healthcare," he added, urging all states and the private sector to come together to make our cities vibrant and inclusive living spaces. The Vice President called for bridging the urban-rural divide and said that "efforts must be made to make people in rural areas feel included as part of the developmental journey of the country". Stressing that the ultimate goal of any policy, innovation or institution is to make people's lives happier and more comfortable, Naidu called for increasing people's participation in governance and policy formulation. Stressing on the importance of the 'delivery' component of public services, the Vice President called for dynamism in and administration. Describing agriculture as the mainstay of the Indian economy, the Vice President called for making every effort to ensure that our farmers get remunerative prices for their crops and their household incomes rise to decent levels. Towards this end, he wanted climate-resilient organic farming to be promoted in a big way. In this context, he cited the success of Sikkim in shifting to organic farming. Noting that farmers are worst affected by the vagaries of the weather, Naidu suggested that the farming community should be incentivized to diversify cropping patterns and be encouraged to take up allied activities to make agriculture profitable. He also suggested that policymakers should study the low uptake of crop insurance in certain areas and find solutions for it. The Vice President further said that the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the need for self-reliance in critical technologies and called upon everyone to strive for building an Atma Nirbhar Bharat. "Let us build a strong, stable, peaceful, and prosperous India where there will be no poverty, illiteracy, gender and social discrimination," he said. Citing India's recent success in developing its own indigenous COVID vaccine and achieving the milestone of more than 180 crore doses, Naidu exuded confidence that "nothing is impossible to achieve if India sets its sights on it". He appreciated the Indian School of Business for conducting the course with a special focus on Public Policy. The course titled - 'Advanced Management Programme in Public Policy (AMPPP)' is meant to hone the managerial skills of the working professionals in the public and private sectors. The Vice President expressed hope that a mixed batch of private and public sector mid-career students will help in cross-learning from each other. (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 day after an under-construction building collapsed in the Kashmere Gate area, the AAP on Tuesday said it will lodge an FIR against the chief, North mayor and others alleging the construction permit given under the civic body's Saral scheme was "illegal". Addressing a press conference at the party headquarters, leader Durgesh Pathak said a property measuring 50-100 sq yards is entitled to get its construction plans approved under the Saral scheme. But in the case of the three-storey building that collapsed on Monday, the North Municipal Corporation approved the construction under the scheme even though the total area of the property exceeded the limit, he claimed. "It's a criminal act as the total area of the property, approved by the North MCD, was 180 sq yards," Pathak claimed. He demanded a thorough investigation and the strictest punishment for the guilty. "We will file an FIR against the (BJP) councillor, Mayor and president (Adesh Gupta). We will demand the strictest action against them," he said. Three workers were injured after the under-construction building collapsed in the Kashmere Gate area in central Delhi on Monday. Five workers were rescued safely. The AAP leader alleged that the construction plan of the building could not have been passed without the "knowledge and involvement" of the Delhi leaders and North Delhi Municipal Corporation mayor. Pathak said AAP MLA Prahlad Singh Sawhney had written to the civic body's mayor commissioner and "all other authorities concerned" on December 21, saying the construction project was "completely illegal" and action should be taken against it. "He also sent a WhatsApp message to the commissioner on December 8 and December 9. Sawhney wrote two more letters, one on February 8 and another on February 9... Why didn't they take any action? It's because they had taken a bribe," he alleged. AAP MLA Sawhney also wrote to Delhi LG Anil Baijal on February 9 with "facts and figures", cautioning that the building being constructed poses a threat to the lives of the people, Pathak 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.) With the Karnataka High Court upholding the state government's decision on restrictions on inside classrooms, the the Primary and Secondary Education Minister B C Nagesh on Tuesday said we will try to win the hearts of the 'misguided' who are against the move, and 'bring them in the mainstream of education'. He also said the shortcomings in the Karnataka Education Act-1983, especially the one related to the school uniform, will be rectified. "We will try to win the hearts of those girls who were 'misguided'. We will try to bring them in the mainstream of education," Nagesh told reporters. He was reacting to the High Court order which said (headscarf) was not an essential religious practice in . "I have faith that the girls will come to the college and continue their education because the people of Karnataka neither speak against the court verdict nor go against it. I believe that these girls were misguided. They will be 'all right' in the coming days," he added. On the anomalies in the KEA-1983, he said, "Based on the judgment, the Karnataka government will try to rectify the certain confusions in the KEA." According to him, school uniforms help in instilling patriotic feeling. "We all knew for many years that school Uniform helps in instilling patriotic feeling. We will make uniform mandatory to make students realise that they are the children of the nation," Nagesh said. Meanwhile, Karnataka Home Minister Araga Jnanendra too welcomed the High Court order upholding the government order regarding the mandatory school uniform. "Everyone should abide by the HC order. Maintaining the law and order is everyone's responsibility," he said. Jnanendra added that the police have taken all kinds of precautionary measures to avoid any untoward incident in the wake of the High Court order. The Karnataka High Court today dismissed petitions filed by some girl students studying in two Government Pre-University colleges in Udupi district, seeking permission to wear inside classrooms. The prescription of school uniform is only a reasonable restriction, constitutionally permissible which the students cannot object to, a three-judge bench of the court further noted. The bench also maintained that the government has power to issue impugned government order dated February 5, 2022 and no case is made out for its invalidation. By the said order, the state government had banned wearing clothes which disturb equality, integrity and public order in schools and colleges. (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.) Gujarat's stood at Rs 3,00,963 crore as per the revised estimates of 2020-21, the state Assembly was informed on Tuesday. The information was given by state Finance Minister Kanu Desai in response to a written query raised by MLA Punja Vansh during Question Hour. In a written reply to a sub-question about interest paid on loans taken in the last two years, Desai said the state had paid Rs 20,293 crore as interest and Rs 16,701 crore as principal amount in 2019-20, while in 2020-21, interest paid stood at Rs 22,099 crore and the principal was Rs 17,918 crore. During the discussion, MLA Vansh claimed 10 per cent of the budget was going into paying interest on loans taken by the state and asked the minister why debts were spiralling with each passing year. However, Desai replied that the state debt was well within the prescribed limits, adding that, as per the present debt-to- ratio, the state government can bear a debt of Rs 4,50,000 crore. "The debt of a state is an indicator of development. Our debt is nearly 21 per cent of the state GDP, which is well within the prescribed limits. The Congress-led Punjab's debt-to- ratio is nearly 53 per cent. Our debt is increasing because we are spending on developmental works, such as Sardar Sarovar project," Desai told the House. (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 will issue at least 240 billion rupees ($3.3 billion) in sovereign green bonds as the country marks a shift towards a low-carbon economy, according to officials with knowledge of the matter. The debut sale may take place in the first half of the fiscal year that starts on April 1, and a decision to sell more green debt will depend on the response to the initial issuance, the people said, requesting not to be identified as the information is private, said. A finance ministry spokesman was not immediately available for a comment. The South Asian countrys maiden foray into the green bond space comes as it plans to fund renewable energy projects that will help meet its goal of net-zero emissions by 2070. The government is expecting lower yields on green bonds, as otherwise it sees little purpose in issuing them, the officials said. The yield on the 10-year sovereign bond closed at 6.85% on Monday. The planned issuance comes amid a global boom in sustainable investments. India is the worlds third-biggest emitter of greenhouse gases and plans to more than quadruple its renewable power generation capacity by 2030. Indian renewable energy companies raised debt worth 17.6 billion rupees in February, the most in nearly a year, data compiled by Bloomberg show. Indian sugar exports are seen climbing to 7.5 million tonnes in the 2021/22 season, up from the prior seasons 7.1 million, Abinash Verma, Director General of the Indian Sugar Mills Association said on Tuesday. We believe that we have signed contracts for 6.3 million tonnes in the current season already and contracts are getting signed pretty fast in India every week, Verma told a sugar conference in Dubai. Verma said Indian was expected to climb to 33.3 million tonnes in the 2021/22 season, up from the prior season's 31.2 million. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The number of farmers in Madhya Pradesh registering to sell wheat to state agencies has dropped by more than 17 per cent because of the rush for the cereal on the part of private players. This is owing to the spike in global prices because of the Russia-Ukraine crisis. Official sources said until March 10 (which was the last date for registration), around 1.98 million farmers applied to sell wheat to government agencies, while last year during the same period it was around 2.4 million. This has happened after a long time in Madhya Pradesh, one of the foremost of the states ... Domestic traders' body Confederation of All India (CAIT) has called for setting up of a specialised regulator for the e-commerce sector to protect the interests of small businesses and . According to the traders body, different e-commerce entities are currently being regulated by different entities, resulting in a piecemeal approach and creating confusion among various stakeholders. Considering rapid growth of this sector and its unique sectoral issues has suggested the setting up of a regulator under the e-commerce policy that is being finalised by the government. Owing to the technicality of e-commerce platforms, and the web of several stakeholders with different concerns, it is desirable to have such a regulator to implement the inclusive e-commerce policy, which would have ex ante regulations to be applicable in e-commerce segment, for the benefit of the entire ecosystem, secretary general Praveen Khandelwal said while releasing a white paper on e-commerce on Tuesday. He said the regulator should direct marketplaces to not provide any discounts as it has an effect of being discriminatory and distortionary. Currently, the e-commerce space is governed by Foreign Direct Investment Policy, Competition Act, 2002, Consumer Protection Act, 2019 and E-Commerce Rules, 2019, Information Technology Act, 2000. The white paper contains a set of 27 recommendations for the government to be incorporated in the proposed e-commerce policy and nine recommendations for the amendments planned under consumer protection rules on e-commerce. The government must address the concerns emanating from lack of platform neutrality, excessive discounting, unfair usage of data. The e-commerce policy should give a due weightage to aforementioned concerns while formulating the way ahead for the industry, the white paper said. It also said that the e-commerce policy should direct marketplaces to not provide any discounts as it has an effect of being discriminatory and distortionary. The release of the white paper comes in the backdrop of the government in the process of finalising the policy. The industry department is holding inter-ministerial consultations for the national e-commerce policy that will spell out the responsibilities of marketplaces, sellers, and ensure that consumers are able to take an informed decision before purchasing a product. The Consumer affairs ministry had proposed another set of guidelines for etailers in June last year. While the ministry has completed stakeholder consultation, rules are yet to be finalized. Interestingly, both set of rules are yet to be rolled out by the respective government departments. Any change in policy or an introduction of a new rule or a policy, have faced criticism for adding to the compliance burden for e-commerce companies or being too harsh. In fact, about a year ago, DPIIT had internally proposed creation of a regulator for the e-commerce sector, which was rejected by most ministries during inter-ministerial consultation. According to CAIT, e-commerce is presently dominated by a few big platforms and a few big sellers, who are generally affiliated to the platforms. This often puts smaller sellers in a disadvantageous position as it reduces their visibility in the market. Although the market size of e-commerce has grown, the small sellers have not seen the benefits at the same pace. Therefore, it is important to formulate a policy for e-commerce with a focus on all the stakeholders, it said. The National Bank for Financing Infrastructure and Development (NaBFID) will that are part of the country's Rs 6 trillon National Monetisation Pipeline. The asset monetisation will free up resources that will come back to industry. There is large aggregate demand for resources, K V Kamath, chairman NABFID said addressing convention of Indian Construction Equipment Manufacturer's Association in Mumbai. The aggregate asset pipeline under NMP over the four-year period, FY 2022-2025, is indicatively valued at Rs six trillion. The top five sectors (by estimated value) capture about 83 per cent of the aggregate pipeline value. These five sectors include: Roads (27%) followed by Railways (25%), Power (15%), oil & gas pipelines (8%) and Telecom (6%). Kamath said Bank with a capital base of Rs 20,000 crore will provide funding to in public sector as well as private sector. It will begin business by approving the first loan for the project in the first quarter of the new financial year (2022-23) beginning April 2022. At present, selection for key positions including chief executive officer (CEO) is under way. Thw government owned funding agency is looking at lending of Rs 3-4 trillion in next three years or so. The emphasis in funding will be on having the righ sit tenor (loan period) and right price. The funding environment has gone through change in last 20 years with emergence of institutions like insurance and pension funds which raise ling term liabilities. They need to deploy fund in the long term . The infrastructure projects provide that opportunities, he said. Besides NaBFID, there will be more long term lenders. Commercial banks will step in when there are opportunities more so with arrangement for managing unforseen risks. In the last three-four years, banks have cleaned up books, have healthy capital adequacy and non performing are less. Bank clients - corporates are also in much better shape with lower gearing levels, Kamath added. A dissident legal scholar who was jailed for two years in after participating in the 1989 Tiananmen Square pro-democracy movement was killed Monday in his law firm's office in New York, where he had settled after seeking asylum in the U.S., police said. Li Jinjin, 66, was stabbed to death in the city where he had long worked as an immigration lawyer, even as he continued to advocate publicly for the many people jailed or killed by Chinese authorities during the nation's democracy movement. An arrest was made in his killing. Police said Xiaoning Zhang, 25, was taken into custody and faces a murder charge. It wasn't immediately clear when she would be arraigned or if she had retained an attorney. Chuang Chuang Chen, the CEO of the Democracy Party, and lawyer Wei Zhu, a friend of Li's, both told The Daily News that the killing might have stemmed from Li's refusal to take Zhang on as a client. Zhang came to the U.S. in August on an F-1 student visa to go to school in Los Angeles, Chen told the Daily News. Li, who also went by the first name Jim, was often quoted in recent years by news organizations looking for insight or commentary on the Chinese dissident community or on relations between and the West. As an immigration lawyer, he also represented some Chinese expatriates living in the U.S. who were considered fugitives by that country. Prior to his imprisonment for protesting, Li had been a legal adviser to an independent labor union that had challenged China's government on worker rights. I can't believe it. She not only destroyed his life, but the hope of our community, Zhu told the newspaper. He wanted to realize democracy in China. He will never realize that dream. (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 Shanghai pedestrian swarmed by hazmat-clad health officials, police tape wrapped around entire blocks, and panic buying at a Shenzhen shopping centre: is returning to virus controls many hoped it had long left behind. The country is facing its worst Covid-19 outbreak since the first wave of the pandemic emerged in Wuhan in late 2019. While the daily caseload is comparatively small, around 5,300 were recorded on Tuesday, the Omicron variant is shaking Beijings zero-Covid strategy and that means the return of mass testing and tough restrictions on movement. The government is looking to stem an outbreak that has seen symptomatic cases confirmed in 28 of the 31 mainland provinces. The city of Langfang, located just 55 kilometers from Beijing, joined Shenzhen and Jilin province in imposing lockdowns as more than 45 million people are restricted from leaving their homes. flights are being diverted from Shanghai to ease pressure on quarantine hotels and isolation facilities while trucking is being hit by delays as drivers undergo more stringent testing requirements. Nearly half of Hong Kongs population has already caught Covid, according to a study, while South Korea could relax social distancing rules for private gatherings and restaurants. Vietnam clarified the rules on Covid patients, telling them to stay at home. even as the number of container ships waiting off Qingdao, one of Chinas biggest ports, is continuing to rise. US data warns of new bump in cases after lull A wastewater network that monitors for Covid-19 trends is warning that cases are once again rising in many parts of the US, according to an analysis of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data by Bloomberg. More than a third of the CDCs wastewater sample sites across the US showed rising Covid-19 trends during early March, though reported cases have stayed near a recent low. The number of sites with rising signals of Covid-19 cases is nearly twice what it was during the February 1 to February 10 period, when the wave of Omicron-variant cases was fading rapidly. British Prime Minister on Tuesday underscored his drive for energy independence, saying the West's failure to wean itself from Russian oil and natural gas after the annexation of Crimea paved the way for the invasion of . Western countries made a terrible mistake in returning to normal economic relations with after the Crimean incursion and becoming even more dependent on Russian energy exports, Johnson wrote in a front page article in The Telegraph newspaper. And so when (Vladimir Putin) finally came to launch his vicious war in Ukraine, he knew the world would find it very hard to punish him. He knew that he had created an addiction, he said. That is why he feels able to bomb maternity hospitals. That is why he is emboldened enough to launch indiscriminate assaults on fleeing families. Ending the world's dependence on Russian energy will starve Putin of cash, Johnson said as he made the case for the U.K. government's plan to phase out imports of oil and gas from by the end of this year. To replace Russian energy and cut carbon emissions, the U.K. must expand production of wind power, and invest in other forms of renewable energy including solar, tidal, geothermal and hydroelectric power plants, Johnson said. The U.K. must also reverse the historic mistake of moving away from nuclear energy, 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.) is set to visit and meet with its crown prince for talks on oil supplies, as he stressed that the West must end its dependence on Russian energy. Johnson will also use the trip to press to condemn Russia's invasion of Ukraine, a Foreign Office official said Tuesday. Ahead of the trip, Johnson said Western leaders made a terrible mistake by letting Russian President Vladimir Putin get away with annexing Crimea in 2014. He wrote in the Daily Telegraph that Western addiction to Russian fuel had emboldened Putin's invasion of Ukraine. We cannot go on like this. The world cannot be subject to this continuous blackmail, Johnson wrote. As long as the West is economically dependent on Putin, he will do all he can to exploit that dependence." Officials have not confirmed details about the visit to but Johnson will reportedly meet with Crown Prince this week in the hope the Gulf state can increase its production of fuel supplies. The visit has met with an outcry of protest from UK lawmakers, coming just days after Saudi Arabia said it executed 81 people in the largest known mass execution carried out in the kingdom in its modern history. Defending his trip, Johnson told reporters in London that if we are going to stand up to Putin's bullying, it will be necessary to talk to other producers. His spokesman told reporters that Johnson will raise the issue of executions reported in Saudi Arabia during his visit. We routinely raise human rights issues with other countries, including with Saudi Arabia, and we'll raise Saturday's executions with the government in Riyadh," the spokesman said. Johnson's government announced last week that the UK will phase out the import of Russian oil and oil products by the end of the year. But the UK is much less reliant on Russia fuel than its European allies, taking about 3% of gas from Russia, Johnson 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.) In a meeting with US officials in Rome, urged and to exercise "maximum restraint" in the ongoing war that has continued for 20 days as of Tuesday, the media reported. The remarks were made by Yang Jiechi, who heads China's Central Foreign Affairs Commission, during the seven-hour meeting with US National Security Adviser (NSA) Jake Sullivan in the Italian capital on Monday. "All parties should exercise maximum restraint, protect civilians and prevent a large-scale humanitarian crisis," the BBC quoted Jiechi as saying in a read-out summary of the meeting published by on Tuesday. was committed to promoting peace talks, and "the community should push the situation to cool down as soon as possible", he said. Yang however, added that the "legitimate concerns of all parties" would need to be addressed. During the meeting, the US NSA raised a range of issues in US-China relations, with substantial discussion of Russia's war against Ukraine, the White House said in a readout. Yang and Sullivan also "underscored the importance of maintaining open lines of communication between the United States and China", it added. According to the White House, Monday's meeting was a follow up on the November 15, 2021 virtual summit between US President Joe Biden and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping. Since launched its war on February 24, China has refrained from condemning Moscow, saying that its "security concerns" should be taken seriously, reports the BBC. At the same time, China has also expressed "unwavering support" for Ukraine's sovereignty. Meanwhile, US security officials have accused China of signalling its willingness to supply with weapons, a claim which Beijing has dismissed as "disinformation". --IANS ksk/ (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The has announced that the 27-nation bloc has approved a new set of sanctions to punish Moscow for its invasion of . France, which holds the EU presidency, said the bloc in consultation with our partners, has approved a fourth package of sanctions targeting individuals and entities involved in the aggression against Ukraine, as well as several sectors of the Russian economy. The French presidency said in a late Monday statement that the bloc also approved a declaration to the World Trade Organization on suspending the application of the most-favoured-nation clause for and suspending the examination of Belarus' application for accession to the WTO. If is suspended, its companies would no longer receive special treatment throughout the bloc. The announcements were in line with what leaders had announced at the Versailles summit last Friday, that a stringent package of sanctions would be upcoming if continued its invasion of . The exact details of the latest package of sanctions will only be known upon publication in the EU's official journal. Since the war started last month, the EU has adopted tough measures targeting Russian President Vladimir Putin, Russia's financial system and its high-maintenance oligarchs. Last week, the bloc's nations agreed to slap further sanctions on 160 individuals and added new restrictions on the export of maritime navigation and radio communication technology. They also decided to exclude three Belarusian banks from SWIFT, the dominant system for global financial transactions. Altogether, EU restrictive measures now apply to a total of 862 individuals and 53 entities. In a statement published after the summit, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the fourth package of sanctions will further isolate Russia and drain the resources it uses to finance this barbaric war. She said the EU will work in lockstep with Group of Seven countries to ramp up the pressure against Moscow. Efforts to agree on an oil boycott against Russia are complicated, because some EU countries, including Germany and Italy, are much more dependent than on Russian energy. Showing the range within the EU, Poland gets 67 per cent of its oil from Russia while Ireland receives only five per cent. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A restaurant group in the US has sued for directing customers to unauthorised Google-branded food ordering web pages rather than sending them to the restaurant's own website. The Florida-based restaurant group called Left Field Holdings, that runs Lime Fresh Mexican Grill franchises, alleged in the lawsuit that employs "bait-and-switch" tactics by placing its "Order Online" button at the top of restaurants' profile panels on the search engine, reports Ars Technica. The large blue button redirects users to a food. .com page where they can select items from a restaurant's menu and then place an order through a variety of food delivery companies like GrubHub, DoorDash, or Seamless -- and not through the restaurant itself. These services take a commission from participating restaurants -- as high as 15 to 30 per cent in many cases. "Google never bothered to obtain permission from the restaurants to sell their products online," the lawsuit read. "Google purposefully designed its websites to appear to the user to be offered, sponsored, and approved by the restaurant, when they are not -- a tactic, no doubt, employed by Google to increase orders and clicks." In a statement to Ars Technica, Google said late on Monday it would defend against the lawsuit. "Our goal is to connect customers with restaurants they want to order food from and make it easier for them to do it through the 'Order Online' button," a company spokesperson was quoted as saying. "We do not receive any compensation for orders or integrations with this feature," the company added. When users click the "Order Online" button, they're directed to a page that contains links to food delivery companies, complete with their logos. "The restaurant's own site gets a link as well, though it's a small, generic 'website' button. In some cases, Google provides an interface for assembling an order, complete with prices and descriptions of the menu items," according to the report. "Google's 'Order Online' button leads to an unauthorised online storefront -- one owned and controlled by Google -- wherein consumers can place orders for the restaurant's products, all under the restaurant's trade name," the lawsuit read. --IANS na/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.) reported a 23% rise in first quarter sales on Tuesday, which was in line with market expectations, as the world's second-biggest fashion retailer attempts to build on its recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. Shares in Sweden's H&M, which did not give any comment in its statement, were down 3% in early trade as analysts focused on the potential impact of the Ukraine crisis on its business in Central and Eastern Europe and wider global repurcussions. Net sales in H&M's fiscal first quarter from December through February, its seasonally slowest, were up by 18% in local currency terms, at 49.2 billion crowns ($5.13 billion), compared to an average forecast from analysts polled by Refinitiv of 49.1 billion crowns. Credit Suisse said in a note the figures implied a slowdown in local-currency sales growth to around 14% in February, from the around 20% flagged previously for December-January. earlier this month temporarily closed its stores in Russia, which last quarter accounted for 4% of group sales, joining a growing list of shunning the country over its invasion of Ukraine. RBC analyst Richard Chamberlain said he had cut profit estimates for for this year and next by around 10%, pointing to the Russia store closures but also the fact Central and Eastern Europe account for some 12% of group sales. Less than a month before Russia invaded Ukraine, H&M had drawn a line under the pandemic, and several tough years before that, reporting a jump in profit and saying it was hiking investments with the aim of doubling sales by 2030. Credit Suisse analysts noted that while Russia accounts for a small share of H&M's sales, the Ukraine crisis could result in a material effect on global disposable income and demand. Russia, which calls its actions in Ukraine a "special military operation", has proposed nationalising assets of foreign firms that leave in the wake of economic sanctions. H&M will publish its full quarterly earnings report on March 31. Its biggest rival Inditex, the owner of Zara, is due to report quarterly results on March 16. (Reporting by Anna Ringstrom; editing by Niklas Pollard and Alexander Smith) (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Japan has decided to freeze assets of an additional 17 Russian individuals, bringing the total number targeted by sanctions over Russia's invasion of Ukraine to 61, the Ministry of Finance said on Tuesday. The step was taken after the United States on Friday imposed sanctions on a slew of Russian individuals including billionaire Viktor Vekselberg and 12 members of the Duma, Russia's lower house of parliament. Vekselberg was also targeted in the sanctions by Japan, as well as 11 members of the Duma and five family members of banker Yuri Kovalchuk, the finance ministry said. Japan will act in line with other Group of Seven (G7) nations on sanctions, said the government's top spokesman, Hirokazu Matsuno. "As for sanctions hereafter, we'll continue to watch conditions and, along with other G7 nations, respond appropriately," Matsuno told reporters at a news conference. Tokyo has also imposed sanctions on Russia's central bank and seven private banks, among other organisations, as well as various Belarusian individuals and banks and organisations from the country over its support of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi told reporters that the Ukraine crisis showed the need to reform the U.N. Security Council, where Russia has a permanent seat, and he said Japan would press its case to become a permanent member. As part of stronger curbs against Moscow, Japan also said it will widen an export ban to Russia by including 31 items such as semiconductors, communication equipment, sensors and radar, as well as 26 technology packages from Friday. (Reporting by Daniel Leussink, Kantaro Komiya, Tetsushi Kajimoto and Elaine Lies; Editing by Chang-Ran Kim,Edwina Gibbs & Simon Cameron-Moore) (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) South Korean flag carrier Korean Air Lines Co. said on Tuesday that it will suspend routes to Russia until the end of April due to safety concerns amidst Moscow's ongoing invasion of . Korean Air will temporarily halt the operation of passenger jets to Moscow and Vladivostok, and cargo planes that are bound for Europe via Moscow until the end of next month, Yonhap News Agency quoted the company as saying in a statement. Flights on some routes from Incheon to Europe and the US will take a detour to avoid the Russian and airspace, it said. Affected routes include the routes to London, Paris, Amsterdam, Frankfurt, New York, Atlanta, Chicago, Washington, Boston and Toronto. Flights to the cities will take up to three hours longer, the company said. Also on Tuesday, Air Busan Co., a budget carrier unit of Asiana Inc., said it will suspend six flights on the Incheon-Vladivostok route from March 19 until April 15 also due to the same reasons. --IANS ksk/ (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The leaders of Poland, the Czech Republic and are traveling on Tuesday to Kyiv, Ukraine's capital which is currently under fire, on a mission to show support for as Russia's invasion intensifies. Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala said in a tweet: The aim of the visit is to express the European Union's unequivocal support for and its freedom and independence. He will be joined by Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Jana, Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki and Jaroslaw Kaczynski, who is Polish the deputy prime minister for security but also the conservative ruling party leader. Russia's offensive in edged closer to central Kyiv on Tuesday, with a series of strikes hitting a residential neighbourhood in the capital as the two countries planned a second day of talks. (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.) Maldivian President Ibrahim Solih has thanked India for its help during the Covid pandemic, highlighting that India donated vaccines and generously aided the island nation on many occasions. During an address to the people of his country on Sunday, Solih thanked Maldives' friendly bilateral partners who assisted it in COVID-19 response efforts. "I take this opportunity to highlight India, Japan, USA, UAE, China, Bangladesh, WHO and some of the UN agencies for their support," Solih said. In the last two years, India has generously aided us on many occasions, he noted. "India donated the most number of vaccines. India purchased financial bonds worth USD 250 million to help recover our economy. We received a lot of equipment from India essential to provide health services," the Maldivian president said, according to a translation of his speech put out by his office. At the same time, a travel corridor was enacted between the two countries to ensure continued tourist arrivals, Solih said. He also highlighted that India also eased up access for Maldivians needing urgent health care, allowing them to travel to the country. This privilege was not afforded to any other country besides the Maldives, he added. India helped several countries during the pandemic, especially with the supply of Covid vaccines. (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.) Ukraine's Deputy Prime Minister Irina Vereshchuk said that more than 4,000 people were successfully evacuated in the last 24 hours via humanitarian corridors. In a video address late Monday, Vereshchuk said that seven out of the 10 corridors were operational on Monday, reports Ukrayinska Pravda. According to the Deputy Prime Minister, 2,028 people were evacuated from the Kiev region's Hostomel, Nemishayevo, Vorzel, Dmytrivka, Peremohy, while 1,780 moved out from the separatist Luhansk region's Severodonetsk, Popasna, Hirs'ke, Rubizhne, Kreminna and Lysychansk. However, the Russian forces violated the ceasefire agreement in Kiev's Brovary district, due to which evacuation buses could not pass to the villages of Bohdanivka, Nova Bohdanivka and Bobryk, Ukrayinska Pravda quoted the Minister as saying. Despite the ceasefire, the forces also "provoked skirmishes during evacuations along corridors in the towns of Popasna and Rubizhne" in Luhansk, she added. The situation in Mariupol also remained dire on Monday as Russian forces continued to attack the strategic port city, Vereshchuk noted. She said that a convoy of humanitarian aid with food, medicine, and water for Mariupol remained blocked in Berdyansk, about 60 km from the besieged city. The Deputy Prime Minister further said that there was no information on three Ukrainian nationals who were allegedly kidnapped by . The Mayors of Melitopol (Ivan Fedorov) and Dniprorudne (Yevhen Matveyev) were abducted on March 13, while Oleksiy Danchenko, an employee of Ukraine's State Emergency Service, has been under captivity for two days. --IANS ksk/ (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The leaders of Poland, the Czech Republic and are traveling to Kyiv on a European Union mission Tuesday to meet with Ukraine's top leadership as Russia's offensive moved closer to the center of the capital. The visit by the leaders of three countries which belong to the EU but also NATO, comes as a series of strikes hit a residential neighborhood in Kyiv. Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki of announced he was joined by Petr Fiala of the Czech Republic and Janez Jansa of . Joining them is Jaroslaw Kaczynski, Poland's deputy prime minister for security but also the leader of the conservative ruling party, Law and Justice, a position which allows him to be the most powerful politician in . They are to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal. Morawiecki said on Facebook that he and the other leaders were making their trip in agreement with the European Union, citing the chairman of the Council of the European Union, Charles Michel, and the head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen. He said the United Nations had been informed of the visit. In such critical times for the world it is our duty to be where history is forged, Morawiecki said. "Because it's not about us, but about the future of our children who deserve to live in a world free from tyranny. The visit had been planned for several days but was kept secret for security reasons, said Michal Dworczyk, the head of Morawiecki's office. He said that a proposal of concrete help for the nation would be presented to Ukraine's leaders. Shortly before dawn, large explosions thundered across Kyiv from what Ukrainian authorities said were artillery strikes. The shelling ignited a huge fire and a frantic rescue effort in a 15-story apartment building. At least one person was killed and others remain trapped inside. Shockwaves from an explosion also damaged the entry to a downtown subway station that has been used as a bomb shelter. City authorities tweeted an image of the blown-out facade, saying trains would no longer stop at the station. Ahead of his departure, Morawiecki on Facebook recalled how the former Polish President Lech Kaczynski had made a visit to the capital of Georgia in 2008 when that ex-Soviet country was under attack from Russia. He quoted President Kaczynski who said at the time in Tbilisi: Today Georgia, tomorrow Ukraine, the day after tomorrow the Baltic states, and then maybe it's time for my country, for . Jaroslaw Kaczynski's presence also has symbolic significance. He is the surviving twin of Lech Kaczynski, who died in a plane crash with 95 others on Russia soil in 2010 while traveling to commemorate Poles executed by the Soviet secret police during World War II. A Polish investigation determined that plane crash to be an accident. (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.) Lawyers for the 9/11 mastermind Khalid Shaikh Mohammed and federal prosecutors are in talks to negotiate a potential plea agreement for the Pakistani terrorist and four other co-defendants that could drop the possibility of death penalty for them, according to a media report. The report in The New York Times cited people with knowledge of the discussions as saying that prosecutors have opened talks with lawyers for 58-year-old Mohammed and his four co-defendants to negotiate a potential plea agreement that would drop the possibility of execution. The report added that a guilty plea in exchange for life sentences and not execution could bring to an end the case going on for years now at Guantanamo Bay. Nearly a decade after the men were arraigned, the military judge has set no trial start date, it said. The report said while no deal is expected soon, guilty pleas resulting in life sentences could force the Joe Biden administration to modify its ambition of ending detention operations at Guantnamo Bay and instead rebrand it as a military prison for a few men. During the Trump administration, there had been a failed attempt at such talks when the accused plotters had demanded that they serve their sentences at Guantanamo, where they are able to pray and eat in groups. They did not want to be sent to the supermax prison in Colorado where federal inmates are held in solitary confinement up to 23 hours a day, the report said. A plea deal would undoubtedly disappoint, if not enrage, death-penalty advocates among the victims' family members. But other family members, including those troubled by the role of U.S. torture in the case and the delays, might see it as a fitting conclusion, it said. Following a nearly two-year closure of the court due to the coronavirus pandemic, discussions began last week, the report said. The NYT report said as part of any plea agreement, the defendants would have to work with prosecutors, through their lawyers, on individual lengthy narratives known as a stipulation of fact which will be prosecution-approved admission of their crimes. The report said the judge, defense and prosecution teams had travelled to Guantanamo Bay for three weeks of hearings meant to address disputes over evidence, particularly showing the role of the F.B.I. in the C.I.A. prison network" where Mohammed and his co-defendants were tortured after they were captured in Pakistan in 2002 and 2003. A lead prosecutor in the case Clayton Trivett wrote to the defense teams that they discuss whether pretrial agreements are possible for all five cases. While I cannot guarantee that we will come to terms over these next two weeks, Trivett said in an email, putting a concerted effort focused solely on possible agreements while we are all onboard Guantnamo, where your clients and teams are present, may be our best chance of at least determining if deals can be reached. The report said within days, the five defendants and their lawyers met in the courtroom to compile an initial list of requirements for the guilty plea, starting with removing the death penalty from the case. While prosecutors have begun the negotiations, senior Pentagon official known as the convening authority Col. Jeffrey D Wood of the Arkansas National Guard, must approve any deal. The report further reported that a core issue in the matter is how many of the defendants beside Mohammed would serve life sentences without possibility of parole, and whether some of the accused accomplices with lesser roles in the attacks would serve shorter sentences. Lawyers for two defendants Saudi prisoner Mustafa al-Hawsawi and Pakistani national and Mohammed's nephew Ammar al-Baluchi have described them as being ignorant of the 9/11 plot when they helped some of the hijackers with money transfers and travel arrangements from the United Arab Emirates. (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 offensive in edged closer to central Kyiv on Tuesday, with a series of strikes hitting a residential neighbourhood as the leaders of three member countries planned a visit to the embattled capital. Shortly before dawn, large explosions thundered across Kyiv from what Ukrainian authorities said was artillery strikes. At least one person was killed and many remained trapped inside as shelling ignited a huge fire and a frantic rescue effort in a 15-story apartment building. Shockwaves from an explosion also damaged the entry to a downtown subway station that has been used as a bomb shelter. City authorities tweeted an image of the blown-out facade, saying trains would no longer stop at the station. The leaders of Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovakia will on Tuesday travel to the Ukrainian capital on a European Union mission to show support for the country as Russia's forces move closer to Kyiv. The aim of the visit is to express the EU's unequivocal support for and its freedom and independence, Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala tweeted. He will be joined by Slovak Prime Minister Janez Jana, Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki and Jaroslaw Kaczynski, Poland's deputy prime minister for security and the leader of the conservative ruling party. Russian and Ukrainian negotiators also planned to hold a second day of talks as the offensive in entered its 21st day. When Russia launched the war nearly three weeks ago, fear of an imminent invasion gripped the Ukrainian capital, as residents slept night after night in subway stations or crammed onto trains to flee. But as the Russian offensive bogged down, Kyiv saw a relative lull. Fighting has intensified on the outskirts in recent days, and sporadic air raid sirens ring out around the capital. There was a rare glimmer of hope in the encircled port city of Mariupol after a convoy of 160 civilian cars left along a designated humanitarian route, the city council reported. Over the past 10 days or so, the lethal siege has pulverised homes and other buildings and left people desperate for food, water, heat and medicine. The negotiations held on Monday by video between Russia and Ukraine were the fourth round involving higher-level officials from the two countries and the first in a week. The talks ended without a breakthrough after several hours, with an aide to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy saying the negotiators took a technical pause and planned to meet again on Tuesday. The two sides had expressed some optimism in the past few days. Mykhailo Podolyak, the aide to Zelenskyy, tweeted that the negotiators would discuss peace, cease-fire, immediate withdrawal of troops, and security guarantees. Zelenskyy is seeking to extend martial law until April 24 and to require men aged between 18 and 60 to stay in the country to fight. Zelenskyy submitted the extension in a bill to parliament, which is expected to vote on it this week. In Kyiv, the early morning explosions hit the Svyatoshynskyi district of western Kyiv, adjacent to the suburb of Irpin that has seen some of the worst battles of the war. Russian forces also stepped up strikes overnight on the northwest suburbs of Irpin, Hostomel and Bucha, said the head of the Kyiv region, Oleksiy Kuleba. Many streets (in those areas) have been turned into a mush of steel and concrete. People have been hiding for weeks in basements, and are afraid to go out even for evacuations, Kuleba said. Ukrainian authorities said two people were killed when the Russians struck an airplane factory in Kyiv, sparking a large fire. The Antonov factory is Ukraine's largest aircraft plant and produces many of the world's biggest cargo planes. Airstrikes were reported across the country, including the southern city of Mykolaiv, and the northern city of Chernihiv, where heat was knocked out to most of the town. Explosions also reverberated overnight around the Russian-occupied Black Sea port of Kherson. In Mariupol, where the war has produced some of the greatest suffering, the city council did not say how many people were in the convoy of cars headed westward for Zaporizhzhia. But it said a cease-fire along the route appeared to be holding. Previous attempts to evacuate civilians and deliver humanitarian aid to the southern city of 430,000 were thwarted by fighting. Ukraine's military said it repelled an attempt on Monday to take control of Mariupol by Russian forces, who were forced to retreat. Ukraine claimed its forces had killed 150 Russian troops and destroyed two Russian tanks in the battle for Mariupol. The Kremlin-backed leader of the Russian region of Chechnya said on a messaging app that Chechen fighters were spearheading the offensive on Mariupol. Robert Mardini, director-general of the Committee of the Red Cross, said the war had become nothing short of a nightmare" for those living in besieged cities, and he pleaded for safe corridors for civilians to leave and humanitarian aid to be brought in. The situation cannot, cannot continue like this, he said. History is watching what is happening in Mariupol and other cities. The Russian military said 20 civilians in the separatist-controlled city of Donetsk in eastern Ukraine were killed by a ballistic missile launched by Ukrainian forces. The claim could not be independently verified. The UN has recorded at least 596 civilian deaths since the February 24 invasion of Ukraine by Russian forces. The agency however believes the true toll is much higher. Millions more have fled their homes, with more than 2.8 million people crossing into Poland and other neighbouring countries in what the UN has called Europe's biggest refugee crisis since World War II. (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.) has requested both military and financial assistance from amid the ongoing war in Ukraine. Citing sources, CNN reported that among the assistance requested was pre-packaged, non-perishable military food kits, known in the US as "meal, ready-to-eat" or MREs. Earlier, it was reported that has asked for military assistance including drones, to support its invasion of Ukraine, a top US official cited by CNN broadcaster said. Following Russia's military operation in Ukraine, the US and its European allies have introduced sanctions targeting several major Russian banks and high-rank Russian officials, including President Vladimir Putin, besides ousting Russia from the SWIFT financial system. Liu Pengyu, the Chinese embassy spokesperson in Washington, said he was unaware of any suggestions that might be willing to help Russia."I've never heard of that," Pengyu said in a statement when asked by CNN about the reporting of Russia's request for military aid. On February 24, Russia began a special military operation in Ukraine. Meanwhile, US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan and several officials from State Department will meet Chinese Communist Party Political Bureau Member and Director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission Yang Jiechi in Rome to discuss the impact of Russia's war against Ukraine on regional and global security. (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 Russian offensive in edged closer to central Kyiv on Tuesday even as the two countries kept open a narrow diplomatic channel with more planned talks. Shortly before dawn, large explosions thundered across Kyiv. A series of Russian strikes hit a residential neighborhood in the capital, igniting a huge fire and a frantic rescue effort in a 15-story apartment building. At least one person was killed and others remain trapped inside. Shockwaves from an explosion also damaged the entry to a downtown subway station that has been used as a bomb shelter. City authorities tweeted an image of the blown-out facade, saying trains would no longer stop at the station. When launched the war nearly three weeks ago, fear of an imminent invasion gripped the Ukrainian capital, as residents slept night after night in subway stations or crammed onto trains to flee. But as the Russian offensive bogged down, Kyiv saw a relative lull. Fighting has intensified on the outskirts in recent days, and sporadic air raid sirens ring out around the capital. There was a rare glimmer of hope in the encircled port city of Mariupol after a convoy of 160 civilian cars left along a designated humanitarian route, the city council reported. Over the past 10 days or so, the lethal siege has pulverized homes and other buildings and left people desperate for food, water, heat and medicine. The latest negotiations between and Ukraine, held by video Monday, were the fourth round involving higher-level officials from the two countries and the first in a week. The talks ended without a breakthrough after several hours, with an aide to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy saying the negotiators took a technical pause and planned to meet again Tuesday. The two sides had expressed some optimism in the past few days. Mykhailo Podolyak, the aide to Zelenskyy, tweeted that the negotiators would discuss peace, cease-fire, immediate withdrawal of troops & security guarantees. Previous discussions, held in person in Belarus, produced no lasting humanitarian routes or agreements to end the fighting. Zelenskyy is seeking to extend martial law until April 24 and to require men ages 18 to 60 to stay in the country to fight. Zelenskyy submitted the extension in a bill to parliament, which is expected to vote on it this week. In Washington, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said that while the Biden administration supports Ukraine's participation in the talks with Russia, Russian President would have to show signs of de-escalating in order to demonstrate good faith. U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan warned China against helping during a meeting in Rome with a senior Chinese diplomat. Two administration officials, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive information, said China had signaled to Moscow that it would be willing to provide both military support in and financial backing to help stave off effects of Western sanctions, which include a fourth set of EU sanctions announced late Monday. The Kremlin has denied asking China for military equipment to use in . Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia was able to continue the operation itself and it was unfolding in accordance with the plan and will be completed on time and in full. In Kyiv, the early morning explosions were artillery strikes, the Ukrainian military said. They hit the Svyatoshynskyi district of western Kyiv, adjacent to the suburb of Irpin that has seen some of the worst battles of the war. Flames shot out of the apartment building as firefighters climbed ladders to rescue people. Smoke choked the air. A firefighter at the scene confirmed one person had died and that several had been rescued, but others remained inside as rescuers tried to reach them. Damage from unspecified ammunition prompted a fire in a 10-story apartment block in the Podilsky district of Kyiv, north of the government quarter. One person was hospitalized, the state emergency agency reported. Russian forces also stepped up strikes overnight on the northwest suburbs of Irpin, Hostomel and Bucha, said the head of the Kyiv region, Oleksiy Kuleba. Many streets (in those areas) have been turned into a mush of steel and concrete. People have been hiding for weeks in basements, and are afraid to go out even for evacuations, Kuleba said on Ukrainian television. But overall, nearly all of the Russian military offensives remained stalled after making little progress over the weekend, according to a senior U.S. defense official who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the Pentagon's assessment. Russian troops were still about 15 kilometers (9 miles) from the center of Kyiv, the official said. The official said that Russian forces have launched more than 900 missiles but that Ukraine's airspace is still contested, with Russia not achieving total air superiority. Ukrainian authorities said two people were killed when the Russians struck an airplane factory in Kyiv, sparking a large fire. The Antonov factory is Ukraine's largest aircraft plant and produces many of the world's biggest cargo planes. The Ukrainian general prosecutor's office on Tuesday released details of two deadly Russian attacks the day before. The office said an artillery strike had hit a university and open-air market, killing 10, and that a 65-year-old woman had been shot in a bus that was evacuating civilians from a Kyiv suburb. Russian artillery fire also hit a nine-story apartment building in the northern Obolonskyi district of the city, killing two more people, authorities said. A town councilor for Brovary, east of Kyiv, was killed in fighting there, officials said. And a Russian airstrike near a Ukrainian checkpoint caused extensive damage to a downtown Kyiv neighborhood, killing one person, Ukraine's emergency agency said. Kateryna Lot said she was in her apartment as her child did homework when they heard a loud explosion and ran to take shelter. The child became hysterical. Our windows and the balcony were shattered. Part of the floor fell down, she said. It was very, very scary. In an area outside Kyiv, Fox News reporter Benjamin Hall was injured while reporting and was hospitalized, the network said. In Russia, the live main evening news program on state television was briefly interrupted by a woman who walked into the studio holding a poster against the war. The OVD-Info website that monitors political arrests said she was a Channel 1 employee who taken into police custody. Airstrikes were reported across the country, including the southern city of Mykolaiv, and the northern city of Chernihiv, where heat was knocked out to most of the town. Explosions also reverberated overnight around the Russian-occupied Black Sea port of Kherson. Nine people were killed in a rocket attack on a TV tower in the western village of Antopol, according to the region's governor. In Mariupol, where the war has produced some of the greatest suffering, the city council didn't say how many people were in the convoy of cars headed westward for the city of Zaporizhzhia. But it said a cease-fire along the route appeared to be holding. Previous attempts to evacuate civilians and deliver humanitarian aid to the southern city of 430,000 were thwarted by fighting. Ukraine's military said it repelled an attempt Monday to take control of Mariupol by Russian forces, who were forced to retreat. Satellite images from Maxar Technologies showed fires burning across the city, with many high-rise apartment buildings heavily damaged or destroyed. Ukraine claims its forces have killed 150 Russian troops and destroyed two Russian tanks in the battle for Mariupol. The Kremlin-backed leader of the Russian region of Chechnya said on a messaging app that Chechen fighters were spearheading the offensive on Mariupol. Robert Mardini, director-general of the International Committee of the Red Cross, said the war has become nothing short of a nightmare" for those living in besieged cities, and he pleaded for safe corridors for civilians to leave and humanitarian aid to be brought in. The situation cannot, cannot continue like this, he said. History is watching what is happening in Mariupol and other cities. The Russian military said 20 civilians in the separatist-controlled city of Donetsk in eastern Ukraine were killed by a ballistic missile launched by Ukrainian forces. The claim could not be independently verified. The U.N. has recorded at least 596 civilian deaths since Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24, though it believes the true toll is much higher. Millions more have fled their homes, with more than 2.8 million crossing into Poland and other neighboring countries in what the U.N. has called Europe's biggest refugee crisis since World War II. Russia's military is bigger and better equipped than Ukraine's, but its troops have faced stiffer-than-expected resistance, bolstered by arms supplied by the West. (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 UK government on Tuesday announced a ban on exports to Russia of high-end and imposed new import tariffs on key Russian products like as part of a latest wave of economic sanctions in response to the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Russian is one of the iconic products affected by the tariff increases, while the export ban will also affect luxury vehicles, high-end fashion and works of art. The British government said the latest measures will cause maximum harm to Russian President Vladimir Putin's war machine while minimising the impact on UK businesses. Our new tariffs will further isolate the Russian from global trade, ensuring it does not benefit from the rules-based system it does not respect, said UK Chancellor Rishi Sunak. These tariffs build on the UK's existing work to starve Russia's access to finance, sanction Putin's cronies and exert maximum economic pressure on his regime, he said. The UK has published an initial list of goods worth GBP 900 million, including beverages and spirits, glass and glassware, paper and paperboard, machinery, antiques, and artificial fur, which will now face additional 35 percent tariff, on top of current tariffs. The export ban will come into force shortly and is aimed at Russian oligarchs and other members of the elite, who the UK says have grown rich under President Putin's reign and support his "illegal invasion", are deprived of access to . The Department for Trade (DIT) says that denying Russia and Belarus access to Most Favoured Nation tariff treatment for key imports and applying additional tariffs will restrict Russian exports to the UK and deprive both nations key benefits of WTO membership. The UK stands shoulder to shoulder with our international partners in our determination to punish Putin for his barbaric actions in Ukraine, and we will continue our work to starve his regime of the funds that enable him to carry them out, said UK Trade Secretary Anne-Marie Trevelyan. The World Trade Organisation (WTO) is founded on respect for the rule of law, which Putin has shown he holds in contempt. By depriving his government of key benefits of WTO membership, we are denying him further resources for his invasion, she said. DIT said it will support business and traders with a dedicated export support team to ensure UK businesses can access the information they need related to these sanctions. The tariff increases will be legislated for by using powers under the UK's Taxation (Cross-border Trade) Act (2018) and operationalised in the UK's customs systems by next week. The latest measures are aimed at further tightening what the UK has termed growing economic pressure on Russia and ensuring it acts in line with sanctions imposed by its G7 allies. Last week, Britain imposed asset freezes and travel bans on seven leading oligarchs and 386 members of the Russian Duma, or lower house of Parliament. The UK also highlighted its humanitarian aid to Ukraine, totalling around GBP 400 million, defensive weapons support such as more than 3,600 anti-tank missiles, and civilian supplies like generators and medicines. (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.) Ukraine's is expected to shrink by 10 per cent in 2022 as a result of Russia's military operations, Ukrainian media reported citing the Monetary Fund report. Ukraine's government continues to function, the banking system is stable and debt payments are viable in the short term, the said, Daily Sabah reported. Daily Sabah further reported that the report prepared ahead of the IMF's approval of USD 1.4 billion in emergency financing, said Ukraine's economic output could shrink by 25 per cent to 35 per cent, based on real wartime gross domestic product (GDP) data from Syria, Iraq, Lebanon and other countries at war. "In 2022, Ukraine's GDP will shrink by at least 10 per cent if the war ends soon. If the war continues at the current pace, can lose 25-35 per cent of its GDP by the end of the year," The Kyiv Independent reported. The country's grew 3.2 per cent in 2021 amid a record grain harvest and strong consumer spending. On February 24, Russia began a special military operation in after the Donetsk and Luhansk people's republics requested help in defending themselves. The Russian Defense Ministry said the special operation is targeting Ukrainian military infrastructure only and the civilian population is not in danger. The West however denies these claims by the Russians and in response, Western nations have imposed comprehensive sanctions on Moscow. In addition, they introduced sanctions on Belarus for supporting Russia's operation in . (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.) has "deep concerns" on China's alignment with at present time, a US official said, adding that the national security adviser was directed about those concerns and the potential implications and consequences of certain actions. "We do have deep concerns about China's alignment with at this time, and the national security adviser was direct about those concerns and the potential implications and consequences of certain actions," the official said. White House press secretary Jen Psaki underscored that message, suggesting the US would take action against should it help . "We've been clear there would be consequences," she said at a White House briefing. Today, US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan met Chinese Communist Party Political Bureau Member and Director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission Yang Jiechi and raised a range of issues in US- ties, with "substantial discussion" of Russia's war against Ukraine. "Sullivan raised a range of issues in US- relations, with substantial discussion of Russia's war against Ukraine. They also underscored the importance of maintaining open lines of communication between the United States and China," a White House readout said. The meeting between the US and Chinese diplomates was held in Rome, Italy. "Their meeting followed up on the November 15, 2022, virtual meeting between President Biden and President Xi," the readout said. Earlier, the US had warned China of the consequences of helping Russia bypass sanctions. According to Sullivan, the US believes that China was aware in advance of what Washington describes as an "invasion" of Ukraine, Sputnik reported. On February 24, Russia began a special military operation in Ukraine after the Donetsk and Luhansk people's republics requested help in defending themselves.The Russian Defense Ministry said the special operation is targeting Ukrainian military infrastructure only and the civilian population is not in danger. The West however denies these claims by the Russians and in response, Western nations have imposed comprehensive sanctions on Moscow. In addition, they introduced sanctions on Belarus for supporting Russia's operation in Ukraine. (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 sanctioned Russian National Guard Director Viktor Zolotov, Military Technical Cooperation Director Dmitry Shugaev, and Rosoboronexport Director General Alexander Mikheev, along with eight deputy defense ministers, over the situation in Ukraine, the State Department said in a press release. The Russian deputy defense ministers on the list include Aleksey Krivoruchko, Timur Ivanov, Yunus-bek Evkurov, Dmitry Bulgakov, Yuriy Sadovenko, Nikolay Pankov, Ruslan Tsalikov, and Gennady Zhidko. Last month, US President Joe Biden had announced "new strong sanctions and limitations" on . The sanctions include limiting Russia's ability to do business in dollars, euros, pounds, and yen to be part of the global economy, stopping the ability to finance and grow the Russian military, and impairing Russia's ability to compete in a high-tech 21st-century economy. Furthermore, the US sanctioned Russian banks that together hold around USD 1 trillion in assets. Biden said that the is not doing this alone adding that the 27 EU members and G7 members will participate in these sanctions as well. (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.) Washington [US], March 15 (ANI): US President Joe Biden's National Security Adviser warned a top Chinese official on Monday (local time) about Beijing's support for Russia's military operations in Ukraine, even as the Kremlin denied reports stating that it had requested Chinese military equipment to use in the war. US adviser Jake Sullivan and senior Chinese foreign policy adviser Yang Jiechi met in Rome earlier today. Sullivan held an "intense" seven-hour meeting with his Chinese counterpart and laid out potential consequences of Beijing assisting in the war in . "The national security adviser and our delegation raised directly and very clear our concerns about the PRC's support to in the wake of the invasion, and the implications that any such support would have for the PRC's relationship not only with us but for its relationships around the world," said State Department spokesman Ned Price, using the initials for the People's Republic of . "We are watching very closely the extent to which or any other country provides any form of support, whether that's material, economic or financial support to Russia, any such support from anywhere in the world would be of great concern to us," added the spokesperson. In advance of the talks, Sullivan bluntly warned to avoid helping evade punishment from global sanctions that have hammered the Russian economy. "We will not allow that to go forward," Price said. Russia, however, on Monday (local time) denied it needed China's help. President Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov said reports Russia had asked China for military assistance were not true. "Russia possesses its own independent potential to continue the operation. As we said, it is going according to plan and will be completed on time and in full," he said. Russia has asked China for military support and China had signaled willingness to provide military assistance to Russia., including drones, as well as economic assistance for its unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, according to US officials. Potential assistance from the Chinese would be a significant development in Russia's invasion. It could upend the hold Ukrainian forces still have in the country as well as provide a counterweight to the harsh sanctions imposed on Russia's economy. The Chinese foreign ministry accused the US of spreading disinformation. Russia denied asking Beijing for military help. In response, a spokesman for the foreign ministry in Beijing, Zhao Lijian, said the US had "been spreading disinformation targeting China on the issue, with malicious intentions". Russia expanded its offensive to western on Sunday, firing missiles near the city of Lviv and hitting a large military base close to the Polish border, reportedly killing dozens of people and drawing the war closer to the borders of a NATO country. The attack came the day after the Kremlin threatened to attack Western weapons shipments to Ukraine. (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.) 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. US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan met Chinese Communist Party Political Bureau Member and Director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission Yang Jiechi and raised a range of issues in US- ties, with "substantial discussion" of Russia's war against Ukraine. "Sullivan raised a range of issues in US- relations, with substantial discussion of Russia's war against Ukraine. They also underscored the importance of maintaining open lines of communication between the and China," a White House readout said. The meeting between the US and Chinese diplomates was held in Rome, Italy. "Their meeting followed up on the November 15, 2022, virtual meeting between President Biden and President Xi," the readout said. Earlier, the US had warned of the consequences of helping Russia bypass sanctions. According to Sullivan, the US believes that China was aware in advance of what Washington describes as an "invasion" of Ukraine, Sputnik reported. On February 24, Russia began a special military operation in Ukraine after the Donetsk and Luhansk people's republics requested help in defending themselves.The Russian Defense Ministry said the special operation is targeting Ukrainian military infrastructure only and the civilian population is not in danger. The West however denies these claims by the Russians and in response, Western nations have imposed comprehensive sanctions on Moscow. In addition, they introduced sanctions on Belarus for supporting Russia's operation in Ukraine. (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 Biden administration is working to build a global coalition far beyond and partners, the has said. Some of the biggest countries like China, India, Brazil and Mexico are not part of America's economic warfare against Russia, but that does not undermine the efforts of the Biden administration against Moscow, Press Secretary Jen Psaki told reporters on Monday. "Not just China, but some of the biggest countries in the world like India or Brazil, some countries in Latin America like Mexico, they are not part of this economic warfare against Russia. Is this something that undermines the effort from the and European countries? "I would say it doesn't undermine our efforts. We have been working to build a global coalition far beyond the and our partners, and had a great deal of success in that. And every country has to decide where they want to stand, where they want to be as we look and the history books are written," Psaki said during her daily news conference. "As we have seen, the impact of the president's leadership on the global stage and the economic consequences that have been put into place have led Russia and the Russian economy to be on the brink of collapse. And there's no question that over time, that will have an impact," she said in response to a question. China is unlikely to be very helpful to Russia during these economic sanctions, Psaki said. "I think what we are looking at here, one is if China were to decide to be an economic provider or to take additional steps there to Russia, they only make up 15 to 20 per cent of the world's economy. The countries make up more than 50 per cent. So, there are a range of tools at our disposal and coordination with our European partners should we need to use them," she said. But this is an area that the is watching closely, Psaki said, asserting that there would be consequences for China if it provides military supply to Russia. At the Foggy Bottom headquarters of the State Department, its spokesperson Ned Price said the US was watching very closely the extent to which China or any country in the world provides materials, economic, financial, rhetorical or otherwise, to this war of choice that Russian President Vladimir Putin is waging against Ukraine and its people. "And we have been very clear, both privately and publicly, with Beijing that there would be consequences for any such support," Price told reporters. "Russia and China, when you combine their GDPs, it's something like 25 per cent of global GDP. When you combine the GDP, the economic might of the United States, the European Union, our allies in the Indo-Pacific, our other allies and partners that have joined us, well over 50 per cent," he said. "So, there is not a country out there that would be able to fully extricate Moscow from this. The only thing that could relieve the pressure, that could extricate, in a meaningful way, Moscow from the morass it has created for itself, is for Putin to change course, to de-escalate and to end the violence," Price 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.) Russia said on Tuesday it had put US President Joe Biden, Secretary of State and other top officials on a stop list that bars them from entering the country. Their names, together with Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin, CIA chief William Burns, National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan and others, were included on a list of 13 individuals banned from Russia in response to sanctions imposed by Washington on Russian officials. Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was also named. Tuesday also saw the prime ministers of Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovenia making an unexpected trip to Kyiv by train to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, planning to announce a broad package of support measures. The leaders will express the unequivocal support of the entire European Union for the sovereignty and independence of Ukraine, Czech Premier Petr Fiala said on Facebook, adding that the trip had been coordinated with EU institutions. The British government said on Tuesday it had added 350 new listings under its Russia sanctions regime and nine new listings under its cyber sanctions regime. Among those in the latest round of sanctions were Andrey Melnichenko, who owned major fertiliser producer EuroChem Group and coal company SUEK, Pyotr Aven, an oil investor who built a European business with an estimated net worth of $4.7 billion, and Russias defence minister Sergei Shoigu. The UNs top court said it will give a judgment on Wednesday on Ukraine's charge that Russia falsely justified its invasion by accusations of genocide. Kyiv filed the case at the Court of Justice (ICJ) shortly after Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, demanding that the tribunal order an end to the offensive. It accuses Russia of illegally trying to justify its war under an convention by falsely alleging that Ukraine committed genocide in regions held by pro-Russian separatists. Ukraines parliament voted on Tuesday to extend martial law for another 30 days from March 26, approving a bill submitted by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The capital prepared to go into an extended two-night curfew from 8 p.m. Tuesday as Kyivs mayor warned of dangerous times ahead. Russia and Ukraine continued negotiations aimed at achieving a cease-fire. Kyiv and Moscow resumed talks on the war in Ukraine on Tuesday after a pause on Monday, Ukrainian negotiator Mykhailo Podolyak said. Consultations on the main negotiation platform renewed. General regulation matters, ceasefire, withdrawal of troops from the territory of the country, he wrote on Twitter. The UN said that 3 million people have now fled the fighting. There was a rare glimmer of hope in the encircled port city of Mariupol after a convoy of 160 civilian cars left along a designated humanitarian route, the city council reported. Russian troops take control of entire Kherson region A top official from Russias Defence Ministry claimed on Tuesday that troops had taken control of the entire region of Kherson, after the territorys namesake capital city was first captured on March 3. Confirming the takeover, Major General Igor Konashenkov, the Ministrys official representative, said that troops from Donetsk Peoples Republic also broke through Ukrainian defences and took control of the settlement of Panteleymonovka, RT News reported. 19 killed in TV tower attack in Ukraine At least nineteen people were killed and many more wounded in an air strike on a television tower in Ukraines northern Rivne region on Monday, Governor Vitaliy Koval said. There are still people under the rubble, he said in an post. US airlines trim capacity as fuel costs surge on Ukraine crisis Major US airlines trimmed their capacity estimate for the first quarter on Tuesday as higher fuel cost due to the Ukraine crisis takes away some of the benefits from a steady recovery in travel demand. Oil prices a major cost component for US airlines already facing high labour expenses have surged. Delta Air Lines and United Airlines Holdings , which do not hedge against oil price fluctuations, face the added headache of having to take longer routes to some Asian countries to avoid Russian airspace. Cameraman with Fox News dies in firing Fox News cameraman Pierre Zakrzewski was killed in Ukraine after the vehicle in which he was traveling was struck by incoming fire, the US network reported on its website. Zakrzewski was reporting with another Fox News journalist. wants to avoid being impacted by US sanctions over Russias war, Foreign Minister Wang Yi said, in one of Beijings most explicit statements yet on American penalties that are contributing to a historic market selloff. is not a party to the crisis, nor does it want the sanctions to affect China, Wang said in a phone call on Monday with Spanish counterpart Jose Manuel Albares to discuss the war in . has the right to safeguard its legitimate rights and interests. Concerns are growing among investors that Chinese companies will face US sanctions after American officials said Russia requested military and financial assistance from Beijing. The US warned European allies that Russia asked China for armed drones in late February as it was beginning its invasion of Ukraine, according to people familiar with the matter. China dismissed the initial report of the Russian weapons request as disinformation on Monday, while Russia denied that it asked Beijing for help, saying it has enough resources to win the war. Neither side has yet responded to the report on armed drones. One97 Communications, the parent company of digital payments major Paytm, dropped out of the 100-most valued companies list on the BSE as the stock price of the company tanked a whopping 20 per cent in the last two trading sessions. At 10:48 am; with market capitalisation (market cap) of Rs 40,863 crore, stood at 112th position in overall ranking of the BSE listed companies. The company lost market cap of Rs 60,537 crore since it's listing day. The company had made its market debut on November 18, 2021. It was at the 51th position in overall ranking with market cap of Rs 1.01 trillion. The stock hit a record high of Rs 1,961.05 on November 18 in intra-day trade, but has failed to touch its issue price post listing. The stock has lost 71 per cent from its issue price of Rs 2,150 per share. On Tuesday, the stock hit a new low of Rs 616.55, down 9 per cent in intra-day trade on back of heavy volumes. The trading volume at the counter jumped over three-fold with a combined 9.71 million equity shares changing hands on the NSE and BSE. In the past two trading sessions, the stock slipped 20 per cent on back of negative flow. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Friday, March 11, 2022 barred Payments Bank (PPBL) from onboarding new customers with immediate effect because of certain supervisory concerns. PPBL processes transactions for Indias digital payments giant . The banking regulator has directed PPBL to appoint an IT audit firm for conducting a comprehensive system audit of its IT system. Paytm PB will need specific permission from the RBI to restart onboarding of customers following a review of the audit. Paytm has said that, PPBL, was taking immediate steps to comply with RBI directions and was looking to appoint a reputed external auditor to conduct a comprehensive systems audit of its IT systems. The company said the RBI order does not impact any existing customers of PPBL, who can continue to use all banking and payment services without interruption. All existing users of Paytm UPI, Paytm Wallet, Paytm FASTag, and bank accounts can continue to use these instruments, including debit cards and net banking, for payments, in an exchange filing. CLICK HERE FOR FULL STATEMENT According to media reports, PPBL was barred from taking on new customers because it violated rules by allowing data to flow to servers abroad and didnt properly verify its customers. CLICK HERE A woman walked onto the set of a live Russian state television broadcast to protest against Moscow's military operations in . During the "Vremya" news program on Russia's main TV channel, Maria Ovsyannikova, a Channel One employee, rushed in front of the camera with a poster saying "stop the war, don't believe the propaganda," The Kyiv Independent said in a Tweet. On February 24, began a special military operation in after the Donetsk and Luhansk people's republics requested help in defending themselves. BREAKING: Russias main propaganda Channel One was interrupted by a young woman holding a sign opposing Putins invasion of . RT to THANK this brave woman for putting her life on the line to speak out against this immoral war! pic.twitter.com/fp3f7A5qwz CALL TO ACTIVISM (@CalltoActivism) March 14, 2022 The Russian Defense Ministry said the special operation is targeting Ukrainian military infrastructure only and the civilian population is not in danger. The West however denies these claims by the Russians and in response, Western nations have imposed comprehensive sanctions on . In addition, they introduced sanctions on Belarus for supporting Russia's operation in Ukraine. (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 Mumbai-based developer said that it has acquired approximately 50 acres of land in Sonipat, Haryana, which will offer approx. 1 million sq. ft. of plotted residential development, plot sizes and lifestyle amenities. The site has good connectivity to the Delhi border and national highways. In addition, the site is in close proximity to the upcoming educational and industrial hub of Sonipat and offers a well-developed social infrastructure. Mohit Malhotra, the managing director (MD) and chief executive officer (CEO) of Godrej Properties, said: "We are pleased to announce our entry into Sonipat. The project fits well with our strategy of deepening our presence across the country's leading real estate markets. Sonipat as a micro-market has seen a lot of infrastructure developments over the last couple of years and is going to play a vital role in the NCR growth story." Godrej Properties' consolidated net profit soared 171.4% to Rs 38.95 crore on a 63.5% surge in net sales to Rs 278.76 crore in Q3 FY22 over Q3 FY21. Shares of Godrej Properties lost 0.50% to close at Rs 1,485.90 on BSE on Monday, 14 March 2022. Godrej Properties is engaged in construction and real estate development. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Irrespective of how the war in Ukraine ends on the battlefield, Russia is already a defeated country. Its adversary is not Ukraine but the West, led by the US. Its expectation was that the subjugation of Ukraine would be the point of entry to a new European order in which Russia would be a key stakeholder, and its security interests would be acknowledged and respected. This war aim will not be achieved even if its armed forces leave Ukraine as a pile of rubble. What Russia failed to appreciate is that we now live in a densely interconnected and networked world across multiple dimensions ... The assembly was on Tuesday adjourned within minutes of commencement of proceedings following a ruckus created by the Opposition which linked the absence of Speaker Vijay Kumar Sinha to his alleged insult by Chief Minister . Legislators of the RJD, the main opposition party, had reached the assembly wearing black badges in protest against the showdown between Sinha and Kumar on the previous day. They were further provoked upon seeing senior BJP leader Prem Kumar in the Chair. The MLAs began shouting and demanding that the speaker and the chief minister come to the House and explain the fallout of the spat. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Vijay Kumar Chaudhary rose to give a statement asserting, "The chief minister acknowledges the importance of the Chair. He had some issues with regard to the manner in which the House was conducted. He expressed his reservations with utmost humility, with folded hands." Chaudhary also took exception to opposition MLAs demanding a "safai" (explanation) from the Chair with regard to Sinha's absence. "The members would question the Chair and it will have to answer? This shows their poor understanding of democratic and legislative norms," Chaudhary remarked. As the din continued in the House, the Chair adjourned the proceedings till 2 PM, when the post-lunch session begins. The House had witnessed an unprecedented outburst from the chief minister on Monday when an issue relating to Lakhisarai, which is the speaker's own assembly constituency, was raised by a couple of members. The speaker has been miffed with some arrests in a case of prohibition violation in Lakhisarai and the privilege committee had last week recommended action against a couple of police officers who were disrespectful towards Sinha when he broached the matter with them. The contention of Kumar was that the government was looking into the matter and it was wrong on part of Sinha to allow the matter to be raised inside the House "again and again". Kumar spoke for a few minutes, quivering with rage and stunning the House into silence. The speaker, who has previously served under Kumar as a cabinet minister, said he respected the latter's knowledge of the Constitution and experience but expressed the helplessness he left in dealing with a recalcitrant bureaucracy. It is, however, being speculated in political circles that Kumar's loss of cool stemmed from his frustration over having lost the upper hand to the BJP, which had been a junior alliance partner until the 2020 assembly polls. With far fewer MLAs than the BJP, Kumar returned as chief minister for the fourth consecutive term but had to give his ally many concessions, including a higher number of cabinet berths and, importantly, the post of the speaker. In the highest seat of power since 2005, Kumar has always succeeded in having one of his confidants, from his own party JD(U), as the speaker. For his first two terms in office, it was Uday Narayan Chaudhary who has since burnt bridges and moved over to the RJD. In 2015, when Kumar allied with RJD and returned to power with a few seats less than Lalu Prasad's party, he still had his way and Vijay Kumar Chaudhary was elected to the post of the speaker. Vijay Kumar Sinha became the first BJP leader in the state's history to have occupied the post, a fact the party likes to flaunt. The opposition seems to be fishing in troubled waters. Leaders like Tejashwi Yadav and Chirag Paswan have been targeting the chief minister for displaying "arrogance" in dealing with the speaker and demanding an apology. Meanwhile, when Kumar was approached by journalists at Maner Sharif, a Sufi shrine on the outskirts of Patna, he ducked queries on the issue with a cryptic smile and a wave. (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.) Cars and Transportation, in general, are one of the most extended businesses in Spain. There are over 10 million cars and around 5 million motorcycles. An important point to consider when talking about Transportation concerning bitcoin is that several companies like Uber or Cabify make use of it as a primary source of revenue. Spain is one of the largest countries producing cars and offering a wide variety of brands. Therefore, many wonder what will happen if this cryptocurrency becomes more successful. If you are interested in bitcoin trading, visit bitcoin app for aussies. 5 Ways that bitcoin can benefit the automobile industry of Spain #1: More people may decide to buy a car. As the number of Bitcoin transactions grows, many companies and people are willing to invest in it. Investors want to acquire more bitcoin, which leads them to buy cars because they believe that if bitcoin continues growing, so will its value. Remember that we are not referring only to the people who have a high amount of bitcoin, but also those with very few. Therefore, more and more people will likely decide to move from public transport to having their car. #2: Another option would be driving an autonomous car. This situation, often mentioned in science fiction literature, already has its defenders. The arrival of car manufacturers such as Tesla (in Spain represented by its Model S) or Mercedes Benz, which already offers autonomous models, could increase the number of drivers who eventually decide to get rid of their driving license and move from public transport. #3: Cars will be cheaper and more accessible. With the advent and success that it reaches bitcoin, the price of vehicles could go down. This is mainly because companies have to adapt their strategies according to the times. If they decide to invest in cryptocurrencies, they will not have as much money for other activities that are also useful for the car industry. Therefore, its success can be compromised if people buy Fiat currency for bitcoin. If the price of bitcoin continues to be more attractive, companies will likely drive prices down, offering their vehicles for lower prices than those shown in the market. People who buy cars with cryptocurrencies probably will not spend as much as people who still use Fiat currency (Euro or Dollar). The result would be fewer cars on sale and, therefore, lower prices. #4: More people will use the car-sharing model. As bitcoin grows and more businesses decide to accept it as a payment method, transportation services such as Uber or Cabify may stop depending on Fiat currency and switch to cryptocurrencies. This move could be very profitable for both sides since the service providers could offer lower prices, and the users would pay less. #5: Some owners of car dealerships will sell a car purchased with bitcoin to a Fiat currency user. If someone decides to buy a car using bitcoin, there's a chance that the dealership owner of the brand you want to acquire is willing to sell it to you. In addition, if the cryptocurrency continues growing, more people are likely to try to develop cars that way, or there will be more businesses accepting bitcoin as a payment method. 3 Negative effects of bitcoin on the automobile industry of Spain #1: It may cause a rise in unemployment. As more people decide to buy their car or use the autonomous system, fewer people will be working at the company that sells the vehicles or transports them from point A to point B for Uber and Cabify. This causes an increase in unemployment because it is likely that companies have to cut jobs to adapt to the times. #2: The car insurance industry may also have problems. If fewer people drive, companies will have less business and could go bankrupt if they do not take specific measures as soon as possible. In addition, as you can see below, there is a solid connection between the automotive industry and the insurance industry. #3: The relationship with the bank, a traditional ally of the car dealership industry, could also be affected. If people use cryptocurrencies more often to buy cars from dealerships that accept them, banks will have less business related to car loans. Conclusion: In the future, if cryptocurrencies continue to grow and more companies accept them as payment methods, there will be a significant impact on the automotive industry of Spain. Before leaving for the national capital, acting Chief Minister on Tuesday said that the new government will be formed after the election of the leader of the legislative party in the presence of the Central observer of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). "Central observer (of the BJP) will come... a discussion will be done, and the leader of the legislative party will be elected and then the formation of the government will take place. I am going to Delhi today," said Sawant in Panaji. The Parliamentary Board has appointed Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar as the central observer for and Union Minister of State for Fisheries and Animal Husbandry L Murugan has been made the co-observer. On Saturday, Sawant tendered his resignation to Governor PS Sreedharan Pillai at Raj Bhawan in Panaji to pave way for the formation of the new government after the won the popular mandate in the state. The emerged as the single largest party in Goa, winning 20 seats in the 40-member state Assembly, leaving Congress with 11 seats at a distant second position. Independent candidates bagged three seats while two seats each went to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and Maharashtrawadi Gomantak (MGP). Revolutionary Goans Party and Forward Party (GFP) got one seat each. The BJP, which fell one seat short of the majority figure in Goa, is set to retain power in the state with the help of Maharashtrawadi Gomantak (MGP) and independent candidates. (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.) Major coalition partners of Kerala's ruling LDF--CPI(M) and CPI-- will contest from the two of the three seats falling vacant from the southern state next month. The decision to share the seats that the LDF is to contest was taken by the front's meeting attended by its leaders including Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan here on Tuesday. The later announced former national general secretary of the All India Youth Federation (AIYF), P Santhosh Kumar, as the party's candidate for one seat. He is the Kannur district secretary of the . The CPI(M) is expected to announce its candidate later this week. Two of the three seats are likely to be won by the LDF. LDF convener A Vijayaraghavan said the CPI(M) and the shared the seat after reaching a general understanding among all the coalition partners. All the parties in the front have put forward their opinion on the matter, Vijayaraghavan told reporters. "All parties in the front are working in unison. The suggestion came after examining the general situation in the country. The decision was taken not merely on the basis of the membership of each party in the Assembly", he said. The Left alliance consists of CPI(M), CPI, KC(M), NCP, JD(S), Loktantrik Janata Dal (LJD) and various smaller parties. The elections are being held as the terms of senior Congress leader A K Antony, K Somaprasad (CPI-M) and M V Shreyams Kumar (LJD) will expire on April 2. The Congress has started discussing the party's candidate for its lone seat. Antony has said he will quit active parliamentary and not seek re-election to the Rajya Sabha, but will continue to contribute to party in . The former Defence minister said he wants younger party members to get a chance and that he had turned 81 and did not keep good health. The former chief minister also said he would be shifting base to the southern state after retiring from the Upper House next month. (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.) unit president Madan Kaushik and Singh Dhami are expected to meet party chief JP Nadda in the national capital on Tuesday. This comes days after the BJP's resounding win in the Assembly elections. The meeting is also crucial as the suspense over the next Chief Minister prevails fthe loss of Singh Dhami in the Assembly elections from the Khatima seat. national secretary (organisation) BL Santhosh will also be present in the meeting. " will hold an important meeting in Delhi today regarding Uttarakhand. BJP leaders Singh Dhami and Madan Kaushik will attend the meeting. BJP president JP Nadda and general secretary (Org) BL Santosh will be present in the meeting," Kaushik informed. The BJP won the popular mandate for the second consecutive term in Uttarakhand, bagging 47 seats in the 70-member 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.) The knives are out between the loyalists and dissenters in the as the rebel G-23 group has stepped up its attack on the Gandhi family and the loyalists have come out in strong defence. Anil Shastri, the leader in a tweet in Hindi on Tuesday said, "Those who don't want the Gandhi family to lead the party don't know that without them the party will weaken and a weak will be fatal for the democracy." Later talking to IANS he said, "There is need for course correction but this should be done with the Gandhis at the helm, and the Congress can't compete on communal agenda of the BJP and those who are attacking the party should tell how they want to take the party forward." Shastri said, "The BJP invokes emotion but the Congress is committed to a certain ideology and we have to move forward with it." Talking to IANS, Sandeep Dikshit a former MP said, "The Congress President should have accessibility, acceptability and accountability." He said that accessibility to people and party leaders, acceptability within the public and accountability in wake of the losses should be there for the president and this should also be the norm for the state chief ministers and state chiefs. He said that the family is not acceptable to the people and this is evident in continued failures in poll after poll, and they are not accessible to anyone, including the party leaders. "In 90 per cent cases, Congress is pitted against Congress who are in turn backed by top AICC leaders. These leaders are full of arrogance and have held on to the big posts for long," said Dikshit. He alleged that the sycophants have led the party to the peril. While saying that members like him are not going to leave the party and will remain and fight back, he said, "We have no plans to leave but fight for revival." The rebel group is planning to meet on Wednesday and chalk out a future strategy. Days after the Congress working committee meeting, the party's senior leader Kapil Sibal on Tuesday demanded that the 'Gandhis should step aside from the leadership role and give a chance to someone else to lead the party'. Since the poll debacle of 2014 the Congress has lost elections continuously except on a few occasions, he said, and added that "the CWC has reposed faith in the party leadership but those outside the CWC feel otherwise as many have left the party and new leaders should be given a chance to lead the party". Sibal is one of the signatories of the letter written to for bringing reforms within the party, but in the CWC meet on Sunday sources say that Ghulam Nabi Azad and Anand Sharma did not raise the issue of leadership change. in the CWC on Sunday had offered to step aside from the leadership along with and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, but was turned down by the CWC. The Congress Working Committee on Sunday reposed faith in her. --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.) Bangalore (Karnataka) [India], March 15 (ANI/NewsVoir): Kinara Capital, India's fast-growing MSME fintech, is advancing women entrepreneurship with a commitment to disburse INR 200 crores via its HerVikas women business loans program in the coming fiscal year FY22-23. (https://www.kinaracapital.com/products/hervikas) HerVikas offers MSME women entrepreneurs access to collateral-free business credit with an automatic discount thereby driving financial inclusion of an underserved segment. In the past two years, Kinara Capital has disbursed more than INR 125 crores across 2,000 HerVikas business loans to MSME women entrepreneurs. Hardika Shah, Founder & CEO of Kinara Capital said, "HerVikas is a successful program because it is providing catalytic capital to MSME women entrepreneurs for business growth without a collateral requirement. In India, 90 per cent of MSME women entrepreneurs do not avail formal credit options, mostly due to lack of land or property collateral. We are proud to renew our commitment for HerVikas business loans because women entrepreneurs don't just earn a livelihood, they change the lives of their families and communities!" Overall, Kinara Capital has supported more than 6000-plus women entrepreneurs to date, with about 28 per cent of them becoming repeat customers. This has led to a direct impact of INR 10 crores in incremental income generation for the MSME women entrepreneurs and supported 10,000-plus jobs in local economies. Gender bias, social norms, and timely access to formal credit are some of the major challenges for women entrepreneurs seeking to grow their businesses. Kinara has made a systemic shift by eliminating bias from its process and providing an upfront discount on collateral-free credit. AI/ML-based data-driven credit decisioning systems further ensures that loan applications are approved on the basis of the business actuals and not the gender of the applicant. The myKinara app has made this process even easier for women entrepreneurs as the automatic HerVikas discount is applied digitally with no separate application required. Available in vernacular languages, the myKinara app can take MSME applicants from loan decisioning-to-disbursement within 24-hours, putting the power at their fingertips. Kinara Capital offers fast and flexible business loans in the range of INR 1-30 lakhs with the HerVikas discount automatically offered across all its products for women entrepreneurs. HerVikas business loans to MSME women entrepreneurs are available in 90+ cities across the six states where Kinara Capital has a presence in Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Gujarat, Maharashtra, and UT Puducherry. Kinara Capital is a fast-growing fintech propelling financial inclusion of small business entrepreneurs in India. Boasting a women-majority management team, the company is globally recognized for disrupting MSME financing. With its (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.autonom8.kinara) myKinara app, Kinara Capital has enabled a fully digital process for MSMEs to secure collateral-free loans within 24-hours. Qualified as a Systemically Important NBFC by the Reserve Bank of India, Kinara Capital is a debt-listed entity on the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE). Headquartered in Bangalore, Kinara Capital has 110 branches across 90-plus cities in India. Visit (https://www.kinaracapital.com) for more information and follow us on Twitter @KinaraCapital This press release may contain projections and other forward-looking statements regarding future events or future financial performance. These statements are only predictions and reflect our current beliefs and expectations with respect to future events and are based on assumptions and subject to risk and uncertainties and subject to change at any time. Given business risks and uncertainties, undue reliance on these forward-looking statements should not be placed. Actual events or results may differ materially from those contained in the projections or forward-looking statements. This story is provided by News Voir. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/NewsVoir) DISCLAIMER (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) New Delhi [India], March 15 (ANI/PRNewswire): Lyra network was honoured with the "IFCCI La French Tech Award 2022" at the Indo French Business Award 2022 (IFBA awards), co-organised by the Indo-French Chambers of Commerce and Industries (IFCCI) and Business France India in the presence of Franck Riester, Minister of State for Foreign Trade and Economic Attractiveness of France, and the Indo-French Business community in India on the 10th of March 2022, New Delhi. Christophe Mariette, Chairman, Lyra Network India, participated in the French delegation comprising of 8 companies from France as part of the minister's official visit on 10th and 11th of March in New Delhi and Bangalore. B2B Meetings and CEO meet Business France India organised 7 B2B meetings in Mumbai and Delhi for Lyra network India as a part of the official delegation during this 2-day Minister visit. Apart from the business meetings, team Lyra Network also participated in the CEO Meet in presence of 80+ CEOs from across India representing the biggest Indo-French companies of India and the minister himself, followed by the IFBA Awards thereafter on the evening of the 10th of March, both organized by the IFCCI. "We are very proud to win this award and to be a part of this delegation with the French minister. Thank you, Business France India, and IFCCI. We are happy to say that this visit has put Lyra in the spotlight by bringing us a unique chance to showcase our offerings and our vision to revolutionize the omnichannel world of payment. Lyra is strengthening its core with new field experts," said Christophe Mariette, Chairman, Lyra India. Lyra - a one stop solution for digital payments Lyra network, a major player in the fintech space with 10+ subsidiaries across the world including India, is one of the most preferred partners for financial establishments. Founded in 2001, in France, Lyra Network India, the local subsidiary, started its operations in 2007 under the leadership of Rajesh Desai, CEO and MD of Lyra Network India along with Christophe Mariette. After 15 successful years, it has expanded its horizons in sectors like Payment Gateway Services, Banking Solutions and White Label Solutions. Lyra offers highly secure payment acceptance solutions like ecommerce payment gateway Lyra EPOS, SIM Solution, POS Routing Solution, Payment Switch, WhatsApp Payment Solution, and many more add-on innovative services in the payment processing field and pay-tech solutions for banks and fin-techs. Lyra is ready to foray the POS solution market Being one of the experienced leaders in SIM solutions, Lyra is now ready to conquer the POS solution market. The brand is aware and is poised with its expert knowledge of the payment industries, different technologies, and how to approach each POS-PSP integration. Combined with Lyra SIM solution and Lyra Switch, Lyra POS solutions, Lyra ecommerce Payment Gateway will enable merchants to access end to end secure connectivity for transaction processing efficiently. Lyra Network will offer a complete omnichanel solution. "Lyra's mission is to build relevant, reliable, and secure solutions to facilitate online payments. We are on the verge of launching our new solution, POS solution along with our ecommerce solution. And I am sure, Lyra will soon seize this new territory," said Rajesh Desai, CEO & MD, Lyra India. Lyra is also planning to keep up this streak by collaborating with the government, fintechs, merchants, and banks as an active connectivity partner for future projects. The company looks forward to investing in new technologies and using them to offer convenient and secure digital payment solutions. Lyra aims to achieve bigger milestones and overcome thresholds with strong commitment. In November, Lyra network will mark its 15th anniversary in India. The brand takes pride in its achievements and is confident to maintain its leadership as a payment service provider while offering multiple pay-tech solutions in the dynamic payment domain. Founded in 2001 by Alain Lacour, Lyra secures payments in e-commerce and retail and develops value-added services to manage transactions and equipment on a daily basis. Based in Toulouse, Lyra is present internationally in 11 countries (India, Brazil, Germany, Spain, Colombia, Argentina, Chile, Mexico, Peru and Uruguay). The group has more than 450 employees for a turnover of 66 million euros in 2021. The Lyra Group in a few figures + 20 billion payments secured in 2021 in the world + 250,000 e-commerce sites, + 4,000,000 payment terminals in the world. Business France is the national agency supporting the international development of the French economy. Responsible for fostering export growth by French businesses, as well as promoting and facilitating international investment in France. It promotes France's companies, business image and nationwide attractiveness as an investment location, and runs the VIE international internship program. Business France has 1,500 personnel, both in France and in 55 countries throughout the world, who work with a network of partners. Since January 2019, as part of the reform of the state support system for exports, Business France has given private partners responsibility for supporting French SMEs and mid-size companies in the following markets: Belgium, Hungary, Morocco, Norway, the Philippines, and Singapore. For further information, please visit: (https://www.businessfrance.fr) This story is provided by PRNewswire. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/PRNewswire) DISCLAIMER (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) New Delhi [India], March 15 (ANI/BusinessWire India): Alarming rate of sexual crimes and repeat offences against women and children is drawing active participation from the government to fast track solutions. Across states, efforts are being made to ramp up DNA capabilities and infrastructure to reduce the pressure of backlogs in forensic labs and case pendency in courts. Experts claim that the DNA Technology (Use and Application) Regulation Bill will be a significant step in this direction to catalyse action and provision for a national and regional level DNA database of criminal offenders. This can substantially reduce crime rate in the country., as studies conducted by Prof Jennifer Doleac (Texas A & M University) show how Europe and the US have been successful in bringing down repeat offences by 42 per cent, on average. And it shows statistically, a 10 per cent increase in the database helps reduce rape offences by almost 7 per cent! Dr Pinky Anand, Senior Advocate, Supreme Court of India explained, "DNA database has benefitted countries in one of the most efficient and effective ways while solving sexual crimes, exonerating the innocent and mitigating repeat offences. Access to DNA evidence in any criminal case can make or break its outcome. In other countries where DNA database has been created, DNA testing is a routine part of investigating and prosecuting all types of criminals and is often an important tool in achieving justice for survivors of sexual assault. It is also believed that mere existence of DNA database can help us prevent repeat offence while discouraging the would-be criminals." In Maharashtra alone, a total of 2,600 cases related to sexual assault on children and women are pending with state forensic laboratories as of January 2022. And over 2,29,000 cases connected to women facing attacks are still pending in court. As per recent news reports, Maharashtra Home Minister Dilip Walse said, "there are plans to set up new forensic labs, and administrative approval has come in for setting up fast track DNA units in Nashik, Aurangabad and Amaravati." The government will therefore have to actively scale DNA capabilities in the country and improve DNA infrastructure as well as recruiting quality manpower. As per the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data published in September 2021, over 4 lakh crimes against children have been committed in the last three years. Experts believe that 25 per cent of cases account for child sex abuse, the majority being cases of a repeat offence. With the constant growth in crime rate, the burden on the Forensic Science Laboratories (FSLs) has increased, adding to increased backlogs and poor conviction rates. This is in turn delaying the DNA evidence testing process and justice delivery system. DNA database has been very effective in preventing repeat crime in many countries. In South Africa, a man was confirmed to be a serial rapist after being positively linked to 60 rape cases through DNA identification. He was arrested on a single rape charge and DNA collected had matched evidence gathered in 59 other cases. In the absence of a criminal offender database, however, it could take years to solve the case. In Malaysia, a man abducted and raped a 12-year-old girl in 2002. It was only after 12 years that he was arrested for alleged theft and his DNA matched with the sample taken in the rape case. Dr Vivek Sahajpal, Assistant Director (DNA Division) Himachal Pradesh FSL added, "A national offenders' database will help the crime investigation agencies to a huge extent and act as a deterrent. Through the database, it is easy to identify a repeat offender and also exonerate an innocent person. The investigation is efficient and the conviction is faster. It will help citizens believe in the judicial system. If it is a blind case, the DNA samples from the scene can be matched with the already existing profiles in the database. We might have a chance that it matches, resulting in conviction. On the other hand, DNA evidence is also a crucial tool in proving an accused innocent, when he or she might not have been involved in the heinous crime." In recent years, there has been a significant increase in the demand for DNA testing in India in light of developments in heinous crime proceedings such as the Kotkai Gudiya incident. In this case, the suspect was narrowed down by the CBI based on his DNA samples which matched with the evidence collected. The accused was convicted by the Trial Court on the fact that the DNA from his blood sample matched with the semen on the clothes of the victim. In another case, the DNA test report exonerated an 18-year-old boy from Kerala who served a prison term for over a month after being falsely accused in a POCSO case. It is evident that the growing application of DNA evidence has enhanced law enforcement's ability to solve cases efficiently and to exonerate innocent suspects more quickly. DNA forensic evidence is undeniably the world's best crime-fighting technology, it is most conclusive in building conviction in cases of sexual offence and is being widely accepted and applied by most nations in crime investigation. Over 60 countries have already implemented the national offender DNA database and it is imperative now for India to institutionalise one. This story is provided by BusinessWire India. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/BusinessWire India) DISCLAIMER (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Uncertainty has gripped the because of Russia's invasion of Ukraine and its impact on the markets. An official told Business Standard that the government might have to rework Life Insurance Corporation of India's valuation for its IPO if the listing is pushed beyond May. It would also impact the market value of LIC, that is currently being internally estimated at 3-4 times of the embedded value As of 30th September, the embedded value of LIC for the April-September 2022 period is pegged at 5.4 trillion rupees. This embedded value will have to be re-evaluated if the issue is pushed beyond 12th May, as approved by the Securities and Exchange Board of India. This would impact LIC's market value, which is internally estimated to be 3-4 times the embedded value. Under such circumstances, the government would also be required to seek fresh approval from Sebi for the life insurers IPO. The government official said that while the Centre had planned the for the second week of March, market volatility due to the war has delayed the proceedings. Fresh papers would have to be filed, with updated valuation of the insurer, if the listing gets pushed beyond 12th May. LIC had filed its draft red herring prospectus with Sebi on 13th February. And the markets regulator had approved it last week. Now based on Sebi's feedback and after fulfilling certain requirements, the government will soon file the red herring prospectus too. This will include both the issue size of the sale and the pricing band. The government is looking to sell 5 percent of its shares in LIC. The market is expecting the size of the issue to be about 60,000-65,000 crore rupees, valuing LIC at around 13 trillion rupees. However, the insurer's valuation would only be clear once the government files the red herring prospectus. Since the markets have been choppy, there is an apprehension that there might be a major impact on the . This could hurt the government's plan to raise about over 60,000 crore rupees from the IPO. Whether or not the government can carry out the initial public offering of LIC before 31st March will also have an impact on the FY22 fiscal deficit target. The government is monitoring volatility in the market on a daily basis. The decision to launch the IPO will be taken once this volatility normalises. The government is hopeful of bringing out the IPO before May. Watch video India currently does not have a licensing and regulatory regime for 'digital-only' . Such a bank would primarily rely on the internet to offer its services and not physical branches, all the while being subjected to the same prudential and liquidity norms as that of the incumbent commercial . But some of the leading in India seem to be already preparing for that eventuality looking to seize the opportunity as and when the RBI makes a decision. The country's largest lender State Bank of India is looking to appoint an advisor who will revamp its mobile banking app YONO to enhance customer experience and ease of use. The next generation of YONO, to be labelled 'Only Yono' will make SBI ready to launch a completely digital bank with a leaner and modular architecture with a personalised customer-centric design. And, it's not just SBI. As the Reserve Bank of India lifted the restrictions imposed on HDFC Bank's digital initiatives, a senior executive of the bank said in a TV interview that the private lender believes there is space for a completely digital bank on the lines of what some other countries are doing. Singapore, Hong Kong and Malaysia have introduced separate digital bank licensing regimes while South Korea, China and the UK have licensed digital banks within already existing regulations. In November last year, government think tank NITI Aayog floated the idea of setting up completely digital banks. In the absence of regulations for full-stack digital banks in India the closest equivalent is neo-banks where fintech companies partner with existing licensed banks. Such non-bank fintechs provide a software overlay through which consumers can access banking and value added services. Some examples include RazorpayX and Open whose main focus is businesses while neobanks like Jupiter and Niyo are consumer-focused. This apart, existing licensed bank operate autonomous digital units under a different brand. These are essentially neobanking operations of traditional banks. Examples are SBI's YONO, Kotak Mahindra Bank's 811, 'digibank' by DBS. In September 2020, the then SBI Chairman Rajnish Kumar had said that YONO could be worth $40-50 billion. However, separating YONO from SBI may not be practical since its value is derived by being the digital interface of the bank. It is still a mobile banking app that is an extension of SBI. Each one of its users is still attached to an SBI branch. Share programme of Tata Consultancy Services has seen record participation by investors. With just four days into the offer, investors have tendered 2.9 milliion shares, according to exchange data, beating the previous best of 0.19 million shares. Individual investors and qualified institutional buyers led the fourth day of window. Individual investors have tendered over 1.9 million shares, whereas qualified institutional buyers have tendered over 0.97 million shares. The 14-day long offer is priced at Rs 4,500 per equity share for shares worth Rs 18,000 crore. This is TCSS fourth and biggest buyback in the past 5 years. We spoke to AK Prabhakar of IDBI Capital to understand whether investors should pare their shares? And not just TCS, analysts are bullish on the entire sector as a depreciating rupee supports IT companies that make most of their revenues servicing clients in the overseas market. Vinod Nair of Geojit Financial Services says the stock enjoys twin benefits of attractive valuation, which is 29 times forward PE of one year, a premium valuation compared to its five-year average of 23 times, and overall tailwinds for the industry. Coming back to TCS, an important aspect of buybacks is the acceptance ratio. Simply put, an acceptance ratio is final ratio which indicates the total number of shares accepted in the buyback. If in a category, the total buyback tendered quantity exceeds the buyback size, the acceptance ratio will be lesser. If the buyback tendered quantity is less than the buyback size, then the acceptance ratio will be 100%. Historically, has seen 100% acceptance in all the three buybacks. During the last two buybacks, the market price of the company was on a rising trend and close to the buyback price on the last day of tendering. This time, though, there is a gap between the buyback price and the market price. Given this, HDFC Securities believes the likely acceptance ratio could be between 45-70 per cent. Meanwhile, Motilal Oswal expects the acceptance ratio to be in the range of 30-50 per cent, which could give a potential return of 5-9 per cent within one to two months. Market analyst Vinod Nair recommends short-term investors to consider the buyback offer due to high acceptance ratio from a historical perspective. On the other hand, he advises long-term investors to hold on to the stock with a positive outlook. Against this backdrop, investors will track the IT giants buyback on Tuesday. That apart, investors will also track the US Federal Reserves two-day monetary policy meeting, OPECs monthly output report, Euro Zones Industrial Production data and newsflows around the Russia-Ukraine crisis. Jeffrey Epstein is now mostly known for being a condemned sex offender. But before the revelation of his atrocities, he was regarded as a highly successful financier and banker with close ties to famous personalities. All of his scams got exposed after his death in 2019, including how he ran a sex trafficking network and allegedly bribed artists and politicians, per Wealthy Genius. How Epstein got so wealthy is still enigmatic. He accumulated most of his funds during his involvement in the banking sector. In the 1980s, he established several companies: International Assets Group Inc, which helped clients recover stolen money by fraudulent lawyers and brokers. The second company he built was financial company J. Epstein & Company. Only persons with an estimated net worth of more than $1 billion had access to it. Leslie Wexner, the chairman, and CEO of Victoria's Secret, was one of Epstein's more well-known customers. Moreover, Epstein received various gifts from politicians with whom he had investments in several companies. He reportedly invested in Hyperion Air. A media outfit has reported that he allegedly used two of the company's helicopters to move ladies and underage girls in his sex trafficking network operation. Epstein Leaves Behind Huge Sum of Money In August 2019, Jeffrey Epstein committed suicide. But two days before his death, he signed a will, indicating Epstein's net worth of $577,672,654. The document was filed in St. Thomas in the US Virgin Islands with the title The 1953 Trust, likely based on his birth year. Some may be wondering what happens to the huge sum of money that Epstein left behind. As per Town & Country, the identity of the trust's named beneficiary has not yet been publicly disclosed. Read Also: Jussie Smollett Net Worth 2022: How Much Wealth Does the Actor Have After Fake Hate Crime? A Complicated Matter After Epstein's Death Epstein is unmarried and does not seem to have any children; thus, his younger brother Mark would likely be his next of kin. Epstein has two nieces and nephews. According to a source, the Morse Genealogical Services group has begun hunting for people he may have fathered. Morse told the Miami Herald that they have reason to believe that "there may be some unidentified children out there" that could be entitled "to claim against the estate." However, according to former federal prosecutor Laurie Levenson, victims could still sue his estate in civil court. However, his death had made things more complicated. According to former federal prosecutor Kerry Lawrence, Epstein was not deposed, and "he's not available to defend himself. "Any restitution that they might have sought for victims or forfeiture of assets in connection with the prosecution all effectively disappear," Lawrence explained. ABC News recently reported that Epstein's lawyers told a judge in the United States that the government of the Virgin Islands announced this week that it is "extraordinarily close" to concluding a civil action filed by the island territory's government against the late financier's estate, which was originally valued at over $650 million. Deputy Attorney General Carol Thomas-Jacobs has confirmed that talks are ongoing with some progress achieved. However, there were a few "sticky issues" that needed to be solved. Related Article: Prince Andrew Net Worth 2022: How Much Wealth Does Queen Elizabeth II's Child Has Amid Jeffrey Epstein Issue? @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Spearline, a Cork-born global telecommunications company, has today announced plans for 106 new hires in a variety of roles across Ireland, the United States and India. The expansion follows the recent acquisition of testRTC in Israel in late 2021, and will double the firms workforce, bringing employee numbers to 250 by the end of the year. Further increases are also planned for 2023. The new roles will be in customer engagement, finance, HR, marketing, operations, product engineering and sales. Spearline is a technology company that proactively monitors toll and toll-free numbers for connectivity and audio quality, globally. Remote applications are being invited across almost all positions, in line with the companys revised hybrid and remote working model. Pre-pandemic, Spearline required prospective staff members to be based at one of its four global locations. However, advancements to the hybrid working model have enabled the company to recruit talent from all over the world, in countries such as America, Romania, France, Switzerland and Brazil. Headquartered in Skibbereen in Co Cork, the company also boasts a second base in Waterford and intends to hire for at least 38 new Irish positions. Other roles will be attached to offices outside Ireland, but with a new remote and hybrid policy in place, additional Irish hires may be on the cards. Spearline also has locations in Ahmedabad, India and Bucharest, Romania, while Zoom and Mastercard are among the firms high-profile clients. As part of the expansion, one of many of the companys goals is to establish a multi-state team in the US, capable of covering all regions where new and current customers operate. Commenting on the companys expansion plans, Spearline CEO and Co-Founder, Kevin Buckley said, "We are delighted to announce we will be expanding our workforce in Ireland and internationally. Currently, our plan is to hire 106 jobs in total, with 38 of those being based across Ireland. The remainder will be in the US and India by year-end, as we adopt a more modern, hybrid working approach in a post-COVID world." Source: www.businessworld.ie Whats new: Chinas Foreign Ministry rejected reports attributed to the U.S. that Russia asked China for military assistance for its war in Ukraine, calling it disinformation. Zhao Lijian, a spokesperson of Chinas Ministry of Foreign Affairs, accused the U.S. of maliciously spreading disinformation targeting China when asked about the reports at a regular press briefing Monday. Short-distance rural tourism grew more popular in Chinas capital during this years Labor Day holiday amid curbs on travel to control the pandemic. Bookings for hotels and homestays outside urban areas started earlier than usual for this years five-day national holiday, with volumes climbing since April 10. Despite Covid control measures, most scenic spots in suburban areas remain open, though visitors are required to present negative Covid-19 test results to enter May 04, 2022 03:50 PM Erectile dysfunction (ED) remains a gray area, with the condition characterized with lowering an individual's self-esteem. Many people who suffer from the condition might turn to online stores for the appropriate medicine. A few online stores offer ED medication without prescription despite the associated risks. Some medications may contain harmful ingredients hence the need for buying safely. Understanding Erectile Dysfunction Erectile dysfunction refers to the inability to get or keep an erection during sexual activity. It occurs when the penile erection chambers are unable to generate and maintain the high pressures that characterize an erection. It can be linked to factors like age, high blood pressure, vascular disease, stress, among others. Although some ED conditions might not be reversible, certified medications are used to help affected people maintain an erection. Several ED drugs have been clinically proven to be effective treatments for the conditions. Notably, some medicines are available over the counter alongside physical stores. Risks Associated with Ordering ED Medicine Online Purchasing erectile dysfunction drugs online without consultation from a doctor can be a risk. Such medicines may contain unregulated elements that can be detrimental to your health. At the same time, unregulated drugs come with side effects, especially when consumed without adhering to the right quantities. Furthermore, some drugs might not be effective and can be characterized with the following side effects: Dizziness Headache Indigestion Hearing loss Facial flushing Abnormal vision Before buying ED meds online, you need a recommendation from the doctor. Bear in mind that other health conditions such as diabetes or high blood pressure might interfere with ED medicine uptake. This aspect validates the need to consult your doctor. Below is what to look out for in your preferred online store. Healthcare partner Regulations demand that each online pharmacy should closely work with licensed healthcare professionals. Look out if the online store has doctors who can advise individuals and prescribe medication. Doctor prescription ED medicine comes with several side effects, and a doctor needs to prescribe the doses for specific patients. If your preferred online store does not ask for a doctor's prescription, you should avoid it Customer support Each online store should have a working customer support system. Look out for factors like contact details, including phone numbers and chatbots. Privacy Most clients will want to have their ED drugs delivered discreetly. Your online store of choice should therefore have an existing privacy policy. The policy should be detailed enough and describe how it protects your personal information. License Your selected online pharmacy should be fully regulated with a license and an address. Check with your local board for a permit of operation. Note that this is important for accountability purposes. Ensure regulators approve all drugs sold at the store, and only accept drugs that are clearly labeled with the name and the dose. Benefits of Buying ED Medicine Online Extensive availability of medication for people confined to their homes The ability to compare prices on different websites Convenience and access to a wide variety of products Privacy Endnote Buying ED medicine online can be convenient, but you should approach it with care. Some pills can be unsafe, especially if not approved by regulators. The best way to purchase ED medicine online is through getting a prescription after consultation with a doctor. You can obtain the medicine through a physical store or online pharmacies with the right medication. @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. The US has warned China against assisting Russia in Ukraine, warning that Beijing would have "consequences" if supporting Moscow's military effort. On Monday, Biden administration spokesman Ned Price told reporters that the Biden administration would not "stand by" and allow countries to assist Russia in subverting the western-led global isolation campaign, which includes crippling economic sanctions, launched in response to Moscow's invasion of Ukraine. US Warns China on Support for Russia in Ukraine War His comments came as national security advisor Jake Sullivan met with top Chinese officials in Rome to discuss the issue, and news reports indicated that the Biden administration had informed other nations that China was poised to support Russia militarily and economically. The story was refuted by Russia's foreign ministry. Ned Price refused to comment on the state of Mr. Sullivan's meeting, which he said was still going on when he entered the briefing. During her news briefing Monday afternoon, White House press secretary Jen Psaki described the meeting as an "intense seven-hour session" that "reflected the gravity of the moment" and claimed the US had spelled out its stance. Psaki also spoke about China's capacity to assist Russia, implying that it would be useless in the face of a coordinated reaction from Nato-aligned states, according to Independent. Sullivan spoke with Yang Jiechi, China's top foreign policy advisor, in Rome as allegations surfaced that Moscow has sought out to China for military supplies as its invasion of Ukraine enters its third week, despite heavy resistance from Ukrainian forces. Read Also: Russia-Ukraine War: UK Freezes Assets of 7 Russian Oligarchs To "Ramp Up the Pressure" on Vladimir Putin Russia Accuses US of Helping Ukraine in Running Chemical Weapons Labs By two administration officials, China has indicated to Russia that it is willing to provide both military and financial assistance to help Russia avoid the effect of punishing Western sanctions. The assessment had been transmitted to Western and Asian friends and partners early Monday, according to authorities. China is also being accused by the Biden administration of propagating Russian misinformation, which might be used as a pretext by Putin's forces to strike Ukraine with chemical or biological weapons. Officials from the Biden administration believe that Beijing is disseminating bogus Russian assertions that Ukraine was conducting chemical and biological weapons laboratories with US assistance. They argue that if Russia goes ahead with a biological and chemical attack against Ukrainians, China will effectively cover them. "It's a good tell that they may be on the cusp of doing it themselves," Sullivan said Sunday when Russia began accusing other countries of preparing biological or chemical attacks. Price urged China to join the international community in pressuring Russia to agree to a cease-fire and end its attack on neighboring Ukraine, New York Post reported. President Biden is concerned about the possibility of China providing financial assistance to Russia. According to a US source, Russia has recently requested assistance from China, including military supplies, to continue its fight with Ukraine. The official did not elaborate on the nature of the request, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive subjects. Since the battle began more than two weeks ago, the Russians have suffered considerable losses in tanks, helicopters, and other equipment. Ukraine is well-equipped with anti-tank and anti-aircraft weapons, despite being outmanned by Russian forces. The military systems of Russia and China have limited interoperability, and it's unclear what weaponry China has that Russia lacks. The unexpected US accusations of Russian deception and Chinese complicity came after Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova stated that the US was sponsoring Ukrainian chemical and biological weapons facilities based on no evidence. Zhao, a spokeswoman for China's foreign ministry, reiterated the Russian assertion, claiming that the US had 26 bio-labs and similar facilities in China. The Department of Defense has complete authority." The United Nations has stated that it has received no evidence to support such claims. According to a person familiar with the administration's view who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the official wasn't authorized to comment publicly, there is growing concern inside the White House that China is aligning itself with Russia on the Ukraine war in the hopes of advancing Beijing's "vision of the world order" in the long run. Just three weeks before Russia invaded on February 24, China's leader Xi Jinping received Putin for the opening of the Winter Olympics in Beijing. During Putin's visit, the two presidents issued a 5,000-word statement reaffirming their "unending friendship." China is just one of those countries that has remained silent on Russia's invasion of Ukraine, as per AP News. Related Article: China Takes More Aggressive Stance, Warns Worst Consequences for Any Country Providing Military Support to Taiwan @YouTube @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. FILE Ohio senatorial candidate Jane Timken listens as Ohio Sen. Rob Portman speaks to supporters at a rally in Cincinnati, March 4, 2022. As war rages in Ukraine, ties to business deals involving Russia are threatening potential political fallout to candidates in Ohio's crowded Republican primary for an open U.S. Senate seat. (AP Photo/Jeff Dean, File) FILE - In this photo released by the Russian Defense Ministry Press Service, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu shows his signature under a roadmap for military cooperation between Russia and China during a video call with Chinese Defense Minister Wei Fenghe in Moscow, Russia, Tuesday, Nov. 23, 2021. The U.S. says Russia has asked China to provide military assistance for its war in Ukraine, and that China has responded affirmatively. Both Moscow and Beijing have denied the allegation, with a Chinese spokesperson dismissing it as disinformation. (Vadim Savitskiy/Russian Defense Ministry Press Service via AP) The Beaufort Board of Commissioners and town department heads listen to a presentation Thursday from Carteret County Economic Development Director Michele Querry. (Mike Shutak photo) Thank you for reading! Please log in, or sign up for a new account and consider subscribing for only $7 per month to get access to more articles and news as it happens. Photo: Jim Kinnear More Canadians are taking advantage of a special exemption to travel to Point Roberts to purchase cheap gas. Business is picking up at the International Marketplace too More Canadians are taking advantage of a special exemption to travel to Point Roberts to purchase cheap gas. Business is picking up at the International Marketplace too.Jim Kinnear photos Soaring gas prices and a special border exemption have Canadian traffic heading to Point Roberts at volumes not seen since prior to the pandemic over two years ago. The U.S. pene-exclave has been recognized as a remote border community by Canadas Order in Council. It means fully-vaccinated Canadians can make essential or non-essential visits for any length of time and are not required to present a pre-entry negative PCR COVID test when returning home or going into quarantine. However, the procedure that includes the use of the ArriveCan app and potentially being randomly selected for a COVID test, had many Canadians hesitating to make the short trip until now. Border traffic began to pick-up over the recent B.C Family Day long weekend and has increased substantially since as Canadian gas prices hit record levels. A trip to Point Roberts will currently save about .40 cents per litre. Kelly Bravener at SSExpress (formerly USA Gas) described business as insane on Friday. Meanwhile, the trickle effect was noticeable at the adjacent International Marketplace grocery store with a number of cars with B.C. license plates in the parking lot. Across the street at Nielsons Building Centre, staff said they are seeing more Canadians with summer homes coming into the store. Its welcome news to Point Roberts Chamber of Commerce president Brian Calder who has watched his business community suffer greatly since the border was initially completely closed at the start of the pandemic back in March 2020. He would still like to see the travel restrictions eased further. Gas stations are busy and the Marketplace (business) has improved, said Calder. Canadians are regaining confidence in the ability to cross the border. However, ArriveCan remains a deterrent for many. As a result the parcel depots are still suffering a loss of business and many construction and service trades are refusing to come to Point Roberts. What is needed for fully vaccinated Canadians to visit Point Roberts? Entering Point Roberts: Proof of vaccination may be requested. Otherwise only a Canadian passport or Nexus card is needed. Trip details are given verbally. Note, U.S. Nexus lane is currently closed. Returning to Delta: Passport/Nexus, proof of vaccination and trip details must be uploaded into the ArriveCan app. This can be done at home prior to your trip by adding the ArriveCan app to your smartphone or filling out the information on your computer. Your Port of Entry is Boundary Bay. Exact return time isnt essential as long as its on the same day. Remember the app is not set-up to recognize Point Roberts special exemption, so the negative test requirement and quarantine information is not necessary. All the ArriveCan information is in the system for the Canadian Border Services officer to review. With files from Jim Kinnear I am deeply concerned about what is happening to our democracy. I am also deeply concerned to see politics dividing families, friends and co-workers. The freedom convoy in Ottawa highlighted these divisions. It also showed us that many politicians are willing to fan the flames of division in order to garner a few more votes in the next election. In our winner-take-all voting system, those few votes could result in yet another majority government, elected by a minority of voters. If the divisions and anger we are witnessing are fuelled by our current voting system, how can we usher in a new and improved kind of politics in Canada? How can we create one that values cooperation and consensus over division and attack? How do we create a system where more Canadians feel heard and included? We start with electoral reform. A Leger poll done in September 2020 showed an overwhelming 80% of Canadianssupporters of all political partiesbacked the idea of a National Citizens Assembly on Electoral Reform. An independent, non-partisan Citizens Assembly on Electoral Reform has the potential to start reversing the polarization in Canadian politics. A Citizens Assembly is a body of citizens formed to deliberate on an important policy issue. A Citizens Assembly on Electoral reform would study different voting systems in depth and make recommendations based on the interests of all Canadians, not political parties. When given knowledge, resources and time, citizens can find solutions to complex and challenging issues, including those where politicians have reached an impasse or do not want change because the status quo benefits them and their political party. Jane Weixl Photo: The Canadian Press Hunter Jaxon Francis is shown in a handout photo from his Facebook page. The New Brunswick man, who was injured when a military base near Ukraine's western border was struck by Russian missiles on Sunday, says there was no warning of the attack. UPDATE 10:55 a.m. A New Brunswick man who was injured when a military base near Ukraine's western border was struck by Russian missiles on Sunday says there was no warning of the attack. Hunter Francis of the Eel Ground First Nation in northeast New Brunswick says there were no air raid sirens before the missiles hit. In text messages to The Canadian Press, Francis says the missiles struck a supply depot first, then the barracks where he was located. The former Canadian Forces member, who arrived in Ukraine last week to volunteer in the defence against Russia, says the bombardment lasted about 30 minutes and left him with shards of glass and metal in his right hand and his nose. Francis is now in an unidentified country bordering Ukraine, and efforts are underway for him to return to Canada. Ukrainian officials said at least 35 people were killed in the attack and 134 wounded. ORIGINAL 6:10 a.m. A Canadian man was injured when a military base near Ukraine's western border was struck by Russian missiles on the weekend, says the head of an organization now helping the volunteer fighter get back home. Chris Ecklund of Fight For Ukraine said the man's injuries are superficial. He was struck by glass and metal fragments that he "basically picked ... out himself" and may have a slight concussion and some hearing loss. Ecklund did not provide details about the man or where in Canada he is from. "I've arranged to have him seen by a doctor, hopefully tomorrow," Ecklund said in an interview late Monday from Hamilton, Ont. "But, I mean, you know, when you go through a missile strike like this I'm sure you've heard of shell shock and PTSD and that's something I hope doesn't traumatize him." Fight for Ukraine has been providing logistical information for Canadians who want to help Ukraine in its fight against Russia's invasion. Ecklund said the injured Canadian is now in a country that neighbours Ukraine. The man was about 20 kilometres from the Ukraine-Poland border, near the Ukrainian city of Lviv, when Russian missiles flew down on the military training base Sunday. Lviv Governor Maksym Kozytskyi said more than 30 Russian cruise missiles targeted the sprawling facility. Most of the Russian missiles "were shot down because the air defence system worked," but the ones that got through killed at least 35 people and wounded 134, he said. Poland is a transit route for Western military aid to Ukraine, and the United States has increased the number of America troops deployed there. Ecklund said the injured Canadian sent pictures of the destruction following the missile strikes, including a huge hole in the ground, structures on fire, broken glass and burning buildings. Some of the man's documents, including his passport, were also destroyed, he said. "The destruction was just incredible," Ecklund said. "He's a lucky young man that he's alive." In a war such as this, Ecklund added, he plans for the worst and hopes for the best. "It was just an absolute miracle that there were no Canadians amongst the dead and the injured," he said. "Right now, we just know of the one this one person." Global Affairs Canada spokesperson Sabrina Williams said in a statement that the department is aware a Canadian was injured in Ukraine following missile strikes over the weekend. "Consular official are in contact with the individual and stand ready to provide assistance," Williams said. "Due to privacy considerations, no further information can be disclosed." Ecklund said his organization, which he described as an information portal, has seen about 300 people "come through our website." The injured Canadian had signed up through the website then followed steps to get authorization from the Ukrainian Embassy, he said. Defence Minister Anita Anand has said it is a person's decision to volunteer to fight, while the Canadian government can provide information about the severity of the situation on the ground in Ukraine. The Ukrainian government said about 20,000 foreigners from various nations have joined the so-called International Legion for the Territorial Defense of Ukraine most of them from Western countries. Ecklund said he has been in constant contact with the Canadian since he was injured. "We got him a hot meal to just to kind of raise his spirits a little bit. Because after going through such a traumatic event, I thought, you know what, let's get a nice hot meal in his stomach. Got him a beer too. So he appreciated that," he said. "He's in a much better place, mentally, because he knows that there's a support network there for him." Photo: RCMP A man allegedly exposed and touched himself in the bushes near a Metro Vancouver, B.C. secondary school in Newton, Surrey on March 2, 2022. A man allegedly exposed and touched himself in the bushes near a Surrey, B.C. secondary school. RCMP is now appealing to the public for help identifying the suspect in multiple indecent acts near a secondary school in Surrey's Newton area. On March 2, Surrey RCMP received a report of a man touching himself in the bushes near Princess Margaret Secondary School, explains a news release. Surrey RCMP Frontline is investigating the indecent acts and has released a sketch of the suspect that was completed by a Forensic Sketch Artist. The suspect is described as South Asian male, 30-40 years old, medium complexion, dark hair, 510, average build, with facial stubble and a moustache. Anyone with information about this incident, or who recognizes the suspect is asked to contact the Surrey RCMP at 604-599-0502, or Crime Stoppers, if they wish to remain anonymous, at 1-800-222-8477 or www.solvecrime.ca. Tarim oilfield supplies over 300 bln cubic meters of gas to east China Xinhua) 08:35, March 15, 2022 Maintenance workers at the Horgos initial compressor station of the West Pipeline Company under China Oil &Gas Pipeline Network Corporation (PipeChina) in Horgos, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Feb. 4, 2021. (Xinhua/Ding Lei) URUMQI, March 14 (Xinhua) -- The Tarim oilfield branch of PetroChina, China's largest oil and gas producer, said that it has so far supplied over 300 billion cubic meters of natural gas to central and eastern parts of China via the country's West-to-East gas pipeline. The total volume is equivalent to 1.5 times the country's total natural gas production in 2021. Last year alone, the oilfield provided more than 24.9 billion cubic meters of natural gas via the West-to-East pipeline, serving the mounting energy needs during the winter heating season. The Tarim oilfield is located in Tarim Basin, a major petroliferous basin in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. As per estimates of the Tarim oilfield company, the natural gas transported from the oilfield to other parts of China has helped reduce the use of standard coal by 400 million tonnes and cut carbon emissions by 426 million tonnes. The natural gas produced by the company has benefited about 400 million local residents in 15 provincial-level regions in China and further contributed to the optimization of the country's energy structure, according to the company. (Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Liang Jun) After nearly a year in ICE jail, scammer socialite Anna "Delvey" Sorokin has been discharged and will be deported from the United States. Anna Sorokin is scheduled to fly to Frankfurt on Monday night. According to one close source, Sorokin, 31, is outraged over her deportation because she had filed an appeal to stay in the United States. On April 19, the appeal was scheduled to be heard. She's been detained in the Orange County Correctional Facility in Goshen, New York, since March 25 on suspicion of overstaying her visa. She'll be on the "Call Her Daddy" podcast on Wednesday, according to reports. Who is Anna Delvey? Anna Delvey Sorokin and three other ICE inmates sued federal immigration officials last month after receiving COVID-19 while in detention. Sorokin's life and misdeeds are glamorized in the Netflix smash "Inventing Anna." According to the ACLU's case filed in federal court, Sorokin tested positive for the virus on Jan. 19, weeks after she submitted a written request for a follow-up vaccination injection that went unanswered, as per New York Post. Anna Delvey was the pen name of Anna Sorokin, a German lady who moved to New York in 2013. Sorokin claimed to be a wealthy German heiress under the fictitious name to get a foothold in New York's social scene. She used that alias until 2017, when the Manhattan District Attorney's Office began investigating her for bank fraud. In actuality, Sorokin's parents were from low-income families. Before becoming a housewife, her father worked as a truck driver, while her mother worked as a convenience store owner. She was born in Domodedovo, near Moscow, in January 1991 and relocated to Germany with her family when she was 16 years old. She started going by the name Delvey in Paris. "do not recognize the surname," her parents stated, Independent reported. Read Also: Scott Hall Heart Attack Update: Kevin Nash Confirms Life Support on WWE Legend Will Be Taken Off Once Family Is in Place Anna Sorokin's Charges She was caught for the first time in July 2017 when she skipped out on thousands of dollars in outstanding bills at two New York City hotels, the Beekman and the W New York, then dined and ran after lunch at the Le Parker Meridien. In September of that year, Sorokin was supposed to appear in court, but he never showed up. The Manhattan District Attorney set up a covert operation with the Los Angeles Police Department and detained her again a few months later, in October. City National Bank, according to the indictment, authorized Sorokin to overspend her account by $100,000. She was able to maintain $55,000 in the account, but she squandered these cash on personal costs in around one month' with luxurious hotel stays, high-end fashion purchases, and personal training sessions. She was found guilty of second-degree larceny, theft of services, and attempted first-degree larceny in 2019. Sorokin, on the other hand, was found not guilty of the most serious accusation, attempted grand larceny in the first degree, in connection with a $22 million loan she sought from City National Bank. Rachel DeLoache Williams, who worked in the picture department of Vanity Fair magazine and was defrauded of $62,000, was also acquitted of stealing from her. In 2017, the two went on a $7,000-per-night villa vacation to Morocco with a group of friends. Sorokin had promised to cover the cost of the trip, but she never did. Anna Sorokin used the $320,000 she obtained for selling her life story to Netflix to clear her debts and pay her state fines. However, she was detained again by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement authorities less than a month later for overstaying her visa. She has been jailed at the Orange County Correctional Facility since then, where she has expressed her dissatisfaction with the conditions. Sorokin also claims in court records that she is now impoverished and that she was awarded "poor person's relief" when she filed her appeal against her conviction. Sorokin paid $100,000 to City National Bank, $70,000 to Citibank, $75,000 in legal expenses, and another $24,000 in fines from the money she earned from the lucrative Netflix contract, leaving roughly $51,000 in the bank. Sorokin does not appear to have paid the $35,400 she owes Blade, Uber's air taxi service, for a charter trip from New Jersey to Omaha, Nebraska, to attend Berkshire Hathaway's annual shareholder's meeting. She also doesn't appear to have paid the $23,000 she owes to Signature Bank. The "poor person's relief" gives her money from the court to pay the expense of submitting her appeal and other legal costs, Daily Mail reported. Related Article: Kanye West Reignites Feud With Kim Kardashian; Pete Davidson Breaks Silence, Defends Girlfriend @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Photo: The Canadian Press The Montreal Police logo is seen on a police car in Montreal on July 8, 2020. Montreal police say they are investigating the assault of a 10-year old girl who was beaten and dragged in the streets by a man on Monday.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Paul Chiasson The assault of a 10-year-old girl who was beaten and dragged in the streets of Montreal has prompted strong reactions across the province. Montreal Mayor Valerie Plante called the attack "very disturbing" during a news conference Tuesday. "There's no room for violence in Montreal," she added on social media, "and a child should never be subjected to it." Montreal police spokesperson Sgt. Raphael Bergeron said the girl was walking on the sidewalk Monday with a friend in the east end neighbourhood of Pointe-aux-Trembles before noon when a man grabbed and punched her multiple times. Bergeron said officers arrested a 21-year-old man after several bystanders intervened and stopped the assault. The girl was taken to hospital with serious but non-life-threatening injuries to her upper body. A photo of her in hospital, with cuts across her face and her neck braced, was shared online by her family to show the extent of the attack. "She is suffering from a violent nervous shock as well," Bergeron said. Quebec Liberal Leader Dominique Anglade tweeted Tuesday that she was heartbroken by the news and demanded justice for the girl. "I would have never believed that someone could assault a young girl on her way back from school," Anglade said. "It's an indescribable horror." Police said they are investigating the assault and have met with several witnesses. The Crown prosecutor's office will likely request a psychological evaluation of the suspect, police said, and he could face charges including aggravated assault. "There could probably be mental health issues involved in this case," Bergeron added. Photo: The Canadian Press A couple with a child on the shoulders weals past a damaged by shelling building in Kharkiv, Ukraine, Tuesday, March 15, 2022. (AP Photo/Andrew Marienko) UPDATE 6:20 p.m. Russian troops seized a hospital in Mariupol and took about 500 people hostage during another assault on the southern port city late Tuesday, regional leader Pavlo Kyrylenko said. Russians troops drove 400 people from neighboring houses into Regional Intensive Care Hospital, Kyrylenko said on the messaging app Telegram. About 100 doctors and patients also are believed to be inside, he said. The troops are using those inside the hospital as human shields and are not allowing anyone to leave, he said. Its impossible to leave the hospital, they are shooting hard, Kyrylenko said. Kyrylenko said the main building of the hospital has been heavily damaged by shelling, but medical staff are continuing to treat patients in makeshift wards set up in the basement. He called on the world to respond to these gross violations of the norms and customs of war, these egregious crimes against humanity. The Ukrainian armys General Staff says Russian troops are trying to block off the city from the western and eastern outskirts of the city. There are significant losses, it said in a Facebook post. ORIGINAL 2:50 p.m. Ukraine said it saw possible room for compromise Tuesday in talks with Russia, while Moscow's forces stepped up their bombardment of Kyiv, and an estimated 20,000 civilians fled the desperately encircled port city of Mariupol by way of a humanitarian corridor. The fast-moving developments on the diplomatic front and on the ground came on the 20th day of Russia's invasion, as the number of Ukrainians fleeing the country amid Europe's heaviest fighting since World War II eclipsed 3 million. A top Ukrainian negotiator, presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak, described the latest round of talks with the Russians, held via videoconference, as very difficult and viscous" and said there were fundamental contradictions between the two sides, but added that there is certainly room for compromise. He said the talks will continue Wednesday. Earlier in the day, another aide to Ukrainian President Volodymir Zelenskyy, Ihor Zhovkva, struck a more optimistic note, saying that the negotiations had become more constructive and that Russia had softened its stand by no longer airing its demands that Ukraine surrender. In other developments, the leaders of three European Union countries Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovenia visited the embattled capital, arriving by train in a bold show of support amid the danger. Meanwhile, large explosions thundered across Kyiv before dawn from what Ukrainian authorities said were artillery strikes, as Russias bombardment of the capital appeared to become more systematic and edged closer to the city center, smashing apartments, a subway station and other civilian sites. Zelenskyy said barrages hit four multi-story buildings in the city and killed dozens. The strikes disrupted the relative calm that returned after an initial advance by Moscow's forces was stopped in the early days of the war. A senior U.S. defense official, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss the Pentagon's assessment, said that the Russians were using long-range fire to hit civilian targets inside Kyiv with increasing frequency but that their ground forces were making little to no progress around the country. The official said Russian troops were still about 15 kilometers (9 miles) from the center of the capital. The official said the U.S. has seen indications that Russia believes it may need more troops or supplies than it has on hand in Ukraine, and it is considering ways to get more resources into the country. The official did not elaborate. Before Tuesday's talks, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Moscow would press its demands that Ukraine drop its bid to join NATO, adopt a neutral status and demilitarize. In a statement that seemed to signal potential grounds for agreement with Moscow, Zelenskyy told European leaders gathered in London that he realizes NATO has no intention of accepting Ukraine. We have heard for many years about the open doors, but we also heard that we cant enter those doors, he said. This is the truth, and we have simply to accept it as it is. NATO does not admit nations with unsettled territorial conflicts. Zelenskyy has repeatedly said in recent weeks that he realizes NATO isnt going to offer membership to Ukraine and that he could consider a neutral status for his country but needs strong security guarantees from both the West and Russia. The U.N. said close to 700 civilians in Ukraine have been confirmed killed, with the true figure probably much higher. Two journalists working for Fox News were killed when the vehicle they were traveling in was hit by fire Monday on the outskirts of Kyiv, the network said. Fox identified the two as video journalist Pierre Zakrzewski and Ukrainian journalist Oleksandra Sasha Kuvshynova, who was helping Fox crews navigate the area. Another journalist was killed Sunday in Ukraine. New efforts to bring civilians to safety and deliver aid were underway around the country. The Red Cross said it was working to evacuate people in about 70 buses from the northeastern town of Sumy, near the Russian border. The exodus from Mariupol marked the biggest evacuation yet from the southern city of 430,000, where officials say a weekslong siege has killed more than 2,300 people and left residents struggling for food, water, heat and medicine. Bodies have been buried in mass graves. Kyrylo Tymoshenko, a senior aide to Zelenskyy, said that about 20,000 people managed to leave Mariupol in 4,000 private vehicles via a designated safe corridor leading to the city of Zaporizhzhia. Fighting has intensified on Kyiv's outskirts in recent days, and air raid sirens wailed inside the capital. The mayor imposed a curfew extending through Thursday morning. Tuesday's artillery strikes hit the Svyatoshynskyi district of western Kyiv, adjacent to the suburb of Irpin, which has seen some of the worst fighting of the war. Flames shot out of a 15-story apartment building and smoke choked the air as firefighters climbed ladders to rescue people. The assault blackened several floors of the building, ripped a hole in the ground outside and blew out windows in neighboring apartment blocks. Rescue workers said at least one person was killed. Yesterday we extinguished one fire, today another. It is very difficult, a firefighter who gave only his first name, Andriy, said outside the building, tears falling from his eyes. People are dying, and the worst thing is that children are dying. They havent lived their lives and they have already seen this." City authorities also tweeted an image of the blown-out facade of a downtown subway station that had been used as a bomb shelter and said trains would no longer stop at the station. A 10-story apartment building in the Podilsky district of Kyiv, north of the government quarter, was damaged. Russian forces also stepped up strikes overnight on Irpin and the northwest Kyiv suburbs of Hostomel and Bucha, said the head of the capital region, Oleksiy Kuleba. Many streets have been turned into a mush of steel and concrete. People have been hiding for weeks in basements, and are afraid to go out even for evacuations, Kuleba said on Ukrainian television. In the country's east, Russian forces launched more than 60 strikes overnight on Ukraines second-largest city, Kharkiv, according to regional administration chief Oleh Sinehubov. The strikes hit the citys historical center, including the main marketplace. Sinehubov said the bodies of dozens of civilians were pulled from destroyed apartment buildings. In Mykolaiv, a strategic southern city near the Black Sea where airstrikes killed nine people Sunday, residents braced for more attacks. Volunteers prepared food and sorted donated clothes. Molotov cocktails for use against the invaders were stockpiled. "We are bombed during the day and during the night," said Svetlana Gryshchenko, whose soldier son was killed in the fighting. It's a nightmare what Russia is doing on the territory of Ukraine. El Nahda Cement and ASEC extend technical management contract 15 March 2022 The contract between El Nahda Industries (El Nahda Cement) and The Swiss Arab Engineering Company (ASEC) has been renewed and the cooperation between the two companies will continue for another year until 31 March 2023. ASEC has been technically managing The Renaissance Cement factory since 2011. The renewal of the contract was signed by Ahmed Shrien Karim, CEO and managing director of El Nahda, and Ashraf Al-Kahwa, CEO and managing director of ASEC, and the signing was attended by a number of leaders of the two companies. The two parties look forward to a new phase of cooperation to achieve success, progress and profit for the two companies. Published under British Rema transfers ownership to employees 15 March 2022 In a move that demonstrates genuine belief in rewarding loyal staff, manufacturing and engineering business British Rema has transferred ownership of its group of companies into the newly-formed British Rema Employee Ownership Trust. Sole beneficiaries of this trust are current and future employees of the company. The business relies heavily on the commitment and specialist skills and knowhow of its staff. In 2019 financial advisors Grant Thornton introduced the idea of forming an Employee Ownership Trust (EOT) as the best way to build on the companys success and enable a succession plan for the owners, whilst maintaining continuity in the management team. The directors agreed, recognising the additional benefits in terms of staff engagement, recruitment and retention. While the implementation of the plan was delayed by the COVID pandemic, the directors are now extremely pleased to have completed the deal and are looking forward to a new era for this long-standing business. John Cameron has been a director of the business since 2005 and believes that the change from a privately-owned company to an EOT demonstrates the companys commitment to the region and the associated long-term employment opportunities: British Rema intends to stay put and grow from its current base. The new ownership structure makes it an attractive option for new staff and highly motivational for existing staff. We have also announced the introduction of a profit-related bonus scheme which will see staff immediately share in the companys financial success. Published under Bamburi Cement to raise prices as costs escalate ICR Newsroom By 15 March 2022 Kenya-based Bamburi Cement (Holcim) plans to increase prices of its products by 2-10 per cent as of 10 March 2022. The company attributed the price rise to higher raw material costs. To sustain its operations, Bamburi will be raising prices of products marketed under its Nguvu, Tembo and Fundi brands, particularly from the companys Nairobi, Mombasa, Limuru and Sagana depots. The price of a 50kg bag of Bamburi Cement retails between KES600 (US$5.25) and KES770. Published under Missed Delivery? If missed delivery or wet paper please call our office 909-628-5501 ext 110 Leave a detailed message with name, address, and phone number. Readers must call before 1 p.m. on Saturday. Re-deliveries are available for Chino residents until 1 p.m. Saturdays. Click Here An undercover operation by special agents with the TBI Human Trafficking Unit, Dayton Police Department, 12th Judicial District Attorney Generals Office, Homeland Security Investigations, and TBIs Tennessee Human Trafficking Task Force has resulted in the arrest of five men accused of seeking illicit sex from minors. Over a two-day period beginning on March 10, as part of an undercover investigation aimed at addressing human trafficking in the East Tennessee area, undercover officers placed several decoy advertisements on websites known to be linked to prostitution and commercial sex. The focus of the operation was to identify individuals seeking to engage in commercial sex acts with minors. As a result of the operation, agents and detectives arrested five men, who were each booked into the Rhea County Jail on a $25,000 bond. Eugenio D. Bautista (DOB 06/14/1998), Dayton: two counts trafficking for commercial sex act, two counts especially aggravated sexual exploitation of a minor. Kevin S. Cormier (DOB08/01/1967), Spring City: two counts trafficking for commercial sex act. Devin Wayne Riddle (DOB 06/24/1993), Chickamauga: one count trafficking for commercial sex act, one count manufacture, delivery, sell of possession of methamphetamine, one count unlawful drug paraphernalia. Kevin Ramirez Vasquez (DOB 07/23/2003), Chattanooga: one count trafficking for commercial sex act. Erik Alan Zeliski (DOB 09/26/1974), Ooltewah: one count trafficking for commercial sex act. This is the third such operation conducted by TBI special agents and other law enforcement partners in 2022. This operation in the 12th Judicial District included the planning and execution assistance and cooperation from District Attorney General Michael Taylor and Dayton Police Chief Chris Sneed and their respective departments. In 2021, 13 similar operations were conducted across the state, aimed at reducing human trafficking. Information about human trafficking and TBIs efforts to address this type of crime can be found online at www.ITHasToStop.com. White House COVID-19 response coordinator Jeff Zients renewed the Biden administration's urgent call for Congress to pass coronavirus pandemic supplemental funding, citing "severe consequences" if they choose not to. The official's remarks come amid the uncertain path of the legislation moving forward to distribute additional relief funding with the government's pandemic response program. United States President Joe Biden's administration requested $22.5 billion for its supplemental COVID-19 relief funding. COVID-19 Spending Bill The administration's funding was planned to be included in the massive government funding package known as the omnibus. Previously, negotiators proposed a lesser $15.6 billion fund for COVID relief. However, after pushback from both parties, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced the relief provisions were to be removed from the funding bill. In response, House Democrats have introduced a stand-alone COVID relief bill, but it currently lacks the votes to pass both chambers. During an America's Health Insurance Plans national conference on health policy and government health programs, Zients said that before the omnibus, lawmakers spent weeks briefing Congress on the urgent and immediate needs of the country's people, as per CNN. Previously, Republicans insisted that no new funding be allocated until officials exhausted previous funding rounds. This prompted rank-and-file Democrats to agree to a proposal to reuse unspent funds intended for state governments, which forced party leaders to pull the bill altogether. Read Also: Deltacron COVID-19 Variant Detected in US, Europe: Should People Be Concerned? During the Democrats' retreat in Philadelphia on Friday, Pelosi said Biden was asking for a good start using the legislation. She noted that the funding would not include everything at the get-go and would need more provisions along the way. According to the Wall Street Journal, the Biden administration had said that it would soon need more money to lock in orders for treatments and vaccines to fight the coronavirus infection. Officials are warning the region to be prepared for further outbreaks as various areas are ending pandemic-related restrictions, and the number of COVID-19 cases continues to drop. Consequences of the Decision The situation comes as scientists working at the National Institutes of Health are scrambling to decide whether or not all of the agency's coronavirus research and development will be able to move forward after Congress dropped the funding from the new bill. The removal of the financial support has immediate implications for government trials on COVID-19 therapies, tests, and vaccines that will run out of funds as early as this month. In an email on Thursday, Health and Human Services Department program analyst Thomas Libert said they wanted to know which March activities were fine to be delayed, de-scoped, paused, etc. They also wanted to know the consequences of choosing the option of delaying or pausing certain programs. On Friday, NIH staff responsible for overseeing dozens of trials for coronavirus treatments, vaccines, and variant evolution will begin to discuss how they would limit or wind down certain trials at the agency. They estimate that they are short by roughly $1 billion to continue all of their research, said one person familiar with the discussions, Politico reported. Related Article: US Extends Nationwide Mask Mandate on Planes, Mass Transit Until Mid-April; CDC Prepares New Rules @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. The Tennessee State House of Representatives voted to agree to the Senate version of Senate Bill 29, which would allow first responders to live where they choose. The measure, sponsored by State Senator Brian Kelsey (R-Germantown) and Majority Caucus Chairman Jeremy Faison (R-Cosby), would ban residency requirements for police officers, firefighters, and emergency medical services workers statewide excluding Hamilton County. Senator Kelsey won approval of the bill last March in the Tennessee Senate. The House subsequently passed a version of the bill that applied only to Memphis. Today, the House joined the Senate in passing the version of the bill that applies statewide. With this law, I believe Memphis could quickly hire a hundred new police officers, said Senator Kelsey. The Memphis Police Department is over 500 officers short of the staffing goal set by the Memphis City Council. Senator Kelsey, who first introduced legislation on this matter in 2008, continued This bill will support our police, fire officers, and emergency medical service workers who keep us safe by allowing them to live where they choose. This solution will increase public safety and help us fight our rising crime rates. In 2021, the city of Memphis recorded a record-breaking 346 homicides. At least 31 of these victims were under 18, with homicide claiming more lives of children in Shelby County than the COVID-19 pandemic. The bill is co-sponsored by Shelby County legislators Senator Paul Rose (R-Covington), Representatives John Gillespie (R- Memphis), Tom Leatherwood (R-Arlington), Mark White (R-Memphis), and Kevin Vaughan (R-Collierville), as well as Senator Janice Bowling (R- Tullahoma), Representatives Mike Sparks (R-Smyrna), Dave Wright (R-Corryton), Ron Gant (R-Piperton), William Lamberth (R-Portland), Michael Curcio (R-Dickson), Johnny Garrett (R-Goodlettsville), Rick Eldridge (R-Morristown), Jay Reedy (R-Erin), Greg Vital (R-Harrison), and Debra Moody (R- Covington). The measure has also received broad support from community leaders throughout Shelby County. "Loosening the residency requirement for local law enforcement and other first responders is a key part of the new five-year Safe Community Action Plan, said Bill Gibbons, president of the Memphis Shelby Crime Commission. The severe shortage of police officers must receive priority. The General Assembly's action will provide an important tool in recruitment and retention efforts," Eliminating residency requirements provides public safety agencies with an opportunity to consider a broader selection of candidates who have a desire to serve the citizens of Memphis and Shelby County, said Shelby County Sheriff Floyd Bonner. This public safety-focused measure supports the interest of law enforcement and fire services leaders from across the state in providing safe communities for all Tennesseans. This law will help us keep our citizens safe by allowing us to hire an untapped group of the best and brightest candidates from across the entire region, said Thomas Malone, president of the Memphis Fire Fighters Association. Potential fire fighters wont need to weigh their desire to protect the public against forcing their family to uproot and move due to an antiquated residency requirement. When it comes to protecting the safety and well-being of the public, no stone can be left unturned. Citizens want and deserve the best services possible, said Essica Cage, president of the Memphis Police Association. This law is an essential step in leveling the playing field and allowing us to be more competitive in recruiting, hiring and retaining police officers from a larger geographic area. Simply put, the lifting of residency requirements will translate into more boots on the ground to help curb rising violent crime rates and keep citizens safer. Next, the bill will go to the desk of Governor Bill Lee, who is expected to sign it into law in the coming days. Jury selection began Monday morning for Billy Fortes first-degree premeditated murder trial in the slaying of his son, Charles Forte. The incident happened in April 2018 at Eaves Formal Wear on Creekside Drive. According to a female employee at Eaves Formal Wear, Billy Forte shot Charles Forte twice then pointed the gun at her. She said she pleaded with Forte to not kill her. She said Billy Forte told her to get out of my d- business. Billy Forte admitted to shooting his son and his gun was found at the scene. Ben McGowan, defending Billy Forte, said this will effectively be a self-defense case. Prosecutors for the case include Lee Ortwein and Mariam Johnson. The victim, Charles Forte, had previous felony convictions in Federal Court for selling cocaine. He was not supposed to have a weapon and one was not found on him. Charles Forte was pronounced dead at the scene. The jury will begin to hear the case Tuesday morning. Matthew "Matt" Eric Wilson, 54, of Soddy Daisy, Tennessee, passed away on Sunday, March 13, 2022, at his home after a long illness. Matt was born on Feb. 21, 1968, to Barbara Vieth Wilson and Robert Carlos Wilson in Chattanooga. After graduating from Soddy Daisy High School he went on to study business at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. After graduation his first jobs were in banking and insurance. He then pursued a degree in Health Physics from Chattanooga State Community College and worked with nuclear power and wind turbines. Music was a big part of Matts life. As a toddler he would beat on his highchair tray. He then moved up to toy drums and received his first set of drums for Christmas at the age of 7. At the age of 11 he became the drummer with the family band, the Tennessee Hi Riders and played with the band until 1990 when he moved away with his job. While traveling he taught himself to play guitar. He loved all kinds of music, especially rock, country and jazz and played in some rock bands. He also loved to cook and give away food to his friends. Matt loved people and anyone who knew him knew that he had a heart of gold. When he was in cardiac rehab he made friends with everyone there especially the military veterans who he admired so much. As a youth he gave of his summers as a counselor at Camp Lookout. Matt was preceded in death by his grandparents, Dr. Arthur and Edith Parks Vieth and Henry and Ruby Morgan Wilson. Matt and his wife, Angela Bradford Wilson have four children, Rachael (Steven) Mayne, Kaleigh Jenay (Chris Stephens) Wilson, Kelsey Loren Wilson and Alaina Charlize Wilson and two grandchildren, Charles Sterling Mayne and Piper Jenay Stephens. He has two brothers, Robert Allen (Laura) Wilson and Christopher John (Buffi) Wilson and one sister, Rebekah Phillips (Colyn) Shirley, dear friend and caregiver, Nikki Landreth and her children, Brett, Angel, Bobby, Sarah, Caleb and Jacob. He was too sick to enjoy his grandchildren but loved them deeply. Memorial services will be held on Friday, March 18, at 1 p.m. at Burks United Methodist Church. The family will receive friends on Thursday, March 17, from 4-7 p.m. at Legacy Funeral Home and Friday from 12 p.m. until the funeral hour at Burks United Methodist Church. In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to the American Heart Association or a meaningful charity of your choice. Arrangements are by Legacy Funeral Home & Cremation Center, 8911 Dallas Hollow Road, Soddy Daisy, Tn., 423 843-2525. Share your memories, stories, and photos at legacyfuneralhome.com. Hilary Duff announced she was getting back together with Disney in 2019. Though the Lizzie McGuire Disney+ revival was canceled before it could get off the ground, the actor isnt exactly done with House of Mouse just yet. Shes still working under the Disney umbrella. Lets look back at some of her roles and where Duff is currently. Hilary Duff stars in How I Met Your Father on Hulu Hilary Duff attends D23 Disney+ Showcase at Anaheim Convention Center on August 23, 2019 in Anaheim, California. | Frazer Harrison/Getty Images In 2021, Duff revealed she took on the role of Sophie, the new lead character for the spinoff to How I Met Your Mother. The announcement came months after the news her return to her first iconic role as Lizzie McGuire wouldnt occur. Duff plays Sophie, who looks for her soulmate while working as a photographer in New York City. The older version of Sophie, who narrates to her child how she met their father, is played by Kim Cattrall. Several men could be the potential father, which adds an element of intrigue to the show, keeping viewers eager to learn who Sophie had a child with. How I Met Your Father airs on Hulu, a streaming service majority-owned by Disney. So even though Duff didnt return to her origins on the Disney Channel, shes still affiliated via her new series. The Lizzie McGuire revival fell through Duff played the titular character in Lizzie McGuire from 2001 to 2004. She even starred in a feature film, The Lizzie McGuire Movie. The comedy ended as they graduated from junior high rather than showing audiences Lizzie and her friends moving on to high school. But the show remained a staple among its millennial viewership. Naturally, when Duff announced her return to the Lizzie McGuire franchise, former fans were beyond ecstatic. Rather than a reboot, the actor was set to portray her beloved character as an adult about to turn 30. The plot featured her moving home to her family in California after a breakup. With Lizzie McGuire creator Terri Minsky on board, fans felt confident in the project. But her vision and what Disney+ was willing to show on the platform werent the same, so Minsky walked away. And Duff stood firmly on the creators side rather than the companys. Id be doing a disservice to everyone by limiting the realities of a 30 year olds journey to under the ceiling of a PG rating, the actor wrote in a February 2020 Instagram post. She suggested Disney move the show to Hulu, but this never came to light. Hilary Duffs other Disney roles While Lizzie McGuire was undoubtedly Hilary Duffs most well-known Disney role, it wasnt her only one. She played Kelly Collins in the Disney Channel Original Movie Cadet Kelly. In the film, Kelly begins attending military school, much to her dismay. She faces off against Captain Jennifer Stone (Christy Carlson Romano). Nearly 20 years later, Duff told Cosmopolitan shed learned from her HIMYF co-star that some considered the film a moment in the queer community. Duff also played a dual role in The Lizzie McGuire Movie. She portrayed Isabella Parigi, an Italian pop star who looks just like Lizzie. And in 2010, she starred in Beauty & the Briefcase, a TV rom-com which aired on what was then called ABC Family also a Disney subsidiary. RELATED: Hilary Duffs Mom Once Claimed Her Daughter Left Disney Because the Network Bullied Them Reba McEntire and Rex Linn have been dating for a couple of years, but theyve known each other for a few decades. After working together in 1991, they first reconnected when Linns mother died in 1998. But the romance didnt blossom until 2020 when McEntire learned her mother was in her final months. Despite her being entrenched in the heartache of a considerable loss, and not to mention quarantining in a global pandemic, McEntire and Linn found something magical. (L-R) Rex Linn and Reba McEntire | Phillip Faraone/Getty Images for Gateway Celebrity Fight Night Foundation Rex Linn said he would never forget the amazing, uplifting, really special phone call he received from Reba McEntire when his mother died On McEntires Living & Learning with Reba McEntire podcast, McEntire and Linn discussed the details of their relationship. After meeting in 1991, while McEntire was married to Narvel Blackstock, Linn recalled receiving a phone call from her at an unexpected time. In 1998, when his mother and best friend died, the family gathered at her house following her burial. My sister walks up and says, You got a phone call.' Though he wondered who it could be, his sister told him he would probably want to take it. So I went back in my old bedroom and sat on the bed, he explained. It was Reba. She told him shed heard what he was going through that day and reached out to offer condolences. Their call ended up lasting for about 25 minutes. I never forgot it, Linn said. It was amazing, and it was uplifting. It was really special. Her show of support compelled him to reciprocate her kindness when the time came. Little did I know, 20 years later, 21 years later, Id be doing the same thing with her, he concluded. Reba McEntire quit texting Rex Linn while her mother was dying and shes been calling him ever since Reba McEntire Says She and Partner Rex Linn Are 'Pretty Much Inseparable' Since They Started Dating https://t.co/rVk7Dp9Kmd People (@people) October 14, 2021 RELATED: Reba McEntire Revealed Boyfriend Rex Linn Has an Appetizing Pet Name for Her Following her divorce from Narvel Blackstock in 2015, McEntire and Linn reconnected over what she called a magical dinner in January 2020. Notably, that was just before the U.S. started to shut down in response to the pandemic. That meant they continued texting but had to stay in their respective places. So, when McEntire found out her mother had bladder cancer, Linn first offered his sympathy and support through text. You just feel free to call me anytime you need to talk, McEntire recalled him offering. And I just quit texting, and weve been talking ever since. Reba McEntire and Rex Linns relationship began in quarantine Reba McEntire shares how quarantine has helped her cope with her mom's death https://t.co/bTeADpPeFf TODAY with Hoda & Jenna (@HodaAndJenna) May 18, 2020 RELATED: Reba McEntires First Husband Kind of Impressed Her With an Aggressive Display Jacqueline McEntire died on Mar. 20, 2020, and McEntire and Linn formed a unique bond during their chats in her final months. She stayed with her family in Oklahoma before returning to Tennessee, and Linn was in California. During that time, they continued to talk on the phone daily for coffee camp, as they discussed on her podcast. McEntire shared she felt their deep bond is uniquely special because it formed while they were in quarantine. So, there was no physical aspect at first, and they only talked. And both stars, who are now inseparable, said they never missed a morning call. Sometimes my coffee camps started at three a.m., Linn shared, but man, I have never missed one [and] I dont ever wanna miss one. RELATED: Reba McEntire Said She Waited Her Whole Life for a Special Partner Like Rex Linn Rebel Wilson is known for her immense comedic talent. But the Australian actor is taking on her first dramatic role in the upcoming movie, The Almond and the Seahorse. Rebel Wilson started her career as a comedic actor Rebel Wilson | Steven Ferdman/Getty Images In her early career, Wilson trained at the legendary comedy institution, The Second City. She then appeared in several Australian series and films, including Pizza, The Wedge, and Ghost Rider. Wilsons first Hollywood role came in Judd Apatows 2011 hit comedy, Bridesmaids. In the film, she portrayed Brynn, the roommate of Kristen Wiigs character, Annie. She then starred in popular projects like Workaholics and What to Expect When Youre Expecting. In 2012, Wilson landed the role of Amy in Pitch Perfect. Her performance earned her numerous accolades, including the MTV Movie Award for Best Actor in a Movie. Wilson has since become a notable comedic presence in Hollywood. Shes appeared in dozens of blockbuster movies, including Isnt It Romantic, The Hustle, and Jojo Rabbit. Rebel Wilson takes on her first dramatic role in The Almond and the Seahorse Wilson is taking a detour from comedy and taking on her first dramatic movie role. As reported by Deadline, she will appear opposite Celyn Jones in Oscar-nominated cinematographer Tom Sterns upcoming film, The Almond and the Seahorse. The drama, which was co-written by Jones and Kaite OReilly, tells the story of an architect and archeologist trying to move on with their lives after a brain injury leaves them disconnected from their loved ones. The Almond and the Seahorse cast also features Charlotte Gainsbourg, Meera Syal, and Trine Dyrholm. Production and shooting took place in North Wales, Merseyside, and Liverpool from late 2020 to summer 2021. A release date has yet to be announced. The actor suggests she wouldnt have gotten The Almond and the Seahorse role before her transformation 2021s been The Year of The Rainbow for me x thank you to everyone whos been a part of it and cant to show you guys my new movies in 2022! pic.twitter.com/ZT9UM14UVn Rebel Wilson (@RebelWilson) December 27, 2021 During the pandemic lockdown, Wilson documented her health transformation on social media. And in a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, the actor suggested she may not have landed this dramatic role before the transformation. I found that with the British drama The Almond and the Seahorse, Wilson said. Im not sure I would have been cast in that when I was a bigger girl because they kind of stereotype you a bit more when youre bigger. The 42-year-old revealed that she always imagined herself as a dramatic actor, and will continue to pursue more serious projects. But that doesnt mean Wilson is giving up on comedy. When I started as an actress I really wanted to be the next Dame Judi Dench and do really serious stuff, she admitted. And so now Im returning to that a bit, which is great but still doing comedies that I love. But yeah, it has definitely diversified my stocks. Wilson will host the 2022 British Academy of Film and TV Arts (BAFTA) Awards on March 13. Her next comedy, Senior Year, is slated to hit Netflix on May 13, 2022. Rihanna has been in the public eye for nearly two decades. And throughout that time, shes released countless hit songs. As a result, its hard for Rihanna to choose just one of her songs as her favorite. Rihanna | Mike Coppola/Getty Images Rihanna released music for more than a decade In the mid-2000s, Rihanna was just a teenage girl from Barbados with a voice and a dream. She soon found herself working alongside music icons after securing a recording contract with none other than Jay-Z. She released her debut album Music of the Sun in 2005, and released a new album nearly every year after that. Rihannas last album was 2016s Anti, which arrived four years after her previous LP Unapologetic. With Anti, Rih showed that she was much more than a pop star capable of churning out hit after hit; she was a true visionary with her own approach to different kinds of music. Since then, Rihanna has focused on expanding her empire far beyond the world of music. She runs her highly-successful makeup and skincare brands, Fenty Beauty and Fenty Skin, as well as her lingerie line Savage X Fenty. And in early 2022, the Barbadian hitmaker announced that she was pregnant with her first child with rapper A$AP Rocky. Rihanna | Mike Coppola/Getty Images RELATED: Rihanna Wants to Have 3 Children, According to Her Father Ronald Fenty Rihanna is most proud of her songs Needed Me and Diamonds It seems as though music has been the last thing on Rihannas mind, especially as she gears up for the journey that is motherhood. But shes still out and about at Fenty Beauty events and other engagements. In March 2022, Rihanna was asked by TikTok star Mikayla Nogueira about her music but unlike the questions shes received since Antis release, Nogueira asked about her past music rather than her unreleased material. The people want to know when the album is but I have a better question, Nogueira said, leading Rihanna to burst out cackling. What song are you most proud of that youve come out with? Oh, s***, Rihanna said, unable to come up with an answer. Nogueira offered that her favorite song was Unfaithful, to which Rihanna laughed, Most proud of?! Finally, the Bajan songstress revealed what tracks of hers remain some of her proudest accomplishments. I love Needed Me and I also love a good Diamonds,' she said, showing off her diamond jewelry. Rihanna | Samir Hussein/Getty Images RELATED: Jay-Z Fought Over Rihanna the Day Before She Signed Her Record Deal With Him Rihannas next album has been a mystery for 6 years Since Antis release, Rihanna has been famously silent on what kind of music shes working on, and when (if ever) it will see the light of day. Rumors swirled that she was working on a reggae and dancehall album, and other rumors claimed that she scrapped that purported project. At this point, Rihanna has become infamous for her cryptic answers when asked about her mythical ninth album. And with a baby on the way, its become increasingly unlikely that fans will get to hear any new Rihanna music in 2022. ARTICLE HIGHLIGHTS Charlie Hunnam ended his seven-season run as Jax Teller on Sons of Anarchy in 2014. He is set to return to the small screen in the AppleTV+ series Shantaram sometime this year. But his new series is still without a premiere date following Apples recent round of big announcements. Charlie Hunnam | Pablo Cuadra/WireImage Charlie Hunnam has been attached to the AppleTV+ series Shantaram since 2019. But production problems and the pandemic delayed filming for nearly two years. The series was finally able to go into production in the spring of 2021, and filming has since wrapped. But Shantaram was left out of Apple TVs latest round of announcements. When will Hunnams new series finally premiere? Charlie Hunnams Shantaram wasnt mentioned in Apple TVs round of big announcements Apple recently unveiled a number of premiere dates for its upcoming movie slate, and there are plenty of titles with critical acclaim and big names attached. Per Deadline, Sundance Dramatic Audience Award winner Cha Cha Real Smooth will premiere globally on June 17. And the animated feature Luck starring Jane Fonda and Whoopi Goldberg will premiere on August 5. This fall, the streamer will release Raymond & Ray starring Ewan McGregor and Ethan Hawke, as well as The Greatest Beer Run Ever starring Zac Efron and Russell Crowe. There will also be a documentary released on the 60th anniversary of the James Bond film series titled The Sound of 007. Charlie Hunnam to star in Apple series 'Shantaram' https://t.co/auOPDApLbz pic.twitter.com/30mwf9UX8l The Hollywood Reporter (@THR) September 16, 2019 The holiday film Spirited starring Ryan Reynolds and Will Ferrell will premiere before the end of the year. As will Emancipation starring Will Smith and Martin Scorceses Killers of the Flower Moon starring Leonardo DiCaprio. These are just a fraction of the numerous films coming in 2022 to AppleTV+. But what the streamer didnt share were their plans for their original TV series, like Hunnams Shantaram. Apple still has yet to announce a premiere date for Shantaram Shantaram has been a development nightmare for Apple since Hunnam landed the leading role in September 2019. They had just two episodes completed in February 2020, when production was shut down and the showrunner was replaced. Just days later, the pandemic hit and the production was put on hold indefinitely. It wasnt until May 2021 that filming resumed, and the former Sons of Anarchy star was spotted in character for the first time. However, the original plan to film in India and Australia had to be changed because of COVID. Once they moved the project to Thailand, they only filmed for one week before the Thailand Film Office shut things down due to another surge of the virus. Filming reportedly wrapped late last year. But details about the series future are hard to come by. The expectation was that it would premiere sometime in 2022. But Apple has left Shantaram without a premiere date. Charlie Hunnam plays an Australian bank robber in the AppleTV+ series The plot of Shantaram centers on a convicted Australian bank robber and heroin addict named Lin, played by Hunnam. He escapes from Pentridge Prison and flees to India to get lost in the city of Bombay. The show is loosely based on a book published back in 2003 by Melbourne author Gregory David Roberts. Who started writing the book while serving time in an Indian prison. Charlie Hunnam with a fan in Australia! #shantaram davomeets pic.twitter.com/VARuX9Loyh Hunnam & Hedlund (@HunnamHedlund) November 17, 2021 Cut off from family and friends by distance and fate, he finds a new life in the slums, bars, and underworld of India, the series description reads. Shantaram is also described as an exploration of love, forgiveness, and courage on the long road to redemption. RELATED: Charlie Hunnam Played Jax Teller for So Long on Sons of Anarchy He Needed Professional Help to Re-Learn His Natural British Accent Every season, the host of The Bachelor declares it to be the most dramatic season ever, but this time, they may be right. Clayton Echards quest to find love on The Bachelor experienced more than a few problematic moments, and that doesnt look to change in tonights episode. In the finale, the lead of The Bachelor often takes the woman he plans to marry home to meet his parents. According to Reality Steve, that happens, but not in the way anyone expects. Heres what we know. [Warning: This article contains spoilers for The Bachelor finale.] Gabby, Rachel, and Susie | ABC/Craig Sjodin In the March 8, 2022 episode of The Bachelor, fans watched as Susie and Clayton embarked on a romantic hot springs adventure in Iceland. However, things took a turn for the worse when Clayton confessed his love to Susie, only for her not to respond in kind. I adore you. I think youre incredible, but there are things and knowing theres an engagement there are things I feel like I cant compromise. Tonight, I feel uncomfortable. I feel like I dont even want to have this conversation, but I feel like I do need to tell you where Im at, and my expectations that Im not willing to let go of in this. I know you just told me you feel like youre in love with me, but do you feel that way with someone else? Have you slept with another woman? Those are things I feel like would be impossible for me to move forward with an engagement. If Im sharing your love with somebody else I dont think I would be comfortable, Susie explained. Claytons response caused fans to claim he was gaslighting Susie, and even former Bachelor Nick Viall said he felt like Clayton was being a d***. Teasers for tonights episode showed no evidence of Susie, but instead, Clayton telling the other two final women, Gabby Windey and Rachel Recchia, he slept with both of them. To make matters worse, he claimed he was in love with both of them as well as Susie. RELATED: The Bachelor: Reality Steve Reveals Exactly What Happens During the Rose Ceremony From Hell Reality Steves spoilers for Claytons Bachelor finale reveal yet another twist Most fans believed Susie returned to Clayton at some point after their argument. The teaser clip of host Jesse Palmer knocking on an unknown persons door pretty much gave that away. However, Reality Steve dropped some new spoilers today about The Bachelor finale, and its not what anyone expected. The reality TV blogger wrote, Clayton tells both of them [Rachel and Gabby] that hes in love with them, and that he was intimate with both as weve seen numerous times all season in the promo. Both of them walk away crying to make you think theyre leaving. They dont. Clayton practically begs each woman to stay and they do. He ends up giving a rose to both of them. Both Gabby and Rachel then meet Claytons parents. As if bringing two different women home to meet his parents wasnt bad enough, Clayton manages to complicate the situation further. Reality Steve continues, After Gabby and Rachel meet his parents, Clayton makes the decision that he wants to talk to Susie still. This I believe is when we saw in the promos of Jesse knocking on a door. Thats him going to Susies room to tell her Clayton wants to see her. They meet up, Clayton apologizes for how everything went down when they last saw each other, and he asks her to stay. She agrees. Susie then ALSO meets Claytons parents. Witness the heartbreaking and emotional 2-night LIVE Bachelor Finale Event. It all starts TONIGHT at 8/7c on ABC and Stream on Hulu. #TheBachelor pic.twitter.com/i9hzQZRJOP The Bachelor (@BachelorABC) March 14, 2022 The Bachelor finale drama starts tonight on ABC After seeing a sneak peek, Nick Viall previously posted his thoughts on The Bachelor finale. The former Bachelor believes it will be the most talked-about season ever, and it all starts tonight. Tune in to ABC starting at 8:00 p.m. ET to watch all of the drama unfold. RELATED: The Bachelor: Reality Steve Thinks [Spoiler] is Your Next Bachelorette Clayton Echards season of The Bachelor features the rose ceremony from Hell, according to ABC. The Bachelor finale brings the final ladies to meet Clayton Echards parents and fans have seen Claytons father call his son out for unsavory behavior. Heres more about the parents and what fans can expect from them during the finale. [Spoiler alert: The Bachelor finale spoilers ahead.] What happens on The Bachelor tonight? The finale features Clayton Echards parents Clayton Echard | Craig Sjodin/ABC via Getty Images The Bachelor finale will show fans how everything pans out for Clayton Echard after the disastrous Fantasy Suites week. During Fantasy Suites, Clayton told both Rachel Recchia and Gabby Windey he was falling in love with them. Additionally, he told Susie Evans he was already in love with her. But Susie told Clayton if he was intimate with the other women, she couldnt move forward. She ended up leaving after several hours of intense conversation. So, what happens on The Bachelor tonight, March 14, 2022? According to Reality Steve, Clayton will come face to face with Rachel and Gabby after what occurred with Susie. He then tells them he loves both of them and also says he was intimate with both of them. While the news upsets them, he gives them both roses, and they stay. New Reality Steve spoilers state Clayton spends time with Rachel and Gabby with his parents but he still pines for Susie. He then finds Susie and asks her to return. She allegedly returns and also engages with his parents before the very end. Who are Clayton Echards parents, Brian and Kelly Echard? Wise words from Clayton's parents as we head towards the end of his journey. pic.twitter.com/ek10kIWuy8 The Bachelor (@BachelorABC) March 13, 2022 Clayton Echards parents make an appearance in The Bachelor finale. A new promo from ABC shows Claytons father telling Clayton the women deserve to be upset. They dont want to be second or third, Claytons dad says. They wanna be first. And you made a choice, wrongly. I think youve gotta step back and say they have a right to be upset with you. Youve put yourself into this situation and circumstance. So, who are Kelly and Brian Echard? According to Womens Health, Kelly is a teacher. Her Instagram posts note she teaches at DuBray Middle School in St. Peters, Missouri. HollywoodLife reports Claytons father, Brian, works as a Sales Engineer for Power Motion Sales Inc. Clayton has said before he hopes to find a marriage like what his parents have developed. In Claytons Bachelor bio, he says his parents show the perfect example of what love can be. Brian and Kelly have been married for 29 years. Kelly Echards Instagram also shows what her everyday life is like in Missouri. She often talks about her kids and posts photos at her job. After the Fantasy Suites aired, she posted a photo of herself with a group of friends who clearly watched the show. IF there ever was a time I needed unconditional love and support, its definitely now! she captioned the post. Missing two from the group but love my #claytonscougars. Clayton Echards brothers came up during the Women Tell All Both of my brothers have been vehemently denying sliding in the DMs. So Teddi, please give the people (including me) what they want and release the DMs #TheBachelor Clayton Echard (@ClaytonEchard) March 8, 2022 Aside from Clayton Echards parents, fans have also heard about his two brothers. During The Bachelor Women Tell All, Jesse Palmer encouraged Teddi Wright to reveal that one of Claytons brothers slid into her DMs. She noted she never responded. So, which brother contacted Teddi Patrick or Nate? According to Clayton, he still doesnt know. But he told Glamour he thinks its his youngest brother, Patrick. I think its Pat, my youngest brother, Clayton said. Honestly, I wouldnt put it past either of them. They both cannot be tamed. Listen, I love my brothers, but their nicknames are Pat the Rat and Nasty Nate. Is that a surprise after you hear those names? Probably not. The Bachelor finale begins Monday, March 14, 2022, at 8 p.m. EST on ABC. Check out Showbiz Cheat Sheet on Facebook! RELATED: The Bachelor Finale: After the Final Rose Synopsis Changed, New Surprise Announcement to Come Former United States President Donald Trump spoke for a little under an hour on Saturday night where he urged his supporters to "lay down their very lives" to fight Critical Race Theory (CRT) and have it removed from schools, calling the situation a "matter of national survival." The academic practice aims to explore how the United States' history of racism and discrimination continues to impact people in the region until today. During his speech, Trump said that the fate of the nation is ultimately dependent on the willingness of the citizens to lay down their lives for their country. Fight Against Critical Race Theory The Republican businessman said that there will be no one left to defend the country's flag and protect the people's freedom if they allow the Marxists, communists, and socialists to hate America. Trump's team did not immediately respond to a request for comments on Sunday morning. Since the proposal of the CRT, Republican lawmakers across the region have fiercely campaigned against the academic practice. More often than not, they distort its actual meaning to favor their stance. Several experts said last year that the GOP campaign was part of a bigger plan to stifle or invalidate conversations on the pervasiveness of racism in U.S. history, as per Business Insider. A history professor at Illinois State University, Andrew Hartman, said during an interview in June 2021 that Republican lawmakers and conservative media are obsessed with the issue and how best to translate the situation into future votes. He said that the GOP was also looking into how to translate it into donations and ratings in the meantime. Read Also: Former AG William Barr Says Dealing With Trump Was Like 'Wrestling an Alligator' After Releasing Bombshell Memoir The Florida Senate passed a bill on Thursday that will limit race-related discussions in classrooms and workplaces in the region. The move marked a significant win for Republicans who continue to oppose CRT teaching in schools nationwide. According to Yahoo News, the bill, which is known as the Stop the Wrongs to Our Kids and Employees Act, or shortened to the Stop WOKE Act, will be heading over towards Gov. Ron DeSantis' desk. The Republican lawmakers will sign the bill, which will take effect in July. White People Are Bad? Many believe that conservatives are using CRT to fan the flames of another culture war by stoking fears that the academic process will teach kids that all White people are bad. In reality, the CRT is not required to be included in lesson plans. Trump's speech comes as CRT proponents are not engaging in any physical or violent acts in order to advocate for the academic practice. The former president's remarks suggest that he wants his supporters to resort to violence to get CRT out of American classrooms. Florida's bill comes against the backdrop of uninformed parents taking over school board meetings in order to protest the mere idea that systemic racism is real. The myriad of circumstances have made this time not such a great moment for the former president to tell these people that they should resort to violence to save the United States from education, Vanity Fair reported. Related Article: Republican Sen. Ted Cruz Joins 'People's Convoy' in Fourth Day of Protest Decrying COVID-19 Mandates @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. The use of renewable raw materials is more urgent than ever. With its new pilot plant, the Technical University of Dresden is researching how innovative recyclable materials can be sustainably produced from residual products from the agriculture, and forestry industry or grasses. The TU Dresden commissioned Thermische Apparate Freiberg GmbH (TAF) a company of the Porner Group to plan and build the pilot plant for the thermal processing of biomasses. In order to counteract the dependency on oil, gas and coal, the economy is looking for environmentally friendly solutions. The development of alternative processes and new products with the lowest possible CO 2 footprint requires state-of-the-art research facilities with the highest precision and great flexibility. For this reason, the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and the state of Saxony funded a new pilot plant for the digestion of various biomasses at the Institute for Plant and Wood Chemistry at the TU Dresden. Research focuses on the production of cellulose for the paper, textile and chemical industries, delignified wood, and veneers for functional materials, and other innovative products from agricultural residues (e.g. straw, hemp and flax), the wood and forestry industry (e.g. damaged wood, sawdust, and bark) and fast-growing plants (e.g. miscanthus / Chinese reed) in focus. For this reason, the Institute for Plant and Wood Chemistry at the TU Dresden invested in a new pilot plant for the thermal processing of various biomasses. Research focuses on the production of cellulose, bioethanol and other innovative products from agricultural residues (e.g. straw, hemp and flax), the wood and forestry industry (e.g. damaged wood, sawdust, and bark) and fast-growing plants (e.g. miscanthus / Chinese reed). In addition to the classic use of cellulose for the paper and packaging material production, the diverse application potential of cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin to replace fossil raw materials in various branches of industry are of growing interest. Utilization of straw & co. The Thermische Apparate Freiberg (TAF), a company of the plant engineering provider Porner Ingenieurgesellschaft mbH in Vienna / Austria, received the order from the Institute for Plant and Wood Chemistry at the TU Dresden for the overall implementation of the pilot plant for the thermal processing of various biomasses. The order includes the new conception, design, engineering, construction, assembly and commissioning of the plant. The grant of 1.115 million euros comes from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and tax revenues and contributes to improving the infrastructure in application-oriented research. After successful test operation and personnel training, TAF handed over the plant, also known as the "cellulose digester system", to the institute at the end of February. On March 9, 2022, the Saxon State Minister for Regional Development, Thomas Schmidt, attended the inauguration. The plant on a research-relevant scale is currently almost unique in Central Europe. The institute therefore sees excellent opportunities for intensive cooperation with other research institutions and various industrial sectors within the framework of funded projects. The state-of-the-art and fully equipped pilot plant enables the research and verification of alternative processes, the adjustment of essential parameters such as time, temperature or pH, and the minimization of energy and chemical use. Thermal solution from Freiberg, Saxony The plant consists of two electrically heated reactors with a reactor volume of 30 and 8 liters, respectively. It can be operated with parameters up to 200 C both at atmospheric pressure and up to 20 bar. On a 20 to 25-liter scale, renewable raw materials and residues can be pyrolyzed using a wide variety of processes. The new replaces the old plant in the technical center of the institute in Tharandt. Jonas Kappeller, Managing Director of TAF: "We are proud to set an important sign here. The new pilot plant will lead companies to major research progresses in utilizing renewable raw materials. Despite an adverse procurement situation, we were able to complete the project on time and are pleased to have found a practical solution for every wish of the TU research team." Alternative pyrolysis methods are in the starting blocks The pilot plant was dedicated to its purpose of making many valuable contributions to practical and sustainable products in the future. It enables research on an entirely new level. The path from research to the implementation of the technology to bio-based value chains is ready to be walked. The demand for biofuels and green products is high. However, to implement sustainable production facilities on a large scale, the federal government still has to create the necessary framework conditions. Chickasha, OK (73018) Today Mostly cloudy skies with scattered thunderstorms developing this afternoon. Some of the storms may become severe. Damaging winds, large hail and possibly a tornado with some storms. High 69F. Winds ESE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 50%.. Tonight Thunderstorms. A few storms may be severe. Low around 60F. Winds SE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 90%. Great minds think alike, or so weve been told, but what if different minds help to build better communities, better companies, and even better churches? In this episode of VOICES Where Ya From? podcast, international business consultant Skot Welch discusses diversity, equity, and inclusion and shares his passion for creating communities that reflect the diversity that God designed. Skot Welch is the president and founder of Global Bridgebuilders, a results-focused firm pioneering diversity and inclusion initiatives to a wide range of Fortune 500 clients in the United States and across the globe. He is also the author of 101 Ways to Enjoy the Mosaic: Creating a Diverse Community Right in Your Own Backyard, the coauthor of Plantation Jesus: Race, Faith, and a New Way Forward, and the founder of The Mosaic Film Experience, an educational platform that empowers underserved youth through digital storytelling. Skot and his wife, Barbara, reside in Michigan and have two children. From Our Daily Bread Ministries in partnership with Christianity Today. Michael Cherenkov, a pastor in Washington state, has relatives on both sides of the fight between Russia and Ukraine. And as wartime propaganda makes its way into immigrant churches around him, he has spiritual family on both sides too. Evangelical pastors in the US, leading churches where Russian Americans and Ukrainian Americans worship side by side, see the stark but quiet tensions between those who believe Russian president Vladimir Putins justifications for the invasion and those who are decrying the injustice of the war. Many have ties to both countries, but the war has highlighted some long-unspoken political divisions. Cherenkov leads Revival Baptist Church in Vancouver, Washington, a 400-person, mostly Ukrainian congregation. He grew up in Ukraine, where one of his brothers is fighting and his parents are sheltering, but was born in Russia, where his sister lives. Cherenkovs sisteralso a Baptistsupports the invasion, seeing it as a natural consequence of Ukraine siding with the European Union and the United States, and she believes that Ukraine should submit to Putin. Its hard to discuss, Cherenkov said. It is heartbreaking for all of us. The tension has been more overt in Ukrainian and Russian Orthodox churches in the United States. In New York last week, the Ukrainian Orthodox Cathedral of St. Volodymyr invited Russian Orthodox leaders to a prayer service for Ukraine along with New Yorks governor. The governor came, but the Russian leaders did not. In Sacramento, Californiaa hub for evangelical refugees who fled the Soviet Unionan associate pastor of a Russian Baptist church opened a recent service with a call for unity as Satan tries to divide even our community, the Slavic community, who is for Russians and who is for Ukrainians, and decried the war, taking a political side that was unprecedented for the church. Slavic evangelical churches in the US draw Eastern Slavic immigrants from Russia, Ukraine, and fellow former Soviet countries from the region. The communities have united around a shared background of escaping Soviet repression and having families that crisscross national boundaries. The 2014 Russian-backed conflicts in eastern Ukraine brought some political differences to the surface in American Slavic congregations, but church leaders rarely addressed it publicly. Even with both Russians and Ukrainians in Cherenkovs congregation, church leaders at Revival have been praying for and supporting Ukraine without any overt division. Some Slavic churches in his region, he said, have had open arguments, with Russian Americans blaming the invasion on Ukraines alignment with the Westa stance he attributes to the influence of Russian media. We have to be strong and honest. We have to name all the things as they are, Cherenkov said. At the same time, I have to be merciful to those who are weak and sick and brainwashed. I just have pity. It is so sad that we as Christians are so vulnerable to the state propaganda machinehere in the US in the time of Trump and in Russia now in the time of Putin. It is so sad that we trust those politicians like false messiahs instead of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Since the February invasion, Russian state media like Channel One Russia and RT America have lost platforms in the USYouTube blocked RT Americas livestreambut remain available through other streaming platforms. RT America is in favor of the invasion, describing Ukrainians as people with European values and alleging Ukrainian crimes against civilians in contested Ukrainian regions like Donbas. One banner headline on its broadcast read: Russia Accuses Ukrainian Forces of Targeting Chernobyl Infrastructure. Sputnik News, a state-sponsored radio outlet, had a headline: The American History of Meddling with Neo Nazis in Ukraine. Congregants listen to state media Other Ukrainian and Russian pastors in the United States shared similar stories and concerns over the influence of propaganda. It is really sad for me, especially for the Christian people, people who are supposed to know the truth, said Paul Demyanik, a pastor who leads the Western Ukrainian Baptist Convention in the US. Demyanik understands why Russian evangelicals have to censor themselves under Putin. The head of the Russian Union of Evangelical Christians-Baptist in Russia, Peter Mitskevich, for example signed onto a Baptist World Alliance statement that avoided the word war and didnt assign blame, because pastors in Russia risk arrest for speaking out. But here in the United States they are supposed to be not afraid because the American government will not do anything against them, Demyanik said. Some Russian leaders are still quiet. Many of them went through the Soviet experience. Many of them or their parents went through the persecution and prison. I cannot understand it. The head of the Pacific Coast Slavic Baptist Association, pastor Ivan Mileyev, said if Russians support the war, they are very quiet. He thinks those who listen to Russian propaganda are a small minority. We have some believers who do not 100 percent understand English. They sometimes listen to Russian news, so they catch up with some junkthey became victims to the propaganda, Mileyev said. His father is Russian, and his mother Ukrainian, but he has spoken against the war. Pew Research Center, Nielsen, and other media experts could not offer data on Russian American consumption of Russian state media. But researcher Anton Shirikov said Russian immigrants, especially those who came as adults, watch state media because it is familiar, it is in Russian, and its more interesting to them than US politics. Shirikov, who used to work as an independent journalist in his native Russia, is now working on his PhD on Russian propaganda and censorship at the University of Wisconsin. Even with independent media prior to the recent crackdowns around the war, Russians still chose to listen to state outlets. Its the same logic that drives media choices here and there, said Shirikov in an email. People like to read/watch something that portrays their home country nicely at the same time, those who support the war may not be even watching TVbut they still get the picture from their friends or in the church. Russian Americans try to fight tensions The war was the first topic at a March 6 service of the Russian Church of Evangelical Christian-Baptists, in Sacramento, also called Bryte Church, nicknamed for the Slavic neighborhood. We are praying God will stop this war, associate pastor Igor Dronov told the 2,000-person congregation. We need this peace as well.May we be united through this service and through these signs that show us the blood that was shed from Jesus Christs wounds and his death. Jesuss body was broken. May we be restored in our unity. Senior pastor Mikhail Avramenko said this war was the first time the church had commented on political events. They have always been cautious to avoid unnecessary tensions because many Russians in Russia watch their services online. But the day after Russia invaded Ukraine, the church leaders stated that they strongly supported the freedom of Ukraine. We try to calculate our words, said Avramenko. But when the invasion happens and we see atrocities, we say it is an invasion. We are against it. Older Russian Baptists have a history of pacifism, according to several Russian immigrant pastors who themselves risked arrest for refusing to take up arms under mandatory military service in the Soviet Union. They tend to avoid discussing politics from the pulpit, and to focus on preaching the gospel. Andrey Chumakin, the president of the Northwest Association of Slavic Baptist Churches and the pastor of Salvation Baptist Church in Edgewood, Washington, was one of those pacifist pastors and immigrated to the US from Russia 20 years ago. He said Russian Baptists would not touch political topics on any occasion. Mileyev, the head of the Pacific Coast Slavic Baptist Association, confirmed that tendency. For me as a leader its important to send a clear message. Other leaders, they dont want to take a side in this situation, [saying], We are Christian and we are not really in politics, said Mileyev. They are trying to insulate themselves from reality because they have some people in their churches who are more pro-Russia. They are trying to please everybody and not spark some fight. I think its not right in this time of war, when innocent people are dying, to say, Its not my business. Plenty of Russian American evangelical leaders have spoken against the war and organized donations and aid for Ukraine. Bryte Church has already sent $20,000 in humanitarian aid through a Christian relief agency in Germany, along with doing regular prayer and fasting for Ukraine. But the pastors across the US are still navigating new tensions in congregations and have urged parishioners to be mindful in their social media posts. Any person who can cause murky waters or divisionI am almost crying from the pulpit, Please do not be that man who hurts others with words. Before you say anything, pray. Think, said Brytes Avramenko. We talk about this openly in the church. [ This article is also available in and . ] Catholic diocese cancels gay author's visit to London school, removes officials A Catholic diocese in the United Kingdom is facing backlash after canceling a children's book signing event featuring a gay author at one of its schools, and reportedly removed the school's governors for backing the decision to invite the speaker. As the Scottish website Catholic Truth first reported, children's book author Simon James Green was scheduled to visit students in years eight and nine at The John Fisher School in Purley, London, on March 7. As indicated in a letter obtained by Catholic Truth and written by the librarian at the all-boys' Catholic School, the book signing event was part of the school's World Book Day and LGBT History Month celebrations. The purpose of the event was for Green to discuss his novel, Noah Cant Even, which features a gay character. Another one of Green's books, Alex in Wonderland, was "selected as one of the top 20 LGBTQ+ books of 2019 by Attitude," according to his website. The prospect of a Catholic school promoting books advancing an ideology that runs contrary to Catholic Church teachings on marriage and sexuality did not sit well with the Catholic website, which seeks to "report on the crisis in the Church" and calls out "unfaithful clergy who are living double lives of sexual immorality." "Catholic Schools cannot, under any circumstance, endanger the Faith of pupils in their charge by presenting as a good, something which is condemned by the divinely bequeathed teaching authority of Christ's Church," the website argued. The article, which urged Catholics to protest Green's speech and called for its cancellation, cited Paragraph 2357 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church as justification for its position. The document states that "homosexual acts are intrinsically disordered," "contrary to the natural law" and "Under no circumstances can they be approved." Simon Hughes, the director of education and diocesan schools coordinator for the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Southwark, issued a "formal position statement" on the book signing event on March 3, four days before Green's scheduled appearance speech. "From time to time materials or events emerge for consideration that fall outside the scope of what is permissible in a Catholic school," he wrote. "The book-signing event scheduled for 7 March 2022 at The John Fisher, Purley is one such event and we have recommended that the school's leaders cancel it," Hughes added. While the school initially planned to continue with the event despite the archdiocese's recommendation, one school leader vigorously disagreed with that decision. In a message shared by Green on Twitter, John Fisher School Chaplain Father James Clark warned parents that "the event involves an author who's books are not in line with Catholic Education and are contrary to the ethos of our school and to the teachings of The Church." "The Head teacher and some Governors have decided to disobeythe clear instruction from the Diocese and this will have serious consequences in the weeks ahead," Clark lamented. Turns out if was the actual chaplain at the school who emailed all the parents of students due to attend urging them to complain, in a a letter which ignorantly suggests being LGBT is a lifestyle choice pic.twitter.com/k8GvDnd9Lr Simon James Green (@simonjamesgreen) March 9, 2022 Clark encouraged parents to "email the school to stress your request that the event is canceled and that your trust can be restored." "This is not about diversity," Clark maintained. "No one is denying the existence of those who have differing beliefs to ourselves, the event is about promoting the literature of a lifestyle choice that is contrary to the teachings of Jesus Christ, and therefore has no place in a catholic school." While the event was canceled, the fallout continues. I News reported last week that Hughes expressed outrage that the school's "foundation governors" decided to allow the event to move forward. In the letter published March 5, Hughes said the decision has "eroded" his and Archbishop John Wilson's "confidence in the governing body" and that they are "removing the remaining foundation governors under the powers set out in the Articles and Instrument of governance." The move renders "the governing body inquorate and dysfunctional." Correspondence reviewed by The Tablet indicates that two of the school's governors resigned while the other foundation governors had been removed by Southwarks Education Commission. Catholic Truth reported that Clark resigned over the weekend, citing a conversation with a source close to the situation who asserted that "Fr. Clark decided he simply couldn't work in a school that was promoting and selling unsuitable, pornographic material to children." For his part, Green stressed a need to "make some noise" by liking, retweeting and amplifying the story about his event's cancellation. "I want [the Archdiocese of Southwark] to see how wrong they are," he tweeted. Green emphasized that he did not want people to direct their outrage at the school itself because "they've been lovely." We need to make some noise. Like, RT, and amplify. I want @RC_Southwark to see how wrong they are. Dont bother the school - theyve done nothing wrong. Theyve been lovely. More importantly Simon James Green (@simonjamesgreen) March 9, 2022 The archdiocese's decision to cancel the event was criticized by the Catholic Education Service, an arm of the Catholic Bishops Conference of England and Wales. Catholic schools welcome pupils from all backgrounds. This isolated incident has given a false impression of the inclusive nature of Catholic schools," a CES statement reads. Catholic schools are places where all children can flourish and as such have a zero-tolerance approach to LGBT+ discrimination. Nationally the CES has worked closely with schools, dioceses, and charities to produce Catholic inclusivity guidance and resources for schools that have won acclaim from LGBT+ organisations." The National Secular Society, a British group that opposes government funding of religious schools, also condemned the archdiocese's cancelation of the event. In a statement, NSS chief executive Stephen Evans contended that "If a visit from one of the UK's leading writers of LGBTQ+ teen fiction is considered 'outside the scope of what is permissible in a Catholic school,' the state should reconsider publicly funding such schools." "The disturbing behaviour of this diocese highlights a broader problem of faith schools stigmatising same-sex relationships and therefore contributing to a climate where many young LGBT people are growing up feeling ashamed or frightened about who they are," he added. "Our own research has shown that a significant number of faith schools promote the idea that same-sex attraction is 'morally wrong,' 'disordered' or a 'lifestyle choice.'" Evans described such ideas as unacceptable for a "publicly funded school." "Regardless of their sexuality or the sexuality of their parents, children of every religion and belief background should be entitled to study in a welcoming and accepting school," Evans argued. A Department for Education spokesperson told The Tablet that the department is "looking into the circumstances surrounding the diocese's role in this incident." We have made relationships education compulsory for all primary school pupils, and relationships and sex education compulsory for all secondary school pupils," the Education Department statement reads. Schools should teach students that everybody has the right to be treated with dignity and respect, with particular regard to their duties under the Equality Act. James wrote on Twitter that another visit to a Catholic primary school under the archdiocese's control has also been canceled. "That was for a talk about my picture books and MG, which contain no LGBT content whatsoever," he tweeted. "All I do with my books and school events is encourage reading for pleasure, acceptance of difference and celebrate being who we are." "You can't be made gay by reading about gay characters in books," he added. "If you're LGBT, you're LGBT. I want LGBT kids to find comfort and understanding in my books, and non-LGBT kids to understand other lives, empathise, see we're really not so different." Christian ministries serving as 'God's distribution system' amid Russia's war in Ukraine A Christian ministry leader says Ukrainian churches and Christians worldwide are operating as Gods distribution system by helping those whose lives have been upended by Russia's attacks on their country. International Cooperating Ministries, a nonprofit organization working to ensure a healthy church is within walking distance of everyone in the world, is one of several groups working to provide assistance to Ukrainians fleeing the eastern region of the country, which has come under attack by Russian troops since Feb. 24. Keith Townsend, who serves as ICMs director for Russia and former Soviet Republics, elaborated on the humanitarian efforts already underway by the organizations partners on the ground in Eastern Europe in an interview with The Christian Post. Townsend explained that ICM was founded to construct church buildings for different ministry organizations in different countries in addition to building Hope Centers and providing discipleship material to existing churches so that they could nurture their believers. These churches and Hope Centers in western and southern Ukraine, in Romania and Moldova and other countries like that, are taking in the refugees, he said. Because we dont have employees overseas, we use substantial indigenous ministry partners that we work through. Townsend explained that while the organization doesn't normally do humanitarian relief work, ICM received such an outpouring and a request from our partners that had the ability to take care of these refugees that we opened it up to our investors and donors to provide funds for relief through our partners. He told CP that were currently channeling relief through our partner Bible Mission Global out of Frankfurt, Germany. While ICM is headquartered in Hampton, Virginia, and Townsend resides in Jacksonville, Florida, Bible Mission Global has offices in Kyiv and offices in Moscow and offices in Moldova and they have warehouses and they are sending containers and trucks through this distribution system. Townsend said Bible Mission Global has three warehouses in Ukraine and a warehouse in Moldova from which they ship food and other necessities. From there, the churches and the Hope Centers take the lead. Theyre housing the people, feeding the people, making sure theyre taken care of with their medical issues and things like that, he added. Townsend rejoiced that "the Church is doing what it was designed to do by acting as Gods distribution system through taking care of people and sharing Christ with them at the same time. He added, ICM is serving as a conduit for our donors and trying to help with some of the logistical issues in terms of people that want to send relief from the states to these different places. Its been a joy in the midst of all this tragedy to see how Gods people have responded, he said, adding, God will do what he wants with this conflict but Gods church is operating exactly like it was intended to, to minister to people and getting them hope and to share Christ with them. Townsend cited basic medical services such as ongoing medicines for blood pressure and diabetes as the greatest health needs faced by the people pouring into the churches and Hope Centers. He noted that the churches and Hope Centers are full right now, and they could use 10 times the room if they had it so they literally are at capacity. And what they tried to do is, they tried to actually get the church members to put the people in their homes also," he said. "So people are taking them in, its mostly women and children, theyre taking them in, putting them in their homes and then the churches themselves have taken out the chairs and the pews and all that stuff and the people are actually sleeping and living at the churches and they have kitchens set up to feed them. Townsend praised the church members for doing a remarkable sacrificial job of caring for these people. "Theyve opened up their homes, theyre working to take care of them, theyre making sure that theyre fed and clothed properly and have their medical needs taken care of," he said. In some cases, the lack of space at churches and Hope Centers has forced officials there to move them on to another location where there might be space for them. Theyve got a good network of human connection going, they know where the Red Cross centers are. The Ukrainians have contacts in Romania and Moldova and Poland where they can refer people to. So theyre doing the best they can [by] helping all the displaced people from the churches that had to evacuate and then trying to push people on to wherever they need to go. Townsend suggested that the churches and Hope Centers became overwhelmed because nobody expected [a Russian invasion] to happen in this magnitude. He also painted a picture of an atmosphere of uncertainty stemming from the fact that nobody knows how long the conflict will continue. In the course of a week, people have donated $500,000 to ICM to help them with their Ukraine ministry efforts. Townsend elaborated on the process that ICMs partners on the ground undertake to ensure that necessities reach as many people in need as possible. Its about $30,000 to buy whats [in] the truck, all the food and supplies and then to pay for the transportation. Thats probably going to go up, he predicted. Thats been kind of an average so far of about $30,000 for a large container truck and then smaller trucks that can pull trailers, $6,000 or $7,000 for one of those. Emphasizing that theres a lot of driving involved, Townsend detailed how trailers go to the warehouse and then smaller trucks and trailers load up and go all throughout the country to our different locations dropping off supplies and going back. He expressed a desire to ramp it up by providing a greater flow of goods from America, loading containers in the U.S. and sending them to Poland where they can then be distributed by ICMs partners on the ground. The invasion, he added, has made eastern Ukraine very difficult to get to. At the same time, he attributed the fact that there are plenty of trucks and transportation available to the shut down of industries in Ukraine because of the war. Normal truck traffic that would be carrying trade back and forth, thats pretty well stopped, so theres a good supply of transportation resources to get supplies in," he said. "Thats not been a problem. Its been more of a problem trying to secure enough food supplies. A lot of the countries, Moldova, Romania and Germany, have restricted the amount you can buy at one time. Theyre worried about their food warehouses running out of supplies for their supermarkets so youre having to go further into Europe to try to find food. In addition to concerns about running out of supplies and space, Townsend pointed to the winter weather in Eastern Europe as a source of strain on churches and Hope Centers seeking to minister to those fleeing the war-torn areas in Ukraine: Its just awfully cold right now. Theres been a greater demand for clothing for heavy coats and gloves and things like that. Because of the cold temperatures, churches and Hope Centers housing Ukrainian refugees have an increased need for gas. Youve got to keep these buildings warm, not just for church services and special activities, he maintained. The heating demands have gone up for the churches and the Hope Centers, which has made the gas bills go up. Gas is another financial cost theyll have to deal with." Townsend also expressed concern that many of the churches and Hope Centers will find themselves in danger as the Russians move west. He warned that theyll be in jeopardy for sure. ICM has had to respond to crises in the past because, as Townsend put it, Were constantly dealing with partners, that their areas are either under attack by radicals in their country or the churches are being closed or burned. In one case, ICM worked with partners on the ground to provide assistance to Nepal, which had just experienced natural disasters and earthquakes. He characterized the actions taken by ICM during the Russia-Ukraine crisis as different than how the group has responded to crises in the past. We typically serve as a channel to our partners and people can donate directly to our partners, but this is a case where it was a big giant need where we had capable partners right away and we couldnt wait to try to just let our partners receive donations. So were just serving as a conduit right now and trying to make sure that we understand what their needs are and get them the funds that they need when [theyre] available. Idaho lawmakers approve Texas-styled heartbeat abortion ban, await governors signature Lawmakers in Idaho have passed a modification to the states heartbeat abortion ban that, if enacted, would allow private citizens to sue abortion providers, comparable to a law passed in Texas last year. Known as Senate Bill 1309, the measure was passed by the Idaho House on Monday in a vote of 51 ayes, 14 nays and five abstentions. The bill passed the Idaho Senate earlier this month in a vote of 28 ayes, six nays and one abstention. The measure, which awaits the signature of Gov. Brad Little, amends a law passed last year that bans most abortions after an unborn babys heartbeat is detected, which is normally around six weeks into a pregnancy. Whereas the 2021 law would not take effect until triggered by an appeals court decision, the new bill would take effect 30 days after being signed and be enforced by family members who could sue abortion providers for damages. While the Texas bill allows for anyone who helps facilitate an abortion to be sued, the Idaho bill would limit who can be sued under the law. The Idaho law states that private citizens can sue only abortion providers. While Texas law allows private citizens anywhere in the U.S. to sue over an illegal abortion, the Idaho bill limits who can sue for damages to just family members of the aborted child. Idaho Family Policy Center contends in a statement that the measure could save around 1,000 babies every year. Im optimistic that Gov. Brad Little will sign this legislation to ensure preborn babies with beating hearts receive the equal protection they deserve, said IFPC President Blaine Conzatti. These proposed changes to the Idaho Heartbeat Law are constitutionally, scientifically, and morally sound. A similar Texas law has successfully withstood several legal challenges in the federal courts, and were confident that this Idaho legislation, if it becomes law, will survive any forthcoming legal challenge and begin saving preborn babies. The Idaho chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union opposed the legislation, arguing that it violates the U.S. Constitution by threatening the right to abortion access, which was solidified in the 1973 ruling of Roe v. Wade. Not only is SB1309 blatantly unconstitutional as a near total ban on abortion, but it is also designed in such a manner that undermines the separation of powers and could be weaponized by other states to limit the constitutional rights that we all hold dear, stated ACLU Idaho Policy Strategist Lauren Bramwell. The ACLU will continue advocating for an Idaho that respects and supports each of us in making the deeply personal decisions that determine the shape of our lives, including whether, when and how we choose to have children. Last May, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed Senate Bill 8 into law, which prohibits most abortions after a fetal heartbeat is detected. Instead of being enforced by state officials, the law is enforced through private citizens who receive financial incentives to sue abortion providers or anyone else in Texas who helps a woman get an illegal abortion. The law has survived multiple legal challenges. The Texas Supreme Court effectively killed a legal challenge to SB 8 last week by ruling that state officials were not responsible for enforcing the legislation. The U.S. Supreme Court is expected to rule this year on whether Mississippis 15-week abortion ban is constitutional, a case that some believe could lead to the legal precedent set in Roe being altered. Turkey stands its ground not to sanction Russia despite what the western alliance has resolved to do, causing tension among NATO members. The move goes against the motions of the UK against Russian President Vladimir Putin that has shown a mixed consensus. Many countries like Germany and some bloc members are concerned about the effects of their gas and oil supply. Turkey To Remain Neutral In a diplomatic forum in Antalya last Sunday, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu remarked that the economic penalties heaped against Moscow are making things worse, reported the Express. Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz will meet in Ankara on a Monday to talk about the conflict. Turkey is the only NATO member with a maritime border with both Ukraine and Russia in the Black Sea, cited Al Jazeera. It doesn't want to jeopardize its relationship with both countries because of the US, with whom things are not going smoothly. Ankara called the Russian invasion that entered Ukraine provinces unacceptably. However, the sanction pushed by the West are not effective and causing problems, so they want to hold talks to mediate, noted Ajansev. Ukraine claims, on Sunday, it is coordinating with Ankara and Israel to set up a framework for its talks with Moscow. A week ago, the two aggrieved combatants held high-level talks to seek diplomatic solutions in Turkey as the conflict raged. Sanctions on Russia Worsens Situation Turkey has established links with Moscow for defense, energy, trade, and tourism from Russians visiting the country. But Ukraine's purchase of Turkish-made drones has caused backlash from the Kremlin, but they do not want to sanction Russia. Read Also: Vladimir Putin Net Worth 2022: Does Anyone Know Russian President's Hidden Wealth? The Turkish government has had its differences over Russian policy in Libya and Syria, including the taking of Crimea in 2014. Like Putin, the West sanctioned it in 2020 because they are not supposed to buy Russian S-400 defense systems. The Turkish leader said that his government wanted NATO systems but, on their terms, not the alliance, leading to its purchase of the Russian system as the last option. One thing was clear that NATO would not tolerate any of their members getting any system other than from the West. All arms buys and terms should be at the discretion of the military alliance, no buying of soviet arms and systems. Ukraine Calls for Increased Sanctions According to TASS news agency, reported last Sunday, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg stated while on the sidelines of the meeting that the Turkish government show is in on the economic embargo. Britain even added unprecedented aviation sanctions that included capturing civilian planes and stopping components for aircraft or space systems to Moscow. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba remarked last Monday the embargoes would be in place to hit Russia, calling for boycott and cancellation of global firms doing business in Russia. He even asked all ports not to allow Russian ships to port or deny their cargo. Several firms like Swiss Re and European banks have heeded Ukraine's request. On Monday, Ukraine claimed it had begun negotiations with Russia on a ceasefire, immediate withdrawal of troops, and security assurances. Related Article: China Gives Russia Classified Intelligence Shared by the Biden Administration @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Parents lack of biblical worldview puts children at 'spiritual disadvantage': Barna warns 6 out of 10 US parents don't view the Bible as a 'reliable and accurate source of Gods truth' A prominent Evangelical researcher has warned that the lack of a biblical worldview among parents of preteens puts youth at a spiritual disadvantage. The George Barna-led Cultural Research Center at Arizona Christian University released the first report of its American Worldview Inventory 2022 Tuesday, which analyzed the worldview dilemma of American parents. The report was based on a survey of 600 American parents with children younger than 13 conducted in January. The respondents were asked several dozen worldview-related questions that measure both beliefs and behavior within eight categories of worldview application. While 67% of parents with children younger than 13 identified as Christians, just 2% of those surveyed subscribed to a biblical worldview as defined by the researchers. According to the report, a biblical worldview emerges from accepting the Bible as a relevant and authoritative guide for life. Among the two-thirds of parents who identify as Christian, just 4% of them possessed a biblical worldview. A parents primary responsibility is to prepare a child for the life God intends for that child, Barna, the director of research at the Cultural Research Center, said in a statement. A crucial element in nurturing is helping the child develop a biblical worldview the filter that causes a person to make their choices in harmony with biblical teachings and principles. According to Barna, who founded the prominent Evangelical research firm Barna Group, the research confirms that very few parents even have the worldview development of their children on their radar. The typical American parent is either fully unaware that there is a worldview development process, or they are aware that their child is developing a worldview, but they do not take responsibility for a role in the process, he said. Every parent teaches what they know and models what they believe. They can only give what they have, and what they have to give reflects their driving beliefs about life and spirituality. Barna warned that parents are both a primary influence and a gatekeeper to other influences on their children. Although some parents are aware the childs worldview is being developed, Barna said they may choose or allow outsiders to accomplish that duty on the parents behalf. Shockingly few parents intentionally speak to their children about beliefs and behavior based upon a biblical worldview, Barna said. Perhaps the most powerful worldview lesson parents provide is through their own behavior, yet our studies consistently indicate that parental choices generally do not reflect biblical principles or an intentionally Christian approach to life. The research concluded that American parents views about the Bible play a role in the groups widespread absence of a biblical worldview. Specifically, nearly six out of 10 parents surveyed do not see the Bible as a reliable and accurate source of Gods truth, while just 40% view the Bible as Gods accurate words for humanity. The subgroup of parents most likely to possess a biblical worldview attended independent or nondenominational Protestant churches (16%). The share of parents with a biblical worldview was measured at 10% among those who read the Bible daily, those who see themselves as very conservative on theological matters, and those who consider themselves very conservative on social issues, such as abortion and same-sex marriage. Those with a biblical worldview comprised less than 10% of all other subgroups of preteen parents, characterized based on their religious and political views. The groups with the highest number of parents possessing a biblical worldview identified as politically conservative (9%), and theologically defined born-again Christians (8%). Overall, 22% of respondents identified as born-again Christians, while 19% described themselves as politically conservative. The groups least likely to possess a biblical worldview were those attending Catholic churches, respondents who characterized themselves as politically liberal or progressive and parents between the ages of 18 and 24. Just 1% of Catholics and liberals had a biblical worldview, while less than 1% of parents younger than 24 have a biblical worldview. Catholics comprised 24% of respondents, while political liberals and progressives accounted for 17% of those surveyed. Thirteen percent of the sample included parents between 18 and 24. Older parents were slightly more likely than their younger counterparts to embrace a biblical worldview. Four percent of parents aged 45 or older, who constituted 31% of respondents, subscribe to such a worldview, followed by 2% of parents between the ages of 25 and 44, who constituted a majority (56%) of those surveyed. While mainline Protestants and Evangelical Protestants each comprised 11% of the sample, Evangelicals had a higher share of adherents with a biblical worldview (6%) than mainline Protestants (2%). While Barna expressed concern about the astronomically low share of preteen parents with a biblical worldview, he remained optimistic about the possibility of a spiritual revival in the U.S. The reality is that culture-changing movements can transform a nation with as little as 2% of the population on-board, he said. Turning around the paucity of commitment to the biblical worldview cannot happen overnight, in the United States, but it can happen. Russian Evangelical Alliance head expresses sorrow over Putins invasion: I tried to prevent war As U.S. intelligence officials say Russian President Vladimir Putin will likely cause more deaths and destruction in Ukraine over his anger and frustration at his militarys failures, the General Secretary of the Russian Evangelical Alliance released a statement saying he mourns the invasion and did everything I could do to prevent war. I mourn what my country has done in its recent military invasion of another sovereign country, Ukraine, REA General Secretary Vitaly Vlasenko said in a statement addressed to his dear brothers and sisters around the world. Peaceful feelings are being destroyed amidst the bombing and shelling, and a stream of increased attention has rushed across Europe in the form of refugees: women, the elderly, and children, he added. The Associated Press said Monday it learned about the death of a pregnant woman and her baby after Russia bombed a maternity hospital in the city of Mariupol where she was meant to give birth. Images of the woman being rushed to an ambulance on a stretcher had circled the world, epitomizing the horror of an attack on humanitys most innocent, it said. As doctors were doing all they could to keep her alive as her pelvis crushed and hip detached, she realized she was losing her baby and cried out to the medics, Kill me now! The medics delivered the baby via cesarean section but there were no signs of life, the surgeon was quoted as saying. The Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights said Saturday it had recorded 1,663 civilian casualties, including 596 killed and 1,067 injured, since Russias invasion of Ukraine began on Feb. 24. Those dead include 124 men, 85 women, six girls and 10 boys, as well as 27 children and 344 adults whose sex is yet unknown although the actual figure could be much higher, the OHCHR said. More than 2.8 million people have fled Ukraine because of the Russian invasion, the U.N. has said, according to the BBC. The head of REA added: Two peoples closely related to each other, many of whom are deeply devoted to the Christian (primarily Orthodox) faith, are now in a fierce battle one side pursuing the goal of demilitarizing Ukraine, the other seeking to save their country from occupation. Russians and Ukrainians have close family relations, he said. A Russian may have daughters and grandchildren living in Kyiv; a Ukrainian may have children living and working in Moscow. Vlasenko continued: Today, pain, fear, and deep sorrow for their loved ones and for the future of their own lives and countries, pierce the hearts of many people like lightning, because since the Second World War, no one knows what the limits of war and its consequences may be. All these events cause me deep sorrow, bitterness and regret for decisions taken by the leadership of my country, and a great compassion for those suffering as a result of this decision, he concluded, listing his efforts, including writing an open letter to Putin the day before the invasion, while also fasting and praying for peace and harmony between Russia and Ukraine, among other things. On Monday, the AP quoted CIA Director William Burn as saying that Putin might escalate the conflict to try to break Ukraines resistance. I think Putin is angry and frustrated right now, he said. Hes likely to double down and try to grind down the Ukrainian military with no regard for civilian casualties. On Saturday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he was ready to hold peace talks with Russia mediated by Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett in Jerusalem. Hours later, the Holy Dormition Svyatogorsk Lavra, an Orthodox Christian monastery in the Donetsk region that has sheltered more than 500 evacuees, including 200 children, was rocked when a bomb exploded 54 yards away from the entrance, the Center for Strategic Communications and Information Security reported in posts on Facebook and Telegram. Zelenskys announcement came after Putin showed no willingness to accept a ceasefire when French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz spoke to him. About 100 Christian leaders in the United States, more than 280 priests and deacons of the Russian Orthodox Church and over 400 ministers of Evangelical churches in Russia have called for reconciliation and an immediate end to Russias ongoing invasion of Ukraine. We mourn the ordeal to which our brothers and sisters in Ukraine were undeservedly subjected, the Russian Orthodox clerics wrote in their open letter. The Last Judgment awaits every person. The clerics added, No earthly authority, no doctors, no guards will protect from this judgment. Concerned about the salvation of every person who considers himself a child of the Russian Orthodox Church, we do not want him to appear at this judgment, bearing the heavy burden of mothers curses. Kansas teacher sues school officials for forcing her to use trans pronouns A middle school teacher in Kansas has filed a lawsuit against her school district after being suspended for refusing to use a trans-identified students preferred name and pronouns because doing so would violate her religious beliefs. Pamela Ricard, a math teacher at Fort Riley Middle School, filed a suit last week against school officials in the U.S. District Court for the District of Kansas. Defendants named in the lawsuit include the USD 475 Geary County School District Board Members, Superintendent Reginald Eggleston and Fort Riley Principal Kathleen Brennan. According to the lawsuit, Ricard was suspended in April 2021 for three days and given a written reprimand because she called a biologically female student by her legal name and used female pronouns. Neither the District nor the school had a formal policy regarding student preferred name and pronoun use at the time Ms. Ricard was suspended and reprimanded, stated the lawsuit. Instead, Ms. Ricard was suspended and reprimanded under generic school district policies related to Bullying by Staff; Diversity and Inclusion; and Staff-Student Relations prohibiting harassment and bullying of students by staff. The lawsuit further states that Ricard is a Christian who holds sincere religious beliefs consistent with the traditional Christian and biblical understanding of the human person and biological sex. Any policy that requires Ms. Ricard to refer to a student by a gendered, non-binary, or plural pronoun (e.g., he/him, she/her, they/them, zhe/zher, etc.) or salutation (Mr., Miss, Ms.) or other gendered language that is different from the students biological sex actively violates Ms. Ricards religious beliefs, continued the lawsuit. The complaint noted that the school board denied Ricards request for a specific accommodation and policy that would allow her to continue to address students by their names but refrain from using preferred pronouns or other gender-specific language, for a student when such pronouns or language were different than the students biological sex. Additionally, the board adopted a new policy requiring teachers to refer to each student both in and out of class using whatever names or pronouns the student claims reflect his or her particular gender identity on any given day. The District and the Defendants now threaten to punish Ms. Ricard again if she continues to refrain from using a students preferred pronouns, express her views through silence or neutral language, or even engage in a neutral policy of referring to students by their enrolled last names or with other gender-neutral language, the legal document added. Will Rapp of the Kansas chapter of the LGBT advocacy group GLSEN told CNN that he considers Ricards actions to be harmful to trans-identified youth. This incident isnt an isolated issue. According to GLSEN research, more than 40% of transgender students in Kansas report being unable to use their chosen name and correct pronouns in school, Rapp said. When educators express this kind of anti-LGBTQ+ sentiment it sends a message that school is not a safe place and many LGBTQ+ youth and especially transgender youth feel unable to approach trusted educators for support. Rapp argues that educators must be held accountable for creating a safe and affirming environment for all students, regardless of gender identity. In recent years, there has been considerable debate over the extent to which schools can require teachers and other employees to use students preferred names and pronouns. Last year, Loudoun County Public Schools in northern Virginia garnered national headlines when the Washington, D.C.-area school district suspended elementary school teacher Byron Tanner Cross for speaking out against a proposed policy requiring teachers to use trans-identified students preferred names and pronouns. Like Ricard, Cross maintained that his sincerely held religious beliefs, informed by his Christian faith, prevented him from complying with such a policy, which has since passed. Im a teacher, but I serve God first, and I will not affirm that a biological boy can be a girl and vice versa because its against my religion, Cross told the school board. Its lying to a child, its abuse to a child, and its sinning against our God. Cross sued the school district over his suspension, and last August, the Virginia Supreme Court upheld an injunction that reinstated the teacher as the litigation continued. Another Virginia teacher was placed on leave in 2018 and later fired for his refusal to refer to a trans-identified student by the preferred name and pronouns. Last year, the teacher, Peter Vlaming, appealed his case to the Virginia Supreme Court. Woman accused of setting fire to houses of worship practiced dark magic, friends say Former friends of a Connecticut woman who was charged with starting fires in a church and a Jewish synagogue on Friday said she recently went down a path worshiping the devil and practicing dark magic and is now in need of psychological help. The woman, 30-year-old Kimorah Parker, allegedly set fires at St. Matthews Lutheran Church and the Congregation Tephereth Israel 45 minutes apart in New Britain on Friday night, police told WTNH. Police said the burglary alarm went off at St. Josephs Church, another nearby church where investigators believe Parker broke in. Authorities said they were alerted of a break-in at the church after the alarm system was triggered. Police also noted that Parker was observed on surveillance video near the houses of worship. When they picked her up, she was in possession of two lighters and religious documents with clothes that smelled like smoke. They believe the religious documents were taken from the church. Pastor Mark Valigorsky of St. Matthews Lutheran Church further told the news outlet that investigators informed him that Parker threw one of the churchs planters through the churchs front window to gain entry. It is a hate crime, if you will, that someone would do this, Valigorsky said. He said the woman set fire to items on a lit stove inside the church then left them to burn while she apparently got out of the building as fast as possible. As for the Congregation Tephereth Israel, a statement from the synagogue on Facebook said there was damage to a number of areas, including an upper balcony, walls and doors. The building is on the National Register of Historic Places. Michelle Joyce, a longtime member of Congregation Tephereth Israel, told WTNH that damage to the building will need to be evaluated by an engineer. It means a lot to me, this building means a lot to me, Joyce was quoted as saying. We grew up here. I brought my children here. It means an awful lot to me, so my hope is that they will be able to restore it. WSFB spoke with two of Parker's former friends who were in attendance in the courtroom Monday as she answered the charges. They are concerned that she's been practicing witchcraft and worshiping the devil. Luis Malave, who said he has known Parker since she was 15, said that she has been practicing Santeria and witchcraft. Santeria is described as a syncretic, Afro-Caribbean religion based on Yoruba beliefs and traditions, with some Roman Catholic elements. She starting worshipping Santeria and witchcraft and thats all that stuff and thats what shes practicing, Malave said. And thats what she is putting in her home. She is taking elements from our streets, breaking them and using them as part of rituals. She said that its time for the world to change. Malave accused Parker of having previously burned a Bible. I just want you to do right. Burning churches isnt righteous. You already burned the Bible. I just hope that God can touch you while youre in there [jail] and make a change for you, he said. Parker is currently in custody on a more than $250,000 bond. On her Facebook page, Parker frequently shares videos from her home depicting what appears to be an altar in the corner of a room. Another friend, Caleb Newburry, said he thinks she is having a mental breakdown. I think shes having a mental breakdown, Newburry said. I think she is psychologically just not there. She is losing her grip on reality. Who is Vladimir Putin? When it comes to our president or many other prominent world leaders, we have a pretty good idea of who they are and what makes them tick. But do we really know who Vladimir Putin is? Do we know what drives and motivates him? More specifically, do we know for sure why he has invaded Ukraine? We have been told that he wants to restore the glory of the former Soviet Union. This will be his legacy. We have been told that he is simply threatened by the expansion of NATO, dreading the possibility of nuclear weapons stationed next to the Russian border. We have been told that he truly believes his propaganda and is committed to denazifying Ukraine. We have been told that being shut in with COVID for a couple of years has affected his mind and that he is not himself. We have been told that he is suffering from cancer and is on steroids, hence his apparently irrational behavior and allegedly swollen appearance. We have been told that his mission is spiritual and that he fashions himself the savior of the Russian Orthodox Church, with Kyiv as the Rome of this Church. Others would simply say that there is nothing to figure out since the man is a megalomaniac, while still others would remind us that this is the same person who once was a leader in the KGB. Is there a major theory that I missed? Leading up to Putins invasion of Ukraine, I watched experts and analysts explain that the whole issue was the expansion of NATO. If Ukraine joins NATO, that will be akin to Russia putting nuclear weapons in Cuba! I recently read a tweet from a Fox News analyst explaining why there was no truth to this theory. He did not invade Ukraine because of NATO! Among all the theories circulating, one that is the most interesting (but is getting less attention) is the spiritual explanation. Writing for Unherd, Giles Fraser claimed, The religious president wants to rebuild Christendom. Pointing back to events in 988 involving Vladimir of Rus in Kyiv, when he converted to Christianity, Fraser writes, This is the founding, iconic act of Russian Orthodox Christianity. It was from here that Christianity would spread out and merge with the Russian love of the motherland, to create a powerful brew of nationalism and spirituality. In the mythology of 988, it was as if the whole of the Russian people had been baptized. Vladimir was declared a saint. When the Byzantine empire fell, the Russians saw themselves as its natural successor. They were a third Rome. Fraser explains that, Soviet Communism tried to crush all this but failed. And in the post-Soviet period, thousands of churches have been built and re-built. Though the West thinks of Christianity as something enfeebled and declining, in the East it is thriving. Back in 2019, Patriarch Kirill, the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, boasted that they were building three churches a day. Last year, they opened a Cathedral to the Armed Forces an hour outside Moscow. Religious imagery merges with military glorification. War medals are set in stained glass, reminding visitors of Russian martyrdom. In a large mosaic, more recent victories including 2014s the return of Crimea are celebrated. Blessed are the peacemakers this is not. And how does all this connect to Putin? At the heart of this post-Soviet revival of Christianity is another Vladimir. Vladimir Putin. Many people dont appreciate the extent to which the invasion of Ukraine is a spiritual quest for him. The Baptism of Rus is the founding event of the formation of the Russian religious psyche, the Russian Orthodox church traces its origins back here. Thats why Putin is not so much interested in a few Russian-leaning districts to the east of Ukraine. His goal, terrifyingly, is Kyiv itself. Indeed, Putin has often spoken of his passion for true Christian values, saying this in a September 19, 2013 speech: Another serious challenge to Russias identity is linked to events taking place in the world. Here there are both foreign policy and moral aspects. We can see how many of the Euro-Atlantic countries are actually rejecting their roots, including the Christian values that constitute the basis of Western civilization. They are denying moral principles and all traditional identities: national, cultural, religious and even sexual. They are implementing policies that equate large families with same-sex partnerships, belief in God with the belief in Satan. He even stated that, The excesses of political correctness have reached the point where people are seriously talking about registering political parties whose aim is to promote paedophilia. People in many European countries are embarrassed or afraid to talk about their religious affiliations. Yes, these are the words of Vladimir Putin. And remember that it was in 2013 that a bill banning propaganda of nontraditional sexual relations, focused on excluding LGBTQ curricula from the schools, passed Russias State Duma by a vote of 436-0. Let that sink in. As Fraser and others claim, Putin regards his spiritual destiny as the rebuilding of Christendom, based in Moscow. And this: The spiritual choice made by St Vladimir still largely determines our affinity today Putin wrote only last year. In the words of Oleg the Prophet about Kyev, let it be the mother of all Russian cities. What a striking quote! Is this, then, what is really driving Putin? If so, is there any way to understand how a Christian leader, in the name of pure Christianity, could engage in such a murderous, destructive, and bloody campaign? (Sadly, this would not be the first time something like this happened in Church history.) The one thing that seems certain is that this is Putins war, not Russias war. But until we truly understand who he is and what is driving him, it will be much more difficult to stop him. That ought to be a major strategic priority. Some Christians won't be elevated to higher 'levels' in Heaven, Ed Young warns Ed Young, the pastor of the multi-site Fellowship Church in Texas, said in a sermon Sunday there are levels of hierarchy in Heaven and warned Christians who do not use their spiritual gifts to serve God's kingdom will not be elevated to a higher position when they die. The 60-year-old pastor told his church in a March 6 sermon titled The Judgment of God that good works do not earn salvation because Christians are saved by grace through faith. However, he said Christians still have responsibilities, such as attending church and sharing their spiritual gifts because, on judgment day, they will be held accountable for what they did with the gifts and abilities the Lord bestowed upon them during their lives. I think for too many Christians, were like, OK, Im a Christian. Ive got that get-out-of-Hell card. And thats fine with me. Well, it should be much more than that, Young told his Grapevine-based congregation. God does not zap us to Heaven the moment we are saved, the moment we are rescued, Young added. Were here for a reason. We should have that thought, that awareness, that responsibility, that, one day, were going to be held accountable for everything youve ever done. Christians should not withhold their spiritual gifts from others because part of their responsibility is to glorify the Lord with their gifts while on earth, according to Young. He cited 2 Corinthians 5:10 to state that all believers will be judged. When believers are judged, he said, there will be triumphs from those who used their gifts to advance Gods plan and tears from believers who fumbled the ball and took their eye off the shot clock. I am not the ultimate judge, but if you are not regularly showing your love, support and attendance in church, if you are not loving and honoring the bride, I really have to doubt if you are a Christian, he said. Just from my theological study, my background, I would put a big question mark whether or not you are truly born again. I am not judging you. I am just challenging you to take inventory on your life. We are going to be judged on this stuff. Youre going to be judged on how you used your different abilities, whether you sing, dance, whatever you do, whatever creativity, whatever you do! he added. And that is for those of us who are believers. Now, youre going to go to Heaven. But youre not going to get and hit the levels because there are levels in Heaven that God desires. Young contends that instead of triumph during the judgment, there will be a lot of tears. Some, among them the apologetics website GotQuestions.org, dispute the claim that there are multiple levels in Heaven, while saying there will be different rewards in Heaven. The concept of different levels of heaven may have come in part from Dantes The Divine Comedy in which the poet describes both heaven and hell as having nine different levels, states the website. The Divine Comedy, however, is a fictional work. The idea of different levels of heaven is foreign to Scripture. During his sermon, Young emphasized that Gods judgment is not a popular topic but inevitable and unavoidable for everyone. Everybody will be judged. Judgment is not a sexy topic. Its not going to sell books. Its not going to be on the coffee mugs or T-shirts. Were not going to have a bunch of merch in our bookstore that says judgment is coming, Young said. You wont hear very many worship songs about God is going to judge me. There will be a time where we will have to show the Lord Jesus Im talking to Christians and reveal to Him what we did with all of these aptitudes and abilities and gifts and opportunities that Hes given us, he added. Its normal for Christians to feel convicted about the upcoming judgment, Young said, insisting that conviction should serve as an encouragement to share talents with others. Young believes God gifted him with a speaking talent to preach the Gospel and that, on the day of judgment, God will not only judge him for how often he used his speaking gift but for the content of his words. I will be held accountable at the judgment regarding how I stewarded this gift. Did I preach? Did I teach the entire Bible, or did I go, Ill just teach the fun parts, you know, the positive parts. Ill just try to have this Christian pep rally, Young said. Ill be judged regarding how I used the gifts. Did I teach truth? Did I rightly divide the Word of God? Not only will Christians be judged based on church attendance and sharing the love of their gifts, but Young said that Christians will also be judged on if they chose to sow into the lives of others. Many of us will see our co-workers, our neighbors, our family members, go to Hell. And we will go: Man, I had such an opportunity. I was a part of a church that prayed and thought and planned so much for people far away from God. Yet I didnt leverage it. I didnt invite them. I didnt engage them. I didnt pray for them, Young preached. Sowing into the Church is not only about inviting someone to church and evangelizing to them, but it also means giving back to the bride of Christ financially, according to Young. God has given some of us an ability to make a lot of money. Are you here just to recreate, procreate, do deals and die. Thats it. Great, you know how to make money. Thats awesome. Enjoy the fruits of your labor. Youre blessed. Good, Young said. How, though, are we leveraging that for eternity? How are we leveraging that when it comes to the Bride? he added. Plane crash survivors return to church for the first time, give testimony: 'God saved my life' A father and daughter who survived a plane crash last year have returned to their church for the first time since the accident, giving their testimony before the congregation and meeting the first responders who rescued them. Pennsylvania pilot Christopher White, 58, and his 13-year-old daughter Angela were involved in a plane crash last November during a snowstorm while on a recreational flight around the Poconos. The Cessna 150 crash in Luzerne County resulted in severe injuries for both, including a shattered spine for the daughter and broken bones for the father. The White family gave their testimonies on Sunday before the congregation of Christian Life Assembly near Stroudsburg, with Christopher White saying that it was a miracle from the Lord that they survived. Most pilots get into that, and they get confused, they get twisted upside down, and its fatal. I flew into the snowstorm, and I was like wow, Im snow-blinded, and my instant reaction was not panic, but I shut off the landing lights because they were shining lights into the snow, he recounted. I focused on the attitude indicator, which is what we are trained to do, and I saw that the plane was level. And honestly, I dont know what happened. I could have probably flown out of it, but I dont know what else happened. The next thing I remember is [being] crushed in this airplane, dead silent and cold. Christopher White recalled blacking out a few times after the plane crashed. Then, he woke up to a light flashing in his face from the rescue crew. He said he blacked out again as he was stretchered to an ambulance. He suffered several broken bones, a concussion and other injuries. God saved my life, Christopher White said. The way the plane crashed, the way the branches from the trees grabbed the airplane, the wings got folded back from the energy and they absorbed the speed of the airplane. If you ever see a head-on collision with a car, this front end is smashed in. The planes nose was not smashed in. Had that happened, we would be having a funeral, and we would be looking down from above. But this is rejoicing. Diagnosed with Down syndrome, Angela White, is known for being an outdoorsy teenager who waterskied and cycled. She suffered a right-side skull fracture, second-degree burns due to severe frostbite, and shattered vertebrae. Her injuries have resulted in her developing scoliosis. Her chances of walking again are unlikely. The plane crashed in the middle of state game lands in Bear Creek Township among the woods, swamps, hills, rocks and boulders in frigid weather. Not knowing if anyone would rescue them, the Whites endured temperatures around 20 degrees Fahrenheit for hours, according to local news outlet WBRE. Search crews eventually found the two after tracking their iPad, according to Sharon White, the mother and wife of the survivors. After being rescued, the two received medical attention. Angela White was treated for her burns in a hospital, and medical professionals surgically removed her shattered vertebrae and replaced them with a cage. As soon as we thought something was wrong, the word went out and the prayer went out, said Sharon White. On the night of the crash, the mother, whos served as a teacher for 25 years, said that even before she knew that the two had crashed, she was unexpectedly having trouble concentrating on preparing her class lessons. She began to worship God in response. [One Christian song] says: I speak Jesus over my family, over the darkness, over every enemy, Sharon White said. And Im singing and worshiping, and the plane is going down, and I had no idea. Around 9 p.m. that night, when the father and daughter still had not returned home, Sharon White remembers sending her husband a text message, but he did not respond. The mother assumed that her husbands cell phone had died and she continued to wait for a response that never came. She said that by 9:30 p.m., she recalled thinking that something must be wrong. At that point, she called the police. Jesus hears and He is actively involved when you call on His name There is power in the name of Jesus not just for special situations, Sharon White said. The rescue team that saved Angela and Christopher White attended the church service. They joined the family on stage to share their thoughts on the ordeal. This is a huge event for us. My whole team didnt give up. They kept searching. They would not give up until we found them, said Chief James Serafin of the Bear Creek Volunteer Hose Company, who helped coordinate the search and rescue. Im very proud of that. And we can proudly see them sitting here today. Floyd Young, a firefighter and paramedic affiliated with Bear Creek Fire Rescue, said he was thrilled to see the Whites again. I now know why they lived with people like you praying for them, Young said to the church crowd. Sgt. John G. Richards, a trooper for the Pennsylvania State Police who assisted with the rescue, said: I didnt find them. God found them. Those two are the face of this accident. They deserve the credit. They kept each other alive that night, Richards told the church. Richards said that where the plane had crashed, he did not think that he and the rescue team would have found the two survivors until the next day. Richards recalled telling the members of the fire department to take your crews and go home. However, the members of the fire department refused to stop the search. Craig Johnson, the churchs head pastor, expressed gratitude to the rescue crew. You guys are Gods hands and feet extended. You go to places that no one else can get to and youre with people at some of the lowest points and the most tragic points, and I just want you to know that we will cover you in prayer and we are so thankful for you guys, he said. Johnson announced that on March 19, he and his team will work to tear off the backside of the Whites house to expand it by adding 12 feet by 48 feet, to create a more handicap-accessible home. Im praying two things over this: that we bless the White family, that they feel every time they walk in their house, they know they got a church family and they got a community that loves [them]. And we know God is going to continue to do great things in and through this story, Johnson said. A GoFundMe account established to help support Angela White's medical bills has raised over $27,000. UMC places outspoken liberal bishop on leave after 2 complaints are filed against her A prominent United Methodist Church bishop known for her outspoken theologically progressive stances has been placed on leave after two complaints were filed against her. Bishop Minerva Carcano of the San Francisco Episcopal Area was placed on leave from her episcopal duties after the Western Jurisdiction College of Bishops received the complaints. According to an announcement by UMC Western Jurisdiction leadership released on Wednesday, retired Bishop Sally Dyck, formerly of the Chicago area, will serve as interim bishop for the time being. Under church law, complaints regarding bishops are submitted to the president of the College of Bishops in the appropriate jurisdiction, explained the announcement. A bishop may be suspended for a period not to exceed 60 days when deemed appropriate and shall receive full pay and benefits during that time while the allegations are under review. Bishop Karen Oliveto, president of the Western Jurisdiction College of Bishops, has appointed a special committee to investigate the complaints, the details of which are private. Oliveto garnered headlines in 2017 when her election as bishop was declared illegitimate by the United Methodist Judicial Council due to her being married to a woman, which violates the UMC Book of Discipline. According to her biographical information on the UMC California-Nevada Conferences website, Carcano has served on a host of UMC General Conference leadership positions. These include the Connectional Process Team, the Study Committee on the Relationship of The UMC with the Autonomous Methodist Churches of Latin America and the Caribbean, the Standing Committee on Central Conference Matters, the Commission on the General Conference, and the United Methodist Immigration Task Force. She is a recognized immigrant rights advocate [and] has published articles on the rights of migrants in the Huffington Post and The Hill and has testified before the U.S. House of Representatives Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration and Border Security, noted the California-Nevada Conference. Carcano has also long been an advocate for the full rights and inclusion of LGBTQIA+ persons joining her efforts to the work of such organizations as the Human Rights Campaign. Carcano has been a vocal critic of the UMC's official stance against homosexuality and same-sex marriage, having advocated for a change in the Book of Discipline on the issue. In 2014, when UMC Pastor Frank Schaefer of Pennsylvania had his clergy credentials reinstated after being defrocked for officiating his sons same-sex wedding, Carcano gave him a position leading a student ministry in California. "Rev. Schaefer will be responsible for leading the administrative work of this congregation and reaching out to the large college community that lives, studies, and works at the doorsteps of this church," stated Carcano back in 2014. "Schaefer has much to teach us about what it means to love the children God gives us who happen to be gay. I pray that we will make space for him and his family in our lives and in our hearts as he comes to labor among us," she added. Jussie Smollett sentenced to 150 days in jail, must pay over $120K in restitution for hate crime hoax Jussie Smollett, who in 2019 falsely claimed to be the victim of a hate crime, was sentenced to 30 months of felony probation, which will include 150 days in jail and must pay restitution. In a sentence handed down on Thursday, the Empire actor was given 30 months of felony probation, including 150 days in jail, as well as being ordered to pay over $120,000 in restitution and a $25,000 fine, reported CNN. Your honor, I respect you and I respect the jury, but I did not do this, said Smollett, as reported by CNN. I am not suicidal. And if anything happens to me when I go in there, I did not do it to myself. And you must all know that. Cook County Judge James Linn, who gave the sentence, spoke to Smollett directly, saying that he believed the actor had a side of you that has this arrogance, and selfishness and narcissism that's just disgraceful. You're not a victim of a racial hate crime, you're not a victim of a homophobic hate crime. You're just a charlatan pretending to be a victim of a hate crime, and that's shameful, Linn added. Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot released a statement saying that the sentence should send a clear message to everyone in the City of Chicago that false claims and allegations will not be tolerated. The malicious and wholly fabricated claim made by Mr. Smollett resulted in over 1500 hours of police work that cost the City over $130,000 in police overtime, stated Lightfoot, as quoted by the New York Post. The City feels vindicated in todays ruling that he is being held accountable and that we will appropriately receive restitution for his actions. In January 2019, Smollett claimed that two men assaulted him in Chicago, shouting homophobic and racist slurs at the openly gay, African American actor while also showing support for then President Donald Trump. However, as police conducted their investigation, they concluded that Smollett had actually fabricated the incident, and in February 2019 arrested the actor. During the trial, two brothers testified that Smollett had paid them $3,500 to attack him in front of a surveillance camera, even telling them what slurs to utter when doing so. Last December, Smollett was found guilty on five of six counts centered on him lying to police and detectives about being the victim of a hate crime and a victim of battery. He was found not guilty on the sixth count, which was falsely telling a second detective that he was a victim of aggravated battery. Nenye Uche, an attorney for Smollett, maintained after the verdict was given last December that his client was wrongfully convicted due to the influence of news media. Unfortunately we were facing an uphill battle where Jussie was already tried and convicted in the media and then we had to somehow get the jury to forget or unsee all the news stories that they had been hearing that were negative for the last three years, said Uche, as reported by the Associated Press. Christians who attend church have more flourishing relationships than non-churchgoers: Barna Practicing Christians in the United States are twice as likely to say they're in flourishing relationships than the general adult population, according to a study by the Barna Group. According to the study, which was released earlier this month, 61% of practicing Christians said they're flourishing in romantic relationships and friendships, compared to only 28% of all U.S. adults who responded the same. Some 52% of "churched adults," which Barna defined as adults who have attended church in the past six months but might not identify as Christian, said they were flourishing relationally. Data for the study was based in part on an online survey conducted from Sept. 16 to Oct. 4, 2021, of 1,003 churches adults, with a margin of error of plus or minus 2.9% at a 95% confidence level. Alyce Youngblood, vice president of editorial at Barna, said in a statement to The Christian Post that the study suggests there was a direct positive correlation between the number of practicing Christians that are flourishing in relationships and the spiritual formation that takes place in church. The study defined spiritual formation as the process in which a church body fulfills the "mission to nurture, send and equip disciples." According to Youngblood, the study recognized that the higher the spiritual formation rate within a church, the more likely the church will contain a higher rate of practicing Christians. The study, she added, further emphasized that the more practicing Christians there are in a church, the more flourishing relationships there will be. "We see a connection here," she said. "Three-quarters of churched adults who give high scores for spiritual formation in their church are also experiencing relational flourishing compared to only 32% of churched adults who do not give high scores for spiritual formation." "In Barnas research of both human flourishing and church thriving, qualities tend to hang together; positive qualities in one area relate to positive qualities in the other." The study stated that "a church that not only welcomes and connects people but [has] an awareness [of] the realities of what it takes to be content and satisfied in relationships today, is key in supporting the whole-life flourishing of congregants." According to Youngblood, in the Barna study, the direct causes for why practicing Christians are flourishing relationally and experiencing higher levels of spiritual formation is unknown because the study can only show correlations. However, she said, through the study, she was able to observe a number of positive outcomes associated with higher levels of Bible engagement and church attendance among the respondents. The study, Youngblood said, is not the first evidence of "strong, consistent and deep connections among people who are engaged in faith communities." Youngblood noted that the correlation showing an uptick in both flourishing relationships and higher spiritual formation "has surfaced in secular research on the topic as well." "Im not surprised by this finding. Barna consistently sees that practicing Christians experience rich community, often more so than Christians who arent practicing their faith, or people who could be called 'nones,'" she explained. "I do feel its encouraging to see these relational patterns persist even in research we conducted during the pandemic era. ... Despite the distance or disruptions to regular gatherings that have no doubt affected many in this group, committed Christians continue to report great contentment and high satisfaction in their relationships." The study also found that while 72% of practicing Christians report that their church is an essential partner in their spiritual formation, only 58% of churched adults said the same. Barna CEO David Kinnaman said in a statement that he hoped Barnas framework for measuring what matters in ministry will encourage future church leaders. I firmly believe this moment provides an opportunity to pioneer new ways of leading Gods people and new, deeper pathways to discipling people, Kinnaman said. Its a kairos moment. ... An opportunity to fashion new wineskins, as Jesus suggested we do. A chance to seek the Lords heart for more of what he desires. Of course, God is still changing lives. And he seeks to do that through the Church, through your church. Barna added that much like previous studies, including Households of Faith and Restoring Relationships, the study found that "relationships are keys in connection and in faith and, further, relational flourishing plays a significant role in human flourishing overall. God is always doing new things in the world (see Isaiah 43:19). What a privilege it is for us to leverage this moment to pursue a renewed and revived Christian community, concluded Kinnaman. A Russian TV employee is reportedly missing after she crashed a live news broadcast to protest her country's invasion of Ukraine, holding up a sign that said, "NO WAR. Stop the war. Don't believe the propaganda. They're lying to you here." The female anti-war protester crashed the news broadcast on day 19 of Russia's continued unprovoked invasion of Ukraine. President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly justified his actions and decisions, calling the war a special military operation for the "denazification" of its neighbor. Russian Protester The demonstrator could be seen and heard for several seconds before the news channel, identified as state TV Channel One, switched to a different report and removed the woman from the screen. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed his gratitude towards the protester in his nightly video address. During his remarks, he said that he was grateful to all of the Russian citizens who continued to convey the truth to their fellowmen and the world. He praised those who fought against disinformation and chose to convey real facts to their friends and loved ones, as per Reuters. Human rights group OVD-Info, which monitors and tracks protest activity and detentions in Russia, identified the female protester as Marina Ovsyannikova. The employee is known to be an editor and producer with the broadcaster and said that he has previously been detained. Read Also: Russia-Ukraine War: Pope Francis Pleads To 'Stop This Massacre' Amid Deaths of Children, Civilians Before Ovsyannikova stormed the set of Channel One, she recorded a video message where she called what was going on in Ukraine a crime. In the footage, the protester said that she has been working at Channel One for the past few years, working on Kremlin propaganda. According to the Washington Post, Ovsyannikova said she was very ashamed of what she has done, allowing lies to be said on TV screens and being allowed to reach citizens. She said she regret allowing the citizens of her country to be zombified by propaganda. War on Ukraine Ovsyannikova said that Russian civilians were silently watching the anti-human regime take power and take advantage of other nations. She noted how the whole world was now turning away from the country and argued that the next 10 generations will not be able to cleanse themselves of the shame of the unprovoked war against Ukraine. In her pre-recorded video, the protester wore a necklace that was in the color of the Ukrainian flag, blue and yellow, and noted that her father was Ukrainian while her mother was Russian. She argued that there was only one person who bore responsibility for the hateful situation, Putin. Ovsyannikova urged her fellow citizens to join anti-war protests in order to force the federal government to bring an end to the conflict. She noted that only the people of Russia had the power to stop the madness, noting that authorities cannot imprison all of them. OVD-Info said that Russian officials immediately arrested Ovsyannikova after her protest on Channel One and kept her at the Ostankino television center. The protester is believed to face prison time under a newly introduced Russian legislation that criminalizes the spread of "fake news," The Guardian reported. Related Article: Russia Strikes Ukraine Military Site Near Poland Border Leaving 35 Dead as Moscow Widens Attacks @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. DC nun has medical license restored as litigation over vaccine mandate continues A Roman Catholic nun who sued the District of Columbia for an exemption to the citys COVID-19 vaccine mandate for healthcare workers has had her medical license restored and can continue to practice medicine for the foreseeable future while her lawsuit is adjudicated. Sister Deirdre Byrne, an outspoken pro-life activist and practicing physician who serves a ministry providing free medical services to the poor, filed a lawsuit against District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser, the city and D.C. Health Department Director LaQuandra Nesbitt last week over their refusal to grant her a religious exemption to the vaccine mandate. Byrne first submitted a request for a religious exemption to the coronavirus vaccine mandate shortly after it was rolled out as an emergency measure six months ago, citing concerns about the use of aborted fetal tissue in the development and testing of the COVID-19 vaccines. Throughout most of the past several months, Byrne had been able to practice medicine in D.C. without taking a coronavirus vaccine and had not faced any objections from the hospitals and clinics where she served. Following a continued back-and-forth with the D.C. Department of Health, Byrne was informed late last month that her request had been denied and was told that failure to take at least one dose of the coronavirus vaccine would result in a prohibition on the renewal of her medical license or its revocation or suspension. In an appearance on EWTNs The World Over Thursday, Byrne said that her license had been suspended and that she was forced to close her clinics. She was unable to see patients and couldnt help anyone. With assistance from the Thomas More Society, the nun asked the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to issue a declaratory judgment asserting that the vaccine mandate for healthcare workers violates her rights under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act and the Free Exercise Clause of the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Additionally, she sought a temporary restraining order and a preliminary and permanent injunction prohibiting the defendants from enforcing the vaccine mandate against her as well as an award of nominal damages, attorneys fees and other costs related to the litigation. On Facebook Tuesday, the Thomas More Society announced that Byrnes medical license had been restored. The religious liberty law firm noted that Fridays letter notifying Sister Dede that her license was now active until September doesnt resolve all of the issues raised in her lawsuit. The legal group expressed concern that the letter stated that her exemption could be rescinded at a later date if the director finds that it is in the best interest of public health. The letter informing Byrne that her medical license was restored came just a week before the order denying Byrnes religious exemption to the coronavirus vaccine was scheduled to become final. In an interview with The Epoch Times, Byrnes attorney Christopher Ferrara described the letter as unacceptable but said shell take it. Ferrara said litigation will continue because the letter was not a solution but instead a Band-Aid on a problem that has to be solved. So Sister Deirdre, the Mother Teresa of the District of Columbia, whos devoted herself to providing free medical care to the needy, including surgeries that can save their lives, is now living with the Sword of Damocles hanging over her head, wielded by defendant Nesbitt, he added. This is a woman who could have made a million dollars a year easily. Now, shes a nun in a habit. Byrne first burst onto the national stage with a speech at the 2020 Republican National Convention, where she described the unborn as the largest marginalized group in the world and argued that then-Democratic presidential nominee, Joe Biden, and his running mate, Kamala Harris, were the most anti-life presidential ticket ever. Byrne also delivered remarks at a conference hosted by the pro-life group Heartbeat International last spring. She condemned abortion as the greatest inhumanity. She urged people to pray for politicians who are wanting to make the abortion pill over the counter so people will be able to take it like bubble gum or Tylenol. She warned, their soul is in a mortal state. The District of Columbia has wound down most of its coronavirus restrictions and mandates, mirroring other major cities and states across the U.S. Last month, the nations capital eliminated its requirement that those seeking entry into most businesses provide proof of vaccination while dropping its mask mandate for both public and private school students two weeks later. Kanakuk Kamps expose takes closer look at past sexual abuse scandal A major Christian camp has come under scrutiny years after its most popular and charismatic director was sentenced to life in prison for sexually assaulting an untold number of campers over many years. In an expose published by The Dispatch, David and Nancy French detailed how Kanakuk Kamp in Branson, Missouri, handled reports of abuse committed by Pete Newman, a former camp counselor who rose in the ranks to become the camp's director and used his position to groom boys. Though trusted by many, even parents, Newman was a serial sexual abuser who groomed and abused boys at the camp, in their own homes, and even during an overseas trip to China. He pleaded guilty to seven counts of sexual abuse of boys in 2010 and is serving two life terms plus 30 years. Yet many of the details of this abuse and how the camp evaded accountability has been shrouded in secrecy through a combination of nondisclosure agreements from Newmans victims 57 of them according to a civil complaint, though the prosecutor on the case believes the actual number might be in the hundreds and lack of media scrutiny, according to The Dispatch. One of the victims who resisted pressure to sign a nondisclosure agreement spoke with The Dispatch on condition of anonymity about what he endured at the hands of Newman. In 1995, when Newman was first hired by the camp, he reportedly began engaging in predatory grooming and other inappropriate behavior in violation of camp rules. In addition to crossing boundaries outlined in camp policies, when Newman spoke to boys about sexual morality and lust, he also engaged in mutual masturbation. Unknown to parents, instead of teaching the children not to masturbate, he gave them lessons on how to do it. According to victims and Newmans own account, he masturbated them and taught them how to masturbate him. This sexual activity, he explained, wasnt biblically wrong, as long as the campers avoided lusting for women or looking at porn while he molested them, the Dispatch reported. Newman would also stay in the homes of campers' families when traveling as the ambassador to promote the camps programs during the offseason and abuse boys while there. In addition to masturbation, he performed and received oral sex, and on one occasion, a victim alleged that Newman sodomized him in a shower at the camp. Kanakuk Kamp managed to evade legal obligations regarding Newmans misdeeds when concerns were repeatedly raised, specifically about his habit of doing things around the camp while naked and encouraging boys to do the same, along with other infractions. When Newman finally confessed to his crimes in 2009, the camp allegedly delayed reporting to the authorities, which is required by state law. The camp instead started alerting families of victims of the abuse and offered to pay for counseling. Yet, according to several families who spoke with The Dispatch, the camp sent victims families a copious amount of Kanakuk gear, PlayStations, iPads, iPhones, and snack baskets. They also directly reached out to victims, offering hunting trips and weekends away at [the home of camp CEO Joe White]. The camp offered free camp tuition to various victims a policy still in place to this day in an effort, as one person described, to rediscover lost childhood. Kanakuk revamped camp policies following Newmans arrest, but the updated protocols were apparently not enough to keep another abuser out. The Saint Louis Post-Dispatch reported in 2013 that in 2011, 23-year-old Lee Bradbury [sic], abused three boy campers ages 9, 10 and 12 in a span of four weeks. He was subsequently found guilty of second-degree statutory sodomy, sexual misconduct, and two counts of child molestation. During the legal proceedings that followed Newmans firing, it emerged that White had reportedly been around another pedophile a pilot who flew him to various events who admitted to sodomizing his own daughter from age 5 onward. The National Center on Sexual Exploitation is not convinced that the camp has sufficiently implemented safeguards to protect children from becoming victims like past campers. When entire organizations foster, allow, and even encourage exploitation to occur, we cannot step back and say enough has been done when a lone perpetrator is caught and apprehended, said Dawn Hawkins, senior vice president and executive director of NCOSE in a statement. As we know, there wasnt just one bad actor at Kanakuk. Institutional abuse happens because multiple levels of leadership and the very structure of the organization itself becomes a haven for predators they are given access to their intended prey, and they are given positions of trust and leadership. The time is up for institutional abuse and exploitation to continue to be swept under the proverbial rug. Until the organizations, corporations, and institutions are held accountable for their hand in the sexual exploitation and trauma of countless men, women, and children, full justice will not be served. In response to The Dispatch report, Kanakuk Kamps issued a statement on its website apologizing for what took place 12 years ago and defended the protocols they have implemented since then. Weve said it before and will continue to say it again and again, we are forever sorry for the pain inflicted on victims and their families. Any act of abuse is absolutely deplorable and stands counter to Kanakuks beliefs. Although there were many measures in place to prevent such a tragedy that were consistent and compliant with then-current industry recommendations, this individual's deception of family, friends, Kanakuk, and our camp families was deep, the statement read. Our comprehensive Child Protection Plan was created as a result of this tragedy, and has been rigorously followed each summer since. It has more than 340 identifiable and measurable protective elements that make it more complete, inclusive and reliable than the background checks that are often relied upon in summer camp hiring practices. "Kanukuk continued that in what followed the events of 2009, no criminal charges were ever filed against any member of camp staff and that no one knew of any criminal activity was taking place. The Kanakuk name is not more important than the hearts and lives of individuals. Forgiveness and healing are not immediate things, and thus we will say it again, we are forever sorry. Mets star Pete Alonso 'blessed' to be alive following horrific car crash; wife says it's a 'miracle' New York Mets slugger Pete Alonso miraculously walked away from a horrific car crash this week with only a scratch. The two-time Home Run Derby champion was struck by a driver in Tampa, Florida, who ran a red light on Sunday while going to spring training. His vehicle flipped three times before coming to a stop on its side. The athlete says he is blessed to be alive. Yesterday, I got in a really kind of a brutal car accident. ... To me, this is just really special to be here, Alonso told reporters. This is a really special spring training because yesterday was a really close experience to death. Im thankful to be alive, Alonso continued. Im really thankful that Im healthy, very thankful to be here. Anything can happen at any given moment. Im just really, really blessed to be here. The two-time home derby champion said one moment he was on his way to spring training and the next thing he was kicking his windshield in trying to get out of his flipped-over car. [Im] just really blessed to be here. Thankful nothing is wrong. Also thank you, Ford, for having great engineering, the first baseman celebrated. Tampa police reported that the accident is under investigation and occurred around 6:30 p.m. Alonsos wife also posted on social media about the accident, which she witnessed firsthand. Haley Alonso followed her husband to spring training in her car behind his car. She posted a video of her husbands car flipped over along with other clips of scenes from the accident on Instagram. A distracted driver ran a red light going at an extremely fast rate and hit directly into Petes truck. I was in my car following behind him and saw the whole thing happen in front of me. Once the car struck the side of his truck, it flipped 3 times and slid, she recounted in the video description. Following the accident, which took place five minutes from the couples house in Tampa, she slammed on her breaks and ran up to her husbands truck preparing for the worst. I was terrified of what I was going to see. I couldnt see inside of the truck because the windshield was shattered. I screamed for him just hoping that hed be able to answer me, she continued. He said he was ok and was going to kick out the windshield to escape since he was trapped. He got himself out and to everyones shock, only had a single scratch on his arm. Its a miracle that hes safe after this horrifying of an accident. I thought I watched my husband die in front of me and I will never forget that feeling, she continued. This couldve easily unfolded much differently and thats what is so scary. Haley Alonso asked others not to drive distracted and to wear their seatbelts. Alonso was seen warming up at the Mets' spring training facility in Port St. Lucie and was given the green light to participate in a full workout with the Mets on Tuesday. The couple married on Nov. 12, 2021. While on their honeymoon last November, the Alonsos met Pope Francis in Vatican City. Christian millennials give 3 times more money to charity than non-religious counterparts: study A new survey reveals that Christian young adults are three times more likely than their non-Christian counterparts to give money to both religious and non-religious charities. A survey published by LifeWay Research Wednesday asked 905 young adults between the ages of 25 and 40 years old (millennials) about their money management habits. The respondents in the study, conducted in partnership with the Christian financial institution AdelFi, between Jan. 1822, included a subset of 495 Christians. In a statement announcing the survey's results, LifeWay Research CEO Scott McConnell explained that AdelFi was interested in understanding what differences exist in how younger Christians handle their money compared to non-Christians. Based on the results of the study, McConnell concluded that Christians are much more active in donating their finances and no less active in trying to do good with their spending. One would expect Christians to give more than non-Christians to churches and religious organizations, but they are also more likely to donate to 3 out of 4 other types of recipients, he added. While overall the financial generosity of Christian young adults is very noticeable, there remains a large group who dont practice their belief in the need to give to a local church. LifeWay Research indicated that the typical Christian young adult donates more than three times as much as non-Christians over a year ($1,820 vs. $556). Additionally, Christian young adults were more likely to give to a local church (37%) than their non-Christian peers (8%). While 28% of Christian young adults donate to religious organizations, 11% of non-Christians do the same. As McConnell indicated, the disparities in charitable giving rates between Christian and non-Christian young adults extended beyond churches and religious organizations. Nearly half (47%) of Christian young adults surveyed reported donating no money to individuals or families in need. In comparison, most non-Christian young adults (62%) told pollsters that they did not give any money to individuals or families in need. While majorities of both Christian and non-Christian young adults estimated giving $0 to GoFundMe campaigns, a higher share of non-Christian young adults (80%) declined to contribute to the crowdfunding platform than Christians (73%). The percentage of non-Christians who did not donate to non-religious charities or educational organizations (80%) exceeded the proportion of Christians (71%) who did not contribute to such groups. When measuring total donations overall, Christian young adults were more likely (45%) than non-Christian young adults (30%) to say they donated to any kind of charity, religious or non-religious. Participants in the survey also weighed in on how they spent their money. A majority (59%) of Christian young adults said they tried to purchase from companies that act in ways that honor Christ. Most Christians (56%) cited tithing to their local church as a biblical commandment that still applies today. The overwhelming majority of Christian young adults (69%) thought they had an obligation to be good stewards of their finances. McConnell was not surprised by this statistic: Most people want to be financially responsible, and most Christian young adults see this as a responsibility that comes with their faith. However, a smaller share of Christian young adults (48%) believe Christians have a responsibility to do business with companies that are owned or operated by Christians. Forty-four percent of Christians answered in the affirmative when asked if their religious faith influenced their financial decisions. Just 10% of Christians listed religious leaders as having an influence on their financial decisions. Reacting to the role their faith plays in the financial decisions of Christian young adults, McConnell said, Young adults are very conscious about trying to make a difference in society with their purchases, adding, Christian young adults are no exception. According to McConnell, Most of them approach spending decisions with a desire to honor Christ and to be good stewards of their finances all while seeking to do business with companies that help others. The study had a margin of error of +/- 3.5 percentage points and a 95% confidence interval. The results mirror the findings of previous surveys. A 2012 study from the Chronicle of Philanthropy found that the least religious states gave significantly less money to charity than the most religious states in the U.S. Similarly, Arthur Brooks of the American Enterprise Institute determined that church attendance was one of the most essential forces behind American charity in his book Who Really Cares. However, a 2015 study by the academic periodical Current Biology suggested that children raised in non-religious households were more likely than those raised in religious homes to practice charity. Scientist Tom Trinko pushed back on the findings of that analysis, contending that the study confuses non-religious with atheist and is therefore misleading. NRB passes resolution denouncing critical theory, labels it anti-Christian The National Religious Broadcasters Board of Directors has unanimously approved a resolution that denounces critical theory, claiming that it advances anti-Christian ideals. NRB, a trade association representing many conservative-leaning Christian media organizations, approved multiple resolutions on Tuesday during its annual convention. One resolution is titled Opposing Critical Theory and Anti-Christian Ideology. A copy of the resolution was emailed to The Christian Post. Critical theory places culpability for human suffering at the feet of anyone who thrives within, benefits from, or upholds an authority structure subjectively deemed corrupt by the secular culture, including God-given institutions such as the church, traditional family, and much more, the resolution states. Critical theory advances the erosion of shared history and values, the yielding of human agency to tyranny, the supremacy of mob rule, and the deterioration of family and community bonds, producing great human suffering and alienation from truth. The resolution further states that, as Christians, they embrace our citizenship in Gods kingdom and reject false promises of secular utopia. As Americans, we inherit founding principles (equality of mankind, God-given rights, and self-government) that point to worthy and Biblical ideals for an orderly society, and we endeavor to advance these cherished promises for all, the resolution continued. NRB urges Christian leaders to reject anti-Christian cultural systems that hold out salvation apart from Christ, oppose the influence of critical theory in education, academia, Christian ministry, and Bible teaching, and faithfully apply historic truths of Scripture to contemporary cultural issues. Encyclopedia Britannica defines critical theory as a Marxist-inspired movement in social and political philosophy originally associated with the work of the Frankfurt School. Drawing particularly on the thought of Karl Marx and Sigmund Freud, critical theorists maintain that a primary goal of philosophy is to understand and to help overcome the social structures through which people are dominated and oppressed, Britannicas website explains. Over the past couple of years, there has been increased attention and debate in the United States over critical race theory, a polarizing school of thought that contends that American society suffers from systemic racism. Tracing its origins to the 1970s, the theory first emerged in law schools as an effort to explain the apparent decline of gains made by the Civil Rights Movement during the 1960s. According to Richard Delgado and Jean Stefancics 2001 book, Critical Race Theory: An Introduction, CRT is comprised of activists and scholars interested in studying and transforming the relationship among race, racism, and power. The movement considers many of the same issues that conventional civil rights and ethnic studies discourses take up, but places them in a broader perspective that includes economics, history, context, group- and self-interest, and even feelings and the unconscious, wrote Delgado and Stefancic. Unlike traditional civil rights, which embraces incrementalism and step-by-step progress, critical race theory questions the very foundations of the liberal order, including equality theory, legal reasoning, Enlightenment rationalism, and neutral principles of constitutional law. CRT proponents have drawn inspiration from left-wing movements, including Marxism, feminism and postmodernism. However, they have also been known to critique such approaches as well. The CRT movement also has a history of supporting hate speech laws and college speech codes, which have often been struck down by the courts because they violate the First Amendment. While proponents have argued that CRT is necessary to better combat systemic racism and promote diversity, conservatives have argued that CRT wrongfully vilifies the U.S. and is in itself racially divisive. In 2020, the Council of Seminary Presidents of the Southern Baptist Convention released a statement condemning both racism and CRT as incompatible with the Baptist Faith & Message. The councils statement came the year after the Southern Baptist messengers approved a resolution at the denominations annual meeting in 2019, stating that Evangelical scholars who affirm the authority and sufficiency of Scripture have employed selective insights from critical race theory and intersectionality to understand multifaceted social dynamics. Other resolutions approved by NRB this week include one opposing de-platforming based on religious viewpoints, another urging member of Congress to protect the freedom of religious nonprofits, another opposing the Equality Act, and a resolution affirming the right to life, among others. Pro-life nun sues DC over vaccine mandate for healthcare workers A high-profile nun is suing the District of Columbia over its vaccine mandate for healthcare workers, saying the requirement would force her to violate sincerely held religious beliefs. Sister Dierdre Dede Byrne, a pro-life Catholic nun and practicing physician who works for a ministry providing free medical services to the poor, filed a lawsuit against the city, Mayor Muriel Bowser and D.C. Health Department Director LaQuandra Nesbitt for not granting a religious exemption from the citys COVID-19 vaccine mandate for healthcare workers. The conservative law firm Thomas More Society is representing Byrne in the litigation filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia Wednesday. All three COVID-19 vaccines approved in the United States have been tested, developed, or produced with cell lines derived from abortions, something to which Sister Dierdre has deep and sincere religious opposition, Thomas More Society Special Counsel Christopher Ferrara said in a statement. The complaint contends its not necessary for Byrne to receive the coronavirus vaccine because she has contracted coronavirus and developed natural immunity, as confirmed by T-cell testing. They believe that the Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993 and the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution protect Sister Dierdres fundamental right to the free exercise of her religion. Ferrara said the complaint seeks to prevent a senseless bar on the practice of medicine by a religious sister who has devoted her career in the District of Columbia to healing the sick who cannot afford quality medical care. Byrne first submitted a request for a religious exemption from the vaccine mandate nearly six months ago, shortly after the district rolled out the vaccination requirement for healthcare workers as an emergency rule. During that time, Byrne practiced medicine without vaccination and without objection from any hospitals or clinics where she served. The D.C. Department of Health rejected Byrnes request in an unsigned letter sent via email on Feb. 26, informing her that You must immediately fulfill the requirement to receive at least one (1) dose of a COVID-19 mRNA vaccine (i.e., Moderna or Pfizer) or the single dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine and upload that information to the D.C. Health Vaccine Portal. The letter, included as an exhibit in Byrnes complaint, stressed that failure to do so could prohibit you from renewing your license or result in disciplinary action including revocation or suspension of your license, registration or certificate. In a video, Ferrara said that those who need Byrnes medical services would be deprived of those services unless an injunction is granted. The lawyer maintained that judicial relief is urgent because that order denying her religious exemption request will become final on March 18. Byrne has spoken publicly about her opposition to abortion multiple times in the past year and a half. Speaking at the 2020 Republican National Convention, she described the unborn as the largest marginalized group in the world. She characterized the Democratic presidential ticket of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris as the most anti-life presidential ticket ever. Addressing a conference hosted by the pro-life group Heartbeat International last year, Byrne condemned abortion as the greatest inhumanity. She stressed the importance of praying for politicians who are wanting to make the abortion pill over the counter so people will be able to take it like bubble gum or Tylenol. According to Byrne, their soul is in a mortal state. The lawsuit comes after Washington, D.C. relaxed many of its coronavirus restrictions and mandates, including the requirement that those seeking entry into most businesses in the district provide proof of vaccination or a negative coronavirus test and the mask mandate for school students. A Feb. 14 document highlighting adjustments to the Mitigation Measures for COVID-19, including removing the vaccine mandate for entry into private businesses, indicated that the vaccine mandate for healthcare workers would remain in effect. D.C. and its top public officials are also facing a lawsuit filed on behalf of parents with children attending D.C. Catholic schools seeking nominal damages for the harms caused to their children by the citys school mask mandate that was lifted this week. There has been much litigation in the last year surrounding vaccine mandates nationwide. Many including healthcare workers and military service members have sued after being denied religious exemptions to vaccine mandates. There was much debate in Catholic circles over the morality of COVID-19 vaccines. As some military service members sued for exemptions to the Department of Defenses vaccine mandate, the Roman Catholic Archbishop for the Military Services Timothy P. Broglio said last year that members of the Armed Forces should be exempt if the vaccine goes against the sanctity of his or her conscience. The Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines were tested using an abortion-derived cell line. That type of a link has been for centuries considered remote material cooperation with evil and is never sinful, Broglio wrote. The Johnson & Johnson vaccine was developed, tested, and is produced, with abortion-derived cell lines. That vaccine is, therefore, more problematic. If it were the only vaccine available, it would be morally permissible. In December 2020, the Catholic Churchs Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith issued a statement saying it was morally acceptable for Catholics to take the COVID-19 vaccine. Texas megachurch Pastor Robert Jeffress of First Baptist Dallas argued last year that there is no credible religious argument against the vaccines. Christians who are troubled by the use of a fetal cell line for the testing of the vaccines would also have to abstain from the use of Tylenol, Pepto Bismol, Ibuprofen, and other products that used the same cell line if they are sincere in their objection, Jeffress said in an interview with The Associated Press. Hope for Ukraine in the midst of war As a Ukrainian American, I was raised in the Slavic community of upstate New York. I have many family members who are still in Ukraine. When Russia hit Ukraine, it hit all of us whether we still live in our home country or not. When Russia began its initial strikes on Ukraine, World Challenges friend and partner, Mykhailo Panochko, senior bishop of the Ukrainian Evangelical Church, sent out a message of encouragement to the community. Fear and panic might settle into our hearts, Bishop Panochko said, and its not easy to hear this, but this historic moment has been allowed by God. His ways are not our ways. We cannot change the situation in Ukraine, but we can change the situation in our hearts. What things do we need to keep peace? There are 2 things needed. First, trust in God that not a hair will fall from your head without Him knowing. Second, He has given us a weapon of warfare: the right to come to Him in prayer. Then we can have a different worldview on whats happening. We are believers. We have someone to put our hope in. We have someone to turn to. We fully believe that everything the future of the church is in Gods hands. Our refuge is in God. The most important thing is to trust in Him. Do not let fear dwell in your hearts. He added this verse, It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; He will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed (Deuteronomy 31:8, ESV). This faith and dependence on God are what has caused hundreds of Christians to sing songs of worship in Kyivs subways that are serving as impromptu bomb-shelters, switching between hymns and prayer sometimes for hours. Faith and dependence is what is upholding mothers as they cross with their children as refugees into other countries and are forced to leave their husbands and loved ones behind to fight. As we are hearing of the firsthand tragic accounts of what Ukrainians are facing, we can all feel hopeless. I would like to offer three things that you can do. First, Ukraine needs prayer. Please pray for unity in the Slavic church. Normally, the Slavic community is very unified between people from the Eastern Bloc nations, but now some churches in the United States are struggling with discord between Ukrainians and Russians. Theres a lot of pain and some misinformation. Please pray that there will be compassion between people. Secondly, if you have a local Ukrainian or Slavic church, reach out to them. All the families who belong to these churches have family in Ukraine. We are all connected one way or another and are in pain over this war. Finally, World Challenge is working with our partners on the ground in both Ukraine and Russia to offer encouragement, finances, and resources. We are working with our Slavic churches in America to support them and send aid as needed. Consider partnering with us. As the events in Ukraine continue to unfold, I hope you will join me in praying for peace and unity. As Christians, we have a great opportunity to show others how to exhibit compassion and faith. Indias Christians fear rise in violence by Hindu extremists as BJP wins 4 states Christians in India fear that persecution of their communities will intensify after the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party won elections in four states, which will be seen as an overwhelming endorsement of the partys anti-minority stance. As per the results announced this week for elections in five states, the BJP retained power in four states, including the most populous state of Uttar Pradesh, the northern state of Uttarakhand, the southwestern state of Goa and the northeastern state of Manipur. In northern Punjab state, the BJP lost the election. Uttar Pradesh state witnessed at least 102 incidents of violence against Christians in 2021, according to a report by the United Christian Forum. Days before the announcement of the results, Hindu nationalists had warned some Christians that the community in the state might face extermination, The Telegraph reported. A Hindu leader has already threatened us that they are waiting for the election results and after that they will exterminate Christians from Uttar Pradesh, a local Christian, Emmanuel Singh, from the states Jodhikapur village, was quoted as saying. Nandu Nathanael Singh, Singhs father and a Christian minister, was attacked recently. As he was reading a chapter from the Bible at a prayer meeting with 25 other Christians, he heard chants of Bring the traitor out. A mob of Hindu nationalists, accompanied by the police, had gathered outside his home, accusing them of forced conversions of Hindus. The mob also chanted, Free India of Christian priests. Within hours, Nathanael Singh and his wife, Savita, were arrested and falsely charged with unlawful conversion, criminal intimidation and intentionally insulting religion. They were released five months later. Ten states in India, including Uttar Pradesh, have passed anti-conversion laws, which presume that Christians force or give financial benefits to Hindus to convert them to Christianity. While some of these laws have been in place for decades in some states, no Christian has been convicted of forcibly converting anyone to Christianity. These laws, however, allow Hindu nationalist groups to make false charges against Christians and launch attacks on them under the pretext of the alleged forced conversion. The law states that no one is allowed to use the threat of divine displeasure, meaning Christians cannot talk about Heaven or Hell, as that would be seen as forcing someone to convert. And if snacks or meals are served to Hindus after an evangelistic meeting, that could be seen as an inducement. The return of the BJP to power means more trouble for us," Emmanuel Singh was quoted as saying, about Uttar Pradesh. "With the BJP in power, the attacks on Christians will increase in the next five years. We are worried because they hate our faith, our religion. The BJP government doesnt tolerate any other faith except Hindu. Open Doors USA, which monitors Christian persecution in over 60 countries, has also reported that persecution against Christians and other religious minorities has increased since the BJP took power at the federal level in 2014. For Indias Christians, 2021 was the most violent year in the countrys history, according to the report by the UCF, which recorded at least 486 violent incidents of Christian persecution in the year. The UCF attributed the high incidence of Christian persecution to impunity, due to which such mobs criminally threaten, physically assault people in prayer, before handing them over to the police on allegations of forcible conversions. Police registered formal complaints in only 34 of the 486 cases, according to the UCF. Often communal sloganeering is witnessed outside police stations, where the police stand as mute spectators, the UCF report states. Hindu extremists believe that all Indians should be Hindus and that the country should be rid of Christianity and Islam, an Open Doors fact sheet explains. They use extensive violence to achieve this goal, particularly targeting Christians from a Hindu background. Christians are accused of following a foreign faith and blamed for bad luck in their communities. Christians make up only 2.3% of Indias population and Hindus comprise about 80%. Mike Pence travels to Ukraine border, assures refugees that Americans are standing with them in prayer Former Vice President Mike Pence traveled to Ukraine with several Americans who are working to help thousands who are now displaced amid the country's war with Russia. Pence and his wife, former second lady Karen Pence, were at the Poland-Ukraine border Thursday where they met with leaders of the Christian charitable organization Samaritans Purse that is setting up a field hospital near the Ukrainian border to treat those who have suffered injuries. The Vice President elaborated on his trip in a Twitter thread, writing: @KarenPence and I visited the Ukraine border today with [Edward Graham] and @SamaritansPurse to meet with Ukrainian women and children seeking refuge from war. 2.4 million refugees have already flared Ukraine and nearly 400,000 have already come through the Korczowa border crossing. .@KarenPence and I visited the Ukraine border today with @EdwardG1911 and @SamaritansPurse to meet with Ukrainian women and children seeking refuge from war. 2.4 million refugees have already fled Ukraine and nearly 400,000 have already come through the Korczowa border crossing. pic.twitter.com/tFZcC4X7mA Mike Pence (@Mike_Pence) March 10, 2022 The impact of the Russian invasion on these families is heartbreaking and the need for support is great, added Pence, who encouraged his followers to pray and contribute to Samaritans Purse and other charitable organizations. Lets stand together as one with the people of Ukraine. In Poland, Pence delivered a message to the Ukrainian people, informing them that Americans are standing with them in prayer, Samaritans Purse added in an update posted on its website. He also expressed gratitude for the efforts of numerous volunteers: I appreciate that Samaritans Purse is always on the frontlines in help with Jesus name. Where there is suffering, you are there. The Rev. Franklin Graham, CEO of Samaritans Purse, thanked the former vice president and his wife for visiting with the volunteers and Ukrainians who were forced to flee their homes. In addition to thanking the Pences for visiting. He also shared a conversation he overheard between Pence and one evacuee. One Ukrainian told Vice President @Mike_Pence what an encouragement their visit was and the former Vice President responded, No, you are the ones who inspire and encourage us. He assured them of our continued prayers and support," Graham wrote on Twitter. I want to thank former Vice President @Mike_Pence and his wife @KarenPence for coming to Ukraine to visit our @SamaritansPurse team there and meet many refugees crossing the border into Poland. pic.twitter.com/TO5skJU8yl Franklin Graham (@Franklin_Graham) March 10, 2022 Graham reflected further on the Pences visit to Ukraine in a statement shared with The Christian Post: I want to thank Mr. and Mrs. Pence. Im grateful for their support of the Ukrainian people and that they took the time to encourage our staff who are serving on the ground. We need to continue to pray for Ukraine and pray for peace. The head of Samaritan's Purse also provided an update on the organization's plans to open a field hospital in Ukraine, which he discussed in an interview with CP earlier this week. We have been able to open our clinic at the train station in Lviv and plan to have the field hospital open this [weekend]. We are sending a 747 cargo planeload of supplies today. My son [Edward Graham] is also on the ground there w/ our team. Pences trip to Ukraine comes as his successor, Vice President Kamala Harris, has also traveled to Eastern Europe. In Warsaw, Poland, on Thursday, Harris announced that the U.S. government would provide $53 million in new humanitarian assistance to support innocent civilians affected by Russias unjustified invasion of Ukraine. The additional aid builds upon the $54 million the U.S. set aside two weeks ago to provide critically needed health supplies, food assistance, high thermal blankets, and other relief. Harris will travel to Bucharest, Romania, later this week. In a tweet posted Wednesday, she described her overseas trip as part of an effort to demonstrate unity with our NATO Allies and provide support to the people of Ukraine in response to [Russian President Vladimir] Putins invasion of Ukraine. I am en route to Warsaw, Poland and later this week to Bucharest, Romania. This trip comes at an important moment as the United States continues to demonstrate unity with our NATO Allies and provide support to the people of Ukraine in response to Putins invasion of Ukraine. Vice President Kamala Harris (@VP) March 9, 2022 The conflict between Russia and Ukraine has had consequences for Americans at home. President Joe Biden announced a ban on importing Russian oil Tuesday as gas prices have reached a record high, escalating since last year due to his administration's energy policies. While Pence praised the move to ban Russian oil from U.S. soil as a good first step, he encouraged the Biden administration to unleash American energy and answer this crisis with American strength. New World Health Organization guidance calls for abortion to be fully decriminalized The World Health Organization has released a 200-page document calling for the full decriminalization of abortion worldwide, which it describes as lifesaving care. The WHO published an updated Abortion care guideline Wednesday, replacing guidance from 2012. In a statement, Craig Lissner, WHOs acting director for sexual and reproductive health and research, asserted that [b]eing able to obtain safe abortion is a crucial part of health care. Nearly every death and injury that results from unsafe abortion is entirely preventable, he stated. Thats why we recommend women and girls can access abortion and family planning services when they need them. The new guidance condemns efforts by governments to restrict abortions. Dr. Bela Ganatra, the head of WHOs Prevention of Unsafe Abortion Unit, said that Abortion care needs to respect the decisions and needs of women and girls, ensuring that they are treated with dignity and without stigma or judgment. No one should be exposed to abuse or harms like being reported to the police or put in jail because they have sought or provided abortion care, she stated. The evidence is clear if you want to prevent unintended pregnancies and unsafe abortions, you need to provide women and girls with a comprehensive package of sexuality education, accurate family planning information and services, and access to quality abortion care. An entire chapter of the new guidance features recommendations for abortion regulation, which proclaims that Abortion should be fully decriminalized, calling for the removal of barriers that hinder access to and timely provision of quality abortion care. Examples of such barriers listed include gestational age limits, mandatory waiting periods, third-party authorization requirements and provider restrictions. "Treaty monitoring bodies have called for the decriminalization of abortion in all circumstances," three guideline document reads. While abortion is legal in the United States, many states have enacted laws that WHO would classify as barriers to abortion access. Several states have made efforts to ban abortion once a heartbeat can be detected. Most notably, Texas has a ban on abortions as early as six weeks gestation. Texas law has so far not been struck down by courts at the state and federal levels. Additionally, the U.S. Supreme Court is scheduled to rule whether Mississippis 15-week abortion ban violates the U.S. Constitution. A ruling in favor of the state of Mississippi, which is seeking to uphold the ban, would weaken the precedent set by Roe v. Wade, the 1973 Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion nationwide. The WHO guidance also recommends "using telemedicine approaches as an alternative to in-person interactions for provision of medical abortion." WHO relied on abortion advocacy groups when formulating its updated abortion guidance. The list of external experts and WHO staff involved in guideline development includes Laura Castleman of Planned Parenthood Michigan, Dhammika Perera of Marie Stopes International, Karthik Srinivasan of the International Planned Parenthood Federation and Christina Zampas of the Center for Reproductive Rights. Planned Parenthood is the largest abortion provider in the U.S., while Marie Stopes International is a pro-abortion advocacy group based in the United Kingdom. "As governments in countries such as the United States and Poland act to further restrict abortion access, the WHO guideline provides concrete, evidence-based proof that access to abortion is fundamental to ensuring health as well as a human right and should be more, not less, accessible," Center for Reproductive Rights President Nancy Northup said in a statement. WHOs advocacy against abortion restrictions reflect a push to make abortion an international human right. WHOs abortion care guidelines include a reference to the United Nations Global Strategy for Womens, Childrens and Adolescents Health, which includes evidence-based interventions for abortion and post-abortion care as one effective way to help individuals thrive and communities transform. Under the Trump administration, the U.S. signed the Geneva Consensus Declaration, which declared there is no international right to abortion. In addition to the U.S., 31 other countries signed the document. Shortly after taking office in January 2021, President Joe Biden issued a Memorandum on Protecting Womens Health at Home and Abroad, which indicated that his administration would withdraw co-sponsorship and signature from the Geneva Consensus Declaration. Last November, the U.S. State Department included a sub-section on reproductive rights in its annual human rights report, highlighting foreign countries laws and programs regarding abortion and contraception. Pro-life advocates called the inclusion of reproductive rights in the human rights report inappropriate. Last week, the World Health Organization faced criticism for sending out a tweet recognizing World Birth Defects Day. The Twitter thread listed Down syndrome as one of the most common severe birth defects, prompting backlash from pro-life activists and parents of children with Down syndrome. Today is World #BirthDefects Day! Most birth defects can be prevented and treated with access to quality maternal and newborn care. Yet, every year, they cause the deaths of close to 250,000 babies ???? within just 1 month of birth. ????https://t.co/gqvpXik1glpic.twitter.com/aJqzdiuucP World Health Organization (WHO) (@WHO) March 3, 2022 Rachel Campos Duffy, a Fox News contributor and the mother of nine children including a daughter with Down syndrome, took to Twitter to ask why the U.S. continues to support discredited, China-run #WHO. She insisted that Down Syndrome is NOT a birth defect. Its a chromosomal variation. Why do we financially support discredited, China-run #WHO. Down Syndrome is NOT a birth defect. Its a chromosomal variation. My baby w/ Downs is as human & valuable as any of my other kids. These comments lead to discrimination & abortion. Celebrate, dont eliminate differences https://t.co/eQuyhiP7z0pic.twitter.com/AAVOTw8DBM Rachel Campos-Duffy (@RCamposDuffy) March 6, 2022 My baby w/ Downs is as human & valuable as any of my other kids, she wrote. These comments lead to discrimination & abortion. Celebrate, dont eliminate differences. Kurt Kondrich, whose daughter Chloe has Down syndrome, shared her response to the WHOs characterization of Down syndrome on Twitter. Her reply read, I am Chloe Emmanuelle Kondrich and I am NOT a severe birth defect. In 2020 and 2021, contributions from the U.S. accounted for nearly one-quarter of all contributions to WHO, with net contributions over the two-year period amounting to more than $230 million. In response to the criticism, WHO edited a Facebook post that initially looked identical to the tweet announcing March 3 as World Birth Defects Day. The tweet, which remains unedited, still maintains that Most birth defects can be prevented and treated with access to quality maternal and newborn care and every year, they cause the deaths of close to 250,000 babies within just 1 month of birth. The revised Facebook post changes the word most to some. WHO has edited its original post which, in conflating two distinct messages, unintentionally implied that Down syndrome was preventable through antenatal and newborn care, the Facebook post reads. We sincerely apologize for any offence caused by our statement to people living with Down syndrome and their families. WHO commits to providing continued support for all those affected by Down syndrome, including appropriate healthcare, access to specialized services and respectful treatment. We appreciate your feedback on our post and will endeavour to ensure that our channels share information on Down syndrome moving forward, that respects the needs and desires of those affected. Authorities reported a pregnant 17-year-old teen was killed after being shot by a man who was "playing" with a pistol in Louisiana over the weekend. Chad Blackard, 23, was in a moving car behind Karrington Smith at 6 pm. On Saturday in Baton Rouge, he took a pistol out of its holster and hung it on the passenger seat, according to an affidavit from the East Baton Rouge Sheriff's Office. Man Brags About His Handgun and Accidentally Fires It Chad Blackard is accused of bragging about how the pistol excelled in one of the vehicle's occupants' guns. The affidavit added that he then attempted to adjust the revolver when it "went off," according to the Advocate. Authorities said Blackard pressed the trigger while readjusting the firearm. According to a sheriff's office spokeswoman, Casey Hicks, Blackard fired a single bullet from a semi-automatic handgun at Smith, hitting her in the back. The motorist pulled over to a nearby business and asked for help. Smith, who was 25 weeks pregnant at the time, was brought to the hospital, but she died along with her unborn child. Deputies were dispatched to the 6100 block of Siegen Lane in Baton Rouge after the incident, where Blackard said he was "playing with his pistol" when it accidentally fired, as per Fox News. Chad Blackard was allegedly fiddling with the pistol when it was fired, hitting the victim in the back. The accused continued to expel the magazine and gloat about how his pistol outperformed the gun possessed by one of the other occupants, according to homicide detectives. He hooked his revolver and holster on the rear right passenger seat, which he had pulled from his side. He also said that when his rifle went off, he was attempting to relocate it. According to authorities, the driver of the automobile pulled over into a neighboring parking lot to call for assistance. Blackard was arrested and charged with negligent homicide, third-degree feticide, and the unauthorized use of firearms in the East Baton Rouge Parish Prison. Read Also: China Might Sell its FC-31 Stealth Fighter to Saudi Arabia as the First Non-American 5th Gen Jet Louisiana Accidental Shootings Increased In consonance with the Gun Violence Archive, 114 individuals have been shot dead in Louisiana so far this year. Forty of the gunshots were inadvertent albeit the majority of them did not result in fatalities. A 3-year-old kid in Illinois accidentally shot and killed his mother while riding in a vehicle on Saturday, according to authorities. The incident occurred when the family was sitting in a supermarket parking lot in suburban Dolton when the child got his hands on a revolver. On the afternoon of Friday, February 25, two persons were killed and two more were injured in a drive-by shooting at the Mall of Louisiana. Donte Dorsey, 18, and Clifton Lindsey, 19, were slain in a "well planned" and "targeted" shooting on Bluebonnet Blvd, according to a spokesman for the Baton Rouge Police Department informed WAFB. The shooter allegedly approached their vehicle and fired before fleeing in a second vehicle. "Today, we have witnessed yet another tragic event of gun violence strike the center of our community with a shooting... These acts of violence will not be accepted," East Baton Rouge Parish Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome stated in a statement, Newsweek via MSN reported. Related Article: NYC Museum Attack: NYPD Reveals Chilling Video of Suspect Stabbing 2 Employees @YouTube @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Tavistock gender clinic 'not safe' for children, NHS report finds A London clinic known for recommending puberty blockers for children suffering from gender dysphoria and encouraging teenagers to undergo surgeries to remove their genitals or breasts was found to be operating outside of NHS safeguards following an investigation. The Tavistock clinic, run by the Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust, England's lone specialist clinic for children and youths who are confused about their gender, was found to be performing services that are "not safe or viable," such as prescribing opposite-sex hormones to children as young as 10, which can lead to early onset of osteoporosis and other ailments. In a report released this week, Dr. Hilary Cass, a retired pediatrician who was commissioned by NHS England to investigate services at the clinic, said services administered to children and young people had somehow escaped the NHS normal quality controls, The Times reported. Findings in the report validate whistleblowers who have warned that the clinic does not follow prescribed safeguards and clinical standards. The Tavistock clinic made headlines in 2018 after Dr. David Bell, a psychiatrist, released a detailed whistleblower report about the experimental procedures that were being performed on children. The report said clinicians were fast-tracking young adults into medicalized gender transitions without fully exploring the contributing factors that led to their psychological distress. From about 50 referrals in 2009, the number of referrals the clinic received increased to 2,500 in 2020, mostly from females who started suffering gender identity issues in their early teens, with a further 4,600 young people on the waiting list, according to the Times. Cass report said, Because the specialist service has evolved rapidly and organically in response to demand, the clinical approach and overall service design has not been subjected to some of the normal quality controls that are typically applied when new or innovative treatments are introduced. About a third of referrals to the Gender Identity Development Service (GIDS), a clinic within the Tavistock facility, have autism or other types of neurodiversity, and looked after children in local authority homes or foster care have an over-representation, the newspaper added. Cass also said in the report that GIDS has not consistently collected data about service users and their outcomes cannot justify the approach to treatment. Many senior staff at the clinic have left due to disagreements with the leadership over the best way to treat vulnerable young people with complex histories. Responding to the report, Kate Grimes, a retired hospital manager, was quoted as saying that she felt relief that finally the NHS is looking at this seriously. Relief for the patients currently being harmed. Relief for the staff who have felt unable to speak out. In December 2020, the high court ruled against the Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust, saying minors aged 16 and younger are not capable of giving informed consent to experimental practices such as puberty-suppressing drugs and cross-sex hormones in pursuit of changing their physical appearance to look more like the opposite sex. The court also held that the clinics record-keeping was substandard, and it hadn't adequately maintained data regarding how many patients were being treated who are autistic. Those findings mirrored the concerns Bell had previously raised in his 2018 review, which was first set in motion when 10 members of the GIDS staff spoke to him about their own alarm at what they saw happening. However, last September, the court of appeal overturned the judgment that children younger than age 16 were unlikely to be mature enough to give informed consent to be prescribed puberty-blocking drugs, according to The Guardian. In Bells 2018 review, one of the concerned staffers recounted how an 8-year-old child was referred to an endocrinologist for the experimental drugs. Another staffer reportedly told him: I could not go on like this I could not live with myself given the poor treatment the children were obtaining. Yet when he submitted the report, the Trust was not receptive. Instead, they were defensive. I believed I was doing the right thing, he said of his efforts to document the unscrupulous practices at the time. I never doubted that, and most of my colleagues in the adult department supported me, so when I went up to my floor at the Tavistock, I could be oblivious and get on with my work. The real betrayal wasnt of me personally, but of the Trusts duty to whistleblowers and to its wider mission. The institution, however, tried to squelch his voice, he said. They did this by telling media outlets that Bells claims were historical and that the clinic was following proper protocols, the Guardian reported. The tactics they used were sinister, he added. After he submitted his 2018 review, the clinic removed a book, for which he had written the introduction, from its library. The clinic also sent a GIDS staffer to spy on him when he spoke at a conference in Manchester about de-transition the process formerly trans-identified individuals go through to return to their birth sex. Bell was eventually told that he was not allowed to speak publicly or write about anything not connected to his employment within the NHS. Eoneren | Getty Images With only two episodes left, this weeks episode of Going Public features all four companies attempting to take their growth plans to the next level. Watch the ninth episode right now by clicking here. Click here to read the full article. Netflix has released the first trailer for its upcoming documentary series Our Great National Parks, which will feature narration from former U.S. President Barack Obama. Around the world, the more isolated the national park, the more unusual its creatures and the more extraordinary their behaviors, Obama says at the beginning of the trailer before explaining a bright green jungle mammal. This sloth has an entire microkingdom living in his fur. Obama also makes a physical appearance in the trailer. Our Great National Parks will release all five of its one-hour episodes on April 13. The series will explore national parks across the globe, including the waters of Monterey Bay, California, the terrain of Kenyas Tsavo National Park, the rainforests of Indonesias Gunung Leuser National Park and the far south landscape of Chilean Patagonia. Our Great National Parks emphasizes both the importance of preserving natural environments and the opportunity for scientific research that such untouched landscapes can provide to benefit mankind. The series comes from Wild Space in association with Obamas Higher Ground Productions label and Freeborne Media. Obama serves as executive producer for Higher Ground alongside James Honeyborne and Tonia Davis. Sophie Todd serves as series producer. Higher Ground has continued to produce content for Netflix since the companys inception in 2018. Last year, Higher Ground produced two feature narrative films in Kevin Harts comedy Fatherhood and the 9/11-survivor legal drama Worth. Our Great National Parks marks the companys first foray into live-action documentary series. Watch the full trailer for the docuseries below: Sign up for Varietys Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. If you want to live by the beach and next door to "Yellowstone" star Kevin Costner, be prepared to pay up. An oceanfront horse ranch adjacent to the movie star's property in Carpinteria, CA, has landed on the market for $109 million. Sean Matthews with Compass and Eric Haskell with The Agency are co-listing the property. Known as Rancho Carinoso, the serene, 4.2-acre spread boasts an oceanfront horse ranch with its own private beach. It also offers bragging rightsliving near the acclaimed actor. Pricey property Just 33 listings are available in Carpinteria, with a median list price of $1.2 million. Oceanfront properties like this one are a rare occurrence on the market, according to Matthews. "This incredibly special slice of coastline is unlike any other beachfront estate on the market today," he says. The ranch ranks as runner-up for most expensive home in this coveted coastal townright behind a $160 million compound. So why the nine-digit price tag? The estate has incredible sentimental value to my client, as he and his family have enjoyed the home for generations," Matthews says. As one of the last large beach estates on the Southern California coast, he adds, it is the kind of property you run across only once in a blue moon. The seller, Arthur Cameron III, is the grandson of a Texas oil tycoon, Arthur Cameron, and the actress Kay Aldridge. In a statement, the owner, who also owns a 377-acre ranch 40 minutes outside Santa Barbara, describes the listing as "an unparalleled place to grow up and live within. Celeb central Costner purchased his nearby 10-acre property in 2006 for $28.5 million. In 2017, he placed the home on the market for $60 million. After a price reduction to $49 million, it came off the market the following year. Located just south of Santa Barbara, the seaside community neighbors the town of Montecito. Both places are a favorite of celebrities, including Ellen DeGeneres, George Lucas, Ashton Kutcher, and Mila Kunis. Growth factor While the waterfront equestrian estate is an idyllic spot, the home on the ranch is surprisingly small. The 2,500-square-foot modern design from 2014 offers three bedrooms, 3.5 bathrooms, and a detached 1,000-square-foot garage. A buyer has options to add to or expand the two existing structures with multiple building sites on the property. And the land isn't limited to homes. The property is zoned for nine horse stables and offers a state-of-the-art drip irrigation system allowing for turnkey landscaping, says Matthews. There are other features to attract a buyer. Boaters can enjoy docking a yacht conveniently in front of the homesite just off the private beach. Since the property is located on a surf break, activities such as swimming, boating, fishing, or lobster diving are all available. Owners can keep a hangar of water toys, such as small boats and kayaks, on the beach portion of the property, the listing notes. The acreage also comes with private nature hiking trails, fruit trees, and ATV access on the grounds. The picturesque, private horse trail leads directly to the beach, where horse riding is allowed at all times of day or night. That's not something permitted on the public beach, which limits equine activity to certain hours. This is a rare, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to own a piece of California's iconic coastline and make it your own, Matthews says. The post Oceanfront Home Next Door to Kevin Costner Surfaces for $109M appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com. COLLINSVILLE Ameren Illinois is alerting its customers that financial assistance is available for income-qualified families and individuals who need help paying their energy bills. LIHEAP Funding Approximately $295 million is available through the state-administered Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) in the form of direct grants to individual customers. Customers whose incomes are at or below 200% of the Federal Poverty Level or 60% of the state's median income are now eligible for assistance. Eligibility is based on an applicant's past 30 days of household income. Required documentation includes, but is not limited to: proof of income and social security numbers for all household members. Customers can enroll through May 31. Information on LIHEAP eligibility guidelines and application information is available at HelpIllinoisFamilies.com. In the aftermath of the downing of Malaysia Airlines aircraft MH17, Australia and the Netherlands have filed legal action against Russia. When a Russian-made Buk missile attacked the Boeing 777 over Ukraine in 2014, all 298 people were murdered, including 38 Australians. Australia and the Netherlands have accused Russia of being behind the assault and have filed a lawsuit with the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). Australia, Netherlands Start Legal Action Against Russia Since the event, the two nations have been pursuing an apology and compensation for the victims' families. Russia denied involvement, ended discussions with Australia and the Netherlands in 2020, and consistently turned down efforts from the two countries to resume talks. The combined action is being taken under Article 84 of the Convention on International Civil Aviation in response to the Dutch prosecution of four suspects in the Malaysian plane downing. If proven guilty of providing the missile system used by Russian rebels in the Donetsk area that attacked the Kuala Lumpur-bound airliner, the four men may face life in jail. Sergei Dubinsky, Oleg Pulatov, and Igor Girkin, three Russians, and Leonid Kharchenko, a Ukrainian, have been accused; but they refused to appear in a Dutch court, according to Sky News. Read Also: Volodymyr Zelensky Reiterates Urgency of No-Fly Zone Implementation in Ukraine or Russian Attacks May Fall in NATO Lands Russia Is Allegedly Responsible for MH17 Crash Since 2018, both nations have claimed that Russia was to blame for the incident. The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) is in charge of developing standards for aviation safety, security, efficiency, and regularity, as well as environmental preservation. The organization also has the authority to censure or impose penalties on states deemed to be in breach of international rules, therefore requiring compensation for the victims' relatives. The legal action pursued by the two nations is distinct from the murder trial that is now taking place in the Netherlands, in which four suspects are being tried for their criminal culpability. The move against Moscow, according to the Dutch government, is unrelated to current events in Ukraine. On July 17, 2014, MH17 was traveling from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur when it was attacked by a Russian-made surface-to-air missile while flying over a rebel-held zone in eastern Ukraine, according to international investigators. While the Netherlands has held Russia accountable for the event since 2014, when an international inquiry determined that Moscow was responsible for the deployment of the missile system deployed, Moscow has continuously denied responsibility. Meanwhile, the outcome of three Russians and one Ukrainian murder trial is due later this year. Prosecutors in the Netherlands have asked life sentences for the four suspects who are being prosecuted in their absence for irresponsibly employing a missile and bringing down a passenger plane, Independent reported. Wopke Hoekstra, the Dutch foreign minister, stated that the Dutch government will continue to do all possible to hold Russia accountable. Wopke Hoekstra, the Dutch foreign minister, stated that the Dutch government will continue to do all possible to hold Russia accountable. In a statement, the Australian government said that Russia's unprovoked and unjustified invasion of Ukraine, as well as the escalation of its aggression, highlight the importance of continuing to hold Russia accountable for its flagrant violations of international law and the UN Charter, including threats to Ukraine's sovereignty and airspace. Four Russian-backed rebels from the self-proclaimed Donetsk Persons' Republic are on trial in a criminal court in Amsterdam for the murder of 298 people. The defendants - three Russians and a Ukrainian - are not in court, as per Al Jazeera via MSN. Related Article: Russia Strikes Ukraine Military Site Near Poland Border Leaving 35 Dead as Moscow Widens Attacks @YouTube @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. This is the heartbreaking scene in which a group of tearful Russian soldiers apologized for murdering "civilians and children" in Ukraine. During an emotional news conference on Sunday, the captive pilots denounced Vladimir Putin's "treacherous invasion." The seven army reconnaissance personnel were shot down from Ukrainian airspace last week, according to reports. Russian Soldiers Urged Russia To Stop the Violence in Ukraine They were given the chance to talk with journalists from the Interfax Ukraine News Agency to apologize for their country's conduct. The 34-year-old Russian from Roschinsky then pleaded with Putin to "stop sending military" to murder in Ukraine. He implored his country to lay down its arms, flanked on all sides by his colleagues and with a microphone in front of him. In intercepted conversations with their families last week, disheartened Russian soldiers pleaded to return home, claiming they were being "massacred" in Ukraine. As kind-hearted Ukrainians assisted him in calling his mother, one scared trooper came down in tears. Another described himself and his friends as "cannon fodder," adding that he would "do everything" to get home. As the awful fight in Ukraine continues to become bloodier, a whole city was wiped out yesterday. Russian soldiers have also been accused of shooting women and children, as well as murdering seven people attempting to flee a town near Kyiv. Separatists supported by Russia claimed to have taken control of Volnovakha, an important city the size of Truro in Cornwall. Most inhabitants in Volnovakha had evacuated, according to Pavlo Kyrylenko, the governor of the Donetsk region, but there was nothing remained of the city, The Sun reported. A 34-year-old Russian pleaded with President Putin to halt sending troops to Ukraine. He said, "To the generalship of our military units I would like to say one thing - that they've acted cowardly, that they acted traitorously to us." The video was released just days after a Russian soldier kidnapped in Ukraine alleged that Vladimir Putin employs "death squads" who shoot deserters who refuse to fight in the bloody conflict. The scared 22-year-old said that a team has been trained to pick off any troops escaping the invasion back home and that many had surrendered as a result. As he unveiled the next approach in the terrible fight, he cautioned anybody considering deserting the troops that they 'won't make it.' The unnamed individual also said that Russian soldiers had their phones taken away from them so they couldn't see international news coverage of the conflict. His remarks came after a slew of other Ukrainian POWs detailed the heinous chores they were forced to suffer throughout the conflict. One alleged commander said he was ordered to shoot people while serving in a battalion tasked with capturing Kharkiv in three days, according to Daily Mail. Read Also: Saudi Arabia Carries Out Death Sentence of 81 People in a Day for Charges That Includes Having Deviant Beliefs Ukrainians Confront Russian Soldiers Meanwhile, a video of Ukrainian civilians in the seized southeastern city of Melitopol singing in the streets and confronting Russian soldiers has gone viral. It comes after Ivan Fedorov, the city's mayor, was abducted last week when Russian troops took control of the city. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has repeatedly requested the mayor's release and enlisted the help of foreign leaders. The protest video has gone popular on Twitter, where it has been seen over 600,000 times. In the footage, locals can be heard yelling obscenities at Russian soldiers and demanding them to leave the city. A Russian soldier with a rifle can be seen shoving a demonstrator away, only to be pushed back by another protester. Although it is unclear when the tape was taken, Melitopol residents have routinely resisted Russian soldiers since the city was captured, as per Newsweek via MSN. Related Article: Russia Attacks Ukrainian Port City as It Advances Towards Kyiv; Issues Stern Warning to US @YouTube @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. A recent study reveals that while hydroxychloroquine, an anti-malaria medicine, may not be able to cure COVID-19, it may be able to treat cancer. In 2020, then-US President Donald Trump pushed hydroxychloroquine into the spotlight as a potential COVID-19 cure, calling it a "gift from God." Although medical trials ultimately ruled the medicine ineffective in the battle against COVID-19, scientists believe it has cancer-fighting potential. The researchers at the University of Pittsburgh discovered that hydroxychloroquine rendered drug-resistant tumors more susceptible to chemotherapy. COVID-19 Pill Can Also Fight Cancer The medication hydroxychloroquine "disrupted" a protein associated with cisplatin resistance. Overexpression of the protein TMEM16A, as it is known, is seen in roughly 30% of head and neck malignancies and has been associated with a reduced chance of survival. Following promising findings in tests on chicken eggs and mice, a study of the low-cost tablet on human cancer patients is being planned. People with head and neck malignancies frequently have inferior results owing to medication resistance, according to study author Umamaheswar Duvvuri, a surgeon specialized in head and neck cancers. Because lysosomes eject cisplatin, making the treatment less effective, this mechanism can work against chemo medicines in tumors. Because hydroxychloroquine has been shown to block lysosomes, researchers sought to see if it may assist overcome resistance. They began by injecting human cancer cells through the membrane that surrounds chicken embryos. 'Tumor cell death' was higher in eggs treated with a combination of hydroxychloroquine and cisplatin than in eggs treated with cisplatin alone. In a research on mice with tumors produced from cisplatin-resistant cancer cells, the findings were confirmed. The findings, which were published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, showed that hydroxychloroquine may have worked in people, according to Dr. Duvvuri, Daily Mail reported. Scientists are now preparing to conduct a clinical trial combining hydroxychloroquine with cisplatin to see if it may also cure head and neck cancer in humans. A protein called TMEM16A, according to the study, removes cisplatin from lysosomes, which are cellular compartments. This can arise in around 30% of cases of head and neck cancer. And when this procedure is linked to a lesser chance of survival. The research was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences publication (PNAS). However, this isn't the first research to show that some malaria medications might be useful in the fight against cancer. In mice, researchers discovered that a medication called atovaquone increased oxygen levels in tumor cells. This meant that radiation might be used to treat a variety of cancers, including lung, intestinal, brain, head, and neck cancers. The researchers are currently working on phase II clinical trial that will use a combination of hydroxychloroquine and cisplatin to treat patients with head and neck cancer, as per Express. Read Also: Barack Obama Reveals His 1 Major Symptom After Positive COVID-19 Test Donald Trump, Jair Bolsonaro Promote Using Hydroxychloroquine Trump and Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro are both proponents of it. At one point, then-US President Donald Trump was a strong supporter of hydroxychloroquine. It arrived at a time when scientists were hunting for viable COVID-19 remedies and there were no vaccinations available. However, several studies promoting hydroxychloroquine as a possible COVID-19 treatment were shown to have serious data quality problems. Experts and health officials warned consumers against using the medicine in an attempt to avoid COVID-19. Following bigger and more thorough trials, released later in 2020, it was shown that hydroxychloroquine did not aid COVID-19 patients. There's also no evidence that it works as a preventative. However, as a COVID-19 treatment, the medicine continues to have supporters, and some vaccination skeptic critics have said that they are using it as late as January of this year. Related Article: Successfully Ordering Erectile Dysfunction Medicine Online With Discretion @YouTube @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Ultimate Fighting Championship welterweight Kevin Holland was apparently at the right place at the right time Monday night during a dinner in Houston. Holland and three others, including friend and mixed martial artist Patrick Robinson, were dining a RA Sushi in the 3900 block of Westheimer Road around 11:30 p.m. to kick off a night of revelry in the Bayou City when a man sitting at the restaurant's bar pulled a gun and fired a shot into the air, according to Houston police. There were about 40 to 50 people in the restaurant at the time, police estimated, most of whom ducked and ran for coverexcept for Holland, Robinson and another man who charged at the gunman, disarmed him and tackled him to the ground. No one was injured in the gunfire, although a woman who was with Holland scraped her hand while running for cover to the kitchen. Police eventually responded and put the gunman in handcuffs. On Tuesday, HPD identified the man as 24-year-old Jesus Edrai Cardiel Samaniego. He faces charges of deadly conduct and unlawfully carrying a weapon. OnScene.TV "We pretty much knew it was a gunshot, because we had just came from the shooting range the other week," Robinson said Monday night. "We were like, 'that's a gun.' We quickly hopped on it, got to the shooter and got him down. He had a backpack on him. We got the backpack away from him, because we didn't know what was in the backpack." Holland declined to speak to media Monday night and was not immediately available for an interview Tuesday. His involvement was confirmed through a UFC spokesperson. The 29-year-old Holland, who trains in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, has fought in the UFC for the past four years, going 9-4, including being featured twice in the main event. Holland last fought on March 5, knocking out Alex Oliveira at UFC 272. While he's been relatively quiet about the encounter, he gave a nod to the incident on Twitter while promoting his merchandise that says "I'm ok." In the tweet, he tagged the Houston Police Department's official Twitter account. Houston police Sgt. Ricardo Salas said the men's quick thinking could have saved lives. In an interview the night of the shooting, Salas did not know why the man pulled the gun and fired in the first place. "If it wasn't for the quick thinking of a Good Samaritan taking that gun away, who would have known what could have happened?" Salas said. "Multiple people could have been injured out here. We're very thankful that the citizen helped us out, knew there was something going on and took quick action to stop anyone from getting injured." OnScene.TV Robinson, who also trains in DFW, said they continued the night even after the violent ordeal. "It's time to turn up," Robinson said. "You know Houston." It turns out this wasn't Holland's first stab at vigilantism. In October, he helped chase down a person accused of stealing a car in Las Vegas, according to Milan Ordonez of Bloody Elbow. Chron reporter Matt Young contributed to this report. Kin Man Hui, San Antonio Express-News / Staff photographer Someone tried to slander the San Antonio River Walk on TikTok and locals aren't having it. Adam Spencer (@adamspencer434) posted a video using the famous Kardashian sound discussing the "land of your people" and "this is Glendale" while in the Alamo City. On TikTok, many people have been using the Kardashian sound to devalue a city or situation. For example, Shantel Hutton (@shantelhutton) used the sound to describe the struggle from being a student-athlete to a normal student in her senior year at Texas A&M. We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Go to form Meghan Markle's father has lambasted his daughter and "her ginger husband," Prince Harry, on his new YouTube channel. Thomas Markle declared that he would gladly testify against Meghan Markle in a court lawsuit brought by her half-sister Samantha. Meghan is being sued for defamation over comments she made during her explosive interview with Oprah Winfrey last year. Thomas Markle Believes Meghan Markle Lied Samantha's attorneys allege she fabricated a "rags to royalty" story about herself, spreading misinformation to promote the illusion that she had triumphed over a terrible family situation. Thomas, 77, has subsequently indicated that he believes Meghan lied as well and that he would be "thrilled" to confront her in court. Samantha filed a lawsuit in Tampa, Florida, requesting $75,000 from Meghan. She said that the princess told Oprah she grew up in "virtual poverty" even though her father spent thousands of dollars for her to attend dancing and acting courses as well as exclusive private schools. Meghan Markle's tuition and living costs were reportedly paid for by Thomas when she was a student at Northwestern University in the United States, according to Samantha. She also rebuked the prince for claiming that Meghan Markle was an only child despite the reality that she and her half-sister had the same father. Samantha also refuted statements made during Meghan and Harry's tell-all talk, as well as those presented in the "Megxit" memoir Finding Freedom. Michael Kump, Meghan's lawyer, termed the complaint "absurd." Last Monday, Thomas and Karl, the first photographers to track him down and shoot him, started their YouTube channel, which will broadcast their weekly thoughts on current events, including the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, according to Bol News. Read Also: Americans Keep Unhealthy Lifestyle Caused by The COVID-19 Pandemic. Here is How To Kick Bad Habits Meghan Markle's Half-Sister Denies Losing Custody of Her 3 Children She also accused Meghan of defaming their father to provide a false picture of her life in Finding Freedom, and she claimed she published and distributed false and harmful claims. Meghan repented to the Court of Appeal in November after emails were revealed that contradicted her assertion that she did not collaborate with the writers of Finding Freedom. She gave facts about Samantha and her brother Thomas Jr for the book. Thomas Markle made his recent remarks while hosting the inaugural episode of his own Youtube channel alongside friend and celebrity photographer Karl Larsen. The duchess's lawyer Michael Kump earlier branded Miss Markle's defamation case as baseless and ludicrous. Thomas Markle's royal daughter and son-in-law are supposed to be featured on the channel, which is claimed to be a weekly topical analysis of current events. Mr Markle discusses the future litigation and whose side he's on in the first episode, which aired earlier today, as per Daily Mail. Meanwhile, one of Meghan Markle's sister's Twitter accounts has been removed and replaced with a notification citing rule breaches. Samantha Markle formerly used the Twitter handle @TheMarkleSammy; however, the account was suspended on March 14 due to a suspension notice. Meghan informed a palace staffer that her half-sister had lost custody of her three children, who were characterized as being from three separate dads, according to court documents. Samantha never lost custody of any of her children. Meghan is attempting to smear Samantha's character and reputation by implying that a mother must have done something heinous to lose custody of her children, Newsweek via MSN reported. Related Article: Queen Elizabeth Pulls Out of Commonwealth Service; Is This Another Health Trouble-Related Cancelation? @YouTube @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Heddle workers, from left, Jay Rojik, Ian Isaacs and Tony Armenti work on the lake bed inside the dry dock during the maintenance of the Chi-Cheemaun ship at Heddle Shipyard on Monday. Florida, US (34429) Today Cloudy with a few showers. Thunder possible. High 89F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 30%.. Tonight Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low 66F. Winds light and variable. China donates 3.1 mln surgical facemasks for unified forces in South Sudan Xinhua) 08:36, March 15, 2022 JUBA, March 14 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese government on Monday handed over 3.1 million medical surgical masks to South Sudan to help protect soldiers assembled in various training and cantonment sites against COVID-19. Stephen Wiw Bichiok, Head of the National Transitional Committee Secretariat said that the medical surgical facemasks will be distributed across training centers, cantonment centers, and barracks where the unified forces are camped. "The pandemic is not yet over. We still have to be cautious if we want to live in the end, we are grateful to China. China recently donated rice to the ministry of foreign affairs which was distributed to soldiers in training and cantonment sites," said Bichiok during the handover ceremony in the South Sudan capital, Juba. Under the 2018 revitalized peace agreement, the Revitalized Transitional Government of National Unity (R-TGoNU) is supposed to graduate 83,000 unified forces to take charge of security during the ongoing transitional period that ends in April 2023. Charles Tai Gituai, chairperson of the Revitalized Joint Evaluation Monitoring Mechanism (R-JMEC), the body that monitors the peace deal, hailed the Chinese government for supporting the peace process in South Sudan. "I know that the government of China right from the beginning of 2014 has been very generous in support of IGAD and the parties throughout their negotiations," said Gituai. "There are quite a lot of donations they have continued to donate and particularly at the time that we began the issue of cantonment of forces, China was the main supporter of this. The Chinese supported the South Sudan peace process. I know they have been able to support with tents, blankets, mosquito nets, and also with tons of rice," he disclosed. Gituai disclosed that the Chinese government has also supported the construction of boreholes in both training and cantonment sites. He called on the international community to support South Sudan in regard to the implementation of the critical security arrangements under chapter two of the peace agreement, adding that this is very critical for peace and security. Hua Ning, Chinese Ambassador to South Sudan, said the medical-surgical masks will protect the health of the soldiers and enable them to better perform their duty of safeguarding the people. "Over the years China has been a staunch supporter, participant, and contributor to the peace process in South Sudan. China took the lead in providing in-kind assistance for the construction of the unified forces, and donated office equipment to various ministries of the Revitalized Transitional Government of National Unity," said Hua. Hua noted that they are working in coordination with the Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration Commission (DDRC) of South Sudan and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to support the training of disarmed and demobilized ex-combatants. "It is our firm belief that without development, there will be no lasting peace. While supporting the peace process and providing humanitarian aid, China actively supports the development of health, education, and infrastructure in South Sudan in an attempt to benefit more ordinary people with the peace progress," he added. (Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Liang Jun) Russian President Vladimir Putin's remarks were on the money how he telegraphed his moves, and Joe Biden got played well.He added that everything worked like a charm, and the White House obliged, and now everyone is in a ringer. Everything that happened until now could have been averted but was unavoidable with Washington in charge. Putin Plays Biden According to Newsmax, Sen. Graham, R-S said that dictators should be paid more attention when they say something. On Monday, he spoke as a guest in the Rob Schmitt Tonight, remarked Putin has stated multiple times and in a speech last year, saying he needs to recreate the Soviet Union. He called Ukraine is a bogus nation and also that he intended to obliterate Ukraine. Adding that a buffer is not wanted against NATO, the senator believes him. On the issue of the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaking to Congress to establish a no-fly zone that would place the US in the crosshair of the Kremlin. It could be used if Russia nukes Ukraine and chemical weapons are deployed in the war. Graham said that the Ukrainians are beating the Russians and giving the fighter jets they need. MiGs to assist the Ukrainians in air combat, including more anti-aircraft protection systems to help change the course on the ground. He added diplomacy wouldn't work, and even thinking that the Kremlin will deescalate with the southern part of Ukraine is nothing but foolish to think. Kremlin Hurting Biden Sen. Lindsay Graham remarked the US president was not good enough, and he misread Putin. The US might not be so lucky. Read Also: Joe Biden Net Worth 2022: How Wealthy Is the 46th President of the United States? One of the ex-KGB leader's goals is to remake the might of the old Soviet Union; this includes Moldova, Georgia, Ukraine as part of a bloc and regains influence. He grimly said that if Ukraine is to be halved by to stop the war, it would not be enough, and in six months to a year, the country would be his. Putin annexed Crimea, and now it's the whole nation. It won't end, adding that the Russian leader's actions spoke for themselves and the past. While the Biden administration is apprehensive that an increase in the number of jets supplied to Ukraine might push Putin to strike NATO airbases, Putin is simply outmaneuvering President Joe Biden. While the Biden administration fears the escalation of providing jets to Ukraine would prompt Putin to attack NATO airbases, Graham said Putin is merely outmaneuvering President Joe Biden, noted Foreign Policy. According to the US senator, it is a bluff that the Kremlin will unleash doomsday; no one wins, but it was like a charm on Biden who tucked tail. He also advocated taking out the Kremlin leader, which many called too reckless. Many believe Putin is harder to unseat. But the senator remarked is that letting put get away with reclaiming Ukraine is the biggest crime in the 21st century. He said allowing Russia to get what it wants will warrant China, Iran to be more aggressive. But it's a fact that Biden is weak and has been relatively useless, while Putin ignores him. It made the US look weak, and now all the countries against it are coming out. Sen. Graham had expressed sentiments that the White House had appeared weak, unlike when Donald Trump said what he'd do. Related Article: Joe Biden Vetoes Plans To Send Polish Jets to Ukraine Fearing Putin's Wrath of Nuclear Threats @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Canada landed 35,000 immigrants in January 2022 New IRCC data shows Canada is off to a strong start to the year. Kareem El-Assal Aa Accessibility Font Style Serif Sans Font Size A A Canada landed 35,260 new permanent residents in January 2022, according to new IRCC data. Obtained by CIC News in an information request to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), the data shows Canada has gotten off to a strong start as it seeks to welcome over 400,000 new immigrants for the second consecutive year. Discover if You Are Eligible for Canadian Immigration Under its new Immigration Levels Plan 2022-2024, unveiled last month, Canada is targeting nearly 432,000 new immigrant landings this year, which would be the highest level in history. Last year Canada landed over 405,000 immigrants, primarily by transitioning those living in the country to permanent residence. It marked a record-breaking year for Canada, and was the first time since 1913 the country landed over 400,000 immigrants. In January, 65 per cent of new permanent resident landings came under the economic class, which is higher than the 56 per cent targeted under the levels plan. Twenty per cent landed under the family class, which is lower than the 24 per cent levels plan target. The refugee and humanitarian class accounted for the remaining 15 per cent of landings, which is lower than the 20 per cent levels plan goal for this year. The Canadian Experience Class (CEC) remained the leading program for new economic class landings, accounting for almost 7,700 immigrants. IRCC relied heavily on the CEC last year to achieve its immigration levels goal, as the CEC accounted for about one-third of new admissions. The Temporary Resident to Permanent Resident (TR2PR) Program, which was available to international graduates and essential workers between May and November 2021, was the second leading economic class admissions program, with over 7,000 immigrants landing in January. The Provincial Nominee Program came in third among the economic class, with 4,200 immigrants landing, followed by the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP), with nearly 2,600 landings. Recent IRCC data shows the department is processing FSWP applications at a higher rate. This is notable because the FSWP was Canadas leading economic class immigration program between its founding in 1967 and the start of the pandemic. Last year, IRCC slowed down FSWP processing so it could transition as many international students, temporary foreign workers, and other temporary residents to permanent residence in fulfillment of its 2021 levels plan target. The rationale for this policy was that it would be much more difficult for IRCC to achieve its levels plan goal if it sought to admit large numbers of FSWP and other immigrants overseas amid the operational difficulties caused by the pandemic. Discover if You Are Eligible for Canadian Immigration However IRCC appears to be shifting course by processing more FSWP applications in recent months. It processed over 9,000 people under the FSWP between the middle of December and the end of February, which is much higher than the average of 600 people it was processing under the FSWP for much of 2021. This is one sign IRCC is beginning to normalize its operations which entails striking a balance between processing immigration applications submitted inside of Canada and abroad. Another reason the January 2022 immigrant admissions figures are notable is they likely represent a low point in the monthly landings Canada should expect this year. Prior to the pandemic, Canada would typically see lower immigrant landings in Q1 and Q4 of each year, due to the colder weather and winter holiday season. Landings would rise by around 40 per cent in the warmer spring and summer months of Q2 and Q4. Given that IRCC is processing more applicants abroad, we should expect to see higher immigration landings in Q2 and Q3 of this year, however the extent of the growth may not be as high as 40 per cent given IRCC still has many in-Canada permanent residence applications to process, such as under the TR2PR program. Unlike last year, where there were significant COVID-19 operational challenges such as Canadas travel restrictions and difficulties around the world, there is less doubt Canada will be able to achieve its immigration levels goal in 2022. IRCC has proven it can process even higher numbers of permanent residence applications than it did prior to the pandemic. In addition, IRCC is investing heavily in modernizing its application processing systems, and Canada has lifted most of its travel restrictions. Discover if You Are Eligible for Canadian Immigration CIC News All Rights Reserved. Visit CanadaVisa.com to discover your Canadian immigration options. Synthetic data defined Synthetic data is artificially generated information that can be used in place of real historic data to train AI models when actual data sets are lacking in quality, volume, or variety. Synthetic data can also be a vital tool for enterprise AI efforts when available data doesnt meet business needs or could create privacy issues if used to train machine learning models, test software, or the like. According to Gartner analyst Svetlana Sicular, by 2024, 60% of the data used for the development of AI and analytics solutions will be synthetically generated, up from 1% in 2021. Synthetic data use cases Artificial data has many uses in enterprise AI strategies. As a stand-in for real data, synthetic data can be helpful in the following scenarios: For training models when real-world data is lacking: AI and ML systems require massive amounts of data. For some use cases, there just isnt enough data available, either because the use case happens very infrequently, or the use case is new and there isnt much historical data available yet. Synthetic data can also lower costs when collecting or buying real-world data is prohibitively expensive. To fill gaps in training data: Some data sets dont fully reflect a companys use cases. For example, a system trained to recognize phone numbers may not have enough international numbers to work with. Another common problem is to balance out a data set. For example, a historic data set might be composed of 99% non-fraudulent transactions and less than 1% fraudulent ones, says John Blankenbaker, principal data scientist at SSA & Co., a global management consulting firm. Many models will decide that the most successful policy will be to label every transaction as non-fraudulent. Synthetic data can help balance the data set, but it has to be done very carefully. It will only be useful if the synthesis process captures whatever it is about a transaction that indicates fraud, Blankenbaker says. Which is unlikely to be obvious because then wed use that as our fraud detector. Long tail use cases: As AI becomes ubiquitous in organizations, companies are running out of use cases where the required training data is plentiful and easily available. Once those projects show success, business leaders will want the same approaches used for their own use cases. To speed up model development: Collecting real-world training data may require time, as the information is gathered, labeled, processed, and goes through compliance and other checks. This can slow down the development of new AI models. With synthetic data, models can be trained and calibrated before real-world data becomes available. To simulate the future: When fashions change, historic data might become obsolete overnight. For example, when people switched from wired headphones to wireless, all that historic customer data lost its predictive value. Recommendation engines relying on old training data might still be recommending wired options. Replacing or augmenting the historic data with synthetic data that accounts for the fashion change can help keep recommendation engines relevant. To simulate alternate futures: If a change is coming, and its unclear which direction customers will go, simulated data can help companies run scenario simulations and be prepared for either option. To simulate black swan events: Certain situations come up very rarely and might not be present in historic data at all but if they would have a dramatic impact on an organization if they did happen, then its necessary to be prepared. Using synthetic data to simulate those situations can help a company model those responses. To simulate the metaverse: The metaverse virtual, 3D simulations of gaming, social, and business environments will require a massive amount of content. Rooms, buildings, landscapes, and so on will need to be created, and hiring 3D artists to create all this content from scratch will be prohibitively expensive. Synthetic data can fill in some of the gaps to create realistic, appropriate settings and objects for virtual environments, events, and interactions. To generate marketing imagery: Advertisers are already creating synthetic images to showcase their products. For example, a photograph of a model wearing a sweater in one color can be turned into realistic photos of the same model wearing all the different versions of the same sweater. Image generation tools are also available that can even generate realistic yet unique faces or show off furniture in different arrangements. For software testing: Using real data to test new software can create privacy and security problems. Synthetic data that looks like real data but isnt allows software to be tested across the full gamut of use cases without putting real data at risk. If we want to see how our infrastructure handles a large number of user accounts, it is easy to write a program that connects to our website and signs up synthetic users, SSAs Blankenbaker says. To create digital twins: In court cases, attorneys sometimes create a shadow jury to test arguments. Organizations can do something similar by using synthetic data. For example, in 2019, Norways Labour and Welfare Administration created a synthetic version of its entire population. The data is regenerated daily, says Gartners Sicular, and is used by a number of outside organizations. In place of medical and financial data: Using real customer or patient data for training AI models, running simulations, or finding useful treatments or correlations can be very risky from a compliance standpoint. Even scrubbed or anonymized data can often be reverse engineered to get the original data back, says Andy Thurai, vice president and principal analyst at Constellation Research. Synthetic data cant be de-anonymized but can still be used to find valuable insights. For sales and marketing: When a sales team calls on a customer to demonstrate a product or service that ingests data, it can be useful to use samples that are as close to the customers own use case as possible. Using data from another customer would be a privacy violation. Synthetic data can enable the sales team to put the product through its paces in a use case similar to that of the customer, without divulging sensitive information. A startup that is trying to build a healthcare application can build their entire framework using synthetic PHI [protected health information] data to create an end-to-end framework for prospective demo to clients instead of having to wonder and wait to make the right connections to use actual PHI data, says Priya Iragavarapu, vice president in the center of data excellence at AArete, a global management consultancy. To test AI systems for bias: When AI systems discriminate based on race, religion, or other illegal considerations it can create a compliance liability or a public relations disaster or both. With black box AI systems and new AI technologies like neural networks, it can be hard to figure out why an AI makes the recommendation that it does. Testing the AI systems against synthetic data sets that are designed to mimic real-world demographics can help uncover these hidden biases. Synthetic data generation Sometimes, generating synthetic data can be very simple. A list of names, for example, can be generated by combining a randomly chosen first name from a list of first names and a last name from a list of last names. Zip codes can be randomly picked from a list of Zip codes. That might be enough for some applications. For other purposes, however, the list may need to be balanced so that, say, synthetic spending data correlates to the usual spending patterns in those Zip codes. Most data sets are still produced manually with SQL for data extraction and anonymization and are then cleansed using standard programmatic languages, says Steven Karan, vice president and head of insights and data at Capgemini Canada. A commercial off-the-shelf solution has not hit the market yet, he says. While there are a small handful of startups that provide synthetic data solutions, none of them have reached any level of critical adoption. Instead, most data scientists leverage pre-built packages to generate synthetic data sets, he says. Generating synthetic data sets that are statistically meaningful and reflect real data in ways relevant to use cases can be a challenge. Most recently, AI and machine learning algorithms have been used to create synthetic data that is more useful and representative. For example, data scientists have just begun using generative adversarial networks (GANs), says AAretes Iragavarapu. Its a type of neural work that has made a huge leap in making synthetic data generation a reality, she says. The way a GAN works is that one system generates data say, an image of a cat and a second system tries to guess whether the image is real or fake. By pitting the two systems in a race against each other, the generated images quickly become indistinguishable from reality. A number of tools are currently available to organizations interested in generating their own synthetic data, most of which are open source. Following are some of the more popular tools for creating synthetic data: GPT-J: Open-source alternative to OpenAIs GPT-3 text generation tool Synthea: Open-source tool popular in the medical field scikit-learn: Used to generate synthetic data sets for use in regression, clustering, and classification with the aim of producing data sets that can enable predictions, according to Capgeminis Karan symPy: Used by data scientists who need more custom synthetic data sets for more specific needs, as it enables the creation and development of custom symbolic expressions pydbgen: Used to generate common data sets, such as phone numbers or email addresses synthpop: An R package used to generate synthetic demographic data faker: A Python package that can generate synthetic data such as names, addresses, emails, Social Security numbers, and other data SDV: A Python tool for generating tables, relational databases, and time-series models Synthetic data best practices Companies just starting to experiment with synthetic data should start with well-structured examples, Gartners Sicular suggests. These use cases can be the easiest to deploy and offer the most initial value. For example, a database of names and Social Security numbers can be easily replaced by a synthetic equivalent that offers business benefits without creating compliance liabilities. Constellations Thurai recommends against using synthetic data for both model creation and testing. That will lead to false positives, he says. And dont go cheap and use all synthetic data. You will need a good amount of real-world data to mix in the blend as well. Another mistake would be to use synthetic data to figure out whether things are causally related, says AAretes Iragavarapu, or to generate synthetic outliers unless there is specific logic by which they are generated. And we must always quote explicitly where we use synthetic data versus actual data to remain transparent to our customers, he adds. Synthetic data companies A variety of companies are stepping in to create synthetic data for use in your models, including the following: Lawrence Anderson didnt initially want a career in computers, despite an early passion for tech. He performed well in computer science classes, was a Commodore 64 enthusiast, learned COBOL. But as he entered college in the late 1980s, Anderson saw limited job prospects. At that time, he says, it seemed like youd be a computer operator running transactions or a programmer. And there was nothing beyond that. Looking back, Anderson blames the professions bad marketing for creating his narrow perception of IT work. But he also blames his views on the realities of the era. As he points out, enterprise IT was just at its nascent stages. Indeed, the CIO role only came into existence in the mid-1980s. So Anderson decided to study politics at college instead, earning a bachelors degree in the discipline from The Catholic University of America in 1991. But the rise of the Internet and the emergence of IT as a business enabler lured Anderson into tech. The job had changed, he says. Lawrence Anderson, CIO, Office of the Secretary, US Department of Commerce US Department of Commerce And so, after working briefly in two non-tech positions (where he still wound up doing some database administration and code creation), Anderson officially moved into IT. Hes been moving up the ranks ever since. Now deputy CIO for shared services at the US Department of Commerce and CIO for the Office of the Secretary, Anderson reports to the departments global CIO and says he wants to eventually move into the senior-most IT position, ultimately at a Fortune 500 company, seeing that as a way to have a larger impact. Anderson has sought out roles throughout his career that he believes have readied him for that top-tier IT executive position. And hes added a masters degree in information systems management and a doctorate of management in information systems and technology, noting that a combination of technical expertise, management capabilities, and a grounding in business are critical for the work today. He says his background in politics helps, too. I feel like everything Ive done so far has prepared me to be that 21st century CIO, he says, adding that an effective CIO [today] has to be the tech person but also a data person and strategic. The CIO has to align with the business and mature the organization to be ultra-competitive to hold off the disruptors that are coming their way. The CIO has to influence and be an evangelist for change. Thats what Im looking to be. And I do think the CIO role as it is today is now a stepping stone to COO or CEO. Building business value Anderson is representative in many ways of the IT leaders who are now moving into the highest ranks. They have retained that love of technology that the first wave of CIOs brought to their jobs, but up-and-coming CIOs differ from prior IT executives in several ways. To start, they typically have more business acumen and experience than their earliest predecessors. Theyre also more diverse. And their impending ascent to the top IT positions and, from there, to other C-suite roles promises to bring changes to the top of the org chart considering that CIOs today are mostly white (82% according to figures from career website Zippia) with Blacks making up only 3% of the US CIO population. Dane Bamburry, senior director of enterprise architecture at Cox Enterprises, has followed a path to the top of IT similar to Andersons. Dane Bamburry, senior director of enterprise architecture, Cox Enterprises Cox Enterprises Like many senior technologists, he, too, discovered both a knack and passion for computers while in school. He had a Vtech Laser 128 (an early Apple-like computer) and spent time studying what made electronics from his VCR to his Walkman tick. I was always fascinated by how they worked and how they made things faster, easier, different, he says, echoing a sentiment frequently expressed by IT pros. Bamburry studied at the University of Notre Dame, where he earned a bachelors of business administration in information systems management. Its business and tech but also how tech works with and supports business. Thats where I sunk my teeth into technology, says Bamburry, who later earned an MBA. Bamburry worked at a tech startup after college, where he put that business-focused tech training to work and gained real-world experience, noting that the cool thing about working at a startup is you get to learn everything and you have to do everything with tech. He also liked being part of innovation at work. I understood the business side, so I was solving problems not for the sake of technology but from the business angle, he says. As he became a team manager at the startup and then at other companies, Bamburry also realized that he liked to lead, deciding then to aim for CIO, seeing the position as one that brings together leadership, technology, business, and innovation. Its that ability to impact change at the highest level of the organization that has him targeting the C-suite, he says. Its all about enabling the rest of the organization to be successful, Bamburry says, pointing out, for example, that he and his colleagues are now exploring the strategic value of blockchain and the metaverse at Cox. The technology still fascinates me, but the key is how do you take that fascination and apply it to the business and enable the business. As he advances his career, Bamburry says he has been focused on building skills, such as exerting executive influence and communicating business value, as well as working with mentors and mentoring others. Bringing a fresh perspective to the table Shawana Gaines, another rising IT leader, is taking similar steps as she moves ahead. Gaines, who is now head of regional and site services at HP, shares with many of her colleagues an early love of tech as well as how technology enables other activities. Shawana Gaines, head of regional and site services, HP HP That time was really the foundation of the computer era, and I wanted to be behind it, she says of her early years. I thought, This is me, I can do something really big here. Gaines, who has a bachelors in computer science and business management as well as an executive MBA, has been building her IT career for the past two decades. She notes that she gets a sense of fulfilment by bringing something to the table and helping the company advance. Thats a big part of whats driving her forward, as she sees a C-suite role whether its the CIO, chief experience officer, or another post as one that will let her leverage her expertise in customer and employee experience, technology, and business to deliver value. I do see myself at that seat, whatever the title may be, she explains. And Im driven to it because Ive watched extraordinary leaders and the seeds theyre planting at HP, and I know I can pay it forward and expand on what theyre doing. Gaines early passion for technology and a long-term curiosity about how things work mirror the traits of many early-generation IT executives. But Gaines and others in this current cohort of rising IT execs are often even more passionate about using technology to create new opportunities for their organizations. As such, they say they see their experience and skills leading them not only toward the CIO role but other C-suite positions as well. Vincent Shorter, vice president of IT at Conagra Brands, actually started college as a computer science major but moved to the business program. I was thinking about how do I get a job, he says. He earned a BS in business administration from California State University at Dominguez Hills as an ROTC student before entering the Army on active duty. Vincent Shorter, vice president of IT, Conagra Brands Conagra Brands Shorter started his IT career as a soldier. He was ordered to create an electronic system to track 1.4 million personnel records that had previously been managed manually. He realized then, he says, that he loved the idea of technology solving business problems. Shorter chose IT as his specialization while in the Army, which he served for nearly 11 years before leaving in 2006 as a lieutenant colonel and chief information technology officer. He also saw, as he moved up in rank, that he enjoyed leading teams toward a common mission. Shorter says those realizations helped him focus his civilian career, as he has continued to advance up the corporate ladder and build his academic credentials, adding an MBA as well as certificates to his resume. What I sought out is having a role that brings business and IT together, he explains. That has given me the opportunity to do something I really enjoy learning about new technology but it has also given me a purposeful dynamic: How do I help whatever organization Im serving and make it better; how do I contribute by leveraging technology. Shorter and the others also bringing more diversity to the senior ranks of the IT profession, which continues to have an underrepresentation of Blacks. Research from Zippia, for example, found that only 4.6% of all computer programmers are Black/African-American. In contrast, figures from the US Census Bureau show that 14.2% of the total population identify as Black or African-American. These senior leaders say they recognize that as they move up to the C-suite they are creating more diversity at the top and increasing representation at the highest levels of their organizations. And, they say, theyre bringing with them a desire to accelerate further diversity within the profession as they seek to bring other transformative ideas to their roles. Indeed, theres a consensus that the two go hand in hand. Ive always thought diversity, including diversity of thought, generates lots of solutions and solves more problems, Bamburry says. And if you look at it from that perspective, youre going to be driven to hire a diverse team. So I feel an obligation to hire a diverse team because Im also going to get a better ROI. It yields business value. You must be logged in to react. Click any reaction to login. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Wilkes Barre, PA (18701) Today Overcast with rain showers at times. High 67F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 60%.. Tonight Cloudy skies this evening will become partly cloudy after midnight. Low near 50F. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph. Raspunsul la criza refugiatilor: Apel de propuneri, lansat de MAD-Aid in parteneriat cu Camera de Comert Britanica din Moldova Russian President Vladimir Putin passed a law on Monday that ordered the country's airlines to re-register leased planes worth roughly $10 billion to support domestic flights amid Western sanctions. The leader's decision is his latest attempt to bypass the sanctions implemented by international leaders for Russia's unprovoked war against Ukraine. Putin signed the bill, which will attempt to "ensure the uninterrupted functioning of activities in the field of civil aviation." Aircraft Seizure Western sanctions that have been handed out to Russia after Putin's order to invade Ukraine gave plane leasing firms until Mar. 28 to repossess aircraft from the country. Currently, Russian airlines have roughly 780 leased jets, around 515 of them were leased from other countries. The majority of foreign-leased jets that are operating in Russia are registered in Bermuda and Ireland. The aviation authorities connected with those regions previously said that they would be suspending certificates of airworthiness for those planes amid the sanctions. Certificates of airworthiness issued by the civil aviation authorities in the country where planes are registered are required for the aircraft to be allowed to fly. One source said that Putin's order to re-register foreign-owned planes in Russia was one way he could get around the suspension and international sanctions, as per the New York Post. The Federal Aviation Administration in the United States previously released a statement that said it was suspending "operations of all aircraft owned, certified, operated, registered, chartered, leased, or controlled by, for, or for the benefit of, a person who is a citizen of Russia." Read Also: Joe Biden, US 'Watching Very Closely' China's Potential Russia Aid; Investor Warns About World War 3 In response, Russian authorities said they have banned aircraft from at least 36 countries, including those from the European Union, from entering their airspace. Despite Putin's desperate attempt, some experts said it would have little effect amid the sanctions. According to Fox News, they noted that the consequences of Russia's invasion of Ukraine resulted in the ban of support or the supply of spare parts necessary for planes as well as their maintenance. With how frequently modern jets require high levels of maintenance, passengers' and crew members' lives could be put in jeopardy. Western Sanctions Furthermore, sanctions from the United States and the European Union have effectively cut off Moscow from the world's two largest plane manufacturers, Chicago-based Boeing and Netherlands-based Airbus. Lessors have been in a continuing battle with Russia since Moscow's invasion of Ukraine that started on Feb. 24. The EU forced aircraft leasing companies to cancel their contracts with Russian airlines by Mar. 28, prompting owners to retrieve their aircraft by the deadline. The sanctions cutting off Russia from Airbus and Boeing means the two companies will not be able to provide support to planes in Moscow in the form of maintenance, spare parts, or updates. The ban could result in Russia turning to much riskier alternatives, such as buying uncertified supplies from China or "cannibalizing" parts from other planes on the ground, including lessor jets. Ishka, an aviation consultancy agency, said that all of the aircraft stranded in Russia was worth roughly $10 billion. An analyst with Agency Partners, Nick Cunningham, said that the lessors may end up having to take a writeoff, Business Insider reported. Related Article: Russian Soldiers Admit Vladimir Putin's Ukraine Invasion Is "Terrible Mistake" After Hearing Their Air Force Bombs Public Places @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. The Gambling Commission has named Allwyn as the preferred applicant for the fourth National Lottery Licence, beating Camelot, which has held the title for 28 years. Camelot has faced criticism in recent years for the drop in funds going to good causes. Allwyn has pledged to donate 38bn to good causes over the next decade, while Camelot has raised 45bn since 1994. Camelot has been named the reserve applicant, meaning that if the Gambling Commission cannot finalise the licence with Allwyn it will turn to Camelot. Allwyn is set to take over in early 2024 and will hold the role for a fixed ten-year term. Following today's announcement there is a ten-day legal standstill, before any legal agreements are entered into. Camelot CEO Nigel Railton said: Im incredibly disappointed by todays announcement, but we still have a critical job to do as our current licence runs until February 2024. Were now carefully reviewing the Gambling Commissions evaluation before deciding on our next steps. The applications for the fourth National Lottery Licence were the highest since it started being awarded 28 years ago, the Gambling Commission said. Other applicants included Sisal Spa, Camelot and The New Lottery Company Ltd. Barnardos was involved in the rival bid to run the National Lottery with Sisal Spa, an Italian lottery company. The childrens charity had hoped to deepen the understanding of the UK charity sector in the lottery process. Andrew Rhodes, Gambling Commission chief executive officer, said: In its lifetime, the National Lottery has raised more than 45bn for good causes and is rightly seen as a great national asset. Our priority was to run a competition that would attract a strong field of candidates. Having received the most applications since 1994, it is clear that we've achieved just that. I am confident that the success of the competition will lead to a highly successful fourth licence one that maximises returns to good causes, promotes innovation, delivers against our statutory duties, and which ultimately protects the unique status of the National Lottery. Breathing 'fresh life' into the lottery Allwyn already runs national lotteries in Czech Republic, Greece, Cyprus, Italy, and Austria. In a statement Allwyn said: The appointment of Allwyn will breathe fresh life into The National Lottery. In Allwyn, the Gambling Commission has selected a strong team with an impressive track record of improving lotteries. Allwyns UK chair, Justin King, added: Im delighted that Allwyns proposal has been deemed the strongest to grow good causes in the safest and most sustainable way possible. The Gambling Commission has run a lengthy and detailed process, and Ive been extremely impressed by the attention they have paid to the challenges facing The National Lottery over the coming decades. The National Lottery is a vital British institution and were focused on ensuring it plays an even bigger part in society by increasing participation, improving safeguards, and giving back more to good causes. The impact of the Russia-Ukraine war On Allwyns appointment, the Gambling Commission said: Recognising our role as a responsible regulator we are also satisfied that no application is impacted by sanctions related to the conflict in Ukraine. However, the Labour Party has raised concerns about alleged links to Russia's energy company. Alex Davies-Jones, Labours shadow minister for tech, gambling and the digital economy, said: At a time when the Putin regime is committing atrocities against the Ukrainian people, given the reported links between Allwyn and Gazprom, the government must set out that they are satisfied this company does not have links to the Russian regime. This is a big change for a valued British institution which has stepped in to invest in our communities and social fabric through a decade of government neglect. Allwyn is owned by KKCG, and investment group owned by Czech billionaire Karel Komarek. Earlier this month Komarek addressed a public letter to the people of the United Kingdom after media speculation about links to Russian energy company Gazprom. Having long been alive to the realities of the Russian regime, and the unfavourableness of its attitudes towards legitimate enterprise, I have been investing heavily into Ukraine. I took the decision many years ago to divest and exit from Russian assets with the exception of a shareholding in a gas terminal which we have been trying to exit for a number of years and a 50/50 joint-venture with Gazprom on an underground gas storage facility in the Czech Republic, he said. This was at the request of the Czech Government, to ensure an important Czech energy asset was not subject to full Russian control, Komarek said. He also that through his charity he has been helping Ukrainians. Through the Komarek Family Foundation and our partner on the ground in Lviv, we are supporting efforts to prepare for the arrival of large numbers of refugees by ensuring these people have a safe and warm place to sleep and food to eat, he said. sign up to receive the Civil Society News daily bulletin here . For more news, interviews, opinion and analysis about charities and the voluntary sector, In October, I joined the Mississippi River Ag & Water Desk, a collaborative reporting project based at the University of Missouri and focused on the Mississippi River Basin. The desk, which formally launches this summer, brings together ten partner newsrooms in an effort to produce environmental coverage for communities throughout the river basina vital service at a time of accelerating climate impacts and an increasingly polarized political environment. By design, the desk should bolster local reporting capacity, employ more journalists, beef up coverage of agriculture and the environment, create training opportunities for students, and produce a range of stories that are geographically linked. We plan to give all of that coverage away for free publicationto help small-town newspapers to examine important but undercovered issues, and outlets in larger markets to fill gaps in coverage. As a journalist with roots in the rural Midwest and a decade of experience reporting in Louisiana, I know theres a thirst for ambitious, contextualized coverage across the basin. Other journalists have told me the same. I have to go to the softball game, the village board meeting, the Apple Festival, Charley Preusser, who, with his partner, runs the Crawford County Independenta weekly newspaper in rural southwestern Wisconsin with sixteen hundred subscriberstold me. There is no way that Im going to have the time to do these kinds of stories. Preusser says hes eager to pick up the stories well offer; as the person in charge of distributing our stories, Im eager to give them to him. But theres a problem. Over the past decade, Ive worked on collaborations with local and national outletsamong them ProPublica, The Center for Investigative Reporting, the Investigative Reporting Workshop, American Public Media, Country Roads magazine, The Lens, and the Times-Picayune/New Orleans Advocate. I helped create a collaborative reporting position between Wisconsin Public Radio and the Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism (WCIJ), and was part of the launch of NPRs Gulf States News Hub. Many of those collaborations held similar story-sharing ambitions to the Ag & Water Desk. And yet, in all that time, perhaps the hardest part of each collaboration has been giving stories away. Participating outlets use different platforms, so each storys elementsthe copy, photos, audio, and videohave to be in formats that are widely usable. Distributing those materials to outlets is another huge headache for many editors, who often wind up using a messy assortment of Google folders and file transfer programslike Dropbox, Box, File Transfer Protocol, or WeTransferto make each storys parts available and easily identifiable, and finally sending out notifications when the material is ready. The process canand frequently doestake an outsize amount of staff time to organize and orchestrate. WCIJ, based at the University of WisconsinMadison, uses a familiar combination of Google Drive and an email blast to reach subscribers across the state. Right now our checklist for releasing a single story has over forty steps, Dee Hall, WCIJs editor, says. By Halls estimate, each story takes between two and three hours to package and distributea wonky system, but one that checks all the boxes Hall says are necessary. It had to host all of the elements. It had to be easy to use. And we have to be able to track who takes it. Tracking story pickup is a critical part of WCIJs funding model; like many nonprofit news outlets, its budget is heavily dependent on grants, and funders want to know how many times its stories are published. The greater the number of stories, however, the more time news outlets must spend shuffling elements back and forth. As WCIJ plans to ramp up statehouse coverage and produce more content in the coming year, Hall told me, the outlet is eagerly looking for a more elegant system. The Colorado News Collaborative (COLab), which distributes coverage to about 160 outlets, used a similarly involved system until 2020, when it adopted a new tool called StoryShare. The AP tool is a password-protected file-sharing website that hosts text, audio, video, and graphicssimilar to the familiar AP Exchange but designed specifically for collaborations. We had been hearing from a lot of organizations that there was a willingness to collaboratebut collaborations are enormously difficult to maintain, Noreen Gillespie, the APs deputy managing editor for US news, says. Sign up for CJR 's daily email The StoryShare system hosts channels where teams can upload and download story elements. AP staff provide technical and a certain level of legal support, including basic copyright protection. The uniform format makes it easier for news outlets to download the content and publish it on their own websites. Editors can also send email alerts directly from StoryShare to all of the subscribers to let them know when stories are available. Laura Frank, COLabs executive director, says the outlet shared more than a thousand stories in 2021, and StoryShare has been a huge improvement from the email-andGoogle Drive system used previously. Even so, there are stumbling blocks. StoryShare lacks a collaborative editing interface; COLab still does that in Google Docs. Individual outlets must still download the material and build their own Web stories. And it costs money. A few years ago, Dave Gehring, a former Google employee who cofounded the Distributed Media Lab, created a tool that solved for the story-building problem, allowing news outlets to directly embed content on their websites. The tool essentially enables an editor to curate a story collection that then auto-populates on sites where it has been embedded; it also tracks story-pickup rates, a helpful feature for news outlets looking to bolster grant applications. CalMatters, which has offered its content for free republication for years, began using the DML tool after previously using an arrangement closer to that of WCIJ. Still, not every news outlet is prepared to use such a tool. Outlets that have had success with it have digital staff who are able to set it up and curate it. But Preusser, our small-town newspaper editor in Wisconsin, doesnt even post most of his stories online; they are primarily printed. He needs raw elements, not a fancy widget. So whats a collaborative news editor to do? Im left wondering how, in an age of collaborative journalism in the US, the process itself remains so frustrating. How much staff time will we continue to squander emailing each other Google folders and reformatting Word docs or uploading audio files to different FTP servers? Does that time honor our broader mission to serve the public and get stories that matter in front of audiences quickly? Where are the Silicon Valley developers when we need them? Has Big Tech not attempted to solve this problem because collaborative journalism doesnt seem profitable? The perfect tool would allow for editing, sharing, and publishing all on one platform. We would want to be able to collaborate in real time, Frank told me. We would want it to handle all platformstext, audio, video, interactive graphics, photos; wed want it to be able to track who is uploading and downloading content. But that tool doesnt exist yet. So, for now, the Ag & Water Desk is fundraising for $10,000 to pay for a StoryShare account to use for two years. My assistant director, yet to be hired, will have to spend hours a week uploading and curating stories there, but at least theyll be easy to share and downloadso long as we can afford the account, of course. Well offer the DML embed tool for outlets whose websites are able to use it. Simplicity is the key to collaboration, Frank told me. Shes rightand yet simple looks different to everyone depending on their capacity, needs, and budget. With no perfect platform to meet all the needs of our collaboration partners and still keep things simpleat a cost that wont hobble the very newsrooms that stand to benefitwe have to pick up the slack on our end. If that means using three different distribution tools just to give our reporting away for free, so be it. Has America ever needed a media watchdog more than now? Help us by joining CJR today Tegan Wendland is editorial director for the Mississippi River Basin Ag & Water Desk, a new collaborative journalism project dedicated to covering environmental issues in the Mississippi River basin. Wendland has worked at public radio stations in Wisconsin, Illinois and Louisiana for more than 15 years. Find her on Twitter @TeganWendland. In the days since Russia invaded Ukraine, writers at a number of major outlets have criticized Western media coverage of the war as racist. They have often pointed to examples of journalists characterizing the invasion as the sort of thing that happens in poor countries, but not in Europe: a CBS correspondent calling Kyiv a relatively civilized city; a reporter for Britains ITV saying that Ukraine is not a developing third world nation; an anchor on Al Jazeera describing refugees as prosperous, middle-class people, not people trying to get away from areas in North Africa. In a BBC interview, a Ukrainian politician spoke of his emotion at seeing European people with blue eyes and blond hair being killed. His interviewer did not try to set him straight. In a statement, the Arab and Middle Eastern Journalists Association noted that such framing wrongly casts war outside of Europe and North America as somehow normal and expected, thus dehumanizing those who suffer under it. So, too, did the comedians Trevor Noah and Michael Che. Its a tough subject to make jokes about, the latter quipped on SNL. In my lifetime Ive seen footage of attacks like this on other countries, but never a white one. Critics have also argued that the volume of coverage of the war in Ukraine itself represents a double standard when contrasted with the relative lack of attention that Western media pays to conflicts elsewhere in the worldas Magdalene Abraha, a writer with roots in Ethiopias Tigray region, where a war has raged since 2020, told NPR, the wall-to-wall coverage of Ukraine has been fantastic but it would be good to have this kind of attention to all crises relating to war, famine and natural disasters. In a similar vein, some have noted that current references to freedom fighters and refugees read very differently to past coverage of terrorists and migrants, especially in the Middle East and Africa. Many Western journalists, public figures, and news consumers are failing to apply their skepticism evenly, Ishmael N. Daro wrote for The Nation, with much Ukraine coverage remarkably free of controversy regarding potentially millions of refugees fleeing to safety in other countries, the right of civilians to engage in armed resistance, or the ethics of economic and cultural boycotts against states violating human rights. Related: Brent Renaud, Yevhenii Sakun, and the grave dangers on the ground in Ukraine Others have pushed back on the pushback, arguing, among other things, that Russias war in Ukraine warrants more attention because it could easily escalate into a global conflict with a nuclear-armed superpower. Thats a big worry. But it doesnt explain why coverage focused on Ukrainian sufferingwhich has been rightly prominent, and often excellenthas dwarfed the attention the media collectively pays to human suffering in other warzones. As Moky Makura of Africa No Filter, a group that works to dispel stereotypes about the continent, wrote for CNN recently, The unthinkable things that happen in places like Africa are typically reported in terms of issues, numbers and trendsrather than the people, the emotions and the lives destroyed. And it certainly cant account for the coverage that has cast Europe as too civilized for waran assertion that is not only racist about other parts of the world but also laughably ignorant. Todays foreign correspondents may not have lived through World War II but many should be old enough to remember the Balkan wars, not to mention the many times since then that Western powers have invaded or otherwise intervened militarily in farther-away countries. The double standards here are immediately important, shaping our empathy and understanding not only of the war in Ukraine but of those that are still ongoing elsewhere. And it strikes me that they are not the only example of bias that has crept into Western coverage of Russias invasion. If critics have paid valuable attention to how some in the media are framing this war differently to others, its also worth examining how assumptions that always shape Western coverage of conflict are manifesting here again. In the broadest sense, mainstream Western media has been pretty united in denouncing Russias invasiona far cry, it would seem, from the bellicose punditry and credulous reporting that legitimized the US invasion of Iraq, for example. But old modes of war coverage can manifest in subtler ways, too. Sign up for CJR 's daily email One age-old criticism has been that US networks, in particular, are overly reliant on expert pundits with professional and financial ties to the US national-security establishment and defense industry, and rarely give a platform to longstanding anti-war activists. Thats happening again with the Ukraine war. (Just yesterday, CBS News added H.R. McMaster, Trumps national security adviser, as a foreign policy and national security contributor.) These pundits are (mostly) not apologists for Putins invasionfar from itand they do have expertise relevant to the current moment. Nor do they always agree. But they are not experts in the sense that media people often understand that wordan authority figure who can help put an issue or debate in its proper contextas much as actors often steeped in a particular foreign-policy worldview. The experts to whom news consumers are exposed influence what they think about the war, and US policy options with regard to it. So does the language that they, and we, use. While it is part of our job to convene debates between insightful people, it is not our job to present asymmetrical policies as two equal sides of a coin or to hide the ramifications of those policies behind euphemistic language. As Putin has escalated his war, weve heard demands, from US foreign-policy elites but also from Ukrainian leaders, for a NATO no-fly zone over Ukraine, sometimes preceded by the adjectives limited or humanitarianlanguage that sounds de-escalatory but would actually entail direct military confrontation with a major nuclear power. Since the Biden administration and politicians and analysts from across the political spectrum oppose a no-fly zone as liable to start World War III, this view has gotten plenty of media airtime, and the policy has been characterized in similar ways by some prominent news reporters. But other journalists have too often bandied about the term without adding much context. This is highly consequential. Polls have already shown that public support for a no-fly zone can recede dramatically when it is characterized as an act of war or similar. Western medias overuse of antiseptic military jargon strikes me as itself descending from the wrongheaded notion that war is something that happens over there, far from everyday consequences for most citizens even when our governments are prosecuting them in our name. (As Voxs Zack Beauchamp wrote last week, calls for a no-fly zone, in particular, feel like relics from prior wars waged under unquestioned American supremacy, unburdened by the prospect of great-power war and nuclear escalation.) Such thinking is complacent and we should be wary that it doesnt enter, even implicitly, into the ways were framing the war in Ukraine. Panic is rarely helpful in news coverage, but its vital that we be clear, careful and consistent in defining the global stakes here. This also brings us back around, of course, to the racist double-standard problem; the two share common roots. The biases that are often present in Western coverage of war and the biases that are making the coverage of this war different both ultimately reflect ingrained assumptions about global power dynamics that are not only morally indefensible, but factually untenable. The war in Ukraine is a tragic opportunity for the Western press to interrogate and shed these assumptions, an act that, done properly, should not distract from the immense suffering of the Ukrainian people but help us see it even more clearly, in a universal context. As the CJR contributor Maria Bustillos wisely put it yesterday, I dont want to hear from pundits, I want to hear from Ukrainians and Poles and the people this is happening to. The reason theres more awareness of this crisis is that theres more contact with the people who are really in it, and thats how media should be. Everywhere. Below, more on Russia and Ukraine: Other notable stories: New from CJR: The struggle to give stories away Has America ever needed a media watchdog more than now? Help us by joining CJR today Jon Allsop is a freelance journalist whose work has appeared in the New York Review of Books, Foreign Policy, and The Nation, among other outlets. He writes CJRs newsletter The Media Today. Find him on Twitter @Jon_Allsop. Rhode Island is set to square off on Monday against Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., as a multibillion-dollar trial begins over whether the Israeli company contributed to an opioid crisis that has caused more than 500,000 deaths over the past two decades. Rhode Island says Teva created a public nuisance by downplaying the risks of opioid addiction and promoting the off-label use of powerful fentanyl-based opioids that were approved only for certain types of cancer pain. Rhode Island is seeking $5.9 billion from the companies, according to a Teva court filing. Rhode Island officials declined to comment on the specific amount. Teva subsidiaries Actavis Pharma and Cephalon Inc are also defendants in the case in Rhode Island Superior Court in Providence. The companies have denied the allegations, saying they sold drugs that were legal and approved for pain treatment. In court filings by Teva, it calls Rhode Islands lawsuit an improper attempt to blame a wide-ranging public health crisis on a small subset of opioid manufacturers that make niche medicines like Actiq and Fentora. According to Tevas filings, those cancer drugs account for just 0.02% percent of all opioid prescriptions in the state since 1998. The company also sells generic opioids such as oxycodone. The Rhode Island lawsuit is one of more than 3,300 filed by state, local and Native American tribal governments across the country accusing drugmakers of minimizing the addictiveness of opioid pain medications. The lawsuits also accuse distributors and pharmacies of ignoring red flags that the drugs were being diverted into illegal channels. The trial will begin as Teva attempts to negotiate a nationwide settlement of its opioid liability. After a recent $225 million settlement with the state of Texas, Teva Chief Executive Kare Schultz told Reuters the company will likely end up paying $2.7 billion to $3.6 billion to resolve opioid claims. Other defendants in the Rhode Island case settled before trial, including drug distributors McKesson Corp, AmerisourceBergen Corp. and Cardinal Health, which joined a nationwide $21 billion settlement. Purdue Pharma LP, which was also a defendant, won initial approval last week for a $6 billion settlement funded by its Sackler family owners that would resolve litigation over its role in the opioid crisis. The public nuisance theory has been used with mixed results in cases against other opioid distributors, manufacturers and pharmacies. The Rhode Island trial comes more than two months after a New York jury found Teva liable for creating a public nuisance in the state. And a federal jury in November found that pharmacy chain operators CVS Health Corp CVS.N, Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc WBA.O and Walmart Inc WMT.N created a public nuisance in two Ohio counties, in the first trial against those companies over the opioid epidemic. Damages have not yet been decided in either the New York or Ohio cases. Courts in California and Oklahoma have ruled the other way, finding in favor of opioid defendants, including Teva and Johnson & Johnson, in public nuisance cases. A federal appeals court on Tuesday rejected Exxon Mobil Corps XOM.N effort to stop Massachusetts and New York from probing whether the oil company lied to investors and the public regarding what it knew about climate change. The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan said Exxon could not sue Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey in federal court because it was pursuing the same case in Massachusetts state courts. It also said Exxons federal case against New York Attorney General Letitia James was moot after a state judge in December 2019 dismissed her lawsuit against the company following a non-jury trial, and she did not appeal. Exxon argued that its federal claims should continue because Healeys viewpoint bias violated its constitutional free speech rights under the First Amendment, while James kept defending her offices conduct and could choose to sue again. The company had sued Massachusetts and New York in June 2016 after receiving subpoenas for documents about its understanding of climate change and communications with shareholders. It was appealing from a March 2018 dismissal of that case. Neither Exxon nor its lawyers immediately responded to requests for comment. Healeys and James offices did not immediately respond to similar requests. Exxon has in the last several years faced many lawsuits claiming it downplayed how its fossil fuel products affected climate change and how climate regulation affected its business, in order to boost public sentiment, profit and its stock price. The Irving, Texas-based company has long maintained that climate change risks are real, and it wanted to be part of any solution. The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, that states highest court, in March 9 oral arguments appeared cool to Exxons claim that Healey was illegally stifling its speech. The case is Exxon Mobil Corp v Healey et al, 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, No. 18-1170. A Colorado law that allows claimants to collect double coverage if a claim is unreasonably denied or delayed does not allow plaintiffs to hold claims adjusters personally liable, the state Supreme Court decided Monday. In a unanimous decision, the high court said the plain statutory language makes it clear that insurers, not their employees, are responsible for delayed and denied claims. Because the insurernot any individual employeeauthorizes payment, this language indicates that an action for unreasonable delay or denial of insurance benefits is triggered by a decision of the insurer, not the adjuster, the opinion says. The question of a claims adjusters personal liability was brought to the Colorado Supreme Court by the US District Court in Denver, which is considering a lawsuit filed by injured motorist Alexis Skillett that seeks penalties for an alleged unreasonable denial of underinsured motorist benefits. Allstate Fire and Casualty Insurance Co. removed the case to federal court and filed an unopposed motion to certify legal questions to the Colorado Supreme Court. Skillett was hurt in a July 2020 crash in Aurora, Colorado while riding as a passenger in her mothers car. Another vehicle, while attempting to change lanes, struck the right front corner of the car. Skillett settled with the at-fault drivers insurer for $23,907.15 but asked Allstate which insured her car for an additional $10,000 in underinsured motorist benefits. Allstate adjuster Collin Draine offered to pay $1,750, saying that the settlement had adequately compensated Skillett for her damages. Skillett filed a suit in state court alleging that the denial was unreasonable. She requested double the $25,000 per-person limit on her insurance policy, attorney fees and costs as allowed by Colorado Revised Statute Section 10-3-1116. That statute was adopted in 2008 as a means of discouraging insurers from unreasonably delaying or denying claims. The statute prohibits a person engaged in the business of insurance to unreasonably delay or deny payment of a first-party claim. Whether claims adjusters can be held personally liable for unreasonable claim delays or denials has been a contentious issue across the country. In 2019, the supreme courts for Iowa and Washington state ruled that their state laws do not recognize bad-faith claims against third-party claims administrators. However, the high courts in Montana, Texas and West Virginia ruled prior to those decisions that an individual could bring third-party claims against insurance company employees for bad faith, according to an article written by Florida State University law professor Chad G. Marzen. Skillet argued that the Colorado statutes reference to a person allows lawsuits against individual adjusters in addition to insurers. Her lawsuit names Draine as a defendant along with Allstate. Allstate countered that Skillett named Draine as a defendant only as a means of keeping Skilletts lawsuit in state court, where jurists are generally thought to be more sympathetic to insurance claimants. Draine is a Colorado resident and federal courts generally do not have jurisdiction in disputes between residents of the same state. According to the Supreme Courts opinion, the Colorado Court of Appeals ruled in 2013 that individual employees cannot be held liable for bad faith. But in 2020, the federal district court in Denver created a conflict by finding that the statute could plausibly be interpreted to create a cause of action against an individual adjuster. The Colorado Supreme Court even though an adjuster can be considered to be a a person engaged in the business of insurance, the use of that word in the context of the entire statute shows that the legislature intendedfor lawsuits to be filed against individuals, not individual employees. The law establishes penalties in instances when an insurer delays or denies payment of a benefit. Moreover, a preceding code section refers to instances when the insurer delayed or denied authorizing payment of a covered benefit, the opinion says. Insurers and insuredsnot adjustersare the parties to an insurance policy, the court said. They are the ones who undertake obligations under such policies, and it is the insurernot the adjusterwho may be obligated to pay insurance benefits. The American Property Casualty Insurance Association applauded the ruling. This is a welcome and common-sense result that accords with a similar decision from the Washington Supreme Court in Keodalah v. Allstate in 2019, stated Kenneth Stoller, APCIA assistant vice president and amicus counsel. APCIA filed amicus briefs in both cases explaining why personal liability for bad faith would distort the role of the adjuster, significantly impair proper claims handling, and is not necessary to advance the legitimate interests of insureds. Claremore, OK (74018) Today Thunderstorms likely this morning. Then a chance of scattered thunderstorms this afternoon. A few storms may be severe. High near 65F. Winds E at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 100%.. Tonight Thunderstorms. A few storms may be severe. Low 61F. Winds SE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 90%. 1 to 2 inches of rain expected. A recent letter delivered to U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres by 200 former senior U.N. officials included a bleak warning regarding the consequences should diplomacy fail to end Russias aggression against Ukraine. Such an outcome would mean that the U.N. becoming increasingly irrelevant and, eventually, succumbing to the fate of its predecessor, the League of Nations, with the human losses and material destruction that went with it, the letter declared. Russia appeals for military and financial aid from China in its assault on Ukraine, allegedly including food for its troops, indicating the military's logistical difficulties. As Russia's assault on Ukraine has carried on for over three weeks with no end in sight, Russia has asked China for assistance with weapons as well as pre-packaged, non-perishable military food packages, according to a report from The Independent. Intelligence officials from the United Kingdom and the United States believe that Russian President Vladimir Putin's military is experiencing shortages in fuel and food supplies. Russia's Lack of Preparedness for Ukraine Attack According to a CNN report, China is considering granting Russia's request for ready-to-eat food. Beijing's primary concern was providing military weapons because it could provoke the West. Sources say that China intends to provide such assistance as there are indications of its "openness" in the matter. Though, the administration of US President Joe Biden is aware of such a request from Russia. While food supply may be a type of non-deadly support, the request highlights the Russian army's lack of invasion preparations. However, Einar Tangen, a senior international fellow at the Chinese think-tank Taihe Institute, believes that Beijing has no interest in sending military aid to Russia in its attack on Ukraine, as China has already announced that it rejects the West adding more weapons into Ukraine, which they consider as "adding oil to fire." "So it would be hypocritical if they were to start helping Russia," Tangen stated. At present, Russian forces are having difficulties in supplying basic needs that slow down its advancement in the war. Past reports had shown that Russia's attack on Ukraine was hurried. Read Also: Turkey Refuses To Sanction Russia Over Ukraine Invasion, Plans Alternative Solutions Despite Pressure From NATO Membership China's Crucial Role Last week, lawmakers received a classified briefing in which US officials talked about Russia's request. Washington has "yet to see the indication" if Beijing will assist Moscow. One House Democratic member mentioned to NatSec Daily that "it's not China wanting to help"; instead, it is the other way around. "Russia wants China's help." There are also conflicting indications about China's objectives. In advance of the talks, White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan issued a harsh warning to China not to assist Russia in dodging global sanctions that have battered the Russian economy. He said that the US "will not allow" such action. According to a US official who asked to remain anonymous, per Al Jazeera report, Russia has recently requested assistance from China, including military weapons, to advance its current war with Ukraine. The official did not specify the scope of the request. Experts are concerned that if China provides weapons to Russia in its war against Ukraine, the world will change. Zack Cooper, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and former Pentagon and White House official, said that "the point at which the relationship changed permanently" is "not for the better." "Buckle up," he advised because much Chinese military hardware, such as aircraft, helicopters, and armored personnel carriers, are based on Russian configurations. Hence, the Chinese could quickly deliver spare parts for compatible weapons systems and drones, per Politico. Dean Cheng, a senior research fellow at the Heritage Foundation's Asian Studies Center, there is a lot of "fundamental compatibility" between Chinese and Russian air-to-air and air-to-ground systems, as well as "dumb bombs" and artillery. Related Article: Putin Passes Law Ordering Seizure of $10 Billion Worth of Leased Planes To Support Domestic Flights @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. The Chinese government has imposed lockdowns that affect millions of people amid its worst COVID-19 outbreak since the pandemic began two years ago. The current number of infections has increased faster than the previous outbreaks caused by fewer infectious variants. Daily cases, driven by the more contagious Omicron variant, have surged more than 5,100 on Tuesday. It is the highest number since the early COVID-19 outbreak in Wuhan in 2020. The figure is alarming for the Chinese government that has been implementing a zero-COVID policy during the pandemic. The cases may seem low compared to previous records, but they put 37 million people in lockdown as of Tuesday. After an estimated 35,000 cases, the latest round of illnesses will be brought under control in early April, according to a COVID-19 forecasting system established by Lanzhou University in China, Reuters reported. While the newest outbreak on the mainland was the most serious since the virus was discovered in Wuhan in 2020, the university said that China could manage it by implementing tight restrictions. Cases have been detected in 21 provinces and municipalities in China, including major cities Shenzen and Shanghai, and its capital Beijing, according to CNN. Residents in Changchun, Jilin city, Shenzhen and Dongguan are banned from leaving their neighborhoods, except for essential workers and emergency services. Each household is only allowed to send one person to buy groceries every two to three days. Langfang went a step further in prohibiting all residents from leaving their homes except for emergency reasons. Several of these cities have suspended public transport, indoor dining, closed schools, and are conducting multiple rounds of mass testing for all residents. Read Also: Russian Soldiers Admit Vladimir Putin's Ukraine Invasion Is "Terrible Mistake" After Hearing Their Air Force Bombs Public Places Lockdowns' Impact on China's Economy In affected areas, companies were told to close their offices or have their employees work from home, as long as they are provided with essential supplies and services. Foxconn, which manufactures iPhones, seized its production in Shenzen on Monday. The local government will determine the date of resumption of its operations, as per BBC. The company has many production sites in China that adjusted production lines to ease the potential impact of the lockdown. Its factory in Zhenzhou remains open since tight restrictions were not imposed in the city. Meanwhile, the restrictions also affected carmakers due to the COVID-19 outbreak. Toyota closed its manufacturing in Changchun, Jilin Province. It did not indicate when it would resume operations. The decision was made to examine the effect of "supplier operations" and the "safety and security of employees" and link parties. Volkswagen likewise shut down operations in Changchun, citing "affected" production of Volkswagen and Audi vehicles and components. However, the company targets to reopen on Thursday. Will Zero Tolerance Policy End Soon? When more infectious variants Delta and Omicron, emerged in 2021, many countries relaxed restrictions and decided to live with the virus. Though, China is now experiencing a strong wave. Though some Chinese authorities and experts have suggested that the country may abandon the plan, if current rhetoric about reducing cases to zero is any indicator, that won't happen anytime soon. Related Article: Cybersecurity Alert: Google Sends Warning to High-Profile Gmail Users on Potential Phishing Attack by Chinese Hackers @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. (JTA) An array of 28 major U.S. Jewish groups spanning the religious and political spectrums urged the Biden administration to expedite the acceptance of refugees fleeing Russias war against Ukraine. The letter sent Friday, spearheaded by the Jewish communitys foreign policy umbrella, the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, recommends starting with expediting family reunification refugee requests, a move the Biden administration is already considering. Refugee acceptance into the United States is an onerous process, and can take years as refugee applicants remain in transition in host countries willing to house them temporarily, but not permanently. The letter notes a precedent in the late 1990s, when President Bill Clintons administration removed bureaucratic obstacles to allow in 20,000 Kosovar refugees from the Yugoslavian war on its territory. We urge you to follow the precedent set by the Clinton administration and welcome, at a minimum, those refugees with close family ties in the United States, said the letter. And we urge you to do so without delay. Of the 50 or so members of the Conference, 27 groups signed, including HIAS, the lead Jewish immigration advocacy group; representatives of the Conservative, Reform and Orthodox streams of Judaism; the Anti-Defamation League and the American Jewish Committee civil rights watchdogs; and groups that skew both right and left on foreign and domestic policy. Million of Ukrainians have fled in the wake of the violence that began on Feb. 24. Israel has already taken in at least hundreds of Ukrainian Jews and plans to take in tens of thousands more, in addition to tens of thousands of Ukrainians not eligible for Israeli citizenship. -- The post 28 major US Jewish groups call on Biden to accept Ukraine refugees appeared first on Jewish Telegraphic Agency. On Tuesday, two astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) will perform a spacewalk to upgrade the space station's power system. Interested fans can watch this space event for free through NASA's website. 2 NASA Astronauts To Go on a Spacewalk This Week Digital Trends reported that two NASA astronauts and current occupants of the ISS, Kayla Barron and Raja Chari, will be performing a spacewalk which has been called U.S. EVA 79. The mentioned astronauts will be working on the ongoing upgrade of the station's power system this Tuesday, March 15. To be specific, Barron and Chari will be installing brackets and struts aiming to have more solar arrays outside of the space station in the future. Apart from the spacewalk on Tuesday this week, two more astronauts will also perform a spacewalk next Wednesday, March 23. The second spacewalk aims to place hoses on a module of the station's cooling system and upgrade the other station gears. Read Also: NASA Will Take Your Name on a Trip Around the Moon Spacewalks: What Are They? According to NASA, a spacewalk occurs every time an astronaut gets out of a vehicle while still in space. The space agency explained that there is a variety of reasons why astronauts are performing spacewalks. For example, it allows them to work outside their spacecraft while still in space and conduct scientific experiments. These experiments can be done on an exterior of a spacecraft allowing astronauts to discover how different objects react while in space. Aside from experiments, NASA explained that spacewalks can also be used to test new equipment. Since there are no technicians in space, astronauts are capable of testing or even repairing satellites or spacecraft in orbit. Rather than bringing broken items back to Earth to fix them, astronauts perform spacewalks to repair them. Even though spacesuits keep astronauts safe while they go on spacewalks, there can still be some complications. For example, astronauts who acquired gas bubbles in their bodies will experience pain in their shoulders, elbows, wrists, and knees. The astronauts can have gas bubbles in their bodies if they don't get rid of the nitrogen before they walk in space. To counteract this annoyance, Astronauts breathe pure oxygen for a few hours after putting on their suits. All of the nitrogen in an astronaut's body is expelled by breathing just oxygen. How To Watch Upcoming Spacewalk of ISS Astronauts Since this space event shows several exciting benefits, there is a simple way to watch it. Digital Trends reported that the whole spacewalk will be livestreamed through NASA TV, and interested fans can watch it from their own home by visiting NASA's website. The spacewalk coverage starts at 6:30 a.m. ET (3:30 a.m. PT) on Tuesday, March 15. The actual spacewalk is scheduled to commence at 8:05 a.m. ET (5:05 a.m. PT) and is expected to last for approximately six and a half hours. Before the spacewalk, fans could also tune into NASA's news conference to learn more about the spacewalk and the works that the astronauts will be performing. The said conference will be livestreamed on Monday, March 14 at 2 p.m. ET (11 a.m. PT). Related Article: #ThisWeekOnITP: Perseverance Rover's 7th Sample, Earth-Like Planet Discovery, and More! Alice Stuedemann, 89 of Camanche, formerly of Clinton, passed away April 30th at Mercy One Hospital. Visitation and services are being planned for Monday, May 9th at St. John Lutheran Church. Pape Funeral Home is assisting the family. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines) The image of a farmer is traditionally attached to males, but many Filipino women have been making their presence felt in the frontlines of food and climate security. These four female leaders shared their thoughts on how and why more women should be recognized for their contribution and be given more opportunities to work in the field. Confronting barriers Irish Baguilat, coordinator of the Asian Farmers Association (AFA) for Sustainable Rural Development, said that female farmers face more barriers than men. For example, most agricultural equipment and machineries are not designed to be women-friendly or are too labor-intensive for most women to operate. Baguilat, who works with farmers cooperatives, observed that this problem stems from the inadequacy of leadership positions occupied by women. Even in the cooperatives, we dont (yet have) mechanisms that would create the opportunity for women to really participate in the decision-making processes, said Baguilat during The Climate Reality Projects webinar on March 9. If you look at their (organizations) board of trustees or board of directors... you see very few women. The lack of representation forces womens concerns to the margins without proper interventions. Baguilats work within AFA includes facilitating women committees within cooperatives, like LAKAMBINI which is under the Pambansang Kilusan ng mga Samahang Magsasaka, a national confederation of farmers and fisherfolk groups. There should also be more educational opportunities for women, she added, that would enable them to innovate their own technologies. Eager to learn On the education side, Ruthfreya Avila of the Terrapedrito Farm fills that gap through her farming school in Candelaria, Quezon. Avilas school runs courses under the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) that teach farmers about agricultural production, organic crops and high-quality inbred rice, seed certification, and farming mechanization. She assessed that there are more women who are eager to learn than men. Dito sa aming kurso napansin namin mas marami ang babae na nagjojoin ng program at sila yung mga passionate, sila yung maraming tanong, at sila yung mga hindi nag-aabsent, argued Avila. Hindi katulad noong aming mga male na konti-konti lang parang patak ang ulan ang dating doon sa aming mga TESDA courses. [Translation: In our courses, we observed that more women join the program and they are the passionate ones asking a lot of questions and are never absent, unlike the men who attend our TESDA courses less often, as fewer as a drizzle compared to heavy rain.] However, women are still barred by a patriarchal mindset, with some of them willing to learn but not willing to lead. Pag minsan mahina ang loob ng mga kababaihan dahil itong mga kalalakihan para bang binoblock nila yung mga naiisip na enterprise nitong mga kababaihan ... dahil nga siguro meron tayong cultural mindset na mas malakas ang lalaki, mas astig kaysa dito sa mga babae, lamented Avila. Pero kung tutuusin, I have seen so many women farmers na mas kumikita sila, mas nakakaipon sila. [Translation: Sometimes the women who have enterprise ideas are reluctant to start them because some men are blocking such plans, maybe because we have this cultural mindset that men are stronger and better than women. But let me tell you I have seen so many women farmers who earn and save more.] Fighting the patriarchy These patriarchal ideologies extend to indigenous women as well, said Vernie Yocogan-Diano from the Asia Pacific Forum on Women, Law and Development. Diano, an indigenous woman herself, works with organizations in the Cordillera region, including the Cordillera Womens Education Action Research Center. Her work includes raising awareness and building capacities and spaces for women to break away from patriarchal influence. She underscored the need to also educate men as they are also victims of patriarchal education. They are victims of having the patriarchal mindset (that have been brought about by) the education that both men and women received, said Diano. She added that women and men alike struggle against the culture of greed from extractive industries. This (climate) crisis impacts groups of peoples like indigenous peoples and rural farmers who have contributed least to that crisis. Bearing the brunt of a crisis that you did not create manifests a clear injustice, said Diano. Indigenous women either resist against enabling laws or are forced to shift and give up their means of production even when they offer measures, such as planting specific climate-adaptive seeds and plants, that combat climate change. Why are indigenous women made to adapt when it should be the actors or systems causing climate change that should adapt to the more viable systems of indigenous peoples? raised Diano. IPs have a deep relationship with the land and are guided by the principle, Let us not monopolize the good or to produce only what can be consumed and gather only what is needed. 'Yung advocacy ng indigenous peoples, hindi nagkulang [The advocacy of indigenous peoples did not fall short]," said Diano. Speaking up However, women are not completely at the mercy of men's dominance and of profit-leaning systems, although making changes requires their strong will. Lace Viojan, WWF Philippines Community Coordinator of Sustainable Food Systems, emphasized the value of women taking chances. She cites herself as an example as she was able to lead projects on food systems despite not having formal education on agriculture. She learned by always attending free learning opportunities. It takes some guts, some confidence, some honesty. It takes an open mindset na paano matututo (to learn) and how to apply these things on the ground, said Viojan. Viojan also shared an instance when she facilitated a farmers group led by a man that was facing issues. She suggested a change in leadership and it turned out, the group which was mostly composed of women wanted the trusted female secretary to lead them instead. We tried letting the group itself, the whole assembly, to speak their mind kung ano talaga sa kanila yung effective na leadership [on what they consider is effective leadership], she added. Lastly, from Diano, she said that no doubt the projects led by women will still need the backing of other sectors, including the government. This, according to her, means that women must have the courage to insist for support. Kailangan may lakas o may determination 'yung kababaihan... to assert at saka i-demand yung ganito na support [The women must have strength and determination...to asset and demand support] coming from the public or the government, and the power to be unafraid to resist laws, policies and practices that promote pollutive and profit-driven food production, pointed out Diano. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 14) Newly appointed Commission on Elections commissioner George Garcia underscored the important role of debates, especially for Filipino voters. This comes after presidential bet Bongbong Marcos, who was once represented by Garcia, announced he will not be participating in the upcoming presidential debate organized by the poll body. I do not want to specifically comment on a former client or the statement of a spokesperson. Buta debate, regardless of its natureof the entity that is holding or sponsoring the debate, is a great opportunity for everyone, not only for the candidates, but likewise an opportunity for the voters to scrutinize, to find out whatever the candidate is offering to them, Garcia told CNN Philippines. He assured that the debate on March 19 will push through and stressed how it can help voters to be better informed, considering the current proliferation of fake news. It's very important that we can see them, we can hear them argue between and among themselves, and at the same time offer themselves to the Philippines. And I cannot comment on the non-appearance or non-participation of anybody, but at least the Comelec is offering a platform for everyone, Garcia said. Last week, Malacanang announced the appointment of Garcia, chairman Saidamen Pangarungan, and commissioner Aimee Neri to the poll body, after going through what it described as a thorough vetting process. Garcia said he did not formally apply for the position. Garcia also formally inhibited himself from all cases involving his former clients to dispel concerns regarding conflict of interest. I used to be the lawyer of the PDP-Laban when there was a conflict within the PDP-Laban. So definitely, the parties in conflict are practically known to me personally, and so I will not participate, he said in the interview. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 14) All endorsements are good except the one from the demon, a presidential candidate said on Monday. Senator Ping Lacson gave this candid response when asked if he was open for an endorsement by President Rodrigo Duterte. Lacson added that the president's support would be an advantage, countering a belief that the endorsement of the incumbent was like a kiss of death. He said Duterte still enjoyed a very high trust rating at the twilight of his term. The chief executive scored 72% in the approval and performance scores, based on the 2021 4th quarter survey of Pulse Asia. "Ewan ko kung ano ang meron si President Duterte. Hanggang ngayon maski kumausap ka sa ground, parang yung mga local officials even congressmen, ngayon marami ang naghihintay sino ang ieendorse ni Presidente," Lacson told reporters in a media briefing. [Translation: I don't know how President Duterte does it. Even now when you talk to people on the ground, local officials and even congressmen, a lot of people are waiting for who he will endorse,] Lacson said he wants to continue the administration's anti-insurgency campaign, in particular the accomplishment against the New People's Army, the armed unit of the Communist Party of the Philippines. He also lauded the anti-terrorism law. Meanwhile, Lacson's running mate Senate President Tito Sotto said the Lacson-Sotto ticket is the 'best tandem' to continue the anti insurgency and anti-illegal drug programs. "As far as the insurgency and as far as issue of illegal drugs is concerned, we are the best tandem to complete the, or complement the Duterte administration's (inaudible) on the matter," said Sotto. Asked about the possibility of getting Duterte's endorsement even if presidential daughter Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte is his rival, Sotto said he is amenable even if the support will not be made public. "Payag naman ako sa endorsement na pailalim e. Ok na yun," Sotto said. [Translation: I'm good even if the endorsement is done in secret. That's okay.] Earlier, Lacson criticized the war on drugs which focused on the enforcement side at the expense of supply reduction and rehabilitation. Lacson-Robredo word war The Partido Reporma standard bearer has been in a word war with Vice President Leni Robredo after he cautioned against rallies that may be infiltrated by communists, days after Robredo's campaign in Cavite Lacson's home province - that drew tens of thousands. Supporters of the Vice President were quick to call out Lacson for red-tagging, a claim Lacson denied. He said he just raised concerns about the possible coalition between Robredo and the communists. In a statement, Robredo countered the allegation. "Tutol ako sa sinumang pumupulot ng armas para magiit ng sariling agenda. Hindi ako makikipag-alyansa sa mga ganun or sa mga naniniwala dun," the Vice President in a statement. [Translation: I am against anyone who picks up arms to force their own agenda. I will not ally with them or with those who believe in that method.] Lacson, earlier in his campaign, said he would refrain from personally attacking other candidates, but in this case he was forced to defend himself as he received a lot of bashing online. "I'm not afraid of losing votes ano, basta alam ko pinaglalaban ko tama. Ganun din ako sa Senate e, alam kong unpopular ang ibang ginagawa ko, maski nung Chief PNP ako, alam kong marami ako unpopular decision, policy decisions," he said. [Translation: As long as I know that I am fighting for the right thing, I am not afraid of losing votes. I'm the same way in the Senate, I know that some of what I do is unpopular even when I was Chief PNP, I know I have a lot of unpopular decisions, policy decisions.] No room for unification Lacson said a mediator from the camp of the Vice President recently asked him to withdraw from the race for a unified candidate against Bongbong Marcos. But the senator said it is too late for such a move. Before the filing of certificate of candidacy in October last year, Lacson said he offered Robredo a unification formula where they will all support the leading opposition candidate during the last stretch of the campaign. But he said the Vice President outrightly dismissed it. Lacson also accused the camp of the Vice President of spreading information that he is backing out from the campaign, adding this was also done to Senator Manny Pacquiao. "Para maitsapwera ang iba, parang isip ng tao ah dalawa na lang ang magkalaban. It's a campaign strategy pero foul. Tapos magpapakalat sila na magwiwithdraw na si (Senator) Manny Pacquiao. These are campaign strategies na sa tingin ko below the belt, ayaw lumaban ng parehas," Lacson said. [Translation: So, people will think that there are only two in the fight. It' a campaign strategy, but it's foul. Then they'll spread rumors that Manny Pacquiao is backing out. I think that these are campaign strategies that hit below the belt, they don't want to fight fairly.] CNN Philippines is still trying to get the side of Robredo as of posting time. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 15) Two candidates vying for the highest post in the land shared how they will "cure" what they believe are the biggest ills in society corruption and the political system. In a forum on Tuesday, former presidential spokesperson Ernesto Abella said civil society especially ordinary Filipinos must learn to embrace personal responsibility. Once civil society plays a bigger role in local issues, he believes the country will see progress. "The biggest ills [are] corruption, social inequality, lack of love for the nation and lack of trust in government. Ang nakikita kong pwedeng magbigay tugon diyan [A possible solution that I see] is to engage civil society in everyday governance," he said. Abella proposed a National Volunteer Core for individuals aged 18 to 35 who will be involved in community work in various fields like education and health care. He said he will also seek educational reforms especially in values education and Philippine history. Former Defense chief Norberto Gonzales has a different take on the biggest ill in society. He believes the political system and current brand of politicians should be fixed. "Kailangan tayong magkaroon ng pagbabago ng sistema ng pulitika sa Pilipinas. We need structural changes. Pwede nating pag-aralan yung parliamentary system," Gonzales said in the same forum. [Translation: We should change the country's political system. We need structural changes. We can look into the parliamentary system.] Gonzales earlier said he will push for charter change during his first year in office to give regions more autonomy. In the virtual forum organized by the Polytechnic University of the Philippines Quezon City (PUPQC) student council, the candidates also answered questions on health, education, economic recovery, good governance, and security. Labor leader Leody de Guzman who is campaigning in Mindanao confirmed his attendance. However, he was unable to join due to connectivity issues. His campaign manager Sonny Melencio answered questions on his behalf. Organizers explained in a statement why they were unable to invite all ten candidates. "This program serves as a space for the minorities who aspire to lead the country but unfortunately lack machinery. Ka Leody, Sec. Gonzales and Ernie Abella are the ones who eagerly accepted the invitation while on the other hand, we did not receive response from Faisal Mangondato and Jose Montemayor," PUPQC SSC President Jen Balaoro said. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 15) The Las Pinas police has clarified that only around 18,000 people showed up for the UniTeams rally and caravan in the city last Sunday after the camp of presidential bet Ferdinand Bongbong Marcos Jr. claimed that 500,000 came out for the activities. Las Pinas City Police Chief Col. Jaime Santos on Monday confirmed that the police estimated around 5,000 people were inside The Tent, Global South in the city, where Marcos and other candidates of UniTeam held a rally. He also confirmed that around 3,000 people gathered outside the venue, while over 10,000 participated in the caravan. "Nabalitaan po namin na ang sabi po ni Mr. Marcossa statement niya 500,000 'yung umattend. Kami sa Las Pinas City Police Station, mayroon po kaming separate report na sinubmit namin sa headquarters," Santos said in a statement. [Translation: We received news that Mr. Marcos said in a statement that 500,000 attended. We at the Las Pinas City Police Station have a separate report, which we submitted to the headquarters.] "I cannot comment tungkol sa figure na 'yun na sinabi ni Mr. Marcos. Basta kami lang, mayroon kaming sariling report na ginawa tungkol sa estimated attendees o crowd na umattend," he added. [Translation: I cannot comment on the figure stated by Mr. Marcos. For our part, we have our own report on the estimated number of attendees or crowd.] The Marcos camps press release dated March 14 was titled Hundreds of thousands join UniTeam Caravan, Rally in Muntinlupa and Las Pinas; 12-kilometer road filled with supporters. The Marcos camp claimed that "the total number of people who came out of their respective homes and expressed their support along the entire 12-kilometer stretch of road from Muntinlupa to Las Pinas, including those who participated in the caravan, and those who attended the grand rally at The Tent of BBM-Sara UniTeam was estimated to be five hundred thousand (500,000)." Las Pinas City is the bailiwick of former Public Works Secretary and UniTeam senatorial candidate Mark Villar. In a Facebook post on Tuesday, Villar cited a post-activity report from the Las Pinas Traffic and Parking Management Office (TPMO), which said that "hundreds of thousands" lined up the streets during the caravan. CNN Philippines contacted the traffic office via landline to validate the document, but the landline service operator said the number stated in the document is not yet in service. According to the Philippine Statistics Authority, Las Pinas City has a total population of 606,293 as of 2020. The Commission on Elections said the city has 291,074 eligible voters for the upcoming elections. Muntinlupa City, on the other hand, has 543,445 residents, with 311,750 eligible voters. Marcos and his running mate Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte are the frontrunners in Pulse Asia's February survey of preferred president and vice president for the upcoming polls. READ: Marcos-Duterte tandem maintains lead in Pulse Asia survey CNN Philippines Correspondent Rex Remitio contributed to this report. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 15) The Department of Health said the fourth round of the national vaccination days, or Bayanihan, Bakunahan, has been extended until Friday. "Para mas marami pa nating kababayan ang mabakunahan, ang ating Bayanihan, Bakunahan IV ay extended hanggang Biyernes, March 18," Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire told a virtual briefing on Tuesday. [Translation: The Bayanihan, Bakunahan IV has been extended until Friday so we can reach many more who want to be vaccinated.] Vergeire said 1,400,889 vaccine doses have been administered as of March 14 under the 4th round of the National Vaccination Days nearly 400,000 doses shy of the target 1.8 million. Vergeire said they would continue to find ways to reach areas where vaccination rates are low, adding there would soon be vaccination programs in churches. Priority groups for vaccination include those who are due to receive their second doses, those in the A2 group, minors aged 12-17 years old, as well as administering booster shots to people in the health and economic sectors, she added. Vergeire said the target of the latest national vaccination round was set low because most of those eligible to receive the shots have been inoculated already. "The target has been set low because we know that most of our vaccinees, or yung mga eligibles natin na talagang naandoon yung kailang interes magpabakuna ay nagawa na natin. Ang hinahanap natin ngayon ay yung mga hesitant na magpabakuna, yung mga taong hindi talaga makaaccess or hindi makarating sa bakunahan." [Translation: The target has been set low because we know that most of our vaccinees, or those eligible who want to be vaccinated have been reached. What we are doing now is to look for those who are hesitant to get vaccinated, those who have no access to or cannot go to vaccination sites.] Vergeire also listed the factors considered in setting the goal for the fourth round of national vaccination days. "First will be hesitancy...because marami pa rin pong nagkakalat ng maling impormasyon at marami pa rin ang nagkakaroon mg maling preception sa bakunang ito," she said. [Translation: First will be hesitancy...because there are still those who spread wrong information and there are still wrong perceptions about the vaccine.] Ageism was another factor, which Vergeire explained meant some seniors believed that because of their age, they would not need to be vaccinated anymore. Manpower was another consideration especially with the shift to Alert Level 1, the health official said, noting that non-COVID health services were slowly coming back and some health care workers who helped with vaccination efforts would no longer be able availble. Blue Origin recently announced it would include Saturday Night Live's (SNL) Pete Davidson on its 20th mission on March 23. According to the sub-orbital spaceflight services company's announcement, this future mission will be the fourth one where humans are involved in its rocket's cabin. Blue Origin's 20th Flight - Details, Crew Davidson, along with five other crew members, will be launched into suborbital space on March 23 at 9:30 a.m. EDT. They will board an NS-20 New Shepard rocket which will take off in Blue Origin's Launch Site One in West Texas, according to a report by Space. Meanwhile, the launch will be broadcasted live on Blue Origin's official website at 8:30 a.m. CDT. Each astronaut onboard will carry a postcard into space from Blue Origin's Club for the Future Foundation, which will give students access to space on the company's rockets. Read Also: ESO's New Technology Telescope Snaps Photo of a New Supernova in Cartwheel Galaxy Davidson will be joined by businessman Marty Allen, SpaceKids Global founder Sharon Hagle, and Tricor International CEO Marc Hagle. Commercial Space Technologies, LLC President Dr. George Nield, Jim Kitchen, president of JimKitchen.org, will also join Davidson in Earth's sub orbit. Space.com speculated that Davidson might have been given a free ride as everyone but him was noted to be customers. Davidson was previously reported to be in negotiations with Jeff Bezos to be part of a Blue Origin flight on March 4, per a CNN report. However, it wasn't known when the actor would join other astronauts in suborbital space at the time. NS-20 Details & History Blue Origin's New Shepard rocket was named after Mercury astronaut Alan Shepard, the first American to go to space. It is a reusable suborbital rocket system that is 60 feet long and has vertical takeoff and landing capabilities to take astronauts and research payloads to the recognized boundary of space - the Karman line, per Blue Origin's page on the rocket. The rocket also has a pressurized crew capsule with room for six people. It was said it is environmentally controlled for control and has the largest windows to be flown into space. The cabin also has handholds for crew members to move easily during zero-g moments. A New York Times article mentioned that the rocket would release the capsule at peak altitude. This action would cause the capsule to be suspended in a free fall at a 63-mile altitude, which would give the capsule's passengers around four minutes of weightlessness in microgravity and a view of Earth's horizon at the Karman line. The rocket is designed with space tourism in mind, as such, it was made to be reused for future flights to drive down the cost of each launch, per another Space article. Jeff Bezos, Blue Origin's and Amazon's founder, mentioned in 2021 that Blue Origin aims to help people get to space, according to a separate New York Times article. Related Article: Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin To Acquire Pioneer Rover Hardware Company Honeybee: How This Could Help Them Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 15) A top official of the ruling PDP-Laban party said Tuesday that President Rodrigo Duterte has given him his blessing to openly endorse the opposition's presidential candidate Vice President Leni Robredo. Eastern Samar Gov. Ben Evardone, Duterte's close ally and the vice president of PDP-Laban in Visayas, said he was given clearance during his meeting with the chief executive last Feb. 14. Out of respect for PRRD as our President, as a father figure to me and as our party leader, I told him that I am about to endorse VP Leni because I see in her the sincerity of a leader to help the poor," Evardone said. He recalled Duterte's reply, "I understand. I respect and support your decision." The governor added he sensed that Duterte's "heart is for VP Leni" after the President said in a televised interview that he wants his successor to be a compassionate and decisive lawyer. Out of the 10 candidates running in the presidential race, only Robredo and Jose Montemayor are lawyers. Evardone and House Deputy Speaker Rufus Rodriguez believe Robredo is the aspirant that best fits Duterte's ideal candidate. Rodriguez said Duterte's endorsement of Robredo will help her secure victory on May 9, adding she already enjoys wide support that is not reflected in pre-election surveys. I have seen the massive crowds that VP Lenis campaign sorties have attracted. These are ordinary Filipinos, workers, the middle class, those in the A-B economic groups, the laity of the church, and the youth. They are not the 'hakot' type, and apparently, they have not been reached by surveys. They are the people who will elect her and make her win, not the pollsters, he said. Duterte has not yet endorsed a presidential candidate, previously saying he'd prefer to "stay neutral." Sorsogon City, Sorsogon (CNN Philippines, March 14) - Manila Mayor and presidential candidate Isko Moreno urged the government not to resort to what he described as baseless red-tagging. The mayor said there should be enough proof before the government labels people as part of the communist movement. "Halimbawa lang ha, for the sake of conversation, komunismo, 'yun lang ang paniniwala mo, pero hindi ka naman komunista. It's just that you believe in that kind of principle, hindi kita pwede i-red tag," Moreno told reporters on Monday. [Translation: For example, if you believe in communism, but you are not necessarily a communist, you should not be red-tagged.] "Kailangan mapatunayan natin. Rebelde ba talaga ito, terorista ba talaga ito," he added. [Translation: We need to prove first if this individual is indeed a rebel or a terrorist.] He did, however, say that if elected President, he will exercise his constitutional mandate to "protect the State and its people" against armed groups. Son of Aksyon Demokratiko founder: We're all proud of Isko For Atty. Bo Roco - son of Aksyon Demokratiko founder and late Senator Raul S. Roco - Moreno has made them and their party proud. "Having a qualified candidate to be leader of the country, and he's running under Aksyon, we're all proud of Isko," Aksyon's External Vice President said of Moreno - their first presidential bet in 18 years. "Ako, I believe na (that) all the candidates can promise good governance, and what have them. But only Isko can promise he can do it again," Atty. Roco added. Moreno, for his part, said he is "really honored and grateful" to be Aksyon's standard bearer. The elder Roco was the party's last presidential candidate. He lost in the 1998 and 2004 elections. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 15) The Office of the Ombudsman is looking into alleged anomalies in the implementation of the Department of Labor and Employment's (DOLE) Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers (TUPAD) in Quezon City. In a press release Tuesday, the Ombudsman said the investigation was done motu proprio, meaning the agency initiated it on its own or without an outside party filing a complaint. "The Ombudsman continues to conduct in-depth investigations on alleged anomalies especially those committed in these trying times of the pandemic," Ombudsman Samuel Martires said. TUPAD is a cash-for-work program that aims to help workers affected by the health crisis. Beneficiaries will be paid after working anywhere between 10-30 days, depending on the nature of the job. The Ombudsman said its probe will focus on alleged illegal payment deductions presumably pocketed by congressional staff members or barangay officials. It will also investigate the alleged collection of "processing fees" from the wages of aid recipients The DOLE previously suspended the implementation of the TUPAD program in Quezon City over reported irregularities in the distribution of cash aid. According to the department's website, payment of wages of TUPAD beneficiaries are coursed through a money remittance service provider to ensure standard mechanics and service fees across all regions. In cases where an Accredited Co-Partner is involved in the implementation, the co-partner (including local government units) facilitate the payment of wages using a prescribed payroll, with representatives from DOLE's regional, provincial or field offices as witnesses. In a statement, the DOLE said the issue raised by the Ombudsman was the same case Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III wanted probed last year. "The case is with the NBI (National Bureau of Investigation) to look deeper in the complaints on the program implementation. The NBI already has sufficient information and is now up to them to file charges against those whom the agency deemed responsible for the wrongdoings in the implementation of the program," said the statement. DOLE expressed regret over the incident, but hopes that with the investigation by the Ombudsman, those involved could be identified. "The Ombudsman is on the right track," said the DOLE statement. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 15) - There is "very little" threat of hacking in the upcoming polls, as the country's electoral system is generally conducted offline, according to the Commission on Elections (Comelec). Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez on Tuesday told CNN Philippines' Politics As Usual that the public should not be too concerned of possible cyber risks harming the integrity of the May elections. "The Comelec stands by its word that there really is no threat to the electoral system," Jimenez said. "The way the electoral system is designed right now, speaking specifically of this point in time, we feel that there is very little threat to the integrity of that system arising from hacking." According to Jimenez, the "only point of vulnerability" is the period of transmitting voting data from the precinct to the municipal canvassing stations. But even if transmission is somehow disrupted or corrupted, he said there are still ways by which the poll body can ensure credible elections. "There are many redundancies that will allow us to recover the actual results if that is what we want to do, or even to quarantine the results so that they no longer form part of the election results. This makes our system very secure," he said. Jimenez also reiterated that Comelec servers were not hacked, contrary to a news report last January. He noted this has been settled by experts from the Department of Information and Communications Technology, the National Privacy Commission, and the National Bureau of Investigation. RELATED: No hacking of Comelec servers, but poll body not yet off the hook NPC "This hacking did not happen," Jimenez said. "In fact, the group that was identified as having supposedly hacked the Comelec themselves said that they were not hacking the Comelec - that they were, in fact, hacking someone else." He said experts are currently investigating this possibility of a third party being targeted. Jimenez also assured the public that the commission has strengthened its defenses to ensure the data breach in 2016 will not happen again. Two months before the 2016 elections, the Comelec website - linked to a database of over 50 million registered voters - was hacked by Anonymous Philippines. The poll body downplayed the incident, saying no sensitive information was compromised. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 16) President Rodrigo Duterte has signed a law requiring all schools in the country to provide inclusive education and services for learners with disabilities. Republic Act No. 11650, or the Instituting a Policy of Inclusion and Services for Learners with Disabilities in Support of Inclusive Education Act, aims to give learners with disabilities free, public and basic education and related services. The law also aims to give them access to general education system through formal school systems, including the implementation of alternative delivery modes, and to ensure they develop full potential towards self-sufficiency and become fully participative members of society. The new measure mandates the Department of Education and local government units to establish at least one Inclusive Learning Resource Center (ILRC) for learners with disabilities in all cities and municipalities. Existing Special Education Centers shall be converted into ILRCs. An Inter-Agency Coordinating Council for Learners with Disabilities will be also formed and it will be chaired by the Education Secretary, while the Health and Social Welfare secretaries will serve as co-chairpersons. The council shall ensure that all organizations concerned are implementing R.A. 11650, formulate a national policy on inclusive education, prepare and review a multi-year roadmap, and develop policy guidelines to ensure proper enforcement of laws, among others. The law also encourages partnership between the government and the private sector. Any donation from the private sector in favor of the DepEd for the provision of the necessary educational assistance, facilities, materials, and other appropriate support shall be entitled to the benefits and incentives provided under Section 5 ofAdopt-A-School Act of 1998, it said. General Santos City (CNN Philippines, March 15) - Vice President and presidential candidate Leni Robredo promised to prioritize the peace and order situation in the entire Mindanao as part of her "Angat Buhay sa Seguridad" pillar. "Whole of Nation approach po tayo sa terorismo, violent extremism, at insurgency. Hindi lang tutugisin ang lawless elements; tututukan po natin ang kahirapan, kalusugan, edukasyon, kabuhayan, at katarungan," Robredo said in her speech during the people's rally at Oval Plaza. [Translation: We'll do a whole of nation approach to combat terrorism, violent extremism, and insurgency. We won't just go after lawless elements; we will focus on poverty, health, education, livelihood, and justice.] To do this, she explained her administration will make sure there is proper and careful implementation of the Mandanas ruling. This way, funds allotted to communities will be downloaded immediately and used in needed programs, she noted. The Mandanas ruling increased the share of national government tax revenue transferred to local governments. It's Robredo's stand that insurgency cannot be resolved with a purely military solution. She said it can only be eradicated if the core issues are addressed. "Angat Buhay sa Seguridad" covers pushing for the country's rights in the West Philippine Sea, and responding to the needs of communities against insurgency. It will also operationalize the recommendations Robredo presented to Inter-Agency Committee on Anti-Illegal Drugs when she was still its co-chair for an effective and holistic fight against illegal drugs. The Vice President said she also plans to strengthen national defense and support the modernization of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. The Coastal Point is a local newspaper published each Friday and distributed in the Bethany Beach, South Bethany, Fenwick Island, Ocean View, Millville, Dagsboro, Frankford, Selbyville, Millsboro, Long Neck and Georgetown, Delaware areas. DNREC's Mosquito Control section is set to begin spraying via helicopter to control aquatic immature mosquitos, starting in southern Sussex County. It is the beginning of the annual mosquito-control program, which lasts until late October or early November. As 3/20 Coalition's seven days of action 3 Cops, 3 Years & 3 Shots events kicked off Monday in State College, Tierra Williams said she wants people to understand that its not just the day of [the three-year anniversary of Osaze Osagie's death] thats important its the days leading up to it that are important. State Colleges 3/20 Coalition hosted a Reflect & Respect event at the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Plaza to begin commemorations to honor the life of Osagie, where participants helped pick up trash and redesign signs. Williams, chair of the 3/20 Coalition, said the group wanted to start off the seven days of action by rededicating the memorial, remember those who were murdered by the police and remember Osaze Osagie. Osagie was a 29-year-old Black man who was killed by a State College police officer on March 20, 2019 when three officers arrived at his apartment to serve a mental health warrant. Osagie, who had autism and a history of schizophrenia, allegedly ran at the officers with a knife. After an unsuccessful attempt to deploy a Taser on him, he was allegedly shot by Officer M. Jordan Pieniazek. The three officers involved in the shooting have not been charged, and the 3/20 Coalition was founded as a result of the death of Osagie. Sylvester Osagie, Osaze's father, filed a lawsuit in November 2020 against the borough of State College, and Judge Matthew W. Brann of the U.S. Middle District Court of Pennsylvania set a long-term trial date in 2022. By keeping this week of action, by keeping this pressure on the borough, by keeping pressure on the police department, we constantly make people remember and make people kind of look at the situation with a different eye, Williams said. Event participants used chalk, paint and markers to redraw signs that had been destroyed by the weather, Williams said, and she was surprised with the turnout because of how cold it's been. If people wanted to come honor Osaze without coming to the events, they could come to the memorial, and it can look nice for them to pay their respects, Williams said. Williams urged the State College community to find a way to honor Osaze and the Black Lives Matter movement throughout the week. Its not all a sudden perfect now, were still going to demand people be responsible for their actions, for their words, for their hiring processes all of that here in State College and were determined for that, Williams said. For Williams, she is grateful for all of those who stuck with the coalition thus far. Geoff Landers-Nolan, member of the 3/20 Coalition and State College community member, said the event was important as a physical symbol of remembrance. This is the kickoff for the week of action around the third anniversary of Osazes death, Landers-Nolan said. This event is to clean up the memorial both for Osaze and for lots of other folks who have been victims of violence and to celebrate and remember them. Landers-Nolan said the memorial was put in place in May 2021 to honor the one-year anniversary of the death of George Floyd, a Black man who was killed by a white police officer on Memorial Day in 2020 in Minneapolis and whose death sparked nationwide protests. For Landers-Nolan, he was partly inspired to work with the coalition because hes a mental health professional, and Osagies death was directly mental health- and mental health crisis-related. The details of how it happened and specifically the fact that it was justified has never made sense to me, given what I know about mental health crisis situations and how the police respond, Landers-Nolan said. Landers-Nolan said Osaze's death should not have happened, and its never sat right with [him] since the beginning. The memorial is both political and emotional, Landers-Nolan said. Its a way to acknowledge whats real and offer a place for pain, and its also a place for celebration because were not forgetting or letting go of things that shouldnt be forgotten. Throughout the event, participants painted signs reading "Black Lives Matter" and names of those killed by police nationwide. Penn State student Sneha Prem Chandran said she was really excited to hear about the week of action events and appreciates the efforts the 3/20 Coalition has taken. I know that theres a lot of work to be done not just at Penn State but nationally and around the world as well, and I want to help in any way I can, Chandran (sophomore-data sciences and economics) said. Chandran said participating in these events is very important because its a way for students to make an impact since students dont have to be directly impacted in order to help out. As Penn State students, theres so much that we can do to help out whenever we can and just because were students, it doesnt mean that we cant make a difference," Chandran said. For Sonika Kohli, supporting the coalition's events is really important. Kohli (sophomore-biomedical engineering) said she didnt know too much about the 3/20 Coalition, but it was really cool to see it in action, which is something she said everyone should do. Theres this idea that you cant show up or you cant help out, Kohli said. I think thats something that I'm trying to work on showing up whenever I can because the burden is really on us to get better. At the end of the event, Williams rededicated the space with candles and song, cleansing the air with sage singing the words, Which side are you on? Im on the freedom side. As we bless this space, we ask that anyone who means harm not be allowed to enter, Williams said. We ask that the names in this space rest in power. MORE BOROUGH COVERAGE Slow down, youre doing fine//You cant be everything you want to be//Before your time// Although its so romantic//On the borderline, tonight. If theres one song to describe studying abroad, its Vienna by Billy Joel. If youve studied abroad, this probably makes perfect sense to you. If not, let me explain. I spent my entire schooling with the same exact people, from a small, Catholic grade school to a tight-knit high school. And then along with what seemed like half my town I went to the state-related school for college, where somehow everyone is connected to each other by a mutual friend or whatnot. All of a sudden, I touched down in Spain, and it hit me when else will I have the chance to live in Europe? I always say maybe one day Ill live here, but its never been a realistic plan, just something to imagine. So, I and basically every other student abroad have made the most of our time by knocking city after city off of our bucket lists. Time is ticking, and it almost feels like if I dont see it all now, I never will. Its just like Billy said, Where's the fire, what's the hurry about?//You better cool it off before you burn it out//You got so much to do//And only so many hours in a day. But the flights are cheap to get to any other country at least compared to the prices they would be in the U.S. So, I spent my first weekend in mid-January exploring Barcelona a bit. Since then, Ive traveled to Madrid, Seville, Milan, Lake Como, Budapest, Vienna and Rome. With schools back in the U.S. on spring break, I finally had the chance to stay in Barcelona again for the weekend as visitors flooded in, eager to see the foreign city Ive been living in the past few months. I relived the small joys of stumbling upon the gems of the city while showing them around and seeing their face light up while eating paella and croquettes foods Ive grown accustomed to in my everyday life. I went to not one, but two FC Barca games, where I watched a community of people come together to cheer and sing for the team the pride and joy of Catalonia. I translated conversations with locals for my friends and itched to remember why I saved my fuel for flights instead of going out and getting to know the friendly people of Barcelona. It was arguably one of the greatest weekends Ive had while abroad. I was so proud that everyone loved where I was living and were so fascinated to see one of the most unique cities Ive ever been to. As I said my tearful goodbyes, everyone was just as sad to leave their vacation but eager to get back to sleeping in their own beds and return to their normal life. Usually, I would say that I didnt have this at the moment, but as I went back to my apartment, I felt like I did gain this after the weekend I spent in Barcelona a home. Its always been my dream to travel the world and see all of these new places, and Im not going to stop doing so, especially with a plane ticket to Dublin with my name on it on St. Patricks Day. I even celebrated the Scottish rugby teams win against Italy in the streets of Rome with pretty much everyone from Scotland this included them putting me up on a chair and reenacting the Im flying scene from Titanic, since they renamed me Kate Winslet. While everyone on the streets who were packed shoulder-to-shoulder looked up and sang in unison to me, I wondered how on earth this could be my real life. However, I found myself falling asleep while standing later that night, and when the Scottish women I was talking with asked me why, it occured to me I hadnt slept in over two days. In fact, itd been over a week since I got more than five hours of sleep in a night there were too many people to see and places to get to. Vienna has always been on my playlists, and I think now Ive finally figured out what it means to me. Billy sings, Slow down, you crazy child//And take the phone off the hook//And disappear for a while//Its all right, you can afford//To lose a day or two. I think in my mission to be the crazy child whos too ambitious for a juvenile who Billy sings about Ive been so scared of losing a day or two full of chances I have to see the world that sometimes I forget to stop, breathe and look around a bit. Ive made it my goal to explore more of Barcelona in my free time between classes slowing down in a local cafe I havent been to before, making time with friends to eat staple Spanish foods weve been too busy to try or even just strolling through the small alleys of El Born. I want to know this amazing place like the back of my hand before I leave. If youre planning on studying abroad, youre going to want to do everything in the few short months you have and do it all. Throw three coins in the Trevi Fountain, take a boat along the Danube River at night, eat under the Eiffel Tower, listen to Vienna'' while in Vienna the possibilities are endless with such an amazing opportunity like studying abroad. But nothing is better than sleeping in a comfortable place after traveling, so get out and get to know the city thats offering you what you need. Dont get so ahead of yourself that you forget what you need a place that feels like a home to fly back to. Even after Bitcoin faced a third straight rejection from the European Union, investors remained confident in strengthening their altcoin positions. However, as Cointelegraph reported, BTC's run to a price of $50,000 is now seemingly arduous. The EU Parliament Committee on Monday threw out a policy proposal that would have mandated cryptos to transition to more environmentally friendly methods, thus prohibiting energy-intensive proof-of-work (PoW) mining. This proposal was adjoined to the Markets in Crypto Assets (MiCA) framework last week, a move slammed by crypto advocates globally. Cryptocurrencies Market Not Affected; Capitalizations Stay Flat, Altcoins Surge In response to this, the market appeared unperturbed, with market caps staying relatively flat in the past week, posting a slight 0.4% gain to $1.77 trillion, Coindesk reported. However this behavior was not seen in a number of altcoins, which had rose 17% or more in the last seven days. Bitcoin prices still managed to increase in value by 2.5% over the past week, as Ethereum took a 3.6% gain, Cointelegraph added. Altcoins, on the other hand, had surged in the last seven days, with THORChain leading the pack with a monstrous 65.73% rise to $7.0505, with a rally that followed its enabling of synthetic tokens last March 10. Read Also: Crypto Crash 2022: What Future Holds for Bitcoin As Market Sheds $1 Trillion Such derivatives are tied to the worth of the underlying collateralized assets. THORChain chose to support its synthetic tokens with 50% of the underlying asset and 50% in its RUNE token. Other tokens, such as ZCash (ZEC) and Monero (XMR) surged after U.S. President Joe Biden signed his landmark executive order that zeroed in on creating a cryptocurrency regulatory framework to avoid evasion of sanctions. Terra (LUNA) value, meanwhile, rose after its parent firm Terraform Labs donated $1.1 billion to its Luna Foundation Guard (LFG) reserves last March 11. Bitcoin Trading Volume Declines Ahead of Fed Meeting Over the past weekend, however, Bitcoin's trading volume sunk to its lowest level since February 19, indicating restraint among investors ahead of the U.S. Federal Reserve meeting this week. Uncertainty due to geopolitical concerns also led to the slowdown in the top cryptocurrency's trading activity, as seen in the blockchain data. In 2022, demand among Bitcoin holders flattened, showing what the crypto data firm Glassnote revealed as the "impact of global macro uncertainty on investor sentiment." This has led to "weaker BTC accumulation," Glassnote added in its blog post. Coindesk emphasized that such a narrow trading range from $35,000 to $40,000 would lead to higher volatility in the next two weeks, citing technical indicators. The put-call ratio, or the measurement investors use to assess market sentiment, has remained on a declining trend in the last few days, thus indicating a lesser bearish outlook among traders of Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. Analysts from Fundstrat Global Advisors said that even with the expected Fed rate increase, the "BTC put-call ratio continues to decline" from a high in February. This continuing decline, they said, indicated that "investors are starting to position for a longer-term risk." Related Article: How can one make a very productive trade in bitcoin trading? Police body camera shows Boulder officers arresting Seth Franco inside a restaurant in Boulder. Franco sued, and the judge in the case dismissed claims against the officers, concluding they were entitled to qualified immunity because their actions had not amounted to a violation of Franco's clearly-established rights. Halfway through this years session, the Republican legislative agenda is not looking good, with more than 50% of the partys Commitment to Colorado bill package already dead. Republican lawmakers unveiled the 44-bill package in January to address three core goals: affordability, education and public safety. As of Monday, Democrat-controlled committees have rejected 25 of them. Only five of the bills have advanced so far, with 11 still awaiting their first committee votes and three not yet introduced. Democrats hold the majority in both the state Senate and House of Representatives, with Republican lawmakers accounting for only 39 of the 100-member legislature. Of the 25 bills indefinitely postponed, 21 were rejected along strict party-line votes. Heres a look at which bills from the package were struck down and which still have a shot: Affordability Republicans and Democrats alike listed affordability as a main priority this legislative session. As the cost of living rapidly rose in Colorado in recent years, Republicans have blamed Democratic policies, such as tax and fee increases, and vowed to reverse the policies. One of the biggest bills in the package, House Bill 1062, has yet to be voted on. If passed, the bill would exempt all food from sales tax to lower the costs of groceries. It was introduced at the beginning of the session and assigned to the House Finance Committee, though its first hearing has not been scheduled. The bill has garnered support from restaurants and other eateries, but opposition from local governments. Another highly publicized bill, Senate Bill 93 sought to double property tax exemptions for seniors and veterans but was voted down last month. Other proposed tax changes include House Bill 1125, which seeks to temporarily reduce income tax by 0.05%, and House Bill 1021, which decreases the income tax from 4.55% to 4.4%. Both bills died in committee on Monday. Republicans are still promising a bill to repeal SB21-260, though it hasnt been introduced yet. SB21-260, which the legislature passed last session, is a $5.4 billion, 10-year plan from Democrats to build out Colorado's roads and bridges, create more electric vehicle charging stations, boost mass transit and mitigate air pollution. Republicans say their bill would repeal and replace parts of SB21-260, redirecting the funds to transportation infrastructure projects. Education The focus on education comes as the COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted schools, resulting in K-12 students struggling through online classes and criticism from many Republicans regarding the quality of public education. The most successful bill so far House Bill 1057 is the only measure in the GOP package passed by the House and Senate is now on its way to Gov. Jared Polis's desk. If enacted, the bill would temporarily waive the limit on days a retired teacher can work as a substitute to help address teacher shortages during the pandemic. House Bill 1126, which creates an income tax credit for classroom expenses, is also moving forward, after having received approval from the House Finance Committee on March 3. Five of the 10 education bills have met their end, including House Bill 1066, which would have required schools to post their curriculums, House Bill 1069, which sough to allow parents to request reforms for low-performing schools, and Senate Bill 39, which tried to give $723 million to the state education fund, fully repealing the budget stabilization factor starting in 2023. The budget "factor" is a budgeting tool that proportionally reduced the amount of total funding for each school district. The factor reduces state aid to districts. Two planned education bills have not yet been introduced. The first, a Senate bill, would create the means for equitable funding for all charter school students. The second, a House bill, would provide $5,000 vouchers for students to leave failing public schools and instead attend private or charter schools. Public safety Spurred by rising crime rates nationally and statewide, public safety is at the forefront of public consciousness this session. Polis, for example, unveiled a $113 million public safety package, which is currently advancing through the legislature. One of the bills in the Republican package, a grant program to hire police, combined with a similar Democrat-backed grant program to create the bipartisan Senate Bill 145. The bill seeks $30.5 million for three law enforcement grant programs to fund the following: crime prevention and intervention in high-crime areas; law enforcement recruitment, retention, tuition and training; and, improving law enforcement diversity. The bill is scheduled for the Senate Local Government Committee on March 22. Meanwhile, Senate Bill 67 would designate $50 million for a safe neighborhoods grant program to provide critical incident training to local law enforcement agencies. The Senate Judiciary Committee skipped tackling the bill on March 3, and it has not yet been rescheduled for a vote. The other three public safety bills under the package have all been killed. This includes Senate Bill 41 to establish a mandatory cash bail for repeat or violent offenders, Senate Bill 101 for $5 million to hire school resource officers and Senate Bill 111 to expand the Nursing Home Innovations Grant Program. Others In addition to its core three goals, Commitment to Colorado also features secondary priorities, including environmental conservation, employment and protecting the right to vote on new taxes. The package contains three bills on alternative energy: Senate Bill 73 to study the feasibility of using small nuclear reactors for energy, Senate Bill 118 to reclassify geothermal energy to match solar energy and House Bill 1140 to add green hydrogen as a state-defined renewable energy resource. Lawmakers voted down SB-73 last month, but advanced SB-118 to a second committee. HB-1140 hasnt been voted on yet. On employment, Senate Bill 116 aims to bolster Colorados workforce by making it easier for people coming from other states with a military occupational specialty to be credentialed here. The Senate approved the bill, and it is scheduled for its first House committee on March 23. Other employment bills were rejected, including Senate Bill 88, which sough to create a $650,000 scholarship program for trade education. Finally, House Bill 1059 is still on the table. The bill aims to require two-thirds approval from legislators for the creation or increase of any fee. Introduced at the beginning of the session, the bill is scheduled for its first vote on March 21 in the House State, Civic, Military & Veterans Affairs Committee. Colorado Politics is published both in print and online. Our website features subscriber-only news stories daily, designed for public policy arena professionals. Member subscribers also receive the weekly print edition of our award-winning newspaper, containing outstanding features and news stories, in their mailboxes every Saturday. Are you a current print subscriber to Columbia Gorge News? If so, you qualify for free access to all content on columbiagorgenews.com. Simply verify with your subscriber id to receive free access. Your subscriber id may be found on your bill or mailing label. NASA has confirmed the return of astronaut Mark Vande Hei from the International Space Station along with two other Russian cosmonauts. NASA's International Space Station manager confirms the return of American astronaut Mark Vande Hei. The International Space Station is scheduled to return three astronauts on Earth; one is from NASA and two others are from Roscosmos. However, due to the heated tension between Russia and the U.S., the return of NASA's Mark Vande Hei was questionable. NASA's Mark Vande Hei Return NASA confirms the return of astronaut Mark Vande Hei aboard a Soyuz rocket along with two other Russian cosmonauts. Currently, astronaut Mark Vande Hei is the world record holder for the longest space flight, and he is scheduled to return to Earth in just two weeks after spending 355 days in space. NASA and Roscosmos were caught in between political tensions as U.S. sanctions continue to cripple Russia's strength. With that, worries began to spread, questioning if the sanctions imposed in Russia includes their space partnership. Vande Hei's return could be postponed as a result of unprecedented sanctions imposed on the Russian Federation. When the aggression in Ukraine escalated, President Joe Biden addressed the media, stating that the United States would impose severe sanctions. The concern of numerous citizens was also fueled by the threat of Roscosmos's Director General Dmitry Rogozin in a video that was posted on Twitter. Rogozin threatened that he might leave NASA's astronaut Mark Vande Hei in space. Rogozin was confident in this threat as the three astronauts are going to board a Russian rocket back here on Earth from ISS. International Space Station Statement NASA's International Space Station Manager Joel Montalbano clarified the media and stated, "I can tell you for sure: Mark is coming home on that Soyuz" in a news conference today (March 14), ccording to Space.com. Montalbano also added, "We are in communication with our Russian colleagues; there's no fuzz on that." In addition, Montalbano addressed the issue stating that both teams are aware of what is going on around them. Despite the environmental tension, both teams are still able to carry on with work in order to maintain operations. He also stated that the invasion has had no negative impact on the morale or professionalism of the seven astronauts who are currently stationed on the space station: four Americans, two Russians, and one German. According to Montalbano, the space teams in the ISS continue to operate above and beyond all of this work, and there are really no conflicts between members of the team. Their training has prepared them for a specific job, and they are up there performing that job Read Also: NASA Will Take Your Name on a Trip Around the Moon NASA and Roscosmos The return of NASA astronaut Mark Vande Hei and cosmonauts Pyotr Dubrov and Anton Shkaplerov from the International Space Station on a Russian Soyuz spacecraft on March 30 has been a long-standing goal of the space agency. Vande Hei, Dubrov, and Shkaplerov will make their way to Kazakhstan's steppes for the first time. Vande Hei's physical condition will be assessed there by about 20 NASA employees, who will then transport him back to Houston, where NASA's human spaceflight program is based. Vande Hei has been in microgravity for more than a year, which can be extremely taxing on the human body, and he will finally be reunited with his family. Related Article: NASA's Astronaut Might Be Left in the International Space Station Due to U.S. and Russia's Conflicting Partnership 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 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 What's Included With a Digital Only subscription, you'll receive unlimited access to our website and e-edition. Our digital products are available 24/7 and are accessible anywhere, anytime. If you have any questions or need further assistance, please call our customer service team at 319-283-2144 or email circ@oelweindailyregister.com. Over the past two years, Swedish-English pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca has been at the heart of the response to the COVID-19 pandemic, developing a vaccine and supplying more than 2.5 billion doses to people in 170 countries. Like most organizations, it was forced to shift rapidly to a remote-work model for many of its 70,000 employees when the pandemic struck in March 2020. Connecting a range of workers, including lab staff, was vital to maintaining operations during what was an unprecedented period, said Cindy Hoots, AstraZenecas chief information officer and chief digital officer. Doing so meant relying on a variety of digital communications platforms such as Metas Workplace, the social network that Hoots said proved instrumental in connecting staff, whether they were working remotely or in one AstraZenecas laboratories. AstraZeneca Cindy Hoots, AstraZenecas chief information officer and chief digital officer. The following is a lightly edited account of a recent discussion with Hoots about AstraZenecas workplace collaboration strategy. You are both the CIO and CDO at Astra Zeneca. What do each of those roles entail? "In the CIO role, I lead up all of technology for AstraZeneca globally. It's about how we leverage technology as a competitive advantage, and how we think about not only infrastructure and cyber and data analytics foundations, but also all the applications and the support services that sit on top. "We are predominantly an insourced IT organization; most of our IT team are AstraZeneca employees and they're located in our main hubs. So, the US, the UK, Sweden, India, Guadalajara and, in Asia, India being one of our biggest center,s which holds about 45-50% of our employees from an IT perspective. "In terms of the chief digital officer role, it's really about how can we leverage new technologies, new mindsets, new ways of working to think about patient care, and how we can discover medicines more quickly and get them through the clinical trial process. "The digitalization effort is not only about how we're digitalizing our patient experience in our provider and HCP experience, but also how do we use digital internally to optimize the way we work, to automate work. So, for us, digital is really two-fold: it's an external view of how we interact with patients, providers, payers, etc., but also how do we bring to life new ways of working internally." You joined AstraZeneca shortly before the pandemic began. What was your experience here, and what were of some of the challenges you faced in supporting remote work? To what degree was AstraZeneca already prepared in terms of having applications infrastructure? "I joined AstraZeneca in January 2020, and several weeks later we saw the beginning of COVID-19 hitting China, and we have large Chinese operations. That was just a few weeks into my tenure, and I have to say the IT organization really did a phenomenal job. We were able to roll out different communication tools: we already had Workplace as a primary [communication tool], but Microsoft Teams, Zoom and other applications that we put on top of our lab systems and our R&D centers allowed us to remotely connect in and keep the business running at a time where people were starting to need to be at home. "Just a few weeks after that, we also needed to go to remote working in the US, the UK, and in Sweden, where we have predominantly our research centers. We were able to pivot very, very quickly into a digital world, which was a big credit to the underlying infrastructure and applications that we already had. We were able to keep all our clinical trials on track, we kept our manufacturing going, and we were able to put in different protocols to allow people to stay connected and continue to operate the business quite successfully." What were some of the tools that you were using? AstraZeneca has been trialling Workplace [from Meta] for several years what role did that play in connecting staff and maintaining productivity? "We've been a Workplace user since the early days of 2017, and then more widely across our organization in 2018. We now use Workplace across 70,000-plus employees to help them connect, learn, and break down some of the boundaries that exist in global companies. "Workplace really became a lifeline for our business during the pandemic. It helped those that were working in the labs continue to collaborate and get updated on all of the latest news, updates, and the company direction. "We used a variety of the tools like Workplace Live video, we would host Ask Me Anything sessions where our senior leaders were available for Q&A to help people as they navigated this unprecedented change. We also had special video sessions. We had the WHO [World Health Organization] COVID special envoys and our chief medical officer do a session, again, to help people understand the facts around COVID and our response. "Our CEO, Pascal Soriot, was able to stay connected with employees. We were used to being close to our employees so we wanted to make sure we didn't lose that connection. Workplace was integral to the way in which we worked together and kept informed during the pandemic." What other apps and tools were integral to supporting the workforce? Did you invest in new tools? "On the collaboration front, we also used Microsoft Teams. We were in some early stages of pilots prior to the pandemic with Microsoft Teams and that became a big lifeline as well, more so for the day-to-day working aspects of meetings and collaborating on particular projects, etc. "We are a big user of video; that really helped us be able to connect. I still haven't met 50% of my direct reports, because they're in countries that I haven't visited, but video brought us together. "Zoom was also another big collaboration tool that we used, predominantly when we were working with people outside [the organization]. The uptake of that was almost instantaneous. "Most people that hold the chief digital officer role found that the pandemic accelerated their organization in terms of how they could leverage technology to keep their business not only running, but thriving, during some pretty difficult times. What did you learn from that experience? "The biggest learning is how important it is to keep people connected and feeling that, even when they're not together, they're still working towards a common goal, a common purpose. [This meant] helping people navigate not only the work, but personal situations as well, and the uncertainty of what was happening around the world, not knowing how long we were going to be in that situation. So, again, that sense of connection and building those strong relationships was really important as part of our overall response. "Having tools that you can deploy easilyso that you don't need large amounts of time to be able to do training and upskilling [was important], also, working in a way that is more intuitive and rolling out solutions in a way that people can grasp them quite quickly. "It has reshaped our whole thinking around the types of applications that we use and [we moved] more to platforms, rather than individual applications, so that we can create a robust foundation on which to put new functionality on top of. Thinking about the user design, thinking about the user experience, became even more prominent because you didn't always have that face-to-face connectivity." Will AstraZeneca continue to support remote working going forward? We've always had a flexible work environment. A number of our salesforce have always been remote and that will continue. We see tools like Workplace and Teams and Zoom helping 'work anywhere,' as remote is not only when youre working from home. Oftentimes, you may be travelling and working. So, making sure we can support our employees from a technology perspective no matter where they're sitting is certainly part of what we look at, making sure we're prepared for the future." Can a hybrid strategy create its own challenges, supporting two different modes of working? "During the pandemic, we all got used to being able to work remotely and to the protocol that you would use during a meeting. As we come back to the office, relearning some of that etiquette [is important]. "One tip is that those in the meeting room still join on laptops so that we can use the chat features. [For example], if we have a meeting and we're broadcasting it onto Workplace, we get all the chats and the comments right there on Workplace and we can interact with them. "When we were all working from home, we changed people's perception about the way they could participate and be included in a meeting. We saw these tools Workplace, Teams, Zoom, etcetera give a voice to people that are more introverted, or may not have wanted to speak up in a meeting. Through the chat functions we were able to hear their voice and they can participate more fully. "So, yes, we're learning a little bit about how to come back to the office and still get all of the benefits that we found using these tools during the pandemic." What are your thoughts on innovation around workplace collaboration? Meta and Microsoft have developed VR collaboration tools is that something that youve been exploring? "Throughout the pandemic we started to use a lot more virtual reality, augmented reality: we are looking at its use in multiple different areas. One is we were using it for training our manufacturing operators on the lines. When we were doing training previously, we would oftentimes shut down a line to be able to do it. But through virtual reality, we're now able to help people understand what would really happen on the line. "We're using it in clinical trials, as well, to help people understand what the process feels if they go to a hospital: what does the inside of that hospital look like? They walk down the hall and see what door they will be going through. So helping people to visualize what those experiences look like before they're in a situation has been great. "We're also using it for internal training. We have put our facilities into a virtual reality room, so you can walk around our Cambridge office or our Gaithersburg office and join other people in there as well. So, yes, it's definitely something that I think we'll use more and more in the coming years." What else can you tell me about collaboration and employee experience plans at AstraZeneca going forward? "Collaboration is only going to get stronger. We see it as a way to drive inclusion within our organization, connecting people around the world. "We've been using Workplace to do things like crowdsourcing. We just leveraged it to look at our overall AstraZeneca strategy. We had 56,000 ideas submitted through Workplace from our employees over the course of two weeks; that resulted in millions of dollars worth of investment in new projects. "We did a whole session around capturing the learnings from the pandemic and we had 24,000 ideas submitted. An employee suggested we overhaul our performance rating system and that's been put into practice, so we've done away with performance ratings. So were seeing how the use of Workplace is changing the way we're running the business. We use it to maintain a high employee engagement score: 94% of our employees say that AstraZeneca is a great place to work and we see that Workplace is a fundamental contributor to that. So we're pretty excited about the future." 03/15/2022 Photo (c) Peter Zelei Images - Getty Images COVID-19 tally as compiled by Johns Hopkins University. (Previous numbers in parentheses.) Total U.S. confirmed cases: 79,564,757 (79,517,492) Total U.S. deaths: 965,203 (965,002) Total global cases: 460,209,648 (456,908,767) Total global deaths: 6,047,784 (6,041,077) U.S. cases surged on Monday The number of new COVID-19 cases reported in the U.S. has been dropping each day for weeks, but that trend suddenly reversed itself this week. The COVID-19 Tracking Project at Johns Hopkins University reported 55,480 new cases on Monday, about 18,000 more than the same date last year. There were only 6,382 new cases reported in the U.S. Sunday. The sharp increase comes as a number of countries around the world including China and France have suffered new outbreaks. Health experts attribute the rise in new cases, which appear to have less severe symptoms, to a new and highly contagious subvariant of the Omicron variant. Spring break crowds may feed COVID-19 surge Florida beaches were packed last week, with spring break crowds soaking up the sunshine and enjoying the first maskless holiday in two years. But some health experts think the celebration may be premature. Right now my message would be that COVID is not gone, Dr. Jill Roberts, associate professor at the University of South Florida (USF) College of Public Health, told WFTS-TV in Tampa. Roberts says the January surge in Omicron cases is probably responsible for the recent decline in new infections, but she said the virus is still around. She also noted that there has been some significant transmission recently in Florida. CDC may lose tracking tool As emergency power declarations approach their end, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says it may lose access to important data that helps it to track COVID-19. The emergency powers are scheduled to end as the U.S. marks the second year of the pandemic. "Data related to COVID-19 test results and hospitalizations are currently available because of the public health emergency declaration. When that declaration lapses, so does CDC's access to this important information," the CDC said in a statement to CBS News. CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said her agency only has been assigned the task of compiling COVID-19 data. It does not have the power to collect the data except under the emergency declaration. Around the nation Another CPU smuggler has been caught in China. China's General Administration of Customs (GAC) recently revealed in its Weibo account that they apprehended a smuggler who tried to get through customs with CPUs and folded mobile phones strapped to his body. Details on 'Walking CPU' According to the Administration's post, a man who goes by the name of Zeng entered China through Custom's "no-declaration channel" at Gongbei Port's travel inspection site on March 9. GAC agents then noticed that Zeng's walking posture was abnormal at this point, which prompted them to stop Zeng for an inspection. Once inspected, customs agents found 160 CPUs and 16 folded mobile phones taped onto Zeng's inner side of his calf, waist, and abdomen, which explains his abnormal walking posture. A VideoCardz.com report mentioned that the CPUs that were taped to Zeng's body were mostly Intel 11th and 12th Gen Core CPUs. Read Also: Samsung Galaxy A Series Leak: Samsung's Awesome Galaxy A Event Confirmed! PC Gamer's report added to VideoCardz.com's article, saying that the total price of CPUs Zeng tried to smuggle was close to $50,000. Currently, Zeng's case is being processed in accordance with China's regulations. Meanwhile, the man himself, now known as "Walking CPU," is presumably detained by Chinese authorities as GAS' post didn't mention his whereabouts after the investigation. China's CPU and GPU Smuggling Problems Zeng's case isn't the only one in GAS' recent investigations. Its officers and agents have also recently stopped a shipment of smuggled XFX Radeon RX graphics cards that were mislabeled to avoid paying the high import tax on the processors. According to Chinese authorities, the shipment they seized had as many as 5,840 graphics cards worth $3 million. A separate VideoCardz.com article revealed that the shipment of GPUs was imported by Pine Technology Holdings' XFX Division's Asian branch. XFX is an American electronics company specializing in the designing and manufacturing of video cards and power supply units, according to Pine's About Us page. Even though Chinese authorities did not confirm XFX's Chinese branch is directly involved, the company's Chinese website has been shut down, along with its official store on the T-mall retail website. Another Chinese national also tried to get past customs agents in 2021 with a record-setting 304 CPUs attached to his body like "Walking CPU." However, instead of Intel CPUs, this particular man tried to smuggle LGA1155 CPUs, which are smaller. Tom's Hardware also reports that Chinese customs agents have apprehended a smuggler trying to sneak in 256 Intel processors in 2021 using the same technique as "Walking CPU." Why Intel CPUs? Intel CPUs feature a Land Grid Array packaging and contact point design, whereas AMD's AM4 socket CPUs use a Pin Grid Array design featuring pins extruding from the processor's bottom. These pins could cause trouble for smugglers trying to tape these processors to their bodies as they could bend under pressure or upon impact. However, AMD has confirmed that it would transition into using AM5 sockets for its AMD Ryzen 7000 Series, which would use a Land Grid Array style, per XDA Developers' report. Related Article: Intel Bitcoin Mining Chip: Reveal Date, Specs of 'Bonanza Mine' Processor BSRIA held a market intelligence webinar on 9th February to showcase insight into the latest global heating, ventilation, and air conditioning market trends, in lieu of its usual attendance at the AHR Expo in Las Vegas. Head of BSRIA Worldwide Market Intelligence, Anette Meyer Holley, began the webinar by setting the scene. Globally, the HVAC market was in recovery from COVID in 2021 and is set to reach some $216 Bill in 2021. Air conditioning: residential and commercial markets as well as hydronic heat pumps saw the highest recovery rates with double digit growth, with heat pumps being the only market seeing sustained growth. Globally, the view is that we are moving from a pandemic to an endemic with focus on economic recovery. However, economic indicators are that due to prolonged uncertainty around COVID, the full extent of the recovery will be slightly delayed into the second quarter of 2022. Whilst the drive for net zero targets in buildings will continue to push renewables and energy efficient products and solutions, the speed of change is regional; in the US it is down to individual States pushing and reinforcing the agenda, with the East and West Coasts being in the forefront of adopting the energy codes set to push the Government agenda to reach an energy carbon neutral economy by 2050. Of course, COVID has also impacted the way we live, shop, and work, and some of these changes will be permanent. Whilst we have seen negative impacts on offices, hospitality, leisure, and the retail high street, other sectors such as data centres and warehousing have benefitted, but we are also seeing a significant boost in the manufacturing and health care sectors. The pandemic has put greater emphasis on indoor air quality (IAQ) to entice people back to work/schools etc and this, combined with the focus on energy efficiency and carbon neutral buildings, is really pushing digitalisation. The challenges the industry continue to face are rising energy and material costs, shortage of semi-conductors, logistical problems, as well as the ongoing concern with attracting young people into the industry resulting in a shortage in qualified labour. Added costs means that generally we will see increases in pricing levels across the industry, but the price increases will also partly be driven by higher sales on more energy efficient and high-tech products and solutions. Socrates Christidis, WMIs Heating and Renewables Research Manager, continued with a presentation on the trends in heating and renewables, considering the urgency to address climate change raised by the COP 26 conference in Glasgow, along with global carbon neutrality targets. Some of the challenges to move from traditional heavier carbon solutions to renewables are significantly driven by funding and international energy prices, whether it is related to energy taxation and the move to greener energy, or incentives to encourage a switch to renewables, such as heat pumps. However, on the residential side, it is also worth noting that some 99% of the housing stock are existing buildings, so the focus for change needs to be for solutions in existing buildings and not just new homes to push the agenda forward. The overall estimated market sizes for heating and (hydronic) heat pumps for 2021 were presented; with Europe representing the biggest market with 11 million units and still dominated by gas boilers, as in China, whereas furnaces typically installed with ducted splits dominate in the US. Socrates then presented the likely outlook for key product areas and introduced BSRIAs recently published study on HVAC 2030 looking at the potential future winning and losing technologies in residential heating in the US, Europe and China. The study is based on 2 scenarios conservative and progressive and based on desk research looking at predictors and disrupters, modelling BSRIAs vast historical data and primary research with industry experts. Despite the focus on pushing renewables, it is difficult to change traditional habits quickly and policies and regulations not enough to change the market. Hydronic Heat pumps continued to grow during the pandemic and will continue to see high growth rates, whilst the demand for traditional boilers will start to see a negative growth over the next few years. The US is expected to see growth rate of HPs of 42% between 2021-2026, compared to 30% in China and 20% in Europe, but note this is from a very small base. Beyond to 2030 in the progressive scenario; heat pumps will still continue to grow, but furnaces will still be around as a technology; even as a back-up but there is also expected to be a continued shift to air to air HPs in ducted and ductless splits. In Europe expectations are that as legislation tightens the move away from oil and gas will continue and we will see a faster penetration of a-w HPs in both new and replacement applications, with air to air HPs replacing direct electric heating. The Chinese market is highly policy driven, but there is a clear move away from coal to gas. Developments are likely to be very regional depending on energy polices and availability. Whilst we expect all HP types to grow; the drive to use gas also means that the market for boilers is expected to continue to grow. Saziye Dickson; Research Manager of VAC&R, went on to look at the global AC market and presented insights into BSRIAs latest report on US Indoor Air Quality, which will be followed by a European study later this year. The focus on IAQ following the pandemic has meant 25-35% growth rates are expected from 2020-2025 for IAQ controls, MERV 13+ and UV-C solutions. The air conditioning market is expected to see a double-digit growth rate of between 16-17% by value in 2021 globally for most of the key residential products, apart from windows and moveables, which was just 3%. In the commercial segment, which of course was hit by changes in the way we worked and shopped during the pandemic, the picture was more of a mixed bag and heavily influenced by the major markets; the US and China. Hence the rooftop market in the US saw good growth of 25% whereas maxi VRF growth was at a much lower level than mini-VRF at just 8% vs 16% due to the impact on retail, offices, hotel, and leisure. Chiller markets also saw double digit growth. Saziye then reviewed the growth between 2018-2021 for each of the key regions. For the Americas the trend is dominated by the US, which faired well and was stimulated by Federal Government stimulus packages with focus on IAQ and energy efficiency, recording a 19% growth in 2021 in the light commercial sector, and 8-9% in the residential and commercial sectors. In Asia, China moved to more normal market conditions earlier than the rest of the region and although growth rates are not what we have seen in the past; 2021 saw a recovery which meant that the region reached pre-pandemic regions in 202, with growth rates of 7-9%. The highest growth was in the residential sector driven by replacement, home working and a drive to high efficiency units. In EMEA the commercial markets are taking longer to recover and not expected to reach pre-pandemic levels until 2023.However, the residential and light commercial markets recovered well in 2021 with growth of 14% and 17% respectively as replacement is pushing sales and the demand from Northern Europe and markets with a lower residential penetration have been rising. The increasing demand for energy efficiency means that the penetration of inverters in splits has now reached 82% in Europe and 76% in Asia Pacific for splits but still remains relatively low at 30% in the Americas. Chiller penetration of inverters is lower at 40% in Europe. In terms of heat pumps; the trend is towards installing heat pumps as a bivalent system. Whereas heat pumps were previously widely mainly adopted in scroll chillers; they are now being adopted in larger screw and centrifugal chillers with the highest penetration in Asia Pacific with 70%, 40% in Europe but just 5% in the Americas. R32 is now widely used in single splits and by 2025 85% of units are expected to be supplied with R32 in Europe. The progress will be much slower in the Americas where R410 will continue to dominate with R32 estimated to account for just 20% by 2025.However, there are also moves towards R290, as R32 is not viewed as a long-term solution and this refrigerant is increasingly favoured by the Chinese manufacturers. For chillers it is more of a mixed picture with scroll chillers moving away from R410A to R32, R134A and R513A expected to combined account for a third of scroll chillers in the Americas by 2025. For screw and centrifugal chillers the move away from R134A will reflect more of a mixed picture in terms of refrigerants, but there is a clear move to R1234ze and zd. The presentation was wrapped up by presented the increasing move from HVAC suppliers to set up regional production points in order to ease material and logistical problems; a trend that was already happening, but has been reinforced by the mismatch in supply and demand during the pandemic. The final presentation focused on Building Controls and Smart buildings in the commercial segment and was presented by Lone Hansen, Senior Manager for IT Cabling, BACS & Associated Technologies. Lone pointed out that the definition of a smart building is one that connects technologies and automates processes to improve their performance; and that the buildings continuously learn, adapt, and respond. However, overall, only 1-2% of commercial buildings deploy truly cutting edge smart technologies with fully integrated products and services; some 10% have several integrated smart technologies; whilst 40% have some level of smartness. When looking at the US market and the individual uptake of services in smart buildings the largest number of connections are for surveillance cameras but with a modest growth of around 7%. AV and access controls are expected to see the highest growth rates to 2025 of between 16% and 20%. IP sensors are also expected to see healthy growth but from a very base, whilst the growth in BMS and HVAC controllers will be more modest. The pandemic pushed the need to control the indoor environment and has further driven stand alone solutions that are also suitable for smaller buildings to incorporate things like fresh air, smart lighting, access controls and measure room occupancy and site management solutions. Overall, the global BACS market recovered in 2021 but saw a modest 4% growth and a market value of $5.4 Bill. The growth in the US was relatively modest, with the highest growth expectations in Germany, Netherlands, Mexico and South East Asia, with Singapore leading the way. The US BACS market including software, hardware, controllers and field devices is estimated at $1.77 billion in 2021; which saw a bounce back of 4% growth compared to -5% in 2020. Like the rest of the industry the market was hit by supply chain issues, which restricted growth. Some of the key factors affecting the industry was the fact that many people continued to work from home, or at least as a hybrid solution. However, it did not become the norm and a chart from some key cities around the world highlighted that the work from home policy in key cities did not really change that much and varied between 5-16% in Europe; and was generally lower in North America and Asia Pacific. This was partly as working from home only generally applied to key services such as professional services, information, and communication sectors, whereas for others it was much lower. Nevertheless, the trend is expected to continue to develop over the next decade as the shortage of staff means that there will be more pressure on employers to offer flexible working when possible. This is likely to impact the office sector which will look to downsize or look for flexible office space. There is no doubt that the pandemic has given a boost to technology; telehealth for example has gone up 38% in the US and we have seen a boost in Automation and AI to narrow the gap between GDP growth and office employment. However, there is pressure on large public companies to be in the forefront and demonstrate their commitment to net zero and energy efficiency targets and 20% of the worlds largest 2000 companies have made this commitment. Another example is the target for net-zero emissions by 2045 in 300,000 Federal buildings. This in turn also puts pressure on the supply chain, which needs to commit to similar targets to be an approved supplier. Increasing use of technology also enables the potential for cyberattacks, which have increased 150% in the US, and smart buildings can be a paradise for hackers to steal information, control systems, and cripple entire networks. Although most large organisations have IT policies and procedures, many companies have not comprehensively addressed security issues around their operational technology (OT) infrastructure. Security covers design, installation, protection, updates of software, traffic encryption and monitoring, passwords etc. Hence there will be growth in physical security products and as previously mentioned access controls. The presentation finished off highlighting 3 key growth trends in the smart area: Connectability of products with some using gateways; BSRIA recent field device study showed that sensors, actuators and dampers increasingly connected mainly using BUS but IoT protocols are also emerging. Significant increase in analytical and energy efficiency software. Over half the analytical software is cloud based, with the majority is sold as SaaS and a small share is installed on the customers own cloud. A trend away from a product to more of a systems approach to service and maintenance. Many suppliers and Systems integrators are increasingly offering SaaS with no option for buying the software on its own. BSRIAs next Global HVAC insight presentation will be at the MOSTRA show, which will have a strong focus on Europe within a global context. Source: https://www.bsria.com Corsicana, TX (75110) Today Mainly cloudy. A few peeks of sunshine possible. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 86F. Winds SSE at 10 to 20 mph.. Tonight Scattered thunderstorms developing late. Low 72F. Winds SSE at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 40%. We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Submit Community News Top Apple supplier Foxconn Technology Group, formerly known as Hon Hai Precision Industry Co Ltd, is looking at setting up a facility in the Middle East after it considered "diversifying manufacturing presence" due to rising U.S.-China tensions. According to a Wall Street Journal report, Foxconn is considering to build a $9 billion multipurpose factory set to manufacture microchips, electric-vehicle components, and other electronics displays. Foxconn is set to use the facility for other product types aside from its current supply chain, as the demand for electronics components and other factory products in other industries has risen in recent years. This includes the booming segment of electric vehicles, which Foxconn is planning to sink its teeth in. Foxconn uses its facilities around the world to manufacture such Apple products as the iPhone and the iPad. This comes as Apple is expected to release the next generation of the iPhone, the iPhone 14, this fall. Saudi Arabia Considering Foxconn Offer That Includes Bid for Big Investment Perks The company first proposed the dual-line facility to be built in Saudi Arabia, which is reviewing the offer. It is also pitching the same project in the United Arab Emirates. Read Also: Silicon Valley Tech Hub of China Halts Production; Will This Mean Delay for the iPhone 14? In exchange for setting up a high-tech manufacturing sector in these countries, Foxconn is pursuing such perks as financing, tax holidays, and subsidies for utilities such as power and water, the report added. Saudi Arabia, for its part, had been looking at diversifying its oil-focused economy. Foxconn itself is seeking to diversify its own production in a bid to protect its business against global events, such as the Ukraine conflict, trade disputes, and the COVID-19 pandemic. The WSJ report further said that the Saudi government may offer "direct equity co-investment, industrial development loans, low-interest debt from local banks and export credits," which it will pit against other countries Foxconn is considering to build their multipurpose facility. This is amid Saudi Arabia's push to establish an industrial sector in line with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's initiative to reshape the kingdom's economy to complement its oil industry, in a world shifting to renewable energy, the report added. As Saudi Arabia continues to review Foxconn's proposal, it is exercising due diligence and comparing the Foxconn offer against others pitched to other countries. Prince Mohammad will make the final approval before the project in his kingdom proceeds. The Crown Prince had visited Apple Park a few years ago, meeting with Apple CEO Tim Cook and other company executives, discussing app development education initiatives, investments, and others. Foxconn Saudi Facility Targeted at Emerging Tech-Focused City of Neom In a separate Reuters report, Foxconn is looking at building the facility, which known as a "foundry," in the tech-focused Saudi city-state of Neom, which the kingdom is developing in the desert. The Saudi government wants Foxconn to guarantee that it would dedicate at least two-thirds of the facility's production to the company's current supply chain. Foxconn has been likewise signing large investment deals around the world, including agreements in Taiwan and India. It, however, scaled back on plans to build a $10 billion facility in Wisconsin. Related Article: [RUMOR] iPhone 14 Coming This Year? Design Changes, New Features, and Release Date Leaks Many movie twists are some variation on the same idea: "None of this was real." It was all a dream, we learn in the end. Or, the main character's insane and just imagined the whole thing. The twist occasionally works well but otherwise deeply frustrates viewers, who end the story wondering what the point was. Then came Rosemary's Baby, which pulled off a double twist. Rosemary appears to have a terrifying dream, or might be losing her mind, but noin the end, it was all real, and even more scary than she feared. This double twist would itself become a bit of a cliche in the years to come (now, when the heroine doubts her sanity when the movie's far from done, you know she's sane and her earlier fears were right). But if you were around in 1968, you might have watched Rosemary's Baby and been surprised. Unless you were an obedient Catholic and avoided the film, as it was forbidden. At the time, an organization called the Catholic Legion of Decency issued guidance on which movies Catholics could watch. If the Legion rated a movie "A," that meant it was fine. "B" meant that they objected to the movie, though only in part. Rosemary's Baby received the harshest rating, "C," which meant it was "condemned." Reading this now in the 21st century, you might imagine that this was one group of nutters, while the Pope in Rome instead said, "Why are you worrying about movies? Jesus had but one worldly commandment: Be excellent to each other." Actually, the Pope at the time told church leaders that they must review movies to guide the flock morally, and he personally laid out the three-tier rating system. Though a Cincinnati bishop started the Catholic Legion of Decency on his own in 1934, the Pope issued an encyclical in 1957 formalizing the rating system, advising all Catholics to avoid immoral films, and forbidding Catholic movie projectionists from screening films that are condemned. Another way to put the problem is to say that what ESG data firms have missed is that investors do not care about ESG. Yet a third way to put it is to say that investors cannot be bothered to read contracts, so you can get them to agree to the most outrageous things if you just have the chutzpah to write it down and hope they don't notice. The Russian sovereign bonds nicely illustrate both of these latter possibilities. Anyway, you probably were not wondering about the link between Russian sovereign debt and ESG investing. Neither were we, because, well, why would anyone wonder about that? It seems obvious that investors buy Russian sovereign debt specifically because they do not care about ESG goals, at least for purposes of that investment. The ESG part of the investors brain is off doing something else while the part that chases yield buys Russian bonds. But most investors claim to care about ESG goals. And some people seem to be wondering what it means that investors who make this claim sometimes hold Russian bonds too. One way to understand this fact is to posit a flaw in ESG metrics. As the Financial Times summarizes one expert in sustainable finance , Russias invasion of Ukraine has exposed the failings of asset managers and data analytics firms in their assessment of environmental, social and governance risks. An implication is that ESG data firms need to look at [the war in Ukraine] and ask themselves what they have missed. We can think of two models of ESG investing. (At Bloomberg, Matt Levine has a more sophisticated take ; also here .) One is normative, simple, and apparently held by very few investors. It goes something like, dont invest in bad activities or borrowers. A second model, apparently more common, is that investors rely on ESG metrics to inform them about potential risks and economic implications of a borrowers ESG-related practices. As Sustainalytics puts it , Material ESG issues (MEIs) are business issues related to environmental, social, and governance factors that may have a measurable impact on financial performance. We confess that we dont really understand this second model, or how it differs from an investment approach that puts risk-adjusted returns above all else. But it seems to make people feel good. Consider the Alternative Payment Currency Event clause in a subset of Russias international bonds. As we have written here before, and discussed on Clauses and Controversies (here and here), these clauses let the Russian government pay in another currency if, for reasons beyond its control, it cant come up with the currency specified for repayment. In a euro bond, for example, the alternative currencies are US dollars, Pound sterling or Swiss francs. But if one of these currencies isnt availableagain, for reasons beyond its controlthe Russian Federation can pay in rubles. The Russian government appears to take the position that the sanctions imposed by the US and other governments have triggered this clause, allowing it to pay rubles to holders of bonds denominated in USD or euros. Investors are shocked...shocked!...at this interpretation. They shouldnt be. We think there is a reasonable probability that a court in London or New York would reject the Russian interpretation. (ISDA's Determinations Committee has just considered the treatment of the bonds for CDS purposes.) But the interpretation is more than plausible. Indeed, one way to understand this subset of the Russian bonds is that they express a quite simple, straightforward idea: Investors assume the risk of sanctions. Or, to put it a bit differently, investors implicitly agree to finance misbehavior by the Russian government. We suspect most investors would vehemently protest this characterization. And we accept that this is in good faith. But its hard to know what to make of these protestations in light of the disclosures that accompany Russias sovereign bonds. For example, the November 18, 2020 prospectus for euro-denominated bonds due 2027 and 2032 includes nearly 7 pages of risk disclosures related to existing and potential sanctions. It is a collection of Putins greatest hitsall of the activities that have led to the imposition of sanctions and might lead to even more sanctions in the future. There are old classics, like how, in March 2014, following mass protests and a change of government in Ukraine, the citizens of Crimea voted by referendum to join the Russian Federation. (You may remember events a bit differently.) And the one about how armed conflicts arose in the Eastern part of Ukraine, resulting in the creation by citizens of the Donetsk Peoples Republic (DPR) and the Lugansk Peoples Republic (LPR). And surely you recall the alleged violation of international law in connection with a nerve gas incident in the United Kingdom. For the slow-witted, the prospectus also points out that events like these have already led to sanctions against the Russian government and its sovereign debt and might lead to more sanctions in the future: [C]ontinued geopolitical tensions, particularly if they were to result in additional sanctions (including those relating to Russian sovereign debt) and retaliatory measures, could have a material adverse impact on the Russian Federation's economy, the economies of the other countries involved, global economic conditions and the trading price of the Bonds. For the especially slow-witted, the risk factors point out that sanctions and related geopolitical tension have caused the ruble to depreciate and that further depreciation might adversely affect ... the Russian Federation's ability to repay its debt denominated in currencies other than the rouble, including amounts due under the Bonds. (See pages 11-17 for the quotes.) Given these disclosures, it is no wonder that Russia asserts the right to pay in rubles. Look, the Russians say, we told you we might do more stuff that got us sanctioned and that sanctions might affect our ability to pay you in hard currency, and you agreed that we could pay you in rubles if that happened. If we just view the bonds as a contractinstead of a document that implicates a broader geopolitical conflictthis is a pretty plausible view. Again, it would not surprise us if a tribunal rejected it, largely because the contract, read the way Russia suggests, is pretty despicable. As we say above, it effectively provides for investors to fund Russian misbehavior. Against this backdrop, it seems a bit of a non-sequitur to say that investors are not adequately taking ESG goals into account. They arent! But thats kind of an indirect way to state the problem. The problem is (i) that investors arguably have assumed the risk that a previously-sanctioned, authoritarian regime will be subject to additional sanctions and (ii) that many investors didnt know they had done this until the Russians pointed it out. Sure, ESG data firms should update their ESG metrics. But please, someone, read the contracts. 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 China Red Cross Society provides more humanitarian aid for Ukraine Xinhua) 08:42, March 15, 2022 BEIJING, March 14 (Xinhua) -- The Red Cross Society of China announced Monday that it has sent a third batch of emergency humanitarian aid supplies to the Ukrainian Red Cross Society. The new supplies, including milk powder for children and quilts, left Beijing on Monday and are expected to arrive in Warsaw, Poland, on Monday. They will then be transported to Ukraine. The first batch of supplies has already arrived in Ukraine and has been distributed by the Ukrainian Red Cross Society to displaced persons most in need. (Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Liang Jun) Mozilla Firefox recently updated its web browser releasing Firefox 98.0.1. Along with the recent update yesterday, March 14, Firefox also stated that it will remove Russian search engines from its browser. Mozilla Firefox Removes Yandex Mozilla Firefox has decided to temporarily suspend Russia's search engine providers. While numerous companies like Apple, Microsoft, Facebook, and Twitter have withdrawn their presence in the country in response to the geopolitical chaos Russia is causing, other tech companies like Mozilla are also making efforts in eradicating fake news and misinformation on the internet. In line with the current events, Mozilla has decided to suspend Yandex Search, Mail.ru, and OK.ru due to the search engines favoring state-sponsored reports. In Russia, these three websites are among the most popular on the internet, with over a hundred million visitors per month. Mozilla has made Yandex its default search engine in Russia since 2014. Mozilla's suspension of the Russian search engines extends to Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Turkey. According to BleepingComputer, a spokesperson from Mozilla explained that the suspension was not made abruptly without proven evidence. Mozilla made thorough and careful research on the cause and impact of the situation before deciding on the ban. A Mozilla spokesperson stated: "After careful consideration, we are suspending the use of Yandex Search in Firefox due to credible reports of search results displaying a prevalence of state-sponsored content, which is contrary to the principles of Mozilla. This means for the time being Yandex Search will not be the default search experience (or a default search option) for users in Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Turkey. In the meantime, we are pointing people to google.com." Mozilla Firefox 98.0.1 The announcement of the suspension came from Mozilla through its release of Firefox 98.0.1. Along with the release of the new version today, Mozilla announced that the Yandex and Mail.ru search providers had been removed from the browser's drop-down search menu. On the official page of the Firefox 98.0.1 release, the company did not include details as to why the search engines were suspended. Firefox stated: "If you previously installed a customized version of Firefox with Yandex or Mail.ru, offered through partner distribution channels, this release removes those customizations, including add-ons and default bookmarks. Where applicable, your browser will revert back to default settings, as offered by Mozilla. All other releases of Firefox remain unaffected by the change." An anonymous Hacker News reader pointed out that, in addition to Yandex and Mail.ru, the Russian social networking site Odnoklassniki (ok.ru) was also removed as part of this process. As a subsidiary of Mail.ru, BleepingComputer has learned that they have been impacted as well. Read Also: Apple Watch Firmware Problems: Can Apple's iOS 15.4 and WatchOS 8.5 Fix it? New Features of Firefox 98.0.1 In the Notes released by Firefox, its new update will allow users to choose their own desired search engines as their default. They can choose from numerous options the company will provide. However, Mozilla was unable to obtain formal permission to continue including certain search engines in Firefox. Some users who had previously configured a default engine may notice that their default search engine has changed in this release. In addition to the new feature, Firefox now has a more efficient download flow. Instead of prompting each time, files will be downloaded automatically instead. However, they can still be accessed directly from the downloads panel by simply clicking on them. Related Article: NASA's Astronaut Might Be Left in the International Space Station Due to U.S. and Russia's Conflicting Partnership When GitHub launched the code autocomplete tool Copilot in June 2021, many developers were in awe, saying it reads their minds and helps them write code faster. Copilot looks at the variable names and comments someone writes and suggests what should come next. It provides lines of code or even entire functions the developer might not know how to write. However, developers using unknown suggestions without verifying them can lead to security weaknesses. Researchers at the New York University's Tandon School of Engineering put Copilot to the test and saw that 40% of the code it generated in security-relevant contexts had vulnerabilities. "Copilot's response to our scenarios is mixed from a security standpoint, given the large number of generated vulnerabilities," the researchers wrote in a paper. They checked the code using GitHub's CodeQL, which automatically looks for known weaknesses, and found that developers often get SQL-injection vulnerabilities or flaws included on the 2021 CWE Top 25 Most Dangerous Software Weaknesses list. Also, when it comes to domain-specific languages, such as Verilog, it struggles to generate code that's "syntactically correct and meaningful." Many of these issues stem from how Copilot was built. First, the model was trained on code posted by anyone on GitHub, and a large proportion of it has not been vetted. Second, open-source repositories might contain a lot of repeating code patterns that do not implement sufficient bounds and checks on input and behavior. Copilot ends up suggesting such patterns on the assumption that the more frequent a pattern, the more widely used and, thus, secure it is. The third, the code it produces is not compiled and not checked for potential security issues. Researchers also say that some secrets inadvertently left in someone's repository could potentially surface in code that's automatically suggested to another person, so that there could also be ethical implications or intellectual property issues. As code autocompletion tools become more popular, such issues start to have implications for both individual developers and organizations. Using these tools securely and finding ways to build new ones that offer safer code could revolutionize programming. Developers and security experts say the industry should pay attention to a couple of things, ranging from training these models on the right set of data to following best practices for writing code and putting security checks into place. "I think there's certainly a lot of good to be had," said Hammond Pearce, research assistant professor at NYU Tandon School of Engineering, who co-authored the paper. How AI-based autocompletion tools generate code GitHub Copilot was developed on top of a model called Codex, developed by OpenAI. Codex is a descendant of GPT-3 and uses a large neural network that predicts human-like text or snippets of code. "There is a difference between GitHub Copilot and OpenAI Codex," says Pearce. "We've used both models quite extensively, and we've observed that there's definitely some additional functionality in there." (GitHub did not say what this additional functionality is. It declined a request from CSO Online to talk about the security of AI-generated code.) According to the NYU researchers, some bits of suggestions these two models offer are taken from code already written by random developers who put their work on GitHub. However, the models often come up with code that has never been seen before. "[Copilot] is very good at coming up with novel code that has not necessarily been seen before. But will it reproduce patterns? Yes, it will," says Pearce. A big issue with AI-powered code autocompletion tools like Copilot, Tabnine, Debuild, or AlphaCode is that they lack context, which can be problematic from a security standpoint, says Brendan Dolan-Gavitt, a member of NYU Center for Cybersecurity and an assistant professor of computer science and engineering at NYU Tandon. "These models don't understand code in the sense of knowing this is a variable, and this thing is an integer," he says. "They understand it at the level of this text I have seen is usually followed by this other text. It doesn't have a notion of what is good code." Training the programming models While Copilot is a universal model and can speak any programming language, it tends to be more accurate with Python, JavaScript, TypeScript, Ruby and Go, because more code has been written in these languages and placed on GitHub. The more data there is to train an AI, the better the predictions. "GitHub has a massive amount of code," says Brandon Jung, vice president of ecosystem and business development at Tabnine. "There's a lot of data they can shove into a model. The theory goes, if you get a big enough model and throw enough [computing power] at it, you can have one model to rule them all." The problem is not with quantity but with quality. "From a statistical point of view, there are more bad code examples than there are good ones even in popular repositories," says Lucian Nitescu, red team tech lead at Bit Sentinel. Even good code can lead to bad outcomes because best practices change over time. According to the NYU researchers, Copilot frequently tried to generate code that was acceptable many years ago but is now considered insecure. For instance, it suggested developers use the MD5 hashing algorithm. "When [developers] wrote that code, it was good code," says Pearce, "but now, the world moved on. We learned new strategies for doing things; we learned new strategies for attacking things; we have more powerful machines. As a result, that code is no longer secure from a best practice point of view." Such wrong suggestions are imminent when AI-powered code autocomplete tools are trained on random code rather than code that is known to follow current best practices and has been audited for security flaws, and organizations should be aware of that, says Jung. Tabnine's approach is a little bit different than that of Copilot. Instead of building a big universal model operating across several programming languages, it makes smaller models that are customized to meet teams' needs. Instead of a Swiss Army knife, it offers clients personalized Phillips head screwdrivers if screwdrivers are all someone needs. According to Jung, it means that the training set, while smaller than that of GitHub, can be more targeted, more up-to-date, and better written. "So, suggestions will be better," he argues. Another advantage to smaller models is that they can work anywhere and require less computing power than large ones. They can run on a developer's laptop without the need to upload code to the cloud, which might make professionals or companies uncomfortable. Jung says Tabnine updates its universal model on a quarterly basis and individual models as often as needed. It's not just models that need training. For the human-AI pair to write good code, the person's access to knowledge should also be facilitated. Training devs to use AI-generated code Often, young developers are more likely to accept suggestions coming from an AI, especially when they lack experience in a particular area. The goal should be to also help them learn, not just to help them finish their job quickly. Jung argues that the best way to do that is by offering small chunks of code rather than large snippets. "The mental overhead for a developer is much, much higher on a huge snippet," Jung says. "For the industry, it's really bad because people aren't learning to actually code. They don't understand how it works." Large snippets look seductive, but they can cause harm in the long run because they lack any explanation or context around them. It can be worse than copying code from Stack Overflow, he argues. "In Stack Overflow, there are comments," Jung says. "You may not read it, although you should, but at least there's a chance that people are learning why they would implement something, and how it was implemented." Tabnine experimented with large snippets of code a few years ago but ultimately decided against that. Instead, it offers developers only small chunks, which can be better written by the AI and better understood by devs, which ultimately leads to code that's more likely to follow best practices and be secure. To educate devs, the company also facilitated the transfer of knowledge from senior to junior members of a team. Every time senior devs write code, that team's personalized model evolves. It looks at how seniors write code, making recommendations to help junior developers. "I'm not going to pretend it's as good as someone sitting next to you and helping you, because it's not," Jung says, "but it's dramatically better than where we've been in terms of security of code, quality of code, and just getting a dev much faster up to speed in a codebase." Security checks on AI-generated code AI-powered code autocomplete tools have improved over the past years, but there's still one important issue they lack. Tools like Copilot or Tabnine dont "look at the state of security of the code they examine, nor the code they produce," says Greg Young, vice president of cybersecurity at Trend Micro. The task of checking the code falls in the hands of the developers. "The provided code should not be considered fully secure unless we perform an exhaustive security analysis on every function and its uses," says Nitescu. He adds that developers should perform "automated and manual security code reviews and follow the domain best practices defined within any specific language documentation before using generated code in production environments." Nitescu recommends the following standards and documentation: There are also automatic tools that check the code for potential security issues. One, CodeQL, which was used by the NYU team when testing Copilot offered, looks for a wide range of security weaknesses and can identify bugs. Both Tabnine and Copilot advise developers to use such tools to check their work. Still, they don't incorporate security checks, although security experts say that such a feature would be nice to have. "It would be great if Copilot today had AI to improve security," says Young, "but maybe in the future." Eventually, AI-powered code generators could evolve to filter out bugs and even suggest secure implementations, but there's still a long way ahead. For now, developers and code maintainers are responsible for the security of the code they submit. Russia is offering its own Transport Layer Security (TLS) certificates to bypass sanctions imposed by Western companies and governments that are limiting citizens access to websites amid the nations invasion of Ukraine. Restrictions on foreign payments are leaving many Russian websites unable to renew certificates with international signing authorities causing browsers to block access to sites. As a result, the Russian state has launched a domestic TLS certificate authority (CA) for the independent issuing and renewal of TLS certificates. The risks of Russian-owned and -issued TLS certificates are significant and include traffic interception and man-in-the-middle (MitM) attacks. Russian certs replace revoked or expired foreign certs TLS certificates most known as SSL or digital certificates secure internet connections by encrypting data sent between browsers, websites and servers. When a certificate expires, web browsers such Google Chrome, Safari and Mozilla Firefox warn that a page may be insecure, which can drive users away. According to a Russian public-service announcement, the state will replace foreign security certificates that are revoked or expire free-of-charge upon request. The security certificate is designed to authenticate the site on the internet when establishing a secure connection, it added. Widely used browsers like Chrome and Firefox are yet to recognize the state-supplied certificates as trustworthy with Russians advised to use Russian-based alternatives. Russian media has circulated a list of almost 200 domains that have reportedly been told to use the domestic TLS certificate, although it is not currently mandatory. Security risks posed by Russian-issued TLS certs The threats posed by the advent of Russias state-provided certificates are significant for Russian users. With the major certificate authorities revoking or simply not renewing the certificates for Russian businesses, they are left in a difficult position, Mike Parkin, researcher and senior technical engineer at Vulcan Cyber, tells CSO. While its unlikely that the major browsers will ever accept the new Russian CA, it may be a problem for those users in Russia. They will have to rely on their CA, which is sanctioned by a government that is not well known for respecting user privacy or taking a strong stand against cybercriminals. Practically, if you cant trust the CA, then you cant trust that they wont authorize certificates that could be used in a MitM attack, Parkin continues. While a careful user might notice that the certificate theyre connecting to isnt their ultimate goal, similar to what they would see going through a web gateway that performs deep packet inspection, the browser would see the signed certificate as legitimate and not throw a warning. This could allow for widespread surveillance, as well as other malicious uses. Outpost24 CSO Martin Jartelius agrees, adding that if a browser trusts the authority, the one controlling it can abuse certificates for the purpose of plaintext interception of traffic. Of course, abusing trust this way would lead to a revocation of trust of the authority, but it will work for select purposes, if one is willing to sacrifice the trust for it. Yuval Wollman, president of CyberProof and ex-director-general of the Israeli Intelligence Ministry, tells CSO: If you want to minimize the risk, keep your employees away from any Russian-issued TLS certificates because their legitimacy is questionable, and control over them is unclear. Block access to sites using Russian-issued TLS certificates at the infrastructure level using a blacklist, until the situation develops further and can be reassessed. Threat actors prepare for Russian sovereign internet Russias actions have prompted observers and Russian-speaking threat actors to speculate that the nations total disconnection from the global internet is imminent, according to a Flashpoint blog post. This would happen under a 2019 Law on Sovereign Internet. According to Russias legislation, disconnecting Russian internet infrastructure from the global internet would be a defensive move, although this leaves a wide room for interpretation, it read. Flashpoint suggests this could make websites from outside Russia unreachable for Russian users, create service degradation, and defeat evasion methods such as VPNs. Russian-speaking threat actors are therefore actively looking for solutions to bypass increasing state control over online traffic if authorities try to disconnect Russia altogether, Flashpoint added. Flashpoint analysts observed threat actors suggesting several workarounds of existing and potential future blocks on various forums, including: Israel has confirmed that websites run by the government have been on the receiving end of a Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) attack. Among the affected websites are those belonging to some of the country's ministries. The Israeli government has likewise confirmed that affected websites have since been restored. DDoS attacks usually target websites with the goal of making it difficult for the site to function normally. This is achieved by sending the website a large amount of requests that will go beyond what the website can handle. Israel Confirms DDoS Attack Israel has confirmed reports that that government websites have been hit with a DDoS attack. According to a report by Al Jazeera, among the websites hit by the attack are those of the Ministry of Defense and Ministry of the Interior. The country's National Cyber Directorate said that "In the last few hours, a denial of service [DDoS] attack has been identified on a communications provider which, as a result, has for a short time prevented access to a number of sites, including government sites." The government has assured everyone that the affected sites have since been restored. As of press time, it has not been confirmed who carried out the DDoS attack against the Israeli government. Al Jazeera's report, however, has noted that the country's National Cyber Directorate said in a report last year that there has been a significant increase in cyberattacks not just in Israel, but all over the world as well. What is a DDoS Attack? According to Kaspersky, a Distributed Denial-of-Service attack, more commonly known as DDoS, "takes advantage of the specific capacity limits that apply to any network resources - such as the infrastructure that enables a company's website." Multiple requests will be sent to the intended target in the hopes of exceeding the handling capacity of the website. Should that capacity be exceeded, a website is unable to function normally, which is why it is called "denial-of-service." Read Also: Can You Stop a DDoS Attack? Notable Signs of a DDoS Attack There are ways to identify signs of a possible DDoS attack. Per Data Dome, it is recommended that a website owner use traffic analytics tools to help check for signs. One notable sign of DDoS attack is a spike in traffic coming from sources that share the same signatures. This may include having the same web browser versions, device type, country of origin, and more. Another similar sign is a spike in traffic coming from the same IP address. It also important to note any patterns in such spikes in traffic, such as if there are any intervals to the spikes or if they happen at a particular hours. Data Dome, however, points out that by the time a website administrator or owner catches these signs, it may be too late as the attack has probably been already carried out. Related Article: How to Prepare for the Next DDoS Attack CHESTER State Rep. Christine Palm, D-Chester, has launched her campaign for a third term representing Chester, Deep River, Essex and Haddam in the Connecticut Legislature. She was endorsed by all four Democratic Town Committees in her district, and has qualified for Citizens Election Program public financing, according to a press release. Candidates for the House of Representatives must raise $5,800 and gather 150 signatures from in-district voters, it said. COVID has thrown a curveball into re-election efforts, as it has into everything else, so fundraising was largely virtual this election cycle, Palm said in a prepared statement. Still, with the help of about a dozen dedicated volunteers, we qualified in record time. Palm has been holding a series of virtual town hall-style meetings where constituents can preview the 2022 legislative session. Also, Palm sent a survey to every household in the district and the results are coming in, she said. It is enormously gratifying to see how civically engaged our towns are, Palm said in the news release. I continue to learn from the experiences of our residents, and Im always eager to hear from them including the ones who disagree with my stances on issues. Rep. Palm has a proven track-record as one of our most dedicated and most qualified House members, so its no surprise she filed her paperwork early and has already met the two thresholds for qualifying for the states clean elections program financing, Speaker of the House Matthew Ritter said in the press release. Palm, who was named an Assistant Majority Leader last year, is vice chairwoman of the Environment Committee, and has been working with local biologists and environmentalists on legislation to address the problem of hydrilla in the Connecticut River. She is also working with colleagues on securing womens rights, and making the states voting regulations more transparent, fair and accessible, the statement said. Palm is also Democratic House Leader for the Internship Committee, and a member of the Judiciary Committee. 99 cent introductory offer Includes everything we offer online for 24-7 news. This option allows you to read unlimited stories at ctnewsonline.com, and access our e-Edition (digital replicate of the daily newspaper). $7.99 per month after the introductory offer. This service comes with a complimentary CT Select Card allowing for local discounts. Rates are subject to change. FAIRFIELD A high school students project to put defibrillators at the towns beaches just got its largest financial backer Bridgeport Hospital and the Yale New Haven Health System. Officials from the health system presented Andrew Fuller, a sophomore at Fairfield Warde High School, a check for about $4,100 on Monday to help with his project of making the towns beaches safer. The funding comes from Bridgeport Hospital and the Yale New Haven Center for Injury and Violence Prevention. Fuller said donations have started booming as people start to learn about his project. He said it has been gratifying to bring awareness to the issue and to see the community rally around his efforts. People dropping because of a sudden cardiac arrest these AEDs can help them, he said. These AEDs can possibly save their lives. The event, which included town officials such as First Selectwoman Brenda Kupchick and Fire Chief Denis McCarthy, took place at Little Pub on the Black Rock Turnpike. Before the event, Fuller said the donation, in conjunction with the money he has already raised, will allow him to get three automated external defibrillator units to place at the towns beaches. Nick Aysseh, the manager of the center and a Fairfield Board of Education member, said Fullers project came to his attention through a story from Hearst Connecticut Media, adding it aligned with one of the goals of the organization. He said the center is a mostly community facing entity that works on injury and violence prevention initiatives for both patients and the community at large. We saw this, first, as a young man really trying to make a difference in his community, which really caught our eyes, he said. But, also, trying to bring potential life saving equipment to the communities we serve. This was a great opportunity to partner with him and really try and help make some of his goals come true. Aysseh said he and Martha Judd, a coordinator for community and government relations for Yale Health, contacted Fuller to get background information on the project. It came to light that these defibrillators are a couple thousand dollars each, he said. So, he had a decent amount of fundraising to do. We committed to buy two AEDs for him... to put at the beaches. He was totally psyched about it. Having received his emergency medical responder certification while in remote learning last year, Fuller said he decided to start the project to place AEDs at Fairfields beaches after he learned they have a very high success rate with heart attacks that lead to sudden cardiac arrest. By working to install defibrillators at the beaches, Fuller said, he might be able to save someones relative, friend or neighbor. He said the project is part of an independent study he is taking at Warde, which allowed him to use some school resources and contacts. He has also been given approval to move forward with the project by the Parks and Recreation Commission, as that department will maintain the devices. Fuller said money also needs to go toward buying secure containers for the AEDs, both to make sure they are weatherproof and to prevent them being stolen or used improperly. Hes speaking with police officials about different safety measures for that. Theres one that has a keypad lock on it, and you get a code from dispatch when you call, he said. Another one is a pressure sensor. So, you open up the door and senses a pressure different and it will automatically contact the dispatch center to send units. Theres a siren you can put on it. Theres a light you can put on it. But, obviously, the more you add, the price goes up. Patients in Fairfield would potentially come directly to Bridgeport Hospital and the Yale Health System, Aysseh said, so he sees the project as helping people in their own backyard. This young mans initiative and willingness to do and give back to his community really struck a chord with us, he said. joshua.labella@hearstmediact.com BRIDGEPORT A former FedEx driver, awaiting trial for allegedly forcing his way into the off-campus home of a Sacred Heart University student and raping her, was charged Tuesday with weeks earlier breaking into the home of a local woman. Police said Tyrek Herbert, 20, forced his way at gunpoint into a womans home in Bridgeport and held her at bay in front of her two young children before fleeing on July 8, 2021. Herbert was charged with home invasion, first-degree unlawful restraint, two counts of risk of injury to children and threatening. During his arraignment Tuesday afternoon, Herbert rocked back and forth on his feet as he stood before Superior Court Judge Peter McShane. Assistant States Attorney Jonathan Lewin urged the judge to set a high bond for Herbert, who he called a danger to society. Assistant Public Defender Cristina Angelone asked the judge for leniency, arguing that Herbert was employed and is a lifelong Bridgeport resident. McShane ordered Herbert held in lieu of $500,000 bond and continued the case to March 29. According to the arrest warrant affidavit, on July 7, 2021, the victim had been out walking in her neighborhood when she was approached by Herbert who introduced himself as a FedEx driver and asked her some general questions about the neighborhood. The following morning, the affidavit states, the woman was preparing breakfast for her two young children when there was a knock at her door. When she answered it she was confronted by Herbert who pointed a handgun at her and forced his way into her home, the affidavit states. The affidavit states that Herbert ordered the woman to get on the floor in front of her children. She screamed in Spanish for her children to run to a neighbors and they ran from the room. Herbert then began shaking his head and hugged the victim, telling her, Maam Im so sorry, I got the wrong person, the affidavit states. He then left the home. The affidavit states the woman later identified Herbert from a photograph array. A nearby doorbell camera also recorded Herbert walking nearby, the affidavit states. Weeks later, on Aug. 26, 2021, police said Herbert raped a Sacred Heart University student in her home. Herbert was charged with home invasion, first-degree sexual assault, carrying a dangerous weapon and first-degree unlawful restraint. Police said the victim later told them that a man had knocked on her door and told her he was raising money for a childrens charity. The victim responded she did not have any money and was in the process of closing the door when police said the suspect reached in, displayed a gun, and forced his way into the home. Police said the suspect then raped the woman and fled her home. Police said Herbert was arrested a short time later by Sgt. Pasquale Feola and Detective Jeff Holtz on Madison Avenue near Veterans Memorial Park. Police said the victim was transported to that location and positively identified Herbert as her attacker. Herbert is awaiting trial in that case and is being held in lieu of $2 million bond. FedEx Ground is appalled by these disturbing reports and will cooperate fully with law enforcement during their investigation, said Allie Addoms, a spokesperson for FedEx after Herberts first arrest. He was subsequently fired. Hana Financial Group Vice Chairman Ham Young-joo speaks with reporters in front of the Seoul Western District Court on Friday. Newsis By Anna J. Park Hana Financial Group Vice Chairman Ham Young-joo decided to immediately appeal against the verdict from the first trial on Hana's mis-selling of high-risk derivative-linked products (DLFs). According to Hana Financial, Ham filed the appeal online on Monday night, later in the same day the Seoul Administrative Court ruled against him. In the appeal he asked for a cancellation of disciplinary censure measures imposed on him by the financial authorities over the mis-selling of the problematic products. In March 2020, the Financial Supervisory Service (FSS) issued a reprimand warning Ham of his responsibility for the mis-selling of the products, in addition to the 16.7 billion won ($13.5 million) penalty on Hana Bank. The vice chairman is slated to be officially appointed as the financial group's new chairman late this month, following the group's shareholders meeting and board meeting on March 25. Technically, there won't be a legal hurdle to Ham's appointment itself at the shareholders' meeting, as he also applied for an injunction of the disciplinary actions, which would be effective until 30 days after the ruling of the first case. "Despite the court's ruling against Ham, the nominee would face no legal restraint in assuming the chairman's position given that the chairman appointee plans to appeal the case and that the injunction effect would continue for the 30 days following the ruling of the first case," Hana Financial Group stated in its latest public disclosure. Considering that Woori Financial Group Chairman Son Tae-seung was found not guilty recently in a similar case linked to DLFs, many watchers expect a fierce legal battle in Ham's appeal process. NEW HAVEN While refugee resettlement agencies are ready and willing to help Ukrainians fleeing the Russian invasion, it would be unusual for any to be flown to the United States any time soon, officials said. Thats because, while the memory of Afghans being evacuated last summer as the Taliban took over is still fresh, the situations are different, Christopher George, executive director of Integrated Refugee & Immigrant Services, said Monday. I dont blame Americans today for wondering why we dont swoop in and airlift Ukrainians to the United States because we did do that for about 100,000 Afghans, he said. But they were a special case, he said. Most refugees have fled to a neighboring country. The Afghans, many of whom had worked for the U.S. government, were being rescued from their own country for fear that they would be in danger from the Taliban, George said. The Afghans were in danger where they were. They were not allowed to flee Afghanistan by the Taliban, he said. They were being blocked. The borders were shut down. Also, the United States felt a responsibility for the Afghans plight. It was a unique situation and really shouldnt be applied to the situation in Europe, he said. But anything can happen when theres political pressure. George said the life of a typical refugee involves waiting many, many years in the border country that they have fled to. Syrians waiting in refugee camps and other sites in Lebanon and Jordan; Congolese waited in Burundi; and there have been Afghans who have become refugees in Pakistan, George said. The 2.8 million people who have fled Ukraine, most crossing into Poland, are another example of typical refugees, but they will likely be resettled in their new countries, George said, and theres an outside chance the reason they fled could go away and they can return. Only a very tiny fraction of the worlds almost 29 million refugees have the opportunity to be resettled, George said. He said the State Department has told him their emphasis now is providing assistance to the almost 3 million refugees in the bordering states, mostly Poland. Resettlement is not only a last resort, but its also a drastic solution, George said. Its taking people in most cases far away from their home country into a different culture. It would be better for people to integrate to the country they have fled to, but that doesnt usually happen in large numbers, because the refugees dont have residency or legal rights in that country, he said. That means they will be left in limbo for years, he said. If the State Department were to permit refugees from Ukraine to come to the United States, it is likely that some would have relatives in Connecticut, they would choose to come to Connecticut, and IRIS and the Connecticut Institute for Refugees and Immigrants in Bridgeport would resettle them. George said about 430 Afghans have been resettled in the state so far, about 30 percent by community groups. The parents are getting jobs; health care issues are being addressed and theyre on their way to being self-sufficient and integrated into our communities, he said. Housing has been a challenge because of the recent rise in costs, George said and some have had to be placed in more expensive housing than they would be able to handle. Some families might have to move at the end of their lease, he said. edward.stannard@hearstmediact.com; 203-680-9382 The standing piety in America for supporting Ukraine is modeled in a recent letter I received from an unnamed civic dignitary. I keep the quotation anonymous, if only because the identical sentiment is circulating in the massive numbers that signal group think, rather than individual judgment: I want to be clear: The ________ Community stands with the people of Ukraine. Few rights are more sacred than that of self-determination. We pray for peace. I wish the heart-in-the-right-place speaker had been less clear and far more critical in her/his thinking. Does the right to self-determination include Russia? What about a nation that sits smack on the border of Russia, takes huge sums of military aid from Russias old enemy, and hopes to be part of a massive military alliance (NATO) that has been creeping toward Russias borders for decades? Is Ukraine the victim here, or is it a sly adversary of Russia and thus the subject of well-deserved and long-suffered paranoia from the Reds? Does courting the most militarized countries (including the behemoth American military) for weaponry really not count as brutal aggression, if you are the neighbor country? How would the United States respond if Russian weaponry artillery, fighter jets, bombers, tanks were lined up just south of the Rio Grande, with the consent of the Mexican government? How would the United States respond if Russian weaponry were brought to the Canadian border? What would Americans say about a Russian military base operating in Ottawa? As the astute American professor John Mearsheimer explained in a lecture that has huge viewing numbers on YouTube, the word democracy is scary to non-NATO countries. The United States invaded Iraq, a country with massive oil reserves. These reserves were then overseen by an American-appointed conservator who set a price that was right for U.S. importers. Syria, also an oil-rich nation, was subjected to constant destabilizing efforts by the U.S. government against a so-called tyrant named Assad. Stubbornly, he refused to give American companies the right to drill and extract oil from his country. Syria also tasted American democracy when American forces set up bases and oversaw the distribution of oil. NATOs tired old deception of helping vulnerable nations defend themselves has been greeted with eye-rolling even in the mass-media controlled United States. Professor Mearsheimer gave the talk in 2015, before the group think of poor Ukraine versus predatory Russia took hold in 2022. The video recording of his clear-minded analysis now has 16 million views. Predictably, it is not reported by American mass media. Instead, images of Russian tanks are transmitted as proof of naked or brutal aggression. Imagine showing the U.S. encirclement of Cuba during the Cuban missile crisis, and the U.S.-funded invasion attempt known as the Bay of Pigs on mass media. Would you ever hear commentators condemning Americas brutal aggression against the poor, helpless people of Cuba? American civic leaders would never want to be clear, saying, We stand with the people of Cuba. Patriotism and propaganda are working overtime in the coverage of the Russian invasion. Russia's repeated claims to national self-defense are dismissed instantly. Though its dangerous to go against the group think of We Stand With Ukraine, I ask readers to consider two points. The North Atlantic is located in in a part of the globe that encompasses Nova Scotia, Ireland and the UK. The North Atlantic really and truly does not border Poland, the Czech Republic or Hungary. The prospect of NATO encircling Russia turned into a horrible likelihood when a North Atlantic military conglomerate moved into Russias neighborhood Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. Just for a second, could we be less clear in taking pious stances on Ukraine and consider Russias fear of being invaded by oil-hungry Witches of the West? Daniel Bender, of Trumbull, is emeritus professor of literature at Pace University. This site is primarily supported by ads. Articles like this one wouldnt exist without them. Please disable your ad blocker or become a patron to support the blog. I set out to purge my password manager for unused accounts and services. I also took the opportunity to request that the companies that stored that data should delete it. The results were quite discouraging. The General Data Protection Regulation ( GDPR ) came into force in May 2018. It gave European Union ( EU ) and European Economic Area ( EEA ) citizens many new rights, including Article 17: [the] Right to erasure . Article 17 gives citizens the right to have companies delete their personal data. In late May 2021, I decided to clean my password manager vault of unused accounts and services. I had 421 entries in my password manager and managed to get it down to 297. It took 5 hours and 10 minutes to go through the 124 unwanted entries and figure out how to request their deletion. I also spent at least as much time over the following weeks just following up on deletion requests. The experience was a mixed bag. I gathered some statistics along the way, and Ill share some highlights in this article. I wont name and shame any companies, sorry. Many services have self-service account deletion tools, but often hide them so well that I failed to locate them without deferring to their customer support. On average, it took 24 interactions (menu clicks, password entries, etc.) after an initial login to request and confirm a deletion request. 87 services deleted my account within seven days without too much fuzz, sketchy practices, or long email threads. That represents 70 % of my account deletion requests. Its not great, but Im fairly certain the number would have been much lower before the GDPR . 58 % of emails related to account deletions (confirmations, verification, etc.) went into the spam folder. The primary cause was that the sending-server wasnt included in their domains Sender Policy Framework ( SPF ). This configuration mistake makes the emails appear forged. These services have paid less attention to these emails compared to other emails. Id previously tried to delete 48 accounts in an earlier purge in June 2018. These were still active despite either having been confirmed as deleted or having the deletion request go unanswered. (I didnt record enough data to separate the two at the time.) Only 9 of them got deleted this time around. 28 services that had confirmed the deletion of my account lied. My username and password still worked one week after the time of the supposed deletion. 27 of these never got back to me when I contacted their customer support departments and re-requested that they delete my account. 24 services kept sending me promotional emails for at least three months after deleting my account. I have never agreed to any of these services sending my promotional emails at any point in time. The number should have been 0 before deleting my accounts, and it should have remained 0 afterward. 21 services ignored my deletion request and never got back to me. Ive reached out to all 21 one more time after the initial contact, but I still havent heard back. 11 of these were smaller niche online stores. 18 services spent 14 days or longer to delete my account. The last successful request was processed 71 days after the first email. The GDPR doesnt define without undue delay, but Im fairly certain that it requires companies to not stall for over 10 weeks. 16 services automatically created a separate account for me in their customer support system when I requested an account deletion. All but two of them managed to delete my account in the end, but none of them managed to delete the new and unwanted customer support account. 12 services confirmed my request and clarified that it would take some time as their engineering team had to go in and manually delete it from the database. Im sure engineering time to manually delete data must be more expensive in the long run than creating processes and tools for customers and customer support representatives to handle delectation requests. 10 deletion request emails were met by utter confusion on the other end. The support representatives couldnt understand my request. No amount of explanation made any difference. Only one of these ended up deleting my account. 8 services responded to support requests to delete the account, but I couldnt read the reply because they required me to log in to the deleted account to read the reply. It would seem no one has ever tested this process. 6 services replied through a third-party vendor and didnt identify the service they acted on behalf of. I was able to identify the first-party service because I use a unique email address for each service. It would seem there is no end to how far businesses can take white-labeling and outsourcing. 3 services insisted I didnt have an account on file with my email or customer number. I was met by radio silence when I sent them a screenshot of the account dashboard clearly showing I was logged in to an account with that email address or customer number. I rechecked every deletion while writing this article. In the intervening 10 months, 2 services had restored my deleted account. I presume theyve had to restore from an earlier backup or something. Ive emailed both service providers about the issue, but havent heard back from them. 2 services moved my account to a different email address instead of deleting it. I was only able to detect this because they changed the mailbox part (the bit in front of the @ sign) but left the domain unchanged. I capture all incoming emails to my domain, so I saw email-change confirmation emails and other emails arriving at the new unexpected addresses. 1 service didnt respond when I confronted them about only having changed the email address on my account. The other explained that theyd deleted my account but also moved it to another email address. This was in order to prevent me from receiving any emails from them in the future. Their definition of delete seemingly doesnt involve removing the actual data from their systems. I was fed up and didnt pursue the issue further at this point. 1 service required me to call them to process account deletion requests. They asked me to confirm my email address and said it would be deleted within a month. Three weeks later, the account no longer worked, but they didnt email me to inform me about it. Some positive highlights AMD sent me an email and required me to click on a link to confirm ownership of the email account. This step adds a level of protection to make it harder to fake an account deletion request. I hope they have a fallback in place for people whove lost access to their email account, though. Hover had a system in place that required support personnel to request access to my account before they could see it. I got an email and had to click a link to grant them access to my account data. This shows that their systems are designed to limit access to personal data. Cullman, AL (35055) Today Partly to mostly cloudy with isolated thunderstorms developing this afternoon. High 83F. Winds WNW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 30%.. Tonight Mostly cloudy skies this evening will become partly cloudy after midnight. Low 63F. Winds light and variable. President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol, left, shakes hands with a businessman during a New Year's event for small- and medium-sized enterprises in Seoul, Jan. 5. Joint Press Corps-Yonhap By Lee Min-hyung President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol is gearing up to reshuffle the leadership of certain financial authorities ahead of his inauguration slated for May. At the center of public attention is who will replace incumbent Finance Minister Hong Nam-ki, due to the position's unmatched importance to the Korean economy. The candidates for the top financial post include former Vice Minister Choi Sang-mok and Rep. Choo Kyung-ho of the People Power Party, who also served as vice finance minister for 16 months from March 2013. Seoul National University Economics Professor Kim So-young is also being mentioned as a candidate, but some critics argue that he is more likely to take on a leadership role in another state-run financial authority. Yoon's presidential transition team announced Tuesday that Choi will lead its economic committee, with Kim taking part as one of its key members. As Bank of Korea (BOK) Governor Lee Ju-yeol ends his tenure in March, chances are that Kim will lead the central bank for four years. President Moon Jae-in will soon hold talks with Yoon to nominate the next BOK chief. However, a possible leadership vacuum is inevitable as the nominee will need to go through a National Assembly confirmation hearing first. Korea Development Bank Chairman Lee Dong-gull is also widely expected to step down after the incoming Yoon administration takes power. Lee took office as the leader of the state-run lender back in September 2017 and succeeded in extending his tenure in 2020 for another three years until September 2023. Yet, given that Lee has expressed his wish to step down from the position, a widespread view is that Yoon will replace him with someone else. Lee is one of the main financial experts on the side of the Moon administration and the ruling party. All eyes are also on whether the incoming administration will push for a leadership reshuffle of the Financial Services Commission (FSC) and the Financial Supervisory Service (FSS). As it has been only less than a year since FSC Chairman Koh Seung-beom and FSS Governor Jeong Eun-bo took office in August 2021, there stands a possibility of them continuing to remain in their positions for some time after Yoon is inaugurated. "Given that the economy is faced with multiple risks factors such as looming rate hikes by the U.S. Fed and the unceasing spread of COVID-19 the incoming administration may not be able to carry out abrupt leadership reshuffles of the FSC and FSS, but both leaders will be under mounting political pressure after Yoon takes office," a financial industry analyst said. President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol speaks during a media conference at the National Assembly in Seoul, March 10. After winning a bitterly contested presidential election, Yoon will enter office facing a quickly growing North Korean nuclear threat and with few easy choices ahead to deal with it. AP-Yonhap After winning a bitterly contested presidential election, South Korean conservative Yoon Suk-yeol will enter office facing a quickly growing North Korean nuclear threat and with few easy choices ahead to deal with it. A former prosecutor with no foreign policy experience who kickstarted his political career nine months ago, Yoon will face a turbulent moment in global affairs and the decades-old standoff with the North, over which many experts see Seoul as having lost leverage under the policies of outgoing President Moon Jae-in. It appears Yoon will be tested quickly, possibly even before he starts his presidency in May. North Korea often attempts to rattle new administrations in Washington or Seoul with major weapons demonstrations and has been signaling a resumption of long-range missile tests this year. Yoon, who narrowly beat out his liberal ruling party rival in last week's election, has rejected pursuing ''talks for talks' sake'' and vowed to be sterner with Pyongyang, as the North's accelerating weapons tests in 2022 show a renewed strategy of brinkmanship to pressure Washington and Seoul into giving it badly needed relief from economic sanctions. But despite Yoon's desire to do something different from the dovish government of Moon, there's no ''silver bullet'' policy his administration could adopt for dealing with North Korea, said Leif-Eric Easley, a professor of international studies at Seoul's Ewha Womans University. Improved ''inter-Korean relations'' will largely depend on the willingness of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un to engage with diplomacy and negotiate sanctions relief for denuclearization steps, he said. ''Such willingness is unlikely to materialize until coronavirus risks decrease and domestic economic pressures increase,'' he explained. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un visits the Sohae Satellite Launching Ground in Tongchang-ri, North Korea, in this undated photo provided by the North Korean government, March 11. AP-Yonhap North Korea has conducted nine missile launches in 2022 alone, with signs of more to come. State media said Friday that Kim Jong-un instructed officials to expand a satellite launch facility to fire a variety of rockets. His comments followed a pair of missile firings in recent weeks that the U.S. and South Korean militaries linked with the development of a new intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) system that could be tested at full range soon. South Korea's military has also detected signs that the North is possibly restoring previously detonated tunnels at a nuclear testing ground that was last active in 2017. North Korea's stubborn efforts to cement itself as a nuclear power and win economic benefits from a position of strength may present daunting challenges for Yoon. Amid a deepening freeze in nuclear negotiations with Washington and pandemic border closures, North Korea has clearly stated it has no intentions to include Seoul in discussions about its nuclear weapons program, which Kim sees as his strongest guarantee of survival. Although Yoon plans to restore South Korea's leverage by bolstering its alliance with the U.S., North Korea seems further down the priority list for Washington, which is preoccupied with Russia's invasion of Ukraine and an intensifying rivalry with China. Editorial: Let us help you get the word out about events and news concerning your church, community group I was rolling up the 5, headed north from Eugene to Portland to catch The Macks at their rehearsal last Tuesday night. With their new album Rabbit blaring through my speakers, my foot fell heavier on the gas with every passing track. As Morning Ritual played on, I passed a cop, just seconds before the Wilsonville exit, and realized Id passed the speed limit too. Shit, I muttered as I looked through my rearview mirror, sure Id spot him with flashing lights behind me. By the grace of God, Jesus and everyone in between, the deputy was nowhere on my trail. Guess Id call that the luck of the rabbit. Rabbit is a long time superstition that we follow in my family, the Macks frontman Sam Fulwiler said after I told him the story of my close catch. The old wives tale goes that if the first word out of your mouth on the first day of each month is rabbit, youll have good luck, and I guess Id consumed enough of this new album for a little bit of that luck to rub off on me. As I pulled up to a cute little house on the Northside of Portland, I could hear the same impassable sound that was coming from my car oozing from out of this residence. I must be in the right place. Our neighbors hate us, guitarist Ben Windheim. He cracks a smile and turns up his amp as the other guys laugh. Rabbit is the third LP of the Portland based Macks since their formation in 2015, and it makes for their most dynamic and true to personality record yet. With the addition of Jake Perris on keys, a first time collaboration with a production staff from outside of the band and a whole new maturity to their sound, this album really lives up to the expression the third times the charm. The 10 tracks open up with the albums lead single, starting things off snappy and familiar. The Undo Man leads us into an album that feels like the band at its most intentional. As the album opener wails out with a classically Windheim guitar solo, it's no secret that Rabbit packs heat from the start. Up next, Do Snakes Have Brains? has the same sound as The Minimalist/Angel Bait off their second album Yup, but this time in a more finalized incarnation. This track is heavy and catchy, but most importantly it's plain sexy. Like sorry, that whisper part around the 2 minute mark? It's all too much. With Breakfast (In Bed), we get the flipside of quite literally everything weve ever thought about The Macks before. A stupid little domestic song about eating some stupid little domestic eggs has never gone harder. Its my favorite song on the record. The tracks move forward with ease, all following the previous so strongly that they each couldve made the case to be their own single. Move On gives us Stooges in the bass, Goodbye Frustration gives us Doors in the keys, but all in all, the album gives us Macks, and that's what it's supposed to do. The whole win with Rabbit in my book is that it sounds as if the band has fully realized how to use its power at its most tactile. Our presentation is a lot more creative now and a lot more challenging too, Ben Windheim said. It's also the first time weve written a record together while all living together, the first time weve had this type of cohesive songwriting. These tracks were all written in late 2020, right here in Eugene when the band lived in a pad over by Hendrix Park. Romantic as ever, those very digs even appear on the vinyls lyric sheet. The band had opted for at-home production on their albums thus far, but for this new one, they sought out the help of The Yawpers frontman Nate Cook and slide guitarist Jesse Parmet. The Macks opened for the Colorado based Blues Rock band when they played in Portland and later cut a deal to record Rabbit at Cook and Parmets studio in Denver, The Dirt Bar. For Jake Perris on the keys, these nine days up in Denver at the Rabbit sessions were pretty pivotal. For the first week of recording, he didnt play a thing, and as he puts it, on the eighth day God created keyboards. Perris recorded all the key parts on the second to last day at The Dirt Bar. It was quite the undertaking considering it was his first time ever recording keys on a record and also the first record hed ever cut with The Macks. Id say he did just fine. Bassist Aidan Harrison is the only Mack that didnt play on the new album the bass credits for Rabbit go to Rhiannon Van Roe but since this past summer, he has been adding a new element to the way the band translates live. The bass parts on the recordings are awesome, and I want to keep that integrity in the songs, Harrison said. But I think this is true for all of us, I can really only play the bass like me, so in that regard Ill add my own flavor to it. As far as Rabbit is concerned, Id talk you up and down about my favorite parts of hearing this thing front to back, but since the record came out March 11, why dont you just spin it for yourself? Freedom of Speech is one of Americas most beloved fundamental rights. It is essential to guarantee a democratic and free country. However, the concept of freedom has often been misconstrued to promote discrimination and infringe the rights of others. On March 3rd, UO President Schill sent out a letter to students regarding a cartoon published by the Student Insurgent, a radical student-run newspaper on campus. He claimed the cartoon, regardless of the message it tried to convey, depicted racial stereotypes and gun violence. The cartoon, which showed two Black men holding guns behind their backs and telling a room to trust them, was taken down on March 10th. Anyone who knows me also knows that I believe deeply in the right of members of our community to express themselves, regardless of whether I agree with what they say. That is true in this instance as well. However, just because someone has the legal right to do something doesnt mean that it is morally correct. In this case, the depiction of gun violence was repulsive and, in this era of mass shootings, irresponsible. Schill wrote. In a statement made by the Student Insurgent on their Instagram, the newspaper clarified that the cartoon sought to express the authors dislike of the decision made by ASUO to transfer the EMU to administrative control. Although the main objective of the cartoon was not to promote discrimination, it still contained stereotypes and misconceptions of race. The anonymous artist, who emphasized that they are a Black person themself, admitted to unintentionally enabling racism, anti-blackness and oppression. They apologized publicly and explained that the artwork did not intend to convey that message. However, they maintained their posture against UOs administrations decision. When an image or article is published, it contains a message that the reader decodes. This message has the power to shape and transform peoples opinions and ideas. As part of the news industry, it is our responsibility to consider whether or not we are promoting our own internalized biases. It is essential to review how every piece published can affect marginalized communities. At the end of the day, we are all products of a society that favors the White majority. Since there is little representation of minority groups in Oregon, it is vital to make any representation that does exist accurate. As a person of color, I understand that it can be hard to be expected to represent an entire community with your actions. However, people of color also understand how hurtful it is for our voices to be eliminated and manipulated in a newsroom and the media. In a role where your work is constantly published, the burden of representation is bound to be heavier. If you are not familiar with the term burden of representation, it essentially means that, for any marginalized group, the pressure on the individual to represent the whole is greater. That is also why it is so important to have diversity in a newsroom. In an interview with the Insurgent editor, they mentioned, We do have people of color within the organization, but they are not heavily involved in the editing process. When there are more diverse perspectives in a newsroom, people can recognize biases within their desks and stop them from being published. The ban on discrimination is the heart of our human rights as well, and we cannot forget that. Today Partly cloudy. High 78F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph. Tonight Cloudy skies. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 67F. Winds ENE at 5 to 10 mph. Tomorrow Cloudy in the morning with scattered thunderstorms developing later in the day. A few storms may be severe. High around 85F. Winds SSW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 60%. President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol speaks during a media briefing at the People Power Party headquarters in Seoul, Sunday. Yonhap President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol has decided to send special envoys to the United States and the European Union (EU) before he takes office in May, but is undecided on China, Japan and Russia, a senior official close to Yoon said Tuesday. Yoon's predecessors, including President Moon Jae-in, sent special envoys to the U.S., China, Japan and Russia, or at least to the U.S. and China, before taking office. "It means special envoys should be sent for real policy discussions, not for show," the official said. The envoys are expected to be sent in early or mid-April. Rep. Park Jin of Yoon's People Power Party will likely lead the delegation to the U.S. while the envoy to the EU has not been selected yet, the official said. Park, a three-term lawmaker who worked briefly at the foreign ministry after passing the foreign service exam, has served in various capacities for friendly relations between lawmakers from South Korea and the U.S. In 2008, Park visited the U.S. and met then-Senator Joe Biden. "I will discuss the tasks necessary to maintain close bilateral relations and develop them further based on the new government's vision for South Korea-U.S. relations," the lawmaker said of his possible visit to the U.S. in a phone call with Yonhap News Agency. The decision to send an envoy to the EU also draws attention. "The EU has a consensus of values with us," the official said, adding that Yoon decided to send an envoy to the EU as he wants to step up cooperation in the fields of economy, security, advanced technologies and human rights. Yoon may decide not to send a special envoy to Russia before his inauguration because of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, according to the official. A decision has also not been made regarding China and Japan because there are a lot of issues to coordinate with the countries, the official said. (Yonhap) Vladimir Putin is not a man who likes to compromise. Yet less than three weeks since the Russian president began his brutal assault on Ukraine, talk of a diplomatic solution hovers in the air. As one Ukrainian negotiator put it on Sunday: Russia is already beginning to talk constructively. Nor is this the first example of unexpectedly shifting sands in this evolving conflict: eight days ago, the Kremlin announced they were ready to halt military operations in a moment if Kyiv met a list of conditions. Such language represented a dramatic departure from Putins initial all-conquering bombast. The scale of the Kremlins embarrassment at its signal failure to humble Ukraine has been underlined by reports over the weekend that Sergey Beseda, head of the foreign service at the FSB successor to the KGB and the agency that Putin ran before he became president has been placed under house arrest. Vladimir Putin is not a man who likes to compromise. Yet less than three weeks since the Russian president began his brutal assault on Ukraine, talk of a diplomatic solution hovers in the air Given his status as a key figure in shaping Russian policy on Ukraine, if Beseda has indeed been incarcerated, it suggests Putin is already looking for a scapegoat for the lack of a clear victory so far the hallmark of a man having to confront the fact he has bitten off more than he can chew. The good news is that if Russia is in the mood for compromise then there is plenty of scope for it, especially given Putins own marketing of his special military operation to protect ethnic Russians and stop a westernised Ukraine from being a threat to its former Soviet partners. How might a peace deal look? The red line issues from a Russian perspective are the retention of Crimea on Ukraines southern coast and the Donbas region in the east of the country both of which Putin wants to hold on to fully and permanently and an undertaking by Ukraine not to join Nato. These in turn may be palatable concessions for President Zelensky, who for all his public and heroic nationalism is also a realist who has no desire to see further unnecessary bloodshed. After all, the reality is that the peoples republics of occupied Donbas are today thuggish states run by embezzlers and warlords. As such, they are no great loss to Ukraine. Meanwhile, if Zelensky is given reassurances by the West that they will help boost his countrys defences, with the installation of an integrated air-defence system, for example, then I believe he may take the view that the security provided by Nato membership would be largely unnecessary, on the grounds that Ukraine could defend itself. While Zelensky will be prepared to forgo membership of western Europes military alliance, however, he will be determined to press ahead with entry into its economic one: the EU. The prospect of a loosening of sanctions in return may mollify Putin on this highly contentious point. While such a settlement would fall far short of the full military victory Putin intended, it is something he could spin to his people by claiming he has saved the Russians of eastern Ukraine from genocide. A thin justification perhaps, in the light of his earlier proclamations, but a marketable one nonetheless particularly if you have the state media on your side. President Zelensky, who for all his public and heroic nationalism is also a realist who has no desire to see further unnecessary bloodshed Bluntly, it also increasingly appears to be his best option. The alternative is months or years spent stuck in a military quagmire, such as the one the Soviet Union experienced in Afghanistan. Ongoing guerrilla warfare in a fragmented country effectively split in half by the Dnieper River, with rebel-held areas under Russian control in the east and Ukrainian resistance in the west, would not look like victory. Alas, we cannot expect a swift resolution to hostilities. Putin, certainly, will want to be seen to have strengthened his hand rather more before he extends it in negotiation. That means sadly further destruction, and more loss of life, before we see a real end to this terrible war. Yet there is no question that Ukraines brave citizens have fought their way to the negotiating table and for that we must salute them. And the award for most tasteless joke at the BAFTAs goes to... Rebel Wilson, for the one about the biggest prize British cinema has to offer being 'a go' on Tom Hiddleston. In truth, it was a close-run thing between that and her one about wanting to sit on Daniel Craig, which the BBC deemed so crude, it was cut from the live broadcast. But there were others. She managed to get in a swipe at J.K. Rowling in a skit about her 'transformational' weight loss (get it?). I assume Wilson was going for a Ricky Gervais-at-the-Oscars sort of vibe. Trouble is, Gervais is clever as well as funny. But she isn't. But her performance didn't just underline how ill-equipped she was as a presenter. It also gave us an insight into the ugly double standards of modern so-called feminism a mentality that ties itself in knots in its desire to espouse the principles of wokeness while demonstrating the most antediluvian forms of prejudice. SARAH VINE: I assume Wilson was going for a Ricky Gervais-at-the-Oscars sort of vibe. Trouble is, Gervais is clever as well as funny. But she isn't. (Pictured: Rebel Wilson while presenting this year's BAFTAs) SARAH VINE: Wilson's crude sexual innuendo, directed at Hiddleston (pictured), Craig and, in passing, Benedict Cumberbatch, was more the kind of thing you would have expected from Benny Hill or Bernard Manning:sexist, lascivious, demeaning and, frankly, predatory. Wilson made a joke about wanting to 'sit on' Daniel Craig (pictured) during her BAFTAs presenting gig Wilson's crude sexual innuendo, directed at Hiddleston, Craig and, in passing, Benedict Cumberbatch, was more the kind of thing you would have expected from Benny Hill or Bernard Manning:sexist, lascivious, demeaning and, frankly, predatory. THAT is, precisely what the #MeToo movement has been justifiably railing against for years. Only because the objects of these jibes are male, it is deemed permissible. Well, it's not. Can you imagine if a male comedian had said something similar about Lily James, or any of the other actresses there? If, for example, Harry Enfield had been presenting and had cracked a joke about 'having a go' on Lady Gaga or 'sitting' on Salma Hayek? The internet would have lit up with fury. He would have been denounced by all, driven from his job, very possibly arrested and thoroughly cancelled. SARAH VINE: Women can't rail against objectification, then treat men as sex objects, for laughs or otherwise especially because in this day and age, men can't really fight back. But as Wilson is a woman, she gets away with it. She can embarrass Hiddleston (who looked mortified) and no one bats an eyelid. We have come a long way since it was acceptable for men to salivate over attractive women in public without facing opprobrium. A long way since Michael Parkinson could ask Helen Mirren if her 'equipment' got in the way of her being recognised as a serious actress, while apparently ogling her breasts like some drunken uncle at a wedding. And that's a good thing. Women have a right to be treated with respect, no matter how much their appearance may stir the appreciation of the opposite sex. But so do men. Women can't rail against objectification, then treat men as sex objects, for laughs or otherwise especially because in this day and age, men can't really fight back. Wilson's generation of women are steadfast in their rejection of 'toxic masculinity'. Yet wasn't her behaviour toxic femininity? The #MeToo movement has made great strides in levelling the playing field for women who don't wish to go through life dodging bottom-patters and sexual aggressors. But we won't make things any better or do our daughters any favours if we sit back and laugh when someone like Wilson repeats those same offences. Personally, I don't want to live in a world where men have tread on eggshells around women for fear of being accused of goodness knows what. But as we do, we owe it to ourselves not to squander the gains we've made by behaving like slavering idiots. In a world full of digital mayhem, I find comfort in the idea that Arts Minister Lord Parkinson is fighting to prevent the sale of a collection of 17th-century lute music to a foreign buyer. It's worth 214,200. Shall we have a whip-round? Lily's put her foot in it Generally when one's feet go an odd green colour and seem covered in strange excrescences, you know it's time to visit the chiropodist. But not Lily James. This, ladies and gentlemen, is what's known as high fashion. Lily James attends the British Vogue and Tiffany & Co. Fashion and Film Party at Annabel's on March 13, 2022 in London What is it about fashion and ugly footwear? The other day I received an email from a Spanish designer inviting me to spend 180 on 'jelly sandals' that looked like something Roald Dahl's monstrous Miss Trunchbull might wear to soothe her bunions. Scientists have found out gulls don't scavenge for food randomly they keep returning to certain preferred chippies. I can't say this surprises me. Animals are very savvy. My dogs are fed at 6pm every day. At five to six they get up from the sofa, stretch, then sit down by their bowl. I could set my watch by it. If I'm busy or late, Snowy bangs his bowl with his paw. How do they know what time it is? They can't tell the time. Or read. Or can they? It reminds me of a line from the film Aliens. When the lights go out, Ripley gasps: 'They cut the power.' Private Hudson replies: 'How could they cut the power, man? They're animals!' Ah yes. Doesn't mean they're stupid, though. How I felt Joanna's pain Joanna Scanlan, who took home this year's Best Actress award at the Baftas for her remarkable performance in After Love, says the pressures of a hostile male environment at Cambridge University kick-started her lifelong battle with her weight. 'It was literally a protective mechanism,' she says. 'There was a sexually aggressive atmosphere: intimidating, frightening. 'My extra padding prevented me from being an obvious target.' I must confess, this really resonated with me. I think a lot of obese people myself included put on weight as a protective mechanism. Joanna Scanlan took home this year's Best Actress award at the Baftas for her remarkable performance in After Love (pictured with award) It is both a cushion against life's blows and a way of keeping people, especially men, at arm's length. When I was about 18, I suddenly found myself attracting a lot of male attention and I couldn't really cope with it. Subsequently I began to put on weight and, although I didn't realise it at the time, I think it was my way of withdrawing physically from the world. Scanlan is the first person I've ever come across who has framed that human frailty so well. Perhaps that goes some way towards explaining why she's such a great actress. Emma Watson is frightfully pleased with herself, isn't she? Turning up at the Baftas and making sly jokes at the expense of J.K. Rowling. Remind me, what starring roles has Watson had since Harry Potter? SARAH VINE: Emma Watson is just another woke flash in the pan. (Pictured: Watson at the Baftas) Beauty And The Beast? Some tedious adaptation of Little Women? A couple of perfume ads? Harry Potter will delight children for generations to come. Watson is just another woke flash in the pan. Who are the real racists? Dr Tony Sewell, the author of last year's race report which concluded that there was no evidence to suggest Britain was 'institutionally racist', has had his offer of an honorary degree from Nottingham University withdrawn. It seems that Dr Sewell had failed to find racism around every corner, as the liberal Establishment expected a notion that, of course, displays significant prejudice itself. As Dr Sewell put it: 'Some groups feel they can tell black people how to be black and, in effect, indulge a form of racism by doing that.' Maybe someone should point out to the people concerned at Nottingham University that no one owns anyone in this day and age slavery having been outlawed here in 1807. Michael Gove and I may not always see eye to eye, but I'm immensely proud of him for managing to turn around this homes-for-refugees plan in such a short space of time. As for all those people busy trolling him because he hasn't himself volunteered to host any refugees from Ukraine, that's because he is no longer living in the family home we jointly own, so it's not in his gift. He is too honourable to point that out, so I thought I would do it for him. Forget 'people who menstruate' and 'individuals with a cervix' the latest woke buzzword is 'bleeders', from a company flogging menstrual products. 'Most bleeders know how they are impacted by their period,' gushes CEO and founder Daniella Peri. I think the word you're searching for is 'women', Daniella. Bleeding fool. Roaring fires, cosy nooks and ultra-comforting food washed down with your favourite tipple; there's nothing better than a pub lunch down at your local... Or is there? Well, Marks & Spencer might just be on to something with their Gastropub range, which brings all the deliciousness of the pub straight to your very own dining table in a flash. Inspired by Britain's best pub dishes from up and down the country, M&S's newly revamped Gastropub range means you can tuck into classic pub starters, mains and puds any night of the week without the hassle of dining out. Just imagine - no make up, you're in your PJs in front of the telly with a truly delicious dinner - and no last orders, either! Gastro delights, at home: Reclaim your weekend with the M&S Gastropub Steak & Chips Pie George Baldwin-Edie and his fellow M&S chefs visited nearly 20 of the UK's top foodie pubs to discover what makes a great pub dish, then set about making their own that we can all enjoy at home. After all, this is not just pub food this is M&S pub food. George says: 'We were tasked with making the BEST dish you can get, no holds-barred so we had to go back to basics and really concentrate on obtaining that famous M&S quality.' George, who trained in classic French cooking and worked in Michelin-starred kitchens before joining M&S last year, explains the lengths the team went to when creating the mouthwatering meals which include quintessential British pub dishes such as fish pie, lasagne and beef Bourguignon. He says, 'We worked for weeks with select M&S suppliers on creating the very best stocks and tried 25 recipes before picking the most flavourful. 'We spend a lot of time sourcing and honing the best ingredients and experimenting with cooking methods, like pan searing to lock in flavour and slow cooking like sous vide and braising, to make sure that our customers get incredible quality food with every single dish, no matter which one you try.' Sheer indulgence: The M&S Gastropub Melt in the Middle Chocolate Pudding is a dream And the proof really is in the pudding: we were blown away by the sheer indulgence of the fabulously gooey Melt in the Middle Chocolate Pudding which has a molten Belgian chocolate centre to rival even the fanciest restaurants' chocolate fondant. With soft, rich chocolate sponge, and a darkly decadent chocolate sauce, it is truly every chocoholic's dream. Cheese lovers are in for a treat too, as the new Mac'n'Cheese Balls got proceedings off to a gloriously greedy start thanks to not one, not two but three types of oozy melted cheese nestling in perfectly cooked macaroni pasta and baked until crisp with a tasty herb crumb. Tangy cheddar and piquant Italian pecorino combined with classic mozzarella are all beautifully set off with a smoky chipotle ketchup serve on the side for dipping and dive in! Cheesy and oozing: Cheese lovers are in for a treat with the Gastropub Mac 'n' Cheese Balls Make sure you leave space for the main event: Steak & Chips Pie promises to fulfil all your pie dreams with its filling of succulent, slowly cooked British steak, tomato chutney and everyone's favourite guilty pleasure of CHEESY chips all encased in an impossibly buttery flaky pastry. This pie, which serves one, offers truly epic levels of deliciousness after a long day without having to lift a finger. Other mains include a super-luxe Chestnut & Shiitake Mushroom Tart (the pastry for which takes three days to make because it needs so much lamination!) and boasts layers of exotic mushroom and velvety chestnuts bound with silky parsnip puree and topped with a miso garlic butter crumb. JO'S M&S GASTROPUB FAVE IS... As a food writer, Jo Gould tastes a lot of dishes in the name of work. But she was blown away by the 'irresistible' Gastropub Cheese Rarebit & Ham Crumpets. Jo said: 'Proving that crumpets aren't just a breakfast treat, we'll be having these for our next date night starter as we just can't get enough of that oozy, mustard-spiked mature cheddar mingling with beer glazed ham all piled on top of a hot buttered sourdough crumpet base. 'And they're even better with a glass of fizz!' There's also an indulgent Fish Pie of sustainable cod, smoked haddock, king prawns and salmon in a rich cheesy sauce to warm you up on a chilly evening, and a mouthwatering Aubergine Parmesan for when you really deserve a mid-week pick-me-up. Researching, devising and perfecting all these mouthwatering dishes: George really does have the dream job. But with so many meals to choose from, which dish is his go-to after a hard week at work? 'I think the paella is my favourite dish, mainly because it took the most work to get just right,' he says. 'It's an incredibly traditional dish, and we wanted to preserve the authenticity of it as much as possible, so we braised the rice with Pimenton de la Vera from Spain, white wine, saffron, cayenne, a hint of garlic and chicken stock. 'Real paella is supposed to be soft and tender, and has a crispy bottom so we worked towards creating a self-saucing paella that stays moist while braising but keeps some texture on the bottom.' Flavour-bomb: The M&S Gastropub Paella is head development chef George's M&S Fave! His hard work has paid off: the Gastropub Paella is a real flavour-bomb of Spanish paprika and saffron which infuses every mouthful of that plump rice, while chunks of chargrilled British chicken thigh are fresh and zingy with lemon and garlic. 'Juicy Honduran king prawns are an authentic touch, and the paprika-heavy chorizo sourced from a farm in the foothills of the Pyrenees where they've been producing it since 1940 is some of the best we've tried. Every Gastropub dish we tried delivered top quality food with bags of flavour and absolutely none of the fuss or mess! of cooking up a gourmet meal yourself. Plus, with no pricey wine list to contend with and no babysitter to arrange, picking up a selection of M&S Gastropub dishes means every night can be an occasion all from the comfort of your own home. Pass the wine! Daily Mail Australia may earn commissions from some links on this page Afterpay is set to launch an enormous four-day bi-annual shopping event offering huge discounts on a wide range on popular products and retailers. Customers around the country can save hundreds by shopping the best deals with up to 70 per cent off top brands with categories including clothing, kitchen, homewares, technology, beauty, baby and pets. Top big name brands and popular favourites, such as Dyson, The Iconic, ASOS, Adore Beauty, JB Hi-Fi and Kmart, will take part in the sales event. Afterpay Day will kickstart 8am Thursday March 17 and run until Sunday March 20, offering online and in-store deals. For the first time, Aussies will be able to experience The DROPSHOP by Afterpay, a one-stop-shop where customers can discover limited edition drops, exclusive collaborations and the freshest releases. Customers around the country can save hundreds by shopping on Afterpay Day with up to 70 per cent off top brands with categories including clothing, kitchen, homewares, technology, beauty, baby and pets Those seeking new outfits to add to their wardrobe can save up to 70 per cent off by shopping online at ASOS, as well as 25 per cent off The Iconic and up to 30 per cent off at Myer. Adore Beauty, Priceline and Sephora will also be included in the sales event Designer fashion labels including P.E. Nation, David Jones, Cue, Camilla and Veronika Maine are participating in the sale event. Leading online hair and beauty retailer, AMR Hair & Beauty, announced its deals for the highly anticipated event, offering 20 per cent off sitewide. Hair and beauty lovers can expect to see brand favourites including Fanola, K18, Bondi Sands, and Boost Lab participating in the massive sale. Also in the beauty department, customers can save 20 per cent off sitewide at Sephora and MAC Cosmetics, 50 per cent off at Priceline and Australian Skin Clinics, and 30 per cent off at Adore Beauty. Those seeking new outfits to add to their wardrobe can save up to 70 per cent off by shopping online at ASOS. Customers can save 25 per cent off Dyson products, such as the popular Dyson Airwrap Hair Styler and Dyson V7 Vacuum Shoppers will enjoy the ability to pay better by managing their payments in four fortnightly instalments without incurring interest. Customers can save 25 per cent off Dyson products, such as the popular Dyson Airwrap Hair Styler and Dyson V7 Vacuum. With the discount the Dyson Airwrap will be reduced from $799 down to $599 and the vacuum will be reduced from $449 down to $336.75. Alternatively shoppers may wish to instead choose a gift with purchase on selected Dyson technology. Shoppes can pick up Silvi products with 25% off. The Silvi pillowcases are treated with antibacterial silver, proven to eliminate bacteria linked to acne, breakouts, and topical inflammation are offering customers 25% off pillowcases (includes silk and bamboo) and sheet sets, duvet covers and all bundles. Aussies wanting to travel in their own backyard to venture interstate can save up to 65 per cent off incredible experiences, hotels, and last minute trips with Luxury Escapes. Kmart will be participating in Afterpay Day with hundreds of products on offer. Pet owners can also save up to 40 per cent off selected online products Where to shop for fashion: FASHION ASOS - Up to 70% off + additional 15% off Thurs 17th and Fri 18th Myer - Up to 30% off women's, men's and kids' fashion, footwear, accessories, and underwear The Iconic - 25% off Afterpay Day (discount applied at checkout) Seed - 20% off storewide Culture Kings - Extra 25% off New season & Sale: Minimum 25 - 80% off with Code: AFTERPAY JD Sports - Up to 40% off selected styles Shein - Up to 80% off Best and Less - free shipping for orders over $60, use the code: AFTERPAYDAY DESIGNER FASHION David Jones - Save up to 25% on selected full-priced women's, men's and kid's fashion Harrolds - Shop up to 70% off selected local and international designer brands P.E. Nation 25% off online Camilla - 70% off online warehouse sale Cue - 15% off full priced styles on purchases made with Afterpay Veronika Maine - 15% off selected full price styles Marks & Spencer - with 20% off all womenswear and menswear To support Aussies in flood affected areas, Afterpay will invite customers to add a $2 donation to Thread Together to their order - an organisation delivering clothes to those in need. The $2 donation will be deducted from a shoppers' first payment instalment. To date Afterpay has provided Thread Together with $400,000, in addition to 250 hours of staff volunteering . Katrina Konstas, EVP, Country Manager and Sales APAC at Afterpay, said: 'Afterpay Day has become the most anticipated in-store and online shopping event for Aussies on the retail calendar, and we have more offers than ever before to share with shoppers. 'We're also excited to launch The Dropshop by Afterpay for the first time, so not only are we offering Aussies incredible deals, we are also offering them the most exclusive product drops from the hottest retailers, that they no longer have to wait in line for.' Technology is supposed to make life easier. But these photographs prove that's not always the case. Social media users from around the world have shared snaps of the most comical technological mishaps, with the best examples collated in a gallery by Bored Panda. One snap shows a phone from Indonesia which flipped its screen on thhe side without warning. Meanwhile, a photo AI confuses a woman's face with a piece of pasts, and an apple watch states '0' is too high a heart rate. Here, FEMAIL shares some of the most baffling photos... Well, if there's ever been a reason to stop working out it's healthy living not being 'available' in your country This UK train station has a message for all those people who are running around without faces: start wearing them! Android malfunction! This phone user in Indonesia was left baffled by the change in orientation In a similar vain, Siri is talking in riddles again and no one can quite decipher this absolute conundrum This Japanese phone user was confused when her calorie counter said her dog was a filling meal The London underground trains are known for their reliability most of the time, but sometimes they're not trains, they're pies This American mother was left confused because her emoji looked like it was possessed This California restaurant was so generous in offering their customer a new code when their didn't work, a whopping 0 dollars! As far as websites designs go, this one has to be one of the worst, and they actually had the gall to ask if it was good Forget Around The World In 80 Days, this jogger completed a whole world circuit in while running at zero miles per minute Working hard or hardly working! One potential employee came across the dreaded question in any application form, and was met with a terrible answer Being compared to a piece of pasta by a photo app's AI is quite possibly the worst kick to the gut from a computer Grammar service, Grammarly, will surely be embarrassed about this epic slip up after a glitch claimed 'everyn't' was a real word Quick, hurry, there's an urgent emergency alert! If only anyone at all could read it and decipher the meaning Unfortunately for the language app, Duolingo, 'qu'' is not in the French dictionary and never will be The Colonel has turned to fine dining with his secret herbs and spices - upgrading the quintessential 'dirty bird' experience to pure luxury. KFC Australia are putting on a very fancy degustation dinner, for die-hard KFC fans, complete with gold-covered chicken. But the experience will only be available at a secret venue in Sydney for three nights, running from April 1 until April 3. Scroll down for video The Colonel has turned to fine dining with his secret herbs and spices - upgrading the quintessential 'dirty bird' experience to pure luxury, dish three pictured Popcorn chicken will be served alongside gnocchi in this very elegant dish The meal will comprise of the popular chain restaurant's biggest sellers, just served a little differently. The lavish 11-course Degustation has been developed in partnership with Nelly Robinson, chef patron and owner of Sydney restaurant nel. The dining experience begins with supercharged wings, cooked over a bed of charcoal, to elevate the experience. Next comes potato and gravy served as a wax candle and then diners are to be presented with the Colonel's face made from some of their most popular sauces. 'Dont be shy, there are no rules here! Pick up your plate and lick off the Colonels face to relish the flavours of Kentucky Fried Chicken, tomato, lettuce and Pepper Mayo,' they said. Next is a very boujee take on the twister, complete with barley risotto and sundried tomato. Then popcorn chicken makes an appearance, paired with gnocchi and celeriac soup. The supercharged wings are cooked on a bed of charcoal and will be served first What's on the menu at the KFC degustation nights? Supercharged Wings Cooked over a bed of charcoal, these are not only supercharged but beautifully charred wings Potato and Gravy Blink and youll miss it! This dish is a marvel to behold as the gravy candle (yes, thats right!) melts, dip your potato bun into the wax and enjoy *chef kiss fingers Tongue Twister Dont be shy, there are no rules here! Pick up your plate and lick off the Colonels face to relish the flavours of Kentucky Fried Chicken, tomato, lettuce and Pepper Mayo Twister Sister A fresh take on our Twister, this one comes with pearl barley risotto, sundried tomato, pumpkin and last but not least our Chicken Tenders Popcorn Chicken Its the Popcorn Chicken our fans know and love paired with celeriac soup, mushroom gnocchi and basil topped off with an edible floral garnish La Di Da Drumstick (aka Fried Gold) Our iconic Original Recipe drumstick dusted with quinoa and gold coz we dont call it Fried Gold for nothing Our Chocolate Mousse Dipped in nitrogen, these mouthfuls of scrummy chocolate mousse are oh-so-good and will literally melt in your mouth KFC fans can put their name on the list HERE Advertisement The gold dusted drumstick is next, followed by chocolate mousse, dipped in nitrogen. KFC fans have to register their interest in the degustation nights online, where they will go in a draw to be considered for a place at the table. The 11-course spread is a world-first for the Colonel and costs $75 per head with 100percent of the profits going to the company's charity partners: The Black Dog Institute, ReachOut Australia and Whitelion. Nelly Robinson, of nel., created the menu alongside the KFC team and revealed it was a 'dream come true' The menu includes nitrogen dipped chocolate mousse Nelly Robinson, KFC Degustation Menu Consultant and Chef Patron and owner of Sydney restaurant, nel., revealed he's a life-long fan of the fast-food brand. 'Creating an 11-course degustation with their most-loved menu items and elevating them to new heights has been a dream come true,' he said. 'For the menu, Ive taken 11 KFC dishes and reimagined how the flavours and textures come to life using my expertise in degustation menus to truly blow fans away.' The menu items are designed to look at home in the fine-dining setting The potato and gravy is presented as a candle, according to an early glimpse of the menu The drumsticks will be served with flakes of gold - to celebrate their standing on the menu 'We have crafted a high-end dining adventure, just like guests would find at my degustation restaurant. 'So, we cant wait to see their reactions to each of the devilishly good dishes.' Lucky KFC fans will be contacted if they have landed a spot at one of the KFC Degustation evenings from 23 March 2022. All the details, including location and sitting details, will be shared with guests once theyve confirmed their reservation. An Australian mother has criticised a toy company for 'exaggerating' facial features on its black dolls but not on its 'white' ones, before praising Kmart for its diversity range. Jean, who blogs under @Jeanchronicles on TikTok, shared a video of 'anatomically correct' Miniland Dolls she found in a toy shop that had the offending larger lips, a larger nose and longer forehead on its darker dolls. 'This is what buying black dolls in Australia is like,' she captioned the post, which has 3,000 comments on it at the time of writing. 'Okay but for the lips they really went all out,' one woman commented. Jean, who blogs under @Jeanchronicles on TikTok, shared a video of 'anatomically correct' Miniland Dolls she found in a toy shop that had the offending larger lips, a larger nose and longer forehead on its darker dolls 'I mean it's sort of accurate for a teen or an adult to have these features but not proportional whatsoever for a baby,' said another. A third added: 'While I don't necessarily agree with the doll some people do have features like that and I'd buy it just to celebrate diversity'. Many told Jean to try and buy a doll from Kmart, which also offers a diverse range of dolls to its customers. 'So I went to Kmart and found some really cute black dolls. It's not just about representation it's equally important how we are presented,' Jean said. 'These are much more realistic than the last ones,' replied one woman. Many told Jean to try and buy a doll from Kmart, which also offers a diverse range of dolls to its customers The Kindred Folk dolls are $16 each and have their own names, like Ollie and Ruby. Previously, thousands defended Kmart's decision to sell dolls with Down Syndrome - and label them as such - after a video surfaced online of the toy name, which was different to other options in the 'soft cuddle baby' range. The video captioned 'Kmart Australia has no chill' pans across the shelves in the toy section showing two 'soft cuddle baby' dolls at Kmart before landing on the 'baby Charlie with Down Syndrome' doll. Since being posted the clip has racked up a staggering 6.1million views and thousands of comments from Australians praising the retailer's inclusivity. Thousands have defended Kmart Australia after a video seemingly mocking their range of dolls with Down Syndrome went viral on TikTok with more than 6million views 'It teaches kids acceptance. What is so wrong about it?' one woman wrote. 'I have a son with DS, they happen to love these dolls,' another said. 'I think its great for kids who have Down Syndrome, they would love these dolls. It's about time they make all kinds of dolls for all types of children,' commented a third. 'How is this no chill? Children with downs can have a doll that resembles them so they feel included,' another responded. Commenters said the dolls teach kids about acceptance and that its about time they make all kinds of dolls for all types of children It is unclear whether the original poster was mocking the dolls but, in the comments, said the video was not 'meant to offend anyone' and they are 'not against disabled people'. Some questioned whether the poster was referring to the wording difference between the dolls. 'I think they mean the name has no chill. It says 'soft cuddly baby' and then the last one just says 'baby Charlie with Down Syndrome',' said one user. 'Pretty sure the wording could've been different compared to the other two. That's where they went wrong,' wrote a second. The inclusive range includes a boy doll, Charlie (pictured left), and a girl doll, Amelia (pictured right), with Downs Syndrome as well as Barbie-like figures with a hearing aid, wheelchair, crutches, visual impairment and a prosthetic leg A few weeks ago Kmart promoted their range of diverse dolls and toys on their Instagram page to celebrate International Day of People with Disability. The inclusive range includes a boy doll Charlie and a girl doll Amelia with Down Syndrome as well as Barbie-like figures with a hearing aid, wheelchair, crutches, visual impairment and a prosthetic leg. Shoppers have applauded the range online saying their children love playing with the toys. 'Adorable wee doll really happy to see the inclusion, well done Kmart,' one mum said in her five-star review. Advertisement A stunning Queenslander has doubled in price after the owner's incredible renovation transformed it from an outdated fixer-upper to a chic modern masterpiece. The property in the southern Gold Coast suburb of Currumbin Waters recently sold for $1.75million at an auction after the owners paid $845,000 for it in February last year. Many keen house flippers wanted to get their hands on the pre-renovated Queenslander and while it was on the market, it became one of the most viewed Gold Coast listings on realestate.com.au among extravagant beachside mansions. Before: Following a whirlwind nine-month renovation, a savvy couple turned an outdated Queenslander home into a modern masterpiece and doubled its value After: The property in the southern Gold Coast suburb of Currumbin Waters recently sold for $1.75million at an auction after the owners paid $845,000 for it in February last year Many keen house flippers wanted to get their hands on the pre-renovated Queenslander and while it was on the market, it became one of the most viewed Gold Coast listings on realestate.com.au The savvy renovators gave the rundown pink and blue home a much-needed update while keeping hints to its rustic charm, rearranged the layout and added a sparkling pool and sun-lounge deck in the backyard. The home was given a modern lick of crisp white paint and the old kitchen was gutted to create a spacious and open family room that leads to the wrap-around decked balcony. In the former sitting room, a new kitchen and dining space was added, with stone benches and black cabinetry, taking full advantage of the floor-to-ceiling windows that showcase the views of the surrounding greenery. The master bedroom looks like something out of the pages of a high-end magazine with a lavish ensuite that was updated with a chic white fit-out, a huge bath tub and open shower. Listing agent Billy Jaz of McGrath Palm Beach told realestate.com.au the owners, Holly Charters and Kale Fogg, 'nailed' the renovation make it easier for the next buyers to want to move straight in The savvy house flippers gave the rundown pink and blue home a much-needed update while keeping hints to its rustic charm In the former sitting room, a new kitchen and dining space was added, with stone benches and black cabinetry, taking full advantage of the floor to ceiling windows that showcase the views of the surrounding greenery The home was given a modern lick of crisp white paint and the old kitchen was gutted to create a spacious and open family room that leads to the wrap-around decked balcony Downstairs, the house flippers converted the old office and siting room into to two luxury guest bedrooms. Listing agent Billy Jaz of McGrath Palm Beach told realestate.com.au the owners, Holly Charters and Kale Fogg, 'nailed' the renovation. 'There were so many people who wanted to buy it like they did to renovate and sell, but they just nailed the reno and when every little square inch is done so well it makes it easier for the next buyer to say, 'done, I want it',' he said. Downstairs, the old office and siting room were converted into to two luxury guest bedrooms Before and after: The master bedroom looks like something out of the pages of a high-end magazine with a lavish ensuite that was updated with a chic white fit-out, a huge bath tub and open shower During the renovation, the layout of the house was rearranged and a sparkling pool and sun-lounge deck was added in the backyard Ms Charters and Mr Fogg lived in the home for nine months while they renovated and said they wanted to pay homage to its original style. 'Keeping that heritage aspect by maintaining the Queenslander style was super important to us and we really wanted to do the house justice,' Ms Charters said. 'It was really about modernising what was there.' A two-week avocado 'festival' has kicked off in Sydney, offering guests a range of tasty experimental meals. The 'For the love of Shepard Avocado' event will run until Sunday March 27 at Surry Hills restaurant Cuckoo Callay in partnership with Australian Avocados. The limited-edition menu highlights flavour of Shepard avocados - and the chefs have used the fruit in creative ways, including turning it into ice cream and mousse. The 'For the love of Shepard Avocado' festival will run until Sunday March 27 at Surry Hills restaurant Cuckoo Callay in partnership with Australian Avocados The menu highlights flavour and texture of Shepard avocados - and the chefs have used the fruit in creative ways by turning it into ice cream, mousse and mixed with goats cheese Taking the classic avocado on toast to the next level, the 'You're everything I avo wanted' toast is topped with Shepard avocado mascarpone, lemon meringue, lemon curd and caramelised white chocolate with Shepard avocado ice cream. To compare, the 'You're the avo to my toast' dish is for the hardcore avocado enthusiasts as it is topped with sliced Shepard avocado and Vegemite dukkah on sourdough. Alternatively guests may wish to try the 'Move in the ripe direction' dish - a toasted bagel topped with sliced Shepard avocado, salmon gravlax, avocado goat cheese and pickled beetroot. Guests may wish to try the 'Move in the ripe direction' dish a toasted bagel topped with sliced Shepard avocado, salmon gravlax, avocado goat cheese and pickled beetroot (pictured left) Gillian Reilly, Head of Consumer Marketing at Hort Innovation, said: 'Shepard avocados are truly unique and versatile. They have a beautifully smooth yet firm texture and nutty taste which gives endless opportunities to experiment Gillian Reilly, Head of Consumer Marketing at Hort Innovation, said: 'Shepard avocados are truly unique and versatile. They have a beautifully smooth yet firm texture and nutty taste which gives endless opportunities to experiment. 'The cafe scene is a huge part of Australian culture and something that Aussies have been missing. This Shepard season, we're celebrating taste and togetherness, something Australia does best.' Oliver Hughes, executive chef at Cuckoo Callay said: 'We're so excited to be working with Australian Avocados for the launch of Shepard Season. 'Shepard avocados have lots of unique properties including that they stay bright green and gold when cut and can be used with both savoury and sweet dishes, so we have been able to create some incredible and delicious dishes with a twist. 'We look forward to welcoming you to the cafe to try the flavour sensation during the For the love of Shepard Avocado festival.' To try one of the limited-edition Shepard Avocado recipes, head to Cuckoo Callay in Surry Hills from Monday March 14 to Sunday March 27, 2022. To help Aussies experiment this Shepard season, Cuckoo Callay will be creating a digital step-by-step recipe guide to help inspire Aussies to get creative at home. To view the recipes, head to the Australian Avocados website here. A Sydney foodie has been mocked online after eating his McDonald's McMuffin with a knife and fork. In a recent video TikTok creator Adrian Widjy added a hash brown to his McMuffin for the 'perfect' takeaway breakfast. But fans were quick to question why he used cutlery to slice the bacon and egg muffin into pieces. Scroll down for video In a recent video TikTok creator Adrian Widjy added a hash brown to his McMuffin for the 'perfect' takeaway breakfast. But fans were quick to question why he used cutlery to slice the bacon and egg muffin into pieces 'Why the knife and fork??' one person wrote in the comments, another added: 'That all made sense until the fork and knife came in.' A third wrote: 'Throw away the cutlery!' Others agreed and implied the takeaway meal should always be eaten using your hands. But others bypassed the criticism and recommended adding an extra ingredient to the meal. Some said they opt to add tomato or barbecue sauce on top of the hash brown, while others choose to add pancake syrup. 'The perfect hangover meal,' one person wrote. Another person dubbed the use of the knife and fork as 'so extra'. Despite the backlash, the video went on to receive more than 22,000 views. Kostiantyn Kozoriz, a Ukrainian resident living in Seoul from Uman, central Ukraine, speaks during an interview with The Korea Times at the newspaper's office, March 8. Korea Times photo by Kim Kang-min By Lee Hyo-jin It was around midday on Feb. 24, when 23-year-old Kostiantyn Kozoriz, a Ukrainian resident in Seoul, saw on live broadcasts how Kyiv, the capital of his homeland, was being bombarded by Russian forces. Struck with horror, he immediately picked up his phone to call his family living in Uman, central Ukraine. "I told my mother to collect some documents, clothes and money and hide in a safe place. But she didn't realize what was going on at first," said Kozoriz, who currently works as a research assistant at Korea University. "And then an hour later, my 13-year-old sister called me. She was screaming and crying with terror from the sound of rockets outside the window," he said. "It was beyond awful." More than two weeks have passed since then, but things have only become worse. With no end in sight after Russia launched an attack on its neighboring country in what it calls a "special military operation," the number of civilians and military casualties and fatalities continues to rise. In a recent interview with The Korea Times, Ukrainian residents in Korea shared how their families and friends are dealing with the devastation of the military aggression, and expressed fury over the atrocities committed by the Russian government. "My mother and sister are now hiding in a bomb shelter, and my father joined a defense group. As for some of my friends who also joined the forces, I don't even know where they are now" said Kozoriz. Olha Shestakova, 28, an office worker in Seoul from Lviv, said, "The first couple of days it was just constant crying for me. There was nothing else I could do." Olha Shestakova, a Ukrainian resident speaks during an interview with The Korea Times at the newspaper's office, March 8. Korea Times photo by Kim Kang-min She added, "When I wake up in the morning, I see messages from friends and family saying, 'I'm not sure if I'm going to survive today.' But what can I say to them, that everything is going to be just fine?" Dmytro Vi, who is from the northeastern city of Kharkiv, said he was "anxious and horrified." "There was always a possibility that Russia would launch an attack ever since they first invaded the Crimean Peninsula in 2014. But no one expected that it would be so blatant. Without any warning or any reason, under a false agenda, the Russian forces began attacking civilians in residential areas," he said. "And it's getting worse as time goes on." "It's a war. There's no other way to put it," said Valeriia Poliukhova, a Ph.D student from Crimea. "Cities are being destroyed and people are dying on the street. People don't have enough water or food supplies. They don't have electricity. Many have lost their homes." Current sanctions not enough to stop Putin Although the international community has been imposing various economic and diplomatic penalties against Russia, they have so far be ineffective in stopping the aggression, said the Ukrainians, who called for stronger sanctions. Dmytro Vi, a Ukrainian resident living in Daejeon speaks during an interview with The Korea Times at the newspaper's office, March 8. Korea Times photo by Kim Kang-min "I feel grateful for the support from across the world, but sanctions should be harsher. Though it will demand courage and sacrifices from people of other countries, but we must show that their actions will not be tolerated," said Vi. "If a person commits a crime, he or she goes to prison and faces isolation from society. And just like that, Russia should be isolated from the world in all sectors, such as energy, the economy, science and sports," said Kozoriz. He also raised his voice against ordinary Russians. "They are also responsible for the crime. I think that they don't even realize what is going on now. What they do care about and complain about are travel bans and sanctions on imported products," Kozoriz said. Valeriia Poliukhova, a Ph.D. student from Ukraine, speaks during an interview with The Korea Times, March 8. Korea Times photo by Kim Kang-min Poliukhova echoed the sentiment, saying, "Russia will be remembered as the new fascist regime of the 21st century. But people there don't seem to worry about this nor about the children dying in their neighboring country." "They worry about IKEA's closure, and that Spotify is not working there, or that Apple's iPhones are not available in the market." 'President Zelenskyy is our hero' The Ukrainians interviewed speak highly of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, saying that his leadership is a big motivation for people staying strong, making them believe that Ukraine will eventually win this war. "Our president is a hero. No one would have thought that Zelenskyy actually would go in the streets and fight together with the army to protect his people," said Poliukhova. "He's doing a really great job. Ukrainians will not stop fighting, seeing the example of our president who is defending our homeland after refusing to flee from the country," said Kozoriz. Shestakova, who was among the 30 percent of Ukrainians who did not vote for Zelenskyy in the 2019 election, said his handling of the crisis situation made her change her mind. "He will be recorded in history as one of the most impressive leaders during wartime," she said. Grateful for support from Koreans The Ukrainians who were interviewed expressed gratitude for the support shown by the Korean people and the government over the past couple of weeks. Local activists and Ukrainian residents hold a rally protesting Russia's invasion of Ukraine, in front of the Russian Embassy in Seoul, Feb. 28. Korea Times photo by Choi Joo-yeon Homes Under The Hammer presenter Martin Roberts has turned back from the Ukrainian border after he was told it was 'too dangerous' to cross with his car full of humanitarian supplies. Yesterday, the 58-year-old presenter arrived in Krakow, Poland, after making a 26-hour mercy dash across Europe to help refugees before continuing his journey to the Polish border with Ukraine - just 20km from where Russian forces had launched shell attacks in recent days. After being warned that he wouldn't be able to get across the border, the television star instead headed to a nearby camp helping people who've fled Ukraine, saying he was 'lost for words' at the sight of so many people queuing for shelter, food and an onward journey in freezing conditions. Scroll down for video The Homes Under The Hammer star reached the Medyka border between Poland and Ukraine but was allowed to go no further - with Russian military stationed just 20 km away Roberts, 58, who travelled across Europe to deliver his car full of humanitarian supplies turned back and headed to an area that had been set up to help evacuated Ukrainians in Poland 'Lost for words' The presenter said he was left speechless at the sight of people queueing for food and shelter at the camp close to the Polish/Ukrainian border last night He tweeted his followers, saying: 'Time 4 me to sign off after 3 extraordinary days. Thank you with all my heart for all your kind words. Support in any way you can, big or small. It matters.' Roberts will now begin his journey back to the UK, after he first left the country on Saturday bound for the Ukraine/Polish border. At the refugee area last night, he told his followers on Instagram: 'I've moved down to the area where people are literally queuing for buses, which will take them to the centres where they'll get more attention and help.' He added: 'We're going to drop off the sleeping bags and sweets and various other bits and pieces. It's freezing cold, so some of our sleeping bags will maybe help.' Roberts added that he hoped the sweets and biscuits would provide 'a few minutes of distraction'. The daytime television star revealed last week that he was going to drive a car packed full of supplies across Europe to help those affected by Putin's attacks on the Ukraine. The 58-year-old presenter revealed last week that he was going to drive a car packed full of supplies across Europe to help those affected by Putin's attacks on the Ukraine In a mammoth 26 hour journey, Martin travelled from Bournemouth through France, Netherlands, Belgium and Germany to arrive in Poland on Monday. Appearing on ITV's Lorraine, he said the next step is travelling to the Medyka border, 20km from where a shelling took place yesterday, filling the host with both 'purpose and trepidation'. He explained: 'I set off from Bournemouth where the organisation I'm helping have their base and I went cross to the ferry travelled through France, Netherlands, Belgium, down thought Germany then all the way through Poland and I'm now in Krakow. 'I'm heading today to Medyka, the border with Ukraine which is 20km from where the shelling happened yesterday, so I'm filled with a great sense of purpose but also trepidation.' Last week, the TV host broke down in tears outside Costco after trying to buy Calpol for Ukrainian children. Roberts went to the big-box retail store to purchase supplies for kids in the war-torn country but was allegedly only allowed to buy two bottles - prompting kind strangers to step in and buy the medicine he needed. Homes Under The Hammer presenter Martin Roberts has arrived in Krakow after his two-day 'mercy dash' to drive supplies to the Ukraine and appeared on ITV's Lorraine this morning The 58-year-old daytime television star is driving from the UK to the Poland/Ukraine border with supplies - he is pictured half way through a 26-hour journey 'I woke up on that Saturday morning, like a lot of people, and thought, "What can I do?" Donating just didn't seem to be enough,' said Roberts today. 'I just went to Costco and tried to buy stuff. I was so touched, I was in the line and people saw me trying to buy this stuff and [when he was refused] they said "We'll buy it for you". 'I understand why you can't buy lots of Calpol, but I was touched that if you give people the opportunity to help they will do it.' Alongside a social media clip explaining his encounter, Martin wrote: 'I wonder if @costco_uk had some collection bins that people could just put donations in it would avoid this situation. Help me try to make it happen.' In the video filmed in a Costco car park, Martin became emotional after explaining how other shoppers came to his aid. He said: 'So listen, like you, Im properly just really at a loss in terms of what I can do to help with whats going on in Ukraine. 'So Ive come to Costco and Ive just been buying lots of things like Pampers, kids stuff, Tampax and other bits and pieces. 'You know, things for kids because its the kids, you know, [theyre] everything,' as he showed his followers a view of his shopping trolley and the things he had bought. Holding up the Calpol bottles, Martin continued: 'So Ive been trying to buy some Calpol and Im only allowed to buy two, right? 'And I know theres some sort of sicko limit or some limit that theyve put on that stops under normal circumstances people buying lots of Calpol.' The TV star was allegedly only allowed to buy two bottles of Calpol and took to Instagram to share a video expressing his frustration He then explained: 'So some people in the queue behind me and some people in the queue at the side of me both bought four bottles for me so I managed to get more. 'And I offered them the money, it was about ten quid for four, and they wouldnt take it. 'So there are such good people out there and everybodys trying to do their bit and if you just give them a route to do it. Because weve got to do what we can, right?' he added as he started to cry. He said: 'So whatever small step you can take to do your bit, just do it. Because even a couple of bottles of these might help. 'So do that for me alright. Not for me obviously. Do it for them. Because this is actually, if you think about it, going hopefully into the mouth of a child that needs it. 'A homeless child whos now wondering what the hells going on in some refugee camp somewhere. Anyway, you get the idea. Sorry,' apologised Martin before signing off. The Duchess of Cornwall paid tribute to the Queen with her choice of outfit as she joined members of the Royal Family at the Commonwealth Day service yesterday. Camilla, 74, stepped out in a favourite purple coat dress and matching hat, echoing the vibrant ensemble worn by her mother-in-law to the same event in 2019. It marked Camilla's first major royal engagement since The Queen issued her seal of approval for the duchess to use the title of Queen Consort when her husband, Prince Charles, becomes King. The Queen, 95, who has recently recovered from coronavirus and has been experiencing mobility issues, had hoped to attend in person but asked her son Charles to represent her at the service after discussing arrangements with members of the Royal Household. Ensuring the comfort of the monarch, who now regularly uses a stick, is thought to have been an overriding consideration in her decision not to take part. Yet Camilla made sure the Queen's signature style at least was present by choosing to wear one of Her Majesty's favourite colours. The Queen even has a similar hat and brooches. Purple reign! The Duchess of Cornwall paid tribute to the Queen with her choice of outfit as she joined members of the Royal Family at the Commonwealth Day service yesterday (right). Camilla, 74, stepped out in a favourite purple coat dress and matching hat, echoing the vibrant ensemble worn by her mother-in-law in 2019 (left). The Queen missed yesterday's event Paying tribute: Camilla made sure the Queen's signature style at least was present by choosing to wear one of Her Majesty's favourite colours. The Queen even has a similar hat and brooches She opted for a head-to-toe monochrome look, a popular styling technique for members of the Royal Family. Wearing a single, eye-catching colour helps the royals stand out in busy, crowded venues, like Westminster Abbey. The Queen and the Duchess of Cornwall often co-ordinate their outfits for the annual event, an important date in the royal calendar, and have worn shades of purple on previous occasions. The last time the Queen and Camilla both attended the Commonwealth Day service was in 2020, which also marked the last joint official royal engagement by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. On that occasion they both wore outfits in complementary shades of blue. Last year's service was cancelled due to the pandemic. Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall were given a warm greeting by Prince William and the Duchess of Cambridge on their arrival at Westminster Abbey. 2020: The last time the Queen and Camilla both attended the Commonwealth Day service was in 2020, which also marked the last joint official royal engagement by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. On that occasion they both wore outfits in complementary shades of blue, pictured 2019: The Queen and the Duchess of Cornwall often co-ordinate their outfits for the annual event, an important date in the royal calendar, and have worn shades of purple on previous occasions. Pictured, in matching purple at the Commonwealth Day service in 2019 According to expert lip reader Jacqui Press, the group of four expressed sweet words to one another with Camilla telling William 'thank you' lovely' and 'oh wow'. She added that Charles told Kate: 'We could come and see you that Saturday, we are not around that evening.' The group were meeting to celebrate the 54 member states of the Commonwealth at an annual service which was missed by the Queen. Her Majesty had earlier said she hoped the Commonwealth 'remains an influential force for good in our world for many generations to come' as she renewed her promise made in 1947 to 'always be devoted in service'. Family event: Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall were given a warm greeting by Prince William and the Duchess of Cambridge on their arrival at Westminster Abbey yesterday Royal blue! The Duchess of Cambridge looked radiant in bespoke Catherine Walker for the event The head of state's Commonwealth Day Message was issued by Buckingham Palace ahead of the annual service. The Duchess of Cambridge opted for a coat dress by trusted designer Catherine Walker that was created especially for the occasion. The design features incredibly neat tailoring, a longer length and a luxe velvet collar. It also boasts sharp shoulders and angular pockets that accentuate the crisp silhouette. The Cambridges were followed by Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall. Camilla, 74, looked elegant in a vibrant purple coat dress and eye-catching matching hat. Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall kicked off their St Patrick's Day celebrations early today in West London. The heir-to-the-throne, 73 and his wife, 74, learned to play the bodhran and met with Irish artists at the Irish Cultural Centre in Hammersmith this morning to celebrate its 25th anniversary ahead of their own official visit to the Emerald Isle next week. The Prince of Wales got to pour his own pint of Guinness and enjoyed several sips, before being treated to a performance by Irish dancers. The Duchess of Cornwall looked stylish in a silky green number from Samantha Cameron's label Cefinn. The visit comes as Ireland prepares to celebrate St Patrick's Day on Thursday. The prince has developed a real affinity for Ireland in recent years and it showed in his enthusiasm to get involved with everything that was presented to him. Scroll down for video The heir-to-the-throne, 73 and his wife, 74, learned to play the Bodhran and met with Irish artists at the Irish Cultural Centre in Hammersmith this morning The Prince of Wales got to pour his own pint of Guinness and sampled the drink during his visit today The couple first joined a group of musicians playing instruments including fiddles, banjos, flutes, a concertina, the uilleann pipes and acoustic guitar. Charles and Camilla - who was wearing a pretty green silk print dress by Samatha Camerons label Cefinn, chosen, she said, in honour of St Patricks Day this week - sat down on chairs amongst the group and tapped their toes. Then it was time for their go, with musician Tad Sargent, 36, from Kent, who has been playing for 17 years thanks to his Irish mother. He explained how they needed to balance the drum on their knees and hold the stick pointing towards their heart and flick it against the instrument. The Duchess of Cornwall looked stylish in a green silk dress by Samantha Cameron's label Cefinn, while Prince Charles was dapper in a blue striped suit The couple shared a chuckle after Camilla pointed out Prince Charles had some Guinness froth on his nose The Prince of Wales enjoyed several sips of his Guinness during his visit to the cultural centre in West London The couple both joined in, Charles particularly deftly, and waved his stick in triumph as the crowd cheered him. After thanking the musicians, Charles and Camilla gamely volunteered to go behind the bar to pour a pint of Irelands famous black stuff. I know what my next job is going to be, joked Camilla, who, of course, was recently anointed the next Queen Consort by Her Majesty. Volunteer barmaid Jude Hynes, 56, explained to the future king that he needed to tip the glass to one side as he poured, then place the glass - three quarters full - to settle, before topping it off. The future king struggled to get to grips with it at first but then soon got the hang of it. As he placed his pint on the bar to settle, Jude said: Perfect, perfect. Now let the magic happen. Cheers! The Prince sampled his Guinness while the centre's staff and onlookers cheered him on After a crash course in Irish music, the Prince of Wales learned to pour his own Guinness while the Duchess looked on The couple were treated to a performance by Irish dancers, after which the Prince of Wales unveilled a plaque commemorating his visit to the centre He was then given a second punt to top off. How much longer are we going to have to wait for it, he said impatiently, clearly eager to have a try. Thirty seconds, said Jude. He raised his glass to his wife and then to the room before taking a sip, quickly followed by another one. Camilla fondly pointed out that he had a spot of white froth on his nose and the prince good-natured wiped it off. It certainly seems as if the prince is partial to Guinness as he returned to his pint when the rest of the party - including his wife - were already leaving the bar, giggling: Just one more. At the centres knitting group, Charles enthusiastically greeted the ladies with a warm knitting and nattering, prompting them to burst into fits of laughter. Charles chatted to Margaret Mulligan, 68, from Hammersmith, who runs the group which meets at the centre once a week He told her that he had tried to learn knitting when he was six or seven but failed miserably. They tried to teach me, he said. Its quite therapeutic isnt it? Im always amazed how the ladies can watch television and knit at the same time. Camilla and Charles took part in the activities prepared for them by the centre and sang an Irish song My mother was very good at doing that, replied Margaret. She said afterwards: He was absolutely lovely and so passionate about keeping traditional arts and crafts. He understood how the group is also about company and friendship and supporting each other. The prince also asked grandmother of 11 Cathy Richardson how long she had been knitting She had him in stitches by loudly declaring: Listen, love, Ive been knitting since I was four years of age! The finale of the visit was a display of magnificent Irish dancing - a display so vigorous that one of the dancers knocked the plaque the couple were due to unveil over on the stage. A very cheerful prince enthused: Well its already been unveiled by some very energetic dancing, so all I can do is.. He then jokingly high-kicked one of his legs, to roars of laugher, and pulled the red covering off with a flourish. Peter Power-Hyes, chairman of the Irish Cultural Club, told the visitors that it had been a great honour to have them and wished them a safe and pleasant trip to Ireland. He added: There may be some more Guinness over there! Speaking after the visit he spoke of his delight that the couple had taken time to come to see them. They were such good fun, such lovely people and clearly had an affinity for Ireland. The prince told me he thought Guinness was the nicest drink ever invented and asked who finished his pint when he went upstairs. He also told me that he is very keen to learn Irish too. Three women who were targeted by a violent serial squatter have spoken out about their horrific experiences with the seemingly-charming man - who went on to murder his own brother in a fit of rage after destroying the lives of dozens of victims. Jamison Bachman, from Pennsylvania, would rent a room in people's homes - often using a fake name and pretending to be a lawyer - only to then go out of his way to make their lives a nightmare by destroying their property, moving and touching their personal belongings, and refusing to pay rent. Speaking out in a new Netflix documentary, Worst Roommate Ever, several of Bachman's victims have detailed how the 'serial squatter' would often make up a back story - like a family member being sick or his old house being destroyed - to explain why he needed a place to live, and would start by posing as the perfect roommate - coming off as neat, polite, and well-educated. However, after a few days of living together, he would turn into a terror - doing whatever he could to make his roommates unhappy, like stealing their lightbulbs and purposely clogging the toilet with cat litter. Bachman - who had a law degree but never passed the Bar Exam - wouldn't give them money for rent, and when they tried to argue with him about it, he used his knowledge of the law to avoid paying, claiming that they broke the lease. Many women who were targeted by a violent serial squatter have spoken out about their horrific experiences with the man (pictured) - who ended up killing his own brother Jamison Bachman (pictured as a teen), from Pennsylvania, would rent a room in people's homes - often using a fake name and pretending to be a lawyer He then went out of his way to make their lives a nightmare by destroying their property, moving and touching their belongings, and refusing to pay rent. One of his victims is pictured The 'serial squatter' would often make up a fake back story, and would pose as the perfect roommate - coming off as neat, polite, and well-educated. Two of his victims are pictured He would sometimes get violent - choking one of his former roommates and cutting another with a knife - and in some cases, he made them so miserable that he drove the women out of their homes and kept it for himself. Eventually, Bachman killed his own brother in cold blood - after he refused to let him stay with him - and while he was on trial for the murder, he took his own life. Bachman grew up in Elkins Park, Pennsylvania, and graduated from Cheltenham High School in 1974. His father, Jim, owned a construction company, while his mother, Joan, was a stay-at-home mom. Intelligencer reported that growing up, he had a lot of resentment towards his father, who was reportedly abusive, and favored his older brother, Harry. Friends described Bachman as 'smart' and 'charming,' as well as self-confident and competitive, and they said they thought he had a 'bright future,' despite his rough family background. However, after he witnessed a brutal murder during his freshman year at Tulane University in New Orleans, Louisiana, his friends noticed a major change in Bachman. According to Associated Press, Bachman's close friend Ken Gutzeit was killed in a frat house after an argument broke out between him and 25-year-old student librarian Randell Vidrine in January of 1976 - while Bachman was watching. Gutzeit, 20, bled to death after his neck was slashed by Vidrine. However, after a few days of living together, he would turn into a terror, doing what he could to make his roommates unhappy - like stealing lightbulbs and purposely clogging the toilet Bachman grew up in Elkins Park, Pennsylvania, and graduated from Cheltenham High School in 1974. He is pictured in his high school yearbook His friend Bob Friedman (pictured) described Bachman as 'smart' and 'charming,' as well as self-confident and competitive A childhood friend of Bachman's, named Bob Friedman, told Netflix that the incident turned him into a 'very dark' and 'very paranoid' person. Jamison Bachman's victims Arleen Hairbaedian - lived with Bachman in 2006. After he refused to pay rent, she slapped him - and in response, he grabbed her by the throat. He then filed a police report against her, claiming she tried to stab him - which she denied - resulting in her being forbidden to enter her own home. He then took it over, and brought two of her cats to a kill shelter to be euthanized. - lived with Bachman in 2006. After he refused to pay rent, she slapped him - and in response, he grabbed her by the throat. He then filed a police report against her, claiming she tried to stab him - which she denied - resulting in her being forbidden to enter her own home. He then took it over, and brought two of her cats to a kill shelter to be euthanized. Sonia Acevedo - lived with Bachman in 2012. She said he was often violent - even swinging a chair at her once - which forced her to prop a chair up against her door to make sure he wouldn't enter her room. - lived with Bachman in 2012. She said he was often violent - even swinging a chair at her once - which forced her to prop a chair up against her door to make sure he wouldn't enter her room. Melissa Frost - lived with Bachman in 2012. After he almost pushed her down the stairs and she called the police, and her cat went missing. - lived with Bachman in 2012. After he almost pushed her down the stairs and she called the police, and her cat went missing. Mark Gainer - lived with Bachman in 2015. He claimed Bachman walked around holding a baseball bat. - lived with Bachman in 2015. He claimed Bachman walked around holding a baseball bat. Michael Oberhauser - lived with Bachman in 2016. He said Bachman threw out his bathmat multiple times - every time he would take it out of the trash Bachman threw it out again until he eventually had to duct tape it to the ground . - lived with Bachman in 2016. He said Bachman threw out his bathmat multiple times - every time he would take it out of the trash Bachman threw it out again until he eventually had to duct tape it to the ground . Neville Henry - lived with Bachman in 2017. He said Bachman attacked him with the broken leg of his coffee table. - lived with Bachman in 2017. He said Bachman attacked him with the broken leg of his coffee table. Alex Miller - lived with Bachman in 2017. He ended up choking Miller, as well as slamming her leg in a door, and cutting her thigh with a knife - resulting in him getting arrested and charged with aggravated assault, reckless endangerment, simple assault, and possession of an instrument of crime. Advertisement 'Thats the kind of traumatic, life-changing event that changes your whole worldview,' Friedman said. Bachman went on to get his masters in History at Georgetown University, and at age 45, he began studying law at the University of Miami. He received his law degree but never passed the bar exam - failing on his first try in 2003. His teachers told Intelligencer that he was a 'remarkable' student with 'extraordinary talents.' Alex Miller, 35, from Chestnut Hill, Pennsylvania, was looking for a roommate in 2017, so she put up an ad on Craigslist. Bachman responded to her ad using a fake name - Jed Creek - and claimed that he was a New York lawyer who needed to move to the area to take care of his ailing brother, who was suffering from Hepatitis C. The two met for coffee at a local Starbucks, and after the brief meetup, Miller rented him the extra room in her apartment. He offered to pay her the first month's rent for the room right right away, and wrote her a check for $800, which cleared - despite the name and address on the check being left blank. Miller recalled being relieved when she found Bachman, after spending weeks struggling to look for a roommate. 'Here was a courtly gentleman,' she recalled to Intelligencer. 'An experienced lawyer whod lived in Europe and the Middle East.' But right away, things started to turn weird. Miller said Bachman moved in with just six plastic bins, his dog, and a cat - which he hadn't told her about before hand. He didn't have a mattress or a bed - he simply slept on a big pile of comforters on the floor. And while they were living together, she claimed that he would often move her personal items around, and he even took the lightbulbs out of the lights in their shared living space to use in his own room. He also decided to remove the chairs from the kitchen and bring them into his bedroom, using them to make himself a desk. However, after Bachman witnessed a brutal murder during college, he changed - turning into a 'very dark' and 'very paranoid' person, according to Friedman (pictured with Bachman as kids) Alex Miller (pictured), 35, from Chestnut Hill, Pennsylvania, met Bachman in 2017 after he answered her Craigslist ad, and they soon became roommates He rented the room under a fake name - Jed Creek - and pretended to be a lawyer from New York, but refused to pay rent. Pictured is the apartment they shared together After problems started to arise, Miller's mom decided to google Bachman's phone number - and she soon uncovered his true identity. Miller and her mom, Susan, are pictured together After 11 days of living together, Miller asked him to pay his portion of the utility bills and he refused, claiming that they covered a period of time before he had moved in. 'We can handle this in court if you would prefer,' Miller said he told her. She claimed that Bachman then said he wasn't going to pay his share of the rent either, because he had found a cigarette butt in the toilet, and that she had broken the 'warranty of habitability' and 'covenant of quiet enjoyment.' 'We agreed he would share the cost of paying the bills,' she explained in the Netflix series. 'Later, Jed would laugh at me when I asked for him to pay the bills. When he laughed, at me, it was sinister. It was demeaning. It was patronizing, like I was stupid.' After problems started to arise, Miller's mom, Susan, decided to google Bachman's phone number - and she soon realized that his name wasn't Jed Creek after all. Instead, she was shocked to uncover his true identity - a 'serial squatter who had terrorized roommates up and down the East Coast,' Miller recalled. After making the discovery, Miller decided to throw a big house party in an attempt to get drive Bachman out, since she read online from his previous victims that he hated parties, drinking, smoking, and loud rap music. Miller tried to drive him out by throwing a party but it resulted in him choking her, slamming her leg in a door, and cutting her thigh with a knife. He was then arrested and evicted Another former roommate, named Arleen Hairbaedian (pictured), 47, had a physical altercation with Bachman while he was living with her in Queens in 2006 After he allegedly filed a fake police report against her, she was forbidden to go near him or the apartment. He then took over her home as his own. The apartment is pictured However, her plan didn't work, and instead, it resulted in Bachman choking Miller, as well as slamming her leg in a door, and cutting her thigh with a knife. After the incident, he was arrested, and charged with aggravated assault, reckless endangerment, simple assault, and possession of an instrument of crime, leading to him getting evicted from the apartment. 'He seemed to relish the anguish of those who had taken him in without realizing that they would soon be pulled into a terrifying battle for their home,' Intelligencer reported. 'Nothing they did could satisfy or appease him, because the objective was not material gain but, seemingly, the sadistic pleasure of watching them squirm as he displaced them.' Melissa Frost lived with Bachman in 2012, after he claimed that his house had been destroyed by Hurricane Sandy. She let him stay with her for free, however, he soon turned into an awful roommate - kicking down doors, purposely scuffing the floors, and even clogging the toilets with cat litter. 'He went from being this cordial, polite person who understood he was a guest in my house to someone who was approaching me aggressively and flat-out saying, "This is my house now,"' she explained to Intelligencer. She said he once almost pushed her down the stairs, and after she called the police about it, her cat suddenly went missing. Sonia Acevedo, 53, shared an apartment with Bachman in Rockaway Beach, New York, and said he was often violent, leaving her terrified for her well-being and her personal belongings When she was home, she said she would barricade the door to her room with a chair to ensure he wasn't going to come in and hurt her. The building they lived in together is pictured Another woman, named Melissa Frost, claimed Bachman (pictured) once almost pushed her down the stairs, and after she called the police about it, her cat suddenly went missing And although she couldn't prove he had something to do with the feline's disappearance, she had a strong feeling he had done something to her precious pet. After that, she said she asked him to leave but she said he simply laughed and told her, 'Youve got your whole life in front of you. Youre pretty, and youre talented, and youve got this house - well, you dont have this house anymore. This house is my house. 'It was like something out of a movie,' she said. Another former roommate, named Arleen Hairbaedian, 47, had a physical altercation with Bachman while he was living with her in Queens in 2006. After he refused to pay rent, she slapped him - and in response, he grabbed her by the throat. She then tried to get him evicted, but he reportedly retaliated by filing a police report in which he claimed that she tried to stab him, although Hairbaedian said that never happened. However, after the report, she was forbidden to go near him or the apartment. He then took over her home, and brought two of her cats to a kill shelter to be euthanized. Sonia Acevedo, 53, shared an apartment with Bachman in Rockaway Beach, New York, and said he was often violent - even swinging a chair at her once - leaving her terrified for her well-being and her personal belongings. When she was home, she said she would barricade the door to her room with a chair to ensure he wasn't going to come in and hurt her, and when she was out, she would leave an empty wine bottle in her entranceway to see if it was knocked over or moved when she came home. In November 2017, Bachman killed his brother Harry (pictured) in his Elkins Park home. The cause of death was 'blunt force trauma to the head and body' On December 8, 2017, Bachman (pictured) hung himself in his jail cell at Montgomery County Correctional Facility and died at age 60 In November 2017, Bachman killed his brother Harry in his Elkins Park home, after Harry bailed him out of jail following the incident with Miller. The cause of death was 'blunt force trauma to the head and body.' It was reported that Bachman got mad at his brother after he and his wife, Caroline Bachman, refused to let him stay at their home. After the murder, Bachman was caught using Harry's credit card to book a hotel room, as well as driving his car. A SWAT team surrounded the hotel, but Bachman tried to fight back using an axe - cutting one police officer in the face, and another in the arm, before he was finally taken into custody. On December 8, 2017, he hung himself in his jail cell at Montgomery County Correctional Facility and died at age 60. 'How dare he?' Miller said, while discussing his death in the Netflix series. 'First, he ended up destroying himself. Then he killed his brother, the only person in the world left to help him. And then he killed himself.' Queen Letizia of Spain showcased her effortless sense of style as she attended an event at the city of Leon Auditorium today. The mother-of-two, 49, was hosted by the Spanish Federation of Rare Diseases as the organisation celebrated its 25th anniversary. She cut a stylish figure in light pink cashmere jumper and a black and pink ombre pleated midi skirt, and kept on her face mask in line with local regulations. Queen Letizia of Spain donned a perfectly curated blush pink and black ensemble as she visited Leon The monarch's glossy hair shone in the light as she gave a speech to the Spanish Federation of Rare Diseases The Spanish royal listened to others give speeches as the event for rare diseases commenced in the auditorium Queen Letizia talked with an official about the upcoming event before heading inside Leon's auditorium The Queen boldly took centre stage to begin her speech to commend the work being done by the Spanish Federation of Rare Diseases Letizia speaks with Leon's regional president Alfonso Fernandez Manueco (C), Strange Deseases Federations president Juan Carrion (2-R), Health Minister Carolina Darias (3-L) and Leon's mayor Jose Antonio Diez The elegant royal opted for subtle make-up and styled her glossy brunette hair with loose-waves for a relaxed look. Adapting to a well-thought-out colour scheme, Letizia also choose suede pink court heels that matched the hue of her skirt and top perfectly. To finish off the ensemble, the monarch cinched her waist with a black leather belt featuring a small buckle and opted for a solitary gold ring on one hand. Letizia practiced covid safety protocols by donning a face mask, while also accessorising with a favourite pair of her small gold hoop earrings. Letizia smiled as she handed out awards for the work nominees had done to treat rare diseases in Leon Queen Letizia of Spain talked to adoring subjects before heading into the auditorium for the rare diseases event The queen handed out awards for work on rare diseases during her speech at the Ciudad de Leon auditorium What a waist!The Spanish royal cinched her waist with a leather belt that accentuated her figure The Spanish Queen waved and smiled at well-wishers as she arrived at the event. She appeared in good spirits as she was greeted by Leon's regional president, Alfonso Fernandez Manueco. Letizia also spoke with the Strange Deseases Federations president, Juan Carrion, Health Minister, Carolina Darias, and Leon's mayor Jose Antonio Diez. Later taking centre stage, Letizia gave a speech to her audience in the auditorium and was given the chance to celebrate the scientific work being done to treat rare diseases. Queen Letizia was in good spirits as she greeted well wishers before heading in to the Rare diseases event Lots to discuss! The Queen spoke with Castilla y Leon's regional president Alfonso Fernandez Manueco as he greeted her The Queen's suede blush pink shoes were a perfect mathc for the other pink elements in her outfit Even royals appear to need a little retail therapy now and again - after the Duchess of Cornwall and Princess Eugenie were spotted enjoying London's shopping scene. Camilla, 74, looked elegant in a blue button-up coat as she left the British capital's luxury foodie haven Fortnum & Mason in Piccadilly, today. Elsewhere, Eugenie, 31, stepped out with her husband Jack Brooksbank, 35, in Knightsbridge on Monday. The Queen's granddaughter, who welcomed her first child August Philip Hawke Brooksbank last February, dressed down in a camel coat, while holding a large bunch of sunflowers. This morning Camilla joined Prince Charles to kick off their St Patrick's Day celebrations early in West London. Camilla (pictured), 74, looked elegant in a blue button-up coat as she left the British capital's luxury foodie haven Fortnum & Mason in Piccadilly, today Elsewhere, Eugenie, 31, stepped out with her husband Jack Brooksbank, 35, in Knightsbridge on Monday (pictured) The royal couple learned to play the bodhran and met with Irish artists at the Irish Cultural Centre in Hammersmith this morning. Later, Camilla was spotted leaving Fortnum & Mason as she made her way to her vehicle. She teamed her sophisticated blue number with a dainty silver necklace, while sporting a smattering of glamorous makeup. Adding a further touch of glitz to her ensemble, the duchess opted for eye-catching gold drop earrings. The Queen's granddaughter, who welcomed her first child August Philip Hawke Brooksbank last February, dressed down in a camel coat, while holding a large bunch of sunflowers Her shopping was reportedly carried to her car in a Fortnum's Platinum Jubilee Bag for Life, which costs 9.95. Camilla isn't the only royal who has enjoyed a shopping trip this week after Eugenie and her husband Jack visited Knightsbridge on Monday. The couple were seen waiting for a taxi while carrying their shopping; Eugenie held a bouquet of sunflowers, while Jack looked after a shopping bag and two cardboard boxes. Eugenie opted for a low-key look, teaming her statement coat with white trainers and sunglasses. Camilla's shopping was reportedly carried to her car in a Fortnum's Platinum Jubilee Bag for Life, which costs 9.95 (pictured) Her husband Jack looked equally casual in a pair of jeans, navy jacket and light blue shirt during their outing. Today, during her visit to the Irish Cultural Centre, Camilla looked stylish in a silky green number from Samantha Cameron's label Cefinn. The Prince of Wales got to pour his own pint of Guinness and enjoyed several sips, before being treated to a performance by Irish dancers. The visit comes as Ireland prepares to celebrate St Patrick's Day on Thursday and less than two weeks before Charles and Camilla are due to travel to the Emerald Isle for a three-day state visit at the end of the month. A Michigan couple have moved up their wedding date after they were both diagnosed with cancer just eight days apart. High school sweethearts Clay Slenk, 24, and Mariah Nelesen, 23, from Zeeland, started dating at the beginning of their senior year in 2015. Five years later, they got engaged on December 26, 2020. They planned on getting married on June 10, 2022, but they've since moved their ceremony to April 9 after they both received life-changing phone calls about their health earlier this year. 'I got a phone call January 11 of this year that I had ovarian cancer. That's not a call that anyone expects to receive,' Nelesen told KTLA of her surprising diagnosis. High School sweethearts Clay Slenk, 24, and Mariah Nelesen, 23, from Zeeland, Michigan, have moved up their wedding after they were both diagnosed with cancer eight days apart The couple started dating at the beginning of their senior year in 2015 The couple explained on their Caring Bridge page that she had undergone an ovarian cyst removal and learned the tissue that was removed was cancerous. Nelesen was diagnosed with adult granulosa cell tumor (AGCT), a rare ovarian cancer that requires both surgery and chemotherapy for treatment. Eight days later, on January 19, Slenk received an urgent call about his recent blood test results from his doctor, who advised him to go to Spectrum Health Butterworth Hospital in Grand Rapids immediately. 'All of a sudden, I got a phone call at like 8 o'clock, and my doctor was like, "I want you to go to Spectrum right now. I think you have leukemia,"' Slenk told KTLA. Slenk and Nelesen got engaged on December 26, 2020, and planned on getting married on June 10, 2022 They've since moved their ceremony to April 9 after they were both diagnosed with cancer Nelesen was diagnosed with adult granulosa cell tumor (AGCT), a rare ovarian cancer that requires both surgery and chemotherapy for treatment When he had initially gotten bloodwork, he had thought he was suffering from lingering side effects of pneumonia. After more testing, he was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia (AML), an aggressive cancer that originates in the blood cells. Slenk required immediate treatment and spent more than 40 days in the hospital. After their wedding, he will undergo a stem cell transplant, a procedure that replaces damaged bone marrow with healthy stem cells. 'We moved up our wedding date so we could be married during that time,' he told KTLA. 'So she would be here to take care of me and we could go through that hard part together.' Slenk was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia (AML), an aggressive cancer that originates in the blood cells The couple pushed up their wedding date because they wanted to be married before he undergoes his next treatment, a stem cell transplant Slenk, who purchased a home with his bride-to-be last year, has edited his vows to reflect their deepening bond, saying: 'Therell be a little more sickness before the health, but thats alright' Meanwhile, Nelesen has started the process of freezing her eggs as part of her own cancer treatment. A GoFundMe has been started on their behalf to help cover their medical bills, home payments, lost income, and gifts toward their wedding and honeymoon. They have received more than $36,000 donations, so far, exceeding the fundraiser's initial goal of $25,000. Slenk and Nelesen have chosen to remain positive throughout their cancer battles and live their lives to the fullest. Slenk remained by Nelesen's side when she suffered a suffered an aortic dissection and spent two weeks in the ICU last year before the COVID-19 pandemic hit A GoFundMe has been started on their behalf has received more than $36,000 donations 'Why be angry?' he asked. 'If Im angry and frustrated and down and negative, all its going to do is make this day that much worse.' The bride-to-be also shared that their diagnoses have changed her perspective when it comes to their wedding. 'I was caught up in planning and excited for all the little details, like the venue we were going to be at and the food that we were going to have,' she said. '[Now], replanning the wedding, Ive just thrown all of that out the window. Its going to be a special day no matter what, and were going to have burgers and brats on the grill.' Slenk has since edited his vows to reflect their deepening bond, saying: 'Therell be a little more sickness before the health, but thats alright.' The UK's most premature twins have finally headed home from hospital - five months after they were given a zero per cent chance of survival at birth. Little Harley and Harry Crane, from Derby, were conceived via IVF and were born at 22 weeks and five days - more than a week before the abortion limit at 24 weeks. Babies born at 22 weeks are not classed as legally viable and medical intervention is sometimes not offered. But the tough siblings weren't going anywhere and have amazed doctors - who initially gave them a zero per cent chance of survival. Jade Crane, 39, gave birth to twins Harley and Harry at just 22 weeks, more than a week before the legal abortion limit The twins were given a zero per cent chance of survival by doctors who were not required to medically intervene with babies born prior to 24 weeks gestation as they are not considered to be viable After three tragic miscarriages on IVF, Jade discovered that she had an overactive immune system whereby her body would reject the pregnancies, which likely contributed to the twins' premature birth Proud mum Jade Crane, 39, has spent the last five months staying by her babies' sides in the newborn intensive care unit (NICU) at Queens Medical Hospital in Nottingham. The miracle pair headed home yesterday with their proud mum and dad just two and a half weeks after their original due date. The former mental health nurse and addiction counsellor, who lives in Derby with her husband Steve, 52, said: 'I'm so proud of my babies - they're little fighters. 'They're doing absolutely amazing. They're doing all the things that we were told they wouldn't do - they're crying, they're surviving. They had been trying to fall pregnant naturally for three years and Jade had suffered an ectopic pregnancy before they decided to start IVF in 2010. Pictured while pregnant with the twins Jade and Steve had quite the journey to finally have their twins after 11 years of treatments - including eight cycles of IVF and several implantations of frozen embryos as well 'The doctors were saying the babies wouldn't survive at this gestation. I was still two weeks away from what the UK classes as viable and the babies were given a zero per cent chance of survival. 'It was only because I was at a teaching hospital and that the babies were born with signs of life that they chose to intervene medically. 'We've waited 140 days for this. It's really emotional. Sad to leave the team but happy to be going home.' Steve added: 'It's been such a long time and although it's been a really, really treacherous journey, 140 days ago we didn't think we'd be here. The miracle pair headed home yesterday with their proud mum and dad just two and a half weeks after their original due date 'It's just so affirmative to see them together and to be walking out that door. 'The absolutely stunning doctors, nurses and surgeons have all been part of the making of this moment. It's hard to say goodbye to them, but I hope I never see them again.' Jade and Steve had quite the journey to finally have their twins after 11 years of treatments - including eight cycles of IVF and several implantations of frozen embryos as well. They had been trying to fall pregnant naturally for three years and Jade had suffered an ectopic pregnancy before they decided to start IVF in 2010. The twins have lots of health problems as a result of their premature birth, including chronic lung disease, and have undergone many surgeries in their little lives to combat them After three tragic miscarriages on IVF, Jade discovered that she had an overactive immune system whereby her body would reject the pregnancies. The couple moved from a fertility clinic in Nottingham to one on Harley Street in London - believed to be one of the best in the world - where Jade was prescribed lots of different types of medication in order to combat her immune system problems. She said: 'We had a really long IVF journey. Steve and I have been together for 14 years, and 11 of those have been spent doing IVF. 'On our eighth cycle of IVF, we had two embryos transferred which both worked and we ended up with boy and girl twins! Devastatingly, the twins were diagnosed with a serious gastrointestinal problem called necrotizing enterocolitis 'I couldn't let myself believe it, I was so fearful of a miscarriage or something going wrong. I literally didn't do anything during the pregnancy as a result. 'I was still in disbelief when we got to 20 weeks, and I hadn't even hit my third trimester when I went into labour so we hadn't bought anything! 'We'd painted the nursery and revamped furniture but we hadn't bought cots or thrown baby showers or anything. 'The few bits of clothes that I did buy made me think that I better keep the tags on just in case - you just don't want to let yourself believe.' Harley had to have a stoma bag fitted, which has since been removed, and Harry received injections in his eyes to help prevent premature blindness Jade took herself to get checked at Queens Medical Hospital in Nottingham on October 26 after leaking fluid at home for several days at 22 weeks pregnant. An internal examination revealed that Jade was experiencing a premature rupture of membranes, whereby the fetal membranes rupture before the onset of labour. With Jade only being 22 weeks pregnant, her babies were not considered to be viable and the poor mum believed she would lose her precious twins. She said: 'The doctor was so shocked - she told me she could see the membrane bulging, so the sac of water was basically showing. Jade had chosen to go to Queens Medical Hospital in Nottingham for her baby scans due to the fact that they had a more extensive NICU than her local hospital in Derby, and luckily, the facility is a teaching hospital where doctors intervene with babies born 23 weeks and later 'It was so scary. I knew I was 22 weeks but I didn't know about the viability thing. They told me they were going to admit me but that I was probably having a miscarriage. 'The doctor kept saying it was a miscarriage but I said it couldn't be because I could feel the babies moving. 'I knew they were ok but was being told they wouldn't survive at this gestation.' The abortion law in the UK states that women can terminate a pregnancy up to 24 weeks. Harley and Harry shows signs of life after being born which motivated doctors to intervene and save their lives Doctors are not required to medically intervene with babies born prior to 24 weeks gestation as they are not considered to be viable. Jade had chosen to go to Queens Medical Hospital in Nottingham for her baby scans due to the fact that they had a more extensive NICU than her local hospital in Derby, and she wanted a higher level of monitoring due to her fertility history. Luckily for Jade, the facility is a teaching hospital and doctors intervene with babies born 23 weeks and later in an effort to learn more about premature births. At the time of going into labour, born on October 26, 2021, Jade was still 30 hours away from the 23 week mark - but doctors chose to intervene after her babies showed signs of life when born. After admitting herself to hospital, an internal examination revealed that Jade was experiencing a premature rupture of membranes, whereby the fetal membranes rupture before the onset of labour Jade said: 'I was 30 hours away from what they would class as viable and my babies were given a 0% chance of survival. 'Labour happened really quickly. I was denied pain medication and monitoring during labour as I wasn't viable, which was awful, really. 'It was only because the babies were born with signs of life that they chose to intervene medically. They were alive, moving around, and they cried. Their little cries sounded like a tiny kitten. 'I remember saying that I couldn't hear Harley cry and one of the nurses said I wouldn't because she was far too early but then I heard this little cry. Jade recalls the babies' first cries sounding like 'tiny kittens', and shortly after they were taken to the NICU where they remained on ventilators as doctors worked hard to save the premature babies 'Harry did the same when he was born an hour later, still in his sac. In Japan, it is seen as being lucky if you have a baby born in their sac, so I held onto that luck!' Little Harley and Harry were intubated and taken to the NICU where they remained on ventilators as doctors worked hard to save the premature babies. Jade said: 'I was told they weren't going to survive and that I'd have a miscarriage so I was in complete disbelief. 'I remember getting wheeled round to NICU and the first thing I asked was if they were still here, because I didn't know if they'd still be there, but they were and still are - 79 days in now!' Despite doctors assuming Jade was miscarrying, she recalls feeling them move which told her they were going to be okay The twins have lots of health problems as a result of their premature birth, including chronic lung disease, and have undergone many surgeries in their little lives to combat them. Harley had to have a stoma bag fitted, which has since been removed, and Harry received injections in his eyes to help prevent premature blindness. Devastatingly, the twins were also diagnosed with a serious gastrointestinal problem called necrotizing enterocolitis. This can be fatal, and Jade was told to prepare to say goodbye. The parents have been looking for inspirational stories about premature babies to give them hope for their sons' futures Jade said: 'We were told to get the family in and have a christening. I kept referring to the christening as 'the funeral'. It was just awful.' Thankfully, the twins have defied the odds and Harley finally joined her brother at home yesterday [14] after their shock arrival five months ago. Jade said: 'We've waited 140 days for this. It's really emotional. Sad to leave the team but happy to be going home. 'After they were born, I was Googling twins who survive at 22 weeks and trying to find any that have to give me hope. 'I found a set of twins in America who had survived - they're four now. I've connected with their mum on Instagram and she guided me through the first few days of being in the unit and what to ask for. 'I'm really lucky that I went to Queens instead of Derby. If I'd gone to Derby Hospital, I wouldn't have come home with any babies, and that's where the ambulance would have taken me because of the catchment area - its a postcode lottery. 'They'll go down in medical history - I'm pretty sure they'll be having on of the wards named after them because everyone is just amazed by them!' An implant that zaps the inside of the knee joint to stimulate the growth of cartilage could be a new way to tackle osteoarthritis and reduce the need for knee replacement. Scientists at the University of Connecticut in the U.S. have developed a patch that generates tiny amounts of electricity to trigger the growth of cartilage, the tissue that acts as a cushion to stop bones from rubbing against each other and causing pain. These tiny electrical pulses, released by the implant when the knee joint moves, stimulate nearby cartilage cells to start growing until they form a patch of new cushion. Around 8.5 million people in the UK have painful joints due to osteoarthritis, or wear-and-tear arthritis and osteoarthritis of the knee, the strongest joint in the body, is estimated to affect one in five adults aged over 45. Scientists at the University of Connecticut in the U.S. have developed a patch that generates tiny amounts of electricity to trigger the growth of cartilage, the tissue that acts as a cushion to stop bones from rubbing against each other and causing pain Articular cartilage, a smooth, slippery substance, coats the ends of the bones where they meet in the joint and acts as a cushion. But it becomes frayed over time, resulting in bone rubbing on bone, pain and loss of movement. Treatment ranges from painkillers to ease the discomfort, to physiotherapy and knee braces that support and strengthen the muscles around the joint. An estimated 60,000 people undergo a knee replacement in the UK every year because, unlike other tissues in the body, articular cartilage cannot regrow or heal because it lacks the necessary blood vessels. Now researchers at the University of Connecticut have found that low levels of electricity can help trigger the growth of new cartilage cells. They have developed a small scaffold which looks like a patch and can be matched to the size of the defect and surgically implanted. It is made from a biodegradable material, Poly-L-Lactic acid (or PLLA), a type of plastic. This has a property, called piezoelectricity, which means it produces a tiny burst of electricity when squeezed the movement of a joint, such as walking, causes the PLLA scaffold to generate a weak but steady electrical field. This encourages cells to colonise it and grow into cartilage. The implant itself then eventually biodegrades. Animal studies by the researchers showed that after one to two months, robust cartilage grew back inside the joints. By contrast, there was little or no healing of the damaged cartilage in a control group that received a standard tissue scaffold, reports the journal Science Translational Medicine. Clinical trials in humans are planned soon. Mike McNicholas, a consultant orthopaedic surgeon at Liverpool University Hospitals, said: Piezoelectricity has been found to be incredibly widespread in body tissues, and is present in some of the bodys building block molecules, such as collagen. Electrical stimulation is recognised as a way of helping broken bones heal quicker and has been in clinical use for decades. This studys results are very impressive. It will be interesting to see if they are reproducible in man. The development of this novel therapeutic implant to restore cartilage volume and fill in defects could be a game-changer in the battle against arthritis. A capsule containing curcumin (the yellow compound found in turmeric) may help treat knee arthritis, according to the results of a new trial published in the journal Nutrients. In the study, patients took either a 500mg curcumin capsule or a placebo twice a day for eight weeks. The curcumin group were able to reduce their pain-relieving medication on average by 37 per cent compared to 13 per cent for the patients taking a placebo. Curcumin is thought to work as an anti-inflammatory. How yoghurt can make berries even healthier Eating blueberries with yoghurt may improve your intake of the nutrients they provide, suggests the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. In research with rats, alpha-casein (a milk-based protein) was added to anthocyanin (an antioxidant that gives blueberries their colour) the next day the rodents had higher concentrations of anthocyanin in their blood. The researchers said the milk protein molecule wraps around the antioxidant, stopping it disintegrating as it moves through the intestine and bloodstream. They will now see if the protein has the same effect in the human digestive system. Ten minutes of exercise is enough to boost mood, say researchers at Tsukuba University in Japan. They asked 26 adults to perform mental tasks before and after running on a treadmill for ten minutes. After the run, tasks took less time and the participants mood improved, possibly as physical activity affects the pre-frontal cortex, the brain area involved in emotion, said the researchers. Weight gain after you stop smoking linked to bacteria The balance of bacteria in the gut may explain weight gain in those who quit smoking. Scientists from the Icahn School of Medicine in the U.S. found that antibiotics can prevent weight gain in mice which have been adapted to suddenly gain weight in the same way as smokers whove quit, suggesting that certain strains of bacteria contribute to the problem. The animals weight remained stable for weeks after the medication, the journal Nature reports. Previously, weight gain after smoking was thought to be due to comfort eating. Clock watching How to harness the power of your body clock. This week: Eat supper by 6pm Having your supper in the early evening could have benefits ranging from reduced heartburn to a lower risk of cancer. A study in the American Journal of Gastroenterology in 2005 found that people who eat dinner within three hours of going to bed are seven times more likely to experience heartburn than those who wait four hours before turning in. Heartburn is often worse when you lie down because the acid can flow back up the oesophagus; the extra hour gives the food, which stimulates production of the acid, time to leave the stomach. Meanwhile, a 2018 study in the International Journal of Cancer found that people who ate at least two hours before bed were 20 per cent less likely to develop breast or prostate cancer. Its thought eating earlier is more in tune with our body clock. Rude health Men with gum disease may be at twice the risk of prostate problems, such as prostatitis, according to a study based on more than 5,000 men. The researchers, from the TriService General Hospital in Taiwan, suggest bacteria involved in gum disease may cause inflammation in other parts of the body. Jargon buster Scientific terms decoded. This week: Endocrine system The endocrine system is made up of glands responsible for the production and release of hormones needed for metabolism, growth, stress and sexual function. These glands include the ovaries, testes, pancreas, and adrenal glands, which release hormones directly into the bloodstream. The endocrine system is monitored by the pituitary gland found at the front of the brain near the nose which, in turn, reports to the hypothalamus, an area of the brain responsible for temperature control, hunger and sleep, and which can help adjust hormone secretion according to the bodys needs. Ageing, medications and diseases can lead to the over or under secretion of hormones. And now some scientists have noted that Covid can lead to hormone-related disorders, possibly because the virus attacks the pituitary gland. Measuring brain stem responses could help to diagnose tinnitus A new diagnostic tool for tinnitus might finally be on the horizon following study results published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation. The condition typically causes a ringing or buzzing noise in the ear without any obvious source, but there is no test to confirm diagnosis. Now researchers at Karolinska Institute in Sweden have discovered that measuring auditory brainstem responses (ABR) which examine the brains response to sound stimuli can distinguish patients with tinnitus from those without. Its thought that alterations in brain activity, as a result of initial noise exposure damaging hearing cells in the ear, could be a sign of the condition and that ABR measurements may reflect this. Antioxidants in blood identify dementia risk Measuring blood levels of antioxidants, compounds that protect cells from damage, could reveal the risk of Alzheimers disease. A study by researchers at the Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique in Canada found that signs of cell damage caused by molecules called free radicals start to rise in the five years before the onset of Alzheimers. This affects blood vessels in the brain, limiting blood flow in the area, which is a risk factor for the disease. The study identified the link with antioxidant levels in a common form of Alzheimers that typically affects those with a gene called APOE4. The researchers suggest that boosting antioxidants for example, through supplements may cut the risk of the disease. Women suffering from the menopause are having to buy HRT on the black market amid shortages on the NHS. An investigation found some women are being charged up to 50 for a single bottle online or trading prescriptions with others on Facebook. Support groups claim desperate women have even started to barter with private pharmacies and clinics for leftover stocks. Menopausal women are entitled to hormone replacement therapy for free on the NHS, with a 9.35 prescription charge in England. But the number of monthly HRT prescriptions has more than doubled in the last five years, with half a million now written every month, The Telegraph reports. The surge in demand has outstripped supply, causing shortages of some of the most popular forms of the therapy. Experts say the raised awareness and fading stigma about the menopause mean more women are coming forward for treatment. An investigation has found that women suffering from the menopause are being forced to buy HRT on the black market amid shortages on the NHS (stock) Every year, roughly 1.5million women experience difficult menopausal symptoms, including hot flushes, night sweats, anxiety, 'brain fog' and memory problems that impact all areas of their lives. WHAT IS THE MENOPAUSE? Menopause is when a woman stops having periods naturally and is no longer able to get pregnant naturally. It is a normal part of ageing and usually happens between the ages of 45 and 55 when a woman's levels of the sex hormone oestrogen drop. Eight in 10 women will experience menopausal symptoms including hot flushes, night sweats, vaginal dryness, difficulty sleeping, low mood or anxiety and problems with memory. Women are advised to see their GP if their symptoms are difficult to manage. Treatments doctors can provide include hormone replacement therapy, such as tablets, skin patches and gels that replace oestrogen. Source: NHS Advertisement HRT provides the body with oestrogen which it stops producing during the menopause. It is most commonly prescribed in the form of patches, pills or gels but only a fraction of women with symptoms get treatment. Supply chain issues and a shortage of key ingredients has led to the patients who do come forward struggling to get access, a problem made worse during the pandemic. Some GPs are unaware of the shortages meaning they continue to prescribe HRT, only for their patients to go to their pharmacy and be told it is out of stock. Women are having to switch their HRT medication, sometimes causing the return of symptoms as the body gets used to the new drug. Among those struggling to get HRT on the NHS is Fleur Maslin-Miller, 48, who ended up paying privately for Oestrogel. She told The Telegraph: 'I had a hysterectomy last November, and went straight into catastrophic menopause; with joint pain, insomnia, night sweats and anxiety.' When her pharmacy ran out and told her they did not know when they would next restock the drug, she turned to the black market, paying triple the NHS prescription fee. 'Not having it is absolutely unthinkable. I am fortunate in that I can afford to pay, but there are thousands of women in absolute hell,' she added. 'On the Facebook group I'm in it's ridiculous women are bartering and swapping bottles.' Millie Kendall, the chief executive officer of the British Beauty Council, also grew desperate when her pharmacy ran out. 'When one of the girls in my office said that her mum had some spare, I said I would happily pay her 50 for it,' she said. Without the medication, Ms Kendall struggled to sleep and was plagued with anxiety. The Department of Health and Social Care said: 'We are aware of supply issues that have affected hormone replacement therapy products in recent years. 'However most are unaffected, and alternatives are available to the limited number of products which have been impacted by supply issues.' Menopause occurs when a woman stops having periods, meaning she is no longer able to get pregnant naturally. The process which is triggered by the ovaries producing less oestrogen is a natural part of ageing and usually occurs between the ages of 45 and 55. HRT is one way of treating the symptoms. It restores the levels of female hormones, bringing relief to hundreds of thousands of women each year. Doctors warn some types of HRT can raise the risk of breast cancer, but insists that the benefits outweigh the risks. The National Human Rights Commission / Yonhap The education ministry has refused to accept a recommendation from the National Human Rights Commission that it address a potentially discriminatory regulation requiring higher qualifications for foreign teachers at private learning institutions, officials said Tuesday. The human rights watchdog has recommended the ministry amend the Private Teaching Institution Act's enforcement ordinance, as it requires, at the minimum, a four-year university degree from foreigners wanting to teach at cram schools, whereas two-year degrees are required for Koreans. But the ministry did not accept the recommendation, arguing the ordinance is aimed at ensuring quality education services and protecting students by preventing the negative effects of underqualified teaching. In order to accept the dual hiring standard, the ministry must prove the existence of a discrepancy in the quality of education between foreign and domestic universities but failed to do so, the watchdog said. The commission also said factors such as instructors' Korean language capacity and their major are more important in determining the quality of education provided to students. (Yonhap) Genes that allow some people to thrive on just four hours of sleep each night may also play a role in warding off dementia, scientists claim. A study in mice found two genetic mutations carried by 'elite sleepers' slowed the build-up of toxic proteins in the brain a hallmark of the memory-robbing disease. The link between sleep and dementia has been established for years, with studies suggesting poor quality or too little shut eye increases the risk. Toxins are cleared out from the brain and other parts of the body during sleep, which keeps our mind and muscles rejuvenated the following day. Sleep researchers at the University of California, San Francisco believe the genes found in up to 5 per cent of people allow people to do this more efficiently. For most people, doctors recommend between seven and nine hours per night, with eight considered the sweet spot. But some people, dubbed 'elite sleepers', can reap the benefits after as little as four hours. It has been speculated famous carriers of the genes could include ex-US President Donald Trump, who famously only sleeps four to five hours a night. Elon Musk and Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson also claim to only get between three to six of hours of shut eye each night. Former US president Donald Trump (pictured here at a rally in South Carolina on March 12) has previously said he sleeps for only about four-to five-hours Billionaire Tesla founder Elon Musk, infamous for his bizarre social media rants, sleeps for just six hours per night. Musk is pictured during a media tour of the Tesla Gigafactory in Nevada Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson, pictured at the Superbowl in Los Angeles last month, adheres to a sleep schedule which send most craving for a nap, with the actor only clocking three to five hours of shut-eye each night WHAT IS ALZHEIMER'S? Alzheimer's disease is a progressive, degenerative disease of the brain, in which build-up of abnormal proteins causes nerve cells to die. This disrupts the transmitters that carry messages, and causes the brain to shrink. More than 5million people suffer from the disease in the US, where it is the 6th leading cause of death, and more than 1million Britons have it. WHAT HAPPENS? As brain cells die, the functions they provide are lost. That includes memory, orientation and the ability to think and reason. The progress of the disease is slow and gradual. On average, patients live five to seven years after diagnosis, but some may live for ten to 15 years. EARLY SYMPTOMS: Loss of short-term memory Disorientation Behavioral changes Mood swings Difficulties dealing with money or making a phone call LATER SYMPTOMS: Severe memory loss, forgetting close family members, familiar objects or places Becoming anxious and frustrated over inability to make sense of the world, leading to aggressive behavior Eventually lose ability to walk May have problems eating The majority will eventually need 24-hour care Source: Alzheimer's Association Advertisement Senior author of the study, Professor Ying-Hui Fu, an expert in neurology, said she hoped their findings could lead to the development of new drugs to help brain disorder patients have more restful sleep and stave off conditions like dementia. 'Many parts of your brain have to work together for you to fall asleep and to wake up,' she said. 'When these parts of the brain are damaged, it makes it harder to sleep or get quality sleep. 'This work opens the door to a new understanding of how to delay and possibly prevent a lot of diseases.' Professor Fu and her team in California have been studying the genetics behind 'elite sleepers'. They previously identified five genes found in people that play a role in elite sleeping getting between four to six hours a night without any apparent negative health effects. In their latest experiment, they tested two of these gene mutations called DEC2-P384R and Npsr1-Y206H. They bred two groups of rodents with a predisposition to Alzheimers, the most common form of dementia, to carry one of each of these genes. Analysing the brains of the mice after three and six months, they found rodents with the short sleep genes had less of the abnormal proteins thought to play a role in Alzheimers, compared to a control group. Publishing their findings in the journal iScience, they said it demonstrated the genes may slow the progression of the disease. Dementia is one of the leading causes of death in the UK and charities estimate roughly 900,000 people in Britain and 5million in the US are living with the disorder, with that number growing each year as we live longer. Fellow senior author neurologist Dr Louis Ptacek added that their study added to their previous work challenging the 'dogma' that everyone needs eight hours of sleep per night. 'Theres a dogma in the field that everyone needs eight hours of sleep, but our work to date confirms that the amount of sleep people need differs based on genetics,' he said. 'Think of it as analogous to height; theres no perfect amount of height, each person is different. Weve shown that the case is similar for sleep.' Not getting enough sleep has being linked to a number of other conditions such as obesity, heart disease, high blood pressure, and diabetes. However, experts have debated on whether if it is the amount of sleep or the quality, how restful your sleep is, that is the key driver for health. Professor Fu and Dr Ptacek argue their research showing that 'elite sleepers' can achieve the same restorative results in less time shows that sleep quality is king. The researchers have so far identified five genes linked to 'elite sleeping' that run in families, but add there are many more yet to be discovered. While they estimate it could take a decade to develop new treatments based off their research, they highlight how one of the genes they've identified can already be targeted with existing drugs. This means the drugs could be repurposed to help stave off dementia which is quicker than developing a new medication from scratch. A number of celebrities, politicians, and entrepreneurs swear by only having four to six hours of sleep per night, with some attributing their success to it. Former US President Trump and his predecessor Barack Obama both had famously short sleep cycles in the their time in office, of about between four to five hours. It is not known if any of these famous figures have the 'elite sleeper' genes or if they instead force themselves to stick to a short sleep cycle regime. There is currently no cure for dementia but a number of drugs are used to slow the progression of the condition with these being more effective the earlier it is spotted. Experts have warned of a potential global dementia time bomb, with 153million people predicted to be living with the condition worldwide within decades. Advertisement The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is warning that allowing for COVID-19 emergency orders to lapse around the country will hurt its ability to make public health decisions going forward, though with cases declining almost everywhere in America, some citizens and health officials are ready to leave the pandemic behind. Dr Rochelle Walensky, director of the CDC, told CBS that dropping some requirements and funding sent to health services around the country that helps them gather and track community Covid data will make it impossible for the agency to continue making up to date public health guidance in the coming months. The public state of emergency declared by the federal government in regards to Covid was last extended in January, but must be renewed this month by President Joe Biden. The president is in a bind, though, as extending the emergency orders will contradict recent rhetoric about returning to 'normal'. Not doing so may have public health costs, the CDC warns. 'Data related to COVID-19 test results and hospitalizations are currently available because of the public health emergency declaration,' the CDC told CBS. 'When that declaration lapses, so does CDC's access to this important information.' Walensky appeared on CBS' 60 Minutes over the weekend, and explained that her agency is not in a position where they can collect data themselves. 'We are the compiler of the data, but we do not have the authority to collect it,' she said. 'And so we rely on states being willing to share it with us and the data use authorization, data use agreements, in order to do so.' Data reporting has already become a problem for the CDC and other public health services. Last year, many states and local health departments stopped daily Covid case reporting, sometimes dropping to only revealing case numbers once or twice a week. In Florida, where Gov Ron DeSantis declared Covid defeated in May 2021, sometimes weeks will go by without cases being reported. This lack of data has become a major problem for the U.S. at some points during the pandemic. The country was slow to approve booster shots, and available daily case data between Friday and Monday in the country is near useless. The nature of America makes it tough to properly track data nationwide, though. The country is huge, spanning from the arctic Alaska to tropical states like Florida and Hawaii. There are dense urban hubs like New York City and San Francisco, and sparsely populated rural communities throughout the Midwest and south. It is near impossible for one agency to gather data from all of these sources constantly, even if it wanted to. '[Israel has] a singular health system that speaks freely with their public health system. Their data speak freely to one another, and so they can report incredible kinds of science that we can't,' Walensky said, comparing the U.S. to the Middle Eastern country the CDC has used for some pandemic related guidance like the approval of booster shots. The hospitalization data in particular is key, with the agency updating its Covid risk level for each county last month to value hospitalizations and hospital capacity. Risk levels for each U.S. county are updated every Thursday afternoon, but data for the updates will become incomplete if local officials around the country do not have to or do not have the ability to report complete data. Under the most recent guidelines, only two percent of Americans are considered to live in an area of high Covid risk. This is because both cases and hospitalizations are rapidly falling. America is recording 31,874 cases per day, a 24 percent drop over the past week. The number of Americans hospitalized with the virus has fallen to 28,000 as well, a 43 percent drop in the last 14 days. The CDC warns that cases could soon start rising once again, though. Wastewater data - a process which tests samples from sewer water to see overall prevalence of the virus in the community - shows that there is an increasing number of Covid infections in the U.S. 'While wastewater levels are generally very low across the board, we are seeing an uptick of sites reporting an increase,' Amy Kirby, the head of the CDC's wastewater program told Bloomberg this week. Wastewater data often is a few days to a few weeks ahead of Covid case numbers because the virus appears in waste samples before a person feels symptoms, which is when a vast majority of people will get tested. The prevalence of asymptomatic cases makes it likely that many cases being found in wastewater will never enter official figures. The situation in Europe could be signaling a coming surge for the U.S. as well. The UK, which often trends ahead of the U.S., has seen daily Covid cases spike over the past week. Like the U.S., cases began to crater across the pond in late January. Dropping cases made health and government officials - and average Britons - confident the pandemic was nearing an end. Prime Minister Boris Johnson lifted all Covid restrictions in February, declaring the nation as back to 'normal'. Cases have since began to rise, though health officials are not quite worried yet. Sajid Javid, the nation's health secretary, said that the recent rise in cases was expected by health officials after restrictions were lifted, and that there is no reason to panic. A similar course of events have played out across other European countries like Holland, Germany, Switzerland and Italy in recent weeks as well, with cases jumping once again after a laxing of pandemic related mandates. She confessed that she had used the glass as a sex toy in her early 40s Scans revealed a 'giant' bladder stone had developed around the drinking glass Unidentified woman went to hospital after suffering painful symptoms for a year A woman was left with a glass tumbler in her bladder for four years after inserting it for 'erotic purposes'. The 45-year-old, from Tunisia, went to hospital complaining of symptoms consistent with a urinary tract infection, including always needing the toilet. But scans revealed the woman, who wasn't identified, had grown a 'giant' 8cm-wide bladder stone that completely encased what appeared to be a drinking glass. The woman, whose case was published in a medical journal, confessed that she had used the glass as a sex toy in her early 40s. Bladder stones are hard masses of minerals that normally develop when urine is not completely emptied from the bladder. But the painful stones can grow around foreign objects lodged inside, doctors say. An X-ray of the unidentified woman revealed a 'giant' stone measuring 8cm by 7cm had developed around a glass inside her bladder (pictured) Doctors at Habib Bourguiba University Hospital in Sfax carried out a cystolithotomy a type of open surgery used to remove the bladder stone (pictured) Medics who examined her at Habib Bourguiba University Hospital in the eastern city of Sfax said there was no blood in her urine. She also hadn't suffered from urinary incontinence, according to the tale published in Urology Case Reports. But analysis of her urine revealed she had a red blood cell range of 23-25, when a normal range is four or less. A high red blood cell count normally indicates the body is fighting another illness. An X-ray revealed a 'rectangular form' inside her bladder that resembled a glass and a large bladder stone around it, measuring 8cm by 7cm by 8cm. Bladder stones usually vary in size between being too small to be seen by the naked eye to a few centimetres wide. Medics carried out a cystolithotomy a type of open surgery used to remove the bladder stone. The woman was discharged two days later and fully recovered. Doctors said inserting foreign bodies into the urethra is often done by those suffering from mental disorders or for pleasure. They said there have been a 'relatively high' number of incidents reported among women, due to the shortness of their urethra and its location next to the vagina. The urethra is also 'erogenous' which 'can give their introduction a masturbatory character in search of erotic sensation', the medics said. 'Various objects' have been inserted into the bladder, they noted. But embarrassment means it is often diagnosed at a late stage when the patient has suffered from complications, such as UTIs or bladder stones, they warned. Pfizer has submitted data to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to begin rolling out a fourth dose of its COVID-19 vaccine for Americans aged 65 and older. The Washington Post reports that the company submitted data for the shot, which is a joint project with the German firm BioNTech, to regulators on Tuesday. A fourth shot has been hinted at for months, and Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla revealed during a television appearance last week that his company would soon submit its bid for a fourth shot. While initial authorization would only apply to the elderly Americans, this would open the door to the fourth shot being made available to all U.S. adults at some point this year. The Post also reports that authorization could come as early as Tuesday. Pfizer has submitted an application to the FDA for a fourth dose of its COVID-19 vaccine for Americans aged 65 and older (file photo) Vaccine uptake among Americans older than 65 has been really high, with nearly every elderly Americans having received at least one shot of the jab according to CDC data. Pictured: A man in New York City, New York, receives a shot of a COVID-19 vaccine Currently, all Americans aged 12 or older are authorized for and recommended to receive a COVID-19 booster shot under FDA guidelines. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also recommends immunocompromised Americans receive a second booster, which would be a fourth dose for the vast majority of Americans who received one of the two-dose vaccine regimens, either the Pfizer or Moderna jabs. Elderly Americans are also at significant risk from the virus, though, and being older than 65 is considered to be a risk factor by health officials. The age cohort has also been eager to receive the shot, with the CDC reporting that almost every single American aged 65 or older has received at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose. 'Right now, the way that we have seen, it is necessary, a fourth booster right now,' Bourla told CBS' Face the Nation over the weekend. 'The protection that you are getting from the third, it is good enough, actually quite good for hospitalizations and deaths...it's not that good against infections but doesn't last very long.' Pfizer reportedly included data from Israel as a part of its package sent to regulators Tuesday, as the Middle Eastern nation is one of few in the world which already allow for the oldest of residents to receive a second booster dose. It is unlikely that the FDA will require an outside convening panel to discuss the matter, and the agency could even greenlight the additional shot as early as the same day data was submitted. Health experts have warned that more Covid jabs will be on the way, and that they could remain a fixture in people's lives for years to come. While the mRNA vaccines produced by Pfizer and Moderna are not only safe, but also the most effective Covid shots on the market, they are not very durable. Data from last year found that protection against infection for people who received the initial two-dose vaccine series waned after only five to six months. It is believed that protection reestablished by the booster doses then wanes after three to four months, opening the need for a fourth. Not all health officials agree that the strategy of repeated boosters being administered to control the virus is the correct way to handle the pandemic, though. 'With near- and medium-term supply of the available vaccines, the need for equity in access to vaccines across countries to achieve global public health goals, programmatic considerations including vaccine demand, and evolution of the virus, a vaccination strategy based on repeated booster doses of the original vaccine composition is unlikely to be appropriate or sustainable,' a World Health Organization (WHO) work group said in January. Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla (pictured) said over the weekend that it was absolutely necessary for Americans to receive a fourth COVID-19 vaccine dose The WHO, which has been critical of massive pharmaceutical companies like the New York City-based Pfizer during the rollout of the shots, wants the company to instead focus on developing more durable shots rather than repeatedly rolling out boosters for the foreseeable future. While Israelis, and soon Americans and other people in the developed world, will have access to fourth doses, many people in the developing world - and especially in Africa - still have not received access to the initial vaccine regimen. Alex Maitland, a senior advisor for Oxfam, a UK-based anti-poverty non-profit, described this as 'line skipping' during an interview with DailyMail.com earlier this month. America and other rich countries are repeatedly purchasing Covid jabs and rolling them out to their populations. Meanwhile, the virus will continue to spread abroad, causing more variants to form. The developed countries can always just purchase more shots, though, limiting the effect the new strains will have on them while leaving the developing world behind. There are not many incentives for Pfizer to back off of this strategy, though. The company projects $32 billion in revenue in vaccine sales alone this year, and the previously unheard of BioNTech has become one of the biggest firms in the German economy. A fourth shot receiving approval this year, and being subsequently purchased by the U.S. government alongside others this year, will only lead to more revenue for the pharmaceutical giant. Bourla has previously said on television that shots maty be needed for the next decade to continue to control the virus. Many health experts predict that Covid will enter an endemic phase in the coming months, which will allow humans to live alongside the virus similar to how they live alongside the flu. Dr Rochelle Walensky, director of the CDC, said earlier this month that she believes the virus will be seasonal, like the flu, with cases emerging during the fall and winter months every year. Like the flu, an endemic Covid likely also means a yearly Covid jab will be required, with a new variant likely forming and taking over every year. Stephane Bancel, CEO of Moderna - which is Pfizer's biggest competitor in the rollout of COVID-19 vaccine shots - said earlier this year that a fourth shot will soon be needed as well, though he predicted it would come around the fall season. Moderna is also working on a combined flu and Covid shot that people could receive in only one jab. The number of U.S. children under the age of four who were hospitalized with COVID-19 was five times higher during the peak of the Omicron surge than it was at the peak of Delta, a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report finds. The research, published Tuesday by the agency, found that children aged zero to six months old where most affected by Omicron, with around 60 of every 100,000 being hospitalized with Covid at the highly contagious variant's peak. While hospitalization figures are often misleading since they include people who are receiving treatment for another condition and testing positive while present, the CDC reports that 85 percent of hospitalizations included in the study had Covid as the primary cause. Figures from this report may be startling, but the number of children hospitalized with Covid - even at its peak - is still a lower rate than that of adults. Children are also extremely unlikely to die or suffer the most severe symptoms of the virus, a wealth of evidence shows. Even during the hospitalization peaks, deaths remained low, with only four pediatric Covid deaths recorded at the peak of the Delta variant, and two at Omicron's peak. The CDC reports that the number of children hospitalized with Covid was five times higher during the peak of Omicron than it was at the peak of the Delta variant, with those aged six months or younger (black line) being hit the hardest Even despite the surge during Omicron, hospitalizations among children (dotted line) remained significantly lower than those among adults (dashed line) throughout the pandemic, the CDC reports Data was gathered via the Coronavirus Disease 19Associated Hospitalization Surveillance Network from March 2020 until mid-January 2022. Children aged four or younger were included in the study, as this is the lone remaining age group in America that it still not eligible for the vaccine. At the peak of the Omicron surge, which the CDC determined to be the week that ended on January 8, 2022, 14.5 of every 100,000 American children four or younger were hospitalized with the virus. During the peak of the Delta variant's reign, the week that ended on September 11, only 2.9 of every 100,000 children were hospitalized with the virus. For comparison, the overall level of hospitalizations in the U.S. population reached around 30 per 100,000 residents during that same January week, and 11 per 100,000 during the September week. There is a growing wealth of evidence showing that children face little risk from the virus, and that pediatric deaths are extremely rare. Pictured: A young child in Chicago, Illinois, receives a COVID-19 test on December 14 This signals that children still made up a very small portion of the overall Covid hospitalized patients during both weeks, which has been the case throughout the pandemic. Around half of children admitted with Covid had an underlying condition of some sort that increased their risk of severe infection as well, the report states. Children under the age of six months old were struck hardest during Omicron, and the hospitalization rate for the age group jumped six-fold during the winter surge. This age group is often hospitalized for other reasons, though, and the CDC report did not specify whether this age group in particular had more hospitalizations due to a non-Covid cause than the others did. The six month old to 23 month old age group peaked during the Omicron surge with just over ten hospitalizations per 100,000 members of the population, and the two to four year old age group reached nearly five per 100,000. Data shows that children face little risk from COVID-19, with a ever-growing trove of data showing that they are not nearly as affected by it as adults are. The CDC reports that children only account less than 0.1 percent of Covid deaths in the U.S. since the pandemic first began. The agency did not immediately respond to a DailyMail.com inquiry about its response to the issued guidance. A study from the University of Utah last year found that 50 percent of pediatric Covid cases are asymptomatic. The study was performed before the more-mild Omicron variant emerged, meaning the risk for children to even feel symptoms is likely lower now. Children may also be less likely to spread the virus when infected, with a German study finding that they release as little as only 25 percent of virus particles as adults do. Data revealed by New York state officials at the end of last month also found that the shot was only 12 percent effective at preventing Covid infection for children aged five to 11. Imperial Brands has commenced talks to transfer its Russian operations and assets to a local third party, following the country's invasion of Ukraine. The Bristol-based group issued a warning over its profits and revenues on Tuesday amid its exit from the country. The company, which makes Winston cigarettes and Backwoods cigars, said it would continue to pay its 1,000 staff in Russia until the transfer of its business was complete. Talks: Imperial Brands has commenced talks to transfer its Russian operations and assets to a local third party The group has employees working in Russia, including sales and marketing functions, and a factory in Volograd. It has already halted its operations in Ukraine. Any transaction relating to Imperial Brands' Russian business is subject to an agreement being reached, the firm added. The London-listed tobacco group suspended operations in Russia last week, following international sanctions against the country after its invasion of Ukraine. Imperial Brands, whose operations in Russia and Ukraine accounted for around 2 per cent of its net revenue last year, forecast revenue growth of between zero and 1 per cent for 2022. It had previously expected a growth rate of about 1.4 per cent on constant currency basis. The group said in a statement: 'While there will be some ongoing costs related to the suspension in Ukraine, we expect a relatively small impact on our constant currency adjusted operating profit, reflecting the limited profit contribution of the two markets.' Operations: London-listed tobacco group Imperial Brands suspended operations in Russia last week It added: 'We are also supporting our Ukrainian colleagues and their families, including with transport and accommodation to enable them to escape the areas most severely hit by conflict, as well as resettlement assistance for those who have left Ukraine.' Rival British American Tobacco last week also cut its outlook as the Camel cigarette maker plans to leave Russia. Imperial Brands shares fell today, and were down 0.9 per cent or 14.00p to 1,536.50p just after 9.15am. A year ago the group's share price was 1,420.50p, having risen by around 8 per cent in the year. Shares in Pearson jumped to a seven-month high as speculation mounted of a fresh takeover bid. The stock rose 8.7 per cent, or 65.8p, to 826.8p amid market chatter that the education media group could receive a new offer after it revealed last week it had rejected two swoops by US private equity giant Apollo Global Management. Pearson turned down an approach worth 800p per share or 6.1billion in November and an improved bid of 854.2p a share, or 6.5billion, last Monday. Pearson stock rose 8% amid market chatter that the education media group could receive a new offer, having rejected two swoops by US private equity giant Apollo Management The firm had concluded that, despite the increase, the Apollo offer significantly undervalued the company and its future prospects and its board had rejected it unanimously. However, many predict a third approach could be incoming. Roddy Davidson, an analyst at broker Shore Capital, said: [Pearson is] a fairly unique asset in an area that has already seen a degree of consolidation. Its an interesting time to be looking at the company as it does feel like the supertanker has finally been turned with long-running issues in US higher education much less prominent and its digital transition taking hold. Berenberg analyst Sarah Simon said a higher bid from Apollo would be the logical conclusion. The FTSE 100 dropped 0.3 per cent, or 17.77 points, to 7175.70 while the FTSE 250 was down 1 per cent, or 213.59 points, at 20,257.66. The bloodbath on Chinese markets continued for a second day as a Covid outbreak and its stance on the invasion of Ukraine sparked fears of a downturn that could spread to the wider economy. Stock Watch - Wilmington Wilmington hit its highest level in nearly five years after it hiked its profit forecasts. The firm, which provides education and training on corporate governance and compliance, noted that its major face-to-face event in the US, Rise National, had taken place successfully. As a result, profits for the year to the end of June are expected to be at least 10 per cent higher than previous market expectations of 18million to 18.1million. The upgrade sent the shares up 4.4 per cent, or 11p, to 260p. Investors might have become too complacent over the risks of lockdowns returning once again, said AJ Bell investment director Russ Mould. Hong Kongs Hang Seng Index fell 5.7 per cent, sending it down nearly 21 per cent for the year-to-date, while the Shanghai Composite dropped nearly 5 per cent. Oil prices also continued to decline with Brent crude dropping below $100 a barrel at one point. Shell shares rose 0.7 per cent, or 13.2p, at 1940p while BP climbed 1.3 per cent, or 4.5p, to 361p. Trading broker TP ICAP tumbled 15.3 per cent, or 20p to 111p after an 80 per cent fall in full-year profits. Pre-tax profit for 2021 came in at 24million, down sharply from 129million the previous year as a reduction in market volatility dented demand for the groups services. It also flagged up a 4million hit from sanctions imposed on Russia following the invasion of Ukraine. Blue-chip exhibitions group Informa gained 3.4 per cent, or 18.6p to close at 568.8p as it swung back into profit. It reported profits of 137.1million for last year, up from a 1.1billion loss in 2020, as the loosening of lockdown restrictions lifted demand for in-person events. DIY retailer Wickes slumped 2.3 per cent, or 4p, to 171p after announcing a short delay to the release of its full-year results. Auditors KPMG had requested more time to complete their assessment of the groups annual reports and accounts. National Grid gained 2.9 per cent, or 32.2p, to 1155.4p after selling its stake in the St William Homes joint venture to its partner, housebuilder Berkeley (down 2.5 per cent, or 97p, at 3843p), for 412.5million. The two firms have also signed several agreements for Berkeley to buy additional sites owned by National Grid for around 270million. Meanwhile, plumbing and heating specialist Ferguson doubled its share buyback to 1.5billion and hiked its interim dividend by 15 per cent to 64p per share following strong first-half results. Profits for the six months to the end of January soared 68 per cent year-on-year to 991million while sales jumped 29 per cent to 10.2billion. Its shares fell 6.2 per cent, or 720p, to 10,950p. Russia could today default on its international debts for the first time since the Bolshevik revolution. Moscow appears unable to pay 90million of debt interest owed to foreign investors holding two of the countrys bonds. A default would underline Russias status as an international pariah and cause further ructions on markets still reeling from the invasion of Ukraine. Red alert: Anton Siluanov, Russias finance minister, with President Vladimir Putin in Moscow Some experts fear that a default could be the first of many. Jonathan Prin, a portfolio manager at Greylock Capital, said it would be a monumental event on global debt markets. Professor Christopher Gerry, a Russian political economy expert at the University of Oxford, added: There will be further panic and exit from the Russian market, both domestically and internationally. Pretty soon, a domino effect sets in, exacerbating what is already a collapse of the economy. Job losses, shortages of products to buy, breakdown of supply chains, shortages of critical medicines. But Kristalina Georgieva, managing director at the International Monetary Fund, said: When you look at the total exposure of banks to Russia, it is about 92billion. Not negligent, but definitely not systemically relevant. The Kremlin insists it can pay in roubles. But the money is owed in US dollars leaving Russia on the verge of defaulting on its international debts for the first time since 1918. It last defaulted on domestic debts in 1998. A large amount of Moscows debt is financed by bonds issued in US dollars and the country is finding it harder to access its foreign currency reserves because of sanctions. Anton Siluanov, Russian finance minister, said: If we see complications with executing the order then we will prepare a relevant transfer order in the rouble equivalent. From Russias point of view, we are fulfilling our obligations. But the West disagrees and JP Morgan says the two bonds do not contain clauses allowing repayment in roubles. A missed debt payment would trigger the start of a 30-day grace period for Russia to meet its obligation to creditors. If missed, the default would be viewed across the globe as a sign of weakness. And if the war continues it could be the first of many. Chris Beauchamp, analyst at IG Group, said: This could be another massive embarrassment for Putin and a sign of what is to come. It could be the first of many defaults and the start of much financial distress. It would be the first time the country has defaulted on its foreign debt since 1918 when Lenin refused to pay as the Bolshevik regime would not recognise Tsarist-era debts following the Russian Revolution. That sent shock waves around the globe. Britain said the Bolsheviks were undermining the very foundations of international law. The debts were never repaid. Russia also defaulted on its domestic debts in 1998, creating carnage. It led to the collapse of a huge US hedge fund called Long-Term Capital Management, which had to be bailed out to prevent a worldwide meltdown. Fears are that missed Russian payments could trigger a similar outcome. This will be a monumental default, said Prin. Its probably the most broadly felt emerging-market default since Russia itself in 1998. But analyst Nikolaos Panigirtzoglou of JP Morgan said foreign investors and banks have already cut their exposure to Russia since the 2014 annexation of Crimea. Bank for International Settlements data shows the total exposure of foreign banks to Russian debt is around $105billion (80billion). This time last year Julie Broderick discovered her vulnerable older brother had paid thousands of pounds for insurance policies he did not need. More than a dozen firms - some operating from the same addresses - were charging the Alzheimers sufferer between 10 and 15 a month to cover household appliances including his television and washing machine. When Julie, 64, went through his bank statements she also saw direct debits for 200 and 300. In total, she believes he handed over as much as 5,000. Nuisance calls: Salesman are targeting elderly and vulnerable homeowners to sell insurance products or services for white goods and other home appliances This was more than his appliances were worth all together. In addition he also had separate insurance with Sky to cover his TV, Sky box and satellite dish, and household contents insurance to cover any damage. Julies brother, who is 67 and lives alone, is one of thousands of older people targeted by ruthless companies flogging home appliance insurance. This week one of the firms that targeted him Home Sure Solutions Ltd was fined 100,000 by data watchdog the Information Commissioners Office (ICO). It has also taken action against four other companies for making hundreds of thousands of nuisance calls. It found salesmen were targeting elderly and vulnerable homeowners to sell insurance products or services for home appliances which most did not need. One elderly victim was left with just 500 in their account after sending more than 7,500 in just over a month. The ICO says Home Sure Solutions, in Hove, East Sussex, made almost 230,000 unwanted marketing calls in the pandemic between March and September 2020. It found another company, UK Platinum Home Care Services, was responsible for 412,000 calls in seven months to homeowners aged 60 to 80. Julie, who lives in Yorkshire, says her brother was bombarded with calls. His bank, TSB, has since refunded all the payments, but Julie is worried he could continue to be targeted. She says: These companies are preying on vulnerable people, which is sickening. Damage to white goods, such as fridges, freezers and washing machines, is typically covered by home contents insurance. This will not cover mechanical faults, but under the Consumer Rights Act you are entitled to a full refund if a fault develops 30 days after purchase. UK Platinum Home Care Services says it has appealed on the grounds the calls it made were not unsolicited. a.murray@dailymail.co.uk Korean-American Esther Lee was minding her own business riding thesubway in Manhattan when a fellow passenger got in her face. 'Who wants to touch you, you miserable f***ing carrier,' the man screamed as he spat in her face. With the Covid pandemic in full force, Lee, 45, knew exactly what the man meant. She is Asian, and attacks on Asians have risen alarmingly since former President Donald Trump repeatedly referred to Covid as 'kung flu' or 'the China virus.' In Lee's mind there was no doubt that hate for her race had been the prime reason for the man's actions - but police assigned to her case didn't see it that way. The man hadn't called her 'a miserable f***ing Asian carrier,' she was told. There was no proof that his vitriol was fueled by her race. The case should be dealt with as a run-of-the-mill harassment. 'After this kind of treatment I feel incredibly defeated and have nowhere to turn,' she told DailyMail.com. Lee's case and the task force's mishandling of it directly led to last month's 'reassignment' of the NYPD's Hate Crimes Task Force (HCTF) head, Jessica Corey, after just a year in the post. Korean-American Esther Lee was told she was 'blowing her case out of proportion' after she reported that a man had spat in her face and called her a 'f***ing carrier' Jessica Corey was like a 'square peg in a round hole' leading the Hate Crimes Task Force, said one detective who worked under her New York Mayor Eric Adams 'reassigned' Corey, saying 'I dont want a leader in that area that starts off with saying why something is not a possible hate crime' Officers even blamed Leefor provoking the man by pulling out her iPhone and recording the October incident, something she did because she wanted to preserve it as evidence But the appointment of Jessica Corey was not the only probem with a department ill-quipped to deal with the burgeoning number of attacks against Hispanics, Asians, Jews and gays. A DailyMail investigtion has uncovered that the Hate Crimes Task force been marginalized for years as politicians and top brass gave it low priority with inexperienced staff and inadequate resources. While Corey may have been the wrong person for the job, the task force has been in slow but steady decline well before she was appointed by former Mayor Bill de Blasio in March 2021. Past and present officers say the task force has suffered from a lack of respect within the NYPD. In 2014 it was shifted out of One Police Plaza and into the hallway of a housing precinct in Alphabet City on Manhattan's Lower East Side. It was eventually moved to its own offices in another station house, but staff is overwhelmed and lacking experienced executive leadership, Michael Osgood, a retired NYPD deputy chief who led the task force for 16 years, told DailyMail.com. 'My position is do not blame the unit or its personnel for its current problem, blame the last administration,' Osgood told DailyMail.com. 'Over the past eight years, everyone from (Commissioners) Bill Bratton, Jimmy O'Neill to Dermot Shea have marginalized the Hate Crime Task Force. 'It's also clear that de Blasio and his commissioners failed to make the proper adjustments to the unit to counter the hate crime surge that has occurred the last two years.' Now the hope is that Mayor Eric Adams and his new Commissioner Keechant Sewell, the first woman to head the country's largest police department, will restore the morale and standing of the HCTF. Some saw it as a good sign that the new person in charge, Andrew Arias, has solid investigative experience, but said it will time to overcome his inexperience dealing with hate crimes. Hes still learning the ins-and-outs of hate crimes, but hes got an investigative background that is really fundamental to run a unit like this, a detective said. NYPD's own figures show how hate crimes rocketed during the pandemic A second longtime hate crimes detective spoke of the unit's time in Alphabet City: 'We had no desk, one phone line and all our notes and evidence were packed in boxes and lined up on the wall,' he said. 'One of the guys brought a desk up from the basement and put it in the hall, and we were saying, 'What are we doing here? We are doing God's work at ungodly hours, what are we doing here in the hallway?' 'That was demoralizing. That was the beginning of the downward spiral. 'It breaks my heart to see what happened with the unit and how they've treated these crimes, the way they've devalued the unit,' the detective, who spoke on condition of anonymity added. 'They were bringing police officers into the unit with no investigative experience. They were just bringing in inexperienced people to fill the holes.' Eventually the HCTF moved into offices on the third floor of the 7th precinct station house. 'After the eviction from 1PP, there was a breakdown in how the information flowed, another detective said. 'Our connectivity to the 13th and 14th floor [home to top NYPD brass] was severed. 'It communicated to us that we were not important. We were marginalized.' Insiders say Corey was just the wrong person for the job because she had little prior investigative experience and was new to hate crimes. They saw her promotion as evidence of the department's low regard for their work, even as bias cases were rising to their highest levels in a generation. Bias crimes are especially devastating because they impact an entire community, said Jo-Ann Yoo, executive director of the Asian American Foundation One detective who worked under Corey said: 'I have no idea why they chose her for that position. It seems like they were trying to fit a square peg into a round hole. She came from a patrol background.' The HCTF shakeup comes as the city is experiencing a terrifying surge in hate crimes, with 524 complaints last year a 96 percent spike. Asian hate crimes skyrocketed 343 percent from 2020 to 2021, with 133 people targeted. Hate crimes against Jewish people have also surged, with police logging 56 suspected anti-Semitic crimes for February, quadruple the same month last year. There was only one anti-Hispanic hate crime reported in 2020. Last year there were eight. Some of the attacks have proved deadly. Michelle Go, 40, a Deloitte consultant, was shoved under a moving subway train by a homeless man in Times Square on January 15. We had no desk, one phone line and all our notes and evidence were packed in boxes and lined up on the wall Christina Yuna Lee, 35, was stabbed to death February 13 by a serial criminal after she was followed into her apartment building in Manhattan's Chinatown. Yao Pan Ma, 61, died on December 31, eight months after he was brutally beaten by a career criminal as he was collecting cans to make money for his family. And GuiYing Ma, 61, an Asian grandmother who was sweeping her sidewalk in Jackson Heights, was smashed in the face with a rock in November and died from her injuries February 22. Just last week a 29-year-old Asian man was attacked with a hammer, allegedly by Christian Jeffers, 48, at Manhattan's 14th Street subway station. Jeffers, who was wearing a wig and purple lipstick, has been charged with second-degree assault and faces possible hate crimes charges. 'He was looking for trouble,' the victim said. 'We're trying to live our lives as well as we can, you know, and it's just unfortunate that we have to face all these adversities, along with just all the struggles in life.' The HCTF has faced criticism for the fact that many of the cases they investigate remain unsolved. There were 524 complaints last year, and only 219 people were arrested. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, who found himself in hot water after downgrading many crimes and saying that prison should be a 'last resort,' announced in January that his office will expand its hate crimes unit to help address the increase in racially-motivated attacks. '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 recently. Deloitte consultant Michelle Go, 40, was shoved under a moving subway train by a homeless man in Times Square on January 15 Christina Yuna Lee, 35, was stabbed to death February 13 by a serial criminal after she was followed into her apartment building in Manhattan's Chinatown Yao Pan Ma, 61, (pictured in April) died on December 31, eight months after he was attacked Gui Ying Ma, 61, died after being smashed in the face with a rock as she swept the sidewalk in Brooklyn Christian Jeffers, 48, allegedly attacked an Asian man at at Manhattan's 14th Street subway station. Jeffers, who was wearing a wig and purple lipstick, has been charged with second-degree assault and faces possible hate crimes charges. He is pictured right in his mug shot '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 the community ties as well.' Adams himself a 20-year NYPD veteran sounded similar themes in meetings with community leaders, 'I dont want a leader in that area that starts off with saying why something is not a possible hate crime,' Mayor Eric Adams said as he announced that Corey was being moved sideways. 'I wanted a new face there, a new vision.' In Corey's place he appointed Deputy Inspector Andrew Arias from Manhattan South Narcotics. Arias helped lead a probe into NYPD arrests made during Black Lives Matter protests in 2020. 'We believe Adams's heart is in the right place,' said a veteran investigator of the leadership change. 'But it's going to take time to fix the problems. The NYPD has to take a proactive approach, beef up the experience level and make the task force a priority.' Osgood, who led hate crimes from 2002 to 2018, had around 20 detectives when he left. That figure hasn't significantly changed despite the surge in hate crimes. 'It didn't help when our former president called COVID-19 the China virus,' said Jo-Ann Yoo of the Asian American Federation 'It gets overwhelming,' a current detective said. 'There's always something else coming in when you close a case out.' Insiders say Corey was unpopular within the task force. 'I don't think she had any experience with the detective bureau, yet here she was micromanaging us,' one detective told DailyMail.com. 'She had this ability to be very condescending and disregard the knowledge of detectives and supervisors under her.' According to insiders, she would frequently go over the heads of investigators and often contact district attorneys' offices herself to discuss cases. 'She called the DA up, usurp detectives,' one investigator said. 'It's almost like she was playing detective. Another said: 'She hindered investigations because you really couldn't have detectives working on the cases with the CO questioning you every step of the way. Others claim Corey was more concerned with getting clicks on Twitter for task force postings than pursuing cases. 'She seemed more interested in the number of views and likes she got for tweets than actual investigations,' another detective said. A couple detectives transferred out during Coreys tenure, which insiders largely attribute to a dissatisfaction with her leadership. At the same time, the HCTF has faced criticism for its unsolved cases. Retired deputy chief Michael Osgood, said: 'Do not blame the unit or its personnel for its current problem, blame the (de Blasio) administration,' Deputy Inspector Andrew Arias was appointed to head the NY{D's Hate Crimes Task Force afer the outsing of his predecessor Jessica Corey Jessica Corey spoke at a press conference last March about the huge spike in anti-Asian hate crime in New York Now the hope is that new NYPD Commissioner Keechant Sewell, the first woman to head the country's largest police department, will restore the morale and standing of the HCTF. A detective on the unit explained that's largely due to the difficulty of building a case and the fact victims often can't identify their attacker. 'A lot of times we'll track down who we know is the perp in the case, but we still need the victim to ID the perp in order for this to go to court,' the investigator said. 'When people go through these hate crimes, their senses shut down, they run, they avert their eyes. We understand that, but it also makes it hard to go and make the arrest when a victim can't pick the perp out of a lineup.' 'What people don't understand is that it's a hard crime to deal with,' another veteran investigator said. 'If you just rob somebody, I don't need to prove your motive. If you're arresting someone for a hate crime, I have to prove motivation. The quality of the investigation is essential.' Statistics show that hate crimes have roughly tracked to the overall spike in crime throughout the Big Apple. Jo-Ann Yoo, executive director of the Asian American Foundation, said bias crimes are especially devastating because they impact an entire community. 'Right now, Asian Americans live with a lot of fear and anxiety,' she told DailyMail.com. 'Any time you go outside, you need to brace yourself. 'It didn't help when our former president called COVID-19 the China virus,' Yoo added. 'And there's this assumption that we're not from here, that we're not Americans. That's a dangerous idea to have in someone's head because it makes it easy to harm somebody.' She called the spike in hate crimes alarming, but said the actual number is likely higher. Many victims don't come forward, and some that do interact with officers who don't take them seriously. 'Obviously there has been criticism (of police) from the community,' Yoo said. 'We're told to report an attack when it happens, but police are not taking the reports. There's curbside trials, where police are making determinations right there on the sidewalks where the victims are standing there trying to report these things.' She welcomed the mayor's decision to change leadership of the unit. 'I owe a call to the new head of the Hate Crimes Task Force,' Yoo said. 'We're going to sit down to talk about what needs to be done. Number one is community outreach, especially in Asian enclaves. We are confused because we get mixed messaged. 'Somebody gets punched and because no words are spoken, police say it's not a hate crime.' 'After this kind of treatment I feel incredibly defeated and have nowhere to turn,' Esther Lee told DailyMail.com Osgood, whose office investigated 5,000 cases during his tenure, recommended several changes he says are vital to improve the task force, including doubling the number of detectives, adding investigative sergeants, and moving the unit back to 1PP. He also recommends a city Department of Investigations audit of cases fielded by the HCTF to determine whether they were properly classified. 'My experience tells me they may find a number of misclassified complaints,' he said. Meanwhile, Osgood suggested rigorous hate crime training for patrol cops, and a media blitz to counteract negative information blaming China for the pandemic. He said it's good that the new commander, Arias, has investigative experience, but believes it could take him a couple years to understand the nuances of the hate crimes statute and how to apply it to investigations. 'Ninety percent of the time it's self-evident that it's a hate crime, like when swastikas get painted on a synagogue, or a group chases a person of a different identity down the street and beats him,' he said. 'But 10 to 15 percent of the time, it's hazy. That's where skill comes in to make a proper precision judgment if it's a hate crime or not. You need a broad understanding of the hate crime statute.' New York's statute defines a hate crime as any offense that is 'substantially motivated' by a belief or perception of a person's identity. Another veteran hate crime detective said the success of the HCTF will send a powerful message to victims that have lost confidence in the department, as well as suspects who don't fear punishment. 'Once people know hate crimes will not be tolerated at all, I believe there will be a drop in hate crimes,' he said. 'And the communities affected, whether Asian, African American, gay, Jewish, Muslim, will feel the difference. They'll feel like the NYPD is listening. That makes a big difference in the community. I've seen it first-hand.' In Esther Lee'a case officers even blamed her for provoking the man by pulling out her iPhone and recording the October incident, something she did because she wanted to preserve it as evidence. She was also told she was exaggerating and 'blowing the incident out of proportion.' 'I reached the highest commanding cops in the hate crimes unit,' Lee told DailyMail.com. 'If they're telling me it's my fault, that I'm overreacting, that I can't prove his intent, what else am I supposed to do?' Now Lee says she's hoping her experience will serve as a lesson for the NYPD. With her persistence, a civilian review panel designated her case a hate crime in late December, nearly three months after she reported it. 'I didn't tell my story to get someone a 'routine reshuffling,' she said, using the NYPD's official terminology for Corey's transfer. 'I wanted to tell my story because the NYPD's system for handling and identifying hate crimes is flawed.' Sailors and marines line the deck of the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72) as it deploys from San Diego in this Jan. 3 photo. AP-Yonhap The U.S. military conducted a carrier-based air demonstration in the Yellow Sea Tuesday to show its "resolve and commitment" to regional allies in the wake of recent North Korean missile launches. The demonstration was conducted in international airspace by 4th and 5th generation aircraft, including F-35C stealth fighter, from the USS Abraham Lincoln, along with regionally-based U.S. Air Force aircraft, according to the U.S. 7th Fleet based in Yokosuka, Japan. The show of force appears to be a warning to Pyongyang which has shown signs of preparation for an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) test as early as this week under the disguise of a satellite development project. Pyongyang conducted what it claimed to be "reconnaissance satellite" development tests, on Feb. 27 and March 5, which Seoul and Washington have criticized as ICBM system tests. "We have made clear our growing concern over the significant increase in DPRK's missile testing, and we will continue to take all necessary measures to ensure the security of the United States and our allies," the U.S. Navy unit said in a release on its website. "We remain in close coordination with our allies and partners to address the threats posed by the DPRK. Our commitment to the defense of the Republic of Korea (ROK) and Japan remains ironclad," it added. DPRK stands for the North's official name, Democratic People's Republic of Korea. (Yonhap) A bloomin' scandal has rocked one of Sydney's most exclusive suburbs, as a young florist to the rich and famous is charged with fraud and accused of leaving a string of unpaid debts about town. Brennon Mrzyk, 25, arrived in Sydney's ritzy suburb of Double Bay two years ago and took over a prime site in the exclusive Ferrari and Bentley-studded shopping strip for his floristry business, Mr Flamboyant. Originally, Mrzyk charmed local businesspeople who viewed the young Tasmanian as 'just the sweetest guy' for his quick wit and charm. Wealthy customers flocked to his store. However, it all came crashing down last month as Mrzyk faced court charged with alleged credit card fraud and he was kicked out of his high street shop accused of failing to pay a $33,000 unpaid rent bill, which he disputes. For his part, Mrzyk claims he faced an orchestrated attempt by locals to bring him down after he split up with his partner. Brennon Mrzyk, 25, (pictured) florist to Sydney's glitzy rich and famous, is at the centre of a neigbhourhood stoush over alleged unpaid debts and a fraud charge Double Bay real estate agent Renata Biller found she was allegedly fleeced after her book keeper allegedly spotted mobile phone charges on her credit card statements. Meanwhilerival florist Louise Jennings (pictured right) of neighbouring Mandalay florists revealed she had actually employed Mrzyk for just one day when he first arrived in Sydney Mrzyk's store, Mr Flamboyant, before it was cleared out recently Now furious locals are hitting out at the handsome young florist as a series of allegations are levelled against him, and his shop is cleared out. Mrzyk was charged last November with the offence of dishonestly obtaining financial advantage by deception, after a five-month-long investigation into fraudulent transactions on the credit card of Cole Hair Studios owner Mariah Rota. Mrzyk is planning to fight the charge in court. Local real estate agent Renata Biller, of Biller Property separately claims she she noticed suspicious transactions on her bank accounts after buying flowers from Mrzyk's business. 'We're a village here and we all try to support each other so when a new young florist came in, we were keen to give him a go,' Ms Biller said. 'The hairdresser next door said he was amazing so we started getting flowers for the office from him - but a while later... some transactions (allegedly appeared) on our accounts which were not ours.' Mrzyk allegedly left a string of debts across the city, with one florist admitting the Tasmanian could be attacked if he set foot in Sydney's flower markets after he allegedly ran up unpaid bills Separately Mrzyk is also accused of leaving a string of debts across the city and failed business deals. One delivery man worked flat out for Mrzyk on Valentine's Day delivering roses to the rich and famous in Sydney's Eastern Suburbs and claims he was left penniless. Disability pensioner Frank, who asked for his surname not to be used, says he is now desperately trying to contact all the clients he made deliveries to in the hope they can help recoup the $372 he claims he's owed. 'I drove for nine hours straight delivering 28 bunches of flowers on Valentine's Day for him,' Frank told Daily Mail Australia. Double Bay portrait photographer Mark Morffew briefly went into business with Mrzyk before abandoning the project after four weeks. 'The warning signs were there from the start,' he revealed. 'There were heavies at the door once for unpaid bills at the flower markets. He seemed like the sweetest guy.' Mrzyk denied dishonestly obtaining financial advantage by deception at Downing Central Local Court last month An ex-partner of Mrzyk had his suspicions something was not right. He revealed: 'It was all about looking like a success. 'He was always very determined and driven by looking like he was very successful. 'He could have had a very successful business. Everyone was gunning for him and supporting him.' Rival florist Louise Jennings of neighbouring Mandalay florists revealed she had actually employed Mrzyk for just one day when he first arrived in Sydney. 'He turned up three or four years ago and asked for some shifts .... He didn't even put enough water in his vases for the flowers. It was just amateurish.' Double Bay portrait photographer Mark Morffew revealed how locals had allegedly been deceived In a statement to Daily Mail Australia, Mrzyk claimed he faced an orchestrated attempt by locals to bring him down after splitting up with his partner. 'I've been in business more than five years now,' he said. 'And one thing I've learnt is don't mix with fake a**e bitches. 'I'm a good person, and always have been. I always put people first and was generous at the best of times and the right people who know me, know that. 'Everyone makes mistakes. I have a very successful business and we will continue to rise above this. I have a beautiful team of staff and we are about to open a new premises.' Mrzyk denied his charge of dishonestly obtaining financial advantage by deception at Downing Central Local Court last month. He will return to court in August. Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi has promised a 'crackdown' on university academics who promote pro-Putin propaganda. Yesterday, chairman of the Education Select Committee Robert Halfon said that an investigation by LBC had exposed 'pro-Putinist propaganda' at some of the UK's leading universities. At Leeds University, a retired professor, Ray Bush is accused of spreading propaganda. Mr Halfon said Mr Bush made reference to the United States having 'chemical warfare installations in Ukraine - that's a lie, as he knows, being spread by the Kremlin'. And he said that at Edinburgh University, Professor Tim Hayward retweeted a Russian representative to the United Nations describing the attack on Mariupol's maternity hospital as 'fake news' and added: 'As long as we're still able to hear two sides of the story we should continue striving to do so.' Speaking in the House of Commons, Mr Halfon asked if the Government would take action to stop universities acting as 'useful idiots' for the Kremlin. Mr Zahawi said Higher and Further Education Minister Michelle Donelan was 'already on the case' and in contact with the universities. 'Putin and his cronies are a malign influence on anyone in this country buying their false narrative, and I have to repeat it is a false and dangerous narrative, and we will crack down on it hard,' he added. University academics meanwhile have raised concerns that they are being 'smeared' as 'pro-Putinist'. Prof Hayward said that he was tweeting in a personal capacity and that he did not 'retweet but quote-tweeted'. He said he did not endorse the 'categorical fake news allegation' and that he quote-tweeted many people who he disagreed with. 'I recognise propaganda can abound on all sides. I am not pro-Russia and emphatically not pro-Putin,' he said. Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi said the government would crack down on those sharing Putin's 'false and dangerous narrative' In one of his tweets, Professor Tim Hayward said he was casting 'a critical eye' over evidence of a hospital attack in Ukraine 'For all that, though, having learned lessons from Iraq WMD [weapons of mass destruction] lies and others since, I believe that citizens should keep a watchful eye on information that can be used to escalate tensions and war. I have not repeated any narrative,' he added. A University of Edinburgh spokesperson said: 'The University of Edinburgh joins colleagues in the sector in condemning the invasion of Ukraine and we fully endorse the Universities UK statement on this issue.' Principal and vice-chancellor Professor Peter Mathieson recently issued a statement condemning the invasion of Ukraine and committing to review exchange programmes or academic projects with Russian universities. 'We do not comment on individual members of our staff,' the spokesperson added. A spokesperson for the University of Leeds said: 'As Mr Halfon himself states, Ray Bush has retired from the University. 'The University of Leeds condemns in the strongest possible terms the abhorrent wave of violence unleashed by the Russian government through its invasion of Ukraine. We made this clear to our entire university community in a statement issued last week.' MP Robert Halfon said that an investigation by LBC had exposed 'pro-Putinist propaganda' at some of the UK's leading universities Education secretary Nadhim Zahawi has promised to 'crack down' on academics sharing 'pro-Putinist' propoganda President and vice-chancellor of Leicester University Nishan Canagarajah said: 'Our university community has, like many, watched with horror as the Russian government's unprovoked invasion of Ukraine has escalated over the last few weeks.' 'This action is profoundly disturbing and I speak on behalf of the entire university in condemning the Kremlin's actions and offering our unequivocal support for the people of Ukraine and our peers at Ukrainian universities. 'We are taking active steps to support our staff, students and peers who've been affected by the situation and we will continue to follow advice from the UK Government to find further ways to help those in need during this terrible conflict.' Mr Zahawi told the Commons that Ukrainian university students would be able to extend their leave to remain in the UK or switch over to graduate visas. 'We're working across Government to support Ukrainian students in the UK by introducing a new humanitarian route,' he said. Mr Zahawi added that Ukrainian refugee pupils would be supported in starting school in the UK. Bill Shorten has urged Australians to buy electric cars because petrol prices are so high, while blaming Scott Morrison for the unaffordability of EVs. The former Labor leader has called on the government to make electric vehicles, more affordable as a solution to the high cost of living. Mr Shorten, who is paid $211,250 of public funds per year as a federal politician, drives a taxpayer-subsidised $60,900 Tesla and said he enjoys not facing the same rising fuel expenses as most Australian drivers. Petrol prices have surged to record highs in recent months, nearing an eye-watering average of $2.11 in Sydney and were $2.19 in Melbourne. Bill Shorten says people should buy an electric vehicle because petrol prices are so high and blamed Scott Morrison for the unaffordability of EVs Price prices have surged to record highs in recent months, nearing an eye-watering $2.40 a litre in parts of Sydney The number of Australians who rate petrol as their most stressful expense has reached its highest ever level, Finder.com said on Tuesday. Shorten told Karl Stefanovic and Chris O'Keefe on the Today show on Wednesday morning that the government should do more to encourage people to switch to electric vehicles. 'We've done nothing on electric vehicles so poor people can't get electric vehicles and I blame the government,' Shorten said.'At the moment I'm driving an electric vehicle, and the price of filling up my vehicle with electricity is so much cheaper than petrol, we're long overdue to do something about it.' O'Keefe quickly fired back at Shorten's suggestion that EVs are the answer. 'Telsas cost a fortune. I don't know if Bill Shorten is going to get in his Tesla... and drive from Melbourne to Canberra, he won't get half way. 'Are you going to plug it in at the Maccas?' Shorten replied: 'Do you know why they cost a fortune? Because the government hasn't done anything to make electric vehicles cheaper.' The Labor leader acknowledged supporting a cut the fuel excise tax to lower petrol prices 'is obviously on the table' The number of Australians who rate petrol as their most stressful expense has reached its highest ever level But O'Keefe said electric vehicles are not a viable solution in Australia due to the country's sheer size. 'I still can't drive more than 300km without having to plug it in, wait 45 minute, and eat a three-course dinner and wait to charge it up.' Shorten acknowledged the war in Ukraine has impacted petrol prices - but said prices were headed north before the conflict. 'There's no doubt that the price of petrol is a barbecue stopper at the moment, it's north of $2 a litre. He claimed a 'longer-term solution' is needed because 'we knew that energy shocks would come.' Shorten's comments come after Prime Minister Scott Morrison said he wont be 'forcing anyone' to drive an electric vehicle. 'If you want to drive one and buy one, good for you, thats great, I think thats your choice,' he said. 'If you dont want to drive one, thats fine, keep driving the car youve got.' Mr Morrison reiterated that his governments emissions reduction policy is about 'choice, not mandates'. 'It's not about taxes, it's about technology, and the technology will move at the pace of the consumers and what they want. 'I'm not about to be subsidising those costs. I mean, if you buy an electric vehicle, you don't pay fuel excise for start. So there is already an inbuilt advantage of going down that path, if that's what you want to do,' Morrison said. 'But my opponent, the Labor Party, Anthony Albanese, said that he is going to encourage electric vehicles by abolishing the import tariffs on them. 'There aren't any import tariffs on electric vehicles. That's what comes when you haven't done a budget before and you've never had a financial portfolio.' Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has written a moving letter to the family of an American journalist allegedly killed by Russians to hail the dead man for shining a light on the darkest outrages of the ongoing conflict. Brett Renaud, 51, from Arkansas, was working freelance as a filmmaker when he was shot dead in the besieged town of Irpin, 30 miles north west of the center of the capital city Kyiv. Zelensky, in his letter to the Renaud family, praised his dedication to shining a light 'against forces of darkness', and said the Ukrainian people were grieving with them. 'A talented and brave journalist, Brent lost his life while documenting human tragedy, devastation and suffering of millions of Ukrainians,' Zelensky wrote. 'With all his courage and determination, he travelled to the most dangerous war zones to film the unprecedented ruthlessness and evil, also inflicted on our nation by the aggressor state. 'The people of Ukraine, who are fighting against the Russian regime to defend their homeland and democracy in the world, are mourning with you.' Zelensky told Renaud's family that they were 'thankful to Brent for his professionalism and commitment to the values of compassion, ethics and justice.' He concluded: 'May Brent's life, service and sacrifice inspire generations of people all around the world to stand up in fight for the forces of light against the forces of darkness.' Renaud's colleague Juan Arredondo, a 45-year-old World Press Photo award winner and adjunct professor at Columbia Journalism School in New York City, was shot and injured. The attack was initially said to have been carried out by Russian soldiers, but that claim has not yet been stood-up. A Bild photographer who had accompanied the pair to the edge of Irpin said that the Ukrainian military warned them not to go further, but Renaud and Arredondo said they 'wanted to film what the world should see.' Ben Ronzheimer told Fox News the two intended to document the flow of refugees leaving Irpin, which marks the edge of the Russian advance towards Kyiv. 'Nothing is safe here,' said Ronzheimer. 'And if you go into Irpin and if you cross there and if you try to get further, every step can mean, yeah, that you get attacked here.' Brent Renaud, 51, was shot and killed in Ukraine over the weekend, in the Kyiv suburb of Irpin Renaud, from Arkansas, was working freelance in Ukraine when he was shot and killed Juan Arredondo, 45, a photojournalist who also teaches at Columbia Journalism School in New York City, was shot and injured alongside Renaud Ben Ronzheimer, a photojournalist with German outlet Bild, was with Renaud and Arredondo before the fatal shooting of Renaud Renaud and Arredondo came under attack in Irpin, north west of the capital Kyiv Volodymyr Zelensky, in a picture released on Monday by the president's press office, praised Renaud's bravery It remains unclear who shot both Renaud and Hall - whether it was advancing Russians, or mistaken Ukrainians - but their shootings are seen of a sign of the lawlessness of the conflict, with Russia bombing civilian targets like hospitals and apartment buildings. Renaud's colleague, Arredondo, said in a video shared on social media that he and Renaud had gone to Irpin to film refugees escaping the town, and they were fired on by forces near a checkpoint. 'We crossed the first bridge in Irpin,' he said, lying on a hospital stretcher. 'We were going to film all the refugees leaving. We got into a car. 'Someone offered to take us to the other bridge and we crossed a checkpoint and they started shooting at us. 'So the driver turned around, and they kept shooting and there was two of us. My friend is Brent Renaud and he's been shot and left behind.' On Monday, a Fox News reporter, Benjamin Hall, 39, who works as a State Department correspondent, was confirmed injured in Ukraine. His condition was unclear but the British-U.S. citizen was being treated in hospital, Fox colleagues said. Arredondo was filmed on a hospital stretcher, explaining what had happened When the interviewer asked how Renaud was, Arredondo replied: 'I don't know. I saw he'd been shot in the neck. And we got split.' The US national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, told CNN: 'If in fact an American journalist was killed, it is a shocking and horrifying event. It is one more example of the brutality of Vladimir Putin and his forces as they've targeted schools and mosques and hospitals and journalists. 'And it is why we are working so hard to impose severe consequences on him, and to try to help the Ukrainians with every form of military assistance we can muster, to be able to push back against the onslaught of these Russian forces.' Parents claim their children had to urinate in buckets while their school was put into lockdown over a mysterious incident. Police were not called to intervene on Monday despite it being serous enough that children were not allowed to access the bathroom. Werrington County Public School in western Sydney was criticised by angry parents after they heard what their children went through. Werrington County Public School in western Sydney was locked down for several hours on Monday Scott, told 2GB radio he had no problem with the school locking kids in classrooms, but asked why the police were not called. 'If they thought it was a serious enough incident to lock them in classrooms and make them urinate in buckets, surely they would have called the police,' he said. Scott claimed the lockdown was caused by a 'mentally ill student who had had an episode'. Another parent, Nicole, who has a son with special needs, claimed the young student was known to threaten kids with a skipping rope. Principal Belinda Clarke sent a letter about the incident to parents saying the lockdown went for two hours. 'The safety of our students and staff was our main priority during this time. At no point during the lockdown were any of our students or staff at risk of harm,' the letter read. 'During the lockdown, teachers reassured the students that they were safe and continued teaching and learning. 'Following the lockdown, students had an indoor lunch and only essential movement around the school was permitted.' But Amanda, who has three kids at the school, said her children were in lockdown from about 11am as recess started, until 3pm. 'The kids were not told what was happening... my daughter actually started crying because she didn't know what was happening,' Amanda said. One parent said kids came home saying, 'mum, mum they made us pee in a bucket'. She also claimed one of her children refused to use the bucket other students had urinated in, but her other kids had to, as they were about to 'wet their pants'. Nicole asked why they were not informed about their kids having to pee in a bucket, as kids came home that day telling their parents about it. 'Mum, mum they made us pee in a bucket,' Nicole said her children told her. The office of the NSW Education Minister initially denied the claims. But Education Minister Sarah Mitchell told 2GB she was 'incredibly unhappy' at the lack of information coming out of the Department of Education. 'I've had very strong conversations already this morning with senior staff of the Department, I want a full investigation,' she said. 'What has gone on here is totally unacceptable, it's not in line with normal protocol.' Cody Edwards (pictured), 25, has been charged over the alleged murder of Synamin Bell at her home in Millicent in south-east SA on Saturday night The man accused of murdering a young mother-of-three at her home has been identified as her new boyfriend. South Australian police found the body of Synamin Bell, 26, at her home in Millicent, in south-east South Australia, after police were called to the property just after 11pm on Saturday. Detectives arrested 25-year-old Cody Edwards at the scene after he called police himself. The couple are understood to have recently begun their relationship. In a picture taken in the past few weeks, Edwards smiled as he embraced Ms Bell, wearing thick-framed black glasses with his long hair tied behind his head. He appeared via video link in the Mount Gambier Magistrates Court on Tuesday where he did not apply for bail. He is due to reappear in December. Ms Bell's neighbour said she saw Ms Bell sitting on her front steps with another woman in the hours before her death. She was due to start studying a medical course as she looked to help treat her immuno-compromised daughter. The young mother (right) was found dead in her South Australian home on Saturday night after officers were called to the property just after 11pm 'Synamin had dreams of giving her kids the life and opportunities that we all hope our children have before them,' a friend wrote on a GoFundMe to pay for funeral costs. 'She had goals of getting into medicine to help (her daughter) in her struggles and to help give her the best chance at a full life. 'She was trying her hardest with limited resources and support, trying to be the best mum she could be.' An elderly neighbour of Ms Bell said she saw her sitting with a friend at the doorstep of her Poole Street flat about 7pm and went to bed close to 11pm. 'We didn't hear anything,' she told The Advertiser. Ms Bell (pictured) was allegedly murdered at her home in Millicent, south-east of Adelaide, SA on Saturday evening Edwards is understood to have walked across the road to tell a work colleague to call police after Ms Bell's death 'The first we knew about it was when we opened up our shutters at half past seven this morning and saw police cars and people everywhere. 'When the police detective came to interview me today he told me the children were at their nanna's when everything happened.' Forensic officers attended the home through Sunday and Monday as they investigate the circumstances of her death. Edwards was taken by police to Mount Gambier Police Station where he will remain in custody until he appears in Mount Gambier Magistrates Court on Tuesday. He is understood to have walked across the road to tell a work colleague to call police after Ms Bell's death. Police have been combing through the home for several days after the body of the 26-year-old was found dead on Saturday night Superintendent Campbell Hill described the alleged murder as 'tragic' and confirmed the children were not at the house at the time of their mother's death. 'It is devastating and it is shocking,' he said. 'It is a tragic circumstance which will reverberate and has reverberated across the community. 'If people have information, if they know how these two people knew each other, we urge them to contact us so we can fill that knowledge gap. 'They were known to each other but exactly what the dynamic of the relationship was is something we are working to establish.' Friends and family of the loving young mum remembered Ms Bell as a devoted parent. 'Synamin was loved by all and those lucky enough to have known her were blessed by her generosity and loyalty,' friend Luke McGaughey wrote. 'No matter what may have been happening in her own life, she was never unavailable.' Ms Bell was remembered as a 'loving mother' who was looking to move into a career in healthcare to help support her kids A friend said the 26-year-old was studying healthcare to help care for her children. 'The loss of your mother is something from which you never fully recover, but losing her so young leaves these beautiful kids with so much life to walk through without her,' they said. 'Your mother is your first and forever friend, you never truly get over that loss. 'I'm heartbroken, devastated and in shock. I was only just speaking to you the day you were taken,' another friend wrote. 'Synamin Bell I love you forever hun, this lifetime and next.' Police are expected to stay at the Poole Street home for several days for a thorough forensic investigation. Andrew Bolt has unleashed on Scott Morrison's 'pathetic' beer tax cut, questioning why luring Aussies back into the pub is the government's priority. The Federal Government is expected to announce the 50 per cent cut in draught beer in the upcoming budget, which would see the price of a schooner at the bar cost around 35c less, Sky News reported. It's understood the move is to help bring Australians back into pubs and restaurants after the hospitality industry suffered immensely during the Covid pandemic. But Bolt said the focus should be on encouraging people to head into the office, not out for a beer. Scott Morrison's draught beer tax cut has been branded 'pathetic' by Sky News commentator Andrew Bolt 'This is beyond pathetic,' he said. 'This is a fundamentally unserious policy for an unserious government. 'This is literally pissing money up against the wall.' The conservative political commentator blasted the idea of cutting the tax on beer when Australia was 'staring at World War III', and noted the country was nearly $1trillion in debt. 'We're now staring at World War III, without the weapons we need to even defend ourselves,' he continued. 'Seriously, we don't need to lure people back into pubs. We need to lure them back into their offices, into our factories. Bolt said the government's priority should be on bringing people back into the office, not into the pub 'We need to lure them into building and investing in a future that right now is looking darker and darker. 'Luring Australians back into pubs, is that seriously the government's priority?' It's estimated the tax cut will cost the government $150million, and would see the price of a beer keg drop from $70 to $35. While the move has been backed by 20 Coalition MPs, Spirits and Cocktails Australia chief executive Greg Holland said it was sexist. 'Why would you deliver a tax cut that ignores the choices of nine out of 10 Australian women?' he said. 'Imagine Scott Morrison or Treasurer Josh Frydenberg walking into a bar and shouting a round of beers for a bunch of blokes, while turning their backs on the women enjoying a quiet gin and tonic or cocktail after work. 'It would be considered outrageously sexist and out of date but that is exactly what this proposal represents.' The proposed beer tax cut would see schooners cost around 30c less at the bar (stock image) Meanwhile, the prime minister may be looking to ease the cost of living pressures on another front. There are mounting calls for the excise on fuel to be slashed as petrol prices hit a staggering 2.20 cents a litre in Sydney. 'These cost of living impacts are real, and the Australian government understands that,' Mr Morrison said. 'There is always a lot of speculation before budgets and so I will leave the government's decisions for [the] budget to that night but there are many pressures on cost of living and that's why our tax cuts are so important.' New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has already slashed fuel prices in her country by 25 cents a litre for the next three months. Mr Morrison has not confirmed whether the excise on fuel, currently at 44.2 cents per litre will be cut, despite calls from Liberal premiers Steven Marshall from South Australia and Tasmanian Peter Gutwein for it to happen. Once again, a European democracy is fighting for its survival against a fascist tyranny. During World War II, Hitlers troops seized Ukraine and murdered up to seven million of its people including more than a million Ukrainian Jews in the gas chambers of the extermi-nation camps. Vladimir Putin has not yet gone that far. But his monstrous invasion uncannily followed the template set by the German tyrant: blitzkreig, scorched-earth tactics and indiscriminate bombing, including the murder of countless women and children. Given the carnage with thousands now dead in less than three weeks a principled anti-war movement should have a firm place in our democracy, working all hours to achieve a peaceful and sustainable end to this horror. But Britains most famous anti-war group the Stop the War Coalition is not that movement. Thousands of people have taken to the streets in London in recent weeks to protest against Russia's invasion of Ukraine I am 70 now, and have been of the Left my whole life. During 55 years of campaigning for human rights, Ive participated in 3,000 protests and experienced 100 arrests and hundreds of violent assaults. Ive visited Russia as a human rights defender six times: in 2007, Russian neo-Nazis badly beat me up, while as recently as 2018, I was detained by Putins goons in Moscow when I protested about the ongoing torture and murder of gay people in the Russian republic of Chechnya. So I know fascism when I see it. And it pains me deeply to see a Left-wing movement one that claims to be devoted to peace and human rights and to be anti-fascist to its core to have gone so badly awry. Stop the War which was founded in the wake of 9/11 and which counts leading lights of the Left including MPs Diane Abbott and Jeremy Corbyn among its most significant figures spent the weeks leading up to the current conflict criticising Nato and the West, and parroting the Kremlins concerns instead of supporting the Ukrainian defenders. Delusion As Putin massed what was then at least 130,000 troops on Ukraines borders, Stop the War convened an emergency event with the bizarre title No War in Ukraine: Stop Nato Expansion. Instead of criticising Putins menacing actions, it condemned Natos nuclear warmongering and the alliances interventionist agenda. It even claimed that Britain and America were ramping up the threat of war. This was arrant nonsense: an Alice in Wonderland delusion. Nato was, of course, neither expanding nor intervening. Instead, Ukraine had for years been trying to join the alliance unsuccessfully out of what proved to be an entirely justified fear of Russian aggression. As for nuclear warmongering, it is Putin and not Nato who has placed his forces on nuclear high alert and who has warned: Anyone who would consider interfering from the outside, if you do, you will face consequences greater than any you have faced in history a thinly veiled threat to use his most devastating weaponry. Russian President Vladimir Putin listens to St. Petersburg's governor Alexander Beglov during their meeting in the Kremlin in Moscow, on March 1 If only Stop the War could admit this. Yet, even as the threat from Putin was obvious to the whole world in the days before the invasion, Diane Abbott was still insisting: The claims that Russia is the aggressor should be treated sceptically. The destabilisation in the entire region comes from a continued eastward expansion of Nato. Abbott, a former Shadow Home Secretary, did not condemn Russias war preparations at that emergency meeting on February 10 or even defend Ukraines right to exist as a sovereign democracy. Despite my many criticisms of Keir Starmer, he was right to accuse Stop the War of being soft on Russia, saying: At best they are naive. At worst they actively give succour to authoritarian leaders who directly threaten democracies. Since Russia launched its invasion, Stop the War has faced a barrage of entirely deserved criticism much of it from the Left. Crimes Squirming with embarrassment, the groups convenor, Lindsey German, belatedly announced a volte face, saying: We feel horror and sickness when we see Putins invasion [and] his attacks on civilian populations . . . We are consistent in opposing the misery, death, displacement and disruption that affects any country consumed by war. Tell that to Syrians! Putin honed his techniques for bombing innocent civilians and reducing cities to rubble in Aleppo and other Syrian cities, where his forces have been committing war crimes and allegedly using banned weaponry such as cluster bombs and white phosphorous since 2015. Stop the War organised no protests against these war crimes. As I write, Russia is still bombing civilian areas in Syria, including homes, schools, hospitals and mosques propping up the murderous government of the dictator Bashar al-Assad. So where is the consistency from Stop the War in opposing these atrocities? The double standards are sickening. Putin has destroyed swathes of Ukraine and is conducting nothing less than a medieval-style siege on the city of Mariupol. Yet still, Stop the War opposes the West arming the Ukrainians. How else can these brave people, fighting for their country and their freedom, defend themselves other than with weapons? Of course, peace talks would be preferable but Putin has so far insisted that his terms for stopping the war are Ukraines surrender and the effective absorption of large parts of it into Greater Russia. Stop the War was founded in the wake of 9/11 and counts leading lights of the Left including MPs Diane Abbott and Jeremy Corbyn (pictured together) among its most significant figures By seeking to deny Ukraine vital defensive weapons such as anti-tank and anti-aircraft missiles, Stop the War would leave Kyiv defenceless against the murderous onslaught of Putins troops. And that, by default, is collusion with Russian aggression, whatever Stop the War claims. Under its purist logic, Stop the War would presumably have opposed British military aid to the anti-Nazi resistance in occupied Europe from 1939-45, on the grounds that this, too, would inflame tensions and show disdain for Hitlers concerns. Stop the War once did great things: it mobilised millions against the Iraq war and the deceit carried out on the British people by Tony Blairs government, which led this country into that terrible conflict and saw the deaths of scores of British servicemen and women and many more of Iraqi civilians. But I always detected a worrying trend within the movement. Some of its leaders among them the hardline former Communist Andrew Murray, a close ally of Jeremy Corbyn were, from the start, driven by a blinkered anti-Americanism rather than a straightforward desire for peace. This led the organisation to defend, excuse or stay silent for years about cruel and despotic regimes that hated America, including Iran as well as Russia and Syria. Aggression Now, I have my criticisms of British foreign policy, and Ive opposed U.S. imperialism for more than 50 years. But, unlike Stop the War, Ive opposed Russian imperialism with equal fervour, ever since Moscows invasion of Czechoslovakia in 1968. As for Nato, I opposed Ukraine joining because I saw that it would give Putin a perfect excuse for his aggression. But the idea that Nato is a threat to Russia, or has ambitions to invade Moscow, is laughable. Peter Tatchell is the director of the Peter Tatchell Foundation and has campaigned for human rights for 55 years And it is absurd and dangerous of Stop the War to give credibility to this fiction by so often repeating the Kremlin line. It also tarnishes the reputation of the anti-war cause, which has a long and proud history in British life. More than ever, Britain needs a principled anti-war movement that stands with the Ukrainian people against the fascists in the Kremlin. But, sadly, it wont come from this cabal of Putins useful idiots. Outlaw motorcycle gang boss Erkan 'Eric the Wolf' Keskin has been found dead in Turkey after fleeing Australia more than two years ago. Keskin, the former national president of the Lone Wolf gang, was also known as the 'Naked Bikie' after running down a western Sydney street nude while brandishing a handgun one night in July 2015. Police and underworld sources speculated at the time that Keskin had been fleeing at attempt on his life at a Luddenham house. Bikie boss Erkan 'Eric the Wolf' Keskin served as a soldier, ran with gangsters and faced serious charges including kidnapping. But he didn't tell his wife in Dubai about a secret girlfriend. Keskin has reportedly been found dead in Turkey, two years after he fled Australia Erin Burazer (pictured) appeared in a Sydney court seeking to vary a restraining order which prevented her from spending time with her bikie boss boyfriend Erkan Keskin. At the time Keskin was living in a luxury Sydney apartment while his wife was based in Dubai Erkan Keskin, the former national president of the Lone Wolf gang, was known as the 'naked bikie' after running down a western Sydney street, without clothes and brandishing a handgun, one night in July 2015 Keskin was found dead in Turkey on Monday, according to a report in The Daily Telegraph. The cause of his death had not been confirmed. The newspaper reported that sources who had spoken to the 44-year-old last week said he had recently been 'partying hard'. It was also claimed he had been embarking on a new business venture and planned to start a music label and sign Australian rap artists. That would have been a major departure from Keskin's previous entrepreneurial endeavours, which police believed were mostly dealing drugs. Keskin maintained control over the Lone Wolf after he left Australia in late 2019 and had links to exiled Comanchero boss Mark Buddle. Before Keskin fled Australia he had faced drug trafficking and kidnapping charges in two states. Police estimated he had amassed a $50million fortune. Erkan Keskin and his wife Kristen both beat charges of producing child abuse material when the relevant pictures were shown to be innocent photographs of their own children that might be found in any family album. The couple is pictured outside court in December 2018 The former Turkish soldier had also beaten child pornography charges when it was accepted by a court that pictures found in his possession were harmless images of his own children. In October 2019 Keskin beat charges of charges of kidnapping and demanding property in company with menaces at Penrith Local Court. Six months earlier his house was one of seven raided by police after two masked men shot at - but missed - a concreter with links to the Bandidos outside his home at Caddens in Sydney's far western suburbs. Keskin was served with a firearm prohibition order at his city apartment. The same concreter was gunned down seven months later at Penrith but survived. By then Keskin was believed to have moved to Turkey. 'No one is expecting him back,' an underworld figure told the Telegraph at the time. In October 2018, Keskin had charges of supplying large amounts of the drug ice dropped in the Queensland Supreme Court. If convicted he had been facing a maximum 25 years in jail for allegedly trafficking ice between November 2013 and April 2015 on the Gold Coast. A court heard Erin Burazer (pictured) and Erkan 'Eric the Wolf' Keskin had been in a relationship for 'some time'. Keskin's wife Kristen usually lives in Dubai with the couple's four children Outside court Keskin initially denied any knowledge of the AVO or that he had been in court to assist Ms Burazer's application. 'I'm not here for an AVO,' he said. 'I'm here for kidnapping' Keskin had been feared in the Sydney underworld but at one of his last court appearances he indicated he was scared of his own wife. The then 41-year-old faced Downing Centre Local Court in November 2018 to help his girlfriend Erin Burazer have an apprehended violence order (AVO) altered so the pair could spend more time together. At the time, Keskin was living in a luxury high-rise apartment at The Rocks in Sydney's inner-city, while his wife Kristen, then 39, and their four children were usually based in Dubai. Outside court Keskin had initially denied any knowledge of the AVO when photographed by Daily Mail Australia. 'I'm not here for an AVO,' he said. 'I'm here for kidnapping.' Shown a picture of Ms Burazer, Keskin asked if she was likely to feature in a story about him and if that story would run online. 'I'm married,' Keskin said. 'This is going to bring me unstuck.' In October 2019 Keskin beat charges of charges of kidnapping and demanding property in company with menaces at Penrith Local Court. Keskin was found running down a western Sydney street without clothes and brandishing a handgun one night in July 2015 (pictured) The court heard that Keskin, and Ms Burazer, then 30, were in a relationship and both wanted AVO conditions that he not approach or contact her removed. 'They've had a relationship for sometime,' a solicitor acting for Ms Burazer told magistrate Jane Mottley. A prosecutor initially objected to the AVO being varied and Ms Mottley said she would need to hear evidence, however police withdrew their objection, allowing Keskin and Ms Burazer to be together without risk of him breaching the AVO. It is understood that relationship did not last. Two months earlier Keskin had child pornography charges related to his own children dropped in Downing Centre Local Court. The pictures, seized during a police raid, had been described by Keskin's barrister Avni Djemal as innocent images that could be found in any family album. In October 2018, Keskin had charges of supplying large amounts of the drug ice dropped in the Queensland Supreme Court. If convicted he had been facing a maximum 25 years in jail for allegedly trafficking ice between November 2013 and April 2015 on the Gold Coast Three days before the charges were withdrawn, Keskin's wife was pulled off a Dubai-bound flight at Sydney Airport and charged with producing child pornography, also in relation to photographs of the couple's children. Those charges were dropped in December 2018 and her husband had indicated he intended suing the State of NSW for malicious prosecution. News of the pornography charges against Keskin made front page news in April 2018. 'They put my life at risk,' he told the Sunday Telegraph in September that year. 'I got accused of something I didn't do. The charges were outrageous and unwarranted.' New York City's powerful Trinity Wall Street Church has fired its acclaimed music director who is married to a female priest after another woman accused him of sexual misconduct. Julian Wachner, 53 - who is married to a female reverend, Emily Wachner, with whom he has children - was fired from Trinity on Monday after he had been placed on leave Saturday in wake of assault accusations made by former Juilliard School employee Mary Poole. Poole, 32, accused Wachner of pushing her against a wall at South Carolina musical festival in 2014, groping her and kissing her despite her demanding that he stop. An investigation was launched into the allegations and remains ongoing. However, the church's rector, Rev. Phillip A. Jackson, announced Monday that Trinity had terminated Wachner's employment. 'The investigation is ongoing, and thus the investigator has not yet made any determination about the veracity of the 2014 allegations,' the church said in a statement published online. 'Still, we have concluded based on recent information that Julian has otherwise conducted himself in a manner that is inconsistent with our expectations of anyone who occupies a leadership position. For this reason, Trinity has decided to end Julian's employment with Trinity as of today.' Emily Wachner referred DailyMail.com to her attorneys when contacted for a comment about her husband's alleged behavior. Famed conductor and composer Julian Wachner (pictured in Dec. 2010) was fired from his role as music director at Trinity Wall Street Church in New York City on Monday after a woman accused him of sexual misconduct that allegedly occurred in 2014 Former Julliard employee Mary Poole claims Wachner pushed her against a wall at South Carolina musical festival in 2014, groped her and kissed her despite her demanding he stop Wachner is married to Emily, pictured, who serves as an Episcopal minister Wachner has denied Poole's allegations and, according to his lawyer, is 'exceptionally disappointed' in Trinity's decision to fire him despite the investigation being ongoing. 'We are exceptionally disappointed that Trinity has acted prior to completing a thorough investigation,' attorney Andrew Miltenberg told DailyMail.com in a statement Monday. 'Depriving Mr. Wachner of the benefit of the full narrative is the antithesis of due process and allows distortions to triumph over the truth.' He added: 'Mr. Wachner continues to dispute the nearly decade-old, misleading and untrue allegations made against him.' Poole, however, has applauded the decision and argued that it remains important the church conducts a thorough investigation into Wachner's alleged conduct. 'I hope this is the beginning of a bigger conversation about how we handle harassment in classical music, and how conductors are often held on a pedestal,' she told the New York Times. 'Everybody needs to be held accountable for the same kind of appropriate behavior in the workplace.' The famed church announced Wachner's termination Monday, noting an investigation was launched into the allegations and remains ongoing 'Still, we have concluded based on recent information that Julian has otherwise conducted himself in a manner that is inconsistent with our expectations of anyone who occupies a leadership position. For this reason, Trinity has decided to end Julian's employment with Trinity as of today,' the church said Monday. Wachner is pictured conducting in Dec. 2013 Poole's allegations stem from an incident at the Juilliard in Aiken festival that she helped organize in 2014. The festival featured Wachner and the acclaimed Trinity choir. She claims that one evening, Wachner approached her at a house where the Julliard staff members were staying and requested she get him a beverage. As she was preparing the drink, Wachner allegedly started groping and kissing her for nearly two minutes. Poole told the Times she repeatedly asked him to stop. Poole, who was 24 at the time of the alleged incident, said she did not report the assault to police because she was in another state and had limited time due to being in the middle of a tour. 'I felt like I could not defend myself,' Poole recalled, adding that she was worried she would face professional consequences for speaking up. She did report the incident to Julliard and the school reportedly vowed never to hire Wachner again. The famed music conservatory issued a statement to the newspaper Saturday, reading: 'Sexual misconduct or discrimination are not tolerated at Juilliard, and we take all allegations very seriously. 'At the time we offered our full support to Ms. Poole and informed Mr. Wachner that he would not be invited back to Juilliard in the future. Since that time we have had no relationship with Mr. Wachner.' Poole has posted alleged correspondence with Wachner on her social media platforms and branded him as 'guilty' despite the investigation still being ongoing. In an email she allegedly sent to Wachner in March 2014, that she posted on Facebook Sunday, Pooled slammed the music director for his alleged misconduct and told him to 'never repeat the type of behavior' Meantime, Poole has posted alleged correspondence with Wachner on her social media platforms and branded him as 'guilty' despite the investigation still being ongoing. In an email she allegedly sent to Wachner in March 2014, that she posted on Facebook Sunday, Pooled slammed the music director for his alleged misconduct and told him to 'never repeat the type of behavior'. 'Your behavior last night was extremely inappropriate and would be considered harassment by any legal definition. Not only have you jeopardized our working relationship, you put me in a horrible position. Harassment is not only disgusting, but it is also a violation of the law,' Poole penned. 'You are a married man and I have no interest in a romantic relationship with you. You must stop immediately and never repeat the type of behavior you demonstrated last night.' She also shared a screenshot of what appears to be a direct message from Wachner apologizing for his behavior. She also shared a screenshot of what appears to be a direct message from Wachner apologizing for his behavior 'I got your email. Words can not describe how sorry I am. There is no acceptable excuse. Please try to accept my apology,' the message read. It was also dated March 2014. Miltenberg has routinely denied Poole's allegations against his client, saying Saturday: 'Ms. Pooles outrageous allegations are categorically false and my client looks forward to the matter being resolved. 'Due to the ongoing nature of the investigation we cannot comment further at this time.' He did add that they respected 'Trinitys decision to conduct a thorough investigation' and on Monday argued 'Juilliard's statement, which Mr. Wachner saw for the first time in The New York Times, is flawed and erroneous.' Miltenberg did not immediately respond to DailyMail.com's request for comment. Wachner, a conductor and composer, has overseen Trinity's choir, orchestra and contemporary-music ensemble since 2011. He was responsible for their presentation at hundreds of events annually. In recent months he was named one of three finalists to serve as the artistic director at the Oregon Bach Festival - which has not returned requests for comment. Wachner married Rev. Emily Wachner in October 2012. The pair are pictured together in a photo shared online in May 2019 The couple appears to share two children together He was also credited in 2018 with leading the 'best "Messiah" in New York.' Trinity's ensembles perform the famed piece each year. Wachner has also been nominated for Grammy Awards and collaborated with world renown organizations such as Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center and the Los Angeles Opera. He is married to Rev. Emily Wachner, 39, who, according to her LinkedIn, most recently served as the Director of Integrative Programs and a Pastoral Theology Lecturer at the General Theological Seminary in New York City. She was appointed to her roles at GTS in September 2015 and resigned in July 2020 to 'spend more time with my young children,' according to an automatic reply from her GTS email. Emily and Wachner were married in October 2012 and appear to share two children. Emily was hired to the seminary academy after having worked at Trinity for more than four years. President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol, left, and President Moon Jae-in / Yonhap Pardoning ex-president Lee Myung-bak, North Korea to be discussed over luncheon By Nam Hyun-woo President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol will meet outgoing President Moon Jae-in, Wednesday. In what appears to be an awkward encounter, they are expected to talk about granting presidential amnesty to former President Lee Myung-bak, appointing the chief of the central bank and handling North Korea's recent intercontinental ballistic missile tests. According to Cheong Wa Dae and the presidential transition committee, Tuesday, Yoon and Moon will have lunch together at Cheong Wa Dae at noon. "In order to have a candid talk, the luncheon will be held without other attendants," presidential spokesperson Park Kyung-mee said in a statement. The meeting comes a week after Yoon won the presidential election on March 9. He was the prosecutor-general appointed by Moon, who turned into the flag-bearer of the main opposition People Power Party, and will now meet Moon as the president-elect. It will be their first meeting since Yoon participated in an anti-corruption event at Cheong Wa Dae in June 2020. In this July 25, 2019, file photo, President Moon Jae-in walks with then-Prosecutor General Yoon Suk-yeol after appointing him as the top prosecutor during a ceremony at Cheong Wa Dae. Yonhap Yoon's spokeswoman, Rep. Kim Eun-hye, also said that the President-elect and the President will have lunch, adding, "President-elect Yoon has long been thinking about requesting a presidential pardon for former President Lee Myung-bak," and, "We hope the meeting will be an opportunity for national unity." Conservative former President Lee, whose term was from 2008 to 2013, has been serving a 17-year prison sentence since October 2020 on charges of embezzlement and bribery. Along with his successor, Park Geun-hye, who was released from a 22-year prison term on a Dec. 24 presidential pardon, Lee is one of two former presidents who served prison terms during the liberal Moon administration. Yoon has been promising that he would seek a presidential pardon for Lee, on the grounds of pursuing "national unity." When he granted amnesty to Park last year, Moon cited national unity as one of his reasons, and he also noted on Monday that "it is time to move toward a politics of integration and cooperation." Although Moon has talked about the important task of healing and unifying the divided public, it remains uncertain whether the President will pardon Lee, because the presidential office has been saying that the cases of Park and Lee are different. Park was impeached and imprisoned on 16 charges including bribery and coercion related to allowing her confidant, Choi Soon-sil, to exercise private influence on state affairs. The issue divided Korea between those who believed Park was responsible for her wrongdoing and others who believe Park was framed as a political victim. On the other hand, Lee's imprisonment came after he left office, and his case is based on bribes he had taken while in office, as well as embezzlement while he was an executive at Hyundai. When releasing Park last year, Cheong Wa Dae noted that the cases of the two former presidents are different, but did not elaborate. A Cheong Wa Dae official said, "The office will review Lee's case if President-elect Yoon requests," but added, "President Moon makes the final decision." If Moon accepts Yoon's request to release Lee, he will be the only former president to be released on a pardon during a period of presidential regime change in the last 25 years. In 1997, then-President-elect Kim Dae-jung asked outgoing President Kim Young-sam to grant pardons to their predecessors, Chun Doo-hwan and Roh Tae-woo. In this undated photo carried on North Korea's Korean Central News Agency on Friday, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un visits the Sohae Satellite Launching Ground in Tongchang-ri, North Korea. Yonhap Captured Russian soldiers have described hearing their own air force bombing schools, hospitals and kindergartens in Ukraine, as they admitted Vladimir Putin's barbaric invasion was a 'terrible mistake'. One soldier, Sergey Galkin, was filmed sobbing as he apologised to Ukrainians for invading their country under Putin's orders. According to the Sun, the seven army reconnaissance officers were shot down from Ukrainian airspace last week. They were later given the opportunity to speak to journalists at the Interfax Ukraine News Agency. Galkin, a member of the Russian 15th motorized rifle brigade, was among seven soldiers captured by the Ukrainian military and held in a hospital. Pictured: paptured Russian soldiers described hearing their own air force bombing schools and hospitals in Ukraine, as they admitted Putin's barbaric invasion was a 'terrible mistake' He described hearing heavy artillery being fired by his Russian comrades on Ukrainian targets, while deploring the invasion as a 'disaster'. In a translated speech, Galkin said they were told Putin had ordered them to 'invade Ukraine, seize the capital of Kyiv, supposedly protecting the population from fascism and tyranny, which are allegedly present in Ukraine'. He said: 'When we ended up in Ukraine, we realised that this is a real disaster, when many relatives friends of Ukrainians live on the territory of the Russian Federation. 'Here lives a peaceful kind nation. It is beyond words that people are kind and everyone communicates with each other. It was a state of an unknown origin.' One soldier begged Putin to stop sending Russian troops into Ukraine in a tearful statement Describing it as a 'treacherous invasion', Galkin said: 'I apologise for myself, for my squad to every home, to every street, to every citizen of Ukraine, to the elderly, to women, to children for our invasion of these lands.' The 34-year-old begged Putin to stop sending soldiers to Ukraine and added: 'To the generalship of our military units I would like to say one thing - that they've acted cowardly, that they acted traitorously to us.' Maksim Chernik, captured serviceman of the Russian 16th Motorised Rifle Brigade, added: 'It was terrible feeling to realise what a mistake we had made. 'Simply understanding that all this has to be fixed, the relations have to be improved somehow. 'This will take more than one year. It will take decades, maybe centuries. I simply don't want to exist after all of this after what's going on here.' The video was shared just days after a Russian soldier captured by Ukraine claimed Vladimir Putin has 'death squads' that kill deserters who refuse to take part in the brutal war. The terrified 22-year-old said there 'really is' a team trained to pick off any troops fleeing the invasion for home - adding that it led many to surrender. He warned anyone thinking about deserting the military they 'won't make it' as he revealed the latest tactic in the ever sickening conflict. The man, who has not been named, also said Russian soldiers had their phone taken from them so they could not see international news coverage of the war. His comments come after a raft of other prisoners of war in Ukraine outlined horrific tasks they were forced to endure during the fighting. One claimed commander said he was told to shoot civilians and was part of a unit sent to capture the city of Kharkiv in just three days. Others added they were falsely told they were entering the neighbouring country as 'peacekeepers' to 'free Ukraine from Nazis'. Advertisement Russian forces may only be able to sustain full fighting capacity for another 'ten to 14' days, senior UK defence sources indicated last night, after which Putin's men will struggle to hold the ground they have already captured from Ukrainian troops. UK defence sources say that Kyiv has Moscow 'on the run' and the Russian army could be just two weeks from 'culmination point' - after which 'the strength of Ukraine's resistance should become greater than Russia's attacking force.' Advances across Ukraine have already stopped as Moscow's manpower runs short. President Volodymyr Zelensky echoed that optimism in an early-morning address to the Ukrainian people, saying his military continues to inflict 'devastating losses on Russian troops.' 'Soon the number of downed helicopters of Russia will reach hundreds of units. They have already lost 80 warplanes. Hundreds of tanks and thousands of other units of equipment. In 19 days, the Russian army has lost more in Ukraine than in two bloody and years-long wars in Chechnya,' he added. But, as Russia's invasion falters, its methods become more brutal - with cities increasingly coming under indiscriminate rocket fire. Kyiv, the capital, suffered another round of bombing on Tuesday morning as apartment blocks were set on fire by early-hours strikes, though there was no immediate figure on casualties. Ukraine's military said four Russian helicopters, a jet, and a cruise missile were shot down by its forces which remained in control of all major cities - including the badly-hit southern port of Mariupol. Putin's stuttering invasion has forced even his close allies to admit, publicly, that things are not going to plan. Russian National Guard chief Viktor Zolotov once in charge of Putin's personal security admitted Tuesday that 'not everything is going as fast as we would like'. But he still insisted Russia would achieve victory 'step by step'. The Kremlin also said it may still opt to take control of large cities in Ukraine, despite false claims the purpose of its 'special military operation' is to 'liberate' the country. It comes as footage emerged of Russian troops launching more devastating strikes on the city of Kharkiv, with explosions lighting up the night sky. Firefighters extinguish a blaze in a residential tower block in Kyiv after it was struck by Russian missiles in the early hours, as Putin's men continue with indiscriminate strikes on cities Ukrainian firefighters battle to extinguish a blaze in a residential tower block hit by Russian missiles, as Kyiv came under fresh bombardment on Tuesday morning Firefighters try to extinguish a fire after a residential building hit by a Russian attack in Kyiv, Ukraine Firefighters stand on a crane to extinguish a fire in an apartment building in Kyiv after it was struck by Russia As the tide of war has turned against Russia, Putin's men increasingly resort to a scorched-earth policy of indiscriminate destruction targeting civilian areas (pictured, a destroyed apartment block in Kyiv today) Kyiv was hit by several Russian airstrikes on Tuesday morning, as the Ukrainian military said it struck four helicopters, a jet and shot down a cruise missile targeting the capital Smoke billows from an apartment building in Kyiv which was hit by Russian airstrikes in the early hours of Tuesday An elderly woman is carried away from a burning apartment building in Kyiv after it was hit by Russian airstrikes An elderly woman breaks down in tears after being saved from an apartment fire that was caused by a Russian airstrike A woman weeps as she watches her apartment block go up in flames after it was struck by Russian missiles in Kyiv Firefighters work in an apartment building damaged by shelling in Kyiv, Ukraine, by Russian forces early Tuesday Kyiv has been under Russian bombardment for several days, as Putin's military follows a playbook it has established in other cities of terrorising the civilian population in an attempt to break their resistance Rescuers work next to a residential building damaged by shelling, as Russia's attack on Ukraine continues, in Kyiv, Ukraine As Russia's invasion has stuttered and ground to a halt, it has become almost totally reliant on indiscriminate shelling in order to make territorial gains - which have been extremely limited in recent days Firefighters extinguish fires in an apartment building after being hit by Russian shelling in Kyiv, Ukraine, An elderly resident waits to be rescued by firefighters after the apartment building was hit by shelling in Kyiv, Ukraine Residents are evacuated by firefighters from a burning 16-storey residential building in Kyiv after it was struck by Russian missiles in the early hours and caught fire A woman climbs to safety after being rescued by firefighters from an apartment block in Kyiv that was bombed by Russia Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky also said in a video released in the early hours of Tuesday morning that Ukraine's 'brave defenders continue to inflict devastating losses on Russian troops' Encircling Kyiv and other significant population centres such as Kharkiv and Chernihiv would improve Russia's negotiating position and provide a scenario that Putin could try to present as a victory. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: 'The ministry of defence, while ensuring maximum safety of the peaceful population, does not rule out the possibility of placing under its full control major population centres. 'Inevitably this could lead to a large number of casualties among civilians. US and European Union officials are pushing Russia towards storming major cities with a view to place responsibility for civilian deaths on our country.' As attacks on the capital continued yesterday, Russian rockets claimed more innocent lives. A local official said a town councillor for Bovary, east of Kyiv, was killed in fighting there. One person was also killed and six injured after the wreckage of an intercepted missile struck a residential street in Kyiv. The debris destroyed a bus and set an apartment building ablaze. Residents were rescued by ladder from a burning apartment block in the Obolon district of Kyiv after it was destroyed by a Russian air strike that killed at least two people in the early hours of the morning. 'They say that he is too severely burned, that I won't recognise him,' sobbed Lidiya Tikhovska, 83, staring at the spot where a paramedic said the remains of her son Vitaliy lay. 'I wish Russia the same grief I feel now,' she said, tears rolling down her cheeks as she clung to her grandson's elbow for support. As fighting and artillery fire raged in the suburbs, the Antonov aircraft factory six miles from Kyiv was also hit, sparking a large fire. Ukrainian authorities said two more people died and seven were injured after Russian forces struck the factory. Russian airstrikes also hit residential buildings in the eastern city of Kharkiv and near the important southern city of Mykolaiv. Explosions also rang out overnight around the Russian-occupied Black Sea port of Kherson. A woman inspects debris inside a private house damaged by shelling in the Osokorky district in southeastern Kyiv Ukraine soldiers inspect the rubble of a destroyed apartment building in Kyiv, as Russian forces continue to bomb the city A Ukraine soldier inspects the rubble of a destroyed apartment building in Kyiv on Tuesday morning A man takes pictures of the remains of a missile in the yard of a private house hit by shelling in the Osokorky district in southeastern Kyiv Ukrainians inspect the remains of what is likely to be a Russian missile that targeted a civilian area of southern Kyiv Neighbours examine the remains of a missile in the yard of a private house hit by shelling in the Osokorky district in southeastern Kyiv Firefighters try to enter through the window of an apartment in a burning building which was hit by Russian artillery in Kyiv Firefighters rest after working to extinguish a fire at a residential apartment building after it was hit by a Russian attack Aleina and her husband wait for their baby to be delivered in the basement of maternity hospital as air raid sirens sound in the Ukrainian city of Mykolaiv, south western Ukraine Pregnant women are forced to shelter in the basement of a maternity hospital in Mykolaiv, southern Ukraine, as the city comes under Russian bombardment Heavily pregnant women speak with a nurse (far right) as they shelter in the basement of a hospital in Mykolaiv, south Ukraine Nurses carry two newborn babies through the basement of a maternity hospital in Mykolaiv, after women were forced to give birth underground to avoid Russian artillery Last night, US defence sources said there was 'an increasing amount of long range fires [air strikes]' targeting Kyiv and other major cities but these population centres were 'holding out'. A Pentagon spokesman added: 'They are continuing the bombardment and increasing that, no doubt about that.' UK defence sources expect the Ukrainians to target Russian surface-to-air missile stations, electronic warfare sites and command and control networks. These military assets are situated on the outskirts of Kyiv and other cities and could be targeted using drones supplied by Turkey. Russia's attacks yesterday proved costly. The Ukrainians claimed they shot down four warplanes, three helicopters and numerous drones, inflicting what they called 'devastating blows' on the invaders. Kyiv also claimed yesterday that Russian troops had made no major advances over the previous 24 hours an assessment shared by US officials. Russian troop losses in less than three weeks of fighting are thought to be as high as 12,000, according to Ukraine. Meanwhile, dozens of British volunteer fighters who travelled to Ukraine to join the International Legion narrowly avoided being killed in a Russian missile strike on a military base which left dozens dead. Three British former paratroopers are understood to have been killed in the attack on the Yavoriv base, located just 11 miles from the Polish border. The ex-soldiers, who were members of the Parachute Regiment, joined Ukraines foreign legion after Vladimir Putins troops invaded last month. The volunteers, who are thought to be the first British victims of the war, were among 35 people killed in the strike. Dozens of other British volunteer fighters narrowly avoided being killed in the attack. Russian spies are believed to have infiltrated a group of foreign fighters and provided information from the base. Intelligence chiefs are investigating whether a Russian spy claiming to be an international volunteer for Ukraine was feeding information to the Kremlin before the attack. The sources believe that Russian spy agencies had 'turned' foreign fighters on the base and one recruit is suspected of sending coordinates and information to Russia before the attack, reported the Daily Mirror. A source told the newspaper that a Ukrainian Army guard at the miliary base saw a man - believed to be carrying a laptop - running from the base before the strikes hit. The former British Army soldiers believed to be killed in the strikes travelled to Ukraine after having served in the Parachute Regiments first and second battalions known as 1 Para and 2 Para. They are believed to have been living in an accommodation block at the Yavoriv garrison when the Russian rockets struck. Hundreds of western volunteers were stationed in a building close to the barracks which were destroyed during the airstrike. A destroyed Russian infantry fighting vehicle is seen in an image released by Ukrainian special forces Ukraine's Azov battalion, defending the city of Mariupol, have released an image of destroyed Russian tanks Members of Ukraine's Azov battalion, charged with the defence of Mariupol, have released images of their soldiers among the ruins of destroyed Russian tanks Azov battalion soldiers walk among the ruins of Russian tanks in the southern city of Mariupol Russian forces may only be able to sustain full fighting capacity for another 'ten to 14' days, senior UK defence sources indicated last night. Pictured: A soldier walks in front of a destroyed Russian tank in Kharkiv, Ukraine, on Monday A view of burned tank is seen amid Russian-Ukrainian conflict in the city of Volnovakha, Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine, on March 12 Firefighters work on a building destroyed by a Russian shell, in Kharkiv, Ukraine, on Monday A woman (centre) is overcome with emotion as she and others stand outside a destroyed apartment block after it was shelled in Kyiv on March 14 The camp was being used to train foreign fighters and to store weapons given to Ukraine by the UK and other allies. Last night, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) refused to comment on reports of British deaths. Sources said they were urgently investigating the incident at Yavoriv and working with the Ukrainian authorities to establish further information. Dozens of British volunteer fighters narrowly escaped death after Russia launched the air strike. A source told the Sun: 'A hundred yards difference you would be looking at hundreds of western casualties. 'There were so many passports in there British, Brazilian, Canadian, American, you name it. 'It was like the Star Wars canteen. There were gun nuts, biker gangs, tough guys, American religious people there to do God's work, war addicts. Here's how YOU can help: Donate here to the Mail Force Ukraine Appeal Readers of Mail Newspapers and MailOnline have always shown immense generosity at times of crisis. Calling upon that human spirit, we are supporting a huge push 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 the bombs and guns. As this tally of misery increases over the coming days and months, these innocent victims of this conflict will require accommodation, schools and medical support. Donations to the Mail Force Ukraine Appeal will be used to help 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 Donate at www.mailforcecharity.co.uk/donate To add Gift Aid to a donation even one already made complete an online form found here: mymail.co.uk/ukraine Via bank transfer, please use these details: Account name: Mail Force Charity Account number: 48867365 Sort code: 60-00-01 TO MAKE A DONATION VIA CHEQUE Make your cheque payable to 'Mail Force' 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 'One British guy was boasting that he'd killed someone in a bar fight. 'Another Brit said he was a Royal Marine who wasn't at liberty to disclose his rank or his unit that's a red flag right there. 'There's no vetting, there's no command and control, no chain of command. It's a complete sh*t show.' The attack on the Yavoriv base, which has previously been used by Nato to train Ukrainian soldiers, was one of the western-most targets struck by Russia during the invasion. The trio who are feared dead were not part of the foreign legion fighting unit being trained at the base six miles from the border, sources told The Mirror. It is not known which branch of the special forces they had served in. Igor Konashenkov, a spokesman for Russia's ministry of defence, said the base was struck by 'long-range, high-precision' weapons because it was hosting 'foreign mercenaries and a large shipment of foreign weapons'. He added: 'The destruction of foreign mercenaries who arrived on the territory of Ukraine will continue.' Moscow has moved all of the 150,000 troops it had assembled before the invasion into Ukraine, the US confirmed last night. But following heavy losses, at least 10 per cent of this force has been eliminated, according to officials. Russia and Ukraine kept a fragile diplomatic path open with a new round of talks Monday, even as Moscow's forces continued to pound away at Ukrainian cities. The latest negotiations, held via video conference, were the fourth round involving higher-level officials from the two countries and the first in a week. The talks ended without a breakthrough after several hours, with an aide to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy saying the negotiators took 'a technical pause' and planned to meet again Tuesday. The two sides had expressed some optimism in the past few days. Mykhailo Podolyak, the aide to Zelenskyy, tweeted that the negotiators would discuss 'peace, ceasefire, immediate withdrawal of troops & security guarantees.' Previous discussions, held in person in Belarus, produced no lasting humanitarian routes or agreements to end the fighting. In Washington, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said at a briefing Monday that while the Biden administration supports Ukraine's participation in the talks with Russia, Russian President Vladimir Putin would have to show signs of de-escalating in order to demonstrate good faith. 'And what we're really looking for is evidence of that, and we're not seeing any evidence at this point that President Putin is doing anything to stop the onslaught or de-escalate,' she said. Meanwhile, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres sounded the alarm once again on the dangers of a possible showdown between atomic powers - a prospect 'once unthinkable' but 'now back within the realm of possibility.' And he warned the war already risked triggering a 'meltdown of the global food system' - with both Ukraine and Russia vital suppliers of wheat to dozens of the world's least developed countries. Guterres called for peace last night, saying: 'Ukraine is on fire.' He told reporters: 'The country is being decimated before the eyes of the world. 'The impact on civilians is reaching terrifying proportions. Countless innocent people including women and children have been killed. 'After being hit by Russian forces, roads, airports and schools lie in ruins. According to the World Health Organisation, at least 24 health facilities have suffered attacks. Hundreds of thousands of people are without water or electricity. 'With each passing hour, two things are increasingly clear: first, it keeps getting worse. 'Second, whatever the outcome, this war will have no winners, only losers.' During its videoconference talks with Russian representatives, Ukraine said it was demanding 'peace, an immediate ceasefire and the withdrawal of Russian troops'. It comes as footage emerged of Russian troops launching more devastating strikes on the port city of Kharkiv, with explosions lighting up the night sky Tracers are seen in the night sky as Ukrainian servicemen fire on a Russian drone in Kyiv, Ukraine, on March 14 Ukrainian firefighters hold a photograph, found in the rubble, as they work in a resident building after it was hit by artillery shelling in Kyiv, Ukraine, on Monday Rescuers work next to a building damaged by air strike, as Russia's attack on Ukraine continues, in central Kharkiv, on March 14 Russian airstrikes also hit residential buildings in the eastern city of Kharkiv and near the important southern city of Mykolaiv. Pictured: A destroyed building in Kharkiv on Monday A satellite image shows a colored infrared view of fires burning near Fontanna street, Eastern Mariupol, Ukraine, on Monday A Ukrainian firefighter appears to be engulfed in flames as his coworkers help to move him away from the fire in Kharkiv. The fire fighters were working to extinguish a fire at a building destroyed by a Russian shell on Monday Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters Putin had ordered his forces 'to hold back on any immediate assault on large cities because the civilian losses would be large'. However he said Russia's defence ministry 'does not rule out the possibility of putting large cities, which are already almost fully encircled, under its full control'. Russia's forces had earlier focused on eastern and southern areas of Ukraine - home to more ethnic Russians - but in recent days have moved to the country's centre. But Russian troops have kept up their siege of southern Mariupol, where officials said more than 2,500 people have been killed. But the Ukrainian military said on Monday night it had repelled yet another Russian attempt to take control of the strategic port city. The Ukrainian military's General Staff said in a statement that Russian forces retreated after suffering losses. Video emerged showing the moment a Russian armoured vehicle, which was marked with the notorious 'Z' sign, was obliterated by Ukrainian soldiers in Mariupol. Footage shows Ukrainian troops firing a series of shots at the armoured infantry fighting vehicle in the port city, leaving the Russian soldiers cowering behind it. The footage was filmed inside an armoured personnel carrier, where Ukrainian troops from the Azov Battalion unit could be seen looking at a video screen showing their targets going up in flames. The Russian military has besieged the Azov Sea port city of 430,000 for a week and a half, leaving its residents desperate for power, water and food. More than 2,500 residents of Mariupol have been killed by the Russian shelling. Ukraine's Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said in televised remarks that Russian shelling on Monday thwarted another attempt to deliver food and medicines to the city. A humanitarian convoy of 160 civilian cars left Mariupol after repeated failures to evacuate civilians because of Russian shelling. The barracks at the International Peace Keeping and Security Centre in Yavoriv burns after being hit by a Russian missile strike in the early hours of Sunday morning - killing 35 people and injuring 134 more A man wounded in the air strike on the Yavoriv military base is assisted by medical staff outside Novoiavorivsk District Hospital on Sunday Ukrainians carry their luggage after a residential building was damaged by Russian shelling in Obolon a neighborhood of Kyiv, on Monday A view shows a thermal power plant destroyed by shelling, as Russia's attack on Ukraine continues, in the town of Okhtyrka, in the Sumy region, Ukraine, on Monday In Kyiv only roads to the south remain open, according to the Ukrainian presidency. City authorities have set up checkpoints, and residents are stockpiling food and medicine. The northwestern suburb of Bucha is held by Russian forces, along with parts of Irpin, Ukrainian soldiers told AFP, although the Russians are encountering resistance east and west of the capital according to AFP journalists on the scene. Meanwhile, Moscow also admitted that a top spy has been killed in Ukraine, adding to a lengthening list of senior commanders that Putin has now lost. Captain Alexey Glushchak, 31, is the first member of the feared GRU that Moscow has admitted losing during the conflict. The foreign military intelligence agency was behind the 2018 poisoning of Sergei Skripal in Salisbury as well as a number of assassinations around the world. Gluschak, a father-of-one from Tyumen, Siberia, was caught in the bombardment of Mariupol and killed while on a 'top secret' operation. Ukraine claims to have killed three Russian major-generals out of about 20 thought to be in the country. In total, Putin has now lost a dozen of his top brass. Putin is not a man who like compromise but talk of a diplomatic solution between Russia and Ukraine is in the air, writes MARK GALEOTTI, so how will a deal to end the bloodshed look? By Mark Galeotti for the Daily Mail Vladimir Putin is not a man who likes to compromise. Yet less than three weeks since the Russian president began his brutal assault on Ukraine, talk of a diplomatic solution hovers in the air. As one Ukrainian negotiator put it on Sunday: Russia is already beginning to talk constructively. Nor is this the first example of unexpectedly shifting sands in this evolving conflict: eight days ago, the Kremlin announced they were ready to halt military operations in a moment if Kyiv met a list of conditions. Such language represented a dramatic departure from Putins initial all-conquering bombast. The scale of the Kremlins embarrassment at its signal failure to humble Ukraine has been underlined by reports over the weekend that Sergey Beseda, head of the foreign service at the FSB successor to the KGB and the agency that Putin ran before he became president has been placed under house arrest. Vladimir Putin is not a man who likes to compromise. Yet less than three weeks since the Russian president began his brutal assault on Ukraine, talk of a diplomatic solution hovers in the air Given his status as a key figure in shaping Russian policy on Ukraine, if Beseda has indeed been incarcerated, it suggests Putin is already looking for a scapegoat for the lack of a clear victory so far the hallmark of a man having to confront the fact he has bitten off more than he can chew. The good news is that if Russia is in the mood for compromise then there is plenty of scope for it, especially given Putins own marketing of his special military operation to protect ethnic Russians and stop a westernised Ukraine from being a threat to its former Soviet partners. How might a peace deal look? The red line issues from a Russian perspective are the retention of Crimea on Ukraines southern coast and the Donbas region in the east of the country both of which Putin wants to hold on to fully and permanently and an undertaking by Ukraine not to join Nato. These in turn may be palatable concessions for President Zelensky, who for all his public and heroic nationalism is also a realist who has no desire to see further unnecessary bloodshed. After all, the reality is that the peoples republics of occupied Donbas are today thuggish states run by embezzlers and warlords. As such, they are no great loss to Ukraine. Meanwhile, if Zelensky is given reassurances by the West that they will help boost his countrys defences, with the installation of an integrated air-defence system, for example, then I believe he may take the view that the security provided by Nato membership would be largely unnecessary, on the grounds that Ukraine could defend itself. While Zelensky will be prepared to forgo membership of western Europes military alliance, however, he will be determined to press ahead with entry into its economic one: the EU. The prospect of a loosening of sanctions in return may mollify Putin on this highly contentious point. While such a settlement would fall far short of the full military victory Putin intended, it is something he could spin to his people by claiming he has saved the Russians of eastern Ukraine from genocide. A thin justification perhaps, in the light of his earlier proclamations, but a marketable one nonetheless particularly if you have the state media on your side. President Zelensky, who for all his public and heroic nationalism is also a realist who has no desire to see further unnecessary bloodshed Bluntly, it also increasingly appears to be his best option. The alternative is months or years spent stuck in a military quagmire, such as the one the Soviet Union experienced in Afghanistan. Ongoing guerrilla warfare in a fragmented country effectively split in half by the Dnieper River, with rebel-held areas under Russian control in the east and Ukrainian resistance in the west, would not look like victory. Alas, we cannot expect a swift resolution to hostilities. Putin, certainly, will want to be seen to have strengthened his hand rather more before he extends it in negotiation. That means sadly further destruction, and more loss of life, before we see a real end to this terrible war. Yet there is no question that Ukraines brave citizens have fought their way to the negotiating table and for that we must salute them. A doctor who led an NHS team on a rescue mission to bring Ukrainian child cancer sufferers to Britain yesterday told of tears of relief as the plane landed. It came as Boris Johnson congratulated the medics who brought the 21 seriously ill children and their parents to safety on Sunday. Team leader Dr Michael Griksaitis said: The children were high-fiving, hugging us. You could see in the parents eyes the sense of relief and gratitude. There were tears. It was emotional for everyone involved. Everyone was just incredibly grateful that their child was having the chance to continue their chemotherapy treatment, giving them the chance to live. The children had initially been evacuated to Poland with their families. The flight was chartered by Polish authorities and a US organisation which specialises in paediatric diseases. A doctor who led an NHS team on a rescue mission to bring Ukrainian child cancer sufferers to Britain yesterday told of tears of relief as the plane landed. Pictured: Michael Griksaitis is the fourth from bottom, back row, on the plane steps Paramedics help a sick child to board a train transformed for medical transport, as children with chronic illnesses and cancer diagnosis came from Kharkiv fleeing the Russian invasion of Ukraine The Prime Minister said of the mission: This vital lifesaving medical care is another important step in our support for the people of Ukraine and their resistance. I am hugely grateful to our fantastic NHS staff as well as our partners, including our Polish friends, for their support in bringing these children to the UK and we will continue to do all we can to support them as they continue their critical treatment here. NHS boss Amanda Pritchard said Dr Griksaitis had led an incredible team of doctors, nurses and technicians. Dr Griksaitis, based at Southampton Childrens Hospital, said the childrens parents had told of their harrowing escape from war, adding: Some of the stories of what these children had been through I cant even begin to imagine. He described the mission as a collaboration across all parts of the NHS and stressed: We were just privileged and honoured to be able to help get them to England. This has been the most amazing and emotional experience the team and I have ever had. NHS boss Amanda Pritchard said Dr Micha elGriksaitis had led an incredible team of doctors, nurses and technicians. Pictured: Dr Griksaitis also second from right on the pic at the back of a van A child with a teddy bear rests inside a train wagon transformed for medical transport on March 10 in Medyka, Poland The families were so incredibly grateful and the stories they told us were so horrific. We were just so pleased to do something to help and delighted it has all gone so well so far. But I am acutely aware that there are so many other people who have been left behind to suffer the ongoing trauma this war is causing. Health Secretary Sajid Javid said: I am proud that the UK is offering lifesaving medical care to these Ukrainian children. The children were last night undergoing assessments before being sent to hospitals around the country. The flight comes after the UK sent seven planes full of medical supplies to the war torn region. The Dalai Lama has penned a letter to the widower of Senator Kimberley Kitching expressing his grief over her death. Senator Kitching was suffering from thyroid issues before she died aged 52 of a suspected heart attack while driving on March 10. Lhamo Thondup, the 14th Dalai Lama, met her when an Australian delegation travelled to India to meet the Central Tibetan Administration in 2017. Remembering the meeting after her death, His Holiness addressed a letter to her widower Andrew Landeryou, offering his condolences. The Dalai Lama met Kimberley Kitching in India in 2017 when an Australian delegation travelled to meet Tibetan officials 'I was saddened to learn about the sudden passing of your wife and our good friend Senator Kimberley J E Kitching. I pray for her and offer my condolences to you and other members of the family,' the Dalai Lama wrote. 'Senator Kitching was a steadfast supporter and a friend of the Tibetan people. As you know, I had the opportunity to meet her when she visited Dharamshala in 2017 with a delegation of Australian Parliamentarians. With my prayers, yours sincerely, Dalai Lama.' Ms Kitching smiled alongside the Dalai Lama with politician and commentator Derryn Hinch and Liberal MP Kevin Andrews in photos released by Tibetan media. Other photos show the group joking and laughing inside a luxury hotel in New Delhi. The popular Labor politician, who had friends on both sides of politics, was taking medication for her thyroid condition since last year. Senator Kitching's symptoms were improving according to the Sydney Morning Herald, but caused her to lose weight in recent months before her death on Thursday afternoon. The condition can 'cause problems that masquerade as heart disease or make existing heart disease worse', according to a Harvard study. Another photo shows Senator Kitching and the Dalai Lama with politician and commentator Derryn Hinch (second from right) and Liberal MP Kevin Andrews (third from left) Senator Kitching's close friend Bill Shorten cried on morning radio as he revealed she was under 'great stress' in the face of a move to kick her out of the Senate. The Victorian senator and fierce China critic was from the right faction of Labor and faced a tough preselection fight for a winnable spot on the senate ticket for the upcoming election. 'She was under great stress. Preselection is never easy,' Mr Shorten told ABC Radio National in an emotional interview. 'I'm not a coroner. I can't tell you why this woman at 52 was taken from us but I have no doubt that the stress of politics and the machinations in the back rooms had its toll. 'She's a very strong person. She could give as good as she could get. But you take all that home with you.' Mr Shorten was audibly emotional in the interview, with his voice breaking up several times. The former lawyer, policy adviser, Melbourne City councillor and union official was elected to Parliament in 2016 During her maiden speech to parliament, Senator Kitching spoke about her hope to represent everyday Australian people. She is pictured with former opposition leader Bill Shorten Hyperthyroidism Symptoms Hyperthyroidism can mimic other health problems, which can make it difficult for your doctor to diagnose. It can also cause a wide variety of signs and symptoms - Unintentional weight loss - Rapid heartbeat (tachycardia) commonly more than 100 beats a minute - Irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia) - Pounding of your heart (palpitations) - Increased appetite - Nervousness, anxiety and irritability - Tremor usually a fine trembling in your hands and fingers - Sweating - Changes in menstrual patterns - Increased sensitivity to heat - Changes in bowel patterns, especially more frequent bowel movements - An enlarged thyroid gland (goiter), which may appear as a swelling at the base of your neck - Fatigue, muscle weakness - Difficulty sleeping - Skin thinning - Fine, brittle hair The Mayo Clinic Advertisement Taking lengthy pauses to compose himself, Mr Shorten explained: 'It wasn't clear what was going to happen to her ongoing role in politics and it's stressful. 'There were machinations and arguments going on. 'We have a woman who's 52 who's pulled over by the side of the road and died unexpectedly. That's shocking and terrible.' Mr Shorten said he got a call from Senator Kitching's husband yesterday afternoon to say that she had passed. He and wife Chloe rushed to a street in Strathmore, Melbourne - where Senator Kitching had pulled over on the side of the road while having a heart attack at the wheel - and waited for the undertaker's van to arrive. The day before her death the Labor Right had reportedly refused to re-endorse her preselection. Mr Shorten discussed the move to kick her out of the Senate on the Today show. 'I have no doubt that some of the stress of politics, the machinations behind the scenes, some of the attacks you get - even from within your own ranks... contributed to her early passing. It's terrible,' he said. Mr Shorten urged viewers to check their health. 'Bad things can happen to good people and just get your heart checked out. Just get your heart checked out,' he said. Victorian premier Daniel Andrews wrote: 'Terrible news tonight about Senator Kimberley Kitching. My thoughts are with her family at this very sad time.' Prime Minister Scott Morrison also shared a few words. 'Deeply saddened at the news Victorian Labor Senator Kimberley Kitching passed away suddenly today, aged just 52,' he said. 'Our deepest condolences go to her family, friends and colleagues.' Parents in Texas have told of their anger after their fifth grade daughter was left in tears after an immersive introduction to segregation before being shown autopsy photos of four black children murdered by the Ku Klux Klan. Students at Leon Springs Elementary in San Antonio, which has 524 pupils from kindergarten to fifth grade, were taught about segregation in January. During the class, the children were separated into groups of dark haired and fair haired students. They were then given a series of tasks and duties. The dark-haired students were deemed privileged, and told they were superior, with youngsters who had blond or red hair deemed less intelligent and inferior. Both sets of students were given a puzzle to complete, but the light-haired students had a piece missing. The light-haired students also had to clean up after the other group at the end of the exercise. Mike and Brandi Lininger, whose 10-year-old daughter attends Leon Springs, said they were angered by the segregation class at the school, which left their child disturbed Leon Springs Elementary in San Antonio (pictured) held the class in January Mike and Brandi Lininger told News4SA that their ten-year-old daughter was upset by the lesson, and that some of her classmates were reduced to tears. 'She was hurt, her friends, and she named to the principal and to district officials, names of her friends that were crying,' said Brandi Lininger. She said the class was also shown Spike Lee's 1997 documentary, 4 Little Girls, about the 1963 bombing of an Alabama church by the KKK. Four African-American girls around the same ages as the class - between the ages of 11 and 14 - died in the attack. The film includes graphic autopsy photos of the girls' bodies. The class teacher said she fast-forwarded the autopsy pictures, but the Lininger's said the children in their daughter's class did see the graphic photos. 'The things that she said that she skipped over, my daughter was able to describe to us to a T,' said Mike Lininger. 'So that night our daughter was unable to go to sleep in our own room, she was scared.' Spike Lee's 1997 documentary, 4 Little Girls, was shown to the class. The film tells the story of the murder of four church-going girls in the Alabama bombing of 1963 The Liningers said they were mainly angered that they were not given advance warning. 'They send us notes and newsletters about everything else,' said Brandi Lininger. 'Your child is going to see The Polar Express and it's pajama day on Friday before winter break, and we get no notice that they're going to do a social experiment on segregation.' The class was based, News4SA reported, on an exercise devised in the 1970s by a teacher named Jane Elliott, now an internationally known diversity trainer and lecturer. The school district has since said they do not believe the experiment in class was 'age appropriate' Elliott's original exercise labeled students as inferior or superior based solely on the color of their eyes and exposed them to the experience of being a minority. Over the years other teachers have copied the experiment, sometimes using hair color as the distinguishing factor. The school district, Northside Independent School District, told the channel that they had reviewed the complaints about the lesson from the Liningers - which were confirmed by another family - and decided not to repeat the class. 'The activity and video in question were part of a larger fifth-grade project-based lesson around the inequity of segregation,' the school said in a statement. 'While the campus did receive positive feedback from several parents, district and campus administration recognize the parent's concerns and agree that the activity and video are not age-appropriate and will not be used again.' The lessons comes amid nationwide discussion over similar 'equity' lessons being foisted on children by woke school boards, which critics say have their origins in critical race theory. Supporters say they offer an important insight into the everyday prejudice faced by black Americans, but detractors have branded them inappropriate and divisive. Discovery Inc Chief Executive Officer David Zaslav's made over $246 million in 2021 thanks to a bumper pay package with stock options, a filing on Monday showed. Zaslav's compensation rose more than 550 percent in 2021 and included option awards valued at $202.9 million. The one-time options grant extends over seven years, at strike prices of $35.65 or greater, according to a Discovery spokesman. This means Zaslav would receive a payout only after fueling a substantial surge in the share price. Discovery's stock closed Monday at $23.88. Zaslav negotiated an extension of his employment contract in May, after Discovery announced its $43 billion acquisition of AT&T's WarnerMedia. The executive, who will lead the new Warner Bros Discovery after the merger, agreed to remain through December 2027. Discovery shareholders voted Friday to approve the media company's $43 billion merger with WarnerMedia. Discovery CEO David Zaslav is seen above The deal is on track to close in the second quarter this year. Last month, it passed the U.S. Department of Justice's antitrust review, clearing another key hurdle toward finishing the deal. News of Zaslav's pay package came after Discovery revealed plans to merge its Discovery+ streaming service with HBO Max to form a single platform once the upcoming merger with HBO parent company WarnerMedia is completed. The network, which will become Warner Bros. Discovery within the next month, confirmed its plans on Monday to combine the two streaming services into one service, rather than offer the two platforms as a bundle. Discovery+ is known for its documentaries and factual reality shows, including Chip and Joanna Gaines Fixer Upper series, while HBO is famed for upmarket dramas and comedies, including Sex and the City reboot And Just Like That. Discovery+ currently costs $4.99-a-month with adverts, or $6.99-a-month without, while HBO Max charges $9.99. for a service with adverts, or $14.99 for ad-free streaming. Discovery CFO Gunnar Wiedenfels refused to be drawn on whether the overall package would prompt a price increase, instead choosing to discuss possible ways of 'bundling' both services. The Discovery+ streaming service logo on a smartphone arranged in the Brooklyn borough of New York, US, on Thursday, December 31, 2020 HBO Max is set to merge with Discovery to form a single stream platform after the upcoming merger with WarnerMedia for a combined 100 million subscribers 'One of the most important items here is that we believe in a combined product as opposed to a bundle We believe that the breadth and depth of this content offering is going to be a phenomenal consumer value proposition,' Wiedenfels said. 'The question is, in order to get to that point and do it in a way thats actually a great user experience for our subscribers, thats going to take some time. Again, thats nothing thats going to happen in weeks hopefully not in years, but in several months and we will start working on an interim solution in the meantime.' 'So right out of the gate, were working on getting the bundling approach ready, maybe a single sign-on, maybe ingesting content into the other product, etc., so that we can start to get some benefits early on,' he added. 'But the main thrust is going to be harmonizing the technology platform. Building one very, very strong combined direct-to-consumer product and platform, thats going to take a while.' However, on Monday, Wiedenfels stopped short of saying how much the combined streaming platform would cost consumers, though he did state that Warner Bros. Discovery will provide both ad-free and ad-lite options. As of now, Discovery + costs $4.99 per month with ads or $6.99 without ads, which accounts for the bulk of Discovery's streaming sub total. The company had reported 22 million worldwide customers at the end of last year. Meanwhile, HBO Max and HBO ended 2021 with a combined 73.8 million global subscribers. Chip and Joanna Gaines are the best known faces of the Discovery network, thanks to their home renovation shows HBO Max is best known for its glossy dramas, including Sex and the City reboot And Just Like that, whose stars Kristin Davis, Sarah Jessica Parker and Cynthia Nixon are pictured in Manhattan during summer 2021 The platform is currently priced at $9.99 per month with ads and $14.99 a month as an ad-free service. The news comes just days after Discovery shareholders voted Friday to approve the media company's $43 billion merger with WarnerMedia, moving the deal one step closer to completion after the resolution of messy scandals at WarnerMedia subsidiary CNN. The outcome was all but assured, as two of Discovery's major investors, John C. Malone and Advance/Newhouse, agreed to vote their shares in favor of the merger. They together represent 43 percent of Discovery's voting shares. In May, AT&T announced it would spin-off WarnerMedia, whose assets include HBO, CNN and the Warner Bros. studio, and merge it with Discovery. Puck media reporter Dylan Byers reported that CNN boss Jeff Zucker and his top lieutenant Allison Gollust were reportedly due to take on senior roles within the new company. Scott Morrison says his eyebrow-raising ukelele performance during a pre-election media interview was inspired by his efforts to teach the guitar to one of his daughters. The Prime Minister serenaded his family and Karl Stefanovic with a rendition of April Sun in Cuba by New Zealand band Dragon during an segment for 60 Minutes last month. Mr Morrison on Monday night jokingly turned down requests for an encore during a live question-and-answer session on the NSW Central Coast for Sky News' Paul Murray Live. 'I won't play the ukelele, I promise,' the prime minister said. 'Look how disappointed everybody is.' Mr Morrison said he had taken up playing the ukele while giving his youngest daughter Lily (second from right with her family and Prince Harry and Meghan Markle) guitar lessons 'You should tell people why you play,' Murray asked. 'I was teaching (daughter) Lily how to play guitar,' the Prime Minister replied. During the televised 'town hall' meeting, Mr Morrison took a swipe at Anthony Albanese and his new makeover, claiming that unlike the Labor leader, he's not 'pretending to be anyone else'. 'I'm not pretending to be anyone else. I'm still wearing the same glasses,' the prime minister said. 'Sadly, the same suits (too). I weigh about the same size and I don't mind a bit of Italian cake either. I'm happy in my own skin, I'm not pretending to be anyone else. The prime minister serenaded his family and Karl Stefanovic with a rendition of April Sun in Cuba by New Zealand band Dragon last month Mr Morrison made a subtle dig at Anthony Albanese, saying unlike the Labor leader, he wasn't 'pretending to be anyone else' 'And when you're Prime Minister, you can't pretend to be anyone else. You've got to know who you are, because if you don't know who you are, then how are other people going to know?' Mr Morrison was treated to a round of applause for his revelation he still wore the same suits - but Nine political reporter Chris O'Keefe slammed the thinly-veiled attack on Mr Albanese. Poll Is Scott Morrison bullying Anthony Albanese? Yes, he's crossed the line No, he's got a point Is Scott Morrison bullying Anthony Albanese? Yes, he's crossed the line 609 votes No, he's got a point 366 votes Now share your opinion 'That was a low go from the Prime Minister, that's a bit schoolyard stuff,' O'Keefe said on the Today Show on Tuesday morning. 'Albo has lost 14 kilograms because he went on a health kick. Good luck to him. It's called discipline. Isn't that what you want from a prime minister?' 'Are we really going to have a crack at someone's appearance? It's well beneath the Prime Minister of Australia. 'If Scott Morrison wants to have a go at Albo, how about we ask what the hell is he going to do for us as Australians if we vote for him, because I still have no idea. 'Australians aren't going to cop that, that's bullying.' The Labor leader Anthony Albanese has shed 18kg and embraced a lifestyle transformation in recent months Former Labor leader Bill Shorten also weighed in, saying he believed Mr Morrison was 'threatened' by Mr Albanese. 'The little green monster's sitting on Mr Morrison's shoulder and he's a bit jealous of Albo,' he told host Karl Stefanovic. 'As for makeovers, I remember Mr Morrison before the last Federal election, you know what he seemed to get a new pair of glasses and did his best to do a makeover. 'Albo's match-fit and that's what we want.' Hundreds of Russian oligarchs, organisations and individuals are set to be hit with sanctions from the Government after a fast-tracked bill to target 'dirty money' in the UK is passed. The sanctions will see the assets of those targeted frozen as the Government also prepares to impose tariffs on a number of Russian goods including vodka and caviar. The Government has been criticised over the speed of the roll out of the UK's sanctions on wealthy individuals, with questions asked over why the US and the EU have been able to move more quickly. Hundreds of Russian oligarchs, organisations and individuals are set to be hit with sanctions from the Government after a fast-tracked bill to target 'dirty money' in the UK is passed. Pictured: Businessmen Mikhail Fridman and Petr Aven who could be among those targeted Russian luxuries face UK sales ban Russian vodka could disappear from UK supermarkets along with posher high-end brands as the West targets more economic sanctions against the Kremlin today. G7 Governments have said they will impose punitive tariffs on trade to further isolate Moscow from the global economy. The group of wealthy nations said it would strip Russia of its most favoured nation status under World Trade Organisation (WTO) rules. It said a broad coalition of WTO members were preparing to revoke important benefits of Russias membership. The G7 is formed of the US, UK, Canada, France, Germany, Italy and Japan. Such a move would mean imposing tariffs - border taxes paid by importers. Exports that would be affected include: Vodka - including Russian Standard, Mamont, Beluga and Hammer + Sickle Fur Caviar Firms will also be barred from exporting luxuries to Russia under measures designed to increase internal opposition to Putin. They include: Cigars Supercars Advertisement As a result, new laws to tackle 'dirty money' were fast-tracked through Parliament in a bid to target Russian oligarchs over the Ukraine invasion. Royal assent was granted for the Economic Crime (Transparency and Enforcement) Act as the Houses of Parliament sat beyond midnight to ensure the measures became law. The UK Government is now expected to announce further sanctions in response to Russia's aggression against Ukraine. The legislation is set to establish a new register of overseas entities requiring foreign owners of property in the UK to declare their true identity. The register would need to be updated each year and punishments for failing to declare details, or submitting false information, would result in the asset being frozen and it cannot be sold or rented out. The passage of the Act through Parliament was aided by several concessions by ministers in the Lords, including the Government agreeing to a call by opposition parties to scrap exemptions from a foreign ownership of property register aimed at combatting the laundering of illicit cash. Ministers also committed to the rapid implementation of measures in the Act and to give an update to Parliament on progress within six weeks. The administration promised to bring forward further legislation to tackle economic crime early in the next parliamentary session and carefully consider amendments put forward. The Act went through the Lords without a vote despite concerns over the length of time being given to comply with the new register, requiring foreign owners of property in the UK to declare their true identity. The Government had reduced the grace period from 18 months to six, but critics had argued this was still too long and pressed for it to be cut further. However, business minister Lord Callanan argued curbing the transition period risked opening up the register to legal challenge and instead proposed a new disclosure requirement to prevent asset-flight ahead of the new rules being brought in. This would force any overseas entity disposing of any property from February 28 this year to provide information about its beneficial ownership. Foreign secretary Liz Truss is expected to announce hundreds of new names to be added to the list of those who will be subjected to sanctions over their ties with the Russian regime The West continues to impose economic sanctions in response to Putin's invasion of Ukraine Chelsea owner Abramovich, pictured, is among those who have already fallen under sanctions Lord Callanan said: 'Crucially, it addresses the concerns that corrupt people must not be allowed to sell up and escape transparency this register would bring. 'It's my submission this would be more effective than any further reduction in the transition period, which risks opening up the provisions of the register to legal challenge.' The bill, which will make it easier for the Government to impose sanctions, was fast-tracked into law in a bid to target Russian oligarchs over the Ukraine invasion. Foreign Secretary Liz Truss is expected to name hundreds of individuals and organisations with links to Russia who will be added to the list of those subject to UK sanctions. The UK has already targeted a number of prominent individuals and entities with ties to Russia, including Chelsea FC owner Roman Abramovich, since Putin's invasion of Ukraine. Pictured: Russian Standard vodka According to the Times, the Government is also expected to slap 5billion of tariffs on Russian vodka, fur and other goods as part of the massive new sanctions drive. From today, Russian vodka, including popular brands such as Russian Standard, will be banned as part of the ongoing economic sanctions against the country. Other Russian luxury goods such as caviar and diamonds will also be banned. According to the Sun, Britain will place tariffs on the sale of supercars, cigars and other luxury goods to Russia in a coordinated move with the EU and G7 nations to clobber the Kremlin. After they faced criticism last week, the Government proposed a series of amendments to the 'dirty money' bill in order to toughen it up. These included the Government agreeing to a call by opposition parties to remove the ability of ministers to exempt an individual from the requirements of a foreign ownership property register on the grounds of 'the economic wellbeing of the United Kingdom'. Ministers also committed to the rapid implementation of measures in the Bill and to give an update on progress within six weeks. The administration further promised to bring forward further legislation to tackle economic crime early in the next parliamentary session and carefully consider amendments put forward. It comes after Liz Truss last week announced the UK has imposed sanctions on 400 of the 450 members of the Russian Duma who supported Putin's invasion, in line with the EU. All of the people sanctioned have been banned from travelling to the UK and they will be unable to access any assets they may hold in Britain. They have also been prohibited from conducting business in the UK. Individuals that could be targeted include oligarchs Mikhail Fridman and Petr Aven, the men behind the company which owns Holland & Barrett and who have resigned from its advisory board after being sanctioned internationally. According to the Times, senior Russian officials and military commanders including Putin spokesman Dmitry Peskov - could also face action. Americans are panic-buying potassium iodide tablets over fears of a possible nuclear war with Russia, despite warnings from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that taking too many of the anti-radiation pills can be deadly. Russia's invasion of Ukraine has continued to stoke fears of a radioactive fallout following an attack on one of Ukraine's nuclear plants, or even from a nuclear bomb. That has prompted a surge in demand for the pills, which can counteract the effects of radiation poisoning. Manufacturer IOSAT is sold-out of $14 packs of the pills on its website - with identical tablets now for sale for $149 on eBay. The last potassium iodine panic took place in the US in 2011, in the wake of the Japanese earthquake and tsunami that damaged the Fukushima nuclear power plant. Whole Foods stores were forced to erect signs warning people that taking too many of the pills was dangerous. In light of the surge in demand for potassium iodide pills, which in itself and in small doses is not harmful, the CDC is now warning that taking too many of the tablets could be fatal. Radioactive iodide is known to harm the thyroid - an endocrine gland in the neck that produces hormones that regulate the body. Once it's released into the atmosphere, it can be breathed into the lungs and contaminate local water, soil, plants and animals, according to the CDC. These potassium iodide pills normally sell for around $14 - but are now on sale for 10 times more on eBay over growing fears of a nuclear war with Russia, despite CDC warnings that they can be dangerous A Whole Foods in California issued a warning about taking too much potassium iodine in the wake of the 2011 Japanese earthquake and tsunami that damaged the Fukushima nuclear power plant Some preppers are bragging about having stocked up on the Potassium Iodine tablets before the current rush Russia's invasion of Ukaraine has continued to stoke fears of a radioactive fallout following an attack on one of Ukraine's nuclear plants, or even from a nuclear bomb If radiation exposure were happen, the thyroid gland would not be able to notice the difference between radioiodine and regular iodine and will absorb both, with too much exposure being a leading cause of thyroid cancer. But when its used as directed, potassium iodide can quickly saturate the thyroid, successfully preventing it from absorbing radioactive iodine. CNN has reported that manufacturers of potassium iodide in the US have recorded rapidly depleted inventories recently in light of Russia's invasion of Ukraine beginning back on February 24. Meanwhile, prices for tablets have been gouged to meet the growing demand. On eBay Monday, four boxes of Thyrosafe potassium iodide tablets were listed for $149.50. A general view shows the New Safe Confinement structure over the old sarcophagus covering the damaged fourth reactor at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in Chernobyl, Ukraine 2018 Meanwhile, prices for tablets have been gauged to meet the growing demand on eBay, pictured Another listing for a box of IOSAT 130 mg pills was selling for $89.95 each. In comparison to normal prices, the 14-pack box of the IOSAT tablets, made by Anbex, still sell for $13.99 on the manufacturer's website, according to CNN. In light of the increased potassium iodide pill usage, the CDC has warned that a single dose protects the thyroid gland for just 24 hours, with anything more than one dose potentially doing more harm than good. The agency added that taking more than recommended does not offer more protection and can actually cause severe illness or death. The CDC also noted that the tablets also only work best for certain age groups. A legal decision finding the Australian government owes the country's children protection from harm caused by climate change has been overturned by a court. The full bench of the Federal Court on Tuesday morning unanimously ruled in favour of an appeal by the Environment Minister Sussan Ley, reversing a decision by a previous judge. Eight high school students took Ms Ley to court in 2020, seeking to block the expansion of a coal mine that is expected to produce an additional 100 million tonnes of carbon emissions. Eight high school students had taken Environment Minister Sussan Ley to court in 2020, trying to block a mine expansion Federal Court Justice Mordecai Bromberg in May 2021 knocked back their bid to stop the expansion, but he did rule that Ms Ley has a duty of reasonable care to not cause the children personal injury when exercising her legislative decision-making powers regarding the mine. It was lauded as a landmark win that would open an avenue for legal challenges to the government's future decisions on coal projects. However, Ms Ley soon after announced she would appeal the finding, and on Tuesday the full Federal Court bench - Justices James Allsop, Jonathan Beach and Michael Wheelahan - ruled in her favour. All agreed a legal duty of care should not be imposed, but the judges varied in their reasons. Chief Justice James Allsop concluded that decisions about mining approvals belonging to the executive arm of government - ministers of the day - not the judiciary. Ms Ley also had control over only a tiny contribution to global carbon emissions, he said. 'The lack of proportionality between the tiny increase in risk and lack of control, and the liability for all damaged by heatwaves, bushfires and rising sea levels ... into the future, mean that the duty ... should not be imposed.' Chief Justice Allsop did, however, note the considerable evidence demonstrating the dangers to humanity that climate change presents was not challenged. 'None of the evidence was disputed,' he said. 'There was no cross examination of any witness brought by the applicants by those acting for the minister and there was no contrary or qualifying evidence,' he said. Lawyers acting for the group of children now have the option to appeal that decision in the High Court. New mainland medical team arrives in Hong Kong to boost epidemic fight Xinhua) 08:46, March 15, 2022 The latest batch of the Chinese mainland medical staff arrive in Hong Kong, south China, March 14, 2022, to support the local fight against the COVID-19 epidemic. The team includes 36 doctors and 39 nurses from 14 public hospitals in the neighboring Guangdong Province. (Xinhua/Li Gang) HONG KONG, March 14 (Xinhua) -- The latest batch of the Chinese mainland medical staff on Monday arrived in Hong Kong to support the local fight against the COVID-19 epidemic. The team includes 36 doctors and 39 nurses from 14 public hospitals in the neighboring Guangdong Province. They work in respiratory, nephrology, cardiovascular and other departments closely related to the treatment of elderly patients. They will participate in medical care at the community treatment facility at AsiaWorld-Expo. Patients admitted to this facility are predominantly elderly and most have underlying diseases. The mainland medical staff will work to reduce the number of severe and fatal cases. Chui Tak-yi, under secretary for food and health of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government, said the fifth wave of the epidemic in Hong Kong is very serious and there is an urgent need to prevent a large number of patients from developing into serious illnesses. He said the 75 experienced mainland medical and nursing staff will effectively enhance services in the community treatment facility so that patients can receive better care. On Monday, Hong Kong registered 12,040 new COVID-19 cases by nucleic acid tests, and 14,868 additional positive cases through self-reported rapid antigen tests, official data showed. The latest batch of the Chinese mainland medical staff arrive in Hong Kong, south China, March 14, 2022, to support the local fight against the COVID-19 epidemic. The team includes 36 doctors and 39 nurses from 14 public hospitals in the neighboring Guangdong Province. (Xinhua/Li Gang) The latest batch of the Chinese mainland medical staff arrive in Hong Kong, south China, March 14, 2022, to support the local fight against the COVID-19 epidemic. The team includes 36 doctors and 39 nurses from 14 public hospitals in the neighboring Guangdong Province. (Xinhua/Li Gang) The latest batch of the Chinese mainland medical staff arrive in Hong Kong, south China, March 14, 2022, to support the local fight against the COVID-19 epidemic. The team includes 36 doctors and 39 nurses from 14 public hospitals in the neighboring Guangdong Province. (Xinhua/Li Gang) The latest batch of the Chinese mainland medical staff arrive in Hong Kong, south China, March 14, 2022, to support the local fight against the COVID-19 epidemic. The team includes 36 doctors and 39 nurses from 14 public hospitals in the neighboring Guangdong Province. (Xinhua/Li Gang) Staff members register information for citizens at a mobile nucleic acid testing site in Hong Kong, south China, March 14, 2022. On Monday, Hong Kong registered 12,040 new COVID-19 cases by nucleic acid tests, and 14,868 additional positive cases through self-reported rapid antigen tests, official data showed. (Xinhua/Lo Ping Fai) Medical workers guide citizens at a designated clinic in Hong Kong, south China, March 14, 2022. On Monday, Hong Kong registered 12,040 new COVID-19 cases by nucleic acid tests, and 14,868 additional positive cases through self-reported rapid antigen tests, official data showed. (Xinhua/Lo Ping Fai) Citizens wearing face masks wait at a designated clinic in Hong Kong, south China, March 14, 2022. On Monday, Hong Kong registered 12,040 new COVID-19 cases by nucleic acid tests, and 14,868 additional positive cases through self-reported rapid antigen tests, official data showed. (Xinhua/Lo Ping Fai) A medical worker guides citizens at a mobile nucleic acid testing site in Hong Kong, south China, March 14, 2022. On Monday, Hong Kong registered 12,040 new COVID-19 cases by nucleic acid tests, and 14,868 additional positive cases through self-reported rapid antigen tests, official data showed. (Xinhua/Lo Ping Fai) (Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Liang Jun) President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol comforts a person displaced due to wildfires that blazed through eastern coastal areas last week during his visit to Gumseong-ri, Uljin County, North Gyeongsang Province, Tuesday. Yoon pledged to consult with the Moon Jae-in government to increase support for people who were displaced. Joint Press Corps A gigantic crocodile has launched itself out of a river and snatched a bat out of the air to the delight of tourists. Crocodile tour guide David White captured the jaw-dropping moment on the Daintree River in Far North Queensland. Video of the dramatic kill shows the crocodile grab the low-flying bat in one swift movement before roughly chewing the mammal in its sharp jaws. Incredible footage filmed on the Daintree River has shown the moment a gigantic crocodile launches out of a river and snatches a bat out of thin air (pictured) Mr White said in 25 years of working on the river he had never seen a crocodile manage to get hold of a bat before. 'I have been working on the Daintree River for 25 years and seen the bats skimming the water many times,' the tour guide told Storyful. He explained the bats wet their chests in the river before hanging in trees and sucking the moisture out of their fur to drink. Mr White said it was amazing to see the expert kill right in front of his eyes. 'It gives you an appreciation of their awesome speed, skill and accuracy,' he said. The tour guide said the giant crocodile, nicknamed Dusty Rose, showed 'unbelievable precision' as she jumped for the bat. Video of the dramatic kill shows the crocodile trap the low-flying bat in one swift moment before roughly chewing the mammal in its sharp jaws (pictured) 'She had to work out where to place herself in this wide river and usually she hunts on the edge, then with unbelievable precision she jumps,' he wrote on Facebook. 'Over the years I have talked to many scientists and I agreed with then that this river is far too wide for the crocs to be successful in catching a bat. Well boy was I wrong.' Far North Queensland is home to about 30,000 crocodiles who live relatively close to humans with about 70 adults believed to be in the Daintree River. The area is a popular tourist destination due to its proximity to Cairns Airport with crocodile tours a favourite activity in the region. Far North Queensland is home to roughly 30,000 crocodiles who live relatively close to humans with about 70 adults believed to be living in the Daintree River (pictured) There are strict guidelines for seeing the territorial reptiles with only professional tour companies allowed to seek out the terrifying creatures. The Daintree River is one of the oldest and most popular natural attractions in Australia and rises in the heart of the Daintree Rainforest. The river is rich in flora and fauna and located about 100km from Cairns in the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Wet Tropics of Queensland. The disabled and the over-50s are the most under-represented groups on television, while ethnic minorities and gay people are over-represented, research has found. A report by industry body Creative Diversity Network found very low levels of representation for people with disabilities. They made up just 8.3 per cent of on-screen appearances, despite accounting for 17 per cent of the workforce. Those aged 50 and over, who account for 31 per cent of workers, made up only 25.4 per cent of contributions which are similar to individual programme credits. People with disabilities made up just 8.3 per cent of on-screen appearances, despite accounting for 17 per cent of the workforce. Pictured: Channel 4's presenting team for their coverage of the Beijing 2022 Paralympic Games (left to right) Arthur Williams, Ed Jackson, Ade Adepitan, Lauren Steadman, Ellie Robinson, Billy Monger and Sean Rose By contrast, black, Asian and minority ethnic people, who represent 13 per cent of the national workforce, made up 20.9 per cent of TV appearances. Lesbian, gay and bisexual people made up 14.2 per cent compared to a 6.4 per cent presence in the population. The analysis added that transgender representation was at lower levels than the national population estimate. The report also found women were more likely to be in non-senior roles off-screen. Disabled people accounted for just 6 per cent of off-screen credits, while over-50s represented 21.7 per cent. Ethnic minority presence was in line with the workforce figure of 13 per cent, while lesbian, gay and bisexual contributions were at 15.6 per cent. Tim Davie, BBC director-general, said: The BBC has prioritised 100million of our TV content budget to drive change over three years which, with our 20 per cent off screen diversity expectation for all new commissions, will permanently shift the dial. ITV boss Carolyn McCall said improving disability representation on and off screen was a big priority. Rishi Sunak could afford to postpone next month's national insurance hike, a former Treasury watchdog official said yesterday. Heaping pressure on the Chancellor, Sir Charlie Bean said the 1.25 percentage point rise is 'political' and that there would be 'no problem' delaying it for a year. Sir Charlie, who left the Office for Budget Responsibility at the end of last year, suggested the Government could borrow the money needed instead. Downing Street has resisted a clamour for a rethink on the tax rise, which will worsen the perfect storm of soaring bills facing families this spring. The Prime Minister and Chancellor insist the 12billion a year it will raise is needed to provide long-term funding for the NHS and social care. But Sir Charlie who was also previously deputy governor at the Bank of England told the BBC: 'There is no problem in the UK borrowing several billion pounds for one extra year. Rishi Sunak could afford to postpone next month's national insurance hike, a former Treasury watchdog official said yesterday 'What you can't run is sustained large deficits, but the pace at which you close a deficit is basically a political judgment.' The Daily Mail has led a campaign to Spike the Tax Hike, which will be paid by workers and businesses. It will cost the average worker 250 a year more. At the same time, council tax bills will rise by up to 6 per cent and the energy price cap by 54 per cent. The price of groceries is increasing, and the war in Ukraine is pushing up fuel and energy costs. The Treasury said: 'We recognise the pressures people are facing with the cost of living and are providing support worth around 20billion this financial year and next to help.' A former World Health Organisation scientist says the new BA.2 Omicron subvariant sweeping the world is one of the most infectious diseases the Earth has seen - and almost everyone will be exposed to the virus. While the now-dominant strain is not as deadly as previous ones, including Delta, it is up to six times more transmissible than the original strain of Covid-19, Professor Adrian Esterman told Daily Mail Australia. Predictions of a big surge in cases became a reality in New South Wales on Wednesday with 30,402 positive tests returned in the previous 24 hours, almost triple the number reported on Tuesday. The BA.2 variant is also up to 30 per cent more infectious than the initial BA.1 version of Omicron which forced the reinstitution of lockdowns at Christmas. 'We think [the first] Omicron is very similar to Delta and that BA.2 is then another 25-30 per cent more contagious,' James Wood, a public health mathematician at the University of NSW told Daily Mail Australia. The higher risk of contagiousness comes from the variant's superior ability to 'evade' immunity - meaning even triple-vaccinated people are susceptible to catching the new strain. A former World Health Organisation scientist says the new BA.2 Omicron subvariant that is sweeping the world is equal to one of the most infectious diseases on Earth and that young people are playing Russian roulette by thinking they are ok to catch it (pictured, Revellers dancing at Universal Nightclub in Sydney) Professor Esterman, an epidemiologist and biostatistican, said it was very likely all Australians would be at risk of catching BA.2 this year - especially since the end of restrictions such as social distancing and indoor mask mandates While BA.2 is not as deadly as previous ones, including Delta, and not comparable to measles for severity, it is up to six times as infectious as the original strain of Covid-19 Can you catch the new Covid-19 variant if you are vaccinated? The BA.2 version of Omicron has an ability to 'evade' immunity, which includes vaccination. While vaccination provides a high level of protection from severe disease, it is less effective against preventing someone from catching Omicron at all. That even applies to boosters. Generally vaccines were more effective at preventing symptomatic infection from Delta than Omicron. For example, someone who had two shots in 2021 and a booster at the start of January would now have a 50 per cent chance of catching BA.2 if exposed. Advertisement Professor Adrian Esterman, an epidemiologist and biostatistician, said it was very likely all Australians would be at risk of catching BA.2 this year - especially given the return of people to schools, offices and public transport. '(At the moment) you are much more likely to get it; we're already seeing that with the case numbers going up,' he said. Overall, case numbers Australia-wide are trending upwards. NSW cases surged from 10,689 on Tuesday to 30,402 on Wednesday, though NSW Health attributed some of that increase to an additional 10,000 rapid tests in the system on Monday. Of the 30,402 positive results, 22,748 were rapid antigen tests (RATs) and 7,654 were PCR lab tests. But it is almost impossible to get an accurate picture of BA.2's spread because so many rapid tests are believed to be unreported. The only objective, verifiable figures are the numbers of people in hospital with Covid. On Tuesday, that figure was 1,801 Australia-wide; a total that has been relatively steady throughout March. On January 25, there were 5,390. While not everyone exposed to a virus is infected by it, BA.2's high 'basic reproduction number' or 'R0' of 12 - compared to 2.5 for the original Wuhan virus - could mean almost all Australians will come into contact with it in 2022. The R0 is the average number of secondary infections produced by a typical case; an R0 of 12 means up to 12 people could be infected by each case. 'Everyone's been exposed to Covid-19, full-stop, and unless you're very careful you will be exposed again this year,' Professor Esterman said. 'With face mask mandates being dropped, social distancing being removed, the chances are even higher. 'Those things are put in place to dampen down transmissibility, that's the whole point. When you remove them it's just increasing transmission. 'If you remove all of those protections, then your transmissibility almost gets back to the basic reduction number because we have very little immunity.' While Omicron is generally less severe than the Delta strain, it is serious enough for some people that Professor Esterman likened wanting to catch Covid to gambling with your health. 'If you say "I don't mind getting infected" it's a bit like Russian roulette because you do have that chance of getting seriously ill or having long-term health problems.' Mr Esterman, who is 73, admitted his own son argues 'it's no worse than the flu'. 'To a certain extent, he's right: the death rates not worse than seasonal flu,' he said. One tragic case of a healthy young person dying from Covid was double-vaccinated power lifter James Kondilios, 23, who died at Sydney's St Vincent's hospital in January despite having no underlying health conditions Professor Esterman believes a fourth jab should be introduced for vulnerable people in Australia 'The trouble is it causes more severe disease in vulnerable people than influenza, and it has the capacity to cause real damage to younger people too. 'There have been several cases of young, healthy and fit people dying from Covid. I cannot remember that ever happening with influenza.' One was double-vaccinated power lifter James Kondilios, 23, who died with Covid at Sydney's St Vincent's Hospital in January despite having no underlying health conditions. Professor Esterman said while death rates have dropped to now be comparable to the flu, Covid is far more infectious and the spectrum of long-term health impacts is much wider. 'Covid-19 can attack every part of the body, from clotting to the heart and brain. There have even been cases of young children with multi-system inflammatory condition.' Professor Esterman said it was 'very likely' people suffering from chronic fatigue syndrome got it as an immune system response to a previous viral infection. 'These are the balance of risks individuals have to bear in mind.' Professor Esterman said while death rates have dropped to now be comparable to the flu, Covid is far more infectious and the spectrum of long-term health impacts is much wider Professor Esterman also issued a warning that the pandemic is 'not over' and it's been 'sheer luck' that we are not in the middle of a wave that is both more infectious and deadlier He pointed out that with six million reported deaths worldwide and 5,590 in Australia attributed to Covid-19, it was one of the deadliest pandemics in history. Professor Esterman also issued a warning that the pandemic is 'not over' and it's been 'sheer luck' that we are not in the middle of a wave that is both more infectious and deadlier. 'It is true that pandemics become less infectious over time, but that happens over 100 years, not one year,' he said. He described it as 'the toss of a coin' as to whether the next variant causes more severe illness. 'While it's true to say it's the beginning of the end, it's not the end yet,' he said. Professor Esterman is an advocate of introducing a fourth dose for people at risk, who could include people with HIV/AIDs, kidney problems, diabetes, obesity and different cancers. Despite warnings that even the triple vaccinated will be at greater risk of catching the new variant, the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) is currently considering whether fourth doses should be rolled out and mandated, Health Minister Greg Hunt recently confirmed. Australia's two year ban on cruise ships will end within weeks, federal health minister Greg Hunt has confirmed. The ban will be lifted on March 17, two months after Australia reopened its international borders to the world for the first time in more than 700 days. International cruise ships will be required to meet state and territory health rules when they dock and must have comprehensive Covid-19 safety and outbreak management plans in place. Passengers must be fully vaccinated with at least two doses of the Covid vaccine and will undergo stricter enhanced pre-arrival reporting and risk identification measures. 'Wonderful news' for the tourism sector: Australia's cruise ship ban will end on April 17 The lifting of the ban is based on health advice. 'On the basis of medical advice, the Australian Government will not renew the ban on international cruise ships arriving and departing from Australian ports, when the current determination expires on April 17' Mr Hunt announced on Tuesday. '(The) lifting the cruise ban is consistent with the reopening of Australia's international border and shows that we have successfully navigated Australia's emergency response to the COVID-19 pandemic.' Home Affairs minister Karen Andrews added: 'The cruise ship industry plays an important role in our tourism sector and forms part of the Morrison Government's plan to bolster our economic growth as we recover from the pandemic. NEW MEASURES FOR CRUISE SHIPS *Enhanced pre-arrival reporting and identification of COVID-19 risk through more questions of passengers and improved processes. *Stress testing of the emergency response system in relation to cruises. *Engaging with the cruise industry on safe resumption. *Passengers must be double vaccinated Advertisement 'I can't wait to see our cruise terminals once again filled with arriving international passengers, getting this important industry ship-shape and back out on the water once more.' Following the much-anticipated announcement, P&O Cruises immediately flagged a return to cruising at the end of May with the launch of a new program of sailings from Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide and Melbourne. The cruise line will work towards re-starting operations on May 31, subject to government approval and begin preparations for the staggered return of its three-ship fleet and crew. 'We'll be working closely with government agencies on our return which will see us visit about 20 ports around the country after an absence of more than two years,' P&O Cruises president Marguerite Fitzgerald said in a statement. 'Australia has long been one of the world's strongest cruise markets and as the nation's only home-grown cruise line we are excited at the thought that our loyal customers will be travelling with us again very soon.' 'Unfortunately, the shifting landscape over the past two years made it very difficult for us to anticipate when and where we would return to cruising. Now we have more clarity and growing confidence, we have reset our plans to stagger the resumption of cruising in a way that enables us to bring our ships and crew back to Australia as smoothly as possible.' Cruise ship enthusiasts will soon be able to say bon voyage again after a two year hiatus The company will liaise with the governments of popular destinations Fiji, New Caledonia and Vanuatu on the planned return of South Pacific voyages later this year. 'Our new schedule anticipates a return to the South Pacific from August, but we will be working closely with governments throughout the region, as well as our industry partners, to ensure this is possible and that we meet all local protocols,' Ms Fitzgerald said. Tourism minister Dan Tehan hinted on Monday an announcement was imminent as he hailed the move as wonderful news for Australia's tourism industry. He added the federal government was just waiting for the tick of approval from the NSW and Queensland governments, which have since finalised health protocols. 'The Commonwealth wants to go. I have been pushing for us to go for a number of months,' Mr Tehan told Sky News. Sydney's Circular Quay will welcome back the return of cruise ships within weeks (pictured, Royal Caribbean Cruises Radiance of the Seas docked in Sydney) Australia enforced a strict ban on cruise ships in March 2020 in the wake of the Ruby Princess fiasco in Sydney. The Covid-riddled cruise ship sparked Australia's first major outbreak of the virus, which led to at least 900 infections and 28 deaths. More than 600,000 cruise ship passengers arrived in Australia in 2019 before the pandemic hit our shores in early 2020. More than 94 per cent of Australians over the age of 16 have had at least two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine while more than 12 million An Australian cop is gathering a lot of online attention, not for any heroic deeds but for his smouldering model looks. NSW Police shared a photo of the Marine Area command officer to Facebook on Monday. 'Its #MeetTheTeamMonday, where every week we introduce you to an officer from a different unit or command,' the Facebook post read. 'This week, meet Travis.' 'Travis is a Senior Constable at Marine Area Command (MAC) and has been in the force coming up to ten years. 'With the MAC, Travis has travelled all over NSW from Port Macquarie to Albury, but his career highlight was freeing a juvenile humpback that was trapped in fishing nets off North Head with only a knife and a boat hook. 'His favourite part of the job is being involved in any Search and Rescue operation that saves a persons life. 'That, and a sunny summers day on Sydney Harbour. In his spare time, Travis is learning how to speak Japanese. Internet users have become enamored by the looks of NSW police officer Travis after the NSW police force's Facebook page shared an innocent post of the senior constable Thousands of enamored Australians were less interested in his language lessons and whale freeing than they were by his looks and how he filled out a wetsuit. One Facebook user wrote: 'Hey Rebecca let's get Jetskis! We might get to meet Travis.' 'Sorry where did you say Travis is stationed at???' commented another. A third added: 'I reckon Travis will be attracting a legion of mermaids in distress now.' 'Brb [sic] going to get tangled up in a shark net,' said another. One follower joked that she felt 'half the single women' in the comments 'suddenly can't swim'. Many commented on constable Travis' looks. Travis is seen in the image donning a police swim suit and red vest as he stands in front of two jetskis It's not the first time the internet has swooned over the looks of a police officer. A picture from the same Facebook page showing a cop rescuing a chicken from a street went viral last September. The image of the male officer holding the chook caused many Facebook users to swoon over the attractiveness of the officer Police had been called to a street in Sydney's inner-west suburb of Newtown at the time after a lone chicken was found crossing the road. After a lot of trial and error by officers and members of the public, police said they were able to safely secure the timid bird and transport it to Sydney University Vet Hospital, where it is under care. NSW Police shared the news on Facebook and wrote: 'Look what Inner West Police Area Command found eggs-ploring the streets of Newtown!' The post was accompanied by a photo of a male police officer wearing a mask and gloves in a vehicle, with the rescued chook held up in his hands. The image has since gone viral after many users of the social media platform started to swoon over the police officer. NSW Police shared the news on Facebook and the post has since gone viral for a very unexpected reason One user wrote: 'Omg this police officer is gorgeous! Hello.' Another said: 'How old is the handsome policeman? Asking for a friend.' 'I do not see a hot chook, all I see is a hot policeman,' wrote a third. Others were quick to comment on how they wish they had been in the position of the chicken in this instance. 'Lucky old chook to be picked up by that cutie,' a user said. 'I think any good CHICK would cross the road to be held by this officer,' wrote another. Britain needs to grow more of its own food amid fears of shortages and price rises, a Tory MP has warned. Daniel Kawczynski said the country must produce more of its own crops to insulate itself from the damage caused by Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The 2 Sisters Food Group the country's biggest chicken producer has warned that food prices could rise by 15 per cent this summer. Daniel Kawczynski said the country must produce more of its own crops to insulate itself from the damage caused by Russia's invasion of Ukraine (stock image) Some 30 per cent of the world's wheat comes from Ukraine and Russia and the firm said the conflict 'brings a major threat to food security in the UK', potentially leading to shortages of wheat, barley and corn. Mr Kawczynski has now written to Environment Secretary George Eustice to warn that 'production of our own crops is of paramount importance in ensuring that we have enough food to feed our population'. A man who allegedly set his home on fire while his wife and at least one of their six children were inside has been named. Rowland Griffiths, 38, allegedly ignited a flammable liquid at his house on Sutherland Street in the western Melbourne suburb of Albanvale on Monday afternoon. Local residents said they saw his wife Kylie Griffiths, 36, run from the house with flames on her back and that her face was burnt. Pictured are Roland (right) and Kylie (left) Griffiths on their wedding day in December 2021 Damage is seen at the Sutherland Street home in Albanvale which was allegedly set fire to on Monday afternoon She was taken to The Alfred Hospital in the city, where she is now fighting for her life. Two others were also hospitalised. A 17-year-old girl was taken to the Royal Children's Hospital, where she is in a stable condition. The 38-year man is in hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, where he is under police guard. The police and fire brigade were called to the house at about 5.20pm after the blaze was reported. A neighbour told the Herald Sun that the street was filled with smoke. He was in his backyard watching his children on a trampoline when they told him there was smoke. 'I ran out to see if I could help. The street was just filled with thick, dark smoke,' he said. The neighbour said it was 'scary' and that fire brigades, trucks, five ambulances and around seven police officers attended the scene. A 38-year-old man is under police guard in a Melbourne hospital after a house fire in the suburb of Albanvale 'The whole street was just flashing lights.' He said it was a shock because the area is a 'peaceful neighbourhood.' A window of the house was smashed open, with everything in the front room seeming to be burnt. Much of the roof, particularly at the back, had fallen in and parts of the front yard grass were burnt. The Sutherland Street home in Albanvale, Melbourne, which was allegedly set fire to on Monday It took 26 firefighters about a half hour to bring the blaze under control, a spokesman for Fire and Rescue Victoria said. On Tuesday, police detectives and a forensics unit were on the scene and speaking with neighbours. 'The exact circumstances surrounding the incident are being investigated by the Arson and Explosive Squad,' a Victoria Police spokesman said. A rare 17th-century collection of lute music is under a temporary export ban in a bid to keep the anthology in the UK. The maunscript valued at 214,200 contains work by composers such as a brother of Galileo as well as English musician John Dowland and many others. Of its 320 compositions, 89 cannot be found anywhere else. A private owner is looking to sell the collection but a decision on its export licence application has been postponed until June 13. The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport is trying to buy time so a UK gallery or institution can acquire it. The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport is trying to buy time so a UK gallery or institution can acquire the manuscript Arts minister Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay said: 'Lute music is a vital part of our artistic heritage and there is much this anthology can teach us. I hope a buyer comes forward to save the piece for the nation. 'he export ban was placed on the object following advice from the Reviewing Committee on the Export of Works of Art and Objects of Cultural Interest. Committee member Peter Barber said: 'Little research has recently been done into this large and handsomely bound manuscript album of early lute music. 'Fascinating and evocative, it includes work, among many others, both by the English composer John Dowland and by a brother of Galileo. 'The volume promises to shed much light on the circulation of music, particularly lute music, the role of music-making, and the dance, in western Europe while the Thirty Years' War was raging in the early and mid-17th century. One third of the music, amounting to 89 pieces, is not to be found anywhere else. 'Thoroughly pan-European, the volume was assembled by a German, mainly written out in the French style and contains music from many lands. 'The volume also has research value because of its association with the musical instrument-maker Arnold Dolmetsch (1858-1940). Dolmetsch was the leading figure associated with the early 20th-century revival of the performance of early music using instruments of the time. 'The album formed part of the collection that he assembled and his annotations suggest that he particularly valued it. Dolmetsch lived most of his life in, and was particularly associated with, England, where the largest remaining part of his music collection is still to be found. 'The album's research value might therefore be more fully exploited, if it were to remain in the United Kingdom.' The decision on the export licence application for the manuscript will be deferred until June 13. The number of dogs being stolen has reached record levels with thefts rocketing by 25 per cent in the last year. Alarming data from 31 police forces in England and Wales shows that 1,882 dog thefts were reported last year 25 per cent more than the 1,500 offences recorded in 2020. The true number is likely to be even higher. The data obtained under freedom of information laws by Dr Daniel Allen, co-founder of Pet Theft Reform, suggests dognapping is still on the rise despite Government plans to crack down on it. The increase has been fuelled by booming pet prices after many Britons bought puppies in lockdown. Alarming data from 31 police forces in England and Wales shows that 1,882 dog thefts were reported last year 25 per cent more than the 1,500 offences recorded in 2020 The number of dogs being stolen has reached record levels with thefts rocketing by 25 per cent in the last year, new figures show. Alarming data from police forces reveals that at least five offences a day are reported, with dognappers snatching multiple animals in some cases. Figures from 31 police forces in England and Wales show that 1,882 dog thefts were reported last year, with more than 2,044 pets taken either from their homes or owners out walking their pets. That represents 25 per cent more than the 1,500 offences recorded in 2020 by the same forces, which acccounted for 1,698 missing animals. The true number is likely to be even higher as only around two thirds of police forces in England and Wales were able to provide figures. The data obtained under freedom of information by Dr Daniel Allen, co-founder of Pet Theft Reform and an academic at Keele University, suggest that dognapping is still on the rise despite Government plans to crackdown on offenders. London saw the highest number of dogs being stolen, with thefts increasing by a third to a record 362 offences recorded in 2021, compared to 268 in 2020. The data obtained under freedom of information by Dr Daniel Allen, co-founder of Pet Theft Reform and an academic at Keele University, suggest that dognapping is still on the rise despite Government plans to crackdown on offenders Last year a total of 422 dogs were taken in the capital, which is almost double the 231 animals targeted in 2017. Of those only 58 pets were recovered by officers last year. Figures from Scotland Yard show a steady increase in dognapping, with 299 dogs being stolen in 2018 rising to 318 in 2020. The most recent figures from the force suggest that the trend is set to continue with 101 dogs reported stolen in the last three months to February this year. The rapid increase in dognapping has been fuelled by booming pet prices after scores of Britons bought a puppy during the lockdown. According to separate research from pet retailer Pets at Home, the average puppy in the UK now costs a hefty 1,875 - more than double the average price in 2019. And some breeds will set you back an average of nearly 3,000. Experts had hoped that as demand for pets slowed with many householders returning to work that thefts would subside. But campaigners fear the latest figures released yesterday (mon) on dog theft awareness day show that thieves are undeterred by current laws. Pets are only protected under the Theft Act 1968, in which they are categorised in the same way as a stolen mobile phone. Now ministers are planning to add dognapping to the Animal Welfare (Kept Animals) Bill, which will make it a specific offence punishable by five years imprisonment. Now ministers are planning to add dognapping to the Animal Welfare (Kept Animals) Bill, which will make it a specific offence punishable by five years imprisonment Dr Allen said: Dog theft offences in England and Wales continue to rise. From the 31 of 43 regional police forces in England and Wales who could supply comparable FOI data, there has been a 25 per cent increase in recorded dog theft offences from 2020 to 2021. This may be a combination of increased crimes and/or changes to policing practice. Yesterday Wes Pearson, CEO of Animal Friends Insurance, called for the new law to include cats as police figures show that this too is on the increase. He said: The steps taken by the Government so far to help tackle the growing issue of dog theft are incredibly positive and were fully supportive of the proposed changes to make it a new criminal offence. However, we must continue to push for cats to be included. Cats play an equally important role as dogs in our families and lives, so why are they being excluded from the protections the new dog abduction offence would bring? Not only is the data showing an increase in dogs being stolen across the country, cat abduction has also significantly increased, with the data due to be released shortly. We urge the Government to rethink the proposed changes and ensure that our feline family members are given the same securities as their canine counterparts. Kim Sung-han, center, a professor at Korea University's Graduate School of International Studies, was appointed as head of the diplomacy and security division of President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol's transition committee, Tuesday. At left is former First Vice Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok who was appointed to head the transition committee's first economy division, and on the right is Rep. Lee Yong-ho of the main opposition conservative People Power Party, head of the committee's state affairs, judiciary and administrative division. Yonhap Ex-vice Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok appointed to lead first economy division By Jung Da-min Kim Sung-han, a professor at Korea University's Graduate School of International Studies, has established himself as the top diplomatic figure under the upcoming Yoon Suk-yeol administration, after being tapped to head the diplomacy and security division of the President-elect's transition committee, Tuesday. Previously a vice foreign minister under the 2008-13 Lee Myung-bak administration, Kim is one of Yoon's key policy mentors, having served as his chief foreign policy adviser during the election campaign. The two are also old friends who attended elementary school together. Following the election victory, Kim has emerged as the top candidate for Yoon's inaugural foreign minister or national security director. Kim is the architect of Yoon's foreign policy framework that focuses on reinforcing Korea's alliance with the U.S. by restoring trust between the two countries. During the campaign period, Kim hinted at a change in foreign policy direction to prioritize the alliance, while criticizing the Moon Jae-in government for failing to maintain close ties with the U.S. and rather leaning toward China. Yoon had also echoed such views in his contribution piece to the international relations magazine Foreign Affairs, published Feb. 8. "Seoul's reluctance to take a firm stand on a number of issues that have roiled the relationship between Washington and Beijing has created an impression that South Korea has been tilting toward China and away from its longtime ally, the United States," Yoon claimed in the piece. President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol arrives at Uljin Airport in North Gyeongsang Province, Tuesday, to visit local residents who are suffering from the damage caused by the forest fire in the region. Joint Press Corps Tucker Carlson has hit back at the hosts of The View after they called for him to face a Department of Justice investigation for highlighting the US government's funding of Ukrainian biolabs. Speaking on his Fox News show Monday night, Carlson laughed off their remarks that he had been 'shilling' for Putin and Whoopi Goldberg's remark that 'They used to arrest people for stuff like this.' He answered: Really? 'They used to arrest people for saying stuff like this.' When did they arrest people for saying stuff like this, and who is they exactly?' 'So we are at war with Russia! We must send you to the gulag because freedom!' he mocked. 'Because a democracy, the one thing democracy doesn't have patience for is dissenting views from its own citizens, particularly citizens who sincerely hope and pray for the best for their own country.' Much of the liberal anger towards Carlson comes from his decision to highlight the United States' funding of biolabs in Ukraine. Tucker Carlson, who has sparked anger with his views on the Russia-Ukraine war, on Monday night defended his position The U.S. government confirmed there are biolabs in Ukraine. But now anyone who says that out loud is accused of treason. pic.twitter.com/8s6UPhBoAL Tucker Carlson (@TuckerCarlson) March 15, 2022 Those labs use material which may have once been used to develop Soviet-era bioweapons, according to a report shared by a Department of Defense director called Robert Pope in February. He warned that the same material, which is frozen, could be released into the air with devastating consequences if the labs are damaged during fighting, and it is allowed to thaw. That report, and Carlson's subsequent remarks, have been seized on by Russian propagandists to claim that the United States was actually developing biological weapons in the war-torn nation. He said: 'The director of the U.S. Cooperative Threat Reduction Program, a man who would know a man called Robert Pope, has confirmed that scientists are keeping Soviet-era pathogens for research purposes in Ukraine. 'They told us they were destroying them. They should have destroyed them, but they haven't. What could go wrong in an active war zone? And they knew that those pathogens existed and were being experimented upon, researched.' Pope issued a bulletin in February saying that some of the biological material had previously been used for Soviet-era bioweapons programs, but that Ukraine no longer had the ability to develop such weapons. Carlson referred to a report authored by a Department of Defense director in February, warning that US-funded research in Ukrainian biolabs could be exploited by Russian invaders looking to develop a chemical weapon Commenting on the significant of Pope's warning, Carlson continued: 'And they didn't secure them before the Russians invaded, though they knew the Russian invasion was coming because they told us. 'And then, Toria Nuland, the Under Secretary of State who oversees this disaster, testified under oath that, yes, Russian forces might seize those biolabs in Ukraine, and we should all be very worried about that possibility. 'Over the weekend, CBS News reported that Pentagon officials have confirmed that these biolabs in Ukraine are, in fact, conducting research on anthrax and other "deadly pathogens." Carlson's broadcasts have been aired on Russian state television, furthering anger among his liberal detractors. On Monday night, Carlson highlighted the long list of people who have attacked him for his views, quoting Mitt Romney, MSNBC host Joe Scarborough, and Russian-American Washington Post columnist Max Boot. He reserved special scorn for the hosts and guests on daytime talk show The View, who called for Carlson to be investigated by the Department of Justice. 'What Tucker Carlson parrots every night on Fox News, what Tulsi Gabbard is spreading, is actually helping Putin get away with criminal acts against civilians,' said Alyssa Farah, a former Trump White House communications staffer, and now frequent guest on The View. Carlson was criticized earlier on Monday by hosts of The View. Alyssa Farah, a guest host and former Trump White House communications director, said Carlson was 'helping Putin get away with criminal acts against civilians' Another host of The View, Ana Navarro, called for Carlson to be investigated by the Department of Justice Ana Navarro, a Republican strategist and permanent host, added: 'I think the Department of Justice, in the same way it is setting up a task force to investigate oligarchs, should look into people who are Russian propagandists shilling for Putin. 'If you are a foreign asset to a dictator, it should be investigated. 'In fact, I remember when Tulsi Gabbard - and I even hate that we are discussing it because I think to myself who is this woman, - how do you not call out something that is repeating false Russian propaganda? And that has been brought down?' Whoopi Goldberg said: 'They use to arrest people for doing stuff like this.' Carlson has sparked particular anger by highlighting the United States' priosomething that Putin's propagandists have seized upon. Max Boot, a Russian-American author and fellow of the Council on Foreign Relations, was among those condemning Carlson, as the Fox host pointed out The U.S. have confirmed that they are involved in laboratories for medical research where pathogens are stored, but denied that there were any bioweapons facilities in the country. Tulsi Gabbard, the former presidential candidate and Hawaii congresswoman, has also been questioning U.S. activities in Ukraine, tweeting: 'There are 25+ US-funded biolabs in Ukraine which if breached would release & spread deadly pathogens to US/world. 'We must take action now to prevent disaster. 'US/Russia/Ukraine/NATO/UN/EU must implement a ceasefire now around these labs until they're secured & pathogens destroyed.' Mitt Romney, another former presidential candidate, replied on Twitter: 'Tulsi Gabbard is parroting false Russian propaganda. Her treasonous lies may well cost lives.' Gabbard, an army reservist, hit back, calling on Romney to resign. The 40-year-old on Monday night was a guest on Carlson's show, and doubled down on her statement. Carlson said: 'Tulsi Gabbard addressed and only addressed the danger that innocent people could die because these weapons, apparently these pathogens, these agents, exist in Ukraine. 'She didn't blame him in Russia - she didn't blame anybody. She just said this is a thing. 'Unsecured bio weapons in a war zone are a bad idea. That's not reasonable now? That's treason? 'Reason isn't part of the way people are thinking now. 'Everybody in leadership has completely lost the ability to think beyond the next week. 'Who is thinking about tomorrow or next month or 20 years from now? Not one person. 'And anyone who tries is an agent of Putin.' Gabbard attempted to correct Carlson, and insist she had not referenced bio weapons, as he did Tulsi Gabbard went on Tucker Carlsons show tonight and lamented the fact that journalists keep getting away with talking about the fact that she acts like a Russian asset. She says its a threat to democracy and calls for journalists to be held accountable and exposed. pic.twitter.com/WOYy9k1xvr Caroline Orr Bueno, Ph.D (@RVAwonk) March 15, 2022 Gabbard insisted that she did not reference - as Carlson did - bio weapons. She said she only referenced the labs, but said she was the victim of a smear campaign. 'I think it's important to recognize that facts exist, especially in this case, facts exist and the truth is the first casualty of war. And so this is exactly what we are seeing here,' she said. 'People have a very specific agenda, refusing to recognize the truth, refusing to have a conversation and instead were immediately resorting to their tactics of silence, smear, and anyone who dares to say anything they don't like.' Gabbard is known for courting controversy in foreign affairs. In January 2017 she traveled to Syria to meet Bashar al-Assad, on a visit that was paid for and run by members of a Lebanese socialist-nationalist party that works closely with the Assad regime. She repaid the money later after criticism. On the trip, she met only with the regime-approved 'opposition' who said they were against the rebellion against Assad, and she returned to the U.S. blaming Washington for the civil war in Syria. A Labour frontbencher now leading calls for an inquiry into the peerage given to a Russian-born businessman was previously happy to dine with him. Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper wants an investigation into Evgeny Lebedevs appointment to the Lords. She has demanded that the Commons intelligence and security committee is given the advice Boris Johnson received about the honour, following claims that the intelligence services deemed it a national security risk. Yvette Cooper has led Labour calls for an investigation in peer Evgeny Lebedev But Miss Cooper has had no qualms about meeting Lord Lebedev herself before finding out about the intelligence services concerns. Sources disclosed that she had enjoyed a number of dinners and lunches with him. Miss Cooper also met him during her unsuccessful bid for the Labour leadership in 2015. In addition, she has written 15 articles for his Independent website over the past decade and another five for the Evening Standard, which he also owns. Her most recent piece was published less than a year ago. A brave Chinese-American lawyer once jailed for protesting at Tiananmen has been murdered in his NYC office by a woman cops say had recently been refused help to apply for asylum. Jinjin Li, 66, was stabbed to death in the city where he had long worked as an immigration lawyer on Monday, even as he continued to advocate publicly for the many people jailed or killed by Chinese authorities during the nation's democracy movement. The murder took place on 39th Avenue near 138th St in Flushing, Queen, at about 11.40 a.m., before Li was rushed to Elmhurst Hospital, where he died from wounds to neck and chest later in the same day. An arrest was made in his killing. Police said Xiaoning Zhang, 25, was taken into custody and faces a murder charge and weapon possession. She is said to have attacked Li during a prior visit to his office last week, after the student - who arrived in Los Angeles on an F1 visa last year - was told by Li that he would not help her apply for asylum. Zhang is said to have claimed that she was raped by Beijing police, and that her life was in danger if she was forced to return home. It wasn't immediately clear when she would be arraigned or if she had retained an attorney. Jinjin Li (pictured), 66, who was an immigration lawyer in Queens, was allegedly stabbed by Xiaoning Zhang, 25, after she was upset that he had refused to take on her case Li was murdered at his office on Queens, two days after Zhang had caused a scene at his law practice and fled from police Chuang Chuang Chen, the CEO of the China Democracy Party, and lawyer Wei Zhu, a friend of Li's, both told The New York Daily News that the killing might have stemmed from Li's refusal to take Zhang on as a client due to her possibly having mental health issues. 'He even told the police not to arrest her. "She is young. Let her have a future." He was a great man,' Zhu said. 'He was a free union counsel at Tiananmen. He was arrested and detained for over a year and a half.' Zhang came to the U.S. in August on an F-1 student visa to go to school in Los Angeles, Chen told the Daily News. 'But she didn't attend. She came straight here. She came directly and applied for asylum. She claimed she was raped by police in Beijing who sent her to a mental facility,' he added. Li's friends said that the lawyer, who rarely refused a case, didn't want to help Zhang after she made a scene on Friday during a visit to his office. Police was even called to the scene before she ran away. 'That probably triggered her anger. Today she came with a knife, with the intent to kill him,' Zhu alleged. NYPD officers were seen in front of Zhang's apartment building on Monday evening as they waited for a search warrant to enter, possibly leading to motives behind the murder. 'He was one of the best men I have ever known,' Zhu said of Li, who was studying to become a lawyer at Peking University during the Tiananmen protests. 'If he hadn't left China he could have been a famous lawyer, he could have been a judge.' Li, who also went by the first name Jim, was often quoted in recent years by news organizations looking for insight or commentary on the Chinese dissident community or on relations between China and the West. As an immigration lawyer, he also represented some Chinese expatriates living in the U.S. who were considered fugitives by that country. Prior to his imprisonment for protesting, Li had been a legal adviser to an independent labor union that had challenged China's government on worker rights. 'I can't believe it. She not only destroyed his life, but the hope of our community,' Zhu told the newspaper. 'He wanted to realize democracy in China. He will never realize that dream.' Li was a Tiananmen Square protester back in 1989, and was jailed just days after the June 4th massacre before seeking asylum to come to the U.S. in 1993 Li, whose last message on Instagram was one of support towards freeing Ukraine, took part in the six-week protest movements at Tiananmen Square and on the streets of Beijing in 1989. Back then, he worked as a legal counsel for the Workers Autonomous Federation union. He was arrested just days following the June 4 massacre, when hundreds, if not thousands of innocent protestors were killed in the square and in nearby areas by the Chinese army. As of today, no precise figures have been confirmed by the Chinese Communist Party, and estimates vary from hundreds to several thousands, both military and civilians. As a consequence of hid participation in these protests, Li was jailed for 22 months before moving to the U.S. as an asylum seeker in 1993. A 22-year-old New York woman faces attempted murder charges over claims she duped a Tinder date into coming over to a property where he was tortured while his family was ordered to pay a $100,000 ransom. According to the New York Post, Valerie Rosario, 22, is alleged to have deliberately lured the unsuspecting 24-year-old man over to her apartment for the sadistic plot to be carried out with a group of others. That included putting the victim in the bath where he was sprayed with flammable liquids before being set alight, and tortured with knife blades. Rosario, who lives on Manhattan's Lower East Side with her mom and brother, allegedly set up the honeytrap scheme on Instagram and convinced the 'complete stranger' to come to an address in Marble Hill in The Bronx at 1am on February 7. She allegedly picked out the victim after noticing that he would often flash money on his own personal Instagram account, and suggested they hook-up. But it quickly turned into the date from hell as the man was tied up and gagged while his kidnappers forced him to call his brother to pony up $100,000 in ransom money to secure his release, Manhattan prosecutors allege. Valerie Rosario, 22, allegedly lured a date to an address in the Bronx after noticing a man's profile on Instagram in which he appeared to flash cash, but it was a honeytrap The hookup occurred at 1am on February 7 but within minutes of her 'date' arriving, the man was pistol whipped, bound and gagged by three other men Incredibly, police were able to track him down about 24 hours later, tied up in the back of a van and barely breathing, according to the New York Post. No further updates on his condition have been shared. Prosecutors have described Rosario as a con woman from the Lower East Side and have given details of the harrowing incident which all took place early last month. The man arrived at the address on Marble Hill Avenue in the Bronx. The torture began soon afterwards with one of a group of three men first pistol whipping him, according to court documents seen by the Post. Rosario, together with the men are then alleged to have stripped the man, 'placed him in a bathtub, poured flammable substances on him, and burned him with a flame' all over his body, the charging document states. The victim was also tortured with a knife and struck on his 'legs, back and body,' the court documents detail. 'After multiple hours of torture,' the kidnappers the moved the man to a different location in order for him to make a FaceTime call to his brother later in the afternoon. His sibling was able to see him being cut by a knife, while a demand for ransom money was made by other group members, Assistant District Attorney Andrew Kluger claimed in Manhattan Criminal Court. 'Give us one hundred thousand dollars or we will kill him,' the kidnapper told the man's horrified brother. One of the alleged accomplices, Javier Vargas, was finally tracked down to a Queens address where he was found to be sitting outside in a van. Court papers seen by the Post detail how a knife was also found inside the van. Rosarios has been charged with kidnapping and attempted murder Throughout the night, the man was allegedly subjected to barbaric torture He was placed in a bathtub before being stripped, burned and stabbed while having a flammable liquid thrown over him Rosario is said to live at this Lower East Side residence together with her mother and brother Rosario allegedly worked with at least three other accomplices. The victim was later found in the back of a van in Queens So too was the victim who by now was completely unconscious and 'barely breathing.' He had been 'wrapped in a blanket with tape covering his mouth,' the complaint states. The man was taken to hospital where he was treated for multiple burns and stab wounds on his face, body, back and legs, according to the complaint. In Manhattan Criminal Court Kluger asked that Rosario be held without bail. Judge Soma Syed agreed that given the serious nature of the crime, that Rosario should be remanded in custody. Her defense attorney pleaded that she be released noting that she lived with her mother and brother while working full time in a dentist's office. 'Ms. Rosario denies all the allegations that have been leveled against her,' Defense attorney Raymond Loving said in on Monday. Alongside Rosarios, Vargas and one other of the alleged kidnappers were also charged and remanded in custody with a grand jury hearing scheduled for Tuesday. NYC has seen crime spike in recent years, with new mayor Eric Adams - an ex-cop - vowing to crack down on soaring violence. Felony assaults have rocketed by almost a fifth in a year, with shootings up by 10 per cent, rapes up by a third, robberies up by 43.5 per cent and crime overall spiking by 45.3 per cent. An Australian landlord has been widely praised after refusing to raise her tenant's rent and giving them a free week of housing over Christmas. Sydney lawyer Aleks Nikolic, 26, said she believed it was possible to be a landlord and still provide an 'ethical' service to her tenants. 'I'm a landlord and I don't raise my rent,' she said in a video shared to the social media platform. 'I also gave my tenant a week free over Christmas. 'I'm not telling you this because I think it makes me a great person. I'm not - I just think its possible to be ethical and a landlord.' Sydney lawyer Aleks Nikolic said she refuses to raise her tenant's rent and giving them a free week of housing over Christmas She said landlords had a greater role than most to act responsibly because housing is not an 'optional' service. 'People have to live somewhere - there's an inherent power dynamic society doesn't respond to because landlords don't get punished for providing a poor service,' she said. Many commenters praised Ms Nikolic's stance and called for more landlords to act ethically towards their tenants. 'As a long-term renter, thank you,' one said. 'We need more landlords like you especially in the current market. 'Thank you - finally someone who takes this into consideration,' another wrote. Another landlord said the same approach had led to their tenants staying long term. 'I have five rentals and I always give them a week [rent free] over Christmas. My tenant are long term. Win win,' they said. However some landlords said they had been generous to their tenants, only to be taken advantage of in return. Many commenters praised Ms Nikolic's stance and called for more landlords to act ethically, while other property owners said they had been generous only to be taken advantage of in return 'I'm a landlord too,' one said. 'I have rented to family in tough situations - always charged well below market value - I am yet to have a single good experience.' 'We were just like this,' another wrote. 'Never raised rent and installed air conditioning and more. Now they've started to take advantage of us and pay rent weeks late.' Ms Nikolic previously told FEMAIL how she tackled $3,000 in credit card debt to build a net worth of $180,000. The debt took nine months to repay and made her focus on financial security and stability, which meant finding ways to make her money work for her rather than the other way around. The 26-year-old says investing is one of the keys to making sure you 'supercharge your money' to gain financial stability over time. 'To me, investing was the not-so-secret sauce to how wealthy people became wealthy; they understood that a dollar earned could be multiplied simply by putting the money to work in an investment property, the stock market or a business,' Ms Nikolic said. Ms Nikolic said she believed it was possible 'to be ethical and a landlord'. She purchased her first $300,000 two-bedroom property in Canberra while still living in Sydney Ms Nikolic started investing with just $15 per fortnight, but as her income increased, so did the amount. She started by using the micro-investing app Raiz and now uses Pearler She started investing just $15 per fortnight. As her income increased, so did the amount. Her net worth is calculated by deducting her liabilities from her assets, which include a $105,000 stock portfolio, $350,000 property and savings. Her liabilities are her mortgage and $79,000 HECS debt. Today she invests at least $400 a fortnight - sometimes as much as $1,000 - and hopes to one day be able to afford a house in Sydney. 'I invest predominantly in exchange-traded funds with a few select individual companies. I use Pearler because I automate the entire thing and it comes out of my pay just like a bill,' she said. Before using Pearler, Ms Nikolic was using Raiz - a micro-investing app that's perfect for beginners who can invest as little as $5. In 2019 she also purchased her first $300,000 two-bedroom property in Canberra while still living in Sydney. A woman whose fiance, a billionaire banking heir, was killed in a horrific boating accident in Florida doesn't remember the moment she was accidentally knocked overboard by the ship's captain. Juan Carlos Escotet Alviarez, 31, was maimed by a razor sharp propeller spanning 36 inches when he jumped in the water to save his fiancee, Andrea Montero, during a fishing competition Saturday afternoon. She had been bumped from the boat by the captain when he stumbled while trying to help a boy with a fishing rod. Montero, 30, managed to stay clear of the propellers and avoid serious injury before she was safely pulled from the water. Officials with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) said she hit her head, but it's unclear if that was during her fall or when the boat's crew pulled her back in using a flotation ring. She reportedly does not remember the accident. 'Rough as it was, she couldn't say whether it was when she went over or coming back in. She doesn't remember when it happened,' Officer Jason Rafter, an FWC spokesman, told the Miami Herald on Monday. Her fiance, who is the son of a Spanish-Venezuelan billionaire, hit the propeller immediately upon entering the water and died from his injuries. The Alviarez family has declined to comment on the tragedy. Andrea Montero (left) doesn't remember falling off a fishing boat and into the ocean on Saturday. Officials say she hit her head. Her fiance, Juan Carlos Escotet Alviarez (right), jumped into the water to save her and was maimed by a razor sharp propeller spanning 36 inches. He died from his injuries Alviarez was swept up in the wake of the 60-foot craft's motor about six miles off the shore of Key Largo, according to the FWC report. The banking heir appears to have been a fan of competitive fishing, according to an Instagram page that documented his hobby. Above, Alviarez (center in dark blue shirt) with his fiancee Andrea Montero, 30 (center) The boat had been moving backwards at the time of the accident, indicating that the anglers had been fighting a game fish when Montero fell. Officials are continue to investigate the incident and allege it could be months before the family knows exactly what happened Alviarez was swept up in the wake of the 60-foot craft's motor about six miles off the shore of Key Largo, according to the FWC report. Based on the size of the boat, experts claim the propeller was likely as large as 36 inches in diameter. The couple, scheduled to wed in November, were participating in a fishing tournament hosted by the Ocean Reef Club, a gated community. The boat had been moving backwards at the time of the accident, indicating that the anglers had been fighting a game fish when Montero fell. Officials are continue to investigate the incident and allege it could be months before the family knows exactly what happened. However, fishing professionals told the newspaper that if someone falls while a boat is moving backwards there is a high probability they will hit a propeller. 'If I'm backing down on a fish and someone falls in while the boat is going backwards, there is a real possibility that they are going to end up in the propeller,' Larry Wren, captain of a fishing boat based in Islamorada, said. 'If you fall off, you're under the vehicle. It's a tragedy, but it can happen any day. It's the same as a marlin jumping into the boat and spearing someone. It happens.' The couple, scheduled to wed in November, were participating in a fishing tournament hosted by the Ocean Reef Club, a gated community Alviarez's father, Juan Carlos Escotet, is the founder of Venezuelan bank Banesco and is worth a reported $3.5 billion Alviarez's father, Juan Carlos Escotet, 62, is the founder of Venezuelan bank Banesco and is worth a reported $3.5billion, according to Forbes. The son graduated from the University of Miami and was a member of the board of directors of Banesco USA, the American division headquartered in Miami, according to the company's website. On the company's website, the bank said Alviarez has 'vast experience in real estate development in the Miami area.' Two of his brothers also work for the bank, according to Venezuelan newspaper El Nacional. The banking heir appears to have been a fan of competitive fishing, according to an Instagram page that documented his hobby. In one photo dated January 31, 2021, he appears alongside his fiancee and other friends aboard a boat named Otoro. 'Despite the slow fishing this weekend, we had a great time in the #reefcup as always. Still managed to catch two on Friday and one on Saturday. Came in 6th out of 51 boats and second place on Friday's daily,' he wrote. Alviarez's father, Juan Carlos Escotet, was born in Madrid in 1959 and grew up as one of eight children of Spanish immigrants in Venezuela. He began working full time as a messenger for Banco Union in 1976 at age 17, while he was studying economics at night. 'Banking doesn't run in my family,' Escotet told the magazine Mercado de Republica Dominicana. 'What runs in my family is a lot of education and a lot of perseverance.' Aviarez took to Instagram often to show off his catches and his passion for fishing Aviarez was a graduate of the University of Miami who had 'vast experience in real estate development' in the city, according to his biography on Banesco USA's website Alviarez and his fiancee, scheduled to wed in November, were participating in a fishing tournament hosted by the Ocean Reef Club, a gated community in Key Largo He founded a brokerage firm in 1986, according to Bloomberg, and added banking services in 1991, expanding to Panama the next year. In 2001, he merged his bank with Banco Union, which had employed him in college. Banesco has branches in Venezuela, Spain, the US, Panama, Puerto Rico, Brazil, the Dominican Republic, Colombia, Switzerland, Germany, Portugal, the UK and France. In 2013, Banesco bought the Spanish bank Abanca for $1.3 billion. The self-made billionaire, who lives in Spain, has a master's degree in management from the University of Miami, according to his biography on Abanca's website. He's also in the board of directors of the Spanish Confederation of Savings Banks, or CECA. A heartbroken father is flying home to Australia from a trip to the US after his two children and their mother were found dead in the back seat of a burnt-out car in a suspected murder-suicide. Fire crews were called to John Graham Reserve in Perth's southern suburbs at 11.45am on Monday after reports a Honda Jazz car was on fire. After the flames engulfing the red hatchback were extinguished, police found the bodies of the mother, aged in her 40s, alongside her daughter, 10, and her son, 8. Police on Tuesday said they were now 'certainly looking' at the deaths as a murder-suicide. The family are reported locally to have lived in Perth for five years, where the mother worked as a nurse. Detectives have not completely ruled out other alternatives but said it was 'very, very unlikely there is a third party involved'. The bodies of a mother and her two children were found inside a burnt-out car. Police made the horror discovery after the red hatchback was extinguished Police were called to John Graham Reserve around midday on Monday where the burnt out vehicle was discovered and photographed covered in tarps The children's father is understood to have left for a trip to America on Sunday and is now on his way home after being told the devastating news during a stopover in Doha in Qatar. Police said the family relationship had been 'normal, happy and healthy'. 'The father is in shock,' Major Crime Division Detective Inspector Quentin Flatman said. 'If this could get any worse, that poor man will have to be on a plane alone. 'His reaction was what we would all expect in the circumstances. He is currently on an aircraft coming home so he can look for answers himself.' He added: 'Very sadly the father departed Perth on a planned scheduled trip to see other extended family overseas. We had some difficulty contacting him. 'One of the officers from the Homicide Squad had the unfortunate task of advising him overseas via telephone what had occurred.' Detectives believe the fire was started by someone inside the car, and they say they are at a loss to explain the tragedy. The mother and children were last seen alive in Canning Vale, southern Perth, less than an hour before fire crews arrived at the horrific scene. It has been confirmed a boy and girl were found inside the car, along with their mother Flowers were laid at the scene of the fatal car fire on Tuesday as mourners visited to pay their respects Burn marks are seen etched into the bitumen of the car parking bay at the scene of the fatal care fire Police on Tuesday said they do not believe a third party was involved in the incident 'Any untimely death is absolutely tragic,' added Det Insp Flatman. 'Even more so when we have children involved. 'We've seen that with the repercussions of this being felt throughout Perth and Western Australia.' Shocked witnesses said they heard what they thought were gunshots just before the car erupted into an inferno. But police said there could be other explanations for that than gunfire. 'We suspect that the popping or the gunshot sounds that were heard was the fire consuming the motor vehicle itself,' Det Insp Flatman said. 'There doesn't appear to be anything connected to any firearms.' Fire crews only discovered there were bodies inside the car after they had put the flames out. One bystander revealed: 'I saw really burning big flames and then suddenly came a big sound and flames became bigger also.' Arson squad and homicide detectives have been called in to investigate the incident A man who was in the area around the time of the incident said he heard shots being fired. 'Four shots. Sounded like gunfire. Then there was a pause and then maybe another three shots after that... Then I started waiting [and heard] maybe another five, then the car started burning after,' he told 10 News. Another added: 'I thought this car had caught on fire, I didn't know there was a body or someone was in there.' Photos from the scene showed a large police presence, with the car covered in a tarp. It was later towed away for forensic examination with the bodies still inside. The arson squad has now been called in to assist the investigation, along with Detective Senior Sergeant Cameron Blaine who led last year's hunt for missing toddler Cleo Smith. A horror boarding house fire that killed three people in Sydney's inner city is being treated as a murder investigation. At least three bodies have been uncovered in the rubble while police hold 'serious concerns' for a fourth person following the inferno at the building in Newtown. Police have confirmed they are treating the incident as intentional after finding traces of a flammable liquid at the scene. 'The flames were called extremely quickly. Without going into the scientific evidence so far, it would be fair to say that some type of accelerant has been used,' Assistant Commissioner Peter Cotter said. 'We are treating this as a murder. We are treating this as a maliciously lit fire.' Late on Tuesday afternoon forensics officers dusted a lock and door for fingerprints which are believed to have been one of the access doors to the boarding house, and filled and removed evidence bags from the site. Officers also spent time dusting a silver Prius outside Vajda House which was surrounded by empty beer cans. The car was later towed away. Neighbours woke to the sound of loud explosions around 1am on Tuesday morning and found the two storey boarding home at the intersection of Probert and Albermarle streets well alight. Eight residents managed to escape the burning home before firefighters arrived with an 80-year-old man forced to jump from the second storey, breaking both of his ankles upon impact, Nine News reported. One neighbour reported hearing a 'massive explosion' before he saw a man being dragged out of the burning building with his 'legs on fire'. A fire ripped through a boarding house in inner-Sydney Newtown early Tuesday morning, claiming the life of three residents Pictured are the charred remains of the boarding house in Newtown after it burst into flames Firefighters and investigators remain at the scene following the huge inferno in the early hours of Tuesday morning Police say the man suffered a heart attack after being rushed to hospital and is now in a critical condition. Three residents in total were taken to hospital with various injuries, including smoke inhalation. Police have also not been able to reach the boarding house's owner. 'We know who he is. We have reached out to his a series of addresses in Western Sydney, and as yet, we have not been able to make contact with him,' Assistant Commissioner Cotter said. 'It is a privately owned boarding house, and we would like that gentleman to come forward as a matter of priority, not only to talk to us particularly to talk to us about who was inside and the tenancies.' Pastry chef Mark Warner woke up at 12.45am and 15 minutes later heard a massive explosion before he saw one of his friends being dragged out of the building. 'Ronnie must be in his late 60s or early 70s, he's a lovely old fellow. He was in the middle of Albermarle Street,' Mr Warner told Daily Mail Australia. 'This must have been five minutes after I first heard the explosion. His legs were burning, I guess his trousers were alight.' Pastry chef Mark Warner woke up at 12.45am and 15 minutes later heard a massive explosion before he saw one of his friends being dragged out of the building with his 'legs on fire' Mr Walker described the fire erupting as 'like a giant popping sound, followed by the sound of broken glass and then I heard screaming, all happening in seconds.' From his room in the Carlisle Hotel directly opposite the boarding house Mr Warner looked out and saw one corner of the building's ground floor burst in flames which ran up the building. 'I thought who's done this and I ran downstairs to the road with no shoes on and got glass in my feet. It was just this huge conflagration of flames up the building. 'Back inside I could feel the heat through the glass window. It was so sudden, so sudden.' Mr Walker said he immediately thought of the occupant of one of the ground floor units in the boarding house police had repeatedly attended in recent weeks. 'I never saw the guy, but there was one person in there who's been getting a lot of police attention lately. It bothers the he'll out of me that someone would do it.' Another resident Peter Bouman was sleeping in one of the upstairs rooms of the boarding house when he woke up to the smell of smoke. Police have confirmed they are now treating the incident as a murder investigation The building has been destroyed after the fire which police are treating as suspicious A flammable liquid was found inside the building as detectives investigate The area has been taped off as emergency service crew remain at the scene 'I had enough time to put some pants on, put some shoes on and then the power went out,' he told the Today show. 'I couldn't look for a wallet or anything like that. I was lucky enough to get out through the body of the house but there were bits falling down and there was fire through the house. 'Then I saw an 80-year-old gentleman on the ground, who had to jump out of his window.' Mr Boudman claimed residents have been complaining about electrical problems at the property for several years. The building is understood to be a place of refuge for the homeless, those with mental illness and at times others on parole. Mr Bouman said another resident was blown out of his window from the force of the fire. 'Another guy got thrown out through his bedroom window. The corner of his room was an old shopfront so he got blown out through there,' he told The Daily Telegraph. 'It was a hell of an explosion, even when we were out there on the street it exploded again.' Firefighters arrived to confronting scenes of the boarding house engulfed in intense flames Almost 40 firefighters spent more than two hours battling to extinguish the blaze and managed to stop the blaze from spreading to neighbouring properties. 'Crews were confronted with a very intense fire upon arrival with flames on the first and second storeys,' Fire and Rescue NSW Superintendent Adam Dewberry told Daily Mail Australia. 'Crews entered the building as far as they could but were pushed back by the intensity of the blaze.' Fire crews remain on scene due to a small number of 'hotspots' that still remain. There are also grave concerns for the building structure after the middle storey collapsed onto the lower level. 'It is very unstable,' Superintendent Dewberry said. 'There are some people unaccounted for and that's yet to be determined as the morning unfolds. Being a boarding house we are not too sure who was home, who wasn't home. That will be part of the investigations through today.' Large wooden blocks have reportedly been used to stabilise the building as emergency crews search the top floor. Firefighters (pictured) spent more than two hours trying to extinguish the intense blaze Shocked neighbours recalled waking up in the middle of the night to the sound of a loud bang. 'I just heard a explosion and that was pretty much it,' one man said. 'It looked more than just a normal house burning. It was like gas or something like that. It kept burning like crazy. A number of neighbouring properties were also evacuated with no other reports of injuries. NSW Police have declared the site as a crime scene and are investigating the fatal blaze. As the search continued for a fourth body in the charred wreckage, police dusted cars parked in the streets for fingerprints. The tragedy comes hours after fire ripped a century-old townhouse in inner-city Glebe. Six police officers who entered the burning home to rescue several residents were later taken to hospital suffering from smoke inhalation. All have since been discharged. Eight residents managed to flee the burning property after waking to the smell of smoke Police are requesting help from the public after a pub brawl left a young woman knocked to the ground and two others injured. Footage of the wild fight that took place in a popular pub in Adelaide, South Australia, has been released in an attempt to help identify the culprits. The fight is believed to have started after a verbal altercation upstairs at the Strathmore Hotel, where it then spilled over outside. Senior Constable Samuel Thorpe of the South Australian Police said that 'alcohol was a factor in this incident'. The confronting video shows men wrestling, punching, kicking and putting each other in headlocks. More than one of those involved is seen using a chair as a weapon. A young blonde woman is seen intervening between two groups of men trying to diffuse the violence but is knocked to the ground by a man trying to kick another patron. The woman is seen laying on the pub floor as the fight continues above her. The footage shows a fight at the Strathmore Hotel in Adelaide, South Australia where multiple men are seen punching and kicking, and more than one person using a chair as a weapon Brigid Koenig, an anti-violence campaigner from the Sammy D Foundation, told Nine News Adelaide she was concerned for those who watched the events unfold. 'It's absolutely disgusting, these people are grown individuals and they should know better,' Ms Koenig said. 'There were kids around, there were other bystanders watching this. They'll be impacted by this and will continue to be thinking about it.' The incident, which occurred last November, continues to be actively investigated by police but arrests are yet to be made. A young woman tries to stop the violence but is pulled down by a man trying to kick another patron Police have said that most of the people shown in the video are innocent bystanders but would like to speak to any witnesses who have yet to contact them. They are hoping that the fresh appeal will prompt someone to come forward and identify the main aggressors. Detectives would like to speak to two men who left on foot and caught a taxi from Morphett St to Glenelg after the fight ended. 'Police won't tolerate this kind of behaviour occurring within licensed venues. People have a right to feel safe within these venues in the CBD,' Senior Constable Thorpe said. Anyone with information should call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000. A man and a woman have been charged with sending violent threats to Kristina Keneally on social media, with the senator surprising a Sky News host by revealing she was the victim of the alleged threats. The Australian Federal Police on Tuesday announced a 29-year-old man from Harrington Park in Sydney's west and a 41-year-old woman from Maitland, near Newcastle, had been arrested for allegedly sending threats to an unnamed member of Parliament. Senator Keneally was being interviewed by Sky News' Kieran Gilbert moments after the news broke - and was asked if she'd been briefed about the police investigation. 'Yes I seen that statement and I am aware of that situation,' she said. 'The matter is before the courts and I'll be limited in what I can say. But I can tell you today that Senator is, in fact, me.' Senator Keneally went on to thank the Federal Police for their assistance. The man and woman are expected to face Sydney's Central Local Court in April. The man has been charged with threatening a public official, which carries a maximum penalty of seven years' imprisonment. Meanwhile, the woman has been charged with using a carriage service to menace and harrass, and faces a five-year jail term if found guilty. Families forced out of their homes in the ill-fated Mascot Towers for three long years will be cut off from rental assistance from July. Fair Trading Minister Eleni Petinos said the NSW Government would extend the package for the fifth and final time after supporting residents for three years. The assistance will end on June 30, meaning 132 homeowners have 12 weeks before rental support that cost the state government over $9.5 million is terminated. 'We acknowledge the difficult circumstances the residents of Mascot Towers are facing,' Ms Petinos said. More than 130 families kicked out of their homes in the ill-fated Mascot Towers (pictured) for three long years will be cut off from rental assistance from July Fair Trading Minister Eleni Petinos (pictured) said the NSW Government would extend the package for the fifth and final time after supporting residents for three years 'The NSW Government will be extending the package for a final time, allowing residents to finalise arrangements for alternative accommodation. 'The prior end date of March 31, 2022, was agreed by all stakeholders but we have heard the concerns of some residents and are giving them more time to find the right solution for them by providing them with an additional three months.' Ms Petinos said the government received claims for assistance from 91 owners. With the government support soon to end, desperate owners said they were willing to sign waivers to move back in, despite the serious danger. They include Mascot Towers Owners Corporation chairman Gary Diegan and his wife Marie, who are willing to roll the dice on the building's structural integrity. 'There is every possibility that people will be thinking about moving back in. (But) we don't know if that's allowed. We put all our savings into something we thought was safe,' he told the Daily Telegraph. New cracks were found in the tower's facade as recently as February, with no end in sight to the faulty building's woes. Owners are still unable to go inside almost three years after a building manager found cracks in the basement of the ten-storey tower back in June 16, 2019. Tenants were given four hours to evacuate over fears the building could collapse, after some forked out millions on the luxury units in Sydney's south. In April of last year, dozens of lounge rooms in the troublesome block were still filled with furniture with bedrooms also left untouched and abandoned. Footage from inside the tower showed large cracks in the brickwork. Almost three years ago a building manager found cracks in the basement of the ten-storey tower back in June 16, 2019 (pictured, a tenant carries her personal items from the tower) Tenants were given four hours to evacuate over fears the building could collapse, after some forked out millions on the luxury units in Sydney's south (pictured) A total of 132 families remain locked out and unable to live in, lease, or sell their properties and will soon no longer receive a cent of rental assistance. Attempts to sell the block on land value would see residents suffer a loss of 80 cents on every dollar they spent. A developer previously offered around $42 million to buy Mascot Towers - a pittance of a price that would have countless owners drowning in debt. Several state and federal MP's wrote to Ms Petinos requesting a meeting yet to eventuate with residents reporting feeling 'snubbed' by the minister. Federal MP Matt Thistlethwaite wrote on March 7: 'Mr Lean was in regular contact with the previous Minister Kevin Anderson and Mr Anderson's staff assured Mr Lean that your staff would contact him once you settled into your portfolio.' Before the extension of the package was announced, Labor Better Regulation spokeswoman Courtney Houssos said tenants were being 'dodged' by Ms Petinos. 'We have heard heartbreaking stories of bankruptcies and of families delaying having children because of their losses already sustained,' she said. Many homeowners could soon be declared bankrupt as they are faced with crippling debt and struggle to meet their bank repayments. A total of 132 families remain locked out and unable to live in, lease or sell their properties and will soon no longer receive a cent of rental assistance (pictured, builders at the site) Chair of the owners corporation, Gary Diegan and his wife Marie have been forced to live in rental properties after they bought their Mascot Towers unit outright. On top of rent in the temporary accommodation, the couple have been forced to pay mortgage, water, and council rates at Mascot. 'What we don't understand is how in a first world country like Australia, that the government can't protect us and don't have the regulations in place,' Mr Diegan told A Current Affair in April last year. The owners of Mascot Towers are seeking millions of dollars in damages from a neighbouring developer they allege is responsible for cracks in the complex. That developer claims Mascot Towers was already plagued by structural damage before they started excavation work. Young people commonly think vaping is a healthier alternative to smoking High school students are being warned to consider the dangers of e-cigarettes Teenagers are being warned about the dangers of vapes after research showing young people think vaping is a healthier alternative to smoking cigarettes. NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard launched the anti-vaping campaign after research found 'more and more young people (are) using vapes'. The government and NSW Health are "very concerned about the impact of those vapes on young people's lives, particularly on their lungs", he said on Tuesday. Global research indicates young people commonly think vaping is a healthier alternative to smoking. One in three vapes sold in Australia contain illegal amounts of banned chemicals and may cause dangerous illnesses including 'popcorn lung' Banned levels of ingredients linked to harmful lung diseases such as 'popcorn lung' have been found in nearly a third of vapes sold in Australia. The Therapeutic Goods Administration found 31 per cent of the 214 e-cigarettes it analysed had chemical concentrations that exceeded the legal limit. Those substances included the additives vitamin E acetate and diacetyl, which is widely linked to a rare condition called bronchiolitis obliterans that damages the small airways in the lungs. The disease is nicknamed 'popcorn lung' because diacetyl used to be added to microwave popcorn as a food colouring. Pictured is an X-ray scan showing the effects of 'popcorn lung' - which has been widely linked to vaping The TGA also found all 190 nicotine vape products it tested broke new labelling rules designed to warn customers of the potential dangers. A spokesman for the government body said the banned ingredients were known to cause lung damage in the form of bronchiolitis obliterans and EVALI. 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 vitamin E acetate. Federal legislation introduced last October imposed minimum safety standards for nicotine vapes imported from overseas and made warning labels mandatory. The law also made it illegal to purchase nicotine vapes without a prescription. The new laws are set to curb the risk of nicotine vaping uptake in young adults, while also allowing current smokers to access the products for smoking cessation, according to the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA). There are still two ways prescription holders can obtain nicotine vaping products in Australia; from a pharmacy or importing from overseas websites. Prescriptions can only be written by one of 80 authorised prescribers, or by a doctor with approval under the TGA's Special Access Scheme B. An authorised prescriber of nicotine vaping products must be a GP who is registered with the Therapeutic Goods Administration. Despite disapproval from vaping advocates, the new laws are being supported by The Australian Council on Smoking and Health (ACOSH). 'ACOSH strongly supports any measure that will effectively stem the flow of illegal disposable e-cigarettes into Australia that are being used by an increasing number of children and teenagers,' said Chief Executive Maurice Swanson. 'There is growing concern about the use of e-cigarettes among children and teenagers.' Advertisement Research indicates young people commonly think vaping is a healthier alternative to smoking Mr Hazzard said vaping damaged adult lungs and caused more concern for developing lungs in teenagers and children. The minister told a parliamentary hearing last week the thought of kids picking up the habit was 'atrocious'. The Get The Facts - Vaping Toolkit targets and students aged 14 to 17 and provides resources for teachers, parents and carers to start conversations about the dangers of vaping. 'We know that amongst many young people, e-cigarettes or vapes have been considered safe and certainly safer than cigarettes,' NSW Acting Chief Health Officer Marianne Gale said. The combination of having a sweet or fruity flavour, being in attractive packaging and their 'vapour' often perceived as water, people often consider vapes harmless. 'It's very important that young people and families understand e-cigarettes are not safe,' Dr Gale said. 'Evidence (and) experts tell us now is that these products are not safe and there are a range of health harms that are associated with vaping.' Vaping in young people can cause acute effects including heart palpitations, chest pain and irritation to the throat and lungs. Vapes can also contain nicotine and be highly addictive. Nicotine has severe negative impacts on the developing brain, as well as affecting memory, mood and mental health. A variety of dangerous additives were also found in vapes including nail polish, insect spray and detergents, Dr Gale said. A person who vapes is three times more likely to become a smoker. Vaping has exploded in popularity in recent years - particularly among young Australians - as it doesn't carry the same stigma and price tag as cigarettes. Chinese-made vapes can be bought for as little as $20 at most convenience stores and tobacconists compared to a packet of cigarettes for $50. Experts say vaping can be particularly damaging for young people because it damages DNA, promotes tumours and can cause a number of respiratory issues. A study conducted by the Australian Drug and Alcohol Foundation found 20 per cent of non-smokers had tried vapes and two thirds who smoked cigarettes were also using the disposable devices. The alarming stats come despite a study showing vapes can contain paint, disinfectant, crude oil and even a drug used to kill fish. The findings come from an investigation into the contents of 50 over-the-counter vapes done by Curtin University. More than half of the vapes tested contained chemicals toxic to humans if repeatedly inhaled and some were linked to lung cancer. The study found the liquids used in 50 vapes bought without prescription included eugenol - which is used to euthanise fish - petroleum, household disinfectant, cosmetics and paint. Many have completely 'unknown effects on respiratory health'. The sale of nicotine-based e-cigarettes was banned in every Australian state from October 1 last year, with people only able to purchase the vapes if they have a doctor's prescription. But vape vendors are sidestepping the ban by selling the disposable devices on the black market. The Idaho Idaho House of Representatives has become the first state to pass an anti-abortion law based on Texas's 'heartbeat' ban on terminations after six weeks. It was approved by the state's lower chamber by a 51-14 majority on Monday, having previously been passed by the Idaho senate, and is now headed to Republican Governor Brad Little's desk to be signed. Now, the legislation makes its way to Republican Governor Brad Little's desk, having already been passed by the Idaho Senate. The Idaho bill, like its Texas counterpart, will enforce the abortion ban by allowing individuals to sue people who reportedly performed these kind of illegal abortions. In Idaho, only relatives of the woman who has the termination can sue - but in Texas, anyone at all can file a lawsuit against a physician suspected of breaching the ban. Like the original Texas law, the Idaho bill does have notable exceptions from the ban, including rape, incest and medical emergencies. Scroll down for video The Idaho House of Representatives vote to approve a Texas-styled bill banning abortions after six weeks of pregnancy by allowing family to sue a doctor who performs one on Monday Idaho Gov. Brad Little speaks as President Joe Biden visits to the National Interagency Fire Center, Monday, September 13, 2021, in Boise, Idaho The proposed law would allow the grandparents, father, siblings, aunts and uncles of an aborted unborn baby to sue an abortion provider within four years of the abortion for a minimum of $20,000 in damages, according to Fox News. Critics of the bill are calling the law unconstitutional, while adding that some women do not know they are pregnant until after six weeks. Governor Little signed separate legislation last year that banned abortion once a fetal heartbeat is detected. However, that law is currently still awaiting a federal court ruling on the matter. Pictured: PP Alliance activists post a photo on March 11, 2022: 'We're here at the Idaho State Capitol telling legislators to keep #BansOffOurBodies' Planned Parenthood in Meridian, one of the few clinics in Idaho that offer abortions. Abortion access could become even more limited in the state, depending on a Supreme Court decision And in late 2021, the Supreme Court ruled in favor allowing a lawsuit to proceed by abortion providers against the Texas abortion law. They did so in spite of arguments made by Texas that argued the law was written in a way that would only allow parties to sue against the law only until it began to be enforced. 'The Court concludes that the petitioners may pursue a pre-enforcement challenge against certain of the named defendants but not others,' the court, led by Justice Neil Gorsuch, said. The court's ruling, which did not offer a verdict on the bill's constitutionality, instead allowed the law to remain in place as such legal challenges are sorted. Meanwhile, Republican lawmakers in at least a dozen other states have introduced similar laws, also modeled after the Texas abortion law. Besides Idaho, eleven other states have proposed heartbeat bills since 2018; such bills have passed including bills in Ohio, Georgia, Louisiana, Missouri, Alabama, Kentucky, South Carolina, and Texas, most of which lie either partly or entirely in the so-called Bible Belt whose population leans heavily against abortion. Sydney commuters could receive free train travel on a Friday for a year as part of a deal with union officials to stop more industrial action, the NSW transport minister has suggested. The Rail, Tram and Bus Union on Tuesday said it wanted the state government to offer 'fare free Fridays' every week until June to breathe life into the Sydney CBD. 'If they don't do that we're going to take industrial action that will force them to,' NSW Rail, Tram and Bus Union secretary Alex Claassens said. NSW Transport Minister David Elliott said the government was willing to offer that incentive for a year in return for the rail union promising not to strike for at least 12 months. The threat comes as both the RTBU and the Electrical slow or refuse to carry out critical maintenance on the Sydney Trains network after last week's storm damage. Pictured: Commuters on a Parramatta, Sydney train platform last week as flooding left schedule boards blank and caused long delays. Sydney commuters could soon receive free train travel on a Friday for a year as part of a deal with union officials to stop industrial action Pictured: Central Station during storm delays last November. NSW Transport Minister David Elliott said the government was willing to offer that incentive for a year if rail union stopped industrial action for a year Commuters have been told to expect delays or service cancellations this week, with some trains told to slow down and travel at speeds no faster than 40kmph. The Electrical Trades Union has notified Sydney Trains it will be slowing critical maintenance and repair work. Certain maintenance jobs will be off-limits for workers. The RTBU has also refused to do the work in solidarity. While it's not expected to cause immediate disruption, there are warnings it could bring delays to the network if action is prolonged. Sydney Trains chief executive Matt Longland said the ongoing industrial action would mean the 'network will eventually suffer'. 'There will be a point where equipment, such as substations, overhead wiring and track points cannot continue to be used if those maintenance activities have not been performed,' he told Daily Telegraph. 'If the bans continue indefinitely, this could progressively result in safety issues on the rail network and growing portions of the network unable to be operated.' Sydney commuters are being told to expect more delays and gaps in service and cancellations (pictured, large crowds formed at Erskineville on Saturday) Transport Minister David Elliott said discussions between industry groups was ongoing (pictured, crowd of commuters waiting for a train over the weekend) 'At this time we are not expecting any service impacts for our customers next week.' Mr Elliott said discussions between industry groups was ongoing. 'I will continue to meet with (the ETU) but I can't help being suspicious about the motives as we approach two elections,' he said. Commuters were told last week to steer clear of train travel as flood damage impacted the rail network. Unprecedented rainfall in the Harbour City sparked major delays while flooding on the tracks prompted some trains to travel slower than normal. The NSW Government said flooding, landslide and trees on tracks were the main contributors to the delays. Australians are spending even more money on illegal drugs than they have before, with users paying a total of $10billion on illicit substances in the last recorded year. A new report by the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission (ACIC) has found cocaine and methylamphetamine use slid in 2020-21 - largely due to Covid lockdowns. But heroin and cannabis use spiked over that period, the fifth National Wastewater Drug Monitoring report said. Australians are spending more money on illicit drugs than they have before, with users paying at least $10billion for illegal substances in the previous recorded year The report, backed by two leading universities, details how Aussies consumed a total of 15.7 tonnes of methylamphetamine, cocaine, MDMA and heroin over a year. ACIC Chief Executive Officer Michael Phelan APM confirmed that the estimated street value of the four drugs based on the consumption across the country came to $10.3billion over that time period. While there has been a decrease in overall consumption of the four major drugs, there has been a drastic increase in the estimated value largely to due significant increases in street prices. 'We saw the second lowest annual consumption of the four major drugs since our national wastewater drug monitoring program began, yet the second highest spending by Australians over the same period,' said Mr Phelan. 'It is clear that Australians are prepared to pay top dollar to line the pockets of organised criminals, generating significant health and other harms to our community.' The report, backed by two leading universities, details how Aussies consumed a total of 15.7 tonnes of methylamphetamine, cocaine, MDMA and heroin over a year ACIC Chief Executive Officer Michael Phelan APM confirmed that the estimated street value of the four drugs based on the consumption across the country came to $10.3billion over that time period Out of the four major drugs, methylamphetamine was the dominant substance of choice - far ahead of the likes of cocaine. Meth accounted for 77 per cent of overall drug expenditure. Michael Phelan states that the wastewater system of research ACIC has conducted in conjunction with the universities had provided valuable findings. 'Through wastewater analysis we gain insight into the serious and organised crime groups that supply illicit drug markets,' he continued. 'Regular and near-real-time wastewater reporting enables the ACIC and our partners to detect and respond to increasing drug threats in a timely way and monitor the impact of responses.' The most recent report said the national drug consumption of methylamphetamine, cocaine, MDMA and heroin has decreased across the nation over the past year - compared to the four previous reports that saw consistent increases. Heroin and cannabis use spiked in the latest report - the only drugs to see an increase in consumption from 2020 to 2021 Out of the four major drugs, methylamphetamine was the dominant substance of choice - far ahead of the likes of cocaine. Meth accounted for 77 per cent of overall drug expenditure Drug use fell by approximately 4.7 tonnes from the previous year's figures, which equates to a 23 per cent decrease in consumption. This significant decrease has been largely attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic and strict state and territory border closures over the past two years. 'The restrictions put in place as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, severely constrained these markets. However, organised crime groups continued to find ways to supply illicit drug markets during the pandemic and to generate significant illicit revenue through this activity,' Mr Phelan added. The ACUC report represents Australia's drug consumption for 12 substances. It covered a sample of 57 per cent of Australia's population - about 13.3 million Australians. A woman is fighting for life with severe burns after her husband allegedly set his home on fire while she and at least one of their six children was inside. Rowland Griffiths, 38, allegedly ignited a flammable liquid at his house on Sutherland Street in the western Melbourne suburb of Albanvale on Monday afternoon. Daily Mail Australia can reveal his wife Kylie Griffiths, 36, remains in a critical condition after sustaining burns to 90 per cent of her body. She had fled from the burning house still alight before falling into a heap. Rowland Griffiths, 38, (pictured with Kylie on their wedding day) bragged on social media that he had spent time behind bars Damage is seen at the Sutherland Street home in Albanvale which was allegedly set fire to on Monday afternoon Mrs Griffiths was taken to The Alfred Hospital where she continues to fight for her life. Her 17-year-old daughter was taken to the Royal Children's Hospital, where she remains in a stable condition. Griffiths was taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries under police guard. A neighbour, who wished not to be named, told Daily Mail Australia he had often heard Griffiths' voice emanating from the home. 'He talks a lot. He yells a lot,' he said. 'He normally kept to himself. He didn't really speak to anyone besides his family.' On Tuesday afternoon, Mrs Griffith's father Tony Sheahan returned to the scene of the blaze. Neighbours have told Daily Mail Australia Griffiths' voice could often be heard emanating from the home Kylie Griffiths, 36, remains in a critical condition after sustaining burns to 90 percent of her body Rowland Griffiths, 38, is under police guard in a Melbourne hospital after a house fire in the suburb of Albanvale Mr Sheahan told Daily Mail Australia he remained in the dark about what had happened leading up to the fire. 'We don't know what happened apart from what we've read on the news. That's all we could get,' he said. Mr Sheahan said he was clinging to hope his daughter would survive. 'She's stable at the moment. She's got 90 per cent burns and we just have our fingers crossed,' he said. 'She's lucky because they said her tract didn't get much of the smoke so it's very minor damage internally to her airwaves. It's just her outside, which is pretty bad... if she survives it's going to take a very long time to recover.' Mr Sheahan said he knew little about his daughter's husband. The Sutherland Street home in Albanvale, Melbourne, which was allegedly set fire to on Monday The house was close to collapse of Tuesday after fire tore it apart on Monday 'When I met him he was alright. He was nice and polite to me and he's always been family orientated,' he said. 'This is so traumatic it's not funny.' It is understood Griffiths had previously spent time behind bars. The family's children remain in the care of their grandmother, with Mrs Griffith's previous partners expected to return to Melbourne in the coming days. 'There are three different fathers, one of them lives in Adelaide and I'm not too sure where the other two are,' Mr Sheahan said. On Tuesday, the scattered remains of the family's life lay strewn across the front lawn of their home, which appears close to collapse. A window of the house was smashed open, with everything in the front room seeming to be burnt. Children's toys remain scattered outside the home of the Albanvale fire The Sutherland Street home in Albanvale, Melbourne, which was allegedly set fire to on Monday Toys and a helmet were stacked on top of a worn-down cupboard sitting on the front porch Much of the roof, particularly at the back, had fallen in and parts of the front yard grass were burnt. It took 26 firefighters about a half hour to bring the blaze under control, a spokesman for Fire and Rescue Victoria said. Detectives remained on the scene, with forensic officers seen leaving the blackened home just before 4pm. A day earlier, neighbours had heard the home erupt in flames with a loud 'bang'. It is understood police will allege Griffiths - a keen motorcyclist - used petrol to light the devastating fire. A witness told Daily Mail Australia Mrs Griffiths had only expressed concern for others after running from the house on fire. 'She was coherent, she was alert and she was speaking to us. She was just worried about her kids and worried about her dogs,' the witness said. Pictured: The charred remains of the inside of the fire-gutted Albanvale home on Tuesday Scott Morrison hinted Australia could be playing host to foreign nuclear powered submarines before our navy gets its own. The prime minister announced on Tuesday the federal government will hold a study to decide what infrastructure needs to be built on WA's coast to support nuclear submarines from the US and UK as part of the AUKUS pact. AUKUS was a pact made between Australia, the United States, and United Kingdom on September 15, 2021, that will see the US and UK help Australia build eight nuclear powered submarines by 2040. A report from the Australian Strategic Policy Institute said the creation of these submarines could cost as much as $171billion. Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced the federal government will look to build nuclear submarine infrastructure on Australia's west coast Mr Morrison said the study would be conducted by the department of defence to determine what extra services would be needed to support the nuclear vessels. 'We expect the results of that work to come back later this year, and to get moving as quickly as possible,' he said. 'The ability of US and UK nuclear-powered submarines to be here on the west coast is all part of what our plan is as we continue to push forward our AUKUS partnership.' Mr Morrison told reporters on Tuesday that the infrastructure on the east and west coast is 'incredibly important for how we defend our nation' On Tuesday Mr Morrison visited ASC in Henderson, Perth, which is responsible for building Australian submarines. The government has already committed to building a new nuclear-submarine base on Australia's east coast, with a final location set to be announced after the election. It comes as the coalition announced it would commit $4.3 billion for a new dry dock facility in Perth's south, ahead of the upcoming federal budget. It's expected the project would support 2,000 direct jobs when it's built, and 500 during the peak of construction. The planned submarine infrastructure is part of the AUKUS agreement which will see the US and UK help Australia to build eight nuclear marines It will be the country's second dry dock used to build and maintain large ships. The prime minister said construction was expected to start in 2023. 'This work will ensure we can maintain our sovereignty, our flexibility and offer long-term value for money outcomes for the Australian public,' he said. 'The integration between what happens on our west coast and our east coast is incredibly important for how we defend our nation.' On Tuesday Mr Morrison visited ASC in Henderson, Perth, which is responsible for building Australian submarines On his visit to ASC Mr Morrison remained tight-lipped on whether a cut in the fuel excise was being considered for the federal budget Mr Morrison remained tight-lipped on whether a cut in the fuel excise was being considered for the federal budget, as petrol prices soar above $2 a litre at the bowser. He said the government was conscious of the fact rising petrol prices were impacting on the cost of living. 'All Australians understand that is being caused by the terrible war we are seeing in Europe and the invasion of Russia into Ukraine,' he said. He also declined to state whether a cut in the excise on beer was also being a considered as a budget measure. Labor frontbencher Jason Clare said cost of living pressures were present before Russia invaded Ukraine. 'Childcare has jumped by $800 a year rent has jumped by $2000 a year,' he said. 'Suddenly you've got the government working out that people are struggling, 50 days before people start to vote.' Criminal legal aid lawyers have been offered the 'biggest pay boost in a decade' after barristers threatened to bring courts grinding to a halt with a strike. Up to an extra 135million will be spent on the sector every year to match recommendations by Sir Christopher Bellamy QC, who carried out a review of the system, according to the Ministry of Justice (MoJ). The pay rise comes as part of a pledge to make the system 'fit for the 21st century' and ensure professionals are 'better paid for the work they actually carry out and help free up capacity in courts', the department said. A total 94 per cent of 1,908 Criminal Bar Association (CBA) members had voted for a 'no returns' policy - where barristers refuse to accept cases that colleagues are unable to attend - from April 11, in results published on Sunday. The plans will also mean that, for the first time, no-one aged under 18 involved in criminal or civil cases and requiring representation will have to pay for a lawyer. This will also apply for parents challenging doctors over the withdrawal of a child's life support under the 'wide-ranging reforms' unveiled by the MoJ. The pay rise comes as part of a pledge to make the system 'fit for the 21st century' and ensure professionals are 'better paid for the work they actually carry out and help free up capacity in courts', the Ministry of Justice said (file photo) Proposed changes to a means-testing threshold will see 'millions more' have access to representation when they cannot afford to pay for legal advice, the MoJ said. Mark Fenhalls QC, chairman of the Bar Council, said some of the plans will 'help the most vulnerable have access to justice' and welcomed the promise to 'inject urgently needed money into the legal aid system'. He added: 'The challenges faced by the criminal justice system result from decades of underinvestment and will take years to repair, but this announcement will help start to rebuild a criminal justice system that the public wants and deserves.' Law Society of England and Wales president I Stephanie Boyce described the plans to increase some rates for lawyers as a 'relief', adding: 'This investment represents a welcome first step towards repairing our criminal justice system.' But Jo Sidhu QC, chairman of the Criminal Bar Association (CBA), said members had made it 'absolutely clear that without a substantial increase in criminal legal aid fees, the alarming exodus of prosecutors and defenders from criminal work will continue if not accelerate'. He said the increase in fees suggested by Sir Christopher 'will not be sufficient to retain enough criminal barristers to keep the wheels of justice turning and that means victims will be failed'. Raising income and capital thresholds for legal aid could mean more than two million extra people in England and Wales will have access to civil legal aid and 3.5 million more can access criminal legal aid at magistrates' courts, according to MoJ estimates. The changes also mean families will not have to pay for legal representation at inquests into the death of a loved one 'where there has been a potential breach of human rights'. Up to an extra 135million will be spent on the sector every year to match recommendations by Sir Christopher Bellamy QC (pictured), who carried out a review of the system Domestic abuse victims disputing house ownership 'will particularly benefit from our proposal that disputed assets will not count towards their wealth', the department added. The financial cap on eligibility for defendants in crown courts, which has 'forced some innocent people to pay their own legal costs despite being acquitted', will also be scrapped, the MoJ said. Deborah Coles, director of the charity Inquest, said the changes, which will help bereaved families following years of campaigning, mark a 'huge step forward' and will make the process fairer. But she warned the plan 'falls short' of making sure families at all inquests where the state is represented or involved are 'publicly funded for their legal representation', adding: 'Only then will bereaved people have the access to justice and greater equality of arms that is required.' Justice Secretary Dominic Raab said: 'We owe our whole legal profession - solicitors, barristers, court staff and judiciary - a debt of gratitude for keeping the wheels of justice turning over the last two years. 'That's why we are accepting Sir Christopher Bellamy's recommendation for an uplift in fees and a total of 135 million extra investment to ensure legal representation is there for those who most need it as we build back a stronger and fairer society after the pandemic.' Advertisement More than 300 migrants including small babies are believed to have crossed the Channel in what could be the busiest day so far this year for asylum seeker crossings. With calmer seas and 60F temperatures mitigating some of the dangers of the perilous crossing, around 105 people are believed to have reached the UK in three boats by 9am. They were followed by a further three groups of which the last landed at Dungeness, Kent around 11am before being escorted up the beach by officials. Men were seen leaning against the railings ahead of disembarking while Border Force officers cradled multiple young infants and helped women up the gangway. One man was seen taking a selfie as he reached dry land. Around 40 people wrapped in blankets, hats and scarves were the first to be brought into Dover Marina on the back of a lifeboat at 2.30am, according to eyewitness estimates. Another 25 then arrived on the RNLI's 13-12 lifeboat Casandra at 7.30am, with Border Force cutter Hunter rescuing a further 40 and bringing them to harbour shortly after 9am. They follow 25 people draped in blankets who were brought to shore on board large Border Force vessel Seeker shortly before 5pm on Monday. Onlooking monitoring activity in the Dover Strait off the Kent coast estimate at least 300 people have made the journey in eight boats today. If confirmed by the Home Office, it would be the highest total in a single day this year. The previous record high this year came on January 13 when 271 migrants arrived in 10 boats. So far in March, a total of 755 migrants have arrived in 25 boats, and 2022 has seen 2,239 reach the UK in 76 boats to date. At least 60 migrants reached the UK by small boats on March 3 with 230 making the perilous crossing on the previous day. They were the first since 132 people were picked up in the Channel during freezing conditions on February 26 - the second of two incidents reported for the whole month of February. Heavy winds and storms throughout last month temporarily prevented crossings due to the dangerous waters of the channel. But numbers have increased once again as temperatures are forecast to hit up to 60F (16C) in the South East today, while light winds are set to bring calmer sea conditions. More than 200 people wrapped in blankets, hats and scarves were rescued by Border Force and the RNLI this morning. Pictured: a group are seen onboard RNLI Dungeness Lifeboat today A child is seen being carried as migrants arrive on three boats at Dover today before disembarking at Tug Haven for checks and processing Around 30 migrants are seen on an RNLI lifeboat at around 4am this morning after making the treacherous Channel crossing A group of people thought to be migrants are brought in to Dungeness, Kent, by the RNLI following a small boat incident in the Channel A man carries a child ashore after being brought in to Dungeness, Kent, by the RNLI after making the Channel crossing A man can be seen with his arm in a sling after a group of migrants were picked up by Dungeness Lifeboat early this morning at approximately 4am This morning's first group, which consisted predominantly of men, huddled together on the hull before being escorted up the gangway.. The second group wore red lifejackets as they disembarked to be processed by Immigration Enforcement. A young family including a mother carrying her daughter wearing a pink coat and her son aged around 10 were among them. The Home Office is yet to confirm exactly how many people have been intercepted making the treacherous trip today. Meanwhile, HM Coastguard confirmed it had been coordinating a search and rescue response to an incident involving small boats off Kent, working with Border Force and other partners. A spokesperson said: 'We sent Dungeness and Dover RNLI lifeboats as well as the fixed wing aircraft. 'HM Coastguard will continue to safeguard life around the seas and coastal areas of the UK, working with search and rescue resources in the area. 'If a vessel needs search and rescue assistance, HM Coastguard will continue to respond and rescue those in danger.' Home Office officials have warned this year could see more than 65,000 people arrive in the UK by small boat. Minister for Justice and Tackling Illegal Migration, Tom Pursglove MP, said: 'The rise in dangerous Channel crossings is unacceptable. 'Not only are they an overt abuse of our immigration laws but they also impact on the UK taxpayer and they risk lives. Rightly, the British public has had enough. 'Through our Nationality and Borders Bill, we're cracking down on people smugglers and fixing the broken system by making it a criminal offence to knowingly arrive in the UK illegally and introducing a maximum sentence of life imprisonment for those who facilitate illegal entry into the country.' The latest arrival comes after 21 migrants dived off a yacht into a river after its sailor ran it aground during low tide on February 12. The group capsized the 20ft vessel when they rushed to one side to see why they had stopped moving, toppling it over in the water. A group of around 40 migrants are brought into Dungeness by the RNLI after being picked up in the Channel this morning It comes after at least 60 migrants reached the UK by small boats on March 3 with 230 making the perilous crossing on the previous day. Pictured: a second boat of migrants picked up by the Dungeness Lifeboat today One person waves towards the camera as a group is brought into Dover by the RNLI Dungeness lifeboat early this morning One man makes a peace signal as he is brought into Dover By RNLI Dungeness lifeboat after being picked up in the Channel Today's arrivals were picked up by the RNLI while making the treacherous Channel crossing from France to Dover They got stuck near the bank in Rye Harbour in East Sussex at around 1pm after sailing the boat across the Channel and up the river. Footage, shared with MailOnline, showed people desperately swimming towards a nearby dinghy that was deployed from the yacht. Some of the people were forced to leap into the water as the yacht slowly tipped over and capsized when too many grouped on one side. At least one man could be seen swimming through the water with an orange life jacket towards the dinghy. Footage taken later in the evening showed the boat after it had been re-floated by responders from the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI). Official figures released for the first time yesterday showed 28,526 people arrived in the UK after crossing the Channel in small boats last year - more than 95 times higher than in 2018. A man gives a thumbs up as he is brought into the Port of Dover by a Border Force agent after being rescued while crossing the Channel on Tuesday Migrants are brought into the Port of Dover onboard by Border Force agents, after being rescued while crossing the Channel A woman is seen being escorted by a UK official. The Home Office has been reportedly trying to strike deals with countries to allow Britain to process asylum claims abroad in order to deter Channel crossings A person disembarks at Tug Haven for checks and processing. There were 48,540 asylum applications - relating to 56,495 people - in the UK in 2021, up 63 per cent on the previous year and the highest for a calendar year since 2003 The Home Office statistics were higher than previously thought and compare with 8,466 people crossing the Channel in 2020, 1,843 in 2019 and just 299 in 2018. Home Office officials have warned that this year could see more than 65,000 people arrive in the UK by small boat. Numbers arriving in the UK reached their highest peak in November 2021, when 6,971 small boats arrived in a single month. November 27 also saw the greatest loss of life in the migrant crisis when 27 people tragically drowned in the English Channel after their dinghy collapsed, including seven women and three children. Despite highlighting the dangers of crossing the 21-mile Dover Strait in unsuitable craft, migrants continued to arrive in high numbers throughout December. They follow 25 people draped in blankets (pictured above) who were brought to shore on board large Border Force vessel Seeker shortly before 5pm on Monday A group of migrants are seen being brought into Dover by Border Force Seeker during fairly calm conditions on Monday So far in March, a total of 755 migrants have arrived in 25 boats, and 2022 has seen 2,239 reach the UK in 76 boats to date. Pictured: a group of migrants bring brought into Dover yesterday The number of asylum claims made in the UK has also climbed to its highest in nearly two decades, while the backlog of cases waiting to be determined continues to soar. There were 48,540 asylum applications - relating to 56,495 people - in the UK in 2021, up 63 per cent on the previous year and the highest for a calendar year since 2003. Home Secretary Priti Patel has pledged to end people smuggling across the English Channel with the Nationality and Borders Bill which has passed through the Commons and is in its third reading at the House of Lords. The bill will stop and divert dinghies suspected of carrying illegal migrants to the UK and return them to where their sea journey to the UK began, subject to agreement with other countries. The Home Office has been reportedly trying to strike deals with countries to allow Britain to process asylum claims abroad in order to deter Channel crossings. MailOnline has contacted the Home Office and Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) for comment. Excavators and a dump truck work on cleared land in a Papuan forest, Indonesia, in June 2021 for PT PNMP's business to collect wood to produce chips for papermaking. Courtesy of Solution for Our Climate Korea's second-largest paper manufacturer held responsible by activists By Ko Dong-hwan Moorim Paper, Korea's second-largest pulp and paper manufacturer, claims on its website that it "thinks of the environment" by not using wood that comes from illegal deforestation or was genetically modified. It also claims it is the first paper manufacturer in Korea that acquired the Forest Stewardship Council's Chain of Custody (FSC-CoC) certification, which, according to the international organization, assures that products originate from well-managed forests, controlled sources, or reclaimed materials. But according to a report by environmental activists in Korea and Indonesia that was released March 15, the company based in Seoul's Gangnam District has been lying. Using its subsidiary firm PT Plasma Nutfah Marind Papua (PT PNMP) in Indonesia, Moorim has been clearing more than 6,000 hectares of pristine forests in the remote province of Papua between 2015 and 2021 to produce wood chips for papermaking without having performed a proper environmental impact analysis prior to clearing the land. Environmental Paper Network (EPN), a coalition of over 150 global NGOs for forest protection, environmental groups in Indonesia Mighty Earth, Pusaka Foundation and Korea Solution for Our Climate (SFOC), Korean Federation for Environmental Movement (KFEM) as well as Korean lawyers' activist group Advocates for Public Interest Law (APIL) jointly worked on the report. The report is titled "Trashing the last rainforest: how Papua treasures are being dumped into the wastepaper bin." The report claimed PT PNMP deforested a key biodiversity hotspot, which is home to 40 mammals, 30 reptiles and 130 fish species featured on the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of Threatened Species. The area is also identified as place where forests, swamps and savannas merge "in a unique and fragile ecosystem characterized by alluvial dynamics." The company also devastated sago palm groves, fishing ponds and hunting grounds in areas that have been the customary land for many local traditional clans in Papua, the coalition group argued. Sacred sites for indigenous people of the clans have also been bulldozed. "Local people must now walk a considerable distance to find food," the report said. A patch of deforested land in Papua, Indonesia, in June 2021 / Courtesy of Solution for Our Climate Franky Samperante, the executive director of Pusaka Foundation, said Moorim's failure?to respect the rights of indigenous people has caused socio-economic, cultural and environmental losses. "Indigenous people are already facing difficulties in meeting their needs for quality food and water, livelihood and harmony, all of which cannot be replaced with unjust compensation," Samperante said in a joint statement released Tuesday by the coalition group. "The Korean government must provide sanctions for alleged violations of the company." Sergio Baffoni of the EPN said in the statement that paper is sold globally as an eco-friendly plastic substitute, yet it is still coming from deforestation and abuse of indigenous peoples' rights. "We cannot sacrifice the last paradises of the planet for products that end up in the trash bin within a few hours after their first use," Baffoni said. The report added Moorim consistently failed to produce prior assessments of what could be at risk once the deforestation began, including the indigenous people's sacred sites, biodiversity hotspots, sago groves and carbon-absorbing peatlands. The coalition group demanded Moorim commit to an immediate moratorium that will halt PT PNMP from further clearing of the Indonesian forests, followed by a thorough analysis of the area's environmental and social values at risk. They demanded the company to adopt and implement a "no deforestation, no peat, no exploitation" (NDPE) policy and a "high conservation value-high carbon stock assessment" (HCV-HCSA), and restore the areas that have been deforested. They also urged the FSC to investigate the matter to maintain the integrity of the organization's certification. Annisa Rahmawati, an advocate for Indonesian campaigns from Mighty Earth, said the report has revealed how a company like Moorim has continued to trash rainforests in Indonesia while hiding behind the FSC green forestry label. "The FSC must take swift action against any such company that violates its standards, otherwise the FSC label is just greenwash," Rahmawati said. Activists from Tuesday's joint street protest by Solution for Our Climate, Korean Federation for Environmental Movement, and Advocates for Public Interest Law fly origami planes from the steps inside Sejong Center for the Performing Arts in Seoul's Jongno District, March 15. Courtesy of Solution for Our Climate A British journalist working for Fox News has been seriously injured near Kyiv after being hit in the legs by shrapnel while covering the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Benjamin Hall, 39, a married father-of-three from London who has worked for the US television network since 2015, was today being treated in intensive care in hospital. Fox News Media chief executive Suzanne Scott told staff in a memo that bosses have a 'minimal level of details' and teams on the ground were working to find out more on what happened to Mr Hall, whose wife Alicia and three daughters live in London. White House press secretary Jen Psaki told another Fox News reporter at a press conference in Washington DC yesterday that 'our thoughts, the president's thoughts, our administration's thoughts are with him, his family and all of you at Fox News.' Mr Hall is a Washington-based correspondent and an experienced foreign reporter who has previously worked in the likes of Iraq, Syria, Libya, Somalia and Gaza. Irina Venediktova, Ukraine's prosecutor general, said in a Facebook post that a British journalist had received shrapnel wounds to both legs and was in intensive care. Benjamin Hall, 39, has been reporting for Fox News from Ukraine on the Russian invasion Mr Hall has three daughters with his wife Alicia Meller, an Australian fashion businesswoman Benjamin Hall is a married father-of-three from London who has worked for Fox since 2015 She did not identify the journalist but posted a picture of a US congressional press pass belonging to a Fox News reporter. Ms Venediktova added that the reporter was in intensive care and was not near a military facility at the time of the blast. Mr Hall covers the US State Department for Fox News and attended the 38,000-a-year Ampleforth College in North Yorkshire before studying at Duke University in North Carolina, Richmond University in London and University of the Arts London. Email sent to Fox News staff about Benjamin Hall's injuries in Kyiv From: Fox News Media chief executive Suzanne Scott 'Our correspondent Benjamin Hall was injured while newsgathering outside of Kyiv in Ukraine. 'We have a minimal level of details right now, but Ben is hospitalized and our teams on the ground are working to gather additional information as the situation quickly unfolds. 'The safety of our entire our entire team of journalists in Ukraine and the surrounding regions is our top priority and of the utmost importance. 'This is a stark reminder for all journalists who are putting their lives on the line every day to deliver the news from a war zone. 'We will update everyone as we know more. Please keep Ben and his family in your prayers.' Advertisement He is a dual citizen of Britain and the US, and wrote a book in 2015 about the history of Islamic State called 'Inside ISIS: The Brutal Rise of a Terrorist Army'. The journalist has also worked for the BBC, ITN and Channel 4 and written for The Times, The Sunday Times, The New York Times and Agence France Presse. Mr Hall has three young daughters with his wife Alicia Meller, an Australian fashion businesswoman whom he married in 2015. Other staff from Fox News remain in Ukraine to report on the war which began on February 24. Ms Scott told Fox News staff in an email yesterday: 'Our correspondent Benjamin Hall was injured while newsgathering outside of Kyiv in Ukraine. 'We have a minimal level of details right now, but Ben is hospitalized and our teams on the ground are working to gather additional information as the situation quickly unfolds. 'The safety of our entire our entire team of journalists in Ukraine and the surrounding regions is our top priority and of the utmost importance. 'This is a stark reminder for all journalists who are putting their lives on the line every day to deliver the news from a war zone. We will update everyone as we know more. Please keep Ben and his family in your prayers.' The State Department Correspondents' Association said in a statement that it was 'horrified to learn that our fellow correspondent Benjamin Hall was injured as he covered the Ukraine war.' 'We know Ben for his warmth, good humour and utmost professionalism,' it said. 'We wish Ben a quick recovery and call for utmost efforts to protect journalists who are providing an invaluable service through their coverage in Ukraine.' Department of Defense Press Secretary John Kirby also confirmed yesterday in a briefing that Mr Hall had been injured in Ukraine and was being treated at a hospital. Mr Hall covers the US State Department for Fox News and is normally based in Washington DC Benjamin Hall in intensive care and was not near a military facility at the time of the blast Irina Venediktova, Ukraine's prosecutor general, did not identify the journalist but posted a picture of a US congressional press pass belonging to a Fox News reporter It comes after former New York Times journalist Brent Renaud was shot dead by Russian troops on Sunday. Mr Renaud became the first foreign journalist to be killed in the war after he was hit in the neck in Irpin, near Kyiv. Ex-New York Times journalist Brent Renaud was shot dead by Russian troops on Sunday The award-winning filmmaker had been covering the plight of refugees escaping the suburb, which has come under intense shelling in recent days. US photographer Juan Arredondo was also shot in the lower back during the attack on the car carrying him and Mr Renaud. A Ukrainian who had been in the same car as the Americans was also wounded, according to a medic at the scene. Mr Renaud was an experienced filmmaker who usually worked with his brother Craig in conflict zones around the world, including on the Iraq and Afghanistan wars and cartel violence in Mexico. According to their website, they were based in New York and Little Rock, Arkansas. It is not known whether Craig had also travelled to Ukraine. Mr Renaud won a Peabody award in 2015 for a Vice News documentary about a school in Chicago and had worked for a number of other US media organisations, including HBO and NBC. Other staff from Fox News remain in Ukraine to report on the war which began on February 24 Rescuers work next to a residential building damaged by shelling in Kyiv, Ukraine, this morning He was in Ukraine working on a global film project about refugees, according to former colleagues. The New York Times said it was deeply saddened to learn the talented filmmaker had been killed - though added that he had not been on assignment for the paper. Early reports suggested he had been working for the publication because he was wearing a press badge with its name on. A spokesman said the document had been issued many years ago. The death of Mr Renaud came just over a week after Sky News chief correspondent Stuart Ramsay was shot and wounded after coming under fire while driving back to Kyiv. A few days earlier a Ukrainian journalist Yevhenii Skaum, a camera operator, was killed when a TV transmission tower in Kviv was hit by shelling. But owner Karel Komarek has faced scrutiny over links to energy giant Gazprom Ahead of decision, Allwyn had promised to donate 38 billion to good causes The firm operates the Czech lottery and has Lord Seb Coe as a board member The Gambling Commission has insisted that a Czech billionaire probed over his links with a Kremlin-controlled energy giant is not 'impacted by sanctions' as his firm looks set to take the National Lottery from Camelot after three decades. A fiercely contested bidding process has been ongoing between four parties aiming to obtain the licence for one of the largest lotteries in the world. But officials have said Czech lottery operator Allwyn is now the 'preferred applicant' to take over the venture from Camelot in 2024. The firm, previously known as Sazka before it rebranded with an anglicised name during the bidding process, has pledged to double charitable donations to 38billion over the next decade. But its owner Karel Komarek has faced scrutiny over his links with Russian-state energy giant Gazprom, which is controlled by the Kremlin. His company MND (Moravske Naftove Doly) formed a joint venture with Gazprom to build an underground gas storage facility in his home country, which opened in Moravia in 2016. For several years, MND also held a stake in a Czech gas importer that is majority-owned by subsidiaries of Gazprom, although it no longer does so. The Gambling Commission said it was 'satisfied that no application is impacted by sanctions related to the conflict in Ukraine'. And in an open letter earlier this month, Mr Komarek condemned Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine and said he was discussing the removal of Gazprom from the joint venture. Camelot has operated the National Lottery since its launch in 1994, and took over the nation's screens with televised draws hosted by the likes of Dale Winton, Anthea Turner and John Cleese. The company fought off seven competing bidders to win the first contract and, within 24 weeks, had placed terminals in 10,000 retailers. The televised lottery draw had a peak audience of more than 20 million for the first ever result in 1994 presented by Noel Edmonds. However, at the end of the first licence period in 2001, the novelty had begun to wear off within the public. Controversy also emerged four years earlier when it was revealed three senior Camelot officials had been awarded six-figure bonus payments. Bidding for the third term resulted in a High Court fight, led by Camelot, after the licence was initially handed over to Richard Bransons Peoples Lottery. Camelot won the bid for a third term in 2007, when it fought off competition from Indian lottery group Sugal & Damani - the only other company to make a bid. The Gambling Commission then awarded Camelot a ten-year licence to run the National Lottery from 2009, before this was extended by a further four years in March 2012. But after more than 20 years of running the lottery, Camelot has lost out to Czech lottery operator Allwyn. Camelot will to lose its licence to operate the National Lottery after almost 30 years, as the Gambling Commission named a rival firm to take over. Pictured: Frank Bruno, Bob Monkhouse and Mystic Meg celebrate the lottery's 100th jackpot in 1996 The lottery was a success from the start, with more than 20 million tuning in to watch the first ever draw on November 19, presented by Noel Edmonds When Prime Minister John Major launched ticket sales for a new National Lottery in November 1994, he said Britain would be 'a lot richer because of the lottery.' 'It is in every sense the people's lottery.' Pictured, Major choosing his numbers for the National Lottery at a newsagents in Victoria in November 1994 Pictured: Broadcaster Chris Evans, who hosted the National Lottery draw in 2013 Camelot's controversial National Lottery history 1994: Camelot has operated the National Lottery since its launch in 1994, and took over the nation's screens with televised draws hosted by the likes of Dale Winton, Anthea Turner and John Cleese. The company fought off seven competing bidders to win the first contract and, within 24 weeks, had placed terminals in 10,000 retailers. The televised lottery draw had a peak audience of more than 20 million for the first ever result in 1994 presented by Noel Edmonds. 2001: At the end of the first licence period in 2001, the novelty had begun to wear off within the public. Controversy also emerged four years earlier when it was revealed three senior Camelot officials had been awarded six-figure bonus payments. Bidding for the second term resulted in a High Court fight, led by Camelot, after the licence was initially handed over to Richard Bransons Peoples Lottery. 2007: Camelot won the bid for a third term in 2007, when it fought off competition from Indian lottery group Sugal & Damani - the only other company to have made a bid. 2009: The Gambling Commission then awarded Camelot a ten-year licence to run the National Lottery from 2009 2012: The Gambling Commision extended Camelot's licence for a further four years in 2012. Advertisement Camelot has been named 'reserve applicant'. Other applicants believed to still be in the process, which has not yet been completed, include Sisal Spa and The New Lottery Company Ltd. Sisal, which operates the Italian lottery has assembled a well-connected team of advisors, including Lady Brady, of Apprentice and West Ham football club fame, and fellow Tory peer Lord Vaizey, the former culture minister. Camelot has also boasted that it has created more than 6,300 millionaires or multi-millionaires since the launch in 1994. The licence includes all games such as Lotto, EuroMillions - which is run by different operators in each country - and the Thunderball. But politicians have been concerned about the proportion of Camelot's revenues going to good causes. The company's profits have soared from 29 million in 2010 to 78 million in 2020, thanks in part to more emphasis on scratch cards and instant-win games online. But an average of 10p in every pound spent on scratch cards goes to charities, compared with 30p in the pound from draws. Camelot has pointed out that more than 45 billion has now been raised for good causes and that it has also delivered 140 billion for winners and society, adding that 'focusing on one part of the games portfolio doesn't give an accurate picture' Allwyn is said to have spent 9million on its bid to become the next lottery operator, and has even appointed Lord Sebastian Coe, the president of World Athletics, to its board as a non-executive director. The commission said Allwyn had committed to invest in the National Lottery to deliver growth and innovation across the various products and channels and increasing contributions to good causes. As part of its bid Allwyn pledged to donate 38 billion to good causes over the next decade, almost equivalent to the 45 billion Camelot raised since it began running the national lottery in 1994. Putin critic: Czech businessman Karel Komarek (pictured with wife Stepanka) is set to take over the highly lucrative National Lottery licence with a plan to slash ticket prices from 2 to 1 Allwyn is said to have spent 9million on its bid to become the next lottery operator, and has even appointed Lord Sebastian Coe, the president of World Athletics, to its board as a non-executive director Applicants for the National Lottery licence have included Silas, the Italian lottery operator which has Baroness Karren Brady as an advisor, and former Daily Express owner and Health Lottery runner Richard Desmond who launched a bid through his Northern and Shell company Billionaire with links to Russian energy giant Gazprom frontrunner in National Lottery bid Karel Komarek is all but confirmed as the successful applicant for the highly lucrative licence with a plan to slash ticket prices from 2 to 1. But the Czech businessman, who runs Europe's largest lottery operator, Allwyn, faces scrutiny over his links with Gazprom, which is controlled by the Kremlin. His company MND (Moravske Naftove Doly) formed a joint venture with Gazprom to build an underground gas storage facility in his home country, which opened in Moravia in 2016. For several years, MND also held a stake in a Czech gas importer that is majority-owned by subsidiaries of Gazprom, although it no longer does so. Downing Street has called on firms to think about their connections to Russian firms even if they have not been sanctioned. In a press release, Komarek said: Gazprom is our strategic partner. We highly appreciate the opportunity of creating a joint venture with one of the global energy majors. We see it as a kind of a reward for many years of professional performance in the oil and gas sector. In future we are planning new joint projects not only in the Czech Republic, but also in Europe and the Russian Federation. Komarek has also criticised Putin, writing last week: 'I strongly condemn the act of war which Vladimir Putin and the Russian Federation have undertaken. 'The EU and Nato must show unity against this unprovoked aggression, and we must protect the democratic values upon which our societies were built. 'I am confident that world powers and all democratic nations will impose the strongest possible sanctions on Russia.' Mr Komarek, who is worth 5.9billion according to Forbes, started his business in the 1990s in the oil and gas sector. He moved into lotteries a decade ago when he bought the firm that runs draws in the Czech Republic. Advertisement It has also proposed reducing ticket prices from 2 to 1 and having two draws on one night. Media tycoon Richard Desmond, who previous owned the Daily Express and Channel 5, was also an applicant. The Gambling Commission said: 'The selection of Allwyn as preferred applicant follows a fair, open and robust competition which received four applications at the final stage. 'This is the highest number of applications since the first National Lottery licence was awarded in 1994. 'Allwyn has committed to investment in the National Lottery that is expected to deliver growth and innovation across the National Lottery's products and channels, resulting in increased contributions to good causes, subject to the protection of participants and propriety. 'The Gambling Commission is content that all applicants are fit and proper to operate the National Lottery. 'Recognising our role as a responsible regulator we are also satisfied that no application is impacted by sanctions related to the conflict in Ukraine.' Allwyn responded to the news by saying the company would want to 'breathe fresh life into The National Lottery'. Gambling Commission chief executive Andrew Rhodes said: 'In its lifetime, the National Lottery has raised more than 45 billion for good causes and is rightly seen as a great national asset. 'Our priority was to run a competition that would attract a strong field of candidates. Having received the most applications since 1994, it is clear that we've achieved just that. 'I am confident that the success of the competition will lead to a highly successful fourth licence one that maximises returns to good causes, promotes innovation, delivers against our statutory duties, and which ultimately protects the unique status of the National Lottery. 'We look forward to working with all parties to ensure a smooth handover.' Allwyn said: 'We welcome today's statement by the Gambling Commission that we have been selected as the preferred applicant for the fourth National Lottery licence. 'Our proposal was judged to be the best way of growing returns to good causes by revitalising the National Lottery in a safe and sustainable way. 'The appointment of Allwyn will breathe fresh life into the National Lottery.' Camelot chief executive Nigel Railton said: 'I'm incredibly disappointed by today's announcement, but we still have a critical job to do as our current licence runs until February 2024. 'We're now carefully reviewing the Gambling Commission's evaluation before deciding on our next steps.' A fiercely contested bidding process has been under way between four parties to hold the licence for one of the largest lotteries in the world. Pictured: Myleene Klass hosting the National Lottery draw The high ratings of early prize draws began to dwindle in later years, before Camelot scrapped game shows as part of the National Lottery draw in 2017. Pictured: Kate Garraway who presented the lottery draw before 2014 and 2016 China has declared it is 'always opposed to using sanctions to solve problems' because they 'harm people's livelihoods in all countries' in the latest sign of growing frustration over the consequences of Putin's war in Ukraine. Foreign Minister Wang Yi, speaking during a phone call with his Spanish counterpart Jose Manuel Albares on Tuesday, said that China 'must not be affected' by the West's sanctions because the country 'is not party to the crisis '. China has 'always opposed using sanctions to solve problems, let alone unilateral sanctions that has no basis in international law, which will... harm people's livelihood in all countries', Wang said. Almost three weeks after Russian troops marched into Ukraine, Moscow's forces have bombarded and besieged several towns and cities. Fighting has killed thousands and destroyed infrastructure, as well as causing millions to flee the country. Wang's comments were published after a seven-hour meeting between high-ranking US and Chinese officials in Rome, at which Washington said the US had expressed concern about 'alignment' between Russia and China. Moscow and Beijing have drawn closer in recent times, in what Washington sees as an increasingly hostile alliance of the authoritarian nuclear powers. Beijing has refused to condemn Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine and abstained from a vote at the United Nations calling out Russian aggression last month. The Communist state has walked a diplomatic tightrope since the start of the war on February 24 in order to preserve vital trade links with Russia which is now facing serious economic woes have being targeted by sanctions. China has declared it must not be 'affected' by Russian sanctions in the latest sign of growing frustration over the consequences of Putin's war in Ukraine A view of burned tank is seen amid Russian-Ukrainian conflict in the city of Volnovakha, Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine on March 12 The Communist state has walked a diplomatic tightrope since the start of the war on February 24 in order to preserve vital trade links with Russia which is now facing serious economic woes have being targeted by sanctions (pictured, a Russian oil refinery How China's tone has changed on Ukraine February 4 China 'opposes further enlargement of NATO and calls on the [alliance] abandon its ideologized Cold War approaches' - Beijing statement after Xi-Putin summit at Winter Olympics February 23 US is 'raising tensions, creating panic, and playing up the schedule of war' - foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying, a day before Russia invaded February 24 'Russia launched a special military operation in eastern Ukraine. Russia says its armed forces will not... strike cities. China... calls on all sides to exercise restraint' - Hua Chunying, declining to call it an 'invasion' on the day Russia invaded March 7 Beijing 'laments' the conflict and is 'extremely concerned' about civilian casualties, but relationship with Russia 'rock solid' - Foreign minister Wang Yi March 11 'We hope to see fighting and the war stop as soon as possible,' Wang Yi, describing the conflict as a 'war' for the first time March 15 China 'must not be affected' by sanctions because it 'is not party to the crisis' - Wang Yi Advertisement In the Rome meeting on Monday with US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, China's senior diplomat Yang Jiechi reiterated China's stance that Beijing is 'committed to promoting peace talks', the official Xinhua news agency reported on Tuesday. China called on all parties to exercise 'maximum restraint' and 'protect civilians' in the Ukraine crisis at the meeting. The international community should support such talks to achieve substantive results as soon as possible, Yang said. Washington hopes Beijing can use its influence on Putin. Although Beijing does not back Western sanctions, the White House is pressuring the world's second-largest economy to refrain from rescuing Russia from potential default or sending weaponry. US intelligence reports published Sunday claimed Moscow had requested military equipment from Beijing after Russian forces started 'running out' of weapons during their sluggish invasion of Ukraine. China on Monday accused Washington of spreading 'disinformation' over Beijing's role in the Ukraine war, without directly addressing US media reports of a Russian request for help. Beijing has struggled to maintain a facade of neutrality and has repeatedly blamed the United States and NATO's 'eastward expansion' for worsening tensions. It is a view that reverberates across state newspapers and television - as well as social media - in China's tightly controlled news environment. When Putin announced an assault on Ukraine on February 24, China's official Xinhua news agency maintained it was a 'military operation' and Moscow had 'no intent' of occupying Ukrainian territory. Days later, state broadcaster CCTV echoed a false Russian claim that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had left Kyiv - a story quickly repeated by other domestic outlets. And some Chinese reports also state that there has been a surge of 'neo-Nazi' ideology among the Ukrainian army and people, a claim supported by Putin. Neither Beijing nor New Delhi have condemned the invasion in Ukraine and both abstained from a vote at the United Nations calling out Russian aggression last month In the Rome meeting on Monday with US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, China's senior diplomat Yang Jiechi reiterated China's stance that Beijing is 'committed to promoting peace talks', the official Xinhua news agency reported on Tuesday This general view shows destroyed Russian armored vehicles in the city of Bucha, west of Kyiv, on March 4, 2022 Debris of a military plane is seen after it was shot by Ukrainian forces on the 10th day of Russian attacks on Ukraine in Chernihiv, Ukraine last week A Russian tank is pictured having been destroyed by Ukrainian soldiers A directive to a state-affiliated outlet, circulating online last month, appeared to instruct that posts unfavourable to Russia or containing pro-Western content should not be published. State media reports on Ukraine avoid terms like 'invasion', instead describing the situation as a 'conflict' or 'fighting'. 'This is not a struggle to find the right message,' Justyna Szczudlik, China analyst at the Polish Institute of International Affairs, told AFP. 'China purposely uses very vague language,' she added, noting that this was to reduce diplomatic risks in its relations with Western countries. Officials, too, have rebuffed the term 'invasion' when questioned by foreign journalists - accusing them of biased reporting - while giving the contradictory statements that China respects every country's sovereignty but won't take sides. A fierce condemnation of war at the opening of the Winter Paralympic Games in Beijing was not translated on Chinese TV. Meanwhile Britain's junior foreign office minister James Cleverly on Tuesday warned that Beijing should not support Russia over the invasion. Media outlets have also started explicitly pushing Russian conspiracy theories. 'There is no smoke without fire,' state-run tabloid Global Times wrote while repeating Russian claims that US-funded biological labs in Ukraine were experimenting with bat coronaviruses Days later, state broadcaster CCTV echoed a false Russian claim that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had left Kyiv - a story quickly repeated by other domestic outlets 'We continue to call upon China and indeed all countries to cease any support they may have to Russia,' Cleverly told the BBC. 'We want to build as broad a coalition of opposition to Russia as possible so of course we will have those conversations with the Chinese.' India on Monday became the latest country to hand Russia a sanction-busting lifeline after the government indicated it may accept Moscow's offer to buy oil and other commodities at a discount price. 'Russia is offering oil and other commodities at a heavy discount. We will be happy to take that,' an Indian government official said, declining to elaborate on how much oil was on offer and what the discount was. The official added that such trade required preparatory work including transportation, insurance cover and getting the right blend of crude, but once that was done India would take Russia up on its offer. India, which imports 80 per cent of its oil needs, usually buys only about 1 per cent from Russia. But with oil prices up 40 per cent so far this year, the government is looking at increasing this if it can help reduce its rising energy bill. New Delhi, which has refused to condemn the Ukraine war, follows Beijing which last month lifted restrictions on wheat imports from Russia. Imports had been restricted amid concerns over Russia's measures to prevent plant diseases, particularly in agricultural crops. India may bail out Russia by taking up an offer to buy crude oil and other commodities at a discount despite Western attempts to isolate Moscow through sanctions (pictured, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi meeting in December 2021) Heroic protestor Marina Ovsyannikova, who yesterday interrupted Russia's most-watched news show live on air to denounce the war in Ukraine, has disappeared since being detained and has no access to legal representation. Ovsyannikova, 43, was arrested shortly after her brave stunt, but her lawyers said they have no idea where she is being held and have not been allowed to see her. Russian authorities are now preparing a criminal case against the dissident television editor, which could see her jailed for up to 15 years after the Kremlin ushered in a new law in the wake of its invasion of Ukraine to punish 'public dissemination of false information.' An unverified account purporting to be Ovsyannikova has since tweeted she is under house arrest and will wear the consequences of her actions 'like a badge of honor', but it is unknown whether the account is in fact controlled by Ovsyannikova or her associates. Supporters of Putin are also calling for Ovsyannikova's imprisonment, with the director of broadcasting at RT imploring Russian authorities to jail the protestor for a decade. Anton Krasovsky said: 'My boss Margarita [Simonyan] once said ''we fire for treason and theft''. I'll correct that - we'll put you in jail for treason and theft. 'The bi*** should be jailed for ten years.' Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov also dismissed the protest as 'hooliganism'. In an exceptional show of bravery yesterday, Ovsyannikova burst onto the set of Channel One - the Kremlin's leading news channel which has 250 million viewers worldwide - and interrupted famous newsreader Ekaterina Andreeva in protest against the war in Ukraine. Her status as a senior television editor at the station meant she was able to get access to the broadcasting centre, and was not stopped by armed guards. Her audacious stunt, in which she told viewers: 'Stop the War! Don't believe the propaganda. They're lying to you here!' on a channel that in recent weeks has spewed anti-Ukrainian and anti-Western rhetoric, went viral and has been viewed millions of times. Heroic protestor Marina Ovsyannikova, who yesterday interrupted Russia's most-watched news show live on air to denounce the war in Ukraine, has disappeared since being detained and has no access to legal representation Ovsyannikova, 43, was arrested yesterday following her brave stunt (pictured behind broadcaster Ekaterina Andreeva), but her lawyers have now announced that they have no idea where she is being held and that they have not been allowed to see her Russian authorities are now preparing a criminal case against the dissident television editor, which could see her jailed for up to 15 years after the Kremlin ushered in a new law in the wake of its invasion of Ukraine to punish 'public dissemination of false information' Her status as a senior television editor at the station meant she was able to get access to the broadcasting centre, and was not stopped by armed guards An unverified account purporting to be Ovsyannikova has since tweeted she is under house arrest and will wear the consequences of her actions 'like a badge of honor', but it is unknown whether the account is in fact controlled by Ovsyannikova or her associates Ovsyannikova was arrested shortly after her stunt, which represents arguably the most graphic protest so far against Putin's war in Russia at a time when almost all opposition media outlets have been closed. One of her lawyers Danill Berman said he expected her to be held initially for 15 days on an administrative charge, and then face arrest on a criminal accusation with a more serious custodial sentence likely. But there are now concerns that the television editor will be held against her will indefinitely in a secret location by Putin's cronies while authorities prepare a case against her. French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday said he would discuss with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin offering protection for a Russian journalist facing a long prison sentence after she brandished on live TV a slogan protesting the invasion of Ukraine. 'We will launch diplomatic efforts aiming to offer [her] protection - either at the embassy but also protection through asylum,' said Macron. 'I will have the chance at my next talks with President Putin to propose this solution in a very direct and concrete manner.' Ovsyannikova was initially held for three hours in the duty room at the channel's Ostankino television centre headquarters in Moscow, according to Berman, who said 'they want to scare her a lot.' But another of Ovsyannikova's lawyers, Pavel Chikov, said today: 'Marina's whereabouts have still not been established yet. She has been detained for more than 12 hours.' Dmitry Zakhvatov, another member of the legal team, also told CNN earlier today he could not locate his client. Women's rights activist Alena Popova said: 'Where is Marina Ovsyannikova? 'Her whereabouts now are unknown. The lawyer wasn't allowed to her. 'Remembering torture and violence in Brateyevo police station, I am very worried for Marina. According to the law, she can not be arrested because she has two small children.' Olga Taranova, a former intern at the channel, went on to explain how Ovsyannikova managed to interrupt the broadcast: 'A policeman on duty is always by the presenter. 'But during the broadcast, when there are reports from places, senior editors and makeup artists often come to the presenter. 'There is almost no one more senior and trusted than Marina. 'When I was an intern, Marina already was a respected writer for the evening news.' RT head Margarita Simonyan - seen as the leading TV propagandist for Putin, nicknamed 'Goebbels in a skirt' by the Ukrainians - said of the incident on a separate channel: 'This can happen with every editorial office. 'We, editorial offices, do not have outdoor surveillance for our employees, do not bug their phones, and in general are not paramilitary organisations with regular lie detector checks, etc. 'Marina Ovsyannikova is indeed the ex-wife of one of our directors. 'They have been divorced for a long time and live different lives. Quite different, as it turns out.' Peskov meanwhile told reporters: 'As far as this lady is concerned, this is hooliganism. 'The channel and those who are in charge are dealing with it,' he added. 'It's not an issue on [the Kremlin] agenda. 'There are certain departments that deal with this. The live broadcast of any TV channel and especially those who work there hold a special responsibility.' There are now concerns that the television editor will be held against her will indefinitely in a secret location by Putin's cronies while authorities prepare a case against her Another of Ovsyannikova's lawyers, Pavel Chikov, said this morning: 'Marina's whereabouts have still not been established yet. She has been detained for more than 12 hours' Ovsyannikova herself recorded a video prior to her arrest to explain why she decided to protest. The television editor has a Ukrainian father and said before her actions on Monday that she was ashamed to be peddling the Kremlin's lies Ovsyannikova herself recorded a video prior to her arrest to explain why she decided to protest. The television editor has a Ukrainian father and said before her actions on Monday that she was ashamed to be peddling the Kremlin's lies. 'What's happening in Ukraine is a crime and Russia is the aggressor. The responsibility for this aggression lies with one man: Vladimir Putin. 'My father is Ukrainian, my mother is Russian and they were never enemies. 'Unfortunately, for the last few years I've been working for Channel One. I've been doing Kremlin propaganda and I'm very ashamed of it that I let people lie from TV screens and allowed the Russian people to be zombified. 'We didn't say anything in 2014 when it only just began. We didn't protest when the Kremlin poisoned Navalny. We just silently watched this inhuman regime. 'Now the whole world has turned away from us, and ten generations of our descendants won't wash off this fratricidal war.' Ovsyannikova's protest has received international support, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky personally praised her show of defiance. 'I am grateful to those Russians who do not stop trying to convey the truth. To those who fight disinformation and tell the truth, real facts to their friends and loved ones,. And I am personally grateful to the woman who entered the studio of Channel One with a poster against the war,' Zelensky said in a Telegram video. 'To those who are not afraid to protest - as long as your country has not completely closed itself off from the whole world, turning into a very large North Korea, you must fight. You must not lose your chance.' Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has praised the Russian TV editor who ran onto a live state TV news with a sign protesting Moscow's invasion of Ukraine in a Telegram video (pictured) Tuesday. He personally thanked the editor for her bravery and said he was 'grateful' to all Russians who 'are not afraid to protest' and 'tell the truth' about the invasion of Ukraine Russian newspaper Novaya Gazeta, whose editor-in-chief is Nobel laureate Dmitry Muratov, posted a screenshot of the incident but blurred Ovsyannikova's anti-war message, possibly for fear of reprisal Ovsyannikova was arrested by police working for the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs. The reason for her arrest was put down to 'public actions aimed at discrediting the use of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation in order to protect the interests of the Russian Federation and its citizens, maintain international peace and security,' the TASS news agency reported. After the incident Russian newspaper Novaya Gazeta, whose editor-in-chief is Nobel laureate Dmitry Muratov, posted a screenshot of the moment Ovsyannikova went on air but blurred her anti-war message, possibly for fear of reprisal. On March 4 Putin signed a law that effectively criminalizes public opposition to or non-state news coverage of the conflict. It was seen as another way for the Kremlin to curb widespread dissent over the war and cope with crippling Western sanctions. If Ovsyannikova is prosecuted under the law she could face three to 15 years in prison. Russian human rights lawyer Pavel Chikov's legal defence foundation is helping her face the charges of 'discrediting the Russian armed forces'. But her protest has already motivated a top Russian presenter to quit and join her in solidarity against Russia's war in Ukraine. Liliya Gildeyeva, 45, was a leading anchor on Gazprom-Media's NTV channel since 2006, where she had worked for more than a decade-and-a-half. 'At first I left, I was afraid they wouldn't let me go, then I wrote my resignation letter,' she told blogger Ilya Varlamov. Gildeyeva flew into exile with her husband Rustam and two children before writing her resignation letter to avoid repercussions, it is understood. Meanwhile, guests on one of the country's most-popular state TV broadcasts last week risked the wrath of Putin to denounce the invasion as 'worse' than the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan which helped bring down the Soviet Union. Ovsyannikova's protest has already motivated a top Russian presenter to quit and join her in solidarity against Russia's war in Ukraine. Liliya Gildeyeva, 45 (pictured), was a leading anchor on Gazprom-Media's NTV channel since 2006, where she had worked for more than a decade-and-a-half Gildeyeva flew into exile with her husband Rustam and two children before writing her resignation letter to avoid repercussions, it is understood Karen Shakhnazarov (pictured) sought to bust the Kremlin's narrative that the war with Ukraine was a limited exercise Semyon Bagdasarov (pictured), called for an end to the war, citing his fear it could become a humanitarian disaster and comparing it to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, which helped bring down the USSR Semyond Bagdasarov, an academic, used an appearance on Russia 1's prime time talk show 'An Evening with Vladimir Soloviev' - a man referred to as Putin's propagandist-in-chief - to call on the Russian president to end the attack, while warning allies like China and India could soon turn their backs on Moscow. 'Do we need to get into another Afghanistan, but even worse? There are more people and they're more advanced in their weapon handling', he said, 'We don't need that. Enough already.' He then added: 'If this picture starts to transform into an absolute humanitarian disaster, even our close allies like China and India will be forced to distance themselves from us. 'This public opinion, with which they're saturating the entire world, can play out badly for us... Ending this operation will stabilise things within the country.' Karen Shakhnazarov, a filmmaker and state pundit, also sought to bust the Kremlin's narrative that it is conducting a limited 'special operation' in the Donbass region by referencing attacks on the capital of Kyiv - which is located hundreds of miles away. 'I have a hard time imagining taking cities such as Kyiv. I can't imagine how that would look,' he said, even as Putin's troops close in on the capital and launch attacks into the outskirts. Ovsyannikova's arrest in the wake of her protest came as another experiment, designed to show how quickly the authorities in Russia are clamping down on free speech amid the war in Ukraine, was also caught on camera. Footage emerged yesterday of a horde of policemen descending upon a young woman in Manezhnaya Square in Moscow and dragging her away just three seconds after she held up a small paper sign. The sign itself bore no message in support of Ukraine or any other issue in defiance of the Kremlin and the will of Vladimir Putin. Instead, the sign simply read 'TWO WORDS' - but even this was enough to trigger a stampede of policemen clad in full riot gear who removed her from view in the blink of an eye. It comes as the Kremlin introduced a blanket ban on social media over the past week, throttling Facebook, Instagram and Twitter - as well as Western media and independent news sites - as it scrambles to control the narrative around its incursion into Ukraine. Footage has emerged of a horde of policemen descending upon a young woman in Manezhnaya Square in Moscow and dragging her away just three seconds after she held up a small paper sign The woman declared: 'I am just going to say ''two words'', before adding with a knowing smirk: 'Will they arrest me for this now or not?' as she raised her tiny placard. The sign reads 'TWO WORDS' Her placard had been in the air for a split second before a team of riot police steamed onto the scene, grabbed the woman by the arms and hauled her away in front of the stunned cameraman Spain has seized two yachts belonging to Vladimir Putin's inner circle as world leaders continue choking off his regime's access to the West. The first to be impounded was the 140million Valerie - moored in Barcelona where it is undergoing repairs - which is ultimately owned by Sergey Chemezov, a friend of Putin's from their KGB days. The boat - which features seven bedrooms, a 6ft swimming pool, spa with massage facilities, a gym and a helideck - was the venue for JLo's 52nd birthday celebrations with Affleck as they rekindled their on-again off-again romance last year. 'Bennifer', as they were known during their power-couple heydey, were pictured cosying up on the vessel's sundeck while it was anchored near Saint Tropez in July. The second was the Lady Anastasia, a 6.5million vessel owned by the head of Russia's defence import agency Alexander Mikheyev, which was impounded in Majorca on Tuesday. Valerie, a 140million superyacht belonging to Russian oligarch Sergey Chemezov has been seized in Barcelona, where it is undergoing repairs Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez rented the yacht last year to celebrate the singer's 52nd birthday in Saint Tropez Police sources said the boat, which partially sank last month after a Ukrainian sailor sabotaged it, is being held at the marina of Port Adriano. Taras Ostapchuk said he tried to scuttle the yacht after seeing images of missiles striking Ukrainian apartment blocks - then realising Mikheyev is an arms dealer. Ostapchuk, who was arrested, has since fled Spain to fight in the war for Ukraine. Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, speaking on Spanish TV after the Valerie was seized, said: 'Today we seized - the technical term is provisionally immobilised - a yacht belonging to one of the principal oligarchs. 'There will be more. We have to act forcefully and firmly against Vladimir Putin, his regime and his oligarchs, who have enriched themselves in a system of corruption by oppressing the Russian people.' He did not name the vessel but well-placed sources identified it as Valerie, which Chemezov owns via his stepdaughter - Anastasia Ignatova. Sailing under the flag of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, the vessel is registered to Ignatova, through a the British Virgin Islands company, according to a 2021 article published in the Pandora Papers information leak. Chemezov is a former high-ranking general who befriended Putin while the pair were stationed in Soviet East Germany together, working for the KGB. Chemezov (left) befriended Vladimir Putin (right) while the pair were living in the same block of flats in Dresden, in Soviet East Germany, while working for the KGB in the 1980s Spain also seized a second yacht, the Lady Anastasia, which was partially sunk last month by one of its Ukrainian crew He enriched himself on the basis of his personal connections to Putin after the latter became Russian president in 2001. In 2007, Putin appointed Chemezov as the head of defence and technology conglomerate Rostec which is worth tens of billions of dollars. Solaris, a 460ft super yacht belonging to Roman Abramovich, was also being repaired at the same Barcelona shipyard as the Valerie until just a few days ago. But the 420million vessel hurriedly departed for the 'safe haven' port of Montenegro where it docked at the weekend, just before sanctions hit. Earlier this month it emerged Spanish Ministry of Transport officials had asked marinas in the Balearic Islands to inform them whether any vessels belonging to Russian nationals over 87ft were docked there. Alexander Mikheyev, a Russian arms dealer, owns the Lady Anastasia yacht Reports at the time said one of the superyachts that would be affected if seizures subsequently took place as part of a package of EU-ordered sanctions, would be Lady Anastasia. The 5million yacht was at the centre of a drama last month in which Ukrainian sailor Taras Ostapchuk, an engineer on the vessel, tried to sink it. The 55-year-old was arrested and later travelled to his homeland to sign up for military duty after being released by a court on bail in the Majorcan capital Palma. He identified the owner of the vessel as Alexander Mijeev and said he acted after seeing a helicopter carrying weapons he believes were made by the oligarch's firm attacking an apartment block in Kyiv similar to one where his family lives. The unrepentant sailor, speaking after being released by a judge pending an ongoing probe, vowed to join the fight against Putin's soldiers as he took a plane from Majorca to Poland before travelling overland to Ukraine. He said: 'I don't regret for a minute what I did, only that I didn't achieve my objective which was to sink the yacht.' Fellow crew members also believed to be Ukrainian saved the vessel from serious damage along with staff at Port Adriano marina in the south-west of the island. Valerie is registered to Chemezov's stepdaughter Anastasia Ignatova according to a 2021 article published in the Pandora Papers information leak. Fake German heiress Anna Sorokin, also known as Anna Delvey, swears she's not a con artist, she considers herself more of a 'performer' In an interview with the sex and relationship advice podcast 'Call Her Daddy' host Alexandra Cooper tries to get to the bottom of what the fake German heiress thinks she did. 'Absolutely not,' she tells Cooper when asked if she thinks of herself as a con artist. 'I'm like a performer,' With her trademark black glasses, wearing a yellow prison uniform with the background blurred out Sorokin, 31, dodges questions about whether she tricked people into believing that she came from money. 'Did you ever tell people that you were a German heiress?' Cooper asks. 'What kind of sentence is that. It's completely ridiculous,' Sorokin tells Cooper, who continues to probe the fraudster. Her accent, she says, is 100 per cent genuine. 'Did anyone hear me speak any different,' she asks Cooper. 'Then they should come up with the evidence? Whoever said that, I'd like to see the proof.' Sorokin is still on US soil despite a chaotic deportation mix-up that had many thinking the con artist was finally on her way out of the country yesterday. She remains at the Orange County Detention Center in Goshen, upstate New York, where she has been for the last seven months. Tonight, an episode of the popular Call Her Daddy podcast will air in which she is interviewed from the jail. It was previously recorded. Anna is being held in ICE custody for overstaying her visa, and is due to be deported to Germany although it's not exactly clear when. Yesterday, her lawyer and friends sparked chaos when they couldn't get a hold of her. The texting system from the jail she is being held in also changed her status to say that she had been released. A rush of European reporters flocked to Frankfurt Airport to await her arrival and her attorney, Manny Arora, told Good Morning America that he thought she was on her way back to Germany, where her Russian family lives. But it appears the scam artist's luck has not run out. Whether it was a mix-up by the jail and her attorneys, or an 11th hour reprieve to keep her in the country, Anna is still in the US. A source from the detention center told DailyMail.com on Tuesday morning that she has not left the facility at all, despite reports she may have been on her way to the airport yesterday. Scroll down for video Anna Delvey is shown in ICE detention in a pre-recorded episode of Call Her Daddy that will air tonight on Spotify. Despite confused reports, the fake German heiress did not leave the jail yesterday and she remains there this morning Alexandra Cooper, the host of the popular podcast, shared this teaser of the interview on Instagram Sorokin has been held at the Orange County Correctional Facility in Goshen, New York since March 2021 for overstaying her visa TIMELINE OF ANNA DELVEY'S RISE AND FALL FROM LIVING THE MANHATTAN HIGH LIFE TO ICE DETENTION 2011: Anna Sorokin enrolls in a fashion degree at Central Saint Martin's in London 2013: Anna drops out of Central Saint Martin's and moves to Paris where she starts interning at Purple Magazine. This is when she starts going by the name Anna Delvey Summer 2013: Anna comes to New York for fashion week with Purple and decides she would rather stay in America than return to Europe. She starts working out of Purple's offices in New York City 2013-2017: New York and Europe Anna immerses herself in New York society, attending fashion parties and mingling with CEOS. She stops interning with Purple, and it's unclear where she lived for most of her time in New York and pops up at parties all over Europe in Berlin and Paris, dressed in designer clothing. During this time she is believed to be in a relationship with a TED-talk 'futurist' boyfriend. By 2016, they have broken up and she is in New York City alone. 2016-2017: The con years and the Anna Delvey Foundation Until 2017, Sorokin's parents were still giving her money for rent. They didn't know where she was living in New York. Around 2017 is when Anna started living in hotels, firstly taking up in 11 Howard. In late 2016 is when she started soliciting fraudulent loans from banks and overdrafts to build The Anna Delvey Foundation, her arts-club that she wanted to build on Park Avenue South. November 2016-December 2016: Anna attempts to defraud City National Bank but is turned down. December 30 2016 - February 2 2017: Anna tries to defraud Fortress out of a $22million loan. January 2017: Anna defrauds City National Bank. They give her $100,000 as an overdraft which she uses to prove she has money in her pursuit of of a loan with Fortress. Fortress spent $45,000 of the loan. She then asked for the remaining $55,000 back, and used that money to pay for some of her lifestyle, without ever giving City National the money back. April 2017: Anna defrauds Citibank by depositing fake checks and cashing them before they bounced. April 2017: Marrakech trip Anna takes two friends - Rachel de Loach Williams and her fitness trainer to La Mamounia, one of the most expensive hotels in the world. They also brought a film maker to document them as they swanned about the resort, playing tennis and visiting the spa. Williams, a photo editor at Vanity Fair, ended up putting the entire trip on her work American Express. It cost $60,000. Anna convinced the group she was merely having problems with her European bank - as she had done for years. July 2017: Anna is arrested for theft of services after skipping bills at the Beekman, the W, and for leaving a $200 lunch bill at Le Parker Meridien hotel. She was released. October 2017: Anna is arrested on the other fraud and grand larceny charges She is taken to Rikers Island May 2018: The Cut publishes an in-depth article about Anna's crimes. She becomes an internet sensation March 2019: Anna's trial begins in New York City. She enrages the judge by showing up late and refusing to wear the outfits her attorney has brought for her April 25, 2019: Anna is found guilty on three of the five counts she was charged with. The jury acquits her of trying to defraud Fortress and also of defrauding her Vanity Fair photo-editor friend. May 2019: Anna is sentenced to four to 12 years in prison February 11, 2021: Anna is released on good behavior and she returns to New York City, lapping up media attention and consulting with subscription services for a lucrative deal. She ends up signing with Netflix to advise on its production of Inventing Anna A judge allows it as a means of her earning back enough money to repay her victims March 2021: Six weeks after being released, Anna is picked up by Immigration and Customs Enforcement for overstaying her visa. She is taken to a prison in upstate New York February 17 2022: A deportation order is issued for Anna to send her back to Germany. Her attorneys appeal and they get a 30 day extension. March 2022: Anna is due to be deported from New York Advertisement She will stay there until ICE agents come to collect her. They dont give us a heads up, shes with us until they come to collect her, they said. Sorokins deportation attorney Manny Arora told DailyMail.com that he filed an emergency stay yesterday to block a deportation order that was filed on February 17. It gives Anna another 30 days in the country. It's unclear what her grounds for appeal are, or what kind of visa she hopes to obtain that would allow her to stay in the US. An ICE spokesman said this morning: In November 2021, the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) granted Sorokins emergency stay request; she remains in ICE custody pending removal. Sorokin's episode of Call Her Daddy will air on Spotify at midnight. Host Alexandra Cooper teased a photo of their interview on Instagram on Monday. She called it the 'most challenging' moment in her career so far. Anna appears smiling, wearing a beige prison jumpsuit, with her signature Celine glasses. After Anna's lawyer and friends said they couldn't get a hold of her yesterday, there were reports she had been deported to Frankfurt (shown above, the airport on Tuesday morning where many thought she would appear) It's unclear if she was paid for the podcast. She was paid some $200,000 from her Netflix show - Inventing Anna - and used at least some of the money to repay her victims. Speaking overnight on Monday, Arora said that he had been unable to contact his client on Monday, and presumed she was leaving the country. He also said the appeals deadline had not yet passed. 'I haven't heard from Miss Sorokin this afternoon, and so I am working under the presumption that she is being deported,' the attorney told Today on Monday. On Sunday, Sorokin likened her experience at Riker's Island to that villa when compared to her experience at the ICE detention facility 'Legally, they should not be able to deport her until the 19th. That is due to the deportation order being signed on February 17 and that allows us to have 30 days to file an appeal,' he said. Sorokin made headlines around the world after pretending she was a super-rich heiress called Anna Delvey with a $60 million trust fund to gain access to her wealthy targets, and to take our tens of thousands of dollars in bank loans. She was convicted of fraud in 2019 over the long-term scheme that has since been depicted in the Netflix series 'Inventing Anna', starring Julia Garner. After serving nearly four years of her sentence of between four and 12 years, Sorokin was released from jail in February 2021, and went about returning to her previous life of luxury by renting a swank apartment in Chelsea. Weeks later, after bragging in a TV interview that 'crime pays, in a way' she was arrested by immigration agents for allegedly overstaying her visa and has been in ICE custody at the Orange County Correctional Facility in Goshen, NY ever since. Sorokin tried to apply for asylum in the United States - but German newspaper Spiegel Panorama reports that her plea was denied. Sorokin sold the rights to her life story to Netflix for $320,000. Above, actress Julia Garner plays Delvey in the series 'Inventing Anna' Capable of weaving skillful lies with extraordinary aplomb, the young woman posed as a German heiress with a fortune of $60 million, allowing her to obtain tens of thousands of dollars in loans from several banks. Between November 2016 and August 2017, she traveled for free by private jet, lived on credit in Manhattan hotels, without ever paying anything, according to the New York justice department, which estimated her frauds were worth around $275,000. But before she acquired a taste for the glamorous lifestyle, Sorokin grew up in a working class suburb of Moscow as the daughter of a truck driver whose mother ran a small convenience store. The family emigrated to Germany when she was 16. Her father, Vadim, has said that Anna did manage to make friends in Germany and was often out socialising with them or staying over for parties regardless of how she was portrayed in the Netflix programme. She did not have a college degree or a substantial amount of wealth. Despite this, Vadim said Anna really struggled to cope with two main issues. Firstly, in Russia, though she had already been given private dancing lessons and French lessons, she soon demanded her parents supply her with fancy clothes. But instead of then being grateful, Anna would then often not even bother to wear the items, even though these items were often very hard to come by in the stores. Sorokin, pictured in March last year after being released from jail but before she was picked up by ICE, is now receiving 'poor person's relief' after she reportedly used the Netflix money to pay off her debts This did not sit well with her father, who had been raised to never waste anything even scraps of bread. When she arrived in Germany, the problem became far worse. Suddenly she was confronted with the massive selection of fashion items on offer, compared to in Russia, and now she wanted to have absolutely everything. She then became frustrated with how those around her in Germany did not share her desire to always only wear the fanciest clothes on sale. She quickly became dismissive of her social circle, of Duren where her father worked and of Eschweile, the town near Cologne where the family lived. Instead she started setting her sights on the bustling metropolises of Berlin and Paris always turning to her father for cash when she ran out. In 2013, Sorokin traveled to New York City to attend New York Fashion Week, and ultimately stayed, pretending to be 'Anna Delvey' - an heiress with a $60m trust fund in Europe - as she scammed her way to expensive trips and hotel stays, ripping off her best friend along the way. The scam has now been memorialized by the Netflix show 'Inventing Anna,' based on journalist Jessica Pressler's New York magazine story, which brought her scheme to light. The doctors' 'bible' is being updated to tackle bullying and sexual harassment on wards following a spate of scandals. It is the first time General Medical Council (GMC) guidelines have changed in nearly a decade and comes as the NHS tries to improve staff retention. The new framework will put emphasis on behaviour at work, such as 'challenging conduct that could be considered harassment, discrimination or bullying'. It follows a series of high profile sex scandals in the workplace. Last week it an employment tribunal heard an NHS consultant at a London hospital had ordered a female trainee to strip off in his hotel room as punishment for getting a question wrong. In another case, a doctor nicknamed 'The Creep' by his colleagues at a Staffordshire hospital was struck off after groping the breasts, thighs and bottoms of female medics working beside him. Meanwhile, a married orthopaedic doctor in the capital was struck off in 2020 after he inappropriately touched two female students, telling one 'the only way to shut a woman up is to kiss her. About one in 10 jobs across the health service are currently vacant, figures suggest. The General Medical Council - which holds the register for doctors in the UK - is updating its guidance to place more emphasis on bullying and harassment in the workplace. (Pictured: Doctors at Derriford hospital in Plymouth) Charlie Massey, chief executive of the GMC which holds the register of doctors able to practice in the UK told the The Times: 'Medicine is a team sport. 'It's important that within teams we all behave and act in a way that's professional and supports each other and enables everybody to give their best.' He told the newspaper they were trying to 'create the cultures, the behaviours, the values that mean these things are less likely to happen, or if they do happen, people feel empowered to speak up'. The GMC is a public body responsible for maintaining the UK's register of doctors, which allows them to practice in the profession. Its guidance was last updated in 2013 to include suggestions on how to be a good doctor, which includes ensuring taking care of a patient is the first concern and taking prompt action if it appears a patient's safety is being compromised. It comes amid concerns many doctors have stayed on to help during the pandemic, but could now leave as the worst of the Covid pressure appears to be over. Surveys show many doctors are reporting burnout as well as feeling they are not being valued at work. A loss of more doctors will leave the NHS further struggling to clear its waiting list, which has already reached a record high of 6.1million people. But there are fears this could double by 2025 as more patients that had missed out on vital care come forward. A young British couple's dream holiday to Australia became a nightmare after one of them was stung by an extremely venomous jellyfish while swimming at a beach. James Soale, 22, and his girlfriend Savannah Callaghan, 23, flew Down Under from London in early March and headed to Cairns in tropical far north Queensland. Having been warned of crocodiles and jellyfish in the region they chose to visit Palm Beach Cove - which features safety nets in the water and is patrolled by lifeguards. The couple went in for a quick dip in the thigh-high shallow water of the fenced off area as there were about two dozen people already swimming and a lifeguard was keeping watch nearby. James Soale was kept under observation in hospital for 10 hours (pictured) after being stung by the extremely venemous Irukandji jellyfish He and girlfriend Savannah Callaghan (pictured together) had travelled to Australia for a holiday in early March but cut the trip short after he was released from hospital While swimming, Mr Soale felt a small sting on his forearm which he at first dismissed as nothing but grew concerned when the sting gradually intensified after getting out of the water. 'I think after about 30 seconds I went straight back up (to the lifeguard) saying I had tight chest pains and was struggling to breathe,' Mr Soale told Yahoo News. 'After that it was just excruciating pain in my lower back and they called an ambulance,' he said. He later found out that he had been stung by an Irukandji jellyfish, which is one of the most venomous creatures on Earth. Irukandji jellyfish (pictured) are can fire their microscopic stingers into their victims. They feed on small fast fish which they stun with their sting 'James was just like shouting, screaming and saying he felt like he was gonna die, which was traumatic to watch,' Ms Callaghan added. Although tiny at about a centimetre long, Irukandji jellyfish fire their microscopic stingers into a victim where they can then continue to release venom for hours. This is known as Irukandji syndrome - one of the symptoms of which is a feeling of impending doom. Doctors kept him under close observation at the hospital for 10 hours as the pain very slowly subsided. However, they were concerned because the adrenaline had caused Mr Soale's blood pressure to skyrocket and some of the venom had been carried into his heart. Two weeks later, he has now made a full recovery with no lasting damage and said he has no reservations about returning to Australia - but will wear a wetsuit in the ocean. According to Surf Lifesaving Australia, Irukandji sting can feel minor, like a mosquito bite but in under an hour can quickly develop into severe illness. They recommend any sting felt in the water be treated seriously by monitoring the patient in a safe location for 45 minutes and immediately calling an ambulance if they develop symptoms. Mr Soale had made a full recovery and he and Ms Callaghan (pictured) said they would return to Australia but wear wetsuits at the beach British householders have been urged to throw open their doors to Ukrainian refugees as the civilian death toll continues to rise in the conflict. The UK Government has set out details of a sponsorship scheme allowing individuals and organisations to offer a home to refugees fleeing the fighting. Communities Secretary Michael Gove announced the 'Homes for Ukraine' scheme as the Government scrambled to make it easier for people to come to the UK. Almost three million people have fled since Vladimir Putin's Russian invasion and civilians have continued to find themselves caught up in the fighting this week. There have been 1,663 civilian casualties since the invasion, the UK's Ministry of Defence said, citing United Nations figures - although the true statistic may be far higher. So far, 88,000 people in Britain have signed up to take in a Ukrainian. Here, MailOnline answers some of the key questions regarding the scheme: - What is the scheme? The Homes for Ukraine programme is a sponsorship scheme allowing people and organisations in Britain to offer Ukrainians fleeing the war a home in the UK. The scheme allows individuals, charities, community groups and businesses to bring people escaping the war to safety - even if they have no ties to the UK. Anyone with a room or home available can offer it to a Ukrainian individual or a family, though those offering will be vetted and Ukrainian applicants will undergo security checks. Communities Secretary Michael Gove said that initially the scheme will 'facilitate sponsorship between people with known connections' so it can be 'up and running as soon as possible'. However, he added that it will 'rapidly' expand by working with charities, faith and community groups. Previously only Ukrainians with family members already settled in the UK could come. The UK Government has set out details of a sponsorship scheme to help Ukrainian refugees - How long can refugees stay with a family or individual? Members of the public providing accommodation to Ukrainians must do so for at least six months. Sponsored Ukrainians will be granted three years' leave to remain in the UK, with entitlement to work and access public services. - What security checks will be carried out? Mr Gove said the Government wants to 'minimise bureaucracy and make the process as straightforward as possible, while also doing everything we can to ensure the safety of all involved'. Sponsors and all adults in their households will need to submit to security checks and possibly also safeguarding checks. The suitability of the accommodation may also be assessed by their local council. Ukrainians will be subject to 'standard' security checks, according to the website, with biometric checks made after they arrive in the UK to avoid delays. Mr Gove has said steps will be taken to ensure people who might be 'intent on exploitation' are prevented from 'abusing' the new scheme. People queue on March 12 to board a train in Zahony, Hungary, as millions of refugees flee - How are children going to be protected? A spokesman for the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) said the charity did not want to see 'unnecessary barriers' built into the process, but 'it is vital child protection is built into every stage of the Government's and local authorities' response to this crisis'. Paul Anticoni, chief executive of World Jewish Relief, said the protection of those who have had to leave their homes - many of whom are women and children - 'has to be a priority for any government or agencies that are involved in accommodation'. - Is there any compensation for hosting - and what can you use it for? Those offering a place to stay will receive an optional tax-free monthly payment of 350 which will not affect benefit entitlements or council tax status. The 'thank you' payment is limited to one payment per residential address, and can be spent or saved as you wish. Hosts should not charge any rent. Mr Gove has also said local authority areas will be entitled to more than 10,000 per Ukrainian refugee using the fresh route to the UK. 'Additional payments' will be available to support school-age children who need to be accommodated within the education system, he said. Refugee children and their families arrive at Zahony train station in Hungary on March 12 - Do sponsors provide anything other than accommodation? Sponsors are not expected to provide meals or cover the costs of food and living expenses for their guests, unless they wish to do so philanthropically. - Can sponsors help refugees find work and access services? The Government will provide information to sponsors so that they can point their guests to organisations who can help them access benefits, register with a GP and with school placements. All refugees will be allowed to seek and take up employment, and there is nothing stopping sponsors helping them find a job. - Who can be a host? Sponsors can be of any nationality and any immigration status as long as they have permission to be in the UK for at least six months. Anyone with a spare room, or separate self-contained accommodation that is unoccupied and available for at least six months can volunteer to help. Ukrainian refugees crowd into support points at Krakow train station in Poland on March 14 - Who can be a guest? The website says someone is eligible if they are a 'Ukrainian national or the immediate family member of a Ukrainian national, and were resident in Ukraine prior to 1 January 2022.' The scheme is open for adults and children within family units. - How do you apply? If you have a named person who you wish to sponsor you should get in contact with them directly and prepare to fill in a visa application with all their details and yours. The visa application system will go live this Friday. - What if you don't have a name to give? People wanting to be sponsors who do not know anyone personally fleeing the Ukraine can register their interest here: homesforukraine.campaign.gov.uk. The Government will work with charities, faith groups and universities to match potential hosts with people from Ukraine - so you can still get involved if you don't know anyone from the country. More detailed guidance for sponsors will become available in the coming days, according to the website. Anyone registering will receive updates on the security checks, information on the status of the arrangement and the role of the local council in providing wider support. People who fled the Ukraine war rest inside an old train station building in Krakow on March 11 - Can you host AND employ a refugee? There is nothing in the Government's FAQs on the scheme which say you cannot host and employ a refugee, so it would appear that you can - for example if you run a small business. However, to be sure, MailOnline has contacted the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities for clarity on this. - What rights will Ukrainian refugees have? Refugees will be granted leave to remain in the UK for three years. They will be able to work and access benefits and public services including healthcare and schooling. - What rights will you have if there are problems? A change in circumstances could mean that someone is then unable to continue housing someone for the full six months. A Government source told the Daily Telegraph that the state would get involved if a refugee has to find other housing earlier than the six month period, and that this could then be taxpayer-funded. Volunteers sort donations to help Ukrainian refugees in Przemysl, Poland, on March 12 - How many Ukrainians are expected to be helped through the scheme? The Government is setting no limit, saying the UK will welcome as many Ukrainians as wish to come and for whom there are sponsors. Members of the public are being urged to come forward and help if they can. In less than an hour, 1,500 people had already registered for the scheme, Mr Gove told MPs, adding that he hopes the first Ukrainians to receive support under the project will arrive within a week. This morning, it was revealed that 88,000 people have signed up on the website. - What has been the response? Shadow communities secretary Lisa Nandy said Labour was relieved to hear Mr Gove would announce the sponsorship scheme after weeks of delay, adding: 'A press release is not a plan and we are really deeply concerned about the lack of urgency.' Ms Nandy insisted the visa application process could be simplified, telling Mr Gove: 'We could keep essential checks but drop the excessive bureaucracy.' Mr Gove, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps and Academy Award-nominated actor Benedict Cumberbatch are among those who have said they might apply to the scheme, while Boris Johnson and Health Secretary Sajid Javid have indicated they will not. The Government has faced widespread criticism for its response to the refugee crisis so far, with critics noting that unlike the UK all EU countries have waived visa requirements for Ukrainians in the short term. The Refugee Council chief executive Enver Solomon told The Guardian the UK scheme was 'effectively a managed migration route, which is not suitable to use to respond to a humanitarian crisis'. 'This conflict doesn't look like it's going to end quickly. There needs to be a clear pathway to longer-term accommodations,' he said. There have been also concerns about the tight timeframe the Government has provided, with the NSPCC in its statement calling it an 'ambitious turnaround'. The charity said it was 'essential that the Government works closely with local authorities, the fostering community, charities and other key local partners to ensure this sponsorship scheme is ultimately safe; has appropriate levels of support for traumatised Ukrainian children who have fled bloodshed, and on-going assistance available for their sponsors'. A teenage boy who raped a classmate during the lunch break on the last day of school has had his sentence reduced on appeal. The teenager, who cannot be identified, was just 13 years old when he sexually assaulted a 14-year-old year eight student at a Queensland school in September 2018. Just after the bell for lunch the boy approached his victim brushed her hair off her face, and kissed her, according to agreed facts of the boy's court case. A boy who raped a 14-year-old female at school when he was 13 has successfully appealed for a shorter sentence The girl pushed him away and when she tried to leave, the boy grabbed her arm and dragged her into a brick alcove that was out-of-bounds during lunch. He pushed her against bricks and pinned her arms to the wall, threatening to hit her if she screamed. When she told him to stop, the boy slapped her breasts and kissed her. His victim was too scared to raise the alarm as the boy pulled up her school skirt and performed indecent acts before raping her. When the assault was over, the boy warned her not to tell anyone about the attack or 'he would come and find her'. The girl immediately ran to the school office for help. 'Other girls saw the complainant crying hysterically and shaking, with her skirt dishevelled and back-to-front,' the court was told. The teen's sentence was reduced to 14 months with the boy, now 16, to be released after seven months with no conviction recorded Police were called and the attacker, still at school, insisted the incident was consensual and the girl 'initiated consensual kissing'. Psychologists identified the boy had a mild intellectual disability and had been exposed to pornography leading up to the attack. 'His likely self-exposure to pornography appears to have shaped his development of ... attitudes and ideas about what behaviours were acceptable, desirable and pleasurable, influencing his sexually coercive behaviour,' the psychologists found. They also warned of a 'moderate to high risk' the teen could re-offend. The teen pleaded guilty to multiple counts of rape and indecent treatment and was sentenced to 18 months to be released after serving nine months. The teen's legal team appealed and in a Queensland Court of Appeal judgment published on Tuesday, the sentence was reduced to 14 months with the boy, now 16, to be released after seven months. 'The applicant was only 13 years old when he committed the offences,' the court found. 'He had no record of previous offending, he found employment and did not re-offend during the lengthy period he was on bail. 'The psychological report indicates his rehabilitation would best be promoted by treatment in the community.' No conviction was recorded. Yoon should restore democracy as promised President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol has reaffirmed his plan to eliminate the office of the senior presidential secretary for civil affairs. The office has been used to "control political opponents and conduct clandestine probes into civilians under the excuse of verifying personnel," Yoon said during a meeting with Ahn Cheol-soo, chairman of the presidential transition committee, Monday. He stressed the need to terminate the bad legacy of former presidents. The office has been in charge of looking into possible corruption involving the president's relatives and high-ranking officials and vetting Cabinet nominees. It has also been overseeing law enforcement agencies such as the prosecution and police, the National Intelligence Service, the Board of Audit and Inspection, and the National Tax Service. However, the presidential office has been criticized for wielding excessive power arbitrarily without being checked by any government agency. Abolishing the office is part of Yoon's campaign commitment to restrict the "unlimited" presidential authority and prevent the abuse of power by the head of state. It demonstrates the President-elect's strong determination to do away with the bad legacies of the emperor-like president as seen in his predecessors including former President Park Geun-hye, who was impeached and ousted for corruption and influence-peddling. We welcome such a move as it is designed to fulfill Yoon's pledge to restore fairness, justice, rule of law and democracy. Yoon has also vowed to appoint a special inspector charged with preventing corruption involving the president's family members and relatives as well as ranking officials. The post was introduced in 2014 under the Park administration, but has been left vacant since September 2016 under the Moon Jae-in government. The opposition People Power Party has called on Moon to fill the post to dig into alleged irregularities surrounding the presidential office. Yoon is expected to carry out a sweeping overhaul of the government's structure with a focus on turning the presidential office of Cheong Wa Dae into a smaller and less powerful institution. For this, he has reaffirmed his campaign promise to relocate the presidential office to the Seoul Government Complex in Gwanghwamun, central Seoul. We urge the transition committee to work out detailed measures to implement Yoon's promises in good faith. Yet, what is worrisome is that the prosecution will likely gain more authority in the process of restructuring government organizations. Yoon, a former prosecutor general, has already pledged to rid the justice minister of the right to command the prosecution for specific investigations. He has also vowed to reform the newly created Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) to limit its investigative rights. This raises concerns over the possible concentration of law enforcement power on the prosecution, to the extent of the nation being called the "Republic of Prosecutors." The transition committee needs to prepare measures to strike a balance between the roles of the prosecution and the police. We hope the incoming administration will strengthen the rule of law in a balanced way so that the country can become a mature democracy. British holidaymakers will not be required to wear masks on British Airways and Virgin Atlantic flights following the government's announcement that all Covid travel measures will end on Friday. British Airways customers will only need to wear a face covering on board flights if their destination requires it, while Virgin Atlantic said it would be 'gradually' removing compulsory mask rules from tomorrow - starting with Caribbean flights from London and Manchester. The airlines welcomed the move after Heathrow announced they would be scrapping mandatory face coverings for passengers from March 16 amid the 'continued success of the vaccine' and as society 'learns to live with Covid long-term'. Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said on Monday the changes will allow 'greater freedom in time for Easter' and will mean 'you can travel just like in the good old days'. British holidaymakers will not be required to wear masks on British Airways and Virgin Atlantic flights following the government's announcement that all Covid travel measures will end on Friday (file image) British Airways customers will only need to wear a face covering on board flights if their destination requires it, while Virgin Atlantic said it would be 'gradually' removing compulsory mask rules from tomorrow - starting with Caribbean flights from London and Manchester (file image) The airlines welcomed the move after Heathrow announced they would be scrapping mandatory face coverings for passengers from March 16 amid the 'continued success of the vaccine' and as society 'learns to live with Covid long-term' (Pictured: Heathrow airport) Heathrow said they 'strongly encourage' those at the airport to continue wearing a face covering - particularly when coming into close contact with others although this will no longer be a firm requirement. The change will take effect in all of Heathrow's terminals, rail stations and office buildings. Corneel Koster, chief customer and operating officer at Virgin Atlantic, said: 'As we learn to live with Covid and with the legal requirement to wear a face mask now removed in England, we believe our customers should have the personal choice whether to wear a mask onboard on routes where international regulations around mask-wearing do not apply.' He added masks will be required on most services, including those to or from the United States until April 18 'at the earliest'. Jason Mahoney, British Airways' chief operating officer, said the move was 'welcome' and 'a positive step forward'. He said: 'As an international airline, we fly to a large number of countries around the world, all of which have their own local restrictions and legal requirements. Heathrow said they 'strongly encourage' those at the airport to continue wearing a face covering - particularly when coming into close contact with others although this will no longer be a firm requirement (Pictured: Heathrow airport) Mask policy of major UK airlines Jet2 NO MASKS A Jet2 spokesman said: It is no longer a legal requirement to wear a face mask in England and Northern Ireland, including at our airports or on board our aircraft. However, as per UK Government guidance, we recommend that customers continue to wear a face mask in these spaces, and we remind customers that they will need to wear one when they get to their overseas destination. Ryanair MASKS TO BE SCRAPPED Michael OLeary said he would like to see the end of face coverings on planes by the end of April. British Airways NO MASKS A BA spokesman said: 'We welcome this as a really positive step forward. 'As an international airline we fly to a large number of countries around the world, all of which have their own local restrictions and legal requirements. 'Were working through these and from Wednesday March 16, customers will only be required to wear a face covering on board our flights if the destination theyre travelling to requires it. EasyJet MASKS NEEDED EasyJet passengers are still required to wear masks onboard planes. An easyJet spokesman said at present there are no changes to easyJets mask policy, however we continue to keep this under regular review in conjunction with our in-house medical adviser and key industry bodies. TUI NO MASKS TUI said in a statement: 'Its no longer a legal requirement for those travelling to or from England or Northern Ireland to wear a during their TUI Airways flight, but in accordance with UK government and EU Charter guidance we do still strongly recommend that you do so.' Virgin Atlantic NO MASKS A Virgin Atlantic spokesperson said: 'As we learn to live with Covid and with the legal requirement to wear a face mask now removed in England, we believe our customers should have the personal choice whether to wear a mask onboard, on routes where international regulations around mask-wearing do not apply. 'This policy will be introduced gradually, beginning with our Caribbean services from Heathrow and Manchester airports and we encourage everyone to be respectful of fellow passengers mask preferences.' Loganair MASKS NEEDED A Loganair spokesman said Loganair hasnt made any changes to its policy as of yet however, as with all aspects of its Covid-19 response, it remains under continual review. If and when changes are made, we will announce it publicly. As it stands, face masks are mandatory unless conditions for a medical exemption exist. Advertisement 'For destinations where the wearing of a face covering is not mandated, our customers are able to make a personal choice, and we kindly request everyone respects each other's preferences.' It comes as Jet2 became the first UK airline to drop the requirement for travellers to wear masks onboard their planes from and to England and Northern Ireland. Tui has also dropped its rules on masks on flights with immediate effect, becoming the biggest operator in Britain to do so. Julia Simpson, president and CEO of the World Travel and Tourism Council, said: 'Other countries ditched passenger locator forms weeks ago but it is good news the UK Government has now scrapped all travel restrictions for coming to the UK. 'If we are to compete on a world stage we need to be 'open for business' and not ask people to fill in lengthy forms.' In a statement, Heathrow's Chief Operating Officer Emma Gilthorpe said: 'We have worked hard to keep our passengers and colleagues safe during the pandemic. 'We acted quickly to institute face coverings as one of our first lines of defence, and we're pleased that we're now able to move away from a mandatory requirement as society learns to live with COVID longer term. 'While we still recommend wearing them, we can be confident the investments we've made in COVID-secure measures some of which aren't always visible combined with the fantastic protection provided by the vaccine will continue to keep people safe while travelling. 'We're gearing up for a busy summer travel season, and this change means we can look forward to welcoming our passengers back with a smile as we get them safely away on their journeys.' The Airport Operators Association (AOA), the trade association for UK airports, said 'restriction-free travel is good news for passengers'. AOA chief executive Karen Dee said: 'People should feel encouraged to book their long-awaited holidays, trips to see relatives and friends abroad that they haven't seen for a long time and travel to rekindle business ties with other countries. 'Recovery is not a given, however, and with the rising cost of living, the rise in fuel prices and the uncertainty following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, there remain potentially significant headwinds for UK airports as they seek to attract travellers back.' The British Airline Pilots Association (Balpa), a trade union for UK pilots, also said it welcomed the move. Balpa general secretary Martin Chalk said: 'The aviation industry has been through the worst crisis it has ever faced yet it will underpin the much-needed economic recovery that global Britain needs. 'Balpa pilots look forward to taking Grant Shapps on his next trip and, in the meantime, call for the Government to publish its recovery plan for the sector urgently. 'We must ensure that we can effectively compete and regain the competitive ground lost to European competitors as a result of the UK Government's stringent and harmful approach.' This move comes as Grant Shapps announced the end of all remaining coronavirus travel rules from March 18, paving the way for the return of hassle-free holidays. It means passenger locator forms and Covid tests are being totally scrapped for both vaccinated and unvaccinated travellers in time for the Easter holidays. The mask mandate for passengers and staff at London Heathrow Airport will also be scrapped. The move brings to an end two years of ever-changing international travel restrictions. Mr Shapps tweeted: 'All remaining Covid travel measures, including the Passenger Locator Form and tests for all arrivals, will be stood down for travel to the UK from 4am on 18 March. 'These changes are possible due to our vaccine rollout and mean greater freedom in time for Easter.' Travel and tourism bosses hailed the announcement as a 'truly significant milestone' and said passengers can now 'look forward to the return to pre-Covid normality'. The announcement by Mr Shapps comes as travel to Greece is set to be made easier for British holidaymakers. As of today, all arrivals in Greece will no longer be required to complete a passenger locator form. A Labour peer was banned from speaking in a House of Lords debate for falling asleep in an extraordinary slapdown last night. Lord Young of Norwood Green was bluntly told to sit down when he tried to intervene in a discussion on genetic modification. Government frontbencher Baroness Bloomfield of Hinton Waldrist swiped that he had been 'fast asleep' throughout the minister's contribution and could not participate. When the 79-year-old objected that he was not asleep any more, Lady Bloomfield said she had been forced to get one of the doorkeepers in the chamber to wake him up. The comical exchange came during a debate on rules that would allow the UK to deviate from EU law on GM crops. Lord Young of Norwood Green was bluntly told to sit down when he tried to intervene in a discussion on genetic modification Going... during the opening speeches at 9.22pm Lord Young (top left) seems to be following the proceedings Going... By 9.26pm the Labour peer seems to be struggling to keep his head up Gone? By 9.28pm the peer is slumped in his chair as his colleagues continue the debate. He was then rebuked at 10pm when he tried to intervene As he stood to speak in the debate, Lord Young said: 'I wanted to take part in this debate because I stake my position as somebody who is a Remainer, but if there's two things that I welcome in coming out of the Common Market, one is the CAP and this particular gene editing' Government whip Lady Bloomfield intervened to say: 'I am sorry, but the noble lord was fast asleep for the entire duration of the minister's speech. 'He really should not participate in this debate having failed to take advantage of the ability to hear him.' Lord Young, a former union boss who has also served as a BBC governor, replied: 'Sorry?' Lady Bloomfield said: 'I am afraid the noble lord was fast asleep for the entirety of the minister's opening speech.' Lord Young replied that he was 'not now' asleep, but Lady Bloomfield said: 'Well I had to send a note to you in order to wake you up by the doorkeeper.' Environment minister Lord Benyon said the The Draft Genetically Modified Organisms (Deliberate Release) (Amendment) (England) Regulations 2022 would allow the UK to 'remain at the forefront' of research into GM crops. Government frontbencher Baroness Bloomfield of Hinton Waldrist swiped that he had been 'fast asleep' throughout the minister's contribution and could not participate The father of a 3-year-old boy who accidentally shot his mother to death in a Chicago suburb over the weekend is facing a misdemeanor gun charge, the community's police chief said Monday. The shooting happened at around 8:30 p.m. on Saturday when the son of 23-year-old Romell Watson and 22-year-old Daejah Bennett found a gun while the family were sitting inside their car in a parking lot, in south suburban Dolton. Police said the father was in the driver's seat, the mother in the passenger seat and the boy in a car seat in the back after they had been shopping at a Food 4 Less, in the community about 20 miles south of Chicago - 'He somehow got ahold of the gun and began playing with it in a playful manner, pointed the gun and fired the shot,' Collins said. A bullet struck Bennett in the neck, the chief said. She was taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead. Dolton Police Chief Robert Collins Jr. said Watson, who was detained after the shooting, will be charged with unlawful use of a weapon. He'll be processed on the charge and was set to be released Monday evening, Collins said. The shooting happened at around 8:30 p.m. on Saturday when the son of 23-year-old Romell Watson and 22-year-old Daejah Bennett found a gun while the family were sitting inside their car in a Food4Less parking lot (pictured), in south suburban Dolton Collins said earlier that investigators were working with Cook County prosecutors to determine the exact charges against Watson but that there was no indication that he fired the weapon or even knew the boy was holding the weapon at the time of Saturday's shooting. 'We do not have anything to indicate that the dad fired the weapon so the avenue we are pursuing is that the gun was his responsibility,' Collins said. Collins said investigators have already determined that while the father legally owned the weapon, he did not have a concealed carry permit he would have needed to carry it in the vehicle. 'He was legally entitled to own the gun, however, he transported the weapon in a vehicle in a manner not prescribed by law,' Collins said. Collins said detectives conducted what is called a forensic interview with the child. A person who specializes in talking to children interviewed the boy and during that interview, 'The child said he was the one who fired the gun,' he said. 'We are confident he fired the gun.' 'This is just such a tragedy,' he said. Dolton trustee and community activist Andrew Holmes told NBC Chicago that local groups were working to ensure the child receives trauma counselling. 'We're trying to get trauma counseling for [the son] and his family because he's going to need it the rest of his life,' Holmes said. 'That life changed within a second.' 'Children are getting these guns more often now because they roll out from under the seat, or they go in the pouch and pick it up,' Holmes continued. 'If you're going to put them in the car, lock them down.' The Associated Press could not find a home telephone number for Watson and he could not be reached for comment on Monday. An online court record of his case that might list an attorney for him also could not be located. The shooting was the latest example of an all too familiar story in the United States: A child finds a gun and inadvertently fires it. According to a leading gun control advocacy group, Everytown for Gun Safety, in 2020, unintentional shootings by children under 18 years old left 142 people dead and 242 wounded. In 2021, the number of deaths climbed to 154 and the number of people wounded rose slightly to 244. And, according to the group, 16 people have been killed and 29 have been wounded in these shootings so far this year. According to a 2021 report that examined a six-year-period ending in 2020, the group suggested a number of factors have contributed to a significant increase in these shootings in recent years. 'In 2020, gun sales surged 64 percent, and this rise-coupled with school and childcare center closures as a result of the pandemic-has increased the risk for all household residents: the number of unintentional shooting deaths by children was 31 percent higher from March through December 2020 than during the same period in 2019,' the report said. While teenagers between 14 and 17 years old accounted for more of these incidents in which they shot themselves or someone else accidentally - 776 - during that six-year period, children five years old or younger accounted for the second highest total of 610. In fact, that total was higher than the combined total of elementary and middle school-age children who unintentionally shot themselves or someone else, the group found. Russian conscripts who were captured by Ukrainian forces say they were deceived into believing the war was a military training exercise and have apologised for attacking Ukraine 'like fascists'. The five Russian captives, who were all called up for military service in June 2021, spoke at a media briefing at the Ukraine Media Centre in Kyiv, where they told of their shame for the invasion of Ukraine. One told of how his battalion ran out of food and their equipment kept breaking just a few days into the Russian invasion, leaving them with only six tanks out of the 30 they started with. Aleksandr Morozov, 22, from Moscow, who was called up for military service in June last year, and is a private first class - part of the basic workforce strength in the Russian Army as a junior soldier transitioning up the ranks. He said that soldiers were deceived into believing they were doing drills in fields of Russian territory, where they were given rations which were expired for years. 'When we entered the territory of Ukraine, we reached the town of Romny, our task was to set up a checkpoint and just inspect the vehicles We were taken prisoner near the city of Sumy,' Mr Morozov explained. 'I thought that we would be beaten, humiliated, given no food or water in captivity. As a result, it turned out the opposite: we were given food, water, we had a place to sleep, we were given warm clothes.' Russian conscripts who were captured by Ukrainian forces say they were deceived into believing the war was a military training exercise and have apologised for attacking Ukraine 'like fascists' (pictured, Aleksandr Morozov, 22, from Moscow, who was called up for military service in June last year) Nikolai Polshchykov, 21, pictured, said after two months of service in his regiment, troops were sent to drills in Kursk and Belgorod, explaining that by the end of the exercises, their military equipment was marked with the letter Z and was prepared for combat operations The 22-year-old told of how their equipment was continually breaking down as they drove towards Romny. 'Ukrainians are a strong people, they fight like beasts, Mr Morozov said. 'Their aircraft shatters our columns utterly. Our side suffers great losses: technicians, sergeants, officers, soldiers. And we want to stop that. 'I want to apologize to the whole of Ukraine for coming here. I do not want violence in this country. I am very ashamed.' He added that Vladimir Putin is 'lying' for telling the world that there are no conscripts taking part in the 'military operation'. Nikolai Polshchykov, 21, who is also a private first class for the Russian military, who lives in Ryazan, western Russia, said after just two months of service in his regiment, the troops were sent to drills in Kursk and Belgorod, and like Mr Morozov, also found himself near the town of Romny. Captive Russian conscripts pictured, from left to right: Nikolai Polshchikov, Niyaz Akhunov, Aleksandr Morozov, Anton Savin and Andrey Pozdeev. The captives, who were all called up for military service in June 2021, spoke at a media briefing at the Ukraine Media Centre in Kyiv, where they told of their shame for the invasion of Ukraine Anton Savin, 20, from Solikamsk, Perm Krai in western Russia, said that his tank regiment was also sent to the exercises, only to be deprived of their phones. They were then told they were to 'go to Ukraine to carry out a combat mission to capture the city of Kyiv and to free the civilian population of Ukraine from the so-called Bandera followers and neo-Nazis' He explained that by the end of the exercises, their military equipment was marked with the letter Z and was being prepared for combat operations. Pro-Putin politicians, activists, and influencers have been spotted wearing clothes and badges with the letter 'Z' on to show their support for the invasion of Ukraine and has been seen on Russian tanks and military vehicles coming into Ukraine, becoming a symbol of the invasion. 'I want to appeal to the citizens of my country, to parents whose sons are serving and whose children are going to serve. 'Do not send them here because very terrible things are happening here you are unaware of Here the Armed Forces of Ukraine are trying to protect their country. We broke into their house like fascists. 'Not knowing the purpose, tasks. We are just being killed. Our aircraft and artillery bomb peaceful cities. I apologize to the people of Ukraine for breaking into your house. Siberian-born Andrey Pozdeyev, who lives in Irkutsk, 19, recalled the beginning of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, before which they were told, "Don't be afraid, no-one will take you to Ukraine" - instead believing they were conducting a training march through Russia 'We came under fire, I was wounded and I saw many people killed, many wounded. There were more than 150 conscripts in my battalion.' According to Mr Polshchykov, he said there were people who were buying their way out of taking part in the Russian invasion of Ukraine by bribing their commanders to stay in Russia. He added that the 'only thing' he believes he may die from if he continued as a Russian soldier in the invasion is the strikes of Russian planes. Anton Savin, 20, from Solikamsk, Perm Krai in western Russia, said that his tank regiment was also sent to the exercises, only to be deprived of their phones. They were then told they were to 'go to Ukraine to carry out a combat mission to capture the city of Kyiv and to free the civilian population of Ukraine from the so-called Bandera followers and neo-Nazis,' Mr Salvin said. He added that they would receive a 'monetary reward' after the operation was complete. 'We did not have the opportunity to escape from there, we were put in tanks And on the morning of February 24, we were already in the territory of Ukraine' Mr Salvin said. Niyaz Akhunov, 20, was another troop taken as prisoner by Ukrainian forces, which he said was 'scary' at first but they were all quickly given medicines, change of clothes and were treated well - he apologised to Ukrainian people for crossing the border and 'bombing your cities' Nikolai Polshchikov said he wanted to appeal to the citizens of Russia to 'not send them here': 'Very terrible things are happening here you are unaware of Here the Armed Forces of Ukraine are trying to protect their country. We broke into their house like fascists' 'In a few days, we ran out of food. Our equipment was breaking on the way. There were only 6 tanks left from 30 and 2 armored personnel carriers.' Niyaz Akhunov, 20, was another troop taken as prisoner by Ukrainian forces, which he said was 'scary' at first but they were all quickly given medicines, change of clothes and were treated well. He said: 'This is a senseless war in which we were thrown conscripts who have not seen real hostilities I would like to apologize to all the Ukrainian people for crossing the border with Ukraine, coming with weapons to you, bombing your cities.' Siberian-born Andrey Pozdeyev, who lives in Irkutsk, 19, recalled the beginning of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, before which they were told, "Don't be afraid, no-one will take you to Ukraine" - instead believing they were conducting a training march through Russia. Russian troops were ordered by President Putin to invade Ukraine on February 24, shelling and destroying infrastructure and destroying thousands of residential areas of Ukranian cities and towns using artillery and missiles. (Firefighters pictured in Kyiv extinguishing a 16-storey residential building on March 15) 'There was a morning line-up, and we were told: "For those who did not understand, you are in the territory of Ukraine". And all the statements by Vladimir Putin that there are no conscripts in his military operation are lies.' Russian troops were ordered by President Putin to invade Ukraine on February 24, shelling and destroying infrastructure and destroying thousands of residential areas of Ukranian cities and towns using artillery and missiles. An elderly man who broke both his legs jumping from a burning boarding house is now fighting for life after suffering a heart attack in hospital. A murder investigation has been launched into the horror inferno in Sydney's inner-west that claimed three lives after ripping through Vadja House around 1am on Tuesday. At least three bodies have been uncovered in the rubble of the Newtown building while police hold 'serious concerns' for a fourth person who remains missing. Ronald Serich, one of up to 11 people who usually call the Probert Street dwelling home, threw himself off the second floor in a desperate bid to escape the blaze. Once outside, the 80-year-old was dragged across the road to safety by other residents but encountered heart trouble in hospital and has since been placed into an induced coma. Ronald Serich, 80, (pictured) is fighting for life after suffering a heart attack in hospital after escaping the blaze at Newtown's Vadja House A fire ripped through a boarding house in inner-Sydney Newtown early Tuesday morning, claiming the life of three residents As fears grow more bodies could be found, new details have emerged about suspicious activities in the area around the time of the tragedy and items discovered by police at the scene. A five-litre jerry can has been found discarded under a nearby car, sources told the Daily Telegraph, with police also reportedly searching for a mystery person seen lurking in surrounding streets around the time of the fire. Police have confirmed traces of a flammable liquid were found at the scene. 'The flames were called extremely quickly. Without going into the scientific evidence so far, it would be fair to say that some type of accelerant has been used,' Assistant Commissioner Peter Cotter said. 'We are treating this as a murder. We are treating this as a maliciously lit fire.' Late on Tuesday afternoon forensics officers dusted a lock and door for fingerprints which are believed to have been one of the access doors to the boarding house, and filled and removed evidence bags from the site. Officers also spent time dusting a silver Prius outside Vajda House which was surrounded by empty beer cans. The car was later towed away. Pictured are the charred remains of the boarding house in Newtown after it burst into flames Firefighters and investigators remain at the scene following the huge inferno in the early hours of Tuesday morning Detectives have been speaking to neighbours, scouring nearby lanes and parks for evidence, and collecting CCTV footage, as a large crime scene is set up around the accommodation centre. Neighbours woke to the sound of loud explosions around 1am on Tuesday morning and found the two storey boarding home at the intersection of Probert and Albermarle streets well alight. Eight residents managed to escape the burning home before firefighters arrived, despite a main stairwell in the facility collapsing due to the intensity of the blaze. One neighbour reported hearing a 'massive explosion' before he saw a man being dragged out of the burning building with his 'legs on fire'. Three residents in total were taken to hospital with various injuries, including smoke inhalation. Police have also not been able to reach the boarding house's owner. Emergency crews gather along Probert Street on Tuesday as a murder investigation is launched into the deadly blaze Empty beer cans laid scattered around the gutter outside Vadja House as authorities scoured the crime scene on Tuesday Police officers document items found at the scene and place them into brown paper bags Police examine cars parked outside the property for evidence on Tuesday 'We know who he is. We have reached out to his a series of addresses in Western Sydney, and as yet, we have not been able to make contact with him,' Assistant Commissioner Cotter said. 'It is a privately owned boarding house, and we would like that gentleman to come forward as a matter of priority, not only to talk to us particularly to talk to us about who was inside and the tenancies.' Many residents at the facility, who are typically aged between 40 to 80, were once homeless or have recently been released on parole. Newtown Neighbourhood House CEO, Liz Yeo, said all occupants have been put up in temporary accommodation. 'Our team has been able to assist the residents who were able to escape,' she said. 'It is a total tragedy, unfortunately it should be preventable in this day and age.' Pastry chef Mark Warner woke up at 12.45am and 15 minutes later heard a massive explosion before he saw one of his friends being dragged out of the building. 'Ronnie must be in his late 60s or early 70s, he's a lovely old fellow. He was in the middle of Albermarle Street,' Mr Warner told Daily Mail Australia. 'This must have been five minutes after I first heard the explosion. His legs were burning, I guess his trousers were alight.' Pastry chef Mark Warner woke up at 12.45am and 15 minutes later heard a massive explosion before he saw one of his friends being dragged out of the building with his 'legs on fire' Fire fighters inspect the damage of the building as glass and other debris from the blaze remains scattered around the streets Mr Walker described the fire erupting as 'like a giant popping sound, followed by the sound of broken glass and then I heard screaming, all happening in seconds.' From his room in the Carlisle Hotel directly opposite the boarding house Mr Warner looked out and saw one corner of the building's ground floor burst in flames which ran up the building. 'I thought who's done this and I ran downstairs to the road with no shoes on and got glass in my feet. It was just this huge conflagration of flames up the building. 'Back inside I could feel the heat through the glass window. It was so sudden, so sudden.' Mr Walker said he immediately thought of the occupant of one of the ground floor units in the boarding house police had repeatedly attended in recent weeks. 'I never saw the guy, but there was one person in there who's been getting a lot of police attention lately. It bothers the he'll out of me that someone would do it.' Another resident Peter Bouman was sleeping in one of the upstairs rooms of the boarding house when he woke up to the smell of smoke. Police have confirmed they are now treating the incident as a murder investigation The building has been destroyed after the fire which police are treating as suspicious A flammable liquid was found inside the building as detectives investigate The area has been taped off as emergency service crew remain at the scene 'I had enough time to put some pants on, put some shoes on and then the power went out,' he told the Today show. 'I couldn't look for a wallet or anything like that. I was lucky enough to get out through the body of the house but there were bits falling down and there was fire through the house. 'Then I saw an 80-year-old gentleman on the ground, who had to jump out of his window.' Mr Boudman claimed residents have been complaining about electrical problems at the property for several years. The building is understood to be a place of refuge for the homeless, those with mental illness and at times others on parole. Mr Bouman said another resident was blown out of his window from the force of the fire. 'Another guy got thrown out through his bedroom window. The corner of his room was an old shopfront so he got blown out through there,' he told The Daily Telegraph. 'It was a hell of an explosion, even when we were out there on the street it exploded again.' Firefighters arrived to confronting scenes of the boarding house engulfed in intense flames Almost 40 firefighters spent more than two hours battling to extinguish the blaze and managed to stop the blaze from spreading to neighbouring properties. 'Crews were confronted with a very intense fire upon arrival with flames on the first and second storeys,' Fire and Rescue NSW Superintendent Adam Dewberry told Daily Mail Australia. 'Crews entered the building as far as they could but were pushed back by the intensity of the blaze.' Fire crews remain on scene due to a small number of 'hotspots' that still remain. There are also grave concerns for the building structure after the middle storey collapsed onto the lower level. 'It is very unstable,' Superintendent Dewberry said. 'There are some people unaccounted for and that's yet to be determined as the morning unfolds. Being a boarding house we are not too sure who was home, who wasn't home. That will be part of the investigations through today.' Firefighters (pictured) spent more than two hours trying to extinguish the intense blaze Eight residents managed to flee the burning property after waking to the smell of smoke Large wooden blocks have reportedly been used to stabilise the building as emergency crews search the top floor. Shocked neighbours recalled waking up in the middle of the night to the sound of a loud bang. 'I just heard a explosion and that was pretty much it,' one man said. 'It looked more than just a normal house burning. It was like gas or something like that. It kept burning like crazy. A number of neighbouring properties were also evacuated with no other reports of injuries. Central London County Court ordered Simonyan to pay 12,630 to Mrs Botwright and 40,000 in court costs A beautician has been hit with a 50,000 court bill after she burned a charity worker's face with a laser in a botched bid to remove a wrinkle. Eleanor Botwright - who won an MBE for her community work in 2017 - was left burned and scarred by botched laser therapy after beautician Nara Simonyan spotted an unsightly 'line' on her face during a previous consultation. The 40-minute laser session in April 2016 left her with weeping skin and scarring to the cheeks and around her mouth. Mrs Botwright, of Hammersmith, west London, sued Ms Simonyan for negligent treatment and was handed a payout of 12,630 by Judge Heather Baucher following a court hearing. The beautician was also hit with 40,000 court costs. A beautician has been hit with a 50,000 court bill after she burned charity worker Eleanor Botwright's (pictured) face with a laser in a botched bid to remove a wrinkle The total award includes cover for special creams to help combat the effects of the sun on Mrs Botwright's fair complexion, and to 'camouflage' any lingering traces of scar damage. Central London County Court heard that Mrs Botwright had the treatment after Ms Simonyan spotted the blemish at a clinic in Acton. The 71-year-old told Central London County Court: 'She drew attention to a line around my mouth and said that she had just the treatment for it'. She told the judge that she began feeling 'uncomfortable' soon after the treatment kicked off, with the main affected area being above her lip. Ms Simonyan assured her that any 'redness' from the lasering would disappear within ten days, but soon afterwards her face started to 'weep' and felt 'very tender,' she said. Central London County Court heard that Mrs Botwright - who won her MBE for her work as a community centre manager in Camden - had the treatment after Ms Simonyan spotted the blemish at a clinic in Acton She said the treatment had left her with scarring and discoloured skin around her mouth. A specialist doctor who examined her reported that the lasering caused 'a burn which led to permanent depigmentation'. Following the treatment, Mrs Botwright sued her beautician and this week won a compensation payout at a court hearing in London, which Ms Simonyan did not attend. The judge hailed Mrs Botwright as a 'charming witness' who had been completely honest about the effects of the botched treatment. 'Mrs Botwright did not seek to exaggerate or emphasise anything inappropriately,' said the judge. Judge Baucher noted that photos taken soon after the clinic trip highlighted the damage done to Mrs Botwright's face. But having examined her close-up in court she was clear that the scarring has now largely faded. 'I don't consider these scars are distinctive,' the judge explained, although adding: 'She may say that she can see it but that's probably because it's her face'. As well as the compensation payout, Ms Simonyan was also ordered to pick up the 40,000 bill for the legal costs of the case. Irish-born Mrs Botwright worked as a community leader for over 30 years before retiring in 2019, heading Camden's Castlehaven Community Association as well as raising over 17million for local area causes. GMB host Richard Madeley took former Health Secretary Matt Hancock to task this morning by questioning whether his promise to house a family of Ukrainian refugees was a PR move to 'rebuild' his reputation. The MP appeared on the ITV talk show alongside hosts Madeley and Susannah Reid, just a day after he announced his plans to take in a family of up to five people at his constituency home in Suffolk. The government is encouraging homeowners with space to volunteer in its scheme to temporarily house Ukrainian refugees. Richard Madeley questioned whether Hancock's offer to house Ukrainian refugees was an attempt to 'rebuild' his reputation Madeley said: 'We all know that there will be cynics watching this. People who will go online... and say the reason you're doing this is to help rebuild your reputation after you had a bad political fall. 'You're sort of in the wilderness, and that that's why you're doing this, to basically improve your standing?' In response, Hancock said it was 'the other way around' and that it was the media who had taken an interest. He said: 'I was on BBC Radio Suffolk yesterday morning talking about this scheme and I was asked straight up, "You're encouraging other people to sign up, are you going to sign up?" 'I just answered the question and then your team phoned me. 'Before going down this route, I checked with my kids and they are really enthusiastic about it.' When asked by Reid whether every MP with an empty constituency home should offer it to refugees, Hancock quipped: 'You invite me to become extremely unpopular with my colleagues.' Hancock (right) discussed the government's Homes for Ukraine programme with hosts Richard Madeley and Susannah Reid Hancock notably resigned from the cabinet in June last year after details of his affair with Parliamentary aide Gina Coladangelo were revealed. CCTV of them kissing was published on the front page of The Sun newspaper, along with the revelation that he had broken strict Covid restrictions in place at the time. News that Hancock was taking part in the The Homes for Ukraine programme prompted a gentle ribbing online. Daniel Bower wrote: 'They have enough problems as it is, getting housed by Hancock would be the last straw.' Grump Panda posted: 'Haven't the refugees suffered enough? Matt Hancock has applied to host some refugees.' The Homes for Ukraine programme launched this morning to make it easier for displaced people to enter Britain. The programme will allow individuals, charities, community groups and businesses to bring people escaping the war to safety - even if they have no ties to the UK. Anyone with a room or home available can offer it to a Ukrainian individual or a family, though those offering will be vetted and Ukrainian applicants will undergo security checks. Members of the public will be able to nominate a Ukrainian family to stay with them for at least six months. Sponsored Ukrainians will be granted three years' leave to remain in the UK, with entitlement to work and access public services. People wanting to be sponsors who do not know anyone personally fleeing the Ukraine can register their interest here: homesforukraine.campaign.gov.uk. How YOU can help refugees fleeing Putin's bloody war: From finding someone to shelter, to the government support you can expect... vital Q&A on Britain's Homes for Ukraine scheme By Mark Duell British householders have been urged to throw open their doors to Ukrainian refugees as the civilian death toll continues to rise in the conflict. The UK Government has set out details of a sponsorship scheme allowing individuals and organisations to offer a home to refugees fleeing the fighting. Communities Secretary Michael Gove announced the 'Homes for Ukraine' scheme as the Government scrambled to make it easier for people to come to the UK. Almost three million people have fled since Vladimir Putin's Russian invasion and civilians have continued to find themselves caught up in the fighting this week. There have been 1,663 civilian casualties since the invasion, the UK's Ministry of Defence said, citing United Nations figures - although the true statistic may be far higher. So far, 88,000 people in Britain have signed up to take in a Ukrainian. Here, MailOnline answers some of the key questions regarding the scheme: The UK Government has set out details of a sponsorship scheme to help Ukrainian refugees - What is the scheme? Here's how YOU can help: Donate here to the Mail Force Ukraine Appeal Readers of Mail Newspapers and MailOnline have always shown immense generosity at times of crisis. Calling upon that human spirit, we are supporting a huge push 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 the bombs and guns. As this tally of misery increases over the coming days and months, these innocent victims of this conflict will require accommodation, schools and medical support. Donations to the Mail Force Ukraine Appeal will be used to help 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 Donate at www.mailforcecharity.co.uk/donate To add Gift Aid to a donation even one already made complete an online form found here: mymail.co.uk/ukraine Via bank transfer, please use these details: Account name: Mail Force Charity Account number: 48867365 Sort code: 60-00-01 TO MAKE A DONATION VIA TEXT To donate 10, text HELP to 70115 To donate 20, text AID to 70115 Texts cost either 10 or 20 plus a standard network rate message. 100% of the donation goes to charity. TO MAKE A DONATION VIA PHONE Call 0300 12345 77 and follow the instructions to make your donation. A small fee will be deducted by the payment processing platforms when you pay by debit or credit card. TO MAKE A DONATION VIA CHEQUE Make your cheque payable to 'Mail Force' 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 Homes for Ukraine programme is a sponsorship scheme allowing people and organisations in Britain to offer Ukrainians fleeing the war a home in the UK. The scheme allows individuals, charities, community groups and businesses to bring people escaping the war to safety - even if they have no ties to the UK. Anyone with a room or home available can offer it to a Ukrainian individual or a family, though those offering will be vetted and Ukrainian applicants will undergo security checks. Communities Secretary Michael Gove said that initially the scheme will 'facilitate sponsorship between people with known connections' so it can be 'up and running as soon as possible'. However, he added that it will 'rapidly' expand by working with charities, faith and community groups. Previously only Ukrainians with family members already settled in the UK could come. - How long can refugees stay with a family or individual? Members of the public providing accommodation to Ukrainians must do so for at least six months. Sponsored Ukrainians will be granted three years' leave to remain in the UK, with entitlement to work and access public services. - What security checks will be carried out? Mr Gove said the Government wants to 'minimise bureaucracy and make the process as straightforward as possible, while also doing everything we can to ensure the safety of all involved'. Sponsors and all adults in their households will need to submit to security checks and possibly also safeguarding checks. The suitability of the accommodation may also be assessed by their local council. Ukrainians will be subject to 'standard' security checks, according to the website, with biometric checks made after they arrive in the UK to avoid delays. Mr Gove has said steps will be taken to ensure people who might be 'intent on exploitation' are prevented from 'abusing' the new scheme. - How are children going to be protected? A spokesman for the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) said the charity did not want to see 'unnecessary barriers' built into the process, but 'it is vital child protection is built into every stage of the Government's and local authorities' response to this crisis'. Paul Anticoni, chief executive of World Jewish Relief, said the protection of those who have had to leave their homes - many of whom are women and children - 'has to be a priority for any government or agencies that are involved in accommodation'. - Is there any compensation for hosting - and what can you use it for? Those offering a place to stay will receive an optional tax-free monthly payment of 350 which will not affect benefit entitlements or council tax status. The 'thank you' payment is limited to one payment per residential address, and can be spent or saved as you wish. Hosts should not charge any rent. Mr Gove has also said local authority areas will be entitled to more than 10,000 per Ukrainian refugee using the fresh route to the UK. 'Additional payments' will be available to support school-age children who need to be accommodated within the education system, he said. Refugee children and their families arrive at Zahony train station in Hungary on March 12 - Do sponsors provide anything other than accommodation? Sponsors are not expected to provide meals or cover the costs of food and living expenses for their guests, unless they wish to do so philanthropically. - Can sponsors help refugees find work and access services? The Government will provide information to sponsors so that they can point their guests to organisations who can help them access benefits, register with a GP and with school placements. All refugees will be allowed to seek and take up employment, and there is nothing stopping sponsors helping them find a job. - Who can be a host? Sponsors can be of any nationality and any immigration status as long as they have permission to be in the UK for at least six months. Anyone with a spare room, or separate self-contained accommodation that is unoccupied and available for at least six months can volunteer to help. Ukrainian refugees crowd into support points at Krakow train station in Poland on March 14 - Who can be a guest? The website says someone is eligible if they are a 'Ukrainian national or the immediate family member of a Ukrainian national, and were resident in Ukraine prior to 1 January 2022.' The scheme is open for adults and children within family units. - How do you apply? If you have a named person who you wish to sponsor you should get in contact with them directly and prepare to fill in a visa application with all their details and yours. The visa application system will go live this Friday. - What if you don't have a name to give? People wanting to be sponsors who do not know anyone personally fleeing the Ukraine can register their interest here: homesforukraine.campaign.gov.uk. The Government will work with charities, faith groups and universities to match potential hosts with people from Ukraine - so you can still get involved if you don't know anyone from the country. More detailed guidance for sponsors will become available in the coming days, according to the website. Anyone registering will receive updates on the security checks, information on the status of the arrangement and the role of the local council in providing wider support. People who fled the Ukraine war rest inside an old train station building in Krakow on March 11 - Can you host AND employ a refugee? There is nothing in the Government's FAQs on the scheme which say you cannot host and employ a refugee, so it would appear that you can - for example if you run a small business. However, to be sure, MailOnline has contacted the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities for clarity on this. - What rights will Ukrainian refugees have? Refugees will be granted leave to remain in the UK for three years. They will be able to work and access benefits and public services including healthcare and schooling. - What rights will you have if there are problems? A change in circumstances could mean that someone is then unable to continue housing someone for the full six months. A Government source told the Daily Telegraph that the state would get involved if a refugee has to find other housing earlier than the six month period, and that this could then be taxpayer-funded. Volunteers sort donations to help Ukrainian refugees in Przemysl, Poland, on March 12 - How many Ukrainians are expected to be helped through the scheme? The Government is setting no limit, saying the UK will welcome as many Ukrainians as wish to come and for whom there are sponsors. Members of the public are being urged to come forward and help if they can. In less than an hour, 1,500 people had already registered for the scheme, Mr Gove told MPs, adding that he hopes the first Ukrainians to receive support under the project will arrive within a week. This morning, it was revealed that 88,000 people have signed up on the website. - What has been the response? Shadow communities secretary Lisa Nandy said Labour was relieved to hear Mr Gove would announce the sponsorship scheme after weeks of delay, adding: 'A press release is not a plan and we are really deeply concerned about the lack of urgency.' Ms Nandy insisted the visa application process could be simplified, telling Mr Gove: 'We could keep essential checks but drop the excessive bureaucracy.' Mr Gove, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps and Academy Award-nominated actor Benedict Cumberbatch are among those who have said they might apply to the scheme, while Boris Johnson and Health Secretary Sajid Javid have indicated they will not. The Government has faced widespread criticism for its response to the refugee crisis so far, with critics noting that unlike the UK all EU countries have waived visa requirements for Ukrainians in the short term. The Refugee Council chief executive Enver Solomon told The Guardian the UK scheme was 'effectively a managed migration route, which is not suitable to use to respond to a humanitarian crisis'. 'This conflict doesn't look like it's going to end quickly. There needs to be a clear pathway to longer-term accommodations,' he said. There have been also concerns about the tight timeframe the Government has provided, with the NSPCC in its statement calling it an 'ambitious turnaround'. The charity said it was 'essential that the Government works closely with local authorities, the fostering community, charities and other key local partners to ensure this sponsorship scheme is ultimately safe; has appropriate levels of support for traumatised Ukrainian children who have fled bloodshed, and on-going assistance available for their sponsors'. Hopes are rising that Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe is on the verge of being freed amid rising speculation of a strategic deal with Iran to ease dependence on Russian oil and gas. The British mother's lawyers have voiced optimism that she could be released within days after the authorities in Tehran returned her British passport. The apparent breakthrough comes after years of wrangling over an historic 400million 'debt' to Iran - and with claims that a new agreement on the Middle East state's nuclear ambitions is close. A wider pact could trigger the end of sanctions and allow Tehran's massive oil and gas stocks to start flowing on to international markets, potentially easing the impact of the standoff with Russia that has sent prices spiralling. Asked about the development this afternoon, Boris Johnson said he did not want to 'tempt fate' by commenting while 'delicate discussions' are still taking place. 'Negotiations about all our difficult consular cases have been going on for a long time,' he told reporters. Iran has long insisted Britain owes the money for 1,750 Chieftain tanks and other vehicles which were paid for but not delivered after the 1979 revolution toppled the Western-backed Shah. Both Tehran and London have denied there is a link with the fate of Zaghari-Ratcliffe. But in December, Foreign Secretary Liz Truss confirmed the 400million is a 'legitimate debt' that the Government wants to pay. And experts said it is part of a much broader push to restore relations with the Gulf state, which went into the deep freeze over fears nuclear fuel it claimed was being enriched for power stations could be used for weapons. In relation to the debt, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said: 'We continue to explore options to resolve this case and will not comment further as discussions are ongoing.' On the cases of Britons detained, a Foreign Office spokesperson said: 'We have long called for the release of unfairly detained British nationals in Iran. We don't comment on speculation.' Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe's (pictured in March 2020) lawyer has said 'we will have good news soon' on the British mother's release as reports today emerged that Britain may have paid a 400million debt to Iran that has been tied with her detention Lawyer Hojjat Kermani said he was hopeful for Zaghari-Racliffe's (pictured with her daughter Gabriella) release 'in the next few days' but that he had not been given an exact day as Tehran and London pressed on with talks about the long-standing debt Zaghari-Ratcliffe, a project manager with the Thomson Reuters Foundation, as arrested at a Tehran airport in April 2016 and later convicted of plotting to overthrow the clerical establishment (pictured, her husband Richard Ratcliffe hunger strikes outside the Foreign Office in London in November 2021) The Shah of Iran paid Britain 650million for 1,750 Chieftain tanks (pictured) in the 1970s but only 185 had been delivered when he was toppled in 1979 and the new government cancelled the order Asked about the development this afternoon, Boris Johnson said he did not want to 'tempt fate' by commenting while 'delicate discussions' are still taking place PM will urge Saudi Arabia to bring down world oil prices Boris Johnson is to ask Saudi Arabia to help bring down world oil prices despite outrage over its execution of 81 men at the weekend. Downing Street said he would ask the desert kingdom and other countries in the Opec oil cartel to increase supplies to 'reduce the volatility and bring prices down'. The Prime Minister will travel to the Gulf this week amid growing concern about the impact of the Ukraine crisis on oil prices. The RAC yesterday said pump prices hit new records at the weekend, with petrol averaging 1.63 a litre and diesel 1.73 equal to 95 to fill a typical tank. Advertisement Zaghari-Ratcliffe, from London, was arrested at Tehran's Imam Khomeini airport while travelling to introduce her daughter Gabriella - then not even two years old - to her parents in April 2016. She was sentenced to five years in prison over spurious allegations of plotting against the Tehran government and served out most of her first sentence in Tehran's Evin prison. She was released in March 2020 during the coronavirus pandemic and kept under house arrest. In March 2021, she was released from house arrest but she was summoned to court again on the new charge of 'propaganda against Iran'. In April 2021, she was then sentenced to a new one-year term in jail. However that sentence has not yet started and she is banned from leaving the country. Her MP Tulip Siddiq confirmed today that Zaghari-Ratcliffe's British passport has been returned. with a British negotiating team believed to be in Tehran. Local reports said she would likely return to London via Muscat following a phone call between Iran's foreign minister and his Omani counterpart. Iranian officials did not comment when asked whether the amount has been paid by Britain as reported by some Iranian outlets. There are also claims fellow British-Iranian prisoner Anoosheh Ashoori could be released in the coming days. Ms Siddiq said: 'I am very pleased to say that Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe has been given her British passport back, 'She is still at her family home in Tehran. I also understand that there is a British negotiating team in Tehran right now.' Sacha Deshmukh, Amnesty International UK's chief executive, warned that the latest reports should be treated with caution as there had been 'false dawn after false dawn' in the long-running process. He said: 'We sincerely hope these reports are correct. 'The detainees and their families have been suffering for years, and a resolution can't come quickly enough. 'It's been clear for a long time that the Iranian authorities have been targeting foreign nationals with spurious national security-related charges to exert diplomatic pressure. 'In the past we've had false dawn after false dawn over possible breakthroughs, so it's only right to be cautious at the moment.' Mr Ratcliffe, pictured, has spent 21 days camped outside the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office without food Mr Ratcliffe, the husband of Iranian detainee Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, ended his hunger strike because he said the pair's daughter 'needs two parents' Mr Ratcliffe said he was starting to get pains in his feet overnight, and after a chat with a doctor the decision was made to end the hunger strike The British mother held on spurious charges by Iran regime Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe was born and raised in Tehran and studied English literature at the capital's university, before becoming an English teacher. Following a devastating earthquake in Iran in 2003, she went to work as a translator in the relief effort for the Japanese International Co-operation Agency. She then went on to work for the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, before moving to the World Health Organisation as a communications officer. Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe came to the UK in 2007 after securing a scholarship at London Metropolitan University to study for a masters in communication management. It was a month after her arrival in the UK that she met her future husband through mutual friends. Describing their first date, Richard Ratcliffe said they 'clicked' and he felt like he had 'come home'. The couple got married in August 2009 in Winchester and their daughter Gabriella, was born in June 2014, something Mr Ratcliffe said changed both their outlooks on life. 'It was very important for Nazanin to keep going back to Iran to show her daughter to her parents before she would always go once a year, but she tried to go twice after,' he said. Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe began working at Thomson Reuters Foundation in 2011 as a project co-ordinator before taking on the role of a project manager. Mr Ratcliffe described his wife as very house-proud, meticulous and tidy, and said she has a 'pretty keen sense of justice', and is 'outraged' by what has happened to her and her daughter. Advertisement Efforts to strike a nuclear agreement with Iran have been going on for many years. The so-called 'P5 plus one' group of powers, including the US, Britain and Russia, have been engaging with Tehran. A deal was sealed when Barack Obama was president, but collapsed when Donald Trump took over in the White House. Another pact has seemed close for several weeks, but Russia has been holding up the process by insisting its relations with Iran are not subject to the international sanctions over the invasion of Ukraine. Tory MP Bob Seely, a member of the Foreign Affairs Committee, told MailOnline: 'I'm not sure exactly where it is going to lead but I do think one of the fallouts from Russia is that there will be a renewed emphasis on getting some kind of deal and understanding with Iran. 'This war clearly is reshaping the world and if you look at what is happening, with Boris off to Saudi, I think there are lots of things that are going to be playing out in the months to come.' 'For sure if you can get a lot of it back up and running and in, potentially very important. 'We are going to need to find a substitute in the short to medium term. Longer term is not so much of an issue with renewables and all that sort of stuff. 'But it is effectively the next two years. 'Assuming that Putin is going to stay in power there is going to need to be an answer about where we are going to get our supplies from.' He added: 'Maybe the Iranians will see this as an opportunity themselves. They have got more leverage, but maybe there is a correlation of interests now to do something that everyone can live with and will take the situation forward.' Former foreign secretary Sir Malcolm Rifkind said of the Nazanin developments: 'We are very close to the nuclear deal being revived probably behind the scenes the Americans have been saying any part of this deal requires the release of Americans. This must have been part of the British deal. 'The Iranians will want to imply one has got nothing to do with the other. So this may be why the passport issue is being dealt with now.' He added: 'The Americans are obviously looking actively at other sources of oil. Almost anywhere is preferable to Russia at this moment in time. 'If sanctions are going to be released anyway as a result of a nuclear deal, then obviously it is not too great a concession to include Iran in that.' 'Both the American sources as well as those from the Middle East suggest an agreement is ready to be signed.' The British government have repeatedly said they are working hard to secure Zaghari-Ractliffe's release but diplomatic efforts have so far failed to yield results. Her husband Richard Ratcliffe held a 21-day hunger strike outside the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) late last year in a bid to kickstart diplomatic efforts once more. He began his demonstration on October 24 after his wife lost her latest appeal in Iran, saying his family was 'caught in a dispute between two states'. In January, the daughter of another British-Iranian detained in Iran said her father was to begin a hunger strike due to a lack of progress in securing his release. Retired civil engineer Anoosheh Ashoori has been held at Evin Prison on charges of spying for Israel, which he denies, for more than four years. The Thomson Reuters Foundation said that when Zaghari-Ratcliffe was arrested she had travelled to Iran a personal capacity and had not been doing work in Iran. The Thomson Reuters Foundation is a charity organisation that is independent of Thomson Reuters and operates independently of Reuters News. The Shah of Iran paid Britain 650million for 1,750 Chieftain tanks in the 1970s but only 185 had been delivered when he was toppled in 1979 and the new government cancelled the order. Britain was told to pay back 450million by the International Chamber of Commerce in a 2009 ruling but sanctions on military equipment prevent payment. Pictured: Anoosheh Ashoori with his wife, Sherry Izadi Pictured: Anoosheh Ashoori with his wife and daughter Left to right: Aryan Ashoori, the son of Anoosheh Ashoori, Richard Ratcliffe, Sherry Izadi, the wife of Anoosheh Ashoori, MP for Lewisham East Janet Daby and Elika Ashoori, the daughter of Anoosheh Ashoori Greater Manchester Police have been slammed for endorsing an event at a mosque attended by Manchester Arena suicide bomber Salman Abedi which was accused turning a 'blind eye' to extremism. Didsbury Mosque in south Manchester came under severe criticism on Monday at the Manchester Arena public inquiry into the terror attack, with calls for its status as a charity to be 'reviewed' by regulators. Dr Paul Stott, Head of Policy Exchanges Security and Counter Extremism Unit, said: 'The Greater Manchester Police should as a matter of urgency review their endorsement of this event. But they also need to be upfront and have a proper, unflinching look at wider issues, outside of this single event. 'The GMP and indeed the local authority, its representatives, and anyone in public life - must think more carefully about "choosing their friends wisely" when they are looking at which community groups to engage with.' Policy Exchange said it has been urging caution since 2009 in applying criteria for engagement with Muslim groups. Lawyers for the families of the 22 people murdered in the Manchester Arena attack said it was accepted the mosque was in no way linked to the bombing or the radicalisation of suicide bomber Salman Abedi, who carried out the outrage on May 22, 2017. But it was claimed the mosque had hosted extreme Islamist sermons, failed to condemn violence and 'buried its head in the sand' over radicals in its congregation. Salman Abedi was said to have attended the mosque and his father Ramadan and brother Ismail were also involved in positions at the mosque. Greater Manchester Police has been criticised over its endorsement of an event this Friday being held at a mosque in Didsbury, Manchester, which has been criticised over the lack of action against extremists Manchester Arena bomber Salman Abedi, pictured on his way to Manchester Arena on May 22, 2017, attended Didsbury Mosque in south Manchester The mosque, pictured, was accused of hosting extreme Islamic sermons and 'buried its head in the sand' over radicals in the congregation John Cooper QC, representing some of the bereaved families, said: 'The vast majority of Muslim people are peace-loving, we know that. I know that, every right-minded person knows that. 'Where pockets of extremism and violent ideology exist, it is imperative that those who seek community leadership confront and combat that extremism without hesitation or equivocation.' Mr Cooper described the evidence to the inquiry from Fawzi Haffar, the current chair of trustees of Didsbury Mosque, also known as Manchester Islamic Centre, as 'frankly implausible'. Mr Haffar claimed the mosque's Islamic orientation was not extreme but 'middle of the road', and he said he was not aware of any links to Libya or knowledge of worshippers going abroad to fight in Syria or Libya. However, Mr Cooper suggested he downplayed any issues and was more concerned with protecting the mosque's reputation than putting things right. He said it was 'concerning' and 'troubling' that the mosque failed to make any condemnation of violence on its own website and had hosted speeches talking about giving money for 'jihad'. Manchester Arena bomber Salman Abedi was addicted to pain killers and had attended anger management classes after punching a woman in the head at college, the inquiry into the attack as heard An Imam at the mosque, Mohammed El-Saeiti, had delivered a sermon in October 2014 in which he explicitly condemned some terrorist groups. But Mr El Saeiti said the trustees believed speaking up against terrorists would 'provoke' its sympathisers and supporters. The mosque then failed to support him when he faced a petition for his removal signed by, among others, Ramadan Abedi. He said after the bombing the mosque's solicitor, a Mr Hafezi, pressured him to not mention the Abedis' links to the mosque. Mr Cooper said it showed the mosque was aware of the presence of extremist and violent sentiment among parts of the congregation, and the south Manchester Muslim community more generally, but adopted a 'passive' attitude and preferred to 'turn a blind eye'. This approach amounted to a 'dereliction of duty' to the community by Didsbury Mosque, Mr Cooper said. Solicitor Richard Scorer, from Slater & Gordon, who represents families of 12 of the victims of the Arena bombing, urged the inquiry to refer Didsbury Mosque to the Charity Commission. He added: 'The families that we represent have been appalled by Didsbury Mosque's refusal to include a clear condemnation of violence on its website. 'It is simply unacceptable for a charitable organisation to turn a blind eye to violent and extremist views in its community.' The public inquiry, sitting in Manchester, resumes on Tuesday. A GMP spokesperson said: 'As part of our on-going dialogue with communities, we are committed to engaging with all faiths across Greater Manchester and we use a number of different methods to do so. 'This includes supporting community events which are attended by local people and offer a platform for us and other agencies to engage residents on serious issues affecting them. The most effective way to address concerns is to engage directly with people and get to the root cause of the issue. 'Communities defeat terrorism and our efforts can only succeed where we have the support of the public, and communities have shown time and time again that they are united in their rejection of those who wish to divide us and spread hate. 'Extremism takes many forms and can be perpetrated by individuals from different walks of life so when a deeply tragic atrocity takes place, it is important that we keep our dialogue with affected communities open rather than shut ourselves off from them - particularly given that these horrible acts are committed by the few and are not reflective of the views held by the many.' A second construction industry giant has collapsed after failing to secure a pivotal bailout. Staff and contractors for Condev Constructions, based in Brisbane and the Gold Coast, were emailed by co-founder Tracey Marais on Tuesday night. 'It is with the heaviest heart that we advise that we have not been able to achieve the outcome from yesterday's meeting with developers that we'd hoped and the decision to proceed to the liquidation of Condev Construction is now a matter of course,' Ms Marais wrote. 'Liquidators will be appointed tomorrow.' Staff and contractors for Condev Constructions, based in Brisbane and the Gold Coast, were emailed by co-founder Tracey Marais on Tuesday night On Monday, Condev pleaded with some of the country's largest construction developers for a $25million bailout to keep the company afloat. But less than 24 hours later, two key developers had scrapped their contracts with Condev pushing the company into liquidation. 'It's heart breaking to advise that there is no requirement for you to come to work tomorrow,' Ms Marais told staff. 'We never dreamed this would be possible but we also never dreamed the world would be affected by a coronovirus and price hikes that would put us out of business,' she said. One subcontractor working with the company said he was owed about $1million but felt for the business because they had previously been good with payments. The subcontractor claimed the company had quoted extremely competitive prices for some projects. He said these thin margins combined with disruptions to the industry in the last two years, which include labour shortages, floods and soaring material costs, were responsible for company's problems. Queensland construction giant Condev has been smashed by back-to-back issues, including labour shortages, rising material costs, and floods Condev had previously said all staff, subcontractors and suppliers have been paid. The builder has about $1billion worth of projects and its collapse has left 125 people out of work. Just a few weeks ago another Australian constructions giant Probuild was placed into voluntary administration after falling into tens of millions of dollars of debt, leaving hundreds unemployed and dozens of projects unfinished nationwide. The Construction, Forestry, Maritime, Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU) described Condev as a 'collapse waiting to happen' after being smashed by a 'perfect storm' of issues. CFMEU state secretary Michael Ravbar said a 'combination of underbidding on jobs, poor project management and quality control', led to the company's financial woes, the Courier Mail reports. Subcontractors were spotted downing tools and packing up equipment into the back of trucks at the company's Riviere project at Brisbane's Kangaroo Point on Monday morning. The 12-storey development on Main Street for Aria Property Group was set to be a 124 apartment high-rise, although it's fate now hangs in the balance along with 17 other projects. WTC Advisory managing partner Andrew Weatherley said calling on developers was a 'unique approach' to the company's challenges. The company currently has 18 projects across southeast Queensland. Pictured is the development underway on Cannes Avenue, in the Gold Coast 'The alarm bells have rung and they might find people hesitant to deal with them going forward which would compound the problem,' Mr Weatherly said. 'But from a developers point of view, if it was not a substantial amount of money it would make sense to support them to a point because of the delays that you'd suffer because the clients have to find another builder to complete the projects. 'Whether that is sufficient enough remains to be seen.' Condev, founded by Steve and Tracy Marais in 2002, is licensed to complete a total of $240million worth of projects annually. In an earlier email to staff and clients, the company said the recent flooding across the region hindered the completion of projects and became the 'straw that broke the camel's back' after reporting losses in 2021. Melbourne-based builder Probuild entered voluntary administration last month after falling into tens of millions in debt Condev currently has 18 projects across southeast Queensland, with 14 in the Gold Coast where the builder is based. They include the Cannes Waterfront in Surfers Paradise, The Brookes Residences in Varsity Lakes, Natura and Brake Street both in Burleigh, and the Jindi Apartments in Palm Beach. Last month, ProBuild and several other construction businesses under the WBHO Australia Group umbrella went into administration after the parent company, WBHO South Africa, withdrew further financial support for them. Probuild reportedly lost as much as $120million on a bungled 264 high-quality residential apartment project on Brisbane's Queen Street. By Song Kyung-jin Many Koreans had a sleepless night on March 9 when the ballot counting was underway until the wee hours of the next day in a very tight presidential race. Yoon Suk-yeol garnered a razor-thin victory over his opponent Lee Jae-myung, who conceded his defeat. It was a scene symbolizing Korea's mature democracy. Yoon was chosen to lead the country at a fragile moment when the country is presented with a myriad of challenges, such as the U.S.-China competition, the Ukraine crisis, the North Korean problem, spiking energy and commodity prices, and an aging population. Rapid changes are being witnessed in the world order whereby economic security is becoming an important part of national security. Trade, technology, data, supply chains, energy and climate are all quickly turning into means of economic security diplomacy. Given this, I welcome President-elect Yoon's emphasis, among other things, on the importance of strengthening economic security diplomacy in his first speech on March 10 in front of reporters. He is right on target, especially when economic security diplomacy is gaining powerful traction around the world. With all due respect, the consensus view is that the incumbent government should have done a better job in handling foreign policy. One might ask why the sudden fuss over diplomacy? Unlike economic performance that is often quantifiably translated into concrete numbers, diplomacy is rarely quantifiable for people to feel it and therefore less appreciated than it deserves. Now that politics and foreign affairs have trumped economics and the trend is accelerating, the consequences of any act of economic security diplomacy are immediately felt by people more than before. The most familiar example is the urea water crisis. As I said in my previous column ("The urea water crisis and trust-building diplomacy," Nov. 21, 2021), the crisis was primarily a result of failed diplomacy. But how did diplomacy fail on such a critical occasion? There is an organizational issue the silofication of diplomacy and trade economics in the current government organization. The silofication consequently has limited the nation's rapid response and weakened its strategic decision-making capabilities. The possibility of the urea water crisis was first noticed by the Korean Embassy in China; however, the Embassy's cable did not get due attention by the ministry concerned. Responses came too little, too late; hence, the urea water crisis that a majority of countries could avoid. One stitch in time could have saved nine with the right structure in place. The separation and competition between diplomacy and trade also failed the nation with regards to the Ukraine crisis. Major democracies swiftly joined the U.S. and allies to impose economic, financial and technology sanctions against Russia for invading Ukraine on Feb. 21. However, Korea was sitting on the fence lacking proper coordination between the Blue House and the government until it announced the export control measures against Russia on Feb. 28. It was a blunder stemming from the absence of principled diplomacy and the government's lack of awareness of economic security diplomacy powerfully combined. Protection of corporate interests is always important but it cannot supersede protection of the universal value of world peace and prosperity in the face of war atrocities. Korea must remember that it is not the only country that has corporate interests to protect and that without swift and adequate actions, businesses will bear more brunt in the end. We must be wary of not being penny wise and pound foolish. As democracy, Korea should abide by Article 5 of the Constitution that states that Korea shall strive for world peace and prosperity. The Ukraine crisis provided Korea with a pricy reminder that the current silofication is not just ineffective but could be quite costly, especially when combined with "strategic ambiguity" that has been the lodestar of foreign policy of the incumbent government. Strategic ambiguity is tantamount to inaction when action is required. The world we are in now calls for strategic clarity rather than strategic ambiguity. A set of government principles should be in place that clearly states the philosophy and attitude of the nation built on the Constitution values of democracy; respect for human rights; justice; humanitarianism; freedom and responsibilities; rights and duties; and world peace and prosperity. Therefrom flexibility arises. It should be made an immediate task of the incoming government. Accordingly, the government organization needs to be readjusted to respond without impartiality to the growing importance of economic security diplomacy. The authority for trade negotiations should be returned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) that will be accountable to the nation for economic security diplomacy. Currently, MOFA is seriously understaffed. At the same time, its competence and openness are in question, too, not entirely for external reasons. MOFA itself should be ready to reform and accept competent human resources from outside to be more competitive and efficient. Time is fast approaching for the President-elect to specify what he means by "strengthening economic security diplomacy." I hope his thoughts are in line with mine. Dr. Song Kyung-jin (kj_song@hotmail.com) led the Institute for Global Economics (IGE), based in Seoul, and served as special adviser to the chairman of the Presidential Committee for the Seoul G20 Summit in the Office of the President. Now, she chairs the international cooperation committee called the Innovative Economy Forum. Boris Johnson said the UK must make 'big new bets' on developing new nuclear power stations to end the nation's 'addiction' to Russian oil and gas. The Prime Minister will unveil his British Energy Security Strategy later this month which will set out how the country will achieve energy independence. The document will have a major focus on increasing the roll-out of renewable energy sources as the Government remains committed to its net zero emissions by 2050 target. But it will also push for the development of more nuclear power capability, including through small modular reactors as well as larger power stations. Meanwhile, the PM has also signalled the Government will boost the domestic production of North Sea oil and gas in the short term, as he said it is 'crazy' the UK is importing energy from Russia when it has its own resources it can draw on. Boris Johnson said the UK must make 'big new bets' on developing new nuclear power stations to end the nation's 'addiction' to Russian oil and gas Mr Johnson said it is 'crazy' the UK is importing energy from Russia when it has its own resources it can draw on Writing in The Telegraph, Mr Johnson said Vladimir Putin knew when he launched his invasion of Ukraine that 'the world would find it very hard to punish him' because he had 'created an addiction' to Russian energy. The premier said 'we cannot go on like this' as he repeated his calls for the West to wean itself off of Russian oil and gas. Mr Johnson argued that Mr Putin's strength is his 'vast resource of hydrocarbons' but this is also his weakness because he has 'virtually nothing else' the world wants to buy. 'If the world can end its dependence on Russian oil and gas, we can starve him of cash, destroy his strategy and cut him down to size,' he said. The PM said it is time for the world 'to stop mainlining Russian hydrocarbons and we have to accept that such a move will be painful'. The premier said the UK will become more 'self-sufficient' and 'at the heart of the strategy is green energy of all kinds'. He said green energy is 'invulnerable to Putins manipulations' but 'we also need baseload energy power that can be relied upon when the sun isnt shining or the wind isnt blowing'. 'So now is the time to make a series of big new bets on nuclear power,' he said. 'The 1997 Labour manifesto said there was no economic case for more nuclear even though nuclear is in fact safe, clean and reliable. 'It is time to reverse that historic mistake, with a strategy that includes small modular reactors as well as the larger power stations.' Mr Johnson also signalled the Government will try to increase North Sea oil and gas production. He said: 'It is crazy that we are importing oil and gas from Putins Russia when we have our own resources in the North Sea. It is time to give investors more confidence in British hydrocarbons.' Mr Johnson said the shift away from Russian energy will be 'difficult' but 'it can be done'. The PM has also signalled the Government will boost the domestic production of North Sea oil and gas He said Mr Putin has been able to 'get away with too much for too long because he has encouraged and exploited a Western addiction to his oil and gas'. The PM said 'that addiction must now end'. Mr Johnson also said the West made a 'terrible mistake' by letting Mr Putin 'get away' with his invasion of Crimea in 2014. His comments come as he is rumoured to be travelling to Saudi Arabia to ask for it to help bring down world oil prices despite outrage over the country's execution of 81 men at the weekend. A substrain of Omicron spreading rapidly around the world may be as infectious as measles, according to a former World Health Organization (WHO) official. Professor Adrian Esterman, a leading epidemiologist in Australia, said BA.2 is 40 per cent more transmissible than the original variant. He claimed it would have a basic reproduction number (R0) of around 12, meaning if left to spread unchecked every infected person would pass it to a dozen others. It would make the sub-strain five times more infectious than the original Wuhan virus and one of the most contagious diseases known to science. The claim would explain why the mutant virus was able to outstrip its parent strain in the UK in about a month and undermine China's zero Covid policy, which has until now managed to suppress every version of the virus. Explaining his methodology, Professor Esterman said: 'The basic reproduction number (R0) for BA.1 is about 8.2, making R0 for BA.2 about 12. 'This makes it pretty close to measles, the most contagious disease we know about.' Pictured above is the R0 estimates for Covid variants against well-known diseases including the common cold, chickenpox and measles. The latter is estimated to be among the most infectious diseases to target humans The above chart shows the proportion of cases each variant was behind since February 1. It reveals that BA.2 (brown) is now behind almost all infections in England, overtaking the original Omicron strain (green) The R0 number is the average number of people each BA.2 patient would infect, if there was no immunity in a population or behavioural changes. But most scientists say there is no reason to be concerned over the variant because it is just as mild as the original Omicron. The BA.2 sub-variant is now behind almost every case in England, or 83 per cent of infections last week, according to official estimates. It became dominant three weeks beforehand, accounting for 52 per cent of all infections in the week to February 20. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) estimates cases have been rising since mid-February, with one in 25 people in England estimated to have been infected last week. Hospitalisations are also creeping up, but the majority appear to be incidental when someone tests positive after admission for another illness. Deltacron is 'not of particular concern', UK health secretary says The 'Deltacron' Covid variant is 'not of particular concern', the UK's health secretary has said. Cases of the strain which is a hybrid between Delta and Omicron have been detected in six countries so far. But they are in small numbers and appear to have been present since January, with no sign of any sparking a surge in infections. Sajid Javid told the Commons yesterday that a 'handful' of cases had been detected in the UK. He told Sky News: 'We keep the situation very carefully under review. 'There's no other variant of concern out there that is an issue at this point in time. 'We have seen some rises in infections over the last week, but given the increase in social mixing this was to be expected.' More than 78 cases have been spotted globally so far, including 32 in the UK. France has the biggest outbreak (32 cases), followed by the UK, Germany (one), Belgium (one) and the Netherlands (one). Advertisement Scientists estimate the original Wuhan strain of SARS-CoV-2 had an R0 of around 2.5. However, measles one of the most contagious viruses known to exist has an R0 of between 12 and 18. Experts estimate the equivalent number for chickenpox sits in the region of 10 to 12. Even if BA.2 does have an R0 of 12, it does not mean everyone infected with BA.2 will actually pass the virus onto a dozen others. The actual R rate which reflects how quickly an outbreak is growing or shrinking is always much lower than R0. This is because it takes into account real-world data which can easily skew the shape of disease outbreaks, such as population immunity. In Hong Kong, where its early success in controlling the virus led to low vaccine uptake, cases, hospitalisations and deaths are rising quickly amid the emergence of BA.2. Professor David Livermore, a microbiologist at the University of East Anglia, said it 'may be the case' that R could be 12 in a population without immunity to the virus. But he stressed that these populations now do not exist almost everywhere in the world because the virus has reached every corner of the globe. Asked whether people should be concerned about BA.2, Professor Livermore said this was not the case. 'I think the virus has simply got embedded in the population,' he told MailOnline. 'And BA.2 doesn't seem to be any more able to cause severe disease than classical Omicron'. Professor Julian Tang, a respiratory sciences expert at Leicester University, said the estimate was 'pretty high' for a respiratory virus, although not impossible. He told MailOnline: 'That's pretty high for a respiratory virus, but that could be true. I need to see some estimates from somewhere else before taking a view.' In Denmark, where BA.2 has been dominant for weeks, officials lifted restrictions in February saying the virus no longer posed a 'critical threat'. Britain's daily Covid cases started rising at the beginning of March, shortly after BA.2 became dominant in England and Freedom Day. They have risen every day since and are now at their highest level in a month, with about 63,000 registered every 24 hours on average. Hospitalisations are also heading upwards, with 1,300 people being admitted to wards every day on average. Covid deaths remain flat, but they are a lagging indicator because of the time taken for someone who has caught the disease to die from it. SAGE adviser and epidemiologist at Edinburgh University Professor Mark Woolhouse told Forbes last week: 'In my estimation, the most important driver of the recent increase in cases and hospitalisations in the UK is the rise of BA.2 Omicron sub-variant.' Organiser Emma Sinclair said it was 'reflection of the goodwill of everybody' Already M&S, Asos and Lush have said they want to take part in the huge push Turkey food giants Bernard Matthews also says it has 'number of roles available' The consortium of companies say they can help and offer refugees new jobs Over 100 businesses - from AstraZeneca to Bernard Matthews - have now joined an informal business consortium to help hire Ukrainian refugees when they arrive in the UK. The project - dreamt up by Emma Sinclair MBE - has attracted other huge names including Welcome Break, Nestle and River Island. Already Marks & Spencer, Asos and Lush have said they want to take part in the drive to help Ukrainian refugees. Under the Government's new sponsorship scheme, those fleeing from the war there will be given the right to work when their applications are accepted. Ms Sinclair, the chief executive of Enterprise Alumni, has led the charge which has attracted significant support from British firms. She told MailOnline this morning: 'We have got over a hundred companies now saying they can help. 'There are millions of jobs available in the UK and it will be benefit to the economy helping them. 'It's continually growing, it's a reflection of the goodwill of everybody, people and businesses have felt a sense of powerlessness about what is happening in Ukraine and want to do something to help. Ukrainian refugees queue to get one of the 100 daily appointments at the documentation office to apply for temporary protection approved by the European Union that allows residence and a work permit, in Torrevieja, Spain, earlier today Ms Sinclair said the project is 'purely altruistic' and due to businesses wanting to help Ukraine 'For refugees, when they have got somewhere it's one thing to have accommodation but quite another thing to be able to feed your family and work. 'I spoke to the minister for refugees Richard Harrington yesterday. The first process that needs to be addressed is getting people here as the first step, that's clearly the early area for the Government. 'What I am convening energy around is that if people are going to build successful lives here they are going to want to have a job. 'As I speak, a huge effort is happening. The government need to create a database of where they will be resettled, to help match with employers in the future. 'There are still things to consider - if you want to get a job you will probably need a laptop, if you have just fled a warzone you might not have brought that - but this is something that is growing with people wanting to help.' Nestle's head of talent has already contacted Ms Sinclair saying it wanted to get involved in what it described as a 'fantastic initiative'. More than 2.5 million people have fled Ukraine since Russia's invasion, and European Union countries have let them come in without a visa for three years Firefighters work today to put out a fire in a residential apartment building after it was hit by shelling as Russia's invasion of Ukraine continues, in Kyiv A man carries a resident after she was rescued from a Kyiv apartment building that was hit by shelling as Russia's attack on Ukraine Which firms have said they have jobs or can help Ukrainian refugees get work in the UK? Marks & Spencer Tesco Iceland Morrisons Asos Vodaphone Britvic Circle Health Group Nestle AstraZeneca Bernard Matthews City Plumbing Asos Lush Robert Walters Hill & Smith Holdings Welcome Break Staffline Recruitment Ltd Poundland & Dealz River Island Dunelm Global Logic Portman Dental Care City Plumbing Howdens Tahora Advertisement Online fashion house Asos said that they were looking to employ 'double digits' of refugees in their tech engineering roles based in the UK due to Ukraine's 'strong skill set in this area'. Tesco has made 1,400 roles available for refugees in its central European business It is establishing a Ukrainian language recruitment helpline and providing language training for successful applicants. Mental health in the workplace app Tahora will offer a paid, 14 months community support and marketing apprenticeship. Co-founder Ben Towers, 22, said: 'Our role will be about working within the community and bringing people together. 'I can't think of anyone better qualified than a resident of Ukraine.' And Bernard Matthews told Ms Sinclair it had a number of roles available and was keen to get involved. More than 3 million people have fled Ukraine since Russia's invasion, and European Union countries have let them come in without a visa for three years. At least 4,000 visas had already been offered to Ukrainians fleeing the Russian invasion to enter the UK. The UK has been criticised for not allowing visa-free entry into the UK for Ukrainians whereas several other European countries have. A Downing Street spokesperson said: 'This is exactly the kind of thing we appreciate the generous British public offering to step up in this grave hour of need for our friends in Ukraine.' 'We are standing shoulder to shoulder with Ukrainians which is why we've made it easier for those with valid Ukrainian passports to come here. 'This is alongside changes to visas to ensure Ukrainians in the UK can stay here. 'We have expanded our visa application capacity to 13,000 a week, deployed additional staff across the EU, with a 24/7 helpline in place to ensure those who need appointments can get them to come here. 'This allows us to balance security risks while welcoming those in need,' they added. The Daily Mail, Mail on Sunday and MailOnline UKRAINE REFUGEE APPEAL Readers of Mail Newspapers and MailOnline 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 Donate at www.mailforcecharity.co.uk/donate To add Gift Aid to a donation even one already made complete an online form found here: mymail.co.uk/ukraine Via bank transfer, please use these details: Account name: Mail Force Charity Account number: 48867365 Sort code: 60-00-01 TO MAKE A DONATION VIA CHEQUE Make your cheque payable to 'Mail Force' 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 First Ukrainian family that could come to UK: Private school teachers and their two children are offered rooms in six-bed Yorkshire home - as 89,000 Britons throw open doors to refugees under Homes for Ukraine scheme Have YOU got plans to host a Ukrainian family? Email james.gant@mailonline.co.uk Advertisement A Ukrainian family who escaped Vladimir Putin's bombs could become the first to be rehoused in Britain after being offered a place at a six-bedroom mansion in Yorkshire. Lillia and Vitalii Kucher, along with their daughters Victoria, 14, and Ilona, six, have sorted accommodation at Sabrina and Tony O'Brien's home in Driffield near Hull. They are looking to get to the UK in the next week after fleeing to Moldova when Russia invaded their homeland last month. It comes as Britain's Homes For Ukraine scheme doubled overnight as tens of thousands more came forward to offer their support to those trying to escape the carnage in eastern Europe. The government revealed this morning almost 90,000 people have now registered an interest in hosting a person or family from the war-torn country as part of the biggest resettlement scheme since the Second World War. The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, which launched the initiative yesterday, said the figure as of Tuesday morning was 88,712 - up from 44,000 yesterday. But the actual number for those coming forward to help is likely much higher, with many posting their own adverts to host a family rather than using the government scheme. Many took to social media and refugee groups to help instead, due to Homes For Ukraine needing Britons to name the Ukrainian they wish to sponsor. Posts included a sprawling country house in a picturesque village in North Yorkshire while another showed a luxury caravan on an idyllic farm in the Devon countryside. Meanwhile one man said he was ready to welcome Ukrainian refugees into his home to repay the British government after they gave sanctuary to his great-grandfather over a century ago during the Russian pogroms. A Ukrainian family (pictured) who escaped Vladimir Putin's bombs could become the first to be rehoused in Britain after being offered a place at a six-bedroom mansion in Yorkshire Lillia (right) and Vitalii Kucher, along with their daughters Victoria, 14, and Ilona (left), six, have sorted accommodation at Sabrina and Tony O'Brien's home in Driffield near Hull They are looking to get to the UK in the next week after fleeing across the Ukraine border into Moldova when Russia invaded Ukraine last month. Pictured: Mr and Mrs O'Brien Britain's Homes For Ukraine scheme double overnight as tens of thousands more came forward to offer their support to those fleeing Vladimir Putin's rage in eastern Europe Ukrainian refugees arrive at Medyka border crossing on March 14, 2022. More than three million people have now fled Ukraine since Russia invaded Meanwhile Charlie Rubin, 30, has been particularly moved by the crisis in Ukraine as the situation echoes what his relative went through in the early 1900's What are the rules for accepting Ukrainian refugees? Sponsors will have to provide accommodation for a minimum of six months. The Government will provide a monthly payment of 350 to sponsors per family they look after. The payments are tax-free and will not affect benefit entitlement or council tax status. Ukrainians arriving in the UK will also have access to the full range of public services, doctors and schools for up to three years Sponsors will need to undergo criminal record vetting before accepting refugees. Anyone who has lived in the UK legally for at least six months can apply to take in a refugee The hosts do not have to be British citizens Prospective sponsors should register at the Homes for Ukraine website Advertisement Mr and Mrs Kucher got in touch with Mr and Mrs O'Brien and their three daughters - Emily, 19, Maddie, 16, and Kitty, 11 - through EU4UA, which matches refugees with hosts independently of the government system. But the British family registered with the Homes For Ukraine site last night so they could make the move official. The Kutchers had earlier feared they would be trapped in Moldova without an income from their jobs at private schools. The O'Briens meanwhile said they would host the family 'for as long as they need', with the Ukrainians hoping to remain with them for around a year to save disrupting their children's education. Mrs O'Brien told the Telegraph: 'We are ex-Londoners and bought a six-bedroomed house in Driffield. We are lucky enough to have the space and only five of us in our house. 'I can see Lillia is scared. Food is running out. Petrol is running low and it is three hours' drive to the airport. All the other countries are helping and I want to do everything in my power to help them feel safe, loved and supported. It is our duty and besides, would we not want the same if it were us? 'Their home, business, and livelihood have been destroyed, but not their future. We, with the help of others, will make sure of that.' The Kutcher family fled their home in Mogilev-Podolsky on February 24 as bombs reigned down just 80 miles away. They made it into Moldova and registered with EU4UA and was offered places across the world, with her choosing five families in Britain. She said: 'All of them answered and were ready to support my family and me. It was difficult to talk on the site, so Sabrina and I opened a Facebook link. It was easier for us to communicate, so we became very close. We had the same points of view.' Mr and Mrs Kucher got in touch with Mr and Mrs O'Brien and their three daughters - Emily, 19, Maddie, 16, and Kitty, 11 - through EU4UA, which matches refugees with hosts independently of the government system. Pictured: Lillia and her daughter Victoria The Kutchers (pictured, the daughters) had earlier feared they would be trapped in Moldova without an income from their jobs at private schools The much-anticipated Homes For Ukraine scheme kicked off on Monday as tens of thousands of people rushed to offer their support for those escaping the horrors in eastern Europe. The government website was flooded with so many users it crashed last night but appeared to be working as normal this morning. On the first day 44,000 people signed up to the initiative, but that figure skyrocketed to 88,712 as of Tuesday morning, the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities said. But some opted to post their own adverts on social media or through refugee charities amid confusion at Homes For Ukraine needing the names of Ukrainians the applicant wants to host. One group, called Accommodation, Help and Shelter For Ukraine been backed by more than 55,000 followers across Europe since it was set up, with thousands of Britons posting their homes on the site. Among them is Ian Foxley and his wife, with them looking to welcome a family at their sprawling country mansion just outside York in northern England. Mr Foxley, who is finishing off a PhD at York University, and his wife, who is a teacher, said they have two double bedrooms available. He said: 'We have a large country house in a small village 10 miles outside York in the UK with a good bus service into the city where there are also good work opportunities. 'We have two double bedrooms available and the village has both a kindergarten and a primary school. Our children have grown up and live in London and overseas, so we can provide a safe refuge. 'My wife is a teacher and I am just completing a PhD at the University of York. We also have two dogs, Brenna and Maya, who are very child friendly.' Meanwhile Lillie Alexander, from the South Coast, also put the call out for those looking for a place to stay. She said: 'My husband and I, both 30 years old, are offering a spare room in our house on the south coast of the UK. 'We have a cat but no children. We have good bus links to local cities as well as shops and businesses within walking distance. 'I am a doctor and my husband runs a restaurant. We have a room to offer to a young couple, mother and child or single woman via the new UK refugee pathway opening this week.' Previously only Ukrainians with family members already settled in the UK could come. But under the new scheme, sponsors can provide a route for Ukrainians without family ties to come to the UK. Pictured: The Homes for Ukraine website Meanwhile Lillie Alexander, from the South Coast, also put the call out for those looking for a place to stay Ms Alexander said: 'My husband and I, both 30 years old, are offering a spare room in our house on the south coast of the UK' The doctor added: 'We have a cat but no children. We have good bus links to local cities as well as shops and businesses within walking distance' Another looking to host is Sacha Pilkington and his girlfriend, who live on a picturesque farm in rural Devon in the south west of the country. The former primary school teacher turned farmer and businessman was offering a static caravan and a job if their guests want one. He said: 'We have a nice caravan on our small farm in South Devon. 'We live in a static caravan ourselves so don't have a house to offer yet but you'd have your own space, with heating, hot water, bathroom, cooking facilities and lots of space for children to run around. 'We have older children and a baby. My girlfriend is a Secondary school English Teacher, I am an ex-Primary teacher and now have business working on campervans and we run the farm together with pigs and poultry and organic vegetable growing. 'We may be able to offer you some work if you would like it but you're not obliged. There are good local schools. We are rural but with a village nearby and beautiful quiet area.' On the other side of the south coast, Malcolm Greenhill in St Leaonards on Sea, near Hastings, has two spare bedrooms available. He said: 'My wife and I would like to invite the family of a brave Ukrainian fighter to live with us. Since our sons left home we have two spare bedrooms and a private bathroom in a large comfortable house in a quiet location. 'We have a secure garden where children can play safely. We have two small very friendly dogs. We are business owners so we can offer paid work if you have suitable skills or education.' Meanwhile in Chorley in in the North West 32-year-old Gary McFarlane also listed a large room for a Ukrainian couple or individual. He said: 'I have a comfortable home and can offer a spare en-suite bedroom. I work in human resources and I'm familiar with UK Visas and Immigration. I am caring and compassionate. 'I live on my own and have a small dog called Sam. I have had a lodger in the past - the girl in my profile photo who is now a very good friend - and this worked well. 'I am a gay man. The room is suitable for a woman/man/couple. I can sponsor long-term and commit to the minimum six-month period under the scheme.' And in the capital Simon Reeves registered his interest to house a refugee, writing they have a spare room up for grabs in Clapham in the south east of the city. He added: 'We are a gay male couple with dogs in Clapham, London with a spare room, and en suite bathroom. It's a double bed, has a big TV and lovely views of London. 'Seeking one person who is gay/ gay-friendly and dog loving. We'll be happy to support financially until you're on your feet.' Meanwhile Charlie Rubin, 30, has been particularly moved by the crisis in Ukraine as the situation echoes what his relative went through in the early 1900's. In 1910, Wilhelm Dank, Charlie's great grandfather on his father's side, fled violent Russian pogroms and massacres in the Pale of Settlement. Meanwhile Charlie Rubin (right, with Constance Campbell), 30, has been particularly moved by the crisis in Ukraine as the situation echoes what his relative went through in the early 1900's Left to right: Shirley Rubin, Wilhelm Dank (red circle), Jinny (Charlie's great-grandmother), Marcia (Shirley's sister and Charlie Rubin's great aunt). Sitting: Zadie (Jinney's father) In 1910, Wilhelm Dank, Charlie's great grandfather on his father's side, fled violent Russian pogroms and massacres in the Pale of Settlement At the time this was a vast area of the Russian Empire, covering large parts of Eastern Europe and including most of Ukraine, where marginalised Jews were forced to live. After seeking refuge in the UK in his early twenties, the British government greeted Wilhelm with open arms, and he settled in Manchester. He spoke no English when he first arrived, but attended night school to integrate himself into British society. Within ten years he became an established coat salesman and met Charlie's great grandma Jinney Zelkovich. Now Charlie and his girlfriend Constance Campbell, 25, want to offer the same opportunity to Ukrainian refugees displaced by the Russian invasion of their country. The couple have just bought their first property in the capital, and have a spare room in the loft which they are keen to offer any Ukrainians seeking refuge in the UK. Charlie is the joint CEO of ethical cleaning brand Purdy & Figg and also plans to donate around 3000 bottles of award winning hand sanitiser to refugees arriving in Poland. Charlie, from Shepherd's Bush, said: 'If it wasn't for the British government who allowed my great grandfather the opportunity to build a life in the UK, I wouldn't be here today. 'Over a 100 years later I'm repaying a debt to them by taking in a family myself. I want to do something on behalf of Britain which was done for my great grandfather, and offer as much help as I can to families fleeing the conflict. 'It's our first home, and we have a room in the loft perfect for a family to stay in. There's no fixed time limit we have in mind, we just wants to help as soon we can.' Michael Gove yesterday confirmed 'unlimited numbers' will be allowed to live here for three years as he appealed to people to open their homes to Ukrainian refugees. The Housing Secretary announced the launch of the Homes for Ukraine scheme that will pay families 350-a-month to take in those fleeing Russian brutality for at least six months. The website to register for the scheme went down immediately after it was launched with some people unable to complete the online form for up to an hour. Mr Gove told the Commons anyone who had lived in the UK for at least six months would be able to take in refugees, with those arriving eligible to stay for up to three years. Previously only Ukrainians with family members already settled in the UK could come. But under the new scheme, sponsors can provide a route for Ukrainians without family ties to come to the UK. The government in recent days has face criticism for its handling of the escalating refugee crisis sweeping across Europe. Labour's Lisa Nandy said the new plan was a 'DIY asylum scheme' and there was criticism that sponsors would have to know the name of the refugee they wished to house before they arrived. Mr Gove told MPs: 'Because we want the scheme to be up and running as soon as possible, Homes for Ukraine will initially facilitate sponsorship between people with known connections. 'We will rapidly expand the scheme in a phased way with charities, churches and community groups to ensure many more prospective sponsors can be matched with Ukrainians who need help, and we are of course working closely with the devolved administrations to make sure that their kind offers of help are also mobilised.' Labour's Lisa Nandy said the new plan was a 'DIY asylum scheme' and there was criticism that sponsors would have to know the name of the refugee they wished to house before they arrived. He added: 'The British people have already opened their hearts in so many ways, I'm hopeful that many will also be ready to open their homes and to help those fleeing persecution find peace, healing and the prospect of a brighter future.' Almost three million people have fled Ukraine since Vladimir Putin ordered the Russian invasion and civilians continue to find themselves caught up in the fighting. Ms Nandy raised concerns over matching Ukrainian families to sponsors and claimed the Government was suggesting people should advertise on Instagram via a 'DIY asylum scheme'. She told the Commons: 'On his tour of the TV studios, he suggested several times that people who are willing to sponsor a Ukrainian family need to come to the Government with the name of that family who will then rubber stamp it. 'He can't seriously be asking Ukrainian families who are fleeing Vladimir Putin, who have left their homes with nothing, to get on to Instagram and advertise themselves in the hope a British family might notice them. Is this genuinely the extent of this scheme?' Critics also attacked a 'bureaucratic hurdle' that means that families wanting to get involved with Homes for Ukraine have to know who they are taking in by name before they arrive. Hosts will also have to undergo criminal records checks first, with Health Secretary Sajid Javid saying a 'basic level of security checks' would apply. The Home Office has issued 4,000 visas under the Ukraine Family Scheme. Mr Shapps lives in Hertfordshire (pictured in July 2020). They have three children, a son Hadley and twins Tabytha and Noa The Home Office has issued 4,000 visas so far under the Ukraine Family Scheme. According to data published on its website, 17,100 applications have been submitted and 10,600 appointments have been made at visa processing centres. According to data published on its website, 17,100 applications have been submitted and 10,600 appointments have been made at visa processing centres. The Homes for Ukraine programme will allow individuals, charities, community groups and businesses to bring people escaping the war to safety - even if they have no ties to the UK. Anyone with a room or home available can offer it to a Ukrainian individual or a family, though those offering will be vetted and Ukrainian applicants will undergo security checks. The public will be able to nominate a Ukrainian family to stay with them for at least six months. Sponsored Ukrainians will be granted three years' leave to remain in the UK, with entitlement to work and access services. The exact details are not known, but Mr Gove has said steps will be taken to ensure people who might be 'intent on exploitation' are prevented from 'abusing' the new scheme. Britons offering accommodation to Ukrainian refugees will receive a 'thank you' payment of 350 per month. Local authority areas will be entitled to more than 10,000 per Ukrainian refugee using the fresh route to the UK. Surgeons in Kyiv had to amputate a nine-year-old girl's arm to save her life after she was shot while fleeing her home. The girl, known only Sasha, is recovering in hospital. She was fleeing from fighting in the Kyiv suburb of Hostomel with her father, mother and sister last week when the family car was hit by bullets. Her father was killed and the other three escaped into the street before taking shelter in a cellar. Sasha drifted in and out of consciousness for two days before she was carried to a nearby hospital on a make-shift stretcher by volunteers waving a white flag. Speaking from her hospital bed Sasha said: 'I don't know why the Russians shot me. I hope it was an accident and that they didn't mean to hurt me. Sasha, nine, was fleeing fighting in the Kyiv suburb of Hostomel when Russian forces opened fire on the family car, killing her father and wounding her in the arm Sasha, before the war, drifted in and out of consciousness for two days before she was carried to a nearby hospital on a make-shift stretcher by volunteers waving a white flag Sasha (pictured before the war) lay wounded in a cellar for two days before rescuers were able to get her to a hospital, where doctors were forced to amputate most of her arm 'I was shot in the arm. I ran after my sister. My mum she fell over. I thought it was the end. But she was not dead she was just sheltering from the gunfire. She was hiding. 'Then I lost consciousness. Someone carried me to a cellar. I was given some treatment there. And then some people carried me on a towel to the hospital.' The north-western suburbs of Gostomel, Irpin, and Bucha are on the front line of the battle for Kyiv. The Russian Army launched a massive assault on these satellite towns in the hope of busting through the Ukrainian defence and capturing the capital. At the Central Irpin Hospital, Bucha, vascular surgeon Dr Vladislav Gorbovec, discovered gangrene had taken hold and he took the decision to amputate her left arm above the elbow. Sasha would have died otherwise. Dr Gennadiy Druzenko, of the First Volunteer Mobile Hospital, told MailOnline Sasha is one of a number of children who suffered terrible injuries in the battle for Kyiv. He explained: 'This girl was brought to the Central Irpin Hospital with terrible injuries. 'She had been shot while she was evacuating from Gostomel with her parents. 'Her father was shot dead as he drove them away from the fighting in his car. Sasha's family were trying to escape from Hostomel, in western Kyiv, where intense fighting has been going on with Russian troops (pictured, damage in nearby Irpin) Tens of thousands of people have fled the cities of Irpin (pictured), Hostomel and Bucha on the west of Kyiv as Putin's troops close in Civilians flee from Irpin, which is close to Hostomel in the west of Kyiv, where intense fighting has been going on with Russian forces 'The girl, her sister and her mother found safety in a cellar. They stayed there for two days while there was fighting in the streets above them. 'She was badly injured, lost consciousness and became delirious. 'Russian soldiers tried to break into the cellar. They shot at the door and screamed at the people to come out. 'Finally the girl was brought to the hospital by civilians waving a white flag as they ran through the battle zone. 'She given emergency treatment at the Central Irpin Hospital which was under gunfire. 'The doctor discovered gangrene was spreading up her arm from her injury. 'He had to amputate her left arm to save her life. 'The girl was then transferred to a private clinic Kyiv. 'She is one of a number of children who have suffered terrible injuries. All of them have lost at least one of their parents.' Now the youngster, who celebrated her ninth birthday the day before Russia invade on 24th February, has asked for a new pink artificial arm that is covered in flowers. A satellite image shows the badly-damaged Hostomel airport which came under heavy Russian attack in the opening days of the war, close to where Sasha's family lived The nurse who treated Sasha on Ward 5 of the Central Irpen Hospital, in Bucha, has praised her for her strength and courage. She said: 'The first thing Sasha said to me was; 'please be honest do I have a left hand or not?' 'I didn't know what to say. I didn't know whether not to say anything, to lie or to tell her the truth. 'What do you say to a child who is in pain but who knows that she put up with it. 'She asked if she would be healthy and if she can have a new pink artificial arm coloured with flowers. 'She is so strong. She does not cry because she knows only weak people cry. 'She thanked us for saving her life and caring for us.' The nurse added: 'I am so angry and I feel so much hate towards whoever shoots and maims children.' Advertisement An accused 'homeless serial killer' was slapped with murder charges after he was captured at a Washington, DC, gas station following a deadly nine-day crime spree targeting homeless men in New York City and the nation's capital, which has left two people dead and three others injured. Gerald Brevard III, 30, was charged with first-degree murder while armed, assault with a dangerous weapon, assault with intent to kill on Tuesday. His arrest came after the mayors of both New York City and Washington DC released a closeup photograph of the male suspect they believe to be responsible for the cold-blooded killings and shootings, some of which were caught on video. The suspect's father, Gerald Brevard Jr, 54, told The Daily Beast that he had spoken to his 'mild-mannered' but mentally troubled son just hours before his arrest, and that the younger man 'did not say anything out of the ordinary.' 'It was a normal conversation,' the elder Brevard told the outlet. 'But he was dealing with mental illness for the longest time. He has been in and out of mental hospitals.' In a statement conveyed to DailyMail.com through a relative, Brevard said: 'I would first like to thank you for contacting me regarding my son. To the families of the victims, I extend my deepest condolences and am truly sorry for their losses and the circumstances that have brought me to this statement today. 'I have just recently become aware of the arrest of my son, Gerald Brevard III and what he is expected to be charged with. I havent been provided any details regarding his arrest and I am unable to speak on that particular subject. 'I can, however, speak on who my son is. He is a good person and like many across the world, he suffers from mental illness. The bigger picture is not that he has mental illness, but the number of times that hes been within the judicial system and how the system has failed regarding the treatment of so many, including my son. 'I dont know what the evidence is, and as I mentioned earlier, I cannot speak to the details of the case. I can only speak to the issue of the failure of the judicial system identifying that my son suffers from mental illness but not treating it.' The suspect's aunt, Sheila Brevard, 48, said Brevard III has been 'in and out of the judicial system,' spent time in prison, and that the authorities were aware of his mental illness but had 'not properly treated' it. The accuseds aunt insisted that he is a good person despite his long rap sheet dating back over a decade including armed robbery and assault. Every time Ive seen or spoken with him hes always very pleasant or polite. He is a good person. What hes accused of, they didnt give us any details, she said. Its disheartening. No one wants their family member to be involved in these type of things. Sheila said her DC-resident nephew was an electrician and a union member, and also worked on the side in restaurants. Surveillance video from a Washington DC gas station shows the moment federal agents cornered Gerald Brevard III, 30 (circled in red), who is suspected of killing two homeless men and injuring three others in DC and New York City ATF agents with their guns drawn confronted the suspect before 3am on Tuesday in Southeast DC ATF agents ordered Brevard to lie face down on the ground, after which they handcuffed him and took him into custody Brevard is seen in ATF custody following his arrest in Washington DC in the early hours of Tuesday morning Metropolitan Police Department of DC Chief Robert Contee (center) announced charges of first-degree murder while armed, assault with a dangerous weapon, assault with intent to kill against Brevard during a press conference on Tuesday In the early hours of Tuesday morning, Washington DC's police department confirmed officers had arrested the suspect in the city, with Metropolitan Police Department Capt. Darren Haskis saying Brevard was stopped on the 2700 block of Pennsylvania Avenue Southeast at around 3 a.m. and arrested. Security video from a gas station shows agents with guns drawn confronting Brevard and ordering him to lie face down on the ground. The wanted man complies and is immediately surrounded by law enforcement officers, who put him in handcuffs without an incident. NBC New York reported that police in New York City and DC received tips that led them to the suspect. Gerald Brevard III, 30, a suspect in a two-city crime spree that has left two homeless men dead and three others injured is pictured in a December 2020 booking photo out of Virginia 'He is currently being interviewed at our Homicide Branch. Additional information will be forthcoming. Thanks to the community for all your tips,' the department said in a Tweet. NBC New York on Tuesday obtained exclusive security camera video, showing the suspect sneaking up on a 38-year-old homeless man sleeping on the street in the SoHo section of Manhattan on Saturday. In the footage, the man pulls out a gun and fires, wounding the victim. He then flees on foot. The 38-year-old victim of the shooting survived and on Monday returned to the scene of the crime to collect his possessions. Crystal clear images of the male suspect's face were shared on Monday evening in a joint press conference chaired by NYC Mayor Eric Adams and his DC Counterpart Eric Adams, as well as their respective police chiefs. Video footage of the suspect strolling down a DC street on March 9 - the evening of the murder in that city - was been shared. At Monday's press conference in New York, cops revealed they suspected the same weapon had been used in the shootings in both cities, thanks to forensic examination of cell casings found at the scenes. Police said sixth victim initially thought connected to attacks has been ruled as an unrelated medical incident. Brevard was apprehended at 2.30am in Southeast Washington DC by agents with the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. No gun was found in his possession. 'We promised that wed bring this killer to justice. We kept that promise. Thank you to all of our partners in law enforcement for their good work. Public safety is the prerequisite to prosperity,' New York City Mayor Eric Adams tweeted on Tuesday. 'Keeping our streets safe means bringing our country back.' Court records in Washington DC and Virginia revealed that Brevard has had a string of run-ins with the law since 2016, including misdemeanors and felonies. In September 2016, he was charged with destruction of property, a misdemeanours, which was later dismissed. In July 2018, Brevard was arrested on a charge of assault with a dangerous weapon for allegedly trying to stab someone with a knife. The following year, Brevard was found mentally incompetent to stand trial and was briefly committed to a psychiatric hospital. In December 2020, Brevard was arrested in connection with a string of incidents, including a robbery and a sexual assault, in Virginia. In one instance, Brevard allegedly accosted a woman on December 3, 2020, implied he had a gun and demanded that she hand over her belongings to him. Less than three hours later, police said Brevard struck a woman, sexually assaulted her and stole her personal property, reported InsideNova.com at the time. He was subsequently found guilty of burglary and assault and battery, and was sentenced to supervised probation. In late January, Brevard was charged with a probation violation and was due back in court on Thursday in connection with that case. The Mayors of New York City and Washington DC released a closeup photograph of the suspect they believe to be responsible for the killings of five homeless men, two in New York and three in the nation's capital. The suspect has now been arrested, the Metropolitan Police Department said in a statement in the early hours of Tuesday morning Chilling new surveillance video shows a gunman shooting a 38-year-old homeless man sleeping on Manhattan street In the video obtained by NBC New York, the suspect sneaks up on the unsuspecting victim in SoHo, takes aim at him and fires The suspect, who is now in custody, is seen in the screenshot above running away from the scene of the shooting, which has left the victim injured In the last month, at least five homeless men have been shot - two of them fatally - and one has been found dead in what police fear may be a string of attacks by the same person This screenshot shows the shooting suspect placing a foot on a homeless man sleeping on Lafayette Street in Manhattan on March 12 The gunman shot the sleeping homeless man in the head and neck, killing him A reward of $70,000 was made available as law enforcement agencies in both cities work flat out to catch the man with $25,000 coming from the NYPD, $25,000 from Washington's police force and a further $20,000 from the ATF, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. DC Mayor Muriel Bowser, speaking in NYC, warned the killer: 'We're coming for you.' Metropolitan Police Department Chief Robert J. Contee echoes the mayor's comments. 'Our reach is far and wide, and we're coming for you,' he said. Several clear images were released of the man whom police believe is responsible The D.C. attacks were on March 3, March 8 and March 9. The third was fatal; the victim was found in a burning tent, having been shot and stabbed to death. During Monday's press conference, investigators said they believe the victims were given no warning, and that the killer attacked them without speaking. After the DC shootings, the suspect is then believed to have struck in New York City over the weekend. One homeless man was shot while he slept in Soho during the early hours of Saturday, March 12 while a second was shot and escaped with his life after waking up. 'Homelessness should not be a homicide. This was a cold blooded attack when you look at the premeditated action of this shooting. It sends a clear, loud message that we need help from the public, from the NYPD, MPCD and ATF,' Mayor Eric Adams said. 'Someone knows this person. We're asking for the public to find him. We don't want to lose another resident in this city, in New York or anywhere else. This person is carrying out a premeditative act of shooting innocent people. 'In the shooting in New York he looked around, made sure no-one was there and intentionally took the life of an innocent person. He must be brought to justice. We will bring him to justice. If he's watching we're telling him to turn himself in. This is Unacceptable,' Mayor Adams said. 'The case also highlights the over proliferation of guns in our cities. It is creating an encounter that's causing bloodshed across our nation and it is time to top this sick fixation with guns. There are too many guns on our streets. We need to stop the flow of guns to our streets,' Adams asserted. 'Washington DC is not manufacturing guns. New York is not a gun manufacturing city but the guns are ending up our streets. It is time to end this.' Investigators say that ballistic evidence that was found at the scenes of the shootings in both cities links the incidents to a single firearm. Law enforcement authorities are also asking agencies along the East Coast to see if they have any similar unsolved cases. New York City Mayor Eric Adams answers a question from a reporter during a news conference about recent shootings of homeless people in both New York and Washington, at the John A. Wilson Building in Washington D.C. New York Mayor Eric Adams listens as Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser speaks during a news conference New York Police Commissioner Keechant Sewell speaks during a news conference about the search for a gunman that has been targeting homeless men sleeping on the streets of Washington, and New York City. From left, New York Mayor Eric Adams, Sewell, Washington Metropolitan Police Chief Robert Contee, and Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser Images from of shell casings that were recovered and examined in both cities were then entered into ATF's National Integrated Ballistic Information Network and suggested that the same weapon had been used in the killings. It also produced leads based on comparisons of the unique markings on the recovered shell casings. The link between the two sets of killings and shootings was made by Captain Kevin Kentish, Head of the Homicide Unit in Washington DC. Kintish, who hails from Queens, New York 'happened to be scrolling through social media and saw the image of the NYC suspect.' 'During that review, he took that image to his team, based upon the similarities, came together with ATF and forensically connected these cases,' Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department Robert Contee said. The killer's motive remains unknown. New video footage has been released of the suspect strolling along a street in Washington D.C. has been released Other images in color show the suspect eating a snack while walking along a street in the nation's capital A total of $55,000 has been put up by the Washington DC police force at the ATF. A further $25,000 has been put up by NYPD Chief Contee III had similarly strong words to Mayor Adams about the perpetrator. 'This is a depraved individual but I feel the knot is tightening in. We dont know this suspect's mental health. We don't know if this person is homeless. But there are certain things we know that suggest this person has already murdered more than one time.' Mayor Eric Adams and Washington D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser issued a joint statement: 'Our communities in DC and New York City are heartbroken and disturbed by these heinous crimes in which an individual has been targeting some of our most vulnerable residents. The two of us spoke about how our teams can coordinate and help one another, and we are calling on everyone in our cities to look at the images of the suspect and report any information, however small, that may be useful. 'The work to get this individual off our streets before he hurts or murders another individual is urgent. The rise in gun violence has shaken all of us and it is particularly horrible to know that someone is out there deliberately doing harm to an already vulnerable population. As our law enforcement agencies work quickly with federal partners to locate the suspect, we are also calling on unsheltered residents to seek shelter. 'Again, it is heartbreaking and tragic to know that in addition to all the dangers that unsheltered residents face, we now have a cold-blooded killer on the loose, but we are certain that we will get the suspect off the street and into police custody.' On Monday, homeless men and women on the streets of New York City have said they would prefer to sleep on the streets instead of heading to a homeless shelter, despite the lingering threat of a serial killer on the loose. The Mayors of New York City and Washington DC are advising those living on the street to seek to seek shelter in public facilities to avoid the suspect who they believe has shot at least five homeless men in the last month, killing two. DailyMail.com spoke to several people living on the streets. Many did not seem thrilled at the idea of spending in the night in a homeless shelter rather than a doorway or even a subway station. 'There's a lot of sick people out there but I'd prefer to be on the street instead a shelter. There's more freedom. I can do what I want when I want,' said Daren, a homeless man sitting outside Penn Station. 'There's a lot of sick people out there but I'd prefer to be on the street instead a shelter. There's more freedom. I can do what I want when I want,' said Daren, a homeless man sitting outside Penn Station in Manhattan 'I spend the night on corners. I am not afraid. People are not usually aggressive,' Marie said firmly to DailyMail.com Monday Darrius Carr a homeless man said that he stays in a shelter in Uptown Manhattan and feels perfectly safe J'ai Muhammed who normally sleeps in a subway station overnight suggested the mayor should see for himself what it is like to be living on the streets It was a view echoed by Marie who was also sitting on some steps outside the Post Office in Midtown. 'I spend the night on corners. I am not afraid. People are not usually aggressive,' she said firmly to DailyMail.com. Darius Carr, another man who has been homeless for about one year said that he felt safe going to a shelter uptown each night. J'ai Muhammed who normally sleeps in a subway station overnight said the mayor should see for himself what it is like to be living on the streets. 'Maybe the mayor should try being homeless for the night so he can see how it feels either on the street or in a shelter,' he suggested. Police are looking for a man (pictured) who shot two homeless men in Manhattan within hours of one another, killing one Detectives with the NYPD searching for a suspect who shot and killed a homeless man while he slept have now widened their investigation after a spread of eerily similar incidents in Washington D.C. The wanted suspect is pictured in the capital following the second attack The serial killer most recently struck in the early hours of Saturday morning, killing one homeless man and shooting another in the arm within a period of just one hour. A third New York City homeless man who was found dead in Tribeca does not appear connected to the shootings. There was no indication of criminality, and an extensive video canvass did not turn up any evidence that the 43-year-old man was the victim of a crime. Detectives are waiting for the autopsy before making a final determination, but it is believed that the man died from an overdose. Earlier this month, three homeless men were shot and killed in separate attacks in Washington DC. Police now believe that the three DC men- and one New York City man who was shot on Saturday - were all targeted by the same person. As NYPD officers work to catch the suspected serial killer, Mayor Eric Adams and DC Mayor Muriel Bowser are telling homeless people to seek shelter urgently. DailyMail.com obtained an internal memo that the NYPD sent out to precincts alerting cops about the pre-dawn attacks on homeless men in Manhattan and Washington, D.C., noting that 'in all incidents, victims were sleeping in a public space during the first platoon.' Officers were directed to immediately survey their patrol areas and engage with homeless individuals, advise them about the incidents and show them wanted flyers with pictures of the person of interest, while also checking on their well-being and offering shelter and other services. 'Members assigned to the Patrol Services Bureau precincts area to conduct frequent grid canvasses of their assigned sector or area of deployment, utilizing a systematic block by block method,' the memo adds. 'Special attention should be given to areas prone to encampment.' NYPD officers at the scene where another homeless person was found dead on Murray Street near Varick Street in New York on Sunday night. The death is believed to be an overdose and not connected to the other NY and DC killings Washington DC Metro Police and the NYPD have issued a joint statement saying they believe the same suspect is behind multiple attacks on homeless men in both cities that have, so far, left three victims dead In a joint statement on Sunday night, the pair said: 'Our communities in DC and New York City are heartbroken and disturbed by these heinous crimes in which an individual has been targeting some of our most vulnerable residents. HOMELESS KILLINGS WASHINGTON DC March 3: Homeless man is shot in DC but survives March 8: Second homeless man shot in DC but survives March 9: Third homeless man found in DC. His body is found inside a tent, on fire. Autopsy confirms he was shot and stabbed NEW YORK CITY March 12, 4.30am: Homeless man shot in the arm on King Street, NYC. He woke up and confronted the shooter, asking him: 'What the hell are you doing?' March 12, 5pm: After receiving a 911 call, cops find homeless man dead inside his sleeping bag at 148 Lafayette Street. Surveillance footage shows he was shot nearly 12 hours earlier at 6am. Advertisement 'The two of us spoke about how our teams can coordinate and help one another, and we are calling on everyone in our cities to look at the images of the suspect and report any information, however small, that may be useful. 'The work to get this individual off our streets before he hurts or murders another individual is urgent. 'As our law enforcement agencies work quickly with federal partners to locate the suspect, we are also calling on unsheltered residents to seek shelter.' Many asked where exactly they expect the homeless to go. In New York City, there are estimated to be around 93,000 homeless people and around 1,618 in DC. Cops in NYC have surveillance footage of a man, believed to be black and about 5-foot-4, fleeing the scene of his second shooting in the early hours of Saturday. Meanwhile, cops in DC released images of an unmasked man in dark clothing fleeing the second of three attacks known to have been carried out in that city. Between the two cities, there have been five shootings, including three homicides. All victims targeted were homeless, although police have yet to outline a motive to explain why the vulnerable men have been targeted. This comes as the United States faces a huge homelessness crisis, with the pandemic causing a rise in unemployment and a surge in housing costs that left nearly 600,000 Americans with no home in 2020. Between New York and Washington D.C., there have been a total of five shootings and two homicides. The Washington shootings happened between March 3 and 8. On March 3 at 4 a.m., a man was found after police say gunshots were heard on New York Avenue, Northeast. They went to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. It remains unclear how the third victim died. Police believe there was no criminality and that it was likely and overdose At 1:21 a.m. on March 8, police responded to a shooting in H Street Northeast in DC where they found a man with non-life-threatening injuries having been shot. The following day, on March 9, around 3 a.m., police in DC saw a fire happening in tent in which a homeless man had been sleeping. After the flames were extinguished investigators found a dead body. Police believe the man had been murdered after an autopsy revealed gunshot and stab wounds. The New York attacks began in the early hours of Saturday, when a homeless man was shot in the arm around 4:30 a.m. while asleep in a doorway on King Street in Manhattan. When the suspect fired at him, he woke up and yelled: 'What the hell are you doing?' according to police. But then the quick-thinking victim then pretended to call 911 as he put his fingers to his ear, despite not having a phone, the New York Daily News reported, fooling the gunman into thinking law enforcement were on their way. The suspect then ran off into the night, only to find a second unsuspecting homeless man 90 minutes later. That victim, a 33 year-old man, was shot and killed in a SoHo doorway. The NYPD is now offering a $10,000 reward to anyone who can help them catch the 'cold-blooded' killer who shot the two homeless men. The second victim died after being shot in the head and neck at 6 a.m. on 148 Lafayette Street, opposite the luxury 11 Howard hotel. It took 12 hours for police to realize the man was was dead and recover his lifeless body - riddled with bullet holes - from the bright yellow sleeping bag he'd been in. In the Lafayette Street killing, the suspect was filmed in chilling surveillance footage wearing a black ski mask and black clothing. He was seen prodding the helpless victim several times before looking around before firing his fatal shots. The man's age is not known but he was described by police as a Hispanic man. In an urgent appeal yesterday, Mayor Eric Adams said: 'Homelessness turning into a homicide. We need to find this person and we need New Yorkers to help us. This is a cold blooded act of murder.' Anyone with information in regard to this incident is asked to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the Crime Stoppers website. Given the similarity in the perpetrator's methods, common circumstances involved in each shooting, profiles of the victims and recovered evidence, the NYPD, the MPDC and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) will jointly investigate these offenses. Police Commissioner Keechant L. Sewell said: 'Our homeless population is one of our most vulnerable and an individual praying on them as they sleep is an exceptionally heinous crime. We will use every tool, every technique and every partner to bring the killer to justice.' New York City is home to the largest number of homeless people in the U.S., with a surging population that is widely believed to be one contributor behind an uptick in crime over recent months. Since 2007, overall homelessness in the U.S. has improved by 10 percent, from 647,000 to 580,000, in figures according to CNBC. But certain subgroups such as individual homelessness have only seen a 1 percent decrease in figures, from 413,000 in 2007 to 409,000 by 2020. In the first year of the pandemic the numbers got far worse for the unsheltered homeless, with a 30 percent increase from 173,000 in 2015 to 226,000 in 2020. New York's spending in attempt to beat homelessness reached an all-time high in 2019 when they pledged $3.2billion, which was double their spend in 2014. Metropolitan Police Chief Robert Contee said: 'From the first incident, the Metropolitan Police has spared no resource in our efforts to identify the suspect behind these cowardly acts. We are committed to sharing every investigative path, clue and piece of evidence with our law enforcement partners to bring this investigation to a swift conclusion and the individual behind these vicious crimes to justice.' ATF Director Marvin Richardson added: 'Our Washington and New York City field offices have been working hand-in-hand with the DC metropolitan police and the New York Police Department from the outset. One of these shootings occurred within blocks of our Washington DC headquarters. 'We have used our advanced ATF systems to conduct real-time analysis backed up by our ATF National Lab in Maryland to expedite the evidence and assist in the investigations and Washington DC and New York City. Our three agencies are one team.' Video shows the suspect walking up to the homeless man and kicking him several times before taking out his weapon The suspect can be seen looking around to see if anyone was watching before carrying out the horrific act After prodding the man with his foot several times, the suspect walked up to homeless man and shot him dead 'Homelessness turning into a homicide,' Mayor Eric Adams said at a press conference on Saturday night. 'I believe that's what makes this case so horrific, watching the video, watching the individual intentionally walk up to innocent people that are dealing with the challenges of homelessness - and it's quite possible that one of our citizens is still alive merely because he woke up,' Adams said. 'Homelessness turning into a homicide. We need to find this person and we need New Yorkers to help us,' Mayor Eric Adams said at a press conference on Saturday night. 'And I'm here today to send a very clear message, that all New Yorkers matter.' 'Two individuals were shot while sleeping on the streets, not committing a crime but sleeping on the streets,' said the mayor with an air of disbelief. Chief Hank Saunter added: 'We're talking about two individuals that are homeless. 'The most vulnerable population in the city right now.' The US has a system of temporary shelters that reaches homeless people in need of a place to stay, but many still sleep on sidewalks, subway trains, vehicles or parks, and other locations not designated for the purpose of housing people. These people who are unsheltered are amongst the most vulnerable, since they are so exposed to the elements and stripped of common safety measures. Those killed in the spree of unprovoked attacks on homeless people in New York and Washington in recent weeks were all unsheltered. Police said that they will be out in droves trying to get men and women sleeping on the streets to head to a city shelter for their safety. In a separate incident, two Museum of Modern Art employees were stabbed by a crazed former member yesterday. The man had just had his membership revoked, according to the authorities. In what police believe was an attempt at retaliation, he went to the museum Sunday and stabbed two female employees. The brutal killing comes as the city is reeling from a February crime wave that saw a nearly 60 percent spike in incidents from this same period last year. The city's latest crime figures show 9,138 incidents in February, as opposed to 5,759 during the same period in 2021 - with double-digit surges in nearly every major category. There were 32 murders in February, three more than the same month last year. One of the men was shot at 54 King Street, pictured above (file photo). It is a quiet, residential street in SoHo The second man was shot and killed at 148 Lafayette Street (file photo). The location is next door to the expensive 11 Howard hotel During the month of February, the NYPD reported a 58.7 percent increase in total crime. The latest figures showed 9,138 incidents as opposed to 5,759 in 2021 - with double-digit surges in nearly every major category Multiple other categories saw shocking jumps, including car theft, which soared by nearly 105 percent; grand larceny, which jumped nearly 80 percent over the previous year; robberies, which surged 56 percent; a 44 percent bump in burglaries and a 22 percent spike in assaults. Rapes also saw a terrifying 35 percent rise in February. The crime wave comes during Adams' first few months in office. The former NYPD cop has vowed to crack down on the influx of incidents on the city's streets and subway system - which has seen a rash of violent incidents in recent weeks. Former Mayor Bill De Blasio's policies contributed to the current crime wave, experts said. In response to the crime wave, Adams pleaded with lawmakers in Albany recently to consider a controversial bail reform law that would allow judges to consider whether a person is dangerous before releasing them from jail. Adams wants to see changes in bail reform laws and other criminal justice measures, saying they will bring down crime rates in the city and reduce gun violence. In February, Adams, who campaigned last year on getting people to get back to work amid the Covid pandemic and cleaning up the crime-ridden subway system, outlined his plans for city bail laws, which can allow for suspects to roam the streets often within hours of an arrest. 'Let's remove the cash bail system, because one should not be able to get out of jail just because you can pay bail. Let's take that away. Judges should look at the case in front of them and say, 'This person has two gun arrests, and he's continually saying to the people of the city that I don't care about the safety of you,'' the mayor said. 'That judge should have the right to make the discretion that this person just be held.' In January 2020, according to the National Alliance to End Homelessness, 580,466 people were reported to be experiencing homelessness in the US, with most of that figure made up of individuals, 70 percent, and the rest people living in families with children. For Washington DC this time last year, the US Department of Housing and Urban Development issued a report which found that Washington state experienced one of the largest estimated increases in homelessness between 2019 and 2020 relative to other states. The state reported an increase in homelessness of 6.2 percent, which equates to 1,346 people, between 2019 and 2020. This is the third largest increase among all US States, as reported by The Seattle Times. Around 20% of all sheltered homeless people in the US are living in New York City, which is the highest rate across the US. Across the US, the rate of homeless people is 17 per 10,000, but in New York City, Washington DC and Boston, the homeless rate is well above 100 per 10,000 people. Washington reported a 20 percent increase in family homelessness between 2019 and 2020 which was one of the biggest increases nationwide. In October 2021, Seattle committed $48 million to build 165 apartments to house some of it's 12,000 homeless people in October. Seattle's homeless population had grown form around 11,000 in 2020 to 12,000 in 2021, when the city built the new housing units. The same was seen in San Francisco, which has spent $667 million on its Department of Homeless and Supportive Housing. The city recorded about 8,000 homeless people in 2021, a 17 per cent increase from the last count in 2017. In Austin, Texas, the city allocated $68 million last year for homelessness assistance, Austin saw its homeless population grow from 3,024 in 2019 to nearly 3,200 in 2020. Britain hit 350 more Russians with sanctions today as it stepped up the economic fight against Vladimir Putin - with swingeing new taxes on vodka. Ministers said the new wave of sanctions meant that more than 1,000 Russian firms and businesses have been prevented from making money in or visiting the UK. The new wave of around 370 today includes more than 50 oligarchs and their families, plus politicians including puppet prime minister Mikhail Mishustin, defence minister Sergei Shoigu and former president Dmitry Medvedev. Individuals added to the list including Mikhail Fridman and Petr Aven, the men behind the company which owns Holland & Barrett and who have resigned from its advisory board after being sanctioned internationally. A notorious internet 'troll farm', the Internet Research Agency, has also been sanctioned. It came after the Department of International Trade slapped huge new punitive import taxes on Russian luxury goods and economic staples to increase the pressure on Moscow's war machine. Sales of booze, furs, white fish and a host of other commodities will be hit with a 35 per cent increase in levies, the Department for International Trade revealed. The tax will also apply to sales of metals including iron, steel, copper and silver, as well as cereals, machinery and machinery. At the same time the sale of luxury items to Russia is to be blocked, ending sales of items including luxury vehicles like Rolls-Royces, designer clothing and art. G7 Governments have said they will impose punitive tariffs on trade to further isolate Moscow from the global economy. The group of wealthy nations said it would strip Russia of its 'most favoured nation' status under World Trade Organisation (WTO) rules. International Trade Secretary Anne-Marie Trevelyan said: 'The UK stands shoulder to shoulder with our international partners in our determination to punish Putin for his barbaric actions in Ukraine, and we will continue our work to starve his regime of the funds that enable him to carry them out. 'The World Trade Organization is founded on respect for the rule of law, which Putin has shown he holds in contempt. By depriving his government of key benefits of WTO membership, we are denying him further resource for his invasion.' The new wave of around 370 today includes more than 50 oligarchs and their families, plus politicians including puppet prime minister Mikhail Mishustin, defence minister Sergei Shoigu Former president Dmitry Medvedev has also been sanctioned, along with a notorious internet 'troll farm', the Internet Research Agency Sales of vodka, furs, white fish and a host of other commodities will be hit with a 35 per cent increase in levies, the Department for International Trade revealed. At the same time the sale of luxury items to Russia is to be blocked, ending sales of items including luxury vehicles like Rolls-Royces, designer clothing and art. International Trade Secretary Anne-Marie Trevelyan said: 'The UK stands shoulder to shoulder with our international partners in our determination to punish Putin for his barbaric actions in Ukraine, and we will continue our work to starve his regime of the funds that enable him to carry them out. Russian imports hit with 35% taxes Russian vodka could disappear from UK supermarkets along with posher high-end brands as the West targets more economic sanctions against the Kremlin today. G7 Governments have said they will impose punitive tariffs on trade to further isolate Moscow from the global economy. The group of wealthy nations said it would strip Russia of its 'most favoured nation' status under World Trade Organisation (WTO) rules. Today the UK hit a range of imports with a new tax regime increasing levies by 35 per cent They include: Iron, steel Fertilisers Wood Tyres Railway containers Cement Copper, aluminium, silver, lead, iron ore Residue/food waste products Beverages, spirits and vinegar (this includes vodka) Glass and glassware Cereals Oil seeds Paper and paperboard Machinery Works of art, antiques Fur skins and artificial fur Ships White fish like cod and haddock Advertisement Regarding the individual sanctions, Liberal Democrat Foreign Affairs Spokeswoman Layla Moran said: 'This is shutting the door after the private jet has bolted. The Government has finally got their act together - but we should have been in this position weeks ago. This delay has given Putin's cronies a priceless window to firesale their assets. 'Now we need to go further. There are still too many associates of Putin getting away with it as we speak. 'The fix to sanctions legislation is good news - but it means we can merely copy what our allies do. Liz Truss should bring proposals to Parliament to strengthen the legislation even further, so we can truly lead the way in clamping down on Kremlin-linked oligarchs.' Britain exported 193 million of goods to Russia in January alone and 3 billion in 2021. UK Export Finance, the UK's export credit agency, has also supported 189.9 million of exports to Russia since the 2014 invasion of Crimea, mostly for oil and mining companies and for deals involving companies whose owners have now been sanctioned by either the US, EU or UK. Another 7.6 million was supported for exports to Belarus in the same period. It comes as hundreds of Russian oligarchs, organisations and individuals are set to be hit with sanctions from the Government after a fast-tracked bill to target 'dirty money' in the UK is passed. The sanctions will see the assets of those targeted frozen as the Government also prepares to impose tariffs on a number of Russian goods including vodka and caviar. The Government has been criticised over the speed of the roll out of the UK's sanctions on wealthy individuals, with questions asked over why the US and the EU have been able to move more quickly. As a result, new laws to tackle 'dirty money' were fast-tracked through Parliament in a bid to target Russian oligarchs over the Ukraine invasion. Royal assent was granted for the Economic Crime (Transparency and Enforcement) Act as the Houses of Parliament sat beyond midnight to ensure the measures became law. The UK Government is now expected to announce further sanctions in response to Russia's aggression against Ukraine. The legislation is set to establish a new register of overseas entities requiring foreign owners of property in the UK to declare their true identity. The register would need to be updated each year and punishments for failing to declare details, or submitting false information, would result in the asset being frozen and it cannot be sold or rented out. The passage of the Act through Parliament was aided by several concessions by ministers in the Lords, including the Government agreeing to a call by opposition parties to scrap exemptions from a foreign ownership of property register aimed at combatting the laundering of illicit cash. Ministers also committed to the rapid implementation of measures in the Act and to give an update to Parliament on progress within six weeks. The administration promised to bring forward further legislation to tackle economic crime early in the next parliamentary session and carefully consider amendments put forward. The Act went through the Lords without a vote despite concerns over the length of time being given to comply with the new register, requiring foreign owners of property in the UK to declare their true identity. Foreign secretary Liz Truss is expected to announce hundreds of new names to be added to the list of those who will be subjected to sanctions over their ties with the Russian regime The Government had reduced the grace period from 18 months to six, but critics had argued this was still too long and pressed for it to be cut further. However, business minister Lord Callanan argued curbing the transition period risked opening up the register to legal challenge and instead proposed a new disclosure requirement to prevent asset-flight ahead of the new rules being brought in. This would force any overseas entity disposing of any property from February 28 this year to provide information about its beneficial ownership. Lord Callanan said: 'Crucially, it addresses the concerns that corrupt people must not be allowed to sell up and escape transparency this register would bring. 'It's my submission this would be more effective than any further reduction in the transition period, which risks opening up the provisions of the register to legal challenge.' The bill, which will make it easier for the Government to impose sanctions, was fast-tracked into law in a bid to target Russian oligarchs over the Ukraine invasion. Individuals added to the list including Mikhail Fridman and Petr Aven, the men behind the company which owns Holland & Barrett and who have resigned from its advisory board after being sanctioned internationally. Chelsea owner Abramovich, pictured, is among those who have already fallen under sanctions The UK has already targeted a number of prominent individuals and entities with ties to Russia, including Chelsea FC owner Roman Abramovich, since Putin's invasion of Ukraine. After they faced criticism last week, the Government proposed a series of amendments to the 'dirty money' bill in order to toughen it up. These included the Government agreeing to a call by opposition parties to remove the ability of ministers to exempt an individual from the requirements of a foreign ownership property register on the grounds of 'the economic wellbeing of the United Kingdom'. Ministers also committed to the rapid implementation of measures in the Bill and to give an update on progress within six weeks. The administration further promised to bring forward further legislation to tackle economic crime early in the next parliamentary session and carefully consider amendments put forward. It comes after Liz Truss last week announced the UK has imposed sanctions on 400 of the 450 members of the Russian Duma who supported Putin's invasion, in line with the EU. All of the people sanctioned have been banned from travelling to the UK and they will be unable to access any assets they may hold in Britain. They have also been prohibited from conducting business in the UK. An 18-year-old Ukrainian refugee has allegedly been gang raped by two men on board a German hotel ship being used to house people fleeing the Russia-waged war. The woman was reportedly assaulted by two men one after the other on the Oscar Wilde hotel ship. The alleged assailants, aged 37 and 26, are from Iraq and Nigeria but also hold Ukrainian citizenship, Bild reported. Police launched an investigation into the alleged assault which took place on March 6 and arrested the two men, who remain in custody, Dusseldorf prosecutor's office confirmed on Monday. Alongside paying guests, more than 25 refugees were staying on the hotel ship at the time of alleged incident after fleeing the brutal Russian invasion of Ukraine last month. Since the start of the Russian invasion on 24 February, more than three million people, including over one million children, have fled Ukraine for other states in Europe, according to the UN. It is almost entirely women and children making up the number who are fleeing across Ukraine's borders and concerns are growing on how to protect the most vulnerable refugees from being targeted by human traffickers or becoming victims to other forms of exploitation. It is at least the second alleged rape of a teenage Ukrainian refugee after a man was arrested in Poland last week on suspicion of assaulting a 19-year-old who had fled the conflict. An 18-year-old Ukrainian refugee has allegedly been gang raped by two men on board a German hotel ship being used to house people fleeing the Russia-waged war (pictured, People from Ukraine queue for mobile phone cards in front of the central station in Berlin) Police launched an investigation into the alleged assault which took place on March 6 and arrested the two men, who remain in custody, Dusseldorf prosecutor's office confirmed on Monday (pictured, people rest in a subway at the main train station in Berlin, Germany) Since the start of the Russian invasion on 24 February, more than three million people, including over one million children, have fled Ukraine for other states in Europe, according to the UN MP Andrea Lindholz told Bild that police must do more to 'specifically ensure the protection of Ukrainian women by checking accommodation' and warned the alleged rape on the Oscar Wilde means authorities must 'act immediately'. A police spokesperson said: 'Politicians should now do everything to ensure that such terrible cases of rape as on the hotel boat in Dusseldorf do not accumulate. 'Harsh and swift punishment followed by deportation is the only language such perpetrators understand.' A 49-year-old man was detained in Wroclaw, Poland, on Thursday after he allegedly lured the young woman in with the offer of help over the internet. The suspect could face up to 12 years in prison for the 'brutal crime,' authorities said. 'He met the girl by offering his help via an internet portal.' 'She escaped from war-torn Ukraine, did not speak Polish. She trusted a man who promised to help and shelter her. Unfortunately, all this turned out to be deceitful manipulation.' Another man at a refugee camp in Poland was overheard offering work and a room to a 16-year-old girl before authorities intervened. At Poland's Medyka border, another case at a refugee camp raised suspicions when a man was offering help only to women and children. 'Obviously all the refugees are women and children,' said Joung-ah Ghedini-Williams, the UNHCR's head of global communications, who has visited borders in Romania, Poland and Moldova. 'You have to worry about any potential risks for trafficking - but also exploitation, and sexual exploitation and abuse. These are the kinds of situations that people like traffickers look to take advantage of,' she said. In countries throughout Europe, including the border nations of Romania, Poland, Hungary, Moldova and Slovakia, private citizens and volunteers have been greeting and offering help to those whose lives have been shattered by war. A 49-year-old man was detained in Wroclaw, Poland, on Thursday after he allegedly lured the young woman in with the offer of help over the internet (pictured, people who left Ukraine rest in a temporary accommodation centre, in Korczowa, Poland) People fleeing the Russian invasion of Ukraine, receive food from volunteers at a temporary camp in Przemysl, Poland It is almost entirely women and children making up the number who are fleeing across Ukraine's borders and concerns are growing on how to protect the most vulnerable refugees from being targeted by human traffickers or becoming victims to other forms of exploitation (Pictured, people fleeing Ukraine at temporary camp in Przemysl, Poland) Police in Berlin warned women and children in a post on social media in Ukrainian and Russian against accepting offers of overnight stays, and urged them to report anything suspicious. Tamara Barnett, director of operations at the Human Trafficking Foundation, a UK-based charity which grew out of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Human Trafficking, said that such a rapid, mass displacement of people could be a 'recipe for disaster.' 'When you've suddenly got a huge cohort of really vulnerable people who need money and assistance immediately,' she said. 'It's sort of a breeding ground for exploitative situations and sexual exploitation. 'When I saw all these volunteers offering their houses, that flagged a worry in my head.' Madalina Mocan, committee director at ProTECT, an organization that brings together 21 anti-trafficking groups, said there are 'already worrying signs', with some refugees being offered shelter in exchange for services such as cleaning and babysitting, which could lead to exploitation. 'There will be attempts of traffickers trying to take victims from Ukraine across the border. 'Women and children are vulnerable, especially those that do not have connections - family, friends, other networks of support,' she said, adding that continued conflict will mean 'more and more vulnerable people' reaching the borders. High street chain Wilko has apologised and backtracked after telling staff in England to show up for work at stores even if they test positive for Covid. Guidance issued to workers from March 1 said: 'If you test positive for Covid and feel well you can continue to come to work. If you feel too unwell you can follow the absence policy.' The policy prompted an immediate outcry, with unions slamming the 'reckless' measure, which risked staff spreading the disease among colleagues and customers. Guidance issued to Wilko workers from March 1 said: 'If you test positive for Covid and feel well you can continue to come to work' In response, Wilko chief executive Jerome Saint-Marc told the FT there had been 'some miscommunication within our Covid-19 policies', adding: 'When we get something wrong, we hold our hands up, admit it, and work to correct the situation.' He continued, in an apparent u-turn: 'Our advice to team members that have Covid symptoms [or] test positive is that while they're no longer required by law to self-isolate, they should still stay at home and avoid contact with others.' Wilko operates around 400 stores and has more than 16,000 employees across the UK. The Government lifted the legal obligation to self-isolate after testing positive in England on February 24 as part of its 'Living with Covid' plan. But since the rule change, Covid infections and hospitalisations are on the rise again with 444,201 new Covid cases detected across the UK in the seven days to March 14 - a 48 per cent rise from the week before. Wilko's initial stance was an early example of a major company using the end to legally-enforced self-isolation to encourage employees into work if they were Covid positive but not showing any symptoms. Wilko chief executive Jerome Saint-Marc later announced a u-turn on the measure Last month, Richard Fox, an employment partner at Kingsley Napley, said employers should stop colleagues from coming into the office if they are positive, in order to protect not only other staff, but themselves from possible legal action. 'Employers are responsible for the health and safety of all their employees, and if they ask someone to come in and they or other staff suffer they could be liable,' he told MailOnline. Wilko stores in Wales and Scotland maintained different guidance from opens in England, with self-isolation rules remain in place and employees have been told to quarantine for at least five days after developing Covid symptoms and until they receive two negative lateral flow test results. Dan Shears, Health and Safety Director at GMB, the union representing Wilko staff, criticised Wilko's official policy, saying: 'It's a gap between the letter and spirit of the law. The fact it's legal to come into work doesn't mean it's a sensible thing to do.' Wilko said it offers sick pay to staff who are unwell. Britain recorded another 170,985 new Covid cases over the last three days, as the country's resurging outbreak continued to pick up pace. Government statistics showed the combined infections logged over Saturday, Sunday, and Monday were 35 per cent higher than seen in the same three-day spell last week. Today's data, which marks almost a fortnight of spiralling infections, also excludes figures from Scotland due to a technical issue with data recording. As part of No10's 'living with Covid' strategy, officials have started to wind down the daily reporting and have now stopped releasing the figures at weekends. It means a three-day total is released every Monday. Another 135 Covid fatalities were registered over the weekend, down from 139 last week. Deaths lag behind cases by several weeks' lag, meaning any fluctuations from the recent rise in cases would not be expected for some time yet. UK-wide hospital data was not updated in the latest data but admissions have been tracking up nationally for the past few weeks. Updated data was available for England however, with 1,368 new Covid admissions recorded on March 12. And the total number of Covid patients in hospital in England also breached 10,000 for the first time since mid-February. Despite the uptick in figures, Health Secretary Sajid Javid insisted the surge in cases was always to be 'expected' following the easing of England's final pandemic restrictions. Advertisement Crossrail will operate empty trains for several weeks to ensure the service is 'absolutely flawless' when it opens, Transport for London revealed today as the network prepares to launch public services by the end of June. The much-anticipated line is already three-and-a-half years late and 4billion over budget, but London's transport commissioner Andy Byford will not allow customers to travel on it until he is certain the service will run smoothly. TfL is trying to avoid comparisons being drawn to the botched launch of London Heathrow Airport Terminal 5, which saw hundreds of flights cancelled and tens of thousands of bags delayed when it opened in March 2008. The capital's new railway was initially planned to be opened in full - from Reading in Berkshire to Shenfield in Essex and Abbey Wood in South East London - in December 2018, and was set a budget of 14.8billion in 2010. But the project's total cost is now estimated to have ballooned to 18.9billion, including 5.1billion from the Government. The line has been hit by construction delays and difficulties installing complex signalling systems, and so will now initially operate in three sections, with the central part between Paddington and Abbey Wood using new tunnels. Volunteer 'passengers' travel during a test run of an Elizabeth line train from Paddington to Woolwich and back on Sunday Volunteer 'passengers' board a carriage during a test run of an Elizabeth Line train at Paddington station on March 13 People travel on an escalator at the new Paddington Crossrail station on Sunday before an Elizabeth line train test run Volunteer 'passengers' arrive on a platform during a test run of an Elizabeth Line train at Paddington station on Sunday Volunteer 'passengers' leave a carriage and walk onto a platform at Paddington Crossrail station during a trial on March 13 Volunteer 'passengers' look at information boards as they travel on a train during a test run of a Crossrail service on Sunday An Elizabeth line train is driven from Paddington to Canary Wharf station yesterday ahead of the opening of Crossrail Volunteer 'passengers' travel on board a train during a test run of a Transport for London Elizabeth Line train on Sunday Information boards show live updates of other Transport for London lines on a Crossrail trial service on Sunday Volunteer 'passengers' take a selfie photograph as they travel on board a Crossrail train during a test run on Sunday Volunteer 'passengers' wait on the platform during a test run of an Elizabeth line train at Paddington Station on Sunday Signage displays directions to lifts at Paddington station on the new Crossrail line on Sunday, ahead of its opening in June Volunteer 'passengers' walk through ticket gates during a test run of an Elizabeth line train at Paddington on Sunday Volunteer 'passengers' wait on the platform during a test run of an Elizabeth line service at Paddington station on Sunday Signs for Transport for London's new Elizabeth line are pictured at Paddington Station in London on Sunday Volunteer 'passengers' board a carriage during a test run of an Elizabeth line service at Woolwich station on Sunday The Crossrail route map is displayed, with the complete line set to be operational in its full form by May 2023 at the latest The Crossrail map is shown on top of the existing Transport for London map, showing how it interconnects with Tube lines The Crossrail route is shown on a geographical map which displays how passengers will be able to travel through London CURRENT SERVICE: 'TfL Rail' currently operates trains between Reading and Paddington, and Liverpool Street and Shenfield STAGE 1: When the 'Elizabeth line' first opens by the end of June, it will operate as three separate railways - from Reading or Heathrow to Paddington; Paddington to Abbey Wood via Liverpool Street; and Liverpool Street to Shenfield STAGE 2: The second stage, for which Crossrail says the 'earliest expected date' is 'autumn 2022', will ensure the services from Reading or Heathrow towards Paddington can run all the way through to Abbey Wood via Liverpool Street. At this stage, there will also be trains running direct from Paddington to Shenfield, also via Liverpool Street STAGE 3: The final milestone will be 'no later than May 2023', when the full timetable will allow passengers to travel without changing across the entire line from Reading to Shenfield or Abbey Wood When the 'Elizabeth line' first opens by the end of June, it will operate as three separate railways - from Reading or Heathrow to Paddington; Paddington to Abbey Wood via Liverpool Street; and Liverpool Street to Shenfield. The second stage, for which Crossrail says the 'earliest expected date' is 'autumn 2022', will ensure the services from Reading or Heathrow towards Paddington can run all the way through to Abbey Wood via Liverpool Street. At this second stage, there will also be trains running direct from Paddington to Shenfield, also via Liverpool Street. How Crossrail will open in three stages by May 2023 Stage 1: By the end of June 2022 The Elizabeth line will launch in the 'first half of 2022' - ie no later than June - with services from Paddington to Abbey Wood. Services from Reading and Heathrow to Paddington, and from Shenfield to Liverpool Street, will be rebranded from 'TfL Rail' to the 'Elizabeth line'. Stage 2: Autumn 2022 The earliest expected date for the next phase is 'autumn 2022'. When this phase launches, services from Reading and Heathrow will operate through to Abbey Wood. Services from Shenfield will go through to Paddington. Stage 3: May 2023 Full timetable for travel from Reading or Heathrow to Shenfield or Abbey Wood without changing. Advertisement The final milestone will be 'no later than May 2023', when the full timetable will allow passengers to travel without changing across the entire line from Reading to Shenfield or Abbey Wood. By next year there will be one train every 150 seconds through central London. Mr Byford said: 'Opening is one thing, opening reliably is another. We all remember what happened at Heathrow T5, which is a beautiful facility, but they had all sorts of problems from day one. 'We want this opening to be flawless, absolutely flawless. For that reason, even when we're technically ready ... we just want a few weeks for literally running up and down, ghost running, shadow running. 'Literally have the trains go up and down, up and down, up and down, so that we can be sure to be reliable. The system must be reliable. Londoners have waited long enough. They should expect the system to perform admirably from day one.' Mr Byford said TfL has 'a date in mind' for when public services will begin but refused to be more specific than 'by the end of June', which was the previously announced timeframe. The public will be given 'several weeks' notice'. Mark Wild took over as the chief executive of Crossrail in November 2018 when it was already behind schedule and over budget. He said it is 'undoubtedly the most advanced railway in Europe and probably the world'. Mr Byford added that it is 'not a Tube line', opting to describe it as 'a new mode of transport' for London. He said: 'This is a completely different, transformative experience.' Elizabeth line trains have been running through the tunnels for tests since May 2021, and the stock for the line is already in service between Paddington and Reading, and Shenfield and Liverpool Street under the 'TfL Rail' brand. Thousands of staff from TfL, Network Rail and other partner organisations have been taking part in exercises in recent weeks to test timetables and simulate scenarios such as evacuations from trains and stations. Signs for Transport for London's new Elizabeth Line are pictured at Paddington Station in London on Sunday Volunteer 'passengers' wait on a platform at Woolwich station on Sunday during a test run of an Elizabeth Line train Volunteer 'passengers' wait on a platform at Woolwich station on Sunday during a test run of an Elizabeth Line train Volunteer 'passengers' walk off a carriage at Woolwich station on Sunday during a test run of an Elizabeth Line train Leaflets for Transport for London's new Elizabeth Line service are pictured at Paddington station in London on Sunday Andy Byford, Commissioner for Transport for London, poses for a photo on a platform at Woolwich station on Sunday Signage on display at the Paddington Elizabeth line station yesterday ahead of the much-anticipated opening of the line Signage on display at the Paddington Elizabeth line station yesterday ahead of the much-anticipated opening of the line Signage on display at the Paddington Elizabeth line station yesterday as Crossrail bosses prepare for the line to open Signage on display at the Paddington Elizabeth line station yesterday ahead of the much-anticipated opening of the line Signage on display at the Paddington Elizabeth line station yesterday as trial operations are carried out Signage on display at the Paddington Elizabeth line station yesterday as staff gather on the concourse area John Bercow has declined to comment after it was revealed police were called to his home following an alleged bust-up with his wife Sally. The ex-Commons speaker, who is also at the centre of a bullying scandal, refused to discuss the incident after answering the door at his 1million townhouse next to the River Thames in Battersea, south west London. Asked about the bust up which reportedly took place last August, the former MP repeatedly replied: 'Have a good day.' Bercow refused to answer further questions before shutting the door. Neighbours were unaware of the incident and it appears the couple have since made up. One female neighbour said: 'This is the first I've heard of it. They are both still there. I often see them leaving together.' Another local said: 'We haven't had any trouble with them and the first I heard about it was when I saw it on the news online today.' The former politician has since been spotted outside a restaurant near his home today, enjoying a coffee in the sunshine. He was seen wearing a Nike running outfit and trainers while sitting down to take a phone call amid the latest allegations. Ex-Commons speaker John Bercow has since been spotted outside a restaurant near his home today (pictured above), enjoying a coffee in the sunshine Bercow declined to comment after it was revealed police were called to his home following an alleged bust-up with his wife Sally (both pictured in September 2019) The Metropolitan Police said officers were called to the property at 11.35pm on August 26 last year. A spokesman said: 'Police were called to an address following reports of a disturbance. Officers attended and an allegation of common assault was reported. 'No arrests were made at the time and the case has since been closed with no further action'. Meanwhile, Bercow has resigned as the trustee of Holland Park School, where he sends his children, amid the scandal that he had bullied staff. He told Schools Week: 'I didn't want to be a distraction. 'I'd been on for 15 months and it's been a hugely busy and challenging time for the school. I've made my input as productively as possible.' His comments came as MPs called for two universities to remove Bercow from honorary roles. Royal Holloway and Birkbeck are being urged to remove the former Speaker of the House of Commons from his appointments at the institutions after he was banned from holding a parliamentary pass this week. Bercow was seen wearing a Nike running outfit and trainers while sitting down to take a phone call amid the latest allegations Bercow resigns as trustee of Holland Park School because he 'doesn't want to be a distraction' John Bercow has resigned as the the trustee of Kensington's Holland Park School where he sends his children. He was a director there from November 2020 but left less than two years later on March 11 amid scandal that he had bullied staff. Bercow told Schools Week: 'I didn't want to be a distraction. 'I'd been on for 15 months and it's been a hugely busy and challenging time for the school. I've made my input as productively as possible.' A spokesperson for Holland Park School said: 'We would like to thank John for the excellent voluntary service he has given to Holland Park School. 'His work with the school has always focused on making sure that the school is moving forward positively and that our students have the best possible education and experience.' The school became known as the socialist Eton after it was chosen by a series of left-wing politicians, including Tony Benn, as the place to send their kids. Writing in The Guardian in November 2020, Bercow said: 'My three children attend Holland Park in west London, where I have now just been elected a parent-governor. 'It is a very disciplined school, led by the prodigiously energetic Colin Hall, who arrives at the crack of dawn and is remarkably knowledgable about every child.' Advertisement Tory MP Michael Fabricant told The Telegraph: 'I am surprised that despite two reports now branding Bercow a bully, both Royal Holloway and Birkbeck still think that he is an appropriate person to engage young people's minds.' It comes after an independent inquiry found Mr Bercow guilty of 21 claims made against him relating to behaviour during his decade as Speaker from 2009 to 2019. The former Tory MP - who has since defected to Labour - has denied the allegations and described the investigation a 'travesty of justice rooted in prejudice, spite and hearsay' and carried out by a 'kangaroo court'. 'I don't believe in faux apologies, I don't believe in apologising when I don't think I have anything to apologise for,' he said. The standards watchdog branded the ex-Tory MP a 'serial liar' and ruled his treatment of three staff would warrant expulsion from the Commons had he not quit in 2019. In a report, Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards, Kathryn Stone, found him guilty of 21 claims made against him relating to behaviour during his decade as Speaker from 2009 to 2019. Ms Stone upheld 21 out of 35 counts brought by Lord Lisvane, the former clerk of the Commons, and former private secretaries Kate Emms and Angus Sinclair. The panel, chaired by former appeal court judge Sir Stephen Irwin, said: 'The findings of the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards, which we have upheld, show that the respondent has been a serial bully. 'His evidence in the investigations, the findings of the commissioner, and his submissions to us, show also that the respondent has been a serial liar. 'His behaviour fell very far below that which the public has a right to expect from any Member of Parliament.' Following the suspension, a spokesman said there is a 'zero-tolerance approach' to bullying in the Labour Party. A spokesman for leader Sir Keir Starmer told reporters: 'The Labour Party has got a zero tolerance approach when it comes to bullying. 'I've got nothing further to add to what was said yesterday, in terms of the party looking at this and suspending John Bercow.' Asked why Mr Bercow had not been immediately expelled, he replied: 'I can't comment on individual cases. 'You'll appreciate that in all of these disciplinary matters, there is a due process that needs to be followed, and that will be applied in this case.' Shareholders urged to vote against chairman at general meetings By Park Jae-hyuk The Seoul Central District Court convicted Hyosung Group Chairman Cho Hyun-joon of unfairly financing a cash-strapped affiliate, Tuesday, providing another reason for investors to vote against him at the forthcoming general meetings of shareholders of the group's affiliates later this week. He was fined 200 million won ($161,000) for violating the Fair Trade Act, according to the court. "When Galaxia Electronics started suffering severe financial difficulties, Cho used Hyosung Investment & Development to support the company, which is virtually owned and run by the chairman himself," Judge Yang Hwan-seung said. Although the court did not accept the prosecutor's demand for a two-year prison term for the chairman, the judge pointed out that the act of using affiliates for the sake of a conglomerate's owner family can weaken transparency in management and harm minority shareholders and creditors. "This can eventually have a negative impact on the nation's entire economy," Yang said. The Hyosung chairman was indicted without detention in December 2019, as the Fair Trade Commission referred him to prosecutors in April 2018 for financing Galaxia Electronics in 2014 through a newly established special purpose vehicle (SPV). Cho's attorneys claimed that Hyosung Group transacted only with the SPV without signing a contract with Galaxia Electronics. However, the court viewed the transaction as unfair, so it also fined Hyosung Corp. 200 million won and Hyosung Investment & Development 50 million won, while slapping a 50-million-won fine each on Hyosung Investment & Development CEO Song Hyung-jin and on a former Hyosung Corp. employee surnamed Lim. "We explained (the situation) thoroughly during the trial. It is regrettable that some of our claims were not accepted by the court," a Hyosung Group spokesperson said. "We will talk with our attorneys to decide whether or not to lodge an appeal." Hyosung Group headquarters in Seoul is seen in this file photo. Yonhap Advertisement Roman Abramovich 'stole billions' from the Russian taxpayer and became Putin's 'money man' in the West by benefitting from corrupt deals to buy two oil giants via bent auctions, Panorama has claimed. As he was hit by more sanctions, the BBC last night laid out for the first time exactly how the Chelsea billionaire made his money, including allegations of blackmail, bribery and loan fraud to secure cut price purchases of oil giants Sibneft and Slavneft. Andrew Mitchell QC, one of Britain's top laundering, asset recovery, bribery and corruption barristers, told Panorama: 'The material that I've seen shows that the creation of the Sibneft wealth in the hands of Abramovich is as the result of corruption'. The 55-year-old, who has seven children from two marriages, boasts a fortune of 10.5billion or more built up in the aftermath of the fall of the Soviet Union. He has a reported London property portfolio of at least 70 houses, mansions and penthouses worth 500million, along with fleets of cars, private jets and yacht worth over 1billion. Most of these are now subject to sanctions. He has also been questioned over his links to the Russian president, repeatedly denying in and out of court that he is Putin's 'cashier' in the West. The businessman, 55, was born a penniless orphan in Saratov, south west Russia. He was instead raised by his grandparents in Komi, Siberia, from the age of four. He started off flogging plastic dolls on a market stall, but has been accused of using ruthless determination to become one of the richest men in the world before he was 40 after buying up state assets. The oligarch was arrested in 1992, aged 25, having allegedly used false documents to get 55 tankers of diesel, before the charges were dropped. Within three years he did the deal to buy Sibneft, allegedly using a $137million loan set up by the Kremlin so he could get the oil firm for $250million. The path to his incredible wealth was smoothed by an alliance with the oligarch Boris Berezovsky, who opened doors in the 1990s thanks to his close relationship with President Boris Yeltsin. In 2005 it was sold back to the Kremlin for $13billion. There are also claims that in 2002 - after Putin came to power - he bought Slavneft in another rigged auction, according to Panorama, after a rival Chinese bidder was forced to withdraw when their negotiator was kidnapped. These are the main bombshell allegations made by the BBC last night, after being leaked a dossier from security sources: A smiling Roman Abramovich, once a penniless orphan and now a billionaire, in his office believed to be after he bought Sibneft in 1995 in a deal the BBC claims was corrupt Documents seen by the BBC claim that the Russian authorities wanted to charge Mr Abramovich with fraud His parents died when he was young, and Roman (left and right) was instead raised by his grandparents in Komi, Siberia, from the age of four. Both his grandparents Vasily and Faina, were from Ukraine and fled during the war Roman Abramovich as a teenager in Ukhta, Russia Roman Abramovich with his first girlfriend Viktoria. At that time he was selling items like dolls on his local market In 2011 the High Court heard he had used well-connected oligarch Boris Berezovsky (pictured in 2012) as his 'political godfather' to help him conduct business deals in a country where police were 'corrupt' and courts 'open to manipulation' Abramovich 'arrested' having been accused of holding up a train carrying diesel and diverting it to Latvia December 1992 Mr Abramovich was accused of stealing a train carrying diesel. His lawyers say it was a 'misunderstanding' When Roman Abramovich was 25, the document leaked to the BBC alleged that the deputy city prosecutor of Moscow 'authorised the imprisonment of Abramovich under Article 90 of the criminal procedure code'. Police were investigating the theft of a trainload of diesel, with Abramovich the main suspect. The train was stopped, allegedly by the oligarch himself, and then diverted to Latvia on the Baltic coast. The document states: 'Abramovich personally met the shipment and using forged documents had it rerouted to Riga where the diesel oil was sold'. Abramovich was arrested but never charged and his lawyers claim it was 'all a misunderstanding and the matter was resolved'. But the document suggests Abramovich was detained in police custody a claim the oligarch's lawyers did not deny when approached by the BBC. Lowly oil trader Abramovich becomes a billionaire oligarch after Kremlin 'rigs' Sibneft oil deal after $10million 'bribe' to Yeltsin's bodyguard via Boris Berezovsky 1995 Ambramovich winks to friends as he became one of Russia's richest men Experts told the BBC that three years later Abramovich, then an oil trader with 'no political influence', did the deal that would make him a billionaire. The path to his incredible wealth was smoothed by an alliance with the oligarch Boris Berezovsky, who opened doors in the 1990s thanks to his close relationship with President Boris Yeltsin. BBC Panorama said it had been passed a document showing the Russian authorities wanted to charge Mr Abramovich with fraud. The leaked file, held by Russian law enforcement, claimed the government was cheated out of 2billion in a major oil deal. It said: 'The Dept. of Economic Crimes investigators came to the conclusion that if Abramovich could be brought to trial he would have faced accusations of fraud... by an organised criminal group.' Berezovsky is alleged to have told the now Chelsea owner to hand $10million (7.7m) to Yeltsin's bodyguard and confidant Alexander Korzhakov (highlighted right of picture) to get the deal over the line The BBC claims that its dossier alleged that a minister personally authorised taxpayers' money amounting to $137million be put into the account of a Russian bank that would later lend Abramovich the money to do the Sibneft deal. Mr Abramovich paid around $250m (190m) for the oil company before selling it back to the Russian government for $13billion in 2005, the BBC reported. Yuri Skuratov, the Russian former chief prosecutor, who investigated the deal, said: 'Basically, it was a fraudulent scheme where those who took part in the privatisation formed one criminal group that allowed Abramovich and [Boris] Berezovsky to trick the government and not pay the money that this company was really worth.' Berezovsky, a fellow oligarch who later fell out with Abramovich and Putin and was later found dead in his UK mansion, is alleged to have told the now Chelsea owner to hand $10million (7.7m) to Yeltsin's bodyguard and confidant Alexander Korzhakov to get the deal over the line. Korzhakov told the BBC they did try to bribe him, claiming they were 'worried' he could 'block' access to Yeltsin. He denied getting the cash. A High Court case involving Abramovich in 2011 and 2012 heard that Korzhakov did get the money in the form of 'hard cash' and 'bank transfers'. The billionaire admitted he made corrupt payments to help get the Sibneft deal going. He was being sued in London by his former business associate Berezovsky for $6billion, which Abramovich would win in 2012. In his own evidence to the court Abramovich said: 'If I recall correctly, Mr Berezovsky demanded that payment be made'. The court heard Abramovich made payments totalling several hundred million dollars to Berezovsky, often handing over bags of cash. He admitted paying Berezovsky $80m in 1996, $50m in 1997 and 1998, and $80m in 1999. "Yes, he [Berezovsky] did call me and quite often. Of course, when he needed money he did call me," Abramovich said. Mr Abramovich's lawyers told the BBC there was no basis for alleging he has amassed very substantial wealth through criminality. He has previously denied having close ties to Yeltsin or Putin. Oligarch Abramovich 'faced fraud charges' until Yeltsin stopped probe and officials then 'leaked sex tape' so he could sack the prosecutor pursuing the case 1999 The BBC document, leaked to them by a security source, says that the Russian government was cheated out of $2.7billion in the Sibneft deal a claim supported by a 1997 Russian parliamentary investigation. The document also says that the Russian authorities wanted to charge Roman Abramovich with fraud. It reads: 'The Dept. of Economic Crimes investigators came to the conclusion that if Abramovich could be brought to trial he would have faced accusations of fraud..by an organised criminal group.' Panorama tracked down Russia's former chief prosecutor, who investigated the deal in the nineties. Yuri Skuratov didn't know about the secret document, but he independently confirmed many of the details about the Sibneft sale. The document also suggests Roman Abramovich was protected by former Russian President, Boris Yeltsin. It says law enforcement files on Mr Abramovich were moved to the Kremlin and that the criminal investigation by Yuri Skuratov was stopped by the President. The document says: 'Skuratov was preparing a criminal case for the confiscation of Sibneft on the basis of the investigation of its privatisation. The investigation was stopped by President Yeltsin Skuratov was dismissed from his office.' Yury Skuratov's sacking coincided with the release of a sex tape in 1999 (pictured). He says it was a stitch-up to discredit him and his investigation. He said: 'This whole thing was obviously political, because in my investigations I came very close to the family of Boris Yeltsin, including via this investigation of the Sibneft privatisation.' Abramovich buys another Russian oil giant after Chines rival's negotiator is 'kidnapped in Moscow' 2002 The BBC report claims a rival Chinese bidder had their negotiator kidnapped. Roman Abramovich denies any knowledge of it Roman Abramovich then did a deal to buy oil giant Slavneft two years after Putin came to power as President, but the BBC claims this was also rigged. The company was alleged to have been at the heart of a power struggle that saw its offices raided and suffering a bomb scare before the Kremlin put it up for auction. Abramovich would win after rivals dropped out. Last night's Panorama claims that there was a Chinese bidder willing to double whatever Abramovich was offering. But the BBC dossier says that a member of the Chinese delegation was kidnapped when they arrived in Moscow for the auction, and kept captive until the Chinese pulled the deal and went home. It said: 'CNPC, Chinese company, a very strong competitor, had to withdraw from the auction after one of its representatives was kidnapped upon arrival at Moscow Airport and was released only after the company declared its withdrawal.' Vladimir Milov was Russia's deputy energy minister claimed that he told officials that the Kremlin must get the best possible deal for the company, in the top ten largest oil firms in Russia. He claims Abramovich 'stole billions He told the BBC: 'I said, look, the Chinese want to come in and they want to pay a much bigger price. They say it doesn't matter, shut up, none of your business. It's already decided. Slavneft goes to Abramovich, the price is agreed. The Chinese will be dragged out somehow.' There is no suggestion that Mr Abramovich knew anything about the kidnapping plot, or played any part in it, the BBC said. His lawyers also told the BBC the kidnap claim 'is entirely unsubstantiated' and he has 'no knowledge of such incident'. Whatever happened, Abramovich became the only bidder for the oil firm and won the auction. He would also serve for eight years as one of Putin's regional governors (pictured). Spanish organised crime investigation names Abramovich as 'Putin's money man' 2010 A Spanish law enforcement investigation 12 years ago into Russian organised crime named Roman Abramovich. It described him as 'Vladimir Putin's money man', according to the BBC. It went on: 'The oligarch Roman Abramovich is regarded as the manager of Vladimir Putin's economic interests' (right). Earlier this year, Tory backbencher David Davis made the same claims in Parliament. He described Abramovich as 'the man who manages President Putin's private economic affairs, according to the Spanish national intelligence committee'. Vladimir Milov told the BBC: 'I think that Abramovich might be sharing the wealth with Putin. Putin would never ever give away anything to anyone without having direct financial interests involved'. Putin has long been accused of allowing oligarchs to flourish as long as he gets a cut of their cash - and they also look after his mansions and superyachts. Abramovich's lawyers again denied to the BBC that he has been protected by Yeltsin or Putin and denies being a 'money man' for Putin. Vladimir Milov told the BBC: 'I think that Abramovich might be sharing the wealth with Putin. Putin would never ever give away anything to anyone without having direct financial interests involved' x Advertisement NATO's largest Arctic exercise since the 1980s has begun today after sending 30,000 troops from 28 countries in Europe and North America to Russian-neighbour Norway. Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales has taken its place at the centre of the most powerful naval task forces in the world at the start of the drill, called Cold Response. Currently serving as the NATO Command Ship in 2022 for the alliance's Maritime High Readiness Force, HMS Prince of Wales has sailed north to the Arctic off the shoes of Norway to begin the bi-annual exercise. It is a month-long test of allied forces which will bring together tens of thousands of troops and is the largest exercise of its type in more than 30 years. Led by Rear Admiral Mike Utley CB OBE, who is part of the Commander UK Strike Force, is acting as NATO Maritime Component Commander of the NATO Readiness Force. The Task Group on board HMS Prince of Wales will operate in the harsh, cold weather environment with allies and partners from across NATO, including aircraft carriers ITS Garibaldi from Italy and FX Dixmude from France. NATO member Norway shares nearly 200km (124 miles) of land border with Russia, and Cold Response is being held just a few hundred kilometres from the Russian border, as Vladimir Putin's forces continue to wage war in Ukraine. Around 35,000 troops, 200 aircraft and 50 vessels are involved in Cold Response, including roughly 900 Royal Marines who will spearhead the UK involvement. They will raid along the jagged Norwegian coastline from an amphibious task group led by HMS Albion. Aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales will also take part and will be joined by frigate HMS Richmond, Type 45 destroyer HMS Defender, a Royal Fleet Auxiliary tanker and a nuclear-powered attack submarine escorting her. NATO's largest Arctic exercise since the 1980s has begun today after sending 30,000 troops from 28 countries in Europe and North America were sent to Russian-neighbour Norway, pictured centre, HMS Prince of Wales Currently serving as the NATO Command Ship in 2022 for the alliance's Maritime High Readiness Force, HMS Prince of Wales (pictured centre) has sailed north to the Arctic off the shoes of Norway to begin the bi-annual exercise. Pictured with HMS Prince of Wales, US ships USS The Sullivans (right) and USS Mount Whitney (left) The ship also has space for a helicopter on board and will spend a month off the rugged coastline of northern Norway The Task Group on board HMS Prince of Wales (pictured) will operate in the harsh, cold weather environment with allies and partners from across NATO, including aircraft carriers ITS Garibaldi from Italy and FX Dixmude from France NATO member Norway shares nearly 200km (124 miles) of land border with Russia, and Cold Response is being held just a few hundred kilometres from the Russian border, as Vladimir Putin 's forces continue to wage war in Ukraine NATO has sent tens of thousands of troops, including Royal Marines, an aircraft carrier (pictured top, HMS Prince of Wales), destroyer ship and a nuclear-powered attack submarine to Norway, which borders Russia Cold Response is a month-long test of allied forces which will see the tens of thousands of troops, and is the largest exercise that has taken place for over 30 years HMS Prince of Wales left Portsmouth, Hampshire in the early hours of Monday morning, to take part in a NATO exercise, Cold Response The drills aim to show how a unified multilateral force would defend Norway and Europe's northern flank from a modern adversary. The UK's participation in the exercises underlines Britain's commitment to security in Europe and forges closer bonds between NATO allies and partners. Brigadier Rich Cantrill, in charge of the UK's commando forces, said: 'The UK is making a strong contribution to one of the largest Cold Response exercises for years. 'NATO as an alliance needs to be ready for anything, ready for all environments. It's essential for us to support Norwegian partners and that's why we train in the Arctic so often. 'Cold Response is an amazing opportunity for key NATO allies and partners to come together in the most challenging environment of the High North, prepare for any eventuality and learn to work together. 'What we'll see is a strong maritime task force and then land exercises. We will see many nations come together from the UK to Norway, the USA, the Netherlands, France, Germany and Italy. Led by Rear Admiral Mike Utley CB OBE, who is part of the Commander UK Strike Force, is acting as NATO Maritime Component Commander of the NATO Readiness Force. Pictured, an aircrewman looking out the door of the Merlin MK2 helicopter while conducting a photographic exercise on 11 March The ship will be joined by frigate HMS Richmond, Type 45 destroyer HMS Defender, a Royal Fleet Auxiliary tanker and a nuclear-powered attack submarine escorting her USS The Sullivans DDG68 turning away from the task group on completion of a Photographic Exercise whilst operating in the North Sea with NATO Flagship HMS Prince of Wales on 11 March More than 25 countries from Europe and North America are taking part in the NATO exercise as Russia's war in Ukraine rages on Armoured vehicles of NATO's rapid reaction force brigade in Norway for the military exercise Cold Response arrive at Borg Havn in Fredrikstad, Norway on March 10 US Marines with 3rd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, 2d Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, hike to a training area prior to Exercise Cold Response 2022, Setermoen, Norway US Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Jorge Delacruz, a native of Clearwater, Florida, low altitude air defense (LAAD) gunner with 2nd LAAD Battalion, 2d Marine Aircraft Wing, simulates engaging an aircraft with a FIM-92 Stinger during a training event in preparation for Exercise Cold Response Brigadier Rich Cantrill, in charge of the UK's commando forces, said: 'The UK is making a strong contribution to one of the largest Cold Response exercises for years' He added 'NATO as an alliance needs to be ready for anything, ready for all environments. It's essential for us to support Norwegian partners and that's why we train in the Arctic so often' Soldiers in a variety of camouflage will spend the rest of March and part of April in and off the coast of Norway for the NATO drill Brigadier Cantrill said: 'Cold Response is an amazing opportunity for key NATO allies and partners to come together in the most challenging environment of the High North, prepare for any eventuality and learn to work together' He added: 'What we'll see is a strong maritime task force and then land exercises. We will see many nations come together from the UK to Norway, the USA, the Netherlands, France, Germany and Italy' An attack just miles from NATO member Poland's border has left many people worried Russia may spark World War III with its continued aggression Soldiers braved the cold weather in Norway as they paced through the snow in white camouflage with their backpacks and weapons NATO said the drill, was 'not linked to Russia's unprovoked and unjustified invasion of Ukraine' 'The exercises will see allied forces, including from NATO partner nations Sweden and Finland, take control of the waters off Norway's coastline in a training scenario designed to enhance the alliance's ability to protect the host nation. 'Air operations will commence soon after that before the final phase will see amphibious landings and land operations.' NATO said the drill, was 'not linked to Russia's unprovoked and unjustified invasion of Ukraine.' US Marines with 3rd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, 2d Marine Division during a training event in preparation for Exercise Cold Response 2022, Setermoen, Norway, March 5 Members of the same battalion swapped America for Norway as they simulated engaging a target in preparation for the NATO excercise Forsvaret Maj. Sverre Daehli, a NATO cold weather instructor, conducts training with Marines in preparation of Exercise Cold Response U.S. Marine Corps Lance Cpl. David Hancock, a UH-1Y Venom crew chief, Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 269 completes a safety check in with fellow crew chief, Sgt. Jacob Stump, before a fire support exercise in preparation for Exercise Cold Response 2022, near Bardufoss, Norway United States Marines with 2d Marine Division, prepare to conduct a hike in Setermoen, Norway Forsvaret Maj. Sverre Daehli, a NATO cold weather instructor, conducts training with Marines in preparation of the drills tha started today The Daily Mail, Mail on Sunday and MailOnline UKRAINE REFUGEE APPEAL Readers of Mail Newspapers and MailOnline 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 Donate at www.mailforcecharity.co.uk/donate To add Gift Aid to a donation even one already made complete an online form found here: mymail.co.uk/ukraine Via bank transfer, please use these details: Account name: Mail Force Charity Account number: 48867365 Sort code: 60-00-01 TO MAKE A DONATION VIA CHEQUE Make your cheque payable to 'Mail Force' 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 It said the drill was planned long before alleged war criminal Vladimir Putin ordered his troops to invade Ukraine. Russia has declined to be an observer at the exercise, which aims at having NATO members and partners practicing working together on land, in the air and at sea. The Norwegian armed forces said it provided 'thorough information' to the Russians, including the Russian Ministry of Defence. It said that was 'vital for preventing misunderstandings and unnecessary conflict.' The drill, which is held every other year, is due to finish in April. It came as Putin's invasion of Ukraine wreaked more havoc on civilians in the war-torn country. An injured pregnant woman and her unborn baby - whose image being stretchered from her Putin-bombed maternity ward became one of the war's most shocking images - have both died. Many were appalled by pictures of the unnamed mother-to-be in agony as she was carried from the Mariupol hospital. She had come under attack in the very place she had thought safe to bring new life into the world. In video and photos shot last Wednesday after the attack, the woman was seen stroking her bloodied lower abdomen as rescuers rushed her through the rubble in the besieged city of Mariupol. It was among the most brutal moments so far in Russia's 19-day war on Ukraine. The woman was rushed to another hospital, closer to the frontline, where doctors worked to keep her alive. But realising she was losing her baby, medics said that she cried out to them: 'Kill me now.' This morning the doctors trying to save them both spoke of the huge efforts trying to save them. Surgeon Timur Marin found the woman's pelvis crushed and hip detached. Medics delivered the baby via caesarean section, but it showed 'no signs of life', the surgeon said. They then began work on the mother. 'More than 30 minutes of resuscitation of the mother didn't produce results,' Mr Marin said on Saturday. 'Both died.' In the chaos after Wednesday's air strike, medics did not have time to get the woman's name before her husband and father came to take away her body. Someone came to retrieve her, they said so she did not end up in the mass graves being dug for many of Mariupol's growing number of dead. After being accused of war crimes, Russian officials claimed the maternity hospital had been taken over by Ukrainian extremists to use as a base, and that no patients or medics were left inside. Russia's ambassador to the UN and the Russian Embassy in London called the images 'fake news'. Meanwhile, three British former special forces soldiers are feared to have been killed in a Russian airstrike near the Polish border yesterday. More than 30 Russian cruise missiles targeted the Yavoriv base, killing as many as 180 people. The trio were not part of the foreign legion fighting unit being trained at the base six miles from the border, sources told The Mirror. It is not known which branch of the special forces they had served in. Ukrainian emergency employees and volunteers carry the injured pregnant woman from the maternity hospital that was damaged by shelling in Mariupol on March 9 A medical worker walks inside of the damaged by shelling maternity hospital in Mariupol, Ukraine, Wednesday, March 9 Ukrainian servicemen work inside of the damaged by shelling maternity hospital in Mariupol, Ukraine on the day of the attack The aftermath of Russia army bombardment on the children hospital in Mariupol, Ukraine, which stunned and appalled the world Wreckage and debris litter the pavement outside the hospital after the bombing last week, which took patients and medics by surprise People are helped out of damaged building of a children's hospital following a Russian air strike in the southeastern city of Mariupol The barracks at the International Peace Keeping and Security Centre in Yavoriv burns after being hit by a Russian missile strike in the early hours of Sunday morning - killing 35 people and injuring 134 more A patient is assisted by medical staff as he arrives at Novoiavorivsk District Hospital on March 13, 2022 in Novoiavorivsk, Ukraine, following the missile attack Smoke rises amid damaged buildings following an attack on the Yavoriv military base, as Russia's invasion of Ukraine continued Igor Konashenkov, a spokesman for Russia's ministry of defence, said the base was struck by 'long-range, high-precision' weapons because it was hosting 'foreign mercenaries and a large shipment of foreign weapons'. He added: 'The destruction of foreign mercenaries who arrived on the territory of Ukraine will continue.' Konashenkov said up to 180 people had been killed in the strike, though Ukraine initially said 35 people died and another 134 were wounded. However, a source told The Mirror today: 'There were many more killed within the site than has been claimed and bodies are still being found. Russia says the base (pictured) was targeted because it was hosting foreign 'mercenaries' and weapons shipments, adding that such raids would continue Around 1,000 foreigners were at the base at the time it was hit, Ukraine said, and are expected to be among the victims - though no official word has been given yet (pictured, a man wounded at the base) 'I do not believe the three British ex-military personnel would have known anything about it, fortunately. 'This is extremely sensitive as there are believed to be no serving British military personnel inside Ukraine as politically that would be extremely controversial.' Bombs fell on the base early Sunday morning, with witnesses saying many of the foreign recruits were sleeping when the strike was carried out. British military veterans at the base who survived the attack, described hearing the sound of incoming engines before several large blasts destroyed one building, damaged another, and sprayed shell fragments through the air. It is thought the base was hit by Russian cruise missiles as opposed to fighter jets. The British Ministry of Defence said there were no serving personnel killed in the explosions. Five men have been arrested by detectives investigating the murder of journalist Lyra McKee. The 29-year-old was shot dead in Londonderry in April 2019 as she observed rioting in the Creggan area. An extremist group styling itself the New IRA has previously claimed it was responsible for killing the journalist and author. The suspects - aged 20, 21, 21, 41 and 54 - were arrested in the Cityside area of Derry today under the Terrorism Act and have been taken to the Serious Crime Suite at Musgrave police station in Belfast for interview. Three men have previously been charged with Ms McKee's murder, and another five have been charged with rioting and associated offences. Journalist Lyra McKee, pictured, was shot dead in Derry while she was covering riots in the Creggan area of the city The Real IRA later claimed responsibility for Ms McKee's murder. Three people have so far been charged with her murder. A further five have been charged with rioting associated offences A BBC Newsnight investigation into dissident republicanism was found to have invaded Ms McKee's privacy after they broadcast footage from the immediate aftermath of Ms McKee's murder. The footage showed Ms McKee's shoes as she was on the ground mortally wounded. Nichola Corner, her sister, complained to Ofcom that Ms McKee's privacy had been infringed upon. She said Ms McKee's family had not been made aware that the images would be broadcast and the programme had been extremely distressing for them, according to Ofcom. The watchdog said the report represented a 'very significant intrusion into Ms McKee's right to privacy'. It added: 'Ms McKee was largely obscured by people standing around her and only a brief glimpse of her trainers was visible. Ms McKee's murder prompted massive criticism across the city, pictured Free Derry Corner 'However, Ofcom considered that although no explicit detail of injuries was shown, the footage was still of a highly sensitive nature because it showed the final moments of someone who was dying.' Ofcom said it had factored into its decision the fact that the BBC had apologised for broadcasting the footage. The report, titled The Real Derry Girls And The Dissidents, which was shown on November 5 2019, looked at terrorism in Northern Ireland. An Ofcom spokeswoman said: 'Our investigation found this footage amounted to an unwarranted intrusion into Ms McKee's right to privacy, and we have upheld this complaint.' A spokeswoman for the BBC said they 'reiterate our sincere apology to Lyra McKee's family'. She added: 'It was never our intention to cause them any further distress, and after we heard from them we removed the footage from the programme and from any further reports. 'The original decision to include the footage was a finely balanced one and we accept Ofcom's finding that we should not have used it. 'We had reason to believe Lyra's family had been informed about the film, but we accept the ruling that we should have spoken to them directly.' Police have offered a 5000 reward to catch a sex attacker who raped a 13-year-old girl in a Nottinghamshire cemetery as they release CCTV of the prime suspect. The teenager was walking home from school alone when she was approached by a male stranger and attacked in Retford, Nottinghamshire at 3.30pm on December 12, 2019 - the date of the general election that year. Holding a knife, he told her not to make a sound before raping her in Retford Cemetery, by a bridge near the entrance along North Road. Detectives have released CCTV footage of the man wearing blue jeans and a black coat with his hood up, taken around the time of the incident. At the time the charity Crimestoppers offered a reward of 1,000 for information that helps catch the offender. But Nottinghamshire Police today revealed that reward had been increased to 5,000 as detectives are still hunting the attacker more than two years on. It comes as a reenactment of the incident was shown earlier this month on BBC's Crimewatch and the mother of the victim explained that it was 'hard to listen' to the moment her daughter's 'innocence was stolen'. The teenager was walking home from school alone when she was approached by a stranger (pictured) and attacked in Retford, Nottinghamshire at 3.30pm on December 12, 2019 - the date of the general election that year Holding a knife, he told her not to make a sound before raping her in Retford Cemetery (pictured), by a bridge near the entrance along North Road She added that she was trying to move-on but she 'blamed herself' for being late to pick her daughter up from the school. Speaking two years after the incident to Crimewatch, her mother said: 'It feels like my fault because I was five minutes late. 'If I was on time she wouldn't have been hurt, I blame myself. 'I've noticed my daughter is quieter since the incident, she's a strong girl but I know it has affected her. 'When this happened my daughter was just 13, what happened took that 13-year-old girl away.' Lydia Patsalides, East Midlands Regional Manager at the charity Crimestoppers, said: 'This is an awful, heinous crime which should never have happened. Key forensic evidence was found at the scene near Babworth Road, Retford (pictured) 'An innocent child has gone through a terrible ordeal which may sadly affect her for the rest of her life. 'We know it can be difficult to speak up about someone you suspect may be involved in a serious crime, especially if they are close to you. 'This is why our charity is here to help. 'Crimestoppers gives people the option to remain completely anonymous when telling us what they know. 'We have kept this promise since we started back in the late 1980s. Around half a million people contact our charity every year to pass on their crime information. 'If you know anything about this crime, I urge you to speak to us completely anonymously. Call our UK Contact Centre, which is open 24/7 on freephone number 0800 555 111 or use our simple and secure anonymous online form at www.crimestoppers-uk.org. 'Nobody will know you contacted us and you will be doing the right thing for the young victim. No piece of information is too small to tell us.' Detectives have released CCTV footage of the man wearing blue jeans and a black coat with his hood up, taken around the time of the incident (pictured) and have offered a 5000 reward Key forensic evidence was also found at the scene in Babworth Road, where the incident happened at around 3.30pm on Thursday, December 12, 2019 - the date of the General Election. Detective Inspector Craig Hall, from Nottinghamshire Police, added: 'We would like to hear from anyone who was in the area at the time and may have seen anything suspicious. 'This case may now be over two years old but the date may well stick in people's minds as it coincided with the 2019 general election. 'I am appealing for anyone who may suspect or even know who the attacker may be to make contact. 'Due to the nature of evidence recovered, officers are able to eliminate persons from this enquiry. 'On behalf of Nottinghamshire Police, I would like to thank Crimestoppers for their continued support and the 5,000 reward for information that helps catch the offender of the terrible attack on this young female.' Thirty million people in 13 cities across China have been put back into a Covid-19 lockdown with hazmat-wearing officials back on the streets on a scale not seen since the pandemic began. China reported 5,280 new Covid-19 cases on Tuesday, more than double the previous day's tally, as the highly transmissible Omicron variant spread across a country that has stuck tightly to a zero-Covid strategy. That approach, which pivots on hard localised lockdowns and has left China virtually cut off from the outside world for two years, appears stretched to the limit as Omicron finds its way into communities. At least 13 cities nationwide were fully locked down as of Tuesday, and several others had partial lockdowns, with some 15,000 infections reported nationwide in March. Scenes of closed neighbourhoods, panic buying and police cordons cast back to the early phase of the pandemic, which first emerged in China in late 2019. Although cases from the chaotic initial outbreak in Wuhan in early 2020 are widely believed to have been under-reported, life since then had largely returned to normal in China under its strict zero-Covid approach. 2022: Hazmat-wearing officials returned to the streets on a scale not seen since the start of the pandemic after China reported 5,280 new Covid-19 cases on Tuesday and plunged nearly thirty million people back into a virus lockdown as Beijing pursues its zero-Covid policy 2020: Staff members line up at attention as they prepare to spray disinfectant at Wuhan Railway Station in China at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic Health officials have urged people over 60 to get vaccinated - including the third booster jab - as soon as possible. Around 80 percent of people in that age group are double-vaccinated, according to official data - but Beijing is anxiously watching the situation over the border in Hong Kong, which now has the world's highest virus death rates due to low inoculation among its oldest residents. Health official Jiao Yahui said at a press briefing Tuesday that 'the risk of severe illness is very high' for people in that age group. The northeastern province of Jilin has been worst-hit by Omicron with over 3,000 new cases on Tuesday, according to the National Health Commission. Residents of several cities there including the provincial capital of Changchun - home to nine million people - are under stay-at-home orders. Health officials said over 8,200 Jilin residents have now been hospitalised, with the vast majority showing mild or no symptoms. China reported 5,280 new Covid-19 cases on Tuesday, more than double the previous day's tally, as the highly transmissible Omicron variant spread across a country Workers in protective suits disinfect themselves amid the snow at a nucleic acid testing site in Changchun on Tuesday An official wearing protective gear sits in front of a barrier blocking off a street in Shanghai on Tuesday after new Covid-19 cases were detected in the community Workers set up beds inside a stadium to convert it into a makeshift hospital after China saw a surge in Covid-19 cases, forcing nearly 30 million people back into lockdown Shenzhen - the southern tech hub of 17.5 million people - is three days into a lockdown with many factories closed and supermarket shelves emptying, while China's largest city Shanghai is under a lattice of restrictions. City officials said at a press conference on Tuesday that 'it is not necessary to lock down Shanghai at present', instead opting for more 'precise' measures. Experts forecast a dent to economic growth as the virus billows out, particularly after Chinese authorities on Tuesday tightened anti-virus controls at ports, raising the risk of trade disruptions. 'Renewed restrictions, notably the lockdown in Shenzhen, will weigh on consumption and cause supply disruptions in the near term,' Tommy Wu of Oxford Economics said in a briefing note. He added that it will be 'challenging' for China to meet its official GDP growth target for the year of around 5.5 per cent. Hong Kong stocks plunged by more than six per cent Tuesday, extending the previous day's tech-fuelled rout. Dozens of domestic flights in Beijing and Shanghai were cancelled Tuesday, and aviation authorities said more than 100 international flights bound for Shanghai would be diverted to other Chinese cities between next week and May 1. Hazmat-wearing officials patrol the streets of Shanghai after some areas were locked down following an outbreak of Covid-19 cases The mayor of Jilin and the head of the Changchun health commission were dismissed from their jobs Saturday, state media reported, in a sign of the political imperative placed on local authorities to contain virus clusters (Residents pictured lining up for Covid-19 screening during the lockdown in Changchun on Saturday) Anxiety has mounted over the resilience of the country's zero tolerance approach in the face of this outbreak. Another 18 provinces in northeastern cities are battling clusters of the Omicron and Delta variants (A volunteer pictured disinfecting the area as it snows during a Covid lockdown in Changchun, Jilin, on Saturday) US officials at a notorious CIA detention site in Afghanistan used a detainee as a living prop to teach interrogators torture techniques, newly declassified documents reveal, bouncing the man's head off a wall until he was left with permanent brain damage. The shocking report, which dates back to 2008 but was unsealed Thursday, details the repeated torture of Ammar al-Baluchi, a current Guantanamo Bay captive and suspect in the 9/11 attacks, at the former CIA 'black site' Cobalt, north of Kabul. Interrogators at the site, known both as Cobalt and 'the Salt Pit,' went beyond the CIAs guidelines in torturing Baluchi, the documents reveal, testing techniques and their effectiveness without the agency's approval. Newly unsealed documents detail how 9/11 attack suspect Ammar al-Baluchi was used as a living prop to teach prospective interrogators at a notorious CIA 'black site' Site in north-east Kabul, believed to have been the location of the CIA's Cobalt black site, now obscured by factories and compounds. The since abandoned facility has garnered a reputation as a torture den where detainees said they were subjected to unspeakable horrors Baluchi is one of five set to face military tribunal for his alleged part in the 9/11 plot, a case that's been stuck in pre-trial proceedings for more than a decade due to a legal dispute over legal admissibility of testimony gathered from the defendants after they were tortured. The redacted report from the CIA inspector's general details some of the torture wreaked on Baluchi, 44, who, according to the documents, was taken out of Pakistani custody to the site in 2003 'extra-legally,' due to his being under Pakistani jurisdiction at the time and not an immediate terrorist threat. Baluchi, a Kuwaiti citizen, was then brought to 'Cobalt' - a secret torture den referred to by detainees as 'the dark prison' or 'the darkness, a previous 2012 CIA report revealed. Reports of the site, where prisoners would routinely become so broken that they would voluntarily climb onto waterboards and complaints over hypothermia concerns were rampant, unsealed documents have revealed, first surfaced in 2005. The recently unsealed report, declassified as part of a court filing by Baluchi's lawyers to get him an independent medical examination, described how for years interrogators at the site used Baluchi's body as a living doll for unapproved torture techniques that left the still imprisoned man brain-damaged. Baluchi, a Kuwaiti citizen, was brought to 'Cobalt' - a secret torture den referred to by detainees as 'the dark prison' or 'the darkness - in 2003 illegally, the document revealed According to the report, the CIA used one technique, known as 'walling,' that would see a naked Baluchi slammed backwards repeatedly against a plywood wall by trainee interrogators, who would lined up and take turns to abuse the prisoner. The disturbing document details how the aspiring torturers would put the detainees heels against a specially designed plywood wall 'which had flexibility to it' and tie a rolled up towel around the prisoner's neck. 'The interrogators would then grab the ends of the towel in front of and below the detainees face and shove [Baluchi] backwards into the wall, never letting go of the towel,' the report revealed. One of the interrogators, who was not identified in the filings, said the goal was to 'bounce' the detainee off the wall. It revealed that Baluchi was 'naked for the proceedings.' One former trainee told investigators how 'all the interrogation students lined up to "wall" Baluchi so that [the instructor] could certify them on their ability to use the technique,' the previously classified record revealed Of the experimental exercises, the filing said, 'typically a session did not last for more than two hours at a time.' The document further revealed that they only went on for so long because Baluchi was being used as a teaching prop. One former trainee told investigators how 'all the interrogation students lined up to "wall" Baluchi so that [the instructor] could certify them on their ability to use the technique,' the previously classified record revealed. The report reads: 'In the case of walling in particular the [Office of the Inspector General] had difficulty determining whether the session was designed to elicit information from Baluchi or to ensure that all interrogator trainees received their certification.' The fact that interrogators lined up to 'wall' Baluchi suggested that 'certification was key,' the report discerned. According to the document, a neuropsychologist who carried out an MRI of Baluchis head in late 2018 determined that the prisoner had experienced 'severe brain damage' as a result of the torture. Baluchi is currently incarcerated in Guantanamo Bay as and suspect in the 9/11 attacks, but was previously held at the former CIA 'black site' Cobalt, north of Kabul Per the filing, the doctor found 'abnormalities indicating moderate to severe brain damage' in parts of Baluchi's brain, hindering memory formation and retrieval as well as behavioral regulation. The specialist concluded the 'abnormalities observed were consistent with traumatic brain injury.' What's more, the inspector generals report further discerned that the repeated torture Baluchi suffered at the hands of the aspiring interrogators, despite their intensity and frequency, did not lead to the gathering of any useful intelligence. It noted that interrogators instead 'focused more on whether Ammar was "compliant" than on the quality of the information he was providing.' It also called the CIAs logic in justifying Baluchi's continued imprisonment 'fuzzy and circular.' The document revealed that the suspected terrorist would tell interrogators what they wanted to hear by coming up with bogus confessions spurred by the 'enhanced interrogation techniques (EITs).' The documents further detail how interrogators were convinced Baluchi knew more than he was letting on due to his relationship with the self-proclaimed mastermind behind the 9/11 attacks, Khaled Sheikh Mohammed, his uncle, pictured here on the FBI's Most Wanted List '[Baluchi] fabricated the information he provided when undergoing EITs,' it said. 'He later admitted to his interrogators/debriefers that he was terrified and lied to get agency officers to stop the measures,' the report reveals. '[Baluchi] also explained that he was afraid to tell a lie and was afraid to tell the truth because he did not know how either would be received.' The documents further detail how interrogators were convinced Baluchi knew more than he was letting on due to his relationship with the self-proclaimed mastermind behind the 9/11 attacks, Khaled Sheikh Mohammed - his uncle. It also remarked on how members of the de facto torture class that abused Baluchi expressed remorse over their actions. 'It seems that at lease some CIA interrogators experienced cognitive dissonance stemming from their own propaganda about how they weren't torturers,' the document reads. The filing detailed instances of guilt-ridden interrogators attempting to justify their actions, with one asserting that 'no one was beaten mercilessly' and that they 'always trued to do the right thing' or 'what I as expected' of them by their superiors. The document revealed how one interrogator worried 'that Baluchi could have thought the facial and abdominal slaps' he experienced at the hands of agents at Cobalt 'were beatings, even though they were approved EITs.' The filing detailed the CIA-approved 'wailing' Baluchi experienced that his lawyers say led to his diagnosed brain damage, as well as two un-approved torture techniques - one that involved using a stick behind Baluchi's knees in stress position that saw the prisoner pushed back while kneeling, and one that saw the detainee repeatedly doused with ice-cold water. According to the document, Baluchi spent more than three years in CIA custody, between a total of six 'black sites' including Cobalt, before being transferred in 2006 to Guantanamo Bay, where he currently resides. One of his Baluchi's lawyers, Alka Pradhan, says the declassified filing serves as proof that US government coaxed false confessions out of their client. 'If the CIA had not hidden their own conclusions about the illegality of Omars torture for this long, the US government would not have been able to bring charges against Ammar because we now know that the torture inflicted on Ammar led to lasting brain damage in the form of a traumatic brain injury and other debilitating illnesses that cannot be treated at Guantanamo Bay.' 'Cobalt,' the CIA's first reported black site - created by contracted psychologists John 'Bruce' Jessen and James Mitchell, authors of the agency's 2002 paper 'Countermeasures to Al Qaeda Resistance to Interrogation Techniques' - was abandoned last year as troops evacuated the war-torn Middle-Eastern nation in August. In 2017, the psychologists - who helped agents come up with effective methods of torture to be used on suspected terrorists - settled out of court with two survivors of the prison for an undetermined amount. Redacted documents released in the case revealed the grim reality of life - and death - in the prison, including prisoners becoming so broken they voluntarily climb onto waterboards, and one prisoner freezing to death in the prison because Jessen told guards that complaining of cold was a 'resistance strategy'. To produce their paper, Jessen and Mitchell reverse-engineered the Manchester Manual, a handbook for extremists that, in part, explained the torture that can be expected in authoritarian regimes. Unfortunately, the pair regarded all advice in the book as 'resistance strategies' that reveal a prisoner to be putting up a front to their interrogators. That included things like requesting a lawyer, asking for medical aid and reporting torture - that is, the kinds of things practically any prisoner might be expected to do. As a result, Cobalt - under their guidance - responded to prisoners' requests for clemency, pain and fear of death with continued brutality. Despite admitting at the very beginning of their paper that they 'are not experts in Arab culture or the organization of al-Qaida,' Jessen and Mitchell successfully sold their techniques to the CIA and US government in PowerPoint presentations in the spring of 2002. The duo would go on to receive $80 millions from the CIA for their consultancy on torture. By April, they were proposing that captives be placed in soundproof cells out of the reach of the Red Cross, national or international observers, or the press. And in June they wrote a list of 'techniques' that would be used to torture prisoners. They included 'walling' - slamming people into flexible walls - confining people in cramped boxes for hours, and waterboarding. The aim, they said, was 'to reach the stage where we have broken any will or ability of subject to resist or deny providing us information.' Before Cobalt was opened, that theory was tested out on Abu Zubaydah, who was waterboarded at least 83 times and placed in confinement boxes, according to documents that make his brutalization sound like a science experiment. On day six of the 'aggressive phase' of his interrogation, Mitchell and his team wrote that they watched as 'The interrogators pointed to the small box and said, "You know what to do." 'The subject sat on the floor and scooted himself into the small box at 1000 hours without protest or additional instructions,' they said. Abu Zubaydah (pictured) had techniques tested on him. A later report concluded that he'd only 'held out' despite being broken in every other way because he knew nothing about the things interrogators asked For eight hours he was placed in confinement boxes, walled and waterboarded, each time following their demands. When told he could end it all by telling them what he knew, 'The subject whimpered that he had nothing.' Mitchell recommended that the techniques used on Zubaydah at the Thailand-based facility 'should be used as a template for future interrogation of high value captives'. Zubaydah remains in captivity, like Baluchi, in Guantanamo Bay. It was later noted that his responses 'did not correlate well with his waterboarding sessions.' When he did speak up, the later report said, it was because 'questioning had changed to subjects on which he had information'. In September 2002, Cobalt opened for business outside Kabul, Afghanistan - and its 20 cells were quickly filled to capacity. In the regular cells they were shackled to a metal ring in the wall, and given a bucket to use as a toilet. In the sleep deprivation cells they were shackled by their hands to the ceiling, and made to defecate in diapers. When diapers were not available, they stood bare from the waist down, or defecated into makeshift diapers created using duct tape. The cells were unheated, and subjected to blaring music every second of every day - an improvisation by the site's manager, identified as Matthew Zirbel in a report submitted to Congress, who bought the stereo himself. The site was known as 'the Darkness' by inmates - something explained by a CIA investigator who wrote up a report on the site for James Pavitt, the agency's deputy director for operations, in January 2003. 'As to darkness,' the report said, 'that again was [Zirbel's] decision.' All of the lights were connected to a single switch, and '[f]aced with the choice to keep them on all the time or off all the time, he chose the latter'. Jessen told an investigator he had been impressed with the site - and these divergences from the initial directions. 'The atmosphere was very good, he said. 'Nasty, but safe.' But he was wrong on that last count. Jessen had been at the site to oversee the interrogation of Gul Rahman, a detainee who was interrogated for several weeks in November. Rahman, who was wearing only sock and a diaper in the unheated cells, was subjected to 48 hours of sleep deprivation and cold showers, and despite concerns by one supervisor that he might develop hypothermia, nothing was done. In fact, it was suggested that he be subjected to 'continued environmental deprivations with interrogations 18 out of 24 hours daily.' Jessen - who took part in six interrogations - was notified that Rahman 'claimed inability to think due to conditions (cold),' 'complained about poor treatment,' and 'complained about the violation of his human rights.' But Jessen said those were just 'resistance strategies' from Rahman, who had spent two weeks in increasingly severe cold; the average temperature at night in Kabul in November is 29.8 degrees Fahrenheit. Jessen left Cobalt on November 14, 2002, but advised Rahman continue to undergo such extreme deprivation. Five days later, Rahman was dead of hypothermia. He had been left in his cell naked from the waist down. Six months on, Mohamed Ben Soud and Suleiman Abdullah Salim were among 39 men placed in Cobalt, which now had a handful of electric heaters installed. There was precious little comfort, however: The were beaten, walled, placed nude in plastic sheets surrounded by ice, and placed in confinement boxes for hours. They were eventually released after officials decided that they posed no threat. Suleiman Abdullah Salim (pictured) was one of two men who sued Jessen and Mitchell after he was held and tortured in Cobalt, and later released after being deemed not to be a threat They - and Rahman's family - would go on to sue Mitchell and Jessen, resulting in the release of the redacted documents detailing the horror at Cobalt. But in 2003 they could not know of that; all they knew was that they were to spend the rest of their natural lives in agony, incapable of giving up the information that could set them free - or at least end the torture. Meanwhile, Mitchell and Jessen were proving unpopular in CIA offices as their increasing prominence in the Agency's affairs began to stick in people's craws. 'Although these guys believe that their way is the only way, there should be an effort to define roles and responsibilities before their arrogance and narcissism evolve into unproductive conflict in the field, a June 2003 memo said. 'Wholesale adoption of the Jim and Bruce show just isn't appropriate.' They requested that they be allowed to evaluate their own methods' effects was answered with: 'no professional in the field would credit their later judgment as psychologists assessing the subjects of their enhanced measures.' And when they suggested helping to draft a new code of ethics for the CIA, it was remarked that they had 'both shown blatant disregard for the ethics shared by almost all of their colleagues.' In May 2003, they were moved to 'mostly strategic consulting work, research, and program development projects.' Over the next four years, increasing scrutiny on the pair's 'enhanced interrogation techniques' saw them pushed further and further from the CIA's center. In 2006, four of the techniques were thrown out in accordance with the new Military Commissions Act. After the settlement was obtained between Mitchell, Jessen, Ben Soud, Salim and Rahman's family, the consultants' main lawyer, James Smith, said that the treatment endured at the camp, while 'regrettable,' was not the fault of his clients. 'If this case had gone forward, the facts would have borne out that while the plaintiffs suffered mistreatment by some of their captors, none of that mistreatment was conducted, condoned or caused by Drs. Mitchell and Jessen,' Smith said. A female soldier in the British Army told a court she didn't report a humiliating sex attack by her boss, in which he allegedly rubbed his groin against her, fearing it would be 'swept under the carpet'. Today, Staff Sergeant Lindy Pinel was cleared of leaning into a minibus in Cyprus and 'rubbing' his groin against a junior soldier's lower back before 'laughing' it off. Bulford Military Court heard it was witnessed by 'shocked' colleagues, but the alleged victim claimed she was reluctant to report the incident as she 'didn't trust' her 'male dominated' chain of command. It was only when a more senior female officer later caught wind of the incident and called the woman to talk about it that she finally decided to make a complaint. Staff Sergeant Lindy Pinel (pictured outside Bulford Military Court) was cleared of sexually assaulting a female soldier by entering a minibus, leaning over her and rubbing himself against for '15 to 20 seconds' Bulford Military Court (picture) heard how a fellow soldier called SSgt Pinel a 'weirdo' after the alleged incident - the sergeant then reportedly got off and laughed SSgt Pinel, who is 41 and has a wife and two children, was found not guilty of one count of sexual assault by touching and says he 'never' touched the junior soldier 'inappropriately or sexually'. SSgt Purnell wept uncontrollably with his head in his hands soon after the verdict was read. Cross examining the woman, SSgt Pinel's lawyer, Frank Abbott, had suggested: 'Immediately after this incident you didn't make a complaint because you thought it was something not worth complaining about. 'I suggest you decided at the late stage there was something in it that was not in it at all. 'This was not a sexual thing at all - otherwise you would have made a complaint right away.' The military court in Wiltshire heard his regiment were on a shooting range in Cyprus when the incident in the minibus is said to have occurred. The young female soldier said: 'I was approached by SSgt Pinel... he came to the driver's side, opened the door and leaned in and positioned himself over me with one hand on the headrest and one on the dashboard. 'I didn't know what was going on... his groin area was on my back and hip area. 'His face was quite close to mine, and he started rubbing himself against me for around 15 to 20 seconds.' When questioned on why she did not make a complaint until more than a year later when she was back in Britain, the female soldier said: 'I couldn't trust any of the chain of command I had in Cyprus. 'I felt I couldn't speak to anyone. It takes a lot for me to trust people, and [the chain of command] was very male dominated. 'I felt if I did say something it would get swept under the carpet.' SSgt Pinel, who is from St Lucia but left 20 years ago to join the British Army, told the court: 'I was concerned the minibus was moving and went to find out what was going on. 'I had to lean into the minibus - but not to the extent where I had to move my entire body into the bus. 'There is a slight chance I touched her, but in a sexual manner? No. At no stage did I grind myself against her. 'I have never touched [the alleged victim] in any improper or sexual way. 'It's not in my nature. I love my wife dearly and wouldn't do that. 95 per cent of my troop were females. 'After I was happy the vehicle was just going to the toilet, I attempted to pull the vehicle back as a joke - we were all stressed on range week. 'If there was something that happened it would have been reported earlier.' A father died from an ultra-rare blood clot triggered by AstraZeneca's Covid jab just ten days before he would have been recommended for an alternative. An inquest has heard how Tom Dudley, 31, who had no underlying health conditions, got his first dose near his home in Sheffield on April 27 last year. But the carpet salesman soon began to suffer headaches a common side effect of the British-made vaccine that normally fades within days. Two weeks after getting the jab, he was found unresponsive in the early hours at the home he shared with his partner Simone and their two daughters. The Sheffield United fan was rushed to Northern General Hospital, but doctors said the bleed on his brain was 'incurable' and he died three days later. Britain's medical regulator recommended under-30s should get an alternative to the AstraZeneca vaccine in early April when it became clear that younger people were at greater risk of the clots but it did not widen the advice to under-40s until May 7. Mr Dudley's GP said that given his age, lack of underlying conditions and the medical advice at the time, it was appropriate to give him AstraZeneca's jab. A medic who treated the father-of-two in hospital following the clot told the inquest it was 'fair to say' he would still be alive today if he was given a different vaccine. Tom Dudley, 31, from Sheffield, died from a blood clot triggered by the AstraZeneca jab ten days before medics were told to offer an alternative to the age group. His mother Alison said her carpet salesman son was 'very family orientated' and 'drove us mad most of the time with his very unfunny jokes' Mr Dudley died at Northern General Hospital in Sheffield (pictured, one wing of the hospital) A total of 78 Britons have died from blood clots linked to the AstraZeneca vaccine after being vaccinated with it out of nearly 50million doses. The vaccine can set off a chain reaction which leads to the body confusing its own blood platelets for fragments of virus. For reasons the scientists are still probing, the body then mistakes these platelets as a threat and produces antibodies to fight them. The combination of the platelets and the antibodies clumping together leads to the formation of dangerous blood clots. AstraZeneca vaccine acts like a magnet for platelets triggering clots, scientists say Scientists believe they have solved the mystery behind the extremely rare blood clots caused by the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine. A team of international experts, involving researchers from AstraZeneca, say that in a very small number of cases about one in 100,000 in the UK the vaccine can set off a chain reaction which leads to the body confusing its own blood platelets for fragments of virus. The British-made vaccine is thought to have saved about a million lives from Covid and was the backbone of the UK's initial rollout earlier in the year, helping it to become the most vaccinated country in the West. In a very small number of cases about one in 100,000 in the UK the vaccine can set off a chain reaction The UK Government gave an emergency grant to a team of scientists led by Cardiff University to investigate the clotting phenomenon. They found that the shell of the vector vaccine the weakened cold virus used to teach cells how to neutralise Covid sometimes acts like a magnet and attracts platelets, a protein found in the blood. For reasons the scientists are still probing, the body then mistakes these platelets as a threat and produces antibodies to fight them. The combination of the platelets and the antibodies clumping together leads to the formation of dangerous blood clots. They stress this is extremely rare, with only 437 cases in the UK recorded the so far out of about 50million doses of the vaccine, equivalent to less than one in 100,000. The side effect has been linked to 78 deaths in the UK. Advertisement Mr Dudley's mother Alison and sister Hannah attended the inquest at Sheffield Town Hall. Describing her son, Ms Dudley said: 'He had lots of friends. He loved his two girls very much. He was very family orientated. 'He drove us mad most of the time with his very unfunny jokes. He was just a wonderful son. I loved him.' Mr Dudley's partner said he was not given a leaflet outlining the potential side effects of the jab. His GP Dr Alex Rawlings, who ran the centre where he got vaccinated, said he was 'not aware' of this. He added, however, that the GP administering the jab would have talked through the adverse effects because it was 'protocol' before inoculations. Dr Girogia Saccullo, from Northern General Hospital, said Mr Dudley had suffered a 'very, very intensive' bleed on his brain. She said surgery and treatment was undertaken at the hospital, but that it 'did not have the expected benefits'. Dr Saccullo said that similar adverse effects had not been seen in those who had other vaccines. Asked if anything could be done differently, she said: 'I dont think so Im afraid. 'I think from a medical perspective everything has been done to protocol with the vaccine and according to protocols later to try and save his life.' Coroner Tanyka Rawden recorded the cause of death as a bleed on the brain, caused by the vaccine. She said: 'At the time this was not a known and recognised complication of this vaccine. 'It seems to me that the guidelines have been changed. They were changed very, very quickly after Tom had his vaccination.' The British-made vaccine is thought to have saved about a million lives from Covid and was the backbone of the UK's initial rollout in early 2021, helping it to become the most vaccinated country in the West. But concerns about clots saw its restriction in under-40s in the UK in spring and led Pfizer and Moderna's vaccines being favoured for young adults and as boosters. It was outright banned in many European countries and the US decided not to purchase a single dose. The first inquest into a death linked to the AstraZeneca jab was concluded in September last year. Mother-of-two Alpa Tailor, 35, from London, suffered a stroke a week after getting the jab with symptoms including slurred speech and a facial droop. She died two weeks later. In another case mother-of-two Michelle Barlow, from Wigan, died from blood clots 16 days after getting her first dose of the vaccine. Doctors initially mis-diagnosed her symptoms as gastroenteritis. A leading Australian doctor has slammed Pfizer's call for a fourth Covid jab, saying the company should use its staggering profits to provide vaccines for developing countries. Dr Nick Coatsworth, who fronted the Government's vaccine rollout campaign, said Pfizer should 'stop doing press releases about how we need a fourth dose' and tackle other more pressing issues. 'How about you really surprise us and provide pneumococcal vaccine at cost to low income nations. Be like Astra,' the former deputy chief medical officer tweeted on Tuesday. Pfizer raked in a record $US37billion in revenue from its Covid vaccine in 2021 making it one of the most lucrative products ever. Dr Nick Coatsworth (pictured) has said Pfizer should focus on other global issues instead of promoting a fourth Covid jab Pfizer made a staggering $37billion from its Covid vaccine in 2021 (pictured: a Sydney woman gets the Pfizer vaccine in 2021) The United States based drug-maker's overall revenue doubled to $81.3billion and is forecasting a even bigger 2022, which will also see the release of its Covid pill Paxlovid. 'The CEO of Pfizer, Albert Bourla, has come out on two occasions talking about how we need a fourth dose of the Covid vaccine, the CEO of Moderna has done it as well,' he told Dr Coatsworth told news.com. 'Its a problem because you dont listen to the person whos responsible for shareholder profits if they tell you to take a drug.' In stark contrast, vaccine competitor AstraZeneca announced early on in 2020 it would not seek to profit from a Covid vaccine while the pandemic was in effect, only recently moving to a profit-based model. Covid vaccines from Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca and other manufacturers have saved millions of lives worldwide with Pfizer's CEO claiming the outlook of the company had shifted. 'We are proud to say we have delivered both the first FDA-authorised vaccine against Covid-19 (with our partner, BioNTech) and the first FDA-authorised oral treatment for Covid-19,' Albert Boula said earlier this year. 'These successes have not only made a positive difference in the world, but I believe they have fundamentally changed Pfizer and its culture for ever.' And yet the company has been criticised for keeping a tight grip on the recipe for its Covid vaccines and not supplying them at reduced cost to developing countries. 'Pfizer is now richer than most countries; it has made more than enough money from this crisis. It's time to suspend intellectual property and break vaccine monopolies,' Tim Bierley, from Global Justice Now told The Guardian last month. The company's CEO said the company's culture 'fundamentally changed' for the better in the last two years Dr Coatsworth said Covid vaccines weren't the only ones that the pharma giant could provide to needy nations. '[Pfizer's CEO] has on two occasions talked about how we need a fourth dose, the CEO of Moderna has done it as well... You don't listen to the person who's responsible for shareholder profits if they tell you to take a drug,' Dr Coatsworth said. He said given Pfizer's massive revenue it could be a 'good corporate citizen' and subsidised its vaccines for low income countries. 'They don't do that and haven't done it for 20 years... It would be a simple and effective action... Pneumococcal disease is a bigger problem than Covid,' he said. Pneumococcal disease is caused by any infection from Streptococcus pneumoniae bacteria, which can cause pneumonia, meningitis, and blood infection. The World Health Organization estimates 300,000 children under five die from the infection each year - mostly in poor countries - despite a vaccine being developed 20 years ago. Dr Coatsworth said Pfizer could easily save lives by using some of its Covid profits to subsidise the vaccine for this disease in those countries - where its cost of up to $21 a dose can make it unaffordable. Pfizer has not released the recipe for its Covid vaccine (pictured) to developing countries which are still lagging behind Competitor Moderna said on Monday it would set up a manufacturing facility in Kenya, its first in Africa, to produce messenger mRNA vaccines. The company said it expects to invest about $500million in the Kenyan facility and supply as many as 500 million doses to the continent each year. Africa has lagged sharply behind other regions in vaccinating its citizens through the pandemic and there have been several efforts in recent months to help the continent produce its own vaccines. 'Kenya and the entire continent of Africa went through challenges in the earlier stages of this pandemic that resulted in Africa being left behind,' Kenya's President Uhuru Kenyatta said. Dr Coatsworth said Pfizer should use its profits to subsidise vaccines in developing countries (pictured: a baby gets a vaccine in Kenya) The World Health Organization last year set up a tech transfer hub in South Africa to give poorer nations the know-how to produce Covid-19 vaccines and has been trying to get Moderna and Pfizer to join in its efforts. However, in September, a senior WHO official said there had not been much progress in talks with Moderna. WHO-backed South Africa's Afrigen Biologics said in February it would produce its own version of Moderna's shot. While Moderna said it would not enforce any intellectual property or patent rights, it has not yet volunteered assistance. BioNTech, which teamed up with Pfizer to make the western world's most widely-used Covid-19 job, has also announced plans to begin work on its mRNA manufacturing facility in the African Union this year. Moderna's COVID vaccine brought in $17.7 billion in sales in 2021 and has been cleared for use in over 70 countries. Nicola Sturgeon sparked fury today as she U-turned on plans to remove Scotland's last remaining Covid laws by keeping mask rules in place. The First Minister told Holyrood the face covering restrictions would be kept for at least two more weeks amid a spike in cases. She had been under pressure to bring Scotland into line with England by scrapping all remaining social restrictions, including laws demanding masks be worn indoors in public places. Opponents had urged the First Minister not to backtrack but chief medical officer Sir Gregor Smith had advised a cautious approach amid concern over a recent rise in case numbers. And Ms Sturgeon told MSPs in Edinburgh today that keeping the mask mandate was 'prudent' and expected to lift the law before the Easter school holidays, with a decision in 14 days. But Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross slammed the decision, saying: 'It's true that cases rates are higher at the moment than any of us would like. But Covid cases were always going to rise as restrictions were eased. 'We can't get complacent with Covid but we have to move forward, we cannot stay stuck with Covid rules forever. That's why it will be a blow for households and businesses that the First Minister has decided to keep the face mask rules in place... 'Why won't the First Minister trust the Scottish public to take the steps they think are right to protect themselves and their families? And why are we back to this ''wait-and-see' approach again with no firm date to allow businesses and the public to plan ahead?' Other measures still in place, like forcing businesses to collect customer contact details, will cease on Monday as planned. The First Minister also confirmed plans to stop widespread Covid testing by the end of April. The First Minister is due to announce today whether to go ahead with plans to lift the remaining legal restrictions - including face masks in indoor public places - from next week. Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross slammed the decision, saying: 'We can't get complacent with Covid but we have to move forward, we cannot stay stuck with Covid rules forever' The First Minister said rising cases driven by the BA.2 sub-variant meant the rule would have to stay in place beyond Monday. The law on masks, which applies to public transport and enclosed public spaces, was due to be converted to guidance on March 21. However, the legal requirement for certain premises to retain customer contact details will be dropped as planned. The First Minister said: 'Given the current spike in case numbers, we consider it prudent to retain this requirement in regulation for a further short period. 'I know this will be disappointing for businesses and service providers such as day care services. 'However, ensuring continued widespread use of face coverings will provide some additional protection - particularly for the most vulnerable - at a time when the risk of infection is very high, and it may help us get over this spike more quickly.' Dr Liz Cameron, chief executive of the Scottish Chambers of Commerce said: 'Scottish businesses were looking forward to returning to greater normality and the decision to delay the removal of all remaining Covid-19 restrictions will come as a bitter disappointment. 'Further delay will put Scotland's recovery into reverse gear again, create confusion, dent business confidence, putting the buffers on economic growth. 'The Scottish Government's strategic framework recognises that the success of the vaccine rollout minimises the risk of serious illness and should enable Scotland's businesses and individuals to begin living and working with increasingly normality alongside the virus. 'Businesses cannot continue to operate with the start-stop lever being pulled just weeks apart, with no clear confirmation as to what the triggers driving decision making are.' The BA.2 sub-variant of Omicron is now the dominant strain of coronavirus in Scotland, accounting for more than 80 per cent of all cases. It came as the Scottish Government confirmed that travel restrictions for fully vaccinated people will end this week. It followed an announcement by UK Transport Secretary Grant Shapps that passenger locator forms and PCR tests will be scrapped in time for the Easter holidays. Sir Gregor said it is estimated that around 85 per cent of Scotland's cases are the new more transmissible BA.2 variant. In the past week, nearly 76,000 people in Scotland have tested positive for Covid, the largest seven-day total since mid- January. But the rise has not fuelled a significant increase in serious illness. Sir Gregor told the BBC: 'At this moment in time we can certainly see that, with rising cases, we need to be just a little bit cautious when we are interacting with others, particularly when we are in more crowded situations.' Asked about lifting the rules on face coverings, he said: 'That is a decision that ministers will make over the coming 24 hours. I think that a cautious approach at this moment in time is probably the right approach, and we are already seeing the public adopting those additional protections.' The number of people in hospital with Covid has increased, with 1,805 receiving treatment yesterday, compared with 1,360 one week earlier and 1,175 a fortnight ago. The number in intensive care rose from 19 on February 28 to 27 yesterday. There were 121 deaths in the week to last Friday. Following yesterday's announcement on the scrapping of travel regulations from 4am on Friday, Scottish Transport Secretary Michael Matheson said: 'These measures were agreed on a UK-wide basis despite the Scottish Government raising concerns over the lack of border controls. 'However, we recognise the benefits of acting on a four nation basis and this will bring a high degree of normality back to travel and is extremely welcome for Scottish tourism, the aviation sector and travellers.' A battery manufacturing plant, SK Battery America, under construction in Georgia, the U.S. Courtesy of SK On Jurors in the Sarah Lawrence sex cult dad case saw a disturbing video on Tuesday of the accused leader Lawrence 'Larry' Ray grab a coed by the neck and slam her to the ground and then kneel on her back to restrain her as she begs him release her. 'Larry, get off of me,' the woman screams as the two struggle on the kitchen floor. Ray, 60, is on trial in Manhattan Federal court of sex trafficking his daughter's friends from a dorm room on the campus of the expensive suburban liberal arts college. In the video shown Tuesday, the fourth day of the trial, a young woman, who he called Felicia, appears to try to attack Ray in a kitchen, but is restrained by another woman. Prosecutors say Ray held sway over the college student, forcing some of them into prostitution and making others wear diapers as punishment. It's unclear from the video why the young woman is upset, or when it was shot, but at one point Ray kicks her in the leg while she is being held back by another woman. He grabs the woman by the throat forcing her backwards, telling her 'Calm down. Put your hands down. Calm down. Be peaceful. Stay right there.' He tells her that she's destroyed to many things and she responds, 'I'm a good person.' When she says she wants to lay down, he forces her back toward a refrigerator then puts his arm around her neck an sends her crashing to the floor. The woman threatens to kill herself then begs Ray not to leave her, saying 'I love you, Larry. Please don't leave. Please don't leave.' 'You know that I have to send you to the hospital,' Ray tells her. It's unclear what the dispute is over, but the young woman woman appears to be in severe mental distress while being filmed. In another video shown to the jury on Tuesday, Ray interrogates Claudia Drury, who he forced into prostitution, netting himself $2 million from her sex work, according to prosecutors. 'Look at you crying,' Ray taunts the woman. 'Tell the world how you just want to feel sorry and sad. And how you just destroy things and damage everybody.' Drury, who sports a chin-length bob and oversized sweatshirt, sits on a sofa with tears streaming down her face trying to keep her composure as Ray continues to mock her. Accused sex cult leader Lawrence Ray, 60, collapsed in the courtroom during his federal sex trafficking trial, hours after suffering a seizure 'Everyone out there in Facebookland, do you know Claudia as a truthful person or a liar,' he asks. 'Look at you how you feel sorry for yourself. You did something wrong. You know what's shocking, astounding and disgusting? You do something wrong to someone else, you victimize someone and then you sit there and cry to yourself.' It's unclear in this video as well what Ray is grilling the young woman over, but witness Santos Rosario testified on Monday that his interrogations were familiar to everyone in the group. In another recording made in September 2015 at the Hudson Hotel, Ray was seen getting thrashed by Frank DiTomasso, the owner of a construction firm, allegedly in retaliation for Ray's decision to expose ties between DiTomasso and disgraced New York City Police Commissioner Bernard Kerik. Witness Santos Rosario (left) has testified at the federal sex-trafficking trial of suspected sex cult leader Lawrence Ray (right). Santos is pictured on the witness stand on March 14 Ray didn't care much for the testimony on Tuesday and the trial was forced to halt for several hours for him to recover from a seizure in lockup earlier in the day that he had. He was briefly seen to in an ambulance outside the courthouse and treated with oxygen, then brought back inside to resume testimony. After Ray returned to court, his lawyer told the judge that he was well enough to continue with the trial, but that he may take ill again. On Monday, Santos Rosario, a member of the cult testified that he too suffered under Ray's withering interrogations. Video is shown on the screen of Santos Rosario crying while Larry Ray (seated right) looks on A sketch shows a shot from a video of Larry Ray getting punched by a construction firm owner at a hotel in 2015. The video was introduced into evidence on Tuesday Santos claimed that on one occasion, Ray had his 'lieutenant' put diapers on him and one of his sisters because they were behaving like children Santos was introduced to Ray in 2010 by his daughter, Talia (left), whom he was dating at the time Ray, 60, is facing charges of sex-trafficking, extortion, money laundering, violent crime in aid of racketeering, racketeering conspiracy and forced labor 'I don't remember the context or what we were being blamed for this time,' he told the jury. 'But Larry said that me and my sister were supposedly acting like children and he had Isabella put diapers on us,' Santos said, referring to Rays alleged 'lieutenant' and co-conspirator, Isabella Pollok, reported the New York Post. Santos said Ray forced him and sister Felicia to sit in his apartment on the Upper East Side in Manhattan wearing nothing but the diapers. 'We just waited there until Larry said we could take them off.' Santos told the court, as the New York Daily News reported. After that incident, Rosario left the cult, in which he had been a member for five years, and moved into a homeless shelter, rather than continue to be subjected to Ray's increasingly terrifying 'interrogations.' 'I couldnt take it anymore,' Santos said of the alleged abuse. 'These interrogations with Larry started getting scarier and longer. And I couldnt articulate at the time but I was terrified to be there. So I just looked for an opportunity to run away.' Santos is pictured with Ray's daughter, Talia, in this photo that has been introduced into evidence by the prosecution An exhibit seen in court shows Santos' face after he repeatedly slapped himself on Ray's orders Santos (left) alleged that on three occasions, Ray made him have sex with his 'lieutenant,' Isabelle Pollok (right) Santos also claimed that one time, Ray forced Claudia Drury (pictured) to perform a sex act on him while the alleged cult leader sat nearby and watched Santos was introduced to Ray in 2010 by his daughter, Talia, whom he was dating at the time. Before long, he found himself under Ray's control, along with his two sisters. Santos testified that Ray struck him with a hammer, held a knife to his genitals, urged him to commit suicide, and called him 'scum' and 'trash.' Prosecutors played a video for the jury that showed Santos repeatedly slapping himself in the face at Ray's direction. The suspected sex cult leader also allegedly accused Santos of poisoning him and damaging his property as part of a plot to extort money out of the younger man. Santos testified on Monday that on one occasion, when he accompanied Ray to a hotel to collect money that Drury had earned from the sex work, the accused cult leader made the woman perform a sex act on Santos while he sat next to them and watched. Ray waves to his father in the front row before taking his seat at the defense table during the trial last week 'He told Claudia to give me a b***job and for me to take off my pants,' Santos testified. On three separate occasion, Santos told the court that Ray also made him have sex with his aide, Isabella Pollock. On cross-examination, the defense sought to portray Santos as an unreliable witness by dredging up his history of mental health struggles. Santos said that after leaving the cult in 2015, he kept his distance from Ray for four years, until in 2019, when he was contacted by journalists from New York magazine who were working on a story about the sex cult. Ray is accused of 17 counts including sex-trafficking, extortion, money laundering, violent crime in aid of racketeering, racketeering conspiracy Santos said he reached out to Ray to talk about the article and ended up falling under his influence again. In 2010, Ray - real name Lawrence Grecco moved into his daughter Talia's dorm room at college just north of New York City. Fresh out of jail following charges related to a custody battle with his ex-wife, Ray slept on a dorm room couch and, prosecutors allege, set about dominating the lives of a group of his daughter's friends. Assistant US Attorney Lindsey Keenan began her opening statement last week with a description of a gruesome October 2018 alleged attack. Keenan said Ray and another woman who served as his 'trusted lieutenant' found the victim they had 'forced into a life of prostitution' at a hotel, where Ray tortured her for hours to make sure she'd continue her sex work. The prosecutor said Ray used 'violence, fear, sex and manipulation' to gain sex, power and money. Ray's lawyer told the jury that Ray committed no federal crimes as he encircled himself with college-age 'storytellers' who claimed to have poisoned him and arranged to have him physically attacked. 'You'll see that Larry Ray is not guilty,' attorney Allegra Glashausser said. Ray, who once served as the best man at a wedding of disgraced former New York City police Commissioner Bernard Kerik, has been incarcerated since his 2020 arrest. Ray is a well-known New York scammer with a murky past. In addition to spending times behind bars for his role in a securities fraud scam, he has worked on Wall Street, owned nightclubs, been an FBI informant and inserted himself in into powerful networks by brokering meetings. This is the student housing on the Sarah Lawrence College campus where Ray lived with his daughter and her roommates After being released from prison in 2010 following a six month incarceration for breaching the terms of his custody agreement with his ex-wife, he moved in to his daughter Talia's college apartment while she was studying at Sarah Lawrence College in Bronxville, New York. Over the next four years, he drove her and her friends apart by manipulating them into disturbing alleged scenarios which include multiple suicide attempts, lawsuits, sex in front of him and self-harming. The allegations were laid out in a lengthy article by New York magazine's The Cut in 2019, includes accounts from some of the purported cult members. The issues began in September 2010 when Ray was released from prison after six months. He was jailed for contempt of court for disobeying a judge's order regarding his custody agreement with his ex-wife. He had previously been sentenced to five years of probation for his role in a securities fraud scam. Ray moved in to the roommates' home and at first charmed them by cooking meals and occasionally taking them out for dinner, paying for the outings with a wad of cash that he carried in a backpack. 'He did all of our cleaning and definitely took on the dad role in the house,' Juli Anna, said. At first, he slept on an air mattress in Talia's room but before long, he was sleeping in the same room as Isabella, his daughter's 19-year-old best friend who was going through a break-up and was coaching her, claiming she 'needed' him. Gradually, he began to exert control over the group, they said. Ray, a well-known New York City scammer, has been in jail since 2020 According to some of the former roommates, Ray roped them all into what he framed to be a 'self improvement' program. It soon involved them taking part in group 'sessions' in the living room where he would counsel them and tell them they had been brought together by their shared obsession with suicide, one recalled. One involved them having to explain their past behavior and, at times, apologize to him for things he told them they had done to him. It was such an effective form of brainwashing, they recalled, Daniel Barban Levin once agreed to have Ray tie a 'garrote' of aluminum foil around his penis and testicles and tighten it. He forced Daniel, who was confused about his sexuality, to have sex with Isabella, in front of him on multiple occasions and once invited a friend to watch, Daniel claimed. He convinced Drury that she was schizophrenic, they said, and made her obsessed with the Marines. Santos had tried to kill himself once before meeting Ray but, according to those who spoke to The Cut, his problems worsened as a result of their contact. Even when Daniel and Claudia traveled to England to study abroad, they would Skype Ray and, according to Daniel, have sex on camera for him. According to Juli Anna, Claudia was initially suspicious of him but 'snapped' after they started meeting privately and became obsessed with the Marines. She would start posting on Facebook about the military, according to friends, and spoke down to her parents whenever she visited them. Over the course of their friendship with Ray, three of the women - Claudia, Isabella and Santos' sister Yalitza tried to kill themselves. They all swallowed bottles of Tylenol pills and said afterwards that they felt badly about how they had treated him. Santos, whose parents say they gave Larry $200,000 over the course of three years, went to a mental health facility and has also spent time in a homeless shelter. Claudia was one of the worst affected. Over the course of their years-long relationship, she became convinced by Ray that she owed him money and even started working as a prostitute to repay him, according to The Cut. Ray did not deny it, telling The Cut that she gave him her escort earnings and said he was 'pleased' she had started paying him back. She also seems to have been convinced by him that she poisoned him, Talia, Isabella and Felicia and even made a video 'confession' where she said, after being prompted by him, that she had tried to kill them. Schools Minister Robin Walker has said schools will continue to teach LGBT content and there are no plans to 'rule out' teaching about trans issues. The minister made the statement to the House of Commons' Education Select Committee this morning as MPs discussed recent guidance issued to schools on political impartiality. Mr Walker said that 'we need to talk about the world as it is' - adding that trans people do exist in Britain and are a protected group under the Equality Act. His comments came in response to Conservative MP Miriam Cates, who told the committee 'you cannot change sex' and insisted that this was a 'biological fact'. She asked why examples around what she termed 'gender ideology' which she said 'has no basis in science' were not included in the guidance to schools - saying it contained 19 instructions around impartiality on racism, different political systems, environmentalism and other topical subjects but none about trans issues. Ms Cates said: 'Why can't we add to that what you do when you come across this issue of gender ideology? 'I've seen some of the videos that are being used in schools, where it shows a boy putting nail varnish on, and the implication is "perhaps you're actually a girl". Or a girl weightlifting and saying, "oh perhaps you're actually a boy". Schools minister Robin Walker said: 'We need to talk about the fact that people do transition and that there are trans people' 'These are the kind of gender stereotypes we did away with in the 1980s but are being brought back by this ideology and it is an ideology that has no basis in science.' Ms Cates even claimed that parents wrote to her expressing concern that 'schools are transitioning pupils without their parents' knowledge' and that this included pupils who might be gay and lesbian, or on the autism spectrum. Responding to her, Mr Walker said: 'We need to talk about the fact that people do transition and that there are trans people, and we should support them as a protected group under the Equality Act. We're not going to rule out people teaching about that.' He said that issues around sex and gender had to be taught in an 'age-appropriate way'. 'We want schools to be able to support pupils, including the small number of pupils who may have gender identity issues and may need support in that respect, and it's important that if they approach members of staff they can be signposted to the right advice and support.' He also disputed Ms Cates' view that DfE guidance meant that 'you can't tell children you can change sex'. MP Miriam Cates told this morning's Education Select Committee that teaching around trans issues should be added to guidance for schools on political impartiality Schools Minister Robin Walker has said schools must teach LGBT content and that there are no plans to 'rule out' teaching about trans issues Mr Walker said: 'You said you're not supposed to tell pupils that they can change sex. Of course, you can do that, because you are supposed to teach LGBT content. You should not teach them that they should change sex.' Labour MP Kim Johnson described the new guidance as 'unnecessary' as schools were already aware of their responsibility to be impartial. Arguments over trans rights have become one of the most hotly contested debates in modern Britain in recent years. Harry Potter author J. K. Rowling has face a storm of criticism from young activists over her gender critical views and in June last year, tax expert Maya Forstater won an employment tribunal at the High Court after she was sacked after posting tweets against gender recognition. The Education Select Committee this morning as MPs discussed recent guidance issued to schools on political impartiality In October last year, trans activists took to social media to celebrate the resignation of a feminist Sussex university professor who quit amid a storm over her views on gender. University of Sussex professor Kathleen Stock announced she was stepping down from her job after facing a campaign of 'bullying and harassment'. The philosophy professor was at the centre of a blazing row - and a student-led protest - at the university after saying she believes gender identity does not outweigh biological sex 'when it comes to law and policy'. She also insisted that people cannot change their biological sex, sparking anger from protesters who accused her of transphobia. A black man who was charged with attempted murder as a hate crime after he was caught on video punching a 67-year-old Asian woman more than 125 times lived in the same building as the victim and has a lengthy rap sheet of 14 prior arrests - including seven felonies and three violent crimes. Tammel Esco, 42, was arrested at the scene and taken to Westchester County Jail on Friday at around 6:15 p.m. after violently assaulting an older Asian woman, who lived in the same building as him, police confirmed to DailyMail.com on Tuesday. He is being held without bail after attacking her and yelling racial slurs at her. Esco has spent time in prison for assault and criminal sale of a controlled substance. He has also been arrested 14 times and currently holds seven felonies, including three violent crimes, Yonkers police said. He also served time in prison from May 2011 to October 2013. His post-release supervision expired in 2018, according to state records. The career criminal also pushed a woman through a salon's glass window in February 2021. He was only given a conditional discharge and did not go to jail for the assault. He also served 42 months in prison for a 2010 stabbing. Tammel Esco, 42, of Yonkers, has been charged with attempted murder and assault after violently attacking an Asian woman in their residential building. He is currently being held in Westchester County Jail with no bail. Esco has a lengthy rap sheet bearing 14 prior arrests- including seven felonies - and three violent crimes Surveillance footage shows the victim fiddling with her keys while trying to unlock her front door when Esco creeps up behind her and knocks her down with a punch to the head. He beat her repeatedly with alternating fists 125 times and stomped on her seven times before walking out as she writhed in pain in front of her apartment. The victim - who has two daughters and is a widow - is in stable condition at a local hospital with cuts to her head and face, facial bone fractures and bleeding on the brain, according to Yonkers police. Neighbors described her as 'very, very nice' and 'such a nice person.' 'I can't imagine anyone could deduct that this wasn't an attempt to kill her,' Police Commissioner John Mueller told Bronx News. Friday's attack in Yonkers, a city in Westchester County just outside of New York City, was similar to the horrific murder of an Asian-American woman by a homeless man who followed her into her building in Chinatown. Crime in the five boroughs is up by 45 percent compared to this time last year, with robbery up by 43.5 percent and assault up by 17.2 percent. Police arrived at the building to find the unidentified victim bloodied in the vestibule while Esco was still outside. He has been charged with with attempted murder in the second degree as a hate crime. Esco was caught on video punching a 67-year-old Asian woman over 125 times (pictured) and stomping on her on Friday Authorities are investigating the incident as a hate crime because Esco allegedly yelled a racial slur at her when she passed him by before the beating Esco followed the unidentified victim to the vestibule on Friday night. The woman is in stable condition, but suffered bleeding from the brain and cuts and facial bone fractures The building's tenants are worried, as the residence is home to other 'individuals with [a] violent criminal and/or [those who suffer from] mental health,' according to the building's tenant association. The association called it 'detrimental' to 'neighbors and the surrounding community.' 'There have been many instances of the landlord housing individuals with criminal histories (typically felons) and/or significant mental health issues, particularly in a building with seniors and young children,' Cindy, a tenant's association representative who asked to be referred to only by first name, told DailyMail.com on Tuesday. She also said the association believes it has to do with 'money,' because the 'rent-stabilized tenants with decades of living here move out over safety concerns,' and looking 'charitable.' 'They can appear to be charitable for giving violent felons "another chance." As we've seen time and again, such individuals should not be living here,' Cindy told DailyMail.com on Tuesday. 'We've outlined all of this over many years, but it's all fallen on deaf ears - from the Mayor down to our Councilwoman and even the local police department, which is literally right next door to our building,' she continued. 'Many people who have lived in the building for decades have moved out. Tenants here are all worried about their safety. But no one listens. The landlord tells us to call the police. The police tell us to call our representative. Our representative doesn't reply to our calls. The local media won't cover any of it.' The police have refused to release the residence's address - when asked about it, cops requested DailyMail.com not 'make it public.' It's a fact that wasn't lost on residents. 'I'm sure you've picked up on the fact that our building's address was never given in any of the media reporting, which is the exception rather than the rule,' Cindy said Tuesday. Another tenant was arrested in 2015 for a felony drug and weapons possession and another was arrested for a felony under a squad arrest warrant. In the year prior, a fire was started on the seventh floor, according to the building's tenant association by a person who had a 'long history of mental health.' And drug usage and dealing and homelessness has reportedly been a huge problem in the building. 'We are in shock,' the tenant's association told DailyMail.com on Tuesday. 'Our thoughts and prayers are with the victim and her family. We are speechless by this senseless act of brutality and call on law enforcement to punish the offender to the full extent of the law,' it wrote in a blog post. The building's tenants are worried about their safety and reportedly feel 'unsafe' in the building. Sken Shabaj (left) said there are 'never-ending problems' in the building and an unnamed resident (right) said she was 'done letting people in' and will no longer be opening the door for those she does not know Another resident Wendy Trinidad (left) said she was 'in shock' after the attack and said it was 'unbelievable.' Yonkers Police Commissioner John Mueller (right) also said he couldn't 'imagine' anyone finding the attack as anything other than 'an attempt to kill her' Neighbors have told local news sources that they feel 'unsafe' in the building and the management is 'nothing but problems.' 'I'm done letting people in,' one resident, who was not named, told Bronx News. 'If you don't know them, don't let them in.' Sken Shabaj, a tenant in the building, told Bronx News: 'There's nothing but problems, there's never-ending problems in here.' Another resident Wendy Trinidad told CBS News: 'I'm in shock. I mean, I know nowadays there are a lot of mental issues, but that is just unbelievable.' The Mayor or Yonkers Mike Spano has also condemned the attack. 'Hate crimes are beyond intolerable in our city. I applaud our Yonkers Police for swiftly apprehending this violent criminal and removing him from our streets,' Spano said in a statement Monday. 'I expect the suspect to be charged to the fullest extent of the law for his heinous actions. I continue to keep the victim and her family in our thoughts and prayers.' Mueller called the attack 'despicable.' 'And targeting her because of her race makes it more so,' Mueller said. The attack happened in Yonkers, a suburb right outside of New York City. During the month of February, the NYPD reported a 58.7 percent increase in total crime 'This defendant must be held to the maximum punishment allowed by law to send a clear message that hateful, violent behavior will not be tolerated in our communities. Our thoughts and prayers are with the victim and her family, that she may make a full recovery.' New York Governor Kathy Hochul, 63, also condemned the attack, writing on Twitter: 'Everyone deserves to feel safe in our streets - discrimination, hate, [and] violence will never be tolerated in New York State. I'm praying that the victim makes a full recovery and [I] have offered assistance from the @nyspolice to investigate this horrific act.' Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano condemned the attack in a statement on Monday, calling it a 'hate crime' and saying that Esco must be 'held to the maximum punishment allowed by law' The FBI found that 8,263 criminal hate crime incidents were reported to them in 2020, an increase of about 504 incidents since 2019. The spike comes as more local law enforcement agencies report crime incidents in their jurisdictions to the FBI compared to previous years Asian Americans in NYC have experienced a 343 percent increase in hate crimes in 2021, with 133 attacks Crime in the city is up by 45 percent compared to this time last year, with robbery up by 43.5 percent and assault up by 17.2 percent Anti-Asian hate crimes nationwide spiked by 339 percent last year compared to 2020. In New York City, just a few miles from Yonkers, hate crimes surged a shocking 96 percent throughout 2021. Asian hate crimes in the city 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 recent data from the NYPD. Last month, a 35-year-old Asian advertising creative was knifed to death in her Chinatown apartment by a homeless serial criminal who was free on bail. Christina Yuna Lee was from New Jersey and had spearheaded campaigns for brands including Equinox and Google. Christina Yuna Lee, 35, was stabbed to death in her New York City apartment by a homeless serial criminal. Assamad Nash, 25, has been arrested for her murder after she was found dead in the blood-soaked bathtub of her Chinatown apartment Body of Christina Yuna Lee is wheeled out after she was stabbed to death in her apartment Assamad Nash, 25, was accused of murdering Lee while on bail for a prior assault Assamad Nash, 25, was arrested for the February 13 murder of Lee. Terrifying footage showed the man police say is him creep into the building behind Lee after she got out of a cab. Lee's body was found in a blood-soaked bathtub in her apartment. Her landlord blamed District Attorney Alvin Bragg's soft-on-crime policies for the killing. 40-year-old consultant Michelle Go was killed after a homeless man shoved her in front of a subway car in January. Her murder started calls for safety in NYC's subway system In one of the first notable crimes of the year, Deloitte consultant Michelle Alyssa Go was pushed in front of an oncoming train at West 42nd Street and Broadway the morning on January 15. Go, who lived on the Upper East Side, was randomly targeted, police said. Simon Martial, 61, was charged with second-degree murder. Martial has a history of mental illness and told reporters to 'go f*** yourself' as he was walked out of a Midtown precinct later that night, declaring himself 'God.' 'Yeah because I'm God,' he said when asked if he killed Go, the New York Post reported. 'Yes I did. I'm God, I can do it.' He then claimed: 'She stole my f***ing jacket, that's why.' The mayors of New York City and Washington DC are now advising homeless people to seek shelter in public facilities to avoid an on-the-run serial killer who they believe has shot at least five homeless men in the last month, killing two. Martial has a criminal record of at least three arrests dating back to 1998. His sister told the New York Post that her brother has a history of mental illness In the last month, at least five homeless men have been shot - two of them fatally - and one has been found dead in what police fear may be a string of attacks by the same person NYPD officers at the scene where another homeless person was found dead on Murray Street near Varick Street in New York on Sunday night The serial killer most recently struck in the early hours of Saturday morning, killing one homeless man and shooting another in the arm within a period of just one hour. On Sunday, a third New York City homeless man was found dead in Tribeca. It did not appear that he had been shot, but police are now working to determine his cause of death. Earlier this month, three homeless men were shot and killed in separate attacks in Washington DC. Police now believe that the three DC men- and one New York City man who was shot on Saturday - were all targeted by the same person. HOMELESS KILLINGS WASHINGTON DC March 3: Homeless man is shot in DC but survives March 8: Second homeless man shot in DC but survives March 9: Third homeless man found in DC. His body is found inside a tent, on fire. Autopsy confirms he was shot and stabbed NEW YORK CITY March 12, 4.30am: Homeless man shot in the arm on King Street, NYC. He woke up and confronted the shooter, asking him: 'What the hell are you doing?' March 12, 5pm: After receiving a 911 call, cops find homeless man dead inside his sleeping bag at 148 Lafayette Street. Surveillance footage shows he was shot nearly 12 hours earlier at 6am. Advertisement As NYPD officers work to catch the suspected serial killer, Mayor Eric Adams and DC Mayor Muriel Bowser are telling homeless people to seek shelter urgently. DailyMail.com obtained an internal memo that the NYPD sent out to precincts alerting cops about the pre-dawn attacks on homeless men in Manhattan and Washington, D.C., noting that 'in all incidents, victims were sleeping in a public space during the first platoon.' Officers were directed to immediately survey their patrol areas and engage with homeless individuals, advise them about the incidents and show them wanted flyers with pictures of the person of interest, while also checking on their well-being and offering shelter and other services. 'Members assigned to the Patrol Services Bureau precincts area to conduct frequent grid canvasses of their assigned sector or area of deployment, utilizing a systematic block by block method,' the memo adds. 'Special attention should be given to areas prone to encampment.' In a joint statement on Sunday night, the pair said: 'Our communities in DC and New York City are heartbroken and disturbed by these heinous crimes in which an individual has been targeting some of our most vulnerable residents. 'The two of us spoke about how our teams can coordinate and help one another, and we are calling on everyone in our cities to look at the images of the suspect and report any information, however small, that may be useful. 'The work to get this individual off our streets before he hurts or murders another individual is urgent. 'As our law enforcement agencies work quickly with federal partners to locate the suspect, we are also calling on unsheltered residents to seek shelter.' Many asked where exactly they expect the homeless to go. In New York City, there are estimated to be around 93,000 homeless people and around 1,618 in DC. A Scarborough man is on a quest to find five 'lost rings of Auschwitz' after receiving one from his father and discovering the extraordinary story behind them. Made by a Jewish prisoner, the beautifully crafted rings were engraved with the initials of the six men who received them. One of them was Briton James Archer from the British Army's Green Howards Regiment who had been interned at a prisoner of war camp known as E715. E715 was situated on the perimeter of Monowitz a sub-camp of the notorious Auschwitz-Birkenau in Nazi-occupied Poland. Monowitz, which was also known as Auschwitz III, held 12,000 mainly Jewish inmates and more than 2,000 were sent to die in Auschwitz's gas chambers. Monowitz provided slave labour to the German chemical conglomerate IG Farben, and the British PoWs, including Mr Archer, worked alongside Jewish and Polish prisoners at the firm's factory within the Auschwitz complex. There, Mr Archer became friends with five Polish men and, in late 1944, the group sabotaged a piece of machinery by cutting of a length of pipe. A fellow Jewish inmate who had been a jeweller before being targeted by the Nazis and imprisoned - likely at Monowitz - made the gang six identical rings from the pipe and engraved each with their respective initials. After the war, Mr Archer, who died in 1969, lost touch with his friends and never knew what happened to the other rings. His son Jim, 74, is now hoping to track them and their owners down. 'I am trying to trace the surviving rings. They might be held, like in my case, by the children of the Polish men,' Jim said. A Scarborough man is on a quest to find five 'lost rings of Auschwitz' after receiving one from his father and discovering the extraordinary story behind them. Above: The ring that belonged to James Archer, who had been in the Green Howards Regiment Made by a Jewish prisoner, the beautifully crafted rings were engraved with the initials of the six men who received them. One of them was Briton James Archer (pictured) Mr Archer and the other men from the Green Howards which is officially known as Alexandra, Princess of Wales's Own Yorkshire Regiment had been transferred to E715 from Stalag VIII-B PoW camp in Lamsdorf in the spring of 1944. Although conditions in E715 were better than those in the Nazis' network of death camps, the prisoners could sometimes smell the stench of burning bodies that came from Auschwitz's crematoria just a few miles away. IG Farben was one of many German firms, including Mercedes and Bosch, which contributed to the Nazi war effort. The firm's factory within the Auschwitz complex of camps produced synthetic rubber and oil but they are most notorious for having sold Zyklon B - the poison used in the Nazi gas chambers. At its peak in 1944, the IG Farben factory made use of 83,000 slave laborers. Jim said of his father: 'Once at IG Farben, he became pals with five tough Polish guys who knew the ropes; two spoke some English, Dad spoke a little German. 'Around late August 1944, the group decided to sabotage a compressor, cutting out a piece of 25 mm stainless pipe, about 8 inches long, from the machine. 'They had met and befriended a Jewish camp inmate who was an engraver/jeweller by profession, who agreed to make the gang six identical rings from the piece of pipe. E715 was situated on the perimeter of Monowitz a sub-camp of the notorious Auschwitz-Birkenau in Nazi-occupied Poland. Above: Inmates at work at Monowitz 'The rings were all identical, but with each man's initials engraved on the face. 'Dad's ring showed his initials, J. E. A. They all hid the rings as the origins of the metal would have been obvious!' In January 1945, as the end of the war approached, Mr Archer and the ring fellowship along with other E715 prisoners were sent on a 'Death March' towards Germany. However, they managed to escape and subsequently sought sanctuary with American soldiers on the ground in Germany. The gang then separated and Mr Archer returned to Scarborough. There, he initially kept up correspondence with two of the Poles. However, he then lost contact in 1956 following the Hungarian uprising. Jim is now hoping that the other rings can be tracked down with the help of publicity. He added: 'He gave me the ring as my 21st birthday gift and asked me to name my son, if I had one, James Edward. Mr Archer became friends with five Polish men and, in late 1944, the group sabotaged a piece of machinery by cutting of a length of pipe. A fellow Jewish inmate who had been a jeweller before being targeted by the Nazis and imprisoned -likely at Monowitz made the gang six identical rings from the pipe. Above: Mr Archer's ring After the war, Mr Archer lost touch with his friends and never knew what happened to the other rings. His son Jim (pictured above with his wife), 74, is now hoping to track them and their owners down 'Sadly, I have no son so the ring will go to the Green Howards Museum on my passing. E715 was a subcamp of (Stalag) VIII B in Lamsdorf. Situated in direct view of Monowitz, the British PoWs were witness to the routine brutality of SS guards. This included seeing Jewish slave labourers being beaten, hearing others being shot and witnessing some being hanged from the camp gates. Because E715 was operated by the Wehrmacht, British prisoners were treated less harshly than those in Monowitz. But on 23 February 1944 a soldier named Corporal L.V. Reynolds, from the Royal Army Service Corps, was shot dead on the spot after refusing to climb up to a 70 ft ice-covered gantry. With the first British PoWs arriving in September 1943, by the time winter arrived around 1,400 were interned there. In February and March 1944 around 800 were transported to PoW camps in Blechhammer and Heydebreck, after which the remaining prisoners numbered around 600. Mr Archer (pictured) and the other men from the Green Howards which is officially known as Alexandra, Princess of Wales's Own Yorkshire Regiment had been transferred to E715 from Stalag VIII-B PoW camp in Lamsdorf in the spring of 1944 In January 1945, as the end of the war approached, Mr Archer (pictured) and the ring fellowship along with other E715 prisoners were sent on a 'Death March' towards Germany It was not uncommon for the British inmates to form friendships with the Jewish slave labourers they worked alongside. In the 1950s, when former Monowitz prisoner Norbert Wollheim tried suing IG Farben for compensation, he said: 'England can be very, very proud of these men... who really proved that even in Auschwitz... humanity could prevail.' He added that the British PoWs 'extended the... hand of solidarity of man' to the inmates of Auschwitz III. In January 1945, as the Red Army was approaching Auschwitz, the Wehrmacht closed E715 and made the British prisoners march through Poland and Czechoslovakia towards Bavaria. A member of Russia's parliament called for reparations from the United States on Sunday -- including the return of historic settlements in Alaska and California -- over the west's vast economic sanctions. The Kremlin has been flooding the airwaves of its state-run channels with pro-war propaganda that paints a vastly different portrait to reality and shields the Russian people from the horrors of Vladimir Putin's bloody invasion of Ukraine, the Daily Beast first reported. Alaska and Fort Ross in California were part of the Russian empire in the 18th and 19th centuries before they were sold to the United States. Moscow's TV pundits and show hosts have also begun endorsing the idea of publicly hanging Ukrainians who are standing against Russia -- something the Kremlin has reportedly already mulled, according to Bloomberg. Putin's 'spin doctor,' Duma member Oleg Matveychev, appeared on Russian state news on Sunday, outlining a series of demands for both Washington and Kyiv 'after Ukraines demilitarization is completed.' It comes as Russian and Ukrainian officials meet for another round of peace talks Tuesday. Meanwhile in the latest escalation of tension between the White House and the Kremlin, Moscow's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov announced new sanctions on Tuesday against 11 Americans including President Joe Biden himself, Hunter Biden, and White House press secretary Jen Psaki. 'We should be thinking about reparations from the damage that was caused by the sanctions and the war itself, because that too costs money and we should get it back,' Matveychev said on Sunday Evening With Vladimir Solovyov. Scroll down for video Kremlin 'spin doctor' Oleg Matveychev shared a list of demands on Russian state TV for 'after Ukraines demilitarization is completed.' Matveychev began his list with 'the dissolution of NATO,' adding that 'the presence of NATO in some countries is getting in our way.' Next was 'extradition of all war criminals,' including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and former President Petro Poroshenko A host on Russian state television called for military tribunals and subsequent hanging for Ukrainians opposed to Moscow's invasion. He said: In the area where the special military operation for de-Nazification is taking place, I would restore the death penalty by hanging through a military tribunal, for terrorists and people who threaten peaceful civilians, and for those who abuse our captives. In my opinion, it is fundamentally important' Russia ran several settlements in North America during the 19th century, among two of the most prominent being California's Fort Ross and various colonies in Alaska Fort Ross, a former Russian establishment on the west coast of North America in what is now Sonoma County, California. The former community and trading outpost for the Russian-American Company is now a California State Historic Park after it was sold by the Russian-American company into private hands in 1841 Russia's colonial past in North America: The Empire's outposts in Alaska, California and Hawaii in the 18th and 19th centuries The Russian Empire had a significant foothold in North America during the 19th century, history shows. Its first colony on the continent was founded in Alaska in 1784, named Three Saints Bay. There began the Russian-American Company, a trading group chartered by Czar Paul I in 1799 which drove the Empire's expansion in North America. The Russian ruler envisioned a monopoly that would trade furs with natives of the region as well as expand the empire's colonial territory. The Russian-American company built Fort Ross, less than three hours outside of modern-day San Francisco, in 1812. The settlement was sold into private hands in 1841, after its rich marine life had been depleted and residents found the conditions for farming difficult. In 1815 and 1816 the company struck a deal with the Kingdom of Hawaii to open three short-lived outposts on its islands. The Russians were thrown out of Hawaii in 1817 after locals revolted against them for building a fort and raising a Russian flag on their territory. Alaska, Russia's final North American territory, was sold to the US in 1867 during Andrew Johnson's presidency for $7.2 million -- which would be approximately $144.4 million in 2021. Advertisement He continued, 'The return of all Russian properties, those of the Russian empire, the Soviet Union and current Russia, which has been seized in the United States, and so on.' Solovyov asked if the lawmaker specifically meant Alaska and the former Russian settlement of Fort Ross, California. 'That was my next point. As well as the Antarctic,' Matveychev said. 'We discovered it, so it belongs to us.' The first Russian colony on Alaska was founded in 1784, named Three Saints Bay. There began the Russian-American Company, a trading monopoly chartered by Czar Paul I in 1799 which drove the Empire's expansion in North America. Alaska was sold to the US in 1867 during Andrew Johnson's presidency for $7.2 million -- which would be approximately $144.4 million in 2021. The Russian-American company built Fort Ross, less than three hours outside of modern-day San Francisco, in 1812. The settlement was sold into private hands in 1841. Also on Tuesday, the US sanctioned 11 more Kremlin officials as well as Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko and his wife. In addition to Biden, Russia's sanctions list includes US officials Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, Joint Chiefs of Staff Chair Mark Milley and Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo. The president's son Hunter Biden and former Secretary of State Antony Blinken are also included. On Sunday Matveychev appeared to dismiss the idea of using nuclear weapons to achieve victory, declaring: 'What for? We can take them down without it.' Host Solovyov however, whose two Italian villas were recently seized amid the flurry of sanctions, called for executions or even nuclear strikes for 'those who took our money.' 'I still think that those who took our money should be told, you have 24 hours to unfreeze our funds, or else well send you what you know weve got. A view of destruction after Russian attacks in Kyiv, Ukraine on March 15. On Sunday, a member of Russia's Duma listed a series of demands for Ukraine and the United States for 'after Ukraines demilitarization is completed' People take photos of destruction after Russian attacks in Kyiv, Ukraine on March 15. Russian state television has in recent days been normalizing the idea of public hangings for Ukrainians who resist Russia's invasion Former boxing champion Klitschko announced today a 36-hour curfew from 8pm (6pm GMT) on Tuesday until 7am (5am GMT) on Thursday at the 'decision of the military command' after an apartment building in Kyiv was hit this morning, killing at least four people (pictured) Vladimir Putin's stuttering invasion has forced even his close allies to admit, publicly, that things are not going to plan but, as Russia's invasion falters, its methods become more brutal - with cities increasingly coming under indiscriminate rocket fire (pictured, a Ukrainian soldier inspects the rubble of a destroyed apartment building in Kyiv on Tuesday) An elderly woman breaks down in tears after being saved from an apartment fire that was caused by a Russian airstrike The 13 Americans placed on Moscow's 'stop list' include architects of the U.S. blockade of Russia The people sanctioned by Moscow range from key players in President Joe Biden's foreign policy team and his advisers on economic sanctions to high-profile messengers - and a mischievous dig at the president's own family Joe Biden - president Antony Blinken - secretary of state Lloyd Austin - secretary of defense Mark Milley - chairman of the joint chiefs of staff Jake Sullivan - national security adviser Bill Burns - CIA director Jen Psaki - White House press secretary Daleep Singh - deputy national security advisor for international economics Samantha Power - USAID administrator Hunter Biden - President Biden's son Hillary Clinton - former secretary of state Wally Adeyemo -deputy secretary of the Treasury Reta Jo Lewis - president of the Export-Import Bank of the US Advertisement Your choice. Tactical or strategic, take a pick. You took our money, youre the thieves, our talk is short with you: a bullet to the head,' he said. Earlier on Sunday Matveychev appeared to set the stage for persecuting Ukrainians who are resisting Russia's invasion. After a clip of Fox News' Tucker Carlson, Matveychev blasted the US: 'There isnt a single country in the world that is as easily manipulated as America.' 'Heres what will be on the table after our victory... were going to raise the stakes,' he promised. Matveychev began his list with 'the dissolution of NATO,' adding that 'the presence of NATO in some countries is getting in our way.' Next was 'extradition of all war criminals,' including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, former President Petro Poroshenko, and former deputy minister at the Ukrainian Ministry of Internal Affairs Anton Herashchenko. He also called for the extradition of Grigory Rodchenkov, the former head of Russia's state-run doping program who revealed the operation in a bombshell 2016 New York Times interview. Rodchenkov is reportedly living under witness protection in the US. Another Kremlin-controlled Sunday news show, Vesti Nedeli or 'News of the Week,' played a segment called 'Denazification of Ukrainethe new opportunities for growth' that featured images of the 1946 public executions of German Nazis in Kyiv's Independence Square. A Russian television host called for military tribunals followed by public hangings for pro-Ukraine fighters in its cities in a television clip posted to Twitter Sunday by a Daily Beast reporter. On Thursday, a Moscow political science expert said of executing Ukrainian citizens by hanging, 'morality shouldn't get in the way.' 'Never let morality prevent you from undertaking correct actions. I understand the importance of a humanitarian component,' she said. The illegal Mexican immigrant who was acquitted in the 2015 shooting of 32-year-old Kate Steinle on a San Francisco pier, after having been deported five times, has pleaded guilty in federal court to possessing the gun that killed her, in a case that outraged the nation. Jose Inez Garcia-Zarate, 51, a Mexican national, pleaded guilty on Monday to being a felon in possession of a firearm and being in the United States illegally while in possession of a firearm. He faces up to 10 years in prison per count, plus three years of supervised release. He's currently detained in federal custody in California. Garcia-Zarate's guilty plea comes seven years after he fatally shot Steinle in the back as she walked along Pier 40 with her father and a family friend in 2015. He had claimed the shooting was accidental and that he was handling a handgun he found wrapped in a T-shirt under a bench on the pier when it accidentally fired. The case catalyzed an intense debate over immigration policies and sanctuary cities, which limit local law enforcement from cooperating with federal immigration authorities. It also became a fixture in Donald Trump's stumps speeches during his 2016 presidential campaign. Garcia-Zarate said he unwittingly picked up the gun wrapped in a T-shirt, and it fired accidentally, striking Steinle in her back and killing her. Her father later recounted her last words were 'Help me, Dad.' At that time, Garcia-Zarate had already been deported from the U.S. five times to Mexico and had just finished serving a nearly four-year federal prison sentence for illegal re-entry. He was also homeless at the time of the killing, after being released in 2015 by San Francisco when local authorities decided not to pursue a decades-old marijuana charge. Jose Inez Garcia-Zarate, 51, pleaded guilty on Monday to two counts of illegal gun possession in connection to the 2015 shooting of Kate Steinle. He is pictured above in court during a 2015 appearance He was accused of fatally shooting Kate Steinle (above) in the back as she walked along Pier 40 with her father and a family friend He was released under San Francisco's so-called sanctuary city policy that barred local law enforcement officials from cooperating with most federal immigration investigations. Garcia-Zarate was acquitted of murder by a San Francisco Superior Court jury in late 2017. But shortly after his acquittal, state and federal prosecutors charged him with two counts of illegal gun possession. He was convicted in state court on a single gun possession charge, but it was overturned in 2019. Meanwhile, the gun possession charges were still pending in federal court. A California state Court of Appeals overturned Garcia-Zarate's conviction in August 2019 based on the failure of the state trial court to instruct the jury on the state's affirmative defense of momentary possession, according to a news release from the U.S. Department of Justice. The ruling had no legal effect on the federal prosecution, which had already been initiated. The federal gun charges had been pending since 2017 after U.S. District Court Judge Vince Chhabria raised concerns about Garcia-Zarate's mental capacities. Two doctors diagnosed Garcia-Zarate with schizophrenia and found him unfit to stand trial because he couldn't follow the court proceedings. In January 2019, Chhabria said Garcia-Zarate had previously been diagnosed with schizophrenia during a 2009 criminal proceeding in Texas and was prosecuted only after receiving medical treatment. Garcia-Zarate was acquitted in 2017 of various charges including murder, but federal prosecutors charged him with illegally possessing a firearm. Above is a memorial for Steinle at the waterfront pier where she was killed Garcia-Zarate admitted to picking up the gun that fired the fatal shot, but said it was accidental He also said Garcia-Zarate was given medication while he was held at the Glenn Dyer Jail in Oakland, but the treatment was 'inexplicably terminated' when he was transferred to the Santa Rita Jail. One of the doctors reported to the court last month that Garcia-Zarate was competent to stand trial after regularly taking his medication. On Monday, Chhabria asked Garcia-Zarate to summarize the charges against him as a way to confirm his competency. 'The charges are because I was in the country illegally and I had a firearm,' Garcia Zarate said in Spanish through a court interpreter. The 2015 shooting turned into a major campaign issue in the 2016 presidential election and in multiple local races across the country. Former President Trump repeatedly referred to the shooting during his 2016 campaign to bolster his argument for tougher immigration policies and his opposition to so-called sanctuary cities that limit cooperation with immigration officials. The case catalyzed an intense debate over immigration policies and sanctuary cities, which limit local cooperation with federal immigration authorities Grieving: Liz Sullivan, left, and Jim Steinle, right, parents of Kate Steinle, fought back tears as they recalled how their daughter was shot to death right in front of her father's eyes during a family outing The California court's handling of the high-profile case enraged several politicians and supporters of restricted immigration. Trump shared a series of November 2017 tweets after Garcia-Zarate's verdict was announced, calling it 'a complete travesty of justice.' In his tweets, he drew a direct correlation to Steinle's death and Garcia-Zarate's appearance in the U.S. to a 'weakly protected Obama border.' 'The Kate Steinle killer came back and back over the weakly protected Obama border, always committing crimes and being violent, and yet this info was not used in court. His exoneration is a complete travesty of justice. BUILD THE WALL,' he wrote at the time. 'The jury was not told the killer of Kate was a 7 time felon. The [Chuck] Schumer/[Nancy] Pelosi Democrats are so weak on Crime that they will pay a big price in the 2018 and 2020 Elections. 'What a disgrace,' the president's oldest son tweeted late Thursday night after attending the White House tree lighting ceremony Donald Trump Jr. also blamed the verdict on democrats. Responding to a question Charlie Kirk posed in a tweet about how 'an illegal alien can kill someone and walk away,' Don Jr responded 'Liberals... and the general lack of common sense so prevalent amongst them' 'A disgraceful verdict on the Kate Steinle case! No wonder the people of our Country are so angry with Illegal Immigration.' Trump's eldest son, Don Jr., also weighed in on the verdict and echoed his father's sentiments. He wrote at the time: 'What a disgrace. Don't let the rest of the country become California. If this isn't a wake call up (sic) to reasonable and law abiding people I don't know what is.' 'Liberals... and the general lack of common sense so prevalent amongst them.' However, public defender Matt Gonzalez said the jury's verdict should hold. 'This jury's verdict should be respected,' Gonzalez said. 'They heard the evidence, they deliberated as a group, they heard read-back testimony, they looked at the physical evidence, and they rendered a verdict to the best of their abilities in accordance with the law.' Gonzalez took aim at Trump during his remarks, reminding the then-president that he was also under federal investigation and deserves the same due process. Garcia-Zarate is scheduled to be sentenced on June 6. Twenty-one Ukrainian children with cancer have begun NHS treatment after being rescued from the war-torn region over the weekend. The young refugees are receiving specialist care at seven hospitals across England following a successful evacuation led by a team of NHS medics. NHS England chief executive Amanda Pritchard said it marked a 'lifeline for children in the most vulnerable circumstances imaginable'. The children were originally taken across the border to Poland last week, before a flight chartered by Polish authorities brought them safely to Birmingham Airport on Sunday. A team of NHS doctors and nurses flew to Medyka, on the Ukrainian border, to provide the seriously ill youngsters and their families medical support. The doctor who led the team yesterday told of how the children hugged and high-fived them as they flew to safety. Ms Pritchard added: 'It is hard to overstate how much today will mean for the parents, brothers and sisters of these children, as they start the next phase of a hugely traumatic journey to a healthier and safer future.' Health and Social Care Secretary Sajid Javid said the children were now in the 'safest of hands' with NHS staff. A photograph from earlier this month shows a child struggling with cancer holding a sign that says 'Stop War' in the bomb shelter of an oncology centre in Kyiv A team of NHS doctors and nurses flew to Medyka, on the Ukrainian border, to provide the seriously ill youngsters and their families medical support (shown on the tarmac at Birmingham Airport on Sunday) Children undergoing treatment are moved to the hallways of basement floors of Okhmadet Children's Hospital in this photo dated February 28 Mr Javid said: 'These brave children have overcome unimaginable adversity to make it to England after being forced out of their home country by the Russian invasion. 'I thank the doctors, nurses and technicians who travelled to Poland to evacuate them, and the Polish government for their support. 'These children are now in the safest of hands with NHS staff providing world-class cancer treatment, doing everything they can to support them over the coming days and weeks. 'We stand shoulder to shoulder with Ukraine and will remain at the forefront of the humanitarian response.' NHS doctor Michael Griksaitis, a consultant paediatric intensivist at University Hospital Southampton, led the rescue mission. He said yesterday: 'The children were high-fiving, hugging us. You could see in the parents' eyes the sense of relief and gratitude. There were tears. It was emotional for everyone involved. 'Everyone was just incredibly grateful that their child was having the chance to continue their chemotherapy treatment, giving them the chance to live.' Paramedics help a sick child to board a train transformed for medical transport, as children with chronic illnesses and cancer diagnosis came from Kharkiv fleeing the Russian invasion of Ukraine. It's not clear if the child is one of those being treated in Britain Pictured: Dr Griksaitis, who led the NHS rescue team, is second from right The Prime Minister said of the mission: 'This vital lifesaving medical care is another important step in our support for the people of Ukraine and their resistance. 'I am hugely grateful to our fantastic NHS staff as well as our partners, including our Polish friends, for their support in bringing these children to the UK and we will continue to do all we can to support them as they continue their critical treatment here.' NHS boss Amanda Pritchard said Dr Griksaitis had 'led an incredible team of doctors, nurses and technicians'. Dr Griksaitis, based at Southampton Children's Hospital, said the children's parents had told of their harowing escape from war, adding: 'Some of the stories of what these children had been through I can't even begin to imagine.' He described the mission as a 'collaboration across all parts of the NHS' and stressed: 'We were just privileged and honoured to be able to help get them to England. This has been the most amazing and emotional experience the team and I have ever had. 'The families were so incredibly grateful and the stories they told us were so horrific. We were just so pleased to do something to help and delighted it has all gone so well so far. But I am acutely aware that there are so many other people who have been left behind to suffer the ongoing trauma this war is causing.' The family of a new mother who died when she 'got lost and collapsed trying to find her hospital ward' say she would have survived if 'basic, common sense measures' had been in place. Amanda Cox, 34, was found unresponsive in a stairwell at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh (RIE) on December 10, 2018, having suffered an intracranial haemorrhage - bleeding in the brain. However, the Crown Office has announced that a fatal accident inquiry will not be held into the death because NHS Lothian has carried out a Sudden Adverse Event Review (SAER) and has implemented changes. The changes are understood to mainly relate to the physical environment at RIE as the mother is believed to have become disorientated when she left the neonatal unit to make her way back to her ward. The Crown Office added that it is satisfied the reasons for Mrs Cox's death have been established and lessons have been learned. As a result, it said a fatal accident inquiry (FAI) would not be in the public interest. But Ms Cox's husband Michael and her family today slammed a 'catalogue of errors in her care' and criticised the Crown Office's 'very cold and unfeeling' statement. Amanda Cox (pictured) left the neonatal unit by going through a fire door by mistake, before she collapsed having suffered a bleed on the brain A statement on behalf of her husband Michael and family said the changes had been implemented 'three years too late' as they criticised a 'catalogue of errors' in her care Speaking on behalf of the family, senior lawyer Marina Urie said: 'The publication today by NHS Lothian of their new safety measures comes three years too late for Amanda. 'Had these basic, common sense measures been in place then Amanda would not have lost her life in the tragic circumstances she did. 'Amanda was a beautiful, caring person and a wonderful wife. She had just become a mother to our son. She did not deserve such a catalogue of errors in her care from NHS Lothian. 'The statement today from the health board barely mentions her and is very cold and unfeeling. We just hope that because of Amandas tragic death no other family has to go through the horror that our family has.' Mrs Cox was reported missing at around 5pm on December 10, 2018, and was found collapsed at 10pm, police said at the time. The NHS Lothian review found that the new mother had left the neonatal unit by going through a fire door by mistake. Fire door signage has now been made clearer, while signage within the neonatal unit itself has also been improved to make it more apparent which way to go out of the unit in order to return to the post-natal ward. There are plans to install 60 more CCTV cameras across the hospital, with a particular focus on covering stairwells, corridors and fire doors. NHS Lothian has also shared clinical information to help develop national guidance on the management of headaches in pregnancy and the development of national pathways for the management of women with complex obstetric care needs. The Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, where Mrs Cox was found collapsed in a stairwell after getting lost in the hospital Dr Tracey Gillies, medical director at NHS Lothian, said: 'The death of Mrs Cox was a deeply tragic occurrence and our sincere condolences remain with her family. We are so sorry that she died in our care. 'NHS Lothian conducted a thorough investigation to help prevent a similar tragedy happening again. 'The recommendations about the physical area were implemented immediately and clinical recommendations have also been shared with obstetric and neurology services across Scotland to help develop national guidance. 'Following the review, a robust action plan was put in place to improve maternity patient pathways, upgrade signage and wayfinding and extend CCTV surveillance throughout the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh.' Katrina Parkes, head of the Scottish Fatalities Investigation Unit of the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service, added: 'The decision not to hold a Fatal Accident Inquiry has been taken in consultation with Amanda Coxs family, who have suffered a terrible loss, and I would like to thank them for their patience and co-operation. 'NHS Lothian have provided assurance that significant changes have been made since Amandas death and I sincerely hope the lessons learned will help prevent similar deaths in the future.' Meghan Markle's sister had her Twitter account suspended on Monday for allegedly trying to circumvent a pervious ban the social media platform issued back in 2019. Samantha Markle, 57, Meghan's half-sister, had her second Twitter account, @TheMarkleSammy, banned from the platform three years after her first account, @sammy-markle, was suspended. Although Twitter has not said why the first account was taken down, it issued a statement saying the second account was suspended 'due to ban evasion,' with the decision coming days after BuzzFeed reported that the account had been repeatedly used to harass Meghan and question the validity of her two pregnancies. Samantha's lawyer, Douglas Kahle, denied the allegations and claimed the Twitter account was hacked and that the tweets published by Buzzfeed were 'photo-shopped.' 'Ms. Markle's email and other accounts have been hacked on several occasions and it is very likely that those statements were made by third parties to defame our client,' Kahle told BuzzFeed. 'Due to the urgency of this matter, we are still investigating,' he added. Twitter suspended Samantha Markle's, Meghan Markle's half-sister, account for allegedly attempting to evade a previous ban the social media platform issued in 2019 Twitter banned @TheMarkleSammy, on Monday, three years after suspending the @Sammy_Markle account. Although Twitter did not disclose the reason behind the 2019 decision, Monday's ban came days after reports surfaced that the @TheMarkleSammy account had been used to continuously spread defamatory claims against Meghan Screenshots from now deleted tweets shows the account making unfounded claims that the Duchess of Sussex was never pregnant. Samantha's lawyers claim the account was hacked and that the screenshots are 'photo-shopped' Samantha has been a vocal critic of her half-sister and Prince Harry (above) as she filed a defamation lawsuit against them for Meghan's 'rag to riches' story on Oprah BuzzFeed reporter Ellie Hall, who spent months investigation Samantha's twitter account, said she had been in contact with Samantha earlier this year but never told that her social media accounts had been hacked before. BuzzFeed's article alleged Samantha had used various Twitter accounts over the past four years to spread defamatory statements against her half sister, with many of them claiming Meghan was never pregnant with her two children, Archie and Lilibet. The tweets claim Meghan wore a fake pregnancy costume, that she suffered a miscarriage, that the two children are actually dolls or not even Harry's children and that the Duchess may have been involved with Jeffrey Epstein and Harvey Weinstein. There is no evidence for any of these claims and representatives for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex did not immediately respond to DailyMail.com's request for comment. The screenshots show that Samantha's account had been for years spreading misinformation about her half-sister's pregnancy and her children's connection to the royal family The Duchess of Sussex had often received harassment during her pregnancies and how she behaves with her children. She is pictured reading with her son, Archie, last year Samantha, who Buzzfeed dubbed 'Meghan's biggest troll,' had also allegedly been in contact with many 'anti-Meghan' accounts to spread false theories about her half-sister. The Twitter ban is the latest drama between the half-sisters after Samantha filed a $75,000 defamation lawsuit against Meghan last week over the 'false' narrative Meghan peddled of a 'rags to riches' story during her bombshell chat with Oprah Winfrey. In an explosive court document, Samantha claimed the Duchess of Sussex launched a 'premeditated campaign to destroy' her and her father's reputation. She claims her half-sister tried to ruin their credibility so 'they could not interfere with or contradict the false narrative and fairy tale life story concocted by the defendant'. She also alleges Meghan lied when she claimed she 'essentially raised herself from virtual poverty' and from 13 had to take on low-paying jobs to 'make ends meet'. Meanwhile, Samantha launched an astonishing broadside on her sister's friend and biographer Omid Scobie as she blasted his novel, Finding Freedom, as 'a book of lies'. The Sussex's lawyer hit back at the lawsuit, claiming it was 'baseless' and they would give it 'the minimum attention necessary'. Scobie also dismissed the claims. The lawsuit also lists Meghan's claims that she had no siblings, little contact with her family and that her family could only afford the $4.99 salad at Sizzlers as incorrect. Samantha Markle is pictured with her half-sister Meghan Markle at her graduation in 2008 A young Meghan is pictured with her father Thomas Markle, from whom she is also estranged Meanwhile Samantha also hits out at Scobie and Carolyn Durand's book Finding Freedom, which she dubs her sister's 'fairy tale life story'. She claims the book caused 'substantial and irreparable prejudice, injury, and harm' to her reputation. She listed a series of texts in the biography she disputes, including that she dropped out of high school. Meanwhile Samantha also hits out at Scobie and Carolyn Durand's book Finding Freedom, which she dubs her sister's 'fairy tale life story' The claim hits back at this, saying 'the truth is that Samantha was seriously injured from a fall from a rope swing, resulting in paralysis on her left side and blindness in one eye at that time, and she was then diagnosed with multiple sclerosis'. Samantha rejected the notion Meghan and she had met only 'a handful of times' and that she had 'never had a relationship with' her or their father. The lawsuit says: 'This is false. Samantha spent time with Defendant on a regular basis throughout her childhood and even lived in the same apartment house with Defendant for a period of time. 'Samantha picked up Meghan from school; took Meghan for ice cream and to the mall regularly, and spent many family holidays with the Defendant. 'Meghan's father was Meghan's primary care-giver and Meghan and Samantha saw each other regularly.' It adds: 'This is an attempt by Meghan to create the false impression that Meghan was essentially an only child with no contact with other family members, or as Meghan stated on Oprah, that she had ''no siblings''. 'Meghan apparently wanted to convince the public that her family members knew nothing about her life and, thus, were not qualified to contradict the false narrative Meghan had fabricated about her life.' The document said: 'Plaintiff has suffered actual damages in the form of lost employment, lost income from sales of her autobiography, emotional and mental distress, including anxiety and fear due to the threatening and violent emails and messages she receives regularly, and harm to her reputation and credibility.' Samantha seeks $75,000 from her sister and has demanded a trial by jury for the case, making one count of defamation and another of defamation by implication. Meghan is also in a spat with her father, Thomas, 77, who launched a series of videos with a blistering attack on his daughter and Finding Freedom earlier this week. On Monday, royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams suggested the Sussexes will view Thomas' latest move with 'disdain' but are nonetheless likely to keep tabs on his activity. 'Meghan's family have been extremely hostile to her and Remarkable Friendship, the name of this new channel, sounds extremely amateurish, but the Sussexes' lawyers will no doubt keep an eye on its contents,' Fitzwilliams told MailOnline. 'Future episodes seem unlikely to attract any interest at all, unless they feature personal attacks on Meghan.' The U.S. Secret Service has warned the public of the growing domestic threat posed by misogynistic extremist or incels - involuntary celibates, reporting that many recent mass shooters have displayed the alarming trait. Often times, well-documented hatred toward women and warning signs are dismissed because relatives, friends and law enforcement 'don't look at the big picture,' officials said. The report zeroed in on 40-year-old Scott Paul Beierle, who idolized Ted Bundy and was banned from bars several times for groping females, before killing two women and injuring six others at Hot Yoga studio in Tallahassee. On the night of November 2, 2018, Beierle entered the studio with a duffel bag, pulled out a gun and started firing, shooting dead 21-year-old Florida State University student Maura Blinkey and Dr. Nancy Van Vessem, 61. He then turned the gun on himself and died at the scene. 'If I can't find one decent female to live with, I will find many indecent females to die with. If they are intent on denying me life, I will have no choice, but to deny them life,' Beierle had written on his disturbing website 'F*** 'Em All.' Beierle's website had been flagged to federal law enforcement by a friend's wife, but the report was deemed non-actionable as 'even violently themed lyrics are protected speech...unless they target a particular person,' an official said. Although Beierle didn't have a specific label, he identified with the movement of men who call themselves anti-feminists, male supremacists or incels. Incel-related attacks have claimed between 40 to 50 lives, The Guardian reported. Scott Paul Beierle, 40, had idolized Ted Bundy and Hitler, was banned from bars several times for harassing women, and believed 'aggression is a male trait and should not be criminalized,' before opening fire at Hot Yoga studio in Tallahassee in 2018 On the night of November 2, 2018, Beierle entered Hot Yoga with a duffel bag, pulled out a gun and started firing, killing 21-year-old Florida State University student Maura Blinkey and Dr Nancy Van Vessem, 61 The Secret Service's investigation highlights the growing concern posed by extremists with hatred toward women Beierle's website had been flagged to federal law enforcement by one of his friends' wife but the report was deemed non-actionable as 'even violently themed lyrics are protected speech...unless they target a particular person' Beierle was a substitute teacher and an Eagle Scout, but his history of isolated if not disturbing incidents, when pulled together, showed red flags. He was arrested for groping women, was banned from a college campus, wrote violent songs about torturing women and posted hateful videos online. He also idolized mass killers who targeted women such as Ted Bundy and Christopher Wilder - known as the Beauty Queen Killer - who raped and killed at least twelve women in the 1980s. At times, Beierle's behavior 'elicited concern from parents, siblings, friends, roommates, coworkers, workplace managers, school officials, students, law enforcement, the online community, neighbors and other community members,' the study said. But those concerns were rarely elevated or they weren't taken as a whole across the community. A few people reported his actions to police, and he was banned from local bars because of his treatment of women. His parents slept with their door locked and were concerned about his inappropriate touching of girls, but no one was looking at the whole picture, they said. 'What we can say is early intervention is key,' Alathari said. 'This clearly demonstrates that preventing targeted violence is a whole of community approach.' Scott Beierle created YouTube clips in 2014 that labeled females 'sluts' and 'whores' What are INCELS - Involuntary celibates? In the late 1990s, a Canadian woman created an Internet peer support forum for people who wanted a sexual relationship but were unable to find a partner. It was intended to be a safe place to seek support for those who felt sexually deprived due to social awkwardness, marginalization, or mental illness. This forum, along with similar communities, was intended to be positive and focused on providing support for overcoming one's 'incel' status. Today, the term 'incel' is often used to describe men who feel unable to obtain romantic or sexual relationships with women, to which they feel entitled. The term is used to describe one online subculture that exists within the 'manosphere' a network of blogs and forums frequented by groups including incels, men's rights activists (MRAs), Men Going Their Own Way (MGTOW), and pickup artists (PUAs). Although these groups are known to promote male-dominant views, some members express extreme ideologies involving anti-woman hate, sexual objectification of women, and calls for violence targeting women. Source: Secret Service Advertisement Beierle created clips in 2014 that labeled females 'sluts' and 'whores.' He even spoke about the 'treachery' of young girls who attended his high school some as far back as the eight grade. In one video he says: 'There are whores in - not only every city, not only every town, but every village.' On his website, Beierle often spoke despicably of women, blaming them for not accepting his sexual advances. 'Their arrogance, indifference and treachery will finally be exposed, and punished. If I can't make a living, I will make a killingI will be successful with females: if I can't be successful at being positive, I will be successful at being negative,' he wrote. He continued: 'This is in their court, however. This is not what I wanted. No kid sits in their room at night dreaming of this. It has come to this though, and I simply have no choice at this point. It is a moral imperative.' Before the attack, he researched yoga-related pornography and made several calls to the studio, but staff did not think they were concerning at the time. Beierle then bought a Glock pistol at a pawn shop and shot six people. The two victims who were shot dead are Nancy Van Vessem and Maura Binkley 21. Beierle was arrested in 2012 for misdemeanor battery for grabbing two women's butt on Florida State University's campus, according to Leon County court records. The incident occurred at the Suwanee Room, which is a popular dining hall on the campus. One of the victim's claimed that he had touched her on three separate occasions in a 30-day period. In 2016, Beierle was arrested for a batter charge after he allegedly slapped and grabbed a woman's rear end and at a nearby swimming pool. Beierle was arrested in 2012 and in 2016 for two separate incidences of touching women on their buttocks. The 2012 incident took place in a popular Florida State University dining hall. On his website, Beierle often spoke despicably of women, blaming them for not accepting his sexual advances. He also idolized serial killer Ted Bundy Prosecutors dropped both charges in those cases. The deep look at the killings, conducted by the Secret Service's National Threat Assessment Center, was an effort to study how contempt for women can radicalize men and spark violent and deadly behavior. The center is tasked with researching, training and sharing information on the prevention of targeted violence. 'The hatred of women requires increased attention from everyone,' said Steve Driscoll, a research specialist at the center. The research is aimed at helping to train law enforcement, school and community officials to better identify potential attackers and stop them before they strike. Beierle killed two people and wounded six others before killing himself (the scene is seen above) Police at the scene after Beierle opened fire at Hot Yoga studio in Tallahassee in 2018 The case study stressed the importance of speaking up when someone's behavior is concerning and the need for community stakeholders - including residents, school officials, law enforcers and business owners - to have a role in helping to prevent violence. 'Over and over again, we see a tolerance for these objectively concerning behaviors,' said Dr Lina Alathari, chief of the National Threat Assessment Center. 'The goal is to ID and assess behavior and to intervene. It is not about prosecution or criminalizing.' Alathari said the Florida yoga class shooting case study, which drew on publicly available documents and details, will be used to train communities on how to better spot warning signs and intervene before violence happens. A superficial look into Beierle's history shows a man who 'pursued higher education, served in the military, and held highly regarded professional positions of trust,' the study said. Korea Forest Service officials celebrate the launch of a preparation committee for the 15th World Forestry Congress at an office in Daejeon, March 9, 2020. Korea Times file Korea Forest Service Minister Choi Byeong-am A Bronx apartment complex where 17 were killed during a blaze in January was due for an inspection that never took place because fire officials were diverted to a COVID task force to ensure restaurants followed pandemic guidelines. Oren Barzilay, president of Local 2507 - an union representing EMTs and FDNY inspectors - made the concerning claims Wednesday at a hearing before the Fire and Emergency Management Committee. The Twin Park North West complex was scheduled for an examination of its standpipe system a year before the fire on January 9. Ninety fire inspectors out of New York City's 450 were reassigned from their usual duties to assist the city as it grappled with a staggering spike in COVID infections and deaths. 'That building was scheduled to be inspected, but because they were sent to a task force, that building was not inspected,' Barzilay told the City Council. An FDNY spokesperson confirmed to DailyMail.com that some inspectors had indeed been diverted to COVID-related tasks, but said the building did not have operational issues at the time of the fire that would have fallen under the department's responsibility. An inspection of the apartment complex was conducted in mid-January and the standpipe system was found to be working properly. Barzilay said fire inspectors would have likely flagged the malfunctioning self-closing doors that allowed the fire to spread throughout the building, causing eight children and nine adults to die of smoke inhalation. 'I'm blaming the previous administration for not thinking it through,' Barzilay told the New York Daily News. FDNY rebutted the claim and told DailyMail.com that building management was in charge of ensuring the stairwell doors were functioning. Councilwoman Joann Ariola backed Barzilay's remarks, calling former Mayor Bill de Blasio's policy 'unconscionable,' and pledging to request an investigation by the Department of Investigation and the City Councils oversight committee. The Twin Park North West complex was scheduled for an examination of its standpipe system a year before a blaze killed 17 people, including eight children At least 200 firefighters responded to the fire, some arriving within minutes of the initial call for help Emergency personnel from the FDNY provided medical aid as they respond to the fire - New York City's worst in more than 30 years FDNY commissioner Daniel Nigro said that 'very heavy' fire and smoke 'extended the entire height of the building' and said that a space heater caused the blaze. Firefighters were pictured rescuing residents from the blaze in January Fire experts said the design of a nearly 50-year-old Bronx building and its older fire safety features likely contributed to the a blaze caused by a faulty space heater turning the complex into a smoke-filled chimney Oren Barzilay, president of Local 2507 -an union representing EMTs and FDNY inspectors - revealed the concerning report Wednesday At least 200 firefighters responded to the fire, some arriving within minutes of the initial call for help. As they entered the building, the first responders were met with flames in the hallway. The death toll, originally reported as 19, was later revised downward to 17. More than 60 residents were also injured in the blaze. Investigators said the fire was started by one of several space heaters in a third-floor unit after it was left running uninterrupted for days. Smoke then spread throughout the complex after the apartment's entry door failed to automatically close. FDNY Commissioner Daniel Nigro claimed a door in the stairwell - which is meant to be used as an emergency exit - also malfunctioned, allowing the smoke to spread through the building. 'The fire was contained to the hallway just outside this two-story apartment, but the smoke travelled throughout the building and the smoke is what caused the deaths and the serious injuries,' Nigro said during a press conference back in January. The fire at Twin Parks North West complex in the Bronx broke out in Unit 3N, where the nine-person Wague family resided The Wague family's apartment is seen completely destroyed. Father Mamadou Wague said the blaze left his eight-year-old daughter trapped in her bedroom on a mattress engulfed in flames. He pulled his daughter out of the flames and managed to escape The blaze is unit 3N was caused by a faulty space heater The entire unit was damaged by the blaze The fire originated in Unit 3N, where Mamadou Wague lived with his wife and children. Wague said he was woken by his children screaming 'fire' and then found his eight-year-old daughter, Nafisha, screaming and trapped on a burning mattress in her bedroom. 'I just grab her and run,' the West African immigrant told The New York Times after the blaze. 'I didnt think about anything except getting her out.' Wague, 47, pulled his daughter from the burning bed, suffering burns to his lips and nose, and escaped the unit with his family. Nafisha sustained burns but survived. Fire Marshals ruled the fire 'accidental,' noting that it was caused by a malfunctioning space heater and that a 'smoke alarm was present and operational.' Officials believe the fire spread so rapidly because Wague left his apartment door open as he fled for his life with his kids. Emergency personnel from the New York Fire Department responded to the apartment building fire in the Bronx Firefighters were stationed outside the 19-storey apartment block in the Bronx after a faulty space heater caused a massive blaze Sheets were seen hanging from the windows of the apartment building at 333 East 181st Street in the Bronx in January after a blaze broke out and killed 17 The two-storey blaze gutted the Bronx apartment building on 333 East 181st Street and tens of residents were taken to safety by firefighters through the windows Large, new apartment buildings in the city are required to have sprinkler systems and interior doors that swing shut automatically to contain smoke and deprive fires of oxygen, but those rules don't apply to older buildings. The five-alarm blaze was New York City's deadliest in three decades. Although the flames only damaged a small portion of the building, smoke escaped through the Wague family's open door and flooded the stairwells - the only method of escape as the building was too tall for fire escapes - with ash. Some people could not escape because of the volume of smoke, while others became incapacitated as they tried to flee. Several residents said the fire alarms in the building are always going off so they ignored them. There have not been any major building violations or complaints listed against the building, according to city building records, but the structure was reportedly not up to code. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will ask Congress for more military gear when he addresses lawmakers on Wednesday as pressure is on the White House to be more aggressive in its response to Russia's invasion. Zelensky is expected to ask for help in shoring up his country's ground-based air-defense system and could make a plea for fighter jets, which the Biden administration has rejected, when he makes his video address. He will also 'name and shame' the West for not doing enough to defend his country, Politico's Playbook reported, although he's also expected to balance out his remarks with gratitude. '[Zelensky] is a heroic figure and for good reason people are giving deference to him and people want to say yes to him,' Democratic Senator Chris Murphy told reporters on Capitol Hill Monday. 'If I were Zelensky, I would ask for the moon. But it's up to us to decide what is in our national security interest,' Murphy noted. Zelensky could also ramp up pressure on lawmakers to impose a no-fly zone over Ukraine, which the Biden administration has declined to do out of concern it could escalate the situation with Russia. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will ask Congress for more military gear when he addresses lawmakers on Wednesday Ukraine soldiers inspect the rubble of a destroyed apartment building in Kyiv, as Russian forces continue to bomb the city Lawmakers have been divided on the best level of support to give Ukraine. But Congress has successfully pressured President Joe Biden and his administration to take tougher steps on Russia, including banning Russian oil and gas along with luxury goods. Ahead of Zelenksy's remarks, Speaker Nancy Pelosi ruled out a no-fly zone at an event in New York City on Monday. 'If we were to shoot down Russian planes, it would be the beginning of World War III,' she said, echoing the administration's argument that if the U.S. imposes a no-fly zone, American jets would have to enforce it, leading to potential confrontration with Russia. Zelensky offered a possible preview of his remarks on Tuesday, in a video call to British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and representatives from Baltic and northern European countries gathered in London. He expressed his frustration with NATO for refusing to implement a no-fly zone as Kyiv continues to come under fire. Russian forces have launched fresh attacks at Ukraine's capital. Zelensky accused NATO leaders of being 'hypnotised' by Russia. 'We hear a lot of conversations about the third world war, that allegedly it could start if NATO will close the Ukrainian sky for Russian missiles and planes and, therefore, the humanitarian no-fly zone was not yet established,' he said. 'That allows the Russian army to bombard peaceful cities and blow up housing blocks and hospitals and schools. 'Four multi-storey buildings in Kyiv in the early morning were bombarded, dozens of dead.' He asked for 'separate security guarantees' for his country. He also argued the tough economic sanctions the West has imposed on Vladimir Putin, his inner circle and Russian banks is not enough. He called for a full trade embargo with Russia, for Russian navy vessels to be barred from ports around the world, and for all Russian banks excluded from the Swift financial messaging system. A firefighter walks outside a destroyed apartment building after a bombing in a residential area in Kyiv Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer have pushed for aid to Ukraine but have echoed the Biden administration's line that a no-fly zone could lead to World War III Zelensky was given a standing ovation by members of Parliament when he spoke to British lawmakers last week The Ukrainian president, who is earned plaudits for his leadership of his country during the crisis, asked to speak to members of Congress directly, the Wall Street Journal reported. His speech, which will be delivered to lawmakers behind closed doors in an auditorum in the Capitol Visitors Center, will be distributed to television networks, giving him a platform to also speak to the American public as he makes his personal appeal to Congress. Lawmakers have given Ukraine financial support. The omnibus bill funding the American government included $13.6 billion in aid for Ukraine. 'Congress remains unwavering in our commitment to supporting Ukraineand to passing legislation to cripple and isolate the Russian economy as well as deliver humanitarian, security and economic assistance to Ukraine,' Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said in a joint statement announcing Zelensky's speech. And President Biden and his administration has emphasized the humanitarian assistance and equipment it has provided to the Ukraine. Officials also pointed out the harsh sanctions in place on Russia. But the Pentagon last week rejected an offer from Poland to transfer planes to the U.S. that could then be sent to Ukraine. In a letter to Biden, 42 Republican senators expressed their disappointment in the decision, writing that 'we strongly disagree with the Defense Department's decision to delay and deny Poland the option to transfer fighter jets to Ukraine.' Some Democrats also disagreed with the administration's position. Meanwhile, lawmakers this week are expected to take up legislation that will strip Russia of its preferred trade status after Biden, in conjunction with G7 leaders, said the U.S. would down grade the Kremlin's trading status. In his remarks on Wednesday, Zelensky is expected to bring the same Winston Churchill tone that he used when he spoke to British lawmakers last week as he looks to leverage his public goodwill with the assistance he wants from Congress. 'We will not give up and we will not lose. We will fight to the end, at sea, in the air, we will continue fighting for our land, whatever the cost,' he told Britain's House of Commons. 'We will fight in the forests, in the fields, on the shores, in the streets.' British lawmakers gave him a standing ovation. Prince Andrew looked downcast as he drove through Windsor a day after being forced to miss the Commonwealth Service - the first major public event involving key royals since his US sex assault settlement. The Duke of York, 62, was spotted driving his black Range Rover in the grounds of Windsor Castle today. It is his first public appearance since key royals marked Commonwealth Day without him with a service at Westminster Abbey on Monday. The service was the attended by Prince Charles, the Prince of Wales, along with Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, William and Kate, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, and Princess Alexandra. But Prince Andrew was not in attendance at the service after the royal family severed its ties when the Queen stripped him of his remaining patronages and military affiliations in January. Instead, the duke was spotted horse riding around Windsor Castle as the service took place yesterday. It was the first major royal outing he has missed since settling his US sex assault settlement with Jeffrey Epstein victim Virginia Giuffre. Ms Giuffre, formerly known as Ms Roberts, had been given the go-ahead to sue Andrew, 61, for unspecified damages in a New York civil court In January and, despite vowing to fight the allegations and repeatedly protesting his innocence, the prince agreed to settle. Andrew is now believed to have paid his financial settlement to Ms Roberts, dismissing the lawsuit. Prince Andrew pictured driving through the grounds of Windsor Castle today - the day after he missed a Commonwealth Day service attended by key royals The duke looked downcast as he drove through the grounds in his Range Rover on Tuesday after horse riding a day earlier Andrew (pictured at the wheel of the first Range Rover) missed the first major royal engagement after settling his US sex assault settlement with Jeffrey Epstein victim Virginia Giuffre The Duke of York, 62, was also spotted horse riding in the grounds of Windsor Castle on Monda Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge and Prince William, Duke of Cambridge arrive at Westminster Abbey on Monday The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall arrive at the Commonwealth Service at Westminster Abbey yesterday The Queen was also not in attendance at the service after it was announced on Friday that the 95-year-old monarch would miss the event - which is usually a highlight in her calendar. The event would have been her first major engagement since contracting Covid in February, though Palace officials insist her absence is not health related. At the service, The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall were greeted as they arrived - while inside the place of worship, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were waiting and the two royal couples kissed each other on the cheeks. But last Friday, palace officials revealed that the Queen - who is Head of the Commonwealth - had asked Charles to represent her at the service after discussing arrangements with members of the Royal Household. It is thought that ensuring the comfort of the monarch, who now regularly uses a stick and has spoken openly about her mobility issues, was an overriding consideration in her decision not to take part. The Queen's announcement came after the order of service was printed as she was named in the document, with the congregation required to stand when she arrived and made her way to her seat. The Very Reverend Dr David Hoyle, the Dean of Westminster, told the congregation: 'In this jubilee year, in which we rejoice in the 70 years that Her Majesty the Queen has presided over this Commonwealth, we also thank God for her faithfulness and commit ourselves to learn from an example of duty and service. 'In words and music in the Abbey, we will now retrace the steps of her great Commonwealth tour begun 70 years ago.' Among the arrivals before the royals were Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer, Home Secretary Priti Patel and Foreign Secretary Liz Truss along with David Walliams - who brought his mother Kathleen. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge arrive at Westminster Abbey for the Commonwealth Service this afternoon Also attending yesterday were Sarah Clarke, Lady Usher of the Black Rod, Mark Spencer, Leader of the House of Commons, and US ambassador Philip Reeker - as well as Baroness Patricia Scotland and MP Jacob Rees-Mogg. It came as the Queen said on Monday that it was 'rewarding to observe a modern, vibrant and connected Commonwealth that combines a wealth of history and tradition with the great social, cultural and technological advances of our time'. It was also revealed yesterday that the Queen's diary is 'under review' and she is unlikely to ever undertake some major public engagements such as investitures again. Sources stress that the 95-year-old monarch is not ill and is 'as committed to her duties of state as ever'. But senior royal aides as well as the Queen herself are understood to have accepted that the 'frailties that come with living a long life' are finally catching up with her. She will still attend public events where possible, but her appearances will be significantly curtailed. That means standing on her feet for hour-long public investitures are out and they will be conducted by the Prince of Wales, the Duke of Cambridge and the Princess Royal instead. Nuclear war is 'no longer unthinkable' and atomic weapons 'could' be used as Russia's invasion of Ukraine continues, a former military chief warned today. Air Marshal Edward Stringer said Vladimir Putin sanctioning the deployment of nuclear weapons was 'in the realms of possibility' and 'only a few steps away'. He added that this was a 'pretty terrifying prospect' and it would 'clearly be weighing on the minds of those who are making all the political calculations'. The former Director-General of Joint Force Development at Strategic Command and RAF Assistant Chief of Air Staff was asked today about the chance of nuclear war. And he told LBC: 'It's no longer unthinkable and it will clearly be weighing on the minds of those who are making all the political calculations at the moment. This image provided by the Russian Defense Ministry Press Service on February 19 shows a Yars intercontinental ballistic missile being launched from an air field during military drills Servicemen up by Yars intercontinental ballistic missile systems of the 54th Guards Rocket Division of the 27th Guards Missile Army of the Russian Strategic Rocket Forces in Teikovo 'Hence the very straight and consistent line from (US President Joe) Biden and all the other senior heads of state recently.' LBC presenter Nick Ferrari also asked Air Marshal Stringer whether it was possible that the Russian president would deploy nuclear weapons as the war continues. How many nuclear weapons does Russia have - and what about Britain and the US? The Bulletin of Atomic Scientists, which has published an account of world nuclear arsenals compiled by leading experts from the Federation of American Scientists since 1987, updated its records on Russia's nuclear arsenal last month. It said the stockpile is at approximately 4,477 warheads, of which around 1,588 are strategic warheads which can be deployed on ballistic missiles and at heavy bomber bases. The Bulletin also said an approximate additional 977 strategic warheads, along with 1,912 nonstrategic warheads, are held in reserve. According to the Federation of American Scientists, latest figures state that the UK has a stockpile of approximately 225 nuclear warheads. It also says that the US has 5,428, France has 290, Pakistan has 165, China has 350, India has 160, Israel has 90 and North Korea has 20. Advertisement He replied: 'It's in the realms of possibility, and that's what people have to get their heads around. In other words, can he sketch a plausible chain of events? And you can. 'And that is why when there were calls for no-fly zones, the political leadership was quick to point out that Nato is a defensive alliance, Nato is not being attacked, Nato is not constructed to go onto the offensive, if it did it would be taking on another nuclear power Russia. 'Russian nuclear doctrine has within it the use of nuclear weapons. That's only a few steps to get from where we are now to a confrontation that could see the use of nuclear weapons, which I think is a pretty terrifying prospect for anybody sensible.' Mr Putin put Russia's strategic nuclear weapons forces on high alert on February 27, prompting fears over what could happen next in the conflict in Ukraine. Defence Secretary Ben Wallace has attempted to pour cold water on fears of a nuclear war, stating last month that while he understood the concerns, the phrasing is a 'battle of rhetoric'. Meanwhile Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee Tom Tugendhat has said that Russia sees battlefield nuclear weapons as simply 'a bigger bang' and could give a military order to use them. If Russia launched an attack on a Nato country, experts have said there could be retaliation strikes from other Nato nations. Nuclear weapons have the capability to kill hundreds of thousands of people depending on how populated an area is that is targeted. Others could be left injured as a result of radiation poisoning if a specific facility is targeted. It comes as Russia's bombardment of Ukraine edged closer to central Kyiv, with a series of strikes hitting a residential area as the leaders of three European Union countries planned to visit the embattled capital in a show of support. Air Marshal Edward Stringer is the former Director-General of Joint Force Development at Strategic Command and RAF Assistant Chief of the Air Staff Today, large explosions thundered across Kyiv from what Ukrainian authorities said was artillery strikes. The shelling ignited a huge fire and a frantic rescue effort in a 15-storey apartment building in a western district. At least one person was killed. Ukraine crisis means 'big new bets' on nuclear power, says PM The Prime Minister has said there needs to be a 'series of big new bets' on nuclear power to make sure the UK's energy supply is 'no longer at the mercy of bullies like Putin'. Boris Johnson urged the West to end its 'addiction' to Russian energy, saying of President Vladimir Putin: 'If the world can end its dependence on Russian oil and gas, we can starve him of cash, destroy his strategy and cut him down to size.' Writing in the Daily Telegraph ahead of the publication of his British Energy Security Strategy this month, Mr Johnson pushed for nuclear power expansion. 'So now is the time to make a series of big new bets on nuclear power,' he said. 'The 1997 Labour manifesto said there was 'no economic case' for more nuclear - even though nuclear is in fact safe, clean and reliable. 'It is time to reverse that historic mistake, with a strategy that includes small modular reactors as well as the larger power stations. 'It was the UK that first split the atom. It was the UK that had the world's first civilian nuclear power plant. It is time we recovered our lead.' Advertisement Shockwaves from an explosion also damaged the entry to a city centre subway station that has been used as a bomb shelter. Meanwhile the International Organisation for Migration has reported that the number of people who have fled Ukraine since Russia invaded on February 24 passed three million today. And as Russia stepped up its assault on Kyiv, the leaders of Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovenia announced they would travel to Ukraine's capital today on an EU mission to show support for the country. Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala will be joined by Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Jansa, Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki and Jaroslaw Kaczynski, who is Poland's deputy prime minister and the leader of the conservative ruling party. Russian and Ukrainian negotiators also planned to hold a second day of talks as Russia's invasion of Ukraine entered its 20th day. The Red Cross and the United Nations refugee agency say millions of people face food and medicine shortages along with the threats of shelling and air attacks. Millions more have fled their homes, with a reported three million crossing into Poland and other neighbouring countries in what the UN has called Europe's biggest refugee crisis since the Second World War. When Russia launched the war nearly three weeks ago, fear of an imminent invasion gripped the Ukrainian capital, and residents slept in subway stations or crammed onto trains to flee. But as the Russian offensive bogged down, Kyiv saw a relative lull. Fighting has intensified on the city's outskirts in recent days, and sporadic air raid sirens ring out around the capital. This early morning artillery strikes hit the Svyatoshynskyi district of western Kyiv, adjacent to the suburb of Irpin, which has seen some of the worst battles of the war. Russian President Vladimir Putin is pictured at the Kremlin in Moscow on March 1 this year Flames shot out of the 15-storey apartment building and smoke choked the air as firefighters climbed ladders to rescue people. The assault blackened several floors of the building, ripped a hole in the ground outside and blew out windows in neighbouring apartment blocks. A firefighter at the scene confirmed one person had died and that several had been rescued, but others remained inside as rescuers tried to reach them. A 10-storey apartment building in the Podilsky district of Kyiv, north of the government quarter, was also was damaged by unspecified ammunition. The man who allegedly stabbed two MoMA employees over the weekend proudly proclaimed himself 'public enemy number one' from inside a police cruiser while being arrested early Tuesday morning - and mocked the New York Police Department by praising the Philadelphia officers who finally located him as the 'best cops in the United States.' Gary Cabana, 60, was arrested at a Greyhound bus terminal in Philadelphia early Tuesday morning after setting fire to a downtown hotel room. During a subsequent perp walk, Cabana praised the officers who tracked him down and urged the public to check his Instagram. The remarks were a thinly veiled jab at the NYPD, who he mocked repeatedly on social media while on the lam, joking that they'll 'still be doing paperwork' while he takes a nap and relaxes. Video of the arrest shows Cabana being led out of the station in a flannel jacket and a face mask. Later, he is seen sweating profusely inside a cop car with a bandage on his forehead. 'I'm not a bad guy,' Cabana told officers, according to the New York Post. 'I just snapped.' Investigators in Philadelphia recognized him from surveillance footage while they investigated a fire in a fifth floor room at a Best Western. Police said there was extensive damage to the room, WTXF reports. New York police had alerted authorities in Philly that Cabana may be headed there to visit family. The man previously told a reporter that he 'lost it' when he was denied entry to the modern art museum, where he planned to look at Van Gogh's Starry Night. Alleged MoMA knifeman Gary Cabana, 60, is pictured after his arrest in Philadelphia on March 15 Cabana called his arresting officers, 'the best cops in the United States,' as he was led out of a bus station in Philadelphia early Tuesday morning Cabana's comment may have been a dig at the NYPD, who had alerted Philadelphia police that he may be headed there to visit family The former theater usher proudly proclaimed himself 'public enemy number one' from inside a police cruiser Investigators in Philadelphia recognized him from surveillance footage while they investigated a fire in a fifth floor room at a Best Western downtown. Police said there was extensive damage to the room EXCLUSIVE VIDEO: The man accused of stabbing 2 @MuseumModernArt employees in New York on Saturday was arrested in Philadelphia Tuesday morning after allegedly setting fire to a room at a local Best Western. READ MORE: https://t.co/UeBe0zdaFu WATCH LIVE: https://t.co/EDPTnRULlP pic.twitter.com/veA6YgFYR3 FOX 29 (@FOX29philly) March 15, 2022 In a series of messages to a Post reporter, he blamed a woman named Barbara for conspiring to ban him from the museum with the help of the two employees that he stabbed. 'The stabbed girls were in on the BACKSTABBING too. I don't backstab, I do the frontside only, he wrote. 'When they said I couldn't go upstairs to see STARRY STARYY NIGHT EVER AGAIN I lost it.' He said he had gotten a letter from the museum's security director saying he was 'aggressive [and] disruptive' on February 24 and last Wednesday. Cabana's address is listed as The Times Square, a charity-run building at 255 West 43rd Street for formerly homeless people or people who are mentally ill. On Tuesday, he was found sleeping on a bench at a Greyhound station after police say he set fire to a hotel room in downtown Philadelphia, leaving it with extensive damage. He booked the room under the name 'Joseph Cabana.' Officers recognized him from surveillance footage while investigating the Monday night fire. Cabana, 60, who so far has managed to evade capture, reportedly also turned violent on a former male boss and female union official after he was let go from his job as an usher at Manhattan's Nederlander Theater last year. Cabana said he 'lost it' when he was denied entry to the modern art museum, where he planned to look at Van Gogh's Starry Night, above Cabana was fired from the Nederlander Theater in Manhattan last year. A criminal complaint was filed against him after he allegedly punched his former manager in the face After being told his services were no longer required in late 2021, he sent a series of threatening emails to a woman working at the union that represents ushers, the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees. 'Payback is coming,' he wrote to a union rep, police said. 'F*** you c***,' he is said to have added, according to the New York Post. Cabana allegedly wanted to take things up in person and went directly to the union office on West 45th Street to look for her on two occasions. The woman told police that she feared for her safety, having heard of an alleged assault against a co-worker. A criminal harassment complaint was filed against Cabana as a result of the allegations. He allegedly punched his former manager in the face while outside the Nederlander Theater on West 41st Street. On that occasion, he was attempting to get into the building without a ticket. After punching the manager with his fist and was quickly marched back out onto the street. Cabana stabbed two 24-year-old museum employees on Saturday at 4pm, a day after having his membership to the museum revoked. One of Saturday's stabbing victims was a 24-year-old woman working behind the front desk Despite her injuries, the woman was heard joking about receiving hazard pay after suffering stabs to her back and neck This is the horrifying moment Cabana, 60, stabbed two female MoMa employees after climbing over the front desk of the museum to attack them The former theater usher is shown brutally attacking the two women in the museum Saturday before going on the run While on the run, he continued to post on social media. On Facebook, he wrote: 'Bipolar is a tough road to hoe. Dr. Jekyll to Mr. Hyde. THEN U get framed and evicted from MoMA (not just the movies, ALL THE ART too) by a bitter old woman who shushes U when U LAUGH during a comedy,' Cabana, 60, wrote. ' He seems to blame being banned from the museum on a woman named Barbara. 'She's the menace, NOT ME. Total Frame job by 'the Team Barbara' gang. It wasn't SCREAM 6 at MoMA it was poke poke poke wake-up call. y the frame job MoMA, get yer facts straight.' He bashed MoMa over the way employees reportedly treated him and slammed the news coverage of the attack. 'What is worse? Hackers or Journos. Right now, I LOVE MY HACKERS for taking my mind off this frame job by MoMA,' Cabana wrote on Facebook. 'THERE WERE NO DISRUPTIONS. Security NEVER escorted me from MoMA on the 2 'supposed' days I 'acted up: 2/24 + 3/9.' Total blind side when I got 'the letter' from Daniel P. ' He also criticized the 'catty beeyotches of the world,' seemingly referencing the museum worker who turned him away from Saturday's screening of Bringing Up Baby. In a Facebook post from Sunday, when he was still on the run, Cabana blamed being banned from the MoMA on a woman named Barbara. Cabana's Instagram account shows he's an avid fan of theater and art. The account features multiple photos of Playbills and performances 'There is security at EVERY screening. No one has ever said, come with us U r a disruption NO ONE #nO1. Just this one lying conniving woman. Interview HER journos and Y did I never get a mtg with security just a blindside letter.' It is unclear what type of MoMa membership he had, however, the cheapest is a $65-a-year pass for unlimited access to exhibits. Additionally, on his Instagram page, Cabana taunted police as they continue searching for him. 'They knew who I was all along but the morons wasted hours searching the museum when I was OBVIOUSLY LONG GONE with hundreds of witnesses WATCHING but no HEROES in the crowd that day,' he responded to someone commenting on his photo. 'NYC has turned in to a bunch of MIND-YO-BIDNESS P*SSIES,' he added. 'Not one person followed me as I run down 53td st (sic) with a bloody face from where the security hit me with a piece of lucite.' The Ministry of Defence is advertising for a new chief to oversee the threat of nuclear warheads. The 40,000-per-year role at the Defence Nuclear Organisation is largely focused on mitigating 'threats across the nuclear spectrum'. The vacancy, based at the MoD's Whitehall HQ, comes amid uncertainty over the nuclear threats from Russian president Vladimir Putin following the Ukraine invasion. Due to the top secret nature of the job, candidates will be expected to reveal all in a very thorough vetting process - to make sure they are not at risk of bribery or blackmail. According to the posting on the Gov.uk website, the DNO oversees 'all aspects of nuclear business within the MoD', including submarines, nuclear warheads and 'day-to-day nuclear policy'. The Ministry of Defence is looking to a hire a Warhead Nuclear Threat Reduction Programme Manager, a role that aims to counter nuclear terrorism (pictured HMS Vanguard, which carries Trident ballistic missiles) The job advert (pictured) for the role at the Defence Nuclear Organisation is largely focused on mitigating 'threats across the nuclear spectrum' such as combating nuclear proliferation The job advert says it is a 'genuinely exciting time' to join amid the potential threat of nuclear war from Vladimir Putin (Pictured the MoD's Whitehall HQ) The description for the 'challenging role' of DNO Warhead Nuclear Threat Reduction Programme Manager insists 'this is a genuinely exciting time to join the Ministry of Defence'. It adds: 'The post holder will be responsible for supporting Defence Nuclear Organisation's NTR work programme and meeting UK Government's need to reduce a range of threats. 'The programme delivers technical aspects across a number of areas, working to counter nuclear terrorism; combat nuclear proliferation; research nuclear arms control; and support nuclear related international treaties.' Job hopefuls will be quizzed on their 'wider family background, relationships and influences, past experiences, health, sexual relationships.' Plus also their 'behaviour, drinking habits, experience of drug taking, financial affairs, general political views, hobbies and foreign travel.' Candidates are advised that vetting officers 'are very experienced and will not be easily shocked or surprised' by answers. Those hoping to apply need to have experience working with highly classified information, and a full UK drivers licence. The Queen was back at work today as she hosted the new Governor General of Canada, Mary Simon and her husband Mr Whit Fraser for tea in the Oak Room at Windsor Castle after missing Monday's Commonwealth Day service. It comes hours after Her Majesty conducted the internet Audiences via video link from Windsor Castle. The meeting is only her second engagement since recovering from Covid-19, with her meeting Canadian Prime Minster Justin Trudeau last week. The Queen was back at work today as she hosted the new Governor General of Canada, Mary Simon and her husband Mr Whit Fraser for tea in the Oak Room at Windsor Castle after missing Monday's Commonwealth Day service Dressed in a blue and purple patterned shift dress, Her Majesty shook hands with the new ambassador - who sported a yellow-green jacket over a black dress Dressed in a blue and purple patterned shift dress, Her Majesty shook hands with the new ambassador - who sported a yellow-green jacket over a black dress. Earlier today, she spoke virtually to Enkhsukh Battumur who was presented his Letters of Credence as Ambassador from Mongolia to the Court of St. James's. Then Ganchimeg Purevdorj was received and presented the Letters of Recall of her predecessor and her own Letters of Credence as Ambassador from the Republic of Tajikistan to the Court of St. James's. On Monday, the Prince of Wales represented his mother in Westminster Abbey for the annual celebration of the Commonwealth. The Queen, who has just recovered from Covid, pulled out of attending the high-profile event - due to her comfort rather than a specific illness. Queen Elizabeth II appears on a screen via videolink from Windsor Castle, where she is in residence, during a virtual audience today The virtual audience to received Her Excellency Rukhshona Emomali, Ambassador of the Republic of Tajikistan, and her husband Shamsullo Sohibov, at Buckingham Palace, London. Prince William, Camilla, Prince Charles and Kate speak upon their arrival at Westminster Abbey in London yesterday In her message on Commonwealth Day, the monarch said it had made her happy, during her Platinum Jubilee year, to reaffirm the pledge she made in 1947 as a 21-year-old to devote her life in service. She had been set to be joined at the Commonwealth Service on Monday by some 1,500 guests celebrating Britain and the international grouping based around its former colonies. She is the queen and head of state in Britain and 14 other Commonwealth nations or realms around the world, including Australia, New Zealand and Canada - a group which comprises about a quarter of the world's population. Prime Minister Boris Johnson speaks in front of Charles, Camilla, William and Kate at Westminster Abbey Pictured: The Prince of Wales speaks to guests at the annual Commonwealth Day Reception at Marlborough House in London A royal source told MailOnline: 'It's not a great surprise that the Queen won't be attending the Commonwealth Day service. 'Anyone who reaches the age of 95 would find it difficult to stand for long periods of time. She has said herself that she has been finding it difficult to walk lately. She has also been recovering from Covid. 'My life will always be devoted in service': The Queen's Commonwealth Day Message in full In this year of my Platinum Jubilee, it has given me pleasure to renew the promise I made in 1947, that my life will always be devoted in service. Today, it is rewarding to observe a modern, vibrant and connected Commonwealth that combines a wealth of history and tradition with the great social, cultural and technological advances of our time. That the Commonwealth stands ever taller is a credit to all who have been involved. We are nourished and sustained by our relationships and, throughout my life, I have enjoyed the privilege of hearing what the relationships built across the great reach and diversity of the Commonwealth have meant to people and communities. Our family of nations continues to be a point of connection, cooperation and friendship. It is a place to come together to pursue common goals and the common good, providing everyone with the opportunity to serve and benefit. In these testing times, it is my hope that you can draw strength and inspiration from what we share, as we work together towards a healthy, sustainable and prosperous future for all. And on this special day for our family in a year that will include the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting and the Commonwealth Games I hope we can deepen our resolve to support and serve one another, and endeavour to ensure the Commonwealth remains an influential force for good in our world for many generations to come. ELIZABETH R. Advertisement 'I don't think anyone really expected her to attend under the circumstances. She has to take things steady. She will be disappointed but it is a sensible precaution.' She is understood to be extremely 'regretful' about missing what would have been her first public appearance since October. 'People forget that the Queen is almost 96,' said one insider. 'She hasn't hidden the fact that she is now using a walking stick. Mobility is an issue.' It is understood that the Queen, who contracted Covid last month, is determined to attend Philip's memorial and may even be 'pacing herself' in public so that she can. Officials met at Windsor to discuss the situation with her and it was felt that 'discretion was the better part of valour'. It was decided it would be 'impolite' and 'disruptive' to make a decision on Monday morning, hours before it was due to go ahead, so they decided to make a decision 'there and then'. She is still expected to attend a service of thanksgiving for the life of Prince Philip, her husband of 73 years who died aged 99 last April, at London's Westminster Abbey at the end of March. Senior royals attending the Commonwealth Day service on Monday included Charles' wife Camilla, and Prince William and his wife Catherine. But Buckingham Palace revealed that the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester will 'no longer attend, following the duke's positive test for Covid.' 'The Queen's Commonwealth Day message will be distributed in the usual way,' the spokesperson added. Princess Alexandra, Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Commonwealth secretary-general Baroness Scotland, high commissioners, ambassadors, senior politicians and dignitaries from across the UK and Commonwealth, faith leaders and more than 600 schoolchildren and young people attended the service. It featured the world premiere of the musical piece Beacon Of Brightest Light, inspired by the Queen's Platinum Jubilee, composed by Debbie Wiseman. The event, organised by the Royal Commonwealth Sociey, began with a procession of Commonwealth flags and members of the royal family will meet people involved in the service at the end. It also featured the Queen's Commonwealth Day message. The last Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey was held in March 2020, as coronavirus cases spiralled and just before Britain locked down for the first time. It was also the last royal event attended by the queen's grandson, Prince Harry, and his wife, Meghan, before their shock departure from the United States. The Queen has made fewer appearances in public during the Covid-19 pandemic, with many of her engagements switching to virtual events. The Queen last met a group of people in public on February 5, the eve of reaching her Platinum Jubilee, when she hosted a reception at her Sandringham home for local charity workers, volunteers and former staff from her Sandringham estate. Concerns were raised about the Queen's health when she spent a night in hospital last October, missed a string of events and was advised to undertake light duties by royal doctors. In November, she pulled out of hosting world leaders at a UN climate change summit in Glasgow, and cancelled an appearance at the Remembrance Day parade due to a bad back. She has been seen using a walking stick for the first time, and heard complaining about mobility issues, even before her Covid diagnosis. She had only returned to something approaching normal working practices just before contracting Covid-19. She had been expected to attend three engagements this month, including the Commonwealth Service. Another one - a diplomatic reception at Windsor Castle - had already been postponed because the government felt the timing was inappropriate. Volodymyr Zelensky today pleaded with European leaders to send Ukraine more weapons to allow his forces to continue to fight back against the Russian invasion. The Ukrainian President told a meeting of the leaders of the Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) that they must 'help yourself by helping us'. He said the leaders 'know the weapons we need' as he called on them to 'enhance' the support they are already providing. He warned that currently the amount of weapons received in a week is being used 'within 20 hours', with Ukrainian forces having to then use captured Russian equipment. Mr Zelensky's virtual address to the JEF meeting, hosted in London at Lancaster House, came as Boris Johnson said Vladimir Putin's invasion had descended into the 'ruthless, systematic' bombing of civilians. Volodymyr Zelensky today pleaded with European leaders to send Ukraine more weapons to allow his forces to continue to fight back against the Russian invasion Boris Johnson said Vladimir Putin's invasion had descended into the 'ruthless, systematic' bombing of civilians The leaders of the JEF nations - Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden - were welcome to London this morning by Mr Johnson. Speaking through an interpreter, Mr Zelensky told the leaders: 'We all are the targets of Russia and everything will go against Europe if Ukraine won't stand, so I would like to ask you to help yourself by helping us. 'You know the weapons we need. Everyone knows. You know what kind of defence measures we need. You know that our need is fighter jets and without your support it would be very difficult.' Mr Zelensky added: 'We want you to help us and I would hope that you will be able to enhance that support and you will see how this will protect your security, your safety and how that will make a stable peace not only for us but for your countries.' He said the shipments of supplies from the UK and other nations were being rapidly used up. 'The amount that we are getting per week is used, usually by us within 20 hours,' he said. As a result captured Russian equipment and old Soviet-era kit is being pushed into service. Mr Johnson told Mr Zelensky: 'You challenge us, quite rightly, to do more and we all know that we can and we must do more.' The PM said to JEF leaders that Europe had not seen 'anything like' the Russian invasion of Ukraine for 80 years. 'We are seeing the bombardment of innocent civilians from the air, ruthless, systematic use of artillery against centres of population,' he said. 'And our hearts, I think the hearts of the whole world, go out to the people of Ukraine.' Mr Johnson had earlier told a meeting of his Cabinet that the invasion had turned into a 'savage war machine bombarding unarmed civilians relentlessly'. The leaders of the Joint Expeditionary Force nations - Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden - were welcome to London this morning by Mr Johnson He said support for Ukraine 'must continue to expand to match the severity of Putin's actions'. A Downing Street readout of the meeting said: 'The Prime Minister updated Cabinet on the ongoing invasion of Ukraine. He said the incredible Ukrainian resistance continued to stall Russian forces, ensuring Putin's hope of conquering the country in a matter of days had been thwarted. 'He said the situation was turning into something we had not seen for decades, with a savage war machine bombarding unarmed civilians relentlessly. 'He said today's meeting of Joint Expeditionary Force leaders, addressed virtually by President Zelensky, would be another opportunity to rally support which he said must continue to expand to match the severity of Putin's actions.' The State Department has agreed to hand over records of emails relating to Hunter Biden to the New York Times next month after the paper sued the department for allegedly slow-walking the release. 'The State Department has started identifying records responsive to The Times's FOIA requests,' New York Times attorney David McCraw wrote in a letter to the judge overseeing the case Friday. 'It has agreed to begin processing records for production as it continues to identify the remaining responsive records.' The paper sued the State Department in January for allegedly dragging its feet in handing over emails from Romanian embassy officials connected to Hunter Biden and his famed former business associate Tony Bobulinski. Times reporter Kenneth Vogel had filed two Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests seeking emails dating 2015 to 2019. When the Times asked when the State Dept. would get around to the request, the paper was told to expect an answer on April 15, 2023, according to Politico. The correspondence sought were related to 'the possible improper use of federal government resources.' Vogel had also requested records related to former FBI director Louis Freeh, who gave Biden a $100,000 gift, Rudy Giuliani, who former President Trump tasked with digging up dirt on the Biden family in Ukraine, Devin Archer, a friend of Hunter who was recently sentenced to a year in prison on a fraud scheme, and more than a dozen others. The paper sued the State Department in January for allegedly dragging its feet in handing over emails from Romanian embassy officials connected to Hunter Biden Hunter Biden was hired by a Romanian tycoon later convicted of bribery - and represented him in meetings with top U.S. officials emails from Hunter's laptop show The NY Times also sought correspondence related to Hunter's famed former business associate Tony Bobulinski The reporter also sought records from Mark Gitenstein, Biden's ambassador to the European Union who at the time of Hunter's emails was serving as U.S. Ambassador to Romania. The federal government denied that it was slow-walking the release of the documents, but agreed to provide them with the first batch of records by April 28 just ahead of a hearing on the lawsuit scheduled for March 17. McCraw wrote that the court date 'may not be necessary' in light of the agreement. 'The parties are still negotiating the number of pages to be processed in and the frequency of each production. The parties respectfully propose to provide a status report to the Court on March 25, 2022, informing the court of the results of this negotiation,' the letter reads. Hunter Biden was hired by a Romanian real estate tycoon later convicted of bribery in 2016. Gabriel Popoviciu hired Hunter earlier that year as part of an influence campaign to persuade anti-corruption prosecutors to cut a deal or drop the case, and even represented him in meetings with top U.S. officials - emails from Hunter's laptop show. The request seeks records looking into '(1) the possible improper use of federal government resources to assist and advance private business interests with connections to United States government officials and (2) the possible evasion of the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) by those private business interests, and (3) the non-enforcement of FARA by the federal government in relation to those private business interests.' Emails on Hunter's abandoned laptop, obtained by DailyMail.com in 2021, reveal how Joe Biden's son and his colleagues leveraged their US government connections and plotted a propaganda campaign for the grafting Romanian tycoon. Under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA), anyone advocating for foreign entities to US government officials, or acting as a publicist for a foreign entity in the US, must add themselves to a Department of Justice public register. However, an exception applies for attorneys representing a client in a foreign court case, who are not required to register under FARA. Emails show Hunter's colleagues, partners in law firm Boies Schiller Flexner, Christopher Boies and Michael Gottlieb, seeking to set up meetings with the US Ambassador to Romania, after discussing among themselves whether he would intervene in Popoviciu's case. Hunter brought in political heavyweight and family friend Louis Freeh, the former director of the FBI, to use his US law enforcement contacts for Popoviciu's advantage, and was offered a referral fee as a result. Louis Freeh, the former director of the FBI and close family friend of the Bidens Hunter and his colleagues also discussed a media campaign, including to major U.S. publication the Wall Street Journal, to support their client who was later found guilty of bribery. None of them were required to register for this work under FARA, due to various exemptions including those for lawyers of foreign defendants. DailyMail.com exclusively reported last May that Freeh gave $100,000 to a private trust for Biden's grandchildren, the children of his late son Beau, and met with the then-Vice President in 2016 'to explore with him some future work options', emails reveal. Freeh, a Democrat who served as FBI director under Bill Clinton and George Bush, ran a consultancy firm with highly controversial clients, including Popoviciu, the Romanian real estate tycoon, a now-jailed Malaysian prime minister who stole billions of dollars from his country, and a French-Israeli diamond magnate later convicted of bribery and a $145 million property graft. Hunter Biden had hooked Free up with Popoviciu, who was convicted in his home country in 2016 of bribing a university official to buy a 550-acre plot of government-owned land for a drastically reduced price. Freeh, a former judge, emailed Joe's son Hunter Biden in 2016, revealing he had spoken with the Vice President and proposed that they work together on private ventures once Biden left office. In July that year, in an email marked 'confidential and privileged', Freeh wrote to Hunter that he 'would be delighted to do future work with you.' 'I also spoke to Dad a few weeks ago and would like to explore with him some future work options,' Freeh said. 'I believe that working together on these (and other legal) matters would be of value, fun and rewarding.' Freeh brought up the idea again a month later and mentioned that he was working for the then-Malaysian prime minister Najib Razak, who was in the midst of a scandal over one of the world's biggest financial frauds, and was later sentenced to 12 years in prison in 2020. 'I would like to talk with you and Dad about working together next year,' Freeh wrote to Hunter. 'No doubt both he and you have many options and probably some which are more attractive than my small shop. 'As you know, we have both a law firm and 'solutions/investigations' group with a very good brand, DC and DEL (and NYC) offices, and a profitable and interesting global practice (eg., I'm currently representing the Malaysian PM and his family). 'So if it's something which interests you both, let's talk about it at some point. I'm very flexible and we could set it up as an equity-share or whatever works best. It would certainly be an honor to work with you both.' The emails, obtained by DailyMail.com from Hunter Biden's abandoned laptop, show that around the same time Freeh was making overtures to the Bidens for business deals, he also gave $100,000 to a trust for Joe Biden's grandchildren. The 'donation' was made to a trust for the children of Hallie Biden, the widow of Joe's late son Beau who later became Hunter's lover. 'As you know, our family foundation made a $100K contribution to Hallie's children's trust last year,' Freeh wrote in an April 2017 email. 'My accountants (PWC) now advise that since the grant did not go to a 501(c) organization [a charity], it was not a proper foundation gift. Freeh asked Hunter for Joe's contact details to discuss 'profitable matters', and Hunter obliged. 'I say [saw] Dad in St Joe's and the 900a today and he said hi walking back from communion--I didn't get the chance to return greetings,' Freeh wrote on March 12 2017 In July that year, in an email marked 'confidential and privileged', Freeh wrote to Hunter that he 'would be delighted to do future work with you' The email shows the gift was not made to a registered charity, but instead to a private trust. 'As you know, our family foundation made a $100K contribution to Hallie's children's trust last year,' Freeh wrote in an April 2017 email. 'My accountants (PWC) now advise that since the grant did not go to a 501(c) organization [a charity], it was not a proper foundation gift. 'So we've been in touch with the IRS and PWC and want to correct the situation as follows: I'll make a new $100k gift to Haley's trust, and Hallie's trust will reimburse the foundation by paying it $100k. 'Sorry for the extra burden. Best regards and warm regards to Hallie, Dad and Mom.' Hunter replied: 'Thanks so much and of course no burden at all. Speak to you soon. Hunter.' A month earlier Freeh had asked Hunter for Joe's contact details to discuss 'profitable matters', and Hunter obliged. 'I say [saw] Dad in St Joe's and the 900a today and he said hi walking back from communion--I didn't get the chance to return greetings,' Freeh wrote on March 12 2017. In August 2016, Freeh emailed Hunter saying, 'I would like to talk with you and Dad about working together next year' once he's out of office as the vice president. 'As you know, we have both a law firm and 'solutions/investigations' group with a very good brand, DC and DEL (and NYC) offices, and a profitable and interesting global practice (eg., I'm currently representing the Malaysian PM and his family),' he wrote One of Freeh's controversial clients, Beny Steinmetz, has been convicted in corruption cases in both Romania and Switzerland. In a 2016 email, Freeh spoke of his relationship with Steinmetz 'If you have his cell and a personal email, I'd like to have his contacts (will protect). I would still like to persuade him to associate with me and FSS [Freeh's firm Freeh Sporkin & Sullivan LLP] ---as we have some very good and profitable matters which he could enhance with minimal time.' Boris Johnson today dodged questions about Saudi Arabia's mass executions as he defended begging the Kingdom to help bring down oil prices. Ahead of a mission to the Kingdom, the PM said for years Vladimir Putin had been like a 'pusher' hooking countries on fuel supplies. He said appealing to other producers was the only way to avoid being 'blackmailed and bullied' by Moscow - but dodged questions about human rights abuses by the Saudis. The premier also ducked whether he would describe Riyadh as an 'unpleasant' regime. Speaking to reporters at Lancaster House in London, Mr Johnson said: 'I think that we've got a global crisis in which its obvious that the Russian aggression in Ukraine has helped to trigger a spike in the price of hydrocarbons, a spike in the price of oil. 'It's vital if we are going to stand up to (Vladimir) Putin's bullying, if we are going to avoid being blackmailed by Putin in the way that so many western countries sadly have been, we have got to get ourselves off Russian hydrocarbons.' That meant 'we need to talk to other producers around the world about how we can move away form that dependency'. Ahead of a mission to the Kingdom, Boris Johnson said for years Vladimir Putin had been like a 'pusher' hooking countries on fuel supplies The Prime Minister will travel to the Gulf this week amid growing concern about the impact of the Ukraine crisis on oil prices. Mr Johnson said appealing to other producers was the only way to avoid being 'blackmailed and bullied' by Putin (pictured) Asked about the mass executions in Saudi Arabia and the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, Mr Johnson stressed the need to build the 'widest possible coalition' to respond to Russia. 'I think what the world is seeing is the return in Ukraine to the kind of brutality, the kind of absolutely indiscriminate bombing of civilian centres, of great cities that we last saw in the European continent 80 years ago, this is quite unbelievable what is happening now in our continent,' he said. 'We need to make sure that we build the strongest, widest possible coalition to ensure that Vladimir Putin does not succeed, that we wean ourselves off Russian hydrocarbons and that is what the Uk is helping to do.' Pressed on whether that meant a coalition with other unpleasant regimes, Mr Johnson said: 'We want to build the widest possible coalition to ensure that we focus on what is happening in Ukraine, the effect that is having on the price of oil and gas.' Downing Street said Mr Johnson will ask the Saudis and other countries in the Opec oil cartel to increase supplies to 'reduce the volatility and bring prices down'. The RAC yesterday said pump prices hit new records at the weekend, with petrol averaging 1.63 a litre and diesel 1.73 equal to 95 to fill a typical tank. No10 refused to confirm Mr Johnson's trip yesterday but acknowledged he was expected to raise the issue with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The talks look set to be overshadowed by Saudi Arabia's decision at the weekend to execute 81 men for a range of offences, some of which are said to have been committed when they were children. Mr Johnson was hosting leaders from the Joint Expeditionary Force in London today Foreign Office minister Amanda Milling said the Government was 'shocked' by the executions and would 'not shy away' from raising human rights with the Saudis. Opposition MPs called on the PM to cancel his planned trip. SNP foreign affairs spokesman Alyn Smith said the Government should also suspend all judicial co-operation with Saudi Arabia. Tory MP Julian Lewis, chairman of Parliament's intelligence and security committee, warned that in trying to reduce dependency on Russian oil Britain could 'end up creating a source dependency on another unreliable and sometimes hostile regime'. The Peace Palace is illuminated in blue in the Hague, The Netherlands, on occasion of World Human Rights Day, Dec. 10, 2018. The U.N.'s top court said it will give a judgment Wednesday on Ukraine's charge that Russia falsely justified its invasion by accusations of genocide. EPA-Yonhap The U.N.'s top court said it will give a judgment Wednesday on Ukraine's charge that Russia falsely justified its invasion by accusations of genocide. Kyiv filed the case at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) shortly after Russia invaded Ukraine, Feb. 24, demanding that the tribunal order an end to the offensive. It accuses Russia of illegally trying to justify its war under an international convention by falsely alleging that Ukraine committed genocide in regions held by pro-Russian separatists. Russia declined to turn up to a hearing at the UN court March 7. Advertisement The U.S. told allies that Russia had requested armed combat drones from China in the days after it invaded Ukraine, according to sources familiar with the conversations. In recent days, Washington has stepped up warnings to Beijing that it will face 'significant consequences' if it supports Moscow with arms or other aid. After 19 days, Russian forces have failed to capture the Ukrainian capital Kyiv and their advances have mostly stalled, according to senior U.S. officials. In the meantime, a string of reports has described how Moscow is turning to friends in Beijing for key supplies to keep its invasion running - including M.R.E.s, or 'meals ready to eat.' On Tuesday, it emerged that American diplomats had told European capitals that they had intelligence that Moscow had asked for combat drones, according to Bloomberg News. China has a growing drone industry, and has supplied unmanned aerial vehicles to Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates. It is known to have a supersonic model in development. U.S. allies have been told that Washington believes China has expressed enthusiasm for supplying help to Russia, with whom it has developed an anti-West alliance in recent years. That has prompted American officials to step up their warnings to Beijing that it would face action if it met the requests, including during a seven-hour meeting between National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan and China's top diplomat on Monday. A Wing Loong II unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), or drone, on display at Air Show China. The U.S. has told European allies that Russia asked China for armed drones just days after it launched its invasion of Ukraine Relations between Russia and China have warmed under Vladimir Putin (l) and Xi Jinping (r). Now, with Russian forces largely stalled in Ukraine American officials believe Moscow has turned to Beijing for help with weapons and food The two leaders have met dozens of times as they tried to forge an alternative to American hegemony The mayor of Kyiv announced today a 36-hour curfew from 8pm on Tuesday until 7am on Thursday at the 'decision of the military command' after an apartment building in Kyiv was hit this morning, killing at least four people (pictured) Vladimir Putin's stuttering invasion has forced even his close allies to admit, publicly, that things are not going to plan but, as Russia's invasion falters, its methods become more brutal - with cities increasingly coming under indiscriminate rocket fire (pictured, a Ukrainian soldier inspects the rubble of a destroyed apartment building in Kyiv on Tuesday) But White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki stopped short of laying out President Joe Biden's red lines on what would trigger action, or describe what those consequences might be, despite repeated questions during the daily briefing. 'I think what we have conveyed and what was conveyed by our national security adviser in this meeting, is that should they provide military or other assistance that of course violates sanctions or, or supports the war efforts, that there will be significant consequences,' she said. 'But in terms of what the specifics look like, we would coordinate with our partners and allies to make that determination.' Sullivan met Yang Jiechi, a member of the Chinese Communist Party's politburo, at a Rome hotel on Monday morning. A senior administration official characterized it as a 'frank exchange' of views and said the 'intense' meeting was long planned. 'What I would say in general is that we do have deep concerns about China's alignment with Russia at this time,' said the official, 'and the national security adviser was direct about those concerns and the potential implications and consequences of certain actions.' The official said it had not been set up to discuss concerns that Russia had asked China for military help. Either way it put Beijing at the center of the latest diplomatic push. Last week senior U.S. intelligence officials said they believed Chinese leaders may be worried that Moscow's invasion, and President Vladimir Putin's increasingly brutal tactics, will reflect badly on them if they offer diplomatic cover. White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki on Monday said China will face 'significant consequences' if it sends military to aid to Russia but declined to set red lines or describe what sort of action would be taken President Joe Biden's National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan (l) was meeting with China's top diplomat Yang Jiechi (r) at a Rome hotel on Monday morning as part of a diplomatic push to ensure Beijing does not prop up Moscow The Cavalieri Waldorf Astoria hotel in Rome Sullivan was meeting Jiech to discuss the war in Ukraine A Ukrainian soldier helps fire crews search the ruins of a Kyiv apartment building for survivors and victims after Russia resumed its bombing campaign early Monday A child looks on as she stands in front of a destroyed apartment building following shelling in Kyiv on March 14 Two people were killed on Monday during a Russian missile attack on a Kyiv apartment block. One person died when a rocket struck the residential complex while a second was killed by debris from a second missile being intercepted Against that background, Chinese state broadcaster CCTV on Monday morning reported that Yang Jiechi had met Sullivan in Rome, but offered no further details. American officials and allies have repeatedly said that China risks facing secondary sanctions if it sides with Russia. And on Sunday, they claimed that Putin had asked his ally for military help for his faltering invasion. But that triggered accusations of disinformation by Chinese officials. Zhao Lijian, spokesman for Beijing's foreign ministry, said that America was 'targeting China on the Ukraine issue with malicious intentions.' A day earlier, Sullivan warned Beijing of 'consequences' if it tried to bail out Putin by, for example, providing ways to skirt international economic sanctions. 'We will ensure that neither China, nor anyone else, can compensate Russia for these losses,' Sullivan told NBC ahead of the meeting. 'In terms of the specific means of doing that, I'm not going to lay all of that out in public, but we will communicate that privately to China, as we have already done and will continue to do.' And he told CNN that Washington was watching closely to see how far China provided economic or material support. 'We are communicating directly, privately to Beijing, that there will absolutely be consequences for large-scale sanctions evasion efforts or support to Russia to backfill them,' he said. 'We will not allow that to go forward and allow there to be a lifeline to Russia from these economic sanctions from any country, anywhere in the world.' Russia on Monday denied it needed China's help. 'No, Russia has its own potential to continue the operation, which, as we have said, is unfolding in accordance with the plan and will be completed on time and in full,' said Dmitry Peskov, President Vladimir Putin's spokesman. It all puts China at the heart of diplomatic efforts to end the conflict in its third week. American officials believe Putin expected to take the Ukrainian capital Kyiv in a two-day lightning offensive. Instead, almost three weeks later, his forces are still battling Ukrainian forces who have used hit-and-run attacks - and an influx of foreign weapons, including anti-tank grenades - to lethal effect. Rescuers work next to a residential building damaged by shelling by Russian forces in the early hours of Monday A view of damaged area after fragments from a Tochka missile which was allegedly launched by Ukrainian forces has fallen in Donetsk region, killing 20 civilians, injured 9 others, on March 14 A view of damaged buildings and streets due to the ongoing Russian shelling and missile strikes in Kharkiv on March 13 A Ukrainian firefighter drags a hose inside a large food products storage facility which was destroyed by an airstrike in the early morning hours on the outskirts of Kyiv, Ukraine, Sunday, March 13 American officials, speaking anonymously, say the Kremlin has reached out to Beijing for help replenishing its military supplies - though they did not say exactly what Putin had requested or when the request was made. Western nations have been supplying Ukraine with a steady stream of anti-tank and anti-aircraft weapons. 'China is deeply concerned and grieved on the Ukraine situation,' Liu Pengyu, the Chinese embassy spokesperson in Washington, said, adding that he was not aware of any suggestions China might be willing to help Russia. 'We sincerely hope that the situation will ease and peace will return at an early date.' Intelligence officials have hinted there may be a chance to harness Chinese influence over Moscow, perhaps by advocating for a ceasefire. China abstained from a United Nations General Assembly vote to condemn Russia's invasion - rather than voting against it - and officials have used the term 'war' to describe what Moscow insists is a 'special military operation. And last week C.I.A. Director Bill Burns said Chinese leader Xi Jinping may be worried about the way the war was unfolding and that its ugly nature risked guilt by association. 'President Xi is probably a little bit unsettled as he watches the way in which President Putin has driven Americans and Europeans more closely together and strengthen the Transatlantic alliance in ways that would have been a little bit hard to imagine before the invasion began,' he said. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who has said he is willing to meet Putin in person for talks, said last week that he was willing to 'discuss and find a compromise' with Russia over the future of Donbas - a region of eastern Ukraine comprised of Donetsk and Luhansk where many ethnic Russians live. Russian and Ukrainian representatives held talks by video link on Monday. Ukraine's negotiator said he wanted to secure a ceasefire, the withdrawal of Russian troops and security guarantees for Ukraine. Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhaylo Podolyak said the talks would resume on Tuesday after what he described as a 'technical pause.' They were the first talks to be held for a week. Ukrainian authorities earlier said two people died and seven were injured after Russian forces struck an airplane factory in Kyiv, sparking a fire. The Antonov factory is Ukraine's largest aircraft manufacturing plant and is best known for producing many of the world's biggest cargo planes. Russian artillery fire also hit a nine-story apartment building in the northern Obolonskyi district of the city, killing two more people, authorities said. Firefighters worked to rescue survivors, painstakingly carrying an injured woman on a stretcher away from the blackened and still smoking building. Russian prosecutors today demanded that a court sentence jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny to an additional 13 years on fraud and contempt of court charges and to move him to a maximum security prison, Navalny's spokeswoman said. Navalny is already serving a two-and-a-half year sentence at a prison camp east of Moscow for parole violations related to charges widely believed to be trumped up to thwart his challenge to Russian President Vladimir Putin. 'We've been saying that Putin wants to keep Navalny in prison forever. The upcoming sentence has nothing to do with the law,' the spokeswoman, Kira Yarmysh, wrote on Twitter. According to Yarmysh, the prosecutors had asked for the transfer to a maximum security prison, arguing that Navalny had committed crimes while being kept in the prison camp, thus becoming a repeat offender. 'Thirteen years for a fabricated case, for fake ''victims'', for witnesses who had testified under pressure and then publicly denounced their testimonies in court,' she wrote, adding that there would still be at least another court session on the case before the sentence is announced. Russian prosecutors today demanded that a court sentence jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny (pictured in 2021) to an additional 13 years on fraud and contempt of court charges and to move him to a maximum security prison, Navalny's spokeswoman said Navalny is already serving a two-and-a-half year sentence at a prison camp east of Moscow for parole violations related to charges widely believed to be trumped up to thwart his challenge to Russian President Vladimir Putin 'We've been saying that Putin (pictured) wants to keep Navalny in prison forever. The upcoming sentence has nothing to do with the law,' Navalny's spokeswoman, Kira Yarmysh, wrote on Twitter In the wake of the prosecutors' request, Navalny released a statement via Yarmysh on social media, denouncing the corruption within the Russian justice system while warning the Russian people will eventually rise up against the regime. 'To the judge and prosecutors, the meaning of justice is the inevitability of punishment. And it will come. 'Do you really not understand that, at the end of the day, working on the payroll (of Putin and oligarchs) comes at a cost? 'You want to give me 13 years in a max security prison. According to the statistics, you give seven years for murder most of the time. 'But it doesn't matter to me - you might as well ask and give me 113 years. You don't scare me. Russia is big, there are lot of people here, and they are not all ready to give up their futures and the futures of their kids as cowardly as you have done.' Last week, Russian authorities put Yarmysh on a wanted list and are now seeking jail time for her. She left Russia last year after a court imposed 18 months of restrictions on her freedom of movement for breaching COVID-19 safety rules. Russian authorities have cracked down hard on the opposition, and many of Navalny's most prominent allies have left Russia rather than face restrictions or jail at home. Navalny - Putin's most prominent opponent - was jailed last year when he returned to Russia after receiving medical treatment in Germany following a poison attack with a nerve agent during a visit to Siberia in 2020. The dissident blamed authorities for the attack - a charge they have denied but is widely thought to be accurate - and has been kept in prison since he returned. Relaying messages via Yarmysh and other associates, Navalny has repeatedly called for anti-war protests since Russia's invasion of Ukraine began in late February. Last week, Russian authorities put Yarmysh on a wanted list for her association with Navalny and are now seeking jail time for her too. She left Russia last year after a court imposed 18 months of restrictions on her freedom of movement for breaching COVID-19 safety rules Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, center, and Kira Yarmysh, foreground left, pose for a selfie inside a bus on their way to an aircraft at an airport outside Tomsk, a city in Siberia, Russia Thursday, Aug. 20, 2020 Maria Pevchikh, one of Navalny's close associates and an investigative journalist involved in the dissidents Anti-Corruption Foundation, has warned a long-term jail sentence would likely see Navalny endure another attempt on his life Relaying messages via Yarmysh and other associates, Navalny has repeatedly called for anti-war protests since Russia's invasion of Ukraine began in late February (protestors are arrested at Manezhnaya Square in front of the Kremlin, March 13,2022) Maria Pevchikh, one of Navalny's closest supporters and head of the investigative unit of the Anti-Corruption Foundation he created in 2011, speculated recently on Twitter that a long-term sentence may give rise to another attempt on his life. 'We should hope it's just the trial they are disguising and distracting us from, not something worse. Which, again, is not that crazy to expect,' Pevchikh wrote. 'Putin did order to kill Navalny once and managed to get away with it. The line has been crossed. Nothing stops Putin from doing it again.' The fraud case which first landed Navalny in prison began in December 2020, while the 45-year-old was recovering in Germany after narrowly surviving the nerve agent attack. Most commentators believe Navalny is innocent of the charges brought against him and accuse Russian authorities of manufacturing a case to silence the dissident's criticism of President Putin. Russian authorities last June branded Navalny's political organisations 'extremist', prompting his team to shut down the regional network that supported his political campaigns and corruption investigations. The Anti-Corruption Foundation, which was set up by Navalny in 2001 and whose investigations are overseen by Pevchikh, was officially liquidated by the Moscow City Court. Also admitted grievous bodily harm with intent on second man, Romaine Gayle Brandon McNeil, 19, has pleaded guilty to Mr Jerome's murder the Old Bailey A teenager has admitted stabbing a motorcyclist to death during the making of a music video outside a chicken shop in Brixton involving Lamborghinis and quad bikes. Shane Jerome, 23, was attacked in a deadly street battle as he rode his motorbike down a south London high street as part of a convoy of vehicles featuring in the film. Armed with a 'large knife', Brandon McNeil ran up to Mr Jerome and stabbed him in the chest, piercing his heart. The Old Bailey heard he also swung the blade at a second man on a quad bike which was also part of the convoy near Brixton Tube station. Despite efforts to save him, Mr Jerome, from Thornton Heath, south London, was pronounced dead at the scene in July last year. McNeil was identified by the palm print left on the green Lamborghini and police later recovered 'more than one large zombie-style knife' from his home. A teenager has admitted stabbing motorcyclist Shane Jerome, 23, to death during the making of a music video outside a chicken shop in Brixton involving Lamborghinis and quad bikes Mr Jerome was attacked in a deadly street battle as he rode his motorbike down a south London high street as part of a convoy of vehicles featuring in the film. Pictured: Men gathered in Brixton, south London to film the music video McNeil, 19, pleaded guilty at the Old Bailey to Mr Jerome's (pictured) murder. He also admitted attempting to cause grievous bodily harm with intent to the second man, Romaine Gayle Despite efforts to save him, Mr Jerome, from Thornton Heath, south London, was pronounced dead at the scene in July last year On Tuesday, McNeil, 19, pleaded guilty at the Old Bailey to Mr Jerome's murder. He also admitted attempting to cause grievous bodily harm with intent to the second man, Romaine Gayle, and possession of a knife on Brixton Road. Mr Jerome's family sat in court as McNeil, of Lollard Street, Vauxhall, south London, entered his pleas in the dock. Judge Rebecca Trowler QC adjourned sentencing until May 27 for reports to be prepared with McNeil remanded into custody. Police and paramedics rushed to Brixton high street at around 8.18pm on July 21 last year to find Shane who had been fatally stabbed while apparently filming a music video involving several cars and a quad bike The Old Bailey heard he also swung the blade at a second man on a quad bike which was also part of the convoy near Brixton Tube station Police and paramedics rushed to Brixton high street at around 8.18pm on July 21 last year to find Shane who had been fatally stabbed while apparently filming a music video involving several cars and a quad bike Police and paramedics rushed to Brixton high street at around 8.18pm on July 21 last year to find Shane who had been fatally stabbed while apparently filming a music video involving several cars and a quad bike. Medics and members of the public had tried to save Mr Jerome as London's Air Ambulance landed nearby. But despite their best efforts, he was pronounced dead at the scene around 25 minutes later as the knife had penetrated his heart, the court heard. Footage later emerged from the scene showing a green Lamborghini supercar speed off into the distance amid screams as the road descended into chaos. Prosecutor Bill Emlyn Jones told an earlier hearing: 'It is not known if the video was in some way provocative or in some way gang related, but it does seem to have been perceived as a provocative act by those involved [in the attack]. 'Jerome is seen riding his own motorbike as part of a convoy of high performance vehicles featured in the film. 'CCTV shows [McNeil] run at Jerome to stab him in the chest and then to place his hand on the body of a green Lamborghini motorcar, also part of the convoy featured in the film. 'He then turned on the driver of another vehicle, a quad-bike, and swung his knife. Happily he missed his target.' Advertisement Alex Murdaugh's gigantic South Carolina hunting property, where his wife and son were killed, is now up for sale for $3.9 million. The 1,772-acre property hit the market five months after lawyer Murdaugh, 53, reportedly tried to hire a hitman to kill him so his surviving son, Richard 'Buster' Murdaugh, would inherit a $10 million life insurance policy. The massive Colleton County property is known as Cross Swamp Farm and houses two buildings, two waterfowl reservoirs, and has over 2.5 miles of river frontage that can be used for kayaking and fishing. The home was last sold during the 90s and is also the site where Mallory Beach, a family friend, was killed in a boat crash while the family was living on the property - and a subsequent lawsuit accused Murdaugh's son's underage drinking as a contributor to her death after he crashed the boat, killing her. 'Paul Murdaughs consumption of alcohol was condoned, encouraged and facilitated by Richard Alexander Murdaugh and Margaret Kennedy Branstetter Murdaugh,' the lawsuit reads. It is also the same property where Paul, 22, and Maggie, 52, were found dead with gunshot wounds last June - a crime that remains unsolved - and where their housekeeper Gloria Satterfield, 57, died in a 2018 'slip-and-fall' accident. The white house features a new roof and brick stairs. The house hit the market for $3.9million and reportedly has had several offers. The property is entangled in a lawsuit after Mallory Beach died on the property and the family has accused Alex's son Paul's underage drinking as a reason for his death The house has a large patio area that can fit a picnic table and steps leading down to the yard The house also features dark wood shutters with a rustic feel and a brick pathway along the front porch Realtor Todd Crosby said there home has received some interest since its listing, but the company has to work at the 'discretion of the court' - which means they have not yet sold the property, which remains in contention as Beach's lawsuit remains ongoing. 'We have had offers,' Crosby told the New York Post. 'But of course we are working at [the] discretion of the courts and [it is] not sold yet.' The main property, which boast four beds and three-and-a-half baths, spans more than 5,000 feet and has a new metal roof, according to the listing. It can house up to 15 people and has a game room for 'entertaining large groups.' This building was custom-built in 2011. The property also houses a second 1,140 square foot cottage, suited for guests for caretakers and borders the Salkehatchie River. The main house has a long driveway up that features a tree-covered path surrounded by barren land The property has access to a river and surrounding by a large amount of pine trees Paul and Maggie (middle) were also found dead on the property with gunshot wounds and the case has yet to be solved (pictured L-R: Richard, Maggie, Paul, Alex) The property also qualifies for 'considerable tax advantages' as it an 'ideal candidate' for conservation easement due to its location, ecosystem, and water features. It is surrounded by 'productive pine plantations, open fallow fields, and mature stands of pine [and] hardwood' and has three miles of roads throughout. It also features hunting, fishing, and equestrian trails, and has access to a pond and the river. Murdaugh is currently sitting behind bars as he awaits trial for 74 charges, including 23 new charges in January that accuse him of stealing another $2.6 million, bringing the total sum of his accused swindling up to almost $9 million. The January indictments extend Murdaugh's crimes back more than a decade to 2011, about four years before he was accused of opening two fraudulent accounts with Bank of America in 2015. As part of his plan, Murdaugh would negotiate settlement money for his clients without telling them what they earned and then deposit the checks meant to pay for their pain and suffering, or the anguish of the death of a loved one, into his own personal accounts to pay off loans or debts, in ways prosecutors have not yet fully detailed. There's a gate on the property that leads to an off road path and surrounded by tall trees The property has several barns, as well as a guest cottage that is more than 1,000 square feet Prosecutors say Murdaugh used money orders given to an unnamed family member to get his hands on the cash. Murdaugh has been in jail since October for the ever-growing list of breach of trust, forgery, money laundering and computer crime charges. A judge set his bail at $7million and refused to reduce it, even as Murdaugh's lawyer argued his bank accounts were seized in civil lawsuits and he could barely afford to buy underwear at the Richland County jail. January's indictments include charges for Murdaugh's handling of the aftermath of a wreck that caused a deaf man to end up quadriplegic. Murdaugh took a $309,000 check he was supposed to give to Hakeem Pinckney's family and instead bought money orders that went to cover money he took from the accounts of other clients, to pay down a loan and get cash for himself and an unnamed family member, according to the indictment. Then when Pinckney died in a nursing home from the lingering effects of his injuries, Murdaugh got an additional $89,000 settlement on Pinckney's behalf, but deposited that check in his account without ever telling the man's family, prosecutors said. The lawyer for the Pinckney family said the transactions are complex and hard to follow and even more money may have been stolen. Prosecutors have suggested at Murdaugh's bond hearing that they still haven't gotten to the bottom of his shady practices. Pinckney was black, and most of the people Murdaugh stole from were minorities and not well off, family attorney Justin Bamberg said. 'Alex gave them just enough money so they would drop on their knees and say "thank you, Jesus" and took the rest,' Bamberg said. The Murdaugh property has access to the Salkehatchie River (pictured) It has access to the 2.5 miles of river frontage and also has a pond on the property The property boasts three miles of roadways and are accessible all-year round Bamberg said Murdaugh's longtime law firm - which fired him after learning he was stealing money - as well as his banker friends and other professionals who assisted Murdaugh should face consequences, too. Even if they aren't criminally responsible. They should have asked questions, he said. 'We are coming for your pockets. We're going to get all the money these people were supposed to get,' Bamberg said. Another new indictment states that Murdaugh allegedly made an effort to defraud a client of $350,245.08 starting in 2011 and used the funds for a money order payable to a family member and the Palmetto State Bank in Hampton. A third indictment also details how starting in 2013, Murdaugh allegedly collected 14 settlement checks totaling more than $1.3 million for Arthur Badger, whose wife died in a wreck and stole all the money for himself. Murdaugh allegedly used the money and made it payable to one of his family members, a business associate, and 'into a conservator's account for a different person from which Murdaugh had previously been allowed to borrow money.' A fourth indictment from Deon Martin detailed how Murdaugh allegedly defrauded him of $200,000 in addition to the $338,056.14 investment that was meant to be used for his injuries as well as an additional $45,000 for his settlement. Murdaugh deposited the checks into the fake bank account which he used for personal reasons, prosecutors say. Murdaugh's professional career began to unravel after his 52-year-old wife, Maggie, and 22-year-old son, Paul, were killed in a shooting at the family's home in June. Murdaugh's lawyers have adamantly said he had nothing to do with it and repeatedly said they hope investigators are working as hard to find their killers as they are untangling Alex Murdaugh's finances. He also faces accusations of attempting to arrange his own death after he allegedly ordered his former client Curtis Smith to shoot him in the head so his son could collect a $10 million life insurance policy. Murdaugh is the fourth generation of a prominent legal family in tiny Hampton County. His great-grandfather, grandfather and father were all elected prosecutors and his family helped run the biggest law firm in the county for a century. President Joe Biden's national security adviser is seeking a phone call with his Russian counterpart to urge Moscow not to use chemical weapons in the Ukraine. Jake Sullivan is seeking to call Nikolai Patrushev to directly warn the Kremlin not to deploy a chemical attack, Bloomberg News reported, citing two people familiar with the planning. The call has not yet been scheduled. Fears have grown that Moscow could deploy use such a strategy as it continues its invasion of Ukraine. President Biden said last week use of chemical weapons would not be tolerated. But he did not detail what the U.S. response would be. The White House has continually refused to say if chemical weapons would be a 'red line.' 'We dont like red lines around here, so Im not going to use that phrasing,' press secretary Jen Psaki said at Monday's press briefing. President Joe Biden's national security adviser Jake Sullivan is seeking to speak with his Russian counterpart Nikolai Patrushev American officials have expressed concern that Russia could use chemical weapons after the Russian Defense Ministry said Ukraine could make such a move, in what U.S. officials say could be a false flag operation to justify any moves by Moscow. 'I'm not going to speak about the intelligence but Russia would pay a severe price if they use chemical weapons,' Biden said last week. Russia has wielded chemical weapons in the past. Moscow used the deadly Novichok poison in 2018 an attempt to assassinate a defector living in Salisbury, England. And it is suspected of using a similar poison against opposition leader Alexei Navalny in 2020. Russia also offered diplomatic cover to Syrian use of chemical agents. It accused the West of being behind the 2017 attack on Khan Shaykhun with Sarin or similar nerve agent. Firemen evacuate a man from an apartment building hit by shelling in the Obolon district of Kyiv Sullivan is in Rome, where he is trying to keep China - Russia's most powerful diplomatic partner - from coming to President Vladimir Putin's aid in his invasion of the Ukraine. The National Security Adviser met for six hours with Chinas top diplomat, Communist Party Politburo member Yang Jiechi, on Monday. Ukraine was one topic of conversation. He has communicated that any aid to Russia to help its invasion would face consequences. 'What was conveyed by our National Security Advisor in this meeting is that should they provide military or other assistance that, of course, violates sanctions or supports the war effort, that there will be significant consequences,' Psaki said at Monday's press briefing. Biden's administration is hoping China can use its influence with Russia to help end the conflict. The U.S. has pushed Beijing to take up some economic sanctions against Moscow - to no avial. The White House mocked the Kremlin on Tuesday, saying it had bungled the imposition of sanctions on President Joe Biden and that they would make no difference to U.S. officials who didn't have Russian bank accounts anyway. It came after Moscow slapped penalties on a string of senior officials - as well as the president's troubled son Hunter Biden and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said they were being added to a 'stop list' in retaliation for the growing economic blockade on its economy. But White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki, who also made the list, laughed them off. 'I would first note that President Biden is a "junior" so they may have sanctioned his dad, may he rest in peace,' she said during her regular daily briefing. 'The second piece I would say is ... that none of us are planning tourist trips to Russia and none of us have bank accounts that we won't be able to access, so we will forge ahead.' Clinton also saw the funny side. 'I want to thank the Russian Academy for this Lifetime Achievement Award,' she said in a tweet. They delivered their comments during a day of diplomatic strikes. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov slapped sanctions on Biden, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, CIA director Bill Burns and a string of senior U.S. officials as President Vladimir Putin hit back at the growing economic blockade on his regime. Just as the Russian announcement was released, Washington was unveiling fresh sanctions on President Alexander Lukashenko, Moscow's ally in Belarus, and 11 key Russian defense officials. The Russian move effectively bars Biden and 12 other U.S. figures - including Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, C.I.A. director Bill Burns - from entering Russia. Daleep Singh, an economist on the National Security Council who is seen as the architect of sanctions on Russia, also makes the list. White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki mocked Russian attempts to sanction President Joe Biden, claiming Moscow may have accidentally sanctioned his late father Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. is pictured with his father Joseph Robinette Biden Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov announced sanctions on 13 U.S. figures - from President Joe Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken to Hillary Clinton and Hunter Biden The sanctions mean Biden and Blinken are barred from entering Russia, but Moscow said official relations with Washington - and contacts with key officials - would continue As well as the architects of Biden's Russia sanctions, Moscow also sanctioned Hunter Biden and Hillary Clinton - suggesting the Kremlin is making mischief with its list Hillary Clinton had a cheeky response to news that she had been sanctioned by Moscow The 13 Americans placed on Moscow's 'stop list' include architects of the U.S. blockade of Russia The people sanctioned by Moscow range from key players in President Joe Biden's foreign policy team and his advisers on economic sanctions to high-profile messengers - and a mischievous dig at the president's own family Joe Biden - president Antony Blinken - secretary of state Lloyd Austin - secretary of defense Mark Milley - chairman of the joint chiefs of staff Jake Sullivan - national security adviser Bill Burns - CIA director Jen Psaki - White House press secretary Jen Psaki is one of the officials placed on a 'stop list' by Moscow Daleep Singh - deputy national security advisor for international economics Samantha Power - USAID administrator Hunter Biden - President Biden's son Hillary Clinton - former secretary of state Wally Adeyemo -deputy secretary of the Treasury Reta Jo Lewis - president of the Export-Import Bank of the US Advertisement In a statement, the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it was acting 'in response to a series of unprecedented sanctions' and was imposing its own measures 'on the basis of reciprocity.' The ministry said its actions were an 'inevitable consequence of the extremely Russophobic course taken by the current US Administration, which, in a desperate attempt to maintain American hegemony, has relied, discarding all decency, on the frontal constricting of Russia.' It comes amid a growing wave on anti-U.S. propaganda from the Kremlin and other public figures after weeks of mounting economic pressure on Russia. A member of Russia's parliament called for reparations from the United States on Sunday - including the return of historic settlements in Alaska and California -over the west's vast economic sanctions. Russian forces have apparently stalled in Ukraine, and have made little progress in takin the capital Kyiv. Instead they have kept up a bombardment of Ukrainian cities and used long-range missile to attack targets in the west of the country. The State Department added to its list of sanctions on Tuesday, barring Lukashenko and his family from entering the U.S. or doing business with Americans. And it added Viktor Zolotov, the commander-in-chief of Russias National Guard, and Alexander Mikheev, the director-general of Rosoboronexport, a state-controlled company trading in weapons, to its sanctions list. 'Today's designations demonstrate the United States will continue to impose concrete and significant consequences for those who engage in corruption or are connected to gross violations of human rights,' said Office of Foreign Assets Control Director Andrea Gacki. 'We condemn Russia's attacks on humanitarian corridors in Ukraine and call on Russia to cease its unprovoked and brutal war against Ukraine.' The US has previously hit Belarus with sanctions because of its backing for the Russian invasion, extending export control policies to the country. Other new measures target a judge and an investigator in Russia's prosecution of two outspoken critics of alleged corruption and rights abuses. The mayor of Kyiv announced today a 36-hour curfew from 8pm on Tuesday until 7am on Thursday at the 'decision of the military command' after an apartment building in Kyiv was hit this morning, killing at least four people (pictured) Firefighters respond to a fire at a residential building that was hit by a Russian attack Tuesday Vladimir Putin's stuttering invasion has forced even his close allies to admit, publicly, that things are not going to plan but, as Russia's invasion falters, its methods become more brutal - with cities increasingly coming under indiscriminate rocket fire (pictured, a Ukrainian soldier inspects the rubble of a destroyed apartment building in Kyiv on Tuesday) At the same time the United Kingdom announced a new tranche of sanctions, while Canada took action against 15 more Russian officials. In London, the Foreign Office said it was hitting more than 370 individuals and entities, bringing the total number of sanctions listed to more than 1,000 since the invasion of Ukraine began. And more could follow. 'We've always been clear that this is essentially a rolling process and I think what you find over time is the cumulative impact of the sanctions we've applied to date are really biting on the Russian economy and people around Putin,' said a senior official, according to the Press Association. 'We want to keep going because it is clear he is not prepared to de-escalate at the moment.' The Kremlin has been flooding the airwaves of its state-run channels with pro-war propaganda that paints a vastly different portrait to reality and shields the Russian people from the horrors of Vladimir Putin's bloody invasion of Ukraine, the Daily Beast first reported. Moscow's TV pundits and show hosts have also begun endorsing the idea of publicly hanging Ukrainians who are standing against Russia -- something the Kremlin has reportedly already mulled, according to Bloomberg. Kremlin 'spin doctor' Oleg Matveychev shared a list of demands on Russian state TV for 'after Ukraines demilitarization is completed' Russia ran several settlements in North America during the 19th century, among two of the most prominent being California's Fort Ross and various colonies in Alaska Putin's 'spin doctor,' Duma member Oleg Matveychev, appeared on Russian state news on Sunday, outlining a series of demands for both Washington and Kyiv 'after Ukraines demilitarization is completed.' 'We should be thinking about reparations from the damage that was caused by the sanctions and the war itself, because that too costs money and we should get it back,' Matveychev said on Sunday Evening With Vladimir Solovyov. He continued, 'The return of all Russian properties, those of the Russian empire, the Soviet Union and current Russia, which has been seized in the United States, and so on.' Solovyov asked if the lawmaker specifically meant Alaska and the former Russian settlement of Fort Ross, California. 'That was my next point. As well as the Antarctic,' Matveychev said. 'We discovered it, so it belongs to us.' The first Russian colony on Alaska was founded in 1784, named Three Saints Bay. There began the Russian-American Company, a trading monopoly chartered by Czar Paul I in 1799 which drove the Empire's expansion in North America. Alaska was sold to the US in 1867 during Andrew Johnson's presidency for $7.2 million -- which would be approximately $144.4 million in 2021. The Russian-American company built Fort Ross, less than three hours outside of modern-day San Francisco, in 1812. The settlement was sold into private hands in 1841. Pentagon prosecutors are reportedly in talks with attorneys for alleged 9/11 mastermind Khalid Shaikh Mohammed and his four co-defendants about a plea agreement that could eliminate the prospect of the death penalty. Guilty pleas in exchange for a life sentence could finally bring to a close the over two decade-long case, the longest ever at the war court. Mohammed, Walid Muhammad Salih Mubarak Bin Attash, Ramzi Bin al-Shibh, Ali Abdul Aziz Ali, and Mustafa Ahmed Adam al Hawsawi were all expected to face the death penalty if convicted. Their charges include: terrorism; hijacking aircraft; conspiracy; murder in violation of the law of war; attacking civilians; attacking civilian objects; intentionally causing serious bodily injury; and destruction of property in violation of the law of war. The al-Qaeda terrorists are accused of hijacking four airplanes and carrying out the coordinated attacks across the US that led to the death of 2,977 plus hundreds more who have died in subsequent years from breathing in toxic particles that were released in the rubble of the attacks. A lead prosecutor, Clayton Trivett Jr., wrote last week to the defense teams proposing they discuss 'whether pretrial agreements are possible in all five cases.' 'While I cannot guarantee that we will come to terms over these next two weeks putting a concerted effort focused solely on possible agreements while we are all onboard Guantanamo, where your clients and teams are present, may be our best chance of at least determining if deals can be reached,' the email said, according to the New York Times. Alleged 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed has in recent years been pictured looking slimmer with a long beard than he did at the time of the attack Participants in the discussions reportedly said that the defense lawyers put together a list of requirements for a guilty plea that began with eliminating the death penalty. Once the prosecution and the defense come to an agreement on the deal, it must be signed off by a senior Pentagon official - National Guard Col. Jeffrey Wood. Participants said the talks would go on throughout the month to try to reach a deal to present to Wood. The case against the five men has been bogged down in pre-trial proceedings due to the CIA's use of torture to extract evidence from the defendants and to Covid-19 delays. Nearly a decade after the men's arraignment, the military judge has yet to set a trial start date. Guilty pleas that result in life sentences could complicate President Biden's promise to shut down Guantanamo Bay. The facility has become more and more secretive over its 20 years of operation, even as it costs taxpayers millions of dollars per year. Thirty-eight prisoners still remain at Guantanamo, and both the accused 9/11 plotters and many members of Congress are opposed to closing the prison. Ten have been charged but not yet tried. Walid Muhammad Salih Mubarak Bin 'Attash (left) is accused of training the hijackers to fight, while Mustafa Ahmed Adam al Hawsawi, now 53, from Saudi Arabia, is accused of giving financial backing to the group Ramzi Bin al-Shibh (left) and Ali Abdul Aziz Ali (right) are both accused of involvement in the 9/11 attacks The White House has refused to take a position on the cases, according to the Times, but said that Biden remains dedicated to reducing the detainee population at the prison, including by settling cases through pretrial agreements if necessary. Congress has already forbid bringing the 9/11 plotters on U.S. soil, and the plotters themselves have demanded to stay at Guantanamo, where they can pray and eat in groups. They do not want to be sent to the supermax prison in Florence, Colo., where federal inmates are held in solitary confinement for up to 23 hours a day. A plea deal is sure to ignite fury from some of the family members of the victims who have demanded justice through capital punishment. Another issue is whether some of the accused accomplices who did not have as direct a role as the five men would be given even lesser sentences. Meanwhile, defense lawyers have argued that the U.S. government lost the moral and legal authority to execute the defendants because of torture. Psychologists leading interrogations for the CIA waterboarded Mohammed 183 times. Agents were also known to strip defendants, beat them, tie them up in chains and subject them to rectal abuse and sleep deprivation in so-called CIA black sites. Guantanamo has reportedly cost U.S. taxpayers over $6 billion since its inception. American taxpayers spend roughly between $9.5 and $13 million per prisoner, per year. The prison currently has 38 inmates. That's compared to $78,000 spent per inmate at a 'super-max' prison in Florence, Colo., home to some of the highest-risk prisoners in the U.S. The cost has risen dramatically over the years a 2013 Defense Department report calculated the per-prisoner detention cost at only $2.7 million. In recent years, officials at Guantanamo have forbidden photography of sites that were once routinely shown to visitors and restricted access for reporters to prison facilities. Two men, Sanad Yislam al-Kazimi and Assadullah Haroon Gulone Yemeni, one considered to be Osama Bin Laden's bodyguard and one Afghan commander who fought alongside al-Qaeda, were approved for a transfer out of Guantanamo for rehabilitation in October. Another 12 men could be eligible for release if the US State Department could reach an agreement with a receiving nation to impose security protocols, such as restricting their ability to travel abroad. Meanwhile, another 12 are in the midst of military commission proceedings and 15 are held as 'law of war' prisoners, with no plan for release due to their alleged role in the 9/11 attacks. About 770 men and boys have been held at Guantanamo as war prisoners, with prison population peaking at 677 in 2003. The Bush administration, which opened the prison after 9/11, released 540 detainees, mostly repatriating them back to Pakistan, Afghanistan and Saudi Arabia. The Obama administration released another 200. Trump placed an effective hold on releases. Comes as Government announced plans for sponsorship scheme for Britons wishing to house Ukrainian refugees 'Ask him if he'll take in a veteran... That's not leftie enough,' he told GB News host Jim Davidson has criticised 'leftie' celebrities who say they will take in Ukrainian refugees into their homes, saying that they are 'not in the real world'. The comedian questioned whether actors and presenters would be prepared to 'take in a veteran that's homeless', or whether 'that [would not be] leftie enough.' His comments came after Benedict Cumberbatch, while attending the Bafta Awards at Londons Royal Albert Hall on Sunday, said he would offer his home to Ukrainians fleeing the country's war with Russia. Speaking to Sky News on the red carpet the Power of the Dog star, seen wearing a Ukraine flag pin badge, said: 'It is a really shocking time to be a European two and a half hours flight away from Ukraine, and it's something that hangs over us. Jim Davidson has criticised 'lefty' celebrities who say they will take in Ukrainian refugees into their homes, saying that they are 'not in the real world'. He also took aim at Beneditch Cumberbatch, who while on the red carpet at this weekend's Baftas said he would take in a Ukrainian refugee 'I think already today the news has broken that there's been a record number of people volunteering to take people into their homes, and I hope to be part of that myself.' Davidson was appearing on GB News' Dan Wootton Tonight show when he weighed in on the film star. Asked by host Wootton if celebrities like Cumberbatch 'need to politically virtue signal at these events', he replied: 'It's what people do, it's their chance to get on a soap box. 'Ask him if he'll take in a veteran that's homeless who has fought in many wars for this country. That's not leftie enough. Asked by host Wootton if celebrities like Cumberbatch 'need to politically virtue signal at these events', he replied: 'It's what people do, it's their chance to get on a soap box. 'Ask him if he'll take in a veteran that's homeless who has fought in many wars for this country. That's not leftie enough'. From left: GB News host Dan Wootton, Jim Davidson, Christopher Biggins Cumberbatch was seen wearing a Ukrainian flag pin on his suit at the Bafta Awards on Sunday (pictured with wife Sophie Hunter) It comes as the Government announced plans for a new sponsorship scheme for Britons wishing to house Ukrainian refugees fleeing the war with Russia 'I don't mind these guys, they're all lefties. They're not in the real world.' It comes as the Government announced plans for a new sponsorship scheme for Britons wishing to house Ukrainian refugees fleeing the war with Russia. Those taking part in the scheme will be given 350 a month to cover the costs of supporting refugees in their primary home or in a second home. If he takes part on the scheme, Cumberbatch could welcome a Ukrainian refugee to his sprawling 4million London townhouse - or one of his two flats in the capital. It is not the first time the tireless thespian, who owns a five-bedroom townhouse in Camden, alongside two rental properties in the capital, has expressed an interest in offering his home to refugees. In 2017, the Old Harrovian, who has previously been vocal in his criticism of the government's asylum seeker policy, said he had hoped to house a Syrian refugee. A woman and a baby who fled the war in Ukraine wait to board a bus to take them to Berlin after arriving from the Polish Ukrainian border on March 11, 2022 in Krakow, Poland. But the actor, who is married to theatre director Sophie Hunter and now a father of three, said he later decided against volunteering due to the birth of his oldest son, Christopher. Former England and Leicester City striker Gary Lineker has also vowed to take in refugees, having previously opened his Surrey home to refugees from other countries. As pressure mounted on the UK Government to help the displaced people of Ukraine, Michael Gove suggested millions of Britons could be ready to host Ukrainian refugees. Within hours of the scheme opening yesterday, 44,000 people and organisations put themselves forward to act as hosts - overwhelming the registration website. As pressure mounted on the UK Government to help the displaced people of Ukraine, Michael Gove suggested millions of Britons could be ready to host Ukrainian refugees Cabinet minister Mr Gove pointed to surveys indicating that as many as one in 10 people are ready to put up people fleeing from the Russian invasion. But Mr Gove - who recently divorced - admitted he was not yet sure whether he personally will be able to contribute. Keir Starmer confirmed that he is planning to be a host. Around 3,000 visas have now been granted for Ukrainian refugees, with the new 'sponsored' route due to launch this week. Under the 'Homes for Ukraine' scheme, sponsors who provide accommodation rent-free for a minimum of six months will receive a monthly fee of 350 from the government, however many refugees they take. Individuals, charities, community groups and businesses will all be eligible to bring those fleeing the Russian invasion of Ukraine to safety. Two journalists have been killed in Ukraine while they were travelling in a vehicle involved in the same attack which left a British journalist seriously injured. Pierre Zakrzewski, 55, who was an Irish citizen but based in London, and Ukrainian producer and fixer Oleksandra Kuvshynova died in Horenka on Monday. It is thought the pair were travelling in the same vehicle as 39-year-old British journalist Benjamin Hall, who also works for Fox News, when it was hit by incoming fire. Mr Hall, a married father-of-three from London, was hit in both legs by shrapnel and remains in hospital. Fox News Media chief executive Suzanne Scott told staff in a memo today that Mr Zakrzewski covered 'nearly every international story' for the US network from Iraq to Afghanistan to Syria, and praised his 'bravery, professionalism and work ethic'. She added that his 'passion and talent as a journalist were unmatched', and he worked as a photographer, engineer, editor and producer while out in the field. Pierre Zakrzewski (left) and Oleksandra Kuvshynova (centre) were killed in Ukraine while they were travelling in a vehicle involved in the same attack which left a British journalist injured Fox cameraman Pierre Zakrzewski (left) has died and reporter Benjamin Hall seriously injured Pierre Zakrzewski (left) and Benjamin Hall (right) worked together in Kabul for Fox last year Fox news journalist Lucas Tomlinson shared a picture of himself with Pierre and Oleksandra, who also goes by Sasha, on social media as he paid tribute to his colleagues. He said the last message he received from Pierre read: 'I will effort to get as much of this on TV to help Ukrainians in every way possible. Keep Smiling. Pierre.' Ms Scott also said that Mr Zakrzewski - whom Fox said was based in London, and leaves a wife called Michelle - played a key role in getting Fox's Afghan freelance associates and their families out of the country after the US withdrawal. Mr Zakrzewski was awarded the 'Unsung Hero' prize at Fox's annual employee Spotlight Awards last December 'in recognition of his invaluable work', she added. Ms Scott said: 'Pierre was a war zone photographer who covered nearly every international story for Fox News from Iraq to Afghanistan to Syria during his long tenure with us. His passion and talent as a journalist were unmatched.' She also wrote: 'His talents were vast and there wasn't a role that he didn't jump in to help with in the field - from photographer to engineer to editor to producer - and he did it all under immense pressure with tremendous skill.' Tributes described Ms Kuvshynova as 'vibrant and full of life' and friends and colleagues said she was brilliant at her job. Fox News Senior Field Producer Yonat Friling wrote on Twitter: 'In yesterday's attack near Kyiv, we have lost a beautiful brave woman - Oleksandra Kuvshinova - Sasha. 'She loved music and she was funny and kind. She was 24 years old. She worked with our team for the past month and did a brilliant job. 'May her memory be a blessing.' NBC's Atia Abawi wrote: 'She was a young Ukrainian journalist sharing the story of her country's invasion. Our friends who worked with her said she was vibrant & full of life. I can't even imagine the pain her parents are going through right now.' Tributes have poured in for Mr Zakrzewski from Fox News colleagues, who described him as 'an absolute legend' who 'never stopped wanting to help'. Fox cameraman Pierre Zakrzewski, who was based in London, died in the attack in Horenka Pierre Zakrzewski (left) with colleagues Steve Harrigan, Yonat Frilling and Ibrahim Hazboun Micheal Martin, Taoiseach of Ireland, tweeted: 'Deeply disturbed and saddened by the killing of Irish citizen and journalist Pierre Zakrzewski and one of his colleagues today. My thoughts are with their families, friends and fellow journalists. We condemn this indiscriminate and immoral war by Russia on Ukraine.' Fox anchor John Roberts said today it was 'horrible news to report', and that Mr Zakrzewski was an 'absolute treasure'. His fellow Fox anchor Bill Hemmer said the cameraman 'was an absolute legend at this network. And his loss is devastating.' And Fox foreign correspondent Trey Yingst said: 'I don't know what to say. Pierre was as good as the come. Selfless. Brave. Passionate. I'm so sorry this happened to you.' Fox weather reporter Max Gorden added: 'Gutting news. My thoughts are with Pierre Zakrzewski's family. By all accounts Pierre was an incredible photographer and great human. Wishing safety for all the crews risking their lives in Ukraine.' And Fox security correspondent Jen Griffin added: 'Such a fine man. Such a good friend. Such a fantastic war photographer and so much more. RIP Pierre Zakrzewski.' He is the second journalist killed in Ukraine in two days. Ex-New York Times reporter Brent Renaud died on Sunday after Russian forces opened fire on his vehicle. Fox foreign correspondent Trey Yingst (left) posted a tribute photo to Pierre Zakrzewski (right) Meanwhile Mr Hall, who has worked for the New York-based network since 2015 and has a wife and three daughters in London, was today being treated in intensive care. Ms Scott said in an earlier memo that bosses have a 'minimal level of details' and teams on the ground were working to find out more on what happened to Mr Hall. White House press secretary Jen Psaki told another Fox reporter in Washington DC yesterday that 'our thoughts, the president's thoughts, our administration's thoughts are with him (Mr Hall), his family and all of you at Fox News.' Mr Hall is a Washington-based correspondent and an experienced foreign reporter who has previously worked in the likes of Iraq, Syria, Libya, Somalia and Gaza. Irina Venediktova, Ukraine's prosecutor general, said in a Facebook post that a British journalist had received shrapnel wounds to both legs and was in intensive care. She did not identify the journalist but posted a picture of a US congressional press pass belonging to a Fox News reporter. Ms Venediktova added that the reporter was in intensive care and was not near a military facility at the time of the blast. Benjamin Hall, 39, has been reporting for Fox News from Ukraine on the Russian invasion Mr Hall has three daughters with his wife Alicia Meller, an Australian fashion businesswoman Benjamin Hall is a married father-of-three from London who has worked for Fox since 2015 Mr Hall covers the US State Department for Fox News and attended the 38,000-a-year Ampleforth College in North Yorkshire before studying at Duke University in North Carolina, Richmond University in London and University of the Arts London. Email sent to Fox News staff about Benjamin Hall's injuries in Kyiv From: Fox News Media chief executive Suzanne Scott 'Our correspondent Benjamin Hall was injured while newsgathering outside of Kyiv in Ukraine. 'We have a minimal level of details right now, but Ben is hospitalized and our teams on the ground are working to gather additional information as the situation quickly unfolds. 'The safety of our entire our entire team of journalists in Ukraine and the surrounding regions is our top priority and of the utmost importance. 'This is a stark reminder for all journalists who are putting their lives on the line every day to deliver the news from a war zone. 'We will update everyone as we know more. Please keep Ben and his family in your prayers.' Advertisement He is a dual citizen of Britain and the US, and wrote a book in 2015 about the history of Islamic State called 'Inside ISIS: The Brutal Rise of a Terrorist Army'. The journalist has also worked for the BBC, ITN and Channel 4 and written for The Times, The Sunday Times, The New York Times and Agence France Presse. Mr Hall has three young daughters with his wife Alicia Meller, an Australian fashion businesswoman whom he married in 2015. Other staff from Fox News remain in Ukraine to report on the war which began on February 24. Ms Scott told Fox News staff in an email yesterday: 'Our correspondent Benjamin Hall was injured while newsgathering outside of Kyiv in Ukraine. 'We have a minimal level of details right now, but Ben is hospitalized and our teams on the ground are working to gather additional information as the situation quickly unfolds. 'The safety of our entire our entire team of journalists in Ukraine and the surrounding regions is our top priority and of the utmost importance. 'This is a stark reminder for all journalists who are putting their lives on the line every day to deliver the news from a war zone. We will update everyone as we know more. Please keep Ben and his family in your prayers.' The State Department Correspondents' Association said in a statement that it was 'horrified to learn that our fellow correspondent Benjamin Hall was injured as he covered the Ukraine war.' 'We know Ben for his warmth, good humour and utmost professionalism,' it said. 'We wish Ben a quick recovery and call for utmost efforts to protect journalists who are providing an invaluable service through their coverage in Ukraine.' Department of Defense Press Secretary John Kirby also confirmed yesterday in a briefing that Mr Hall had been injured in Ukraine and was being treated at a hospital. Mr Hall covers the US State Department for Fox News and is normally based in Washington DC Benjamin Hall in intensive care and was not near a military facility at the time of the blast Irina Venediktova, Ukraine's prosecutor general, did not identify the journalist but posted a picture of a US congressional press pass belonging to a Fox News reporter It comes after former New York Times journalist Brent Renaud was shot dead by Russian troops on Sunday. Mr Renaud became the first foreign journalist to be killed in the war after he was hit in the neck in Irpin, near Kyiv. Ex-New York Times journalist Brent Renaud was shot dead by Russian troops on Sunday The award-winning filmmaker had been covering the plight of refugees escaping the suburb, which has come under intense shelling in recent days. US photographer Juan Arredondo was also shot in the lower back during the attack on the car carrying him and Mr Renaud. A Ukrainian who had been in the same car as the Americans was also wounded, according to a medic at the scene. Mr Renaud was an experienced filmmaker who usually worked with his brother Craig in conflict zones around the world, including on the Iraq and Afghanistan wars and cartel violence in Mexico. According to their website, they were based in New York and Little Rock, Arkansas. It is not known whether Craig had also travelled to Ukraine. Mr Renaud won a Peabody award in 2015 for a Vice News documentary about a school in Chicago and had worked for a number of other US media organisations, including HBO and NBC. Other staff from Fox News remain in Ukraine to report on the war which began on February 24 Rescuers work next to a residential building damaged by shelling in Kyiv, Ukraine, this morning He was in Ukraine working on a 'global film project about refugees', according to former colleagues. The New York Times said it was 'deeply saddened' to learn the 'talented filmmaker' had been killed - though added that he had not been on assignment for the paper. Early reports suggested he had been working for the publication because he was wearing a press badge with its name on. A spokesman said the document had been issued 'many years ago'. The death of Mr Renaud came just over a week after Sky News chief correspondent Stuart Ramsay was shot and wounded after coming under fire while driving back to Kyiv. A few days earlier a Ukrainian journalist Yevhenii Skaum, a camera operator, was killed when a TV transmission tower in Kviv was hit by shelling. Heroic protestor Marina Ovsyannikova, who yesterday interrupted Russia's most-watched news show live on air to denounce the invasion of Ukraine, has miraculously avoided a jail sentence. Ovsyannikova, 43, was arrested shortly after her brave stunt, but was held for over 12 hours in an undisclosed location and her lawyers said earlier today they had not been allowed to see her. There were fears the television editor would be held indefinitely, but she was eventually granted legal counsel and this afternoon was handed a 30,000 rouble fine for calling for 'organising or holding a public event without filing a notice in the prescribed manner' according to a statement given by the Ostankinsky District Court of Moscow. The fine, which equates to a mere 210, comes as a major surprise to many commentators who harboured concerns that Ovsyannikova could face up to 15 years in prison for her live-on-air protest under a new Kremlin law which punishes 'public dissemination of false information' about the invasion of Ukraine. Marina Ovsyannikova, the editor at the state broadcaster Channel One who protested against Russian military action in Ukraine during the evening news broadcast at the station late Monday, leaves the Ostankinsky District Court after being fined for 30,000 rubles In her first interview following her sentencing, the television editor told the media that she had endured one of the hardest days of her life, and needed to rest before giving more comments In her first interview following her sentencing, the television editor told the media that she had endured one of the hardest days of her life, and needed to rest before giving more comments. 'I want to thank everyone for their support, friends and colleagues... 'It's been a really difficult day in my life. I've gone two days without sleep, more than 14 hours in custody, they didn't allow me to contact those close to me or to receive any legal counsel... so I found myself in a really tough situation. 'All further comments will come tomorrow, because today I really need to rest.' Ovsyannikova, 43, was arrested yesterday following her protest, in which she interrupted a live Channel One broadcast with an anti-war placard (pictured behind broadcaster Ekaterina Andreeva) Marina Ovsyannikova is pictured in court with lawyer Serg Badamshin. She was this afternoon handed a fine of 30,000 roubles - roughly 210 Ovsyannikova had worked with Channel One for years, explaining how she managed to gain access to the broadcast studio to launch her protest Ovsyannikova's release with nothing more than a small fine comes just hours after supporters of Putin called for her long-term imprisonment, with the director of broadcasting at RT imploring Russian authorities to jail the protestor for a decade. Anton Krasovsky said: 'My boss Margarita [Simonyan] once said ''we fire for treason and theft''. I'll correct that - we'll put you in jail for treason and theft. 'The bi*** should be jailed for ten years.' Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov also dismissed the protest as 'hooliganism'. In an exceptional show of bravery yesterday, Ovsyannikova burst onto the set of Channel One - the Kremlin's leading news channel which has 250 million viewers worldwide - and interrupted famous newsreader Ekaterina Andreeva in protest against the war in Ukraine. Her status as a senior television editor at the station meant she was able to get access to the broadcasting centre, and was not stopped by armed guards. Her audacious stunt, in which she told viewers: 'Stop the War! Don't believe the propaganda. They're lying to you here!' on a channel that in recent weeks has spewed anti-Ukrainian and anti-Western rhetoric, went viral and has been viewed millions of times. Associates of jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny have offered to pay Ovsyannikova's fine and any penalties handed to other employees of Channel One who decide to stage similar protests. Meanwhile, the spokesman for Boris Johnson told reporters the British Prime Minister said: 'I think this was an incredibly brave act by this producer. 'The Prime Minister wants to pay tribute to all of those in Russia standing up to Putin's campaign of violence.' British Foreign Office minister James Cleverley added that protests in Russia were 'incredibly important' in terms of providing the Russian population with information. He told BBC Breakfast today: 'It shows a huge degree of bravery for those individuals to protest against what we know is an oppressive, authoritarian state, but it's really important that the Russian people understand what is being done in their name. 'They have been systematically lied to by Vladimir Putin and it's really important they understand the truth of what's going on.' The fine, which equates to a mere 210, comes as a major surprise to many commentators who harboured concerns that Ovsyannikova could face up to 15 years in prison for her live-on-air protest under a new Kremlin law which punishes 'public dissemination of false information' about the invasion of Ukraine Her status as a senior television editor at the station meant she was able to get access to the broadcasting centre, and was not stopped by armed guards There were concerns that the television editor would be held against her will indefinitely in a secret location by Putin's cronies while authorities prepare a case against her Ovsyannikova was arrested shortly after her stunt, which represents arguably the most graphic protest so far against Putin's war in Russia at a time when almost all opposition media outlets have been closed. French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday said he would discuss with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin offering protection for a Russian journalist facing a long prison sentence after she brandished the anti-war placard on live TV. 'We will launch diplomatic efforts aiming to offer [her] protection - either at the embassy but also protection through asylum,' said Macron. 'I will have the chance at my next talks with President Putin to propose this solution in a very direct and concrete manner.' Olga Taranova, a former intern at the channel, explained how Ovsyannikova managed to interrupt the broadcast: 'A policeman on duty is always by the presenter. 'But during the broadcast, when there are reports from places, senior editors and makeup artists often come to the presenter. 'There is almost no one more senior and trusted than Marina. 'When I was an intern, Marina already was a respected writer for the evening news.' RT head Margarita Simonyan - seen as the leading TV propagandist for Putin, nicknamed 'Goebbels in a skirt' by the Ukrainians - said of the incident on a separate channel: 'This can happen with every editorial office. 'We, editorial offices, do not have outdoor surveillance for our employees, do not bug their phones, and in general are not paramilitary organisations with regular lie detector checks, etc. 'Marina Ovsyannikova is indeed the ex-wife of one of our directors. 'They have been divorced for a long time and live different lives. Quite different, as it turns out.' Peskov meanwhile told reporters: 'As far as this lady is concerned, this is hooliganism. 'The channel and those who are in charge are dealing with it,' he added. 'It's not an issue on [the Kremlin] agenda. 'There are certain departments that deal with this. The live broadcast of any TV channel and especially those who work there hold a special responsibility.' But Ovsyannikova's protest has already triggered a wave of resignations amid the top tiers of Russian media. Leading anchor Liliya Gildeyeva, 45, today handed in her resignation at Gazprom-Media's NTV channel where she had worked since 2006. 'At first I left, I was afraid they wouldn't let me go, then I wrote my resignation letter,' she told blogger Ilya Varlamov. Gildeyeva flew into exile with her husband Rustam and two children before writing her resignation letter to avoid repercussions, it is understood. Vadim Glusker, NTV's Brussels correspondent, has also been confirmed to have resigned by Russian state news agency RIA Novosti. NTV told RIA Novosti that Glusker stopped working 'in early March' and that his decision was 'to do with health reasons'. Russian journalist Roman Super also reported that Zhanna Agalakova, Channel One's correspondent in Paris, resigned today. Agalakova worked as a reporter in New York from 2013 until 2019, before reporting for Channel One across the EU. Ovsyannikova herself recorded a video prior to her arrest to explain why she decided to protest. The television editor has a Ukrainian father and said before her actions on Monday that she was ashamed to be peddling the Kremlin's lies Ovsyannikova's protest has already motivated a top Russian presenter to quit and join her in solidarity against Russia's war in Ukraine. Liliya Gildeyeva, 45 (pictured), was a leading anchor on Gazprom-Media's NTV channel since 2006, where she had worked for more than a decade-and-a-half Vadim Glusker, NTV's Brussels correspondent, has also been confirmed to have resigned by Russian state news agency RIA Novosti Russian journalist Roman Super also reported that Zhanna Agalakova (pictured), Channel One's correspondent in Paris, resigned today. Agalakova worked as a reporter in New York from 2013 until 2019, before reporting for Channel One across the EU Ovsyannikova herself recorded a video prior to her arrest to explain why she decided to protest. The television editor has a Ukrainian father and said before her actions on Monday that she was ashamed to be peddling the Kremlin's lies. 'What's happening in Ukraine is a crime and Russia is the aggressor. The responsibility for this aggression lies with one man: Vladimir Putin. 'My father is Ukrainian, my mother is Russian and they were never enemies. 'Unfortunately, for the last few years I've been working for Channel One. I've been doing Kremlin propaganda and I'm very ashamed of it that I let people lie from TV screens and allowed the Russian people to be zombified. 'We didn't say anything in 2014 when it only just began. We didn't protest when the Kremlin poisoned Navalny. We just silently watched this inhuman regime. 'Now the whole world has turned away from us, and ten generations of our descendants won't wash off this fratricidal war.' Ovsyannikova's protest has received international support, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky personally praised her show of defiance. 'I am grateful to those Russians who do not stop trying to convey the truth. To those who fight disinformation and tell the truth, real facts to their friends and loved ones,. And I am personally grateful to the woman who entered the studio of Channel One with a poster against the war,' Zelensky said in a Telegram video. 'To those who are not afraid to protest - as long as your country has not completely closed itself off from the whole world, turning into a very large North Korea, you must fight. You must not lose your chance.' Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has praised the Russian TV editor who ran onto a live state TV news with a sign protesting Moscow's invasion of Ukraine in a Telegram video (pictured) Tuesday. He personally thanked the editor for her bravery and said he was 'grateful' to all Russians who 'are not afraid to protest' and 'tell the truth' about the invasion of Ukraine Russian newspaper Novaya Gazeta, whose editor-in-chief is Nobel laureate Dmitry Muratov, posted a screenshot of the incident but blurred Ovsyannikova's anti-war message, possibly for fear of reprisal Ovsyannikova was arrested by police working for the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs. The reason for her arrest was put down to 'public actions aimed at discrediting the use of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation in order to protect the interests of the Russian Federation and its citizens, maintain international peace and security,' the TASS news agency reported. After the incident Russian newspaper Novaya Gazeta, whose editor-in-chief is Nobel laureate Dmitry Muratov, posted a screenshot of the moment Ovsyannikova went on air but blurred her anti-war message, possibly for fear of reprisal. On March 4 Putin signed a law that effectively criminalizes public opposition to or non-state news coverage of the conflict. It was seen as another way for the Kremlin to curb widespread dissent over the war and cope with crippling Western sanctions. Meanwhile, guests on one of the country's most-popular state TV broadcasts last week risked the wrath of Putin to denounce the invasion as 'worse' than the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan which helped bring down the Soviet Union. Karen Shakhnazarov (pictured) sought to bust the Kremlin's narrative that the war with Ukraine was a limited exercise Semyon Bagdasarov (pictured), called for an end to the war, citing his fear it could become a humanitarian disaster and comparing it to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, which helped bring down the USSR Semyond Bagdasarov, an academic, used an appearance on Russia 1's prime time talk show 'An Evening with Vladimir Soloviev' - a man referred to as Putin's propagandist-in-chief - to call on the Russian president to end the attack, while warning allies like China and India could soon turn their backs on Moscow. 'Do we need to get into another Afghanistan, but even worse? There are more people and they're more advanced in their weapon handling', he said, 'We don't need that. Enough already.' He then added: 'If this picture starts to transform into an absolute humanitarian disaster, even our close allies like China and India will be forced to distance themselves from us. 'This public opinion, with which they're saturating the entire world, can play out badly for us... Ending this operation will stabilise things within the country.' Karen Shakhnazarov, a filmmaker and state pundit, also sought to bust the Kremlin's narrative that it is conducting a limited 'special operation' in the Donbass region by referencing attacks on the capital of Kyiv - which is located hundreds of miles away. 'I have a hard time imagining taking cities such as Kyiv. I can't imagine how that would look,' he said, even as Putin's troops close in on the capital and launch attacks into the outskirts. Ovsyannikova's arrest in the wake of her protest came as another experiment, designed to show how quickly the authorities in Russia are clamping down on free speech amid the war in Ukraine, was also caught on camera. Footage emerged yesterday of a horde of policemen descending upon a young woman in Manezhnaya Square in Moscow and dragging her away just three seconds after she held up a small paper sign. The sign itself bore no message in support of Ukraine or any other issue in defiance of the Kremlin and the will of Vladimir Putin. Instead, the sign simply read 'TWO WORDS' - but even this was enough to trigger a stampede of policemen clad in full riot gear who removed her from view in the blink of an eye. It comes as the Kremlin introduced a blanket ban on social media over the past week, throttling Facebook, Instagram and Twitter - as well as Western media and independent news sites - as it scrambles to control the narrative around its incursion into Ukraine. Footage has emerged of a horde of policemen descending upon a young woman in Manezhnaya Square in Moscow and dragging her away just three seconds after she held up a small paper sign The woman declared: 'I am just going to say ''two words'', before adding with a knowing smirk: 'Will they arrest me for this now or not?' as she raised her tiny placard. The sign reads 'TWO WORDS' Her placard had been in the air for a split second before a team of riot police steamed onto the scene, grabbed the woman by the arms and hauled her away in front of the stunned cameraman Hong Kong: Pilotage pact signed The Government today announced the signing of a framework agreement on co-operation in Mirs Bay pilotage between the Marine Department and the Transport Bureau of the Shenzhen Municipal People's Government. A consensus has been reached in various areas of co-operation including the scope of pilotage services for vessels, deployment of pilots and charging arrangements. The co-operation in pilotage agreed between the authorities of Hong Kong and Shenzhen is deep and unprecedented, with a view to enhancing the port development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. The agreement will take effect on June 1 with a three-year validity period. Under the principles of complementarity and mutual benefits, and in compliance with the legal requirements of both places, Hong Kong and Shenzhen have agreed upon an innovative mode of co-operation for port services. According to the framework agreement, vessels required to be under compulsory pilotage, as stipulated in the laws of both Hong Kong and Shenzhen, will be piloted by one single Hong Kong or Shenzhen qualified pilot throughout the entire voyage to or from a Shenzhen port through Mirs Bay and the service will be charged once. The pilotage co-operation between two places will enhance ship navigation safety in Mirs Bay, bolster the efficiency of vessels passing through the Shenzhen east port area and reduce operating costs of shipping and port entities, improving the business environment of the bay area and further promoting the integrated development of port and pilotage services within the bay area. This story has been published on: 2022-03-15. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Former deputy commander of Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps indicted for graft Xinhua) 08:58, March 15, 2022 BEIJING, March 14 (Xinhua) -- Yang Fulin, former deputy commander of the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, has been indicted for taking bribes, the Supreme People's Procuratorate (SPP) said Monday. Following an investigation into Yang's case by the National Supervisory Commission and upon the designation of the SPP, the People's Procuratorate of Jinan, east China's Shandong Province, has filed the case to the city's intermediate people's court, according to an SPP statement. Prosecutors accused Yang of taking advantage of his former posts in the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps to seek benefits for others and illegally accepting massive sums of money and gifts in return. The prosecutors had informed the defendant of his litigation rights, interrogated him, and listened to the defense counsel's opinions, the SPP said. (Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Liang Jun) A man looks at a computer screen watching a dissenting Russian Channel One employee entering Ostankino on-air TV studio during Russia's most-watched evening news broadcast, holding up a poster which reads "No War" and condemning Moscow's military action in Ukraine in Moscow, March 14. AFP-Yonhap An anti-war protester interrupted the main news program on Russia's state TV Channel One, Monday, holding up a sign behind the studio presenter with slogans denouncing the war in Ukraine. The sign, in English and Russian, read: "NO WAR. Stop the war. Don't believe propaganda. They are lying to you here." The extraordinary protest took place on day 19 of the war which began when Russia invaded Ukraine, Feb. 24, in what it calls a special military operation. Channel One said it was undertaking an internal review of the incident, Tass news agency reported. Anonymous claims they have taken action against Russia once again by targeting their government websites in another attack against of Putin and his invasion of Ukraine. The group of hacktivists took to Twitter to announce the websites they claim to have successfully brought down, including FSB, the Russian intelligence service. Using the military term 'Tango down', the organisation listed four websites that they hacked into. Moscow.ru, Analytical Center for the Government of the Russian Federation and the Ministry of Sport of the Russian Federation, and Russias Federal Security Service (FSB), which is the main successor agency of the Soviet Union's KGB, were all taken over by Anonymous, the hackers claim. Anonymous also leaked private correspondence which they claim to be between Vladimir Putin and Russian defence minister Sergei Shoigu, outlining plans to cut down Ukrainian forests and sell onwards. Anonymous claims they have taken action against Russia once again by targeting their government websites, in another attack against of Putin's invasion of Ukraine and the censorship of Kremlin-controlled media The letter, shown in a subsequent tweet, is allegedly from minister Shoigu, and reads: 'Dear Vladimir... In order to create fortifications to provide formations, military units of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation involved in a special military operation, felling is required on defence lands and other categories, followed by the use of the resulting wood by the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation.' It went on to read that the funds will be used 'in the interests of defence'. The hacker collective signed off their series of tweets today with a Russian expletive to the President: 'Blyat Putin!' Last week, Anonymous claimed to have hacked into Russia's media censorship agency and released 340,000 files from Roskomnadzor federal agency, stealing classified documents which they then passed on to transparency organisation Distributed Denial of Secrets (DDoSecrets), who published them online. The trove of 820 gigabytes of emails and attachments, some of which are dated as late as March 5, show how the Kremlin is censoring anything referring to their brutal invasion of Ukraine, which Moscow is instead calling a 'special military operation'. The group of hacktivists took to Twitter to announce the websites they had successfully brought down, including FSB, the Russian intelligence service. They also leaked private correspondence between Vladimir Putin and Russian defence minister Sergei Shoigu, outlining plans to cut down Ukrainian forests and sell onwards The Anonymous hacker said they 'urgently felt the Russian people should have access to information about their government', DDoSecrets said. The files relate to the Russian republic of Bashkortostan, one of the largest in the federation with a population of four million. Roskomnadzor, which oversees mass media in Russia, restricted access to Facebook and Twitter before blocking them and also threatened to cut off access to Wikipedia, due to its article on the invasion. On February 24, the agency ordered all media outlets to only use official, state-sanctioned information sources or face severe punishment for spreading 'fake news'. The words 'war, 'invasion' and 'attack' were all banned from use when describing Russia's military actions in Ukraine. The media regulator has also edited its profile on the Telegram messenger to capitalise the Z in the agency's name after it became a symbol of the Russian invasion. The Daily Mail, Mail on Sunday and MailOnline UKRAINE REFUGEE APPEAL Readers of Mail Newspapers and MailOnline 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 Donate at www.mailforcecharity.co.uk/donate To add Gift Aid to a donation even one already made complete an online form found here: mymail.co.uk/ukraine Via bank transfer, please use these details: Account name: Mail Force Charity Account number: 48867365 Sort code: 60-00-01 TO MAKE A DONATION VIA CHEQUE Make your cheque payable to 'Mail Force' 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 Over the past decade, the censor has demanded that US companies including Google remove content on Ukrainian protests, Forbes reported. The leader and cofounder of DDoSecrets is Emma Best, a US-based leaker who has previously targeted Russian government agencies and US police forces in the wake of George Floyd protests. David Betz, professor of war in the modern world at King's College London, said: 'I think it's positive. Censors should be exposed.' It is feared Russia could be cut off from the global internet any time from today, and the hackers hope the data will be widely shared in the country beforehand, exposing the censorship at the top of government. A letter from Andrei Chernenko, Russia's deputy digital minister, is calling on Russian state-owned websites and portals to ramp up security by today. He ordered them to move to domestic services and remove JavaScript code downloaded from foreign sources. The minister also instructed web services to switch to domain name system (DNS) servers on Russian soil. The global DNS allows people around the world to use the internet easily and freely, indicating Russia could cut itself off from the system and implement its own. Russia claims the directive is only to enhance security in the face of repeated cyber attacks, but experts fear it is a sign Russia could disconnect itself from the global internet. Mikhail Klimarev, director of the Internet Protection Society, said: 'From the outside it looks like a preparation for the sovereign Runet.' Earlier last week, Anonymous claimed to have hacked into Russian state TV to air footage of the war in Ukraine, as well as hacking into Russian media sites, replacing pages with a 'tombstone' in honour of the war dead. The hacking collective said it targeted Russia 24, Channel One and Moscow 24 to show the realities of the savage invasion. The hackers said they are taking part in the 'biggest Anonymous op ever seen' in their 'take-down of Russia'. Part of the footage aired on Russian TV included the message: 'ordinary Russians are against the war' and urged them to oppose the invasion. Anonymous also claimed to have shut down Russia's space agency so Putin 'no longer has control over spy satellites' two weeks ago. This comes after reports that Chinese telecoms giant Huawei 'rushed to Russia's aid' to fend off Western cyberattacks. Reports in China say the tech giant, which has several offices in the UK, has been helping Putin's efforts to stabilise Russia's internet network. A report, which appeared on a Chinese news site but was later deleted, claimed that Huawei would use its research centres to train '50,000 technical experts in Russia'. It added that the firm expects to expand 'to cutting-edge fields such as artificial intelligence, cloud computing, and face recognition'. 'If Russia thought for one moment China would break rank they wouldn't have invaded Ukraine.' Chinese companies are in fear of secondary sanctions from the US if they are found to be helping Russian companies evade the measures. Huawei has been badly hit by US sanctions, introduced in 2019 over national security fears, and has been banned from providing equipment for the UK's 5G network. A spokesperson for Huawei said: 'This story is untrue and based on inaccurate and false information from an article that has since been corrected.' Disgraced Empire actor Jussie Smollett has been moved out of a jail psych ward - where it's been alleged he was sleeping on a 'restrained bed' - and into a regular cell to serve the remainder of his 150-day sentence, his brother says. Jocqui Smollett took to his brother's Instagram Monday night for a 'day five update' on his status in jail, just days after his sentencing hearing for lying to police about a 2019 racist attack that he was convicted of paying for and setting up. In the statement, he even went so far as to say the seemingly routine prisoner movement was the result of a groundswell of support for the hoaxster - and that the Cook County, Illinois, facility where he is being held is reeling from 'bad publicity.' 'So I just got to see him,' he said. 'Thank you so much for the support, all the hashtag #FreeJussie, it's working. He's now been moved to a new jail cell out of the psych ward that has a bed. 'Before he was sleeping on a restrained bed and now he's been moved to a jail cell that actually has a bed, so thank you so much. That's really because of all the #FreeJussie that's been going on. It's all the pressure we're applying on Cook County and Cook County Jail.' Smollett's family has been vocal about their opinion that the disgraced actor is innocent and is being treated unfairly by the justice system. On Monday, the family submitted an emergency motion in appellate court that included a note from a doctor. The physician said that Smollett has 'compromised immunity' and should be released because of the COVID-19 pandemic, though he didn't clarify what makes Smollett immunocompromised. In a recent video, Black Lives Matter co-founder Patrisse Cullors said she also visited Smollett and confirmed that he was sleeping on a restrained bed. She urged viewers to call the jail and tell them that he should be freed. Jocqui Smollett said his brother Jussie has been moved from a psychiatric unit at Cook County Jail and into a jail cell that 'actually has a bed' in an Instagram video Monday night The disgraced actor was allegedly sleeping on a restrained bed in the jail's psych ward after he told the judge he was 'not suicidal' during a court outburst on Thursday Black Lives Matter co-founder Patrisse Cullors says she visited Smollett and confirmed he was sleeping on a restrained bed. She urged supporters to call the jail and demand his freedom 'Im in Chicago and was able to see Jussie today, and hes strong, but whats happening inside is just - it's just unacceptable,' Cullors said in the video, which was shared on Smollett's page. The activist added: 'Today is the first day that he's going to be able to get an actual bed. He's been sleeping on a restraint bed. 'They've also filed for him to be released - filed to the Appellate court. Hopefully we'll learn by this week, no later than Wednesday, if hell get out. And, honestly, we just need folks to keep tagging #FreeJussie, keep posting. 'We need folks to call the jail and check up on him, but also say that you think he should be freed. And the last thing is, we need folks to challenge the misinformation and disinformation around this case. That's so critical.' Smollett's brother Jocqui agreed with Cullors in his Monday night video. 'Unfortunately, Cook County doesn't really move until they get bad publicity and so we have to just keep applying pressure, y'all. So keep reposting with #FreeJussie. Keep continuing to call Cook County Jail checking in on him and keep saying that you believe he should be free,' Jocqui said, adding that his brother has read all of his fan mail in jail and will reply to 'every single one.' Smollett was convicted last year of five felony counts of disorderly conduct for lying about a staged hate crime that he committed with the help of Nigerian brothers Ola and Abel Osundairo Smollet says Jussie has read all of his fan mail and will reply to 'every single one of them' Jussie Smollett was sentenced to 150 days in jail last week (above) for orchestrating a fake racist attack against himself in 2019. He maintains his innocence and says he's being treated unfairly by the justice system He was sentenced to 150 days in jail but was granted day-for-day eligibility, which means he could be out in as little as 75 days. They'll try anything! Jussie Smollett's family maintains his innocence in an attempt to garner public support for the disgraced actor The family, with 92-year-old grandmother Molly seated far right, in court Thursday Jussie Smollett's family has been outspoken in their support for the convicted hate crime faker. March 10: After his sentencing on Thursday, Jussie's oldest brother Jocqui said he was 'very disappointed' with the verdict. His sister Jazz Smollett called the case a miscarriage of justice. Taking the stand, his grandmother Molly, 92, told journalists in the courtroom: 'The Jussie I know and love does not match up to the media's betrayal. You have not done a good job of investigative reporting.' Hours after the sentencing, the family posted to Instagram, 'OUR BROTHER IS INNOCENT AND WE WILL KEEP FIGHTING.' March 11: The family posts a graphic with the hashtag #FreeJussie. March 13: Jussie's brother Jocqui says the actor was placed in a psych ward at Cook County Jail and that a note had been pinned to his cell claiming that he was in danger of harming himself. March 14: Black Lives Matter founder Patrisse Cullors confirms that Smollett is in a psych ward and sleeping in a restrained bed. She calls on supporters to call the jail and demand his freedom. The family also posts an interview featuring activist and sister duo Angela and Fania Davis, who believe Smollett. 'This is a story so crazy only the cops would make this up,' they said. Hours later, Jocqui said Jussie has been moved to a regular cell thanks to supporters' repeated calls. Advertisement But despite his light sentence, TMZ reported that Smollett told his attorneys before his Thursday court appearance that he would get a harsher sentence than most people convicted of a non-violent offense because he is black, calling it proof of systemic racism in the court system. On Thursday, Smollett protested, 'I am innocent! I am not suicidal,' as he was led away in handcuffs. He said it was a ploy to ensure if something happened to him in jail, the public would know it was foul play - a reference to Jeffrey Epstein's jail cell hanging that many claim was an 'inside job.' 'I respect your decision. Jail time? I am not suicidal. ... If anything happens to me in there I did not do it to myself,' he said, according to Fox News. Smollett was allegedly placed in a psych ward at the Cook County Jail immediately after, sparking outrage from his family and supporters. The Cook County Sheriff's Office has not confirmed whether the former actor was in a psychiatric unit, only telling DailyMail.com that he's not in solitary confinement and is allowed 'substantial time out of his cell in the common areas.' On Monday, his family submitted an emergency motion in the appellate court claiming he should never have been convicted. The family also included a letter from a doctor which says the risk of COVID-19 is an added reason Smollett shouldn't be in jail. 'It is my opinion that the incarceration of Mr. Smollett, in jail or in prison, poses a substantially increased risk to his health. 'The COVID-19 pandemic is an ongoing pandemic...As of March 2022, the pandemic has caused more than 445million cases and approximately 6million deaths worldwide. 'Incarceration in a jail or prison setting poses a heightened danger to Mr. Smollett's health when taking his current health status, including compromised immunity, into account.' The doctor did not say what makes him immunocompromised, and representatives for Smollett did not respond to inquiries about it. Since then, Smollett's family say they have received threats about him. They received one over voicemail and released it to the media on Monday. The caller used racist and homophobic slurs, calling Smollett the N word and a 'f****t'. They said they hoped someone 'takes care' of him in jail. Smollett's sentence is an eighth of what it could have been. Jussie was allegedly being held in the medical unit at Cook County Jail (above). His family said there was a sign on the door claiming he is at risk of harming himself; He's now been moved Smollett's legal team submitted this letter from a doctor on Monday claiming Smollett is at 'heightened risk' of getting COVID because he has 'compromised immunity'. They did not say why his immunity was compromised His former on-screen mom likened the jailed hate crime faker to 14-year-old lynching victim Emmett Till in an Instagram post calling for Smollett's release. Taraji P Henson - who played Smollett's mom Cookie in the hit Fox drama Empire, shared a post with #FREEJUSSIE typed in white text on a black background. She suggested the custodial sentence given to the disgraced star by a Chicago judge last week was too harsh, and that the actor should be allowed to serve it at home instead. The accompanying caption, written three days after Smollett was jailed for 150 days, read: 'I am not here to debate you on his innocence but we can agree that the punishment does not fit the crime. Taraji P. Henson, 51, defended her Empire co-star Jussie Smollett (right), 39, after he was given 150 days in jail at his sentencing last week In her Instagram post's caption, Hanson pleaded for Smollett's case to be reviewed so that he could face a lesser punishment. She suggested that the Empire actor should face house arrest instead of jail time 'Emmett Till was brutally beat and ultimately murdered because of a lie and none of the people involved with his demise spent one day in jail, even after Carolyn Bryant admitted that her claims were false. No one was hurt or killed during Jussies ordeal. 'He has already lost everything, EVERYTHING! To me as an artist not able to create that in itself is punishment enough. He cant get a job. 'No one in Hollywood will hire him and again as an artist who loves to create, that is prison. My prayer is that he is freed and put on house arrest and probation because in this case that would seem fair. Please #freejussie' A pilates teacher who was spared prison for running up a 35,000 bill on a client's credit card has been jailed for 16 months for avoiding two speeding tickets. Rhian Keys, 37, from South Hampstead, London, was caught over the limit on the M48 near Bristol in 2019 and on the A24 in Surrey later that year. Bristol Crown Court heard the second offence put her in breach of a 16-month suspended jail term handed to her for two counts of fraud. She pleaded guilty to two charges of doing an act intended to pervert the course of justice and was sentenced today. Judge James Patrick slammed her as having a 'background of dishonesty' and for being 'an arrogant, dishonest, manipulative woman'. Rhian Keys, 37, from South Hampstead, London, was caught over the limit on the M48 near Bristol in 2019 and on the A24 in Surrey later that year She pleaded guilty to two charges of doing an act intended to pervert the course of justice and was sentenced today Ramin Pakrooh, prosecuting, said at 3.45pm on February 16, 2019, Keys' VW Scirroco was caught at 73mph in a 50mph zone on the M48. She claimed the car had been taken without consent by her aunt - who proved to be out of the UK - and Keys then argued it must have been someone else. Mr Pakrooh said around 1am on November 5, 2019, the same car was found to be hitting speeds of 63mph in a 40mph zone on the A24 in Surrey. Keys claimed she was in Turkey but it was later proven she was not. She then argued the car had business insurance and someone else could have been using it. Ramin Pakrooh, prosecuting, said at 3.45pm on February 16, 2019, Keys' VW Scirroco was caught at 73mph in a 50mph zone on the M48 Meanwhile the defendant had claimed she had short-term memory loss. In a police interview she handed over a letter from her GP stating she had mental health difficulties and was caused stress from the interview. She said: 'I should never have been here. My health is far more important than any driving offence.' The court heard her previous suspended sentence was for using the credit card of a client to buy items - including electrical goods - worth 35,000. Bristol Crown Court (pictured) heard the second offence put her in breach of a 16-month suspended jail term handed to her for two counts of fraud Keys, an ex-professional ballet dancer, had reportedly scammed her friend and client out of the money by using her credit cards without permission. The former actress and model had run a health and fitness firm called Ballet-fit and appeared in the West End show The Woman In Black. Between December 2017 and May 2018, the Met Police said Keys bought 24 iPhones costing 25,210. She also bought car insurance worth 2,763 as well as a dog seat for her Dachshund and holidays for her friends to Ibiza, which included Air BnB rooms. Emma Martin, defending, said: 'She is devastated by her own actions. They relate to a time in her life when she was suffering from Class A drug addiction and extremely low mental health.' Mrs Martin said her client attributed her 'sense of arrogance' at the time to misuse of drugs, which made her think it was just motoring matters. The court heard Keys had sought medical treatment for issues and was suitable for rehabilitation work. A 'controlling and abusive' man who strangled his girlfriend and left her dead next to their sleeping baby has been convicted of murder. Asylum seeker Mohammed Diakite, also known as Nigel, was convicted today at Liverpool Crown Court of murdering N'Taya Cleverley-Elliott, 20, at their home in Wavertree, Liverpool, last January. Just hours before her murder, N'Taya had been texting her mum about arrangements to move into a new flat. Diakite, who was 19 at the time and is originally from the Ivory Coast, attacked his partner in the early hours of January 29 because Miss Cleverley-Elliott said she was leaving him. He then called a support worker who was helping him with his immigration application, saying he was 'sorry for everything' and that he was going to jail and to kill himself. Mohammed 'Nigel' Diakite (left), 20, has today been found guilty of murdering his girlfriend N'Taya Elliott-Cleverley (right) in their home by strangling her to death in a 'terrible' and 'unprovoked' attack Diakite's support worker visited the home on Prince Alfred Road in Wavertree (pictured) and found Cleverley-Elliott's body on her bed next to the cot her baby was asleep in Support worker, Celia Cole, then visited their home after becoming concerned by phone calls from him. When she arrived at the flat in Prince Alfred Road, she found the body of Miss Cleverley-Elliott under a duvet on a bed and their four-month-old baby in a cot beside her. Senior prosecutor Angela Rowan, of CPS Mersey Cheshire, said: 'Mohammed Diakite is a manipulative and brutal liar who killed his girlfriend because he believed she was making plans to leave him. 'She was trying to start afresh after months of his controlling and abusive behaviour. Unfortunately, he took away any chance that this young woman had to make a new life.' After leaving the flat and getting a taxi to Liverpool city centre, Diakite was taken by a friend to Merseyside Police headquarters where he was arrested, the CPS said. He was found guilty following a two-week trial and will be sentenced next week. N'Taya had been looking for a fresh start away from Diakite at the time of her death, having already placed a deposit for a new property before she was killed Mohammed Diakite, aka Nigel Diakite (pictured), denied 'pretending' not to remember, or trying to make his partner 'look bad' in cross-examination Detective Chief Inspector Paul Speight said: 'This was a terrible and unprovoked assault which led to the death of a young mum in her own home. 'N'Taya's family and friends have been left devastated, not only by her loss but by the brutal manner in which she died.' He added: 'Diakite denied any knowledge of being responsible for N'Taya's death and forced her family and friends to sit through the distressing ordeal of a trial. In the aftermath of her killing, Diakite did appear to confess - only to later claim: 'If it was me, it was somebody who used me, it wasn't me.' He said he couldn't remember any attack, or making a confession, and blamed his mental health problems. But prosecutors said his 'assertion of amnesia' was a 'convenience' and accused him of putting on an 'act' for jurors. Members of Miss Elliott-Cleverley's family burst into tears and hugged each other when Diakite, was unanimously convicted by the jury. Diakite, who appeared via videolink from The Spinney mental health hospital in Atherton, Greater Manchester, showed no emotion. He then sat in silence. After leaving the Liverpool flat (pictured) Diakite called his friend and described how he attacked his partner, he said he decided to 'finish it' Evidence suggested she had been strangled with a ligature, with prosecutors pointing to a skipping rope found at the flat. Stained with the young mum's blood, the rope was 'concealed beneath a bin bag' at the property. After committing the murder, Diakite travelled in a taxi to Liverpool One Bus Station, on the way making a phone call to his friend, Ismael Donzo, who began recording the conversation. Ian Unsworth QC, prosecuting, said during that 36-minute call 'the defendant confessed to killing N'Taya'. Mr Unsworth said: 'He told Mr Donzo that he had become angry, he done everything with his hand, he punched her several times and that she had been bleeding from the nose. 'He claimed that she had been insulting him and sought to justify what he had done. 'He said, members of the jury, this: That he didn't want her to call the police and he go to jail. So he decided to finish it. He said that she was dead.' Mr Unsworth added: 'There was a confession in the clearest possible terms. He decided to 'finish it'. In other words, to kill her.' The trial heard Diakite, who was taken to police by Mr Donzo and then arrested, denied this, despite a history of alleged violence to his partner. Liverpool Crown Court (pictured) heard Diakite say the last thing he remembers before waking up in the hospital was putting the baby down in her cot The Ivory Coast national was previously accused by Miss Elliott-Cleverley of assaulting her during an argument in October 2020, just two weeks after their baby was born. In police bodycam footage, Miss Elliott-Cleverley told officers Diakite put his fingers down her mouth and the day beforehand had bruised her left arm by grabbing it in another row. She made a retraction statement a day later, in which she said her allegations were true, but she no longer wished to support a prosecution because it was 'too much for me to cope with'. Miss Elliott-Cleverley said she just wanted to concentrate on her baby, had put a deposit down for a new property, and intended to move there alone. When Diakite gave evidence he claimed he loved the victim, he told jurors that, on the night of January 28, the mum had wanted to have sex and he didn't, so her 'mood changed'. Diakite said he was exercising with a skipping rope, so he put the rope on their bed, then picked up their crying baby and started giving her milk. He said Miss Elliott-Cleverley was swearing at him and she put her finger in his eyes and slapped him in the head, so he put the baby down in her cot. Asked what happened next, Diakite said: 'Then I found myself in the hospital.' He said putting their daughter down was the last thing he remembered. Diakite, who was on medication for depression, said he often had thoughts of suicide, heard voices and hallucinated. However, a doctors' assessment after his arrest found Diakite was a risk of self-harm, but not psychotic at the time. Under cross-examination, Diakite denied 'pretending' not to remember, or trying to make his partner 'look bad'. He said 'nobody' removed Miss Elliott-Cleverley's SIM card from her mobile phone and he didn't know who 'smashed' the device. At 12:41am, Diakite left a WhatsApp voicemail message with a friend, asking him to send some money. Members of Miss Elliott-Cleverley's family sobbed in the public gallery when Mr Unsworth played the 18-second voicemail, during which he said the young mum could be heard 'breathing heavily'. Diakite said he didn't know if it was his girlfriend who could be heard and denied he had beaten her. Asked whether - as he had told Mr Donzo - he then decided to 'finish it', and strangled her, Diakite did not reply. High Court judge Mr Justice Stephen Morris said Diakite will be sentenced in person next Monday, March 21. A 2,000-year-old gold coin that commemorates the assassination of the famous Roman general Julius Caesar is set to be sold at auction for more than 1.5million. The coin depicts the face of Caesar's former friend and ally, Brutus, who led the conspirators that killed him. Caesar was stabbed 23 times in the Roman senate on the Ides of March March 15, 44 BC. Brutus then issued dozens of coins nearly all of them in silver to mark the emperor's death. The coin coming up for sale, which is one of just three surviving ones in gold, was on display at the British Museum for a decade until 2020. A 2,000-year-old gold coin that commemorates the assassination of the famous Roman general Julius Caesar is set to be sold at auction for more than 1.5million. The coin depicts the face of Caesar's former friend and ally, Brutus, who led the conspirators that killed him Caesar was stabbed 23 times in the Roman senate in 44BC on the Ides of March March 15, 44 BC It features a hole that was punched shortly after it was minted, likely so that it could be worn possibly even by one of Caesar's conspirators. On one side, the coin shows two daggers and the words Eid Mar a Latin abbreviation for the Ides of March. Between the daggers is a 'cap of liberty' that symbolises the insistence of Caesar's killers that they were toppling a tyrant who threatened the future of the Roman Empire. On the other, a portrait of Brutus is seen below an inscription of BRVT IMP, which refers to his status as a military victor. The coin was first brought to the British Museum in 1932 and the institution was offered the chance to buy it but could not afford to do so. It had been on display since 2010 after its owner released it on long-term loan. The coin features a hole that was punched shortly after it was minted, likely so that it could be worn possibly even by one of Caesar's conspirators. On one side, the coin shows two daggers and the words Eid Mar a latin abbreviation for the Ides of March The coin was first brought to the British Museum in 1932 and the institution was offered the chance to buy it but could not afford to do so Caesar's killers were led both by Brutus whose full name was and Cassius Junius Brutus and Gaius Cassius Longinus. After his murder, Brutus fled to Greece and had coins produced by a mobile military mint. The coin and what it depicted was so remarkable that it was mentioned in the writing of ancient historian Cassius Dio in the Third Century AD. Around 60 silver versions of the coin survive. Its minting has previously been described as a 'naked and shameless celebration' of Caesar's murder. Another of the remaining gold coins resides in the permanent collection of the Deutsche Bundesbank, the central bank of Germany. The third was sold at auction in October 2020 for 3.24million. Between the daggers one side of the coin is a 'cap of liberty' that symbolises the insistence of Caesar's killers that they were toppling a tyrant who threatened the future of the Roman Empire Caesar's killing was prompted by concern in the Roman senate that he would name himself king. Shortly before his death, he had been named 'dictator in perpetuity'. Caesar had, however, been popular with the lower and middle classes and the uproar in the wake of his assassination helped set in motion the fall of the Republic. The coin will be auctioned by Swiss ancient coin firm Numismatica Ars Classica at Hotel Baur au Lac, Zurich on May 30, 2022. Auctioneers expect it to fetch in excess of 1.5million. Director Arturo Russo said: 'The Eid Mar coin commemorates one of the most important moments in Western history: the assassination of the dictator Julius Caesar. 'It is extremely rare to come across an ancient coin with such exceptional provenance, a point illustrated by its inclusion in the British Museum's display for over a decade. 'We are thrilled to present the opportunity for a museum or collector to become part of the story of such a significant piece of ancient history, at our auction in May. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Tuesday pleaded with Western allies to 'close the skies' over his country, saying Russia was trying to 'annihilate' it. Zelensky received a standing ovation when he gave a virtual address to the Canadian parliament, one day before he's scheduled to address American lawmakers. It's part of personal appeal tour he's making to Western allies around the world, including London's Parliament, as he tries to turn the visual narrative he's crafted about himself and his leadership into military assistance for his country. He put the war in his country in terms the Canadians could understand, asking them what they would do if their cities were bombed, if the famous CN Tower in Ontario was hit by bombs. 'Imagine famous CN Tower in Toronto if it was hit by Russian bombs,' Zelensky said through a translator. 'This is our reality.' 'Imagine that someone is taking siege laying siege to Vancouver. Can you just imagine that for a second,' he noted. He then echoed the call he gave to London's House of Commons last week, asking for a no-fly zone over the Ukraine. 'Can you imagine when you when you call your friends - your friendly nation - and you ask please close the sky. Close the airspace, please stop the bombing, how many more cruise missiles have to fall on our cities until you make this happen,' he said. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky pleaded with Western allies to 'close the skies' over his country as he doubled down on his call for a no-fly zone in a speech to Canada's Parliament Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau stands and applauds with members of parliament following an address by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy receives a standing ovation as he appears via videoconference in the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa He noted he hopes the lawmakers can understand 'how important it is for us to close our airspace from Russian missiles and the Russian aircrafts.' And he called for increased economic sanctions. 'I hope you can increase your efforts you can increase sanctions so they don't so they will not hear a single dollar to fund their war effort,' he said. Zelenksy wore his green military fatigues when he addressed the Parliament virtually from an office location, a Ukraine flag in the background. In his short but emotional remarks, he noted the human cost his country has faced. 'Can you only imagine what words how can you explain to your children that you just fullscale aggression just happened in your country?,' he said. 'Currently we have 97 children that died during this war,' he said. The United Nations has estimated more than 500 Ukrainians have died. Russian forces are closing in on Kyiv with a curfew being put on the city. 'Every night is a horrible night,' Zelensky said. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau gave Zelensky a warm welcome, calling him a 'friend.' In return, Zelensky repeatedly referred to him as 'Justin' in his remarks. 'Volodymyr, in the years I've known you, I've always thought of you as a champion for democracy. And now, democracies around the world are lucky to have you as our champion,' Trudeau said. The Canadian PM also slammed Russian President Vladimir Putin for the invasion. 'This illegal and unnecessary war is a grave mistake. Putin must stop it now,' he said. But Trudeau, last week, said he had to personally turn down Zelensky's request for a no-fly zone when the two men spoke. 'It is something that is heartbreaking. To have to say we can do so many things to support, but the risk of escalation, the risk of spreading of involving NATO in a direct conflict if we send NATO planes over Ukraine to shoot down Russian planes,' Trudeau said of his conversation with him. Western allies have expressed concern a no-fly zone would result in an escalated fight with Russia that would drag the world into war. Zelensky's remarks could provide a preview of what he will say to American lawmakers on Wednesday, when he virtually addresses Congress. He is expected to ask Congress for more military gear as pressure is on the White House to be more aggressive in its response to Russia's invasion. Zelensky is expected to ask for help in shoring up his country's ground-based air-defense system and could make a plea for fighter jets, which the Biden administration has rejected, when he makes his video address. He will also 'name and shame' the West for not doing enough to defend his country, Politico's Playbook reported, although he's also expected to balance out his remarks with gratitude. '[Zelensky] is a heroic figure and for good reason people are giving deference to him and people want to say yes to him,' Democratic Senator Chris Murphy told reporters on Capitol Hill Monday. 'If I were Zelensky, I would ask for the moon. But it's up to us to decide what is in our national security interest,' Murphy noted. Zelensky could also ramp up pressure on lawmakers to impose a no-fly zone over Ukraine, which the Biden administration has declined to do out of concern it could escalate the situation with Russia. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will ask Congress for more military gear when he addresses lawmakers on Wednesday Ukraine soldiers inspect the rubble of a destroyed apartment building in Kyiv, as Russian forces continue to bomb the city Lawmakers have been divided on the best level of support to give Ukraine. But Congress has successfully pressured President Joe Biden and his administration to take tougher steps on Russia, including banning Russian oil and gas along with luxury goods. Ahead of Zelenksy's remarks, Speaker Nancy Pelosi ruled out a no-fly zone at an event in New York City on Monday. 'If we were to shoot down Russian planes, it would be the beginning of World War III,' she said, echoing the administration's argument that if the U.S. imposes a no-fly zone, American jets would have to enforce it, leading to potential confrontration with Russia. Zelensky offered a possible preview of his remarks on Tuesday, in a video call to British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and representatives from Baltic and northern European countries gathered in London. He expressed his frustration with NATO for refusing to implement a no-fly zone as Kyiv continues to come under fire. Russian forces have launched fresh attacks at Ukraine's capital. Zelensky accused NATO leaders of being 'hypnotised' by Russia. 'We hear a lot of conversations about the third world war, that allegedly it could start if NATO will close the Ukrainian sky for Russian missiles and planes and, therefore, the humanitarian no-fly zone was not yet established,' he said. 'That allows the Russian army to bombard peaceful cities and blow up housing blocks and hospitals and schools. 'Four multi-storey buildings in Kyiv in the early morning were bombarded, dozens of dead.' He asked for 'separate security guarantees' for his country. He also argued the tough economic sanctions the West has imposed on Vladimir Putin, his inner circle and Russian banks is not enough. He called for a full trade embargo with Russia, for Russian navy vessels to be barred from ports around the world, and for all Russian banks excluded from the Swift financial messaging system. A firefighter walks outside a destroyed apartment building after a bombing in a residential area in Kyiv Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer have pushed for aid to Ukraine but have echoed the Biden administration's line that a no-fly zone could lead to World War III Zelensky was given a standing ovation by members of Parliament when he spoke to British lawmakers last week The Ukrainian president, who is earned plaudits for his leadership of his country during the crisis, asked to speak to members of Congress directly, the Wall Street Journal reported. His speech, which will be delivered to lawmakers behind closed doors in an auditorum in the Capitol Visitors Center, will be distributed to television networks, giving him a platform to also speak to the American public as he makes his personal appeal to Congress. Lawmakers have given Ukraine financial support. The omnibus bill funding the American government included $13.6 billion in aid for Ukraine. 'Congress remains unwavering in our commitment to supporting Ukraineand to passing legislation to cripple and isolate the Russian economy as well as deliver humanitarian, security and economic assistance to Ukraine,' Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said in a joint statement announcing Zelensky's speech. And President Biden and his administration has emphasized the humanitarian assistance and equipment it has provided to the Ukraine. Officials also pointed out the harsh sanctions in place on Russia. But the Pentagon last week rejected an offer from Poland to transfer planes to the U.S. that could then be sent to Ukraine. In a letter to Biden, 42 Republican senators expressed their disappointment in the decision, writing that 'we strongly disagree with the Defense Department's decision to delay and deny Poland the option to transfer fighter jets to Ukraine.' Some Democrats also disagreed with the administration's position. Meanwhile, lawmakers this week are expected to take up legislation that will strip Russia of its preferred trade status after Biden, in conjunction with G7 leaders, said the U.S. would down grade the Kremlin's trading status. In his remarks on Wednesday, Zelensky is expected to bring the same Winston Churchill tone that he used when he spoke to British lawmakers last week as he looks to leverage his public goodwill with the assistance he wants from Congress. 'We will not give up and we will not lose. We will fight to the end, at sea, in the air, we will continue fighting for our land, whatever the cost,' he told Britain's House of Commons. 'We will fight in the forests, in the fields, on the shores, in the streets.' British lawmakers gave him a standing ovation. Amazon has announced they will invest more than $120 million to build over 1,000 affordable-housing units near its dual headquarters in Seattle and Washington, D.C. - three years after critics succeeded in killing the company's blockbuster New York City deal over concerns the tech giant was not properly investing in the communities it occupied. On Tuesday the tech giant announced they will work with Sound Transit in Washington state and the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority in D.C to build a total of 1,060 homes near four public transit sites. Amazon is also building a new corporate hub nearby in Arlington, Virginia and expanding operations in Bellevue, near the company's Seattle headquarters. The news also comes after Amazon announced they will relocate all 1,800 workers from the company's downtown Seattle office due to spiraling public safety in the area, which continues to be plagued by rising crime and homelessness. A rendering of Amazon-funded affordable housing at the New Carrollton Metro station in Maryland The two Washington state sites are in SeaTac and Bellevue, while the Maryland sites are in New Carrollton and College Park (Angle Lake Station in SeaTac pictured) Amazon's two Washington state sites are in SeaTac and Bellevue, while the Maryland sites are in New Carrollton and College Park. The move to invest $124 million in housing is the company's attempt at addressing the affordable housing crisis critics say the booming tech industry has exacerbated. 'We know that our investment in these areas brings many economic opportunities for residents in the region, but we also acknowledge that this growth needs to benefit everyone in the community,' Catherine Buell, director of the Amazon Housing Equity Fund, said in a statement. That funding comes from a commitment Amazon made in January 2021 to launch its Housing Equity Fund, a $2 billion initiative to preserve and create 20,000 affordable homes. Microsoft has also said it will spend at least $750 million toward affordable housing in the Seattle area, following years of complaints that the area's technology boom worsened an already flagging affordable housing market as both salaries and housing prices skyrocketed. The investment comes as criticism of the tech industry in progressive circles reaches a fever pitch. In 2019, sustained protests over a proposed office park in New York City scuttled the historic deal - with the project's impact on housing prices coming up as one of the opposition group's top complaints. Criticism also centered on the project's $3 billion in government incentives - a hefty sum, they argued, when the city was already dealing with spiraling crime and a homelessness crisis. Amazon is currently building a new corporate hub in Arlington, Virginia and expanding operations in Bellevue, near the company's Seattle headquarters People walk along East Pine Street during ongoing Black Lives Matter events in the 'Capitol Hill Organized Protest' (CHOP) area on June 14, 2020 in Seattle Seattle Police Department released its 2021 year-end crime report, which showed a 20 percent surge in violent crime to the highest levels in 14 years. Aggravated assaults rose 24 percent in 2021 from 2020, and robberies 18 percent Citing an increase in violent crime in the downtown Seattle area, Amazon also made the announcement Friday that it would temporarily relocate its workers from their downtown office at Third Avenue and Pine Street. 'Given recent incidents near Third and Pine, we're providing employees currently at that location with alternative office space elsewhere,' an Amazon spokesman told DailyMail.com in a statement. 'We are hopeful that conditions will improve and that we will be able to bring employees back to this location when it is safe to do so.' Amazon, which is headquartered in Seattle and has multiple offices there, employs a total of 1.1 million people in the U.S, and 75,000 in Seattle. The 1,800 employees at the downtown location are being given the 'choice of an alternate work location because of the safety concerns.' The latest spike in crime comes just months after the Seattle City Council approved a 2022 budget that cut police department spending by more than $7 million - bringing the total to $35.6 million over the past three years - and drawing criticism from residents who urged the city spend more on public safety. Most recently, there has been a rash of violent crimes, specifically in the area of Third Avenue and Pine Street, that is pushing people away from the downtown Seattle area. On February 27, a man was shot and killed at Third Avenue and Pine Street. A few days later, on Tuesday, police responded to Third Avenue and Union Street for a stabbing which led them to pursue a separate incident involving a carjacking at Third Avenue and Pine Street. The same day, homeless career criminal Alexander Jay, 40, was allegedly caught on video repeatedly throwing the victim down the stairs at a Chinatown-International District light rail station in an unprovoked attack. He was taken into custody and charged with second-degree assault, and as of Monday, remained jailed on $150,000 bail. But the final straw for many businesses to move their employees from the area or close their doors was the fatal shooting of a 15-year-old Michael Delbianco on March 2 in the 1500 block of Third Avenue, which is near where Amazon's office building is located. In its 2021 year-end report, Seattle Police said that violent crime in the city has increased by 20 percent compared to 2020- which is for the first time in 14 years. According to SPD, shootings and shots fired calls increased 40 percent (+175) from 2020 to 2021, violent crime increased 20 percent and homeless-related shootings increased 122 percent. Some reasons for homelessness Seattle have been attributed to the cost of living in the city having significantly risen in the past decade due to gentrification, lack of publicly owned affordable housing, and the economic impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. According to the Department of Community and Human Services, 40, 800 people in King County experienced homelessness at some point in 2020. That number was 45,300 people for 2019. A professional mixed martial arts fighter bragged in his Instagram story Monday night that he was able to subdue a gunman at a sushi restaurant - while apparently drunk - one year after he stopped a car thief. Kevin Holland, 29, a UFC welterweight, was at Ra Sushi in the Highland Village of Houston, Texas at around 11.30pm Monday night when a 24-year-old entered the restaurant and fired a shot into the air. Many of the nearly 50 customers in the restaurant at the time ducked for cover in the aftermath, ABC 13 reports - but not Holland. He and two of his friends, who were eating dinner at the time, quickly sprung into action to help take down the shooter before the cops even arrived on the scene. In the aftermath, Holland posted a video of the cops on the scene, saying there was a 'shoot out,' and writing 'I'm drunk and fighting, kung-fu fighting.' He added in a second video that the suspect was OK as he was taken into custody. Kevin Holland, 29, a UFC welterweight, bragged on his Instagram Story that he was able to take down a gunman while apparently drunk on Monday night In a second video, he added that the suspect is OK as he was taken into police custody Holland said he made use of his kung-fu skills to help take down the shooter One of his friends, Patrick Robinson, spoke about the action to ABC 13. 'We were eating and the next thing you know, a gunshot just popped off,' the Dallas native said. 'So everything paused and then everybody started running to get down under a table.' But, he told Click2Houston, 'We just quickly hopped on it, got to the shooter, got him down. 'He had a backpack on him,' Robinson added. 'We got the backpack away from him because we didn't know what was in the backpack. 'And pretty much everything went well from there.' By the time the cops arrived on the scene, they said, Jesus Edrai Cardiel Samaniego, 24, was already subdued and had his weapon taken away. In the aftermath, Holland posted a video of the police on the scene while standing next to Robinson, saying there was a 'shoot out,' and writing 'I'm drunk and fighting, kung-fu fighting.' He added in a second video that the suspect was OK. Samaniego is now facing possession of a stolen gun and discharge of a firearm charges. Police say he also had narcotics on him at the time of the arrest. His friend, Patrick Robinson, told ABC 13 how they sprung into action immediately after the gunman fired a shot into the air The shooting occurred at Ra Sushi in Houston, Texas at around 11.30pm when Holland and his friends were eating dinner Jesus Edray Cardiel Samaniego, 24, is now facing possession of a stolen gun and discharge of a firearm charges Police said he had narcotics on him at the time of his arrest Monday night But this was not the first time Holland displayed his real-life heroics. Last year, when he was on his way home to Texas from a UFC fight in Las Vegas, he helped apprehend a car thief. He told Bleacher Report he was on his way home in October when he noticed a car speeding out of a parking lot. Just a few moments later, he said, a man came up running behind him yelling 'Hey, he stole my car.' Holland then decided to chase after the runaway car, and when he pulled up next to it, the driver sped away. He then continued to follow the car through the area near his home, according to Bleacher Report. At one point during the chase, the driver rammed into a tree - but by the time Holland tried to approach him, the driver reversed and tried to drive towards him instead. He immediately hopped back into his car and said he noticed the alleged victim had now gotten into a truck and was also pursuing the thief. Eventually, the driver crashed into a trailer and tried to escape on foot as Holland chased him down. When he finally caught up to the thief, he said, he put his Brazilian jiu jitsu skills to use and held the suspect in place in Saginaw, Texas until the police arrived on the scene. A teenage refugee fleeing war-torn Ukraine who was allegedly gang raped by two men on board a German hotel ship has now fled to Poland because she does not feel safe in Germany. The 18-year-old woman was reportedly raped by one man after the other while living on the Oscar Wilde hotel ship in Dusseldorf, which is being used to house people fleeing Ukraine. The alleged assailants, aged 37 and 26, are from Iraq and Nigeria but also hold Ukrainian citizenship, Bild reported. Police launched an investigation into the alleged assault which took place on March 6 and arrested the two men, who remain in custody, Dusseldorf prosecutor's office confirmed on Monday. Another sex attack in Dusseldorf has been reported by a young Ukrainian man, who holds passports for both Ukraine and Morrocco, claiming to have been raped by two men. The alleged victim who went to Germany to flee from Ukraine is being housed in the Messe Dusseldorf, an exhibition hall in the west-German city. An 18-year-old Ukrainian refugee was was allegedly gang raped by two men on board a German hotel ship in Dusseldorf, which is being used to house people fleeing the Russia-waged war, has now fled to Poland because she does not feel safe in Germany (pictured, People from Ukraine queue for mobile phone cards in front of the central station in Berlin) Another sex attack in Dusseldorf has been reported by a young Ukrainian man, who holds passports for both Ukraine and Morrocco, claiming to have been raped by two men. The alleged victim who went to Germany to flee from Ukraine is being housed in the Messe Dusseldorf, an exhibition hall in the west-German city (Pictured, refugees resting in a subway hall after fleeing from Ukraine at the main train station in Berlin) He reported that he got a drink from the alleged perpetrators in the exhibition hall but remembers little for the rest of the evening. The Ukrainian man said he woke up with 'severe pain and injuries' in the genital area', with traces of sexual abuse found on his body after inspection in a hospital. The two men who were identified as suspects are reportedly holders of Ukrainian and Moroccan passports too. Alongside paying guests, more than 25 refugees were staying on the hotel ship at the time of alleged rape of the 18-year-old Ukrainian woman after fleeing the brutal Russian invasion of Ukraine last month. Since the start of the Russian invasion on 24 February, more than three million people, including over one million children, have fled Ukraine for other states in Europe, according to the UN. Since the start of the Russian invasion on 24 February, more than three million people, including over one million children, have fled Ukraine for other states in Europe, according to the UN It is almost entirely women and children making up the number who are fleeing across Ukraine's borders and concerns are growing on how to protect the most vulnerable refugees from being targeted by human traffickers or becoming victims to other forms of exploitation. It is at least the second alleged rape of a teenage Ukrainian refugee after a man was arrested in Poland last week on suspicion of assaulting a 19-year-old who had fled the conflict. A 49-year-old man was detained in Wroclaw, Poland, on Thursday after he allegedly lured the young woman in with the offer of help over the internet (pictured, people who left Ukraine rest in a temporary accommodation centre, in Korczowa, Poland) People fleeing the Russian invasion of Ukraine, receive food from volunteers at a temporary camp in Przemysl, Poland It is almost entirely women and children making up the number who are fleeing across Ukraine's borders and concerns are growing on how to protect the most vulnerable refugees from being targeted by human traffickers or becoming victims to other forms of exploitation (Pictured, people fleeing Ukraine at temporary camp in Przemysl, Poland) MP Andrea Lindholz told Bild that police must do more to 'specifically ensure the protection of Ukrainian women by checking accommodation' and warned the alleged rape on the Oscar Wilde means authorities must 'act immediately'. A police spokesperson said: 'Politicians should now do everything to ensure that such terrible cases of rape as on the hotel boat in Dusseldorf do not accumulate. The Daily Mail, Mail on Sunday and MailOnline UKRAINE REFUGEE APPEAL Readers of Mail Newspapers and MailOnline 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 Donate at www.mailforcecharity.co.uk/donate To add Gift Aid to a donation even one already made complete an online form found here: mymail.co.uk/ukraine Via bank transfer, please use these details: Account name: Mail Force Charity Account number: 48867365 Sort code: 60-00-01 TO MAKE A DONATION VIA CHEQUE Make your cheque payable to 'Mail Force' 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 'Harsh and swift punishment followed by deportation is the only language such perpetrators understand.' A 49-year-old man was detained in Wroclaw, Poland, on Thursday after he allegedly lured the young woman in with the offer of help over the internet. The suspect could face up to 12 years in prison for the 'brutal crime,' authorities said. 'He met the girl by offering his help via an internet portal.' 'She escaped from war-torn Ukraine, did not speak Polish. She trusted a man who promised to help and shelter her. Unfortunately, all this turned out to be deceitful manipulation.' Another man at a refugee camp in Poland was overheard offering work and a room to a 16-year-old girl before authorities intervened. At Poland's Medyka border, another case at a refugee camp raised suspicions when a man was offering help only to women and children. 'Obviously all the refugees are women and children,' said Joung-ah Ghedini-Williams, the UNHCR's head of global communications, who has visited borders in Romania, Poland and Moldova. 'You have to worry about any potential risks for trafficking - but also exploitation, and sexual exploitation and abuse. These are the kinds of situations that people like traffickers look to take advantage of,' she said. In countries throughout Europe, including the border nations of Romania, Poland, Hungary, Moldova and Slovakia, private citizens and volunteers have been greeting and offering help to those whose lives have been shattered by war. Police in Berlin warned women and children in a post on social media in Ukrainian and Russian against accepting offers of overnight stays, and urged them to report anything suspicious. Tamara Barnett, director of operations at the Human Trafficking Foundation, a UK-based charity which grew out of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Human Trafficking, said that such a rapid, mass displacement of people could be a 'recipe for disaster.' 'When you've suddenly got a huge cohort of really vulnerable people who need money and assistance immediately,' she said. 'It's sort of a breeding ground for exploitative situations and sexual exploitation. 'When I saw all these volunteers offering their houses, that flagged a worry in my head.' Madalina Mocan, committee director at ProTECT, an organization that brings together 21 anti-trafficking groups, said there are 'already worrying signs', with some refugees being offered shelter in exchange for services such as cleaning and babysitting, which could lead to exploitation. 'There will be attempts of traffickers trying to take victims from Ukraine across the border. 'Women and children are vulnerable, especially those that do not have connections - family, friends, other networks of support,' she said, adding that continued conflict will mean 'more and more vulnerable people' reaching the borders. President Joe Biden will go to Brussels next week to attend a special meeting of NATO leaders on Russia's invasion of the Ukraine. 'President Biden @POTUS comes to @NATO HQ next week to participate in an extraordinary meeting of the leaders of all #NATO Allies,' the U.S. Mission to NATO wrote on Twitter. White House press secretary Jen Psaki confirmed at her briefing on Tuesday that Biden would head overseas next Thursday as Russian aggression on the Ukraine continues. The president will 'discuss ongoing deterrence and defense efforts in response to Russia's unprovoked and unjustified attack on Ukraine, as well as to refer reaffirm our ironclad commitment to our NATO allies,' she said. 'He will also join a scheduled European Council Summit,' she said of the March 24th meetings taking place at NATO headquarters. She did not rule out Biden having a one-on-one meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky or going to Poland to view the refugee crisis. 'His goal is to meet in person face to face with his European counterparts and talk about necess where we are at this point in the conflict in the invasion of Ukraine by Russia,' she said. The announcement of Biden's trip comes as the heads of three governments in Eastern Europe - the Czech Republic, Poland and Slovenia travel to Kyiv to meet with Zelensky. And it follows trips by top administration officials to the region, including Vice President Kamala Harris and Secretary of State Anthony Blinken. President Joe Biden will go to Brussels next week to attend a special meeting of NATO leaders on Russia's invasion of the Ukraine NATO secretary-general Jens Stoltenberg announced on Tuesday that he was convening the special meeting. 'I have convened an extraordinary Summit on 24 March at #NATO HQ. We will address #Russias invasion of #Ukraine, our strong support for Ukraine, and further strengthening NATOs deterrence & defence. At this critical time, North America & Europe must continue to stand together,' he said. Russian forces have been closing in on Kyiv as Vladimir Putin ramps up his aggression and some commentators in Moscow called for the use of nuclear weapons to bring Ukraine to its knews. Meanwhile, Russian troops bombard areas around Kyiv, striking a residential buildings and a shopping mall on the western part of town. The city is under curfew. But both sides are talking, including about a possible cease-fire, said Mikhailo Podolyak, a Ukrainian delegate to the talks. The Biden administration has defended its work to help Ukraine, emphasizing repeatedly the humanitarian and supply assistance its provided. Officials also point out the U.S. and its allies have placed heavy economic sanctions on Putin, his inner circle, the oligarchs made billionaires through Putin's policies and Russia's banks. 'He has approved and expedited the delivery of more assistance, military and security assistance to Ukraine than any year in history,' Psaki said of Biden's actions. She outlined the $1.2 billion in assistance the U.S. has given. And the ombnibus funding the U.S. government includes an additional $13.6 billion in funding for the Ukraine. Combatting, the Russian aggression is Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who has been going a personal tour to appeal to Western nations to help his country and implement a no-fly zone over his country. The White House has ruled out a no-fly zone, saying it would have be patrolled by American fighters who could be required to fire upon Russian aircraft, which they worry would lead to World War III. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky pleaded with Western allies to 'close the skies' over his country as he doubled down on his call for a no-fly zone in a speech to Canada's Parliament A Ukraine soldier inspects the rubble of a destroyed apartment building in Kyiv after a series of Russian bombings Zelensky is addressing lawmakers in Congress in a virtual address on Wednesday. He received a standing ovation from Canadian lawmakers when he gave an emotional speech to Parliament on Tuesday. He echoed the call he gave to London's House of Commons last week, asking for a no-fly zone over the Ukraine. Can you imagine when you when you call your friends - your friendly nation - and you ask please close the sky. Close the airspace, please stop the bombing, how many more cruise missiles have to fall on our cities until you make this happen,' he said. In his remarks to Congress on Wednesday, Zelensky is expected to ask for help in shoring up his country's ground-based air-defense system and could make a plea for fighter jets, which the Biden administration has rejected, when he makes his video address. Zelensky offered a possible preview of his remarks on Tuesday, in a video call to British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and representatives from Baltic and northern European countries gathered in London. He expressed his frustration with NATO for refusing to implement a no-fly zone as Kyiv continues to come under fire. Russian forces have launched fresh attacks at Ukraine's capital. Zelensky accused NATO leaders of being 'hypnotised' by Russia. 'We hear a lot of conversations about the third world war, that allegedly it could start if NATO will close the Ukrainian sky for Russian missiles and planes and, therefore, the humanitarian no-fly zone was not yet established,' he said. 'That allows the Russian army to bombard peaceful cities and blow up housing blocks and hospitals and schools. 'Four multi-storey buildings in Kyiv in the early morning were bombarded, dozens of dead.' He asked for 'separate security guarantees' for his country. He also argued the tough economic sanctions the West has imposed on Vladimir Putin, his inner circle and Russian banks is not enough. He called for a full trade embargo with Russia, for Russian navy vessels to be barred from ports around the world, and for all Russian banks excluded from the Swift financial messaging system. The Pentagon last week rejected an offer from Poland to transfer planes to the U.S. that could then be sent to Ukraine. In a letter to Biden, 42 Republican senators expressed their disappointment in the decision, writing that 'we strongly disagree with the Defense Department's decision to delay and deny Poland the option to transfer fighter jets to Ukraine.' Some Democrats also disagreed with the administration's position. Meanwhile, lawmakers this week are expected to take up legislation that will strip Russia of its preferred trade status after Biden, in conjunction with G7 leaders, said the U.S. would down grade the Kremlin's trading status. Debris is seen on site of the destroyed Mariupol Children's Hospital as Russia's invasion of Ukraine continues, in Mariupol, Ukraine, March 9. Reuters-Yonhap Russia and Ukraine kept a fragile diplomatic path open with a new round of talks Monday even as Moscow's forces pounded away at Kyiv and other cities across the country in a punishing bombardment the Red Cross said has created ''nothing short of a nightmare'' for civilians. Meanwhile, a convoy of 160 civilian cars left the encircled port city of Mariupol along a designated humanitarian route, the city council reported, in a rare glimmer of hope a week and a half into the lethal siege that has pulverized homes and other buildings and left people desperate for food, water, heat and medicine. The latest negotiations, held via video conference, were the fourth round involving higher-level officials from the two countries and the first in a week. The talks ended without a breakthrough after several hours, with an aide to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy saying the negotiators took ''a technical pause'' and planned to meet again Tuesday. The two sides had expressed some optimism in the past few days. Mykhailo Podolyak, the aide to Zelenskyy, tweeted that the negotiators would discuss ''peace, ceasefire, immediate withdrawal of troops and security guarantees.'' Previous discussions, held in person in Belarus, produced no lasting humanitarian routes or agreements to end the fighting. In Washington, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said at a briefing Monday that while the Biden administration supports Ukraine's participation in the talks with Russia, Russian President Vladimir Putin would have to show signs of de-escalating in order to demonstrate good faith. ''And what we're really looking for is evidence of that, and we're not seeing any evidence at this point that President Putin is doing anything to stop the onslaught or de-escalate,'' she said. Ukrainian police inspect the site of a Russian bombing attack in front of a destroyed apartment building in Kyiv, March 14. EPA-Yonhap Overall, nearly all of the Russian military offensives remained stalled after making little progress over the weekend, according to a senior U.S. defense official who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the Pentagon's assessment. Russian troops were still about 15 kilometers (9 miles) from the center of Kyiv, the official said. The official said that Russian forces have launched more than 900 missiles but that Ukraine's airspace is still contested, with Russia not achieving total air superiority. Overnight, air raid alerts sounded in cities and towns around the country, from near the Russian border in the east to the Carpathian Mountains in the west, and fighting continued on the outskirts of Kyiv. Ukrainian officials said Russian forces shelled several suburbs of the capital. Ukrainian authorities said two people were killed when the Russians struck an airplane factory in Kyiv, sparking a large fire. The Antonov factory is Ukraine's largest aircraft plant and produces many of the world's biggest cargo planes. Russian artillery fire also hit a nine-story apartment building in the northern Obolonskyi District of the city, killing two more people, authorities said. And a Russian airstrike near a Ukrainian checkpoint caused extensive damage to a downtown Kyiv neighborhood, killing one person, Ukraine's emergency agency said. Kateryna Lot said she was in her apartment as her child did homework when they heard a loud explosion and ran to take shelter. ''The child became hysterical. Our windows and the balcony were shattered. Part of the floor fell down,'' she said. ''It was very, very scary.'' In an area outside Kyiv, Fox News reporter Benjamin Hall was injured while reporting and was hospitalized, the network said. In Russia, the live main evening news program on state television was briefly interrupted by a woman who walked into the studio holding a poster against the war. The OVD-Info website that monitors political arrests said she was a Channel 1 employee who was taken into police custody. A town councilor for Brovary, east of Kyiv, was killed in fighting there, officials said. Shells also fell on the Kyiv suburbs of Irpin, Bucha and Hostomel, which have seen some of the worst fighting in Russia's stalled attempt to take the capital, local authorities said. Airstrikes were reported across the country, including the southern city of Mykolaiv, and the northern city of Chernihiv, where heat was knocked out to most of the town. Explosions also reverberated overnight around the Russian-occupied Black Sea port of Kherson. Nine people were killed in a rocket attack on a TV tower in the western village of Antopol, according to the region's governor. In the eastern city of Kharkiv, firefighters doused the smoldering remains of a four-story residential building. It was unclear whether there were casualties. US warns China against helping Russia as sanctions mount Finnish support for joining NATO hits record 62%: poll Anti-war protester in studio interrupts live Russian news broadcast Verdict due Wednesday on Ukraine case vs Russia: International Court of Justice In the southern city of Mariupol, where the war has produced some of the greatest suffering, the city council didn't say how many people were in the convoy of cars headed westward for the city of Zaporizhzhia. But it said a cease-fire along the route appeared to be holding. Kharkiv residents rest as they shelter from attacks in a metro station of Kharkiv, March 10. AFP-Yonhap Previous attempts to evacuate civilians and deliver humanitarian aid to the city of 430,000 were thwarted by continuing fighting. Ukraine's military said it repelled an attempt Monday to take control of Mariupol by Russian forces, who were forced to retreat. Satellite images from Maxar Technologies showed fires burning across the city, with many high-rise apartment buildings heavily damaged or destroyed. The Kremlin-backed leader of the Russian region of Chechnya said on a messaging app that Chechen fighters were spearheading the offensive on Mariupol. Robert Mardini, director-general of the International Committee of the Red Cross, said the war has become ''nothing short of a nightmare'' for those living in besieged cities, and he pleaded for safe corridors for civilians to leave and humanitarian aid to be brought in. ''The situation cannot, cannot continue like this,'' he said. ''History is watching what is happening in Mariupol and other cities.'' A pregnant woman who became a symbol of Ukraine's suffering when she was photographed being carried from a bombed maternity hospital in Mariupol last week has died along with her baby, The Associated Press has learned. Mariupol residents including Natalia Koldash rushed to shelter inside a building Sunday as an unidentified plane passed overhead. ''We have no information at all,'' Koldash said. ''We know nothing. It looks like we are living in a deep forest.'' Associated Press video showed debris from a damaged residential building and another building that a young man named Dima described as an elementary school. ''There was no military at this school,'' he said. ''It's unclear why it was hit.'' The Russian military said 20 civilians in the separatist-controlled city of Donetsk in eastern Ukraine were killed by a ballistic missile launched by Ukrainian forces. The claim could not be independently verified. The U.N. has recorded at least 596 civilian deaths since Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24, though it believes the true toll is much higher. Millions more have fled their homes, with more than 2.8 million crossing into Poland and other neighboring countries in what the U.N. has called Europe's biggest refugee crisis since World War II. ''All day crying from the pain of having to part with loved ones, with my husband, my parents,'' 33-year-old refugee Alexandra Beltuygova said in the Polish border town of Przemysl after fleeing the industrial Ukrainian city of Dnipro. ''I understand that we may not see them. I wish this war would end,'' she said. Russia's military is bigger and better equipped than Ukraine's, but its troops have faced stiffer-than-expected resistance, bolstered by arms supplied by the West. During a meeting in Rome with a senior Chinese diplomat, U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan warned China against helping Russia. Two administration officials, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive information, said China had signaled to Moscow that it would be willing to provide both military support in Ukraine and financial backing to help stave off effects of Western sanctions, which include a fourth set of EU sanctions announced late Monday. The Kremlin has denied asking China for military equipment to use in Ukraine. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that ''Russia has its own potential to continue the operation'' and that it was ''unfolding in accordance with the plan and will be completed on time and in full.'' People retrieve belongings from an apartment in a block which was destroyed by an artillery strike in Kyiv, Ukraine, March 14. AP-Yonhap The war expanded Sunday when Russian missiles pounded a military training base in western Ukraine, close to the Polish border, that previously served as a crucial hub for cooperation between Ukraine and NATO. The attack killed 35 people, Ukrainian officials said, and raised fears that NATO could be drawn into direct conflict with Russia. A Georgia man had to launch himself off his motorcycle at the last second before it nearly sailed off the edge of an opening drawbridge in Florida, with the vehicle ultimately hanging on by just the hitch of the trailer he was pulling. The man was driving across the Main Street Bridge in Daytona Beach, Florida, around 10am on Saturday - a terrifying incident that was caught on a local traffic camera. The driver - who was identified as Mark Allen Hagen, 50, of Metter, Georgia, by the Daytona Beach News-Journal - reportedly crashed into one of the traffic arms as it was lowering to allow the bridge to rise and notify drivers to wait until it was safe, breaking it in half as he shot through onto the bridge. He can seen in surveillance footage wobbling on his bike while crossing the slick lanes on a gloomy, rainy day. Hagen was heading east across the bridge, which connects Daytona's Surfside Historic District and Orange Island Park. Seconds later he can be seen losing control of the bike and falling sideways just as bike nearly reaches the gap. He lands so hard his helmet flies off - but the motorcyclist was otherwise otherwise uninjured, police said. In the video he can also be seen rolling onto his back just as the bridge locks into place at its highest point. Mark Allen Hagen, 50, of Metter, Georgia, was driving across the Main Street Bridge in Daytona Beach on Saturday when his bike clearly crashed into the water after he crashed into a traffic arm and nearly toppled off the rising drawbridge Hagen jumped from the bike at the last second as he lost control, sliding down the bridge a little as he lost his helmet during the impact The bike held on by a thread as the tiny hitch attaching it to a small trailer kept it from plunging into the murky gray water He was later transferred to Halifax Health Medical Center with non-life-threatening injuries. His bike took the brunt end of the impact, reportedly accumulating $5,000 in damages, according to the Daytona Beach Review News-Journal. He was charged with careless driving, which carries a $166 fine. The driver told police he didn't realize the bridge was closed as he was wiping rain from his helmet when he collided with the traffic arm. The Main Street Bridge often sees drivers disregarding signs for them to stop, with many motorcycles and SUVs jumping the bridge rather than waiting for boats to pass, the Orlando Weekly reported. Daytona Beach Police later released images of the vehicle dangling, holding onto by a thin hitch attached to the small trailer he was hauling. The motorcycle faces straight down toward the water, the force of gravity from the steep incline holding the little trailer in place. The driver was seen approaching the downed traffic arms as he maintained speed. He told police he didn't notice the traffic arms, which are used to notify drivers to wait for a boat to pass, because he was wiping rain from his helmet The biker, who could barley be seen driving in the rain above, was seen hitting a traffic arm, breaking it in half as he zoomed by (left) Police warned the public that the bridge would remain closed while they inspected the incident and it did not reopen until nearly 1 p.m. 'One of the traffic arms has to be replaced and a bridge inspection must be completed before it can reopen,' the Daytona Police wrote on their social media. It advised alternative bridges. The man was reportedly in town for a motorcycle festival called Bike Week. Not only did bikers flood the streets of Daytona this week, but spring breakers as well - including many who were caught underage drinking not far away on Daytona Beach. Local reports showed groups being ticketed, including one unidentified woman who was seen with handcuffs tied behind her back after she was busted for boozing under the age of 21. She was also snapped grimacing before being led away, with deputies also targeting other underage drinkers on the beach. Another man looked thoroughly annoyed as cops poured away what appeared to be a bottle of Courvoisier brandy. Drinking alcohol is banned on Daytona Beach, unless it is at one of the licensed bars that line its sands. The bike was eventually extracted from the bridge around 1pm on Saturday and reportedly obtained around $5,000 worth of damages Other revelers were seen having a much better time, as they were soaking up the sun while day-drinking, shot-gunning beers and drinking from beer bongs while dressed in bikinis and bathing suits. Cops warned many beachgoers that local rules must be followed. Those include: no tents, coolers, or any other folding furniture that can go into the sand. Live and amplified music is also not allowed while underage drinking, as well as public intoxication on the beach and sidewalks will be prohibited. Electric or motorized scooters are also banned from being used until further notice. Police departments in the Sunshine State are facing a particularly busy time period as the Tampa Bay Times estimates that 570,000 students will be going on holiday on Florida's beaches this month and in April. Last year, there was a dismal 1,500 people a day flying to Florida and 2021 saw a crowd of about 65,000 Spring Breakers. The most hectic period of Spring Break is expected to be between March 5 and March 20. In town the same weekend were thousands of spring breakers, keeping police busy. An unidentified woman (above) was detained and cited for underage drinking on Daytona Beach after she was caught by beach patrol Russia is using secret 'decoy dart' missiles - which they have refused to export to stop the West reverse-engineering them to strike Ukrainian targets, US intelligence has claimed. Mobile rocket launchers in Russia and Belarus are believed to be shooting Moscow's Iskander-M missiles while deploying decoy systems to fool Ukrainian air defence. These dart-shaped armaments, originally thought to be cluster bombs, have been seen on social media from almost the beginning of Russia's invasion. To hit key targets, the Russian military use Iskander missiles that have a range of up to 500 kilometers, around 300 miles, and carry a much more powerful warhead that can destroy big buildings and some fortified facilities. The darts protect the Iskander rockets from air defence missiles by using heat-seeking and radar technology to fool defence systems, a U.S. intelligence officer claims according to the New York Times . They confirmed the darts used, and pictured, work with the Iskander missiles. These dart-shaped armaments, originally thought to be cluster bombs, have been seen on social media from almost the beginning of Russia's invasion The darts protect the Iskander rockets from air defence missiles by using heat-seeking and radar technology to fool defence systems, a US intelligence officer claims. This works by the darts sending out a radio signal that make the Ukrainian defence system think it is the main weapon It seems that Russian forces are using Iskander missiles in combination with darts that US intelligence thinks are very close to 'penetration aids' used in the Cold War. Some Iskander missiles were reportedly fired from the territory of Russian ally Belarus, which has served as a staging ground for the Russian invasion. Combating these short-range ballistic missiles has proved a difficult task for the Ukrainian air defence systems trying to prevent the onslaught that is targeting civilians in Kyiv and Kharkiv. First used in combat in 2008 in Georgia, the Iskander is designed to confound missile defences by flying on a low trajectory and manoeuvring in flight to strike targets as far out as 500km with an accuracy of 2-5 metres, according to the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). 'It is likely to be able to accurately target and destroy what it is being fired at,' Timothy Wright, a research analyst with the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) told Reuters. He added that Russia appears to possess around 150 launchers, which can also fire cruise missiles. Now it seems that Russian forces are using this weapon in combination with darts that US intelligence thinks are very close to 'penetration aids' used in the Cold War. A Russian Iskander-M mobile short-range ballistic missile launcher in 2019 It is also thought that even if these Ukranian defence missiles are not drawn away via the darts, the radio signals are enought to jam ground-based radars from scanning for Russian Iskander missiles It is also thought that even if these Ukranian defence missiles are not drawn away via the darts, the radio signals are enough to jam ground-based radars from scanning for Russian Iskander missiles. The base of the darts are also said to emit thermal heat by burning magnesium to attract Ukranian defence missiles. Michael Duitsman, from the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies (CNS), said: 'Generally speaking, penetration aids (PENAIDs) can work three different ways: physically, as a decoy, using its radar return; thermally, using a flare to spoof heat-seeking weapons, and electronically, spoofing or jamming radars and electronics. 'The Iskander-M PENAID does all three. 'The body's radar return adds clutter around the missile. 'The end of the PENAID has a flare to create a strong thermal signature. 'The interior of the PENAID has a radio transmitter to jam or spoof radars.' Prof Jeffrey Lewis, a non-proliferation expert at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies in Monterey, California, said these 'PENAIDS' can be released from missile ports Prof Jeffrey Lewis, a non-proliferation expert at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies in Monterey, California, said these 'PENAIDS' can be released from missile ports. He told the NYT: 'The minute people came up with missiles, people started trying to shoot them down, and the minute people started trying to shoot them down, people started thinking about penetration aids. 'We never see them because they're highly secret. If you know how they work, you can counteract them.' He thinks this might be careless by the Russians as the West including allies could bring them back and reverse engineer the decoy darts. He added: 'They're digging deep, and maybe they no longer care, but I would care if I were them.' He thinks the U.S. intelligence community is 'very excited' by the discovery. 'So we are armed. We're in a safe locations -- can't disclose where,' Rep. Cawthorn said during an interview with conservative activist Charlie Kirk Rep. Madison Cawthorn (R-N.C.) said he carried 'multiple weapons' in his wheelchair during the Capitol riot on January 6 last year, newly-unearthed video revealed on Monday. The freshman lawmaker, 26, admitted that both he and fellow pro-Trump newcomer Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) were armed that day, and that 'everyone around' him that day also had weapons. But he and Boebert assumed office three days before Donald Trump's supporters violently stormed the US Capitol in a bid to overturn President Joe Biden's electoral victory. The unearthed video comes from conservative activist Charlie Kirk's radio show. In the specific clip it appears Kirk has Cawthorn on the line at the same time rioters had breached the Capitol's initial defenses and were scaling the walls. Asked if he was safe at the moment, Cawthorn said he was, but continued: 'As you know I believe in the Second Amendment as well as a lot of other members.' 'So we are armed. We're in a safe locations -- can't disclose where,' the GOP firebrand said. In another portion of the roughly minute-long video, Kirk asked Cawthorn to confirm he and Boebert were armed. 'Thanks to you and Lauren Boebert, you guys are armed now, right? That's a new thing,' Kirk said. Cawthorn, seemingly hesitant at first, replied: 'Yes indeed, yes indeed.' 'So you know, obviously, having the wheelchair I'm able to carry many -- multiple weapons at one time,' he said. 'So you know, everyone around me is armed' The North Carolina legislator claimed 'an armed society is a polite society' -- even as rioters were shattering the US Capitol's glass windows and some wandered its halls chanting 'Hang Mike Pence' in reference to the former vice president. In the newly-unearthed clip, it appears Kirk is in contact with Cawthorn at the very moment Donald Trump's supporters were storming the Capitol 'So I feel very safe, we don't have any high nerves here. Everybody is very, very calm, very sober-minded,' Cawthorn said. It's not clear how many or what kind of weapons he or Boebert carried that day. If the Colorado representative was armed, it would mean she had lied about that fact during a Fox News interview days after the riot took place. On January 13, Boebert claimed she was unarmed when rioters broke into the Capitol and attacked existing House rules that prevent lawmakers from carrying firearms on the chamber floor. 'Some members were armed, they kind of just had this feeling to bend the rules that day,' she said of those who she claimed were armed. 'And we kind of all huddled close to the ones who did.' DailyMail.com has reached out to both of their offices for comment but has yet to hear back. Cawthorn was heavily criticized last week for disparaging Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as a 'thug' and his democratically-elected government as 'evil.' Zelensky, elected in a landslide victory in 2019, has received praise from the international community for his bravery since Russia's autocratic leader Vladimir Putin launched an invasion in Ukraine on February 24. Cawthorn said Rep. Lauren Boebert was also armed that day -- despite her claiming days after the riot that she wasn't The comments by Cawthorn not only flew in the face of those made by global leaders but also the majority of his fellow elected Republicans in Congress. 'Remember, that Zelensky is a thug,' the 26-year-old freshman Republican Congressman said in the short clip shared by WRAL from earlier this month. He appeared to be discussing the US sending military aid to Ukraine before lashing out at leaders in Kyiv -- who refused to flee the country despite reports that many are on a Russian 'kill list' including Zelensky and his family. 'Remember the Ukrainian government is incredibly corrupt and incredibly evil and it has been pushing woke ideologies,' he said. Cawthorn doubled-down on the sentiment during a local North Carolina GOP event, according to Insider. He said Kyiv's government is 'very vile' and 'well known for corruption,' sharing the same sentiment about Russia's government in an apparent attempt to distance himself from the earlier inflammatory remarks. Denmark is considering banning cigarettes by ensuring nobody born after 2010 will ever be allowed to buy them, it announced today. Currently, Danes must be 18 years old to buy cigarettes or e-cigarettes but the Scandinavian country is looking at progressively raising it in the future to stop future generations from smoking cigarettes and other nicotine products. Health Minister Magnus Heunicke told reporters: 'Our hope is that all people born in 2010 and later will never start smoking or using nicotine-based products. 'If necessary, we are ready to ban the sale (of these products) to this generation by progressively raising the age limit,' he said. It would be interesting to know what longtime smoker, Denmark's Queen Margrethe, 81, makes of all of this. It would be interesting to know what longtime smoker, Denmark's Queen Margrethe, 81, makes of Denmark stopping people born after 2010 from buying cigarettes. Pictured: Queen Margrethe in 1997 A 2001 study linked the Danish Queen's habit with rate of female deaths due to smoking but the Royal Family has long dismissed pressure for her to quit. And so far at 81, Queen Margrethe has not been known to have stopped being the so-claimed 'Ashtray Queen'. According to the Danish health ministry, around 31 percent of 15-to-29-year-olds smoke. Smoking is the main cause of cancer in the Nordic country of 5.8 million people, and responsible for 13,600 deaths per year. A 2001 study linked the Danish Queen's habit with rate of female deaths due to smoking but the Royal Family has long dismissed pressure for her to quit. Pictured: Queen Margrethe with her grandchildren in 2005 Health Minister Magnus Heunicke told reporters: 'Our hope is that all people born in 2010 and later will never start smoking or using nicotine-based products' A poll commissioned by the Danish Cancer Society showed that 64 percent of people surveyed were in favour of the Danish government's plan, and 67 percent among those aged 18-34. New Zealand in December announced a pioneering plan to ban the sale of tobacco by progressively raising the age limit as of 2027. And there is a view to ban under-25s smoking in Britain under plans by smoking Tsar, Javed Khan OBE, former CEO of children's charity Barnardo's, who is considering it as part of an independent review on how to stop Britons smoking. The report was commissioned by health secretary Sajid Javid, and Mr Khan will report his findings next month, which the government will then consider. In Denmark, the Social Democratic government said it also plans to address youths' alcohol consumption. It will raise the legal age for purchases of drinks containing less than 16.5 percent alcohol from 16 to 18. The man held in the killing of two homeless men and attacks on three others was previously found to be psychotic, not fit to stand trial, and tried to hide his prison rap lyrics in his buttocks. Gerald Brevard III, 30, was arrested Tuesday for the cold-blooded killings and shootings, some of which were caught on shocking video. Brevard has a long rap sheet including armed robbery, assault with a firearm, destruction of property and theft. His father, Gerald Brevard Jr., told DailyMail.com in a statement that his son suffers from mental illness and complained that the system has failed regarding the treatment of so many, including my son. And the son's record, reviewed by DailyMail.com, bears out that assessment. Gerald Brevard III, 30, was arrested in the early hours of Tuesday in Washington, D.C., for five shootings of homeless men in D.C. and New York The moment that Brevard was arrested at gunpoint in Washington, D.C.,was caught on camera. Brevard has avoided prison for years despite being convicted of several serious crimes including armed robbery, sexual assault and stabbing, He was ruled psychotic and incompetent to stand trial in 2019 Brevard III was subject to a psychological evaluation during a 2019 trial for unlawful entry and assault. A report from the DC Department of Behavioral Health said he had been diagnosed with Major Depressive Disorder with Psychotic Features. During an interview by a clinical psychologist he continued to present with illogical/irrational ideations, and prison staff said he demonstrated bizarre behaviors, the June 2019 report said. Dr. Teresa Grant also noted in her report that he had lodged paperwork in his buttocks that was found when he was searched at the courthouse, and Brevard told her It was my rap songs I did not want anyone to steal them. Dr. Grant concluded he was incompetent to stand trial and recommended he be sent to hospital for a month, which was granted by the judge. At this time, it does not appear that the defendant is able to make reasoned choices regarding his plea options nor is he able to consult with defense counsel in a rational manner, she wrote. There was nothing to suggest the defendant would be able to modulate his behavior in the courtroom. By July 2019 the DC Superior Court Judge found Brevard competent to stand trial, but he was released that month after agreeing to a plea deal with prosecutors. His father, Brevard Jr., 54, told the Daily Beast his son had never made disparaging comments about the homeless community and that he was always mild-mannered. Video shows the suspect walking up to ahomeless man and kicking him several times before taking out his weapon The suspect can be seen looking around to see if anyone was watching before carrying out the horrific act After prodding the man with his foot several times, the suspect walked up to homeless man and shot him dead Brevard IIIs aunt, Sheila Brevard, said her nephew was an electrician and a union member, and also worked in restaurants. Sheila, 48, said her nephew has been in and out of the judicial system, spent time in prison, and that the authorities were aware of his mental illness but had not properly treated it. She insisted that he is a good person despite his long rap sheet dating back over a decade including armed robbery and assault. Every time Ive seen or spoken with him hes always very pleasant or polite. He is a good person. What hes accused of, they didnt give us any details, she said. Its disheartening. No one wants their family member to be involved in these type of things. In a statement to DailyMail.com, the accused's father said: To the families of the victims, I extend my deepest condolences and am truly sorry for their losses. Brevard was arrested after authorities in New York and the District of Columbia released these photographs of the suspect Chilling surveillance video showed a gunman shooting a 38-year-old homeless man sleeping on Manhattan street A tip led cops to Brevard. A total of $55,000 had been put up by the Washington DC police force and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. A further $25,000 was offered by the NYPD Brevard, standing in black T-shirt in a family snap. His grandfather Gerald Brevard Sr. is seated center. In the last month, at least five homeless men wereshot - two of them fatally - and one has been found dead in what police fear may be a string of attacks by the same person I havent been provided any details regarding his arrest and I am unable to speak on that particular subject. I can, however, speak on who my son is. He is a good person and like many across the world, he suffers from mental illness. The bigger picture is not that he has mental illness, but the number of times that hes been within the judicial system and how the system has failed regarding the treatment of so many, including my son. I can only speak to the issue of the failure of the judicial system identifying that my son suffers from mental illness but not treating it. Brevard has been found guilty of a slew of violent crimes and felonies. But court records in Maryland, D.C. and Virginia appear to show he was never sentenced to prison time, instead receiving years of probation, time in mental hospitals, and fines. A Virginia court sentenced him to 12 months supervised probation for a November 2020 assault and battery. Brevard's father Gerald Brevard Jr. said the judicial system had failed his son by identifying his mental illness but not failing to treat it His August 2013 armed robbery, theft and assault with a firearm landed him with five years of probation. His aunt said that he has spent time in jail though it may have been while awaiting trial for his various criminal offenses over the last 12 years. Brevard IIIs extensive rap sheet begins in August 2010 when he pleaded guilty to malicious destruction of property in Maryland. He was fined $352.63 after a civil prosecution by the state. He was also charged with possession of marijuana, other drugs and paraphernalia in 2010. In 2012 he pleaded guilty to theft. The following year his criminality escalated to an August armed robbery, theft and assault with a firearm, to which he plead guilty and received five years probation. In September 2016, he was charged with destruction of property, a misdemeanor, which was later dismissed. In July 2018, Brevard was arrested on a charge of assault with a dangerous weapon for allegedly trying to stab someone with a knife. He was charged by DC prosecutors in November 2018 with assaulting a police officer and theft a case which led to his mental evaluation by Dr. Grant. Brevard III also took a plea deal in 2019 over an unlawful entry charge. The NYPD worked alongside police in Washington DC and the ATF, acknowledging that similar shootings have occurred in both cities The shoe of one of the homeless victims to have been killed is seen on the sidewalk inLower Manhattan New York Mayor Eric Adams listens as Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser speaks during a news conference Washington DC Metro Police and the NYPD have issued a joint statement saying they believe the same suspect is behind multiple attacks on homeless men in both cities that have, so far, left three victims dead In 2019 he was hauled into a Maryland court for a misdemeanor theft, and the next year credit card theft. In December 2020, Brevard was arrested in connection with a string of incidents, including a robbery and a sexual assault, in Virginia. He was arrested this week over the alleged 9-day spree of shootings of five homeless men, two of which resulted in death. In the early hours of Tuesday morning, Washington DC's police department confirmed officers had arrested the suspect in the city, with Metropolitan Police Department Capt. Darren Haskis saying Brevard was stopped on the 2700 block of Pennsylvania Avenue Southeast at around 3 a.m. and detained. Gerald Brevard III, 30, is pictured in a December 2020 booking photo out of Virginia Security video from a gas station shows agents with guns drawn confronting Brevard and ordering him to lie face down on the ground. The wanted man complies and is immediately surrounded by law enforcement officers, who put him in handcuffs. 'He is currently being interviewed at our Homicide Branch. Additional information will be forthcoming. Thanks to the community for all your tips,' the department said in a Tweet, Tuesday. Brevard is a suspect in three shootings in Washington and two in New York. One victim in each city died. Their identities have not been made public. NBC New York on Tuesday obtained exclusive security camera video, showing the suspect sneaking up on a 38-year-old homeless man sleeping on the street in the SoHo section of Manhattan on Saturday. In the footage, the man pulls out a gun and fires, wounding the victim. He then flees on foot. The victim of the shooting survived and on Monday returned to the scene of the crime to collect his possessions. Crystal clear images of the male suspect's face were shared on Monday evening in a joint press conference chaired by NYC Mayor Eric Adams and his DC Counterpart Muriel Bowser, as well as their respective police chiefs. Those pictures led to a tip naming Brevard. A British millionaire who drowned while swimming in the Caribbean may have consumed drugs and alcohol before taking to the water, an inquest has heard. Mark Smith, 61 was staying at a villa in St James, Barbados, and was last seen entering the sea from a beach in the Sunset Crest area on the morning of January 31 last year. His body was later found washed up on a beach at Paynes Bay, sometimes called the 'Platinum Coast', on February 2 and was then repatriated to the UK. Mr Smith had an estimated net worth of 6.8 million, having made his fortune in the construction industry. He had reportedly moved to Barbados from his 1.2 million home in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, after separating from his wife Debbie and was said to be living with a new partner. At an inquest at Sheffield Coroner's Court on Tuesday, Senior Coroner David Urpeth said three post-mortem examinations were used to determine his cause of death. Mark Smith (pictured right), 61 was staying at a villa in St James, Barbados, and was last seen entering the sea from a beach in the Sunset Crest area on the morning of January 31 last year He said they had all showed no evidence of any suspicious injuries and also demonstrated that Mr Smith had no significant medical illnesses. However, a toxicology report revealed that there was the presence of metabolised cocaine and some ethanol - meaning there was alcohol present in his body. Mr Urpeth said: 'Toxicology pointed to some possible use of illicit substances, although alcohol may also be of relevance. 'The likelihood of drowning can be increased if the individual has consumed illicit substances or alcohol prior to death.' Mr Urpeth also noted that the coroner's court and the family had worked to obtain a full toxicology report from Barbados. But despite extensive efforts, this 'has not been forthcoming' and would result in further delays. Mr Urpeth concluded that the death was accidental and described the incident as a 'tragedy'. Mark Smith had recently moved to the Caribbean from his 1.2million home in Sheffield, South Yorkshire after splitting from his wife (pictured together above) He offered his condolences to Mr Smith's ex-wife Debbie and their daughter, Chloe, who were present at the inquest. He said: 'The fact remains that Mr Smith was otherwise fit and healthy and his death is a tragedy for him and for those that he leaves behind. 'I would therefore like to offer my condolences to you both as well as any other family and friends who are simply not able to be here today. 'I know that you've worked tirelessly alongside my officer to try to get as much information to assist me. 'I'm grateful for that and I hope that today will have provided some understanding of what's been done and will hopefully provide a little bit of comfort.' The father-of-two was listed as a director of seven companies, including the Rotherham-based freight firm Keyair Ltd, where his son Oliver is also among the directors. Mr Smith, who had an estimated wealth of 6.8million in assets, had repeatedly been warned by other beach-goers not to venture into the water (File image) Mr Smith had reportedly been warned not to venture into the water by fellow beachgoers in St James, due to dangerous conditions on the day he disappeared. A witness said he had been hit by a large wave and screamed for help but could not be saved. One local was quoted by local media reports as saying: 'We screamed ''Do not go in the water". 'The man walked in the sea still and the rip current dragged him out.' A neighbour close to where Mr Smith had been staying in Barbados described the businessman as 'lovely'. 'He was a really nice guy. He would do anything for anybody,' she told local media. Two Chicago police officers who shot dead two young men last spring within days of each other following separate foot chases will not face charges because of insufficient evidence. The killings of 13-year-old Adam Toledo - the youngest person shot by police in the city for many years - and 22-year-old Anthony Alvarez within days of each other in March 2021 prompted sharp criticism of how the department handles foot pursuits, but prosecutors were unable to rule out whether the officers had acted in self-defense. Kim Foxx, Cook County state's attorney, said there was insufficient evidence to charge the officers in the deaths, which were captured on video that showed both suspects appeared to have handguns prior to the shootings. Toledo threw his gun over a fence moments before he turned and was shot; Alvarez dropped his on the grass shortly before, Chicago police said. Adam Toledo, 13, (left) was shot and killed by Chicago police on March 29, 2021; two days later, Anthony Alvarez, 22, (pictured with his daughter) was shot and killed following another foot chase Officer Eric Stillman, left, shot and killed Adam Toledo while Evan Solano, right, was responsible for shooing Anthony Alvarez, 22. Neither officer will face criminal charges Protesters are seen on April 16, 2021, calling for justice for both Toledo and Alvarez Kim Foxx, the Cook County state's attorney, is seen on February 1 at a press conference. On Tuesday she announced that charges against the two officers would not be filed The public release of the videos in April 2021 renewed calls for reform of the Chicago Police Department. But Foxx, who is known as a progressive prosecutor, ultimately said that her office could not rule out whether the cops involved had acted in self defense. And it came as videos of police confrontations put departments around the country under heavy scrutiny, especially after the footage from 2020 that helped lead to a murder conviction in the death of George Floyd. In both Chicago shootings, officers chased suspects on foot - a highly unpredictable situation that critics, including the U.S. Department of Justice, have said is dangerous for both officers and suspects and leads to too many unnecessary shootings. The deaths led to protests and calls for Chicago to adopt clear guidelines for officers on pursuits, though a policy still has not been finalized. In the Toledo shooting, police were on the scene after a gunshot detection system the city uses recorded eight shots in the area. Toledo is seen about to put his hands up, a second before he was shot and killed by Stillwell Stillman is seen bending over the body of Toledo after the shooting in Chicago's Little Village district When they arrived, the only two people they saw were Toledo and Ruben Roman, then 21, both of whom immediately started to run away. The teenager had a gun, but tossed it over a fence a split second before he raised his arm in surrender. Foxx said that the 13-year-old raised his right hand so quickly that it was impossible to determine if he had dropped the gun, or if he was leveling it at Stillman. Foxx said only 838 milliseconds elapsed between him dropping the gun, turning with his right hand raised, and being shot. In the case of Alvarez, his family sued the city of Chicago in February, saying it is partly responsible for his death because of the lack of a foot pursuit policy. Anthony Alvarez is pictured with his girlfriend Giselle Higuera and their daughter Alvarez (in the right of the picture) is seen running from police on March 31, 2021 A photo of the gun which Chicago police said Alvarez dropped shortly before he was shot dead Foxx also was critical on Tuesday of the officers in the shooting death of Alvarez, saying they created the situation that put them in danger. Alvarez was walking when officers approached him because of a traffic incident the night before. Alvarez ran away, turned a corner and fell, Foxx said. When Officer Evan Solano turned the corner, Alvarez was getting up off the ground, and it appeared to the officer that Alvarez was about to shoot him, she said. 'As he (Alvarez) began to use both hands to push himself off the ground, Officer Solano arrived at the corner of the residence and observed Mr Alvarez in a crouching position with a handgun in his right hand,' Foxx said. That led Solano, she said, to believe Alvarez 'was waiting to ambush him.' Crime in the city is also up 35 percent this year as some residents flock to the suburbs for safety SEVEN people are shot and critically-injured during single incident in crime-ridden Windy City Seven people were shot on Chicago's South Side Sunday afternoon At least seven people have been critically injured in a shooting at an intersection in Chicago. The shooting happened on Chicago's South Side near East 79th Street and South Exchange Avenue just after 3.30pm on Sunday. All seven victims were taken to various area hospitals and are said to be in critical condition. The seven shot on Sunday afternoon brings the total number of victims shot in the Windy City to 23 in a bloody weekend of violence leading to the deaths of two people. No suspects are in custody for any of the shootings or murders. 'Several people were standing outside Little Caesars Pizzeria. They began talking to the people in a car which pulled up alongside them when the shooting started. We don't know if they were targeted or if it was just an altercation,' said Chicago Police Superintendent David Brown. Superintendent Brown 'Its always a big deal,' he added. 'One shooting is one too many. Whether it was targeted or an altercation it is unacceptable. We are going to put all our efforts towards bringing those people involved to justice.' The figures are similar to those experienced last weekend when 20 people were shot, one fatally. Advertisement But Tim Grace, an attorney who represented Solano as well as the other officer, Eric Stillman, said Foxx's criticism in the shooting of Alvarez was unfair. 'Police have the duty to enforce the law and the idea that someone can break the law, drive without a license and run from the police is wrong,' he said. 'If you don't want (police officers) to enforce the law, just tell them.' The prosecutor said she met with families of both Toledo and Alvarez earlier Tuesday. In meeting with the Alvarez family and their attorney, Foxx said the family was 'unmistakably heartbroken' and had 'many, many questions' about how officers approached him, including why they did not come to their house if they knew they were looking for him. Foxx also described Toledo's family as 'heartbroken.' In a statement, attorneys for the family said they are 'profoundly disappointed' that Stillman will not face criminal charges and that they are pursuing a civil case against Stillman and the city. 'Officer Stillman's use of deadly force was excessive and posed a threat to the safety of Adam and others,' attorneys Adeena Weiss Ortiz and Joel Hirschhorn said. 'We will be contacting the Department of Justice Civil Rights Division to address this horrific travesty.' Foxx said the officers in both cases demonstrated they feared for their lives at the moment they fired. But she added she has 'deep concerns' about the Chicago Police Department's foot pursuit policy in both cases. The city has said it is reviewing the policy. 'I think in the instances we've seen, especially with Mr Alvarez, we have to ask ourselves, was this worth the effort?' Foxx said. After the shootings last year, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot demanded the police department come up with a clear foot pursuit policy - something that has been discussed for years but has not happened. Chicago police now say they are finalizing a policy, though one still is not in place. In some other cities, officers are given clear guidance about when and under what conditions to pursue people by foot. Foxx said she believes there is 'a full awareness' among Lightfoot, police Superintendent David Brown and the head of the Civilian Office of Police Accountability that new guidance on foot pursuits is needed. 'I think the deaths that we have seen, the risk to our officers, absolutely necessitates that we have a foot pursuit policy that keeps everyone safe,' she said. Stillman, the officer who fatally shot Toledo, is on active duty and Solano has been relieved of his police powers pending the results of internal investigation by the department, according to CPD spokesman Tom Ahern. The horrific moment a California woman was shot dead by police as she stabbed a sheriff's deputy with a butcher knife, after threatening another officer with what appeared to be a different knife, while being evicted was captured in video. Police bodycam footage shows San Diego Sheriff's deputy Jason Bunch serving 47-year-old Yan Li with an eviction notice at her Acqua Vista Condominiums apartment unit on March 3. 'Hi, here's a notice to evict, okay? A notice to...' Bunch tells Li before realizing she is holding what appears to be a cleaver, or butcher knife, in her right hand and pulling his weapon. 'Put the knife down, put the f****** knife down... Now. Drop the knife. You're going to get shot. If you come at me with that knife, I will shoot you. Don't make me this, don't make me shoot you,' he warns Li. The redacted video shows Li asking Bunch, 'how could I know that you are not an intruder?' She throws the eviction papers on the floor and talks indistinctively before slamming her door shut. Another sheriff's deputy attempted to talk with Li through the door and a K-9 unit was called to de-escalate the situation, police said. Officers then barged inside Li's fifth-floor unit and found her barricaded inside her bedroom and holding a chef's knife - a seemingly different knife than the one she had opened the door with. Law enforcement officers who fired at Li were identified by police as deputies Javier Medina and David Williams, Sheriff's Sgt. Daniel Nickel and officer Rogelio Medina. Li's lifeless body could be seen on video, as one officer answers that he had been stabbed when Bunch asks if anyone was injured. The K-9 unit officer was stabbed in the chest by Li, police said. He was treated at UC San Diego Medical Center and was discharged that same day. Scroll down for video Forty-seven-year-old Yan Li was fatally shot by police after she stabbed one San Diego police officer with what appeared to be a butcher's knife. One K-9 unit officer was stabbed in the chest by Li, police said. He was treated at treated at UC San Diego Medical Center and discharged that same day Li initially slammed her door shut. Officers barged inside her unit and she charged at them After, Deputy Bunch serves Li with the eviction papers, he can be heard becoming increasingly distraught as he realizes she is holding a butcher's knife. Li then accuses Bunch of being a fake police officer, asking where his badge is before and throwing the eviction papers on the floor. Li had reportedly threatened the building's manager and a maintenance worker before deputies arrived at the scene, but it is unclear if they had knowledge of the incident. 'While the deputies were waiting for additional resources, an employee in the building told them the same woman threatened a maintenance worker with a knife the previous day,' SDPD Lt. Matt Dobbs told NBC. 'The deputies attempted to communicate with [her] for approximately 45 minutes but were unable to gain her cooperation.' A sheriff's deputy officer attempted to talk with Li through the door and a K-9 unit was called to de-escalate the situation, police said Law enforcement officers who fired at Li were identified by police as deputies Javier Medina and David Williams, Sheriff's Sgt Daniel Nickel and officer Rogelio Medina Li's lifeless body could be seen on video, as one officer answered he had been stabbed when Bunch asked if anyone was injured The incident at the apartment complex on the 400 block of West Beech Street is being investigated, while the four officers who fired the shots have been placed on desk duty About 50 minutes later, they entered the apartment using a set of keys. Police said that there was probable cause to arrest Li for assault with a deadly weapon, as she posed a threat to public safety. The incident at the apartment complex on the 400 block of West Beech Street is being investigated, while the four officers who fired the shots have been placed on desk duty following protocol. They appeared to have initially shot Li with less-lethal 'bean bag' bullets, before repeatedly firing real bullets when she wasn't deterred, as video showed her bleeding through her clothes. 'This is just a classic example of unnecessary escalation of a conflict resulting in a lawful shooting,' civil rights attorney John Carpenter told the San Diego Tribune 'The (deputy's) job was done, he's a process server ... you serve the process and then leave.' Carpenter also criticized law enforcement for failing to promptly de-escalate the situation, remarking that Li was evidently a 'woman in crisis.' 'That's information they learned after the service was complete,' he added. 'They hadn't gone there to investigate an ongoing call for an assault with a knife.' Trapped in a dingy cellar, these are the desperate mothers and children issuing a heartbreaking appeal to be saved as Russian bombs rain down upon them in in the southern Ukrainian city of Mariupol. After almost two weeks of constant Russian bombardment, lawyer Victoria Konovalov pleads to the world to help evacuate the group of 20 women, children and old people she is with who have been sheltering without heating or water. With the sounds of sobbing children in the background and her voice trembling with fear, Ms Konovalov cries: 'We are in Mariupol. Today is March 13th. We are in the cellar. Desperate mothers and children issued a heartbreaking appeal to be saved. They are trapped in a dingy cellar as Russian bombs rain down upon them 'There are 20 children and senior [old] people. We don't have food, first aid and vital supplies. Shops and pharmacies are destroyed.' In the video, which was circulated on social media she adds: 'We do not have [heating] gas and water supplies. Military planes are flying above us dropping bombs. 'Please organise a humanitarian corridor for us! Please help us! 'Please help our children to escape from here!' Since being surrounded by Russian troops soon after the start of the war, gas, running water and electricity in Mariupol has been cut off. The Black Sea port city finds itself at the centre of a growing humanitarian crisis, as food and medical supplies run out and aid is not being allowed in. The city has been under constant Russian shelling, with an estimated 350,000 residents trapped inside it. The local authorities say the war there has left at least 2,400 civilians dead, but even they acknowledge that this is an underestimate. According to reports, hundreds of civilians are also crammed into the basement of a large public building many of them developing severe medical problems and running short of food and clean drinking water. After almost two weeks of constant Russian bombardment, lawyer Victoria Konovalov (pictured) pleads to the world to help evacuate the group of 20 women, children and old people she is with who have been sheltering without heating or water There was some relief for beleaguered residents after 2,000 left Mariupol with another 2,000 waiting to leave but no aid was allowed in. It is not known if Ms Konovalov and others with her in the video are amongst those who have managed to flee to safety. Last week, after the city's maternity hospital was bombed by Russian forces, which was described as a war crime, Mariupol's mayor called on the global community to impose a no-fly zone over Ukraine in an attempt to halt the destruction of his country. Drone footage has captured the moment Russian missiles hit buildings in the besieged southern Ukrainian city of Mariupol which has been encircled by Moscow's forces for a week and a half A second piece of footage shows a string of high-rise buildings burning next to a row of charred structures that appear to have already been hit by Russian missile strikes in Moscow's relentless bombardment of the city Another clip shows plumes of black smoke rising above Mariupol while flashes of artillery fire continue to light-up the small port city, which has experienced some of the worst suffering of Moscow's 19-day war The drone also captured a tank being obliterated in a close-quarter skirmish, leaving the vehicle engulfed in a red-hot blaze and a thick cloud of black smoke A woman walks past building obliterated by Russian shelling in the southern Ukrainian port city of Mariupol on Sunday, March 13 People walk past a crater from the explosion in Mira Avenue, or Avenue of Peace, in Mariupol, Ukraine on Sunday, March 13 People look at a burning apartment building in a yard after shelling in Mariupol, Ukraine, on Sunday, March 13 In a plea to world leaders, Mariupol Mayor Vadym Boichenko begged: 'Today I am asking the global community for help. Close the sky over Ukraine. Our will has not been broken, we will fight to the end. 'We have motivated soldiers and officers who defend our homeland. But today we need support.' Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky has also echoed the sentiments of Mr Boichenko and pleaded with Western allies to 'close the skies' over his country, saying Russia was trying to 'annihilate' it. He issued his appeal during a virtual address to the Canadian parliament and one day before he's scheduled to address American lawmakers. He urged: 'Can you imagine when you when you call your friends - your friendly nation - and you ask please close the sky. Close the airspace, please stop the bombing, how many more cruise missiles have to fall on our cities until you make this happen.' Social media users fired broadsides at the Kremlin after a Russian official made the outlandish demand for the U.S. to return Alaska and California's Fort Ross to the war-hungry Putin regime. Oleg Matveychev, a 'spin doctor' for Russian President Vladimir Putin, demanded that Washington 'return all Russian properties, those of the Russian empire, the Soviet Union and current Russia, which has been seized in the United States, and so on' during an appearance on Russian state news on Sunday. Many on social media were quick to mock the Duma member's dumbfounded demands, which also included handing over the Antarctic because, as Matveychev said, Russia 'discovered it, so it belongs to us.' One Twitter user with the handle odyssues55 laughed at the demand, tweeting: 'So Russia wants us to GIVE back Alaska? HAHAHAHA. 'Pay the price b***hes. We paid $7.2 million in 1867. Adjusted for today's dollar that's $138,024,000. Plus all of the infrastructure (improvements) we have made - lets just call it $10 billion.' Another Twitter user with the handle OSFP wrote: 'Your country doesn't have that many rubles to buy it back,' referencing the fact that Russian currency crashed to seven-tenths of 1 American cent after the Kremlin's invasion of Ukraine last month. The Kremlin's call for American reparations were nearly as useless as the sanctions the Russians announced on President Joe Biden, his son Hunter Biden, Hilary Clinton and other US officials. Kremlin 'spin doctor' Oleg Matveychev shared a list of demands on Russian state TV, including that America give back Alaska and California's Fort Ross, both originally Russian settlements Many were quick to mock Russia's demands on social media as they were quick to point out that the US legally purchased Alaska from Russia in 1867 Russia's colonial past in North America: The Empire's outposts in Alaska, California and Hawaii in the 18th and 19th centuries The Russian Empire had a significant foothold in North America during the 19th century, history shows. Its first colony on the continent was founded in Alaska in 1784, named Three Saints Bay. There began the Russian-American Company, a trading group chartered by Czar Paul I in 1799 which drove the Empire's expansion in North America. The Russian ruler envisioned a monopoly that would trade furs with natives of the region as well as expand the empire's colonial territory. The Russian-American company built Fort Ross, less than three hours outside of modern-day San Francisco, in 1812. The settlement was sold into private hands in 1841, after its rich marine life had been depleted and residents found the conditions for farming difficult. In 1815 and 1816 the company struck a deal with the Kingdom of Hawaii to open three short-lived outposts on its islands. The Russians were thrown out of Hawaii in 1817 after locals revolted against them for building a fort and raising a Russian flag on their territory. Alaska, Russia's final North American territory, was sold to the US in 1867 during Andrew Johnson's presidency for $7.2 million -- which would be approximately $144.4 million in 2021. Advertisement The first Russian colony on Alaska was founded in 1784, named Three Saints Bay. There began the Russian-American Company, a trading monopoly chartered by Czar Paul I in 1799 which drove the Empire's expansion in North America. Alaska was sold to the US in 1867 during Andrew Johnson's presidency for $7.2 million - which would be approximately $144.4 million in 2021. Another Twitter user with handle AmoungHounds joked, 'Sure, let's give France half of America back, while we're at it,' referencing the Louisiana Purchase when America bought 828,000-square miles of land from France back in 1803. A Twitter user with the name Nice Stories also noted the irony in Russia's demands, writing, 'I thought Russia wanted Alaska gone? They sold it to the U.S. and commentators thought the U.S. was dumb for buying it.' Twitter user Janice Hough joked, 'Could we offer them Florida instead.' Gesare Chife, another Twitter user, chimed in with a timeless joke format: 'Russia called, they want Alaska back.' A Twitter user with the name Chris slammed Russia for making the demand following its invasion of Ukraine, tweeting: 'Alaska was bought from Russia. But then again Russia appears to take what it wants.' Angie Fryer, another Twitter user, also laughed at the idea of returning Fort Ross, a small Russian settlement established outside modern-day San Francisco in 1812. 'Haha. Fort Ross is a park with a museum/gift shop,' Fryer tweeted. 'Hilarious.' Chuck Clark, a Twitter user from Alaska, also joked about the demands, writing, 'Not so funny for those of us that live here! I don't speak Russian nor like vodka!' Another Twitter user with the handle Twichyb summarized the demands a 'crazy talk.' 'Reparations for sanctions or a bullet to the head? They're taking back Antarctica because "we found it, it's ours". I guess Alaska too. 'At least Sarah Palin can let us know when they get here,' the Twitter user said, referencing jokes that former Alaskan Governor Sarah Palin could see Russia from her house. The Kremlin was also ridiculed after it placed sanctions on President Joe Biden, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley, National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan, CIA Director Bill Burns, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki, Deputy National Security Advisor Daleep Singh, USAID Administrator Samantha Power, Biden's son Hunter Biden, former-Press Secretary Hilary Clinton, Deputy Secretary of Treasury Wally Adeyemo and President of Export-Import Bank of the US Reta Jo Lewis. Hilary Clinton poked fun at the sanction placed against her on Tuesday morning Others joined Clinton in laughing off the sanctions as they would amount to little punishments against the 13 individuals named in the supposed penalty White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki mocked Russian attempts to sanction President Joe Biden, claiming Moscow may have accidentally sanctioned his late father Press Secretary Jen Psaki laughed off the sanctioned placed against her and President Joe Biden, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley, Hilary Clinton, Hunter Biden and others, saying none of them would be affected by it. 'None of us are planning tourist trips to Russia and none of us have bank accounts that we won't be able to access, so we will forge ahead,' Psaki said in a sarcastic tone. She added that Russian officials seemed to have placed the sanctions against the president's late father, as Biden is a 'junior,' which was not noted in the Russian list. Clinton, a long-time critic of Putin, also poked fun at the sanctions placed against her. 'I want to thank the Russian Academy for this Lifetime Achievement Award,' she said in a tweet. Others on Twitter joined in the mockery with one Twitter user with the name Jay writing, 'Russia has been cut off from world trade. Isn't a sanction from Russia completely pointless at this point?' Russia ran several settlements in North America during the 19th century, among two of the most prominent being California's Fort Ross and various colonies in Alaska Julie London Ferguson, another Twitter user, added that with the exception Hunter, the only person on the list who has not served as a federal government official, the list was actually one of 'patriots.' Another Twitter user with handle name Stas Bey simply posted laughing emojis in reaction to the sanctions. In a statement, the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it was acting 'in response to a series of unprecedented sanctions' and was imposing its own measures 'on the basis of reciprocity.' The ministry said its actions were an 'inevitable consequence of the extremely Russophobic course taken by the current US Administration, which, in a desperate attempt to maintain American hegemony, has relied, discarding all decency, on the frontal constricting of Russia.' It comes amid a growing wave on anti-U.S. propaganda from the Kremlin and other public figures after weeks of mounting economic pressure on Russia. Europe must protect its own security by helping Ukraine defend itself against Russia, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy told a meeting of Joint Expeditionary Force leaders in London via video link on Tuesday, urging them to send more weapons. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is hosting a summit of Nordic and Baltic leaders to discuss European defence and security. "We all are the targets of Russia and everything will go against Europe if Ukraine won't stand so I would like to ask you to help yourself by helping us," Zelenskiy told the leaders. "You know the kind of weapon we need ... without your support it would be very difficult I'm very grateful but I want to say that we need more ... I do hope that you will be able to enhance that scope and you will see how this will protect your security, your safety." (Reuters) Advertisement Spanish officials have issued extremely poor air quality ratings for a large swathe of the country after a mass of hot air from the Sahara dumped dust after crossing the Mediterranean with weather experts warning the UK could be next. The dust cloud, which was caused by Storm Celia, has resulted in a number of eerie videos and photographs being shared online which depict orange-tinged landscapes across the country. Spain's national air quality index qualified the capital and large parts of the south-east coast as 'extremely unfavourable' - its worst rating. Spain's weather service described the dust storm from the Sahara as 'extraordinary and very intense', while adding that it was unclear if it was the worst episode of its kind on record. Meanwhile weather experts have predicted that eastern parts of the UK could also be affected by the cloud of dust this week. BBC weather presenter Carol Kirkwood said the poor air quality could be felt in Britain as soon as Wednesday. Spain issued extremely poor air quality ratings for a large swathe of Spain Tuesday after a mass of hot air from the Sahara dumped loads of dust after crossing the Mediterranean. Pictured: An orange sky is seen over a building in Navares, Spain Sky with reddish tones due to the arrival of Saharan dust, on 14 March, 2022 in Navares, Caravaca de la Cruz, Murcia, Spain Sky with reddish tones due to the arrival of Saharan dust, on 14 March, 2022 in Navares, Caravaca de la Cruz, Murcia, Spain She said: 'There has been very poor air quality today in parts of Spain, and it could well affect us in the southeast and East Anglia on Wednesday. 'So if you wake up on Wednesday and your car is covered in orange dust, you'll know where it comes from and why.' Dr Andy Whittamore, Clinical Lead at Asthma UK, said if the dust cloud was to hit the UK it could put millions of people at risk and urged people with asthma to make sure they travelled with their inhaler at all times. In a statement he said: 'Saharan dust could pose a serious risk to the 5.4million people in the UK with asthma. Dust and other types of air pollution are a well-known trigger for people with asthma. 'Toxic air can leave people struggling for breath and can cause wheezing, coughing, shortness of breath and even a life-threatening asthma attack. 'People with asthma must make sure they carry their reliever inhaler (usually blue) with them at all times in case their symptoms worsen. Madrid woke up with an unusual meteorological phenomenon generated by a high amount of dust coming from the Sahara Tourists visit Puerta del Sol square as storm Celia blew sand from the Sahara desert over Madrid, Spain, March 15, 2022 Pictured: People are seen as dust from the Sahara Desert blown by storm Celia affects the city in Madrid earlier today Pictured: A vehicle covered by dust from the Sahara Desert blown by storm Celia is seen in Madrid, Spain, on March 15 View of the Almeria fortress covered in orange as result of the airbone dust from Sahara desert in Almeria, southeastern Spain Pictured: A former Swiss Air Force jet fighter Mirage 2000 is placed on display in front of the entrance of the Swiss Army at Payerne Air Base as Sahara sand colours the sky in orange and creates a special light atmosphere, Switzerland, earlier today Sahara dust drifts over central Switzerland near Mount Brisen and the village of Stans in the canton of Nidwalden, Switzerland 'We also advise people with asthma to continue to manage their condition with their preventer inhaler (usually brown) as this will help to reduce the inflammation in their airways and make them less likely to react to asthma triggers.' Spain's weather service predicts that the dust will continue to accumulate through until Wednesday and could reach northwards as far as the Netherlands and north-western Germany. Many Spaniards awoke on Tuesday to find a layer of red dust covering terraces, streets and cars. The sky in the capital of Madrid and other cities had a gritty tinge to them. Visibility in Madrid and cities like Granada and Leon was reduced to 2.5 miles, the weather service said. Emergency authorities have recommended citizens use face masks if they go outside, and avoid outdoor exercise. The Climatology Laboratory research unit at the University of Alicante is sharing updates on the situation and has issued advice to those living in areas impacted by the dust. Pictured: The orange sand from Sahara that fell overnight covering the snow, in Piau-Engaly ski resort, southern France A skier looks on as sand from Sahara felt overnight covering the snow, in Piau-Engaly ski ressort, southwestern France Pictured: People at the San Nicolas viewpoint in Granada with the Alhambra in the background blurred by Saharan dust In a recent Facebook post, they wrote: 'We insist again that given these concentrations of suspended particles it is quite advisable to wear the mask on the street, especially people who suffer from respiratory diseases. 'We also do not recommend long-term outdoor activities.' The wave of hot air has also affected the air quality in areas north of Madrid, as far west as in Spain's Canary Islands in the Atlantic Ocean, where these events are more frequent, and in the Balearic Islands in the Mediterranean. The weather service said that the mass of hot air from Africa, which was brought in by a storm that delivered some much-needed rain for drought-hit Spain, has also pushed up temperatures in some areas to 20C. Ruben del Campo, a spokesman for Spain's weather service, said that while it was unclear if climate change had a direct link to this episode, the expansion of the Sahara desert over the past century has increased the potential for larger dust storm events in Europe. He also said that the increasingly turbulent weather patterns linked to climate change could play a part. 'There are many concerns regarding the impact that climate change is having on the patterns of the frequency and intensity of the storms that favour the arrival of dust to our country,' Mr del Campo said. The top U.S. general in the Middle East on Tuesday said that Iran remained the greatest threat to the region and that it had 3,000 ballistic missiles, some of which could reach as far as Israel's Mediterranean city of Tel Aviv. Appearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee, Gen Frank McKenzie laid out the biggest challenges in the region and said only a handful of fighters appeared to have taken up Russia's call for Syrians to fight in Ukraine. But he said Iran represented the biggest day-to-day danger to regional security and would become much more dangerous if it were able to acquire nuclear arms. 'My concern is, first of all, that they not have that nuclear weapon but I am also very concerned about the remarkable growth in number and efficiency of their ballistic missile force, their [unmanned aerial vehicle] program, their long-range drones and their land-attack cruise missile program,' he said. 'All of those concern me.' Talks to bring Iran and the U.S. back into a nuclear deal have stalled in Vienna. Critics of a possible agreement fear it would lift sanctions without tackling Tehran's growing missile capability. 'They have over 3000 ballistic missiles of various types, some of which can reach Tel Aviv - to give you an idea of range,' said McKenzie. 'None of them can reach Europe yet, but over the last five to seven years they have invested heavily in their ballistic missile programme. 'Their missiles are of greater - significantly greater - range and significantly enhanced accuracy.' Gen. Kenneth McKenzie, commander of Centcom, said Iran now has 3,000 ballistic missiles which can reach Tel Aviv, on the Mediterranean coast of Israel Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps last month unveiled a new missile - the 'Khaibar-buster' - with a range of about 900 miles Iran's arsenal was on display at the weekend when missiles slammed into a U.S. Army base and a Kurdish news channel office in Erbil, Northern Iraq in retaliation for an Israeli attack The danger of Iran's arsenal was on full display at the weekend when its rockets smashed into a U.S. Army base and a Kurdish news channel office in Erbil, Northern Iraq. Iran later claimed responsibility, saying it mounted the attack in retaliation for an Israeli strike in Syria that killed two members of its Revolutionary Guard last week. No one was hurt in the attack on Erbil. Last month, Iran unveiled the latest weapon in its arsenal. The Khaibar-buster, a reference to a Jewish castle overrun by Muslim warriors led by Prophet Mohammed in the early days of Islam, has a range of 900 miles and runs on solid fuel, state media reported. On Tuesday, McKenzie was making his final committee appearance before retiring. His final year was marked by the turbulence of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, when he was head of U.S. and N.A.T.O forces in the country. He was also responsible for the botched drone strike that targeted innocent civilians, killing seven children and three adults in Kabul. His last days in the job have seen world attention focus on Russia's invasion of Ukraine. And he was asked for his assessment of Moscow's appeal to Syrians to join the fight, after the Kremlin claimed it was recruiting 16,000 fighters from the Middle East. 'We believe that out of Syria there are perhaps small, small, very small groups of people that may be trying to make their way to Ukraine but I've got nothing beyond that and I can talk a little more about that in the closed session,' he said, referring to a private hearing that followed the public hearing. 'Right now, it's a very small trickle.' During the course of the hearing he also said he believed the U.S. would provide Egypt with F-15 aircraft, amid a long-running dispute about human rights. 'I think we have good news in that we're going to provide them with F-15s, which was a long, hard slog,' said McKenzie. McKenzie also said he believed the U.S. would provide Egypt with F-15 aircraft, amid a long-running dispute about human rights He offered no further details such as timeframe or how many aircraft would be sold. The State Department has not publicly announced a fighter sale to Egypt, and the proposal must go to Congress, where some lawmakers are expected to try to block any sale. In January, Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced he was withholding some $130 million in military aid because of human rights concerns. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, a former Army chief, has been criticized for crushing dissent since coming to power after leading the 2013 ouster of elected President Mohamed Morsi of the now-banned Islamist party, the Muslim Brotherhood. U.S. officials have said the American relationship with Egypt is complex. The most-populous Arab country is a vital ally and key voice in the Arab world. U.S. military officials have long stressed Egypt's role expediting the passage of U.S. warships through the Suez Canal and granting overflight for American military aircraft. A Mexican man who entered the U.S. illegally is looking at life in prison after he pleaded guilty to the 2018 murder of a crew member and hammer attack of two others aboard a scalloping boat off the coast of Massachusetts. Franklin Freddy Meave Vazquez, 31, pleaded guilty to one count of second-degree murder, one count of attempted murder and one count of assault with a dangerous weapon during a hearing last Wednesday in a Boston federal court. The Mexican national is expected to be sentenced June 28 by U.S. District Court Judge Allison D. Burroughs. He could get life in prison and $250,000 fine for the murder charge and a maximum sentence of 20 years for attempted murder; Meave Vazquez can also be deported to Mexico after completing any of the three sentences he is facing. The harrowing incident took place September 23, 2018, when Meave Vazquez and six other crew members were sailing in The Captain Billy Harver vessel, about 55 miles off the coast of Nantucket. Meave Vazquez was inside the shucking house when he struck the first crew member, identified as Victim A, in the head with a hammer, knocking him out unconsciously, according to the Department of Justice. He then headed to the boat deck where he stabbed a second individual, identified as Victim B, multiple times with a long fillet knife, authorities said. Meave Vazquez then attacked his third target, Victim C, who was climbing up from the ice hold, delivering a blow to the person's head with a hammer that made him fall of the ladder. The three remaining crew members, including the boat captain, attempted to detain Meave Vazquez before he was able to climb to the top of the rigging mast. Franklin Freddy Meave Vazquez pleaded guilty last Wednesday in a Boston federal court to the September 2018 murder of a crew member aboard a boat off the coast of Massachusetts. He is facing up to life in prison, when he is sentenced June 28 Franklin Freddy Meave Vazquez, who entered the United States illegally, can be deported to Mexico after completing any of the three sentences he is facing A crew member was killed and two others were seriously injured after Mexican national Franklin Freddy Meave Vazquez went on a rampage as the scalloping boat was sailing 55 miles off the coast of Massachusetts on September 23, 2018 The vessels captain placed a call on the distress channel, and the German cruise ship Mein Schiff 6 responded, taking two injured fishermen on board, prosecutors said. The crew member with stab wounds was pronounced dead by the ships doctor. Meave Vazquez remained at the top of the mast until the U.S. Coast Guard arrived that evening and took him into custody. Following the attack, authorities released audio of a mayday call to the Coast Guard, which revealed the immediate aftermath of the fishing boat attack. 'Mayday, mayday, mayday!' the Virginia-based vessel is heard calling. 'We have a man gone crazy here on the boat!' The captain relays his position and continues: 'We have one man, I don't know if he's dead or what. But one of the crew members went crazy and he started hitting people in the head with a hammer.' 'I got three men that's injured right now, one I can't wake him up. I don't know if he's dead or not.' Meave Vazquez could serve up to life in prison, five years of supervised released and a $250,000 fine for the second-degree charge. The attempted murder charge carries a sentence of up to 20 years in jail, three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. He could spend up to 10 years in prison, get three years of supervised release and pay a $250,000 fine if he is found guilty of the assault charge. Mexican national, Franklin Freddy Meave Vazquez (pictured with his wife), is looking at life in prison after he pleaded guilty last Wednesday to the September 23, 2018 murder of a crew member aboard a scallop vessel off the coast of Nantucket. He reportedly married the 20-year-old daughter of a Virginia couple to secure U.S. citizenship in 2017 According to the Department of Justice, Meave Vazquez had entered the United States illegally and will be eligible for deportation once he completes any of the three the sentences. Meave Vazquez was granted DACA protection in 2013 but a renewal petition was rejected for abandonment in 2016. He previously avoided deportation proceedings after assaulting his then 20-year-old wife at his Newport News, Virginia, home on March 8, 2018. The couple met through a mutual friend in May 2017 before exchanging vows the following month. Shelby McDannold and Linsay McDannold told Fox News following Meave Vazquezs murder charge arrest that they had questioned their daughter about his legal immigration status. Franklin Freddy Meave Vazquez was granted DACA protection in 2013 but a renewal petition was rejected for abandonment in 2016 Franklin Freddy Meave Vazquez could be sentenced to life in prison for the 2018 murder of a scalloping boat crew member. It carries five years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine He is also looking at a maximum sentence of 20 years for the attempted murder charge, as well as three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000 McDannold said that his daughter thought that Meave Vazquez was a U.S. citizen. Meave Vazquez attacked his wife while attempting to secure her Social Security number, which she refused to provide so that he could complete his citizenship documents. Linsay McDannold said her son-in-law assaulted her daughter and strangled her and held her against the wall. He was arrested a day after the assault on a charge of forcible abduction. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) attempted to detain Meave Vazquez but a judge released him from custody in April 2018 after he met a $20,000 bond. Relief could be in sight for millions of Australians paying a heavy price at the bowser. The cost of petrol could finally drop, despite fears skyrocketing prices will continue to soar due to global pressures, including the Russian invasion of Ukraine and countries bouncing back from the Covid-19 pandemic. A significant drop in oil prices globally in recent days has experts hopeful the cost of fuel will follow suit. The price of Mogas95, the benchmark fuel used by Australia plummeted by $24 a barrel five days ago. Talks by the United Arab Emirates to increase oil production has also sparked hope. The price of oil has plummeted in recent days, bringing hope that fuel prices will do the same 'We are hoping if it is sustained, then motorists will see some significant relief. But things are so volatile globally, the reverse can happen,' NRMA spokesman Peter Khoury told the Daily Telegraph. Sydneysiders are paying an all time high of $2.16 a litre on average at the pump and spending more than $300 a month on petrol. The record spike in fuel prices began long before tensions escalated between Russia and Ukraine. 'When the global economy shut down with Covid, oil prices plunged to record lows,' Mr Khoury said. 'That strategy continued today and in addition to that, you've got Russia invading Ukraine and everything spiralled out of control.' While he welcomed the promising signs in recent days, Mr Khoury also warned things could go the other way, which would see petrol prices continue to soar. Petrol prices began to soar well before Russia's recent invasion of Ukraine (pictured, fuel prices listed at a Sydney service station on Monday) 'I don't want to say never $3 a litre because I stood in this exact spot and said the same thing about $2 a litre. We don't know what's going to happen,' he told the Today show on Tuesday. 'Having said that, prices have not only stabilised, they have fallen, and fallen quite considerably, oil prices, globally, over the last six days. 'If that's sustained and continued, then hopefully we will start heading in the other direction. But it is so volatile. Things can change in hours right now.' He doesn't believe the federal government will slash the 44 cent a litre fuel excise tax when the budget is handed down later this month, adding more significant savings will be seen at the petrol pump if oil prices continue to drop. Sydney household are currently spending more than $300 a month on average on petrol A Veterans Affairs social worker has been accused of faking military service to rake in more than $200,000 from veterans' organizations and patriotic individuals. Federal prosecutors say Sarah Jane Cavanaugh, 31, of Warwick, Rhode Island, used her position at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Providence to access the records of an actual Marine who utilizes the hospital's services so she could falsify discharge documents for herself. Cavanaugh - whose email address includes the phrase 'Chanelbabe' is then said to have used the swindled cash to pay for home repairs, groceries and physical therapy. She then used those falsified documents to claim she served in the United States Marine Corps from 2009 to 2016, achieving the rank of corporal, before she was wounded in action in Iraq and Afghanistan and was honorably discharged. She also claimed she received a Purple Heart and a Bronze Star for valor - which she actually purchased online - and was being treated for Stage IV lung cancer from her exposure to burn pits in the Middle East, and inhaling particulate matters after an Improvised Explosion Device went off. In total, United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha alleges Cavanaugh collected $241,471 from veterans' organizations and concerned individuals, which she used for home repairs and groceries, before federal officials caught on to her scheme earlier this year. They say there are no records that Cavanaugh ever served in the United States military. Cavanaugh was arrested on Monday, and is now charged with using a forged or counterfeited military discharge certificate; wire fraud; fraudulently holding herself out to be a medal recipient with intent to obtain money, property or other tangible benefits; and aggravated identity theft. She has been released on a $50,000 bond, but if convicted, Cavanaugh can face up to 25 years in prison. Sarah Jane Cavanaugh, 31, allegedly used her position as a social worker at a Providence, Rhode Island Veterans' Affairs hospital to access a Marine's information and forge discharge papers for herself Cavanaugh attended local events in Rhode Island dressed as a decorated Marine She allegedly used those falsified documents to collect a total of $241,471 from veterans' organizations and concerned individuals Cavanaugh's house in Warwick, Rhode Island, is pictured. She is said to have used some of the cash she stole on home repairs According to a criminal complaint obtained by DailyMail.com, Cavanaugh used her Veterans' Affairs email to purchase and later display a United States Marine Uniform, a Purple Heart and a Bronze Star. She also allegedly used it to access a patient's files, which she used to create and submit falsified discharge documents. Cavanaugh is accused of using that information, as well as falsified medical documents claiming she had Stage IV lung cancer, to obtain money from HunterSeven,a local organization that provides monetary aid to veterans in need. She reportedly claimed she needed help paying for bills, sending the organization falsified medical bills showing she was undergoing cancer treatments at the Dana Faber Institute in Boston. She also allegedly contacted another organization, Code of Support, from which she collected $18,472 in financial assistance for mortgage payments, repairs to her home furnace, a gym membership and other unspecified bills. Claiming she was a combat veteran with cancer, Cavanaugh reportedly also collected $4,766 from people throughout the country who contributed to a GoFundMe that claimed she needed help paying her mounting medical bills. And claiming to be a Purple Heart and Bronze Star recipient, she collected about $16,000 from CreatiVets, a charity that provided therapy for veterans through art programs. Representatives from the organization said they specifically chose her because she was a decorated veteran, and they spent a total of $16,472 on travel, tuition in an arts program and other benefits. In addition, federal prosecutors claim, she collected a total of $207,000 from the Wounded Warrior organization to pay for groceries and physical therapy sessions. At the same time, the criminal complaint says, she was elected to serve as the commander of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 152 in North Kingstown, Rhode Island, and had appeared at many local events wearing her fake Marines outfit. She allegedly claimed in forged medical bills that she was suffering from Stage IV lung cancer as a result of exposure to burn pits, like the one seen here, in the Middle East Eventually, Cavanaugh even became the commander of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 152 in North Kingstown (pictured) An investigation into her activities was finally launched earlier this year after officials at HunterSeven became suspicious of Cavanaugh's appeal to them - in part because another female Marine said she would have known about Cavanaugh if she had, in fact, served at the same time as her and earned a Purple Heart and Bronze Star. In the aftermath, federal officials found several inconsistencies with her documents, including that she claimed her discharge date was in December 2016, but the military release form was signed by a personnel officer in November 2015. It also reportedly listed her as a Marine Security Guard, but did not list any of the required education for that position. And when officials finally ran her EDIPI number, an individualized number for each service member, they found it actually belonged to a Patrick Hurney, who served in the Marine Corps from 2011 to 2016 and is currently employed as a civilian with the US Navy in Newport. He reportedly told investigators he used the services at the Veterans' Affairs hospital Cavanaugh had worked at, but did not recognize her and did not know how she obtained his information. He also reportedly said the discharge documents she was using showed his EDIPI number, but had a different Social Security Number listed with it. Officials from the HunterSeven Foundation began to question her story after another female Marine said she would have heard about Cavanaugh if she actually had served and earned those awards As the criminal investigation continued, Cavanaugh resigned from her position at the VFW Post on January 31, 2022. The HunterSeven Foundation, meanwhile, returned any donations that they received after sharing her story to their social media. But Cavanaugh said representatives from the foundation had contacted her, not the other way around. 'They reached out to me directly saying they had heard some things about me, that they had known my story, or something about some story, that they had been given my name by someone,' she told Task and Purpose. 'It was all indirect, third-person referrals,' she claimed, adding: 'I never reached out to that charity. I didn't, you know, I wasn't aware of any posts they were going to make to raise money or anything like that.' Meanwhile, PB Abbate Founder and President Thomas Shueman said Cavanaugh took advantage of his organization as well. He told WJAR that she had attended two of their all expenses paid retreats - first to Montana in July and then to Boulder, Colorado in December. 'She told me she had Stage IV cancer that spread to her bones and brain,' he said last month. 'That the doctor told her that she only had a year left to live and that was over a year ago, and basically, she was living on borrowed time.' He said that he had a nearly 90 minute conversation with Cavanaugh, in which she told him she had been wounded in Afghanistan and medically evacuated to Germany and then Walter Reed National Medical Center. And when he asked her about the inconsistencies in the dates on her discharge papers, Shueman said, Cavanaugh claimed she was court martialed before she had been discharged because she was being sexually assaulted by her commanding officer, and she shot him as he tried to make an advance at her. Now, HunterSeven Executive Director Chelsey Simoni says, what upsets her the most is that Cavanaugh took up time she could've used to help veterans who actually do have cancer. 'I was in pain for her,' Simoni told the Associated Press. 'I listened to her, everything a nurse should do. 'She not only abused that, she took my compassion and lied. Meanwhile, we could have put our services elsewhere. That's what bothers me.' This is the shocking moment a Russian tank was destroyed by Ukrainian forces as the war between the two nations entered its twentieth day. Footage was shared by Ukraine's Ministry of Defence with the message 'game over Russian invaders!' The clip appears to show a lone Russian tank explode into a fireball after either being hit by an anti-tank missile or coming into contact with a mine. The full message accompanying the video which was shared earlier today read: '25th Separate Airborne Brigade Sicheslav Brigade 'game over', Russian invaders! 'The paratroopers continue to multiply the Moksha army to zero with accurate shots! 'We will win! Glory to Ukraine!' Game over Russian invaders: This is the shocking moment (pictured) a Russian tank was destroyed by Ukrainian forces as the war between the two nations entered its twentieth day Pictured: the Russian tank appeared to be hit by an anti-tank missile or drove over a mine Meanwhile, a graphic released by the Ukrainian Government shows the tally of Russian equipment that has been destroyed in the 20 days since the war started. It comes just days after newly released footage filmed on defender drones showed the Ukrainian army wiping out multiple Russian armoured vehicles and a command centre as the war enters its 18th day. The first video was shared online on Sunday morning and appears to show rockets being fired at three armoured vehicles in the besieged Ukrainian city of Mariupol in the south eastern part of the country. The aerial footage, which was circulated by several unverified accounts, showed a BTR-82 APC and KamAZ-63968 'Typhoon' vehicle being targeted successfully. It is not clear when the strike took place. The BTR-82A is an advanced 8x8 wheeled armoured personnel carrier (APC) being manufactured by in Russia for use by the armies of Russia and Kazakhstan. The second video footage was also shared online on Sunday and shows a drone strike on a Russian command centre in southern Ukraine. Newly released footage filmed on defender drones shows the Ukrainian army wiping out multiple Russian armoured vehicles in Mariupol (pictured) and a command centre in Vasylivka The footage was released by the Ukrainian Army who said it shows the Russian command and control centre destroyed near Vasylivka, in the Mykolaiv region by a Bayraktar drone. It is unknown if or how many casualties there were involved in both strikes on Russian forces. It comes as Kyiv, the capital, suffered another round of bombing on Tuesday morning as apartment blocks were set on fire by early-hours strikes. Kharkiv came under attack again on Tuesday, with the city's mayor saying that more than 600 buildings have been destroyed there since the start of Russia's invasion. 'Schools, nurseries, hospitals, clinics have been destroyed,' said Mayor Ihor Terekhov in a televised interview on Tuesday. 'The Russian army is constantly shelling (us) from the ground and the air.' Ukraine's military said four Russian helicopters, a jet, and a cruise missile were shot down by its forces which remained in control of all major cities - including the badly-hit southern port of Mariupol. Pictured: The footage captured by a defence drone shows the building burst into flames Meanwhile Zelensky, speaking to British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and representatives from Baltic and northern European countries via video conference today, said Vladimir Putin's invasion had undermined the European security infrastructure by invading a sovereign country and expressed his frustration that Ukraine had not been allowed to join NATO. Speaking through an interpreter he said the alliance's 'open doors' policy had not worked for Ukraine. 'Of course Ukraine is not a Nato member, we understand that.' he said. 'We have heard for many years about the open doors, but we also heard that we can't enter those doors. This is the truth and we have simply to accept it as it is.' Zelensky requested military supplies, which he said were being rapidly used up. 'The amount that we are getting per week is used, usually by us within 20 hours,' he said. 'You know the kind of weapons we need, everyone knows.' He also called for a full trade embargo, warning that Western sanctions 'are not enough' to end Russian aggression, and said Moscow's navy vessels should be barred from ports around the world and all Russian banks excluded from the Swift financial messaging system. This Maxar satellite image taken and released on March 14, 2022 shows an overview of building damage and fires burning near the Prymorskyi district of western Mariupol, Ukraine 'We have to acknowledge Russia as a rogue state and there has to be a trade embargo with Russia. 'This is something that we need and you need as well, just like the rest of the world, to make sure there is peace in Europe and Ukraine,' he said. Zelensky also criticised firms which continued doing business with Russia warning that they 'don't care about the 97 kids who were killed so far' and condemning international leaders for being 'silent' as nuclear power plants are captured and shelled. Anthony Albanese was left temporarily speechless after being confronted by Ally Langdon with bombshell reports senator Kimberley Kitching endured a 'mean girls' culture within the Labor Party before her death. The Today host on Wednesday asked the Labor leader to respond to claims Ms Kitching faced a 'pattern of hostility' from senior female members in the party. Senator Kitching died at the age of 52 on Thursday from a suspected heart attack. The report in The Australian claimed her relationship with Labor senators Penny Wong, Katy Gallagher and Kristina Keneally soured over the rape allegations made by Liberal staffer Brittany Higgins and a bill targeting human rights abusers. 'Is there a cultural problem with senior women within the Labor Party?' Langdon asked. Mr Albanese replied simply 'no' - prompting Langdon to ask him again - before the Labor leader paused for several seconds. Labor senator Kimberley Kitching died at the age of 52 on Thursday from a suspected heart attack 'No - I'm very proud of the fact I lead a team that has 50 per cent female and male contribution in my shadow cabinet,' he said. 'I'm proud of all the people in the leadership team of the Labor party.' Mr Albanese said he would pay Ms Kitching the 'respect she deserves' by focusing on her funeral on Monday rather than an investigation into the party's culture. 'It's important we pay tribute to the contribution that she made in too short a time,' he said. Daily Mail Australia is not suggesting the women Ms Kitching fell out with were in any way responsible for the stress that led to her death. Ms Kitching reportedly fell out with Ms Wong after calling for new laws sanctioning foreign human rights abusers. The proposal was inspired by Russian tax lawyer Sergei Magnitsky, who was tortured and died behind bars after exposing fraud among the country's government officials. Ms Kitching wanted laws in Australia similar to the US Magnitsky Act, which allows the US government to freeze the assets of human rights offenders. Pictured left to right: Labor senators Katy Gallagher, Kristina Keneally and Penny Wong. Late Labor senator Kimberley Kitching felt ostracised by the three women, a new report has claimed The report claimed Ms Wong initially refused to support the laws before proposing them herself. The South Australian senator allegedly said 'over my dead body will we have Magnitsky' before coming out in favour of the proposal. The late senator also allegedly fell out with Labor's Deputy Leader in the Senate Kristina Keneally over Ms Kitching's support for Liberal Minister Linda Reynolds. Ms Kitching warned Ms Reynolds that Ms Higgins - one of her staffers - had come forward with an allegation of sexual assault against a male employee. The report claimed Senator Penny Wong initially refused to support laws sanctioning foreign human rights abusers, before proposing them herself Labor leader Anthony Albanese was left temporarily speechless after being confronted by Ally Langdon with the bombshell reports on Wednesday morning The move reportedly backfired, with the senator later summoned to a meeting with Ms Keneally and accused of leaking to the Liberals. The report claims she was not offered procedural fairness in the form of a lawyer or the right to defend herself against the claims. The Victorian senator was subsequently suspended from a Labor strategy committee, a decision she tried to challenge with the party's deputy leader Richard Marles without success. A friend said Ms Kitching from that point on felt she had to 'reprove her loyalty' to the Labor Party. 'She was under severe internal pressure and wanted to get revenge against Linda for having betrayed her,' the friend said. Ms Kitching felt ostracised by Ms Wong, Ms Keneally and Ms Gallagher and would later refer to them as 'the mean girls', the report claimed. Senator Kitching is pictured with Labor Senator Kristina Keneally. Ms Kitching was summoned to a meeting with the senior senator over her support for then-Liberal Defence Minister Linda Reynolds in the wake of the Brittany Higgins allegations The late senator was demoted from her role as assistant spokeswoman for government accountability in a party reshuffle by Mr Albanese in January 2021. Ms Gallagher on Wednesday morning said many of the claims about her relationship with Ms Kitching were incorrect. 'I've seen the article and I think Senator Kitching's death last week was a huge shock and deeply distressing to everyone who knew her,' she told ABC Radio. 'Many of the assertions in the article are not true from my point of view. 'But I just dont think it's respectful for us to enter into commentary or disagreement about particular aspects of it at this point in time. I dont think it's right.' A Labor spokesman denied the claims and said neither Mr Marles, Ms Wong or Ms Keneally would be commenting on the matter. During her maiden speech to parliament, Senator Kitching spoke about her hope to represent everyday Australian people. She is pictured with former opposition leader Bill Shorten Victorian Labor senator Kimberley Kitching died of a suspected heart attack last week 'This is a difficult time for many in the Labor family. Mr Marles, Senator Wong and Senator Keneally will not be engaging in commentary on baseless claims,' the spokesman said. Former Labor leader Bill Shorten last week told how Senator Kitching was under 'great stress' in the face of a move to kick her out of the senate. She faced a tough preselection fight for a winnable spot on the senate ticket for the upcoming election. 'She was under great stress. Preselection is never easy,' close friend Mr Shorten told ABC Radio National in an emotional interview. 'I'm not a coroner. I can't tell you why this woman at 52 was taken from us but I have no doubt that the stress of politics and the machinations in the back rooms had its toll. 'She's a very strong person. She could give as good as she could get. But you take all that home with you.' The mayor of a town housing workers at the Chernobyl nuclear plant has issued a desperate plea after scores of staff have been held 'hostage' at the site by Russian soldiers. Yuri Fomichev, mayor of Slavutych, contacted the Daily Mail to warn of 'complete catastrophe' as they run out of food and fuel including for the emergency generators that supply back-up control for the plant's safety systems after being besieged for almost three weeks. He said the town faces 'humanitarian catastrophe' while the mental stresses on staff held at gunpoint to maintain operations risked 'a new accident'. His fears were backed by the official in charge of a 19-mile Exclusion Zone round Chernobyl, who warned that staff were 'on the edge of their human capabilities due to physical and emotional exhaustion' as they worked around the clock to protect public safety. Mr Fomichev issued his call in a series of text messages. His town of Slavutych, which was purpose-built for staff after the 1986 disaster left widespread contamination, is home to about 20,000 people. On the first day of the invasion, it was overrun by Russian military forces crossing the nearby Belarus border. They blew up a key access bridge, leaving the town behind the frontline. The Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant which is now being guarded by Russian troops and were staff continue to monitor the radiation levels and work at the nuclear power plant as normal Pictured: Ian Birrell for the Daily Mail in Pripyat near Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Mr Fomichev said dwindling electricity supplies have forced families to cook over open fires in their yards as they use up fast-disappearing reserve supplies of fuel for heating. Ukraine's national energy company, Ukrenergo, restored power to the area for the third time on Monday night after Russian forces damaged a high-voltage power line. This had left the town without electricity for the previous five days. The decommissioned power plant, located about 60 miles north of Kyiv, has 20 tons of nuclear waste that must be constantly cooled to stop radiation leaking through vaporisation. The mayor said that if power is lost, 'all safety systems are supported on generators, which are also running out of fuel'. Chillingly, he added: 'If the cooling systems stop, even for a while, we will get yet another Fukushima' a reference to the 2011 Japanese nuclear disaster. The mayor is pleading for a 'humanitarian corridor' to switch and supply staff at the plant. Pictured: Russian soldiers appear to be guarding the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in Pripyat, Ukraine, after seizing the compound in the first day of the Russian invasion twenty days ago Russian tanks and armoured vehicles are pictured parked just in front of the destroyed reactor in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone on the day the plant was taken over He warned that the workers were 'very tired physically, morally and psychologically. They lose concentration and it is very dangerous for the nuclear power plant'. Yevhen Kramarenko, head of the Ukrainian agency managing the Exclusion Zone, said the 103 staff stranded at Chernobyl should be replaced every 24 hours. Another 160 workers are trapped in Slavutych but unable to rotate with colleagues at the plant. Staff have had to create sleeping facilities inside the nuclear plant, using a few camp beds, tables and the floor, while dividing into shifts to ensure they get some rest. The agency also lost connection on the second day of the war with critical sensors placed across the Exclusion Zone. 'The last data we received showed an increase of 20 times the amount in radiation levels,' said Mr Kramarenko. The mayor is pleading for a 'humanitarian corridor' to switch and supply staff at the plant. This image appears to show Russian soldiers guarding Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in Pripyat, Ukraine, after seizing the compound in the first day of invasion He added that the rise could be due to radioactive dust spread by the unusual movement of people and vehicles in the contaminated environment but said the reason 'could be some problems that we are not able to detect and address'. The safety chief added that satellite images showed several fires raging in the zone, which could be very dangerous if they spread to the spent fuel storage facilities. 'We desperately call for urgent measures to ensure the safety of nuclear facilities.' Slavutych's mayor said residents who had assisted in the clean-up after the worst disaster in the history of nuclear power generation were finding the current war 'ten times worse and harder than the accident'. Anna, 30, said fellow residents were resorting to bartering even for medicines after being cut off from the rest of Ukraine since February 24. 'There's no food in the stores we've nearly run out of everything.' She said some friends had queued to buy bread for seven hours. 'I haven't had bread since the beginning of the war.' Anna added that 15 babies had been born in the town during this period, while efforts by farmers to supply milk were ending due to petrol shortages. 'I can't imagine what it might feel like to have a newborn these days not knowing if you can get food.' Meanwhile, Ukraine's energy minister Herman Galushchenko has said: 'A nuclear war can start even without launching nuclear missiles. If this happens, the whole of Europe will be forced to hide in shelters, trying to escape the radiation.' A sudden power surge at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant resulted in a massive reactor explosion, exposing the core and blanketing the western Soviet Union and Europe with radiation in 1986. Pictured, the Chernobyl plant three days after the explosion on April 29, 1986 More than 160,000 residents of Pripyat, a town neighbouring the power plant, were evacuated in the wake of the nuclear disaster in 1986. The site has been abandoned ever since and has since been overtaken by wildlife Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24 and seized the defunct Chernobyl plant hours after crossing the border, but have refused to allow staff to leave and have forced them to work around the clock to maintain the site. Ukrainian authorities told the UN's nuclear watchdog earlier this week that Chernobyl's staff are utterly exhausted and are no longer able to make repairs. 'The Ukrainian regulator informed the IAEA that staff at (Chernobyl) were no longer carrying out repair and maintenance of safety-related equipment, in part due to their physical and psychological fatigue after working non-stop for nearly three weeks,' the International Atomic Energy Agency said in a statement. Russian forces cut the power to the plant for the first time last week amid fighting, and the site was forced to run on emergency back-up generators that are powered by diesel, though the UN's atomic watchdog said there was 'no critical impact to safety' at the time. The defunct Chernobyl nuclear power plant sits inside an exclusion zone that houses decommissioned reactors as well as radioactive waste facilities. In 2016, the Chernobyl New Safe Confinement was put in place to cover the reactor. It was designed to prevent further release of radioactive contaminants for 100 years. More than 2,000 staff still work at the plant as it requires constant management to prevent another nuclear disaster. The IAEA has repeatedly urged Russian authorities to allow the staff members who are being held captive at Chernobyl to leave, arguing that although radiation levels in the area are relatively low, it is necessary to ensure a 'safe rotation' of staff. IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi last week called on 'on the forces in effective control of the site to urgently facilitate the safe rotation of personnel there.' He also repeated his offer to travel to Chernobyl or elsewhere to secure 'the commitment to the safety and security' of Ukraine's power plants from all parties, after the IAEA reported it was no longer receiving signals from safeguarding systems monitoring radiation levels at the plant. 'The Director General indicated that remote data transmission from safeguards monitoring systems installed at the Chernobyl NPP had been lost,' the IAEA said in a statement. Russia took control of the defunct atomic plant on the first day of the invasion and later captured a second nuclear site - Zaporizhzhia - the biggest in Europe - on March 4, causing a fire that raised alarm in Europe over a possible nuclear catastrophe. Staff at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant were captured on video pleading with Russian soldiers directing fire on the building before they overtook it. The Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant was captured on March 4 after a fierce gun battle between Russian President Vladimir Putin's men and Ukrainian defenders The nuclear power plant, which creates around 20 percent of Ukraine's electricity, was captured after a fierce gun battle between Russian President Vladimir Putin's men and Ukrainian defenders that sparked a fire in a six-story training building. Eventually, emergency crews were allowed to go in and douse the flames at the Zaporizhzhia plant before Russian troops moved in and occupied the site. The United Nation's nuclear monitoring agency said that, fortunately, none of the site's six reactors had been directly damaged and radiation levels remained normal. Russian engineers arrived at Zaporizhzhia last week to check radiation levels, which were reported as being stable. Additional reporting by Kate Baklitskaya On Zhytomyrska Street this morning a man drives past in his Mazda convertible. The sun is shining real warmth and he has the roof down, no doubt for the first time since autumn. This, surely, is the very definition of insouciance. Because here, in Kyiv, its getting hotter in every sense. The vapour trails in the brilliant blue skies above are not those of Easyjets on their way to the Spanish costas, but air defence missiles noisily chasing Russian planes and cruise missiles. Good to have a roof over your head better still to be in a basement. In the hour before sunrise the capital was awakened by thunderous air strikes that badly damaged apartment blocks, killing at least five people. Another pre-dawn attack struck an industrial target in the very heart of Kyiv the first time the Russians have hit the centre of this huge city in this way. By the time you read this those Kyivans who remain here about half the peacetime population of 3.5million will be under their second lockdown of the war; the 35-hour street curfew will run until tomorrow morning. Today is a difficult and dangerous moment, Mayor Vitali Klitschko has told his people. This is why I ask Kyivans to get prepared to stay at home for two days, or if the sirens go off, in the shelters. Shattered: This block of flats in the Mostytska district of Kyiv was wrecked when a Ukrainian air defence missile brought down a Russian cruise missile yesterday And so Jamie and I take a valedictory tour of the city before these restrictions are imposed. We find scenes of fresh devastation and a population on edge. But also defiance and miraculous escapes from the Russian missile blitz. As we set off, a queue is forming outside our neighbourhood store. The vegetable display now consists of a single unwanted cabbage, brown around the edges. No, the shopkeeper tells the couple in front of us, she will still not sell them beer. Mayor Klitschko has forbidden the sale of alcohol until hostilities cease. Across the road, the chi chi boutique, in the window of which I have often admired the colour of an electric green suit, has been boarded up since I last passed, the previous evening. Fashion is out. Plywood is now at a premium here. Fortress Kyiv is changing every day. At the junction of Hlybochytska and Sichovykh Striltsiv Streets our way is newly blocked by two old tramcars that have been hauled from their retirements in some junk yard to be turned into a military barricade. Beyond that we come upon the first evidence of Russias endeavours in the early hours. The Artem plant on Yuriia Illienka Street has been hit by a missile strike. The collateral damage is evident for several blocks. The streets glitter with shattered glass, as thick as sand on a beach. Among the victims is the historic Little Opera house, dating from 1900. The entrance doors are hanging off their hinges, the windows are blown out and a canvas hoarding that advertises what should have been the current play How Dare you Die is reduced to rags. Inside is no better. Part of the ceiling has collapsed, the chinoiserie wallpaper is in shreds, house plants have been blown off window sills and a childrens art room is a wreck. In the hour before sunrise the capital was awakened by thunderous air strikes that badly damaged apartment blocks, killing at least five people Administrator Anatoly was in the basement when the missile struck. In the first seconds I thought there had been some kind of big accident, he admits. Its still hard to appreciate that our city is under attack. He says that two weeks beforehand he and a friend had discussed the safety of being so close to the Artem facility, which makes photographic equipment and other items that might be of military use: Well, we were right to be worried! As we get closer to ground zero the peripheral damage becomes more intense. Neighbouring businesses have been destroyed. Flora de Lux will not be supplying blooms again unless it undergoes a major repair. The Beauty Club salon is unable to titivate Kyivan ladies without a big clean-up. The local branch of McDonalds has been knocked out of action. And it will be a while too before the 496 bus stops here. The shelter took the brunt of the blast. Knots of locals have gathered to view the aftermath. The sirens start again and I see fear in the eyes of these onlookers. All around us is proof of Putins malevolence. This is as much a war of psychological attrition. We leave to visit a residential estate that was also struck this morning. Mostytska Massiv a neighbourhood of Soviet era blocks was probably not the intended target. But when, a little after 5am, a Ukrainian air defence missile intercepted a Russian cruise missile that was approaching the city from the north perhaps on its way to the Artem factory the combined wreckage fell beside one of the ten-storey blocks, igniting the buildings gas main, blowing out windows and splattering the lowest six storeys with shrapnel. Sasha is a 24-year-old IT worker. She lives on the fourth floor of the ruined block and her Afghan rug is still covered in glass We watch the residents throwing wreckage from their balconies to the ground below. It is spring-cleaning, Kyiv-style, thanks to President Putin. Debris particularly glass, continues to drop from above, unaided. In the background there is the regular growl of more air defence missiles being launched. Tamara is 71 and tells me she has lived in the area all her life. She draws back a curtain on her balcony to reveal a display cabinet that had held her best glassware: Look, all smashed. Behind her there is an etching of a tropical island sunset, now very much askew. I wasnt sleeping, I was lying with the blanket over my head, which has become my habit since the war started, she tells me. I heard the first blast and then there was a shockwave. My neighbour on the second floor had to throw his fridge from the balcony because it was on fire. In the lift to the 17th floor of the adjacent building residents are bringing down their most precious belongings and preparing to leave their homes. All that is being taken up is plywood and other hoardings for the now glassless windows. Mother of three Lena is also the mother hen of the estate, being the administrator of its wartime Viber chat group. Just after the blast my phone went crazy with messages, all saying Im fine, she says. Fifty per cent of the residents had already left. But now there is an old lady in her eighties who has lost all the glass in her windows. Some people have freaked out and are leaving but I wont. There is a saying that The shell doesnt hit in the same place twice. Following her explanation we both touch the nearest piece of wood. Sasha is a 24-year-old IT worker. She lives on the fourth floor of the ruined block and her Afghan rug is still covered in glass. She had been in her bed beside the window but had the presence of mind to run to the bathroom after the first blast and before the missiles fell to earth. And when I came back the French window frames were lying on my bed! she recalls. Its a miracle no one died here. Olina 72, was woken by the blast. She is very cross. There were several apartments on fire. Tell Putin to stop this. Residents start the clear-up at a block of flats in the Mostytskyi district of Kyiv which was hit by shelling before dawn on Tuesday Then she adds Putin had! which translates roughly as Putin is a bastard. On our way back into town we see boy soldiers digging foxholes in a suburban railway embankment. Another barricade consists of an ancient lorry, several hundred tires and a fridge. Desperate times. The prime ministers of Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovenia are here today to meet President Volodymyr Zelensky. It is the highest-level EU delegation to go to Kyiv since the war began. But some visitors will not be going home. Two days ago my neighbours at breakfast were Irish cameraman Pierre Zakrzewski and Ukrainian journalist Oleksandra Kuvshynova, both working for the American TV network Fox News. Yesterday it was confirmed that they had both been killed by Russian artillery on the edge of Kyiv. A series of House Democrats have reported testing positive for the coronavirus after attending a party retreat in Philadelphia where President Joe Biden spoke with seven lawmakers who attended the event revealing their positive results. Another pair of lawmakers who didn't go also reported testing positive Friday and Monday, after the House lifted its mask mandate and lawmakers resumed the practice of gathering in close quarters in the House chamber without masks. President Joe Biden spoke to the group on Friday, although he tested negative on Sunday, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said Tuesday when asked about it. Among those reporting positing positive cases were senior members of the caucus, including powerful House Appropriations Committee chairwoman Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn), 79. Others included impeachment managers Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.), 74, and Madeleine Dean (D-Pa.), 62. Masks were optional at the event, which came during a time of lessening covid restrictions. At least seven lawmakers who attended the House Democratic retreat in Philadelphia tested positive for the coronavirus 'While I tested negative earlier this week, today I tested positive for COVID-19. Thankfully, I am only experiencing mild symptoms & am grateful for the protection that comes from being vaccinated & boosted,' DeLauro tweeted. 'I encourage everyone who is eligible to get vaccinated and get boosted,' she said. Also testing positive was Rep. Kim Schreier, (D-Wash.), 54, an M.D. 'After testing negative multiple times last week, including yesterday, this morning I woke up with mild cold symptoms and have tested positive for Covid. Ill be working from home this week and my offices remain open.' Said Lofgren, 'As part of regular protocol after travel, I tested for COVID-19 this morning & got a positive result (after testing negative earlier this week). Thanks to protections from being vaccinated & boosted, I'm grateful to only be experiencing mild symptoms.' The numbers quickly jumped Tuesday morning, bringing the total of recent positive cases to nine, the New York Times reported. Masks were optional at the event Attendees were required to take tests in advance of the retreat Several lawmakers credited their mild systems to vaccination, which experts say are highly affective against severe disease Among those testing positive was House Appropriations Chair Rep. Rosa DeLauro The House ended its mask mandate before the State of the Union, and lawmakers held a series of votes last Wednesday night Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.) are among those who tested positive after the retreat That came after Rep, Jared Golden (D-Maine), Joe Neguse (D-Colo.), and Andy Kim (D-N.J.) announced their positive results. Two others who tested positive were Reps. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.) and Peter Welch (D-Vt.). Lawmakers and aides were required to take coronavirus tests before the event, which came after a steady downturn of infections and hospitalizations. Kim expressed gratitude despite feeling 'miserable.' 'I caught COVID on 2yr anniversary of pandemic,' he tweeted. 'Yes I feel miserable. Woke up in middle of night with fever, but Im not scared like I would have been year or 2 ago. That doesnt mean Im not worried.' The news came before the White House said second gentleman Douglas Emhof had tested positive and cancelled his scheduled event. Vice President Kamala Harris tested negative. The news came as the White House warned the government would exhaust its supply of monoclonal antibody treatments as soon as May, as the White House sought an additional $23 billion to combat covid. The funds got stripped from a broader funding bill that President Biden signed Tuesday. Israeli forces shot dead two Palestinians in the occupied West Bank on Tuesday, the Palestinian Health Ministry said, in what Israeli border police described as clashes that erupted during a raid to detain suspected militants. The Israeli border police said that during an operation in a refugee camp in the northern West Bank, a gunman fired at undercover officers who shot back, "neutralising" him. In a second refugee camp near Jerusalem, border police said forces on a separate arrest raid encountered hundreds of Palestinians who threw heavy objects from rooftops, endangering the troops. It was not immediately clear whether the Palestinian killed there had taken part in the clash. The Palestinian Health Ministry confirmed the fatalities. The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the incidents as extra-judicial killings. "These crimes amount to war crimes and crimes against the international law that must be punished by the international law," it said in a statement. In Gaza, a spokesperson for the ruling Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, Hazem Qassem, said: "We are witnessing a new uprising, a new era of the struggle that aims to end the existence of the occupation on this land." Israel captured the West Bank, Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem - territories where Palestinians seek statehood - in the 1967 Middle East war. The last round of peace talks collapsed in 2014. The Palestinian Authority, set up under interim peace accords with Israel in the 1990s, exercises limited self-rule in the West Bank, but Israeli forces are dominant in the area, where they often carry out raids to detain suspected militants. (Reuters) BuzzFeed has been hit with an $8.7million compensation claim by current and former employees who allege the company botched its public stock debut, meaning they were unable to sell shares until their value had tanked by 60 per cent. In two arbitration claims, the employees argued BuzzFeed had failed to provide workers with proper instruction on how to proceed with trading their shares after the initial public offering (IPO) in December. Shares debuted at $10 each, but their value quickly slumped, and remained at $4.64 per share at the closing bell on Tuesday. Some staff claim they were unable to offload their shares for several days, resulting in a 60 percent decline in stock value by the time they sold. Others allege they are still unable to sell their shares. The complaints, which were obtained by the New York Times, allege the 'Kafkaesque tribulations through which the claimants were dragged have wreaked havoc on their financial lives.' BuzzFeed, however, has denied the allegations and argues 'there is no merit to the claims' outlined in the complaints. The site was hailed as the future of online news in November 2006, thanks to its fun 'listicles', and later branched out into serious news. But it has struggled to find an identity in recent years, with missed revenue targets and multiple rounds of lay-offs - including the closure of most of its international offices - tarnishing the publisher's prestige. 'BuzzFeed prioritized communication with former and current employees last year to provide them with the information they needed to manage their equity,' the company said Tuesday in a statement issued to the newspaper. 'It's regrettable that the stock price declined, but there is no merit to the claims and we intend to rebut them vigorously.' Nearly 80 former BuzzFeed employees are seeking compensation from the company and its executives, including founder Jonah Peretti (pictured Dec. 6, 2021), after they allege he company botched its public stock debut last year, making it so staff were unable to sell their shares at a higher price In two claims, the employees argued BuzzFeed had failed to provide workers with proper instruction on how to proceed with trading their shares after the initial public offering (IPO) in December. Some staff claim they were unable to offload their shares for several days, resulting in a 60 percent decline in stock value by the time they sold The two arbitration actions - which name BuzzFeed and its top executives, including founder Jonah Peretti, as the defendants - allege that 77 employees were seeking to cash in their Class B shares when the company went public on December 6, 2021 but were unable to do so because they hadn't been given proper instruction on how to convert the shares for sale. The employees, who collectively held 900,000 shares of BuzzFeed stock at the time of the IPO, claim they were not given enough time to complete the necessary paperwork to convert their shares ahead of the public launch. They claim they were not able to sell their stocks until they reach a value of less than $5, a nearly 60 percent decline. The impacted workers are seeking compensatory damages of approximately $8.7million, according to the claims. In addition to BuzzFeed and Peretti, the complaints name Adam Rothstein, the Executive Chairman of 890 5th Avenue Partners, and Continental Stock Transfer, which helped with the IPO, as alleged responsible parties. As of close Tuesday, BuzzFeed was valued at $4.64 per share, less than half of what it was worth at its debut The employees allege the 'Kafkaesque tribulations through which the claimants were dragged have wreaked havoc on their financial lives.' BuzzFeed, however, has denied the allegations and argues 'there is no merit to the claims' outlined in the complaints The complaint represents reporters, web developers, editors and salespeople who mostly claim they joined the BuzzFeed team during its start-up days and accepted low salaries because they were given stock options. Many were allegedly looking forward to cashing in on these stock options now that the company was going public. However, the employees say communication from Continental and BuzzFeed 'offered contradictory and vague advice about the stock transfers'. They also allege they were told conversion from Class B stock would take three to five business days, during which BuzzFeed's stock rapidly declined. 'As a result, claimants some of whom still are unable to trade their shares as of the date of this filing lost the opportunity to sell their hard-earned shares for good value and have been left with stock trading at a mere fraction of its I.P.O. price,' one of the complaints said. At least one employee complained directly to Peretti, who co-founded the media company in 2006, about the process, the complaint alleges. They allege Peretti also complained that he had not been able to cash out his shares at as high of a price as he had hoped. Additionally, the complaint states that BuzzFeed emailed employees on December 7 to say executives 'sympathize with your frustration with this process.' BuzzFeed did not immediately respond to DailyMail.com's request for comment. Nadine Dorries has admitted tough new internet laws to be published later this week do not do enough to protect legitimate news content against censorship by tech giants. The Culture Secretary promised the Government would deal with the problem, saying it had 'every intention' to improve the requirements on platforms such as Facebook and Google not to remove content by recognised media organisations. News publishers have campaigned for a complete exemption from the Online Safety Bill since its white paper launch three years ago. They are concerned the latest version of the Bill appears not to address a recommendation from MPs for an amendment to protect Press freedom. The joint parliamentary committee which scrutinised the Bill said it should include a ban on tech companies blocking news content unless it is in breach of criminal law. While the draft Bill has an explicit exemption for news sites and their comment sections, it does not apply when news content appears on social media or in searches. Culture secretary Nadine Dorries has admitted new internet laws to be published later this week do not do enough to protect legitimate news content against censorship by tech giants One of the most contentious pieces of the legislation is the duty for tech giants to remove 'lawful but harmful' content on their platforms or face heavy penalties. There are fears this will cause platforms to set their algorithms far too strictly to avoid fines or even criminal sanctions and in doing so take down legitimate journalism. As it stands, platforms must offer a fast-track appeals process to put journalistic content back online if it is taken down inadvertently. But publishers have warned that with breaking news so fast-paced, any blocked article would be redundant by the time it was reinstated. There are fears rules for tech giants will cause platforms to set their algorithms far too strictly to avoid fines or even criminal sanctions and in doing so take down legitimate journalism They also fear the expedited process could get clogged up by an avalanche of appeals if the algorithms are too strict. DAILY MAIL COMMENT: Threat to a free Press Never has the free Press and media been more important than at this pivotal moment in European history. With Vladimir Putin throwing up a smokescreen of fake news to mask his barbaric war on Ukraine, Western journalists risk life and limb daily to tell the real story. Their heroics remind us that freedom of expression is not a given. It must be cherished and fought for. Even here in Britain the free Press is under threat. The revised Online Safety Bill due to be published on Thursday is designed to make social media firms responsible for tackling illegal content and protecting children from online harms. But for all its undoubted good intentions, it contains a highly dangerous flaw. Algorithms used by tech giants to remove harmful material could also block the online output of bona fide news organisations. For example, legitimate stories about terrorism or child abuse could be blocked by default with crushing effect on press freedom. Thankfully Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries recognises the problem and says she has 'every intention of further improving the requirements for platforms not to remove content from recognised media outlets'. This welcome acknowledgement must be followed by detailed proposals to amend the Bill. In an ideal world, legitimate online news outlets would be taken out of it altogether. Failing that, they must be fully protected against unintended censorship. We simply can't allow algorithms dreamed up in Silicon Valley to dictate what the British public should, and should not, be allowed to know. Advertisement News industry chiefs are concerned that while the existing Bill places no obligation on platforms to censor news organisations, there was also 'no compulsion' for them not to. They warned the Bill would have a dire effect on journalists' freedom of speech and have called for an exemption of all content by recognised media outlets. Yesterday, Miss Dorries promised she and Boris Johnson would 'never pursue legislation that threatens freedom of expression'. Writing on the ConservativeHome website, she said: 'Journalists will have an expedited right to appeal if their content is removed. 'And I have every intention of further improving the requirements for platforms not to remove content from recognised media outlets during the passage of the Bill.' Last night, a newspaper executive said: 'Social media sites will have to police everything by algorithm, which they will set as cautiously as they can particularly as those in charge could face criminal sanctions. 'Algorithms don't understand context they couldn't necessarily distinguish between a terror video and a news report of a terrorist incident. 'The fear is that entirely legitimate news content will be taken down, and woke tech company executives in California will be deciding what news the British public can and can't read.' But Miss Dorries, herself a novelist, insisted the Bill would defend freedom of expression and 'the invaluable role of a free Press'. She wrote: 'The day this legislation comes into effect, there will be considerably stronger protections for free speech. There are no extra protections for journalists online. Under this Bill, there will be. 'Getting this balance right is important to me. I'm a writer and, before I became a government minister, I spent years as an extremely vocal backbencher. The Prime Minister is a former journalist. We would never pursue legislation that threatens freedom of expression.' She added: 'Similarly, nor can we maintain the current status quo, where a handful of West Coast execs are the supreme arbiters of online speech.' In its report, the joint committee scrutinising the Bill said: 'We recommend the news publisher content exemption is strengthened to include a requirement that news publisher content should not be moderated, restricted or removed unless it is content the publication of which clearly constitutes a criminal offence, or which has been found to be unlawful by order of a court.' A man has died after driving his ute into floodwaters in Broken Hill, after record rains in the outback town turned the normally parched streets into virtual rivers. The 56-year-old man drove his Toyota Landcruiser into floodwaters on Tuesday night, and then exited the vehicle whereupon he was washed away and sucked into a concrete pipe, NSW Police said. Police and State Emergency Service volunteers later found his body. Tragically, police said he and a male passenger drove into the waters in a desperate attempt to help other friends hit by the flooding. 'Some people made a decision to leave Menindee and head towards Broken Hill on the Menindee Road - unfortunately came across some floodwaters and became stuck,' Barrier Police Superintendent Darren Brand told the ABC. 'Some people known to them came from Menindee to check on their welfare because they'd become stuck. 'We ended up in a terrible situation where both parties became stuck and ultimately one person's ended up losing their life.' The downpour that struck Broken Hill dumped 140 millimetres of rain on the western New South Wales town, eclipsing the previous record of 139 millimetres in a 1989 storm. The storm brought down a communications tower, meaning the outback centre was without mobile phone coverage. Meanwhile, unions are calling on Prime Minister Scott Morrison to reintroduce JobKeeper for people in flood-affected regions in NSW. Unions have called on the federal government to revive JobKeeper for those affected by floods JobKeeper was a temporary measure designed to keep Australians in jobs by supporting COVID-affected businesses with payments of $1500 per worker per fortnight to cover the cost of wages. 'The arguments that applied for COVID-affected workplaces also apply to flood-affected workplaces," Unions NSW Secretary Mark Morey said on Tuesday. 'We can't allow otherwise healthy businesses to fail because they've been hit by a crisis over which they had no control.' Premier Dominic Perrottet last week announced a $551 million support package for flood victims, including support for semi-permanent housing pods such as those used after the 2019-20 black summer bushfires and mobile motor homes. 'Emergency payments are short term measures. We need medium-term structural support, providing solid financial foundations,' Mr Morey said. The call came as Health Minister Brad Hazzard warned of serious biohazards for ocean swimmers after floods. 'We know when we've had big rains, the general advice is don't go surfing, don't go swimming in the open ocean for a day or two,' Mr Hazzard said. 'When you've had a one-in-100-year flood, you might be wise to not go surfing with parasites, bacteria and diarrhoea.' Mr Hazzard said flooding and sewage outflows posed a risk of cryptosporidium, giardia, other parasites and bacteria. 'Normally you've got to fight somebody away from the surf - this time you might well be fighting off the parasites for diarrhoea,' he said. 'We can't allow otherwise healthy businesses to fail because they've been hit by a crisis over which they had no control,' union boss said as Broken Hill (pictured) falls to flooding Broken Hill has seen some overnight flash flooding affecting the area Union boss said long-term measures are needed to help prop up businesses affected by floods Controversial Australian social commentator Prue MacSween has slammed 'helicopter parents' for creating a generation of 'pampered, weak little snowflakes'. MacSween launched into a scathing spray about mums and dads on Wednesday in the wake of an alleged incident at a western Sydney school. Parents claimed some pupils at Werrington County Public School were forced to urinate in buckets for a matter of hours when a classroom was placed into lockdown over a safety incident. The police were not called to intervene in the situation, despite it being serous enough that children were not allowed to leave their classrooms to go to the toilet. The NSW Education Department was criticised by angry parents after they heard what their children went through - but Ms MacSween said they need to toughen up. Controversial social commentator Prue MacSweeen (pictured) has slammed 'helicopter parents' for creating a generation of 'weak little snowflakes' Prue McSween's tweet on modern Australian parenting has been criticised on social media One parent claimed the lockdown was caused by a 'mentally ill student who had had an episode'. Poll Are Australian parents raising a generation of snowflakes? Yes, kids are too soft No, modern parents are better Are Australian parents raising a generation of snowflakes? Yes, kids are too soft 247 votes No, modern parents are better 15 votes Now share your opinion Another, Nicole, asked why parents were not informed about their children having to use a bucket to urinate. 'Mum, mum they made us pee in a bucket,' Nicole said her children told her. But Ms MacSween had no sympathy. 'What we are breeding is a generation of parents who helicopter parent their children, wrap them in cotton wool and they don't teach them anything about resilience,' she told Daily Mail Australia. 'We're going to find their children will grow up not being able to cope with any kind of diversity or issues that come up in their life, which will happen.' She fear that overpampering will mean kids are going to be 'left in the wilderness'. 'They're abrogating their responsibility as parents as far as I'm concerned. 'If they went out to the country they'd see that a lot of country families actually pee in a bucket and pee on top of each other's wee because they have to conserve water.' Werrington County Public School in western Sydney was locked down for several hours on Monday Ms MacSween did make an exception for another bodily function, though. 'It's different if they were having a number two. (But) in this case it's peeing in a bucket and I just think the reaction has been ridiculous. 'I have relatives in the country and this is what has happened during droughts and things, it's not a big deal. What harm is it going to do?' She has been getting a lot of negative comments since firing off a scathing tweet about the matter - but Ms MacSween has not seen them herself. 'I never read the comments because I think the trolls are just so pathetic. This is my opinion, they can have theirs,' she said. 'I'm not interested in what other people pronounce about my opinion. It's irrelevant to me.' One parent said kids came home saying, 'mum, mum they made us pee in a bucket'. Werrington County school principal Belinda Clarke sent a letter to parents about the alleged incident, saying the lockdown went for two hours. 'The safety of our students and staff was our main priority during this time. At no point during the lockdown were any of our students or staff at risk of harm,' the letter read. 'During the lockdown, teachers reassured the students that they were safe and continued teaching and learning. 'Following the lockdown, students had an indoor lunch and only essential movement around the school was permitted.' But Amanda, who has three kids at the school, said her children were in lockdown from about 11am as recess started, until 3pm. Controversial social commentator Prue MacSween (pictured) is not afraid to tell things as she sees them 'The kids were not told what was happening... my daughter actually started crying because she didn't know what was happening,' Amanda said. The office of the NSW Education Minister initially denied the toilet laims. But Education Minister Sarah Mitchell later told 2GB she was 'incredibly unhappy' at the lack of information coming out of the Department of Education. 'I've had very strong conversations already this morning with senior staff of the Department, I want a full investigation,' she said. 'What has gone on here is totally unacceptable, it's not in line with normal protocol.' Ms MacSween remains unmoved from her position, though, and offered some advice to parents. 'Grow up and wake up,' she said. 'And buy some toilet paper and use it more often, because you're giving me the s***s.' New South Wales has recorded 30,402 new Covid cases and five deaths as fears rise over the new Omicron sub-variant. The new cases on Wednesday include 10,000 positive rapid antigen test results taken from Sunday and Monday that weren't included in previous numbers due to a data processing issue. NSW Health said the issue has since been resolved. The numbers are still a jump from the 10,689 infections announced on Tuesday around the state. There are now 1,016 residents in hospital, down from 1,032 receiving care on Tuesday. The number of patients in intensive care has also dropped by two to 36. New South Wales has recorded 30,402 new Covid cases on Wednesday, but 10,000 were recorded earlier in the week Meanwhile a former World Health Organisation scientist has said that nearly everyone will catch the new BA.2 Omicron subvariant. While the now-dominant strain is not as deadly as previous ones, including Delta, it is up to six times more infectious than the original strain of Covid-19, Professor Adrian Esterman told Daily Mail Australia. The virus is also up to 30 per cent more infectious than the initial BA.1 version of Omicron which forced the reinstitution of lockdowns at Christmas. The higher risk of contagiousness comes from the variant's superior ability to 'evade' immunity - meaning even triple-vaccinated people are susceptible to catching the new strain. A former World Health Organisation scientist has said that nearly everyone will catch the new BA.2 Omicron subvariant (pictured in Sydney) Professor Esterman, an epidemiologist and biostatistician, said it was very likely all Australians would be at risk of catching BA.2 this year - especially since the end of restrictions such as social distancing and indoor mask mandates. '(At the moment) you are much more likely to get it; we're already seeing that with the case numbers going up,' he said. While not everyone exposed to a virus is infected by it, BA.2's high 'basic reproduction number' or 'R0' of 12 - compared to 2.5 for the original Wuhan virus - could mean almost all Australians will come into contact with it in 2022. The R0 is the average number of secondary infections produced by a typical case; an R0 of 12 means up to 12 people could be infected by each case. 'Everyone's been exposed to Covid-19, full-stop, and unless you're very careful you will be exposed again this year,' Professor Esterman said. 'With face mask mandates being dropped, social distancing being removed, the chances are even higher.' The meaning behind a tattoo inked across the torso of a 21-year-old charged over a wild road rage brawl has been revealed with the '3338' marking representing the postcode of a gritty suburb in Melbourne's west. Police allege Shane Couch picked up a massive metal pole and speared it through a ute's window after a heated traffic dispute erupted during school pick-up. Horrified parents were picking their children up from a high school in Melton, in Melbourne's west, on Tuesday afternoon when two motorists began throwing punches at each other in the middle of the road. After officers eventually swooped in and slaps cuffs on Couch, cameras zoomed in on the distinctive 3338 tattoo. The postcode takes in the suburb of Melton where Couch is from - along with South Melton, Brookfield, Weir Views, Cobblebank, Strathtulloh, Eynesbury and Exford. Victoria police said a 21-year-old man from Melton with the distinctive 3338 tattoo on his stomach, had been charged over the incident The 3338 postcode takes in the suburbs - Melton South, Melton, Brookfield, Weir Views, Cobblebank, Strathtulloh, Eynesbury and Exford Footage of the altercation shows Couch shirtless approaching a ute before allegedly kicking the side of the vehicle and attacking with a pole. The driver of the car jumps out and charges towards the younger man, with the pair trading blows as the scuffle spills out onto the street in front of passing cars. Shocked bystanders could be seen clearing away as the fracas swirled towards them, while other onlookers pulled out their phones to film the confrontation. It is understood the incident unfolded after Couch allegedly caused a four-car collision. Couch is pictured in a martial arts Gi wearing a white belt posing in a Karate stance Couch's Facebook page is filled with images of him practising martials arts and posing shirtless Couch is captured in a dark tracksuit wearing MMA gloves and shaping up to a boxing bag Couch's Facebook page is filled with images of him practicing martials arts and posing shirtless. At the top of his profile is the mantra: 'The bigger they are the harder they fall'. In one photo he is captured in a dark tracksuit wearing MMA gloves and shaping up to a heavy boxing bag. In another Couch is seen in a martial arts gi wearing a white belt posing in a Karate stance. A heated road rage dispute unfolded outside a western Melbourne high school on Tuesday after a motorist allegedly sparked a four-car crash The two men traded blows in the middle of a busy street in front of shocked parents and children 'A Melton man was arrested at the scene and has been charged with multiple offences including reckless conduct endangering life, affray and assault with a weapon,' Victoria Police said in a statement. He has been remanded to appear in Sunshine Magistrates' court on Wednesday. No one was seriously injured during the incident. A Russian journalist who hijacked prime-time TV news to denounce the war in Ukraine walked free from court last night but could still face up to 15 years behind bars. Marina Ovsyannikova, 43, was labelled the 'bravest woman on TV' after she stormed on to the set of state-controlled Channel One waving an anti-war sign on Monday evening. A highly regarded editor at the channel, the mother-of-two held a placard reading 'Stop the war. Don't believe propaganda. They're lying to you' live on air before releasing a pre-recorded video statement calling on ordinary Russians to protest and 'stop the madness'. Miss Ovsyannikova's exceptional act of defiance against Vladimir Putin quickly went viral, winning praise from world leaders and sparking calls for her to be nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize. But once she was arrested, there were fears she would disappear, as many critics of the Kremlin do. Her lawyer said he could not make contact with the journalist or find her at the notorious police station she was said to be held in, raising concerns for her safety. Marina Ovsyannikova, a Russian journalist who hijacked prime-time TV news to denounce the war in Ukraine walked free from court last night but could still face up to 15 years behind bars Channel One editor Marina Ovsyannikova was accused of the 'Violation of the established procedure for organizing or holding a meeting, rally, demonstration, procession or picketing' Then yesterday afternoon, Miss Ovsyannikova suddenly appeared at Moscow's Ostankino district court, where a judge ordered her to pay a 210 fine (30,000 roubles) and released her. She could have faced a maximum punishment of 10 days in detention for calling for illegal protests. However, the charge was based only on the video not her interruption of the news broadcast. So it is feared that her ordeal is far from over as Kremlin cronies yesterday called for her to be locked up for several years. Miss Ovsyannikova could still be slapped with the more serious new criminal charge brought in to stamp out 'fake news' about Russia's invasion. The new law has made it a crime to call the conflict a 'war' instead of military operation and carries a jail sentence of up to 15 years. Russia's state-run Tass news agency reported that Moscow's Investigative Committee, a major crime unit, had opened a case on the journalist, Ovsyannikova, 43, was arrested following her protest, in which she interrupted a live Channel One broadcast with an anti-war placard (pictured behind broadcaster Ekaterina Andreeva) Do not be afraid: Marina's message to her fellow activists What is happening right now in Ukraine is a crime and Russia is the aggressor. And the responsibility for this aggression lies on the conscience of only one person. This man is Vladimir Putin. My father is Ukrainian. My mother is Russian. And they were never enemies. And this necklace on my neck is a symbol of the fact Russia must immediately stop the fratricidal war. And then our brotherly peoples will still be able to reconcile. Unfortunately, in recent years I have been working on Channel One, working for Kremlins propaganda. And I am very ashamed of it. Im ashamed that I was letting them tell those lies from the screen. I am ashamed that I allowed Russians to be turned into zombies. We kept silent in 2014 when all this was just beginning. We didnt go to the rallies when the Kremlin poisoned Navalny. We just silently watched this inhumane regime. And now the whole world has turned away from us. And even 10 generations of our descendants will not be enough to wash away the shame of this fratricidal war. We are Russian people thoughtful and smart. Its up to us to stop this madness. Come out to the rallies. Dont be afraid of anything. They cant imprison all of us. Advertisement It was said to be gathering evidence against her for 'knowingly spreading false information' about the use of Russia's armed forces. On the steps of the court after her release, Miss Ovsyannikova, who was previously married to a director at state-controlled Russia Today, revealed that she had been barred from contacting her lawyers during a 14-hour interrogation. 'It's been a really difficult day in my life,' she said, looking very tired. 'I've gone two days without sleep, more than 14 hours in custody, they didn't allow me to contact those close to me or to receive any legal counsel... so I found myself in a really tough situation. 'I want to thank everyone for their support,' Miss Ovsyannikova said, adding that she was too exhausted to answer any more questions and 'needed to rest' before she could reveal more. She had been swiftly detained after interrupting Russia's most famous anchor, Ekaterina Andreeva, on its main nightly news programme, Vremya, which is watched by 250million people. A friend of the journalist, who was able to bypass security as an employee at the directorate of information programs at the channel, said that she had been planning her protest for days. Miss Ovsyannikova, whose father is Ukrainian and mother is Russian and is believed to have been born in Odessa, is said to have grown increasingly angry over the bloody invasion. 'The anger has been building up with her ever since the war started. Two days ago, she told me how she was going to do it,' the friend told The Guardian. Miss Ovsyannikova's outstanding act of defiance yesterday saw the Ukrainian president personally thank her for her brave efforts and even saw France offer her sanctuary as a refugee. British MPs are also lobbying for her to be nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize, while almost 50,000 social media users showered her Facebook page with messages of support and praise. Pictured: Miss Ovsyannikova's status as a senior television editor at the station meant she was able to get access to the broadcasting centre, and was not stopped by any armed guards Last night, French president Emmanuel Macron said his country would be willing to give Miss Ovsyannikova diplomatic protection and asylum and would personally raise her case with Putin. During his morning video address yesterday, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky thanked the journalist for her brave efforts to tell the 'truth'. 'I am grateful to those Russians who do not stop trying to convey the truth... To those who fight disinformation and tell the truth, real facts to their friends and loved ones. 'And personally to the woman who entered the studio of Channel One with a poster against the war,' he said. A pre-recorded video was released after the protest in which she called the events in Ukraine a 'crime' and said she was ashamed to work for what she called Kremlin propaganda. 'I'm ashamed that I allowed myself to tell lies from the television screen. Ashamed that I allowed Russians to be turned into zombies,' she explained. 'We just silently watched this inhumane regime.' State-controlled Russian media refer to the war as a 'special military operation', painting Ukraine as the aggressor, and have been spewing anti-Ukraine rhetoric, including calling its elected government neo-Nazis. The Kremlin has also blocked social media sites such as Twitter and Facebook in it efforts to control the country's citizens with its propaganda. Pictured: Marina Ovsyannikova, the editor at the state broadcaster Channel One who protested against Russian military action in Ukraine during the evening news broadcast at the station late Monday, leaves the Ostankinsky District Court after being fined for 30,000 rubles Miss Ovsyannikova called on the Russian people to protest against the war, saying that only they could 'stop the madness'. 'Don't be afraid of anything, they can't imprison all of us,' she signed off, wearing a necklace bearing the colours of both Russian and Ukrainian flags. Foreign Office minister James Cleverly said the stunt, along with other demonstrations in Russia, demonstrated a 'huge degree of bravery'. He told BBC Breakfast that such acts were 'incredibly important', adding: 'It shows a huge degree of bravery for those individuals to protest against what we know is an oppressive, authoritarian state, but it's really important that the Russian people understand what is being done in their name. 'They have been systematically lied to by Vladimir Putin and it's really important they understand the truth of what's going on.' Bernie Sanders, the left-wing US senator, said her protest showed 'an incredible act of courage'. Channel One said it was investigating the incident, while the Kremlin yesterday branded Miss Ovsyannikova's valiant protest as an act of 'hooliganism'. 'As far as this woman is concerned, this is hooliganism,' Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said and he praised Channel One for what he called its quality, objective and timely programming. Before her TV career, Miss Ovsyannikova was a competitive swimmer who crossed the Volga river in Russia and the Bosphorus waterway in Turkey. She graduated from Kuban State University before achieving a master's degree from Russia's Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration. Almost 15,000 people have been detained across Russia during anti-war protests while media outlets and journalists who deviate from Mr Putin's narrative are being targeted. One of Russia's top presenters, Liliya Gildeyeva, 45, was among at least three other journalists to quit their jobs on state-controlled media in defiance in recent days. She had been the leading anchor on Gazprom-Media's NTV channel since 2006, where she had worked for more than a decade-and-a-half. 'At first I left, I was afraid they wouldn't let me go, then I wrote my resignation letter,' she told blogger Ilya Varlamov. The university which refused the author of a race report an honorary degree has showered them on a string of controversial Chinese and Malaysian figures. It emerged this week that Nottingham University withdrew an offer of a degree to Tony Sewell, who wrote a report last year for Boris Johnson concluding there was no evidence Britain was institutionally racist. It said he could not have the honour because his report had made him the subject of political controversy. The universitys list of people with honorary degrees published on their website includes figures such as Liu Xiaoming, the former Chinese ambassador to the UK. Former prime minister of Malaysia, Najib Razak, was jailed for 12 years in 2020 after embezzling 537million from a state-owned investment firm Ahmad Jauhari Yahya, former chief executive of Malaysia Airlines had to apologise for sending an insensitive text message to relatives of victims of the MH370 plane disaster CONTROVERSIAL HONORARY DEGREES AT NOTTINGHAM LIU XIAOMING, former Chinese ambassador to UK: Dismissed videos showing Uighur re-education camps in the western Xinjiang region as fake news, and denied China operates a forced sterilisation programme there. FU YING, another former Chinese ambassador to UK: Questioned claims of human rights abuses against the Uighur people. NAJIB RAZAK, former prime minister of Malaysia: Jailed for 12 years in 2020 after embezzling 537million from a state-owned investment firm. ABDUL GANI PATAIL, former attorney general of Malaysia: Accused of fabricating evidence when he led the prosecution against politician Anwar Ibrahim on sodomy charges in 1998. The conviction was later overturned. AHMAD JAUHARI YAHYA, former chief executive of Malaysia Airlines: Apologised for sending an insensitive text message to relatives of victims of the MH370 plane disaster, telling them their loved ones were probably dead. Links to Russia: STEPHEN ODELL, who sits on the council of Nottingham University: Earned 150,000 from Kremlin-linked firm Evraz, suspected of supplying steel to build Russian tanks. He stepped down from its board last week. Advertisement But, despite this, the university has conferred honorary degrees on former Chinese ambassadors who have cast doubt on the Uighur genocide, and a Malaysian politician found guilty of embezzlement. At the same time, a senior official at the university has earned almost 150,000 from a Kremlin-linked firm suspected of supplying steel to build Russian tanks. Nottingham University has campuses in both China and Malaysia. The revelations will spark allegations that the university has been hypocritical in giving honours to controversial figures while denying one to Dr Sewell. Last year, Dr Sewell, who runs a charity helping black children to get into university, published a report on racial disparities which found that Britains multi-racial society should be considered a model for other countries. After the study was severely criticised by lobby groups, Nottingham University wrote to him to say the honorary degree they had decided to give him in 2019 was being withdrawn as he was the subject of political controversy. Despite this, the universitys list of people with honorary degrees published on their website includes figures such as Liu Xiaoming, the former Chinese ambassador to the UK. He dismissed videos showing Uighur re-education camps in the western Xinjiang region as fake news, and denied that China operates a forced sterilisation programme there. After being confronted on the BBCs Andrew Marr Show in 2020 with clips appearing to show shackled prisoners being herded onto trains, he insisted Uighur Muslims live in peace and harmony. It has also emerged that a senior official at Nottingham University has earned almost 150,000 from a Kremlin-linked firm suspected of supplying steel to build Russian tanks. Stephen Odell has been on the universitys council since May last year and until last week was on the board of Evraz, whose biggest shareholder is Roman Abramovich. Fu Ying, another former Chinese ambassador to UK, questioned claims of human rights abuses against the Uighur people. Stephen Odell has been on the universitys council since May last year and until last week was on the board of Evraz, whose biggest shareholder is Roman Abramovich A Foreign Office report this month said Abramovich has effective control of Evraz, and it accused the firm of being involved in destabilising Ukraine. After taking up a job as a non-executive director with Evraz last June, Mr Odell earned 105,000 for just over six months work. His pay continued until he stepped down from the board last week, meaning he earned as much as another 40,000. He served on the steel makers audit, pay and nominations committees before quitting on Friday. A University of Nottingham spokesman said: These awards predate the introduction of criteria to preclude the award of honorary degrees to figures who have been the subject of political controversy. We are satisfied that this criteria has been robustly adhered to since its introduction, as in the recent case of Tony Sewell.' Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has announced fully vaccinated Australians will be able to travel to New Zealand from April 12. 'We have now received guidance it is now safe to significantly bring forward the next stage of border reopening work - to bring back our tourists,' she said on Wednesday. 'We are ready to welcome the world back.' As well as announcing Australians will be allowed in from Easter, Ms Ardern also confirmed travellers with visa waiver arrangements from countries including the US and the UK can enter from May 1. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern (pictured) is set to announce a new reopening strategy for New Zealand, with preferential treatment for Australia 'Closing our border was one of the first actions we took to stop Covid-19 two years ago,' Ms Ardern added. 'It did the job we needed. But now that we're highly vaccinated and predicted to be off our Omicron peak, it's now safe to open up.' The country has held firm to tight border policies through the COVID-19 pandemic, maintaining a largely shut border for two years. However, high vaccination rates and the dominance of the milder Omicron variant mean there is less need now for trying to keep the virus out of the country. For the past fortnight, Kiwis have been able to come home from overseas without quarantine or self-isolation on arrival. That will soon extend to foreigners, with Australians allowed to visit from 11:59 on April 12 without the need for quarantine and self isolation. All travellers to New Zealand are expected to be fully vaccinated. Fully vaccinated Australians will be allowed to visit New Zealand without isolating from 11.59pm, April 12 (pictured, staff wearing face masks as they talk to passengers onboard a Qantas flight in April) The opening of borders was desperately required by a tourism industry that had been decimated by border closures. Trans-Tasman businessman Quentin Nolan is one of the many eager to see a reopening schedule stick. Mr Nolan is the man behind Snow Machine, a Queenstown-based music festival. The inaugural festival was postponed last year when the trans-Tasman travel bubble was stopped, and then cancelled altogether when it became clear the bubble wasn't returning in 2021. 'It's something we've been planning for a number of years ... and we had to refund everyone which is pretty brutal. We did take a serious hit,' Mr Nolan said. He is determined to plug on in 2022, bringing a popular northern hemisphere concept to New Zealand's hard-hit ski town. The country has held firm to tight border policies through the COVID-19 pandemic, maintaining a largely shut border for two years (Pictured: two women embrace after one arrives on a flight from Australia at Auckland International Airport in February) 'It's pretty brutal. There's more vacant shops in Queenstown I've ever seen. So many businesses have gone broke in the last six months,' he said. 'People are starting to get a little bit of confidence back for this coming winter. 'An April opening would be great for confidence. To see people travelling back without an issue, that's gonna make people feel somewhat comfortable about returning.' Industry veterans believe it will take time for travellers to have faith that when the borders are opened, they will stay open. Tourism Industry Aotearoa spokeswoman Ann-Marie Johnson said many left standing after the pandemic were battle-scarred after two years of intermittent and largely domestic trading. 'We are marking the second anniversary of the closure of New Zealand's borders this week,' Ms Johnson said. 'That is 730 days of pain for small and large tourism businesses throughout the motu (country). 'It would be wonderful if New Zealand could reopen to Australian visitors in time for their April school holiday period which includes Easter. If forecasts are correct, New Zealand's Omicron outbreak will have passed its peak by then.' NASA astronaut Mark Vande Hei has officially spent more time in orbit than any other U.S. astronaut, after marking his 341st consecutive day in space. He beats a record held by former NASA astronaut Scott Kelly, who was in space for 340 consecutive days, but is still someway off the 437 days set by cosmonaut Valery Poliyakov on the Russian Mir space station in January 1995. Vande Hei travelled to the ISS in April 2021, on a Russian Soyuz spacecraft from the Baikanour cosmodrome in Kazakhstan - and is due to return via Soyuz on March 30. This record breaking achievement comes amid turmoil in relations between NASA and Russia, after the invasion of Ukraine on February 24 prompted a number of sanctions, including against the Russian space industry. The sanctions led to a number of threats from Roscosmos, and its director general, Dmitry Rogozin, including the idea it may leave Vande Hei on the station. Russia's space agency has now said it will return Vande Hei to the Earth on a Soyuz rocket later this month, alongside cosmonauts Anton Shkaplerov and Pyotr Dubrov. In a statement to Russian state media, Roscosmos said: 'US astronaut Mark Vande Hei will travel back home in the Saoyuz MS-19 spacecraft together with Russia's Anton Shkaplerov and Pyotr Dubrov on March 30.' Adding that: 'Roscosmos has never let anybody doubt its reliability as a partner.' The agreement to take Vande Hei to the ISS and bring him back was agreed long before the Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24. Joel Montalbano, manager of NASA's International Space Station (ISS) program, said US-Russian cooperation on the station remains free of tension, with cooperation continuing between the four Americans, two Russians and a European. 'When you're in space, there's no borders. You don't see country lines or state lines,' Montalbano said, adding he also expects Vande Hei to return as planned. Vande Hei, who flew to the station aboard a Russian Soyuz spacecraft launched last April, will have logged a NASA record-breaking 355 days in orbit when he returns. Russia's space agency says it will return NASA astronaut Mark Vande Hei to the Earth on a Soyuz rocket later this month, after earlier suggestions it would abandon him The Soyuz MS-18 spacecraft carrying the crew formed of Mark Vande Hei of NASA and cosmonauts Oleg Novitskiy and Pyotr Dubrov of Roscosmos blasts off to the International Space Station (ISS) from the launchpad at the Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan April 9 The promise to return Vande Hei on the Soyuz rocket comes as part of a dialling back of tensions and rhetoric from Russia over sanctions against its space program. In the pas three weeks much of this posturing has come from Dmitry Rogozin, Director General of Roscosmos, including pulling sales and support of Russian rockets to the US, and suggesting the ISS could be left to crash on the US. One of these threats was a hint that Vande Hei could be left behind, if Russia decides to return its astronauts on their own - leaving the third seat empty. NASA has denied throughout that this would happen, saying that cooperation continues over the space station. 'We both need each other to operate the International Space Station,' Montalbano told a news briefing on two upcoming ISS spacewalks by NASA crew members, the first of which was to begin on later today. When U.S. President Joe Biden announced high-tech export restrictions on President Vladimir Putin's government on February 24, he said they were designed to 'degrade' Russia's aerospace industry, including its space program. Rogozin took this personally, responding with threats to withdraw from the ISS, and even suggesting Americans could 'ride their broomsticks' to space after pulling cooperation over rocket engine sales between the two nations. At about the same time, Moscow said it had ceased joint ISS research with Germany and forced the 11th-hour cancellation of a satellite launch British broadband company OneWeb had planned to conduct from Russia's Baikonur Cosmodrome. Joel Montalbano, manager of NASA's International Space Station (ISS) program, said US-Russian cooperation on the station remains free of tension, with cooperation continuing between the four Americans, two Russians and a European RUSSIA'S THREATS, DELAYS AND CANCELLATIONS IN SPACE In response to sanctions imposed by the international community, Russia has made a series of threats, caused delays and cancelled projects. International Space Station Russia's space agency boss, Dmitry Rogozin said 'who would save the ISS' with Russia were to withdraw from the orbital laboratory project. The ISS is split into two halves, with life support coming from the US half, and propulsion, stopping it falling to Earth, from the Russia side. Rogozin said the ISS could fall on to the US or Europe if it pulled out. Rocket sales to the US Russia sells two major rocket engine types to the U.S., and has done so since the mid-1990s. The RD-180 and RD-181. It announced an end to these sales, and the maintenance of the engines in response to sanctions. Rogozin said that the U.S. launch providers should 'ride their brooms'. Building military satellites Russia has announced it will redirect funding towards the construction of military satellites and equipment. It is ending some upcoming science projects, in favor of defense. Ending science projects Russia has withdrawn cooperation with Germany on a space telescope and experiments on the ISS. It says it will continue with the telescope, which it temporarily switched off, and the experiments on its own without German support. No more launch Roscosmos pulled out of a Soyuz sharing agreement with the European Space Agency launch partner Arianespace in French Guiana. It has also threatened to withhold U.S.-built, UK-owned OneWeb satellites without a guarantee they won't be used for military purposes. OneWeb later cancelled its planned launch on a Soyuz rocket from the Baikonur cosmodrome. This prompted Roscomos to pain over. British and U.S. flags on the rocket. Advertisement Rogozin also said last month Roscosmos was suspending its cooperation with European launch operations at the European Spaceport in French Guiana. 'Do you want to destroy our co-operation on the ISS? If you block co-operation with us, who will save the ISS from an uncontrolled de-orbit and fall into the United States or Europe?' he has asked. Then, after trading barbs with retired astronaut Scott Kelly over a separate video in which workers covered depictions of American and Japanese flags, Rogozin wrote in a now-deleted tweet: 'Get off, you moron! Otherwise the death of the ISS will be on your conscience!' But Kelly said the video leaving Vande Hei on the International Space Station went too far. 'It kind of enraged me that the country that we had been in this international partnership for 20 years would take the time to make a video to threaten to leave behind one of the crew members they are responsible for,' he told the Wall Street Journal. 'They agreed to be responsible for his safety, getting him to the space station and getting him home,' Kelly explained. 'For me, that kind of just crossed the line.' Asked whether escalating geopolitical tensions over Putin's invasion of Ukraine, which Russia calls a 'special military operation', might spill over to undermine morale or U.S.-Russian cooperation on the space station, Montalbano insisted ISS 'interdependency' between the two former space rivals remains firmly intact. 'The teams continue to work together. Are they aware of what's going on on Earth? Absolutely. But the teams are professional,' he added. 'They've trained to do a job, and they're going to do that job.' NASA astronaut Mark Vande Hei , who flew to the orbital outpost aboard a Russian Soyuz spacecraft launched last April from Baikonur, is due to return to Kazakhstan on March 30 in a different Soyuz craft with cosmonaut peers Pyotr Dubrov and Anton Shkaplerov. Montalbano said Roscosmos had recently confirmed 'Mark Vande Hei is coming home March 30 with Anton and Pyotr, period.' Logging a NASA record-breaking 355 days in orbit by the time he returns, Vande Hei will be greeted in Kazakhstan by a team of about 20 NASA personnel flying into the former Soviet republic for the homecoming as they have for previous ride-sharing liftoffs and landings by U.S. astronauts over the years, Montalbano said. The next Soyuz spacecraft to travel to the ISS after Vande Hei, Dubrov and Shkaplerov return to Earth, will be made up of three Russian cosmonauts. NASA told DailyMail.Com that cooperation continues with Roscosmos over the ISS. In fresh threats over the weekend, Rogozin (pictured) claimed that 'illegal' sanctions could cause the 500-ton ISS to crash down over Western countries LONGEST SPACEFLIGHT IN HISTORY Duration Crew Country Station 437.7 days Valeri Polyakov[27] Russia Mir 379.6 days Sergei Avdeyev[28] Russia Mir 365.0 days Vladimir Titov Soviet Union Mir 365.0 days Musa Manarov Soviet Union Mir 341 days Pyotr Dubrov Russia ISS 341 days Mark T. Vande Hei United States ISS 340.4 days Mikhail Kornienko Russia ISS 340.4 days Scott Kelly United States ISS 328.6 days[30][31] Christina Koch[31] United States ISS 326.5 days[32] Yuri Romanenko[32] Soviet Union Mir 311.8 days[33] Sergei Krikalev[33] Soviet Union Mir 289.2 days[34] Peggy Whitson[34] United States Mir 271.5 days[35] Andrew R. Morgan United States ISS Advertisement 'Ongoing station operations continue as normal including work to fly crew to the orbital outpost and to return them safely to Earth. 'On March 30, a Soyuz spacecraft will return as scheduled carrying NASA astronaut Mark Vande Hei and cosmonauts Pyotr Dubrov and Anton Shkaplerov back to Earth. Upon their return, Vande Hei will hold the American record for the longest single human spaceflight mission of 355 days.' 'We are not getting any indications at a working level that our counterparts are not committed to ongoing operation on the International Space Station,' said NASA's Kathy Lueders, when asked about cooperation in space. It is unlikely Russian spacecraft will carry NASA astronauts to the station for some time, as future trips have been purchased from Elon Musk-owned SpaceX. Montalbano said NASA was also still in talks with Roscosmos on a new 'crew exchange' deal that would pave the way for astronauts and cosmonauts to routinely share flights to the space station on each other's spacecrafts. NASA began paying to fly its astronauts to ISS aboard Soyuz after the U.S. space shuttle ended in 2011, only resuming launches from U.S. soil aboard SpaceX rockets over the past two years. None of those crews have included cosmonauts. Russia has previously hinted at the idea of launching its own space station in 2025, possibly taking some of the newer modules from the ISS. NASA has also announced it will deorbit the ISS in 2031, sending it down in a controlled manner to burn up int he atmosphere, with whats left landing in the South Pacific Ocean, near a remote area called Point Nemo. Vande Hei was born in Virginia, and raised in New Jersey and Minnesota. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Physics from St. John's University in 1989, before being commissioned in the Army through the ROTC program, where he served as a combat engineer. NASA 's Mark Vande Hei (pictured) is due to return from the International Space Station (ISS) with two Russian cosmonauts aboard a Russian Soyuz spacecraft on March 30 Vande Hei (far right) has been on board the ISS with the two Russian cosmonauts since last April. But Dmitry Rogozin, head of the Russian space agency Roscosmos, has threatened to leave the 55-year-old father-of-two in space or even send the space station crashing back down to Earth in retaliation for the US supporting Ukraine against the Russian invasion In 1999, he became an assistant professor of physics at the United States Military Academy in West Point, and 10 years later he was selected as an astronaut. His first space flight was in 2018, as an Expedition 53/54 crew member, during which he conducted spacewalks, researched microgravity and measured the sun's energy input to Earth. He joined the two Russian cosmonauts on the Expedition 64/65 crew last April, tasked with conducting hundreds of experiments to learn more about living in space, which NASA said was critical 'to understand and overcome the challenges of long-duration spaceflight, and those insights gained will help send humans to the moon and eventually to Mars.' In September, Vande Hei spoke to students and staff at his alma mater, saying: 'I became an astronaut for the opportunity to explore a combination of mental and physical challenges. 'It's a job that you have the ability to contribute to all human-kind.' Vande Hei's last tweet was from February 21, when he shared an aerial view of Washington D.C. and a quote by George Washington: 'I was summoned by my Country, whose voice I can never hear but with veneration and love.' President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol, right, receives a letter from Chinese President Xi Jinping delivered by Chinese Ambassador to Seoul Xing Haiming at the People Power Party headquarters in Seoul, March 11. Korea Times photo by Oh Dae-geun Seoul expected to boost multilateral-level cooperation with economies in Indo-Pacific in bid to reduce trade reliance on No. 2 economy By Kim Bo-eun HONG KONG The election of conservative Yoon Suk-yeol as South Korea's next president has raised questions over the future direction of relations between Seoul and Beijing, with the former prosecutor making clear he plans to strengthen trade and security ties with Washington. Yoon has taken a harder stance on China than outgoing liberal president Moon Jae-in, who has placed considerable importance on ties with the world's No 2 economy, both in terms of trade and its ability to help negotiate with North Korea. China is by far South Korea's largest trading partner, snapping up 25 percent of Korea's total exports in 2021, helping push bilateral trade to a record $301.5 billion. But the escalating rivalry between Beijing and Washington has posed a dilemma for Seoul, which must balance economic ties with China and its traditional security relationship with the U.S. Under Moon's leadership, South Korea preferred to treat both as "equally important" but that is likely to change when Yoon takes office, analysts say. "Considering that the Moon administration's neutral stance did not result in practical benefits and taking into account the level of anti-China sentiment in Korea, it appears feasible that the new administration would keep a distance from China compared to the current administration and take gestures leaning toward the U.S.," said Moon Jong-chol, research fellow at the Korea Institute for Industrial Economics and Trade. The incoming administration could pose the greatest test for Seoul-Beijing ties since 2017, when relations soured following South Korea's decision to deploy the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense System (THAAD) to protect itself against possible missile attacks from North Korea. The deployment enraged Beijing, which responded with swift economic retribution against Seoul. China claims the American anti-ballistic missile defense system enables the U.S. to spy on its territory. Yoon claimed during his campaign that the Moon administration has been submissive towards Beijing, while promising an additional deployment of THAAD to counter attacks from Pyongyang. Yoon has also hinted at joining the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, or "Quad," between the U.S., India, Australia and Japan, which was formed amid shared concerns over China's growing power and influence in the Asia-Pacific. U.S. President Joe Biden speaks during an event to support legislation that would encourage domestic manufacturing and strengthen supply chains for computer chips in the South Court Auditorium on the White House campus, Wednesday, March 9, 2022, in Washington. AP-Yonhap Ukraine's defense ministry has started using Clearview AI's facial recognition technology to uncover Russian assailants, combat misinformation and identify the dead. Ukraine is receiving free access to Clearview AI's powerful search engine for faces, letting authorities potentially vet people of interest at checkpoints, among other uses, according to Lee Wolosky, an adviser to Clearview. The plans started forming after Russia invaded Ukraine and Clearview Chief Executive Hoan Ton-That sent a letter to Kyiv offering assistance, according to a copy seen by Reuters. Clearview said it had not offered the technology to Russia, which calls its actions in Ukraine a 'special operation.' Ukraine's defense ministry has started using Clearview AI's facial recognition technology to uncover Russian assailants, combat misinformation and identify the dead (stock image) Clearview AI: The world's largest facial network Clearview AI's platform includes the largest known database of 10+ billion facial images sourced from public-only web sources, including news media, mugshot websites, public social media, and many other open sources. 'Agencies that use our platform can expect to receive high-quality leads with fewer resources expended,' it explained. 'These leads, when supported by other evidence, can help accurately and rapidly identify suspects, persons of interest, and victims to help solve and prevent crimes.' Advertisement Ukraine's Ministry of Defense did not reply to requests for comment. Previously, a spokesperson for Ukraine's Ministry of Digital Transformation said it was considering offers from US-based artificial intelligence companies like Clearview. Many Western businesses have pledged to help Ukraine, providing internet hardware, cybersecurity tools and other support. The Clearview founder said his startup had more than two billion images from the Russian social media service VKontakte at its disposal, out of a database of over 10 billion photos total. That database can help Ukraine identify the dead more easily than trying to match fingerprints and works even if there is facial damage, Ton-That wrote. Research for the US Department of Energy found decomposition reduced the technology's effectiveness while a paper from a 2021 conference showed promising results. Ton-That's letter also said Clearview's technology could be used to reunite refugees separated from their families, identify Russian operatives and help the government debunk false social media posts related to the war. The exact purpose for which Ukraine's defense ministry is using the technology is unclear, Ton-That said. Other parts of Ukraine's government are expected to deploy Clearview in the coming days, he and Wolosky said. The VKontakte images make Clearview's dataset more comprehensive than that of PimEyes, a publicly available image search engine that people have used to identify individuals in war photos, Wolosky said. VKontakte did not immediately respond to a request for comment. At least one critic says facial recognition could misidentify people at checkpoints and in battle. At least one critic says facial recognition could misidentify people at checkpoints and in battle. Pictured: Members of the Territorial Defence Force stand guard at a check point, as Russia's invasion of Ukraine continues, at the Independence Square in central Kyiv A mismatch could lead to civilian deaths, just like unfair arrests have arisen from police use, said Albert Fox Cahn, executive director of the Surveillance Technology Oversight Project in New York. 'We're going to see well-intentioned technology backfiring and harming the very people it's supposed to help,' he said. Ton-That said Clearview should never be wielded as the sole source of identification and that he would not want the technology to be used in violation of the Geneva Conventions, which created legal standards for humanitarian treatment during war. Like other users, those in Ukraine are receiving training and have to input a case number and reason for a search before queries, he said. Clearview, which primarily sells to US law enforcement, is fighting lawsuits in the United States accusing it of violating privacy rights by taking images from the web. Clearview contends its data gathering is similar to how Google search works. Still, several countries including the United Kingdom and Australia have deemed its practices illegal. Cahn described identifying the deceased as probably the least dangerous way to deploy the technology in war, but he said that 'once you introduce these systems and the associated databases to a war zone, you have no control over how it will be used and misused.' Elon Musk's Starlink app which allows people access to a satellite-based internet service has become the most-downloaded app in Ukraine, new data shows. The SpaceX CEO delivered the terminals that provide the service after Russian President Vladimir Putin invaded the country last month. Since then, figures show the app has been downloaded almost 100,000 times in Ukraine, with global downloads more than tripling in the last two weeks. Sensor Tower, a firm that provides App Store and Google Play data, said the app was downloaded 21,000 times globally across the two stores on Sunday. That is the most global installs in a single day, the company added, with the majority of the downloads coming from Ukraine. Elon Musk has warned there is a high chance SpaceX's Starlink satellite broadband service in Ukraine could be 'targeted' by Russia TOP 10 MOST DOWNLOADED IPHONE APPS IN UKRAINE As of March 15, the top 10 most downloaded iPhone apps in Ukraine are: Starlink - SpaceX - Ajax Systems inc - Wild Pluto - Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine Google Meet Zoom Cloud Meetings Signal Yakaboo: , Telegram Google - Source: Sensor Tower Advertisement Musk delivered the terminals for satellite-based internet following a request by Ukraine's Vice Prime Minister and minister of digital transformation, Mykhailo Fedorov. According to a Tesla company email seen by CNBC last week, the car maker, of which Musk is also the CEO, helped to quickly deliver the Starlink infrastructure. It is understood that Tesla battery storage systems were also provided to power them. However, earlier this month Musk warned there was a high chance SpaceX's Starlink satellite broadband service in Ukraine could be 'targeted' by Russia. The billionaire entrepreneur voiced his concerns just days after an internet security researcher cautioned that devices used for satellite communications could become 'beacons' that Russia may target for airstrikes. '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,' Musk tweeted. He asked users to 'turn on Starlink only when needed and place antenna away as far away from people as possible' and 'place light camouflage over antenna to avoid visual detection.' Ukraine's Vice Prime Minister Mykhailo Fedorov took to Twitter last month to thank Elon Musk for supplying the country with Starlink satellites Musk (pictured) delivered the terminals for satellite-based internet following a request by Ukraine's minister of digital transformation, Mykhailo Fedorov Internet outages have been on the rise across Ukraine since Russia invaded three weeks ago, including in Mariupol, Sumy, Kharkiv and the capital city of Kyiv. Britain's Ministry of Defence warned last week that Moscow is 'probably' targeting Ukraine's communications infrastructure. One of Ukraine's major internet providers has reportedly been hacked several times, resetting service devices to factory settings, although it is unclear whether Russia is directly behind those attacks. Internet access may also have been interrupted because of collateral infrastructure damage from Putin's soldiers. At the end of February Musk said Starlink was activated in Ukraine and SpaceX was sending more terminals to the country, responding to a tweet by a Ukraine government official who asked Musk to provide the embattled country with Starlink stations. The country's vice prime minister thanked Starlink for 'keeping our cities connected and emergency services saving lives!' But he said the country needed generators to keep the satellite broadband service online because of Russian attacks on infrastructure. In response, Musk said SpaceX was updating software to reduce peak power consumption, so Starlink can be powered from car cigarette lighters. 'Mobile roaming enabled, so phased array antenna can maintain signal while on moving vehicle,' he said. Tim Farrar, a consultant in satellite communications, said Starlink antennas, which look like home satellite television dishes, are not designed to be used while in motion, and it was not clear what Musk meant by the tweet. Train delays and cancellations are every commuter's biggest bug bear. But those relentless hold-ups would surely be minimised if there was a locomotive that never needed to stop to refuel or recharge because it had a constant power source. And that's just what scientists are developing with the help of a 38 million ($50 million) budget. Their task is to create the world's first 'Infinity Train', powered by the force of gravity, which will then be rolled out to a rail network later this decade. It will run on an electric battery that won't need to be recharged using conventional charging infrastructure because it will instead harness gravitational energy on downhill sections of a track. The friction of braking to slow the train will re-generate electricity and theoretically mean the locomotive could transport materials and one day people without having to stop. This echoes the 2013 post-apocalyptic science fiction movie Snowpiercer, where the Earth has frozen and a train carrying survivors must stay in perpetual motion circling the globe. It will run on an electric battery that won't need to be recharged using conventional charging infrastructure because it will instead harness gravitational energy on downhill sections of a track The world's first 'Infinity Train' that would use gravity to recharge its electric battery is being developed by scientists (stock image) The idea echoes the 2013 post-apocalyptic science fiction film Snowpiercer (pictured), where the Earth has frozen and a train carrying survivors must stay in perpetual motion HOW WOULD THE INFINITY TRAIN WORK? 1. The train is powered by an electric battery 2. This is recharged using the gravitational energy generated on the downhill sections of a rail network 3. The friction of braking to slow the train re-generates electricity 4. This is the same way that hybrid electric cars work 5. It removes the need for recharging infrastructure and would lead to the elimination of diesel Advertisement The Australian engineering company behind the plan, Fortescue Future Industries, said it would also remove the need for any trains to be powered by diesel. It works in the same way that hybrid electric cars are powered. The firm announced the train following its acquisition of UK-based battery firm Williams Advanced Engineering (WAE), which was born out of Williams F1 in 2010. Together, the two companies will work to accelerate the transition to green energy and help the industry cut carbon emissions to zero by the end of the decade. 'The Infinity Train will join Fortescue's green fleet under development and will contribute to Fortescue becoming a major player in the growing global market for green industrial transport equipment, providing great value for our shareholders,' said Dr Andrew Forrest, Fortescue's founder and chairman. 'To move business leaders and politicians globally to the realisation that fossil fuel is just one source of energy and there are others now, like gravitational energy, rapidly emerging, which are more efficient, lower cost and green. Fortescue said its rail operations (pictured) currently include 54 locomotives that haul 16 train sets, together with other on-track mobile equipment Each train set is about 1.7 miles (2.8km) in length and has the capacity to haul 34,404 tonnes of iron ore in 244 cars What is gravity? Scientists understand that there are four fundamental forces that act on all things in the universe: Gravity - Weakest force but has infinite range. Weak nuclear force - Next weakest but short range Electromagnetic force - Stronger and with infinite range. Strong nuclear force - Strongest of the forces but short range Gravity is an attractive force that acts on all things, but has a stronger pull on larger objects. The force is so weak that huge celestial objects are required to have a meaningful impact. For example, the attraction on Earth is just sufficient to keep humans grounded. Although it is understood how it works, the workings of how it operated are a mystery. Scientists have long speculated about the existence of a fundamental particle called the 'graviton' which is responsible for the force. Despite its theoretical logic, the particle is yet to be discovered. On Earth the force of gravity is measured at 9.8m/s^2. For reference, the force on Jupiter is 24.8m/s^2 and the moon is 1.6m/s^2. That means a 10 stone (140 pound) human on Earth would weigh only 22 pounds on the moon but would weigh 331 pounds on Jupiter. Advertisement 'The world must, and clearly can, move on from its highly polluting, deadly-if-not-stopped epoch of fossil fuel.' He said the Infinity Train should help to accelerate Fortescue's race to reach net-zero emissions by 2030, while also lowering operating costs and creating more efficient maintenance opportunities. Fortescue said its rail operations include 54 locomotives that haul 16 train sets, together with other on-track mobile equipment. Each train set is about 1.7 miles (2.8km) in length and has the capacity to haul 34,404 tonnes of iron ore in 244 cars. The system currently relies on diesel engines, which consume 82 million litres of fuel every year. The company hopes to dramatically cut that usage and eventually phase it out completely within the next several years with the help of the Infinity Train. 'The Infinity Train has the capacity to be the world's most efficient battery-electric locomotive,' said Fortescue CEO Elizabeth Gaines. 'The regeneration of electricity on the downhill loaded sections will remove the need for the installation of renewable energy generation and recharging infrastructure, making it a capital efficient solution for eliminating diesel and emissions from our rail operations.' But even if engineers do succeed in harnessing the technology to create the Infinity Train, it may take months or even years for other railways to implement it. Not only that, but it won't stop train delays because of weather or leaves on the line, unlike a new piece of technology being trialled. Dry ice will be blasted onto railway lines across northern England as part of the initiative that is aimed at reducing delays caused by leaves on the track. The leaf-clearing device, pioneered by British engineers, could be rolled out across the whole of the UK by 2024. It has been developed by experts at the University of Sheffield and is currently being trialled by operator Northern on a passenger train. In a similar way to black ice on roads, leaves cause a slippery layer on railway lines that forces trains to run at slower speeds, leading to delays. Under the new method, which aims to remove leaves more efficiently than current techniques, pellets of dry ice are fired in a stream of air from a passenger train onto rails, making leaves frozen and brittle. The dry ice then quickly turns back into gas, causing it to expand and destroy the leaves. Intrigued by tales of Quasimodo, fascinated by the gargoyles, or on a pilgrimage to see the Crown of Thorns said to have rested on Jesus' head on the Cross, more than 13 million people each year flock to see Europe's most popular historic monument. The 12th century Catholic cathedral is a masterpiece of French Gothic design, with a cavernous vaulted ceiling and some of the largest rose windows on the continent. It is the seat of the Archdiocese of Paris and its 69m-tall towers were the tallest structures in Paris until the completion of the Eiffel Tower in 1889. It survived a partial sacking by 16th century zealots and the destruction of many of its treasures during the atheist French Revolution but remains one of the greatest churches in the world and was the scene of Emperor Napoleon's coronation in 1804. A view of the middle-age stained glass rosace on the southern side of the Notre-Dame de Paris cathedral The foundation stone was laid in front of Pope Alexander III in 1163, with building work on the initial structure completed in 1260. The roof of the nave was constructed with a new technology: the rib vault. The roof of the nave was supported by crossed ribs which divided each vault into compartments, and the use of four-part rather than six-part rib vaults meant the roofs were stronger and could be higher. After the original structure was completed in the mid 13th century - following the consecration of the High altar in 1182 - flying buttresses had been invented, and were added to spread the weight of the mighty vault. The original spire was constructed in the 13th century, probably between 1220 and 1230. It was battered, weakened and bent by the wind over five centuries, and finally was removed in 1786. During a 19th century restoration, following desecration during the Revolution, it was recreated with a new version of oak covered with lead. The entire spire weighed 750 tons. At the summit of the spire were held three relics; a tiny piece of the Crown of Thorns, located in the treasury of the Cathedral; and relics of Denis and Saint Genevieve, patron saints of Paris. They were placed there in 1935 by the Archibishop Verdier, to protect the congregation from lightning or other harm. The Crown of Thorns was one of the great relics of medieval Christianity. It was acquired by Louis IX, king of France, in Constantinople in AD 1239 for the price of 135,000 livres - nearly half the annual expenditure of France. The elaborate reliquary in which just one of the thorns is housed sits in the Cathedral having been moved from the Saint-Chappelle church in Paris. The thorn is mounted on a large sapphire in the centre. The crown itself is also held in the cathedral, and is usually on view to the public on Good Friday - which comes at the end of this week. Notre-Dame de Paris is home to the relic accepted by Catholics the world over cathedral. The holy crown of thorns worn by Jesus Christ during the Passion During the 1790s with the country in the grip of atheist Revolution the cathedral was desecrated and much of its religious iconography destroyed. It was rededicated to the Cult of Reason and 28 statues of biblical kings - wrongly believed to by French monarchs - were beheaded. Even the great bells were nearly melted down. Napoleon returned the cathedral to the Catholic Church and was crowned Emperor there in 1804, but by the middle of the 19th century much of the iconic building. It wasn't until the publication of Victor Hugo's novel - The Hunchback of Notre Dame - in 1831 that public interest in the building resurfaced and repair works began. A major restoration project was launched in 1845 and took 25 years to be completed. Architects Jean-Baptiste-Antoine Lassus and Eugene Viollet-le-Duc won the commission. By 1944 the cathedral was to be damaged again and during the liberation of Paris, stray bullets caused minor damage to the medieval stained glass. This would be updated with modern designs. In 1963 France's Culture Minister, Andre Malraux, ordered the cleaning of the facade of the cathedral, where 800 years worth of soot and grime were removed. Notre Dame has a crypt, called the Crypte archeologique de l'ile de la Cite, where old architectural ruins are stored. They span from the times of the earliest settlement in Paris to present day. The cathedral has 10 bells, the heaviest bell - known as the boudon and weighing 13 tonnes - is called Emmanuel and has been rung to mark many historical events throughout time. At the end of the First and Second World Wars the bell was rung to mark the end of the conflicts. It is also rung to signify poignant events such as French heads of state dying or following horrific events such as the terrorist attack on the Twin Towers in New York in 2001. The three stained glass rose windows are the most famous features of the cathedral. They were created in the Gothic style between 1225 and 1270. While most of the original glass is long gone, some remains in the south rose which dates back to the last quarter of the 12th century. The rest of the windows were restored in the 18th century. The south rose is made up of 94 medallions which are arranged in four concentric circles. They portray scenes from the life of Christ and those who knew him - with the inner circle showing the 12 apostles in it 12 medallions. During the French Revolution rioters set fire to the residence of the archbishop, which was around the side of the cathedral, and the south rose was damaged. One of the cathedral's first organs was built in 1403 by Friedrich Schambantz but was replaced in the 18th century before being remade using the pipe work from former instruments. The Cathedral is also home to a Catholic relic said to be a single thorn from the crown of thorns worn by Jesus on the cross. The Earth has been struck by a series of minor geomagnetic storms over the past two days, after a solar flare was sent racing towards the planet last week. These flares emerge from the atmosphere of the sun, and can take several days to reach the Earth, making it difficult to predict the size of any impact. The storms are unlikely to cause any damage on Earth, beyond making stunning aurora visible further south than usual, and some minor radio disruption. Auroras happen when particles from the sun interact with gases in our atmosphere, causing beautiful displays of light in the sky. Usually visible around the poles. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), there is a minor chance that remnants of the solar storm could cause aurora to be visible as far south as New York and Idaho from about 9pm ET tonight. The Earth has been struck by a series of minor geomagnetic storms over the past two days, after a solar flare was sent racing towards the planet last week. Stock image According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), there is a minor chance that remnants of the solar storm could cause aurora to be visible as far south as New York and Idaho from about 9pm ET tonight The current storm today has been categorized as G1 by the NOA, based on the five-level solar storm scale - with five as the most extreme. There are about 2,000 category G1 and G2 solar storms per decade, and due to the ramping up of the sun's activity in recent years - we're in a solar storm streak. G2 category storms hit on Sunday and Monday, neither of which resulted in any damage, but did cause lower latitude aurora - including over northern England. The corona outbursts, also known as coronal mass ejections, happen when magnetic field lines in the atmosphere of the sun tangle and then snap. This snapping causes bursts of plasma to be ejected into space, and delivered throughout the solar system on solar winds - including some towards Earth. Those particles passing by the Earth interact with and compress our planet's magnetic field, triggering geomagnetic storms. The current storm today has been categorized as G1 by the NOA, based on the five-level solar storm scale - with five as the most extreme. Stock image NASA explains: 'There are many kinds of eruptions on the sun. Solar flares and coronal mass ejections both involve gigantic explosions of energy, but are otherwise quite different. WHAT ARE AURORAS AND WHAT TRIGGERS THE STUNNING NATURAL DISPLAYS? The Northern and Southern Lights are natural light spectacles triggered in our atmosphere that are also known as the 'Auroras'. There are two types of Aurora Aurora Borealis, which means 'dawn of the north', and Aurora Australis, 'dawn of the south.' The displays light up when electrically charged particles from the sun enter the Earth's atmosphere. Usually the particles, sometimes referred to as a solar storm, are deflected by Earth's magnetic field. But during stronger storms they enter the atmosphere and collide with gas particles, including hydrogen and helium. These collisions emit light. Auroral displays appear in many colours although pale green and pink are common. Advertisement 'The two phenomena do sometimes occur at the same time indeed the strongest flares are almost always correlated with coronal mass ejections but they emit different things, they look and travel differently, and they have different effects near planets.' Stronger storms can do real damage, with a recent example bringing down 40 SpaceX Starlink satellites soon after launch. Most of the storms are relatively mild, including this current storm, but even this could cause some problems for satellites and communication if hit directly. Larger coronal mass ejections destined to hit the Earth directly could trigger very severe solar storms - although the last on this scale was in 1859. This was known as the Carrington Event, which created strong aurora globally and caused sparking and even fires in multiple telegraph stations. A modern day Carrington Event-scale solar storm could knock out electrical grids, internet hubs and even take GPS satellites offline. Some scientists have described this possibility as an 'internet apocalypse' which could leave the entire planet offline for weeks or event months. This scale of event would also cause aurora to be visible close to the equator. In 1859 during the Carrington Event, aurora were reported in Hawaii. The sun has entered the active phase of its 11 year cycle, where more coronal mass ejections are likely - but our ability to detect them in advance has improved. This should enable satellite operators, power utilities and other providers to make preparations, to increase shielding around delicate equipment, or move satellites. NASA will begin the first fully stacked rollout of its massive 365ft megarocket, SLS, in preparation for the first Artemis moon mission later this summer. This rollout is for the first full 'wet dress rehearsal', where they conduct final prelaunch test, including loading the SLS propellant tanks and conducting a launch countdown under similar circumstances to the real launch later in the year. Atop of the massive Space Launch System rocket is the Orion capsule, that will take the first woman and first person of color to the Moon in 2025. The combined rocket and spacecraft are currently housed in the Vehicle Assembly Building at the NASA Kennedy Space Center in Florida. It will begin a four mile journey to the pad from the assembly building at 5pm ET, towed at 0.8 miles per hour by the Crawler-Transporter 2. It will take 11 hours. NASA will want to ensure it gets the launch right, as a recent audit revealed each launch will cost the space agency about $4.1 billion. Artemis 1, the first in NASA's new generation of moon missions, won't launch until at least the end of May, and could slip into June, according to the space agency This rollout is for the first full 'wet dress rehearsal', where they conduct final prelaunch test, including loading the SLS propellant tanks and conducting a launch countdown under similar circumstances to the real launch later in the year Once Orion and SLS are in place on the pad, NASA engineers will spend two weeks preparing it for the extensive pre-launch testing. It will sit on the pad until they are ready, and the wet dress rehearsal is effectively a full launch - without actually leaving the launch pad. It provides engineers and officials with a host of information on how the rocket performs, how procedures play out, and informs the decision on when to launch. The name, wet dress rehearsal, comes from the fact the tests are primarily designed to show that the rocket can be loaded with super-cold liquid propellants. It is currently thought the rehearsal will happen on April 1, assuming the rollout to the launch pad goes to schedule. During this time - between April 1 and 3 - engineers will practice the launch countdown, and fill the tanks. The countdown allows them to test the automated systems on the rocket and how it responds to flight termination scenarios. When done, they will drain all the fuel tanks and prepare it to go back to the Vehicle Assembly Building up to nine days later. It is important to get this right, as NASA auditors estimate that each launch of SLS and Orion will cost upwards of $4 billion. As well as preparing for the roll out on Thursday, the team has continued to retract the 20 platforms that surround the Space Launch System rocket and Orion. Atop of the massive Space Launch System rocket is the Orion capsule, that will take the first woman and first person of color to the Moon in 2025 The combined rocket and spacecraft are currently housed in the Vehicle Assembly Building at the NASA Kennedy Space Center in Florida 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 wet dress rehearsal will be the final major test for the Artemis I mission and will ensure the rocket, spacecraft, ground equipment and launch team are go for launch,' NASA explained. NASA expects the official Artemis I launch, the first involving SLS and Orion, to happen anytime from the end of May to mid-July - depending on the rehearsal. 'We continue to evaluate the May window, but we're also recognizing that there's a lot of work in front of us,' said Tom Whitmeyer, NASA Deputy Associate Administrator, with responsibility for exploration systems development. That work includes analyzing the data from the wet dress rehearsal, which will see the full stack of Orion and SLS rolled out to launch Pad 39B at the Kennedy Space Center from the Vehicle Assembly Building at 18:00 ET on March 17. 'During the test at the launch pad, engineers will be on duty in the Launch Control Center and in other stations where they will work during the Artemis I launch,' NASA explained in a blog post about the wet dress rehearsal. 'They will capture as much data as possible on the performance of all the systems that are part of SLS and the Orion spacecraft as well as the Kennedy ground systems.' 'The crawler-transporter will transport an over 17-million-pound stack to launch complex 39B,' said Mike Bolger, from NASA, adding 'the top of the umbilical tower will be over 400 feet off the ground when it's riding on top of the crawler-transporter, so it's really going to be a sight.' After the wet dress rehearsal the combination of Orion and SLS will stay on Pad 39B for about a month, before rolling back into the hanger for more analysis. To launch in May it has to be ready between May 7 and Mayor 21, and if it isn't ready to go by then, with all analysis complete, it will have to wait until June. NASA will want to ensure it gets the launch right, as a recent audit revealed each launch will cost the space agency about $4.1 billion The June window runs from June 6 until June 16, and then again from June 29 on until July 12, NASA officials confirmed. While it is the first mission for the massive Space Launch System rocket engine, it will be the second for the Orion capsule, which was involved in a test flight in December 2014, going to space on a ULA Delta IV Heavy. When it launches, Orion won't have any crew on board, despite being able to hold up to four astronauts, instead it willy carry dummies to the moon and back. These are designed to replicate human weight, and give scientists and engineers and insight into flight performance, without putting humans at risk. The Artemis I mission will see the Orion spacecraft, the SLS and the ground systems at Kennedy combine to launch the Orion 280,000 miles past Earth around the moon over the course of a three-week mission. It will begin a four mile journey to the pad from the assembly building at 5pm ET, towed at 0.8 miles per hour by the Crawler-Transporter 2. It will take 11 hours This spacecraft, primarily built by Lockheed Martin, will stay in space 'longer than any ship for astronauts has done without docking to a space station and return home faster and hotter than ever before,' NASA has said previously. If Artemis I is a success, then in 2024 NASA will send Artemis II on a trip around the moon, this time with a human crew on board. The Artemis II mission plans to send four astronauts in the first crewed Orion capsule into a lunar flyby for a maximum of 21 days. Both missions are tests flights to demonstrate the technology and abilities of Orion, SLS and the Artemis mission before NASA puts human boots back on the moon. The Artemis mission will be the first to land humans on the moon since NASA's Apollo 17 in 1972. With the first woman and first person of color expected to step foot on the surface at some point in 2025. It is set to lift off atop the massive Space Launch System (SLS) megarocket from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, but has been hit by a number of delays Once Orion and SLS are in place on the pad, NASA engineers will spend two weeks preparing it for the extensive pre-launch testing The launches rely on SLS, the tallest and most powerful rocket made for NASA, producing 15 per cent more thrust during liftoff than the Saturn V rockets that took the Apollo astronauts to the moon in the 1960s and 1970s. SLS is also able to carry more than 27 tons to the moon, meaning that as well as astronauts, it will be able to carry cargo payloads to the lunar surface. The Artemis missions have faced issues, including with the development of spacesuits and the human lander systems that will take crew to the surface. However, many of the delays have been as a result of issues with the SLS itself and legal issues, caused by Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin unsuccessfully suing NASA over a decision to award the Human lander system contract solely to Blue Origin. In November, NASA extended its target date for sending astronauts back to the moon from 2024 to 2025 at the earliest. In a bid to tackle the ongoing drought in the western U.S., a team of scientists are seeding clouds over mountains to try and make it snow more often. The Western states are locked in the worst drought in 1,200 years, putting 61 per cent of the contiguous U.S. under water shortages and dry conditions. There are a number of efforts designed to tackle this, including covering waterways with solar panels in California - but another way is to try and make it snow. The concept of cloud seeding, where chemicals are put into clouds to encourage snow and rain droplet formation, has been in use since the 1940s. It is a common practice in China, and due to the ongoing drought, has become more common within the U.S., particularly Utah and North Dakota where seeding has been going on for nearly five decades. Wyoming is relatively new to seeding, having started trials in 2003, but these season, they've stepped things up - with 28 flight missions to seed clouds over mountain regions, a CNN report revealed. The team behind the Wyoming cloud seeding program describe it as water storage, but rather than in vats, it is stored as snow on mountaintops over the winter months. In a bid to tackle the ongoing drought in the western U.S., a team of scientists are seeding clouds over mountains to try and make it snow more often The concept of cloud seeding, where chemicals are put into clouds to encourage snow and rain droplet formation, has been in use since the 1940s. Stock image While cloud seeding has been shown to increase snow fall - to a limited extent - it isn't a solution to the ongoing, devastating drought in the region. Julie Gondzar, program manager for Wyoming's Weather Modification Program, told CNN not everybody is a fan of the cloud seeding endeavours, with some claiming her team are 'playing god' and 'stealing moisture from the storm'. She said there is a cost benefit analysis involved in deciding whether it is worth the effort required to seed the clouds - including any loss of moisture elsewhere. Currently, as water is so scarce in the region, teams of scientists are doing everything they can to generate water - including increasing snowfall. 'Think about it like water storage, but in the winter on mountaintops,' she said. There are four weeks left of this 'cloud seeding' season, before the winds die down for the summer and it becomes harder to develop snow crystals. To seed the cloud, they inject silver iodide, adding tiny particles called ice nuclei. Water needs these particles in order to freeze, and produce rainfall. Artificial ice, produced from the iodide, create higher levels of rainfall than a natural cloud would if left to its own devices. There are two main mechanisms used by U.S. cloud seeders - one from the ground, and the other involving an aircraft to put it directly into the cloud - both use silver iodide as the seeding agent to trigger the process. The Western states are locked in the worst drought in 1,200 years, putting 61 per cent of the contiguous U.S. under water shortages and dry conditions 'The ground-based generators kind of look like small weather stations, are like 20 feet tall, and they aerosolize into the atmosphere,' Gondzar told CNN. 'But you have to wait for the right atmospheric conditions so that the plume goes over the mountain range.' This makes the process more tricky as it relies heavily on wind direction, she explained. The other mechanism, and the more common of the two, is by plane - using flares on the wings that have silver iodide in cardboard casing, as well as flares on the belly. HOW IT WORKS: CLOUD SEEDING Silver Iodide particles are released directly into, or upwind of a cloud over a mountain region. The silver Iodide helps in the natural formation of ice crystals within the cloud by creating artificial ice nuclei. These mimic the natural nuclei found in water droplets, that allow the water and ice to form around them. These new ice crystals grow larger than would otherwise be the case - forming snow that can fall. The snow then falls over the mountain region, where it may not otherwise have fallen or in greater quantities. As weather warms through the year, the snow melts, creating runoff to refill rivers, lakes and reservoirs. The mountains act like a natural water storage system and using cloud seeding increases the overall supply. Studies suggest in Wyoming the amount of water is 2% higher with cloud seeding than without. Advertisement Cardboard casings are ignited when the plane reaches the storm spreading the silver iodide into the cloud and producer higher levels of moisture - and more rainfall. Gondzar said it was a natural process, as the silver iodide they use is simply a natural compound of salt that has the right geometric shape at a molecular level. This shape is similar to an ice crystal, which tricks the cloud to produce further ice crystals, which then in turn build up into snowflakes - creating snowfall. While this helps improve and increase snowfall, it isn't the solution to a drought caused by significantly lower rainfall and higher than manageable water demand. 'Cloud seeding does not fix the drought,' Gondzar told CNN. 'You can't break a drought with cloud seeding. It's a tool in the toolbox.' They can't even say exactly how much more snow they are generating, just that it is more than would naturally be produced as there is 'evidence of it in radar'. 'The question that they're trying to answer now is how well does it work? And that's a difficult question to answer. Because there's an abstract piece of this. There's really no way to know how much snow a particular system would have produced.' Even if it is only a tiny amount, under drought conditions even that could make a difference she said, especially as figures suggest snowpack last winter in Wyoming was 60 per cent of average. As the majority of water for the west comes from snow melting in the mountains every spring, this increases the problems caused by the drought. Which is why small amounts of extra snow generated over winter makes a difference. 'It's a small incremental change over a long period of time. That's why consistency is important,' Gondzar said, defending the program, which costs $28 per acre foot of cloud seeded. 'Those numbers tell us that this is an inexpensive way to help add water to the system. Essentially, we are creating a little bit of additional snowpack, that becomes additional streamflow in the spring and summer,' she told CNN. While cloud seeding has been shown to increase snow fall - to a limited extent - it isn't a solution to the ongoing, devastating drought in the region. Stock image of Wyoming Megadrought plaguing Southwest is worst the region has seen in 1,200 years, researchers say The megadrought that has been devastating the southwestern United States and parts of Mexico over the last two decades is the worst the region has seen in at least 1,200 years, according to a study released Monday. Researchers with Nature Climate Change analyzed tree ring patterns, which delineate soil moisture levels over periods of time, to conclude that the current megadrought is worse than one that hit the region in the late 1500s and is the most severe since one in 800 AD. The study, which analyzed a region stretching from southern Montana to northern Mexico and from the Pacific Ocean to the Rocky Mountains, found that human-caused global heating accounts for more than 40% of the severity of the dry spell. "The turn-of-the-21st-century drought would not be on a megadrought trajectory without anthropogenic climate change," reads the study, led by Park Williams, an associate professor at the University of California in Los Angeles. Source: Afp Advertisement However, drier weather caused by climate change is making this harder, as the process requires the cloud to already be in the sky - it can't come from thin air. 'The silver iodide in the cloud is initiating that snow,' Gondzar explained. 'But you can't just make snow out of nothing. You have to have the supercooled liquid water in the cloud.' 'We are essentially just playing with cloud dynamics and cloud physics, on a super, super-small scale.' 'There's always a huge stream of moisture that our systems are tapping into, and cloud seeding probably brings an additional one to 2% down to the surface.' Daniel Swain, a climate scientist from UCLA, told CNN that there are other mechanisms that would be better used to solve the problem, especially as this process involves deploying a fossil fuel-powered aircraft into clouds. This, he said, is counter-intuitive to the wider climate goals of cutting fossil fuel emissions - for a minimal amount of extra water. Sarah Tessendorf, a scientist at the National Center for Atmospheric Research, told CNN the fossil fuels were a small price to pay to improve the technology. 'I will say that the number of aircraft and the duration of these flights to do cloud seeding and the programs that are currently having it done pales in comparison to the number of commercial flights and aircraft we have in the skies all over the world right now,' she explained. 'So it's to me a drop in the bucket of extra fossil fuels being burned. But that does not mean that there isn't room for improvement there in order to have more of a clean process.' 'There needs to be controlled studies that actually shows it was the seeding that increased the precipitation in a meaningful way,' Swain said. 'The best case scenario is it's a small incremental adjunct to other water-saving or conservation measures during scarce periods, but even that's not clear if it would really work in that capacity in any systematic way.' Rio Ferdinand believes Manchester United need to sign two centre-backs in Marquinhos from PSG and Ronald Araujo from Barcelona to help improve their side ahead of next season. United have endured a disappointing campaign, with hopes of even landing a top-four place looking bleak despite defeating Tottenham Hotspur 3-2 at the weekend. However, the win over their top four rivals featured glaring errors at the back including an own goal from skipper Harry Maguire. Manchester United should sign Marquinhos (left) from Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona's Ronaldo Arajuo (right) according to Rio Ferdinand United had signed Raphael Varane from Paris Saint-Germain over the summer to try and strengthen their back four, but Ferdinand claims the Red Devils will need to raid the French giants again for their captain Marquinhos as well as land Ronald Araujo from Barcelona to boost their back line. I would sign Marquinhos,' the former United defender said on Vibe with Five '[and] I would sign the Uruguayan at Barcelona [Araujo]. United's defence has come under severe criticism this term, first under previous boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and now under interim manager Ralf Rangnick. Despite signing Raphael Varane (left) last summer, United's defence has still proven leaky Only Southampton inside the Premier League top 10 have conceded more than their 40 goals. Club captain Maguire has come under fire in recent times in his back four role, but Ferdinand believes he needs some good fortune to fall in his favour to get him out of a run of poor form. 'What's killing him is it seems week after week something is questioning something about Harry Maguire and it's quite glaring,' he added. Ferdinand believes Harry Maguire just needs some luck to improve his recent run of poor form 'We've all been moments like this in my career it happened. A lot of the time it's luck. 'He's going through a period where everything you do there seems to be a problem, there's a mistake. 'Every mistake you make, it gets punished and highlighted. Sometimes I went through moments in my career when I made mistakes but they didn't score, or the keeper pulled me out of it - or Vidic made a tackle. 'And that's what happens in teams. It's about rising that little bit of luck you need and Harry Maguire needs that little bit of luck to get out of this little dip in form he is having right now.' Advertisement The category winners and shortlisted entries for the open competition of the 2022 Sony World Photography Awards have been revealed and they are absolutely stunning. There's a huge variety of themes and locations in this year's selection, from the hauntingly beautiful shot of the World War I tracks in the Pasubio Mountains in Italy to a joyful picture of Ronaldo the horse frolicking in the snow in Germany. Categories include Travel, Motion, Natural World & Wildlife, and Landscape, and they're all jam-packed with stellar entries. Out of 170,000 images entered, 100 photographers from around the world were shortlisted in addition to ten category winners. The overall winner of the open competition will be announced on April 12 and select work by winners and shortlisted entries will be exhibited as part of the Sony World Photography Awards at Somerset House in London from April 13 to May 2. Scroll down for our pick of the best entries from this year's competition and soak up some sensational photography... This powerful picture captures brooding midnight storms over the Aegean Sea, taken from a cliff above Chora on Folegandros island. 'I was admiring the amazing powers of nature,' says photographer Anargyros Dekavallas from Greece, whose image was shortlisted in the Landscape category Peter Leyer from Hungary submitted this majestic mountain landscape image, titled 'Foggy winter sunrise at St. Thomas Church'. 'I wanted to capture the white-clad landscape with the mountains lit by the first rays of sun in the background,' Leyer says of the stunning entry, shortlisted in the Landscape category Apparently a big fan of snow days, Ronaldo the horse is captured here galloping through knee-high snow. 'I want to communicate a feeling of freedom and power,' photographer Jessica Mohn from Germany says of her snap, shortlisted in the Natural World & Wildlife category and taken in February 2021 in her home country. She adds: 'We haven't had so much snow in years, making it quite special to experience his zest for life in this magical season' This night eruption of Sicily's Etna volcano was captured from San Teodoro at 2am, and shows three vents ejecting lava up to 1,000 metres (3,280ft) into the air while the twinkling town of Cesaro watches on. Italian photographer Fernando Famiani was shortlisted in the Landscape category for this perfectly-timed photo Thankfully, Spanish photographer Luis Manuel Vilarino Lopez did not have to wade through lava for this shot, shortlisted in the Landscape category, in which magma splutters forth from Iceland's Geldingadalir volcano. Instead, he flew his drone 'blindly' through the clouds and heavy rain. 'When I reached the crater the lava was emerging with unusual force, scattering the incandescent rock like oil on a canvas,' he reveals This captivating image, which was shortlisted in the Landscape category, shows the eerie volcanic formations in the north of Iceland. 'The colour and the light was great, and I just tried to capture the moment with the emotion that I had,' recalls French photographer Olivier Vauguin 'Amazing View' is a fitting title for this snow-dusted scene, which Finnish photographer Marko From took in Naantali, Finland. A frosty jetty draws the eye out over the frozen lake, a stunning vista that saw the picture shortlisted in the Landscape category A winding path leads the viewer's eye along an idyllic-looking cape in Greece, but beyond the picturesque coastline, the stars of the photo for Romanian photographer Eduard Gutescu are the wind turbines that are scattered along it. Entitled 'Sustainable Energy', the thought-provoking photograph was shortlisted in the Travel category LEFT: You can almost hear the impact of the Muay Thai boxer's kick in this photo as it strikes the battered punching bag. Caroline Kearsley from the United Kingdom is to thank for this photo of WBC England Muay Thai Champion Amber Kitchen, which was shortlisted in the Motion category. RIGHT: 'The Mondala Pass is 5,363 metres [17,595ft] above sea level, and is the only way to the Kula Kangri mountain,' says the Travel-category-shortlisted-photographer Yang Shu from China. 'In December, the temperature dropped to -20C. I climbed to an altitude of about 5,500 metres to find this angle' This is one of the Architecture category's most impactful shortlisted photos. It was taken by Italian photographer Giulio Casti and shows a 'landmark' agricultural silo in the harbour of Sardinia's capital, Cagliari, being demolished LEFT: Neon flashes and cluttered architecture makes this traffic jam on a tight corkscrew road look like a vision of cities in the future. The Architecture-category-shortlisted photo is in fact an image of Chongqing, by Chinese photographer Junming Chen. RIGHT: The power of this hardy Highland cow, seemingly set to charge right into the lens, was captured by Dutch photographer Albert Beukhof. The daring shot was taken in Deelerwoud in the Netherlands and shortlisted in the Natural World & Wildlife category It's the near-perfect symmetry and breathtaking detail that turns this tree frog into prince charming. 'If you look closer, it has a beautiful crown,' notes Mexican photographer Dinorah Graue Obscura, who took this picture, shortlisted in the Natural World & Wildlife category, while on a night walk in Guapiles, Costa Rica LEFT: This trail of lions, partially hidden by grass as they ventured from their shady hideout, was a 'magnificent sight to behold', says American photographer Tiho Trichkov. The picture, shortlisted in the Natural World & Wildlife category, was taken in the Maasai Mara National Reserve in Kenya. RIGHT: This enchanting picture was taken one September morning in Richmond Park in London, where herds of red deer roam freely. It was shortlisted in the Natural World & Wildlife category and taken by Irish photographer Thomas Barry, who admitted that the ambience of the image was helped by the fog This murmuration - captured at lake Lough Ennell in Country Westmeath, Ireland - looks more like an elegant sculpture of a giant bird than a flock of starlings. It was shortlisted in the Natural World & Wildlife category and taken by Irish photographer James Crombie 'I was wandering near an airfield when I noticed this almost surreal image of sheep pasturing the field,' says Romanian photographer Ioan Maga of their photo, shortlisted in the Travel category The Varanasi Balloon Festival is a three-day spectacle in Uttar Pradesh, and Indian photographer Darshan Ganapathy has captured the event perfectly. 'The ghats [steps] of Varanasi and the balloons during the sunrise were mesmerising to watch,' the photographer says of their picture, shortlisted in the Travel category. 'The hot air balloons passing through the dim blue sky add vigour to the festival' The haunting beauty of this image, with its gnarled tree and figure in the distance disappearing into the fog, echoes the dark past of Pasubio mountains. The group of rugged peaks was the setting for some treacherous World War I battles, and the steep slopes are scarred by trails dating back to that era. Named simply 'Human Nature', this picture by Italian photographer Alessandro Accordini was shortlisted for the Travel category 'Canyon Views' is a staggering shortlisted entry in the Travel category, taken by Italian photographer Claudia. It shows 'one of the most wild canyons on the island of Madeira', the photographer reveals Another incredible shortlisted entry for the Motion category. Here Zhenhuan Zhou from China has captured an intense moment in the rodeo sport of bull riding They may not have found love on this year's season of Married At First Sight. But Jessica Seracino and Kate Laidlaw appeared anything but heartbroken as they attended Bryce Ruthven's 33rd birthday party in Melbourne on Saturday night. Frisky florist Jessica, 27, cheekily grabbed clinical nutritionist Kate's bottom as they left The European Hotel in St Kilda looking rather worse for wear. Letting their hair down! Single MAFS brides Jessica Seracino (right) and Kate Laidlaw (left) appeared anything but heartbroken as they partied in Melbourne on Saturday night Kate, 38, couldn't help but laugh as her pal copped a feel in front of the paparazzi. Jessica, who was unsuccessfully paired with Daniel Holmes on MAFS, showed off her ample cleavage in a low-cut black dress, which she teamed with high heels and a designer handbag. She styled her brunette hair loosely and wore a full face of makeup for the occasion. Girls gone wild! Frisky florist Jessica, 27, cheekily grabbed clinical nutritionist Kate's bottom as they left The European Hotel in St Kilda looking rather worse for wear Eyes up here! Jessica, who was unsuccessfully paired with Daniel Holmes on MAFS, showed off her ample cleavage in a low-cut black dress, which she teamed with high heels and a handbag What's going on here? Jessica raised eyebrows as she pretended to lick her co-star's backside Fellow intruder Kate looked uncharacteristically cheerful as she flaunted her slender physique in a form-fitting white dress. She accessorised with cream-coloured strappy heels and a black leather jacket. Also in attendance were former MAFS stars Belinda Vickers and Jason Engler, as well as Bryce's fiancee Melissa Rawson. Stylish: Jessica had fun with the paparazzi while attending Bryce Ruthven's 32rd birthday bash She finally smiles! Fellow intruder Kate looked uncharacteristically cheerful as she flaunted her slender physique in a form-fitting white dress Belinda, 30, who was partnered with Patrick Dwyer on last year's experiment, turned heads in a quirky two-piece denim ensemble. Jason, 36, also looked stylish in a black shirt which he paired with matching jeans and grey boots. Jessica sensationally quit Married At First Sight in an episode that aired on February 28, after a major argument with her 'husband' Daniel. Who knew they were friends? Also in attendance were former MAFS stars Belinda Vickers and Jason Engler, as well as Bryce's (left) fiancee Melissa Rawson (centre) Quirky fashion: Belinda, 30, turned heads in an eye-catching two-piece denim ensemble She took him by surprise when she announced she was leaving the experiment after she failed to form a connection with him. 'I'm feeling a bit shattered. How many times am I going to f**king cry in one week. Wow, I feel like I haven't cried in years, but in a week I've managed to cry eight times,' Daniel said after Jessica announced she was giving up on their marriage. After Jessica's departure, bodybuilder Daniel, 31, asked his co-star Carolina Santos, 34, to come to his hotel room so he could say goodbye. Stylish: Jason Engler, 36, also looked stylish in a black shirt which he paired with matching jeans and grey boots The pair had earlier shared a flirty exchange at a dinner party, and are now dating in real life. 'I feel bad for Daniel that Jess has decided to leave. I had a lovely chat with him at the dinner party. I hope he's okay,' Carolina said. Things soon took on a more flirtatious turn when Daniel offered Carolina a 'drink of water or wine'. 'Just the energy of being around Carolina is completely different to being around Jess,' Daniel admitted to producers afterwards. 'To me, Carolina's vibe is kind of warm. We have a bit of flirtatiousness towards each other, I like that. There's just chemistry, I don't know,' he added. Over: Jessica sensationally quit Married At First Sight in an episode that aired on February 28, after a major argument with her 'husband' Daniel Holmes (pictured on their wedding day) Growing closer: After Jessica's departure, bodybuilder Daniel, 31, asked his co-star Carolina Santos (right) to come to his hotel room so he could say goodbye. The pair had earlier shared a flirty exchange at a dinner party, and are now dating in real life Daniel and Carolina attempted to re-enter the MAFS experiment as a new couple on Sunday's episode, but the experts unanimously rejected their request. Meanwhile, Kate and her 'husband' Matt Ridley decided to quit the show during the same commitment ceremony. The couple said they would be better off as friends, after Kate failed to establish a romantic connection with the Brisbane-based law clerk. Married At First Sight continues Tuesday at 7:30pm on Channel Nine and 9Now A man wearing a mask walks down the Qianmen Ave retail street in Beijing, March 10. Unemployment in China rose and youth unemployment spiked in the first months of the year, as a surge in COVID-19 cases rattled businesses and forced closures. AP-Yonhap Unemployment in China rose and youth unemployment spiked in the first months of the year, data showed Tuesday, as a surge in COVID-19 cases rattled businesses and forced closures. The unemployment rate in cities edged up to 5.5 percent by the end of February, compared with 5.1 percent in December, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said Tuesday. Job seekers aged 16-24 were struggling with a 15.3 percent increase in unemployment. But Beijing reported better-than-expected retail sales and industrial output in January and February, according to the statistics agency. Married at First Sight's Dion Giannarelli previously denied rumours he already had a girlfriend when he walked down the aisle with Carolina Santos. And whatever his relationship status at the time, Daily Mail Australia can reveal Dion, 34, is now back with his old flame Nikki Walton. The on-again-off-again couple are said to have recently rekindled their romance after abruptly calling it quits just weeks before his TV wedding. Reunited: Married At First Sight's Dion Giannarelli (right) has rekindled his romance with his ex-girlfriend Nikki Walton (left), after rumours they only split so he could appear on the show 'Dion made no secret that he had a girl waiting for him on the outside. He told castmates they called it quits five weeks before his wedding [to Carolina],' a source told Daily Mail Australia on Tuesday. The property developer recently hit back at rumours he had a 'secret girlfriend' when he joined the cast of the Channel Nine dating show. 'No, that's definitely not the case at all. I was single when I entered the show and I was single when I signed up,' he told Yahoo earlier this month. Denial: It comes just weeks after the property developer recently hit back at rumours he had a 'secret girlfriend' when he walked down the aisle with Carolina Santos (left) According to a production source, Dion was accused by his 'wife' Carolina, 34, of having a girlfriend when he applied for the show. She had reportedly asked friends to do a background check on her 'husband', and they discovered photos of him on social media with a 'stunning blonde woman'. His last post with Nikki was dated September 6 - about the time he was cast on MAFS, and just six weeks before filming his TV wedding to Carolina. Statement: 'No, that's definitely not the case at all. I was single when I entered the show and I was single when I signed up,' Dion told Yahoo earlier this month. (His is pictured here with Nikki just six weeks before filming his TV wedding) After learning about the mystery blonde, Carolina 'confronted' Dion during the experiment, but he 'tried to shut it down as nothing', said the insider. The confrontation, in which Carolina asked Dion if his intentions were genuine or if he was 'just on here for fame', never aired on TV. She reportedly wanted to confront him about his 'secret girlfriend' at a dinner party, but the producers 'didn't let her'. Bombshell: According to a production source, Dion was accused by his 'wife' Carolina, 34, of having a girlfriend when he applied for the show They apparently felt it was too similar to Bryce Ruthven's storyline from last year. Daily Mail Australia previously reached out to Nikki for comment, but she didn't reply and has since erased all traces of Dion from her social media profiles. Dion and Carolina have also been contacted for further comment. Married At First Sight continues Tuesday at 7:30pm on Channel Nine and 9Now Kyle Sandilands and Jackie 'O' Henderson have revealed they will be voting for Prime Minister Scott Morrison when polls open for the 2022 federal election. The KIIS FM radio presenters threw their support behind the Liberal leader after interviewing him on Tuesday's Kyle and Jackie O Show. 'I feel safe with him. I didn't even like him at first... now I feel very safe with him,' Sandilands, who counts Morrison as a friend, declared after speaking to the PM about Australia's involvement in the war between Russia and Ukraine. Vote 1 Liberals: Kyle Sandilands and Jackie 'O' Henderson (together, left) have revealed they'll be voting for Prime Minister Scott Morrison (right) when polls open for the federal election 'Like, when the world's in s**t, I like to keep with experienced people that actually know what's going on,' the right-leaning radio announcer added. Henderson replied: 'That's why when it comes to elections, Kyle, politicians don't mind the idea of a possible war breaking out because [voters] do like to stay with the one in charge.' When asked who she plans to vote for in the next election, Jackie promptly replied: 'I'll be voting for Scott.' Opinion: 'I feel safe with him. I didn't even like him at first... now I feel very safe with him,' Sandilands said after speaking to Morrison on Tuesday morning about Australia's involvement in the war between Russia and Ukraine 'Me too. I'm voting for ScoMo,' Sandilands responded, adding that he'll still invite opposition leader Anthony Albanese on the show as a guest. KIIS FM newsreader Brooklyn Ross disagreed with the hosts, saying he wouldn't vote for Morrison because of his 'climate change record'. 'That's something very important to me. [Morrison] just basically laughed at it for years and years [before taking it seriously],' Ross said. Good timing? Henderson said, 'When it comes to elections, Kyle, politicians don't mind the idea of a possible war breaking out because [voters] do like to stay with the one in charge' She's in: When asked who she plans to vote for in the next election, Jackie promptly replied: 'I'll be voting for Scott' Morrison made his first-ever appearance on Kyle and Jackie O in July last year, after previously refusing interview requests since taking office in August 2018. Henderson wasted no time addressing the elephant in the room during the PM's debut interview, asking why he'd snubbed Sydney's most popular FM breakfast show during his first three years as the country's leader. 'Can I ask, Prime Minister, why have you never come on our show?' she asked. Biting the bullet: Morrison made his first-ever appearance on Kyle and Jackie O in July last year, after previously refusing interview requests since taking office in August 2018 'Can I ask, Prime Minister, why have you never come on our show?' Henderson wasted no time addressing the elephant in the room during the PM's debut interview, asking why he'd snubbed Sydney's most popular FM breakfast show during his first three years as the country's leader 'Well, I was waiting for you to be number one,' Morrison cheekily replied, referring to the KIIS 106.5 duo's recent ratings victory over 2GB's Ben Fordham - which saw them become No. 1 across both AM and FM bandwidths for the first time. Sandilands exploded in laughter, and said: 'He's got us there! He didn't want to go on with any losers, I get that.' 'Congratulations,' Mr Morrison replied. Ouch! 'Well, I was waiting for you to be number one,' Morrison cheekily replied, referring to the KIIS 106.5 duo's recent ratings victory over 2GB's Ben Fordham - which saw them become No. 1 across both AM and FM bandwidths for the first time Henderson wasn't sold on Mr Morrison's response, however, noting that he'd made appearances on less popular FM breakfast shows in the past. Proving himself the consummate politician, Mr Morrison deftly side-stepped the question by changing the topic. 'Well, here we are, and we're in the middle of pandemic and I think it's really important that I take every opportunity... to encourage people through this,' he said. Furious: Morrison's debut on The Kyle and Jackie O Show came a year after Sandilands branded him a 'scaredy cat' for refusing to appear on his radio program Morrison's debut on The Kyle and Jackie O Show came a year after Sandilands branded him a 'scaredy cat' for refusing to appear on his radio program. At the time, the shock jock announced he would donate $30,000 to charity if the PM called in before 8.30am, but it was radio silence from Mr Morrison's end. 'This guy's a scaredy cat,' Sandilands remarked. 'Why won't you come on here?' Sandilands had previously called Mr Morrison a variety of colourful names, including 'gronk', 'p***y', 'a slob', 'white and wobbly', as well as a 'gutless little toad'. D.L. Hughley snapped back at Kanye West on Sunday in response to the rapper's Instagram posts threatening him over the weekend. The 59-year-old comedian wrote on Instagram that 'mental health is no joke,' while adding that it wasn't acceptable to threaten the 'safety of a mans home and family.' In a since-deleted post, West, 44, wrote that he could find Hughley's address, adding, 'I can afford to hurt u.' Fighting back: D.L. Hughley, 59, tore into Kanye West, 44, on Sunday in an Instagram post and said, 'Mental health is no joke', after Kanye threatened to find his 'address' and 'hurt' him over the weekend; seen in 2016 in NYC Hughely shared an image on Instagram showing crushed up white medication, along with a photo of the hitmaker and a screenshot of one of his own tweets from earlier on Sunday. 'Hmmm! Aint it weird that #Kanye supposedly has all these goons who will kill for him, but not one of them will get his prescriptions filled?' he originally wrote in the tweet. 'Heres a thought while youre on your way to kill me in Calabasas, how about somebody drop by CVS and pick up his Xanax! Lol #TeamDl.' In his follow-up Instagram post, he added, 'You can tell when people surround themselves with real ones. REAL ONES in your corner would NEVER allow you to threaten a man or his family, especially in a public forum. Mental health is no joke neither is the safety of a mans home and family. #TeamDL #KingS***.' No laughing matter: Hughley wrote on Instagram that 'the safety of a mans home and family' is no joke as he escalated his feud with West Not holding back: He previously responded to West's threat by joking that one of his 'goons' should 'drop by CVS and pick up his Xanax' prescription Later on Sunday, Hughley continued his Twitter tirade against the Monster rapper. 'Ain't no way in hell I'd ever be scared of a dude who wears #IKnowWhatDidLastSummerBoots [sic]!!!' he wrote, referencing the bulky black rain boots that West has lately been a fan of. He took up the taunting another not by bringing West's ex Kim Kardashian's new boyfriend Pete Davidson into the mix. '#Kanye!! It's just too bad that you acting like a nut won't stop #Pete from bustin one!!,' he joked. In a since-deleted post, the rapper had previously threatened the TV star and said he could easily find out where he lived. 'DL Hughley is a pawn Yeah I know a king not supposed to address a pawn but I address everything and find addresses DL So dont speak on me or my children I can afford to hurt u,' he wrote. Booted up: 'Ain't no way in hell I'd ever be scared of a dude who wears #IKnowWhatDidLastSummerBoots [sic]!!!' he joked, referencing the bulky black rain boots that West has lately been a fan of Getting personal: He took up the taunting another not by bringing West's ex Kim Kardashian's new boyfriend Pete Davidson into the mix Threatening: In a since-deleted post, the rapper had previously threatened the TV star and said he could easily find out where he lived In a subsequent post which he also deleted West posted a video of Hughley collapsing on stage during a stand-up set in June 2020, after he had come down with Covid-19. 'We gone stop letting practicing drug addicts be used by leftist to Willie Lynch our Future Black people with our own opinion are not allowed to speak in public,' the producer wrote. 'I am the glitch DL God does not like you You have no favor Your family hates you I would hate to be related to somebody who used to be famous Now you just known as a broke pawn at least Oprah got billions "allegedly" Come on leftist Yall gotta do better than DL This Ye Bring the real smoke baby,' he continued. Last month, the comic and political commentator had spoke up in Kardashian's defense amid her ongoing divorce from West. 'I think that Ive watched too many times when things like that happened and a woman or somebody is not believed. And then things escalate,' he told VladTV. 'He is stalking her. You can think its cute. If it was my daughter, Id do something about it. I dont think its funny. 'I think that you cant write a beat so good that you get to do these things,' he continued. 'And society laughs it off because they say, "Well, shes showing her a** all the time and hes this and hes that."' Taunting: In a subsequent post which he also deleted West posted a video of Hughley collapsing on stage during a stand-up set in June 2020, after he had come down with Covid-19 Speaking out: 'We gone stop letting practicing drug addicts be used by leftist to Willie Lynch our Future Black people with our own opinion are not allowed to speak in public,' the producer wrote During a Fanroom Live session with Chanel Omari from August 2020, which was in the midst of the rapper's doomed presidential campaign, he said West uses his mental health issues as a excuse when it can benefit him. 'Hes not so mentally ill that hell talk about any other group of people,' Hughley said. 'He talks about people that he knows he can get away with, and then hes not so ill that hes trying to be a disruptor in the political form. Hes not so ill that he takes $5 million in PPP payments, so he seems to be conveniently ill when it serves his purpose.' Hughley and West's feud comes after Kardashian who filed for divorce in February 2021 went Instagram official with Davidson earlier this month. West's beef with his ex and her boyfriend ratcheted up over the weekend, when he spoke out to criticize her for letting their oldest daughter North West make TikTok videos which Kim says she supervises. Text messages allegedly sent by Davidson to West were also leaked, in which the comedian appeared to call Kardashian 'the best mother I've ever met,' before taunting her ex with a photo of himself in bed, which he said showed him, 'In bed with your wife.' The Saturday Night Live star also urged his rival to meet him in person to discuss their differences, rather than airing their dirty laundry in public. Taking side: Hughley defended Kim Kardashian in February and said West was 'stalking her' in an interview with VladTV' seen in November 2020 in New Jersey Australian reporter Sarah Williamson has opened up about the 'terrible murder' of documentary filmmaker and 'brave journalist' Brent Renaud by Russian forces. Renaud died on Sunday after Russian soldiers opened fire on his vehicle in Ukraine, where he was gathering details for a report about refugees. Williamson, who is in Ukraine to cover the conflict for conservative U.S. network Newsmax, explained the checkpoint in Irpin where Renaud was killed is often used by members of the press and was generally considered to be safe. Australian reporter Sarah Williamson (pictured) has opened up about the 'terrible murder' of documentary filmmaker Brent Renaud, who was killed by Russian forces 'He was killed in Irpin, where I have been multiple times and the majority of journalists here in Kiev have been going to that evacuation point at the bridge,' she said. 'He was killed whilst at a checkpoint by Russian soldiers who were hiding in the bushes and were attacking cars and civilians who were crossing that bridge. 'I got this information from a soldier who spoke very, very good English.' Williamson added that the checkpoint had been considered 'one of the only safe corridors' for people to evacuate through prior to the attack. Renaud was one of the most respected independent producers of his era, said Christof Putzel, a filmmaker and close friend who had received a text from Renaud just three days before his death. Renaud (pictured) died on Sunday after Russian forces opened fire on his vehicle in Ukraine, where he was gathering details for a report about refugees Renaud and Putzel won a 2013 Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University journalism award for 'Arming the Mexican Cartels,' a documentary on how guns trafficked from the United States fueled rampant drug gang violence. 'This guy was the absolute best,' Putzel told The Associated Press via phone from New York City. 'He was just the absolute best war journalist that I know. This is a guy who literally went to every conflict zone.' The details of Renaud's death were not made immediately clear by Ukrainian authorities, but American journalist Juan Arredondo said the two were traveling in a vehicle toward the Irpin checkpoint when they were both shot. Arredondo, speaking from a hospital in Kyiv, told Italian journalist Annalisa Camilli that Renaud was hit in the neck. Camilli told the AP that Arredondo himself had been hit in the lower back. 'We crossed the first bridge in Irpin, we were going to film other refugees leaving, and we got into a car, somebody offered to take us to the other bridge, we crossed the checkpoint, and they started shooting at us,' Arredondo told Camilli in a video interview shared with the AP. Williamson explained the checkpoint in Irpin where Renaud was killed is often used by members of the press and was generally considered to be safe A statement from Kyiv regional police said that Russian troops opened fire on the car. Hours after the shooting of Renaud, Irpin mayor Oleksandr Markushyn said journalists would be denied entry to the city. 'In this way, we want to save the lives of both them and our defenders,' Markushyn said. The U.S. State Department said it would not comment on Renaud's death out of respect for his family members but that consular assistance was being offered to them. The U.S. State Department condemned attacks on news professionals and others documenting the conflict. 'We are horrified that journalists and filmmakers-noncombatants-have been killed and injured in Ukraine by Kremlin forces,' the department said via Twitter. 'This is yet another gruesome example of the Kremlins indiscriminate actions.' Responding to news of Renauds death, the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists called for an immediate halt to violence against journalists and civilians. 'This kind of attack is totally unacceptable, and is a violation of international law,' the committee said on Twitter. It's now been just over two months since the unforeseen death of Bob Saget. And for some of the Full House family that he left behind, they got to share some fond memories of the comedian with each other, and with fans, when they attended 90s Con in Hartford, Connecticut over the weekend. One of the big take-aways from the 1990s-themed convention was that several of the stars of the original sitcom Full House and the reboot Fuller House, would be in favor of doing a third iteration of the series. More Full House? Some of Bob Saget's Full House co-stars lit up at the idea of having a third iteration of the sitcom in the future, during an interview that aired on Today on Monday Another reboot: Full House alum Candace Cameron Bure, Dave Coulier, Andrea Barber and Scott Weinger confessed they would do another Full House reboot 'in a heartbeat' during a chat with NBC's Joe Fryer Candace Cameron Bure, Dave Coulier, Andrea Barber and Scott Weinger, or better known to their Full House fans as D.J. Tanner, Joey Gladstone, Kimmy Gibbler and Steve Hale, respectively, were all on hand to represent the show at the convention. During an interview with the Today show, they revealed the event was the most time they had spent together since the sudden passing of Saget, who died in January at the age of 65 from head trauma after accidentally hitting the back of his head. While discussing how impressive it was to see the different generations of fans who showed up to the convention, the actors were asked about the possibility of another version of Full House. All things 1990s: The four Full House actors attended 90s Con in Hartford, Connecticut over the weekend, which is a 1990s-themed convention All in: 'Like, okay, we'll do "Fullest House," Coulier joked when discussing another series reboot, before adding, 'I think we would in a heartbeat,' for which Barber and Cameron Bure were quick to agree Bob's blessing: Barber (second to right) shared that she thinks Saget would give his blessing to another Full House reboot 'Like, okay, we'll do "Fullest House," Coulier joked, before adding, 'I think we would in a heartbeat,' for which Barber and Cameron Bure were quick to agree. Not only would Barber jump at the opportunity to do another Full House reboot, she also thinks their beloved late co-star would give his blessing. The original Full House series, which also starred John Stamos, Jodie Sweetin, Lori Loughlin and Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, premiered on ABC back in 1987, and went on to become a bonafide hit during its eight season run until 1995. Some of the stars returned, either as main characters or in recurring roles, for the reboot, Fuller House, which aired on Netflix for five seasons between 2016 and 2020. Bittersweet: The actors revealed the convention was the most time they had spent together since the sudden passing of Saget, who died in January at the age of 65 from head trauma after accidentally hitting the back of his head. Bonafide hit: Full House ran for eight seasons on ABC from 1987-1995 Round two: Some of the Full House stars returned, either as main characters or in recurring roles, for the reboot, Fuller House, which aired on Netflix for five seasons from 2016-2020; original leading men Saget and John Stamos had recurring roles in the reboot Returning for a second reboot, only this time without Saget, would not be an easy task for the actors. 'It would be hard but I think Bob would want that,' Barber revealed. And while this past weekend's convention was bittersweet for all four of the Full House alum, in the end the experience turned out to be cathartic. 'It's still hard to talk about it because he was such a huge part of our family, and he was the central figure that always brought us together,' Coulier added. In honor of Saget, Cameron Bure, Coulier, Barber and Weinger all wore special bracelets with his name on it, which were previously given to them by a fan. Saget left behind his wife Kelly Rizzo, whom he married in 2018, and three adult children from his first marriage to Sherri Kramer. Tribute: In honor of Saget, Cameron Bure, Coulier, Barber and Weinger all wore special bracelets with his name on it to the convention Beloved Bob bracelet: The Full House alum had a specially colored 'Bob' bracelet that was previously given to them by a fan A young American writer becomes immersed in the dangerous world of Japanese crime and the deadly yakuza in the first trailer for HBO Max's Tokyo Vice. Ansel Elgort stars as Jake Adelstein, the first American reporter to work at a Japanese newspaper, Yomiuri Shinbun. The series also stars Ken Watanabe as Hiroto Katagiri, a detective in the organized crime division of the Tokyo Police Department who serves as a mentor and father figure to Jake during his time in Japan. Ansel: Ansel Elgort stars as Jake Adelstein, the first American reporter to work at a Japanese newspaper, Yomiuri Shinbun Ken and Ansel: The series also stars Ken Watanabe as Hiroto Katagiri, a detective in the organized crime division of the Tokyo Police Department who serves as a mentor and father figure to Jake during his time in Japan The trailer begins with Jake walking through the newsroom at his Japanese newspaper, as an older Japanese male asks him, 'You wish to be a crime reporter in Japan. Why?' He's seen starting out performing various intern duties like delivering beverages to reporters as Misaki (Ayumi Ito) asks Jake, 'You think because you are a foreigner the rules are different?' His co-workers do not address him as Jake, but simply as, 'Foreginer,' and while at lunch with a colleague, Jake asks, 'You like busting my balls, huh?' Newsroom: The trailer begins with Jake walking through the newsroom at his Japanese newspaper, as an older Japanese male asks him, 'You wish to be a crime reporter in Japan. Why?' Beverages: He's seen starting out performing various intern duties like delivering beverages to reporters as Misaki (Ayumi Ito) asks Jake, 'You think because you are a foreigner the rules are different?' Foreigner: His co-workers do not address him as Jake, but simply as, 'Foreginer,' and while at lunch with a colleague, Jake asks, 'You like busting my balls, huh?' 'It is a great joy of my life,' the colleague tells him over lunch. Jake is then seen going through his things when he comes across a tape that says, 'Call Mom.' He's then seen telling Samantha (Rachel Keller) that, 'giving up and going home is not an option, you know what I mean?' as she tells him, 'I know exactly what you mean.' Great joy: 'It is a great joy of my life,' the colleague tells him over lunch Exactly: He's then seen telling Samantha (Rachel Keller) that, 'giving up and going home is not an option, you know what I mean?' as she tells him, 'I know exactly what you mean' Jake is seen saying in Japanese that he wants to know the 'real Tokyo, what's beneath the surface,' as we see a number of shots including a small Japanese 'tanto' dagger being unsheathed. We see Watanabe's Hitori Katagiri for the first time, who tells him, 'And let me guess, this is how you recruit a cop?' Jake is seen putting on a bulletproof vest before getting into a police bus with Hitori and a group of cops in riot gear. Tanto: Jake is seen saying in Japanese that he wants to know the 'real Tokyo, what's beneath the surface,' as we see a number of shots including a small Japanese 'tanto' dagger being unsheathed Recruit: We see Watanabe's Hitori Katagiri for the first time, who tells him, 'And let me guess, this is how you recruit a cop?' Bus: Jake is seen putting on a bulletproof vest before getting into a police bus with Hitori and a group of cops in riot gear They're seen walking out of the bus as Hitori tells Jake, 'With information, everything you do has consequences. Everything has a cost.' Samantha is then seen introducing Jake to Sato (Sho Kasamatsu), who she says is, 'not as brooding as he seems.' Jake asks him what it's like to be a yakuza, adding he could, 'write about that,' which Sato responds, 'Yes, but then I'd have to kill you.' Cost: They're seen walking out of the bus as Hitori tells Jake, 'With information, everything you do has consequences. Everything has a cost' Sato: Samantha is then seen introducing Jake to Sato (Sho Kasamatsu), who she says is, 'not as brooding as he seems' Write: Jake asks him what it's like to be a yakuza, adding he could, 'write about that,' which Sato responds, 'Yes, but then I'd have to kill you' He glares at him with a serious face for a few moments before starting to laugh as Jake just smiles at him. Jake is told by another man (Shun Sugata) that, 'Reporters are not well liked here, especially if they're good at their jobs.' Jake asks him in Japanese, 'So, good reporters here have a lot of enemies?' as the man smiles and says, 'A man without enemies is no man at all.' Laughs: He glares at him with a serious face for a few moments before starting to laugh as Jake just smiles at him Reporter: Jake is told by another man (Shun Sugata) that, 'Reporters are not well liked here, especially if they're good at their jobs' Enemies: Jake asks him in Japanese, 'So, good reporters here have a lot of enemies?' as the man smiles and says, 'A man without enemies is no man at all' Sato is seen screaming as a group of ninjas attack, as the trailer winds down with a number of dramatic shots including Jake running through the streets. Hiroto is also heard saying, 'In this world, once we open a door, it is very hard to close,' as Jake is seen getting pushed by a Japanese man. Sato is seen asking another character, 'Are you willing to die for what you believe in, or remain a coward? Choice is yours.' Attack: Sato is seen screaming as a group of ninjas attack, as the trailer winds down with a number of dramatic shots including Jake running through the streets Choice: Sato is seen asking another character, 'Are you willing to die for what you believe in, or remain a coward? Choice is yours' The trailer ends with Hiroto telling Jake quite seriously, 'Don't write about this' as he's seen alone in the Tokyo streets as the trailer comes to an end. Celebrated film director Michael Mann (Heat) makes his return to the small screen for the first time in more than a decade, directing the pilot episode of Tokyo Vice. The series was created by J.T. Rogers with stars Elgort and Watanabe serving as executive producers with Rogers, along with Destin Daniel Cretton (Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings) and Adelstein, with the series debuting April 7 on HBO Max. Don't write: The trailer ends with Hiroto telling Jake quite seriously, 'Don't write about this' as he's seen alone in the Tokyo streets as the trailer comes to an end Stevin John is a dad. The Blippi actor and fiancee Alyssa Ingham welcomed their first baby March 9. The new arrival, Lochlan David John, weighed in at seven pounds, four ounces. Both parents made the big announcement on Instagram Sunday with John posting a a beautiful family portrait with the words, 'Lochlan David John 3/9/22 Your mother and I love you so much! Welcome to the world!' Newest fan: Blippi actor Stevin John and his fiancee Alyssa Ingham welcomed their son, Lochlan David, into their family March 9 and made the announcement on Instagram Sunday Ingham shared the same photo with the post, 'Welcome to the world baby boy we love you so much.' Since the arrival, the proud new mom and dad have shared many moments of joy with their followers, including several adorable photos of the new little one with this canine siblings, Lyno and Lily. The pooches seem to be adjusting nicely to the situation, sharing a bed with the baby and checking out his car seat. Welcome to the world: Little Lochlan weighed in at 7 pounds, four ounces according to his mom's Instagram announcement along with 'Welcome to the world baby boy we love you so much' So doggone cute: Canine siblings Lyno and Lily seem to be adjusting to the new arrival The 33-year-old actor popped the question in August, and the couple announced they were expecting in October. The pair kept their thousands of followers updated along the way, including sharing their gender reveal on Instagram last month. John, or rather, his character, Blippi, is a YouTube star. The educational children's show launched in 2014 and since then has amassed some 13 million subscribers. Back to work: The actor has been portraying the energetic Blippi since 2014 on YouTube and has more than 13 million subscribers. John has stepped away from the show since the pregnancy was announced, but a recent Instagram post indicated he was getting ready to resume his role Wearing a blue shirt, orange suspenders and bow tie and orange and blue newsboy cap, Blippi explains and explores exciting things such as fire trucks, zoos and animals to his young viewers, while teaching them about numbers, colors, shapes, words and more. The new dad has stepped away from his role in recent months to get ready for the birth. Clayton Grimm, who often portrays Blippi in live shows, has stepped in to cover for now. However, in a recent Instagram post, John indicated he was getting ready to resume his work as the beloved character. Snuggle up: John posted cute pictures of his pups getting close to the new baby with the caption "Welcome home baby brother!' Emily Atack has confessed she 'cried' during her first Celebrity Juice filming duties in front of a full audience, adding she feels 'so grateful' to be returning as team captain. The actress, 32, revealed she got 'emotional' while fronting the show in front of a crowd, despite an influx of jokes from co-stars Keith Lemon, 48, and Laura Whitmore, 36. Claiming the comedian - whose real name is Leigh Francis - is 'naughtier than ever', she teased that adult toys and cat food will be flying around in the new series, which is set to premiere on March 24. Bawling: Emily Atack has confessed she 'cried' during her first Celebrity Juice filming duties in front of a full audience, adding she feels 'so grateful' to be returning as team captain She said: 'Were BACK and Im so grateful for it, its my first time as team captain with a full audience, we honestly all cried when we did the first record. It was emotional. 'I think theres too many adult toys and cat food flying around for parents to be involved but lets see. She would be hilarious no doubt. When asked if viewers can expect any particularly shocking scenes this time around, The Inbetweeners star quipped: 'Its Celebrity Juice, so yes! Keith is being naughtier than ever! 'Everyone knows by now were really close friends on and off the television, so its like going to work with your best friends, so I think that comes through a lot in the show.' Pals: The actress, 32, revealed she got 'emotional' while fronting the show in front of a crowd, despite an influx of jokes from co-stars Keith Lemon, 48, (centre) and Laura Whitmore, 36 (left) Meanwhile Laura announced she is most excited about her third year on the show because of the inundation of booze on offer. The Love Island host said: 'For me Im really excited about the third series because for the previous two series weve had a pretty much non existent audience due of Covid restrictions.' 'Also its the first time I can drink on the show due to being pregnant and feeding before, so Im very excited it feels like old school vibes and theres a really exciting energy from all of us.' Laura gave birth to her daughter - whose name is believed to be Stevie Re - in March 2021, and she shares the little one with her fellow presenter husband Ian Stirling. Hilarious: Claiming the comedian - whose real name is Leigh Francis - is 'naughtier than ever', she teased that adult toys and cat food will be flying around in the new series on March 24 Keith chimed in of the new installment: 'New games, new guests, new hats. Same Juice as always, I guess but with more new madness. Im still loving it! 'I never know what to expect myself to be honest! Oh, and the audience is back - which is lovely.' Joining the mischievous trio in the returning episode for more games, fun and anarchy will be TV legend Jonathan Ross, King of grime Big Narstie, pop sensation Ella Henderson, and Strictly Come Dancing judge Craig Revel Horwood. Celebrity Juice returns for a brand-new series on Thursday 24th March at 10pm on ITV2. Teresa Giudice fought back tears as she prepared to move out of the home she shared with her family in a sneak peek teasing the remainder of season 12 of The Real Housewives Of New Jersey. 'Moving is going to be very sad,' Teresa's daughter Gia Giudice laments as they go through their many belongings, strewn in a pile on the floor. 'I don't want to leave this house. The only memories that we're gonna have was here with dad,' Milania Giudice continued, referring to her father, Teresa's ex-husband Joe Giudice. Heartbreaking: Teresa Giudice fought back tears as she prepared to move out of the mansion she shared with her family in a sneak peek teasing the remainder of season 12 of The Real Housewives Of New Jersey The camera showed Teresa, who was moving out amid her romance fiance Luis 'Louie' Ruelas, crying in her foyer. Meanwhile, Jennifer Aydn is still grappling with her husband Bill Aydin's decade-old infidelity. 'You were doing your thing without any consideration of me,' Jennifer was seen telling a solemn-looking Bill. Later, Jennifer confided in Margaret Josephs about the situation and admitted she wasn't sure if she could 'work through it.' 'Moving is going to be very sad': The family's belongings lay strewn on a pile in their foyer Moving on: Gia admitted it was going to be hard moving on from their home 'The only memories that we're gonna have was here with dad': Milania told her mother, who was then seen fighting back tears 'It's always me trying for him,' she tells Margaret. 'I don't know if I can work through it.' 'I know you're f**king kidding me,' Margaret replies before Jennifer is seen shedding a tear. 'Bill hasn't been around us,' Margaret later observes. Meanwhile, Teresa's fiance admits he wasn't perfect when asked about his past by Teresa's brother Joe Gorga. 'Without any consideration of me': Meanwhile, Jennifer Aydn is still grappling with her husband Bill Aydin's decades-old affair Heartbreak: Bill looked solemn as Ayden processed her feelings Open and honest: Luis 'Louie' Ruelas acknowledged he wasn't perfect during a conversation with Teresa's brother Joe Giudice 'I'm not going to sit here and say that I was this crown of a man,' Luis admits to Joe. And Teresa calls out Margaret for bringing up Luis' past. 'Like this one,' Teresa says during a lunch gathering with the girls. 'He's abusive.' 'I didn't say he was abusive,' Margaret shoots back. 'All the girlfriends say he's abusive.' Tense: Things started to get heated between Teresa and Margaret 'All the girlfriends say he's abusive': Margaret shoots back at Teresa Not having it: 'She's been dragging my boyfriend through the mud,' Teresa says angrily to a friend Things get progressively more tense between Teresa and Margaret. 'She's been dragging my boyfriend through the mud,' Teresa says angrily to a friend. 'I'm a grown adult woman, I don't put up with s**t from anybody,' Margaret tells friends emphatically. 'I'll tell you where she belongs - a zoo,' Margaret is later seen saying as footage of Teresa walking up a staircase appears. 'I'm f**king done. She f**ked with the wrong girl.' Next, Teresa is seen seemingly shouting at Margaret from across the room as Margaret angrily gestures back. The Real Housewives Of New Jersey airs Tuesdays on Bravo at 8/7C. Fighting words: Margaret is seen telling someone, 'I'll tell you where she belongs - a zoo' Here she comes: As Margaret goes off, footage of Teresa climbing a staircase appears On Friday, Vanderpump Rules star Lala Kent revealed the last guy she went on a date with didn't fare so well after the 'in depth full' background check run by her private investigator. 'The last date I went on, it was a group date because remember y'all, that's the only thing I'm comfortable with right now,' the 31-year-old Give Them Lala CEO said on her one-hour Amazon livestream Balling on a Budget: Date Night Looks. 'And he was fine. But the PI check didn't come back so great, so I had to kick him to the curb. [I] haven't been on a date since. I've been talking to people, but no dates. I go on dates with my mom [Lisa Burningham] and [my daughter] Ocean. Such a vibe.' 'And he was fine': On Friday, Vanderpump Rules star Lala Kent revealed the last guy she went on a date with didn't fare so well after the 'in depth full' background check run by her private investigator Lala (born Lauryn) continued: 'I gotta know before you enter my life. Do we have some [tax] liens? Do we owe some people? I mean, I gotta know. Do we have a sketchy background? I need to know that. 'I have a daughter now and I'm not welcoming just anybody into my life. Number one, it would be a waste of time...I have to be very careful now for [my baby]. She's the number one priority.' This Tuesday, Kent and her 'philandering' ex-fiance Randall Emmett will celebrate the first birthday of their daughter Ocean. However, the 50-year-old filmmaker might have custody of the baby that day considering the Utah-born blonde already threw a birthday party last Saturday at Jax Taylor and Brittany Cartwright's $1.9M LA home. The 31-year-old Give Them Lala CEO said on her Amazon livestream: 'The PI check didn't come back so great, so I had to kick him to the curb. [I] haven't been on a date since. I've been talking to people, but no dates. I go on dates with my mom [Lisa Burningham] and [my daughter] Ocean. Such a vibe' Lala (born Lauryn) continued: 'I gotta know before you enter my life. Do we have some [tax] liens? Do we owe some people? I mean, I gotta know. Do we have a sketchy background? I need to know that' Kent added: 'I have a daughter now and I'm not welcoming just anybody into my life. Number one, it would be a waste of time...I have to be very careful now for [my baby]. She's the number one priority' Lala and Randall reportedly only communicate through a third-party app to arrange pick-ups and drop-offs for their cherubic child. On March 2, Kent claimed Emmett started a relationship with a 23-year-old woman in March 2021 - the same month she gave birth - and that woman moved into their home two days after their October split. 'They "traveled" together while I was home with Ocean, and working on my brand. I thought he was working, because that's what he said he was doing,' the Out of Death actress commented on Tina Swithin's Instagram. Milestone: This Tuesday, the Utah-born blonde and her 'philandering' ex-fiance Randall Emmett will celebrate the first birthday of their daughter Ocean (pictured March 3) Co-parenting: However, the 50-year-old filmmaker (pictured Wednesday) might have custody of the baby that day considering Lala already threw a birthday party last Saturday at Jax Taylor and Brittany Cartwright's $1.9M LA home Estranged: Kent and Randall reportedly only communicate through a third-party app to arrange pick-ups and drop-offs for their cherubic child (pictured July 19) 'This isn't the most shocking thing I learned': On March 2, the Out of Death actress claimed Emmett started a relationship with a 23-year-old woman in March 2021 - the same month she gave birth - and that woman moved into their home two days after their October split 'After the pictures surfaced, I tried to leave the home to gain clarity and avoid a toxic environment for my daughter, but anytime I did he threatened to call the police if I didn't return Ocean to the home. But if he felt we were good and he was in control again, I was able to leave the house. I did what I had to do to leave the relationship with my baby. His new 23-year-old girlfriend was "basically living" in the home two days after I left. 'Sadly this isn't the most shocking thing I learned. Women and cheating are just the tip of the iceberg. I was able to get out, but now my daughter is in the hands of a broken court system. Narcs thrive when they are under a microscope. I am not blind to what is going on, though. It makes me sick that my sweet daughter's face (a picture I took and sent to him by the way) is what pops up when he does his dirty work.' Lala will kick off her 10-date Give Them Lala Live: The Brand New Tour at the Irvine Improv in California on April 28. An Indian Muslim woman shouts slogans during a protest against barring Muslim girls wearing a hijab from attending classes at some schools in the southern state of Karnataka, India, Feb. 8. AP-Yonhap A court in a southern Indian state has upheld a ban on the wearing of the hijab in schools and colleges, saying the Muslim headscarf was not an essential religious practice of Islam. The high court in Karnataka State delivered the verdict Tuesday after considering petitions filed by Muslim students challenging a government ban on hijabs. The dispute began in January when a government-run school in Karnataka's Udupi district barred students wearing hijabs from entering classrooms, triggering protests by Muslims. More schools in the state followed with similar bans and the state's top court disallowed students from wearing hijab until it delivered a verdict. In India, where Muslims make up 14 percent of the country's 1.4 billion people, the hijab has historically been neither prohibited nor limited in public spheres. (AP) Some stories have surprising endings, dont they? she said, with signature understatement. But on this occasion, no one could accuse the woman who fought back the tears as she made her way to the podium to accept her Best Actress award of false modesty. Joanna Scanlan, 60, beloved for television roles in The Thick Of It and ITVs The Larkins, was the rank outsider at Sunday nights Bafta awards. The bookies had her on odds of 7 to 1. She beat competition from a furious-looking Lady Gaga (House Of Gucci), Emilia Jones (Coda), Alana Haim (Licorice Pizza) and Renate Reinsve (The Worst Person In The World) and no one could have looked more stunned that Scanlan, whose triumph crowns an amazing late-blooming career. Joanna Scanlan, 60, (pictured) beloved for television roles in The Thick Of It and ITVs The Larkins, was the rank outsider at Sunday nights Bafta awards For although she had been part of the elite 1980s Footlights crew that included Emma Thompson, Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie, the glittering success that came so effortlessly to her contemporaries eluded her. Floored by a sort of breakdown in her 20s, when she had given up all hopes of becoming an actress and was working as a drama teacher at Leicester Poly and for the Arts Council, Scanlan struggled with depression and chronic fatigue syndrome. At one point it was so severe that she struggled to get out of bed, and moved back in with her parents. It was only when, at the age of 34, she saw her GP and was advised that not following her dreams was making her sick that she revived her acting ambition. Even then, it would take another 11 years for her finally to taste acclaim in the political comedy The Thick Of It, where she played hopeless press officer Terri Coverley. From here on, she was most often cast because of her considerable talent for deadpan comedy until After Love, in which she mines the full complexity of a woman whose life and assumptions have been destroyed. No wonder she said, after leaving the stage, that she felt disbelieving. Clutching the Bafta mask, she said: To be perfectly honest, I feel shaky. I feel like reality has yet to catch up with me. Im a bit behind the beat. To be honoured by Bafta in film as a leading actress is the highest accolade I could ever aspire to. I never imagined that I would ever receive this honour. Genuinely. Although Scanlan (pictured with husband Nick Bicknell) had been part of the elite 1980s Footlights crew that included Emma Thompson, Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie, the glittering success that came so effortlessly to her contemporaries eluded her She added: Im 60. Im older; Im not the normal shape and size. Im lots of things you wouldnt expect necessarily to be honoured in this way. The award was given for her lauded performance as Mary, a Muslim convert who discovers after the death of her ferry-captain husband, Ahmed, that he has another woman and a son in France. Scanlan remarked that the film is a story about hidden depths. She added: I once hoped to swim the Channel and in a strange way I have. While some of the younger crowd went party-hopping after the ceremony, Scanlan and her accountant husband Neil Bicknell 6ft 7in to her 5ft 1in opted to mingle at the Savoy Hotel, where nominees and their entourages were watching the Critics Choice Awards unfolding in Los Angeles on Sunday night. Eventually, she and Bicknell went back home to their 900,000 semi-detached Victorian house in suburban South Croydon. It was back to work as normal yesterday, filming The Light In The Hall, a psychological TV drama for Channel Four, in Wales. The eldest of three children, Joanna was born in Cheshire but raised in Ruthin, North Wales, where her parents, Pat and Mike, ran a hotel. She went to an independent boarding school, Howells, where she was eventually the head girl. The eldest of three children, Joanna (pictured on The Thick Of It) was born in Cheshire but raised in Ruthin, North Wales, where her parents, Pat and Mike, ran a hotel Acting was something that she always wanted to do. I felt like I was put on Earth to act, so I worked hard at it, she has said. As a child, I did plays and pantomimes at school, and I did all the associated board exams. It was a huge part of who I was, and I got up every morning and did it every day. In 1980, she accepted a place to read history at Queens College, Cambridge. It was the first year that the college admitted female undergraduates and there were only 39 women among 500 men. After the joyfully feminist environment of an all-girls school, she found herself equally terrified and appalled by the atmosphere. It was frankly an ordeal, she said. I had been at a girls boarding school and did not know anything very much about how to deal with male culture. Men would do things like come into the bar, stand on the table, pull down their flies and p*** into a beer glass that was on your table. She felt unsafe and hid away. I just stayed in my room, smoking, drinking and avoiding everything, avoiding people completely. I put on weight as a result of finding myself in a hostile male environment. It was literally a protective mechanism. There was a sexually aggressive atmosphere: intimidating, frightening. Joanna Scanlan, winner of the Best Actress award for "After Love", poses in the winners room at the EE British Academy Film Awards 2022 at Royal Albert Hall on March 13 I remember walking with a friend who was suddenly goosed. Some man pushed his hand up between her legs and it was just assumed she wouldnt report it. And she didnt, because it was 1980 not 2018. My extra padding prevented me being an obvious target. I did have relationships, but with men who got to know me first. Ive intermittently attempted to lose weight since, but its never worked. She joined Footlights briefly before taking up with another more serious theatre group. Here she became friends with peers including actress Tilda Swinton. But while some went on to stardom after university, Joanna was filled with self-doubt and took a job lecturing in drama at Leicester Poly. In her late 20s she suffered a sort of a breakdown. While some went on to stardom after university, Joanna was filled with self-doubt and took a job lecturing in drama at Leicester Poly During all of that time, I kept thinking: But arent I supposed to be being an actress? She switched to a job at the Arts Council, which she hoped would allow her still to write scripts and act in her spare time, but was struck by depression. For several years, she wasnt physically able to do much more than take the dog for a walk. It was like a complete battery drain. I remember being able to mark the distinction between the effort required to sit up as opposed to lie down, she said. It was her GP who suggested she try to return to acting. She decided that even if she never made it by conventional standards, she would still be happier pursuing her dreams. Her wonderful, concerned parents backed her. When I told them that I was giving up a really good job with a pension, they said: Go for it. Aged 34, she relaunched herself as an actress and landed a role as a nurse in the medical drama Peak Practice. Twelve years later, she had her first script commissioned a comic sitcom, Getting On, on BBC Four and also starred in Rev. with Tom Hollander on BBC 2. But although success was budding on the professional front, Scanlan was yet to find personal happiness. Single at 38, she found herself longing to start a family of her own. When I was 38 and single, I wanted to adopt. I had some interviews with social services but I was rejected on the grounds that I had insufficient family around me in London to help out, and that was a real blow. I also thought about donor sperm, but, truthfully, I found that I couldnt make that choice on behalf of the child to have a father who would not be part of his or her life. Not that I consider theres anything wrong with doing that, but personally I was fearful of making the wrong choice. On Sunday night, Scanlan said of her ambitions for the future: What will be will be. Of course you look for opportunities and for work with exciting creative people, but its important to keep a sense of the whole range of cinema. I hope I get a really exciting chunky short film and also a Bond audition' She finally met Neil, the man who would become her husband, at a yoga festival in Devon. She was 46 and within two years they were married. She said: If I could live just one day over again, it would be my wedding day. That was something to get married to a man I completely trusted and knew I was going to be happy with. We got from the church to the wedding venue before anyone else and there was a big mirror in the empty room. And we just paused and looked at each other in the mirror. Afterwards, I misremembered that moment as a photograph. I kept saying: Wheres that photograph? And then I remembered that it wasnt a photograph, it was just a frozen image I had in my mind of us looking at each other in the mirror. They have a rescue dog, Millie, but no children her one regret in life. Recognition may have also come later than hoped. I feel very long in the tooth to be coming to this sort of prominence, she said. All that kind of cliched Hollywood glamour doesnt feel like me at all. I feel like Im just a working character actor. Its lovely, of course, but its hard to place yourself inside that. It may usher in a new era for her, though. This is the path trodden so brilliantly by actress Olivia Colman, whose Oscar win for The Favourite has supercharged her career. On Sunday night, Scanlan said of her ambitions for the future: What will be will be. Of course you look for opportunities and for work with exciting creative people, but its important to keep a sense of the whole range of cinema. I hope I get a really exciting chunky short film and also a Bond audition. Its doing your thing and working in a way that means something to people. Thats what I want to do until the day I die. Suranne Jones looked chic as she won the actor of the year prize at Stylist's Remarkable Women Awards in London on Monday, which she attended with Martin Compston. The jubilant actress, 43, beamed onstage with her award while wearing a white silk blouse teamed with a pair of black wide trousers. The former Coronation Street star looked incredible as she sported a unique pair of black shoes at the star-studded and celebratory evening at the Leicester Square venue The Londoner Hotel. Winner: Triumphant Suranne Jones looked chic as she won the actor of the year prize at Stylist's Remarkable Women Awards in London on Monday Suranne opted for a dewy makeup look with a pink lip while her brunette tresses were slicked back in a stylish bun. The natural beauty went all out for the event as she had her nails painted the same colour as her lipstick and she sported a pair of gold earrings. Meanwhile Martin, 37, looked dapper in a navy suit which he teamed with a light blue shirt and a brown striped tie. The Scottish actor looked ecstatic as he handed the actor prize to his Vigil co-star Suranne. Pals: Martin Compston looked ecstatic as he presented the award to his Vigil co-star Suranne Looking good: The actress beamed on the stage with her award as she donned a white silk blouse which she teamed with a pair of black wide trousers Natural Beauty: Suranne looked incredible as she opted for a dewy makeup look with a pink lip while her brunette tresses were slicked back in a stylish bun The event honoured women who excel in their field and was hosted by comedian and creator of BBC series Starstruck, Rose Matafeo. Lisa Smosarski, editor-in-chief of Stylist, said: 'I'm delighted we can be together again this year to celebrate the women who are using their platforms to help other women. 'If the challenges of the past two years have taught us anything, it's that every day we are lucky enough to encounter truly remarkable women. 'From our brilliant NHS workers, scientists, key workers and carers to our friends, neighbours and the women who formed support groups, charities and lead communities. 'This year we are celebrating our return to normality thanks to those thousands of acts of remarkability.' Couple: Suranne attended the event with her husband Laurence Akers who she has been married to since 2014 Lisa Smosarski, editor-in-chief of Stylist, said: 'I'm delighted we can be together again this year to celebrate the women who are using their platforms to help other women' It comes as Suranne recently revealed she struggled with her mental health as she adjusted to life in the pandemic. She admitted her anxiety peaked as lockdown restrictions began to ease while she was grieving her father - who died from COVID in January 2021. Speaking on Gaby Roslin's podcast, Suranne confessed she found it difficult to adjust back into 'normal life'. Tragic: The actress, 43, admitted her anxiety peaked as lockdown restrictions began to ease while she was grieving her father - who died from COVID in January 2021 (Suranne's father Chris is pictured with her mother Jenny) The Doctor Foster star explained: 'I suffer with anxiety anyway. I didnt know what the right thing to do was. When you are on set... and this still applies, the restrictions are really in place. 'Even when people were coming out of the restrictions. I was still in this bubble where everyone was still wearing masks and we were being very cautious. 'People were giving each other space. We were in a strict Covid testing regime. A few weeks ago I finished filming Gentleman Jack. It made me anxious to see everyone wondering around without masks on. I didnt know how to fit in.' Suranne then expressed how she felt anxious about getting back into her normal routine after her father died. She said: 'It is quite scary. All my jobs got concertinaed. Because of Covid. And my dad passing... I was away a lot. 'Even coming back and taking my son to school, or driving my car or getting everyone ready to get out the house.. those kind of things made me really anxious because I was suddenly back in the real world. 'This job is wonderful and I am very privileged to do it but you are very absent from your life when you take on big roles like I do.' Board game designer Peter Hawes has just bought a large parcel of property on the Sovereign Islands, on Queensland's Gold Coast, for $7.8million. The doctor and former athlete, famous for his Kayal brand of board games, purchased 2053sqm in the exclusive Regents Point estate, reports the Gold Coast Bulletin. This includes three of five lots developed by Gary Collinson, who bought 4046sqm of the holding 20 years ago. New island home: Board game designer Peter Hawes (pictured) has just bought a large parcel of property on the Sovereign Islands, on Queensland's Gold Coast, for $7.8million The first of Collinson's specially designed luxury waterfront homes went on sale in November 2020 for $3.3million. The five-bedroom, five-bathroom property was listed as sold in June 2021. Hawes, 66, and his wife Dominika Deckert have not revealed any further details of their purchase. The couple, who currently live on Main Beach, put their enormous riverfront mansion in Hawthorne, Brisbane, on the market in September 2020. Luxury post-code: Hawes, famous for his Kayal brand of board games, purchased 2053sqm in the exclusive Regents Point estate (pictured) - one of the Gold Coast's most exclusive locations Featuring five bedrooms, five levels and five bathrooms, the gigantic house, a city landmark, found a buyer just before Christmas 2021 for $15million. Located in the Southport Broadwater, the Sovereign Islands lie within the suburb of Paradise Point on the Gold Coast. Famous for its spectacular real estate and matching prices, the Regents Point estate is part of the Sovereign Islands gated community, known for its stunning views, deep water moorings and direct access to the Pacific. Prime location: Located in the Southport Broadwater, the Sovereign Islands lie within the suburb of Paradise Point on the Gold Coast One mansion on the islands that was listed for sale at the end of 2021 was tipped to lure a price of $50million. It featured nine bathrooms, two dining rooms, a housekeeper's quarters and a 12-car garage. There were also four loungerooms and seven bedrooms. Bridgerton's new leading man Jonathan Bailey has shed light on some of tricks of the trade behind the show's steamy sex scenes. For season two, the actor - who plays Viscount Anthony Bridgerton - takes on the leading role, with the show focusing on his romance with Kate Sharma, played by Simone Ashley. Despite having to film several raunchy scenes for the show, Jonathan insisted that working with an intimacy coordinator helps, noting: 'Its pretty silly really and we have some hilarious moments, but it makes it less awkward.' 'It's pretty silly but we have some hilarious moments': Bridgerton's leading man Jonathan Bailey shared the bizarre methods the crew use while filming show's sex scenes He told Radio Times: It's amazing how that whole industry has just come on, even in a year. There are new tricks to the trade little cushions and it's amazing what you can do with a half-inflated netball.' He explained that the semi-inflated object provided a barrier between their bodies, elaborating: 'If there are two people doing a sex scene, the rule is they must have three barriers separating them and there are certain acts where a half-inflated netball can allow for movement without having to connect physically. Bridgerton season two will be released on Netflix on Friday March 25. New couple: The actor - who plays Viscount Anthony Bridgerton - takes on the leading role, with the show focusing on his romance with Kate Sharma, played by Simone Ashley Meanwhile, Jonathan recently said he felt pressured to hide his sexuality in order to further his career after being told a publicly gay actor would struggle to win roles. The star came out in 2018, two years before finding fame in Bridgerton. But he admitted to having reservations about public disclosure after discussing the issue with actor friends and casting directors about the difficulties associated with being openly gay in the TV and film industry. Chat: Jonathan revealed the tricks of the trade for those raunchy scenes to Radio Times in their latest issue Speaking to the latest issue of GQ Hype, the Oxfordshire native recalled his initial reaction after a friend told him about his own experience while auditioning for roles. 'At the time he was told "Theres two things we dont want to know: If youre an alcoholic or if youre gay,"' he told the publication. 'All it takes is for one of those people in that position of power to say that, and it ripples through. So, yeah, of course I thought that. Of course I thought that in order to be happy, I needed to be straight.' Eventually he made the decision to be speak publicly about his sexuality after becoming frustrated with the restrictions a closeted public image placed on his personal life. He said: 'I reached a point where I thought, "F**k this." Id much prefer to hold my boyfriends hand in public or be able to put my own face picture on Tinder and not be so concerned about that, than getting a part.' Making a stance: Jonathan recently said he felt pressured to hide his sexuality in order to further his career (pictured with onscreen sister Phoebe Dynevor in Bridgerton) John Torode and Gregg Wallace have admitted to being jealous of Gordon Ramsay, both of his culinary skills and of his wallet. The judges are returning to MasterChef for its 18th series, which will culminate in a final held at Gordon's Michelin-starred London restaurant. Speaking to The Mirror, John, 56, praised Gordon, 55, as 'probably the most famous chef in the world'. Envious: John Torode and Gregg Wallace have admitted to being jealous of Gordon Ramsay, both of his culinary skills and of his wallet He admitted: 'I think he gets paid very handsomely in America. It's on a commercial channel. He has massive billboards all over LA, he's got a big house there. 'He's really, really famous. I think he's very very fine'. On whether viewers would see Gordon's famously fiery temper on the new series, John said: 'Gordon's Gordon. He will do what he wants to do. We always work with great chef and we've already had access to their kitchens. So Gordon is one of those. Celebrity: Speaking to The Mirror, John, 56, praised Gordon, 55, as 'probably the most famous chef in the world' 'He's formidable and exacting and that's why he's had three stars in Chelsea for over 20 years. For our guys to go to his kitchen to learn from that I think is wonderful.' The pair also praised the efforts of Brooklyn Beckham, and his recent ambition to become a chef, by doing cooking videos on social media. Despite the 22-year-old having come under fire recently for his frequently-ridiculed cooking skills, Gregg, 57, said he should be 'applauded' rather than 'sneered at'. He said: 'Cookery on social media is playing a very important role in food education. 'It's no longer in our schools, sadly, but anybody who's interested now can just go online and see a range of cookery styles from all over the world, and that's got to be applauded and shouldn't be sneered at.' John added: 'Anything which is demystifying food and making things not scary is absolutely brilliant.' Shanna Moakler and her ex-boyfriend Matthew Rondeau were seen together at a Providence, Rhode Island restaurant on Sunday, three weeks after he was arrested in connection with felony domestic violence following an incident with her at her home in Los Angeles. Moakler, 46, was seen at the Opa Restaurant late Sunday with Rondeau, 29, TMZ reported, with an image of the two at the establishment. A source told the site that Moakler and Rondeau did not seem to be affectionate with one another, and that she told a fellow patron, 'We're okay, were hanging in there.' The latest: Shanna Moakler, 46, and her ex-boyfriend Matthew Rondeau, 29, were seen together at a Providence, Rhode Island restaurant on Sunday, three weeks after he was arrested in connection with felony domestic violence following an incident with her at her home in LA The Providence, Rhode Island-born beauty and Rondeau were also seen at the local establishment Los Andes on Saturday, a source told the outlet. The former Miss USA said she was in her native Providence to celebrate the retirement of her father from his dentistry practice, a source told TMZ. Rondeau in late February took to social media with a clip in which he accused her of being unfaithful to him and vowed they would not reunite as a couple. He was subsequently arrested February 24 in connection with felony domestic violence after he was accused of physically abusing the Celebrity Big Brother star. Moakler was snapped at a 2019 event in LA Rondeau and Moakler have dated on-and-off since 2020 Moaklers manager David Weintraub told Page Six following Rondeau's arrest that 'social media saved her life' after Rondeau's clip was 'flagged immediately and police were called.' Weintraub said that Moakler was 'OK and survived this traumatic experience' and that she had requested to be 'given her space to adjust to life after this trauma.' Rondeau, who has dated Moakler on-and-off since 2020, subsequently took to Instagram after his arrest and claimed that Moakler had made him 'out to be the villain,' and denied physically abusing her. 'You know Id never lay a hand on another Woman,' he said. 'My Mother is my Angel and my Best Friend. She raised me right.' In a police report obtained by US Weekly following Rondeau's arrest, a police officer said that Rondeau had 'grabbed [the] victim by the hair' and swung 'her by hair on the ground.' Rondeau subsequently took to Instagram after his arrest and claimed that Moakler had made him 'out to be the villain' and denied physically abusing her The officer said that Rondeau had 'grabbed [Moaklers] face and neck, threw [a] chair at [her] and urinated on [her], leaving visible injuries' in the aftermath. The officer said that firearms were confiscated in the wake of the incident, and that Rondeau was ordered not to contact Moakler 'by any means,' or harass, attack, strike, threaten, [or] assault' her. Authorities issued the Pacific Blue actress a protective order from Rondeau following the arrest, ordering him to stay at least 100 yards away from her. Moakler earlier this month confirmed that she is pregnant with her fourth child after testing positive in a pregnancy test; she did not specify if Rondeau is the father. She is mother to son Landon, 18, and daughter Alabama, 16, with ex Travis Barker, 46, who she was married to from 2004 to 2008; and daughter Atiana De La Hoya, 22, from her former engagement to boxer Oscar De La Hoya, 49. Sandra Bullock looked stunning as she arrived at a New York City screening of her new adventurecomedy The Lost City on Monday. Joining the iconic actress, 57, were her costars, including Daniel Radcliffe, 32, and Pattie Harrison, 31, among others. Bullock stars in the film which originally had the more provocative titled The Lost City Of D as the romance novelist Loretta Sage, whose books all feature a hunky cover model Alan (Channing Tatum) who stands in for the main character in her ongoing series. Night out: Sandra Bullock, 57, looked stunning at the New York City screening of The Lost City on Monday But when she's kidnapped by a billionaire (Radcliffe) hoping to find a lost treasure referenced in her latest book, Alan tries to prove he's not just a brawny hunk by trekking into the jungle to save her. The movie also features a highly publicized cameo from Brad Pitt, though he didn't appear to have attended the screening. Sandra had all eyes on her thanks to her long-sleeved black frock with a bright accoutrement on the front. She wore her chocolate-brunette hair in a center part and styled in sultry beach waves. Rom-com: Sandra stars in The Lost City as a romance novelist who's kidnapped by a billionaire (Radcliffe) hoping to find a lost treasure referenced in her latest book. Channing Tatum plays her hunky cover model who tries to rescue her Standing out: Sandra had all eyes on her thanks to her long-sleeved black frock with a bright accoutrement on the front Pretty: The Unforgivable actress looked great in the cloak-like dress that was adorned in blue, pink, and red glittery graphics Her makeup: The mom-of-two turned heads with feature-enhancing makeup that included lined eyes, pink-blushed cheeks, and a matching pink lipstick Bold: The print on her dress covered some of the sleeves and some parts of it extended along the front of her dress The Unforgivable actress looked great in the cloak-like dress that was adorned in blue, pink, and red glittery graphics. The print covered some of the sleeves and some parts of it extended along the front of her dress. Showing off her great fashion sense, Sandra punctuated the unique look with a pair of shiny bronze stiletto boots. She wore a simple nude manicure on her natural nails for the star-studded event held at the Whitby Hotel. The mom-of-two turned heads with feature-enhancing makeup that included lined eyes, pink-blushed cheeks, and a matching pink lipstick. Before arriving to the screening Bullock was a guest on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert and was seen leaving the studio. Star-studded: Also in attendance at the screening were famous faces such as (LR) Patti Harrison, Daniel Radcliffe, and Da'Vine Joy Randolph Back in black: Daniel opted for an a casual all-black look with a black zip-up jacket over a black patterned button shirt No fuss: He wore simple black trousers and matching loafers with the look Also in attendance at the screening were famous faces such as Daniel Radcliffe, Patti Harrison and Da'Vine Joy Randolph. Daniel opted for an all black look. He wore a button-up shirt with a white pattern throughout and a zip-up jacket partially zipped over it. Patti stepped out in an off-white cocktail dress with spaghetti straps and a low-cut neckline that showed off her cleavage. She added futuristic-looking strappy heels that had a metal accoutrement at the toe. Da'Vine rocked a body-hugging brown sequin mini dress that had off-the-shoulder sleeves. Angelic: Patti stepped out in an off white cocktail dress with spaghetti strings and a low-cut neckline that showed off her cleavage. Da'Vine rocked a body-hugging brown sequin mini dress that had off-the-shoulder sleeves Twosome: Longtime couple Daniel Radcliffe and Erin Darke pose together at the event. She wore a lovely gray floral dress with brown boots Blond beauty: The actress wore her blond hair in a center part with spiral curls falling over her shoulders Making an appearance with Daniel was his girlfriend Erin Darke, who glowed in a gray floral-print dress and wore green boots. The actress wore her blond hair in a center part with spiral curls falling over her shoulders. Actor Eric Rutherford also appeared, cutting a smart figure in black denim jeans. He wore them with a pair of glossy black boots, and plain white shirt and a double-breasted suit with pale widely spaced pinstripes. Attendee: Actor Eric Rutherford also appeared at the screening, cutting a smart figure in black denim jeans. Gal pals: Emily Deyt-Aysage and Maud Lunenfeld posed together at the gathering, with the redhead model posing in a soft pink dress with a chain belt Beautiful couple: Husband and wife Keytt Lundqvist and Alex Lundqvist complemented each other in shades of blue Emily Deyt-Aysage and Maud Lunenfeld also posed together at the gathering, with the red-hairedmodel posing in a soft pink dress with a chain belt. Maud went for a bolder look in a long green dress with a very deep neckline and beige heels. Husband and wife Keytt Lundqvist and Alex Lundqvist complemented each other in shades of blue. She put on a busty display in a striking patterned dress, while the Swedish male model wore a chic grayblue double-breasted blazer with black jeans. Openign up: The cast was joined by directors and co-screenwriters (from the left) Aaron and Adam Nee and producer Liza Chasin for a Q&A PR queen Roxy Jacenko had a public falling out with her former best friend and business partner Jessica Ingham early last year. And more than 12 months after their personal and professional rift, Roxy is having the last laugh after the candle range they founded together, XRJ Celebrations, was snapped up by retail giant Myer. The brand will be sold at department stores across the country in the coming months, reports The Sydney Morning Herald. Success: Roxy Jacenko is having the last laugh after her candle range was snapped up by Myer. It comes a year after her bitter falling out with business partner and ex-BFF Jessica Ingham Roxy's Sydney PR company Sweaty Betty is also believed to be moving premises from Paddington to Alexandria. In January last year, reports surfaced Roxy and Jess, an heiress to the Ingham's Chicken fortune, had fallen out and unfollowed each other on Instagram. Jess confirmed at the time they were no longer in business together, despite once describing themselves as 'sisters'. Rift: In January last year, reports surfaced Roxy and Jess (right), an heiress to the Ingham's Chicken fortune, had fallen out and unfollowed each other on Instagram They allegedly started to grow apart when media outlets began writing about Jess' personal life. Roxy, who reportedly 'loves being the brightest star', is said to have become jealous of the coverage. The chic XRJ Celebrations candles cost upwards of $25 for a single item. Premium range: The chic XRJ Celebrations candles cost upwards of $25 for a single item Something for everyone: XRJ also sells place cards, candlesticks and incense holders XRJ also sells place cards, candlesticks and incense holders. Roxy is a successful businesswoman, best known for founding Sweaty Betty PR and the influencer agency The Ministry of Talent. She also has her own accessories and toy companies, named for her daughter Pixie. Former Neighbours star turned podcaster Jordy Lucas tied the knot with her longtime partner Henry Platt on Sunday. The actress, who played Summer Hoyland on the iconic soap, married Henry at Cape Kitchen on Victoria's Phillip Island. Jordy stunned on the day wearing a one-shoulder and figure-hugging gown by wedding dress designer Kyha. Just married! Ex-Neighbours star Jordy Lucas stunned in a figure-hugging wedding dress on Sunday as she tied the knot with her longtime partner Henry Platt on Phillip Island Her dress featured a flowing train and she carried a stunning bouquet of white and green flowers. Jordy, who is the host of the It's All Her podcast, wore natural-looking makeup and her long dark locks out and over her shoulders, swept to one side. She completed her classic bridal look with a long and simple veil. Newlyweds: She and Henry, who have been together for five years, finally tied the knot at the weekend after three attempts due to the Covid-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdowns Cute! On the day, Jordy was surrounded by four bridesmaids while their daughter Evie, two, was a flower girl She and Henry, who have been together for five years, finally tied the knot at the weekend after three attempts due to the Covid-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdowns. On the day, Jordy was surrounded by four bridesmaids while their daughter Evie, two, was a flower girl. The pair married in an intimate beachside ceremony. 'Mrs Platt,' Jordy captioned a photo of herself on Instagram from her wedding day. Stunning location: The actress, who played Summer Hoyland on the iconic soap, married Henry at Cape Kitchen on Victoria's Phillip Island Familiar face: Jordy is well known for playing Summer Hoyland on Neighbours from 2010 - 2013 Jordy is well known for playing Summer Hoyland on Neighbours from 2010 - 2013. Before that, the role was played by actress Marisa Siketa. Jordy left Neighbours and tried to crack Hollywood, before returning back to Australia. 'It obviously didn't work out but not many people can honestly say they've done everything in their power to achieve a goal,' she recently wrote on Instagram. She added: 'Knowing what I know now, would I do it again? I'm not sure... but I am proud of that 20 year old who moved overseas by herself to give it a crack.' She has played Leah Patterson-Baker on Home and Away for the past 20 years. And Ada Nicodemou showed off her age-defying visage on Tuesday as she filmed scenes for the Channel Seven soap at Sydney's Palm Beach. The 44-year-old actress shared a gallery of photos to Instagram of herself posing in front of Barrenjoey Lighthouse. Beauty: Home and Away's Ada Nicodemou showed off her age-defying visage as she filmed scenes for the Channel Seven soap at Sydney's Palm Beach on Tuesday Ada flaunted her youthful visage and enviable figure as she smouldered for the camera in a black crop top. She wore her short brunette hair loosely, and concealed her gaze behind sunglasses. 'I'm so lucky to work in such a beautiful location, so when I have a couple of hours off I do the touristy thing and go for a scenic walk up to the lighthouse,' she wrote. Youthful: Ada flaunted her youthful visage and enviable figure as she smouldered for the camera in a black crop top Speaking to Body and Soul magazine last year, Ada said that keeping to a schedule is key to maintaining her youthful physique. 'Once I get my weekly schedule from work, the first thing I do is map out when I'll exercise,' she said. 'I will write this into my diary and basically set a date with myself. I make sure that my exercise is a priority that means I am a priority, too.' 'My workouts are time for myself, so they are very important to me and always have been,' she added. Fit! Speaking to New Idea recently, Ada said she eats foods that are high in protein and does high-intensity workouts to stay trim and toned Ada also recently told New Idea she eats foods that are high in protein and does high-intensity workouts to stay trim and toned. 'I like my curves, I feel like a woman and I feel more confident - which I think is also really good as a parent... I love that I'm curvy,' she told the magazine. On the surgery front, she has previously denied having dermal filler, but has admitted to getting Botox on occasion and having breast implants. For information about our privacy practices, please visit our website at ladowntownnews.com/site/privacy.html By clicking to subscribe, you acknowledge that your information will be transferred to Mailchimp for processing. Learn more about Mailchimp's privacy practices here. Clayton Echard told Rachel Recchia and Gabriela 'Gabby' Windey that he was in love with them on Monday's episode of The Bachelor during a 'rose ceremony from hell'. The 28-year-old medical sales rep from Eureka, Missouri, also told Rachel, 25, a flight instructor from Clermont, Florida, and Gabby, an ICU nurse from O'Fallon, Illinois, that he had been intimate with each of them during Fantasy Suites week. Clayton additionally revealed that he also was in love with Susie Evans, 28, a wedding videographer from Virginia Beach, Virginia, but that she walked off the show due to his relationship with them. Season finale: Clayton Echard told Rachel Recchia and Gabriela 'Gabby' Windey that he was in love with them on Monday's episode of The Bachelor during a 'rose ceremony from hell' Rachel and Gabby both broke down in tears leaving Clayton, standing alone at the podium with the two roses. The two-hour episode, part one of a two-part season 26 finale, opened with host Jesse Palmer, 43, saying the finale was one of the most controversial ever. 'What you are about to see will rock Bachelor Nation and all of America right down to its core,' said Jesse. 'Nothing, and I mean nothing, can compare to what you are about to witness tonight.' Jesse even dubbed the ceremonial flower offering as 'the rose ceremony from hell.' Double whammy: The 28-year-old medical sales rep from Eureka, Missouri, also told Rachel, 25, a flight instructor from Clermont, Florida, and Gabby, an ICU nurse from O'Fallon, Illinois, that he had been intimate with each of them during Fantasy Suites week 'It's brutal,' said Jesse. When the show started, Clayton was still in Iceland sitting in a church alone reeling from how Susie walked out on him. 'I'm hurt right now, bad,' said Clayton in a confessional. 'Last night everything blew up and Susie left. And I feel terrible that I was so upset and angry. I'm just so messed up at this point.' Iceland location: When the show started, Clayton was still in Iceland sitting in a church alone reeling from how Susie Evans walked out on him Clayton said crying to the camera, 'I need somebody to help me because I'm so broken.' Later he sat down and spoke to Jesse and said he just didn't know what fully happened last night. 'It was crazy,' said Jesse. So broken: Clayton said crying to the camera, 'I need somebody to help me because I'm so broken' 'To completely just be blindsided by last night, with Susie, and to feel that, like, everything that we had meant nothing. It just shattered me and my trust,' said Clayton. 'She told me multiple times, ''I want you to explore the other relationships fully.'' Clayton said it would have been a big ask for her to tell him to not be intimate with anybody else but that he would have if he had known how Susie felt. 'What made me frustrated was that she told me everything you are saying makes sense, and I completely completely understand where you are coming from but with that I still can't see us moving forward from this,' Clayton said. Clayton told Jesse he didn't know where to go from here now that Susie was gone. Jesse told him that Gabby and Rachel were going to be expecting roses at the evening's ceremony, wanting to meet his parents and wanting him to get down on a knee in front of them. The host: Clayton told show host Jesse Palmer he didn't know where to go from here now that Susie was gone Clayton said that after everything that just happened he had no trust and that his walls were up. He also questioned whether Gabby and Rachel would be able to move forward if he shared all the information with them. 'I'll go tonight and I'll talk with them both, and tell them, ''this is everything that happened and this is where I am at'',' said Clayton. 'I will be 1,000 percent transparent.' Clayton added: 'I know that tonight could be the end of this whole thing for me.' Jesse asked what if after hearing everything they decided to stick it out. 'After hearing all that, I mean, that's obviously a testament to the love that we have,' said Clayton. Fully transparent: 'I'll go tonight and I'll talk with them both, and tell them, ''this is everything that happened and this is where I am at'',' said Clayton. 'I will be 1,000 percent transparent' Jesse said it was going to be a big night for him going into the ceremony telling them and knowing full well that he would also be risking losing them forever. Gabby and Rachel got ready to go to the rose ceremony. Rachel said in a confessional that she worried about being blindsided and that 'my biggest fear right now is that he is falling in love with Gabby or Susie.' Walking in Rachel said she knew there was a chance she could be going home but that Clayton also told her that he was in love with her. 'I don't need anything else going forward besides a ring,' said Rachel. Rose ceremony: Gabby and Rachel stood next to each other at the rose ceremony Jesse saw Rachel and wished her the best. Gabby walked in after her. Jesse asked her how the week in Iceland went for her. 'I think it went well,' said Gabby. 'We were able to express feelings for each other that I hope stay true through the rose ceremony.' Jesse asked her how it felt to hear that Clayton was falling in love with her. 'It felt good,' said Gabby. 'I am falling in love with him and he knows.' Gabby said in a confessional that the week had been really magical but she knew that someone was going to get hurt. 'I'm hoping he has figured out exactly what he wants and it's me,' said Gabby. Gabby and Rachel stood by each other's side waiting for Clayton. They both looked back and wondered where Susie was. 'You don't think she went home?' said Rachel turning to Gabby. Obviously missing: 'You don't think she went home?' said Rachel turning to Gabby as they noticed Susie was missing 'Anything can happen at this point,' Gabby said. 'Oh my God,' Rachel said. Clayton walked in and said he was really in a bad spot. End game: 'Anything can happen at this point,' Gabby said 'I love both of these women and tonight I owe it to them to tell them everything that happened and where I'm at,' said Clayton to the camera. 'The scary part is that I don't even know at this point. I'm just trying to prepare for the worst. This could be the night that I failed on my journey to find love.' Clayton stood before them and said as they could see that Susie was not there. He said that he just wanted to let them know what happened because they deserved to know. 'I'm shattered into pieces at the moment and I'm questioning everything,' he said. 'Really the person that's standing in front of you right now is not the person that you were last with. What I'm about to say is not going to be easy to hear but it is going to be very transparent and I owe it to you all.' Feeling shattered: 'I'm shattered into pieces at the moment and I'm questioning everything,' he said. 'Really the person that's standing in front of you right now is not the person that you were last with. What I'm about to say is not going to be easy to hear but it is going to be very transparent and I owe it to you all' Clayton then told them that Susie told him that if he told either of them that he was in love, or if he had been intimate with either of them that she could not continue with this journey. 'And that she felt that it was over for us,' said Clayton. Clayton said because it became a 'deal-breaker' with Susie that he didn't want it to be a deal-breaker with them. The deal-breaker: Clayton then told them that Susie told him that if he told either of them that he was in love, or if he had been intimate with either of them that she could not continue with this journey 'This is the hard part to say but I was in love with her and I was in love with each of you too,' said Clayton. 'I am in love with both of you and I also was intimate with both of you.' Gabby started crying. 'I know it's not easy to hear but I do believe there is a light at the end of the tunnel,' said Clayton. 'I do see one of you being on the other side with me and I don't know who that is. I really don't. Because I promise you if I know the answer to that I wouldn't string someone else along.' Hard part: 'This is the hard part to say but I was in love with her and I was in love with each of you too,' said Clayton. 'I am in love with both of you and I also was intimate with both of you' Getting emotional: Gabby started crying after Clayton gave his speech Clayton said if they wanted to ask questions that he would be transparent. Both Rachel and Gabby walked away crying. Rachel sat on the stairs and her loud sobbing echoed and could be heard by Clayton who was still standing at the podium with two roses. 'He's in love with two other people,' said Rachel crying to a producer. She laid her head down the stairs and said, 'I've never felt pain like this before.' Sobs echoing: Rachel sat on the stairs and her loud sobbing echoed and could be heard by Clayton who was still standing at the podium with two roses Gabby cried to another producer and said 'he told me he was falling in love with me and he told Rachel that's not fair.' Rachel said 'he's in love with all three of us? And he's heartbroken that Susie left. I feel like I can't breathe.' Gabby told a producer, 'I don't know what to do. Maybe it's easier just to go.' Totally confused: Gabby told a producer, 'I don't know what to do. Maybe it's easier just to go' Jesse walked down the stairs and asked Clayton how he was doing as loud crying could be heard. 'It kills me to see this,' said Clayton. 'They couldn't even look me in the eye. I love both these women and they couldn't understand it.' Gabby then walked down and past them as they spoke without saying anything. Killing him: 'It kills me to see this,' said Clayton. 'They couldn't even look me in the eye. I love both these women and they couldn't understand it' 'This is so hard, brother,' said Jesse. 'They are hurt right now.' 'I know,' said Clayton. 'I don't really feel good about this now about where this is about to go but I can't go into a relationship with secrets.' Jesse asked him what was next. 'I just want to continue with both of them,' said Clayton, standing at the podium next to the two red roses. Moving forward: 'I just want to continue with both of them,' said Clayton, standing at the podium next to the two red roses 'Wish you all the best, man,' Jesse said. Gabby then came to talk to Clayton. She said this was so much. Clayton said he just wanted to let her know after what happened last night. Gabby asked him to tell her exactly what happened. Clayton said he told Susie he was in love with her and that she told him that if he had been intimate with somebody else and if he had told someone that he was falling love that she couldn't move forward with him. 'Because I was here I allowed myself to be vulnerable and to explore the other relationships fully,' said Clayton. 'In hindsight, I wish I went back and said ''what does that mean?'' Full explanation: Gabby asked him to tell her exactly what happened Clayton told her that he meant everything that he said to her. 'Ultimately whoever I pick I love the most,' said Clayton. 'That's what I'm figuring out is who is the best fit for me, who do I love the most and once I make that decision all the other love, it was real, but it ends there.' Gabby said, 'It is hard to hear. Why wouldn't you just say it?' Clayton said because he felt it and he is in love. 'Which is great if I'm at the end, but what if I'm not?' said Gabby . 'How would you feel in my position?' Most love: 'Ultimately whoever I pick I love the most,' said Clayton. 'That's what I'm figuring out is who is the best fit for me, who do I love the most and once I make that decision all the other love, it was real, but it ends there' She looked at him and said 'this is f***ed' and walked off. Gabby said in a confessional that she didn't think Clayton was being fair and that you don't 'tell multiple women that you love them, thinking that there would be no consequences.' 'For him saying the woman I walk out with is the woman I love the most is the wrong f***ing answer,' said Gabby. 'Love isn't measured. You can't measure itI don't want to be loved the most. I just want to be loved for who I am. ' Rachel cried and told the camera that she was really heartbroken. She said she never thought there was a chance that he would be in love with all three of them. Heart broken: Rachel cried and told the camera that she was really heartbroken 'It feels like it meant nothing,' said Rachel. 'Like I'm just supposed to have my heart broken over a chance that he might love me a little bit more than the others?' Rachel went to talk to Clayton. She told him that she was in a lot of pain and she was scared that she was going to put up a wall. She kept crying. 'Rachel the love that I feel for you is not the love that I feel for Gabby,' said Clayton. 'It's different. That's all I can say.' Rachel said she felt like she was struggling because she waited so long to hear from him that he loved her and then he said he loved two other women. Also hurting: Rachel said she felt like she was struggling because she waited so long to hear from him that he loved her and then he said he loved two other women 'I'm just so in love with you,' said Rachel crying. 'I feel like my heart is breaking.' 'This isn't over,' said Clayton. 'For me, it feels like this is worth fighting for and I love you. I do. I know that's what we have and there's no question about it.' Rachel said she was really scared. The medical sales representative said he just wanted them to take it day by day and that his family was there and he wanted her to meet them. Rachel stopped crying and said she would. The two of them hugged and she walked off. Not over: 'This isn't over,' said Clayton. 'For me, it feels like this is worth fighting for and I love you. I do. I know that's what we have and there's no question about it' Clayton returned to the rose ceremony podium and both Rachel and Gabby walked up the stairs to participate. Clayton apologized to them first for putting them through it. He said they can choose not to accept the rose. Clayton offered Rachel a rose and said, 'I want you to know that everything that I've said I do stand behind.' Rachel accepted the rose and hugged him. Clayton then gave Gabby a rose and said in a whispered voice that 'I just like to be intentional. Everything that I've said I mean it and I stand by it. Gabby, will you accept this rose?' Rose offered: Clayton then gave Gabby a rose and said in a whispered voice that 'I just like to be intentional. Everything that I've said I mean it and I stand by it. Gabby, will you accept this rose?' 'I can't. I'm sorry,' Gabby said. 'Ok,' said Clayton, nodding. Gabby then asked him if he wanted to walk her out and he said okay and put the rose back down on the podium. No way: 'I can't. I'm sorry,' Gabby said as she declined to accept the rose Rachel was shocked at what just happened and stood there with her rose. 'I came here tonight thinking it could be you and I and that we do have something very special and very unique,' said Gabby. 'My trust in you and us is what carried me forward. And despite what happened last night and just kind of our conversation and who you love the most is who you're going to end up with at the end.' Gabby continued, 'But I'm not in the business of competing with anyone for love.' Totally surprised: Rachel was shocked at what just happened and stood there with her rose 'It's not meant to be competing and I'm sorry if that's the way that it felt,' said Clayton. 'For me what I have with you is different from what I have with Rachel. And before yesterday there was Susie as well and what I had with her was different.' Clayton said that he still 'sees something in us and I wish I could tell you the perfect thing. I don't know what it is as much as I know that I'm speaking from my heart.' Clayton tried to explain to her that he fell in love in different ways with each of the women. Walking out: Gabby asked Clayton to walk her out 'I don't want to be the most loved,' said Gabby. ' I just want to be accepted and loved. Because love you can't measure it.' Gabby asked him if he ever thought how it would feel to be if he were her. She told him 'it hurts.' He tried to convince her to stay. Immeasurable love: 'I don't want to be the most loved,' said Gabby. ' I just want to be accepted and loved. Because love you can't measure it' 'Is your heart telling you to walk out the door or do you want to give it another chance,' said Clayton. Gabby cried and said she didn't know. 'I can't do it again,' said Gabby. 'I can't tell you what is going to happen tomorrow but I can tell you what's right now is so very real and one day at a time, one step at a time, one conversation at a time. I don't have a crystal ball but I know one thing: what we have is genuine and real,' the medial sales rep said. Sales skills: 'I can't tell you what is going to happen tomorrow but I can tell you what's right now is so very real and one day at a time, one step at a time, one conversation at a time. I don't have a crystal ball but I know one thing: what we have is genuine and real,' the medial sales rep said Clayton said to base the decision on what was in her heart. Rachel was sitting on the floor crying. She said that two people that he's in love with just left and now she was the only one. 'Do I stay?' wondered Rachel. 'How do we move past this?' Heart decision: Clayton said to base the decision on what was in her heart Rachel said 'this feels awful' and then he walked back up the stairs with Gabby. Gabby told her, 'I'm sorry to make you wait.' Clayton then picked up the rose again and asked Gabby if she would accept the rose and she did. Clayton apologized again and said he was looking forward to them meeting his family. Tears flowing: Rachel was sitting on the floor crying 'I'm so sorry,' said Clayton. 'I'm so sorry.' Gabby said in a confessional, 'I really love him but I could kick myself next week.' Jesse then held a town hall to discuss what happened on the show and was joined onstage by Bachelor franchise alums Michelle Young, 28, Nick Viall, 41, and Clare Crawley, 40. Toast time: Clayton took a sip after they both finally accepted his roses Jesse asked Clare for her thoughts on how Clayton handled the rose ceremony and she said not well and that it was tough to watch. 'I think it's cringy,' said Clare. Jesse asked Nick what he thought about Clayton's brutally honest strategy. Nick said that Clayton left out the part that he told Susie that he loved her the most. Live discussion: Jesse then held a town hall to discuss what happened on the show and was joined onstage by Bachelor franchise alums Michelle Young, 28, Nick Viall, 41, and Clare Crawley, 40 'I feel that was something that the women would want to hear, especially Gabby when he was trying to convince her not to trust her gut,' said Nick. Nick said Clayton never took the time to empathize with the women and 'unfortunately I think you are seeing a guy who is focused on finding love for himself and not finding love with someone else.' He continued to pontificate that everyone knows Clayton loves Susie the most except for Gabby and Rachel and wondered what they would think watching this back. Many opinions: Nick said that Clayton left out the part that he told Susie that he loved her the most Jesse asked Michelle for her opinion and she said intimate relationships have to be handled with care. Jesse asked Clare if she thought Clayton found love on the show and she said she hoped that he did. Back in Iceland, Clayton went to meet his family at their Airbnb. He told them that he was really scared and was in a really bad spot. He said he planned going into this to only fall in love with one woman but that he fell in love with three. He said they would meet Gabby and Rachel but the third woman Susie left after she told him she couldn't be with him if he had been intimate with another woman or had told them he was falling in love with them. Ceremony critique: Jesse asked Clare for her thoughts on how Clayton handled the rose ceremony and she said not well and that it was tough to watch Thoughtful reply: Jesse asked Michelle for her opinion and she said intimate relationships have to be handled with care 'Makes sense,' said Brian, Clayton's father. Clayton told them he loved all three of the women. Clayton's mom Kelly said she didn't understand how he could be in love with three people. The parents: Back in Iceland, Clayton went to meet his family at their Airbnb, including his father Brian and mother Kelly 'I think you have got to step back and say that they have a right to be upset with you,' Brian said. Clayton told them about the difficult rose ceremony. 'You screwed the pooch in my opinion but it's going to be interesting today,' said Brian. Candid conversation: Clayton told them about the difficult rose ceremony 'This is not at all what I was expecting,' said Kelly. 'It's going to be hard for me to talk to Gabby because she is the consolation prize. I don't know if the love of your life is gone or I don't know.' Clayton told his mother not to look at Gabby like a consolation prize. Gabby showed up with flowers and gifts for Clayton's mother Kelly when she arrived to meet his family. She told them that she was so grateful to meet them and was so nervous walking in. Kelly got emotional meeting Gabby that she might be the one to marry her son. Not expecting: 'This is not at all what I was expecting,' said Kelly. 'It's going to be hard for me to talk to Gabby because she is the consolation prize. I don't know if the love of your life is gone or I don't know' Kelly pulled Gabby aside and asked her why she decided to stay. She said she didn't think she could give up a man like him without seeing it through. 'I know he would be such a good partner,' said Gabby. 'I have just never met anyone as genuine and open hearted as him.' Brian spoke to Gabby next and he told her that respected her for almost walking away. Family visit: Gabby was the first to meet Clayton's family 'It's a shame what transpired but maybe it will all work out at some point,' said Brian. 'It can make you stronger for that matter.' Brian said in a confessional that they were excited to have another member of their family 'but in the end I would like to see my son have his own clarity.' Gabby told Clayton that she thought she made such a good decision in staying. Good decision: Gabby told Clayton that she thought she made such a good decision in staying 'I'm so glad that I listened,' said Gabby to Clayton. 'I really do love you.' Gabby said in a confessional that she believed she made the right decision to stay. Next, Rachel went with flowers and gifts to meet Clayton's family. Clayton said he was so thankful that she stuck it out with him. Rachel told them she was so excited to meet them. Kelly pulled aside Rachel to talk. Rachel told her it was heartbreaking to learn that he could be in love with three people. Her turn: Next, Rachel went with flowers and gifts to meet Clayton's family Kelly said in a confessional that Rachel surprised her with her confidence in her relationship with Clayton. Rachel told Brian that she trusted Clayton. 'I would have smacked him,' said Brian. Rachel told him that she was really hopeful and she was really so in love with his son. Good one: 'I would have smacked him,' said Brian to Rachel Clayton asked his father Brian what he thought about both women. Brian said he was going to hurt someone and had to accept that. 'I love both Gabby and Rachel but when Susie left my whole life just got flipped upside down,' said Clayton in a confessional. 'How am I supposed to just let that go.' Clayton said through them meeting his family that it didn't stop him from thinking about Susie. Clayton walked in and told his family that he felt conflicted. He told them through his family clarity that his heart was also beyond the walls with Susie. Tough choice: Brian said he was going to hurt someone and had to accept that 'It was just a little bit more special with Susie,' said Clayton. Kelly noted that Susie left him. 'Mom, it's not that straight forward,' said Clayton. 'I understand where she was coming from. I understand why she couldn't see past it but I feel that I stopped listening with Susie. She was still talking, and I was the one that decided that I was done.' Left him: Kelly noted that Susie left him 'You are grasping at straws in my mind,' said Brian. 'How do you know?' said Clayton. 'She made that choice to walk,' said Brian. 'She never stopped listening,' said Clayton. 'She talked all the way until I opened the door for her and told her to go.' Another shot: 'She never stopped listening,' said Clayton. 'She talked all the way until I opened the door for her and told her to go' Brian said he thought he was too caught up in the one who got away. Clayton told them that Susie had everything. 'This is a once in a lifetime kind of woman,' Clayton said. 'I know my heart is telling me to go do this.' Clayton's brother Nate said if it feels right to him with Susie then to follow that. Jesse walked into the house and told them that Clayton had been through a lot. Jesse asked him what he wanted to do. Supportive brothers: Clayton's brother Nate said if it feels right to him with Susie then to follow that Clayton said he wanted to follow his heart and at least wanted to talk to Susie again. 'I feel that what we had was one-of-a-kind and I'm willing to see if there's still something there,' said Clayton. Jesse told Clayton that Susie was still in Iceland. 'I just want one more shot, that's all I can ask for, at least I will have an answer,' said Clayton. The Bachelor will return on Tuesday for the second part of the finale on ABC. Married at First Sight is continuing its ratings dominance. The Channel Nine dating show scored 977,000 metro viewers on Monday night, easily trumping Channel Seven's SAS Australia which managed to attract a paltry 362,000 eyeballs. A Current Affair was also an impressive performer with 745.000 viewers. Biggest thing on TV: Married At First Sight is continuing its ratings dominance leaving Channel Seven's SAS Australia in its wake. Pictured, MAFS bride Samantha Moitzi Meanwhile, over on Channel 10, Would I Lie To You? reached 316,000 viewers. Home and Away was a bright point in Channel Seven's schedule. The popular drama attracted 512,000 viewers, making it the best performer for the network on the night. Struggling: SAS Australia continues to shed viewers for Channel Seven. Pictured Darius Boyd Married At First Sight was plunged into chaos on Sunday night's episode when Daniel Holmes and Carolina Santos interrupted proceedings to announce they'd recoupled and wanted to continue in the experiment together. 'We are genuine and real about this experiment and how we feel about each other. So yes, there's a part of us that would like to continue to experiment together,' Daniel told the trio of experts. Carolina's 'husband' Dion Giannarelli then left the room in protest, which prompted a group walk-out. Surprise! MAFS was plunged into chaos on Sunday when Daniel and Carolina interrupted proceedings to announce they'd recoupled and wanted to continue the experiment together It was the first time in MAFS history where the cast was horrified by a couple's brazen display - and acted accordingly. Later, experts John Aiken, Alessandra Rampolla and Mel Schilling unanimously rejected Daniel and Carolina's request to rejoin the experiment. Married At First Sight continues Tuesday at 7:30pm on Channel Nine They tied the knot in an intimate registry office wedding in 2018. And Hugh Grant and Anna Eberstein looked as loved up as ever as they enjoyed a date night in West Hollywood on Monday. The couple looked smitten as they strolled side by side, with Hugh, 61, putting on an animated display as he chatted away with his wife, 41. Sweet: Hugh Grant and Anna Eberstein looked as loved up as ever as they enjoyed a date night in West Hollywood on Monday Anna looked effortlessly chic for the outing as she slipped into a little black dress that highlighted her tanned and toned pins. The thigh-skimming garment featured a glittering trim on the hem and bodice that injected some sparkle, while a chunky belt highlighted her tiny waist. The television producer and retail director finished off her look with a pair of suede ankle boots that gave her modelesque frame an extra boost. Hugh looked dapper by her side as he modelled a brown suit jacket and navy trousers. Loving life: The couple looked smitten as they strolled side by side, with Hugh, 61, putting on an animated display as he chatted away with his wife, 41 The outfit was more subdued than what he can expect to wear in his upcoming role, amid claims he's signed up to play an Oompa Loompa in the Charlie And The Chocolate Factory prequel film, Wonka. The actor is thought to have began filming his part within University Of Oxford's Hertford College, which has required students to take their meetings elsewhere. It is unclear how the 5' 11" star will transform into one of the miniature factory workers, however film bosses have reportedly refused to cast actors with Dwarfism in a bid to avoid offence. In the 1964 children's novel, Willy Wonka claimed he 'imported' them from the 'very deepest darkest part of the African jungle where no white man had been before'. Author Roald Dahl stood by his decision to include them in 1973, stating: 'It didn't occur to me that my depiction of the Oompa-Loompas was racist.' Despite this, he re-wrote their descriptions as 'white hippies' in the revised edition later that year, but they already been portrayed with orange skin and green hair in the 1971 film adaptation. New role: Hugh has reportedly signed up to play an Oompa Loompa in the Charlie And The Chocolate Factory prequel film, Wonka (Gene Wilder, centre, pictured in 1971) Timothee Chalamet is currently busy filming the upcoming Paul King-directed picture, in his role as the eccentric chocolatier. Highly anticipated film Wonka includes an all-star cast line up of Rowan Atkinson, Olivia Colman, Keegan-Michael Key and Sally Hawkins. The movie is scheduled to be released by Warner Bros. Pictures in March 2023. The musical, it will focus on a young Willy Wonka's adventures, before he became a chocolatier. Keith Richards has revealed that he's feeling fitter than ever after quitting smoking two years ago. The musician, 78 - who is preparing for the Rolling Stones 60th anniversary tour - had been a smoker for a whopping 55 years but quit before last year's US tour. Keith has now told how during rehearsals for the shows he felt like he had 'more air in his lungs and voice' after giving up the unhealthy habit. Habit: Keith Richards has revealed that he's feeling fitter than ever after quitting smoking two years ago (pictured in 2005 smoking on stage) He told CBS' Sunday Morning: 'I didn't notice things until I started rehearsing for the tour last year and when I started working, I noticed I had more air in the lungs and in the voice.' The band yesterday announced a 14-date European tour kicking off in Madrid on June 1 their first set of shows since the death of drummer Charlie Watts last August, aged 80. Keith has been known for his wild partying, heavy drinking and drug use as well as smoking. Star: The musician, 78, - who is preparing for the Rolling Stones anniversary tour - had been a smoker for a whopping 55 years but quit before last year's US tour (pictured this month) He gave up his heroin habit in 1978 and eventually stopped using cocaine after an accident in 2006 in which he fell out of a tree, requiring brain surgery and a metal plate in his skull. 'I've given up everything now - which is a trip in itself', he said afterwards. But he also joked the secret to his longevity was treating his body like a 'temple' by only taking 'high quality drugs'. She said in his memoir Life: 'When I was taking dope, I was fully convinced that my body is my temple. I can do anything I want with it and nobody can tell me yea or nay.' Musician: Keith has now told how during rehearsals for the shows he felt like he had 'more air in his lungs and voice' after giving up the unhealthy habit (pictured in 2007) He had a decade-long love affair with heroin and was also a heavy cocaine user. But he explained in his memoir why he thinks he survived while many of his peers overdosed and died at an early age. He wrote: 'It's not only the high quality of drugs I had that I attribute my survival to. I was very meticulous about how much I took. I'd never put more in to get a little higher. 'That's where most people f*** up on drugs. It's the greed involved that never really affected me. Change: He told The Mirror: 'I didn't notice things until I started rehearsing for the tour last year and when I started working, I noticed I had more air in the lungs and in the voice' 'People think once they've got this high, if they take some more they're going to get a little higher. 'There's no such thing. Especially with cocaine... Maybe that's a measure of control and maybe I'm rare in that respect. Maybe there I have an advantage.' The 1980s saw a new side to Richards, as he quit heroin (after nearly landing a lengthy prison sentence for possession in Canada), and married model Patti Hansen, with whom he has two daughters. He was said to have become slightly more settled, focusing on new musical projects and lengthy touring with the Stones over his more harmful vices. Group: The band yesterday announced a 14-date European tour kicking off in Madrid on June 1 their first set of shows since the death of drummer Charlie Watts (left) last August, aged 80 But the comparatively more sedate lifestyle still could not keep him out of the way of some unexpected injuries. In 1998, while on a break in their Bridges to Babylon tour, Richards slipped and fell off a ladder while trying to retrieve a book in the library of his Westchester, Connecticut mansion. He broke three ribs from the impact and after being hit by books on the floor. 'It was one of those moments where you have to make a decision: take it in the ribs or take a shot in the temple on the desk. All part of life's rich pageant,' he said later. There were even fears he had punctured a lung when he fell while stretching amid the library's floor-to-ceiling shelves. The NME reported at the time that his agent said he 'had not been drinking'. Richards' recovery from the fall forced the band to reschedule upcoming tour dates in Berlin, Munich and Gelsenkirchen, Germany, and in Zagreb, Croatia. When asked later about whether the fall had made him think about quitting the Stones' extensive touring schedule, Richards replied: 'Retire? I can't spell the word. I'd play on in a wheelchair. This is what we do. Otherwise, what's life all about?' In addition, hot of the Pacific leg of their record-breaking A Bigger Bang Tour in 2006, Richards and Ronnie Wood took their wives for a week-long break on an island off Fiji to recover ahead of shows in Italy. After an afternoon of swimming at their exclusive resort, Richards perched himself on a tree - described as a 'gnarled low tree that was basically a horizontal branch' only a few feet off the ground. But as he tried to jump down and head for lunch, he slipped and hit his head on the trunk, 'hard'. Richards claimed not to have felt much at the time, until days later he suffered from a 'blinding headache' while out on a boat ride. The same night, his wife Patti Hansen woke up to Richards having seizures in bed and called for medical help. He was then flown on an excruciating four-hour flight to Auckland, New Zealand where it was discovered Richards had cracked his skull open and had a potentially fatal blood clot on his brain. Together: Keith has been known for his wild partying, heavy drinking and drug use as well as smoking (pictured with the band in 1964) Referring to the journey in his book Life, Richards called the flight 'the worst of my life', adding: 'They strapped me in a straight jacket on a stretcher... I couldn't move. I was cursing the motherf*****. 'Give me painkillers, for Christ's sake'.' He underwent a successful cranial surgery with hospital neurosurgeon Dr Andrew Law. 'I woke up feeling great,' Richards said. 'And I said, 'Well, when are you going to start?' to which Law said, 'It's all done, mate.'' The incident delayed the Rolling Stones' 2006 European tour by six weeks and forced the band to reschedule several shows. In a brief statement on returning to the tour, Richards said it was good to be back and apologised for 'falling off my perch'. Though visibly more frail as he recovered, Richards completed the next 40 scheduled shows that year, and kept Dr Law (his 'head man') by his side. When the band returned to New Zealand on their '14 On Fire' tour in 2014, Richards was reunited backstage with Dr Law and thanked him for tending to his 'tree-induced ills'. The incident is said to have also precipitated the end of Richards' drug-taking days and wild partying. Additional reporting by William Cole Carrie Bickmore is taking a sabbatical and will exit The Project for several months. The TV host revealed the news during Tuesday's show, becoming emotional as she explained she and her husband Chris Walker would be taking their family to the UK. 'In April I'm going to be taking a few months off The Project desk. Chris and I and the kids are heading off on a family adventure together,' the 41-year-old said. Time off: Carrie Bickmore (pictured) is taking a sabbatical and will exit The Project for several months. The TV host revealed the news during Tuesday's show, becoming emotional as she explained she and her husband Chris Walker would be taking their family to the UK 'We've been wanting to do it for a while but lots of reasons, timing hasn't been right, but we figure it's never going to be the perfect time to go'. She continued: 'It's something we really want to do before my son starts his final years at school so we're doing term two in the UK. So I will be off for a couple of months.' Carrie explained that she had been inspired by her co-star Kate Langbroek, 56, who spent two years living abroad in Bologna, Italy, with her family. 'In April I'm going to be taking a few months off The Project desk. Chris and I and the kids are heading off on a family adventure together,' Carrie said Inspired: Carrie explained that she had been inspired by her co-star Kate Langbroek (right) who spent two years living abroad in Bologna, Italy, with her family 'You are a big inspiration for heading overseas with a family and we had some big conversations after living through the world's longest lockdown,' Carrie said. 'One of the things that my son Ollie said was how much he was going to miss the family time when we were coming out of lockdown which kind of surprised us because we had a lot of family time! 'But we thought, gosh, he still wants to spend time with us and while he does he only has a few years left and then he will fly away so we thought we would seize the moment and do it,' she concluded. Family: Carrie has two children, daughters Evie, six, and Adelaide, three, with her partner Chris Walker, as well as her son, Oliver Lange, 14, who she shares with her late husband Greg Lange, who died of brain cancer in 2010. All pictured Time away: 'We've been wanting to do it for a while but lots of reasons, timing hasn't been right, but we figure it's never going to be the perfect time to go' she said Carrie has two children, daughters Evie, six, and Adelaide, three, with her partner Chris Walker. She also has a son, Oliver Lange, 14, who she shares with her late husband Greg Lange, who died of brain cancer in 2010. The television host has been a core part of The Project for over a decade - since 2009. Part of the family: The television host has been a core part of The Project for over a decade - since 2009. Pictured with Peter Helliar, Waleed Aly and Steve Price Back then: Carrie recently shared a throwback photo of the original cast in their late 2000s finery. In the image, Carrie stood beside former panelist Dave Hughes and a young Charlie Pickering, as well as MasterChef star Julie Goodwin Along with being awarded an Order of Australia for her service to media, Carrie has also been nominated for multiple Logie Awards, and won three. The award-winning television and radio presenter took home the coveted Gold Logie for Most Popular Personality on Television in 2015. She got her start on television in 2006, reading the news bulletin on Channel Ten's popular variety show Rove Live. Winner: The award-winning television and radio presenter took home the coveted Gold Logie for Most Popular Personality on Television in 2015 Carrie's exit comes as ratings for The Project continue to dwindle to all-time lows. Channel Ten's flagship current affairs show has lost almost a third of its audience since 2011, OzTAM ratings revealed in November. The program saw its metro ratings plummet to an all-time low of just 367,000 in 2021. Low yield: Carrie's exit comes as ratings for The Project continue to dwindle to all-time lows. Pictured: Carrie with Waleed Aly, Lisa Wilkinson and Peter Helliar That's a 30 per cent decline from its five-city audience of 538,000 a decade ago. The national audience, which includes regional viewers, has also seen a similar percentage drop from 725,000 in 2011 to 490,000 in 2021. These figures have made The Project commercial TV's worst-performing nightly premium program. Losses: Channel Ten's flagship current affairs show has lost almost a third of its audience since 2011, OzTAM ratings revealed in November Despite disappointing ratings, a Channel 10 spokesperson denied rumours late last year that The Project would soon be facing the axe. 'The Project has just celebrated its 12th birthday and is here to stay,' they said. 'At a time when information, context and understanding is more important than ever, The Project will continue to provide Australians with their dose of news delivered differently.' Lasting? Despite disappointing ratings, a Channel 10 spokesperson denied rumours late last year that The Project would soon be facing the axe. Pictured with Carrie are Tommy little, Peter Helliar, Hamish Macdonald, Waleed Aly, Lisa Wilkinson and Gorgi Coghlan A leading TV commentator claimed Channel 10 was losing viewers because of The Project's left-wing agenda. Rob McKnight, a former 10 executive who now runs industry website TV Blackbox, said the views expressed on The Project don't resonate with everyday Aussies. He told Daily Mail Australia that despite its slick production and top-tier talent, The Project is 'very woke and that doesn't connect with mainstream Australia'. Armie Hammer's estranged wife Elizabeth Chambers shared a snap of the pair spending quality time with their two children amid claims the married couple have put the brakes on their divorce. Hammer, 35, and Chambers, 39, announced their separation in July 2020 shortly before the Hollywood star was accused of rape and abuse by previous partners - but have reportedly been trying to 'figure things out as a couple'. On Monday, TV personality Chambers revealed she had spent the day with her partner as they played games with their daughter Harper, seven, and son Ford, five, as well as family friends. Family fun: Armie Hammer's estranged wife Elizabeth Chambers proved the pair have remained harmonious in a fun Instagram snap with their children on Monday She captioned the snap: 'Girls vs Boys. Or as Hops calls it, mermaids v sharks. Let the Cascaron games begin.' Chambers did not reveal where the group were, but playing cascarons - cracking a confetti-filled egg on a friend - is usually associated with Mexico carnival, which took place last week. The post comes following claims that Chambers and Hammers are giving their marriage a second try. 'Elizabeth's priority has always been her children and their well-being. The past year hasn't been easy, but she and Armie have always had love for each other,' a source told People magazine. 'They're slowly figuring things out as a couple, but being parents to their two kids will always come first.' Estranged: Hammer, 35, and Chambers, 39, announced their separation in July 2020 after the Hollywood star was accused of rape and abuse by previous partners (pictured in 2018) A second source told the publication that 'Elizabeth has always loved him,' adding that the Call Me By Your Name star is 'really the love of her life.' Pictured: Hammer was seen playing alongside son Ford in the snap 'They obviously had a lot of issues, but Armie's rehab stay showed that he was committed to big changes,' they continued. 'They get along and enjoy hanging out with the kids.' The couple have been married since 2010, but they announced their separation in July 2020. Chambers filed for divorce later that month, but it's unclear if the two are proceeding with the divorce while trying to resurrect their marriage. Vanity Fair reported back in May that Hammer had checked into a treatment program to address sex and substance addictions, and he checked out of the Florida program following nine months of treatment. He was later seen spending time with his children in the Cayman Islands in December, but it's unknown if Chambers had joined them. He was reported at the time to have been dating Lisa Perejma, a dental hygienist living on the islands. Hammer's career came to a screeching halt early in 2021 when he was accused of rape, along with a bevy of disturbing behaviors. In March of last year, a woman named Effie accused the Social Network actor of a 'violent incident' that occurred in 2017. The Los Angeles Police Department later investigated the claims, and after nine months it sent the findings to the Los Angeles District Attorney's office, though sources told TMZ on December 8 that 'charges appear unlikely' in the matter. The woman previously shared several messages allegedly sent by Hamer on her Instagram account @houseofeffie. The messages included conversations about extreme sexual bondage and disturbing cannibalistic urges. 'I want to eat you...I am 100% a cannibal,' read one message, while others included troubling admissions of desires to eat a woman's ribs and cut off her toes. Still in love: The post comes following claims that Chambers and Hammers are giving their marriage a second try (pictured with Harper, seven, and Ford, five, in 2019) Although Hammer was accused of sending the messages, they have never been proven to originate with him. The actor's ex-girlfriend Paige Lorenze also spoke out about his alleged 'dangerous, emotionally and psychologically damaging' behavior. In a conversation with DailyMailTV, she claimed that he had carved a letter 'A' into her private parts with a knife. Despite the seriousness of the claims against him, Hammer remained defiant and stated that he was 'not responding to these bulls*** claims,' while calling the publication of the messages allegedly sent by him a 'vicious and spurious attack.' 'All interactions between Mr. Hammer and his former partners were consensual,' stated Hammer's attorney Andrew Brettler. 'They were fully discussed, agreed upon in advance with his partners, and mutually participatory. 'The stories perpetuated on social media were designed to be salacious in an effort to harm Mr. Hammer, but that does not make them true.' Allegations: A woman named Effie Angelova announced last March that she would be suing him for allegedly raping her for in a four-hour long violent incident in 2017 (The pair are pictured together in a photograph taken sometime prior to the alleged incident ) Following the allegations, Chambers said in a statement that she was 'shocked, heartbroken, and devastated,' though she shared her support for her husband's alleged victims. 'I didn't realize how much I didn't know,' she added. The allegations proved to be catastrophic for Hammer's career, and he was subsequently dropped by the talent agency WME, as well as by his personal publicist. He was replaced in Jennifer Lopez's upcoming rom-com Shotgun wedding by Josh Duhamel, and Miles Teller took over his role in the TV series The Offer, which dramatizes the making of Francis Ford Coppola's classic film The Godfather. Although he was removed form those productions, Hammer had already finished filming the Kenneth Branagh-directed mystery Death On The Nile, which features an ensemble cast including Branagh, Gal Gadot, Annette Benning, Russell Brand and Rose Leslie, among others. Viewers mocked a trailer for the film that was released in December after it appeared to go out of its way to minimize the actor's participation, though his brief appearances were still too much for many viewers. They had a fun-filled night celebrating the 2022 BAFTA Film Awards. And Billie Piper took to Instagram on Monday to share a slew of snaps with her pal Lily James as they attended the British Vogue and Tiffany & Co party together. Billie, 39, and Lily, 32, put on a leggy display in over-the-knee boots while posing up a storm on a staircase before the BAFTAs' boozy after-party. Bootiful: Billie Piper took to Instagram on Monday to share a slew of snaps with her pal Lily James as they attended the British Vogue and Tiffany & Co party together Pals: Billie, 39, took to Instagram on Monday to share a slew of snaps with her pal Lily, 32, as they attended the British Vogue and Tiffany & Co party together Caption: Billie captioned the post: 'Out in a big way with my love @lilyjamesofficial', as Lily responded 'I love you' Billie captioned the post: 'Out in a big way with my love @lilyjamesofficial', as Lily responded 'I love you'. The I Hate Suzie star flaunted her sensational physique in a chic all-black ensemble, including a cropped sleeveless top, which she paired with a belted layered mini skirt. She gave herself a few extra inches with a pair of knee-high boots embellished with silver charms, while she accessorised her ensemble with a chunky pair of hoop earrings. Stunning: The I Hate Suzie star flaunted her sensational physique in a chic all-black ensemble, including a cropped sleeveless top, which she paired with a belted layered mini skir Leggy: She gave herself a few extra inches with a pair of knee-high boots embellished with silver charms, while she accessorised her ensemble with a chunky pair of hoop earrings Wow! Meanwhile, the Pam & Tommy star looked nothing short of spectacular in a strapless black mini dress embellished with mint green and blush roses as they posed in an elevator Meanwhile, the Pam & Tommy star looked nothing short of spectacular in a strapless black mini dress embellished with mint green and blush roses. She paired her slinky ensemble with a pair of green knee-high boots adorned with an array of flowers, while she accentuated her natural beauty with a smokey-eye make-up palette. The actress styled her chocolate brown tresses in a sleek up-do, while she let wavy strands of her hair effortlessly frame her striking features. It comes after Billie made a bleary-eyed exit as she headed home from the Netflix BAFTA afterparty held at The Chiltern Firehouse in London on Sunday. Rolling into her taxi at 4am, Billie finally called it a night on the celebrations after party hopping from the earlier festivities at private members club Annabel's. Earlier in the evening, Billie made an appearance at the star-studded British Vogue x Tiffany & Co bash. Out and about: She paired her slinky ensemble with a pair of green knee-high boots adorned with an array of flowers, while she accentuated her natural beauty with a smokey-eye make-up palette Vogue: British Vogue Editor-in-Chief Edward Enninful OBE hosted the fifth annual bash which was dedicated to helping those enduring global conflict and to raise funds for those affected Calling it a night: It comes after Billie made a bleary-eyed exit as she headed home from the Netflix BAFTA afterparty held at The Chiltern Firehouse in London on Sunday Boozy night: She looked like she had enjoyed an evening of drinks as she headed home Party hopping: Earlier in the evening, Billie made an appearance at the star-studded British Vogue x Tiffany & Co bash British Vogue Editor-in-Chief Edward Enninful OBE hosted the fifth annual bash which was dedicated to helping those enduring global conflict and to raise funds for those affected. All guests were encouraged to join British Vogue and Tiffany & Co. in support of the Disasters Emergency Committees Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal by donating. Ahead of the celebratory parties, Dune dominated the British Academy Film Awards held at the Royal Albert Hall on Sunday night, while The Power Of The Dog took home Best Film. Dani Dyer celebrated her 'nanny's 70th' birthday at a restaurant with her West Ham boyfriend Jarrod Bowen, dad Danny and son Santiago on Sunday. The former Love Island winner, 25, looked effortlessly chic in a Goyard Coco flare set as she took to Instagram to share a slew of snaps captioning the post: 'Nanny's 70th'. Dani appeared to be smitten as she enjoyed the meal out posing with her new man, who wore a white T-shirt and jacket. Couple goals: Dani Dyer celebrated her 'nanny's 70th' birthday at a restaurant with her West Ham boyfriend Jarrod Bowen, dad Danny and son Santiago on Sunday Caption: The former Love Island winner, 25, looked effortlessly chic in a Goyard Coco flare set as she took to Instagram to share a slew of snaps captioning the post: 'Nanny's 70th' In one snap Dani smiled cheek to cheek with her dad and another showed her holding her son on her lap. The couple went public in December by sharing sweet snaps together to Instagram, after romance rumours were originally sparked between the two in October - when Jarrod was spotted leaving her Essex home. Jarrod seemed to get the seal of approval from Dani's dad Danny Dyer - with the EastEnder's actor admitting he's a big fan of Jarrod's team West Ham. Daddy's girl: Jarrod seemed to get the seal of approval from Dani's dad Danny Dyer - with the EastEnder's actor admitting he's a big fan of Jarrod's team West Ham Doting mum: In one snap Dani smiled cheek to cheek with her dad and another showed her holding her son on her lap Danny posted an image of the couple in December, with the approving caption: 'If Carlsburg made son-in-laws...' However, while Dani's family are happy for her, a source told New! Magazine that they are 'worried' she's rushing it. Saying: Theres a slight fear Danis rushing into things, although shes with the loveliest guy who adores the baby. Her family are worried its a knee-jerk reaction, they revealed. Beau: Dani appeared to be smitten as she enjoyed the meal out posing with her new man, who wore a white T-shirt and jacket Birthday girl: The family gathered to celebrate Carol's, also known as Cazza, 70th birthday at a nice restaurant Cake: Her grandma's cake was topped with three cigarettes and several designer handbags, including one from Gucci Shes desperate for happiness, but she doesnt need to rush. You cant hurry love, as they say. Dani shares 14-month-year old son, Santiago, with ex-boyfriend Sammy Kimmence - who was jailed for scamming pensioners out of almost 34,000 last year. The mum-of-one reportedly ended their two-year relationship in 2021, after learning the full extent of the conman's crimes - but admitted they would always have a co-parenting relationship for their son. Ferne McCann looked radiant as ever as she donned a figure-hugging peacock dress for a party she threw over the weekend alongside her boyfriend Lorri Haines. The reality star, 31, ensured all eyes were on her for the event which she said was a 'night I will never forget' and also told how it was filmed for her show First Time Mum. The former TOWIE star took to Instagram and shared more snaps of herself donning a mini dress embellished with blue feathers and complete with a train. Couple: Ferne McCann looked radiant as ever as she donned a figure-hugging peacock dress for a party alongside her boyfriend Lorri Haines - sharing more snaps on Instagram on Monday She wore her caramel locks pulled back into a chic high ponytail and added height to her frame with a pair of strappy metallic heels. Ferne was reunited with original TOWIE castmates, James Argent and Billie Faiers at the bash. Hosting the event alongside her beau, Ferne named the lavish bash The Flozza Party, as a play on the couples names. In a joint post with Ferne, Lorri took to Instagram as he donned a dapper velvet suit for a glamorous photo with his beau. Party: The reality star, 31, ensured all eyes were on her for the event which she said was a 'night I will never forget' Stunning: The former TOWIE star took to Instagram and shared snaps of herself donning a mini dress embellished with blue feathers and complete with a train (pictured with Billie Faiers) Wow: She wore her caramel locks pulled back into a chic high ponytail and added height to her frame with a pair of strappy metallic heels Explaining their reasoning behind the celebration, he penned: 'The FLOZZA Party Last night was put together for the closest people to us, to meet, combine their energys and embrace our universal love symbol. 'Youre my PERSONThe PERSON I cant live without, the PERSON I cant stay mad at, and that PERSON that supports me in everything that I do. Being someones PERSON is a commitment!' Elsewhere, newly engaged Vicky Pattison stepped out alongside her fiance Ercan Ramadan as they posed for photos with Ferne. Glamour: Ferne accentuated her natural beauty with a light pallet of makeup Bash: Ferne looked on cloud nine as she posed for a snap alongside her pals Show: Ferne said the party will be shown on her ITV reality series First Time Mum Geordie Shore star Vicky, slipped into a metallic tasseled teal mini dress and added peacock feathers to her hair. Alongside her photo Vicky penned: 'Lovely night at Casa McCann last night getting our peacock on! (I've still got no clue about the theme so don't ask me... I just did what I was told) Thank you for a lovely night @FerneMcCann and @LorriHaines Oh and @ErcanRamadan you look FIT.' 'Old pals': Ferne reunited with original TOWIE co stars James Argent and Billie Faiers Pals: The reality TV star took to social media to share some sweet snaps of the trio as they danced the night away Couple: Elsewhere, newly engaged Vicky Pattison stepped out alongside her fiance Ercan Ramadan All smiles: Geordie Shore star Vicky, slipped into a metallic tasseled teal mini dress and added peacock feathers to her hair 'Such a good night!': Boxer Shannon Courtenay also put in an appearance at the star-studded event Celebration: Explaining their reasoning, Lorri penned: 'Last night was put together for the closest people to us, to meet, combine their energys and embrace our universal love symbol' Ferne and Lorri's extravagant party took place in a tent at Ferne's house that was decked out in peacock themed decorations, complete with a DJ and a huge cake. Panning around the impressive room, Ferne showcased the event as she went all out for the celebration. The TOWIE star has been in a relationship with Dubai based estate agent Lorri since January and has said she would 'genuinely marry' him after a string of failed romances. The couple went public with their hot new romance last month during a holiday to the UAE. Sydney Sweeney has confirmed that she 'never asked' for any of her nude scenes to be taken out of Euphoria. The actress, 24, said previous comments 'got twisted and turned' and has clarified she didn't ask showrunner Sam Levinson to remove the scenes. Sydney, who plays Cassie Howard in the hit HBO show, stressed how 'respectful' Sam is and that he respected her boundaries as a performer. 'It got twisted and turned and became its own beast': Newly-engaged Sydney Sweeney, 24, has confirmed that she 'never asked' to remove nude scenes in Euphoria In an interview with Teen Vogue magazine she explained: 'I never asked him to cut any scenes. It got twisted and turned and it became its own beast, and I was like, 'Oh, my God.'' Euphoria is known for its often challenging storylines as a group of American high school students navigate the trials and tribulations of growing up through experiences with sex, drugs and various relationships. Referencing her previous comments, she explained: 'It was more how respectful Sam is and how incredible of a director he is, that he would never make me do something I didn't feel comfortable with.' Steamy: In an interview with Teen Vogue magazine she explained: 'I never asked him to cut any scenes. It got twisted and turned and it became its own beast, and I was like, 'Oh, my God'' Sydney's comments come following an interview with The Independent in January, where she said: 'There are moments where Cassie was supposed to be shirtless and I would tell Sam, 'I don't really think that's necessary here.'' But added that we would agree with her, she detailed: 'He was like, 'OK, we don't need it.'' She went on to say that the show's creator always did everything he could to make her feel safe. On set: Sydney, who plays Cassie Howard in the hit HBO show, stressed how 'respectful' Sam is and that he respected her boundaries as a performer The actress continued: 'I've never felt like Sam has pushed it on me or was trying to get a nude scene into an HBO show,' Sweeney said. 'When I didn't want to do it, he didn't make me.' Sydney argued that the show - which also stars Zendaya, Jacob Elordi, Alexa Demie, Hunter Schafer and Barbie Ferreira - used nudity as an 'important' plot point, and added it has 'a purpose'. She explained: 'I think it's important to the storyline and the character. There's a purpose to what that character is going through. That's the character. 'We all get naked in real life. We show this character's life and what they're going through. Cassie's body is a different form of communication for her.' Nudity: She added: 'We all get naked in real life. We show this character's life and what they're going through. Cassie's body is a different form of communication for her' This comes following reports that Euphoria had been branded a 'toxic workplace' in a shock new investigation. According to a report by the Daily Beast and insiders, background actors complained about not receiving meals on set and were denied bathroom breaks on 18-hour workdays. The report also claimed the series got so many complaints that a SAG-AFTRA union rep was forced turned up to on set. Explicit: She explained: 'I think it's important to the storyline and the character. There's a purpose to what that character is going through' In a statement to Variety, HBO responded: 'The well-being of cast and crew on our productions is always a top priority.' 'The production was in full compliance with all safety guidelines and guild protocols. It's not uncommon for drama series to have complex shoots, and COVID protocols add an additional layer.' 'We maintain an open line of communication with all the guilds, including SAG-AFTRA. There were never any formal inquiries raised.' Some of the best years of my life I miss those people. Good times and memories, but I have moved on. Not my best days, but I have made peace with them. Glad to be away from those people I dont miss the high school experience. Vote View Results Billie Faiers has confessed she 'went mental' after her young son Arthur was smacked by another passenger during a flight home from their Dubai family getaway. The former TOWIE star, 32, admitted the five-year-old had been kicking the seat the seat in front of him before being physically scolded by a German woman back in November. She revealed her rage caused to her see 'red mist' while 'shaking', before 'kicking off' at the fellow holidaymaker, whom she had never met before. 'I kicked off, I was going mental!' Billie Faiers has admitted she saw 'red mist' after son Arthur, 4, was SMACKED by another passenger during a flight home from their Dubai family holiday The influencer told her sister Sam during their Sam & Billie Show podcast: 'Don't get me wrong, this is really annoying. There was a woman sat in front, a bit older, he kicked the back of her seat. 'I was like, "Oh god, so sorry." Then he was having a bit of a tantrum, crying, she turned round and she smacked him. 'I went, "Excuse me!" I stood up... you know when you have the red mist and you're shaking. She smacked him on his arm. I think she was German or something, when I mean I kicked off, I was going mental.' Billie hilariously went on to reveal how her husband Greg, 37 - who she also shares daughter Nelly, seven, with - was woken up by the altercation since he had drifted off while sitting a couple of rows in front. Mischievous: The former TOWIE star, 32, admitted the five-year-old had been kicking the seat the seat in front of him before being physically scolded by a German woman After all eyes on the plane turned towards them, an air stewardess thankfully approached the group to cool off the situation. It follows reports that Billie and Greg were allegedly 'at war' with their neighbours over ongoing renovations at their 1.4 million mansion in Essex, which began in January 2021. The couple are 'no longer on speaking terms' with nearby residents - before they've even moved into the property - according to The Sun. Their relationship with their future acquaintances is thought to be so bad, they've even reportedly splashed an eye-watering 20k on trees to maintain their territory. Laurel trees, which conveniently grow between 15 and 35 feet tall, cost 240 each and were bought in order to keep eavesdroppers away, according to reports. A neighbour told the council: 'I give my response to the amended drawings for the above property which, whilst I would have liked to have had similar window treatment to bedroom 4 as that of bedroom 2, I find to be acceptable in principle.' They went on to claim that they would 'give their support' if the house would 'fit the character of the area', adding how it would be the biggest house on the street. Billie and Greg's representative was contacted for comment by MailOnline at the time. Alaskan Bush People star Bear Brown was reportedly arrested for fourth degree domestic violence last Friday. The 34-year-old reality star (born Solomon Isiah Freedom Brown) was released from the Okanogan County Jail on Monday without bail, according to TMZ. Bear was said to have split with his wife of two months Raiven Adams twice over the past three years. Busted: Alaskan Bush People star Bear Brown was reportedly arrested for fourth degree domestic violence last Friday, and was released from the Okanogan County Jail on Monday without bail Brown and Adams have a two-year-old son River Anthony, whom he didn't meet until six months after his 2020 birth. The eccentric 'king of extreme' made his Instagram private within the past week. The series about the Brown family attempting to survive in the wilderness, detached from modern society, aired its 11-episode 13th season last year on Discovery. Alaskan Bush People last made headlines when their patriarch Billy Brown died, age 68, last year after suffering a seizure. On/off couple: The 34-year-old reality star (born Solomon Isiah Freedom Brown) was said to have split with his wife of two months Raiven Adams (R) twice over the past three years Eccentric 'king of extreme': Brown and Adams have a two-year-old son River Anthony, whom he didn't meet until six months after his 2020 birth 'We are devastated to hear of Billy Browns sudden passing. He has been part of the Discovery family for years a trailblazer, a lovely man, and most definitely one of a kind,' Discovery tweeted after his death. 'Our heart is with his family and those that knew him and loved him as they deal with this devastating loss.' At the time, Bear said his father was his 'best friend' whom will be dearly missed. 'He lived his life on his terms, off the grid and off the land and taught us to live like that as well,' Brown wrote on Instagram. 'We plan to honor his legacy going forward, and to continue with his dream. We ask for privacy and prayers during this painful time! God bless everyone!' From Alaska to Washington State: The series about the Brown family attempting to survive in the wilderness, detached from modern society, aired its 11-episode 13th season last year on Discovery Emma Appleton and Bel Powley can be seen in first look snaps from the BBC adaptation of Dolly Alderton's best-selling memoir, Everything I Know About Love. It was announced last year that Dolly's book would be the inspiration for a seven part drama about best friends Maggie (Emma) and her best friend Birdy (Bel), and a glimpse at the hotly-anticipated drama has now been revealed. In the first images from the story, which offers an 'unflinching account of surviving your 20's', Emma's Maggie can be seen strolling the streets barefoot wearing a party dress, fur jacket and a hat. FIRST LOOK: Emma Appleton (pictured) and Bel Powley can be seen in first look snaps from the BBC adaptation of Dolly Alderton's best-selling memoir, Everything I Know About Love Emma (Maggie) and Bel (Birdy), both 29, are joined by Marli Siu who will play Birdy's younger sister Nell, who can be seen sat at a desk studying in a snap portraying her character in the upcoming series. Also joining them in the 'wildly funny, occasionally heart-breaking, internationally bestselling memoir', is Jordan Peters who will play Neil. Making their on-screen TV debuts are Aliyah Odoffin playing Amara, Connor Finch playing Street; and Ryan Bown in his breakout role as Nathan. Viewers can get a glimpse of Connor as Street, with one image showing the character chatting with Maggie at a train station. A story about love: It was announced last year that Dolly's book would be the inspiration for a seven part drama about best friends Maggie (Emma) and her best friend Birdy (Bel), and a glimpse at the hotly-anticipated drama has already been revealed Screen debut: Viewers can get a glimpse of Connor as Street, with one image showing the character chatting with Maggie at a train station (pictured) The show is being directed by China Moo-Young (Intergalactic, Harlots) and produced by Working Title Television (We Are Lady Parts, Hanna). The story is set in a 2012 London house-share with flashbacks to suburban adolescence in the early noughties, the series is an unflinching deep dive into bad dates, heartaches and humiliations and begs the question: can platonic love survive romantic love as we grow up? Dolly says: 'I am beyond thrilled with every actor we have on board for Everything I Know About Love. Aisha Bywaters has helped us find our dream cast and we are so excited to see them inhabit the world of the show and bring its stories and relationships to life.' Exciting! The show is being directed by China Moo-Young (Intergalactic, Harlots) and produced by Working Title Television (We Are Lady Parts, Hanna) Cast: Emma (Maggie) and Bel (Birdy), both 29, are joined by Marli Siu who will play Birdy's younger sister Nell, who can be seen sat at a desk studying in a snap portraying her character in the upcoming series China Moo-Young, Director says: 'We have a sublime cast for Everything I Know About Love and I'm so excited to see them bring all the heart and humour of Dolly's scripts to life on screen.' Jo McClellan, Commissioning Editor, BBC Drama says: 'The BBC are incredibly excited to have this talented young cast join Dolly, China and the Working Title team to create this funny, uplifting and big-hearted show about friendship and love.' Surian Fletcher-Jones, Executive Producer for Working Title Television, added: 'We at Working Title are incredibly proud to be working with the phenomenally talented Dolly Alderton. Plot: The story is set in a 2012 London house-share with flashbacks to suburban adolescence in the early noughties (pictured Bel as Birdy) Debut: Making their on-screen TV debuts are Aliyah Odoffin (pictured) playing Amara, Connor Finch playing Street; and Ryan Bown in his breakout role as Nathan 'It has been a real joy helping to bring her vision to life alongside our brilliant lead director, China Moo-Young and producer, Simon Maloney. We can't wait to get going with this genuinely hilarious and heartfelt show.' Emma is known for her roles as Feef Symonds in spy thriller Traitors and for playing Princess Renfri in Netflix series The Witcher. She has also appeared in and short film Dreamlands and is set to feature in upcoming Sex Pistols miniseries Pistol, where she plays Nancy Spungen. Congratulations: The actress became engaged to actor beau Douglas Booth in July this year Meanwhile, Bel has had roles in Apple TV+ series The Morning Show, BBC drama Informer and coming-of-age film Diary of a Teenage Girl in which she played the lead role as Minnie Goetze. The actress became engaged to actor beau Douglas Booth in July this year. The show is described by the BBC as 'a generous, funny, warm-hearted and uplifting Sex & The City for Millennials.' On the casting, author Dolly, 32, said: 'I am beyond thrilled with every actor we have on board for Everything I Know About Love. Everything I Know About Love will air on BBC One and BBC iPlayer in 2022 Colin Firth cut a casual figure on Tuesday as he enjoyed a low-key coffee date with new love interest, TV writer, Maggie Cohn in Chiswick, west London. The Mail on Sunday revealed last month the Oscar-winner was dating the US screenwriter after they fell for each other on the set of his latest drama, The Staircase. And the actor, 61, certainly appeared in good spirits as he enjoyed an outdoor date with Maggie, wrapping up warm in a grey flat cap and colourful scarf. Coffee date: Colin Firth cut a casual figure on Tuesday as he enjoyed a low-key coffee date with new love interest, TV writer, Maggie Cohn in Chiswick, west London The Bridget Jones star added a navy jumper to his look which he wore over a blue T-T-shirt and teamed it with a black jacket. Meanwhile, Maggie, thought to be in her 40s, looked chic in an oversized, long brown coat. The writer added a black jumper, blue jeans and black ankle boots, completing her look with dark sunglasses. Romance: The Mail on Sunday revealed last month the Oscar-winner was dating the US screenwriter after they fell for each other on the set of his latest drama, The Staircase The couple appeared in good spirits as they sat on a bench and chatted away before eventually getting up to leave. Los Angeles-based Maggie is a sought-after screenwriter who has won major awards for American Crime Story from the Writers Guild of America and the Producers Guild of America. She has also written episodes of the popular Netflix crime drama Narcos: Mexico. Casual: The actor, 61, certainly appeared in good spirits as he enjoyed an outdoor date with Maggie, wrapping up warm in a grey flat cap and colourful scarf Relaxed look: The Bridget Jones star added a navy jumper to his look which he wore over a blue T-T-shirt and teamed it with a black jacket Style: Meanwhile, Maggie, thought to be in her 40s, looked chic in an oversized, long brown coat The couple spent months working on The Staircase, a crime drama written by Maggie as a TV mini-series and based on the 2004 true crime docu-series of the same name. Colin plays the lead role of Michael Peterson, a writer convicted of murdering his wife Kathleen Peterson, portrayed by Toni Collette, who was found dead at the bottom of the staircase in their home. After splitting from ex-wife Livia Giuggioli in 2019, the MoS revealed that the Love Actually star had grown close to BBC newsreader Joanna Gosling after they were spotted on a stroll in a London park. Details: The writer added a black jumper, blue jeans and black ankle boots, completing her look with dark sunglasses Outing: The couple appeared in good spirits as they sat on a bench and chatted away before eventually getting up to leave Close: At one point the duo looked in deep conversation as they sat at a bench together Announcing their split after 22 years of marriage, Colin and his estranged wife insisted they would 'remain united' in their love for their sons. The actor, who won an Oscar in 2011 for his performance in The King's Speech, remained at the family's 4 million family home in Chiswick, West London, while Livia has spent much of the time since then back in Italy. Their separation came after Livia, 52, admitted an affair with a childhood friend. Colin also has a son with Meg Tilly, his co-star in the film Valmont. Katherine Ryan has defended fellow comedian Jimmy Carr after he sparked outrage by joking about the Holocaust. Jimmy, 49, recently sparked criticism over a clip from his Netflix special His Dark Material, that saw him joke that the 'thousands of gypsies killed by the Nazis' was a 'positive' outcome from the Holocaust. After the quip began to circulate online, Jimmy was subject to widespread condemnation, with even Prime Minister Boris Johnson commenting on the 'unacceptable' remarks. However, Katherine, 38, exclusively told MailOnline that she felt the joke had been 'taken out of context' and that showing just a small snippet of the stand-up gig was designed to be 'hurtful'. Defence: Katherine Ryan has insisted Jimmy Carr's Holocaust joke was 'taken out of context' as she doubles down on her support for the star in an exclusive interview with MailOnline Earlier this month, Katherine defended the 'roast' style of comedy, stating at The National Comedy Awards: 'That is a genre of comedy that he happens to be best at. I think it is important that we all protect that genre even if people get offended by it.' Doubling down on her remarks, Katherine told MailOnline: 'I just think that sometimes with social media there is a trend of taking something in one context and isolating parts of it that are going to make people angry by publishing that one bit 'And it could probably feel like an ambush if youre just surfing social media and youre not the kind of person who is into that genre of comedy because what Jimmy does is very specific to that genre and its understood by the people who love it. 'But if you take anything he says, any of his jokes and write them down and show them to people who arent expecting that type of comedy, its out of context.' Shocking: Jimmy sparked criticism over a clip from his Netflix special that saw him joke that the 'thousands of gypsies killed by the Nazis' was a 'positive' outcome from the Holocaust The Canadian comic added: 'I think its actually really nasty to show it in a different context where it could be hurtful.' Katherine and Jimmy have worked together on several shows such as Your Face Or Mine, 8 Out Of Ten Cats and Roast Battle. She went on to say: 'Nothing that any comedian says on stage is meant to be hurtful but as soon as we take it and isolate it on social media it has the potential to hurt people 'No comedian has the intention of hurting people even when they tack difficult subjects, so I do think social media has changed the way that comedy is metabolised.' In the Netflix footage, Jimmy said: 'When people talk about the Holocaust, they talk about the tragedy and horror of six million Jewish lives being lost to the Nazi war machine. But they never mention the thousands of gypsies that were killed by the Nazis. No one ever talks about that because no one wants to talk about the positives.' Prime Minister Boris Johnson's spokesman then branded the joke 'unacceptable', while Health Secretary Sajid Javid urged people to boycott the one-hour special. 'Obviously, those comments are deeply disturbing and it is unacceptable to make light of genocide,' Boris' spokesman said, adding that 'mocking the atrocities of the Holocaust is unacceptable' but that it is a matter for Netflix when it comes to whether or not the special should be removed. Awarded: Earlier this month, Katherine defended the 'roast' style of comedy at The National Comedy Awards and has now insisted the joke can't be judged out of context The spokesman added: 'We are looking at toughening measures for social media and streaming platforms which don't tackle harmful content on their platforms. We are looking at regulatory changes for streaming companies. 'We are clear that any change in legislation needs to be proportionate, to ensure freedom of speech within the law is not stifled.' Meanwhile a petition called 'The Genocide of Roma is Not a Laughing Matter' was signed by more than 15,000 people. Gypsy leaders also invited the stand up performer to Auschwitz to remember the genocide later this year. Despite the widespread outrage, Channel 4 bosses backed Jimmy and announced he'll front another series of his game show I Literally Just Told You. The broadcaster confirmed the comic will host another eight episodes of the series, which first aired last year, despite calls for him to be 'cancelled' in the wake of his controversial gaffe. In an interview with Broadcast magazine, Channel 4 chief Ian Katz backed Jimmy's controversial humour, saying: 'I defend the rights of comedians to make offensive jokes and if they can't, then comedy is dead.' 'Jimmy hasn't espoused any views at odds with C4 values and just as we as a broadcaster exist to serve and represent a wide range of communities, we should always be home to the widest range of voices.' He added: 'The Ofcom code states that material which may cause offence has to be justified by clear context and we make those calls day in, day out. It's really hard to generalise but you look at each show on its merits.' Advertisement Kate Hudson and her mother Goldie Hawn have finally collaborated on a project together. On Tuesday the spring 2022 Live Every Moment campaign for the Stuart Weitzman shoe ads were released on social media, winning raves from fans who said the 42-year-old Almost Famous actress and her 76-year-old Oscar-winning mother looked like they could pass for sisters as they cuddled on an outdoor sofa in a backyard. Instagram follower Miss Gemma Rafferty said, 'Sisters,' while Mars Malone shared, 'You look so alike.' And there were several complimentary comments including, 'Both looking lovely' from Loretta Cullinan, and, 'Sooooo love this mother daughter duo. Wish they would do a movie together ' from Deb Perk. Better together: Kate Hudson and her mother Goldie Hawn have finally collaborated on a project together. On Tuesday the spring 2022 Live Every Moment campaign for their Stuart Weitzman shoe ads were released on social media Lean on me: The 42-year-old Almost Famous actress, left, and her 76-year-old Oscar-winning mother, right, looked like they could pass for sisters as they cuddled on an outdoor sofa in a backyard; here Hawn pulled down the dress to show off an arm The mother-daughter duo took to Instagram to praise each other in their lengthy captions. Kate said, 'Guess who joined me for my new @stuartweitzman campaign! Hi mama!! Love every moment with you... including this love of shoes moment .' Goldie then shared, 'A dream mother-daughter moment with @stuartweitzman! Love you my baby @katehudson and yes being a shoe lover is genetic. No lie I had to get another closet for my Stuart Weitzman shoes.' The Live Every Moment campaign 'celebrates life's everyday moments' as the ad copy said, 'We gotta appreciate them all!' Kate could be seen in a white dress that was plunging in front and had a short hem which displayed her toned legs as she modeled scarlet red tie-up heels. So much love: The mother-daughter duo took to Instagram to praise each other in their lengthy captions. Kate said, 'Guess who joined me for my new @stuartweitzman campaign! Hi mama!! Love every moment with you... including this love of shoes moment @goldiehawn.' Goldie then shared, 'A dream mother-daughter moment with @stuartweitzman!' Mama Goldie was elegant in a beige knit dress that was worn both over her arms and then later, pulled down on one side to show off one of her very toned arms from lifting weights at the gym. The hem on her dress was low as well which gave a look at her tanned and toned legs from frequent bicycle riding in Malibu. And the Butterflies Are Free star wore a white strappy heels that revealed a ruby red pedicure and thin ankles. Later Kate was seen in a beige knit dress as she sat on a stool at a mini dinner while reading a newspaper. For this shot she had on strappy Perspex heels. This comes after Hawn said last month that she thinks her children are all 'really great' parents in their own right. Read all about it! Later Kate was seen in a beige knit dress as she sat on a stool at a mini dinner while reading a newspaper. For this shot she had on strappy Perspex heels Life is good when you are Kate Hudson: The successful movie star and Fabletic co-founder laughed as she held a cup of coffee during the shoot The Private Benjamin actress - who has Kate and Oliver Hudson with her ex-husband Bill Hudson, and Wyatt Russell with actor Kurt Russell - feels proud of her children and the way they have raised their own kids. She explained: 'My children are really great with their children.' Goldie - who has been with Kurt since 1983 - believes there's a kind of 'domino effect' at play. Speaking to People, she shared: 'As a parent, you basically raise your children to raise their children appropriately as well. So that's that domino effect. And as parents, we have a tremendous responsibility.' Living for the moment: The Live Every Moment campaign 'celebrates life's everyday moments' as the ad copy said, 'We gotta appreciate them all!' Goldie also stressed the need for parents to be aware of mental health. She said: 'We want our children to have agency over their emotions. The brain is an amazing thing. And we need to use it like a muscle, and strengthen it.' Meanwhile, Goldie previously heaped praise on her long-time partner, revealing she loves Kurt's honest approach to life. The Hollywood star and Kurt have been together for almost three decades, and she still admires his sincerity. Her true love: Goldie previously heaped praise on her long-time partner, revealing she loves Kurt's honest approach to life. The Hollywood star and Kurt have been together for almost three decades, and she still admires his sincerity She shared: 'Like it or not, he can't lie. I mean, he's lied a little. But the truth of the matter is that what you see is what you get. 'He doesn't fake. He's not a womanizers, where he's [trying to be] cool. I like the fact that he's not pretending to be somebody else.' Goldie also hailed her partner as 'one of the great actors of all time'. She said: 'He's really, really smart. I like that when he puts his mind to something, it can be a little obsessive-compulsive, but at the same time, he gets it right. I think he's one of the great actors of all time. And he's a fantastic father.' The pair struck up an inseparable friendship when they both lived in Los Angeles. And Victoria Beckham wished her close pal Eva Longoria a happy 47th birthday as she pulled her famous leg pose in a fun throwback snap, on Tuesday. Taking to Instagram to share the sweet tribute, the fashion designer joked: 'How much tequila had we drunk?!' 'How much tequila had we drunk?!': Victoria Beckham, 47, pulled her famous leg pose in a fun throwback as she wished Eva Longoria a happy 47th birthday on Tuesday The dynamic duo could be seen lounging on a sofa as Victoria kicked her leg into the air and placed her hand on Eva's back. The Spice Girl looked incredible in a sophisticated black and white jumpsuit and towering stiletto heels. Eva posed up a storm next to her pal as she opted for a lilac ensemble with gold heeled sandals. Blast from the past! Alongside another throwback photo, Victoria wrapped her arms around Eva and added: 'Happy birthday @evalongoria!! I love you so much. Kisses x' Alongside another throwback photo, Victoria wrapped her arms around Eva and added: 'Happy birthday @evalongoria!! I love you so much. Kisses x.' Despite being oceans apart during lockdown, Eva and Victoria revealed that they kept up their girl time with regular video calls. Eva previously told the Daily Mail Australia: 'We're best friends and have shared lots of life lessons together. Work it: VB's famous leg pose was debuted in March 2016 when she shared a snap of herself with her perfect pins opening further than a 90 degree angle Leggy: The yoga inspired pose has featured many times over the years Flexible Spice: Victoria even celebrated her debut runway show at London Fashion Week in 2018 by pulling off the pose Eva told OK! Magazine: 'We speak all the time, we've had wine o'clock Zooms, even though it's hard because of the time difference.' 'What we talk about is between us but we've been through stuff together. When we hang out, we just stay home and talk, eat and laugh.' The duo's bond is so close that the former Desperate Housewives actress is godmother to Victoria's ten-year-old daughter Harper. Meryl Streep's daughter Louisa Jacobson has admitted that squeezing into a period corset while filming The Gilded Age left her in so much pain she couldn't even sleep. The actress, 30, revealed she is grateful to be a 'female identifying person' in the present day since expectations for 19th century women were 'crazy'. On the Reign With Josh Smith podcast, she did confess that her tight outfits were as a result of her own requests during early fittings - a decision she soon regretted. Tragic: Meryl Streep's daughter Louisa Jacobson has admitted that squeezing into a period corset while filming The Gilded Age left her in so much pain she couldn't even sleep (pictured in-character) The model said: 'It took a long time to get used to that corset, after wearing sweatpants for so long. 'Every day when I took it off, I was so grateful and I will never take for granted being a female identifying person in 2022, who does have the freedom to put on a pair of pants that are kind of loose and call it a day. 'The things women had to do, it was crazy. I realised how I've internalised beauty standards so intensely. 'You've seen Cinderella, you've seen any Disney movie, have you seen Frozen? Their waists are like the size of my finger. Eek! She did confess that her tight outfits were as a result of her own requests during early fittings - a decision she soon regretted 'All the main princess characters have these tiny little waists and you grow up seeing that. I walked on set and in my [costume] fittings too, I was like, "Just tighten it - I wanna look snatched." 'But you know I really suffered from that decision because they measured and sewed all my costumes based on how tight my corset was in the fitting when I had been really ambitious about making it very tight. 'I would say three or four months into shooting, I actually had to ask them to take out my dresses from the waist because it was just too much, it was taxing physically and mentally, I couldn't sleep on my side for a long time because my ribs were so sore.' Thankfully, a trusted a member of the costume department would come to Louisa's rescue in-between takes, where she would loosen her coset before tying it back up. Thankful: The actress, 30, revealed she is grateful to be a 'female identifying person' in the present day since expectations for 19th century women were 'crazy' She said: 'That's when I realised I really need to loosen this up and after every take or between setups, I would ask my dresser to untie the corset so that I could get a break. 'They would have corset breaks because we were there for 15 hours and to have that on for that long is bananas and the women back then actually in the Guilded age, they would change their clothes three or four times a day to take a break.' Louisa played the character of aspiring writer Marian Brook who moves from Pennsylvania to New York to live with her wealthy aunts.' The new series is written by Downton's Julian Fellowes' and featured an all-star ensemble cast including Cynthia Nixon and Christine Baranski. Cynthia and Christine played the role of Louisa's fictional aunts Ada Brook and Agnes Van Rhijn respectively. Talented: Louisa played the character of aspiring writer Marian Brook who moves from Pennsylvania to New York to live with her wealthy aunts (pictured with her mum Meryl in 2014) Also starring in the HBO and Sky series are Carrie Coon, Jeanne Tripplehorn and Taissa Farmiga. The show was set in 1882 during the American Gilded Age, a period of huge economic change. The show saw Peggy Scott (Denee) and Marian become embroiled in a social war involving one of her aunts and her railroad tycoon neighbour George (Morgan Spector) and his wife Bertha Russell (Carrie). Julian Fellowes' latest endeavour had been years in the making after he began working on a Downton Abbey spin-off in September 2012. The writer told RadioTimes.com in January 2016 the he was 'hopefully shooting at the end of the year' despite not having written the script just yet. When asked about the status of the show in June 2016, Fellowes admitted he was 'up to my neck in research' creating the character. 'These people were extraordinary. You can see why they frightened the old guard, because they saw no boundaries,' he told The Los Angeles Times. 'They wanted to build a palace, they built a palace. They wanted to buy a yacht, they bought a yacht. And the old guard in New York werent like that at all, and suddenly this whirlwind of couture descended on their heads. 'They redesigned being rich. They created a rich culture that we still havepeople who are rich are rich in a way that was established in America in the 1880s, 90s, 1900s. It was different from Europe.' Advertisement Newlyweds Billie Lourd and Austen Rydell are back in Los Angeles after tying the knot in Cabo San Lucas over the weekend. The couple were pictured for the first time since their wedding on Monday, embracing loved ones and loading their various belongings into a car. Billie, 29, was still in bridal mode as she stepped out wearing a flowing white dress, fluffy jacket, heart shaped sunglasses and white headband. Just married! Newlyweds Billie Lourd and Austen Rydell are back in Los Angeles after tying the knot in Cabo San Lucas over the weekend She carried a bright red Chanel purse over her shoulder and several other items, including a tote and shopping bag. After a fun-filled weekend in Cabo, Billie was the picture of relaxation as she stepped out into the sunshine, where she shared a hug with her father Bryan Lourd. Austen, meanwhile, kept it casual in a black jacket and sweats. The actor was spotted carrying various garment bags as he helped load up their belongings. Blushing bride vibes! Billie, 29, was still in wedding mode as she stepped out wearing a flowing white dress, fluffy jacket, heart shaped sunglasses and white headband Newlyweds! Lourd and Rydell said 'I do' in an intimate wedding in Cabo over the weekend Sharing a moment: After a fun-filled weekend in Cabo, Billie was the picture of relaxation as she stepped out into the sunshine, where she shared a hug with her father Bryan Lourd The couple were also rocking some new wedding bling. The newlyweds flashed their shiny new gold wedding bands, which shone in the sunshine. Billie and Austen tied the knot on Saturday in Cabo San Lucas in an intimate wedding attended by very close friends and family, according to Vogue. On Tuesday, Billie shared the very first photos of their stunning nuptials. Throwing shade! Lourd propped on a pair of heart shaped sunnies onto her face Newlywed bliss: The couple looked relaxed following their fun-filled festivities Say yes to the dresses! Billie described her intimate wedding ceremony and the many different designer outfits she wore throughout the festivities in an interview with Vogue In pictures posted to her Instagram account on Tuesday, three days after saying 'I do', Billie looked magnificent in a lavish Rodarte gown as she kissed her new husband, 29, beside lavish light installations. Billie described her intimate wedding ceremony and the many different designer outfits she wore throughout the festivities in an interview with Vogue. For the rehearsal dinner, which was themed 'Floral Friday', Billie wore an embroidered Oscar de la Renta gown with white flowers tucked into her braided hair. Has a nice ring to it! The newlyweds flashed their shiny new gold wedding bands, which shone in the sunshine On her wedding day, she selected a custom Rodarte gown which she altered to include an under layer of sequins. And for her after-party, she wore another Rodarte dress inspired by the dance outfits her 'glam-ma' Debbie Reynolds wore during her shows. Billie said she 'immediately fell in love' with Rodarte designers, sisters Kate and Laura Mulleavy, after they interviewed her mother, the late Carrie Fisher, for an article in 2014. Just married! Billie described her intimate wedding ceremony and the many different designer outfits she wore throughout the festivities in an interview with Vogue Billie ultimately selected the first dress that was presented to her to try on when she visited their downtown Los Angeles studio. 'Every gal's dream!' she gushed. 'We got married on the beach at sunset so I really wanted something that reflected the vibe of the ocean-y setting,' she added of the dress selection. On her wedding day, Billie accessorized her dress with an array of jewelry, including her engagement ring. I do! People reported the actress, 29, married Rydell, 29, Saturday in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico following a nearly two year long engagement The sentimental ring contained the diamond Billie's father Bryan Lourd proposed to Carrie with. Austen re-set the stone for Billie's ring. As for her something borrowed, the bride wore a ring her mother had given to one of her closest pals. Her something old was a pair of vintage Neil Lane diamond studs given to her by her father, and her something blue was her mother's favorite ring, a blue fire opal she wore constantly. Billie also wore a pair of shoes made by Rene Mancini. As fate would have it, the shoes ended up being connected to her mother. 'It was the most fun': Leslie Grossman, who stars opposite Billie on American Horror Story, reminisced about the wedding on her Instagram Stories on Sunday 'My dad was walking around town shopping and came upon the store and found the perfect shoe,' Billie said. 'They reminded him of the shoes my mom used to wear in the '90s. But he had the same experience I had with my rehearsal dinner dress. It was a month before the wedding, and they told him they take four months to make the shoes. 'He talked to Mohamad, the manager of the store, and told him when the wedding was and asked him if he could somehow rush them, and he magically made it happen! When he came to pick up the shoes, it turned out my dad's hunch about my mom was right. Mohamad told him that my mom used to shop at their store in New York City in the '90s. The perfect shoe turned out to literally be the perfect shoe. It was serendipity!' The groom, meanwhile, wore a Tom Ford tuxedo while Billie's gal pals sported Halston. Family first: Three months after the engagement, Billie and Austen welcomed a son, Kingston Fisher Vogue described the ceremony as 'intimate' with only family and incredibly close friends attending. The wedding was officiated by her mother's best friends, Gavin DeBecker and Bruce Wagner. 'We wrote our own vows and sobbed the entire time,' Billie said. 'Word to the wisealways wear waterproof everything!' 'It was the most hysterically brilliant and touching officiating in the history of officiating,' Billie said of the officiants. 'And in true Carrie fashion, we threw glitter in the air at the end of the ceremony. It was magical. I could not have dreamed up a more perfect wedding.' People broke the news of Billie's wedding on Monday, reporting that the couple tied the knot in Cabo San Lucas following a nearly two year long engagement. Billie's father, talent agent Bryan, purchased a block of rooms at the hotel venue for wedding guests, an insider told the site. 'She said 'Duhhh'': The couple revealed their engagement in June 2020 Guests enjoyed a private pool party at the hotel the day before the wedding on Friday afternoon. Leslie Grossman, who stars opposite Billie on American Horror Story, reminisced about the wedding on her Instagram Stories on Sunday. 'Billie and Austen's wedding weekend is over, which is so sad, cause it was the most fun. 'But I won Best Dressed,' she said. showing off her gold trophy. 'I won Best Dressed, and I may have bribed the judges, I may have done whatever I needed to do to get this trophy, but I got it.' Lourd pictured with her late grandmother Debbie Reynolds and mother Carrie Fisher in 2015 Billie appeared to be celebrating her bachelorette party last month when she posted a slew of snaps of her wearing a veil and all white. '#BBE #bigbridalenergy #featherweather #iheartheartsunglasses #blaseontheoutsideblessedontheinside,' she captioned one of the posts, along with various emojis, including one of a bride. Billie and Austen became engaged in June 2020 after four years together. The couple had one break-up during their relationship, but reunited soon after. Three months after the engagement, Billie and Austen welcomed a son, Kingston Fisher. Jodie Turner-Smith sadly revealed that her grandfather has passed away on Tuesday. The actress, 35, took to Instagram to share a sweet album of family snaps with him as she shared the news. She wrote in the caption: 'I wish I could have kissed your face just one last time before you left. Rest in peace, in love, in joy.' Difficult news: Jodie Turner-Smith sadly revealed that her grandfather has passed away on Tuesday She posted a variety of pictures with him including one where she beamed beside him and he posed in a light blue jumper. In another they chatted at a party as she held a drink in her hand and she looked smart in a brown hat. For the third snap she rested her head on him as he relaxed on the sofa, before she shared a short clip of them at a celebration where she said 'grandad - cheers!' Floods of well-wishes and condolences flooded in, with one writing: 'Jodie I'm so sorry for your loss. Sending you and your family my love and prayer.' Upset: The actress, 35, took to Instagram to share a sweet album of family snaps with him as she shared the news Another said: 'Sending you love Jodie', before a third said: 'Sending you and the family so much love!' Jodie has been married to Joshua Jackson since 2019. They share a daughter Janie, who they welcomed in April 2020. Last month she gave fans a look inside her and 43-year-old husband Joshua's Fashion Week travels with loved-up Instagram snaps. The Nightflyers actress shared a number of pictures to her Instagram of her and Joshua enjoying a date night in Milan on Friday for the Gucci show. Love: She wrote in the caption: 'I wish I could have kissed your face just one last time before you left. Rest in peace, in love, in joy' The pair dazzled in their respective Gucci ensembles, with Jodie sporting a blush frilled-lace dress while Joshua donned a baby blue suit. The spouses both looked chic in black Gucci sunglasses as they strolled through Milan in one image In the Instagram carousel, Jodie also shared an image of the two spouses in an elevator - with the Little Fires Everywhere actor resting his head on his wife, alongside selfies of the pair as they headed to the Gucci show. Jodie also showed off her cleavage as she posed in an ultra-chic Gucci suit - featuring a blue pattern design. Kind: Floods of well-wishes and condolences flooded in, with one writing: 'Jodie I'm so sorry for your loss. Sending you and your family my love and prayer' The beauty opted for an avante-garde style look, with small diamante's creating a wing from her eyelid and a voluminous high ponytail. She captioned the post: ' 12 hours in Milano as guests of Gucci' She also gave a special mention to Creative Director of Gucci, Alessandro Michele, writing: 'My dear @alessandromichele, i am honoured to be alive to witness your iconic reign at this incredible fashion house. The show was exquisite' (translated) While in Paris, actors and spouses Jodie and Joshua enjoyed the day in Paris - sharing pictures and videos as they enjoyed sightseeing, shopping and drinks. Jodie' story saw her and Joshua visiting the Louvre and the Eiffel Tower, as they cosied up with a glass of wine in the French capital. The couple supported Gucci in both cities during the respective fashion week's, after Jodie recently walked in the brand's Hollywood Boulevard runway show. Daisy Lowe set pulses racing as she took to Instagram on Tuesday to share a very sexy lingerie snap. The model, 33, left little to the imagination as she posed in a green ruffle thong which exposed an intimate tattoo. Daisy looked tanned and toned as she showed off her taut midriff in the green T-shirt pulled up above her spotty print bra. Sizzling display: Daisy Lowe set pulses racing as she took to Instagram on Tuesday to share a very sexy lingerie snap Holding a retro phone, Daisy appeared in her element as she struck a pose on the balcony in the photo taken by Filthy Mouth Creative. Her black locks were styled in tumbled waves and the former Strictly star amped up the glamour with a slick of red lipstick. Daisy captioned the snap: 'Hello spring, is that you?' Wow! Last month, the model took to Instagram to share abusty snap of herself in a classic black swimsuit in Norfolk Last month, the model took to Instagram to share abusty snap of herself in a classic black swimsuit and revealed she'd enjoyed a luxurious Valentine's spa break at The Harper Hotel in Norfolk. Daisy - who is the daughter of Pearl Lowe and Gavin Rossdale - penned alongside her upload: 'A valentines getaway @theharperhotel in one of my favourite places in the world - Norfolk. 'Even though it rained like cats & dogs, we had such a special trip 'The food was out of this world delicious, the spa was gorgeous & it is all only available to the residents which makes you feel really safe & taken the best care of. Puppy love: The beauty posted a shot of her beloved pet pooch Monty resting on her bed and enthused that the hotel was dog friendly 'It took about 2 and half hours to get there from london (in my electric car) and there are car charging points for anyone driving electric. 'They also allow dogs which makes for a very cute stay! Thank you @rove_pr & @meadowshulme for helping me organise a special weekend away.' Daisy and Jordan's romance was first revealed when they were spotted putting on a PDA-fest in a north London park in July 2020. Last year, the model shared a loved-up throwback selfie with her boyfriend as she took part in an Instagram challenge after a fan asked for a photo of 'you and your partner'. An avid traveller, estate agent Jordan documents his various international adventures on social media, including regular stops in South Africa and plenty of ski trips. Laurence Fox was spotted rolling a cigarette outside a pub with a friend in Mayfair on Tuesday, after getting in a spat with Gary Lineker. The controversial actor-turned-activist, 43, sported a grey blazer over a white shirt and grey skinny jeans, as he spoke on the phone. It comes after he got into an online spat with Gary and his son George on Twitter at the weekend. Taking a break: Laurence Fox was spotted rolling a cigarette outside a pub with a friend in Mayfair on Tuesday, after getting in a spat with Gary Lineker It began when George and Gary disputed a tweet from Laurence's Reclaim Party criticising the government's Homes for Ukraine scheme. Deputy leader of the Reclaim Party Martin Daubney had tweeted: 'When @BorisJohnson @GaryLineker and @YvetteCooperMP take in a refugee, the rest of us can follow.' However, Gary was quick to point out he had already shared his home with a refugees two years ago, tweeting: 'You should probably have plucked out another name. I went firstand second..and will continue to host. If any of you would like do the same, @RefugeesAtHome are amazing.' Deep in thought: The controversial actor-turned-activist, 43, sported a grey blazer over a white shirt and grey skinny jeans, as he spoke on the phone George chimed in to add: 'Get your facts right fella'. Laurence fired back at George, saying: 'His facts are right fella Just because you, like me, grew up with all the privilege in the world, doesnt mean you have the privilege to lecture hard working people on how to virtue signal. 'Leave that to your dad. He has a profile, at least. Jog on.' Argument: It comes after he got into an online spat with Gary and his son George on Twitter at the weekend (pictured in November 2021) Match of the Day host Gary shot back: 'You should have done the same, and left it to your dad'. Laurence is the son of James Fox, an acclaimed English actor, while his cousin is actress Emilia Fox. Laurence then revealed that Gary had blocked him on Twitter after the argument. The controversial star has faced increasing criticism, and was dropped by his agent in 2020 after a string of social media comments. Firing back: It began when George and Gary disputed a tweet from Laurence's Reclaim Party criticising the government's Homes for Ukraine scheme Last year he said he could remove his children from school over his opposition to the Covid vaccination programme. He said he would educate them at home rather than let them be vaccinated without his consent. He shares custody of his boys with Billie Piper, whom he divorced in 2016. Laurence recently got engaged to prep school teacher Arabella Fleetwood Neagle, 28. Arabella apparently supports his political campaigning as she was pictured alongside him on the top deck of his Reclaim Party's battle bus during his unsuccessful bid to become London Mayor last year. Attack: Laurence fired back at George, saying: 'His facts are right fella Just because you, like me, grew up with all the privilege in the world, doesnt mean you have the privilege to lecture hard working people on how to virtue signal' Jessica Biel takes the stand as she plays ax killer Candy Montgomery in a new trailer for the Hulu miniseries about the infamous slaying of Betty Gore, Candy. The chilling trailer sees Candy (Biel) on trial and answering questions about her relationship with Betty (played by Melanie Lynskey), the woman she admitted to killing. As Candy describes her connection to Betty, video of the two women flash on screen before Candy is seen appearing to shower blood off. Chilling: Jessica Biel takes the stand as she plays admitted ax killer Candy Montgomery in a new trailer for the Hulu miniseries about the infamous slaying of Betty Gore, Candy The video provides a snapshot of their lives, from Candy practicing in a choir with Betty, attending the same church as her, before growing increasingly more intense. 'Did you like Betty Gore?' the lawyer asks Candy. 'What do you mean?' Candy asks. 'I had no angry feelings towards her, if that's what the question is,' she elaborates. 'How would you characterize your relationship?' the lawyer pressed. On trial: The chilling trailer sees Candy (Biel) answering questions about her relationship with Betty (played by Melanie Lynskey), the woman killed by Candy 'We were... friends': Biel says after the lawyer asked her to describe her relationship with Gore The victim: Melanie Lynskey played Betty Gore, the woman who was killed by her friend Slice of life: The video provides a snapshot of their lives, from Candy practicing in a choir with Betty, attending the same church as her, before growing increasingly more intense 'We were... friends,' Candy replies. 'Take me back to June the 13th,' the lawyer continues, referencing the date Candy killed Betty. 'Betty and I got to talking,' Jessica begins. 'What did you do then?' the lawyer asks. Carefree: Candy laughs at one point in the trailer 'Hey y'all!' Candy greets Betty at the front door Day to day life: Gore seen teaching her students Candy will premiere on Hulu on May 9. The series is centered around the 1980 killing and the subsequent trial, in which Candy pleaded not guilty and claimed she had killed her friend Betty in self-defense. Montgomery, who shared two children with her husband Pat, had been carrying on an affair with the husband of Gore, who was a friend from church. On Friday the 13th, 1980, months after the affair had ended, Montgomery stopped by Gore's house when Gore allegedly confronted her about the since-ended affair, according to the Dallas Morning News. Montgomery claimed in her trial that Gore had attacked her with an ax, and that the two women struggled with it before she gained control of it and struck Gore. Hair-raising: Montgomery (Biel) rinses the blood off her body Ominous: She rips open a package with a huge knife But the victim had been struck an astonishing 41 times with the ax, and Montgomery's legal team contended during her trial that she suffered a 'dissociative reaction,' during which she continued to mutilate her friend. Experts testified at the trial that many of the blows against Gore's body came after she was already unconscious. The jurors were swayed by Montgomery's claims, and she was acquitted of the murder charges in late October, 1980. Jessica was attached to star as Montgomery in October 2021, after Elisabeth Moss dropped out due to scheduling conflicts. The wife of Justin Timberlake has significantly slowed her output in recent years, but she's shown an affinity for dark dramas like her upcoming miniseries. She'll also be executive producing Candy, just as she did with her acclaimed crime series The Sinner. She played the mysterious lead a woman accused of a senseless murder in the first season, though the later seasons focused on a detective (Bill Pullman) as he investigated other crimes. Drew Barrymore opened up about the hardest part of co-parenting her two daughters Olive, nine, and Frankie, seven, with ex-husband Will Kopelman. While discussing the challenges of raising her little girls as a single mother, the 47-year-old actress reflected on the pain that comes with joint custody. 'You miss them when you're apart because that wasn't the plan,' she said when asked to list the most difficult part of co-parenting during an interview with Parents magazine's April 2022 issue. Post-divorce: Drew Barrymore opened up about the hardest part of co-parenting her two kids Olive and Frankie with ex Will Kopelman; seen in 2015 When asked about the 'upside' to co-parenting, she replied: 'Both parents get a day off.' The daytime talk show host also raved about a 'recent parenting win' which included getting 'Olive to help' her 'load and unload the dishwasher.' As for 'a recent parenting miss,' she admitted to 'losing it when Olive tried to tell' her 'how to drive.' Co-parenting: While discussing the challenges of raising her little girls as a single mother, the 47-year-old actress reflected on the pain that comes with joint custody The Big Miracle star also discussed which movies she's in that she's shown her children. 'They've already seen Ever After: A Cinderella Story and 50 First Dates,' she revealed. For now, she'd holding off on showing them Scream 'until they're old enough.' 'You miss them when you're apart because that wasn't the plan,' she said when asked to list the most difficult part of coparenting during an interview with Parents magazine's April 2022 issue Shared responsibility: When asked about the 'upside' to coparenting, she replied: 'Both parents get a day off'; seen in 2015 She also told readers that she feels like a 'cool mom' when 'listening to great music' with her girls. 'They're old enough now. It's a real turning point when you go from kiddie tunes to rock and roll. I just love listening with them and singing and dancing,' Barrymore gushed. Still, she confesses to feeling like a dork when she runs into one of her daughter's dance class after work to 'clap wildly for her last number.' Barrymore and Kopelman divorced in 2016 after nearly four years of marriage (pictured in 2014) In January, the mom-of-two broke down in tears while discussing her dating life with Queer Eye star Bobby Berk on CBS Mornings. 'I don't know how to date with kids,' Barrymore stated as her voice cracked and her eyes teared up. 'I'm not there yet. I have two young girls and I'm like...I don't want to bring people home,' she went on as Berk held her hands. Ready to date again: Back in January, Barrymore posted a behind-the-scenes look at her getting ready to go on a date with the Queer Eye crew on her TikTok account Barrymore continued to cry as Berk praised her for being so careful in regards to her children's wellbeing and called her an amazing mother. After sharing the clip King asked Barrymore what made her so emotional during the segment. 'I never said outloud that I don't know how to date with kids,' she replied, then went on to compare her dating process to that of her ex. 'My kids' dad is happily remarried with the most wonderful woman in the world, Allie. My children have this extraordinary stepmom. And our processes have been different, and their side of the street is so functional, and whole, and happening. And I think I've been on the sidelines in a beautiful honoring purgatory,' she said. Hot date: 'I met this guy on a dating app and he was the most normal person about the process,' the actress revealed while showing photos of a potential new beau The actress - who's been married three times - insisted she will never get married again. When King asked if she was looking to get married again, Barrymore replied, 'Oh God, never,' adding, 'There's no reason to be. I would maybe live with someone again. Maybe.' She then insisted on her no marriage rule, repeating, 'There's no way. I will never ever, ever, ever get married again.' Aside from Kopelman, Barrymore was previously married to Canadian actor Tom Green from 2001 to 2002, and British bartender Jeremy Thomas, from 1994 to 1995. This isn't the first time the star is opening up about her dating life. In December she discussed her dislike for dating apps on her show, saying, 'It makes me feel like such a loser. And you're like you know what? It's just hard out there, it's hard out there for everybody. It's hard in person, it's hard on dating apps, it's vulnerable.' However, she wasn't dismayed by her lack os success, stating: 'You keep trying, and you fill your life up with so much that it becomes secondary...I think a cherry on top to my life at some convenient, cool, inspiring, unexpected time might be in there - but that's all it is.' Hailey Bieber set temperatures soaring on Tuesday when she posted stunning photos to social media showcasing her chiseled frame in revealing lingerie. The 25-year-old model joined the Victoria's Secret Instagram account in sharing photos of herself in lovely bras and panties from a photoshoot in a field during magic hour. The photos were likely shot prior to when the wife of Justin Bieber suffered a shocking health scare last week in which she developed 'stroke-like symptoms' after suffering a since-resolved blood clot in her brain. Stunner: Hailey Bieber, 25, set temperatures soaring on Tuesday when she revealed her chiseled frame in a set of steamy lingerie photos from Victoria's Secret that were posted to social media On her own Instagram account, Hailey wrote that she was trying out looks from Victoria's Secret's Dream Angels collection. She put on a busty display in a yellow bra covered in intricately designed yellow lace. Her washboard abs were on full display as she stepped through a rural field while the golden sun beamed down on her. The blond beauty paired her bra with matching high-cut yellow lace panties. Dreamy: Hailey put on a busty display in a yellow bra covered in intricately designed yellow lace from the brand's Dream Angels collection Magic hour: Her washboard abs were on full display as she stepped through a rural field while the golden sun beamed down on her Pretty in pink: Hailey also appeared with Imaan Hammam in another look featuring a corset-like pale pink floral top that was laced up over her cleavage and matched with floral panties Hailey also appeared with the model Imaan Hammam in another playful look featuring a corset-like pale pink floral top that was laced up over her cleavage and matched with floral panties. Imaan showed off a more traditional bra with lower-cut panties and suspenders around her midriff. On the Victoria's Secret Instagram account, the daughter of Stephen Baldwin looked totally at ease in a blue bra with decorative embroidery. She was otherwise topless while wearing a set of dark blue jeans and leaning against a tree. A follow-up shot showed her in a lavender flora-print satin slip with lacy cups over her bust, while Imaan was dressed in a simpler yellow satin item. An accompanying video showed Hailey in a sheer seafoam green bustier as she leaned against a grazing horse. Blue mood: On the Victoria's Secret Instagram account, the daughter of Stephen Baldwin looked totally at ease in a blue bra with decorative embroidery Flower power: A follow-up shot showed her in a lavender flora-print satin slip with lacy cups over her bust, while Imaan was dressed in a simpler yellow satin item Walk in nature: An accompanying video showed Hailey in a sheer seafoam green bustier as she leaned against a grazing horse Hailey's stunning displays arrive after the model was hospitalized last week after suffering a 'medical emergency.' TMZ reported on Saturday that she had been admitted to a hospital near Palm Springs days earlier. In an update posted later on Saturday, Hailey revealed she had developed 'stroke-like symptoms' due to a blood clot in her brain. 'On Thursday morning, I was sitting at breakfast with my husband when I started having stroke like symptoms and was taken to the hospital,' she wrote. Medical scare: Hailey said on Saturday that she had been admitted to a hospital after suffering 'stroke-like symptoms' from a blood clot in her brain, though she has since recovered; seen March 5 in Paris 'They found I had suffered a very small blood clot to my brain, which caused a small lack of oxygen, but my body had passed it on its own and I recovered completely within a few hours.' Hailey confirmed in her note that she was back at home now and on the mend. 'Although this was definitely one of the scariest moments I've ever been through, I'm home now and doing well, and I'm so grateful and thankful to all the amazing doctors and nurses who took care of me!' she wrote. 'Thank you to everyone who has reached out with well wishes and concern, and for all the support and love.' The latest: The model said she was at breakfast with husband Justin Bieber when she began having symptoms, but she recovered naturally and was now back at home Getting to the bottom of it: Doctors were concerned her symptoms might have been related to COVID-19, as they recently had a bout with the virus; seen with Justin in September in NYC According to sources close to her, Hailey's medical condition was affecting her movement in some way. They shared that she had undergone tests to find the origin of her illness. Doctors were concerned that her symptoms might have been related to COVID-19, as her husband Justin recently had a bout with the virus. Despite his illness, Justin is reportedly feeling fine now and has made a total recovery. Hailey is now out of the hospital, though it's unclear if her symptoms have abated at all. Sources told the publication that she was doing 'OK,' but doctors are still at work to determine the cause of her illness. Selling Sunset star Christine Quinn got glam for a dinner date with her husband Christian Richard at Mastro's Steakhouse in Beverly Hills on Monday night. The 33-year-old reality star - toting a Gucci bag - wore a white crop-top and baggy acid wash jeans beneath a fur-trimmed black trench coat and black-toed blue pumps. Christine - who boasts 2.8M social media followers - packed on the PDA with the retired tech millionaire in an Instastory she posted. Loved up: Selling Sunset star Christine Quinn got glam for a dinner date with her husband Christian Richard at Mastro's Steakhouse in Beverly Hills on Monday night Quinn and Richard indulged by dining on a tin of Sasanian Caviar and $30 shrimp cocktail. The married couple of two years' street sighting came after two 'armed' men attempted to break into their $5M three-story Hollywood Hills home on March 4. Christine, Christian, and their 10-month-old son Christian Georges Dumontet had been asleep before the home invasion, which she called the 'most horrifying moment of my life.' Luckily, Quinn and Richard's house was reinforced with sturdy triple-pane glass, which did not break during the crime but the police have not apprehended the suspects. Retro: The 33-year-old reality star - toting a Gucci bag - wore a white crop-top and baggy acid wash jeans beneath a fur-trimmed black trench coat by Susanna Chow and black-toed blue pumps Still going strong! Christine - who boasts 2.8M social media followers - packed on the PDA with the retired tech millionaire in an Instastory she posted Seafood: Quinn and Richard indulged by dining on a tin of Sasanian Caviar and $30 shrimp cocktail Earlier on Monday, the Oppenheim Group realtor modeled for a Barbie-themed photo shoot for the upcoming Christine Quinn x Galore collection for PrettyLittleThing. Christine resembled a living doll thanks to her glam squad - stylist Kathryn Gosik, hairstylist Glen Coco, make-up artist Gilbert Estrada, and spray tan artist Isabel Alysa. Abrams Image will publish Quinn's part how-to and part tell-all 224-page book How to be a Boss B**** on May 17. 'My book is coming out soon!' the platinum blonde Texan teased on Instagram a week ago. 'Help me identify these people!' The married couple of two years' street sighting came after two 'armed' men attempted to break into their $5M three-story Hollywood Hills home on March 4 July 15 family portrait: Christine, Christian, and their 10-month-old son Christian Georges Dumontet had been asleep before the home invasion The police have not apprehended the suspects: Luckily, Quinn and Richard's house was reinforced with sturdy triple-pane glass, which did not break during the crime 'I have poured my heart and soul in to this project. I hope my book inspires you to become the best version of yourself and live the life you deserve unapologetically!' Last year, Netflix renewed Selling Sunset for a fifth season, which will likely premiere in late 2022 or earlier 2023. Adam DiVello's series also spawned two spin-offs - Selling Tampa, which follows the Allure Realty firm in Florida and the upcoming Selling the OC, which follows the Oppenheim Group branch in Newport Beach. BTS: Earlier on Monday, the Oppenheim Group realtor modeled for a Barbie-themed photo shoot for the upcoming Christine Quinn x Galore collection for PrettyLittleThing Self-described 'gothic Barbie': Christine resembled a living doll thanks to her glam squad - stylist Kathryn Gosik, hairstylist Glen Coco, make-up artist Gilbert Estrada, and spray tan artist Isabel Alysa Carrie Bickmore has revealed that living under Melbourne's extended Covid lockdowns inspired her to quit The Project and relocate to the UK with her family. After announcing her plans for a sabbatical on Tuesday's show, the mother of three, 41, explained her decision in more detail in an Instagram post, admitting her family had been 'dreaming' of the move for 'a while now'. She said the 'extended family time' during lockdown made her realise she only has a few years left before her eldest son, Oliver Lange, 14, finishes school and moves out. Trigger: Carrie Bickmore (pictured) has revealed that living under Melbourne's extended Covid lockdowns inspired her to quit The Project and relocate to the UK with her family 'One of the unexpected silver linings to come out of living through Melbourne's lockdowns was the extended family time,' she wrote. 'We feel like this is our last chance to do something like this together before Ollie hits the pointy end of his schooling and no longer wants to hang out with us so we are heading to the UK for a school term.' Carrie had earlier become emotional as she revealed on The Project she and her partner Chris Walker would be moving to Britain with their children. She plans to take a sabbatical for several months from April. Family: After announcing her plans for a sabbatical on Tuesday's show, the mother of three, 41, explained her decision in more detail in an Instagram post, admitting her family had been 'dreaming' of the move for 'a while now'. (Carrie shares two children, daughters Evie, six, and Adelaide, three, with her partner Chris Walker, an ABC television producer. She welcomed eldest son Oliver during her marriage to the late Greg Lange, who died of brain cancer in 2010) Time is running out: She said the 'extended family time' during lockdown made her realise she only has a few years left before her eldest son, Oliver Lange, 14, finishes school and moves out 'In April I'm going to be taking a few months off The Project desk. Chris and I and the kids are heading off on a family adventure together,' she said. 'We've been wanting to do it for a while but for lots of reasons the timing hasn't been right, but we figure it's never going to be the perfect time to go. 'It's something we really want to do before my son starts his final years at school so we're doing term two in the UK. So I will be off for a couple of months.' Carrie also said she had been inspired by The Project panellist Kate Langbroek, 56, who spent two years living in Bologna, Italy, with her family. Inspired: Carrie also said she had been inspired by The Project panellist Kate Langbroek (right) who spent two years living in Bologna, Italy, with her family 'You are a big inspiration for heading overseas with a family and we had some big conversations after living through the world's longest lockdown,' Carrie said. 'One of the things that my son Ollie said was how much he was going to miss the family time when we were coming out of lockdown, which kind of surprised us because we had a lot of family time!' she added. 'But we thought, "Gosh, he still wants to spend time with us." And while he does, he only has a few years left and then he will fly away, so we thought we would seize the moment and do it.' Explanation: 'We feel like this is our last chance to do something like this together before Ollie hits the pointy end of his schooling and no longer wants to hang out with us so we are heading to the UK for a school term,' she said Carrie shares two children, daughters Evie, six, and Adelaide, three, with her partner Chris, a television producer for the ABC and Channel 10. She welcomed Oliver during her marriage to the late Greg Lange, who died of brain cancer in 2010. She has been a core part of The Project since its launch in 2009. Part of the family: Carrie has been a core part of The Project since its launch in 2009. Pictured here with Peter Helliar (left), Waleed Aly (centre left) and Steve Price (right) Back then: Carrie is seen here with former The Project hosts Dave Hughes (left) and Charlie Pickering (second from left), as well as MasterChef alum Julie Goodwin (second from right) In addition to being awarded an Order of Australia for her service to media, Carrie has also been nominated for multiple Logie Awards, and won three. The award-winning television and radio presenter took home the coveted Gold Logie for Most Popular Personality on Television in 2015. After working in radio for a few years, she got her start on television in 2006, reading the news bulletin for Channel 10's popular variety show Rove Live. Winner: The award-winning television and radio presenter took home the coveted Gold Logie for Most Popular Personality on Television in May 2015 Carrie's exit comes as ratings for The Project continue a downward trend. Channel 10's flagship current affairs show has lost almost a third of its audience since 2011, OzTAM ratings revealed in November. The program saw its metro ratings plummet to an all-time low of just 367,000 in 2021. Low yield: Carrie's exit comes as ratings for The Project continue a downward trend. (Pictured: Carrie with Waleed Aly, Lisa Wilkinson and Peter Helliar in a promo photo for The Project) That's a 30 per cent decline from its five-city audience of 538,000 a decade ago. The national audience, which includes regional viewers, has also seen a similar percentage drop from 725,000 in 2011 to 490,000 in 2021. These figures have made The Project commercial TV's worst-performing nightly premium program. Losses: Channel 10's flagship current affairs show has lost almost a third of its audience since 2011, OzTAM ratings revealed in November Despite disappointing ratings, a Channel 10 spokesperson denied rumours late last year that The Project would soon be facing the axe. 'The Project has just celebrated its 12th birthday and is here to stay,' they said. 'At a time when information, context and understanding is more important than ever, The Project will continue to provide Australians with their dose of news delivered differently.' Lasting? Despite disappointing ratings, a Channel 10 spokesperson denied rumours late last year that The Project would soon be facing the axe. Pictured with Carrie are Tommy little, Peter Helliar, Hamish Macdonald, Waleed Aly, Lisa Wilkinson and Gorgi Coghlan A leading TV commentator claimed Channel 10 was losing viewers because of The Project's left-wing agenda. Rob McKnight, a former 10 executive who now runs industry website TV Blackbox, said the views expressed on The Project don't resonate with everyday Aussies. He told Daily Mail Australia that despite its slick production and top-tier talent, The Project is 'very woke and that doesn't connect with mainstream Australia'. Abbie Chatfield is quickly moving up the ranks at Southern Cross Austereo, if industry rumours are to be believed. The 26-year-old Bachelor star, who has been hosting Hit FM's night show since January, is reportedly tipped to replace Carrie Bickmore on the Carrie and Tommy drive show while The Project host goes on extended leave with her family. Carrie, 41, announced on Tuesday's episode of The Project she will be taking several months off to live in England with her partner Chris Walker and their three children. Moving up in the world! The Bachelor's Abbie Chatfield, 26, (left) is reportedly set to replace Carrie Bickmore, 41, (right) on the Carrie and Tommy drive show while The Project host goes on leave with her family She did not disclose what would become of the Hit FM radio show she co-hosts with comedian Tommy Little. Industry sources say Austereo bosses have known about Carrie's travel plans since the start of the year, and have been 'training' Abbie on nights to replace her. If Abbie does take the helm alongside Tommy, 37, she may be faced with a rather awkward situation given the pair's rumoured former fling. Time off: Carrie, 41, announced on Tuesday's episode of The Project she will be taking several months off to live in England with her partner Chris Walker and their three children Replacement needed: She however failed to disclose what would become of the Hit FM radio show she co-hosts with comedian Tommy Little (right) The pair are said to have briefly dated prior to Abbie finding fame on The Bachelor. 'Abbie made the first move and privately messaged The Project host,' Marie Claire magazine reported. Tommy previously hinted at his fling with Abbie on The Project in 2019. Awkward! If Abbie (right) does take the helm alongside Tommy, 37, (left) she may be faced with a rather awkward situation given the pair's rumoured former fling The episode aired just before Abbie made her on-screen debut on Matt Agnew's season of The Bachelor. Carrie said: 'Tommy has been telling us he's been linked to two of the girls in the Bachelor house tonight!' Matt Agnew, who was being interviewed by the panel, laughed off the coincidence. Bombshell: Tommy's history with Abbie was exposed on The Project in 2019, during an episode which aired just before The Bachelor premiere. Carrie (left) said, 'Tommy has been telling us he's been linked to two of the girls in the Bachelor house tonight!' 'Yes, as a prolific dater, Tommy, it would have been weirder if you weren't linked to one of them,' the astrophysicist responded. It comes amid rumours Abbie could also take over the helm at Love Island Australia, replacing its current host Sophie Monk. 'An interesting rumour was rumbling last week that if the show returns Abbie Chatfield might be in the hosting hot seat rather than Australia's resident TV bombshell Sophie Monk,' the Herald Sun claimed on Tuesday. Host with the most? It comes amid rumours Abbie could also take over the helm at Love Island Australia - replacing its current host Sophie Monk However, a fourth season of the reality series has not yet been confirmed by Nine. Abbie is arguably one of Australia's most in-demand celebrities, with a hit podcast, reality shows, endorsement deals, and her very own radio program, Hot Nights with Abbie Chatfield. The reality star broke into the broadcasting industry with her podcast, It's a Lot, which she launched shortly after appearing on The Bachelor. The podcast eventually got picked up by Listnr, which is owned by Southern Cross Austereo, which then led to her own separate radio show. In 2021, she also won I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! Australia and was crowned Queen of the Jungle. In with the new? 'An interesting rumour was rumbling last week that if the show returns Abbie Chatfield might be in the hosting hot seat rather than Australia's resident TV bombshell Sophie Monk,' the Herald Sun claimed on Tuesday. Sophie is pictured on Love Island Australia Vanderpump Rules star James Kennedy was seen on a romantic Mexican getaway with his new girlfriend in a series of Instagram posts Tuesday. 'Only the most magical trip Ive ever experienced in my entire life, heres a little slide show of todays adventure. Share the love people! and the positivity!' Kennedy, 30, captioned the post, adding, 'cause lifes too short.' On the social media site, Kennedy and his new love, who has yet to be publicly identified, were seen enjoying idyllic weather at the resort Cenotes Casa Tortuga Tulum. The latest: Vanderpump Rules star James Kennedy, 30, was seen on a romantic Mexican getaway with his new girlfriend in a series of Instagram posts Tuesday In a series of images and clips, Kennedy and his girlfriend were seen kissing one another, smiling at each other, swimming in a cave and jumping off a cliff into water while holding hands together. The DJ/reality star was wearing a pair of grey trunks while his girlfriend donned a one-piece black bathing suit with her dark locks pulled back. Kennedy and his new love were first seen together on Instagram this past January when they were holding hands while out in Las Vegas. An insider told E! News at the time, 'She's someone new he's been casually seeing.' Kennedy seemed to be immersed in his new romance about three months after he and former fiancee Raquel Leviss, 27, revealed they had amicably parted in a joint statement on Instagram December 5. In a series of images and clips, Kennedy and his girlfriend were seen kissing one another at the resort Cenotes Casa Tortuga Tulum The couple was seen jumping off a cliff into water while holding hands together Kennedy and his new love were first seen together on Instagram this past January when they were holding hands while out in Las Vegas 'After these 5 wonderful years we had together, we decided we have two different goals and made the decision to call off the engagement,' the former couple said. 'We love each other very much, but we aren't in love anymore. We want nothing but the best for each other so please keep any thoughts positive. Sending Love.' Leviss, appearing on the Scheananigans With Scheana Shay podcast January 7, opened up about her split with Kennedy, who she got engaged to in May of 2021. 'It was kind of at Thanksgiving where I realized that I didn't want to be in this relationship anymore,' Leviss said. 'It was getting to the point where my family and him were not meshing well, and the future of Thanksgivings and Christmases and holidays was looking like it was going to be either James or my family.' The reality star/DJ was seen diving into water on the tropical vacation Kennedy was wearing a pair of grey trunks as he enjoyed outdoor fun on the getaway Kennedy seemed to be immersed in his new romance about three months after he and former fiancee Raquel Leviss, 27, revealed they had amicably parted in a joint statement on Instagram December 5 Leviss said on the podcast that she didn't feel she was being supported emotionally 'the way that [she] needed to be supported. 'He was like "Oh, I didn't know that you felt that way," and the conversation just kept going ... and it was like word vomit. It was like, "This is how I've been feeling, and I can't keep it in any longer because I'm not being an honest person and I'm lying to you and I don't feel comfortable with this."' Leviss said she told Kennedy that her 'heart isn't in it anymore,' and credited him for being understanding about her grievances. She added: 'He really did listen to me and was understanding of where I was coming from. He respected my decision.' Lingerie and bikini model Gabrielle Epstein dared to model clothes on her Instagram feed on Tuesday. But the Aussie blonde bombshell still managed to leave very little to the imagination. The 27-year-old went braless in a very tight blue cropped jumper and also flaunted her tiny waist and insane abs in a pelvis-baring skirt. Abs-olutely ripped! Braless Gabby Epstein leaves little to the imagination in a very tight top as she flashes her insane abs in a pelvis-baring skirt The two-piece outfit was by popular Brazilian designer Camila Coelho, and Gabby paired it with a matching pair of blue strappy shoes. The Los Angeles-based stunner wore her blonde locks tied back in a tight bun and accessorised with gold hoops earrings and a black handbag. Back in November, Gabby fired back at critics who said her photos were 'too explicit'. Baby blues: The two-piece outfit was by popular Brazilian designer Camila Coelho, and Gabby paired it with a matching pair of blue strappy shoes Speaking to Maxim magazine, she called out the 'toxic double standard' between how men and women are treated differently on Instagram. 'There are plenty of photos of men without their shirts on showing their nipples, but the fact that mine can be covered and a photo still gets removed creates a very toxic double standard,' she said. 'We are all human, we are all born with bodies and we should not be taught to be ashamed of how they look in a natural state.' She said she'd turned to OnlyFans to get around Instagram's censorship. Revealing: Gabby is usually seen modelling bikinis and lingerie on her Instagram page 'I also feel like I can be more of myself on OnlyFans,' she explained. 'To me showing my body isnt about me being objectified; its about me feeling confident, powerful and beautiful in my own skin.' Prior to finding fame as an adult model, Gabrielle was a competitive swimmer and ambassador for fitness brands. Ukraine seeking ceasefire, troop withdrawal at talks with Russia Xinhua) 08:59, March 15, 2022 Photo taken on March 7, 2022 shows a view of the third round of talks between Russian and Ukrainian delegations at the Belovezhskaya Pushcha. (Belta news agency via Xinhua) KIEV, March 14 (Xinhua) -- The Ukrainian delegation is seeking a ceasefire and a troop withdrawal during the peace talks with Russia, Ukrainian Presidential Advisor Mykhailo Podolyak, also a member of the delegation, said Monday. "Our positions remain unchanged: peace, immediate ceasefire, withdrawal of all Russian troops," Podolyak said in a video statement on Twitter. Ukraine will be ready to talk about any neighborly relations and political settlements with Russia only after the implementation of these positions, Podolyak said. The fourth round of negotiations between Ukrainian and Russian delegations was scheduled for Monday via video link. (Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Liang Jun) In Defence of Marxism is committed to safeguarding your privacy. At all times we aim to respect any personal data you share with us, or that we receive from other organisations, and keep it safe. This Privacy Policy (Policy) sets out our data collection and processing practices and your options regarding the ways in which your personal information is used. This Policy contains important information about your personal rights to privacy. Please read it carefully to understand how we use your personal data. We may update this Policy from time to time without notice to you, so please check it regularly. The provision of your personal data to us is voluntary. 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Please let us know if you have any queries or concerns whatsoever about the way in which your data is being processed by emailing the Data Protection Manager at webmaster@marxist.com Encanto star Stephanie Beatriz 'was already having some contractions' when she recorded the song Waiting on a Miracle, and welcomed her daughter Rosaline the very next day on August 22. 'I didn't want to tell anybody at Disney because I didn't want anyone to freak out,' the 41-year-old SAG Award nominee told Variety last Thursday. 'I was like, "Well, fingers crossed I finish the song before [the baby] comes!"' Cheers! Encanto star Stephanie Beatriz 'was already having some contractions' when she recorded the song Waiting on a Miracle, and welcomed her daughter Rosaline the very next day on August 22 Stephanie voiced the 15-year-old protagonist Mirabel Madrigal in the critically-acclaimed Disney animated musical comedy about a magical Colombian family, which hit theaters last November. On of the film's three directors - Byron Howard - recalled: 'We knew she was very, very, very, very ready to have that baby. But she did not tell us she was almost, almost ready.' Composer and writer Lin-Manuel Miranda joked that Beatriz (born Alvizuri) 'sang Waiting on a Miracle while waiting for her personal miracle.' The 41-year-old SAG Award nominee (pictured January 10) told Variety last Thursday: 'I didn't want to tell anybody at Disney because I didn't want anyone to freak out. I was like, "Well, fingers crossed I finish the song before [the baby] comes!"' 'Who I am inside, so what can I do?' Stephanie voiced the 15-year-old protagonist Mirabel Madrigal in the critically-acclaimed Disney animated musical comedy about a magical Colombian family, which hit theaters last November It's a miracle! Composer and writer Lin-Manuel Miranda (L, pictured November 4) joked that Beatriz 'sang Waiting on a Miracle while waiting for her personal miracle' Little Rosaline was the In the Heights actress' first child from her three-year marriage to Super Evil Genius Corp marketing director Brad Hoss. Encanto is nominated for three trophies - best animated feature, best original score, and best original song for Dos Oruguitas - at the 94th Academy Awards, which air March 27 on ABC. On Tuesday, Stephanie glammed up for the National Board of Review Awards Gala at Cipriani 42nd Street in Manhattan where Encanto won best animated feature. New parents: Little Rosaline was the In the Heights actress' first child from her three-year marriage to Super Evil Genius Corp marketing director Brad Hoss (L, pictured Sunday) Airing March 27 on ABC! Encanto is nominated for three trophies - best animated feature, best original score, and best original song for Dos Oruguitas - at the 94th Academy Awards Workers in protective clothing sit near a locked down area after the detection of new cases of Covid-19 in Shanghai on March 14 Nearly 30 million people were under lockdown across China on Tuesday, as surging virus cases prompted the return of mass tests and hazmat-suited health officials to city streets on a scale not seen since the start of the pandemic. China reported 5,280 new Covid-19 cases on Tuesday, more than double the previous day's tally, as the highly transmissible Omicron variant spreads across a country that has tethered tightly to a "zero-Covid" strategy. That approach, which pivots on hard localised lockdowns and has left China virtually cut off from the outside world for two years, appears to be on the line as Omicron finds its way into communities. At least 13 cities nationwide were fully locked down on Tuesday, and several other cities had partial lockdowns. - 'I panicked' - The northeastern province of Jilin was the worst-hit -- with over 3,000 new cases on Tuesday, according to the National Health Commission. Residents of several cities there including the provincial capital of Changchun -- home to nine million people -- are under stay-at-home orders. Shenzhen -- the southern tech hub of 17.5 million people -- is three days into a lockdown with many factories closed and supermarket shelves emptying, while China's largest city Shanghai is under a lattice of restrictions that fall short of a citywide shutdown. Scenes of closed neighbourhoods, panic buying and police cordons cast back to the early phase of the pandemic, which first emerged in China in late 2019 but has eased in much of the rest of the world. As lockdowns edge closer to Beijing, public venues have tightened their scrutiny of the ubiquitous health QR codes. From a 21-day home quarantine with her mother and three-year-old child, project manager Mary Yue said she was forced to isolate after virus cases were linked to a playground they had visited. "I panicked when the health officials called... I was afraid they'd take us to a quarantine hotel," the 34-year-old told AFP. "But this time they are letting people isolate at home. That's a huge relief." Other city residents expressed exasperation as the pandemic grinds on in China, while much of the world tries to return to normal. "The control measures were doing pretty well before," Beijinger Yan told AFP, giving one name. "And now it starts again, when will it ever end?" - Economic clouds gather - Tuesday was the sixth day in a row that more than 1,000 new cases were recorded in the world's second-biggest economy. Experts forecast a dent to growth as the virus billows out. "Renewed restrictions, notably the lockdown in Shenzhen, will weigh on consumption and cause supply disruptions in the near term," Tommy Wu of Oxford Economics said in a briefing note. He added that it will be "challenging" for China to meet its official GDP growth target for the year of around 5.5 percent. Hong Kong stocks plunged by more than three per cent Tuesday, extending the previous day's tech-fueled rout. "The partial containment of wealthy provinces in southern and eastern China is worrying because they account for half of the country's GDP and population," Raymond Yeung, an analyst at ANZ bank, said in a research note. Dozens of domestic flights at airports in Beijing and Shanghai were cancelled Tuesday morning, flight tracking data showed. An outbreak at Volkswagen Group factories in the Jilin city of Changchun also prompted three sites to shut Monday for at least three days, according to a spokesman. Top Chinese medical expert Zhang Wenhong has raised the prospect of softening the zero-Covid strategy in the face of the Omicron variant. But he warned any relaxation of mass testing and lockdowns was impossible in the short term. Health officials have also said tighter restrictions could be on the way. Jilin's governor vowed to go all-out to "achieve community zero-Covid in a week" during an emergency meeting Monday night, state media reported. WASHINGTON (AP) - Russian President Vladimir Putin's war in Ukraine and his push to upend the broader security order in Europe may lead to a historic shift in American thinking about defense of the continent. Depending on how far Putin goes, this could mean a buildup of U.S. military power in Europe not seen since the Cold War. The prospect of a bigger U.S. military footprint in Europe is a remarkable turnaround from just two years ago. In 2020, President Donald Trump ordered thousands of American troops out of Germany as part of his argument that Europeans were undeserving allies. Just days after taking office, President Joe Biden stopped the withdrawal before it could start, and his administration has stressed NATOs importance even as Biden identifies China as the main long-term threat to U.S. security. Then came Russias invasion of Ukraine. "We are in a new era of sustained confrontation with Russia," says Alexander Vershbow, a former U.S. ambassador to Russia and former deputy secretary-general of NATO. He argues that the United States, in cooperation with NATO allies, will need to establish a more muscular stance to deal with a more threatening Russia. That is especially so in Eastern Europe, where Russias proximity poses a problem for the three Baltic nations that are former Soviet states. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin was flying to Europe on Tuesday for his second recent round of Ukraine consultations at NATO headquarters in Brussels. He also will travel to two Eastern European NATO countries - Slovakia, which borders Ukraine, and Bulgaria, which does not. After a NATO meeting last month, Austin visited two other allies on the eastern flank - Poland and Lithuania. FILE - An old so called 'raisin bomber' airplane from WW II is seen at the airlift memorial at the airport in Frankfurt, Germany, on June 24, 2020. Russian President Vladimir Putin's war in Ukraine and his push to upend the broader security order in Europe may signal a historic shift in American thinking about defense of the continent. Depending on how far Putin goes, this could mean a buildup of U.S. military power in Europe not seen since the Cold War. (AP Photo/Michael Probst, File) As Austin was en route, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg made it clear Tuesday that the 30-nation military alliance is set to radically change its security stance in Europe in response to Russias war on Ukraine. He said defense ministers will discuss possible changes when they meet Wednesday. "We need to reset our military posture for this new reality," Stoltenberg told reporters. "On land, this could include substantially more forces in the eastern part of the alliance, at higher readiness, and with more prepositioned equipment." He added that NATO "will also consider major increases to our air and naval deployments, strengthening our integrated air and missile defense, reinforcing our cyber defenses, and holding more and larger exercises." In just the past two months, the U.S. presence in Europe has jumped from about 80,000 troops to about 100,000, which is nearly as many as were there in 1997 when the United States and its NATO allies began an expansion of the alliance that Putin says threatens Russia and must be reversed. By comparison, in 1991, the year the Soviet Union dissolved, the United States had 305,000 troops in Europe, including 224,000 in Germany alone, according to Pentagon records. The number then dropped steadily, reaching 101,000 in 2005 and about 64,000 as recently as 2020. This year's U.S. troop additions are billed as temporary, but there's no certainty how long they'll stay. They include an armored brigade of the 1st Infantry Division, totaling about 4,000 soldiers, to Germany, and a similar-size infantry brigade of the 82nd Airborne Division, to Poland. Numerous Army headquarters units also have been sent to Poland and Germany. Austin also sent F-35A fighter jets to NATOs eastern flank and Apache attack helicopters to the Baltic states. A recent Pentagon review of its worldwide military presence concluded that troop levels and positions in Europe were about right. But in testimony before a House committee several days after Putin invaded Ukraine, Mara Karlin, a senior Pentagon official who oversaw the 2021 review, said that conclusion will have to be reconsidered. The Pentagon must "ensure that we've got deterrence of Russia and that we can absolutely 150% say that NATO is safe and secure," not just in light of Russia's invasion but for the longer term, she said March 1. Putin's war in Ukraine has prompted a rethinking of regional defense needs not just by Washington but also some European allies, including Germany, which last month broke with a longstanding policy of not exporting weapons to conflict zones by sending anti-tank and anti-aircraft weapons to Ukraine. Germany also committed to a much bigger defense budget. "A new reality," Chancellor Olaf Scholz declared. Putin has not only demanded that Ukraine disavow its ambition to join NATO but also insisted the alliance withdraw its forces from NATO's eastern flank - demands the U.S. and NATO reject as counter to the fundamental rights of nations to decide their foreign relations for themselves and of NATO's basic commitment to provide security for all members equally. If Russia were to take control of the entirety of Ukraine, it would be on the border of additional NATO countries, including Romania, Slovakia and Hungary. Poland and Lithuania already share a land border with the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad, headquarters of the Baltic Fleet of the Russian Navy. There is concern that Putin could decide to make a play for control of that 60-mile-long land corridor, known as the Suwalki Gap, that connects Kaliningrad to Belarus. Vershbow, the former deputy NATO secretary-general who is now a distinguished fellow at the Atlantic Council, recommends that the U.S. and NATO move beyond their current reliance on light, battalion-size battle groups in Eastern Europe to instead deploy heavier, larger and permanent forces there. Such a transition on NATO's eastern flank is just the sort of thing Putin says is a threat to Russia and says he will no longer tolerate. He has demanded a return to the arrangements that existed in 1997, when the NATO-Russia Founding Act was signed. In that document, Moscow acknowledged that NATO would go ahead with plans to invite Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic to join the alliance. Notably, the document also said that "in the foreseeable security environment," NATO would forgo "additional permanent stationing of substantial combat forces on the territory of new members." Does that foreclose the option of a U.S. troop buildup in Eastern Europe? No, says a new report by the Atlantic Council's Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security. It argues that the restrictions on NATO's military presence in Eastern Europe as described in the 1997 NATO-Russia Founding Act are irrelevant in light of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. "We are in new, dangerous territory - a period of sustained tensions, military moves and countermoves, and major intermittent military crises in the Euro-Atlantic area that will ebb and flow for at least the remainder of the 2020s, if not longer," the report says. FILE - Pentagon spokesman John Kirby speaks during a briefing at the Pentagon in Washington, on Feb. 2, 2022. Russian President Vladimir Putin's war in Ukraine and his push to upend the broader security order in Europe may signal a historic shift in American thinking about defense of the continent. Depending on how far Putin goes, this could mean a buildup of U.S. military power in Europe not seen since the Cold War. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, File) DARIEN In an effort to increase inclusivity, town officials are gearing up to remove gender references in the towns top documents. The Representative Town Meeting first proposed the project in June 2021, hoping to modernize outdated gender-specific language in Dariens Town Charter and Code of Ordinances. Using software through a company called Municode, members of the RTM identified more than 450 instances of gendered language within both documents. The software also proposed the gender-neutral version in each case, changing, for example, all references of Chairman into Chair. Other changes include broadly shifting the pronouns he and him to they and their. Frank Kemp, the chair of the Representative Town Meetings Town Government Structure and Administration Committee, said he hopes the RTMs example will set a precedent for other departments within town, noting that the changes reflect cultural shifts in recent years that prioritize inclusive measures. It just seemed like it was time to make some changes, to bring the documents up into a current standard, Kemp said. All the legislation now is written gender-free. Congress is doing it, the state of Connecticut is doing it. We figured its time to straighten this out. Kemp said the committee used $4,500 in town funding to undertake the revisions. Municode received $3,000 to generate the changes and will receive another $1,500 once the RTM approves a resolution formally adopting the changes. The project is only implementing what Kemp called simple fixes, stopping short of changing words such as manhole. The committee will be holding multiple upcoming public hearings on the proposed changes in order to give residents a chance to comment. Kemp said he does not anticipate much pushback from the town, though he has a ready response for any dissent. Some people might say, Well, if it ain't broke, don't fix it, Kemp said. My answer to that is that it has been broken for a very long time and its time to fix it. A copy of the 60-page report that specifies the changes is available on the Towns website and at the Town Clerk's Office at Town Hall. Residents can either comment at the Town Hall Auditorium at 7:30 p.m. March 28 or during an online hearing at 7:30 p.m. March 29. remaining of SUPPORT LOCAL JOURNALISM! On your next view you will be asked to log in to your subscriber account or create an account and subscribepurchase a subscription to continue reading. Thank you for reading! Please purchase a subscription to read our premium content. If you have a subscription and are still unable to access our content, please link your digital account to your print subscription If you have a subscription, please log in or sign up for an account on our website to continue. As ever, the outbreak of war has led to all manner of hypocrisy and propaganda from the agents of imperialism. Marxists must cut through this fog, and point out the real class interests at play. To end the horrors of war, we must end capitalism. In war, truth is the first casualty. Aeschylus (525 BC 456 BC) This fact was known long ago, and remains the case today. We are being subjected to a bombardment of official propaganda by Western imperialism, which is drenched in hypocrisy and cynicism. The Russian intervention in Ukraine has led to howls of condemnation from the Western imperialists, who are themselves task-masters of foreign interventions and bloody excursions. The British government, this third-rate yapping mongrel, has been keen to heighten the noise of jingoism. It has been frothing at the mouth in demanding action against Russian aggression. Those who dare raise the idea that this is a reactionary war on both sides are regarded as agents of Putin. We must remember that the propaganda war is waged by both sides in the conflict to justify their actions. Let us not forget that the British people were lied to about so-called weapons of mass destruction to justify the war in Iraq. Imperialism Marxists are opposed to Putins war in Ukraine, but for our own class reasons, in that it sows divisions in the working class, foments national hatreds, and throws back class consciousness. But we are also opposed to Western imperialism, which is drenched in blood and has no interest in the well-being of the people of Ukraine. Johnson's proclamations about the fight for democratic values reeks of hypocrisy as he happily climbs into bed with Russian oligarchs who give money to the Tory Party / Image: Socialist Appeal Boris Johnson, in particular, reeks of hypocrisy in proclaiming the fight for democratic values, while happily climbing into bed with Russian oligarchs who give money to the Tory Party. The British ruling class has played the role of second fiddle to US imperialism in intervening everywhere in its own dirty interests. As expected, the UK government shouts the loudest in the fight to defend Ukraine to the last drop of someone elses blood. Liz Truss, the foreign secretary, however, with one eye on the leadership of the Tory Party, went a step too far and created consternation with the idea that British nationals should volunteer to fight the Russians in Ukraine. In this imperialist chorus, the Tories are fully backed by Sir Keir Starmer and the right wing of the Labour Party, who have replaced the red flag with the flag of NATO. Johnson and Starmer are in effect the joint heads of the War Party. This is a clear indication that any future Starmer government would be firmly in the pockets of US imperialism, as was Tony Blairs. Foreign policy is only the extension of home policy. And an anti-working class policy at home means a reactionary, anti-working class imperialist policy abroad. Double standards This show of strength is drenched of course in double standards. It was these so-called paragons of virtue who all fell over themselves in supporting imperialist aggression in Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, and Libya, to name a recent few, which led to the death of hundreds of thousands of innocent people. While defended by its apologists under the flag of freedom and democracy, NATO, the worlds most powerful military alliance, is an aggressive instrument of Western imperialism the most ruthless power on the planet / Image: Socialist Appeal The masses in Iraq continue today to pay the price for US imperialisms war, as do the other countries liberated by these imperialist gangsters. The main instigator of this violence has been US imperialism. This is the most ruthless power on the planet, with a long history of imperialist intervention in a stream of countries: Vietnam, Cambodia, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Honduras, Cuba, and in countries across the Middle East, where millions have died. It is the head of the worlds most powerful military alliance NATO an aggressive instrument of Western imperialism. The defence of the ravages of imperialism by its apologists, under the flag of freedom and democracy, is of course to be expected. The imperialist aggressors attack the aggression of others, who dare contradict their interests. In the process, they play with the lives of millions of innocent people, which are used and then cynically discarded when the time comes. Both sides in this conflict are involved in propaganda to justify their actions, the better to influence public opinion. Our task is not to fall for this reactionary demagogy, but to have a class understanding of the interests involved. War, after all, is the continuation of politics by other means. Expansion Western imperialists, particularly American imperialism through the agency of NATO, have been continually seeking to expand their spheres of influence to the east, especially into the areas which were formerly under the aegis of the Soviet Union or part of it. The Russians regarded this as an existential threat. As Strobe Talbott, the former deputy secretary of state, explained: Many Russians see NATO as a vestige of the Cold War, inherently directed against their country. They point out that they have disbanded the Warsaw Pact, their military alliance, and ask why the West should not do the same. Western imperialists, particularly American imperialism through the agency of NATO, have been continually seeking to expand their spheres of influence to the east, especially into the areas which were formerly under the aegis of the Soviet Union or part of it / Image: Socialist Appeal What determines the attitude of the imperialists is their material power, incomes, privileges and prestige. In doing so, they need to conquer markets, as well as capture spheres of influence and sources of raw materials and energy. The expansion of NATO, their military alliance, is part and parcel of this. With the collapse of the Soviet Union, they have driven further eastwards, creating new spheres of influence and power. They have the audacity to claim that this war in Ukraine is the first on the European continent since the Second World War. They have conveniently forgotten the Balkan wars in the 1990s, instigated by imperialism especially German imperialism with the ethnic cleansing that accompanied it during the reactionary break-up of Yugoslavia. The purpose of this was to regain lost spheres of influence, and had nothing to do with defending the rights of the peoples that made up former Yugoslavia. This opened up a new period of instability and war the new normal in which they intervened in Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, and Libya, with devastating consequences. They seemed invincible in their arrogance. This was supposed to be the end of history, with capitalism finally triumphant and humanity having achieved the highest possible form of society. How things have changed since then! Now, however, they are not facing the weak powers on the Balkans, but are having to deal with the hard resistance from Russia, who has drawn a red line to further Western advance. The Russians already gave notice in Georgia and then Crimea, but the Western imperialists ignored them. This, in a nutshell, explains the current war. As Ted Galan Carpenter, of the Cato Institute, warned: History will show that Washingtons treatment of Russia in the decades following the demise of the Soviet Union was a policy blunder of epic proportions. It was entirely predictable that NATO expansion would ultimately lead to a tragic, perhaps violent, breach of relations with MoscowWe are now paying the price for the US foreign policy establishments myopia and arrogance. (The Guardian, 28/2/22) Confusion Among those who consider themselves on the left in Britain, there is enormous confusion over this question. There is Paul Mason, for example, who simply says Putin started this war and is the guilty party, and therefore we must oppose him and support and strengthen NATO. We are in a global conflict between systems, states Mason, who sees the fight in broader terms: Democracy, science and the rule of law versus dictatorship, disinformation and armed anarchy. In other words, for Mason, it is simply a struggle between good and evil, nothing more; where he, of course, is on the side of good, namely Western imperialism. Some, like George Monbiot, who seek some kind of balance, also end up in the camp of supporting Western imperialism. He regards Russia as the aggressor', while the NATO alliance is simply reacting to the Russian threat. NATOs expansion has also been driven in part by Putins belligerence, Monbiot says, placing the blame on Russia. Again, this places him on the side of US imperialism, which means he has climbed into bed with one gang of imperialist robbers and plunderers the NATO alliance against another imperialist gang. For both Monbiot and Paul Mason, the working class must abandon any independent class position and choose sides in this reactionary war. This is the mess you get into when you abandon a class position. Instead of seeking to understand the objective reasons and interests that led to this war, i.e. the decades-long conflict over spheres of influence and power, we are reduced to seeking who started it. Nothing has been learnt from history by these people. Pacifism On the other hand, there are those on the left who, while criticising the intervention and NATOs response, have adopted a pacifist approach. This boils down to appealing for a diplomatic solution, international law, and abstract appeals for peace as the way forward. Here there are the usual appeals for sanity and common sense to prevail in this terrible world. This is like appealing to a tiger to become a vegetarian. Every time there is a threat of war, the pacifists and the left reformists appeal to the United Nations (UN) to intervene and secure peace. But the UN is utterly impotent, never having played any significant role in wars in the past. The call today for the UN to intervene in relation to Ukraine is even more laughable. At this time, Russia holds the presidency of the United Nations. So when the UN held a Security Council emergency meeting about the conflict, the Russian Ambassador was chairing the meeting! At the UN Security Council, the United States introduced a resolution condemning Russia, supported by Britain and France, but this was immediately vetoed by Russia, with China, India and the UAE abstaining. We must give peace another chance, stated Antonio Guterres., secretary general of the UN. Leaders need to turn to the path of dialogue and peace. At this critical moment, I call for an immediate ceasefire and re-establishment of the rule of law. These serene words had as much effect on the situation as the words of King Canute when he tried to order the sea to retreat. Such pleas fall on deaf ears. The UN is as impotent as the League of Nations before the Second World War. It has never solved any major conflict. At best, only secondary issues can be resolved through dialogue in the UN, but little else. The major powers in the Security Council simply veto things they dont like. An emergency UN general assembly did pass a resolution condemning Russia, but this is as toothless as the numerous resolutions against the US blockade of Cuba or against Israels oppression of the Palestinians. Stop the War Support for the UN and diplomacy is the position held by the Stop the War Coalition. But even this is too much to stomach for the arch-NATO supporter, Sir Keir Starmer. In an attempt by Starmer to show he was a more loyal supporter of Western imperialism than Johnson, he launched an attack on the Stop the War coalition for giving succour to authoritarian leaders who threaten democracies. In reality, it is he, a faithful Blairite poodle, who is craving succour from the ruling class. While we stand against Starmers spiteful attack to Stop the War, the coalitions statement reveals its weakness when it refers to the virtues of diplomacy, the UN, and sweet reason / Image: Chris Beckett, Flickr While we stand against Starmers bullying and everything he stands for, including his spiteful attack on Stop the War, the coalitions statement reveals its weakness when it refers to the virtues of diplomacy, the UN, and sweet reason. This weakness obviously reflects the fact that the anti-war coalition encompasses a wide variety of people, including liberals and different religious groups, with pacifist opinions against war. A large layer of the British left, who are well-meaning, have also signed up to this broad-based opposition. But therein lies its weakness. The coalition is attempting to build a heterogeneous movement on a few basic points, which evades the central question that capitalism and imperialism inevitably create the conditions for war. It is not a moral, but a class question. Class question Marxists have always explained that war and revolution are fundamental questions that reflect powerful material class interests. This has all been dealt with extensively in the writings of Marx, Engels, Lenin, and Trotsky. Unfortunately, these ideas, regarded as old fashioned, have been pushed aside by many on the left in favour of all kinds of middle-class and pacifist ideas. They have abandoned the class point of view in regard to international questions, as in domestic issues. Our task is to expose this hypocrisy of the ruling class, especially of our own, and to make clear the common interests of the working class. Our starting point must be that anything which acts to raise the class consciousness of the working class is justified, while anything that produces the opposite effect has to be condemned. In other words, all that which increases the internationalism and the powers of the working class must be supported; anything which results in a lowering of class consciousness and exacerbates national divisions must be opposed. What determines the policy and attitude of socialists must be the class interests of the workers as opposed to those of the capitalists. That is our criterion. All this talk of so-called diplomacy and mutual agreements are not worth the paper they are written on. The idea that the British ruling class should follow the lead of the French and German rulers in pursuing diplomacy is simply to build illusions that there are good imperialists and bad imperialists; one set who are reasonable and others who are belligerent. This leads directly to the idea that the working class can find solutions to their problems by allying with this or that wing of the ruling class. Our duty is to always tell the working class the truth, and that is that they cannot trust any section of the ruling class. And that they cannot trust any of the imperialist powers who, in the last analysis, only act in their own class interests and according to the balance of forces at a particular time. The imperialists try to disguise their real aims with all sorts of subterfuges and moralising. But in reality it is material interests that determine the policy of capitalist Britain, America, France, Japan, Germany, Russia, and the others. The left think they can bring pressure to bear upon the rulers of the world. However, all the protests around the world do not count for anything in the eyes of the ruling class. We should recall that the mass demonstration against the Iraq war of two million people in London in February 2003, organised by Stop the War, did not prevent the imperialist military intervention. The so-called policy of shock and awe back then in Iraq was pursued for material interests and gain. War is the continuation of politics by other means, to quote Clausewitz again. And when the capitalist class decides that war is the next step they must take, then nice words will have no effect. When the struggle between the major powers leads to war, small countries in the present case Ukraine are simply regarded as small change for the imperialists. In the First World War, it was poor little Belgium that was used as their fig leaf for imperialist war. They even used the cloak of self-determination to cover their crimes. Ukraine for the NATO imperialists was only a means for their further expansion eastwards, and nothing more. Illusions Any call for a ceasefire, withdrawal of the troops, and support for the UN, is devoid of a class standpoint, class analysis, and class solutions. Unfortunately, statements from Stop the War, while containing correct points about NATO expansion, are mired in pacifism and illusions in diplomacy. In a capitalist world, international law is always ripped up by powers if it gets in the way of pursuing their own interests / Image: Socialist Appeal We call for an immediate ceasefire alongside the resumption of diplomatic negotiations to resolve the crisis, says the statement. This dispute could and should be resolved peacefully But how can this be done when Putin, reflecting the interests of Russian capitalism, sees the expansion of NATO as an existential threat, and the NATO imperialists, for reasons of prestige, cannot afford to lose face? They will not change their spots. The statement goes on to say that the wars of aggression by the USA, Britain and other NATO powers have undermined international law and the United Nations. We have already commented on the complete impotence of the United Nations, which in any case has also been a fig-leaf for imperialist interventions. International law is always ripped up by powers if it gets in the way of pursuing their own interests. It is a fiction in a capitalist world dominated by capitalist interests. It calls on the British to oppose NATOs expansion to the east, and to encourage a return to the Minsk-2 agreement. Beyond that, there now needs to be a united effort to develop pan-European security arrangements which meet the needs of all states The alternative is endless great power conflict with all the attendant waste of resources and danger of bloodshed and destruction. This pacifist approach, completely devoid of class politics, is completely utopian. Firstly, capitalist imperialist governments carry out policies in their own interests, to further their own power, prestige, and profits. On a capitalist basis, there will always be rivalry, conflict and wars between the powers. The actions of the ruling class of each state is guided by its material interests. As a result, there has hardly been a day of peace in the world since the Second World War. Whether there is conflict or not has nothing to do with pan-European security arrangements or any other arrangements; nor about a return to diplomacy, behind which lies the class interests of each state. It is an illusion and falsehood to say that peace can be achieved or maintained by such means. Class struggle We must stare reality in the face. We need to call things by their right names. When tensions build up between the capitalist powers over power, spheres of influence, and markets, to the point where normal competition no longer suffices to establish who is to dominate, then war becomes the next option. And when their vital interests are at stake, they will go to war. That is why, above all, we need to speak the truth and base ourselves on the class struggle. The only really meaningful fight against imperialist war is to be found in the struggle to change society, and eliminate the contradictions and material interests that produce it / Image: Marxist Tendency (Russia) The only really meaningful fight against imperialist war is to be found in the struggle to change society, and eliminate the contradictions and material interests that produce it. That is on the basis of a real, serious revolutionary social programme, capable of rallying the working class and the oppressed. The solution to the problem of war, of national antagonisms, and the crimes of imperialism, can only be found in the overthrow of capitalism, and the creation of a democratic World Federation of Socialist States. This is the only real, lasting solution to world problems and conflicts. So long as capitalism exists war is inevitable at some stage. And once this war is over, new wars will be prepared as the capitalist system sinks deeper and deeper into crisis. We therefore take our stand on the basis of a Marxist class analysis, which cuts through the hypocrisy and the hysterical propaganda of the capitalist class and its venal media. This provides us with an internationalist perspective, and an understanding of national and international problems. It is a weapon in the struggle to transform society in the interests of the working class. As Ted Grant explained: Only by analysing the class interests that lay behind the international clashes and contradictions is it possible to understand the modern world and prepare the working class for the necessary transformation of society. Hyderabad: The Right to Education Act (RTE) is barely being implemented by private schools in Telangana. It has been so dismally low that hardly have any of the 1.75 lakh seats been filled in the last two years. The major reason for schools not abiding by the RTE is that they are not receiving funds from the government. Another common refrain is that the students lack the appropriate behaviour to mingle or blend with other students in private schools. DC spoke to several principals and headmasters of budget, private and international schools. While most of them said that the government itself has not asked the schools to implement the RTE Act, others said that they stopped admissions under the RTE Act because of the poor hygiene as students coming from slum areas. They can be a bad influence on others, goes the argument. The promoter of a budget school said that the state government had sent a letter to the Union government in 2009 saying that Telangana does not want to implement the RTE Act as they were running gurukuls with RTE funds. "No school in Telangana is implementing the Act as the government itself has turned a blind eye to it. If the government mandates it, we will happily do so," he said, adding that he was clueless about RTE funds being used to run gurukuls. By a stroke they may get a maximum of `9,000 from the government, which has a ready no funds answer, said a principal of an international school. Another principal of a well-known private school in the city said that the kids who are admitted under RTE Act are unhygienic, lack basic etiquette, and steal. Schools have stopped taking in these kids as they are very shabby, poor in English and they get picked on by other students which adversely impacts the classmates, he said. According to government rules, students from poor families can secure admission in private schools under 25% RTE quota. The state government is blaming the Centre for not providing the funds to implement the Act, said a member from Telangana Parents Association. He added that more than 70% of such children are engaged as child labour. The state government has to send reimbursement details to the Union government every year. Schools show that all seats have been admitted under RTE Act but in reality, there are no such students, said Mohammad Hussain. He said that legal action should be taken against schools who do not implement the RTE Act. The school education commissioner is turning a blind eye to these issues and there is no regulatory body or committee to monitor implementation of the Act, Hussain added. Punish errant schools, demands parents body Most schools in Hyderabad, especially those in Jubilee Hills, are illegally running schools and do not have subject teachers. Schools with a license to teach up to class 4 are conducting classes for up to X standard. One teacher is teaching at least two different subjects, said Mohammad Hussain, president of Telangana Parents Association. There are no safety measures and many schools do not have the required infrastructure, he said. They all should be penalised, he said. Vijayawada: The Andhra Pradesh High Court on Monday refused to issue an interim order on the state governments move to reorganise the districts to 26 from the present 13. A division bench comprising Chief Justice Prashant Kumar Mishra and Justice M. Satyanarayana Murthy was hearing a petition filed by D. Vijay Kumar and others here on Monday which raised objections to the draft notification issued by the government on January 25 to reorganise the districts and the government orders issued on the matter. The court said that the state government had issued only a draft notification to reorganise the districts and asked the petitioners to approach the government if they had any objections to it. The bench advised them to approach the court in case they found any objections once the government issued the final notification. The court asked the petitioners why Article 371 (D) was mentioned in their petition with regard to the reorganisation of districts. The court asked whether or not Article 371 (D) had come as a hurdle in the reorganisation of districts in Telangana state. The court also asked whether or not any petitions had been filed challenging the Telangana governments reorganisation of districts. The court directed the respondents including the Union home secretary, the AP Chief Secretary and AP principal secretary, finance, to file counter-affidavits and posted the case for hearing after eight weeks. Union Defense Minister Rajnath Singh speaks in the Rajya Sabha during the second part of Budget Session of Parliament, in New Delhi, Tuesday, March 15, 2022. (SANSAD TV/PTI) New Delhi: Union defence minister Rajnath Singh assured Parliament on Tuesday that India's missile system is reliable and safe and that all safety procedures and protocols are followed and reviewed regularly. Making a statement in both Houses of Parliament over the accidental firing of a missile that landed in Pakistan, Mr Singh added that standard operating procedures (SOPs) for operations, maintenance, and inspection of such systems were being reviewed. He, however, did not elaborate on the lapse last week when an Indian missile got released "accidentally" and landed in Pakistan's territory. "During routine maintenance and inspection, a missile was accidentally released at around 7 pm (on March, 9, 2022). It was later learnt that the missile had landed inside the territory of Pakistan," Mr Singh said in the Parliament. He said that while this incident is regretted, "we are relieved that nobody was hurt due to the accident." Mr Singh asserted that the government has taken serious note of the incident. "A formal high-level inquiry has been ordered. The inquiry would determine the exact cause of the said accident," he said. The defence minister assured the Parliament that the government attaches highest priority to safety and security of the weapon systems. But Mr Singh did not explain why India did not "I would also like to state that a review of the Standard Operating Procedures for operations, maintenance and inspections is being conducted in the wake of this incident," said Mr Singh. If any shortcoming is found, the same would be immediately rectified, he said. "I can assure the House that the missile system is very reliable and safe. Moreover, our safety procedures and protocols are of the highest order and are reviewed from time to time," he said. Mr Singh said that Indian Armed Forces are well-trained and disciplined and are well experienced in handling such systems. Last week India had admitted that during routine maintenance a technical malfunction led to the accidental firing of a missile which landed 124 kilometres inside Pakistan. The accidental firing of unarmed BrahMos missile from an Indian Air force base had raised concern as both countries are nuclear armed. Pakistan military in a press conference had claimed that an unarmed Indian supersonic missile, travelled at a speed of Mach 3.0 had intruded 124 kilometres into Pakistani territory in three minutes and 44 seconds and hit a private property near Mian Channu. The GO was very much needed to protect the two reservoirs of Osmansagar and Himayatsagar. (DC photo) HYDERABAD: Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Raos announcement in the Assembly that the government would repeal GO 111 seems to have kicked a hornets nest as environmentalists and rights activists have taken up the cudgel against the Chief Ministers decision. They say the government will find it tough to legally withdraw the order, and that the GO was very much needed to protect the two reservoirs of Osmansagar and Himayatsagar. The GO 111 was issued by the erstwhile AP government in 1996 to protect the catchment areas of the two reservoirs, as they were the primary sources of drinking water for Hyderabad. Environmentalist Dr Subba Rao said the objectives of the GO went beyond the protection of the two reservoirs. It ensures a sustainable water resource management. We declared in 1946 that Hussainsagar water was unfit for drinking and 10-15 years ago, we did the same for Manjeera. Even the Godavari waters may become unfit with time, who knows? he said. Dr Rao added that the reservoirs were part of the only zero-energy water distribution system in the country, where no water was pumped from the sources, and hence they were completely infused into climate change adaptation. The Central government must intervene to strengthen GO 111, considering Indias role in climate change stability, he added. Environmentalist Prof K. Purushottam Reddy said the GO had legal backing in the form of a Supreme Court judgement. The law of the land is clear, it (the decision) is foolish on part of the ruling party. The state government behaves as if it is not bound by judicial orders, Prof Reddy said. He said the two reservoirs, along with hundreds of other lakes, were ecological necessities, and without them, summers would be more severe. The GO is very important because it prevents any polluting activity within 10 km of the backwaters of these two reservoirs, he said. Prof Reddy said additionally, under the doctrine of implied powers, the state government was duty bound to protect the entire Musi river right from its mouth in Vikarabad. Right now, only a statement has been made. But we are very serious. I am sure the people of Hyderabad will go all out and make a common cause for the protection of these two water bodies, he said. All about GO 111 * To prohibit polluting industries, major hotels, residential colonies or other establishments in the catchment of the lakes up to 10 kms from full tank level * To monitor periodically the level of pesticides and fertiliser residues carried into the lakes. * HMWSSB conducts studies through agencies like JNTUH or UoH at regular intervals and review the results once in six months * To prevent acidification of lakes due to air pollution * Total prohibition of location of industries in the prohibited zone VIJAYAWADA: The Andhra Pradesh Assembly witnessed stormy scenes as the opposition Telugu Desam MLAs protested over the series of liquor-related deaths in Jangareddygudem. Five TD MLAs were suspended until the completion of the Budget session for their defiance of the chair and creating pandemonium in the house. The assemblys budget session resumed on Monday with question hour and TD legislators raised the issue of the series of deaths in Jangareddygudem. They alleged that these deaths were caused due to the consumption of illicit arrack and sought the resignation of Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy. Holding the CM responsible for the deaths, the TD legislators repeatedly disrupted house proceedings, climbed onto the podium and threw papers on Speaker Tammineni Sitaram. The five TD MLAs -- K Atchannaidu, Gorantla Butchaiah Chowdary, Payyavula Keshav, Bala Veeranjaneyulu, and Nimmala Ramanaidu -- were suspended from the house for the rest of the budget session. Angry over the suspension of these MLAs, the rest of TD legislators staged a protest by squatting on the floor of the house, waved placards and aired slogans against the chief minister and the government. This led to an adjournment of the assembly to Tuesday. The ruckus started when TD MLAs raised slogans at the start of the question hour and sought the resignation of the CM. They demanded a discussion on the deaths. Speaker Sitaram said time will be given to the MLAs to speak on the issue and asked them to help him conduct the business in the house. TD legislators rushed to the Speakers chamber, shouted slogans, tore papers and threw these onto the Speaker. The assembly was once again adjourned. The Opposition leaders continued with the protests even as the Speaker announced the AP government would make a statement after the second adjournment of the assembly session. While health minister Krishna Srinivas was making a statement on the incident, TD member Payyavala Keshav once again sought an opportunity for a discussion. Finance minister Buggana Rajendranath said TD members should come and raise the matter in proper form if they wanted to discuss the issue. However, the TD members chanted slogans, continued to disrupt the house proceedings. Meanwhile, legislative affairs minister Buggana Rajendranath moved a motion for suspension of five TD MLAs from the house for the rest of the Budget session, which was passed and the MLAs were asked by the Speaker to leave the assembly forthwith. But the TD MLAs refused to go out. Marshals entered the house and physically moved Payyavula Keshav from assembly amidst protests. The marshals then tried to shift Gorantala Chowdary but he expressed his disgust at the marshals and then moved out of the house. The other three MLAs followed him. Answering a question, he said there was no need for him to meet the chief minister to explain to him the dissatisfaction of these groups. May be I will write a letter to the chief minister, Brother Anil Kumar said. Twitter Visakhapatnam: Brother Anil Kumar, brother-in-law of Chief Minister Jaganmohan Reddy, held a meeting with leaders of BC groups, Christian missionaries and representatives of various minority groups in Visakhapatnam on Monday. The discussion veered round state politics and the role they could play. Later, talking to the media, evangelist Anil Kumar said the minorities and BCs worked hard for the YSRC to gain power in the state, but they are not happy with the YSRC government. These groups are facing difficulties and feel they are not getting governmental support. The Christian groups therefore want to launch an alternative political party and make one BC leader the chief minister, he said. I will have to support them if they take such a decision. They supported the YSRC because they had faith in me, Anil Kumar said. Answering a question, he said there was no need for him to meet the chief minister to explain to him the dissatisfaction of these groups. May be I will write a letter to the chief minister, Brother Anil Kumar said. Speaking about the alleged conspiracy behind the murder of Vivekananda Reddy, he said the guilty cannot escape from the arms of the law. However, the CBI is investigating the case and this is not a small issue, he said. People from various colonies protest against closure of roads in Secunderabad Cantonment at Ramakrishnapuram bridge (S. Surender Reddy/DC) Hyderabad: Responding to minister K.T. Rama Raos statement on the military authorities constructing a check dam on the Bulkapur nala resulting in flooding in nearby low-lying colonies, sources in local military authority (LMA) said that the sewage diversion project was constructed by the GHMC, which was given permission in 2012. During heavy rains, storm water floods colonies as also the military garrison as the drain outlet is narrow, they added. Since the GHMC constructed the check dam, it has to be resolved by them. The army has assured its complete support. The sewage continues to pass through the garrison, they said. Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi had in a 2021 letter requested the defence authorities to issue orders to divert the sewage flow inside the military area towards Nizam colony by excavating a 100-metre temporary earthen channel in the open land. The temporary channel could be closed after construction of GHMCs proposed RCC box drain at Al-Hasnath Colony, Owaisi said. Army sources informed that a reply furnishing all relevant details to the MPs letter had been sent last year itself. KYIV: Russian forces pounded Ukrainian cities early Tuesday in a bombardment that was deepening the humanitarian crisis as the countries kept open a narrow diplomatic channel with more planned talks. Shortly before dawn, large explosions thundered across Kyiv. A series of Russian strikes hit a residential neighborhood in the capital, igniting a huge fire and a frantic rescue effort in a 15-story apartment building. At least one person was killed and others remain trapped inside. There was a rare glimmer of hope in the encircled port city of Mariupol after a convoy of 160 civilian cars left along a designated humanitarian route, the city council reported. Over the past 10 days or so, the lethal siege has pulverized homes and other buildings and left people desperate for food, water, heat and medicine. The latest negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, held by video Monday, were the fourth round involving higher-level officials from the two countries and the first in a week. The talks ended without a breakthrough after several hours, with an aide to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy saying the negotiators took a technical pause and planned to meet again Tuesday. The two sides had expressed some optimism in the past few days. Mykhailo Podolyak, the aide to Zelenskyy, tweeted that the negotiators would discuss peace, cease-fire, immediate withdrawal of troops & security guarantees. Previous discussions, held in person in Belarus, produced no lasting humanitarian routes or agreements to end the fighting. In Washington, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said that while the Biden administration supports Ukraines participation in the talks with Russia, Russian President Vladimir Putin would have to show signs of de-escalating in order to demonstrate good faith. During a meeting in Rome with a senior Chinese diplomat, U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan warned China against helping Russia. Two administration officials, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive information, said China had signaled to Moscow that it would be willing to provide both military support in Ukraine and financial backing to help stave off effects of Western sanctions, which include a fourth set of EU sanctions announced late Monday. The Kremlin has denied asking China for military equipment to use in Ukraine. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Russia has its own potential to continue the operation and that it was unfolding in accordance with the plan and will be completed on time and in full. The Ukrainian military said in a statement that the Kyiv explosions were artillery strikes. They hit the Svyatoshynskyi district of western Kyiv, adjacent to the suburb of Irpin that has seen some of the worst battles of the war. Flames shot out of the apartment building as firefighters rescued people from ladders. Smoke choked the air. A firefighter at the scene confirmed one person had died and that several others were rescued, but that others remained inside as rescuers try to reach them. Russian forces also stepped up strikes overnight on the northwest suburbs of Irpin, Hostomel and Bucha, the head of the Kyiv region Oleksiy Kuleba said. Many streets (in those areas) have been turned into a mush of steel and concrete. People have been hiding for weeks in basements, and are afraid to go out even for evacuations, Kuleba said Tuesday on Ukrainian television. Russian forces also renewed efforts to capture Mariupol in the south, and unleashed new artillery strikes on downtown Kharkiv in the east, the general staff of Ukraines armed forces said in a Facebook statement. It claimed Ukrainian forces have killed 150 Russian troops and destroyed two Russian tanks in the battle for Mariupol. But overall, nearly all of the Russian military offensives remained stalled after making little progress over the weekend, according to a senior U.S. defense official who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the Pentagons assessment. Russian troops were still about 15 kilometers (9 miles) from the center of Kyiv, the official said. The official said that Russian forces have launched more than 900 missiles but that Ukraines airspace is still contested, with Russia not achieving total air superiority. Ukrainian authorities said two people were killed when the Russians struck an airplane factory in Kyiv, sparking a large fire. The Antonov factory is Ukraines largest aircraft plant and produces many of the worlds biggest cargo planes. The Ukrainian general prosecutors office on Tuesday released details of two deadly Russian attacks the day before: Shooting that hit a bus evacuating civilians from the Kyiv suburb of Hostomel, killing a a 65-year-old woman and wounding the driver; and an artillery strike that hit a university and open-air market, killing 10. Russian artillery fire also hit a nine-story apartment building in the northern Obolonskyi district of the city, killing two more people, authorities said. And a Russian airstrike near a Ukrainian checkpoint caused extensive damage to a downtown Kyiv neighborhood, killing one person, Ukraines emergency agency said. Kateryna Lot said she was in her apartment as her child did homework when they heard a loud explosion and ran to take shelter. The child became hysterical. Our windows and the balcony were shattered. Part of the floor fell down, she said. It was very, very scary. In an area outside Kyiv, Fox News reporter Benjamin Hall was injured while reporting and was hospitalized, the network said. In Russia, the live main evening news program on state television was briefly interrupted by a woman who walked into the studio holding a poster against the war. The OVD-Info website that monitors political arrests said she was a Channel 1 employee who taken into police custody. A town councilor for Brovary, east of Kyiv, was killed in fighting there, officials said. Airstrikes were reported across the country, including the southern city of Mykolaiv, and the northern city of Chernihiv, where heat was knocked out to most of the town. Explosions also reverberated overnight around the Russian-occupied Black Sea port of Kherson. Nine people were killed in a rocket attack on a TV tower in the western village of Antopol, according to the regions governor. In Mariupol, where the war has produced some of the greatest suffering, the city council didnt say how many people were in the convoy of cars headed westward for the city of Zaporizhzhia. But it said a cease-fire along the route appeared to be holding. Previous attempts to evacuate civilians and deliver humanitarian aid to the southern city of 430,000 were thwarted by fighting. Ukraines military said it repelled an attempt Monday to take control of Mariupol by Russian forces, who were forced to retreat. Satellite images from Maxar Technologies showed fires burning across the city, with many high-rise apartment buildings heavily damaged or destroyed. The Kremlin-backed leader of the Russian region of Chechnya said on a messaging app that Chechen fighters were spearheading the offensive on Mariupol. Robert Mardini, director-general of the International Committee of the Red Cross, said the war has become nothing short of a nightmare for those living in besieged cities, and he pleaded for safe corridors for civilians to leave and humanitarian aid to be brought in. The situation cannot, cannot continue like this, he said. History is watching what is happening in Mariupol and other cities. The Russian military said 20 civilians in the separatist-controlled city of Donetsk in eastern Ukraine were killed by a ballistic missile launched by Ukrainian forces. The claim could not be independently verified. The U.N. has recorded at least 596 civilian deaths since Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24, though it believes the true toll is much higher. Millions more have fled their homes, with more than 2.8 million crossing into Poland and other neighboring countries in what the U.N. has called Europes biggest refugee crisis since World War II. Russias military is bigger and better equipped than Ukraines, but its troops have faced stiffer-than-expected resistance, bolstered by arms supplied by the West. Oil prices slid to a two-week low on Tuesday on continued ceasefire talks between Russia and Ukraine and concerns about demand in China after a surge in Covid-19 cases. Brent futures dropped $4.20 or 3.9 per cent to $102.70 a barrel by 0125 GMT after falling 5.1 per cent the previous day. US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude fell below $100 level for the first time since March 1, dropping $4.30 or 4.2 per cent to $98.71 a barrel. That followed a 5.8 per cent tumble the previous day. "Expectations of positive developments in the Russia-Ukraine ceasefire talks bolstered hopes to ease tightness in the global crude market," said Toshitaka Tazawa, an analyst at Fujitomi Securities Co Ltd. Read | In Russia-Ukraine conflict, an opportunity for India "Fresh lockdowns to curb the Covid-19 pandemic in China also raised concerns over slower demand," he added. Mainland China posted a steep jump in daily Covid-19 infections on Tuesday, with new symptomatic cases more than doubling from a day earlier to a two-year high as a virus outbreak expanded rapidly in the country's northeast. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said late on Monday that negotiations with Russia, the world's second largest crude exporter, will continue on Tuesday. Zelenskyy also said he spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett as part of a negotiation effort to end the war with Russia "with a fair peace." Read | In Russia-Ukraine conflict, an opportunity for India The United States warned China after "intense" talks on Monday against helping Moscow in its invasion of Ukraine. International Energy Agency (IEA) chief Fatih Birol on Monday urged oil-producing countries to pump more to stabilise markets affected by the war in Ukraine. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is trying to persuade Saudi Arabia to increase its oil output, a senior minister said on Monday, following reports that Johnson would travel to the OPEC heavyweight this week. Check out the latest DH videos here: Thank you for reading! On your next view you will be asked to log in to your subscriber account or create an account and subscribepurchase a subscription to continue reading. Korean electronics major Samsung will re-enter the laptop segment in India this month and aims to capture double-digit market share by the year-end, a senior company official said on Tuesday. Samsung India General Manager and head of new computing business Sandeep Poswal said there is demand in the market, which makes a case for the company to re-enter the segment. "By the end of this year, 2022, we plan to have double-digit market share in the addressable area where we operate. We want to offer this to all segments of our customers. We are launching in March and we will try to do our best to achieve this share," Poswal told PTI. The company had stopped selling laptops in India after 2014. He said as per the latest IDC data, the market has almost grown 1.8 times between pre-Covid and post-Covid. "There is a complete strong demand coming. We believe this demand is coming in mainly led by consumer use cases scenario building up, which maybe work from home, study from home. We expect this will continue. The second reason for Samsung getting into the laptop market is we are talking to a generation which has grown with mobile as their first device," Poswal said. Also Read Samsung to showcase brand-new Galaxy A this week He said a person who has been using mobiles for 8-9 years would have a few basic requirements. "They want to have the best mobile phone experience via battery, processor and camera. Second, they want a design and a brand that makes them stand apart." "Third is of course security and fourth, which is most important, is ecosystem availability, which means my mobile phone and laptop talk to each other. The fourth aspect is the one which makes a strong case for Samsung to get a very strong powerful line, which is Book 2, in the picture," Poswal said. Unveiling the Galaxy Book series of laptops, the company said the target market comprises professionals, enterprises, daily users and students. The laptops will be priced between Rs 40,000 and Rs 1.2 lakh a unit. "We will start pre-booking in the next 3-4 days," Poswal said. According to IDC, India's traditional PC market, inclusive of desktops, notebooks and workstations, grew by 44.5 per cent year-over-year (YoY) in 2021. The notebook category was the volume driver with shipments reaching 11.6 million units. The desktop category, which saw a steep decline in 2020, managed a recovery with 30 per cent YoY growth on account of strong demand from enterprises and consumer segments, IDC said. Watch the latest DH Videos here: Representatives of SoftBank Group Corp will step down from the boards of Indian digital payments firm Paytm and the parent of online insurance aggregator Policybazaar, a person with direct knowledge of the matter said. The decision is part of SoftBank's global strategy to exit from the boards of most of its listed portfolio companies, said the source, adding that the Japanese tech conglomerate expected it would leave fewer regulatory issues to tackle. SoftBank will, however, retain its shareholding in the two Indian companies, added the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity as the matter has not yet been made public. SoftBank, Paytm and Policybazaar did not immediately respond to Reuters request for comment. Both Paytm, formally known as One97 Communications, and PB Fintech Ltd, the parent of Policybazaar, went public last year. Business news website Moneycontrol first reported the development. Watch the latest DH Videos here: Land sharks and powerful people with enormous political connections, together with a corrupt and inefficient bureaucracy, have almost killed the city's Chikka Kallasandra Lake, documents show. While encroachments grew, authorities paid little or no regard to orders passed by the highest court of the state. What was once a major lake sprawled over 12 acres and 26 guntas irrigating hundreds of acres in the surroundings has now shrunk to a five-acre dirty, stinking waterbody. Connected with Channel 303 of Vrishabhavathi River and Channel 210 of Koramangala Valley, Chikka Kallasandra Lake played a crucial role in helping balance excess water upstream and reducing flooding. Not any more. Also Read | Bengaluru has 75 dirty lakes, but BBMP to develop only 8 Located in Survey Number 76 at Chikka Kallasandra village in Uttarahalli hobli of Bengaluru South taluk, the lake has now been reduced to a wasteland surrounded by heaps of garbage, sewage water and illegal structures. To make things worse, the BBMP has built a road in the middle of the lake bed, giving encroachers easy access to their illegal properties. Local residents who were the first to raise the red alert said the first signs of the lake's death had appeared in 1993-94. A resident of Chikkakallasandra village recalled how heavy rains during those two years had brought construction debris into the lake from nearby areas. The debris also helped set up the base for the kaccha road. A former deputy mayor, who had developed housing layouts, then legalised the road by getting it asphalted by the BBMP, the resident said. Documents show that the tahsildars of Bengaluru South have known about the land encroachment since at least 2006 when cases were registered against 48 encroachers. But instead of acting, they sat on the files until 2014, only emboldening the encroachers. The inaction produced another 42 of them. On November 7, 2014, the then tahsildar demolished several structures and cleared encroachments from seven acres after issuing notices to the encroachers. The crackdown salvaged seven acres of lake land. To prevent the freed land from future encroachments, stone posts and barbed fences were erected and a notice board was put up, according to the tahsildar. In a letter to the government, the tahsildar said: "During this period, many persons continued to encroach upon the land following which a case was registered on 17-12-2014 in Subramanyapura police station." But sources say the land mafia backed by local politicians pressured the officers. Another resident suggested that a corporator had played a "major role" in the encroachment and other illegalities. "In 2012 and 2013, those who had come to survey the land were threatened while one official was even locked up. The encroachments could be cleared in 2014 because the government didn't intervene," a resident who faced multiple threats told DH. But almost all encroachers returned to the lake bed within the next few weeks. "This time, they had done the homework. Those who had got notices managed to get stay orders from courts while others influenced the officials through political means. Whenever someone complained about the encroachments, tahsildars cited the stay orders and evaded responsibility," the resident said. Those who fought for the lake in the early days believe only court interventions can end the nexus between local officials and the land mafia, which is crucial to demolishing the illegal structures and recovering the lake land. Resurvey lake land within six months: HC On February 16, 2021, the high court quashed a notice issued by the tahsildar to M Venkataswamy for allegedly encroaching upon three acres and a 100X100-square foot area of Chikkakallasandra Lake. The court ordered the Bengaluru South tahsildar to complete a fresh procedure with spot inspection and mahazar within six months. Disposing of a writ petition filed by Venkataswamy (WP54377/2014), the court noted that issuing a proper notice was an essential requirement of natural justice and that the tahsildars notice does not disclose which are the documents like spot inspection report or any other material by which the tahsildar has come to the conclusion that petitioner had encroached government land. Asked about complying with the high court order, Bengaluru South Tahsildar C Ramalakshmaiah said he would look into it. The ADLR (Additional Director of Land Records) has to do the survey. We need to check the file and understand whether the court order was obeyed, he said. A resident said no survey or mahazar was done in recent days. From serving an erroneous notice to violating the courts directions, officials know how to play this game, he noted. Illegal gains run into crores: Mahzar report A mahzar report filed by the villagers of Chikkakallasandra has named several individuals, including one Lakshman who is accused of building illegal structures on the lake land. "Unauthorised buildings named 'Kalakutira' have been built and rented for various activities through which he has earned crores of rupees," the report said, adding that the same individual also encroached upon government land in Kengeri hobli. A resident called the mahzar report an understatement. "This shows that the encroachers are not poor homeless people trying to have a roof over their heads," he said. According to the resident, such helpless people usually get thrown out by the authorities who want to show they are doing their job. He called for an audit to investigate the illegal gains made by all the 90 encroachers and said the same should be recovered in full. "That money should be used to restore the lake," he added. Lake count down from 937 to 837 There has been an alarming rise in the extent of encroachment on the lake lands as documented by different committees set up by the government to estimate the lake grabs in Bengaluru and recover the land. In 2009, a task force led by V Balasubramanian surveyed 842 lakes and found that a staggering 1,848 acres had been encroached upon by 2,488 people. The task force report put the total number of lakes in the city at 937. By 2014, when the Koliwad committee was set up to study the lake encroachment, the number of lakes in the Bengaluru Urban district was reduced to 837. Even then, the committee said in its report that 4,533 acres of the lake land were under encroachment. In 2019-20, the Bengaluru Urban administration did a fresh survey of the 837 lakes and put the number of encroached land at 4,500 acres, meaning no encroachments were cleared in the five years before. Stormwater drains take the first blow Encroachments on stormwater drains, seen as the first step in killing a waterbody, started appearing on the channels connecting Ittamadu and Chikkakallasandra lakes in the 1990s. As the drain got blocked in the following years, the lake just dried up, paving the way for encroachment. In 2011, the BBMP promised the high court (in WP 31394/2009) it will clear the encroachments from stormwater drains. After looking into the zone-wise violations, the court ordered the BBMP to submit a compliance report on a monthly basis. But the BBMP not only failed to clear the encroachments but also took up (in the case of Pattandur Agrahara) or allowed public and private agencies to do prohibited works in such areas. Groundwater badly affected The lake's disappearance has badly affected the groundwater. Residents who used to find water in open wells at depths of just 10 feet say it's now hard to see water even after drilling 1,200 feet into the ground. "Between March and July, many families are forced to buy water from tankers. It's a tragedy to see an area that once had abundant water depend on tankers," Harish Kumar said. "Chikka Kalllasandra Lake is located in the Padmanabhanagar assembly constituency, which I represent. I am committed to removing encroachments from it. Lakes and drains have to be recovered and restored. Clearing encroachments from this lake has been delayed because many encroachers have gone to court. We will try to convince them to vacate the place," said R Ashoka, Revenue Minister. "We have cleared encroachments from 205 lakes. The high court has given directions (in WP 38401) to survey the waterbodies and free them from encroachments. The process takes time," J Manjunath, Deputy Commissioner, Bengaluru Urban said. Check out latest DH videos here The DMK has lashed out at the Congress for the debacle in the recent elections to the five states. In its editorial on Monday, the party mouthpiece 'Murasoli' said that the lethargic attitude of the Congress to unite other opposition parties in its fold was the reason for the drubbing in the polls. The editorial also said that opposition unity was the need of the hour to oust the BJP from the centre. The stand of the party mouthpiece is the political stand of the DMK and this is the first time that the party has come out strongly against its ally. Also Read | Cong looks to save face in Parliament after poll fiasco Quoting the statement of Priyanka Gandhi before the elections that the Congress was ready to align with any party but the BJP, the editorial said that the Congress did not do that and hence lost the polls. Criticising the BJP, Murasoli in its editorial, said that BJP won the elections with its divisive and communal politics and added that in Uttar Pradesh, the BJP could increase its vote share by only 2 per cent while the Samajwadi Party could raise the vote share by 10 per cent. The party mouthpiece said that in Uttar Pradesh had the SP, BSP, and Congress united, the BJP would have been defeated. In Punjab, the BJP could not do anything except win two seats. Also Read | Like a drowning boat in turbulent ocean: G23 leaders on Congress debacle Political analysts feel that the DMK wanted Congress to take the lead in stitching together an anti-BJP front for the 2024 general elections. Dr R. Padmanabhan, Director, Socio-Economic Development Foundation, a think tank based out of Madurai while speaking to IANS said: "Given the poor situation that the Congress is in, it is better for the DMK to take the initiative for a front against the BJP and to take the Congress on board. This is workable and Stalin must take the initiative just like his father Late Chief Minister, M. Karunanidhi had done in earlier years." Check out the latest DH videos here: Suheldev Bhartiya Samaj Party (SBSP) President Om Prakash Rajbhar, who had contested the recently concluded Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls in alliance with the Samajwadi Party (SP) on Tuesday claimed that the names of candidates fielded by the BSP in the polls were "finalised" at the BJP office here and that the two parties (BSP-BJP) had a 'tacit' understanding in the assembly elections. "The names of at least 122 BSP candidates were finalised by the BJP at its office here... BSP only gave them its symbol to contest the polls," Rajbhar said. "Bhajapa aur basapa ka mel ho gaya, UP mein bada khel ho gaya (BJP and BSP joined hands as part of a conspiracy)," said the SBSP president, whose party had contested 16 seats in the state assembly polls and managed to win six seats, its highest tally in the state. Rajbhar also claimed that he had "proof" to support his claims. He said that his party would hold a meeting to review its performance in the polls and would initiate necessary steps thereafter. "We will soon start preparations for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls... We will make sure that the mistakes committed in the assembly polls are not repeated," he said. Also Read How AIMIM helped BJP win UP polls Rabhar's allegations appear to have stemmed from the fact that BSP, which had gone solo in the polls, had fielded as many as 91 Muslim candidates in the elections many of whom divided the Muslim votes in a number of assembly constituencies, ensuring the victory of the BJP. Besides, on 122 seats, the SP and BSP nominees hailed from the same community. The BJP managed to win 68 seats of these seats, dealing a body blow to the SP's prospects. Earlier, SP president Akhilesh Yadav had also claimed that the BJP and BSP had a "tacit" understanding in the assembly polls. BSP supremo Mayawati had last year threatened to support the BJP after around a dozen of her party MLAs had defected to the SP. She later, however, clarified that her statement had been quoted out of context and that she would never join hands with the BJP. Even during the polls, BJP leader and Union Home Minister Amit Shah had heaped praise on Mayawati saying that her party still enjoyed the support of the Dalit voters. Mayawati had also "thanked" Shah for his remarks. Watch the latest DH Videos here: China on Tuesday said its stance on the Ukraine conflict is completely objective, impartial and constructive, and repeated accusations the US is spreading misinformation over reports Beijing has responded positively to a Russian request for military supplies. Beijing has refused to criticise Russia over its invasion of Ukraine, or even to refer to the conflict as a war. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian's comments came after US adviser Jake Sullivan and senior Chinese foreign policy adviser Yang Jiechi met in Rome on Monday, with the Biden administration increasingly concerned that China is using the Ukraine war to advance Beijing's long-term interest in its competition with the United States. Also Tuesday, the European Union ambassador to China, Nicolas Chapuis, called on China to support Ukraine. There can be no so-called neutrality," he said. Speaking to reporters at a daily briefing, Zhao said the US has created and spread disinformation ... This is not only unprofessional, but also immoral and irresponsible." What the US should do is to deeply reflect on the role it has played in the development and evolving of the Ukraine crisis, and do something practical to ease the tension in Ukraine, he said, in a nod to China's contention that Russia was provoked by NATO's expansion and threats to its security. Also Read Kyiv to impose 36-hour curfew from late Tuesday: Mayor At his meeting with Yang, Sullivan sought clarity on Beijing's posture, warning the Chinese anew that assistance for Russia including helping it avert sanctions imposed by the US-led bloc would be costly for them. The Kremlin has denied reports it requested Chinese military equipment for use in the war. In keeping with Russian preferences, Zhao has referred to the war as the Ukraine issue." Beijing also opposes sanctions that are pummeling the Russian economy. Zhao repeated assertions that China was deeply grieved" by the situation today," and said it was committed to promoting peace talks. China's position and statement on the Ukraine issue is completely objective, impartial and constructive," Zhao said. We have a clear goal, that is to promote the de-escalation of the situation and end the conflict as soon as possible." Zhao also said a third batch of humanitarian aid sent by China for Ukraine arrived in Poland on Monday. In his comments, the EU's Chapuis urged China to support Ukraine and help Europe to stop the war. We really call upon all our Chinese friends to name the aggressor and to stand by the victim, the ambassador said at a roundtable hosted by the Center for China and Globalisation, a Beijing-based thinktank. Watch the latest DH Videos here: Russia's foreign ministry announced sanctions on US President Joe Biden and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau Tuesday alongside several officials in a reciprocal response to Western measures. The measures, also applied to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, "is the consequence of the extremely Russophobic policy pursued by" Washington, Moscow said in a statement. In a separate statement, Russia's foreign ministry announced punitive measures against 313 Canadians including Trudeau and several of his ministers. Also Read Deadly blasts rattle Kyiv; talks with Russia to resume In response to Russia's military intervention in Ukraine, the US banned Russian President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov while adopting sanctions largely cutting Russia off from the rest of the world financially. Moscow did not specify the exact nature of the measures, which it calls "personal sanctions" and a "stop list", stating that they would be based on "the principle of reciprocity". Also on the Russian list are US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, Central Intelligence Agency Director William Burns and White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki. On the list too are Deputy National Security Advisor Daleep Singh, US Agency for International Development chief Samantha Power, Deputy Treasury Secretary Adewale Adeyemo, and US Export-Import Bank chief Reta Jo Lewis. Russia also banned from entry Biden's son Hunter and former secretary of state and Democrat presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. The foreign ministry warned Moscow will soon announce additional sanctions against a range of "Russophobic" US officials, military officers, lawmakers, businessmen and media personalities. Watch the latest DH Videos here: Face to face, President Joe Biden's national security adviser warned a top Chinese official on Monday about China's support for Russia in the Ukrainian invasion, even as the Kremlin denied reports it had requested Chinese military equipment to use in the war. US adviser Jake Sullivan and senior Chinese foreign policy adviser Yang Jiechi met in Rome, with the Biden administration increasingly concerned that China is using the Ukraine war to advance Beijing's long-term interest in its competition with the United States. Sullivan was seeking clarity on Beijing's posture and was warning the Chinese anew that assistance for Russia including helping it avert sanctions imposed by the US and Western allies would be costly for them. Follow live Ukraine-Russia crisis updates here The national security adviser and our delegation raised directly and very clearly our concerns about the PRC's support to Russia in the wake of the invasion, and the implications that any such support would have for the PRC's relationship not only with us, but for its relationships around the world, said State Department spokesman Ned Price, using the initials for the People's Republic of China. In advance of the talks, Sullivan bluntly warned China to avoid helping Russia evade punishment from global sanctions that have hammered the Russian economy. We will not allow that to go forward, he said. Russia, however, on Monday denied it needed China's help. No, Russia has its own potential to continue the operation, which, as we have said, is unfolding in accordance with the plan and will be completed on time and in full, said Dmitry Peskov, President Vladimir Putin's spokesman. Also Read | Ukraine has evacuated 548,000 people since invasion began: Minister Meanwhile, White House officials are discussing the possibility of Biden traveling to Europe to meet with allies for in-person talks about the crisis in Ukraine, according to three US officials. The officials, who were not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity, said the trip hasn't been finalized. One possibility is a visit to NATO headquarters in Brussels on March 24 with other potential stops in Europe, according to one of the officials. The prospect of China offering Russia financial help is one of several concerns for Biden. A US official said that in recent days, Russia has requested support from China, including military equipment, to press forward in its ongoing war with Ukraine. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive matters, did not provide details on the scope of the request. The Russians have seen significant losses of tanks, helicopters and other materiel since the start of the war more than two weeks ago. Ukraine, while overmatched by Russian forces, is well-equipped with anti-tank and anti-aircraft missiles. The Biden administration is also accusing China of spreading Russian disinformation that could be a pretext for Putin's forces to attack Ukraine with chemical or biological weapons. Russia's invasion of Ukraine has put China in a delicate spot with two of its biggest trading partners: the US and European Union. China needs access to those markets, yet it also has shown support for Moscow, joining with Russia in declaring a friendship with no limits. Asked at a daily briefing about the reported Russian request for assistance, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said: The US has been spreading disinformation targeting China recently over the Ukraine issue. It is malicious." What is pressing now is that all parties should exercise restraint and strive to cool down the situation, rather than fueling the tension," Zhao told reporters. We should promote diplomatic settlements instead of further escalating the situation." The White House said Monday's Sullivan-Yang talks focused on the direct impact of Russia's war against Ukraine and on regional and global security. Biden administration officials say Beijing is spreading false Russian claims that Ukraine was running chemical and biological weapons labs with US support. They say China is effectively providing cover if Russia moves ahead with a biological or chemical weapons attack on Ukrainians. When Russia starts accusing other countries of preparing to launch biological or chemical attacks, Sullivan said Sunday, it's a good tell that they may be on the cusp of doing it themselves. Pentagon spokesman John Kirby, on ABC's This Week, said we haven't seen anything that indicates some sort of imminent chemical or biological attack right now, but we're watching this very, very closely. The striking US accusations about Russian disinformation and Chinese complicity came after Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova alleged with no evidence that the US was financing Ukrainian chemical and biological weapons labs. The Russian claim was echoed by Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Zhao, who claimed there were 26 bio-labs and related facilities in which the US Department of Defense has absolute control. The United Nations has said it has received no information backing up such accusations. There is growing concern inside the White House that China is aligning itself with Russia on the Ukraine war in hopes it will advance Beijing's vision of the world order in the long term, according to a person familiar with the administration view who spoke on condition of anonymity because the official wasn't authorized to comment publicly. The international community has assessed that Russia used chemical weapons in attempts to assassinate Putin detractors such as Alexei Navalny and former spy Sergei Skripal. Russia also supports the Assad government in Syria, which has used chemical weapons against its people in a decade-long civil war. China has been one of few countries to avoid criticising the Russians for its invasion of Ukraine. China's leader Xi Jinping hosted Putin for the opening of the Winter Olympics in Beijing, just three weeks before Russia invaded on Feb. 24. During Putin's visit, the two leaders issued a 5,000-word statement declaring limitless friendship." The Chinese abstained on UN votes censuring Russia and has criticized economic sanctions against Moscow. But questions remain over how far Beijing will go to alienate the West and put its own economy at risk. Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares said Monday that he had asked his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi to use Beijing's influence over Moscow to end the war. We are at a historical moment that requires responsibility and vision of all world leaders, Albares told Wang during a telephone conversation on Monday, according to a statement from the Spanish ministry. Check out latest DH videos here U.S. President Joe Biden is expected to travel to Brussels next week to meet with NATO leaders to discuss Russia's war in Ukraine, U.S. and foreign sources familiar with the situation said on Monday. The plan, which is still being finalized, calls for Biden to meet with other leaders from the NATO alliance in Brussels on March 23, said three of the sources. They cautioned that the plans could still change given the rapidly evolving situation in Ukraine. Also Read | US warns China on support for Russia's invasion of Ukraine The meeting comes as Russian forces continue to escalate their attacks on Ukraine. One source said Biden could also travel to NATO member Poland, where concerns are running high after a Russian attack on a large Ukrainian base just miles from the border killed 35 people. NATO members are worried about being drawn into a military conflict with nuclear power Russia. Biden has repeatedly said that the United States will not send forces into Ukraine, but will defend "every inch" of NATO territory. White House spokesperson Jen Psaki said that the United States was closely engaged with its NATO partners and European allies but that there had not been any final decision about a presidential trip. Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine began on Feb. 24, the biggest attack on a European state since World War Two, the United States and its allies have coordinated broad sanctions against Moscow and President Vladimir Putin as punishment. Check out latest DH videos here Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky again urged NATO Monday to impose a no-fly zone over his country, saying it would protect not only Ukraine but the countries of the Atlantic alliance from Russian air attacks. But the United States and NATO allies refused for the same reasons they have been citing since Moscow invaded Ukraine on February 24: that any attempt to establish a no-fly zone would place them in direct conflict with nuclear-armed Russia and spark a wider, more dangerous conflict. Here is what you need to know about no-fly zones, or NFZs. Follow live Ukraine-Russia crisis updates here It is a prohibition on all or certain types of aircraft flying through a designated airspace, over a country or region. NFZs require one or more parties being willing to enforce them -- that is, being ready and able to shoot down any aircraft violating the space. They have been used in attempts to limit an ongoing conflict on the ground and to protect certain populations. But they are costly, requiring constant air patrolling and monitoring. From 1991 to 2003 the US, France and Britain enforced no-fly zones over Iraq in the wake of the 1991 Gulf War, to protect Shiite populations in the south and minority Kurds in the north from air attacks by the Saddam Hussein's Sunni government. Also Read | Deadly strikes rock Ukraine despite talks with Russia From 1993-1995 NATO enforced a UN-declared NFZ over Bosnia. And in 2011 NATO also enforced a UN-approved NFZ over Libya during that country's civil war. A full NFZ by NATO would mean that Russia's superior air power could not be deployed against Ukrainians -- but also that the Kyiv would not be able to fly its fighter jets and significantly effective attack drones against the Russians. It could allow civilians, who are becoming casualties at a staggering rate, to flee the conflict more safely. US and NATO officials say flatly that for a Ukraine NFZ to work their own jets would have to be prepared to shoot down any Russian violators -- effectively making them direct participants in the war. "If we did that, we'll end up with something that could end in a full-fledged war in Europe, involving many more countries and causing much more human suffering. So that's the reason why we make this painful decision," NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said on March 4. A day later, Russian President Vladimir Putin confirmed those stakes, saying any country trying to enforce a Ukraine NFZ "will be considered by us as participation in an armed conflict by that country." Last week a group of US defense and foreign policy experts released a letter calling for a "limited" NATO-enforced NFZ over Ukraine to establish humanitarian corridors in which civilians were protected from aerial bombardment. But critics said that would not limit the risk of conflict with Russia, as NATO aircraft would still have to be willing to shoot down Russian aircraft. So far the war in Ukraine has not depended heavily on air power, on either side. In its invasion Russia has relied mostly on long-range missiles and surface artillery fire to attack Ukrainian targets. Fighting back, the Ukrainians have depended largely on ground fire. A US defense official pointed to Russia's missile attack Sunday on a base in western Ukraine as an example. The Russians fired about two dozen cruise missiles from aircraft flying over Russian territory at the time. "A no-fly zone inside Ukraine would have had no effect on this particular set of strikes," the official said Monday. It "would not stop all of the air activity that is going on," the official said. Check out latest DH videos here Africa No Filter and Meta have announced the six finalists of the Future Africa: Telling Stories, Building Worlds programme focused on harnessing and investing in the next generation of Extended Reality (XR) creators in Africa. The winners, selected from Mozambique, South Africa, Nigeria, Mauritius, Cameroon, and Kenya, will incorporate the creative uses of music, multimedia installations, films and sculpture to explore projects around spirituality, heritage, the cosmos, imagination and memory and masculinity into their extended realities projects all with a focus on telling compelling African stories that are contemporary, narrative-shifting, and immersive. The six participating storytellers are: Pierre-Christophe Gam, Cameroon: A multimedia artist who is working on a hybrid art installation that fuses VR, film, photography, and mixed-media sculpture to imagine the future of Africa from the perspective of an African family living in 2070. Xabiso Vili, South Africa: A writer, performer and new media artist, Vilis visual album is a speculative fiction piece that explores reconciliation and healing. Vili hopes to turn toxic masculinity into compassionate masculinity. Nirma Madhoo, Mauritius: A fashion filmmaker, XR creator and Ph.D. candidate, her work explores African cultures as technologies, which she illustrates through ancient practices like cultural astronomy. Michelle Angawa, Kenya: A film editor XR creator, this creation centres around a short tragicomedy that depicts a day-in-the-life of a Nairobian boda boda rider, exploring desire and the complexities of Nairobian life. Malik Afegbua, Nigeria: A multimedia artist who is focused on curating a virtual heritage experience of the Kofar-Mata dye pit, a cultural and historical site in Kano, Nigeria. Lara Sousa, Mozambique: A director and producer, this creation uses the journey of Lemanja, the Afro-Brazilian goddess of wisdom, to explore the ocean as a sacred site of spirituality. As part of the Future Africa: Telling Stories, Building Worlds programme, each creator will be supported with funding of up to $30,000 and also participate in XR-industry events to improve their creativity and drive interest in their projects. They will also access mentorship from Electric South and Imisi3D. Jessica Hagan, Arts and Culture Program Lead at ANF, said, Its reassuring to see the amount of incredible XR talent on the African continent. The creativity and innovation we encountered in the selection process has been very exciting. It shows that Africa is also on the pulse of global innovation and tech trends that are redefining how stories are told and experienced. XR content creation is costly, but African creators are not falling behind. Sherry Dzinoreva, Metas Public Policy Programs Director, Africa, Middle East, and Turkey, said: This specially curated program is an opportunity to support African storytellers who are leveraging the power of the next evolution of social technology, whilst also shining a spotlight on the amazing, creative, and diverse talent pool we have here on the continent . We understand the power of Extended Reality and how it can be used to tell stories that shift narratives about and within the continent and were excited to see these visions come to life. Partager et informez vous aussi...... 0 shares Share Tweet LinkedIn Articles similaires The war weighs heavy on Ilse Thiele's mind these days as she sits in the floral print armchair in her Berlin living room, the television constantly tuned to the news from Ukraine. "Of course all the memories come flooding back," the 85-year-old retired manager of an East German post office says, as she watches the streams of exhausted refugees meeting armies of volunteers just minutes away at Berlin's main train station. "I feel so sorry for all those people, especially the children." Thiele recalls the biting cold and ache of hunger on her own trek from Lower Silesia in today's Poland in the winter of 1944-45, when she and her mother fled the Russian advance on foot for Thuringia in central Germany. Track Russia, Ukraine updates here World War II still looms large in Germans' living memory and public discourse, shaping the perception of the Ukraine invasion and the political debate over how to face the moment. Germans, proud of their robust democracy, have reacted with outrage at Vladimir Putin's attempts to frame the war as a struggle against "neo-Nazi" aggressors plotting "genocide" on Russia's doorstep. The Russian president argued in a speech last month that Ukrainian forces aimed "to kill innocent people, just as members of the punitive units of Ukrainian nationalists and Hitler's accomplices did during the Great Patriotic War". In a Twitter exchange that went viral earlier this month, Russia's South African embassy claimed Moscow "like 80 years go, is fighting Nazism in Ukraine!". The German mission in South Africa quickly stepped in, saying it couldn't remain "silent" in the face of such a "cynical" statement while Russia was "slaughtering innocent children, women and men for its own gain". Also Read | Kyiv to impose 36-hour curfew from late Tuesday: Mayor "It's definitely not 'fighting Nazism'. Shame on anyone who's falling for this. (Sadly we're kinda experts on Nazism.)," the mission added in a tweet that drew 160,000 "likes". Hedwig Richter, modern history professor at the Bundeswehr University in Munich, told AFP that Putin was perverting the "overwhelming international consensus" that the Nazis were the "epitome of evil" to make his case. "It is absolutely absurd, particularly given the Jewish president of Ukraine" Volodymyr Zelensky, she said, noting that many Holocaust survivors associated Ukrainian town names now in the news with atrocities committed by the Germans. "As a German, I am deeply offended that Putin would abuse the memory of the Germans' crimes in the Nazi period to legitimise his rule," she told AFP. "What we're observing is how important historical remembrance is, particularly when you see how Russia, by forgetting its Stalinist crimes, is feeding an aggressive nationalism." She said Germany had been forced to learn that the lesson of its own dark history was "not only a yearning for peace but also, in a crisis, active military defence of human rights". Also Read | How Putin could try to split Ukraine into regional puppet governments Anti-war protests across Europe and throughout Germany have deployed a caricature of Putin with a toothbrush moustache in a reference to the Nazi dictator. Historian Heinrich August Winkler stressed, in a recent essay, the singularity of Hitler's brutal military campaigns and the slaughter of six million Jews in the Holocaust -- a point of consensus in mainstream German thought. Nevertheless he argued in the weekly Die Zeit in an article titled "What Links Putin with Hitler" that the Russian leader's obsession with a perceived "stab in the back" by the West and ultranationalist rhetoric were important parallels worthy of examination. "Putin is now confronting Western democracies with the question of how seriously they take their much-espoused values," Winkler said, much like the initially reluctant Allies of World War II. Historian Gundula Bavendamm told AFP Germans had a visceral response to the invasion of Ukraine due to atrocities against civilians committed by the Nazis, and because every living generation had seen waves of refugees -- after World War II, from Yugoslavia in the 1990s and most recently from Syria. But she said she found the incessant references to Hitler problematic, not least because they obscured recent historical failings by Germany, including energy reliance on Russia, meagre military spending and "our closeness to Putin -- seeing too late what kind of man this is". "Constantly invoking our responsibility for World War II may have kept us from important self-criticism in the last 10-15 years," said Bavendamm, who runs Berlin's Displacement, Expulsion, Reconciliation museum. For Thiele, the Berlin pensioner, the failure to learn from the past rips open old wounds. "My parents lived through two world wars and I lived through one thanks to that nasty pig Hitler," she said, recalling that her late husband's communist family had been prisoners at the Nazi concentration camp Sachsenhausen. "Do they want to start a third world war? I just can't understand how, if you know anything about war, you could start one again." Check out the latest videos from DH: Clarissa Ward interrupted her live TV report on Ukrainian refugees to help a distraught older man, then a woman, down a steep and explosion-mangled path, gently urging them on in their language. A day later, Lynsey Addario, a photographer for The New York Times, captured a grim image of a Russian mortar attack's immediate outcome: the bodies of a mother and her two children crumpled on a road, amid their suitcase, backpacks and a pet carrier. The memorable reports illustrate both the skill and gutsiness of female journalists serving as eyewitnesses to Russia's brutal invasion of Ukraine and the way their presence has changed the nature of war reporting. Also Read | First war of the TikTok era sees tragedy, humour and deceit They cover the tactics of war, but give equal measure to its toll. People are so exhausted, they can barely walk, Ward told viewers in her report. It's just an awful, awful scene. And they're the lucky ones. The author of You Don't Belong Here, a 2021 book that profiles three pioneering women who covered the Vietnam War, said there's "absolutely no doubt that the reporting is what I would call more humane, looking at the human side of war. Elizabeth Becker argues that Frances FitzGerald of the US, Kate Webb of Australia and Catherine Leroy of France were foundational to modern war reporting. Arriving in Southeast Asia on their own dime, without a staff job and little or no journalism experience, they broke the male grip on war reporting with daring and innovation. Also Read | Pregnant woman, baby die after Russia bombed maternity ward Traditionally, the coverage was the battlefield, which is important, said award-winning journalist Becker, a 1970s Cambodian war correspondent. She said it took newcomer FitzGerald to ask, 'OK, what does this mean in terms of the Vietnamese and the villages?' FitzGerald earned a 1973 Pulitzer and other honors for Fire in the Lake: The Vietnamese and the Americans in Vietnam, and her 2017 work, The Evangelicals: The Struggle to Shape America, was short-listed for the National Book Award. War reporting is a sense of mission, it's a sense of purpose, it's a sense of being able to tell a story, said Christiane Amanpour, the London-born chief international anchor for CNN. And women are really very good at it, it seems. It's also a matter of logic, said Holly Williams, the Istanbul-based correspondent for CBS News on assignment in Ukraine. I'm acutely aware of the fact that if you don't tell women's stories, you're missing at least half of the picture, said the Australian-born Williams, who has reported on conflicts in Asia, Europe and the Middle East and worked for BBC News. Ward, who also has hopscotched across those regions, worked for CBS News prior to joining CNN and, before that, was based in Moscow and Beijing for ABC News. Often women do have a different perspective on war, and for a long time that was not really at the forefront of a lot of coverage, Ward said. She strives to include the humanity behind the story, the experience of ordinary people who are living in war zones. To me, that is equally as important as the military component. The prominence of TV correspondents and the reach of their outlets adds to their impact. Oprah Winfrey offered online praise of network reporters risking their lives to show the world the truth, singling out Ward as a fierce, unshakable and outstanding journalist. Many of their male colleagues also contribute nuanced reporting, as ABC News veteran Martha Raddatz and others noted. But Raddatz recalls a not-so-distant time when men tended to love the equipment, love the airplanes. Ward and and other female journalists tip their cap to their predecessors, including FitzGerald and the late Martha Gellhorn, whose reporting stretched from WWII to the U.S. invasion of Panama in 1989-90. They also praise recent trailblazers, including Amanpour. Her decades of conflict reporting include the 1991 Gulf War, subsequent clashes in the Middle East region and, in southeastern Europe, the deadly 1992-96 siege of Sarajevo during the war between Bosnia and Herzegovina. I think my generation and myself, we were perhaps the last line of the rare woman foreign correspondent, Amanpour said. In every form of media it's exploded into a very female friendly profession. But parity has yet to be achieved in pay, Amanpour said. Or in all journalism jobs, according to Ward. The growing number of female TV correspondents belies a fairly male-dominated profession in general, Ward said. Don't forget, the person in front of the camera is one person. Then you have, for TV, four people holding the camera, behind the camera, and most of them are still men. In US journalism overall, men retain a numerical advantage over women even in a changing media industry, according to a Pew Research Center analysis of census data. While the number of people working in any facet of print, online or video journalism fell by nearly 17% between 2008 and 2018, men remained a majority at the end of the decade at 64%, on par with their share in 2008 of 60%, Pew found. That's widely reflected, according to The Missing Perspectives of Women in News, a 2020 report from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Despite progress, the majority of journalists in newsrooms globally are men, the report said, citing several multi-country studies. Female reporters face additional challenges in non-democratic countries and some regions, Amanpour said. They come under a huge amount of societal pressure in many parts of the developing world, and certainly in the Islamic world and other areas of what I call the patriarchy, she said. It's very difficult, but they're doing it and coming out into this profession more and more, and I really applaud them. The presence of women reporting in Ukraine is set against a backdrop of traditional roles and expectations, with women and children allowed to flee war's violence while men are required to stay behind and defend their country. Yonat Friling, a Jerusalem-based senior producer for Fox News Channel who worked in Ukraine with correspondent Trey Yingst, is aware of how attitudes can vary. In 2004, she was on the international desk for an Israeli TV channel when she asked her boss to switch her to field producer. He told me, This is a job for men. Only men can do that,' recalled the Israeli native. Then I left, I joined Fox (in 2005). And on several occasions, including this time, I keep texting him, A job for men? Yeah, right.' The Ukraine assignment proved deeply emotional for Friling. When she recently joined the stream of refugees leaving Kiev, it was a reminder of grandparents who fled Nazism and Soviet occupiers in Europe in the 1940s. I saw children and women, and I (saw) my grandparents in their faces. ... I know how much this is going to influence their whole life and the next generations, she said. Raddatz, who covered early refugee evacuations and returned to Ukraine on Friday, realizes how much has changed for her and her female colleagues over the years. The chief global affairs correspondent for ABC News covered the Bosnian crisis in the late 1990s and has focused on Iraq and Afghanistan. I remember in Iraq, I always thought that if something happened to me, it (the reaction) would be, How could she do that, go over there when she has two children?' whereas they would never say that with a guy, she said. Now, I don't think they would do that. Family needs and concerns add to the burden of war reporting. NBC News correspondent Erin McLaughlin said that before Russia struck at Ukraine, the threat of what might happen made her parents worry more than they had over her previous assignments, including in Iraq. My brother went to stay with them for the weekend because they were so nervous, McLaughlin said. It was really tough, but at the same time they understand that this is my calling. It's an important job, and someone needs to do it. Ward, married and with two children, said her work takes an inevitable toll. It's my son's 4th birthday today, which has been really hard to miss, Ward said at the end of another draining day in Ukraine, her voice emotional. There's the entire juggling act you're FaceTiming with your kids and there's air raid sirens and bombs going off in the distance. I'm not going to pretend this isn't hard. But I also wouldn't be anywhere else right now, she said. Check out latest DH videos here As many as 1.7 million of the three million people who have fled Ukraine since Russia invaded on February 24 have gone to Poland, the United Nations said Tuesday. "We have now reached the three-million mark in terms of movement of people out of Ukraine," Paul Dillon, spokesman for the UN's International Organization for Migration, told reporters in Geneva. More than 1.4 million of these are children, according to the UN children's agency UNICEF, while 157,000 are third-country nationals, IOM said. The UN refugee agency, UNHCR, had yet to update its figures, and had put the figure until Tuesday at 2.95 million. Among those, it said, more than half, or 1.7 million, had crossed into Poland. More than 450,000 are in Romania, close to 350,000 in Moldova, nearly 265,000 in Hungary, and almost 215,000 in Slovakia. In addition, more than 140,000 had gone to Russia and more than 1,200 to Belarus, according to the UNHCR numbers. Watch the latest DH Videos here: Myanmar's military has engaged in systematic human rights violations, many amounting to war crimes and crimes against humanity, the United Nations said on Tuesday, in its first comprehensive human rights report since last year's coup. Security forces have shown a flagrant disregard for human life, using air strikes and heavy weapons on populated areas and deliberately targeting civilians, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, said. Many victims were shot in the head, burned to death, arrested arbitrarily, tortured, or used as human shields, she said in a statement on the report, which urged "meaningful action" by the international community. "The appalling breadth and scale of violations of international law suffered by the people of Myanmar demand a firm, unified, and resolute international response," Bachelet said. Myanmar's military spokesperson did not answer calls seeking comment on the UN report on Tuesday. Also read: Over 24,000 Myanmarese nationals taken shelter in Mizoram: CM The military says it has a duty to ensure peace and security. It has denied atrocities have taken place and has blamed "terrorists" for causing unrest. The junta has failed to consolidate power since its overthrow of Aung San Suu Kyi's elected government in February 2021 triggered a backlash of a kind not seen in decades. Western countries have imposed broad sanctions on the military and its businesses after anti-coup protests were lethally suppressed by troops, with thousands of people arrested and many prosecuted, including Suu Kyi, who has since been convicted of crimes that include incitement. The UN report said it was based on interviews with scores of victims of abuse and witnesses, whose accounts were corroborated with satellite imagery, verified multimedia files and open-source information. The army has met sustained resistance in the countryside from militias allied with the ousted government. The UN report said troops had carried out mass killings in the Sagaing region, with some victims found dead with their hands and feet tied. In Kayah State, burned bodies of women and children were found, some in positions indicating they had tried to escape and were burned alive, it said. The report found detainees were tortured during interrogation, including suspension from ceilings, electrocution, injection of drugs and some subjected to sexual violence, including rape. The junta has in the past year scolded the UN and its independent experts for interference and what it calls reliance on distorted information from partisan groups. The report also said at least 543 people had been killed for their perceived support of the military government. Some 1.4 million children have now fled Ukraine since the Russian invasion began on February 24, meaning nearly one child a second has become a refugee, the UN said Tuesday. Fresh numbers from the International Organization for Migration (IOM) showed Tuesday that more than three million people have now fled Ukraine. Nearly half of them are thus children. "On average, every day over the last 20 days in Ukraine, more than 70,000 children have become refugees," James Elder, spokesman for the UN children's agency UNICEF, told reporters in Geneva. Also read: China says G20 is not an appropriate forum to discuss Ukraine issue That amounts to around 55 every minute, "so almost one per second," he said, stressing that "this crisis in terms of speed and scale is unprecedented since World War II." Elder warned that "like all children driven from their homes by war and conflicts, Ukrainian children arriving in those border countries are at significant risk of family separation, of violence, of sexual exploitation and trafficking. "They're in desperate need of safety, stability and child protection services," he said. Check out latest videos from DH: slamabad has now moved the United Nations demanding a joint probe with New Delhi into Indias accidental firing of a missile that landed in Pakistan. China also subtly backed its iron brother Pakistans demand for a joint probe with India. The United States, however, said that it had no reason to believe that the March 9 launch of the missile from India to Pakistan was anything other than an accident. Though New Delhi already ordered a high-level Court of Inquiry into the accident, Islamabad pointed out that Indias internal probe would not be sufficient as the missile had fallen in the territory of Pakistan. Also Read: Missile misfire: What is India-Pakistan missile testing notification pact? Such a serious matter could not be addressed with the simplistic explanation proffered by the authorities in India, Pakistans Foreign Minister, Shah Mahmood Qureshi, wrote to Lana Zaki Nusseibeh, the United Arab Emirates envoy to the United Nations and the president of its Security Council for the month of March. Pakistan strongly condemns this blatant violation of its airspace (by India) in contravention of international aviation safety protocols, Qureshi wrote to Nusseibeh. Such irresponsible incidents are also reflective of Indias disregard for air safety and callous approach towards regional peace and stability. Also Read: Nothing other than an accident: US on firing of Indian missile into Pakistan This missile incident is consistent with Indias irresponsible conduct and deserves to be addressed by the international community and especially the Security Council, with the sense of alarm and urgency which it deserves, Pakistan Foreign Minister wrote in the letters to the UNSC President and the UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres. Qureshi stated that the missile fired from India had not only caused damage to civilian property, but had also put at risk human lives on the ground in Pakistan. He added that it could have resulted in a massive accident causing civilian casualties. Given the short distances and response times in Pakistan-India theatre, any misinterpretation by either side of each others military actions could lead to responses with grave consequences for the region and indeed for the whole world, especially in a nuclearised environment, he wrote to to Qureshi and Nusseibeh. China called on Pakistan and India to hold dialogue and communication as soon as possible, and look thoroughly into the incident, step up information sharing. Zhao Lijian, a spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the Chinese Government, said in Beijing that New Delhi and Islamabad should promptly establish a reporting mechanism so that such incidents could not happen again and misunderstanding and misjudgement could be avoided. Pakistan and India are both important countries in South Asia, bearing responsibilities for maintaining regional security and stability, said Zhao. Ned Price, the spokesperson of the US State Department, said that President Joe Bidens administration in Washington D.C. had no indication that the incident was anything other than an accident. Watch the latest DH Videos here: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated on Tuesday that talks with Russia would continue even as Moscow continued to shell a number of cities across Ukraine. The Kremlin, meanwhile, claimed that it had not received a formal request from Ukraine for direct talks with President Vladimir Putin. Ukraine's deputy interior minister Yevheniy Yenin said that 548,000 civilians have been evacuated since the beginning of the Russian invasion. Stay tuned to DH for live updates. By Stefan Wolff and Tatyana Malyarenko for 'The Conversation' In its scale and cost, as well as its broader implications for European and international security, Russias war of aggression against Ukraine constitutes a new low in the foreign policy of Russian president Vladimir Putin. But below the surface, Russia is also following established playbooks in how it deals with the areas it has taken control of. This has important implications for the war in Ukraine, how it might end, and how it might spread. During the first days of war, Russia occupied Kherson region in southern Ukraine. The Russian army did not encounter significant military resistance in the cities of Kherson, Skadovsk, Nova Kakhovka and was able to advance in columns through the Zaporizhzhia region (including the cities of Melitopol and Berdiansk, as well as the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant) to Mariupol. Read | Zelenskyy submits bill to extend martial law in Ukraine Here, Russia encountered fierce resistance and has subjected the city to a brutal siege. In Kherson region, however, things played out differently. Once occupied, the Russian military called on the local Ukrainian authorities to cooperate with them and announced their intention to hold a referendum on the proclamation of the Kherson Peoples Republic. Residents of the cities of Kherson, Melitopol and Berdiansk responded with civil disobedience and organised peaceful protests of many thousands through social networks under the slogan My city is Ukrainian! On March 12, 2022, the democratically elected Kherson Regional Council adopted a resolution proclaiming the planned referendum illegal. In response, the Russian military has targeted elected officials and Ukrainian civil servants in these newly occupied territories. This has included the kidnapping of the mayors of Melitopol and Dniprorudne. Follow live updates on Russia-Ukraine crisis, here In Melitopol, the Russian occupation forces then appointed a new mayor, Galina Danilchenko, a local deputy from the so-called Opposition Bloc, constituted from the remnants of former pro-Russian president Victor Yanukovychs Party of the Regions. Helped by Russian occupation forces and their local proxies terrorising the civilian population, Danilchenko and others with similar pro-Russian leanings have now become increasingly vocal in their demands that local authorities either cooperate or be replaced by people willing to do so. This is an almost exact reenactment of what happened in the Donbas region in 2014. Here, Russias little green men used a combination of intimidation and brutal force to oust incumbent local officials and replace them with representatives of marginal groups willing to cooperate with the occupying power. This strategy of societal destabilisation initially aims at the physical removal from power of elected local elites. It then targets public servants, liberal intellectuals, journalists and other opinion leaders and the middle class in general. Russia has a frightening track record of efficiency in this regard, using widely publicised intimidation, torture and execution of local leaders among its tools. In the context of Donbas in 2014, the Paris-based International Federation for Human Rights, concluded that these tactics may constitute crimes against humanity under Article 7 of the Rome Statute. Writ large, this might also be how Putin imagines Ukraines denazification that is, the replacement of the countrys democratically elected government with his own marionettes. While this does not bode well for civilians in Ukrainian territories newly occupied by Russia, it also has important implications for the further course of the war both in Ukraine and beyond. At least a part of Russian strategy appears to be the establishment of more de facto states according to the 2014 Donbas playbook. This will give Russia increased leverage over these occupied territories through their proxies. It will simultaneously allow the Kremlin to deny any responsibility for fulfilling its obligations as an occupying power towards the civilian population of these areas and for any war crimes committed there. Also Read | Deadly strikes rock Ukraine despite talks with Russia As Russia expands its control of territory, the illegally occupied parts of Ukraine are likely to resemble a patchwork of unrecognised self-proclaimed statelets. These will be unstable in themselves while creating instability along the lines of contact with Ukrainian-controlled territory. Like the breakaway Donetsk and Luhansk republics after 2014, they could also be used as bargaining chips in future negotiations between Moscow and Kyiv. Russias societal destabilisation playbook also offers a potential blueprint for how and where the war might spread. There has been much discussion about the threats to Moldova. One scenario here might be the enacting of Russias playbook in the autonomous region of Gagauzia in southern Moldova, where Moscow wields some influence. In the south Caucasus, Georgias Adjara region, where Russia used to have a military base in the regional capital Batumi, might be another target. But any Russian move in this direction is risky and not guaranteed to succeed, given, for example, Turkeys considerable links with both regions. Success can be measured in different ways, however. From Russias perspective, creating more instability in other parts of the post-Soviet region might be enough, for now. It would be a signal to Moldova and Georgia and their partners in the EU and Nato that Russia has the capacity to be disruptive and can escalate as and when it wants to. This is also the main danger for the Baltic states especially Latvia and Estonia, which have large, concentrated ethnic Russian and Russian-speaking minorities. Russia may not risk a direct intervention there, but the kind of deniable subversive activities that form at least part of the early Russian playbook are important to watch out for, to call out, and to counter decisively. By Stefan Wolff, Professor of International Security, University of Birmingham and Tatyana Malyarenko, Professor of International Relations, National University Odesa Law Academy Check out the latest DH videos here: An Irish cameraman for Fox News and a Ukrainian working as a producer for the US television network have been killed in fighting near Kyiv, Fox News said Tuesday. Cameraman Pierre Zakrzewski and producer Oleksandra Kuvshynova died and correspondent Benjamin Hall was wounded when their vehicle was struck Monday by incoming fire in Horenka, outside the capital. Hall, a Briton who works as the network's State Department correspondent, remains hospitalized in Ukraine, Fox News Media CEO Suzanne Scott said. Also read: Deadly blasts rattle Kyiv; talks with Russia to resume Zakrzewski, who was based in London, had been working in Ukraine since February. "Pierre was a war zone photographer who covered nearly every international story for Fox News from Iraq to Afghanistan to Syria during his long tenure with us," Scott said. "His passion and talent as a journalist were unmatched." Fox News said he had played a "key role" in getting the network's Afghan freelance associates and their families out of the country after the US withdrawal. It also said he was given an "Unsung Hero" award at the company's annual employee Spotlight Awards in December. Interactive | How many Ukrainian refugees are seeking refuge and where? Scott also paid tribute to Kuvshynova, 24, saying she had earned a reputation for being "hard-working, funny, kind and brave" while working with the Fox crew to cover the conflict. "Her dream was to connect people around the world and tell their stories and she fulfilled that through her journalism," Scott said, adding confirmation of her death had been delayed out of respect for her family. Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin said he was "deeply disturbed and saddened" by the deaths of Zakrzewski, who had Irish nationality, and his colleague. "My thoughts are with their families, friends and fellow journalists," Martin said on Twitter. "We condemn this indiscriminate and immoral war by Russia on Ukraine." Scott Griffen, deputy director of the International Press Institute, said the journalists had "bravely risked their lives to make sure the world understood the true horror of what is happening in Ukraine." "We renew our call on military forces to do everything in their power to ensure the safety of journalists, whose work is essential to documenting this war," he said. UNESCO chief Audrey Azoulay, in a press statement, echoed the call for journalists to "never be targeted," and for "international humanitarian norms" to be respected. On Sunday, a US journalist was shot dead and another wounded in Irpin, a frontline suburb of Kyiv that has witnessed some of the fiercest fighting since Russia invaded Ukraine. Video documentary maker Brent Renaud, 50, was working for Time Studios on a project about global refugee issues. The International Federation of Journalists identified the wounded journalist as American photographer Juan Arredondo. A Ukrainian who had been in the same car as the Americans was also wounded, according to a medic at the scene. According to Lyudmyla Denisova, the Ukrainian parliament's human rights chief, at least two other Ukrainian journalists have also been killed. Evgeny Sakun died in a Russian strike on a Kyiv television tower and Viktor Dudar died in fighting close to the southern port city of Mykolaiv, Denisova said on Telegram. Check out latest videos from DH: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has submitted a draft bill in Parliament calling for the extension of martial law for another 30 days in the country as Russia continues its military onslaught against Kyiv. According to the Verkhovna Rada, or Parliament, the bill presented on Monday suggests the extension of the law from 5.30 a.m. on March 26, Ukrayinska Pravda reported. Follow live updates on Russia-Ukraine crisis, here Zelenskyy first declared martial law in February after Russia launched its military invasion of Ukraine. In a televised address to the nation, the President announced that all able-bodied men from 18-60 years old were not allowed to leave Ukraine as the country began a general mobilisation of all reserve forces. Two days later, Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko declared a daily curfew from 5 p.m. to 8 a.m. The curfew was, however, lifted on February 28. Check out DH's latest videos: Alyssia A. Reddy, author of the book series: The Sugarcane Boy, has presented her newly published book The Adventures in Dodo Land during a successful launch which took place at Mettricks Guildhall Square in Southampton on the 12th of March 2022 at 10.45am. The launch coincides with the commemoration of the 54th independence of Mauritius. A flag hoisting ceremony also took place to mark this anniversary at Southampton civic centre with key members of the public & leader of the council Councillor Daniel Fitzhenry. Currently, her book is being read in shelters, orphanages & in remote regions of commonwealth countries such as Mauritius to enable children from underprivileged backgrounds to read a book and have a book at home to read. This year she is partnering with other charities across the UK to reach out to other parts of the world. Ian Chiddle, Chair of Trustees, Care and Relief For The Young, a charity based in Hedge end says: A great vision for providing such a helpful tool to a childs education and targeted too at those who are marginalised and do not have English literacy as a first language, giving them a platform to excel in their future endeavours. The Patron of the project is Samuel T. Reddy- Award Winning British Veteran, himself a best-selling Author says: It is good to see a book that has a purpose and an impact. Alyssias book going out to so many nations to not just improving youth literacy but also build communities in those difficult times. This year we are looking to be in Gambia, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Ghana & Togo. As for Alyssia she extended that: I never thought my 1st book, which I wrote during the 1st Covid lockdown, has now turned into a project aligned with SDG 4 to promote youth literacy, thank you to our leadership team, our ambassadors and partners. I hope to visit Mauritius to meet those children after my GCSEs. Dr Nigel Paterson, educator & editor of the books also commented that Alyssia Reddys latest book looks all set to carry on her excellent work of helping and motivating children to read in English. I love the Mauritian features that make her stories so distinctive. As of April 2022, the second book of The Sugarcane boy series should be in Mauritius and book clubs already set up across the island will start their second innings. As for now, The Sugarcane boy Team is still looking to expand the project across the island, hoping to reach even more children than in 2021. Partager et informez vous aussi...... 0 shares Share Tweet LinkedIn Articles similaires Rajya Sabha has been adjourned till 11 am tomorrow. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar addressed both the houses on the on-going Russia-Ukraine crisis. Earlier today, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh addressed both the houses over the missile misfire incident that took place on March 9. He assuered that missile system is highly reliable and safe and also stated that a high-level probe was ordered over the incident. The Parliament had resumed on Monday for the second phase of the Budget Session and also returned to normal functioning. Two Indian students injured in an accident in Canada are out of danger and another had a lucky escape, India's envoy here has said in an update on the horrific road crash. Five Indian students were killed in a road accident in Canadas Ontario province on March 12. The accident between a passenger van and a tractor-trailer took place on Saturday on Highway 401 in the Quinte West city in Southern Ontario. India's High Commissioner in Canada Ajay Bisaria, in an update on the accident, said that two of the injured persons are still in hospital while another student escaped unhurt. Also Read | 5 Indian students killed in Canada road accident "Update on a tragic accident in which 5 Indians were killed near Toronto on Sat: two injured still in hospital, mercifully out of danger. One other student in the van carrying 8 persons escaped unhurt. @IndiainToronto team is in touch with friends/family for all help. @MEAIndia," Bisaria tweeted on Monday. Update on tragic accident in which 5 Indians were killed near Toronto on Sat: two injured still in hospital, mercifully out of danger. One other student in the van carrying 8 persons escaped unhurt. @IndiainToronto team is in touch with friends/family for all help. @MEAIndia Ajay Bisaria (@Ajaybis) March 14, 2022 Harpreet Singh, 24, Jaspinder Singh, 21, Karanpal Singh, 21, Mohit Chouhan, 23 and Pawan Kumar, 23 were pronounced dead at the scene. They all studied in the Montreal or Greater Toronto areas, GlobalNews reported. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Monday mourned the death of the five Indian students and said the Indian mission in Toronto will provide all necessary support and assistance. A spokesman from Canada College, a Montreal school that caters to international students, said at least three of those who died and one of two injured survivors studied at the school. John David Couturier said the school administration is devastated by the loss and is scrambling to support students and arrange to send the victims bodies back to India, the report said. Were all in a state of shock, the spokesman said. I can only imagine the families in India, theyre so far away, and now there are two students in the hospital that dont have their families here. Couturier said most of the victims associated with the school had been studying business administration. Dr. Shivendra Dwivedi, who heads an organisation called Canada India Global Forum, said the community is shaken by the loss. Were very sad with this tragedy, and we feel very, very bad for the families and the students that lost their lives, he said. Its a horrible tragedy, and I think the community is grieving, Dwivedi said his group was mobilising resources to provide grief counselling for the victims friends in Canada. While he did not know the victims personally, he said many Indian students who come to Canada to attend private colleges in the hopes of gaining permanent residency are young and far from their support systems. Theyre doing it because they want a chance to come to Canada. Really hard-working, very dedicated students trying to make a better life for themselves, he said. He said his group is also working with officials in Toronto and Ottawa to ensure the wishes of the families in India are carried out. The passenger van with eight people aboard was travelling west on Highway 401 Saturday morning when there was a collision with a tractor-trailer at around 3:45 a.m. near Quinte West, Ont., Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) said. OPP spokeswoman Maggie Pickett said on Monday that police believe the van was stopped by the side of the highway when the crash occurred. The investigation into the crash is continuing, and no charges have been laid. One passenger who had exited the van, as well as the tractor-trailer driver, were uninjured, Pickett said, while two of the vans occupants were taken to hospital in serious condition. Its unclear where the students were heading, but Couturier said its common for Canada College students to travel frequently between Quebec and Ontario because the weeks classes are condensed over two or three days. He said about 70 per cent of the schools 2,500 students are from India, and they tend to form close bonds as they work their way toward graduating and obtaining permanent residence. Many of them are from Montreal, some of them are from Belleville, Brampton, Ontario, he said. And so theyll come for the weekend classes and stay at a friends house or whatever. Its really a community, you know? Couturier said Canada College has offered to repatriate the bodies to India and pay the cost of its students funerals, the report added. Every year, thousands of Indian students visit Canada for higher education. The number of Indian students attending Canadian universities rose from 76,075 in 2016 to 1,72,625 in 2018, an increase of 127 per cent, according to a report published last year quoting the Canadian Bureau for International Education. The road accident is the second tragic incident involving Indian nationals in Canada in three months. In January, four Indians, including an infant, were found dead near the Canada-US border in Manitoba. According to Canadian authorities, the family from Gujarat died due to exposure to extreme cold. Check out DH's latest videos: Asserting that India's missile system is very reliable and the safety procedures are of the highest order, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday described the recent accidental missile release as "regrettable" and said a review of standard operations and maintenance was being conducted and any shortcoming if found, will be immediately rectified. Making a statement in Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha on the inadvertent release of a missile during an inspection on March 9, 2022, Singh said the government has taken serious note of the incident, and a formal high-level inquiry has been ordered which will determine the exact cause of the incident. "During routine maintenance and inspection, a missile was accidentally released at around 7 pm. It was later learnt that the missile had landed inside the territory of Pakistan. While this incident is regretted, we are relieved that nobody was hurt due to the accident," the minister said. The minister also said Indian armed forces are well-trained and disciplined and are well experienced in handling such systems. "I would also like to state that a review of the Standard Operating Procedures for operations, maintenance and inspections is being conducted in the wake of this incident. We attach the highest priority to the safety and security of our weapon systems. If any shortcoming is found, the same would be immediately rectified," Singh said. The Defence Minister assured the Parliament that India's missile system is "very reliable and safe". "Moreover, our safety procedures and protocols are of the highest order and are reviewed from time to time. Our Armed Forces are well-trained and disciplined and are well experienced in handling such systems," he added. Singh made the statement in Rajya Sabh first and later in Lok Sabha. Maj Gen Babar Iftikhar, the Director-General of the Inter-Service Public Relations (ISPR) of Pakistan, had claimed last Thursday that an unarmed projectile launched from India entered the Pakistani airspace travelling 124 km and fell near Mian Channu in Khanewal district. Pakistan also summoned the Charge d'Affaires at the Indian embassy in Islamabad and conveyed its strong protest over the "unprovoked" violation of its airspace by what it described as a supersonic "projectile". Noting that the missile that landed in Pakistan was fired "accidentally" due to a technical malfunction, the defence ministry last Friday had also ordered a 'Court of Enquiry' into the incident. Watch the latest DH Videos here: Congress Rajya Sabha MP Anand Sharma on Tuesday appreciated the efforts of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and diplomats for evacuating Indian nationals from war torn Ukraine. "I am saying on record that the Ministry of External Affairs and diplomats have done a commendable job in evacuating our citizens," Sharma said. Soon after External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar made a statement in the House, Sharma said, "I am proud as an Indian that our country has once again reinforced our reputation for undertaking large scale evacuation operations." Also read: Relief for Indian students as Ukrainian medical universities start online classes He said that he also got a distress call from someone who wanted to rescue his ward and he rang up the foreign secretary and within half an hour the student was located. Sharma said he was updated of the student's well being. He also said that he wanted to know what was India's stand at the UN Security Council and also asked the Minister about the efforts being made for effective interventions in ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict. Noting that there have also been concern about oil prices and defence supplies being impacted and how the government plans to ensure that there are no disruptions in the supply chain, he asked. Congress MP and Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge asked, why India was late on issuing advisories, why did our students face danger while the citizens of other countries did not. He said that the mortal remains of Naveen Sekharappa, who died in cross firing in Kharkiv, Ukraine is yet to be brought back. While appreciating the efforts of the MEA and the calls that were made by PM Modi to his counterparts in Russia and Ukraine, DMK MP Tiruchi Siva said that the main question is now the future of these students. Also read: Students were actively discouraged from leaving Ukraine by universities, says Jaishankar Trinamool Congress MP Sushmita Dev said that the government should not use the term evacuation, as students had to walk to the borders through the conflict zone while the MEA officials did not go to the conflict area. Replying to the questions by the Members, Jaishankar said that students didn't want to leave in the first place because universities threatened to cancel their degrees. "I care about the students' future, whether you do or not," Jaishankar said. He also said that the Ukrainian authorities gave the confusing messages and even President Volodymyr Zelenskyy himself said that there was no need to panic. "Let us also recognise that about 4,000 of them (Indian students) actually returned on their own due to our advisories," he said. On the question about the return of Naveen Sekharappa's mortal remains, the Minister said that the government will ensure his body returns, adding that he would not be sharing details and that every effort was being made. He also said that India's focus was primarily on the evacuation of students which is more or less done, "We can now focus fully on diplomacy," he added. Replying to the comment that Indian officials were not present in the conflict zone, the Minister said that was not correct and that Indian officials even went to Sumy and they escorted Indian students from the conflict area after coordinating with the local authorities. On the future of evacuated students from Ukraine, he said, "I can assure you that the government will approach this matter with the fullest sense of responsibility." Check out latest videos from DH: The Mamata Banerjee government in West Bengal has offered premature release to 574 life-imprisonment convicts who have served over 14 years, and have exemplary records while in the correctional home. This figure reflects the total number of convicts released since 2011 after the Trinamool-led government came to power. In an official release, the state government stated that under the recommendation of the State Sentence Review Board (SSRB), West Bengal, the decision has been taken from time to time to release life convicts, prematurely, from correctional homes. The aim of correctional services is to bring about reformation. The government has stated that keeping in view the age of the convicts and their detention for more than 14 (fourteen) years and on humanitarian ground and that they can spend rest of the time with their families, the government has taken a considered decision over the past decade to release such life imprisonment convicts who have exemplary record while in the correctional home. Since 2011, after the Trinamool formed government in the state, 660 life convicts have been recommended. Out of these, 574 life convicts, who have been in a correctional home for over 14 years, have been released. This was done after a proper background check. The 574 convicts include 541 men and 33 women. Also Read Over 400 death row prisoners in Indian jails till 2020, govt data shows Official statistics show that the government in any given year has released the most convicts, 134, in the year 2012. In 2016, none of the convicts was released. This year, in 2022, however, the figure has already exceeded that of 2012, and so far, 145 convicts have been released, in the early part of the year. Activist Sujato Bhadra, vice president, Committee for release of political prisoners, and secretarial member, Association for Protection of Democratic Rights (APDR), has termed the governments humanitarian initiative a "welcome step". Sujato, however, is concerned about "political prisoners" and undertrials. There are political prisoners who have been convicted and (are) languishing in jail, and have not been considered by the board. So one side is overlooked, and that must be considered on humanitarian grounds, Sujato said, adding that while during covid the government had released some prisoners on parole, but prisoners with political status have not been considered. Sujato told Deccan Herald that undertrials in jails are in "hugely large numbers", and activists have also moved courts on the issue. In 2011 (the year of the Bengals assembly elections), the release of political prisoners was also a political issue, he said. Watch the latest DH Videos here: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said Muslims in the state are not minorities anymore, unlike 10 years ago, and it is their responsibility to protect the identity and culture of minority tribals and other ethnic communities. "You're are the representative of 30 to 35 per cent population in the state now. Ten years ago, you were the minorities but the situation has changed over the years. The Muslim community in Assam today is actually the largest community and it is now their responsibility to work towards social integration, poverty alleviation and population control," Sarma said, replying to a debate on the motion of thanks to the Governor's address in the ongoing Budget Session of Assam Assembly on Tuesday. Sarma said now the other communities in the state are apprehensive about their rights and the Muslims must understand their pains. Sarma tried to draw a parallel with the Kashmiri pandits, who were forced to flee and said, "Many asks me if Assamese people will face the same fate as Kashmiri Pandits. It is the duty of Muslims to allay our fear. Muslims must behave like a majority and give us assurance that there will be no repeat of Kashmir here." Highlighting BJP-led government's schemes for the upliftment of Muslims in Assam, Sarma said, "People from Muslim community are leaders in the opposition, most of the MLAs in the Opposition are Muslims and have equal opportunity and power. So, it is their duty to ensure that the rights of tribal people are protected and their lands are not encroached upon. There is no need to encroach on the lands of tribals residing in the sixth schedule area. If a Kalita, Bora or Das (Assamese surnames) doesn't dare to encroach upon satra land (Vaishnavite Monastery) or tribal-belt land, Islam or Rahman should also refrain from doing so," he said. Sarma's reference to Kashmiri pandits comes at a time he was endorsing The Kashmir Files, a film made on the plight of Kashmiri Pandits. Sarma, along with the ministers and MLAs of BJP and their allies on Monday watched the movie at a multiplex in Guwahati. He also announced that government employees would also be given half-day leave to watch the movie but they must submit the tickets to their superior officer after watching the film. Check out latest videos from DH: The Bihar assembly was on Tuesday adjourned within minutes of commencement of proceedings following a ruckus created by the Opposition which linked the absence of Speaker Vijay Kumar Sinha to his alleged insult by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. Legislators of the RJD, the main opposition party, had reached the assembly wearing black badges in protest against the showdown between Sinha and Kumar on the previous day. They were further provoked upon seeing senior BJP leader Prem Kumar in the Chair. The MLAs began shouting and demanding that the speaker and the chief minister come to the House and explain the fallout of the spat. Also Read | Nitish lashes out at Bihar Assembly speaker for questioning conduct of probe Parliamentary Affairs Minister Vijay Kumar Chaudhary rose to give a statement asserting, "The chief minister acknowledges the importance of the Chair. He had some issues with regard to the manner in which the House was conducted. He expressed his reservations with utmost humility, with folded hands." Chaudhary also took exception to opposition MLAs demanding a "safai" (explanation) from the Chair with regard to Sinha's absence. "The members would question the Chair and it will have to answer? This shows their poor understanding of democratic and legislative norms," Chaudhary remarked. As the din continued in the House, the Chair adjourned the proceedings till 2 PM, when the post-lunch session begins. The House had witnessed an unprecedented outburst from the chief minister on Monday when an issue relating to Lakhisarai, which is the speaker's own assembly constituency, was raised by a couple of members. The speaker has been miffed with some arrests in a case of prohibition violation in Lakhisarai and the privilege committee had last week recommended action against a couple of police officers who were disrespectful towards Sinha when he broached the matter with them. The contention of Kumar was that the government was looking into the matter and it was wrong on part of Sinha to allow the matter to be raised inside the House "again and again". Kumar spoke for a few minutes, quivering with rage and stunning the House into silence. The speaker, who has previously served under Kumar as a cabinet minister, said he respected the latter's knowledge of the Constitution and experience but expressed the helplessness he left in dealing with a recalcitrant bureaucracy. It is, however, being speculated in political circles that Kumar's loss of cool stemmed from his frustration over having lost the upper hand to the BJP, which had been a junior alliance partner until the 2020 assembly polls. With far fewer MLAs than the BJP, Kumar returned as chief minister for the fourth consecutive term but had to give his ally many concessions, including a higher number of cabinet berths and, importantly, the post of the speaker. In the highest seat of power since 2005, Kumar has always succeeded in having one of his confidants, from his own party JD(U), as the speaker. For his first two terms in office, it was Uday Narayan Chaudhary who has since burnt bridges and moved over to the RJD. In 2015, when Kumar allied with RJD and returned to power with a few seats less than Lalu Prasad's party, he still had his way and Vijay Kumar Chaudhary was elected to the post of the speaker. Vijay Kumar Sinha became the first BJP leader in the state's history to have occupied the post, a fact the party likes to flaunt. The opposition seems to be fishing in troubled waters. Leaders like Tejashwi Yadav and Chirag Paswan have been targeting the chief minister for displaying "arrogance" in dealing with the speaker and demanding an apology. Meanwhile, when Kumar was approached by journalists at Maner Sharif, a Sufi shrine on the outskirts of Patna, he ducked queries on the issue with a cryptic smile and a wave. Check out the latest videos from DH: The Centre on Tuesday released guidelines for Covid-19 vaccination of children between 12-14 years that will begin from March 16 and said only Corbevax vaccine would be used for the beneficiaries of this age group. Two doses of Biological E's intramuscular vaccine Corbevax would be administered to the beneficiaries in the 12-14 years age group at an interval of 28 days, the guidelines said. The Centre shared also these guidelines with states in a letter issued on Monday. Covid-19 vaccination of children between 12-14 years will begin from March 16 and only Corbevax vaccine would be used for the beneficiaries of age group 12-13 and 13-14 years, it said. Also Read: Pfizer to soon submit data on 4th Covid shot: CEO Beneficiaries between 14-15 years have already been covered during the vaccination for 15-18 years' age group. According to the guidelines, as of March 1, 2021 there are as many as 4.7 crore children aged 12 and 13 years in the country. Also, precaution dose can now be provided to all persons aged 60 years and above and the prioritization and sequencing of this dose would be based on completion of nine months -- 39 weeks from the date of administration of the second dose. The guidelines said the vaccination of precaution dose should be with the same vaccine with which primary vaccination was done. According to the guidelines, all beneficiaries born in 2010 or earlier -- those who have already attained the age of 12 years -- will be able to register on CoWIN. "The vaccination slots will be booked for 12-14 years age group for "CorBEvax" only through Co-WIN. Vaccinator has to ensure that the vaccine is administered to only those children who have completed the age of 12 years on the date of vaccination and if a child is registered but has not attained the age of 12 years, the vaccination is not to be given," the guidelines said. The registration can be done through the following modes -- self-registration through an existing account on Co-WIN of a family member or by creating a new account through a unique mobile number (this facility is available for all eligible citizens presently), it said. It can also be done through onsite registration by the vaccinator in facilitated registration mode and appointments can be booked online or onsite (walk-in) for 12-14 years. Vaccination of 12-14 years would be conducted through dedicated inoculation sessions -- that is earmarked Covid-19 vaccination centres for 12-14 years' age-group -- to avoid their unintended vaccination with any other Covid-19 vaccines. The guidelines said all citizen irrespective of their income status are entitled to free Covid-19 vaccination at government Covid centres. Watch the latest DH Videos here: The Karnataka High Court on Tuesday upheld the hijab ban, ruling that wearing a headscarf is not an essential religious practice. The state police has issued prohibitory orders banning protests in multiple cities across the case, anticipating possible unrest over the final decision of the three-judge special bench. Meanwhile, schools in Dakshina Kannada, some of which were rocked by protests last month, have been shut for the day. India has ordered a review of the standard operating procedures for operations, maintenance and inspection of its weapon systems after one of its missiles landed in Pakistan after being accidentally fired on March 9. We attach highest priority to safety and security of our weapon systems. If any shortcoming is found, the same would be immediately rectified, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh told both houses of Parliament on Tuesday. Singh also assured the members of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha that the missile system was very reliable and safe. New Delhi on March 11 admitted that a missile had been accidentally fired from India and landed in Pakistan after being fired accidentally a couple of days back. It did not divulge details about the missile, although sources said that it was one of the BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles manufactured in India in collaboration with Russia. The sources in New Delhi also said that the missile had been accidentally fired during an inspection of a military base located at an undisclosed location in India. Also Read: Missile misfire: What is India-Pakistan missile testing notification pact? The Defence Minister on Tuesday made a statement on the incident in both the houses of Parliament. He said that the missile had been accidentally released during a routine maintenance and inspection at around 7 pm on March 9 and it had been later learnt that it had landed inside the territory of Pakistan. While this incident is regretted, we are relieved that nobody was hurt due to the accident, he said, adding that the government had taken serious note of the incident and a formal high level inquiry had been ordered. The inquiry would determine the exact cause of the said accident. He said that a review of the Standard Operating Procedures for operations, maintenance and inspections was being conducted in the wake of the incident Islamabad had of late stated that Indias internal probe would not be sufficient as the missile had fallen in the territory of Pakistan. It had called upon the international community to take serious notice of the accidental firing of the missile from India, noting that any countermeasure by Pakistan could have had grave consequences. Pakistan had also alleged that the accidental firing of the missile from India had displayed profound level of incompetence. It had also asked India to explain if the missile had indeed been handled by its armed forces or some rogue elements. Singh, however, on Tuesday dismissed the allegation by Pakistan and said that India's safety procedures and protocols for weapon systems were of the highest order and were reviewed from time to time. Our armed forces are well-trained and disciplined and are well experienced in handling such systems. Watch the latest DH Videos here: Those who are born on or before March 15, 2010, would be eligible for Covid-19 shots in the 12-14 years age group, the Union Health Ministry has informed the states, asking them to ensure that nobody below 12 years gets the jab. Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan has written to the Chief Secretaries advising them to make sure only those who have attained the age of 12 years on the date of vaccination are vaccinated against Covid-19. The vaccine of choice, Corbevax, has been approved for use in the 12-18 years age group. If the beneficiary is registered but has not attained the requisite age on the date of vaccination, the shots would not be given. The Co-WIN registration for the 12-14 age group would begin on Wednesday at 9 am. Also Read SII seeks Covovax's inclusion in Covid vaccination drive for 12 years and above The responsibility for verification of age (12 years) will lie with the vaccinator at the time of vaccination for the first few days as the provision for recording the exact date of birth in the Co-WIN portal is under process. Once implemented, the system, by default, will not allow the registration of beneficiaries who are not of the recommended age. N K Arora who heads the National Technical Advisory Body on Immunisation (NTAGI) said the technical advisory body in December recommended Covid-19 vaccination for kids with comorbidity as they carried 5-6 times higher chances of developing a serious illness. Nearly 10-15 per cent of Indian children are estimated to have some kind of comorbidity. The government, Arora said, decided to vaccinate all children above 12 years old because of the practical difficulties involved in identifying and segregating the comorbid kids for the purpose of vaccination. Furthermore, the vaccination would boost the confidence of parents who would send their wards to schools after a few weeks when the new academic session would begin, he said. Also Read New Deltacron variant is rare and similar to Omicron, say experts The health ministry guideline says since the 12-14 years group constitutes school-going children, complementary strategies may be formulated to ensure vaccination of all eligible beneficiaries irrespective of whether they are enrolled in government schools, private schools and non-formal schools like madrasas. Flagging the slow pace of vaccination among the vulnerable groups, Bhushan asked the states to ensure that all those above 60 years are covered with both doses of the Covid-19 vaccine. Regular reviews are to be conducted at district & block levels to ensure coverage of eligible beneficiaries. To avoid vaccine wastage, the states have been told to replace new stocks with those that are closer to expiry and available in another district in the same state. Adequate stocks of all the three vaccines were available with the states, the ministry said. Watch the latest DH Videos here: India said on Friday it had accidentally fired a missile into Pakistan this week because of a "technical malfunction" during routine maintenance, giving its version of events after Pakistan summoned India's envoy to protest. Pakistani officials said the missile was unarmed and had crashed near the country's eastern city of Mian Channu, about 500 km (310 miles) from the capital Islamabad. One senior Pakistani security official told Reuters that it was possibly a BrahMos missile a nuclear-capable, land-attack cruise missile jointly developed by Russia and India. Also Read | A 'Broken Arrow' raises serious questions So, is there an agreement between the two countries on missile testing notification? The two nuclear neighbour nations, on October 3, 2005, signed a pact on pre-notification of flight testing of ballistic missiles. The agreement was signed by Indias then Foreign-Secretary, Shyam Saran and Pakistans Foreign Secretary Riaz Mohammad Khan to "adopt appropriate measures aimed at preventing misunderstandings and misinterpretations and promoting a stable environment of peace and security between the two countries". According to the pact, both the countries are supposed to send each other an advance notification. Also Read | India to probe accidental missile firing into Pakistan The notification should be "no less than three days in advance of the commencement of a five-day launch window within which it intends to undertake flight tests of any land or sea-launched, surface-to-surface ballistic missile". Each country also has to ensure that the test launch sites dont fall within 40 km and the impact area isnt within 75 km of the International Boundary or the Line of Control along the side of the country undertaking the test. While not giving much information about the reasons behind the incident, the Indian Ministry of Defence said in a three-paragraph statement, "On 9 March 2022, in the course of a routine maintenance, a technical malfunction led to the accidental firing of a missile. Meanwhile, Pakistan has said that it was not satisfied with India's "simplistic explanation" on the "accidental firing" of a missile that landed in Pakistan's Punjab province and demanded a joint probe to accurately establish the facts surrounding the incident. Check out the latest videos from DH: The Congress on Monday cited a media report, which claimed that a Reliance-funded firm boosted BJP's campaigns on Facebook, to allege that "murder of democracy" was taking place with the ruling party being promoted through "divisive proxy ads" during elections. CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury described it as a "brazen destruction of the foundations of our democracy". Tagging the report, he said this is vitiating the information space to spread hate and disinformation. Also Read | BJP has set up several factories of hate, Tek Fog app one of them: Rahul Gandhi "The EC (Election Commission) must take cognisance as an MNC and a mega corporate-favourite are colluding to distort Indian democracy," he said. The attack by Opposition leaders came over an Al Jazeera report which claimed that loopholes allowed India's largest conglomerate to pump in millions of rupees to place and promote surrogate advertisements to boost the reach and popularity of the BJP in the lead up to the 2019 parliamentary elections and nine state elections. The firm in question is a subsidiary of Jio Platforms Ltd, owned by billionaire Mukesh Ambani's Reliance Group, according to the report. Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge said Reliance must explain why they have been funding the fake news via BJP's propaganda page on Facebook. "The deep lies funded by Reliance not only targeted @INCIndia & @RahulGandhi but also were intended to create communal disharmony in India!" he said. The Congress, on its official Twitter, handle said the misuse of social media to attack the democratic fabric of our nation is not new and this is BJP's modus operandi. "Hate, deception & distraction are BJP's strongest weapons," the party said. Attacking Facebook, the Congress asked can a global firm allow its platform to spread hate and misinformation. "Especially when this hate & misinformation is to manipulate a democracy? Why is Facebook prioritising the propaganda on one party?" the party said. "Untruthfully defaming the Opposition is the only way BJP can hide its incompetence & retain power. A very costly consequence for the nation," the Congress said in another tweet. Congress leader and spokesperson Supriya Srinate tagged the media report on Twitter and said, "Rel Jio funded co- led byBJP leader's kin pumped money into FB to promote BJP malign @RahulGandhi through fake news. FB removed 687 pages that promoted @INCIndia only 1 of BJP Why is India's richest man murdering democracy?" Youth Congress chief Srinivas B V cited the report and said Facebook allowed a Reliance Jio-funded firm headed by a BJP leader's nephew to promote India's ruling party BJP through divisive proxy ads during elections. All are hand-in-glove in this trade of hatred, he added. Social media in-charge Rohan Gupta also attacked the BJP and tweeted, "Deception. Defamation. Devastation. The 'hum do humare do' can stoop to unimaginable lows to satiate their greed. Greed for power & money." Congress' whip in Lok Sabha Manickam Tagore said the Ambani funded company led by BJP leader's son pumped lakhs of money into Facebook to promote BJP malign Rahul Gandhi through fake news. "FB removed 687 pages that promoted congress only 1 of BJP, Asia's richest man hand full of blood in the murder of democracy," he tweeted. Chhattisgarh minister T S Singhdeo also shared the media report on Twitter and said it was a must read article, on how fundamentally important democratic processes were being "tampered" with by creating loopholes in favour of the BJP. "That too under the watch of Constitutional authorities like the Election Commission of India," he added. In a tweet, Congress leader Salman Soz said, "When Reliance funds a company that promotes BJP through divisive ads on Facebook, you get a sense of the odds against Congress & opposition." "This entire nexus needs to be dismantled because it threatens Indian democracy. Only sustained political pressure will overcome this nexus," he said. Check out latest DH videos here Projecting a serious in business face after a disastrous poll outing, Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Tuesday initiated organisational changes as mandated by the partys Working Committee by asking party presidents in five states Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Goa and Manipur where the party performed badly to resign. However, the hours preceding Sonias decision witnessed further rumblings over electoral debacle as partys Uttarakhand face Harish Rawat seeking his own expulsion after a party colleague accused him of selling seats, and some candidates in Punjab blaming Charanjit Singh Channi for the defeat and openly supporting state party president Navjot Singh Sidhu. The decision was made public by partys chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala even as General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi held a brainstorming session in Delhi on the way forward in Uttar Pradesh and Punjab in-charge Harish Chaudhury met candidates in Chandigarh to find out where they went wrong. Sidhu and UP chief Ajay Kumar Lallu attended these meetings. Also read: Accused of selling Congress tickets, Harish Rawat seeks his own expulsion from party Besides Sidhu and Lallu, the other presidents who have been asked to quit to facilitate reorganisation of Pradesh Congress Committees are Ganesh Godhiyal (Uttarakhand), Girish Chodankar (Goa) and N Loken Singh (Manipur). In Sundays meeting, the Congress Working Committee (CWC) had unanimously reaffirmed its faith in Sonias leadership and requested her to lead from the front, address the organisational weaknesses, effect necessary and comprehensive organisational changes in order to take on the political challenges". Soon after Sonia's direction, Godiyal "took moral responsibility" for the defeat and submitted his resignation. "I wanted to resign on the result day itself but stayed on waiting for the order from the High command. After reaching Delhi today, as soon as I came to know that the accountable office bearers of all other states, where the elections did not get the expected success, were resigning from their posts, I have also submitted my resignation," he tweeted. Sidhu was appointed as Punjab Congress chief in July last year after removing Amarinder Singh as state Chief Minister, while Godiyal and Loken Singh were appointed before the Assembly polls. Chodankar had quit as Goa chief soon after 2019 Lok Sabha where the party could not win but was asked to continue. Earlier in the day, Harish Rawat was upset over his once close aide Ranjeet Rawat accusing him of selling tickets. Ranjeet rose in rebellion after Harish Rawat was announced as a candidate from Ramnagar, which he had an eye on, and this led to change in the latters seat. Earlier in the day, Harish Rawat was upset over his once close aide Ranjeet Rawat accusing him of selling tickets. Ranjeet rose in rebellion after Harish Rawat was announced as a candidate from Ramnagar, which he had an eye on, and this led to change in the latters seat. "Accusations of selling tickets and posts are very serious and if those are being made on a person who has been a Chief Minister, General Secretary and also a member of the CWC, it is a serious matter. Those who make these allegations also hold important posts in the party. It is being spread by supporters of a person who holds a very important seat. I pray that the Congress expels me in light of this accusation," he said. The festival of Holi is an apt occasion to "get rid of evil and evil like Harish Rawat should also be burned during Holika 'Dahan'," he added. In Chandigarh, Gurpreet Singh said Channi was the "only reason" for the party's defeat, as people "did not like him as the Chief Minister face at all". "Had (Navjot) Sidhu been announced as the Chief Minister, we would have won at least 50 seats," he said, a day after senior leader Sunil Jakhar targeted Channi while calling him a liability whose "greed pulled the party down". Check out DH's latest videos: After prominent G-23 leader Kapil Sibal criticised the Congress leadership, two Congress chief ministers on Tuesday led the charge against change-seekers with Bhupesh Baghel saying that some people want to make Congress a party of "dinner" and "bungalow" while the "party is of every house". Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Baghel tweeted in Hindi late evening, "Congress is the Congress of every house. But some people want to make it the Congress of 'dinner' and 'bungalow'. Come to Uttar Pradesh once to see what leadership is and fighting is. All those who kept talking about the destruction of Congress have been erased." His comments came following Sibal's interview to a newspaper in which he said, "leadership is in cuckoo land I want a 'Sab ki Congress'. Some want a 'Ghar ki Congress'" and that Rahul Gandhi was taking decisions without having any responsibility. Also read: After poll debacle, Sonia Gandhi asks Congress chiefs of 5 states to resign While Baghel did not elaborate, the remarks were read as an attack on Sibal for hosting dinners for detractors and other leaders and Ghulam Nabi Azad for retaining his bungalow given to him as Leader of Opposition even after retiring. Describing Sibal's remarks as "unfortunate", Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot said leaders should stand united at a time when the party is losing elections. "Those who are talking about finishing the Congress party will themselves get finished. The Congress is years-old party and our leaders have made supreme sacrifices before and after Independence," he said. Congress Lok Sabha Chief Whip Manickam Tagore accused Sibal of speaking the language of the BJP and the RSS. "Why RSS and BJP want Nehru-Gandhi's out of the leadership? Because without Gandhi's leadership Congress will become Janata party. It's easy to kill Congress, then it's easy to destroy the idea of India. Kapil Sibal knows it but why is he speaking the language of RSS/BJP." Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera tweeted, "Dr Harshvardhan did not ask you to step aside from Chandni Chowk. He fought an election and defeated you, Kapil Sibal. Those who want to lead Congress are free to fight upcoming election for the position of party president instead of chanting everyday against current leadership." Gehlot and Baghel had demanded that Rahul should take over the reins of the party at the earliest. They raised the issue at the Congress Working Committee meeting on Sunday too. Check out DH's latest videos: In the partys first Parliamentary meet after the win in four election-going states, MPs from the Bharatiya Janata Party were given homework by Prime Minister Narendra Modito go to 100 booths, where the party fared badly and find out why the BJP lost, across all constituencies in four states where it won the polls. In the meeting, held ahead of the session on the second day of the second leg of the Budget session, PM Modi thanked the party's workers for the wins in the four states, and said that it is time to analyse the losses. He asked the MPs to go to 100 booths in the seats where the party scored badly and asked them to analyse why, despite the resources available to them, the party lost. PM Modi said that the booth policy is at the heart of the BJP's electoral push, a senior party MP from the south told DH on condition of anonymity. The members will now have to submit a report analysing the losses by visiting the booths in their constituencies. The party has 62 MPs in the Lok Sabha and 22 MPs in the Rajya Sabha in Uttar Pradesh, and 5 MPs in the Lok Sabha and two MPs in the Rajya Sabha in Uttarakhand. In Goa and Manipur, the party has one MP each in the Lok Sabha, and one each in the Rajya Sabha. Also Read Amid rumblings of dissent, Congress autopsies poll defeats Another MP, dwelling on the PMs directive to the MPs said, He told all MPs to work for people at the grassroots level. He asked us to keep in touch with the people. The ongoing strife in Ukraine also found mention inside the Parliamentary meet, and PM Modi took some time to explain why Poland helped India in rescuing Indians stuck in Ukraine, said another MP. He went into the details of the history of Indias relationship with Poland during the Nazi Rule, said another MP. Apart from that, PM Modi also spoke about the need to stem parivarvaad in the party, and told the leaders in the meeting that if their children were not given tickets in the elections, he was the reason behind it. As per an MP from the east, PM Modi said that ahead of the 2024 general elections, the party will aim to stem dynastic politics internally within the party to fight it outside of it. He clearly said that in the next general elections, the party will have to train their guns on dynastic parties with a regional footprint, the leader said. An MP from the Northeast said that the partys recent wins in the Northeast found a mention in the speech of BJP president JP Nadda. While congratulating the states on their win, Nadda made special mention of the recent assembly polls in Manipur and municipality polls in Assam, where the BJP registered wins. He said that it is no easy feat for the BJP to form a government in Manipur for the second time, the MP said. Watch the latest DH Videos here: The NIA on Tuesday filed a charge sheet against six Khalistani terrorists, including two Pakistanis, for their alleged involvement in the Jalalabad bomb blast case in Punjab. Parveen Singh of Punjab's Fazilka and Sukhwinder Singh, Gurpreet Singh and Ranjit Singhall three of Ferozepurhave been named in the charge sheet along with Pakistani national Habib Khan alias Doctor and Pakistan-based designated terrorist Lakhbir Singh Rode, an NIA spokesperson said in a statement. They have been charged under sections of the Explosive Substances Act; the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act; the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and the Indian Penal Code before a special NIA court in SAS Nagar, the statement said. The case pertains to a bomb explosion in Jalalabad town of Fazilka district in September last year in which one person was killed, it said. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) had re-registered the case in October last year. The NIA probe has revealed the conspiracy of Pakistan-based designated terrorist Rode, the self-styled chief of International Sikh Youth Federation (ISYF) and his associates to cause multiple explosions at crowded places in Punjab and to effect large scale causalities and strike terror in the minds of people, the spokesperson of the premier investigation agency said. Also Read Jalalabad motorcycle blast an 'act of terror', one held: Police On directions of Rode, another Pakistan-based narco-terror operative Habib Khan radicalised and recruited Balwinder Singh and Sukhwinder Singh and motivated them to plant bombs using pre-assembled Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) smuggled along with heroin from across the border, according to the statement. In furtherance of their plan, eight pre-assembled IEDs or tiffin bombs (along with training material) were received by Binder Singh and Sukhwinder Singh along with large quantities of heroin and money, the NIA statement said. Prior to the bomb explosion that took place in Jalalabad, the terrorist gang had also set ablaze a car as well as a few shops in Ferozpur city, it said. In September last year, Binder Singh and Sukhwinder Singh conducted reconnaissance of a crowded market in Jalalabad town for carrying out explosion, it said, adding that while Binder Singh was trying to retrieve the motorcycle along with the planted tiffin bomb after it did not explode at the designated time, he was killed on the spot due to explosion. Watch the latest DH Videos here: Jammu and Kashmir chief ministers Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti on Tuesday called the Karnataka high court's decision upholding ban on entry of girls into government schools wearing hijab, "disappointing". Track hijab verdict-related updates here "Very disappointed by the verdict of the Karnataka High Court. Regardless of what you may think about the hijab it's not about an item of clothing, it's about the right of a woman to choose how she wants to dress. "That the court didn't uphold this basic right is a travesty", Omar Abdullah said on his twitter page. Very disappointed by the verdict of the Karnataka High Court. Regardless of what you may think about the hijab its not about an item of clothing, its about the right of a woman to choose how she wants to dress. That the court didnt uphold this basic right is a travesty. Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) March 15, 2022 Another former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti said: "Karnataka HC's decision to uphold the Hijab ban is deeply disappointing. "On one hand we talk about empowering women yet we are denying them the right to a simple choice. Its isn't just about religion but the freedom to choose". Karnataka HCs decision to uphold the Hijab ban is deeply disappointing. On one hand we talk about empowering women yet we are denying them the right to a simple choice. Its isnt just about religion but the freedom to choose. Mehbooba Mufti (@MehboobaMufti) March 15, 2022 Karnataka HC's decision to uphold the Hijab ban is deeply disappointing," Mehbooba Mufti, PDP president, said in a tweet. "On one hand we talk about empowering women yet we are denying them the right to a simple choice. Its isn't just about religion but the freedom to choose," she added The government on Tuesday told Parliament that Russia's military operations in Ukraine were expected to result in major economic implications as India had substantial dealings with both nations. It also said that an assessment of the implication of the Russia-Ukraine conflict on India was currently going on. The Ukraine conflict has major economic implications. Its impact on energy and commodity prices is already visible. The disruption of the global supply chain is expected to be significant, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said in the Rajya Sabha. He was making a statement on the situation in Ukraine, where Russia launched special military operations on February 24 last, with the professed objective of denazify and demilitarise the East European nation. India has substantial dealings with both Russia and Ukraine. An assessment in this regard by the Government is underway, he said, adding: However, the House will appreciate that there is all the more need for an Atmanirbhar Bharat. Also Read | In Russia-Ukraine conflict, an opportunity for India Jaishankar informed the Rajya Sabha about the Operation Ganga, which India had launched to evacuate its citizens from Ukraine in the wake of the invasion by Russia. Despite the challenges posed by the serious ongoing conflict, we have ensured that about 22500 citizens have returned home safely, said the External Affairs Minister, giving a detailed account of the evacuation of the citizens of India from Ukraine through Romania, Hungary, Slovak Republic, Poland and Moldova. He said that India had also evacuated 147 citizens of 18 other countries, including Bangladesh and Nepal. There are some odd people, not in thousands, they are in double digits. We are tracking them. We have issued repeated advisories saying anybody who is left behind, please tell us wherever you are, the External Affairs Minister said. At this moment we have an operation to get out some students who are stuck in the South (Ukraine) through the Russia route. Also Read | Relief for Indian students as Ukrainian medical universities start online classes He said that although the Embassy of India in Kyiv had issued advisories asking Indians to leave Ukraine if their stay was not necessary, a large majority of students elected to continue staying in the East European country. We must understand their predicament in this regard. There was a natural reluctance to leave educational institutions and affect their studies. Some universities actively discouraged and showed reluctance to offer online courses. Many of them received conflicting advice regarding safety. The challenges of travel back may have also been a factor, said Jaishankar. He also noted that in the period leading to Russia's launch of military operations in Ukraine on February 24, the political signals were confusing as well. Public urgings not to be taken in by alarmism and reports of force withdrawals created a confusing picture. The net result was that about 18000 Indian citizens were caught in the midst of conflict when it began, he added. Check out latest videos from DH: The Supreme Court on Tuesday fixed a plea against the bail to Ashish Mishra, the prime accused and son of Union Minister Ajay Mishra Teni in a case related to mowing down of farmers in Lakhimpur Kheri, for consideration on Wednesday. A bench presided over by Chief Justice N V Ramana said the matter would be taken up by the same combination of bench which had earlier formed an SIT to monitor the probe. The development comes even as advocate Prashant Bhushan, who filed the petition against the Allahabad High Court's February 10 order on bail, alleged one of the witnesses was "brutally attacked" on the night of March 10 and also said "since BJP had won Assembly polls, he (the witness) would be taken care of". Also Read | Lakhimpur Kheri: Family members of deceased move SC against bail to Mishra On March 11, the court had put the matter for hearing on Tuesday. Earlier, on March 4, on a mentioning by Bhushan on behalf of the victims' families, the court had directed for taking up the case on March 11 but the matter was then not listed as the same combination of bench was unavailable. On Tuesday, the CJI was heading the bench, also comprising Justices A S Bopanna and Hima Kohli. Notably, the bench, which had ordered setting up the SIT, comprised the CJI and Justices Surya Kant and Kohli. The special leave petition filed on behalf of the victims contended that the High Court's order on bail to Mishra was "perverse" and "unsustainable in eyes of law" as there has been no meaningful and effective assistance by the State to the court in the matter. The petitioners led by Jagjeet Singh said that they approached the top court as the state of Uttar Pradesh where the political party of the accused and his father is in power has failed to file an appeal against the order. Mishra was arrested on October 9 last year in the case related to the October 3 incident. As many as eight people, including four farmers, were killed, when a car allegedly ferrying the Union Minister's son ran over a group of protesters, gathered to oppose a programme attended by then Uttar Pradesh's deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya in Lakhimpur Kheri. The farmers were then demanding repeal of three controversial farm laws. Check out the latest DH videos here: Many are citing emotional attachment to lands in which they have been living for generations. Even as the government announced compensation packages, majority of the people feel that it would not compensate for the actual loss they would suffer. Also finding alternative land and constructing a building was not an easy affair especially as the land prices and construction costs are skyrocketing. While the government estimates that around 9,350 buildings would have to be demolished for the green field rail project, those opposing the project estimates that at least 20,000 houses would have to be demolished. Environmentalist Sridhar Radhakrishnan said that the government's present estimation with regard to the buildings was based on an aerial assessment only. It would not give a clear picture. Apart from the around 30 metre required for the proposed rail line, around 30 metres on either sides would have to be kept as buffer zone where no construction would be allowed. Meanwhile, children of many known late communist leaders of Kerala have also come up against the project. In a representation to CPM state secretary in Kerala Kanam Rajendran, they urged that the CPM, which is the second-largest party in the ruling left-front in Kerala, should oppose the semi-high-speed rail project considering the serious threats it posed and the public sentiments against the project. The signatories in the representation, who are holding senior positions in various sectors, also accused the CPM of ignoring the people's sentiments and reminded of the setback suffered by the party in West Bengal. Also read: Heated debate in Kerala Assembly over K-rail project Emotional protests by ordinary people, including senior citizens, women and children, have become a routine affair in Kerala as the state government goes ahead with the laying of stones demarking land for the proposed 530-kilometre semi-high-sped rail project. On Tuesday protests were witnessed at three places across the state. The laying of stones from carrying out the social impact assessment is being carried out under heavy police deployment. At Chengannur in Alappuzha the local people also set ablaze used tyres to block the officials and some local people even threatened to end life. Various parts of Kozhikode and Malappuram districts also witnessed stiff resistance by the local people against laying of the stones demarking land. Check out latest videos from DH: The Karnataka High Court ruling that hijab was not a part of the essential religious practice in Islamic faith was welcomed by Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan, who on Tuesday expressed hope that such continuous attempts to push back young Muslim women into the four walls of a house, fail. The Kerala Governor, speaking to reporters, said he was not gloating over the verdict as he believed that the young Muslim women have the capability to contribute and play a great role in nation building as well as looking after their families, just like their "other sisters". "I sincerely pray and hope that these continuous attempts to push back the young women, especially young Muslim women, into the four walls of the house, fall down," Khan said. He further said that he wishes them (young Muslim women) all the best and hoped that "they will continue doing the good work they are doing". At the start of the Hijab controversy, Khan had said that wearing of the headscarf was not an essential religious practice in Islamic faith. Also Read: We will appeal for Constitutional right in Supreme Court: Udupi Jilla Muslim Okkuta on Karnataka HCs hijab verdict However, the verdict was termed as "unfortunate" by leaders of the Muslim League and Kerala Muslim Jamaat. Muslim League's state general secretary P M A Salam, told the media that the order was unfortunate and would dishearten the people who still have faith in the law and order system and look towards the court for relief against any injustice. Kerala Muslim Jamaat's general secretary Sayyid Ibraheem Khaleel Al Bukhari, speaking to a TV channel, also termed the High Court decision as "unfortunate" and said the ruling needs to be re-examined or an appeal should be moved against it in the Supreme Court. He said it was incorrect to state that wearing of the headscarf was not an essential religious practice in Islamic faith. The Karnataka HC today dismissed petitions filed by a section of Muslim students from the Government Pre-University Girls College in Udupi, seeking permission to wear Hijab inside the classroom, saying the headscarf is not a part of the essential religious practice in Islamic faith. The High Court also held that the state government has the power to issue the February 5, 2022 order, banning wearing of clothes which disturb equality, integrity and public order in schools and colleges. Watch the latest DH Videos here: After having identified semiconductor manufacturing as one of the sunrise sectors of the state, Chief Minister M K Stalin on Tuesday invited global electronics major Samsung to set up a plant that produces semiconductors in Tamil Nadu, which already accounts for 20 per cent of national production in electronics and hardware. Samsung is the third company that the Tamil Nadu government has invited to set up a fab manufacturing unit in the state after homegrown Tata Group, and Taiwans Foxconn. Tamil Nadu feels it is in an advantageous position in attracting investments in the semiconductor space given the market it offers in the automobile and electronics sectors several giants have productions units here which are in need of computer chips. The state has approached interested firms to take advantage of the Centres Rs 76,000-crore product-linked incentive (PLI) scheme for semiconductor manufacturing in India and set up units in Tamil Nadu. Stalin himself invited Foxconn to invest in the sector when the companys management called on him in January this year. Also Read: Samsung to manufacture refrigerator components in Tamil Nadu I believe you know our goal is to make Tamil Nadu a $1 trillion economy by 2030. As part of this initiative, I request Samsung to expand its facilities in Tamil Nadu. I would like to request Samsung to set up a semiconductor manufacturing unit in the state. The state government will extend all possible help in this regard, Stalin said. He made the request in the presence of Ken Kang, President and CEO, Samsung Southwest Asia, after the South Korean firm signed an MoU with the Tamil Nadu government for setting up a compressor manufacturing unit for refrigerators in Sriperumbudur near here at a cost of Rs 1,588 crore. Industries Minister Thangam Thennarasu had told DH in an interview in January that the state has touched base with several companies to produce chips in the state. Since Foxconn is a major electronics manufacturer, we have formally invited them to invest in semi-conductor sector. The company has been doing business here for over a decade and they know the state well, Thenarasu had said. Besides the PLI scheme and TNs incentives, the state government believes that the skilled workforce and the ecosystem, given Tamil Nadu has over 8.5 lakh MSMEs, would go in the states favour when the companies finally come to a decision. Sources said the state is in talks with Tata Group, which had in August 2021 announced its intention to enter the sector. It is believed that the state government has proposed Coimbatore for the Tata Group to set up their first semiconductor fabrication unit. However, no agreement has been reached so far as several states are said to be in competition. Also Read: Tamil Nadu Governor promised to forward anti-NEET bill for Presidential assent, says CM Stalin Tamil Nadu, which released an exclusive policy for electronics and hardware manufacturing in 2020, aims to contribute 25 per cent of Indias total electronic exports to the world and increase the industry's output to $100 billion by 2025. K E Raghunathan, convenor of the Consortium of Indian Associations (CIA), said the Tamil Nadu government should flaunt the assured market for the semiconductor industry while reaching out to the companies, besides promising capital subsidy and assurance of huge availability of water, which is needed in abundance for the manufacturers. Tamil Nadu has a clear edge because the state is not just an automobile hub but is also fast emerging as the electric scooter hub of the country. Since many automobile and electronic majors have manufacturing units in TN, the state offers the best market for them. Tamil Nadu has such inherent advantages which no other state can boast of, he told DH. Watch the latest DH Videos here: A G Perarivalan, one of the seven convicts in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case, on Tuesday walked out of the prison on bail for the first time in 31 years of his incarceration following last weeks Supreme Court order. Perarivalan, who was on parole for the past nine months but was confined to his home in Jolarpet in Tiruppattur district due to stringent conditions imposed by the government, availed bail from the Central Prison in Puzhal near here on Tuesday afternoon. Though the Supreme Court granted bail last week, the bail was executed by the designated TADA court on March 12 after which the formalities were completed on Tuesday. Flanked by his mother Arputham Ammal, who has been fighting a relentless battle to get her son released from jail, Perarivalan posed for pictures and thanked the media and people for their support. This is just a temporary relief. The permanent relief will be only when he walks out of the prison forever. We hope that will happen soon, Arputham Ammal told the waiting media. Perarivalans mother knocked every doors at the judiciary and the executive in the past 31 years seeking his sons release as she believes he is innocent. Also read: Rajiv assassination convict Perarivalan's mother planning his wedding Perarivalan is one of the seven convicts in the sensational assassination of Rajiv Gandhi, former Prime Minister, in Sriperumbudur near here on May 21, 1991. Nalini, Murugan, Ravichandran and three others are also accused in the case after their death sentences were reduced to life sentence due to various reasons. Ever since his arrest in June 1991, this is the first time Perarivalan has secured bail in the case he was released on parole from jail for the first time in 2017 and the DMK government after it came to power gave him parole once again and kept extending it every month. During his prison term, Perarivalan completed several degrees during his prison term and his good conduct was cited as one of the reasons while providing bail despite objections from the Centre. Perarivalan has been charged with buying two battery cells for Sivarasan, the mastermind who used them in the bomb that was tied around Dhanus stomach that killed Gandhi. The seven convicts release is an emotive issue in Tamil Nadu and the then Edappadi K Palaniswami cabinet passed a resolution in 2018 recommending their release from prison. However, the state Governor is yet to take a call on the recommendation, despite pressure from successive governments. Check out latest videos from DH: Hours after the Karnataka High Court upheld the ban on wearing hijab in schools, a plea was moved in the Supreme Court contending it was protected under the fundamental rights to privacy, expression and conscience guaranteed under the Constitution. The petition filed by Niba Naaz, and another person through advocate Anas Tanwir also claimed the Karnataka Education Act, 1983, and the Rules made thereunder, do not provide for any mandatory uniform to be worn by students. It claimed the right to wear a hijab comes under the ambit of the right to privacy under Article 21 of the Constitution. The right to wear a hijab also comes under the ambit of expression and is thus, protected under Article 19(1)(a) of the Constitution, it added. Also read: K'taka HC says unseen hands at work to engineer social unrest and disharmony The plea said, The High Court has erred in creating a dichotomy of freedom of religion and freedom of conscience wherein the court has inferred that those who follow a religion cannot have the right to conscience. The plea also contended that the right to wear a hijab is protected as a part of the right to conscience under Article 25 of the Constitution. "Since the right to conscience is essentially an individual right, the Essential Religious Practices Test ought not to have been applied by the High Court in this instant case, it said. It also pointed out the High Court has failed to note that the Indian legal system explicitly recognised the wearing or carrying of religious symbols. "It is pertinent to note that Section 129 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, exempts turban wearing Sikhs from wearing a helmet, the plea said. It also cited rules made by the Ministry of Civil Aviation, allowing Sikhs to carry kirpans on the aircraft. Questioning the validity of the February 5, 2022 order passed by the state government under the Karnataka Education Act, the petition claimed the direction was issued "with an indirect intent of attacking the religious minorities and specifically the followers of Islamic faith by ridiculing the female Muslim students wearing hijab". "This ridiculing attack was under the guise of attaining secularity and equality on the basis of uniform wherein the College Development Committees prohibited the students wearing hijab from entering the premises of the educational institutions. This step-motherly behaviour of government authorities has prevented students from practising their faith which has resulted in an unwanted law and order situation," it said. In its judgement, the High Court said, "wearing of hijab is not an essential part of Islam. Prescription of uniform is constitutional and students can't object to it." Check out latest videos from DH: The Bombay High Court Tuesday rejected the plea of Nawab Malik seeking interim relief and release from jail even as the demand for resignation of the Maharashtra minister continued to grow. The court said just because the special PMLA court's order remanding him in custody is not in his favour, it does not make that order illegal or wrong. Malik (62), the Minority Affairs Minister was arrested on February 23 by the Enforcement Directorate in an alleged money laundering case involving property deals with people linked to mafia don and terrorist Dawood Ibrahim. Also Read | Police detain top BJP leaders including Fadnavis over protest demanding Nawab Malik's resignation He is currently in judicial custody. As certain debatable issues are raised, they require to be heard at length... we are not inclined to allow the prayers in the said applications. Resultantly, interim applications are rejected, said a division bench of the Bombay High Court comprising Justice Prasanna B Varale and Justice SM Modak. Reacting to the development, Leader of Opposition Devendra Fadnavis said that if the NCP leader is not made to quit it would be proven that the government is being run as per underworld don Dawood Ibrahims wishes. And now, the Bombay High Court has given the verdict! Even now if MVA does not accept Nawab Maliks resignation, it will be proven that MVA runs as per Dawoods pressure and accordance, said Fadnavis. "Under whose pressure you are... Dawood?," Fadnavis wanted to know as he lashed out at the MVA government. And now, the High Court has given the verdict ! Even now if MVA does not Nawab Maliks resignation, it will be proven that MVA runs as per Dawoods pressure and accordance.#NawabMalik #MVA #Maharashtra pic.twitter.com/lzanyyw0ds Devendra Fadnavis (@Dev_Fadnavis) March 15, 2022 Both Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and NCP supremo Sharad Pawar had earlier ruled out the resignation of Malik from the state Cabinet. During the course of arguments, senior counsel Amit Desai, who along with advocates Taraq Sayed and Kushal Mor appearing for Malik, argued that he has been falsely implicated. According to the ED charges, Malik had brought the Goawala Building properly in Kurla. The power of attorney of the property was in the name of Sardar Shah Wali Khan, who is undergoing jail term in the 1993 blasts case and Salim Patel, the frontman of Dawood Ibrahims sister Hasina Parkar. Watch the latest DH Videos here: With a number of youngsters consuming a popular cough syrup and a pain balm as an intoxicant, a BJP MP on Tuesday asked the government to either put restrictions on the product or regulate its sale. The issue was raised by BJP MP Ajay Pratap Singh during Zero Hour in Rajya Sabha following which Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu asked the Health Minister to brief him about the issue. Raising the issue, Singh said several states take steps to curb drug abuse like Bihar and Gujarat banning liquor. However, he said, cough syrup 'Corex' has now been used as an intoxicant. "It is a cough syrup but people are using it as an intoxicant...young people are using it more. Similarly, there is a medicine called Iodex (pain killer balm). But youth paste it on bread and then eat it, which is having an effect on their body," he claimed. He demanded that the government either put restrictions on the product or regulate its sale. Several MPs supported Singh. Naidu said, "the Health Minister may brief me about the issue." Watch the latest DH Videos here: This is undoubtedly Yogi Adityanath's moment. But while reporting his victory, must the media also display a sense of triumph? "Bulldozer rampages through opposition attack"; "Bulldozer becomes symbol of BJP's mega-mobility"; "Yogi bulldozes caste barriers" were typical headlines on TV channels after the results, all taking off from the title "Bulldozer Baba". Used by Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav as a jibe against the Uttar Pradesh chief minister, the term was turned on its head by the latter and transformed into a campaign theme. The phrase conveyed the image he loved to project: toughness towards the mafia. But people in UP understood what it meant. The message conveyed by Adityanath when he said "hamara bulldozer chalega" was no different from his "80 vs 20" comment. Both projected the Muslim as the "other". As news reports have shown, Baba's bulldozer is not uncontrolled; it selects its targets, and most of them happen to be Muslim. Select bahubalis' properties have been left untouched. In case the message was not understood, the CM made it amply clear. The bulldozing of jailed don Mukhtar Ansari's property, he said, had upset Akhilesh Yadav. Connecting the CM's main political rival with a notorious Muslim offender was very much in keeping with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)'s campaign. In their rallies, both the Prime Minister and the Union home Minister described the SP's reign as mafia rule. Which community this mafia belonged to was made clear by their constant linking of the SP with Eid and kabrastans. Also read: Why is Yogi Adityanath holed up in his 'mutt' at Gorakhpur? These allusions had also been made during the 2017 UP Assembly election campaign by Narendra Modi and Amit Shah. This time, though, the main campaigner saying this was the political head of the state, who is also a saffron-robed mahant of a powerful mutt, and founder of an organisation known for targeting Muslims: the Hindu Yuva Vahini. Under him, the bulldozer became a weapon of Hindutva. The crowds who went delirious every time Adityanath spoke of his bulldozer knew this; so did the Muslims of UP. It's inconceivable that the media didn't. When media headlines extolled Adityanath for "bulldozing the Opposition", did the journalists writing them also identify the Opposition with the Muslim mafia against whom the bulldozer was meant to be used? While that question may remain unanswered, there is no doubt that the other headline, "Adityanath bulldozed caste differences", sent the wrong message. Winning over the many castes who make up UP's Hindus has been the BJP's aim since 2017; their alliances have centred around caste; their welfare schemes have targeted castes who may not otherwise have voted for them. The media is not just aware of this but has, in fact, lauded it as Amit Shah's "social engineering" design. The media knew that the bulldozer of Hindutva did not destroy caste barriers at all; Hindutva was a powerful add-on to a strategy based on caste calculations. So why did it push the BJP's narrative that their victory showed that caste did not count? Since the results, victory processions have been taken out with shouts of 'Jai Sri Ram', the invocation that has, since L K Advani's rath yatra, become a battle-cry, one that Hindutva bullies have often forced Muslims to chant. The BJP youth have run bulldozers over cycles, the election symbol of the Muslim-backed Samajwadi Party. Amid all this, you have the media celebrating the triumph of the bulldozer. What would a UP Muslim feel seeing those headlines? Probably the same as what Mumbai's Muslims must have felt when headlines in leading newspapers routinely used the word "Tiger" to refer to Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray, knowing fully well who his prey was. The English media chose to call Uma Bharti "sexy sanyasin" - as a compliment - even though she shot to fame for her anti-Muslim speeches during the BJP's campaign to demolish the Babri Masjid. At some point during this campaign, the media stopped calling the Babri Masjid by its name and started referring to it as "the disputed structure". It seemed that for the media, its existence as a 450-year-old mosque had suddenly come into question, exactly as it had for the BJP. It was a Muslim journalist who had pointed out this sudden change to me. What lies behind the mainstream media's insensitivity towards the country's largest minority? Here one is not even talking about popular TV channels which thrive on painting Muslims black. Muslims have been part of newsrooms for years, but their presence has not deterred the mainstream media from showing its affection towards rabid Hindutva politicians. What explains this mindset? And what of the effects it has on Muslim - as well as Hindu - audiences? (Jyoti Punwani is a journalist) Disclaimer: The views expressed above are the author's own. They do not necessarily reflect the views of DH. Check out DH's latest videos: The results of the five state legislatures are what they are a robust victory for the BJP. This is especially so in Uttar Pradesh, which carries immense weight in national politics, contributing 80 MPs to Parliament. It is quite clear that the BJP will form the government in four out of the five states that went to polls. The results in UP have proved wrong the prevailing common wisdom that the party was in a tough spot. In adjoining Uttarakhand, despite three non-performing chief ministers in five years, the gap between the BJP and the main Opposition, the Congress party, has gone up. The BJP has not faced a credible challenge anywhere. In Punjab, the challenge of AAP was to the incumbent Congress and not to the BJP. And in Manipur and Goa, where it was thought that the party might need to break rival parties, it looks like that may not be necessary this time around. Breast-beating till the cows come home and analysing the election outcomes based on caste and other factors may not be a productive activity for anyone except the losing parties. The more important issue is what these results portend for the future of Indian politics. The election results have confirmed the unquestioned popular acceptance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He has demonstrated time and again that peoples grievances, farmers protests, unemployment, price rise and blatant corporate cronyism makes no difference to winning elections. He holds a monopoly over the political discourse in the country. The political narrative he sets need not have anything to do with any real issues that the nation faces, including peoples livelihoods. Communalism plus welfarism, based on freebies, seems to work for him time and time again, with or without economic growth. Voters do not respond to rational arguments or think strategically about their future as they respond fulsomely to a web of demagoguery spun with emotive notions of nationalism, national security and communalism. These election results also put an end to any putative challenge to Modis leadership from within the party. Yogi Adityanath may well be chastened now as the slide in the partys legislative strength from 2017 to 2022 would be seen as his doing. It will temper his adversarial attitude towards the central leadership of the BJP, especially if the Centre once again sponsors him as Chief Minister, as it did in 2017. The victory also demonstrates once again that no other party can match the BJPs election management and tactics under the Modi-Amit Shah duo. Other political parties try to sway the public mood by raising issues that they think matter to the voters. The BJP on the other hand itself decides what should matter to the masses, hijab in some phases of the UP election and the Opposition as terrorist supporters and mafiawadi in others. It also micro-manages how voters exercise their choices through highly effective booth management. In addition, opaque electoral bonds have ensured that the party has a monopoly over resources, while other sources of funds for the Opposition are choked off by policies such as demonetisation in 2016 and setting government agencies after their potential financiers. Its deep pockets can be used for horse-trading if there is a hung Assembly. This formidable electoral juggernaut has allowed the BJP to retain power despite the economy being in the doldrums, unemployment rising, prices skyrocketing and social harmony in tatters. For the national Opposition, these election results, especially in UP, have sounded the death knell. In 2014, the Modi victory had decimated the Congress and reduced the Opposition to merely a tactical and reactive entity. In 2021, the victory of Mamata Banerjees Trinamool Congress had led to embryonic hopes that it was possible to defeat the Modi machine and that if only anti-BJP regional parties came together, this would become possible. These hopes have been dashed in a state which enjoys the highest political weight in the country. The AAP challenge in Punjab became successful only because of a favourable conjuncture, given the anti-incumbency against the Congress, its change of Chief Minister mid-stream for garnering caste-based votes, and the perceived unviability of the Shiromani Akali Dal, which had broken its alliance with the BJP. It is doubtful whether any crystallisation of Opposition forces will take place around AAP and its ambitious leader Arvind Kejriwal, who wants to occupy the same political space as the BJP by toning down, but not abandoning, communalism. In the short run, the AAP will be a challenge for the BJP in Gujarat, now that it would have greater access to resources and the tailwinds of the Punjab victory propelling it forward. It already has a foothold there in the Surat municipality as the main Opposition. When Parliament resumes its current session, the BJP is likely to become even more aggressive. The last throes of the Opposition will also become evident in July this year, when the Presidential election is due. The national political narrative will go even more firmly into the hands of the BJP and Prime Minister Modi will control it unchallenged. People have shown an eagerness to accept whatever he says, even if some of his statements are prima facie incredulous. No one in the Opposition has managed to set up an alternative credible agenda. Equally, one might wonder what such an agenda might be if economic issues do not matter to the people. The BJPs communal narrative too seems to have found total acceptance with the majority. It seems the doors to political change in 2024 may be shutting on the Opposition. It seems that the BJP has put the nation in a state where long-term misery and electoral victories go hand in hand the farmers can continue to agitate, unemployment can increase, prices can touch the roof, but no one can touch the BJP and its election victories. The accidental firing of a missile by India that landed 125 km inside Pakistani territory on March 9 has raised many disturbing questions about the safety and security protocols used to manage Indias strategic weapons systems and the handling of potentially dangerous situations. India has maintained that it was a case of technical malfunction during routine maintenance and inspection. Not much information is available from the Indian side but it is believed that it was a BrahMos missile that got fired from the Sirsa Air Force Base and it landed in the Pakistani town of Mian Channu, but caused no human casualty. India has said the incident was regrettable and that it has ordered an investigation into it. The Defence Ministers statement in Parliament on Tuesday did not add anything to what the government has said so far. Pakistan has expressed concern and protested to India. While Pakistan showed maturity in not reacting to the incident in kind and escalating tensions immediately, it has since slowly upped the ante diplomatically, calling the worlds attention to the loopholes and technical lapses of a serious nature in Indias handling of strategic weapons. The incident is worrisome because it could have led to a chain of dangerous reactions and counteractions if Pakistan had decided to retaliate in some way. Fortunately, the missile was unarmed. Otherwise, the situation would most probably have been different. The missile was in Pakistani air space for just under four minutes. The little time that both countries have got to handle such situations in a nuclearised environment, puts the subcontinents population in ever-present danger. It is worrying that the mechanisms for instant communication between the two countries in emergencies were not used in this situation. Pakistan has sought a joint probe into the incident, which will not be accepted. But the cause should be identified -- whether it was a malfunction, human error, or something else. There should be zero scope for any of these. Fail-safe systems must be put in place urgently and the same communicated to Pakistan and the rest of the world in a way that restores confidence in Indias ability to manage its strategic arsenal and increases the credibility of its deterrent capability. All operational procedures for handling such situations should also be reviewed and tightened. Pakistan should also be doing this. It is particularly necessary to inform Pakistan of the conclusions of Indias inquiry to assuage its concerns over the matter and answer convincingly the questions it has raised. India is a member of the Missile Technology Control Regime and is considered a responsible nuclear power by the international community. Such incidents will mar that image and it can have consequences for the country. Check out latest DH videos here On March 2, the United Nations General Assembly passed a resolution demanding that Russia immediately, completely and unconditionally withdraw all of its military forces from the territory of Ukraine Although the resolution condemned Russias actions, it is non-binding on Moscow. South Asian countries, rather than taking a unified stance, were split on the issue. Nepal, Bhutan, the Maldives and Afghanistan voted in favour of the resolution while India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh abstained. Economic and geopolitical considerations influenced voting. The four countries that voted in support of Ukraine are the smallest and most vulnerable states in the region, and thus most concerned about losing sovereignty and foreign policy autonomy due to great power competition. They have made a symbolic statement by voting in line with their foreign policy, which prioritises protecting territorial sovereignty. In the past, Nepal has more often than not followed India on crucial votes at the UN, with Myanmar being the latest example, when the UN sought a resolution against the juntas atrocities on the Rohingya in June 2021. India and Nepal abstained. The Russia-Ukraine vote at UNGA is one of the first instances of Nepal striking out on its own. According to the latest World Bank data, among the eight countries in South Asia, India, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Sri Lanka have substantial trade with Russia. Ranked lowest on this count are the Maldives and Bhutan. Since 2015, Nepal has run a trade deficit with Russia, it imports more goods from Russia than it exports. Major exports include black tea and carpets whilst imports consist of agriculture products, including dried peas, and military equipment such as aircraft. As of July 15, 2020, Nepal had got around $5.6 million in Foreign Direct Investment from Russia. In recent years, Nepal has begun to align itself more with the US. The US is among the largest investors in Nepal, with $109 million in FDI invested in 418 companies, generating 18,848 jobs. Unsurprisingly, Nepals biggest trading partner is India, making up at least 60% of its goods traded. As such, even if Russia were to curb its trade with Nepal, it would hardly make a dent in its economy. The same cannot be said for Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, which are significant importers of commodities, including wheat, from Russia. Tea is the main export item from Sri Lanka to Russia. According to export figures, in 2020, the export value of tea to Russia was over $142 million. Sri Lankan Foreign Secretary Jayanath Colombage said the economic impact on Sri Lanka would be severe from the conflict. He added: We will have to pay more for our fuel and gas, our tea market will get affected. Of all the South Asian countries, India is most keen to maintain an amicable relationship with Russia. Russia/the Soviet Union has previously given political support on the Kashmir issue by abstaining or vetoing UNSC resolutions. For India, Russias political support at the UNSC is essential, until at least India itself is accorded a seat on the council. In terms of trade, the two countries are fairly big partners. Russias exports to India stood at $6.9 billion while India exported $3.33 billion worth of goods to Russia in 2021. Indian officials are concerned that vital supplies of fertilizer from Russia could be disrupted as sanctions intensify, threatening India's vast farm sector. In addition, Russia is helping India with nuclear energy expansion: the two nations signed a far-reaching agreement on nuclear cooperation in 2017. The Kudankulam nuclear power plant is a key partnership. India, in turn, offers a potentially huge market that Moscow cannot afford to undermine. India is also a heavy importer of Russian-made weapons. The latest example is Indias acquisition of the S-400 Triumf air-defence systems, despite US opposition and threats of sanctions. India will likely continue to import a significant number of weapons systems from Russia. Interwoven geopolitical and economic reasons act as an undercurrent to South Asian countries differing stance on a great powers morally dubious actions. The vote was a tactful and deliberate decision, made by smaller and larger counterparts in South Asia, which gives an insight into the foreign policy decision-making of each country. Each South Asian country had its own reason/s to remain neutral or vehemently condemn Russias actions. Naturally, the smaller countries with little by way of economic or military ties to Russia, followed their moral conscience. For those that abstained, the reasons have been mainly fuelled by realpolitik, acknowledging that they could not afford to fall out of Russias favour. (The writer is a researcher at a private security consultancy in Singapore) Over the past 10 months, as tens of millions of children and teenagers received the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, the companies main rival, Moderna, sat on the sidelines, its shot limited to adults. But Moderna may now be poised for a comeback at a critical juncture in the nations vaccination campaign. The company is expected to send federal officials initial data this week on how well its coronavirus vaccine works for the nations youngest children. About 18 million children younger than 5 are the only Americans not yet eligible for vaccination. And while uptake for older children has been slow, many parents are still anxiously awaiting the chance to protect their babies, toddlers and preschoolers. Moderna is going head-to-head with Pfizer-BioNTech for the opportunity to vaccinate this group, hoping it has found what some scientists are calling the Goldilocks dose: strong enough to offer lasting protection, but not so strong that it causes widespread worrisome side effects, such as high fevers. Also Read: New Deltacron variant is rare and similar to Omicron, say experts Moderna has opted for a regimen of two doses at one-quarter the strength of its adult dose for children younger than 6. Pfizer is expected to seek authorization next month for a three-shot regimen for children younger than 5, with doses one-tenth as strong as those for people ages 12 and older. Moderna is also expected to release data soon from its clinical trial on the next age group up: children ages 6-11. Dr. Yvonne Maldonado, a Stanford University professor of pediatric infectious diseases and a lead investigator at the Stanford site of Pfizers pediatric vaccine trials, said new data from Moderna and BioNTech in the coming weeks will offer critical insight into the effectiveness of their pediatric shots. She said researchers were watching carefully to see if Modernas stronger doses result in more robust immune responses than Pfizers shots have elicited in young children. A series of new studies raising questions about how long Pfizers lower doses protect elementary-school-age children has piqued interest among federal scientists and vaccine experts in Modernas choices. Dr. Ofer Levy, a pediatric expert at Harvard Medical School and a member of the Food and Drug Administrations independent vaccine advisory committee, said he thought Pfizer might have selected too low a dose for 5- to 11-year-olds in the understandable priority to maximize safety. To date, Pfizer has been the only player in vaccinating younger Americans, winning authorization to vaccinate 12- to 15-year-olds in May, followed by 5- to 11-year-olds in October. Moderna sought authorization to vaccinate teenagers in June, but the FDA delayed considering the request because of concerns about the risk of myocarditis, a condition involving inflammation of the heart that has been tied to both the Moderna and the Pfizer shots. More than 22 million people in the United States younger than 18 are now fully vaccinated with the Pfizer vaccine, but uptake has been leveling off. Only roughly 1 in 4 children ages 5-11 are fully vaccinated, for example, even though shots have been offered to that group for more than four months. Also Read: Two years of Covid: What we got right, what we got wrong But there is still a demand to protect the youngest children as more of the country unmasks, more parents return to workplaces and the summer travel season approaches. Compared with adults, there is no question that in children the benefit of an effective vaccine is less, because fewer get really sick, said Dr. Eric Rubin, an infectious disease expert at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and a member of an advisory panel to the FDA. But it will benefit some individuals, he said. It will save some lives. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 336 children in the US younger than 5 have died of Covid-19. Hopes that the youngest children would soon be covered surged last month after regulators pressed Pfizer-BioNTech to submit preliminary results from its three-dose trial. The FDA wanted to get the vaccination campaign underway with two doses while awaiting final results on three. But that effort collapsed when new data from Pfizer that encompassed more of the omicron surge showed convincingly that two doses failed to protect adequately against symptomatic infection. Now, more detailed results from Pfizers and Modernas trials are materializing at roughly the same time. And while neither company knows yet whether its vaccines will prove effective enough for the youngest age group, both say their research shows they are safe. We have not seen anything untoward right now, so we feel confident in the safety profile, Dr. Paul Burton, Modernas chief medical officer, said. Amy Rose, Pfizers spokesperson, has said that after careful research, Pfizer-BioNTech chose the safest and most tolerable dose for young children. The companies have said they are hopeful that a three-shot regimen will provide strong protection for children younger than 5. Moderna is proposing substantially higher dosing than Pfizer in all three pediatric age groups: 100 micrograms, the full adult dose, for those ages 12-17; 50 micrograms in children 6-11, and 25 micrograms in those younger than 6. Regulators are considered likely to review the firms data for all three age groups simultaneously. We really stand behind those doses, Burton said. Although federal officials say both Pfizer and Modernas vaccines wane in potency over time, some studies of adults have suggested that Modernas protection holds up longer. He said initial results showed a 50-microgram Moderna dose prompted a robust immune response in children 6-11. While the overall number of infections was small, researchers hope that trial will help reveal how well the vaccine prevents illness, not just how high it boosts antibody levels. Dr. Philip Krause, a retired senior vaccine regulator at the FDA, said the agency spent significant time last year worrying about the safety of Modernas vaccine for those younger than 18, with some studies showing a higher risk of myocarditis from the companys shot than from Pfizers. The question is always: What is the dose that gives rise to an immune response that we think is likely to be protective? he said. You couldnt actually test to figure out the rate of myocarditis since its rare, but you could ask, What are we sacrificing in immune response by lowering the dose, and do we think thats important? Partly because of concerns about myocarditis, the CDC recently encouraged some people 12 or older, particularly boys and men between 12 and 39, to wait eight weeks between their first and second Pfizer or Moderna shots. Studies have shown that teenage boys and young men are most at risk of developing the side effect. Burton said that overall the research had proved reassuring, including recent British data that showed myocarditis was very rare and typically mild in both Pfizer and Moderna recipients. But Dr. Walid Gellad, a drug safety expert at the University of Pittsburgh, said it remained unclear whether Modernas higher dosing might elevate the risk of myocarditis in young children. The companys pediatric studies are most likely much too small to identify the risk of the side effect, he and other experts said. Modernas new push also comes after several studies raised questions about the protection that two doses of Pfizer-BioNTechs vaccine provide for children 5-11. Researchers in New York state's health department recently found that protection against infection from two doses faded significantly within weeks. CDC researchers separately found that during the omicron wave, the effectiveness of two doses of the Pfizer shot against moderate forms of the disease in children ages 5-11 dropped significantly. The studies have kindled a debate among vaccine experts about whether a stronger dose would have been better or whether those children need third doses. Booster shots are now authorized for everyone 12 and older. Pfizer expects results from its study of a three-dose regimen for the younger children next month. Gellad said it was possible the Pfizer dose for 5- to 11-year-olds may have been too weak, but that scientists could not yet be certain. He said he expected regulators would be especially careful in considering higher doses for young children given the comparatively low risks of them catching Covid-19 now and getting severely ill. Amid all the questions, one thing is clear: The back and forth over which vaccine will be better for young children could discourage uptake. Alison Buttenheim, a behavioral health expert at the University of Pennsylvania, said those considering vaccination found comfort in certainty. Otherwise, thats just going to pave the way to say, Im going to hold off, she said. A lot of people are uncomfortable with evolving science. Watch the latest DH Videos here: Rajya Sabha Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge on March 14 said that Congress Interim President Sonia Gandhi is not alone responsible for partys defeat in state polls, every state leader and MP is responsible, not just Gandhi family. Watch here "And never forget that writing is as close as we get to keeping a hold on the thousand and one thingschildhood, certainties, cities, doubts, dreams, instants, phrases, parents, lovesthat go on slipping, like sand, through our fingers." Salman Rushdie, Novelist 'Journaling' has been around for centuries. From Anne Frank to Henry David Thoreau to Sylvia Plath, people have used it as a "weapon for spiritual combat." Simply put, journaling is a written record of our thoughts and feelings, and there's no right or wrong way of doing it. Whether you use journaling as a way to brainstorm ideas or to dump your thoughts in one place, sitting down every day with your journal can be immensely beneficial and therapeutic. Here are more reasons why you should start journaling right away. Helps you practice gratitude Most of us are not hard-wired to be grateful, and it's easy for us to complain. We tend to dwell on parts of our life where we might be experiencing pain or unpleasant emotions such as sadness, anger or frustration. We also usually tend to compare our lives to others. Alisha Mishra, a lifestyle and wellness content creator who keeps a journal, believes that it allows her to acknowledge all the good things and moments in her life and express appreciation for them. "Journaling helps you count your blessings and focus on what's working for you vs what is not," she said. Studies conducted at the University of California, Berkeley, also verify that keeping a journal helps one express gratitude and lead a thankful life. Helps you visualise your life We all want to live a good life, but what does a good life mean to us? It's very subjective and very personal. For someone, living their best life can be about having a lot of money in the bank; for another, it could mean living a happy life with freedom; for someone else, it can be about living without any illnesses. "If you want to attract the good things in life, you naturally have to work towards it as visualisation only works when you put in the effort," says Mishra. What journaling does is that it helps you get clear about what you want and sift through all the thoughts to uncover what "you" want from your life. It's then up to you to work towards achieving it. Makes you introspect Most of the time, we are in scenarios where we can't speak our minds to the ones around us without the fear of judgement or vulnerability and might leave things unsaid or censored. "In such situations, decompressing into a journal (whether physically or digitally) is freeing. Your journal is a safe, non-judgemental space where you allow yourself to fully express your thoughts and process your emotions without any inhibitions," says Mishra. When you journal, you get to write your mind and get it all out on paper. This way, you unburden your thoughts and confront your fears, challenges or emotions. It also lets you shape your thoughts naturally and feel more in control of your emotional well-being. Builds positivity and creativity Research by the University of Texas says that writing removes mental blocks and allows people to use all of their brainpower to think creatively and understand the world around them in a better way. "Brain dumping" in your journal makes you slow down, reflect, inspire and create new energies and keeps your head free for new ideas and bursts of creativity. Mishra also adds, "Journaling helps you stay optimistic, regulates your emotions, improves your mental health, enables you to sleep well, stay alert, decreases your stress levels and cope better during challenging times." Drives personal growth Journaling brings back clarity and self-awareness into your life. It creates a distance between you and the situation you're dealing with, helps you see things from a fresh perspective and draws an emotional boundary between you and your feelings. Journaling after you wake up can help you plan out your day or clear out your head first thing in the morning. Writing down your thoughts in the evenings, on the other hand, is a great way to reflect on your day. Keeping your mind focused, being less distracted, and seeing things without emotions can significantly contribute to self-growth and feeling whole. (Sanjana Chawla is a freelance journalist who writes about women, society, culture, lifestyle and entertainment.) Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Tuesday made an appeal to students, urging them to focus on their education by accepting the High Court order that upholds uniforms inside classrooms. The High Court has upheld uniforms and that Hijab isnt an essential religious practice, Bommai said. This was a question on the future of our childrens education. Nothing is more important than education, Bommai said. Also Read 'Hijab not essential religious practice': Karnataka High Court upholds ban in educational institutions He urged students to refrain from boycotting exams in the wake of the HC order. I say to all students, your education is important. Dont boycott exams or stay outside. Take your exams and shape your future, Bommai said. The ruling BJP was under attack throughout the Hijab controversy, with the Opposition Congress accusing the Bommai government of communalising the issue. Everyone should follow the HC order. We should maintain calm and peace. I appeal to citizens, community leaders, parents and studentslets accept this order and cooperate with education of our children, Bommai said. He also warned against any attempts to disturb peace. We have made law-and-order arrangements. Those who take law into their own hands will face stringent action, he said. Watch the latest DH Videos here: The Karnataka High Court has held that wearing of Hijab does not form part of essential religious practice of Islamic faith. Pronouncing its judgment in a batch of petitions over hijab controversy, a three-judge full bench of the court also held that prescription of school uniform is only a reasonable restriction constitutionally permissible which the students cannot object to. Insofar as the challenge to the Government Order dated February 5, 2022, the court said that the state government has power to issue order and no case is made out for its invalidation. A three-judge bench comprising Chief Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi, Justice Krishna S Dixit and Justice J M Khazi said that it had formulated a few questions and answered them. Also Read Come to school: Bommai to students after hijab verdict The four questions that were formulated were, whether wearing hijab is a part of essential religious practice in Islamic faith protected under Article 25 of the Constitution, whether prescription of school uniform is not legally permissible as being violative of Article 19 (1) (a) and Article 21 of the constitution, whether the Government Order dated February 5, 2022 apart from being incompetent is issued without application of mind arbitrary and hence violates Article 14 and 15 of the constitution and finally whether disciplinary action should be taken against the school staff at Udupi Girls PU College. We are of the considered opinion that wearing of hijab by Muslim women does not form a part of essential religious practice in Islamic faith. The answer to second question is, we are of the considered opinion that the prescription of school uniform is only reasonable restriction constitutionally permissible which the students cannot object to. The answer to third question is, in view of above we are of the considered opinion that the government has power to issue the impugned government order dated 5-02-2022 and no case is made out for its invalidation. The answer to fourth question is, we are of the considered opinion that no case is made out in WP 2146/2022 for issuance of a direction for initiating disciplinary enquiry against respondents is rejected being not maintainable, the bench said. The bench further said, Accordingly in the above circumstances, all these writ petitions being devoid of merits are liable to be and liable to be dismissed. After the verdict, CM Basavaraj Bommai urged students to adhere to the Karnataka High Court order. "I request students to give priority to their studies. Come to school, study and attend exams," he said. Watch the latest DH Videos here: The Karnataka High Court on Tuesday upheld the ban on hijabs in classrooms and educational institutes, ruling that hijabs are not an essential religious practice. The bench comprising Chief Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi, Justice Krishna S Dixit and Justice J M Khazi heard the controversial case and formulated the judgment Track hijab row updates here CJ Awasthi, while pronouncing the judgment laid down three key questions which the verdict sought to answer: 1. Whether wearing hijab is ERP in Islamic faith protected under Article 25? 2. Whether the prescription of school uniform is violative of rights? 3. Whether the government order of February 5 apart from being incompetent and manifestly arbitrary violates Articles 14 and 15? According to the bench, Wearing of hijab is not an essential religious practice of Islamic faith. The Karnataka High Court upheld the hijab ban and said, The prescription of uniform is a reasonable restriction on fundamental rights. Read | 'Hijab not essential religious practice': Karnataka High Court upholds ban in educational institutions It also said that no case is made out for invalidating the Government Order of February 5 The bench dismissed all writ petitions filed by Muslim girl students seeking permission to wear hijab in colleges and challenging the government order of February 5. Additionally, on whether disciplinary action should be taken against the school staff at Udupi Girls PU College, the bench said, "we are of the considered opinion that no case is made out in WP 2146/2022 for issuance of a direction for initiating disciplinary enquiry against respondents is rejected being not maintainable. Accordingly in the above circumstances, all these writ petitions being devoid of merits are liable to be and accordingly dismissed. Check out the latest videos from DH: Derry, NH (03038) Today Rain likely. High 53F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 80%.. Tonight A shower or two possible this evening with partly cloudy skies overnight. Low 48F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 30%. Aontu Councillor, Emmet Doyle, has challenged Foyle's MP and MLAs to come clean on whether or not they will accept their pay-rises this year. Cllr Doyle, who represents the Ballyarnett ward and will be standing in May's Assembly election, made his comments with news that Foyle's MP, Colum Eastwood of the SDLP, will along with other Westminster MPs received a rise 2200 while Foyle's MLAs Mark H Durkan (SDLP), Sinead McLaughlin (SDLP), Padraig Delargy (Sinn Fein), Ciara Ferguson (Sinn Fein) and Gary Middleton (DUP are due a rise of 500. Both MPs and MLAs can reject their pay-rises with the latter having the option to return the pay increase to the public purse through a consolidated fund, or donate it to charity through a 'Give As You Earn' (GAYE) scheme. However, Cllr Doyle insists that with many people in Derry struggling to make ends meet, the parties who represent Foyle in London and Belfast should clarify whether or not they will accept their pay-rises while constituents struggle to make a wage at all. He said: The people of this constituency are struggling with the rising cost of fuel and food. The Foyle MP is due a pay-rise of over two thousands pounds whilst each Foyle MLA is due a rise of 500. It would be fundamentally wrong for any of them to take a rise in view of the current cost of living crisis. I am challenging them all to come forward and tell people if they will stand with them or if they will do what they have been doing and seek to fudge leadership. They should turn down a rise that many people dont even think they deserve and give it to a local charity helping people with their bills. I refused a rise in allowances at Council, it would have been unjustified and now those MLAs and the MP must do the same. When I challenged their parties at Council last week there was bemused silence, they must know they cant continue to get away with that. In response, Foyle MLA Mark H Durkan of the SDLP, hit back calling into question Cllr Doyle's own commitment to his constituents. He said: If Cllr Doyle truly cared about supporting people dealing with rising food and fuel costs then he would have shown up and voted with SDLP councillors against a rise in the rates. Unfortunately he didnt deem it important enough to show up to the council meeting dealing with the rates and an increase was passed in his absence. Myself and other SDLP representatives support a number of local charities and community groups both publicly and privately in a number of ways. I have donated pay-rises to charities and charitable causes in the past and will continue to support people where and how I can. Unlike Cllr Doyle, SDLP representatives show up to support people when it counts. Sinn Fein Foyle MLA, Ciara Ferguson, stated that both she and her party colleagues would not be accepting any pay-rises. She added: Sinn Fein is opposed to this pay increase for MLAs and we will not accept it. When this first arose, we made it clear that the additional money will be returned to the public purse by Sinn Fein MLAs, and we will continue to do that. The Derry News has approached DUP Foyle MLA, Gary Middleton, for comment. People Before Profit's Shaun Harkin has hit out at the SDLP, Sinn Fein and the Ulster Unionists (UUP) for weakening his proposal during last week's Council meeting designed to help bring a solution for Derry's needy. An emergency meeting of Derry City & Strabane Council was called to discuss the ongoing cost of living crisis that has seen many homes face crippling bills and stark choices such as deciding whether what little money they have goes on food or heat. The meeting itself was a heated one with Councillors from Aontu and the SDLP carrying the argument over onto social media once it had finished. There was dissatisfaction from Cllr Harkin who felt his proposal to use the unspent 3million Covid funding to start up a Hardship Emergency Fund was watered down by Councillors from other parties. He said: The emergency Council meeting on the cost of living crisis underscores the criminally inadequate response from the political establishment. We brought forward a proposal for the Council to immediately utilise 3 million unspent Covid funding to initiate a Hardship Emergency Fund. If the Stormont Executive parties response to the crisis wasn't so criminally negligent, Derry and Strabane Council wouldn't be forced to look at ways to take radical action. In response to the motion, first there was attempt to completely block discussion. When we succeeded in getting the motion discussed, the SDLP followed by Sinn Fein attempted to remove the proposal to utilise the unspent 3million. Both these attempts were rejected because they would have gutted the original motion. A third attempt by the UUP to seriously weaken the proposal was accepted with the support of all the Executive parties on the Council. The political establishment eventually got its way. A minority of Councillors opposed this entire charade. We want to thank all the Councillors who stood up to this attempt to steamroll democracy and allow this meeting to be a vanity exercise for Sinn Fein and all Executive parties voting down radical action. We commend Derry Against Fuel Poverty for giving expression to the anger many people feel and urge a mass turnout on for the next Cost of Living Crisis protest on April 2. In the last couple of weeks Executive parties voted for and then overturned a 10 per cent cut to private rents and voted down legislation that would have strengthened workers ability to demand real pay rises. It's a disgrace for the Executive not to be able to utilise hundreds of millions of pounds at its disposal to help people now. It's a disgrace the Executive parties, including Sinn Fein, SDLP and Alliance, turned up their nose to a Hardship Emergency protest in December that demanded an urgent set of actions to prepare for the cost of living tsunami. It's a disgrace the entire Executive agreed to impose a Tory real terms pay cut on health and social care workers amid a cost of living crisis. No one should wait on promises. We urge people to organise and join people power actions now whether on their street, in their workplace or in their city or town centre. We need to step up the pressure on every possible front to stand up for workers and the least well-off. No one will do this but ourselves. SDLP Councillor, Brian Tierney, hit back by accusing Cllr Harkin for being more interested in point scoring, waving flags and shouting through a megaphone than coming up with solutions. He said: The SDLP will take no lectures from Cllr Harkin, who didnt even show up to vote alongside SDLP Councillors against a rates increase for people in our city. We are working both locally and at Stormont trying to help people dealing with rising costs in everything from food to fuel. We have called for the 200 energy support payment to be extended to every household and we are currently progressing legislation to unlock the 300m unspent by the Executive to get it out to those who need it. Cllr Harkin is more interested in point scoring, waving flags and shouting through a megaphone than coming up with solutions to help our communities deal with this emergency. Meanwhile, Sinn Fein Councillor, Sandra Duffy, stated that the British government needed to step in and take action to help struggling households. She said: The special council meeting saw a number of practical measures agreed to ensure people have access to support, including a hardship fund, targeted promotion of existing services, an increased budget for advice services and working with local charities and education providers to explore more support for food programmes and school transport. Sinn Fein communities minister Deirdre Hargey has stepped up and delivered a 200 payment to 280,000 people, binned the cruel Tory Bedroom Tax, extended welfare top-up payments and froze rents for people living in Housing Executive homes. There is 300 million sitting ready to be spent to put money in the pockets of workers and families to help with rising living costs. That is being blocked by the DUPs continued selfish boycott of the Executive. The British government, who have done little to support families, need to take action by cutting tax on home heating oil, petrol and diesel to cut household bills. They should also increase taxes on big corporations who are making a fortune from ordinary people and abandon plans to hike working peoples national insurance payments from April. The UUP have been approached for comment but, as yet, have not responded. Mayor Warke welcomed the Northern Ireland Rare Disease Partnership to the Guildhall as they celebrated 10 years of hard work and commitment to those living with rare diseases. Rhoda Walker, Chair of NIRDP, described the charity as a "small organisation with a massive heart" as she and Edel Rogan, NIRDP Community Activator, highlighted the selfless work of everyone involved with the charity. NIRDP is a Not for Profit Company and a NI Registered Charity. They bring together those living with a rare disease and organisations representing them. They work with clinicians and other health professionals, researchers and producers of specialist medicines and equipment, health policymakers and academics. Most recently, NIRDP have begun working with Ulster University who have launched a Rare Disease research department within all the university campuses. Dr Stephanie Duguez and Dr Bill Duddy spoke to the group regarding the university's research and their own research at Derry's Altnagelvin Hospital. They were personally reaching out for people to help them with their research and liaison with them as they continue to push forward in helping the rare disease community. Rare diseases affect around 110,000 people in Northern Ireland. On the rare spectrum conditions range from common rare, such as Hypermobile Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, which affects 1 in 2,000 to ultra-rare at the other end, Fibrodysplasia Ossificans Progressiva Syndrome (FOP) , which affects 1 in 2 million, with more than 6,000 other rare conditions in between. Rare diseases are characterised by a wide diversity of symptoms and signs that vary not only from disease to disease but also from patient to patient suffering from the same disease. Relatively common symptoms can often hide underlying rare diseases, leading to misdiagnosis. Rare diseases not only affect the person diagnosed, they also impact families, friends, carers and society as a whole. Rhoda said: "Our vision is that no one is disadvantaged because of the rarity of their condition. "We aim to work constructively to find practical ways of improving the quality of life, treatment and care for those with rare diseases in Northern Ireland. "To do this, we work closely with the Northern Ireland Department of Health, the Health and Social Care Board, Public Health Agency and the Patient Client Council, The Patient Representative Organisations in the UK, the Republic of Ireland and Europe as well as with a wide range of condition-specific groups and organisations. "We want to increase our network of interested organisations and people. Rare doesn't mean rare. Rare diseases affect thousands of people. "There are also a massive amount of rare diseases affecting so many people and they don't always know where to turn. There has to be more awareness and support out there. "We need to get our voice out there and let people know we are here to help; regionally, nationally and globally. "We have come so far over the last ten years and I am honoured to have been chair for these last few years." Mayor Warke pictured with Chair of NIRDP, Rhoda Walker and NIRDP's members, volunteers and supporters NIRDP volunteer and advisor, Sandra Campbell, also addressed the group, telling Jennifer and baby Lewis' story which was recently reported by the Derry News. Baby Lewis lives with an ectopic thyroid and congenital hyperthyroidism. Lewis and his mum, Jennifer, are fighting for Lewis' condition to be recognised as a rare disease by Stormont as his specific condition is statistically found in 1 in 100,000 to 1 in 300,000 people. Baby Lewis, at only 18 months old, is the NIRDP's youngest and newest member. The group is set to appoint its first CEO, Patrick Toland, this Spring as they continue to grow from strength to strength. They aim to expand their network, reaching and helping more people in Derry and across the country. The NIRDP continues to fight tirelessly for awareness, research, funds and medicinal care for everyone living with a rare disease. The group is set to appoint its first CEO as they continue to grow from strength to strength. If you are affected by, or care for someone with, a rare condition in Northern Ireland, or you are concerned with rare condition issues as a clinician, health or social care professional, researcher, or industry member and want to know more, contact NIRDP via: https://nirdp.org.uk/contact/ The woman behind the 'Mammy Banter' social media success has been speaking at a landmark awards ceremony following the launch of her new book. Derry native Serena Terry spoke to Pamela Ballantine about lockdown parenting and her new book 'Mammy Banter: The Secret Life of an Uncool Mum' at the 2022 Women in Business Awards which took place at Belfasts Crowne Plaza Hotel on Thursday evening. This years Awards, now in their 10th year, brought together female entrepreneurs and businesswomen from all sectors to recognise, reward and celebrate the best in home-grown talent. Sponsored by Virgin Media O2 Business for the fourth consecutive year, the Awards received a remarkable 173 submissions and honoured sixteen inspiring women and one outstanding business organisation. The highly acclaimed Business Woman of the Year 2022 award, also sponsored by Virgin Media O2 Business, was presented to CEO of Staffline Ireland Tina McKenzie, whose 25-plus years in the recruitment and employment sector was the toast of the evening. Tina is also the Honorary Consul to Finland and was this month appointed Chair of Policy for the FSB in the UK, following a successful four years representing and lobbying for businesses in NI in her local FSB policy role. With a body of work spanning 40 years, Women in Business was delighted to present the illustrious Pamela Ballantine with the Special Lifetime Achievement Award. The 400-plus audience rose to a standing ovation to recognise Pamelas decorated career across broadcast, print, and radio. The Women in Business award winners 2022 are: Award for Advancing Diversity in the Workplace (sponsored by Queens University Belfast) Individual - Jill Michael, A&L Goodbody Organisation - Northern Ireland Electricity Networks Award for Best Customer Service (sponsored by Irish News) Individual - Aisling Press, Danske Bank UK Small Business - Louise Skeath, SDG Award for Outstanding Mentor (sponsored by Version 1) Winner - Donna OConnor, Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Service Award for Best in Professional Services (sponsored by Honeycomb) Corporate Winner - Jenny Moore, Danske Bank UK Small Business - Una ODuil, Home Instead Award for Best Marketing Campaign (sponsored by Kaizen Print) Corporate Winner - Leigh Osborne, Action Cancer Small Business - Colette McCartney, Holistic Kidz Ltd. Award for Best New Start Up (sponsored by Go For It) Winner Melanie Dawson, Origin7 Ltd Award for Best Small Business (sponsored by Danske Bank) Winner Alison McFadden, Continu Award for Outstanding Innovation (sponsored by AIB) Corporate Winner - Kerry McCloy, Cleaver Fulton Rankin Small Business - Johanna Scullion, HR Made Easy Award for Excellence in IT (sponsored by Citi) Winner Cathy Hawthorne, Kainos Outstanding Management and Leadership (sponsored by Belfast Harbour) Winner Barbara McKiernan, VANRATH Award for Young Business Woman of the Year (sponsored by Allstate) Winner Jenna Hill, CHILL Gas Ltd Award for Business Woman of the Year (sponsored by Virgin Media O2 Business) Winner Tina McKenzie Seamus McCorry, Regional Director for Virgin Media O2 Business in Northern Ireland said: The success of any business depends on its ability to create a diverse and inclusive workforce, which is why we continue to be proud sponsors of the Women in Business Awards. Empowering women and helping them rise into senior manager and leadership positions is vital for a diverse and successful business community as well as the Northern Irish economy. "All of tonights winners should be incredibly proud of their achievements which will inspire other businesswomen and accelerate the journey towards workplace gender parity. Women in Business Chief Executive, Roseann Kelly commented, We are honoured to bring together so many successful and inspiring women from across Northern Ireland. "Over the past 10 years, women have made a hugely significant contribution to the business community here, and it is ceremonies such as these that are crucial to promote positive recognition and to highlight the amazing talents of businesswomen in Northern Ireland. AMD Ryzen powered laptops offer some of the best value for performance anyone can get. But choosing the right one can become difficult, especially with so many options available on the market. It is difficult to determine whether a particular laptop is suitable for gaming, video editing, or general usage just by looking at its specifications. We feel that this handy buying guide about AMD Ryzen Powered laptops will help you make the right decision for your hard-earned money. Weve detailed the available AMD Ryzen laptop CPU models and the also specialized tech they use to deliver faster performance in this buying guide. AMD Ryzen Powered Laptop Processors The important thing to note about AMD Ryzen laptop processors is that a lot of them are not just CPUs but instead APUs, short for Accelerated Processing Unit. The APU consists of both the CPU cores and the graphics chip onto a single die. Most AMD Ryzen powered laptops nowadays are available in 4-core, 6-core, or an 8-core configuration. At present, two AMD Ryzen series laptop CPUs are available, one from the 5000 series another one from the 6000 series. The main difference between these two is that the former is based on the 7nm process while the latter is based on the 6nm node. The difference in the manufacturing process also grants them different capabilities. For general purposes, the Ryzen 6000 series is relatively faster and more efficient than the Ryzen 5000 laptop processors. However, the latter is more widely available and available at a better price point. Remember I told you that AMD processors are APUs. Well, as it turns out, the RDNA 2 graphics chip on the Ryzen 6000 series processors is easily capable of running modern games quite well. The Radeon graphics chip in the Ryzen 5000 series APUs is also pretty good, but as you can imagine, not as performance-oriented as the newer series. Another important term you need to remember while shopping for such laptops is AMD Advantage. Whenever a laptop has a Ryzen 5000 series or newer processor paired with a Radeon 6000 series GPU, the result is faster performance in all games thanks to AMDs Smart Access Memory feature. Now that you know all about the AMD Ryzen processors, lets dive in deep into different processor types and help you find the right one. AMD Ryzen 6-core Laptops In the market, you can find three main 6-core AMD Ryzen 5 5000 series processors namely - 5600U, 5600HS, and 5600H. As mentioned, all these processors have 6-cores and they also have 12-threads. In terms of specifics, the 5600U has a base TDP of 15W, the 5600HS has a base TDP of 35W, and the 5600H has a base TDP of 45W. All three processors also feature 7-core AMD Radeon Graphics. In terms of general power metrics, you can pretty easily see that the 5600U is at the bottom, the 5600H is at the top and the 5600HS is somewhere in the middle. Meanwhile, you can also find three Ryzen 5 6000 series APUs - 6600U, 6600HS, and 6600H. The Ryzen 5 6600U has a configurable base TDP of 15-28W, the 6600HS has a default TDP of 35W. Meanwhile, the higher end the 6600H has a base TDP of 45W. Being an APU, the Ryzen 5 6000 series chips also feature a Radeon 660M integrated GPU. Moreover, these Ryzen 5 6000 series processors also have built-in support for DDR5 and LPDDR5 RAM. Which is generally faster than the DDR4 youll find on most laptops these days. For most modern-day applications like MS Office, Google Chrome, Teams, Docs, etc, a 6-core processor is pretty sufficient. Pair such a processor with a discreet GPU from AMD or Nvidia and you can also play demanding games like AC Valhalla, Metro Exodus, and more on it at a pretty smooth frame rate. The AMD Ryzen processor is also pretty capable in terms of productivity. If your workflow primarily involves editing 1080p footage then an AMD Ryzen 6-core processor is pretty good for you. Most gaming laptops in this range offer either an Nvidia RTX 3050 or a 3060 paired with the AMD Ryzen 5 5000 series processor. On some budget gaming laptops, you can also find AMD Radeon RX 5500M as the discreet GPU and it performs better than the Nvidia GTX 1650. Our suggestion would be to go with the Nvidia RTX 3050 if you want a decently specced gaming laptop, as such a laptop will be relatively affordable and its 4GB GDDR6 VRAM is perfect for playing eSports titles and modern games at 1080p in low-medium settings but not for much else. For a mid-range gaming laptop, our suggestion would be to go with the Nvidia RTX 3060, preferably due to its 6GB GDDR6 VRAM, which can run modern games like AC: Valhalla at high graphics settings without losing performance. Make sure that the laptop has at least 8GB DDR4 RAM, 512GB SSD storage, and a 1080p display with 300nits of brightness and 15.6-inch screen real estate. AMD Ryzen 8-Core Laptops AMD offers two series of 8-core processors - Ryzen 7 and Ryzen 9. These processors are further categorized based on whether they belong to the AMD Ryzen 5000 series or 6000 series. The Ryzen 7 5000 series processors mainly include three chips - 5800U, 5800H, and 5800HS. As the nomenclature suggests, the 5800U is the entry-level unit featuring 8-core, 16-threads, and a base TDP of 15W. The Ryzen 7 5800H is the top-spec processor in this class and has a default TDP of 45W. Meanwhile, the Ryzen 7 5800HS is a medium-spec unit with a default TDP of 35W. Moving on, we have the Ryzen 9 5000 series processors, that have 8-core, 16-threads but offer a much higher boost clock. The Ryzen 9 5000 series include - 5900HS, 5900HX, 5980HS, and 5980HX. Both the 5900HS and 5900HX offer a boost clock of up to 4.6GHz. But the former has a 3.0GHz of the base clock and 35W TDP compared to the 3.3GHz base frequency and 45W+ TDP of the latter. The Ryzen 9 5980HS and 5980HX also come in similar configurations All these APUs come with AMD Radeon Graphics that can run many games at low-medium settings in 1080p resolution. However, if you can pair the processor with a discreet Nvidia GPU then you can take advantage of the high-performance cores and play games at a high frame rate with good graphics. The AMD Ryzen 7 and Ryzen 9 powered laptops are usually paired with one of these GPUs - Nvidia RTX 3060, 3070, 3080, AMD Radeon RX 6600M, and 6800M. As mentioned earlier, the AMD Advantage laptops will offer extra performance in all games thanks to the patented Smart Access Memory tech. Which is also an added feature. Most high-end laptops will feature either an Nvidia RTX 3070, 3080, or an AMD Radeon RX 6800M paired with a Ryzen 9 5000 series processor. These machines are geared for ultra-high performance 1440p gaming and live streaming thanks to a powerful CPU and GPU combination. Meanwhile, an Nvidia RTX 3060 or an AMD Radeon RX 6600M lie in the premium-budget segment. These GPUs are usually paired with either a Ryzen 7 or a Ryzen 9. Such laptops are built for 1080p gaming and streaming. In addition to gaming, these laptops also offer great performance during 4k video editing, photo editing, and other productivity-related tasks. Such laptops come with either 16GB or 32GB RAM, at least 1TB SSD, a QHD or FHD display along with a plethora of I/O ports for seamless connectivity. AMD Buying Guide Brief Overview It can be hard to digest so much technical jargon so heres a quick rundown. Budget buyers looking for an AMD Ryzen powered laptop should opt for the AMD Ryzen 5 5500U. Such a laptop will probably not feature a dedicated GPU. Moving up the ladder youll find the Ryzen 5 5600H and 5600HS processors. Theyre usually paired with an RTX 3050, 3060, a GTX 1650, and in some cases a Radeon RX 5500M. For a budget gaming machine, wed advise you to go with the AMD Ryzen 5 5600H/5600HS and a Radeon RX 5500M combo. For a medium spec machine, going with the RTX 3050 is a good option and if youre willing to future proof your laptop then opting for an Nvidia RTX 3060 GPU would be the best choice. When it comes to choosing high-end machines, you have two options from AMD - a Ryzen 7 and a Ryzen 9. Both offer 8-core, 16-threads but the Ryzen 9 is relatively powerful. Usually, an AMD Ryzen 7 will be paired with an RTX 3060, a 3070, a 3080, or an AMD Radeon RX 6600M. On the other hand, youll find a Ryzen 9 processor paired with an RTX 3070, a 3080, an AMD Radeon RX 6600M, and 6800M. These laptops allow you to play games, create content and do pretty much anything youd like to without breaking a sweat. Samsung Galaxy A33 5G specs could include Exynos 1280 processor, a 90Hz display, and a 48MP quad rear camera setup. Samsungs upcoming Galaxy unpacked show titled Awesome Galaxy A event will be held on March 17 at 7:30 PM IST. The company is expected to unveil four new smartphones namely, Galaxy A73 5G, Galaxy A53 5G, Galaxy A33 5G, and Galaxy A23 5G. You may have read about these devices in our earlier coverage and today, we will be focussing on the Galaxy A33 5G as its design renders and specs have leaked on Appuals.com. The site also tips the likely price of the phone. So, lets have a look at them. The renders present the Galaxy A33 in colours like Peach, Blue, White, and Black. At the front, there is apparently a 6.4-inch sAMOLED display with an FHD+ resolution, 412ppi pixel density, 90Hz refresh rate, Gorilla Glass 5 protection, and Infinity-U notch. The chin is a bit broad, indicative of its price class. The camera hump has a smooth raise from the rear surface. Within it, you may get a 48MP primary shooter, an 8MP 120 ultrawide shooter, a 5MP macro module, and a 2MP depth sensor. Under the hood, Galaxy A33 5G is said to bring a yet-to-be-announced Exynos 1280 chipset, 6GB RAM, 128GB of storage, and a 5000mAh battery with 25W fast charging support. The software on top could be Android 12 based OneUI 4.1. Other goodies in the bag may be a dual-stereo speaker setup backed by Dolby Atmos, an in-display fingerprint scanner, 5G, dual-band WiFi, Bluetooth 5.1, a Type-C charging port, and NFC. Samsung Galaxy A33 5G Price and Availability (Expected) Samsung Galaxy A33 5G will reportedly be priced at 379 (~31,800). We may learn more about the device and whether the aforementioned details are true at the upcoming Awesome Galaxy A event scheduled for March 17. In the meantime, stay tuned in to Digit.in for more such news, reviews, feature stories, buying guides, and everything else tech-related. US urged to clarify bio-labs in Ukraine By ZHAO JIA (China Daily) 09:09, March 15, 2022 Beijing urged Washington once again on Monday to fully clarify its biological military activities with a responsible attitude, saying that biological military activities in Ukraine have become a shared concern of the international community. Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian made the remark at a daily news briefing after the United States Representative to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield accused China of spreading disinformation in support of Russia when the UN Security Council met on biological weapons at Moscow's request on Friday. The US has denied Russian claims that Washington is operating bio-warfare laboratories in Ukraine that involve deadly pathogens, including bubonic plague and anthrax. The US embassy in Ukraine has reportedly hastily removed information related to such labs from its website. Zhao said the US could not convince others by simply dismissing the concerns as disinformation in the face of evidence found by Russia in Ukraine, including documents, photos and other materials. According to the information released publicly, Zhao said there are dozens of biological labs in Ukraine that are operated by order of the US Department of Defense. Washington has invested more than $200 million in the activities of these labs, whose research aims to create a mechanism for the covert transmission of deadly pathogens, he said. "As the US has always claimed itself to be open and transparent, why doesn't it release detailed materials and why doesn't it open up these biological labs for independent investigations by international experts, if it wants to prove its innocence?" Zhao asked. Last week, US Under Secretary of State Victoria Jane Nuland said, "Ukraine has biological research facilities" and the US is working with Ukraine on how to prevent any of those research materials from falling into the hands of Russian forces. According to Zhao, the World Health Organization has suggested that Ukraine destroy high-threat pathogens stored in the country's laboratories to avert "any potential spills" that could cause the spread of disease. (Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun) Attention Spencer County Journal Democrat Users! You will need to create a new user account by clicking the sign up button at the top right hand of the webpage, even if you had an account on the old site. Sorry for the inconvenience. ADA [ndash] Memorials services for Clifford Brent Hall, 63, of Ada are 10:00 A.M. Thursday, May 5, 2022 at Trinity Baptist Church, Doug Brewer will officiate. Mr. Hall passed away Monday, April 25, 2022 at a local nursing home surrounded by family. He was born August 8, 1958 in Shawnee, OK t Please allow ads as they help fund our trusted local news content. Kindly add us to your ad blocker whitelist. If you want further access to Ireland's best local journalism, consider contributing and/or subscribing to our free daily Newsletter . Support our mission and join our community now. This year will see the Dundalk Aqua Club celebrate 20 years since its establishment in the town. The group was set up in 2001 by a number of experienced local divers who joined together to pool their knowledge of local/national dive sites and diving experience achieved in other clubs north and south of the border. It also has the unique distinction of having more women members than any other club in Ireland. The Democrat chatted to one of its more prominent female members and former chairperson April Dillon to talk about her experience of diving and the work done by the club. My dad is the diving officer in Dundalk, so diving has always been a part of my family life and so growing up it was a n environment I was always around. I started diving when I was fifteen on a family holiday. But before then Id grown up in and around the club, so it was a natural progression. Braving the depths of the Irish Sea wouldnt necessarily be everybody's idea of a good time, but for April there are two big attractions. The number one thing is going out with my dad and the time we get to spend together. Its a sport were you really need to focus on the task in hand, its actually really good for your mental health as well because when you are down doing your dive its thirty minutes or sixty minutes of just focusing on what youre doing and taking in your surroundings. The rush of your day to day is not in your head at all, so for me a big attraction is the tranquility and peace that it brings. The club itself is just amazing. Its a great group to be a part of. The people that join every year just cant get over how friendly everybody is. From a young age, I was taken under the wing of a lot of the other females in the club who really looked after me and theyre some of my really close friends. The club is nearly like a second family to most members." In her late teens, April qualified as an instructor, which at the time made her the youngest instructor in the country. Theres plenty of female instructors now and probably a lot of people younger than me at this moment in time, but I am the only female instructor in our club. A lot of it is probably down to my dad because he always pushed me to go on and do my grades. But, theres so many amazing women in our club and theres so many of them who I look up to and have a lot of experience. Some of them have more experience than I do. The Sub-Aqua Club also have a voluntary active Search & Recovery Unit on call and ready at any time to respond to calls for rescue/recovery of missing persons, from rivers, lakes, harbours and the coastal waters around the North-East region and its an aspect of the groups work that April is particularly proud of and says money given by locals each year allow the volunteers to have the necessary equipment and training to do the work that they do. All of our search and recovery members are volunteers and the club itself doesnt get any government funding, so were so grateful every year when the people of Dundalk come out and support our annual bucket collection on New Years Eve. Another part of Aprils role in the club is training new trainees over the winter, which includes lectures that take place at the groups clubhouse (the old custom house) and practical training on Wednesday evenings in the swimming pool in Aura. Weve just brought in a new batch of trainees and theyre waiting to do their first dive now in the next few weeks and theyve all been out since before Christmas preparing by doing their snorkeling. It certainly seems that diving is a sport on the rise locally as there is currently a waiting list for new members, but April would still encourage anyone interested in the sport to make contact with the club. Anyone looking for us will see us out at Greenore on Sunday mornings when we do our dives, so if anyone wants to see what its all about dont be afraid to come up to us and ask any questions, you cant miss us. Everyone really looks after each other and theres always plenty going on. Ireland should remain a neutral country according to the majority of students at a talk organised by Colm Markey MEP at Dundalk Institute of Technology (DkIT) on Monday. The event took place to coincide with the European Year of Youth 2022 and the Conference on the Future of Europe - an initiative to debate the direction of the European Union. Defence issues dominated the discussion but some 40 students in attendance were also keen to talk about education, climate change, the digital transformation and the housing crisis. The Fine Gael MEP said, As 2022 is EU Year of Youth, I felt it was important to engage with students to discuss the direction of travel of the European Union and find out what issues should be prioritised. We debated the main themes of the Conference of the Future of Europe, which include climate change, health, democracy, education and migration. Much of the discussion centred around the worrying situation in Ukraine and the repercussions of the war. "A majority were in favour of Ireland remaining neutral in order to help push for diplomatic solutions to conflict. The students were also very engaged in educational reform and supported radical changes to the Leaving Cert. I was surprised to learn that not everyone in the room was aware of the Erasmus programme, which allows students to live and study in another EU country for free. It is clear that more work needs to be done in Ireland to promote this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity." Mr Markey continued, "Its a pivotal moment for the EU. As we emerge from Brexit and the COVID-19 pandemic, we face new challenges - a war on European soil and a climate emergency being the most pressing. We have seen in our own country how positive societal change can happen when we listen to people. Our own Citizen Assemblies led to equal marriage and a womans right to choose. "However, I am sceptical about the current level of engagement in EU issues and believe we are not doing enough to listen to the ordinary person on the ground. Although the Conference on the Future of Europe is wrapping up, I hope other versions will continue into the future and that more is done on a wider level to include the citizen perspective so we dont end up talking to ourselves in the Brussels bubble, he concluded. An inquest into the death of a north Louth man who was killed when a tree fell on the roof of his car during Storm Ophelia when a Status Red weather warning was in place nationwide, has been told that the 33 year old did not want to go into work that day. The inquest was told that a very large tree had fallen on the roof of Fintan Gosss car at Annaskeagh on the old Dublin/Belfast Road, near the turn off for Ravensdale on the afternoon of October 16th 2017. A witness gave evidence that the tree was so big there was nothing I could do. A local GP pronounced the 33 year old from Ballymakellett, Ravensdale dead at the scene. A Garda Sergeant in a deposition said the tree was so large, fire and rescue personnel had to seek assistance from Louth County Council as their own cutting equipment was not suitable. She said it was difficult to stand in an upright position at the scene, the impact of the wind was challenging and frightening and it was not safe for emergency services to be working at the time. Pathologist Dr. John Ryan who performed the post mortem said the cause of death was severe head injury consistent with a tree collapsing on the car. He said death was close to instant and he replied No when Louth County Coroner Ronan Maguire asked if Fintan Goss would have felt anything. Peter Callaghan of SMT Fund Services Ireland Ltd told the inquest that financial services are a critical service and the government had not issued specific directives for businesses to close on the day in question and claimed that the company continued to be legally obliged to fulfill its obligations. He explained that the company did not have work from home capabilities for all staff at the time and part of Mr. Gosss role as supervisor was to review and sign off on the valuations when they were completed. However barrister Hugh O'Keeffe who appeared on behalf of Mr. Gosss widow Pamela and his family disputed that it was a critical service, saying that that designation had only occurred in the context of Covid restrictions. He stressed that a Status Red weather warning was in place and he had instructions from Pamela Goss that her husband did not want to go into work that day. The coroner returned a verdict of accidental death and sympathised with the family of Fintan Goss who he said was "a young man, bright, intelligent, hard working". Sympathy was also expressed to Mr Goss's family on behalf of SMT Fund Services by barrister Paul McGinn . After terrorist leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi's caliphate was denounced by religious scholars, Lisa Smith told a fellow Muslim: "At least Abu Bakr did something while the rest of us just sit and talk," the Special Criminal Court has heard. The trial of the former soldier, who denies membership of Islamic State, has been listening to private Facebook messages Ms Smith exchanged with other Muslims before she travelled to Syria in 2015. The discussions included issues on Islam, marriage and the role of women in Syria. Detective Garda Fiona Morisson agreed with prosecution counsel Sean Gillane SC that Ms Smith discussed with one man the mass executions of Iraqi soldiers by Isis. The man told Ms Smith that there was "nothing wrong with executing them" because they were the enemy. Ms Smith also said she didn't like things she was seeing on Youtube and referenced a video in which she said Isis were killing people in the street. The man replied that the victims "deserve it, they are Shia." He later told Ms Smith that Muslims are "commanded by Allah to strike fear" and said that if Shia are getting their heads cut off; "that is their due in this life and in the next life they get torment". When Ms Smith said that the victims were not soldiers but civilians, the man replied: "Do they not participate in politics?" The same man told Ms Smith that Syrians who previously hated Isis were now in love with Isis because they had "destroyed" the Assad regime and took control of an area from Aleppo to Iraq. He said he couldn't understand why other Muslims didn't see what Isis had done. Ms Smith replied, saying: "They are looking from the outside. I couldn't see either until you pointed it out." On July 9, 2014, Ms Smith sent to the same man a link to an article with the heading, "Muslim leaders reject Baghdadi's caliphate". The article stated that Muslim scholars had declared the caliphate to be illegitimate, condemned its "brutal", "deviant", "reckless" and "deceptive" methods and said it was forbidden to support it. The man replied: "They claim to know how to guide us but what have they done for hundreds of years?" Ms Smith asked if the scholars had "any say in this "given that Muslims had looked up to them for hundreds of years. She added: "I said to my husband, at least Abu Bakr did something while the rest of us just sit and talk." The trial also heard message exchanges between Ms Smith and an American jihadist named John Georgelas and exchanges she had with her husband, a Tunisian man. Ms Smith (40), from Dundalk, Co Louth, an Islamic convert and former Irish soldier, travelled to Syria after terrorist leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi called on all Muslims to travel to the Islamic State. 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. Det Gda Morisson will continue going through the Facebook exchanges tomorrow (WED). Irelands Minister for Finance said he expects further sanctions against Russia and those connected to Vladimir Putin to be announced in the coming days. Paschal Donohoe said the European Commission is considering further steps in response to Russias aggression against Ukraine. The Fine Gael minister said current measures against Russia are undermining or may stop the ability of the Russian economy to fund the murderous war. I would expect further sanctions with regard to the Russian economy to be developing in the coming days, if not today, Mr Donohoe told RTE Morning Ireland. The Samuel Beckett Bridge in Dublins city centre displays the colours of the Ukrainian flag as a show of support. Almost 6,000 Ukrainians have arrived in Ireland (Brian Lawless/PA)/caption] The European Commission is currently considering what further steps can be taken. It should be said it is on top of the most comprehensive sanctions package ever introduced. The measures that have been brought in are, in effect, undermining or may indeed stop the ability of the Russian economy to fund this murderous war. And to see what has happened with the value of the ruble, that their stock markets are no longer functioning and that the central bank is now not able to access to foreign exchange reserves and needs to convert the ruble, it is a sign that what is in place at the moment has already had a huge effect, combined with the decisions that private sector companies all over the world are now making. I think most of our focus will continue to be in how we implement what weve agreed, but I do expect further sanctions will be imposed. Mr Donohoe also said that the Government is not considering any further measures to mitigate against the rising cost of living and energy costs. He also warned that the Government is not able to insulate the economy and businesses from higher costs. Mr Donohoe said it will be reviewed in Octobers budget. We will keep all of this under very active review. At the moment, and up to the budget which I will do in October, I and the government have no further plans to add to what we have just done, he added. The reason for that is were still about to implement the measures that we have just agreed to. At todays #Eurogroup we took stock of the economic impact of the war in Ukraine, agreed a statement on budgetary coordination for 2022 and 2023 and discussed further progress on #BankingUnion My remarks at the press conference: https://t.co/eAeYhX9FOt pic.twitter.com/1T38AKXIip Paschal Donohoe (@Paschald) March 14, 2022 So the excise reduction last week between nine and 13 euros per tank of diesel and petrol, that has been implemented. For many that has been offset by the increase in the price of fuel that has happened since then. But the 125 payments that have been made to those who need additional support with the cost of fuel has just now been made to over 300,000 homes. The 200 credit that will appear in your energy bill is yet to be implemented, but will be implemented soon. The measures that we have put in place, we believe are a strong response back to the difficulty that many are facing, but I want to underline that given the challenge that is under way, we will not be able to insulate either economy, businesses or even ourselves from this entire cost. Meanwhile Ukrainian ambassador to Ireland Larysa Gerasko said that almost 6,000 Ukrainians have arrived in Ireland in recent weeks. Ms Gerasko said those who she has spoken to are grateful for the warm welcome from Irish people. I met many of our Ukrainians, some of them came to the consulate, she added. Our people, of course, they are frustrated, many of them came from the cities that are under shelling and firing. They got accommodation, PPS number, first aid. They have, of course, a lot of question on how to get education, how to register their kid to go school or kindergarten, how would you arrange to see a GP. Its everyday things but its very difficult for them, especially (for those) who havent any relatives or friends here to understand how this system in foreign countries work. Many of them dont speak English. So its also a problem but many people from the Ukrainian community here help our newcomers with the translation and many many other things. She said that while it is difficult to predict the number of refugees who will seek help in Ireland, she estimates it to be around 80,000 people. She said that Ukrainians have been made aware that Ireland has waived its visa requirements. But many Ukrainians and even my friends, they dont know that they dont need a visa to get to Ireland, Ms Gerasko added. So we will make an information campaign again in Ukrainian mass media. Of course Im sure that many thousands will arrive. FILE- A vintage coal-fired steam engine pushes a passenger car up the Cog Railway on a 3.8-mile journey to the summit of 6,288-foot Mount Washington in New Hampshire, Sunday, Sept. 24, 2017. The owner of the railway is proposing accommodations and a restaurant near the summit of New Hampshires highest peak. Claremont, NH (03743) Today Cloudy with periods of rain. High 53F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 80%.. Tonight Cloudy early with some clearing expected late. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low 44F. Winds light and variable. In recent times, the people of Lebanon and especially entrepreneurs have seen a number of crises unfold. Economic slowdown combined with political deadlock to form an unprecedented financial disaster culminating in a sovereign default in March 2020. The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and the catastrophic Port of Beirut blast that same year only exacerbated the situation. As a result, Lebanese entrepreneurs and small businesses today operate in a highly volatile environment with almost no public support. The EBRD and its donors are helping these small enterprises, including sustainable fashion venture FabricAID, to rise up to these challenges and thrive in uncertain times. The EBRDs commitment to Lebanon Since its inception in 2018, thanks to generous funding from the European Union and, more recently, the Republic of Korea through the Small Business Impact Fund* (SBIF), the EBRD has supported more than 150 small enterprises in Lebanon with business advice through its Advice for Small Businesses programme. To date, and despite the exceptionally challenging environment, 43 per cent of the companies in Lebanon supported with advisory projects reported an increase in their turnover, 46 per cent grew their exports and 51 per cent increased their number of employees. These numbers, in addition to tailor-made activities designed to respond to the economic collapse, demonstrate the EBRDs strong contribution to alleviating the multi-faceted crises the country is currently facing. Furthermore, in 2021 the EBRD added Star Venture a programme dedicated to supporting the growth of innovative, high potential start-ups to its offerings in Lebanon. As the economic and financial crises continued to unfold, and the focus shifted to much-needed emergency support, the EBRD strengthened its support for the local entrepreneurial ecosystem, understanding how vital it is to revitalising the Lebanese economy. Stars of Star Venture Despite being new to the start-up space in Lebanon, the EBRD quickly recognised the high potential of the applicants to the Star Venture programme as they began to flow in. Among the five promising start-ups selected for the first cohort, FabricAID particularly stood out. A social impact enterprise active in the sustainable fashion sector, FabricAID aims on the one hand to reduce the fashion industrys environmental impact through its second-hand clothing collection channels, and on the other to ensure the affordability of clothing for the most vulnerable through inexpensive, targeted resale stores. The company currently operates three retail concepts. Souk El Khlanj is a re-commerce store targeting marginalised communities with items sold at very low prices, yet through a dignified shopping experience in well-maintained shops with experienced vendors, neat displays and cleaned and ironed items ensuring high quality choices. At Souk Okaz, which targets iddle income communities, clients can buy and sell second-hand clothes at affordable prices. The Second Base concept offers vintage items targeting refashion enthusiasts from higher income groups, both online and through pop-up stores. FabricAID: a success story We are thrilled that FabricAID has recently closed one of the largest seed funding rounds in the region for a social enterprise, raising USD 1.6 million. We could scarcely agree more with Omar Itani, the companys General Manager, when he says, We can be profitable and have a substantial social impact at the same time. With the right mindset and priorities, FabricAID has proven that growth and impact can go hand-in-hand, and profitability can be in tandem with sustainability, even in one of the most challenging business environments in the world. This example one of many to come demonstrates that there are opportunities in adversity. Khalil Dinguizli, the new Head of Lebanon at the EBRD, concurs: I had high expectations coming to Beirut as the Lebanese entrepreneurial culture is famous well beyond the countrys borders. However, I am happy to admit that, five months in, Lebanese entrepreneurs continue to impress me despite the numerous challenges they are facing. Building on its expertise in supporting SMEs and start-ups and its growing knowledge of the ecosystem, the Advice for Small Businesses programme team in Lebanon will continue to support the private sector, one success at a time. *Other donors to the Small Business Impact Fund include Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, Norway, TaiwanBusiness - EBRD Technical Cooperation Fund and the USA. EBRD First Vice President to meet authorities and EBRD clients Bank unveiled resilience package last week in response to the war on Ukraine EBRD package offers an initial 2 billion to support resilience in Ukraine and affected countries, including the Baltic countries The EBRDs First Vice President and Head of Client Services Group, Jurgen Rigterink, is visiting Lithuania and Estonia from 15 to 17 March for high-level meetings with ministers, government officials, partner financial institutions and clients. This is his first trip to the region since the EBRD announced an initial 2 billion resilience package last week to support Ukraine and its neighbours. The package includes measures to help citizens, companies and countries affected by the war on Ukraine, including the Baltic countries. Ahead of the trip, Mr Rigterink said: This visit provides an opportunity for me to hear first-hand from the governments of Lithuania and Estonia and from EBRD clients about the impact that the war is having on these countries. It also allows me to assure our partners of our solid commitment to helping both countries in every way we can to overcome the huge challenges that they now face. The Banks Resilience and Livelihoods Framework will help in countries such as Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, which are directly affected by inflows of Ukrainian refugees. Women, children and the elderly make up the majority of displaced citizens, and municipal authorities face enormous challenges in managing the influx of people. The EBRD had previously declared its unwavering support for Ukraine and its people, and condemned the aggression by Russia and Belarus. To date, the Bank has invested almost 1.1 billion through 110 projects in Lithuania and 821 million through 102 projects in Estonia. After two years without a St Patricks Day parade, groups and organisations around Cork are gearing up for one to remember. The theme for this years parade is Everyday heroes in extraordinary times. On Thursday, the Barrack Street Band are among those who will make the return to the streets of Cork. The band was founded in 1837. Billy O'Callaghan told The Echo that the band have been practicing hard and rehearsing in the lead-up to the day, having not had much of a chance to in recent years. The Barrack Street Band entertain the passer bys on Oliver Plunkett Streer during the Guinness Cork Jazz 2021 opening night. Pic: Gavin Browne As a musical group, we were locked down and like society was locked down. But now things are back to normal, he said. It's fantastic to be back in taking part in the Parade again, and all the members are really looking forward to it. A Cork-based puppeteer is also among those preparing for the big day. Cork-based artist and director of Cork Puppetry, Elisa Gallo Rosso. Pic: Mostafa Darwsh. Elisa Gallo Rosso is an Italian artist who lives in Cork and is the director of Cork Puppetry. Cork City Council asked her to work on two parades for St Patrick's Day. We've been asked to work on the theme of heroes because each of us has been a hero during the pandemic. I thought that we should just embrace even more what happened, so, we're creating giant puppets of the lockdown, she said. She has also decided to represent the Ukrainian flag in her artwork. Cork-based artist Serge Vanderberghe is helping her on the project. Ms Rosso moved to Cork in 2016 and started her company with European funding for entrepreneurs. She has collaborated with different companies and artists. She also had to move studio a number of times which caused some instability for her business. But, despite this, she says she is lucky having gotten support from organisations such as Cork City Council. Meanwhile, Cork Community Art Link have said they are thrilled to present a spectacular display of craftsmanship, street arts and performance this Patricks Day. We'll be marching a huge articulated granny and a mechanised, piloted biplane and much more down the streets of Cork, they said. Cork Community Art Link Paddy's Day Parade 2022 The performance has been inspired and informed by Cork City Council's 'everyday heroes' theme for the parade. The concept of creating a giant float of an elderly woman is based on the idea of taking the great matriarchal grandmother as our hero. She is a woman who has survived the many challenges and difficulties life has thrown at her with a strong sense of humour and a tough outer shell. The biplane represents the freedom and travel that have been denied to us for the past couple of years with Covid. Taking the plane out onto the streets and operating it is a sign of renewal and moving forward, bringing forth possibilities and much-needed glimpses of more joyous and adventurous days ahead. Cork Community Art Link Paddy's Day Parade 2022 Many other groups are set to participate, performing in and around the Cork Community Art Link floats, such as Aisling Community Access Programme Blackpool, Cope Foundation, YMCA, National Learning Network (Skills for Life and Directions), Cork City Firebirds as well as students from UCC Department of Theatre. Nothing would be possible without our wonderful volunteers who have been helping us in our workshops at the Lido, Blackpool and our warehouse workshop in Dublin Hill, they added. This years St Patricks Day Parade takes place in Cork city on Thursday, March 17 at 1pm. A WOMAN barred from a Cork city centre shop spat straight in the eye of a woman working there who told her she would have to leave. Judge Olann Kelleher said that such an assault was of particular concern as it occurred during the Covid-19 pandemic. Asked by gardai why she carried out such an assault on the member of staff, 32-year-old Margaret Deasy replied: She was annoying me. Sergeant Gearoid Davis said the incident occurred after lunch on January 24 at the Spar shop on Patrick Street. He said Margaret Deasy of Mill House, Cork Simon Community, came into the shop despite the fact that she was barred at the time. Sgt Davis said the young woman and another woman in her company began to steal alcohol from the shelves. After being asked to leave, she spat at the injured party into her face into her eye, Sgt Davis said. CCTV from the store was later examined and Margaret Deasy was clearly identified. She made full admissions when interviewed. Asked why she assaulted the staff member, she said, She was annoying me. Sergeant Davis said the young woman had 149 theft convictions, 10 for assault and one for assault causing harm. Joseph Cuddigan, solicitor, said at Cork District Court that the accused had her own difficulties with alcohol over the years andwanted to address the court by video link from prison. She said: I apologise. I cant remember that day, Judge. Judge Kelleher said: You assaulted her because she was annoying you. 149 convictions for theft that is probably a record for Cork city. "And this is her eleventh time assaulting a person going about their job. She assaulted her by spitting in her face, which in the current climate is not something the court can take lightly. The judge imposed a prison sentence of five months. A TD has called for Ireland to send a team of experts to Poland to be stationed by the Ukrainian border. Former army ranger and Independent TD Cathal Berry has said it is important to for the Government to have "eyes and ears" on the ground. "The Department of Foreign Affairs have this panel of people called the Rapid Response Corps... about 100 people, and they are maintained on a panel, and they have specialist skills in linguistics, in medical, in logistics," Mr Berry told Newstalk. "Two, or three or four of those could very easily be mobilised and given a three or six-month contract and sent out there on the ground. "It's very important to have boots on the ground as we learned in the Kabul evacuation last year." The Kildare South TD recently travelled to the border with Independent Senator Gerard Craughwell. As reported in The Irish Times, Mr Berry has been advocating for personnel from the Irish State to be based at the border to report back to the Government and to aid Irish citizens and refugees who want to travel to Ireland. They could hire a car and move around, move up to the border, and back to the processing centre, having a liaison function primarily, Mr Berry said. They can be used as direct contacts by Ministers or senior civil servants. Its very important that accurate information and up-to-minute information is being sent back to Dublin because that is the basis of making good decisions. However, speaking about his visit to border, Mr Berry said his takeaway was that most of the refugees want to stay in Poland. They want to stay local, wait for a ceasefire and go back home, he explained. They are not that keen to go further into the EU at all. They may want to go to Germany because its closer and a rich country. Poland is their preference and going to Germany is the next best thing. Isabel Hayes A man who raped his partner with a deodorant can before absconding from his trial and fleeing to the UK has been jailed for four and a half years. The 33-year-old Clare man, who cannot be named to protect the identity of his former partner, was convicted by a jury in his absence after he failed to show up to the closing stages of his Central Criminal Court trial in November 2017. He was found guilty of one count of raping the woman the mother of his two children with a deodorant bottle in her home on October 26th, 2014. He was acquitted of one count of criminal damage. Two months after the attack, the man sent the woman messages calling her a dirty tramp and a dirty sl*t, adding: I'm not one bit sorry...I would do it all again, the court heard. The attack involved a level of violence and intentional humiliation and degradation perpetrated on the injured party, Patrick Reynolds BL, prosecuting, told the court. Sentencing the man on Tuesday, Mr Justice Paul McDermott noted the couple had a somewhat difficult and abusive relationship. He said the trial had reached the stage of judges charge when the man did not appear and the case continued in his absence resulting in the conviction. Satisfaction Mr Justice McDermott noted from the exchange of texts that the man took some satisfaction from the fact that he had assaulted his partner in the humiliating and degrading way he had. The judge said the woman was violently and sexually assaulted in her own home in an attack that was sudden, shocking and unexpected. It was particularly disturbing given she was the mother of his two children, Mr Justice McDermott commented. He took into account that the man has since led a more productive and stable life. He now accepts his guilt and says he is sorry for what he has done, with that remorse expressed both in a letter he had prepared for the court and for his former partner, the judge noted. Mr Justice McDermott imposed a sentence of six and a half years, but suspended the final two years of the term on strict conditions including that the man not approach the woman, other than in relation to the welfare of their children or by her express invitation. He ordered that the man remain under the supervision of the Probation Service for three years upon his release from prison adding that a post-release supervision order was not necessary alongside the three-year supervision. The sentence was backdated to July 22nd, 2021, when the man first went into custody. Facebook messages A local garda sergeant told the man's sentence hearing last November that the man and woman, who had an on-and-off-again relationship, were in her home on the evening in question. When the woman went to the bathroom, the man checked her phone and read some Facebook messages between her and another person, the court heard. He then followed the woman upstairs and struck her a couple of times as she came out of the bathroom, before knocking her on to the bed before raping her. Afterwards, he threw her into the shower, the court heard. The woman managed to escape the house and sought help from a neighbour before being driven to the house of one of the man's relatives. She confided in his mother about the attack the next morning. The woman reported the incident nine months later, in July 2015. The court heard the pair resumed a sexual relationship for a short while during this period. The woman has now moved on with her life, the garda said. She was not in court and declined to give a victim impact statement. The court heard the man fled to the UK where he has lived for the last four years, but was arrested in July 2021. He initially gave police a false name before his true identity was uncovered and he was returned to Ireland to be sentenced. Defence barrister Roisin Lacey SC said that during this time the man worked in the UK and sent back money to support his children. He has a number of previous convictions including assault and breaching a barring order. Defence counsel said the man came from an acutely dysfunctional background. His childhood was marred by alcohol abuse and domestic violence, the court heard. He has learning difficulties and has struggled with alcohol and drug abuse. Ms Lacey said her client apologises profusely to the court for his absence at the end of his trial. She submitted her client is incredibly remorseful regarding his offending. Lizz Winstead on Twitter: @LizzWinstead Abortion Access Fronts website is at AAFront.org. Listen to the Feminist Buzzkills LIVE! podcast HERE. Lizz Winstead and Renee Bracey Sherman at NBC News: Patriot Fronts anti-abortion advocacy at March for Life sends a clear message The state of Texas, with SCOTUS blessing, just gave every hate group a way to legalize oppression. Just deputize citizens to hunt people down and file lawsuits on whatever they deem wrong and they can bypass federal law. I hope you all can see this goes waaay beyond abortion. Lizz "Watch Feminist Buzzkills Live!" Winstead (@lizzwinstead) March 12, 2022 Michigan Republican House member Robert Regan triples down on advising his daughters to lie back and enjoy being violently sexually assaulted in a press release titled slander. Chris Savage can be found on Twitter at @Eclectablog. MoReno Taylor II can be found on Twitter at @MI_MADE_Man. Support the pod by becoming a Patreon donor HERE! Give us a five-star review at iTunes! The GOTMFV Show Facebook page is HERE! Music clips Intro and transition music: Tell Me What I Want to Hear by Mike Wagner/Total Strangers Outro music: Complain (from the movie Bob Roberts) by David Robbins & Tim Robbins A bat previously believed extinct is now back from the dead. Researchers announced March 8 that they had spotted Hills horseshoe bat (Rhinolophus hilli) for the first time in 40 years. Rediscovering Hills horseshoe bat was incredible its astonishing to think that were the first people to see this bat in so long, Bat Conservation International (BCI) Director of Endangered Species Interventions Dr. Jon Flanders said in the announcement. Hills horseshoe bat is considered a critically endangered species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List. It lives in forest caves in Rwanda and is most likely threatened by the destruction of its habitat for logging and agriculture. Appropriately, it has a horseshoe-shaped nose as well as big ears and a face that appears smushed, NBC News described. The bat was considered a lost species until an international team from (BCI), Rwanda Development Board (RDB) and the Rwanda Wildlife Conservation Association found an unusual animal during a 2019 expedition in Rwandas Nyungwe National Park, according to the announcement. We knew immediately that the bat we had captured was unusual and remarkable, BCI chief scientist Dr. Winifred Frick said in the announcement. The facial features were exaggerated to the point of comical. Horseshoe bats are easily distinguishable from other bats by characteristic horseshoe shape and specialized skin flaps on their noses. The researchers verified their suspicion by taking measurements of the live bat before they released it into the wild and then consulting museum archives in Europe to look at previously-collected specimens. In addition, the researchers were able to confirm the presence of more of these rare bats in the park by recording their echolocations for the first time. They were then able to hear the bats in eight different locations in a small section of the park. Knowing the echolocation calls for this species is a game-changer, Dr. Paul Webala, who is senior lecturer at Maasai Mara University and one of the lead scientists on the team, said in the announcement. The finding of the lost bat was part of a broader expedition to document bat species in and around the park from 2013 to 2020. The dataset was published March 7. In addition to Hills horseshoe bat, other notable finds included the first Landers horseshoe bat (Rhinolophus landeri) in Nyungwe National Park and the first Damara woolly bat (Kerivoula argentata) in Rwanda. Nyungwe National Park is renowned for its biodiversity. It is home to 1,068 recorded plant species, 322 bird species and 75 mammal species, including 13 primates. At 1,019 square kilometers (approximately 393 square miles), it is the second-largest national park in Rwanda. Of the 1,321 bat species assessed by the IUCN, around 40 percent of them are considered endangered, The Guardian pointed out. The main culprits are deforestation and habitat loss. But the experts hope that rediscovering Hills horseshoe bat means it can be kept from real extinction. Now our real work begins to figure out how to protect this species long into the future, Flanders said in the announcement. The 2021 film Dont Look Up is an account of astronomers trying to warn Earths population about a comet barreling toward the planet, a threat they cannot get the U.S. president or members of the media to take seriously. As Frances presidential election approaches next month, tens of thousands of protestors in the country called for action concerning another global menace: the climate crisis. The nonprofit Alternatiba which means Alternative in the Basque language nicknamed the climate protests Look Up Day, reported Variety. [T]he success of the film Dont Look Up, which draws an obvious parallel with the climate crisis, has allowed for crucial issues to make their way into the public debate, Alternatiba wrote on its website, as Variety reported. According to a survey conducted by NGOs concerned with climate justice, from February 28 to March 6 just 1.5 percent of media coverage of Frances election campaign dealt with the climate crisis, reported The Guardian. In France in 2022, the greatest threat humanity has ever known is being ignored in the middle of an election period, while our future is at stake, said the organizers of the protests, as The Connexion reported. In Paris, 32,000 protesters took to the streets to advocate for climate justice, with 80,000 participating countrywide, according to the protests organizers, as The Guardian reported. The interior ministry had different figures, saying only about 11,000 protested in Paris, with 40,000 turning out throughout the country. Adam McKay, the director of Dont Look Up, learned that the film was going to be the theme of the climate march in February, and, when he saw photos of the demonstrations, he posted reports are 80 thousand marched in Paris alone. How do you say holy shit! in French? on social media, as reported by Variety. Lydie Lampin Bernand, a protester in Lille, a city in the north of France, said the climate crisis is worse than critical, as The Guardian reported. Im only 34 years old, and even Ive seen the planet slapped in the face with a shovel. The climate protests organizers said people should not let the inaction of their governments stop them from taking steps to tackle the climate crisis. Let us not allow our rights and our future to remain hostage to those who are leading us to disaster. With their irresponsible passivity, governments tell us that there is nothing more we can do. This is not true, said the protest organizers, as The Connexion reported. About one third of the worlds agricultural land is at high risk from pesticide pollution, a new study has found. The research, published in Nature Geoscience Monday, looked at the use and spread of 92 active pesticide ingredients in 168 countries. They considered an area at risk if the concentration of a chemical exceeded the limit at which it would have no effect, and at high risk if that concentration exceeded the limit by a factor of 1,000. Our study has revealed 64 percent of the worlds arable land is at risk of pesticide pollution, University of Sydney Research Associate and the studys lead author, Dr Fiona Tang said in a University of Sydney press release. This is important because the wider scientific literature has found that pesticide pollution can have adverse impacts on human health and the environment. Further, a total of 31 percent of land was at high risk, the study authors wrote. Pesticides, herbicides and fungicides are widely used to boost productivity in farming, the press release noted. However, they have unintended consequences for human and environmental health. They can enter bodies of water through runoff or by entering the groundwater, contaminating drinking water. Pesticides like chlorpyrifos have been shown to harm the cognitive development of children, while others have been linked to cancer. They also pose a threat to wildlife such as bees and birds. These threats are why the research is important, Tang told AFP. It is significant because the potential pollution is widespread and some regions at risk also bear high biodiversity and suffer from water scarcity, she said in an AFP article published by Phys.org. Specifically, 34 percent of the high risk areas were in regions with high biodiversity while five percent were in water-scarce areas, the study found. Nineteen percent of the high risk areas were in low or middle income countries. Regionally, Asia had the most high-risk land, with China, Japan, Malaysia and the Philippines especially impacted, the press release said. In Europe, almost 62 percent of agricultural land was at high risk, AFP reported. This was largely due to high concentrations in Russia, Ukraine and Spain. The researchers looked at 59 herbicides, 21 insecticides and 19 fungicides and based their calculations on application rate data from the U.S. Geological Survey and the UN Food and Agriculture Organization. They then used a model to estimate how much of the pesticides would remain in the soil, atmosphere, groundwater and surface water. Thai feed producers to urge government to remove feed from controlled items list Animal feed producers in Thailand are set to call on the countrys Commerce Ministry to remove animal feed from the list of controlled products and allow prices to be determined by market mechanisms. The price should also reflect the actual production costs, a news source said last week. "Feed manufacturers are suffering from rising costs due to the Russia-Ukraine war," the source said. "The two countries are the worlds biggest suppliers of corn and wheat, which are the main ingredients of animal feed." The source pointed out that since December, the global price of corn has risen 14% and wheat by 43%. In Thailand, the price of corn has risen from 10.05 (US$0.30) baht per kilogramme in December to 12.65 (US$0.38) per kilogramme this month. The price of imported wheat has risen from 8.91 (US$0.27) to 12.75 (US$0.38) per kilogramme and soybean from 19.50 (US$0.58) to 22.5 (US$0.67) per kilogramme during the same period. As part of a price guarantee scheme for farmers, the government has only set the floor price for corn at 8.5 (US$0.67) per kilogramme. However, it did not set a ceiling price, which means the price of corn could soar and boost the cost of producing animal feed. However, feed producers cannot raise prices as animal feed is a controlled item. "If the Russia-Ukraine war persists, animal feed manufacturers may have to consider temporarily halting production to prevent losses. The government needs to immediately roll out aid measures or risk a shortage of animal feed, which will affect the animal farming industry, price of meat and peoples cost of living," the source said. - The Nation Saudi Arabia lifts ban on Thai poultry meat imports Saudi Arabia has lifted an 18-year ban on poultry meat imports from Thailand, effective March 13, 2022, Bangkok Post reported. 11 poultry plants from Thailand have been permitted to export chilled and frozen fresh chicken, following an inspection on these factories by Saudi authorities last year. Jurin Laksanawisit, Thailand's Commerce Minister, said this good news for Thailand and the overall poultry industry. He said the commercial ambassador in charge of the Saudi Arabia market and a charge d'affaires of the Thai Foreign Affairs Ministry has discussed with senior executives of the Saudi Food & Drug Authority and agreed that Saudi Arabia would allow poultry imports from 11 factories in Thailand. Saudi Arabia imports 590,000 tonnes of chicken annually, with 70% from Brazil and the remaining 30% imported from France and Ukraine. Jurin said he aims to boost exports of other products to Saudi Arabia. Thailand's exports of chilled, frozen and processed chicken reached 912,900 tonnes valued at THB 102.592 billion in 2021. Phusit Ratanakul Sereroengrit, the director-general of the International Trade Promotion Department, said in 2002, Thailand exported THB 56.9 million worth of chicken to Saudi Arabia and THB 4.8 million worth of chicken in 2003. Exports were halted after diplomatic ties were severed. Phusit said it is too early to analyse the poultry export outlook in Saudi Arabia in 2022 because the department needs to consult with the Thai private sector and start promoting exports to minimise impact on local consumption and prices. - Bangkok Post Kenya to review animal feed GMO directive following Ukraine-Russia war Kenya has started the process of reviewing a directive that animal feed imports must be 100% genetically modified organism-free, a requirement that has seen traders fail to ship in yellow maize. The move came just weeks after Ukraine, which was the main source of yellow maize for millers, is in turmoil following its invasion by Russia, which has hampered logistics along the Black Sea as most ships keep off from the area. Livestock Principal Secretary Harry Kimtai said a meeting will be held to review the initial directive and assess the current progress since millers were allowed to import yellow maize last November. The traders have even been unable to bring in a single bag of the produce, citing the directive which they describe as punitive and not practical. "We are meeting with stakeholders to review the requirement that could see us adjust the compliance on non-GMO to European standards in order to allow traders to ship in this yellow maize to lower the cost of feeds," said Kimtai. The European standards have a less stringent minimum GMO purity of 99.1% which processors manufacturers had requested the state to apply on the importation of yellow maize. Millers had written to the government last month, wanting it to review the requirement in order to allow traders to ship in the produce as most of them fear that their commodity could be confiscated by the authorities for not conforming to the set standards. The decision to allow yellow maize imports followed a directive by Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta to the country's Treasury and Agriculture Ministry to come up with a measure to control the high cost of feeds. - Business Daily Stay up to date on COVID-19 Get Breaking News Sign up now to get our FREE breaking news coverage delivered right to your inbox. Sponsored By: St Anthony's Hospital Athens, AL (35611) Today Mostly cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High around 80F. Winds NW at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Considerable clouds this evening. Some decrease in clouds late. Low 59F. Winds light and variable. Up 1,000 ARM employees in the US and the UK will be laid off, according The Telegraph and Bloomberg. Chief Executive Officer Rene Haas reportedly told staff in a memo that the Softbank-owned chipmaker is cutting between 12 to 15 percent of its workforce, with 1,000 being the high end of that range, as part of its efforts to curb spending. The company said in a statement: "Like any business, ARM is continually reviewing its business plan to ensure the company has the right balance between opportunities and cost discipline. Unfortunately, this process includes proposed redundancies across Arms global workforce." Softbank was supposed to sell ARM to NVIDIA for a massive deal that was worth $40 billion based on the latter's stock prices in 2020. If the acquisition had gone through, it would've been the largest in the chip sector yet and would've been worth around $60 to $80 billion today. The deal collapsed completely in February, however, due to strong opposition by regulators around the world. Industry players, including ARM customers Qualcomm and Microsoft, also voiced their opposition against the deal, citing concerns that NVIDIA might prevent ARM from licensing its chip designs. NVIDIA will pay Softbank a break fee of $1.25 billion for the failed purchase, and the Japanese conglomerate will proceed with its backup plan of taking ARM public. Neither of those is enough to keep things running as is, if the UK-based chipmaker is cutting jobs. Bloomberg says, though, that most of the job cuts won't affect the company's engineers. Despite the failed acquisition, NVIDIA plans to continue working closely with ARM and will continue to support the company as a licensee. After kicking off the year with a bunch of new laptops back at CES 2022 followed by more recent updates at MWC, Lenovo is finally capping off its refresh cycle this spring with improved components for the ThinkPad X13 and L-series lines. The focus of Lenovo's latest updates is to provide faster performance featuring new processors (both Intel and AMD, depending on the specific model), improved video conferencing thanks to Dolby Voice and better connectivity via Wi-Fi 6E. Also, every new ThinkPad X13 and L-series notebook is getting a 15 percent larger touchpad and can be configured with 4G LTE, with the ThinkPad X13 getting an upgrade to sub-6Ghz 5G as well. And to reduce the company's impact on the environment, Lenovo is switching to new packaging made from 90 percent recycled material along with more components like speaker housings and AC adapters being made from post-consumer recycled plastics. Lenovo The new ThinkPad X13 Yoga 2-in-1 supports up to a 12th-gen Intel Core i7 CPU, with the more mainstream clamshell X13 getting additional support for AMD Ryzen Pro 6000 chips with Radeon 600M graphics. Lenovo is also introducing optional FHD IR cameras to the mix, which work with Windows Hello facial recognition while including a dedicated camera shutter for increased privacy. The standard X13 offers two different batteries: a default 41Whr power pack, and a larger 54.7 Whr cell that Lenovo says boosts longevity by up to 40 percent. One the ThinkPad L line, all three sizes (13-, 14-, and 15-inch models) can be equipped with up to 12th-gen Intel i7 processors or AMD Ryzen 5000 Pro CPUs, up to 32GB of RAM, and 1TB PCIe SSDs. The smallest ThinkPad L13 and L13 Yoga will also be available in either Thunder Black or a new Storm Grey paint job, with Lenovo updating both L13s with slightly taller and brighter 16:10 500-nit displays. And for people worried about people peeping over their shoulder, the L13 even supports an optional Privacy Guard screen. Lenovo As for the ThinkPad L14 and L15 Gen 3, the company has redesigned their chassis with thinner bezels, which reduces weight and increases the system's overall screen-to-body ratio. And unlike their smaller siblings, you get a total of three battery sizes: 42 Whr, 57 Whr, and 63 Whr. So while it's not a complete overhaul, both the ThinkPad X13 and ThinkPad L lines are getting some very handy boosts for 2022, especially for people looking for better mobile productivity. The ThinkPad L-series is slated to go on sale beginning in April with prices starting as low as $799 for the L13, with the X13 following later in June starting at $1,119. 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. && Netflix has dropped a new trailer for their docu-series Our Great National Parks. The five-part show will document the most wondrous national parks and wildlife areas our planet has to offer. Much like Planet Earth, it explores the habitats, conservation efforts, and animals that play such an important part in our fragile ecosystem, all hosted by a celebrity who might just give the king of vocalization, Morgan Freeman, a run for his money. Our Great National Parks has none other than President Barack Obama bringing his soothing charm and caring demeanor to the project as he takes viewers into the vast jungles, forests, and landscapes of Earth. Accompanied by eye-popping footage in stunning high-definition, the series touts some of the most beautiful imagery while educating the masses about how conservaton is the key to our survival. It is so wonderful to see a former President use his popularity and gravitas to enlighten a chaotic world on the brink of ecological disaster. Following in the footsteps of his wife Michelle Obama, who hosted the adorable children's series Netflix's Waffles and Mochi, which taught kids about foods from around the world, their dedication to educate the world is truly inspiring and much needed. Just from the trailer alone, one learns some amazing information. Who would have thought that a sloth could be the key to finding cures for human diseases thanks to a micro-kingdom living in their fur? Hey, you learn something new everyday. Netflix's Our Great National Parks is set to release on April 13th. Microsoft among buyers of blue carbon credits from giant mangrove project Microsoft and Trafigura are among the buyers of the first three million carbon credits to be generated by the world's largest mangrove restoration project. To access this article please sign-in below or register for a free one-month trial. Positive Group result achieved CEO Schulte: Current bookings situation is cause for optimism Fraport intensifies climate commitment for carbon-free operations across the Group by 2045 Long-term growth perspective remains intact FRANKFURT, Germany, March 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- FRA/gk-rap The Covid-19 pandemic continued to impact Fraport AG's financial performance in fiscal year 2021 (ended Dec. 31). Nevertheless, Fraport increased its revenue and operating result (EBITDA) year-on-year, despite the ongoing volatile market environment. This positive trend was mainly supported by the company's strict cost management and by the ongoing traffic recovery during the second half of 2021 in Frankfurt, and particularly at the Group's airports worldwide. The Group result (net profit) moved clearly back into positive territory, reaching 91.8 million at year-end 2021 (2019: minus 690.4 million). Fraport AG's CEO, Dr. Stefan Schulte, commented: "We have used the past year to further increase our competitiveness, thus strengthening Fraport's position for future growth. We have realigned our company by implementing strict cost management and, where necessary, adopting immediate personnel-reduction measures in response to noticeably lower traffic volumes now. Fraport has become a leaner and more efficient company than before the pandemic. This will be a decisive factor for our future success, while also entailing even greater flexibility also in view of the current geopolitical situation. A look at the current flight bookings situation gives cause for optimism. The booking figures clearly underscore that people are eager to travel again. For this reason, we are now focusing on ramping up operations. This includes plans to recruit up to 1,000 operational staff in 2022. At the same time, we are intensifying our climate goals. Our aim is to become carbon free by 2045 in Frankfurt, as well as at all our Group airports worldwide." Positive financial performance largely driven by traffic growth Global travel restrictions still dampened passenger demand in the beginning months of 2021. Traffic first picked up again noticeably during the summer. A total of 24.8 million passengers traveled via Frankfurt Airport (FRA) in 2021, representing an increase of 32 percent year-on-year (2019: down 65 percent). Most of the airports in Fraport's international portfolio also benefited from people's renewed desire to travel to warm-weather destinations with some Group airports seeing significant passenger growth. In October 2021, traffic nearly reached pre-crisis levels at the Greek airports and Antalya Airport on the Turkish Riviera. Across the Group, traffic growth rates ranged between 31 percent at Ljubljana Airport and 126 percent in Antalya, year-on-year. Cargo throughput at Frankfurt Airport (comprising airfreight and airmail) also continued to grow in 2021. Despite the lack of belly capacity on passenger aircraft, FRA even hit a new record for cargo traffic in fiscal 2021. This underscores Frankfurt's vital role as one of the leading cargo hubs in Europe. Reflecting Fraport's overall positive traffic performance, Group revenue rose by 27.8 percent year-on-year to 2.14 billion. Adjusted for revenue from construction and expansion measures at Fraport's subsidiaries worldwide (in line with IFRIC 12), Group revenue grew by 30.9 percent to 1.90 billion. Driven by revenue growth and a further significant reduction in operating expenses, Group EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization) clearly climbed back to positive territory in fiscal 2021, reaching 757.0 million (2019: minus 250.6 million). This growth was also supported by crisis-related compensation payments and other pandemic compensation granted by governments totaling around 320 million. Group EBIT also increased markedly to 313.7 million (2019: minus 708.1 million). The Group result (net profit) recovered from a loss of 690 million recorded in 2020 (the first pandemic year) to a gain of 91.8 million in 2021. Cost reductions enable Fraport to focus on ramping up operations In mid-year 2021, Fraport already achieved its self-set goal of reducing personnel expenses at Frankfurt. By then, about 4,300 jobs were cut in a socially responsible manner, leading respectively to reduced staff costs. Further savings were achieved by implementing short-time work for employees (under Germany's "Kurzarbeit" progam). However, "Kurzarbeit" only applied to non-operational staff at Frankfurt throughout the full-year 2021. For operational staff, short-time work was gradually reduced in the course of the year in tandem with the ramp-up of airport operations. In addition, Fraport started recruiting operational staff again. Strict cost management and ongoing Group development Fraport implemented measures to counter the pandemic crisis at a very early stage. Because these measures have proven effective, the Group is now focusing on streamlining processes and aligning organizational structures to further increase efficiencies. In addition, the company will continue its strict cost-management policy, by reducing or deferring all investments unessential for maintaining operations. At the same time, Fraport continues to pursue important strategic investments for the future, such as the construction of Frankfurt Airport's new Terminal 3. On the site of the new terminal, the largely completed Pier G is being put into inactive standby mode. Should strong passenger demand require additional capacity, Pier G which is scheduled to open in 2026 could be taken into operation ahead of schedule on a flexible basis, requiring a minimum twelve-month preparation period. Fraport accelerates sustainability goals Despite the ongoing business challenges in the second pandemic year, Fraport set the course in 2021 for an even more ambitious climate goal. The airport operator has committed to becoming carbon free at all of its locations across the Group by 2045. This commitment comprises an extensive package of measures to be adopted at the Group's home-base Frankfurt Airport, but also serving as a guideline for Fraport's Group airports worldwide. Fraport's climate package explicitly excludes measures that merely offset carbon. In Frankfurt, Fraport has been purchasing electricity from existing onshore wind turbines since July 2021. Another milestone followed in December last year with the signing of an agreement between Fraport and energy provider EnBW. Under this agreement, EnBW will supply some 85 megawatts of electricity per year to Frankfurt Airport from an offshore wind park, starting in 2026. Other Fraport measures include increasing the use of photovoltaic arrays for generating electricity, switching incrementally to renewables to power the vehicle fleet, as well as a number of other improvements to enhance energy efficiency. Outlook For the current 2022 business year, Fraport's Executive Board expects traffic at Frankfurt Airport to range between approximately 39 million and 46 million travelers equaling 55 to 65 percent of the pre-crisis 2019 passenger level. Group revenue is projected to reach about 3 billion. Group EBITDA is expected to range between 760 million and 880 million, while Group EBIT is forecast to rise to between 320 million and 440 million. The Group result (net profit) is expected to reach between 50 million and 150 million. The current geopolitical situation has already been factored into this outlook to the extent now possible, given all the uncertainty. Fraport AG issued a press release on March 4 about its minority shareholding at St. Petersburg's Pulkovo Airport (LED): https://www.fraport.com/en/newsroom/press-releases.html. In view of the ongoing challenging environment and the costs incurred for raising the Group's liquidity, surplus achieved in 2022 is intended to be used for debt reduction, thus further stabilizing the company. In light of this, Fraport's executive board will propose to the Supervisory Board and the AGM, like in fiscal 2021, not to distribute a dividend for the current 2022 financial year. Print-quality photos of Fraport AG and Frankfurt Airport are available for free downloading via the photo library on the Fraport Web site. For TV news and information broadcasting purposes only, we also offer free footage material for downloading. If you wish to meet a member of our Media Relations team when at Frankfurt Airport, please do not hesitate to contact us. Our contact details are available here. Fraport AGChristian Engel Telephone: +49 69 690-30713Corporate Communications E-mail: c.engel2@fraport.de60547 Frankfurt, Germany www.fraport.com About Fraport AG and Frankfurt Airport Headquartered in Frankfurt, Germany, Fraport AG (Frankfurt Stock Exchange, MDAX) is one of the leading players in the global airport business. Fraport's portfolio of companies spans four continents with activities at 31 airports worldwide. In pre-pandemic 2019, more than 182 million passengers used airports in which Fraport has at least a 50 percent stake. Impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic, Fraport's majority-owned Group airports welcomed only about 86 million passengers in 2021. In fiscal year 2021 (Dec. 31), Fraport AG generated revenue of 2.1 billion and profit of some 92 million. Fraport's home-base Frankfurt Airport (FRA) is strategically located in the heart of Europe at the junction of vital intermodal road, rail and air networks. The surrounding Frankfurt Rhine-Main-Neckar region serves as an economic powerhouse and logistics hub for Europe and the world. In 2019, FRA welcomed more than 70.5 million passengers and handled 2.1 million metric tons of cargo. Only 24.8 million passengers traveled through FRA in 2021, due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Cargo volumes reached an all-time record of some 2.3 million metric tons in 2021. Tuesday, March 15, 2022 The objective of the Death Cafe is To increase awareness of death with a view to helping people make the most of their (finite) lives. Its all about an interesting, unstructured conversation open and free-flowing with no specific agenda. The next Albuquerque Death Cafe will be held online on Sunday, March 20 at 3:00 p.m. MDT. Get the link for this online conversation through this Meetup group event listing. During the pandemic, Albuquerque Death Cafes have been, and continue to be, held online on Zoom. The format proved to be popular, not only with people in New Mexico, but also for those across the U.S. and around the world. As the weather warms up, Albuquerque Death Cafe host Gail Rubin will continue the online discussions as well as holding in-person gatherings outdoors in Historic Fairview Cemetery. Discussing death while surrounded by gravesites in a cemetery founded in 1881 adds perspective to the conversation. Your Death Cafe Host Albuquerque Death Cafes are hosted by Gail Rubin, Certified Thanatologist, and a pioneering death educator. Rubin is a public speaker, a published author of three books, host of a TV interview series and podcast, a blogger, a funeral industry trade journalist, a Certified Funeral Celebrant, and an innovator in the funeral business. She created a conversation-starting game called The Newly-Dead Game, introduced the Death Cafe movement in the United States, and held the first Before I Die Festival west of the Mississippi in 2017. Albuquerque Business First named her one of their 2019 Women of Influence. About Death Cafes The Death Cafe concept was started in the United Kingdom by Jon Underwood. He was influenced by the ideas of Swiss sociologist Bernard Crettaz, who started holding Cafe Mortel events in France and Switzerland. At these events, people come together in a relaxed, confidential and safe setting to discuss death, drink tea (or your favorite beverage) and eat delicious cake or cookies. Read more here, or visit the worldwide website, www.DeathCafe.com. Related Aurora, March 14Colorado authors will be gathering at Barnes and Noble Bookfair at Southlands Mall in Aurora to sign books in support of the Colorado Author's Hall of Fame(Hall) on this Saturday, March 19 from 9:00am to 5:00pm. Barnes & Noble has been a generous supporter of the Colorado Authors. Books and other store merchandise purchased by visitors to the store on Saturday will generate a donation to support the Colorado Author's Hall of Fame, which will provide funds to support Aspiring Authors Scholarships that will be awarded in September to residents of Colorado aged 16 and beyond. The book singing event will feature fiction authors including inspirational storyteller Judith Briles, techno thriller author Roxanne Burkey, historical fiction author, Jeannette Seibly, inspiration mountain poetry author John Maling, Inspiration and life balance author, Jeanene Childers, women's fiction author Mara Purl, horror author Bobby Crew, and more! For more information about the Colorado Authors Hall of Fame and the Aspiring Authors Scholarships, visit www.ColoradoAuhtorsHallofFame.org Media Inquiries or Interviews, contact Bobby Crew-Director at Bobby@AuthorYOU.org or 303-257-2748. Gov. Greg Abbott announced Monday he has replaced Maj. Gen. Tracy Norris as leader of the Texas Military Department after months of criticism that her handling of his highly touted border mission had led to deplorable living conditions for troops. In a news release, Abbott said Norris term expired in February and Maj. Gen. Thomas M. Suelzer, who formerly oversaw the Texas Air Guard, was the military departments new leader as of Monday. Norris began her three-year tenure at the helm of the department in 2019 but came under heavy criticism in recent months after a massive ramp-up of Operation Lone Star last fall led to pay issues, poor living conditions and a lack of appropriate gear for troops on the mission. An investigation co-published by The Texas Tribune and Military Times found that many of the issues plaguing the mission were not only byproducts of the missions hasty expansion, but also similar to problems faced during the departments last major state deployment, during Hurricane Harvey. Norris and the department were also criticized after several service members tied to the operation died by suicide. One of the Republican opponents Abbott beat in this months gubernatorial primary, Allen West, criticized Norris handling of the mission and called for her resignation in January. In February, a leaked morale survey revealed major dissatisfaction among troops, with more than half of the service members surveyed expressing skepticism or frustration with the mission. Abbott did not acknowledge criticism of Norris in his statement, instead thanking her for her work with the department. Her predecessor as adjutant general of the department served for nearly seven years. General Norris faithfully served the Texas Military Department with dignity, as Adjutant General beginning in January 2019, as Assistant Adjutant General in 2016, and over her decades of service, Abbott said in a statement. I thank General Norris for her exceptional service to the State of Texas and am honored to appoint her successor, Major General Thomas Suelzer, as the Adjutant General of Texas. General Suelzer brings a wealth of military experience to this new role, and I am confident that he will uphold the integrity of the Texas Military Department and exemplify servant leadership throughout every aspect of this position." Others were quick to point out Norris recent struggles. Ill believe there is positive change when I see it, tweeted U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar, a Democrat who represents El Paso and has been critical of Operation Lone Star. Maj. Gen. Suelzer, please let me be the first to say: Send our Guard members home. Beto ORourke, the Democrat challenging Abbott in the November election, put the blame for the missions recent controversies squarely at the incumbent governors feet. You can switch Generals, but we all know where the buck stops. Greg Abbott took 10,000 Guard members from their families, jobs, and communities, ORourke said in a statement. He has treated them with incredible disrespect as he has delayed their pay, cut their tuition benefits in half, and used them as political pawns in his re-election campaign. Its time to bring them back home. Another vocal critic of Norris leadership has been retired Command Sgt. Maj. Jason Featherston, who was the Texas Army National Guards top enlisted soldier from May 2020 until he retired shortly before the border missions troop surge. TMD has hit rock bottom under the leadership of MG Tracy Norris, he said in a text message. [The organization] will need to start a rebuilding mode and will need to focus [on] soldier priorities and retention lets hope its not too late or take years to undo the damage [she] has caused. Spc. Hunter Schuler, a soldier on the border mission who represents fellow troops as a coordinator for the Texas State Employees Unions Military Council, welcomed the change in leadership as well. When faced with logistical failures, suicides, and abhorrent conditions, MG Norris and her executive staff were slow to make corrections, deflected from their mistakes, repeatedly misled service members, and lied to the public, Schuler said in a text message. We are optimistic about MG Suelzer and hope that he will make other overdue leadership changes and advocate for his service members best interests - including releasing them from this involuntary political stunt on the border. A unionization effort was largely spurred by what service members saw as failures by leadership during Operation Lone Star. Before Mondays appointment, Suelzer served as the deputy adjutant general-air for the Texas National Guard at Camp Mabry. In that role, he was the main adviser to Norris on Air National Guard issues and was responsible for policies, plans and programs that affected three wings and more than 3,200 Air National Guard service members. Suelzer joined the Texas National Guard in 2007 and served as the deputy director for domestic operations. He has served on two border missions and led the militarys COVID-19 response in Texas. Suelzer graduated from the United States Air Force Academy in 1990 with a bachelors degree in political science. He served in the active duty Air Force and the Air Force Reserve before transferring to Texas. The Texas Tribune is a nonprofit, nonpartisan media organization that informs Texans about public policy, politics, government and statewide issues. Bexar County Childrens Court is getting another associate judge. Raul Perales was chosen last week in a unanimous vote by Bexar Countys civil district court judges to become the third associate jurist in a newly created position authorized this year by county commissioners. Perales, 51, will join Associate Judges Charles Montemayor and Kimberly Burley, who hear child protective services cases that involve child abuse, neglect and domestic violence, county officials said in a statement issued Monday. On ExpressNews.com: Bexar civil judges appoint first African American, woman to hear Childrens Court cases It is an honor to receive this appointment to serve the families and children of Bexar County, Perales said in a statement. I look forward to working collaboratively with Judge Montemayor and Judge Burley, as well as the families, attorneys, caseworkers and providers to craft solutions that are in the best interest of the children who are the subjects of these cases. A 1998 graduate of the Thurgood Marshall School of Law at Texas Southern University, Perales began a private practice in 1999, which focused on family law. He moved his firm toward an emphasis in child welfare advocacy, a passion of his, in 2009. Last year, Perales joined the Bexar County District Attorneys Office as a prosecutor representing Texas Department of Family and Protective Services cases. On ExpressNews.com: Tributes pour in from thousands of San Antonio adoptions as Judge Richard Garcia retires On Monday, Judge Rosie Alvarado, chair of the Childrens Court Oversight Committee, touted Perales passion for working for the best interest of children and families in the foster care system. Mr. Perales brings with him a balanced and extensive background of experience in the area of child welfare law, having represented parents and children in TDFPS cases while in private practice, and also prosecuting cases on behalf of TDFPS during his time at the Bexar County District Attorneys Office, she said. Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff and his wife, Tracy Ann Wolff, chairwoman of the Hidalgo Foundation, led a coalition of leaders in 2003 to raise the money to complete renovations to the third floor of the historic Bexar County Courthouse. On ExpressNews.com: Judge Peter Sakai, local childrens court veteran, says hell resign Oct. 31 Part of that renovation was for Childrens Court and the programs under its umbrella. That judicial vision was implemented by Judge John Specia, then presiding judge of the 225th Civil District Court; and Judge Andy Mireles, who presided over the 73rd Civil District Court. Judge Peter Sakai helped create and ran Childrens Court for 15 years before his retirement last year from the 225th District Court. Sakai is seeking to replace Nelson Wolff, who is not running for reelection, as Bexar County judge. Sakai is facing State Rep. Ina Minjarez in a May 24 runoff for the Democratic nomination. The winner in that contest will face Republican Trish DeBerry in November. Child-focused and child-friendly, Bexar County Childrens Court has been recognized as a national model for courts that deal with abuse and neglect. Its objective is to safely reunify families, and it leads the United States in foster children adoptions, according to information from the county. ezavala@express-news.net | Twitter: @elizabeth2863 CASTLE HILLS Public opposition that centered on money and traffic has killed a proposed 300-unit apartment complex. City Council voted unanimously to end talks with the controversial projects developer, Vaquero Multifamily Inc., which had proposed building a $63 million, four-story, multifamily complex on a 4.7-acre tract bounded by Northwest Military Highway, Winston Lane and Lockhill-Selma Road. The Lofts at Castle Hills would have included 300 residential units consisting of one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments, averaging 800 square feet, and a parking garage with 451 spaces. The council vote last week ended five months of discussions between Vaquero and the city on the proposed project. We gave this project a fair shake, and in my mind, thats a step forward for the city of Castle Hills, Mayor JR Trevino said before the council vote. We had conversations, we asked questions, and we sought feedback. Public opposition to the project focused on the citys participation in it and the amount of traffic it would bring to the city of nearly 4,500 residents. Dollars and cents The proposed public-private partnership between Castle Hills and Vaquero would have required the city to create a public facility corporation, or PFC, which would have owned, operated and financed the development. Under state law, cities have the right to create PFCs for public facilities, including housing. The Texas Attorney Generals Office has ruled an independent authority needs to be set up for a city to participate in housing through a PFC. Vaquero was hoping the proposed multifamily apartment complex would draw middle-class workers like teachers, firefighters, nurses and recent college graduates to Castle Hills. Rents for one-bedroom units ranged from $1,100 to $1,585; two- and three-bedroom units would have rented for $1,725 and $2,100, respectively. Half the units would have been set aside for residents earning 80 percent of the areas median income. In addition, the developer requested the project be granted a 75-year property tax abatement from the city, which was needed for the project to obtain debt and equity financing, said Jarrad Thierath, Vaquero senior vice president. On ExpressNews.com: Get a great Cuban sandwich at Bilia Eatery & Coffee in Castle Hills To offset the loss of some of the property tax revenue to the city because of the tax abatement, Vaquero proposed paying Castle Hills 25 percent of the taxes that would have been assessed on the development if it would have been on the citys tax rolls, about $250,000 a year. Councilman Jack Joyce said he was opposed to the length of the tax abatement Vaquero would have received as part of the public-private partnership structure of the project. A 75-year tax abatement is not acceptable, Joyce said. Joyce said he was concerned about the financial impact the tax abatement would have on the North East Independent School District and Alamo Colleges District. The creation of the PFC would have exempted the developer from paying property taxes to all taxing entities the project was in. On ExpressNews.com: How Olmos Park, Castle Hills and other San Antonio-area cities got their names NEISD would have potentially lost about $195,000 a year from the proposed development from its debt service tax collections, said Deborah Caldwell, NEISD external relations executive director. Those estimates were based on the Bexar Appraisal Districts assessment of the property at $65 million. The Alamo Colleges District estimated it would have lost $90,000 annually in potential property tax revenue, said Denise Blaz, Alamo Colleges District strategic communications coordinator. The irony of this would be in building this new (apartment complex) ... wed actually be defunding our own education here in our community, Joyce said. So, I cant support that, and I know our citizens dont support that either. In the dark Councilman Douglas Gregory said he would have liked to have received pertinent information on the proposed development early in the process. Some of this information, I felt like I was pulling teeth all along the way, Gregory said. He said the council recently had gotten results from a traffic study, which analyzed the traffic impact the proposed development would have in the city. Gregory said the traffic study should have been presented to the council last November, when Vaquero started presenting their plans to City Council. I found even in the last two weeks I had more questions that were coming out about this PFC, Gregory said. All of these things could have been laid bare in front of us in November, and give us a month or two to digest all of this and ask pertinent questions. In opposing the project, resident Jill Askins said she was disappointed in the presentations given by Vaquero to the public because they gave out no technical information to support their plans on the proposed multifamily apartment complex. On ExpressNews.com: Castle Hills residents worry 300-apartment complex would mean bad traffic I just really want to say its terribly disappointing that they thought they could come in and get Castle Hills to underwrite their fly-by-night project, Askins said. Jarrad Thierath, Vaquero senior vice president, said the company was disappointed City Council decided not to move forward with the Lofts at Castle Hills. We are aware and respect that our vision may not always align with a particular community, Thierath said. He said Vaquero is not exploring other options for the project because the developer doesnt see a multifamily development as viable without the citys participation through a PFC. Thierath said Vaquero continues to look at a number of multifamily project opportunities both within and outside of San Antonio. DDeKunder@express-news.net Property owners would have 15 days to remove graffiti instead of the current 10 should Leon Valley go forward with proposed changes meant to bring its graffiti ordinance in line with state law. To comply with state law, the city would offer to remove the graffiti for the property owner free of charge, City Manager Crystal Caldera said. If the owner refused that offer, then the city would notify the property owner in person or by letter that he, she or they must remove the graffiti within 15 days. If the graffiti were not removed by the owner, the city could remove the graffiti at the owners expense. Caldera and police Chief David Gonzalez went over the details of the proposed revisions during a meeting of the Leon Valley City Council on March 1. In 2021, the city reported 146 sightings of graffiti. This year, as of Feb. 22, 18 sightings of graffiti were reported. Hill Country Headlines: Top stories from the booming region, delivered to your inbox Gonzalez said graffiti is a problem at vacant businesses and buildings, roadway pillars, concrete wall embankments, utility enclosures, metal boxes and city-owned structures, silos and signs. Vacant businesses provide a canvas for someone out there thats going to want to put their mark on it, Gonzalez said. When code enforcement officers see graffiti on a residential property, they try to talk to the resident, Gonzalez said, and usually the resident consents to have the graffiti removed. If the city needs to notify a property owner by letter, Gonzalez said the letter comes attached with a photo of the graffiti on the property. In essence, were doing everything we can according to our ordinance and state law, Gonzalez said. Councilman Benny Martinez asked the police chief what the city is doing to catch people who are tagging property and structures. Taggers put a signature with their graffiti, Martinez noted, which could indicate who they are. Gonzalez said that unless you see them, unless you have a witness, a tag name can be put up in paint by anyone, but the taggers we catch, we put in jail. Under the Texas Penal Code, graffiti can range from a Class C misdemeanor to a state jail felony depending on the amount of damage caused or the type of property damaged. State law includes exceptions for graffiti removal. For instance, a property owner is not required to remove graffiti if it is on transportation infrastructure or if the removal creates a hazard for the person trying to remove it. Caldera said one of the proposed changes would add this provision to the citys graffiti ordinance. The updated graffiti ordinance will be brought before the Leon Valley City Council on April 5 for its first reading, with council considering final approval at its April 19 meeting. DDeKunder@express-news.net Up to $60 million in federal pandemic aid will be set aside to serve economically disadvantaged communities in outlying Bexar County, officials announced Tuesday. The county is forming a public health division under its University Health system. County leaders also will re-examine and coordinate some 15 health-related services currently provided by several departments. A nine-member public health advisory board will be created, and the county will build on partnerships with Texas A&M University-San Antonio and local school districts to develop a trained health care workforce to serve the South Side. The countys investment is about no longer allowing a persons ZIP code to determine his or her health outcomes, said Commissioner Rebeca Clay-Flores, who represents the South Side. On ExpressNews.com: County judge critiques Abbott, Trump, himself in new book She said the initiative, announced by Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff and supported by all four county commissioners, will empower the community by tackling health inequities tied to income and education that the COVID-19 pandemic has exposed. The virus has been linked to the death of some 5,300 county residents in the past two years. Many had diabetes, heart disease and other risk factors. We have to understand how educational opportunities, racism, poverty and other social determinants contribute to the health, both physically and mentally, of students as they grow into adulthood, Clay-Flores said. A portion of the $388 million provided to the county through the federal American Rescue Plan Act will be allocated for the initiative as commissioners continue discussions on other uses of the funds, including affordable housing, mental health services, domestic violence treatment and prevention, and financial stabilization following revenue losses from the pandemic. The county has until the end of 2026 to spend the money. Commissioner Justin Rodriguez, who helped with the reorganization, said the county has a once-in-a-generation opportunity to make transformative, real change in our community. He said its about truly expanding and re-imagining how we can take these initiatives to the doorsteps of families who need it the most. If we do nothing else with these funds, we have to invest them in a way that helps transform the delivery of public health initiatives in our community, Rodriguez said. Cynthia Teniente-Matson, Texas A&M president, said the university offers a four-year degree in community health, is building a pipeline to attract middle and high school students from seven South Side school districts who are interested in health careers and is developing a public health division facility with a University Health hospital planned adjacent to the campus. We talk a lot about collective impact. This is a critical example that you can point to, youll be able to touch. Youll be able to see the impact of all of us working together to lift our communities, Teniente-Matson said. County Manager David Smith will examine services such as food inspection, vector control and more than a dozen others for efficiencies and better coordination with the citys Metropolitan Health District, University Health and the Southwest Texas Regional Advisory Council, which oversees emergency and trauma care in a 22-county region. The new public health advisory board will be composed of five appointees from the Commissioners Court and four from University Healths board of managers. On ExpressNews.com: County studying conversion of state hospital site to psychiatric facility University Health has been a lifesaver for the community, providing 500,000 COVID-19 vaccinations at its mass-vaccination site at Wonderland of the Americas mall and another 100,000 countywide, Wolff said. Had they not stood up, we wouldve been in a much, much worse condition, he said. University Health President and CEO George Hernandez said advancing public health dovetails with the hospital districts mission. Unfortunately, public health access is not equal across the county. Certain areas of unincorporated Bexar County need additional support, Hernandez said. shuddleston@express-news.net Lino Mirgeler/picture alliance via Getty Images Police have identified a 20-year-old woman who was killed in a crash in Seguin suspected to involve alcohol that sent two others to the hospital over the weekend. Elizabeth Solis, of Gonzales, died at a San Antonio hospital from her injuries sustained in the crash. A 22-year-old man from San Antonio and a 52-year-old New Braunfels woman were also hospitalized in critical condition. Fire officials said a lack of working smoke alarms and cluttered homes have contributed to the high number of fatal house fires that the San Antonio Fire Department has handled this year. The SAFD has responded to seven fires involving fatalities in 2022 only three fewer than the number of fatal fires it encountered during all of 2021. February and March have been the deadliest months, with three fatal fires each. The latest incident was on March 9, when a 68-year-old man died in his Grovehill Street home. On ExpressNews.com: 68-year-old man dies after house fire breaks out in Culebra Park neighborhood Officials are concerned that several of the homes involved either had zero smoke detectors or nonfunctioning ones, or were filled with clutter that created challenging conditions for firefighters, SAFD spokesman Woody Woodward said. The SAFD would like to remind the residents of San Antonio, the time to prepare for the threat of fire is today, right now, the department said in a statement. If your house is on fire and we are responding, it may be too late. Woodward encouraged residents to follow guidance that it refers to as SCAN: Smoke detectors They should be installed and working properly. Clutter Residents need to ensure there is a clear escape path. Action Create an action plan in case of a fire. Neighbor Check on each other during an emergency. On ExpressNews.com: Man found dead after fire engulfs trailer in South Bexar County Residents who need smoke a detector can call 211, and fire personnel will deliver one. Last year, the department gave away more than 200 detectors to San Antonians. For more resources, visit the SAFD Fire Safe website. taylor.pettaway@express-news.net | @TaylorPettaway His hashtag said it all: #notagoodidea. Eight years ago this week, Jackass TV show star Steve-O did a gainer back flip from the Commerce Street bridge at the Rivercenter mall into the shallow waters of the San Antonio River below. On ExpressNews.com: San Antonio has better tacos than Austin, says Mandalorian actor Pedro Pascal On March 14, 2014, Steve-O shared a photo of himself on Facebook in mid-leap as spectators can be seen looking on in disbelief. The water below is only 4 feet deep. I did a good deed today by proving its not safe to jump off the bridge at the San Antonio River Walk, he said in the post. Its shallow I hit the bottom when I landed this gainer flip. He included the hashtag #notagoodidea in the social media post. But Steve-O, whose real name is Stephen Glover, landed in more than shallow water. City statutes forbid anyone from jumping or swimming in the San Antonio River. Doing so can come with a $500 fine. On ExpressNews.com: Ozzy Osbourne urinated in Alamo Plaza 40 years ago At the time, the San Antonio Police Department considered charging the celebrity stuntman with deadly conduct. Steve-O, however, was only charged with disorderly conduct, a class C misdemeanor. He was never booked because the charge was eventually dropped, a police spokesman told the Express-News on Tuesday. At the time, a witness who worked for Rio San Antonio Cruises, the River Walks tour barge operator, told police it looked like Steve-O wanted to jump into the river in front of an oncoming barge filled with passengers. The witness also said that after Steve-O landed, he climbed out of the water and was immediately hounded for autographs. He reportedly told fans he had to get going because he needed to leave the location before the police arrived, the police report said. The back flip was emblematic of the stunts made famous by Jackass, an MTV reality show that spawned four movies. Steve-O was in San Antonio that week for a stand-up gig at the Rivercenter Comedy Club. Express-News archives were used in this report. timothy.fanning@express-news.net SAN ANTONIO The Air Forces public affairs director, in an extraordinary memo, told those in the career field that a senior noncommissioned officer was convicted in San Antonio of sexually assaulting a young enlistee, saying she was violated by one of our own and had the courage to report it. Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder said in the message, which was sent to those in the worldwide Air Force public affairs community, that we owe it to Staff Sgt. Cambria Ferguson to support her and other survivors that are brave enough to step forward. Sadly this case also demonstrates the far-reaching damage that sexual assault and harassment has on our teams, our communities and our families, Ryder wrote in the message, obtained from a private enlisted airmans Facebook page. While I cannot pretend to know everyones feelings, he continued, I know that many of us are hurting and have been impacted by this case, and will continue to have understandable difficulty healing. Ryders memo, which veteran legal observers called rare, was a reaction to Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall IIIs decision to demote Master Sgt. Jeremy Zier and grant his request to retire in lieu of an administrative discharge despite his conviction in a sexual assault case two years ago. The Air Force did not respond when asked about the memo. Still, the head of an advocacy group for military sexual assault victims called Ryders decision unprecedented and a show of support for Ferguson, who has worked in the Air Forces public affairs field. In my experience, I have never seen anything like it, said retired Air Force Col. Don Christensen, president of Protect Our Defenders. Obviously Cambrias identified herself, but to especially acknowledge that shes suffered (through) this and to support her, Ive never seen anything like it. Ziers retirement had been in limbo after Ferguson and sexual assault advocates pressed to have him forced out of the service without his retirement benefits. An administrative discharge board convened by Joint Base San Antonios commander voted to keep him in the Air Force in a finding Dec. 10, 2020. The JBSA commander then recommended that Zier be discharged by the Air Force secretary. His retirement had been uncertain until Kendall handed down his decision last week. Sergeant Zier had a special responsibility and duty to protect and look after the airmen under his authority, the Air Force secretary said in a statement. While serving as a master sergeant, Sergeant Ziers misconduct against a fellow airman violated that trust and his duty as an Air Force leader. Such conduct is unacceptable, does not meet Air Force standards, and wont be tolerated. Ziers attorney, Jeffrey Addicott, had accused the Air Force of intending to have his term of service expire without processing his retirement paperwork. If that had happened, he would have been out of the service without a pension. Addicott, a retired Army lieutenant colonel and director of the Warrior Defense Project at St. Marys University School of Law in San Antonio, threatened to sue the Air Force if the matter were not resolved. Addicott said he had no comment on Ryders memo, adding, My concern is solely related to the various legal issues associated with due process for my client to ensure that the Air Force leadership followed rather than circumvented all of the legal and administrative procedures established by the Congress for Zier. Ferguson has expressed anger that an Air Force panel charged with examining Ziers case after his trial recommended keeping him in the service after his conviction. She declined comment after Kendalls decision. On ExpressNews.com: NCOs retirement in limbo after sex assault conviction Geoffrey Corn, a professor at South Texas College of Law and a retired Army lawyer, called Ryders memo uncommon, though helpful. I dont know if such a communique is unprecedented but it is certainly unusual, Corn said in an email. Having said that, it is also perhaps something that should be more common. A function of criminal prosecution is general deterrence but if no one other than airmen in the unit know about a court martial it has limited impact. Zier was a master sergeant and Ferguson an airman first class when he groped her in a hot tub in 2015. He was the highest-ranking NCO in their office at Incirlik Air Base, Turkey, serving as superintendent of a detachment called AFN Incirlik. Ferguson said in a 2020 interview with the San Antonio Express-News that Zier tried several times to put his hand on her inner thigh and finally touched her genitals while they were in the hot tub in swimsuits along with several other junior airmen and two NCOs during a professional office weekend. Ferguson said she left the tub upset and that Zier followed her and pulled off her swimsuit top. In 2020, an all-officer jury in San Antonio found Zier guilty of abusive sexual contact for the groping. The jury also found that he committed a separate offense, dereliction of duty, for later entering the hot tub nude to join other subordinates. Now 42 and living in Converse, Zier is listed in the Texas Department of Public Safety sex offender website but insists he did nothing to Ferguson that he could recall, telling the Express-News in January that he never knowingly touched her. sigc@express-news.net This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate With spring break in full swing, Bobby Stuart, 9, and his sisters Nina, 7, and Mia, 5, took a trip to the DoSeum on Tuesday afternoon to explore the childrens museums many interactive exhibits. Chaperoned by their grandmother, Carolyn Stuart, they were surrounded on all sides by other families with the same idea. Parents pushing strollers or walking hand-in-hand with toddlers streamed in and out of the museums front doors. Our mom and dad are working, so we had to come and spend the night with (our grandmother), Bobby said. Local attractions such as Six Flags, SeaWorld, the DoSeum and the San Antonio Zoo are seeing a significantly higher turnout this week as students of all ages celebrate their brief respite from school. Kin Man Hui /Staff photographer Richard Kissel, DoSeum vice president of education, estimates the DoSeum will register 25,000 visitors from March 5 to March 20, including those from states as far away as Alaska and Hawaii. From Texas, many families are visiting from not only Austin and Houston, but from across the state, including Dallas, Amarillo and El Paso, Kissel said. Some attractions have even extended their hours to accommodate the increase in customers. The zoo, for example, will be open 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. through March 20, according to Pedro Olivarez III, director of guest experience. The institution has recorded a threefold increase in attendance rates, Olivarez said. While Six Flags doesnt release attendance data, said Jeff Filicko, marketing manager, spring break is very comparable to a busy summer day for us. You combine that with the great weather, he added, and were having a great week so far. Many customers are from the San Antonio area. Eating lunch with their three kids, plus one nephew and two nieces on the DoSeum patio, Windcrest residents Brett and Abigail Wilson said spring break made it possible for them to spend time together as a family. For us, during a normal school schedule, this (outing) would have to be on the weekend. It would have to be after school hours, so its just hard to get in fun things like the zoo and the DoSeum, Abigail Wilson said. And so spring break allows more hours, literally, in a day. Kaylee C. Greenlee Beal /Contributor Some customers, however, are out-of-towners lured to the Alamo City by the promise of family-friendly events and activities such as the zoos new Pantera Walk, which enables jaguars to traverse the park by sky bridge, or the zoos train, which features a diesel-style engine and runs on fuel donated by the Valero Energy Corporation. Related: San Antonio Zoos first of its kind jaguar bridge opens this weekend McAllen residents Laura and Eliseo, who declined to provide their surname, made the three-and-a-half-hour drive to San Antonio to enjoy spring break with their two small children. Waiting in line to pay admission at the Doseum, Laura said San Antonio was a natural choice for a vacation. San Antonio is the closest thing to McAllen with fun stuff to do, she said. The sight of long lines and crowded stands is particularly heartening considering the detrimental impact of the pandemic and resulting restrictions on local tourism. Only 37.2 percent of hotel rooms in the San Antonio area were reportedly occupied in October 2020 compared with 63.65 percent in October 2019. On ExpressNews.com: Visit SA: San Antonios tourism might not fully recover until end of 2023 But the Stuart kids werent thinking about their trip to the Doseum in terms of its economic impact; they were there to have fun. We just like everything, Bobby said. caroline.tien@hearst.com War is not inevitable. While Russian President Vladimir Putin is responsible for starting and fighting an unjust pre-emptive war with Ukraine, the United States, the original NATO countries and Russia missed opportunities to reimagine a more peaceful European security arrangement after the Cold War. As the Soviet Union was imploding, U.S. President George H.W. Bush and Secretary of State James Baker established a meaningful relationship with President Mikhail Gorbachev and Minister of Defense Eduard Shevardnadze. Both sides were committed to redefining U.S.-Soviet relations in a post-Cold War environment. In December 1991, Gorbachev announced that Russia, Ukraine and Belarus were forming a new confederation of states. On Dec. 25, 1991, Gorbachev resigned as the leader of the Soviet Union. During the Bill Clinton presidency that followed, there were two opposing camps. One was concerned that NATO enlargement would aggravate Russian insecurities. The other supported the enlargement, believing that NATO needed to capitalize on Russias weakness. When Clinton and Russian President Boris Yeltsin met in December 1994, Yeltsin told Clinton, I see nothing but humiliation for Russia if you proceed (with NATO enlargement). During Clintons presidency, NATO admitted Poland, the Czech Republic and Hungary in 1999. Diplomat George F. Kennan, the intellectual father of Americas Cold War containment policy, wrote that the first round of NATO expansion east is a tragic mistake. There was no reason for this whatsoever, he wrote. It is the beginning of a new cold war. Madeleine Albright, Clintons secretary of state, conceded, Yeltsin and his countrymen were strongly opposed to NATO enlargement, seeing a strategy for exploiting Russias vulnerability by moving Europes dividing line to the east, leaving them isolated. Strobe Talbott, Clintons deputy secretary of state, said, Many Russians see NATO as a vestige of the Cold War, inherently directed against their country. NATO was a post-Cold War alliance searching for a justification for continuing to exist. In March 2004, President George W. Bush announced the admission of Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia into NATO. At the ceremony, George W. Bush said: In the aftermath of this victory, some questioned whether NATO could or should survive the end of the Cold War. Then the alliance proved its enduring worth by stopping ethnic cleansing in Bosnia, and by ousting the armies of a tyrant in Kosovo. Some wondered whether NATO could adapt to the new threats of the 21st century. Those doubts were laid to rest on September the 12th, 2001, when NATO invoked for the first time in its history Article 5 of our charter, which states that an attack against one NATO ally is an attack against all. Today, all seven of these nations are helping to bring lasting freedom to Afghanistan and Iraq. In April 2008, George W. Bush and NATO leaders promised Ukraine and Georgia they would be able to join NATO at a future time. In August 2008, Russia sent troops into Georgia. In his memoir, Robert Gates, secretary of defense under George W. Bush and, later, President Barack Obama, wrote that trying to bring Georgia and Ukraine into NATO was truly overreaching, ignoring what Russians considered their own vital national interests. Historically, the U.S., NATO and Russia made mistakes. One can only wonder how different the world would be today had George H.W. Bush and Gorbachev had four more years to reimagine U.S.-Russia-NATO-European security arrangements. Larry Hufford is a professor of political science and international relations at St. Marys University. Long before Vladimir Putins invasion of Ukraine, his aggressions were often met by the accusation leveled by John Kerry and Angela Merkel, among others that hes a 19th-century figure in a 21st-century world. Its a line that seemed intended to judge Putin guilty not just of wickedness but of anachronism, which is somehow more confounding to the modern mind. But today there is a sense in which being a 19th-century man in the 21st century makes Putin a figure for our era, not an unfrozen cave man confused by a world thats passed him by. He exemplifies our transition to a kind of retro-future, in which crucial elements of the Victorian age are superimposed on our eras very different social, cultural and technological landscape. Whats returning from the past, as American primacy wanes, is a certain kind of great-power consolidation and competition, echoing the late-1800s dynamics of European empire but this time with global rather than mostly Western players. In this analogy the United States resembles both Victorian Britain (the great naval power and global imperium) and late-19th-century France (the republic torn apart by culture war) a long-dominant power haunted by the specter of decline. Then contemporary China, India, Russia and arguably the European Union all have goals that echo the ambitions of 19th-century Germany and Italy, the Russia of the Romanovs and eventually the Empire of Japan: to establish the largest possible political union based on shared ethnicity or cultural inheritance; to grow strong enough to challenge Anglo-Saxon hegemony; to project power in regions of the globe that lack a dominant nation-state. Within this multipolar world, you have emergent alliances that echo alignments of the kind that preceded World War I for now, Russia and China against Europe and America. And then you have the smaller nations and regions caught between, stirred by their own ambitions and offering potential tinderboxes for larger wars. Manchuria, Alsace-Lorraine and the Balkans then; today, Taiwan, Afghanistan, Syria and now Ukraine. But all these echoes and revivals have not brought the 19th century back to life in full. Instead, the old geopolitics is re-emerging against a thoroughly 21st-century background. First, globalization has gone further than it ever did in the 19th century. The scale of our interdependence is sometimes exaggerated, but it is still extraordinary, and so is the scale of wealth at stake in any sustained disruption of the world system. That doesnt mean that some strands in the vast web cannot be unwound. But to have it happen suddenly and wrenchingly, as is happening to Russia at the moment, is a peril greater than the empire builders of the 19th century faced. Those empire builders also operated in a world where it was possible to claim real public legitimacy for imperialism, conquest, autocratic rule. That day may come again, for now even de facto dictators like Putin feel they have to pretend to be democratically elected, pay lip service to self-determination, deny theyre invading their neighbor even when its obvious to all. This fraudulence then feeds into the cynicism and alienation that are also defining features of our era. The consolidation of Germany or Italy or, for that matter, the United States in the 19th century shaped and were shaped by new forms of mass mobilization and mass politics including the rise of political parties, labor unions, ideological movements and more. But our age is more a time of fragmentation and isolation, of a retreat into virtual escapes. This promises a near-future world, perhaps, where elites are invested in grand civilizational rivalries but the masses show little enthusiasm for the struggle. Then, too, todays great powers are much older than their antecedents, lacking the youthful population that past empires relied upon for energy, creativity and cannon fodder. As British writer Ed West has noted, the war in Ukraine is a war between two societies with fertility levels far below replacement, in which families might lose everything when they lose a single son. That raises questions both about how long such a war can be sustained and also what happens in the aftermath. An energetic figure like Volodymyr Zelenskyy evokes the 19th centurys youthful nationalists and nationalisms the Young Turks, Young Ireland. But the nation hes trying to preserve is not actually a young one, and it is possible to imagine a Ukraine that keeps its independence and simply stagnates alongside a senescent Russia, their conflict buried by old age. Then, finally, ours is a world with nuclear weapons. This is a difference for the better, one hopes, making certain forms of war almost unimaginable, giving leaders an existential reason to avoid that old worlds grim 1914-18 terminus. But those leaders will still need real wisdom to navigate a new age of nuclear-power rivalry that will probably be quite different from the Cold War era and at times more like the distant 19th-century past. What is most notable about the tentative contract agreement between the city of San Antonio and the police union is what is missing: acrimony. Unlike previous contract talks, this was a relatively quiet negotiation. Thats a credit to San Antonio Police Officer Association President John Danny Diaz, Mayor Ron Nirenberg, City Manager Erik Walsh and Deputy City Manager Maria Villagomez, who led negotiations for the city. Its also a credit to community groups that have applied pressure on the city about much-needed police reform. Specifically, the push for Proposition B, which voters narrowly rejected in May, but it was a vote that jolted the community in good ways. Villagomez reflected this change in tenor and tone in her comments, saying, A lot of credit goes to the association and the membership. I think they showed up with the intent of negotiating in good faith. For those of us who have witnessed bruising contract disputes, such praise is a complete turnaround from previous years marked by intense clashes between former City Manager Sheryl Sculley and former union head Mike Helle and suggests a more collaborative path forward for the city and its public safety unions. There is much to like about this proposed agreement, which addresses necessary disciplinary issues, holds the line on health care costs and provides a welcome raise structure for officers. On the discipline front, the new contract would give police officers 24 hours notice, down from 48 hours, about internal affairs questioning. During such questioning, officers would be allowed to review recordings, photographs and statements about the alleged incident. But, importantly, officers would not be allowed to review statements made by other officers under investigation. Another consequential change is that the police chief will be allowed to discipline officers within 180 days of learning about alleged misconduct. Under the existing contract, its 180 days after the alleged misconduct occurred. And yet another change would limit an arbitrators ability to overturn the police chiefs disciplinary finding. As Express-News reporter Emilie Eaton recently outlined, if the city has proved the misconduct has occurred and is detrimental to the department, than an arbitrator would not be able to reinstate an officer. All these changes are overdue and welcome. Police work is complicated, stressful and often thankless, and it can be dangerous. We support the proposed compensation for officers: 3.5 percent in 2023 and 2024, and 4 percent in 2025 and 2026. These raises are earned and, given the citys growth and previous changes to health care costs, are unlikely to crowd out other services, such as road maintenance and parks and recreation. This was a refreshingly smooth negotiating process, and the result is fair to the city and police officers, and serves the community. As Nirenberg said: Considering the history of prior collective bargaining negotiations, Im personally thrilled that the city of San Antonio and the new SAPOA leadership have been able reach a deal in roughly a year that both sides agree is right for the public and right for our uniformed officers and their families. The police union will likely vote on the proposed contract in April, and the City Council would follow this summer. The deal merits support. Sterling, VA (20165) Today Partly cloudy with isolated thunderstorms possible. High 76F. Winds NW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 30%.. Tonight A few clouds. Low around 55F. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph. BEIJING, March 15 (Xinhua) -- A speech by Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, at a central conference on the work of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference marking the 70th anniversary of the organization will be published. The speech by Xi, also Chinese president and chairman of the Central Military Commission, will be published on Wednesday in this year's sixth issue of the Qiushi Journal, a flagship magazine of the CPC Central Committee. Farmers have helped raise an impressive 100,000 for Yorkshire Air Ambulance after selling more than 120 million eggs over the course of ten years. James Potter Eggs, a free range egg firm based in Yorkshire, reached the fundraising milestone this week after ten years of partnership with the charity. The family-run company has been donating 1 penny per dozen eggs sold in supermarkets and retail outlets since June 2012. Over the years, they have sold 120,000,000 eggs to reach their grand 100,000 fundraising total for the Yorkshire emergency services charity. The sale of these eggs gives sustainable income to Yorkshire Air Ambulance, generating hundreds of pounds for the charity each month. To show their support, Yorkshire Air Ambulance showcases James Potter's logo on both of the charity's aircraft. It follows a challenging year for charities across the UK as the effects of the pandemic took hold, and community income dropped. However, James Potter saw a boom in sales during the lockdown period, resulting in more money being donated to Yorkshire Air Ambulance during its time of need. Adrian Potter, James Potter Eggs managing director, said: We would like to thank all of the customers who have helped us achieve this fantastic figure, and are proud to sponsor such a worthy charity. "Based near Topcliffe, we see the Air Ambulances on an almost daily basis, and its comforting to know that this amazing service is available to those in need. "We look forward, with the help of our customers to continue this supporting this great charity. Katie Collinson, corporate and partnerships manager for Yorkshire Air Ambulance, added: The support we receive from local businesses is the lifeblood of our charity. "We would like to take this opportunity to thank James Potter Eggs for their continuous support and generosity." A farmer who was accused of 'obliterating' riverside habitats after he dredged a mile-long stretch of the River Lugg will face criminal charges. Natural England and the Environment Agency have announced joint legal action against Herefordshire mixed farmer John Price. In a statement, the agencies said the banks of the River Lugg were "damaged in December 2020 causing suspected significant and long-term ecological harm". The area is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), which means permissions need to be granted before work can take place However, Mr Price said at the time that he undertook the maintenance works to protect local households from flooding, which were heavily impacted by storms in 2019. Last year, the Forestry Commission, following its own investigation, announced that no action would be taken against the farmer. But the new legal action follows a joint Natural England and Environment Agency investigation into ecological harm to the river's protected stretch. The agencies said it had been "a serious and complex investigation" which had taken "a considerable length of time to complete". Oliver Harmar, chief operating officer at Natural England said: "It was heart-breaking to see this beautiful riverside illegally damaged. "The decimation of this section of the River Lugg has been devastating to the local environment and to local people, destroying the habitats of iconic wildlife. "The area is protected as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) due to its importance for nature. "Consent is required before any works are carried out within a SSSI to the river which had not been granted." What are the charges? The charges being brought against John Price relate to: Unconsented operations and causing damage to a Site of Special Scientific Interest Carrying out activities within 8 metres of the River Lugg which were likely to cause damage to or endanger the stability of the river Causing a water discharge activity, namely a discharge of silt into the River Lugg Failing to take reasonable precaution to prevent agricultural pollution from land management and cultivation practices on agricultural land Wilfully disturbing spawn or spawning fish, or any bed, bank or shallow on which any spawn or spawning fish may be Breach of a stop notice The hearing will be held at Kidderminster Magistrates Court on 18 May 2022. The Welsh government has announced it will set up a Tenancy Working Group in Wales to explore specific issues affecting the tenanted sector in accessing post-Brexit schemes. The Minister for Rural Affairs said the new group would be created following the publication of the outline of Wales' Sustainable Farming Scheme, due in July. The Welsh government plans to phase out the Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) and phase in the Sustainable Farming Scheme from 2025. But the introduction of new agricultural policy has left many tenant farmers apprehensive as to how these changes may affect them in the future. An estimated 30 percent of land in Wales is under some form of tenancy agreement. Because of this, Minister Lesley Griffiths has agreed to NFU Cymrus request for a new group to ease tenant farmers' concerns. The minister acknowledged that it would be helpful in considering potential barriers to scheme entry for all types of tenancy arrangements. Last month, NFU Cymru held a tenants seminar where it called for the formation of a group to explore the specific issues affecting the Welsh tenanted sector. The union asked for a new group to explore the full range of tenancy and rental agreements those farmers work within, ensuring these priorities were factored into future policy development. NFU Cymru president, Aled Jones said it was 'pleasing' that Welsh government had agreed to establish a new Tenant Working Group to address specifics within the tenanted sector. I was also really pleased to see the Minister, in her letter to NFU Cymru, once again reiterate her position that if the Sustainable Farming Scheme does not work for the tenanted sector then it does not work at all", he said. NFU Cymru will continue to work closely with Welsh government to ensure that policy reform works for all Welsh farmers and the broad range of land tenure we have here in Wales. In England, the recently announced Tenancy Working Group will also provide tenant farmers an opportunity to make sure post-Brexit schemes work within agricultural tenancies. A report will be published by the group later this year, Defra said in late January, setting out the main conclusions and providing a set of recommendations to government. A destroyed building is seen at the Al-Qatirji industrial city in Syria's northern city of Aleppo on March 7, 2022. (Photo by Ammar Safarjalani/Xinhua) As the Syrian crisis is entering its 12th year, the U.S. and Western sanctions remain a major obstacle for normal life to return in the country. The economic sanctions, in particular, have crippled most factories in the war-torn country. by Hummam Sheikh Ali ALEPPO, Syria, March 15 (Xinhua) -- As the Syrian crisis is entering its 12th year, the U.S. and Western sanctions remain a major obstacle for normal life to return in the country. The economic sanctions, in particular, have crippled most factories in the war-torn country. After dusting the dirt of war off of themselves and their largely shattered factories, the industrialists of Aleppo city, the commercial and industrial capital of Syria, faced the U.S. and Western sanctions that were like bullets in their feet. At the Al-Qatirji industrial city of Aleppo, and much of the areas in the eastern part of the city, the scars of war are still obvious, with damaged or partially destroyed buildings, which are still a sign of how vicious the war was in Aleppo. But despite the war and its destruction, life is beating strongly in that area with the defining sound of machines reverberating here and there amid the energetic movement of passengers, workers and cars. A Syrian man works at a textile workshop at the Al-Qatirji industrial city in Syria's northern city of Aleppo on March 7, 2022. (Photo by Ammar Safarjalani/Xinhua) The Aleppo people are known for their dedication to labor and output. Most factories in Aleppo used to run 24 hours a day, seven days a week before the war. Their hard work earned them and their city the title of the country's industrial and commercial capital. When the battles in Aleppo city came to a halt in late 2016, the industrialists were quick to pick up the pieces of their days of glory and return to work, even at the lowest capacity. Xinhua team in Syria has been committed to visiting Aleppo every year to see how the situation in the city is evolving in comparison with other parts of Syria. Every year, something new is done in Aleppo: factories that are rebuilt, squares are repaired and marketplaces are reopened. The vitality in Aleppo is so contagious that there is no room for sorrow or wallowing in the past. Hard work combined with inner strength and resilience seems like a successful formula shared by locals. But with all the positive attitude and the willingness to emerge from under the rubble, here comes another challenge for the people in Aleppo in particular and for Syrians in general: the U.S. and Western sanctions. It's as if the bombings, destruction and relocation weren't enough to shatter the Syrians' spirits, so the U.S. and its Western allies decided to add to their suffering and pain by imposing crippling sanctions to prevent people from having decent lives. A Syrian man works at a textile workshop at the Al-Qatirji industrial city in Syria's northern city of Aleppo on March 7, 2022. (Photo by Ammar Safarjalani/Xinhua) As the country marks the 11th anniversary of the crisis, Aleppo's industrialists continue to struggle with the shortage of gasoline, electricity, spare parts for their equipment, and the inability to export or import due to sanctions. According to Abdul-Salam Mzayek, secretary of the Al-Qatirji Industrial Zone, Aleppo's manufacturers were so quick to invest all of their savings to restore their enterprises and start from scratch. However, he pointed out that the sanctions imposed by the U.S. and its Western allies have had an impact on industrialists, particularly those in the textile industry, who are having difficulty finding spare parts for their looms as well as cotton threads for their production, not to mention to export their products due to the lack of bank transactions between Syria and the rest of the world. "We have been severely harmed as a result of the sanctions imposed on by the U.S. and Western countries. Textile businesses have been impacted in terms of getting threads and spare components for looms," he said. He said around 30 to 40 percent of these factories were forced to shut down. At a textile factory in the Al-Qatirji zone, Saleh Mzayek, the owner, told Xinhua that sanctions have hampered his capacity to get cotton threads, noting that spare parts for his looms are nearly depleted and, if they are found, are highly expensive. The 53-year-old man said he is working at the minimum capacity in order to make a livelihood for the workers. "In terms of exports, only Iraq and Lebanon import some, but there are no longer any exports. The situation is difficult, and people's livelihoods are severely impacted," he said. Abdul-Munem Hashimi, the owner of another textile factory in the same industrial zone, told Xinhua that now they only produce half of what they used to. "We used to work all day round in the winter and summer," he continued, "but today, because of the sanctions, high prices, and people's declining purchasing power, we can barely make half of our regular production." A Syrian man works at a textile workshop at the Al-Qatirji industrial city in Syria's northern city of Aleppo on March 7, 2022. (Photo by Ammar Safarjalani/Xinhua) He went on that lifting U.S. sanctions is critical for the business to recover to pre-war levels, which would benefit the Syrian people as a whole. Several conditions, according to him, are required for production to return to its former levels: first, prohibitions on imports and exports should be repealed; second, electricity should be available 24 hours a day, as well as enough fuel in case of an emergency. That was a glimpse of the suffering of industrialists in Aleppo, and it can for sure be applied to all businesses in Syria that have been affected by the sanctions. The UN Syria Commission of Inquiry said in a report that in light of the deteriorating living conditions, the commission has called for a review of the implementation and impacts of sanctions currently imposed on Syria. It added that despite humanitarian exemptions, more is required to mitigate unintended consequences on the daily lives of the civilian population brought about by over compliance. "Where sanctions are not adequately reviewed, they can lead to further shortages and impede humanitarian assistance, for the most vulnerable populations, with devastating impact on everyone except the political and economic elite," the commission said. Category Select Category Apparel/Garments Textiles Fashion Technical Textiles Information Technology E-commerce Retail Corporate Association Press Release SubCategory Select Sub-Category Alia Bhatt's filmography has been nothing short of inspiring. There were hints and glimpses of a star in the making when she made her debut with Karan Johar's Student Of The Year. Alia Bhatt has proven her versatility as an actor time and time again, whether it's in her fashionable character in Student of the Year or her rugged desi look in Udta Punjab. She has often claimed that deciding on different parts is a matter of challenging herself rather than demonstrating her variety. Alia Bhatt has always created a name for herself by defying intricate restrictions and demonstrating her talent. With innovative films like Highway, Gully Boy, Dear Zindagi and Raazi, the young star , previously known as Pink Barbie Princess, has left the audience shocked and is now one of the most respected young Bollywood stars. Her films frequently feature social protagonists who contribute to society, such as Highway, in which she depicted herself as a victim of abuse. Her performance astounded everyone, and she went on to have a string of hits, including Udta Punjab, Dear Zindagi, among others. Observing her ascent up the success ladder thus far, it is clear that she is worth her weight in gold and that she is set to deliver one blockbuster after another in the future. Here is a glimpse at the range of characters Alia has played in her gilded career so far Highway Highway is a film about an industrialist's young daughter who is kidnapped from a petrol station and explores what it's like to be free on India's roadways. In Highway, Alia Bhatt's Veera was a wild child with dishevelled hair and dingy clothes who was taken captive by Mahabir Bhati (Randeep Hooda). Mahabir kidnaps Veera with his comrades, unaware that her father has powerful ties to the government. Fortunately, the many colours of her performance jumped off the screen. Highway was an apt retort to those who had criticised her for SOTY. Alia Bhatt blossomed into an outstanding actress as a result of Veera. She did a fantastic job portraying her character, who was a mix of innocence and feistiness. She won Filmfare Best Actress (Critics) award for her performance. 2 States Alia once again proved that she is not someone to be dismissed easily in the next film- 2 States. She completely embodied the vibrant, strong-willed Ananya in the film 2 States. The lovely actress was incredibly delightful in the role and made the job look effortless. She was a perfect fit for the Tambrahm girl just out of IIM. Despite the fact that the film was a typical Bollywood romance with nothing unique to offer, Alia's performance stood out and breathed new life into the film. Kapoor & Sons The film Kapoor & Sons starred a number of different actors. Stars from each era appeared in the film. Rishi Kapoor, Sidharth Malhotra, Ratna Pathak Shah, Rajat Kapoor, Alia Bhatt, and Fawad Khan are among the cast members. The film's superb ensemble cast is complemented by Alia Bhatt's cheerful character as Tia Malik. Her character in Kapoor & Sons is one of the film's modern roles. She is a cheerful young lady who tragically lost her parents in a car accident. When she tells her story about the tragic incident, she is guileless and uninhibitedly lovely. She excels in her roles as a companion, friend, and advisor to both Sidharth Malhotra and Fawad Khan in the film. Udta Punjab In her own words, Alia took a major "risk" and played the "hardest" role in her four-year career in Udta Punjab. She wasn't dressed up and dancing amid Punjab's luscious fields, after all. Instead, as the nameless, destitute young woman from Bihar, she toils in them. Her life is turned upside down when a packet of heroin tossed from Pakistan lands in the field. She went from being a heroin vendor to being a drug addict and a sex slave in no time. Alia has nailed that role that few expected her to be capable of playing. She's a natural performer and nearly made it look simple. Nobody was surprised when she won the Filmfare award for Best Actress for this film in 2017, since she earned it. Dear Zindagi Dear Zindagi is yet another film that demonstrates this talented actress's immense potential. Kaira is a promising cinematographer who is experiencing a major life crisis. Alia Bhatt makes an outstanding portrayal as a fragile, edgy, irritated young woman who finds fault in everyone and everything. Kaira is wary of people and has a fear of commitment, therefore she holds grudges against practically everyone she knows, including her parents. Alia deserves kudos for portraying her eccentricities and intricacies so brilliantly. Raazi Set in the early 1970s, right before the India-Pakistan war and based on true events, Raazi tells a story of Sehmat Khan (Alia Bhatt), a Kashmiri girl whose life is turned upside down when she learns of her dying father's final desire. So she goes from being an ordinary college student to being groomed as a deadly spy by Indian intelligence agent Khalid Mir (Jaideep Ahlawat). Alia had previously been seen as an innocently intense youngster in Highway, as a traumatised, situational drug addict in Udta Punjab, and as an orphan in Kapoor & Sons. You dive into her emotions every time she tears up throughout the movie, with a quivering lower lip and droopy eyes. Each tear reveals a distinct aspect of her character, which is a quality that only a naturally gifted actor can possess. She owns most of the film's nail-biting political espionage moments. Gully Boy Alia Bhatt exudes a contagious charisma in Gully Boy. Safeena is a medical student from a traditional Muslim family and loves Murad (Ranveer Singh). The bonding between Murad and Safeena is apparent from their first moments, characterised by a charming wordless sequence in a BEST bus that they have a genuine understanding that comes from years of being together. Portraying a fiery Muslim girl, who is unconstrained by her hijab or the confines of her home, Safeena establishes her territory, and you don't want to cross her She beats up the girls who tries to flirt with her boyfriend. She finds a way to get ahead of every door that is shut in her face. Both metaphorically and literally. Alia is fantastic in the part. The Bhatt girl shows what she's made of in her short screen time. Gangubai Kathiawadi As she transforms into Gangubai, a sexworker turned mafia queen, she simply owns the screen. Alia's body language, voice, line delivery, and expressions all convey the conviction with which she has soaked up every part of Gangubai and conveyed it on screen. Although Alia has the enormous task of credibly portraying a brothel madam turned mafia queen, she manages to do so with grace. Alia seems to absorb Gangubai into herself, giving her a towering dignity, a humorous personality, a steel vein, and a crushed heart all at once. She also manages to keep her accent and the raspy voice she acquired for the job consistent without being obsessed with either. You can see how far she's progressed as an actor, as well as the time and work she's put into becoming Gangubai. It's only appropriate to lavish her with praise. ST. LOUIS, March 10, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Post Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:POST) ("Post") and BellRing Brands, Inc. (NYSE:BRBR) ("New BellRing") today announced the completion of the spin-off of 80.1% of Post's interest in New BellRing to Post shareholders. Under the previously disclosed terms of the transaction, Post distributed an aggregate of 78,076,841 shares of common stock of New BellRing (which was previously named "BellRing Distribution, LLC" and was renamed "BellRing Brands, Inc." upon conversion into a Delaware corporation) after market close at 4:01 p.m. Eastern Time on March 10, 2022 (the "distribution date") on a pro rata basis to Post shareholders (the "distribution"). Based on the shares of Post common stock outstanding as of February 25, 2022, the record date for the distribution, Post shareholders received 1.267788 shares of New BellRing common stock in the distribution for each share of Post common stock held. No fractional shares of New BellRing were issued in the distribution, and instead, Post shareholders will receive cash in lieu of any fractional shares of New BellRing common stock. The spin-off was structured in a manner intended to qualify as a tax-free distribution to Post shareholders for U.S. federal income tax purposes, except to the extent of any cash received in lieu of fractional shares of New BellRing common stock. Upon completion of the distribution, a subsidiary of New BellRing merged (the "merger") with and into BellRing Intermediate Holdings, Inc. (which was previously named "BellRing Brands, Inc.") ("Old BellRing") and each outstanding share of Old BellRing Class A common stock was converted into one share of New BellRing common stock and $2.97 in cash, which amount was determined in accordance with the agreement that governed the transaction. New BellRing common stock will be traded under the ticker symbol "BRBR". As a result of certain contributions made in connection with the transaction, Post received incremental value in an amount that, based on the percentage of the outstanding BellRing Brands, LLC nonvoting membership units owned by Post prior to the distribution, was $289.5 million. Following the distribution and the merger, Post owns 14.2% of the New BellRing common stock and Post shareholders own 57.3% of the New BellRing common stock. The holders of Old BellRing Class A common stock prior to the merger maintained their 28.5% effective ownership interest in the BellRing business. In addition, as a result of the completion of the transaction, including the contribution by Post of the sole outstanding share of Old BellRing Class B common stock (which represented 67% of the total voting power of the outstanding Old BellRing common stock), the dual class voting structure in the BellRing business has been eliminated. Two-Way Trading for Post Common Stock on the NYSE Beginning on February 24, 2022, and continuing through the close of trading on March 10, 2022, there were two markets in Post common stock on the New York Stock Exchange (the "NYSE"): a "regular way" market and an "ex-distribution" market. During this period of two-way trading in Post common stock, a Post shareholder could sell the right to his or her shares of New BellRing common stock that he or she would receive pursuant to the distribution in a "when issued" market. Starting tomorrow, March 11, 2022, the "when issued" market will be discontinued. In all cases, investors are encouraged to consult with their financial advisors regarding the specific implications of any sales of Post common stock through the close of trading today. Forward-Looking Statements Certain matters discussed in this press release are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are made based on known events and circumstances at the time of release, and as such, are subject to uncertainty and changes in circumstances. These forward-looking statements include statements regarding the intended tax treatment of the distribution to Post shareholders. There are a number of risks, uncertainties and assumptions that could cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements made herein, including risks relating to unanticipated developments that negatively impact the New BellRing common stock, the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, the rapidly changing situation related to the COVID-19 pandemic and other financial, operational and legal risks and uncertainties described in Post's and BellRing's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"). These forward-looking statements represent Post's and BellRing's judgment as of the date of this release. Post and BellRing disclaim, however, any intent or obligation to update these forward-looking statements. About Post Holdings, Inc. Post Holdings, Inc., headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri, is a consumer packaged goods holding company operating in the center-of-the-store, refrigerated, foodservice and food ingredient food categories. Its businesses include Post Consumer Brands, Weetabix, Michael Foods and Bob Evans Farms. Post Consumer Brands is a leader in the North American ready-to-eat cereal category and also markets Peter Pan nut butters. Weetabix is home to the United Kingdom's number one selling ready-to-eat cereal brand, Weetabix. Michael Foods and Bob Evans Farms are leaders in refrigerated foods, delivering innovative, value-added egg and refrigerated potato side dish products to the foodservice and retail channels. Post participates in the global convenient nutrition category through its minority ownership of BellRing Brands, Inc., a publicly-traded holding company offering ready-to-drink shake and powder protein products. Post participates in the private brand food category through its investment with third parties in 8th Avenue Food & Provisions, Inc., a leading, private brand centric, consumer products holding company. For more information, visit www.postholdings.com. About BellRing Brands, Inc. BellRing Brands, Inc. is a rapidly growing leader in the global convenient nutrition category offering ready-to-drink shake and powder protein products. Its primary brands, Premier Protein and Dymatize, appeal to a broad range of consumers and are distributed across a diverse network of channels including club, food, drug, mass, eCommerce, specialty and convenience. BellRing's commitment to consumers is to strive to make highly effective products that deliver best-in-class nutritionals and superior taste. For more information, visit www.bellring.com. Contact: Investor Relations Jennifer Meyer jennifer.meyer@postholdings.com (314) 644-7665 Media Relations Lisa Hanly lisa.hanly@postholdings.com (314) 665-3180 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. Road Town, British Virgin Islands, Mar 15, 2022 - (ACN Newswire) - NexBloc inc. today announced a partnership with BCypher, the blockchain intelligence company, to deploy their transaction monitoring capabilities for ongoing risk management within the NexBloc blockchain domain naming system (bDNS).BCypher is a leader in blockchain analytics whose platform allows for AML verification, risk analysis, transaction monitoring, and clustering of addresses across any blockchain or token network. NexBloc will use BCypher to ensure a bDNS that is actively aware of risk factors associated with customers of its subscription services and buyers of domains.NexBloc does not censor the use of domains. Still, it does maintain a policy of actively ensuring that bad actors are limited from using its services for nefarious activities by blocking access to initially buying domains and services. Blockchain domains are NFTs that get transferred to a customer's wallet. Once that transfer is complete, NexBloc has no way to control usage except for additional services that may be used to make the domains work, such as pinning and storage solutions.As Dana Farbo, Founder and CEO of NexBloc, stated, "We believe in a free and open internet, and Web 3.0 allows us to use the decentralized and distributed web for new ways to manage personal and organizational data, without fear of centralized censorship. However, we also have a responsibility to protect the space from actors that may look to take advantage of the decentralized web for their illegal purposes. We can help limit that by refusing them as customers, and BCypher provides tools to help us with those goals."Sudhanva Purushotham, Co-Founder and CEO of BCypher stated, "With BCypher, NexBloc has been able to bridge the gap between decentralization and platform security. bDNS is quickly becoming a complementary part of DNS, but past iterations of bDNS platforms have been prone to attackers and malicious content because of their open nature. As one of the leaders in the bDNS market segment, NexBloc sought to address this problem early and differentiate itself from the competition. NexBloc now has bDNS platform most capable of facilitating mass-adoption of the open internet and is ready to fulfill millions of new decentralized domain sales over the next few years safely and securely."Blockchain DNS is a core infrastructure for Web 3.0. It is transforming the digital world from a centrally managed hierarchy where tech giants, governments, and others can dictate what you see and how you use the web, whether you realize it or not. Giving power to the people using NFT based domains opens up a new world of opportunity. However, with this comes responsibility for all providers to help ensure a safe and positive ecosystem of connected DApps, websites, and people.About BCypherBCypher is building the compliance and risk management layer for Web3 and DeFi. The BCypher platform is an all-in-one set of tools that allows helps financial institutions, money services business, and Web3/DeFi projects easily satisfy regulatory requirements and manage risk.BCypher incubated out of the University of Texas at Dallas and was founded in 2020 by a team of leading researchers and data scientists in the blockchain data analytics space.About NexBloCNexBloc is building the next generation of the internet with blockchain DNS at the core. Blockchain digital entities tied to the decentralized web are the future of personal data protection and use.Founded as a BVI company in 2021, NexBloc has created a proprietary omnichain technology stack to create custom deployments of bDNS systems. They currently have over ten private blockchain top-level domains (bTLD) in various forms of deployment.Website: www.nexbloc.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/80164369Medium: https://medium.com/nexblocTwitter: https://twitter.com/nexblocTelegram: https://t.me/nexblocSource: NexBlocCopyright 2022 ACN Newswire . All rights reserved. Senior Chinese, US officials hold talks in Rome By CAO DESHENG (China Daily) 09:10, March 15, 2022 Ministry: Key issue is for nations to implement consensus reached by leaders in November Senior Chinese diplomat Yang Jiechi met with United States National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan in Rome on Monday, in the latest diplomatic engagement between Beijing and Washington amid their worsened ties. By press time, few details were known about the meeting, but the Chinese Foreign Ministry said the key issue is to implement the important consensus reached by the Chinese and US heads of state at their virtual summit in November. "The two sides have been in contact on the matter since late last year, stayed in communication about the meeting and set a time for the meeting according to their schedules. They will exchange views on China-US relations and international and regional issues of common concern," ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian at a news conference said on Monday. The Ukraine crisis will also certainly be one of the topics to be discussed during the meeting, he said. The previous meeting between Yang, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and director of the Office of the Central Commission for Foreign Affairs, and Sullivan was held in Zurich, Switzerland, in October. During the virtual meeting between President Xi Jinping and US President Joe Biden on Nov 16, the two leaders had thorough and in-depth communication and exchanges on issues of strategic, overarching and fundamental importance shaping the development of China-US relations and on important issues of mutual interest. The two sides agreed to maintain close communication in different forms and steer China-US relations back on the right track of sound and steady development. On March 5, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi had a telephone conversation with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken. Speaking at a news conference in Beijing on March 7, Wang said that in a globalized and interdependent world, how China and the US find the right way forward and manage to get along is both a new question for humanity and something that must be worked out together by China and the US. Observers said that the high-level contact between China and the US will certainly help them avoid misunderstanding and miscalculation. However, Washington's approach of "saying one thing but doing another" on China's major concerns as well as its taking China as a strategic competitor will undermine the bilateral ties. The Taiwan question has been the most sensitive in the China-US relationship. The Foreign Ministry expressed strong opposition to the US on Monday for its adoption of a fiscal omnibus billthe Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2022which carries a Taiwan-related provision. The US' move grossly interferes in China's domestic affairs in an attempt to engage in political manipulation by using the so-called issue of the Taiwan map to create "two Chinas" or "one China, one Taiwan", said Zhao, the ministry spokesman, on Monday. Zhao reiterated that there is but one China in the world and Taiwan is an inalienable part of Chinese territory. Any map accurately depicting Taiwan should be based on such a fact, he added. (Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun) BEIJING, March 15 (Xinhua) -- Stringent measures have been adopted in China to contain the latest COVID-19 rebound, with closed management and massive nucleic acid testing rolled out. On Monday, the Chinese mainland reported 3,507 locally transmitted COVID-19 cases, of which 3,076 were reported in northeast China's Jilin Province, said the National Health Commission at a press conference on Tuesday. Jilin Province unveiled strict travel restrictions after it posted a steep jump in daily COVID-19 infections. It announced a temporary suspension on inter-provincial and inter-city travel starting from Monday, especially targeting residents in the cities of Changchun and Jilin, where most of the province's local infections have been registered amid the fresh outbreak. The cities of Changchun and Jilin have been placed under closed management, and local residents were asked not to leave home unless necessary. As of Tuesday, five operational makeshift hospitals in Jilin Province coupled with seven vacated medical institutions can guarantee 22,880 beds. Chen Jianlong, an asymptomatic carrier and student from Jilin Agricultural Science and Technology University, was admitted to a makeshift hospital in Changyi District of Jilin City on March 11. "I was very afraid at first, worrying about getting worse and also having concerns about the conditions in the hospital," Chen said. "However, I felt relieved after coming here. The patients are all treated well, and all the meals are provided. Though the temperature is relatively low these days, the stadium-transformed hospital is still quite warm," Chen said. Shenzhen, China's major tech hub bordering the country's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, asked its 17-million-plus residents on Monday to work from home if they can, while the city is carrying out three rounds of mass testing. Residents are barred from leaving the city, the public transport services are suspended, and businesses, except those providing essential services, have been closed from Monday to March 20. "Shenzhen has been vigorously identifying imported cases while preventing domestic resurgence and adopted a dynamic zero-COVID approach, taking the most resolute, decisive, and comprehensive anti-epidemic measures," said Huang Qiang, deputy secretary-general of the Shenzhen municipal government. China's aviation regulator said Tuesday that to alleviate Shanghai's pressure in epidemic prevention and control, 106 international flights scheduled to arrive in Shanghai will be diverted to other Chinese cities from March 21 to May 1. Shanghai reported nine locally transmitted COVID-19 infections and 130 locally transmitted asymptomatic carriers on Monday, the National Health Commission said Tuesday. The metropolis has urged its residents not to leave the city unless necessary. From March 12, those who need to leave the city must provide negative nucleic acid tests taken within 48 hours. Glenfarne Group, LLC ("Glenfarne"), owner of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission ("FERC") permitted Magnolia LNG and Texas LNG facilities, supports the collaboration of the world's political and business leaders to create a global infrastructure strategy to ensure the world's energy security in Europe and emerging markets, while accelerating a reliable path forward for the energy transition. Recent events in Europe stemming from Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the resulting energy crisis have demonstrated the critical nature of global energy security. Glenfarne reiterates its support for Ukraine and its people and is stepping up its commitment by accelerating efforts to deliver responsibly sourced, environmentally sensible U.S. liquefied natural gas ("LNG") to commercial partners in Europe. "At Glenfarne, we believe the world won't have an accelerated energy transition without energy security. Energy security is therefore a key factor in mitigating the impacts of climate change as well as enhancing the prosperity of economies globally. Governments, development and infrastructure banks, and energy companies need to work together to ensure that no war, conflict, or other threat leaves a continent and the rest of the world at risk of unstable energy supply," said Brendan Duval, Founder and CEO of Glenfarne Group, LLC. Vlad Bluzer, Managing Director of Magnolia LNG and Texas LNG, said, "As a Ukrainian, it pains me to see the invasion of a peaceful European nation and disruption of the lives of so many people. I am grateful to be part of the solution helping the European continent achieve energy independence for decades to come by facilitating long term deliveries of responsibly sourced U.S. LNG. These deliveries of LNG can fortify the European continent's energy stability, and incentivize like-minded governments, banks, and global corporate citizens to invest together to ensure energy security and hasten the energy transition." Glenfarne's FID on its LNG facilities will introduce new LNG capacity into the global market at a time when significant volumes are needed to shore up the increased demand from Europe and Asia. With both LNG facilities, together with its existing grid stability, renewables, and other natural gas infrastructure assets, Glenfarne is committed to energy transition investment that helps grow economies throughout the world. About Glenfarne Group, LLC Glenfarne is a privately held energy and infrastructure development and management firm based in New York City and Houston, Texas with offices in Dallas, Texas; Panama City, Panama; Santiago, Chile; Bogota, Colombia; Florianopolis, Brazil; Seoul, South Korea; and Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Glenfarne's seasoned executives, asset managers, and operators develop, acquire, manage, and operate energy infrastructure assets throughout North and South America and Asia. For more information, please visit www.GlenfarneGroup.com. About Magnolia LNG Magnolia LNG is an 8.8 mtpa modularized liquefaction and export facility that is located in the heart of Louisiana's vast natural gas corridor on the Calcasieu Ship Channel near Lake Charles. It is adjacent to the existing Kinder Morgan Louisiana Pipeline, through which all of its feed gas will be transported. Magnolia LNG is fully permitted by FERC and has both FTA and non-FTA export authorizations from the DOE. Magnolia LNG will utilize the patented OSMR liquefaction technology, a low-cost, highly efficient process designed to generate 30 percent lower greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions than other conventional LNG processes. About Texas LNG Texas LNG is a 4 mtpa modularized liquefaction export facility that is located in South Texas on the Port of Brownsville's deep water ship channel with pipeline access to the vast Permian and Eagle Ford gas basins. It is fully permitted by FERC and has both FTA and non-FTA export authorizations from the DOE. Glenfarne is the majority owner of Texas LNG, and Samsung Engineering Co., Ltd. is an indirect minority equity owner and strategic partner to Texas LNG. Additional information about Texas LNG may be found on its website at www.txlng.com View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220314005571/en/ Contacts: Kris Cole Pro-glenfarne@prosek.com (310) 652-1411 Napier, provider of leading anti-financial crime compliance solutions, has announced a commitment in 2022 to invest further in its EMEA operations as the market for AI-enhanced AML technology continues to grow at pace. As part of this strategy, Graham Hogan is the new Head of Sales EMEA, while Sebastian Vedel will lead efforts in the Nordic and Baltic regions. Napier recently appointed Royal Bank of Canada and Fenergo veteran Kevin O'Neill as Chief Revenue Officer, and Natwest alumni Will Monk as Chief Product Officer. The addition of Hogan and Vedel to the team forms part of O'Neill's strategy to boost adoption of Napier's next generation SaaS financial crime solutions for financial firms and regulated institutions globally. Hogan joined Napier in London with over 15 years' experience in senior EMEA leadership roles at firms such as Wolters Kluwer, AxiomSL, and FIS; specialising in regulatory reporting, risk management, and capital market solutions. Meanwhile, Vedel's former financial crime compliance roles within the Danish offices of EY and Danske Bank will help boost Napier's presence in the Nordic and Baltic regions. O'Neill said "Expanding our EMEA footprint underlines our commitment to the region. Building on our strong customer base there, we're now placing our experts closer to key markets across the continent. Europe is home to some of the world's leaders in fintech, neo-banking, and payments, as well as several established banks and financial institutions. By strengthening our local presence, we will be better positioned to help our clients through digital transformation and to scale by taking advantage of the cost efficiencies and full compliance functions that our next-generation technology offers." Napier's highly configurable financial crime compliance solution is used by a variety of market participants, including banks, payment providers, asset managers, asset servicers, FX specialists, insurance firms, and other regulated institutions. Headquartered in London, Napier's global presence also includes offices in Sydney, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Dubai, London and New York. About Napier Napier is a new breed of financial crime compliance technology specialist. Our intelligent compliance platform is transforming compliance from legal obligation to competitive edge. All Napier products are built using cutting-edge technology, and the platform can be delivered via public cloud, private cloud or on premise. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220314005773/en/ Contacts: John Sullivan napier@contextpr.co.uk +44(0)300-124-6100 TOKYO, Mar 15, 2022 - (JCN Newswire) - Mitsubishi Corporation, Kaluza Ltd. and Chubu Electric Power Miraiz Co. has started a smart charging trial for electric vehicles (EVs) in order to accelerate the development of decarbonisation-focused services for the mobility sector.Kaluza's platform is being deployed to optimise when EVs charge at users' homes so they store cheap and green energy, helping to reduce energy costs for society as a whole while providing a rewarding charging experience for customers. Through the deployment, Kaluza will demonstrate the effectiveness of its technology and benefits of this type of service in the Japanese market.Based on the results obtained from this trial, the three companies will continue to develop smart services for electric vehicles, helping increase adoption and powering progress towards a decarbonised society.Kaluza works with a number of leading automotive and energy companies in the UK including OVO Energy, the country's third largest energy supplier. Kaluza's platform uses AI to optimise the charging of a variety of distributed energy resources, including electric vehicles, to help customers reduce their energy costs, expand the use of renewable energy, and reduce congestion on power transmission and distribution networks, thereby contributing to the creation of a decarbonised society. Kaluza is also partnering with Mitsubishi Corporation to develop new services for electric vehicle drivers in Japan.Yasuhiko Okabe, COO of Mitsubishi Corporation's Utility Retail division, commented:"In line with our greenhouse gas emission reduction targets and energy transformation investment guidelines set out in October 2021, and as a business involved a diverse array of business including resources and energy, we are committed to fulfilling our responsibility to ensure a stable supply of energy while balancing the common global challenge of achieving a carbon-neutral society. We look forward to expanding our collaboration with Miraiz and other electric retailers and automakers who support our alliance with Kaluza to provide solutions for the electric vehicles of the future."Scott Neuman, CEO of Kaluza commented:"This new initiative enables energy, transport and advanced software to come together and deliver low-carbon solutions centred around the customer. We are delighted to deploy our smart charging technology in Japan with Mitsubishi Corporation and Mir aiz, and look forward to pioneering new propositions together with a range of auto manufacturers."Taro Usui, Manager of Service Platform Development Dept. of Miraiz commented: "In line with the 'Zero Emissions Challenge 2050' announced by the Chubu Electric Power Group on March 23, 2021, we will continue to develop energy management services and other services to support electrification and reduce CO2 emissions.Inquiry Recipient:Mitsubishi CorporationTelephone:+81-3-3210-2171Facsimile:+81-3-5252-7705Source: Mitsubishi CorporationCopyright 2022 JCN Newswire . All rights reserved. Rio Tinto welcomes the release today of a joint Commonwealth Government and First Nations Heritage Protection Alliance Discussion Paper designed to strengthen state and federal cultural heritage protection laws. Rio Tinto supports strengthening safeguards for cultural heritage at both state and Commonwealth legislative levels, including the reform process currently underway to ensure an incident like the destruction of rock shelters at Juukan Gorge in Western Australia never happens again. These reforms must ensure that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are placed at the centre of decision-making on matters relating to protection of their cultural heritage. Rio Tinto Chief Executive, Australia Kellie Parker said "We have heard the call for Rio Tinto to play a greater role in the strengthening of state and Commonwealth cultural heritage protection laws. "This call has been made by the Commonwealth Parliamentary Committee that inquired into the destruction of the Juukan Gorge rock shelters, Traditional Owners, the National Native Title Council, the First Nations Heritage Protection Alliance, and our investors. The call is reinforced in the Dhawura Ngilan Vision Statement. "We firmly believe a co-design process with Traditional Owners will strengthen cultural heritage management and protection to ensure it is valued and celebrated for its intrinsic worth. "There are and will be differences in views on how this will be best achieved but we will continue to work in close consultation with Traditional Owners and their representative organisations to better understand and protect their cultural heritage and ensure mining is done in the right way." Last month, Rio Tinto developed a joint management plan with the Yinhawangka Aboriginal Corporation in Western Australia. This plan ensures the protection of significant social and cultural heritage values, as part of the proposed development of the Western Range iron ore project in the Pilbara. It is the result of a strong collaboration between the Yinhawangka people and Rio Tinto. Kellie Parker said: "Our determination not to repeat the events leading up to the destruction of the Juukan Gorge rock shelters is ingrained in everything we do. "Significant changes continue to be made at all levels of our business. While we are hopeful we have put in place the right foundations for a better future, we know we will be judged by our actions and not our words." riotinto.com View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220314005953/en/ Contacts: Please direct all enquiries to media.enquiries@riotinto.com Media Relations, UK Illtud Harri M +44 7920 503 600 David Outhwaite M +44 7787 597 493 Media Relations, Americas Matthew Klar T +1 514 608 4429 Media Relations, Australia Jonathan Rose M +61 447 028 913 Matt Chambers M +61 433 525 739 Jesse Riseborough M +61 436 653 412 Investor Relations, UK Menno Sanderse M: +44 7825 195 178 David Ovington M +44 7920 010 978 Clare Peever M +44 7788 967 877 Investor Relations, Australia Amar Jambaa M +61 472 865 948 Rio Tinto plc 6 St James's Square London SW1Y 4AD United Kingdom T +44 20 7781 2000 Registered in England No. 719885 Rio Tinto Limited Level 7, 360 Collins Street Melbourne 3000 Australia T +61 3 9283 3333 Registered in Australia ABN 96 004 458 404 Category: General Three tech firms from Eastern Europe have developed a novel technology that uses recycled materials especially banners to bring water to areas threatened by drought More than 340 million square meters of banners were printed in Europe throughout 2018. If one were to link all these banners together and spread them over a single area, they would cover almost three quarters of Hungarian capital Budapest. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220311005153/en/ Groundbreaking Desalination Tech to Be Unveiled at Dubai World Expo's Upcoming 'Water Week' (Photo: Business Wire) Events such as exhibitions and conferences typically use enormous numbers of banners. Unfortunately, only about 1% of these banners, which can take centuries to biodegrade, are recycled following use. Meanwhile, more and more parts of the world are facing the specter of drought. According to climate experts, the ongoing process of global warming has left an increasing number of cities and agricultural areas along with numerous households without adequate water. Two Birds, One Stone In hopes of solving both these problems, three Eastern European companies have developed a novel water desalination technology that relies heavily on recycled materials especially banners. According to those involved in the project, this groundbreaking zero-emissions technology will help bring water to the places that need it most. "The initiative is based on modular technology, similar to the use of solar panels," project spokesman Endre Kodolanyi explains. "Desalination modules can be installed within the system, depending on the desired levels of production." Kodolanyi also represents Business Rally Hungary Kft., one of the three firms involved in the project. Two other Eastern European tech firms Hungary's Egriwerk Ltd. and Slovakia's Artbasic S.R.O. are also involved in the climate-friendly initiative. The project's ultimate aim, according to Kodolanyi, "is striking a balance between cost-effectiveness and environmental awareness." 'Up and Running as Soon as Possible' The three companies will showcase their pioneering technology at the Dubai World Expo's upcoming "Water Week" (at the Hungarian Pavilion), which will be held from March 20 to 26. The event is expected to draw numerous delegations, including many potential investors, from all over the world. "We're hoping the exposure we get at the Dubai World Expo will help us get the technology up and running as soon as possible," Kodolanyi says. "In light of the dangers posed by global warming, time is of the utmost importance." For more information about the project, please visit www.greendesert.eco. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220311005153/en/ Contacts: Endre Kodolanyi endre.kodolanyi@businessrally.hu Dufry International AG / Key word(s): Miscellaneous Dufry extends duty-free concession for six years and increases retail space at Bali International Airport 15.03.2022 / 07:00 Dufry, leading global travel retailer, has successfully extended its duty-free concession at Bali's I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport for another six years, which in 2019 welcomed 14 million travelers, and where Dufry has been operating since 2013. The new six-year contract also includes an increase in retail space of over 1,400 m2, thus extending the total sales area to over 3,600 m2, which will allow for the introduction of fashion and accessories as new categories. The newly extended concession contract includes duty-free shops in both the international departure and arrival areas. The shops, mainly conceived as walk-through concepts, offer a wide assortment of the core duty-free categories such as perfume & cosmetics alongside liquor, tobacco and confectionery, providing travelers with a distinctive sense of place. In addition, travelers will also be able to enjoy a comprehensive offer of globally renowned fashion and accessory brands presented in twenty dedicated shops, allowing for an attractive positioning of luxury and premium labels. The fashion and accessories offer will be complemented by the dedicated House of Sarinah concept store featuring the best of Indonesian-made and internationally available iconic products from all over the country. Customers will thus benefit from a unique selection of fashion and accessories made possible through Dufry's partnership with PT Sarinah (Persero) and their knowhow on local Indonesian labels. Commenting on the new contract, Pedro Castro, Chief Operating Officer Asia-Pacific, said: 'We are very proud to have been awarded the extension of this important Asian tourist destination, which attracts travelers from all over the world. We will honor the renewed trust from our partners of Angkasa Pura I and foster the longstanding relationship, by providing visitors of Bali International Airport with a further enhanced shopping experience meeting highest international standards and featuring a considerably extended product assortment.' Aidhil Julian, Co General Manager Commercial I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport - Bali, added: "We are glad to have this opportunity to extend our partnership with Dufry. With the reputation of Bali Airport, who has earned top ten spots of safest airports in Southeast Asia for Covid-19 health and safety measures in 2021 according to Safe Travel Barometer, we are ready to combine the uniqueness of Bali with global expertise to captivate our passenger's interest and leave them with the unforgettable shopping experience." For further information: CONTACT RENZO RADICE DR. KRISTIN KOHLER Global Head Corporate Global Head Investor Relations Communications & Public Affairs Phone: +41 79 563 18 09 Phone: +41 61 266 44 19 kristin.koehler@dufry.com renzo.radice@dufry.com DUFRY GROUP - A LEADING GLOBAL TRAVEL RETAILER Dufry AG (SIX: DUFN) is the leading global travel retailer operating over 2,300 duty-free and duty-paid shops in airports, cruise lines, seaports, railway stations and downtown tourist areas, in more than 420 locations in 66 countries across all six continents. The Company, founded in 1865 and headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, is offering customers a first-class shopping experience, global brands, a unique market access and landlords a reliable, value-enhancing partnership. To learn more about Dufry, please visit www.dufry.com. Social Responsibility Dufry cares for children and supports social projects from SOS Kinderdorf in Brazil, Cambodia, Mexico, Morocco and Ivory Coast. SOS Children's Villages is an independent, non-political and non-demonstrational organization established for orphaned and destitute children all over the world. End of Media Release Paris, Amsterdam, March 15, 2022 Press release UNIBAIL-RODAMCO-WESTFIELD SELLS PROMENADE DEVELOPMENT PARCEL TO PRIVATE INVESTORS Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield ("URW") announced today the continued streamlining of its US regional portfolio with the sale of the 34-acre site of the former Promenade Mall, located in the San Fernando Valley of Los Angeles, to a group of private investors. URW recently completed the city's planning and development process for the property, securing approval for a dynamic 3.2 million square foot mixed-use development aligned with the area's existing Warner Center 2035 Specific Plan. URW owns and operates the adjacent Westfield Topanga & The Village flagship destinations. This transaction demonstrates the significant potential for alternative investment in and around the company's assets, which URW can leverage to support its efforts to deleverage. The sale price of $150 Mn (at 100%, URW share 55%) reflects a 60% premium to the latest appraisal. For further information, please contact: Investor Relations Maarten Otte +33 7 63 86 88 78 Maarten.Otte@urw.com Media Relations Cornelia Schnepf - Finelk +44 7387 108 998 Cornelia.Schnepf@finelk.eu Robyn Cottelli +1 929 254 83 09 About Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield is the premier global developer and operator of Flagship Destinations, with a portfolio valued at 54.5 Bn as at December 31, 2021, of which 86% in retail, 6% in offices, 5% in convention & exhibition venues and 2% in services. Currently, the Group owns and operates 85 shopping centres, including 53 Flagships in the most dynamic cities in Europe and the United States. Present on two continents and in 12 countries, Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield provides a unique platform for retailers and brand events and offers an exceptional and constantly renewed experience for customers. With the support of its 2,800 professionals and an unparalleled track-record and know-how, Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield is ideally positioned to generate superior value and develop world-class projects. Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield distinguishes itself by its Better Places 2030 agenda, that sets its ambition to create better places that respect the highest environmental standards and contribute to better cities. Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield stapled shares are listed on Euronext Amsterdam and Euronext Paris (Euronext ticker: URW), with a secondary listing in Australia through Chess Depositary Interests. The Group benefits from a BBB+ rating from Standard & Poor's and from a Baa2 rating from Moody's. For more information, please visit www.urw.com Visit our Media Library at https://mediacentre.urw.com Follow the Group updates on Twitter @urw_group , Linkedin @Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield and Instagram Attachment Ghent, Belgium, March 15, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Press release - regulated information Biotalys(the "Company" or "Biotalys"), an Agricultural Technology (AgTech) company protecting crops and food with protein-based biocontrol solutions, has the honor to invite its shareholders, holders of subscription rights, directors and statutory auditor to its annual and extraordinary shareholders' meetings that will be held on Friday 15 April 2022 at 10:00 a.m. CEST at the Company's seat. Shareholders can exercise their voting rights by voting by mail form or by written proxy to the chairman of the Board of Directors of the Company. Furthermore, the Company recommends its securities holders to exercise their right to ask questions with respect to the agenda items of the shareholders' meetings in writing, before the shareholders' meetings. More information about voting by mail or by written proxy and exercising the right to ask questions can be found in the convening notice. In order to be admitted to the shareholders' meetings, the holders of securities issued by the Company must comply with Article 7:134 of the Belgian Code of Companies and Associations and the articles of association of the Company, and fulfill the formalities described in the convening notice. The convening notice and other documents relating to the shareholders' meetings can be consulted on the Company's website. - ENDS - For further information, please contact: Toon Musschoot, Head of Investor Relations and Communications T: +32 (0)9 274 54 00 E: Toon.Musschoot@biotalys.com About Biotalys Biotalys is an Agricultural Technology. Attachments 15 March 2022 Ad hoc announcement pursuant to Article 53 of SIX Exchange Regulation Listing Rules ONE swiss bank publishes its 2021 Annual Report and communicates the agenda for the 2022 Annual General Meeting ONE swiss bank SA made today its 2021 Annual Report available. It includes the Bank's audited annual financial statements as well as the governance and remuneration reports. Furthermore, ONE swiss bank published the agenda for the Annual General Meeting of Shareholders to be held on 7 April 2022 by video conference. - ONE swiss bank SA's 2021 Annual Report can be downloaded here. - The invitation and agenda for the 2022 Annual General Meeting. All the documents are available on oneswissbank.comunder the "Investor relations" section. For further information, please contact: Julien Delecraz Head of Marketing & Communication investorrelations@oneswiss.com +41 58 300 78 13 ONE swiss bank SA Attachment Torrance, Calif., Mar 15, 2022 - (JCN Newswire) - Honda today announced plans to install a stationary fuel cell power station on its corporate campus in Torrance, Calif. by early 2023. The station will serve as a proof of concept for the future commercialization of a power generation unit for use as a zero-emission backup power source for facilities such as data centers, which require reliable and clean auxiliary power generation to continue operations even in emergency situations. This new initiative will leverage Honda's fuel cell technology expertise as part of the company's global goal to achieve carbon neutrality for all products and corporate activities by 2050.Honda's proof of concept fuel cell power station will utilize fuel cell components from Honda Clarity Fuel Cell vehicles in a flexible, four-quad parallel stationary fuel cell power generation system capable of generating up to 1152kW-DC/1MW-AC from an inverter. A unique advantage of the four-quad design is the flexibility to change the layout of the four individual fuel cell units to suit the installation environment, accommodating a cuboid, L-shape, Z shape or other packaging requirements.The station will be connected to the data center on the American Honda campus in early 2023, providing a real-world power generation application to verify performance. This will enable Honda to advance its know-how in the power supply area, as well as supply chain development, grid connection access, construction specifications, AC/DC connection requirements and other critical areas."We will leverage the expertise Honda has established in creating multiple generations of fuel cell systems for the development of a fuel cell power generation station," said Mitsuru Kariya, senior vice president in charge of the R&D Business Unit of American Honda. "This project is an opportunity to further utilize our strengths in fuel cell technology to more quickly create, assess and advance a clean power generation system for potential commercial customers."While Honda remains committed to developing fuel cell systems for passenger vehicles, the market for fuel cell systems to power larger trucks and transport ships, as well as stationary generation, is expanding rapidly in the U.S. and is expected to grow to over $86.7 billion annually by 2030. Data centers in particular require high-quality and reliable power, where any disruption in power supply can lead to downtime or problems such as data corruption and damage to servers.Typical stationary backup generators rely on diesel fuel, which result in higher carbon emissions and local air pollutants. Backup power systems utilizing hydrogen fuel cells offer a promising future for clean, yet reliable and high-quality power generation, especially when operating on so-called "green" hydrogen made from renewable sources, with water vapor as the only emission.Honda Fuel Cell Technology LeadershipHonda has led the industry over the past quarter-century in the development and deployment of fuel cell technology, including extensive real-world testing and customer deployments.- In July 2002, the Honda FCX became the first fuel-cell vehicle certified by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and California Air Resources Board (CARB).- In December 2002, Honda introduced the world's first production fuel-cell vehicle, to both the U.S. and Japan markets.- In 2003, Honda became the first automaker with a fuel-cell vehicle to start and operate in sub-freezing temperatures.- In 2005, Honda became the first automaker to lease fuel cell vehicles to individual retail customers.- In 2008, Honda became the first manufacturer to build and produce a dedicated fuel-cell vehicle (FCX Clarity) on a production line specifically made for fuel-cell vehicles.- In 2013, Honda and GM began working together on the co-development of a next-generation fuel cell system and hydrogen storage technologies.- In 2017, Honda introduced the Honda Clarity Fuel Cell vehicle.- In 2020, Honda Motor Co., Ltd. and Isuzu Motors Ltd. signed an agreement for joint research of the use of hydrogen fuel cells to power heavy-duty trucks, looking to expand fuel cell use by applying the zero-emission technology to larger vehicles.In 2021, Honda announced its collaboration with Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) to develop a fuel cell system combined with a high differential pressure water electrolysis system that will help support a "circulative renewable energy system" to supply space and lunar stations with electricity, oxygen and water.At FC Expo held in Japan during March 16 and 18, 2022, Honda will display a prototype of FC Power Unit co-developped with General Motors, a portable FC generator concept model.Honda Commitment to the EnvironmentHonda is committed to addressing global environmental and energy issues by striving to realize carbon neutrality for all products and corporate activities by 2050. Honda proudly has the highest fleet average fuel economy and lowest CO2 emissions of any full-line automaker in America, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) latest data. To reduce CO2 emissions even further, Honda will strive to make battery-electric and fuel cell electric vehicles represent 100% of auto sales in the U.S. and globally by 2040.Honda also is working to reduce the environmental impact of its business operations. To slash CO2 emissions from its North American manufacturing operations, Honda has entered into long-term virtual power purchase agreements (VPPAs) for renewable wind and solar power seeking to cover more than 60% of the electricity that Honda uses in North America. This enables the company to fully offset the remaining carbon intensive grid-supplied electricity used in its Ohio, Indiana, and Alabama automobile manufacturing operations. Honda also promotes environmentally responsible business practices with its suppliers and retail dealer partners across North America.Learn more at https://csr.honda.com/environment/na-environmental-report/Source: HondaCopyright 2022 JCN Newswire . All rights reserved. COPENHAGEN, March 15 (Xinhua) -- The Danish government has reached an agreement with other political parties in the Parliament to accelerate the development of green fuels "for planes, ships, and trucks," the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Utilities said Tuesday. The Power-to-X (PtX) agreement, a plan for onshore and offshore renewable energy expansion in Denmark, aims to increase the country's electrolysis capacity by a massive 4 to 6 gigawatt (GW) by 2030, putting it in the "top three" energy producers in Europe, the ministry said in a statement. If the ambitious targets are met, the agreement has the potential to reduce the carbon emissions by 2.5 to 4.0 million tonnes by 2030, including up to 2 million tonnes in the Danish balance sheet, it said. According to the ministry, green fuel ambitions must be high in order to phase out fossil energy, reduce climate pressures, support green growth, and loosen Russia's grip on Europe's energy supply. "Europe is intensely looking for alternatives to fossil energy and we are busy, both by becoming green and by becoming more independent" of Russian energy, said Minister for Climate, Energy and Utilities Dan Jorgensen in the statement. The agreement consists of a 1.25 billion-Danish kroner (184.7 million U.S. dollars) subsidy scheme in the form of government tender that will support hydrogen production and create a more favorable environment for producers, building on a number of business support measures and pools. Commercial launch of BIOCERA-VET product line in United Kingdom and Ireland in accordance with the development plan announced by the company Participation at the British Small Animal Veterinary Association congress in Mancherster (UK) from 24 to 26 March 2022 to support the launch Regulatory News: TheraVet (ISIN: BE0974387194 ticker: ALVET),a pioneering company in the management of osteoarticular diseases in companion animals, announces today the commercial launch of BIOCERA-VET its new generation bone substitute for bone surgery and for osteosarcoma in the UK and Ireland. After the launches in Belgium, France and The Netherlands in 2021, TheraVet is pursuing, as announced in its development plan, its commercial expansion strategy. TheraVet enters the third largest European market with more than 16 million of companions (dogs and cats) in UK. By targeting this region, TheraVet is addressing a fast growing veterinary care market with an expected CAGR of +9.5% up to 20261. In 2020, the companion animal services market represented 6.2 billions, of which 2.1 billions2 dedicated to veterinary care. With over 23%3 of companion animals covered by health insurance, the UK is one of the countries with the highest coverage behind Sweden. To optimize its commercial deployment, the company has also launched in Ireland, a market that accounts for approximately 1 million companions. In order to support the launch of its products, TheraVet will be attending to the BSAVA (British Small Animal Veterinary Association) congress, a world-class conference in small animal veterinary medicine taking place in Manchester (UK) from 24 to 26 March 2022. This year, the conference will be also held in a hybrid format, you can attend online by registering at this link. About TheraVet SA TheraVet is a veterinary biotechnology company specialising in osteoarticular treatments for companion animals. The Company develops targeted, safe and effective treatments to improve the quality of life of pets suffering from joint and bone diseases. For pet owners, the health of their pets is a major concern and TheraVet's mission is to address the need for innovative and curative treatments. TheraVet works closely with international opinion leaders in order to provide a more effective response to ever-growing needs in the field of veterinary medicine. TheraVet is listed on Euronext Growth Paris and Brussels, has its head office in Belgium (Gosselies) with a US subsidiary in Texas. For more information, visit the TheraVet website Or follow us on LinkedIn Facebook Twitter _________________________________ 1 https://www.mordorintelligence.com/industry-reports/united-kingdom-veterinary-healthcare-market-industry 2 https://www.statista.com/statistics/463662/pet-care-market-value-in-the-united-kingdom-by-category/ 3 https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/pet-insurance-market View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220314005704/en/ Contacts: TheraVet Chief Operating Officer Sabrina Ena investors@thera.vet Tel: +32 (0) 71 96 00 43 Chief Corporate Officer Julie Winand investors@thera.vet NewCap Investor Relations and Financial Communications Theo Martin Olivier Bricaud theravet@newcap.eu Tel: +33 (0)1 44 71 94 94 Press Relations Arthur Rouille Ambre Delval theravet@newcap.eu Tel: +33 (0)1 44 71 00 15 NewCap Belgique Press Relations Laure-Eve Monfort lemonfort@newcap.fr Tel.: 32 (0) 489 57 76 52 BERLIN (dpa-AFX) - German airport operator Fraport (FRA.DE, 0O1R.L, FPRUF.PK) reported that its net profit for fiscal year 2021 was 91.8 million euros compared to a loss of 690 million euros in the previous year, reflecting higher passenger demand and strict cost reductions. Driven by revenue growth and a further significant reduction in operating expenses, Group EBITDA or earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization were 757.0 million euros. Group revenue rose by 27.8 percent year-on-year to 2.14 billion euros, reflecting Fraport's overall positive traffic performance. Adjusted for revenue from construction and expansion measures at Fraport's subsidiaries worldwide, Group revenue grew by 30.9 percent to 1.90 billion euros. The company said it is focusing on ramping up operations. It includes plans to recruit up to 1,000 operational staff in 2022. At the same time, the company is intensifying climate goals. The company's aim is to become carbon free by 2045 - in Frankfurt, as well as at all Group airports worldwide. For the current 2022 business year, Fraport expects traffic at Frankfurt Airport to range between about 39 million and 46 million travelers - equaling 55 to 65 percent of the pre-crisis 2019 passenger level. Group revenue is projected to reach about 3 billion euros. Group EBITDA is expected to range between 760 million euros and 880 million euros. The Group result (net profit) is expected to reach between 50 million euros and 150 million euros. Fraport's executive board will propose to the Supervisory Board and the AGM, like in fiscal 2021, not to distribute a dividend for the current 2022 financial 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. NHS Wales appoints CMR Surgical aspartner in National Robotic Assisted Surgery programme Multiple Versius systems are set to be installed in Wales as part of the world's first National Robotic Assisted Surgery programme in partnership with industry Exclusive robotic surgery clinical partnership with NHS Wales to improve surgical outcomes and transform the experience of surgery for thousands of patients Cambridge, United Kingdom. 15 March 2022, 07:00 (GMT). CMR Surgical (CMR) - a global surgical robotics business - today announced that it has been awarded a significant multi-year contract by NHS Wales for implementation of the Versius Surgical Robotic System in a National Robotics Assisted Surgery Programme. Under the terms of the contract, four Versius systems will initially be installed across a number of hospitals in Wales, with over 1,300 patients expected to benefit from the programme annually. Wales is the first country in the world to introduce a national surgical robotics programme, in partnership with industry, that aims to transform quality of care and outcomes for patients. As part of a national innovation drive to improve surgical outcomes for cancer patients, Versius will be used to perform procedures across Colorectal, Upper Gastrointestinal, Urological, and Gynaecology specialities. The service will be provided initially at Betsi Cadwaladr and Cardiff and Vale Health Boards, with further expansions to other health boards in the future. CMR Surgical was appointed as the industry partner following a competitive procurement process, aligned to the National Value-Based Health Care Programme and with the goal of transforming the system of care throughout Wales. The decision is the result of an extensive process in which CMR was assessed on its ability to meet performance, quality, and pricing criteria. Versius will allow surgeons to perform complex keyhole operations precisely and accurately. "This is a landmark move by NHS Wales and one that will bring many benefits to surgeons and patients providing them access to life changing innovation. We are proud to be part of this programme and believe countries around the world will be looking towards Wales as a potential model for implementation of surgical robotics using advanced technology," said Dr. Mark Slack, Chief Medical Officer of CMR Surgical. "We would like to thank NHS Wales for choosing us as a partner in this exciting robotics programme to address overwhelming needs for improved surgical care and outcomes for cancer patients in Wales." "The All-Wales Robotic Assisted Surgery Network is an ambitious and important programme helping to improve outcomes for patients and the NHS in Wales. It will put Wales at the forefront of international research for the use of robotic surgical techniques. This pioneering service will also encourage specialist staff to come to Wales to train and practice" said Eluned Morgan, Health and Social Services Minister for Wales. "Selecting a surgical robot was a crucial step for the success of this programme. Versius will bring the benefits of advanced robotic keyhole surgery including increased operative precision, less pain, smaller scars, and less time in hospital so patients can recover quicker" said Jared Torkington, Lead Clinician for the National Robotics Assisted Surgery Programme. "This national programme embraces the latest innovation to improve patient outcomes and lead to efficient use of surgical teams and resources, which is critical right now." In partnership with Welsh Health Boards, CMR will help develop a robotic network in Wales by supporting the implementation of Versius systems, delivering training and education countrywide, supporting research, and providing the CMR global clinical registry to understand the development of patient outcomes and enable patient safety. Cari-Anne Quinn, CEO of Life Sciences Hub Wales says "We are delighted to support NHS Wales to accelerate innovative robotic surgery access for patients across Wales. This project with CMR is a fantastic example of how industry can partner with NHS Wales to deliver adoption on a national scale." CMR has successfully negotiated competitive tenders in numerous markets, through novel and flexible pricing models designed to increase access to transformative robotic assisted surgery. Versius is established as a valuable surgical tool in a number of hospitals across Europe, India, Australia, and the Middle East. Expansion of Versius within the NHS in the UK represents an important development for CMR as it continues to demonstrate significant value to patients, surgeons, and leading health systems globally. - ENDS - Media Contacts: If you wish to see more, please contact CMR Surgical at: Press Office, CMR Surgical T +44(0) 1223 755801 Epressoffice@cmrsurgical.com Notes to editors: The Versius Surgical Robotic System Versius resets expectations of robotic surgery. Versius fits into virtually any operating room set-up and integrates seamlessly into existing workflows, increasing the likelihood of robotic minimal access surgery (MAS). The small, portable, and modular design of Versius allows the surgeon to only use the number of arms needed for a given procedure. Biomimicking the human arm, Versius gives surgeons the choice of optimised port placement alongside the dexterity and accuracy of small fully-wristed instruments. With 3D HD vision, easy-to adopt instrument control and a choice of ergonomic working positions, the open surgeon console has the potential to reduce stress and fatigue and allows for clear communication with the surgical team. By thinking laparoscopically and operating robotically with Versius, patients, surgeons and healthcare professionals can all benefit from the value that robotic MAS brings. But it is more than just a robot. Versius captures meaningful data with its wider digital ecosystem to support a surgeon's continuous learning. Through the Versius Connect app, Versius Trainer and CMR clinical registry, Versius unleashes a wealth of insights to ultimately improve surgical care. About CMR Surgical Limited CMR Surgical (CMR) is a global medical devices company dedicated to transforming surgery with Versius, a next-generation surgical robot. Headquartered in Cambridge, United Kingdom, CMR is committed to working with surgeons, surgical teams, and hospital partners, to provide an optimal tool to make robotic minimal access surgery universally accessible and affordable. With Versius, we are on a mission to redefine the surgical robotics market with practical, innovative technology and data that can improve surgical care. Founded in 2014, CMR Surgical is private limited company backed by an international shareholder base. VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / March 15, 2022 / Ximen Mining Corp. (TSXV:XIM)(FRA:1XMA)(OTCQB:XXMMF) (the "Company" or "Ximen") is pleased to provide an update on permitting and activities for the Company's 100% owned Kenville Gold Mine project at Nelson in southeastern British Columbia. Ximen has been advised by the Ministry of Energy, Mines and Low Carbon Innovation (EMLI) that a draft permit for the proposed mine development and underground drilling will be made available to the Company within 30 days. The Company will then review the permit conditions and accept the draft or request revisions. Once accepted by both parties, the permit will be issued. Concurrently, an environmental discharge permit is expected to be issued. Other permits, including a magazine permit and a water licence for the use of groundwater, are incidental but necessary for operations to begin. These permits result from the Company working closely with the ministries since the permitting process was initiated. "With the Development Permit near at hand and US$5,000,000 funding arranged for development, as well as the additional financial support of a Mid-Tier Gold producer, 2022 should mark the start-up of the Kenville Gold Mine," states Christopher Anderson CEO, Ximen Mining Corp. "The Kenville Gold Mine will have an extremely small environmental footprint, while creating the opportunity for many high paying, impactful and meaningful jobs for the area and the community. The spin-off of multiple economic benefits for the region once we go into full production will be a catalyst for job stability for years to come. We believe the Kenville Mine will be one of the greenest producing Gold Mines in southern, BC." The Company is now taking further steps to prepare for the start of operations. Work has progressed on the electrical installations at the portal. These include a 600-volt line connecting the local grid power to the mine powerhouse, installation of housed switchgear and connections to pump stations, a 75 HP fan for mine ventilation, and the mine air compressor. Materials required for the start of mine development have also been ordered, including rolled steel arches for the new portal, ground support materials (rock bolts, rebar, swellex, screen and strap), and parts for maintaining underground drills (bits, hoses etc.). The Company is readying itself to be able to start work immediately after the permits are issued. The Kenville Gold Mine was the first recorded underground mine in British Columbia, having started production in 1890 and mined into the 1950's. The historical production records show 65,381 ounces gold produced from 158,842 tonnes milled, for a recovered grade of 12.8 grams per tonne (0.37 ounce per ton) gold. Photo of New portal site at Kenville Gold Mine. In 2009, previous operators conducted detailed sampling on the 257 Level of the Kenville mine and based on the results, an historic mineral resource was estimated (see table below). 2009 Historic Mineral Resource Estimate - Kenville Mine Class Tonnage Gold g/t Ounces Measured 3,312 31.72 3,377 Indicated 21,312 18.84 12,912 M+I 24.624 20.58 16,289 Inferred 522,321 23.01 356,949 Reference: "Technical (Geological) Report on the 257 Level of the Kenville Mine, Nelson, British Columbia", July 22, 2009, by R. Munroe, P.Geo. A qualified person has not done sufficient work to classify the historic estimate as current mineral resources or mineral reserves. As such the issuer, Ximen Mining Corp., is not treating this historical estimate as current mineral resources or mineral reserves. Significant diamond drilling was conducted after the above mineral resource estimate was made between 2009 and 2012. At least 4 new veins were identified with potential strike lengths of over 700 metres. In 2021, Ximen engaged Micon International Limited to review the available information and outline areas for further investigation. A current mineral resource estimate was not prepared from the historic data due to a number of technical issues with the historical information. Improvement of the current quartz vein models and adding more vein models was recommended. Micon identified two areas where existing drilling could be upgraded to be sufficient for estimation of mineral resources. The recommended areas will be drilled from underground in the new decline. The dimensions expected to be covered by drilling are 100m along strike and 40m down dip along the vein. Micon estimated 1,800m of drilling in 18 drill holes at a spacing of 20m would be required in the first block. The drilling is anticipated to appropriately outline material for a bulk sample. Once the drilling has been completed, and conditional upon further permitting, vein stope mining can take place via ramps driven up and down to cross-cut veins indicated from the drilling. The objective is to outline over 300 metres of strike length and a vertical distance of 150 metres that can be developed for trial mining of a bulk sample of 10,000 tonnes. Map showing Ximen's 20,749 Hectare Nelson Property Surrounding and extending from Kenville mine, the Company currently controls 20,749 hectares of mineral properties along a 33 kilometre stretch of fertile ground covering 25 historic past-producing mines and 30 mineral occurrences in the Nelson mining camp. Ximen will be exploring this package to extend the Kenville deposit and/or discover new resources. In addition, a drill permit is in place for the California mine property, and an application has been made for the area covering the Star and Venus properties. As previously announced on February 10, 2021, Ximen has negotiated a term sheet with a Swiss-based metals trading firm for US$5.0 million in the form of a secured gold loan for the planned development of a 1200-meter decline and extraction of a 10,000-tonne bulk sample at the Kenville Gold Mine property. This secured gold loan is subject to the issuance of the permits as well as the completion of a CDN$1.5 million equity financing. The Company is strategically planning to fulfill this requirement by evaluating market conditions and the project timeline. Dr. Mathew Ball, P.Geo., VP Exploration for Ximen Mining Corp. and a Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101, approved the technical information contained in this News Release. On behalf of the Board of Directors, "Christopher R. Anderson" Christopher R. Anderson, President, CEO and Director 604 488-3900 Investor Relations: Sophy Cesar, 604-488-3900, ir@XimenMiningCorp.com 25 Portal Reconstruction Completed By: Ximen Mining Team The Kenville Gold Mine About Ximen Mining Corp. Ximen Mining Corp. owns 100% interest in three of its precious metal projects located in southern BC. Ximen's two Gold projects, The Amelia Gold Mine and The Brett Epithermal Gold Project. Ximen also owns the Treasure Mountain Silver Project adjacent to the past-producing Huldra Silver Mine. Currently, the Treasure Mountain Silver Project is under an option agreement. The option partner is making annual staged cash and stocks payments as well as funding the development of the project. The Company has also acquired control of the Kenville Gold mine near Nelson, British Columbia which comes with surface and underground rights, buildings and equipment. Ximen is a publicly listed company trading on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol XIM, in the USA under the symbol XXMMF, and in Frankfurt, Munich, and Berlin Stock Exchanges in Germany under the symbol 1XMA and WKN with the number as A2JBKL. This press release contains certain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Canadian securities. This press release contains certain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation, including statements regarding the receipt of TSX Venture Exchange approval and the exercise of the Option by Ximen. Although the Company believes that such statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts; they are generally, but not always, identified by the words "expects," "plans," "anticipates," "believes," "intends," "estimates," "projects," "aims," "potential," "goal," "objective," "prospective," and similar expressions, or that events or conditions "will," "would," "may," "can," "could" or "should" occur, or are those statements, which, by their nature, refer to future events. The Company cautions that forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs, estimates and opinions of the Company's management on the date the statements are made and they involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Consequently, there can be no assurances that such statements will prove to be accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Except to the extent required by applicable securities laws and the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange, the Company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements if management's beliefs, estimates or opinions, or other factors, should change. Factors that could cause future results to differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements include the possibility that the TSX Venture Exchange may not accept the proposed transaction in a timely manner, if at all. The reader is urged to refer to the Company's reports, publicly available through the Canadian Securities Administrators' System for Electronic Document Analysis and Retrieval (SEDAR) at www.sedar.com for a more complete discussion of such risk factors and their potential effects. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities, nor shall there be any sale of securities in any state in the United States in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful. 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: Ximen Mining Corp. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/693051/Ximen-Mining-Development-Permit-for-the-Kenville-Gold-Mine--Nelson-BC - National Geographic photographer, Kiliii Yuyan reveals the wonders of Iceland using the OPPO Find X5 Pro - OPPO is also offering people the chance of a once in a lifetime experience to explore the natural mysteries for themselves DUSSELDORF, Germany, March 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, OPPO announces its latest custom content campaign produced by National Geographic to capture the unique sights and scenery of Iceland in challenging low-light conditions. This is the third campaign produced for OPPO by National Geographic that explores the world and beyond. Previously they have captured 'Out of this world colour' in the Mojave Desert and travelled to some of the coldest parts of our planet to 'Uncover Antarctica'. This year's 'Empower Every Moment' campaign, led by award-winning National Geographic photographer Kiliii Yuyan, puts Iceland's exceptional vistas, cascading mountains and hidden waterfalls as the focus - all filmed and photographed using only OPPO's latest flagship smartphone, the Find X5 Pro. The Find X5 Pro's 4K ultra-night video and ultra HDR photography capabilities are empowered by the OPPO-developed MariSilicon X Imaging NPU (neural processing unit), a dedicated chip that redefines the concept of night-time videography and photography for striking 4K imagery without sacrificing the subject or the background. Bingo Liu, President of OPPO Western Europe, remarked: "Our goal at OPPO is to empower people through technology to create amazing experiences, and with the Find X5 Pro, people will be able to capture the full spectrum of life's colours. What better way to depict this than by visiting one of the most beautiful parts of the world and immortalising the landscape with striking true-to-life photography. Our previous campaigns with National Geographic brought to the forefront the hidden beauties of our planet, and we're so excited for people to see what they've done this time using our Find X5 Pro's powerful camera system that can capture 1 billion breath-taking colours." Kiliii Yuyan, award-winning National Geographic photographer, reflected: "One of the most challenging areas of smartphone photography is making pictures in low light. It's easy to miss capturing detail, as well as extreme lights and darks that can elevate your photography to another level." Kiliii Yuyan's award-winning work has previously illuminated the stories of the Arctic and human communities connected to the land. Informed by his ancestry that is both Nanai (Siberian Native) and Chinese-American, he has travelled across the polar regions working with indigenous cultures and wildlife. He has seen and experienced the adventures and perils of the world - escaping collapsing sea ice, chased by whales in Greenland, and found kinship at the edges of the world. The Campaign - Empower Every Moment Launching on 15th March, the campaign, 'Empower Every Moment' will celebrate Kiliii's journey through Iceland, exploring places such as the iconic glacier lagoon Jokulsarlon, the remarkable black sand beach of Fauskasandur and the raw beauty of Kvernufoss; where he captured the stunning locations with the OPPO Find X5 Pro. In addition to the campaign with National Geographic, OPPO is also giving six people a chance for a once in a lifetime trip to experience Iceland for themselves. Through posting on Instagram the beautiful moments in their life and using GetawayWithOPPO and OPPOFindX5Pro with no limits to entries. The entries will be judged by an independent panel of experts looking at the following criteria - uniqueness, quality, and raw photography talent. OPPO Find X5 Pro - Empower Every Moment The latest flagship by OPPO, the Find X5 Pro, raises the bar on smartphone imaging and premium design. The new smartphone is packed with industry-leading features to empower consumers to be their true selves and express their individuality on their terms. The Find X5 Pro boasts a futuristic aesthetic that achieves clean, modern sophistication and world-first imaging experiences, including a dedicated imaging Neural Processing Unit developed by OPPO, MariSilicon X, which overcomes smartphone video capture's greatest challenge - night-time recording and enables captivating photography. Complimented with an incomparable dual flagship IMX766 camera system, unrivalled performance, ultra-fast 5G connectivity, and incredible SUPERVOOC TM Flash Charging technology. - For more information please contact: jiatong.li@oppo.com - For more announcements and news, follow OPPO on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram - For more information on the 'Empower Every Moment' campaign as well as the OPPO and National Geographic partnership, go to: https://www.oppo.com/uk/events/empower-every-moment/ About OPPO OPPO is a leading global smart device brand. Since the launch of its first mobile phone Smiley Face in 2008, OPPO has been in relentless pursuit of the perfect synergy of aesthetic satisfaction and innovative technology. Today, OPPO provides a wide range of smart devices spearheaded by the Find X and Reno series. Beyond devices, OPPO provides its users with the ColorOS and internet services including OPPO Cloud and OPPO+. OPPO has footprints in more than 50 countries and regions with more than 40,000 employees dedicated to creating a better life for customers around the world. Contact Jiatong Li T: +49 15238850933 E: jiatong.li@oppo.com Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1764831/Image_1_OPPO.jpg Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1764832/Image_2_OPPO.jpg VALLETTA, Malta, March 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Kindred Group has today published a combined Annual Report and Sustainability Report for the 2021 financial year. The report can be accessed on the Group's website www.kindredgroup.com. Kindred Group plc (Kindred) has today published its combined Annual and Sustainability Report for the 2021 financial year. The report provides an introduction to Kindred as a company and the Group's long-term strategy. It also includes facts and figures, case studies, as well as ambitions and commitments within Kindred's five sustainability priority areas: 'Responsible gambling', 'Maintaining integrity', 'Running a compliant business', 'Being Kindred' and 'Contributing to our communities'. The report includes progress on the Group's sustainability ambitions and commitments in 2021, and sets out new long-term sustainability ambitions next to the important ambition of reaching zero per cent Gross winnings revenue from harmful gambling by 2023. Kindred has also continued to work on limiting climate impact, entered into new partnerships, launched several initiatives in local communities and continued the development of its diversity, equity and inclusion agenda. In his CEO comment, Henrik Tjarnstrom points out the strategic direction of Kindred and the focus on locally licenced markets; "Looking ahead, I see an exciting future for Kindred. Over ten years ago we embarked on a strategy to transform ourselves and over time only operate in locally licensed markets. In 2020 we took the decision to adapt the organisation for this future based on scalability, compliance and differentiation. In the final quarter of 2021, we derived 77 per cent of our Gross winnings revenue from locally licenced markets and have proved we can be scalable in these markets with solid bottom line growth". Kindred Group plc's Annual General Meeting will be held on 13 May 2022 at 10.00 CET in Stockholm, Sweden. The Annual Report 2021 has been prepared using the single electronic reporting format specified in the Transparency Directive ESEF Regulation. The ESEF format will be filed to the relevant officially appointed mechanism (OAM) as soon as this has been confirmed by the authorities where we are registered and listed. Once filed, the ESEF report will also be published on the Kindred Group website. This disclosure contains information that Kindred Group is obliged to make public pursuant to the Swedish Securities Markets Act (2007:528). The information was submitted for publication, through the agency of the contact person, on 15-03-202209:00 CET. CONTACT: For more information: Alexander Westrell, Group Head of Communications, press@kindredgroup.com, +46 73 7071686 Patrick Kortman, Head of Corporate Development & Investor Relations, ir@kindredgroup.com, +46 723 877 438 This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com https://news.cision.com/kindred-group/r/kindred-publishes-combined-annual-and-sustainability-report-for-2021,c3524753 The following files are available for download: ROME, March 15, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Canapa Mundi, the international cannabis fair held in Rome, is making its return. The seventh iteration will meet Friday, April 1st through Sunday the 3rd, 2022. Last year's event was canceled due to the pandemic. The upcoming festival will host visitors at Fiera di Roma and also virtually. The sixth event grew to around 30,000 attendees, compared with only 900 during the first convention. In 2022, guests can anticipate over 200 brands from across the industry and approximately 25,000 visitors. Canapa Mundi has several partners for the event, including Herbies Seeds as its Platinum Sponsor. The event will be held from 11 am until 8 pm Friday and Saturday, ending an hour earlier on Sunday. About Canapa Mundi Canapa Mundi is an international convention bringing together cannabis brands from across the industry. Visitors can discover a wide range of unique products, including food, cosmetics, and seeds. When the pandemic prevented 2021's gathering, Canapa Mundi took to the Internet. Last year's virtual fair is still available for free. You can also access webinars and informative videos from 2021's speakers, conferences, and vendors. This all-ages convention combines exhibits, presentations, and products from throughout the legal cannabis industry. With the exhibitors' list including such big brand names as FastBuds, Sweet Seeds, Green House Seeds, and many more, visitors can look forward to participating in many unique offerings from various categories, such as: Articles for Smokers Industrial Hemp Legal Hemp Food and Beverage Cultivation Cannabis Seeds CBD Seeds. Discounted lodging is also available through Canapa Mundi's hospitality partners. Online convention tickets go on sale in January. About Herbies Seeds Herbies Seeds is an online cannabis seeds retailer located in Spain that has offered a wide array of seeds from over one hundred seed banks for about two decades. Herbies has participated in several Canapa Mundi events, and for this year's fair they are contributing as an official Platinum Sponsor. The retailer sells many choices for high-THC, autoflowering, photoperiod, feminized, and regular seeds. Herbies also offers CBD seeds for growers who prefer to avoid cannabis' psychoactive effects. In 2021, Herbies began producing its own varieties as well. In addition to their best-selling 28-33% THCGrandmommy Purple, they also offer a diverse line of genetics: Blueberry Hill , a nearly pure Indica , a nearly pure Indica DDoS #33 , a high-yielding hybrid , a high-yielding hybrid Gelato Auto , a Sativa-dominant autoflower , a Sativa-dominant autoflower Godzilla Glue #4 , a resinous and potent cultivar , a resinous and potent cultivar Mimosa Shot , a euphoric citrus-flavored strain , a euphoric citrus-flavored strain And other varieties. These strains offer high levels of THC (22-33%) as well as high-yielding genetics. Shoppers will find a range of options in Indica-heavy, Sativa-heavy, and well-balanced hybrid strains created to suit the needs of growers with different experience levels. Growers can order from Herbies from most countries in the world and choose from among several payment options, including card payments, bitcoin, and cash on delivery. Each shipment can be mailed in stealth packaging, with 24-hour customer support available. At Canapa Mundi 2022, Herbies will be presented at the stand G3. Herbies Seeds herbiesheadshop.com +44 800 520 0058 sales@herbiesheadshop.com Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - March 15, 2022) - INCA ONE GOLD CORP. (TSXV: INCA) (OTCQB: INCAF) (FSE: SU92) ("Inca One" or the "Company") a gold producer operating two mineral processing facilities in Peru, announces record February deliveries, milling and sales from its Chala One Plant ("Chala One") and Kori One Plant ("Kori One"), collectively ("Inca One Plants") and comparative year-over-year ("YoY") production numbers representing consolidated operations from both facilities. The Company reports record monthly sales of approximately US$4.3 million (unaudited) in February 2022, a 13% increase YoY as compared to February 2021 sales of US$3.8 million. Consolidated Operations Feb. 2022 Feb. 2021 YoY change Deliveries (tonnes) 5,724 2,123 170% Milling (tonnes) 5,051 2,383 112% Gold Production (ounces) 1,883 1,332 41% Sales (US$) $4.3M $3.8M 13% The Company also reports YoY increases in ore purchases of 170% and in milling activity of 112% as compared to February 2021, averaging 180 tonnes per day ("TPD") throughput for the month. Demand for milling services has been robust given the strength in the commodity market and rising gold price over the first two months of the year. About Inca One Inca One Gold Corp is an established gold producer operating two, fully permitted, gold mineral processing facilities in Peru. The Company possesses a combined 450 tonnes per day permitted operating capacity at its two fully integrated plants, Chala One and Kori One and has produced more than 116,000 ounces of gold, generating over US$165 million in sales from its processing operations. Inca One is led by an experienced and capable management team that has established the Company as a trusted leader in servicing permitted, small-scale and artisanal miners (ASM) in Peru. Peru is one of the world's largest producers of gold, and its ASM sector is estimated by government officials to be valued in the billions of dollars annually. To learn more, visit www.incaone.com. Figure 1. Inca One's gold processing facilities in Peru (left: Chala One facility; right: Kori One facility) To view an enhanced version of Figure 1, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/2645/116748_1d2f7957b4b3da41_001full.jpg On behalf of the Board, Edward Kelly President and CEO Inca One Gold Corp. For More Information Contact: Konstantine Tsakumis ktsakumis@incaone.com 604-568-4877 NEITHER THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER (AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN THE POLICIES OF THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE) ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS NEWS RELEASE. Statements regarding the Company which are not historical facts are "forward-looking statements" that involve risks and uncertainties. Such information can generally be identified by the use of forwarding-looking wording such as "may", "expect", "estimate", "anticipate", "intend", "believe" and "continue" or the negative thereof or similar variations. Since forward-looking statements address future events and conditions, they involve inherent risks and uncertainties by their very nature. Actual results in each case could differ materially from those currently anticipated in such statements due to factors such as: (i) fluctuation of mineral prices; (ii) a change in market conditions; and (iii) the fact that future operating results may not be accurately predicted based on this limited information to date. Except as required by law, the Company does not intend to update any changes to such statements. Inca One believes 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 herein should not be unduly relied upon. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state in which such offer, solicitation, or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/116748 BRUSSELS/FRANKFURT/PARIS (dpa-AFX) - U.K. stocks fell on Tuesday as commodity-linked shares were hit by concerns about surging coronavirus cases in China. The Ukraine crisis revived worries about growth, with European Central Bank (ECB) policymaker Pablo Hernandez de Cos saying that Russia's invasion of Ukraine will have consequences on economic activity in the euro zone. The benchmark FTSE 100 dropped 106 points, or 1.5 percent, to 7,087 after gaining half a percent on Monday. Miners Anglo American, Antofagasta and Glencore lost 3-4 percent as base metal prices plunged. Oil & gas firm BP Plc tumbled 3 percent and Royal Dutch Shell declined 2.2 percent as oil extended declines to fall below $100 a barrel. Tobacco form Imperial Brands fell about 1 percent after issuing an update in view of the Russian-Ukraine conflict. Automotive firm Inchcape declined 2.6 percent after saying it has started a process to transition its business in Russia. In economic releases, the U.K. labor market continued to recover in three months to January with a quarterly rise in the employment rate and a fall in the unemployment rate, the Office for National Statistics said. The ILO jobless rate dropped 0.2 percentage points on the quarter to 3.9 percent, which was also below the expected rate of 4.0 percent. At the same time, the employment rate increased 0.1 percentage points to 75.6 percent. 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. PN-21-003A - 27.4 Metres 0.94% Ni, 0.63% Cu, 0.06% Co, 0.72gPd, 0.10g Pt PN-21-002 - 8.4 Metres 1.45% 0.40% Cu, 0.10% Co, 1.21gPd, 0.45g Pt TORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / March 15, 2022 / Power Nickel Inc . (the "Company" or "Power Nickel") (TSXV:PNPN)(OTCQB:CMETF)(Frankfurt:IVVI) and Critical Elements Lithium Corporation (" Critical Elements ") (CRE)(CRECF)(F12) are pleased to announce results from the second set of drill holes have been received from its recent drill program at its "NISK" Nickel Sulphate project near James Bay. These drill results confirm (PN-21-003A) the presence of high-grade Nickel Mineralization in the central portion of the Nisk Main mineralized lens. In addition to the historic and previously released assays, these new results (PN-21-002) also demonstrate that higher grade mineralization extends by at least an additional 50 m at depth and to the southwest. (Current holes are in Bold in the Table below) 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 264.00 170 -65 Pending PN-21-002 459626 5728600 396.00 160 -70 352.10 363.00 10.90 1.16 0.32 0.08 0.94 0.35 Including 354.60 363.00 8.40 1.45 0.40 0.10 1.21 0.45 PN-21-003A 459691 5728576 333.00 161 -70 269.90 297.30 27.40 0.94 0.63 0.06 0.72 0.10 Including 269.90 281.40 11.50 1.47 0.87 0.10 1.07 0.15 PN-21-004 459913 5728703 360.00 163 -63 Pending PN-21-005 459998 5728721 325.50 164 -63 272.80 292.70 19.90 0.70 0.61 0.04 0.81 0.39 PN-21-006 460100 5728782 399.00 160 -69 374.30 384.00 9.70 0.77 0.38 0.04 0.79 0.06 PN-21-007 460216 5728802 318.00 161 -63 294.20 312.00 17.80 0.36 0.10 0.02 0.38 0.08 Including 296.90 302.30 5.40 0.57 0.17 0.03 0.80 0.06 *UTM NAD83, Zone 18N **True widths are estimated to be 70 to 90% of core length The illustration below details the current location of drill holes covered in this release, the previous March 1, 2022 release, and also the remaining drill holes which are expected to be announced in the coming days. "These results are another positive indication that Nisk is a very exciting Nickel Sulphate discovery. It's particularly encouraging to have such a large intersection of 27.4 Metres on hole PN-21-003A and to see 1.45% Ni over 8.4 Metres at depth in hole PN-21-002. These results are indicating that Nisk could have the potential to host a commercial high-grade Nickel Sulphate deposit. Our objectives in this initial drill program conducted by Power Nickel were to produce 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 undertakes its 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. (CRE: TSXV) 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 8 th , 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, Critical Elements 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 Critical Elements' 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; Critical Elements is working to obtain similar approval under the Quebec environmental assessment process. Critical Elements 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 terry@powernickel.com 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/693012/Power-Nickel-Continues-Extension-of-Mineralization-with-High-Grade-Results-at-Nisk A crane truck lifts a container at the Hong Leng Huor Dry Port on the western suburb of Phnom Penh, Cambodia on Jan. 13, 2022. (Photo by Phearum/Xinhua) To Cambodia, RCEP constitutes a modern legal platform that inspires the country to opt for more liberalized free trade agreements, using RCEP as a liberalization model or threshold, said Cambodian Commerce Minister Pan Sorasak. PHNOM PENH, March 15 (Xinhua) -- The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) free trade deal is a driver for regional economic recovery during and after the COVID-19 pandemic, Cambodian Commerce Minister Pan Sorasak said on Monday. Signed on Nov. 15, 2020 and entered into force on Jan. 1, 2022, RCEP is a mega trade agreement among 10 member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and its five major trade partners, namely China, Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand. Speaking at the opening ceremony of the workshop on "RCEP: Implications, Challenges, and Future Growth of East Asia and ASEAN" held in a hybrid format, Sorasak said it is expected that RCEP will play an important role in regional integration and economic recovery during and after the pandemic. "Indeed, RCEP is, for ASEAN and East Asia in particular, not just an agreement," he said. "It is a driver for regional economic recoveries during and post COVID-19 and also a rescuable instrument amid the rise of global uncertainties." Staff members unload cargos from a plane at the Phnom Penh International Airport in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Dec. 31, 2021. (Photo by Van Pov/Xinhua) Sorasak said RCEP gives impetus for not only economic and trade strengthening, but also a room for political harmony among actors involved. "To Cambodia, the agreement constitutes a modern legal platform that inspires the country to opt for more liberalized free trade agreements, using RCEP as a liberalization model or threshold," he said. "This agreement is also a high-time intervention for Cambodia's quest in its Least Developed Country graduation by likely 2028 and the country's planned endeavor to achieve the higher-middle income and high-income statuses by 2030 and 2050, respectively," he added. Garment workers make clothes at a factory in Phnom Penh, Cambodia on Dec. 17, 2021. (Xinhua/Wu Changwei) Being the grand, largest trade bloc globally, RCEP has a combined gross domestic product (GDP) of 26.2 trillion U.S. dollars, representing around 30 percent of global GDP, 28 percent of global trade, and 32.5 percent of global investment, the minister said. He added that for Cambodia, the kingdom is poised to gain an increase by 7.3 percent in export, 23.4 percent in investment, and 2 percent in its GDP, from implementing this agreement following its effect since Jan. 1, 2022. "These are not to mention other positive externalities, including the opportunities to address the pandemic recovery and post-pandemic structural transformation through employment effects, inducement in investment, reducing the poverty, and promoting more social inclusive benefit from this agreement in aggregate term," Sorasak said. The workshop was jointly organized by the Ministry of Commerce's Trade Training and Research Institute and the Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia. SAN JOSE, CA / ACCESSWIRE / March 15, 2022 / Guskin Gold Corp (OTCQB:GKIN) ("Guskin Gold ' or the "Company") is pleased to announce the appointment of Mr. Francis Lovebridge Agezo, as Director of Exploration. Francis L. Agezo is a Ghanaian geologist with over 40 years of experience in all phases of exploration for gold and other minerals, spanning the exploration/mining industry and government and having served in various capacities as geologist, project geologist, senior exploration geologist, country manager, geology and tenement manager, senior director (land and tenement management), country director, non-executive technical director and consultant. Mr. Agezo has since 1987, been primarily involved in gold exploration and consulting in Ghana and to a lesser degree in Guinea, Burkina Faso, and Uganda. During his career, he worked for eight years as a Geologist with the Geological Survey of Ghana, twelve years as a Senior Exploration Geologist with the UK-based Cluff Resources Ltd (aka Cluff Mining Ltd/Cluff Gold) and five years as Tenement and Geology Manager with the Red Back Mining Inc., now Kinross Gold Corp. These experiences were culminated into co-authoring one of West Africa's premier mineral deposit volumes "Gold Deposits of Ghana" published by the Ghana Minerals Commission in 2002 and "Mineral Occurrences and Exploration Potential of Northern Ghana" also published by Ghana Minerals Commission in 2000; these are widely marketed to the exploration and mining industry. He founded and led a small consulting firm that has carried out exploration and mineral rights consulting work for a number of local and foreign companies including Red Back Mining Inc of Canada and its subsidiary Chirano Gold Mines (later Kinross Gold Corp, which acquired Red Back Mining Inc and Chirano Gold Mines). Mr. Agezo's background emphasizes project generation and grass-roots exploration to resource development and project assessment and with experience in exploration that spans across a number of West and East African countries. He is credited as a contributor to the discovery and development of the Ayanfuri Mine deposits (now Australian Perseus Edikan Gold Mine) and Red Back's Chirano Mine deposits (now Canadian Kinross' Chirano mine). Mr. Agezo has a good knowledge of the geology and gold mineralization potential of Ghana acquired through participation in varied projects and involvement in and co-authoring of mineral deposit volumes "Gold Deposits of Ghana" and "Mineral Occurrences and Exploration Potential of Northern Ghana". "Francis'unique experience and expertise in property acquisition, exploration, operational execution, and C-level experience make him a very resourceful addition to the leadership team." states Mrs. Naana Asante, CEO of Guskin Gold. "We have been working closely together on the Kukuom and Tepa properties over the last four months, and we are excited to have him join us in this important and fundamental capacity as we ramp up operations." Mr. Agezo is a major shareholder and holds directorship positions in a number of companies that hold mineral rights in Ghana, notably Cascade Minerals, Jubilee Mining Company , Magma Minerals Ghana, and Gondwana Minerals Ghana. He has worked for the Vancouver-based Abzu Gold and Emmaland & Cardero Group of Companies in that capacity from 2012 to date. Mr. Agezo completed M.Sc. and B.Sc. (Honors) degrees in geology at the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, New Mexico, U.S.A. and the University of Ghana respectively. He also holds a Postgraduate Diploma in Petroleum Exploration and Reservoir Evaluation from the Norwegian Institute of Technology, University of Trondheim, Norway. About Guskin Gold Corp. Guskin Gold Corp. (OTCQB:GKIN) is a mining company publicly traded in the United States, with its head office in Santa Clara, California. Guskin is focused on gold exploration and alluvial mining in Ghana, the number one gold producer in Africa and seventh-largest gold producing country in the world. The Company's leadership team is world-class. Many are native to Ghana, all offer specialized expertise in the business of gold exploration, mining, public markets, and finance. And all are passionately committed to the success of the Company, our partners, and investors. For additional information please visit www.guskingold.com . Contact Information Mrs. Naana Asante Chief Executive Officer Tel: + (408) 766-1511 naana.asante@guskingold.com www.guskingold.com Forward-Looking Statements and Disclosure This news release contains "forward-looking statements" which are not purely historical and may include any statements regarding beliefs, plans, expectations or intentions regarding the future. Such forward-looking statements include, among other things, the development, costs and results of new business opportunities and words such as "anticipate", "seek", intend", "believe", "estimate", "expect", "project", "plan", or similar phrases may be deemed "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Actual results could differ from those projected in any forward-looking statements due to numerous factors. Such factors include, among others, the inherent uncertainties associated with the exploration and exploitation of the Kukuom Concession, new mineral and/or gold projects, securing necessary financing, the future of the U.S. and global economies, the impact of competition, and the Company's reliance on existing regulations pertaining to the mining and exploration of mineral properties in Ghana and internationally. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this news release, and we assume no obligation to update the forward-looking statements, or to update the reasons why actual results could differ from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Although we believe that any beliefs, plans, expectations and intentions contained in this press release are reasonable, there can be no assurance that any such beliefs, plans, expectations or intentions will prove to be accurate. Investors should consult all of the information set forth herein and should also refer to the risk factors disclosure outlined in our annual report on Form 10-K, our quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and other periodic reports filed from time-to-time with the Securities and Exchange Commission. For more information, please visit www.sec.gov . SOURCE: Guskin Gold Corp. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/693082/Guskin-Gold-Corp-OTCQBGKIN-Announces-Appointment-of-Francis-Lovebridge-Agezo-as-Director-of-Exploration WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Southwest Airlines Co. (LUV) on Tuesday updated its financial guidance for first quarter 2022, based on current booking trends and the company's current outlook. For the first quarter, the company now expects operating revenue compared with 2019 to decline 8 to 10 percent, up from the prior projection for a 10 to 15 percent decline. Based on the current outlook, the company continues to expect a net loss in first quarter 2022 and continues to expect to be profitable for the remaining three quarters of this year, and for full year 2022. The improvement in the Company's first quarter 2022 operating revenue guidance is primarily attributable to stronger than anticipated bookings and passenger yields, as well as a strong performance from the Company's loyalty program. The airline also projects load factor at 75 to 80 percent and available seat miles (ASMs, or capacity) decline of 9 to 10 percent from 2019. The Company has now seen improvements in revenue trends in March 2022 as COVID-19 cases trend downward, following the revenue headwinds the Company experienced in January and February 2022 due to softness in bookings and increased trip cancellations associated with the Omicron variant. The Company continues to estimate full year 2022 capacity to be down approximately four percent compared with 2019, approximately four points lower than the Company's initial 2022 capacity plan communicated in December 2021. The Company currently also expects its second quarter 2022 capacity to be down approximately seven percent compared with second quarter 2019, and currently estimates its second half 2022 capacity to be roughly flat compared with second half 2019. 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 15, 2022) - Ophir Gold Corp. (TSXV: OPHR) (FSE: 80M) (OTCQB: KPZIF) ("Ophir" or the "Company") is pleased to announce results of a Controlled Source Audio Magneto-Telluric ("CSAMT") geophysical survey completed at the Company's Breccia Gold-Silver Property (the "Property"), located about 40 km southwest of Salmon, Idaho. The survey, which was completed during October and November 2021 by TMC Geophysics, consisted of 15 lines at 200 m spacing, with 50 m station spacings along lines, for a total of 533 stations. The CSAMT survey identified a prominent northwest-southeast trending resistive feature to the east, in contrast to a very low resistive unit which dominates the western portion of the Property (Figures 1 and 2). The data highlighted a zone of resistivity anomalies that extend across much of the Property, and which are associated with extensive faulting and/or geologic contacts. This extensive zone of resistivity anomalies corresponds to the high-grade gold and silver mineralization identified in drill core (Table 1), surface rocks, and soil samples. Highlights include: Zone of anomalous CSAMT data is complex (100 - 200 ohm-m) and extends across the Property, Breccia Zone may correlate with 300-500 ohm-m range, Near vertical component locally exceeds 500 metres, A series of northerly striking faults are associated with the anomalous CSAMT data, and Large resistivity anomalies (> 1000 ohm-m) at depth may represent a buried intrusive system. Company CEO Shawn Wescott commented: "We are very excited to report results from our CSAMT survey completed in late fall 2021 at the Breccia Gold Property. These results, coupled with those of our maiden drill program, provide strong evidence of an extensive hydrothermal breccia system. Surface and initial drill exploration confirms strong precious metal mineralization exists from surface to a couple hundred metres depth. The mineralization thus far observed appears restricted to a specific range of resistivities, which suggests a very robust mineralized system, and provides the basis for continued exploration. I look forward to the commencement of our follow-up drill program this summer, as we look to expand upon the known mineralization." The modelled CSAMT data, suggest two sub-parallel, north-northwest trending zones of precious metal mineralization are present - a "West Zone" and an "East Zone" (Figure 3 to 6). The West Zone appears strongly correlated with mineralization that corresponds to the 100 - 200 ohm-m range, including significant gold and silver mineralization within drill holes BG21-003A, 004, 005, and 006 (Table 1). The East Zone appears to correspond to the 300-500 ohm-m range and is associated with the gold mineralization in drill holes BG21-001 and 002. Table 1: Gold and silver mineralization in drill hole BG21-003A, 004, 005, and 006 (the "West Zone") Hole ID From (m) To (m) Width (m) Au (g/t) Ag (g/t) BG21-003A 44.9 59.1 14.1 1.39 0.6 BG21-004 37.4 44.8 7.4 13.02 46.6 BG21-005 175.9 185.3 9.5* 0.02 6,940 BG21-006 108.3 131.0 22.8 1.68 5.6 * The bottom 9.5 m of BG21-005 returned poor core recoveries (<10%), therefore, the grade may not be entirely representative of the interval. Those drill holes which tested the West Zone mineralization (Table 1) during the 2021 drill program represent an almost 200-m strike length and 200-m vertical extent. The mineralization remains open to the north, south, and at depth, and represents a prime target for both infill and expansion drilling. The East Zone of mineralization appears to have been tested at shallow depths by drill holes BG21-001 and BG21-002; although BG21-002 did not continue deep enough to adequately test the high-grade mineralization observed in the lower portions of BG21-001 (Table 2). This zone of mineralization remains virtually untested by drill holes, though significant surface samples attest to its potential. Collectively, the 100 to 500 ohm-m zone outlined by the CSAMT survey, which correlates to the precious metal mineralization encountered by the 2021 drill holes - consisting of both the West and East zones - is modelled to extend to at least 500 m vertical depth. The lower 25-75 ohm-m zone (higher conductivity), which extends across the western portion of the Property, correlates well with the extensive clay alteration encountered in multiple drill holes, including the upper portions of BG21-005. The higher 1,000-1,500 ohm-m zones (lower conductivity), which dominate the eastern portion of the Property, are interpreted to represent a strongly resistive regional structure or a buried intrusive system that extends to significant depth. These higher resistivity (1,000-1,500 ohm-m) areas of the Property have not yet been drill tested; they represent a valid exploration target. The CSAMT data, coupled with 2021 drill data and surface data collected to date, will help refine drill targets for the planned 2022 program. Further, these results point to significant untested drill targets where gold mineralization is interpreted to continue along strike to the north, to depth, and in areas east of the main Breccia Gold Zone. For reference, the higher-grade drill intercepts from the 2021 drill program are presented below in Table 1. See news releases dated December 1st, 2021, and February 9th, 2022, for additional detail. Exploration Model The main Breccia Gold Zone is still thought to represent the uppermost regions of a low-sulphidation epithermal system. Given the spatial relationship between high-grade gold veins and near vertical, north to northwest orientated structures that occur directly above or proximal to the observed high-resistivity, and possible intrusive system in the east-central part of the Breccia Property, an easterly vein-type or intrusion related gold system is considered. Within this eastern zone, during 2020, the Company mapped a number of precious metal veins, "the East Breccia Zone" which returned 57.6 g/t Au and 19.6 g/t Ag (outcrop), 30.2 g/t Au and 7.4 g/t Ag (outcrop), and 69 g/t Au and 27.5 g/t Ag (boulder) - see news release dated November 18, 2022. Our understanding of precious metal mineralization at Breccia is evolving with the addition of further geological and geophysical data, suggesting enhanced potential for high grades of gold/silver mineralization at the Breccia Gold Zone, to the north along the Meadows Fault Zone, and to the east of the immediate Breccia Gold Zone Trend. The Company has submitted a five-year Plan of Operations to the United States Forestry Service for extended exploration of the Breccia Gold Property (see news release dated May 17, 2021). The permit, once received, will allow the Company to explore the Property for five consecutive years, under the same authorization, providing significant advantages and flexibility for follow-up diamond drilling on the Property in 2022. The Company intends to continue delineating the near-surface mineralized breccia unit with significantly more flexibility on pad locations, as well as guidance from the results of the 2021 drill program and the recently completed CSAMT survey. Table 2: Summary of 2021 mineralized drill core intersections at the Breccia Gold Zone Hole ID From (m) To (m) Width (m) Au (g/t) Ag (g/t) Azimuth (deg) Dip (deg) EOH (m) BG21-001 39.3 41.2 1.9 3.84 6.5 45 -45 149.4 120 128 8.0 3.23 7.1 including 127.2 127.7 0.6 40 88.2 BG21-002 50 53.4 3.4 0.77 0.5 45 -65 139.3 66.6 69.7 3.1 1.56 2.3 BG21-003 Not sampled, drill hole lost due to drilling conditions 45 -45 69.2 BG21-003A 44.9 59.1 14.1 1.39 0.6 45 -45 281.9 including 57.6 59.1 1.5 5.48 2.5 157.2 160 2.8 1.47 2.8 BG21-004 37.4 44.8 7.4 13.02 46.6 45 -60 152.4 including 42.5 43.0 0.5 155 70.6 71.3 72.0 0.7 6.38 90.6 BG21-005 175.9 185.3 9.5 2 0.02 6940 45 -60 185.3 BG21-006 108.3 131.0 22.8 1.68 5.6 45 -80 296.3 including 108.3 120.0 11.8 3.05 10.4 or 115.9 116.8 0.9 15.2 51.2 160.5 187 26.5 0.14 0.6 BG21-007 No significant mineralization 45 -80 306.3 BG21-008 No significant mineralization 45 -45 216.4 BG21-009 155.74 160 4.3 0.17 0.8 95 -85 244.8 (1) All widths are core length. True width is not known. (2) Sample recovery very low over this interval (<10%), and therefore, grade content over interval may not be representative Figure 1: Plan view of 2021 DDH with anomalous (>0.1 g/t) to high-grade Au (red discs), and CSAMT data with warm colours as high resistivity (high ohm-m) and cold colours as low resistivity (low ohm-m). To view an enhanced version of Figure 1, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/6338/116704_ba556f4a74959b2e_002full.jpg Figure 2: Plan view zoom-in of 2021 DDH with anomalous (>0.1 g/t) to high-grade Au (red discs), and CSAMT data with warm colours as high resistivity (high ohm-m) and cold colours as low resistivity (low ohm-m). To view an enhanced version of Figure 2, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/6338/116704_ba556f4a74959b2e_003full.jpg Figure 3: Cross-section of interpreted 'West Zone' at BG21-004 with modelled CSAMT data To view an enhanced version of Figure 3, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/6338/116704_ba556f4a74959b2e_004full.jpg Figure 4: Cross-section of interpreted 'West Zone' at BG21-003A with modelled CSAMT data To view an enhanced version of Figure 4, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/6338/116704_ba556f4a74959b2e_005full.jpg Figure 5: Cross-section of interpreted 'West Zone' at BG21-005 with modelled CSAMT data To view an enhanced version of Figure 5, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/6338/116704_ba556f4a74959b2e_006full.jpg Figure 6: Cross-section of interpreted 'West Zone' and 'East Zone' at BG21-006, 001, and 002 with modelled CSAMT data To view an enhanced version of Figure 6, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/6338/116704_ba556f4a74959b2e_007full.jpg Disclosure Darren L. Smith, M.Sc., P. Geo., Director and Vice President of Exploration for the Company, and Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101, supervised the preparation of the technical information in this news release. About the Breccia Gold Property The Breccia Gold Property consists of 102 claims covering approximately 1,836 acres (743 ha) within the Blackbird Mining District, in Lemhi County, approximately 40 kilometres southwest of Salmon, Idaho, USA. The Property is accessible by paved highway and a network of well-maintained gravel roads and is host to the historical Gahsmith Gold Mine. Exploration and development activity on the Property dates back to the 1930's and has been exploited by at least eight adits, with several thousand tons of mineralized quartz veined material extracted. In the 1980s, a bulk sample of 4,621 tons was completed with an average grade of 0.335 oz/t Au reported. The current Property includes the Meadows Fault Zone and the lesser explored, parallel Musgrove Mine Trend. Recent exploration carried out in 2018, 2019, and 2020 included the remapping and sampling of the Meadows Fault Zone and the results are suggestive of the existence of a significant low-sulfidation, epithermal gold system. Surface results include 57.6 g/t Au and 19.6 g/t Ag in outcrop, and 69 g/t Au and 27.5 g/t Ag in float. About the Company Ophir Gold Corp. is a gold exploration company focused on the exploration and development of its flagship property, the past producing Breccia Gold Property located in Lemhi County, Idaho. The Company has an option to earn a 100% interest in the Property over a three-year period from Canagold Resources Ltd. (formerly Canarc Resource Corp.) and DG Resource Management Ltd. On behalf of the Board of Directors "Shawn Westcott" Ophir Gold Corp. For further information, please contact: Shawn Westcott, CEO Phone 1 (604) 365 6681 swestcott@ophirgoldcorp.com Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Cautionary Note The information contained herein contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable securities legislation. Forward-looking statements relate to information that is based on assumptions of management, forecasts of future results, and estimates of amounts not yet determinable. Any statements that express predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions or future events or performance are not statements of historical fact and may be "forward-looking statements." Forward-looking statements are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties which could cause actual events or results to differ from those reflected in the forward-looking statements, including, without limitation: risk related to the failure to obtain adequate financing on a timely basis and on acceptable terms; risks related to the outcome of legal proceedings; political and regulatory risks associated with mining and exploration; risks related to the maintenance of stock exchange listings; risks related to environmental regulation and liability; the potential for delays in exploration or development activities or the completion of feasibility studies; the uncertainty of profitability; risks and uncertainties relating to the interpretation of drill results, the geology, grade and continuity of mineral deposits; risks related to the inherent uncertainty of production and cost estimates and the potential for unexpected costs and expenses; results of prefeasibility and feasibility studies, and the possibility that future exploration, development or mining results will not be consistent with the Company's expectations; risks related to commodity price fluctuations; and other risks and uncertainties related to the Company's prospects, properties and business detailed elsewhere in the Company's disclosure record. Should one or more of these risks and uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described in forward-looking statements. Investors are cautioned against attributing undue certainty to forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date hereof and the Company does not assume any obligation to update or revise them to reflect new events or circumstances, except in accordance with applicable securities laws. Actual events or results could differ materially from the Company's expectations or projections. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/116704 SAN FRANCISCO, March 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The global cosmetic surgery and procedure market size is expected to reach USD 145.7 billion by 2030, registering a CAGR of 9.6%, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc. Technological developments, growing use of social media, and increasing disposable income are some of the factors likely to drive the market during the forecast period. Key Insights & Findings from the report: The rising volume of cosmetic surgeries due to increasing demand from emerging countries is expected to boost the market. The cosmetic surgery or surgical procedure segment accounted for the maximum share in 2016 due to increasing affordability of cosmetic procedures, increasing the safety of surgeries, the growing reliance of patients on surgeries to achieve positive outcomes, the presence of skilled surgeons, and long-lasting results. The non-surgical cosmetic procedure segment is likely to witness the fastest growth in the coming years due to higher awareness and lower risk in comparison to surgical procedures. Furthermore, nonsurgical procedures are more economical and a large number of relevant service providers are easily available. Geographically, North America dominated the cosmetic surgery and procedure market in 2016. It is anticipated to maintain its dominant position during the forecast period due to increased awareness about aesthetic procedures, higher healthcare expenditure as compared to other developing countries, and greater adoption of procedures by both men and women. dominated the cosmetic surgery and procedure market in 2016. It is anticipated to maintain its dominant position during the forecast period due to increased awareness about aesthetic procedures, higher healthcare expenditure as compared to other developing countries, and greater adoption of procedures by both men and women. The cosmetic surgery and procedure industry in Asia Pacific is expected to witness the fastest growth over the next decade owing to the growing medical tourism, improving healthcare infrastructure, and availability of high-quality services. is expected to witness the fastest growth over the next decade owing to the growing medical tourism, improving healthcare infrastructure, and availability of high-quality services. People from developed countries travel to India , Brazil , Mexico , Malaysia , and South Korea for affordable cosmetic procedures. Hence, the market is expected to witness strong growth in developing countries. , , , , and for affordable cosmetic procedures. Hence, the market is expected to witness strong growth in developing countries. Some of the key players operating in the market are ALLERGAN; Merz Pharma; Nestle; Cutera; Cynosure, Inc.; Ipsen; Sientra, Inc.; Alma Lasers; and Johnson & Johnson. Request a free sample copy or view report summary: "Cosmetic Surgery And Procedure Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Type (Invasive, Non-invasive), Region (North America, Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa, Latin America, Europe), And Segment Forecasts, 2022 - 2030", published by Grand View Research. Cosmetic Surgery and Procedure Market Growth & Trends The substantial increase in the volume of cosmetic procedures can be attributed to the popularity of digital photography, rising demand by consumers to boost self-esteem, the introduction of self-monitoring apps, and the increasing affordability of cosmetic surgeries in developing countries. Furthermore, risk associated with cosmetic surgery has decreased due to technological developments and the presence of skilled surgeons. It was observed that the volume of both surgical and nonsurgical cosmetic procedures has increased in the past few years. This can be attributed to increasing disposable income, increasing safety of surgical procedures, growing faith of patients on such surgeries, and growing medical tourism. Cosmetic Surgery and Procedure Market Segmentation Grand View Research has segmented the cosmetic surgery and procedure market on the basis of procedure type and region Cosmetic Surgery and Procedure Type Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2018 - 2030) Invasive Breast Augmentation Liposuction Nose Reshaping Eyelid Surgery Tummy Tuck Others Non-invasive Botox Injections Soft Tissue Fillers Chemical Peel Laser Hair Removal Microdermabrasion Others Cosmetic Surgery and Procedure Regional Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2018 - 2030) North America U.S. Canada Europe U.K. Germany France Italy Spain Asia Pacific India Japan China Australia South Korea Latin America Brazil Mexico Argentina Middle East & Africa & South Africa Saudi Arabia UAE List of Key Players of Cosmetic Surgery and Procedure Market AbbVie Cynosure Evolus Inc. RevanceGalderma Lumenis Solta Medical Syneron Candela Alma Laser Check out more related studies published by Grand View Research: Platelet Rich Plasma Market - The global platelet rich plasma market size is estimated to reach USD 1.2 billion by 2028, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc. The market is expected to expand at a CAGR of 12.0% from 2021 to 2028. Technological advancements in the development of novel and innovative platelet rich plasma products are expected to propel market growth. The global platelet rich plasma market size is estimated to reach by 2028, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc. The market is expected to expand at a CAGR of 12.0% from 2021 to 2028. Technological advancements in the development of novel and innovative platelet rich plasma products are expected to propel market growth. Minimally Invasive Thoracic Surgery Market - The global minimally invasive thoracic surgery market size is expected to reach USD 5.5 billion by 2028. It is expected to expand at a CAGR of 8.7% from 2021 to 2028. Increasing research and development in this field is another high-impact rendering driver of the market. - The global minimally invasive thoracic surgery market size is expected to reach by 2028. It is expected to expand at a CAGR of 8.7% from 2021 to 2028. Increasing research and development in this field is another high-impact rendering driver of the market. Surgical Sutures Market - The global surgical sutures market size is expected to reach USD 6.5 billion by 2030, based on a new report by Grand View Research, Inc. It is expected to expand at a CAGR of 5.8% from 2022 to 2030. Growing healthcare expenditure, favorable reimbursement scenarios, and government support to improve the healthcare infrastructure are also significant factors contributing to the growth of the market. Browse through Grand View Research's Medical Devices Industry Research Reports. About Grand View Research Grand View Research, U.S.-based market research and consulting company, provides syndicated as well as customized research reports and consulting services. Registered in California and headquartered in San Francisco, the company comprises over 425 analysts and consultants, adding more than 1200 market research reports to its vast database each year. These reports offer in-depth analysis on 46 industries across 25 major countries worldwide. With the help of an interactive market intelligence platform, Grand View Research Helps Fortune 500 companies and renowned academic institutes understand the global and regional business environment and gauge the opportunities that lie ahead. Contact: Sherry James Corporate Sales Specialist, USA Grand View Research, Inc. Phone: 1-415-349-0058 Toll Free: 1-888-202-9519 Email: sales@grandviewresearch.com Web: https://www.grandviewresearch.com Grand View Compass | Grand View Pipeline Follow Us: LinkedIn | Twitter Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/661327/Grand_View_Research_Logo.jpg - The Foundation will provide long-term solutions to improve healthcare access in Africa and South Asia, while contributing to the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, March 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Evercare Group today announced the launch of the Evercare Foundation, a non-profit organization working towards equitable health for all and the development of more resilient health systems across the low- and middle-income countries in Africa and South Africa. The Foundation will serve as the philanthropic arm of the Evercare Group and will build on the footprint of Evercare Group of 29 hospitals, 13 clinics, 88 diagnostic centres and have access to 11,400 caregivers, serving over 3.3 million people in Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Nigeria, and Kenya. Speaking at the 18th Dubai International Humanitarian Aid & Development Conference & Exhibition (DIHAD), Massimiliano Colella, CEO of Evercare said: "The Foundation presents another key avenue through which we can continue to deliver meaningful change and positive impact to traditionally underserved communities. Through focused partnerships and deliberate investments, the Evercare Foundation will continue to build sustainable development across our areas of operation." Low- and middle-income countries continue to suffer from insufficient investment in healthcare, leading to often highly strained and burdened systems that are unable to keep up with demands of patients, especially in these times of the pandemic. According to the World Bank, if current trends continue, up to 5 billion people will be unable to access health care by 2030 with 56% of the population lacking sufficient health-care coverage in rural areas globally. Joumana Atwani, Director of Evercare Foundation said: "The Foundation is driven by an ambition to create long-term positive social change for vulnerable communities who have a fundamental right to good health and wellbeing. Through the Evercare Foundation, we aim to focus on communities who have limited or no access to quality healthcare.' To realize our vision of 'a world with equitable health for all', the Foundation will primarily focus on women and children - with priority being on women and girls' adolescent health and wellbeing, including ante and post-natal care, screening for non-communicable diseases such as breast and cervical cancer. In children's health, the Foundation will focus on treatment and rehabilitation for congenital birth defects and trauma related conditions and children related disease prevention and immunization. One example of the Foundation's focus on supporting children is the story of baby Alvin, a 10-month-old baby from Kenya who suffers from down syndrome and was admitted to Evercare's Nairobi Women's Hospital with a severe chest infection. The Foundation leveraged the Group's integrated medical corridor and was transferred to Care Hospital in India for life saving open-heart surgery, free of charge. We are pleased to report that baby Alvin's operation was a complete success, and he is doing well. Another example is of 5-year-old Abdul Rehman from Pakistan, who was born with congenital deafness and whose family could not afford the treatment. Surgeons at Evercare Hospital Lahore successfully inserted a cochlear implant free of cost and now Abdul can hear for the time and able to attend school. The Foundation will equally invest in initiatives related to human resources in health and leveraging the Evercare Group's integrated healthcare corridor to strengthen health systems by supporting clinical trials and complex healthcare cases across borders. About the Evercare Foundation The Evercare Foundation is an independent philanthropic organization established to support the impact driven initiatives of the Evercare Group. The Foundation provides vulnerable communities with equitable access to quality healthcare and create long term positive social change. The priority areas of the Foundation are vulnerable communities in low and middle-income countries, with a primary focus on women and children who are marginalized by health and socio-economic inequities. About the Evercare Group The Evercare Group believes access to healthcare is a fundamental right and invests in emerging markets to bring private, quality-driven healthcare to meet the needs of local people. Evercare has responded to a global challenge to ensure well-being at all ages is provided to those living in emerging markets as a pillar to support sustainable economic development. With this, the Group is leading the way in transforming the traditional healthcare model through its integrated cross-continents platform, its impact-driven model, and quality-driven hospitals. The Evercare Group operates as an integrated healthcare delivery platform in emerging markets across Africa and South Asia, including India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Kenya, and Nigeria. Evercare is wholly owned by the Evercare Health Fund, a US $1bn emerging markets healthcare fund managed by TPG and backed by its global impact investing platform TPG Rise. The Evercare Health Fund is comprised of the world's leading impact investors and global development finance institutions. VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / March 15, 2022 / Emgold Mining Corporation (TSXV:EMR), (OTC PINK:EGMCF), (FRA:EMLM), (BSE:EMLM) ("Emgold" or the "Company") announces it has signed a Binding Letter Agreement (the "LOI") to sell 100% of its interests, rights, and title to its East-West Property, Quebec to O3 Mining Inc. ("O3") (TSXV: OIII). As consideration for the acquisition of Emgold's interest in the East West Property (the "Transaction"), O3 will: pay to Emgold cash consideration of C$750,000 at closing; issue to Emgold an aggregate of 325,000 common shares in the capital of O3 (the "Share Consideration") at closing; and grant to Emgold a 1% net smelter returns ("NSR") royalty over the East West Property in favour of Emgold (the "Royalty"), which shall be subject to a buy-back right in favour of O3 (the "Buy-Back Right"), whereby O3 may elect to buy back the Royalty for: (i) C$500,000 if the Buy-Back Right is exercised within the first three years from the date of the Definitive Agreement (as defined herein); (b) C$1,000,000 if the Buy-Back Right is exercised within the fourth and fifth years from the date of the Definitive Agreement. For greater certainty, subsequent to the fifth anniversary date of a Definitive Agreement for the Transaction, the Royalty will no longer be subject to the Buy-Back Right. The Transaction is subject to due diligence by O3, completion of a Definitive Agreement as soon as possible, but no later than March 31, 2022, and any necessary regulatory approvals. The East-West Property consists of 7 mining claims covering an area of 184 hectares, located in the Val d'Or Mining Camp adjacent to and east of O3 Marban Property. O3 is in the process of completing a Pre-Feasibility Study on the Marban Property with the goal of bringing the property into production. David Watkinson, President and CEO of Emgold, stated, "This transaction benefits both O3 and Emgold. The East-West Property sits to the southeast of O3 Mining's current open-pit resource on their Marban Property. They are in the best position to advance exploration at East-West and potentially develop resources on the property. Due to the limited size of the East-West Property, the potential to develop it as stand-alone project is limited and as such, management believes monetizing this asset at this time, with the upside potential of the O3 commons shares, along with the potential value of the royalty in the future represents a significant positive outcome for Emgold and fits our acquisition and divestiture ("A&D") business model. About Emgold Emgold is a gold and base metal exploration company focused on Nevada and Quebec. The Company's strategy is to look for quality acquisitions, add value to these assets through exploration, and monetize them through sale, joint ventures, option, royalty, and other transactions to create value for our shareholders (acquisition and divestiture (A&D) business model). In Nevada, Emgold's Golden Arrow Property, the core asset of the Company, is an advanced stage gold and silver property with a well-defined measured and indicated resource. New York Canyon is a base metal property subject to an Earn-in with Option to Joint Venture Agreement with Kennecott Exploration, a subsidiary of Rio Tinto Plc (NYSE:RIO). The Mindora Property is a gold, silver, and base metal property located twelve miles from New York Canyon. Buckskin Rawhide East is a gold and silver property leased to Rawhide Mining LLC, operators of the adjacent Rawhide Mine. In Quebec, the Casa South Property, is an early-stage gold property adjacent to Hecla Mining Corporation's (NYSE:HL) operating Casa Berardi Mine. The East-West Property is a gold property adjacent to and on strike with Wesdome Gold Mine Ltd.'s (TSX:WDO) Kiena Complex and O3 Mining Corporation's (TSX:OIII) Malarctic Property (Marban Project). The Trecesson Property is located about 50 km north of the Val d'Or mining camp. Emgold also has a 1% NSR in the Troilus North Property, part of the Troilus Mine Property being explored by Troilus Gold Corporation (TSX:TLG). Note that the location of Emgold's properties adjacent to producing or past producing mines does not guarantee exploration success at Emgold's properties or that mineral resources or reserves will be delineated. For more information on the Company, investors should review the Company's website at www.emgold.com or view the Company's filings available at www.sedar.com. On behalf of the Board of Directors David G. Watkinson, P.Eng. President & CEO For further information, please contact: David G. Watkinson, P.Eng. Tel: 530-271-0679 Ext 101 Email: info@emgold.com Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as the term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Cautionary Note on Forward-Looking Statements Certain statements made and information contained herein may constitute "forward looking information" and "forward looking statements" within the meaning of applicable Canadian and United States securities legislation. These statements and information are based on facts currently available to the Company and there is no assurance that actual results will meet management's expectations. Forward-looking statements and information may be identified by such terms as "anticipates", "believes", "targets", "estimates", "plans", "expects", "may", "will", "could" or "would". Forward-looking statements and information contained herein are based on certain factors and assumptions regarding, among other things, the estimation of mineral resources and reserves, the realization of resource and reserve estimates, metal prices, taxation, the estimation, timing and amount of future exploration and development, capital and operating costs, the availability of financing, the receipt of regulatory approvals, environmental risks, title disputes and other matters. While the Company considers its assumptions to be reasonable as of the date hereof, forward-looking statements and information are not guarantees of future performance and readers should not place undue importance on such statements as actual events and results may differ materially from those described herein. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements or information except as may be required by applicable securities laws. The Company's Canadian public disclosure filings may be accessed via www.sedar.com and readers are urged to review these materials, including any technical reports filed with respect to the Company's mineral properties. SOURCE: Emgold Mining Corporation View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/692978/Emgold-to-Sell-its-East-West-Property-QC-to-O3-Mining-Inc Highlights: February 2022 Total Transaction Volume (TTV) of AUD $106 million (USD $76 million) up 48% Year-on-Year Five new partners signed in February, including TokenPocket, ApolloX, IDEX, Sologenic and IX Swap Added two new fiat currencies in February, now supporting a total of 32 Secured Netherlands cryptocurreny custody registration from the Dutch National Bank (DnB) TORONTO, CA and MELBOURNE / ACCESSWIRE / March 15, 2022 / BANXA Holdings Inc. (TSXV:BNXA)(OTCQX:BNXAF)(FSE:AC00) ("Banxa" or "The Company"), the world's first listed payment service provider (PSP) and RegTech platform for the digital assets industry, has today announced its February 2022 TTV, recording AUD $106 million (USD $76 million), and growth of 48% Year-on-Year. The TTV is broadly in line with the decline in volumes of the overall cryptocurrency market. In February, Banxa processed over 127,000 transactions and added five new partners, including TokenPocket and ApolloX. Banxa also added two new fiat currencies to now support a total of 32 fiat currencies enabling seamless access to digital currencies through multiple payment methods. Banxa also secured a cryptocurrency custody registration from the Dutch National Bank (DnB) which allows Banxa to hold custody of Bitcoin, Ethereum and other cryptocurrencies on behalf of its customers. This registration adds further to Banxa's focus on acquiring digital currency exchange and custody licences around the world. Banxa CEO Holger Arians said, "The crypto ecosystem is ever-changing, and Banxa is ideally positioned to continue its accelerated growth in the market. We are delighted to welcome our new partners, providing support for more coins and fiat currencies every month." -----ends----- ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS Per: "DOMENIC CAROSA" https://twitter.com/dcarosa Domenic Carosa Chairman (1-888-218-6863) BANXA Holdings Inc. (TSX-V: BNXA) (OTCQX: BNXAF) (FSE: AC00) Banxa powers the world's largest digital asset platforms by providing payments infrastructure and regulatory compliance across global markets. Banxa's mission and vision are to build the bridge that provides people in every part of the world access to a fairer and more equitable financial system. Banxa is headquartered in Melbourne, Australia, with European headquarters in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. For further information go to www.banxa.com. This news release may contain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable by management, are inherently subject to significant business, economic and competitive uncertainties, and contingencies. These statements generally can be identified by the use of forward-looking words such as "may", "should", "will", "could", "intend", "estimate", "plan", "anticipate", "expect", "believe" or "continue", or the negative thereof or similar variations. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause future results, performance or achievements to be materially different from the estimated future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by those forward-looking statements and the forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance. Banxa's statements expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties, and conditions, many of which are outside of Banxa's control, and undue reliance should not be placed on such statements. Forward-looking statements are qualified in their entirety by the inherent risks and uncertainties of the Company's business, including: Banxa's assumptions in making forward-looking statements may prove to be incorrect; adverse market conditions, including risks related to COVID-19 and risks that future results may vary from historical results. Except as required by securities law, Banxa does not assume any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, events or otherwise. 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, see www.banxa.com. CONTACTS: Investor Relations: Email: Investor@banxa.com Brian M. Prenoveau, CFA MZ North America 561-489-5315 BNXA@mzgroup.us Media Contacts: Michelle Boland, PR Group Email: michelleb@prgroup.com.au SOURCE: BANXA Holdings Inc. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/693121/BANXA-Announces-AUD-106-Million-February-Transaction-Volume-Secures-Cryptocurrency-Custody-Registration Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - March 15, 2022) - Marble Financial Inc. (CSE: MRBL) (OTC Pink: MRBLF) (FSE: 2V0) ("Marble" or the "Company"), an AI-driven financial technology company, is pleased to announce that its wholly owned subsidiary, Inverite Verification Inc. ("Inverite"), has entered into an open banking software licensing agreement with Money Mate Limited ("MoneyMate"), a Canadian financial services software solutions provider. MoneyMate is very proud of its Canadian heritage and ownership, their 18-year history in the loan industry and are one of the founding directors of the Independent Pay Day Loan Association of Canada. They provide cost-effective software solutions that are designed for Canadian alternative loan operators and currently services over 25 such clients with a combined 75 offices across Canada. With a large user base, MoneyMate requires advanced fintech solutions to manage high transaction volumes. As a result, MoneyMate has licensed Inverite's open banking software verification solutions, which offers the most extensive connectivity to 286 financial institutions' access points in Canada. With an average processing time of less than one minute, Inverite's solutions will enhance the robustness of MoneyMate's existing products by enabling them to process highly granular financial information in near real-time. "We are pleased to license our unique open-banking solutions to MoneyMate, a leading loan software solutions provider with a large client base," said Lloyd Evetts, Director of Business Development with Inverite. "Brick and mortar alternative lenders remain a popular option for the underbanked and unbanked populations, and the integration of our technology solutions into MoneyMate's platform enables us to expand our reach to this growing demographic. We look forward to working with MoneyMate as they continue to scale within the Canadian alternative lending space." "MoneyMate is very pleased to have integrated the services of Inverite and obtain the underwriting adjudication their software provides," said James Reid, Founder of MoneyMate. "We see that our industry is rapidly growing an online presence and having the additional banking information afforded by Inverite brings us one step closer to being able to assist our online users not only with detailed banking information but also, risk analysis. Banking details and historical performance are critical factors in our lending parameters and Inverite fills that need. We look forward to a long and rewarding relationship." Mr. Reid added, "MoneyMate's original mandate was to provide sophisticated software for small brick and mortar operators with one or more stores in the alternative lending field. As previously stated, we are now getting into the online lending model, where the number of loans being processed is higher as compared to brick-and-mortar stores. That said, MoneyMate's brick and mortar clients issued slightly more than 14,000 loans in the last 12 months." Currently, Marble's Inverite's open banking software has signed 32 client licensing agreements since it was acquired by Marble in April 2021. About Money Mate Limited: Since 2003, MoneyMate was one of the first Canadian companies to offer software to independent, Canadian brick and mortar payday loan operations. MoneyMate's mission is to empower its clients by providing a compliant, flexible, web-based platform that can be streamlined for their individual needs. For further information about MoneyMate, please visit: http://www.moneymate.ca About Inverite Verification Inc., Inverite, a Canadian open banking and consumer-directed finance provider offers banking verification solutions to the financial services industry for income verification, credit decisioning, fraud reduction, and know-your client/anti-money laundering purposes. Inverite operates a cloud-based SaaS platform such that its technology solutions can be integrated into customer systems. Inverite currently offers three SaaS services to customers, namely, Bank Verification, ID Verification and Risk Scoring. Inverite can access data from 286 Canadian financial institutions and offers multiple application programming interfaces to access up to one year of user financial data in seconds for its bank verification service, and has plugins available for most popular e-Commerce platforms, including WooCommerce and Shopify. For further information about Inverite, please visit: https://Inverite.com About Marble Financial Inc. (CSE: MRBL) (OTC Pink: MRBLF) (FSE: 2V0): Marble's proprietary MyMarble platform utilizes the power of machine learning, data science, and artificial intelligence, in leveraging its proven data-driven strategies through technology solutions Connect, Inverite, MyMarble, Fast-Track, Boost and Learn to engage in and navigate a clear path towards financial wellbeing and a meaningful credit score. Since 2016, Marble is proud to have empowered thousands of marginalized consumers to a positive financial future, and we continue to establish ourselves as leaders in financial wellness through the licensing of our proprietary products on the MyMarble Platform. For further information about Marble, please visit: mymarble.ca Mike Marrandino, Executive Chairman T:(855) 661-2390 ext. 104 Email: ir@marblefinancial.ca NEITHER THE CANADIAN SECURITIES EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATIONS SERVICES PROVIDER HAVE REVIEWED OR ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE. Caution Regarding Forward-Looking Information This release contains forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements, without limitation, may contain the words beliefs, expects, anticipates, estimates, intends, plans, or similar expressions. Forward-looking statements do not guarantee future performance. They involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions and actual results could differ materially from those anticipated. Forward looking statements are based on the opinions and estimates of management 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 projected in the forward-looking statements. Except for historical facts, the statements in this news release, as well as oral statements or other written statements made or to be made by Marble, are forward-looking and involve risks and uncertainties. The forward-looking information included in this release is expressly qualified in its entirety by this cautionary statement. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. The Company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements, other than as required by applicable law. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/116848 ELKO, NV / ACCESSWIRE / March 15, 2022 / Lithium Corporation (OTCQB:LTUM) ("LTUM" or "the Company"), a North American corporation focused on energy metals for the growing energy storage sector and high-tech industries, wishes to inform shareholders it recently increased the size of its BC Sugar flake graphite claim block in British Columbia, and is planning to recommence work on this prospect late Spring 2022. Graphite markets are more buoyant than the past several years with demand for flake graphite from the EV battery sector predicted to rise over 35% in 2022 (Source: Fastmarkets). Additionally, recent world events are driving home the need to ensure we have an ample, readily available supply of energy metals here in North America. The Company acquired the property in 2013 and performed geological and sampling work over the following field seasons, culminating in trenching programs at the "Weather Station" zone in 2015, and a point midway between that zone and the Taylor Creek area in 2018. Trenching at the Weather Station intercepted a broad zone of mineralization with a core area of almost 100 feet (~30 meters) where weathering was as deep as 8 meters subsurface, and average grades were 2.73% graphitic carbon. The 2018 program intercepted up to 2.62% graphitic carbon in one of the test pits. Due to weakness in the graphite market, Lithium Corporation reduced the size of its claim block and has not conducted any further work on this property. The graphite market has since roared back to life, so the Company increased its holdings in the Weather Station/Taylor Creek area to approximately 1321 acres (534.66 ha's), and to 1626 acres (657.95 ha's) further east at the Sugarland showing. The Company is currently in the planning stages with respect to the work to be done on these prospects this summer. About Lithium Corporation Lithium Corporation is an exploration company based in Nevada devoted to the exploration for energy storage related resources throughout North America, and looking to capitalize on opportunities within the ever-expanding next generation energy storage markets. The Company has maintained a strategic alliance with Morella Corporation (the Company's single largest shareholder) for the past nine years, and has recently entered into a formal agreement with Morella with respect to an earn-in on the Company's Fish Lake Valley lithium-in-brine prospect in Esmeralda County, Nevada. Website: www.lithiumcorporation.com. Contact Info Tom Lewis, CEO Lithium Corporation 775-410-5287 info@lithiumcorporation.com Notice Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This current report contains "forward-looking statements," as that term is defined in Section 27A of the United States Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Statements in this press release which are not purely historical are forward-looking statements and include any statements regarding beliefs, plans, expectations or intentions regarding the future. Actual results could differ from those projected in any forward-looking statements due to numerous factors. Such factors include, among others, the inherent uncertainties associated with mineral exploration and difficulties associated with obtaining financing on acceptable terms. We are not in control of minerals prices and these could vary to make development uneconomic. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this news release, and we assume no obligation to update the forward-looking statements, or to update the reasons why actual results could differ from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Although we believe that the beliefs, plans, expectations and intentions contained in this press release are reasonable, there can be no assurance that such beliefs, plans, expectations or intentions will prove to be accurate. Investors should consult all of the information set forth herein and should also refer to the risk factors disclosure outlined in our most recent annual report for our last fiscal year, our quarterly reports, and other periodic reports filed from time-to-time with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Lithium Corporation (OTC-LTUM) 1031 Railroad St. Ste 102B Elko NV 89801 (775) 410-5287 www.lithiumcorporation.com SOURCE: Lithium Corp. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/693003/Lithium-Corporation-Increases-Claim-Holdings PARIS, March 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Clarendelle, inspired by Haut-Brion has recently been seen on the tables of both cinema and television's most popular shows, perhaps most recently on Netflix's hugely successful and witty portrayal of life in a Parisian PR agency, Emily in Paris. Clarendelle wines can be seen, lighting up many sequences and dining tables throughout the series. To view the Multimedia News Release, please click: https://www.multivu.com/players/uk/9025251-clarendelle-the-darling-of-the-silver-screen-new-vintages/ Clarendelle, the Bordeaux's first premium family of wine is the brainchild of Prince Robert de Luxembourg who took over running of Domaine Clarence Dillon group, owner of Clarendelle and Chateau Haut-Brion among others. However film has been in Prince Robert's blood from the beginning, as he started his professional life as a screen writer in Los Angeles! This year Clarendelle is the official and exclusive wine Partner of the Santa Barbara International Film Festival. Globally celebrated and respected, the SBIFF is a cinema festival of 35 years standing. Regularly cited as a strong influence on the outcome of the Oscars, the SBIFF hosts 100,000 passionate film enthusiasts and celebrities, watching over 300 films and tributes over 11 days. This year, on March 4th, the festival honours internationally acclaimed actor Kristen Stewart, with the American Riviera Award for outstanding contribution to American cinema, while also being Oscar-nominated for her role as Lady Diana Spencer. Prince Robert de Luxembourg raised his glass of Clarendelle to celebrate her powerful performance. In the meantime, Clarendelle is proud to announce the launch of two new vintage releases for the next spring and summer, Bordeaux Blanc 2021 and Bordeaux Rose 2021, alongside the recent release of Clarendelle Rouge from the glorious 2016 vintage. Clarendelle Bordeaux Blanc 2021 A cool spring and relatively cool beginning to summer, followed by warmer sun early in late summer, resulted in a wine with wonderful freshness and beguiling, complex flavours. The Sauvignon Blanc unveils plethora of aromas, ranging from boxwood to tropical fruit and an array of citrus notes. The Muscadelle grape showed great colour contributing fragrant rose and lychee notes to the blend. A white wine with lovely tension and freshness, and a delicious palate, round and rich, balanced out by wonderful minerality. 43% Sauvignon Blanc, 32% Semillon, 25% Muscadelle, Alc: 12,5% Clarendelle Bordeaux Rose 2021 Harvested from vineyard plots especially selected for rose, the wine has an iridescent salmon-pink robe, leading to powerful tropical aromas, dominated by lychee and pomegranate. This rose has lovely balance, framed by a smooth lightly tannic structure. Flavours of liquorice and mint accent the lovely pink grapefruit flavours. The wine is indulgent and lingering on the palate. 65% Merlot, 32% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Cabernet Franc, Alc: 12,5% And for the red Bordeaux faithful, Clarendelle Bordeaux Rouge 2016 Clarendelle Bordeaux 2016 is a colourful, fresh and fruity wine, with aromas of red fruit and blackcurrant alongside floral overtones reminiscent of violet. They combine the tannic power of great vintages with a deliciously velvety texture and rare smooth, powerful, and generous on the palate. Their relatively high level of acidity gives them an admirable freshness and tremendous balance, without any hardness. Clarendelle Bordeaux 2016 can be enjoyed during an aperitif or it can be the perfect elegant partner for lunch and dinner during the coming Spring. 84% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Cabernet Franc, Alc: 13,5% Domaine Clarence Dillon Established in 1935, the family-run company Domaine Clarence Dillon is owner of several prestigious wine estates, Chateau Haut-Brion, Chateau La Mission Haut-Brion and Chateau Quintus. In 2005, Clarence Dillon Wines, one of Bordeaux's most significant fine wine merchant was founded while also creating Bordeaux's premier super premium family of wines; Clarendelle.Domaine Clarence Dillon also owns a Parisian residence, truly an embassy for the French art of living, so highly prized by its Chairman and CEO, Prince Robert of Luxembourg. This houses the two-starred gastronomic restaurant, Le Clarence and La Cave du Chateau, an exceptional retail and e-tail shop selling the finest wines and spirits from France's terroirs (www.lcdc.wine). In 2018, Prince Robert of Luxembourg and Domaine Clarence Dillon joined "Primum Familiae Vini", an international association bringing together 12 families, owners of prestigious estates and domains producing some of the world's finest wines. In September of 2021, a new visitor center and wine shop were opened at Chateau Haut-Brion in Bordeaux. Contact: Eline Huet - Communications Officer, Email: e.huet@domaineclarencedillon.com Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1765817/Clarendelle.jpg Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1750587/Clarendelle_Logo.jpg COLOMBO, March 15 (Xinhua) -- The Sri Lankan government has awarded long-term contracts of importing diesel and crude oil to an energy company based in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), said cabinet spokesman and Mass Media Minister Dullas Alahapperuma on Tuesday. The contract period for diesel is for eight months starting from March 1, while that for crude oil is for seven months from June 1 to Dec. 31, he said. Earlier this month, the cabinet of ministers awarded a long-term contract to another UAE-based company for the procurement of 1.8 million barrels of petrol for a period of eight months from Feb. 15 to Oct. 14. In the past few months the South Asian country has been trying to import enough diesel and crude oil to support domestic consumption and economic activities, according to Alahapperuma. Agendia, Inc., a commercial stage company focused on enabling optimized decision-making by providing physicians with next-generation diagnostic and information solutions that can be used to help improve outcomes for breast cancer patients worldwide, today announced the appointment of global commercial leader Elizabeth (Betsy) Hanna as Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer, effective March 15, 2022. "We are pleased to welcome Betsy as a critical member of our executive team. Betsy is a distinguished global healthcare and biotech executive with a proven track record building market value in medical device and diagnostic businesses in the US and globally," said Mark Straley, Chief Executive Officer of Agendia. "Her extensive functional experience to create and execute global growth strategies will serve Agendia well as she becomes an integral part of our executive team, spearheading all commercial activities. We look forward to tapping into Betsy's strategic thinking and accountable leadership to further expand our global commercial impact towards the achievement of our mission." Most recently, Ms. Hanna served as President and Chief Executive Officer at Clinical Genomics where she developed and executed go-to-market strategies and accelerated the commercialization of liquid biopsy tests to detect colorectal cancer. Prior to Clinical Genomics, Ms. Hanna was the President and Chief Operating Officer at Origin, Inc., a clinical-stage biotech company, where her responsibilities included product development and manufacturing, negotiating clinical study design with the US FDA and creating strategic plans to support private funding for a Class III medical device. Ms. Hanna brings with her a wealth of knowledge from her time serving in commercial and managerial roles at Johnson Johnson Vision Care and Ortho Clinical Diagnostics. During her time with these two divisions of Johnson Johnson, she was responsible for global product strategy and global and regional market share growth plans. In her tenure at Ortho, Ms. Hanna launched two new diagnostics platforms globally and doubled the company's market growth in Europe. Ms. Hanna serves on the Board of Directors for Treace Medical Concepts, Inc., a high-growth orthopedics company. She earned a BS in Chemical Engineering from the University of Illinois and an MBA from Harvard Business School. "It's an exciting time to be a part of Agendia's growing business momentum and I'm particularly inspired by the company's unique approach to bring meaningful genomic diagnostic solutions to the breast cancer community," said Hanna. "I look forward to joining the well-established and talented commercial team at Agendia, and leading the US and global businesses to accelerate access to these important assays in order to guide decision making for women with breast cancer and their physicians." The Agendia Board and management team is committed to bringing in and utilizing strong executive and operational talent at all levels to align with the superior execution and focus on propelling the Company's advancement in all areas. The company believes this dedication translates into exceptional science, actionable and transformative research, and bringing innovative new products to market to ensure patients with breast cancer, their families and their physicians have access to the information they need to make the best decisions about the treatment journey. Learn more here. About Agendia Agendia is a mission-driven, commercial stage company focused on enabling optimized decision-making by providing physicians with next-generation diagnostic and information solutions that can be used to help improve outcomes for breast cancer patients worldwide. The company currently offers two commercially-available genomic profiling tests that help surgeons, oncologists and pathologists to personalize treatment for women at critical intervention points throughout their patient journey. MammaPrint is a 70-gene prognostic test that, along with other clinicopathologic factors, determines a specific patient's breast cancer recurrence risk. BluePrint is an 80-gene molecular subtyping test that identifies the underlying biology of an individual breast cancer to provide information about its behavior, long-term prognosis and potential response to systemic therapy. Together, MammaPrint and BluePrint provide a holistic view of an individual patient's breast cancer, enabling physicians to objectively select the best treatment plan. For more information on Agendia's assays and ongoing trials, please visit www.agendia.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220315005557/en/ Contacts: Media Terri Clevenger ICR Westwicke Healthcare PR Tel: 203.856.4326 Terri.Clevenger@icrinc.com OTTAWA, ON, March 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Gastops is supporting Virtual Vehicle's latest initiative in conducting high performance engine test cell research and development, supplying custom oil debris monitoring solutions with MetalSCAN. MetalSCAN provides customers' operating engine and gearbox test cells with essential conditioning monitoring technology, enabling evaluation, and testing of components and systems to measure real-time equipment health, performance and predict the remaining useful life (RUL) of critical components. MetalSCAN delivers real-time equipment monitoring by offering a full flow, nonobstructive, online wear debris detection system. The design features, coupled with the ability for early detection of equipment failure, empower customers to manage and optimize their testing program, conduct root-cause analysis, and minimize costs by limiting damage to critical components. Says Dr. Hannes Allmaier, PhD, Dipl.-Ing. Team Leader Tribology and Efficiency Group at Virtual Vehicle Research GmbH, "MetalSCAN proves itself to be a vital tool in our engine testing operation by detecting the initial onset and monitoring the progression of component damage. The indications allow us to manage the engine operational characteristics, maximize testing and prevent secondary component damage. With limiting damage, we are able to complete successful root cause analysis investigations." To learn more about MetalSCAN please visit MetalSCAN - Gastops at: MetalSCAN - Gastops Ltd. About Virtual Vehicle Research The Virtual Vehicle Research GmbH is Europe's largest R&D center for virtual vehicle technology with 300 employees. Research priority is the linking of numerical simulations and hardware testing, which leads to a powerful HW-SW whole system design and automation of testing and validation procedures. Following this focus on industry-related research VIRTUAL VEHICLE is the innovation catalyst for future vehicle technologies. About Gastops Gastops is the world's leading provider of intelligent condition monitoring solutions for Aerospace, Defence, Energy, and Industrial applications to optimize the availability, performance, and safety of critical assets. We offer peace of mind to our customers with innovative online monitoring sensors, at-line analysis, complex modeling and simulation, world class laboratory testing, engineering, design, and MRO services that predict performance to enable proactive operating decisions. Gastops has been providing powerful insights into the condition of critical equipment since 1979. www.gastops.com Ultivue, Inc. an industry leader in multiplexing tools and novel image analysis solutions for tissue biomarker studies, and Sirona Dx, a technical contract research organization (CRO), providing advanced, single cell proteomics and genomics services to accelerate the pace of immunotherapy and targeted therapy development, announced a co-marketing agreement to deliver tissue-based spatial multiplexed immunophenotyping solutions for translational research groups and Biopharma. Ultivue, a leader in advancing precision medicine solutions by accelerating tissue biomarker discovery and validation, develops unique solutions for use in both multiplex immunofluorescence (mIF) imaging and spatial phenomics. Its proprietary InSituPlex technology, designed for fast and comprehensive exploration of biologically relevant targets, up to 12-plex, with same slide-H&E analysis in precious tissue samples combines the power of computational pathology spatial biology to guide translational science in immuno-oncology. "Our InSituPlex technology offers valuable profiling of the tissue and expands the depth of information possible from a single section that is complementary to the high-parameter capabilities offered by Sirona Dx. We believe this joint offering will now provide researchers a seamless workflow enabling a far more efficient biomarker discovery and drug development process." said Mark Rees, Ph.D. Vice President Corporate Development at Ultivue. Sirona Dx are original pioneers of spatial biology, having launched ultra-high parameter, multiplexed imaging services to Biopharma in 2018. Their technology agnostic, full service, spatial biology suite, contributed to their selection as a Top 10 CRO of 2021 by Medhealth Outlook. "We are delighted to announce this partnership with Ultivue" said Andrew Brown, Ph.D. Chief Commercial Officer at Sirona Dx. "Since 2018, clients have relied on our leading expertise to develop and implement customized, high performance multiplexed imaging panels of up to 40 markers. Having cast a wide net to identify the most informative tissue biomarker signatures, we can now harness Ultivue's powerful InSituPlex technology to rapidly develop, robustly validated mid-plex panels of up to 12 markers enabling our clients to accelerate their drug development programs with transformative biomarker capabilities. About Sirona Dx Sirona Dx is a technical CRO, founded to accelerate the pace of immunotherapy and targeted therapy development. Bridging silos between diagnostics manufacturers and translational clinical research our laboratory offers specialized high complexity, single cell proteomics and genomics services supporting pharmaceutical companies with their drug discovery and development programs. Learn more at Sironadx.com. About Ultivue Ultivue provides researchers and scientists in translational medicine with multiplex biomarker assays for tissue phenotyping and digital pathology. Its proprietary InSituPlex technology enables advanced exploration and interrogation of tissue samples for precision medicine research. These highly customizable solutions coupled with our scientific consultative approach strengthen and accelerate biomarker discovery and drug development programs. Learn more at Ultivue.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220315005096/en/ Contacts: Ultivue Mark Rees, Ph.D. Vice President Corporate Development Mobile: (+1) 516-512-4977 ULTIVUE USA: 763D Concord Ave. Cambridge, MA 02138-1044 Europe: Via Calabria, 15. 20090 Segrate. Milan. Italy Website: www.ultivue.com E. mail: mark.rees@ultivue.com Sirona Dx Andrew Brown, Ph.D. Chief Commercial Officer Mobile: (+1) 503-816-9692 SIRONA DX USA: 4640 SW Macadam Ave, Suite 200 D, Portland, OR 97239 Website: www.sironadx.com E. mail abrown@sironadx.com New innovation provides weight savings for applications where size, weight and power (SWaP) are key Teledyne Labtech announces a major new capability allowing the embedding of layers of synthetic graphite within RF and microwave printed circuit boards (PCBs). Heat management is a significant concern in many aerospace, defense and space applications where size, weight and power (SWaP) are key attributes. Gallium nitride (GaN) solid state power amplifiers (SSPAs) are examples of increasingly common devices that benefit from careful heat management. This new technique allows efficient conduction of heat away from such devices, saving system weight and increasing their lifetime. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220315005058/en/ Teledyne Labtech Graphite Thermal Management for Microwave PCBs. (Photo: Business Wire) Managing waste heat is a significant problem in today's electronic systems, impacting reliability and requiring added expense and weight to control effectively. In the latest consumer mobile phones, it is common to employ sheets of self-adhesive synthetic graphite on top of critical semiconductor devices in order to conduct away waste heat from small areas. Aerospace, defense and space applications require more precision, repeatability and area of coverage. To address this, Teledyne Labtech has developed a method of embedding thin layers of synthetic graphite inside the structure of the host PCB reliably, saving size and weight, while increasing the lifetime of active devices (MTBF) by permitting operation at cooler steady state. "Synthetic graphite is 4 times lighter than copper, and transfers heat 4 times better in the X-Y plane," said John Priday, CTO of Teledyne Labtech. "Replacing PCB ground plane layers with it in critical applications such as T/R modules can cause devices to run up to 20C cooler in our testing." Labtech has demonstrated that thermal copper layers can be replaced with the new graphite technique while remaining reliable and experiencing minimal impact on the passage of microwave signals on grounding layers. Teledyne Labtech will be available to discuss this new innovation at Booth 1324 of the Satellite Show in Washington, DC, March 22nd-24th ABOUT TELEDYNE LABTECH Teledyne Labtech has over 30 years of experience as a world leader in microwave circuit design, component manufacturing and testing in the defense, electronics, global telecommunications, space and satellite communications markets. As with all Teledyne Labtech production operations, this contract award will be performed at Teledyne Labtech's state of the art facility in Presteigne, Wales, UK. For more information, visit www.teledynelabtech.com ABOUT TELEDYNE DEFENSE ELECTRONICS Serving Defense, Space and Commercial sectors worldwide, Teledyne Defense Electronics offers a comprehensive portfolio of highly engineered solutions that meet your most demanding requirements in the harshest environments. Manufacturing both custom and off-the-shelf product offerings, our diverse product lines meet emerging needs for key applications for avionics, energetics, electronic warfare, missiles, radar, satcom, space, and test and measurement. www.teledynedefenseelectronics.com/. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220315005058/en/ Contacts: Sharon Fletcher Teledyne Defense Electronics +1 323-241-1623 sharon.fletcher@teledyne.com Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - March 15, 2022) - Trojan Gold Inc. (CSE: TGII) (the "Company" or "Trojan") is pleased to announce that Trojan's Common Shares have commenced trading on the CSE under the symbol "TGII". Trojan is also in the process of making an application for a listing on either the OTCQB or OTCQX in the United States. About Trojan Gold Inc. Trojan is an active Ontario-based Prospect Generator junior exploration company led by a talented team of professionals having significant exploration, engineering, project financing and permitting experience. Trojan has accumulated sizeable land positions in the Hemlo Gold Camp and Shebandowan Greenstone Belt that represent significant mineral exploration potential. Trojan is a member of the Interbanc Capital Corp. Group of Companies that includes, among others, Tashota Resources Inc. (which holds the other 50% interest Hemlo South) and Strike Copper Corp. Altogether, these companies have substantial property holdings in the Hemlo Gold Camp, the Shebandowan Greenstone Belt and the Beardmore-Geraldton Gold Camp in Northern Ontario. For further information on the Company, please visit www.trojangold.com. Trojan is listed on the Canadian Securities Exchange under the symbol (CSX: TGII). ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD, Charles J. Elbourne, President & CEO For further information, please contact: Charles J. Elbourne, President & CEO Trojan Gold Inc. 82 Richmond St. East, Suite 401 Toronto, Ontario M5C 1P1 Telephone: 416-315-6490 Email: elbourne007@gmail.com Website: www.trojangold.com Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements and Information This release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the impact and implications of drill results of the Company; the timing and amount of estimated future exploration and success of such exploration activities; and the anticipated results of the Company's plan to develop and implement a drill program on the Hemlo West project; the Company's planned expansion of the Hemlo West project. Generally, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "budget", "schedule", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "continue", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "will", "might" or "will be taken", "occur" or "be achieved". Forward-looking statements are made based upon certain assumptions and other important facts that, if untrue, could cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from future results, performances or achievements expressed 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. Certain important factors that could cause actual results, performances or achievements to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements include, amongst others, currency fluctuations, the global economic climate, dilution, share price volatility and competition. Forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other important factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, including but not limited to: the impact the COVID-19 pandemic may have on the Company's activities and the economy in general; the impact of the recovery post COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on precious metals; there being no assurance that the exploration program will result in expanded mineral resources; risks and uncertainties inherent to any mineral resource estimates; receipt of necessary approvals; general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties; future gold and other metal prices; accidents, labour disputes and shortages; environmental and other risks of the mining industry. 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. In presenting this information, TGI is not making an offer to sell nor soliciting an offer to buy any securities, certifying the completeness or accuracy of this information, or assuming that the recipient is qualified to consider this opportunity. Accordingly, this document does not and is not intended to comply in any manner with any United States or Canadian securities or disclosure laws or requirements. Prior to making or soliciting any such offer, the Company will provide access to such information and will comply with the requirements of applicable securities laws. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/116862 DZ Bank AG: Post-Stabilisation Notice Not for distribution, directly or indirectly, in or into the United States or any jurisdiction in which such distribution would be unlawful. DZ BANK AG (contact: Ralph Ockert; telephone: +49 69 7447 7051) hereby gives notice that no stabilisation (within the meaning of Article 3.2 (d) of the Market Abuse Regulation (EU Regulation 596/2014) was undertaken by the Stabilising Managers named below in relation to the offer of the following securities. The security to be stabilised: Issuer: Kreditanstalt fur Wiederaufbau (KfW) Guarantor (if any): Federal Republic of Germany ISIN: DE000A3MP7J5 Aggregate nominal amount:EUR 5bn Description: Fixed rate, due 30th of June 2025 Offer price: 99.914 Other offer terms: Payment 01 March 2022, Listing Luxembourg Stock Exchange Exchange, denominations:1k Maturity 30th of June 2025 Stabilisation: DZ BANK AG Stabilising Manager(s): DZ BANK AG Bank of America Deutsche Bank Morgan Stanley Stabilisation period commences 15th of March 2022 Stabilisation period expected to No later than 30 days after the proposed end on: issue date of the securities Existence, maximum size and The Stabilising Manager(s) may over-allot conditions of use of over-allotment the securities to the extent permitted in facility. Accordance with applicable law. This announcement is for information purposes only and does not constitute an invitation or offer to underwrite, subscribe for or otherwise acquire or dispose of any securities of the Issuer in any jurisdiction. This announcement is not for distribution, directly or indirectly, in or into the United States or any other jurisdiction in which such distribution would be unlawful. Harvest Trading Cap meets with Xavier Zablah Bukele, current president of the political party Nuevas Ideas MIAMI, March 15, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The CEO of Harvest Trading Cap,Jairo GonzalezMA, visited this March 4, 2022, the main headquarters of the political party Nuevas Ideas, where he was received by the politician Xavier Zablah Bukele, currently president of the party. It is worth mentioning that the aforementioned is a cousin of the current president of El Salvador Nayib Bukele, who has shown great interest and contributions in the advances and evolution of New Financial Technologies in El Salvador. The visit of Jairo Gonzalezand his team to El Salvador has been with a specific purposeand his entourage have had with each entity that has met. In the meeting with Xavier Zablah Bukele, the most important topics and focus for Harvest Trading Capexecutives were discussed. They talked about the training to the population through the Jerusalem Foundation with academic scholarships offered by Harvest Trading Cap Academy; Jairo Gonzalezalso mentioned about the basic course of trading and knowledge of new technologies, ecosystem of Harvest Trading Cap in the use of new technologies, multiplication of Bitcoin state, NFT technology and social projects. The representatives of Harvest Trading Capwere very happy and grateful for this wonderful meeting due to the treatment provided by Xavier Zablah Bukele, who in turn was grateful to Jairo Gonzalezand his entire team for what they are doing in their country. Photos accompanying this announcement are available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/2e163c31-482a-45c4-8210-86c91d776daf https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/a520aa53-b85e-4436-b460-0b6def80cd05 Breakthrough technology can determine respiratory status in simple 60 second reading News in Summary Cloud DX's Pulsewave 2.0 receives a second patent as the only blood pressure monitor to also detect respiratory rate and status This patent protects the methods of assessing key vital-signs including blood pressure, heart rate and respiratory status with hospital level accuracy Pulsewave 2.0 strengthens the company's Medical Metaverse offerings by Xtended Reality division KITCHENER, ON / ACCESSWIRE / March 15, 2022 / Cloud DX (TSXV:CDX) (OTC:CDXFF), a leading Virtual Care platform, announces the issuance of a new patent for its upcoming Pulsewave 2.0 Vital Sign Monitor. The wrist-worn device stands to be the first at home clinical-grade vital signs monitor to capture diagnostic-quality blood pressure, heart rate, heartbeat irregularities, and respiration status simultaneously. This is the second patent for the Pulsewave 2.0 platform and this award arrives during the company's record-breaking quarter. US patent 11,272,859 entitled ' System and Method of Determining Respiratory Status From Oscillometric Data ', strengthens the protection of Cloud DX's innovative and novel methods used to determine respiratory status. Building upon the device's initial US patent 11,006,843, which depicts the concept of using oscillometric data to determine respiration rate. This patent protects the methods developed to analyze data in determining respiratory status, beyond just respiratory rate. The company congratulates inventors Vesal Badee, Sara Ross-Howe, Josh Haid, Lamiaa Amzil, Cezar Morun, and Bonghun Shin, all members of the Research and Development team at Cloud DX. Lead inventor and Cloud DX Biomedical Data Scientist, Vesal Badaee, states "There are plenty of digital health wearables in the market. Most, however, are limited in the quality of data they provide. This can frustrate doctors and healthcare professionals when users want to rely on them. In medicine, clinical-grade vitals are required for diagnostics or medical direction; Cloud DX is driving the transition in bringing clinical-grade wearables into the consumer space, from hospitals and clinics to our homes. This second patent on our next-generation Pulsewave underlines the innovation we're producing at Cloud DX. The team and I are proud to be a part of this Virtual Care transition." "With the Medical Metaverse and the Virtual Care movements growing the need for home-based diagnostics grows ever more prominent," added Robert Kaul, CEO and Founder of Cloud DX. He continued, "Together these technologies create an all-encompassing model of care improves access to healthcare and can expedite accurate clinician decision making. The ability to accurately capture patient vitals anywhere in the world, even in most remote locations, and transfer that data directly to their doctor or care team means primary care teams can make better clinical decisions, potentially remove the need for an in-person doctor visit, or even circumvent an emergent care visit. To put it simply, the connected ecosystem means better patient outcomes, closer circles of care, and more economical for providers and payers." How Pulsewave 2.0 breathing rate technology works Cloud DX's Pulsewave vital signs monitor is worn on a patient's wrist, and oscillometric pulse waveforms are obtained as the cuff deflates, obtaining pulse wave signals and artifact signals over multiple patient breaths. Pulsewave software analyzes these signals producing an envelope of pulse waveforms as well as a frequency modulated sequence of pulses at various time intervals containing breathing rate data. Pulsewave 2.0 operates autonomously but can also be connected to the internet. When connected, clinicians receiving the data can derive additional biological metrics via the Cloud Diagnostics online platform. 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 the co-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 SOURCE: Cloud DX Inc. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/693178/Cloud-DX-Granted-New-Patent-for-Pulsewave-20-Vital-Sign-Monitor 2021results Revenue:483.1million(up 10.1%, with 7.8% like-for-like growth) Operating profit before non-recurring items (EBITA) ( 1 ) : 32.0 million, representing 6.6% of revenue : 32.0 million, representing 6.6% of revenue Dividend(2):1.00 per share ParisLa Defense, 15March 2022, 5.35 p.m. (CET) - At its meeting on 15 March 2022, the Board of Directors of Assystem S.A. (ISIN: FR0000074148 - ASY), an international engineering group, reviewed the Group's financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2021. Dominique Louis, Assystem's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, stated: "More than ever before, Assystem is at the heart of the combat for energy transition. One of the key objectives of this combat is to maintain and develop capacity to producecarbon-free electricity, and many countries are choosing to use nuclear energy as a major way of achieving this goal. As one of the world's leading independent nuclear engineering firms, Assystem's long-term vision has been borne out not only by its solid financial performance for 2021, but also by governmental announcements in France and the United Kingdom about the future role of nuclear in their countries' energy mixes, as well as by the European Union's green taxonomy." KEY FIGURES In millions of euros (m) 2020 reported 2020 restated* 2021reported* Revenue 471.7 438.8 483.1 Operating profit before non-recurring items- EBITA(1) 24.8 20.6 32.0 % of revenue 5.3% 4.7% 6.6% Consolidated profit/(loss) for the period(3) (21.1) (22.4) 34.7 Net debt(4) 23.8 23.8 64.7 Dividend per share (in)(2) 1.00 1.00 * The published figures for 2021 take into account: (i) the impacts on revenue and profit of applying IFRS 5 with regard to the sale of Assystem's life sciences and general industry technical assistance businesses to Expleo Group in January 2022, and (ii) the impacts on profit of IFRIC relating to the recognition of expenses incurred for implementing an ERP system in SaaS mode. The figures for 2020 have been restated accordingly to enable meaningful year-on-year comparisons. Net debt at 31 December 2021 does not take into account the proceeds generated from the above-mentioned sale, as the transaction closed after the year-end. ANALYSIS OF THE2021 INCOME STATEMENT Revenue Assystem's consolidated revenue totalled 483.1 million in 2021, up 10.1% on the restated figure for 2020. The year-on-year increase breaks down as 7.8% in like-for-like growth, a positive 2.5% impact from changes in the scope of consolidation (primarily due to the consolidation of the India-based company STUP as from 1 July and the UK-based company Schofield Lothian as from 1 October), and a 0.2% negative currency effect. Revenue from Nuclear activities (accounting for 68% of the consolidated total) amounted to 326.2 million in 2021, versus 294.5 million and 301.9 million respectively in 2020 and 2019. At 10.8%, year-on-year growth was particularly strong (breaking down as 9.8% like-for-like growth, a positive 0.7% impact from changes in the scope of consolidation and a favourable 0.3% currency effect). The increase was also high compared against 2019 (+8.1% in total). In both cases, the revenue rises were fuelled by the Group's activities in France and the United Kingdom. ET&I revenue (excluding the businesses sold to Expleo Group) came to 156.9 million in 2021, compared with 141.2 million in 2020. Year-on-year growth was 11.1% (3.7% like-for-like growth, a positive 8.7% impact from changes in the scope of consolidation due to the acquisitions of STUP and Schofield Lothian, and a 1.3% negative currency effect). Operating profit before non-recurring items(EBITA)andEBITDA(5) ConsolidatedEBITA totalled 32.0 million in 2021 versus 20.6 million in 2020, and EBITA margin widened to 6.6% from 4.7%. EBITA for Assystem Operations (all of the Group's operations except for Holding activities) came to 38.1 million (up 55% year on year), representing 7.9% of revenue, compared with 24.6 million and 5.6% respectively in 2020. The Group's "Holding company" expenses had a 6.1 million negative impact on consolidated EBITA in 2021 versus a 4.0 million negative impact in 2020 (including 0.6 million generated by "Other" activities). Excluding the impact of IFRS 16, consolidatedEBITDA(5) amounted to 36.1 million in 2021, representing 7.5% of revenue. Operating profit and other income statement items After taking into account 1.5 million in share-based payments and 1.1 million in net non-recurring income, consolidated operating profit totalled 31.6 million, compared with 17.8 million in 2020. Expleo Group - in which Assystem holds 38.05% of the capital and 38.94% of the quasi-equity instruments issued by that company (convertible bonds with capitalised interest) - contributed 6.0 million to consolidated profit, breaking down as 10.9 million in coupons on the convertible bonds less Assystem's 4.9 million share of Expleo Group's loss for the period. In 2020, Expleo contributed a negative 35.2 million, including a positive 10.0 million in coupons on the convertible bonds. Assystem recorded net financial income of 1.6 million for 2021, including 2.4 million in dividends received from Framatome. After deducting an income tax expense of 7.2 million (versus 4.6 million in 2020), consolidated profit from continuing operations totalled 32.0 million in 2021, compared with a 23.8 million loss in 2020. Assystem ended 2021 with 34.7 million in consolidated profit (compared with a 22.4 million consolidated loss in 2020), after taking into account the 2.7 million profit generated by the businesses sold to Expleo Group (1.4 million in 2020), as calculated in accordance with IFRS 5. Information aboutExpleo Group Revenue generated by Expleo Group came to 1,008.4 million in 2021 (525.5 million in the second half), up 11.7% on the 2020 figure of 903.0 million(6) (419.6 million in second-half 2020). Expleo Group's EBITDA (including the impact of IFRS 16) totalled 92.4 million for 2021 (of which 55.7 million generated in the second half), and its EBITDA margin was 9.2%. In 2020, Expleo Group recorded 74.9 million in EBITDA (of which 39.6 million in the second half) and an EBITDA margin of 8.3%. Expleo Group posted consolidated profit of 17.4 million before recognition of the capitalised interest on its quasi-equity instruments. FREE CASH-FLOW(7) AND NET DEBT Free cash flow from continuing operations (excluding the impact of IFRS 16) represented a net outflow of 5.2 million in 2021 versus a 56.4 million net inflow in 2020. The free cash flow figures were positively impacted by 26.7 million in 2020 and negatively impacted by 26.6 million in 2021 as a result of the income tax and payroll tax deferrals allowed in 2020 under Covid-related tax holiday schemes set up by several national governments. Almost all of the taxes deferred under these schemes were paid in 2021. Overall, for the two years combined, free cash flow from continuing operations represented a net inflow of 51.2 million, representing 5.6% of cumulative revenue for the same period. The Group had net debt of 64.7million at31 December 2021, versus 23.8 million at end-2020. The 40.9 million year-on-year increase breaks down as follows: 5.2 million due to the impact of the negative figure for free cash flow from continuing operations; a 2.4 million positive impact from free cash flow of discontinued operations; a 14.7 million dividend payment to Assystem shareholders for 2020; 23.8 million paid for acquisitions of shares (STUP and Schofield Lothian); a 0.4 million net cash inflow for other movements, including 1.4 million paid for purchases of Assystem shares and 2.4 million in dividends received from Framatome. RECOMMENDED DIVIDEND FOR 2021 At the Annual General Meeting to be held on 3 June 2022, Assystem will recommend the payment of a dividend of 1.00 per share. If this dividend is approved by the shareholders, it would represent a total payout of 14.8 million(8). OUTLOOK FOR 2022 Assystem envisages transferring control of its Staffing business in 2022. If this transaction takes place, Assystem estimates that its revenue and EBITA for 2021, as restated in accordance with IFRS 5, would amount respectively to 445.3 million and 30.5 million (representing an EBITA margin of 6.8%). Assystem's targets for 2022 - based on its scope of consolidation at end-2021 and excluding the Staffing business - are as follows: consolidated revenue of 480 million a stable EBITA margin, at 6.8%. To date, Assystem does not expect the war in Ukraine and the international sanctions against Russia to have a significant impact on the achievement of its targets. 2022 FINANCIAL CALENDAR 16 March: 28 April: 3 June: 28 July: 14 September: 27 October: Full-year 2021 results -Conference call at 8.30 a.m. (CET) First-quarter 2022 revenue release Annual General Meeting First-half 2022 revenue release First-half 2022 results release - Results presentation on 15 September at 8.30 a.m. (CEST) Third-quarter 2022 revenue release ABOUT ASSYSTEM As one of the world's leading independent nuclear engineering companies, Assystem's main mission is to help accelerate energy transition. In the Group's 13 countries of operation, the skills of more than 6,000 Assystem experts are being put to the service of developing the production and use of carbon-free electricity (nuclear and renewables) as well as green hydrogen. With over 50 years' experience in highly regulated sectors subject to stringent safety and security constraints, the Group provides engineering and digital services and solutions to optimise the cost and performance of its clients' complex infrastructure assets throughout their life cycles. To find out more visit www.assystem.com/ Follow Assystem on Twitter: @Assystem CONTACTS Philippe Chevallier - CFO & Deputy CEO - Tel.: +33 (0)1 41 25 28 07 Anne-Charlotte Dagorn - Communications Director - acdagorn@assystem.com - Tel.: +33 (0)6 83 03 70 29 Agnes Villeret -Komodo - Investor relations - agnes.villeret@agence-komodo.com - Tel.: +33 (0)6 83 28 04 15 APPENDICES 1/ Revenue and EBITA by business Revenue In millions of euros 2020 reported 2020 restated(1) 2021 reported Total year-on-year change(2) Like-for-like change(2,3) Group 471.7 438.8 483.1 +10.1% +7.8% Nuclear 294.5 294.5 326.2 +10.8% +9.8% ET&I(4) 174.1 141.2 156.9 +11.1% +3.7% Other(5) 3.1 3.1 - - - (1) Restated to enable meaningful year-on-year comparisons. (2) Compared with restated 2020 data. (3) Based on a comparable scope of consolidation and constant exchange rates. (4) STUP Consultants consolidated since 1July 2021 and Schofield Lothian since 1 October 2021. (5) The business corresponding to the "Other" segment has been deconsolidated since 1 July 2020. EBITA(6) In millions of euros 2020 restated % of revenue 2021 reported % of revenue Group 20.6 4.7% 32.0 6.6% Assystem Operations 24.6 5.6% 38.1 7.9% Holding company and Other (4.0) - (6.1) - (6) Operating profit before non-recurring items (EBITA) including share of profit of equity-accounted investees other than Expleo Group (1.0 million in 2020 and 0.9 million in 2021). 2/ Consolidated financial statements Consolidated statement of financial position In millions of euros 31 Dec. 2020 restated 31 Dec. 2021 reported ASSETS Goodwill 82.0 97.0 Intangible assets 5.1 4.4 Property, plant and equipment 12.0 12.9 Right-of-use assets 37.7 33.2 Investment property 1.3 1.3 Equity-accounted investees 1.4 1.0 Expleo Group shares 43.0 41.3 Expleo Group convertible bonds 121.4 132.3 Expleo Group shares and convertible bonds 164.4 173.6 Other non-current financial assets(1) 144.6 147.7 Deferred tax assets 8.4 8.8 Non-current assets 456.9 479.9 Trade receivables 150.5 169.3 Other receivables 23.9 27.7 Income tax receivables 0.7 3.4 Other current assets 0.3 0.3 Cash and cash equivalents(2) 43.1 25.7 Assets classified as held for sale - 18.3 Current assets 218.5 244.7 TOTAL ASSETS 675.4 724.6 EQUITY AND LIABILITIES 31 Dec. 2020 31 Dec. 2021 Share capital 15.7 15.7 Consolidated reserves 342.5 307.3 Pro?t/(loss) for the period attributable to owners of the parent (23.4) 34.2 Equity attributable to owners of the parent 334.8 357.2 Non-controlling interests 0.1 1.3 Total equity 334.9 358.5 Long-term debt and non-current financial liabilities(2) 66.0 89.8 Lease liabilities 30.2 26.5 Pension and other employee bene?t obligations 19.6 22.4 Long-term provisions 17.4 16.3 Deferred tax liabilities 0.1 0.1 Non-current liabilities 133.3 155.1 Short-term debt and current financial liabilities(2) 0.9 0.5 Lease liabilities 8.5 8.2 Trade payables 28.3 34.8 Due to suppliers of non-current assets 0.1 0.2 Accrued taxes and payroll costs 120.8 107.2 Income tax liabilities 1.0 2.2 Short-term provisions 6.9 2.6 Other current liabilities 40.7 46.3 Liabilities directly associated with assets classified as held for sale - 9.0 Current liabilities 207.2 211.0 TOTAL EQUITY AND LIABILITIES 675.4 724.6 (1) Including Framatome shares, representing 136.7million at 31 December 2021. (2) Net debt totalled 64.7million at 31 December 2021, breaking down as: - Short-and long-term debt and current and non-current financial liabilities: 90.4million - Cash and cash equivalents: 25.7million. Consolidated income statement In millions of euros 2020 restated 2021 reported Revenue 438.8 483.1 Payroll costs (326.7) (343.9) Other operating income and expenses (76.8) (93.7) Taxes other than on income (1.0) (0.8) Depreciation, amortisation and provisions for recurring operating items, net (14.7) (13.6) Operating profit before non-recurring items (EBITA) 19.6 31.1 Share of pro?t of equity-accounted investees 1.0 0.9 EBITA including share of profit of equity-accounted investees 20.6 32.0 Non-recurring income and expenses (1.5) 1.1 Share-based payments (1.3) (1.5) Operating pro?t 17.8 31.6 Share of pro?t/(loss) of Expleo Group (45.2) (4.9) Income from Expleo Group convertible bonds 10.0 10.9 Net financial expense on cash and debt (2.7) 0.4 Other financial income and expenses 0.9 1.2 Profit/(loss) from continuing operations before tax (19.2) 39.2 Income tax expense (4.6) (7.2) Profit/(loss) from continuing operations (23.8) 32.0 Profit from discontinued operations 1.4 2.7 Consolidated profit/(loss) for the period (22.4) 34.7 Attributable to: Owners of the parent (23.4) 34.2 Non-controlling interests 1.0 0.5 Consolidated statement of cash flows In millions of euros 2020 restated 2021 reported CASH FLOWS FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES EBITA including share of profit of equity-accounted investees 20.6 32.0 Depreciation, amortisation and provisions for recurring operating items, net 14.7 13.6 EBITDA 35.3 45.6 Change in operating working capital requirement 46.3 (25.5) Income tax paid (6.1) (6.7) Other cash flows (0.7) (4.0) Net cash generated from operating activities of discontinued operations 2.6 2.5 Net cash generated from operating activities 77.4 11.9 o/w: - generated from continuing operations 74.8 9.4 - generated from discontinued operations 2.6 2.5 CASH FLOWS FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES Acquisitions of property, plant and equipment and intangible assets, net of disposals - continuing operations, o/w: (8.4) (5.1) Acquisitions of property, plant and equipment and intangible assets (8.5) (5.2) Proceeds from disposals of property, plant and equipment and intangible assets 0.1 0.1 Acquisitions of property, plant and equipment and intangible assets, net of disposals - discontinued operations - (0.1) Free cashflow 69.0 6.7 o/w: - generated from continuing operations 66.4 4.3 - generated from discontinued operations 2.6 2.4 Acquisitions of shares and businesses (8.9) (23.8) Other movements, net 6.1 2.4 Net cash generated from/(used in) investing activities (11.2) (26.6) o/w: - generated from continuing operations (11.2) (26.5) - generated from discontinued operations - (0.1) FINANCING ACTIVITIES Net financial income received/(expenses paid) (1.3) (0.6) Proceeds from new borrowings - 24.0 Repayments of borrowings and movements in other financial liabilities (14.0) (2.0) Repayments of lease liabilities* (10.6) (10.1) Dividends paid (16.0) (14.7) Other movements in equity of the parent company (9.4) (1.4) Net cash generated from/(used in) financing activities (51.3) (4.8) Net increase/(decrease) in cash and cash equivalents 14.9 (19.5) *Including interest expense. 3/ Movements in net debt In millions of euros Net debt at 31 Dec. 2020 23.8 Free cash flow from continuing operations 5.2 Excluding IFRS 16impact and after application of IFRS 5 Free cash flow from discontinued operations (2.4) Acquisitions of shares 23.8 Acquisition of STUP and Schofield Lothian Dividends paid to Assystem shareholders 14.7 Treasury share transactions 1.4 Other movements (1.8) Mainly dividends received from Framatome Net debt at 31 Dec. 2021 64.7 4/ Information about the Company's capital Number of shares At 31 Dec. 2020 At 31 Dec. 2021 Ordinary shares outstanding 15,668,216 15,668,216 Treasury shares 855,848 876,771 Free shares and performance shares outstanding 170,925 216,300 Weighted average number of shares outstanding 15,000,142 14,776,162 Weighted average number of diluted shares 15,171,067 14,992,462 Ownership structure at 28February 2022 In % Shares Exercisable voting rights HDL Development(1) 57.93% 75.35% Free float(2) 36.50% 24.65% Treasury shares 5.57% - (1)HDL Development is a holding company that is 88.33%-controlled by Dominique Louis (Assystem's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer), notably through HDL, which itself holds 0.85% of Assystem's capital. (2)Including 0.85% held by HDL. (1) Operating profit before non-recurring items (EBITA) including share of profit of equity-accounted investees other than Expleo Group (1.0 million in 2020 and 0.9 million in 2021). (2) For 2021, the figure corresponds to the dividend that will be recommended at the Annual General Meeting to be held on 3 June 2022. (3) Including profit attributable to non-controlling interests, amounting to 1.0 million in 2020 and 0.5 million in 2021. Consequently, the Group ended 2020 with a 23.4 million loss attributable to owners of the parent and reported attributable profit of 34.2 million for 2021. (4) Debt less cash and cash equivalents and after taking into account the fair value of hedging instruments. (5) EBITA excluding the impact of IFRS 16 (9.5 million in 2021) and before depreciation and amortisation expense and net provisions for recurring operating items. (6) Figure restated to enable meaningful year-on-year comparisons. (7)Corresponding to net cash generated from operating activities less capital expenditure, net of disposals. Free cash flow from continuing operations including the IFRS 16 impact represented a net inflow of 4.3 million. (8)Corresponding to 1.00 multiplied by the 14,795,743 outstanding shares carrying dividend rights at 28 February 2022. Attachment Successful strategic repositioning: strengthening of the Spine business (+62% in 2021) with the acquisition of OSD and divestment of MADISONTM Sharp increase of 46% in the gross margin, to 3.72 million 22% improvement in the net result Regulatory News: IMPLANET (Euronext Growth: ALIMP, FR0013470168, eligible for PEA-PME equity savings plans), a medical technology company specializing in vertebral implants, announces its results for the financial year to December 31, 2021, approved by the Board of Directors on March 14, 2022. Ludovic Lastennet, IMPLANET's CEO, said: "2021, which was marked by the acquisition of OSD and the divestment of our Knee business, was a pivotal year for Implanet. The reorganization of our operations has already started to bear fruit, with a significant improvement in our revenue and gross margin over the period, and should show its full potential in 2022. These achievements were accompanied by our continuous investment policy, which aims to enhance our vertebral implant range, and the signing of new partnerships, essential to our continued commercial development. Continuing on from 2021, and in keeping with the strategic routes we have been following for the last two years, our target is to strengthen our presence abroad, and more specifically in the United States. 2022 has got off to a good start, with the first surgical procedures with both JAZZ PF and ORIGIN, and should see an acceleration following the postponements of surgical procedures observed in 2021 Income statement In thousands consolidated accounts, IFRS 2021 2020 restated Change Revenue 6,140 3,892 58% Cost of goods sold 2,420 1,339 81% Gross margin 3,721 2,553 46% Gross margin % 60.6% 65.6% Operating costs -8,040 -5,860 37% Recurring operating profit/loss - 4,319 -3,307 -31% Other non-recurring operating income/expenses -323 -135 139% Operating profit/loss -4,642 -3,442 -35% Financial profit/loss 46 -293 116% Net profit/loss from continuing business -4,597 -3,735 -23% Net p/l and divestment price of divested business 1,509 -240 Net result -3,088 -3,976 22% N.B.: The 2020 result includes restatements associated with the divestment of the MADISONTM business in accordance with IFRS 5: "Non-current assets held for sale and discontinued operations". As per this standard, revenue generated by MADISONTM activity up to October 29, 2021 (date of its divestment to SERF) and related operating expenses are classified as divested business under the net profit/loss from continuing business. 2021 revenue: substantial increase of 58% 2021 consolidated revenue, restated for the MADISONTM business in accordance with IFRS 5, totaled 6.1 million, up 58% compared with the previous year. Excluding the restatement of the MADISONTM business, revenue would have been 7.7 million, up 29% compared with 2020 not restated. Spine activity recorded very strong growth of 62%, with revenue totaling 6.1 million in 2021. OSD's contribution to revenue (between May 19 and December 31, 2021) corresponded to 2.0 million. Hence, despite the still substantial impact of COVID-19 in 2021, the Spine business generated organic growth of 8%. In France, Spine activity more than doubled to 2.7 million. The Rest of the World generated revenue of 2.0 million, giving very buoyant growth of 168% compared with 2020. Lastly, the United Sates saw revenue decline by 20% to 1.4 million, a decrease primarily due to surgical operations being postponed and SeaSpine's orders being pushed back. Sharp increase in the gross margin and improvement in the net result The gross margin improved by 46% between 2020 and 2021, increasing from 2.55 million to 3.72 million. Over the period, recurring operating expenses increased by 2.18 million, notably as a result of OSD's operating expenses of 1.34 million (from May 19, 2021). Implanet also continued its investments in R&D, quality control and regulatory affairs in order to maintain its technological lead and secure marking and marketing approvals for its implants. The recurring operating loss was 4.32 million in 2021, versus a loss of 3.31 million in 2020. Other non-recurring operating expenses correspond to the costs incurred for the acquisition of OSD. Taking into account these exceptional items and the financial result, the net loss from continuing business was 4.60 million in 2021 versus a loss of 3.74 million in 2020. Furthermore, the net profit of divested business (MADISONTM) was 1.51 million in 2021, compared with a loss of 0.24 million in 2020. The 2021 figure includes net income of 1.52 million from the divestment of the MADISONTM business. Certain price supplements, which could depend on regulatory approvals or sales generated with partner KiCo, for a total of 1.35 million, were on grounds of caution not booked at the end of the year, and will be booked at a later time depending on the approvals and sales mentioned above. As a result, in 2021 the net loss improved by 22%, from -3.98 million to -3.09 million. The Company is committed to continuing its cost controls, and the reorganization of operations with its new OSD subsidiary completed at the end of September 2021 should bear fruit in 2022. Cash position At December 31, 2021, Implanet had a cash position of 1.87 million. At the same time, the payment of the remaining balance on the divestment price of the MADISONTM knee business, i.e. 2.3 million, is being spread over time depending on the achievement of regulatory milestones relating to CE marking, with 0.6 million of this balance expected to be received in 2022. Lastly, in January 2021 the Company signed a convertible bond program with Nice Green for a total of 5.0 million. At December 31, 2.1 million is still available and remains to be subscribed to by Nice Green. Given these elements, the Company considers that it has sufficient working capital for the next 12 months. Furthermore, it is continuing to review additional solutions to finance its development. Key 2021 highlights Acquisition of Orthopaedic Spine Development ("OSD"), which specializes in developing, manufacturing and marketing implants for spine surgery Signature of a distribution contract in Germany with ulrich GmbH Co. KG for Implanet's JAZZ implants and the OSD cervical plate Signing of an exclusive agreement with GLOBUS MEDICAL for the distribution of its REFLECT scoliosis correction system to 15 French university centers specialized in pediatric spine surgery Divestment of the MADISONTM knee prosthesis range to the MENIX Group's SERF company Key events since the end of 2021 First surgical procedures in the United States with JAZZ PF, innovative solution from the JAZZ range First surgical operations in the United States with the ORIGIN cervical plate, marking the first successes of the synergies with OSD products 2022 strategy and outlook Finalize the globalization of our product offer for Spine surgery: Sustain the product synergies initiated in 2021 on our priority direct sales markets; Address emerging group purchasing concerns, both in the public sector and in private facility groups. Revitalize our presence in the United States: Add to the existing commercial team; Strengthen our direct approach by expanding our opinion leader scientific team; Launch, in 2022, two more product ranges resulting from the acquisition of OSD: SWINGO and ORIGIN. Seek strategic partnerships to allow Implanet to enter a new phase and achieve revenue leading to financial equilibrium in the short medium term. About IMPLANET Founded in 2007, IMPLANET is a medical technology company that manufactures high-quality implants for orthopedic surgery. Its activity revolves around a comprehensive innovative solution for improving the treatment of spinal pathologies (JAZZ) complemented by the product range offered by Orthopaedic Spine Development (OSD), acquired in May 2021 (thoraco-lumbar screws, cages and cervical plates). Implanet's tried-and-tested orthopedic platform is based on the traceability of its products. Protected by four families of international patents, JAZZ has obtained 510(k) regulatory clearance from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the United States, the CE mark in Europe and ANVISA approval in Brazil. IMPLANET employs 39 staff and recorded a consolidated revenue of 6.1 million in 2021. Based near Bordeaux in France, IMPLANET opened a US subsidiary in Boston in 2013. IMPLANET is listed on the Euronext Growth market in Paris. For further information, please visit www.implanet.com. The Company would like to remind readers that the table for monitoring the equity line (OCA, BSA) and the number of shares outstanding is available on its website: http://www.implanet-invest.com/suivi-des-actions-80 View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220315006056/en/ Contacts: IMPLANET Ludovic Lastennet, CEO David Dieumegard, CFO Tel.: +33 (0)5 57 99 55 55 investors@Implanet.com NewCap Investor Relations Mathilde Bohin Nicolas Fossiez Tel.: +33 (0)1 44 71 94 94 implanet@newcap.eu NewCap Media Relations Nicolas Merigeau Tel.: +33 (0)1 44 71 94 94 implanet@newcap.eu BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, March 14 (Xinhua) -- Brunei reported 2,278 new COVID-19 cases on Monday, bringing the national tally to 114,371. All the newly recorded cases were local infections, the country's health ministry said. As of March 13, 58.6 percent of Brunei's 420,000 population have received three doses of the COVID-19 vaccines, while more than 94 percent have received one dose and two doses, respectively. The COVID-19 vaccines from Pfizer, BioNTech, Moderna, AstraZeneca and China's Sinopharm are administered in Brunei. According to the health ministry, four more patients passed away in the past 24 hours, bringing the death tally to 170. Currently, 30,440 active cases are being treated and monitored in Brunei, where 83,761 recoveries from COVID-19 have been reported. Meanwhile, Brunei's Prime Minister's Office announced on Monday that the country's temporary suspension of cross-border activities with Malaysia will be extended for 16 days from March 16 to March 31. The temporary suspension on entry of foreign nationals via land and sea ports, including transits through Brunei, is extended by 16 more days until March 31, except for entry and transit travels that have been approved by the government. Located in Southeast Asia, northwest of Kalimantan, Brunei shares land and sea borders with East Malaysia. An SBI-FICCI economic conclave was held with heads of industry, business groups and the British High Commissioner to India . The British High Commissioner to India suggested now was the time to reset trade relations between the two powerful democracies. The State Bank of India also celebrated its centenary of operations in the UK. LONDON, March 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The State Bank of India ("SBI", "The Bank"), a Fortune 500 company, held a joint economic conclave in conjunction with the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry ("FICCI") on Thursday 10th March in London. With an Enhanced Trade Partnership (ETP) already agreed between the nations of the UK and India, the conclave was an opportunity to identify opportunities for economic and strategic collaboration alongside the ongoing Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiations between the two governments. The conclave was opened by SBI Chairman, Mr Dinesh Kumar Khara, visiting from India, who outlined the areas of mutual interest and development for the two nations - including R&D, Fintech and Green Finance - before tracing the history of the bank and its role as a custodian of the bilateral relationship between the UK and India. Message from FICCI-UK Chair, Baroness Prashar, who explained that we are at a critical juncture in the relationship between the two, and that we have a unique opportunity to develop the skill-sharing and talent-pooling capacities that an ETP will bring. The British High Commissioner to India, HE Alex Ellis presented the expectations for the UK-India Free Trade Agreement. Reflecting on the current FTA being negotiated by the two governments, Mr. Ellis explained that, now the UK was able to negotiate these deals outside of the EU, it was a unique opportunity for increasing trade between the two nations, which is currently "pretty thin" considering the size of the two nations in terms of GDP. The economic rationale, he continued, goes beyond the UK and India, and extends to proof that, in an increasingly more contested world, differing democracies can lay the groundwork for an accelerated consensus. He concluded that, 75 years on from India's independence, now was the time to reset a deal between the two countries on a different footing, based on common economic and strategic drivers. The conclave then continued with more panels involving industry giants such as JCB, Rolls Royce plc and Accord-UK, in addition to regional and international partnership organisations like the Confederation of British Industries and UK-India Business Council, who discussed multi-layered frameworks for implementing cross-cultural and business links between the UK and India, including digital infrastructure, cyber-security and biomedical research. The event coincided with SBI UK's celebration of its 100-year anniversary of operations in the UK. The centenary event at Mansion House, was attended by The Rt. Hon. The Lord Mayor, Alderman Vincent Keaveny, dignitaries and customers. During this event, a donation was made to Pratham UK, a charitable organisation providing educational resources to children in India. Rt. Hon. The Lord Mayor, Vincent Keaveny said: "I congratulate the State Bank of India on their one hundredth anniversary and am delighted that they have chosen Mansion House as the venue to host the celebration. The UK and India share a long history and have close links, but this isn't just about looking back but also forward, especially with the ongoing UK-India trade negotiations which we hope will include a financial services chapter. "The City of London Corporation is committed to deepening financial sector engagement with India, including through its active membership in the India-UK Financial Partnership, so that this can be the beginning of another 100 years of positive relations." Chairman of the State Bank of India, Mr. Dinesh Kumar Khara said: "101 years ago, the Imperial Bank of India opened its first branch in London in 1921. After the amalgamation of the Banks of Bombay, Calcutta and Madras to create the Imperial Bank, they looked overseas to the United Kingdom in order to establish a financial corridor that would grow from strength to strength over the last century. We have the confidence of more than 470 million customers in India, and now share that trust and security with our retail and corporate clients here in the UK. As two progressive, established democracies, the UK and India are at a perfect time in their partnership to enable the deepening of cultural and economic interlinkages that will allow us to collaborate and solve global issues together." Regional Head of SBI UK, Mr. Sharad Chandak, said: "This celebration is a testament to how far our operations in the UK have evolved in the last 100 years. We started with London Branch to offer wholesale banking and enlarged the operations in the retail space. After formation of SBI UK Ltd in 2018, we have introduced our YONO SBI UK mobile banking app, launched new products, and grown the customer base in the UK. We look forward to expanding our offering to our corporate, small businesses and retail clients throughout the next century of operations." Issued by Peregrine Communications NOTES TO EDITORS About State Bank of India UK State Bank of India (SBI) has over 200-year heritage and is a Fortune 500 company. It is the largest commercial bank in India alone in terms of assets, deposits, branches, customers, and employees. The Government of India is the largest shareholder of the bank, holding over 56% stake. SBI UK has been operating in the UK for over 100 years and has grown to become the largest Indian bank in the UK, as well as being the largest international operation of SBI. Whilst the Bank's heritage in the UK began in wholesale banking, it has continuously expanded its retail offering. As of 1st April 2018, SBI UK ringfenced and subsidiarised its retail franchise, SBI (UK) Limited, which currently has 11 branches across the UK - in Coventry, Birmingham, the City of London, Golders Green, East Ham, Harrow, Leicester, Manchester, Southall, Hounslow, and Wolverhampton. SBI (UK) Limited has adopted a high street feel to most of its UK branches, while enabling greater access to the bank's suite of products, such as savings accounts, business accounts, commercial lending, buy to let mortgages, safe deposit lockers, fixed deposits, cash ISAs, and money transfers to India. More details can be found on our website - www.sbiuk.com Photo(s): https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1767036/The_Lord_Mayor_Alderman.jpg https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1767037/Dinesh_Kumar_Khara.jpg Acquisition strengthens value proposition of TT platform with new product suite of algorithmic execution strategies, trade analytics, TCA services CHICAGO and BOCA RATON, Fla., March 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Trading Technologies International, Inc. (TT), a global provider of high-performance professional trading software, infrastructure and data solutions, announced today that the firm has acquired RCM-X, a technology provider of algorithmic execution strategies and quantitative trading products. TT made the announcement at a session with leaders of many of the largest global financial institutions on the first day of the 2022 International Futures Industry Conference in Boca Raton, Florida. Both firms are based in Chicago. The agreement represents the first acquisition since TT was acquired by 7RIDGE in December 2021, when the technology firm announced plans to grow the organization organically and through acquisitions. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Keith Todd, CEO of TT, said: "We are moving full speed ahead on our strategic plan, and with this acquisition, have already further expanded the TT trading platform capability within the first three months of 2022. This acquisition of RCM-X, with its outstanding team, best-in-class execution tools and superior performance, reflects our commitment to continually broadening our offering. Not only will we make the full suite of popular RCM-X products available to every TT user, but access will be seamless as we fully integrate the service into the TT platform." RCM-X offers a broad range of algorithmic execution strategies - designed, tested and developed with its proprietary high-performance technology stack - built by experienced market practitioners and data scientists. The firm also provides comprehensive trade analytics and independent transaction cost analysis (TCA) solutions, as well as back-testing and simulation services. The RCM-X engineering team can work with clients to create bespoke algorithmic strategies or fully automated solutions tailored to their trading objectives. Joe Signorelli, RCM-X CEO, said: "We're extremely proud of what we've built and accomplished over the years and excited to bring our unique product suite, innovative technology and talented staff to an entirely new level as part of Trading Technologies. TT is deeply embedded in the culture and daily operations of so many firms, and its market access across the globe aligns optimally with both our current footprint as well as the growth of our execution algo business and software distribution. TT clients will soon be able to use and provide their own customers with a breadth of advanced execution algorithms, comprehensive trade analytics and independent TCA services from the TT platform they use every day." Signorelli has more than three decades of experience across equities, futures and derivatives, with an emphasis on quantitative and algorithmic trading, portfolio management and product development. He founded RCM-X in 2017 after recognizing an opportunity to satisfy the demand for institutional execution algorithms in the futures markets and provide a research and development platform for the growing quantitative approach to trading. Todd added: "I've known Joe for a number of years, and the TT team has a successful relationship with RCM-X that goes much further back. We've all been impressed with the team's deep domain and statistical analysis expertise. This is a perfect fit for us, and it will bring tremendous benefits to our clients and growth to TT." About Trading Technologies Trading Technologies (www.tradingtechnologies.com) creates professional trading software, infrastructure and data solutions for a wide variety of users, including proprietary traders, brokers, money managers, Commodity Trading Advisors (CTAs), hedge funds, commercial hedgers and risk managers. In addition to providing access to the world's major international exchanges and liquidity venues via its TT trading platform, TT offers domain-specific technology for cryptocurrency trading and machine-learning tools for trade surveillance. About RCM-X RCM-X is a financial technology company that develops algorithmic execution strategies and quantitative trading products for institutional clients. The company was launched in 2017 and leverages its specialized expertise in market microstructure and a data-driven approach to improve execution performance. For more information, please visit: www.rcm-x.com. Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1672454/Trading_Technologies_Logo.jpg LA MIRADA, CA / ACCESSWIRE / March 15, 2022 / The approaching start of the new year raises various questions about filing taxes and obtaining credits that can continue to help families survive in the ongoing pandemic. "Being a parent is tremendously rewarding, but it also comes with the challenge and responsibility of supporting and educating a child," comments Philip L. Liberatore, CPA, a California-based provider of accounting, tax, and financial management services. "Fortunately, the tax code incorporates numerous ways of easing a parent's financial burden." Introduced in the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) of 2021, the Advanced Child Tax Credit (CTC) granted eligible families monthly payments to assist in raising children under the age of 17. The first half of the tax credit comes from those payments, while the second half can be claimed on the 2021 income tax return, according to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). The CTC payments have been terminated for the time being, but some qualifying families that did not receive theirs can still apply, explains Philip Liberatore, founder and president of Philip L. Liberatore, CPA. The IRS has simplified the process for taxpayers who need to take advantage of these benefits. Those who have unpaid state or federal debt or have never filed taxes before can still apply. If families who had previously filed taxes claiming a child tax credit in 2019 or 2020 did not receive a payment between the months of June and December, the IRS might have encountered a technical error stemming from a change of address or updated banking details. As a result, these payments may still arrive later. To obtain the latest information on CTC-related matters, families should check the Child Tax Credit Update Portal on the IRS website. Those who are eligible but did not sign up for monthly payments can still receive the full $3,600 per child by filing their 2021 tax returns. More information on the Non-filer Sign-up tool, eligibility, and new developments is available on the IRS' Advanced Child Tax Credit page. After six rounds of CTCs, studies have revealed that the tax credit has helped lift families out of poverty. In November 2021 alone, the CTC payment prevented 3.8 million children from living in poverty and contributed to reducing child poverty overall by 29.4% compared to a monthly poverty rate without the program, according to a study from Columbia University's Center on Poverty and Social Policy. Moreover, it does not hinder the receipt of other benefits that may apply, such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). "These payments do not count as income for any family," as stated by the administration. Furthermore, the CTC has helped families remain employed: in a survey conducted by Humanity Forward, 94% of the respondents said they were able to keep working because of the CTC payments. Philip Liberatore, a veteran CPA and entrepreneur, started Philip L. Liberatore, CPA in 1988. Established in La Miranda, California, the firm offers accounting and financial advice to businesses and individuals in southern California. It provides personalized customer care, adheres to the highest professional standards, and meets the needs of its clients with a comprehensive range of services. Philip L. Liberatore, CPA - Financial Advisory Support and Guidance: http://philliberatorenews.com Philip L. Liberatore, CPA Explains the Bill that Would Allow IRS to Look into Bank Transactions: https://www.yahoo.com/now/philip-l-liberatore-cpa-explains-113000507.html Philip L. Liberatore, CPA Reviews Proposed Measures to Help IRS Improve Tax Compliance: https://www.bloomberg.com/press-releases/2021-12-30/philip-l-liberatore-cpa-reviews-proposed-measures-to-help-irs-improve-tax-compliance Contact Information: Philip Liberatore Philip L. Liberatore, CPA 16800 Valley View Ave La Mirada, CA 90638 562-404-7996 phil@liberatorecpa.com http://liberatorecpa.com SOURCE: Philip L. Liberatore, CPA View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/693067/Philip-L-Liberatore-CPA-Explains-the-Advanced-Child-Tax-Credit-CTC-Payments-in-2021 Finsbury Growth & Income Trust Plc - Transaction in Own Shares For immediate release 15 March 2022 FINSBURY GROWTH & INCOME TRUST PLC (the "Company") MARKET PURCHASE OF COMPANY'S OWN SHARES The Company announces that it has today purchased 25,000 of its own shares ("Ordinary Shares") at a price of 792.11p 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 1,235,421; 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 223,755,882. The figure of 223,755,882 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 EDMONTON, AB / ACCESSWIRE / March 15, 2022 / Rocky Mountain Liquor Inc. (TSX-V:RUM) (the "Company" or "Rocky Mountain"), listed on the TSX Venture Exchange (the "Exchange"), announced today that Allison Radford is relinquishing her role as Chief Executive Officer. The Board of Directors appointed Scott Morrow to succeed Radford effective April 4, 2022. Ms. Radford will continue to serve as a Director on the Board of Rocky Mountain and Andersons Liquor Inc. ("Andersons). On behalf of the Rocky Mountain Board, Executive Chairman Peter J. Byrne said, "We thank Allison for her 15 years as a senior executive and guiding the Company through a critical period of transition as CEO. She took many decisive steps to stabilize the business during challenging times. Given our solid financial foundation and a clear path forward, this is the right time to transition leadership for Rocky Mountain's next chapter of growth." The Board is especially pleased that Allison has agreed to remain as a Company director through the leadership transition and going forward. As a co-founder of Andersons in 2001, she brings considerable operational knowledge to Board deliberations. Morrow's selection is a culmination of a robust succession planning process led by the Board with the help of an external leadership recruitment firm. "Scott has extensive experience in retailing over the past 25 years, leading organizations such as Liquor Stores NA (now Alcanna), Rexall Drug Stores, Medicentres Canada, and most recently as CEO of FOUR20 Premium Market. His thoughtful leadership and operational expertise make him the right choice to lead Rocky Mountain through its next phase of continued growth and shareholder value creation. With an experienced leadership team, a strong balance sheet, and a focus on growth, Rocky Mountain is poised for success." Ms. Radford said, "I am very proud of what we have accomplished. It has been a privilege to lead so many dedicated, talented individuals. We have helped bring stability and strength to the business, including restructuring our store footprint, reducing costs and debt, and driving organic growth. I also want to take this opportunity to thank our Board for all its collaboration and support. I look forward to supporting this transition as we continue executing on our strategy." "I want to thank the Board for the opportunity to lead the Rocky Mountain team," said Morrow. "I am honoured and excited to work with the talented team to advance a profitable growth strategy for the Company and create sustainable value for shareholders. The work done to date by Allison and the Board have put the organization in a strong position for growth." The Board of Directors has approved and intends to issue a one-time issuance of listed shares worth $25,000 to two individual Officers of the Issuer, as applicable under section 6.4 of the TSX Venture Exchange Policy 4.4. The Issuance will be at a deemed price of the greater of (i) the volume-weighted average trading price of listed shares traded for the five trading days immediately preceding the issuance of shares or (ii) market price at the time of issuance. The issuance is subject to approval by the TSX Venture Exchange. About Rocky Mountain Rocky Mountain owns 100% of Andersons Liquor Inc. ("Andersons"), headquartered in Edmonton, Alberta, which now owns and operates 26 private liquor stores in that province. It is listed on the TSX Venture Exchange (TSX-V:RUM). Forward-Looking Statements This news release contains forward-looking statements and forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws. These statements relate to future events or future performance. All statements other than statements of historical fact may be forward-looking statements or information. Forward-looking statements and information are often, but not always, identified by the use of words such as "appear", "seek", "anticipate", "plan", "continue", "estimate", "approximate", "expect", "may", "will", "project", "predict", "potential", "targeting", "intend", "could", "might", "should", "believe", "would" and similar expressions. Forward-looking statements and information are provided for the purpose of providing information about the current expectations and plans of management of the Company relating to the future. Readers are cautioned that reliance on such statements and information may not be appropriate for other purposes, such as investment decisions. In particular, results achieved in 2021 and previous periods might not be a certain indication of future performance, which is subject to other risks, including but not limited to changes in operational policies, changes in management, changes in strategic focus, market conditions and customer preferences, the impact from COVID-19 pandemic on our operations and third party suppliers. Since forward-looking statements and information address future events and conditions, by their very nature, they involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Actual results could differ materially from those currently anticipated due to a number of factors and risks, the risks that these events may not materialize as well as those additional factors discussed in the section entitled "Risk Factors" in RUM's Management Discussion and Analysis, which can be obtained at www.sedar.com. If they do materialize, there remains a risk of non-execution for any reason. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements, timelines and information contained in this news release. The forward-looking statements and information contained in this news release are made as of the date hereof and no undertaking is given to update publicly or revise any forward-looking statements or information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise unless so required by applicable securities laws or the TSX-V. The forward-looking statements or information contained in this news release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. For further information: Allison Radford Chief Executive Officer (780) 483-8183 Sarah Stelmack Chief Financial Officer (780) 483-8177 SOURCE: Rocky Mountain Liquor Inc. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/693189/Rocky-Mountain-Liquor-Announces-CEO-Succession BUFORD, GA / ACCESSWIRE / March 15, 2022 / MasterBeat Corporation (OTC PINK:MSTO), a holding company specializing in hard, tangible asset acquisitions with an intense focus on real estate, collectible classic automobiles, and other tangible assets, provides corporate update and forward guidance for calendar year 2022. In 2021, Masterbeat's goal was to prove its robust business models within its portfolio of businesses focused on asset acquisitions in the real estate and automotive industries. The company's pilot real estate acquisitions, which commenced in 2019 / 2020, were expected to deliver revenues, profitability, and asset appreciation and be self-sustaining. Even with the complications caused by the COVID pandemic, Masterbeat's pilot projects, including Verano Palace, in its real estate segment accomplished all these business model objectives, therefore, proving the Company's real estate business model in even the most challenging environments and conditions. Masterbeat's subsidiary, SBQ Holdings, will stay focused on land acquisitions in the Florida Panhandle for the next 12 to 24 months while incorporating other opportunities as they arise. Rented Inc., recently listed the Florida Panhandle as the best location for investors to purchase vacation rental homes. Florida's northwest Gulf Coast ranked #1 on the new "100" Best Places to Buy Vacation Rentals based on cost of ownership, short-term revenue potential, acquisition cost, annual appreciation, and projected changes in asset value. https://www.inman.com/2020/07/20/florida-is-the-no-1-state-to-purchase-a-vacation-rental/ With SBQ's business model proven to provide revenues, value and appreciation, it will continue with the development of Vacation Rental properties for resale purposes until the markets change and it becomes more feasible to keep the properties and rent them out. The REG A offering will help us scale our proven model faster. With property values growing at 24.3% annually, SBQ intends to acquire as many properties as possible. With every $500k to $600k in raw land purchases, SBQ can add $4 million plus in asset value to the books with the potential of $2m plus in profits. The Company has secured constructions loans for the builds using the purchased land for collateral. So, all funds raised in the market to purchase land secures the building loan and adds significant asset value and profits. In 2022, SBQ also plans to work closely with a 3D printed housing technology company its been in discussions with since 2019. There are 7 million low-income houses needed today in the United States. SBQ is dedicated in giving back to society and helping the homeless and addressing the affordable housing issue here in the United States. The Company's automotive division, JTEC Automotive, was not as productive through the pandemic and supply chain issues. The Automotive Parts Industry has been hit extremely hard. Ninety percent (90%) of aftermarket auto parts are produced outside the United States, and 90% of aftermarket auto body parts are produced in Taiwan. Shipping issues and the lack of raw materials to manufacture parts has made it extremely hard to acquire auto parts with back orders that have no definitive dates when the customer may receive the part. In light of the supply chain issues, the Company has decided to pivot and diversify its efforts by focusing on the Used Cars and Used Auto Parts section of its business model until the aftermarket auto parts industry gets back to some level of normalcy. JTEC Automotive will also focus on completing the existing cars within its portfolio and evaluate additional, including virtual, token and other types, ownership platforms and opportunities. "In 2022, we fully intend to aggressively implement our land acquisition plan to build our portfolio of large vacation style short term rental properties. The rise and growth of short-term rental platforms, such as Airbnb, HomeAway and Flipkey, and the post-COVID need for multi-family vacation properties have created a massive demand for Short-term Vacation Rentals, and we believe the demand will continue to grow double digits over the next five years. According to rental management platform, Rented Inc., the Florida Panhandle is the best location for investors to purchase vacation homes and Florida is the number one state to purchase a vacation rental property," stated Josh Tannariello CEO of Masterbeat Corp. "As we scale up our proven model, we are confident that it can generate greater revenue and profits while delivering substantial dividend-like returns." Josh Tannariello continues, "MasterBeat plans to strategically use its recently filed Regulation A capital raise to aggressively purchase similar land parcels. These acquisitions, paired with traditional construction loan financing (as recently announced) to build our vacation rental properties, are expected to exponentially increase cashflow, revenues and asset values to realize a potential trading market move. We are now focused on proving the development side of our business model." About MasterBeat Corp. MasterBeat Corporation (OTC: MSTO), incorporated under the laws of Delaware, is a publicly traded company specializing in hard, tangible asset acquisitions with an intense focus on real estate, precious metals, and other tangible assets. The company believes its progressive approach to an old school model, especially in this market based on fragile earnings multiples and uncertainty, to acquire hard, tangible assets will not only offer long term capital appreciation but also deliver revenues, profits, and self-sustainability. www.masterbeatcorp.com info@masterbeatcorp.com Safe Harbor Statement This release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Act of 1934 that are based upon current expectations or beliefs, as well as a number of assumptions about future events. Although we believe that the expectations and assumptions upon which they are based are reasonable, we can give no assurance that such expectations and assumptions will prove to have been correct. Some of these uncertainties include, without limitation, the company's ability to perform under existing contracts or to procure future contracts. The reader is cautioned not to put undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, as these statements are subject to numerous factors and uncertainties, including without limitation, successful implementation of our business strategy and competition, any of which may cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the statements. We undertake no obligation and do not intend to update, revise or otherwise publicly release any revisions to these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of any unanticipated events. Although we believe that our expectations are based on reasonable assumptions, we can give no assurance that our expectations will materialize. Many factors could cause actual results to differ materially from our forward-looking statements. Contact: Josh Tannariello 561-570-7050 josh@masterbeatcorp.com 2021 ACHIEVEMENTS On January 13th, 2021, MasterBeat released a corporate update and provided On December 15th, 2021, the company filed a REG A Offering to raise up to $10 million dollars. On April of 2021, SBQ Holdings LLC. accepted an offer of $1.4Million Dollars for 'the Verano Palace". The property had generated over $200k in revenues, was self-sustaining and profitable. In 2021 SBQ announced it had acquired 4 parcels of land in the Florida Panhandle, which has been rated the #1 location on the United States for short term vacation property investments. On March 23rd, 2021, MSTO announced it had acquired a parcel of land in Santa Rosa Fl for $400,000 and planned to begin construction on a 5000 sq foot vacation property with a build cost of approximately $1,400,000 million dollars. All in cost approximately $1.8M. Our actual cost was $1.85 a $500k overrun. (SOLD FOR $4.25M) On January 4th, 2022, announce it has sold its 183 Rolling Dunes, Santa Rosa Beach, Florida beach property for $4.25 Million ($4,250,000). The land acquisition and construction costs for this property are $1.85 Million ($1,850,000) which realizes a $2.4 Million ($2,400,000) gross profit for the Company. On June 07th, 2021 SBQ announced that, on June 3, 2021, it purchased a tract of land in Navarre, Florida for $365,000 and would be building another upscale Beach Vacation Home utilizing traditional financing. On July 13th, 2021, SBQ announced that it had purchased two additional properties in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida, for a total of four parcels of land, to build another large upscale Beach Vacation Style Home. SOURCE: MasterBeat Corporation View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/693185/MasterBeat-Corporation-Provides-Corporate-Update-and-2022-Guidance JACKSONVILLE, FL / ACCESSWIRE / March 15, 2022 / LFTD Partners Inc. (www.LFTDPartners.com; the "Company") (OTCQB:LIFD), today announced that the Company's ticker symbol on the OTCQB Venture Market has changed to "LIFD" from "LSFP", effective today. About LFTD Partners Inc. LFTD Partners Inc. is focused upon acquiring rapidly growing and profitable companies that sell branded hemp-derived cannabinoid products, emerging psychedelic products, and other alternative lifestyle products. LFTD Partners' first wholly-owned subsidiary is Lifted Made (www.LiftedMade.com), Kenosha, Wisconsin, which sells award-winning hemp-derived cannabinoid products and other psychedelic and alternative lifestyle products. LFTD Partners also owns 4.99% of CBD-infused beverage and products maker Ablis (www.AblisBev.com), and of distillers Bendistillery Inc. d/b/a Crater Lake Spirits (www.CraterLakeSpirits.com) and Bend Spirits, Inc., all located in Bend, Oregon. Lifted Made also has the option to purchase a 50% membership interest in SmplyLifted LLC, which sells tobacco-free nicotine pouches under the brand name FR3SH (www.GETFR3SH.com). Please read LIFD's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission which fully describe our business and the Risk Factors associated therewith. Learn more by subscribing to our newsletters at www.LiftedMade.com and www.LFTDPartners.com. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements Certain statements in this document are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such information includes the acquisition, financing, revenue growth, profitability, and product strategies, plans and expectations of LFTD Partners Inc. and Lifted Made. Such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause or contribute to the actual results of these companies' merger plans, financing plans, operations, or the performance or achievements of these companies differing materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Actual results, performance or achievements could differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking statements as a result of certain other factors, including the risk factors set forth in LFTD Partners Inc.'s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. This press release does not constitute an offer to sell common stock or any other securities of LFTD Partners Inc. CONTACT: LFTD Partners Inc. Attn: Gerard M. Jacobs, Chairman and CEO Phone: 847-915-2446 Email: GerardMJacobs@LFTDPartners.com Website: www.LFTDPartners.com SOURCE: LFTD Partners Inc. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/693195/LFTD-Partners-Inc-Announces-Ticker-Symbol-Change-to-LIFD-From-LSFP With a Portfolio of Iconic Brands Including Landau, White Cross, Chefwear, And Leading Omnichannel Retailer Scrubs & Beyond, Kindthread Will Drive Innovation and Best-In-Class Service For Healthcare Professionals SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., March 15, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Kindthread today announces the launch of its transformative new company within the healthcare apparel industry as a result of the recent acquisitions of Landau, White Cross, Chefwear, and Scrubs & Beyond by an affiliate of LKCM Headwater Investments, a leading middle-market private investment firm. With a commitment to supporting caregivers, the venture will offer thoughtfully curated products, services and experiences. Kindthread will establish a new headquarters in Scottsdale, Arizona. "Kindthread is a solution the healthcare apparel industry has not yet seen: a modern, digitally-forward, product-focused and customer-obsessed organization, dedicated to serving healthcare professionals while driving positive community impact," said David Murphy, Chief Executive Officer of Kindthread. Murphy's experience, commitment and passion for the caregiver fueled his desire to build a company focused on the holistic needs of healthcare professionals, and the industry at large. "I have long envisioned building a company with integrity and service at its core that modernizes the great brands trusted by healthcare professionals. We'll provide access to a wide array of choices and price points across the marketplace," said Murphy. The company's name has significance. Kind and thread-a combination of two simple words illustrates the core values of the organization. According to Murphy, "'Kind' is the attitude, warmth, and sentiment of the leaders we aspire to be and the customers we serve. 'Thread' refers to the product-its quality, design integrity and craftsmanship, but also how it connects the company and everything we do. Our common threads weave us together, creating a consistency to how we treat and respect one another, communicate transparently and unite around our progressive approach to the wellbeing of the industry." Kindthread's portfolio comprises iconic brands serving the healthcare professional: Landau, White Cross, Chefwear, and leading omnichannel retailer Scrubs & Beyond. "Our commitment to our brand and independent retail partners has never been greater. We are excited to closely work with them to grow their businesses," he continued. "We believe combining great brands with an omnichannel and specialty retail ecosystem allows us to best serve healthcare professionals and demonstrates our commitment to the industry overall." As the company looks toward modernizing its heritage brands, the focus will remain on delivering innovative products and memorable experiences to healthcare and service professionals around the world. "Kindthread represents a unique opportunity to invest in a platform of established brand players in Landau, White Cross, Chefwear, and Scrubs & Beyond-that, combined, have been servicing our global healthcare professionals for over 100 years," said Rick Settle, Principal of LKCM Headwater Investments. "We are impressed with David Murphy and his teams' ability to quickly scale this platform and look forward to helping accelerate the reinvestment into these brands and future complementary acquisitions to further expand innovative product offerings, service capabilities, and geographic relevance." "LKCM Headwater is committed to partnering with family-owned businesses and leading executives. We continue to seek platforms that we believe can benefit from our ability to drive transformational growth through organic initiatives and add-on acquisitions," added Michael Bornitz, Partner of LKCM Headwater Investments. "We are excited to partner with David Murphy and his executive team who have a deep knowledge of the industry and a comprehensive plan to grow Kindthread's portfolio. This in addition to the talented teams across the brands and the leaders' commitment to a positive culture, are key elements for a successful future." After witnessing two years of healthcare professionals serving on the front lines of the pandemic, it became clear to Murphy that mental health and overall wellbeing of the caregiver needed to be a key priority within the organization. "Kindthread honors and supports those who make the world better through their service," said Murphy. "Our mission-driven company is dedicated to delivering significant impact through awareness, advocacy and action within the communities in which we operate, and around the world. We're committed to building a responsible business that serves our industry and all current-and future-healthcare professionals, while fostering a positive corporate culture that leads with integrity." A new executive team brings significant expertise across supply chain, retail, sales, design, apparel and workwear. Together at the enterprise level, this group will reinvigorate the portfolio's pioneering brands whose historical product and service innovations are synonymous with the healthcare industry today. The company plans to cultivate talent and capabilities within the organization and further invest in new talent, reaching outside the apparel industry to acquire best-in-class executives across retail, marketing, digital, creative services, and community impact. "Each of our iconic brands brings their distinct value to the portfolio and each has outsized potential to become even stronger together, through modernization and efficiency," said Murphy. "We are unlocking extraordinary competitive advantage, setting the stage for continued growth by investing in these brands and providing unique products, services and experiences to our retail partners." For Media Inquiries: media@thekindthreadcompany.com About Kindthread Kindthread is dedicated to serving and transforming the healthcare apparel industry while driving positive community impact. We honor those who make the world better through their service. Our global ecosystem of trusted brands and highly coveted products creates an unprecedented retail experience for caregivers around the world. The Kindthread portfolio of brands includes Landau, White Cross, Chefwear, and leading omnichannel retailer Scrubs & Beyond. www.thekindthreadcompany.com About the Brands Landau The Landau family pioneered the healthcare uniform in the United States 70 years ago. With a mission to improve the lives of women and all healthcare professionals, founder Nat Landau and his wife established the modern scrub. Today Landau is one of the best suppliers of uniforms globally and is proud to make scrubs with the highest quality fabrics in trend-forward colors and prints to ensure a dependable and consistent fit. www.landau.com White Cross Hailed as an iconic brand in the uniform industry, the White Cross story is rich in history and heritage spanning three generations. For over 100 years, the company has produced high-quality apparel for medical professionals. Design, workmanship and functional styling are mainstays of the brand, which is distributed in Canada, North America, Latin America and around the world. A White Cross uniform worn by military nurses in 1939 is on display at the Canadian Museum of Civilization. The company is proud to bring its Quebec heritage to healthcare professionals worldwide. www.whitecrossuniforms.com Chefwear Chefwear was founded over 30 years ago by a chef and entrepreneur based on the simple idea that those in foodservice need quality, professional apparel to meet the demands of the evolving hospitality industry. Since creating the original 100% cotton chef pants, the business has expanded to include a vast selection of apparel that offers superior comfort, style and functionality for all, ranging from professionals to enthusiasts. www.chefwear.com Scrubs & Beyond For over 20 years, Scrubs & Beyond has offered fashion-forward products and outstanding customer service. Seeing an opportunity to raise the bar and provide a transformative experience catering to discerning healthcare professionals, Scrubs & Beyond has grown its business to become the largest retailer of healthcare apparel and accessories in the country. With the acquisition of Uniform City and Life Uniform companies in 2013, Scrubs & Beyond currently operates 113 stores in 30 states nationwide and is one of the largest scrubs-based ecommerce businesses with a relentless focus on customer experience. www.scrubsandbeyond.com About the Investment Partner LKCM Headwater Investments LKCM Headwater Investments is a Texas-based private equity firm that seeks to partner with management teams to build highly successful companies taking an operationally minded approach and provide companies with the tools necessary to build market leaders with sustainable competitive advantages. LKCM Headwater's investment discipline is derived from several decades of investing capital for their partners and themselves. www.lkcmheadwater.com A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/b25f3188-7208-42a7-b403-8bfcb2447034 The photo is also available at Newscom, www.newscom.com, and via AP PhotoExpress. 'Africa for Africa - Building Energy for the Just Transition' LONDON, March 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Following two years of COVID restrictions we are excited that the Africa Energy Forum (aef) is back to full capacity with the return of the massive exhibition, the four-day multi-streamed agenda focusing on the private sectors investment needs and business development. In Brussels aef will welcome back over 2,500 industry leaders (doubling the number we saw in London last year), from some 82 countries worldwide - yes, the African energy community is back 'in one place', to build back better and accelerate energy deals and projects. Simon Gosling, Managing Director of EnergyNet, commented "It's great to be back to full capacity!! As we reflect on the past 24 months it feels like the world has truly adjusted and is daring to be more responsible in investment decision making. However, responsible investing needs to be aligned with the reality of the private sector which can only survive in a profit enabled world, seeking out new revenue streams to maintain a strong and sustainable business. At aef in Brussels we will therefore be looking at financing and blended energy solutions, to reduce emissions significantly across the industrial landscape, whilst also maintaining capacity output, growth and broader job creation - THE JUST TRANSITION" Whilst countries across Africa remain some of the biggest investment destinations anywhere in the world, the energy sector is still significantly underinvested, not necessarily because of a lack of capital, but often due to a lack of capacity to build at pace and an underdevelopment industrial base. aef will therefore continue to focus on building new capacity in the energy markets and the evacuation of those electrons to enable and better serve the industries, business and homes that will in turn create a more bankable and sustainable investment climate. Being a closed forum (not open to the general public), aef will again provide stakeholders a destination to have meaningful discussions around blockages in specific projects, learn of new areas of investment such as the vast offshore potential of wind and gas, and of course break down some of the barriers to investment which is stunting the number of projects reaching financial close which presently sits at a rather lowly 10%. Who's back - we're delighted to already have confirmed a plethora of new sponsors and are ready to announce a number of powerful new partnerships, however aef is about stability and enabling continuous engagement with stakeholders critical to private sector success including; governments, utilities, regulators, development finance institutions, commercial banks, power developers, technology providers, EPCs and professional services - needless to say, they are all back. See you in Brussels. aef aef22 Contact: Harpreet Sohanpal - Marketing Director Event dates:21-24 June 2021 Event location: Taxi & Tours, Brussels, Belgium Organisers: EnergyNet Contact: AEF@energynet.co.uk / +44(0)2073847955 Website: www.africa-energy-forum.com Press release: https://www.energynet.co.uk/article/europe-announces-additional-us170bln-finance-africa-stakeholders-prepare-gather-brussels Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1767129/Africa_Energy_Forum.jpg WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Crude oil prices fell sharply on Tuesday amid fresh concerns over demand from China, where there has been a surge in Covid-19 cases, and on easing worries about supply disruptions. Expectations of positive developments in the Russia-Ukraine ceasefire talks eased fears of further supply disruptions and weighed on oil prices. Traders also looked ahead to the Federal Reserve's monetary policy announcement, due on Wednesday. The Fed is widely expected to hike rates by 25 basis points. The focus will be on the central bank's accompanying statement, which is expected to provide clues about future rate hikes. West Texas Intermediate Crude oil futures for April ended lower by $6.57 or about 6.4% at $96.44 a barrel, more than 25% off a recent high of $130.50 a barrel. WTI crude futures shed about 5.8% on Monday. Brent crude futures ended down by about 6.5% at $99.91 a barrel today, way down from a high of $139.26 a barrel it touched recently. U.S. officials reportedly indicated that Russia sent signals of its readiness to engage in deep talks about a ceasefire deal. US President Joe Biden is expected to meet NATO leaders in Brussels next week to discuss the Ukraine war, according to a Reuters report. 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. BEIJING, March 15 (Xinhua) -- Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Monday held a phone conversation with Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi. China and Indonesia are both major developing countries and emerging economies, Wang said, adding that the two sides should deepen strategic mutual trust and practical cooperation under the guidance of the two heads of state and play an active role in maintaining international and regional peace and stability. Marsudi said that Indonesia attaches great importance to developing relations with China and is willing to work with China to push bilateral relations to a new level. The two sides exchanged views on the Ukraine issue. Marsudi said that Indonesia insists on respecting other countries' sovereignty and territorial integrity, calls for an early end to the military conflict and encourages relevant parties to hold dialogue to de-escalate the situation and prevent a humanitarian crisis, adding that Indonesia is ready to step up communication and coordination with China in this regard. As the president of the Group of 20 (G20), Marsudi said Indonesia believes that the G20 was established to promote international cooperation and should pay more attention to macroeconomic and development issues. Expounding on China's consistent position on the Ukrainian issue, Wang said China will, in its own way, continue to play a constructive role in easing tensions, promoting peace talks and preventing humanitarian crises in accordance with the "four musts" put forth by Chinese President Xi Jinping. Noting that unilateral sanctions will only complicate the situation and intensify contradictions, Wang said communication and consultation represents the political wisdom and diplomatic tradition of oriental countries, which has proved to be effective. China is ready to work with Indonesia to make continued efforts to promote peace talks, Wang said. Stressing that behind the Ukraine crisis lies the intensification of the long-term accumulation of contradictions in European security, Wang said that to achieve long-term stability in Europe, the European Union, NATO and Russia should engage in dialogue on an equal footing, and establish a balanced, effective and sustainable security framework. Under the current circumstance, we should cherish peace and stability in East Asia and the Asia-Pacific region all the more, Wang said, adding that the ASEAN-centered regional cooperation architecture that has taken shape in this region over the years is of great importance. China firmly supports ASEAN centrality and the strengthening and expansion of the ASEAN-centered regional cooperation architecture, Wang said. While welcoming countries outside the region to play a positive role in regional peace and stability, Wang cautioned against either creating instability and tension or inciting bloc confrontation in the region. Still less should it be allowed to use small and medium-sized countries as tools for confrontation between major countries, Wang added. Noting that the G20 is a premier forum for international economic cooperation, Wang said China supports Indonesia in playing a leading role as the G20 president, removing disruptions and steadily advancing the established agenda for dialogue and cooperation. THE HAGUE (dpa-AFX) - Shell's Board of Directors sued for not doing enough for climate change The Board of British energy company Shell Plc (SHEL) is being sued for not taking enough steps to help the company make the transition away from fossil fuels. Environmental law firm ClientEarth, which is also a Shell shareholder, said on Tuesday that it had notified the company of its lawsuit against Shell's 13 executive and non-executive directors. The law firm has said that the Board's failure to put in place a climate plan, which aligns with the Paris Agreement must be considered a breach of their duties as per British law. The case is the first-time ever that someone has held a company's board of directors personally liable 'for failing to properly prepare for the net zero transition.' In a statement, Paul Benson, a ClientEarth lawyer, said, 'Shell is seriously exposed to the physical and transitional risks of climate change, yet its climate plan is fundamentally flawed. The longer the Board delays, the more likely it is that the company will have to execute an abrupt 'handbrake turn' to retain commercial competitiveness and meet the challenges of inevitable regulatory developments.' The not-for-profit law firm, which has a strong track record of emerging successful in climate-related cases, said that it had notified Shell and will await the firm's response before officially filing papers in the High Court of England and Wales to take the claim forward. If the case goes to the court, the Board at Shell must match its climate plans with the goals of the 2015 Paris Agreement. The court can also declare that Shell's board is in breach of its legal duties. If the claimants lose, however, they could be liable for the full costs of the case. In response to the legal action, Shell told CNBC via email that it was delivering on its global strategy that supported the Paris accord. This includes plans to transform its business 'to provide more low-carbon energy for customers.' Under the Paris Agreement, countries and states undertake efforts to limit global heating to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels by bringing down greenhouse gas emissions. A Shell spokesperson said, 'Addressing a challenge as big as climate change requires action from all quarters. The energy supply challenges we are seeing underscore the need for effective, government-led, policies to address critical needs such as energy security while decarbonizing our energy system. These challenges cannot be solved by litigation.' The law firm has called other shareholders to join the legal team so that they could form a formidable force against depleting oil and natural gas resources. Shell has faced legal action over its climate strategy before. In May 2021, a Dutch court had ordered the company to reduce its global carbon emissions by 45 percent by the end of 2030, compared with 2019 levels. It also said Shell is responsible for its own carbon emissions and those of its suppliers, known as Scope 3 emissions. The Shell spokesperson said that they do not agree with the ruling and would fight it in the court. Copyright(c) 2022 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX SHELL-Aktie komplett kostenlos handeln - auf Smartbroker.de Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - March 15, 2022) - Xigem Technologies Corporation (CSE: XIGM) (FSE:2C1) ("Xigem" or the "Company"), a technology provider for the emerging remote economy, today announced that it has retained Hybrid Financial Ltd. ("Hybrid"). The service provided by Hybrid to the Company is a database of Registered Financial Professionals in North America. Hybrid is not promoting the specific purchase or sale of securities. It provides its database, technology, and call center services to enable the issuer to disseminate its information to Financial Professionals only. Hybrid provides its services directly to the Company. Hybrid has agreed to comply with all applicable securities laws and the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange (the "CSE") in providing its services. The Company has agreed to engage Hybrid on March 14, 2022 (the "Agreement"). The Agreement calls for an initial period of 12 months beginning March 14, 2022 (the "Initial Term"), and then shall be renewed automatically for successive six-month periods thereafter, unless terminated by the Company in accordance with the Agreement. Hybrid will be paid a monthly fee of $22,500, plus applicable taxes, during the Initial Term. About Xigem Technologies Corporation Established in Toronto, Ontario, Xigem is positioned to become a leading technology provider for the emerging near trillion-dollar remote economy, with software capable of improving the capacity, productivity, and overall remote operations for businesses, consumers, and other organizations. iAgent, the Company's patented technology, FOOi, its proprietary peer-to-peer mobile payments app, and Cylix Data, its business intelligence engine, is intended to provide organizations, businesses, and consumers with the tools necessary to thrive in a vast array of remote working, learning and treatment environments, while the Company looks to aggregate a portfolio of innovative technologies capable of disrupting traditional business models. www.xigemtechnologies.com Instagram: @xigemtechnologies Twitter: @XigemTech Facebook: @xigemtechnologies LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/xigem-technologies About Hybrid Financial Ltd. Hybrid connects issuers to the investment community across North America. Using a data-driven approach, Hybrid provides its clients with comprehensive coverage of both American and Canadian markets. Hybrid has offices in Toronto and Montreal. CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS This news release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable securities laws. All statements contained herein that are not clearly historical in nature may constitute forward-looking statements. Generally, such forward-looking information or forward-looking statements 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 may contain statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "will continue", "will occur" or "will be achieved". The forward-looking information and forward-looking statements contained herein include, but are not limited to, statements regarding: the potential benefits of the Company's engagement with Hybrid; the Company's ability to become a leading technology provider; the Company's future business plans; and the growth of the remote economy. Forward-looking information in this news release is based on certain assumptions and expected future events, namely the capabilities of the Company's products and their ability to provide benefits to users as expected or at all; the Company's ability to retain and protect its intellectual property and that the remote economy will continue to grow and develop as currently anticipated. These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which may cause actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such statements, including but not limited to: risks relating to the Company's contractual relationships and the Company's ability to maintain those relationships; the potential that the Company's products will not perform as expected and/or will not be accepted by users or provide the benefits to users as currently anticipated; risks related to the Company's intellectual property and threats to such intellectual property; and risks relating to the remote economy and the potential that it will not continue to grow as expected or at all. Readers are cautioned that the foregoing list is not exhaustive. Readers are further cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, as there can be no assurance that the plans, intentions or expectations upon which they are placed will occur. 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 news release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement and reflect the Company's expectations as of the date hereof and are subject to change thereafter. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, estimates or opinions, future events or results or otherwise or to explain any material difference between subsequent actual events and such forward-looking information, except as required by applicable law. Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Market Regulator (as that term is defined in the policies of the CSE) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. SOURCE: Xigem Technologies Corporation On behalf of the Company: Brian Kalish, Chief Executive Officer For further information: Phone: (647) 250-9824 ext.4 Investors: investors@xigemtechnologies.com Media: media@xigemtechnologies.com www.xigemtechnologies.com To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/116915 MONTREAL, QC / ACCESSWIRE / March 15, 2022 / Quebec Precious Metals Corporation (TSXV:QPM)(OTCQB:CJCFF)(FSE:YXEP) ("QPM" or the "Company") announces that it has granted an aggregate of 835,000 stock options (the "Options") of the Company. Of this number, 640,000 have been granted to its directors and officers, 50,000 to one employee and 145,000 to three consultants. For the directors, officers and one employee, each Option entitles its holder to purchase one common share of the Company at a price of $0.17 per share for a five-year period. The Options vest as follows: one-third on the date of grant, one-third on the first anniversary of the date of grant, and one-third at the second anniversary of the date of grant. Options granted to the consultants are exercisable for a two-year period and will vest immediately. Options are granted in accordance with Policy 4.4 of the TSX Venture Exchange and the terms and conditions of the Company's stock option plan. About Quebec Precious Metals Corporation QPM is a gold explorer with a large land position in the highly prospective Eeyou Istchee James Bay territory, Quebec, near Newmont Corporation's Eleonore gold mine. QPM's flagship project is the Sakami project with significant grades and well-defined drill-ready targets. QPM's goal is to rapidly explore the Sakami project and advance to the mineral resource estimate stage. For more information, please contact: Normand Champigny Chief Executive Officer Tel.: 514 979-4746 Email: nchampigny@qpmcorp.ca Neither 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: Quebec Precious Metals Corporation View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/693222/Quebec-Precious-Metals-Grants-Stock-Options JERSEY CITY, NJ / ACCESSWIRE / March 15, 2022 / Coworking is here to stay. It was here to stay before the coronavirus pandemic, but the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic has solidified coworking's standing as a preferable workspace solution. In the early days of coworking, many argued it was nothing more than a movement and trend that would eventually fade away. Twelve years later, what started as a movement has become a full-blown industry that has entirely disrupted the way people lease and use office space. As demand for coworking spaces has risen and the industry evolved, so has the terminology. Today, many people use coworking, flexible workspace, and workspace-as-a-service to refer to the same thing. One thing is clear, regardless of the term you decide to use, coworking spaces are here to stay and rise. Providing a dynamic environment for small businesses to connect and grow, with their beers and coffees on tap, glass conference rooms and team-building activities, coworking spaces have become almost synonymous with indie startups over the past few decades. Since the mid-2000s, coworking spaces around the world have been gaining popularity among businesses and emerging entrepreneurs, and have established themselves as a different way of acquiring real estate. Top coworking spaces - like WorkSocial in New Jersey- offer flexible solutions that match your individual working needs. WorkSocial is the leading provider of coworking spaces, private office spaces, meeting rooms, training rooms and virtual offices, with prime locations in Jersey City, NJ as well as locations in Manhattan and Downtown Los Angeles. They offer a variety of workspaces suitable for individuals, teams, entrepreneurs and small businesses with a wide range of rental options from daily to monthly. WorkSocial takes pride in meeting the Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) standards which suggest long-term top-line growth, talent retention, cost reductions and consumer trust. "We believe in redefining your workday by bringing wellness, happiness and leadership into the workplace. WorkSocial strives hard to give everything you need in order to work efficiently, productively, healthily and happily," says founder Natasha Mohan. The company's services include providing private offices catering from one to 100 people, dedicated desks, hot desks, meeting rooms, boardrooms, training and conference rooms. Other features include high-speed clean internet access from the Microsoft Azure fabric, healthy food and drinks, office supplies, technology support and more. Founder Natasha Mohan, has many years of experience in the industry and has successfully developed her business into a major local player by presenting a real and trusted alternative to the large international providers. Her mindset is pretty simple, stay curious, be humble and never stop dreaming. According to Mohan, the most important element of the business is to help people create a shift from getting things done to creating fulfilled careers. "We do it by building a space that brings happiness back to people's workday. Happy people do good workendorphines, serotonin, dopamine and oxytocin." WorkSocial works with some of the biggest brands in the world, including Google, Facebook, IBM, and JPMorgan. They provide innovative coworking solutions. They have also provided affordable solutions for small businesses and local entrepreneurs. WorkSocial takes pride in what they do and are highly regarded as not only offering a highly enjoyable working environment for its clients, but also for their employees. They experience little to no staff turnover and consistently receive glowing reviews and a high level of customer satisfaction. "The WorkSocial team is fantastic. They are professional, kind and courteous. They truly care about making your work experience the best that it can be. The office is clean and the kitchen is always well-stocked with healthy foods. I highly recommend using their services," says one gratified client. The company has announced a 6,000-square-foot office expansion at 111 Town Square Place in Jersey City in February 2022. Mohan claims a little more than 60% of it is already reserved. "We love having a diverse group of businesses, agencies, people, and teams use our facility. That's what makes it so special. There is so much important work happening right here under this roof," added Mohan. About WorkSocial WorkSocial is a coworking space in Jersey City and Manhattan that offers shared office space and virtual office starting as low as $65/month. Their mission is to provide a workspace that supports small business endeavors, community outreach, mentoring, and entrepreneurial needs while promoting a well and happy lifestyle. CONTACT: Natasha Mohan Email: Natasha@MyWorkSocial.com Phone: (201) 210-8255 SOURCE: WorkSocial View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/692857/Coworking-Spaces-in-New-Jersey-New-York-California--Why-WorkSocial-Ranked-1 CAMBRIDGE (dpa-AFX) - British chip designer Arm Plc has plans to cut up to 1,000 jobs or about 15 percent of its workforce after its $40 billion sale to Nvidia collapsed last month, said reports. According to reports, the company's chief executive Rene Haas told employees on Monday that around 12-15 percent of the workforce could be affected. This could mean that around 1,000 employees as the company has more than 6,500 employees worldwide. The company said that most of its workforce in US and UK would be laid off. Haas said about the layoffs, 'This is going to be a tough time for everyone, so I want to be clear on why we are doing this. We need to be more disciplined about our costs and where we're investing. To stay competitive, we need to remove duplication of work now that we are one Arm; stop work that is no longer critical to our future success; and think about how we get work done.' The news follows a month after Arm's parent company Softbank said that it was not selling the company to Nvidia in the light of 'significant regulatory challenges.' The $40 billion deal was first announced in late 2020, but following Nvidia's rise in stock price, the deal value rose to around $80 billion last year, according to reports. After the deal fell through, Softbank said that it would make Arm public to cash in on the company. Arm's former CEO, Simon Segars, who led the company between 2013 and February 2022, said that the company's present investment levels would not go on for long if it went public rather than being acquired by Nvidia. According to reports, after it was taken over by Softbank, Arm had doubled its employees. 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. CANBERA (dpa-AFX) - Japan will on Wednesday release February figures for imports, exports and trade balance, highlighting a light day for Asia-Pacific economic activity. Imports are expected to jump 28.0 percent on year, slowing from 39.6 percent in January. Exports are called higher by an annual 21.0 percent, up from 9.6 percent in the previous month. The trade deficit is pegged at 112.6 billion yen following the 2,191.1 billion yen shortfall a month earlier. Japan also will see final January figures for industrial production; previously, output was down 1.0 percent on month and up 2.7 percent on year, while capacity utilization fell 0.4 percent. New Zealand will provide Q4 data for its current account, with forecasts calling for a deficit of NZ$6.213 billion following the NZ$8.3 billion shortfall in the previous three months. Australia will see February figures for the leading economic index from Westpac; in January, the index was up 0.1 percent on month. China will release February's house price index; in January, prices were up 2.3 percent on 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. Almost Friday Media, a Venice, CA-based company behind the comedy channel @friday.beers and a host of other popular social media accounts, raised $6M in Seed funding. Investors included Tim Armstrong, Robert Greenhill, Lloyd Danzigs Sharp Alpha Advisors, Northern Right Capitals Matt Drapkin, Dreamscape Hospitalitys Scott Broder, Tom Ellis, Eric Birnbaum, and Jimmy Miller, founder of Mosaic Media Group. The company intends to use the funds to support: original content initiatives across Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, YouTube, podcasts, and music programming, focusing on creators with unique comedic voices and highly engaged followings. the development of its brand/sponsorships business, live events, apparel lines, consumer products, hospitality licensing, and film/television projects. Created in late 2019 by brothers Jack, Max, and Sam Barrett, Almost Friday began as a collection of Instagram accounts that gained popularity as a relatable voice in weekend culture, sports, music, and character-driven comedy. Today their growing network comprises over 3.5+ million followers and delivers hundreds of millions of monthly impressions across a family of brands including Friday Beers, Almost Friday, Dr. Locks, Country Club Adjacent, DJ Press Play, Commence Suckdown, and Entrapranure. The creators former agent at WME, Andrew Kenward, joined the company in August 2021 to lead all business initiatives as President/COO. The company is currently developing longer form scripted and unscripted film and television ideas with streaming services and production companies. FinSMEs 15/03/2022 IsoTruss, a Springville, UT-based engineering, design, and manufacturing services provider, raised $4.5M in Series A funding. The Series A round, led by the S.G. Koenig Trust, follows a $3m seed round led by the Sojitz Corporation of Japan in October 2020. The company intends to use the funds to scale up operations and accelerate production of patented IsoTruss carbon fiber cell towers in support of 5G rollout by telecom infrastructure providers. Led by CEO Nathan D. Rich, and COO Cromwell Wong, IsoTruss is an engineering, design, and manufacturing services provider, which produces patented IsoTruss lattice cell towers for the telecommunications industry. The cell towers, fabricated with composite material, are corrosion-resistant, sustainable, eco-friendly, and lightweight. The company is targeting industries including telecom infrastructure, aerospace, civil infrastructure, energy, and construction for further growth utilizing IsoTruss Technologies, its family of patented, composite material grid structures. In Spring 2022, the company will open its second manufacturing facility, in Pampanga, Philippines, to further ramp up production of its towers, which are suited to hurricane/typhoon-prone regions. The new facility will allow the enterprise to meet demand for 5G in the Philippines and other countries located in Southeast Asia. FinSMEs 15/03/2022 Perlego, a London, UK-based online textbook subscription service, closed a $50m Series B funding round. The round was led by Mediahuis Ventures, the venture capital firm of European media group Mediahuis, with participation from Raine Ventures, the venture capital arm of Raine Group, and Evli Growth Partners, as well as angel investors such as learning platform Kahoots founders Jamie Brooker and Johan Brand through their We Are Human fund. The company intends to use the funds to accelerate its growth globally and especially in the US, and to roll out further products and features. Co-founded by Gauthier Van Malderen and Matthew Davis in 2017, Perlego provides an online learning platform that aggregates the majority of global publishers in a subscription model. It enables students to access the entire library of learning materials in one simple space, from any device, for an affordable subscription fee, publishers to access a price-sensitive audience through Perlegos revenue-shared model and get insights on the usage of their content, and allows educators to provide quality materials to their students, and effectively design and deliver their courses, bridging course engagement across the physical and digital space. The company is also developing a community where knowledge can be shared for a more collaborative learning experience, starting with the recent launch of Workspaces, an all-in-one space for learning materials. Perlego now offers 800,000 textbooks in six languages from 5,000 of the worlds top education publishers, including Cengage, Routledge, Cambridge University Press, Elsevier and Harvard University Press. Its attracted over 400,000 users from more than 6,000 institutions in 172 countries. FinSMEs 15/03/2022 SeaBeLife, a Brittany, France-based biotech company, raised 1.37M in financing from Bpifrance Funds. The financing will be paid out in two installments via the French governments Future Investments Program: 959k ($1.04M) in the form of a repayable advance and 411k ($447k) in the form of subsidies. This financing, which has been granted in connection with the French governments Deeptech Plan, will contribute to research into first-in-class drug candidates for the treatment of acute liver, kidney, heart and brain disease. The company intends to use the funds to develop drug candidates with the ability to simultaneously inhibit necroptosis and ferroptosis, two modes of regulated cell death that are activated in individuals living with certain pathologies. Founded in March 2019 and led by CEO and co-founder Morgane Rousselot, who holds a PhD in biochemistry, SeaBeLife is a biotechnology company specialized in the development of drug candidates that block cellular necrosis in order to protect or regenerate organs affected by severe pathologies for which there are no alternative, effective treatments. The company primarily targets acute pathologies of the liver and kidneys, whilst leading other research activities in ocular and degenerative conditions. The company is based on the research works of Stephane Bach, PhD, CNRS research engineer, Marie-Therese Dimanche-Boitrel, research director at IRSET (the French institute for research in environmental and occupational health) and Claire Delehouze, a biotechnology engineer, co-founder and CTO at SeaBeLife. SeaBeLife currently employs six people. FinSMEs 15/03/2022 GOVERNMENT has advised citizens wishing to travel to other countries to look for jobs to make due diligence prior to travelling so as to minimise chances of being trafficked and exploited. Chief director in the Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare Mr Clifford Matorera said the diaspora policy which Government is crafting will address issues of migration as it will among other things, document all Zimbabweans living in foreign countries including those living illegally. This comes amid concerns about rampant exploitation of citizens in the continent and this is spearheaded by unscrupulous recruitment agencies. Mr Matorera was speaking on the sidelines of a workshop on capacity development initiative on ethical recruitment in Southern Africa which opened in Victoria Falls yesterday. The workshop was organised by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), Africa Regional Migration programme, Southern African Migration Management, United Nations, European Union and United States, in conjunction with the Government. He said the Diaspora Policy has so far proved to be effective as Zimbabwe received more than US$1 billion between 2020 and 2021 through diaspora remittances. Despite warnings and evidence of people being exploited for dirty jobs after being lured for greener pastures, people continue to fall prey to fake jobs advertised online mostly by human traffickers. What we are trying to do is advise people that before they travel to any country or when offered a job, they should verify with the embassy or local offices to check on the authenticity of the offers so that we dont end up with situations where people are treated unfairly. Yes, there are certain areas that are beyond control where we have a high exodus of expert labour especially in health, engineering, technicians and artisans going to other countries for greener pastures, said Mr Matorera. Many workers especially in the civil service are reportedly taking up elementary courses required for them to get jobs in the diaspora and are leaving employment to go to western countries to seek better paying jobs. Mr Matorera said Zimbabwe had done considerably well in monitoring activities of private employment brokers. He said the diaspora policy which was first drafted in 2016 and revised in 2021 will see the country benefitting from formally exporting labour. He said an inter-ministerial taskforce has been set to look into ways and strategies of exporting labour. The Diaspora Policy was mooted in 2016 and the Second Republic renewed interest resulting in revision of many of its aspects, so the 2021 document addresses a number of shortcomings and only in 2020 and 2021 as a country, we managed to receive about US$1 billion from remittances in terms of Diaspora Policy. We are only talking of officials figures and there are other monies that come through unofficial means. As a nation, we are making concerted efforts to make sure we export labour so that the country and institutions of training benefit. On a regular basis, we always monitor private recruitment agencies because we want the country and training institutions to benefit. Mr Matorera said Government is working on making sure that all Zimbabweans in any part of the world and being subjected to unfair labour practices, are in safe hands and relocated back home. He said Zimbabwean professionals are in high demand around the globe and human traffickers take advantage of that. Chronicle Abortion should be legal in all circumstances Abortion should be legal in most circumstances Abortion should be legal in a few circumstances Abortion should never be legal in any circumstances Vote View Results This is our best offer! You get home delivery Monday through Saturday plus full digital access any time, on any device with our six-day subscription delivery membership. This membership plan includes member-only benefits like our popular ticket giveaways, all of our email newsletters and access to the daily digital replica of the printed paper. Also, you can share digital access with up to four other household members at no additional cost. Subscriptions renew automatically every 30 days. Call 240-215-8600 to cancel auto-renewal. Most subscribers are served by News-Post carriers; households in some outlying areas receive same-day delivery through the US Postal Service. If your household falls in a postal delivery area, you will be notified by our customer service team. SUSPENDED PetroTrade board chair Tinomudaishe Chinyoka yesterday alleged massive looting and mismanagement at the State-owned entity which he claimed had prejudiced the company of nearly US$120 million. Chinyoka mentions the corruption in an urgent High Court application challenging his suspension. Energy minister Zhemu Soda dissolved the Chyinyoka-chaired board last week pending investigation of matters of corporate governance, a year after appointment. Other members of the suspended board include Gladys Mumhure, Simbarashe Eric Mhuriro, Ferida Matambo, Lilian Timveos, Getrude Marabada, Godfrey Ncube (acting chief executive) and Dakarai Mukuku. Chinoda cited Soda, Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga, Auditor-General Mildred Chiri and PetroTrade (Pvt) Limited as respondents. Chiwenga was cited in his capacity as the administrator of the Public Entities and Corporate Governance Act. Through his lawyers, Gunje Legal Practice, Chinyoka accused Zhemu of attempting to block investigations into allegations of graft by shielding suspects within the company from facing justice. He claimed in the application that there was a plot to sell PetroTrade for US$20 million under unclear circumstances, a figure he said was a fraction of its value. He said PetroTrade managers authorised construction of a service station at a cost of over US$2 million in Mabvuku without following the procedures. In the meantime, the board tried to cause a forensic audit to be done by the third respondent (Chiri) and had written to her to that effect. However, the first respondents permanent secretary (Gloria Magombo), in the presence of the first respondent (Soda) had given the board a dressing down stating that it was not the boards remit to ask for a forensic audit, Chinyoka said. Instead, the board was meant to inform the first respondent that it wanted a forensic audit and if the first respondent deemed it necessary, would instruct the third respondent. Positively chastised, the board wrote to the permanent secretary asking for a forensic audit to be accrued out and left the matter in her hands, but she did nothing. However, towards the end of the year, it came to the attention of the board that the acting chief executive Godfrey Ncube had been receiving communication from the third respondent about her offices readiness to carry out the forensic audit, but was not passing it on to the board. Chinyoka alleged that the management conducted fake interviews to hire employees while also flouting tender regulations by not seeking authorisation from the Procurement Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe. According to Chinyoka, the acting CEO allegedly stole 300 000 litres of fuel and inflated payment figures by several millions of dollars, prejudicing the company of US$120 million. In light of the discovery that the acting CEO had been keeping such communication from the board, I had become even more suspicious about his honesty and when he informed the board that there were certain payments that were critical and that they be made, I got even more suspicious. These included payment of US$98 million and US$23 million for two projects that were finished and handed over years ago, Chinyoka said. The requested payments were in fact not due: where the A CE (acting CEO) wanted authorisation to pay US$98 million the information on file showed that at most, the amount due was less than US$12 000 and where he wanted US$23 million we had in fact overpaid on the contract. Chinyoka accused Soda of authorising the acting CEO to run the company without board oversight to frustrate investigation of the corrupt activities. My suspension, in circumstances where I had detailed provable instances of corruption and criminality, coupled with the first respondent directly empowering the acting CEO to run the company without oversights, is irrational and so outrageous in its defiance of logic, good judgment and common sense that no impartial person could have made such a decision, Chinyoka said. The first respondents decision is unfair in that it casts aspersions on my character and integrity. The manner in which he has couched his Press statement is calculated to inflict maximum damage. The matter was not been set down for a hearing. Meanwhile, it has also emerged that the boards problems started after it sought to have Ncube, who joined the company as a security officer, probed for alleged corruption. In a letter dated February 28, directed to the Energy ministry, Chinyoka alleged that Ncube was not fit to be CEO. Crucially, this coincided with the process of hiring a substantive CEO, the board had learned that at the time of Mr Sikwila (acting CEO Tanaka)s dismissal there was no one in the company in a position where they could readily walk into the CEOs position. This had resulted in them asking the then operations manager who joined the company as a security officer to become the CEO, Chinyoka wrote. The suspended PetroTrade board has threatened to engage President Emmerson Mnangagwa to push for the reversal of their suspension. Newsday Gainesville, TX (76240) Today Overcast. A stray severe thunderstorm is possible. High 79F. Winds SE at 10 to 20 mph.. Tonight Thunderstorms likely this evening. Then a chance of scattered thunderstorms overnight. A few storms may be severe. Low 64F. Winds SE at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 80%. Rainfall possibly over one inch. News centerpiece featured League City set to reopen renovated school as community center JENNIFER REYNOLDS/The Daily News Ryan Smith, director of facilities and information technology for League City, talks about the need for more community center space Tuesday, March 8, 2022, in the gymnasium at the former League City School. The city is renovating the facility to use as a community center. JENNIFER REYNOLDS/The Daily News League City officials are making renovations to turn the old League City School, on Kansas Avenue at Walker Street, into a community center. JENNIFER REYNOLDS/The Daily News Lynn Davis, clockwise from left, Ronnie Lenox, Ryan Smith, director of facilities and information technology for League City, and Sarah Greer Osborne, director of communications and media relations, look through a wallet and papers from the 1950s on Tuesday, March 8, 2022, that were found under the stage at the former League City School. Davis and Lenox were students at the school from kindergarten through sixth grade. JENNIFER REYNOLDS/The Daily News Ryan Smith, right, director of facilities and information technology for League City, and Sarah Greer Osborne, director of communications and media relations, talk about the renovations that are underway at the former League City School building Tuesday, March 8, 2022, as the city prepares to open the building as a community center. JENNIFER REYNOLDS/The Daily News file photo Steven Bahr paints baseboards in an old classroom at the former League City School on Tuesday, March 8, 2022, as the city prepares to open it as a community center March 8. LEAGUE CITY A former school that recently was on the list for demolition will make its debut this week as a community center, just as the city council committed hundreds of thousands more dollars to its rehabilitation. The League City School building, 400 S. Kansas Ave., this week will be the site of a spring break day camp, which city officials said will act as something of a soft opening for the facility. The city plans to use the building for a summer camp and community center later this year. The new space opens up opportunities for city-run programs, officials said. This gives us 20-plus classrooms, said Ryan Smith, League Citys director of facilities. It gives space to do smaller classes, like Jazzercise or fencing. We dont have gym space. We spend $50,000 a year on gym space from the school district. The school was built in 1938 and has over the years been used as an elementary school and a high school. Last year, the building appeared to be set for demolition. But in July, the League City Council leased the building from the Clear Creek Independent School District and committed to turning it into a community center. Since then, the city has renovated parts of the building, including the gymnasium where floors have been resurfaced, taking down walls to reveal a small stage. Renovations also included installing modern IT infrastructure. With some of that work done, the city now is testing out the facility with a small spring break camp. Its kind of our trial run, to see how things go, League City spokeswoman Sarah Greer Osborne said. Then we can determine what else we need, what needs to blocked off, what needs to be locked. We kind of need to figure out the lay of the land. The city council last year approved $300,000 for renovations to the building and this week approved another $345,000 for more work, including repairs to the buildings roof. Councilman John Bowen advocated for renovations to be done in two phases. Bowen wanted to see progress made on the building before committing more money to it. During a tour of the facility last week, he said he was satisfied and pleased with what he saw especially at the price the city is paying. When youve got a city thats growing as fast as us and were running out of room everywhere, you just cant get space this cheap, Bowen said. Saving the building also preserves a big chunk of history for the city, Bowen said. The renovation has preserved some of the features of the original school, including blackboards and wooden cubbies. And during the renovations, workers uncovered some unintentional time capsules, including a wallet and photo album that had fallen beneath the stage, he said. New York Times correspondent Jeffrey Moyo has had his application for discharge dismissed by a Bulawayo court with the case now set to proceed to a full trial. Moyo is facing charges of breaching sections of the Immigration Act. In his ruling, Bulawayo regional magistrate Mark Dzira said the scribe had a case to answer with his trial set to commence on April 20, 2022. The scribe was being jointly charged with Zimbabwe Media Commission (ZMC) officer, Thabang Manhika. Manhika has since been acquitted. They were accused of allegedly facilitating the fraudulent entry into Zimbabwe of two American journalists Christina Goldbaum and Joao Silva by providing them with fake media accreditation cards. Speaking to journalists, Moyos lawyer Kathleen Mpofu said the magistrate had ruled that the state had enough evidence to put Moyo to his defence. We have just attended the ruling of the application for discharge at the close of the state case and the Magistrate dismissed the application. He basically found that the state had led enough evidence for Mr Moyo to be put to his defence, said Mpofu. In coming to this findings, it seems the Magistrate relied on the fact that the state had led the evidence of the allegedly false accreditation cards that had been obtained by foreign journalists and based on his interpretation of the evidence led by the state , he found that it was sufficient to put the accused to his defence. CITE A 161-unit multifamily housing project in Albany is a step closer to breaking ground following a vote by the Albany Planning Commission on Monday, March 14. The 14.18-acre parcel known as Honey Grove would include 41 lots for single-family homes and one large lot for an 120-apartment complex. Each would sell at market-rate prices. According to the development plan, the project would set aside nearly 2 acres for improvements to Three Lakes Road Southeast as well as the construction of two internal streets. Honey Grove would include 210 automobile parking spaces, 30 bicycle parking spaces, some 25,000 square feet of open lawn area and a playground, the plan shows. City documents show the site neighbors a manufactured home park to the north, a single home to the south, an undeveloped farmland parcel to the east and two light industrial properties to the west. Albany-based developer Jay Conser & Sons LLC submitted its application for the project on Nov. 18. The application was completed as of Jan. 14. The Honey Grove site also includes 3.94 acres of continuous wetlands in the development zone, none of which would be developed. According to conclusions from the Oregon Department of Transportation included in the plan, the site is projected to have a "non-significant impact" on local traffic. Quality journalism doesn't happen without your help Support local news coverage and the people who report it by subscribing to the Lebanon Express. "It definitely would provide additional housing and a community that really needs it," Albany Lead Current Planner David Martineau said in an interview. The builder Conser & Sons has built a variety of housing projects in Salem, McMinnville, Millersburg, Philomath and Corvallis. The family construction firm also built housing subdivisions in Albany throughout the '80s and '90s. Matthew Conser, a manager of Conser & Sons who also serves as president with his brothers on a rotating basis, credits its success to his ancestor, Jacob Conser, who helped found the city of Jefferson. "It's in our blood," Conser said in an interview. "We've been doing this for decades. We're not new to this." According to Conser, Honey Grove is one small step in solving the supply and demand problem plaguing the housing market in Albany and at large. "The key is supply for all housing types, of all shapes and sizes, so that you build a nice home someone can move into, and free up their entry level home for the first time homebuyer," Conser said. He hopes the project could begin construction this summer with the Albany City Council's go ahead. Zone of contention Honey Grove is the latest effort in Albany to help meet demand for "middle housing." Middle housing is a term for smaller attached or clustered housing types built at a similar scale as detached single-family homes. For lower-income residents, middle housing like apartment complexes can be cheaper and present them with more options. In January, Albany updated its zoning codes in line with House Bill 2001, a 2019 state law requiring Oregon cities to diversify their housing options in residential areas by permitting middle housing by June 30. Today, Honey Grove is considered a low-density residential parcel, barring residential construction like multifamily units. At a virtual Monday meeting, the Planning Commission recommended the Albany City Council amend its zoning codes to reclassify Honey Grove as a medium-density residential parcel, allowing it to move forward for approval by the Albany City Council. The vote followed concerns voiced by Albany resident James Phillips of Spicer Wayside Southie that the new homes could worsen water runoff. In response, Conser referred to the project's storm water management plan, which concluded its effect on water runoff will be "net zero." "The water runs off the roofs of those apartments, it goes into a detention base, and we meter it out as if it was the pre-development site," Conser said. "So that's all we can do and that's all we're required to do." Filling a need By 2040, Oregon will need 583,559 new homes to meet projected demand, based on findings from the state's Department of Land Conservation and Development. The Willamette Valley alone needs 146,589 homes in that time. A 2019 Portland State University study pegged Albany's average annual growth rate from now until 2040 at 1.27%. By 2040, Albany is projected to add as many as 23,300 new residents who may need up to 6,750 new housing units, the study found. Upper income households make up 35% of future demand in Albany or the single greatest share. Low- to extremely low-income households making $30,000 per year or less comprise 45% of future demand combined. The Albany Housing Task Force reported in February around 27% of Albany households earned less than $35,000 in 2019. Honey Grove's homes are meant to be starter homes for first-time buyers, Conser told the Planning Commission at Monday's meeting. What they'll sell for in this market is an open question. "Two things that we can control are the size of the homes and the size of the lots," Conser said. The Honey Grove project is tentatively scheduled for debate by the Albany City Council on April 13. Albany is also actively recruiting participants for a focus group this week to discuss housing issues online and in-person. The Albany Planning Commission and the Albany City Council will hold a joint work session on housing and other issues for East Albany, online and in-person, at 5:15 p.m. on Monday, March 21 in the Albany City Council Chambers. Editor's note: This article has been edited to better state the topic of the joint City Council-Planning Commission meeting. Tim Gruver covers the city of Albany and Linn County. He can be contacted at 541-812-6114 or Tim.Gruver@lee.net. Follow him on Twitter via @T_TimeForce. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Republic Services has withdrawn its appeal of a denied conditional use permit for the Coffin Butte landfill expansion, according to a news release from Benton County. The Benton County Board of Commissioners was informed on Tuesday, March 15 that Valley Landfills Inc./Republic Services Inc. withdrew its appeal of the Planning Commissions denial of the permit effective last Friday, March 11, according to the release. Republic Services intends to file a new application for a revised landfill expansion project in the near future, according to a letter sent to the county. Company representatives could not be immediately reached for comment. The letter was dated March 11 and addressed to Inge Williams, associate planner with Benton County Community Development Department. It was sent by Ryan Lawler, Republic Services area president, who wrote that the decision to withdraw the appeal was made after careful analysis and consideration of alternatives. We will continue to engage with the community, listen to, and incorporate feedback, Lawler wrote. And we look forward to being part of Benton Countys long-term waste management and diversion solutions. Before this latest development in the bid to expand the landfill, appeal hearings were expected to resume Monday, March 21, which marked the end of a 90-day pause requested by Republic on Dec. 21. Coffin Butte Landfill is an extremely important asset to our community, County Commissioner Nancy Wyse said in a statement. My fellow commissioners and I were very pleased to hear that Republic is utilizing this opportunity to take more time to re-engage with our community to help shape a more constructive path for the future of solid waste. Planning commissioners found that Republics proposal would create an undue burden on the surrounding neighborhood and that Republic had not effectively answered community questions about noise, odor, air quality and public health impacts as well as effects on the environment and wildlife. Republic challenged the Planning Commissions findings, claiming the evidence doesnt support the commissions conclusion with regard to odor, air quality or noise, and that the landfill has maintained compliance with Oregon Department of Environmental Qualitys air quality permit regulations. The company also argued that improvements to Robison and Tampico roads will mitigate the closure of Coffin Butte Road, and that it would address wildlife impacts as part of its DEQ permit. The denial On Dec. 7, the Benton County Planning Commission voted 6-0 to reject the application for a proposed expansion at Coffin Butte. The rejection started the clock on a 14-day period during which appeals could be filed with the Board of Commissioners. Republic needed the conditional use permit to expand the current disposal cell south beyond the current route of Coffin Butte Road, which would be closed. A new private road would encircle the new disposal area and terminate at a locked gate at Soap Creek Road. Republic also proposed constructing a new northern route that would link the Soap Creek Road/Tampico Road area to Highway 99W via Robison Road in an effort to replace the highway access lost with the closure of Coffin Butte Road. Residents would continue to have access to Highway 99W via Tampico Road. The Phoenix-based company said it needs the expansion because the current landfill site will reach maximum capacity in approximately four years. The adjacent Knife River quarry will not be available to accept waste for perhaps another eight to 10 years. The quarry, Republic officials said, has a potential disposal lifespan of 15 years. In all, Republic said, approval of the permit would add 30 years of life to the landfill. Rejection of the application also started a clock on the possible closure of Coffin Butte and the insertion of a massive question mark into the states landfill equation. "It is very unlikely that the state would approve a new landfill in the Willamette Valley, Benton County Counsel Vance Croney has said in the past. That means the closure of Coffin Butte would send all of the regional trash more than 200 miles away to the massive Waste Management facility in Arlington along the Columbia River. The extra distance the trucks would have to travel would likely impact rates. Reaction Corvallis resident Amy Luhn, a critic of the expansion plan, was elated to hear the news. "Oh good, we didn't need anything like that in our county," she said. Luhn, who has lived in the area for 30 years, said she is not anti-development, but the expansion wasn't planned for the residents of Benton County but to help Republic Service's bottom line in serving a much larger region that goes beyond state lines. "A quantum expansion of the landfill would not be an improvement to me," she 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_. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Pfizer and BioNTech will reportedly seek authorization for a second booster dose of their coronavirus vaccine for people aged 65 and older. Three people familiar with the matter told The Washington Post that a submission to the Food and Drug Administration is expected as early as Tuesday, and it will include real-world data collected in Israel, where a fourth dose of the vaccine to healthcare workers and adults aged 60 and older was authorized in January. Advertisement A medical staffer prepares a dose of the coronavirus vaccine at a vaccination pop-up site at P.S. 19 in the Lower East Side. (Michael M Santiago/GettyImages/Getty Images) The FDA decision could come relatively quickly, according to the three sources, who asked to remain anonymous because they are not authorized to publicly discuss the issue. Health officials could conclude that the data submitted by the vaccine makers is straightforward enough that wouldnt require a review by a panel of experts. Advertisement Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 47 Rio Health secretary vaccinates young Davi Silva as part of the first group of children under 12 years of age to be part of the immunization campaign against COVID-19 on Jan. 17, 2022, at Museu do Amanha in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Davi has type 1 glutaric aciduria. (Wagner Meier/Getty Images) The news comes just days after Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla said that a fourth COVID-19 shot would be necessary, due to waning immunity, especially as new variants of the deadly virus come into play. The protection that you are getting from the third [dose], it is good enough, actually quite good for hospitalizations and deaths. Its not that good against infections but doesnt last very long, Bourla said Sunday on NBCs Meet the Press. Gillette, WY (82718) Today Cloudy with a few showers. High around 50F. Winds NNE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%.. Tonight Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low 38F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph. BROOKFIELD NEWS, March 14, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Brookfield (NYSE: BAM, TSX: BAM.A) and Blackstone (NYSE: BX) today announced that Blackstone Real Estate has acquired a 49 percent stake in One Manhattan West from Brookfield and Qatar Investment Authority (QIA). The deal values the office building at $2.85 billion. The 67-story, 2.1-million-square-foot building is part of Manhattan West, Brookfield and QIAs 8-acre, 7-million-square-foot commercial complex on Manhattans west side. The partial sale of One Manhattan West and the interest we received as soon as we put it on the market are clear validations that the highest quality office properties are seeing enormous demand coming out of the pandemic, said Brookfield Managing Partner Ben Brown. One Manhattan West is home to some of the worlds leading companies, and their continued desire to work from and grow in the building is a promising sign for Manhattan West and prime, well-located office assets broadly. Qahir Madhany, Managing Director at Blackstone Real Estate, said, One Manhattan West is a brand-new, best-in-class building that is attractive to tenants and represents a continuation of our strategy targeting well-leased, transit-oriented, highly amenitized and newly built assets in gateway markets. We are long-term believers in New York and are confident that quality properties like One Manhattan West will continue to see strong tenant demand. Designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, Brookfield opened One Manhattan West in 2019 as the first new office tower within the Manhattan West development. Located on the corner of Ninth Avenue and 33rd Street, One Manhattan West is leased with tenants including Accenture, EY, McKool Smith, and Skadden Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP. The building is LEED Gold certified and 2021 WELL Health-Safety rated. About Brookfield Brookfield is a leading global alternative asset manager with approximately US$690 billion of assets under management across real estate, infrastructure, renewable power, private equity, and credit. Brookfield owns and operates long-life assets and businesses, many of which form the backbone of the global economy. Utilizing its global reach, access to large-scale capital and operational expertise, Brookfield offers a range of alternative investment products to investors around the world including public and private pension plans, endowments and foundations, sovereign wealth funds, financial institutions, insurance companies and private wealth investors. Brookfield is listed on the New York and Toronto stock exchanges under the symbols BAM and BAM.A respectively. About Blackstone Real Estate Blackstone is a global leader in real estate investing. Blackstones real estate business was founded in 1991 and has $279 billion of investor capital under management. Blackstone is the largest owner of commercial real estate globally, owning and operating assets across every major geography and sector, including logistics, residential, office, hospitality, and retail. Our opportunistic funds seek to acquire undermanaged, well-located assets across the world. Blackstones Core+ strategy invests in substantially stabilized real estate assets globally and Blackstone Real Estate Income Trust, Inc. (BREIT), a non-listed REIT, invests in U.S. income-generating assets. Blackstone Real Estate also operates one of the leading global real estate debt businesses, providing comprehensive financing solutions across the capital structure and risk spectrum, including management of Blackstone Mortgage Trust (NYSE: BXMT). About QIA Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) is the sovereign wealth fund of the State of Qatar and a global investment organization, with investments spanning all major global markets, asset classes, sectors, and geographies. QIA is established by Amiri Decision no. 22 for 2005, to develop, invest and manage the state reserve funds and other assets assigned by the Supreme Council for Economic Affairs and Investment to diversify Qatars economy. For more information, please visit our website at www.qia.qa Contacts: Nation more attractive to investors By LIU ZHIHUA (China Daily) 09:16, March 15, 2022 Actual use of foreign capital in first two months accelerates 37.9% y-o-y Amid its pursuit of high-quality development and economic structural upgrades, China has become increasingly attractive to foreign investors due to long-term development prospects and a continuously improving business environment, analysts said on Monday. Their comments came as the Ministry of Commerce said actual use of foreign capital surged 37.9 percent year-on-year to hit 243.7 billion yuan ($38.33 billion) during the first two months of the year. That amounts to $37.86 billion in US dollar terms, up 45.2 percent year-on-year, the MOC said. "Amid the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and other global uncertainties, China has achieved a stable and rising economic performance, while its business climate keeps improving, thanks to various policy measures the Chinese authorities have adopted to create a better growth environment for enterprises," said Bai Ming, deputy director of international market research at the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation. "That makes China a perfect destination for foreign investments that seek not only profitability, but also safety," Bai said, adding that the recent local COVID-19 cases will not threaten China's stable economic growth and growing attractiveness to foreign investors. Zhou Mi, a senior researcher at the CAITEC, also said China's better-than-expected performance in attracting foreign direct investment over the period reflects foreign investors' confidence in the nation's development prospects, and the growing significance of the Chinese market for them. Analysts stressed the fast growth rates of FDI in services and high-tech industries are also a demonstration of the achievements the Chinese economy has been making in transitioning toward a growth pathway that focuses more on innovation and quality. The MOC said actual use of foreign investment in the services sector during the January-February period totaled 175.7 billion yuan, up 24 percent year-on-year. Investment in high-tech industries grew 73.8 percent year-on-year. In the total, investments in high-tech manufacturing and high-tech services grew 69.2 percent and 74.9 percent, respectively. The fast growth of foreign investment in the services sector and high-tech industries echoes China's rapid development in related areas, Zhou said. "The phenomenon has come amid the worldwide trend of increased online economic activity such as pandemic-related transactions and technological progress. "More importantly, with growing emphasis on high technology-powered development, China has been creating more favorable conditions to encourage foreign investment in high-tech sectors." According to Bai, the country's ongoing upgrades in manufacturing have been presenting fast-growing opportunities for foreign investors in high-tech areas, resulting in an obvious improvement in the nation's FDI structure and quality. He also said China's continuous efforts to attract foreign investment, including pruning of negative lists for foreign investment, implementation of the new Foreign Investment Law, trials in pilot free trade zones and Hainan Free Trade Port, have all created a better business climate for foreign investment. Zhou also said the increasing amount of FDI from economies participating in the Belt and Road Initiative and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations has mirrored closer trade and economic cooperation between China and those economies. The economic rise of the central regions, thanks to the accelerated establishment of China's unified domestic market, also makes them more attractive to foreign investors, he added. FDI from economies participating in the Belt and Road and ASEAN member states grew 27.8 percent and 25.5 percent, respectively, year-on-year, while FDI in central China grew 74.9 percent year-on-year. Growth for eastern and western regions stood at 36.6 percent and 13 percent, respectively, according to the MOC. (Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun) Proposed new state Education Department regulations unveiled Monday on oversight of private schools including ultra-orthodox yeshivas thatve been accused of failing to provide even a basic secular education are already drawing wide-ranging criticism. The regulations, introduced at the monthly meeting of the Board of Regents, were hit by critics who argued they wont do enough to force the schools to beef up secular education and supporters claiming they will infringe on the schools ability to provide religious instruction. Advertisement Yeshiva Boyan Tiferes Mordechai Shlomo School. (Corey Sipkin /New York Daily News) We appreciate the states efforts to remedy the problem by promulgating new regulations, said Naftuli Moster, a former yeshiva student and founder of the advocacy group YAFFED, which lodged a 2015 complaint against education in yeshivas that spurred the new regulations. We do, however, have serious concerns with some aspects of these regulations, he added. At the moment, they include several loopholes that, if left unaddressed, could allow the status quo to continue. Advertisement Naftuli Moster (Seth Wenig/AP) Agudath Israel, an organization that represents Haredi orthodox yeshivas, also objected to the proposed regulations but for different reasons. Nowhere in the proposed regulations is there any mention of the need to take into account the educational value of religious studies, the group wrote in a statement. By ignoring this essential component of yeshiva education, the proposed new regulations may result in yeshivas having to make major changes to their school day schedules ... this is entirely unacceptable. At issue is a state law that requires private schools to offer an education substantially equivalent to that provided at public schools. State Education Department officials have been working for years on regulations to clarify how substantial equivalency should be defined and how school districts should enforce the law. The new regs give private schools several ways to show theyre offering a legally adequate education, including getting accredited by an outside organization or offering state Education Department-sanctioned exams. Schools that cant meet any of those criteria must submit to a review by the local school district like the 2019 investigation of 28 ultra-Orthodox yeshivas by the citys Education Department that found 26 of them werent meeting legal standards. Breaking News As it happens Get updates on the coronavirus pandemic and other news as it happens with our free breaking news email alerts. > The proposed regulations, which the Board of Regents will vote on in September, would require schools to declare how they plan to meet the legal requirement by Dec. 2023. Critics of the ultra-Orthodox yeshivas worry the new rules offer too many loopholes to private schools. David Bloomfield, a professor of Education Leadership, Law and Policy at Brooklyn College and CUNYs Graduate Center, asserted private schools could satisfy the testing requirement simply by offering state exams without teaching any of the content behind the tests. Theyre fatally flawed legally and full of loopholes that fail to guarantee a substantially equivalent education, Bloomfield said. Advertisement Agudath Israel, meanwhile, voiced concerns the new regs fail to recognize the academic value of religious education. Yeshiva students devote long hours to the study of the Chumash, Mishnah, Talmud and various other religious texts a course of study that is well known to be a rigorous academic discipline of the highest order, the group wrote, insisting the scholarly value of religious teaching should count toward meeting the substantial equivalency requirement. Moster forcefully rejected that argument, and pushed for a tighter timeline to enforce the substantial equivalency law. The consequences are dire, he said, both for the community and for society that has to shoulder the burden of an uneducated population. English French MONTREAL, March 14, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Brain Canada Foundation is launching a Did you know? campaign for Brain Awareness Week 2022. Over the course of the week the Foundation will be posting a series of questions and answers daily on its social media platforms highlighting more than a dozen brain disease and disorders, as well as some of the countrys leading neuroscientists and the work they are doing to accelerate research and uncover cures and breakthrough treatments. From epilepsy to concussion to mental illness and beyond, the campaign seeks to raise awareness of the impact brain science has on our everyday lives. This year, there is a particular focus on research in the areas of mental health and mental illness, as mental illness is a leading cause of disability in Canada. Brain Awareness Week is an opportunity to remind people in Canada of the importance of brain research, notes Dr. Viviane Poupon, President, and CEO of Brain Canada Foundation. This week we want to recognize and celebrate scientific advances and offer a reminder that we all have the power to make a difference. Through the Canada Brain Research Fund (CBRF), Brain Canada awards millions of dollars every year in grants to Canadian researchers. The CBRF is an innovative arrangement between the Government of Canada (through Health Canada) and Brain Canada Foundation. To date, Health Canada has invested over $130 million through the CBRF which has been matched by Brain Canada Foundation and its donors and partners. Brain Awareness Week reminds us about the importance of investing in innovative neuroscience research to advance our understanding of neurological and brain health. Through the Canada Brain Research Funds support of 317 research projects across the country working on neurological, brain and mental health diseases, disorders, and other conditions, we are advancing our competitive leadership in brain research. - The Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos, Minister of Health Some of the ways people can participate in Brain Awareness Week: Join the free virtual one-hour event: The Walrus Leadership Forum - Technology and Treatment . On March 17, learn how scientists are working to address gaps in Canadian mental health care through innovative technology and improve the systems available to all. Register here . Join the conversation: Follow us on social media and join the conversation by using #BrainAwarenessWeek Follow us on social media and join the conversation by using #BrainAwarenessWeek Help fund brain research: In the more than two decades since it was founded, Brain Canada has rallied private and public support to address the challenges of the more than 1,000 brain disorders and diseases. About Brain Canada Foundation Brain Canada is a national registered charity headquartered in Montreal, Quebec that enables and supports excellent, innovative, paradigm-changing brain research in Canada. To learn more, visit www.braincanada.ca. Contact: Melissa Arauz Melissa.arauz@braincanada.ca 514-377-6461 @braincanada Beverly Hills , March 15, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The mission of Norada Real Estate Investments is to help one million people achieve financial independence through real estate investments. A turnkey investment property supplier with locations across the country, Norada has helped thousands of people build wealth and passive income through real estate. Its founder, Marco Santarelli, hosts the top-rated Passive Real Estate Investing podcast. Listen to the full interview of Adam Torres with Marco Santarelli on the Mission Matters Money Podcast. How did you get started in real estate investing? Santarelli says he always wanted to follow a path to financial independence, and he learned of the potential for real estate investing through some family friends when he was just 18 years old. So, at that young age, he bought his first rental property, a townhome he then renovated and rented out. Going on to earn his real estate license, he then spent three years selling residential real estate. Using creative investment strategies, between 2003 and 2004, he says he bought 84 units. He invested from Southern California in other places as far as 3,000 miles away, and 18 years in, he now runs Norada Real Estate Investments, dedicated to assisting fellow investors in building wealth through real estate. 'Creating Wealth & Passive Income Through Real Estate Investing' what does that phrase mean to you? Passive investment, Santarelli explains, means indirectly producing income from real estate by renting it out to someone else. An owner has complete control over the property and obtains rent or income every month or annually; that rent helps pay off the property owner's debt, mortgage, and utility bills. The leftover sum of money after expenses is known as passive income. The reason for the word passive, he says, is that the income arrives every month no matter whether you're working or not. With time, rent increases, and cash flow can lead to more property investments and further income. Above all, he says, each time the property owner pays the mortgage, the amount is reduced, which means the equity in the property increasing and adds to ones net worth. This is also true as the property value appreciates. Anybody can invest in real estate if they have proper capital and credit, Santarelli notes, and scale their investments as they see fit. If they desire, they can start with a single investment, then build a team and move forward from there as they please. What kind of team is required to start a real investment concept? Santarelli stresses that a proper system is required to build a solid team. The first team member, he says, will manage deal flow, providing deals that fit your investment criteria regardless of market conditions. The second team member is the lender who provides you with the financing you need; the third, fourth and fifth members of any team should be the property manager, attorney, and tax advisor or strategist. First, he says, its imperative to develop a strategy to execute on your goals, keeping track of everything in a seamless, efficient system. Next, its time to identify markets and hunt for properties, working methodically to achieve what the investor wants. What types of clients do you work with? The company works with a wide range of clients, from those who are taking on their very first investment to professionals who already own multiple properties. Norada Real Estate Investments provides an array of services to its clients, irrespective of their financial condition or market position, providing its knowledge and resources to help their strategies come to life. The company operates nationwide in 25 different types of markets with diverse real estate portfolios. What's next for your company, Norada Real Estate Investments, and your podcast, Passive Real Estate Investing? Santarelli says the brand will continue fulfilling its mission of helping people with their real estate investments. Having now appeared twice on the Inc. 5000 list, the company is planning to expand in the near future. To learn more and download the e-book The Ultimate Guide to Passive Real Estate Investing, visit them at http://www.passiverealestateinvesting.com and the company at NoradaRealEstate.com. The Ultimate Guide to Passive Real Estate Investing - Norada Real Estate Investments Media Communications Inquiries: adamtorres@missionmatters.com Via KISS PR Podcast Distribution - Media Contact: Az@kisspr.com Brand Publicity Partners KissPR.com For more details, visit Kisspr.com. KISS PR Digital PR & Marketing powers the Mission Matters Business podcast with brand storytelling. T: 972.437.8942 Via KISS PR Podcast Distribution - Media Contact: Az@kisspr.com Attachment 15 March 2022 Ad hoc announcement pursuant to Article 53 of SIX Exchange Regulation Listing Rules ONE swiss bank publishes its 2021 Annual Report and communicates the agenda for the 2022 Annual General Meeting ONE swiss bank SA made today its 2021 Annual Report available. It includes the Banks audited annual financial statements as well as the governance and remuneration reports. Furthermore, ONE swiss bank published the agenda for the Annual General Meeting of Shareholders to be held on 7 April 2022 by video conference. - ONE swiss bank SAs 2021 Annual Report can be downloaded here. - The invitation and agenda for the 2022 Annual General Meeting (French version only) can be downloaded here. All the documents are available on oneswissbank.com under the Investor relations section. For further information, please contact: Julien Delecraz Head of Marketing & Communication investorrelations@oneswiss.com +41 58 300 78 13 ONE swiss bank SA (SIX Swiss Exchange: ONE) ONE swiss bank is the result of a series of successful mergers of separate entities that have come together to offer a unique and modern private banking experience. The bank is a blend of private banking tradition and entrepreneurial spirit in a people-focused structure offering asset management and wealth management services to private and institutional clients. ONE has offices in Geneva, Lugano, Zurich and a subsidiary in Dubai. It manages around CHF 5 billion in assets. oneswissbank.com Attachment LONDON, March 15, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Vivun, the worlds first Buyer Experience platform that enables B2B companies to meet the demands of todays Sales-Proof buyer, today announced that Tamsyn Attiwell has joined the company as its first GM and VP of Sales for EMEA, spearheading Vivuns entrance into Europe. Vivun has been selling for two years and has become one of the top 1% of startups based on growth across all dimensions. In its most recent fiscal year, Vivun: * Grew ARR over 4x * Surpassed 100 employees by expanding its team members by 120% * Increased its customer count by over 160% The company already has several customers based in EMEA, including Mirakl, Sonatype, and Uberall GMH. Now the company has hired Tamsyn Attiwell as the beginning of a long-term plan to invest in people and resources for EMEA expansion. Tamsyns credentials include having helped to build out the EMEA territory at both Zuora and Ariba, creating early stage high-performing teams with significant revenue growth. Most recently Tamsyn joined UK-based Rimilia and was part of the executive team that sold the company to BlackLine in 2020. Im thrilled to join Vivun co-founder & CEO Matt Darrow for a second timewe had a terrific time at Zuora selling into EMEA and Im excited about repeating the experience at Vivun, Attiwell said. I absolutely love Vivuns trailblazing culture with its emphasis on hard work and success balanced with incredible benefits such as half Fridays off every month, two weeks of company-wide quiet time, and a 100% remote culture where everyone still gets together and sees each other in extraordinary locations such as Chamonix, France. Were adding Sales people, Marketing leaders, and Account Managers to the EMEA team and I cant wait to get started. Sales, PreSales, Marketing, and Account Manager professionals are encouraged to apply directly on Vivuns website . About Vivun Vivun is a global provider of Buyer Experience (BX) software. Its AI-powered platform supports a family of products that enable B2B businesses to meet the demands of todays Sales-Proof buyer, delivering incredible experiences that help companies stand out from the competition and accelerate revenue. With PreSales at the forefront of the Buyer Experience movement, organizations can now align sales with product, provide repeatable workflows for their solution experts, and deliver on-demand product expertise. Customers include Autodesk, Dell, Snowflake, Elastic, Fivetran, and Harness. To learn more visit www.vivun.com . Media Contact Chris Ulbrich Firebrand Communications T 415 848 9175 E vivun@firebrand.marketing Dublin, March 15, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Europe Molded Pulp Packaging Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report by Source (Wood Pulp, Non-wood Pulp), by Packaging Type (Transfer, Thermoformed), by Application, by Region, and Segment Forecasts, 2020-2028" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The Europe molded pulp packaging market size is expected to reach USD 1.43 billion by 2028. It is expected to expand at a CAGR of 5.6% from 2020 to 2028. Rising usage of molded fiber for the packaging of eggs and fruits in Europe is expected to fuel the growth of the market. The European Union (EU) is amongst the top four egg-producing regions globally. As per the European Commission, the overall egg production in the region was 6,313 thousand tons in 2020. Whereas, according to International Egg Commission, the average egg consumption in the European Union is 210 eggs per person per year. These factors are expected to fuel the demand for molded pulp packaging in the region. The EU is focusing on banning the use of single-use plastic products, along with foam, in a variety of food packaging and foodservice applications and electronics and industrial applications. Supportive regulatory policies promoting the use of sustainable packaging solutions are expected to augment the growth of the market during the forecast period. Increasing adoption of sustainable practices by businesses in their supply chain activities is anticipated to increase the penetration of molded pulp products in European countries. For instance, in March 2021, AR Packaging introduced a fiber-based barrier tray for fresh vegetables and fruit in order to attract retailers and food producers in search of plastic alternative packaging solutions. Pulp made from recycled paper products is further increasingly being promoted in the region to reduce the burden on virgin wood pulp. Europe Molded Pulp Packaging Market Report Highlights The non-wood pulp source segment is expected to register the highest CAGR of 6.2% over the forecast period. Increasing concerns over deforestation leading to challenges associated with the availability of wood pulp are expected to support the demand for non-wood pulp sources such as bagasse, rice straw, flax, and hemp Market players are focusing on new product development and mergers & acquisitions to strengthen their market presence. For instance, in January 2021, Brodrene Hartmann A/S acquired Gotek-Litar JSC, headquartered in Russia and involved in producing molded fiber packaging. The acquisition was a part of the former's strategy to increase its foothold in Europe in the market The thermoformed packaging type segment is expected to register the fastest CAGR of 6.8% over the forecast period owing to thin walls, a smoother finish, and better dimensions of thermoformed pulp packaging. The products offer alternative solutions to plastic thermoformed packaging and are thus expected to gain traction The food packaging application segment held the second-largest revenue share in 2020. Molded pulp trays and clamshells are widely used for packaging eggs, fruits, vegetables, and meat and poultry products in the fresh food industry, thus supporting the segment growth The Scandinavian region is expected to expand at a CAGR of 5.7% over the forecast period. The region is characterized by the presence of countries that are major producers of pulp and pulp-based products. Finland and Sweden were ranked among the largest producers of these products in 2020 in the European region, thereby fueling the growth of the market Market Dynamics Market Drivers Rising consumption of eggs Growing demand for sustainable packaging Market Restraints Availability of substitute packaging products Industry Challenges Aesthetic limitation of molded pulp products Companies Mentioned Brodrene Hartmann A/S Omni-Pac Group Huhtamaki Pulp-Tec Limited Eco-Products, Inc. TART PAPACKS Sales GmbH Kiefel Packaging Switch Packaging Specialists Ltd. AR Packaging For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/7fg0rn Attachment Dublin, March 15, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Microdermabrasion Devices Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report by Application (Anti-aging, Acne & scars), by Type (Crystal, Diamond), by End Use (Home Use, Clinics & Beauty Centers), and Segment Forecasts, 2022-2030" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The global microdermabrasion devices market size is expected to reach USD 984.7 million by 2030, registering a CAGR of 8.6%. Growing cases of skin-related conditions is a major factor driving the market growth. Moreover, the high demand for anti-aging treatments due to the growing geriatric population will boost the market. Increasing demand for cosmetic procedures is also anticipated to fuel market growth. For instance, according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons article, Americans spent nearly at least USD 16.5 billion on minimally invasive procedures and cosmetic plastic surgeries in 2018, which reflects a nearly 4% increase from 2017. Moreover, many cosmetic and plastic procedures are performed as a combination of more than one procedure, thus driving the market growth. In addition, the introduction of new products for the treatment of various skin disorders is estimated to augment the market growth in the future. Microdermabrasion Device Market Report Highlights Diamond microdermabrasion devices are expected to account for the largest market share as they are non-invasive, highly effective, and help increase blood flow and production of collagen in the skin. Others application segment held the largest microdermabrasion machine market share in 2018 and is expected to lead in the future as well owing to increasing demand for skin-related procedures for various conditions and preference for non-invasive procedures. Anti-aging is the fastest-growing application due to factors, such as the growing geriatric population, demand for non-invasive procedures, and well-established healthcare infrastructure in developed economies. Clinics and beauty centers segment is expected to lead the microdermabrasion systems market during the forecast period owing to availability of skilled professionals in these centers. North America held a substantial market share in 2018 due to the high demand for non-invasive techniques and presence of advanced medical infrastructure and a large number of dermatologists. Key Topics Covered: Chapter 1. Methodology and Scope 1.1. Market segmentation & scope 1.2. Information procurement 1.3. Information analysis 1.4. Market formulation & data visualization 1.5. Data validation & publishing Chapter 2. Executive Summary 2.1. Market Outlook 2.2. Segment Outlook 2.3. Competitive Insights Chapter 3. Microdermabrasion Devices Market Variables, Trends & Scope 3.1. Market Lineage outlook 3.2. Penetration & Growth Prospect Mapping 3.3. User perspective analysis 3.4. Regulatory Framework 3.5. Market Dynamics 3.6. Microdermabrasion Devices: Market Analysis Tools Chapter 4. Microdermabrasion Devices Market: Segment Analysis, By Type, 2018-2030 (USD Million) 4.1. Definitions & Scope 4.2. Type market share analysis, 2021 & 2030 4.3. Segment Dashboard 4.4. Global Microdermabrasion Devices Market, By Type, 2018 to 2030 4.5. Market Size & Forecasts and Trend Analyses, 2018 to 2030 for the following Chapter 5. Microdermabrasion Devices Market: Segment Analysis, By Application 2018-2030 (USD Million) 5.1. Definitions & Scope 5.2. Application market share analysis, 2021 & 2030 5.3. Segment Dashboard 5.4. Global Microdermabrasion Devices Market, By Application, 2018 to 2030 5.5. Market Size & Forecasts and Trend Analyses, 2018 to 2030 for the following Chapter 6. Microdermabrasion Devices Market: Segment Analysis, By End-use, 2018-2030 (USD Million) 6.1. Definitions & Scope 6.2. End-use market share analysis, 2021 & 2030 6.3. Segment Dashboard 6.4. Global Microdermabrasion Devices Market, By End-use, 2018 to 2030 6.5. Market Size & Forecasts and Trend Analyses, 2018 to 2030 for the following Chapter 7. Microdermabrasion Devices Market: Regional Market Analysis, By Region, 2018-2030 (USD Million) 7.1. Definitions & Scope 7.2. Regional market share analysis, 2021 & 2030 7.3. Regional Market Dashboard 7.4. Regional Market Snapshot (Market Size, CAGR, Top Verticals, Key Players, Top Trends) 7.5. Regional Leading Players, 2021 7.6. SWOT Analysis, by Factor (Political & Legal, Economic And Technological) 7.7. Market Size, & Forecasts, and Trend Analysis, 2019 to 2026: 7.8. North America 7.9. Europe 7.10. Asia Pacific 7.11. Latin America 7.12. Middle East and Africa Chapter 8. Microdermabrasion Devices Market-Competitive Analysis 8.1. Company/Competition Categorization (Key innovators, Market leaders, Emerging players) 8.2. Vendor Landscape Companies Mentioned Johnson & Johnson. Skin for Life Altair Instruments Dermaglow PMD Silhouet-Tone Lumenis Ltd Koninklijke Philips N.V. For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/5d43k7 Attachment New York, March 15, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Reportlinker.com announces the release of the report "Applicant Tracking System Market with COVID-19 Impact Analysis, by Component, Deployment Mode, Organization Size, Vertical and Region - Global Forecast to 2026" - https://www.reportlinker.com/p05472848/?utm_source=GNW The COVID-19 Impact on the global ATS Market The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the market is covered throughout the report.The pandemic has had a positive impact on the applicant tracking system market. The recent economic slowdown with the impact of COVID-19 emphasizes the need for alternate business systems.It has become important for businesses to embrace cloud computing and migrate to cloud applicant tracking system solutions. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the market is covered throughout the report.The pandemic has had a positive impact on the applicant tracking system market. Corporates are increasingly adopting technology-aided recruitment tools that can be leveraged remotely and can ensure hiring as well as business continuity amid disruptions. ATS has increasingly gained market traction amid the ongoing COVID- 19 pandemic to cater to virtual recruitment with the growing adoption of remote working models. The COVID-19 pandemic has created an enormous challenge for businesses globally in continuing operations despite the massive shutdown of offices and other facilities. The increasing use of technologies, especially in the pandemic situation, to stay connected and efficiently operate businesses is expected to drive the market during the COVID-19. Services segment to grow at a higher CAGR during the forecast period Based on the component, the market is segmented into two categories: software, and services.The services segment is expected to grow at a higher CAGR during the forecast period. Services, including consulting, integration and implementation, training and education, and support and maintenance, are required at various stages, starting from the pre-sales requirement assessment to post-sales product deployment and execution, thus enabling the client to get maximum RoI.Services constitute an integral part in deploying the solution on-board, imparting training, and handling and maintaining the software solution. Companies offering these services encompass consultants, solution experts, and dedicated project management teams that specialize in the design and delivery of critical decision support software, tools, and services. Cloud deployment mode segment to grow at a higher CAGR during the forecast period. The ATS market is segmented by deployment type into on-premises and cloud segment.The cloud deployment mode is expected to grow at a higher CAGR during the forecast period. ATS solutions are migrating to the cloud from the on-premises deployment model as the former offers benefits such as reduced operational costs, making the technology accessible to the organizations and departments that lack capital and good infrastructure to support the on-premises deployment model.ATS software can be deployed as a cloud-based model, allowing multiple users to access information through the internet. Cloud services require no upfront cost or pay according to the user requirement.The cloud deployment model offers various benefits to organizations, such as quick deployment, scalability, and anywhere access. Data security is a major concern while adopting cloud services. Thus, organizations are moving toward private and hybrid cloud solutions. Consumer goods and retail vertical to grow at a higher CAGR during the forecast period. The consumer goods and retail industry vertical is expected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period.The retail and consumer goods vertical is evolving and expected to grow rapidly in technological changes, customer needs, and employment. Tasks such as forecasting, budgeting, customer satisfaction, on-time task execution, and store labor schedules are the major challenges faced by the companies in this vertical.Moreover, retailers need to gain complete visibility and control over the recruitment of a diversified, mixed workforce that comprises in-store employees, drivers, and field service providers, who are difficult to attract by the manual Middle East and Africans. Due to such complexities, the retail and consumer goods vertical needs to select and hire the right employees. APAC to grow at a higher CAGR during the forecast period. The APAC market is gaining huge traction among global businesses.Moreover, the business relationship of APAC countries has increased drastically with the US in the past decade. This has led to the increased adoption of ATS software and services in the APAC region.Due to the regions high population, there are many applications for every job post, which has become a major challenge for recruiters in the APAC region. To overcome this challenge, APAC enterprises are being made aware of the benefits offered by ATS since the region includes countries such as Singapore, India, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, and Hong Kong, which focuses more on such parameters. Moreover, the advanced benefits of automation and analytic metrics are a few other factors compelling APAC companies to adopt ATS. The break-up of the profiles of primary participants in the global Applicant tracking system Market is as follows: By Company: Tier 116%, Tier 243%, and Tier 341% By Designation: C-Level Executives28%, Director Level46%, and Others26% By Region: North America44%, Europe30%, APAC12%, and RoW-14% The Applicant tracking system Market comprises major providers, such as Check Point Software Technologies(Israel), Fortinet(US), Broadcom (US), OPSWAT(US), Peraton(US), Deep Secure (UK), Votiro (US), Resec Technologies(Israel), odix (Israel), Glasswall Solutions (England), Sasa Software (Israel) JiranSecurity (South Korea), YazamTech(Israel), Solebit(Mimecast), CybACE Solutions (India), SoftCamp (South Korea), and Gatefy (US). The study includes an in-depth competitive analysis of key players in the Applicant tracking system Market with their company profiles, recent developments, COVID-19 developments, and key market strategies. Research Coverage The report segments the global applicant tracking system Market by component into two categories: software and services.By deployment mode, on-premises and cloud. By organization size, the market is segmented into two categories: SMEs and large enterprises.By vertical, the applicant tracking system market has been classified into BFSI, government, manufacturing, telecom and IT, consumer goods and retail, healthcare and lifesciences, energy and utilities, transportation and logistics, and others. By region, the market has been segmented into North America, Europe, APAC, MEA, and Latin America. Key benefits of the report The report would help the market leaders/new entrants in this market with the information on the closest approximations of the revenue numbers for the overall applicant tracking system market and the subsegments.This report would help stakeholders understand the competitive landscape and gain insights to better position their businesses and plan suitable go-to-market strategies. The report would help stakeholders understand the pulse of the market and provide them with information on the key market drivers, restraints, challenges, opportunities, and COVID-19 impact. Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p05472848/?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. __________________________ Dublin, March 15, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Pet Insurance Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report by Coverage Type (Accident & Illness, Accident Only), by Animal Type (Dogs, Cats), by Sales Channel (Agency, Broker, Direct, Bancassurance), by Region, and Segment Forecasts, 2022-2030" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The global pet insurance market size is anticipated to reach USD 32.7 billion by 2030. The market is expected to expand at a lucrative CAGR of 16.7% from 2022 to 2030. The key factors driving the market growth include the rising number of pets across the globe, high veterinary care costs, and the need to reduce financial risk. As per the Pet Food Manufacturers Association, about 59% of households had pets in the U.K. in 2021. Dogs were the most popular at about 33%, followed by cats at 27%. Other pets include rabbits, indoor birds, guinea pigs, tortoises and turtles, horses, and others. The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted all industries, including the market. The surge in pet ownership during the pandemic, expenditure on pets, and increasing pet humanization further supported the adoption of pet insurance policies during 2020 and 2021. Concerns over rising veterinary care costs and fear of transmission of COVID-19 from pets to pet owners also increased the demand for reducing financial risks with a suitable pet insurance policy. Although OIE has confirmed that no animals can spread this virus. However, in the initial months of the pandemic, there was speculation that it may spread through birds. Overall, the pandemic positively impacted the market with increased awareness and adoption of insurance policies by pet parents. Rapidly growing consumer awareness, underpenetrated market, and product acceptance have benefited the market. According to Petplan, in the U.S., the average cost of an unexpected visit to the veterinarian was around USD 800-1,500 in 2018. This burden could be eased with an insurance plan in place. Moreover, untapped opportunities in developed and developing economies are anticipated to provide lucrative growth to this market in the coming years. Furthermore, advancements in pet insurance, such as vet direct pay by Trupanion, are revolutionizing medical insurance for cats and dogs by eliminating the reimbursement model. Similarly, pet insurance in Europe is growing rapidly due to strict pet insurance regulations in countries such as Sweden. In addition, strategic initiatives by market players are further expected to boost market growth. For instance, in April 2020, Zoetis entered the pet insurance space by launching Pumpkin Insurance Services Inc.- a pet insurance agency across the U.S. The company offers competitive pet health insurance plans and preventive care plans to pet parents. In December 2019, MetLife, Inc. on the other hand, acquired PetFirst Healthcare, LLC- a companion animal health insurance administrator. This acquisition leveraged the company's position as a leader in group benefits distribution channels in the U.S. by enabling MetLife to expand its offerings. Such initiatives are estimated to boost market growth in the coming years. Insurance providers are also focused on increasing penetration by targeting the customer base of the sales channels. For instance, in February 2018, Healthy Paws collaborated with Roover.com to increase its market penetration. Pet Insurance Market Report Highlights The market was valued at USD 8.3 billion in 2021 and is expected to witness a CAGR of 16.7% during the forecast period. The dogs insurance segment held the highest share of the market in 2021. The high popularity of dogs as pets and the increase in the number of dog pet owners across the globe are the key drivers for this segment. The direct sales segment dominated the market in 2021 while the other segment is estimated to grow the fastest over the forecast period. Market players are utilizing various sales channels to distribute their insurance products and increase their market share. Bancassurance, for instance, held a notable share of the market in 2021. This is due to growing collaborations between pet insurance companies and banks. For instance, in April 2018, CIMB Bank in Singapore was the first to launch pet insurance for a wide variety of pets. Based on coverage type, the accident and illness coverage segment accounted for the largest revenue share in 2021. The key drivers of the segment include high veterinary treatment and diagnostic costs, the rise of the companion animal population, and an increase in the awareness of pet insurance. The accident only segment held a substantial share of the market in 2021. The key drivers of the segment include increasing health issues in animals and high treatment costs. In 2021, Europe held the dominant share of the market. European countries were found to have a higher rate of pet insurance penetration along with the presence of key market players. North America held the second-largest revenue share as of 2021. The key drivers of the market are a rise in the companion animal population and an increase in awareness related to pet insurance. Key Topics Covered: Chapter 1 Methodology and Scope 1.1 Market Segmentation and Scope 1.2 Research Methodology 1.3 Information procurement 1.4 Information or Data Analysis 1.5 Market Formulation & Validation 1.6 Model Details 1.7 List of Secondary Sources 1.8 Objectives Chapter 2 Executive Summary 2.1 Pet Insurance Market Summary Chapter 5 Pet Insurance Market: Segment Analysis, By Coverage Type, 2017-2030 (USD Million) 5.1 Coverage Type Market Share Analysis, 2021 & 2030 5.2 Pet Insurance market, by Coverage Type, 2017 to 2030 5.3 Accident & Illness 5.4 Accident only 5.5 Others Chapter 6 Pet Insurance Market: Segment Analysis, By Animal Type, 2017-2030 (USD Million) 6.1 Animal Type Market Share Analysis, 2021 & 2030 6.2 Pet Insurance market, by Animal Type, 2017 to 2030 6.3 Dogs 6.4 Cats 6.5 Other Animal Type Chapter 7 Pet Insurance Market: Segment Analysis, By Sales Channel, 2017-2030 (USD Million) 7.1 Sales Channel Market Share Analysis, 2021 & 2030 7.2 Pet Insurance Market, by Sales Channel, 2017 to 2030 7.3 Agency 7.4 Broker 7.5 Direct 7.6 Bancassurance 7.7 Others Chapter 8 Pet Insurance Market: Regional Market Analysis 2017-2030 (USD Million) 8.1 Definition & Scope 8.2 Regional Movement Analysis, 2021 & 2030 8.3 Regional Market Snapshot 8.4 North America 8.5 Europe 8.6 Asia Pacific 8.7 Latin America 8.8 MEA Chapter 9 Pet Insurance Market-Competitive Analysis 9.1 Market Participant Categorization 9.2. List of Key Companies Chapter 10 Pet Insurance Market-Company Profiles Companies Mentioned Trupanion, Inc. Deutsche Familienversicherung AG (DFV) BPetplan (Allianz) Animal Friends Insurance Services Limited Figo Pet Insurance, LLC Direct Line Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company Embrace Pet Insurance Agency, LLC nicom I For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/vvs8h1 Attachment DALLAS, March 15, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Group 11 Technologies Inc. (Group 11) is pleased to announce positive results from the first test in the process to develop In-situ Recovery (ISR) of gold using environmentally friendly solutions. Samples were selected from previously drilled core from the Rattlesnake Hills Gold Project, Wyoming (Rattlesnake Project) which is under option from GFG Resources Inc. (GFG) (GFG-TSXV; GFGSF-OTCQB) to Group 11. The gold recovery tests from uncrushed half-core samples demonstrated recoveries ranging from 15.9% to 77.5%, averaging 48.2% using a non-cyanide solution. Bottle roll testing of crushed and ground material returned gold recoveries ranging from 38.3% to 89.5%, averaging 61.4% using a non-cyanide solution. Group 11 is working to develop and prove the process for ISR of gold and other metals. EnviroMetal Technologies Inc. (EnviroMetal) (ETI-CSE) was engaged to conduct this initial test work using its proprietary and environmentally friendly chemistry on existing core samples selected by Group 11 personnel from the Rattlesnake Project. These samples were selected to cover a maximum range of gold bearing rock types and gold grades present in the Rattlesnake Deposit. Dr. Dennis Stover, Chief Technical Officer of Group 11 Technologies and enCore Energy Corp. and co-discoverer of the in-situ recovery process in the uranium sector said: Group 11 is very pleased with the initial tests which have shown strong results to extract gold from the existing core sample with an environmentally friendly solvent. This first step will provide the basis for future tests to be conducted on the use of the lixiviant in combination with ISR technology. Group 11 is working to create new environmentally-friendly options to extract gold and other metals through less invasive ISR extraction which is in widespread use in the uranium sector. LIVE WEBCAST MARCH 17, 2022 11 AM EST Group 11 Technologies and their partners will host a webcast on Thursday, March 17 at 11:00 am Eastern Time (8:00 am Pacific Time) to discuss the results of the Phase 1 tests, next steps and to answer any questions from shareholders. Shareholders, analysts, investors, and media are invited to join the live webcast by registering using the link below. A replay of the webcast will be available. Please join us: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/8133997228348689164 SAMPLE DESCRIPTION Group 11 selected 17 half-core and 22 composite core chip samples from the Rattlesnake Project with the objective of evaluating gold recovery and leach kinetics to provide baseline data for future studies focused on in-situ leaching using EnviroMetals environmentally superior leach chemistry. UNCRUSHED SAMPLE TESTING The half core samples were leached whole and uncrushed in ETIs lixiviant at 28% - 45% pulp density for 22 to 92 days, at a neutral pH, to investigate gold recovery for ISR application. Gold recoveries ranged from 15.9% to 77.5%, averaging 48.2%. These samples were tested whole without crushing to more closely emulate expected results from an ISR environment. Select Samples of Uncrushed Half-Core Leach Testing Gold Grade (g/t) Test Number Calc. Head Pulp Density % Leach Time (days) Gold Recovered (%) HE103 6.33 40.6 28.1 18.4 HE105 0.9 40.4 28.1 47.0 HE107 0.73 39.3 28.1 67.1 HE108 HE115 1.31 2.30 40.7 38.5 28.1 23.0 34.1 77.5 Recovery Curves of Uncrushed Half-Core Leach Testing BOTTLE ROLL TESTING The rock samples were crushed to -2.5 mm and tested via bottle roll methodology with ETIs lixiviant at 30% pulp density for 9 to 28 days at a neutral pH to investigate gold recovery. Gold recoveries ranged from 38.3% to 89.5%, averaging 61.4%. Leaching with the bottle roll on crushed material provided faster kinetics and higher recoveries, as would be expected, due to the increased surface area exposed to the solution. Select Samples of Crushed Core Bottle Roll Test Results Gold Grade (g/t) Test Number Calc. Head Assayed Leach Time (days) Gold Recovered (%) HE201 8.96 8.84 9 54.3 HE202 14.21 14.03 9 62.9 HE203 7.10 7.62 9 75.1 HE204 1.46 1.57 9 83.6 HE205 8.63 6.39 9 48.1 HE206 4.10 3.65 9 82.5 HE207 HE216 2.49 0.87 2.48 0.72 10 10 38.6 89.5 Recovery Curves of Bottle Roll Testing Although not directly comparable due to significantly different testing parameters, these bottle roll test results compare favorably with traditional bottle roll results from testing conducted in 2009 by Resource Development Inc. (RDI) for the Rattlesnake Project. The RDI testing utilized cyanide with 1g/l of NaCN, a pH of 11, 40% solids, 72 hour leaching time and a very fine grain size of 80% less than .074mm. Gold recoveries ranged from 13.7% to 65.4%, averaging 43.4% from 15 composite drill core samples. With the results of the first test in hand, Group 11 will proceed with ISR analysis and a thorough review of field data and leach test results to determine next steps which may include additional laboratory tests; additional drill tests and permitting. QA/QC PROTOCOL Splits of the crushed head samples and leach tails from the 22 bottle roll tests as well as the tails from the 17 half core leach tests were analyzed by MSALABS, an independent lab based in Langley, British Columbia. The Rattlesnake Hills Gold Project Group 11 Technologies and GFG Resources Inc. (GFG-TSXV; GFGSF-OTCQB) entered into a joint venture agreement in April 2021 to consider the Rattlesnake Project in Wyoming as a test project for the potential of ISR technology for the extraction of gold and other metals. Wyoming has a well-established regulatory process and necessary legislation for ISR technology and the Rattlesnake Project, with over USD$40 million in drilling and extensive data, offers a variety of mineralized settings providing excellent testing parameters for ISR using a non-cyanide and environmentally-friendly solution. About EnviroMetal Technologies Inc. (ETI-CSE) EnviroMetal Technologies Inc. is engaged in the development and commercialization of environmentally friendly formulas and technologies for the treatment of materials in the primary and secondary metals industries. EnviroMetal Technologies Inc. has developed an alternative lixiviant to cyanide for leaching gold which is both effective and non-toxic. Using its proprietary non-cyanide, water-based, neutral pH treatment process EnviroMetal extracts precious metals from ores, concentrates, and electronic waste. A key differentiator of EnviroMetals technology is the ability to regenerate its lixiviant chemically in a low-cost, sustainable closed-circuit process. This process results in extended reusability of both the reagent and the process water. The process also produces little to no wastewater and reduces wastewater treatment requirements. In contrast, other reagents such as cyanide require detoxification treatment before disposal. About Group 11 Technologies Inc. Group 11 Technologies Inc. is led by a group of technical pioneers and experts in the development and application of in-situ recovery (ISR) with significant experience operating in the United States. Group 11s goal is to combine ISR, a non-invasive extraction technology, with an environmentally friendly water-based chemistry to recover gold and other metals, providing an alternative development path to conventional open pit and underground mineral extraction. The combination of in-situ recovery extraction (ISR) technology and environmentally friendly water based chemistry to recover gold and other metals provides a promising alternate solution to conventional open pit and underground mineral extraction. The goal of advancing sustainable extraction considers growing concerns surrounding water use and discharge, carbon footprint, energy consumption, community stakeholders and workplace safety while addressing a growing global need for metals in our daily lives. Group 11 is a group of elements in the periodic table, also known as the coinage metals, consisting of gold (Au), silver (Ag) and copper (Cu). For additional information: Group 11 Technologies Inc. Janet Sheriff, President 214-304-9552 info@gr11tech.com www.gr11tech.com Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This news release includes certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities laws including transactions and other properties, and the potential advancement thereof. Forward- looking statements are statements that relate to future, not past, events. In this context, forward- looking statements often address expected future business and financial performance, and often contain words such as "anticipate", "believe", "plan", "estimate", "expect", and "intend", statements that an action or event "may", "might", "could", "should", or "will" be taken or occur, or other similar expressions. Estimates of mineral resources and reserves are also forward looking statements because they constitute projections regarding the amount of minerals that may be encountered in the future. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein including, without limitation; statements about the terms and completion of the transaction are forward-looking statements. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements, or other future events, to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are made based on management's beliefs, estimates and opinions on the date that statements are made and the respective companies undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements if these beliefs, estimates and opinions or other circumstances should change, except as required by applicable securities laws. Investors are cautioned against attributing undue certainty to forward-looking statements. In-Situ Recovery (ISR) Technology The In-Situ Recovery (ISR) process is a metals recovery process which differs dramatically from conventional mining techniques. Unlike conventional open pit and underground mining, ISR employs only a series of water wells. A dilute groundwater-based solution is injected into the mineral bearing zone to selectively dissolve the target mineral. The solution is then recovered and this mineral rich solution is then sent to a recovery facility much like a standard commercial water treatment plant for mineral recovery. The now barren solution is repeatedly recycled to the wells with ground water consumption kept to an absolute minimum. At completion of mining, this ground water is restored and suitable for all uses it had prior to mining, all wells are plugged, and the land is useable for all its pre-mining uses (farming, pasture lands, etc). The ISR process was first tested for production of uranium in the mid-1960s and was first applied to a commercial-scale project in 1975 in South Texas. Many of the Group 11 technical team now working to apply the technology to gold and other metals were actively involved. All environmental disturbances are short term and there is no excavation of significant quantities of rock and ore, no open pits, no tailings facilities and absolute minimal liquid and solid waste. It is environmentally benign compared with conventional methods and generally more cost effective. At present, 50% of all global uranium mining is conducted with the ISR process. Photos accompanying this announcement are available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/4d690f61-afec-4056-bae9-0f517e786bc7 https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/d0c3fd2e-bfca-46bd-8bf5-b24dbbf0b128 English French MONTREAL, March 15, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Midland Exploration Inc. (Midland) (TSX-V: MD) is pleased to announce the commencement of an important helicopter-borne electromagnetic VTEM-type (VTEM) survey covering the Tete Nord nickel-copper (Ni-Cu) property. This property, currently wholly owned by Midland, is subject to an option agreement signed in December 2021 with Rio Tinto Exploration Canada Inc. (RTEC) and is located near the town of La Tuque in Quebec. Regional VTEM survey The VTEM survey is scheduled to begin mid-March and will total approximately 6,700-line kilometres, covering the entire property under option with flight lines at a 100-metre spacing. A budget of $900,000 has been set aside for the survey and for follow-up field work in the summer of 2022, in preparation for a drilling campaign to come later in 2022-2023. Rio Tinto is project operator. About the Tete Nord Ni-Cu property The Tete Nord property comprises 936 claims covering a surface area of about 515 square kilometres in mafic and ultramafic rocks of the La Bostonnais Complex north of La Tuque. The largest claim block is located south of the former Lac Edouard mine, which historically produced 50,000 tonnes grading 1.50% Ni and 0.50% Cu (Source: SIGEOM NTS sheet 31P09). This property hosts a few mineral occurrences, including the Savane showing, located approximately 25 kilometres south of the former Lac Edouard mine, consisting of a Ni-Cu showing discovered by prospecting in 1995 in a pyroxenite, where historical values of 1.80% Ni and 0.20% Cu were reported in grab samples. Another grab sample from a subcropping boulder also yielded grades of 1.98% Ni and 0.46% Cu about 250 metres north of the Savane showing (Source: SIGEOM NTS sheet 31P07; GM55352). Calculated nickel tenors ( grades normalized to 100% sulfides ) of historical sampling at the Savane showing reaches up to 3.5% Ni (see Midland press release dated February 23 2021). Bedrock exposures in the Savane area exhibit undeformed magmatic breccia textures, indicative of a dynamic system conducive to the emplacement of Ni-Cu mineralization. No historical drilling has been reported in this highly favorable area. Option Agreement with RTEC Under this new agreement, RTEC may earn an initial 50% interest (First Option) in the Tete Nord property over a period of four years, by fulfilling the following conditions: Exploration expenditures totalling $4,000,000, including a minimum of $500,000 in the first year. Cash payments totalling $500,000, including $100,000 within 30 days of execution of the agreement After earning an initial 50% interest, RTEC may elect to increase its interest to 70% (Second Option) over a period of four years by fulfilling the following conditions: Exploration expenditures totalling up to $10,000,000 and cash payments totalling $500,000, gaining interest on the following schedule: An additional 1% interest (for a total of 51%) by funding an additional $250,000 of exploration expenditures; An additional 1% interest for each additional $500,000 of exploration expenditures (for a total of up to 69%) ; An additional 1% (for a total of 70%) by funding an additional $750,000 of exploration expenditures. About Midland Midland targets the excellent mineral potential of Quebec to make the discovery of new world-class deposits of gold, platinum group elements and base metals. Midland is proud to count on reputable partners such as RTEC, BHP Canada Inc., Probe Metals Inc., Wallbridge Mining Company Ltd, Agnico Eagle Mines Limited, Osisko Development Corp.., SOQUEM Inc., Nunavik Mineral Exploration Fund, and Abcourt Mines Inc. Midland prefers to work in partnership and intends to quickly conclude additional agreements in regard to newly acquired properties. Management is currently reviewing other opportunities and projects to build up the Corporation portfolio and generate shareholder value. This press release was prepared by Mario Masson. P.Geo., VP Exploration for Midland and Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101. For further information, please consult Midlands website or contact: Gino Roger, President and Chief Executive Officer Tel.: 450 420-5977 Fax: 450 420-5978 Email: info@midlandexploration.com Website: https://www.midlan d exploration.com/ Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This press release may contain forward-looking statements that are subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to vary materially from targeted results. Such risks and uncertainties include those described in Midlands periodic reports including the annual report or in the filings made by Midland from time to time with securities regulatory authorities. Four figures accompanying this announcement are available at: https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/8ce15f76-42ee-42f1-b0db-b30b473850c0 https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/dfc1bd67-b7b7-4cdf-b6ea-181838034ebc https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/2da5f82c-3ef9-4300-b12c-321462f347ac https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/a69c605a-ba95-4ff1-8e74-c35b7c175a41 Slick con woman Anna Delvey Sorokin was reportedly released from an upstate New York detention center Monday for deportation to Germany. Sorokin, 31, whose depiction on the Netflix series Inventing Anna brought her fraud case back into the spotlight and garnered cult-like social media attention, had been fighting the removal. Advertisement In theory, she shouldnt be deported today, but everything Ive heard indicates she will be deported today, Sorokins criminal defense lawyer, Manny Arora, told the Daily News. I was working with the belief that we had a few more days, added Arora, who said Sorokin had not called him as planned Monday before he learned of her pending removal from German news reporters. Im a little loath to say that she may already be in process. Advertisement The German news outlet Der Spiegel first reported Friday that Sorokin faced imminent deportation, citing sources. Once she is removed we will be able to offer confirmation at that time, Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokeswoman Rachael Yong Yow told The News. She remains in ICE custody. Anna Sorokin at her sentencing on May 10, 2019, in New York. (Alec Tabak for New York Daily News) (Alec Tabak/for New York Daily News) A Manhattan jury convicted Sorokin of grand larceny and theft of services on April 29, 2019, for bilking banks and SoHo hotels out of $275,000. She wound up serving just over three years of prison time the possible maximum was 12 years before her release for good behavior in February 2021. ICE arrested her shortly afterward for overstaying her visa; she was held at an upstate detention center. Breaking News As it happens Get updates on the coronavirus pandemic and other news as it happens with our free breaking news email alerts. > The Board of Immigration Appeals granted Sorokins emergency stay request in November 2021. But the Justice Department rejected it Feb. 17 and issued a deportation order, Arora said. She had until March 19 to appeal. I think this will be a mistake if she does get deported, said Arora. Sorokin sued ICE earlier this month for declining to give her a COVID-19 booster shot before she became infected in January. Advertisement Evidence at her trial detailed how close Sorokin came to securing a multimillion-dollar loan to purchase a landmark building on Park Avenue near E. 48th St. by posing as a trust fund beneficiary whod inherited between $40 million and $60 million from a wealthy German father. Sorokin planned to use the loan to create the Anna Delvey Foundation art and social club. In reality, according to Jessica Presslers original expose for New York magazine, the Russian-born Sorokin had a working-class upbringing outside of Cologne in Germany. She penetrated the upper echelons of New Yorks high society through an internship at Purple magazine. IRVINE, Calif., March 15, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Remember the Children, Mulberry International Resources and CDF Capital have partnered together to assist in the housing of 600 refugees, feeding of 500 people daily and evacuation of a Christian children's home out of Mariupol with 30-plus children, staff, and families. While many wonder what other relief efforts can be done to assist the war-torn country of Ukraine, these organizations are actively responding. Remember the Children (RTC) and Mulberry International Resources (MIR) have been active in Ukraine's bordering nations and are alongside those who are working directly on the ground. They first got connected two years ago at a CDF Capital Foundation Mentoring Program. Over the past few weeks, they have been in contact daily, helping displaced refugees and mobilizing resources. Since its inception 26 years ago, RTC has focused on orphan care, church planting, and leadership development in Romania and Tanzania. Since the current Russian invasion began, RTC has become a safe passage for families escaping the war as well. "We've already housed 600 refugees and we're feeding 400 to 500 people as they cross the border daily," Andy Baker, Founder and CEO of RTC, said. "Most people are moving through Romania and going west. A lot of them are heading to Italy and Germany." Andy's phone has been ringing nonstop since the attacks on Ukraine started. Partnering organizations have been seeking assistance from RTC, and Andy's team has worked round the clock, both here in the United States and on the ground in Romania, to ensure Ukrainians get the help that they need. "I also have three families in Suceava, Romania, that we got to Bucharest. We're working to get them to the embassy and, hopefully, get them to Idaho in the coming weeks, where families have agreed to take them in as refugees," Andy said while responding to a text message from a colleague in Ukraine. "And I just sent some funding to another gentleman in Western Ukraine to buy medicine and medical supplies. We find ourselves uniquely positioned to help in this crisis with our long-term service in Romania and with a network of colleagues and friends that encompasses most of the country." While RTC actively works to provide safety for those coming from Ukraine, Natasha Reimer and Mulberry International Resources are working closely with individuals and families that are in the direct path of the fighting. "We were strategically placed. We were placed in the city of Mariupolwhich is outside of the frontlines," Natasha said. "We were already working with that population since 2015, dealing with displaced refugees and helping out planting churches in the buffer zone. We've been doing it. In a way, when this whole thing blew over, we didn't have to set anything up. We were already set up." MIR exists to promote eternal transformation by bringing hope and healing to at-risk children and families in Ukraine. Natasha, currently the Executive Director, sees the organization's mission being lived out every single day as Ukrainians seek safety and help. Andy and Natasha met at the CDF Capital Foundation Mentoring Program back in 2020. They both learned valuable lessons of strategic planning in their cohort. Natasha and Andy were both highly motivated by the CDF Capital team to get back to their respective organizations to implement new strategies and take their humanitarian work to the next level. Little did they know the two would find themselves working together years later in such a devastating capacity. "A couple of days ago, Andy reached out to me and told me they're receiving people," Natasha said, recalling their conversation just days after the invasion broke out. "We evacuated a Christian children's home out of Mariupol30-plus children, staff, and families." Andy was able to arrange temporary lodging for those whom Natasha sent. He networked with a Romanian Baptist church, located at the Ukraine border, where the caravan was able to eat, rest, and refuel before making its way to Remember the Children headquarters for further assistance. "MIR and RTC connected at the border," Andy reported. "There are 33 children, 13 women, and 3 men who are safe with us in Romania." Natasha also secured a long-term arrangement with a ministry in Germany that the children's home will eventually make its way toward once the team is ready to receive them. "Natasha and I have been talking every day. And that's just one example of how we've worked together," Andy said. "I don't know how to explain it to you. I'm on the verge of tears just every minute. When I talk with some people out there, they say, 'We're doing what we can do, Andy, because it's what God calls us to do. We live in every moment, wondering if we're next.'" "Residents have no access to life-supporting supplies. Almost the entire city has been burned, destroyed and shelled," Natasha added, describing the dire straits Ukrainians face right now. "There is no food left. People burn wood to cook or to get warm. They boil snow or collect rainwater to drink. Every day the humanitarian corridor is being shelled and evacuation efforts have been unsuccessful." Natasha, in addition to her work with MIR, also has intimate ties to the country. Though immigrating to the United States in the late '90s, Natasha is originally from Crimea and still has close friends and relatives back home. "My heart is broken for my people and my country, and for the countless victims who have been killed, wounded and displaced," Natasha lamented. "Now, I grieve for my friend and coworker in Christ, Nikolai, who was killed today with four other Christian men while delivering food to others in shelters and homes. He leaves behind his wife and three children, who still remain in Mariupol." Despite the grim circumstances in Ukraine, however, both Andy and Natasha have been encouraged by the outpouring of inquiries by friends, family members, and partnering organizations seeking ways they can help. Since the borders and ports have been blockaded and seized by the Russian military, it is next to impossible to ship in-kind gifts into the country. Sending financial donations is the easiest way to assist during this phase of the war. With leadership teams set up on the ground, withdrawing funds at an ATM or wiring money is fast and efficient, allowing both MIR and RTC to quickly purchase needed goods locally. "A food packetlike basic grains, oil, pastafor a family of four or five, about $15 would be enough for them to survive a week," Natasha said, describing how far donations can stretch. "And $100 would provide one family basic needs for a month." "Something as little as $25 a week goes a long way," Andy added. "Money is being used to help move refugees into Romania and get them into housing. We're also feeding three meals a day to our refugees. Financial assistance is the easiest way to help." For Andy, CDF Capital has been a tremendous help, not only during these intense few weeks, but CDF Capital has also been of great help in continually pouring wisdom into Remember the Children. The relationship between Remember the Children and CDF Capital has strengthened over the years and will continue to do work for the good of humanity. "Dusty Rubeck looked at me the last time I saw him and he goes, 'Andy, you know what your problem is? You're one of the best ministries I know that nobody's ever heard about,'" Andy said. "It's great. I'm so thankful." To donate and learn more about their work, please visit the websites for Mulberry International Resources and Remember the Children. Mulberry International Resources Mulberry International partners with local churches and volunteers to reach internally displaced people and at-risk families in the Donetsk region of Ukraine through humanitarian relief. By saving a physical life, we prepare the ground to plant the seeds of faith and offer a spiritual salvation. For more information about Mulberry International Resources http://mulberryinternational.org/ Natasha Reimer - info@mulberryinternational.org Remember the Children We believe that local leaders have the most impact in their communities, therefore we are committed to mentoring and empowering them to make a difference. This mission affects everything we do from mentoring the orphaned children we take care of, empowering church leaders, and pouring into villages. Ultimately, we believe that Christ transforms lives, and we envision a world where children accept Him and experience His love. Everything we do is centered around Christ and giving people an opportunity to know Him, and we believe this begins with kids! For more information about Remember the Children https://www.remember-the-children.org/ Andy Baker - andybaker@remember-the-children.org CDF Capital - Helping Churches Grow We believe that every person is on a spiritual journey of transformation, and the best place for that journey to happen is in God's church. That is why, since 1953, we have helped Christians and churches embrace their part in this journey by providing the three kinds of capital to the churches we helpFinancial Capital, Leadership Capital, and Spiritual Capital. Church growth is about more than just attendanceit requires all three forms of capital in whatever portions necessary. When a church is properly resourced financially, spiritually, and in leadership, lives are transformed. We call this Transformational Capital. For more information about CDF Capital https://www.cdfcapital.org Chantel Stansberry - cstansberry@cdfcapital.org Media Contact: Mei Ling Nazar Phone: 858-254-6019 Related Images Image 1: Remember the Children - Ukraine Relief Children who were evacuated from a children's home and have taken temporary shelter with Remember the Children This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com. Attachment NEW YORK, March 15, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The franchising industry has a brand new and technological ecosystem to support raising capital efficiently using Regulation CF. KoreConX, together with its experienced KorePartners, launches another vertical to support entrepreneurs who are part of this industry, following a successful model that has worked in other segments such as Medtech and ESG. With large multi unit franchise operators and franchisors looking to expand, there is a growing trend of using Regulation CF (RegCF) to raise capital. The new $5 Million ceiling provides a more realistic level for franchises to raise capital for growth. To support this vertical, KoreConX brings together the best experts in the market so that the process of raising capital using the exemptions is carried out as smoothly and compliantly. With 30 years of experience working with large multi unit franchise operators and franchisors, Joe Caruso, Managing Partner of Franchise Info LLC, observes: "Coming out of the pandemic, franchise brands get that they will need new guest centric technologies, operational improvements, and they will want new unit growth with multi-unit operators. Reg CF is the perfect conduit for raising capital for franchise projects." Oscar Jofre, Co-founder and CEO of KoreConX corroborates the need for an ecosystem focused on helping entrepreneurs to use the current Regulations: "It is vital for the business to have a team of trained professionals and the best tools for raising capital to be performed more effectively and quickly. Over all these years, watching the success of so many companies in different sectors using Regulation CF (RegCF), it is an excellent opportunity for KoreConX to be a technology provider that facilitates the process between all partners and clients in this industry." The ecosystem is composed of seasoned consultants from different sectors: Franchise (Franchise Pipeline), FINRA Broker-Dealer (Netshares), Legal (CrowdCheck), Investor Acquisition (Franchise Sales Building Brands), SEC Transfer Agent (KoreTransfer USA) and it is all tied up with the All-In-One Platform, provided by KoreConX. About KoreConX Founded in 2016, KoreConX is the first secure, All-In-One platform that manages private companies' capital market activity and stakeholder communications. With an innovative approach and to ensure compliance with securities regulations and corporate law, KoreConX offers a single environment to connect companies to the capital markets and now secondary markets. Additionally, investors, broker-dealers, law firms, accountants and investor acquisition firms, all leverage our eco-system solution. For investor relations and fundraising, the platform enables private companies to share and manage corporate records and investments: it assists with portfolio management, capitalization table and shareholder management, virtual minute book, security registration, transfer agent services, and virtual deal rooms for raising capital. ### Media Contacts: KoreConX Carolina Casimiro carolina@koreconx.com Related Images Image 1 This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com. Attachment AUSTIN, Texas, March 15, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The White House will hold a Summit this Thursday, March 17, on Developing a Bold Decadal Vision for Commercial Fusion Energy. Kronos Fusion Energy is excited to be a leader in this field that will create thousands of high-paying jobs across the United States in support of the rapidly advancing fusion energy industry. Kronos Fusion Energy utilizes quantum computers with machine learning, artificial intelligence, and neural networks to create algorithms to simulate the optimal design for the world's most efficient fusion energy generator. These generators will leapfrog the recent world records made by China and EU in fusion energy. Priyanca Ford, Kronos Fusion Energy founder, delightfully confirms the role Kronos will play in the American job market. "Kronos Fusion Energy will be expanding our operations into the state of Texas to place our largest Fusion Energy Center that will create at least 2,500 jobs ranging from construction trades to high-tech positions. We are also exploring additional sites in Tennessee, Virginia, Maryland, and other states to place our other two Fusion Energy Centers." This expansion will create over 1,000 construction jobs, as well as the 2,500 full-time jobs at the National Fusion Energy Center in Texas alone. Ford also advised, "Kronos Fusion energy is looking at areas to place our facility that would be about 400 acres, within driving distance from a metropolitan area where our workforce and major university partner will be located in order to optimize bringing jobs to the forefront for Texans." Optimally within 100 miles of Austin, Texas, the National Fusion Energy Center will be the first commercially viable Fusion Energy Power Plant in the U.S. Aside from bringing more jobs to Texas, the Fusion Energy Power Plant will have an efficiency rating more than 40 times better than the best Fusion Energy Generator in the world today, and this is all on track to be completed by the year 2036. This site will bring together fusion energy research from around the country to create the National Fusion Energy Commercialization Center with the goal of building up a strong U.S. industrial base in fusion energy. Small and large companies from all over the U.S. will be invited to utilize this center to advance the commercialization of fusion energy and to help U.S. companies to become global leaders in the emerging fusion energy industry. The White House Fusion Energy Summit may become the catalyst that sparks the exponential growth of the Fusion Energy industry at the same time as global oil prices are at an all-time high. The venture capital investment community has been heavily investing into fusion energy over the last year, now that commercialization is in sight. For further information: Kronos Fusion Energy 1122 Colorado St. Austin, TX 78701 https://www.kronosfusionenergy.com/ PR Contact: Erin Pendleton e.pendleton@kronosfusionenergy.com Related Images Image 1: Kronos Fusion Energy Jobs in Texas Kronos Fusion Energy Jobs in Texas This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com. Attachment Dallas, TX, March 15, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Amanda Westerman Email: amanda@liceclinicsdallas.com Lice Clinics of America Franchisee Expands Her Business to Addison, TX Local Entrepreneur has Plans to Expand throughout DFW Dallas, TX March 15, 2022 Amanda Westerman has a lot on her plate. Shes a mom, wife, and owner of a Lice Clinics of America franchise in McKinney, TX where she treats families dealing with lice. She is continuing to support her community by opening a second lice clinic in Addison, TX, with plans of opening more in the Dallas-Ft. Worth area by the end of 2022. Westerman knows firsthand the stress and disruption that head lice can cause. It is what got her into the Lice Clinics of America business in the first place. As a mother of twins, I have suffered through more than one lice outbreak," Westerman says. "Hours of nitpicking, comb-outs, and applications of toxic chemicals was not getting rid of the lice. I knew there must be a better solution, and I found it when I discovered Lice Clinics of America and the AirAlle medical device." As a former salon owner, Westerman heard countless lice horror stories from moms all the time. "Being able to tell these moms that there is a 90-minute, guaranteed solution is a major game-changer," says Westerman. Shes also all-in on the Lice Clinics of America network. She started as a clinic owner, then got involved as an executive committee member, and eventually started working for the corporate office on the clinic success team. She is now the Director of Clinic Success and works directly with her fellow owners to support their communities all over the country. Lice Clinics of America Addison is located at 4002 Belt Line Rd. Ste. 140, Addison, TX 75001 and is open 7 days a week by appointment. Call 972-779-9059 or visit https://liceclinicsdallas.com. About Lice Clinics of America Lice Clinics of America (www.liceclinicsofamerica.com) has successfully treated more than 750,000 cases of head lice using its patented heated-air device, AirAlle. The company is the worlds largest network of professional lice treatment centers. Lice Clinics of America and AirAlle (www.airalle.com) are brands owned by Larada Sciences, Inc., which is headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah. Dublin, March 15, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Luxury Jewelry Market, by Material, by Product Type, by End User, and by Distribution Channel, and by Region - Size, Share, Outlook, and Opportunity Analysis, 2021 - 2028" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. Among material, diamond segment accounted for largest revenue share in the global luxury jewelry market in 2017, owing to rising demand for diamonds in rings. To cater to this demand, key players are introducing diamond engagement ring collections. For instance, in September 2018, Tiffany & Co. (American luxury jewelry and specialty retailer) introduced new engagement ring line consisting of diamond rings. Among product type, necklace segment accounted for the largest market share in 2017, and is expected to retain its dominance, owing to lucrative demand for neckwear in Asian countries such as China, India, and Japan. Europe dominated the market in 2020, and Asia Pacific is projected to be the fastest growing region in the global luxury jewelry market over the forecast period. Government initiatives are playing important role in growth of luxury jewelry in Asia Pacific. For instance, in India, The Gems and Jewelry Export Promotion Council (GJEPC), signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) to build India's largest jewelry park in Mumbai with overall investment of US$ 2.1 billion in 2018. Several companies that manufacture luxury jewelry are adopting various organic and inorganic growth strategies, in order to sustain their market position. Key features of the study: This report provides an in-depth analysis of the global luxury jewelry market, its market size (US$ Billion) and compound annual growth rate (CAGR %) for the forecast period (2021-2028), considering 2020 as the base year It elucidates potential revenue opportunity across different segments and explains an attractive investment proposition matrix for this market This study also provides key insights about market drivers, restraints, opportunities, new product launches or approvals, regional outlook, and competitive strategies adopted by key players It profiles key players in the global luxury jewelry market based on the following parameters - company overview, financial performance, product portfolio, geographical presence, distribution strategies, key developments and strategies, and future plans Insights from this report would allow marketers and management authorities of companies to make an informed decision regarding future product launches, technology up-gradation, market expansion, and marketing tactics The global luxury jewelry market report caters to various stakeholders in this industry including investors, suppliers, luxury jewelry manufacturers, distributors, new entrants, and financial analysts Stakeholders would have ease in decision-making through various strategy matrices used in analyzing the global luxury jewelry market Detailed Segmentation: Global Luxury Jewelry Market, By Material: Gold Silver Diamond Platinum Others Global Luxury Jewelry Market, By Product Type: Necklace Ring Bracelet Hair Ornaments Earring Leg & Feet Ornaments Others Global Luxury Jewelry Market, By End User: Men Women Global Luxury Jewelry Market, By Distribution Channel: Mono-brand Stores Multi-brand Boutiques Departmental Stores Online Stores Others Global Luxury Jewelry Market, By Region: North America U.S. Canada Europe U.K. Germany France Italy Spain Russia Rest of Europe Asia Pacific China India Japan South Korea ASEAN Australia Rest of Asia Pacific Latin America Brazil Argentina Mexico Rest of Latin America Middle East GCC Countries Rest of Middle East Africa North Africa Central Africa South Africa Company Profiles Gucciogucci S.P.A. Company Overview Product Portfolio Financial Performance Key Strategies Recent Developments Future Plans Harry Winston, Inc. Chopard International S.A. Societe Cartier Tiffany & Co Compagnie Financiere Richemont SA Buccellati Holding Italia SpA Graff Diamonds Corporation Bulgari S.p.A Mikimoto & Co., Ltd. For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/ucln4x Attachment Dallas, March 15, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- As per the report published by The Brainy Insights, The global frozen bakery products market is expected to grow from USD 30.45 billion in 2020 to USD 53.36 billion by 2028, at a CAGR of 7.26% during the forecast period 2021-2028.The increase in the demand for convenience food products is one of the factors fuelling the frozen bakery products market. Get a Sample Copy of the Report at: https://www.thebrainyinsights.com/enquiry/sample-request/12594 The frozen baked product, in general, includes doughnuts, bread, pastries etc. which are made from wheat, barley, corn, rye, rice and oats. Bread was the most common staple food in the earlier days. This provides many nutrients to human beings. They also have comparatively longer shelf life and are easy to use. There is a rise in the demand for frozen food all across the world. The frozen food is packed with nutrients which increases its shelf life, which is paving the way for frozen bakery products. People are living a hectic life these days, which has made them to give priority to convenience foods and on the go snacks. The on the go snacks consist of fresh and also frozen baked products. Frozen bakery products are very much in demand by store bakeries, cafes, coffee chain and restaurants. The increase in population and surging disposable income are also the factor driving the frozen bakery product market. There is a surge in demand for convenience food product, all the premium restaurants, hotels and cafes have great demand for frozen bakery products because this at affordable prices provide, high-quality products with good service. It is also having more shelf life and can be consumed fast.The working class lifestyle has become much more hectic and also with much disposable income they look for convenience food which can be easily consumed, and fast to prepare. For more information about this report visit: https://www.thebrainyinsights.com/report/frozen-bakery-products-market-12594 The people in developed and some of the developing countries are now much more aware of their health; they only prefer healthy product for consumption. So they would prefer fresh baked products compared to frozen bakery products. This act as a restraint for the product. However, people prefer usually goes to cafes and restaurants, where frozen bakery products are opted by them, and they serve freshly baked bakeries to the customers, and people dont even realize it. Key players for the global frozen bakery products market include General Mills (Pillsburry), Aryzta AG, Grupo Bimbo S.A.B. de C.V., Europastry, S.A., LantmannenUnibake International, Associated British Foods plc, Flower Foods Inc., TreeHouse Foods, Inc., Dawn Foods Products Inc. and Vandemoortele NV among others. For instance, in June 2018, Grupo Bimbo S.A.B. de C.V. acquired Mankattan Group, which was a major player in the baking industry. This acquisition has enhanced the product portfolio, manufacturing capacities and distribution network of the organization. In July 2017, Europastry, S.A. came to an agreement to acquire a 60% stake of Galician group Ingapan. This acquisition will strengthen the national and international distribution network of the organization. Inquire or Share Your Questions If Any Before the Purchasing This Report: https://www.thebrainyinsights.com/enquiry/buying-inquiry/12594 Bread segment is accounted for the highest market value of USD 10.7 Billion in 2020 The product segment is divided into breads, pizza crust, cakes & pastries, doughnuts, waffles and cookies. Bread segment is accounted for the highest market value of USD 10.7 Billion in 2020. Bread is widely used in almost all across the world. There is still a great demand for bread in Italy, France and Germany. The Barley accounts for the highest market value of USD 9.71 Billion in 2020 The source segment includes corn, wheat, barley, and rye. The Barley accounts for the highest market value of USD 9.71 Billion in 2020. This is because barley and rye are majorly used in the making of different types of frozen bakery products. The foodservice industry segment is accounted for the highest market value of USD 14.67 Billion in 2020 The end-user includes retail, foodservice industry, and food processing industry. The foodservice industry segment is accounted for the highest market value of USD 14.67 Billion in 2020. This is because frozen bakery products are in great demand by premium restaurants, cafes and big hotels, as it provides good quality product, better service at affordable price. The catering accounts for the highest market value of USD 11.08 Billion in 2020 The distribution channel segment includes artisan baker, retail, catering, and online channel. The catering accounts for the highest market value of USD 11.08 Billion in 2020. This is because catering service is mostly responsible for the supply of bakery products in the retail sector, hotels, cafes, premium restaurants etc. Regional Segment Analysis of the Frozen Bakery Products Market North America (U.S. , Canada, Mexico) Europe (Germany, France, U.K., Italy, Spain, Rest of the Europe) Asia-Pacific (China, Japan India, Rest of APAC) South America (Brazil and Rest of South America) Middle East and Africa (UAE, South Africa, Rest of MEA) The regions analyzed for the Frozen Bakery Products market include North America, Europe, South America, Asia Pacific, and the Middle East and Africa. Europe region is having the highest market value of USD 11.4 Billion in 2020. This is due to the fact that in Europe there is a great demand for the frozen bakery product, having extra ingredients, which benefits the health. North America had the second-largest market value of USD 9.77 Billion in 2020. People in this region focuses on the benefits in health provided by the added ingredient in the frozen bakery products. Asia Pacific is showing the highest CAGR in the forecasting period, due to the growing demand for frozen bakery products in the developing country like India. Purchase this Report (Price 4700 USD for a Single-User License): https://www.thebrainyinsights.com/buy-now/12594/single About the report: The global frozen bakery products market is analysed on the basis of value (USD Billion).All the segments have been analyzed on global, regional and country basis. The study includes the analysis of more than 30 countries for each segment. The report offers in-depth analysis of driving factors, opportunities, restraints, and challenges for gaining the key insight of the market. The study includes porters five forces model, attractiveness analysis, and competitor position grid analysis. About The Brainy Insights: The Brainy Insights is a market research company, aimed at providing actionable insights through data analytics to companies to improve their business acumen. We have a robust forecasting and estimation model to meet the clients' objectives of high-quality output within a short span of time. We provide both customized (clients' specific) and syndicate reports. Our repository of syndicate reports is diverse across all the categories and sub-categories across domains. Our customized solutions are tailored to meet the clients' requirement whether they are looking to expand or planning to launch a new product in the global market. Contact Us Avinash D Head of Business Development Phone: +1-315-215-1633 Email: sales@thebrainyinsights.com Web: http://www.thebrainyinsights.com SAN DIEGO, March 15, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Child Care can be a constant struggle, especially for parents in the restaurant industry working flexible day, night, and weekend schedules. To support the needs of their employees, Urban Plates, the fast-casual restaurant chain, is excited to provide an innovative solution - on-demand Child Care powered by TOOTRiS. Under the partnership with TOOTRiS, each of Urban Plates' 650-plus employees across California can now easily find and connect with thousands of Child Care providers and enroll directly from their computer or mobile device. "Finding quality and affordable Child Care is an ongoing challenge for our team members with young children as it is for all working parents," said Alison Wagner, Head of Human Resources at Urban Plates. "The partnership with TOOTRiS allows them to arrange for reliable Child Care, whether planned or in an emergency. They no longer have to scramble to get shifts covered when a child gets sick, or their regular caregiver is unavailable. Most importantly, they have some peace of mind knowing their children are being looked after by vetted professionals while they are on the job." TOOTRiS is providing critical help to the hospitality industry at an opportune time as nearly 8 million employees - 2 out of 3 restaurant workers - lost their jobs during the pandemic. As business is returning to normal, TOOTRiS - with more than 180,000 providers in its nationwide network - offers unique advantages to the restaurant and retail industries with a Child Care benefit that increases their ability to increase recruitment, retention, and staff productivity. "The stress of finding Child Care during the varying hours when restaurant employees need it can be a significant challenge to the well-being of their whole family," said TOOTRiS CEO Alessandra Lezama. "Through TOOTRiS, Urban Plates is enabling its team members to find affordable, high-quality care so they can do their jobs effectively. I applaud Urban Plates taking this initiative. People are more productive and enjoy working when they feel their whole family unit is supported." About TOOTRiS TOOTRiS is revolutionizing Child Care by making it convenient, affordable and on-demand through its comprehensive platform. TOOTRiS' unique technology enables employers to provide fully managed Child Care Benefits, giving their workforce the flexibility and family support paramount to regaining employee productivity and increasing their ROI. As the world shifts to digitalized services, TOOTRiS helps parents and providers connect and transact in real time, empowering working parents especially women to secure quality Child Care, while allowing providers to unlock their potential and fully monetize their program. TOOTRiS is creating a new digital economy that promotes entrepreneurial opportunities for individuals with passion and talent to become Child Care providers, improving their quality of life while increasing the much-needed supply of Child Care across the U.S. Visit tootris.com for more information. About Urban Plates Urban Plates began in 2011 with a single restaurant in Del Mar, California; there are currently 16 locations, with more to come in 2022. Headquartered in Solana Beach, Calif., the brand has locations throughout San Diego, Orange County, the greater Los Angeles area, and Northern California. Urban Plates' expansive menu items are made fresh in-house, from scratch, every day using clean (organic whenever and as much as possible) ingredients. With menus that include gluten-free, plant-based, dairy-free, pescatarian, low-carb, or any combination of the above, Urban Plates is committed to bringing variety and honest value to its guests. Follow Urban Plates on Instagram or on Facebook, or visit the brand online at urbanplates.com. Media Contact Press@tootris.com (858) 263-0725 Related Images Image 1: TOOTRiS Child Care on Demand This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com. Attachment ST. PETERSBURG, Fla., March 15, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Aberdeen Advisors, Inc. promotes Wendy Andrews-Fine to President. Wendy, previously Vice President of Aberdeen Advisors, will take on the title of President. She will be responsible for co-managing the business alongside CEO Emery Ellinger while remaining actively engaged assisting clients to successfully sell their businesses. In her position as Vice President, Wendy was instrumental in some of the Company's largest Mergers and Acquisitions deals, including Tradewinds Resort, Advanced Drying Systems, ImageFirst, Down to Earth, and others. CEO Emery Ellinger commented on the promotion, stating, "This promotion is a recognition of the efforts Wendy has achieved. She is the heart and soul of our company and truly exemplifies the Aberdeen Team spirit." Over the last decade, Wendy has earned the respect and credibility of Aberdeen's clients, strategic partners, and the Aberdeen Team. "I am grateful to Emery and to the Aberdeen Team for the opportunity to serve as President of the firm," added Wendy. "It is a great privilege to help business owners transition to the next phase in their life journey and I am fortunate beyond measure to be able to do so alongside the elite professionals at Aberdeen." About Aberdeen Advisors: Aberdeen Advisors is a boutique mergers and acquisitions firm focused on selling lower middle-market companies with annual revenues of $5 million to more than $100 million. Comprised of former business owners and CEOs who have purchased and sold companies, Aberdeen offers business owners firsthand knowledge of the process and an in-depth understanding of the intricacies involved in a sales transaction. Aberdeen Advisors, a generalist M&A firm, boasts industry expertise across many industries including business services (marketing, professional services, staffing), home services (HVAC, plumbing, electrical), healthcare, manufacturing, hospitality, and technology. About Wendy: Wendy Andrews-Fine successfully transitioned into the M&A industry after Aberdeen Advisors sold the $20 million business services firm where she served as Executive Vice President. A high-profile team member, she is actively involved in deals from initial engagement through closing. Wendy leverages over 20 years of professional marketing and business management experience to guide Aberdeen's clients through the sales process. Committed to delivering a high-performance experience to each client, Wendy expertly matches ideal buyers with Aberdeen's clients and navigates through the extensive discovery and due diligence phases, adding immense value to the client's selling journey. For additional information, please contact Emery Ellinger, CEO, Aberdeen Advisors, Inc., at emery@aberdeenadvisors.com or 727.639.4716. Related Images Image 1: Wendy Andrews-Fine President, Aberdeen Advisors, Inc. This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com. Attachment DENVER, March 15, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Leading virtual restaurant and technology company Nextbite , today announced that Michelle Wickham, a 37-year enterprise restaurant executive for some of the nations most recognizable restaurantsjoined the company as General Manager of Operations. Wickham will lead Nextbites operations team, focusing on supporting the companys growth and expansion of its restaurant partners, ranging from small and medium sized businesses to enterprise. Michelles proven track record of establishing aggressive goals and attaining results while executing creative and innovative strategies will benefit all sides of our business, said Alex Canter, CEO and Co-founder of Nextbite. Michelles enthusiasm and commitment to the industry aligns with Nextbites. Wickhams experience ranges from quick service to fast casual and casual dining restaurants. Prior to joining Nextbite, she served as Vice President of the prepared food and beverage arm of Caseys General Stores, the fourth largest convenience store retailer and fifth largest pizza chain in the country. In addition, Wickham served as Vice President of Culinary, Category, R&D Management, and Catering for national burger chain Red Robin. Wickham also worked in a number of operational, sales, and product development roles with Qdoba Mexican Eats, the Einstein Noah Restaurant Group, Seattles Best, and Yum! Brands. I love change and working with teams to create cutting-edge innovations and solutions, said Wickham. Nextbite is transforming the restaurant industry by empowering restaurant owners and operators to increase revenue with their existing kitchen space and staff, and brings the technology needed to streamline third party delivery app orders. Nextbite offers what every restaurant needs in order to keep up with the pace of current times and demands. About Nextbite Nextbite is helping drive and shape the new digital era for the restaurant industry. A leader in virtual restaurants and the pioneer in online order management, the company is focused on helping restaurant partners successfully enter the virtual restaurant space with new delivery-only menus, using underutilized labor and kitchen capacity, to increase margins and revenue. Originally founded as Ordermark in 2017, Nextbite is the only all-in-one virtual restaurant solution for existing restaurants and kitchens that pairs the proven Ordermark online ordering/delivery management system with a selection of highly visible, on-trend, delivery brands. Headquartered in Denver and Los Angeles, Nextbite has more than $150M in funding, with its most recent round led by SoftBank. Learn more at nextbite.io, and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter. For more media information, contact: Angela Zott, PR for Nextbite 586-565-1986 Angela.zott@nextbite.io Lisa Hendrickson, LCH Communications for Nextbite 516-643-1642 lisa@lchcommunications.com SINGAPORE, March 15, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- High West Capital Partners is a leading private investment firm based in Singapore and Hong Kong. Over the last 20 years, it has established itself as a significant force in South America, Europe, and the Asia Pacific, focusing on global structured finance, and special situations. The firm's primary objective is to provide immediate funding to clients who need liquidity. Now they plan on implementing their strategic success in Taiwan. High West Capital Partners' management commented on the company vision to be "committed to funding small and mid-cap companies, often overlooked by larger institutions, to achieve their capital needs and goals. Our proprietary structures can provide the liquidity requirements that companies, management, and shareholders may face in the global equity and debt markets. They can secure funding by HWCP onshore in local currency or offshore to overcome financial hurdles in a timely manner." Commenting on the rm's international expansion, High West Capital Partners stated that, "it requires a unique understanding to deploy funds across multiple sectors in many different frontier and emerging markets. Our pillars of success are supported by our team of seasoned capital market veterans who've managed top investment firms in Singapore, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Dubai, and London. A qualitative edge blended with our quantitative algo models bolster our expansion around the globe." Following their success in the Singapore and Hong Kong market, High West Capital Partners also expanded to a multi-strategy firm focusing on Asia. Their strategy is based on equity arbitrage, global fixed income, cryptocurrency, and structure finance for concentrated shareholdings in public and private companies. About High West Capital Partners High West Capital Partners provides custom liquidity solutions to institutional investors, mutual funds, family ofces, publicly listed companies, corporate ofcers, and directors. High West Capital Partners provides innovative nancing structures that their competitors cannot offer due to their pool of long-term capital. Media Contact High West Capital Partners +65 3158 7420 deals@highwestcapitalpartners.com pr@highwestcapitalpartners.com 68 Robinson Road #12-01 Capital Tower, Singapore 068912 R91, 3rd Floor, Eton Tower, Eton Tower, 8 Hysan Ave., Causeway Bay, Hong Kong https://highwestcapitalpartners.com/ SOURCE: High West Capital Partners At the height of the COVID pandemic, NYPD Sgt. James Clarke had nowhere to run the annual NYPD Youth Police Academy. With the citys schools closed, the Police Department couldnt find a location where youngsters in Clarkes Queens community could meet. Advertisement So I decided to do one on my own, the 39-year NYPD veteran said. It was just some way of doing something for them during COVID. For three days a week over the summer, weather permitting, the young members of his junior Police Academy would gather at Intermediate School 231 on Springfield Blvd. and walk over to Springfield Park. Advertisement The 60-year-old Queens native started with about 15 youngsters; weeks later, the number swelled to 25. NYPD Sgt. James Clarke (Theodore Parisienne/for New York Daily News) Typically, the children in the youth academy are between 10 and 15 years old, but some of the kids who showed up were as young as 7 and 8. If it was a normal year, theyd probably be bored out of their skulls. But being that it was COVID, and theyve been locked up in their houses and no school ... they couldnt interact with each other, he said. We would go there and have a couple of people come by and talk to them about gangs and, you know, bullying, and the majority of times, we were just socializing, hanging out with each other, playing sports. We would do exercises every morning. Once a week, hed take the group to Coney Island or the Bronx Zoo, which reopened that July, or other spots across the city. South Jamaica teen Donovan Osborne, who nominated Clarke as a Hometown Hero, said the sergeant told him he kept the academy going without funding or a location because our children need an outlet and a safe place to go during the summer. For Donovan, a 17-year-old senior at New Visions Charter High School, Clarkes dedication and personal attention helped build his confidence, even as he was bullied by his peers for his height and focus on academics. When I first met Sgt. Clarke, I didnt have the highest courage, strength or determination, Donovan recalled. But after my first summer with Sgt. Clarke I was more determined than ever to not give up, to not ever give in. Advertisement Donovan Osborne (Gardiner Anderson/for New York Daily News) Donovan built his confidence through the NYPD Explorers program. Within time, they taught me discipline, and theyre the reason why Im the person that I am today, he said. The program, and Clarke, helped push him to apply to college and get hundreds of thousands of dollars in scholarship offers; hes hoping to study criminal psychology at the New York Institute of Technology on Long Island. As a parent with a child in South Jamaica , Queens, I can definitely tell you, because of the Explorer program, my child was not taken in by the streets, said Donovans mother, Prenella Patteson. You know, theres a lot of gangs around there, she said, describing the area around Donovans school, as she recounted how a godson was stabbed a few blocks away. So it was just a very scary time, and I just didnt want Donovan to get hooked up in that sort of crowd. NYPD Sgt. James Clarke (Theodore Parisienne/for New York Daily News) Clarke said he joined the NYPD after his sister put the idea in his mind. Breaking News As it happens Get updates on the coronavirus pandemic and other news as it happens with our free breaking news email alerts. > She said, Youre always good mentoring other kids and you should be a police officer, he said. At the time, I was going to go to August Martin [High School] to become a pilot... and when she said that to me, I was like, Wow. And I didnt know any police officers. Advertisement As he ran the Youth Police Academy, he said, he tried to bring fathers and other male role models back into the lives of their children through a weekly movie night, only to learn that the youngsters didnt have adult men in their lives. So he tried to fill the gap, he said. You know, Im proud to say that they feel that way about me, but at the same time, you know, youre heartbroken, too, he said. Ive been blessed with that, that they fell that strongly about me. ***** Do you know a Hometown Hero? Every Monday, the Daily News will run a weekly feature in print and online profiling a Hometown Hero in several categories first responders (police officers, firefighters, EMTs), health care workers, transit workers, educators and extraordinary everyday citizens nominated by our readers. For more information on how to nominate someone for a Daily News Hometown Hero award, go to nydailynews.com/new-york/hometown-heroes. MIAMI, March 15, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The CEO of Harvest Trading Cap, Jairo Gonzalez MA, visited this March 4, 2022, the main headquarters of the political party Nuevas Ideas, where he was received by the politician Xavier Zablah Bukele, currently president of the party. It is worth mentioning that the aforementioned is a cousin of the current president of El Salvador Nayib Bukele, who has shown great interest and contributions in the advances and evolution of New Financial Technologies in El Salvador. The visit of Jairo Gonzalez and his team to El Salvador has been with a specific purpose (to contribute to the economic, educational and social welfare) of the country, which has been fulfilled in each of the meetings and meetings that Harvest Trading Cap and his entourage have had with each entity that has met. In the meeting with Xavier Zablah Bukele, the most important topics and focus for Harvest Trading Cap executives were discussed. They talked about the training to the population through the Jerusalem Foundation with academic scholarships offered by Harvest Trading Cap Academy; Jairo Gonzalez also mentioned about the basic course of trading and knowledge of new technologies, ecosystem of Harvest Trading Cap in the use of new technologies, multiplication of Bitcoin state, NFT technology and social projects. The representatives of Harvest Trading Cap were very happy and grateful for this wonderful meeting due to the treatment provided by Xavier Zablah Bukele, who in turn was grateful to Jairo Gonzalez and his entire team for what they are doing in their country. Photos accompanying this announcement are available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/2e163c31-482a-45c4-8210-86c91d776daf https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/a520aa53-b85e-4436-b460-0b6def80cd05 NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION OR RELEASE, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, IN OR INTO THE UNITED STATES OR ANY OTHER JURISDICTION IN WHICH THE DISTRIBUTION OR RELEASE WOULD BE UNLAWFUL OR WOULD REQUIRE REGISTRATION OR OTHER MEASURES. VOW ASA ("VOW" or the "Company") has decided to initiate a share buy-back programme for own shares for up to NOK 25,000,000. Up to 1,000,000 shares may be acquired in a period from 15.03.2022 to 16.05.2022. The purpose of the programme is to (i) fulfil its obligations arising from employee share option programs and (ii) if required, deliver consideration shares to C. H. Evensen Holding AS in respect of Scanship AS' acquisition of the shares in C. H. Evensen Industriovner AS, as further described in the Company's announcement dated 15 March 2022. Scanship AS is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company. VOW has on 15 March 2022 put in place a non-discretionary agreement with SpareBank 1 Markets AS for the repurchase of the Company's shares in the open market. Under this agreement, SpareBank 1 Markets AS will manage the programme and make its own trading decisions independently of, and uninfluenced by, VOW. VOW will publicly announce information about the transactions relating to the buy-back programme, in a detailed form and in an aggregated form, no later than by the end of the seventh trading day following the date of execution of such transactions. The aggregated form will indicate the aggregated volume and the weighted average price per day and per trading venue. The information will also be posted on the Company's website. The basis for the programme is the authorisation given to VOW's board of directors by the Company's annual general meeting on 14 May 2021. The authorisation is valid until the annual general meeting for 2022, but no later than 30 June 2022. The buy-back programme will be completed in accordance with Regulation (EU) 596/2014 and Regulation (EU) 2016/1052, with the exception that the purpose of the programme is as stated above. This information is subject of the disclosure requirements pursuant to section 5-12 of the Norwegian Securities Trading Act and article 5 of the EU Market Abuse Regulation. For further information, please contact: Erik Magelssen, CFO Vow ASA Tel: +47 928 88 728 Email: erik.magelssen@vowasa.com About Vow ASA Vow and its subsidiaries Scanship and Etia are passionate about preventing pollution. The companys world leading solutions convert biomass and waste into valuable resources and generate clean energy for a wide range of industries. Cruise ships on every ocean have Vow technology inside which processes waste and purifies wastewater. Fish farmers are adopting similar solutions, and public utilities and industries use our solutions for sludge processing, waste management and biogas production on land. With advanced technologies and solutions, Vow turns waste, biomass, plastics and polymers into recycled advanced carbon materials, low carbon fuels, chemicals, and climate neutral gas for industries to reduce their dependence on fossil energy and petroleum products. The solutions are scalable, standardised, patented, and thoroughly documented, and the companys capability to deliver is well proven. They are key to end waste and stop pollution. Located in Oslo, the parent company Vow ASA is listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange (ticker VOW). The offer contemplated hereby and the distribution of this announcement and other information in connection with the offer may be restricted by law in certain jurisdictions, and the buyback is not made in any jurisdiction in which this would be unlawful, require registration or other measures. Neither VOW ASA nor SpareBank 1 Markets AS assume any responsibility in the event there is a violation by any person of such restrictions. Persons into whose possession this announcement or such other information should come are required to inform themselves about and to observe any such restrictions. The offer is not being made directly or indirectly in, or by use of the mails of, or by any means or instrumentality of interstate or foreign commerce of, or any facilities of a national securities exchange of, the United States, its territories and possessions, any State of the United States and the District of Columbia (the United States). This includes, but is not limited to, facsimile transmission, internet delivery, e-mail, telex and telephones. Accordingly, copies of this release and any related documents are not being, and must not be, mailed, e-mailed or otherwise distributed or sent in or into the United States and so doing may invalidate any purported acceptance. SACRAMENTO, Calif., March 15, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- California has a $30 billion surplus making 2022 the second year in a row with flush government coffers after last year's $70 billion surplus. According to Tom Sheehy, former Chief Deputy Director of the California Department of Finance and now principal and founder of the Sheehy Strategy Group, these circumstances present golden opportunities for business owners to work with the State of California and local government agencies. "For companies who are already selling goods and services and contracting with the state, it's a really good time for them to expand their relationships with the state," Sheehy said. California has never seen such record government revenues and purchasing managers are spending aggressively to take advantage of the current situation. The government needs products and services to function, which makes now the perfect time for companies to start selling to them or sell more of what they already do. SSG's procurement team combines Tom Sheehy's extensive executive branch experience running the Department of Finance and Government Operations Agency along with Eric Mandell's many years of service as the State of California's Chief of Acquisitions at the Department of General Services. Additionally, Brena Sheehy has over 15 years in the insurance and healthcare industries and has served as a strategic advisor to SSG since its inception. SSG has strong relationships throughout all branches of government at both the state and local level. These relationships, along with the team's technical expertise, allow them to provide clients with multiple procurement opportunities and take advantage of the opportunities associated with California's surplus. "Businesses who already contract with the state can find new state departments, new customers, and perhaps local governments as well, to be doing business with," Sheehy added. "And they can find new goods and services to expand their offerings. If they need small business certification or disabled veteran business enterprise certification, or they want to get on the California Multiple Award Schedule Contractor other contracts like that which make it easy to do business with the statethe Sheehy Strategy Group can help them with all those things." Sheehy Strategy Group helps clients to pick the right contract vehicles and leverage what their company has to sell. Cutting through the red tape of the bureaucracy, the group helps businesses be successful in both state and local government procurements. SSG also helps clients achieve effective public policy and regulatory outcomes while protecting their brand and reputational objectives. ### Contact: Tom Sheehy Phone: (916) 213-8998 Email: tom@sheehystrategygroup.com Related Images Image 1: Tom Sheehy Tom Sheehy, former Chief Deputy Director of the California Department of Finance and now principal and founder of the Sheehy Strategy Group, is recognized as one of Sacramento's most experienced and influential lobbyists, as well as a fiscal expert. This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com. Attachment Washington D.C., March 15, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- In a moving video, songwriter and producer Mangal Suvarnan celebrated his collaboration with investigative reporter Ian Urbina that draws attention to human rights and environmental abuses at sea by way of The Outlaw Ocean Music Project. The project, run by the label Synesthesia Media, is a global and expansive effort to disseminate The Outlaw Ocean Projects 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. Mangal Suvarnan is an Indian music producer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and avid gamer who has been creating fresh, high-energy tracks on autopilot in his home studio since 2009. Born in Saudi Arabia, Mangal spent a substantial amount of his adolescence in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, but has been a Los Angeles resident since January 2019. First discovered by Dutch artist, Laidback Luke, his music is a unique mix of contemporary and traditional, thanks to his roots and his Middle Eastern influences. Suvarnans music spans across multiple industries, including film. In 2018, he wrote and produced a title song for the feature film, Who. The song Who Are You became an instant hit among audiences, earning an impressive 100,000 views in the first 24 hours of release. It has since gathered over 1 million views. In 2020, Mangal released Messengers of the Sea with The Outlaw Ocean Music Project. In a Behind the Music video for his EP, Mangal riffed on how art can move audiences in ways that other mediums cannot achieve alone. When you cant get through to someone on a pressing issue on regular mediums, you use art to get the message across, because its driven by emotion and it isnt limited by language, he said. He added that art, whether music or any other form, speaks straight to the soul. Messengers of the Sea by Mangal Suvarnan 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. PLANTATION, Fla., March 15, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Solstice sponsored the finish line at the American Heart Association (AHA) Broward Heart Walk on Sunday, March 13. The Heart Walk, held annually at Nova Southeastern University, is the signature fundraising event hosted by the AHA, the world's leading nonprofit organization focused on heart and brain health for all. "Solstice is committed to improving the lives of our customers, and it starts with our communities. Our partnership with the AHA's Broward Heart Walk allows us to take our commitment to heart health to the streets literally," said Solstice COO Carlos Ferrera. "I'm extremely proud to see our team unite, donate and walk for this cause, despite the changes the world has faced due to Covid-19 - it's their passion year after year that makes this possible." Solstice has participated in the Heart Walk for nine years in support of the AHA, a like-minded organization working to increase physical and mental health, to improve overall wellness and change health outcomes in Broward County. Greeted with surprisingly cool temperatures on Sunday morning, over 70 Solstice employees walked the 5k route proudly. Solstice volunteers cheered for walkers while passing out cooling neck guards at the finish line. The team raised over $7,980 for the Broward Heart Walk this year - which will go directly to AHA's research, education efforts, and continued fight against heart disease. "We are so grateful for Solstice's continued support for our mission," said Chandra Roberson, Development Director of the American Heart Association. The funds raised from the Broward Heart Walk go towards the American Heart Association's work as a relentless force for a world of longer, healthier lives. Visit www.BrowardHeartWalk.org to learn more or sign up to participate. About Solstice Solstice, a United Health Group Company, is a dental and vision insurance carrier with one of the largest prepaid dental networks in the country and a national DPPO network. Headquartered in South Florida, they have been recognized as a Top Workplace in Florida by Sun Sentinel and one of Inc. Magazine's 5,000 fastest-growing private companies nine times. Learn more about Solstice at http://www.solsticebenefits.com. For media inquiries contact Erica Firmin at efirmin@solsticebenefits.com Related Images Image 1 This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com. Attachment Chicago, March 15, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- According to the latest research report by Arizton, Kuwait data center market witnessed addition of over 25 thousand square feet in the white floor area in 2021, with construction of new data center facilities. Kuwait City is the strategic location chosen to develop data center facilities in Kuwait. Kuwait City is the leading data center market in the Kuwait with 4 unique third-party data center facilities accounting for over 80% of the existing power capacity. Most data center operators such as Ooredo and Zajil Telecom operate their data center facilities in Kuwait City. Get Insights on 6 Existing Data Centers and 1 Upcoming Facility across Kuwait and other cities. Kuwait Data Center Market Report Scope REPORT ATTRIBUTE DETAILS MARKET SIZE (INVESTMENT) $295 MILLION (2027) MARKET SIZE (AREA) 65 THOUSAND SQ. FT (2027) MARKET SIZE (POWER CAPACITY) 12 MW (2027) COLOCATION MARKET SIZE (REVENUE) $25 MILLION (2027) CAGR (INVESTMENT) 10% (2022-2027) BASE YEAR 2021 FORECAST YEAR 2022-2027 Key Highlights Offered in the Report: Improved network connectivity, increased support from government bodies, and high adoption of cloud, big data, 5G services and IoT services have been strong drivers for the growth of the Kuwait data center industry. Under Vision 2035, Kuwait aims to be a financial and commercial center in the Middle East. In April 2021, the Kuwait government announced an investment of up to $10 billion for adoption of advanced technologies such as AI, big data, cloud, and IoT by 2024. Data center operators are entering the Kuwait data center market through mergers and acquisitions. For instance, In May 2021, Kalaam Telecom acquired Zajil, a Kuwait-based ICT firm, including its data center facility in Kuwait. Kuwait targets to increase its renewable energy share by generating 15% of the power renewable sources by 2030. In Kuwait, the total installed capacity of renewable energy, connected to the national power grid, is around 73 MW. Key Offerings: Market Size & Forecast by Area, Power Capacity, Investment, and Colocation Revenue | 2021-2027 Impact of COVID-19 on Data Center Market Snapshot of existing and upcoming third-party data center facilities in Kuwait Facilities Covered (Existing): 6 Facilities Identified (Upcoming): 01 Coverage: 2 Cities Existing vs. Upcoming (Data Center Area) Existing vs. Upcoming (IT Load Capacity) Data center colocation market in Kuwait Market Revenue & Forecast (2021-2027) Retail Colocation Pricing Market Dynamics Leading trends, growth drivers, restraints, and investment opportunities Market Segmentation A detailed analysis by IT infrastructure, electrical infrastructure, mechanical infrastructure, general construction, and tier standard Key Market Participants List of 12 IT infrastructure providers, 4 data center construction contractors & sub-contractors, 13 support infrastructure providers, and 4 data center investors Get your sample today! https://www.arizton.com/request-sample/3281 Kuwait Data Center Market Segmentation In Kuwait, the installation of security systems will increase due to rising investments in greenfield data centers. Installation of intelligent security systems such as high-definition cameras, dual authentication access, and perimeter fencing will grow in data centers market. Colocation facilities witness the adoption of flexible designs, which support the height of 47U rack cabinets in Kuwait. For instance, Zain Kuwait data center has installed rack cabinets of 47U height. Increasing awareness toward switchgears is successfully rerouting the tremendous amount of power in data center environments which in turn, will boost the adoption of switchgears in the Kuwait data center market. Market Segmentation by IT Infrastructure Servers Storage Systems Network Infrastructure Market Segmentation by Electrical Infrastructure UPS Systems Generators Switches & Switchgears PDUs Other Electrical Infrastructure Market Segmentation by Mechanical Infrastructure Cooling Systems Rack Cabinets Other Mechanical Infrastructure Market Segmentation by General Construction Core & Shell Development Installation & commissioning Services Building & Engineering Design Fire Detection and Suppression Physical Security Data Center Infrastructure Management (DCIM) Market Segmentation by Tier Standard Tier I & Tier II Tier III Tier IV Kuwait Data Center Market Trends & Drivers The Kuwait government initiated the Kuwait 2035 vision, a set of measures to boost the economy in the next 20 years through developing the country as a hub for finance, trade, and tourism. This in turn, will create lucrative growth opportunities for the vendors in the Kuwait data center market. The increasing adoption of cloud computing services is also leading to the growth of retail and wholesale colocation services in the country. Zajil Telecom, Zain, Ooredoo, and solutions by stc are some leading colocation and cloud service providers in Kuwait. The rapid investment in 5G technology and its deployment, is leading to the generation of a substantial quantity of data, thereby, increasing investments in data centers in Kuwait. In the Kuwait data center market, colocation service providers are witnessing strong uptake for their data center spaces by existing customers due to COVID-19. Kuwait Data Center Market Existing Vs. Upcoming Data Centers Existing Facilities in the region (Area and Power Capacity) Kuwait Subahiya (Area and Power Capacity) List of Upcoming Facilities in the region (Area and Power Capacity) Get your sample today! https://www.arizton.com/request-sample/3281 KEY MARKET PARTICIPANTS IT Infrastructure Providers Arista Networks Broadcom Cisco Systems Dell Technologies Fujitsu Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) Hitachi Vantara Huawei Technologies IBM Juniper Networks NetApp Oracle Data Center Construction Contractors & Sub-Contractors AECOM EGEC Marafie Group Egis Support Infrastructure Providers ABB Airedale International Air Conditioning Alfa Laval Caterpillar Cummins Eaton Honeywell International Johnson Controls Legrand Rittal Schneider Electric STULZ Vertiv Group Explore our data center knowledge base profile to know more about the industry. Click Here to Download the Free Sample Report Read Some of The Top-Selling Reports: About Arizton: Arizton Advisory and Intelligence is an innovation and quality-driven firm, which offers cutting-edge research solutions to clients across the world. We excel in providing comprehensive market intelligence reports and advisory and consulting services. We offer comprehensive market research reports on industries such as consumer goods & retail technology, automotive and mobility, smart tech, healthcare, and life sciences, industrial machinery, chemicals and materials, IT and media, logistics and packaging. These reports contain detailed industry analysis, market size, share, growth drivers, and trend forecasts. Arizton comprises a team of exuberant and well-experienced analysts who have mastered in generating incisive reports. Our specialist analysts possess exemplary skills in market research. We train our team in advanced research practices, techniques, and ethics to outperform in fabricating impregnable research reports. Click Here to Contact Us Call: +1-312-235-2040 +1 302 469 0707 Washington, March 15, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today, Administrator Isabella Casillas Guzman , head of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) and the voice for Americas 32.5 million small businesses in President Bidens Cabinet, announced that National Small Business Week (NSBW): Building a Better America Through Entrepreneurship will take place May 1-7, 2022. The virtual summit will acknowledge small businesses from across the country for their resilience, ingenuity, and creativity. It will also recognize SBA partners for their involvement in entrepreneurial development, disaster recovery, government contracting, financial development, and overall support for small businesses and entrepreneurship. National Small Business Week is a time to honor and celebrate Americas entrepreneurs and innovative startups. This years theme, Building a Better America through Entrepreneurship, celebrates the resiliency and tenacity of Americas entrepreneurs who are doing their part to power our nations historic economic comeback , said Administrator Guzman. While there is more work to do, under the Biden-Harris Administration, we are on a path toward building a better, more competitive American economy centered around families, workers, and small businesses. This years NSBW will offer entrepreneurs in rural, suburban, and urban communities across America a week-long event that will highlight the tools and information they need to continue to power our economic growth, strengthen our supply chains, and deliver the products and services Americans depend on every day. I look forward to recognizing our small business giants and their tremendous impact on our economy and communities across the nation. The SBA will co-host a free, four-day virtual summit from May 2 through May 5, 2022, along with SCORE , to honor the nations 32.5 million small businesses for their perseverance. This years summit will feature access to critical federal resources, educational workshops, and networking to help our nations entrepreneurs pivot and grow in the face of any challenge, seize new opportunities, and make sure the dream of starting a small business is in reach for every American. We look forward to joining the SBA in co-hosting this important virtual summit during National Small Business Week, said SCORE CEO Bridget Weston. For anyone thinking about starting or growing a small business, this event will connect entrepreneurs with a wealth of industry experts and crucial information to help them achieve success. The 2022 Small Business Persons of the Year award winners from each state, including the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands, will be honored, and the SBA will announce the 2022 National Small Business Person of the Year from among the state winners represented. In addition, National Small Business Week recognitions and educational sessions will occur throughout each of the SBAs 10 regions and 68 district offices. Details on National Small Business Week event registration and speaker information will be announced later and posted on www.sba.gov/NSBW . --- Cosponsorship Authorization# 22-1-C. The SBAs participation in this cosponsored activity is not an endorsement of the views, opinions, products or services of any cosponsor or other person or entity. All SBA programs and services are extended to the public on a nondiscriminatory basis. ### About National Small Business Week For more than 51 years, the President of the United States has issued a proclamation announcing National Small Business Week, which recognizes the critical contributions of Americas entrepreneurs and small business owners. More than half of Americans either own or work for a small business, and they create about two out of every three new jobs in the U.S. each year. As part of National Small Business Week, the U.S. Small Business Administration takes the opportunity to highlight the impact of outstanding entrepreneurs, small business owners, and others from all 50 states and U.S. territories. Every day, theyre working to grow small businesses, create 21st century jobs, drive innovation, and increase Americas global competitiveness. About SCORE SCORE, the nations largest network of volunteer, expert business mentors, is dedicated to helping small businesses get off the ground, grow and achieve their goals. Since 1964, SCORE has provided education and mentorship to more than 11 million entrepreneurs. SCORE is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and a resource partner of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). About the U.S. Small Business Administration VANCOUVER, British Columbia, March 15, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- PenderFund Capital Management Ltd. (Pender) is pleased to announce that David Blyth, CFA has joined the company as Director, Institutional Sales. David has over 20 years of experience managing institutional and consultant relationships across Canada, including for pension plans, endowments and foundations, and family offices. Prior to joining Pender, David led the institutional business at a leading commercial mortgages provider. His previous position was as VP & Director, Institutional Relationships at a leading Canadian asset management firm. David spent the early part of his career at a global investment firm in Canada in business development, consultant relations and client servicing functions. David joins at a pivotal time in Penders growth as the company seeks to expand its presence in institutional channels across Canada. We are delighted to welcome David to Pender, said Carlo Desierto, President of Pender. Our plans are centered around accelerating our growth in private markets and institutional asset management, and David will play a key role in the expansion of this important channel. I am thrilled to be joining the team at Pender, said David. Pender offers a robust platform of investment solutions across both public and private markets and has enjoyed great success from its proven investment approach and commitment to client service. The company is uniquely positioned to significantly grow its asset base and I am excited to be joining the team as it focuses on increasing its institutional presence in Canada. About PenderFund Capital Management Ltd. Pender was founded in 2003 and is an independent, employee-owned investment firm located in Vancouver, British Columbia. Our goal is to protect and grow wealth for our investors over time. We have a talented investment team of expert analysts, security selectors and independent thinkers who actively manage a suite of differentiated investment funds, exploiting inefficient parts of the investing universe to achieve our goal. Please visit www.penderfund.com. Please read important disclosures at www.penderfund.com/disclaimer. For further information, please contact: Melanie Moore Vice President of Marketing, PenderFund Capital Management Ltd. mmoore@penderfund.com (604) 688-1511 Toll Free: (866) 377-4743 Spanish English MADRID, March 15, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- On March 5, 2022, The Harvest Trading Cap's CEO Jairo Gonzalez MA officially delivers 20 skateboards to the Director of Reconstruction of the Social Fabric Lic. Carlos Marroquin among other government entities, event that took place at the Centro Urbano de Bienestar y Oportunidades (CUBO) Colonia Zacamil, El Salvador. Jairo Gonzalez is a person with a heart for social works and seeing the social activities carried out by the Centro Urbano De Bienestar y Oportunidades (CUBO) in favor of children and youth of the community, he donated twenty skateboards for the continuity of welfare and social development in sports, also the CEO of Moon Capital Lic. Gregorix Polanco and the President of the Jerusalem Foundation Dr. Laura Ventura were part of this vision and social contribution. Twenty children and/or young people benefited from this social contribution. Knowing that they will be able to clear their minds by exercising with what they like is something to admire. This grain of sand that Harvest Trading Cap contributes to these children is something wonderful, and you can see the solidarity and complicity with which Jairo Gonzalez acts together with the other entities that he has met in his trip to El Salvador. Something very important to highlight is that Jairo Gonzalez in support of the enactment of the use of new financial technologies (FINTECH) made the purchase of these skateboards with cryptocurrencies in a local store in El Salvador. A video accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/93422daa-35f6-4d1b-810a-255f30ecfbaf Photos accompanying this announcement are available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/da53c564-9315-41db-a474-a59db4600da8 https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/e4c233ba-db55-4a57-9308-9f60896eb549 Investors can contact the law firm at no cost to learn more about recovering their losses LOS ANGELES, March 15, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Portnoy Law Firm advises Gatos Silver, Inc. (Gatos Silver or the Company) (NYSE: GATO) investors that a class action lawsuit has been filed on behalf of persons and entities that purchased or otherwise acquired Gatos Silver (a) common stock pursuant and/or traceable to the Registration Statement issued in connection with the Company's initial public offering (the "IPO" or "Offering") conducted on or about October 28, 2020; and/or (b) securities between October 28, 2020 and January 25, 2022, inclusive (the "Class Period"). Investors are encouraged to contact attorney Lesley F. Portnoy, by phone 844-767-8529 or email: lesley@portnoylaw.com, to discuss their legal rights, or click here to join the case via www.portnoylaw.com. The Portnoy Law Firm can provide a complimentary case evaluation and discuss investors options for pursuing claims to recover their losses. Gatos Silver is a silver exploration, development and production company that discovered a new silver and zinc-rich mineral district in southern Chihuahua State, Mexico. On January 25, 2022, after-market hours, 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, the Company estimates a potential reduction of the metal content of its Cerro Los Gatos mineral reserve ranging from 30% to 50% of the metal content remaining after depletion. On this news, the price of Gatos Silver stock declined by $7.02 per share, or approximately 68.9%, from $10.19 per share to close at $3.17 per share on January 26, 2022. The complaint filed in this class action alleges that Defendants made materially false and/or misleading statements, as well as failed to disclose material adverse facts about the Company's business, operations, and prospects. Specifically, Defendants failed to disclose to investors: (1) that the technical report for Gatos's primary mine, the Cerro Los Gatos deposit, contained certain errors; (2) that, among other things, the mineral reserves had been overestimated by as much as 50%; and (3) that, as a result of the foregoing, Defendants' positive statements about the Company's business, operations, and prospects were materially misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis. Please visit our website to review more information and submit your transaction information. The Portnoy Law Firm represents investors in pursuing claims against caused by corporate wrongdoing. The Firms founding partner has recovered over $5.5 billion for aggrieved investors. Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes. Lesley F. Portnoy, Esq. Admitted CA and NY Bar lesley@portnoylaw.com 310-692-8883 www.portnoylaw.com Attorney Advertising An arrest on Tuesday in theshooting death of a Bronx family man brought his relatives some measure of comfort, but it didnt answer the question that has haunted them for 18 months why? Randy Maccow, 21, is charged with murder and robbery for the Sept. 1, 2020, killing of Jeffrey German, 29, on a street in Crotona. Advertisement German was shot multiple times, but managed to jump into his Volkswagen SUV and take off before passing out behind the wheel a block away, sideswiping two parked cars outside on Prospect Ave. near Elsmere Place. He died at St. Barnabas Hospital. Jeffrey German (Obtained by Daily News ) Relatives said they had almost given up hope that someone would pay for the crime, but the arrest had them reliving the nightmare of Germans death. Advertisement It doesnt make it completely better, but theres some type of closure, said Germans cousin, Emily Rodriguez, 41. This is amazing news. We were kind of a little bit losing hope because we werent hearing anything. But boom, here it goes, and its actually someone in custody. Maccow was nabbed near his Bronx home and initially waived his Miranda rights before changing course and asking for a lawyer, police said. Detectives inspect Jeffrey German's Volkswagen on Prospect Ave. in the Bronx on Sept. 1, 2020. (Brittany Kriegstein/New York Daily News) It wasnt clear what he was trying to rob from the victim, who lived in Inwood, police said. And thats what continues to trouble Rodriguez. The Daily News Flash Weekdays Catch up on the days top five stories every weekday afternoon. > Why? Why did this happen? she said. All right, youre going to rob someone, but why take their life? What was the reason? Youre a cold person. You have no idea what you took from his family, from his son. Jeffrey German (Obtained by Daily News ) Rodriguez described German as a loving father to his now 6-year-old namesake son, and the pillar of their tight knit family. Even though German was the youngest of the cousins who gathered often for family get-togethers, he was wise beyond his years and revered as though he was the oldest, Rodriguez said. He was very mature for his age, always felt like the big brother, she recalled. He was all about family and loved his mother. That was his number one, his mother and his son. He was always there, which is why hes a big missing piece from my family. Advertisement Rodriguez said the family plans to be a regular presence in court when Maccows case goes to trial. When theres court were not going to work, were going to court, she said. Were going to be there. Were going to face the person or the people that did this. Maccow has one prior arrest, for not appearing in court for a summons, police said. Vilnius, Lithuania, March 15, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Metria Network, the much-awaited solution for the entire crypto industry will be within reach soon. The chain agnostic decentralized infrastructure is designed to meet the needs of new-age DeFi and NFT applications by overcoming the issues of scalability, interoperability, and fragmentation of liquidity. Currently under development, the Metria multichain platform is a Polygon-based ecosystem that combines the necessary features and enhancements required to enable seamless transfer of digital assets and liquidity across protocols. While a Polygon native platform, Metria also supports Ethereum and Binance Smart Chain at the moment, with plans for inclusion of more protocols in the future. A Peek into the Metria Ecosystem The Metria ecosystem provides all the necessary infrastructure and tools for the development and deployment of a diverse range of multichain capable DeFi and NFT applications. The first few products to be launched as part of the ecosystem are the projects flagship decentralized exchange platform Metria DEX, NFT tools and Unified NFT Marketplace and Universal Staking and Farming platform. Metria DEX The native DEX protocol of the Metria ecosystem, Metria DEX is a completely decentralized, user-friendly multichain exchange platform that incorporates a familiar interface and CEX like features. The exchange protocol acts as a single window for users to trade any crypto asset, available on any of the supported blockchain protocols. Apart from enabling cross-chain trading of existing crypto assets, the platform also supports trading of synthetic tokens linked to real-world assets. The Metria DEX dashboard acts as a unified interface for cross-chain trades, swaps, staking, yield farming and other DeFi activities. Apart from its own staking and farming protocols, Metria DEX also acts as an aggregator by listing staking pools and prevalent APYs in real-time. Users can directly stake their assets on any of the listed pools from within the dashboard. Unified NFT Marketplace Metria is laying the groundwork for a robust, universal NFT ecosystem with its Unified NFT Marketplace. The first of its kind decentralized multichain NFT marketplace allows users to mint, trade and auction NFTs within Metria as well as other blockchain ecosystems. As the name suggests, the Unified NFT Marketplace acts as a single window for users to discover NFTs across different marketplace on various protocols and purchase them directly using Metrias native utility token. NFT Creators can make use of the NFT creation tools and other NFT related services to mint NFTs, assess their value and list on the Unified NFT Marketplace. Once listed, the NFTs will be indexed across marketplaces on all supported protocols amplifying discoverability in the process. Metria Blockchain Undergoing development in parallel to other Metria platform features, the Metria Blockchain is a Polysharding-based EVM compatible PoS blockchain protocol designed for chain agnostic operations. The protocol is being developed as a universal protocol that can cater to the needs of new age DeFi and NFT projects by providing a low-cost, highly scalable, and completely decentralized infrastructure solution. The cross-chain capability and EVM compatibility makes it easy for both new and existing projects to adopt Metria and gain access to a much wider community and enhanced liquidity from across different protocols. A key differentiator between Metria and other networks is the ability of Metria to enable seamless transfer of assets across protocols with the help of specialized crypto bridge infrastructure. By erasing the boundaries between protocols, Metria enables free flow of liquidity to maintain a healthy balance of demand and supply for projects within the ecosystem. The $METR Token Powering the entire Metria cross-chain ecosystem, now and in the future is $METR. The ecosystems utility and governance token, $METR is a multichain token that will be initially available on Polygon, Ethereum and Binance Smart Chain. Its presence will expand to other protocols as and when Metria extends support for those chains. $METR is the preferred mode of value exchange within the Metria ecosystem. Using the token, users can gain access to various products and services, enjoy discounted trading fees on Metria DEX and NFT Marketplace, and earn through staking, liquidity provisioning and yield farming activities within the ecosystem. The upcoming $METR whitelisting and public sale will be followed by listing on popular AMM DEXs Uniswap, QuickSwap and PancakeSwap on Ethereum, Polygon and Binance Smart Chain respectively will enable the community to gain access to the token. About Metria Metria is an all-inclusive, fully decentralized financial ecosystem that erases all boundaries between Blockchains and Cryptocurrencies. A unified platform, the infrastructure is designed to provide every individual, access to digital assets with absolute ease. Learn more about Metria at: https://metrianetwork.io/ Read Metrias Tweets at: https://twitter.com/metria_network Follow Metria on Instagram at: https://instagram.com/metrianetwork Join the Metria Community at: https://t.me/MetriaNetwork Follow Metria on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/metria-network/ Join discussions on Discord at: https://discord.com/invite/7VnbN8uM Denver, Colorado, March 15, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- On 10th March, Hayden Bell, the CEO of the newly rising crypto exchange BitVito, had second interview with Professor V, BitVitos Chief Trading Scientist. This interview was broadcast live to its global audience in more than 10 countries, including New Zealand, the USA, Britain, Japan, Thailand and Vietnam etc. It was very well received, more than 100 thousands of people has joined this live broadcast. The interview was mainly related to the products and trading, the unique Profit Plus System from BitVito. Hayden clarified the beginnings of the Profit Plus System, including its original purpose, its design elements and some of user feedback. Firstly, Hayden did an introducation on BitVito. BitVito is newly created crypto exchange from a group of internet and finance veterans, which is headquartered in New Zealand and has registered with top-tier countries and jurisdictions. It provides trading services like fiat currencies, crypto spot, futures, and CFDs. Users only need to hold one base currency so they can easily trade global assets, whether it is in traditional finance or in crypto space. BitVito currently provides services in three languages - English, Chinese and Thai, and in response to the call of the global fans, BitVitowill launch more languages soon, including Vietnamese and Japanese, to help serve the global users. BitVito has six product features: 1. USDT-M and Coin-M Swaps that work together, plus Cross and Isolated Margin that work concurrently 2. Multiple Mechanisms for Take-Profit and Stop-Loss, Long-Short Switch, and Close All trades 3. 1 Million+ per/sec matching speed, including no Upper Limit for High Performance 4. BitVito are a part of a new era of zero funding rate to reduce transaction costs 5. Billion+ of Reserve Fund -- the Lifeline of Safety and Stability 6. Unique VIP Profit Plus System, continuous Profit Plus Profit for the users Recently, many users on BitVito share images of their profits, they often use "Profit Plus System" and bonus ratio. They appear to be making good profits. So, what exactly is the "Profit Plus System"? To provide ultimate trading experience to more users, BitVito has offered a Billion USDT or Tether Coin for bonuses, namely, the "Profit Plus System". In short, the Profit Plus System has two dimensions, the total net deposit and the total trading volume. When these two values reach a certain number, users will receive a corresponding percentage of bonuses based on the profit of each transaction order. BitVito sets a very low access threshold with a total net deposit of 100USDT so that more users can enjoy the benefits of the Profit Plus System. The VIP System can be seen below: The Profit Comparison Table shows that BitVito has a higher percentage than other exchanges. The original purpose of this Profit Plus System is that the production team of BitVito comes from top internet companies and traditional finance with rich experience and they want to create a product that is extremely user-friendly and allows users to maximize the utilization of funds for biggest return. To maximize users return is to maximize their profits. More often than not, most platforms only occasionally provide such profits by promotions for a certain of period instead of long-term activities. So to productize this strong demand into a long-term system is one of BitVitos promises to their users. Driven by this strong vision, the "Profit Plus System" was born. The team encountered many problems when designing the system, such as the access threshold, usually exchanges are friendly to big-money users but not small-money users. However, most beginners start with small investments and they want to try little by little. BitVito wanted to include these users in the Profit Plus System and let them share the benefits too, so BitVito lowered the threshold to a very low level. BitVito offers 100USDT deposits as threshold so the users can enjoy the benefits of the Profit Plus System and stay isolated from some of the risk beginners face when starting out. To take beginner traders and investors into full consideration, BitVito had the system divided users into 9 VIP levels with different profit bonus rates based on total net deposit ranging from 100USDT to 5 million USDT. Of course these the IT experts have set strict risk control measures to ensure the long-term development of the platform, and ensure that more users enjoy benefits of the Profit Plus System in the longer term. The feedback from users so far about the Profit Plus System have shown great support and love. BitVito have done a return visit to a large number of users who had made great profits, and their feedback was that it is the first time they could see clear profit calculation on the order page. BitVito has received screenshots of their trading profits and wonderful messages sharing their joys. Although their assets vary, they all have enjoyed the benefit of the Profit Plus System from the very low entry threshold. Satisfied users are the best advocates and obviously they are more than happy to recommend more friends to trade with BitVito. BitVito is tailored for users and spares no effort to provide a friendly experience, so what other user-friendly features are there on the platform? BitVito has launched an era of zero funding rate and reduced transaction costs while increasing the capital utilization rate for the users. The whole team wants to give the best to all the users. At present, most exchanges around the world have funding rates ...... Being a user friendly platform also includes lowering user costs. Lower costs mean higher returns. No funding fees allows users to hold multiple contracts for longer periods similar to spot trading. Apart from no funding fees, Hayden shared some other advantages of the platform. In addition to the advantages that maximizes the users benefits, like the super high capital utilization rate and extremely low fees, BitVito has also included other advantages that optimizes the user experience. For example, to support high leverage, deep and wide liquidity, low slippage and no loss from liquidation, support hedging mode allowing users to trade both long and short. BitVito stands out in security with eight key advantages: - Technology strength and financial strength integration - Security, stability and overall service - Up to a Billion of reserve fund - BitVito are Audited by external institutions for compliance - BitVito have very high level security protection mechanisms - Cold and hot wallets separate storage solutions - 24/7 expert security monitoring - All-round protection of user assets Then Hayden and Professor V discussed the problems with crypto exchanges people frequently see in the following: - Frequent technical problems - high access thresholds - high funding rates - high transaction fees - limited investment portfolios available - drastic fluctuations and internet disconnections - very little crossover with classic products in the traditional financial industry, such as stocks, crude oil, precious metals, etc. They carried on discussing what makes BitVito different and why clients should choose to trade on BitVito. Hayden disclosed that BitVito has six key features, with which BitVito will try to achieve the mission of "changing the world with blockchain". Apart from Profit and Security, other four features are below: In terms of Tech, BitVito's technical team avoids the common practices of traditional exchanges, and rather, adopts the architectural approaches of first-tier Internet companies. These technologies have gone through numerous iterations over nearly 30 years of handling hundreds of millions of users in the Internet world. In terms of cost, BitVito allows more users to own crypto assets at a lower cost. BitVito pioneers an era of 0 funding fee, allowing users to hold perpetual contracts for a long time like spot. Meanwhile, low transaction fees also greatly reduce users' costs, which is very beneficial for short-term traders. The low cost itself, is a high return. In terms of experience, BitVito features a lightning-fast engine with latency of less than 1 millisecond and support for ultra-high frequency transactions. Thanks to the underlying architecture from first-tier Internet companies, BitVito users will experience the smoothness just as using usual Internet products. In terms of Compliance, BitVito comes from New Zealand, which has a first-tier financial regulatory system, and holds licenses that have high fund requirement and are hard to obtain in the crypto market. However, BitVito doesn't stop there. BitVito has applied for financial licenses in the U.S., Canada, and Australia as part of its globalization process. In the end, Hayden talked about the next step for BitVito in terms of product and ecology. BitVito responds to diversified market demands with a rich product matrix, fully integrates technology, products, and ecology. This lowers the threshold for blockchain use, promotes industry development, and empowers more industry ecological partners to achieve a win-win situation. BitVito will launch multi-national fiat currencies, contract spot, games, NFTs, DAOs and other projects. This will allow users to trade global assets, including traditional financial and crypto assets, with just one currency. The constant switching of users between traditional financial trading platforms and encrypted trading platforms will become a thing of the past with BitVitos lower thresholds, lower fees, full portfolio of products... BitVito aims at that users can trade a full suite of global products all in one stop at BitVito . While continuing to improve the products, BitVito will also strive to achieve the ultimate in risk control and trading mechanisms. BitVito will build bridges between finance users and crypto users, plus BitVito also believe that it is just around the corner for cryptocurrencies to become mainstream globally. BitVito official websites: https://www.bitvito.com/#/ Media contact Company name: Vito & Vita Technology Limited Website: https://www.bitvito.com/#/ E-mail: business@bitvito.com Disclaimer: There is no offer to sell, no solicitation of an offer to buy, and no recommendation of any security or any other product or service in this article. Moreover, nothing contained in this PR should be construed as a recommendation to buy, sell, or hold any investment or security, or to engage in any investment strategy or transaction. It is your responsibility to determine whether any investment, investment strategy, security, or related transaction is appropriate for you based on your investment objectives, financial circumstances, and risk tolerance. Consult your business advisor, attorney, or tax advisor regarding your specific business, legal, or tax situation. Attachment Gloucester, MA (01930) Today Cloudy with periods of rain. Expect mist and reduced visibilities at times. High 51F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 100%.. Tonight Cloudy early with some clearing expected late. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low 46F. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph. MANSFIELD [mdash] Patricia Ann Thursby-Daniels, 77, of Mansfield, Texas, formerly of Elkhart, Indiana, died Sunday April 10, at Mansfield Hospital in Mansfield, Texas. She was born May 30, 1944, in Elkhart, Indiana, to Robert James and Opal Mae (Allison) Thursby. On Feb. 14, 1965, she marrie The cold-blooded gunman busted early Tuesday for shooting five sleeping homeless men in New York and Washington, D.C., was meticulous in his planning and merciless in his intent. Suspect Gerald Brevard III, a 30-year-old D.C. resident, wore a mask, a hood and blue surgical gloves as he hunted his prey, killing one homeless man and wounding two more in the nations capital before heading north for New York to execute another sleeping man and wound his fifth victim, police say. Advertisement Gerald Brevard III, a 30-year-old D.C. resident, wore a mask, a hood and blue surgical gloves as he hunted his prey, killing one homeless man and wounding two more in the nations capital before heading north for New York to execute another sleeping man and wound his fifth victim, police say. (DC Police Department) Youre shocked that someone can commit such a jarring act against a defenseless person, said NYPD Chief of Detectives James Essig hours after the arrest. Just going up and shooting somebody sleeping, defenseless on the sidewalk ... [he] has some serious issues. An NYPD source indicated police believe there were no other victims. Essig said the motive behind the killings remained a mystery after a massive manhunt ended with Brevards predawn arrest by by D.C. police. The suspected murderer was not not yet charged with any crime in New York. Authorities tracked him down using ballistics evidence, video and surveillance photos. Advertisement Brevard was seen wearing distinctive sneakers, black pants and the same face covering at the crime scenes, according to Essig. New York officials said the murder suspect had no ties with the Big Apple, and it was unclear what brought him north. Police released images of a suspect in the shooting of homeless men in New York City and Washington, D.C. (NYPD) The suspects father, also named Gerald, issued a statement describing his namesake son as a good person who suffers from untreated mental illness. I cannot speak to the details of the case, he told the Daily News in a text message. I can only speak to the issue of the failure of the judicial system identifying that my son suffers from mental illness, but not treating him ... The system has failed regarding the treatment of so many, including my son. A high-ranking NYPD source said the black-clad gunman left little to chance as he walked the streets looking for victims. And he took precautions to ensure his escape before pulling the trigger. There was a lot of consciousness in what he did, said the source. When he spotted a target, he did a full walk around the block, almost like a reconnaissance, to make sure the coast was clear so he could commit his act. Mayor Adams speaks during a news conference with Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser about the search for the gunman targeting homeless men. (Evan Vucci/AP) Authorities had yet to recover the murder weapon, identified by police as a .22-caliber pistol. Authorities recovered five of the shell casings from the shootings, which began March 3 in Washington and continued off and on until the last two attacks just 90 minutes apart this past Saturday in New York. Video showed the suspect in Penn Station early Saturday, indicating he possibly took the train up to New York. This man targeted those experiencing homelessness with no regard for life, but this criminal is now off the streets, said Mayor Adams after the Tuesday morning arrest. Gun violence against anyone, let alone our most vulnerable populations, is sick. Advertisement One day earlier, he joined Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser in a joint call for public help in tracking down the shooter. Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser, left, and Washington Metropolitan Police Chief Robert Contee asked for the public's help finding the gunman ambushing homeless people in D.C. and New York City. (Alex Brandon/AP) The Daily News Flash Weekdays Catch up on the days top five stories every weekday afternoon. > According to court records, Brevard was arrested in July 2018 on assault charges before a legal battle over his mental health ensued. He spent time at St. Elizabeths Hospital, a Washington psychiatric facility, before eventually pleading guilty and receiving a one-year suspended prison term. The D.C. Metropolitan Police tweeted out news of the 2:30 a.m. arrest early Tuesday, ending the search for the callous suspect. Due to the excellent teamwork by great NYPD investigators and our partners in the @DCPoliceDept, @ATFHQ and @FBI, the suspect wanted for multiple shootings, including two homicides, of people experiencing homelessness has been apprehended in Washington D.C., tweeted NYPD Commissioner Keechant Sewell. Front page for March 15, 2022: Cops, feds seek man preying on NYC, D.C. homeless. A man shot and wounded at King and Varick Sts. in SoHo on Saturday was one of five homeless victims authorities believe were targeted this month by suspect (above) in New York City and Washington, cops said Monday. (New York Daily News) Cops and federal agents on Monday stepped up their hunt for the suspect, identifying him as a lone gunman preying on both cities most vulnerable residents. Adams responded by dispatching homeless outreach teams to encourage people on the streets to move to shelters. And the NYPD launched a mountainous effort with the city Department of Homeless Services to visit homeless camps throughout the city and ensure there were no other victims, according to a source. Advertisement The killers last known attack was early Saturday morning, when he shot and killed a man sleeping in a doorway in SoHo, police said. The man was the shooters second victim that morning. Only 90 minutes prior, he shot a homeless man, who was struck in the arm and survived, police said. The gunman, captured on surveillance video wearing all black, shot three men in Washington between March 3 and March 9. One of those victims died after being shot and stabbed multiple times before his tent was set on fire. According to Spanish AS Formula 1 has found a replacement for the cancelled Russian Grand Prix. The race will be replaced by Qatar, which also acted as an alternate on the calendar in 2021. In 2023, a third race will be added in the United States. The 2022 Russian Grand Prix will not take place due to the invasion of Ukraine. As a result, Formula 1 had to look for a replacement and, according to AS, F1 will head to Qatar. Like last season, this year's race will be held at the Losail International Circuit. Qatar still has a contract running until 2030, but it is likely that the Qatar GP will be held on a street circuit in Doha from 2023. Las Vegas Grand Prix The announcement of the race in Qatar in 2022 is not the only announcement we can expect in the coming weeks according to the Spanish medium. Behind the scenes, Formula 1 is working on setting up the Las Vegas Grand Prix. Yesterday, a report came out that this GP will be announced soon and according to AS, this race should already be added to the calendar in 2023. Americanization of Formula 1 The American market is important for Formula 1 and Liberty Media. In 2021, some 400,000 fans traveled to Austin to attend the United States Grand Prix. The new Miami Grand Prix scheduled for May 8 is already sold out. The third race in the United States could become important for F1. The circus is now two Grands Prix rich in the country and currently has one team with Haas F1. Andretti Global hopes to become the second American team from 2024, while American IndyCar talent Colton Herta is likely to make his first meters in an F1 car for McLaren this year. A hulking 42-year-old man is facing attempted murder as a hate crime charges Tuesday after repeatedly pummeling a 67-year-old Asian woman in the vestibule of her Yonkers building, authorities said. Tammel Esco was caught on camera punching the helpless woman more than 125 times during the unprovoked assault last Friday, according to Yonkers police. Advertisement Tammel Esco, 42, of Yonkers, has been charged with attempted murder and assault after violently attacking an Asian woman in their residential building. (Westchester County DA) He had called his victim an Asian b---h as she walked past him with a shopping cart, but the woman ignored the hateful insult, police said. When the woman opened the glass doors to the apartment vestibule, he followed her inside, his fists already clenched. A moment later, he punched her in the back of the head, knocking her to the ground, surveillance video released by police show. Advertisement But Esco allegedly didnt stop there. He threw haymaker after haymaker at the helpless woman for the next 2 minutes, the video shows. The suspects pants slowly slid off his behind as he continued to punch the woman, the video shows. He also stomped on her seven times and spat at her. When the woman opened the glass doors to the apartment vestibule, he followed her inside, his fists already clenched. (Yonkers Police) Yonkers Police Commissioner John Mueller said the brutal assault was one of the most appalling attacks I have ever seen. To beat a helpless woman is despicable and targeting her because of her race makes it more so, Mueller said. This defendant must be held to the maximum punishment allowed by law to send a clear message that hateful, violent behavior will not be tolerated in our communities. The Daily News Flash Weekdays Catch up on the days top five stories every weekday afternoon. > When cops were called to the scene, they found the woman suffering from massive facial injuries. They said they also found Esco standing outside the womans apartment. Tammel Esco was caught on camera punching the helpless woman more than 125 times during the unprovoked March 11, 2022, assault. (Yonkers Police) As the woman was rushed to an area hospital, Esco was taken into custody. Cops charged him with attempted murder and assault, both as hate crimes. A Westchester County judge ordered him held without bail. His next court appearance will be on March 25. His victim is seriously injured with deep cuts and bruises to her head and face, but is expected to survive, Yonkers officials said. Advertisement Tammel Esco was caught on camera punching the helpless woman more than 125 times during the unprovoked March 11, 2022, assault. (Yonkers Police) The brutal attack comes as hate crimes against Asians have skyrocketed across the country. No anti-Asian hate crimes were reported in Yonkers in 2020, but seven had been reported in 2019, according to the state Division of Criminal Justice Services. New York City saw 131 anti-Asian hate crimes in 2021, up from 27 the year before, according to NYPD data. Who was the king of stuntmen on two wheels? Theres only one name that comes to mind: Chris Pfeiffer. But, unfortunately, the German rider just lost his most important battle: the one against depression, deciding to take his own life. Well never forget his maneuvers. An infinite number of stoppies, wheelies with his foot on the saddle, tires worn out on asphalt worldwide. Chris is gone, and well miss him. The King of Stuntmen Chris Pfeiffer wasnt only four-time winner of the Bull Hare Scramble (which takes place during the Erzberg Rodeo), but he had also won a great number of other races during his career, which lasted more than 20 years and included being BMWs testimonial. Yet, we weren't only witness to 20 exciting years of his career. We were also witness to the smiles he put on everyones face, the spectators at his shows, and those on social media. BMW had also dedicated a special F 800 R livery to him. He had retired in 2015, stating: "After twenty years as a professional rider, I decided that it was time to stop. Im 45 years old and, in recent months, it has been increasingly difficult to make it to a high level. This has always been my ambition, and I always said that, when I could no longer improve, the time would come to retire and give space to young riders. In the last twenty years, I participated in a thousand events around the world, in ninety-four countries! It was unforgettable, with adventures and extraordinary experiences. I worked hard to bring the stunt sport to a good level and impress, excite, and entertain many spectators. It was a wonderful time! But one thing is certain Ill never stop riding, because its my life. Thank you all." Wherever you may be now Chris, show them how riding is really done! The crazed patron cops say stabbed two workers at the Museum of Modern Art in a caught-on-camera attack after his membership was revoked was busted in Philadelphia early Tuesday after setting his motel room on fire, the NYPD said. Gary Cabana, 60, was nabbed about 1:30 a.m. and had plenty to say when he was walked out of a Philadelphia police station in handcuffs. Advertisement Best cops in the United States right here, buddy, Cabana said, wearing a black surgical mask, boots, jeans and a dark-colored hoodie under a flannel shirt, videos tweeted by Philadelphia Fox news reporter Steve Keeley shows. They just made the United States safe Im public enemy number one. Cabana set his fifth-floor room on fire about 6 p.m. Monday inside a Best Western motel on Vine St. in Philadelphia, police said. There were no injuries but the room was badly damaged and the hotel was evacuated. Advertisement Gary Cabana is accused of stabbing two MOMA employees after he was refused admission to the museum. (Obtained by Daily News) The arson sparked a manhunt and cops found Cabana sleeping on a bench inside the Philadelphia Greyhound station. They quickly realized he was also wanted for the Manhattan MoMA stabbings. Asked by a reporter after his arrest why he stabbed the MoMA workers, Cabana shot back, Man, read my Instagram. Why do they ask these questions? he continued. Read the f---ing Instagram. Praying for all the haters who believe the Moma/media LIES, Cabana commented on one of his Instagram posts Monday, part of a back and forth with commenters taunting him and telling him to turn himself in. After the arson fire, local Investigators determined who checked into that room and reviewed surveillance footage. They soon discovered their suspect matched the description of the man wanted in the MOMA stabbing incident and alerted the NYPD The fire department almost immediately deemed the fire was an arson, Philadelphia Police Chief Inspector Scott Small told Philadelphias WPVI-TV. We dont know why he came to Philadelphia. LISTEN: @MuseumModernArt stabbing suspect Gary Cabana,60, arrested in Philadelphia 1:30am, told us @PhillyPolice are Best cops in the United States. They just made the United States safe, Im public enemy number one. @FOX29philly pic.twitter.com/nFSPLgBZzk Steve Keeley (@KeeleyFox29) March 15, 2022 Advertisement While on the lam, Cabana posted online that he is bipolar and the victim of a frame job. Police said Cabana stabbed the workers because he wasnt allowed into the famed museum to see a movie after his MoMa membership was revoked because of two past disruptions. THERE WERE NO DISRUPTIONS, Cabana claimed online. Security NEVER escorted me from MoMA on the 2 supposed days I acted up 2/24 + 3/9. Total blind side ... He insisted his membership was unfairly revoked because he laughed in a movie. NOTE to catty beeyotches of the world, words are sharper than knives, he wrote. Bipolar is a tough road to hoe. Dr. Jekyll to Mr. Hyde. THEN U get framed and evicted from MoMA (not just the movies, ALL THE ART too) by a bitter old woman who shushes U when U LAUGH during a comedy. Gary Cabana, 60, was enraged that his membership to the iconic Midtown museum had been canceled when he rushed through the W. 53rd St. movie theater entrance and jumped over the counter on Saturday, March 12, 2022, authorities said. Cabana will appear at an extradition hearing before he is returned to New York City to face charges in the caught-on-video attack. Advertisement The Daily News Flash Weekdays Catch up on the days top five stories every weekday afternoon. > On Saturday afternoon, Cabana allegedly barreled through the museums revolving door, leapt across a counter and stabbed the victims. The workers, a woman, 24, stabbed in the neck and back and a man, also 24, stabbed in the collarbone, are both recovering. Moments after the attack, police searched the museum looking for Cabana but he was already on the run. I am yesterdays news, no longer trending, Cabana groused Monday morning on Instagram as the manhunt intensified. Glad U care but U might want to care about the NEW Covid #outbreak in China. Officers outside the MOMA on March 11. (Barry Williams/for New York Daily News) Police pursued leads placing in Cabana in New Jersey and Manhattans Church of St. Francis of Assisi on W. 31st near Sixth Ave. Cops evacuated the house of worship before going inside and conducting a search, according to witnesses. Cabana was not there. The U.S. Secret Service was also involved in the case because the suspect had also made threats against former President Donald Trump, officials said. Cabana had ranted online about Trump, and said he didnt do enough to stop the spread of coronavirus. Advertisement The Museum of Modern Art reopened to the public Tuesday morning. The Community Announcements calendar publishes twice weekly on Thursday and Saturday. The submission deadline for Thursday announcements is noon on the previous Tuesday. The submission deadline for Saturday is noon on the previous Wednesday. A heroic McDonalds worker who stepped between an enraged knife-wielding customer and fellow employees is on the mend after being stabbed seven times and the suspect in the crazed East Harlem assault has surrendered, police said Tuesday. Ezekiel Dunn-Jennings, 28, turned himself in to cops in East New York, Brooklyn, about 9 p.m. Monday to face charges for the March 9 attack. Advertisement I dont want him on my mind right now. All Im trying to do is heal up. He stabbed me twice in the face, once in the arm and three times in my back, the victim, Angel Miguel Salazar, 31, told the Daily News Tuesday. All Ive got to do is thank God that Im still alive and I have another chance at life. Cops named Dunn-Jennings as the suspect Saturday and released a mugshot, asking the publics help tracking him down. Advertisement NYPD 25th Precinct detectives escort Ezekiel Dunn-Jennings to a vehicle in Harlem on Tuesday. (Luiz C. Ribeiro/for New York Daily News) Dunn-Jennings tried to make a purchase at the McDonalds on Third Ave. near E. 117th St. around 12:40 a.m. but employees told him to use an automated kiosk rather than order at the counter. However, when a worker who was changing the paper in the kiosk sent Dunn-Jennings to another screen, he flipped out, manager Jennifer Bisla Rodriguez said. He pulled a knife and said Im going to cut you, and Angel put himself in between them, she said. He started cursing. Angel heard him and he came from the kitchen. Salazar saw Dunn-Jennings with the knife, threatening to cut two women employees and sprang into action grabbing a plastic pole from a sink and stepping in between them. He was threatening them, so I grabbed the pole from the sink and went out. I hit him in the leg. If I wanted to hurt him, I would have hit him in the head, Salazar said. I (wanted) him to go outside and chill. He said he was going to kill me. He stabbed me twice in the face. When I saw the blood I went back to the kitchen and collapsed on the floor. Dunn-Jennings also repeatedly stabbed Salazar in the back and arm with a box cutter, cops said. He regained consciousness to see an NYPD officer above him, telling him, Stay with me, stay with me, please dont go, Salazar said. Medics rushed the victim to Harlem Hospital, where he underwent surgery. Advertisement NYPD officers investigate a stabbing in the McDonald's at E. 117th St. on March 9, 2022. (Barry Williams/for New York Daily News) He was stabbed seven times in total and lost so much blood that he needed to be put into a medically-induced coma for a few hours, Salazar recounted. Its really bad. I still cant feel my fingers. They say Ill need another surgery, he said. Dunn-Jennings was caught on a surveillance video running away from the scene, according to cops. He was staying at a shelter a few blocks away, police said. The suspect asked for a lawyer, but not before claiming that media accounts of what happened were wrong, police sources said. Dried blood on the floor of the McDonald's at E. 117th St. (Barry Williams/for New York Daily News) We want him to get the maximum. That man is dangerous, said Salazars sister, Miguela Salazar. Dunn-Jennings has prior arrests for assault, criminal mischief and menacing and has a history of mental illness, sources said. Advertisement The Daily News Flash Weekdays Catch up on the days top five stories every weekday afternoon. > Cops charged him with attempted murder, assault and criminal possession of a weapon. His arraignment in Manhattan Criminal Court was pending Tuesday. The stabbing occurred around the corner from the Burger King on E. 116th St. and Lexington Ave. where worker Kristal Bayron-Nieves, 19, was fatally shot during a Jan. 9 holdup. NYPD 25th Precinct detectives escort Ezekiel Dunn-Jennings to a vehicle in Harlem on Tuesday. (Luiz C. Ribeiro/for New York Daily News) Salazars manager praised him for stepping in where others might shy away. He got a pole in the kitchen and put himself in danger to protect his fellow employees, Rodriguez said. Of course hes a hero. But Salazar said he doesnt see himself that way. Advertisement No, Im not a hero, he said. Thats what a real man is supposed to do. Hes supposed to protect females. Im Dominican and we dont stand for that. For the 15th consecutive year, a local Easter tradition is continuing at Splurge, a downtown gift shop. The store owner announced that Splurge is once again partnering with two local nonprofits Kids In Crisis and The Food Bank of Lower Fairfield County to collect filled Easter baskets for children in need. Last year, we had an unprecedented outpouring of support from the community and collected nearly 300 Easter baskets for kids in need. Our generous customers, the local Girl Scouts and several local business people got behind the effort and the results were remarkable, Splurge owner Sonia Sotire Malloy said. Since 2008, we have collected and donated over 1,700 baskets, she said. Our 2022 goal is to collect 250 filled Easter baskets, which will make the holiday joyful for many local children in need. Located at 39 Lewis St., Splurge provides a convenient location for members of the community to donate filled Easter baskets through Wednesday, April 13. Cellophane-wrapped Easter baskets can be filled with items for children ages 2 to 17 and can include such items as toys, journals, games, personal care items, gift cards, packaged healthy snacks and traditional Easter candy, Malloy said. As a result of the pandemic, childrens mental health is at a historic low, said Shari Shapiro, executive director of Kids In Crisis. This community effort brings joy and hope to the children in our emergency shelter, and were profoundly grateful for the support. Kate Lombardo, executive director of the Food Bank of Lower Fairfield County, agreed. The Easter baskets that Sonia and her team at Splurge collect and donate give the children hope and joy when everything around them seems so hopeless. They know someone cares, Lombardo said. Thank you to Splurges customers for seeing the invisible and feeling the intangible. For more information, or if your school or organization is interested in contributing, contact sonia@splurgegifts.com or 203-869-7600. Splurge sells a variety of gift items, with something for everyone, from hostess gifts and wedding gifts, to hand-crafted jewelry and a vast assortment of childrens gifts. Launched in 1978, Greenwich-based Kids In Crisis is the only organization of its kind providing free, 24-hour crisis counseling and temporary shelter for infants, children and teens. The Food Bank of Lower Fairfield County Inc. is a hunger-relief organization that provides food to 90 nonprofit agencies and programs that serve low-income residents of Darien, Greenwich, New Canaan, Norwalk, Stamford and Wilton. Lehigh honors local students on Deans List Lehigh University in Bethlehem,, Pa., is honoring students who were named to the Deans List in spring 2021. The honored local students are Christina Cavin, Carolyn David, Carl Freyer, Mitchell Katz, Ella Morrissey, Leila Schneider and Sabrina Trabish, all of Greenwich. Additional honored local students are Charlotte Imperatore and Katherine Turkeltaub, both of Riverside, and Hetty Mcmillan of Old Greenwich. This status is granted to students who earned a scholastic average of 3.6 or better. Greenwich resident honored at Dean College Dean College in Franklin, Mass., announced that Angus Lodge of Greenwich has earned a place on the Deans List for the Fall 2021 semester. Students named to the Deans List have demonstrated a serious commitment to their studies while at Dean College. EPA administrator named for Region 1 President Joe Biden has appointed David Cash to become the EPAs regional administrator for Region 1, to lead the implementation of the Biden-Harris environmental agenda in Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut and in 10 Tribal Nations. Dr. Cash brings deep experience in environmental policy, equity and economic justice. I know he will ensure voices throughout Region 1 are heard on key issues, said Michael S. Regan, administrator of the federal Environmental Protection Agency. I am deeply honored to serve as the EPA Region 1 administrator, to champion the bold climate, environment and justice agenda, said Cash, who lives in the Boston area. Given my conviction that wise and equitable environmental policy goes hand-in-hand with robust economic policy, together we can solve our most pressing environmental challenges while creating jobs, leaving clean air and water to our children, and crafting a just transition to a clean energy future. Previously, Cash was dean of the John W. McCormack Graduate School of Policy and Global Studies at the University of Massachusetts Boston. He spent a decade in Massachusetts state government, serving in senior positions, including as commissioner in the Department of Public Utilities and the Department of Environmental Protection. GREENWICH Hoping to sound a call to action to the state legislature in Hartford, the Representative Town Meeting overwhelmingly passed a resolution Monday night calling for reform in state affordable housing regulations known as 8-30g. The RTM backed the sense of the meeting resolution in a vote of 164 to 22 with nine abstentions. The resolution is nonbinding, but Greenwichs bipartisan legislative delegation is expected to present it in Hartford to seek changes in the law and to show the efforts underway in Greenwich to create more affordable housing. We must quickly, as soon as possible, go on record to Hartford that we are firmly against 8-30g, District 7 RTM member Val Stauffer said. It has a negative effect on our town and is not working for affordable housing. Lavelle Shields, a vice president of the Northeast Greenwich Association, which represents nearly 2,200 households, later added, We sincerely believe that 8-30g, passed in 1989, is a flawed piece of legislation. It permits developers and builders to bypass local zoning laws. The RTM also pointed to a petition signed by 150 residents as a show of community support for the resolution. Under the 8-30g law, each Connecticut municipality must have not less than 10 percent of its housing units designated by deed as affordable. Currently, Greenwich has 1,380 housing units, equaling 5.3 percent, eligible under that definition. Town officials say the number of units does not include housing owned by private schools or Greenwich Hospital that are not deed restricted but that otherwise might qualify as affordable and help Greenwich to reach the 10 percent threshold. Over the last 14 months, 13 proposals for housing developments that include some units designated as affordable have gone before the town, town officials said. That compares to eight proposals over the last 30 years. Under 830-g, those proposals face fewer restrictions than developments with no affordable units. Additionally, many of the proposals have faced significant neighbor pushback due to the size of the housing proposals. Concerns over 8-30g have grown due to these proposed large-scale developments. Opponents have accused developers of using the law to get larger buildings approved with only minimal affordable units. During the more than hourlong debate, speakers who supported the resolution stressed their viewpoint that affordable housing should be created at the local level and not by mandate from the legislature. Backers of the resolution Monday night included First Selectman Fred Camillo, state Sen. Ryan Fazio, R-36 and state Rep. Kimberly Fiorello, R-149. In his remarks, Camillo noted Gov Ned Lamonts support for the work by Greenwich Communities to create more affordable housing in town. More Information Sense of the Meeting Resolution To amend Connecticut's Affordable Housing Land Use Appeals Procedure (CGS 8-30g) to better address the needs of vulnerable populations and development oversight in the town of Greenwich. The Representative Town Meeting urges town leadership to increase efforts to develop and plan for the affordable housing needs of our town; and urges the state delegation for the town of Greenwich to work with the governor and the legislature to amend 8-30g to: cap the volume of 8-30g projects that must be considered concurrently by a municipality so that the effect of each project on the municipality can be determined; expand the list of criteria which local housing commissioners may use in an appeal proceeding defending their decision to amend or reject an affordable housing proposal to include issues such as incompatibility with a town's Plan of Conservation and Development, density, height, traffic, environmental and infrastructure impacts, drainage and sewerage; allow municipalities to adopt policies that prioritize affordable housing development rather than allowing private developers to control such policies under 8-30g; and review and update 8-30g's metrics to better reflect the intent of the original statute. See More Collapse Greenwich does do a lot, Camillo said. Greenwich Communities is doing a great job, and we have added a lot of units. We also are rehabbing the units we have. Armstrong Court is a great example of that. When we were there just a few months ago, Gov. Lamont said Greenwich doesnt need Hartford to tell us what to do because (Greenwich) is already doing the right thing. State Rep. Stephen Meskers, D-151, also spoke in favor of the sense of the meeting resolution and, as a member of the RTM, voted for it as well. Although the vote for the resolution was decisive, there were dissenters. District 8 member Peter Berg called it bad public policy because the resolution does not address public housing needs in town. Berg also pointed out there is already a waiting list in town of people who need affordable housing. We know them, Berg said. They mow our lawns. They clean our houses. They cook and serve our restaurant meals. They wash our restaurant dishes. They stock our supermarket shelves and check us out. They wash our cars. They pump our gas. They are rookie first responders and they are our library staff and teacher aides. According to the resolution, 22 percent of Greenwich residents are known as asset limited, income constrained but employed, which means they are working but may still lack sufficient income for housing. Berg cited this in his remarks, but District 11 member Michael Spilo pushed back, saying the solution would be more jobs not more housing. We all want to help people in the ALICE category, but 8-30g is just a distraction, Spilo said. We dont need 200 new apartments in five years from now. We need new and better jobs now. People who have jobs dont need handouts and affordable housing. RTM members warned that change in 8-30g law would not come quickly even with the resolution. Changing anything in Hartford is going to take at least a year or two, despite the best efforts of our legislators, District 7 member Bill Galvin said. There is no chance were going to get relief from (current) 8-30g projects, which means the 13 projects currently before Planning and Zoning will, in all probability, be built. And in the next year, 18 months, two years, there will be another dozen-plus projects coming our way again largely out of the control of Planning and Zoning. Before considering the resolution, the RTM approved a declaration of trust to allow the formation of a new housing trust fund in town. The fund will be used to persuade developers to include affordable units in their projects, but not in large-scale developments. The trust will allow private grants and donations to be accepted that can then be used to incentivize developers to include affordable units in projects that are within existing town zoning regulations or to renovate existing affordable units. The declaration of trust was approved by a vote of 102 to 11, with 10 abstentions. kborsuk@greenwichtime.com A manhunt was underway on Tuesday for the suspect who shot and killed two people, including a teen boy, at a birthday party in North Carolina over the weekend. The festivities were still underway on Sunday when gunfire erupted around 12:38 a.m. in Pembroke, located about 40 miles south of Fayetteville, officials said in a press release. When authorities arrived at the home, they found Randi Hunt, a 20-year-old from the Rowland area, who was fatally shot amid the violent chaos. She was pronounced dead on the scene, police said. Advertisement A 15-year-old boy was also struck in gunfire. Police said he was airlifted Chapel Hill Hospital in critical condition and succumbed to his injuries later Sunday morning. While authorities have said the suspects are known to them, an arrest in the case has not been announced as of Tuesday morning. It is currently being investigated by the Robeson County Sheriffs Office Homicide Division. Advertisement No other details have been provided. As with a few previous shootings in this county, we have a crowd of people on scene that witnessed this act that need to come forward with the truth. Detectives have been out all night and are working the case as this release is prepared, police said. The fact is, the truth will prevail in this case and suspects are known. DO NOT become involved in this case as an accessory before or after the fact. Simply come forward with the truth. Anyone with information about the case are asked to call the Robeson County Sheriffs Office at 910-671-3170 or 910-671-3100. Xiaomi brand Redmi is going to launch a new laptop this week, the company confirms on Weibo. This Thursday March 17 at 7PM, the RedmiBook Pro 2022 will be announced for the Chinese market. This time, the RedmiBook Pro is positioned to be upgraded to challenge the peak performance of thin and light notebooks for your reckless love, and to create a ruthless character with soaring combat power, whose performance is beyond imagination. Recently, the RedmiBook Pro (2022) was spotted on Geekbench 5 running Intels newest 12th Generation Intel Core i7-12650H CPU. This processor has 10 cores including six performance cores and four efficiency cores. This CPU boosts up to 4.7GHz and 45W power draw. The laptop scores 1800 on the single-core benchmark and 11872 on the multi-core test. Nothing more is official about the new RedmiBook but based on the quoted statement from the announcement news, we are expecting to see a new laptop with updated Intel CPU thats also quote thin and light. Source(unavailable) Via Xiaomis flagship 12-series is ready to say hello to the rest of the world after launching in China at the end of 2021. You can watch the global launch event through the live stream below it starts at 12 noon GMT. We expect to see the core trio the Xiaomi 12, 12 Pro and 12X and possibly a smattering of smart gadgets. We doubt that the rumored Xiaomi 12 Ultra will be unveiled today (or that mini model), so the triple 50MP cameras on the Pro model will be the best camera we see out of Xiaomi today. As for the smart gadgets, the Xiaomi Watch S1 Active will definitely be part of the launch, Xiaomi confirmed as much. This is a sporty version of the S1 watch from last year. Chances are that we will see other smart gadgets at todays event, maybe some lower end phones too (the Redmi 10C seems ready to go). PS. There is another Xiaomi event this week the Redmi K50 reveal in China on March 17 (Thursday). Chances are that some of those will be rebranded as Poco F4 models for the global market (we know there is at least a Poco F4 and an F4 Pro in the works). Also on Thursday is Redmi 10s launch in India. In this January 2022 video, owner Dawn Lees Reyes discusses some of her art pieces and works by local artists in the Lees Reyes Art Gallery at Tumon Sands Plaza. A couple in Hawaii has been charged with trafficking a woman and her teen daughter from Guam. On Aug. 23, 2021, the woman and her 15-year-old daughter flew to Honolulu from Guam after Pomerrine Robert and Kevin Robert used buddy passes for their trips, according to court documents from Hawaii. When they landed in Honolulu, Pomerrine Robert immediately took their passports and later said she would return them if the woman and daughter paid her money. The woman and the girl stayed with the couple at an apartment that the daughter was forced to clean. The woman worked at a deli with Pomerrine Robert, who is accused of taking her money to pay for rent, cigarettes, betel nut, bingo and ice, which Pomerrine Robert smoked daily, documents stated. The girl was enrolled at a high school and not allowed to go anywhere else or have friends at the apartment. Pomerrine Robert allegedly threatened violence if the woman and her daughter didnt follow rules. Abuse reported On Feb. 22, Pommerine Robert allegedly forced the girl to smoke out of an ice pipe because she left the apartment. When the girl refused, Kevin Robert held the girl down while Pomerrine Robert punched her in the face, causing her eye to bruise and swell, documents stated. Afterward, Pomerrine Robert applied oil and sugar to the girls eye and massaged it to make the bruise disappear, documents stated. The following week, Pomerrine Robert hit the girl in the stomach and back with a metal curtain rod for not cleaning up. When the girls mother started screaming, Pomerrine Robert threw a water bottle at her head, according to court documents. After the beating, Pomerrine Robert and Kevin Robert locked the girl in a bedroom for several days so she couldnt go to school, where someone might see the bruises on her body. The girl was given bottled water, chips and a bucket to use as a toilet, court documents state. After being let out, the girl reported the abuse to a school counselor. Pomerrine Robert and Kevin Robert were arrested and charged last week with labor trafficking in the first degree. Funding was the main issue brought up during a discussion on Tuesday for Bill 220, which would pay war claims to every descendant of deceased Guam World War II survivors. War survivors were paid under the federal Guam World War II Loyalty Recognition Act. If a war survivor died after the programs 2016 enactment date, the war survivors descendants could file a claim. The descendants of people who died before the enactment date, however, were left out. Descendants and survivors who missed the 2018 federal filing deadline could apply for a locally funded program starting April 1, with the criteria being the same as the federal program. Bill 220 Sen. Amanda Sheltons Bill 220 would pay every claimant, regardless of the date of death. The estimated cost is $150 million. Department of Administration Director Ed Birn said no one doubted the need to pay out claimants, but advised lawmakers to weigh their priorities as the Government of Guam transitioned away from the large sums of federal money that were available during the pandemic. What we certainly must be careful of is completely upturning or disrupting the budgetary process for the Government of Guam, which in fiscal (year) 2023 and fiscal 2024, will have to transition back to local revenues And we want to, obviously, maintain the level of service that the people have come to expect and deserve, Birn said. Tax credits One of the planned funding sources in the billallowing businesses to claim up to $75 million in tax credits in exchange for funding claimswould still reduce government revenue, Birn said. Whichever way you look at it, they are a reduction in revenues, because theyre a credit. Birn and Department of Revenue and Taxation Director Dafne Shimizu said that it was unclear in the bill exactly how the tax credit would work. The credits are meant to be transferrable between taxpayers, but Shimizu said credits were typically issued on the assumption that the person redeeming it had paid business privilege taxes. The transfer of credits might not be exempt from taxation either. The other funding source in the bill, $75 million in Section 30 Funds, was also unclear and would reduce an unknown amount of money GovGuam would have available to spend in coming years, Birn said. Section 30 is tax money that Guam receives from federal employees who work on island. Senators should consider picking up the bill after GovGuams budget for the upcoming fiscal year is worked out, Birn said. The budget is due on Aug. 31. Sens. Telo Taitague, Joann Brown and Chris Duenas took issue with both funding sources. Shelton said that the bill was meant to space out GovGuams payments, $30 million for over five years, and reduce financial strain. Some claimants might also opt-out of applying, which could drive the cost down. She said she would address the funding issues brought up. Residents weigh in Resident Terry Perez said she was a war survivor and supported the idea of every survivor getting paid, especially those who had to march to the Manenggon concentration camp. But she wasnt familiar with how the funding for Bill 220 worked and couldnt comment on it. Resident Ken Leon-Guerrero, meanwhile, said the bill was very financially irresponsible. He said that if the government of Guam was going to pay its own war claims, it should have done before the 2000s, when most of the war survivors were still alive. Technically, Im a beneficiary of this bill, but I didnt suffer. My generation did not suffer, yet were going to be the direct claimants of this money, he said. With federal dollars drying up, and much of the islands economy is in a bad state, he said the money would be better spent on education or other initiatives. Ric Atento, right, and Akim Esa, maintenance workers with the Guam Visitors Bureau, use a pressure washer to clean the sidewalk fronting the Governor Joseph Flores Memorial Park as they help to beautify the aesthetics of Tumon on March 15, 2022. A former Department of Corrections nurse has been charged with sexually assaulting a dozen inmates at the Coffee Creek Correctional Facility, the only womens prison in Oregon. Tony Klein is facing 21 counts of depriving the victims of their constitutional right not to be subjected to cruel and unusual punishment in connection with the alleged assaults, the U.S. Attorneys Office District of Oregon announced Monday. He was also charged with four counts of perjury for allegedly providing false answers during a deposition in a civil case that similarly alleged misconduct, prosecutors said. Advertisement Klein has since pleaded not guilty to each count. If convicted, he could be sentenced to life in prison. He is currently on leave from his job as a registered nurse for Legacy Health, Oregon Live reported. According to a newly unsealed indictment, the 37-year-old suspect, from Clackamas County, committed various forms of sexual assault, some of which included aggravated sexual abuse and some resulting in bodily injury, between 2016 and 2017. Four of the alleged assaults included aggravated sexual abuse, officials said. Advertisement Coffee Creek Correctional Institution in Oregon. (Google Maps) In a statement Monday, Department of Corrections Director Colette Peters said that sexual violence would not be tolerated. Todays indictment shows that the voices of women in custody are heard and taken seriously, she said. DOC has zero tolerance for sexual violence against the people in our care and allegations will not be swept under the rug or ignored regardless of whether the person accused is no longer employed by our Department, Peters continued. Now the federal criminal justice system can rightly deal with these serious allegations. Haiti - NOTICE : Kiskey'Art project, call for proposals (grants) The Knowledge and Freedom Foundation (FOKAL) one of the best known and most active Haitian institutions in terms of programming activities dedicated to supporting Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) in the theme of culture and youth and Azuei the Civil Society Organization (CSO) cultural reference on binational issues between Haiti and the Dominican Republic, launch via the Project "Kiskey'Art Project" a call for proposals. FOKAL and Azuei have received funding from the European Union under the binational cooperation program "Viv Ansanm / Convivencia" to implement the project. With this in mind, priority will be given to creations and productions of a socio-cultural, experimental and inclusive nature or to training activities and/or sharing of artistic and cultural initiatives, exchanges and technical and creative support. The general objective of the "Kiskey'Art" Project is to strengthen relations between the Dominican Republic and Haiti through art and culture. Call for proposals : FOKAL and Azuei are launching this call for proposals with a view to granting funding to third parties (Cultural CSOs). 3 to 5 projects will be selected for the maximum sum of: US$11,400 for a national project ; 22,800 US dollars for a bi-national project. In addition to the granting of funding, specific training will be put in place to strengthen organizations in project management, but also in conflict management through art, the creation and maintenance of a binational network. cultural. Duration of the project : Activities should start no later than July 1st, 2022. A financial and narrative (interim) report must be submitted no later than November 30, 2022 and the final financial and narrative report no later than April 30, 2023. Project Location : The "Kiskey'Art" Project promotes projects that take place in Haiti and/or the Dominican Republic. Application and submission procedure : To respond to this call for proposals, the candidate must complete the online form and upload all the required supporting documents. You will receive an email, as acknowledgment of receipt with the copy of your request and a code representing your submission. Submissions can be made in : French, Spanish and Creole. All the details, terms, submission procedure and the online form can be found at: https://fokal.org/index.php/artnculture-2022 Important : Applications by email or dropped off at the project office will not be accepted. Dates to remember : The deadline for online submission is Thursday April 24, 2022 at 4:00 pm. After this date, the link for calls for proposals will be deactivated. From June 1st, 2022, the Kiskey'Art project will notify, by email, the managers (contact person) of the projects submitted. HL/ HaitiLibre Haiti - Diaspora Covid-19 : Daily Bulletin #725 GLOBAL SITUATION 2019-2022: Epidemiological situation: Tuesday March 15, 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 460,268,613 cases (+1,638,681 in 24 hours ), the day before (+1,358,655) Number of infected countries: 224 *Healings: 393,678,230 people have been cured of Covid-19 worldwide (+1,633,061 in 24 hours), the day before (+1,448,937) *Deaths: 6,068,371 people died of Covid-19 worldwide (+1.557 in 24 hours), the day before (+3.865) *Active cases (minus deaths and recoveries) in the world is currently 60,522,012 cases (+4,063 in 24 hours), the day before (+94,147) Average cure rate in the world: 85.53% (+) Average death rate in the world: 1.31% (-) World: Number of daily confirmed cases: (Day-1) Vaccination: 11.05 billion doses of vaccine injected (+20 million doses injected in 24 hours. Updated March 14, 2022 (latest data available). HAITI: Epidemiological situation: Warning: The Ministry of Public Health and Population (MSPP) did not make available daily data on the Covid-19 situation in Haiti after March 10, 2022. Accordingly, the data below on the situation in Haiti are the latest available. According to the Ministry of Public Health, +15 new cases of Covid-19 and its variants have been confirmed in Haiti as of March 10, 2022 (latest partial data available ) for a total of 30,461 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 (+8 cases as of March 9, 2022). Healings: 26,538 (+236) Cure rate: 87.12% (+) Deaths: 827 deaths (+0) () Death rate: 2.71% (=) 5th Wave (Omicron Dominant): Total of the 5th wave (starting December 27, 2021) 4,466 confirmed cases and 61 deaths Haiti: Active Cases Trend: (less recoveries and deaths) (Day-1) Screening since the start of the pandemic: 182,367 tests (+253 in 24 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: 736 (+2); Petion-ville 613 (+0); Port-au-Prince 405 (+0); Tabarre 286 (+1); 233 (+0) Confirmed cases by department (2022 / 2021 / 2020): West: 2022: 2,527 cases; (2021: 9.890); (2020: 6,945 cases) North: 2022: 263 cases; (2021: 664); (2020: 677 cases) Center: 2022: 221 cases; (2021: 1.001); (2020: 508 cases) Artibonite: 2022: 170 cases; (2021: 855); (2020: 593 cases) Northeast: 2022: 147 cases; (2021: 404); (2020: 314 cases) Southeast: 2022: 238 cases; (2021: 768); (2020: 274 cases) South: 2022: 213 cases; (2021: 891); (2020: 262 cases) North West: 2022: 249 cases; (2021: 383); (2020: 229 cases) Grand'Anse: 2022: 158 cases; (2021: 861); (2020: 176 cases) Nippes: 2022: 35 cases; (2021: 249) (2020: 149 cases) Cumulative deaths by department (2022-2021): West: 293 deaths (2020: 104 deaths) North: 54 deaths (2020: 34 deaths) Center: 78 deaths (2020: 13 deaths) Artibonite: 40 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: 31 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: 137 deaths Vaccination: 159,320 Haitians (1.37% of the population) +2,318 in 4 days have received a 1st dose of vaccine since July 16, 2021, date of the first injection through 149 open vaccination centers and 108,450 Haitians are fully vaccinated (2 doses, 0.93% of the population) +2.336 in 4 days. Update March 10, 2022 latest information available (source MSPP). List of the 149 Vaccination Centers open in Haiti (and hours) by department: (updated October 20, 2021, latest informations 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): 81,216,268 cases (+41,591 in 24 hours), the day before (+5,143) *Healings: 56,282,006 healings (+210,903 in 24 hours), the day before (+155,975) National Cure Rate: 69.29% (+) *Deaths: 991,038 deaths (correction), the day before (+118) National death rate: 1.22% (=) *Active cases (minus deaths and recoveries): 23,943,224 (-166,539 in 24 hours), the day before (-150,940) Tests: 966,788,183 last data available. USA: Number of daily confirmed cases (Day-1) Vaccination: 557.30 million doses of vaccine injected since December 14, 2020, date of the first injection in the United States (+200,000 doses in 24 hours). Updated March 14, 2022 (latest data available). DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: Warning: The Dominican Central Directorate of Epidemiology has not updated the data for February 23. The figures below are therefore those of February 22. Confirmed cases since March 1, 2020: 576,641 cases (+147 in 24 hours) the day before (+127 in 24 hours). First case (March 1, 2020) Healings: 571,897 healings (+146 in 24 hours), the day before (+95) National Cure Rate: 99.17% (=) Deaths: 4,374 deaths (+0), previous (+0) Death rate: 0.75% (=) Positive rate over 4 epidemiological weeks: 1.59% (-) Active cases: (excluding deaths and recoveries) 370 cases (+1 in 24 hours) the day before (+32) 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: Santiago: +53 new cases in 24 hours (+) La Altagracia: 44 new cases in 24 hours (+) Santo Domingo: +17 new cases in 24 hours (+) District Nacional: +8 new cases in 24 hours () Puerto Plata: +5 new cases in 24 hours (-) Tests (since the 1st case): 3,167,036 tests (+4,923 in 24 hours), the day before (+5,078) Vaccination: 15.36 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). Updated March 14, 2022 (latest data available). QUEBEC: Confirmed cases since the first case (February 27, 2020): 937,247 (+2,625 in 72 hours), previous (+1,179 in 24 hours) Healings: 910,796 people (+3,438 in 72 hours), previous (+1,396 in 24 hours) Cure rate: 97.17% (+) Deaths: 14,182 deaths (+28 in 72 hours), previous (+13 in 24 hours) Death rate: 1.51% (=) Active cases: (excluding death and recovery) 12,269 cases (-841 in 72 hours), previous (-230 in 24 hours) Quebec: Trend of daily confirmed cases: (average weekly trend) Test: 16,884,050 people tested since the first case (+33,382 in 72 hours) Vaccination: 18,528,908 doses of vaccine injected since December 14, 2020, date of the first injection (+23,356 doses in 72 hours), latest data available - MSSS as of March 14, 2022) FRANCE: *Confirmed cases since the first case (January 24, 2020): 23,532,997 cases (+18,853 cases in 24 hours), previous (+60,422) *Healings: 22,261,297 healings (not available), previous (+114,548) National Cure Rate: 94.59% (-) Deaths: 140,294 deaths (+185 in 24 hours), previous (+29) Death rate: 0.59% (=) Active Cases: 1,131,591 (+18,853 in 24h), previous (+54,155) Test: 246,629,975 (last data available February 27, 2022) France: Number of daily confirmed cases: (day 1) Vaccination: 141.32 million doses of vaccine injected since December 27, 2020, date of the first injection in France (+30,000 doses injected in 24 hours. Update March 14, 2022 (latest data available) Previous bulletin : https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-36176-haiti-diaspora-covid-19-daily-bulletin-724.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 Haiti - News : Zapping... Jacmel Carnival, 40 million gourdes demanded Actors of the Jacmel carnival announce days of demonstrations, starting yesterday Monday, March 14 to demand the 40 million gourdes promised by the government for the organization of the communal carnival in this city. If the carnival festivities did indeed take place in Jacmel, the fund which was to be used to pay the actors, among others, was not paid to the town hall of this commune. Judge Fignole was attacked Annie Fignole, judge at the Port-au-Prince Court of First Instance, was the victim of an attack perpetrated on Sunday, March 14, in Delmas, by armed individuals. The magistrate came out safe and sound. The motives behind this attack are unknown. MoU for a new farm The Embassy of Taiwan (Republic of China) and the international NGO "Food for the Poor" in Haiti, officially presented a Memorandum of Understanding concerning an agricultural farm located on 4 carreaux of land, in Santo 17. The CEP could go on strike The Provisional Electoral Council (CEP) is unable to function normally due to budgetary difficulties. The Executive Director of the CEP who provided an update on the issue, does not rule out the possibility that employees of the electoral institution decide to observe a work stoppage in the days to come. Senate meets PEN After the meeting with Montana https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-36162-haiti-news-zapping.html , the Senate met with the modified PEN to harmonize the positions of the different groups on the political spectrum. No fuel shortage The volume of fuel in stock in the two terminals is: Diesel: 12,094,678 gallons, Gasoline: 6,330,843 gallons So, no shortage of fuel. However, the strike by tanker drivers at the Thor terminal disrupted the supply of petroleum products in the Deep South. Former TPTC Minister dies "I learned, with sadness, of the death of engineer Elysee Nicoleau, former minister of TPTC in the government of Leslie Manigat. I salute the memory of a patriot, a visionary, a man of integrity, an altruist. I send my heartfelt condolences to his bereaved family and friends," PM Ariel Henry HL/ HaitiLibre India's new envoy to China assumes office amid welcoming voices, expectations to improve ties (Global Times) 09:20, March 15, 2022 India's new ambassador to China Pradeep Kumar Rawat assumed office on Monday amid welcoming voices and expectations from many Chinese following signs of positive momentum from the recently-concluded military talks to resolve border issues between the two countries. Experts said Rawat's assumption of office came amid some encouraging signs of an improving atmosphere in China-India relations and there are high expectations from China that he could help improve ties. But they also warned that challenges lie in India's internal politics which usually drives Indian diplomats' behavior, and unless the Indian government sees China as what Chinese Foreign Minister said a partner in mutual achievement, rather than an opponent, and takes concrete moves, it is still not easy for bilateral ties to return to the right track immediately. Rawat arrived in China on March 4 and took office on Monday, according to the Embassy of India. Many Chinese netizens welcomed the new envoy who can speak Chinese fluently and "knows China well," expressing wishes that he could fix damaged ties. "Welcome! Hope the two ancient Oriental civilizations can communicate and exchange more, seek common ground while shelving differences and achieve development together," read one comment with the most likes under the embassy's post that announced Rawat's arrival on Chinese social media Sina Weibo. "Welcome to China! A close neighbor is better than a distant relative. I hope China-India relations will improve and we can work together to protect Asia," read another. Rawat assumed office three days after the 15th round of China-India corps commander level meeting concluded on Friday, in which consensus was reached on maintaining dialogue through military and diplomatic channels to reach a mutually acceptable resolution to the remaining issues. Experts said that Rawat came as China-India relations have been seeing signs of a gradual detente on many fronts, including diplomacy, military and economy, and might improve further since he took office, despite questions remain on what extent he could be constructive. Qian Feng, director of the research department at the National Strategy Institute at Tsinghua University, told the Global Times on Monday apart from the positive signs from the military talks between the two countries, tensions between Chinese and Indian netizens have also eased somehow since the two sides saw more similarity in views over the Ukraine crisis, where both called for solving the conflicts in a peaceful way. "It is a manifestation of friendship between the two peoples, which once again shows that China and India share very similar points of view on major international affairs," Qian noted. China-India trade reached $102.29 billion, exceeding $100 billion for the first time in 2021. The data showed that that there is common basis for social and civil contacts between the two countries, Qian said. Rawat had served as an Indian diplomat in Hong Kong and Beijing between 1992 and 1997. He returned to Delhi in 1997 and served in the East Asia Division for over three years. He then served as first secretary in the Indian mission in Mauritius. He started his second tenure in Beijing in 2003 as a counselor and ended it in 2007 as deputy chief of mission. Qian said that Rawat's duty is to determine how to serve as a "bridge" to push forward the bilateral relations as ambassador, as he witnessed the time when China and India had good relations, especially during the past 20 years, and he understands the problems between China and India. But observers also pointed out that Rawat's constructive role in improving China-India relations might still be limited as there remain challenges in fixing the damaged ties that are mostly determined by India's internal politics. Indian media reported that Rawat is an experienced and professional diplomat who can "speak fluent Mandarin [Putonghua]" and with deep ties with China. He has a Chinese name, "Luo Guodong," and many Chinese experts on Indian studies are familiar with him. (Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun) The man acquitted in the 2015 shooting of Kate Steinle on a San Francisco pier pleaded guilty to gun charges in federal court, nearly seven years after the 32-year-olds death fueled a fiery debate about immigration and border control in the U.S. Jose Inez Garcia-Zarate pleaded guilty on Monday to being a felon in possession of a firearm and to being an alien unlawfully present in the country in possession of a firearm, officials said. Advertisement This undated file booking photo provided by the San Francisco Police Department shows Jose Ines Garcia-Zarate, a homeless undocumented immigrant who was acquitted of killing Kate Steinle on a San Francisco pier in 2015. (AP) Garcia-Zarate, an undocumented immigrant from Mexico, had been deported several times before he gunned down Steinle on July 1, 2015. She was strolling along Pier 14 of the Embarcadero with friends and family when she was struck in the back by gunfire after 6 p.m. The 51-year-old suspect used a semi-automatic pistol and was in possession multiple rounds of ammunition at the time, according to a statement from United States Attorney Stephanie Hinds and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives Special Agent in Charge Patrick Gorman. Advertisement Garcia-Zarate previously alleged the shooting was an accident, claiming he was handling a handgun he found stashed beneath a bench on the pier when it accidentally fired. Katie Steinle The Daily News Flash Weekdays Catch up on the days top five stories every weekday afternoon. > Gracia-Zarate, a convicted felon, was also on federal supervised release from a 2011 Texas conviction at the time. On Monday, he confessed he was on San Francisco Embarcadero Pier 14 and possessed a semi-automatic pistol loaded with eight rounds, officials said. He admitted he knew he was an alien that was unlawfully and illegally in the United States at the time and that he had previously been convicted of a felony, including the felony of Illegal Re-Entry After Deportation for which he spent more than a year in federal prison. A jury in 2017 acquitted Garcia-Zarate on homicide charges, triggering a national debate on immigration and sanctuary cities. The federal gun charges against him had been pending since 2017 due to concerns regarding Garcia-Zarates mental health. Two doctors diagnosed him with schizophrenia and dubbed him unfit to stand trial because he couldnt follow the legal proceedings, according to ABC 7. Following competency proceedings occurring throughout 2020 and 2021, a change of plea hearing was set, according to the statement. Garcia-Zarates sentencing hearing is scheduled for June 6, 2022. He will remain behind bars until them. Garcia-Zarate is facing a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison followed by three years of supervised release. By William Schwartz | Published on 2022/03/14 On March 13th actor Lee Jung-jae won Best Actor at the Critic's Choice Awards in Los Angeles for his portrayal of an out-of-work man in the serial drama "Squid Game" on Netflix. Lee Jung-jae was one of three actors in attendance at the event, with the other two being Park Hae-soo, who played a disgraced investor, and Jung Ho-yeon, who played a North Korean defector, all set to play a dangerous game for a hefty cash prize. Director Hwang Dong-hyuk was also in attendance. Advertisement "Squid Game" was also nominated for best overall series and best foreign language series, though it only won in the latter category. The news comes on the heels of Lee Jung-jae and Jung Ho-yeon each winning for best actor at the Screen Actor's Guild Awards two weeks prior. "Squid Game" premiered on Netflix this past September and has been a strong contender in the American awards circuit this year. Written by William Schwartz Seeing clearly shouldn't be painful: The truth about contact lens intolerance Years ago, when standing in the checkout line at the local grocery store, cover st A Virginia man accused of killing his ex-girlfriend remains on the run, and the womans body hasnt been located either, police said Tuesday. Joel Mosso Merino, 27, was charged with second-degree murder in the death of his ex-girlfriend, 35-year-old Hannah Choi. Advertisement Joel Mosso Merino is wanted for murder. (Fairfax County Police) Choi was last seen on March 5 and reported missing the next day. She shared a home in the Washington, D.C., suburb of Alexandria with Merino. Police searched that home on the day Choi was reported missing, but found nothing out of place other than some missing bedding, the Fairfax County Police Department said in a press release. Merino was not home at the time. Advertisement On the night of Chois disappearance, Merino drove his car about seven miles south to Piscataway Park and was there for an extended period of time, according to police. Officers have spent at least two days searching the park area, but Chois body has not been found. Hannah Choi was last seen March 5 in Alexandria. (Fairfax County Police) Investigators found the car, again without Merino, in Washington on March 7, police said. The scene in the vehicle was brutal enough to convince the officers that Choi was dead. Although Hannah was not found, we did discover evidence that suggests she was harmed prior to her disappearance, Fairfax County police officer Ed OCarroll said Tuesday at a press conference. We know something bad happened really bad. And we have evidence and details that make us firmly believe without any doubt that shes deceased. Cops speculated that Merino fled to Georgia but has since returned to Virginia. They said anyone who spots him should contact police and not approach him. Hes actively wanted for murder, so use caution, OCarroll said. Merino was also charged with felony disposal of a body. from the Office of the Montana Governor HELENA Gov. Greg Gianforte earlier this month proclaimed March 2022 as Red Cross Month in Montana to recognize the lasting legacy of American Red Cross founder Clara Barton and the organizations impact in Montana. President Franklin D. Roosevelt first issued a Red Cross Month proclamation in 1943 to celebrate the lifesaving mission of the organization. The governors proclamation can be viewed online at https://governor.mt.gov/_docs/RedCrossMonth.pdf and following: WHEREAS, in 1881, Clara Barton founded the American Red Cross, turning her steadfast dedication for helping others into a bold mission of preventing and alleviating peoples suffering; and WHEREAS, today, more than 140 years later, we honor the kindness and generosity of Red Cross volunteers here in Montana, who continue to carry out Claras lifesaving legacy; and WHEREAS, the contributions of local Red Cross volunteers give hope to the most vulnerable in their darkest hours, and their work to prevent and alleviate human suffering is vital to our states health and resiliency; and WHEREAS, in times of crisis, Montanans come together to care for one another, and this humanitarian spirit is exemplified by American Red Cross volunteers and donors; and WHEREAS, we dedicate this month of March to all those who continue to advance the noble legacy of American Red Cross founder Clara Barton, who lived by her words, You must never think of anything except the need, and how to meet it, and ask others to join in this commitment to give back to our communities; NOW, THEREFORE, I, Greg Gianforte, Governor of the State of Montana, do hereby proclaim March 2022 to be RED CROSS MONTH in Montana to celebrate the lasting legacy of Clara Barton and the ongoing contributions of the American Red Cross to our state and communities. And at dawn today, Damascus Government forces stormed the city of Jassim in the northern countryside of Daraa, and surrounded some residential buildings, in an attempt to arrest a group of local gunmen who rejected the "compromises". Against the background of this, violent clashes erupted between the two parties, and as a result, schools did not open their doors and movement almost completely ceased in the city, amid confirmed information about casualties, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. And yesterday, Monday, new military reinforcements for the forces of the Damascus government arrived in the city of Daraa in southern Syria, stationed in the old customs, silos, the municipal stadium and areas of Daraa al-Balad and al-Mahatta. These reinforcements coincide with the eleventh anniversary of the start of the Syrian crisis, and the calls by activists to hold demonstrations in Daraa to commemorate the anniversary, according to the SOHR. T/S ANHA The inauguration was attended by representatives of the democratic civil administration in Tabqa, military councils, political parties, dozens of residents of Al-Jarniyah district, women's offices and the Zenobia Women's Gathering Office. The opening began with a minute of silence in honor of the souls of the martyrs, after which the Council of the Future Syria Party in Tabqa made a statement that was read by the co-chair of the Council, Ahmed Al-Khalaf. "The Damascus government has caused suffering to millions of people, destroyed infrastructure, disrupted the social fabric and created social and psychological crises, represented by the phenomenon of loss of hope and self-confidence, and the inability of everyone to find a way out of the crisis and the humanitarian catastrophe in Syria," the statement said. He added, "We hold the Damascus government in the first place responsible, which refused to carry out democratic reforms that meet the aspirations of the people of Syria for freedom and justice. It rejected all calls for internal dialogue to reach a peaceful solution and insisted on resorting to excessive violence against freedom students and trying to impose a military resolution after it contributed to the internationalization of the Syrian crisis and opened the door to external interference. The statement attributed the responsibility for "the militarization and Islamization of the revolution, its deviation from its peaceful path and the emergence of extremist and terrorist forces backed by the Turkish occupation state" to "agents of the counter-revolution and terrorist organizations" as well. He referred to the endeavors of "the free Syrian people and all democratic national forces to hold an inclusive Syrian dialogue and unify visions to end the bloody tragedy of our people, end the occupations (...) and achieve the revolution's goals of dignity, freedom, justice and equality." After reading the statement, the co-chair of the Al-Jarniyah sub-district council, Nasreen Al-Hamashi, welcomed the participants and congratulated the people of the district on the occasion of the opening of the center. In the end, Mustafa Al-Mohammed, the father of the martyr Muhammad Al-Hussein from the Al-Jarniyah district, cut the opening tape, for the people to roam around the center. Al Shahba Today, dozens of members and members of the Council of the Future Syria Party Shahba - Afrin gathered in their center located in Fafin district in al-Shahba canton, where the party made a statement in conjunction with the anniversary of the Syrian crisis. The statement was read in Arabic by a member of the Council of the Future Syria Party, Muhammad Alo. At the beginning of the statement, the statement stated: "Despite the passage of more than ten years since the start of the war in Syria, the Syrian crisis has entered a more complex stage as a result of the continuation of regional and global interference in the internal situation in Syria, which has further fueled and complicated the solution to the Syrian crisis, especially after the Astana meeting between the parties managing the conflict in Syria, and it is clear that a new conspiratorial project emerged from those meetings against the Syrian people in general, and the Autonomous Administration areas in particular. He also referred to the repeated Turkish attacks on northern and eastern Syria. He referred in particular to the attack on al-Sina'a prison in al-Hasakah, adding, "It became clear that this attack would not have happened without the direct coordination between the Turkish state and the Syrian government and Russia's sponsorship of it, and it turned out that they were coordinating and preparing for this attack six months ago." The statement added, "There is no doubt that thwarting this attack will open new avenues for international interaction with ISIS detainees in north and east Syria, and that they are a time bomb threatening the whole world, and these detainees must be returned to their homelands and tried." The Future Syria Party - Shahba - Afrin called for "international recognition of the Syrian Democratic Council, its military forces, and the Autonomous Administration to be part of the solution in Syria." A ANHA The British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which has been keeping pace with the events of the Syrian crisis since its inception, has documented the number of victims and injured since the beginning of the Syrian crisis on March 15, 2011 until now. Out of the total number of victims, 160,681 civilians were: 120,158 males, 15,237 females, and 25,286 children, including 139,457 civilians who were killed by ground and air bombardments, bullets by Damascus government forces and under torture inside its prisons, in addition to the Russian bombing. 8,649 civilians were killed by the Turkish occupation and its mercenaries in the so-called National Army, Jabhat al-Nusra and ISIS/ Daesh. The Syrian Observatory also documented the killing of 338,976 non-civilians, distributed as follows: Damascus government forces 91,267 Groups loyal to the Damascus government, Iran, and Russia 67,242 Lebanese Hezbollah 1,712 Pro-Iranian and Russian groups of non-Syrian nationalities 8628 Mercenaries of the Turkish occupation 107,988 Defectors from Damascus government forces 3,588 ISIS mercenaries 41,101 Non-Syrian mercenaries loyal to Russia 266 Turkish occupation army 238 Anonymous and other 2,832 The observatory was unable to document the losses in the ranks of the Global Coalition Forces due to the extreme secrecy. The Syrian Observatory indicated that this statistic did not include more than 55 thousand citizens who were killed under torture in the detention and prisons of the Damascus government, nor did it include hundreds of elements of the Lebanese Hezbollah. This statistic did not include the fate of more than 3,200 abducted civilians and fighters in the prisons of ISIS mercenaries, in addition, it did not include the fate of more than 4,100 prisoners and missing persons from the Damascus government forces and militiamen loyal to them, and more than 1,800 abducted by the mercenaries of the Turkish occupation and ISIS. The continuous military operations, bombings and shelling also resulted in the injury of more than 2.1 million Syrian citizens with various injuries and permanent disabilities, while about 13 million other citizens, including hundreds of thousands of children and hundreds of thousands of female citizens, were displaced between the areas of asylum and displacement, and the infrastructure, hospitals, schools and properties were destroyed. T/S ANHA Heifer Internationals commitment to global development means we work with some of the worlds most vulnerable communities, partnering with people to overcome incredible odds to get the food, income and resources they need to live dignified lives. A hard truth of this work is the persistent conflict and fragility many of these communities face. We recognize the crisis unfolding in Ukraine. Two men load milk into a truck at a dairy collection center in Zavii, Ukraine. Heifer's support of dairy farmers in the region provided nutritious milk in communities and helped strengthen livelihoods. Photo by Jake Lyell/Heifer International. (2007) Heifers long history includes projects in central and eastern Europe; our first European pilot program launched in Warsaw, Poland in 1992 and our regional portfolio grew to include work in Armenia, Romania and Ukraine. A dairy farmer receives money for selling milk at a collection center. Agriculture is an important source of income for families in Ukraine. Photo by Jake Lyell/Heifer International. (2007) From its launch through the early 2010s, our European initiative supported agriculture and ecotourism enterprises and assisted disadvantaged groups, including those displaced by conflict. In Ukraine, we helped dairy cooperatives expand their businesses, access new markets and participate in the economy, enabling individual farmers to earn more income and better provide for their families. Now, as we witness millions of lives being upended by the Russian invasion of Ukraine, our hearts remain with the people of the country and our roots remain in the region. More than 2.5 million people have so far fled their homes in Ukraine for safety in neighboring countries, including Poland, Hungary, Slovakia and Romania. In response to this influx of refugees, were working with established partners in Romania to help provide emergency cash and medical and psychological support to those most in need. You can support people impacted by disasters around the world, like those in Ukraine, by making a gift to our Disaster Rehabilitation Fund. The mother of Breonna Taylor, the Louisville woman who was shot and killed during a police raid at her apartment in March 2020, met with Justice Department officials to ask them to charge the officers involved in her daughters death. Im here at the Department of Justice asking them to do the right thing, Tamika Palmer said after the meeting with the Civil Rights Division a day after the two-year anniversary of her daughters death. This is bigger than Breonna. If no one addresses this issue, theyll keep kicking in our doors and murdering us. Advertisement Tamika Palmer, the mother of Breonna Taylor, marches with Black Lives Matter protesters, Friday, Sept. 25, 2020, in Louisville. (Darron Cummings/AP) For the nation, its been two years and one day, Palmer said. For me, Im trapped in March 13, 2020. I dont know how people think I should just move on. Taylor was killed after three officers serving a no-knock warrant for her boyfriend burst into the apartment. Kenneth Walker, Taylors boyfriend, fired a warning shot at the intruders who returned fire, hitting Taylor several times. Advertisement One of the officers, Brett Hankison, was acquitted of wanton endangerment earlier this month. He fired 10 shots into the apartment. Myles Cosgrove, who also fired into the apartment and did not activate his body camera, and Jonathan Mattingly were not charged. The former two were fired and Mattingly retired in April 2021. Three members of a Kentucky grand jury have come forth in recent months to claim they were not allowed to consider murder charges against any of the three former officers. Benjamin Crump, the civil rights attorney representing Taylors family, said the meeting left them hopeful. They said, Be not dismayed, Crump said, recounting the meeting. Theyre turning over every stone, looking at any civil rights charges on behalf of Breonna Taylor, because they would do the same for any citizen. Because Breonna Taylor deserves it. A spokesperson for the Justice Department later reiterated that the case was still under investigation. The Justice Department has previously charged both the officers involved in George Floyds death in Minneapolis, which occurred almost three months after Taylors death, and the men who killed Ahmaud Arbery, who was killed several weeks before Taylor. Planning Board endorses affordable housing development Executive Director Ashlyn McCoy of the Housing Assistance Corp. explains the affordable housing project during a meeting of the Planning Board on Monday. A proposal to build 80 units of affordable housing on Sugarloaf Road has one more hurdle to go to win city approval. The Hendersonville Planning Board on Monday recommended that the City Council OK the development of 60 apartments and 20 single-family homes on 19 acres between Sugarloaf Road and East Prince Road. Housing Assistance Corp., the affordable housing nonprofit agency that has built 370 apartments and 200 single-family homes in the past 34 years, is seeking a rezoning to allow the project from R-15 Medium Density Residential to PRD-CZD Planned Residential Development Conditional Zoning District. In its unanimous vote recommending approval, the Planning Board added a condition that 50 percent of the housing must be affordable. Engineer Will Buie said HAC had modified plans to address concerns nearby homeowners raised. Reducing the front yard setback from 30 feet to 20 feet, he said, will mean shorter driveways and also a greater rear setback, which homeowners had asked for during a neighborhood compatibility meeting on Jan. 30. The city Tree Board recommended that the developer save as many 12-inch diameter trees as possible, improve stream corridors on the site to increase filtration and reduce erosion, enhance wildlife habitat for 20-feet on either side of the stream and try to eradicate invasive species. The Tree Board suggested that the HAC work with Conserving Carolina on the stream buffer idea, landscaping work that Buie said would cost "hundreds of thousands dollars." "While it's a goal and something we would like to try to incorporate we'd appreciate the idea of it not being a condition because it would impact the affordabilty," he said. The land is currently owned by Tommy Thompson, the former Henderson County commissioner and longtime Clerk of Superior Court. The frontage on Sugarloaf Road is east of AAA Storage and across from Madrid Lane. HAC Executive Director Ashlyn McCoy told the Planning Board that the affordable housing agency is seeking approval for tax credit financing for the apartment project, which would result in affordable rent for all 60 unit. She said rents of the one-, two- and three-bedroom units would range from $422 to $1,073. Two other projects in Henderson County are seeking the tax-credit financing approval from the N.C. Housing Finance Agency a 78-unit senior housing development at 2620 Chimney Rock Road and the proposed 60-unit Hawkins Pointe development at 714 Sixth Avenue West. McCoy said it's possible her agency could apply for other grants if it does not win approval for tax credit financing. "There are other models for projects like this," she said. FORTY musicians gathered in Henley market place to play for peace in Ukraine. Some of them wore yellow scarves and ribbons during the impromptu performance on Saturday. They were surrounded by a crowd of about 30 people during the 15-minute event, which was raising money for people affected by Russias war on Ukraine. The musicians included violinists, cellists and clarinet, flute, saxophone and trombone players. Some stood to play while others were given stools to sit on as well as music stands. They played the Ukrainian national anthem twice and Mykola Lysenkos Prayer for Ukraine, a patriotic hymn first published in 1885 which has become the spiritual anthem of the country. The event was organised by Laura Reineke, director of Henley Music School, after she attended a similar event in Trafalgar Square a week earlier when a flashmob of 200 classical musicians led by Russian-British conductor and pianist Petr Limonov played three Ukrainian compositions. Ms Reineke, who is a violinist, said: That was the most amazing experience and I thought we should do something like it in Henley because I wanted other people to experience it too. In London they had to limit the number of people who could take part because there were so many marches and demonstrations in support of Ukraine that day. There were mostly professional musicians and the atmosphere was electric and very emotional. The response in Henley was brilliant and we had a real mix of musicians and a couple of professionals too. We all felt very emotional and were just pleased to be trying to do something, however insignificant, to show our support. It was lovely to see everyone there. I hope we sounded good since we played without even rehearsing. Music builds bridges and is something people go to when times are bad. Anastasiia Lypynska, a Ukrainian who lives in Nettlebed and has been co-ordinating efforts to send money and resources to her homeland, sang along to the national anthem with fellow Ukrainian Taras Byca, who was visiting from Switzerland. Ms Lypynska said: It was one of the highlights of the last three weeks for me, although it was very emotional at the same time. It made my husband come to tears. It was amazing to feel the support from people and Im grateful. I was singing the national anthem I learnt a very long version of it the night before and did not know before how patriotic I am. Mr Byca said: Its great that the community wanted to do something and cares about what is happening. My son attends Shiplake College and it has been very supportive. Ive got at least 12 cousins who are still in Kyiv and my extended family is there too. They dont want to leave and say that they want to protect the homeland. One of my cousins said she kisses her children goodbye every time she has to leave the house because she doesnt know if she is coming back. These are the kinds of messages I get from them and its very emotional for us. The performance raised more than 800, which has been donated to the Disasters Emergency Committees Ukraine Appeal. RESTAURATEURS in Henley joined forces to raise money for war-torn Ukraine. Ten businesses set up food stalls inside the town hall on Saturday and served food to raise funds for Unicef as part of the Cook for Ukraine appeal. The event was organised by Philippa Ratcliffe, of Experience Henley, who asked a range of the towns hospitality businesses to provide the food in a canteen-style set-up. Visitors were then asked to donate 5 in exchange for each dish on offer, which included Ukraine-inspired soups, rice and bread as well as cakes, curries and sandwiches. Zoe Ferreira, who runs the Henley Larder in Bell Street, was selling borscht, a typical Ukrainian beetroot soup, which she served with Greek-style yogurt, focaccia bread, mint and dill. She said: Its an Eastern European dish and I really wanted to do something similar, given the reason we are here. I think we all feel a little helpless at the moment and theres nothing better than coming together as a community and finding a small way to help. Philippa has done a really good job in setting this up so quickly and its really nice to see Henley coming together for a great cause. Kati Maglakelaedze, who runs the Geo Cafe in Friday Street, was offering pampushky, a Ukrainian garlic bread. She said: Im from Georgia and what is happening in Ukraine feels very close to home and just heart-breaking. We feel like we are all in the same boat and really want to do something to help. Sulie Sritutti, marketing manager at the Relais Henley hotel in Thames Side, was serving Ukrainian pilaf rice. She said: We really wanted to be part of this. I thought it was the least we could do to try to help with the situation in Ukraine. I talked to our chefs who were very excited about helping and started to get the food ready as soon as they could. Julie Brown, Rosemary McKean and Angie Plumer were selling cakes, including Victoria sponge, brownies and cupcakes, donated by members of the Henley Rowing Club. Ms Brown said: We decided to take part because theres no better cause and baking is something that everyone can do to help. We put a message out to the members of the club and people were so generous as more than 200 cakes were donated. Daniel Codiburbulea, a sous chef at Hotel du Vin in New Street, cooked seafood risotto and beef bourguignon. He said: We need to try to help as much as we can because what is happening is very unfortunate. If we join forces and stick together we can really help. Tina Davis, one of the volunteers at the event, said: I wanted to help out and contribute and this is a great way to engage the community and come together to show our support to Ukraine. So many people showed up and from across all generations, which was so nice to see. It shows that there is always a way to help and every little bit of initiative from the community helps to support official organisations that know what to do on the ground in a concrete way. Pavilion Foods in Market Place donated spanakopita, a Greek pie made with spinach, feta and filo pastry, while The Terrace at the Red Lion lawn served drinks. Sage and Squash in Bell Street donated chicken and vegetarian curries and Crockers in Market Place offered slow-cooked minted lamb shoulder with black garlic mayo and feta cheese in a flatbread. Julieta Blanes, of Deanfield Road, who attended the event with her husband and two children, said: I feel like everyone is trying to do what they can to help. We gave money to the Red Cross and we are happy to be here. Its so good to see so many people and businesses trying to make a difference. The event raised more than 5,500 for Unicef. Ms Ratcliffe said: We were overwhelmed with the support we received from the businesses and the people who came. It was incredible. From the moment we opened the doors people were queueing to come in. We didnt stop for two hours and the food sold out. Everyone who was there serving food gave their time free and for the common goal of raising as much money as possible so we can help people, especially children. We organised it in a week and it was phenomenal to get this kind of support. We couldnt have done it if it wasnt for everyone donating food and time well done, Henley. Cook for Ukraine is a national initiative founded by food writers Olia Hercules, Alissa Timoshkina, and Zuza Zak, who are Ukrainian, Russian and Polish respectively, with Unicef and social media star Clerkenwell Boy. More than 60,000 has been donated to date. Free access for current print subscribers As a home delivery subscriber, you get free unlimited digital access to premium content on HenryHerald.com, including local news, local sports, obituaries, legal notices, local features, and the e-edition. All you need is your print subscription account number and your last name. Don't know your subscription number? Email access@henryherald.com with your delivery address. Activate your account now. A California middle school was evacuated Monday after a beloved assistant principal shot himself to death while alone in a staff locker room, authorities said. Moises Plascencia took his own life in a private staff area on campus at Kraemer Middle School in Orange County, district officials said in a statement posted to the schools website. Advertisement Kraemer Middle School in Orange County (Google) It is with the heaviest of hearts that I write you this afternoon, Principal Michael Young said in the statement. I am incredibly sorry to announce that our Assistant Principal Moises Plascencia took his own life earlier this morning on campus. The incident took place in a private staff area, and fellow staff members and students were not present, nor was the occurrence witnessed by anyone. The Placentia Police Department (PPD) responded swiftly to our request for support. The school was evacuated for the day, with plans to resume on Tuesday. Counselors would be made available for the bereft students, school officials said, calling it an unfathomable tragedy. Advertisement He was a father, husband, brother, and friend to so many in our school district community, the district said in a separate statement. His passing, and the manner in which it occurred, has left us devastated, confused, and heartbroken; however, we ask that you please respect his familys privacy during this incredibly difficult time. Greenville, TX (75401) Today Partly cloudy with isolated thunderstorms possible. High near 85F. Winds SSE at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 30%.. Tonight Scattered showers and thunderstorms. Low 67F. Winds SSE at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 60%. A memorial to Daunte Wright, killed by ex-police officer Kimberly Potter last April 11, will stay for the foreseeable future upon his familys insistence. Municipal officials in Brooklyn Center, outside Minneapolis, Minn., told the family they planned to start dismantling the shrine that sprung up after his death. Advertisement If they want to not have memorials on their street corners, they need to stop murdering our loved ones on street corners, Katie Wright, mother of the 20-year-old shot during a traffic stop by a cop who claimed she had mistaken her gun for a Taser, told the Minneapolis Star Tribune. As a family, we want people to remember what happened there. I dont want it to go away. Once it goes away, its forgotten about, it didnt happen. Its so easy for history to be erased when its not right in front of our faces. Michelle Filkins cleans up and lights candles at the Daunte Wright memorial after guilty verdicts were announced against former Brooklyn Police officer Kimberly Potter on Thursday, Dec. 23, 2021, in Brooklyn Center, Minn. (Renee Jones Schneider/AP) On Friday, 11 months to the day after Daunte Wright lost his life, City Manager Reggie Edwards informed the family that the memorial would be taken down so the sidewalk at that intersection could be reopened. Advertisement Leave the memorial, because its honestly not hurting anybody, but it will hurt a lot of people taking it down, Katie Wright told the Star Tribune on Sunday. Breaking News As it happens Get updates on the coronavirus pandemic and other news as it happens with our free breaking news email alerts. > She and her husband, Aubrey Wright, and their attorney will meet with Edwards and City Attorney Troy Gilchrist on Tuesday to discuss the matter further. Edwards promised nothing would happen to the memorial before then, the Star Tribune reported. We are working through the issue of memorials, Edwards told the Star Tribune. There will be not be any movement on the memorial in the coming week. Its barely a month after Potter, a veteran officer, was sentenced to 16 months for the fatal shooting after being convicted just before Christmas last year. As with the death of George Floyd and numerous others, protesters flooded the streets after the tragic end to the traffic stop on misdemeanor alleged infractions. The intersection holds significance and has been a source of healing for family members and those who would commemorate Wrights life, his mother told the Star Tribune. She added that Mayor Mike Elliott has been leading with his heart and doing what is right, with plans to commemorate the day and Daunte Wrights legacy and develop a permanent memorial. Edwards said he is committed to both creating a permanent memorial and to preserving the objects that are in the current one, either by storing them or seeing whether volunteers will gather and archive the material. The path around the current memorial is impassable in winter, and Wright said she is committed to helping figure out a way around the sidewalk access issue. The assembly of artwork, mementos and raised vegetable beds making tomatoes and cucumbers available to passersby is centered around a large brown fist a relic from George Floyd Square, where Floyd was killed by police elsewhere in Minneapolis much earlier. Its a sad space but at the same time its a comforting space, because I truly feel Daunte when we are there, Wright told the Star Tribune. Were maintaining a very beautiful statement of a life that was lost, my sons life. On Sunday, I went with a couple of my family members to a baseball game in Milwaukee between the Chicago Cubs and the Milwaukee Brewers. Everything was going well. I used my phone to get driving directions to the stadium from St. Joseph, and the Apple Maps app got us to the exact location on We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Submit Evan Rachel Wood has made more harrowing allegations against Marilyn Manson. The second part of the actress documentary Phoenix Rising Part II: Stand Up, which hit HBO Max Tuesday and will premiere on HBO Wednesday night, levels horrifying claims of torture she suffered at the hands of the rocker, who she began dating in 2007 when she was 19 and he was 38. Advertisement Shortly after their relationship began, Wood alleges, Manson, born Brian Warner, began depriving her of sleep and locking her in freezing-cold rooms. He raped her in her sleep, she claims in Phoenix Rising, and she thinks he was dosing her with meth. There was a moment where things turned and I remember suddenly thinking that the drugs were a lot stronger than they had been, Wood, now 34, says in the documentary. My nose was bleeding all the time and I started getting scabs all over my body, all over my face. Advertisement The Westworld actress also claims that Manson used a Nazi whip, branded with a swastika, on her and forced her to drink his blood. There was a piece of me absolutely taken and I felt it leave my body, I felt my brain change, I felt it almost calcify and the world is never the same, she said. Its just never the same, because everything that happens to you after that point is through the veil of this memory and you know... that people are capable of doing something like this. [ Evan Rachel Wood says Marilyn Manson essentially raped her on camera during Heart-Shaped Glasses music video shoot ] Evan Rachel Wood with Marilyn Manson in 2007. (Scott Wintrow/Getty Images) When she left to film Mildred Pierce, which premiered in 2011, she discovered she was pregnant after Manson refused to wear a condom, she alleges. She got an abortion. That night, he allegedly made her cook him dinner. After the abortion, Wood says, she became suicidal and checked herself into a mental health facility. When I got there, I could sleep because he didnt know where I was, she said in Phoenix Rising. Eventually, Wood got out, but it took her years to realize the mental and emotional damage that had been caused. Her advocacy for domestic abuse victims began long before she named Manson as her alleged accuser, but Phoenix Rising is personal. At one point in the documentary, she and other women who have made similar accusations against him compare their scars: an M-shaped brand near their private parts, meant to show loyalty. Advertisement Breaking News As it happens Get updates on the coronavirus pandemic and other news as it happens with our free breaking news email alerts. > Last month, Manson sued her for defamation, accusing her of spreading a malicious falsehood. I cant obviously speak about any of the specific allegations of the lawsuit, but Im not scared, Wood said on The View Monday, the first time shes spoken out about the lawsuit. I am sad, because this is how it works. This is what pretty much every survivor that tries to expose someone in a position of power goes though, and this is part of the retaliation that keeps survivors quiet. This is why people dont want to come forward. This was expected. She also said she made Phoenix Rising not to clear her name but as a warning to other women so they wouldnt get stuck like she did. In a statement through his lawyer, Manson vehemently denied all allegations. As we detailed in our lawsuit, nothing that Evan Rachel Wood, Illma Gore or their hand-picked co-conspirators have said on this matter can be trusted, his lawyer told the Daily News Tuesday. This is just more of the same. But, then again, what else would you expect from a group who have spread falsehood after falsehood about Brian and even went as far as to forge an FBI letter to further their phony claims? Advertisement Los Angeles detectives seized hard drives from Mansons home in November as part of the sheriffs offices ongoing investigation. Put on your skates and boogie on down to Rockefeller Center your roller skates, that is. The ice-skating plaza in Midtown is being transformed to a roller-skating rink that will open in April. Itll be the first roller skate rink at Rockefeller Center since 1940. Advertisement Fashion model and author Liberty Ross introduced her family-owned Flippers Roller Boogie Palace brand to New Yorkers Tuesday after announcing the partnership with Tishman Speyer, the owner of Rockefeller Center. Flippers is a West Hollywood-based roller rink that was popular with celebrities in the early 80s. The tourist-friendly ice rink, which closes Sunday, will be replaced and stored elsewhere until next winter. A smaller rink will be installed and is scheduled to open to the public on April 15. Advertisement A rendering of the roller rink. (ImageFiction) Flippers is and always has been a place for individuality, experimentation, joy and respect, Ross said in the announcement. Breaking News As it happens Get updates on the coronavirus pandemic and other news as it happens with our free breaking news email alerts. > For two years starting in 1979, Flippers Roller Boogie Palace was a hotspot attracting celebrities like Cher, Patrick Swayze, Prince, Robin Williams, the Go-Gos and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Considered to be Studio 54 on Wheels, the Ian Flipper Ross-founded venue was shuttered by authorities for not having the property permits to operate. Flipper's Store by Bureau Betak For the New York City revival, the rink will be designed by fashion show producer Alexandre de Betak and will also feature a viewing deck and retail store. DJ sets, concerts and skating classes are also planned while the rink is operational through October. Roller skating at Rockefeller Center will be a quintessentially New York moment, Tishman Speyer CEO Rob Speyer said in a statement. Flippers Roller Boogie Palace at The Rink at Rockefeller Center will stay open through 10 p.m. Sunday through Wednesday, and until midnight Thursday through Saturday. Tickets cost $20 and must be reserved. Three months after being nominated to her post by Mayor Adams, the new commissioner for the citys Department of Investigation demanded Tuesday that his budget provide her agency with more funding to make improvements toward fulfilling its mission. Commissioner Jocelyn Strauber, who was nominated in December to head DOI by Adams, made the ask Tuesday morning during one of a series of ongoing City Council hearings focused on Adams proposed budget for the 2023 fiscal year. Advertisement Commissioner Jocelyn Strauber (Dave Cross/DaveCrossPhotography.com) I want to be upfront with you, she said during testimony to the Councils Oversight and Investigations Committee. These improvements will require additional staff and a new promotional structure for investigators that will cost approximately $1.3 million. As part of his spending plan, Adams has called on almost all city agencies to slash their budgets and didnt authorize a spending increase for the NYPD. Advertisement Like the NYPD, the Department of Investigation is a law enforcement agency, but its among many other agencies that faces cuts under Adams budget, which must be approved by the City Council to be enacted. The Department of Investigations proposed budget for the next fiscal year is $49.2 million. During her testimony to the Councils investigations committee, Strauber noted that during the past two years, prior budget cuts have led to staff reductions of 53 employees at DOI cuts she said would help it meet the goals set out in Adams budget. Mayor Eric Adams (Barry Williams/for New York Daily News) But she also noted that more funding is needed and requested the city pony up the additional $1.3 million to retain and hire staff a relatively small sum given that Adams proposed budget came in at $98.5 billion. DOI worked hard to make these budget reductions, and we are proud to do our part to help the city close the deficit, Strauber testified. But I cannot emphasize enough the deep impact the loss of staffing has on DOIs ability to fully meet its mission and mandate. It is my belief that the city receives an invaluable return from each DOI investigator, namely in the identification and prevention of corruption, waste, fraud and abuse. Councilwoman Gale Brewer, who heads the Oversight and Investigations Committee, said Straubers request is a reasonable one. Both she and Councilwoman Diana Ayala expressed concern Tuesday that the budget, as its currently proposed, wont provide the watchdog with enough funding to perform its core functions. They definitely need more funding, Brewer told the Daily News after the hearing. Shes being honest about whats needed. Councilwoman Gale Brewer (Jesse Ward/for New York Daily News) Brewer noted earlier that she will certainly advocate for DOI to receive more funding in the finalized city budget. Strauber outlined how in the first four months of the 2022 fiscal year, DOI fielded 4,308 complaints. If complaints continue to come in at that pace, she projected the agency would receive more complaints by the end of the year than it got in each of the prior two fiscal years. Advertisement But she also pointed out that complaints about corruption and waste are just one avenue for DOI to obtain information it bases its probes on. My concern is, if we have staffing issues, if the agency is not adequately staffed at the moment, that this would, I would imagine, extend the length of time it takes to remediate complaints, Ayala said. Brewer also pointed to the huge sums of COVID relief funding now flowing into the city from the federal government as one more reason to ensure DOI is keeping an eye on the citys proverbial till. That funding could spell more opportunity for bad actors, which should put the city on high alert to prevent waste and corruption, according to Brewer. Its another reason, Brewer said. Shes asking to be able to do her job. Hours after a report emerged detailing Mayor Adams rollback of a policy to disclose meetings between administration officials and lobbyists, city Comptroller Brad Lander slammed the move, saying its a mistake. Adams policy shift, which was first reported in Politico, essentially amounts to rescinding a directive from former Mayor Bill de Blasio that top officials voluntarily disclose meetings they take with lobbyists. Advertisement New Yorkers deserve to know when their elected officials meet with people who seek to influence public policy because transparency is essential to maintaining public trust, Lander said in a written statement. The administrations decision to forgo regular reporting of high-level meetings with lobbyists is a mistake that may undermine that trust. New York City Comptroller Brad Lander (Shawn Inglima/for New York Daily News) Lander added that he intends to regularly disclose any meetings he or staffers have with registered lobbyists as part of our commitment to transparency and accountability. Advertisement City lobbying laws, as currently laid out, require that lobbyists report meetings with government officials to the city Clerks Office. Under those rules, government officials are not required to report such meetings. De Blasios requirement while voluntarily and not consistently followed sought to offer at least the appearance of another layer of disclosure. An official inside Adams office described de Blasios policy as obviously well-intentioned, but full of holes. He added that lawyers for the mayors office recently sent out a memo instructing staffers to maintain records of all communications they have with lobbyists. Our guidance makes clear that all materials and communications with lobbyists must be preserved and any questions or concerns should be discussed with counsel, said the mayors Chief Counsel Brendan McGuire. To continue to require city employees to report an incomplete and inaccurate inventory of meetings is unfair and pointless when even good-government groups have repeatedly criticized the unclear and confusing characterization of lobbyists... what matters is that every employee must recognize that contacts with lobbyists, and those who appear to be lobbyists, should be handled thoughtfully and will be scrutinized. After two and half months in the citys top job, Mayor Adams has the approval of 61% of city residents, according to a new poll released Monday by Marist College. The poll, which was taken during the first eight days of March, also shows that 40% of registered voters surveyed believe Adams is doing an excellent or good job. Advertisement Thats about the same as the 39% his predecessor former Mayor Bill de Blasio got after taking office in 2014, but lower than the 50% rating that former Mayor Michael Bloomberg got after stepping into City Hall. New York City Mayor Eric Adams (Seth Wenig/AP) This poll clearly demonstrates that Mayor Adams is off to a good start, said Marist pollster Lee Miringoff, who spoke with reporters Monday afternoon over Zoom. Hes not particularly polarizing. The support is wide, but not necessarily very deep. Advertisement Miringoff attributed broad support of Adams to the positive polling numbers Hizzoner received across party lines with a 67% approval rating among Democrats and 55% among Republicans as well as relatively high ratings that came in across borough and demographic lines. To some extent, this marks a departure from de Blasio. Where Adams approval numbers among Blacks, whites and Latinos are all comparable, de Blasio was all over the map when he first took office, Miringoff noted. Still, the pollster added that some of Adams numbers appear to indicate the support hes now getting isnt very deep. One indicator is the 15% of those polled who reported theyre unsure about whether they approve or disapprove of his performance so far. Another indicator, according to Miringoff, is that while 47% answered that Adams is changing the city for the better, 34% said hes not changing it at all, 12% were unsure and 8% opined that hes changing it for the worse. In this case, almost half the city doesnt have a sense of whether things are going better or worse, he said. Hes winning those whove made up their minds. Hes just not connected with an overwhelming majority on these questions. Adams, who ran his mayoral campaign on improving public safety in the city, notably got decent marks there, but not overwhelming approval. According to the poll, 53% approved of his handling of crime, 35% disapproved and 12% are still unsure. The warning signs are there with the reality of crime, and people are feeling right now not as strong on that issue as they are on others for him, Miringoff said. But it hasnt sunk his popularity overall. People are giving him the benefit of the doubt during this early phase in his administration. Mexico's #1 resort, Viceroy Riviera Maya has announced the promotion of an exciting young cook, Julio Cesar Chavez Arias to lead the already impressive team of culinary experts at its fine-dining restaurant: La Marea. Widely known as one of the region's top fine dining destinations, Viceroy Riviera Maya stands out for its unique interpretation of traditional Mexican cuisine and customs. Chef Julio Cesar Chavez holds a Bachelor's in Gastronomy from the University of Celaya, and is a rising star in the Mexican culinary world after winning "Cook of the Year, Zona Centro" in 2018 - where his mastery of Tlaxcalan dishes awarded him the first place in the competition. Known as autonomous and acutely intuitive, the self-taught chef will continue to uphold the integrity and standards of the five-star resort, which specializes in elevated local gastronomy through extraordinary flavors. Chavez's wealth of experience and impeccable technique are expected to bring a creative approach to the enticing and ever-changing menu offerings at Viceroy Riviera Maya, while continuing to use the freshest local ingredients in the resort's innovative dishes. He does not believe in compromising when it comes to flavor, for him healthy doesn't mean boring when it comes to food and will be introducing new menu options including vegan and vegetarian offerings. La Marea was recently named in the Gastronomic Mexico Guide 2022, a compendium of 250 restaurants around the country (in alphabetical order and with no ranking) edited by Culinaria Mexicana and printed by Larousse Cocina. La Marea also features on the 2022 edition of "La Liste" - a list of the best restaurants of the world based on guidebooks, media publications, and millions of online reviews. Mexico's vast biodiversity and vibrant cultural traditions are the fabric of its rich gastronomic identity, which has claimed the spotlight in recent years amid the culinary world. Attracting thousands of visitors worldwide, guests at Viceroy Riviera Maya will continue to enjoy unmatched dining experiences rooted in high-quality local ingredients and of course, the outmost regard for the treasure that is Mexico's culinary legacy. Rosewood Hotels & Resorts is delighted to announce the appointment of Sandra Estornell as managing director of Kona Village, A Rosewood Resort, the iconic retreat on the Big Island's Kona Coast of Hawai'i, set to once again open its doors in 2023. Sandra brings extensive experience in the luxury hospitality space to her new role, which will be key for positioning Rosewood's first property in the coveted destination as the brand continues to expand its footprint in the United States. Sandra joins the Rosewood family after more than 20 years at The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, starting her career at the Laguna Niguel property's front desk, advancing to roles like Corporate Director of Global Rooms Operations for the brand, and serving as general manager for properties including The Ritz-Carlton Santiago, Chile, The Ritz-Carlton Panama and Zadun, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve. She received many awards and accolades during her service, including General Manager of the Year for Ritz-Carlton worldwide. Wayne Troughton is Founder & CEO of HTI Consulting, a specialist tourism, hospitality and leisure consulting company focusing on Africa and the Middle East and with offices in Cape Town and Mauritius. Wayne has worked in the hospitality, leisure and tourism industries for over 30 years. He has held positions in 5-star hotels in the UK and SA, and later as an Associate Director at Grant Thornton. Launching HTI Consulting in 2003, Wayne has worked on more than 450 assignments in 45 countries, on the African continent. He has consulted for IFC and World Bank on investment climate issues and tourism programs in Africa. He has extensive Operator Selection, Management Contract and Franchise Contract Negotiation experience and has been instrumental in negotiating some of the most complex hotel management contracts on the continent. Wayne has also brokered some key hotel deals including the sale of the Four Points Sheraton in Lagos, Nigeria and the sale of an asset in Cape Town that will be developed into a five star luxury, internationally branded hotel. The hotel industry is a global business, and investors from around the world have capital earmarked for investment into international companies or renowned portfolios of hotels. Within the past decade, Chinese companies were among the biggest players seeking to invest in global hotel brands and real estate in the largest U.S. urban markets. In December 2016, Hotel News Now published an in-depth timeline of Chinese outbound capital in the hotel industry, which appeared to be moving quickly. But since then, the direction of Chinese capital and hotel ownership has reversed. Russia's invasion of Ukraine and global geopolitical tensions have only made cross-border investments more uncertain. CNBC reported Friday that Chinese companies could be delisted on U.S. stock exchanges due to lack of financial transparency. "The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission recently named five U.S.-listed American depositary receipts of Chinese companies which they said failed to adhere to the Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act. ADRs represent shares of non-U.S. firms and are traded on U.S. exchanges," according to the CNBC report. "The China ADRs flagged by the SEC are the first to be identified as falling short of HFCAA standards. The act permits the SEC to ban companies from trading and even be delisted from U.S. exchanges if regulators stateside are unable to review company audits for three consecutive years." Read the full article at HotelNewsNow (part of CoStar) Long before the pandemic, refreshing the food and beverage offerings at any hotel was on the rise, as property owners looked to compete with successful boutique hotels. However, the ongoing success of boutique hotels has paved the way for lifestyle hotels. By incorporating the best elements of boutiquessmall, intimate, artful, and modernhotel brands are hoping to attract a combination of locals and the modern-day traveler by revitalizing and activating existing spaces within their properties. While travel continues to lag due to the Omicron variant outbreak, hoteliers recognize that their lobbies and restaurants are attractions for local residents bogged down due to travel restrictions. As lobbies set the tone and aesthetic of any establishment, hospitality designers are incorporating hyper-localized design elements to reflect the communitys culture and demographics. This strategy not only displays the surrounding environment to travelers, but also provides a sense of familiarity and connection to locals. For people residing near a hotel, a thoughtfully curated lobby can become an escape after repeating the same night-out routine for almost two years now. Simply sitting in a hotel lobby can emulate a vacation feel and is a place to meet a mix of travelers and fellow residents. Becoming the living room of the community While lobbies are a great asset, many in their current set-up are not conducive to hosting remote workers and serving food. Hoteliers need to look at ways to refurbish their lobbies before opening them up to locals. Rearranging a lobby should go beyond moving furniture; it can also mean changing the floor plan. Spatial technology is a great tool to forecast how a space will look if a wall was removed or if the lobby was extended to a different space. Spatial analytics can also help beyond the redesign of an area and improve monetization by monitoring staff and guest flow. For hotels, this technology can determine that moving a kitchen door can increase profits. If a major change is necessary, one of the best ways to undertake the task is to use prefabrication. Off-site construction significantly reduces noise and time spent on the project. By prefabricating the back bar, booth seating elements, wall panels, and screens at the Boulud Sud restaurant at the JW Marriott Marquis in Miami, the turnaround was eight weeks for the renovation of this fine-dining establishment. Read the full article at HOTELS Magazine ASSA ABLOY Global Solutions, a leading provider of advanced security technology for the hospitality industry, has announced the successful implementation of VingCard Allure door locks at Little National Sydney alongside the integration of energy management solutions provided by Telkonet. and self check-in solutions provided by Liverton. Leveraging ASSA ABLOY Global Solutions strategic relationships with third-party technology providers, the newly opened luxury property can now provide guests with the highest standard of safety, convenience and personalization while minimizing energy costs. The implementation of this technology was a major reason the hotel was recognized at the 2021 HM Magazine Awards for Excellence as Australias Best Tech Hotel. Little National Sydney chose ASSA ABLOY Global Solutions to meet the propertys goals of adopting state-of-the-art technology ensuring a seamless user experience for guests. Utilizing ASSA ABLOY Global Solutions VingCard Allure door locks, a sleek and stylish customizable LED panel that is implemented adjacent to guestroom doors, Little National Sydney can now ensure maximized guest security through the latest RFID security encryption technology. A customizable door lock designed to accommodate every hotel and guest need, VingCard Allure is capable of fully integrating with the propertys Guestroom Management System (GRMS) by Telkonet. This allows Little National Sydney to determine when a guest first enters the room, with lighting and temperature controls able to automatically adjust to ensure that each guest experiences a welcoming environment from the moment that they arrive. Through the Telkonet Guestroom Management System integration with ASSA ABLOY Global Solutions locks and access management technology, the property can instantly detect guestroom occupancy status and implement automatic energy-saving settings for in-room amenities such as thermostats and lights once a room becomes unoccupied. The hotel can also leverage the integration to monitor temperature and lighting at all times to ensure maximum energy efficiency. Guests at Little National Sydney can also use the propertys Liverton kiosks to check-in and out of their rooms, with VingCard Allure lock integration ensuring that all types of guests can be checked-in swiftly while minimizing potential germ exposure by eliminating the need to come into close contact with others. VingCard Allures integration with Livertons kiosks notably saves significant labour costs and time while streamlining the guest experience via a much faster and more intuitive check-in process. The kiosks interface with the hotel PMS for check-in/out, terms & conditions acceptance, credit card payment and have the option of linking to rewards programs in order to provide a more personalized experience while enhancing the potential to increase hotel revenues. We have the highest expectations for our technology solutions, partnering only with providers who go above and beyond in meeting guest expectations, ensuring operational efficiency and enhancing sustainability, said Sandra Bellamy, General Manager at Little National Sydney. We are very satisfied with ASSA ABLOY Global Solutions, Telkonet, and Liverton, who not only provided industry-leading solutions, but ensured that all of their advanced systems are instantly compatible with maximized effectiveness and ease-of-use in mind. Our guests are overwhelmingly satisfied with their heightened stay experience, and our energy costs have already been significantly reduced. Leveraging ASSA ABLOY Global Solutions comprehensive security solutions, Little National further combines simple and stylish design with advanced technology by utilizing the companys line of Elsafe - Zenith electronic safes. Elsafe safes ensure total guest comfort through its industry-leading lock encryption. Elsafe safes offer a range of models, sizes and colour options, allowing hoteliers to precisely match cutting-edge solutions to every hotel and guest need. For more information about ASSA ABLOY Global Solutions and its comprehensive line of electronic in-room safes and locking solutions for the hospitality industry, please visit www.assaabloyglobalsolutions.com/hospitality. About ASSA ABLOY Global Solutions The ASSA ABLOY Group is the global leader in access solutions. Every day, we help billions of people experience a more open world. ASSA ABLOY Global Solutions is dedicated to reimagining how people move through their world. Our expertise in customer journey mapping, innovation and service design leads to the invention of new security solutions that create value for our clients and exceptional experiences for end users. For the hospitality market, these solutions include integrated software systems, mobile access and location solutions designed to help our customers enhance the hotel guest experience, while improving operational efficiency. In order to provide best-in-class customer service, we offer support in more than 166 countries. For more information, please visit assaabloyglobalsolutions.com/hospitality and follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter. Riise Walker Director of Marketing +1 214 912 1527 Majestic Resorts is known for its collection of all-inclusive resorts in The Dominican Republic and Mexico. We spoke with Jordi Figols Gagliardi, Majestic Resorts Corporate Business Process Manager, to learn more about their IT setup and new hotel opening integrations. Jordi had a key role in opening their latest property on Mexicos Costa Mujeres near Cancun and shared his learnings from the process and how theyre using those learnings to inform new projects at their other properties. Shiji: Tell us about Majestic Resorts. Jordi Figols Gagliardi: Majestic Resorts was born as a family business in Palma de Mallorca that had the opportunity to grow from one location to nine in the Balearic Islands. Back in 2003 and 2004, we wanted to follow the trend of coming to the Caribbean and opening all-inclusive resorts like many other Spanish companies did at the time. We arrived in Punta Cana in 2004 and opened up the Majestic Colonial in 2005, which was our first property outside of Spain, a high-end all-inclusive resort with 658 rooms. We opened our second hotel, the Majestic Elegance in 2008, and the Majestic Mirage in 2016. So all in all, today in the Dominican Republic they have approximately 1,800 rooms. We were known as a Dominican Republic hotel chain because we have many properties there. In 2010, we were looking to expand to Cuba, Colombia, Jamaica when the opportunity to open up in Costa Mujeres, which is 30 minutes north of Cancun, presented itself. What led Majestic Resorts to want to change the IT strategy? Our CEO and owner wanted to dig deeper into technological innovations. So, we installed a new PMS, a new ERP, and tried to connect with OTAs through a Channel Manager. Whatever tech you think of Point of Sale, TV system, PBX, and more for us everything needs to be, and is, integrated. This was for our property in Mexico, meanwhile, everything was almost done manually in the Dominican Republic. How did you get involved with the IT at Majestic Resorts? I was always involved in our tech projects at Majestic Resorts. At one point, management asked me to be part of the project team focusing on operations and guest experience. We decided what type of configurations and mapping was done in the PMS with the rest of our technology stack. Lets say we have someone with more expertise in accounting and finance Im the one that connects those areas with operations, its processes, and the technology we have. Our IT team is a very small team. Our CEO is 100% involved and then there is our IT Director and the Process team (including myself). I fly to Cancun probably once every four or five weeks as Im based in Punta Cana, but my team is in Cancun. So that has been an interesting team dynamic. LEFT: JORDI AND HIS TEAM ON MANAGEMENT TRAINING FOR THE NEW PMS. JORDI WAS LOCATED IN PUNTA CANA WHILE THE TEAM WAS IN CANCUN. Photo by Shiji Tell us more about your experience changing the PMS. When we migrated to a new PMS, we started the implementation in late 2018 and the rollout of the new solution in November of 2019. A lot of our standards and procedures are a reflection of our CEOs viewpoints. Were really focused on our guests. Using the knowledge gained from our rollout in Mexico, we applied those insights to our rollout in the Dominican Republic in October of 2021. Implementation of new hotel opening integrations is one thing, but then you have to maintain it all afterward. You have to make adjustments because we follow whatever the guest trends are and whatever the operations need, both of which change over time or need adjustments in practice. What were some of your main learnings from the process? Prior to COVID, we thought we knew our company. We thought we knew what our goals were and where we wanted to go. However, when we implemented the new PMS in Mexico, we discovered that our tech stack didnt do exactly what we needed it to do and we had many, many issues. The way we planned was different from reality. When COVID hit the Caribbean, it gave us a chance to pause our operations and say, Okay, lets stop everything before we jump to the Dominican Republic. Lets start from scratch. We have our PMS, we have our configurations, but we have to redo everything we do. We built a team from March through September of 2020, which was the day we reopened in Mexico again. We didnt revise everything because we knew which parts of the configurations would work but we also knew all the issues we had at the front desk, the restaurants, in housekeeping that werent working properly. During those six months, around 20 of us had Zoom meetings every day because we were a bit spread out between Europe and the Caribbean. Five months ago with the new PMS, everything was different because we had the experience of the last two years. You need to be very clear about what your real operation is and know what the goals of the implementation are. If you talk to a GM, they will talk to you about the occupancy, the ADR, and the incidents they have with maintenance. If you sit down with them and ask the proper questions, you will see that sometimes their operations focus on daily, monthly activities, perhaps planning six months to a year ahead. So, make sure the tools you have now are scalable for what your business could need in several years too. WHITEBOARD SESSION TO MAP OUT THE CONNECTIVITY AND IT INFRASTRUCTURE AT THE RESORT. RIGHT: AIREAL VIEW AND MAP OF THE RESORT Photo by Shiji When youre looking at integrating the PMS, ERP, CRM, etc, what, what are your requirements? The idea was to connect our system with the Channel Manager. Before, we had different software from different suppliers with integrations that were either a simple Excel spreadsheet or an API like the PBX phone system with the PMS. Most of our efforts have been to find partners that are already integrated with our system, or we had to develop our own API. Unfortunately, though it is a great system, it doesnt have many partners integrated. For instance, the online Check-in system that we launched a few weeks ago, we had to double it from scratch on our own, because all the solutions we could find did not have an integration that was interesting to us. Some solutions said they integrated but could only capture a little data, and thats it. We want the arrival date, date of birth, home address, pictures, facial recognition. We are launching a Wi-Fi portal in a couple of weeks in Mexico as a trial. We found a supplier that had integrated with our online check-in so whenever you check-in online, you already have access to the Wi-Fi protocol. So there is always interconnection, some puzzles. Tell us more about the tech that went into the opening of Costa Mujeres. In the US and Europe, we have up-to-date, modern technology and access to it. In Mexico, its a step between North America and the rest of the Caribbean. The Caribbean doesnt have the same infrastructure and they dont have the funds to invest, so everything that comes to the islands is because of the investment of private companies. In Mexico, all the doors are connected to the Internet in the cloud. So, they are even charging themselves automatically. We can communicate with the guests and do room service orders from the TV. Whereas in the D.R., we still dont have those features. The integrations we have installed include ID scanners, music systems, the lighting of the hotels, and the room ambiances. We are now using RFID bracelets that open the doors at all-inclusive resorts. They also have memory functions that give you information about the guest, grant them access to the spa or the gym without anyone being there, and allow them to charge things to their room. We can track trends that way as well. Perhaps most of our guests are at the beach or at one specific restaurant more frequently you can look at this and adjust your operations accordingly. OK, now that weve covered all the tech on a personal level, how did you get started in hospitality? My family comes from the industry, which is why I decided to start in Hospitality Management in Barcelona. I worked for the Ritz-Carlton and Mandarin Oriental in Barcelona And then I had the opportunity to move to the Dominican Republic with Majestic Resorts through a Management-in-Training type program. After that, I was a Rooms Division Manager until I was transferred to another property where I became the General Manager and oversaw the partial renovation of other hotels. View source MIAMI and QUEENSLAND, Australia - IVvy, a modern, cloud-based sales and catering software revolutionizing the way meeting planners connect with hotels, has integrated with Hapi, a disruptive Cloud Data Hub that exposes event streams and transactional APIs from hotel systems at scale. The integration has been certified, data is flowing and several hotel companies are relying on both companies to share, centralize, and normalize their sales and catering data so it can be accessed by other systems in the tech stack in real time. "Integrations are a critical part of moving the entire end-to-end sales and catering process online, and were excited that iVvy can share data with more Property Management Systems by building one connection to Hapi, said Rachael Grimsey, iVvys SVP of Global Sales & Partnerships. Our mission to provide one place for all hotel department leaders to sync on their upcoming events, and integrating with Hapi to push and pull data from various systems helps us accomplish that goal. iVvys sales and catering data can now be easily shared with other systems in the hotel tech stack, allowing hoteliers to access all their sales and catering data when building cross-departmental strategies. Hoteliers on the meetings and events side of the business cant make accurate decisions if their data isnt being analyzed among metrics from the other departments, said Luis Segredo, CEO of Hapi. Leadership at iVvy recognized early on that, not only does Sales and Catering software need to be in the cloud, it needs to be centralized, analyzed and shared with other systems so that hoteliers can make the smartest decisions. ABOUT HAPI Hapi is a disruptive Cloud Data Hub that exposes event streams and transactional APIs from hotel systems at scale, designed to solve the hospitality industrys data management challenges while addressing high integration costs. Developed by hotel technology innovators, the secure, scalable, cloud-based data streaming platform is based on an open model, to which multiple layers of encryption, authentication and governance are added. Hapi now serves 5,000 hotels globally, including IHG Hotels & Resorts, Sonesta Hotels, Accor, Hyatt Hotels, Rosewood Hotels, Margaritaville and Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts. In 2021, the company achieved Hotel Tech Report's Global Customer Support Certification, a stamp of approval on its dedication to customer success. Visit Hapi at www.hapicloud.io ABOUT iVvy iVvy's modern, cloud-based Sales and Catering software is revolutionizing the way meeting planners connect with hotels, allowing hotels to display rates and inventory for their meeting space online and facilitate real-time bookings. With enhanced reporting and analytics, hotels are provided with greater visibility over their business so they can yield their group rooms, meetings and event spaces to maximize revenue. To date, iVvy supports more than 25,000 users in 13 countries, with continued expansion under way. For more information, please visit www.ivvy.com. Jason Q. Freed 3302216068 London - The Israel Ministry of Tourism in collaboration with global hotel consultancy HVS, presented a live event last week at Expo Dubai focussing on hotel opportunities in Israel during which senior representatives of hotel, real estate and tourism companies investors, developers, operators and financiers discussed encouraging more investment into Israels hotel sector. The event, further strengthening trade, investment and tourism ties between Israel and the UAE, opened with minister of tourism Yoel Razvozov outlining the importance of tourism to Israels economy. Fleur Hassan-Nahoum, deputy mayor of Jerusalem, followed, warning that while Israels hotel pipeline remained strong, with hundreds of new rooms yet to come on stream, there was still a massive shortage of hotel stock, particularly in the upscale segment and in alternative accommodation such as serviced apartments. We lack hotel rooms in the city of Jerusalem and looking at pre-covid numbers, when the peak of tourism was 4.5 million, investing in hotels in Israel and Jerusalem makes good business, she said. HVS London chairman Russell Kett presented HVSs latest Israel Hotel Market Overview 2022. In 2019, he said, tourism represented 2.5% of Israels GDP, low compared with some countries. Raising that figure to 4%-5% would rely on a number of factors including more international flights and more international visitors. You then get the impact of the tourism multiplier as people that come then spend in tourism facilities with the knock-on effect that would bring. The tourism multiplier has a huge impact on the economy of a country, he said, while exhorting the government of Israel to encourage further hotel investment by doing more to reduce the current red tape and to do more to welcome the enhancement of tourism to the economy. With domestic tourism having largely propped up hotels over the past two years, Israels hotels held up well during the pandemic, Kett said, anticipating full recovery to 2019 levels in Israels hotels by 2025. We expect to see occupancy levels in Israels hotels rise throughout 2022, resulting in a RevPAR increase of 49% for the year, occupancy recovering by 2024 and average room rate recovering by 2025. Domestic demand will drive recovery in the short term with international demand coming back when covid restrictions are fully lifted." Eventually we expect international demand to come back, and improved operating leverages to be achieved which will help support a recovery of EBITDA in the sector. That uplift in performance and the return in investor confidence should enable hotel values in Israel to return to pre-pandemic levels. There is strong developer interest, which is very encouraging and there are numerous hotel projects that confirm investor and developer interest, he concluded. A distinguished panel including Alok Batra, CEO of Five Group, Ronit Copeland, CEO of Copeland Hotels, Gilad Maoz, partner of Epstein Rosenblum Maoz and Ami Federmann, vice-chairman of Dan Hotels then discussed key issues surrounding the development of Israels hotel sector and took questions from the audience on topics including attracting more people into tourism and where gaps exist in Israels current hotel supply. Dr Sabine Schaffer, managing partner and co-CEO of Pro-invest Group outlined what she looks for when considering a new region to develop hotels, including the political situation, legal environment, demand and existing supply. The topical session was concluded by Lorin Maugery, head of foreign investor relations at Israels Ministry of Tourism who outlined specific ways in which the government could help investors including pinpointing plots of land currently out to development tender and details of government grants available. To download a copy of Israel Hotel Market Overview 2022 by Russell Kett and Christopher Boyd click http://www.hvs.com/article/9271/israel-hotel-market-overview-2022--ready-and-waiting-for/. About HVS HVS is the world's leading consulting and valuation services organization focused on the hotel, restaurant, shared ownership, gaming, and leisure industries. Established in 1980, the company performs more than 4,500 assignments per year for virtually every major industry participant. HVS principals are regarded as the leading professionals in their respective regions of the globe. Through a worldwide network of over 50 offices staffed by 300 experienced industry professionals, HVS provides an unparalleled range of complementary services for the hospitality industry. For further information regarding our expertise and specifics about our services, please visit www.hvs.com. Russell Kett Chairman +44 20 7878 7701 HVS Expedia Group Media Solutions recently published the Travel Recovery Trend Report for Q4, which details many of the latest insights on the industrys continued recovery from the pandemic, as identified in Expedia Groups exclusive first-party data. Here, Richard Kocher, who leads Media Solutions data insights and planning team, gives his expert take on these latest findings for 2022 and beyond. Experience is Everything That is the thought-provoking message delivered by Ewan McGregor in Expedias recent high-profile Super Bowl ad. Having recently returned from a family ski trip in Francemaking memories with my children in the mountains under blue skiesI couldnt agree more. Weve accumulated plenty of stuff over the past two years, but like many we have been lacking that key element in creating memorable experiences: the opportunity to travel freely, when and where we want. The findings from our Q4 2021 Travel Recovery Trends Report indicate a resilience in global travelers who continued to travel, particularly over the holiday period, despite the challenges posed by the Omicron variant. Early Q1 has also seen great momentum in search volume for both domestic and international travel. For example: global searches for Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) destinations for January 2022 were almost 60% up over December and over 170% year-over-year. North American (NORAM), Latin America (LATAM), and Asia Pacific (APAC) destinations also saw strong Januarys: up year-over-year by around 50%, 80%, and more than 30%, respectively. In combination, Q4 resilience and Q1 momentum and optimism for the year ahead both suggest that I am not alone in agreeing with the experiences over stuff message, and much of the world is ready for the memorable adventures only travel can provide. Adapted for and Committed to Travel While restrictions have limited travelers over the past two years, our data has shown that many have learned to live with COVID and continued creating experiences. Restrictions have only encouraged committed travelers to adapt: through domestic trips, seeking rural escapes, or swapping hotels for vacation rentals. They have also been inspired by and attracted to destinations open during the pandemic they might not have previously considered, foregoing those places they wanted to visit but which were closed to tourism. Q4 was in many ways the epitome of this resilience. Despite the Omicron challenge, overall search volume remained flat quarter-over-quarter compared to Q3, and was up 70% year-over-year. In our Traveler Value Index research, we also heard that 81% are planning a leisure trip in the next six months, and 1 in 5 plan on taking three or more trips. In our Q3 report, we saw how advanced holiday bookings were surging, with triple-digit year-over-year bookings for Thanksgiving and the Christmas period. Despite Omicron challenges, resilient travelers saw their advance holiday plans through and remained committed to travel. For example, Expedia Group cancellations were flat during Q4, and according to STR, Christmas Day occupancy in the U.S. was the highest on record, at 47.4%. We also saw our travelers respond well to Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and Travel Tuesday events, sparking a 10% week-over-week lift in U.S. domestic searches. Landmark Reopenings In fact, the Traveler Value Index revealed that more than 50% of cruise travelers said border openings and government-led initiatives have a strong impact on their likelihood to travel, illustrating just how influential restrictions and changes are on traveler decision-making. As with previous reports, we saw our travelers respond immediately to border reopenings and news of reopenings. The reopening of U.S. borders to 33 countries worldwide led to increasing inbound and outbound travel and represented what could be considered a landmark in the travel industrys recovery from COVID-19 after almost 20 months closed to the world. Looking specifically at search volume from German travelers into the U.S., we saw a 300% increase from October to December, and the U.S. jumped from the 43rd most-searched destination to 13th during Q4. Cruise travel, toowhich has experienced ups and downs during the past two yearsincreased 55% week-over-week the week of November 22. Overall, in Q4 2021, cruise searches increased 50% year-over-year and bookings were up an impressive 500% compared to 2020. The APAC region finally saw good news, too. Overall search volumes were up nearly 35% over Q3, driven by additional travel green lanes and international border reopenings in various countries, including Australia, Singapore, and Fiji. Australias reopening, which was announced in early October, proved significant to the wider region, and led to a 25% week-over-week increase in international searches for APAC. Looking Ahead to Long-Haul Travel in 2022 The U.S. reopening has inevitably led to growing confidence in Americans to travel further afield. Our Traveler Value Index discovered that 68% of Americans are planning to go big on their next trip, and many are eyeing intercontinental destinations like Rome, Bali, London, and Paris in 2022. This sentiment was reflected in lengthening search windows detected in Q4. This is a data point weve reviewed throughout the pandemic to understand traveler confidence. We have seen travelers switch to making their plans on a more short-term basistypically in the 0- to 21-day search windowas theyve responded to ever-changing pandemic conditions. However, in Q4, we saw the share of searches in this short-term window decrease, while searches for 31+ days increased by 15% to 40% of total searches. This indicates, following a trend we initially saw in Q2 2021, that travelers were feeling more confident to travel internationally, and with loosening international restrictions, starting to dream about or plan trips further out often to long-haul or bucket-list destinations. Vacation Rentals: Places for Togetherness The rising popularity of vacation-rental properties has been a bright spot of the industry and EGs Vrbo brand in the past 2-years, as travelers looked for spacious, often non-urban properties for their families. Looking across the Vrbo platforms global network of sitesbased in Canada, the U.S., France, Germany, the UK, Australia, and New Zealandmany months during 2021 saw not only triple-digit growth against 2020, but also saw growth over pre-pandemic times in 2019. During Q4, domestic travel continued to dominate the vacation rental space, with most top destinations reflecting their respective regions. Destinations within Australia, France, and Brazil largely made up the top 10 Vrbo-booked destinations list in APAC, EMEA, and LATAM, respectively. Although domestic demand was dominant, we did see some strong international demand during the quarter, as the Canadian market saw non-domestic bookings jump over 600% year-over-year in both October and November. The U.S. market, too, saw strong year-over-year growth during these months: 120% and nearly 150%, respectively. To Travel Is to Live Looking back at our Q1 report, we reported on the importance travelers placed on cleanliness and hygiene. This was reflected in Expedia Group guest reviews, which saw a steep spike in the percentage of mentions related to cleanliness. While not at the level of peak pandemic timesan average 40% of reviews featured a mention at the end of 2020were still seeing a prevalence of mentions compared to 2019. In Q4 of last year we saw an average of 25% of reviews, compared to a Q4 2019 average of 12%. It is evident that traveler expectations have changed over the past two years, and as mentioned were adapting to new ways of traveling. However, at the beginning of 2022, and reflecting on a stable Q4 of 2021, our data points to an optimism and a resilience in committed travelers who are more than ready to get back to seeing the world and creating memorable experiences. Building on this momentum, the year ahead, and the future of the travel industry, has the potential to build back better than ever. To find out about the trends covered here in more detail, download the Q4 2021 Travel Recovery Trend Report. This in-depth report is based on over 300 petabytes of first-party Expedia Group data plus the latest custom research. Download the Report. About Expedia Group Media Solutions Expedia Group Media Solutions, the advertising organization of Expedia Group, offers industry expertise and digital marketing solutions that allow brands to reach, engage and influence its qualified audience of travelers around the world. Through its vast network of leading travel brands and global points of sale, Expedia Group Media Solutions provides marketing partners with proprietary data-driven insights about traveler behaviors during every stage of the purchase journey, along with dynamic advertising solutions, to deliver strategic campaigns and measurable results. For more information, visit www.advertising.expedia.com. 2022 Expedia, Inc., an Expedia Group company. All rights reserved. Trademarks and logos are the property of their respective owners. CST: 2029030-50 View source Airmen participate in parachute training China Military Online) 09:34, March 15, 2022 Airmen assigned to a brigade with the PLA airborne troops queue to board a Y-20 transport aircraft during a parachute training exercise on February 17, 2022. (eng.chinamil.com.cn/Photo by Liu Bingbing) (Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun) More than 100 municipal workers were terminated for refusing to get a second vaccination dose required under New York Citys COVID mandates, a spokesperson for Mayor Adams confirmed Monday. The 101 city workers who lost their jobs Friday for failing to comply with the mandate were among 3,247 notified by the city that they needed to receive a second dose by a March 11 deadline. Of those 3,247 city workers, 3,146 or 97% submitted proof of getting a second dose within the required timeframe. Advertisement StarNETWORK medical staff member administers a Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine in New York City on October 21, 2021. ( Michael M Santiago/Getty Images) The recent workforce culling comes a month after a much more substantial number of city employees were fired for not following vaccination mandates. Almost 1,500 city workers lost their jobs during that round of worker terminations, which was also prompted by failing to follow city vaccine guidelines. Those workers who lost their jobs in February fell into two groups. One was people hired on or after Aug. 2, 2021 who, as a condition of being hired, were required to be fully vaccinated within 45 days. Their deadline was extended to show proof of vaccination was later extended to mid-February. Advertisement The other group consisted of workers whose unions made a deal with the city to allow unvaccinated employees to receive health care benefits while simultaneously being on unpaid leave. The group who faced termination on Friday was comprised of city employees hired before Aug. 2, 2021 who had not submitted proof of a second vaccination and who had not applied for a reasonable accommodation exempting them from receiving the vaccine, a spokeswoman for the mayors office said Monday. Adams praised vaccinated city workers on Monday in a written statement, but had little to say about those who lost their jobs as a result of failing to comply with the mandate. City workers have served New Yorkers tirelessly on the frontlines of the pandemic. They have stepped up once again to get vaccinated, protecting themselves and the New Yorkers they serve, he said. Our goal was always to vaccinate, not terminate, and 97% of employees who were notified to submit proof of a second dose did so by the deadline. New York City Mayor Eric Adams (Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office) According to an Adams administration official, 95% of the citys workforce is now fully vaccinated meaning that they either have received both doses of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, or the single dose Johnson & Johnson shot. The mandate requiring city workers to be vaccinated was issued in October by Adams predecessor, former Mayor Bill de Blasio. Whilst some African hotel markets have a long way to go in terms of recovery and regrouping, others have shown remarkable fortitude and resilience and provide hope that normal conditions will once again prevail in the hospitality sector in Africa, says HTI Consulting CEO, Wayne Troughton. Throughout 2020 and into 2021, as wave after wave of Covid-19 infections continued to spread across the globe, hotels struggled to achieve sustainable levels of demand. Hoteliers and their staff have, however, been a daptable and resourceful over the period and quite a few of the properties that contributed to STR in 2019 have therefore continued to do so in 2021, says Troughton. It is encouraging to witness the resilience of some of the key African cities as well as the boost in performances in the months leading up to the end of the year. The below Review of the 2021 year sees HTI Consulting compare the performances of 2021 with those of 2019 to identify the rate of recovery in key Southern, Western and East African markets. SOUTHERN AFRICA Occupancy Recovery Rates Umhlanga showed the strongest occupancy recovery rate across Southern African markets currently contributing to STR. With an average occupancy of 48.1% for 2021, occupancy for October and November was sitting at 65%, peaking at 71% in December. Recovery rates over these three months ranged from 86% to 92%. With an occupancy rate of 25,2% in 2021, Lusakas recovery is at 54% when compared to 2019 occupancy (54%). Cape Towns recovery is at a similar level (53%) with an average occupancy of 34.9% for 2021 vs. 65.3% in 2019. From October 2021 occupancy levels were pushed over 50%, driven by increased demand from overseas travellers after South Africas removal from the red list in October. Despite the travel bans that ensued in December 2021, the December occupancy for Cape Town was also above 50% due to strong domestic leisure support. Room Supply Recovery Occupancy levels achieved should always be viewed in the context of the recovery of room supply. When assessing the number of rooms contributing to STR data in 2021, Windhoek and Gaborone have achieved equivalent levels to 2019. Occupancy recovery levels for these two markets are therefore more accurate. Room supply in Umhlanga, Sandton and Cape Town is notably down, with respective recovery of supply at 62%, 58% and 57%. It remains uncertain as to whether or not the limited recovery in property contributions to STR is attributed to permanent closure or temporary closure. Some are likely to reopen occupancies and therefore in these markets might take some time to regain 2019 levels. International market recovery will also take some time and increased business and leisure travel will be required to drive peaks achieved prior to Covid. ADR Recovery Rates From a rate perspective, most key markets have made pleasing progress in rate recovery. Hoteliers, for the most part, have carefully managed discounting in order to avoid rate dilution and to facilitate a swift rate recovery once market conditions improve. Umhlanga achieved an ADR of USD 91 for 2021 vs. USD 92 in 2019. This is a positive sign. When considering the pressure the Lusaka market was under prior to the pandemic, the achievement of an ADR of USD82 is positive, particularly as rates achieved in 2019 were USD100. Cape Town and Sandton have experienced similar recovery rates. Hoteliers in the Mother City have, however, found it challenging to push rates without higher paying international clientele. Sandton properties continue to discount. RevPAR Recovery Rates The RevPAR recovery rate continues to remain subdued, with market leaders only at 44% when compared to 2019. Low occupancies remained a challenge across the southern region, given the dearth of international leisure and domestic and regional business travellers. The removal of Southern African countries from the red list by most key source markets in early 2022 is likely to see a gradual uptick in foreign travellers, notably from February onwards. Increased activity from the business market is also anticipated, particularly with the view that the pandemic could potentially be downgraded to an endemic. The outlook for 2022 is therefore cautiously optimistic, provided no more tr avel bans or lockdowns impact the region. Market Outlook The UNWTO frequently surveys tourism experts across continents in order to understand their views on when key tourism markets will recover to 2019 levels. In May 2021, 45% of African tourism experts surveyed projected the continent would recover to 2019 levels by the end of 2023. A similar survey in January 2022 highlighted that only 33% of experts saw recovery occurring in 2023, with 50% anticipating recovery in 2024 or later. For Southern Africa, the latter scenario is more likely given the challenges in recent months, states Troughton. Uncertainty remains high due to erratic flight schedules, frequently changing Covid regulations and undeniable travel anxiety related to being stranded or having to undergo unexpected quarantine periods (as experienced by foreign travellers to South Africa in November 2021). As the region awaits the return of foreigners, many Sout hern African assets are struggling to maintain sustainable operations, he says. HTI Consulting have worked with a number of owners to create strategies that will offload risk and stabilise cash-flow allocation for debt repayments. Converting operations from a management contract to a lease or franchise has been a prevalent trend in this region as has the sale of distressed assets and the renegotiation of existing finance structures. This trend is expected to continue in the medium term and savvy investors have the opportunity to add good quality assets to their portfolios. EAST AFRICA Occupancy Recovery Zanzibar showed strong recovery in 2021 with an occupancy recovery rate of 87%. The number of properties contributing to STR is however limited (average of 229 rooms in 2019). A review of bed occupancy for the island as a whole (published by the OCGS in Zanzibar) indicated a similar recovery rate of 84%. Furt hermore, the islands tourist arrivals are at 73% of what they were in 2019. Zanzibars open door policy, a focus on targeting non-traditional markets and limited restrictions contributed towards a strong recovery in 2021. Addis Ababas strong recovery throughout the year is surprising given the political challenges being experienced in the country. Ethiopian Airlines does however drive a high degree of transit passengers through the destination, boosting accommodation demand. Although a small market, the recovery in the Kigali market is positive. The 2019 figures were however off a low base with a high of 49% for the year. Nairobi, Kampala and Dar es Salaam continue to struggle with recovery well off the 2019 benchmark. Foreign travellers play a strong role in driving hotel demand in these cities. Room Supply Recovery The sample size reviewed by STR in 2019 was equal for Kampala, Kigali and Addis Ababa by the end of 2021. Whil st Zanzibar sits at 83% only one property is currently not contributing to the sample. Both Nairobi and Dar es Salaam still have a number of properties that are closed. The occupancy recovery levels in these markets are therefore over estimated. ADR Recovery Rate The ADR for Zanzibar has recovered and exceeded that achieved in 2019. Positioned at USD 123 at the end of 2019, in 2021 USD 153 was achieved. As with other markets, the rate of recovery for ADR is relatively strong as hoteliers have been careful with rate management. All markets are at 80% and above with the exception of Addis Ababa and Kigali where strong discounting is being applied to attract demand. As highlighted, a large proportion of demand in these markets is driven by MICE activity, which remains subdued across the globe. RevPAR Recovery Rate The properties in Zanzibar have exceeded the USD 79 RevPAR achieved in 2019, with a rate of USD 97.66 in 2021. This is extremely positive and points to the successful strategy adopted by the island in generating demand. Other markets in the region continue to under-perform. The recovery of international business tourism (both individual and conference) is a key factor for these markets. These segments remain under pressure in Africa and, whilst Kigali has started to gear up its MICE business, international demand is limited and most East African cities remain largely reliant on domestic, and occasionally, regional conferences. Market Outlook The outlook for Zanzibar is positive. Investment in this node is currently very active and opportunities for greenfield and brownfield projects are apparent. There remain a number of distressed assets elsewhere in East Africa, particularly in Nairobi and Dar es Salaam, where a number of properties have not re-opened. The better quality of these are under strong scrutiny by internationa l investors with some, such as the City Lodge East African portfolio, being snapped up by regional investors such as Actis. Other properties in Nairobi, Kampala and Dar es Salaam are currently undergoing a due diligence process as investors weigh up the available opportunities. Conversions to franchises, management contracts, lease agreements and sales are likely to be evident in the East African market over the next 18 to 24 months as markets slowly gain traction. Commensurate with Southern Africa, the return to 2019 trading levels is expected to be slow but steady, and achievable by the end of 2024. The return of international corporate travel and MICE activity is key to regaining former highs. The MICE market, given the volumes attracted, is expected to be one of the last to recover. WEST AFRICA Occupancy Recovery Rate Only three West African markets were able to contribute consistently to STR in 2021. Lagos has been the standout for the West African region with an 85% average occupancy recovery rate at the end of 2021. The occupancy average for 2021 was 52.1% versus 61.6% at the end of 2019. Strong domestic and regional support, from both leisure and business markets has sustained the industry over this time. Accra has also seen a strong recovery with occupancy for 2021 positioned at 45.8% (65.3% in 2019). Commensurate with Lagos, domestic and regional business and leisure travellers have enabled a strong rebound. Abidjan finished 2021 with an occupancy of 42% versus 56.8% in 2019. Room Supply Recovery Rate Recovery in key West African markets, when considering the supply of rooms, is even more impressive. The number of rooms contributing to STR actually increased in both Abidjan (Noom Hotel, amongst others) and Lagos (opening of the Marriott Hotel in Ikeja). New supply in markets like Nigeria is already being absorbed. The level of rooms c ontributing to STR is at 99% for Accra. ADR Recovery Rate ADR in both Abidjan (USD 136 vs. USD 137 in 2021) and Lagos (USD 127 vs. USD 130 in 2019) is almost aligned with 2019 levels. Accra, at 83% of 2019 levels (USD 131 vs. USD 158 in 2019), is not far behind. The growing oil price bodes well for both Nigeria and Ghana. Provided no new Covid variants emerge, oil prices are expected to remain buoyant in the short to medium term. This will bode well for the hospitality sector in the region and expedite recovery to 2019 levels. RevPAR Recovery Rate Given the strong recovery in both occupancy and ADR across all markets, RevPAR recovery rates are amongst the strongest assessed. Recovery has occurred despite some countries being placed on the amber list by various international countries. Travellers to amber list countries were required to quarantine upon return to their home country. Given this, international demand wa s limited and further amplifies the extent to which the regional and domestic markets have supported the hospitality sector in key cities. Market Outlook The outlook for West Africa is positive. A return to 2019 trading levels expected by the end of 2023, if not sooner. Continued domestic and regional support, along with the gradual growth in international business travellers will facilitate a market rebound. Whilst Abidjan, Lagos and Accra do represent opportunities for greenfields developments, particularly considering the resilience of each market, sales transactions, conversions and leases remain more likely in the short term. Should oil prices continue to rise exponentially, projects placed on hold during Covid could once again be revitalised resulting in a new supply cycle within the medium term (three to five years). HTI Consulting +27 21 685 0635 HTI Consulting Would you allow a humanoid robot to greet a paying guest at your hotel? Would the hotel guest prefer the ease and convenience of service robots or the warmth and service of a fellow human being? There is no doubt that AI will create both challenges and opportunities for the industry. This article reviews the trajectory and impact of AI in the hospitality industry. Humans and robots working together The question might sound futuristic, yet the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is rapidly revolutionizing the business-as-usual model of the hospitality industry. It has the potential to disrupt the customer experience as we know it, and could provide powerful tools to help humans in their decision-making processes, which will impact the industrys entire workforce. The challenge is to ensure that companies integrate AI and frontline service robots in a fair and equitable way. For that, we need to consider several dimensions such as: The ethical considerations linked to the use of robots in a service delivery context (replacement, responsibility, trust/safety, privacy/data protection, autonomy, and human cues). The customer experience (customer-robot interaction). The optimization of robots usage by employees (employee-robot interaction/co-creation with a robot). How AI can improve customer experience By allowing robots to perform repetitive human tasks, AI is redesigning the customer experience. But to what extent? The question remains an open one. However, robots can now provide support to employees or even replace them in some cases. Robots are increasingly being created with specific features that allow them to perform some of the essential tasks of the industry. For example, service robots can perform some of the functions of a waiter, a barista, or the housekeeping team. One notable example is The Henn na Hotel Tokyo Ginza - which took the risky bet to automate as many of its activities and services as possible with the use of now-obsolete robots. The goal was clear: the robots could add to the customer experience, improve margins by reducing costs, and eliminate headcount and workloads. But not everything went according to plan, and the reviews were mixed at best. Apparently, a large percentage of the robots were more adept at creating work for their human counterparts than they were at reducing it, Esther Hertzfeld wrote in an article for Hotel Management. The experiment failed, and the hotel ended up sacking more than half of its 243 strong robot workforce after complaints from both staff and customers. How the Hospitality sector can take advantage of futuristic opportunities Robots have come a long way since then, and the robotization of the industry is accelerating rapidly as technology and connectivity improves. The use of AI in the field of robotics has also opened up enormous opportunities for the hospitality sector, with a growing range of uses that can improve customer experience, brand awareness and customer loyalty. More recently, COVID-19 has played an essential role in developing this trend. Robots now allow certain skills, actions and services to be executed more safely than human beings. There is simply no risk of catching the virus with robots because robots simply do not breathe. This non-negligible fact is beneficial for ensuring a safe customer experience and protecting the employees during a pandemic. Robots can be easily sanitized between each guest and, therefore, ensure safe in-room delivery, for instance. They can perform UV disinfection that humans cannot, and non-contact services such as digital concierge offerings, chatbots, or voice-activated and enabled rooms are already fixtures in the hotel rooms of tomorrow. Besides service robots, digital interfaces driven by AI are likely to become omnipresent across the industry. How will AI impact society and workforce? Is a collaboration possible? At this particular time, the usage of robots makes perfect health sense, but the rapid deployment of robots is not without its controversy, especially in countries where the unemployment rate is high. Seasonal, casual and some operational staff in the hospitality industry could be most impacted over time by the rise of artificial intelligence. Research by McKinsey shows that AI is already having a major impact on the workforce, but its not the only technological mega-trend shaping the future of work. Trends like remote work, e-commerce, and continuing automation could mean more than 100 million workers might need to find a different occupation by 2030 - thats roughly the same as the populations of Canada and Italy combined, the consultancy said in an August 2021 report. Getting service robots and customers to co-exist In addition, a key question still needs to be addressed: How will customers adapt to this trend? Do they expect or want their service to be provided by robots? Or, do they still want to be welcomed by smiling humans? The question doesnt seem to be settled yet. For some guests to accept the implementation of AI enabled service robots more easily, the robots must be able to show empathy and be able to interact, which remains a major technological challenge. At the same time, a whole new generation of travelers is growing increasingly accustomed to a humanless service experience. The future might bring a combination of both. It would not be surprising if, in the future, if service robots were to become a new selection criterion for potential guests when they choose where to stay. Indeed, some hotels or hotel chains could choose robots to differentiate themselves and attract specific guest segments. There is little doubt that upscale hotels will keep prioritizing human interactions, in order to maintain a competitive and premium offering. However, in other types of hotels where human interactions play a less important role, robots could definitely do the job. Overall business performance: How AI can become a friendly tool AI is a game-changer for the hospitality industrys workforce as it will enhance hotels ability to offer even more personalized and tailored-made experiences. As a business tool, AI also allows owners and managers to review an enormous quantity of the information and data they produce every day across their organization. Therefore, hoteliers should be receptive to capitalizing on AI and implementing AI-based strategies in order to improve revenue, and remain cost and product competitive in the future. Other opportunities for AI use might include: Reputation Management: AI can analyze guest reviews and social media posts about the hotel and provide automated responses or support employees in their communication by flagging negative feedback. AI can analyze guest reviews and social media posts about the hotel and provide automated responses or support employees in their communication by flagging negative feedback. Personalization: AI can provide guests with timely recommendations by analyzing their preferences, interests, and behaviors and provide them with specific tailor-made offers. AI can provide guests with timely recommendations by analyzing their preferences, interests, and behaviors and provide them with specific tailor-made offers. Revenue management, pricing, and predictive analytics: AI can provide real-time market intelligence indicators and help hoteliers adapt prices. It can also support inventory management and sell upgrades to guests based on previous behaviors. AI can provide real-time market intelligence indicators and help hoteliers adapt prices. It can also support inventory management and sell upgrades to guests based on previous behaviors. Sales & Marketing: AI, by tracking and analyzing booking patterns, seasonal demands, as well as other guest behaviors, hotels can design a personalized marketing campaign to attract the target segments. The role of emotional intelligence Following this review of the use of AI in the hospitality industry, it is clear now that it will become part of every daily business activity in the not too distant future. As professionals, questions remain about how to adapt the workforce to those new practices. Emotional intelligence (EQ), which groups a core of competencies (e.g., managing ones own emotions and the ones of others), was seen as the most essential skill-set for hospitality workers. With all the new technologies, is emotional intelligence still required today? The answer is yes! Customers, especially the youngest generations, will expect high-end service levels with integrated technological solutions. So far, AI can only be programmed to respond to specific inputs. Through their soft skills, employees can adapt to a variety of situations without having to be trained and they can display better empathy, kindness, or integrity than any machine built thus far. However, those same employees who were asked to possess high EQ will be required to be tech-savvy to monitor all the AI tools currently implemented in the industry. This implies that hospitality schools will need to teach the necessary hard and soft skills so employees will be efficient at using, monitoring, and evaluating technology applications in the industry. This is certainly a shift for the workforce, and it will also require managers to train their current staff well. How to apply AI in the future The era of AI in the hospitality industry is just beginning. The advent of the AI era is disrupting the way customers will experience hospitality in the near future, as well as the activities of the workforce in both front and back of house. One clear example is the development of the Metaverse, a virtual world focusing on social connections, which has the potential to become a new booking channel that will offer immersive experiences to customers and allow them to visit rooms and properties even before arriving at their destination. This is a whole new dimension of the application of AI that the industry should explore quickly. Finally, the industry needs to keep in mind that new types of AI are on the way, which go beyond our current limits of technological understanding. These new technologies have the potential to disrupt the industry even further, and all industry stakeholders will need to embrace the use of AI to remain competitive. Ecole hoteliere de Lausanne Communications Department +41 21 785 1354 EHL View source This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate The story of Purim resonates through the hallways these days at the Bertha Alyce Early Childhood School, part of the Evelyn Rubenstein Jewish Community Center. Director Meagan Friedman said teachers have books for every age, dedicated to the Jewish holiday. Students at the school range in age from 6 weeks to 5 years. While children might be too young to fully understand the significance of the tale, parts of the narrative will no doubt inspire them, Friedman said. The bravery of Queen Esther is hard to forget. We are taught that she saved the day, Friedman said. You dont always hear that message about women. A lot of stories are male-dominated. That is not the case during Purim. During the holiday, the Book of Esther, or Megillah, is read, which relates how Esther, a Jewish orphan, becomes the wife of King Ahashverosh, while keeping her faith a secret. When the kings viceroy, Haman, hatches a plot to kill all Jews, Esthers uncle Mordecai implores her to speak to the king. She courageously agrees, even though it could cost her own life. This is a story where the female is really the hero, Friedman said. She stands up for what she believes in and for what is right. Purim celebrations At the Evelyn Rubenstein Jewish Community Center, 5601 S Braeswood, an informative discussion with Rabbi Barry Gelman at the JCC centers on "Women of the Book of Esther" at noon March 16. United Orthodox Synagogues of Houston, 9001 Greenwillow, will host a Purim Block Party at 2 p.m. March 17, at complete with barbecue seudah (dinner). Brith Shalom, 4610 Bellaire, is offering a Megillah reading at 6 p.m. March 16 and a special Purim service at 9 a.m. March 17. Congregation Or Ami, 3443 Wilcrest, is also hosting a Megillah reading and spiel at 7 p.m. March 16, as well as Purim service at 9 a.m. the following day. At Congregation Beth Israel, 5600 N. Braeswood, the Miriam Browning Jewish Learning Center hosts this year's Megillah Reading and Purim Carnival at 9:30 a.m. March 20. Congregation Beth Yeshurun's Purim carnival is scheduled for 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. March 20 at the synagogue's location, 4525 Beechnut. Plans include bounce houses, lawn games, rides, jugglers, face-painting and crafts. At Congregation Shaar Hashalom, 16020 El Camino Real serving Houston's Bay Area, the Purim story will be told to the tune of "Fiddler on the Roof" this year. The Purim Spiel, or play, is scheduled virtually March 20. The synagogue, also welcomes the community to its carnival from noon to 3 p.m. March 27. See More Collapse During Purim, Jewish people throughout the world sound groggers, or noisemakers, whenever Hamans name is read in the megillah, and bake Hamantaschen, the traditional triangular pastry made to resemble the villains hat. Dressing up in costume is also part of the fun. Its definitely one of my earliest memories, Friedman said. I was always Esther with a crown. Students at the Bertha Alyce school paraded in their costumes on March 11, in advance of Purim, which begins on the evening of March 16 this year. Celebrations continue throughout Houston. Esther is our female hero, said Shaar Hashalom president Cheryl Sigel. She could have just said, No. I cant do this. But she didnt. Shes a good role model for our daughters. Its a message she passed on as a Sabbath school teacher for years for her own daughter, who is now an aeronautical and robotics engineer. Women have greater opportunities in their synagogues these days, Sigel said. For example, she was one of the first girls at her conservative childhood synagogue to celebrate a Bat Mitzvah. Now the coming of age ceremony is more common for young women. Im a female president of a synagogue now, and Im not the first, Sigel added. Rabbis are now female. She pointed to the many modern-day Esthers who continue to serve as inspirations for women, including the late Supreme Court justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. With womens rights, womens empowerment, I think Esther is the beginning of that, Sigel said. Purim is also a celebration of religious freedom, she added. Its another way of celebrating our differences and allowing people to have freedom, Sigel said. Thats one of the ways that Rabbi Annie Belford of Temple Sinai in West Houston sees a parallel between Purim and the current crisis in Ukraine. This story does relate to the Ukrainians in such a powerful way a group of people is facing death and destruction by a larger, irrational enemy, the rabbi said. It would be all too easy to create a Purim spiel featuring Putin as Haman. Chava Gal-Or, director of the Temple Sinais Congregational Learning, agreed. It feels so relevant right now, she said. The Jews stood up against Haman. People are standing up now like they never before have. Gal-Or explained that in Judaism, taking action to protect life is a key tenant of faith. We are called to show up by God, she said. You have to show up fully. You can never back down. And thats the Purim story. Peyton is a Houston-based freelance writer. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate The pain Helen Nduku experienced from sickle cell disease was debilitating. Imagine someone squeezing and stabbing you at the same time, the 17-year-old Katy resident said. Its very much like that. Its intense, down in your bones. It was so bad that Nduku had to take narcotic painkillers for relief. She regularly went to the hospital, staying for weeks at a time. Im so used to the hospital, she said. Its like a second home to me. The pain was so pronounced that it prevented her from having a normal childhood. She never learned to ride a bike and couldnt play video games because sitting for an hour or more would often be too much. Traditionally, the only cure for sickle cell disease is a bone marrow transplant from a matched sibling donor, said assistant professor, Department of Pediatrics, Section of Hematology/Oncology, Baylor College of Medicine Dr. Tami John. That was not a possibility in Ndukus case. She did not have a matched sibling, John said. But that was before gene therapy for sickle cell disease came into the picture. The teen is the first patient in the Texas Medical Center to receive gene therapy for sickle cell disease. Basically, the approach involves extracting stem cells from a patients own blood, instead of relying on someone else to donate. Youre essentially your own donor, John said. LIVING WITH SICKLE CELL: Rapper battles illness to become a new star on Houstons hip-hop scene Once the stem cells are collected, they are modified in a lab. Modifying the stem cells is a lengthy process, lasting about two to three months, John said. The timeline from collecting cells to manufacturing takes about four to six months, she said. In the meantime, patients undergo chemotherapy, which essentially kills off the other bone marrow. Afterward, the patient receives a transfusion of their own stem cells, now modified, which plants the seeds for healthy red blood cells to form. What is sickle cell? Nduku was diagnosed at birth with sickle cell disease, an inherited blood cell disorder. Healthy red cells are round. In individuals with sickle cell disease, the red blood cells are shaped like a sickle or a C. Individuals with the disorder have a constant shortage of red blood cells. The cells can also get stuck and prevent sufficient blood flow or oxygen delivery. The result is pain and organ damage. Symptoms of the disease include, but arent limited to, abdomen and chest pain, fatigue, breathlessness, delayed growth, jaundice, susceptibility to infections, leg ulcers, swollen extremities, stroke and fever, according to the Sickle Cell Association of Texas. Even with standard treatment options, patients can still have acute and chronic symptoms. A couple of years ago, Nduku opted to homeschool because navigating a high school campus was too difficult. Besides, the painkillers made it difficult to concentrate in class. Her GPA began to slip. Nduku gave up on dreams of one day. She decided that going to college would be too difficult with her immobilizing pain and with that, her hopes of a future career also went down the drain. If I would get sick, I wouldnt be able to go to class, and I would miss out, she said. If I went to college, who would take care of me? There were times when she was frustrated. I would complain to my brother, Why did God do this to me? Most of the time, however, she felt resigned to a cycle of intensifying pain and hospitalizations. You grow up with sickle cell and you think: This is my life. Im probably going to die from sickle cell, she said. Impact and new options There are 100,000 cases of sickle cell disease in the U.S., according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The disease impacts primarily Blacks, Hispanics, Greeks, Italians, East Indians, Saudi Arabians, Asians, Syrians, Turks, Cypriots and Sicilians, according to the Sickle Cell Association of Texas. But the occurrence of sickle cell anemia is higher in the African American population, affecting 1 in 365 births. By comparison, CDC data says in Hispanic American births, its 1 in every 16,300. Human trials for the stem cell treatment started about five years ago. In 2020, Texas Childrens started a Phase 3 clinical trial, sponsored by bluebird bio, a Boston-based biotechnology company. The clinical trial is a multisite study with participants in seven states. Texas Childrens was the first to enroll and treat, as well as to study, pediatric patients. Nduku was 15 when presented with the option to enroll. Helen has been a patient at Texas Childrens for most of her life, John said. Shes had significant complications from her sickle cell disease. Gene therapy just became available. We decided together that this route would be best for her. The doctor explained that Ndukus frequent hospitalizations and chronic pain, despite standard therapies, made her an ideal candidate for the trial. She also met inclusion criteria and age requirements. Nduku admitted to being hesitant at first. She worried about complications and also did not want to build up any hopes that she would be selected for the trial. I didnt think I would be chosen, she said. I had no expectations at all. When Nduku learned she had been selected, her parents Enita and Kayode Odofin urged her to go through with the option. My mom and dad really pushed for it, Nduku recalled. They said, Youll be able to go to college away from home. I started to think of my own freedom. It was nice to think I could be free. Becoming her own donor Shortly after Nduku decided to enroll, COVID-19 arrived and delayed the process. The stem cell collections were delayed three to four months due to the pause on non-emergent procedures due to COVID-19, John said. It ended up taking about one year from enrollment to the stem cell transplant, John said. Ndukus stem cells were collected in July and August in 2020. In October, Nduku turned 16, while her stem cells were being genetically modified. In January 2021, she began chemotherapy for four days. On Jan. 19, 2021, Nduku received a transfusion of her manipulated stem cells. I felt better, Nduku said. They had to watch me for about two weeks to make sure my platelets were stable. First, she went every week for a checkup. Eventually, the appointments were spaced out. She currently goes quarterly. For about six months, Nduku followed strict precautions to protect her compromised immune system. After the first three months, she was allowed to meet with small groups of people. By August 2021, she began taking trips outside. I started going to the store or going to the park, she said. Little basic things, I started doing. In September, Nduku was able to undergo a needed hip replacement surgery. Her sickle cell disease caused avascular necrosis, or death of bone tissue caused by a lack of blood supply, in her hip. And in the fall, Nduku began working part time as a truck dispatcher at a company owned by her mother. She can now sit down and enjoy a video game. And she learned, now at age 17, to ride a bike. She has been accepted into the University of Pittsburgh and plans to take a gap year before studying chemistry or business. John plans to follow her for at least 15 years to ensure the therapy is still working properly. Spreading hope Nduku is in a small group. Only about 50 people in the world have received this therapy to date, John said. Texas is home to the third largest population of individuals with the disorder in the country, John said. And in the Greater Houston area, more children are born with sickle cell than in other parts of the state. In the past, Nduku said that she felt unworthy of being the first patient in the gene therapy study. For a while, I felt selfish, she said. I felt like there are people who need this more than me. But now I thank God every day. Its a real blessing. Nduku would recommend gene therapy to others with sickle cell disease. Im very glad that I did it, she said. Dont expect to be all fixed in two days. Its going to take time. But the time it takes is so worth it. She wants other patients to know that this life-changing option is out there. I hope to give other people hope, she said. Peyton is a freelance writer based in Houston. The clock is ticking for Medicare Advantage enrollees to make any changes to their coverage. The deadline is Thursday, March 31. According to a news release, medicareresources.org has some penny-pinching tips for consumers already facing rising inflation and steep gas prices. On HoustonChronicle.com: Richmond ranks among best places to retire in Texas, annual study shows The Medicare annual enrollment last fall attracted celebrity spokespersons such as Joe Namath and Jimmie Walker who advertised Medicare Advantage plans. The lesser-known, quieter Medicare Advantage enrollment period runs annually Jan. 1 to March 31. Beneficiaries who have Medicare Advantage plans can clear up any oversights or errors they made in choosing their plan during the enrollment window. Few people know about the Medicare Advantage open enrollment period, said Louise Norris, a licensed broker and analyst for medicareresources.org, in the release. But its an important window for beneficiaries who believe they made a mistake during the fall enrollment period. Common mistakes include accidentally electing coverage that doesnt include the beneficiarys doctor or cover their prescription medications. According to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, approximately 29 million people, or 46 percent of Medicare enrollees, have a Medicare Advantage plan. That percentage is predicted to grow. On HoustonChronicle.com: Fort Bend ISD aims to promote literacy and learning with new Bookapalooza fest Medicare Advantage plans are favored since they can offer substantial savings on prescription drugs and free benefits like dental, hearing and vision coverage. The release stated that however a beneficiary may not realize there are limitations until after their coverage starts. For instance, plans for Medicare Advantage and Part D enrollees define a specific network of providers and include drug formularies that change from year to year. Keep the following tips in mind when making changes to Medicare Advantage plans. Know whether the Medicare Advantage open enrollment period actually applies to you: The enrollment period is only open to Medicare Advantage enrollees - not beneficiaries enrolled in stand-alone Part D prescription drug plans and Medigap. Know what choices are available: During the Medicare Advantage open enrollment, enrollees can opt for just original Medicare or select another Medicare Advantage plan. But they can only make one plan change per year. If Medicare Advantage enrollees change to original Medicare, they can purchase a Part D prescription drug plan. However, someone who has Part D coverage with original Medicare cannot change to a different Part D plan during Medicare Advantage open enrollment because only Medicare Advantage enrollees are eligible. Look beyond the premium: In weighing changing plans, dont only consider the premium. Look at the plans out-of-pocket costs, such as copays, deductibles and coinsurance costs. Check whether your providers and medications are on the plan: While considering another Medicare Advantage plan, find out if your doctors and preferred pharmacy are part of the providers network. Be mindful: A Medicare Advantage plan holder who is changing from Medicare Advantage to original Medicare during open enrollment will not necessarily have guaranteed-issue access to a Medigap plan that would supplement their original Medicare coverage. Medigap plan enrollment hinges on how long the person has had Medicare Advantage, their home state and if they are eligible for any of the federal guaranteed-issue rights for Medigap plans. On HoustonChronicle.com: Missouri City woman works through devastating disease to raise $100K for lupus research, awareness According to the release, medicareresources.org has been a longstanding source of extensive health insurance information for consumers. The website offers an overview of the basics of Medicare coverage options, enrollment and eligibility; frequently asked questions about coverage; Medicare information for each state; and a glossary that defines Medicare terms. tracy.maness@hcnonline.com Michael Ciaglo, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer A judge sentenced five men Monday to decades of federal imprisonment in connection to a racketeering conspiracy, the U.S. Attorneys Office Southern District of Texas said. Those five men 48-year-old Ramon De La Cerda of McAllen, 43-year-old Jose Rolando Gonzalez of Mission, 49-year-old Juan Alberto Mendez of Mission, 35-year-old Salomon Robles of San Juan and 38-year-old Margil Reyna of Toledo, Ohio each received 30-year sentences from U.S. District Judge Sim Lake, according to the U.S. attorneys office. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 2 1 of 2 Houston Police Department Show More Show Less 2 of 2 Houston Police Department Show More Show Less A 25-year-old suspect is wanted in connection to a fatal shooting this month in southwest Houston, according to Houston police. Alma Nely Rico is facing an aggravated assault with a deadly weapon charge in a March 9 shooting that left 23-year-old Cristino Resendiz Garcia dead, per a police release. Quick instincts kicked in for two Dallas-area MMA fighters who subdued a shooter at a Highland Village sushi bar Monday night, according to authorities. The shooting was reported about 11:30 at RA Sushi Bar Restaurant at 3908 Westheimer near Willowick. A man standing next to the bar fired a single shot into the ceiling, Houston police said. "We were just eating and then we heard a loud pop and everybody started getting down," Patrick Robinson said. "Me and my buddy ran to the shooter, got him down, strangled him, took the gun from him before calling the police. That was the end of the story right there." When police arrived, the pair had detained the man, authorities said. More on HoustonChronicle.com: Spring break from Houston on one tank of gas: Our favorite spots within 100 miles of the city "If it wasn't for the quick thinking of these good Samaritans taking that gun away, who would have known what could have happened," HPD Sgt. Ricardo Salas said. "Their training and experiences definitely helped out tonight and we are thankful for that." The suspect was wanted for a failure to appear in court on a misdemeanor criminal mischief charge, according to police. No injuries were reported during the shooting, Salas said. Narcotics were found in the alleged shooter's possession and investigators believe he may have possibly been under the influence during the incident, he said. No other information is available at this time as investigators attempt to collect more video evidence. Joel.Umanzor@chron.com LVIV, Ukraine (AP) Russia and Ukraine kept a fragile diplomatic path open with a new round of talks Monday even as Moscows forces pounded away at Kyiv and other cities across the country in a punishing bombardment the Red Cross said has created nothing short of a nightmare for civilians. A local resident stands while Ukrainian firefighters work in an apartment building after it was hit by artillery shelling in Kyiv, Ukraine, Monday, March 14, 2022. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda) (VADIM GHIRDA/AP) Meanwhile, a convoy of 160 civilian cars left the encircled port city of Mariupol along a designated humanitarian route, the city council reported, in a rare glimmer of hope a week and a half into the lethal siege that has pulverized homes and other buildings and left people desperate for food, water, heat and medicine. Advertisement The latest negotiations, held via video conference, were the fourth round involving higher-level officials from the two countries and the first in a week. The talks ended without a breakthrough after several hours, with an aide to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy saying the negotiators took a technical pause and planned to meet again Tuesday. The two sides had expressed some optimism in the past few days. Mykhailo Podolyak, the aide to Zelenskyy, tweeted that the negotiators would discuss peace, ceasefire, immediate withdrawal of troops & security guarantees. Advertisement Previous discussions, held in person in Belarus, produced no lasting humanitarian routes or agreements to end the fighting. In Washington, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said at a briefing Monday that while the Biden administration supports Ukraines participation in the talks with Russia, Russian President Vladimir Putin would have to show signs of de-escalating in order to demonstrate good faith. And what were really looking for is evidence of that, and were not seeing any evidence at this point that President Putin is doing anything to stop the onslaught or de-escalate, she said. Overnight, air raid alerts sounded in cities and towns around the country, from near the Russian border in the east to the Carpathian Mountains in the west, and fighting continued on the outskirts of Kyiv. Ukrainian officials said Russian forces shelled several suburbs of the capital. Firefighters extinguish an apartment house after a Russian rocket attack in Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city, Ukraine, Monday, March 14, 2022. (AP Photo/Pavel Dorogoy) (Pavel Dorogoy/AP) Ukrainian authorities said two people were killed when the Russians struck an airplane factory in Kyiv, sparking a large fire. The Antonov factory is Ukraines largest aircraft plant and produces many of the worlds biggest cargo planes. Russian artillery fire also hit a nine-story apartment building in the northern Obolonskyi district of the city, killing two more people, authorities said. And a Russian airstrike near a Ukrainian checkpoint caused extensive damage to a downtown Kyiv neighborhood, killing one person, Ukraines emergency agency said. In an area outside Kyiv, Fox News reporter Benjamin Hall was injured while reporting and was hospitalized, the network said. Advertisement A Ukrainian soldier passes by a destroyed a trolleybus and taxi after a Russian bombing attack in Kyiv, Ukraine, Monday, March 14, 2022. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky) (Efrem Lukatsky/AP) Airstrikes were reported across the country, including the southern city of Mykolaiv, and the northern city of Chernihiv, where heat was knocked out to most of the town. Explosions also reverberated overnight around the Russian-occupied Black Sea port of Kherson. In the southern city of Mariupol, where the war has produced some of the greatest suffering, the city council didnt say how many people were in the convoy of cars headed westward for the city of Zaporizhzhia. But it said a cease-fire along the route appeared to be holding. Previous attempts to evacuate civilians and deliver humanitarian aid to the city of 430,000 were thwarted by continuing fighting. Robert Mardini, director-general of the International Committee of the Red Cross, said the war has become nothing short of a nightmare for those living in besieged cities, and he pleaded for safe corridors for civilians to leave and humanitarian aid to be brought in. The situation cannot, cannot continue like this, he said. History is watching what is happening in Mariupol and other cities. The Russian military said 20 civilians in the separatist-controlled city of Donetsk in eastern Ukraine were killed by a ballistic missile launched by Ukrainian forces. The claim could not be independently verified. Advertisement The U.N. has recorded at least 596 civilian deaths since Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24, though it believes the true toll is much higher. Millions more have fled their homes, with more than 2.8 million crossing into Poland and other neighboring countries in what the U.N. has called Europes biggest refugee crisis since World War II. All day crying from the pain of having to part with loved ones, with my husband, my parents, 33-year-old refugee Alexandra Beltuygova said in the Polish border town of Przemysl after fleeing the industrial Ukrainian city of Dnipro. I understand that we may not see them. I wish this war would end, she said. Russias military is bigger and better equipped than Ukraines, but its troops have faced stiffer-than-expected resistance, bolstered by arms supplied by the West. During a meeting in Rome with a senior Chinese diplomat, U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan warned China against helping Russia. Two administration officials, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive information, said China had signaled to Moscow that it would be willing to provide both military support in Ukraine and financial backing to help stave off effects of Western sanctions, which include a fourth set of EU sanctions announced late Monday. Advertisement The Kremlin has denied asking China for military equipment to use in Ukraine. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Russia has its own potential to continue the operation and that it was unfolding in accordance with the plan and will be completed on time and in full. The war expanded Sunday when Russian missiles pounded a military training base in western Ukraine, close to the Polish border, that previously served as a crucial hub for cooperation between Ukraine and NATO. The attack killed 35 people, Ukrainian officials said, and raised fears that NATO could be drawn into direct conflict with Russia. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate A former law enforcement officer was convicted Monday on a charge that he sent an interstate text threatening members of the Joe Biden campaign, two days before the then-presidential candidate visited San Antonio in late 2019. According to testimony in the one-day trial, William Oliver Towery, 55, of New Braunfels responded Dec. 11, 2019, to a mass text that mistakenly included him it was meant to include his father, a Democratic donor seeking campaign donations in advance of Bidens campaign stop in San Antonio two days later. Towery, an investigator with the Texas Attorney Generals Office and later a school district police officer, replied with a text that said: Ill be there and have been practicing my sniping skills all month just for this occasion. If you will be near him you may want to wear something dark to hide the blood splatter. U.S. District Judge Xavier Rodriguez found Towery guilty after hearing testimony that included Biden campaign staffers, the FBI and Towery himself. The judge ordered Towery, who was free on bond, into custody and set his sentencing for July 13. He faces up to five years in prison. FBI special agent Chris Snow testified that the texts had been deleted from Towerys phone by the time agents visited Towerys home on Dec. 13, 2019 about the time Biden was in town. 'WRONGLY TERMINATED': Houston police officers fired for deadly Nicolas Chavez shooting to be reinstated, arbitrator rules The agents and New Braunfels police focused on keeping watch over Towery until Bidens security detail felt he was safely en route to the airport, Snow said. The pandemic delayed Towerys indictment until summer of 2020, Snow said. Towery testified that he did not mean the text as a threat, and that he thought a friend was playing a joke on him. He acknowledged a dislike for Democrats, but he said he and his father, who has the same first and last names but a different middle initial, do not talk politics. Towerys lawyer, Doug Daniel, argued that his client was watering his lawn at home, nowhere near the Biden campaign, when agents went to Towerys house. Daniel also told the judge that Towery was cooperative, answered their questions and let the agents and police look in his home. While agents did find a pair of rifles and single-shot pistols in the home, Daniel stressed that no scopes or sniper-like guns were found. During the encounter at his home, Towery was asked about the text and he testified that he assumed one of his friends gave the Democrats his number. He was asked what he didnt like. The fact that theyre pushing impeachment based on nothing, he replied, according to an officers bodycam video played in court. At the time, then-President Donald Trump, a Republican, was accused in impeachment proceedings of breaking the law by withholding aid from Ukraines leader to pressure him to dig up damaging information on Biden. Democrats argued that it is illegal to ask foreign entities for help in winning a U.S. election, and though Trump was impeached, a majority of the Republican-controlled Senate cleared him in a trial that could have led to his removal. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Roomberg painted Towery as a man who makes threats. The prosecutor pointed to Towerys admission that he called some telmarketers nasty names. Roomberg also said Towery saved some telemarketers numbers in his cellphone under names that included He who needs to be killed and a derogatory term for gay people. Towery testified that he worked for the Texas Attorney Generals Office as a legal assistant and then an investigator from 1991 to 1995, and he went on to be a uniformed police officer with the Judson Independent School District, leaving in 1997. Leukemia caused him to lose parts of his legs, and he now has prosthetics. He has been unemployed since December 2013, after a pneumococcal disease sidelined him from teaching in Victoria, he testified. guillermo.contreras @express-news.net First, a regional council of government officials left Harris County and most of its cities out of a plan to distribute $488 million in federal flood mitigation funds stemming from Hurricane Harvey. As justification, the Houston-Galveston Area Council a regional planning board covering 13 counties cited a separate, $750 million allotment proposed for Harris County itself. Now, H-GAC wants to control that $750 million, as well. The councils board voted Tuesday to ask the Texas General Land Office, which manages the relief money, to route the $750 million to H-GAC instead, allowing it to divide the money among the broader region. The resolution has no practical effect, unless the GLO decides to grant the request. It would require the GLO to submit an amended plan for federal approval, a process that often takes months. The GLO has been waiting for approval of its latest amendment, including the $750 million allocation to Harris County, since November. The GLO is currently awaiting HUDs approval on Amendment 1 of the state action plan for mitigation and does not have plans to submit a revised plan at this time, said Brittany Eck, a GLO spokeswoman. The adoption of the resolution if only symbolic is the latest hurdle in Houston and Harris Countys efforts to get the state, and the region, to give them what they see as a proper share of some $4.3 billion in flood mitigation funds Congress sent Texas after Harvey and other storms. About half the damage from Harvey directly affected Houston and Harris County, so they expected roughly half the funds about a billion dollars, each. When the state made an initial pot of some $2 billion available, Houston and Harris County requested $1.3 billion of it. The GLO instead suggested giving Houston and Harris County nothing. HUD since has found the GLOs distribution process discriminated against communities of color. The GLOs process punished population centers with a skewed metric, and it made more money per capita available to rural, more white and less-impacted communities than diverse, well-populated and more affected communities, HUD investigators said. On HoustonChronicle.com: GLO discriminated against minorities when denying flood aid to Houston and Harris County, feds say Houston At-Large Councilmember Sallie Alcorn, who represents the city on the board, was the lone vote against the resolution. She said the entire debate is moot until the GLO addresses the HUD decision, which likely would change the amount of funds headed to Houston and Harris County. She said the mitigation funding has shown that the HUD-to-GLO pipeline is broken. Were not talking about the right pot of money. We need to wait until the GLO deals with the issues presented in the (HUD) letter, Alcorn said. The city and county were originally planning on both getting a billion. Were going to try everything to get the money we deserve. Its too bad its taking so long. The citys other representative, At-Large Councilmember Letitia Plummer, did not attend the meeting because she is attending a conference in Washington, D.C. Her alternate, Councilmember Ed Pollard, also is there. Harris County Precinct 2 Commissioner Adrian Garcia, who represents the county, also was absent, but sent a scathing letter about the resolution. He said he was not sure whether my attendance would be welcome, anyway. The resolution considered today serves no practical purpose other than to send a message. And I am not sure it is the message H-GAC wants to send, Garcia wrote. The message HGAC will be sending, loud and clear, will be to (the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development), and it will be that HGAC is a willing partner in the GLOs scheme to deprive the most impacted, most racially diverse jurisdictions of funds that Congress intended. Staff from H-GAC were not immediately available for comment. The federal money is meant for projects aimed at reducing risk in future disasters. HUD tasked the GLO with distributing the funds to affected communities. Facing bipartisan blowback last year after snubbing the city and county, GLO Commissioner George P. Bush then asked HUD to give Harris County a direct, $750 million allocation of the money, though it made no such request for Houston. That allocation has not yet been approved by the feds, and it is not clear any of the money will trickle down to cities. Harris County faces a deficit of more than $900 million on its flood bond program, so it is possible the entire amount, if granted, would be spent there. On HoustonChronicle.com: Texas said inland counties had lower disaster risk, yet awarded them huge share of $1B in Harvey aid Last month, H-GAC, citing the $750 million allotment, scrapped Harris County and all of the cities it includes from its plans to distribute a separate $488 million allotment the GLO gave the regional council. City and county officials lambasted that move, as well. H-GACs decision was based on the assumption that Harris County would share the $750 million among cities within it. The council now is saying it wants to add the $750 million to the $488 million it originally received, and then divide that $1.2 billion among the broader region with a formula that does include Harris County, Houston and other cities within county limits. That formula would leave Harris County itself with $266 million, about a third of what it is set to receive in the direct allotment. Houston, currently slated to receive nothing from the GLO and about $9 million from H-GAC to address parts of the city outside Harris County, would get $445 million. Those two numbers together add up to $711 million, still short of the direct allotment. Smaller allocations to other cities in Harris County including about $25 million for Pasadena, $8 million for Bellaire would bring the total sum within Harris County to about $790 million. H-GAC argues that means its formula would represent an increase of about $40 million for the entire county. It would, however, take decisions about how to divide the money out of the countys hands and put that power in H-GAC, instead. Houston and unincorporated Harris County make up more than half of the H-GAC regions population, although they have just 11 percent of the vote share on the councils board of trustees. Their officials frequently find themselves outnumbered by counterparts in smaller counties. dylan.mcguinness@chron.com The Texas Education Agency will add 24 teachers to a task force studying educator shortages across the state, nearly doubling the size of the group that originally included only two teachers, agency officials announced Tuesday. The task force, its creation announced last week by Gov. Greg Abbott, has been charged with helping school districts address ongoing shortages by investigating the challenges, exploring the best options to address them and researching what Abbott described as the possibility for flexibility of certification, placement and hiring. When announced, the 28-member group contained 16 superintendents, including Aldine Independent School Districts LaTonya M. Goffney; one assistant superintendent; nine administrators such as chiefs and directors of different operations at various districts and two teachers, one from McAllen and Highland Park ISDs. With the addition of two dozen teachers, the group will grow to 52 individuals, evenly divided between teachers and administrators. The initial lack of teachers on the task force drew criticism from various corners, including union officials, a state PTA group and Democrat Beto ORourke, who is running for governor. He urged Abbott and the TEA to add more classroom educators. TEA officials said the groups original members recommended the inclusion of more classroom teachers after their first meeting this month. It is imperative that we include the insights and recommendations of current classroom teachers as the task force works to identify strong recommendations that can address the staffing shortages facing school systems across Texas, Education Commissioner Mike Morath said in a statement. This expansion strengthens the task force and includes more perspectives as we work to find far-reaching solutions to these challenges. The names of the new members, and the school systems where they work, are expected to be announced by the task forces next meeting. The group is scheduled to meet every other month for a year. One of the new teachers, Josue Tamarez Torres, an elementary math teacher at Dallas ISD, was named chair Tuesday of the task force, which will be organized into work groups for challenges already identified, according to the TEA. The reason I got into education is because I believe that a students ZIP code shouldnt determine his or her fate, Torres said in the statement, and this task force has the ability to recommend the needed changes and innovative solutions necessary to ensure all Texas students have access to the high-quality educators they deserve. The shortages are concentrated in rural areas and in schools that serve students coming from less wealthy families, as well as in more specialized teaching fields including science, technology, engineering, math and special education, according to the agency and education experts. The COVID-19 pandemic has also disrupted the supply of substitute teachers in particular. Two-thirds of the members of the Texas American Federation of Teachers recently surveyed said they had considered leaving their jobs within the last year. Union President Zeph Capo blasted the makeup of the initial task force when it was announced for having only a pair of teachers. On Tuesday, Capo welcomed the expansion. It is better late than never to show respect for teachers by putting them in the decision-making seats, he said, rather than leaving them on the sidelines when it comes to their own profession. Houston ISD, which lags in compensation when compared with neighboring districts in the region, runs the risk of losing almost a third of its staffers in the next year because of the pandemic and competition from area districts, Superintendent Millard House II has said, citing a survey of district employees. The district is the largest in the state. Texas PTA President Suzi Kennon called the inclusion of more teachers a step in the right direction. We look forward to reviewing the updated list of task force members, Kennon said in a statement posted to Twitter. Thanks to all who called for more representation of our teachers. alejandro.serrano@chron.com Subscribing to our services is a three step process. First you have to create an account and then you have to pick if you want to subscribe to digital and or print. Some people only want to be a digital subscriber to get access online and others want to also receive the print edition. If you are already a print subscriber and want online access, it is free, you simply have to create an online account and then attach your print subscription account number to the online account you create. Russian prosecutors are seeking a 13-year prison sentence for politician Alexei Navalny, who stands accused of fraud and contempt of court. A judge heard closing arguments on the opposition leaders month-long trial Tuesday. Navalny argues charges against him are politically motivated. He is one of Russian President Vladimir Putins most vocal critics in the country. Advertisement Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny stands in a cage in the Babuskinsky District Court in Moscow, Russia, on Saturday, Feb. 20, 2021. (Alexander Zemlianichenko/AP) The 45-year-old activist is already serving a two-and-a-half year sentence in a prison colony east of Moscow. Thats where the trial unfolded, much to the chagrin of Navalny advocates, who complained the isolated location made it difficult for media and supporters to follow deliberations. His defense team claimed it was not allowed to bring cell phones or laptops into the courtroom. He was convicted of parole violations. [ Adam Kinzinger blasts evil Tucker Carlson, then zaps Marjorie Taylor Greene with space laser zinger ] Navalny was taken into custody at the start of 2021 when he returned from a German hospital, recovering from being poisoned. Russian officials deny any involvement. His arrest kicked off a crackdown on allies. Navalnys Foundation for Fighting Corruption was ruled an extremist operation and its more than three-dozen operations were shut down. Advertisement Putins armed forces continued their unprovoked attack on Ukraine Tuesday. Reuters estimates the bloody assault has left 15,000 people dead and 3 million displaced since the Russian aggression began on Feb. 24. With News Wire Services Digital authoritarianismthe use of information technology by authoritarian regimes to surveil, repress, and manipulate domestic and foreign populationsis on the rise. In China, the Great Firewall and other systematic tools of digital oppression define the norms of public and private discourse. In Turkey, Wikipedia was banned for nearly three years before the countrys Constitutional Court ruled that the ban was a violation of freedom of expression. In Myanmar, a military coup has instituted nightly internet shutdowns. The Washington Post, as part of the global Pegasus Project, has uncovered widespread abuse of spyware technology to monitor dissidents. While authoritarian regimes have always tried to tightly control their people, the modern means by which we communicate bring new and frightening dimensions. What is equally disturbing is that democratic governments, including that of the United States, have been for the most part observers of digital oppression. The list of such abuses of the human right to participate in free and open digital discourse is long. Moreover, the methods of digital authoritarianism are broad: blocking access to the internet, censoring content, flooding the information sphere with disinformation in addition to co-opting social media and other online platforms. These methods are enabled by an array of tools and technologies, including surveillance, censorship, social manipulation, cyberattacks, and targeted online persecution. Technologies such as artificial intelligence vastly expand the reach of these tools. Digital authoritarianismthe use of information technology by authoritarian regimes to surveil, repress, and manipulate domestic and foreign populationsis on the rise. In China, the Great Firewall and other systematic tools of digital oppression define the norms of public and private discourse. In Turkey, Wikipedia was banned for nearly three years before the countrys Constitutional Court ruled that the ban was a violation of freedom of expression. In Myanmar, a military coup has instituted nightly internet shutdowns. The Washington Post, as part of the global Pegasus Project, has uncovered widespread abuse of spyware technology to monitor dissidents. The list of such abuses of the human right to participate in free and open digital discourse is long. Moreover, the methods of digital authoritarianism are broad: blocking access to the internet, censoring content, flooding the information sphere with disinformation in addition to co-opting social media and other online platforms. These methods are enabled by an array of tools and technologies, including surveillance, censorship, social manipulation, cyberattacks, and targeted online persecution. Technologies such as artificial intelligence vastly expand the reach of these tools. While authoritarian regimes have always tried to tightly control their people, the modern means by which we communicate bring new and frightening dimensions. What is equally disturbing is that democratic governments, including that of the United States, have been for the most part observers of digital oppression. Democracies can no longer afford to stay on the sidelines. We have ample research showing that democracies are not immune. In recent years, weve seen political parties, interest groups, and private companies develop and adopt the tools, techniques, and strategies of digital authoritarianism. In April 2018, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg testified in two congressional hearings about his companys role in the Cambridge Analytica scandal, where it was revealed that Facebook exposed the data of up to 87 million users to political exploitation. For democracies, computational propagandathe use of algorithms, automation, and human curation to enable purposeful distribution of misleading informationis particularly threatening. Trolling, strategic distraction, and conspiracy theories freely flow and often gain prominence in the marketplace of ideas where platforms recommender systems favor the radical over the rational. The Center for Countering Digital Hate identified just 12 peoplecalled the Disinformation Dozenwho produced 65 percent of the anti-vaccine content shared or posted on Twitter and Facebook between February and March 2021. This form of falsehood amplification is unprecedented in human history. Its effects can be weaponized and used to cause disruption and confusion. Russias attempts to sow doubt in U.S. elections and foment civil unrest along its borders as a precursor to so-called police actions are further chilling examples. Unlike organized authoritarian regimes, democracies are not well equipped to combat digital authoritarianism. The very nature of democracy strives to strike a balance between individual freedoms and protecting society from abusive practices. Authoritarian regimes are far more organized. The Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) is but one of the multiplicity of agencies that regulate, censor, and control the internet in the country. Tellingly, the CAC oversees the China Internet Investment Fund, which has ownership stakes in technology companies such as Weibo, ByteDance, SenseTime, and others. Chinas system of digital authoritarianism is not just a danger to those who live within its borders. It is also a peril for the rest of the world. China exports its tools and even legal frameworks of digital authoritarianism to more than 60 countries as part of its Belt and Road Initiative. And by judicious and prolific participation in international standards, China has sought to systematically influence the core network infrastructure that the internet is built on. This digital conflict is asymmetric. It is fought between individuals on one side and organized, well-resourced groups on the other. And asymmetry favors the aggressor. It is virtually impossible for the average citizen to know when they are being manipulated or how to address the flood of intentionally misleading claims. The United States and its democratic allies need to respond to protect their citizens and promote internet freedom through international cooperation. We have a far more compelling vision to share with the world. But who is responsible for formulating, implementing, and sharing that vision? Inexplicably, and alarmingly, there is no singular focus within the U.S. government that is tasked with protecting Americans from digital authoritarianism. The internet infrastructure, the citizen protection tools, and the legal and policy frameworks that govern digital civil society are fragmented and uncoordinated. We must act with urgency and alacrity to begin redressing this imbalance between democracies and authoritarian regimes. First, the systems on which our online discourse is built must be architecturally open to prevent unilateral authority over information. This will require rebuilding, and in doing so, it is important to consider the needs of the average user. We must equip users with tools to identify and combat disinformation. Ubiquitous open-source and anti-censorship solutions are needed. While such tools exist, they are not natively integrated into modern platforms. They are not built in the most popular browsers, for example. Simplification and ubiquitous deployment of protections are essential if we are to generate an effective counterbalance to digital authoritarianism. The internet is built on international standards through the Internet Engineering Task Force. So we need not only develop new tools and methods; we must also advocate for their incorporation into these key standards. And we need to be present deliberately and strategically in these standards bodies. Second, a comprehensive and coordinated research and development agenda is needed to develop the technology and tools necessary to protect citizens. Without citizen protection in mind, digital authoritarianism countermeasure tools can cause a great deal of unintentional harm to the individual. For example, a common way of circumventing censorship is to use a virtual private network (VPN), which masks the origin of the request for a piece of information. This VPN sits on a persons device, the so-called client side. So if a citizen of an authoritarian regime is suspected of circumventing censorship, the VPN can be discovered by the authorities and the citizen punished. To offer both a means of circumvention and citizen protection, the masking of the origin of the information request must be pushed upstream in the network, the so-called server side, to dissociate the individual from the request. These tools need to be safe and easy to use for everyone, not just the sophisticated (and few) internet freedom fighters. Third, developing tools and systems to counter digital authoritarianism, while necessary, is not sufficient for their deployment and use. Take the Tor (short for The Onion Router) network, for example. Tor is built on open-source software that enables anonymous communication by directing internet traffic through a free, worldwide volunteer overlay network that conceals a users location and prevents network surveillance. That is a boon to the personal privacy of its users. On the other hand, Tor is also the gateway to the so-called dark web, a subset of the internet where drug dealing, child pornography, fraud, and ransomware hide. Are we enabling this dark web and a host of illicit activity unintentionally by supporting Tor in our desire to offer citizens privacy from authoritarian regime surveillance? Technology does not know how it will be used. The context for deciding whats right and whats wrong is set by policy and by law. A well-developed policy framework endorsed by government, NGOs, and the tech sector must be created to guide and direct responses to exercises of digital authoritarianism. With such a framework, we could assess when a response is required and what form a proportional response could take. And we could work with our allies and partners to counter digital authoritarianism exports. This will be no easy task. The reach of digital authoritarianism is as broad as it is deep. It is also new and cross-cutting, which means that the United States lacks the coordinated capacity that is needed to respond systematically. The Department of Homeland Security, the State Department, the Defense Department, the intelligence community, the Federal Communications Commission, the Commerce Department, the Treasury Department, and the National Security Council all have equities. But when everyone is responsible, no one is responsible. Creating a singular point of focus within the U.S. government to be the guardian of internet freedom and democracy-affirming technologies must become a key priority of the United States. An independent federal government Agency for Digital Human Rights must be established and resourced to have primary responsibility for internalizing, planning, coordinating, and executing the digital human rights agenda, with a focus at home but also working with allies and partners to provide development technology and policy aid to protect the most vulnerable. The rise of digital authoritarianism is a significant risk to the national interests of the United States and democracies around the world. We must act to protect citizens and counterbalance the reach of our adversaries. If we do not, the threat will metastasize and choke off our freedoms. We can meet this 21st-century challengebut only by taking action today, before this dystopian future becomes the status quo. They call it the splinternet, and it matters. Most people know that Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Google dont work in China, but Wikipedia, LinkedIn, and Reddit are also blocked. The Internet is splintering, and the Ukraine crisis is accelerating it. Russia has blocked access to Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, while India has banned TikTok, WeChat, Weibo, Baidu Maps, and 58 other Chinese apps for security reasons. As the Internet splinters, your online experience increasingly depends on where you live. Where youre born has always had a huge bearing on your freedoms, income, and life expectancy. In 2022, it also determines what kind of information you have access to, leading to the splinternet. Find out why this matters and how you can bridge the information divide. What is the splinternet? Splinternet is a portmanteau (a blend of two different words) that combines split and Internet. Its not a new concept, as the Internet has been fragmenting for years, with nation-states censoring content for political purposes. In 2022, the world increasingly has a country-by-country version of the Internet, where governments decide what citizens can see and post online. Since invading Ukraine, Russia has blocked access to Facebook and Twitter after complaining about the fact-checking of war-related posts. Deutsche Welle (DW), Voice of America, and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty websites have been banned in Russia, too. Facebook, Google, YouTube, and TikTok are also blocking Russia Today (RT) and Sputnik in EU countries. The splinternet defies one of the webs founding principles: information wants to be free. While regulating freedom of speech in any country let alone the entire planet is complicated with no obvious answers. The Internet can only work if everyone has free access to knowledge and information. Fighting fake news is getting harder The Russian government is building a parallel Internet inside its borders, which gives the Kremlin complete control over what its citizens can see and post online. Russia has also passed a law that threatens 15 years jail time to anyone reporting fake news. As a result, CNN, BBC, and others have stopped broadcasting in the country, and their news sites are no longer visible. China has one of the most tightly regulated online spaces, where restrictions to foreign websites and services lie behind whats known as The Great Firewall of China. Authoritarian governments are tightening controls over the Internet, so they can track your online activity, censor content, and prevent political mobilization. Many VPNs a popular service used to hide IP addresses and keep your Internet traffic and browsing private are banned in China, with access to them blocked outright. Iran has also blocked VPN services, with only government-approved ones permitted, making them useless. Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube are also unavailable in that jurisdiction. Personal VPNs are illegal or restricted in: China (illegal) Russia (illegal) Belarus (illegal) North Korea (illegal) Iraq (illegal) United Arab Emirates (legal with restrictions) Turkey (legal with restrictions) Egypt (legal with restrictions) The free and open Internet envisioned by the web pioneers in the 1990s is splintering, and thats why we need virtual bridges. Bridging the divide with virtual private networks With a virtual private network (VPN), you can access real news, listen to foreign podcasts, and post freely on social media by hiding your IP address. By replacing your IP with a remote server in another country, you can read, stream and access content thats unavailable in your region. A VPN can protect your online privacy if you use it correctly, creating a tunnel between your device and the Internet. By using a virtual IP instead of your real location, the authorities will struggle to identify your whereabouts, enabling you to bypass surveillance. With authoritarian governments actively blocking content, we need to find smarter ways to share information freely. Russians turn to VPNs to combat social media ban After the Ukraine invasion on February 24, Russian citizens have been using virtual private networks to bypass government censorship. Internet searches in Russia for VPN nearly doubled between March 4 and March 10, compared to the previous week, with 260,000 searches on March 5, the day after Facebook was banned. While VPN apps in Apples App Store and Google Play Store in Russia collectively saw nearly 6 million downloads between February 24 to March 8. The demand for VPN in Russia suggests that citizens are actively looking for ways to access real news sites. Protecting your Internet freedom From mass surveillance to social media crackdowns, authoritarian regimes have expanded their censorship laws in 2022. Its speeding up the splinternet and what we once called the world wide web, which has become a disjointed collection of websites. Without access to free information, well continue to fragment and live in parallel realities with all the discord that brings. A shared sense of reality is impossible if the Internet splinters into rival infospheres, and if every country has its own facts, that doesnt bode well for international relations. So if you value free and open information, it pays to remember the power of bridges, as the freedom to speak freely can disappear quickly without them. Source: https://www.namecheap.com/blog/unlocking-real-news-sites-in-the-splinternet/ BCC Hospitality and Culinary Program to Offer ServSafe Workshops PITTSFIELD, Mass. As part of its FastTrack Hospitality & Culinary Program, Berkshire Community College (BCC) announced it will offer three free ServSafe Certifications beginning in April. Offered in both English and Spanish, the online workshops are presented in an asynchronous format, allowing students to start and complete them at their own pace. ServSafe is a food and beverage safety training and certificate program administered by the U.S. National Restaurant Association. The program is accredited by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and the Conference for Food Protection. The free online certifications, available beginning April 1, include: ServSafe Food Handler: The industry-recognized standard for delivering consistent food safety training to employees. ServSafe Massachusetts Allergen Training: A program developed and created by the Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network to meet the terms outlined in the Massachusetts Food Allergy Awareness Act. ServSafe Alcohol: Provides the fundamentals of responsible alcohol service. Pre-registration is required. To register, visit www.berkshirecc.edu/fasttrack . For more information, email workshops@berkshirecc.edu or call (413) 236-2127. In addition to offering these ServSafe Certification courses, the FastTrack Hospitality & Culinary Program at BCC, offered through the new Berkshire Culinary Institute, offers students the opportunity to earn certificates in one of four areas: "front of house" hospitality core skills, "back of house" hospitality culinary skills, hospitality supervision and beverage service. MCLA Campus Police Make Arrest After Car Accident on Campus NORTH ADAMS, Mass. Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts Campus Police arrested a Vermont man whose vehicle was found rolled over in the Hoosac Hall parking lot. Campus Police Chief Daniel Colonno reported that James Cote, 41 of Shaftsbury, Vt., was traveling south on Church Street when he left the roadway and entered the Hoosac Hall parking lot. "He actually jumped the curb, hit a sign, hit a tree, hit a parked car," he said. "Rolled over. Came to rest probably 200 feet later." The accident happened around 12:45 a.m. Cote was the only person in the van. Colonno said Cote got out of the van and left the scene. "He actually got out of the car and started to walk away," he said. "Officers found him a little bit later." Colonno said Cote was transferred to Berkshire Medical Center in Pittsfield, treated for some injuries, and then placed under arrest. Both Cote and the student's vehicles were significantly damaged. Cote was charged with: Operating under the influence (OUI) Negligent operation Unlicensed operation OUI while operating after suspension for OUI. Leaving the scene of an accident Property damage Cote was arraigned in Northern Berkshire District Court on Tuesday morning. The North Adams Police Department, Fire Department, and Northern Berkshire EMS were all on scene. Campus police can have jurisdiction on campus property, roads that go through campus property, and roads that allow entrance into campus property. North Adams Woman Convicted of Assault and Battery PITTSFIELD, Mass. On Friday, the jury found Kassidy Tatro, 21, guilty of a single count of assault and battery. Judge John Agostini scheduled sentencing for March 21. Tatro attacked the victim outside of a Wahconah Street address in Pittsfield on March 8, 2019. The Massachusetts State Police Detective Unit investigated the assault and battery and troopers assigned to the Massachusetts State Police Cheshire Barracks arrested Tatro on March 10, 2019. iciHaiti - Lycee Horatius Laventure : Inauguration of the computer lab donated by Natcom Nesmy Manigat, the Minister of National Education in the presence, among others, of Nguyen Tuan Anh, Deputy Director General of the mobile telephone company Natcom and Cartony Dodard Director of the Lycee Horatius Laventure (Delmas 75), teachers, personalities and students proceeded last week to the inauguration of the first of the 20 computer rooms provided for in the donation agreement, signed in September 2021 between Natcom and the Ministry of Education https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-34717-icihaiti-education-donation-of-20-computer-rooms-all-equipped-from-natcom.html These 20 computer rooms each include 25 computers, 25 chairs and tables with a 10 Mbps IPLL connection for 3 years with a total value of 2.5 million US dollars. According to Evenette Mondesir Bijoux, head of Natcom's Legal Affairs Department, this partnership is very significant for the company, which intends to multiply other social and innovative actions in the educational sector. In his intervention, Cartony Dodard, the Director of Lycee Horatius Laventure, expressed his greatest satisfaction, stressing that this school has just embarked on the digital path with a laboratory of 20 computer stations, an interactive digital board and access very soon to the "high school 2.0" platform, a platform of educational resources and distance learning. Etienne France Louisseul, Departmental Director of Education for the West; Frantz Jean, secondary school coordinator at the Delmas School District Office; Charles Adler St-Hilien, zone inspector; Frantzdy Isaac (Censor of the high school a.m. session); Bybert Castor and Dady Charles (Censors of the p.m. vacation); Magoffy Gustave (general supervisor of the p.m. session) took part in this activity. Note that the Horatius Laventure high school, a nearly thirty-year-old institution which opened its doors on November 6, 1992, operates in two shifts. The a.m. session welcomes 1,889 students of both sexes. The pm session receives 1,732. See also : https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-34717-icihaiti-education-donation-of-20-computer-rooms-all-equipped-from-natcom.html IH/ iciHaiti Two journalists covering the Ukraine war for Fox News died after their vehicle came under fire outside Kyiv, the network said Tuesday. Pierre Zakrzewski, 55, a cameraman for the network, and Ukrainian journalist Oleksandra Sasha Kuvshynova, 24, a local fixer hired to help the Fox team navigate the area, were killed in the attack that also sent Fox News reporter Benjamin Hall to a hospital, reports said. Advertisement This image released by Fox News Channel shows cameraman Pierre Zakrzewski while on assignment in Kyiv with Fox News correspondent Steve Harrigan and Jerusalem-based senior producer Yonat Friling, background right. (Pierre Zakrzewski/AP) It is with great sadness and a heavy heart that we share the news this morning regarding our beloved cameraman Pierre Zakrzewski, Fox News Media CEO Suzanne Scott said. Pierre was a war zone photographer who covered nearly every international story for Fox News from Iraq to Afghanistan to Syria during his long tenure with us, she added. His passion and talent as a journalist were unmatched. Advertisement Zakrzewski was remembered as a consummate professional. From Fox back in Dec. "Zakrzewski risks his life in war zones to get the story for Fox News. He produces, edits, and shoots on no sleep and under immense pressure. He also played a key role in getting Afghan partners out of the country, after the U.S. withdrawal... pic.twitter.com/R3Pq1Iy54X Nick Gale (@NickGale_WLS) March 15, 2022 Pierre was a constant in all of our international coverage. I, like countless others, always felt an extra sense of reassurance when arriving on the scene and seeing him with camera in hand, said Fox News president and executive editor Jay Wallace. The legacy of his positive spirit, boundless energy and eye for the story will carry on. In December, Fox News sang Zakrzewskis praises as a hero of the network. Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 191 Firefighters work to extinguish a fire after an airstrike hit a tire shop in Lviv, Ukraine, Monday, April 18, 2022. Russian missiles hit the city of Lviv in western Ukraine on Monday, killing at least six people, Ukrainian officials said, as Moscow's troops stepped up strikes on infrastructure in preparation for an all-out assault on the east. (Mykola Tys/AP) Breaking News As it happens Get updates on the coronavirus pandemic and other news as it happens with our free breaking news email alerts. > Zakrzewski risks his life in war zones to get the story for Fox News. He produces, edits, and shoots on no sleep and under immense pressure, said Fox anchor Bill Hemmer. He also played a key role in getting Afghan partners out of the country, after the U.S. withdrawal, said Hemmer. Pierres extensive background knowledge is invaluable, and his work ethic is impeccable. Such a fine man. Such a good friend. Such a fantastic war photographer, Fox national security reporter Jennifer Griffin said on Twitter. Word of Zakrzewskis death followed news of American journalist Brent Renauds death after he was shot by Russian forces. The Committee to Protect Journalists responded to the deaths Tuesday. Advertisement We are deeply saddened by the deaths of Pierre Zakrzewski and Oleksandra Kuvshynova in Ukraine while they were working with Fox News, and we are hoping that correspondent Benjamin Hall recovers from his injuries, said Gulnoza Said, program coordinator for Europe and Central Asia. Reporting on this war is a vital public service, and it has already claimed the lives of at least two other journalists in just a few weeks, Said stated. Ukrainian and Russian authorities must do their utmost to ensure safety of all journalists, and to thoroughly investigate attacks on the press. Name: Alesia Braga Company: SmartRecruiters Job Title: Chief Technology Officer Location: Berlin, Germany Alesia Braga is CTO (Chief Technology Officer) at SmartRecruiters, leading Engineering and Product teams. Braga is an accomplished results-oriented technical leader with over 15 years of experience and a proven record of accomplishment for building and leading world-class software development, maximising profitability through the delivery of exceptional product quality and service, prudent management of people, technology, and processes. Prior to her time at SmartRecruiters, Braga worked in a variety of roles across software, programme management and Engineering at Google, Quandoo and SugarCRM. What was the most valuable piece of career advice that you received? The most valuable piece of career advice Ive received was during the transition from managing a team of 40 people to my first director role managing a large organisation with multiple teams. At the time, my mentor and manager told me that you dont wait for someone to tell you what to do. You develop the plan, why its essential, what you want to execute, and just do it. It was this conversation that changed my perspective on advancing to the next level of leadership. As that was my first director-level role, I found it particularly helpful as it was the first time, I had been given permission to drive strategy at this level. No one knows whats inside your head, and you cant expect your manager or your supervisor to tell you the answer or what to do all the time. At this level, you are the one that must identify the problem, produce a solution, and suggest a plan of action to achieve and deliver results working with your team to do it. What was the worst piece of business advice that you received? Most of the bad advice Ive been given throughout my career was down to missing the context of what I wanted to do. There were times where Id been told by managers to move to the next stage of my career, I needed to perfect a certain area as an engineer or achieve a specific objective or milestone first. But I didnt follow that. Often, I found that stepping into the next stage of my career required completely different skills than I was being told I needed. Fortunately, I didnt follow the advice of perfecting this or that before going after my goals and instead found my own confidence in my abilities and the end result got me to where I am today. What advice would you give to someone starting their career in IT? One of the most important things about IT and the tech space is not getting comfortable thinking you know everything. There are significant changes, developments, and updates every year in our industry, and with the pandemic, change is accelerating even faster. To be in an innovative sector, you need to have a creative mindset. Those who want to have a career in the industry must have a student mentality to learn and improve constantly. Not only is it critical to invest in learning the fundamentals and understand how the pieces connect so you can apply this learning to practice, but the tech field is all about what is next. Its not just about learning a framework or one tool but continually working to understand the integrations of how that next of technology fits into existing tech and how it all unites. Otherwise, your career will be short-lived. Did you always want to work in IT? I had phases of wanting to be a doctor and then a lawyer and then an astronaut at an early age, but I started coding at six. I loved working with computers, and as I grew older, I knew I wanted to study math and computer science. When I was 12 years old, I decided that I wanted to go to Belarusian State University. At 18, I ended up getting my masters in applied mathematics and computer science, so yes, you could say from about 12 I knew I wanted to be in IT. What was your first job in IT? My first job in IT was in sales for a software company. After two months, I realised I had no passion for this job and became de-motivated in my position. My primary responsibility within this role was cold calling doing a job no one else wanted to do. However, the company soon realised I had experience coding, and I was moved into a software engineer position. Working as a software engineer was incredible. I loved it and stayed with the company for years, working my way up to a Senior Engineer managing projects and developing and delivering these amazing solutions for customers. What are some common misconceptions about working in IT? There's some truth to this, so I'm not sure if it's entirely a misconception, but IT and tech, in general, is a male-dominated industry. That's not to say there aren't some incredible women within the industry, and I work with many of them! But we have a long way to go when it comes to diversity and inclusion. One of the more uncommon misconceptions is the required skills needed to succeed especially as you move up in your career. There is a common misconception within our industry that IT roles focus on solutions and coding and don't need to engage with people. However, to reach beyond a software engineer, you need to understand whom you are building these solutions for and why. Being able to challenge clients requires effective communication skills and an understanding of business. Sometimes you even must question their requirements and have the knowledge and expertise to know how to optimise the outcomes based on their needs. It's tough to move up if you don't understand the why behind the solutions you are building and the audience it's for. What tips would you give to someone aiming for a c-level position? Reaching a C-level point in your career will require you to bring your core expertise, whatever it is, and align it to business. Understanding the why behind the solutions, how it maps to wider business objectives, what team will achieve those results, and how they all relate is your responsibility. The team is of particular importance at C-level. Its a skill to master, or you will struggle. Its imperative to be a real partner with your peers to drive success for your organisation. The other component is managing your team because you represent all of them, so how do you build their structure? Are they all aligned to what they feel is the best role for them? Are they motivated? Are they committed to the vision and the company? Do they know why and what they are working towards? And is your team being managed with respect, authenticity, and empowerment? It takes an expert to orchestrate this complexity effectively and is necessary for anyone wishing to reach C-level. What are your career ambitions and have you reached them yet? This might be an unpopular opinion, but I am not the type of person that ever had a 5-year or a 10-year plan. I dont think Ill ever reach my ambitions because they are continuous. As soon as I reach a goal, I work toward the next one, constantly improving, growing, and learning to become a more well-rounded individual. In terms of my career goal specifically, Id like to someday move into a CEO role, where I will be responsible for leading and running an entire organisation. Do you have a good work life balance in your current role? In this strange time with the ongoing pandemic and everyone working remotely, many people struggle to strike a work/life balance. Over the past year, I have learnt to be very cautious and strict about when I work and when I dont. I also think its vital to take time off when you need to and give yourself permission to take a break and be present in the moment. At top leadership levels, this can be difficult to do. I cant say I am perfect, but overall, I think Ive got a good balance of making time for the job and making time to relax and see family. Fortunately, I work for a company that respects and values mental health and allowing employees the flexibility to take time off when needed. What, if anything, would you change about the route your career path has taken? If I were to change one thing, it would be taking more risks. I struggled with imposter syndrome a lot throughout my career and often let other people's advice get into my head, making me doubt my abilities. If I were to go back, I'd take more risks, ignore people's comments, and not be afraid to fail. I've learnt that failure is key to continual learning. If I fail, I fail and learn something that will help with my development going forward, but fear kept me from making this leap at the start of my career. Which would you recommend: A coding bootcamp or a computer science degree? To be honest, I wouldn't recommend either of these. From my experience, everyone learns in different ways. What might work for some people, such as watching a video example, or working individually, might not work for others who prefer to learn from a group environment. Each person learns differently, and we need to be better at accommodating the different types of learning styles. There are some great courses online that help individuals who prefer to work alone at their own pace. But to get hired often, people will take the traditional route and get a university degree or do a coding camp or even both. But having these qualifications alone doesn't necessarily mean the individual will produce a higher quality of work. The quality of the work depends on the individual's drive to continuously learning and push themselves. How important are specific certifications? When I am looking to hire individuals, specific certifications arent all that important. But they may be helpful in enhancing a candidates profile in standing out. Especially in a role they may not have complete confidence that they are ready for. In these cases, specific certifications are a quick way of gaining trust and validation when a candidate may not have the most experience yet. What are the three skills or abilities you look for in prospective candidates? While skills and qualities depend on the role, I always look for candidates with clear communication. When someone can respond to my question by asking clarifying questions to prove they understood me, whilst building on the question to include their point of view in a concise way I am always impressed. They don't lose my attention. In any management role, clear communication is imperative, especially in running a team, so this, for me, is number one. Another skill is problem-solving. If it's a technology role, and I ask someone how they would solve a problem, and they can talk about a solution, and how it could go wrong and be adapted based on external factors or discuss how it can be improved moving forward that would be significant. It shows a deep understanding of problem-solving and innovative thinking. A more specific skill I appreciate in interviews is honesty. I am a direct and open person. I appreciate it when someone gives frank feedback and skips all the trouble of going back and forth about what they mean. Identifying this type of personality in someone else is always refreshing as it shows me, we will get along well, and I can work with them. That type of culture fit is essential, as I also know I can trust them. What would put you off a candidate? Going back to honesty, its easy to catch people lying in an interview, and its the number one thing that would ultimately put me off a potential employee. If I ask a straightforward question and they say yes, but then you dig a bit deeper into the details, and they flounder with the facts and cant prove it its a waste of time for us both. It wouldve been better for them to have said, I havent ever done that, but I think Id approach it like this and do that, displaying their problem-solving skills and willingness to learn versus deceit. This is a much humbler approach and impresses me much more than a lie. What are the most common mistakes made by candidates in an interview? How can those mistakes be avoided? This goes back to my earlier point about clear communication. Often in interviews, candidates start talking about things without context and assume I know what they are referring to. It might be a great example, but its a lost opportunity if they dont explain it correctly or tie it back to why its important. Also, asking questions is so important. When people ask clarifying questions, it shows me they really understand the problem outlined and are critically thinking about how to solve it. Do you think it is better to have technical or business skills or a mix of both? As I mentioned earlier, while technical skills are excellent at the beginning of your career, if you aspire to reach the C-level someday, having a more comprehensive skill set is necessary. Suppose you dont work to learn those skills and understand them. In that case, youll hit a certain level of your career and remain there, which maybe youll be happy with and thats okay too for those who want more, the best advice I can give is to work on those communication skills and knowledge of business, and youll go far. (left to right) Brooke Perez posing in her Apple Blossom Queen gown with her father, Luis Perez in 2021 Photo: Facebook Port: States new $12 million investment into SR 243 expected to pave way towards Mattawas prosperous future "Please #freeJussie": Taraji P. Henson and others show support for Jussie Smollett after jail sentencing The British Supreme Court has denied Julian Assange permission to appeal the decision to extradite him to the United States, where his life would be at risk. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) today expressed its disappointment at the decision and called once again for the immediate release of Julian Assange. Assange was initially granted leave by the lower court to challenge the decision for his extradition on the grounds that he was at risk of suicide if held in solitary confinement in a US maximum security facility. But US government lawyers appealed and the decision was overturned, prompting further challenges. In January, two judges allowed the 50-year-old Australian IFJ Press Card holder to appeal to the country's highest court on "questions of law of general public importance". But a spokeswoman for the court said: "The Supreme Court has refused permission to appeal... as the application did not raise an arguable point of law." The case will now return to US District Judge Vanessa Baraitser, the original judge who assessed the US extradition request, according to reports. The legal proceedings now continuing in his case are: The case, at the direction of the High Court, will now be referred to Westminster Magistrates' Court, whose subsequent role is limited to referring the extradition decision to the Home Secretary, Priti Patel. The Home Secretary then decides whether to order or refuse extradition to the United States on a number of legal grounds. It will be recalled that Mr Assange was successful at Westminster Magistrates' Court on the issue subsequently appealed by the United States to the High Court. He has not yet made any appeal to the High Court in respect of the other important issues he raised earlier in the Westminster Magistrates' Court. That separate appeal process has not yet begun. The IFJ regrets that the opportunity has not been taken to consider the worrying circumstances in which requesting states may offer interim safeguards following the conclusion of a full evidentiary hearing. In Mr Assange's case, the Court found that there was a real risk of prohibited treatment in the event of his extradition. IFJ General Secretary Anthony Bellanger said: "Extraditing Assange to the United States would put his life in grave danger and we will fight tirelessly to prevent this. He must be released immediately and receive all the care that his medical situation requires." Fox News CEO Suzanne Scott said in a note to employees, "Earlier today, our correspondent Benjamin Hall was injured while gathering news on the outskirts of Kyiv in Ukraine. We have a minimal level of details right now, but Ben is hospitalized and our teams on the ground are working to gather additional information as the situation quickly unfolds," she added. Hall is a Washington correspondent covering the US State Department for Fox News, where he has worked since 2015. He was deployed in recent weeks to cover the war in Ukraine. He also confirmed on Telegram that Hall was in a serious condition and said the authorities still don't know the fate of a Fox News cameraman and a producer, who was also injured in the attack. Anton Gerashchenko, an adviser to Ukraine's interior minister, said the news crew probably "came under mortar or artillery fire" from Russian forces as they were heading towards the city of Irpin, which sits just 20km north-west of Kyiv. Systematic attacks on journalists covering the war News of the attack on Hall came just a day after another US journalist, Brent Renaud, was shot dead in Ukraine. Two other journalists were injured in the same attack and taken to hospital for treatment. Earlier this month, UK Sky News crew, as well as a Swiss independent journalist, were also attacked by Russian forces in Ukraine. IFJ General Secretary Anthony Bellanger said: "This war is being incredibly tough to cover for media workers on the front line, who are suffering targeted attacks daily. Journalists must be able to report safely to inform the world about this war. We call on all parties of the conflict to stop attacking journalists on the ground and we urge the international community to investigate these attacks which are breaches of international humanitarian law and constitute war crimes." Donate to the IFJ-EFJ Safety Fund for journalists in Ukraine As hybrid learning solidifies its place in our new normal, it is vital that we address todays challenges to digital learning to prepare tomorrows workforce. Hybrid learning has the potential to equip millions of students about to enter the workforce if its challenges are addressed immediately The rise of hybrid learning in response to COVID-19 restrictions seems to present a silver lining. Across industries, technological aptitude is a good indicator of success. Students practicing hybrid learning are gaining and building upon technological skills that will make them more competitive in the workforce. Introducing more technology into classrooms physical and virtual has offered students accessibility and convenience, but also presented new challenges. Distractions, lack of motivation, and a disconnect between educator and student suggest students may not be able to keep up with their educations, according to a 2021 education study by Lenovo and Microsoft. By harnessing the full potential of online learning, we can lay the basis for a skilled workforce of tomorrow. Bringing a different kind of creativity into the classroom In 2020, the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic saw an estimated 1.6 billion students out of school. A year later, over 800 million students globally continue to grapple with complete or partial school closures. The study conducted by YouGov and Terapinn saw over 80% of upper-level and 95% of educators increased their use of technology in the classroom within the past year in Asia Pacific. Standout challenges to online learners distractions, lack of motivation and immediate feedback from their educators, and social isolation didnt stop students from recognizing the benefits in online learning. Nearly two-thirds (63%) of students found accessibility to be a major advantage, while 62% found that it saved time and eliminated the need to commute. Lowering barriers to an engaging, fulfilling digital learning experience is crucial to growing these proportions and getting students back on track. To do that, we need to approach our education technology more creatively combining new, engaging technologies in the classroom alongside adequate support. For example, AR and VR solutions can help students reduce learning time for new skills and improve retention, while being more cost effective. The introduction of integrated and comprehensive AR and VR solutions such as Lenovos ThinkReality solution can open the doors for students to experience limitless immersive environments. Its a door that stands wide open; but only one-third of educators have explored Augmented Reality (AR) or Virtual Reality (VR) technologies. Meanwhile existing technology has not been fully utilized with merely 38% of students using video conferencing applications for their lessons, and an even smaller proportion (20%) of students are using cloud-based file sharing services. Expanding the classroom and creating the next generation of lifelong learners Expanded and enriched access to hybrid learning helps close the gaps between students and their knowledge. Streamlining the systems students use in school can help encourage use, giving students access to devices, support and services in one place. A number of local government units (LGUs) initiated their own programs to provide assistance to learners and educators alike during the shift to online learning. Pasig City procured at least 138,000 tablets worth Php1.3 billion, San Juan City partnered with the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) to acquire 11,000 tablets and 1,500 laptops, and Manila City donated tablets to students of the Universidad de Manila (UDM) worth Php8.8 million. In the recent EDUTech 2022 forum in February, Undersecretary for Administration Alain Del B. Pascua said that the pandemic made us realize there are still other technologies we need to use, and that it also accelerated the digitization of education. He pointed to DepEd Commons, an online platform where resources and learning materials are shared, as an example of the Department of Educations move towards digitalization and upskilling for teachers. We can also lean on technology to help develop less quantifiable soft skills that are still vital within the workplace. Implementing custom education technology software and hardware, including Lenovos end-to-end Smart Classroom solution, can prepare students for future workplaces, while developing the collaborative skills they need for success. Using a combination of devices, students can collaborate with each other on projects in multi-dimensional ways. Framework for the future While the global pandemic led to seismic shifts in the education landscape, it has also laid the foundation for a new training ground for the future digital working world. As students experiment and become familiar with a variety of learning methods and technologies, they not only finesse their digital skills but also develop the ability to adapt quickly and resiliently to change. As new technologies quickly become relevant in the workplace, students equipped to take up new skills boldly at any age stand the best chance for success. By Michael Ngan, Lenovo Philippines President and General Manager Rosie Mattio knows what sells. She was living in Seattle doing publicity for a cannabis cookbook in 2013, just after Washington became the first state to legalize recreational marijuana. She founded Mattio Communications to specialize in PR for pot companies, and since then, 35 other states have legalized marijuana use in some form. Business boomed. But running the company alone--with four daughters at home--became overwhelming. Her next step, in which she relocated to New York City, proved pivotal--and set her shop on the path to becoming the fifth-fastest-growing private company in the Northeast. --As told to Anna Meyer 2,931% Two-year growth rate MATTIO COMMUN- ICATIONS New York City Rosie Mattio, co-founder and CEO Northeast ranking: No.5 I hit a breaking point in 2018 after moving to New York City. Despite having nine clients at the time, the paycheck I wrote to the intern I had just hired, Rebecca, bounced. I had given her a check from an old bank account. My disorganization was embarrassing and didn't end there. My paperwork was such a mess; I didn't even know if I had the right records to send for taxes. I was lost. Then I met with Rebecca's father, Mitch Rothschild. He had been a serial entrepreneur for more than 30 years. When he found out what was going on, he offered to run operations at my company in exchange for 20 percent equity. I was possessive; my business felt like a fifth kid to me. Why would I give up control to someone I barely knew? But I was in no place to decline, and Mitch was a capable business operator: He'd sold two companies and taken another one public. We talked and I realized this wasn't some guy trying to take over. Rather, he simply disliked seeing good ideas fail. I brought him on as a partner in the fall of 2018. Right away, he connected me with recruiters to hire a staff, so I could focus on big-picture tasks. He then created a layer of management under me, so I didn't have so many direct reports--at one point I had 14--demanding my attention. Mitch also helped find investors and navigate financing. Within a year, our client roster grew to 30--we now have 65 clients--and he secured three office spaces. When we grew year-over-year at a pace I once never thought was possible, he helped me rethink financial strategies and operational structure. I'm the first one to tell my employees that I've never done this before. I'm building this company day by day and learning on the fly. With Mitch's help, I've realized that knowing what sells is important, but it's not everything. Running a successful company requires attention to details like establishing a line of credit before you need it and paying your bills on time. Without that, there's no way I could have grown my company's revenue nearly 3,000 percent in just two years. EXPLORE MORE Regionals 2022 COMPANIES As its name suggests, the Vertical Collective offers to do all things for direct-to-consumer brands, from creative direction and product development to sourcing and logistics. So when supply chains faltered, it threatened to undermine the company's promise to handle everything. Here's how co-founder Katherine Zabloudil (and her Hong Kong-based co-founder, Morgaine McGee) managed to grow revenue for the company exponentially--and land it near the top of Inc.'s ranking of the fastest-growing companies in the Pacific region. --As told to Hannah Wallace 2,431% Two-year growth rate THE VERTICAL COLLECTIVE Solana Beach, California Katherine Zabloudil, co-founder and CEO Pacific ranking: No.4 When Hong Kong closed its borders in early 2020, our team couldn't get into Mainland China. Here in the U.S., we couldn't jump on a plane to Kentucky to figure out what was going on with the cotton mills. That's how our business model works: We monitor every step of the process. We had to pivot completely into around-the-clock video calls to make really high-level decisions. It was hard work that required creativity. Typically, you feel the scarf, you feel the hat. You try it on. Everybody in the office--and your client's office--tries it on. And our ability to do that went away. Our solution was to get local teams throughout those areas, here and in Asia, who could physically get into factories and speak on our behalf. We could use their eyeballs. The upshot of it all: We now have a Mainland China office--which was not part of our plan. We specialize in fashion, home decor, and accessories. We didn't want to get into PPE; nitrile gloves and isolation gowns weren't things we knew anything about. But we started getting barraged with government officials and private companies begging for products. We couldn't just sit at home and be freaked out. We put on our pants and figured it out. Being on opposite sides of the planet wasn't a problem--it's what we've always done. When our team finishes their day in California, we start sending off communication to the Hong Kong team and they pick up that baton. Then, the Hong Kong team works throughout their day--dealing with the factory, getting us feedback, providing sample timing--and the next morning, they send all the communication back to us. It's a beautiful ecosystem. Yes, we've had a lot of Covid delays, and we are in perpetual mitigation mode, but our model hasn't changed. If you come to me today and say, "I need 50,000 sleeping bags," tomorrow I can give you an idea of what the materials would look like and a timeline. Being able to deliver has gotten us through the pandemic; our challenge going forward is just keeping up with growth. EXPLORE MORE Regionals 2022 COMPANIES Since 1963, The Independent has helped create a great community! Since our founding in September of 1963, The Independent has been dedicated to giving Livermore, Pleasanton, Dublin, and Sunol readers the news they need to be in-the-know about what's going on in the Tri-Valley region. Send to Email Address Your Name Your Email Address Post was not sent - check your email addresses! Email check failed, please try again Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. Reliance Industries: Subsidiary Reliance New Energy has acquired assets of Lithium Werks BV. The company acquired Lithium's assets for $61 million including funding for future growth. The assets include the entire patent portfolio of Lithium Werks, manufacturing facility in China, key business contracts and hiring of existing employees as a going concern. Anupam Rasayan India: The firm said Afzal Malkani has resigned from the post of Chief Financial Officer of the company due to personal reasons. The company has appointed Amit Khurana as the Chief Financial Officer, with effect from March 15. RITES: The company has declared a third interim dividend of Rs7.50 per share. The record date has been fixed as March 25 for the payment of dividend. Wipro: The IT services company has bagged a contract from Speira which has operations in Germany and Norway. Over the next five years, Wipro will work to strengthen the technology infrastructure and cybersecurity requirements of Speira. Vodafone Idea Ltd (VIL) made a foray into the online gaming segment in partnership with Nazara Technologies. Avantel: The company has received a supply order of loco devices for implementation of RTIS phase - 2 (Real Time Train Information system). The order is valued at Rs125.68 crore. Marsons: The board has approved the purchase of advanced thermoelectric technology to generate cheap sustainable power from waste heat and to reduce global CO2 emissions). The technology will be acquired from US-based company Micro Power Global Limited in lieu of equity shares to be allotted on a preferential basis. The board has also approved the plans for venturing into EPC for setting up electric vehicle charging stations. remaining of Thank you for Reading! On your next view you will be asked to log in to your subscriber account or create an account and subscribepurchase a subscription to continue reading. Why do you honk unnecessarily Gear kaun change karega? Your first decent parking, phew! I still remember the words of my driving instructor. He was equal parts talented and short-tempered, and as luck would have it, I spent 30 early mornings reversing, overtaking and manoeuvring trying to get his nod of approval. Touted as one of the most important life skills, learning how to drive has been an iconic (and hilarious) part of our growing years. We asked 4 Mumbaikars to share their most memorable and funny driving school memories, and theyre oh-so-relatable. Take a look: Maruti Suzuki Maruti Suzuki Maruti Suzuki Maruti Suzuki All said and done, driving is a crucial life skill and getting the right instructors to guide you can make a huge difference. If youre someone who wants to learn driving, or know someone whos planning to enroll into a driving school, wed 10/10 recommend the Maruti Suzuki Driving School. More than 15 years old and spread across 240 Indian cities, Maruti Suzuki Driving School has redefined the standards of driving training in the country. Maruti Suzuki Wondering what makes it stand out? For new-age learners, it offers quality training through a hybrid curriculum which includes on-road driving sessions and classroom training by experts. Students are taught everything from traffic regulations to defensive driving and the Good Samaritan Law. Maruti Suzuki The training offered by Maruti Suzuki Driving School is scientifically designed and incorporates classroom contact hours, training on the simulator and ultimately driving the car. Maruti Suzuki The instructors are trained at IDTRs (Institute of Driving & Traffic Research) and present professionalism and sound knowledge of the subject. Maruti Suzuki Maruti Suzuki Driving School has left no stone unturned in terms of digitization as well. Be it a dedicated website, customer app, instructor app, or an internal app to train the instructors, this school has it all covered. Sounds like the ideal place to learn driving and take over the wheels, right? Click here to know more about the Maruti Suzuki Driving School head to their social media platforms. Disclaimer: Names in the cards have been changed to protect the privacy of the individuals. A decade-long fishermen issue between India and Sri Lanka is not yet resolved. We often come across the news of Indian Fishermens arrest by the Sri Lankan navy. Among several involved factors, one is Katchatheevu Island. This issue arises in pre-independence India and continues to create a rift in the relationship between India and Sri Lanka. The island has its own history and international mutual agreements have also been questioned by the state of Tamil Nadu government. Heres all about Katchatheevu island and issues revolving around it. A gift to Sri Lanka And Furious Tamil Nadu state In 1974, the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi did treaties with her counterpart Srimavo Bandaranaike, Sri Lankan President, and ceded Katchatheevu Island to Sri Lanka. Economic Times In 1991, a resolution was adopted by the Tamil Nadu Assembly. The retrieval of Katchatheevu island was demanded through the resolution. Considering the move flawed in law, in 2008, then chief minister Jayalalithaa dragged the centre to the Supreme Court and appealed to nullify the Katchatheevu agreements. She stated that two treaties between the countries that gifted Katchatheevu to Sri Lanka are unconstitutional. What is Katchatheevu? Katchatheevu is an uninhabited off-shore island in the Palk Strait. It was formed due to volcanic eruptions in the 14th century. The 285-acre land was jointly administered by India and Sri Lanka during British rule. Daily Mirror The Raja of Ramnad (present-day Ramanathapuram, Tamil Nadu) owned Katchatheevu island and later became part of the Madras Presidency. In 1921, both Sri Lanka and India claimed this piece of land for fishing and the dispute remained unsettled. After Indian independence, the country initiated to resolve the pre-independence territory dispute between Ceylon and the British. How did the conflict arise? Fishermen of both countries have been fishing in each other's waters without conflict for a very long time. The issue emerged when both the countries signed four Maritime Boundary Agreements between 1974-76. The agreement marked the international maritime boundary of India and Sri Lanka. Unsplash/Representational image The agreement aimed to facilitate resource management and law enforcement in the Palk Strait. Now, Indian fishermen were only allowed to use the island for resting, net drying and the annual St. Anthonys festival. They are not permitted to use the island for fishing. However, Indian fishermen continued trespassing the Sri Lankan water boundary, searching for better catch in the area. The next few decades went well but the problem turned serious when fish and aquatic life in the Indian continental shelf depleted, which resulted in an increased number of Indian fishermen in the region. They are also using modern fishing trolleys which harm marine life and the ecosystem. LTTE era and restrictions on movement During the LTTE (LiberationTigers of Tamil Eelam, a separatist group in Sri Lanka) era, the Sri Lankan government restricted the easy movement of Sri Lankan fishermen in waters raising military operations issues. The Indian fishermen considered this as an opportunity. In 2009, Sri Lanka started heavily guarding its maritime boundary in the Palk Strait. It was done to reduce the possibility of the return of Tamil insurgents in the country. With the end of the war in 2010, Sri Lankan fishermen again started their movement in Palk Bay and reclaimed their lost legitimate territory. Humanitarian and Livelihood Concern About 10 miles northeast of Rameshwaram, the island is used by Indian fishermen to dry their nets, catch fish and rest. Frequent arrests on the border have increased and Sri Lankan authorities said that they are protecting their maritime boundaries against poaching, and securing the livelihood of Sri Lankan fishermen. Both sides ensure to not use force under any circumstances. However, the violent situation remains the same. Indian Governments stand Daily Mirror According to a statement available on the website of the Ministry of External Affairs, the government concluded maritime boundary agreements with Sri Lanka in 1974 and 1976. According to the agreement, the Island lies on the Sri Lankan side of the India-Sri Lanka International Maritime Boundary Line. The matter is still sub-judice in the Supreme Court of India. The government has raised the issue at the highest political level with Sri Lanka. According to agreements, the issue was bilaterally resolved and has allowed Indians to visit the island for the pilgrimage without any requirement of a visa. For more on news and current affairs from around the world please visit Indiatimes News. For Subhadra, a native of Kottrakkara in Kollam District of Kerala the world came crashing down on Saturday after her gold chain was snatched away while she was praying at a temple. The 68-year-old cashew factory worker had put her life's savings to buy the two sovereign chain, that was snatched away when she was offering prayers during the Pattazhy Devi temple festival. Facebook Realising that she lost her gold chain, Subhadra broke down and what happened next was unbelievable. Noble act Seeing her plight, a stranger approached her and removed two gold bangles from her arms, and gave them to the crying woman telling her to buy a new chain. The woman also told Subhadra to come back to the temple and offer prayers after buying a new gold chain. Even before Subhadra could ask her name, the stranger, who was accompanied by another woman, disappeared into the crowd. Manorama News The story came to light on Monday after Subhadra returned to the temple, with her new gold chain as suggested by the kind stranger. She also expressed a desire to meet the kind-hearted stranger, whom she could only recall as "was wearing a single colour saree and appeared to have a poor eye sight." After her story went viral, temple authorities on Monday tried to identify the woman from CCTV visuals but failed as she was wearing a face mask. Social media also wanted to know who the kind-hearted stranger was. Facebook On Tuesday, local media reported that the woman who remained elusive was finally found. The woman has been identified as Sreelatha, a native of Cherthala, in the Alapuzha district. Sreelatha who had initially refused to come in front of the media later acknowledged that it was in fact her. Facebook Sreelatha, however, insisted that she doesn't think she did something remarkable but was just doing what she could to help the other woman in distress. According to Sreelatha, she was visiting a relative in Kottrakkara, where she also went to the temple. She was accompanied by the relative as she had blurred vision. For more on news, sports and current affairs from around the world, please visit Indiatimes News. In a bid to help the country achieve net zero goal, Mumbai has become the first city in India to launch a climate action plan. Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Sunday unveiled its first ever Mumbai Climate Action Plan (MCAP) with an aim to build a climate-resilient city and to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. Speaking on the occasion, Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray pitched for sustainable development and said the citys administrators want to provide amenities to the people, but also wanted to ensure that citizens lead happy and healthy lives. Highlights of the plan Unsplash Low-carbon electricity, switch to 100 per cent zero-emission vehicles by 2050, flood-resilient infrastructure, increase in and equitable access to green spaces, localised water conservation and improved air quality monitoring are some of the highlights of Mumbais Climate Action Plan (MCAP) unveiled on Sunday. Lets take a look at the plan in depth. Plan explained in depth A 240-page MCAP, it is Indias first climate action plan to set short, medium and long-term climate goals. With an aim to provide a comprehensive roadmap underlining specific activities that can be undertaken to reduce emissions and meet the goals of the Paris Agreement, the Mumbai Climate Action Plan has been drafted by the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM) with technical support from WRI India, engaged as a knowledge partner. Objectives of the plan Under the MCAP, the city is aiming to achieve total carbon neutrality or net-zero emission by 2050, two decades ahead of the Centres promised deadline of 2070. This makes it the first city in India and South Asia to set such a timeline and have a climate action plan. Unsplash/Representational image It also plans an increase in and equal access to green spaces in the bid to improve air quality in the city. MCAP will focus on six thematic action areas, including decentralised waste management, increased green cover of the city, urban flooding and water management, low-carbon electricity and climate-resilient infrastructure, air quality, and zero-emission public transport. The six action areas further have 24 priority actions along with deadlines, stakeholders involved, financing sources and monitoring indicators. To increase the proportion of renewable energy in the citys energy supply to 50 per cent by 2030 and 90 per cent by 2050, the plan aims that 100 per cent of the electricity used by BMC and other municipal agencies is from renewable sources. To achieve its net-zero carbon emission target, the MCAP plans to implement a 30 per cent decrease in emissions by 2030, a 44 per cent reduction by 2040, and a net-zero reduction by 2050. What impact it will bring Thackeray said, Till 2050, the forecast is that 80 per cent of Nariman Point in South Mumbai will be underwater if no concrete action is taken. Therefore, this plan comes at a crucial time. Unsplash The plan aims to serve as a 30-year road map for the city to tackle the challenges of climate change by adopting inclusive and robust mitigation and adaptation strategies. After a vulnerability assessment of greenhouse gas (GHG) and natural green cover inventory over the last six months, the BMC prepared the plan with technical support from the World Resources Institute (WRI), India and the C40 Cities network. As Russia's invasion of Ukraine is currently in its third week, hundreds of civilian lives are lost, including men, women, and children, some unborn. Russia has been facing a massive backlash over its actions not only from across the world but also from its own nationals who have been protesting in thousands on Russian streets since the invasion began on February 24. The pilots captured by Ukraine were given the opportunity to speak to journalists at the Interfax Ukraine News Agency. The Sun The captured pilots slammed Vladimir Putin's "treacherous invasion" during an emotional press conference on Sunday. Gravely apologise for the invasion One of the soldiers, Galkin Sergey Alekseevich, said, "I apologise for myself, for my squad to every home to every street to every citizen of Ukraine, to the elderly, to women, to children for our invasion of these lands. "I gravely apologise for our treacherous invasion. "To the generalship of our military units, I would like to say one thing - that they've acted cowardly, that they acted traitorously to us." The 34-year-old, from Roschchinsky, Russia, went on to beg Putin to "stop sending soldiers" to kill in Ukraine. Soldiers urge Russia to lay down arms With his comrades sitting on either side with a microphone in front of him, he urged his country to lay down its arms. Reuters "I would like to say to all regiments of the Russian army - lay down your arms," Alekseevich said. "And Russian president Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin stop further combat actions. Stop bombings, stop sending soldiers here to kill civilians, to perform airstrikes." In intercepted calls to their families, some Russian soldiers said they were being "massacred" in Ukraine. One soldier broke down on camera and was helped by Ukrainians to call his mother. Russian forces have also been accused of gunning down women and children - killing seven civilians who were trying to escape a village near Kyiv. For more on news and current affairs from around the world, please visit Indiatimes News. An Australian bio-tech lab has created 3D-printed body parts to help treat cancer patients. Created by the Herston Biofabrication Institute in Brisbane, the method involves 3D printing. Slowly, printers build up layers of resin to create any body part for cancer patients. For this purpose, the institute has brought together doctors, engineers, and academics. According to General Manager Mathilde Desselle, the goal is to support the "coordination of engineers and researchers with clinicians and consumers on one site," ABC news reported. Australian Broadcasting Corporation Using 3D-printed organs to help patients Using information obtained from medical imaging, the team was creates a 3D model of one's anatomy. Eventually, the images are used to 3D print something "that will look and feel like the real thing." In fact, the 3D printing mechanism is helping doctors practice something like drilling into a bone. Brisbane Royal and Women's Hospital (RBWH)'s Tanya Kairn called the use of 3D printing "revolutionary." For starters, these 3D printed organs help doctors see how radiation would impact different people before they receive treatment for cancer. Australian Broadcasting Corporation Also read: Ants Can Smell Cancer In People Better Than Dogs, Says Study Essentially, the institute has used 3D printing to optimise radiation treatment for people with skin cancer. In fact, the use of 3D printing has made a "huge difference" to the pain felt by skin cancer patients. Moulds of cancerous tissue in a patient can be taken without touching the painful region, which has meant significant changes for those with the disease. Currently, a clinical trial involving 10 patients is underway. The team hopes to expand its usage in the coming years. Australian Broadcasting Corporation Also read: Using Blood Test And AI, New Method Detects Lung Cancer With 90% Accuracy What do you think about the power of 3D printing? Let us know in the comments below. For more in the world of technology and science, keep reading Indiatimes.com. References ABC News. (2022, March 14). Brisbane bio-tech lab creates revolutionary 3D-printed body parts to treat cancer patients. For a person to be considered a genius, one needs to have an IQ of at least 140. Not many individuals have this characteristic, but they do exist, and they are among us. Many have common professions, such as magazine columnists, horse breeders, or psychologists. While some of them are dedicated to innovative research, others prefer to maintain a lifestyle focused on simplicity. Albert Einstein is a name that is considered synonymous with intelligence. Einstein was a Theoretical Physicist who is considered to be the greatest physicist in the world. People at the time were so impressed and obsessed with his mind that after his death, Thomas Harvey made 170 pieces of his brain and sent it to different scientists for research. Now understand how curious people around the world were to know about the mind of this person. Here are we bought some more genius than Einstein: What is IQ? Intelligence quotient (IQ) is a measure of an individual's mental capacity. In other words, the intelligence level of it. In order to measure this mental capacity, the participant is subjected to a series of tests including different areas. Through Intelligence Quotient (IQ), the intellectual level of a person is assessed. There are many tests to assess this, such as Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale, Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale, and Peabody Individual Achievement Test. 100 is called average IQ and people whose IQ is more than 140 are called geniuses. Jacob Barnett (IQ - 170) Breezy Scroll Jacob Barnett is a gifted American physics student and former child prodigy born in 1998 who had been diagnosed with moderate to severe autism at age of two. At school, Jacob was very slow in the study and it was difficult for him to react at the same speed as other children it was obvious that there was some serious learning problem. Then his mother took him to a specialist then the news of autism came and doctors predicted that he would never figure out how to do the basic things like never learning to tie his own shoes but he defied all the odds when he completed grades 6 through 12 in a year and went to college at the age of 10. At the age of 11, he published his article in a famous scientific journal. He got the Ted Talk stage at the age of 13. He is currently a doctoral student at the Perimeter Institute for Advanced Theoretical Physics. His mother, Kristine Barnett, wrote a book about him called The Spark: A Mother's Story of Nurturing Genius. Judit Polgar - (IQ - 170) AFP The Hungarian chess grandmaster, Judit Polgar who is known as the best female chess player in history. In 1991, Judit became the youngest grandmaster at the age of 15 years and four months earlier that record was held by Bobby Fischer. She was the top-ranked female player in the world for more than 26 years. Polgar has defeated other world champions like Anatoly Karpov, Viswanathan Anand, Boris Spassky, Vladimir Kramnik, Ruslan Ponomariov and Veselin Topalov. Her IQ is recorded as 170. She announced her retirement from chess in 2014 and was even awarded the Grand Cross of the Order of Saint Stephen of Hungary. Evangelos Katsioulis (IQ - 198) Readers digest According to the World Genius Dictionary, Evangelos Katsioulis has the highest IQ ever in the world and was regarded as one of the worlds most intelligent people. He has given record-breaking performance in many Tests. Evangelos is a Greek physician and psychiatrist. According to an article in Reader's Digest, Evangelos has an IQ of 198. He has obtained MD, MSc, MA, PhD degrees. He also has degrees in Philosophy and Medical Research Technology. Evangelos is the founder of the World Intelligence Network (WIN), an international organisation of high IQ societies and of AAAA.GR is an organisation for the detection and support of gifted individuals in Greece. Adhara Perez (IQ - 162) NBC 7 Adhara Prez was three years old when doctors told her that she had a disease called Asperger's. Prez had to face difficulties in studies and fell asleep in class and acted as if she didnt want to be there. She also became a victim of bullying in school. She was called weirdo, and oddball,. When Perez was only 8 years old, her IQ test was done. Surprisingly, his IQ turned out to be higher than Einstein and Stephen Hawking. When she was just 5, Perez finished elementary school and at the age of 6, she finished middle school and only at the age of 8, she finished high school. This girl from Mexico wants to become an astronaut and wants to go to Mars. Currently, Adhara is studying Industrial engineering in mathematics at UNITEC and systems engineering at CNCI. The University of Arizona has offered her a scholarship. She was also named one of the 100 powerful women of Mexico by Forbes magazine. Her dream is to work for NASA and want to go to space to colonize Mars. Marilyn Vos Savant (IQ - 228) All that is interesting Born in St. Louis, Missouri in 1946 when Marilyn Vos Savant was 10 years old, in an adult level Stanford-Binet Test found out that her IQ is 228. Due to this record-breaking result, her name was recorded in the Guinness Book of World Records. This category was removed in 1990 because IQ results were considered uncertain. Marilyn is an American magazine columnist, author, lecturer and has been answering philosophical and mathematical questions for Parade magazine readers in her Ask Marilyn column since 1986. Rick Rosner (IQ - 192-198) Geni Rick Rosner gave more than 30 IQ tests and his IQ came between 192-198. Before becoming a TV writer, he used to work as a bouncer, stripper and naked model. He is considered one of the wisest men in the world. Rick sued ABC network for a badly written question after losing Who Wants to Be a Millionaire at the $16,000 level. He was asked, "What capital city is located at the highest altitude above sea level? and options were Kathmandu, Mexico City, Quito and Bogota. But he lost the case. Sho Yano- (IQ - 200) Breezy scroll A former child prodigy Sho Yano is an American doctor who was the first to be awarded as the youngest graduate of Doctor of Medicine by the University of Chicago in June 2010. Yano started college at the age of 9 and began medical school three years later. When Yano was 2 years old he knew how to read and started writing and composing music at 5. By the time he was 21 he earned an MD and PhD degrees. This American genius is projected to have an IQ of 200. Ainan Cawley: IQ 263 Business Insider At just 21 years old, he has an IQ of 263. He joined third-year chemistry courses at Singapore Polytechnic at the age of 8. When he was nine, hed memorized the first 518 decimal spots of pi. The young man has worked in the film industry since he was 12, as a composer. Incidentally, in 2013 he wrote, directed and edited his own film, The Sempiternal and wrote the script and composed music for a short film called Reflection when he was 12. Michael Kearney - (IQ - 200325) Business Insider He is known for setting world records as the youngest man to graduate and teach at the university, as a teenager and with an IQ between 200 and 325. He completed his bachelor's degree at the University of South Alabama, USA, at age 10. And at 14, he got his Masters in Chemistry from Middle Tennessee University, also in the US, and a second degree, in computer science, from another US university, Vanderbilt, at 18. Wikimedia December 22 is celebrated every year as National Mathematics Day, commemorating the life and contributions of Srinivasa Ramanujan, one of Indias most remarkable mathematicians. Born on this day in the year 1887, at Erode, in Tamil Nadu to a Tamil Brahmin Iyengar family. Ramanujan was a child prodigy and a mathematical genius. Despite having little or no exposure to advanced mathematics, his extraordinary talents propelled him to the top of his field. He never had any friends in school because his peers rarely understood him at school, & were always in awe of his mathematical acumen! Ramanujan became the second Indian Fellow of the Royal Society in 1918, and the first Indian Fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge in the same year. Barnaby Swinburne - (IQ - 162) Proiqra Perhaps the smartest man in history is Albert Einstein but recently, Barnaby Swinburne became the smarter young boy than theoretical physicist Albert Einstein. Barnaby is a 12-year, young boy from Bristol who has just obtained the results of his Mensa test. And the results are more than encouraging! Barnaby has just been accepted into the club with a high IQ after the young boy obtained a score of 162 in an IQ test which is higher than that of Albert Einstein, whose IQ was believed to be 160. The IQ test takes place in two stages: In the first, he is in the first percent and in the second in the top four percent of the world population. The Mensa test is not the first the young boy has taken. Indeed, he had already carried out several tests. In his first Cattell II B test , Barnaby achieved a score of 162 which placed him in the top percent of entrants. As for the second Culture Fair test, the young boy obtained a score of 128 which ranks him in the top 4%. The young want to become a programmer and love mathematics and chemistry. He is checking out university courses and plans to attend Oxford University. For more trending stories, click here Angry locals in a British town organised a 'birthday party' in an apparent dig at incomplete roadworks that started two years ago. Its been two years since the Mead Way roadworks began in Swindon, and still, crossings are blockaded and bus stops are on their sides. There have been endless delays and the project is far from complete, Metro reported. SWNS So, Swindon residents decided it was time to sarcastically celebrate the unpleasant milestone they never wanted. To raise the issue, the locals were seen sarcastically smiling and clapping as they held up a cake and birthday banner. While the birthday party was a bit of light-hearted tongue in cheek fun, the group that organised the event said the incomplete roadworks have caused disruption and they lamented nothing has been done. Councillor @jimrobbins and some Westlea residents today celebrated the 2nd birthday of the Mead Way roadworks (that was originally a 12-week project).@SwindonCouncil really need to get a grip on their highways department. #SwindonDeservesBetter pic.twitter.com/FSKTmYLeSa Swindon Labour Councillors (@LabourSwindon) March 10, 2022 "There are bus stops on their side, crossings barriered off, bits of pavement that go nowhere and we never see anything being done," one of them told Swindon Advertiser. One pointed out how people walking from one street to another have nowhere to safely cross over Mead Way, another pointed to the street sign incorrectly labelling the street as 'Meadway'. "They've done all this work but things haven't gotten better, I'm still having to queue at the junction here between Mead Way and Westmead Drive and sometimes it can be dangerous," another said. West Swindon councillor Jim Robbins, who organised the party, said the event was to raise awareness of the thrown-off schedule. SWNS "It has been more than 12 weeks since the road reopened, but the cones are still out, delays still happen, and the people who use Mannington Rec still have their car park out of action due to the contractors compound being sited there," he was quoted as saying by Metro. "Whilst the party is a bit of fun, the repeated failures of the council to complete roadworks on time has very serious and real issues for residents," he added. The council has responded by saying it understands the frustrations but reiterated that a lot of the issues that caused the delays were outside of its control. For the latest from trending, click here. Sources in the foundry and chemical grade chromite market agree that prices should be on the way up, based on the spike in both demand and prices seen in the metallurgical market. One market participant said he had increased his offer prices across chemical wet bulk, chemical dried and bagged and foundry wet bulk materials, on reported supply shortages and rises in metallurgical grade prices. "We are aware of supply shortages in South Africa, as well as Europe, and looking at the surge in met grade prices in China, both chem and foundry are currently under-priced," he said. But the boom in metallurgical markets which have ticked up over the course of 2022, followed by a pronounced spike in February has yet to be fully reflected elsewhere. The non-metallurgical market is experiencing something of a lull in spot demand, which means that while there has been some recent upward movement in prices, it continues to lag behind, even with higher offers emerging. "At the current pricing for wet bulk met grade, foundry and chem prices should increase. But there is either no focus by the bigger players or they are tied-in to long-term contracts, because they certainly are selling at prices below met grade prices," a source at a trading company said. "It is not making sense, but we have not yet seen movements because we expect nothing to change until April for [the second quarter] on foundry prices." Indeed, one seller described the non-metallurgical chromite market as "a big disappointment." The seller said the market is not moving anywhere: "The main reason the market is not improving is that [some buyers] are screening out met grade [to get] foundry grade." Doing so would allow a substantial discount against foundry dried and bagged material on an fob South Africa basis, although in recent weeks the price gap has narrowed between cif China UG2/MG chrome ore and fob South Africa wet bulk foundry grade chromite. Fastmarkets weekly chrome ore South Africa UG2/MG concentrates index, cif China, rose to $208 per tonne, from $202 per tonne previously, in the week to February 22, while its fortnightly price assessment for chromite, foundry, 46% Cr2O3 min, wet bulk, fob South Africa, climbed to $215-230 per tonne, from $215-225 per tonne. Its fortnightly price assessment for chromite, foundry, 46% Cr2O3 min, dried and bagged, fob South Africa, showed greater movement, meanwhile, climbing to $285-345 per tonne, having remained at $270-320 per tonne since January 11. But chemical grade material is the more likely of the two to begin to see some of the strength in metallurgical markets, according to the trading company source. "Chem will start to pick up soon, because the producers will just push this into the met markets," the source said. Metallurgical chrome dominates Rapid consumption and bullish sentiment have provided support for the UG2/MG market recently, and because its spot market is often more liquid than foundry or chemical grades, this has been reflected in prices, more clearly and more quickly than for other grades. Prices held steady as 2022 began, with the combination of the Chinese new year holiday and the Winter Olympics and its attendant environmental controls keeping liquidity lower, but by the end of January, the upward trend had begun in earnest. By mid-February, the price had recorded a $17 per tonne increase in a single week, pushing it to $202 per tonne, and putting it at its highest level since July 2018. This was driven by lower inventories in China, strong consumption and a robust downstream outlook, sources told Fastmarkets. "People have been hanging on to stock for as long as they could, but now they need to replenish," a trader in Europe said. "They also have to absorb high freight rates and electricity costs, and those things wont change for the foreseeable future. People are saying, 'lets suck it up and get on with it." The sustainability of the upward trend in the metallurgical market will depend on arrivals of cargoes, as well as alloy prices. Alloy prices have remained close to record highs so far in 2022, supported by high production costs, linked in part to high ore prices, as well as robust demand. South Africa remains key Chrome is closely tied to South Africa, which remains the worlds largest producer of chrome ore, and in turn, developments there remain one of the biggest market influences for all grades of the material. It is a difficult landscape to navigate. The country has been experiencing continuing difficulties linked to the Covid-19 pandemic, including shortages of truck drivers, alongside energy supply issues. Civil unrest also moved to the forefront of market participants minds in recent months, with reports that conditions were markedly more difficult at the beginning of 2022, but in recent weeks logistics have been the bigger challenge. "Were all suffering a lack of containers. [Material movements at] Richards Bay has been more bulk [than container], but bulk freights are going through the roof as well," the trader said. "There are lengthy delays between vessels arriving and being able to berth at port," a second trader added. As recently as January, wait times for cargo loading at Richards Bay could be as long as 30 days, according to a third trader and the longer the delay, the more it costs, he added. "If youre there with the vessel with a $30,000 per day detention rate," he said, "youre looking at $900,000 in detention fees before you even start loading." Sellers of acidspar in China have received increasing numbers of inquiries this year from international buyers, especially from Europe and the United States. These regions rarely placed orders in China during 2021 due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Chinas relatively high prices compared with those from other global suppliers last year, and rising global transportation fees. "All acidspar trades have been going to the Asian region, benefiting from the distance advantage. We had no deals from European or US buyers for a long period because last year Chinas acidspar prices were higher than the rest of the world, but recently inquiries have started to appear again," a fluorspar acidspar seller said. According to Chinas official data, a total of 47,358 tonnes of fluorspar were exported in 2021, down by 33% from 70,704 tonnes in 2020, and most of that volume went to Asian countries, including Japan, South Korea and India. Sources said that the return of demand from Europe and the US has been caused by several factors, including continuously rising global acidspar prices, concerns about potential fluorspar supply reductions from Canada, and relatively steady Chinese prices. Supply and rising prices International fluorspar markets face uncertainty in 2022 following reductions made to supply outlooks and forecasts for increased demand in Europe and the US. News in February that North American fluorspar producer Canada Fluorspar was going into interim receivership has worried consumers that, depending on the final outcome, they may have to source material elsewhere. Canada produced 140,000 tonnes of fluorspar in 2021, according to mine production estimates by the US Geological Survey. While potential supply shortages outside China offer opportunities for exports from the country, there are hurdles to overcome, including continuing freight delays and increased bulk shipment costs, rising further recently due to fuel cost increases. One European distributor said: "Its very difficult to start a reliable supply line from a logistics perspective to China. I see spot business perhaps the better option for purchasers." Fluorspar acidspar prices have increased considerably year-on-year. Fastmarkets February assessment for fluorspar, acidspar, 97% CaF2, wet filtercake, cif Rotterdam, held stable over the month at $500-520 per tonne, but that was up substantially from $370-430 per tonne in February 2021. The complete fluorspar value chain held by China has reduced exports of fluorspar in recent years, in favor of increased supplies for domestic consumption and subsequent exports of processed hydrofluoric material. This has to an extent decoupled China from the global fluorspar market. Quality issues reported for material from other exporting regions can limit purchasing options for fluorspar consumers. One example is the high arsenic content found in some exports of Mexican fluorspar, which can restrict its usability for European consumers. Steady Chinese acidspar prices Unlike the continuously rising global fluorspar acidspar prices, Chinas acidspar market has remained steady, with prices mostly range-bound without significant upward support yet, caused by sluggish Chinese domestic downstream hydrofluoric acid and refrigerants sectors. Most sellers have not adjusted export prices in line with the relatively steady domestic price, and Chinas domestic prices have been mostly rangebound at 2,500-2,800 yuan ($393-440) per tonne. Market participants also estimated that Chinas acidspar prices will not rise dramatically this year, considering no surge in demand from the downstream refrigerant industry. Fastmarkets assessed the price of fluorspar, acidspar, 97% CaF2, wet filtercake, fob China, at $430-460 per tonne on February 24, unchanged since November 18, 2021. "Chinas acidspar prices were not the highest level in the world, and some suppliers outside of China pushed up their prices due to tight supply and increasing demand from overseas consumers, with optimism about the post-pandemic landscape and expectations of economic growth re-emerging," a trader said. As for whether demand from Europe and the US could last during the rest of 2022, there are different views. Some sources believe that if global prices keep increasing, that will generate more spot interest in Chinas relatively steady-priced materials, but others think increasing demand from Europe and the US is just short-term and it is still hard for China to return to being a net exporter as it was years ago. "I dont see China going back to dominating the export market, but certainly some are pursuing Chinese material," the European distributor said. "China has become a net importer of fluorspar since 2018," a second trader added, "having previously been a net exporter, because it became hard to compete with much cheaper prices from other global suppliers. But, affected by rising global prices, more of Chinas buyers slowed down the purchase of imported materials, and at the same time demand in the export market started to warm up. The situation might see some changes, and I will be watchful." Real-time social media posts from local businesses and organizations across Northern Virginia, powered by Friends2Follow. To add your business to the stream, email cfields@insidenova.com or click on the green button below. A new, federally funded program will provide relief to eligible homeowners struggling to pay their mortgage, property taxes, utility bills, and other costs during the coronavirus pandemic, New Hampshire authorities said Friday. The New Hampshire Homeowner Assistance Fund will offer assistance for delinquent mortgage payments, property taxes, homeowner insurance and condominium fees, and utility payments. The total maximum benefit per property is $20,000. Applications are being accepted, and payments to providers are expected to begin later this month. The program was established through the Governors Office for Emergency Relief and Recovery in partnership with the New Hampshire Housing Finance Authority. Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Homeowners New Hampshire Italys top insurer Generali, facing a power struggle over its management, said on Tuesday it posted record operating profit last year thanks to a strong contribution from all of its business segments. Generali also said it continued to monitor the situation in Russia and Ukraine where it had only a marginal exposure of 683 million euros ($751 million) at the end of 2021. Its specific exposure to listed assets was lowered to 78 million euros [$85.8 million] at March 7, from 299 million euros [$328.8 million] at the end of 2021, it said in post-results call slides. It reduces some concerns on the stock, analysts at Morgan Stanley wrote in a note. Earlier this month, Generali said it would shut down its operations in Russia and it is also giving up its seats on the board of Ingosstrakh, one of Russias largest insurers in which it holds a 38.5% stake. We no longer have any influence on the management of Ingosstrakh, Chief Executive Philippe Donnet said without elaborating on the future of the stake. The head of finance Cristiano Borean said the depreciation of the rouble brought the market value of the Ingosstrakh stake below its book value of 231 million euros [$254 million] but it was too early to say if a write off was needed. Last year Generalis operating profit, the figure most closely watched by the market, rose 12.4% to 5.9 billion euros ($6.5 billion), above an analyst consensus compiled by the insurer of 5.7 billion euros [$6.26 billion]. Shares in the company were little changed in mid-morning trade, outperforming weaker European blue chip and insurance sector indices. Generali is facing a battle over its board composition at a vote late next month. Late on Monday the outgoing board submitted its own slate of nominees indicating Donnet as candidate for the CEO job and Andrea Sironi as chairman. Its second-biggest investor, construction tycoon Francesco Gaetano Caltagirone, plans to put forward his own candidate to lead Italys biggest insurer, challenging the reappointment of Donnet. Generalis net profit stood at 2.85 billion euros [$3.13 billion], up 63.3%, slightly above a consensus of 2.82 billion euros [$3.09 billion]. The insurers solvency ratio, which measures its financial strength, stood at 227% at the end of December and rose to above 230% at March 11, Borean said. ($1 = 0.9093 euros) (Reporting by Gianluca Semeraro; editing by Agnieszka Flak and Keith Weir) Topics Profit Loss Generali Life Assurance (Thailand) Plc. This edition of International People Moves details appointments at Crawford & Co., Marsh and Echo Re. A summary of these new hires follows here. Crawford & Co. Names Bart CEO, Intl Operations Crawford & Co., the provider of claims management and outsourcing solutions to carriers, brokers and corporations, announced the promotion of Andrew Bart to CEO, International Operations. This announcement comes on the heels of an organizational restructure within Crawford, which is focused on accelerating its growth strategy and cascading empowerment within its culture. As a result, Crawford will be moving away from the global service line-based primary structure in its international markets to a geography-based primary structure. In this role, Bart will focus on enabling growth and the sharing of capabilities and expertise across geographies. The geography presidents, including Lisa Bartlett (UK and Ireland), Veronica Grigg (Asia), Tim Jarman (Australia), Roberto McQuattie (Latin America) and Charlotte Von Krogh (Europe), will now report directly to Bart. With over 30 years of claims and loss adjusting experience, Bart has spent the last 18 years with Crawford & Co. He previously served as president and chief executive officer of Crawford Australia and as president of Crawford Asia Pacific, where he led the business through a sustained period of growth. In 2019, he relocated to London as president of Crawford Global Technical Services, serving the large and complex claims market. Prior to moving into management, Bart worked for a number of years as an adjuster handling large and complex claims across property, mining, business interruption, product liability and product tamper. Based in Atlanta, Crawford & Co. is the worlds largest publicly listed independent provider of claims management and outsourcing solutions to carriers, brokers and corporations with an expansive global network serving clients in more than 70 countries. *** Marsh Appoints Delchar as Head of Placement, UK & Ireland Insurance broker Marsh announced the appointment of Simon Delchar as head of Placement, UK & Ireland. Delchar will relocate from Singapore to London, effective July 1, and report to Lucy Clarke, president, Marsh Specialty and Global Placement, and Chris Lay, CEO, UK & Ireland, Marsh. Delchar will also join Marshs UK & Ireland executive team. With more than 35 years industry experience, primarily in international broking roles, Delchar is currently head of Marsh Specialty in Asia, a position he has held since 2019. He has also worked in senior broking roles at Lloyd & Partners and JLT Group. As head of Placement, UK & Ireland, Delchar will oversee the development of placement solutions that support Marshs clients in managing the broad-ranging risks they now face. Marsh also announced the appointment of Clarissa Franks as placement leader, UK & Ireland, for the Risk Management, Corporate, and Commercial businesses. Franks will oversee Marshs UK & Ireland retail placement strategy and the development of client solutions across a wide range of industries and product lines. Franks has worked with Marsh for 13 years in a variety of senior management roles and is currently UK Placement Leader, Risk Management. Winsee Cheung will continue her role as placement leader, UK & Ireland, Marsh Specialty. Both Franks and Cheung will continue to be based in London. Franks will report to Delchar and Cheung will report to Delchar and Dominic Samengo-Turner, CEO, UK and Ireland, Marsh Specialty. *** Putz to Become Echo Res CEO as Meyer Retires The Swiss-based reinsurer Echo Re announced Fabian Putz as its future chief executive officer. In this role, he will succeed Gilles Meyer who has been with Echo Re for five years and will be reaching retirement age in May this year. Putz joined Echo Re in August 2018 as the head of Echo Res Controlling, Technical Accounting & Claims and BI/Reporting activities. Before joining Echo Re, Putz has been working for its parent group DEVK since 2011. In his last role at group level, he served as executive assistant to Bernd Zens (group chief financial officer and chairman of Echo Re). In this capacity, he was mainly involved in the group-wide reinsurance and asset management activities with focus on alternative investment strategies. Fabian holds a doctorate degree in business from Kemmy Business School (University of Limerick, Ireland) and a Master of Science in Insurance Management (University of Applied Science, Cologne). We cannot thank Gilles enough for his very valuable contribution in raising Echo Res underwriting profile through strategic initiatives allowing the company to thrive in the future. We wish him all the best for his well-deserved retirement after a remarkable career in the reinsurance industry, said Zens, chairman of Echo Re. At the same time, we are very pleased to announce that Fabian Putz will succeed in the role as chief executive officer with effect from May 2022 as part of a long-term internal succession plan, Zens added. With his significant impetus during the last three years with Echo Re he has proven his ability and dedication to develop Echo Re from both a strategic and operational perspective. The experience he gained from different positions within the DEVK group makes him the ideal candidate to further build on the very strong basis set by Echo Res Management together with the whole team. We wish Fabian all the best in this pivotal role in our company. Founded in 2008, Echo Re is a wholly owned subsidiary of the German DEVK Group. Echo Re serves clients in Asia, the Middle East, Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean with dedicated and extensive reinsurance know how in P&C as well as specialty lines of business such as agriculture, marine/energy, engineering, extended warranty, credit/bond and cyber. Insurance Office of America Names 6 Regional Executives Insurance Office of America (IOA) is pleased to announce the appointment of six regional presidents to its leadership team. The appointees to regional president include: Nathan Brainard Central Florida Region Michael Caffrey Georgia Region Michael Coleman Northeast Region Michael Hasner South Florida Region Ricky Lott Central Region Paul Sullivan Northwest Region The six regional president appointments, coupled with the recent addition of division presidents, are part of the firms expansion plan. The regional presidents work alongside division presidents, managing partners, and operations leaders to foster consistent growth. Aon Appoints DeFelice to Lead U.S. Construction and Infrastructure Practice Global insurance broker Aon announced Tony DeFelice will lead the firms U.S. construction and infrastructure practice (formerly called the construction services group). DeFelice brings nearly 40 years of experience in the insurance brokerage industry, including more than two decades of leadership at Aon. Most recently, he held the position of managing director of the national casualty practice group within Aons U.S. Commercial Risk Solutions. He succeeds Jim Gloriod, who was appointed Aons enterprise growth leader for North America. Gloriod led the construction practice for five years and will continue to partner with DeFelice to best serve construction clients. Aon said it is in the process of hiring a new leader of national casualty. Stephens Appointed North American Head of Cyber at Allianz Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty (AGCS) reported that Tresa Stephens has been promoted to regional head of Cyber, Tech & Media, North America. Based in New York. Stephens succeeds Thomas Kang, who left AGCS in January 2022. Stephens joined AGCS North America in September 2020 as Northeast regional product leader for Financial Lines. She has been implementing AGCS Cyber underwriting strategy and service. Stephens has also led efforts to enhance technical underwriting through qualitative cyber training within the business line across geographies. Previously, Stephens led the East region cyber practice of Argo Group as an underwriting manager. She also held underwriting positions at Chubb, where she was an executive underwriter for financial lines, and Hiscox as a technology underwriter. Stephens reports to Joe Caruso, regional head of Financial Lines, North America. Topics Cyber USA Aon Leadership Construction Allianz Soleimani, Luther and Ropiecki Elevated at Universal Universal Insurance Holdings, parent company of Floridas largest private insurance carrier, announced the appointment of three people to key positions. Arash Soleimani, who was formerly executive vice president and director of investor relations at Heritage Insurance Holdings, was named chief strategy officer at Universal. Rob Luther, Universals vice president of corporate development and investor relations, has been elevated to chief investment officer. Gary Ropiecki, the senior VP and controller at Universal, has been made principal accounting officer, Universal said in a news release. Lockton Names Evancho for SE Aviation Practice Lockton, a national provider of insurance, benefits and financial services, has named Nick Evancho vice president and senior account executive in the firms Southeast aviation practice, based in Atlanta. Evancho joins Chris Latta in Atlanta and Carl Shephard in London, who were appointed to the aviation group earlier this month, Lockton said in a statement. Evancho, a licensed pilot, began his career in 2006 at AIG. Latta was named vice president and account executive. He joins Lockton from Starr Aviation, where he recently was assistant vice president, Northeast U.S. He has more than a decade of experience in aviation underwriting. Crawford Claims Bart as International CEO Crawford & Co., one of the worlds largest publicly traded providers of claims management and outsourcing for brokers, carriers and corporations, has named Andrew Bart CEO of international operations. The move comes after a restructuring at the Atlanta-based Crawford, the company said in a news release. Bart has been with Crawford for 18 years, recently as CEO in Australia and the Pacific region. Prior to moving into management, he worked as an adjuster on large and complex claims for property, mining, business interruption, product liability and product tamper claims. He will now focus on international growth for the company. Regional executives will now report directly to Bart. These include Lisa Bartlett, UK and Ireland; Veronica Grigg in Asia; Tim Jarman, Australia; Roberto McQuattie, Latin America; and Charlotte Von Krogh in Europe. Topics Lockton Are most people in the insuring cannabis business merely cannabis insurance brokers in name only their only client being a cousin who owns a mom-n-pop dispensary in downtown? Or do most focus primarily on cannabis? Or, perhaps they work for big firms as they build out an impressive base of multistate cannabis operators? More interesting questions may be: Who are their clients, what are their clients needs, and what lines of insurance are those clients buying? To better answer these questions, Insurance Journal created a survey aimed at finding out just who cannabis insurance brokers are, and a bit about their books of business. The survey ran over two months, and it was highlighted in the bimonthly Insuring Cannabis newsletter and on social media. For starters, the survey told us that most respondents arent just dabbling in this space. Roughly 20% said they are all-in on cannabis (they answered that its 100% of their business), while nearly half of respondents reported that cannabis is 50% or more of their business. The majority of respondents also reported having 30 cannabis clients or more. Cultivators represented the biggest share of cannabis clientele among respondents, while most said they have a national focus in their business, and a large share of respondents reported working for large rather than smaller firms. For our latest podcast we spoke about the results of the survey with Jay Virdi, chief sales officer for the cannabis specialty practice group for North America at HUB International, and Charles Pyfrom, chief marketing officer at CannGen Insurance Services, a national provider of insurance coverage for the cannabis, CBD, and hemp industry. Following are takeaways from that conversation. Virdi confirmed that it has been his experience inside and outside of Hub that most brokers are all-in on cannabis, and since specialty is in his title, its not surprising he also feels that is the best way to go. A lot of our value differentiation is that there are brokers out there that try to be more of a generalist and are completely out of their wheelhouse when it comes to a cannabis risk, Virdi said. So the more you know about something, the more educated you are, the more you can empathize with your clients. I think thats what really sets true subject matter experts apart. Pyfrom agreed: the ones who do really, really good jobs and really just crush it across the board have to specialize, I think, in just understanding what the needs are and the needs of an operator can vary by region knowing whos the big player, who the big markets are, who the other, potentially, broker channel conflicts could be with other people specializing in, and also how many license are really out there for people to go after. The survey asked respondents to rank their cannabis clients biggest needs on a Likert Scale Completely Agree, Somewhat agree, Neutral, Disagree, Somewhat Disagree, Completely Disagree. They were given the following choices: Better employment practices, Risk management, More insurance options, and Affordable insurance. More insurance options stood out, with nearly 84% saying they completely agree that is their clients biggest need. Nearly 63% said they completely agree that affordable insurance is their clients top need, followed by 54% who completely agree that risk management is their clients No. 1 need. Better employment practices may have been last on this list, however 36% said they completely agree its their clients biggest need, while roughly that same ratio also answered that they somewhat agree its their clients biggest need. A need we that was not on the list of choices was greater limits. That is one thats on the top of Pyfroms list, saying its the biggest need that we continue to see on their large portfolio of clients. The survey also asked respondents to rank in order the lines of insurance most often sold. Most placed commercial general liability as the most sold insurance, followed closely by property. Brokers reported that workers compensation was the third most frequent insurance they sell to cannabis businesses. Next were directors and officers, employment practices liability, and last was cyber more than 60% report that as the least sold line of the six choices. That jibes with what Virdi has been seeing. Traditionally the commercial package, which includes property, CGL and product liability are the main lines of business that are purchased, he said. And really because it theyre mandatory in order to operate a business, whether its providing a certificate of insurance to a landlord, whether its providing insurance to release equipment or even for financing arrangement. The survey also sought to discover how brokers feel about the market, and whether they expect to have More, Less, or an Equal focus on cannabis in 2022. An overwhelming 88% answered More with only a few answering The same, or Less. Evidently most brokers are high on the business. Weve seen our business grow and continue to scale alongside our operators and clients we underwrite and place their risks for day-in, day-out, Pyfrom said. And the pace of innovation, the number of states that continue to put legislation on the books to become legalized either in a recreational or medicinal fashion, and honestly, the tailwinds from legislative needs over in Washington, I think certainly well continue to catapult this industry forward at a monumental pace that weve not seen in any other industry in a long period of time. Related: Topics Agencies Cannabis The state of Colorados oil regulator this week rejected a request by Occidental Petroleum Corp. to drill new oil and gas wells roughly 800 feet away from homes, in a test of a new rule that sets a wide berth between drilling activity and residential areas. The proposed site in Firestone, Colorado, was near where natural gas leaked from a pipeline owned by Anadarko Petroleum Corp in 2017 and triggered an explosion that killed two people. Occidental acquired Anadarko in 2019. Colorado in 2020 imposed a rule that requires new oil and gas wells be no closer than 2,000 feet from residential areas and other buildings. The rule allows for companies to seek exemptions. But the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission voted 4-1 to reject Occidentals plan. Occidental said it was disappointed by the decision and said its proposed development showed its commitment to safety standards that protect public health and the environment. Our partners in Firestone want us to operate in their town, and our next steps include reviewing all available options to develop the mineral resources Coloradans rely on for their energy needs, the company said. Environmental groups, however, applauded the decision. The oil and gas commission made the right decision to protect the people of Firestone and Frederick over corporate interests today, Michael Freeman, an attorney for Earthjustice said in a statement this week. (Reporting by Liz Hampton) Topics Energy Oil Gas Colorado The Department of Housing has slammed as abhorrent an attempt by a landlord to entice women fleeing the war in Ukraine into a sex-for-rent arrangement. It comes after the Irish Examiner discovered a property in Clare being offered for free to a slim Ukrainian woman, with an expectation of sex. The landlord has demanded a photo from a prospective renter before he will reveal the exact location of the property. Any attempt to target a vulnerable person with an offer of accommodation in return for sexual acts, including anyone fleeing the devastating war in the Ukraine, is abhorrent and to be condemned in the strongest possible terms, said the Department of Housing in a statement on Monday night. Abusive behaviour by an accommodation provider or landlord should be reported to An Garda Siochana, who will deal with any issue raised in a sensitive, timely and professional manner. Sex-for-rent arrangements have been under investigation by the Irish Examiner since December. In recent weeks, Justice Minister Helen McEntee told the Dail there was no legislation in place to deal with the practice of landlords offering sex-for-rent arrangements. Monday nights statement said, however, that laws surrounding sexual offences have been significantly strengthened in recent years, including with the introduction of the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Act 2017. The statement added: The legislation now makes it abundantly clear that consent must be freely and voluntarily given. In other words, submission when a person feels forced or has no other choice is not the same as consent. 20,000 accommodation pledges More than 20,000 homes have been pledged as accommodation for Ukrainians. Currently, no Garda vetting is required for such offers of accommodation and this has prompted concerns about the potential exploitation of refugees, the vast majority of whom are women and children. The Irish Red Cross has received 15,000 pledges of accommodation. A spokesman said more than 5,000 further pledges had been made to other charities and they will be collated. However, several other unofficial arrangements are being organised to house Ukrainians by people with personal connections to them. Sources close to the process for assigning accommodation to the Ukrainian refugees says there is no vetting requirement at present for people pledging accommodation either in their homes, or in a different property. One said that if Garda vetting was required, the process of accommodating the refugees could take months, adding: The people who are pledging accommodation expect to receive a refugee now, and the Ukrainians who are arriving expect accommodation now. The Irish Red Cross will, however, visit the pledged homes before and after accommodating refugees. Vetting vitally important Chief executive of the Together-Razem organisation, Wojciech Bialek, said vetting was vitally important to ensure the safety and protection of the mostly women and children who are arriving in Ireland after fleeing their homeland following the Russian invasion. He said: And homeowners should also have to have references. There will be a lot of sexual predators waiting for women. He pointed to one case in Poland in the past week, where a man was arrested in connection with an alleged sexual attack on a 19-year-old Ukrainian woman who he had taken in. He said children needed to be protected too. Fiona Hurley of Nasc is urging Ukrainians arriving into Ireland not to consider sex-for-rent accommodation arrangements. Policy and communications manager with the Nasc migrant rights centre in Cork, Fiona Hurley, is urging Ukrainians arriving into Ireland not to consider sex-for-rent accommodation arrangements, saying there are options available through the Irish Red Cross. People should not feel under pressure to take up accommodation situations which are immoral and unethical. She said legislation was now going through the Dail to outlaw such practices. She said there was a need for people who are offering accommodation to Ukrainian refugees to be Garda vetted, and trained. She said: There needs to be protections in place for the people arriving from Ukraine and the families supporting them. We do need to put protections in place as well. Chief executive of the Immigrant Council of Ireland Brian Killoran said the concern was that there would be opportunistic people who would take advantage of chaos. He said there was anecdotal evidence of trafficking at the Polish border, for example. He believes vetting needs to be discussed in the Irish response to the Ukrainian crisis. However, he acknowledged there were capacity issues which could result in a long process, adding the housing needs of Ukrainians arriving in Ireland were immediate. A spokesman for the Department of Housing said on Monday night that the International Protection Accommodation Service, based in the Department of Equality, Children, Disability, Integration and Youth, was currently managing arrangements to receive those fleeing the Ukrainian conflict into IPAS accommodation. He added: A webpage on the whole-of-Government response to the situation in Ukraine is now available which includes information on supports and services available to people arriving from Ukraine. Chinese mainland reports 3,507 new local COVID-19 cases Xinhua) 09:51, March 15, 2022 Residents queue to receive nucleic acid tests at a community in east China's Shanghai, March 13, 2022. (Xinhua/Gao Feng) BEIJING, March 15 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese mainland on Monday reported 3,507 locally transmitted COVID-19 cases, the National Health Commission said Tuesday. Of the new local infections, 3,076 were reported in Jilin, 106 in Shandong, 53 in Shaanxi, 51 in Tianjin, 48 in Guangdong, 33 in Fujian, 31 in Zhejiang, 24 in Liaoning, 20 in Jiangsu, 13 in Hebei, and 10 in Chongqing. The rest of the cases were reported in Shanghai, Heilongjiang, Gansu, Beijing, Guangxi, Yunnan, Guizhou, Anhui and Henan. A total of 95 imported COVID-19 cases were reported Monday, said the commission in its daily report. Two new suspected cases, arriving from outside the mainland, were reported in Shanghai, said the commission. No deaths from COVID-19 were reported on the day. Monday also saw 1,768 asymptomatic cases, including 1,647 local ones, according to the commission. The total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases reported on the mainland, both local and imported, had risen to 120,504 by Monday. There were 11,984 patients still under treatment on Monday, of whom eight were in severe condition. A total of 4,636 patients had died of the virus on the mainland since the outbreak of the disease. (Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Liang Jun) An Irish tech entrepreneur and a former professional poker player have set up a rapid response medical supply route through the battlefields of Ukraine to the besieged city of Kharkiv. Former rally drivers and truck drivers are bravely running the gauntlet of Russian bombs and shells with vital medical supplies and body bags thanks to the ingenuity of Story Tracks app founder Fergal Nealon and Sligo Casino owner Mark Walsh. Their drivers are going where the larger organisations cannot go until humanitarian corridors are officially open. The two Sligo men travelled to Poland last week originally on a mission to bring humanitarian aid to Ukraine. However once their aid was delivered, they quickly realised there was more they could do. A Polish contact of theirs, a CCO of a gaming company had downed tools and begun bringing refugees further into Poland as soon as the war began but then wanted to bring medical supplies back into Ukraine. Through him, Nealon and Walsh made a crucial contact. I got into a WhatsApp group chat with the Head of the Health Department in Kharkiv and hes been sending us their medical needs daily, such as drugs and bandages, body bags, Mr Nealon told the Irish Examiner. After emptying their suitcases of Irish donations, the men began driving around all the pharmacies they could find in Lodz along the Polish-Ukrainian border to find supplies for war victims in Kharkiv. Once they had filled their pick-up truck, Nealon and Walsh, along with Clonmel native Dean Hogan, realised they would have to cross into Ukraine themselves. We had to cross the border because our drivers couldnt come up to us because of conscription, they cant leave Ukraine, said Nealon. An eery scene met them. It was like an abandoned petrol station in the west of Ireland. They [the Ukrainian drivers] were blinking at us to come over. One of them is a truck driver and a rally driver. "They then drove non-stop for 40 hours taking shifts at the wheel to get the goods to Kharkiv, said Nealon. They are literally risking their lives, dodging bullets and bombs. Thats something the larger organisations cannot do until the humanitarian corridors are opened. Mr Nealon said the supply runs will continue as long as the medications can be bought. Were able to rapidly respond to the medical requests of that day and get them through back channels and through the rubble to the battlefields, he added. Once the supplies were handed over, the three men had a six-hour crawl 500 yards to the Polish border where a very different scene awaited them. Taras (Ukrainian driver), Fergal Nealon, Alex (Ukrainian driver), Marcin (Polish transport) at the handover on the Ukrainian side of the border. It was quiet, but it was minus 4 degrees, snowing. We were in the luxury of a warm pick-up truck but there were old people, women and children standing out waiting to be processed, he said. The men visited the refugee centre where they distributed toys to young children and diaries to older teenagers. What really struck us was how stoic and polite everyone was, even the children when we were giving out the toys, there was no whinging, said Nealon. He said that most of the older teenagers have excellent English. One of the girls wrote a note to my six-year-old daughter, thats getting framed, he added. Nealon and Walsh, with the aid of Sheila Scanlon from Sligo Food Bank along with ex-Unicef logistics professional Peter Marron and others have established Rapid Response Ukraine to continue running the medical supplies to Kharkiv. Weve all our ducks in a row in terms of governance. Weve got to the point that when donations come in, we know the drivers and pharmacists to source supplies and transport from, we have established and verified the supply chain, he said. Nealon hopes the runs will be temporary - once the humanitarian corridors are open, the men will shift their focus to bringing refugees to Ireland. If you told me a few weeks ago that wed have set up this supply chain I wouldnt have believed you. But its war, said Nealon. Anyone wishing to donate to the group's supply runs in Ukraine can do so via their iDonate.ie page. Tributes have been paid to an Irish photographer and cameraman who was killed in Ukraine after the vehicle he was travelling in was struck by incoming fire. Pierre Zakrzewski, who had been working for Fox News, had been travelling with reporter Benjamin Hall when the incident occurred, the US broadcaster said. Mr Hall has been in hospital since the incident which took place on Monday, as the pair were newsgathering in Horenka, outside of Kyiv, the network said. Ukrainian officials and Fox News reporters confirmed that producer and local journalist Oleksandra Kuvshynova was also killed in the attack. Mr Zakrzewski and Ms Kuvshynova died as a result of artillery shelling by Russian troops in the north-eastern part of the village of Gorenka, Ukrainian website kp.ua said. As a war photographer, Mr Zakrzewski had covered conflicts in Iraq, Afghanistan and Syria for Fox, according to a memo sent to Fox employees by Suzanne Scott, CEO of Fox News Media. "It is with great sadness and a heavy heart that we share the news this morning regarding our beloved cameraman Pierre Zakrzewski," she said. His passion and talent as a journalist were unmatched, Ms Scott said. Screengrab taken from Fox News of Pierre Zakrzewski (right) who was killed while reporting in Ukraine. Picture: FOX News/PA Wire Fox News president and executive editor Jay Wallace added: "Pierre was a constant in all of our international coverage. I, like countless others, always felt an extra sense of reassurance when arriving on the scene and seeing him with camera in hand. "The legacy of his positive spirit, boundless energy and eye for the story will carry on." Last year, Mr Zakrzewski played a key role in getting Foxs freelancers and their families out of Afghanistan after the US withdrawal, Ms Scott said. Mr Zakrzewski was given an unsung hero award at an annual employee event. The President has led the tributes to Mr Zakrzewski and he also condemned the attacks on civilians. President Micheal D Higgins offered his "deepest sympathies" to his family. "The indiscriminate killing of civilians, including journalists, must be brought to an end," said a statement. Deeply disturbed and saddened by the killing of Irish citizen and journalist Pierre Zakrzewski and one of his colleagues today. My thoughts are with their families, friends and fellow journalists. We condemn this indiscriminate and immoral war by Russia on #Ukraine. Micheal Martin (@MichealMartinTD) March 15, 2022 Speaking from the US, Taoiseach Micheal Martin said: "Our deepest sympathies go to the family of Pierre Zakrzewski, particularly his family back in Dublin. He was reared for 30 years in Dublin. "It's an appalling killing, illustrating again the indiscriminate and barbaric nature of the Russian attack on the citizens of Ukraine, and also things with a very sharp focus the enormous risks that journalists are taking, in terms of shining a light on this barbaric war. Without journalists and without cameramen, and without their bravery, we would not know what we now know in terms of how this war is being waged on people. "It's a very, very sad day for his family for Fox News." He added: "To me, the nature of this war continues to shock, but our thoughts and prayers are with the family and our Department of Foreign Affairs is providing consular assistance to the family at this moment." He also met with the Ukrainian Ambassador to the US Oksana Makarova at the unveiling of a statue of John Hume in the Irish Ambassador's residence. "We think very deeply about the plight that your people are under at the moment because of the barbaric and immoral war waged upon your people by the Russian Federation," he said, addressing the Ambassador in his speech. The Minister for Foreign Affairs also paid tribute to Mr Zakrzewski, saying the Department were in contact with his family and providing consular assistance. Simon Coveney said: The killing of all citizens through this reckless war is deplorable and I also wish to strongly condemn the targeting of journalists who have been working bravely to shine a light on the plight of Ukraine since the outbreak of hostilities. Ireland once again calls on Russia to bring an end to this war and we stand ready to support any initiative which can deliver peace. We will continue to demand accountability for violations of international humanitarian and human rights law. Brent Renaud, a documentary filmmaker and another veteran of covering war zones, died on Sunday after Russian forces opened fire on his vehicle. Mr Zakrzewski's former school, St Conleth's College, acknowledged his "tragic passing" with "great sadness". In a social media post, the school said: "Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends." The father of a young boy who died after falling off a banister in a Dublin school two years ago has expressed disbelief that such an accident could occur in modern school buildings. An inquest into the death of Blaise Cunningham, 12, at Dublin District Coroners Court heard the 6th class student incurred fatal injuries as a result of a sliding incident on a stairway at St Brigids National School in Castleknock on February 5, 2020. The young Castleknock schoolboy died three weeks later at the LauraLynn childrens hospice in Leopardstown, Co Dublin, on February 26, 2020, after he suffered what the inquest heard was severe and irreversible brain injury during a fall between the first and second floor of a school building. The boys father, Joe Cunningham, told the inquest the incident had taken place in a building at St Brigids that was less than 10 years old. It is hard to understand how this can happen in a modern school building, Mr Cunningham said. The inquest heard that measures were taken to improve the safety of stairways at the school following Blaises death. Teachers' evidence A special needs teacher, Geraldine Healy, told the inquest she had witnessed Blaise and another boy sliding down the banister of the stairs in the school during a break. Ms Healy said she told the two students that such action was not allowed and she informed the teacher on yard duty, Anne Collins, about what had happened. Later, when classes were ending at about 2.30pm, Ms Healy said she was alerted by other students about a boy who had fainted. She described finding Blaise groaning on the ground at the foot of the stairs on the first floor of the building. In evidence, Ms Collins told the inquest she had called Blaise and his classmate over to her in the yard after being told about the earlier incident on the banister. She explained how she had sin-binned the two boys for engaging in serious and dangerous behaviour and said they understood why they were in trouble. Blaises teacher, Patrick Lowry, said he had also spoken to the two students after being informed about what happened on the stairway. Mr Lowry said he had warned them such action was unacceptable and dangerous and they would face detention if it happened again. The teacher said he addressed his entire class about the responsibility they had over their behaviour as they were role models for younger pupils in the school. Mr Lowry then described how he rushed out to the stairs after hearing calls for help at the end of classes. He found Blaise lying on the ground with a severe gash to his chin, while his eyes were open but unfocused. The teacher said he spoke to the boy but got no coherent response. Mr Lowry said he tried to get the boy into a recovery position but had found it difficult to remove a schoolbag which was on his back. He recalled asking Blaise to squeeze his hand which he did firmly but later noted the boys breathing was slowing down before he appeared to suffer a seizure. Blaise was subsequently attended by paramedics before being transferred by ambulance to Temple Street Childrens Hospital. The inquest heard Blaises mother, Sophie, had arrived at the school to collect her son, while his father arrived a short time later after being alerted to the incident. St Brigids principal, Denis Courtney, said safety was paramount at the 950-student school. Safety is crucial in school. We take it seriously. It is paramount. You need systems and structures for larger schools, said Mr Courtney. The principal said safety was a constant conversation that was discussed at staff meetings and school assembly as part of a whole school approach to the issue. Mr Courtney said a risk audit carried out on the school every two years had never identified any risk in relation to the stairs. He said the earlier incident involving Blaise and another pupil on the banister would have routinely been followed up by a deputy principal as part of the schools disciplinary procedures. The inquest heard the two boys had an excellent disciplinary record. The principal said there had only ever been one incident before on a stairway after a student tripped over a loose shoelace. Mr Courtney said the school had engaged an engineer following Blaises death, which had led to the introduction of higher railings on stairways together with dome-shaped studs being affixed to banisters to prevent sliding down them. Handrails were also installed on both sides of stairways, while banisters in two older school buildings were replaced, he added. Student's evidence A student who was a witness to the fatal incident told gardai that Blaise had hopped up onto the banister after classes were over while he had a schoolbag on his back. Garda Sean Breheny, who led the investigation into Blaises death, said the boy had fallen off the banister onto the third step of the floor below. There was no suspicion of foul play or any third-party involvement. The inquest heard doctors at Temple Street Childrens Hospital said Blaise had suffered acute blood clots and swelling to his brain. An MRI scan carried out a week later revealed he had suffered permanent brain damage and a decision was taken to provide him with palliative care. He died within 24 hours of being transferred to the LauraLynn hospice. The coroner, Dr Clare Keane, returned a verdict of death by misadventure after noting how Blaise had died from severe brain damage as a result of a fall. Offering condolences to the boys family and staff at St Brigids, Dr Keane added: It was a shocking accident that occurred in a heartbeat. Ireland will use its platform in the week of St Patrick's Day to raise the plight of Ukraine, the Taoiseach has said. Speaking to the Irish Examiner as he flew to Washington DC, Micheal Martin said that while his visit to the US "will embrace the full gamut of US-Irish relationships", Ukraine will be a key issue. Mr Martin said US President Joe Biden was right when he warned that the world is splitting between authoritarian regimes and democracy. He said while Ireland is lucky to have President Biden "who wears his Irishness on his sleeve", much of the discussion will focus on the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine. "There's an open door to raise issues (with the Biden Administration) and we will use this week to use our platform to raise the plight of the Ukrainians." Housing offers Mr Martin said he was heartened to see that over 20,000 offers of housing have been made by Irish people for Ukrainians. He said he believes Irish people have risen to crisis because of an innate sense of charity. "I believe that it's within Irish people. I believe it's the only response we can make given that this is the largest displacement since World War 2. The EU has responded with unity of purpose on sanctions and taking in refugees but we're very aware that the border states are under pressure." The Taoiseach also expressed his sympathies to the family of filmmaker Brent Renaud. The American filmmaker was killed over the weekend by Russian troops. He had been gathering material for a report about refugees when his vehicle was hit at a checkpoint in Irpin, just outside the capital Kyiv. "I think that Brent Renaud's death represented another new low in this war and I extend my sympathies to his family." Cost of living Domestically, the Taoiseach said that there will be fallout from the war in Ukraine which will result in higher prices for energy and food which will be with us for some time. He said that the use of the remaining 3 billion Covid contingency fund was possible but even that could not be guaranteed to meet the costs of up to 100,000 Ukrainian refugees coming to Ireland. "We have to be honest that the war will have an impact. In the first phase, that is higher energy prices. There will be issues with food prices across Europe and other commodities as well. All of that feeds into a general economic situation that is very uncertain. Inflation will be with us for some time. "There will be extra spending, both current and capital. There will be extra pressures on services housing and education. We have a financial framework by virtue of the contingency but that's uncertain." Mr Martin had on Sunday said that the fund, set up in last year's Budget, could be used to house and provide services for refugees. Neutrality Meanwhile, Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney said that it was "naive" to think that Ireland would not be targeted by staying out of the war in Russia. "There seems to be a view that is held by a very small group of people that by being neutral and staying out of conflicts like this that all of a sudden Ireland won't be threatened," said Mr Coveney. "I think that's very naive. We know that in the middle of Covid, we were targeted. Our health service was targeted by non-state actors, we understand coming from east of the EU, probably Russia, and that cost us an enormous amount of money to solve." His cabinet colleague Simon Harris announced that Ukrainians fleeing war can study at Irish universities. Mr Harris also confirmed that Irish students who fled from Ukraine will be able to continue their studies in Ireland, after places were made available by universities. Mr Harris said that the most pressing issue facing colleges and universities will be the issue of English language support. The Government has pledged to ensure that Ukrainians fleeing war can study at Irish universities. Higher Education Minister Simon Harris also confirmed that Irish students who fled from Ukraine will be able to continue their studies in Ireland, after places were made available by universities. The majority of those students were studying medicine or dentistry. Mr Harris met with the Irish Universities Association (IUA) on Monday to discuss the crisis in Ukraine and the response of the Irish third-level sector. It comes as Ireland prepares to accept potentially tens of thousands of refugees from the war-torn country. Mr Harris said that the most pressing issue facing colleges and universities will be the issue of English language support. This is crucial to ensuring people have the ability to understand the information being presented to them, and to help them embed in Irish society, he said. Minister for Higher Education Simon Harris said that the Government was working to ensure Ukrainian refugees can access Irish colleges (Brian Lawless/PA) We will also need to provide employment opportunities for people and offer people the chance to engage in further education. He said that fitting Irish students back into courses in Ireland was an immediate priority. My department has contacted them all and they are deeply traumatised by what has unfolded. We will work to extend supports and care to them. The IUA universities have confirmed they will provide the places necessary and we look forward to working with them on that. We will also work collectively to ensure Ukrainian people can access higher education here too. On Sunday, the Taoiseach said that Irelands humanitarian response trumps security checks on arriving Ukrainians. Micheal Martin said the state has so far accepted 5,500 people fleeing the Russian invasion and may take in more than 100,000. He said Irelands priority is the humanitarian response to what he termed the worst displacement of people since World War Two. Our primary impulse is to assist those fleeing war, he said. Officials from Russia and Ukraine are set to engage in another round of diplomatic talks as Moscows forces continue to pound away at the Ukrainian capital Kyiv and other cities across the country. Shortly before dawn on Tuesday, large explosions thundered across the capital while Russia pressed its advance on multiple fronts. Elsewhere, a convoy of 160 civilian cars left the encircled port city of Mariupol along a designated humanitarian route, the city council reported, in a rare glimmer of hope a week and a half into the lethal siege that has pulverised homes and other buildings and left people desperate for food, water, heat and medicine. The latest negotiations, held via video conference, were the fourth round involving higher-level officials from the two countries and the first in a week. The talks ended on Monday without a breakthrough after several hours, with an aide to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky saying the negotiators took a technical pause and planned to meet again on Tuesday. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (Ukrainian Presidential Press Office via AP) The two sides had expressed some optimism in the past few days. Mykhailo Podolyak, the aide to Mr Zelensky, tweeted that the negotiators would discuss peace, ceasefire, immediate withdrawal of troops & security guarantees. Previous discussions, held in person in Belarus, produced no lasting humanitarian routes or agreements to end the fighting. In Washington, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said that while the Biden administration supports Ukraines participation in the talks with Russia, Russian President Vladimir Putin would have to show signs of de-escalating in order to demonstrate good faith. Overall, nearly all of the Russian military offensives remained stalled after making little progress over the weekend, according to a senior US defence official who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the Pentagons assessment. Russian troops were still about nine miles (15 kilometres) from the centre of Kyiv, the official said. The official said that Russian forces have launched more than 900 missiles but that Ukraines airspace is still contested, with Russia not achieving total air superiority. Ukrainian authorities said two people were killed when the Russians struck an airplane factory in Kyiv, sparking a large fire. The Antonov factory is Ukraines largest aircraft plant and produces many of the worlds biggest cargo planes. Russian artillery fire also hit a nine-storey apartment building in the northern Obolonskyi district of the city, killing two more people, authorities said. A Ukrainian soldier passes by a destroyed building in Kyiv (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky) And a Russian airstrike near a Ukrainian checkpoint caused extensive damage to a downtown Kyiv neighbourhood, killing one person, Ukraines emergency agency said. In an area outside Kyiv, Fox News reporter Benjamin Hall was injured while reporting and taken to hospital, the network said. In Russia, the live main evening news program on state television was briefly interrupted by a woman who walked into the studio holding a poster against the war. The OVD-Info website that monitors political arrests said she was a Channel 1 employee who was taken into police custody. A town councillor for Brovary, east of Kyiv, was killed in fighting there, officials said. Shells also fell on the Kyiv suburbs of Irpin, Bucha and Hostomel, which have seen some of the worst fighting in Russias stalled attempt to take the capital, local authorities said. Airstrikes were reported across the country, including the southern city of Mykolaiv, and the northern city of Chernihiv, where heat was knocked out to most of the town. Explosions also reverberated overnight around the Russian-occupied Black Sea port of Kherson. Nine people were killed in a rocket attack on a TV tower in the western village of Antopol, according to the regions governor. In the eastern city of Kharkiv, firefighters doused the smouldering remains of a four-storey residential building. It was unclear whether there were casualties. Volunteers sew Ukrainian flags and first aid kits at a workshop in Lviv, western Ukraine (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue) In Mariupol, where the war has produced some of the greatest suffering, the city council did not say how many people were in the convoy of cars headed westward for the city of Zaporizhzhia. But it said a ceasefire along the route appeared to be holding. Previous attempts to evacuate civilians and deliver humanitarian aid to the southern city of 430,000 were thwarted by fighting. Ukraines military said it repelled an attempt on Monday to take control of Mariupol by Russian forces, who were forced to retreat. Satellite images from Maxar Technologies showed fires burning across the city, with many high-rise apartment buildings heavily damaged or destroyed. The Kremlin-backed leader of the Russian region of Chechnya said on a messaging app that Chechen fighters were spearheading the offensive on Mariupol. Robert Mardini, director-general of the International Committee of the Red Cross, said the war has become nothing short of a nightmare for those living in besieged cities, and he pleaded for safe corridors for civilians to leave and humanitarian aid to be brought in. The Russian military said 20 civilians in the separatist-controlled city of Donetsk in eastern Ukraine were killed by a ballistic missile launched by Ukrainian forces. The claim could not be independently verified. The UN has recorded at least 596 civilian deaths since Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, though it believes the true toll is much higher. Millions more have fled their homes, with more than 2.8 million crossing into Poland and other neighbouring countries in what the UN has called Europes biggest refugee crisis since the Second World War. Boris Johnson has urged the West to end its addiction to Russian energy as he prepares to head to Saudi Arabia to push for increased oil and gas production. It came as the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) confirmed that, as of 9.30pm on Monday, more than 43,000 households had offered to put up those fleeing the conflict as part of the UK Governments sponsorship scheme. A DLUHC spokesman said the total is continuing to rise, with offers doubling within a matter of hours. On Tuesday, the British Prime Minister is set to travel to Saudi for talks with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in the hope the kingdom can increase its production of oil and gas to make up for a reduced reliance on Russia. In an article for the Daily Telegraph, Mr Johnson said Western leaders had made a terrible mistake by letting President Vladimir Putin get away with annexing Crimea in 2014 and subsequently becoming more dependent on Russian power sources. He said the addiction to Russian fuel had emboldened Mr Putin to bomb civilians during his invasion of Ukraine, while at the same time profiting from soaring global oil and gas prices. We cannot go on like this. The world cannot be subject to this continuous blackmail, said Mr Johnson, whose administration has already announced its plan to phase out importing Russian oil by the end of the year. As long as the West is economically dependent on Putin, he will do all he can to exploit that dependence. And that is why that dependence must and will now end. It came as Latvian Prime Minister Arturs Krisjanis Karins, whose country shares its eastern border with Russia, told the BBC: We have to think of all the things we can do in order to stop Putin because if we do not stop Putin he will simply continue in this way, in his fight against the democratic world. Stating that Russia produces virtually nothing else that the rest of the world wants to buy, Mr Johnson argued: If the world can end its dependence on Russian oil and gas, we can starve him of cash, destroy his strategy and cut him down to size. Offering a glimpse of what could be in his British Energy Security Strategy, which is due to be published this month, he said there is a need to press ahead with investment in renewables, including expanding the number of UK offshore wind farms and creating more solar power. Boris Johnson said the West had made a terrible mistake in failing to challenge Russian President Vladimir Putin over the annexing of Crimea in 2014 (Mikhail Klimentyev/AP) Mr Johnson also said there needs to be a series of big new bets on nuclear power to make sure the UKs energy supply is no longer at the mercy of bullies like Putin. However, the PM sought to level with the public, warning that diverging from Russian power will be painful and that financial assistance offered by Chancellor Rishi Sunak to help with rising bills this year cannot be afforded for long. On Tuesday, Mr Johnson will jet to Riyadh in a bid to secure the route to diverging from Moscow energy supplies but the Prime Minister faced calls to scrap the trip over human rights concerns, particularly after recent reports of a mass execution of Saudi prisoners. Before his evening flight, he is due to host leaders from the Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF), an alliance of northern European nations. Representatives from Denmark, Finland, Estonia, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Sweden and Norway had been expected to dine with Mr Johnson at his Chequers country retreat on Monday night before talks in London on Tuesday. The latest intelligence update published by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) said Russia is likely to make further attempts to subvert Ukrainian democracy amid reports that Moscow is to install its own mayor in the city of Melitpol following the alleged abduction of his predecessor. The MoD also said reports suggest Russia is planning to stage a referendum in the captured region of Kherson to legitimise it as a breakaway republic. Domestically, Britons came forward in such large numbers to offer to take in Ukrainian refugees that the website for registering interest crashed shortly after opening. The DLUHC spokesman confirmed that the Homes For Ukraine website temporarily stalled after it went live late on Monday afternoon due to the enormous generosity of the British public in expressing their interest to offer accommodation. Almost three million people have fled Ukraine since Mr Putin ordered the assault on Kyiv and civilians have continued to find themselves caught up in the fighting. Under the new scheme, sponsors can provide a route for Ukrainians without family ties to come to the UK for the first time. Sponsors can be of any nationality as long as they have permission to be in the UK for at least six months. Those putting up refugees can receive a tax-free monthly payment of 350 for each family they look after. Separately, a new law was passed that will make it easier for ministers to impose sanctions on people linked to the Russian regime. The Economic Crime (Transparency and Enforcement) Act cleared both Houses of Parliament on Monday evening, with the legislation receiving royal assent in the early hours of Tuesday. The fast-tracked legislation allows Britain to automatically sanction those who have had their assets frozen by the EU, US or Canada, opening the door to potentially hundreds more individual sanctions amid criticism that the UK Government has been slow to target those with Kremlin links. The fake German heiress whose exploits of conning New York's elite out of hundreds of thousands of dollars in the recent Netflix series "Inventing Anna", is to be deported, sources can confirm. Russian immigrant Anna Sorokin, 31, who went by the name Anna Delvey, was arrested in 2017 and found guilty of theft of services and grand larceny 2019 by a Manhattan jury. Her crimes include bank fraud, stealing a private jet, not paying hotel bills and conning New York's elite out of more than 200,000. Ms Sorokin completed her minimum four-year sentence in February 2021 before she was arrested at a routine check-in at the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement office in Lower Manhattan on charges of overstaying her visa. When she was 15, Ms Sorokin moved to Germany, where her family currently reside, leaving aged 19 to pursue a fashion degree in Paris. Moving to New York in 2014, Ms Sorokin's swindling began as she lived in hotels she never paid for, according to evidence presented at her trial. By her mid-20s, she was moving in Manhattans elite social circles and while she said in an interview at the Rikers Island jail complex with The New York Times that she never actually told anyone she was a German heiress, thats what many people believed her to be. Julia Garner as Anna Delvey in "Inventing Anna", the Netflix series created by Shonda Rhimes released last month. Under the guise of creating the Anna Delvey Foundation, a private members-only arts club, she walked into banks with fake financial statements and asked for tens of millions of dollars for the project and for a while, banks and hedge funds entertained her requests, according to prosecutors. Her ploys ended in late 2017, when she was arrested after failing to pay a hotel lunch bill totaling about $200. Ms Sorokin fought her deportation for almost a year following her arrest by ICE authorities. However, yesterday afternoon it was confirmed on the texting app that allows for communication with inmates at New Jersey and at Orange County Correctional Facility in Goshen, New York, that she had been released from its custody. Fake German heiress Anna Sorokin is led away after being sentenced in Manhattan Supreme Court May 9, 2019 following her conviction on multiple counts of grand larceny and theft of services, Judge Diane Kiesel is seen to the right. Furthermore, several friends who had spoken to her Monday morning confirmed her imminent deportation. Her criminal defense lawyer, Todd Spodek, who had been aiding Ms Sorokin with her immigration issues since she fired her immigration lawyer a few weeks ago, declined to comment when approached by the New York Times. An ICE spokesman also declined to answer questions regarding her imminent deportation but said by email that she was still technically in custody of the immigration authorities. Burma Despite Solid Evidence, Businessman Denies Selling Arms to Myanmar Junta The Myanmar military shows off its hardware during its Armed Forces Day parade. Until his and his familys shady connections with the Myanmar military were exposed by The New York Times late last year, U Jonathan Kyaw Thaung was mostly known as the CEO of KT Group, which operates a port terminal and conducted the renovation of the Pegu Club in Yangon, among other business activities. The Times story unmasked the Kyaw Thaungs as people who have quietly equipped the Myanmar military, which has long been notorious for its atrocities against the countrys ethnic people. Now it has killed more than 1,500 people since last years coup for rejecting military rule in the country. It turned out that the Kyaw Thaungs became bedfellows with the military by securing lucrative contracts to provide it with European aircraft, a French coastal surveillance system and Italian guns for the navyamong otherswhile avoiding Western sanctions. Despite the evidence provided by the Times and Justice For Myanmar, an advocacy group tracking the Myanmar military and its associates activities, U Jonathan Kyaw Thaung, denied any involvement in arms trade. I have nothing to do with arms, he told The Irrawaddy, saying he even refrained from businesses linked to fishing or poultry, as his father suggested, reflecting a Buddhist belief that discourages animal farming. I come from a rich family. I dont need to make quick money like some people, he added. But the 39-year-old didnt deny his relationship with coup leader Min Aung Hlaing. He admitted that he was introduced to the junta boss (who at the time was Myanmar military commander-in-chief) nearly one decade ago by U Aung Ko Win, the chairman of Kanbawza (KBZ) Group of Companies and one of the richest men in the country. The meeting led Jonathan Kyaw Thaung to meet Min Aung Hlaings son U Aung Pyae Sone and daughter Daw Khin Thiri Thetmon, both of whom were at the time trying to expand their family businesses. However, the Irish-Burmese man told The Irrawaddy that despite U Aung Ko Wins introduction, he was never close to Min Aung Hlaing and his wife Daw Kyu Kyu Hla. He insisted that he has not met them since the coup in February last year. When asked about his involvement with Min Aung Hlaings son in the purchase of JF-17 fighter jets and K-8 training aircraft from Pakistan as reported by military sources, he denied it. The Irrawaddy has learned that U Jonathan Kyaw Thaung got lucrative business concessions linked to the military with the help of KBZs U Aung Ko Win, whom he refers to as Uncle out of respect. They were so close that U Jonathan Kyaw Thaung arranged overseas trips by hiring a private jet for U Aung Ko Win, one of Myanmars richest men. Sometimes he traveled with him for leisure and business trips, including gambling in Macau. He recalled to friends that on one of the trips he asked the pilot to make a U-turn while flying from the east to the west of the country, in order to dine at their favorite Korean restaurant. U Jonathan Kyaw Thaung once proudly said, according to one of his friends, that U Aung Ko Win was so dependent on him that he had to take care of him like a baby, including on issues like visa and immigration. U Aung Ko Win made a fortune during Myanmars previous regime, which controlled Myanmar from 1988 to early 2011, by cultivating a friendship with the then juntas second man, Senior General Maung Aye. The personal ties helped the small town government school teacher from Shan State enter the banking, aviation, mining and other industries as the general at the time was the head of the regimes trade council, which oversaw export, import and joint ventures with foreign countries. U Aung Ko Win came to public prominence with his Kanbawzalocally known as KBZbank. Despite his previous ties to the former regime, the banker supported Daw Aung San Suu Kyis National League for Democracy government, which came to power after the 2015 general election. When Myanmar was hard hit by COVID-19 in 2020, U Aung Ko Win was among a handful of cronies who made serious contributions in the fight against the disease. He is not on the US sanctions list. For all the blessings from, and connections to, the Myanmar military leadership, U Jonathan Kyaw Thaung has paid a price for his ties to the generals. His TNT port terminal in Yangon is now struggling to be operational. Shortly before the coup, Maersk, the worlds largest container shipping firm, announced that it would not use the terminal that he leased from the military. Before that, a British port operator stopped running the port after the operator was put on a dirty list of international companies doing business with the military. He admitted he was struggling to pay the leasing fees to the military. After a stay in Thailand until last year, U Jonathan Kyaw Thaung is now believed to be in Dubai, where his father is now residing. You may also like these stories: Myanmars Suu Kyi Denies Taking Bribes from Yangon Chief Minister Myanmar Junta Jails ex-General Who Served in NLD Govt Over Corruption Allegation Myanmars Civilian Defense Minister Confident of Victory Burma Former Myanmar Dictator Than Shwe and Retired Generals Resurface Top (left to right): Former dictator Than Shwe; Vice Senior General Maung Aye, Bottom (left to right): Ex-President U Thein Sein; Former UEC Chairman U Tin Aye A group of retired generals led by former Myanmar dictator Senior General Than Shwe offered meals to senior Buddhist monks on March 13, junta-controlled newspapers reported. It was the first official news of the 89-year-old Than Shwe and his cohorts and the first public donations made collectively by them since last years coup. Joining Than Shwe were his former deputy Vice Senior General Maung Aye, former President and General Thein Sein and former Lieutenant General Tin Aye, all of whom came to prominence after Than Shwe purged former spy chief Khin Nyunt in 2004. The retired generals did not attend the meal-offering in person, according to the report in junta media, but made cash contributions for meals for monks attending a meeting of the 47-member State Sangha Maha Nayaka Committee, the highest Buddhist authority in Myanmar. Than Shwe, Maung Aye, Thein Sein and former Union Election Commission (UEC) chairman Tin Aye are all neighbors in an affluent neighborhood of Pobbathiri Township in the Myanmar capital Naypyitaw. The neighborhood has been dubbed the Row of Six Mansions because six retired generals live there. Also making donations to the monks were family members of the late General Soe Win. Soe Win was appointed Prime Minister by Than Shwe in 2004, a position he held for three years before dying of leukemia in Yangon in October 2007. Soe Win was widely believed to have orchestrated the 2003 Depayin [also known as Tabayin] Massacre, in which junta-backed thugs attempted to kill National League for Democracy leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and her supporters in Sagaing Regions Debayin, Others connected to the former military regime who offered meals were the families of retired Major General Tin Ngwe, Lieutenant General Khin Maung Than, Lieutenant General Aung Dwe, Lieutenant General Maung Bo and Lieutenant General Ye Myint. The retired generals were seeking merit even as the current junta led by Senior General Min Aung Hlaing continues its devastating air raids on villages, the torching and looting of houses and the killing and raping of civilians. At the same time, surging food and fuel prices, daily power blackouts and water shortages are also taking a heavy toll on Myanmar citizens. Than Shwe has appeared in regime-controlled media twice since Snr-Gen. Min Aung Hlaings coup. His first appearance came in November last year, when he also offered meals to monks of the State Sangha Maha Nayaka Committee. This months meal donations was also the first official news of the 85-year-old Maung Aye for years. He has not been seen in public since 2011, and nothing is known about him except that he has suffered a stroke and is half-paralyzed. However, when he was informed by Snr-Gen. Min Aung Hlaing about his planned coup, Maung Aye reportedly replied that he was late and should have seized power earlier. Lieutenant General Moe Myint Tun, who is the henchman to the junta boss, is the former personal staff officer to Maung Aye. Lt-Gen. Moe Myint Tun is currently the vice chairman of the Myanmar Investment Commission and a member of the regimes governing body, the State Administration Council (SAC). Thein Sein and Tin Aye are former classmates from the ninth intake of the Defense Services Academy. Both men are former proteges of Than Shwe. Between 2011 and 2015, they brought the 2008 military-drafted constitution into play, which was designed by Than Shwe to ensure that the Myanmar military retained its grip on power. Some ministers from Thein Seins government have since been appointed to the SAC. Thein Sein and Snr-Gen. Min Aung Hlaings son Aung Pyae Sone both donated five million kyats to relatives of slain Union and Solidarity Development Party members widely alleged to have been military informants. Tin Aye, who chaired the military-owned Myanmar Economic Holdings under the previous military regime and the UEC under Thein Sein, continues to attend military-related events. He was present when the junta boss unveiled statues of military chiefs at the militarys museum in Naypyitaw. He also attended an event paying tribute to fallen soldiers. You may also like these stories: Myanmar Juntas Non-Stop Artillery Attacks Force Resistance Groups to Retreat Despite Solid Evidence, Businessman Denies Selling Arms to Myanmar Junta Myanmars Suu Kyi Denies Taking Bribes from Yangon Chief Minister Burma Myanmar Junta Jails ex-General Who Served in NLD Govt Over Corruption Allegation The NLD government's religious affairs minister Thura U Aung Ko in 2017. / The Irrawaddy Former Brigadier General Thura U Aung Ko, who served as the minister for religious affairs and culture under the ousted National League for Democracy (NLD) government, was sentenced to 12 years in prison with labor for alleged corruption on Monday. The regime filed four counts of corruption against the minister under Section 55 of the Anti-Corruption Law after accusing him of accepting bribes from a businessman and abusing his position of power to confer Buddhist titles on laypersons. The regime alleged that U Aung Ko accepted 40 million kyats (US$22,522) from individuals in return for Sasananuggaha titlestitles conferred on those who make significant contributions to the promotion of Buddhism. He was also accused of accepting a luxury car and a gold plate weighing 20 ticals (326.6 grams). The former brigadier general was a long-time member of the Central Executive Committee of the military proxy Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP). He was appointed deputy minister of religious affairs under the former military regime and was a Lower House USDP lawmaker during the Thein Sein administration. U Aung Ko, who is known to be close to former General Shwe Mann, a close ally of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, was appointed as religious affairs minister in the NLD government following the partys landslide victory in the 2015 general election. He is also said to be close to NLD leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. He was given three years for each of four corruption charges, for a total of 12 years. U Aung Ko, in his capacity as the religious affairs minister, abolished the Association for Protection of Race and Religion, a pro-military nationalist group better known by its Burmese acronym Ma Ba Tha. During the U Thein Sein government the group successfully lobbied for the approval of a controversial set of four laws on race and religion that imposed restrictions on interfaith marriage, birth spacing, polygamy and conversion, believed to be targeted at Muslims. It later clashed with the NLD government, however, and in May 2017 the state-backed cleric organization Ma Ha Na announced that Ma Ba Tha was an unlawful organization and banned it from operating under that name. The group has since rebranded itself as the Buddha Dhamma Charity Foundation. Since seizing power on Feb. 1 last year, the regime has arrested most of the NLDs leadersincluding State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and President U Win Myintas well as senior party members including government officials and ministers. To keep them behind bars, the regime has charged the detained officials with an array of offenses including breaching COVID-19 rules and the Official Secrets Act, as well as high treason and incitement to corruption. You may also like these stories: Myanmars Civilian Defense Minister Confident of Victory Junta Watch: Ministers Told to Save Fuel, Coup Leaders Mentor Makes Rare Appearance, and More Funding Revolution Important for the Victory: Prominent Myanmar Activist Burma Myanmars Suu Kyi Denies Taking Bribes from Yangon Chief Minister Detained State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. / The Irrawaddy Myanmars detained State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi denied accepting bribes from U Phyo Min Thein, the Yangon Region chief minister, at a court hearing on Monday in Naypyitaw, a court source told The Irrawaddy. Daw Aung San Suu Kyi was quoted as saying: The allegations are completely false. I had no reason to take it, no reason to accept it. The prosecution and defense lawyers are set to present their closing arguments at the next hearing on March 28 as Daw Aung San Suu Kyi said she would not call any witnesses. The verdict is expected soon. U Phyo Min Thein testified in October last year that in his role as Yangon chief minister he gave seven viss (around 11.4kg) of gold and US$600,000 to Daw Aung San Suu Kyi in 2017 and 2018. Daw Aung San Suu Kyi has dismissed his claims as all absurd. U Phyo Min Thein is the only chief minister not to be jailed by the regime, apart from the Chin State chief, who reportedly escaped across the Indian border. U Phyo Min Theins wife Daw Khin Mi Mi Kywe told the court in November that she took gold from her gold shop and bought US dollars from money changers and prepared them for Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, after her husband said they were in exchange for her protection and support. Daw Aung San Suu Kyi said she was working for the whole country and not for U Phyo Min Thein alone, according to a source. She said she only knew about the corruption charge when the junta-controlled anti-graft commission sent her a letter of investigation. The director of the anti-graft commission, U Aung Khant, who is the plaintiff in another corruption case against Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, President U Win Myint and former social welfare, relief and resettlement minister U Win Myint Aye, also testified on Monday. The charge relates to the rent and purchase of a helicopter for natural disasters and state affairs, including rescues and emergencies. Daw Aung San Suu Kyi is on trial on 11 charges and faces sentences of more than 100 years. She was handed jail sentences in December and January. Lawyers appealed to the Supreme Court in late February to withdraw five corruption charges each against Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, Naypyitaw mayor Dr. Myo Aung and Yangon ministers U Ye Min Oo and U Naing Ngan Linn. The Supreme Court is set to decide on Tuesday whether to allow the appeal. You may also like these stories: Myanmar Junta Jails ex-General Who Served in NLD Govt Over Corruption Allegation Myanmars Civilian Defense Minister Confident of Victory Junta Watch: Ministers Told to Save Fuel, Coup Leaders Mentor Makes Rare Appearance, and More Guest Column A Day of Action for Rivers Karenni villagers along the Thai-Myanmar border join a campaign protesting against plans for hydroelectric dams on the Salween River. / Pianporn Deetes / International Rivers On a sandy beach by the Salween River on the Thai-Myanmar border in March 2006, boats carrying Karen villagers and other ethnic groups such as Karenni, Yintalai and Shan from various areas in the Salween Basin arrived to join an important yet simple ceremony. Once the 600 participants were ready, a Christian pastor prayed to God. Then a monk lit candles and did a blessing. Old Karen spiritual leaders performed a ritual to pay respect to the spirits that protect the river and forest. On this day, indigenous peoples of the Salween were grouped according to their religions and beliefs, gathered together along the river. All of this was held together to show the villagers collective stance to protect the Salween River from dam construction that would be destructive to the rivers ecology and biodiversity, and to their livelihoods. At that time, the Chinese, Myanmar and Thai governments had plans to build up to 20 hydroelectric dams along the river, in China and Myanmar as well as on the Thai-Myanmar border. That was the first time that the peoples of the Salween organized their local March 14 International Day of Action for Rivers event. This event is part of a global movement that originated from a meeting of people affected by dams around the world, held in Curitiba, Brazil, in 1997. Over the past two decades, the Salween River has been a target for the hydropower industry. However, because of indigenous peoples longstanding efforts, the Salween is one of the last transboundary rivers in the world that still flows freely. Originating from the melting snow in the Himalayan plateau, the Upper Salween or Nu Jiang, flows alongside the Mekong River and the Yangtze River into Yunnan Province of China. The area is designated as a World Natural Heritage Site by Unesco. The Salween River enters Myanmar through the heart of Shan State, then flows to Kayah State before forming a border between Myanmars Karen State and Thailands Mae Hong Son province. It then flows back into Myanmar before entering the Andaman Sea in Mawlamyine, Mon State, with a total length of approximately 2,800 km. In 2003, China had plans for a cascade of 13 dams on the Upper Salween River. But the plan has been halted several times due to opposition from civil society organizations and local riverine communities, and due to awareness raised by extensive media coverage. In Myanmar, there are at least seven dam projects proposed, all driven by state-owned enterprises and companies from Thailand and China. On the Day of Action for Rivers event in 2006, peoples of the Salween gathered to protect the river from two dam projects on the Thai-Myanmar border; the Wei Gyi and Da-gwin dam projects proposed by the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (Egat). Eventually, because of strong grassroots movements along with concerns from conservation groups about the destructive environmental impacts, the projects were shelved. At another Day of Action for Rivers, in 2007, an event was held on a beach in Karen State opposite Ban Sop Moei, Mae Hong Son province. There were hundreds of Karen people from both sides of the river. At that time, the Hat Gyi Dam project was in planning for construction on the Salween River in Karen State, just 47 km from the Thai border. It was also an Egat project. In Shan State, almost every year since 2006, the Shan people hold Day of Action for Rivers events in different areas, as there has been a plan for three dam projects including Mong Ton Dam (also known as Tasang), Kun Long Dam and Nong Pha Dam. The gatherings clearly show the efforts of the Shan people who want to save the Salween River, which is in a region that has been under civil war for decades. If built, Mong Ton Dam will submerge the Thousand Islands on a tributary of the Salween, the Pang River, which possesses unique ecological importance and beauty where the clear blue river flows around hundreds of islands. It is a part of the area where more than 300,000 Shan people in 150 villages have been forced to relocate by Myanmar military dictatorships since the late 1990s. This has involved human rights violations by the Myanmar army including the uprooting of tens of thousands of Shan peoples who are still displaced today. In Kayah State, various ethnic villages have continually organized Day of Action events to oppose the plan for the Ywatith Dam on the Salween. Kayah State also faces heavy attacks by the Myanmar military junta; over 170,000 people have been displaced due to clashes and airstrikes since May 2021. This year, there will be events on the Salween River at several areas calling for its permanent protection. In Karen State, indigenous peoples in the Salween Peace Park will take a stand calling for the Myanmar junta to stop the attacks and withdraw from their ancestral lands, as well as stop the plan for dams on the Salween River. In Thailand, there will be activities at Sob Ngao, the confluence of the Ngao River, a tributary of the Yuam River in Mae Hong Son province. The Peoples Network of the Yuam, Ngao, Moei and Salween Basin has monitored and opposed the Yuam water diversion for years. This trans-basin water diversion project has been proposed by Thailands Royal Irrigation Department. It is a 110-billion-baht (US$3.29-billion) investment which consists of a dam, large pumping station, high-voltage transmission line, and 62 km of underground tunnels that will destroy a lush forest ecosystem that spans the three provinces of Tak, Mae Hong Son and Chiang Mai. The Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report has been criticized as being deeply flawed because the process did not properly obtain free, prior and informed consent and for a lack of public participation, especially from affected indigenous communities. The EIA and water diversion project are being investigated by the Thai National Human Rights Commission and the Parliament Committee on Land, Natural Resources and Environment. In addition, politicians who push the project are giving interviews to the media that suggest the diversion of the Yuams water will be just the beginning. The proponents frequently say that a Chinese enterprise has offered to build the tunnel for free, in exchange for permission for a Phase Two, which would see Chinese-led dam construction on the Salween River in Myanmar. For two decades, we have seen the seeds of grassroots efforts to protect the environment, biodiversity and human rights of indigenous people. As people in Myanmar are facing life and death situations, especially after the coup, I still feel the resistance of the Salween peoples coming together for peace and the future of the Salween River to flow freely, as a source of life, culture and as a legacy for many generations to come. Pianporn Deetes is Thailand and Myanmar campaigns director at International Rivers. This article first appeared in The Bangkok Post. You may also like these stories: Junta Watch: Ministers Told to Save Fuel, Coup Leaders Mentor Makes Rare Appearance, and More Funding Revolution Important for the Victory: Prominent Myanmar Activist Regime Artillery Strikes Kill Children and Senior Citizens in Upper Myanmar Trinity, TX (77320) Today A mix of clouds and sun. High 89F. Winds SSE at 10 to 20 mph.. Tonight Partly cloudy this evening, then becoming cloudy after midnight. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 74F. Winds SSE at 10 to 15 mph. Ithaca, NY (14850) Today Cloudy with a few showers. High 59F. Winds NW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 30%.. Tonight Cloudy skies early, followed by partial clearing. Low 43F. Winds NNW at 10 to 15 mph. Details about a spying tool, claimed to be developed by the American NSA and able to reside in a Linux machine in order to steal information, has been reported by Global Times, a Chinese newspaper which has a pro-government tilt. The publication said the tool, which was said to have been used to control network gear around the world to steal user data, had been detailed in a report by the National Computer Virus Emergency Response Centre. Known as NOPEN, the report said it could be also used for redirecting network traffic. The centre's technical analysts said NOPEN was a complex tool that could be modified to work on different architectures and operating systems. The claims come in the wake of a report by Chinese security firm Pangu Labs in February which provided details about NSA malware, known as Bvp47, that had been found in 2013. This was also aimed at Linux. The Global Times report said once NOPEN was implanted on a system it could serve as a bridge for entering other machines on the same network. The centre's report said that NSA documents leaked by the Shadow Brokers listed NOPEN as a weapon used by the organisation's Tailored Access Operations group, a division that now no longer exists. Exploits dumped by the Brokers have been used in malware campaigns, with the most well-known being the WannaCry ransomware that was unleashed in May 2017. The NSA was contacted for comment. A spokesperson responded: "We don't have anything for you on this today." Chinese security firms or government authorities rarely disclose details about malware from other countries that are claimed to attack Chinese systems, hence two reports in two months is highly unusual. Prior to these two reports, only twice has a Chinese research team publicly released details about malware emanating from American spy agencies; once was when 360 Core Security (Qihoo Security) named former CIA employee Joshua Adam Schulte as being the person who leaked material to WikiLeaks which the latter published under the name Vault 7. The other time this happened was in September 2019, when researcher Qi An Xin accused the American intelligence agency of breaching aviation industry targets between 2012 and 2017. The German Federal Office for Information Security [German acronym BSI] has recommended that users replace anti-virus software made by Russian vendor Kaspersky with other products, a warning that the company has dismissed as being driven by political considerations. The warning, issued on 15 March, said ongoing military activity between Russia and Ukraine had led to Moscow warning about the EU, NATO and Germany and this was "associated with a significant risk of a successful IT attack with far-reaching consequences". In a statement issued on Wednesday, Kaspersky said: "We believe this decision is not based on a technical assessment of Kaspersky products that we continuously advocated for with the BSI and across Europe but instead is being made on political grounds," the company said. German Federal Office for Information Security issues a cybersecurity warning from the use of Kaspersky antivirus? Apparently Germany says that Kaspersky products "may be used in cyber operations"? Wow. https://t.co/7B3J9rPOzn pic.twitter.com/7gSzpxXOnB Lukasz Olejnik (@lukOlejnik) March 15, 2022 The BSI statement said: "A Russian IT manufacturer can himself carry out an offensive operation, against his own will, to attack target systems, or be himself a victim of a cyber operation without his knowledge, to spy or be misused as a tool for attacks against his own customers. This is an open tweet to @Kaspersky who may quote me: No evidence exists to show Kaspersky supports any government's military or political objectives. I have documented how McAfee, Symantec, and Trend Micro each did this, but not Kaspersky. https://t.co/Paw3rvwj9x ? Rob Rosenberger (@vmyths) March 14, 2022 "Through the manipulation of software or an attack on encrypted data by Kaspersky, reconnaissance or sabotage operations against Germany, against individuals or certain companies or organisations can be implemented, or at least supported." Kaspersky lost its business with the US public sector a few years ago after a sustained attack by major American newspapers, claiming it was leaking data to Russian intelligence services, a claim the company strongly denied. Since then the firm has cut back operations in that country and set up so-called transparency centres where companies can sign up to look at the source code of its products. The Kaspersky statement added: "Our data processing infrastructure was relocated to Switzerland in 2018: since then, malicious and suspicious files voluntarily shared by users of Kaspersky products in Germany are processed in two data centres in Zurich that provide world-class facilities, in compliance with industry standards, to ensure the highest levels of security. "Beyond our cyber-threat-related data processing facilities in Switzerland, statistics provided by users to Kaspersky can be processed on the Kaspersky Security Networks services located in various countries around the world, including Canada and Germany." A Kaspersky spokesperson in Australia added that the same data centres in Zurich were used to analyse malicious and suspicious files from both Australia and New Zealand. The BSI statement was issued in German and translated for iTWire by Sheila Ramasamy, the author's sister, who is fluent in the language. Users of the ABC's iview service will not be able to opt out of disclosing even the hashed version of their email addresses, something that had been promised in July last year, a security researcher says. The service was set to impose mandatory logins for use from today [Tuesday] but does not appear to have done so as of this writing [1140 AEDT]. Dr Vanessa Teague, who runs the infosec outfit Thinking Cybersecurity, said in a tweet that the opt-out offered last July had been limited to "a hashed version of your email address to Google and Facebook." Just email address, not the rest of the data, regardless of login." And btw the opt-out of hashed-email-address-sharing that was promised was not implemented. https://t.co/AOetMJP2fU Vanessa Teague (@VTeagueAus) March 14, 2022 But now even that bit of information cannot be withheld. Dr Teague lodged an FOIA request on 16 June last year, seeking full information on data-sharing agreements signed by the ABC with third parties who have access to iview data, including Google, Facebook and customer data hub and enterprise tag management firm Tealium. The Australian Privacy Foundationto ABC chair Ita Buttrose at the start of the month, making several arguments for delaying the introduction of the logins until a number of issues were sorted. Buttrose issued a reply on 8 March, avoiding the most troubling aspects of the APF's letter. The APF them repeated its arguments to no avail. The compulsory logins were announced by the ABC in a statement on 17 February, claiming that it would collect user data, but would not sell the same. However, the data will be shared with both Google and Facebook Said Dr Teague: "The ABC belongs to all of us and it's not acceptable to be sharing the details of what we watch on iview with Tealium, Google and others. "Opt-out wouldn't have been sufficient even if it had been honoured, because the real risk is large-scale information disclosure that puts the most vulnerable Australians at risk of misinformation and manipulation." She added: "Google and Tealium see exactly what you're watching even if you opt out or watch kids' TV. We did not consent to this." Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, says it will not fact-check claims made by politicians during the forthcoming Federal Election campaign in order to catch disinformation. The company issued a long blog post on Tuesday, written by Josh Manchin, the head of Policy in Australia, about how it was getting ready for the 2022 election. Manchin told a media conference: "The speech of politicians is already very highly scrutinised. "It's scrutinised by [journalists], but also by academics, experts, and their political opponents who are pretty well-positioned to push back or indicate they don't believe something's right if they think they're being mischaracterised." However, political statements from non-politicians will be checked by Meta's staff and contractors. Manchin said the Australian Associated Press, Agence France Presse and the RMIT FactLab would be involved in fact-checking, with the last named being new to this scene. There would also be monitoring for misinformation in the run-up to the election, a process in which an organisation known as FirstDraft would assist. "First Draft will also be providing pre-election training for Australian journalists on how to identify and prevent amplifying misinformation and disinformation, Manchin said. Other measures include working with AAP "to launch an education and awareness campaign comprising a series of short videos modelling how people can recognise and avoid misinformation by taking simple steps to Check the Facts", he said. "The campaign will run again this April and will include, for the first time, content translated in three other languages Vietnamese, Simplified Chinese and Arabic." Facebook has been constantly criticised for the misinformation it spreads. Machin said the company had specialised global teams to identify and take action against threats to the election, "including signs of co-ordinated inauthentic behaviour across our apps". "We are also co-ordinating with the governments election integrity assurance taskforce and security agencies in the lead-up to the election. Weve also improved our AI so that we can more effectively detect and block fake accounts, which are often behind this activity. "Since 2017, we have removed over 150 networks around the world including ahead of major democratic elections. Were working to find and remove any networks of co-ordinated inauthentic behaviour. Well also share publicly what we find." Recently, researchers from the Reset Australia demonstrated that ads containing deliberate misinformation could be easily slipped past the moderators at Meta. Dylan Williams and Dhakshayini Sooriyakumaran said five ads they had designed and submitted, via the Facebook Ads Manager, and scheduled for a date several months in the future, had all been given the green light. All the ads explicitly promoted election disinformation and scheduling them so far ahead was meant to ensure that they would not actually be published, the two researchers said. Manchin said: "Since the 2019 Australian federal election, weve made a series of changes for advertisers in Australia that want to run electoral, political and social issue ads. Advertisers are now required to go through an authorisation process using government-issued photo ID, and place a 'paid for by' disclaimer on their ads. "This includes any person creating, modifying, publishing or pausing ads that reference political figures, political parties or elections. It also includes social issue ads that seek to influence public opinion through discussion, debate or advocacy for or against important topics, such as civil and social rights, crime, environmental politics, education or immigration. "We launched these requirements for social issue ads last year, before the first possible election date, to ensure it was in place for the Australian federal election. Any political, electoral or social issue ads on Facebook and Instagram that do not have the correct authorisation or disclaimers will be removed from the platform and archived in a public Ad Library for seven years." Adelaide-based startup The Big Middle aims to provide mid-market businesses with industry-specific systems based on Salesforce and Oracle. Co-founder and CEO Andrew McAdams sold his previous business PrimeQ to Accenture for more than $30 million in 2018. Co-founder Greg Taylor serves as the company's COO. and Geoff Rohrsheim is a director. The Big Middle will focus on mid-market businesses with revenue between $100 million and $1 billion, building Salesforce and Oracle based industry-specific products that are delivered remotely and charged on a subscription basis. "Australia's mid-market business community has been let down by the major technology providers who have shifted their focus to larger corporations while acquiring many of the smaller resellers," said McAdams. "They've left an enormous gap in the market and we intend to fill it." The Big Middle is looking to hire 150 software consultants around Australia and New Zealand. "Too often, employees in big consulting firms feel stuck and like a number," added McAdams. "We bring a different approach, knowing that great organisations are those with a strong culture, where everyone is valued and has an opportunity to flourish. "We're building relationships that matter in a digital world, seeking software consultants who will embrace our core values of transparency, ingenuity, inclusion and safety." COMPANY NEWS: Atturra, a leading technology services business in designing, implementing, and maintaining IT solutions, today announced a partnership with VaultSpeed, to sell and support the company's SaaS-based data warehouse automation solutions in Australia. The strategic agreement follows the recent launch of Atturra's new data services practice within its data and integration team, which has award-winning experience of working with vendors including Boomi, Software AG and Snowflake. The addition of VaultSpeed will now enable Atturra to provide its customers with a cloud-based approach to modernising data infrastructure while at the same time maximising existing investments in both data warehouse technology and ETL tools. "We are excited to welcome Atturra as one of our top partners in the APAC region," said VaultSpeed vice president of global partnerships Andreas Schurch. "Their proven experience and expertise in data warehouse automation in the cloud, as well as their in-depth knowledge of the data integration market in Australia and New Zealand, will be invaluable as we work together to bring new levels of speed and efficiency to our mutual customers in the region." VaultSpeed's data warehouse automation software accelerates and automates the data warehouse lifecycle's design, build, and maintenance stages. It builds on the Data Vault 2.0 methodology using a code-free approach to speed up agile data integration. It dramatically reduces the cost to provide quality assured enterprise data that meet analysts' requirements for data-driven decision-making. "We're excited to partner with VaultSpeed's data warehouse automation solution to provide the performance, scalability and flexibility enterprises need to effectively compete in today's cloud-first, data-driven business environment," said Atturra data and integration executive general manager Jason Frost. "Building data warehouses from scratch is time intensive, involves writing SQL and managing storage. VaultSpeed provides enterprises with the power of data warehouse automation, generating all code and the automation required to centralise and model data. The result is a scalable, highly resilient cloud environment that increases productivity and agility for our customers. It enables them to gather real-time insights and actionable analytics to compete, succeed and emerge stronger in the post-pandemic period ahead." VaultSpeed will provide Atturra with sales training, certification programs and marketing resources to deliver rapid sales readiness and technical knowledge excellence. For customers, this translates to the highest confidence in Attura's capability to help their business compete with data at scale. About VaultSpeed VaultSpeed provides a best-in-class data warehouse automation solution to speed up the process of data integration, building on the Data Vault 2.0 methodology. Enterprise customers worldwide rely on VaultSpeed to simplify the creation and maintenance of their data warehouse. The tool integrates with most popular ETL tools, hundreds of data sources, and top customer choices for cloud data stores like Snowflake, Microsoft Synapse, Databricks, and Google BigQuery. VaultSpeed is headquartered in Leuven, Belgium, with offices in Seattle, Washington and Vilnius, Lithuania. For more information, visit https://www.vaultspeed.com. About Atturra Atturra is one of Australia's most extensive IT services and consulting companies, focused on providing end-to-end transformation services to its clients. Atturra goes to market directly and through several key service offerings, including advisory and consulting, business applications, cloud services, data and integration, management control solutions and change management and adoption. Atturra is headquartered in Sydney and has offices in Melbourne, Canberra, and Brisbane. With more than 600 people across Australia, Atturra helps both the public and private sectors adapt and grow by delivering business and technology outcomes. Atturra offers its clients scale, market reach, deep capability, robust management processes, and the stability customers look for in a business partner that delivers results. For more information, visit atturra.com. 26-year Cisco veteran Carl Solder returns to Australia to take up the role of chief technology officer. "It's great to be back. I'm keen to connect back with our Australian and New Zealand customer community who, at the executive briefing centres in San Jose, are often viewed as technology thought leaders when compared to customer peers across the world," said Solder. He joined Cisco in 1996 as its first systems engineer in Western Australia, after spending 11 years in systems engineering at IBM Australia. Solder subsequently moved to Cisco's Singapore office as a consulting systems engineer, and then to San Francisco where he held a variety of roles at the company, including distinguished engineer, senior director for various technologies, and then vice president of engineering for the enterprise networking business. "In my last few years at Cisco's engineering headquarters, the team have upped the ante on driving its innovation engine. I saw more innovation being pushed out the door than any other time across my 25 years with Cisco," he said "The world is undergoing massive changes in the way it uses the network and associated technology and is integrated throughout business and in our lives. From the pandemic and shift to hybrid work, to increased cyber-attacks, the adoption of the internet of things, automation, developments in artificial intelligence and machine learning all these factors have resulted in an acceleration of Cisco's innovation engine. "We are at a time in which the opportunities for customers and partners are evolving faster and innovating more creatively. I am committed to helping our customers in Australia and New Zealand to continue leading the way." Solder holds a bachelor of business degree from Curtin University, and is a Cisco certified internetwork expert. Australian researchers for the first time have reverse engineered the visual systems of hoverflies to detect drones acoustic signatures from almost for kilometres away. Autonomous systems experts from the University of South Australia (UniSA), Flinders University, and defence company Midspar Systems say that trials using bio-inspired signal processing techniques show up to a 50% better detection rate than existing methods. The findings, reported in The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, could help combat the growing global threat posed by IED-carrying drones including in Ukraine. Flinders University autonomous systems associate professor Dr Russell Brinkworth claims the ability to both see and hear small drones at greater distances could be beneficial for aviation regulators, safety authorities, and the wider public monitoring autonomous aircraft in sensitive airspace. Weve witnessed drones entering airspace where commercial airlines are landing and taking off in recent years, so developing the capacity to actually monitor small drones when theyre active near our airports or in our skies could be extremely beneficial towards improving safety, he notes. The impact of UAVs in modern warfare is also becoming evident during the war in Ukraine, so keeping on top of their location is actually in the national interest. Our research aims to extend the detection range considerably as the use of drones increases in the civilian and military space. UniSA autonomous systems professor Anthony Finn notes how insect vision systems have been mapped for some time to improve camera-based detections but this is the first time bio-vision has been applied to acoustic data. Bio-vision processing has been shown to greatly increase the detection range of drones in both visual and infrared data. However, we have now shown we can pick up clear and crisp acoustic signatures of drones, including very small and quiet ones, using an algorithm based on the hoverflys visual system, Finn comments. The hoverflys visual and tracking skills have been modelled to detect drones in busy, complex and obscure landscapes, both for civilian and military purposes. Unauthorised drones pose distinctive threats to airports, individuals and military bases. It is therefore becoming ever-more critical for us to be able to detect specific locations of drones at long distances, using techniques that can pick up even the weakest signals. Our trials using the hoverfly-based algorithms show we can now do this, Finn says. Compared with traditional techniques, bio-inspired processing improved detection ranges by between 30 and 49%, depending on the type of drone and the conditions. Researchers look for specific patterns (narrowband) and/or general signals (broadband) to detect drone acoustics at short to medium distances, but at longer distance the signal is weaker and both techniques struggle to achieve reliable results. For more information, watch the video below: iTWire previously looked at PRTG in-depth seven years ago; at that time we said PRTG allows a sysadmin to plan their day around the products notifications, and it gives executives transparency into where money should be spent on the network. Fast forward to today and Paessler's PRTG is even more valuable than ever. The cloud is both the new normal, and it is here to stay. In a world where we can spin up and down elastic services from multiple public clouds, where our applications span the globe - perhaps running on AWS or Azure but consuming data from Snowflake or Google BigQuery, and firing off events to SalesForce or Microsoft Dynamics. Our corporate infrastructure has grown both in size and in distance. Gone are the days when all the servers you managed were confined to either a physical location or to a wide area network totally within your companys perimeter. Similarly, gone are the days where you could probably rattle off your organisations servers and networks from memory - or at the very least, you had a close idea in your head. Instead, todays networks are vastly larger and more complex with a myriad of dependencies and interconnected parts. This is further boosted by the modern application architecture of container-based microservices vs. monolithic applications of the past. Ok, that's a lot of words all to say if you dont have an enterprise network monitoring tool, no matter your size, you truly need one and PRTG is a no-brainer. Its proven the test of time, it supports a wide range of sensors, it includes a no-commitment, free 30-day trial, and its even free forever for up to 100 sensors. If you're not familiar with PRTG its fundamental purpose is to keep you abreast of anything on your network you need to know about - server uptime, disk space, DNS server outages, web application performance, and many, many things. PRTG allows you to list all the devices, servers, networks, applications, even IoT equipment, that lives on your network - or elsewhere on the Internet - that is significant to you. You can group them in meaningful ways, add sensors to any item to report on what matters, view history and trends, drill down into what something is, and ultimately keep your eye on whats happening. Something goes down? A well-organised PRTG setup will show you exactly what, and importantly, what else. When the Managing Director calls and asks why he cant send an email your trusty PRTG console will show you everything thats affecting it; DNS, switches, routers, Internet providers, mail hosts, and more. Actually, your MD may not even need to call you because youll already be on top of it. This is all the power PRTG gives you; it places you in control and gives the freedom to be proactive in managing your infrastructure - instead of being reactive, responding to ill-defined user tickets and trying to chase your own tail. When PRTG speaks of a sensor it means a specific item you can report on. The list of sensors is enormous. Were talking disk space, ping, time to accept a request on a port, SNMP traffic, SSL/TLS certificate health, bandwidth, IMAP health, NetFlow traffic, SNMP information, AWS EC2 performance, AWS RDS performance, Azure subscription cost, WSUS statistics, WMI metrics, VMware and Hyper-V info, Veeam details, Oracle and MySQL database details, and so, so much more. NetApp, Cisco, Dell, and other devices are supported. Linux, macOS and Windows are supported. If there is some piece of information you need to know about a device then PRTG will give it to you. It provides flexible options to add your own business process sensor too. We know that what gets measured gets improved, but in short, what you need to measure can be measured with PRTG. In fact, the list of sensors is so expansive it includes smart building infrastructure and low-powered wide-area networking, or LPWAN. While my own experience with PRTG has been more traditional computing infrastructure the product supports smart buildings, connected cities, agricultural and industrial equipment equally well, so long as it can be networked. Suddenly your PRTG environment is no longer all about application uptime, but building mould and leaks too. Now, whether you're using PRTG for on-premises, cloud, hybrid, industrial technology, operational technology, computing infrastructure, IoT, building state monitoring, or anything else, iTWire advises you to think about your PRTG setup so you can extract the most value. With a good setup, it becomes a powerful tool that minimises noise and puts meaningful, actionable insights at your fingertips. For example, when you first launch PRTG it will helpfully probe your network for you, finding the devices it can. You can give it a hand by providing credentials such as an administrative login. However, while PRTG will make its best efforts to find all your devices and organise them into a hierarchy it might not do this in the way that makes the most sense for you. In my case, PRTG identified my Synology DS1621+ NAS as a Linux-based system and grouped it with other PCs, whereas Id organise it elsewhere. PRTG also noted my DNS servers were Googles 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4 and duly went out probing those DNS servers for helpful sensors. Thats reasonable; DNS response time is important, but other aspects of those DNS servers I have no visibility of, given they belong to Google. PRTG also creates some hierarchy slots for VMware and Hyper-V hosts whether it identifies some or not, and you might like to tidy these up. PRTG also groups printers together, while potentially you might like to organise items by department - including client PCs, printers, and other devices. These are largely trivial things; none of that is bad in any way and it is helpful that PRTG gives you a starting point. However, what is important is to ensure you make your PRTG set up your own. For example, PRTG's emails will include the hostname of the PRTG probe device. If youre running on an AWS EC2, or an Azure Compute VM or something else of this ilk the chances are your hostname is a lengthy, random series of letters and numbers. Do yourself a favour; go into your PRTG email settings and adjust the subject line so it is simpler and meaningful. You want the subject line to be punchy and to-the-point helping you know at a glance whats wrong. Similarly, group your devices in ways that make sense to you. Organise core infrastructure items together, organise departments, or organise networks - whatever is your preference. Advantages of doing this are you get a more insightful display via PRTGs clever map feature - a visual display of your infrastructure radiating out from the core to the edge components, as well as being able to leverage inheritance. You can set permissions on different parts of your hierarchy so sysadmins see some items, developers some others, technicians something else, DBAs another part, and so on. Then, with a simple click or two, your permissions roll down the hierarchy youve built. Additionally, you can direct email alerts to the most relevant people or teams. I say all of this to help reduce noise; if youre getting constant chatter from PRTG with incomprehensible subject lines and for devices you have no control over then its more likely you skip over or ignore the messages that are important to you. Ive sadly seen this happen too many times. I will never forget the time I discovered backups were failing and when I checked with the sysadmin if he was getting alerts he admitted he created an email rule to automatically file all the Backup Exec notifications. He had a folder with hundreds of daily emails, all marked unread, and showing day after day there was a problem - but it was being ignored. It horrified and disappointed me. From that day on I made the rule that all system-generated alerts must be clear, must be meaningful, and must be relevant. Either we create alerts that say the right thing and go to the right people - or simply disable them. If the alerts arent going to be read, because theyve become noise, then at least save the email traffic. Of course, the best option is to have alerts that identify the problem, its source, and go to the correct audience. Thus, I urge you to do this with PRTG - and whats great is you can! Simply use the various options available to you, both in the global settings and at the hierarchy level. Similarly, rename devices or applications to use appropriate descriptors, instead of leaving them at the default where the IP address is reused as the label. Use icons to visually depict your nodes by purpose or vendor. PRTG provides a suite of icons for Synology, Sony, HP, and more. While PRTG supports monitoring different operating systems it does require an x86/x64 Windows-based machine to run on. You could run it on your own desktop or a VM on your desktop if you so want. Besides that, you can view it via the web, or via smartphone or tablet apps. You can use PRTG from your desk or while roaming. If your environment is spread over networks you might find it helpful to install remote probes which will then report back to your core PRTG installation. These remote probes can connect data behind a firewall and also collect data even if the network may be down. The data will be reported to the main server when online again. You can appreciate this gives you continuity during an outage, but what also deserves to be appreciated is you get back real insights into what happened on the other side during an outage. Imagine something going wrong at a remote location and being able to go back in time and see it from that side to analyse it? PRTGs remote probes give you that capability. I said at the beginning you need a network monitor; the network is too critical, too intricate, too expansive to leave fault-finding and health checks to manual work. In that sense, you could think any old network monitor will do the trick but thats no good either; if your network monitor is unreliable, is slow, cant handle all the possible types of infrastructure or applications you manage, and doesnt allow you to customise your alerts then its not adding value. Such a tool will be noisy and frustrating at worst, or ignored and useless at best. Heres where PRTG comes in; its a tried-and-test, highly popular, highly versatile, flexible, customisable monitoring tool that can support whatever you do. With a 30 day free trial you can set it up in minutes without risk or commitment. Check it for yourself, spend some time setting it up to your liking, and then sit back and breathe easy. You can sleep at night knowing nothing happens on your network without you knowing about it. Download PRTG here. This Week in Review A weekly review of the best and most popular stories published in the Imperial Valley Press. Also, featured upcoming events, new movies at local theaters, the week in photos and much more. George Lucas is one of history's most financially successful filmmakers responsible for the Star Wars franchise and Indiana Jones, he has been nominated for four Academy Awards for his work. The multi billionaire, visionary, film director, producer, screenwriter, and entrepreneur turns Click for more. Jacksonville, TX (75766) Today Considerable cloudiness. High 88F. Winds SSE at 10 to 15 mph.. Tonight Mostly cloudy skies. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 71F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph. Johnson City, TN (37604) Today Sun and clouds mixed. High 78F. Winds W at 10 to 15 mph.. Tonight Clear to partly cloudy. Low around 50F. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph. Joplin, MO (64801) Today Rain likely. High 61F. Winds E at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall around a half an inch.. Tonight Rain likely. Low 58F. Winds ESE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 90%. 1 to 2 inches of rain expected. This rendering shows The Amp at Sam Michaels Park in its future, completed state. A federal appropriation will help get Phase II construction of the project under way. State Reporter Eric covers state government and does special projects. Eric joined the JI in June 2014. He graduated from CCSU, and his hobbies include speaking truth to power and exposing hypocrisy. He is a fan of the New York Giants and Metallica. Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Today Partly cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High near 85F. Winds WNW at 10 to 15 mph. Tonight A few passing clouds. Low 53F. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph. Tomorrow Sunshine and clouds mixed. High 81F. Winds light and variable. The UNs top court said it will give a judgment Wednesday on Ukraines charge that Russia falsely justified its invasion by accusations of genocide. Kyiv filed the case at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) shortly after Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, demanding that the tribunal order an end to the offensive. It accuses Russia of illegally trying to justify its war under an international convention by falsely alleging that Ukraine committed genocide in regions held by pro-Russian separatists. Russia declined to turn up to a hearing at the UN court on March 7. The court in The Hague said in a statement it would announce its judgment on Wednesday at 1500 GMT. The ICJ was set up after World War II to rule on disputes between UN member states, based mainly on treaties and conventions. Although its rulings are binding, it has no real means to enforce them. The case is separate from a Ukraine war crimes investigation launched by the International Criminal Court (ICC), a different tribunal also based in The Hague. The Chadian authorities on Monday handed over a former Central African Republic militia leader to the International Criminal Court on suspicion of war crimes and crimes against humanity, the Hague-based court said. Maxime Jeoffroy Eli Mokom Gawaka is suspected of crimes committed in 2013 and 2014 in Bangui and other locations in the Central African Republic, the ICC said in a statement. Mokom was an anti-Balaka group leader, vigilantes from the CARs Christian and animist majority. In 2019, he became the countrys minister for Disarmament, Demobilisation, Reintegration and Repatriation (DDRR). The ICC has found reasonable grounds to suspect that Mokom, in his capacity as a National Coordinator of Operations of the Anti-Balaka, was responsible for crimes against humanity, including murder, torture, persecution and enforced disappearance, the court said in its statement. On the war crimes front, he is suspected of, among other things, intentionally directing an attack against the civilian population and an attack against humanitarian assistance personnel as well as enlisting fighters as young as 15. One of the poorest countries in the world, the CAR spiralled into conflict in 2013 when president Francois Bozize was ousted by a rebel coalition called the Seleka, drawn largely from the Muslim minority. The coup triggered a sectarian bloodbath between anti-Balaka forces and Seleka rebels. Two former anti-Balaka leaders, Patrice-Edouard Ngaissona and Alfred Yekatom, are already on trial at the ICC. An alleged Seleka leader will go on trial at the ICC in September to face charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity. Chadian authorities on Monday handed over to the International Criminal Court a former Central African Republic militia leader accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity, the Hague-based court said. Maxime Jeoffroy Eli Mokom Gawaka is suspected of crimes committed in 2013 and 2014 in Bangui and other locations in the Central African Republic, the ICC said in a statement. One of the poorest countries in the world, the CAR spiralled into conflict in 2013 when president Francois Bozize was ousted by a rebel coalition called the Seleka, drawn largely from the Muslim minority. The coup triggered a sectarian bloodbath between the Seleka and anti-Balaka forces, who were mainly Christian or animist. Mokom was the leader of an anti-Balaka group. In 2019, he became the countrys minister for disarmament and demobilisation. The ICC has found reasonable grounds to suspect that Mokom, in his capacity as a National Coordinator of Operations of the Anti-Balaka, was responsible for crimes against humanity, including murder, torture, persecution and enforced disappearance, the court said in its statement. On the war crimes front, he is suspected of, among other things, intentionally directing an attack against the civilian population and an attack against humanitarian assistance personnel as well as enlisting fighters as young as 15. Mr Maxime Jeoffroy Eli Mokom Gawaka was surrendered to the International Criminal Court by the authorities of the Republic of Chad on account of an ICC warrant of arrest issued under seal on 10 December 2018, the court said. Late Monday the court tweeted that Mokom had arrived at the ICC Detention Centre in The Hague. The initial appearance of Mr Mokom will take place in due course, it said in its statement. The ICC, which sits in The Hague, was created in 2002 to try individuals prosecuted for war crimes, crimes against humanity or acts of genocide. Two former anti-Balaka leaders, Patrice-Edouard Ngaissona and Alfred Yekatom, are already on trial at the ICC. An alleged Seleka leader will go on trial at the ICC in September to face charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity. JUSTICE INFO: In a tweet after the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) announced that he has requested arrest warrants against three officials from South Ossetia for alleged crimes committed in Georgia in 2008, you wrote: 6 years of youth completely devoted, so many sleepless nights, damaged career & health, alienated colleagues & friends, attacks from intelligence agencies, 4 relocations, constant family trauma, all property & savings gonein the end it has all come to this. So in the end what has it come to? NIKA JEIRANASHVILI: Well, I cant help but wonder if it was all worth it, you know. Obviously I am happy that there is some movement; we see some results from the investigation. The sad part is that this could have happened three years ago and not six years after the investigation was opened. I even knew about these arrest warrants, at least two of them. I had conversations with the Office of the Prosecutor [of previous prosecutor Fatou Bensouda], advising them to issue those arrest warrants as soon as possible. So this could have been done earlier. According to you, these arrest warrants were ready three years ago? Yes, they were ready at least two or three years ago. Why were they not requested back then? The logic there was to see if these guys would move somewhere, if they liked to travel, or go on a holiday in one of the European countries, to arrest them. Otherwise it would just be something in the air and nobody would care about it and there would be disappointment because there would be no process. When the pandemic began I suppose the reasoning was these guys are not moving anywhere. And now because of Ukraine everything changed and the new prosecutor just decided to go ahead. Not that anything changed in practice and that these guys would now go anywhere but with this he sent a very clear signal to the perpetrators in Ukraine that I am watching you, you are basically the same people. He even mentioned Ukraine in his statement on arrest warrants. I am pretty sure that if it wasnt for the situation in Ukraine in the past two or three weeks the arrest warrants would not have happened. And yet there doesnt seem to be any better prospect for the arrest of these three individuals Definitely not. It has become even more unrealistic now to arrest those guys. There are several things to take into consideration. There is a new prosecutor and before he was elected he showed what his vison was. It was: If I am elected, I will make sure that there will be no cases where there might be a chance that somebody in the end is found not guilty as it has happened in some of the cases [before the ICC]. He said: I will try to go ahead with the ones where it is more realistic to succeed in terms of evidence, executing arrest warrants, and [holding] hearings. This also included Ukraine. He knew very well, especially from the Georgian experience, that issuing arrest warrants, say, against Russian generals, is highly unlikely to be executed by Russia of course, but also by [ICC] member states because for them it meant a declaration of war with Russia. Thats why everybody liked his position and to a certain degree agreed with that. And yet you are saying that Karim Khan is now doing exactly the opposite. Yes. There was also an argument about resources, financial limitations, and of creating expectations with the victims and re-traumatizing them by promising things that will never really happen. But everything changed with Ukraine. And his position also changed, 180. And I suppose its not only him now. State parties, very powerful ones, the UK first of all and Karim Khan is also from UK [are] supporting the investigation of the Ukraine situation since the war started recently. I guess [the prosecutor] felt the pressure from member states. He must have felt that right now that there is nothing more important than Ukraine going on in the world. For him to remain silent would not be correct. He was basically forced to go ahead. Part of Khans realistic prosecutorial approach was to indicate that he wouldnt go after superpowers, like when he dropped the investigation against US agents in Afghanistan. And yet in Georgia and in Ukraine, it really is about Russia, another superpower. Exactly. He changed his position. We have to take into consideration that everything really changed two or three weeks ago when the war started in Ukraine. Literally everything that we knew before now happens in a different way. I think he realized this. [In his request for arrest warrants] he mentioned one Russian general who is now deceased because if there were only South Ossetian [suspects] everybody would say that he has just found the weakest link in that situation. Mentioning a Russian general and basically saying he would have issued an arrest warrant against him if he were alive is a big signal, especially in Georgia. With this he managed to mention Russia and Russias responsibility. Its also important that he mentioned Russias occupation. This is something that matters very much politically here in Georgia, and he mentioned parallels to the Ukraine situation and said he found similar patterns in Ukraine. I think he cannot be more clear than that, that this is all about Ukraine and whats happening there. Before, it was almost impossible to imagine [targeting] someone from Russia. Now the situation is different. State parties also realized that dealing with Russia only in diplomatic manner simply doesnt work anymore because of Russias actions. The time has come to treat Russia differently; actually to stop treating Russia differently and to start treating it as we should have done a few years ago. And if there is sufficient evidence against Russian generals, yes, issuing arrest warrants against them and see what happens. Some analysts worry that this is using the ICC as a weapon in the Ukraine conflict and that this is a mistake. Is it? Well, its been eight years they have had a preliminary examination in Ukraine It is true that this is a political decision. And I think its good the court also realizes that its not living in a world where there is no politics around. Of course if there is an international conflict there will be politics around it. I dont know about the weapon; if it was effective then we could say it is an effective weapon to stop perpetrators from committing crimes. I dont know if this will be successful and effective regarding Russia Are there lessons you wish to draw from the Georgian experience with the ICC that would be relevant to Ukraine? There is already a lot that we have shared with Ukrainian colleagues, and with the ICC Office of the Prosecutor as well. One of the problems that the Office had in its investigations was the lack of evidence. Because from the moment they got engaged it was already too late it was several years after the war some of the key witnesses had already died. And during the preliminary examination period the Office has done almost nothing to secure this evidence which could have been used later in court. Because of that the Office changed its practice in Ukraine. I think they will have less problems. There is the same aggressive country, Russia, the same people who give orders and ultimately we know who is the decision maker: Putin. I dont know if the prosecutor will go to the point where he will issue an arrest warrant against Putin himself. Its a very sensitive issue. We cannot avoid the Ukraine investigation to be politicized one way or another; there is no way to avoid it. It will all depend on what happens in the war, whether there will be an agreement, etc. Lets say Russia loses this war and there is a change in the Russian administration, then for sure [the prosecutor] will go after Putin himself. If it doesnt happen it is obviously highly unlikely for him to do something like this. Because again, from a realistic point of view, its just impossible: you cant just go into a bunker in Russia and bring Putin with you to The Hague, it wont happen. The three individuals named by the ICC Prosecutor in the Georgia situation are Lt.-Gen. Mikhail Mayramovich Mindzaev who was Minister of Internal Affairs of the de facto South Ossetian administration at the time; Gamlet Guchmazov, who was South Ossetias head of the Preliminary Detention; and David Georgiyevich Sanakoev, who was the de facto Presidential Representative for Human Rights of South Ossetia, also known as Ombudsman, according to the Prosecutor. How significant are these three individuals? For Georgians, some aspects were important. Not necessarily the individuals mentioned because they are all from South Ossetia and they are not seen as the main perpetrators: every single person in Georgia knows it was up to the Russian government and administration. Its not like South Ossetians started all this. So in a way there is disappointment that the Russian administration is not mentioned enough. It is also important that there is nobody from the Georgian side against whom arrest warrants are issued. So in a way people see it as a victory. I have heard comments from government officials. Its interesting. The way they portray it is that they have won this case, that this was because of their hard work. But nothing about the execution of the arrest warrants, nothing about asking Russia to arrest those guys and bring them to The Hague, nothing like that. Because the current government officials are very much affiliated with Russia. Every time they try not to do anything that Russia might not like. For example, we are one of the very few countries that are not actually part of the sanctions against Russia right now. Were there other individuals that you would have expected to be subject to arrest warrants? I think there was another Russian general, at the time involved with the so-called peace-keeping mission. But there are objective reasons, as I said, not having Russians in the arrest warrants: the problem of evidence. In that regard, the prosecutor went in the direction he said he would go. I think he found a very creative way to mention Russia without actually triggering anything from Russia. It was a very smart decision from his point of view. Sri Lanka will pay small sums to the families of people who were killed or went missing in the carnage of the island nations decade-long civil war, authorities announced Tuesday. Successive Sri Lankan governments have faced international censure over the conflict, which ended in 2009 after the collapse of the minority Tamil separatist movements armed wing. The islands military was accused of extrajudicial killings and the wars last days were marked by serious abuses, with rights groups alleging the deaths of at least 40,000 civilians during an assault on the final stronghold of the Tamil Tigers. Sri Lankas cabinet approved reparations payments of just under $400 to the next of kin of each person missing, abducted or killed during the conflict, according to a government statement that gave no estimates of the number entitled to the compensation. A one-time payment of 100,000 rupees will be paid to next of kin, the statement said. The government of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who helmed the defence ministry during the wars final stages, has routinely denied claims of atrocities by the Sri Lankan military and rebuffed calls for international investigations. Official figures released by the government two years ago showed that over 23,500 missing persons complaints had been received for cases dating to the conflict. Among those were some 5,000 members of the security forces whose whereabouts are unknown and who are presumed dead. Sri Lanka was criticised at the UN Human Rights Council earlier this month for failing to ensure accountability for war-time atrocities committed by both sides during the conflict. The council last year set up a mechanism to collect and preserve evidence relating to war crimes in the South Asian nation in a bid to allow future prosecutions. Sri Lanka is currently in the grips of its worst financial crisis since independence from Britain in 1948 and the local currencys value fell by more than a quarter against the US dollar last week. Human Rights Watch said Tuesday it was highly unlikely that 81 men Saudi Arabia executed in a single day received a fair trial, calling it a brutal show of its autocratic rule. More than half of them, 41, belonged to the Shiite minority who have long suffered systemic discrimination and violence by the government, the rights group said. The executions on Saturday were the most announced in a single day in Saudi Arabia, one of the worlds most prolific users of the death penalty, and outstripped its entire total last year. Saudi Arabias mass execution of 81 men this weekend was a brutal show of its autocratic rule, and a justice system that puts the fairness of their trials and sentencing into serious doubt, HRWs deputy Middle East director Michael Page said in a statement. The shocking callousness of their treatment is compounded by the fact that many families found out about their loved ones deaths just like the rest of us, after the fact and through the media. Saudi Arabia said the men, who included seven Yemenis and a Syrian, were convicted of crimes related to terrorism and belonged to the Islamic State group, Al-Qaeda, Yemens Huthi rebels or other terrorist organisations. Their trials were supervised by a total of 13 judges in three separate stages, official media said. But HRW said: Rampant and systemic abuses in Saudi Arabias criminal justice system suggest it is highly unlikely that any of the men received a fair trial. Many Saudi (Shiites) are serving lengthy sentences, are on death row or have been executed for protest-related charges following patently unfair trials, it added. HRW said it had obtained court judgements for five of the Shiites, finding due process violations in all of them. In every case they had told the court that they suffered torture and ill-treatment during interrogations, and that their confessions were forcibly extracted. The report quoted a brother of one of the 81 who said he had only found out about the executions through media. We have no idea how and what time they were killed, how and where they were buried, he was quoted as saying. I keep wondering, what were my brothers last words? Was he buried according to (Shiite) burial rites? Did they pray over his body? The executions were widely condemned, with UN human rights chief Michelle Bachelet raising concerns over potential breaches of international law and even war crimes. The United Nations on Tuesday denounced mass killings in Myanmar and accused the military of possible war crimes and crimes against humanity since last years coup detat. The UN human rights office urged the international community to take immediate steps to halt the spiral of violence in Myanmar. Myanmars military seized power on February 1 last year, ousting the civilian government and arresting its de facto leader, Aung San Suu Kyi. The junta has since waged a bloody crackdown on dissent. In a report covering the period since the takeover, UN human rights chief Michelle Bachelets office said Myanmars military and security forces had shown a flagrant disregard for human life. It described how the military had bombarded populated areas with air strikes and heavy weapons and deliberately targeted civilians, many of whom were shot in the head, burned to death, arbitrarily arrested, tortured or used as human shields. We have really been able to identify a pattern over the past year, which indicates that this is planned, coordinated, systemic attacks; that there are clear indications that they would amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity, UN human rights office spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani told reporters in Geneva. This is the clearest yet indication of the commission of these crimes. The report said that at least 1,600 people had been killed by security forces and their affiliates, while more than 12,500 people had been detained. At least 440,000 others have been displaced and 14 million are in need of urgent humanitarian assistance, the delivery of which has largely been blocked by the military in new and pre-existing areas of need, said the report. Meaningful action by the international community is urgently needed to stop yet more individuals from being stripped of their rights, their lives and their livelihoods, Bachelet said. The appalling breadth and scale of violations of international law suffered by the people of Myanmar demand a firm, unified, and resolute international response. The report was released for the ongoing 49th regular session of the UN Human Rights Council, which runs until April 1. Bachelet is due to present the report to the council on March 21. Thousands of protesters in Syrias rebel enclave of Idlib on Tuesday marked 11 years since an anti-government uprising, buoyed by the global outcry over Russias invasion of Ukraine. Gathered on the main square in the northwestern city of Idlib, more than 5,000 people took part in one of the largest rallies the beleaguered region has seen in months. Many of the demonstrators hoped that the war launched by the Syrian governments main backer Russia in Ukraine would rekindle some interest in their cause. What is happening in Ukraine today is similar to the situation here, the enemy is the same and the goal is the same, protester Radwan Atrash told AFP. Bashar al-Assads grip on power held by a thread after a nationwide uprising that erupted on March 15, 2011 escalated into a fully-fledged civil war. Russian President Vladimir Putins decision to throw his military might behind the government changed the course of the conflict and saved Assads hold on power. The main killers in a war that has left half a million people dead is by some margin the government and its allies, who include Russian and Iranian forces, as well as a myriad of militia groups. Around four million people, at least half of them displaced, now live in a region of northwestern Syria that is the last enclave fighting Assads rule despite years of deadly Russian-backed offensives. Galvanised A few Ukrainian flags were visible at the Idlib protest, as were banners expressing solidarity with the Ukrainian people and demanding action against Putin. A medic among the protesters at the citys main roundabout had some advice for his counterparts in Ukraine. Fortify your hospitals with cement blocks, the enemy Putin does not distinguish between civilians, wounded people and fighters, said Ali Hamoush, who works at an Idlib hospital. Russian aviation has repeatedly targeted medical facilities in Syria, according to witnesses, medics and human rights groups. A paediatric hospital was hit by an apparent Russian strike in the besieged Ukrainian city of Mariupol last week, causing an uproar and fuelling accusations of war crimes against Putin. Assad is among the few heads of state to openly support Putins invasion of Ukraine. Moscow is currently recruiting thousands of fighters in Syria, from the regular army and from militia groups, to be put on standby for possible deployment in Ukraine. The stiff resistance faced by invading Russian troops and Putins growing pariah status appeared to galvanise a crowd that has had little reason to cheer in recent years. It has been 11 years since the Syrian revolution started, but today it feels like the first day, said protester Salwa Abdelrahman. We forgot our wounds, the displacement, the killing and the arrests. We renewed our pledge to continue our revolution, the 49-year-old woman said. My message to the Ukrainian people is dont give up. Eleven years have passed but we are undaunted and, God willing, victory is ours. Holzer & Holzer, LLC is investigating whether MoneyLion, Inc. (MoneyLion?or the Company) (NYSE: ML) complied with federal securities laws. On March 10, 2022, MoneyLion announced it would be restating its quarterly financial results for the period ended September 30, 2021. Following this disclosure, the Companys stock dropped. If you purchased MoneyLion stock and suffered?a?loss on that investment, you are encouraged to contact Corey D. Holzer, Esq. at?[email protected]?or Joshua Karr, Esq. at?[email protected], call our toll-free number at (888) 508-6832, or visit our website at?www.holzerlaw.com?to discuss your legal rights.? Holzer & Holzer, LLC is an Atlanta, Georgia law firm that dedicates its practice to vigorous representation of shareholders and investors in litigation nationwide, including shareholder class action and derivative litigation. Since its founding in 2000, Holzer & Holzer attorneys have played critical roles in recovering hundreds of millions of dollars for shareholders victimized by fraud and other corporate misconduct.?More information about the firm is available through its website,?www.holzerlaw.com,?and upon request from the firm. Holzer & Holzer, LLC has paid for the dissemination of this promotional communication, and Corey Holzer is the attorney responsible for its content.? CONTACT:? Corey D. Holzer, Esq.? (888) 508-6832 (toll-free)? [email protected]? To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/116702 Original Source of the original story >> SHAREHOLDER ALERT: Investigation of MoneyLion (ML) Announced by Holzer & Holzer, LLC There is no offer to sell, no solicitation of an offer to buy, and no recommendation of any security or any other product or service in this article. Moreover, nothing contained in this PR should be construed as a recommendation to buy, sell, or hold any investment or security, or to engage in any investment Director Jo Sung Hee set the bar high for sci-fi films after introducing the film "Space Sweepers." Released in February 2021, the movie, which stars Song Jong Ki and Kim Tae Ri, gained an overwhelming response from the viewers. This is despite the surge of K-zombie-related contents, and at the height of COVID-19 cases. "Spaces Sweepers," set in 2092, follows the journey of a space junk collector ship dubbed as "The Victory" and its crew. They are in search of a humanoid robot named Dorothy. Interestingly, not only did the sci-fi film receive positive feedback but it also scored multiple awards in various ceremonies. Few of them include the Best Technical Award at the 2021 Korean Association Of Film Critics Awards, and Best Art Direction at the 30th annual Buil Film Awards. In addition, "Space Sweepers" is also included at the top 20 Most-Mentioned K-Movies on Twitter globally, ranking fifth place. With a slew of recognitions, Star News reported in May 2021 that Song Joong Ki's movie would be getting a sequel. At the time, the film's VFX supervisors Jeong Seong Jin, and Jeong Cheol Min reportedly agreed to lead "Space Sweepers 2." As the fans patiently wait for the high-anticipated sequel, here is what is keeping Song Joong Ki, Kim Tae Ri, and the other "Space Sweepers" cast busy this 2022. Song Joong Ki The South Korean heartthrob took on the role of the genius pilot Tae Ho. "Space Sweepers" is actually Song Joong Ki's comeback to the big screen, after the action war film "The Battleship Island." This 2022, he is set to star in an upcoming film, "Bogota: City of the Lost," which got halted by the pandemic. He will also return to the small screen with 2 K-dramas - "The Youngest Son of a Conglomerate" and "Arthdal Chronicles: Season 2." Kim Tae Ri The 31-year-old actress played The Victory's, Captain Jang. After her stellar performance in "Space Sweepers," Kim Tae Ri is currently starring in the hit series "Twenty-Five Twenty-One" with Nam Joo Hyuk. She plays the role of fencing prodigy Na Hee Do. In addition, she is also rumored to headline the upcoming K-drama "The Demon." Park Ye Rin Playing the role of Dorothy, Park Ye Rin wowed the viewers with her impressive acting skills. Interestingly, "Space Sweepers" is her first lead role in the movie, as well as her big-screen debut. After the sci-fi series, she appeared in various K-dramas such as "Sell Your Haunted House" in episode 8, and "Jirisan" as a shaman girl. Her last TV appearance was with "School 2021." Jin Seon Kyu This award-winning actor recently starred with Kim Nam Gil in "Through the Darkness." He is set to return to the small screen with another upcoming K-drama, "Ransom," joining "The Call" star Jeon Jong Seo. IN CASE YOU MISSED: Check Out These Upcoming Kdrama Couples to Watch Out in 2022 KDramastars owns this article Written by Geca Wills Lee Do Hyun talks about his plans in the upcoming years, including enlisting in the military. Moreover, the actor dishes out his growth as an actor and achievements throughout his career. Lee Do Hyun on Scoring Multiple Awards, Back to Back K-Dramas in 2021 In an exclusive interview with Star News, the 26-year-old actor shared his thoughts about taking home recognitions such as the Rookie of the Year award at the 2021 Asia Artist Awards and starring in multiple K-dramas in the same year. He mentioned that it was the "first time" in his life that he got to receive such huge and several awards; however, the actor pointed out that he wanted to live his life "as humble as possible." The "Sweet Home" actor also recalled the experience and shared how nervous he was accepting the award in front of a huge audience, adding that some of the people he "admired" were in front of him. Apart from the 2021 AAA trophy, Lee Do Hyun also won Best Actor and Best Couple Award with Go Min Si at the 2021 KBS Drama Awards for their "Youth of May performance." In addition, he also bagged Best New Actor at the 57th BaekSang Arts Awards for the hit rom-com series "18 Again." From raking awards to starring in back-to-back series, Lee Do Hyun showed that he might be the next big thing in the industry. He welcomed the year headlining the melodrama "Youth of May," portraying the role of medical student Hwang Hee Tae, who was caught up between his family and relationship with Kim Myung Hee at the height of a chaotic era in South Korea. After wrapping up in June, he then starred in tvN's "Melancholia" with Im Soo Jyung. Lee Do Hyun Talks About Enlistment Aside from his projects, the 26-year-old heartthrob shared his plans regarding enlistment. Speaking to Star News, Lee Do Hyun says he hasn't decided yet the exact date for him to join the mandatory service, but he wanted to be ready and go when the time comes. For him, he calls this journey a "maturing phase" and admits he isn't bothered doing the mandatory service. Before enlisting, the actor says that he "wanted to meet" his fans first but must prioritize everyone's health and safety due to the COVID-19. As fans would notice, some actors transform or "glow up" after being months in the military. For Lee Do Hyun, he says that he is "curious" how he will look like after the mandatory military service. The actor also pointed out that he wanted to gain weight and "target to reach 100 kg" while completing his duties, saying that it is the "only chance" for him to reach his ideal weight. KDramastars owns this article Written by Geca Wills The Slumberland Furniture Bedrace for Bridging event saw costumed teams of four race mattresses down the tubing hill at Buck Hill in Burnsville. Police looking for suspect following Saturdays hit-and-run outside of Chico Kenosha County Parks are actively recruiting for a host of seasonal job positions, and is offering a $200 hiring bonus to successful applicants, Parks Director Matthew Collins said Friday. We are looking for people who love working outdoors and are willing to have a growth mindset to learn new skills, Collins said. Our seasonal positions are very unique and we give the flexibility and training for these individuals to grow their resume. We are proud to offer a variety of positions that fit peoples lifestyles, from high schoolers to folks that have retired from their professional job and looking to keep busy during the warmer months. Collins noted that these seasonal positions can be a gateway to dependable, annual employment for people looking for a summer job. For the high schoolers and college students if you do a good job, youre promised a job throughout high school and college, Collins said. And, you get to do your work outside in beautiful settings. The park is your office. Collins said the $200 hiring bonus will be granted to those who are successfully hired and employed for at least 30 days. Additionally, returning seasonal parks employees are eligible to receive a $200 referral bonus for bringing successful hires into the operation. Need for lifeguards Collins said there is a particular need for lifeguards to staff Silver Lake Park Beach. If there is not sufficient interest from applicants, the beach will go un-staffed by guards for the third consecutive summer. Were hoping that candidates come forward soon, so that we can return to that safeguard for swimmers that weve traditionally offered at Silver Lake Beach. Available seasonal or part time positions include: Lifeguard (with necessary certification paid for by Kenosha County), Silver Lake Park Fee collector, Silver Lake Park Beach manager, Silver Lake Park Assistant beach manager Mechanic, Kenosha County Veterans Memorial Park Special events coordinator, countywide opening Short- and long-term maintenance, countywide openings Other perks offered Other seasonal employee perks include the payment of upfront costs for the Wisconsin Commercial Pesticide Applicator test, one Silver Lake Park Beach annual pass and up to two annual dog tags for the Kenosha County Dog Parks. Long-term seasonal maintenance workers are also eligible to partake in an annual chainsaw safety course. Full job postings and application links are available at https://kenoshacounty.org/jobs. For more information, please contact the Kenosha County Division of Parks at 262-857-1869. More information details about Kenosha County Parks locations, events and programming is are available at https://parks.kenoshacounty.org. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 The Spokane Valley Fire Department would like to remind residents to make sure that they don't leave pans or pots unattended on the stove. This was the second fire in two nights caused by a stove. 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! Chinese envoy stresses importance of indivisible security Xinhua) 10:33, March 15, 2022 UNITED NATIONS, March 14 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese envoy on Monday stressed the importance of the principle of indivisible security and called for abandoning a Cold War mentality in the context of the Ukraine crisis. Noting that the international situation is undergoing profound changes and is full of instability and uncertainty, Zhang Jun, China's permanent representative to the United Nations, said that the outbreak of the Ukraine crisis has further raised the question of how to maintain the stability of the international system and focus more on the real pathway toward universal security and common development. The vital principle of indivisible security was included in the 1975 Helsinki Final Act, which formed the basis of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), he said at a Security Council briefing by the OSCE chairperson-in-office. "This principle carries special significance under the current circumstances. Therefore, it should not only be upheld, but more importantly, be implemented," said Zhang. "The final settlement of the crisis in Ukraine requires taking seriously and respecting the legitimate security concerns of all states, and forming a balanced, effective and sustainable European security mechanism." The Cold War mentality based on bloc confrontation should be rejected entirely. Sticking to a hegemonic mentality and provoking bloc confrontation will only exacerbate turmoil and division, he said, adding that is the case in Europe and other regions. This world does not need another Cold War. Under the banner of multilateralism, all countries must strengthen unity and cooperation and work together for a community with a shared future for mankind, he said. "We must adhere to the overall direction of dialogue and cooperation. Even in the most intensive moments of the Cold War, dialogue and cooperation were possible and necessary. The more frictions, differences and potential risks there are, the more important and necessary it is to enhance understanding and mutual trust," said Zhang. He noted that the world has now entered a new era, adding that the path of dialogue and cooperation should become wider rather than narrower. Zhang said that differences among states in national interests, social system, and ideology should not become an obstacle to dialogue, let alone a reason for confrontation. (Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Liang Jun) Thank you for reading! Please log in, or sign up for a new account to continue reading. To subscribe, click here. Already a subscriber? Click here. Kilkenny City will play host to a major fundraising walk organised by Cllr Joe Malone this Saturday, March 19, as part of the Climb with Charlie campaign. Charlie Bird, his wife Claire and a host of celebrities including Baz Ashmawy from RTE, Kieran Cuddihy from Newstalk and former Kilkenny hurling legends DJ Carey and Joey Holden will be amongst those taking part. Local people can join the walk from Canal Square at the hurling monument from 10.15am. It will commence and be led by Charlie Bird from 11am. The walking group will first head down by the canal and up onto the Bennettsbridge Road by the Black Quarry before finishing up at the gates of Kilkenny Castle. All are welcome to attend and those attending are encouraged to donate to Joe Malones online Climb with Charlie iDonate fundraiser: idonate.ie/JoeMalone108. All monies raised will go to the Irish Motor Neurone Disease Association and Pieta House. All donations are secure and a great way to show support. Another local fundraising walk will take place next Saturday, March 26 at Castlecomer Discovery Park at 11am. It is the last local fundraiser before Cllr Malone and DJ Carey head to Medjugorje to climb Cross Mountain on 'Climb with Charlie' day on April 2. After nearly three years of pandemic disruption, John & Angela Byrne are back in San Diego for St Patrick's Day and the Kilkenny couple will represent Ireland in the San Diego Parade as Irish guests of honour. John and Angela are the proprietors of the well-known Celtic House B&B in Michael Street in Kilkenny City and have a storied connection with San Diego. One evening eighteen years ago, an American man appeared at the door of Celtic House looking for a room - his name was Jim Whelan, Angela recalls. He told us he was from San Diego and in Ireland retracing his roots. Angela, a self-taught genealogy boffin, decided to help Jim with the task herself on her home computer and within the space of a few minutes she found his relatives and even a picture of his ancestral home. He was filled with gratitude and couldn't believe it. Jim returned to America with his consolidated sense of identity but kept in constant contact with John and Angela. The following year the couple got a call theyd never forget. Jim invited John and Angela over to San Diego to represent Ireland in what he described as the largest St Patricks Day parade west of the Mississippi. It turned out that Jim was a big business figure in San Diego and held a lot of influence in the Irish-American community there. Sure we were in shock but said we would if we could, Angela said. I penned a letter to then Taoiseach Bertie Ahern about the possibility and he got back to say that its a great honour and that we have his blessing and told us to send our regards to the Irish Congress in San Diego. When John and Angela got over a media storm ensued and the couple went down a treat. Angela sang 'Hail Glorious Saint Patrick' for the local cable news network and the clip went viral. The rest, as they say, is history. The couple went on to represent Ireland in San Diego for St. Patricks Day every year since, except for the last two, and gained honorary city citizenship in the process. They have always represented both the nation, and Kilkenny, with aplomb. This year they were accompanied by the Consular General Ms. Marcella Smyth. They are both networking and working hard in San Diego in a bid to put Ireland and Kilkenny, in particular, back on the American tourist market map. Two Easy Ways To Subscribe! The Kodiak Daily Mirror offers full-service, five-day a week subscriptions with home delivery in addition to unlimited access to our online services (including our e-Edition). Online-access-only subscriptions include unlimited access to the Mirror's online services without delivery of the printed newspaper. (Note: New users: You must register and login before purchasing a subscription. Support local journalism Local news, sports and entertainment when you want it. Please consider subscribing so we can continue to bring you the best local news, sports and entertainment coverage. U.S. President Joe Biden addresses the 2022 House Democratic Caucus Issues Conference March 11 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Biden will travel to North Atlantic Treaty Organization headquarters in Brussels for an extraordinary summit of the alliance, the US mission to NATO wrote on Twitter on March 15. After a teen was killed in a downtown apartment this past weekend, residents, property owners and city officials are raising red flags. All of them said the incident stems back to a short-term rental in a downtown apartment building. The U.S. Treasury Department has advised the country's financial institutions to be cautious about doing business involving North Korea, citing a recent decision of an intergovernmental body tasked with combating money laundering and terrorism financing, the department's website showed Tuesday. The Paris-based Financial Action Task Force (FATF) kept North Korea and Iran on the list of "high-risk jurisdictions" in the March 4 move, according to the department's Financial Crimes Enforcement Network. "With respect to the FATF-identified High-Risk Jurisdictions Subject to a Call for Action, specifically, counter-measures, financial institutions must comply with the extensive U.S. restrictions and prohibitions against opening or maintaining any correspondent accounts, directly or indirectly, for North Korean or Iranian financial institutions," it stated. North Korea has been categorized as a "high-risk jurisdiction" by the FATF since 2011. (Yonhap) Finland's EU Affairs Minister Tytti Tuppurainen, right, and her Swedish counterpart Hans Dahlgren attend a news briefing at Rosenbad in Stockholm, March 14. Russia's invasion of Ukraine has increased public support in Finland for joining the NATO alliance to record levels, a poll published on Monday suggested. Reuters-Yonhap Russia's invasion of Ukraine has increased public support in Finland for joining the NATO alliance to record levels, a poll published on Monday suggested. A total of 62 percent of respondents in the Nordic country now support applying for NATO membership, according to the survey commissioned by public broadcaster Yle, up from 53 percent in the same poll two weeks ago. Meanwhile, 16 percent in Monday's poll opposed joining and 21 percent were unsure, Yle said. Finland, which shares the EU's longest land border with Russia, has remained militarily non-aligned since the end of the Cold War for fear of provoking Moscow. No Yes, a light case Yes, two or more light cases One serious case Two or more serious bouts Vote View Results Northwest Indiana residents will have the opportunity next week to tell state leaders how they believe public health services should be provided in the future. The 15-member Governor's Public Health Commission is touring the Hoosier State seeking public input on the strengths and weaknesses of Indiana's current public health system, along with recommendations for change. The commission's sole Northwest Indiana stop is set for 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. March 25 at Calumet College of St. Joseph, 2400 New York Ave., Whiting. The panel, led by former State Health Commissioner Dr. Judy Monroe and former state Sen. Luke Kenley, R-Noblesville, is particularly interested in opinions relating to public health funding, workforce, emergency preparedness, governance and structure, data and information, and the integration of childhood and adolescent health services. Region residents attending the Whiting meeting can speak about any of those topics to the commission for up to three minutes. Public comment also may be submitted online through the survey link on the commission's website: in.gov/gphc. Republican Gov. Eric Holcomb established the commission last summer to take a focused look at whether the public health systems Indiana has relied on for the past 140 years need updating to position the state for success over the next 100 years. "This review, coupled with our ongoing commitment to improve key health indicators, will best position Indiana to be a great state to live, work, play and invest in and grow a healthy workforce," Holcomb said. Dr. Kristina Box, the state health commissioner, said the COVID-19 pandemic only exacerbated the need the modernize Indianas public health system. She said the commission is leading that effort by taking a deep look at major issues relating to public health in Indiana and making recommendations for action by the 2023 General Assembly. "Indianas public health workforce is made up of some of the most dedicated people you will ever encounter. They truly care about their communities and have worked tirelessly to protect Hoosiers," Box said. "They deserve our heartfelt thanks, and they deserve our help. Determining what that help should look like is the goal of this commission." Indiana's unemployment rate fell to a new record low of 2.4% in January, down from 2.7% in December, which at the time was the lowest rate in the state since at least 1976. The January rate the lowest unemployment rate in Indiana history since the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics started measuring the jobless rate in the current way. The national jobless rate was 4% in January, up slightly from 3.9% in December. With a 2.4% unemployment rate in January, even lower than the previous month, Indiana continues to outperform the nation as a whole, Indiana Department of Workforce Development Commissioner Fred Payne said. The low unemployment rate coincides with significant year-over-year job growth indicating that Indiana is trending in the right direction. Indiana's labor force the total number of people working and actively seeking work as extrapolated from a phone survey rose by 1,528 in January, according to the Indiana Department of Workforce Development. A total of 8,816 fewer Hoosiers were considered unemployed while actively seeking work that month, and 10,344 fewer were employed. There were 3.33 million Hoosiers or about 61.9% participating in the labor force in January, as compared to 62.2% of people nationwide, according to the DWD. There are 2.73 million Hoosiers now working in the private sector, or about 70,000 below the peak in December of 2019. Private-sector employment in Indiana has risen by 85,800 year-over-year and 1,500 jobs in January. In January, the Hoosier state gained 1,1100 jobs in construction and 200 in financial activities. In Illinois, unemployment fell from 5.1% in December to 5% in January. Illinois gained 8,600 jobs in January, according to the Illinois Department of Employment Security. The state added 11,100 jobs in professional and business services, 3,200 in manufacturing and 1,500 in government. Construction lost 7,100 jobs in January and the leisure and hospitality sector lost another 1,600 jobs during the off-season month. We are encouraged by the continued positive trajectory of Illinois economy in 2022, said Deputy Governor Andy Manar. IDES is committed to building a strong and inclusive workforce system that meets the needs of both workers and employers. Job seekers and businesses are encouraged to visit Get Hired Illinois to connect with a wide array of resources available across the state. If you're interested in submitting a Letter to the Editor, click here. Submit BTS is garnering attention after they were found to have done this for hearing-impaired ARMYs during their "Permission to Dance On Stage" concert in Seoul. Keep on reading to know more. BTS Gains Attention for Having Sign Language Interpreters For Hearing-Impaired Fans at Seoul Concert Recently on March 13, BTS wrapped up their three-day "Permission to Dance On Stage" concert at the Olympic Stadium in Seoul, with the event welcoming 45,000 BTS fans, also known as ARMYs, through their doors. While the concert was filled with numerous exciting and memorable moments from both fans and the BTS members, one aspect of the concert is gaining attention across social media platforms. In particular, lyricist and composer Kim Eana took to her social media on March 13 to share a fact about the BTS concert that many may not be aware of. Over on her Instagram, Kim Eana shared a short clip during the concert, which shows a sign language interpreter actively signing BTS' performance in real-time, while wearing a clear face mask to show her mouth at the seating area for the disabled. According to reports, HYBE had hired a sign language interpreter for fans with hearing impairment after requests from fans to do so came in. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: BTS' 3-Day Seoul Concert Sets New Record With THIS Whopping Number of Audience Along with her post, Kim Eana had praised both BTS and HYBE for making the concert more inclusive for fans. "It is so rare to say that it is a BTS concert without [fans being able] to shout. But it is #rathergood! Being in a place where many people are happy as if they share one mind is always an exciting experience," Kim Eana began. She continued, "What was particularly heartwarming was the appearance of one person dancing and interpreting the lyrics [of BTS' songs] in sign language throughout the performances," adding that the section where the interpreter was was for the hearing impaired. "When it was the encore stage for Permission to Dance, [the interpreter] was particularly impressive. This will be a memorable experience for me for a long time, " she added. BTS Makes 'Permission to Dance' Inclusive This isn't the first time that BTS makes sure to take care of their fans who have trouble hearing. In fact, their song "Permission to Dance," which was released back in July 2021, has international sign language included in its choreography! In the song's choreography, BTS included the sign language for words meaning "joy," "cheer," or "pleasant," "dance" and "peace." The addition of the sign language in their choreography garnered BTS and HYBE a lot of praise from fans and media outlets. Meanwhile, BTS is set to take their "Permission to Dance On Stage" concert at the Allegiant Stadium in las Vegas on April 8 to 9, and April 15 to 16 local time. For more K-Pop news and updates, always keep your tabs open here on KpopStarz. KpopStarz owns this article. Written by Robyn Joan Amid the elections in South Korea, Kang Daniel makes sure he does not get into any political controversy by doing this. Keep on reading to know more. Kang Daniel Avoids Being Caught in a Political Controversy by Not Using Blue and Red Colors Recently on March 14, Kang Daniel took to Naver V LIVE to hold a live broadcast and to spend time with fans. During this broadcast, the idol decided to celebrate White Day by making a candy basket. He decorated it using colorful flowers and other various ornaments. As Kang Daniel was concentrating while making the candy basket, he also expressed his willingness not to use any of the blue and red-colored decorations. He said, "To say this is a little humorous, I will just avoid these colors." The reason why Kang Daniel specifically excluded decorations in blue and red is due to the colors' affiliation in the political parties of South Korea. Democratic Party's color is blue while the People's Power Party is red. (red). In light of the presidential elections in South Korea for the past few weeks, numerous K-Pop idols and Korean stars have been embroiled in political controversies. Most of them were misunderstood and were accused of showing political preferences after sharing posts that allegedly have specific colors and numbers on their social media. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: MONSTA X Minhyuk Responds to Supporting South Korea's Conservative Party Allegations For this fact, Kang Daniel just smiled awkwardly to himself, and said, "I am afraid that you will misunderstand because it was the presidential elections not too long ago. This [blue and red] doesn't have any meaning." Kang Daniel also pointed to the basket's rim color that is purple. He explained that it is not a combined color as well, and asked fans not to misunderstand. However, Kang Daniel still expressed his worry that people might misunderstand and involve him in a political controversy that might arise. Check out his full V LIVE broadcast here: *Topic starts at the 10:12 minute mark Kang Daniel's Latest Activities In other news, the former Wanna One member made his acting debut this year. He starred in his first leading role in the Korean Disney+ Star original series, "Rookie Cops," back in January. This marked Disney+'s production debut in South Korea. While Kang Daniel did receive offers to appear in several other Korean dramas, the idol-actor had reportedly declined. He decided to make "Rookie Cops" his debut project after experiencing a comfortable atmosphere that was created by people around his age on set. More recently, on March 9, Kang Daniel dropped the Korean version of his Japanese collaboration track "Hush Hush" with Japanese musician Miyavi as part of the drama's soundtrack. For more K-Pop news and updates, always keep your tabs open here on KpopStarz. KpopStarz owns this article. Written by Robyn Joan HELENA, Mont. - Conservation advocates are suing Gov. Greg Gianforte and the Montana Department of Administration (DOA) for their alleged failure in giving them public documents after requesting them. The Montana Environmental Information Center and Earthworks filed the lawsuit Tuesday in State District Court. According to a release from both of the organizations, they requested several documents in November 2021 of discussions between Gov. Gianforte and Hecla Mining Corporation. Additionally, the organizations requested records of "the Gianforte Administrations influence over the enforcement of the 'Bad Actor' case filed against Hecla and Baker in 2018, which was dismissed last summer." We have a fundamental, constitutional right to examine the records of state government in Montana, including any communications that the Governors office may have had with Hecla Mining, Anne Hedges, director of Policy and Legislative Affairs with the Montana Environmental Information Center, said in the release. As the old saying goes, sunlight is the best disinfectant for mold in government. The public should know whether the Governor dropped the Bad Actor matter at the request of an Idaho-based mining company and left Montana taxpayers and sovereign Tribes holding the bag. The lawsuit alleges it has been more than 100 days since the organizations submitted a request; however, neither the governor nor the DOA sent the documents. Governor Gianforte's office did respond to our request for a comment about the lawsuit. In an email, a spokesperson wrote, "The governor's office generally doesn't comment on ongoing litigation. I'd emphasize, however, that the governor respects and honors Montanans' constitutionally guaranteed right to know. Out of neutrality and respect for all requestors, the governor's office fulfills records requests in the order they are received. Our legal team is fulfilling this particular request as it does all other requests: following our first-come, first-serve process and without favor. We will honor that process and not put one party, in this case a litigious special interest group, ahead of another. For context, the governor's office received nearly double the records requests last year than it did in 2019" A woman holding a sign reading "NO WAR" interrupted a live news broadcast on Russian state television on March 14 to denounce Russia's invasion of Ukraine. BrightBikes are bicycles available near Brightline stations making their first appearance at the train's West Palm Beach stop. (West Palm Beach Downtown Development Authority) While Brightline promises to move travelers among Floridas major cities fast, more options are being made available to people once they get off the train. Part of that is a new bikeshare program called BrightBike that is set to make its debut today at the current northermost stop of the high speed rail. Advertisement The dock-based system with 170 of the pedal-powered bikes was approved last fall to be placed in up to 17 locations around the West Palm Beach stop in a partnership with the West Palm Beach Downtown Development Authority. The authority is hosting a free bike ride on Tuesday night to welcome the expansion of what the line calls its Brightline+ options, which also include shuttles and vehicle rideshares, that aim to open up access to a 5-mile radius from all of its stops that currently include Miami and Fort Lauderdale, but will expand to Orlando by the end of the year, and eventual expansion to Tampa. Advertisement Brightline is excited to add BrightBikes to our fleet of eco-friendly mobility options, making it easier than ever to access our station or the many destinations around West Palm, said Jonathan Hopkins, vice president of mobility at Brightline in November. Together with our great partners we are expanding access to transportation and encouraging people to live a car-free lifestyle. The Brightline+ options for door-to-door service can be accessed through its app. BrightBike will expand the transit options offered by the city, improve mobility, and connect users with other transportation methods, said West Palm Beach Mayor Keith A. James after the city approved the deal in November. BrightBike will greatly benefit residents and visitors, while adding to the livability, safety, and sustainability of our city. Residents will be able to sign up for monthly unlimited-rides membership for $15, and visitors can rent them by the hour or day. While not rolled out in Miami, members of the BrightBike program will have access to Citibike in Miami through a reciprocity agreement, as will Citibike members to BrightBikes in West Palm. Both programs are managed by Micromobility Management. The plan is to add electric bicycles in the future with more station locations possible. For the Downtown West Palm Beach District, BrightBike is the perfect complement to what is a growing suite of mobility options, said Raphael Clemente, executive director of the Downtown Development Authority. Bikeshare in a compact, walkable, human-scale place like our city provides not just mobility, but a fun recreational opportunity for residents and visitors as well its the perfect addition. U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents responded to a human smuggling incident involving a large group of Haitian migrants in Monroe County. Have you ever found yourself in need of an extra layer of protection against the Dwight Schrutes and Michael Scotts of the world? Maybe not protection from falling watermelons, per se, but to adverse exposures such as bird droppings, frequent carwashes, and that ever-present winter road grime? What about inside of the car itself, where your small children are guaranteed to upend their entire baggie of Cheerios or cache their two-week-old-moldy-cheese-turned science experiment, or worse, what if the coffee shop doesnt properly secure the lid to your steaming-hot venti? For car-enthusiast Joshua Lage and his wife, Shelby, there was only one business venture worth pursuing after he left his full-time career with the United States Army in December of 2019, and it was to start Extensive Detailing & Ceramic Coatings here at the Lake of the Ozarks. Originally offering mobile detailing and ceramic coating, Joshua and Shelby have taken car-care to another level. We have expanded from strictly mobile detailing services and offering ceramic coatings out of a shop at our house, to purchasing a building in the heart of Osage Beach, which has allowed us to offer additional services like window tinting, paint protection film, and residential and commercial window tinting all in addition to ceramic coatings, she said. Make your car shine! Call Extensive Detailing at (573) 502-9960 or visit ExtensiveDetailingMo.com. We officially opened for business in January of 2020, right before the arrival of COVID, explained Shelby, a former Intelligence Analyst for the Missouri State Highway Patrol. Josh had just left his military career one month beforehand and through our determination (and refusal to fail), we have built our client base up from absolutely nothing to nearly 1,100 customers, and we have completed nearly 1,850 jobs. Thats exponential growth for a small business, and it equates to almost 2.5 jobs per day including weekends and holidays for the sake of simple math. And it all started with just Josh and, initially, with the part-time help from a full-time-working Shelby. We now have two additional full-time employees, and our company is always evolving, Shelby continued. Behind their growing services comes advanced knowledge of the industry itself, which was not something that Josh or Shelby learned overnight. Josh started this business because of his passion for cars, and he has worked on cars in some fashion for his entire working career. Josh still works in the Army National Guard, and he is currently a Staff Sergeant for a vertical engineering company serving as (you guessed it) a senior mechanic. In addition to all of these outside commitments (Shelby also sits on the Board of Directors for The Changing Table and they are proud supporters of many local charities), the Lages have somehow found the time to take countless training courses, and they are constantly researching different products and methods to better assist their growing book of clientele. Through extensive (pun intended Shelbys got jokes) testing, we have created an arsenal of products and techniques to provide superior results so as to exceed our clients expectations, Shelby said. Every vehicle is different and presents unique challenges. Through experience and determination, we have adapted both our mobile and in-shop services to specifically address each of these challenges. When we face a new problem, we find a solution and equip ourselves with the proper tools and procedures in the event that we face a similar challenge down the road. In the beginning, the Lages used their own personal truck and trailer to complete all of these jobs. It wasnt ideal by any stretch of the imagination, but they made it work. As they grew and brought on more employees, they knew that they needed a different, better option. Their current mobile detailing van allows them the room to transport everything needed for full-service detailing and other mobile services. In addition to the purchase of their new building, Shelby says that they are in the process of painting the storefront in none other than bright pink, and they have hired a professional mural artist from Indiana to hand-paint a scenic backdrop for all car enthusiasts alike to take photos beside their sweet rides. Because once Extensive Detailing is done with your vehicle, youll be wanting to take photos. Lots of photos. Contact Extensive Detailing to make your car shine: (573) 502-9960. Wisconsin's nuclear power plants Wisconsin has been host to three nuclear power plants, though only one remains in operation and it has been nearly 50 years since the last one was completed. Built by the federal government as a demonstration plant, the 50-megawatt La Crosse Boiling Water Reactor in Genoa was operated by Dairyland Power Cooperative from 1969 until 1987. The buildings have been razed, but the Nuclear Regulatory Commission has yet to clear the site for redevelopment. Regulators are considering a proposal to sell the 560-megawatt Kewaunee Nuclear Power Station, shuttered since 2013, to the same contractor overseeing decommissioning of the Genoa plant, though a competitor says if allowed to bid on the job it could return more than $200 million to ratepayers. The operators of the Point Beach plant, the state's single largest source of electricity, are seeking license extensions that would allow the plant to run through 2050. With the significant increases in fertilizer prices this year, it is important to capture the maximum value of your manure and manage your soil fertility to reduce fertilizer purchases. The 2015 outbreak drove the U.S. to improve its animal disease preparedness, and it offers some insights for avoiding a repeat of that grim spring. Weather Alert ...RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 10 AM TO 9 PM MDT TODAY FOR THE NORTHEAST HIGHLANDS, NORTHEAST AND EAST CENTRAL PLAINS, SANDIA, MANZANO AND GALLINAS MOUNTAINS, WEST CENTRAL HIGHLANDS, AND MIDDLE RIO GRANDE VALLEY DUE TO STRONG WINDS, LOW HUMIDITY, AND AN UNSTABLE ATMOSPHERE... .Strong west to northwest winds developing today will shunt out low level moisture which has worked into portions of eastern NM overnight. Therefore very low humidities and unstable conditions are expected across much of central, eastern, and southern NM. Temperatures will be below normal over most of northern and western NM however elevated critical fire weather conditions are still possible. Winds taper off this evening over all and humidities increase over portions of northeast and east central NM. ...RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 10 AM THIS MORNING TO 9 PM MDT THIS EVENING... * AREA AND TIMING...Northeast Highlands, Northeast and East Central Plains, Sandia, Manzano, and Gallinas Mountains, West Central Highlands, and Middle Rio Grande Valley from 10 am to 9 pm MDT today. * 20 FOOT WINDS...West to northwest 20 to 30 mph with gusts up to 45 mph today. * RELATIVE HUMIDITY...7 to 13 percent. * IMPACTS...Outdoor burning should not be done. Any fires that develop will likely spread rapidly. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... Please advise the appropriate officials or fire crews in the field of this Red Flag Warning. && ...AIR QUALITY ALERT... The following message is transmitted at the request of the New Mexico Departments of Health and Environment. * WHAT...Southwest transport winds will carry smoke toward the northeast during the remainder of the daytime hours today before winds shift back from the west Wednesday. Lighter wind conditions and nighttime inversions tonight will focus the greatest overnight impacts close to and down-drainage of the large fires. * WHERE...Smoke will continue to significantly impact areas across much of southern Colfax, Los Alamos, Mora, southern Rio Arriba, Sandoval, San Miguel, Santa Fe, and Taos counties during the next 24 hours. This includes but is not limited to the following communities: Espanola, Kewa Pueblo, La Cueva, Las Vegas, Los Alamos, Mora, Ocate, Ohkay Owingeh, Pojoaque, Pueblo of Cochiti, Pueblo of San Felipe, Pueblo of Santa Clara, Pueblo of Santa Ana, Santa Fe, Sapello, Taos, Watrous and White Rock. * WHEN...Remainder of this afternoon through noon MDT Wednesday. * IMPACTS...Those with conditions such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, interstitial lung disease, lung cancer, and heart disease will be especially vulnerable to impacts from poor air quality, as will adults over age 65, young children, and pregnant women if smoke concentrations become unhealthy. * HEALTH INFORMATION...Remember, your eyes are your best tools to determine if it is safe to be outside. Use the 5-3-1 Method available at https://nmtracking.org/environment/air/FireAndSmoke.html. If visibility is: Under 5 miles, the air quality is unhealthy for young children, adults over age 65, pregnant women, and people with heart and/or lung disease, asthma or other respiratory illness. Outdoor activity should be minimized. Around 3 miles, young children, adults over age 65, pregnant women, and people with heart and/or lung disease, asthma or other respiratory illness should avoid all outdoor activities. Around 1 mile, the air quality is unhealthy for everyone. People should remain indoors and avoid all outdoor activities including running errands. Unless an evacuation has been issued, stay inside your home, indoor workplace, or in a safe shelter. With the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic affecting New Mexico and with the wildfire season underway, New Mexicans will need to take extra precautions. Smoke from wildfires may cause people to have more severe reactions if they are infected COVID-19. The best way to protect against the potentially harmful effects of wildfire smoke and to reduce the spread of COVID-19 is to stay home and create a clean indoor air space. NMDOH offers tips here: https://nmtracking.org/environment/air/IndoorQuality.html and https://cv.nmhealth.org New Mexicans will also need to take steps to keep their homes cool to avoid heat-related illnesses. NMDOH offers tips here: https://nmtracking.org/health/heatstress/Heat.html. For smoke forecast outlooks from the Interagency Wildland Fire Air Quality Response Program please visit: https://outlooks.wildlandfiresmoke.net. ...WIND ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM NOON TODAY TO 8 PM MDT THIS EVENING... * WHAT...West winds 25 to 35 mph with gusts up to 45 mph expected. * WHERE...Central Highlands, Eastern Lincoln County, South Central Highlands, De Baca County, Guadalupe County, Quay County, Eastern San Miguel County, Harding County and Northeast Highlands. * WHEN...From Noon today to 8 PM MDT this evening. * IMPACTS...Gusty winds will blow around unsecured objects. Tree limbs may be blown down. Expect strong cross winds on area roadways and locally reduced visibilities in areas of blowing dust. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... Winds this strong can make driving difficult, especially for high profile vehicles. Use extra caution. && Gurugram (Haryana) [India], March 15 (ANI/NewsVoir): ApplyBoard, the global education technology platform revolutionizing the international student journey, and Royal Bank of Canada (RBC), one of Canada's largest financial institutions, today announced a joint Proof of Financial Support solution. This unique collaboration will help Indian students looking to fulfill their dreams of higher education in Canada. A key element of the Canadian study permit application process is for students to demonstrate an ability to support themselves financially during their studies abroad. By using ApplyProof, ApplyBoard's document verification platform, eligible Indian students can now submit their study permit application to the Government of Canada's Student Direct Stream (SDS) program with the added trust and security of a digitally verifiable Guaranteed Investment Certificate (GIC) provided by RBC. Also Read | Gujarat Shocker: 16-Year-Old Girl Raped by Neighbour on Marriage Lure in Halvad; Booked. "Together with RBC, we are building trust in students' Proof of Financial Support and helping to strengthen their study permit applications," says Iman Hassani, Head of ApplyProof. "Leveraging RBC's strength in the Canadian financial sector and ApplyProof's secure and efficient verification capability, we're making education in Canada more accessible to Indian students." A stand-alone platform developed by ApplyBoard, ApplyProof transforms the way official student documents are accessed, verified, and shared with immigration officials, admissions officers, and other applicable stakeholders in the study permit process. With the unique solution now offered by ApplyBoard and RBC, international students from India will be able to apply for an RBC Guaranteed Investment Certificate (GIC) that, if required, can be verified by Canadian immigration officials in a matter of seconds via the ApplyProof platform. Also Read | Uttar Pradesh: 17-Year-Old Girl, Boyfriend Arrested for Killing Her Parents in Bijnor. "This joint Proof of Financial Support solution is one of the many steps we are taking toward our mission to make education accessible globally," says Meti Basiri, CMO and Co-founder of ApplyBoard. Upon arrival in Canada, international students can access a wide range of services and offers for newcomers through RBC's digital banking solutions and over 1,100 branches across the country. "RBC has a longstanding history of and commitment to supporting newcomers, including international students, who bring innovative ideas and fresh perspectives to campus communities across Canada," says Amit Brahme, Senior Director, Newcomer and Cultural Client Segment, RBC. Canada is a popular study-abroad destination for Indian students thanks to Canada's successful work-permit programs, inclusive immigration policies and strong multicultural representation. According to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, almost 130,000 Indian nationals were approved to study in Canada between January and November 2021, surpassing the full-year record of 111,000 in 2019. To learn more about the RBC International Student GIC Program or to begin an application through ApplyProof, visit www.applyboard.com/discover/gic. ApplyBoard empowers students around the world to access the best education by simplifying the study abroad search, application, and acceptance process to more than 1,500 institutions across Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia. ApplyBoard, headquartered in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada, has helped more than 300,000 students from more than 125 countries along their educational journeys since 2015. To learn more, please visit www.applyboard.com. ApplyProof is a stand-alone platform developed by ApplyBoard, Canada's education technology leader. It transforms the way official student documents are accessed, verified, and shared with students, government and education stakeholders. Driven by the need for trust in international student documents and mitigating fraud, ApplyProof enables government stakeholders to verify the authenticity of a document by viewing the digital original held securely on ApplyProof servers using unique identifier passcodes. ApplyProof offers secure, private and SOC2 compliant technology. To learn more, please visit www.applyproof.com/about. Royal Bank of Canada is a global financial institution with a purpose-driven, principles-led approach to delivering leading performance. Our success comes from the 88,000 plus employees who leverage their imaginations and insights to bring our vision, values and strategy to life so we can help our clients thrive and communities prosper. As Canada's biggest bank, and one of the largest in the world based on market capitalization, we have a diversified business model with a focus on innovation and providing exceptional experiences to our 17 million clients in Canada, the U.S. and 27 other countries. To learn more, please visit rbc.com. We are proud to support a broad range of community initiatives through donations, community investments and employee volunteer activities. See how at rbc.com/community-social-impact. This story is provided by News Voir. 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) Ahead of her two-part documentary 'Rising Phoenix' debuting on HBO this week, American actor and musician Evan Rachel Wood spoke out against a recent lawsuit Marilyn Manson filed against her. According to Variety, while making an appearance on 'The View', Wood said, "I can't obviously speak about any of the specific allegations of the lawsuit, but I'm not scared. I am sad because this is how it works. This is what pretty much every survivor that tries to expose someone in a position of power goes though, and this is part of the retaliation that keeps survivors quiet. This is why people don't want to come forward. This was expected." Marilyn Manson Abuse Allegations by Evan Rachel Wood and Others Under Investigation. "I am very confident that I have the truth on my side and that the truth will come out. This is clearly timed before the documentary... I'm not doing this [film] to clear my name. I'm doing this to protect people. I'm doing this to sound the alarm that there is a dangerous person out there and I don't want anybody getting near him. So people can think whatever they want about me. I have to let the legal process run its course, and I'm steady as a rock," she continued. Evan Rachel Wood Calls Out Her Ex Marilyn Manson & Put Up Her Middle Finger During Recent Live Performance. The lawsuit was filed earlier this month by Manson, real name Brian Warner, who cited defamation over Wood's sexual abuse allegations against him and called them a "malicious falsehood." Wood had reflected on her sexual abuse allegations against Manson and met survivors who also spoke out against the musician in 'Rising Phoenix'. Among several instances, she said was one when she was "essentially raped on-camera" while filming the 2007 music video for Manson's 'Heart-Shaped Glasses', the video of which featured Wood having sex with Manson. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Chinese envoy to UN says sanctions won't help solve Ukraine issue Xinhua) 11:47, March 15, 2022 UNITED NATIONS, March 14 (Xinhua) -- China's permanent representative to the United Nations Zhang Jun said Monday that "the wanton use of sanctions" will not help solve the conflict in Ukraine but only create new problems. "The current status in the situation in Ukraine is an outcome of the interplay of complex historical and present factors. To solve complex issues, calm and rational thinking are all the more needed," Zhang said at the UN Security Council briefing by the chairperson-in-office of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). Escalating sanctions have already seriously affected and will continue to affect global finance, energy, food, transportation, supply chains and other fields, hampering the already fragile world economy amid the pandemic. The diplomat added that the sanctions would negatively impact livelihoods, particularly in developing countries. "We once again call for greater diplomatic efforts by the international community to de-escalate tensions and immediately bring the Ukrainian issue back to the track of political settlement," Zhang said. Zhang said China will strengthen communication and coordination with all parties concerned and continue its constructive role in promoting dialogue for peace. Noting that Russia and Ukraine have held multiple rounds of direct negotiations and have demonstrated a willingness to continue the talks further, Zhang said the international community must help sustain the positive momentum. "The crisis in Ukraine is interwoven with European security and stability," said Zhang, encouraging the OSCE to "bring into full play its strengths and set up the necessary platform for the negotiations and communication of the parties concerned." China calls for guarantees for civilian security and their basic needs, Zhang said, adding that safe and unimpeded humanitarian corridors are needed to prevent a larger-scale crisis, Zhang said. China has also provided in-kind humanitarian assistance to Ukraine, said the envoy, adding that China supports the UN to coordinate humanitarian aid to Ukraine and is ready to work with other parties in achieving consensus on the Security Council's response to the humanitarian crisis. (Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Liang Jun) Dehradun (Uttarakhand) [India], March 15 (ANI): Taking a serious note of allegations being levelled against him that he had taken money for tickets and posts in the Assembly elections, Harish Rawat, former Uttarakhand CM, on Tuesday tweeted that the charges be proved and if they come true action should be taken against him. In a series of tweets, Harish Rawat said: "The allegation of selling of posts and party tickets in return for money is very serious, and if that allegation is being levelled against a person who has held several posts, including the Chief Minister, then the party should expel him." Also Read | Twitter Rolls Back Users Access to the Chronological Timeline by Default: Report. He further said, "This is an allegation which is being levelled by someone who is at the responsible post in the party. The allegation is also being circulated by his supporters. I pray to God that the Congress party should initiate action against me and should expel me from the party..." Harish Rawat on Monday had taken responsibility for the defeat of the party in the Uttarakhand Assembly elections. Also Read | Uttar Pradesh Shocker: 55-Year-Old Woman Hammered to Death by Alcoholic Husband in Kanpur. As the chairman of the Congress party's campaign committee, Rawat had also apologized to every member and leadership in the working committee. The BJP retained power in Uttarakhand after winning 47 seats. Congress, which was banking on anti-incumbency against the state government, won 19 seats in the 70-member state Assembly. The Assembly elections were held in Uttarakhand on February 14 to elect 70 members of the Uttarakhand Legislative Assembly. The results were declared on March 10. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) New Delhi [India], March 15 (ANI): Bharatiya Janata Party MP Hema Malini on Tuesday backed Karnataka High Court verdict that upheld the ban on Hijab in educational institutions but said that there was no need for such a ban at other institutions and workplaces. "Children should follow the dress code prescribed by the school. Religion or Hijab should not be brought in education," said the BJP MP. Also Read | Russia-Ukraine War Latest Updates: Russia Imposes sanctions on US President Joe Biden, Several Top US Officials; Pierre Zakrzewski, Fox News Cameraman, Killed Near Kyiv. On being asked about demands for imposing similar ban at other institutions including the workplace, the BJP leader said, "There were no such demands earlier. There is no need to raise these new demands now." A bench of Karnataka High Court comprising Chief Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi, Justice Krishna S Dixit, and Justice JM Khazi said that no case is made out for invalidating the Government Order of February 5. Also Read | COVID-19 Vaccine Clinical Trial Data Can't Be Demanded in Garb of PIL, Centre to Supreme Court. The Hijab row had erupted in January this year when the Government PU College in Udupi allegedly barred six girls wearing the hijab from entering. Following this, the girls sat in protest sat outside college over being denied entry. After this, boys of several colleges in Udupi started attending classes wearing saffron scarves. This protest spread to other parts of the state as well leading to protests and agitations in several places in Karnataka. As a result, the Karnataka government said that all students must adhere to the uniform and banned both hijab and saffron scarves till an expert committee decided on the issue. On February 5, the pre-University education board released a circular stating that the students can only wear the uniform approved by the school administration and no other religious attire will be allowed in colleges. The order stated that in case a uniform is not prescribed by management committees, then students should wear dresses that go well with the idea of equality and unity, and does not disturb the social order. A batch of petitions was filed against the government's rule in the Karnataka High Court by some girls seeking permission to wear the hijab in educational institutions. (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, March 15: Prominent Muslim body Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind on Tuesday expressed deep disappointment over the Karnataka High Court's decision of upholding the ban against hijab in educational institutions in the state, and said the verdict would have adverse impact on religious freedom and education of Muslim girls. The High Court on Tuesday said hijab was not part of the essential religious practice in Islamic faith and effectively upheld the ban against the headscarf in educational institutions in the state by dismissing pleas from Muslim girls seeking nod to wear it in classrooms. Reacting to the verdict, Maulana Mahmood Madani, president, Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind (Mahmood Madani faction) said it was "deeply disappointing" and the verdict would have a direct impact on religious freedom. He asserted that no society is governed only by legal nuances on issues in which traditional and social values matter. Hijab Row: Karnataka High Court's Verdict on Hijab Unconstitutional, Says Campus Front of India. In a statement, the Jamiat chief said this verdict would have many negative implications, especially on the education of Muslim girl students as they would lose their right to choice and their confidence in the "present communal atmosphere". Indian Muslim women have a deep attachment with their belief about modesty and veil which can never be erased merely by a judicial intervention, Madani argued. He emphasised that the decision regarding any particular religion should be based on the accepted interpretation of the beliefs by authoritative scholars and jurists of that religion. He urged the state governments and the central government to fulfil their responsibility of protecting the established culture and tradition of a particular community. Hijab Row: Mehbooba Mufti Calls Karnataka High Courts Decision To Uphold Hijab Ban 'Deeply Disappointing'. "We urge the governments to take action that can serve larger national interests," Madani said. He also appealed to the youth to exercise restrain and avoid protesting on the streets and taking the law into their own hands. A three-judge full bench of the High Court said the prescription of school uniform is only a reasonable restriction, constitutionally permissible which the students cannot object to. Meanwhile, a plea was filed on Tuesday in the Supreme Court by a Muslim student challenging the Karnataka High Court verdict. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Udhampur (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], March 15 (ANI): Lieutenant General Upendra Dwivedi, AVSM, GOC-in-C, Northern Command, presented gallantry awards as well as distinguished service awards to the gallant Officers, Junior Commissioned Officers and Other Ranks in a solemn and distinguished investiture ceremony held at Udhampur today. Ninety-two gallantry awards were presented to those who showed exemplary courage under extreme circumstances and twenty-five distinguished service awards were presented for selfless service to the nation.Out of the above gallantry awards, nineteen of them were awarded posthumously to the next of kin of the soldiers who laid down their lives in the service of the nation. Mrs Sunita Dwivedi, Regional President, AWWA, Northern Command, interacted with the next of kin and presented them with a token of appreciation for the sacrifices. Also Read | Gujarat Shocker: Neighbour Rapes Minor Girl in Godhra; Absconding. Speaking on the occasion, the Army Commander commended all ranks of Northern Command for their dedication and devotion to duty in the highest traditions of the Indian Army. He also conveyed his heartfelt gratitude to the brave men who made the supreme sacrifice while facing adverse situations. The General Officer also brought out that the 'Whole of Nation Approach' has led to progressive improvement in the security situation in the UTs of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. He further added that Northern Command is in a high state of readiness to face the constantly evolving threats and challenges. In the end, General Dwivedi expressed his gratitude to the people of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, the civil administration and the media for their unstinted support and wished for peace and contentment for the people of the regions. (ANI) Also Read | Russia-Ukraine Conflict: Prices of Anti-Radiation Tablets Skyrocket; Here's Why. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Bengaluru, March 15: The Karnataka High Court on Tuesday dismissed various petitions challenging a ban on Hijab in education institutions and said that wearing Hijab is not an essential religious practice of Islam. A bench of Karnataka High Court comprising Chief Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi, Justice Krishna S Dixit, and Justice JM Khazi said that no case is made out for invalidating the Government Order of February 5. Karnataka HC Dismisses Plea Against Hijab Ban, Says 'Wearing of Hijab Not an Essential Part of Islam'. The Hijab row had erupted in January this year when the Government PU College in Udupi allegedly barred six girls wearing the hijab from entering. Following this, the girls sat in protest sat outside college over being denied entry. Hijab Row: Karnataka HC Dismisses Petitions Against Hijab Ban in Educational Institutions. After this, boys of several colleges in Udupi started attending classes wearing saffron scarves. This protest spread to other parts of the state as well leading to protests and agitations in several places in Karnataka. As a result, the Karnataka government said that all students must adhere to the uniform and banned both hijab and saffron scarves till an expert committee decides on the issue. On February 5, the pre-University education board released a circular stating that the students can only wear the uniform approved by the school administration and no other religious attire will be allowed in colleges. The order stated that in case a uniform is not prescribed by management committees, then students should wear dresses that go well with the idea of equality and unity, and does not disturb the social order. A batch of petitions was filed against the government's rule in the Karnataka High Court by some girls seeking permission to wear the hijab in educational institutions. A bench of Karnataka High Court comprising Chief Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi, Justice Krishna S Dixit, and Justice JM Khazi heard the petitions challenging the government rule on dress code. On February 10, the high court issued an interim order stating that said students should not wear any religious attire to classes till the court issues the final order. The hearings related to the Hijab case were concluded on February 25 and the court had reserved its judgement. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Bengaluru, Feb 15 (PTI) The Karnataka High Court on Tuesday dismissed petitions filed by a section of Muslim students from the Government Pre-University Girls College in Udupi, seeking permission to wear Hijab inside the classroom. Also Read | Twitter Rolls Back Users Access to the Chronological Timeline by Default: Report. The prescription of school uniform is only a reasonable restriction, constitutionally permissible which the students cannot object to, a three-judge bench of the court further noted. Also Read | Uttar Pradesh Shocker: 55-Year-Old Woman Hammered to Death by Alcoholic Husband in Kanpur. "We are of the considered opinion that wearing of Hijab by Muslim women does not form a part of essential religious practice in Islamic faith," Chief Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi who headed the full bench of the High Court said reading out portion of the order. The other two judges in the panel were Justice Krishna S Dixit and Justice J M Khazi. The bench also maintained that the government has power to issue impugned government order dated February 5, 2022 and no case is made out for its invalidation. By the said order, the state government had banned wearing clothes which disturb equality, integrity and public order in schools and colleges. The court also rejected the plea to initiate a disciplinary inquiry against the college, its principal and a teacher. "In the above circumstances, all these writ petitions being devoid of merits are liable to be and accordingly are dismissed. In view of the dismissal of the writ petition, all the pending applications fell into insignificance and are accordingly disposed off," the bench said in its order. On January 1, six girl students of a college in Udupi attended a press conference held by Campus Front of India (CFI) in the coastal town protesting against the college authorities denying them entry into the classroom wearing Hijab. This was four days after they requested the principal permission to wear Hijabs in classrooms which was not allowed. Till then, students used to wear Hijab to the campus and entered the classroom after removing the scarves, the college principal Rudre Gowda had said. "The institution did not have any rule on Hijab-wearing as such and no one used to wear it to the classroom in the last 35 years. The students who came with the demand had the backing of outside forces," Gowda had said. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) New Delhi [India], March 15 (ANI): Manipur caretaker Chief Minister N Biren Singh, along with State BJP President Sharda Devi, on Tuesday, met Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national President JP Nadda in the national capital to discuss new cabinet formation. "The leaders have discussed the new government formation in the state. The BJP has also appointed observers for Manipur in which Nirmala Sitharaman has been appointed as the central observer while Kiren Rijiju has been appointed as the co-observer," sources said. Also Read | COVID-19 Vaccine Clinical Trial Data Can't Be Demanded in Garb of PIL, Centre to Supreme Court. According to sources, Nirmala Sitharaman and Kiren Rijiju will visit Manipur in the coming days and participate in the party legislature meeting to decide the next state Chief Minister. Meanwhile, all members honoured Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP chief JP Nadda for the massive victory in the recent assembly election held in UP, Uttarakhand, Goa, and Manipur at the BJP parliamentary party meeting in the national capital today. Also Read | Holi 2022: Delhi Metro Services to Start from 2.30 PM on March 18. With bagging 32 seats in the 60-member Assembly, the BJP is all set to form the second successive government in Manipur. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Madurai (Tamil Nadu) [India], March 15 (ANI): The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court on Tuesday ordered that the government employees should not be allowed to use mobile phones for personal use during office hours. A health department official, who moved a petition against her suspension order for using a mobile phone at the workplace came up for hearing before the Justice SM Subramaniam. Also Read | Need To Make Films Like The Kashmir Files So People Can Know Truth, Says PM Narendra Modi. Refusing to go into the issue, Justice Subramanian observed that it has become normal for Government employees to use mobile phones for their personal use during work hours and it is not a good practice. The court has directed the State Government to frame regulations in this regard and initiate action against erring government employees. Also Read | Nitin Gadkari says, India's First Electric Highway Between Delhi and Jaipur Is My Dream. It has also directed the State Government to file a detailed report in four weeks. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) By Payal Mehta New Delhi [India], March 15 (ANI): There will be no place for dynastic politics in the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the family led political parties will continue to be challenged, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday told the Parliamentary party meeting, adding that he takes onus for denying tickets to children of the party leaders in the recently concluded Assembly elections, sources said. Also Read | Google Cloud Announces Price Hike for Some Core Services. The Prime Minister applauded the party leaders for the victory of the BJP in four out of five states which went to the polls recently. It was also reliably learnt that the major focus of the Prime Minister in his speech was on the ills of the dynastic politics, with sources saying that he ensured that tickets were denied to a number of claims made by the party leaders for their children in the states where the elections were held. The message needs to go to people that family and dynastic politics are not leading the country anywhere, sources quoted PM Modi having told the Parliamentary party meeting, which was held at the Ambedkar Bhavan. Also Read | Islamic Centre of India Issues Advisory for Holi, Shab-E-Barat in Uttar Pradesh. "Several members of Parliament and party leaders were seeking tickets in the recently concluded elections for their children and many of them were denied. For those who are not given tickets for the children, the responsibility entirely lies with me," the Prime Minister is learnt to have said in the meeting. The Prime Minister further said that increasing 'Parivarad (dynastic politics)' leads to casteism, sources added. Sending a strong message, PM Modi said that the BJP is fighting dynastic politics, and it was important that the party leads by example, sources said. Several times in the past, including in Parliamentary party meetings, the Prime Minister has hit out at the Gandhi family for promoting dynastic politics while lacking credentials. PM Modi also gave an account of the evacuation of the stranded Indians from Ukraine in the meeting, sources added. Besides PM Modi and Nadda, Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Road and Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi, leader of the House in Rajya Sabha Piyush Goyal were present in this meeting. The meeting took place at the Ambedkar Centre on Janpath road due to the ongoing repair work in the Parliament library building. The BJP has retained power in Uttar Pradesh by winning 255 out of 403 constituencies, securing a 41.29 per cent vote share. The BJP emerged as the single largest party in Goa winning 20 seats in the 40-member state Assembly and decimated Congress to 11 seats. The BJP has secured a majority in Manipur Assembly elections, reducing other parties to single digits and will now form the government in the state for the second consecutive term. In the elections, the BJP went solo this time and contested all seats alone. It won 32 seats out of 60 in Manipur. The BJP has come back to power for the second consecutive term in Uttarakhand with a two-thirds majority in the 70-member Assembly. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) If you were looking for the Charlestown Democratic Town Committee website and ended up here, try this Got news tips, gossip, suggestions, complaints?E-mail us: progressivecharlestown@gmail.com We strive to avoid errors in our articles. Our correction policy can be found here Khatkar Kalan (Punjab) [India], March 15 (ANI): Preparations are underway at Khatkar Kalan village in Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar district of Punjab for the swearing-in of the Punjab CM-designate Bhagwant Mann on Wednesday. An area of nearly 100 acres is being used for the ceremony in Khatkar Kalan in Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar district on March 16. Also Read | Samsung Galaxy F23 5G Smartphone To Go on Sale Tomorrow at 12 PM Via Flipkart. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) bagged a landslide victory in the Punjab Assembly elections. Mann, who was the party's Chief Ministerial candidate, will take the oath on March 16 at the freedom fighter Bhagat Singh's native village, Khatkar Kalan. Mann has invited Delhi Chief Minister and AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal to the oath-taking ceremony. According to AAP sources, apart from Kejriwal, no other Chief Minister of any state will be present in the swearing-in of Bhagwant Mann. Similarly, no Union Minister or any big leader of the national level has been invited for this oath-taking ceremony. Only AAP leaders and local leaders of Punjab will be present at the swearing-in ceremony. Also Read | iQoo Z6 5G Smartphone To Be Launched in India Tomorrow; Expected Prices, Features & Specifications. Mann, who was contesting from Dhuri assembly constituency in Sangrur district, won by a margin of 58,206 votes over Congress' Dalvir Singh Goldy. AAP registered a landslide victory in the Punjab polls with 92 seats, pushing most of its rivals to the margins. Congress had won 18 seats in the 117-member Assembly. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Coimbatore (Tamil Nadu) [India], March 15 (ANI): The Department of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) on Tuesday raided the residence of former AIADMK minister SP Velumani in Kuniyamuthur, Coimbatore. Searches are related to corruption allegations against the former minister based on the evidence taken during searches a few months ago Also Read | Operation Ganga: Here is How India Evacuates its Citizens From Ukraine Amidst Ongoing Conflict With Russia. Further details are awaited. (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 15 (PTI) Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari on Wednesday will inaugurate a pilot project for hydrogen-based advanced fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEV), according to an official statement. Toyota Kirloskar Motor, along with the International Center for Automotive Technology (ICAT), is conducting a pilot project to study and evaluate the world's most advanced FCEV Toyota Mirai, which runs on hydrogen, on Indian roads and climatic conditions. Also Read | Sony PlayStation State of Play To Stream Hogwarts Legacy on March 17, 2022. This will be the first-of-its-kind project in the country aimed at spreading awareness about hydrogen and FCEV technology, and disseminating its benefits to support hydrogen-based society for India, it said. Gadkari will inaugurate this pilot project and also demonstrate Toyota Mirai FCEV on March 16, 2022, the statement said. Also Read | Samsung Galaxy A33 5G Price & Specifications Emerge Online Ahead of Its Launch: Report. India is committed to cleaner energy and a low-carbon pathway for achieving accelerated economic growth, according to the statement. It said hydrogen is a key element of the energy strategy and will play a key role in the low-carbon energy pathways. The statement noted that green hydrogen offers huge opportunities to decarbonise a range of sectors, including road transportation, and is gaining unprecedented momentum globally. HRS hrs (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Kozhikode (Ker), Mar 15 (PTI) A two-and-a-half year old boy died in Kozhikode district of Kerala on Tuesday after accidentally consuming rat poison. Also Read | Mumbai: FIR Registered Against BJP MLC Pravin Darekar for Bank Fraud. Confirming the death, sources in MIMS Hospital here said the boy, Rasinsha, son of Ansar and Suhaila of Chettipadi in Parappanangadi in Malappuram district, died as a result of consuming poison. Also Read | Oppo K10 India Launch Set for March 23, 2022. Sources said the child, while playing inside the house a few days ago, had come in contact with a container which had contained rat poison. The boy was rushed to a hospital in Kottakkal and was later brought to MIMS Hospital on Monday. However, the hospital authorities could not save the infant who died on Tuesday morning. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Actor Anjali Bhimani is all set to join the cast of Disney Plus's 'Ms. Marvel' in a recurring role, the details of which have currently been kept under wraps.According to Deadline, 'Ms. Marvel', penned by writer Bisha K. Ali, will tell the story of Kamala Khan (Iman Vellani), a Pakistani-American teen based in New Jersey. Ms Marvel: Kamala Khan Will Be Displaying Different Superpowers From Her Comicbook Avatar in the Disney+ Series - Here's How! Ms Marvel had made her first appearance in 2014 as Marvel's first Muslim character to star in her own title. Now, she will be Marvel Studios' first onscreen Muslim hero. The upcoming show also stars Aramis Knight, Matt Lintz, Laurel Marsden, Rish Shah, and Saagar Shaikh with Ali serving as head writer on the series. Ms Marvel: Fawad Khan Confirms His Part in Disney+ Series, Says It Was Good Fun Shooting With the Team (Watch Video). It will be directed by filmmakers Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah along with two-time Oscar winner Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, and Meera Menon. As per Deadline, Kevin Feige, Marvel Studios chief, has even said that along with being part of this series, the Ms Marvel character will also be part of future Marvel films. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Netflix series Squid Game's actor Lee Jung-jae won the Best Actor in a Drama Series at Critics Choice Awards held in the U.S. On March 13 (local time), Lee Jung-jae received the Best Actor in a Drama Series at the 27th Critics Choice Awards held at Fairmont Century Plaza Hotel in Los Angeles, the U.S., beating other nominees, Sterling K. Brown (This Is Us), Mike Colter (Evil), Brian Cox (Succession), Billy Porter (Pose), and Jeremy Strong (Succession). Critics Choice Awards 2022: The Power of the Dog, Jessica Chastain and Will Smith Win Big; Heres the Complete List of Winners. Lee Jung Jae said during his acceptance speech, "I'm grateful to everyone who loves and supports 'Squid Game.' And I'm grateful to Netflix and Squid Game team." Critics Choice Awards 2022: Samantha Ruth Prabhu Talks About Her Special Song Oo Antava From Pushpa The Rise. This is the first time that Asian actor was nominated and won the Best Actor at the Critics Choice Awards. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Brussels, Mar 15 (AP) NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg says he's convened a summit for next week of the military organisation's 30 leaders to discuss Russia's war on Ukraine. Stoltenberg says the March 24 summit will be led by U.S. President Joe Biden and will address the consequences of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, our strong support for Ukraine, and further strengthening NATO's deterrence and defense in response to a new reality for our security. Also Read | Russia Exits European Human Rights Council Amid Moscow-Kyiv Crisis. White House press secretary Jen Psaki confirmed that Biden will travel to Brussels for the face-to-face talks with European leaders. The trip follows on Vice President Kamala Harris' visit to eastern flank NATO countries of Poland and Romania last week to discuss with leaders the growing refugee crisis in eastern Europe sparked by the Russian invasion and to underscore the Biden administration's support for NATO allies. Also Read | Russia-Ukraine War: Fox News Videographer Pierre Zakrzewski Killed in Ukraine After Vehicle Struck. Stoltenberg said in a statement Tuesday that at this critical time, North America and Europe must continue to stand together in NATO. NATO has been bolstering its eastern flank with troops and equipment to deter Russia from invading any of its members. NATO refuses to deploy troops to Ukraine as it is concerned about sparking a wider war in Europe. (AP) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Kyiv, Mar 15 (AP) Fox News photographer Pierre Zakrzewski was killed in Ukraine when the vehicle he was travelling in with reporter Benjamin Hall was struck by incoming fire, Fox News said on Tuesday. Hall has been hospitalised since the incident on Monday, which happened when they were newsgathering in Horenka, outside of Kyiv, the network said. Also Read | Russia-Ukraine War: PM Narendra Modi Holds Virtual Interaction with Embassy Officials Engaged in Evacuation Mission. As a war photographer, Zakrzewski had covered conflicts in Iraq, Afghanistan and Syria for Fox, according to a memo sent to Fox employees by Suzanne Scott, CEO of Fox News Media. His passion and talent as a journalist were unmatched, Scott said. Also Read | Russia-Ukraine Conflict: Prices of Anti-Radiation Tablets Skyrocket; Here's Why. He was the second journalist killed in Ukraine in two days. Brent Renaud, a documentary filmmaker and another veteran of covering war zones, died Sunday after Russian forces opened fire on his vehicle. ___ New York: Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin says the country aims to spend around 1 trillion rubles ($9 billion) on measures to support an economy hit by international sanctions. Mishustin said the government would work with other ex-Soviet countries to reshape their trade relationships with a focus on helping Russia to get the imports it needs. Mishustin said the measures aim to ensure the maximum flexibility for the economy, remove internal restrictions on business and give more freedom to entrepreneurs. Russia's economy has been disrupted after foreign companies in a wide range of industries suspended their operations in Russia following the invasion of Ukraine. The government's responses so far have included programs to support lending to businesses, suspending some regulatory processes and restricting exports of grain and sugar. ___ Vatican City: Pope Francis is praying for the people of Kyiv as Russia steps up its bombardment of the Ukrainian capital. The Vatican said Tuesday that Francis had received a letter from the Kyiv mayor, inviting him to visit the city as a messenger of peace. The Vatican didn't say if Francis had responded or was considering a visit. Such a trip would be highly unlikely given security concerns, Francis' efforts to maintain relations with the Russian Orthodox Church and the Vatican's tradition of quiet, behind-the-scenes diplomacy. In a statement responding to the Kyiv city invitation, Holy See spokesperson Matteo Bruni said Francis was spiritually close to the suffering of the city, its people, to those who were forced to flee and those who are called to run it. He prays to the Lord that they are protected from violence. The March 8 letter invited Francis to visit Kyiv or to participate in a virtual conference of religious leaders. We appeal to you, as a spiritual leader, to show your compassion, to stand with the Ukrainian people by jointly spreading the call for peace, the letter read. (AP) (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, March 15: Despite challenges posed by a serious ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine, India ensured the safe return of 22,500 citizens to their homes under 'Operation Ganga', External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar told Rajya Sabha on Tuesday. Speaking about the situation in Ukraine and the implications that it has had for India, including for our national residents there, Jaishankar further said 150 foreign nationals of 18 countries were also evacuated from conflict zones and brought to India in line with India's principle of 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam'. Among the foreign nationals evacuated are India's immediate neighbours like Bangladesh and Nepal, said the Minister, adding, "many of the Ukrainian nationals that are family members of Indian nationals have also been evacuated, and we also provided free passage to Ukraine nationals from India to Poland in our evacuation flights." Under 'Operation Ganga', Jaishankar said, 90 flights have been operated, out of which 76 were civilian flights and 14 were Indian Air-force flights. Operation Ganga: Here is How India Evacuates its Citizens From Ukraine Amidst Ongoing Conflict With Russia. "The evacuation flights were from Romania, Poland, Hungary and Slovakia. While Indian Air-Force rose to the occasion, most of the private airlines, that includes Air India, Air India Express, Indigo, Spice Jet, Vistara, Go-Air and Air Asia, also participated enthusiastically." During this period, the Minister stated, Prime Minister himself spoke to Presidents of Russia and Ukraine on multiple occasions. "He (PM) specifically took up the issue of safe evacuation of Indian nationals, especially from Kharkiv and Sumy. PM also spoke to the Prime Ministers of Romania, Slovak Republic, Hungary and President of Poland to seek their support for facilitation of entry of Indian nationals to their countries." I was in constant touch with my counterparts from Ukraine, Russia, Poland, Romania, Hungary, Slovakia and Moldova for similar reasons, said the Minister. He also said that Foreign Secretary maintained contact with the Ambassadors of Ukraine and Russia in New Delhi, while our Ambassadors in Kyiv and Moscow followed up in their respective capitals. Operation Ganga: All Indian Students Stuck in Ukraine's Sumy Evacuated. Prime Minister deputed four Union Ministers as Special Envoys to Romania, Hungary, Slovak Republic and Poland to facilitate Operation Ganga. This included Jyotiraditya Scindia to Romania, Kiren Rijiju to the Slovak Republic, Hardeep Singh Puri to Hungary and Gen (Retd.) and VK Singh to Poland. Their personal supervision of the evacuation processes made a substantial difference in the ease of border crossing and the care taken of our citizens thereafter. Jaishankar said a tense situation between Russia and Ukraine erupted into conflict on February 24 and the root causes for this are complex, going back to a range of issues including the security architecture, political governance and inter-state politics. What is pertinent to note is that the hostilities placed the Indian community of 20,000 plus in direct danger, said the Foreign Affairs Minister. "Even while we were participating in the global deliberation of this evolving situation in the UN Security Council, the pressing challenge was to safeguard our citizens and ensure that they were not in harm's way," said the Minister. "At the direction of the Prime Minister, we launched Operation Ganga, thereby undertaking one of the most challenging evacuation exercises during an ongoing conflict situation," he added. The Minister said, "our community was dispersed across Ukraine, posing its own logistical challenges". "The exercise was undertaken at a time when military actions including airstrikes and shelling were underway. It involved movement in a war-torn situation in a large country, at times over a1,000 km. And it required exiting borders clogged by an estimated 2.6 million refugees." "The entire exercise involved a whole of Government approach with Prime Minister himself chairing review meetings, almost on a daily basis. At the MEA, we monitored the evacuation operations on a 24x7 basis as well," said Jaishankar. The Minister said that as tensions increased, the Embassy of India in Ukraine had started a registration drive for Indian nationals in January 2022. As a result, around 20,000 Indian nationals registered with our Embassy in Kyiv, he added. "Most of the Indian nationals were students who were pursuing medical studies in Ukrainian universities dispersed throughout the country. More than half of the students were in Universities in Eastern Ukraine that borders Russia and has been the epicentre of the conflict so far," said the Minister. The students hailed from 35 States and UTs of India with more than 1,000 students each from the States of Kerala, UP, Haryana, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Bihar, and Rajasthan, informed Jaishankar. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) New York [US], March 15 (ANI/Xinhua): UN General Assembly President Abdulla Shahid said Monday that the next UN secretary-general should be female. Just four women have been elected president of the General Assembly in its 76 sessions. However, no woman has ever been chosen as the secretary-general. This needs to be corrected, Shahid told the opening of the 66th session of the Commission on the Status of Women. Also Read | Ukrainian Troops Control City of Irpin Where US Journalist Was Killed, Says Russian Envoy Vassily Nebenzia. "The UN cannot call for the implementation of gold standards throughout the world as far as gender equality and women's empowerment is concerned, but not implement this standard at home," he said. "I personally would lead from the front calling for the next secretary-general to be a woman. Join me in this clarion call," he said. In the past 76 years, all the nine UN secretaries-general have been male. The current secretary-general, Antonio Guterres, is in the first year of his second five-year term. (ANI/Xinhua) Also Read | Poland Received Over 1.8 Million Refugees from Ukraine Since February 24, Says Secretary of State Maciej Wasik. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Islamabad [Pakistan], March 15 (ANI): Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan's response to the no-confidence motion tabled against him and his government has been to get the police to act tough against several prominent lawmakers. This could either mean that Imran Khan is over-confident of his own powers and survival, or he feels insecure and is working overtime to save himself. The question now is whether the no-confidence motion moved by the opposition has any chance of success, given the current level of support for Imran Khan from the Pakistan Army? Also Read | Ukrainian Troops Control City of Irpin Where US Journalist Was Killed, Says Russian Envoy Vassily Nebenzia. The more important question is, can the Army remain neutral in the political struggle unfolding in Pakistan? The answers remain hazy at this stage, but it is certain that the Pakistan Army will back Imran Khan. The immediate result of the tabling of the no-confidence motion against PM Imran Khan was the raid by a police contingent (11 March 2022) on the Parliament Lodges to expel members of the Ansarul Islam, the volunteer force of the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F). Also Read | Poland Received Over 1.8 Million Refugees from Ukraine Since February 24, Says Secretary of State Maciej Wasik. This force had been invited to provide security to the opposition lawmakers. The police claimed to have arrested, during the operation, at least four legislators, along with two dozen Ansarul Islam volunteers. The other occurrence was that both the Opposition and the government and groups of dissenters have been in touch with each other in the aftermath of the no-confidence motion tabling. PM Imran Khan's immediate focus appeared to be Punjab, rather than the Federal dispensation because of the revolt within the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaaf (PTI) against the Punjab Chief Minister, Usman Buzdar. Khan spent the entire day (10 March) in Lahore meeting with his provincial Assembly members. His presence in Lahore for the whole day was basically to bolster support for Chief Minister Buzdar. The catch here is that PM Khan cannot resolve the no-confidence issue without first solving the Punjab crisis. Many members of the 'angry group' within the PTI met Imran Khan and said that they had attended the Jahangir Tarin group and Aleem Khan Group meetings to convince them to come back to the party. The ruling PTI coalition has a total of 179 members in the National Assembly, while the opposition claims to have the support of 162 members. It also claims to have the allegiance of 24 members of the ruling party, which could tilt the balance in favour of the opposition, as and when the motion is placed and voted upon in the National Assembly. The tabling of the no-confidence motion, however, signals a degree of confidence within the opposition that they are ready to take on Imran Khan, already surrounded by a plethora of challenges, ranging from a sinking economy to a troubled security environment, with the TTP on the ascendant. While this may be so, the historical record shows that no government in power has ever been removed by a no-confidence motion. What are the signs currently of dissidence within the PTI that could signal the likelihood of a shift in the power equation in Islamabad? The growing ranks of dissidents have worsened with the passage of time and the revolt against the Punjab Chief Minister signals the unravelling of the party that could also threaten the survival of the PTI government. A major problem is that there is no consensus on any other candidate. The PML-Q will not accept anyone other than Pervaiz Elahi as the chief minister. With the no-confidence motion hanging over the head of the PTI government, the PML-Q has upped its stakes. The party's bargaining position seems to have been further strengthened with the reported offer by the opposition to give the top provincial office to the PML-Q leader. While the opposition has been galvanized somewhat by the tabling of the no-confidence motion, PM Imran Khan continues to use other means to muzzle his critics. The latest in this series is the passage in the National Assembly of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes (Amendment) Act (PECA) 2022 by Ordinance. The timing of this bill comes at a time when the ruling PTI government is faced with a no-confidence motion. The new Act for instance, the ordinance, gives the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) powers to arrest anyone and put them in jail till the conclusion of the trial. Federal officers also have the authority to unlock any electronic device. Another provision open to gross abuse is the provision that the complainant doesn't necessarily be the aggrieved person or institution; it can be any member of the public, making the new law open for abuse. The PECA 2022 signals that PM Khan wants to ensure that there is no criticism levelled against him, especially when he is beleaguered politically on all sides. The new law, along with the Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill, 2020, that seeks to jail anyone who "ridicules or brings into disrepute or defames the military" has made life difficult for journalists, human rights activists, and social media champions. Imran Khan knows very well that a free press in Pakistan could very well turn criticism into political mileage. That is why the insistent on curbing media freedom and in the larger context an attempt to muzzle anything that remotely pulls up the military for its faults. The tabling of the no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Imran Khan creates an uncertain political situation for Pakistan. Unfortunately, whatever the outcome of the motion, the net loser is Pakistan for political instability will persist. Pakistan's economy is on a downward spiral and without doubt, the PTI government under Imran Khan is responsible for a large part of the problem. If Imran Khan wins the vote, then he will be emboldened to continue on the path taken so far. If the opposition wins, then the selection of a prime ministerial candidate will occupy political space and time. In the meantime, the only beneficiary will be the Army. That is why it has been said that the Army has turned 'neutral' in the ongoing political crisis. But is this really so? (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) London, Mar 15 (PTI) The UK government will lift all its remaining COVID-19 pandemic related international travel restrictions from this Friday, including the requirement for travellers to fill in a compulsory Passenger Locator Form prior to entering the country. From 4 am GMT on Friday, arrivals into the UK will no longer be required to submit travel details or take a PCR test even if they are unvaccinated. The change would remove the remaining rules in place for unvaccinated passengers to take a pre-departure test and another test two days after arrival. Also Read | COVID-19 Cases More Than Double in China, Biggest Outbreak Since Early Days of Pandemic, Says Report. The UK is leading the world in removing all remaining COVID-19 travel restrictions, and today's announcement is a testament to the hard work everyone in this country has put in place to roll out the vaccine and protect each other, UK Transport Secretary Grant Shapps on Monday evening. I said we wouldn't keep travel measures in place for any longer than necessary, which we're delivering on today providing more welcome news and greater freedom for travellers ahead of the Easter holidays. I look forward to continuing to work with the travel sector and partners around the world to keep international travel moving, he said. Also Read | Ukrainian Troops Control City of Irpin Where US Journalist Was Killed, Says Russian Envoy Vassily Nebenzia. The Easter break in April is a popular holiday period in the UK and the changes have been timed to help families make travel plans without the need for additional requirements. As we learn to live with COVID-19, we're taking further steps to open up international travel once again ahead of the Easter holidays, said UK Health Secretary Sajid Javid. We will continue monitoring and tracking potential new variants and keep a reserve of measures that can be rapidly deployed if needed to keep us safe. We can remove these final restrictions thanks to the incredible success of our vaccination programme, which has seen more than eight out of 10 adults across the UK boosted, he said. According to official figures, 86 per cent of the UK population has received a second dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and 67 per cent of the population has had a third top-up booster dose. The UK government said that it will maintain a range of contingency measures in reserve, which would enable swift and proportionate action to delay any future harmful variants of COVID-19 entering the country. According to officials, the default approach in future will be to use the least stringent measures, if appropriate, to minimise the impact on travel as far as possible, with contingency measures will only be implemented in extreme circumstances. All remaining compulsory hotel quarantine capacity in place will also be fully released from the end of March. Tim Alderslade, Chief Executive of Airlines UK, said: The announcement sends a clear message to the world the UK travel sector is back. With travellers returning to the UK no longer burdened by unnecessary forms and testing requirements, we can now look forward to the return to pre-COVID normality throughout the travel experience. We're grateful for the timing of the announcement as we prepare to welcome back passengers this Easter and summer, for which we know there is huge pent-up demand, and for the UK's leadership in being the first major aviation market to remove all remaining restrictions. The time to return to the skies to enjoy all that makes aviation and international travel great, for families and businesses is now. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) New York [US], March 15 (ANI): The war in Ukraine is the most severe test the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) has faced since its creation in 1975, the top UN political affairs official told the Security Council on Monday. These remarks came as the 15-member organ held its annual briefing on the OSCE's work against the backdrop of intensifying fighting of key Ukrainian cities. Also Read | COVID-19 Cases More Than Double in China, Biggest Outbreak Since Early Days of Pandemic, Says Report. Rosemary DiCarlo, who is Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, expressed concern that the situation on the ground worsened over the weekend. She cited unrelenting shelling and bombardment of numerous cities in Ukraine, with civilians killed daily, as well as reports that Russian forces are using cluster munitions - including in populated areas, UN News reported. Also Read | Ukrainian Troops Control City of Irpin Where US Journalist Was Killed, Says Russian Envoy Vassily Nebenzia. "The Russian invasion has shaken the foundations of the European security architecture to its core," said the Under-Secretary-General. Recalling the organization's history and its growing partnership with the UN, DiCarlo said today's tragic conflict in Ukraine vividly illustrates the importance of mechanisms to maintain and strengthen European and international peace and security. Among other things, DiCarlo warned the Council that Russia's invasion of Ukraine risks dismantling longstanding confidence-building measures, arms control treaties and other frameworks in Europe. Amid dire humanitarian conditions, the UN is scaling up its support to the people of Ukraine as well as its engagement with key partners, including OSCE, in support of an immediate ceasefire and a lasting diplomatic solution. "The challenges we face today, and those potentially ahead, demand that we work even more closely together," she concluded. OSCE, an organisation that started in 1975, currently has 57 participating States and serves as a critical platform for regional dialogue and negotiations on such issues as counter-terrorism, cyber security, and good governance. (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 York [US], March 15 (ANI): Underlining how Ukraine is being "decimated before the eyes of the world", UN chief on Monday warned that a meltdown of the global economy due to the conflict is provoking a hunger crisis that is hitting the poorest, hardest. Addressing the media outside the Security Council chamber in New York, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said that with each passing hour in Ukraine, the death and destruction is getting worse: "Whatever the outcome, this war will have no winners, only losers." Also Read | COVID-19 Cases More Than Double in China, Biggest Outbreak Since Early Days of Pandemic, Says Report. The Secretary-General said the UN and humanitarian partners were working "to ensure safe passage from besieged areas, and to provide aid where security permits, allowing around 600,000 to receive some form of aid since the bombardment began. And with Russia raising the alert level of his country's nuclear forces, the UN chief described it as a "bone-chilling development." Also Read | Ukrainian Troops Control City of Irpin Where US Journalist Was Killed, Says Russian Envoy Vassily Nebenzia. He said the prospect of a nuclear war, "once unthinkable, is now back within the realm of possibility. The security and safety of nuclear facilities must also be preserved". "It is time to stop the horror unleashed on the people of Ukraine and get on the path of diplomacy and peace", he said, noting that he had been in close contact with countries including China, France, Germany, India, Israel and Turkey - on mediation efforts to end Russia's invasion. "The appeals for peace must be heard. This tragedy must stop. It is never too late for diplomacy and dialogue. We need an immediate cessation of hostilities and serious negotiations based on the principles of the UN Charter and international law." We need peace now, he added. "Peace for the people of Ukraine. Peace for our world." The nearly two million now displaced inside the country, and close to three million who have become refugees in the past two weeks - the vast majority women and children - are becoming increasingly vulnerable, he warned. Russia and Ukraine represent more than half of the world's supply of sunflower oil and about 30 per cent of the world's wheat, he added, noting that Ukraine alone provides more than half of the World Food Programme's (WFP) wheat supply. "Food, fuel and fertilizer prices are skyrocketing. Supply chains are being disrupted. And the costs and delays of transportation of imported goods - when available - are at record levels," Guterres said and added that all of this is hitting the poorest the hardest. (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 [US], March 15 (ANI): United Nations has "deep concerns" on China's alignment with Russia at present time, a US official said, adding that the national security adviser was directed about those concerns and the potential implications and consequences of certain actions. "We do have deep concerns about China's alignment with Russia at this time, and the national security adviser was direct about those concerns and the potential implications and consequences of certain actions," the official said. Also Read | Ukrainian Troops Control City of Irpin Where US Journalist Was Killed, Says Russian Envoy Vassily Nebenzia. White House press secretary Jen Psaki underscored that message, suggesting the US would take action against China should it help Russia. "We've been clear there would be consequences," she said at a White House briefing. Also Read | Poland Received Over 1.8 Million Refugees from Ukraine Since February 24, Says Secretary of State Maciej Wasik. Today, US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan met Chinese Communist Party Political Bureau Member and Director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission Yang Jiechi and raised a range of issues in US-China ties, with "substantial discussion" of Russia's war against Ukraine. "Sullivan raised a range of issues in US-China relations, with substantial discussion of Russia's war against Ukraine. They also underscored the importance of maintaining open lines of communication between the United States and China," a White House readout said. The meeting between the US and Chinese diplomates was held in Rome, Italy. "Their meeting followed up on the November 15, 2022, virtual meeting between President Biden and President Xi," the readout said. Earlier, the US had warned China of the consequences of helping Russia bypass sanctions. According to Sullivan, the US believes that China was aware in advance of what Washington describes as an "invasion" of Ukraine, Sputnik reported. On February 24, Russia began a special military operation in Ukraine after the Donetsk and Luhansk people's republics requested help in defending themselves.The Russian Defense Ministry said the special operation is targeting Ukrainian military infrastructure only and the civilian population is not in danger. The West however denies these claims by the Russians and in response, Western nations have imposed comprehensive sanctions on Moscow. In addition, they introduced sanctions on Belarus for supporting Russia's operation in 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 York [US], March 15 (ANI): A veteran war photojournalist of Fox News, Pierre Zakrzewski, was killed while reporting in war-torn Ukraine, the Fox News Network said on Tuesday, reported CNN. Fox News chief executive Suzanne Scott wrote to employees, "It is with great sadness and a heavy heart that we share the news this morning regarding our beloved cameraman Pierre Zakrzewski," adding "Pierre was killed in Horenka, outside of Kyiv, Ukraine." Also Read | BREAKING: EU Bans Exports of Luxury Cars and Other Luxury Goods to Russia Latest Tweet by The Spectator Index. Zakrzewski was a veteran war photojournalist who had "covered nearly every internal story for Fox News from Iraq to Afghanistan to Syria," Scott said. As per the chief executive, Zakrzewski was with correspondent Benjamin Hall "when their vehicle was struck by incoming fire." He informed that Benjamin Hall remains hospitalized in Ukraine. Also Read | Russia-Ukraine War Latest Updates: Russia Imposes sanctions on US President Joe Biden, Several Top US Officials; Pierre Zakrzewski, Fox News Cameraman, Killed Near Kyiv. "His talents were vast and there wasn't a role that he didn't jump in to help with in the field - from photographer to engineer to the editor to producer - and he did it all under immense pressure with tremendous skill," Scott said. "He was profoundly committed to telling the story and his bravery, professionalism and work ethic were renowned among journalists at every media outlet," reported the news channel. "He was wildly popular - everyone in the media industry who has covered a foreign story knew and respected Pierre," Scott added. Scott said it was a "heartbreaking day for Fox News Media and for all journalists risking their lives to deliver the news." Earlier, the US State Department said that it stands ready to assist injured Fox News correspondent Ben Hall in any way it can. "I'm heartbroken by reports that my colleague, a State Department correspondent, was injured in Ukraine today. Our thoughts are with him, his family, and all of his colleagues, and we wish him a full recovery. We stand ready to assist in any way we can," State Department Spokesperson Ned Price said in a tweet. On February 24, Russia began a special military operation in Ukraine after the Donetsk and Luhansk people's republics requested help in defending themselves.The Russian Defense Ministry said the special operation is targeting Ukrainian military infrastructure only and the civilian population is not in danger.The West however denies these claims by the Russians and in response, Western nations have imposed comprehensive sanctions on Moscow. In addition, they introduced sanctions on Belarus for supporting Russia's operation in 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) Bengaluru, Mar 15: Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Tuesday said everyone should abide by the verdict of the High Court on the Hijab row, and cooperate with the state government in implementing it. Calling for maintenance of peace and order in the society, he also asked students to focus on their education, by accepting the court verdict. "I have just now got to know through the media about the High Court's order regarding the case related to uniform (in class rooms). The court has upheld the uniform and has said that Hijab is not an essential religious practice," Bommai said. Karnataka HC Dismisses Plea Against Hijab Ban, Says 'Wearing of Hijab Not an Essential Part of Islam'. Speaking to reporters here, he said this was a matter concerning the future and the education of students, and nothing is more important than education. "Every one should abide by the verdict of the three judges bench of the High Court. While we (govt) implement it (the order) everyone should cooperate and maintain peace. Maintaining peace and order in the society is of utmost importance. I appeal to the people, leaders of all communities, parents, teachers and students to accept the order and cooperate in imparting education to students, in accordance with the court order," he added. The Karnataka High Court today dismissed petitions filed by a section of Muslim students, seeking permission to wear Hijab inside the classroom. The prescription of school uniform is only a reasonable restriction, constitutionally permissible which the students cannot object to, a three-judge bench of the court consisting of Chief Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi, Justice Krishna S Dixit and Justice J M Khazi further noted The Chief Minister also called on the students not to boycott classes and exams as some of them did during the preparatory exams, keeping their future in mind. Noting that police forces have been deployed keeping in mind the maintenance of peace and order, in response to a question he said, everyone should abide by the court ruling, and if any one tries to take law into their hands, the Home Department will take strict action. Srinagar, March 15: PDP president Mehbooba Mufti on Tuesday called the Karnataka High Court's decision to uphold the hijab ban as deeply disappointing, saying it was not only about religion but the freedom to choose. Karnataka HC's decision to uphold the Hijab ban is deeply disappointing. On one hand we talk about empowering women yet we are denying them the right to a simple choice. Its isn't just about religion but the freedom to choose, Mehbooba wrote on Twitter. Karnataka HC Dismisses Plea Against Hijab Ban, Says 'Wearing of Hijab Not an Essential Part of Islam'. The Karnataka High Court on Tuesday dismissed petitions filed by a section of Muslim students from the Government Pre-University Girls College in Udupi, seeking permission to wear hijab inside the classroom. Maldives President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih thanks India for help during the last 2 years I also wish to thank, on behalf of all Maldivians, our friendly bilateral partners who assisted our #COVID19 response efforts, he said @ibusolih pic.twitter.com/RAK5wcaMBU DD News (@DDNewslive) March 15, 2022 (SocialLY brings you all the latest breaking news, viral trends and information from social media world, including Twitter, Instagram and Youtube. The above post is embeded directly from the user's social media account and LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body. The views and facts appearing in the social media post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY, also LatestLY does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same.) The California mask mandate removal has not been imposed in some parts of the state, with Willow Glen Middle School still imposing a mask requirement in its premise. Today marks the first day many students in California will not be required to wear a mask indoors. However some people still disagree, according to an NBC Los Angeles news report. A fourth-grade student, August McCaffery-Shapiro, said that he is going to wear a mask so he can feel more comfortable so that COVID-19 cases will not rise up again. Gary Shapiro, the nine-year-old's father, said that he is glad that his son is doing what makes him comfortable. He added that he feels confident whether his son wants to wear his mask or not that it will be "pretty safe." Meanwhile, other kids and parents are relieved that most schools are allowing masks to be optional indoors. READ NEXT: Omicron BA.2 Variant: 2 New Symptoms Could Indicate COVID-19 Infection Reactions on the Lifting of California Mask Mandate California became the first state in the country to mandate a stay-at-home order to halt the spread of the COVID-19. The state then announced that it will be ending the mask mandate in California. The move had garnered mixed reactions. The New York Times reported that polling suggests that Californians are divided on the issue. Margaret Colburn from Los Angeles noted that as a teacher with multiple autoimmune diseases and immunocompromised students in her classes, she is worried for herself and the children. Colburn added that she cannot understand the "level of selfishness and lack of empathy" in making the decision to remove the California mask mandate. Brooke Habecker, a parent from Redwood City, said that cases are down at her son's middle school and people have not had positive tests among staff or students in a couple of weeks. Habecker said that despite that she will tell her son to wear a mask until the new rules "shake out." Others have more positive reactions to the removal of the mask mandate. Ed Chaney from Clovis said that he is happy that it is being lifted, adding that he teaches at a middle school, so he knows students and colleagues will continue to wear a mask due to their health. He added that he is excited to see "all their weird little faces again." A Twitter user with a handle @MtnHousePsych said that it makes him happy that the mask mandate ended and masks are now optional. Meanwhile, teacher Lisa VanDamme said that fewer than half took off their masks, while those still wearing masks were required by their parents or "hiding acne and braces." California Mask Mandate The California mask mandate for schools had officially ended on March 12. However, some face coverings are still recommended in some indoor settings, according to an NBC Bay Area report. Aside from California, Oregon and Washington also announced the end of their mask mandates in their respective states. A handful of California school districts had already dropped the mask requirement for students in open defiance of the earlier state mandate. California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced in February a plan that highlights prevention and quick reaction to outbreaks over mandated masking and business shutdowns. READ MORE: California School Mask Mandate: When Will Mask Requirements Officially End? This article is owned by Latin Post. Written by: Mary Webber WATCH: California's indoor mask mandate lifted, but there are still requirements in some locations - from ABC 10 Welcome Guest! You Are Here: Ukraine's president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, on Monday penned his condolences to the U.S. journalist that died while covering the war with Russia. The touching letter Zelenskyy wrote was addressed to journalist Brent Renaud's family, as the president called him a "talented and brave media practitioner, New York Post reported. I extend my heartfelt condolences to the family of Brent Renaud who lost his life while documenting the ruthlessness & evil inflicted upon people by Russia. May Brents life & sacrifice inspire the world to stand up in fight for the forces of light against forces of darkness. pic.twitter.com/bvQjM470OU (@ZelenskyyUa) March 14, 2022 In a tweet, Zelenskyy extended his "heartfelt condolences" to Renaud's family, claiming that the journalist died "while documenting the ruthlessness & evil upon Ukrainian people by Russia." "The people of Ukraine, who are fighting against the Russian regime to defend their Homeland and democracy in the world, are mourning with you," Zelenskyy underscored in his letter. Zelenskyy then expressed gratitude for Renaud's "professionalism and commitment" to several values, such as justice, ethics, and compassion. Zelenskyy ended his letter by saying that he hopes Brent's death would serve as an inspiration for people to stand and fight for what is right. READ NEXT: Jake Paul Wants to Make Elon Musk vs. Vladimir Putin Fight Happen; Kanye West vs. Pete Davidson as Undercard U.S. Journalist Killed In Ukraine Zelenskyy's letter came a day after Renaud, who was working for Time, was reported dead after he was shot outside of Kyiv, per BBC. According to Kyiv's police chief, Andriy Nebytov, the 50-year-old journalist had been targeted by Russian soldiers as he was shot in the town of Irpin. Two other journalists were also injured following the shooting and they were taken to a hospital. Juan Arredondo, one of the injured reporters, said that the shooting occurred on one of the bridges in Irpin as they were going to film other leaving refugees. "Somebody offered to take us to the other bridge and we crossed a checkpoint, and they start shooting at us. So the driver turned around, and they kept shooting," Arredondo said. Arredondo added that he saw Renaud shot in the neck and he was left behind. U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan told CBS "Face The Nation" that consequences will be brought following Renaud's death, per New York Post. "I will be consulting with my colleagues, will be consulting with Ukrainians, to determine how this happened and then to measure and execute appropriate consequences as a result of it," Sullivan underscored. Time Executives Edward Felsenthal and Ian Orefice also said that they were "devastated" by Renaud's death, per BBC. The executives also noted that Renaud tackled the "toughest stories" around the world with his brother Craig Renaud, highlighting that the late media practitioner was an award-winning filmmaker and journalist. Brent Renaud was the first foreign journalist who died while covering the Ukraine Russia War, per BBC. Another U.S. Journalist Injured Amid Ukraine Russia War Coverage On the same day Zelenskyy penned his condolences, another U.S. Journalist was reportedly injured while covering the Ukraine Russia War, according to The Hill. The journalist was identified as Benjamin Hall from Fox News. The outlet's CEO Suzanne Scott also confirmed Hall was injured while in Ukraine. It was still not clear how or what part of Hall's body sustained the injury. However, reports underscored that the Fox News correspondent was currently hospitalized. The executives also did not disclose where Hall is currently admitted. Despite having not enough details, TV host John Roberts emphasized they are "working to gather more information. "The safety of our Fox team is of the utmost importance and our highest priority," Roberts assured. On Monday, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki expressed sympathies on Hall's condition. "Our thoughts, the president's thoughts, our administration's thoughts are with him, his family, and all of you at Fox News," Psaki noted, per The Hill. READ NEXT: U.S. Officials Buckle Up for Possible Chemical Attack Amid Ukraine Russia War - Pentagon This article is owned by Latin Post. Written By: Joshua Summers WATCH: American Journalist Brent Renaud Shot and Killed By Russian Soldiers In Ukraine - From CBS Los Angeles Following the arrest of a gang leader, the U.S. consulate in the Mexican border city of Nuevo Laredo was attacked by gunfire overnight, and trailers were set ablaze on city streets, authorities said on Monday. Shots were fired at the consulate and Mexican military premises amid gunfights and pursuits in portions of the city, which is located across the border from Laredo, Texas, the Tamaulipas state ministry of public security said in a statement. Laredo is the United States' largest commercial land port of entry with 1.9 million trucks crossing from Mexico in 2021. According to the statement, suspected gang members halted traffic in Nuevo Laredo early Monday by blocking highways with spike strips and burning trailer trucks. Employees at the U.S. consulate were instructed to remain indoors, and American citizens were asked to do the same or avoid the area. The consulate will be temporarily closed to the public, according to a later announcement from the Mexican government, per The Hill. A senior Tamaulipas official told Reuters there was at least one "collateral" death resulting from the violence. Gunfire Erupted Following Arrest of Gang Boss The gunfire erupted late Sunday after the arrest of a leader of one faction of the Northeast Cartel, the successor group to the old Zetas Cartel, as well as the boss of hitman group Tropas del Infierno (Troops from Hell). Juan Gerardo Trevino, or "El Huevo," is one of the most wanted criminals on the list of U.S. Border Patrol. He is the nephew of detained drug lord Miguel Angel Trevino, a former leader of the Los Zetas drug cartel, Mexico's most bloodthirsty gang. Trevino, who is also a U.S. citizen, is facing a U.S. extradition order for drug trafficking and money laundering. He also has standing arrest warrants in Mexico for murder, terrorism, extortion, and criminal association, the defense ministry said. According to Mexico's government, the arrest represents a "forceful blow" to the cartel's power in the region, Reuters reported. In a later statement, the government stated that it was committed to security cooperation with the U.S., and those criminal organizations involved in the incident will face the weight of both nations' laws. ALSO READ: Kevin Durant, Joel Embiid Exchange Heated Words in Nets vs. 76ers Game; LeBron James Reacts to Squabble Mexico Trapped in Spiral of Cartel-Related Violence Since 2006 Residents posted footage on social media showing cars and trucks being set on fire, as well as heavy and prolonged bursts of gunfire. Following the violence, Mayor Carmen Canturosas of Nuevo Laredo urged residents to take "extreme precautions," while the government stated it would dispatch security reinforcements to the city. Since the government launched a controversial anti-drug military operation in 2006, Mexico has been locked in a spiral of cartel-related bloodshed. There have been more than 340,000 murders since then, most of them blamed on fighting between criminals, according to official figures. READ MORE: Jayson Tatum Spoils Kevin Durant's 25K Club Party, Shares Perfect Reaction to 54-Point Outburst for Celtics vs. Nets This article is owned by Latin Post. Written by: Jess Smith WATCH: At least 12 missiles fired towards US consulate in Iraqs Erbil I Al Jazeera Newsfeed - from Al Jazeera English As Colombia presidential election 2022 nears, polls are suggesting that former rebel Gustavo Petro is seen to be the favorite to win in May after he secured the nomination of the left-wing Historic Pact Coalition. Petro is a former guerilla with the M-19 rebel group. He also won Sunday's primary by a wide margin, according to a BBC News report. Petro is set to face five other candidates in the presidential election on May 29. If he were to win, Petro would be the first left-wing president to lead Colombia. The centrist party Centro Esperanza chose mathematician Sergio Fajardo as its candidate while Federicio Gutierrez won the nomination for the right-wing Team Colombia coalition. Fajardo and Gutierrez are both former mayors of one of Colombia's biggest cities, Medellin. Ingrid Betancourt will also be joining the race for the presidency, as well as Rodolfo Hernandez bearing the Anticorruption League. Betancourt was held hostage by Farc rebels for more than six years. READ NEXT: Colombia Mudslide Triggered by Heavy Rain Kills at Least 14 People, Injures 35 Gustavo Petro Presidential Election Polls Petro had taken over 80 percent of the vote against the five other presidential candidates. It would propel him forward to the first round of the presidential election on May 29. In addition, most opinion polls suggest he is favorite to win, according to a Financial Times report. Petro told supporters on Sunday night that it is the best result for progressives in the history of Colombia, adding that "we're on the verge of winning" the presidential seat of Colombia in the first round. Petro has vowed to wind down Colombia's oil industry by stopping all exploration, adding that the country should focus on manufacturing and agriculture instead. Economists noted that Petro's prospected policy would have a huge effect, with fossil fuels generating about half of Colombia's export avenue. The 64-year-old presidential candidate also promised wholesale land reform, a wealth tax on the largest 4,000 fortunes in the country, as well as the repeal of laws from decades ago that liberalized the labor market. Patricia Munoz, a political scientist at Javeriana University in Bogota, noted that there is a clear winner today in Petro. She also predicted that he would now seek an alliance with the Liberal party, which has no presidential candidate of its own. Sarita Zapata Casas, a 22-year-old actress, said that they want to change and that is the most important thing. Zapata Casas said that if the country continues like it is, "we're going to run ourselves into the ground," according to an Aljazeera report. Petro received more than four million votes, with his coalition gathering even more. However, it does not include a congressional majority. Gustavo Petro Petro had also a presidential bid in 2018, which he lost to right-wing Ivan Duque, who now has reported disapproval rates, according to a France 24 News report. Petro said that he would pursue a different leftist model as compared to those of controversial leaders such as Nicaragua's Daniel Ortega and Venezuela's Nicolas Maduro. The former rebel and now senator said that he would instead align himself to a "progressivism," which he relates to Chile's president-elect Gabrial Boric and Brazil's ex-president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. Petro also said that he would approach the United States with common subjects, such as the climate crisis. READ MORE: Colombia's Most-Wanted Drug Lord Dairo Antonio Usuga Arrested; Pres. Ivan Duque Likened It to Capture of Pablo Escobar This article is owned by Latin Post. Written by: Mary Webber WATCH: Gustavo Petro: "Estamos ad portas de ganar la Presidencia de Colombia en la primera vuelta" - from Noticias Caracol Search volunteers in Mexico discovered more than a dozen bodies buried in the grounds of abandoned houses in Sonora over the weekend. Prosecutors in the northern border state of Sonora said Sunday that the searchers recovered at least 17 bodies or skeletal remains in the backyards and patios of houses in a low-income housing development, Associated Press reported. According to Mexico News Daily, the abandoned houses were located in the Urbi Villa del Rey and Urbi Villa del Real neighborhoods at Ciudad Obregon, formerly known as Cajeme, some 250 kilometers south of Hermosillo. The Sonora Attorney General's Office noted that the victims died between six months and a year before their bodies were discovered. The office further noted that the skeletal remains would be subjected to forensic examination to determine their identities. READ NEXT: Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelenskyy Pens Condolences to the U.S. Journalist Who Died Amid War; Another American Reporter, Injured Mexico Finds Skeletal Remains in Sonora Homes Amid Bloody Turf War Between Mexican Drug Cartels The search was reportedly conducted by collectives "Guerreras Buscadoras de Ciudad Obregon" (Warrior Searchers of Ciudad Obregon) and "Rastreadoras de Ciudad Obregon" (Trackers of Ciudad Obregon). Rastreadoras member Lira Munoz said that their group received anonymous calls telling them to search at the site, and she expected that the number of skeletal remains would be higher than 17. Munoz noted that the volunteers used t-shaped rods in looking for the remains. "When the tip of the rod comes out [of the ground], there is a smell [when a body is present]... then when the rod is put into the ground again, it sinks because the earth has been removed," Munoz explained as reported by Mexico News Daily. According to the outlet, the latest find was the second-highest number of missing people discovered in the area. In 2019, at least 38 people were discovered buried on a property adjacent to Campo 30. AP reported that although bodies were commonly buried in pits in vacant lots or outside town, some Mexican drug cartels utilize abandoned or rented homes as execution chambers for their captives, suspected rivals, or kidnap victims. They reportedly buried the bodies under the floors or in the yards before abandoning the homes. According to AP, Sonora has been stuck with "a bloody three-way turf battle" between rival Mexican drug cartels such as the Sinaloa cartel and gangs connected with fugitive drug lord Rafael Caro Quintero. U.N. Says Impunity Remains a Challenge in Mexico as It Faces Crisis on Disappearance According to the National Search Commission (CNB) of the Ministry of the Interior, Mexico has a total of 98,885 missing individuals from 1964 to date, and only 35 sentences were recorded for this crime, Infobae reported. According to AP, most of the victims were believed to have been killed by Mexican drug cartels, and their bodies were burned, dissolved, or dumped into shallow graves. Guillermo Fernandez Maldonado, a representative in Mexico of the UN-DH, said Monday the fight against impunity "constitutes the main challenge" for Mexico on the issue of disappearances. "It is a persistent challenge not only in terms of missing persons but in many other regulatory areas," he noted. Luciano Hazan, a member of the Working Group on Impunity, also said Mexico's fight against immunity at this time is essential, as well as search policies and legislative developments. READ MORE: Jake Paul Wants to Make Elon Musk vs. Vladimir Putin Fight Happen; Kanye West vs. Pete Davidson as Undercard This article is owned by Latin Post. Written by: Joshua Summers WATCH: Anonymous Bodies at America's Deadliest Border Crossing - From VICE An Illinois toddler has accidentally shot and killed his mother after he found a gun in the backseat of a car. According to Crime Online, the accident took place outside a grocery store in Dalton, Illinois on Saturday while the car was in the parking lot. The three-year-old boy sitting in the backseat got his hands on a loaded gun and played with it. While the toddler was playing with the gun, it discharged, and his 22-year-old mother, Daejah Bennett, was shot in the neck and was pronounced dead a short time later. The toddler's father, who was also in the car, was unharmed. However, Dolton Police Chief Robert Collins said Monday night that the boy's father, Romell Watson, will be charged with unlawful use of a weapon, WFSB reported. The 23-year-old dad, who reportedly owned the gun, is now in the custody of the police. Dolton trustee and crisis responder Andrew Holmes, who stood outside the supermarket the day after the shooting to hand out 400 gun locks, also spoke to shoppers and families about the importance of gun safety, WRAL News reported. Holmes noted that incidents like this could have been prevented, adding that "all it takes is a second." "All it takes is a second. Unlock it, thread it through the barrel, bring it back around, put it in and lock it back. If you leave it, secure it," Holmes said as reported by Local 12. READ NEXT: Kentucky Man Shoots, Kills Wife With 3 Children Nearby Before He Commits Suicide Like the Illinois Toddler, Georgia Boy Finds Gun in a Car and Accidentally Shot Himself Late last month, a four-year-old boy in Georgia died after he accidentally shot himself with a gun that was left inside his mother's car. Miyell Hernandez was left inside the car of his mom, who went shopping inside a grocery store before he fatally shot himself. The boy's eight-month-old sister and their 13-year-old cousin were also inside the vehicle with him while in a Publix store parking lot. According to DeKalb County police, Hernandez found his mom's unsecured gun and "accidentally shot himself." Police said the teenager ran inside the store for help after the gun went off. The four-year-old boy was rushed to a hospital but did not survive his injuries. Guadalupe Woods, Hernandez's aunt, told 11Alive that the mother of the Georgia boy went inside the grocery store to buy a birthday cake for his grandfather. Accidental Shootings Involving Children A national count by Everytown for Gun Safety, an American gun control nonprofit, showed that there had been at least 43 unintentional shootings by children across the country, resulting in 16 deaths and 29 injuries so far this year. Between January 1, 2015, and December 31, 2020, there were at least 2,070 unintentional shootings by children under 18 years old. It resulted in 765 deaths and 1,366 injuries, according to Everytown Research. Gun sales had surged by 64 percent in 2020, and this rise, coupled with school closures due to the pandemic, has increased the risk for all household residents. Between March and December 2020, the number of unintentional shooting deaths by children was 31 percent higher than during the same period in 2019. Last year, at least 377 unintentional shootings by children were recorded, resulting in 154 deaths. READ MORE: Texas Teen Adalia Rose Dies at 15 After Her Battle With Real-Life Benjamin Button Disease This article is owned by Latin Post. Written by: Mary Webber WATCH: A Child Dies Every Other Day From Gun Accidents in U.S. - From PBS NewsHour The staggering rise in fuel prices nationwide has prompted outcry from a number of taxi drivers and garages based in Kildare. Russias military invasion of Ukraine has resulted in supply issues relating to oil and gas from eastern Europe permeating throughout all areas of the EU, and Kildare is no exception. In just over two weeks, Ireland has seen petrol and diesel costs increase by as much as 40 cents per litre. Extra Costs Speaking to the Leader, Marty Kelly of Martys Cabs in Newbridge revealed that the recent increases are costing his company an extra 80 a week on each car. Another Kildare taxi driver, who wished to remain anonymous, said: Theres not much we can do, we just have to get on with it. But Im not impressed with the situation, it cant be positive (for other taxi drivers). Another taxi driver who also wished to remain anonymous added: Every driver here is worried about these changes. Outrageous Meanwhile, Paddy Campbell of Campbells Cabs in Newbridge referred to the current situation as being outrageous. He explained: We have gone up by 8 to go anywhere in Newbridge. its not fair on the customers, and its not fair on our drivers, between dealing with Covid-19 and now this. Wrong Its all wrong, and its easy for the government to make these decisions when theyre not here witnessing it from our point of view. He also questioned how drivers will be able to keep themselves warm while waiting at a taxi-rank for customers without keeping the engine running, if fuel prices continue to increase. A Newbridge garage owner echoed the sentiments expressed by one of the previously named anonymous taxi drivers. The businessman, who also wished to remain anonymous, said: It is an international issue, there is not much we can do, we just have to wait for it to pass over. If the government had not reduced the excise duty, you would have been looking at prices of around 2.27. It is very volatile, its not about the price for us, it is about getting it in. We just need to make sure that we have it, he added. The Leader surveyed prices across two of Kildares major towns, Naas and Newbridge on March 7. Newbridge showed a significantly higher average of 1.99 per litre for both petrol and diesel across the four fuel stations surveyed. Slightly lower Naas, across the six fuel stations surveyed, averaged slightly lower at 1.94 per litre for petrol and 1.92 per litre for diesel. On March 9, the government announced that excise duty would be reduced by 20 cent per litre of petrol and 15 cent per litre of diesel. There was also a reduction of 2 cent in the excise duty charged on marked gas oil. It was announced that these reductions will remain in place until the August 31. Surveyed The excise duty on petrol and diesel largely only offset a price jump and did not reduce prices from the ones surveyed originally last Monday. As was mentioned by the Newbridge garage owner, the excise duty reduction merely maintained existing figures due to a scheduled price hike. Fuel prices across the county currently remain around or slightly below the 2 per litre mark. Liam Fitzpatrick, of Junction 14 Mayfield, at Monasterevin, has said that in his 30 years of business he has never seen a price increase at this rate before. Households I have seen fuel prices rise 50 cent in the first 10 days of this month, it is unprecedented. We understand the awful strain on households and our margin remains the same of four to five cent per litre. We dont want these huge prices because we buy it and are under pressure to sell it quickly before the value drops. Wed rather it was 1 per litre, he said. TD response Kildare Minister of State for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Martin Heydon TD, also commented on the increase in prices. Defending the governments excise duty cuts, the Fine Gael politician told the Leader: The reductions we brought in on excise duty on petrol and diesel was the most we could under EU taxation laws. Only 4.7 cent of green diesel is excise so a two cent drop was the most we could do on that; any further possible interventions on it, will require broader EU agreement which we are working with our colleagues in Europe on, Minister Heydon explained. A Kildare resident has revealed how she has been reunited with her mum, aged 69, and 93-year-old grandmother who made a treacherous 3,500km trip from Ukraine to Kildare. Marina Trishchenko (46) was in daily contact with her grandmother Valentina and mother Tamara as they journeyed from Sumy city in east Ukraine to the Romanian border. The brave pair took buses, trains and lifts from strangers in order to flee their war-ravaged country. They eventually got a flight to Dublin from Romania and arrived back safe to Marina in Naas late on Sunday night. A relieved Marina told the Leinster Leader on Monday: They are home, safe and sound! Marina, who works as an accountant in Naas, has two children, Holly (14) and 11-year-old Harry, has been living in Kildare for around 20 years. She previously described to the Leader how her granny and mother were making their trek across Ukraine. They got lifts in cars through Ukraine but the traffic was very slow. They were making very little progress. She added: My granny is in good general health. She contracted Covid-19 a few months ago but pulled through. She also said she paid a week-long visit to Ukraine in October last but said local people had no indication that Russia would invade. We knew the troops were on the border but we thought it was just a bluff by Russia and nothing would happen. Nobody had any idea that (Russian president Vladimir) Putin would start a war. Last week, the first convoy carrying civilians from Sumy arrived via a humanitarian corridor into the central city of Poltava. Buses left Sumy only hours after a Russian air strike which regional officials said had hit a residential area and killed 21 people. Many roads and bridges out of the city were destroyed. students studying at Sumy State University were stranded in Sumy for several days including Carlow resident Racheal Diyaolu (19) who eventually arrived into Dublin Airport on Thursday night last. A candle-lit peace vigil was held in Kildare town on Friday evening in support of Ukrainian people living in the local community and in the war-ravaged country. A procession of people carrying candles left Market Square and travelled to the Solas Bhride spirituality centre where members of the Bridgettine Order gave a talk about peace and St Brigid. The group later returned to the town via St Brigids Church where Parish Priest Fr Andy Leahy spoke to the congregation and said prayers. A number of Ukrainian people living in County Kildare also addressed the audience and Newbridge Gospel Choir performed songs. One of the organisers of the event was local businessman Bernard Gibney (above on left) who was assisted by Anne Sweeney, Tina McGovern and Tracey Carroll. The event was also attended by Tom McCutcheon of the Kildare Heritage Centre and public representatives including Cllr Suzanne Doyle. Bernard said: We held the candle-light peace vigil to show our support to the Ukrainian people in our community, and in Ukraine, and for the people of Kildare to show our commitment to peace. "A lot of Ukrainian people in Kildare and in Ireland may be feeling very alone at this time and we wanted to show our solidarity with them." Bernard added: "Some of our Ukrainian friends came up to me afterwards in tears to say thanks because they were very emotional because of the event. Sixth class pupils from St Brigid's Primary School under the supervision of prinicipal Donal Fleming helped to paint 600 empty jam as candle holders in the Ukrainian colours of blue and yellow. Athy transport firm Meanwhile, an Athy-based transport firm will be involved in a massive Aid from Ireland convoy leaving the country this week for the Ukraine/Poland border. Callum Anderson of A Transport Ltd Athy has been collecting humanitarian items in his yard, which have been donated by local people. Callum will be transporting warm clothes, medical bandages, first aid kits, sleeping bags, medication, and flash lights. So far two lorries have been packed and sent to Poland, where Callums colleague Tommy Byrne is organising deliveries. By Paula Campbell A journey of 3,000 kms from war-torn Ukraine to Co Laois started with a leap of faith for one Ukraine mum and her seven-year-old daughter. The brave duo, who spent six nights in a bomb shelter before making their escape, heard of a lift going to Ireland. We travelled for five days to get here it was a sudden decision. I was looking for the opportunity to go to an English-speaking country and I heard that there was a lift going to Ireland, said Iryna Britanova-Listratenko who arrived in Ireland on Saturday. I left my parents, relatives, and my husband all back in the Ukraine. They cant leave their home, but it is not safe to stay in Ukraine- so I had to go with my daughter Sasha. I come from the East of Ukraine, and this is part of my country that is being bombed- the war started in my hometown of Kharkov, and it is being bombed every single day since. A lot of people have died already, including kids. We had to stay in a bomb shelter for six days and after that we were lucky to leave. When they started bombing houses, we left the city very early in the morning. We found some safe roads and drove to another part of the country where it was safe and where we heard about the lift to Ireland through the Red Cross. My parents worried about taking the lift, but we were assured that we would be safe, and this decision is what saved us. Iryna, who is currently staying locally with a family outside Abbeyleix, says she is still in a state of disarray since fleeing for their lives but very thankful to be here. She had heard of Ireland through her love of U2 before taking a chance to come here. She is a fluent English speaker as well as Primary school teacher with a masters degree so the first thing she wants to do is to find a job teaching and accommodation for herself and Sasha. "I dont feel comfortable here without a job as I don't have enough money with me so first I would like to find a job and a place to stay. Until then they have found a novel way to fundraise and give back to the Red Cross by selling prints of Sashas art. Sasha not only speaks English and plays the piano, but she is also an accomplished artist. Sasha's paintings will go on display at the Dunamaise Arts Centre in Portlaoise from Friday, March 18 until April 1 and all proceeds will go to the Red Cross to support their humanitarian efforts in war torn Ukraine. When she was smaller, we noticed her gift for painting, said Iryna. She had a private teacher and has done some amazing pictures. This is a way for us to say thanks and to give back to those still in need in Ukraine." Meanwhile since their arrival the local community has rallied around the pair since they arrived with a school place for Sasha at Raheen primary school as well as a free uniform and seat on the local bus. Sasha is starting school here and I believe she will be ok as when she was only 3 years old, I took her to live in China where I worked for 5 years. She was surrounded by Chinese children at her nursery and had to learn to speak the language. She is more comfortable here in Ireland speaking English. Iryna still talks with her family every day since arriving in Ireland. For now, they are in a safe place, and we can get in touch every day, she said. Sasha still cries every single day. She is only seven and she cries because her dad is staying in Ukraine. I tried to tell her that we will reunite again in the future, but nobody knows when. And as for Sasha she already sees the similarities between her home country and Ireland telling her mum that both countries have 'a lot of goodness and kind-hearted people'. To donate or buy a piece of art by Sasha please visit her exhibition where you can order a print directly, prices start at 10 but higher donations will be gladly accepted. Sasha's exhibition will be on display at the Dunamaise Arts Centre in Portlaoise from Friday, March 18 until April 1. A decorated soldier who sexually abused three neighbourhood boys up to 40 years ago and used his position of trust to his advantage when he targeted them has been jailed for two years. Michael McGuinness (61), who served for 21 years as a driver in the army, was trusted in his local area when he sexually abused three young neighbours over an 11-year period, Dublin Circuit Criminal Court at a previous sentence hearing last November. The boys were aged between seven and 13 when the abuse occurred, while McGuinness was aged in his twenties. The three complainants waived their right to anonymity, meaning McGuinness can be named. One of his victims told the sentence hearing in November that McGuinness disguised himself as a friend. In reality he was a predator. He was seen as trusted in the area because he was in the army, the man said in his victim impact statement. Another man told the court he had a lifelong distrust of uniforms and those in positions of authority after he was abused by McGuinness. He said McGuinness put the fear of God in me. He destroyed all my trust of people, particularly people in uniform. Another complainant said McGuinness deprived him of achieving his full potential, after he turned to drugs and alcohol to deal with the abuse. Your actions not only destroyed my life, but destroyed the lives of those around me, he told McGuinness in his victim impact statement, which was read out in court by counsel. McGuinness, with an address in Main Street, Borrisokane, Tipperary, pleaded guilty to five counts of indecently assaulting the three boys in Dublin and in unknown locations in the state between 1979 and 1990. The court heard that after he was honourably discharged from the army in 2000, McGuinness worked as a driver for the Irish Wheelchair Association for a number of years. He was suspended when the abuse allegations came to light. When interviewed by gardai in 2019, McGuinness immediately admitted the abuse, describing what he had done in the past as his dark dirty secret. It's haunted me all my life, he told gardai, adding: It's not me. It doesn't define me. He said he had confessed everything to his wife and adult children, who continue to support him. He has no previous convictions. The maximum sentence for each of the counts is two years, except for the final count which took place after a change in sentencing laws. That count carries a maximum sentence of 10 years. Sentencing McGuinness today, Tuesday, March 15, Judge Melanie Greally said it was evident from the victim impact statements before the court that the impact of the set of offences had been profoundly damaging and profoundly lasting and the men were very significantly influenced by this offence at such a young age. Judge Greally noted that a probation report before the court indicated that McGuinness was remorseful for his actions and has engaged with the relevant therapeutic interventions. The report concluded that McGuinness was at a low risk of re-offending. Judge Greally said the abuse was humiliating and degrading and had life changing effects on McGuinnesss victims. She acknowledged that McGuinness had been described as a good brother, father and grandfather and had served as a soldier in the Irish Army for three tours of duty. Judge Greally imposed consecutive sentences totalling three years. She suspended the final 12 months of the sentence on strict conditions and backdated the sentence to when McGuinness first went into custody last November. Judge Greally thanked the injured parties for your engagement in what was a difficult process. Detective Garda Bevin Meaney told Eoghan Cole BL, prosecuting, at the initial hearing last November, that McGuinness and his victims all lived in the Crumlin area of Dublin during the period in question. The court heard McGuinness befriended the boys, two of whom were brothers, by offering to bring them on drives up to the Dublin Mountains or for walks with his dog. He sexually abused the two brothers on a number of occasions, mostly by forcing them to masturbate him. The abuse took place in his car and in his home. On one occasion, McGuinness abused one of his victims in his parked car in the driveway in the middle of the day. The two brothers only found out they had both been abused by McGuinness when they were adults, with the older brother saying he felt just as guilty as his abuser because he was unable to save his little brother from the same fate. The abuse came to light when one of the complainants met McGuinness through work and reported him to gardai. Kathleen Leader SC, defending, said that when interviewed by gardai, McGuinness accepted responsibility for what he had done. He told gardai he wished to apologise wholeheartedly to his victims, the court heard. Ms Leader said McGuinness was decorated by the army and served a number of tours of duty with distinction, including in Lebanon and former Yugoslavia. He attempted to take his own life last year and has been undergoing counselling, the court heard. SPAR Junction 14, managed by Gavin Moran, was recently awarded National Convenience Store of the Year for 2021 at the annual ShelfLife C-Store Awards ceremony. As well as taking the Supreme National Award for 2021, SPAR Junction 14 was also presented with Gold awards for the Forecourt Retailer of the Year (Large) and Food-to-Go Retailer of the year categories. The store was also victorious in the New Convenience Store Concept/Offering category on the night. Initially due to be held in November 2021, the ceremony was postponed due to the increase of Covid-19 hospitalisations occurring at that time, and to ensure the safety of all involved. On the night, ShelfLife welcomed 330 guests from across the industry, where awards were presented across 24 categories in total. Mark Hargadon, commercial director convenience, Aryzta Food Solutions Ireland joins George Canavan, sales & operations manager, National Lottery and ShelfLife publisher John McDonald to present the Champion Award National Convenience Store of the Year 2021 to Peter Varga, Penyo Shilev-Kulesza and manager Gavin Moran of SPAR Junction 14, Monasterevin, Co. Kildare. Pic Supplied Congratulating the team in SPAR Junction 14, Colin Donnelly, SPAR Sales Director said: "I would like to extend my congratulations to Gavin and his team on winning this prestigious national title: it is their relentless drive and ambition that sets them apart." "The store and staff are very deserving of this industry accolade, and they are great champions for the SPAR brand," he added. The judges said of this years Supreme National Winner, SPAR Junction 14 in Monasterevin, Co. Kildare: "The overall Supreme Champion Award winner consistently delivers excellent customer service, with first-class foodservice and friendly, helpful staff. "With a wide array of fresh food options available, customers are spoilt for choice and our Supreme Winners reputation for high standards across the board has resulted in this store becoming a real destination spot. "The quality throughout this winning store is clear, even down to the smallest detail: (it is) a store truly designed with the customers comfort and convenience top of mind," they added. The ShelfLife C-Store Awards were set up to acknowledge stores and individuals that set the standards for the industry. A solicitor told Naas District Court that a womans claims against her ex-partner are akin to 'a bad episode of EastEnders, or even Dallas'. Solicitor Tim Kennelly made the comments during a hearing on Thursday, March 10, last. The womans solicitor, David Gibbons, reminded Judge Desmond Zaidan at the start of the trial that the judge had granted his client a safety order on February 1, and that her ex-partner had been given a strict warning about his bail conditions. He then said that her husband broke the safety order on Friday, February 25, when he went up to her and bought her drinks in a pub. Mr Gibbons said that his client had gone to the pub as part of an outing with work colleagues, when she was approached by her ex-partner, who asked her to drink with him. He added that the ex-partner later bought her drinks, including shots. Solicitor Tim Kennelly said buying drinks did not put the woman in fear The woman then told Judge Zaidan that she began to feel uncomfortable. A work colleague warned her ex-partner to leave her alone, and he eventually did leave, but this was only because he was kicked out by a bouncer. She added that she has previously sought 'numerous protection orders' against her ex-partner in the past. Mr Kennelly then cross-examined the woman, and questioned why she felt like she needed protection 'from a man who bought you a drink in a packed pub?' He also said that the woman allegedly told his client that she would 'make sure he goes to jail' after briefly bumping into him in a supermarket, a claim that the woman denied. Mr Kennelly then told Judge Zaidan that he wants the case against his client dismissed, adding: "What is the world coming to if someone cant buy another person a drink in a pub? "That is not putting someone in fear and if it is, then God help us all." He also said that his client was concerned after she received a letter that apparently showed that her ex-partner had taken out a life insurance policy on her. When the woman was asked 'where the proof is that my clients name is behind this?' by Mr Kennelly, she said that it was clearly visible on the letter. Judge Zaidan then read out the terms of the safety order in court, and said that while there was no breach 'on the face of it', the details did include a provision of no socialisation with the alleged injured party. "He would have known the risks; just stay away from this woman," the judge warned the accused. The judge further said that while he would grant no further safety orders for now, he did order the man to stay away from the woman, both in person and on social media. 'You will regret it' He told the accused: "You cannot have any communication with this woman whatsoever. "If you are back before me again (for a breach), you will regret it." The case was adjourned by Judge Zaidan, with liberty to re-enter. Irish people on Twitter have been quick to praise two Ukrainian refugees who corrected Sky News anchor Kay Burley on her geography this morning. Allada and Anastasia were speaking to Sky News about their harrowing journey out of war-torn Ukraine. They left their native Kharkiv to escape "Russian bombs and rockets" and made it to Poland before settling in Ireland where more than 6,000 Ukrainian refugees have arrived to safety from the ongoing war in Ukraine. Astonishingly, Kay Burley wrapped up her interview with the young women by saying she was glad they were safe and wished that they could "can build a new life in Dublin safe in the knowledge British people are behind you." WATCH THE CLIP BELOW: Enjoying how these young Ukrainian women schooled Kay Burley for her "You can build a new life in Dublin safe in the knowledge British people are behind you". "We want to send IRISH people...we are so grateful to Irish people." https://t.co/vbi43QG0nq Jennifer O'Connell (@jenoconnell) March 15, 2022 Allada then immediately took the chance to thank the "Irish people", adding, "we are so grateful for all the kindness and hospitality that they treat us with." A Kildare Senator has revealed that Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI) grants have increased by 200 as a result of recent improvements. Fianna Fail Senator Fiona O' Loughlin made the announcement on her official Facebook page, where she said: "Under these improvements, maintenance grants will be increased by 200, the income threshold for the standard rate of grant will be increased by 1,000, and the distance for the higher non-adjacent student grant will be reduced from 45km to 30km." "I have no doubt this will be very helpful to many students and families who may not have qualified to receive the grant in the past." She continued: "The student grant scheme opened from the 10th of March for renewal and April 28th for new applicants; information can be found on the SUSI website. "I would encourage each student to research it and see if they apply given the new improvements," Senator O' Loughlin concluded. Fianna Fail Senator Fiona O' Loughlin According to the Citizens Information website, SUSI grants are the main financial support scheme for students studying in Ireland and abroad. SUSI grants are divided into two categories: maintenance grants, and fee grants. Further information about SUSI grants can be found by clicking here. Last week, Senator Fiona O' Loughlin made headlines after she said that Newbridge Monastery and Kildare town Convent should be used to house Ukrainian refugees. A Place for All Conservatives to Speak Their Mind. Listening to Noreen and Christy Kelleher, Cortober recall over 30 children they helped by fostering over their 32 years of service is humbling. The couple have five children of their own and when their youngest child was just aged 6, they responded to an advert in the Leitrim Observer looking for foster carers. We first looked for easy children aged 6-12 years, the pair laugh but their first foster child was a 15-year-old girl, who they are still very much in contact with this day. After fostering a few teenagers, they decided that they preferred teenagers, and despite a few hiccups over the years they stand over that decision. Over 30 children spent time at the Kelleher's table over the past three decades, approx 14 of those were long term. They never really left - as we still have most of them visiting, calling, part of our family, Noreen says proudly. Noreen and Christy learned early on to keep the rules to a minimum and to allow the child to slowly settle into foster life, but there were a few rules that could not be over looked and the most important one was Education. The Kelleher's dedication to education is truly astounding. They got grinds for children falling behind in school and in college and Noreen fondly recalls sitting outside one girl's Leaving Cert Exams every day to make sure she sat them! Christy proudly reels off the number of foster children who went on to third level education, who got careers and who essentially made a good life for themselves. The other rule which was unmovable was the use of phones/ devices/ Internet in bed. The Kellehers didn't allow gadgets in the bedroom and the result was the children tended to start reading or listening to music/ radio before bed. Education was not just important for the children, Christy and Noreen have spent time and effort training and educating themselves over the years. Noreen has a degree in Behavioural and Social Science and a diploma in Social Care. They have attended numerous workshops and training courses to give themselves the best chance to understand children and their behavioural / emotive issues. They were part of the Irish Foster Care Association and attended conferences all over the world, hosting a large event themselves in Carrick-on-Shannon in 2011. The Kellehers said fostering while raising their own children worked well for them and the children have all remained friends through life. When asked if it was tough to say goodbye to children who moved on, Noreen said, It was at the start, but we learned that we never really lost them, they remained in contact. Many of their foster children return home for Christmas or special occasions and one of their foster children is now a foster carer herself - a real circle of life moment for Noreen and Christy. When asked what foster carers need to concentrate on, Noreen explained We gave them security and safety and they probably got more than our own children from us, but I think it was that we were just there for them when they needed help. There was a homemade dinner, a morning and nightly routine and when they called we came. The pair said they always felt supported by TUSLA and when they needed help it was always provided. A number of different nationalities and children with religious beliefs stayed with them and there was never any issues. The couple were always so supportive of children meeting with their parents and family as much as possible to keep that bond alive. The Kellehers said it was not an easy decision to retire, Age creeps up, but one they felt they must make. They said the whole experience has been rewarding and encourage anyone who is thinking about fostering to just do it! Take the next step Foster carers are a diverse group of people who can come from all walks of life: married, co habiting, single, same sex relationships, Traveller background, African or Eastern European origin, have a disability, as well as those who don't have a job currently, or who rent their home. The most important aspect of being a foster carer is that they can provide a stable, nurturing and loving environment for children. Foster carers must pass eligibility checks, i.e. garda vetting, child protection checks, medical, health and safety check of home. There is pre-approval and post-approval training offered. Foster carers can avail of regular home visits, and telephone contact from an assigned fostering linkworker. Each child in care has a social worker who visits the child and maintains a link with the child's birth family. A Foster Care Allowance is provided and amedical card for the child and child benefit. There is also a phone based support service out of hours to assist foster carers in the event of an emergency arising regarding a child in care. 4,124 TUSLA foster carers open their homes to 5,450 children across the country. There are currently 111 children in care in Sligo/Leitrim/West Cavan. There are two online Fostering information events scheduled for March 23 at 11am and 7pm. Take your first step by calling 1 800 226 771 or email tusla.fostering@tusla.ie and get an information pack to start the journey. Three porters who work in Sligo University Hospital are hoping to raise money in aid of North West Hospice CLG by taking part in the three porter challenge. Tervin Mc Dermott from Manorhamilton, Anthony Quigley from Ballymote and Shane Gilligan from Strandhill are each going out of their comfort zone in order to carry out their individual challenge. Anthony told the Observer As hospital porters we often encounter patients who are nervous about a task and often we try to relax those worries or nerves. For this challenge we will try and put ourselves in a patient's shoes to gain insight as what its like to be outside of our comfort zone and to do something that makes us nervous! As we have different interests, we each choose a challenge to do as a team. Therefore each of us will be outside of our comfort zone during each event. The three of us will be doing each challenge over the weekend. Anthony's challenge is the Mourne wall challenge which is a 30km hike with 2500M ascent following the wall that crosses the Mourne mountains in Newcastle Co Down. Shane's challenge involves a splendid evening jiving to county hit superstar Derek Ryan in Bundoran Co Donegal. Tervin's challenge is a 10,000ft skydive in Kilkenny. Anthony continued We hope to do the three challenges on the weekend of 20-23th of May 2022. We would like to point out that all events have been privately funded by ourselves so all donations will go directly to North West Hospice, every donation will help and make a huge difference. Thank you in advance for your contribution to this cause that means so much to us. If you would like to donate go to https://gofund.me/015e0e34. The trio are hoping to raise 5,000 in aid of North West Hospice. Please support. The Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ISPCA) has issued advice to Irish animal lovers on how to support Ukrainians and their pets. In a statement, the ISPCA condemned Russia's "horrific acts of war" in Ukraine and shared ways to support people with pets in the war-torn country. According to the charity, Ireland and other EU member states have temporarily lifted restrictions on the movements of pets, allowing Ukrainians to bring their animals with them when seeking refuge from war. The ISPCA stated: "For children especially, their beloved pets are a huge source of comfort when coping with so much trauma and change. The people of Ireland have already shown great solidarity in welcoming these families; extending that welcome to their pets too will help to ease their pain. "Others will have little time when making agonising decisions about what to take with them as they flee. Sadly, some have no choice but to leave their much-loved pets behind. Many animals are also in rescue centres. As the war continues, many more animals will need help, to save them from starvation and injury." Eurogroup for Animals, of which the ISPCA is a member, is Europe's leading animal welfare organisation. It has made a list of animal welfare organisations actively working with groups on the ground in Ukraine and bordering EU countries. According to the ISPCA, these groups are providing a range of supports including emergency funding, pet food and veterinary supplies. The charity encourages people to share information on the animal welfare organisations with animal-loving family and friends, and to continue to "stand in solidarity and welcome the people of Ukraine and their pets to a warm and safe refuge in our homes and country". They stated: "Thank you for standing with the people of Ukraine and their pets and animals. Thank you for caring for all animals with us." A list of Irish companies which are claimed to have continued trade with Russian has been sent to the Department of Foreign Affairs. The Ukrainian ambassador to Ireland, Larysa Gerasko, said she has asked the department to urge the companies to cut their trade and economic relationships with Russia amid the ongoing war in Ukraine. Ms Gerasko appeared before the Joint Committee on European Union Affairs as concerns have been raised about Russian money moving through Irelands finance centre. The Dail was previously told that 118 billion euro was funnelled through Dublin to Russia between 2005 and 2017. Ms Gerasko, who appeared before the committee to speak about Ukraines application for European Union membership, said: We have a list of companies affiliated with Ireland and we have passed the list of companies to DFA (Department of Foreign Affairs) for its consideration in order to cut trade and economic relations. There are some companies here which continues to have trade and economic relationship with Russia. Labours Brendan Howlin said the committee will ask the department for a copy of the list. On Tuesday, Ms Gerasko also called on the committee to urge their colleagues in Nato member states to push for a no-fly zone over Ukraine. She said it would protect Ukrainians from Russian shelling and protect infrastructure and nuclear power plants. Ukrainian ambassador to Ireland Larysa Gerasko at a protest in Dublin against the war in Ukraine Fine Gael TD Neale Richmond and Senator Regina Doherty said it is inevitable that a decision to implement a no-fly zone will be taken. Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has asked the European Union to support its application and allow immediate EU membership. Ms Gerasko said their bid to meet the Copenhagen criteria, a set of rules that define whether a country is eligible to join the EU, has been successful. It is hard to discuss this issue now when part of our country is destroyed, she added. The infrastructure and homes are being destroyed, but not the reforms (of Ukraine). I would say that our reforms were pretty successful before three weeks ago. We have to do a lot and to continue anti-corruption reforms. It was one of main problems in Ukraine, thats true, but believe me this war changed the nation, changed our politicians and everything in our country. We are united now more than ever. Many politicians have fled the country who were involved in the corruption. This war has made some kind of clearance. Speaking about how the Irish people can help Ukrainians, Ms Gerasko said her country needs more ambulances and medicines for wounded civilians and military. She also urged the Irish Government to expel Russia diplomats from Ireland and to close its sea ports. We havent time to wait. That is the main message. Each and every day and every hour it means dozens of human lives of civilians and militaries, she added. Its extremely important that the EU member states have to make and to take a decision more rapidly. Its time to act, its not time to talk. We are paying a huge price for our freedom, but not only for our freedom, but for security in the European Union. I am sure that now only democratic countries have to be strong and take a firm stance and to act very rapidly. We have a war that is even worse than Second World War. Ms Gerasko said she has asked for Mr Zelensky to speak to the Oireachtas and was awaiting his reply. LIMERICK Chamber has called on government to dramatically accelerate plans and increase its ambition to develop floating offshore windfarms along the Shannon Estuary. The call has been made in response to the European Commissions plan to make Europe independent from Russian fossil fuels well before 2030. Chamber CEO Dee Ryan (pictured, below), who discussed the matter with Minister for Environment, Climate and Communications Eamon Ryan during his visit to Limerick last week, said that because of the region's unrivalled natural competitive advantage in floating offshore wind, there is an unprecedented opportunity to become an international player in renewable energy. However, she added, there needs to be a step change in Irelands ambition and action if we are to take this advantage. "With our Atlantic wind resource estimated to be up to 80GW of capacity, we have up to ten times our domestic need and this, therefore, offers huge opportunity for Ireland to become a major energy exporter. The west coasts unique advantage is not just in its wind capacity but the natural and unrivalled deep sheltered waters and landbanks of the Shannon Estuary needed for supply chain," stated Ms Ryan. We are sitting on perhaps the greatest opportunity that has ever landed on our nations laps. Thanks to the natural advantage we have on the Atlantic seaboard, Ireland is todays equivalent of the Middle East of the last century, except for two clear differences. One is that our resource is entirely renewable and the other is that we have a relentless supply. The similarity, however, is that the opportunity is huge and because of whats happening in Ukraine, its suddenly become a lot more urgent," added Ms Ryan. Limerick Chamber says there is enough renewable energy capacity offshore to satisfy multiples of the domestic requirements. "We can produce electricity and green fuels from that to give us energy security and contribute significantly to Europes transition from Russian fuels dependence, said Ms Ryan who has outlined a number of key steps, she says, government needs to take as a matter of urgency: These include a doubling of the 5GW offshore wind Climate Action Plan target for 2030, investment in the supply chain infrastructure at Foynes Port, the fast-tracking of the Limerick to Foynes road project and the appointment of the Shannon Estuary taskforce. One of our biggest issues here is ambition. We have a target of just 5GW for 2030 when we perhaps should either be doubling that or, indeed, removing it altogether as the current target is simply limiting our ambition and our urgency. Right now, we need ambition and urgency," said Ms Ryan We have to realise that the green energy revolution is not just a climate change response, its an opportunity for Ireland, perhaps the greatest one we will ever have. But if we dont move quickly, its an opportunity we may well lose and we will fail to play a key part in the wider European response to whats happening in Ukraine, she added. THE importance of family involvement in a childs education is the focus of a new book from Limerick-based academics Parents in Partnership: Mapping the Way for Family, School and Community Engagement explores the links between homes and schools, the role a parent can play in the school community and how cooperation between the educators and family gives students at risk of not achieving their full potential in schools the support they need to change their trajectory. The new book, which was launched by Ombudsman for Children, Dr Niall Muldoon at Mary Immaculate College (MIC), aims to provide practical guidance for Home School Community Liaison (HSCL) coordinators, principals and teachers. Decades of research indicates that it is what parents do for their children rather than who they are is most significant to a childs success. The publication, from academics at MIC, provides research evidence and examples of good practice from Irish schools covering areas such as communication and building relationships with parents; involving parents in learning in a variety of curricular areas, school policy and decision making, and teacher professional development for family engagement. Speaking at the official launch, Dr Muldoon, commented. This book highlights the value of having a wide variety of partnerships in the school community that can help maximise the educational uptake of students. The authors make it clear that the most successful schools, with the most content children, have strong relationships between teachers and parents/care givers as well as between the school and the students." The Ombudsman for Children says the links and partnerships enhance the learning potential of the students, increase the sense of worth of the parents and offer supports, in both directions, between home and school. "I commend the authors for their very clear and easy to read work, which lays out a range of practical options for schools and educational institutions to draw on, so that the wider community can be recruited to help enhance the school experience for all students. The importance of family involvement in a childs education is the focus of a new book from MIC. 'Parents in Partnership', written by Dr Sandra Ryan and Carol Lannin, explores the importance of positive links between homes and schools. Find out more: https://t.co/pi5rergmBI pic.twitter.com/EaacqBTbm2 Mary Immaculate College (MIC) (@MICLimerick) March 9, 2022 Parents in Partnership is written by MIC academics Dr Sandra Ryan and Carol Lannin with contributions from Dr Anne Dolan and Anne Marie Morrin. Parents and families make a difference in their childrens lives and our job as educators is to tap into the strengths and influence of parents to support and empower them to engage with their childs learning within and beyond the school walls. This book documents good practice from schools around Ireland and is a practical, hands-on guide for schools to support them in working with parents to achieve better outcomes for children, said Dr Ryan. Published by the Curriculum Development Unit at MIC, Parents in Partnership: Mapping the Way for Family, School and Community Engagement can be ordered at curriculumdevelopmentunit.com. LIMERICKS newest public park will soon be blossoming with hedgerow, thanks to a donation from a tree group. The Boro Park in Janesboro was opened thanks to money from councillors own devolved funding pot, plus funds from the National Transport Authority. Local councillor Sarah Kiely contacted a group known as Trees on the Land, which exists to plant young native saplings in parks across the island of Ireland. In all, 100 woodland trees and 1,500 hedge trees were planted by a band of volunteers in the new park. They are very young trees. We have planted them really thickly, says Cllr Kiely, outlining how hawthorn, hazel, blackapple, birch and oak trees have been placed in the ground. They will take a few years to come on, but when they do, there will be lovely colour. There is an area down there that is left to go fallow for biodiversity. Foxconn Technology Group, the biggest assembler of Apple Inc. iPhones, is in talks with Saudi Arabia about jointly building a $9 billion multipurpose facility that could make microchips, electric-vehicle components and other electronics like displays, according to people familiar with the matter. The Saudi government is reviewing an offer from the company, formally known as Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., to build a dual-line foundry for surface-mount technology and wafer fabrication in Neom, a tech-focused city-state the kingdom is developing in the desert, the people said. Discussions over the project started last year, they said. The Saudis are conducting due diligence and benchmarking the offer against others that Foxconn has made for similar projects globally, one of the people said. Besides Saudi Arabia, Foxconn is also talking with the United Arab Emirates about potentially siting the project there, one of the people said. The Taiwan-based company has looked to diversify its manufacturing sites amid rising tensions between China and the U.S. that put it in a potentially vulnerable spot. Riyadh wants the company to guarantee that it would direct at least two-thirds of the foundrys production into Foxconns existing supply chain, one of the people said, to ensure there are buyers for its products and the project is ultimately profitable. Foxconn is seeking large incentives including financing, tax holidays and subsidies for power and water in exchange for helping set up a high-tech manufacturing sector in the kingdom, the people said, as Saudi Arabia seeks to diversify its economy away from oil. The Saudis could offer direct equity co-investment, industrial development loans, low-interest debt from local banks and export credits to compete with other jurisdictions that Foxconn might consider, said another person familiar with the talks. Saudi authorities and Foxconn didnt respond to requests for comment. Foxconn has looked to diversify its business beyond Apple products in recent years, including by expanding its activities in EVs. It has joined with auto makers such as Jeep and Chrysler maker Stellantis NV and Los Angeles-based electric-vehicle startup Fisker. Foxconn has also purchased semiconductor facilities, including one owned by Taiwan-based Macronix International, seeking to become a contract manufacturer of EVs for global brands. Last year it scaled back plans for a liquid-crystal-display project in Wisconsin after agreeing to invest $10 billion and hire 13,000 people to qualify for $2.85 billion in incentives. The company said last year that it is planning to build an EV project in the Middle East, focusing on software and cloud infrastructure for passenger cars. Saudi Arabia is trying to establish an industrial sector as part of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salmans plans to reshape the economy by establishing new industries to complement oil income as the world transitions to renewable energy. The kingdom has used its $500 billion sovereign-wealth fund to drive that effort. In 2019, it took a majority investment in Lucid Motors Inc., which recently signed a deal to open its first manufacturing plant outside the U.S. in Saudi Arabia. As Western companies pulled back from the kingdom after the 2018 killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, Saudi Arabia has struggled to reform its business climate to attract foreign investment. It wants to relocate international supply chains to the kingdom and acquire a market share in supply-chain components. But that effort has been complicated by the kingdoms small domestic market, high labor costs and unpredictable operating environment. Final Saudi approval for the Foxconn deal rests with Prince Mohammed. He has been pushing for several years for the company to establish a presence in Neom but has faced skepticism over the sites limited logistics and access to power and water. WASHINGTON : A US official said Russia asked China for military equipment to use in its invasion of Ukraine, a request that heightens tensions about the war as top aides from the U.S. and China governments met Monday in Rome. In advance of the talks, White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan bluntly warned China to avoid helping Russia evade punishment from global sanctions that have hammered the Russian economy. We will not allow that to go forward," he said. Russia on Monday denied it needed China's help. No, Russia has its own potential to continue the operation, which, as we have said, is unfolding in accordance with the plan and will be completed on time and in full," said Dmitry Peskov, President Vladimir Putin's spokesman. Chinese state broadcaster CCTV said the talks with the U.S. were underway around 11:50 a.m. Rome time (1050 GMT), but gave no details. The prospect of China offering Russia financial help is one of several concerns for President Joe Biden. A U.S. official said that in recent days, Russia had requested support from China, including military equipment, to press forward in its ongoing war with Ukraine. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive matters, did not provide details on the scope of the request. The request was first reported by the Financial Times and The Washington Post. The Russians have seen significant losses of tanks, helicopters and other materiel since the start of the war more than two weeks ago. Ukraine, while overmatched by Russian forces, is well-equipped with anti-tank and anti-aircraft missiles. The Biden administration is also accusing China of spreading Russian disinformation that could be a pretext for Putins forces to attack Ukraine with chemical or biological weapons. Russia's invasion of Ukraine has put China in a delicate spot with two of its biggest trading partners: the U.S. and European Union. China needs access to those markets, yet it also has shown support for Moscow, joining with Russia in declaring a friendship with no limits." In his talks with senior Chinese foreign policy adviser Yang Jiechi, Sullivan will indeed be looking for limits in what Beijing will do for Moscow. Im not going to sit here publicly and brandish threats," he said Sunday, making the rounds of Sunday news shows. But what I will tell you is we are communicating directly and privately to Beijing that there absolutely will be consequences" if China helps Russia backfill" its losses from the sanctions. Without giving details, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said Monday that the Ukraine situation will definitely be a hot topic" at the meeting, which had been scheduled before Russia invaded its neighbor. Asked at a daily briefing about the reported Russian request for assistance, Zhao responded: The U.S. has been spreading disinformation targeting China recently over the Ukraine issue. It is malicious." What is pressing now is that all parties should exercise restraint and strive to cool down the situation, rather than fueling the tension," Zhao told reporters. We should promote diplomatic settlements instead of further escalating the situation." The White House said the talks will focus on the direct impact of Russias war against Ukraine on regional and global security. Biden administration officials say Beijing is spreading false Russian claims that Ukraine was running chemical and biological weapons labs with U.S. support. They say China is effectively providing cover if Russia moves ahead with a biological or chemical weapons attack on Ukrainians. When Russia starts accusing other countries of preparing to launch biological or chemical attacks, Sullivan said Sunday, its a good tell that they may be on the cusp of doing it themselves." Pentagon spokesman John Kirby, on ABC's This Week," said we havent seen anything that indicates some sort of imminent chemical or biological attack right now, but were watching this very, very closely." The striking U.S. accusations about Russian disinformation and Chinese complicity came after Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova alleged with no evidence that the U.S. was financing Ukrainian chemical and biological weapons labs. The Russian claim was echoed by Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Zhao, who claimed there were 26 bio-labs and related facilities in which the U.S. Department of Defense has absolute control." The United Nations has said it has received no information backing up such accusations. There is growing concern inside the White House that China is aligning itself with Russia on the Ukraine war in hopes it will advance Beijings vision of the world order" in the long term, according to a person familiar with the administration view who spoke on condition of anonymity because the official wasn't authorized to comment publicly. Sullivan said on CBS that the Russian rhetoric on chemical and biological warfare is "an indicator that, in fact, the Russians are getting ready to do it and try and pin the blame elsewhere and nobody should fall for that." The international community has assessed that Russia used chemical weapons in attempts to assassinate Putin detractors such as Alexei Navalny and former spy Sergei Skripal. Russia also supports the Assad government in Syria, which has used chemical weapons against its people in a decade-long civil war. China has been one of few countries to avoid criticizing the Russians for its invasion of Ukraine. China's leader Xi Jinping hosted Putin for the opening of the Winter Olympics in Beijing, just three weeks before Russia invaded on Feb. 24. During Putin's visit, the two leaders issued a 5,000-word statement declaring limitless friendship." The Chinese abstained on U.N. votes censuring Russia and has criticized economic sanctions against Moscow. It has expressed its support for peace talks and offered its services as a mediator, despite questions about its neutrality and scant experience mediating international conflict. But questions remain over how far Beijing will go to alienate the West and put its own economy at risk. Sullivan said China and all countries are on notice that they cannot basically bail Russia out ... give Russia a workaround to the sanctions," with impunity. Chinese officials have said Washington shouldnt be able to complain about Russias actions because the U.S. invaded Iraq under false pretenses. The U.S. claimed to have evidence Saddam Hussein was stockpiling weapons of mass destruction though none was ever found. On CNN, Sullivan said the administration believes China knew that Putin was planning something" before the invasion of Ukraine. But he said the Chinese government "may not have understood the full extent of it because its very possible that Putin lied to them the same way that he lied to Europeans and others." The leaders of Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovenia are traveling on Tuesday to Kyiv, Ukraine's capital which is currently under fire, on a European Union mission to show support for Ukraine as Russia's invasion intensifies. Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala said in a tweet: The aim of the visit is to express the European Union's unequivocal support for Ukraine and its freedom and independence." He will be joined by Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Jansa, Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki and Jaroslaw Kaczynski, who is Polish the deputy prime minister for security but also the conservative ruling party leader. Russia's offensive in Ukraine edged closer to central Kyiv on Tuesday, with a series of strikes hitting a residential neighbourhood in the capital as the two countries planned a second day of talks. This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed. KYIV (UKRAINE) : Russia lobbed more missiles into Kyiv Tuesday, amid heightened fighting in the citys outskirts as a delegation of European heads of state headed to the embattled Ukrainian capital to meet with President Volodymyr Zelensky. One missile destroyed a building associated with an arms maker in central Kyiv in a predawn strike, blowing the windows out of buildings in a one-block radius. Separately, two apartment buildings were hit, setting fire to one of them. Two residents died in the apartment complex and dozens were taken to a nearby hospital to be treated for smoke inhalation. There were no fatalities at the arms facility, officials said. With Russian forces pushing to the citys limits, Kyivs mayor said he was imposing a 36-hour curfew from late Tuesday. Heavy artillery barrages again shook the city early Tuesday and a firefight overnight lit up the western horizon with tracer bullets. The delegation of Central European government leaders visiting Kyiv plan to offer a broad package of support for Ukraine, the Polish government said. Polands Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki and Deputy Prime Minister Jarosaw Kaczynski, Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala and Prime Minister of Slovenia Janez Jansa were set to meet with Mr. Zelensky and Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal as representatives of the European Council. The European Union also agreed on a fourth sanctions package targeting Russia, including a broad ban on energy-sector investment and high-value luxury goods and new targeted sanctions against Russian business executives and oligarchs, diplomats said. The overnight attacks occurred as Russian and Ukrainian negotiators were gearing up for more talks that had paused Monday. Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to Ukraines president, has previously said Ukraines negotiators would focus on achieving a cease-fire, the immediate withdrawal of Russian troops and security guarantees for the country. A technical pause has been taken in the negotiations until tomorrow," Mr. Podolyak wrote on Twitter. Negotiations continue." Kremlin aide Vladimir Medinsky, who is leading the Russian delegation at the talks, said that negotiations with the Ukrainian side would continue every day, seven days a week" via videoconference, he wrote on his Telegram messenger channel following Mondays talks. He said the format saved time and money. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Tuesday that the work is difficult" but the fact that talks are continuing was positive. Twenty days into the war, Russia has seized territory in the south of Ukraine but has been stopped short around Kyiv and elsewhere. Increasingly, its forces have resorted to bombing residential areas and civilian infrastructure in an effort to wear down Ukrainian resistance. The death toll from a rocket attack on the western city of Rivne on Monday rose to 19, the local military administration said. Ukraines military also said it had detected a Russian surveillance drone crossing the border into neighboring Poland. The drone was shot down by Ukrainian air defenses after it crossed back into Ukraines airspace, the air force said overnight. The drone appeared to be surveilling a Ukrainian military training center close to the Polish border struck by Russian missiles on Sunday, killing at least 35 people. It was the latest incident in recent days of a drone from the war zone passing into the airspace of a North Atlantic Treaty Organization member. Romania said it was investigating a drone crash on its territory. Another drone, suspected to be of Ukrainian origin, crashed days earlier in Croatia, prompting the government there to ask the French military to conduct a surveillance flight of its airspace. That flight showed nothing suspicious, the French military said. Civilian casualties are likely to climb sharply, officials warn, as fighting moves further into cities from outlying suburbs, and Russian heavy weaponry is brought to bear on buildings to destroy Ukrainian resistance. Ukraines Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said there were plans to evacuate civilians through nine humanitarian corridors on Tuesday, including a humanitarian aid convoy heading to the besieged port city of Mariupol. The national police said Russian forces on Monday fired mortars on a convoy of buses evacuating civilians from Hostomel, northwest of Kyiv. The driver of one of the buses was injured in the shelling, and a woman traveling in a civilian vehicle was killed. The rest made it to safety. The number of people fleeing the fighting in Ukraine is now roughly 3 million, according to United Nations data. Mr. Zelensky is scheduled to deliver a virtual address to members of Congress on Wednesday. The Ukrainian president has called for more assistance from Western allies, and many U.S. lawmakers have pressed the Biden administration to take further action. The White House is discussing a possible trip by Mr. Biden to Europe in the coming weeks, people familiar with the matter said on Monday. Armaments supplied to Ukraine by the U.S. and its European alliesespecially antitank and antiaircraft weaponshave played an important role in checking the advance of Russian ground troops, who have suffered heavy casualties in the north as they have tried to encircle Kyiv. Early Tuesday local time, Mr. Zelensky, citing the heavy losses, urged Russian troops to stop fighting. If you surrender to our forces, we will treat you the way people are supposed to be treated. As people, decently. In a way you were not treated in your army," he said in a statement. He thanked those Russians voicing their opposition to the war, singling out an antiwar protester who ran onto the set of an evening news program on Russian state televisions flagship Channel One on Monday holding a poster reading: No war. Stop the war. Dont believe propaganda. They lie to you here. Russians against war." She yelled: Stop the war, no to war" before the camera cut away. Russias Defense Ministry on Tuesday said its forces seized a stronghold of nationalists and foreign mercenaries" north of Kyiv, taking 10 Javelin missile systems and other weapons supplied by Western countries to Ukraine. Russias ground offensives around Kyiv and the eastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv appear to be bogged down while Moscows troops switch to targeting civilian infrastructure and residential areas from afar. In the south, Russia has made faster headway, helped by its prior military presence on the Crimean Peninsula it annexed in 2014 and by a more favorable terrain. The Russian Defense Ministry said that it has taken control of the entire Kherson region in the south of Ukraine. Click here to read the full article. Prominent Dubai-based satellite pay-TV and streaming service Orbit Showtime Network (OSN) is launching OSN Plus, a new premium streaming service that replaces its streaming app and marks OSNs full-fledged entry into the MENA regions increasingly crowded SVOD landscape. The move comes after OSN in January re-upped its long-term exclusive partnership with HBO, and expanded its rapport with NBCU to include more premium content from Peacock and Sky Studios. The company also has new deals for premium shows in place with Endeavor Content and All3Media, supplementing existing partnerships with Paramount, Warner Media, Sony, Discovery, MGM and Lionsgate. However, OSN recently lost the SVOD leverage it had under its exclusive deal with Disney, which will be launching Disney Plus in the region this summer and has rescinded the SVOD aspect of that arrangement. OSN Plus is being headed by Nick Forward, the former chief content officer at Australian streamer Stan. The rebranding is being spearheaded by OSN Group CEO Sangeeta Desai who stepped into the role in September 2021. Desai, a former global COO at Fremantle where she was key to building the companys drama operation, spoke to Variety about her push to take OSN streaming to a new level. Excerpts. Simply put, what has prompted this rebranding of OSNs streaming service? The Plus strongly communicates to our viewers that we are available as a streaming service, anytime, anywhere, on any device. And importantly, at an accessible price point. I think pay television in general, and certainly OSN with its satellite TV routes, is viewed as expensive and targeting an older demographic. With this [new service], we are very clearly speaking to a younger, youthful demographic. Over 50% of the population is under the age of 25 in the MENA region. Its a very young market, and OSN Plus is our bold statement: we going out and targeting that demographic and saying: Look, OSN is for everyone. Its a crowded field. MBCs Shahid VIP streaming service is gaining traction, as is Starz Play. The beIN-owned TOD service has just launched, and Disney Plus and HBO Max are planning to launch in the coming months. Whats going to make OSN Plus standout? I see a clear white space where OSN can sit, with a distinct value proposition for the consumer. We are the exclusive home of HBO. We have strong partnerships with Peacock, Sky Studios, and various other international providers. And our very strong offering of international content will be greatly complemented by an offering of local, premium, original Arabic language content. Along with this announcement, we are launching Suits Arabia with a star-studded cast, which we produced in Egypt. That is our first OSN Plus original series for the market. Well have a feature film called Yellow Bus coming later in the year. When you look at our offering compared to others in the marketplace, I think we will distinguish ourselves from the global streamers with that rich local offering. And from the local streamers with our very rich vibrant international content. One more thing I will add is I think Im right in saying that we are probably the only place in the world where you can get HBO, Paramount Plus, [originals from] Sky Studios and Peacock, all on one streaming service for $10 a month. OSN had an exclusive deal with Disney for its Disney Plus originals in the region. Now that Disney Plus is set to launch in MENA, where does that leave you? We obviously have a long and deep partnership with Disney, and we welcome them into the market as Disney Plus. We continue to have a relationship with them on the linear side, but Disney Plus is coming into the marketplace as its own proposition. Were very comfortable that we can sit alongside the Disney Plus offering with our selection of content from HBO and Peacock and Sky Studios and Paramount Plus. Just to be clear, Disney Plus content will cease to play on OSNs streaming service, right? Yes. It has already. How many subscribers do you have and whats your target in terms of subs going forward? We dont release our subscriber numbers publicly. But what I will say is we have more subscribers today on our streaming service than we ever had on our DTH service, even when DTH was at its peak. So its a sizable subscriber base. We have very big ambitions to grow that subscriber base, but I should just flag very clearly that we are focused on growing a direct subscriber base. We are pursuing subscribers that have direct relationships with us through credit cards, iTunes and Google Store, rather than subscribers grown through partners. Many players in this region have chosen to really focus on subscribers, and the fast and easy way to do that is through telco partnerships. Our view is that [strategy] doesnt really speak to building a long-term sustainable business. Talk to me about OSNs Arabic originals. What types of shows and movies will you be making? We want what we produce to stand out both creatively and in terms of production values. Much of the content production in this region has been restricted to free-to-air and its constraints. Its only now that opportunities are opening up with subscription and OTT platforms. So our strategy and approach is to work with leading creatives and say: We are the home for you to tell your story. We will support you, enable you, fund you. We will bring in all the production expertise and facilities that are needed. And well be a mechanism for you to tell your story in an uninhibited way. Weve found that it is a really powerful message. And were happy that weve got a very robust slate, and confident that well be announcing more projects in the next couple of weeks and months. Whats in the pipeline? Is it premature to announce new Arabic series and movies? As you know, original production takes time to build. So its first about getting that development slate going, and then commissioning projects into production. That takes time to build. Youll see some coming this year, and next year we expect more. Can you give me an indication of the volume of Arabic series and movies that we can be expecting from OSN going forward? At a steady state, were going to be doing 15 to 20 a year of both. And we will be focused completely on scripted series and feature films. This year, I wouldnt put a number on it because were just getting going. Next year well be getting closer to a steady state. And the year after that, well happily be in that 15 to 20 target volume, as it were. How important is Saudi Arabia for you as a market? Your rival MBC is very active there. Saudi Arabia is the top of that list. Its a large market, a growing market and a very young market. And for that reason alone its a key focus of ours, both for building subscribers and for producing and sourcing original content. MBC is very active in the Saudi market, but that by no means prohibits us from getting in. With the opening up of Saudi Arabia and the embracing of this industry, there is a large group of creative talent coming out of the region, more than any one producer can absorb. Sign up for Varietys Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Before he quit bartending at Geraldines, the restaurant inside Austins swanky Hotel Van Zandt, Bob Mann started getting annoyed at the conversations hed overhear. Located on Rainey Street, once a quiet residential street and now a bustling party zone, Mann would catch snippets of investment talk as he shook up espresso martinis. Thered be real estate conventions going on, and Id hear them talking about how much money they're gonna make, Mann says. And I'm just like everyone's cashing in on my city. Mann sits in his kitchen in Elgin, Texas, as two of his three children nap on a recent weekday afternoon. The musician, born and raised in Austin, has made his peace with being priced out of the city more than two years ago. But that doesnt mean hes happy with the changes going on, especially now that he spends time in traffic on his way to picking up shifts at a dive bar on 290 or picking his children up from daycare in Austin. As far as Austin itself, I just kind of Mann trails off. Yeah, I'm not talking to it right now. Chris O'Connell/MySA Elgin City Limits Mann joins a recent trend of young artists and musicians defecting from Austin to nearby towns like Elgin, Bastrop, and Lockhart in the wake of rapidly increasing city living costs. A December 2021 report showed that Austin home prices increased 28% year-over-year, compared with a 10% bump nationwide. For a city that bills itself as a place for creatives the Live Music Capital of the World no less its impossible for those artists to compete with transplants making all-cash offers or invoking bidding wars. "It's completely unattainable," says Caleb Dawson, who moved to Elgin in 2016 while still drumming in Roky Ericksons band. "I dont think for young artists, or even old artists, that its possible to own a home in Austin at this point." In 2015, UNESCO named Austin the first and still only city in America as a City of Media Arts for its fostering of "a rich and diverse cultural ecosystem." While the urge to "save" the arts through city-funded programs and philanthropic efforts still exists, the artists that comprised that ecosystem have begun, in recent years, to break free from Austin. Put simply, many feel like being able to live and thrive as an artist inside city limits is a bygone dream. Elgin has become a refuge for musicians like Mann and Dawson. Twenty years ago they would have happily lived the sleepy Austin dream, now they welcome Elgin's rural landscape and comparatively cheap home prices. Call it Elgin City Limits. The young artists and musicians who live here praise the open space, the slower lifestyle, and the small, close-knit community that for decades made Austin so special. As for the cultural fabric of America's 11th largest city by population, Dawson says that it hasn't so much changed completely as evolved, leaving behind an echo of what it once was. "It still has the illusion of old Austin," he says. "Some of that vibe is still there, but it's becoming less of a place that people flock to from your big hubs like L.A., San Francisco, New York ... and its just becoming one of those cities." Chris O'Connell/MySA Building a Future Its ironic that Dawson, and fellow bandmate/Elgin resident Ryan Lee, did time in Ericksons band shortly before his death in May 2019. The leader of The 13th Floor Elevators pioneered along with the genre of psychedelic rock the notion of maintaining a music career in Austin, away from big city life. Thats because, when Easter Everywhere was released in 1967, Erickson and his LSD-dropping cohorts lived in an Austin wholly alien to the one of today. Before Austin City Limits and South by Southwest, Austin was a place where musicians not only could live, but actively flocked to because of the ability to live cheaply while chasing a dream. After Lee graduated from Texas State a few years ago, he didnt even consider moving to Austin, despite playing guitar in multiple bands that gigged around town. I was detecting a little bit of the old Austin energy in here among a lot of people who are younger, who might have lived in Austin 15 or 20 years ago, he says. Lee lives in a trailer behind a house belonging to his bandmates, married couple Rockyanne Bullwinkel and Jimmy Wildcat. Bullwinkel leads a band called Blue Jean Queen, which counts Dawson and Mann among its members. Together, Wildcat and Lee are building a recording studio on the land and moving all the gear from their East Austin location, Sweetheart Studios. Lee and Wildcat both say they imagine their Elgin studio as a Big Pink-type of spot, referring to the house outside of New York City where the Band and Bob Dylan recorded seminal albums. It's just far enough away, Lee says, but just close enough to Austin for it to be a destination. Thats already happening, even before the studio is finished. Wildcat says that they have an intermediary setup in their garage in Elgin, one that is more sparse than Sweetheart. Regardless, most bands are actually requesting to come out to the country to record. I could be using the Austin location more, he says, but all my clients who have worked out here prefer this even though it's a more minimal studio and less space. They just love getting out of town and feeling a bit more relaxed. Wildcat and Bullwinkel lived in Austin for more than a decade before leaving for Elgin. They looked at homes in Bastrop and Coupland before settling on Elgin, where they already had musician friends. Bullwinkel didnt realize how much she needed wide open space until they moved. I realized I wasnt sleeping very well, she says. In Austin, there was an apartment complex across from us constantly shining a light in our bedroom. It was like daylight. Its dark out here. Lee, their backyard tenant and studio partner is a bit more mobile trailer and all but hes grown tired of his cramped living space and is looking for land in Elgin or nearby Bastrop. Regardless of which town he lands in, hes planting roots outside of Austin. I plan on making something for myself here, Lee says. Chris O'Connell/MySA Elgin Forever For their part, Dawson and Mann are trying to open a dive bar in the center of town. The two found a historic building for sale recently, but the city sold it to another group. Both say they hope that their window isnt closing, as more and more people move to Elgin after being priced out of Austin. Dawson is encouraging his Elgin friends to open businesses while they still have the chance. In just a few years, downtown Elgin is going to be overrun by venture capitalists from San Francisco buying downtown spaces and opening coffee shops, he says. Thats all fine and good. And more than that, its inevitable. But for now its still a tangible goal for people like us to be opening businesses. Its a good investment for us and itll also let us preserve what we love about this town, and eventually, for however long it may last, make it kind of what Austin used to be. The anecdotes bear that out, at least on the residential side. Dawson says he wouldnt be able to afford his Elgin home today, despite only buying three years ago. Mann estimates his house has increased $60,000 in value since the pandemic began. Flickr/JMWalling The statistics show sharp migration into the town. Between 1990 and 2000, the population of Elgin grew by fewer than 1,000 residents, according to the Elgin Economic Development Corporation. Since then, Elgins population has more than doubled to more than 10,000. Conservative estimates by the EEDC put Elgins population at 19,000-plus by 2025. Its exponential growth forecast, the most aggressive trend, suggests that more than 40,000 people could call the town home in just three years. Even more stark is the upward trend in home prices. Zillow estimates that the average Elgin home costs $314,410 to purchase. In the last year, thats an increase of 40.1%. Thats just short of the Austin increase, which Zillow puts at 41.2%. Thats why Dawson started a bid to join the Elgin City Parks Planning Committee. Hes been going to meetings where talk has centered on incoming development, both residential and commercial. Between numerous new subdivisions and talks of a semiconductor factory and Elon Musk spreading Tesla eastward from Austin, residents new and old fear rising property taxes and an influx of tech money. Sound familiar? Dawson says part of his five-to-10-year goal is to be mayor of Elgin so that he can prevent the town from losing the character that attracted him there. Ill start with the parks planning committee, move on to city council, and so forth, he says. Id like to be in a position to really foster something cool here and prevent it from becoming some cookie-cutter hellhole. Bullwinkel puts it another way: I would hate houses to get torn down and replaced with tall-and-skinnies, she says, a plague on Austins Eastside. She and Wildcat have no plans to leave Elgin. We love it here. I love our house, Bullwinkel says. I love our friends here. I want to stay. Lee and Dawson might pursue larger areas of land to build on outside of Elgin, especially as prices continue to rise, but their business efforts are focused right where they currently live. None foresee waking up in Austin ever again, save for crashing on a friends couch after a late gig. Mann, whose parents have lived in Austin for decades, cant even picture it. I'd have to hit the lottery. But then Id probably sooner buy a house in New York before I bought a house in Austin, he says. Yeah, I'd rather just stay here. Click here to read the full article. Though its often been lauded as a golden age for documentary filmmaking, a host of challenges still face independent docmakers in Europe, who struggle with everything from dwindling budgets at public broadcasters to opaque funding decisions at streaming networks to convoluted legal frameworks for collaborating with international partners. The question of how the continents documentary community can come together to advocate for change was the subject of Mapping the European Documentary: Toward a Pan-European Lobby, a conversation hosted by the Thessaloniki Documentary Festival on March 14 in collaboration with the Documentary Association of Europe. Since 2020, DAE has been exploring the landscape of independent documentary filmmaking in Europe to facilitate national associations thinking about the needs and the challenges of their producers and the ecosystems that they live and work in, according to the associations Selin Murat, who moderated the discussion. The effort has focused on how various European countries and associations can come together to lobby at a pan-European, and maybe even a world, level on the common challenges and the common wants and needs of their industries, she added. Murat cited a number of key takeaways from an industry summit hosted by DAE in 2020, including an overwhelming desire for more collaboration between industries and national bodies, a need to establish best practices for the implementation of policies that could serve the European documentary community, a push to spur a paradigm shift for documentary production companies that are increasingly being squeezed out of the industry, and a need to amplify the work of national bodies to assist foreign producers trying to understand the local landscape. Perhaps most importantly, she stressed the importance of regional partners working to establish an international benchmark for documentary film production in Europe. There are no rules set in stone except the ones by which you are governed in your own territories: the rules of your film fund, the rules of your broadcaster and the contracts that they have, she said. But outside of that, there are no rules there are just traditions of how people do things. And a lot of those traditions are often mired in complexity and obscurity and old networks and little privileged clubs. She added: The idea of having a pan-European, open conversation about the best practices, fair co-production, thats one of the great ideas of getting together. Lucia Pornaro of Doc/It, an Italian documentary federation that represents some 150 industry professionals working in documentary filmmaking, stressed the need to find common ground across borders. We all work hard at a national level, and of course each country has its own needs and regulations, [but] its really important to talk to each other and see what we can do internationally, she said. Pornaro cited a huge market change prompted by the disruption caused by streaming platforms a process that has been accelerated by the coronavirus pandemic and called on her fellow producers and institutions to share data that would allow them to push for more transparency from broadcasters and streaming services. This is really something we need to face and we need to deal with and we need to understand together. Martichka Bozhilova, of the Sofia-based Balkan Documentary Center, whose members are scattered across a dozen countries in Southeast Europe, noted how the centers collaborative work has helped to strengthen the voice of filmmakers in smaller industries that struggle to achieve sustainability. The center has supported films such as Nebojsa Slijepcevics Srbenka (pictured), which won the Doc Alliance Award in Cannes in 2018. We have really, throughout the years, [developed] a lot of know-how in the region. We know the filmmakers. We know the industry there. So we can really participate with our knowledge, she said. Weve been always trying to advocate in front of European institutions, not to be this second-rate, so-called low-capacity country in the corner, which has always been a struggle. We need to do that, and we need to continue doing that. Its a model that has worked before, said Marco Gastine, of the Hellas Doc Association in Greece, pointing to the success of the Nordic documentary film industries. Theyre very dynamic because the regional collaboration is very strong, he said. If you make a film in Denmark, you immediately find [partners in] Finland, Sweden, Norway to collaborate with you. And the institutions are collaborating, not only the filmmakers and the producers. Its very important [to have the same] collaboration in the Balkans and the southeast of Europe. Gastine said such cross-border collaboration has begun to bear fruit in co-productions between Greece and neighboring countries, such as Turkey and North Macedonia. But institutionally, there is no agreement between Serbia and North Macedonia, or the Greek and Turkish film centers, he added. Such a thing we have to lobby, or to fight, for. Since launching at the Berlin Film Festival in 2020, said Murat, the Documentary Association of Europe has worked to build those bridges. Its really building on this idea of how the different territories and countries can understand each other better in hopes of internationally collaborating, co-producing, and just understand sometimes that if you land in a place as a filmmaker, you can meet others, she said. The goal isnt simply bringing about transparency and equity in the European documentary community, but to bring that community closer to its counterparts across the globe. Its Europe and the rest of the world. Everyones welcome. Sign up for Varietys Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Click here to read the full article. Celebrated Israeli filmmaker Matan Yair, whose Scaffolding has had festival play at Cannes, Zurich and Singapore, is nearly ready with his new film, coming-of-age drama A Room of His Own. The film, which is in the work-in-progress strand of Hong Kong-Asia Film Financing Forum (HAF), follows 17-year-old Uri, who has botched his first army interview. Since Uris father moved out, his mother has been sleeping in Uris room. However, Uri is seeking his own path and his own room to deal with this world. A Room of his Own has been accompanying me for many years as a personal story, almost autobiographical, over a period of time when my mother and I shared the same room. My father left home and my mother did not go back to the bedroom that they shared, Yair told Variety. My mother and I continued to stay together and we didnt not think that there was anything inappropriate or wrong with this arrangement. We gave each other warmth and love and we felt as though we were in a rhapsody of a churning sea. We shared a huge red blanket and I used to wear the same shirt to school, almost every day. We had our rituals such as going to the beach and swimming in the sea, shopping at the supermarkets, and falling asleep with a book in our hands, to the light of the bedside lamp. I was looking for a way to tell this story of the coming of age of a kid who is afraid of the future, of the army, and who wants to be like everyone else but who understands slowly but surely that even if he tries to be like everyone else, that he wont succeed, said Yair. At the time I read vastly about the Holocaust the subject raised my curiosity. No one from my family was lost during the Holocaust but I identified with this subject and I tried to understand this event and it gave me comfort. This world of a family falling apart, the absence of a father figure and a kid who has a close intimacy with his mother, being afraid of the future, army recruitment, and the presence of the Holocaust in his life, are the foundations on which this movie is based, Yair added. The Israel-Italy co-production is produced by Maya Fischer (Shake Your Cares Away) for Green Productions. Some $982,000 of the total budget of $1,020,000 has been raised so far. The plan at HAF is to attract potential sales agents and distributors. Currently were in the final stretch of the offline editing process, we plan to finalize the film by the end of August, Fischer told Variety. We hope to have an international premiere around the beginning of next year. Yair and Fischer are collaborating again on drama series The Accident, selected for this years Pitching Forum at Series Mania. Coming up, Fischer also has; Milk, a feature film directed by Maya Kenig, an Israeli-French co-production, which starting shooting this week; and Dead Language, a feature by Oded Binnun and Mihal Brezis, based on their short film Aya, Oscar-nominated in 2015, an Israeli-Czech-Polish co-production set to shoot later this year. Sign up for Varietys Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Click here to read the full article. When Dolly Parton announced Monday that she must respectfully bow out of her nomination for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, many in the public and media assumed that her wish was the Halls command, and that her name would be removed from contention. But as of a day later, the matter seems far from settled, and it could still turn out that she gets voted in, regardless of whether she feels shes worthy of the honor. Complicating the matter is the fact that voting is already well underway, with many of the thousand-plus ballots that were sent out to artists and the music industry already having been checked off for Parton, who was considered close to a shoo-in for induction. Voting (by snail mail only) for the 2022 crop doesnt close for another six weeks on April 29 but even among those whove waited and are still mulling it over, its certainly possible that many will go with Parton anyway, as long as her name isnt officially taken off the ballot. Whether the Rock Hall would accede to her wishes and officially disqualify her mid-vote remains an open and intriguing question. So far, there appears not to be any immediate inclination to officially remove her from balloting thats already in progress, since either honoring or ignoring her stated desire to be taken out of contention would be fraught with separate problems. (Another issue: some voters report not having received the ballot yet, as of press time.) The hope is for a Tom Brady and that she changes her mind, says an insider, who notes the likelihood of Parton being a top vote draw either way. It stands to reason that, if Parton prevailed in the voting, the Hall would consider going ahead and inducting her but handling it on the show in the low-key way they did Todd Rundgrens induction last year. When Rundgren who had long made it clear that he had little regard for the Hall made it clear that he wouldnt be showing up in Cleveland to accept the honor, the org and HBO minimized the time afforded to him on the telecast, putting up a short historical montage but stopping short of having anyone perform his material on the show. The change of heart on Partons part seemed to be an abrupt one, as the artist had just told Variety, in an interview conducted March 3 and published March 7, that she would be honored to be inducted, even though she wasnt sure she fit under the rock n roll banner. A rep for the Rock Hall said there was no comment from the organization at this time, and a Parton spokesperson indicated Parton and her camp would not be commenting further beyond her initial social media statement. The Halls position is complicated by the fact that Partons demurral is historic in its timing and extremeness. While Rundgren may have said he didnt care about getting in, he also expressed that he understood it created some happiness for the fans who had been lobbying for him to get in for decades. Many others preceded him in making a statement by declining to show up, like John Lydon/Rotten, who called the Hall a farce for years before his group was voted in. But historically, no major artists under consideration have outrightly declared they wanted their nominations rescinded. If it were a less universally beloved performer asking to opt out, the request might be easier to overlook and just declare that the vote is what it is. But being seen as telling a Dolly Parton that her opinion on her induction doesnt count could create a backlash for the Hall. Going the other way, though, and giving Parton her way could be seen as setting up a dangerous precedent in which the Rundgrens, Lydons and future rebellious victors all start saying theyre turning down their inductions, too, putting the Hall in the precarious position of having precedent to yank their nominations or wins as well. Is a compromise possible that would respect where Parton is coming from in wanting to decline the honor if she does not, indeed, do a Tom Brady reversal but also respect the will of the voters, if she winds up in the front ranks, as expected? Its not difficult to conceive of one, although there are no indications yet that the Hall has proceeded in considering fresh alternatives yet. One option could be to declare that she won but not officially induct her, and say the award will be waiting for her if she changes her mind, essentially making her an asterisk in the Rock Hall pantheon. But the powers-that-be behind the Hall surely arent eager to force that creative a solution if theres any easier way for it to be resolved. Parton said she was making the request in part because she didnt want to split votes among other contenders, but its not clear that, if the Hall did bump her, someone else would move up in her stead, because the number of inductees getting in varies from year to year anyway. Complicating how the Hall proceeds is the fact that Parton was gentle and not angry In her disavowal statement, even saying she was leaving the door open for future consideration, after she gets around to making a record she considers rock n roll. It could become surreal if the country icon turned it down this year and then cut some rock sides so she could feel justified in being nominated again, even though that seemed to be what she was suggesting in Mondays statement. Even though I am extremely flattered to be nominated for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, I dont feel that I have earned that right, Parton wrote. I really do not want the votes split because of me, so I must respectfully bow out. I do hope that the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame will understand and be willing to consider me again if Im ever worthy. This has, however, inspired me to put out a hopefully great rock n roll album at some point in the future, which I have always wanted to do! My husband is a total rock n roll freak, and has always encouraged me to do one. In her interview less than two weeks ago with Variety, Parton had said, I was so surprised that that I was even nominated to be in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. I never thought about that, but they say they judge that on a whole lot of things. Im not expecting to win. But it was a great honor to be nominated. But it did make me think Ive got to do a good rock n roll album Ive always thought about it, a good rock album after next year, when I get some of these things behind m. Ive always wanted to do a great rock album, like a great Linda Ronstadt-type rock, just to do some things. But I dont know. Im not expecting to win, but if I should, I would be very honored and Ill just see. Theres not much direct precedent to help predict how this might pan out. Unusual as it might be for entertainers to conduct an anti-award campaign, there have been a few famous refusers over the years. In the music world, in 2020, after winning the CMA Awards entertainer of the year prize for a seventh time, Garth Brooks declared that he wanted to be grandfathered out of consideration, since he felt his wins were blocking younger nominees from getting their due. The Country Music Association made it clear at the time that ultimately it wasnt up to him, issuing a statement: If voters have nominated Garth Brooks in the first round, his name will appear on the second ballot. It will then be up to voters in this second round to select their top finalists. But making that declaration between ballots, and not mid-vote, seemed to do the trick in getting CMA voters to leave him out. Three Oscar winners have refused their honors, at least initially, but their wins were certified and stayed on the books regardless of their wishes. Marlon Brando and George C. Scott were famously both recognized as best actor winners in the early 1970s despite their anger with the system. Scott, calling the Academy Awards a two-hour meat parade, a public display with contrived suspense for economic reasons, sent the Academy a telegram asking to be taken off the ballot and said, I respectfully request that you withdraw my name from the list of nominees. My request is in no way intended to denigrate my colleagues. His plea was in vain, and the Oscar (his second) still resides in a museum. Brando did not telegraph his intentions the way Scott did, but he famously sent Sacheen Littlefeather to deliver a politically inclined speech in his absence. Decades earlier, Dudley Nichols refused his 1935 screenplay Oscar because of a writers strike, but he reportedly accepted it three years later. In the history of the Rock Hall, though, its traditional for artists who have a problem with the institution or their induction to simply not show up. In 2019, Thom Yorke broke the news to Variety that he would not be attending the ceremony, though Radiohead didnt actually try to refuse the honor. Weve always been very blase about that stuff, Yorke said at the time. So we dont want to offend anyone. We just think that we just dont quite understand it. Two other band members did show up to accept, but Yorkes excuse for not attending the induction: he had a conflicting engagement in Paris nine days later. Sign up for Varietys Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate The leader of the Cartel Del Noreste and the Tropa del Infierno enforcers has been arrested in Nuevo Laredo, Mexican federal officials announced on Monday afternoon. Juan Gerardo Trevino Chavez, also known as El Huevo, was arrested on Sunday, sparking gun battles, explosions and blockades around the Sister City during the early hours of Monday morning. The Secretary of the National Defense, Attorney General of the Republic, The National Intelligence Center and the Mexican National Guard collaborated in the arrest of El Huevo, who operated in the northeast part of the country. Trevino was found in possession of two firearms that were for the exclusive use of the Mexican Army and Air Force. Trevino had three warrants of arrest. In Tamaulipas, he was wanted for extortion and organized crime. In Coahuila, El Huevo was wanted for intentional homicide and terrorism. He also had a warrant for extradition purposes for conspiracy for drug trafficking and money laundering. Juan Gerardo N (alias) El Huevo is the one who leads the criminal organization of the Cartel Del Noreste and the Tropas del Infierno group of assassins, heirs to the members of the Zetas group, the Mexican army said in a statement. Authorities said Trevino is also a generator of violence in five states in Mexico and the border region of Tamaulipas. He was transferred to a detention facility with the Specialized Prosecutor's Office in Organized Crime Matter. The arrest of Juan Gerado N (alias) El Huevo represents a blunt blow to the dome of power of the Cartel Del Noreste, authorities said. Additional military personnel were expected to be deployed on Monday to reinforce Nuevo Laredo. In retaliation to El Huevos arrest, the Sister City of Nuevo Laredo awoke to burning blockades and explosions around the city due to major gunfire reported Monday morning. Initial reports indicated that suspected cartel members set commercial vehicles on fire to block two main avenues, according to the Department of Public Safety in Tamaulipas. Shots were fired at military quarters, prompting vehicle pursuits and gun battles throughout Nuevo Laredo. Shots also rang out near the U.S. Consulate General in Nuevo Laredo. Nuevo Laredo Mayor Carmen Lilia Canturosas said in a statement via Facebook that she is maintaining constant communication with federal and state authorities. The U.S. Consulate warned all American citizens that they should be wary if they are near. It stated around 2 a.m. that due to an "emergency situation," U.S. citizens "should avoid the area or seek shelter." Additionally, the U.S. Consulate updated that message just before 9 a.m. with a message to locals asking them to shelter in place. Following the overnight attacks, police in Laredo were seen on Monday barring access into Mexico via the bridges. Canturosas said Monday morning that traffic had been restored at Bridges I and II but warned individuals to take precautions. Regarding the closure of the Laredo international bridges, U.S. Customs and Border Protection released the following statement: For public safety reasons, southbound traffic into Nuevo Laredo at Juarez-Lincoln Bridge and Gateway to the Americas Bridge had been temporarily suspended due to an ongoing security situation on the Mexico side. Southbound traffic fully resumed at both bridges at approximately 7:30 a.m. (Monday) morning, a CBP official said. Lawyers for Ronald Anthony Burgos-Aviles, the former Border Patrol agent who stands charged with two counts of capital murder in the deaths of Grizelda Hernandez and their son Dominic Alexander Hernandez, have filed a motion to suppress all oral statements made by him during his custodial interrogation which was carried out on April 9 and 10, 2018, the day and day after the two murders. The state of Texas is seeking the death penalty in the case. At approximately 1:57 p.m., while still in proximity to the crime scene, Defendant was taken into custody by (the) Detective and other officers of the Laredo Police Department and placed inside a police vehicle, the motion to suppress states. The State is in possession of a video recording of the Defendant that was taken while he was sitting in the rear seat of the police vehicle. Pursuant to the exclusionary rule, Defendant hereby seeks to suppress said video as evidence in the trial of this case, on the grounds that constitutes fruit of the officers unlawful conduct and of violations of the Defendants rights under the Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, and Fourteenth Amendments to the United States Constitution. Burgos-Aviles lawyer J. Eduardo Pena asserts that evidence known as fruit of the poisonous tree is prohibited by exclusionary rule. Such evidence like verbal statements and physical evidence are subject to the rule if obtained as a result of an unauthorized arrest. Pena asserts Burgos-Aviles was taken into custody without sufficient probable cause and later was further interrogated after invoking his right to counsel. Therefore, the defendant has filed a motion to suppress all statements made on the day of April 9 and the morning of April 10. In the states response to the motion made by Assistant District Attorney Marisela S. Jacaman, it requests the court deny the motion to suppress all statements made by Burgos-Aviles, however, it did allow one stipulation that it would exclude the portion of the police interview following the defendants invocation of his right to counsel. According to court documents, Burgos-Aviles invoked his right to counsel after two hours and 45 minutes of the initial interview April. However, the state alleges the defendant reinitiated the interview soon after 2 a.m. on April 10. The state said though in its response to the motion to suppress it would offer the stipulation of excluding said portion of the interview though it provided one caveat. This particular Defendant was a law enforcement agent himself, court documents read. He was thoroughly familiar with the Miranda rights. Even if the Defendant felt emotionally overwhelmed during the interview, that merely establishes that the statements are res gestae (the events, circumstances, remarks, etc. which relate to a particular case, especially as constituting admissible evidence in a court of law), which article 38.22 expressly recognizes as an exception to its requirements. The ruling on the motion to suppress is pending. The hearing for said motion was continued until April. Jury selection for the case has been tentatively set for January 2023. thomas.lott@lmtonline.com 956-728-2577 Jillian Cooper/Getty Images/iStockphoto A recent video posted on Storyful detailing an attempt to free a deer stuck in a fence is making the rounds online. According to Storyful metadata, the video was shot in Sienna Plantation, Texas by Marco Rangel. The scene opens with a deer stuck in a fence, with the animal's rear half protruding from one side of the wooden boundary marker. Over the course of the video, a man clad in what appears to be a Dallas Cowboys hoodie uses a series of common household items in an attempt to free the animal from its splintery confines. Commissioners Court passed a "historic" motion on Monday paving the way for a new international bridge in southern Webb County. International Bridge 4/5 has been approved to enter into negotiations with Southwebb Bridge Company LLC to develop a public private partnership for the Countys participation as project sponsor and for the financing, design, construction, operation and ownership of the bridge. International Bridge 4/5 would be located between Rio Bravo and El Cenizo. This is something were all in favor of. ... This is amazing seeing how we have taken this long to be here today, said Webb County Judge Tano Tijerina at the meeting with a smile on his face. "Today is the future." Webb County Commissioner for Precinct 3 John Galo asked how long until construction can make way and locals could start seeing visual progress, due to past projects that took 10 years to see any kind of advancement. He was told in less than two years by SBC LLC director Glafiro Montemayor. I have always been in favor of that location, and still am in favor of that location," Galo said. "I do have questions how itll be structured, but I think were wasting time. Montemayor would give them an example of how lengthy starting the project would typically take, mentioning nearly five years of studies, applying for a federal loan and then the start of construction about seven to eight years in. Tijerina interjected and reminded those in attendance that former President Donald Trump expedited the process by seeing at least 20% of the companys proposal of the project, and then taking it into consideration for a further motion. Previously it would take a proposal with the thickness of a textbook for a project. Thus the new timeline when construction is expected to commence will be less than two years. Webb County added after the meeting that "as soon as possible, an application will be made for a presidential permit to build the bridge." Galo also stated that he wished this project would have been passed sooner to try to decongest the traffic on Mines Road. The new bridges are expected to relieve the traffic on the northwest side of the city. "We dont want to repeat the errors of the past, said Montemayor in Spanish regarding Mines Road. (The World Trade International Bridge) was designed before the attacks of 9/11, and afterwards, it became slower with new forms of inspections. Tijerina shared a few words before he asked the commissioners to motion while addressing Montemayor at the podium. I know you have been doing this for years, and your colleagues have been wanting to do this for years, Tijerina said. This is not something for Webb County, the City of Laredo, Rio Bravo or El Cenizo, but this is something way beyond us." Following the meeting, Webb County treasurer Raul Reyes -- the former mayor of El Cenizo -- praised commissioner's court for the bridge's support. "I'd like to commend the Webb County Commissioner's Court for their visionary approach and leadership in supporting the public private partnership for the financing, design, construction, operation and ownership of the 4/5 International Bridge with Southwebb Bridge Company LLC to be located in south Webb County between the cities of Rio Bravo and El Cenizo," Reyes said. "During my time as mayor, we supported this site and were always ready to support in any way possible. This proposed 4/5 International Bridge will be commercial, pedestrian and non-commercial use, and the economic development and benefit to the southern part of Webb County will be extraordinary." Other discussions during the meeting included higher hourly work rates for part-time nurses at Webb County Jail, continued pay for court reporter and interpreter services, and action to approve projects to be funded by the American Rescue Plan Act State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds. All motions were approved. Greater Houston could see some severe weather Monday night as scattered showers organize ahead of a cold front. Showers and strong isolated thunderstorms will start cropping up far north of Houston around 6 p.m., with the threat of those storms extending south toward the metro as the night goes on. Some of the storms could have heavy rainfall, but they'll be moving fast enough to not cause much of a flooding concern, meteorologists with the National Weather Service in League City said in an online discussion Monday morning. The main threat, however, is potentially large hail and isolated tornadoes this evening. Meteorologists also say there's a smaller threat of damaging winds. The system will organize into a line of storms around 9 p.m. as a cold front pushes through the region later in the evening. As the storms line up with the front, the threat for isolated tornadoes diminishes while the likelihood of gusty winds increases. The storms should be moved off the coast by 4 a.m. Tuesday. Behind the cold front, the weather won't be as chilly as it was this weekend. Temperatures overnight Monday will bottom out near 55 degrees. Tuesday will start off cloudy, but clouds will eventually dissipate and temperatures will rise to the low 70s. From there, overnight lows will stay in the 50s or 60s while the afternoon high will rise to the 70s through the end of the week. Our next chance for storms is Thursday, which has a 20 percent chance of showers and a 30 percent chance of thunderstorms overnight into Friday morning. By SA Commercial Prop News Growthpoint Properties, the JSEs biggest primary listed REIT, will convert its Riverwoods Office Park in Bedfordview, Johannesburg, into residential apartments. The South African commercial property sector is still experiencing tougher conditions, especially weaker economic growth coupled with the decline in demand for office space prompting listed funds to convert their office parks into Residential apartments. Businesses plans to have employees move back to offices after many months of working from home have been derailed by the emergence of the Covid-19 Omicron variant, among other factors. Remote working, especially in white-collar jobs, has resulted in many offices across the country lying empty, devoid of employees who have been asked to work from home. The remote-working trend initially formed a part of the governments lockdown strategy to curb the spread of Covid-19. It has, however, continued to push down demand for office space in the country, with JSEs listed property funds coverting office buildings into residential units with some exiting the sector completely. Beyond this, the countrys low economic growth, which has resulted in a jobs bloodbath, has also exacerbated the downward trend in demand for office space. South Africa's office vacancy rate has reached a new all-time high of 15.4%, according to a report by the South African Property Owners Association (SAPOA) for the third quarter of 2021. Growthpoint Properties, SA's biggest listed property group, recently teamed up with BlackBrick Hotels and office parks developer Setso Property Fund to convert its luxury Riverwoods Office Park in Bedfordview, Johannesburg, into residential apartments. The project sees Growthpoint converting the 35,000m site at St Andrews, a predominantly residential area, into more than 250 apartments at a cost of R200 million. ALSO READ: Standard Bank cuts Office Space, camps inside Pick n Pay stores The owner of the V&A Waterfront said the decision to convert the Riverwoods office park was a response to the surplus of office space in the market and the scarcity of residential space, especially for the new and upcoming generation of first-time buyers. As part of our ongoing asset management, we frequently evaluate the properties in our portfolio and consider all options to unlock the best value from our assets. There is no recipe, no single solution, so we take care to find the right approach unique to every building, says Paul Kollenberg, Growthpoint Head of Asset Management. Last year, Private property developer Africrest Properties began the largest conversion of an office to residential property in SAs history. The Sunninghill building in Johannesburg, which used to be auditing firm PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwCs) Gauteng office, is being converted into a R400m residential building called The Apollo, which will house more than 700 apartments. The conversion is being completed in phases. It is a clear indication of how much companies are prepared to spend to capitalise on the oversupply of offices around Sandton. SA Corporate Real Estate Limited (SA Corp), a JSE-listed property company, plans to completely exit the office property sector in South Africa by selling its buildings. Less than 2% of its property investments worth about R15-billion comprise office buildings. The CEO Rory Mackey says South Africas negative economic outlook and last years major job losses also suggest less office space will be needed, making the company nervous about future investments into the office property market. In a move to save costs, Africas largest banking group, Standard Bank announced last year that it plans to cut office space by opening up mini branches in Pick n Pay stores. While many companies and workers around the world are still contemplating if and when they set foot inside an office again, some big firms have already told employees the work-from-home experiment is over. Last year, Google and Amazon, told staff they will have to ask for approval if they want to work remotely more than 14 days a year. Investment bank Goldman Sachs told its global workforce it wants them back in the office by September. Meanwhile, a Deloitte survey shows 28% of workers are keen to get back to the office, while another 42% will be happy to spend three days a week there. Sapoa Office Vacancy Rate SAPOA found that office development activity remains constrained, and the report foresees that, given the uncertainty surrounding the Covid-19 pandemic, office development activity is likely to remain mainly tenant-driven. While the current office vacancy rate is now roughly the same as it was in 2003, an addtional 1.3 million square metres are vacant. The A-grade office sector vacancy rate increased to an all-time high of 13.6% during the quarter due to what the report found to be a persistent supply/demand imbalance. Sandton has the most space available and accounts for the bulk of Prime and A-grade space currently available to let. Among the country's five largest metropolitan municipalities, the City of Tswhane had the lowest overall office vacancy rate of 11.3% at September 2021. The increasing vacancy rate has also impacted asking rentals, which have been under increased strain since the middle of 2020. There has been no growth in rentals year-on-year and the report foresees that asking rentals will remain under pressure. Anecdotal evidence suggests that deals are being done at substantial discounts to asking rentals. SAPOA is the representative body of the commercial and industrial property industry. The letter asked for the Department of Justice to investigate, instead of the Hamilton County Sheriff's Office. Pfizer and BioNTech are studying additional doses, including Omicron-specific vaccines. Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla said Sunday that he expects that a fourth dose of Covid-19 vaccine will be needed. White House under pressure from Congress and Zelensky to find ways to deliver Soviet-made weapons to Ukraine If you do not have a current print subscription to the Lodi News-Sentinel, but want to view unlimited articles for the month, please choose this option. Check out our latest E-Edition Accessible anytime and anywhere on your desktop, tablet and smart phone devices. The Lodi News e-Edition is enhanced with the latest digital tools, including RSS feeds, social networking and much more. Check out our latest E-edition! RTHK: Turkey awaits Russia go-ahead for Mariupol evacuation Turkish defence ministry sources said on Tuesday that Ankara is awaiting approval from Russian authorities pending a security evaluation to evacuate citizens from Ukraine's southern port city of Mariupol. The sources said landmines in the area had been cleared and work is continuing to open humanitarian corridors and for buses to enter the city. Ukraine's foreign ministry said on Saturday that Russian forces had shelled the Sultan Suleiman mosque in Mariupol, where more than 80 adults and children, including Turks, had taken refuge. Moscow has denied targeting civilian areas in what it calls a "special military operation" in Ukraine. Some 1.4 million children have now fled Ukraine since the Russian attack began on February 24, meaning nearly one child a second has become a refugee, the UN said Tuesday. "On average, every day over the last 20 days in Ukraine, more than 70,000 children have become refugees," James Elder, spokesman for the UN children's agency UNICEF, told reporters in Geneva. That amounts to around 55 every minute, "so almost one per second," he said. (Reuters, AFP) This story has been published on: 2022-03-15. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Chinese, Spanish FMs hold phone talks over Ukraine situation Xinhua) 13:20, March 15, 2022 BEIJING, March 15 (Xinhua) -- Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Monday held a phone conversation with Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs Jose Manuel Albares at the latter's request. During their conversation, Albares congratulated China on the success of the Beijing Winter Olympic Games and the two sides exchanged views on the current situation in Ukraine. The situation in Ukraine threatens peace and stability in Europe and, if left unchecked, will spill over across the entire international community, Albares said. He expressed hope that the conflict in Ukraine will be put to an end as soon as possible through dialogue and diplomatic means and that China, as a great peace-loving country and a permanent member of the UN Security Council, will play an active role in promoting peace. For his part, Wang said that as a permanent member of the UN Security Council, China has been pushing for peace talks in its own way since the first day of the Ukraine crisis, and hopes that the fourth round of Russia-Ukraine peace talks can achieve new progress acceptable to all parties, accumulate factors conducive to ending the conflict and opening up a door to peace. Some forces have been constantly smearing China's objective and just position on the Ukraine issue and creating disinformation, Wang warned, noting that China has always made its judgment according to the merits of the matter itself. China maintains that the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries should be respected, upholds the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, and believes that legitimate security concerns of all parties should be addressed, said Wang. China has the world's best record as a major country when it comes to peace and security, he said, adding that the Chinese side will continue to play a constructive role on multilateral occasions for the peaceful settlement of the Ukraine crisis. The Ukraine crisis is the result of the accumulation and intensification of conflicts on security in Europe over the years, Wang said. He added that the Chinese side encourages Russia and Ukraine to achieve a ceasefire through peace talks, and expressed his hope that Europe and Russia will launch dialogue and negotiations on an equal basis, and find reasonable solutions to their security concerns, so as to set up a balanced, effective and sustainable European security framework. China has always opposed using sanctions to solve problems, let alone unilateral sanctions that has no basis in international law, which will undermine international rules and harm people's livelihood in all countries, Wang said. China is not a party to the crisis, still less wants to be affected by the sanctions, and it has the right to safeguard its legitimate and lawful rights and interests, he added. Noting that Spain is a solid force in Europe, Wang said he is confident that Spain can play a positive role in resolving the crisis peacefully. (Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Liang Jun) Amidst reports of factionalism over the post of the Chief Minister in Manipur, caretaker Chief Minister N. Biren Singh and another contender for the top post Thongam Biswajit Singh on Tuesday rushed to Delhi to discuss the issue with the central leadership of the BJP. The Parliamentary Board of the BJP on Monday appointed Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Union Law and Justice Minister Kiren Rijiju as central observers to select the legislature party leader in Manipur. A top BJP leader said that the central leaders called Biren Singh and Biswajit Singh to Delhi for discussion on the leadership issue. "After meeting, Sitharaman and Rijiju might come to Imphal to discuss with other BJP MLAs and leaders to finalise the name of legislature party leader," a BJP leader told IANS. Meanwhile, Manipur BJP Vice-President Ch Chidananda, refuting the media reports, strongly denied that there is more than one contenders for the CM's post. Biswajit Singh was the second-in-command in the outgoing BJP government after Chief Minister and is in the party for longer than Biren Singh. Biren Singh won from his traditional Heingang assembly constituency for the record 5th time while Biswajit Singh was elected to the assembly fourth time from Thongju seat. The BJP has a thin majority of 32 MLAs in a 60-member Assembly. BJP's erstwhile ally National People's Party secured seven seats while Janata Dal (United) won six seats, the Congress and the Naga People Front bagged five seats each, Kuki People's Alliance, a newly floated tribal based party, managed two seats and three Independent candidates also got elected to the Assembly. The NPF, JD(U) and an independent member announced to support the BJP government. For the first time in the electoral and parliamentary history of Manipur, five women members, highest ever, were also elected, including three of BJP and two of the NPP. Biren Singh on Friday resigned from his post and the Governor asked him to continue in office until the new government takes charge. A Longford man who had stolen power tools valued at approximately 3,000 at a Sunday market has been given a suspended sentence. Brian Nevin (30) was caught with the stolen tools when a tradesman found a drill that had been stolen from his van in Tullamore, Co Offaly, among goods for sale at the Balbriggan market. Nevin, of Saint Matthews Terrace, Ballymahon, Longford, pleaded guilty on the basis of recklessness to 13 counts of the possession of stolen tools at Balbriggan Sunday market, Folkstown Little, Balbriggan on January 21, 2018. He has 29 previous convictions. Man jailed for 'gut wrenching' attack on ex partner in Longford takes High Court action against prison chiefs A man jailed for an odious and gut wrenching assault on his former girlfriend in her Longford home almost two years ago has brought High Court proceedings against prison authorities over a 14 day period of detention that left him in almost solitary confinement following an outbreak of Covid-19. Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard that the tools recovered included multiple drills, a screw gun, laser level, planer, an impact driver, a saw and a phase tester. Numerous tradesmen came forward to claim tools that had been stolen from them. Garda Aaron Shanahan told Kieran Kelly BL, prosecuting, that a tradesman in Tullamore had items stolen from his van on two occasions and travelled to Balbriggan market where he saw a Nissan van show up with two men who emptied tools onto a table. He approached the table recognised a drill and verified an inscription to check it was an item stolen from him. He paid 50 to secure the drill and then went to gardai. Gardai arrested Nevin and recovered the tools. A sum of cash was also seized, as well as the van being used. Cathal McGreal BL, defending, said his client was a family man who participates in his local community. He said Nevin accepts he should have done better. Judge Melanie Greally noted Nevin has not come to further adverse attention and this was his only transgression since 2015. She took into account details set out in reports before the court noting he was at moderate risk of reoffending but largely prosocial in his community Judge Greally imposed a 12-month sentence which she suspended for 12 months on strict conditions. Primary and secondary school students and their teachers from schools in Longford took part in numerous activities to mark Engineers Week which has just concluded. Engineers Week, run by the Engineers Ireland STEPS (Science, Technology and Engineering Programme for Schools,) celebrates the world of engineering with primary and secondary pupils the target audience. The main aim of the week was to promote engineering - and to show the importance of the profession. Midlands Science (a not for profit company which promotes STEM education [Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths] co-ordinated a programme of events in Offaly, Longford, Westmeath and Laois, in conjunction with Engineers Ireland, to celebrate the week. STEPS Engineers Week-themed lessons were conducted in classrooms across the four counties to help students discover the exciting world of engineering and teachers and schools were able to access free engineering resources provided by the STEPS team. The detailed programme of events saw engineering professionals and third level institutions engage with their communities through classroom visits and online workshops to showcase their profession and highlighting the amazing ways engineers in Ireland are pushing boundaries of innovation. CEO of Midlands Science, Jackie Gorman said: Midlands Science promotes Engineers Week in Longford, Westmeath, Laois and Offaly through a range of outreach activities for primary and secondary schools. Engineers Week is an annual campaign to promote engineering as a career and to highlight the importance of the profession to Ireland. Students of engineering develop a valuable set of skills that serve as a strong career foundation." She added: During Engineers week the students were afforded the opportunity to explore the creative world of engineering and the limitless opportunities a career in the sector can offer. Engineers are problem-solvers; they have a flexible, creative approach to work; and they work well in teams. These skills are highly useful in every role from technician to chief executive, and in every industry from aerospace to healthcare to software. Business Development manager of Midlands Science Paulie Nally highlighted the success of the week and congratulated all the students that participated It was heartening to see the wide range of companies and organisations who supported us in promoting engineering in the midlands this year. Anyone wishing to discuss further such opportunities to promote in the STEM in the year ahead is welcome to get in touch, she said. John ODonovan, Integra LifeSciences, Tullamore, added: We are only too happy to support Midlands Science in promoting initiatives like Engineers Week that celebrate the world of engineering. There is a demand worldwide for engineers because they are essential to the growth and development of every country. An engineering qualification offers a chance to do interesting work with interesting people, enhance people's lives, and explore almost unlimited career opportunities. Now in its 16th year STEPS Engineers Week is funded by the Department of Education and industry leaders Wind Energy Ireland, Arup, the EPA ,ESB, Intel and Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII). Having information about climate change available in schools is vital. Supporting the roll-out of this information through a series of Climate Change in a Box initiatives, while also marking Engineers Week, was a perfect combination for us. We are thrilled to see the enthusiasm and appetite within schools for information to help them play their part in the fight against climate change. said Noel Cunniffe, CEO, Wind Energy Ireland Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies (DIAS) astrophotography competition Reach for the Stars is back for its second year and is calling on people in Longford with an interest in photography and astronomy to submit their images. The competition, which is now open for entries, is seeking the best astro-photographs taken in Ireland over the period 1st April 2021 to 30th April 2022. It is calling for submissions under two distinct categories: Out of this World: Images depicting scenes / features or elements of astronomical interest. For example, deep space images or images of the solar system. Back on Earth: Astro-landscape images that depict a feature or element of astronomical interest and capture elements such as nature, cityscapes, buildings or monuments, land, or water. Last years winner was Josh Mathews from Shanbolard, Moyard, Co. Galway. His image To the Waters and the Wild, depicted the night sky over Crocnaraw on the Connemara coast in Co. Galway. Launching the competition, Dr. Eucharia Meehan, CEO and Registrar of DIAS, said: DIAS is delighted to launch the 2022 Reach for the Stars competition. Following on from the huge success of last years competition, we are excited to see what entries will be submitted this year, what creativity people bring, and what images they have captured. DIAS has a rich legacy and expertise in astronomy and it is fantastic to be able to showcase that, while also capturing the publics imagination and creativity through the wonders of space. Last year we received entries from people in Longford and right across the country, and this year we hope to see even more. The competition is open to everyone whether they are a seasoned professional or amateur with a love for astronomy. We just asked that they follow the competition guidelines carefully when making the submission to ensure their images are eligible. Also commenting, Professor Peter Gallagher, Head of Astrophysics at DIAS and member of the judging panel, said: As a member of the judging panel, we were blown away by submissions to the competition last year. From images that captured very complex astronomical features and others that captured the night-sky perfectly against beautiful Irish landscape we had such a range of entries making our job as judges very difficult. As part of the competition, it was great to have the shortlisted entries printed for our outdoor exhibition at DIAS last year. Seeing them in large format really brings them to life and we hope to do the same again with this years shortlisted entries. This year DIAS marks the 75th anniversary of the School of Cosmic Physics and we will be launching a full programme of events later in the month. As part of these celebrations, we will be awarding a special spot prize to a photograph that is entered into the competition that depicts the work of one or more of the research areas carried out at the School. These research areas include everything from solar and stellar physics and space weather to planetary science and star formation. Were calling on people to get creative. Whether you have professional equipment, or simply just a smart phone the competition is open to everyone over the age of 18 to enter. We look forward to seeing what astronomical events have inspired people this year, and what they have captured. Competition Details Entries to the Reach for the Stars competition will be judged by Brenda Fitzsimons, Picture Editor, The Irish Times; John Flannery, Vice-President, Irish Astronomical Society; Peter Gallagher, Senior Professor and Head of Astronomy and Astrophysics at DIAS and Niamh Breathnach, Account Director, Alice PR & Events. Entrants may submit up to two images per category to the competition. The deadline for entries is 5pm on Saturday, 30th April. All entries to the competition will be screened by a shortlisting panel to ensure they meet the eligibility criteria. The shortlisted images in each category will then go forward for consideration by the judging panel and for an online public vote. Prize Package The winning photographers in the two main categories, as selected by the judging panel, will receive a prize package that includes: Publication of their images on the DIAS and Irish Times websites; A VIP tour of DIAS Dunsink Observatory with the opportunity to peer through Irelands largest refractor telescope. One pass for up to four guests for Race to Space, a fully immersive escape room experience, hosted at DIAS Dunsink Observatory. A 500 voucher for photographic / telescopic equipment; and A 12-month Premium Digital subscription to The Irish Times. Two runners up in each category will also be selected by the judges, and will each receive a 200 voucher for photographic / telescopic equipment. The winner of the Public Choice category, as voted for by the public, will also receive voucher to the value of 150 for photographic / telescopic equipment. It is DIASs intention that the winning and highly commended images will also be included in an exhibition at DIAS during 2022. Furthermore, all shortlisted images will be included in an online exhibition for the purposes of the public vote on DIASs website, www.dias.ie. DIASs Reach for the Stars competition is being run in partnership with The Irish Times, and is sponsored by Alice PR & Events. The Irish Astronomical Society are initiative supporters. Further information, including the competition guidelines and entry form, is available at www.reachforthestars.ie. The Russian bombardment of Ukraine continued as the leaders of three European Union countries planned a bold visit to Ukraines capital, with the number of people driven out of the country by war passing three million. Large explosions thundered across Kyiv before dawn on Tuesday from what Ukrainian authorities said were artillery strikes, as Russias assault on the city appeared to become more systematic. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said barrages hit four multi-storey buildings in the city and caused dozens of deaths. The strikes targeted a western district of Kyiv, disrupting a relative calm that returned after an initial advance by Russian forces was stopped in the early days of the war. Tuesdays shelling ignited a huge fire in a 15-storey apartment building and spurred a frantic rescue effort. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko announced a new curfew for the city, saying it would run for 35 hours from 8pm on Tuesday until 7am on Thursday (6pm GMT on Tuesday to 5am GMT on Thursday). Meanwhile, civilians in 2,000 cars fled Mariupol along a humanitarian corridor in what was believed to the biggest evacuation yet from the desperately besieged seaport. As Russia stepped up its assault on Kyiv, the leaders of Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovenia set out for Ukraines embattled capital by train to show support for the country. The aim of the visit is to express the European Unions unequivocal support for Ukraine and its freedom and independence, Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala said in a tweet. Firefighters climb a ladder to rescue people in the apartment building hit by Russian shelling in Kyiv He was joined by his counterparts Janez Jansa of Slovenia, Mateusz Morawiecki of Poland and Jaroslaw Kaczynski, Polands de-facto leader. EU officials characterised the visit as one the central European leaders had undertaken independently despite security risks. The 27-nation blocs other leaders were informed of the trip but did not sanction it, EU officials said. The International Organisation for Migration said the number of people who have fled Ukraine since Russia invaded on February 24 passed three million on Tuesday. The UN has described the flood of people crossing into Poland and other neighbouring countries as Europes biggest refugee crisis since the Second World War. We will make sure Ukraine has weapons to defend against the invading Russian force. We will send money and food and aid to save Ukrainian lives. We will welcome Ukrainian refugees with open arms. President Biden (@POTUS) March 14, 2022 Russian and Ukrainian negotiators held a second day of talks as Russias invasion of Ukraine reached its 20th day. The Red Cross and the United Nations refugee agency say millions of people face food and medicine shortages along with the immediate conflict threats of shelling and air attacks. The Ukrainian government said new aid and evacuation efforts would take place on Tuesday along nine corridors around the country, including the Kyiv region. But past attempts have repeatedly failed amid continued fighting. One of the most desperate situations is in Mariupol, an encircled port city of 430,000 where local officials estimate a lethal siege has killed more than 2,300 people and left residents desperate for food, water, heat and medicine. The Mariupol city council reported on Tuesday that civilian evacuations were under way. The council said 2,000 civilian cars had managed to leave along a humanitarian corridor that runs for more than 260 160 miles west to the city of Zaporizhzhia. The city council said another 2,000 cars were waiting to leave along the evacuation route. It was not immediately clear if the number of departed vehicles given on Tuesday included 160 cars that left the day before. Ukrainian soldiers fold the national flag on the coffin as they pay their last tribute to colonel Valeriy Gudz who was killed in a battle against Russians, at a cemetery in the town of Boryspil close to Kyiv Russias invasion has shocked the world, upended Europes post-Cold War security order and driven millions from their homes. Russias military is bigger and better equipped than Ukraines, but its troops have faced stiffer-than-expected resistance, bolstered by arms supplied by the West. US officials said Russian forces are about nine miles from the centre of the city as of Monday. Fighting has intensified on Kyivs outskirts in recent days, and sporadic air raid sirens ring out around the capital. The early morning artillery strikes hit the Svyatoshynskyi district of western Kyiv, adjacent to the suburb of Irpin, which has seen some of the worst battles of the war. FM #Lavrov: We will make sure that we never again find ourselves that neither some Uncle Sam nor anybody else can make decisions aimed at destroying our economy. We will find a way to eliminate this dependence. We should have done it long ago. pic.twitter.com/M2cNUm6o1F MFA Russia (@mfa_russia) March 15, 2022 Flames shot out of the 15-storey apartment building and smoke filled the air as firefighters climbed ladders to rescue people. The assault blackened several floors of the building, ripped a hole in the ground outside and blew out windows in neighbouring apartment blocks. Rescue workers said one person died and several were rescued, but others remain inside. Shockwaves from an explosion also damaged the entry to a city centre subway station that has been used as a bomb shelter. A firefighter comforts a woman outside the destroyed apartment building City authorities tweeted an image of the blown-out facade, saying trains would no longer stop at the station. A 10-storey apartment building in the Podilsky district of Kyiv, north of the government quarter, was damaged by unspecified ammunition. Russian forces also stepped up strikes overnight on Irpin and the north-west Kyiv suburbs of Hostomel and Bucha, said the head of the capital region, Oleksiy Kuleba. Many streets (in those areas) have been turned into a mush of steel and concrete. People have been hiding for weeks in basements, and are afraid to go out even for evacuations, Mr Kuleba said on Ukrainian television. A woman reacts after being rescued by firefighters In the countrys east, Russian forces launched more than 60 strikes overnight on Ukraines second-largest city, Kharkiv, according to regional administration chief Oleh Sinehubov. The strikes hit the citys historical centre, including the main marketplace. Mr Sinehubov said fires were raging and rescuers had pulled dozens of bodies of civilian residents, from the ruins of destroyed apartment buildings. Mr Zelensky is seeking to extend martial law until April 24 and to require men aged 18 to 60 to stay in the country to fight. Ukraines parliament is expected to vote on the measure this week. The Ukrainian leader appealed for more weapons to counter Russias military. He said Ukraines forces are rapidly using up weapons and other hardware supplied by Western nations, and he asked northern European leaders to help yourself by helping us. Firefighters tackle the building hit by Russian artillery Meanwhile, US administration officials have alleged that Moscow has asked China for help as it attempts to make headway, and Beijing had signalled that it would be willing to provide both military support and financial backing to help stave off effects of Western sanctions. Russia and China denied military assistance had been asked for or granted. Talks between Russian and Ukrainian negotiators resumed on Tuesday. The two sides had expressed some optimism about the negotiations, which Ukrainian presidential aide Mykhailo Podolyak said were discussing ceasefire and withdrawal of troops from the territory of the country. The Ukrainian general prosecutors office released details of two deadly Russian attacks that took place on Monday: an artillery strike that hit a university and open-air market in the northern city of Chernihiv, killing 10, and the shooting of a 65-year-old woman on a bus that was evacuating civilians from a Kyiv suburb. The number of people killed in a Russian rocket attack on a TV tower in western Ukraine on Monday rose to 19, authorities in the Rivne region said Tuesday. A further nine people were injured in the strike on the TV tower in Antopol, a village about 160 100 miles from the border of Nato member Poland. Local News, Health & Wellness By Chris Boyle Published: March 15 2022 County to host test kit event on March 21 at Dennison Building. Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone has announced that the County will provide approximately 3,000 free at-home COVID-19 tests to residents on March, 21, 2022 from 10:00 AM 1:30 PM in the lobby of the H. Lee Dennison Building, located at 100 Veterans Memorial Highway. All Suffolk County residents are encouraged to attend and obtain the kits for their household. Test kits will be given out on a first-come, first-served basis. As we continue to navigate our new normal, with progress being made every day, it is still important to ensure that our residents, including our most vulnerable populations, have access to all of the tools necessary to fight this virus and keep themselves safe, said Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone. Testing plays a vital role in keeping this virus under control and will be absolutely critical as we begin to live with this virus as part of our everyday lives. Suffolk County Health Commissioner Dr. Gregson Pigott said: "When we test ourselves for COVID-19, we are able to make informed and responsible choices to seek any necessary care and protect others, especially those who are vulnerable." Together, with local municipalities, County legislators, the Suffolk County Police Department, community groups, not-for-profits and more, the County has distributed more than 300,000 test kits, mostly throughout the height of the Omicron surge, prioritizing seniors, first responders and other vulnerable populations. Throughout the next several months, the County will continue to work with numerous partners to distribute hundreds of thousands of additional tests, masks and hand sanitizer. This announcement comes after the first two-week-long period of daily positivity rates below two percent, beginning on February 22, 2022, since July of last year. In addition to County giveaways, every home in the U.S. is eligible to order 2 sets of 4 free at-home tests from the US Postal Service, at www.covidtests.gov . Most health plans also cover purchases of at-home over-the-counter COVID-19 diagnostic tests authorized by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) at no cost, either through reimbursement or free of charge through their insurance. Residents should contact their insurance provider, or visit www.cms.gov/how-to-get-your-at-home-OTC-COVID-19-test-for-free , for more information. The County also continues to roll out vaccination efforts hosting clinics across the County throughout the month of March. Residents who are eligible to roll up their sleeves and get their shot, including boosters, are encouraged to do so as vaccination is the best tool to protect themselves and loved ones. County clinic dates and times are available at www.suffolkcountyny.gov/vaccine Food, Wine, & Dining By Ls Cohen Published: March 15 2022 Local pubs and restaurants to have some fun on St. Patricks Day this year. If youre looking to hoist a few to celebrate St. Patricks Day on Long Island this year, weve got you covered. Below are just a few of the best places to toast the day. As the Irish say, Slainte - which is a cheer to good health. Grafton Street Pub - The pub is named in tribute to one of the most famous streets in Dublin, Ireland. Best known as Suffolk Countys answer to authentic Irish pub cuisine. Location: 1261 Veterans Highway, Hauppauge, (631) 360-0761. The Irish Times Pub - Established in 2000, The Irish Times is a staple of Main Street in Holbrook. Serving contemporary dishes as well as traditional Irish food. Shepherds Pie, Steak, Burgers, Chicken, Daily Specials and more. Location: 975B Main Street Holbrook, (631) 467-4330. Flanagans Pub - The finest Irish-American cuisine in a completely redesigned and family-friendly dining room. Location: 451 Hawkins Ave, Lake Ronkonkoma, (631) 588-9843. Napper Tandys - Multiple pubs across Long Island. Locations: 229 Laurel Avenue, Northport, (631) 757-4141; 15 East Main Street, Smithtown, (631) 360-0606; 60 E. Main Street, Bay Shore, (631) 665-0040. The Rabbit's Foot Bar and Grill - A new pub opened by a Manhattan lawyer who wanted to open a pub just like the ones he would frequent in New York City to work and meet clients in a casual locale. The name was inspired by a friend and partner of the founder who said of the venture that they needed good food, a good location and a little bit of luck. Location: 645 South Broadway Hicksville, (516) 605-0015. The Irish Poet - With a tagline, come as a stranger, leave as a friend, The Irish Poet seems to encapsulate everything you look for in a cozy, friendly pub. Location: 1891 Wantagh Avenue, Wantagh, (516) 588-1891. Carneys Irish Pub & Restaurant - Live music on St. Paddys Day. Irish pub in the heart of Amityville village. They say that Carneys is a place where you're a guest on your first night; after that you're a regular. Location: 136 Broadway Avenue, Amityville, (631) 464-4445. Kitty Mulligans Irish Pub - Opens at 8am on St. Paddys Day for Kegs & Eggs. Named after the owners grandmother, Kitty Mulligans is a place where they celebrate Kittys cheerful spirit every day. Location: 615 East Main Street, Bay Shore, (631) 315-3571. Jackie Reillys - Traditional and relaxed Irish pub. The name says it all. Location: 3964 Hempstead Turnpike, Bethpage, (516) 731-7544. The US and China have urged India and Pakistan to hold direct talks for reducing tensions between the two nuclear-armed nations following the inadvertent firing of a missile on March 9, Dawn reported. "We continue to support direct dialogue between India and Pakistan on issues of concern," a US State Department official said on Monday when asked if Washington would urge India and Pakistan to hold direct talks on the recent missile incident and other issues. Also on Monday, a spokesperson for China's Foreign Ministry supported Pakistan's demand for a joint probe into the incident and emphasised the need for direct talks between the two neighbours on all issues, Dawn news reported. "We called on relevant countries to have dialogue and communication as soon as possible and launch a thorough investigation into this incident," spokesman Zhao Lijian told reporters in Beijing. He also urged India and Pakistan to "strengthen information sharing and establish a notification mechanism in time to avoid the recurrence of such incidents and to prevent miscalculation". The Chinese official said that Pakistan and India were "both important countries in South Asia, bearing responsibilities for maintaining regional security and stability". Pakistan has said that it was not satisfied with New Delhi's "simplistic explanation" and demanded a joint probe to establish the facts surrounding the incident. According to India's Defence Ministry, in the course of a routine maintenance on March 9, a technical malfunction led to the accidental firing of a missile. It was only later learnt that the missile had landed inside the territory of Pakistan. Others, Arts & Culture, Travel & Local Attractions By Long Island Published: March 15 2022 Rick Griffin and Mouse & Kelley, a Dual Retrospective to open at Bahr Gallery. Exhibition featuring three of San Franciscos Big Five poster artists opens March 18 The Bahr Gallery, the only art gallery in the country dedicated to vintage, first-edition, psychedelic rock poster art, announced a new Exhibition, Rick Griffin and Mouse & Kelley, a Dual Retrospective, opening at the gallery on March 18, 2022 and running through May 29. There will be an opening wine and cheese receptions on Friday and Saturday, March 18 and 19 from 6:00-8:00. Rick Griffin (1944-1991) is recognized as one of the "Big Five" the masters of the San Francisco School of psychedelic art that also included Alton Kelley, Stanley Mouse, Victor Moscoso and Wes Wilson. Griffins famous Flying Eyeball poster from 1968 ranks as one of the most iconic of the time. Highlights of the Exhibition include an oversized silkscreen of that piece that was hand-pulled by Griffin in 1989, a first-print Aoxomoxoa, (1969), a Jimi Hendrix Scarab poster (1968), and 15 more. Griffins rich symbolic vocabulary distinguished his work from that of his fellow poster artists. His toolbox including mushrooms, eyeballs, hearts, wings, torches, waterfalls, scarabs, suns, serpents, and flame, as well as more culturally specific iconography as hopi kachina faces and motifs from commercial advertising. In addition, Griffins gift for three-dimensional rendering of truly challenging psychedelic lettering, which progressed from occasional drop shadows to extravaganzas of trompe loeil has led many to regard him as the greatest master in the field. Stanley Mouse Miller ( 1940-) and Alton Kelley (1940-2008) are paired as most of their most famous works were collaborations and some of their featured works include, The Girl with Green Hair, from 1966 and modeled on Alphonse Muchas Job Girl, a stunning Zebraman poster for the 13th Floor Elevators (1966), and a first printing of the 1966 Grateful Dead poster, Skeleton and Roses, considered one of the most important works of the psychedelic era. In late 1965 Kelley had designed several flyers advertising early Family Dog dance concerts, but he lacked freehand drafting ability. When he met Stanley Mouse, who had relocated from Detroit, Kelley found the draftsman partner he needed. The two formed Mouse Studios with Kelley's drawing skills eventually improving to the point where left-handed Kelley would be working on one side of the easel, and right-handed Mouse on the other. Mouse said they could work for hours in silence. "We knew what to do," he said. "We didn't have to talk. He [Kelley] had the most impeccable taste of anybody I knew," said Mouse, "He would do the layouts, and I would do the drawing." The work of Mouse & Kelley has come to be recognized as a 20th century American counterpart to the French poster art of Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec during the Belle Epoque, although the two psychedelic artists never imagined at the time they were creating anything of enduring value, anything more than racing the deadline for the next Avalon show. "We were just having fun making posters," said Mouse. "There was no time to think about what we were doing. It was a furious time, but I think most great art is created in a furious moment." Ensure you get a print copy of the Loudoun Times-Mirror delivered weekly to your home or business! Complete online access is included with all print subscriptions purchased online. Plus, up to four other members of your household can share online access through this subscription with their own, individual linked accounts at no additional charge. (Are you a current advertiser? Ask your sales rep for our special advertiser rate code!) (Alliance News) - Inchcape PLC on Tuesday said it has decided that the ownership of its business interests in Russia is "no longer tenable," due to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. The London-based auto distributor and retailer stated that it initiated the process to transition its Russian business together with its original equipment manufacturing partners. "We intend to do so in full compliance with international and local regulations and with the aim of safeguarding the continuing employment of our colleagues," the FTSE 250 firm said. Inchcape continued that its Russian business is a retail-only operation and that it had already disposed of its St Petersburg operations in 2021. The remaining business contributed GBP750 million of revenue in 2021, around 10% of its group revenue, and roughly 5% of its operating profit. Historically, the Russian business has accounted for less than 3% of operating profit. In 2021, Inchcape generated revenue of GBP7.64 billion and an operating profit of GBP226.9 million. Shares were down 1.9% at 689.00 pence each on Tuesday morning in London. By Abby Amoakuh; abbyamoakuh@alliancenews.com Copyright 2022 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved. JOHANNESBURG, March 15 (Reuters) - Russian aluminium giant Rusal is diverting bauxite cargoes from Guinea to its refinery in Ireland after the original destination in Ukraine shut down because of the Russian invasion, shipping data shows. The logistics rethink for the world's second-largest aluminium producer, which is not under sanctions, illustrates the kinds of supply chain disruptions now rippling through the interconnected global economy, driving up prices for some goods. Tesla Inc raised its prices in China and the United States for the second time in less than a week on Tuesday, citing surging raw materials costs because of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and rival carmaker Volkswagen warned that the conflict is clouding its prospects for this year. Britain has sanctioned Rusal's billionaire founder Oleg Deripaska and while the aluminium company itself has not been targeted it is facing a more restricted operating environment, with Anglo-Australian Rio Tinto cutting ties with Rusal as part of its overall withdrawal from Russia. Rio Tinto was an important supplier of bauxite - an ore used to make aluminium - to the Aughinish refinery near Limerick in Ireland, Rusal's biggest alumina operation and largest such plant in Europe. SIGNIFICANT EMPLOYER The Irish government is keen for the refinery to continue operations, a spokesperson for the department of enterprise said, adding that Rusal is a significant employer in Limerick. "The department and its agencies continue to assess the implications of recent developments and are closely monitoring the situation," the spokesperson said. Rusal said it is "fulfilling all its obligations towards its employees at all its assets around the world, including paying salaries and is strongly committed to continuing to do so". It does not plan to halt any of its operations in Guinea, a spokesperson said while acknowledging that there had been a temporary reduction in bauxite exports from the West African nation because of events in Ukraine. Rusal operates three mining projects in Guinea. Its Dian-Dian mines have historically supplied bauxite to Aughinish, and its Friguia project includes a bauxite mine and an alumina refinery. Ore produced by its Kindia operation is typically sent to the Nikolaev refinery near the Ukrainian port city of Mykolaiv. The Nikolaev plant has annual capacity to refine bauxite ore into 1.7 million tonnes of alumina, about a fifth of Rusal's output of the material used to make aluminium. Mykolaiv, however, has been targeted by Russian shelling during the conflict in Ukraine and Rusal this month halted operations at the refinery. SHIPS REROUTING A Reuters analysis of Refinitiv shipping data on Tuesday showed that of the six vessels at sea and originally transporting Guinean ore to the Nikolaev facility, four were rerouting to Aughinish. The two other vessels are in the western Mediterranean Sea awaiting orders, the data shows. Rusal and its parent company En+ Group, both founded by Deripaska, have said the sanctions against him have no impact on them or their subsidaries. European Union countries, however, are considering a ban on Russian ships entering the bloc's ports, which would further hamper Russia's commercial shipments. None of the charter vessels transporting Rusal's ore from Guinea are owned by the aluminium producer or other Russian companies or are registered in Russia. Britain, though, has already decided to deny entry to British ports to all ships that are Russian owned, operated, controlled, chartered, registered or flagged. Since July 2020 Rio Tinto has supplied 19 bauxite shipments to Aughinish, amounting to roughly 20% of the refinery's total ore supply, according to bauxite industry specialist Bob Adam. "The bauxite that was going to Ukraine can go to Aughinish. It's not as high grade but they can use it," he said. Bauxite exports to the Nikolaev refinery will resume as soon as the situation in the region normalises, the Rusal spokesperson said. Guinea's ministry of mines did not reply to a request for comment. (Alliance News) - Smithson Investment Trust PLC reported on Tuesday it had slightly outperformed its benchmark in its full-year, but has faced tough market conditions since December. For 2021, the FTSE 250-listed trust said net asset value total return was 18.9%, compared to its benchmark the MSCI World SMID Cap Index, which had a return of 17.8%. Its net asset value total return was 31.4% in 2020, which was a huge outperformance of the benchmark return of 12.2%. Net asset value per share increased 19% year-on-year to 1,961.0 pence at December 31, from 1,648.9p a year before. At December 31, Smithson's share price was 2,020.0p, trading at a 3.0% premium to net asset value, down from a 3.7% premium the year before. Smithson highlighted US cybersecurity company Fortinet Inc which contributed 4.2% to its outperformance, as well as German software company Nemetschek SE 1.9%, and US credit bureau Equifax Inc 1.8%. Smithson did not propose a dividend, reflecting its focus on long-term capital growth rather than income. It said it would pay dividends "as necessary" to maintain its status as an investment trust in the UK. In 2022 so far, it reports a fall in net asset value and share price greater than the fall of its benchmark MSCI World SMID Cap Index, with shares trading at a 1.5% discount to net asset value at the end of February. Shares in Smithson were down 1.9% to 1,479.55 pence each in London at midday on Monday. "The last two months have clearly been very challenging for investors, but the investment manager and the board encourage shareholders to take a long term perspective on their investment. We face unprecedented times with the recent invasion of Ukraine which raises a spectrum of uncertain variables. Fortunately, the company's portfolio has low exposure to that region," said Chair Diana Dyer Bartlett. "The investment manager focuses on investing in companies it believes can compound in value over many years." By Elizabeth Winter; elizabethwinter@alliancenews.com Copyright 2022 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved. Weather Alert ...The Flood Warning continues for the following rivers in Louisiana... Mississippi River At Red River Landing affecting West Feliciana, East Baton Rouge and Pointe Coupee Parishes. For the Lower Mississippi River...including Red River Landing, Baton Rouge, Donaldsonville, Reserve, New Orleans...Minor flooding is forecast. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... Motorists should not attempt to drive around barricades or drive cars through flooded areas. Caution is urged when walking near riverbanks. Additional information is available at www.weather.gov/lix. Click on the Rivers and Lakes menu for forecasts and observations. The next statement will be issued when updates are needed. && ...FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL SATURDAY EVENING... * WHAT...Minor flooding is occurring and minor flooding is forecast. * WHERE...Mississippi River At Red River Landing. * WHEN...Until Saturday evening. * IMPACTS...At 51.0 feet, All river islands along the reach from Red River Landing to Baton Rouge will be inundated. Recreational camps and river bottom farm land will be under water. * ADDITIONAL DETAILS... - At 8:00 PM CDT Tuesday the stage was 49.9 feet. - Forecast...The river is expected to fall below flood stage early Saturday, May 7 and continue falling to 38.5 feet Tuesday, May 31. - Flood stage is 48.0 feet. - Flood History...This crest compares to a previous crest of 48.8 feet on 04/22/2014. - http://www.weather.gov/safety/flood && New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern on Tuesday remembered the victims of the 2019 Christchurch mosque shootings, which claimed the lives of 51 people. "We will always remember and acknowledge the 51 'shaheed' (martyr) who died as a result of the terrorist attack on 15 March. One way their memories are honored is through the work that is taking place to make our country a better home for all who live here," Xinhua news agency quoted Ardern as saying in a statement. Actions of counter-terrorism and counter-extremism were implemented after the shootings at the Al Noor and Linwood mosques on March 15, 2019, which also injured 40 people and traumatised many others, she said. Ardern said just 10 days after the attack, a Royal Commission of Inquiry was established, providing 44 recommendations to ensure that New Zealand becomes a diverse, safe and inclusive country. Work also continues in other areas, including the reform of gun licensing, she added. Deemed as deadliest attack in New Zealand's history, the attack was carried out by an Australian national Brenton Harrison Tarrant. He had live-streamed the first shooting at the Al Noor Mosque on Facebook. In March 2020, Tarrant pleaded guilty to 51 murders, 40 attempted murders, and engaging in a terrorist act, and in August was sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole the first such sentence in New Zealand. 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. You will receive full, ad-free access to ManchesterTimes.com as well as full access to the Electronic Edition of the newspaper. ONLY $2.99 per month for the first 3 months! Only $3.99 per month after promotional period. Or ONLY $36.99 per year for the 1st year Only $40.99 per year after promotional period. Courtesy photo/West Shore Community College SCOTTVILLE West Shore Community College students Lauren Keller and Shelby Fraly were among the 79 students from 26 Michigan community colleges recognized for being named to the Phi Theta Kappa All-Michigan Academic Team. Students were selected based on academic achievement, community service involvement and leadership accomplishments. January 2022 Monthly traffic update. -1.2%. Auckland Airport total passenger volumes decreased by 1.2% in January 2022 versus January 2021 and were down 73% compared to the pre-COVID equivalent in January 2019. Compared to January 2021, international passengers (excl. transits) were up 43.6%, transit passengers were down 34.7% and domestic passengers were down by 3.3%. Key Points: Quarantine free travel to Cook Islands commenced 14 January 2022 and is proving popular with outbound passenger demand at 92% versus January 2019. Excluding Cook Islands demand, international passengers versus January 2021 (excl. transits) increased 20.5% driven by the outbound direction increasing by 33.8%, compared to 5.7% on the inbound direction. Holiday demand (1 January to 23 January 2022) on the domestic network was in line with prior year, decreasing 0.2%. The remainder of the month experienced year on year weakness with passenger numbers reducing by 11.3%. Demand to Christchurch, Dunedin, Nelson and Wellington declined by 12% versus January 2021. Passengers on the remaining domestic routes increased by 7% with 4,503 additional passengers travelling to and from Queenstown this year compared to last year. February 2022 Monthly traffic preview. -19.9%. Auckland Airport total passenger volumes decreased by 19.9% in February 2022 versus February 2021 and were down 78.8% compared to the pre-COVID equivalent in February 2019. Compared to February 2021, international passengers (excl. transits) were up 56.4%, transit passengers were up 94.6% and domestic passengers were down by 24.8%. Key Points: On 28 February 2022 the New Zealand Government announced the removal of home isolation requirements for all fully vaccinated inbound international passengers from 2 March 2022, but at first with only New Zealanders and permanent residents permitted entry. The Government has since signalled the possibility of allowing tourists from other countries into New Zealand earlier than current plan of July 2022 (visitors from visa waiver countries) and October 2022 (visitors requiring a visa). There were an additional 14,159 international passengers in February 2022 compared to February 2021. Half of these additional international passengers are attributable to travel to and from the Cook Islands, taking advantage of the quarantine free arrangement. The remainder of the increase is attributable to another strong month of outbound international travel which increased by 59.1% compared to year prior. Transit passenger growth reflected mainly China to Australia passenger flows. Australia opened its border to students and VFR (visiting friends and relatives) but with limited direct capacity between the China and Australia, passengers chose to travel indirectly via Auckland. Domestic demand was highest at the start of the month but gradually deteriorated when Omicron infections ramped up in the community. Overall domestic passenger numbers fell 24.8% versus February 2021. Please see attached pdf for full report Comments from our readers No comments yet Add your comment: Your name: Your email: Not displayed to the public Comment: Comments to Sharechat go through an approval process. Comments which are defamatory, abusive or in some way deemed inappropriate will not be approved. It is allowable to use some form of non-de-plume for your name, however we recommend real email addresses are used. Comments from free email addresses such as Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail, etc may not be approved. Anti-spam verification: Type the text you see in the image into the field below. You are asked to do this in order to verify that this enquiry is not being performed by an automated process. Related News: GAS MARKET UPDATE MAY 4TH ANZ 2022 Half Year Results Documents PGW Raises Guidance Air NZ Rights Offer Period Closes and Bookbuild Commences 4th May 2022 Morning Report BIF acquires shares in ZeroJet Limited Morrison & Co completes acquisition of Infratil shares IKE Q4 and FY22 performance update Chorus amends syndicated bank facility Vector Limited Capital Bonds - Election Notice Lewis Hamilton has caused Red Bull team principal Christian Horner many headaches over the years, but the Englishman admits that it is partly his own fault. That's because he turned down the chance to sign Hamilton for Red Bull, back when Sebastian Vettel was winning world titles. Lewis Hamilton "Lewis and I have had a couple of conversations over the years," Horner revealed in an interview with the Daily Mail. "From 2010 to 2013, he was very keen to come and drive for Red Bull. We had Sebastian at that time and to have had two alpha drivers wouldn't have made sense. "Niki Lauda was at Mercedes and was very keen to take Lewis and I remember encouraging him to take him. "We were fighting McLaren in 2012. They had the fastest car and we felt that Lewis in a McLaren would be more of a threat than in a Mercedes. "I encouraged Niki to spend the money as Lewis was wavering a little bit. It would be fair to say that backfired on me." Following the United Kingdom government's decision to sanction Roman Abramovich, because of his ties to Vladimir Putin and the Russian government, the European Union (EU) are now planning action against the Chelsea owner. It is expected that EU sanctions against Abramovich will be announced this Monday, as part of the ongoing response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Diplomatic sources have confirmed this to EFE, with the 55-year-old set to be added to an EU list of sanctioned Russian billionaires. This will only be official, though, once published in the EU's official journal, which could happen this Monday or Tuesday. Abramovich's inclusion on this new list of sanctioned people comes at a time when Portugal's authorities are investigating potential irregularities in the granting of his Portuguese nationality, as a descendant of Sephardic Jews. The EU is preparing to announce its latest rounds of sanctions against Russia, aimed at putting pressure on Putin and, ultimately, halting the invasion of Ukraine. Abramovich's frozen assets On Thursday of last week, the UK government announced its sanctions against the Chelsea owner and against fellow oligarchs Igor Sechin, Oleg Deripaska, Andrey Kostin, Alexei Miller, Nikolai Tokarev and Dmitri Lebedev. "There can be no safe havens for those who have supported Putin's vicious assault on Ukraine," Boris Johnson, the prime minister of the UK, said at the time. "Today's sanctions are the latest step in the UK's unwavering support for the Ukrainian people. We will be ruthless in pursuing those who enable the killing of civilians, destruction of hospitals and illegal occupation of sovereign allies." Chelsea were granted a special license in order to continue operating on a day-to-day basis, but there were several conditions put in place and the Blues can't sell tickets or merchandising for the time being, while they also can't operate in the transfer market. The Space Weather Prediction Center of the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the British Met Office both issued advisories for mild and moderate solar storms over the next few days. Solar storms, also known as geomagnetic storms, are caused by ejections of the solar corona into space. This results in a disturbance to the Earth's upper atmosphere, increasing drag on objects in low orbits. "There is a chance of enhancements to the auroral oval at times during 13th and 14th March as a result of two Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs) and a coronal hole high-speed stream arriving at Earth," announced the British Met Office. Are solar storms dangerous? Even though this is probably the strongest such event in nearly six years, according to Joseph Kunches, a space weather specialist at the NOAA, scientists say there is nothing to worry about. In fact, Earth was hit by hit by mild and moderate geomagnetic storms over the last few days, measuring at G1 and G2 on the five-level solar storm scale. These levels indicate possible degradation of high-frequency radio signals at higher latitudes, causing changes in drag that could knock satellites out of the sky if corrective actions are not implemented. There may also be fluctuations in the power grid and minor disruption to migratory animals' activity. "When you've already had one coronal mass ejection storm, sometimes the next coronal mass ejection storm is faster to get here," Kunches said. Increase in aurora borealis Scientists also indicared a probable rise in aurora borealis and aurora australis, as solar storms often produce vivid auroras in the Northern Hemisphere. Another side effect of the geomagnetic storms include disruptions to high-accuracy GPS systems used by some agricultural operations, oil drillers and surveyors. GPS systems used for turn-by-turn navigation found in cars and cellphones should not be affected, according to NOAA's Doug Biesiecker. According to Harlan Spence, astrophysicist at the University of New Hampshire and principal investigator on the Cosmic Ray Telescope for the Effects of Radiation (CRaTER) aboard NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, claims these solar storms are unusual in recent history. "These relatively large [solar] events, which we've had maybe a couple of handfuls total in the course of a decade, we've now had two or three of them, more or less right on top of each other," Spence said. "It's a clear harbinger that the Sun is waking up. "We're trying to put this in context not only of what has the Sun done in the past, but what is the biggest thing the Sun is capable of and what should we be planning for in terms of extreme sorts of events in the future." 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...Excessive runoff will likely result in flooding of rivers, creeks, streams, and other low-lying and flood-prone locations, especially in areas that have already received heavy rainfall over the past few days. Several main-stem rivers could go into flood. A few locations could see significant flash flooding. * ADDITIONAL DETAILS... - Multiple rounds of thunderstorms are expected today through Thursday afternoon with the potential for very heavy rainfall. Widespread 2 to 3 inches of rain is expected with locally higher amounts of 5 to 6 inches. The heavier rain will begin to shift east of far southeast Oklahoma and northwest Arkansas Thursday afternoon. - http://www.weather.gov/safety/flood PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... You should monitor later forecasts and be alert for possible Flood Warnings. Those living in areas prone to flooding should be prepared to take action should flooding develop. && When tomorrow dawns, there is no certainty that the Sun will rise tomorrow. Bayesian interpretation of probability expresses the sunrise problem as follows: "What is the probability that the sun will rise tomorrow?" It illustrates the difficulty of using probability theory when evaluating the plausibility of statements or beliefs. by Raj Gonsalkorale The reality in Sri Lanka today is akin to the Bayesian interpretation of probability. Perhaps with a difference. Probability may have advanced to certainty! The Sun may rise, but it is possible that there may not be power, diesel, petrol, even essential foods and even medicines tomorrow even if they were available today. They might be available again the day after tomorrow. Three or four days ago, the country was told officially that there was no need to devalue the rupee. Its now devalued and some reports say the rupee is heading towards Rs 270- 300/- to the US Dollar. The country was told there will not be power cuts after the 5th. They persist. Diesel and petrol shortages were to be over by the 5th. They persist although the Energy Secretary stated that ship loads were queuing up in the harbour. No doubt the public has a better idea of the ground reality, and they may have come to a stage when they would have stopped believing statements, and certainty may have replaced probability. Sri Lanka very likely is suffering the consequences of missing the woods for the trees in economic planning when one considers the state of the countrys economy today. While the impact of COVID has been severe, and underestimated by many, successive governments have contributed to the perilous state of the economy being experienced now. Long term planning has never been a strategy due to the limitations on such planning imposed by politics. At best, five- or six-year planning has been the norm to coincide with the life of an elected government. If one considers the countrys debt situation and its foreign exchange reserves, to the best of knowledge, there has never been a nationally agreed limit for debt and a target for foreign reserves. Consequently, successive governments have contributed to the ratcheting of debt to go beyond the countrys GDP, and foreign reserves to fall to near zero. The all-party conference called for by the President for the 23rd of this month gives an opportunity to arrive at a national consensus on these and other key economic yardsticks, and the media, civil society, the academia, and all relevant professional bodies and very importantly the business sector to pressure all the political parties to agree on such vital economic settings. This would be distinguishing the trees from the woods and engaging in strong advocacy to change the dynamics relating to economic planning and management. As mentioned, Sri Lanka owes more than what it produces (debt to GDP ratio has exceeded 100%) and reportedly it finances its budget deficit primarily with debt. The article published in Economynext (Sri Lanka 2021 budget deficit revised up to 9.5-pct of GDP - https://economynext.com/sri-lanka-2021-budget-deficit-revised-up-to-9-5-pct-of-gdp-82611/) stated that the deficit of LKR 1,575 (in billions) was to be bridged with debt, both local and foreign. As there is some controversy about the budget deficit and its GDP representation, its best therefore that this topic is left for experts in this field to analyze and comment. What is known is that Sri Lanka does not earn enough to meet its annual recurrent expenditure and must resort to borrowings to meet that expenditure, let alone being able to fund development expenditure with revenue generated locally. The mission for the All Party Conference (APC) should essentially be the economy and how it can be transformed into an export based, import substitution economy by realizing the full potential of land and water resources to ensure food security, and export potential for crops not considered so far, and laying down a path to maximise the countrys IT capabilities, maximization of returns from plantation crops, and exploration of alternatives, fisheries development, the tourist industry and its potential, the garment industry and the future for more value adding expansion, and fast tracking the move to renewable energy source development and reducing dependance on oil and gas imports for electricity generation. All this would require an ability for politicians to look beyond their noses and into the future. While issues such as human rights, minority rights are very important, the conference should regard economic imperatives as paramount at this stage as it is the very sovereignty of the country that is at stake unless this is done. The sole agenda should be the economy and how the government could reduce its overseas and local debt burden within the planning horizon, and how it could build up its foreign reserves to at least perhaps 50% of the countrys GDP within an agreed time span. Resilience during adverse economic times can only be achieved if appropriate economic settings are in place and the country has a diversified economy less dependent on imports and there is food security, and energy self-sufficiency. The APC forum also gives the Executive President of the country an opportunity to show his true mettle in governance of the country and not be seen as a member of a dynasty preparing the way for the continuation of it. Unfortunately, such an impression prevails in the country. To do this the President will have to release himself from all political shackles, if he is to have the independence and freedom to govern in the best interest of the entire country. Ideally, he should resign from affiliations with any political party so that he would be free to do what is in the best interest of the country. This is entirely his decision. The new dynamic for the President and the APC should be to agree on a planning horizon of at least 10-15 years, and for such a plan to be developed by the business sector, academics, land and water management experts, unions, industrialists, the plantation sector, fisheries sector, the tourism sector, and professional bodies. Very importantly, politicians and political parties should be divorced from this planning exercise and called upon only to present their views when the plan is presented in Parliament. The all-party conference could nominate a steering committee comprising of representatives of the key players identified above and any other to develop an economic plan, with an initial broad-based contour of such a plan to be presented to the All-Party Conference in 3 months time, with the full plan presented in 6 months time. The approved plan should then be tabled in Parliament to give it the status of a law. The President, the present government, future governments within the planning horizon of 10-15 years, should be required to govern according to such a law. Periodic revisions based on international developments should of course be permitted, but these too subject to deliberations and approval by an All-Party Conference. The newly appointed Economic Council of Sri Lanka is no substitute for undertaking a long-term economic planning exercise as suggested. Chaired by the President and including the Prime Minister, Ministers Dr. Bandula Gunawardena, Basil Rajapaksa, Johnston Fernando, Mahindananda Aluthgamage, Dr. Ramesh Pathirana, Governor of the Central Bank Ajith Nivard Cabraal, Secretary to the President Gamini Senarath, Secretary to the Treasury SR Attygalle, and Deputy Governor of the Central Bank Dhammika Nanayakkara, and cannot be considered as an alternative forum to a key stakeholder led economic plan. At this point, it is well to take note of the composition of the newly appointed Tamil Nadu Economic Advisory Council that includes the former Reserve Bank of India governor Raghuram Rajan, Nobel laureate Esther Duflo, former Chief Economic Adviser Arvind Subramanian, development economist Jean Dreze, and former Union Finance Secretary S Narayan. That certainly will generate confidence. Sri Lanka has undergone tremendous material development since independence. The landscape in Colombo and some major provincial cities would be unrecognizable for someone who has not visited the country, say in ten or fifteen years. The standard of living amongst many have improved based on this material development and internationalization influences have contributed to this upswing in development. Sri Lankas public health sector has been the envy of many developing nations and the countrys education sector including the tertiary education sector has made vast strides, while in all these, there is naturally room for improvement. However, all these have cost a significant amount of money. The bottom line however in economic terms is that these developments have been done primarily with borrowed money and the country now owes more than what it produces. While some critics tend not to state or they understate the impact of COVID 19 on the countrys economy, it has been significant. The country probably has lost at least 50% of its income because of the pandemic and is still feeling the effects of it. This coupled with the massive debt repayments the country had to do and continues to do, has had the devastating effect on the countrys economy that it is experiencing now. However, lack of long term economic planning has exacerbated the situation. Much has been written on this topic by economists and politicians and it is not the intention of the writer who is neither an economist nor a politician, to write on this topic. The writer sees this in very simplistic terms. For example, likening the situation to a hypothetical case of a household that repairs its home, adds more rooms, builds a new driveway, air conditions the house, buys extravagant equipment, furniture, new motor vehicles etc., using borrowings from Banks, from friends and even loan sharks, all based on the repayment capacity of the primary income earner of the family. Then imagine that income earner falling ill, or being sacked from his/her job, or losing heavily on the business that was bringing in the income. What recourse would that household have? Since there are no saved funds, the household either borrows more and/or starts selling the assets in the house to repay the loans. What has happened to the country is not dissimilar, and this situation has been reached by the actions of successive governments, not a single householder as in the case of the householder debacle. Had the household invested part of the borrowings to earn more money by diversifying income sources, and then spent its own funds to upgrade itself, the impact of the downturn would not have been as bad and more manageable. Benefit of hindsight is a standard tool in the armory of analysts and writers. Many who are such analysts or writers, including this writer, did not foresee the catastrophic situation the country is facing today. The welcome development activities that took place were hailed and the writer does not recall anyone cautioning in simple words that this development was funded with debt and it could pose financial difficulties at some point. While the political establishment would have embarked on these development projects with the best of intentions, and with an expectation that returns on these would flow in, the truth is that the diversification of the economy and new and additional income sources have been insufficient to withstand the perilous situation faced by the country today. As stated at the beginning of this article, the political system in the country only has a five-year span for economic planning. Effectively, only say four years or less, as the last year or more of a government is focused only on what might win them the next election. The system compels pandering to financial supporters of any political party and politicians, to give in to what brings short term benefits, as supporters of other hues and colours would be waiting for their turn to make hay when the sun shines on their politicians. One could say boldly, but sadly, that this situation would continue unless and until the system changes, and a new way of thinking on economic planning and management dawns not just on the politicians but essentially the public, the civil society, academics, professionals, and other stakeholders. The all-party conference called for by the President for the 23rd of this month gives an opportunity for a reset of economic planning and a shift of objectives and targets. The country simply cannot afford to be in a situation where an incumbent government of whatever political persuasion carries on like the proverbial caravan while some dogs barks and inconveniences the government of the day. Economic planning should be the province of those engaged in running the economy, not those ruining it. It should also not be with departments and corporations subservient to the government of the day, while they should have a role in providing information that is required by the suggested body of planners. Sri Lanka is at a crossroad now. It has travelled 74 years since independence and all parties that have governed the country changed economic priorities relying on short term measures to the detriment of the country. The political parties in the Parliament has a choice. They can travel down the same path and fall into a bigger hole, or they can demonstrate a determination to find a way to avoid another catastrophe. The President could display his leadership qualities in governance and drive the discussion to arrive at the latter decision. If he fails, he must know the country has failed and he has failed the country. If this happens his incumbency will become increasingly impotent. It is well for the politicians to remember that people may be fooled some of the time, but not all the time. Its time this was heeded by all politicians. Some have the benefit of having one leg in Sri Lanka and the other in another country. Millions of citizens do not have this luxury of a choice. President Gotabaya Rajapaksa was elected overwhelmingly as he projected himself as a non-politician. This might be the opportunity for him to demonstrate his ability to govern as a non-politician by working through the All Party Conference and being a President of all the people of Sri Lanka. There cannot be much doubt that the world, and people in the world, naturally would prefer Western model of liberal democracy or similar, compared to the Russian authoritarianism or the Chinese communist party system. by Dr Laksiri Fernando The world is at the brink of a Third World War with the Russian armies invading Ukraine supported and assisted by the Western powers although NATO has not formally entered the fighting. In Russias point of view, supplying arms and financial support to Ukraine are a direct involvement in the war, waged in their opinion against Russias security and integrity. It is possible that within few days the Russian armies would be able to capture Ukraines capital Kyiv and control the country at large. Installing a Russian aligned regime in Ukraine would be a part of the scheme and strategy. Behind the Invasion By enlisting thousands of army volunteers from the Middle East and involving Belarus in the invasion, Vladimir Putin has shown that his intensions are broader than just capturing or neutralizing Ukraine. In his/their opinion, Poland is already involved in the war from the NATO or Western side. Therefore, there is a great possibility that Russia next attacking or even invading Poland. There are also Western army volunteers fighting on behalf of Ukraine already. There cannot be any doubt that the aggressor, and in fact the invader, of the present war is Russia and Putin. There are more internal reasons than external ones for the situation. Putin and his oligarchs come from a particular historical context and mindset. The collapse of the Soviet Union and the disintegration of the republic was a disaster for this mindset. Putin had direct links with the KGB and the Stalinist rule. It is not so much the collapse of communism or socialism that mattered. But the glory and prestige of Russian hegemony and empire going back to the Tsarist empire. Ukraine represents one of the important missing links of this jigsaw. Vladimir Putin (born 1952) has been the de facto ruler of Russia since 1999. He has been more than a president in his and his followers mind. Serving as prime minister or president on several occasions his ambition seems to bring back the Soviet or the Tsarist glory back to the country. He is only second to Alexander Lukashenka of Belarus as the longest serving European president. They appear to be close buddies in the sphere of political ambitions. During the last two years, Putin and his United Russia party have experienced some electoral losses although the system is overwhelmingly manipulated. There have emerged young generations who are keen in aspiring for more freedoms, human rights, and democracy in addition to economic justice. Alexei Navalny who is now jailed is only one opposition leader. Putins party at the elections for the lower house of the Duma last year experienced clear electoral setbacks. Putin must face the next presidential elections in 2024. Russian Objectives According to one reliable interpretation, Putins war against Ukraine is largely aims at uniting the Russian nationalist forces to overcome these emerging internal oppositions. However, it can be a coincidence or a reason among other reasons. It was in 2014, Putin first waged war against Ukraine and annexed Crimea into the Russian federation. In Putins view, without Ukraine as a buffer zone or country, the security of Russia is not safe from the Western aggression and infiltrations. Therefore, the present war is a defense strategy and not an aggression. However, how far this defense strategy could be distinguished from imperial ambitions, Russian chauvinism or a new form of fascism is a debatable question. There are academics and researchers who have identified the rejuvenation of the old Russian deep-state under Putins leadership during the last decade. They have however not denied any security or defense concerns on the part of the Russian leaders or the people because of the type of international politics played directly and indirectly by prominent Western countries, the US as the main actor. Democracy and human rights are some of the primary concerns of the Western countries. However how far these are tainted by economic and strategic interests is debatable. Ideological reasons like partiality to a single or similar model of democracy or democratic development also can be involved. Vladimir Putin undoubtedly is anti-Western. These sentiments are also prevalent in many other countries in Asia and the Middle East. Tragic Consequences If we take the Russian invasion of Ukraine as it is, it cannot be condoned by any means. All information that we have been receiving indicates to its one-sidedness, brutality and inhuman consequences going beyond the conflict areas. Over 3 million civilians had to flee the country already since the Russian forces were attacking civilian areas and municipalities. Thousands of them are already killed. Destruction of residential buildings, schools, hospitals, and industrial enterprises are the most damaging to the economy and the social system. Ukrainian people who have been giving interviews to the media do not appear to be strictly anti-Russian. All of them are linked. Therefore, if the main effort of Russia is to prevent Ukraine joining NATO, it could have been done in a diplomatic and a peaceful manner. If the US and other Western countries have or intend to have special economic or political influence on Ukraine, Russia also should have the same rights and opportunities. Countries like France and Germany have shown that they are willing to listen to the Russian concerns. These diplomatic opportunities have not been utilized properly given anger, sensationalism, and aggression. Role of the UN? Some of the failures of the present situation undoubtedly come from the UN system. With all indications that the Russian troops were exercising armed maneuvers surrounding Ukraine, the Secretary General of the UN was starkly silent. It was he (Antonio Guterres) who should have intervened independently to negotiate a solution. It was not particularly a failure of the person, but the institutional position of him or the Western influences behind. Guterres only opened his mouth after the resolution of the special General Assembly. Even that was to impose the terms of the resolution on Russia and not to negotiate or workout a viable and an amicable solution to the conflict and the war. It was obvious that the Russian invasion cannot be condoned by any reasonable country except Russia or its close allies. Even within Russia there were demonstrations against the war. Although the UN resolution had overwhelming approval of the member countries, the 35 countries who abstained from voting cannot be ignored particularly given the size of the world population represented by them like China and India. Even at present the main question is not about imposing the UN resolution but brining a ceasefire and then a negotiated solution to the underlying issues behind the war. Although the NATO and Western countries deny their participation in the war, this is not something agreed by Russia, China, or several other countries. The newest incident is the Russian bombing of a military base/installation near the Poland border. This is considered as an indirect war declaration against NATO countries by Russia. However, this army base was well known for US and NATO training of Ukrainian soldiers and introducing new weapons and military tactics. For what? Of course, it can be defended as for defensive purposes of Ukraine. But from whom? In Russias opinion, the US and NATO are already involved in the war, or they are the main perpetrators. In their opinion, Americas imposition of severe economic sanctions against Russia and Russian leaders are a clear declaration of war, an economic war at least. Russia is also taking similar measures. A Way Out? There cannot be much doubt that the world, and people in the world, naturally would prefer Western model of liberal democracy or similar, compared to the Russian authoritarianism or the Chinese communist party system. Therefore, the Ukrainian people cannot be blamed in their political preferences, including their present popular/charismatic President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. However, for a peaceful world, when there are different political systems and religions/ideologies, there should be some form of peaceful co-existence and tolerance. Changing political systems should be primarily left for the people of those countries. Whatever the merits of liberal democratic systems it appears that most of the Western leaders try to impose their values and systems on others sometimes through war, pressure, or undue interventions. Since the Second World War, this is not the first time that one country or countries invaded another country. This happened in Korea, Vietnam and in the Middle East. Still, many of the Middle Eastern countries are in a chaotic situation because of the repercussions of these invasions. The invasion of Iraq in 2003 in the pretext of preventing the weapons of mass destruction by the US, UK, Australia, and Poland was one case of example. In the present situation, Russia and Putin should undoubtedly be blamed for arbitrarily invading Ukraine. Both Russia and NATO countries could have persuaded Ukraine to become like (one time) Switzerland with independence and neutrality between competing forces and countries in Europe. The US President Jo Biden has continuously denied any intention of involving in a Third World War with Russia or any other country. But today, we are almost at the brink. Nuclear confrontations, intentional or by accident, are real possibilities under the present circumstances and confrontations. What Biden should do, as claimed to be the leader of the democratic world (!), to prevent an open third world war, is to speak to Putin, negotiate an immediate ceasefire, and persuade Ukraine to be truly a neutral country like the old Switzerland. 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Thunder possible. High 86F. Winds SE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 60%.. Tonight Rain showers this evening with mostly clear conditions overnight. Thunder possible. Low 71F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 40%. ! Attention ! Cet appel doffres est remplace par celui publie le 14/04/2022. Cliquez ici pour le consulter : https://www.mediacongo.net/appel-societe-32155_fabs_activity_activite_de_soutien_aux_forets_a_la_biodiversite_de_l_usaid.html ACTIVITE DE SOUTIEN AUX FORETS ET A LA BIODIVERSITE DE LUSAID Object : Appel a Propositions pour la Promotion des Alternatives a l'Utilisation du Charbon de Bois (FABS-RFA-002) Date de Publication : 15 mars 2022 Date et Heure de Depot de la Demande Complete : 15 avril 2022, 17h00 (heure locale de Kinshasa) Contact : Subventions@FABS-Activity.org 1. Contexte : Selon des donnees recentes, la perte de couverture arboree en Republique democratique du Congo (RDC) est de 1 million d'hectares par an, dont environ 400 000 hectares de forets primaires. Si l'agriculture itinerante est la principale cause immediate de cette perte, les chercheurs et les decideurs reconnaissent de plus en plus le role que joue la demande energetique nationale en charbon de bois - en particulier dans les centres urbains en expansion de la RDC. II. Engagement des Gouvernements de la RDC et des Etats-Unis : Reconnaissant la necessite d'ameliorer l'acces a l'energie et de la rendre plus abordable pour tous les congolais, tout en reduisant la perte de forets et les emissions de gaz a effet de serre associees, le gouvernement de la RDC s'est recemment engage a 1) reduire l'utilisation du charbon de bois de 50% d'ici 2023 ; 2) promouvoir de nouvelles techniques de fabrication du charbon de bois et des foyers ameliores ; 3) interdire l'abattage des arbres, encourager le reboisement et promouvoir les energies alternatives (microcentrales electriques, energie solaire, energie eolienne) ; et 4) developper des sources d'energie propres dans les zones rurales. Lors de la recente Conference des Parties a la Convention Cadre des Nations unies sur les changements climatiques, le gouvernement des Etats-Unis a egalement annonce qu'il maintiendrait son engagement a aider les pays partenaires a eviter l'emission de six milliards de tonnes metriques d'equivalent dioxyde de carbone d'ici a 2030, notamment en soutenant la transition energetique, l'efficacite energetique et la protection des forets tropicales. III. Appel a Projets : Pour soutenir la mise en uvre des engagements pris par les gouvernements congolais et americain, l'Activite de Soutien aux Forets et a la Biodiversite (FABS) de l'USAID lance un appel a propositions qui vise a accorder des subventions au secteur prive, aux organisations de la societe civile, aux organisations non gouvernementales ou a d'autres partenaires qualifies pour soutenir des activites innovantes et la mise a l'echelle d'approches eprouvees pour : Promouvoir les technologies et les approches qui permettent une plus grande efficacite dans la transformation ou la consommation du charbon de bois ; Promouvoir l'adoption d'alternatives au charbon de bois, innovantes et competitives en termes de couts, susceptibles d'etre mises a l'echelle ; Ameliorer les connaissances sur l'utilisation des alternatives au charbon de bois et la sensibilisation a l'utilisation sure et saine des alternatives. L'Activite de Soutien aux Forets et a la Biodiversite donnera la priorite aux propositions axees sur les provinces de Tshopo, Kongo Central, Kinshasa, Nord et Sud Kivu, et Equateur en RDC. 01. Acceder au document entier de lappel - format PDF 02. Acceder aux Annexes (formulaire et canevas de soumission) - format WinRAR ------------------------------------------------------ USAIDS FOREST AND BIODIVERSITY SUPPORT ACTIVITY Object: Request for Proposal for the Promotion of Alternatives to Charcoal Use (FABS-RFA-002) Issuance Date : Mars 15, 2022 Full Application Due Date and Time: April 15, 2022, 17:00 (Kinshasa local Time) Contact: Subventions@FABS-Activity.org 2. Context : According to recent data, the loss of tree cover in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is 1 million hectares per year, including approximately 400,000 hectares of primary forest. While shifting agriculture is the primary proximate cause of this loss, researchers and policymakers are increasingly recognizing the role that domestic energy demand for charcoal plays a role, particularly in the DRC's growing urban centers. II. Commitment of the Governments of the DRC and the United States: Recognizing the need to improve access to energy and make it more affordable for all Congolese, while reducing forest loss and associated greenhouse gas emissions, the DRC government recently committed to 1) reduce charcoal use by 50% by 2023; 2) promote new charcoal making techniques and improved cooking stoves; 3) ban tree cutting, encourage reforestation and promote alternative energy sources (micro power plants, solar energy, wind energy); and 4) develop clean energy sources in rural areas. At the recent Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the U.S. government also announced that it would maintain its commitment to help partner countries avoid the emission of six billion metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent by 2030, including by supporting energy transition, energy efficiency, and the protection of tropical forests. III. Request for Grant Applications: To support the implementation of commitments made by the Congolese and U.S. governments, the USAID's Forest and Biodiversity Support Activity (FABS) is issuing a call for proposals that seeks to provide grants to the private sector, civil society organizations, nongovernmental organizations, or other qualified partners to support innovative activities and the scaling up of proven approaches to: Promote technologies and approaches that enable greater efficiency in charcoal processing or consumption Promote the adoption of innovative and cost-competitive alternatives to charcoal with the potential to be scaled up Improve knowledge about the use of charcoal alternatives and awareness on the safe and healthy use of alternatives. The Forest and Biodiversity Support Activity will give priority to proposals focused on the provinces of Tshopo, Central Kongo, Kinshasa, North and South Kivu, and Equateur in DRC. 01. Access the full document - PDF format 02. Access the Annexes (submission form and template) - WinRAR format ! Attention ! Cet appel doffres est remplace par celui publie le 14/04/2022. Cliquez ici pour le consulter : https://www.mediacongo.net/appel-societe-32155_fabs_activity_activite_de_soutien_aux_forets_a_la_biodiversite_de_l_usaid.html Advertisement On behalf of the Japan Stroke Data Bank Investigators, Kaori Miwa explains, "" She also said, "To resolve this controversy, the researchers examined medical data from more than 10,000 individuals from the Japan Stroke Data Bank, a nationwide database of patients suffering from severe stroke. 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Understanding what is a subtype of stroke patients with impaired renal function may be helpful in guiding preventive treatment.Source: Medindia Advertisement Data from Johns Hopkins University has shown that the UK, the Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland, and Italy have seen an upswing in cases this past week, USA Today reported. China is also facing its severest domestic Covid-19 outbreaks in two years, the Global Times reported.There has been a sharp rise in the number of asymptomatic patients, forcing several major cities to go into lockdowns.Further, South Korea, Vietnam, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand are also seeing a record surge in Covid cases.So can this wave spread to India, leading to a fourth wave?" said Dr. Suranjit Chatterjee, senior consultant internal medicine, Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals.A non peer-reviewed research by IIT Kanpur, had earlier, using a statistical model predicted that India will see a fourth wave of the pandemic that may start around mid June and peak from mid to late August this year." Pinto said.However, it is very difficult to predict the severity of a new wave "" Dr. Avi Kumar, Consultant - Pulmonology, Fortis Escorts Heart Institute, told IANS.Kumar noted that since the pandemic is continuously changing its size and severity, it is very difficult to predict the fourth wave "but yes we have to keep ourselves guarded."The experts urged the government to try and limit economic disruptions as much as possible in the wake of a new wave, while also ensuring that the vulnerable and the old are protected by measures such as vaccinations and boosters, based on sound scientific evidence." Pinto said.Source: IANS A Memorial Service of Christian Burial will begin at 2 p.m., Saturday, May 7, 2022, at Robert Barham Family Funeral Home Chapel. Robert Barham Family Funeral Home is honored to be entrusted with the arrangements. Mrs. Cobb, 68, of Meridian, passed away Sunday, May 1, 2022, at Bedford Care Ce American Legion Post donates ham radio repeater American Legion Post 106 in Forks WA donated a new repeater system to the Clallam County Amateur Radio Club, which co-owns and operates equipment with Forks Community Hospital on Gunderson Mountain The American Legion say: During the posts February meeting, the need for this piece of equipment was brought up and unanimously voted upon. It is quite expensive and necessary for long-distance communication. Joe Wright KG7JWW is not only a member and officer of Post 106, but he is also vice president of the Clallam County club, which shares use of their equipment with ARES (Amateur Radio Emergency Service). Wright and radio operators from ARES are also members of the Clallam County West End Emergency Management group. Members who are involved in emergency management are not often noticed as they participate in meetings and special exercises in preparation to be of assistance in the event of disasters. In short, this is a very important piece of equipment now located on Gunderson Mountain and hosted by Forks Community Hospital. The location of this site and the people it serves is vital, and we are thankful for the chance to operate from there with other emergency management assets. The Clallam County Amateur Radio Club thanks the veterans of Post 106 for their generosity and support. Source American Legion https://www.legion.org/hamradio/255248/washington-state-post-donates-radio-equipment Last week, the deal to bring Bell Bank Home Mortgage to town was apparently dead. This week, its risen and moving forward. A news release Monday morning said, Despite last weeks termination of an initial lease agreement for a downtown Owensboro location, Bell Bank is still moving forward with plans to open a mortgage servicing center in the Owensboro area. The Fargo, North Dakota, bank had planned to move its mortgage operations onto the third, fourth and fifth floors of the Alorica Building at 234 Frederica St. over the next five years. The company had planned on occupying the building this summer. But Alorica, which has had its employees working from home since 2020, objected to terminating its lease with Matt Haydens Owensboro Downtown LLC, which owns the Alorica Building. And a federal judge declined to rule on Haydens motion for immediate relief. At the time, Owensboro Downtown LLC said, it had no choice but to terminate the Bell Bank lease. Monday, Bob Smiley, Bells senior vice president/mortgage servicing director, said, While we are disappointed in the outcome for our lease agreement, we are committed to the Owensboro market. We plan to search for another solution in the Owensboro area that would meet projected space and staffing needs for our new mortgage servicing center. Ed Ray, chief operating officer for Haydens companies, said, Bell Bank is a fantastic organization and we truly hope that they continue to consider Owensboro for their expansion. Its been a drama, Smiley said. It came as such a surprise. But weve talked with the city, the Economic Development Corp. and Gulfstream (Commercial Services, another Hayden company) and were looking at all of our options even short-term options. Mayor Tom Watson said, We are very hopeful that an agreement can be reached so we can have Bell Bank as a new corporate citizen downtown. They will be a valuable asset for new economic development downtown. Bell Bank expects to have 37 employees by the end of the year and 178 by the end of 2026. The banks decision to open the mortgage office in Owensboro will have a $50 million impact in the community, Brittaney Johnson, president of the Greater Owensboro Economic Development Corp., said at the time of the announcement last month. Monday, she said, We appreciate Bell Banks commitment to the greater Owensboro market. We have been continuously working with the company providing additional resources and are excited to welcome them to Owensboro, Daviess County. The immediate positive economic impact on the Greater Owensboro region is the creation of new job opportunities for our communitys residents, along with strategic plans for future growth over the next several years. Johnson added, We anticipate that Bell Bank will be another great corporate citizen that participates in the philanthropic, cultural and civic life of Daviess County in addition to their economic impact. One of the goals of Greater Owensboro Economic Development Corporation is to create a diverse economy with opportunities for all our citizens, and we believe Bell Bank will add to the flourishing business community of the region. Smiley said the bank will consider a temporary location until a permanent one is found. He said the bank needs 38,000 square feet. Weve heard of several possibilities, Smiley said. Were trying to figure out which would be best. The company is advertising for a mortgage servicing acquisitions coordinator and a mortgage servicing acquisitions manager in Owensboro. Smiley said, We just hired our first manager. He said Bell Bank looked at other markets, but they just werent as attractive as Owensboro. Its a good fit for us. Bell Bank, founded in 1966, says it is one of the nations largest independently owned banks, with full-service banking locations in Arizona, North Dakota and Minnesota and more than $10 billion in assets. It said that it was named the Best Bank to Work For by American Banker magazine last year among banks with more than $10 billion in assets. Smiley was formerly executive vice president and head of servicing for U.S. Bank Home Mortgage in Owensboro. Keith Lawrence, 270-691-7301 klawrence@messenger-inquirer.com The sun has helped Daviess County farmers grow crops for more than two centuries. One day in the near future, it could help grow electricity on solar farms here. Brian Howard, executive director of the Owensboro Metropolitan Planning Commission, said Monday that solar farms are likely to happen in Daviess County at some point. Weve had more than one call about solar farm activity, but nothing has been submitted, he said. Howard said, From talking on the phone with Henderson and Hardin counties, it could be hundreds or maybe even a couple thousand acres. They use a lot of acres. In Hardin County, the proposed Hardin Solar project would produce enough energy to power more than 16,000 homes. The fenced area for the solar farm would cover approximately 650 acres. In Henderson County, a 541-acre solar farm is expected to produce 117 million kilowatt-hours of energy each year, starting in 2023. That equals about 20% of Henderson Municipal Power & Light total electricity demand. Last week, Daviess Fiscal Court approved changes to the OMPC ordinance that covers solar farms. The amendment allows them to go into an agricultural or industrial zone with a conditional use permit. And it requires solar farms to submit a decommissioning plan and post a bond in case they ever go out of business. Three years ago, the ordinance was amended to create three levels of permitted solar systems ranging from single-family homes to solar farms. At the time, Howard said he had talked with people in the solar industry who said that there was no place in the state that has local ordinances covering solar farms. Daviess County wanted to be ready, he said. The latest amendment splits solar farms out into their own category, Howard said. Much of Daviess County is in the flood plains of either Panther Creek, Green River or the Ohio River. But Howard said he doesnt think that would prohibit solar farms from going into those areas. I dont think the flood plain would have any impact on their equipment, he said. But Howard said, I dont anticipate anything real soon. I imagine its a slow process to work out agreements and leases. In 2009, a Spanish energy company was considering the possibility of spending hundreds of millions of dollars to build a wind farm near Owensboro. Heartland Wind LLC, a subsidiary of Iberdrola Renewables, a Spanish wind-power company, filed a request with the planning commission for a conditional use permit to build a 197-foot meteorological tower at 11901 Kentucky 951. Thats about 4.1 miles northeast of Knottsville. The tower would have been used to measure wind speed, wind direction and vertical wind speed for 12 to 24 months. At the time, the company said that Kentucky didnt have a commercial wind farm and it wanted to be an early entrant into the state. But nothing ever happened with the project. Keith Lawrence, 270-691-7301, klawrence@messenger-inquirer.com The Kentucky Community & Technical College System is expanding funding for business industry support through TRAINS, the fund designated by the Kentucky General Assembly to help companies willing and interested in investing in workforce development for their employees Previously through the program, KCTCS would split the costs associated with expanding worker force knowledge 50-50. That meant participating businesses would only pay half the costs for sending their employees to educational programming. Now KCTCS will offer to pay up to 75% of that cost to help train employees. Cindy Fiorella, Owensboro Community & Technical College vice president of workforce and economic development, said a good local example of TRAINS in action is the recently-developed commercial drivers license (CDL) program. The CDL program was launched last fall as a way for local industry to train their own drivers. The CDL program runs at about $4,500, but with TRAINS funding, employers pay less than $1,500 per employee. There are about 75-100 local companies already taking advantage of TRAINS, including long-term care facilities, as well as businesses interested in providing leadership development and industrial maintenance training for their employees, Fiorella said. Employees are valuable resources for business and industry, and TRAINS can help expand that resource, Fiorella said. Whenever you can make those training costs so competitive and at such savings, its really a win-win for everyone involved, she said. The new 75/25 match comes at a time when the state is expected to create 150,000 jobs by 2030. Jobs in healthcare and social assistance; professional, scientific and technical services; transportation and warehousing; construction and manufacturing are all slated to expand, according to the KCTCS Kentucky Education to Workforce application. TRAINS began in 2014, with a more than $29.9 million investment from the General Assembly, and as a result, companies have invested nearly $17 million to upskill employees, according to KCTCS. Paul Czarapata, said KCTCS knows firsthand the transformative effect customized training has on companies of every size, their employees and families, and the entire economy. At a time when businesses, employees and our students are facing rising costs, TRAINS will lower the cost of empowering, retaining, and recruiting top talent, and in the process open doors to greater opportunities for Kentucky workers and businesses alike, he said. For more information on TRAINS, please visithttps://kctcs.edu/workforce-solutions/ Bobbie Hayse, bhayse@messenger-inquirer.com, 270-691-7315 Down in Dublin Lane the residents are allowing their chickens to stray beyond the limits of their own property and as a result five poultry owners were brought before Judge Watkins in police court to answer complaints made by their neighbors. It is a violation of a city ordinance to allow chickens to run at large and the penalty is a fine not less than $5 but not more than $25. Judge Watkins is of the opinion that this be enforced to the letter of the law. He hopes that this case would serve as a warning to the entire city because Dublin Lane has no monopoly on the raising of chickens. March 14, 1922, the trial of Jesse Sublett for the murder of Town Marshall Pherson, of Rockport, Ohio County, began in circuit court this morning. Seven eye witnesses were introduced by the prosecution. It was brought out that Sublett was on his way with the town marshal to obtain a warrant for another man for bootlegging. When the two arrived in front of the office of the police judge, witnesses testified that Sublett drew his revolver and shot Pherson killing him instantly. March 15, Melvin Head was sworn in as acting postmaster at West Louisville. He succeeds J. E. Thompson who recently died, causing a vacancy. Mr. Head will take the examination required by the civil service and was notified of his availability and requested to submit certain records required by the department. Monday he received notice of his appointment by the department and was directed to prepare his bond. March 16, Joe Arnett who imbibed too much white mule and was lodged in a cell at the police station, developed a case of flu last night and it was necessary to call a physician to treat him. While being sick is nothing unusual among the many drunk cases handled by the police, the physician who responded said that there was no doubt that Arnett was in need of medical attention as he had a fever. March 17, robbery of the Old Stone distillery warehouse on the River Road west of the city was accomplished and at least 50 gallons of 8-year-old whisky were removed. Three barrels of whisky were robbed, the contents of most of them being removed by syphoning. The thieves climbed to the second story of the building and pulled off a sheet of iron siding, bored holes into the barrels and inserted long rubber tubes through which the whisky was syphoned. At bootleggers prices the whisky removed was worth about $3,000. March 18, Ira Williams and Amanda Easter appeared in police court on the charge of breach of the peace which in their case meant engaging in a fight. Both declared that there wasnt any fight, and that they were just having a little fun. As neither one had any complaint to make against the other, Judge Watkins took their word for it and dismissed the case. 50 Years Ago March 14, 1972, a bunny hop dance to benefit the Easter Seal Campaign for Crippled Children and Adults will be held at the National Guard Armory. During the dance a bunny will be named. Her selection will be on the basis of a penny vote. Easter Seal neighbor-to-neighbor drives, in which envelopes for contributions are passed from neighbor to neighbor on each block throughout the city, are currently in progress. March 15, Arthur Osborn Segerberg Jr. apparently doesnt like the Tennessee Valley Authority. His article in Esquire is highly critical of the T.V.A., especially the authoritys strip mining operations. Segerberg calls the land surrounding the Paradise plant near Drakesboro one of the most devastated in the United States, primarily due to the strip mining. March 16, Mrs. Cliffordean Potter, better known to radio audience as Joanna, was honored at the dinner and program meeting of the Pilot Club of Owensboro, Inc., at Gabes in recognition of her years of service to the community. For several decades Joanna has been a familiar and loved radio personality. Her broadcasts from radio station WOMI have entertained listeners for many years. A This is Your Life tribute was paid to her. March 17, Chris Hornbeck was presented a $100 saving bond and a Patrick Henry gold medal at the American Legion Post 9s 53rd anniversary dinner for winning first place in the local high school oratorical contest. Hornbecks winning speech was entitled Our Constitution Worth Having, Worth Defending. In part his speech said, Time does not wear down nor eat a way the eternal truths of the constitution. Second place Patrick Henry silver medal and a $50 saving bond was awarded to George D. Brooks. We're sorry, but we're unable to locate the page you requested. The page may have been removed, renamed, or deleted. You can try searching for the topic using the search button in the right hand corner above. Military exercise will use 50 MHz band Belgium's communications regulator BIPT has said 50.200 MHz and 51.075 MHz will be used from May 30 to June 18 during a military exercise A translation of post by national amateur radio society UBA says: BIPT informs us that in the period from May 30 to June 18, 2022, a military exercise will be held in Elzenborn in which 2 frequencies in the 6 meter band will be used: 50.200 MHz and 51.075 MHz. The amateur radio service has a secondary status in this band, the military services a primary status. Radio amateurs are called upon to pay particular attention to this during this period and to avoid the use of these frequencies if possible and certainly to listen carefully to whether the frequency is in use if they still wish to use the frequencies concerned. Source UBA https://tinyurl.com/IARU-Belgium With customers shelling out more these days to grab food on the go, Subway is herding beef suppliers into an existing protein litigation push in the courts, claiming big meat packers have conspired for years to boost prices by capping the slaughter of cattle. As a result, Connecticut-based Subway says it now costs more to make the Steak & Cheese, Meatball Marinara and other sandwiches on its menu. The lawsuit names Cargill, JBS USA, National Beef and Tyson Foods as defendants. As of Tuesday, the companies had not responded to Subways complaint, which was filed last month in the U.S. District Court for the District of Connecticut. The four companies have been litigating a similar case in Minnesota federal court, with JBS USA agreeing last month to a $52.5 million settlement. JBS and Tyson were among several pork producers Subway sued last year on similar claims of constricting supply with the aid of benchmark data on the companies prices provided by an independent firm. That case was consolidated into an existing class-action lawsuit, which is ongoing in Minnesota federal court. The Subway lawsuits coincide with intense scrutiny of meat processing facilities in the United States during the COVID-19 pandemic. The U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. House of Representatives are considering whether companies have done enough to ensure access to a reliable and affordable supply of beef and pork for grocery stores, restaurants and schools. Weve seen versions of this story play out repeatedly in recent years, due to deep structural problems in our economy, U.S. Rep. David Cicilline, D-Rhode Island, said during a House Judiciary Committee hearing in January. Today, nearly every link of Americas food supply is dominated by less than a handful of corporations. Inflated beef costs Subway does not list a specific dollar figure it is seeking in damages in the beef industry lawsuit, except to say it wants triple the amount it has incurred keeping beef stocked for its franchise restaurants. Subway spokesperson Carsen Anderson forwarded a corporate statement in response to Hearst Connecticut Media Group questions about the beef industry lawsuit. The statement does not say how the price of Subway sandwiches have been affected. Anderson did not indicate whether the company is considering a mechanism to share any proceeds the lawsuit may yield in the future with customers, via lower prices or promotions, or with franchisees. Strengthening and protecting our network of franchisees is at the core of all our efforts, the Subway statement reads. As small-business owners, our Subway franchisees have felt the impact of artificially manipulated and unlawfully inflated beef costs. We are vindicating on their behalf the beef industrys harmful, anti-competitive behavior. Subway lists just under an ounce of beef in a six-inch Steak & Cheese sub, according to a nutritional table on its website last updated in November 2021. With wholesale beef prices averaging between $4.25 and $4.60 a pound last year, depending on the quality of the cut, a double portion for a 12-inch equivalent would add up to about 45 cents to 50 cents wholesale. Prior to the pandemic in 2019, the cost of that portion would have been about 8 cents less, a small amount to tack on to any one order. But multiplied over the millions of sandwiches Subway sells daily worldwide, and the amount would add up. In the spring 2021, the company created a standalone legal entity at its Milford headquarters called Subway Protein Litigation Corp. to handle the pork lawsuit, and subsequently the beef litigation. Cornering the market In the Minnesota settlement last month, JBS USA indicated it was not admitting to any wrongdoing by signing off on the $52.5 million deal. The companys U.S. beef operations generated $1.6 billion in profits in the third quarter of 2021, amounting to 60 cents of every dollar in earnings for the parent company. Profit margins for the period were roughly double JBS margins for pork and Pilgrims Pride chicken sold in the United States. A Cargill spokesperson declined to comment about the lawsuit. In the Minnesota class-action suit, Cargill denied wrongdoing, but did not provide details about how it sets prices. JBS, National Beef and Tyson Foods each did not respond to requests for comment. In advance of the House Judiciary Committee hearing in January, a meat industry trade group filed testimony, stating the four major packing companies have about the same market power today as they did more than a quarter century ago, during a period of stable prices. The four-firm packer concentration ratio for fed cattle slaughter has not changed appreciably in more than 25 years, said Julie Anna Potts, CEO of the North American Meat Institute, which has about 350 member companies. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture ... the four-firm concentration ratio was 82 percent in 1994; today it is 85 percent. But in its lawsuit, Subway maintains four companies is far too few. Market concentration facilitates collusion, Subway stated in its complaint. Conspiracies are easier to organize and sustain when only a few firms control a large share of the market. Practical matters, such as coordinating cartel meetings and exchanging information, are much simpler with a small number of players. Alex.Soule@scni.com; 203-842-2545; @casoulman This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate WOODBRIDGE The animal advocacy group Desmonds Army is offering a $1,500 reward for information leading to the arrest of the person or persons responsible for tossing a lovable bulldog out of a truck on a busy road after a botched home surgery. Its a vile case, said Desmonds Army president Robin Zilla Cannamela . Animal cruelty is a serious crime. Its a precursor to mass shootings, school shootings and directly linked to domestic violence. The case of the bulldog, named Mary by staff at Woodbridge Regional Animal Control because the dog lived only through the grace of God, has drawn statewide attention after her story was featured in the New Haven Register. By Monday afternoon the shelter had received at least 15 adoption offers for Mary as well as interest in adopting each of the other dogs at the shelter, except for one American Bully breed named Penny, who didnt pique interest, Lombardi said. She said Penny, too, has had a traumatic life. The phone has not stopped ringing, Lombardi said Monday. Folks on social media have expressed outrage at whomever left Mary for dead after tossing her, bleeding internally, on the side of busy Racebrook Road in Woodbridge at dusk. Lombardi said someone had botched a makeshift cesarean section on Mary and left gauze inside. Luckily, a woman behind the truck saw Mary get tossed, picked up the dog and went for help. Mary had surgery and antibiotics and now is ready for a forever home. That woman, focused on rescuing Mary, didnt get a license plate number or details about the truck. Lombardi said Mary, a small dog, almost certainly would been hit by a vehicle in the dark if she had not been picked up that is, if she didnt bleed to death first. Lombardi was thrilled by the response from the public and will carefully vet the applications. Shes said Mary, estimated to be 31/2 years old, is a love bug who adores attention and probably would do well as an only dog. When Mary arrived at the shelter Oct. 25 she was covered in urine and bleeding heavily from the inside, gauze stuck in her wound. Despite all she went through, Mary was good-natured when she arrived and has stayed that way, Lombardi said. Lombardi said Marys surgery was thousands of dollars and paid for out of the shelters nonprofit One Big Dog Animal Respite Fund, to prevent and alleviate animal suffering by providing medical care, spay and neutering services, food and placement assistance for stray and abandoned shelter animals. Between Marys medical care, all the other dogs at the shelter with needs, and the inability to fundraise because of the pandemic, Lombardi said the fund is low and in need of donations. Any contributions are appreciated and checks can be made out to One Big Dog Animal Respite Fund, 135 Bradley Road, Woodbridge CT 06525. Riders fled Connecticuts public bus system when the COVID-19 pandemic arrived in the spring of 2020, and the number of trips on the state-funded buses has far from fully recovered in the two years since. But federal relief funding has kept the bus system on sound financial footing, and there are even plans to infuse more money into services to try to lure riders back. Experts said it is hard to say when, or if, ridership on public bus systems will return to previous levels. It obviously will take a long time, Riley Sullivan, a senior policy analyst and researcher with the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston. People went through a big shock and stepped away from the transit system. The Connecticut Department of Transportation owns bus systems across the state under the name CT Transit. By the end of April 2020, ridership on these state-owned systems had fallen off by more than half compared to the end of February, data from the Federal Transit Administration shows. Almost two years later, the number of rides has not fully rebounded. The Hartford lines, the most utilized of the CT Transit systems that operate in five of Connecticuts major towns, logged 660,000 trips this January compared to 1.4 million in January 2020. Rich Andreski, chief of the state Bureau of Public Transportation, said it may take at least a couple of years for ridership to fully return to normal, a timeline that he said is highly contingent on whether employers continue to let workers stay at home. Experts said the reduced ridership on public buses is one emblem of a changed society as the global pandemic lingers. A brief Sullivan authored in September found among all types of public transit, ridership on buses declined the least during the pandemic. In a February report, the state transportation agency said rail ridership remains at about 50% of pre-pandemic levels, while bus ridership stands at 70%. Cara Radzins, transportation deputy at the Capitol Region Council of Governments, pointed to demographic differences between rail and bus riders. Bus riders tend to be more dependent on the service to get to work, she said. Radzins said in an email the state Department of Transportation should be commended for keeping the bus lines on their regular schedules even while ridership fell off as employers shifted to work-from-home policies. Continuation of this service has been critical for transit-dependent individuals, many of whom are essential workers who rely on the buses to get to their jobs, she said. Dennis Solensky, transit administrator at the state Bureau of Public Transportation, said keeping lines running was no simple feat. Almost every step of operating the buses had to change in some way because of COVID-19, from the way passengers pay fares to full cleanings of the vehicles and universal masking policies. Three rounds of relief funds helped to keep public transportation viable during the pandemic, Andreski said, and in fact the influx of federal dollars leaves the state Department of Transportation in a position to make investments. In the near term we are in good shape, he said. Were seeing opportunities to improve service. With $5.4 billion on its way to Connecticut via the federal infrastructure bill passed in November and $1.3 billion of that dedicated to public transportation, the state is poised to make historic investments in its rail and bus systems. Andreski said improving connections between bus and rail and adding service to and from the Bradley International Airport in Windsor Locks are two top priorities. Nationwide, ridership on bus systems rebounded during 2021, with a 39 percent overall increase in rides between January and December. Still, rides on bus systems across the country remain well below pre-pandemic levels, according to the monthly data: Ridership on buses nationwide in January was, on average, 51 percent below levels in January 2020. The Connecticut-owned buses have outperformed the national average, according to federal data. Solensky said making sure the bus schedules remained on-time and reliable have kept more people from leaving the system in favor of other options. Sullivans research found that as revenue from riders fell off, finances were buoyed by federal relief funds. But some systems were more in need of aid than others. Among systems in New England, less of the funding for Connecticut-owned lines come from tickets and other rider revenue like parking fees, insulating them from the impact of a dropoff in users. Only about 11% of CT Transits expenses are paid directly by riders. Instead, the state covered 62% of the costs in 2020, and the federal government picked up another 27% of the roughly $200.8 million bill, according to annual reports to the Federal Transit Administration. Terry Borjeson, a member of Connecticuts Commuter Rail Council and a former councilman in Newington, said broadly speaking the public transit systems in Connecticut are not money-makers, but rather a subsidized method to get people moving around, and one that some citizens depend upon. A lot of the people on the buses have to be on the buses, he said. Borjeson noted that more investment is needed to encourage former bus and rail riders to come back, and he pointed to electrification of both the bus and rail systems as key. In addition to electrification, Andreski said the Department of Transportation is looking to improve the usability of bus stations by adding signage, seating and lighting, as well as adding real-time bus tracking technology for users. The Department of Transportation announced on Friday it secured a federal grant to help fund the purchase of 22 electric buses, bringing the total to 34 statewide in a fleet of 800 buses total. That $11.4 million in aid came through one component of the federal infrastructure bill, Andreski said. Radzins said high gas prices tend to drive people back to public transit, and with rates at the pump at record highs, she said now is a good time to further invest in public transportation. With applications open for states to request portions of the federal infrastructure package, there could be more opportunities for Connecticut to invest in a greener bus system. Along with being a quieter and slightly faster ride, electric buses will save money in the long-term, Solensky said. The electric buses will require less maintenance and are cheaper to run. All of that will, over time, reduce costs, Solensky said. Reducing costs will give us the opportunity to expand service and meet more people's demands, and we'll be able to serve more of the public who's ultimately paying for this. FORT GREELY, Alaska -- In the frigid temperatures of late winter Alaska, a soldier's equipment needs to work in negative 65 degrees. Soldiers stationed in Alaska must carry more gear than the grunts in traditional units, layers upon layers of clothing to protect them from the extreme conditions. Otherwise simple combat training is against a real-world enemy -- the environment. Any simulated adversary is only a secondary threat. Everything is slower with Arctic warfare. Soldiers must strap snowshoes onto their "bunny boots," which are much heavier than standard-issue boots, and trek through waist-deep snow and slippery ice. Squads will drag a sled carrying tents and the gear to heat them, along with fuel, water and calorie-dense food rations made specifically for units operating in the extreme cold. Simple survival is not a concern in most military training, but subzero day temperatures and plunging night temperatures make even the most mundane Army task a huge undertaking in the Arctic. Read Next: Texas Replaces National Guard Chief After String of Reports About Border Mission Problems It's an area of combat that has suddenly gained greater importance to military planners and strategists as U.S.-Russia relations fall to lows unseen since the Cold War and the Pentagon contemplates how to defend terrain from forces separated only by ice over the top of the globe. "Number one is survival," Lt. Col. Matthew Chase, commander of the 70th Brigade Engineer Battalion, told Military.com. "You can normally just go into combat operations. But step one is establishing life support, such as building tents and sources of warmth. The force that can figure out how to survive in this environment, that can just sustain itself, is probably the force that wins." Soldiers must be much more meticulous about how they pack their rucksacks and dress. Exposed skin can quickly become devastating in this climate. In the Army's Cold Weather Leaders Course, which earns soldiers the "Arctic" tab, instructors showed images of a soldier who took his gloves off occasionally to operate a radio. Even those brief, but numerous exposures to the freezing air can lead to finger amputations. Multiple noncommissioned officers told Military.com that no one in Alaska will correct a soldier for putting their hands in their pockets -- a move that usually draws a quick scolding from senior enlisted leaders at other installations. Soldiers often pack several types of gloves, including thick mittens, some with a trigger finger; and more dexterous contact gloves to operate equipment. Brief skin contact with metal can freeze fingers in less than five seconds. On top of that, troops wear a thin white jacket and pants over their camouflage uniforms to better blend into the snow. To figure out what new equipment may be needed and to stress-test doctrine, Army units in Alaska are in the midst of a major training exercise consisting of about 8,000 soldiers, including some special operations forces and Canadian paratroopers. The training event comes exactly a year after the Army published its Arctic strategy, and leaders hope to make it a combat training center, or CTC, rotation for its forces. CTCs are weeks-long training events the Pentagon uses to simulate a combat deployment as best as possible. Typically, units would mobilize to the National Training Center, or NTC, at Fort Irwin, California, or Joint Readiness Training Center at Fort Polk, Louisiana. Those rotations certify that a unit is fit for deployment abroad. A highly specified CTC for a small group of specialized troops would be a bold and unprecedented move. But leaders argue that it's expensive and can take months of planning to move all its gear, vehicles and soldiers from Alaska to the California desert or Louisiana swamps, and that it makes no sense for Arctic soldiers to invest a lot of training in those environments. Far down the road, it is possible a CTC in Alaska could serve as a training ground for other units that specialize in cold environments, such as the 10th Mountain Division or the Vermont National Guard's 86th Infantry Brigade Combat Team. Members of the U.S. Armys 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team - Airborne, 25th Infantry Division, during cold-weather training in Alaska, March 13, 2022. (4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team - Airborne, 25th Infantry Division Facebook page) "There's a cost and time with going there," Maj. Gen. Brian Eifler, commander of U.S. Army Alaska, told Military.com. "Here, we can deploy out in the middle of this exercise." That push from Pentagon planners and Capitol Hill comes amid climate change melting the ice in the Arctic region. More open waters would make it easier for ships to navigate -- namely vessels from China and Russia. Both countries have expressed interest in the region. But the focus isn't strictly to defend Alaska from invaders. Any foreign force aiming to capture Alaska would have to navigate hundreds of miles of frozen terrain and would likely have to fight off starvation and freezing to death. Instead, senior leaders point to the need for strong doctrine, given past U.S. battles in Korea, Italy and Germany in which troops faced dangerously low temperatures. Many troops have makeshift necklaces with chapstick and a lighter attached, and dress in multiple layers of cold weather clothing. They have to pack a huge supply of batteries to power their night vision, radios and other gear, given that power sources tend to lose their charge in the cold. Often, they'll have some of those batteries in a makeshift pocket sewn into their clothing to employ body heat to keep them warm and operational. Small heated tents are critical for a soldier's survival. But at the two-week Cold Weather Leaders Course, troops are also taught how to build makeshift shelters out of tree branches, or to dig a small cave into a mound of ice to survive the night. Those shelters, where two soldiers sleep close together for body heat, can block the frigid wind. "This teaches them to not be so dependent, to make them understand if they don't have a tent, they won't die," said Staff Sgt. Jordan Weeg, an instructor at the school. But it's unclear if Alaskan troops are fully equipped for their mission. Soldiers often operate in older generation Strykers, with some leaders expressing skepticism about whether the vehicles are practical in the Arctic or if they might need customizations to work in extreme conditions. Yet in the early stages of revamping Arctic training, it can be a tall order for the Pentagon to invest in hyper-specific equipment for just one set of soldiers -- despite them belonging to hyper-specialized units. Fort Wainwright, where Strykers are usually kept, has few heated garages or indoor motor pools. That constant exposure to subzero temperatures can lead to numerous mechanical issues and be a major hurdle to basic maintenance. The new focus on the Arctic is part of a larger Army effort to shift away from counterterrorism to building its forces to fight more conventional enemies. The Army's Arctic strategy aims to reestablish the service's ability to operate in extremely cold conditions, after those skills took a back seat at the end of the Cold War and post-9/11 wars, which soldiers, even those based out of Alaska, largely fought in the desert and extreme heat. "The [Global War on Terror] replaced a lot of the Arctic expertise, and that was the reason we lost a lot of our expertise in the past 20 years," Command Sgt. Maj. Alex Kupratty, the acting command sergeant major for the 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division, told Military.com. "We were able to identify huge, significant gaps when it came to Arctic expertise. So we're in a race to get proficient again. It doesn't happen overnight; it takes years." Army leaders are aware Alaska isn't for everyone. Instead of installations to which any soldier can be randomly assigned, the service is aiming to make Alaska a more exclusive club composed of volunteers. Now, soldiers enlisting into the force can elect to be stationed in the state, which can be attractive to troops who like outdoor winter recreation. Leaders in Alaska are also trying to retain soldiers who want to stay instead of losing them in involuntary reassignments. It can take years for a soldier to adequately learn the environment in the Arctic, a talent leaders don't want to lose. "What I want is that confidence to operate in these cold temperatures and thrive. We need to be able to survive. If you don't get that right, it doesn't matter what the enemy does. It takes time and effort to train for here," Eifler said. "It's lethal here. It's a great challenge; it's not for everyone. But we're trying to bring people in who want to be here." -- Steve Beynon can be reached at Steve.Beynon@military.com. Follow him on Twitter @StevenBeynon. Related: The Coast Guard's Next Icebreaker Has a Name Interview: Japanese luger Kobayashi eyes gold medal in 2030 after Beijing letdown 15:15, March 15, 2022 By Wang Zijiang, Yang Guang ( Xinhua TOKYO, March 16 (Xinhua) -- Seiya Kobayashi returned from Beijing 2022 in disappointment but as the only luger in Japan's largest overseas Winter Olympic delegation, he has his sights set on a medal in future Games. "I am not satisfied with my performance in Beijing," said the 20-year-old, who finished a distant 34th place in the men's individual race in his first Winter Olympics. "I was too nervous and made too many mistakes." Kobayashi grew in Iizuna Machi, Nagano. Like most children in Nagano, the 1998 Winter Olympics host city, he liked skiing and snowboarding. But when he was in fifth grade at primary school, he found the luge a more attractive sport. "It is faster and more fun than skiing and snowboarding," he told Xinhua. He looks shy, reserved and blushes easily when talking, but beneath the introverted appearance hides a brave heart. Luge is often considered the fastest sport at the Winter Olympics, with lugers hitting top speed of up to 140 kilometers per hour. "It is a dangerous sport," said his coach Toshiro Masaki, who finished 12th at the Turin Olympic Games in 2006. In a career spanning nearly 20 years, Masaki suffered injuries to his face, ankles, elbows, knees and coccyx. Kobayashi said most of his childhood luge friends have given up because of injuries. "I am the only one persisting," he said. Masaki, also the luge coaching director of the Japanese Olympic Committee (JOC), said there are only about 20 lugers across the nation. Kobayashi's mother always feels especially worried about his safety before a major competition, but when all people in Iizuna Machi came over to congratulate the family after he had made the Olympic team, both parents were very proud of their son. "I became a celebrity overnight in my town," he said. Kobayashi missed the opening ceremony at Beijing's iconic Bird's Nest stadium because he had to focus on an early kick-off of his competition. "I had to give priority to the race," he said. "But I was enjoying the Beijing Winter Olympics very much, and these experiences will benefit me in the future." Kobayashi, who is studying in a sports school at Nagano, has been back in training and looks beyond the next Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina, Italy. "I hope to achieve good results at the 2030 Olympic Winter Games," he said. "Hopefully I can win a medal there." Sapporo, his coach Masaki's hometown, is a frontrunner to host the 2030 Games. (Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Liang Jun) World Amateur Radio Day DARC, the German IARU Member Societys Team SES will activate special call sign DA22WARD from 1 March until 30 April in celebration of World Amateur Radio Day on 18 April. QSL via the bureau, or direct to DL2VFR. And REF, the French IARU Member Society has announced that special event station TM97WARD will be on the air from 16 to 25 April to celebrate World Amateur Radio Day (WARD), which takes place each year on 18 April. SARL LONDON Britains top court on Monday refused WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange permission to appeal against a decision to extradite him to the U.S. to face spying charges. The court said it refused because the case didnt raise an arguable point of law. Assange, 50, has sought for years to avoid a trial in the U.S. on a series of charges related to WikiLeaks publication of a huge trove of classified documents more than a decade ago. The case is now expected to be formally sent to British Home Secretary Priti Patel, who will decide whether to grant the extradition. A British district court judge had initially rejected a U.S. extradition request on the grounds that Assange was likely to kill himself if held under harsh U.S. prison conditions. U.S. authorities later provided assurances that the WikiLeaks founder wouldnt face the severe treatment that his lawyers said would put his physical and mental health at risk. In December, the High Court overturned the lower courts decision, saying that the U.S. promises were enough to guarantee that Assange would be treated humanely. Monday's news narrows Assange's options, but his defense team may still seek to take his case to the European Court of Human Rights. Nick Vamos, the former head of extradition at the Crown Prosecution Service, said Assanges lawyers can also seek to challenge other points that he had lost in the original district court decision. Barry Pollack, Assange's U.S.-based lawyer, said Monday that it was extremely disappointing that Britain's Supreme Court is unwilling to hear the appeal. Mr. Assange will continue the legal process fighting his extradition to the United States to face criminal charges for publishing truthful and newsworthy information, he said. Assange's British lawyers, Birnberg Peirce Solicitors, said they can make submissions to the Home Secretary within the next four weeks, ahead of her making any decision. American prosecutors say Assange unlawfully helped U.S. Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning steal classified diplomatic cables and military files that WikiLeaks later published, putting lives at risk. But supporters and lawyers for Assange argue that he was acting as a journalist and is entitled to First Amendment protections of freedom of speech for publishing documents that exposed U.S. military wrongdoing in Iraq and Afghanistan. They argue that his case is politically motivated. If convicted, Assange's lawyers say he could face up to 175 years in jail in the U.S., though American authorities have said the sentence was likely to be much lower than that. Assange has been held at Britain's high-security Belmarsh Prison in London since 2019, when he was arrested for skipping bail during a separate legal battle. Before that, he spent seven years inside the Ecuadorian Embassy in London to avoid extradition to Sweden to face allegations of rape and sexual assault. Sweden dropped the sex crimes investigations in November 2019 because so much time had elapsed. Assange's partner Stella Moris, who has two young children with him, said Sunday they have been given permission to marry in prison later this month. ___ Eric Tucker in Washington and Danica Kirka in London contributed to this report. Several senators want to send U.S. troops back into Somalia to fight al-Shabaab terrorists, about 16 months after former President Donald Trump pulled them out of the country and put them elsewhere in Africa. The push came at a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on Tuesday with Gen. Stephen Townsend, head of U.S. Africa Command. Townsend told senators he has given his chain of command advice on whether to redeploy to Somalia. While he would not specify his recommendation in a public setting, Townsend made clear he does not think the current arrangement of what he described as "commuting" to Somalia is working. Read Next: Army Officer Tulsi Gabbard Faces Ire for Peddling Russian Disinformation About Ukraine Biolabs "It is not effective, it's not efficient, and it puts our troops at greater risk," he said. The comments were blunter than what Townsend told the committee a year ago, when he warned that positioning troops outside Somalia "introduced new layers of complexity and risk" to the U.S. mission there. Tuesday's hearing came after The Wall Street Journal reported last week that U.S. military officials have asked President Joe Biden to station several hundred troops in Somalia to stem growing threats from al-Shabaab, an al-Qaida affiliate. During the waning days of Trump's presidency, he pulled all of the 700 or so U.S. special operators who were in Somalia out. Trump framed the move as part of his efforts to end "forever wars" and bring troops home from foreign lands. But all of the troops were sent instead to Kenya or Djibouti, from which aircraft have been flying over Somalia to conduct airstrikes against al-Shabaab. Troops have also visited Somalia for periodic exercises with local forces. U.S. Africa Command, or AFRICOM, has publicized five airstrikes in Somalia since Biden took office, most recently last month. The Biden administration has been reviewing Trump's 11th hour move on Somalia since shortly after taking office, but has yet to announce any changes. Several senators on Tuesday pressed Townsend on the situation in Somalia and expressed concern that pulling troops from the country and conducting what's called "over-the-horizon" operations, where strikes are ordered without troops on the ground, have allowed al-Shabaab to flourish. "It increases risk and decreases our effectiveness," committee ranking member Sen. Jim Inhofe, R-Okla., who is typically a staunch Trump supporter but opposed the Somalia withdrawal, said about over-the-horizon operations. "We're seeing this play out on the ground in Somalia as things get worse and al-Shabaab gains strength." Committee Chairman Jack Reed, D-R.I., similarly warned that security in east Africa has been on a "downward trajectory" since Trump's withdrawal and that U.S. and partner efforts "to disrupt and degrade the most dangerous violent extremist organizations have not achieved the success we need." Pressed by Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., on how operating from outside Somalia is working, Townsend said "we are marching in place at best" when it comes to fighting terrorism. In addition to the issues of being stationed outside the country, Townsend also blamed political dysfunction in Mogadishu and "inactivity" by the peacekeeping mission known as the African Union Mission to Somalia for the worsening security situation there. "We may be backsliding at the security in Somalia," Townsend said. "I just think that what we're doing is not providing sufficient pressure, and the best we can do is maintain a secure area around the bases that we return to, and we really can't get at the al-Shabaab problem set." -- Rebecca Kheel can be reached at rebecca.kheel@military.com. Follow her on Twitter @reporterkheel. Related: After Most US Troops Pull Out of Somalia, Some Reenter for Training Event Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has replaced the top officer of the Texas National Guard amid the state's troubled border security mission that has seen troops face pay issues and turn to alcohol abuse and self harm, as well as prompting some to try to unionize. In a news release Monday, the governor's office announced that Maj. Gen. Thomas Suelzer is replacing Maj. Gen. Tracy Norris as the adjutant general of the Texas Military Department. "I thank General Norris for her exceptional service to the State of Texas and am honored to appoint her successor, Major General Thomas Suelzer, as the Adjutant General of Texas," Abbott, a Republican, said in a statement. "General Suelzer brings a wealth of military experience to this new role, and I am confident that he will uphold the integrity of the Texas Military Department and exemplify servant leadership throughout every aspect of this position." Read Next: These 17 Medical Centers Would Close and More Than 30 Built or Replaced Under VA Plan The news release noted that Norris' three-year term expired in February. But it is not uncommon to renew an appointment; her predecessor served as adjutant general for seven years. Texas' Operation Lone Star, the border patrol mission Abbott launched in March 2021 as he accused President Joe Biden of being soft on immigration, has been plagued by months of reports of miserable conditions for Texas Guardsmen. Military.com previously reported that more than 1,000 troops have faced pay issues, including some being shortchanged thousands of dollars. Meanwhile, requests to be taken off the open-ended mission because of family hardships, including financial issues and needing to care for children or sick family members, have been largely denied. There have also been multiple reports of suicide attempts and incidents related to alcohol abuse. An investigation by Army Times found at least four soldiers connected to the mission have died by suicide. Amid those issues, an undisclosed number of enlisted troops and officers in the Texas Army and Air National Guard have moved to unionize, with the goal of building better relationships with Texas Guard leadership and advocating for troop-friendly legislation. Norris has received some of the criticism for the mission's issues, but Abbott's political rivals said the blame lies with the governor. "You can switch Generals, but we know where the buck stops," Beto O'Rourke, the Democrat running against Abbott for governor, tweeted Monday. "Abbott took 10,000 Guard members from their jobs and families, treated them with incredible disrespect. Pay delayed. Tuition benefits cut in half. Used as political pawns in his campaign. Time to bring them back home." Norris' successor, Suelzer, has served as the deputy adjutant general-air for the Texas National Guard at Camp Mabry in Austin since January 2021. That role made him Norris' main adviser on Air National Guard issues and put him in charge of policies affecting three wings and more than 3,200 Air National Guard troops. Suelzer joined the Texas National Guard in 2007 following 10 years in the active-duty Air Force and seven years in the reserves. He has served on two state missions on the U.S.-Mexico border and led the Texas National Guard's response to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to his official biography. -- Rebecca Kheel can be reached at rebecca.kheel@military.com. Follow her on Twitter @reporterkheel. Related: Texas Guardsmen Could Unionize. What Does That Mean? GOTEMBA, Japan -- Japanese and U.S. Marines had their first airborne landing and combat training together on Tuesday near Mount Fuji as the two allies strengthen military cooperation amid growing maritime activity by China and Russia in the regional seas. Japan has been expanding its defense budget and capability for about a decade and is now revising its key national security strategy in the face of threats from China, North Korea and now Russia. On Tuesday, 400 troops from Japan's Amphibious Rapid Deployment Brigade and 600 U.S. Marines based on Japans southern island of Okinawa jointly practiced landing and combat operations in a scenario of an enemy invasion of a remote Japanese island, using tilt-rotor Ospreys, amphibious armored vehicles and artilleries such as M777. The exercise comes at a time when Russias invasion of Ukraine has intensified worries about what could happen in East Asia, where Chinas growing assertiveness has escalated tension around Taiwan. While Japan has shifted its security focus to the southwest, it also faces Russias growing naval activity and its increased cooperation with China. Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said the Japanese navy spotted a fleet of six Russian warships Monday passing the Soya Strait between Hokkaido and Sakhalin as part of Russia's major naval exercises, days after another Russian fleet crossed the Tsugaru Strait between Aomori on the northern tip of Japan's main island and Hokkaido. He said Russia also conducted a land-to-air missile firing last week on the Russian-held Kuril islands, which Japan also claims. The dispute over the islands Moscow took at the end of World War II has prevented Japan and Russia from signing a peace treaty. Russia's military has been escalating abnormal naval drills in areas including the Okhotsk in sync with their invasion of Ukraine, Matsuno said. We told Russia we are watching its intensifying military activity with grave concern." Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has repeatedly pledged to fundamentally strengthen Japans defense power, including considering possessing a controversial preemptive strike capability. Japan has purchased American fighter jets, missile defense systems and other arsenals to increase interoperability as the two sides increasingly work together. Tuesdays drill was part of a three-week joint exercise aimed at advancing interoperability between the allies to strengthen their deterrence and response capability, defense officials said. We are committed to securing the peace and stability in the region through Japan-U.S. joint responses. Any potential adversary will see this as our actual capability, not just words, said Col. Masashi Hiraki, commander of Japan's First Amphibious Rapid Deployment Regiment. Japan, together with the U.S. Marines, have the will and ability to defend the region, and I expect this to provide deterrence." "We are operating across all domains to achieve the effects that are required to be successful on todays battlefield" seamlessly between the two allies, said Col. Michael Nakonieczny, commanding officer of the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit based in Okinawa. The Japanese amphibious unit, part of the army and Japan's first marines since World War II, was launched in 2018 to bolster the country's defense in the East China Sea. Japan is particularly concerned about Chinese military activity there in waters surrounding the Japanese-controlled Senkaku islands, which Beijing also claims and calls Diaoyu. Japan has significantly expanded its joint drills with the United States as well as other partners including Australia, India, France, Britain and Germany that also share concern about Chinas push for its territorial claims in the region, which has some of the worlds busiest sea lanes. ___ Yamaguchi reported from Tokyo. All good things must come to an end. This includes some of the U.S. Navy's most storied vessels. While some are sold off to foreign navies, others are used as target ships, testing new weapons and tactics. The first USS Iowa battleship was a target ship for some of the first exercises that pit aircraft against naval targets. The USS Nevada, damaged during the attack on Pearl Harbor, was used as a target ship during Operation Crossroads, testing the use of nuclear weapons on warships. USS Constitution, now the oldest commissioned ship in the U.S. Navy and the only remaining ship to have sunk an enemy vessel in combat, almost met a similar fate, but was saved from the firing squad by some concerned American citizens. Constitution was first launched in 1797, with President John Adams in attendance. Although intended to be in service for around 15 years, its combat lifespan lasted much, much longer, serving from 1797 to 1881, before turning into a museum ship. It captured its first prize in the Quasi-War with France in 1798, deployed to North Africa for the First Barbary War and fought in the Second Battle of Tripoli Harbor in 1804. Its most memorable action came in the War of 1812, when it brought down the British Frigate HMS Guerriere in an engagement that earned its nickname, "Old Ironsides." In 1833, the ship was completely reconstructed and later served as the flagship of the U.S. Navy's Pacific Squadron. It sailed around the world between 1843 and 1845, departing from Mexico shortly before the outbreak of the Mexican-American War. It spent the Civil War at the U.S. Naval Academy as a training ship. Another overhaul came in 1873, in preparation for the United States' centennial celebration. By this time, Constitution was the last of the original six frigates of the U.S. Navy. That reconstruction wasn't enough to keep it afloat for long, and by 1881, the ship was decommissioned. In 1905, then-Secretary of the Navy Charles J. Bonaparte wanted the ship to be used as a target ship. When Massachusetts businessman and Armenian immigrant Moses Gulesian learned about the plan to use Constitution for target practice, he immediately reached out to Bonaparte via telegram: "Will give ten thousand dollars for the Constitution, Old Ironsides. Will you sell?" The press got wind of the offer, publishing the news in the Boston Globe, which then made national headlines. The U.S. government refused his offer, so Gulesian started to rally public support to save the ship. The American public began to protest the use of Constitution as a target ship. "I felt that the destroying of such a relic would be a blot upon the whole country," Gulesian told the Boston Globe. "The letters I have had from east, west, north and south in regard to the matter lead me to believe that not only New England but the whole country felt the same way." It was an act of patriotism from an immigrant who arrived in the U.S. penniless and saw himself grow rich in just 22 years. Gulesian upped the offer to $15,000, but the Navy told him only Congress could sell the ship. Within weeks, Bostonians had gathered a 30,000-signature petition to demand the preservation of USS Constitution. Six weeks after Gulesian made his first offer in 1906, Congress appropriated $100,000 to restore the ship. By 1916, an entire society had grown around its restoration. Private citizens formed the Old Ironsides Association and elected Gulesian its first president. Huzzah! (U.S. Navy/Petty Officer 2nd Class Michelle Heintzelman) That wasn't the end of the effort to keep Constitution afloat. By 1924, it had again fallen into disrepair and was in danger of being lost to rot. A large public campaign was launched to completely repair the vessel through private citizens, organizations and the sale of products made from its old planking. The final cost of rehabilitating the USS Constitution to pristine condition was $946,000, more than $15 million in today's dollars. By 1931, the ship was afloat once more, and although it still requires regular maintenance and refits, it never again needed the kind of repairs seen in the 1920s. -- Blake Stilwell can be reached at blake.stilwell@military.com. He can also be found on Twitter @blakestilwell or on Facebook. Want to Learn More About Military Life? Whether you're thinking of joining the military, looking for post-military careers or keeping up with military life and benefits, Military.com has you covered. Subscribe to Military.com to have military news, updates and resources delivered directly to your inbox. Key Select Mineral List Type Standard Detailed Gallery Strunz Chemical Elements Commodity List This is a list of exploitable or exploited mineral commodities recorded from this region. Gold Mineral List Mineral list contains entries from the region specified including sub-localities Gold Kaolinite Quartz 3 valid minerals. Rock Types Recorded Note: data is currently VERY limited. Please bear with us while we work towards adding this information! Rock list contains entries from the region specified including sub-localities Select Rock List Type Alphabetical List Tree Diagram Clay Entries shown in red are rocks recorded for this region. Sedimentary rock and sediment Sediment Clastic-sediment Mud Clay Entries shown in red are rocks recorded for this region. 3 valid minerals. Gallery: List of minerals arranged by Strunz 10th Edition classification Group 1 - Elements Gold 1.AA.05 Au Group 4 - Oxides and Hydroxides Quartz 4.DA.05 SiO 2 Group 9 - Silicates Kaolinite 9.ED.05 Al 2 (Si 2 O 5 )(OH) 4 List of minerals for each chemical element H Hydrogen H Kaolinite Al 2 (Si 2 O 5 )(OH) 4 O Oxygen O Quartz SiO 2 O Kaolinite Al 2 (Si 2 O 5 )(OH) 4 Al Aluminium Al Kaolinite Al 2 (Si 2 O 5 )(OH) 4 Si Silicon Si Quartz SiO 2 Si Kaolinite Al 2 (Si 2 O 5 )(OH) 4 Au Gold Au Gold Au References Sort by Year (asc) Year (desc) Author (A-Z) Author (Z-A) Durack, M. (1969), William Henry James Carr-Boyd, Australian Dictionary of Biography, Vol 3, 1969 Fowler, R.H. (1974), James Cosmo Newbery, Australian Dictionary of Biography, Vol 5, 1974 Kalgoorlie Western Argus newspaper (1908), The Cosmo Newbery District. Report by Inspector Beaumont, 16/06/1908 Western Mail newspaper (Perth) (1908), The Cosmo Newbery District, 07/11/1908 Western Mail newspaper (Perth) (1925), Carr Boyd. Explorers Death, 28/05/1925 The Evening Star newspaper (Boulder) (1905), The Cosmo Newbery Country, 24/03/1905 The Sun newspaper (Kalgoorlie) (1908), Mining. Cosmo Newbery, 21/06/1908 Sunday Times newspaper (Perth) (1903), An Ernest Explorer. Carr-Boyd. How a Hindoo Was had, 30/08/1903 Sunday Times newspaper (Perth) (1906), Carr Boyd. Boyd's Bonanza Which Turned Out a Duffer, 04/02/1906 Kalgoorlie Miner newspaper (1906), Mining Notes, 16/07/1906 Western Mail newspaper (Perth) (1905), Mining news, 09/12/1905 The Sun newspaper (Kalgoorlie) (1918), Peeps at People, 05/05/1918 The Black Range Courier and Sandstone Observer newspaper (1910), General News, 28/01/1910 Western Mail newspaper (Perth) (1908), Mining News. General Notes, 03/10/1908 The West Australian newspaper (1910), Mining and Stocks and Shares, 23/09/1910 External Links Localities in this Region Cosmo Newbery or Yilka is 83 kilometres north-east of Laverton on the Great Central Road, between Laverton and Uluru in the Northern Territory. It is small indigenous community. There is a roadhouse at the community. The area borders the eastern edge of the Laverton Shire.Post mining it was a cattle station, and briefly a penal colony, then government rationing depot. In 1953 the Uniting Church set up a mission here, then gave the land back in 1976. The community continued for eleven years before being abandoned. In 1989, it was re-established.The settlement and hills directly north, are named after James Cosmo Newbery. Born in Italy in 1843, he studied at Harvard University and the Royal School of Mines London, before being selected as analyst for the Geological Survey of Victoria. Here he instituted scientific education courses, developed the Industrial and Technological Museum and served on many technical committees. He is noted for improving the chlorination gold extraction method, adopted world wide, and became an authority on gold amalgamation. In recognition, a small range of hills in the middle of no-where are named after him.The second person that needs to be mentioned in connection with this place is William Henry James Carr-Boyd (1852-1925), explorer, prospector, raconteur. Mineral specimen collectors for Western Australia will recognise the name for the Carr-Boyd Mine, north of Kalgoorlie, from where a large number of specimens have been obtained.He was a divisive and interesting character. Born to an accomplished classical scholar, he is found at the age of 9 as a jackaroo in the Barcoo District Western Queensland. Yet somehow he was well versed in writing and reading. At 21 he left for the Palmer gold-rush in Northern Queensland. He then was second in charge exploring northern Australia under William Hodgkinson in 1875. Next he is second in command to W.J. O'Donnell exploring the Cambridge Gulf area eastern Kimberley.Carr-Boyd then sued A.D. Cotton, secretary of the Cambridge Downs Pastoral Association who had sponsored the expedition for libel. Cotton had published a letter in the Melbourne's Argus newspaper stating Carr-Boyd had misbehaved, was constantly drunk, obstructed O'Donnell's authority, used bad language, and deserted his comrades. It was a fairly accurate description of Carr-Boyd which changed little during his life. The court found in Cotton's favour.Carr-Boyd followed the gold rushes from northern Western Australia before arriving at Coolgardie. He is noted as an explorer of the Gibson Desert region. He could have easily have been a vacuum cleaner salesman in modern times. Never short of money to live on, or fund his prospecting explorations, was largely from his force of personality. Described as engaging, unfailingly optimistic, and full of tall stories and songs. Many fell under his spell, and were overly impressed by him. At least until they realised they had funded another expedition and living expenses (largely alcohol), with little hope of seeing any return.Sometime between 1900 and 1905, Carr-Boyd 'discovered' gold at the Cosmo Newbery Ranges. Robert Kirkpatrick later stated it was the same show as he worked in 1897, but was abandoned as worthless.For the next 15 years, Carr-Boyd embarked on a relentless campaign to promote the gold location. Letters were written to newspapers, government minister's doors banged on, a public speaking tour, endless rounds of connecting with people with money.He stated it was as big as Ballarat, Bendigo and Gympie. With no shame for the truth he waxed lyrical about the bonanza he had found, even when independent experts had rubbished the site. Several syndicates were induced to invest money, only to find little gold existed. He would selectively quote from reports critical of the location, to make it seem that the report was in fact positive. Tall stories abounded. He made many enemies.Finally by 1918, when all gullible people had been exhausted he switched to potash and gypsum, telling everyone he had Americans investing huge sums into the area, when no such financing existed. Old age took over the circus, and he retired to Victoria and passed away in 1925.So what are we left with for gold at Cosmo Newbery. A fairly detailed government report in 1908, stating the deposit had not been developed enough to make any firm conclusions. The leases in this report will be listed under this section. Some small leaders, and a few nuggets. A worthwhile prospecting area, except it is on an aboriginal reserve, where such things are not allowed. Any visit needs to gain permission from the Cosmo Newbery Corporation which runs the settlement. How to use the mindat.org media viewer Click/touch this help panel to close it. 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Summary of all keyboard shortcuts As a current print subscriber, you receive 24/7 access to our website and online e-edition at no additional charge. All you have to do is activate your access. To activate digital access, you will need your account number. You can find your account number on any recent subscription notice or bill. The Wise old man of the Navy seems to be very angry with me! I always found fighting with enemy is easier that explaining our SBS role and behind enemy lines operations to senior Naval officers. by Admiral Ravindra C Wijegunaratne (Retired from Sri Lanka Navy and Former Chief of Defence Staff ) I was at Naval Detachment Talimannar attached to Special Boats Squadron as Squadron Commander in early 1990s and carried out ambushes at sand banks against enemy, LTTE. That was a Sunday afternoon. OIC of Talimannar info me over the radio set that the Commander of the Navy wants to see me at Naval Headquarters, Colombo tomorrow (Monday). Ask him to leave now ! was the order to OIC. The Wise old man of the Navy seems to be very angry with me! I always found fighting with enemy is easier that explaining our SBS role and behind enemy lines operations to senior Naval officers. Must be another misunderstanding. Sea was calm North of Talimannar and OIC of FAC patrolling in area agreed to take me to KKS early morning on his return. I booked a seat in first SLAF flight from Palali to Ratmalana, What a trip to Come to Colombo ! Talimannar to KKS by FAC, KKS to SLAF Base Palali by jeep, Palali to SLAF Base Rathmalana by AN -32 aircraft, from Rathmalana to Navy Headquarters by jeep. However I reached Navy Headquarters by afternoon, quickly changed in to No5 white uniform and reached Commander of the Navys office by 1400 hrs. The PA to Commander immediately put me front of Navy Commander. Orders to PA was clear bring him in as soon as he comes! He looks angry why you require goats ? For your barbecues ? How you buy your Barbecue goats from PUBLIC funds? I saw Sunday newspaper turned to Defence Coolum also on his table. He rang the bell. PA appeared ! Where is the file? Navy Commander asked and turn to letter in the file where I have written to NHQ requesting SBS requirements for forthcoming SBS -US Navy SEALS Combined exercise named as Exercise Balance Style in Hambantota. You have asked three live goats in your requirements list for joint exercises! To have a barbecue with Americans at the end of exercise? Now its clear to me ! Someone leaked our requirements list to media and media is asking what I am going to do with live Goats . I slowly explained Wise old man that live goats are not for barbecues. During the discussions with US SEAL instructors prior to joint exercise,I explained our poor knowledge on Combat Medicine. Due to this most of our casualties died by bleeding, before they were taken to proper medical treatments at a hospital. The request was well received and two weeks of intense Combat Medicine module was included in the Exercise. SEALs promised to bring their best Combat Medicine instructors for the module from their base in Guam. They were also ready to bring combat medical equipments and ready to donate them to SBS for future training and to kept at our battle field deployment in Killai/Jaffna naval detachments. For final exercise, they requested for three live goats ! They will shot at leg of one goat. SBS Trainees have to reduce pain, stabilize the injured goat with IV, stop bleeding and treat the poor animal and kept him alive. Once recovered, Feed him, and give vitamins and good food through out his life at SBS Headquarters or in Tangalle base. If goat dies, SBS trainees will failed the examinations and dead goat will dump at sea. Second goat - exercise to treat leg injured by anti- personnel mine and field amputation operation. Third goat with multiple gunshot injuries. As goats and humans blood circulation system is almost same and such training is very vital for trainees to gather much needed confidence.! I explained the Commander of the Navy what we are planning with US SEALs. He was surprised. He well understood the effects and confidence our boys will gain with such realistic training. Thats the end of questions to me and I walked out from Navy Commanders office smiling at his PA. Order from him to his Director Generals after my meeting was Ravi is doing a great job with SBS ! Give him your support . Combat medicine became vital part of our training with SEALs. We reciprocate in humble way to US SEAL instructors by presenting them with quality shorts and T-shirts bought from Odel showroom. No time our SBS medics because extremely competent. US SEALs were very happy with our progress and kept supporting us with required medical equipments and we always kept them at Kilali with our boats deployments in lagoon. Operation Agnakeela in Muhamali Jaffna was planed on 28th March 2000, but enemy launched preemptive strike on our defense line on 26th March 2000. Army faced heavy casualties along their defensive lines. Army found difficult to coop up with casualties. SBS volunteered to evacuate casualties by boats from defense lines to Kilali naval detachment, from there they were at Heli lifted to Palali Army hospital and to Colombo. Combat medicine training imparted to SBS by US SEALs put into great action. Severely wounded gallant the Soldiers were given best Combat medicine care. The casualties categorized as P1, P2, and P3 were kept for immediate heli lift. The cloth line were on other days SBS personnel hang their cloths to dry used to hang saline IV bottles until helicopter arrived. SBS and other naval personnel at detachment led by then S/LT Karandeniya ( now Captain) work like hive of bees to save lives. We received number of Commendation letters and telephone calls from Surgeons and doctors at Palali and Colombo hospitals commending SBS personnel for combat medicine procedures they perform prior to medical evacuation (MEDIVAC) injured Army personnel. First time they have seen such standard in these procedures. Thanks US SEALs for making our SBS extremely confident Thanks SBS for saving so many lives of gallant Army personnel with your combat medicine knowledge and confidence. THANKS BARBECUE GOATS for being type of Guinea pigs and bearing pain to train us. If you see a limping Goat near our Navy Base Tangalle or Hambantota, please be kind to them. (writer was the founder of SBS who Commanded this elite unit in 1993 and 2000) Major League Baseball will require non-player team personnel, including managers and coaching staff members, to be vaccinated against COVID-19 in order to gain access to the field and other restricted areas this postseason, reports Ken Rosenthal of the Athletic (Twitter links). Currently unvaccinated staff members must receive their first dose of the Moderna vaccine by October 4 with an appointment for their second dose scheduled in order to have field access, per Rosenthal. Certain teams the Nationals, Astros and Cubs reportedly among them have already mandated vaccinations for full-time employees. (Jesse Dougherty of the Washington Post reported this morning that two former Nationals staffers are filing a complaint with the Equal Opportunity Employment Commission after being fired for failure to comply with the organizations vaccination mandate). This is the first instance of a league-imposed vaccine requirement for team personnel to gain field access. MLB has previously relaxed health and safety protocols for teams that had vaccinated at least 85% of Tier 1 personnel over the course of the season in an effort to encourage widespread vaccination. The leagues vaccination mandate does not directly impact players. Any potential player vaccination mandate, either on the part of MLB or specific teams, would need to be agreed upon with the MLB Players Association, perhaps as part of talks regarding the upcoming collective bargaining agreement. The Blue Jays are making a big push for Kyle Schwarber, tweets Jon Heyman of the MLB Network. Marly Rivera of ESPN reported (on Twitter) this evening the Jays had interest in the lefty-hitting outfielder. Heyman adds that multiple teams remain in the mix but puts Toronto among the frontrunners for his services. Toronto has been tied to a few marquee bats, as reports suggest theyre at least on the periphery of the Freddie Freeman market. Presumably, a Schwarber deal would take the Jays out of the running for the 2020 NL MVP, but hed be a notable boon to their offense himself. Schwarber, who turned 29 last week, is coming off a career-best season. Non-tendered by the Cubs last winter, he signed a $10MM deal with the Nationals. The Indiana University product hit .253/.340/.570 with 25 home runs across 303 plate appearances with Washington. That included an unreal 16-homer month of June that had made Schwarber the leagues hottest hitter before he suffered a severe hamstring strain in early July. He spent the next six weeks on the injured list, during which time the Nationals fell out of contention. The Red Sox acquired Schwarber in a deadline deal despite his injury, with plans to have him rotate between first base and left field for the stretch run. He returned in mid-July and picked up right where hed left off pre-injury, popping seven homers with a .291/.435/.522 line in 41 games with Boston. (The midseason trade also made him ineligible to receive a qualifying offer). Between the two clubs, Schwarber posted a .266/.374/.554 line with 32 homers over 471 plate appearances. That production was 45 percentage points above the league average, by measure of wRC+. As he has throughout his career, Schwarber was a bit prone to strikeouts (27%), but he also drew walks at an elite 13.6% clip and posted top-of-the-scale power production. He ranked in the 90th percentile or better in terms of average exit velocity, barrel rate and hard contact percentage. It was the kind of middle-of-the-order output many expected from Schwarber when he was drafted fourth overall and ranked as one of the sports top offensive prospects. The corner outfield market is robust, with Kris Bryant, Nick Castellanos, Seiya Suzuki and Michael Conforto all joining Schwarber in the ranks of the unsigned. Freeman and Anthony Rizzo are the top options at first base, leaving plenty of possibilities for clubs in search of an upgrade to the middle of the lineup. In addition to their search for a big-ticket bat, the Jays have been looking for infield and bullpen help. Hector Gomez of Z 101 reported over the weekend (on Twitter) that Toronto was looking into a reunion with versatile infielder Jonathan Villar. The switch-hitter played briefly with the Jays late in 2020 and struggled, but he bounced back with a decent .249/.322/.416 showing over 505 plate appearances for the Mets last season. The Jays could use some help at either of second or third base (with Cavan Biggio taking the other position), and Villar may be the top option remaining in free agency. On the relief front, the Jays have checked in with closer Kenley Jansen, writes Shi Davidi of Sportsnet. The market for the longtime Dodger has been fairly quiet to this point, but hes arguably the best remaining late-game option. The typically excellent Jansen tossed 69 innings with a 2.22 ERA last season, punching out an elite 30.9% of opponents. MARCH 16: Moss has cleared waivers and been outrighted to Triple-A Lehigh Valley, the team announced. He doesnt have the requisite service time to refuse an outright assignment, so hell remain in the organization. MARCH 15: The Phillies announced Tuesday that theyve designated lefty Scott Moss for assignment. Thats one of two corresponding moves to make room for the signings of lefty Brad Hand and righty Jeurys Familia both of whom signed one-year, $6MM contracts to join the Philadelphia bullpen. Both contracts have now been formally announced. The Phils also placed lefty JoJo Romero on the 60-day IL. Moss, 27, is still searching for his MLB debut. The former fourth-round pick posted solid numbers with both Cincinnati and Cleveland early in his professional career, with his 2019 season in particular standing out. That season saw Moss make 26 starts between Double-A and Triple-A while working to a 2.96 ERA with an impressive 28.9% strikeout rate (against a much less-inspiring 12.7% walk rate). Moss was in Clevelands 60-man player pool during the shortened 2020 season but never got a look in the big leagues. This past year in Triple-A, injuries limited him to just nine games and 20 1/3 innings, during which time he posted a 7.08 ERA. The Phillies claimed him off waivers from the Guardians back in November, but hell now either be traded within the week or again made available to all 29 other teams via outright waivers. The Rangers are signing reliever Dan Winkler to a minor league contract, pending a physical, reports Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News (Twitter links). Presumably, the right-hander will get a look in big league Spring Training once the deals finalized. Winkler ranked third among Cubs relievers in innings last season, tossing 39 2/3 frames over 47 outings. The 32-year-old didnt get particularly strong results, though, due in large part to control woes. Winkler walked 15.8% of batters faced while striking out a personal-low 21.1% of opponents. That led to a 5.22 ERA, even as opposing hitters managed only a .255 batting average on balls in play against him. The Cubs designated him for assignment in late August, and he elected minor league free agency after passing through waivers unclaimed. It was the third consecutive season of mediocre strikeout and walk numbers for Winkler, who has posted an ERA near 5.00 in two of the past three campaigns. He did have an excellent 2018 season with the Braves, however, a year in which he worked 60 1/3 frames of 3.43 ERA ball with a 27.1% strikeout rate and a 7.8% walk percentage. Winklers control has been spotty aside from that year, but hes maintained a fastball in the 93-94 MPH range and typically generated swinging strikes at an average or better clip. Winkler will have to earn a big league roster spot, but he should have a good opportunity to do so in Texas. Rangers relievers ranked in the bottom ten in both ERA (4.80) and SIERA (4.48) last year. Joe Barlow, Spencer Patton, Brett Martin and perhaps Josh Sborz looked to have carved out season-opening roles, but the rest of the unit seems unsettled. Brandon Workman, Matt Bush, Justin Anderson and Jesus Tinoco are among the other players wholl be in camp as non-roster invitees. The Tigers have signed Chase Anderson to a minor league contract with a non-roster invitation to big league Spring Training, according to his transactions log at MLB.com. Additionally, veteran backstop Ryan Lavarnway announced on Instagram he has signed with Detroit. Jason Beck of MLB.com tweets thats also a minors deal with an NRI to MLB camp. Anderson, 34, has been a durable member of big league rotations dating back to 2014. Never an overpowering arm, Anderson nevertheless outperformed his peripherals for a few seasons with the D-Backs and Brewers. The changeup specialist threw plenty of strikes and generally avoided hard contact en route to an ERA right around 4.00 for much of his early career. He even posted a 2.74 mark over 141 1/3 innings with the Brew Crew in 2017 and remained a solid starter through 2019. The past couple seasons have been tough for the University of Oklahoma product. Despite career-best strikeout and swinging strike rates with the Blue Jays in 2020, he was tagged for a 7.22 ERA in 33 2/3 innings, allowing a staggering 11 longballs in that time. The Phillies rolled the dice on a bounceback, guaranteeing Anderson $4MM in hopes hed right the ship. He continued to struggle in Philadelphia, though, working 48 innings of 6.75 ERA ball. Philadelphia released Anderson in late August. He caught on with the Rangers on a minor league deal but didnt get another look at the highest level. Hell take another crack at it this spring with Detroit, which has an uncertain group at the back of the rotation. At present, Tyler Alexander looks the favorite for the #5 starters job behind Casey Mize, Eduardo Rodriguez, Tarik Skubal and Matt Manning. Alex Faedo and Joey Wentz are the top depth options, but neither has yet appeared in the majors. Of course, Detroit could still add to the rotation over the next three weeks. A quintessential third catcher, Lavarnway has appeared in the big leagues in ten of the past eleven seasons. He has tallied 486 cumulative plate appearances, hitting .217/.272/.345 with nine home runs. The righty-hitting backstop played in nine games with Cleveland last season. He spent more time with their top affiliate in Columbus, posting a .260/.338/.520 mark in 199 Triple-A plate appearances. Socialite and media personality, Afia Schwarzenegger says the Chief of Staff, handed her GHc50,000 towards the burial service of her late father. According to her, Madam Frema Opare handed her the amount not only for funeral purposes but also to fund the transportation of her fathers coffin to Ghana. In her appreciation, Afia Schwarzenegger took to her Instagram and stated that she was assured by the Chief of Staff that she was open to helping should any extra costs be incurred in the process of the burial service. Afia Schwar, as she is affectionately called added that she was grateful for the kind gesture and went on her knees to say a word of prayer for the Chief of Staff. The funeral ceremony was held at the KNUST events grounds in the Ashanti Region over the weekend. The event was attended by celebrities of different fraternities ranging from politics, arts, sports, and music. 15.03.2022 LISTEN Shortly after the extravagant funeral celebration of the late father of media personality Afia Schwarzenegger, her former buddy Nana Tornado believes she lied about the whole outcome of the event. According to him, every expenditure the socialite claimed was injected in the event which took place in Kumasi over the weekend, were just for the trends. He alleged that there were some attendees at the funeral who lamented hunger as they could not get food. Prior to the funeral celebration, Afia had posted a video of herself purchasing live cows purported for the funeral but all these Tornado claims were all lies. "Bara so where is the cow? So you went to walk around the market and took videos to make people believe you went to buy a cow so it's all about the money that you were thinking. You didn't buy the cow and now Kumasi girls going around complaining and disgracing you that they were starved at your father's funeral," says Tornado. He added, "Not even water ow, you couldn't even give them just water. The girls are complaining, it's not me, go check the videos online. Afia Schwarzenegger, you have disgraced yourself. So is this the 2 billion funeral and the girls have been walking around disgracing you that they couldn't even get water to drink." Meanwhile, in a separate video, Afia Schwarzenegger has recorded a video of herself having a phone call with one Baba Sule who happens to be the butcher. Baba Sule, in the conversation, confirmed that there was a transaction for more meat with excess still available. 15.03.2022 LISTEN Eight years after his manager was murdered, Kwaw Kese has continuously mourned the late Fennec Okyere and a recent post has seen the rapper expressing grief. Fenech Okyere was found dead in cold blood at his apartment on March 13, 2014, and the culprits behind the criminal act never found. Apparently, Kwaw Kese may never get over the demise of Fenech and a recent post by the latter has laid proof. According to him, his career has never seen any change ever since Fenechs demise indicating that some individuals in the industry have been ungrateful towards him. The Abodam rapper made these lamentations in a post about the late Fenech and fashion guru KOD. Dear Fenech, Ive been through a lot since the devil took you away. All the people we did good for, are paying back with hatred. It's been 8 years. Pls dont let our enemies feel victorious, the day well get to know your killers is the day my heart will rejoice. I love you forever. Your brother Kwaw, he stated. He quizzed the Ghana Police Service as to whether they shelved the case. 14.03.2022 LISTEN Ghana serves as the entry point to the sub-region for business opportunities, the Ghana High Commission to South Africa, His Excellency Charles Asuako Owiredu has said. According to him, Ghana is the most stable country in West Africa. "Look at the surrounding countries, others are fighting, some people overthrow their government (coup d'etat). Ghana is the most stable country. The rule of law is working, and the economy is booming," Mr. Charles Owiredu said this when addressing the Ghanaian community. He told Ghanaians in the diaspora that Ghana is an ideal place for investors so they should not lose confidence in opening businesses in the country. "Ghana is an ideal place for investors, Under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCF) there is an estimated market size of over 1.2 billion consumers with a growing middle class." He therefore called on Ghanaians living in South Africa to join hands with government with their skills in the development of the country. Some members of the ruling New Patriotic Party in the Ablekuma West Constituency of the Greater Accra Region, have condemned an attack on some supporters of Theophilus Alexis Oyortey, one of the persons vying for the constituencys First Vice Chairman position. A supporter, Kingsford Amate, was allegedly beaten by thugs causing injury to his head after he questioned the mandate of the electoral commissioner, who is also vying for the Vice-Chairman position in the party. This did not go down well with the NPPs chairman of the elections committee in the constituency, Mr. Odai Parker, who allegedly caused the assault on Kingsford Amate and his colleagues. The party members say the action by Odai Parker, is against the partys constitution, rules, and regulations guiding the ongoing polling station elections. They are therefore calling for the election committee chairman to be sanctioned by the national executives of the party. Kingsford Amate is currently receiving treatment at the Dansoman Polyclinic after sustaining head injuries and deep cuts on his body, some party members said. We presume Parker is enjoying the covering of a minister or some national executive members, hence the loud silence of the party, they added. According to the party members who are aggrieved with the situation, they have petitioned their leadership about the conduct of the election committee chairman, who doubles as the Greater Accra Regional Chairman of the party. The party members say they will continue to resist injustice being perpetrated against some executives who are faithful and willing to serve the party. The New Patriotic Party is undertaking its internal elections across the country. The exercise has not been smooth at some polling stations following accusations, and counter-accusations. The national leadership of the NPP at a press conference reinforced its position that members of the party who go against the laid down guidelines will be sanctioned, and others who defaced party offices will be expelled. Odai Parker reacts to allegations Meanwhile, Chairman of the NPPs Elections Committee for Ablekuma West, Mr. Odai Parker, in an interview with the media, said all the allegations leveled against him and his supporters are untrue. He urged aggrieved persons in the constituency to petition the leadership of the party for redress if they have any grievances. Mr. Odai Parker said members of the party ought to respect the constitution of the party, the rules, and regulations guiding the conduct of the elections, instead of resorting to violence, demonstrations, and court actions. ---Citinewsroom Both Russia and the US have been preparing for this war for some time. In the case of Russia, there had been clear indications, in recent years, that the country was accumulating huge gold reserves and giving priority to a strategic partnership with China. by Boaventura de Sousa Santos Europe needs to take a hard look at itself. Because it has proved to be incapable of dealing with the causes of the Ukraine crisis, Europe is now condemned to deal with its consequences. Although the dust of this tragedy has not even begun to settle, we are forced to conclude that Europes leaders did not and do not have what it takes to deal with the situation at hand. They will go down in history as Europes most mediocre leaders since the end of the Second World War. They are now making sure that they do their best in terms of humanitarian assistance, and their efforts in that regard should not be questioned. But the reason they are doing it is to save face in the light of the biggest scandal of our time. Over the last seventy years they have ruled over populations who have been at the forefront in terms of organizing themselves and demonstrating against war wherever it happens to be waged. But it turns out that they were not able to defend those same populations from the war that had been brewing at home since at least as early as 2014. The European democracies have just shown that they have a government without the people. There are numerous reasons for coming to this conclusion. Both Russia and the US have been preparing for this war for some time. In the case of Russia, there had been clear indications, in recent years, that the country was accumulating huge gold reserves and giving priority to a strategic partnership with China. This was especially noticeable in the financial sphere, where a bank merger and the creation of a new international currency are the ultimate goal, and in the sphere of trade, with its Belt and Road Initiative and the tremendous possibilities for expansion that it will open up throughout Eurasia. As regards relationships with its European partners, Russia has proved to be a credible partner, while making clear what its security concerns were. These were legitimate concerns, if we only stop to think that in the world of superpowers there is neither good nor bad, only strategic interests that need to be accommodated. That was the case with the 1962 missile crisis, when the US drew a red line in respect of the installation of medium-range missiles 70 km from its border. Let it not be thought that the Soviet Union was the only one to give in, because the US also removed its medium-range missiles from Turkey. Trade-off, accommodation, lasting agreement. Why wasnt it possible in the case of Ukraine? Let us turn to the preparations on the US side. Faced with the decline of the global dominance it has enjoyed since 1945, the US is trying at all costs to consolidate its zones of influence, so as to maintain its advantages in trade and access to raw materials for US companies. What is written below has been gleaned from official and think tank documents: The policy of regime change is not aimed at creating democracies, but rather at creating governments that are loyal to US interests. Not a single democratic State has emerged from the bloody interventions in Vietnam, Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria and Libya. The promotion of democracy was not what led the US to actively support coups that deposed democratically elected presidents in Honduras (2009), Paraguay (2012), Brazil (2016) and Bolivia (2019), not to mention the 2014 coup in Ukraine. China has been the USs main rival for some time now. In the case of Europe, the US strategy rests on two pillars: to provoke Russia and to neutralize Europe (and Germany in particular). In 2019, the Rand Corporation, a well-known organization dedicated to strategic studies, published a report entitled Extending Russia, produced at the request of the Pentagon. The report details how to provoke countries in ways that can be exploited by the US. It has this to say about Russia: We examine a range of nonviolent measures that could exploit Russias actual vulnerabilities and anxieties as a way of stressing Russias military and economy and the regimes political standing at home and abroad. The steps we examine would not have either defense or deterrence as their prime purpose, although they might contribute to both. Rather, these steps are conceived of as elements in a campaign designed to unbalance the adversary, leading Russia to compete in domains or regions where the United States has a competitive advantage, and causing Russia to overextend itself militarily or economically or causing the regime to lose domestic and/or international prestige and influence.Do we need to hear more in order to understand what is happening in Ukraine? Provoke Russia into expanding and then criticize it for doing so. NATOs eastward expansion against what was agreed with Gorbachev in 1990 was key in triggering the provocation. Another important step was the violation of the Minsk accords. It should be pointed out that when the Donetsk and Luhansk regions first claimed independence, following the 2014 coup, Russia did not support the claim. It favored autonomy within Ukraine, as provided for in the Minsk accords. It was Ukraine with US support that tore up the agreements, not Russia. As for Europe, its number one concern is to consolidate its status as a minor partner that does not dare interfere with the zones of influence policy. Europe has to be a reliable partner, but it cannot expect reciprocal treatment. That is why the EU to the clueless surprise of its leaders found itself excluded from AUKUS, the security pact between the US, Australia and the UK for the Indo-Pacific region. The minor partner strategy requires that Europe become more dependent, not only in military terms (something that NATO can always be relied on to ensure) but also with regard to the economy and the area of energy in particular. US foreign policy (and democracy) is dominated by three oligarchies (for oligarchs are not the monopoly of Russia and Ukraine): the military-industrial complex; the gas, oil and mining complex; and the banking and real estate complex. These complexes yield fabulous profits thanks to so-called monopoly rents, i.e., privileged market positions that allow them to inflate prices. Their goal consists in keeping the world at war and increasingly dependent on US arms supplies. Europes energy dependence on Russia was thus something unacceptable. And yet, in Europes eyes, it was not a question of dependence, but rather of economic rationality and a diversification of partners. With the invasion of Ukraine and the ensuing sanctions, everything fell into place as planned. The stocks of the three complexes rose immediately, and the champagne began to flow. A mediocre, ignorant Europe, totally lacking in strategic vision, falls helplessly in the hands of these complexes, which will soon let Europe know what prices it will have to pay. Europe will be impoverished and destabilized because its leaders failed to rise to the moment. Worse than that, it cant wait to arm Nazis. Nor does it seem to remember that, in December 2021, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution proposed by Russia aimed at combating glorification of Nazism, neo-Nazism and other practices that contribute to fueling contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance. Two countries, the US and Ukraine, voted against it. The current peace negotiations are misconceived. It makes no sense that negotiations should be solely between Russia and Ukraine. They should be between Russia and the US/NATO/EU. The 1962 missile crisis was resolved between the USSR and the US. Did anyone think of inviting Fidel Castro to the negotiation table? It is a cruel delusion to believe that there can be lasting peace in Europe without any concessions from the Western side. Ukraine, whose independence we all advocate, must not join NATO. Have Finland, Sweden, Switzerland or Austria ever needed NATO in order to feel safe and to get ahead? The truth is that NATO should have been dismantled as soon as the Warsaw Pact came to an end. Only then would the EU have been able to establish a defense policy and military defense capabilities suited to its own interests rather than those of the US. What threats were there to Europes security to justify NATOs interventions in Serbia (1999), Afghanistan (2001), Iraq (2004) or Libya (2011)? Will it be possible, after all this, to go on calling NATO a defensive organization? Author Bio: This article was produced by Globetrotter. Boaventura de Sousa Santos is the Emeritus Professor of Sociology, University of Coimbra (Portugal). His most recent book is Decolonising the University: The Challenge of Deep Cognitive Justice. (Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2021). Source: This article was produced by Globetrotter. 15.03.2022 LISTEN The Deputy Leader of the Majority group in Ghana's Parliament who is also the Member of Parliament for Effutu constituency, Hon Alexander Afenyo-Markin has bemoaned the reckless posture of the NDC in destroying the enviable democratic credentials of Ghana. "Let me draw the attention of the NDC to the fact that if they continue to break down the institutions of democracy one day they will come back to cross the bridge and there will be no bridge to cross back home," he stated. Hon Afenyo-Markin made this call in an exclusive interview following the unprovoked and baseless attacks on the Supreme Court Justices by the Minority NDC MPs and their party communicators after the Supreme Court delivered its ruling to allow the First Deputy Speaker of Parliament exercise his franchise when presiding over the House. He explained that the NDC was destroying everything needed to sustain good governance. "Extremist attacks cannot be the way to go, argue forcefully when you lose, graciously accept it when you lose like what the NPP did when in opposition. we didn't go out to attack the Supreme Court when we lost in the Kojoga Adra vs. AG case. "It will be recalled that Ghanaian times carried the story in their banner headline on July 16, 2022 with the caption Afenyo-Markin dismissed" a move he described as a severe ridicule to the minority whilst the majority NDC was jubilating and parading people from the Public service to contest party positions because the Supreme court had ruled that those category of public servants have not been prohibited under article 94 3b," he noted. The Deputy hinted that the Supreme Court in its 29-page ruling dealt extensively with the three issues it set out to determine. He noted that SC provided ample legal precedent to back its arguments including the question of interference or sovereignty. "It traced the constitutional history of the powers of Parliament from previous republics. Anyone who seeks to disagree with these must at least provide some law as a basis for disagreeing or make some sound and justifiable legal argument to support this disagreement." On that basis, he wondered why Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu would make a statement to the effect that the Supreme Court is attempting to support the passage of the electronic levy when it is an established fact that the plaintiff of the case is a known NDC member and a lawyer. "So why the sudden display of arrogance, media assassination and insults on the bench and the supreme court. For the NDC immediately they go to court they must win their case at all cost, that is certainly uncivil, not fair" he quizzes. He questioned the NDC's baseless argument saying "the constitution doesn't prohibit the deputy speaker from voting, but their argument is based on parity of reasoning that Mr. Speaker is prohibited when presiding and that the deputies should also suffer same, knowing very well that the 1st and 2nd deputy Speakers are representatives of constituencies unlike the Speaker of Parliament who is not an MP." The Effutu lawmaker continued, "In the controversy of Mark Assibey Yeboah vrs ECG, Dr. Assibey Yeboah a former MP for New Juaben North lost in Supreme to the NDC majority in 2015 in connection with serious flaws in the power purchasing agreement the NDC brought before Parliament, when the minority evoked article 181, but the supreme court said NO and ruled for the NDC majority when the ECG was undertaken that enterprise on its own balance sheet and the fact that it was the board of directors that approved the transactions it had nothing to do with the government of Ghana irrespective of the residual guarantee, we still accepted it in good fate, not long after the same NDC in minority today says certain agreement by state institutions should come to Parliament. "When we referred them to Mark Asibey Yeboah's case at the Supreme court, then suddenly they break lose and resort to insults and attacks on the same court that delivered them countless win, this goes to justify that the NDC MP's and their members are not principled and honest, but always wanting to operate on the basis of convenience and when they lose too they want to bring down the whole super structure. "It is incumbent on us especially members of Parliament to respect the decisions of our courts "if we are not ready to accept and respect the decisions of our courts, then we have no business running to them; but once you run to them and they deliver their decisions we should take it as a bitter pill or sweet chocolate. If its bitter take it, if its sweet take it, because that same verdict could be an alternative for your course. "The NDC must learn to accept defeat graciously, when they lose, they should accept defeat, they should respect our courts, they should respect the bench regardless of the verdict not only when it goes in their favour. For us in the political class if we are able to uphold this rule, it is the only way of sustaining our hard-earned democracy." 15.03.2022 LISTEN A KPMG Professor of Accounting at the University of Florida and a D&D fellow in Public Law and Justice at CDD-Ghana Professor Stephen Kwaku Asare popularly known as Kwaku Azar has said the Parliament of Ghana could as an institution can have an attorney. Speaking on Joy News, he stated that irrespective of dissenting views from both sides in parliament, the law making institution could be represented in a court of law. Parliament itself has its standing orders and what is being contested is the constitutionality of that standing order so Im not sure why the counsel cannot take that position that parliament is committed to the standing orders and if the standing orders are to be revoked at all then it must be revoked by parliament and not some verdict of the court. That would be the function of the court," he replied the host on why Parliament disagreements were irrelevant. He indicated that, should parliament consider having an attorney, the counsel would not have to take instructions from the Speaker or leader of any faction of the house. His words come on the back of the Supreme Courts reaffirmation of First Deputy Speaker Joseph Osei Owusus voting while presiding over parliament. The leadership of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the Yendi constituency in the Northern Region says it will not be able to organise the Electoral Area Coordinators election following its inability to organise its polling station elections. This follows chaos and violence which broke out yesterday, Sunday, March 13, 2022, in the constituency, leading to the destruction of party properties. Party members accused their leaders of not being fair and transparent with the process. The NPP per its timetable is expected to hold elections for the position of Electoral Area Coordinators before Constituency Executives elections are held next month. Speaking to Citi News, Constituency Chairman for Yendi, Saddick Nam said; We should have gone ahead to do coordinators election, but we have not even done the polling stations executive elections. So, we cannot do the Coordinators election, unless we want to use another means which will destroy the party. As we speak, my regional rep appointed to come chair for us to compile the register does not even pick my call. We do not have a register to even go on with the election. I plead with national and regional directors to come to our aid before our situation gets worst. For the past weeks, the New Patriotic Partys members in various constituencies have been agitating over polling station elections being conducted ahead of the 2024 elections. Some complained that some of their executives were hoarding nomination forms, amongst others. ---citinewsroom Mr. Agyin Amankwa Solomon, popularly known as King Solomon, been a Ghanaian businessman and multiple African shops owner in Antwerp, Belgium for decades. Yet, he is an important figure in the political life of society under the platform of the NPP. As a philanthropist and a successful businessman, King Solomon has promoted and made familiar many tropical foods from Ghana to the European market and now wants to play an active role in uniting all NPP supporters in Belgium. Left, Mr. Agyin Solomon and Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo, and Right, with the former president, John Agyekum Kufour His call by Ghanaians in the Diaspora to become the partys chairman and unite the NPP supporters to build a solid foundation in Antwerp, since Belgium is the center of Europe, is something he wasnt expecting. Mr. Agyin Solomon said when elected chairman for the party, he will use his expertise to inspire the party members in Belgium, as one of the measures to help and give adequate support to the president, Nana Akufo Addo, in Ghana, to meet the needs of the people. The businessman is not a stranger to both the former president, John Kufour, and the current president, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo. Mr. Agyin Solomon has had the opportunity to meet both presidents many times while in Belgium. All of us have the responsibility and role as political leaders in society. It doesnt matter where we come from and the distance, to help the NPP become a successful government, said Mr. Agyin Solomon. 'Russia Attacks Ukraine, that is the headline in every newspaper across the world, while people are calling the Russian leader, Vladimir Putin, an evil man and a murderer. Which superpower country in the world has murdered more people than the United States of America? Thats how hypocrites and selfish people who often listen to one side of a story react and begin to spread false propaganda against others. Before people will start attacking Vladimir Putin, they must first try to find out the reason behind the mans actions. If African leaders are like Putin, the continent will not have suffered much. Many African leaders are so stupid to the extent that they will accept money for every proposal by foreign countries in Africa, even if that will threaten the lives of their citizens. The Russian leader, Vladimir Putin, before judging him first think of the dangers surrounding his country and the people As we know, many African countries have permitted the US government to build military bases in their countries because they believed America will prevent or fight terrorism on the shores of Africa. Thats a very big mistake the Russian leader will never let that happen. Russia, China, North Korea, etc; are three countries that pose a threat to the US government, just as Libya was a threat to the US government. Through the National Alliance Treaty Organization NATO, Libya was attacked and Khadafy was killed. Today, Libya, the wealthiest African country is in ruins. Since Russia has been Americas enemy for a very long time, NATO has been in alliance with several European countries near to Russia and now they are determined to occupy Ukraine because they want to join NATO. This will be the biggest mistake any intelligent leader that considers America or NATO a threat to accept. Putin knows America wants to use NATO to attack Russia. That will be very easy indeed since Ukraine and Russia share common borders. This is what Vladimir Putin wants to prevent to protect the Russian citizens. Vladimir Putin is not like an African leader to permit a US military base in his country and before African leaders that have permitted such military bases in their countries, know the stupidity of their actions, then it's too late. Time will tell. The continent of Africa is not a threat to terrorists for African leaders to be tricked by the US government to build their military bases across Africa. They did that because of African resources. NATO has already expanded throughout Europe and now wants to occupy Ukraine, this is something Putin will prevent to protect his country and the people The world is rapidly changing and pressure continues to pile up on Africa from both Europe and the United States of America because of the continent's vast resources, therefore, those military bases were set up to quell any uprising. The US always poses a threat to terrorists, we witnessed what happened on September 11, and therefore, it doesnt make sense for the US government to build its military bases in Africa with its intention to fight terrorists for Africans. Who cares about Africa anyway? Its because of our resources Africans have been victims of slavery, colonialism brutalities, Apartheid, and many man-made diseases. There are a lot of things African leaders can learn from the Russian-Ukraine war. Putin is aware that since 1949, NATO is seeking to destroy Russia, thus; when he realized the US is increasing the Ukrainian crisis by pushing NATO, he needs to react fast, thats why the war started. If you watch the position of Russia on the map, you can see that the country is surrounded by NATO, in fact, it has expanded its positions around Russia, which in no time, Russia may fall into the hands of the US government. Every wise leader must protect their citizens and since Putin is not an African leader, he has done the right thing, so people should stop judging him when our porous borders have invited every criminal, including armed robbers to enter Ghana and terrorize Ghanaians. The West and the US government have never changed their behavior when Russia becomes the subject. This can be seen as the US President, Joe Biden and the European leaders started with the threats of sanctions against Russia but Putin is not the kind of leader that can be intimidated with sanctions. Just think about the position Putin stands for, if you are a president, will you allow your enemy to occupy a country you share common borders with to attack you? Putin has the right to defend his country and the people, therefore, dont be too judgmental. Member of Parliament of North Tongu, Mr Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has expressed anger that the Bulgarian Embassy in Accra at 10 Kakramadu Road, East Cantonments, has been completely razed in a lawless, provocative and mafia-style operation. According to Mr Ablakwa, information available to him indicates that armed rogue elements with extra fortification from deviant land guards and errant personnel allegedly from the Cantonments Police Station had the sheer effrontery in broad daylight, to evict Bulgarian Embassy staff, throw out inviolable assets belonging to the Bulgarians and assault the Honorary Consul, Mr Nicolaas C.M. van Staalduinen in his effort to restrain them. He noted that valuables including generators, computers, printers, refrigerators, archival documents which represent a treasure trove of deep historical bonds and a stash of vital diplomatic exchanges were not spared by the marauding encroachers. Mr Ablakwa said the encroachers returned at dawn to demolish the entire Embassy and are now building their own structure with the speed of light, at day and night, to conclude their mission. The lawmaker, in a statement on Facebook, said this aggressively mindless attack is usually considered a declaration of war. He observed that without a scintilla of doubt, Ghana's conduct amounts to a grotesque violation of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, 1961. He noted that the NDC Caucus in Parliament shall be demanding a full public parliamentary probe into the demolished building with the view to identifying all the conspirators and bringing them to justice. We shall not allow the shadowy characters behind this hideous act to enjoy the comfort and security of anonymity; we shall smoke them and their collaborators out, and ensure that never again would a few greedy bandits damage our hitherto high diplomatic reputation, he stated. Find below the full statement: DEMOLISHING OF BULGARIAN EMBASSY IN ACCRA IS A BLOT ON GHANAS DIPLOMATIC CREDENTIALS - NDC CAUCUS IN PARLIAMENT DEMANDS A FULL PARLIAMENTARY PROBE The alarming culture of impunity which has become unrivalled in its audaciousness must not be allowed to fester. First, it was a brazen demolition of a Nigerian diplomatic property which predictably strained our bilateral relations with our West African neighbour, triggering a war of words and bringing us to the brink of conflict. Following a de-escalation, the Ghanaian taxpayer, unbeknownst to many, is now spending millions of Cedis to restore the Nigerian diplomatic facility as adequate compensation. Now, in an even more shocking, exceedingly lawless, provocative and mafia-style operation the Bulgarian Embassy in Accra at 10 Kakramadu Road, East Cantonments has been completely razed to the ground. According to eyewitnesses, the armed rogue elements with extra fortification from deviant land guards and errant personnel allegedly from the Cantonments Police Station had the sheer effrontery in broad daylight to evict Bulgarian Embassy staff, throw out inviolable assets belonging to the Bulgarians and assault the Honorary Consul, Mr Nicolaas C.M. van Staalduinen in his effort to restrain them. Valuables including generators, computers, printers, refrigerators, archival documents which represent a treasure trove of deep historical bonds and a stash of vital diplomatic exchanges were not spared by the marauding encroachers. They subsequently returned at dawn to demolish the entire Embassy. The perpetrators are now building their own structure with the speed of light, at day and night, to conclude their nefarious mission. This aggressively mindless attack is usually considered a declaration of war. Without a scintilla of doubt, Ghana's conduct amounts to a grotesque violation of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, 1961. Article 22 of the Convention provides: 1. The premises of the mission shall be inviolable. The agents of the receiving State may not enter them, except with the consent of the head of the mission. 2. The receiving State is under a special duty to take all appropriate steps to protect the premises of the mission against any intrusion or damage and to prevent any disturbance of the peace of the mission or impairment of its dignity. 3. The premises of the mission, their furnishings and other property thereon and the means of transport of the mission shall be immune from search, requisition, attachment or execution. Credible and verified information point to the fact that all these grave violations have been possible because of a "powerful man" behind the invasion, demolishing, construction and purported takeover. I shall have him exposed in due course, save to add that those who consider themselves strategic allies of the Akufo-Addo presidency must reflect deeply on how their conduct will impact on the long term legacy of their most-favoured government. Documents I have reviewed and some of which I would attach to this publication reveal how helpless the Foreign Ministry and the Lands Commission appear to be in this matter even after they have confirmed with incontrovertible evidence that the Bulgarians have a valid lease for a term of 50 years since 1983. As a Ghanaian and Ranking Member on Parliament's Committee on Foreign Affairs, it is terribly embarrassing to hear comments about this despicable scandal in diplomatic corridors and how another blatant violation of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, 1961 with such reckless brute force is casting a slur on our hard-won image in the comity of nations. The NDC caucus in Parliament and the vast majority of law-abiding Ghanaians would certainly not accept this detestable misconduct neither are we going to allow the criminal masterminds to get away with this. I shall like to commend the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Hon. Samuel Abu Jinapor for promising to take positive steps to halt the construction at the Bulgarian Embassy premises when I brought this to his attention yesterday. May I add, though, that the unresponsiveness of Ghana's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration to numerous queries from the Bulgarians, particularly after the Bulgarian government sent a delegation led by Ambassador Yanko Yordanov to Ghana last month, have been most unhelpful in easing tensions. That notwithstanding, the NDC Caucus in Parliament shall be demanding a full public parliamentary probe into these bizarre circumstances with the view to identifying all the conspirators and bringing them to justice. We shall not allow the shadowy characters behind this hideous act to enjoy the comfort and security of anonymity; we shall smoke them and their collaborators out, and ensure that never again would a few greedy bandits damage our hitherto high diplomatic reputation. While applauding the Bulgarians for their exceptional patience since coming under their first bulldozer attack at 3 am on 26th April 2017; it must be emphasized that a friendly country such as Bulgaria which shares rich historical ties with Ghana from the Nkrumah era, and has only recently announced a generous scholarship package for our student evacuees from Ukraine does not deserve to be subjected to crass lawlessness from a few corrupt nepotistic brigands determined to tarnish Ghana's good name. Source: Classfmonline.com Africa has the most youthful population in the world, however, they are the most uneducated and most untrained in technical skills. The youth population in the largest economics of Africa, Nigeria and South Africa, are mostly uneducated and untrained in vocational skills. Therefore, the youths have resulted to all sorts of criminal activities. The youths in these countries are become scammers, bandits, kidnappers, armed robbers, ritual killers, political propagandists and macho boys for adventurous politicians. If these scenario continues the Black Continent will become the most dangerous and chaotic place on the surface of the earth. Presently the governments of Nana Addo Danquah Akufo-Addo is spending billions of money to avert such a situation in Ghana by providing free Seniour High School (SHS) and free Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) education for the youth. This has plunged the government into high debts in view of global economic crisis due Covid-19 pandemic and the present war in Ukraine by Russian forces. However, the government is adamant in its effort to educate the youth and give them prospects for the future. In the long run it would boast the economic growth and development and prosperity for the country. But not without the present cost. The government of New Patriotic Party under Nana Addo Danquah Akufo-Addo and Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia spent about GH 2,312 on each student every year since the inception of free Seniour High School program was launchdd in September 2017 and currently the implementation of free Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET). As at June 2020, a total of 1.2 million students were in admission at the Seniour Secondary Schools across the country. As at June 2022, the Government of Ghana had spent GH7.7 billion in implementing the Free Senior High School (SHS) policy since its inception. An amount of GH480 million was spent on the Policy in 2017, GH1.3 billion in 2018, GH1.6 billion in 2019, GH2.4 billion in 2020, GH1.9 billion was spent in 2021, while the cost is expected to increase drastically in 2022. The Minister of Education, Dr Yaw Osei-Adutwum, said government had made giant strides in providing teaching and learning materials and expanded physical infrastructure like classroom blocks, dormitories, science and library laboratories, among others, to second cycle educational institutions across the country even though some elements in the society had tried to downplay Governments efforts. We may not have the best education system in the world, but we had made giant strides over the past four years, Dr Osei-Adutwum stressed. He reiterated the Akufo-Addo-led governments determination to providing free, compulsory and quality education to every Ghanaian school going-child in the quest of making Ghana the education hub of Africa. The Minister said government was committed to building a robust education system that could compete with international best practices. Dr Osei-Adutwum said Governments goal in implementing the Free SHS Policy was to transform the education system and making it play a pivotal role in socio-economic development of the country. For education to be fit-for-purpose, we should have students who are creative and critical thinkers, especially in this Fourth Industrial Revolution to navigate the world, Dr Osei-Adutwum added. Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Service was launched by the Vice-President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia on 14 December 2021. This brought all the technical and vocational programs run by 19 different Ministries under the armpit of Ghana TVET Service with the Director-General reporting to the Minister and the Ministry of Education just like the Director-General of Ghana Education Service and other agencies under the Ministry to ensure the smooth running of the Governments flagship program Free TVET for all. The Vice-President recalled that before the Akufo-Addo administration assumed office in 2017, many challenges including poor perception of TVET, multiplicity of standards, testing and certification systems, and informal TVET system that had been neglected and detached from formal sector affected the quality of TVET delivery in the institutions of Ghana. This made it difficult for the sector to become the key catalyst to spur industrialization and creation of decent jobs for the citizens of the country. In 2017 when the government of Akufo-Addo took office, it formed a 15-member Technical Committee with memberships from various Ministries and Agencies to establish the Ghana TVET Service. The Committee presented a Draft Bill to the Cabinet for approval in 2019, which was approved and sent to Parliament for ratification and on 29 December 2020 was signed by the President as the Pre-Tertiary Act, 2020 (Act 1049). Ghana will in the next few years benefit immensely from the governments remarkable policy interventions that have transformed Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), the New Patriotic Party(NPP) Member of Parliament for Kwesimintsim, Dr Prince Hamid Armah, said. Mr Speaker, if you look at our school system, there are two pathwaysthe grammar type and the TVET sector. Yet we have focused attention over the years on the grammar type at the expense of TVET. There has been serious and significant investment in the grammar type without commensurate investment in the TVET, he observed. The basic purpose of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) is to equip the youth with the technical and professional skills needed for socioeconomic and industrial development of the country. The emphasis is on training people for self-employment. Samuel Kojo Odoom of Mechanical Engineering Department at Takoradi Polytechnic, Emmanuel Kobina Payne, Electrical & Electronic Engineering Department at Takoradi Polytechnic and Doris Akua Boateng (Mrs.), Assistant Registrar/Administrator at Takoradi Polytechnic published a research paper in American Journal of Engineering Research (AJER) 2016, Volume-5, Issue-7, pp-280-285 about Prospects of TVET for Ghanas Industrial Development and concluded that TVET is critical for the countrys development in forwarding its goal to create competent, motivated, adaptable and innovative workforce to transfer accumulated and demanded technologies. They stated that this would contribute to poverty reduction, social and economic development which is relevant to all sectors of the economy at all levels and to all people. But successive governments underlined the role of TVET in poverty reduction hence the Ministry of Educations main thrust, is to fight poverty through accelerated TVET strategy for economic growth. This could be achieved mainly through hands-on job application and employment creation through micro and SME of the private sector development. TVET is expected to play a key role in this strategy by building the required motivated and competent workforce. Government envisages TVET to provide the necessary relevant and demand driven education and training that corresponds to the needs of economic and social sectors for employment and job creation. The strategy further stresses the need for an increasing role and involvement of the private sector and non-governmental organizations as well as community involvement in the delivery of educational services. In order to avoid the mismatch between the available resources with increasing demands, measures for improving efficiency and cost effectiveness are called for, they said. The government should be resilient and should not listen to political opportunists that are urging for IMF bailout to put a stop to its efforts, but continue to harness local resources to built the economy, especially the training of the youth. IMF bailout would be a catastrophe to the development of the country and should never again be an option for the country. An Accra High Court has ordered the State to file disclosures in a murder trial of a Togolese national, who allegedly defiled and strangled a 7-year old at Atadeka-Zenu in the year 2015. Lucas Agboyie is being held on the charge of murder of Ruth Ankomah, a minor. The Court, presided over by Mrs Justice Elfreda Denkyi, gave the orders after the State and the accused's counsel had given their opening addresses before a seven member jury. The State, led by Mrs FranciscaTete-Mensah, a Principal State Attorney (PSA), in her opening address, indicated that the State would be calling nine witnesses, including the Pathologist to prove the charge of murder. The State said the prosecution's evidence would include oral testimonies of eye witnesses, the accused's investigation caution and charge statements, Post Mortem report, pictures of the crime scene, exhibits of the deceased, and Police forensic report on three wrappers of dried leaves found on the accused person. Agboyie's counsel in his opening address, urged the seven member jury to scrutinise witnesses that the prosecution would call. The matter has been adjourned to April 11, to ascertain if all documents of the State had been served on the accused and his lawyer. The accused is said to have murdered the victim (Ruth Ankomah), a pupil of Zenu, Ashaiman. On April 19, 2015, at about 0800 hours, the victim's mother prepared porridge and gave the victim GHC20.00 to purchase bread at a nearby shop for breakfast. The victim's mother, after waiting for some time without the victim showing up, became alarmed and started searching for her in the area but to no avail. Later, the victim's mother was informed that the accused was seen pulling the victim into his container. A search team was mounted, and the body of the victim was found lying in a supine position on an old student mattress with blood oozing from her nostrils and mouth. The search team arrested Agboyie and he confessed killing the victim and having sex with the dead body. When the Police visited the scene in April 2015, bruises were found on the neck of the deceased with her vagina swollen while her pants, sandals and dress were lying beside her. The Police also discovered two wrappers of cannabis sativa, GHC10.00, NHIS Card and another hospital card bearing the name of Obeng Oscar. The deceased's body was deposited at the morgue and an autopsy conducted indicated that the deceased died of consistent strangling. When he was first put before the District Court in the year 2016, the accused confessed killing the victim and having sex with the corpse. Agboyie was committed to stand trial at the High Court, but his lawyer filed an application for an order for a psychiatric examination. After the psychiatric examination, it came to light that the accused was fit to stand trial. GNA The Savannah Regional Chairman for the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), Alhaji Iddrisu Sulemana on Monday, March 14, donated some benches to the Ghana National Fire Service at their headquarters at Damongo in the West Gonja Municipality of the Savannah Region. The donation was done after the Command made a passionate appeal to Alhaji Iddrisu Sulemana to assist them with benches during an interaction with senior officers of the service. The senior fire service officers at the time lamented the lack of adequate furniture for recruits who are currently doing their attachment at the Regional headquarters. Hajia Baby who received the benches on behalf of the Regional Fire Service Commander in the company of the Municipal Fire Service Commander, Administrator and other senior officers of the service, conveyed words of appreciation to the NPP Regional Chairman for his kind gesture and charged others to emulate him. Special Aide to the Savannah Regional Chairman, Mr. Kanyiti Saburu Kantama did the donation on behalf of Alhaji Iddrisu Sulemana also known as Professor Kalamonia. Mr Kwame Agyeman-Budu - Managing Director of ECG 15.03.2022 LISTEN Workers of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) say they do not want a contract extension for their Managing Director, Kwame Agyeman-Budu who has reportedly attained the mandatory retirement age of 60. The workers led by their divisional leadership under the Trade Union Congress (TUC) are calling for the immediate exit of the MD. According to the workers, the MD has refused to stay away and continue to parade himself as MD and signing official documents. They added that, the MD reached the 60 years mandatory retirement on February 21, 2021. The earlier petition sent through the board chair informing the board that, staff will not work with the MD due to non-performance and retirement is yet to receive any response. In April 2021, the workers initiated similar agitations asking for the removal of their Managing Director, Mr Kwame Agyeman-Budu. According to the workers, mainly from the junior and senior staff association, Mr Agyeman-Budu was "mismanaging" ECG, hence they want his immediate removal. In a press statement announcing their resolution, the workers accused the MD of breaching procurement processes. Below is a copy of the press statement by the workers: RESOLUTION OF JUNIOR AND SENIOR STAFF UNIONS FOLLOWING THEIR NATIONAL EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE (NEC) MEETING ON FRIDAY, 9TH APRIL 2021 AT THE ECG TRAINING SCHOOL Consumers who have been considering installing a rooftop solar system now have a reason to make a decision. A legislative bill reducing buy-back rates that investor-owned utilities must pay for solar power sent back to the grid now awaits the governors signature. Advertisement If enacted, all 101,471 existing rooftop solar owners in Florida and those building a system through December 31, 2023 will have 20 years to enjoy full retail credit for the excess power they send back to the grid. That grandfather clause would also apply to consumers who install solar before January 1, 2024. After failing to stop the bill, which was written and promoted with help from Florida Power & Light, the states largest utility, advocates for solar and green energy now hope to persuade Gov. DeSantis to veto it. Advertisement If hes looking at the polling data, then yes, he should, says Kate Chiles Ottenweller, southeast director for California-based advocacy group Vote Solar. The current policy of requiring utilities to pay full retail rates for excess power they buy from rooftop solar owners, she said, is an incredibly popular policy across the political spectrum. Will Giese, southeast Florida director of the trade group Solar Energy Industries Association, said he hopes DeSantis vetoes the bill. Otherwise, hes choosing monopoly utilities over a thriving and growing solar economy in the state, Giese said. [ RELATED: FPL says rooftop solar customers arent paying fair share. Solar advocates say FPL wants to kill their industry ] But legislators supporting the bill agreed with FPLs argument that 4.6 million of its residential customers are unfairly subsidizing the cost of keeping 31,700 connected to the grid. An FPL spokesman told the South Florida Sun Sentinel in February that solar customers are avoiding $90 in monthly costs that non-solar customers pay on their behalf. The utility projected that statewide annual subsidies of solar users within its customer base would increase from $30 million a year in 2021 to $80 million a year in 2025 as more of its customers install solar systems. Solar advocates disagreed, saying that rooftop solar owners actually save utilities money by reducing the need to expand generating capacity. With their argument all but lost, solar proponents say they are at least happy with compromises forged by legislators that create a glide path that gradually decreases buy-back rates through 2028 and locks them in for those customers for 20 years. After 2028, the Public Service Commission would have to develop a rate structure that would require new solar consumers to pay full retail rates for electricity they buy, but limit buy-back credits to the wholesale rates that utilities would otherwise pay to generate electricity. For FPL customers, that wholesale rate is less than half of the current 12-cent retail rate. Heres the glide path that legislators added to the bill. Each rate would remain in effect for 20 years: Advertisement Owners of rooftop solar systems installed in Florida before January 1, 2024 must pay retail rates for electricity purchased from investor-owned utilities and those utilities must credit those customers next months bills the full retail rate of excess energy those customers send back to the grid. For systems installed between January 1, 2024 and December 31, 2025, owners will be credited at 75% of the full retail rate. For systems installed between January 1, 2026 and December 31, 2026, owners will be credited at 60% of the full retail rate. For systems installed between January 1, 2027 and December 31, 2028, owners will be credited at 50% of the full retail rate. [ RELATED: FPL says rooftop solar customers arent paying fair share. Solar advocates say FPL wants to kill their industry ] Utilities, however, are allowed to petition the Public Service Commission at any time after January 1, 2024, according to a legislative analysis of the bill, to impose any combination of fixed charges, including base facilities charges, electric grid access fees, or monthly minimum bills to ensure that the utility recovers the fixed costs of keeping solar customers on the grid and that the general body of ratepayers does not subsidize customer-owned or leased generation. And the bill also allows utilities to petition the Public Service Commission to move up the scheduled January 1, 2029 net metering expiration date if a utility expects total solar generation among its ratepayer base to reach 6.5%. Less that 1% of FPL customers have rooftop solar systems. Rooftop solar owners and their lobbyists attended numerous committee hearings during the legislative session warning that the bill, if enacted, would destroy Floridas emerging residential solar industry. How it will affect solar industry providers remains to be seen, advocates said in interviews. Over the next year and a half, the bill could provide a boost to the industry if it compels homeowners who have been thinking about solar to make the leap. I think its reasonable to expect a rush from customers who have been thinking, dont do it, to go ahead and install while the full credits are in place, said George Cavros, Florida director and energy policy attorney for the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy. Advertisement [ RELATED: Boynton Beach man bought Tesla storage batteries for his solar system and pays almost nothing to FPL. Is this the future of solar? ] After that, the question becomes how strong demand for solar systems will remain as electricity buy-back rates decline through the rest of the decade. And that answer depends on whether rooftop solar installations can continue to save consumers enough money to offset the cost of purchase and installation. One possibility is that storage battery costs continue to fall, enabling consumers to keep most of what they generate without having to sell it back to their utilities. Benefits of this arrangement would depend on how much utilities will be allowed to charge for access to the grid. The second possibility is that a package of infrastructure bills proposed by the Biden Administration will increase and extend the current 26% federal tax credit for rooftop solar systems. Also, prices of solar systems could continue to fall. Theyre now about 70% less than they were a few years ago. 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. 15.03.2022 LISTEN The reconstruction of the La General Hospital has begun after two years it was abandoned, although it was to commence immediately after the old facility was demolished. The old health facility was brought down in March 2020 due to the dilapidated nature of the structures. The Minority in Parliament and residents of La and its environs have criticised the government over delays in the construction of the Hospital. In a Citi News interview, the foreman in charge of the construction project, Zakaria Ewuntomah, said work has begun and will be completed within 3 years. We brought the equipment two weeks ago, but from yesterday [Sunday], we started clearing the ground, and we have started making the demarcations. This is a three-year contract, so we are working from now and the rest of the materials will be brought in later. We are now employing a lot of workers who will finish the work in 3 years time, he said. Meanwhile, some residents who spoke to Citi News said it was too early to be jubilant, as they doubted the government's commitment to complete the project. The Presidential Advisor on Health to President Nana Akufo-Addo, Dr. Nsiah-Asare Anthony Nsiah Asare, last week said the project will not be completed by the August 2022 deadline due to the delays, but the government will make efforts to ensure that they speed up the work. They cannot finish the hospital in August. The pressure will be put on them to work as quickly as possible to finish the work in record time. He said the hospital, when completed, will provide much more health services to the people of La and surrounding communities. The project is being financed by a credit facility from Standard Chartered Bank of the United Kingdom, with an export credit guarantee from Sinosure of the People's Republic of China, to the tune of 68 million with an insurance cover of 3,860,349.18. The project will be undertaken by a Chinese company, Poly Changda. Upon completion, it will be transformed into a 160-bed facility and will be fitted with an outpatient department; inpatient wards; maternity and neonatal services; surgical unit with four theatres; accident and emergency department; public health department; pharmacy unit; laboratory; administration; imaging area, with CT Scan, X-ray room, ultrasound, fluoroscopy, mammography units; physiotherapy unit; and a mortuary. The facility, which was formerly known as the La Polyclinic, was established in the early 1960s. It mainly serves residents of La, Osu, Teshie, Nungua and its surrounding areas with their healthcare needs. ---citinewsroom The Chief Executive Officer of the Mental Health Authority (MHA), Dr Akwasi Osei, has said the more-than a century-old Accra Psychiatric Hospital is currently like a congested prison but its redevelopment in phases, which starts from June 2022, aims to upgrade it to a 220-bed state-of-the-art facility. Denying reports by the Herald newspaper that the 12-acre property on which the hospital sits has been sold to a developer with links to Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta for private purposes, Dr Osei said the facility, which was originally built as an asylum in 1906, is currently not fit for purpose in terms of architecture and functionality as well as not dignifying for the inmates. Dr Osei told Kwame Obeng Sarkodie on Accra100.5FMs morning show Ghana Yensom on Tuesday, 15 March 2022 that even though it has undergone several bouts of charity-funded retrofitting over the decades, the deteriorating facility needs a facelift. It wasnt really built as a hospital but an asylum, Dr Osei told Obeng Sarkodie. The upgrade of the Accra Psychiatric Hospital a la the Ridge Hospital (now Greater Accra Regional Hospital) redevelopment project, is scheduled to start in June 2022, Dr Osei revealed. He explained that the phased nature of the intended redevelopment will allow the facility to juggle the inmates around as the work proceeds since it will not necessitate a one-go raze of the whole facility. In his view, the current facility is very primitive in nature, which does not speak well of Ghana to the rest of the world, thus, the need for redevelopment. For instance, he noted that the special ward for serious and forensic cases, which is meant for between 40 and 60 people now houses about 120 patients. According to him, the new facility will be less sprawling than the current 600-bed primitive one since all the regional and district hospitals being put up across the country under the governments Agenda 111 project, have psychiatric units to cater to the needs of patients in all corners of the country, thus, needless to have them converge on the Accra Psychiatric Hospital for such care. He said Sutherland and Sutherland Associates are the architects working on the project but said he did not know who the contractor was Source: Classfmonline.com Two pastors of the Ghana New Life Evangelistic Association have been charged for forgery of documents by an Accra Circuit Court. Alex Osei, age 52, and Peter Enyo, age 45, both pastors of the church have been accused of forging the signatures of some other pastors of the church, who are the complainants, to file a suit at an Accra High Court against their church director without their consent. They have therefore been remanded by the court presided over by Mr. Emmanuel Essandoh to reappear on March 16, 2022. Narrating the case to the court, the prosecuting officer, Inspector Eric Pobee indicated that the complainants in the case are Kwaku Twumasi Asante, who resides at Tabora-Accra, Jonathan Bannerman, who resides at Mendskrom-Accra and Appiah Kubi, resident of Asanti Bekwai. He said the accused persons and the complainants are pastors and members of the Ghana New Life Evangelistic Association, which has its head in Germany, where the members used to receive their financial assistance and support. According to him, the pastors and the members noticed that there had been a series of forgeries in their documentations by some group of pastors including first and second accused persons with intent to take over the association and its property from the German founder, Rev. John Andre. He said this act compelled Rev. John Andre to suspend their financial support from February 2020. As a result, the prosecutor added that a meeting was held at Kasoa for all the members, including the complainants, in an effort to have the challenge addressed. In the course of the meeting, first accused person (Alex) insisted that all the members present at the meeting including the complaints wrote their names and also appended their signatures in the attendance book, the prosecutor pointed out. C/Insp Pobee added that some months after the meeting, the complainants realised that first and second accused persons had forged their signatures to bring a legal action against one of their directors. He continued that, on December 21, 2021, a complaint was lodged with the police where the first accused person was apprehended and in his caution statement, admitted the offence and mentioned second accused person as one of his accomplices who assisted him in preparing the said forged documents and filed same at the high court. The prosecuting officer stated that on January 24, 2022, second accused person was also arrested, stressing accused persons failed to lead police to reach their other accomplices. Accused persons were charged to appear before this court while investigation is still ongoing to apprehend their accomplices. The accused persons have, however, pleaded not guilty to their charges and have been remanded into police custody. ---Daily Guide Ghana marked her 65th Independence Anniversary in Washington DC with a thanksgiving service organized in collaboration with the Council of Ghanaian Pastors and Churches (COGPAC) and the Gospel Light International Church in Tacoma, Maryland on Sunday, March 6, 2022. H.E Hajia Alima Mahama, the Ambassador hosted a reception at the Chancery of the Embassy of Ghana in Washington DC on Monday, 7th March 2022 as part of the activities to commemorate Ghanas 65th Independence Anniversary celebration. The theme for this years celebration was Working Together, Bouncing Back Better. Mr. Ernest Amporful, the Head of Chancery welcomed the guests and explained why Ghana had every reason to celebrate this years independence anniversary. He reminded the gathering that Ghana had been spared from the various challenges of hunger, diseases, ravages of conflicts and insecurities that have bedevilled the subregion since most of her neighbours gained their independence from colonial rule. He added that, regardless of the countrys current economic difficulties, there is every cause to be thankful to God for sustaining the peace in the country. Subsequently, Mr. Amporful introduced Ambassador Alima Mahama after the National Anthem had been sung by the U.S based Tema Choir. Addressing the gathering, Her Excellency Ambassador Hajia Alima Mahama asked compatriots to take pride in Ghana which today is seen as a peaceful and stable country where everyone enjoys the liberties associated with free speech and rule of law. She observed that As Ghana marked this milestone, we stand here proud of the road we have traversed as a country and the positive strides we have made in nation building in the process. She acknowledged the presence of the African diplomatic corps and expressed her appreciation for their warm welcome and cooperation since she assumed office. Touching on the theme for the celebration Working Together, Bouncing Back Better she said at the onset of the corona virus in Ghana, government instituted a number of economic stimulus measures such as the Corona Virus Alleviation Programme and the Emergency Response Plan aimed at providing economic relief to the people of Ghana. Some of the relief included the provision of free water and sanitation services, subsidies on electricity for households and businesses. Also, the Government launched the alleviation and revitalization of enterprises support which was a credit support package intended to support businesses over the 2 and half year period with aim of mitigating the impact of the pandemic. Again, there was the Ghana Cares (Obaatanpa) programme with Ghc100 billion targeting five key sectors of the economy, that is, agriculture, manufacturing, health engineering, ICT and housing and construction. Ambassador Mahama commended Ghanaians for their ingenuity by turning the dire situation into business opportunities through the production of locally made hand sanitizers, personal protection equipment and facemasks for the local market and also for export to the neighboring countries. She further mentioned some of the various health initiatives currently being pursued by the Government including the Agenda 111 which is aimed at undertaking major infrastructural investments in the health care sector through the construction of various health centers across districts and regions in Ghana that do not have a hospital. Continuing, Ambassador Mahama expressed Ghanas appreciation to the Government of the United States of Ghana for its support in the fight against the COVID19 pandemic in the country. Concluding, Ambassador Mahama reiterated that the Government of Ghana valued the contributions of every Ghanaian both home and abroad towards the socio-economic development of the country. She therefore advised them to channel some of their earnings back home for investments and assured them of the protection and security of their investments in the country. Subsequently, she proposed a toast in honour of President Nana Akufo-Addo and President Joe Biden as well as for the continuous progress of the two countries. In a reply speech, Mr. Michael Gonzalez, the US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State in charge of African Affairs expressed appreciation for the invitation. On behalf of President Joe Biden and the people of the United States of America, he congratulated the government of Ghana on its 65 years of nationhood as well as for the positive socio-economic transformation of the country over the period. He expressed the hope the current bonds of friendship between the two countries would grow from strength to strength. The celebration continued with performances by various cultural groups. Present at the reception were various members of the African Diplomatic Corps, Council of Ghanaian Associations, Ghanaian Professionals Associations, friends of Ghana, the media, and many others. Deputy Assisstant Secretary Of State For Africa.jpeg African Diplomatic Corp Diplomatic Corp Of Various African Countries Embassy Staff Guests Hon Atta Boafo , Consular General Of New York And Hajia Alima Militar Attache's From Ghana And Other African Countries At least seven people, including four volunteers in an anti-jihadist militia, have been killed in the fifth attack to strike northern Burkina Faso in under a week, security sources said Tuesday. "Armed men on Monday morning attacked a (water) drilling site at Tonri Oulo" in Soum province, one source told AFP. "While sabotaging the installation, they shot dead three civilians and wounded three others. Four members of the VDP (Volunteers for the Defense of the Homeland) who tried to counter the attackers were also killed," the source added. A local official confirmed the attack, putting the toll at about 10 casualties, seven of whom had died. "Two other drilling sites were sabotaged by the terrorists," the source said. "A few weeks ago, they sabotaged mobile phone installations and now they are trying to choke the town by cutting off supplies." Analysts say they have seen a shift in recent weeks by jihadist groups operating in Burkina's troubled north and east. "It consists of isolating strategic towns by cutting off access roads and communications," Mahamoudou Sawadogo, a specialist on security in the Sahel, told AFP. Last week, 23 civilians and 13 gendarmes died in four attacks around Dori, one of the biggest towns in the northeast. It was the bloodiest series of attacks since a military junta, headed by Lieutenant-Colonel Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba, took power in January. Disgruntled officers toppled elected president Roch Marc Christian Kabore, who had been facing protests over his handling of the bloody jihadist insurgency. Violence led by groups affiliated to Al-Qaeda and the so-called Islamic State group has killed more than 2,000 people and displaced at least 1.7 million, according to an AFP tally. Map locating attack on military base in Soum. By AFP In January alone, 160,000 fled their homes, a group of international charities said last Thursday. A court in Zimbabwe on Tuesday rejected a bid to dismiss a case against New York Times freelancer Jeffrey Moyo, who is accused of helping foreign journalists gain false accreditation, and his trial will resume in late April, Moyo's lawyer said. Moyo, 37, was arrested in May last year on allegations of providing fake media accreditation cards to South Africa-based Times reporters Christina Goldbaum and Joao Silva so they could enter neighbouring Zimbabwe for a week-long assignment. In February, a regional court in the southwestern city of Bulawayo heard five witnesses for the prosecution, several of them state officials, before Moyo's lawyers filed a bid to dismiss the case. But on Tuesday, Regional Magistrate Mark Dzira ruled that the case should go ahead. "We had made an application to have the case dismissed," said Moyo attorney Kathleen Mpofu. "Unfortunately, the magistrate found that the state had sufficient evidence to warrant Jeffrey Moyo be put to his defence," she said. "So we are coming back to court on the 28th April for the opening of the defence case, where we will bring our own witnesses to try and dispute the charges that have been brought against Moyo." The Zimbabwe Media Commission (ZMC), which is responsible for issuing media accreditation, claimed the foreign journalists had been denied clearance to work in the country and that their names did not appear on their accreditation register. Zimbabwe has a history of thorny relations with the foreign press. It introduced legislation in the early 2000s barring foreign journalists from working in the country for long periods and requiring them to seek accreditation for every assignment. The law has since been scrapped, but accompanying regulations remain on the books. The opposition National Democratic Congress in the Volta Region has slammed the Minister of Interior, Ambrose Dery for the unsatisfactory answers to the question posed by Dzifa Gomashie, Member of Parliament for Ketu South in the region, concerning the number of approved security barriers on the Aflao to Accra highway. The Minister in his answer to the question termed some barriers as snap checkpoints which serve as a second layer to prevent the entry of terrorists and prevent the spread of Covid-19. Mr. Sorkpa K. Agbleze the NDCs Volta Regional Communication Officer expressed this dissatisfaction in a statement he signed. According to him, the NDC sees this explanation as a deliberate attempt by the Minister of Interior to hoodwink the people to believe Covid-19 and terrorists attacks are the reasons for the barriers. Nobody is impressed with this worrying misrepresentation by the Minister, except those who are delighted with the suffering of the people affected, the statement said. It explained that the many snap checkpoints on the Aflao-Accra, Ho-Accra Highway, makes no security sense when the countrys borders are porous. Lessons across the sub-region prove this is not the best strategy in preventing terrorists from entering the country, it added. The statement stressed that the phenomenon of Boko Haram in Nigeria, Chad, and Cameron is a result of their porous borders, same applies to Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb or AQIM in the Sahel regions including northern Mali, southern Algeria, and northern Niger. The statement said if terrorists have taken a foothold in these countries because of their porous borders, it will be prudent and appropriate for Ghana to strengthen its porous borders to prevent terrorists from entering the country. It further said the position of the Minister of Interior that checkpoints are to prevent terrorists and Covid-19 is difficult to accept under prevailing circumstances. Should we allow terrorists free entry into the country, through our porous borders, before pursuing them through our inland snap checkpoints? the NDC queried. In addition, NDC Volta also said it finds the position of the Minister that the barriers are to prevent the spread of Covid -19, not only absurd but also unscientific. How can the numerous security checkpoints without any Covid - 19 surveillance tests be a check on its spread? the NDC asked The NDC in the Volta Region is, therefore, calling on the Minister of Interior for the quick removal of the 14 snap checkpoints/barriers on the Aflao-Accra, Ho-Accra Highway because in their view, they constitute a frustrating impediment to the free movement of citizens rather than providing any form of security for them. We see the position of the Minister that the borders will not be opened soon and the call on those affected by the closure to access the Obatampa Agricultural programme as not being in touch with reality. The Minister must be aware that the majority of the people do not qualify to access funds from the Obatampa programme with GCB, ABSA, etc, hence, his recommendation is out of touch with the reality confronting the suffering masses, the NDC stated. The NDC in the Volta Region affirmed its belief in the removal of the barriers on the Accra to Aflao Highway and the quick and unconditional opening of the Aflao Border in accordance with the timetable given by the ECOWAS Heads of states since according to them, the majority of the people along the border are suffering from acute starvation and loss of their livelihood Source: Classfmonline.com 15.03.2022 LISTEN Captain Smart, a Ghanaian journalist at Onua TV, coming across as a fearless and vociferous person in the media circle, is noted for speaking his mind on issues concerning Ghana and her politics. For lack of time, I shall quickly address my observations about Captain Smart with regard to his absurd infatuation with distorting facts to suit his diabolic agenda against the ruling NPP government. I wonder why and how he has come to hate the government and her top members with passion. Should he be telling the public the absolute truth without holding back some facts, l would have had no qualms about it. Should he be revealing their acts of malfeasance, abuse of power and incompetences, he would surely have my support. However, his intentional desire to tell half-truths is a cause for concern. Let me treat the following three issues to expose Captain Smart's ill-intent about the ruling government and his determination to bring about the downfall of the government. He informed the Ghanaian public on his Onua TV during his morning show programme of Monday, 14 March 2022 that: 1. President Nana Akufo-Addo sent a plane to Ukraine to bring over the stranded Ghanaian students studying in the country. However, one male student among them decided not to join the aircraft home. Captain Smart asked the public why the student did not come to Ghana along with the others, although President Nana Akufo-Addo had promised to give each student US$500 free immediately upon their arrival in Ghana? He explained that it is because of the hopelessness and harshness of the conditions of living in Ghana under the NPP government. The said student refusing to be evacuated sees life far better in warring Ukraine than in Ghana hence his decision to stay back, Captain Smart alleged. Some of his listeners phoning in later to pass their comments and congratulations did buy into his nonsensical explanation. My question to Captain Smart to prove him a little-minded diabolic individual is, how does he see and judge all the many other Ghanaian students that boarded the plane to come to Ghana? If Ukraine is better than Ghana even in its war with Russia, why did almost all the Ghanaian students leave except one? For the public information, the one student that stayed behind had earlier informed the world his willingness to stay to join the war in behalf of Ukraine as a foreign volunteer upon Ukraine's presidents appeal to the world for foreign volunteers to fight Russia. 2. On Sunday, 13 March 2022, four fatal accidents that culminated in the death of a number of Ghanaian commuters did occur. One happened in Nkawkaw. Another happened in the Central region, the Volta region and finally elsewhere. More than twenty people lost their lives with many others seriously injured with the vehicles damaged beyond repairs or recognition. From credible witnesses' view, all the four vehicles had the accidents owing to the usual bemoaned carelessness of overtakings by drivers. However, Captain Smart in his assertive propaganda to paint the government darker than it is, blamed the accidents on the non-availability of dual-carriage roads in Ghana but only single lane roads. He made the public understand that the successive governments are corrupt, myopic and unfit for purpose hence always squandering the money they could use to construct double-carriage roads to avoid motor accidents on Ghanaian roads? What has the double or single carriage road got to do with the noted careless overspeeding and overtaking by the drivers? 3. He claims to see no reason why the Ghana Education Service should require secondary school teachers occupying school bungalows to pay rent effective from year 2006? He tried to assign his usual stupid, diabolic and myopic reasons to why the teachers should not pay the rent which is 10% of their basic salary. My question to Captain Smart is, why should the teachers living on campus in school bungalows not pay rent but their colleagues living outside campus pay rent to private landlords? Is that fair on them? Finally, his infatuation with supporting public uprising but not a coup d'etat to kick out the current government from office is amazing. I shall treat his constant call for uprising in detail once l have access to a desktop computer or laptop but not when using smartphone as l am currently compelled to. I shall be taking on Captain Smart as long as he continues to twist facts to suit his diabolic agenda against Ghana in pursuit of his parochial interests. Rockson Adofo Tuesday, 15 March 2022 The Bunkpurugu Health Center in the Bunkpurugu-Nakpanduri district of the North East region has been hit with shortage of medicine. The situation has compelled patients who go to the health center to buy their medicines outside due to the shortage. A visit to the health center showed that relatives of patients on admission at the facility had to move from the hospital to town in search of prescribed medicines. Information gathered indicated that some patients go as far as Nakpanduri and Nalerigu to buy medicine. It was also revealed that the Health Center had only two wards, the maternity ward, and another ward to contain both male and female patients admitted at the facility. Madam Konlan Minkal, who was on admission with her 3-year-old son told DGN online that the shortage of medicine at the facility is of great concern that needs immediate attention. When we were admitted they asked us to buy infusion, injections, and some other medicines and I had to leave my son with somebody here and go to town to get those items for the nurses to use it on my son so you can imagine if I had to travel to Nakpanduri or Nalerigu to get it my son's condition would have worsened. She appealed to the Ghana Health Service and the government to ensure that the facility is provided with medicines to enhance health care delivery. Mr.Nwumbei Bimbani who came to the facility with his pregnant wife said, after the doctor gave us paper to go to the hospital pharmacy for medicine but when we got there they gave us another paper and said we should to go town and buy the medicine. He, however, said the National Health Insurance does not work anymore adding that anytime they go to the hospital they end up paying for everything. At first we thought with the national health insurance card everything at the hospital is free but rather everything we pay for and buy almost everything so I think it's about time we just go back to the cash and carry system. SDGs The Sustainable Development Goal three (SDG-3), of which Ghana is a signatory, is about ensuring healthy lives and the promotion of the well-being of all at all ages. Meanwhile, the Northern Regional Health Director, Dr. John B. Eleeza, at the 2021 Annual Health Sector Performance Review Meeting at Nalerigu in the North East region, disclosed that the North East region owes the medical stores about Gh 6million. The reason why we do not have enough medicines in our facilities both the Northern and North East regions is that we have incurred debts so high that now the supplies are saying if you don't pay they won't supply. As at close of yesterday North East alone is owing about Gh 6million and Northern region is owing just about same and Savannah region is owing just a little above this so if we are not able to pay the people a time will come when we call they will not respond and our facilities will remain empty and remember when you go to the open market the prices are higher. ---DGN online Women in the construction sector have been advised to work together and recommend one another to clients to secure jobs in the sector to help them succeed in their chosen fields. Madam Ragadahu Abdul Wahab, Programme Manager at the Regional Advisory Information and Network Systems (RAINS), who gave the advice, told them that If you get a contract, and after delivering it, you can propose to the client that you have a friend, who is also very good at painting, or tiling, and should be contacted for such services. She gave the advice at a forum in Tamale for women in the construction sector as part of activities to celebrate this years International Womens Day (IWD) on the theme: Breaking the Bias in the Construction Sector. The forum was to share ideas on how the participants could brand themselves, use social media to project their work, and how to enhance the quality of their work to make them competitive in the construction sector. The IWD is commemorated in March every year to recognise the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. It was organised by RAINS, a non-governmental organisation, as part of its Pathways for Sustainable Employment for Youth and Women (PASEWAY) project implemented in partnership with Plan International with funding support from the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development of Germany. Under the project, some youth including females in the Tamale Metropolis and the Sagnarigu Municipality were assisted to acquire skills in the construction sector such as tile laying, plumbing, masonry, electrical works, painting, carpentry amongst others to enhance their chances of creating their own jobs and or gaining employment. This is also to amongst others bridge the gap between males and females in the countrys construction sector, which is dominated by males. Madam Wahab said such referrals and recommendations would help promote the work of women in the construction sector to help them to succeed in the male-dominated field. She also advised them to be confident, believe in themselves and break their self-barriers as well as work together as females in the sector to ensure their progress. Madam Gloria Osofa Akugri, Project Coordinator at RAINS urged the females in the construction sector to up their game to be competitive saying You can make it even though it is a male-dominated field if only you break the barriers within; that is challenging yourselves that you can do it and also taking the pain to research, learn from others to polish the skills that you have been supported to acquire and also being open minded in receiving feedback from clients. Miss Shafaw Dipantiche, who was assisted to learn Plaster of Paris ceiling fixing, shared her experience in the construction sector saying initially, her parents did not support her learning POP work but they became happy when she started working. She lauded the forum saying it had updated her knowledge as well as encouraged her to improve on her work to succeed in the sector. A house at 136 E Boca Raton Road in Boca Raton is demolished on Friday, March 11, 2022. The home was built in Boca Raton in 1925 by one of the citys first developers, Harley Gates. It also became the longtime home of Jack Cramer, the building contractor for the original City Hall building. It often was referred to as the Cramer House. The home had fallen into disrepair and was knocked down to make way for a proposed multi-use development as part of a downtown redevelopment project. (Mike Stocker/South Florida Sun Sentinel) BOCA RATON After staying in the downtown for 97 years, the home of one of Boca Ratons pioneers seemed like it might last forever. But then it was knocked down to accommodate new development. The long-lasting residence, at 136 E. Boca Raton Road, was built in Boca Raton in 1925 by one of the citys first developers, Harley Gates. It also became the longtime home of Jack Cramer, the building contractor for the original City Hall building. It often was referred to as the Cramer House. Advertisement The building had remained at the site ever since, undergoing various upgrades but also falling into disrepair, according to the sites owner and the Boca Raton Historical Society. Friday, it was knocked down to make way for a proposed multi-use development as part of a downtown redevelopment project, angering some local residents. A house at 136 E Boca Raton Road in Boca Raton is demolished on Friday, March 11, 2022. The home was built in Boca Raton in 1925 by one of the citys first developers, Harley Gates. It also became the longtime home of Jack Cramer, the building contractor for the original City Hall building. It often was referred to as the Cramer House. The home had fallen into disrepair and was knocked down to make way for a proposed multi-use development as part of a downtown redevelopment project. (Mike Stocker / South Florida Sun Sentinel) I understand the process of declaring buildings as historic is complicated. But it is sad that Boca Raton continues not to live up to its advertised claim of wanting to revere and preserve its history. With each historic building demolished, it rips off more of the veneer of this claim, downtown resident Alan Neibauer told the South Florida Sun Sentinel. Advertisement Comments on social media showed similar reactions from Boca residents, many of whom have opposed redevelopment of the downtown area. They often cite concerns with traffic, noise, rising costs of living and a loss of a smaller, beachside family-town vibe. Stop all this crazy development already! BOCA Never wanted to be NYC, one comment read. I never wanted to live in high-rise city!!! Another said: What happened to Boca Raton- build build build. [ RELATED: New Boca Raton buildings would offer 93 luxury apartments, a rooftop restaurant and an ATM-like parking garage ] The owner of the site, Anna and Alfred Aletto, are behind Aletto Square a proposed development project that would bring 93 luxury apartments, a rooftop restaurant and an ATM-like parking garage to the area. That particular home was a safety issue, said Carl Klepper Jr., the vice president of developer Compson Associates. It was in disrepair. The particular site of the Cramer House, if approved, will be where an automated parking garage and a portion of a residential building will go, Klepper said. The home was a Mediterranean revival-style build that attracted people who admired the exterior design, but the interior had not been kept up very well, according to Mary Csar, executive director of the Boca Raton Historical Society. The Boca Raton Historical Society has been concerned about the fate of Boca Raton Road, including the Cramer House, since 2006. This used to be the citys main street in the late 1940s and 50s, the organization says on its website. We also made several overtures to local property owners to consider historic designation for a possible historic district or as individual historic sites. Unfortunately, these were met with disinterest. A vintage photograph shows the Cramer House, a Boca Raton home build in 1925. It was the home of one of the city's earliest and most prominent developers, Jack Cramer. (Boca Raton Historical Society / Courtesy) The historical society did advocate to the community to find someone who might want to move it, but it was too late, Csar said. All we can do is advocate, not legislate. Advertisement Many of the other buildings that will eventually be demolished are also decades old, albeit not as old as the Cramer House. Property records show many of them built between the late 1930s and early 1960s. Austen Erblat can be reached at aerblat@sunsentinel.com, 954-599-8709 or on Twitter @AustenErblat. 15.03.2022 LISTEN Ghanaians especially the people of Effutu in the Central region have been urged to support and retain the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in ensuring the country achieve Sustainable Development Goal 4, which is targeted at free education by the end of 2030. Communication Officer for the NPP in Effutu constituency, Otabil Ellis has emphasized that the NPP has initiated a lot of policies in the educational sector that have benefited all Ghanaians. According to him, restoration of teachers' allowance, implementation of free SHS, provision of infrastructure, welfare of teachers and many others as some policies and interventions of the NPP that has greatly impacted Ghana's education. "We are in 2022 but the NPP has been able to achieve free education under the SDG 4 which is expected to be attained globally in 2030. If the NDC were in power, it would be crawling with progressively free education," he stated. Speaking on Lucky TV's morning show dubbed "Adekye Mu Nsem' on Monday, the NPP Communicator mentioned many projects that have been undertaken in senior high schools within the constituency that includes building of school blocks, laboratories, libraries, toilet facilities, dormitories among many others. Mr. Otabil Ellis stated that Effutu can now boast of 14 modern libraries to help students and pupils do research work and also improve their reading skills. He chided the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) of failing in the educational sector during their tenure and wondered why it always want to claim successes for no work done. He added, "the NPP government has provided laptops to teachers across the country to help improve teaching and learning and I am assuring teachers of many juicy interventions government intends to roll out to benefit all". What we know Renewable energy (RE) sources power transformational outcomes for community development projects from all sectors. To secure cross-cutting benefits, localized (or decentralized) RE initiatives need to embody the same essential feature of sustainable projects in general, which is that members of villages and neighborhoods first identify and then implement their own priorities for development and change. Dialogue is the vital action that forges mutually empowering relationships doing measurable socioeconomic and environmental good for community-driven projects. Free and sincere discussion together with all interested and impacted groups is critically necessary for engaging all parties in multi-stakeholder action planning. Morocco provides the freedom to achieve personal and collective development by integrating participatory approaches to advance education, health, and economic growth. In Morocco, civil society can flourish, people can gather, plant, and act together for the advancement of their community and municipality, and higher tiersby program, charter, and constitutionmust be committed to fulfilling this with all sectors. Morocco has established policy frameworks for sustainable development in decentralization; RE; agriculture; multiculturalism; the family code; south-south unity; regionalism; and fair open markets. Moroccan public agencies understand the urgency for development, and are likely to be fairly contributive when they are properly informed of projects of interest as they begin. Consider the case of a three-year decentralized RE program in the Marrakech-Safi region enabling fruit tree agriculture and clean drinking water systems, driven by a womens cooperative in the Youssoufia province and farming community members in the Al Haouz province. This development experience involves: 1) a multi-stakeholder partnership (MSP) with national and regional representation from public and private sectors, 2) funding and facilitation by this program (High Atlas Foundation and Germanwatch), and 3) the emergence of lessons informing policy reform. What occurred in regard to sustainable development, and how does that reveal strategies for replication, scalability, and policies for achieving participatory decentralized RE? The MSP elicits dialogue from different sectors because best decisions emerge from a collective point of view and direct interaction toward shared understanding and partnership. Morocco needs a new Ministry of Decentralization The High Atlas Foundation (HAF) and Germanwatch (GW) played the essential role of third party assistance for coordinating shared planning and actions that achieve the three outcomes. The necessity of this function in itself provides a critical lesson. Capacity building with civil society organizations, and even the delineation of a distinct ministry, is vital to bring parties together for common action. The new ministry would be a powerful fulfiller of this need, or the Ministry of Environment, which already operates as a convenor among other ministries, can be formally bestowed the responsibility of building decentralized partnerships for sustainability. Moroccan national decentralization and the enormity of such structuring across the collaboration in all directions will not just happen spontaneously. Projects need to be promoted by a vested institution who takes on that primary function. Decentralizationcommunity control of development, and personal and group empowermentis about cross-cutting action and follow-up, and people need to be trained and supported, including financially, to be the facilitators of Moroccan local and, ultimately, national sustainability. In this program, the Covid-19 experience exacted new operational reconsiderations. The funding that would have gone to national and international MSP conferences to promote decentralized RE instead went toward community projects that manifest its reality for rural disadvantaged people. Practical sustainability lies in the beneficiaries implementation, which is also what is really in the heart of the MSP members themselves. Importantly, most appropriate and supportive policies could not effectively be found without the experience and foresight provided by real application. RE replication thrives on human development What did we learn from this experience that could inform our own efforts toward replication, and what have we gained in terms of our understanding of policy reform and renewal that would result in rural communities across the kingdom coming together and accomplishing their dreams through renewable power? RE by nature will always be bound to the full landscape of human development. It inherently thrives on decentralized systems because of its constant need to adapt with local conditions. Thus, policies should reflect that it is the beneficiaries who are able to identify the particular qualities of the water-energy-food (WEF) nexus suited to the factors occurring in their specific community. In the interest of RE replication, supporting community management is the best assurance of integration possibilities. If adaptive management rests on local, biozone-specific data collection (in regards to water, soil, air, and so forth), data analysis, and informed decision-making, the decentralized system that then manifests from the community discussions and collaboration is symbiotic with adaptive practices. The considerations of the forms of RE of a particular place are more readily identifiable utilizing adaptive-related measurements. Decentralization is built with the continued mounting of more and more community-based sustainable projects. Clean drinking water remains the priority What has not changed in rural Morocco over decades is that clean drinking water remains the most commonly expressed priority. The implications of its lack of access are physically and socially destructive. It oppresses health, women and girls (who are tasked with retrieving water), and project prospects for basic quality of life. The damage of lack of clean drinking water upon children and families is incalculable. RE integrated with clean drinking systems allows children to grow healthy and girls to be freed from fetching water so they can attend school. Many clean drinking water systems that a community fortunately has to meet their needs might still malfunction because of households inability to pay for the energy for pumpage. RE-powered water delivery, by contrast, alleviates electricity and fossil fuel costs. Furthermore, with RE, village associationsincluding the ones in this programstill charge a fee (albeit a much more affordable one) for groundwater in proportion to the tonnage of water consumed by each household, which is enough to deter water waste. Communities must control their own development Sustainability means that communities control their own process of analysis and means of evaluation of project priorities, action planning, and management. Their vision and review of personal and developmental life conditions allow for decisions that enhance the likelihood of enduring benefits, whether in RE or any social development direction they determine. Therefore, if we seek decentralized RE, we need to first effectively deliver personal and group empowerment workshops that encourage discovery and confidence, leading to participatory discussion about development. We need to begin with building personal visions and affirmations to persist and move forward concertedly. When agricultural projects occur with farming villages without the Imagine womens empowerment and rights-based experience, household incomes and food security increases, but womens literacy and significant measurable womens and girls-based benefits do not. The local womens cooperative in Youssoufia, Kounoze Lkdirate, went through the Imagine workshop and participatory planning process, ultimately leading to a clean drinking water system and solar-powered regional nursery. A comparative study shows that agricultural development preceded by empowerment training leads to benefits including increases in girls participation in education and more robust cooperative development. Key Findings Morocco is positioned to accelerate toward a sustainable development position with local communities at the center through key national initiatives. Not only has this fact enabled our relatively quick implementation, but it also has allowed us to consider and actually pursue strategies for scaling. Decentralized RE requires commitment to funding beyond unexpected windfalls from uncontrollable external circumstances, such as shifts due to Covid-19 realities. To implement community projects, programs need to commit to funding where the people are and adapt to their project sustainability. Skilled and proactive organizers make partner participation worthwhile with greater inclusion. Community initiatives not only galvanized the MSP, but are now making a profound life difference for more than 1,000 people. Applied experiences illuminate policy directions that promote replication, such as the necessity of a new agency or ministry committed to multisectoral collaboration at all levels for local sustainability. Yossef Ben-Meir is President of the High Atlas Foundation in Morocco, a civil organization dedicated to sustainable development. Professor Samuel Kwaku Bonsu, the Rector of the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA), has announced plans by the management to launch its Endowment Fund on March 31, 2022. The Institute has also initiated steps to raise one billion cedis as seed capital for the fund. This seed capital will support student scholarships and raise GIMPAs infrastructure to global standards. Prof Kwaku Bonsu disclosed this in Accra when the GIMPA management met captains of the industry. The meeting was geared towards building more meaningful relationships for the mutual benefit of all parties. GIMPAs vision, Prof. Bonsu said, was to maintain its pacesetter reputation by engaging captains of industry in developing a new agenda for tertiary education training in Ghana. Prof Kwaku Bonsu explained that the GIMPA management has decided to reform their pedagogy towards the use of case studies; simulations and industrial practice to enable the Institute keep up with changes in global education. He emphasized that although GIMPA is a public institution, it is self-financing and does not earn any government subvention. Prof Kwaku Bonsu also stated that the endowment fund will make top flight undergraduate education at GIMPA free for brilliant and needy students in Ghana. As we know, there are many people across this country who are brilliant and have passed their university entrance exams with flying colors, but they cannot attend school for lack of funds. These are the students we are targeting with our endowment. "Ideally, we will like to make undergraduate education at GIMPA free for brilliant and needy students in Ghana, Prof Kwaku Bonsu said. In the President's speech at the Dubai- Expo 2020 he said, Ghana is the second largest cocoa producer in the world. We are the largest producer of gold in Africa. We are endowed with considerable deposits of bauxite, iron, manganese, lithium, oil and gas, diamond and timber What is gloomy is that being the largest producer of gold in Africa and the second largest producer of cocoa in the world, we are still struggling with portable water, inadequate electricity supply, quality education, hospital, youth employment, sanitation etc. In the face of all these blessings nature has blessed us with; Ghana is crippled with so many social, economic and development problems. We still continue to depend on foreign aid. Let me gently travel on to the President's speech without getting emotional. GOLD INDUSTRY Did you know that the largest producers of Gold in the world are China, Australia, Russia, Canada, USA and Ghana? All these countries are among the richest countries in the world except the obvious prodigal one which is not even among the richest in Africa. When one uses the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), which refers mainly to the natural resources of the country, Ghana and Nigeria are in the top 10. But when one uses the GDP per Capital, which refers to how much its citizens have benefitted (work) from the natural resources, Ghana is missing in the list. When one advances to use the Gross National Income (GNI) which refers to the income that the country has made from its natural resources, Ghana is absent again. There is an important memo here, which is though Ghana has huge natural resources; they have not benefitted its people. SIMPLE! Interesting, Seychelles which is the richest country in Africa by using GDP Per Capita and GNI has an economy that is only driven by fishing, tourism, boat building, processing Coconuts, sweet potatoes, tuna and banana. OIL INDUSTRY According to the Public Interest and Accountability Committee (PIAC) report, Ghana earned only US$6.55 billion out of the US$31.22 billion generated from its three oil producing fields. THE CHOCOLATE OR COCOA INDUSTRY According to a research co-authored by Mohammed Abubakar, an independent researcher, the chocolate industry is worth US$150 billion. West Africa supplies 70% of the world Cocoa in which Ghana is second. West Africa only receives less than US$6billion out of the US$ 150 billion. What is worse is that our policies prioritize Cocoa trade for foreign exchange rather than adding value domestically. Example is, natural cocoa butter is sold at an export rate of US$4,600 per ton but sold locally around US$ 7,300 per ton. Sales within free zone are tax exempt but the tax applies to domestic chocolate makers operating outside the free zone. Interestingly Ghana sells its Cocoa bean in US dollars to both domestic and international buyers. From valuing the President's speech using just Gold, Cocoa and oil, it is clear that we cannot be as proud as the President sounded. I feel we need to be troubled. I suggest we need to have a different mindset if we really want to grow this country. CONCLUSION I wish to agree totally with the words of the youth anthem which says, Arise Ghana Youth for your Country The Nation demands your Devotion Let us all unite to uphold her And make her great and Strong We are all involved 2x In building our Motherland Abraham Lartey Researcher and freelance journalist The Bono Regional Professionals Forum for the NDC (Bono Proforum) salutes the leadership and the entire 137 minority MPs of the parliament of Ghana for their gallantry display of patriotism in vehemently rejecting the 2022 killer budget. It is important to indicate, that this budget was already rejected by the ordinary people of Ghana before the commencement of debate on same on the floor of parliament. The Awudie budget as was branded by social media, the main stream media and the ordinary people on the streets of Ghana immediately after presentation by Ken Ofori Atta affirms this. The essence of governance ought to be for the protection of the interest of the governed, it is however obvious in less than a year after the questionable re-election of this NPP government that this important element of governance has been thrown to the dogs and therefore no structure of the NDC party including our minority caucus in parliament should be seen or even perceived to be facilitating that misguided disposition of a government in power. Bono Proforum reminds our Minority caucus in parliament that you remain the only voice and hope for the numerous jobless youth of this country whose expectations have been dampened by this budget, the struggling small and medium scale business owners who depend hugely on e-transactions for survival, the already over taxed and overburdened impoverished public and civil servants who are struggling to make ends meet with their meager incomes and would have been victims of double and triple tax if this repugnant killer budget was approved. You remain the only alternative voice for the struggling and disappointed majority of Ghanaians and you cannot fail us. We also congratulate the Rt Hon. Speaker - Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin for demonstrating courage and professionalism in the midst of attacks and intimidation from the selfish and insensitive majority caucus and the apparatchiks of the governing NPP by upholding the truth and identifying with the powerless and suffering voiceless majority. Bono Proforum assure you of our prayers and unflinching support. We recognize that, every elected government in Ghana has a four year mandate but we also understand that, participatory democracy does not end after election. When the opposition fails, the government fails. Ghanaians expect more of this patriotism and fortitude in your course of providing alternative governance to the people of Ghana until next election. Thank you. Signed Peter Suaka Secretary Bono Proforum Mohammed Bole, age 81, was returning from Pusiga to Bawku on his horse when he was shot and killed by an unknown assailant at Guzasi, a suburb of Bawku in the Upper East Region, on Monday, March 14, 2022. Some 18 others have been arrested after sporadic shooting at Bawku. According to the Bawku Municipal Police Commander, Superintendent of Police, Simon Akabati, when the police personnel arrived at the scene, the deceased had been shot multiple times, with sporadic shooting within the area. He said the 18 persons were in police custody in connection to the shooting and would be arraigned before court, while investigations into the cause of the killing continues. Security personnel were deployed to the scene to maintain law and order and calm has since been restored. Since November 2021, the Bawku Municipality and its environs had experienced violent chieftaincy disputes resulting in the killing and injuring of many. The conflict is as a result of the performance of the funeral of a chief of the traditional area, who died more than 41 years ago. The funeral, if performed, would pave the way for the enskinment of another chief. Currently, a curfew is in place from 2000 hours to 0500 hours and a ban on motorbike riding and wearing of smock within the Bawku Township and its environs. Meanwhile, the Government, through the Ministry of Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, in an earlier statement, said the chieftaincy disagreement was settled by the Supreme Court in 2003 and urged all parties to respect the ruling. More than 40 people have been killed, so far, with several injured since the reoccurrence of the impasse in November. GNA The Chief Executive Officer of Micro-finance and Small Loans Centre (MASLOC), Hajia Abibata Shanni Mahama Zakaria, has raised grave concerns about the poor recovery rate for loans advanced by her outfit over the years. Most beneficiaries of MASLOC loans, she observed, fail to repay the loans advanced to them, thereby impeding the sustainability of the programme. Hajia Abibata Shanni Mahama Zakaria is therefore calling for effective mechanisms to recover monies given to people under the programme, going forward, to ensure that many more qualified Ghanaians also benefit from the loans. She was speaking in Techiman last Monday when she paid a courtesy call on the Bono East Regional Minister, Kwasi Adu-Gyan, as part of her visit to the area. Objectives To give practical meaning to the poverty reduction agenda, the New Patriotic Party led-government, under the leadership of President Kufuor, launched the Microfinance and Small Loans Centre (MASLOC) in 2006. MASLOC provides micro and small loans for start-ups and small businesses with fast, easy and accessible microcredit and small loans to grow. The objective of MASLOC is to provide, manage and regulate, on a fiduciary basis, approved funds for microfinance and small-scale credit schemes and programmes and also serve as the apex body of the microfinance sub sector. For the purposes of the objective stated above, MASLOC engages directly or indirectly in microcredit and small loans business as well as promotes and enhances the development of a decentralized micro-financial system. In respect of operations with non-bank institutions and targeted end-users, it seeks to promote co-operation, collaboration and complementarities with other non-bank finance institutions. Sustainability The CEO and her team were in the Bono East Region to engage key stakeholders on the future of MASLOC, especially with regard to its sustainability. She was not happy with the recovery rate for loans disbursed in the Bono East Region in particular, saying out of the over eight million Ghana cedis that was disbursed to people in the region, only a little over two million Ghana cedis, representing 31 percent of the amount given, has been recovered. Kwasi Adu-Gyan, the Bono East Regional Minister, prayed the CEO and her team to consider reviewing the criteria for selecting beneficiaries and the disbursement formula for giving out loans to people. He proposed the creation of what he termed business cottages for organized groups in the communities to take advantage of their businesses instead of the current practice where individuals are given monies and they refuse to pay back. The Member of Parliament for Anyaa Sowutuom, Dr. Dickson Adomako Kissi is asking government may want to revisit the collection of road tolls which was cancelled few months ago. Speaking on the impact of the constant fuel hikes on the AM show on Joy News today, he noted that before the restoration of road tolls, measures should put in place measure to ensure that funds collected are directly wired to the national coffers to cushion Ghanaians. According to him, the constant fuel hikes is imperative government introduces drastic measures to salvage the situation before it gets out of hand. On a personal note, I think that maybe we need to revisit our toll system again. The revenue collection at the toll booth has to be taken straight to the main fund of the country and that process has to be perfected before we reintroduce it, he told the host. According to the MP, Zimbabwe in the midst of dire economic challenges turned its eye to road tolls, increased the fee and generated more revenues to restore the economy. He admitted that the cancellation of the tolls was just an exaggerated excitement with the notion that the Electronic Taxation Levy (E-Levy) would be passed swiftly. Let me be just honest about it. I think it was just a lot of excitement and thinking that maybe the E-levy would have just gone through and I think that we counted our eggs before they were hatched in literal terms, he confessed on the show. 15.03.2022 LISTEN As part of the Food and Drugs Authority's (FDA) routine market surveillance activities on food safety in 2021, about 30% of palm oils found on the Ghanaian market have failed the Authority's nationwide Zero Sudan IV dye test, an increase from 7.3% in 2018. In October last year, the Authority sampled palm oils from major markets across the country, including 10 major markets in Greater Accra, to test for the presence of Sudan IV dye, leading to several arrests. The laboratory analysis indicated that out of the 306 samples analysed, 70 representing failed the test for Sudan IV dye. Except for the Upper West Region, all the regions had one or more samples from their markets testing positive for the presence of Sudan IV dye, with Greater Accra recording the highest failure rate (60.8%). Some markets like Dome and the Mallam Attah Market in the Greater Accra Region had 100% failure for their samples analysed. Sudan IV dye is a chemical used in the production of textiles, leather, plastics, papers, hair, mineral oils, waxes, and cosmetics and is not to be ingested. The toxicity and illegal use of Sudan IV as food additives are strongly banned by the Food and Drugs Authority and other international bodies in the FAO/WHO Codex Alimentarius. Despite the enormous public education and sensitization activities on the health implications of adding Sudan IV dye in foods especially palm oils, such as hyperactivity in children, severe allergies, hives, migraine, and diseases such as cancer, producers and Ghanaian traders continue to use this chemical as an enhancer in palm oil due to consumers preference and demand for redness in their palm oil products. The FDA has initiated a rigorous public education campaign in major markets like Mallam Atta Market, Dome Market in Accra as well as other Satellite Markets across the country. As part of this campaign, more samples are continuously being sampled across the markets, and traders whose palm oil products fail the test will be made to face the full rigors of the law. Additionally, the FDA is in the process of introducing a traceability system for AgroProducts in the country, which would help in enhancing food safety issues as far as Agro products are concerned and safeguard the health and safety of the consuming public. Source: Food and Drugs Authority The Minority in Parliament wants the land borders to be opened with immediate effect for the free flow of goods and persons among neighbouring ECOWAS countries and the world at large. I will call on the President, supported by his Ministers for Health, and Interior, to take urgent practical steps for the re-opening of Ghanas land borders to allow for free flow of persons and goods across ECOWAS and around the world, said the Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu. Addressing the press on Tuesday, March 15, 2022, Haruna Iddrisu, asked government to take urgent steps to open up the borders giving access to people who trade via the land borders. Admitting that the world is not out of the woods yet, he said normalcy should at least be restored with the movement of goods and services through land borders. He continued to say that the government has no justification for the continued closure of land borders. Post COVID-19, we are not out of the woods yet, but we want to see a return to normalcy with the movement of goods and services through or borders, and therefore no matter what the proactive measures government wants to take, there can be no justification for the continues closure of the land borders. Therefore, we, as Minority, call on the President as chair of ECOWAS to do the needful, giving meaning to the resolution he so cheered for. Furthermore, in the press address, the Member of Parliament for Tamale South also mentioned that the COVID-19 test charged Ghanaians and international travellers at the Kotoka International Airports by Frontiers is a rip-off and should be reviewed, and made free for Ghanaian citizens. There is no way anybody pays $150 dollars for a COVID-19 test in the world. The least you pay is $50 and $100 maximum. For non-Ghanaians to be compelled to pay an amount of $150 in the name of COVID test in which its procurement is questionable, and raises eyebrows on the fact that Covid is being used as a caveat to make money instead of combating a pandemic, we do not think that persons travelling to Ghana from abroad be made to pay $150. We consider this a rip-off and too high. Even $50 dollars for Ghanaian citizens is too much. It should be free for Ghanaians. I would lead a motion very soon, supported by the Hon. Ablakwa and the Hon. Akandoh to demand accountability from Frontiers, in order to account for all the $150 dollars they charge travellers. The land borders since 2020 have been closed as part of measures to prevent the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic, just like other countries did. However, two years down the line, the borders are still closed while other restrictive measures are eased up. Restrictions were placed on the number of people to attend public events such as; weddings, and funerals; the time for church services was reduced, and social distancing was strictly enforced. These restrictions have, however, been eased with the exception of land borders. ---citinewsroom DAVIE Attorneys for former fugitive Dayonte Resiles used the closing arguments at his murder trial Tuesday to cast suspicion on the victims husband, a respected scientist who sat stoically as jurors were asked to blame him for the grisly crime. Allari Dominguez, who represents Resiles, accused Davie police of missing the opportunity to consider whether Nan Yao Su, the last person to see his wife, Jill Halliburton Su, alive, was responsible for the murder. Why werent Nan Yao Sus clothes collected? Dominguez asked, calling into question Sus testimony about how he acted as the murder was unfolding on Sept. 8, 2014. Advertisement Prosecutors say Su was at work at a Florida State University building in Davie when he checked his security camera feed at home and noticed a mysterious figure in his home, where his wife was alone sleeping. Su said he called his son, Justin, to see if it was him. But Justin Su was at Broward Community College, a block or so away from his father. Su said he sent his son home to check on Jill Su, not realizing she was in the house with a killer. Advertisement [ RELATED: Defense rests without calling witnesses in Davie murder ] Dominguez questioned why Su would check the camera and why he did not panic when he realized there was a stranger in the house with his wife. What a coincidence! At the very moment he checks the camera feed, he sees a suspicious figure, she said. Anybody, if their wife is home, would freak out. Defense attorney Allari Dominguez presents her closing arguments in Dayonte Resiles' second murder trial at the Broward County Courthouse on Tuesday, March 15, 2022. Resiles is accused in the 2014 stabbing death of Jill Halliburton Su, in her Davie home. After his initial arrest, Resiles escaped custody and led investigators on a 6-day manhunt. A mistrial due to a hung jury was declared in his first murder trial in December 2021. (Joe Cavaretta/South Florida Sun Sentinel) Dominguez also questioned why Su claimed to see his wifes body on a gurney being removed from the home hours before it happened, and wondered how he could have known his wife had been stabbed and bound before he had another chance to speak with his son, who discovered the body. Prosecutor Maria Schneider answered those questions for the jury, which is now tasked with deciding which side to believe. Resiles, 27, faces the possibility of the death penalty if convicted. [ RELATED: Confusion after Broward juror recants manslaughter conviction ] Schneider said Sus behavior after seeing the suspicious figure was an attempt to rationalize what he was observing, his son told him about the murder before they were separated by police, and he remembered seeing a gurney but only assumed his dead wife, whose body had not yet been removed, was on it. I may not be able to show you a video of him committing the crime, Schneider said, pointing to Resiles. But the science sees him. DNA evidence ties Resiles to three crucial pieces of evidence, Schneider said. They are a belt that was used to bind the victim during a struggle, a knife found on a welcome mat at the house, and the broken sliding glass door that was the likely point of entry. The DNA in each case came from skin cells, not blood, Schneider said. Dayonte Resiles listens to closing arguments of his second murder trial at the Broward County Courthouse on Tuesday. Resiles is accused in the 2014 stabbing death of Jill Halliburton Su in her Davie home. After his initial arrest, Resiles escaped custody and led investigators on a six-day manhunt. A mistrial due to a hung jury was declared in his first murder trial in December 2021. (Joe Cavaretta/South Florida Sun Sentinel) The prosecutor also, for the first time, addressed the possibility that Resiles did not act alone, which would explain the presence of some DNA at the scene that was not accounted for and would help explain how the defendant was able to subdue the victim so quickly. The presence of an accomplice would not exonerate Resiles, she said and the evidence, she insisted, shows Resiles was there. Advertisement Schneider said it was possible that Resiles broke into the Su home in the gated Westridge community intent on stealing what he could find, but he was interrupted by the victim in her sons room. When she tried to escape, the prosecutor said, Resiles (alone or with an accomplice) chased her and fought with her, using knives that were taken from the sons collection. At one point a neighbor from across the street heard the commotion, describing it as the sound of a wounded animal that suddenly stopped. [ RELATED: What have I done? Juror in Broward murder case says anger, mistrust and accusations of racial bias led to hung jury, mistrial ] The neighbor said she looked out her front window and caught a glimpse of what looked like someone dragging something into the house. The neighbor said she assumed the Sus dog had been injured and taken into the home. Schneider said it was likely that the neighbor heard Su getting struck in the head, possibly knocked unconscious, with the handle of one of the knives. Deliberations began at 4:15 p.m. Tuesday. The jury will be sequestered until it reaches a verdict. At Resiles first trial late last year, jurors failed to reach a unanimous verdict. Rafael Olmeda my be reached at rolmeda@sunsentinel.com or 954-356-4457. Follow him on Twitter @rolmeda. The Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Chamber of Bulk Oil Distributors, Senyo Hosi, says the depreciating cedi is largely to blame for the rising cost of petroleum products. The Chamber of Petroleum Consumers has predicted that prices of petroleum products will from tomorrow, Wednesday, March 16, 2022, witness a surge with consumers expected to pay GHS10 per litre. While reacting to the prediction, the Bulk Oil Distributors also blamed the situation on the volatility of the market as well as the rising cost of crude on the international market. Speaking on the Citi Breakfast Show with Bernard Avle, Senyo Hosi, said the cedi depreciation has been quite burdensome on the petroleum importers. For instance, at the beginning of this window that started from 1st of March, it was estimated that in the next two months the exchange rate will be about GHS 7.8 because when we sell, we do so on credit. It takes us about 45 days to collect cash, and then we spend another 15 days to convert and pay your suppliers in dollars, and we assumed GHS 7.8 will be the price. Today, we are practically at GHS8. Now, because we don't have an active forward market, a dedicated foreign market for the oil industry, the speculation gets out of gear and getting to the next one, we need to speculate higher. Speaking on the same program, the Chief Executive Officer of the Association of Oil Marketing Companies, Kwaku Agyeman Duah, said it was high time the government introduced subsidies to mitigate the impact on the market. Obviously, when we get to this stage what the state can do is to subsidize. We need a well-targeted subsidy. Because we don't have a working public transportation system, it affects us. If there was something like that, the government could have managed it. Now, all we can do is to subsidize. The Ghana cedi has recently been under serious stress depreciating against major trading currencies including the US dollar. Between January and March 2022, the currency has lost more than 14% of its value, a very significant drop compared to previous changes. The development is leading to the rising cost of products in the country including cement and fuel. The government is yet to make any direct pronouncement on what actions it is taking to tackle the problem, although various stakeholders have been making some suggestions. ---citinewsroom Lawyers for Assin North legislator, James Gyakye Quayson, who was slapped with five charges by the state, have filed an application for a stay of proceedings at the High Court in Accra. Lead Counsel for the Legislator, Tsatsu Tsikata, told the court on Tuesday, 15 March 2022, that they had filed the application for stay of proceedings, expected to be moved on Monday, 28 March. The Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) Justice Obuobisa, however, informed the court that all witness statements had been filed while the state has also made other disclosures as the court had ordered. She indicated that, the state is ready for the Case management conference. Lawyer Tsikata prayed the court to adjourn sitting till Monday, 28 March taking into consideration the pending application for stay of proceedings. The Presiding Judge, Elfreda Dankyi adjourned sitting to Tuesday, 29 March 2022, noting that, she does not have access to the courtroom on Mondays. The Assin North legislator, on Thursday, 3 February 2022, was slapped with 5 new charges by the state. The Director of Public Prosecutions, filed the charges on behalf of the state against the Assin North MP at the High Court in Accra. The MP has been charged with deceit of public officer in contravention of section 251(b) of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29). According to the Attorney General, the MP, on or about the 29th of July 2019 at the Passport Office, Accra, with intent to facilitate the obtaining of a Ghanaian passport, deceived the Ministry of Foreign Affairs by making a false statement that he did not have a dual citizenship, a statement which he did not have a good reason to believe to be true at the time of making it. The MP has been charged with forgery of passport or travel certificate in contravention of section 15(1) (b) of the Passports and Travel Certificates Act, 1967 (NLCD 155). The State asserts that the Assin North MP, on or about 26 July 2019, at the Passport Office, in Accra, made a false statement that he did not have dual citizenship for the purpose of procuring a passport. A statement, he knew to be untrue at the time of making it, the AGs office asserts. Mr Quayson has also been charged with knowingly making a false statutory declaration, in contravention of section 5 of the Statutory Declarations Act, 1971 (Act 389). The AG explained that the MP, at Assin Fosu, on or about 6 October 2020, made a statutory declaration indicating that he owed no country allegiance except Ghana, a statement which the MP knew was false in a material particularly at the time of making it. Additionally, the MP has been charged with perjury, in contravention of section 210(1) of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29) and false declaration for office, in contravention of section 248 of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29). Source: classfmonline.com President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo described the resurgence of coup d'etat's in Africa as a set back to the development of the continent and stressed the need to address it for rapid socio-economic economic advancement. The return of coups in Africa, in all its forms and manifestations, must be condemned by all since it undermines our collective bid to rid the continent of the menace of instability, and unconstitutional changes in governments, he said. Speaking in Accra at the opening of the three-day African Union reflection forum on unconstitutional changes of governments in Africa, President Akufo-Addo said the rate of coup d'etats and the manipulation of constitutions by incumbent governments was very disturbing. He said it took a long time for a consensus to be reached on democratic form of governance on the continent and said it must be protected. There are those who hanker after authoritarian personal rule because they claim Africa is underdeveloped and democracy is cumbersome and we need to get things done in a hurryThere are those who seek short cuts to office to exercise power without limits, and there are those who have no respect for the free choices of our sovereign people..." We still have some work to do to convince such people that we are all safer under democracies, he emphasised. The Forum will examine the resurgence of political instability in Africa, and sharpen strategies to anchor constitutionality and the rule of law to ensure peace and stability across the continent. The outcome of the Forum will feed into the AU Extraordinary Summit, scheduled to take place from May 27, 2022 in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea and it is anticipated to propose strategies and content for the drafting of an additional protocol to the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance. Citing a report by the African Centre for Strategic Studies, the President said about 24 African countries had either modified, eliminated or resisted efforts to institute constitutional term limits. That development, he emphasised, threatened the democratic progress of the continent. In most of the situation where incumbents have not respected term limits, they have argued that the basis for hanging on to power is in response to popular pressure by their people to remain in office and their term limits have no meaning in poor underdeveloped society where uplifting citizens is of the highest priority. Others also believe that leaders should remain in office if they continue winning elections, however, the electoral processes that have been used to serve term limits extensions or removals in Africa have often been marred by allegations of widespread irregularities. Ruling parties apply this route usually to enjoy near total control of most, if not all, the levers of government and the electoral machinery. Consequently, African peoples have paid a steep price for efforts by leaders to circumvent constitutional terms limits, he said. As the current Chair of ECOWAS Authority of Heads of States, the President said I have witnessed directly the devastating effects of coup d'etats and attempted coups have had on the region. Unconstitutional regime change, he stressed, must not be overlooked, and called for collective action and adequate preventative measures on the part of stakeholders to send a clear message to coup plotters and others who tweaked constitutions to stay in power that those infractions have never been and will never be durable solutions to Africa's political, economic and security challenges. Statements condemning coups alone without corresponding action would, however, achieve little or nothing as witnessed in recent timesThis problem requires collective agreements, effective deterrence, bold action and equally important, adequate preventive measures. The stable period of constitutional government and intelligent management of economy leads to prosperityI believe in Africa's immense potential for greatness. I believe the stable democracies in Africa can help unleash energies of the African people to inspire the transformation of the continent. This can be Africa's century, we can claim it if we believe in ourselves and in our peoples, he said. Moussa Faki Mahamat, Chairperson of the African Union Commission, in a speech read on his behalf, also noted that the resurgence of unconstitutional changes of government in Africa was a matter of grave concern to the leadership and peoples of the continent. He called on the leadership of the continent to recommit to the ideals of democracy, good governance and the rule of law for progress. The Forum is expected to produce a comprehensive document that will take into account the gaps and issues not covered in the current African Union instruments and policy actions on unconstitutional changes of government. Participants include members of the AU Peace & Security Council, representatives of AU Member States, relevant AU organs/institutions, security practitioners; civil society, African think tanks, academia, youth, and women groups, and professional organisations. GNA 15.03.2022 LISTEN Our unity and resolve should send a clear message to coup plotters that coups have never been, and will never be durable solutions to Africas political, economic and security challenges. Statements condemning coups alone without corresponding action will, however, achieve little or nothing, as witnessed in recent times. This problem requires collective agreement, effective deterrence, bold action and, equally important, adequate preventive measures. These were the words of the President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, at the African Union Peace and Security Council Forum on Unconstitutional Changes of Governments in Africa, held on Tuesday, 15th March 2022, at the Kempinski Hotel Accra. Delivering the keynote address at the event, President Akufo-Addo stated that even though it has taken a long time for a consensus to emerge in Ghana, and, indeed, in Africa, that the democratic form of governance is preferable, we should not take it for granted that everybody has accepted democracy as the preferred mode of governance. According to the President, there are those who hanker after authoritarian, personal rule, because they claim Africa is underdeveloped and democracy is cumbersome, and we need to get things done in a hurry. There are those who seek short-cuts to office to exercise power without limits, and there are those who have no respect for the free choices of our sovereign people, because they do not accord with their so-called ideological preferences. Against this background, reiterated that we still have some work to do to convince such people that we are all safer under democracies. Citing data from the 2019 Annual Risk of Coup Report, the President noted that Africa has experienced more coup detats than any other continent, with thirty percent (30%) of all coup attempts on the continent having occurred in democracies. As current Chairman of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of States, I have witnessed directly the devastating effects that coups detats and attempted coups have had on the region. There have been at least three such occurrences in Mali, Guinea and Burkina Faso, and an unsuccessful attempt in Guinea Bissau. As some of you may know, the AU and other Regional Economic Communities (RECs), such as ECOWAS, have identified a myriad of factors underpinning unconstitutional changes of government, President Akufo-Addo said. He continued, Among them are, according to the AU Peace and Security Council, deficiencies in governance, political greed, mismanagement of diversity, failure to seize opportunities, marginalization, human rights violations, unwillingness to accept electoral defeat, manipulation of constitutions and their revision through unconstitutional means to serve personal narrow interests and so on. The reappearance of coups in Africa in all its forms and manifestations, the President said, must be condemned by all, since it seriously undermines thecollective bid to rid the continent of the menace of instability and unconstitutional changes in government, as currently defined by the frameworks enshrined in the Lome Declaration, the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance, and other important regional and continental instruments. Unconstitutional regime changes retard a countrys growth, he added. In as much as the drivers of unconstitutional changes in Government are largely domestic, President Akufo-Addo noted that the international dimension cannot be overlooked, as foreign involvement in fomenting unconstitutional changes, often in favour of repressive governments, foreign economic interests and other would-be geo-political benefits, are contributory factors. Some foreign entities regard coups in African countries as a means of enhancing their regional ambitions. As such, they engage in all sorts of disinformation campaigns in a bid to disparage the authority of democratically elected governments and instigate opposition protests against incumbents, he added. Sanctions In implementing existing continental and regional instruments and protocols, he indicated that defaulting Member States are condemned and suspended from the activities of continental and regional bodies, and individual coup-makers are sanctioned. However, he noted that, in reality, these sanctions have not been applied uniformly. While we are quick to sanction military coup leaders, civilians, who achieve similar ends via the manipulation of constitutions to remain in power, for example, go without sanctions, although their actions are clearly prohibited in our legal instruments. This means that the existing frameworks need to be strengthened to capture such infractions, President Akufo-Addo said. Nine Ugandan journalists, including author and activist Norman Tumuhimbise were arrested according to Ugandan police on Monday. "Police got a complaint the group was involved in offensive communication and promoting hate speech," Fred Enanga, Uganda police spokesman, told Agence France Presse. The group was reportedly put into a van by armed security last Friday. "They are with the police at the Special Investigations Unit in Kireka as investigations are continuing," Enanga added, referring to a suburb of Kampala, the capital. The journalists make up part of a media platform called Alternative Digitalk TV, which is headed by Tumuhimbise. Those arrested include Executive Director Tumuhimbise Norman, Mukose Arnold (Programs Director), Faridah Bikobere (TV host), Jeremiah Mukiibi (Producer), Tumusiime Kato (Production), Tulyahabwe Roger (Production), Nabukeera Teddy Teangle (presenter), Lillian Luwedde (presenter) and Wabyona Jeje Jacob (intern). We condemn the action by the Ugandan Government to harass and arbitrary arrest journalists. This is creating an environment where the media has to operate in an intimidating atmosphere, said Mugambi Kiai, Article 19 Eastern Africa Regional Director. Tumuhimbise also heads a local pressure group, The Alternative Movement. The journalists' equipment, including telephones, laptops, recorders and cameras were confiscated, according to the journalists' lawyer Eron Kiiza. He petitioned for their release after their arrest. This comes just one month after Ugandan writer Kakwenza Rukirabashaija fled into exile after he was detained for a month on charges of insulting President Yoweri Museveni and his son. Bolgatanga Central lawmaker Isaac Adongo has asked President Nana Akufo-Addo to deliver the 2022 State of the Nation Address (SoNA) via Zoom if he so wishes because Ghanaians already know the state of the country. This years SoNA was originally scheduled for Thursday, 3 March 2022, but the Business Committee of Parliament said the President wants it delayed. Speaking on the floor of the House on Friday, 25 February 2022, Deputy Majority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin noted that a new date would be communicated soon. According to him, this will be done after we have engaged the Presidency. Article 67 of the Constitution mandates the President to present the nations address to Parliament at the beginning of each session of Parliament and before the dissolution of the House. In a Facebook post about the delayed SoNA, Mr Adongo, said: If Nana Addo and Bawumia are afraid to tell us the state of the mess they have put the economy in, Nana Addo can deliver the message of the state of the nation by Zoom. Ghanaians already know the state of the nation wai. Like E-levy, this one, too, turn tomorrow tomorrow next, he said. According to him, if the view of the Supreme Court is sought on the matter, there may be a unanimous proscription of the SoNA for this year. Let your man file for interpretation from the SC. They may unanimously rule that the message of the state of the nation is unconstitutional for 2022 per the spirit and letter of the Construction. Source: Classfmonline.com 15.03.2022 LISTEN The Alliance For Footsoldiers Advocacy (AFFA) says they are scandalised after learning that Chief of Staff, Madam Akosua Frema Osei-Opare wired cash to Afia Schwarzenegger for the funeral of her late father. It follows a revelation by the controversial media personality Afia Schwar who went on social media to announce to the whole world that Madam Akosua Frema Osei-Opare paid flight expenses for her late father's corpse, and topped up with GHS50,000 as a funeral donation. Hearing the news, AFFA says it cannot understand why the Chief of Staff and other senior government officials will do such a thing when Afia Schwarzenegger contributed nothing to the success of New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the 2016 and 2020 general elections. Inasmuch as AFFA is sympathetic to the plight of bereaved individuals, we find it extremely difficult to understand and accept the logic behind this particular gesture, considering the opportunistic character involved, and the times we find ourselves. We say this because Afia Schwarzenegger contributed nothing to the NPP's success/victory in the 2016 general elections. Rather, and as a matter of fact, she used her platforms to make mockery of then opposition leader, candidate Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo prior to the 2016 elections, a release from AFFA issued on Tuesday, March 15, 2022, read in parts. The Alliance For Footsoldiers Advocacy demand that government appointees desist from rewarding opportunistic media personalities and rather support party Footsoldiers. AFFA respectfully submits that the era of rewarding opportunistic media personalities masquerading as political influencers at the expense of hardworking party Footsoldiers must stop! "Monkeys" cannot work in the trenches for "baboons" to come and chop. "We are by this release calling on government appointees to desist from acts which demoralizes the spirit of hardworking party members as we strive to "break the eight, the release concludes. Below is a copy of the AFFA press release: The Management University of Ghana Medical Centre has today announced the completion of phase II of its Centre. The CEO of the facility Dr. Darius Osei said the UGMC housed three main focal areas; a 1000 bed clinical services section, a Medical Training and Simulation Centre and a Medical and Scientific Research Centre. Dr. Osei expressed his excitement over the completion of Phase II in the fight against covid-19 pandemic. The Medical Centre, now functioning fully houses a 16-bed intensive care unit as well as a cardiothoracic centre. The medical centre under its Clinical Service Section has also engaged some specialists in areas like sleep medicine, sex dysfunction, cardiothoracic surgery, urology, plastic surgery, neurosurgery and many more. The University of Ghana Medical Centre construction commenced in 2013 under the erstwhile Mahama administration with the Phase I completed and commissioned in 2017. The centre began partial operations in 2018. Phase II commenced in 2019 and was completed in 2021. North Tongu MP, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa is incensed about the helplessness of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration as well as the Lands Commission over the demolition of the Bulgarian embassy in Accra. A private developer is said to have demolished the building at Kakramadu Road, Plot No. 10, East Cantonments despite documents showing that the Bulgarian government has a lease of the land up to 2033. According to the North Tongu MP, the developer in the escort of officers said to be with the Cantonments Police Station ejected staff of the Embassy and even assaulted the Honorary Consul, Nicolaas C.M. van Staalduinen, in his effort to restrain them. The Ranking Member of the Foreign Affairs Committee in Parliament said the action is a violation of the Vienna Convention of 1961 and has the tendency of blotting Ghanas international reputation. He has, therefore, vowed to take the matter up for a parliamentary probe for the right thing to be done. That notwithstanding, the NDC Caucus in Parliament shall be demanding a full public parliamentary probe into these bizarre circumstances with the view to identifying all the conspirators and bringing them to justice, he wrote on Facebook on Tuesday, March 15. We shall not allow the shadowy characters behind this hideous act to enjoy the comfort and security of anonymity; we shall smoke them and their collaborators out, and ensure that never again would a few greedy bandits damage our hitherto high diplomatic reputation. The opposition MP said credible and verified information point to the fact that all these grave violations have been possible because of a powerful man behind the invasion, demolishing, construction and purported takeover. I shall have him exposed in due course, save to add that those who consider themselves strategic allies of the Akufo-Addo presidency must reflect deeply on how their conduct will impact on the long term legacy of their most-favoured government. The lawmaker, however, commended the Minister of Lands and Natural Resource, Samuel Abu Jinapor, for promising to take positive steps to halt the construction at the Bulgarian Embassy premises when I brought this to his attention yesterday. ---3news.com The Minority in Parliament is asking government to immediately reopen the countrys land borders. Speaking to the media in Parliament on Tuesday, March 15, 2022, Minority Leader Haruna Iddrisu said the there is no justification for the governments continuous closure of land borders. Our call on President Akufo-Addo supported by his Minister for Health and Minister for Interior to take urgent practical steps for reopening of Ghanas Land borders, to allow for free flow of persons and goods, the Minority Leader who is also Tamale South MP told journalists. Haruna Iddrisu further argued, Across ECOWAS and the rest of the world post COVID, though we are not out of the wounds yet. We want to see a return to normalcy with the movement of goods and service to our borders. Therefore, whatever proactive measures that need to be taken, there can be no justification for the continued closure of Ghanas land borders. The land borders in Ghana have been closed since March 2020 when the country encountered its early cases of the Coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic. After two years, the hardship in communities around the borders are now unbearable as residents are unable to engage in usual cross-border trading activities. MIAMI The state was threatening the Roman Catholic Churchs ability to shelter immigrant children when Archbishop Thomas G. Wenski of Miami went for South Floridas emotional jugular: He compared the unaccompanied children who were crossing the border today to those who fled Communist Cuba six decades ago without their parents. Offended by the comparison, angry Cuban Americans called Spanish-language radio. They wrote letters to the editor. A discussion at the American Museum of the Cuban Diaspora to denounce the archbishops comments turned emotional. Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican, who had directed his administration to stop renewing shelter licenses, called the comparison to Cuban exiles who had arrived legally disgusting. Advertisement Wenski and his backers, including a different group of Cuban Americans, pressed on. A news conference to accuse the governor of politicking when childrens lives were at stake. An appearance by an unaccompanied Honduran boy who had been recently reunited with his parents in the United States. And, in the weeks since, an onslaught of radio ads blasting the governor as uncaring. Even in Miamis knockabout politics, the scrap has been striking, exposing a deep divide among the former children of Operation Pedro Pan, the secret program run by the Catholic Church with help from the State Department that resettled some 14,000 young Cubans after the islands 1959 revolution. In the past, the programs beneficiaries, known as Pedro Pans, had largely avoided making internal rifts so public. But for some Pedro Pans today, either Wenskis comparison went too far or DeSantis policy did. Advertisement We are brothers and sisters, and we dont fight with each other, said Carmen Valdivia, who arrived at age 12 in 1962. But, she added, the archbishop and his allies inserted us into the debate. And I resent that. Immigration once seemed untouchable as a political issue in Florida, back when Republicans feared that espousing harsh measures would turn away Hispanics, who make up more than one-quarter of the states population. President Donald Trump changed that when he won Florida in 2016 while embracing a hard line on immigration. DeSantis did much the same two years later. New state laws followed: In 2019, DeSantis and the Republican-controlled Legislature banned so-called sanctuary cities and counties, though most analysts agreed that Florida did not have any to begin with. Last year, a federal judge struck down parts of the law, calling it racially motivated. The state has appealed. Archbishop of Miami, Thomas Wenski, speaks at a news conference on Feb. 10, 2022, at the Archdiocese of Miami Pastoral Center in Miami Shores. Wenski was joined by business and community leaders, some of which were unaccompanied minors brought to the U.S. from Cuba during Operation Peter Pan in the 1960s, urging Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and state legislative leaders to "stop advancing anti-immigrant policies that hurt children and Florida's economy." (Wilfredo Lee/AP file) (Wilfredo Lee/AP) Last week, lawmakers sent DeSantis a bill he has championed that would prohibit state and local agencies from doing business with companies that work as federal contractors transporting immigrants who crossed the border illegally. The state has not identified any such companies, Politico reported. In this climate, the archbishops analogy comparing Cuban children from 60 years ago to mostly Central American children now became especially contentious. The churchs position is that all children deserve assistance, even if they reached American soil without documents or with the help of paid smugglers. But critics argue that Operation Pedro Pan was different: an organized effort in which children most of them from upper- and middle-class families arrived on commercial flights with visa waivers, passports and vaccination records. Because they were fleeing Communism, Cuban Americans benefited from special immigration policies that allowed them to more easily remain in the United States. They cemented their power by working with both Democrats and Republicans, trying to keep the Cuba issue above the partisan fray. Now, like most everything else, that too has become tainted by polarization. The Pedro Pan legacy is so clean such a good news story and now its stuck in this controversy, lamented Tomas Regalado, a former Miami mayor and a Pedro Pan. Advertisement In December, the governor directed the Florida Department of Children and Families not to issue or renew licenses for shelters that house unaccompanied minors who are not refugees, saying he objected to the fact that the federal government does not inform the state of how many immigrants it relocates to Florida or who they are. About 11,000 unaccompanied minors were released to Florida sponsors shelters, foster families and relatives between October 2020 and September 2021, and more than 4,000 from October 2021 to January 2022, according to the federal Office of Refugee Resettlement. Lawyers for the office have since told the shelters that they do not need a state license to continue operating. But the states proposed new rule requires that a resettlement agreement between the state and federal governments be in place before the shelters can accept additional children. The governors directive prompted Wenski an outspoken figure with a penchant for cigars and motorcycles and a revving engine for a cellphone ringtone to write an opinion essay in January denouncing the possibility that the churchs Cutler Bay shelter could lose its license. It houses about 50 children now, under COVID-19 protocols, and is one of more than a dozen such shelters in the state, though the only one run by the Catholic Church. The archbishop, a son of Polish immigrants, is familiar with Miamis ethnic and racial divisions. For 18 years, he was the parish priest for predominantly Haitian churches, delivering Mass in Creole. I was involved with the Haitians when they were showing up by boat at the same time the Cubans were showing up, he recalled. Advertisement Cubans were considered political refugees, and Haitians economic ones. But if you interviewed either one, Cuban or Haitian, they would say, I want to work or I dont have a future in my home country, he said. Todays unaccompanied minors did not get more than a passing mention when Wenski and several bishops met with DeSantis in early February, the archbishop said. The previous evening, DeSantis and his wife, Casey, who are Catholic, had attended the archbishops Red Mass of the Holy Spirit in Tallahassee. Wenski said he asked the governor at the meeting for a win-win that would allow the governor to criticize federal immigration policy which the archbishop called chaotic while also keeping the shelters open. The governor did not engage, the archbishop said. Four days later, DeSantis traveled to the American Museum of the Cuban Diaspora in Miami, where Valdivia, who is the museums executive director, hosted several other Pedro Pans. They shared the governors view that comparing them to todays unaccompanied minors is unfair. Theres a lot of bad analogies that get made in modern political discourse, but to equate whats going on with the southern border with mass trafficking of humans, illegal entry, drugs, all this other stuff with Operation Pedro Pan quite frankly is disgusting, DeSantis said. Advertisement Three days after that, Wenski held his news conference with a different group of Pedro Pans, the Honduran family and Mike Fernandez, a wealthy health care executive who then financed the radio ads against DeSantis. Children are children, and no child should be deemed disgusting, especially by a public servant, Wenski said though the governor had used the word disgusting for the comparison with the Pedro Pan program, not the unaccompanied minors themselves. A spokesperson for DeSantis wrote on Twitter that the archbishop lied. Wenski acknowledged in the interview that his wording had been imprecise but maintained that the only difference between the Pedro Pan children and todays unaccompanied minors is their countries of origin. The political right, which likes to defend religious liberty, should allow the church to carry out its mission, he added: "Religious freedom should be freedom to believe and freedom to act on those beliefs." Valdivia said she did not want the shelter to close. But she said she supported DeSantis demand for more information on the migrants. Advertisement She said she worried especially about children being abused by smugglers. Two members of the board of directors for Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Miami, which runs the shelter, have departed since the dispute, Valdivia said. Both were at odds with the archbishop over the issue. The organizations CEO declined to comment, calling it an internal matter. Last year, the archdiocese raised $10,000 for the unaccompanied minors program at a Havana Nights-themed fundraiser of mojitos and dominoes hosted on the Cuban museums rooftop. Valdivia said Wenski was still welcome to hold the event there again this year, as is planned. She has already reserved the date. c.2022 The New York Times Company Ukraine is a name that brings happy memories to me. One of the first hotels I ever stayed in, on a visit to the Soviet Union, was Moscow's Hotel Ukraina. My first-ever friendships with Russians were made in the nice restaurants and bars of the Ukraina. It was there that I learnt how to order order kufe -s'molako; (coffee with milk); or kakao [cocoa] orchai's-molako [tea]. One particularly humorous old waiter taught me how to indicate to a waiter or waitress in mime! through the deft use of the fingers that I wanted a shot of vodka! Apparently, in rural Russia, vodka is best served by grinding a little bit of pepper (and salt?) from a grinder into the glass, before pouring the vodka in. So, if one cupped one's palm and imitated the act of pouring something from a grinder into a glass, an experienced waiter would not only understand what one was ordering, but also, would recognise one as a vodka connoisseur and serve one the very best brand of vodka available! As an African making his first visit to the Soviet Union, I astonished and amused, in no small measure many a waiter by demonstrating mastery of this esoteric way of ordering vodka. It became a secret between us, for they appreciated that the sign was known only to those Russians who had been brought up in the rustic areas of the country, where the best vodka is brewed. They would call colleague waiters to watch me make the sign. Fortunately, I didn't drink much, or I would have turned into a dipsomaniac. (I only ordered vodka when I was feeling cold. It always worked!) Now, the Ukraina got its name from the Soviet leader who was in power at the time the hotel opened in 1957 Mr Nikita Khrushchev. He came from the Ukraine himself! I had met Mr Khrushchev on an earlier visit, so Ukraine was firmly etched onto my sub-conscious mind. And when I got a chance to visit the then Soviet republic called Ukraine, I took it like a shot. I had two Ghanaian friends who were studying veterinary science and engineering at at a polytechnic in what was then called Kiev (the 'Kiyiv' of today). The two friends made sure that I had a very good time in Kiev. They took me to spend a splendid afternoon at a nice bar on the beach-front of the Dnieper River. The beach was very clean; with immaculately-kept white sand. With such happy memories of my visits to Russia, I must confess that I am really heart-broken that Russia is visiting such unconscionable death and destruction upon both the people of Ukraine, and upon the Russian soldiers sent to kill the Ukrainians. It's as tragic as twins turning on each other and fighting to the death in a suicide pact manufactured in hell! It is true that Russia's feathers have been badly ruffled by the short-sighted and unnecessary triumphalism with which some of the Western countries have greeted the collapse of the Soviet Union. I foresaw this more than two decades a ago in a speech at a UN World Press Freedom Day celebration at UN Headquarters in New York, in May 1999, warned against it. https://www.un.org/press/en/1999/19990503.OBV92.html I had observed that the West was trying to seduce many of the countries that were formerly under the Soviet sphere of influence into the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO). I urged the Western media to discourage this, because NATO was a militarypact and if too many countries close to the former Soviet Union joined it, Russia would feel threatened. And since Russia possessed thermonuclear weapons, she would become a danger to the whole of the world if she felt threatened by NATO! With two top members of the editorial teams of the Washington Post and the New York Times sitting on the panel with me, I remarked that it might seem simplistic of me, but that I was worried that if the triumphalism in the West went on, Russia might be tempted to create a new version of the Warsaw Pact. That, I pointed out, would create a situation whereby, instead of the world benefiting from the so-called peace dividend we all expected from the end of the Cold War, we would experience a probably worse form of the Cold War. A worse Cold War? Yes because Russia would be able to prove to the world that when Mr M Mikhail Gorbachev took the peaceful intentions towards Russia of the late President Ronald Reagan and Mrs Margaret Thatcher seriously, he had been either deceived. And new leaders of Russia would potentially fume at the West for its duplicity. Indeed, when Mr Vladimir Putin assumed supreme power in Russia, Macho man that he reportedly is, must have drawn a red line in the sand and promised his ruling group that If NATO attempts to cross this line, we shall fight NATO!. By appearing to offer NATO membership to Ukraine, NATO crossed that red line. Unfortunately for the world, the current ruler of Ukraine at this particular time is a guy every bit as much a victim of fantasy as Mr Putin is. Mr Volodymyr Zelensky, President of Ukraine, was a TV film actor before he was elected President. He had won many Ukrainian hearts and achieved a great deal of popularity in a role he played on the TV screen as 'President'! But nobody seems to have old him that in the real world, politics is a very different thing from how politics is played in film-scripts. In film-scripts, one doesn't often encounter, as an opponent, a man whose entire working life has been devoted to finding out the secrets of individuals and nations. Would you play politics with James Bond? Well, Putin is infinitely worse than James Bond. Bond at least had 'M' to control him. Putin, on the other hand, is both Bond and 'M' combined! Besides, the history of humankind demonstrates that given the chance, large countries like to swallow smaller ones. For instance, after the First World War (1914-18) the Austria-Hungarian Empire, the Ottoman Empire, Montenegro, & Serbia became parts of other countries. Czechoslovakia was created out of Bohemia, Moravia and Slovakia. From 1939 to 1945, Czechoslovakia, on its part, was partially incorporated into Nazi Germany and ceased to exist as a state, though it had a government-in-exile in operation. Germany lost most land as a result of World War I. Countries that no longer exist, as at 2021, are: Former Country Collapse Year North Yemen and South Yemen 1990 Ottoman Empire 1923 Persia 16th century Prussia 1945. World War 2 (1939-1945) made matters worse! It's because of the inability of humankind to be quite rid of territorial ambitions that the United nations Organisation was formed after World War 2. Its aim was to settle border issues between nations peacefully and prevent them from erupting into THERMONUCLEAR war. This system is called Mutually assured destruction (MAD). Indeed, a terrible rehearsal of the end-game (MAdD) occurred in 1962: over the Cuban missile crisis. But that was sixty years ago and appears to have been forgotten. Unfortunately, millions of people will have experienced the worst misery possible, before the current 2MADNESS ends. If it does. The question is: what can anyone gain from all that misery inflicted mostly on innocent people, including women and children? The police function and the prosecutors function are separate and apart and should be kept that way for the effective administration of criminal justice. The police arrest people on account of reasonable suspicion or probable cause. This standard is de minimis, as compared to the prosecutors standard which obligates them to prosecute only if they are convinced that they can prove a case by application of the high bar of beyond a reasonable doubt. Therefore the police arrest could be willy-nilly and even faulty, whereas the wrongful prosecution of a case is a crime in and of itself. In other words, the prosecutor has the extreme unction to prosecute only when he is convinced that in his own mind, a certain case can be proven beyond a reasonable doubt. Thus to combine the prosecutorial powers together with the police powers leads to arbitrary police powers susceptible to abuse and injustice. It also leads to unauthorized practice of law because the prosecutorial decision is a purely legal one which tasks the prosecutor to make a determination as to the ingredients of a crime and to require him to chart the pathway to make a legal argument appertaining to a case. The auspices of a prosecutor resides in the Attorney Generals office. Whereas the police has the Inspector General of Police as head and is answerable to him. How or when therefore do the two merge to become one, such that one should act in the stead of another? Unfortunately, for most part of the time in Ghana, the arresting powers and prosecutorial powers are often merged in the police and are inseparable. This has led to widespread injustices wherein there has been extreme lack of uniformity in the overall criminal justice system. No matter how a chief inspector of police might be instructed in the law, he or she is not a lawyer and cannot lead in any prosecution whatsoever. At best, he might be too interested in a case since he represents the arresting agency; or be too laxed in a case on account of some influence from somewhere; or lack confidence in making a good case if subjected to the aggression of a competent attorney whose legal acumen he is unlikely to equal. Most of the time therefore, punishments may be out of proportion with a matter; or the case may be decided on a faulty standard of proof; or the charges themselves will not fit the ingredients being asserted under law. But no matter what, permitting a police officer who is also a representative of an arresting agency to prosecute a case which should be under the auspices of the Attorney Generals office amounts to a conflict of interest and an affront to due process and procedure as these terms are known and understood in the civilized world. A trained and competent attorney ought to be the one prosecuting a case, not a police officer. An attorney/prosecutor will be the one using the lens of the law to make a legal conclusion whether a matter meets the correct threshold of the law. He is the one who will be able to make a determination as to whether a case meets the high bar of beyond a reasonable doubt. Anything short of that, we will have a classic case of miscarriage of justice. The universal principle of criminal law assumes that it is better for a hundred criminals to go scot-free than that one innocent person should be wrongfully convicted. This penumbra of criminal law ought to undergird our sense of prosecution and conviction. If we fall short of any standard and lower the bar to prosecute anybody, then the presumption is that we have had a trial defect which ought to make all our criminal processes and proceedings reversible. We should either plug the loopholes in our processes and procedures within the criminal justice system; or train enough lawyers to lead in the prosecution of crimes in the country. Otherwise it is better for criminals to walk free than that they are wrongfully prosecuted. All over Ghana, there are too many instances where the police are leading in the prosecution of crimes. We have no clue the panoply of influences and pressures they come under, whether they are bribed to let matters go, or they are inclined to press charges where none exists; or to ask for punishments that are out of proportion with a particular crime. As a result, so many peoples freedom and liberties are under siege and remain forfeited. Meanwhile, the police do not have the kind of profound responsibilities which a trained lawyer and prosecutor is supposed to have; and they are not answerable to anyone on account of their flawed prosecution. They are not answerable to the legal authorities or even the Attorney Generals Office. Under the principles of our constitution, such prosecutions by the police ought to be rendered a nugatory and negatory. We should do the right thing according to the law. Especially if we are seeking to deprive our citizens of their freedoms and liberty, we should do so fully aware of the profundity of our responsibility. I do not know where the police derive its prosecutorial powers to prosecute the citizens of Ghana; but no matter the source, it is dangerous and per se illegal and unconstitutional, powers that offend universal principles of law and ordinary commonsense. And insofar as there are those whose freedoms have been curtailed on account of such defective prosecution, government and human rights groups ought to set in place a method of review, wherein all the victims of police prosecution can have their cases reviewed. Our democracy must gravitate toward a more competent criminal justice system, rather than the half-baked one to which we have become accustomed. Dr. Samuel Adjei Sarfo, Esq. [email protected] The CEO Publication, a unique print & digital platform featuring the industry experts who have created ripples across various areas of expertise and providing path-breaking platforms have acknowledged the Ghanaian Founder and CEO of PayAngel, Jones Amegbor among the Top 20 Dynamic CEOs of 2022 who is transforming payment solutions across Africa. Referring to their publication titled A True Payment Angel for Africans globally, the CEO Publications stated that, It is not every day that you meet someone who is as technically gifted in Finance and Accounting as he is in Technology. But such was our luck when we went in search of the Top 20 Dynamic CEOs in the United Kingdom. We met up with Jones Amegbor, the Founder and CEO of PAYINC GROUP which trades under the brand PayAngel globally. If Finance, Accounting, Risk and Technology were languages, we would have to say Jones is fluent in all of them and many more. As a well-rounded financial services executive, Jones is on a mission to change the narrative of not just Africans abroad but also those on the continent. He intends to connect the world to Africa, and to open Africa to the world through the provision of a seamless payment ecosystem specifically engineered to meet the idiosyncratic needs of Africans globally. Taking the Risk Before risking it all to embark on this journey, Jones worked in Financial Services in the United Kingdom after completing his MBA in Information Technology. He soon became a Fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants. During his time at Barclays, Jones won several nominations and awards, including nomination to the Banks Future Leaders Programme. As Product Controller, he managed assets worth circa 30 billion. Post-Barclays, he worked as an independent consultant in the treasury functions of Lloyds Banking Group and The Co-operative Banking Group, building complex high value financial models and re-engineering processes. From that wealth of experience as a banker and creative endeavours as a consultant, Jones has evolved into an architect of innovative financial products and solutions. It is, therefore, not a coincidence that continuous product development has become the corporate culture at PayAngel, as they consistently innovate to satisfy customers present and future needs. Jones takes great inspiration from the life stories of two personalities, namely Jack Ma, founder of Alibaba, and Bob Diamond, ex-CEO of Barclays. For Jack, I can only hope to meet him one day soon in my lifetime. I see him as one who exemplifies a fortress in the midst of a storm. His story speaks of his inner tenacity to win against all odds. Coming from very humble beginnings, just like myself, having had a number of past failures, and having been rejected on countless occasions, he was more than convinced he could still win in life and business. Unflinching assurance in the face of stark uncertainty is what always comes to mind, whenever I see the name Alibaba anywhere. My favourite quote of his is, Never give up. Today is hard, tomorrow will be worse, but the day after tomorrow will be sunshine. Inspired by Jacks story, Jones always tells himself, Ive got no excuse; I have to find a way or make one. About Bob, Jones said It was a pleasure working for Bob when I was at Barclays; such an incredible and inspiring leader he was! Jones learned some of his key leadership skills from Bob. He recalled Bobs spell-binding way of rallying his team to achieve results and seemingly insurmountable targets. In my view, Bob was pivotal in the revolutionary success of Barclays Capital and Barclays whilst he was at the helm. From Bob, I learned that leadership is about connecting with people and harnessing their passions to achieve results. It goes without saying that Bob was indeed, a very inspiring figure for Jones on his journey to becoming a well-established entrepreneur seeking to use innovation to make an impact in the financial sector. Drawing on that inspiration, Jones makes it a point to connect with people, forming teams across the globe to deliver results with passion that has been the PayAngel story! With each passing day, the company is witnessing impressive growth. Thanks to the incredible team that is making things happen! Leading towards Productivity PayAngel was a proud winner of the $250,000 Remittance Grant Facility challenge jointly launched by the Governments of Switzerland and Ghana a couple of years ago. With this as a catalyst and validation of PayAngels work, the company has remained focused on products and services designed to provide tailored payment solutions for individuals and businesses in the markets that they serve. The platform is engineered to deliver exceptional value: affordable, value-added, fast, and reliable digital payments to recipients across Sub Sahara Africa. Employees of PayAngel are often heard saying, We dont just provide payment rails like others; we see payments as needs to be met, not rails to be laid. Jones explained, payment rails deliver payment and transfers from one point to another but its blind to the issues along the rails. With that in mind, unlike our competitors, we are focused on the needs to be met. Without a need, payments and transfer will not be initiated. We, therefore, design our solutions to ensure that payments and transfers actually get straight to the end point and ready to meet the need for which the payment was initiated. For remittances, in the African context, this view resolves cost and integrity issues along the chain that payment rails in themselves cannot resolve. The benefits that customers enjoy from using the PayAngel service include, among others, no-fee transfers, market leading exchange rates, embedded free life insurance, and a heroic customer service. In its quest to continually innovate and to deliver on its vision and promises as well as meet the needs of its target customer, the company recently launched a new and improved applications suite, a massive advancement from the old and embedded with capabilities for future innovation. The new applications were built on the founders vision to position the company for the future of fintech: seamless real-time borderless digital payments. The companys literature tells customers We do not just pay lip service to saving you money and deceive you with marketing gimmicks. PayAngel is designed to help Africans save money. Period! United Nations SDG target 10.c calls for reducing the transaction costs of remittances to less than 3 percent by 2030. PayAngel deems it a sacred duty and a fundamental purpose to develop innovative solutions that reduce the cost of payment and transfers to and within Africa. Offering Innovative Payment Solutions The companys thirst for innovation birthed the development and launch of the worlds first life insurance embedded in a remittance product. This revolutionary product called the RemitCare Plan is a free life insurance solution provided in partnership with Allianz Insurance and aims to offer financial support to the insured in case of hospitalisation and in the unfortunate event of death. The product is accessible for free to eligible beneficiaries who receive remittance through PayAngel. With these and many other features designed to save customers money, the company is laser focused on truly helping Africans save money and putting smiles on their faces. PayAngels innovation extends to collaborating with community groups such as international churches and alumni associations by providing them with tailored solutions that meet specific needs in collecting their dues, donations, and collections, and even with ticketing for their various events. Towards the Future So far in our master plan, we have endeavoured to perfect our game to direct remittances from the West to a number of African countries. Subsequently, we launched our Merchant Solutions product to the said markets, Jones said. Now we are on the verge of operationalizing the envisioned borderless wallet. This borderless wallet product provides a single platform that enables customers to move money seamlessly and cost effectively without the limitations of geographical locations. The company recently launched into the Canadian, American, and Australian markets and into seven other African countries including Nigeria, South Africa, and Kenya. Excitingly, customers in Ghana are set to soon start enjoying the companys entry into the local peer-2-peer and merchant payment space. Having a certified Blockchain expert as the founder, PayAngel is actively exploring using the technology to further improve its offering and deliver even more value to the people of Africa The Pritzker Prize, architecture's most prestigious award, was awarded Tuesday to Burkina Faso-born architect Diebedo Francis Kere -- the first African to win the honor in its more than 40-year history. Kere, 56, was hailed for his "pioneering" designs that are "sustainable to the earth and its inhabitants -- in lands of extreme scarcity," Tom Pritzker, chairman of the Hyatt Foundation that sponsors the award, said in a statement. Kere, a dual citizen of Burkina Faso and Germany, said he was the "happiest man on this planet" to become the 51st recipient of the illustrious prize since it was first awarded in 1979. "I have a feeling of an overwhelming honour but also a sense of responsibility," he told AFP during an interview in his office in Berlin. Kere is renowned for building schools, health facilities, housing, civic buildings and public spaces across Africa, including Benin, Burkina Faso, Mali, Togo, Kenya, Mozambique, Togo and Sudan. "He is equally architect and servant, improving upon the lives and experiences of countless citizens in a region of the world that is at times forgotten," said Pritzker. Kere won plaudits for his 2001 project for a primary school in Gando village, in Burkina Faso, where he was born. Unlike traditional school buildings which used concrete, Kere's innovative design combined local clay, fortified with cement to form bricks that helped retain cooler air inside. The Serpentine Gallery Pavilion, by Burkinabe architect Diebedo Francis Kere, mimicked a tree's canopy, allowing air to circulate while offering shelter. By NIKLAS HALLE'N AFP A wide raised tin roof protects the building from rains while helping the air circulate, meaning natural ventilation without any need for air conditioning. Kere engaged the local community during the design and building phase, and the number of students at the school increased from 120 to 700, the Hyatt Foundation said in its release. The success of the project saw the creation of an extension, a library and teachers' housing in later years. 'Natural climate' Kere "empowers and transforms communities through the process of architecture," designing buildings "where resources are fragile and fellowship is vital," the statement add. "Through his commitment to social justice and engagement, and intelligent use of local materials to connect and respond to the natural climate, he works in marginalized countries laden with constraints and adversity," the organizers said. In Kere's native Burkina Faso, his accolade was hailed as a reminder that Burkina Faso should be known internationally for more than a violent jihadist insurgency that has gripped the country. Groups affiliated to Al-Qaeda and the so-called Islamic State group have killed more than 2,000 people and displaced at least 1.7 million. "In the current pain of the security crisis, our country must remember that it is also the nation of exceptional men like Francis Kere," said Ra-Sablga Seydou Ouedraogo, of the non-profit Free Afrik. Nebila Aristide Bazie, head of the Burkina Faso architects' council, said the award "highlights the African architect and the people of Burkina Faso." Burkinabe architect Diebedo Francis Kere is seen during a celebration next to pictures of some of his projects on the wall in his office in Berlin, on March 15, 2022, after being awarded the 2022 Pritzker Architecture Prize. By Odd ANDERSEN AFP In 2017, Kere became the first African architect to design the Serpentine pavilion in London's Hyde Park, a prestigious assignment given to a world-famous architect every year. He was also one of the architects behind Geneva's International Red Cross and Red Crescent Museum and has held solo museum shows in Munich and Philadelphia. "I am totally convinced that everyone deserves quality," he said in his office, where he celebrated his award with his team. "I'm always thinking how can I get the best for my clients, for those who can afford but also for those who can not afford. "This is my way of doing things, of using my architecture to create structures to serve people, let's say to serve humanity," Kere added. pdh-burs/jh Local Governance Expert, Ing Amon Kotei has chastised the wife of the Vice President of Ghana, Samira Bawumia for claiming Ghana has seen widespread development under the Akufo-Addo administration. According to him, Samira Bawumia has no basis to make that statement and described it as entirely false. She should only make this statement to children in the kindergarten and not matured minds like us. What she is saying is an insult to Ghanaians and she shouldnt have said that in the first place. Based on what she is saying, development in Ghana is widespread? he queried. Comparing the past government led by former President John Dramani Mahama to the ruling government, the governance expert noted that under the erstwhile John Dramani Mahama administration, Ghana saw immense development. In an interview with Happy98.9FMs Sefah-Danquah on the Epa Hoa Daben political talk show, he cited, The Ashanti Region had the Kejetia Market, Cape Coast had the Kotokuraba Market and all these were during the tenure of former President Mahama. Now, what market has her husband built? Under John Mahama every region got a regional hospital and I ask again which hospitals have been built under her husbands regime? To him, it is just sorry for the ruling government to build a kindergarten in a single district and call it development. They shouldnt even bring these things to the table for discussion. The visibly angry governance expert called for the government to consider seriously all aspects of national development and advised people with little to no knowledge of development to stay clear of the subject. Ghanas Second Lady, Samira Bawumia says the achievements of the Akufo-Addo-Bawumia administration are dotted across the country. Samira Bawumia says through the Ministry of Special Development Initiative, every constituency in Ghana has witnessed various forms of development in the first term of the administration. Speaking at a forum in the UK, Samira Bawumia said Ghana has seen more development under the NPP government than any government in the Fourth Republic. She stressed that the Akufo-Addo government has worked to ensure that the countrys resources are distributed evenly across the country. For those of us who have the honour of travelling around the country, there is no constituency that His Excellency Nana Akufo-Addo has not touched with development. That is the priority of our government to make sure that we spread evenly the resources of our nation, she said. ---happyghana.com Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has issued some clarifications on transactions in the units of mutual funds (MFs) and has also shared guidelines for authentication in case of redemption of units. The clarifications are related to transactions in units of MFs on stock exchange platforms and also for entities including online platforms other than exchanges. The earlier circular issued in October 2021 had stated that stockbrokers and clearing members shall not accept payment through one-time mandate or issuance of mandates or instruments in their name for MF transactions. Mandate includes instrument, authorisation or order in any form, including electronic means, to effect a payment by a person for the purpose of MF investment. However, now the market regulator has said one-time mandates in favour of SEBI-recognised clearing corporations may be accepted. "On or after 1 April 2022, new mandates shall be accepted only in favour of SEBI recognized clearing corporations and those mandates shall exclusively be for subscriptions to units of mutual fund schemes and not for any other purpose, SEBI said. It further said existing mandates being used for MF transactions can continue to remain in the name of the stockbrokers / clearing members, subject to the condition that they ensure that payment aggregators (PA) put in place mechanisms wherein the beneficiary of the mandate can only be an approved account. This account shall only be the bank account of the clearing corporation. It has also provided certain other conditions. The regulator has prescribed conditions with respect to processing MF transactions under such mandates. Among others, stock exchanges and clearing corporations need to ensure that PA has put in place adequate checks & balances to ensure that such approved account is that of a clearing corporation. They also have to provide investor grievance redressal or arbitration mechanism to clients in case of breach of these conditions or misuse of funds by the PA appointed by stockbrokers or clearing members. SEBI has also issued similar guidelines regarding transactions in units of MFs facilitated by entities, including online platforms other than stock exchanges. The October 2021 circular said that MF distributors, investment advisers, MF utilities, channel partners and other entities including online platforms (OTM holders) facilitating MF transactions shall not accept payment through one-time mandate or issuance of mandates/ instruments in the name of the OTM holders for such transactions. On Tuesday, SEBI clarified that existing mandates that are being used can continue to remain in the name of such OTM (one-time mandate) holders. This is subject to the condition that AMCs ensure that the PA puts in place mechanisms wherein beneficiary of the mandate can only be an approved account, which shall only be the bank account of a MF pool account or MF scheme account. SEBI has stipulated conditions for processing of such transactions. One of the factors for such two-factor authentication for non-demat redemption has to be a one-time password sent to the unit-holders at their email/ phone number registered with the AMC. For demat redemption, process of authentication laid down by the depositories needs to be followed, SEBI further said. The directions with respect to authentication will come into force from 15 April 2022. New mandates may be accepted in the name of the OTM holders on or after 1 April 2022, subject to compliance with conditions given by SEBI and the mandates shall exclusively be for subscriptions to units of mutual fund schemes and not for any other purpose. "AMCs shall be liable to the unit holders for breach of these conditions or misuse of funds by PA or OTM holder with respect to mandates covering Mutual Fund transactions, SEBI said. In case of redemption of units, two-factor authentication for online transactions and signature method for offline transactions shall be used for authentication. MISSOULA, Mont. - If you need a place to pray or reflect on the war in Ukraine, one Missoula church is offering a space for that. First United Methodist Church is holding a vigil Monday through Saturday from noon to 1 p.m. and everyone is welcome. The church started the Vigil a few weeks ago and will continue it as long as it's needed. It's an hour for people to silently reflect, but prayer and scripture sheets are provided. Church Parishioner, Gail Gilman, said pastor John Daniels wants the church to be a support system for the whole community. "He is very community and social justice minded and is always thinking about those things that we can be doing, and is very positive about just bringing in more ideas and ways that we can be of service," Gilman said. She added there's so many people around the world experiencing horrors similar to Ukraine and hopes the community can focus their attention on all of them in the same way they're focusing on Ukraine. The church is located at 300 E Main St. Local governments have been asking the state legislature to form a partnership with them to address the growing threats from the warming climate, says Irela Bague, Miami-Dade Countys chief Biscayne Bay officer. (Lynne Sladky/AP) An interview with Irela Bague, Miami-Dade Countys chief Biscayne Bay officer. As part of its series The Business of Climate Change, which highlights the climate views of business men and women throughout the state, The Invading Sea spoke with Irela Bague, Miami-Dades first chief bay officer. Here are some highlights from the interview. Advertisement Tell me about what you do as chief bay officer and why that position was created. Miami Dade County Commission created the Biscayne Bay Task Force to address all the issues that were impacting the bay. What we found was that everything we do on land ends up in the bay. Advertisement Irela Bague is Miami-Dade Countys chief Biscayne Bay officer. And when I say everything I mean everything, from our storm drain systems, our septic systems, our canal systems that end up moving water so that were able to live here without flooding, and the immense amount of growth that our region has been going through. We worked for 18 months on this task force. And we took all that information and we put together a report for the county commission with recommendations in different sections, addressing mainly how to reduce the nutrient pollution in the bay. One of the recommendations was the creation of this position that stemmed from the report, to create a chief bay officer to serve as an adviser to the mayor and the commission and also as an advocate as well as a coordinator, because we have so many jurisdictions and the watershed is huge. We have so many jurisdictions from state, municipalities, the county, the federal government. We have Biscayne National Park. So, we have a number of entities and environmental organizations all working to try to solve these problems but nobodys really coordinating anything. And so thats another reason why we set up this position. Im really excited. Its a huge challenge but Im ready for it, and well hopefully move forward on a lot of these initiatives. What kind of changes have you seen in South Florida in recent years with regard to climate change and how have they affected the people that live there? Were starting to get used to king tides, this regular flooding event that happens to the point where we didnt used to see messaging from local governments reminding folks that the king tides are coming. Thats new. These occurrences create destruction. The historic heat levels that were experiencing that caused that horrible fish kill. And now thats something that were going to have to probably prepare for because its going to take a while to reduce the nutrient pollution in the bay. Advertisement So, climate certainly is impacting sea-level rise. Its impacting our low-lying areas. They are on septic, some of them. That affects the groundwater and water quality, ends up in the bay. Everythings so interconnected. And again, these are impacts that average residents and businesses didnt have to deal with before. What are the most pressing issues for governments in South Florida when it comes to addressing sea-level rise and other climate-related problems? Obviously, funding is a challenge. Right now were in a pandemic so things are even more challenging. The funding aspects are challenging, but I think were at a point where were starting to see progress. Miami-Dade County released a sea-level rise strategy last week, and it calls for a number of solutions that you well have to deal with and start working on implementing. We also recognize that yeah, adaptation is one thing, but lets look at the causes of climate change as well. We must look at lowering our carbon footprint. We must start implementing renewable energy measures and solutions, and, you know, from the top down and the bottom up. So those are challenges. There are a number of solutions that were going to be looking at, but they all cost money. Another challenge is governments need to work with the private sector and even our own property owners, our residents. There are solutions that they themselves will have to make to their own properties. And so how do we help residents finance some of these solutions? Were starting to see a lot of creative ideas. Advertisement So, what are some things individuals and businesses can do to support the health of Biscayne Bay and curb climate change? What we should all try to be doing is preventing pollution from entering the bay to begin with. The biggest challenge for us is public education. We are fortunate that were in a community so diverse, but within that diversity people come from different places with different cultures and and dont really understand how vulnerable our ecosystem is here, and that were highly dependentits an economic engine for us. And so making that connection with our waterways, our watershed. Simple things like dont littereverything ends up in the bay through our storm drains. Pick up dog poop. Clean out storm drains, if you see them, or report them and really dont fertilize during the summer months. We get plenty of rain during summer. Theres no reason why we should be dumping more nutrients into our groundwater. And, of course, if people are on a septic system, and they actually have the ability to connect to the sewer line because its there, do it. Youre doing your part and youre actually in the long run saving your property. What can the Florida Legislature do to help local governments and residents? Advertisement Were starting to see some bills that are filed. There are some funding sources that have been identified to help local governments, so I feel optimistic that we will start. This is what local governments have been asking for of the legislature, this partnership that we need to develop together. I mean, were surrounded by water. It makes sense to have a state-led approach to resilience, learning from some of the work thats already been done in South Florida. Kevin Mims, a Florida-based freelance journalist, is the producer of The Business of Climate Change. He conducted this interview with Ms. Bague. The Invading Sea is the opinion arm of the Florida Climate Reporting Network, a collaborative of news organizations across the state. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate --St. Patricks Downtown Midland Blick Party will be presented by Pi Social and Lo. St. Books from 5 to 10 p.m. Thursday. The event will have a special performance by Rich OToole. The event will feature drinks, food trucks, a VIP tent and a best dress leprechaun contest with a winning prize of $500. The event will be located on West Wall Street in downtown. Tickets are $15 to $100. Tickets can be purchased at www.eventbrite.com/e/saint-patricks-day-downtown-midland-tickets-277667971377. --Sip Haus will host a St. Patricks Day celebration from 4 p.m. to midnight Thursday. The event will have specialty cocktails, beer and charcuterie boards. --Tall City Brewing Co., will celebrate St. Patricks Day with a party from noon to 10 p.m. Thursday at the brewery. The event will have green beer, a special beer release and limited edition St. Pattys T-shirts. --Eccentric Brewing Co. will host a St. Patricks Day party with Treaty Oak Revival. The event will feature The Kitchen by Laurie food truck, and Keto Mike will be on site. The concert will start at 8 p.m. Thursday. Tickets are available at https://eccentric-brewing-co.ticketleap.com/st-patricks-day/?fbclid=IwAR1VZgZ5t0U2qvszNK93FeueWrZO7MS9WK2JyFjgdASjM51goZNLrHdrHUQ. --Rich OToole with special guest Steven Morgan will perform Thursday at The Mule Barn Cantina. The bar will also have $3 draft green beer and $5 green tea shots. General admission is $10, and reserved tables are $100. --Torinos Pizzabar will host a St. Patricks Day party with DJ RedBeard432. The event starts at 9 p.m. Thursday. --Club Oasis is hosting a St. Patricks Day Fiesta at 4 p.m. Thursday at 3101 Bankhead Highway. Leprechaun shirts and hats are encouraged. --Glitz and Glitter will host a St. Patricks Day Party from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday at 1025 N. Midkiff Road. The event will feature treats, green drinks and discounts from Distinctively Yours, Glitz and Glitter and Sassy Sallys Closet. --Celebrate St. Paddys Week at Twin Peaks Restaurant in Odessa until Thursday. There will be a St. Paddys costume party, green beer and whiskey. --Mac's St. Patrick's Day Music Fest will be Saturday, starting at 2 p.m. at Centennial Park. The music festival will feature Robert Earl Keen, Josh Abbott Band, William Clark Green, John Baumaan and The Stateline Band. The event will also have a cornhole tournament. General admission is $50, and the cornhole tournament is $100 for a team of two. To purchase tickets visit https://www.roadhousetickets.com/Ticket/Detail/984. --Jimmy Ts Drive Thru is serving up new St. Patricks Day-inspired shakes, including mint chocolate chip shake, Oreo mint chocolate shake, Lucky Charms shake and a pistachio shake. --TeaNergy locations will serve up a Pot of Gold tea flavored with pineapple and mango, Irish Flag a delicious citrus tea and Raga Matcha a combination of healthy with the raga and matcha tea during March. The Bites --Blue Sky Texas is hosting a give-back day for Senior Life Midlands Meals on Wheels from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Tuesday. Mention Meals on Wheels at checkout and a percentage of the sales will go toward the program. --This week, The Blue Door will feature the Zelensky cocktail of Bacardi Rum, lime, orgeat, pineapple and blue Curacao. Fifty percent of proceeds from the cocktail will be donated to Savas Safe Haven, a Romanian animal shelter that is now assisting refugees with their pets as they cross the border from Ukraine. The rescue is providing food, leashes, crates and vet care as well as shelter for animals until owners are able to find a safe place to stay. Additional donations to the rescue will also be taken when requested. --The Shack In The Back is now hiring bartenders and barbacks for the 2022 season. The following Texas Independence Day essay was submitted by the Aaron Estes Chapter of The Daughters of the Republic of Texas. The author is Maci Meador, a fourth-grade student at Hillander School. The subject of the essay is Jose Antonio Navarro. -- Jose Antonio Navarro was a strong Tejano leader who worked to help Texas in its early years. Navarro served in legislature in Texas when it was a part of Mexico, an independent country, and a U.S state. He was a successful businessman, rancher and land commissioner. Jose Antonio Navarro was born on February 27, 1795, in the city of San Antonio de Bexar. Navarro was an amazing son of Angel Navarro and Josefa Maria Ruiz y Pena. His uncle was Jose Francisco Ruiz, and he was brother-in-law to Juan Martin de Veramendi. In 1825 he married a woman named Margarita dl la Garza. They raised seven children! His son Jose Angel Navarro III served three whole terms in the Texas Legislature. Navarro served as the mayor and judge in San Antonio. He was proficient in the laws of Mexico and Spain, although he was mainly self-educated. In his earlier life he became active in local politics and formed a very strong friendship with Stephen F Austin, who was establish a large colony of American settlers in Texas. Navarro worked to found the new state of Texas. The colonists were developing the cotton industry in Texas using slave labor. The Mexican government introduced a ban on the importation of slaves in Texas. Jose, who had been elected to the legislature of the Mexican state of Coahuila and Texas, secured a legal loophole that allowed colonists to continue bringing slaves from the Unites State to Texas. Navarro introduced the bill known as Law of Contracts that allowed enslaved people to be brought to Texas as indentured servants under contract. They had to pay their own debt in labor to their owners. Census recorded tell us that in as early as 1850, Jose owned an enslaved twelve-year-old boy whose name was Henry. Texas was beginning to fight for independence from Mexico in 1835. The following year they issued the Declaration of Independence. Jose was one of the three Mexicans to sign The Declaration, along with his uncle, Jose Francisco Ruiz, and Lorenzo de Zavala. Navarro served as a delegate at the convention that wrote Texass new constitution. In 1838, he was elected to go to Texas Congress. Navarro defended Tejano rights during a time of growing hostility on the part of many Angle-Texans toward people of Mexican descent. Jose Navarro was at the Convention when he heard the big news from Juan Sequin that the Alamo had fallen. The news was very heart-breaking, but that didnt top Navarro! Navarro also served as a commissioner on the Santa Fe Expedition. This expeditions purpose was to reroute at least some of the trade of the Santa Fe Trail through Texas. Navarro and more than 300 other members of the expedition started their journey to Santa Fe, but suffered shortages of food and water. They were attacked by American Indians, and then got lost. The starving Texans finally surrendered to Mexican forces in what is now western New Mexico. Navarro refused to give up his allegiance to Texas in exchange for his freedom. He was called a traitor to Mexico and was given a death sentence was eventually reduced to life in prison. In 1845, Navarro escaped and made his way back to Texas where he was welcomed as a hero and a patriot. Navarro was a delegate to the Convention of 1845 where he voted in favor of making Texas a U.S. State. Later that year, while being the only Hispanic delegate to the convention that wrote the Texas State Constitution, he opposed discrimination against Tejanos. He helped to make sure that voting rights were not restricted to white only. Jose was elected to the Texas State Senate twice, serving in that role from 1846 to 1848. Navarro County, Texas, which was established in 1846, along with the small town of Navarro, Texas, is named in Jose Navarros honor. In 1848, Navarro Counts seat government was founded, and Jose chose the name Corsicana, for this town. In San Antonio there is a street named for him as well, Navarro Street. Casa Navarro State Historic Site in San Antonio is the original residence complex of Navarro. For some of his later years, Jose lived on this ranch, just a little way out of San Antonio. Jose was the most influential Tejano of his generation. Saddle, Jose Antonio Navarro died on January 13, 1871. He was a great Tejano and man, and made a huge impact on our great state of Texas! City officials are halfway through the demolition phase to areas of the Bush Convention Center impacted by the February flooding event. The city reported the cause of the flooding is still under investigation, but early removal of the convention center floor is allowing investigators to compile more information about what led to flooding that has shut down the convention center for the last month. Still the city reported, We are not able to identify a timeline for reopening at this time. We will know more once the repair phase is laid out and when supplies are available. On Feb. 15, the city reported that several inches of water had entered the Bush Convention center after a water main break at the south end of the building. The city reported that the process with its insurance company (Texas Municipal League Intergovernmental Risk Pool) has started. The city reported it has filed a claim with TML and that the current deductible is $25,000. The insurance company recommended SynergyNDS, a pre-approved vendor, to provide recovery management and disaster recovery services as part of its turnkey recovery program, which helps expedite the cleanup and repair process. Following a bidding process, SynergyNDS awarded work to Vanco Construction for the demolition phase, which started March 2 and is expected to last approximately four weeks, according to the city. The demo phase includes work on two floors, the city reported. Thus far, they have already demoed and removed approximately 1,900 square feet of concrete on the first floor. This also allows the engineers to assess how much structural attention is needed before replacing the floor. Removal and replacement of tile on the first floor will be needed. City officials also reported that the ceiling sheetrock demolition has been completed in the basement area and that the crew has started the demolition of the stairwell walls. Work on the offices also is expected to take place because of damage to electronics and office furniture, the city reported. Once the demo phase is complete, Synergy will move to the restore phase, the city reported. City officials previously stated that insurance will help cover any damages that happen because of the flooding, whether that has to do with flooring, electrical or structural. The city also stated that the Midland Chamber of Commerce and Bush Convention Center staff continue to work with those that events scheduled to find alternative venues. An artists illustration shows a 30-story condo tower planned on public land at 1301 South Ocean Drive on Hollywood beach, currently home to the Hollywood Beach Culture and Community Center. (The Related Group/Courtesy) Hollywood City Commissioner Caryl Shuham told the Sun Sentinel Editorial Board that public comments continue to run roughly 10 to 1 against a proposed deal for a private high-rise condominium complex on the citys public beachfront. Thats no surprise. Advertisement Six weeks ago, the commission nearly killed the deal at 3 a.m. after 10 hours of discussion. But enough commissioners gave Related Group of Florida and the city another chance to make the agreement work better for the city. It still doesnt work well enough. Advertisement Supporters, including Mayor Josh Levy, may point out that Related has reduced the height of the condo building from 30 stories to 26 and the number of units from 155 to 135. They may note that Related has raised its upfront payment from $5 million to $10 million. [ RELATED: Hollywood geta reality check on Related condo deal | Randy Schultz ] But those amount to changes at the margins or no change at all. Example: The new version wouldnt give the city more money; the city would just get more money sooner. Look to the future For Hollywood, the risk remains. The city has no guarantee of what this very large structure in a very prominent place would look like in 15 or 20 years. The latest agreement states that it would feature luxury condos, and owners could not convert their units to rentals. Those changes seek to address concerns that this iconic place could become Hollywoods version of Dogpatch Lil Abners fictional hillbilly hometown. Relateds involvement would end when the last unit is sold. After that, Hollywood would be dealing with a condo association for any problems related to appearance or structural integrity. Since the Surfside tragedy last June, weve heard countless stories about condo boards putting off work on private property, even when engineers have called the work urgent. Does Hollywood want to risk that potential fight about a building that would dominate four acres of public property? The building, Shuham said, would have to be maintained by an HOA that doesnt exist. The people who will serve on that board could have no connection to or concern for Hollywood. Advertisement Thats not the only problem. City doesnt need it We remain persuaded that leasing one acre of the site to a private entity would violate deed restrictions placed on the land when a donor gave it to the city. We remain persuaded that the deal may not be legal under Floridas public-private partnership law. The city attorney says otherwise. But the staff, notably City Manager Wazir Ishmael, has pushed this deal from the start and for the wrong reason: Money. Under the deal, Related would pay for a new Harry Berry Park and community center. Ishmael has acknowledged that Hollywood could pay for these projects, though perhaps not as soon. Then theres all that projected rent revenue. As we have stated previously, Hollywood doesnt need this deal. With resistance showing no sign of weakening, the desperation is showing. Hollywood Vice Mayor Caryl Shuham Shuham, the citys vice mayor, and others have rightly asked about sea level rise affecting the condos. News reports suggest that higher sea levels contributed to the Surfside collapse. The potential is there, Shuham said, for some very serious issues. Advertisement The new proposed agreement has an added Whereas clause to justify the project. The new clause states that the city and Related want the company to design and develop the project in a way that ensures the projects resilience to climate change, including sea-level rise, efficient use of energy, water and other resources, reduction of pollution and waste, use of sustainable materials, improvement of indoor-air quality and preservation of natural resources . . . Nice words. But Related will be long gone before Hollywood and the HOA face any consequences and decisions. Shuham, an attorney and construction law expert with a civil engineering degree, raises yet another issue. Hollywood prides itself on a low-rise beachfront. A 26-story condo could lead to many more comparatively oversized structures, which would reduce the appeal and charm of the citys greatest asset, one with special historical significance to the region. Discussion begins at 10 a.m. Wednesday at City Hall, much earlier than usual. Shuham, who suggested it, acknowledged that the starting time makes it hard for working people to attend. But she wanted to avoid negotiating something so complicated well after midnight, when were not coherent. Resident Catherine Uden has been perhaps the most public and vocal critic of the proposal. In an email to the Editorial Board, Uden said residents would challenge any approval in court and organize a public referendum to repeal it. Uden and others plan to protest at City Hall if the commission votes yes. Commissioners can head off that event and do right by the city by voting no, once and for all. Get it over with, Hollywood before the sun goes down. Advertisement The Sun Sentinel Editorial Board consists of Editorial Page Editor Steve Bousquet, Deputy Editorial Page Editor Dan Sweeney, and Editor-in-Chief Julie Anderson. Editorials are the opinion of the Board and written by one of its members or a designee. To contact us, email at letters@sun-sentinel.com. Building Brighter Futures: Working to End Violence Against Women This Women's History Month event features panelists Tracie Q. Gilbert, Lili Bernard and Amber Hikes. Monday, March 14, 2022 00:11 PM Tracie Gilbert, Lili Bernard and Amber Hikes will be the featured panelists for the event. As part of Women's History Month, a panel featuring prominent voices in education education, social activism and art will share their wisdom on how to promote a future where women are free from violence and harm. The Building Brighter Futures: Working to End Violence Against Women event is sponsored by the Office of Prevention Education, the Office of Equity & Title IX and the Africana Studies Program. Due to an unforeseen scheduling conflict, this event has been postponed. This article will be updated when a rescheduled date has been decided. Featured panelists include educator Tracie Q. Gilbert, artist Lili Bernard and social justice advocate and ACLU Chief Equity and Inclusion Officer Amber Hikes. Gilbert is a writer, educator and researcher who uses her work to pursue sexual wellness for Black people and racial justice in sex-ed spaces. Gilbert received her M.S.Ed. at the University of Pennsylvania and her doctorate from the Center for Human Sexuality Studies at Widener University, where she now teaches as an assistant professor. In November, she released her first book, Black & Sexy: A Framework of Radicalized Sexuality. Her voice and perspectives can be found most often on her podcast, The Sex Ed of Blackfolk w/ Dr. G. Bernard is a Cuban-born, Los Angeles-based actor, interdisciplinary artist and mother who was raised predominantly in New Jersey. In the fine arts, her numerous credits include a 2017 solo exhibition at the Museum of African Diaspora and favorable reviews in a multitude of mainstream periodicals. As an actor, Bernard starred in the BBC film Murder in Oakland and co-starred in Stephen Kings Golden Years and also has had appearances on Seinfield and The Cosby Show. Bernard is a Cosby survivor-turned-public-figure anti-rape activist who influcenced the abolishment of the statute of limitations on rape prosecution in California as well as the gubernatorial signing of three #MeToo bills on employment sexual harassment and assault. Bernard graduated from The American School in Japan and attended Cornell University and The City University of New York. She received her M.F.A. from Otis College of Art and Design. Hikes is a social justice advocate and community organizer who is unapologetically queer and Black. She is the ACLUs first chief equity and inclusion officer, providing vision, leadership and direction for the organizations nationwide strategy to support equity, diversity and inclusion. Hikes has been recognized nationally by OUT Magazine as Community Organizer of the Year in 2018 and as one of the 40 LGBTQ Leaders Under 40 by Business Equality Pride. Hikes earned a masters degree in social work from the University of Pennsylvania and psychology and English degrees from the University of Delaware. This event was made possible in part with the help of the Office of the Dean of Students and the Lectures and Forums committee. Muskogee, OK (74401) Today Thunderstorms with locally heavy downpours. A few storms may be severe. High 68F. Winds ESE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 80%. 3 to 5 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 90%. 1 to 2 inches of rain expected. (Editors Note: Steve Bousquets column, Living in a Florida we no longer recognize, produced strong responses on both sides). I moved to Florida in 2017. I decided that after my career in the Foreign Service, it was the right place for me to retire. Gov. Ron DeSantis is making me believe that I erred in a major way. Advertisement Ive lived in countries with autocrats as leaders. Secret police in Syria followed me as I left my home to go to my office at the American embassy. I never suspected I would be looking over my shoulder for such a militia in the U.S., but this is Florida in 2022, a kind of Orwellian nowhere-land where a governor talks about freedom yet behaves in every way to restrict the freedom most Americans have come to believe is their right. Im looking at leaving the state, but where would I go? The GOP has become a party of Trump sycophants who no longer stand for anything meaningful to Americans. Jan. 6, 2021 was probably just a rehearsal for whats coming. Advertisement Michael Varga, Wilton Manors Unchecked power Amen! Having lived in Florida for more than 50 years, I have to admit this is the biggest transformation in Florida politics Ive ever witnessed. The old Republican Party of small government, local control, low taxes and freedom no longer exists in Florida. Its a one-party state that wants all power consolidated under the governor in Tallahassee. No longer can counties, cities, school boards or even private businesses make decisions that are best for citizens or employees. I never thought Id see the day when the Republican Party would dictate what private businesses can say or do in employee training or how to deal with a health emergency with employees and customers. Florida Republicans rail against Socialism and state control, yet thats exactly what they practice. Florida is starting to resemble the third world dictatorships that most Republicans despise. I find this such a disconnect with what most Floridians believe. However, I believe DeSantis will win reelection by a landslide. Democrats are disorganized and always on the defensive, so they will continue to be an ineffective minority party. Unfortunately, when any party has total unchecked control youll see the results were seeing in Florida. Joe Roof, Deland Distressed by DeSantis Bravo! This (column) needs to be read by every Floridian who was born, raised and lives here. Im a retired educator in Orlando and cant express how distressed I am about what DeSantis and the Legislature have done to our state. Beth Meadows, Orlando Advertisement A lost moral compass Want to know whats wrong with Florida? Look in the mirror. Youre a political puppet of the far left. Gov. DeSantis and Republicans are trying to stop the woke stream of liberals trying to overthrow the American family. The Dont say gay bill is another attempt at stopping Florida from becoming a place where children have to grow up at 5, 6 or 7. Let them be kids. If you want to fight for children in grades K-3, then tell teachers its not their job to talk to children about LBGTQ issues. What happened to this country? Isnt it the responsibility of parents to raise their offspring and teach them about the birds and the bees? Since when is that a teachers job? I am not homophobic. I have family members and friends my age who are gay, many in their 60s and 70s. That is their prerogative. I support their feelings and still care deeply about them. They did not need teachers or politicians creating false issues for them to fight their way through. We live in a era where we have lost our moral compass. Children are killing children with illegal guns. People are no longer getting married to have children, abortion is used as birth control and liberals believe its the taxpayers responsibility to pay for this lifestyle. Jim Menihan, Winter Park Advertisement (Ed. Note: There is no evidence that any Florida teacher discusses sexual orientation or gender identity with students in grades K-3). No sense arguing I also live in a Florida I no longer recognize. A conservative point of view is unheard of and not tolerated by the media, especially English-speaking print media in South Florida. Anyone who voted for Trump in 2016 or holds a different viewpoint is a traitor and a white supremacist, even if they are a minority like me. If you dont follow the liberal point of view on everything from how to raise your kids to handling the COVID crisis, youre an uneducated boob. Theres no sense arguing a different point of view with people who think you are inferior because of how you vote and are unable to hear a different opinion. I am bailing out of this echo chamber newspaper because I refuse to give one more cent of my money to people who despise my very existence. Not to worry, you and your rich liberal friends will survive without me, Im sure, as will your friends at woke Disney. Osvaldo Valdes, Hollywood George Washington High School senior Lee Apimwar, 17, left, is accompanied by his mother Marian Sony, center, as he receives his second dose of the Moderna vaccine during the first day of the Covid-19 vaccination clinic at the Agana Shopping Center Monday. A member of the Japanese Self-Defense Forces Amphibious Rapid Deployment Brigade takes a position while U.S. Marine Corps members get out of its MV-22 Osprey during a joint airborne landing exercise with the U.S. Marine Corps in Gotemba, west of Tokyo, Japan on March 15, 2022. Vehicles, including 18-wheeler trucks, RVs and other cars drive toward Washington, D.C., after some of them arrived as part of a convoy that traveled across the country, to protest coronavirus disease-related mandates and other issues, in Hagerstown, Maryland on March 6, 2022. Villagers in Jiangxi benefit from improved housing conditions thanks to rural vitalization programs People's Daily Online) 15:30, March 15, 2022 Villagers in a township in east China's Jiangxi Province are now living a better life, thanks to local efforts aimed at improving housing conditions and developing characteristic industries in recent years. Photo shows a resettlement site in Xihu township, Fuliang county of Jingdezhen city, east China's Jiangxi Province, where four natural villages are receiving support from rural vitalization programs. (Photo/Deng Jie) Xihu township in the Fuliang county of Jingdezhen city has initiated a rural vitalization program to move villagers out of their substandard dwellings and into newly built homes. In September 2021, the first batch of villagers from the Panxi village of the township had a chance to choose their new homes. Wang Guoqing, a local villager who participated in the program, used to live in a dilapidated house. My family always dreamt of moving into a new house, but it would cost us hundreds of thousand yuan to build one, said Wang. Now my family has gotten a new house and an extra 40,000 yuan (about $6,300) in land acquisition compensation, Wang added. The house is very beautiful, and provides a good lighting and ventilation system, the 43-year-old remarked with satisfaction. Photo shows newly constructed multi-storied villas at a resettlement site in Xihu township, Fuliang county of Jingdezhen city, east China's Jiangxi Province, a locality that has benefited in recent years from rural vitalization programs. (Photo/Deng Jie) In addition, by making the best of local natural resources and its tea culture, the township has also further promoted characteristic local industries such as organic tea, vegetables and medicinal herbs, as well as boosting sightseeing in the area. It has established a cooperative and promoted a business model that integrates companies, planting bases and farmers, all while encouraging local villagers to engage in tea production, modern agriculture, and tourism, among other business sectors. At present, Wang plants around 40 mu (about 2.67 hectares) of tea in the locality. In the past, I would visit the tea shops one-by-one to sell my tea, but now I sell it directly to the cooperative. I no longer worry about sales channels and my business has gotten better and better, the man said. (Web editor: Hongyu, Liang Jun) Blackshear, GA (31516) Today Sun and clouds mixed. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 91F. Winds light and variable.. Tonight Partly cloudy skies. Low near 65F. Winds light and variable. PITTSFIELD Three people have been arrested in a series of drug investigations in Pike County during the past several weeks. Pike County Sheriffs Department deputies were called about 1:45 p.m. Feb. 28 to a rural Pittsfield business about suspected methamphetamine being found. Steven W. Moesch, 52, of Pleasant Hill was arrested on charges of possession of methamphetamine and possession of drug paraphernalia after an investigation. Moesch was released March 4 from Pike County Jail on $3,000 bail. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for March 22. In an unrelated case, deputies and members of the West Central Illinois Drug Task Force served a search warrant at 7:35 p.m. March 5 at a residence in the 600 block of Tremont Street in Barry and reported finding methamphetamine, syringes, paraphernalia and a firearm. Brent E. Smith, 28, of Barry was arrested on charges of possession of methamphetamine, possession of hypodermic syringes and possession of a firearm by a felon, as well as three Pike County warrants. He remains lodged in Pike County Jail in lieu of $10,000 bail. Jessie M. Grawe, 23, of Barry was arrested on charges of possession of methamphetamine and possession of hypodermic syringes. Grawe was being held in Pike County Jail in lieu of $5,000 bail. Jacksonville Police THEFTS, BURGLARIES Property was taken in February from a residence in the 600 block of Hardin Avenue, according to a report filed at 11:50 a.m. Monday. ACCIDENTS Patricia L. Kelly, 60, of Jacksonville was cited on a charge of failing to yield after the car she was driving and one being driven by Ebonee M. Moore, 19, of Jacksonville collided at 11:27 a.m. Sunday at Clay and East Michigan avenues. OTHER REPORTS Police recovered a handgun that had been placed inside a grill on the back porch of a residence in the 600 block of North Main Street, according to a report at 12:27 p.m. Sunday. Someone left two bullets on a grill outside of a residence in the 800 block of North Main Street, according to a report filed at 12:32 p.m. Monday. A suitcase containing drug paraphernalia was found in the restroom of public housing in the 300 block of West Beecher Avenue, according to a report filed at 12:10 p.m. Monday. Pike County Sheriff ARRESTS, CITATIONS Joshua H. Hedgpeth, 40, of Hannibal, Missouri, was booked into Pike County Jail at 9:03 p.m. Thursday on a charge of aggravated fleeing of police. Heather D. Herrin, 32, of Nebo was booked into Pike County Jail at 3:51 p.m. March 8 on charges of driving while license is revoked or suspended and operating an uninsured vehicle and on a Pike County warrant accusing her of failing to appear in court. Darin Rothweler, 59, of Palmyra, Missouri, was booked into Pike County Jail at 2:39 p.m. March 7 on a charge of driving while license is revoked or suspended. Jude R. Bay, 18, of Pleasant Hill was booked into Pike County Jail at 12:54 p.m. March 8 on a charge of violating sexual offender registration. Travis L. Myers, 37, of Rockport was booked into Pike County Jail at 3:09 p.m. March 8 on charges of possession of methamphetamine and driving while license is revoked or suspended. Jon D. Humke, 47, of Springfield was booked into Pike County Jail at 3:24 p.m. Saturday on a charge of driving under the influence. Pittsfield Police ARRESTS, CITATIONS Zachary P. Banfield, 28, of Pittsfield was booked into Pike County Jail at 12:27 a.m. Sunday on charges of possession of methamphetamine, possession of unsealed cannabis and driving while license is revoked or suspended. Anthony J. Kimber, 40, of Pittsfield was booked into Pike County Jail at 6:24 a.m. Sunday on charges of aggravated driving under the influence/no license, obstructing justice and driving while license is revoked or suspended. April D. Carnes, 36, of Pittsfield was booked into Pike County Jail at 3:45 p.m. Sunday on a petition to revoke or modify bond. Elida Capps, 44, of Pleasant Hill was booked into Pike County Jail at 10:23 p.m. March 8 on a domestic battery charge. Compiled by David C.L. Bauer On Tuesday, the Romanian Red Cross and Humane Society International announced the launch of an agreement to get pet food into Ukraine to "help tackle a worsening animal welfare crisis" during the Russian invasion of the country, the organizations wrote in a press release. Hundreds of animal shelters, veterinary clinics and rescue centers, as well as thousands of families with pets who remain in Ukraine are struggling to find food for the animals in their care and providing veterinary care for injured or sick animals is increasingly challenging as supplies are at risk of running out, HSI stated. In recognition of the "clear desire" of people in Ukraine to care for the animals caught up alongside them in the invasion, the Romanian Red Cross will, for the first time ever, add life-saving aid for animals to its humanitarian aid transport, the organizations wrote. HSI has donated the first ton of pet food to the Romanian Red Cross, which the agency will take into Ukraine and distribute according to need. "In times like these, we at the Red Cross know that our most valuable resource is kindness and compassion," Raluca Morar, executive director of the Romanian Red Cross in Sibiu, said in a statement. "Our humanitarian convoys will deliver not only supplies to people in desperate need, but also hope that help is on the way. "In times like these, we know that not only people, but animals also need help," Morar continued. "We are happy and honored to have Humane Society International on our side, making sure that much-needed pet food will also reach Ukraine with our convoys. The first ton of dry pet food has reached our loading point in Sibiu, and it will be delivered to Ukraine within the next few days." Humane Society International is also working with other local animal welfare groups in Germany, Italy and Poland to help Ukrainian refugees fleeing the conflict with their pets by providing emergency supplies at refugee reception points. The charity is providing pet food, blankets as well as veterinary care for refugees arriving with animal companions, HSI stated. "The people accessing these pet support services speak of their relief at being able to save their pets who are an enormous comfort in extremely stressful circumstances, especially for traumatized children," HSI wrote. "We are grateful that the Romanian Red Cross has recognized that the plight of animals in war is inextricably bound up with the plight of the people who live with them and care so deeply about their welfare," Andreea Roseti, Humane Society International/Europe's Romania director, said in a statement. "There are large numbers of pet dogs and cats roaming the streets who have become separated from their families," Roseti continued. "They are bewildered, traumatized and in need of help. The tragedy of war doesn't differentiate between two legs or four." HSI stated it is working with animal welfare group Berliner Tiertafel in Germany to provide pet food and veterinary treatment. All over Berlin, more than 30 vets are already supporting the project to provide aid to refugees and their pets, so that the animals receive veterinary treatments alongside necessary vaccinations and microchips. "As we respond to the crisis in Ukraine, it's clear that the plight of people is often inextricably linked with the plight of animals," Kitty Block, CEO of Humane Society International, said in a statement. "Whether it's refugees fleeing with beloved dogs and cats in tow or those staying behind to care for animals in shelters, rescue centers and veterinary hospitals, these people need help." Those interested in helping can make donations to HSI's emergency response for Ukraine and other life-saving efforts at its website. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate GODFREY Renovations are planned for five historic buildings at Lewis & Clark Community College's campus. In August, the college closed two floors of Baldwin and Caldwell halls in the main complex because of safety and health concerns after heating and air conditioning system problems led to mold growth. Gov. J.B. Pritzker visited to the college Monday to announce a $37.5 million state grant through Rebuild Illinois. College President Ken Trzaska said the project has been a long time coming. "The main complex represents our past, but with this investment it also brings to the forefront a critical investment to our future," he said. Trzaska said the college has made numerous updates and repairs during the past three decades. But because of the age of the facility, and the need to integrate modern mechanical and electrical systems, a complete renovation was the only path forward to return the historic complex to full operation. He said the college has been working over the past 10 years to secure the funding needed. The grant was originally appropriated by the state in the Rebuild Illinois Capital Program in 2019. Lewis & Clark alumnae state Sen. Rachelle Aud Crowe, D-Glen Carbon, recognized the need for renovations and was instrumental in acquiring the funds, according to Trzaska. The project features a renovation of about 170,000 square feet in the main complex, which includes five buildings Baldwin, Caldwell, Wade, Fobes and Reid. The renovations are partially funded through Rebuild Illinois and an additional $12.5 million local match from the school. Serving 15,000 students, Lewis and Clark is exactly the kind of institution we should be investing in to fuel economic opportunity in this region," Pritzker said. "And thanks to our Rebuild Illinois capital plan, were celebrating nearly $40 million worth of renovations on the L&C campus today." The renovation work is scheduled to begin next year. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Rep. Scott Perry, a Pennsylvania Republican who once advised President Donald Trumps White House on undermining the 2020 election results, and who was a target of the U.S. House committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, has now found a democracy worth defending. Its in Kyiv. Taking to Twitter, Perry denounced Russian strongman Vladimir Putin as a murderous thug whos targeting civilians and his thug regime are brought to justice, thundered Perry, a veteran, who played a key role in Trumps abortive plot two years ago to oust his acting attorney general and replace him with one more sympathetic to Trumps fact-free and debunked claims that the 2020 election had been stolen from him. Perry isnt alone, of course. Other Republicans, apparently immune to the epic cognitive dissonance it takes to simultaneously condemn Russia and stand in solidarity with Ukraine, even as they retain membership in a political party that dismisses the sacking of the Capitol as an exercise in legitimate political discourse, also are bravely and unironically stepping into the breach. Take House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy. During a recent appearance on "Fox & Friends," the chambers top Republican criticized President Joe Biden for dragging his feet on providing military assistance to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyys government. The challenge that we have is, its the actions that we could have done before from this administration to make sure today wasnt happening, McCarthy told the network. We could have supplied the weapons to Ukraine. Theyre not asking for American troops, theyre just asking for the ability to fight. McCarthy also noted that Ukraine has been outgunned by Russia and said that we could have deterred this from ever happening." McCarthy had no such reservations, however, about Trump, as journalist Aaron Rupar notes. The GOP House leader, whos been working diligently to purge his conference of all Trump apostates staunchly opposed Trumps impeachment for using military aide to extort Ukraine, Rupar recently observed on Twitter. Its safe to say that the Republicans who embraced Trump, and looked the other way at his warm embrace of the murderous thug in Moscow whose regime meddled in the 2016 elections, now face a credibility gap as wide as the Volga River they race to get on the right side of history. And itll take some doing. In a Fox News poll released last month, prior to the Russian invasion, more Republicans had a negative view of Biden than they did of Putin. And if their current contortions werent so reality-beggaring, they might almost be amusing. Its clear there is bipartisan consensus in the House and Senate to support Ukraine with weapons and impose even tougher sanctions on Putin, Perrys fellow Pennsylvania Republican, Rep. Dan Meuser, wrote on Twitter after joining a bipartisan call with Zelenskyy last weekend. Now rewind a year. Hours after the murderous horde stormed the Capitol in January 2021, Meuser still joined with seven of his home state GOP colleagues to object to Pennsylvanias election results. And, just like his Republican colleagues who all won re-election under the same ground rules, Meuser did not step up to contest the legitimacy of his own contest. Some attempted violent overthrows of democratically elected governments just hit differently, it seems. Despite his own sagging poll numbers, Biden got a small bounce from his State of the Union address, which prominently featured tough talk on Russia and ardent support for Ukraine. Voters narrowly approve of Bidens management of the growing crisis, 46%-42%, in a recent Politico/Morning Consult poll. That might not be enough to save Biden and his fellow Democrats as they try to hang onto the House and Senate this fall. But they can spend every minute between now and November reminding voters that, when it counted, the congressional GOP was missing in action when it was their turn to defend democracy at home. Russias invasion of the Ukraine has brought devastation or death to hundreds of thousands of people. Whenever and however the brutal war ends, millions of Ukrainians will be displaced, as well as Russians vocally opposed to the war who fear President Vladimir Putins retaliation. Between the invasions beginning and the first week of March, more than 13,000 anti-war protesters were arrested. Russias crackdown on dissenters includes blocking access to Facebook and Twitter which could disseminate anti-war news that Putin wants hushed up. In early March, Putin signed legislation under which people suspected of spreading fake news about Russian forces could face up to 15 years in prison. The U.N. Refugee agency reported that 2 million Ukrainians have fled their country, mostly to Moldova, Poland, Romania and Slovakia. But the news agency Reuters found that, at the U.S.-Mexico border, a growing number of Russian and Ukrainian nationals have been encountered. In Mexico, the migrants buy throwaway vehicles and drive across the border into the United States to seek asylum. Assuming the Russian invasion continues, tens of thousands more displaced Eastern Europeans could eventually reach the U.S. to make their asylum claims. Illegal entry attempts could increase as visas become increasingly difficult to obtain. A Miami immigration lawyer fluent in Russian, Andrey Plaksin, said he is overwhelmed with calls and emails inquiring about the visa process and their availability. One option that might help Eastern Europeans get to the U.S. would be if they applied for a non-immigrant tourist or work visa, assuming they could find a U.S. consular post open and accepting appointments. Once inside the U.S., they would face minimal chance of deportation. Almost immediately after the invasion began, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas granted Ukrainians living in the U.S. before March 1 temporary protected status for 18 months, protecting them from deportation for that period. Historically, that status is quasi-automatically rolled over in 18-month increments for periods as long as two decades. By an overwhelming margin, Americans and Congress wants to help Ukrainian citizens and other countries that Putin may be determined to destroy. Eight in ten voters are following the Ukraine crisis closely, and 70% favor strong sanctions against Russia. But with the Russia-Ukraine war coming just weeks after the U.S. airlift that took Afghan nationals to overseas U.S. military bases and the American homeland, and with the illegal immigration invasion ongoing, many question how the country can environmentally sustain itself. Projecting Bidens first year immigration totals over his four-year term about 2 million illegal immigrants, 650,000 got aways, 1 million-plus lawful permanent residents and tens of thousands of Afghan evacuees and the U.S. will have about 8 million illegal immigrants that Customs and Border Protection processed, and roughly 2.5 million got aways now in the interior, safe from deportation. The Afghan resettlement is over, but a Ukrainian surge could surpass those numbers. To the existing totals, remember that demographers must include the roughly 3.1 family members that lawfully present immigrants, including refugees/asylees, will petition to be admitted to the country, as well as the families that theyll start or add to once in the U.S. Despite the Biden administrations ballyhoo about a future green America, hes ignored the huge carbon footprint that thousands of new immigrants will make as housing, roads, schools and hospitals are built to accommodate the needs of them and their offspring. Fifty years ago, the Rockefeller Commission Report, Population and the American Future, was submitted to Congress. The report urged population stabilization at the 1972 level, 211 million. Instead, population has soared to the current 334 million, and is projected to reach about 400 million by mid-century. Be mindful that these totals are pre-Bidens expansive open borders and resettlement policies. Fewer people would relieve, at least in part, many of Americas social ailments, including most obviously sprawl and overcrowding. Yet stable populations obvious benefits have escaped every presidential administration, Republican and Democrat, since Richard Nixon. A half-century of disregard for population growth has had no noticeable benefits for most Americans. For the donor class elite, however, growth is good for them. Governor Gavin Newsom View Photo Sacramento, CA Governor Gavin Newsom is proposing a new state office be created to limit healthcare costs placed on Californians. The Office of Health Care Affordability would direct hospitals and insurers to keep costs below a certain level and those who defy the rules would face significant fines. Newsom argues that it should help keep healthcare costs in check. However, the California Hospital Association is warning lawmakers that there could be unintended consequences because of the strain it would put on medical providers. The organization estimates that 45-percent of hospitals are already operating at a loss. Four other states have similar offices (Massachusetts, Maryland, Rhode Island and Oregon), but Californias would be the most comprehensive, and more willing to punish and fine providers. . : FSRU Lino Mirgeler/picture alliance via Getty Images A New Braunfels man died after a crash on FM 725 and West Zipp Road on Monday, March 14. New Braunfels police and fire departments responded to the collision at 3:30 p.m., according to a news release. Antonio Garcia Olvera's pick up truck was struck in the side by a dump truck and rolled over, according to the release. Olvera, 84, was pronounced dead at the scene. William Luther The San Antonio Police Department clashed with a crowd that gathered and confronted them after officers fatally shot a man they said pulled out a gun during an attempted arrest on Monday, March 14. Witnesses told the family of the man killed that he was shot nine times from behind, according to the San Antonio Express-News. Police Chief William McManus said the shooting occurred after three officers spotted the man, who they have yet to identify, on the city's Westside near North Hamilton Street and West Laurel. In a media briefing, McManus said the man was wanted on two felony warrants, including assault of a police officer and possession of a firearm. Severe fatigue was among the reasons thousands of Harris County ballots went uncounted in March 1's Texas primary elections, according to new remarks made by county Elections Administrator Isabel Longoria. Over 10,000 mail-in ballots, approximately 4,000 Republican and 6,000 Democratic, were overlooked in the primaries unofficial election night count. The "fiasco" ultimately led to Longoria announcing her decision to resign office on July 1. The elections administrator told county commissioners that as workers recorded results on Election Day, she worried about her staff's capacity to work continuously throughout the night. Longoria's office was understaffed due to budget restrictions, she said. After expressing her concerns, Longoria said the county's Republican party told her that neither she nor her staff could take breaks and would need to work through the night to count all the votes. "As you can see that led to the issue at 1 a.m. with those 10,000 mail ballots that, by the way, were not lost," Longoria said. "They were tabulated. They were always in the room. It was a situation of exhaustion and my staff just trying to compensate and cope with the Texas election code in complying with this 24-hour continuous count rule, which does not take into account the human capacity to stay up that long." Longoria added that some of her workers fell sick from exhaustion, leading at least one worker having a "near heart attack." Longoria also blamed the oversight issues on new voting machines, which required printing and scanning paper ballots. It's not uncommon for counties to need more time to tally votes, Longoria said, noting Harris was not the only county to find ballots after the 24-hour time limit. Longoria said the requirement is outdated and "does not meet the need of increased numbers of votes and increased technological and accountability standards in the state." "In Harris County over the past several administrations, you can see that there was a very large difference in the number of votes counted on election night versus what was finally canvassed. It's not good but I am proud that for, what I think is the first time ever, me and my administration were transparent about it and we notified the public immediately." Longoria faced strong criticism from the Harris County GOP, which filed a lawsuit to impound election records due to delays and called for her firing. Democrats, including County Judge Lina Hidalgo, have focused on linking the issues to confusion surrounding new voting requirements under Senate Bill 1, which went into effect on Dec. 1. KateLynn White graduated from Tennessee State University, where she was an editor of the student newspaper. She interned for The Tennessean and The Tennessee Tribune before joining the Nashville Post in 2022. She also contributes to the Nashville Scene. Follow KateLynn White 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 (Natural News) President Biden during Tuesdays State of the Union address falsely claimed the billion-dollar gun manufacturing industry is the only industry in the U.S. that cant be sued when in fact, vaccine makers in the U.S. have total liability protection for injuries or deaths caused by COVID vaccines. (Article by Megan Redshaw republished from ChildrensHealthDefense.org) Repeal the liability shield that makes gun manufacturers the only industry in America that cant be sued, Biden said. These laws dont infringe on the Second Amendment. They save lives. CNN fact-checked Bidens claim and said it was false. Gun manufacturers are not entirely exempt from being sued, nor are they the only industry with some liability protections, CNN said. Under the 2005 Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act, gun manufacturers cannot be held liable for the use of their products in a crime. But gun makers can be held liable for negligence, breach of contract regarding the purchase of a gun or certain damages from defects in the design of a gun. According to CNN: Other industries also have some exemptions in liability. For example, vaccine manufacturers cannot be held liable in a civil suit for damages from a vaccine-related injury or death. And for the next four years, pharmaceutical companies developing the Covid-19 vaccines will have immunity from liability under the 2005 Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness Act. Those who claim to have been harmed by vaccines may receive money from the government, not the pharmaceutical company, via the Vaccine Injury Compensation Program. Although CNN was correct that vaccine manufacturers cannot be held liable for harm caused by vaccines, those injured by COVID vaccines cannot seek compensation under the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (NVICP). Instead, claims must be submitted through an obscure government program called the Countermeasures Injury Compensation Program (CICP). The CICP, which almost never awards money, is the only program that accepts claims related to COVID vaccines and other COVID countermeasures. There are important differences between the two programs that make it more difficult to get compensation through CICP, which is run by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Vaccine makers are exempt from liability, the injured have no recourse The NVICP, a special, no-fault tribunal housed within the U.S. Court of Federal Claims, handles injury claims for 16 common vaccines. To date, it has awarded more than $4 billion to thousands of people for vaccine injuries. It is difficult to obtain compensation within the NVICP. Payouts, including attorneys fees, are funded by a 75-cent tax per vaccine. There is a $250,000 cap on pain and suffering. The proceedings are often turned into drawn-out, contentious expert battles and the backlog of cases is substantial. The National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act of 1986 established the NVICP, and U.S. Supreme Court Decision, Russell Bruesewitz et al v. Wyeth et al, guaranteed vaccine manufacturers, doctors and other vaccine administrators almost always have no legal accountability or financial liability in civil court when a government-recommended or mandated vaccine(s) causes permanent injury or death. As for the CICP, only about 8% of the people who have applied for compensation for vaccine injuries have ever received payouts. The statute of limitations for the CICP is one year from the time of injury and the program does not cover attorney fees. The agencys website outlines the parameters of the program, which is authorized by the Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness (or PREP) Act. In March 2020, HHS issued a PREP Act Declaration covering COVID tests, drugs and vaccines, providing liability protections to manufacturers, distributors, states, localities, licensed healthcare professionals and qualified persons who administer COVID countermeasures. A PREP Act declaration is specifically for the purpose of providing immunity from liability, which is why people who are injured by COVID vaccines cant seek redress via the NVICP. To be compensated by the CICP for a COVID vaccine injury, it must be established, based on compelling, reliable, valid, medical and scientific evidence, that the injury or death was directly caused by the vaccine. The program provides compensation only for medical expenses, lost employment income and survivor death benefits as the payer of last resort, covering only what remains unpaid or unpayable by other third parties such as health insurance. According to Business Insurance Holdings, the CICP has collected 3,321 claims alleging injuries or deaths from COVID vaccines. A detailed chart of alleged injury claims filed with the CICP includes anaphylactic shock, myocarditis and blood-clotting disorders. Other conditions listed involve claims affecting virtually all major health systems including appendicitis, hearing loss, kidney injury, arthritis and depression. As of Feb. 1, the CICP had approved only one COVID vaccine-related claim, but that claim has not been paid out. Since the programs inception in 2010, 7,033 claims have been filed, but only 29 claims were compensated, with an average payout of around $200,000. The other 452 claims (91.4%) were denied. Ten claims won approval but were deemed ineligible for compensation. According to the most recent data from the Vaccine Adverse Reporting System, the primary government-funded system for reporting adverse vaccine reactions in the U.S., there have been 24,827 deaths related to COVID vaccines reported as of Feb. 25. Of those deaths, 11,312 cases occurred within the U.S. and 22% occurred within 48 hours of vaccination. The low number of applicants to the CICP fund for injuries or death from the COVID vaccine suggests people dont know the program exists. Families could wait many many years for compensation if injury claim approved According to Sean Greenwood, a vaccine injury attorney in Texas, even if the family does get an approved claim through CICP, they could wait many many years to receive compensation. As The Defender reported Feb. 25, a family whose 21-year-old son developed a life-threatening reaction to Pfizers COVID vaccine has been waiting six months to learn if the U.S. governments CICP will help cover their sons medical bills. The family of Kartik Bhakta in August 2021 submitted a claim on behalf of their son. So far, the claim has been ignored. Bhaktas parents quit their jobs to take care of Bhakta who is unable to return to medical school and do not know how they will continue to pay for their sons medical expenses. Asked what the family would do if denied assistance, Bhaktas father replied, I dont know. Then why is the government forcing us to take a vaccine if theyre not taking responsibility? Kendra Lippy was a healthy 38-year old woman until she got the Johnson & Johnson (J&J) shot. Lippy was diagnosed with severe blood clots that subsequently sent most of her organs into failure. She also was left without most of her small intestine and more than $1 million in medical bills that she said the federal government should compensate her for. Lippys case was one of the six that led federal agencies to temporarily pause the J&J shot in mid-April. Her blood clots developed in March. She was hospitalized for 33 days, including 22 days of intensive care. Lippy wants to see a federal compensation system that is fair to her and others who are harmed by COVID vaccines. Because the government shielded vaccine makers from liability, she cant sue J&J. She also doesnt have a legitimate legal route to sue the government. Biden extends national emergency to protect COVID vaccine manufacturers As countries around the world drop COVID restrictions and downgrade the virus to flu-like status, Biden on Feb. 18 announced the U.S. national emergency declared in March 2020 for COVID will be extended beyond March 1. Citing the ongoing risk to public health and safety posed by the virus, Biden told House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) in a letter released by the White House there remains a need to continue this national emergency. Biden wrote: The COVID-19 pandemic continues to cause significant risk to the public health and safety of the Nation. More than 900,000 people in this Nation have perished from the disease, and it is essential to continue to combat and respond to COVID-19 with the full capacity and capability of the Federal Government. Therefore, in accordance with section 202(d) of the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1622(d)), I am continuing the national emergency declared in Proclamation 9994 concerning the COVID-19 pandemic. For this reason, the national emergency declared on March 13, 2020, and beginning March 1, 2020, must continue in effect beyond March 1, 2022, Biden wrote in a second statement released by the White House for publication in the Federal Register. The emergency would have been automatically terminated unless, within 90 days prior to the anniversary date of its declaration, Biden notified Congress of his intent to continue it. Extending the national emergency keeps COVID vaccines covered under the PREP act, which allows manufacturers to escape liability for the harms caused by their products. According to Greenwood, once the government approves the COVID vaccine for children under 5 years old and pregnant women, compensation requests will move over to the NVICP. It is unknown whether CICP claimants will also be able to file in the NVICP if the COVID vaccine is added to the program. Read more at: ChildrensHealthDefense.org Kansas Pulls COVID Vaccine Ads From TV After Lawmakers Object to Calling Them Safe and Effective (Natural News) The Topeka Capital-Journal reported: The Kansas health agency stopped airing television advertisements promoting the COVID-19 vaccine after some Republican lawmakers took issue with calling the shots safe and effective. The revelation came during Janet Staneks confirmation hearing Wednesday before the Senate Public Health and Welfare Committee. Stanek is the acting secretary of the Kansas Department of Health and Environment. Sen. Mark Steffen, R-Hutchinson, again raised the issue Wednesday. When it comes to the COVID shot we talked about the problem that KDHE was basically saying safe and effective, safe and effective, safe and effective when we have a CDC VAERS reporting system that ties 20,000-plus deaths, and more complications, to these shots than all the other vaccines combined, he said. One thing weve done is revisited the ads, which were brought up by many of you, and we have removed the TV ads, Stanek said. (Article republished from ChildrensHealthDefense.org) Hidden Harm: World Saw Spike in Anxiety, Depression in COVIDs First Year Bloomberg reported: Rates of anxiety and depression rose by about 25% worldwide in the first year of COVID-19, another indication of the widespread harm on mental health inflicted by the pandemic. Young people were at the greatest increased risk of suicide and self-harm, and women bore the brunt of the emotional and psychological burden, according to a report from the World Health Organization. People with chronic conditions such as asthma or cancer were also more likely to develop symptoms of mental disorders during the outbreak. Evidence of the ongoing toll of isolation, restrictions and financial worries are continuing to mount. The WHO report mirrors a study in The Lancet medical journal last year that found the pandemic had resulted in an extra 53.2 million cases of major depressive disorder and an extra 76.2 million cases of anxiety disorders globally. Biden Administration Kicks off Nationwide Tour Addressing Mental Health Challenges From COVID Pandemic USA TODAY reported: The Biden administration announced Wednesday a nationwide tour to address mental health challenges exacerbated by the pandemic, another sign the U.S. may have reached what the president said in his State of the Union Address a new moment in the fight against COVID-19. The National Tour to Strengthen Mental Health, led by Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra, aims to hear directly from Americans about the behavioral health challenges theyre facing and engage with local leaders to strengthen services. Mental health experts say theyre optimistic about the tour but hope its closely followed by tangible responses to the mental health crisis. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, suicide was among the top five leading causes of death in 2020 for people ages 10 to 64. Biden Seeks $10 Billion for Aid to Ukraine, $22.5 Billion for Coronavirus Associated Press reported: The Biden administration is seeking another $10 billion to help protect Ukraine against the Russian invasion and an additional $22.5 billion to cover coronavirus pandemic-related expenses, two major additions to budget talks already underway. The acting director of the White House Office of Management and Budget, Shalanda Young, laid out the need for the supplemental funding in a Thursday blog post. The requests would be additions to a planned budget agreement that Congress is trying to finish before a March 11 deadline. The $22.5 billion tied to the coronavirus would pay for testing, treatments and vaccines as well as investments in research and efforts to increase vaccinations worldwide. COVID Has Intensified Gender Inequalities, Global Study Finds The Guardian reported: The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic threatens to reverse decades of progress made towards gender equality, according to a global study that reveals women have been hit much harder socially and economically than men. The research, conducted by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington and published in the Lancet, shows that women have experienced greater negative social and economic impacts than men. The greatest and most persistent gender gap was seen in employment and uncompensated labor, with 26% of women reporting the loss of work compared with 20% of men globally in September 2021. Women and girls were also more likely to drop out of school and more likely to report an increase in gender-based violence than men and boys. Youll Probably Need a Second COVID Booster Shot Heres When Experts Say It Could Happen CNBC reported: Pandemic restrictions may be easing across the country, amid declining COVID cases but experts say the virus is going to stick around for a long time. That likely means youll need another COVID booster shot sometime in the future. The big question is: When? There have been mixed reports on the matter. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is reviewing early data that could point to the authorization of a new booster dose this coming fall potentially as the first in a series of annual COVID vaccinations, much like flu shots according to the Wall Street Journal. Meanwhile, some recent studies suggest that most people who are already boosted may not need another dose for months, or even years. In the U.S., thats approximately 44% of all fully vaccinated people, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. EU Clears Moderna Shot for Young Kids, Pfizer Boosters Associated Press reported: The European Medicines Agency said it has authorized Modernas coronavirus vaccine for children aged 6 to 11, in addition to recommending booster shots of Pfizers vaccine for those aged 12 and over, in decisions aimed at providing further protection against COVID-19 for children across Europe. At a press briefing Thursday, the EU regulators vaccines chief Dr. Marco Cavaleri said the Moderna vaccine for younger children will be a half-dose of what is given to older teens and adults. He said research showed young children had an immune response comparable to that seen in older populations as measured by the level of neutralizing antibodies against the COVID-19 virus. Regeneron Must Face Patent Lawsuit Over COVID Treatment Reuters reported: Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc. on Wednesday failed to persuade a federal judge in New York to throw out a lawsuit over its alleged misuse of a patented protein to test its breakthrough COVID-19 treatment. U.S. District Judge Philip Halpern said during an oral argument that he could not grant Regenerons request at an early stage of the case to find it immune from Allele Biotechnology and Pharmaceuticals Incs infringement claims. San Diego-based Allele sued Regeneron in October, accusing the rival biotech company of using Alleles fluorescent protein mNeonGreen to test its coronavirus antibody cocktail, REGEN-COV, without a license. Allele settled a lawsuit against Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech SE in January over their use of the same protein in developing their widely distributed COVID-19 vaccine. U.S. to Share Some Coronavirus Technologies With World Health Organization The Washington Post reported: The Biden administration will share U.S. government-devised coronavirus technologies with the World Health Organization, a policy shift intended to allow other countries to replicate some American scientific breakthroughs and better fight the pandemic abroad, according to three people with knowledge of the announcement who were not authorized to discuss it. Under the plan, some technologies now being developed by the National Institutes of Health will be licensed to WHOs COVID-19 Technology Access Pool, the people said. The technologies will also be sub-licensed to the United Nations-backed Medicines Patent Pool. The policy is not intended to apply to the vaccines and therapeutics that have been developed by private companies and are currently in the U.S. market, the people said. Paid Sick Leave Makes a Comeback in New Biden Plan Axios reported: The Biden administration included paid sick leave provisions as part of its new COVID-19 preparedness plan, which calls for a raft of measures meant to manage the U.S. through its new post-pandemic era. The emergency sick leave provisions passed in 2020 at the outset of the pandemic expired that year and werent renewed despite protests from worker advocates and at least one study that showed the policy reduced the spread of the virus. The administration said Wednesday that it will work with Congress to provide paid sick leave to people who need to miss work due to COVID-19 or to care for a loved one who has the virus. 19 Coronavirus Cases at Mainz Puts Dortmund Game in Doubt Associated Press reported: Sundays Bundesliga game between Mainz and Borussia Dortmund is in doubt after Mainz reported 19 coronavirus cases among players and staff on Thursday. Mainz said everyone involved in first-team business was completely immunized and it was in contact with local health authorities about what to do next. The club didnt name any infected players. Read more at: ChildrensHealthDefense.org (Natural News) Mississippi resident Wendy Heineck joined The Stew Peters Show to share how draconian Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) hospital protocols worsen her cancer-stricken husbands condition. Heinecks husband is battling stage four cancer right now. Hed have a much better shot right now though, if not for the policies enacted by the Mississippi Department of Health which caused delays of almost two months in his treatment. [She] says that her husband is on the brink of death not because of his stage four cancer or COVID-19, but because of all these COVID policies that are still in place and prevent effective treatment, said program host Stew Peters. Heineck then talked about the ordeal she and her husband underwent as soon as they sought medical treatment. Despite his potential cancer diagnosis, Heinecks husband was still required to get a COVID-19 test as it was required before they could transfer to a hospital with an oncology unit. He actually happened to test positive despite having no clinical symptoms of it. He had no fever, no cough at that time, nothing like that. Even with his few days of hospitalizations, he never showed those signs, she said. The positive COVID-19 test result meant that her husband would have to isolate, which meant that they could not see an oncologist or get into any cancer treatment procedures for 10 days. Heineck remained COVID-negative throughout, while her husband finished the quarantine period and managed to see an oncologist on Jan. 26. But even though he finished isolating and had already recovered, complete with a negative test result, he was still tagged as COVID-positive in the system. Heineck told Peters: There was a glitch, and they couldnt take [the positive tag] out. My concern was: [You might] give him the wrong drugs when were trying to treat cancer if you have this open in there. They cant take it out, they dont know where its coming from. All they could do was put in there the date that he had tested positive for COVID. They could not put him as recovered. (Related: Stew Peters slams medical violence in the hospital system Brighteon.TV.) Blood from vaxxed people causing more harm than good Heinecks husband was not injected with the COVID-19 vaccine. Despite this, he was suffering from serious reactions similar to those seen in vaccinated individuals blood clots first and foremost among them thanks to the blood transfusions he was having. According to Heineck, people injected with the COVID-19 vaccine are allowed to donate blood following her talks with two blood suppliers. They accept blood from donors that are vaccinated. One of the services can accept it for somebody who has not been running a fever for 24 hours if they have had COVID-19. Her husband has had 22 units of blood since Jan. 10. Given that some of it came from vaccinated persons, his oncologist discovered an autoimmune issue in his body. Theres something else going on thats causing it. When they try to [draw] his blood to do [lab tests], its so clotted its not even funny. Its like they cant even pull it out of his veins. Theyre getting blood clots in the labs [that] they had to throw the last ones out and re-draw [blood] again and again. Heinecks story about blood clotting to the point of becoming solid shared similarities to what embalmer Richard Hirschman discovered. The board-certified funeral director noted seeing arteries and veins becoming clogged with long, fibrous clots. The blockages in deceased individuals who got injected with the COVID-19 vaccine were unlike anything he had ever seen before in his more than two decades as an embalmer, Hirschman said. The embalmer told Brighteon.TV host Dr. Jane Ruby that he first saw the phenomenon in mid-2021 and that it has since become increasingly prevalent in the bodies he handled. Watch the conversation between Stew Peters and Wendy Heineck below. This video is from the High Hopes channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: Clot shot warning: Heres what a blood clot looks like when LIQUID blood turns into a semi-solid gelatinous mass inside your body. Japanese Red Cross refusing blood donations from people who have been injected with coronavirus vaccines. Unvaccinated Americans refuse blood transfusions from vaccinated donors due to spike protein fears. Embalmer reports finding long, fibrous blood clots in deceased people who got COVID-19 vaccine. Visit MedicalViolence.com for more stories about draconian COVID-19 protocols in hospitals. Sources include: Brighteon.com DailyExpose.uk (Natural News) Some 137 institutions in nearly 30 countries so far have admitted that theres not even a single record of the SARS-CoV-2 virus having been purified from any patient sample by anyone on the planet. What it has come down to is a very simple question: How does a virologist identify a new virus and then show this virus causes disease? said Dr. Thomas Cowan in a virtual call aptly titled Virology on Trial. Im talking about the exact steps that every medical professional, every medical doctor and really every human being should know, because were all affected by events, which are all based on the existence of a virus, and the theory that this virus causes disease. Cowan said that 58 different government health agencies, when asked under freedom of information requests, say they have no paper describing the isolation, purification and characterization of any SARS-CoV-2 virus from any human being who tested positive for the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19). (Related: Spain: Ministry Of Health forced to confirm it has never isolated the SARS-CoV-2 virus.) He added that its the same thing with other diseases. No HIV has ever been found from any person with AIDS; no measles virus has been found directly in any fluid with anybody sick with measles and on and on, he said, noting that different institutions like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Robert Koch Institute and the Pasteur Institute agree with that. Nobody can find a virus directly from the fluid, any fluid of any sick person. Every virologist would say that is not possible, Cowan said. That is not how we find viruses. So we should be all very clear about that and not make that mistake. Cowan explained that the role of epidemiology in science and medicine is not to prove the existence of anything or prove causation, but instead to suggest hypotheses that can be tested. People readily blame a virus if many of them get sick, or when they get sick in one place and spread it to another place. There is no virologist, or competent medical doctor, who thinks that any of these observations prove the existence of a virus, or prove that it causes disease. So please dont make the mistake and use that as an explanation, he said. If you think that because a lot of people get sick in the same place proves theres a virus, you must think that Hiroshima was a virus. And if you think that if it spreads from one place to another proves theres a virus, then you must think that Chernobyl was a virus. Genetic sequencing of SARS-CoV-2 is unreliable Last year, Cowan and his colleague Dr. Andrew Kaufman published a video discussing the fraudulent process of virus isolation. They came to the conclusion that if virus isolation and genetic sequencing could really detect the virus that causes COVID-19, it would have already been found. Kaufman explained why the genetic sequencing of SARS-CoV-2 is very unreliable, saying that the process is inappropriate. He noted that it was only pure in silico meaning a computer-generated genetic sequence. Related: Genetic sequencing science breakthrough just proved that measles outbreaks are caused by the measles vaccine. How they do genome sequencing of viruses is that they do not follow the procedure that they did for humans. In other words, they do not start with the virus and then take the genetic material out of the virus to sequence. Theyre not actually taking this genetic material directly from a virus, Kaufman said. He explained the proper way to do it. It starts with clinical samples on the top, ultra centrifugation, density gradient and then pure virus particles. Thats the appropriate way to do the sequencing, Kaufman said. In other words you purify out the virus first, and then extract viral nucleic acids. So youre going to basically take those directly from the purified virus. If they use this technique, in that manner, it would be proper. For some reason, the so-called experts from government-funded institutions and Big Pharma-owned labs do things differently. They dont really semi-purify or enrich at all. They just remove the cellular debris so that all you have is RNA and other molecules in the solution. But they do not purify out and you actually have genetic material from probably around a 100 different organisms, Kaufman said. And youd think if theyre going to sequence the genome of a virus, they would do it from more than one person. But actually this comes from just one single individual who had respiratory symptoms consistent with an atypical pneumonia, then had a meaningless PCR test result positive for COVID-19. Watch this video titled Virology on Trial to learn how virologists identify a virus. This video is from the Free4eva Media channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: Virus that causes COVID-19 has NEVER been isolated in a lab Drs Lee Merritt and Tom Cowan explain. Statement on virus isolation (SOVI). SARS-CoV-2 has never been isolated or purified. The covid virus has NEVER been isolated and shown to cause disease the entire pandemic is based on a fake science myth. Follow Pandemic.news for more news related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Sources include: Brighteon.com eClassifie.com (Natural News) Nathaniel Pawlowski, the son of Polish-Canadian Pastor Artur Pawlowski, said he and his family are holding and standing strong for his father who was arrested and put in solitary confinement. Pastor Pawlowski of the Cave of Adullam Church and Street Church in Calgary, Alberta, was arrested in his home last February 8 as he was about to leave for a church service at a border blockade organized by truckers protesting vaccine mandates and provincial leadership in Milk River, Alberta. (Related: Trudeaus government throws pastor Artur Pawlowski in solitary confinement for violating covid safety protocols) We are holding strong. We are standing strong. My mom is actually on her 11th or 12th day of fasting. So my dad went 14 days without any food. And then my mom took over the fast after he needed to start eating. So my moms on her 11th or 12th day of fasting. So shes standing strong, Pawlowski said during an interview with the New American contributor Annalisa Pesek. We were praying a lot. We were actually in front of the jail every single day with a group of people ranging from 30 to a couple hundred. So every day were there in the evening and on Saturdays at four, protesting and doing a prayer vigil. We have speakers, we play music, we pray, we anoint the place, blow trumpets. Pawlowski said every single day a group of people were putting pressure on the prison to treat his father like a human being since the conditions for him were significantly worse compared to the other inmates. So I grew up watching this. Ive been sort of trained in this. So Im standing strong, I know we [will] win in the end. Were on the right side of history. Were on the side of God, we have God on our side. Hes with us and were not gonna back down, Pawlowski stated. Ardent critic of Trudeau administrations COVID restrictions Pastor Pawlowski has been outspoken and bold in his criticism of Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus administration concerning the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) restrictions in Alberta. He is now in jail at the Calgary Remand Center. Pesek noted that the Canadian government has used people like Pastor Pawlowski as a human pawn to show Canadians what happens to those who defy its authority. The New American contributor also mentioned that Nathaniels uncle and Pastor Arturs brother, Dawid Pawlowski, was arrested last March 2. My uncle was arrested for a charge that is yet unknown because at first they said it was a breach of probation orders. Then they said it was breach of a contempt of court. And at the end of the day, the lawyers and the judge had no idea what the actual charge was, the younger Pawlowski related. So he was like, go on bail that same night. But its like theyre making stuff up just because they, the government, has a hatred for my family, for my dad, for my uncle because they are the most vocal opposition in this country. He recalled that more than 15 years ago, his father was first arrested for publicly reading the Bible in a public park. Since that point Pastor Pawlowski has been subjected to ongoing persecution for years. This is his 15th arrest, all for doing his job as a pastor, for reading the Bible, for keeping his church open, for feeding the poor. Hes been arrested several times for feeding the poor. Hes been arrested several times for praying. Like, at what point do people realize that we do not live in a free and democratic society anymore? Pawlowski said. We have been taken over by a totalitarian regime that opposes and is very adamantly against Christianity and my dad has been very vocal about his opposition to this. He grew up behind the Iron Curtain, grew up in communism. He saw the fall of communism in Poland, he escaped communism. Watch the video below to know more about Pastor Artur Pawlowskis persecution. This video is from the The New American channel on Brighteon.com. More related articles: TRUE FAITH: Canadian pastor Artur Pawlowski refuses to obey fascist Canadas gag order, says hes prepared to go to prison. Dr. Steven Hotze slams Canadian authorities over arrest of pastor for holding a service Brighteon.TV. Pastor Artur Pawlowski: Bring back God into America if you want liberty back Brighteon.TV. Pastor Artur Pawlowski shares his experience with the Canadian brand of tyranny Brighteon.TV. Follow AntiChrist.news to read more stories about modern-day Christian persecutions. Sources include: Brighteon.com ChristianPost.com (Natural News) Russia got another slash in its credit rating on March 8 as Fitch Ratings warned that Moscow is likely to default on its sovereign debt payments. Less than a week after Fitch downgraded Russia to junk status and put Moscow on the rating watch negative following its invasion of Ukraine, the agency cut the rating even further by six notches, slashing Russias rating from B to C and noting that the downgrade reflects the agencys view that sovereign default is imminent. The agency noted that the developments since the March 2 downgrade further undermined Russias willingness to service government debt. These developments include the decree issued by Russian President Vladimir Putin on March 5 that could force the countrys foreign currency sovereign debt payments to be made in rubles than hard currency. A recent rule issued by Russias central bank also restricted coupon payments on the ruble-denominated government bonds, known as OFZ, barring such payments to foreigners. More generally, the further ratcheting up of sanctions and proposals that could limit trade in energy increase the probability of a policy response by Russia that includes at least selective non-payment of its sovereign debt obligations, Fitch said in a statement. This comes as the West imposed crippling sanctions on most of the Russian financial and corporate system following its invasion of Ukraine, which Putin described as a special military operation to disarm the country and its neo-Nazi leaders. Kyiv and its Western allies have since dismissed Putins rationale as a groundless pretext for an unprovoked act of aggression against a sovereign and democratic country. On top of the formal sanctions, major western businesses and high-profile brands such as Starbucks and McDonalds have taken steps to exit the country or suspend their operations. Shell also announced its plans to withdraw from Russian oil and gas, and Unilever said it will stop imports and exports to the country. (Related: Russia switches to China-based credit card system after VISA, MasterCard ban as global financial realignment quickens.) Russia retaliates against Western sanctions In retaliation to the Western sanctions, Russia has since imposed capital controls to prevent the foreign currency flowing out of the country. On Wednesday, March 9, Peskov also put the United States on notice for imposing a ban on imports of Russian oil and energy, saying that Moscow was thinking very seriously about how to respond. The United States definitely has declared economic war against Russia and is waging this war, he said. However, Peskov did not provide details about Moscows response. Instead, he noted that Russia would do what is best in serving its interests. More than two million people have fled Ukraine since Russias invasion, and NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg described the situation as Europes fastest-growing refugee crisis since the Second World War. Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said the Kremlin is using a symmetrical response to the sanctions imposed by the west, including the seizure of foreign assets and their possible nationalization. The same applies to the refusal of foreign companies to work in our country, he said. Further, he accused the western firms leaving the country of being moronic for dancing to the tune of Washington and Brussels. Russia also announced plans to exert pressure back on the west through their own economic sanctions, including an export ban on timber, electronic and telecoms equipment. (Related: Treasury Secretary Yellen warns country will be financially insolvent by October if debt ceiling isnt raised.) All these come before Russia heads closer to defaulting on government debt payments that could lead to financial losses for holders of Russian sovereign bonds. Watch the video below to know more about Russias financial situation these days. This video is from the InfoWars channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: Ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict pushing global economy closer to collapse. Here are the countries most likely to face hunger crises thanks to Russias invasion of Ukraine. More states sign up for national vaccine pass as Ukraine-Russia conflict distracts Americans. Russia selling crude oil at massive discounts as regional conflict turns away regular trading partners. The ECONOMIC SUICIDE of the West is now under way severe economic sanctions against Russia will END the dollar as the global reserve currency. Follow Collapse.news for more updates on Russias imminent financial downfall. Sources include: TheEpochTimes.com TheGuardian.com Brighteon.com (Natural News) A member of parliament (MP) dubbed the scale of damage caused by the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccines as a nightmare as he called for Downing Street to offer more support to those affected. Conservative MP Christopher Chope, who represents Christchurch in the House of Commons, noted that tens of thousands of Britons have suffered vaccine damage after getting the shot. He previously said during a session of the British Parliament that the scale of injuries from the COVID-19 shot now exceeds all cases arising from previous vaccine programs. The public is going to catch on in the end [with all] the harms that have been caused. Theres a whole lot of people out there who did the right thing [who] are not receiving the help from the government that they believed they were to receive. Thats where I am in this. According to Chope, he presented a dossier of COVID-19 vaccine injury cases to Downing Street but was simply met with relative silence. He continued: [What] I read last summer suggested that people were having adverse reactions to the vaccines, and that they were finding it difficult to get access to the compensation. Chope then introduced another bill in parliament to expand the compensation system, and the 20-minute debate about the measure generated a whole lot of email responses throughout the United Kingdom. The Christchurch MP shared the story of Julian Gooddy, who suffered from vaccine damage two weeks after he was injected with the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine. Gooddy suffered several post-vaccine issues including Bells palsy, fatigue and limb pain. He was later diagnosed with Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS), a disease where the immune system attacks the protective layer of nerve cells. It has been frustrating because of the lack of any acceptance that there is a causal link between the [AstraZeneca] vaccine I had and the GBS, he lamented. Chope calls on Downing Street to improve vaccine injury compensation Given Gooddys story, Chope said he is calling on the British government to be proactive in making people aware of the Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme (VDPS) especially those who uploaded reports to the U.K.s Yellow Card system. The Yellow Card system is the British counterpart of the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System. (Related: MP Christopher Chope urges British government to support individuals suffering from COVID vaccine injuries.) First established in 1979, the VPDS was later extended to cover COVID-19 vaccinations. Under the scheme, Britons who can prove severe disability or death as a result of vaccination can receive a tax-free compensation amounting to 120,000 ($156,000). None of the 920 vaccine injury claimants have been awarded the amount as of writing. Lewes MP Maria Caulfield, who serves as the parliamentary under secretary for patient safety and primary care, responded to Chopes queries. The Conservative MP told her colleague that the Medicine and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency is going through the notes of all affected patients to scrutinize any links between the vaccine and the serious reactions. The British drug regulator is also looking into GBS reports, adding that any information will be shared when it becomes available. We estimate that the process will take, on average, six months. It requires gaining access to peoples medical notes and their previous medical history. While someone may have had reaction on that day, we cannot say for sure until we have looked at all the evidence that there is a causal link between the vaccine and the adverse event even though there may be a strong suggestion that it is. It is therefore important to follow that process correctly, said Caulfield. Watch Christchurch MP Christopher Chope calling for transparency regarding the COVID-19 vaccines below. This video is from the RED PILLED channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: British legislator calls for widespread vitamin D rollout following 82% reduction in COVID-19 deaths in Spain. Great Britain MP encourages workplaces and social venues to require vaccination proof from the public. British authorities slammed for their SLOW RESPONSE over AstraZeneca vaccine side effects. British government faces police investigation over covid vaccine safety violations. Read more stories about COVID-19 vaccine injuries on VaccineInjuryNews.com. Sources include: TheEpochTimes.com TheyWorkForYou.com Brighteon.com (Natural News) The 2021 iteration of the AmericasBarometer survey found that support for democracy is waning across the Americas. It also found that respondents from 18 out of 22 countries believe their government leaders are corrupt and cannot be trusted. More than 60,000 voting-age adults across North, Central and South America including the Caribbean were interviewed in the poll. According to poll results, only 63 percent of respondents from Canada to Chile expressed support for democracy in 2021. The 2021 survey result aligned with those of earlier AmericasBarometer surveys that showed an almost 10 percent decline in the support for democracy since 2004. It also provided a possible explanation for the rise in authoritarian strongmen ascending to power in some countries in the region. Of the 22 countries surveyed, 18 of them said they believe their government leaders are involved in corruption. Peru ranked the highest among them, with 88 percent of Peruvian respondents believing so. Brazil and Colombia followed with almost 80 percent of Brazilian and Colombian respondents saying their officials are corrupt. Only 20 percent of Canadian respondents believe their government officials are corrupt. Uruguay, the U.S. and Canada followed suit with between 30 percent and 50 percent of participants claiming corruption on the part of their elected officials. On average, about three in five adults almost 60 percent view their elected representatives as untrustworthy. This disenchantment toward elected officials also encompassed the electoral process itself. Only two in five adults 40 percent said they trust elections in their country. Less than 50 percent of participants in the countries surveyed believe votes are always counted correctly. These attitudes are correlated with declining support for democracy. The more cynical people are about the integrity of their elections and elected representatives, the less likely they are to support democracy. In many cases, such negative views of electoral politics are justified, the survey pointed out. Democracy out, authoritarianism in The survey continued: Most people in the Americas want their voices heard, but they dont think most of their elected representatives are listening. Instead, theyre increasingly turning toward charismatic populists to channel their voices against experienced politicians they believe to be corrupt. The AmericasBarometer survey also found that many respondents over the years have expressed their support toward closing their countries respective legislatures. Participants said they backed this practice of self-coup, known as autogolpe in Spanish-speaking countries, in the span of 11 years. From about 14 percent of respondents supporting the closure of legislatures in 2010, this has risen to almost 30 percent in 2021. The survey pointed two instances of strongmen in the executive branch infringing, if not dissolving, national legislatures. Back in October 2019, former Peruvian President Martin Vizcarra dissolved the Congress of Peru. He accused the countrys congress of blocking his attempts to reform the government widely seen as corrupt by Peruvians. A year later, the leader of El Salvador briefly occupied the countrys Legislative Assembly backed by the military. In February 2020, Salvadorian President Nayib Bukele occupied the seat of the head of the legislature while guarded by soldiers in full battle gear. The president justified his move as necessary because lawmakers were delaying plans to approve a proposal to fight crime in the country. Modern democracies are supposed to translate the peoples voice into politics through elected representatives. But across the Americas, the public is losing faith in that system. A growing number of eligible voters prefer to see people whom they consider to be strong leaders run the government even if that means skipping elections or overturning their results, the survey concluded. Unless citizens everywhere regain confidence in the integrity of their elections and representative institutions, democracy across the Americas will remain endangered. Watch this video explaining the difference between representative democracy and direct democracy. This video is from the Dandin channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: As a global, end times war nears, despotism is being ramped up in America: Expect armed guards outside of purebloods homes and COVID camps in their war upon Americans. Why leftists love both authoritarianism and anarchy Theyre not as different as they seem. In fact, theyre two sides of the same evil coin. Authoritarianism is harming press freedoms across the globe. Tyranny.news has more stories about the decline of democracy and the rise of authoritarianism. Sources include: ChildrensHealthDefense.org NBCNews.com France24.com Brighteon.com (Natural News) As Russian forces continue their bombardment of Ukrainian cities in an effort to force the government in Kyiv to capitulate nearly three weeks after invading, the U.S. government has been involved in an operation of its own. Specifically, the State Department, in conjunction with the Biden White House, has been in cover-up mode, which is typical for the way our government operates whether it is being led by a Democratic or Republican regime because the deep state that really runs things has its own set of rules and answers to no one. After Russian forces invaded and began to advance, the U.S. Embassy in Ukraine suddenly deleted a raft of files pertaining to the operation of bio-labs inside the country labs that have been there for nearly 17 years, ostensibly to safely dispose of Soviet-era bioweapons. Up until recently, the existence and details of these bioweapons labs were public knowledge. The US embassy had previously disclosed the locations and details of these laboratories in a series of PDF files online. On February 26, 2022, the official embassy website shut down the links to all 15 bioweapon laboratories, investigative journalist Sharyl Attkisson reported. The date is key; Russian forces crossed en masse into Ukraine just two days earlier, on Feb. 24. All the documents associated with these labs have been removed from the internet. If you click on any of the links, the PDF files are no longer available. Thankfully, these files have been archived and can still be accessed, Attkisson noted further, going on to list the links in her report. There are here: https://web.archive.org/web/20170130193016/https://photos.state.gov/libraries/ukraine/895/pdf/dtro-kharkiv-eng.pdf https://web.archive.org/web/20210511164310/https://photos.state.gov/libraries/ukraine/895/pdf/dtro-luhansk-eng.pdf https://web.archive.org/web/20170221125752/https://photos.state.gov/libraries/ukraine/895/pdf/dtro-dnipropetrovsk-eng.pdf https://web.archive.org/web/20210506053014/https://photos.state.gov/libraries/ukraine/895/pdf/dtro-vinnitsa-eng.pdf https://web.archive.org/web/20170221125752/https://photos.state.gov/libraries/ukraine/895/pdf/dtro-dnipropetrovsk-eng.pdf https://web.archive.org/web/20170207122550/https://photos.state.gov/libraries/ukraine/895/pdf/dtro-kherson-fact-sheet-eng.pdf https://web.archive.org/web/20170223011502/https://photos.state.gov/libraries/ukraine/895/pdf/dtro-ternopil-fact-sheet-eng.pdf https://web.archive.org/web/20170208032526/https://photos.state.gov/libraries/ukraine/895/pdf/dtro-zakarpatska-fact-sheet-eng.pdf https://web.archive.org/web/20170208032526/https://photos.state.gov/libraries/ukraine/895/pdf/dtro-zakarpatska-fact-sheet-eng.pdf https://web.archive.org/web/20170202040923/https://photos.state.gov/libraries/ukraine/895/pdf/dtro-lviv-dl-eng.pdf https://web.archive.org/web/20170201004446/https://photos.state.gov/libraries/ukraine/895/pdf/dtro-lviv-rdvl-eng.pdf https://web.archive.org/web/20161230143004/https://photos.state.gov/libraries/ukraine/895/pdf/dtro-eidss.pdf https://web.archive.org/web/20210506212717/https://photos.state.gov/libraries/ukraine/895/pdf/dtro-pathogen-asset-control.pdf https://web.archive.org/web/20170207153023/https://photos.state.gov/libraries/ukraine/895/pdf/dtro-dnipropetrovsk-rdvl_eng.pdf https://web.archive.org/web/20170211022339/https://photos.state.gov/libraries/ukraine/895/pdf/kiev-ivm-fact-sheet-eng.pdf Those documents, now hidden from the American taxpaying public, reveal that the U.S. government spent millions building and maintaining bio-labs in one of the most corrupt countries in Europe, if not the most corrupt. And remember, it was in Ukraine where Joe and Hunter Biden had business interests netting the Biden Crime Family millions of dollars over the years when, as Barack Obamas vice president, Joe Biden was made point man for dealing with that country. Knowing that our government had helped build and maintain several bioweapons labs in Ukraine also helps explain why, during Obamas reign, his point man and the State Department helped foment a coup in 2014 against then-President Viktor Yanukovych, a pro-Russia leader who was deposed with U.S. government involvement after he refused to sign a trade agreement under pressure from Russian President Vladimir Putin. The so-called Maidan revolution came about after Ukrainian government forces gunned down dozens of protesters as Ukraine, then, was moving closer to Moscow. What happened then also explains what is happening now: Putin, after taking the Crimea from Ukraine the same year, had warned since against trying to move Ukraine further into NATOs sphere, especially given that millions of ethnic Russians lived there. But the U.S.-led NATO refused to back away, and after current Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy began moving in the direction of the West instead of more towards Moscow, Putin has finally had enough and saw his opportunity to invade now, while the U.S. is being led by a mentally deficient president. But the presence of the bio-labs in the first place is the bigger scandal. What were they really doing there? Because, as Fox News Tucker Carlson pointed out in a monologue last week, it doesnt take 17 years (since 2005) to secure and dispose of Soviet-era bioweapons. Heres a theory: The U.S. chose to continue bioweapons research and knew that it could not do so domestically or in a country that wasnt corrupt, so our short-sighted deep state chose Ukraine. Either way, the Biden regime has essentially been forced to admit that the research labs do exist after being called out publicly by Putins government because his forces are close to taking them, as Natural News has reported: Victoria Nuland, the Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs testified at a Senate hearing that the biolabs do, in fact, exist. U.S. virologists are conducting experiments on highly dangerous pathogens of pandemic potential. Nuland is concerned that this research would fall into the hands of the Russians. Who is Nuland? She was the senior State Dept. official during the Obama regime who helped foment the coup against Yanukovych in 2014. The deep state runs our country, not our elected leaders. And they dont care at all what the American people thinkabout anything. Sources include: SharylAttkisson.com NaturalNews.com (Natural News) As astute observers of U.S. politics are keenly aware, whenever the deep state denies an accusation, the accusation is almost always 100 percent true, and that seems to be the case involving the existence of U.S. government-funded bioweapons labs in the very corrupt country of Ukraine. Though American officials have vehemently denied their existence, the discovery of documents now deleted but having been archived beforehand proves that the labs do exist and that American taxpayers funded them. As bad as that is, the situation has now been made much worse, and potentially lethal, after Russian forces invaded Ukraine late last month and are now closing in on several of these labs were told dont exist. So much so, in fact, that the World Health Organization, which was complicit in helping China cover up the release and spread of COVID-19 in early 2020 as the pandemic spread throughout the world, is instructing Ukrainian researchers in those labs to destroy high-threat pathogens so they dont accidentally get released and spread mass death across the planet. Reuters reported on this potential catastrophe: The World Health Organization advised Ukraine to destroy high-threat pathogens housed in the countrys public health laboratories to prevent any potential spills that would spread disease among the population, the agency told Reuters. Like many other countries, Ukraine has public health laboratories researching how to mitigate the threats of dangerous diseases affecting both animals and humans including, most recently, COVID-19. Its labs have received support from the United States, the European Union and the WHO. Biosecurity experts say Russias movement of troops into Ukraine and bombardment of its cities have raised the risk of an escape of disease-causing pathogens, should any of those facilities be damaged. In an email to the newswire, WHO officials last week said the agency has worked in conjunction with Ukrainian public health labs for several years to promote better security practices that help guard against accidental or deliberate release of pathogens a tacit admission that a) the labs exist; b) they harbor inherently dangerous substances. As part of this work, WHO has strongly recommended to the Ministry of Health in Ukraine and other responsible bodies to destroy high-threat pathogens to prevent any potential spills, the WHO noted. On Sunday, Natural News reported that Russian accusations directed at the United States regarding the existence and funding of the bio-labs appear to be valid. Earlier last week, a spokeswoman for the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, claimed that Moscow has uncovered evidence of a U.S.-backed bioweapons program in Ukraine that includes the development of plague and anthrax, The Western Journal added. Recently found documents show that components of biological weapons were made in Ukraines laboratories, with funding from [the U.S. Department of Defense], in direct proximity to Russia, a tweet from the U.K.s Russian Embassy noted further. MFA spox #Zakharova: Recently found documents show that components of biological weapons were made in #Ukraines laboratories, with funding from #US @DeptofDefense, in direct proximity to #Russia. pic.twitter.com/JeLrWDqduA Russian Embassy, UK (@RussianEmbassy) March 9, 2022 U.S. and Ukrainian officials have vehemently denied the existence of the lab publicly, but in testimony to the U.S. Senate last week, State Dept. official Victoria Nuland admitted under oath that the labs not only exist, but also that the U.S. government had become increasingly concerned they would fall into Russian hands. The Tennessee Star reveals: In response to a question from Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Nuland said that any chemical or biological weapons release in Ukraine, would be the fault of the Russian invaders. Nuland, who helped engineer Ukraines regime change coup in 2014 when she was the Assistant Secretary of State for European Affairs under Barack Obama, said the United States is working to prevent Russia from capturing the facilities. Does Ukraine have chemical or biological weapons? Rubio asked. Ukraine has biological research facilities which, in fact, were now quite concerned Russian troops, Russian forces may be seeking to gain control of, so we are working with the Ukrainians on how we can prevent any of those research materials from falling into the hands of Russian forces should they approach, Nuland responded. Two days after Russia invaded, the U.S. Embassy in Ukraine deleted documents pertaining to U.S. funding of several bio-labs in Ukraine, an act that would not have been undertaken unless the U.S. government was trying to hide something. Our deep state will be the end of our country if we dont get rid of it. Sources include: TennesseeStar.com NaturalNews.com Reuters.com (Natural News) Controversial lawyer and Brighteon.TV host Thomas Renz has called on Americans affected by the corruption, evil and bureaucratic nonsense of the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic to hold accountable the people responsible for it. I need to get the word out on whats going on. There are some big things happening. Weve got a couple of initiatives that were launching that are big and this is our opportunity. Were no longer trying to see if we can win the COVID narrative. Were now trying to bring justice to evildoers. And thats what has to happen, said Renz, who introduced the holdthemaccountable.world website during the March 8 episode of Lawfare with Tom Renz on Brighteon.TV. We want to hear your voices. We created a new platform where we can make sure that the voices of everybody whos been affected by this corruption, evil and bureaucratic nonsense can be heard. And were going to use this as a platform to fight bad guys from now on into the future for as far as we can. We need to hold these bad guys accountable. So we want your voice to be heard. Everybody you know has a story, I know because I see most of them. So what we did was create www.holdthemaccountable.world because this is a worldwide problem. I dont care what country youre from, we all bleed red. The people I work with, we dont care about your race, your creed, your religion, we dont care whether youre a boy or a girl, or whatever you are. We dont care who you are, what you do. We care about freedom. We care about God, family, country, we care about the country that allows us to have the freedom to do what we need to do. People have been lied to about COVID pandemic The lawyer from Ohio pointed out that for the past two years, lies have been told to people about the COVID pandemic. People have been lied to. They were told they shouldnt see grandma, grandpa. They could kill their family members. When their family members got sick, they had to watch them die without treatment, even though treatments were available. Theyve lost their businesses in the shutdown, Renz said. He mentioned that the COVID vaccines that came out are chemical experimentation that is killing people and causing injuries. According to Renz, the website is a joint project between Make Americans Free Again and Renz Law. We want your stories related to all of them. They may be news stories, they may be your stories, but we want stories. If youve been injured by the vaccine, come here and tell us. If youve lost your job, if youve lost your livelihood tell us, were going to have people going through this. And what we hope to do is to create a true compendium of what happened and what is happening, said Renz. (Related: Tom Renz slams Pentagon for HIDING vaccine injury data Brighteon.TV.) And since this is a Renz Law project, you can be sure that when they censor us, were gonna sue them all because thats what we do. So come to the website, support us and hold them accountable. We need to share this everywhere. We need to get it out there. We need to make sure people are aware of whats going on. And we need to put this out there in every way possible. The Ohio-based attorney shared that Renz Law and Make Americans Free Again have put together a document that contains a ton of evidence related to the COVID jabs, and that it is primarily focused on getting the American military cleaned up. We got to quit poisoning our soldiers. We need to help them, but it also talks about the danger to the public in general. What we did is we took the most compelling pieces of evidence we could find, and we put them into a single document. And then we summarized the most important things and cited them. And so that that document is up on Renz-law.com. Its also up on holdthemaccountable.world, Renz said. Renz added that the 193-page document is evidentiary-level material that has been submitted to the federal court and to some elected officials. He also mentioned that it contains information about the DOD document showing National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director Dr. Anthony Fauci lying about the COVID-19 vaccines. Follow VaccineInjuryNews.com to know more about the injuries and deaths caused by the COVID-19 vaccines. Watch the full March 8 episode of Lawfare with Tom Renz below. Catch new episodes of the program every Tuesday at 11:30-12 p.m. on Brighteon.TV. More related stories: Thomas Renz: People behind COVID vaccines belong in jail. Tom Renz reveals the names of vaccine damage Pentagon whistleblowers during Johnson roundtable. Tom Renz: Hospitals are now becoming killing fields Brighteon.TV. Atty. Thomas Renz: Verified data proves severity of COVID vaccine side effects Brighteon.TV. Leaked DoD database shows U.S. military illnesses skyrocketing due to covid jabs. Sources include: Brighteon.com Renz-law.com (Natural News) China is demanding that the United States provide a full accounting of all U.S.-backed bio-military activities in Ukraine. During a news conference in Beijing, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian echoed Russian allegations regarding U.S. involvement in developing bioweapons in laboratories in Ukraine. According to the data released by the U.S. itself, the U.S. has 26 biological laboratories and other related facilities in Ukraine which has indeed attracted great attention, said Zhao. All dangerous pathogens in Ukraine must be stored in these labs and all research activities are led by the U.S. side. Without U.S. approval, no information shall be released to the public. Zhao added that the U.S. has a total of 336 biological research laboratories in 30 countries, including Ukraine. [The U.S.] should give a full account of its biological military activities at home and abroad and subject itself to multilateral verification, he said. (Related: US bioweapons labs CONFIRMED as deep state sets stage for biowar false flag event to be blamed on Russia.) Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Vladimirovna Zakharova earlier said the Kremlin has discovered that Ukrainian forces are attempting to cover up evidence of military biological programs. According to reports, a large quantity of dangerous viruses are stored in these facilities, said Zhao. Russia has found during its military operations that the U.S. uses these facilities to conduct bio-military plans. Zhao said Beijing is calling on relevant sides to ensure the safety of these labs. The U.S., in particular, as the party that knows the labs the best, should disclose specific information as soon as possible, including which viruses are stored and what research has been conducted, added Zhao. White House in full denial regarding U.S.-backed biolabs in Ukraine White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki called Russia and Chinas claims of the U.S. having a global network of research facilities for biological weapons preposterous. Now that Russia has made these false claims, and China has seemingly endorsed this propaganda, we should all be on the lookout for Russia to possibly use chemical or biological weapons in Ukraine, or to create a false flag operation using them, said Psaki. Its a clear pattern, and no one should fall for it. Its exactly the kind of disinformation operation weve seen repeatedly from the Russians over the years in Ukraine and in other countries around the world, which have been debunked conclusively, and an example of the types of false pretexts we have been warning the Russians would invent, continued Psaki. The United States is in full compliance with its obligations under the Chemical Weapons Convention and the Biological Weapons Convention and does not develop or possess such weapons anywhere. The United Nations Biological Weapons Convention prohibits the development, production, acquisition, transfer, stockpiling and use of biological and toxin weapons. The U.S. ratified the treaty in 1975. Russia, as the Soviet Union, and Ukraine, as the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic, also ratified the treaty in 1975. John Kirby, press secretary for the Pentagon, called Russia and Chinas claims malarkey and classic Russian propaganda. We are not developing biological or chemical weapons inside Ukraine, said Kirby. Its not happening. But Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs Victoria Nuland recently testified before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee that there are biolabs in Ukraine. According to her testimony: Ukraine has biological research facilities, which in fact we are now quite concerned Russian troops, Russian forces may be seeking to gain control of. So we are working with the Ukrainians on how they can prevent any of those research materials from falling into the hands of Russian forces should they approach. Nulands testimony proves that both the White House and the Pentagon are lying about the bioweapons research facilities in Ukraine. Zhao has called the White House and the Pentagons denials of the existence of the biolabs in Ukraine an attempt to stonewall any proper investigation. Learn more about the U.S.-backed and funded bioweapons labs in Ukraine at Bioterrorism.news. Listen to this episode of the Health Ranger Report as host Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, talks about the confirmation of U.S. bioweapons labs in Ukraine, and how the Deep State is preparing to use them to stage false flag events. This video is from the Health Ranger Report channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: Russia presents compelling new evidence of U.S.-backed bioweapons labs in Ukraine after document proves their existence. Russian allegations that U.S. built biolab in Ukraine found to be valid: Report. Whos telling the truth? US, Russia trade allegations about biological research facilities in Ukraine. The plot thickens: Hunter Biden investment firm funded Ukraine biolabs. After denying existence of US bio labs in Ukraine, Biden regime warns that Russia could release the bioweapons they contain. Sources include: 100PercentFedUp.com RepublicWorld.com FoxNews.com Brighteon.com (Natural News) Researchers found that mask mandates in Spain are not at all connected to a lower rate of Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) transmissions. For the study, they compared the incidence of COVID-19 in older children to younger children to know if mask mandates were effective in reducing transmission of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, in schools. Results showed that there was a much lower case rate in preschool, where there were no mask mandates, compared to older groups who were required to wear masks at school. There was an incidence of 3.1 percent in kids aged five, with a slight increase in six-year-olds who had an incidence of 3.5 percent. The paper was published as a preprint and the researchers reported that mask mandates in schools were not associated with lower SARS-CoV-2 incidence or transmission. In an email to the Epoch Times, Clara Prats, one of the authors, explained that there wasnt a noticeable decrease in transmission on the children that wore masks (kids aged six to 11) when compared to those who didnt wear face masks (children aged three to five). The researchers have examined available data from Sept. 13 to Dec. 22, 2021. They noted that age-dependency was the most crucial factor for the risk of virus transmission in schools. This means that the older the children get, the more likely they are to have an adult-like immune response. Why is this important? Earlier studies have shown that adults are more likely than children to contract symptomatic cases of coronavirus. Additionally, the researchers found that since young children are likely to get infected with other coronaviruses, they would have more cross-reactive T cells, a type of cell that protects against coronavirus. Antoni Soriano-Arandes, another study author, concluded that age-gradient in SARS-CoV-2 transmission is the key to understanding the study results, particularly since this is mainly related to the strong/robust innate immune response at mucosa respiratory cells that younger children have when compared to older kids or adults. Masks are useless, mask mandates are meaningless The Spanish study, which was funded by the Spanish government and other institutions, adds to a growing body of data suggesting that masks and mask mandates are meaningless in a larger effort to reduce COVID-19 transmissions. (Related: Medical professionals, students decry mask mandates and other Covid measures in schools.) The researchers did acknowledge several limitations of the research, like not being able to count all asymptomatic cases, which are more likely among younger children. Dr. Jonathan Darrow, an assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School who analyzed mask studies in 2021, said the Spanish study fails to provide good evidence that masks substantially reduce transmission. He added that if face masks do reduce transmission, they dont reduce it by very much. He concluded that its possible face masks might be more effective in other contexts like if people wore better masks, touched their faces less, replaced masks more frequently or if there was better compliance. However, this doesnt mean governments should force citizens to wear masks under the guise of concern for public safety. Follow Pandemic.news for more news related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Watch the video below of Harrison Smith and Ian Miller discussing the scientific data that disproves the effectivity of mask mandates. This video is from the InfoWars channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: PA school district apologizes for incident involving teacher taping mask to students face. LA psychologist: Mask wearers sick with mass formation psychosis. Pandemic of the vaccinated: COVID cases skyrocket at the Capitol, mostly affecting fully vaccinated individuals. NY Supreme Court strikes down Hochuls statewide mask mandate. Masks purposely being forced on children to dumb them down by depriving their brains of oxygen. Sources include: TheEpochTimes.com Papers.ssrn.com Brighteon.com (Natural News) Justin Trudeau visited Queen Elizabeth II at Windsor Castle on March 7, marking the latters first official in-person meeting with a world leader after recovering from Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19). The visit created a stir as photos taken at the event show Trudeau without mask even though Canada is still following mask mandates. Trudeau also met with the U.K. military leaders without mask, while the Canadian armed forces are under strict orders to wear it. The criticism comes as Canadas two most populous provinces, Ontario and Quebec, still mandate face coverings for everyone, including young students. Trudeau talked to Prime Minister Boris Johnson and other European leaders to discuss the Russia-Ukraine crisis. Trudeau and Johnson were joined by Prime Minister Mark Rutte of the Netherlands. The Canadian Prime Minister said he stands with the Ukrainian people and aims to push back hard against Russia. During Trudeaus visit, protesters were seen near the main gate entrance of 10 Downing Street in London. The crowd waited for Trudeaus arrival for his meeting with Johnson. Trudeau used an alternate entrance. Geoff Buxcey, a retired police officer, posted on Twitter to express his embarrassment. How absolutely embarrassing for Canada, on the diplomatic stage, that this guy is hated just as much there as he is here! This has never happened to any other Canadian Prime Minister in our history, thats how far our international influence has fallen under @JustinTrudeau. His Tweet included a repost of a video that captured protesters F**k Trudeau chant that can be heard in the background as Johnson greeted the Canadian prime minister. Several media outlets in the U.K. condemned Trudeaus actions against the truckers, with some saying that his decision was not unlike something other world leaders would or have done to their political opponents. COVID-19 pandemic and Russia-Ukraine crisis reveals Trudeaus hypocrisy On March 8, Trudeau committed more Canadian troops to Latvia for the North Atlantic Treaty Organizations (NATOs) Operation Reassurance amid the Russia-Ukraine conflict. His actions drew flak because Canadas military has outdated equipment and has been underfunded for years. Since the pandemic, citizens have noticed that Trudeaus hypocrisy is limitless. Only a few weeks ago, Trudeau used extraordinary powers, the Emergencies Act (EA), to end the Freedom Convoy of truckers who peacefully demonstrated in Ottawa for three weeks. Tamara Lich, one of the Freedom Convoys main organizers, was jailed for over two weeks before finally being granted bail on March 7. Some say Lichs prolonged jailing was because she was being held as a political prisoner for opposing Trudeaus pandemic mandates. Theres also the fact that millions of Canadians who did not come from foreign lands and have chosen not to get vaccinated are forbidden from traveling. In Canada, people who have yet to sign up for COVID-19 vaccines are banned from traveling by air, rail or boat both domestically and internationally. The Conservative Party of Canada, Canadas official opposition party, has been pushing for an immediate end to the coronavirus vaccine travel mandate. (Related: COVID and Putin are not a threat to your freedom; people like Schwab, Gates & Trudeau are.) Canadians have been rallying against the use of face masks. And their complaints arent groundless. In an August 2021 study from Rhode Island, findings revealed that the use of face masks in schools may significantly lower a childs cognitive ability compared with their pre-pandemic equivalents. In a 2020 study by Henning Bundgaard of the Copenhagen University Hospital on the effectiveness of face masks against COVID-19, results showed that there was no statistically significant difference between people who wore a mask and those who didnt when it came to people getting the virus. Go to Tyranny.news to read more articles about how world leaders like Trudeau have abused their power amid the coronavirus pandemic. Watch the video below to see Trudeau talk about Canadas Pfizer vaccine deal. This video is from Melissa Levs channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: Trudeau will not cancel Emergencies Act despite protests being over. Tyrant Trudeau testing dictatorship waters for Biden? Brutal Trudeau regime tramples elderly with war horses. Trudeau declares martial law in Canada using draconian Emergencies Act. Justin Trudeau crosses the Rubicon and reveals the end stage of fake liberal democracy. Sources include: LifeSiteNews.com NYTimes.com Twitter.com Brighteon.com (Natural News) A blogger who calls himself A Midwestern Doctor has issued a warning that Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine adverse events are far more prominent than many people realize. Potentially millions of fully vaccinated people are now suffering with a range of jab-induced illnesses that may or may not be curable. And the unfortunate reality for them is that they will probably never find the answers or solutions they need. Ive tried to use very neutral language to describe these events, but this has been a very difficult process for me to watch, the doctor wrote, referring to the many stories that are pouring in from jab-damaged folks. Many of the people I know and have guided through the process have access to options for mitigating these injuries, something most people dont. Ive read through various support groups, and in general found their experiences are typically worse than what I am describing here as they are not privileged to have access to way to mitigate the harm. Initially, it was believed that the more serious side effects, at least, would be minimal. Only a tiny fraction of people, we were told, would even know they took the shots afterwards because their health would be just fine. This is proving to be false. Once the vaccine was release to the general public, I began seeing patients appear for various acute autoimmune and neurological conditions (I would classify as moderate) immediately following vaccination at a much higher rate than I had expected, the doctor wrote. Each time they told me the other doctors they saw either insisted the reaction was either not linked to vaccination, or the fact they had the reaction was a really good sign, because if they ended up getting COVID the adverse event would have been much, much worse. Shortly after, I then began having friends contact me inquiring if the vaccine could cause a fatal heart attack or stroke, something I had not anticipated would occur. COVID injections are causing very strange effects that doctors cannot explain the mechanism for As the official narrative surrounding the safe and effective injections continued to crumble, the doctor began compiling data to compare what is actually happening in real life to what the corporate-controlled media and the government are claiming is the case. My primary reason for all of this is that everyone likes to say severe reactions to vaccines are 1/1,000,000, the doctor adds. My logic was there is absolutely no way I know 1,000,000 people through one degree of separation. My guess is I know 50,000-100,000 people through one degree of separation so at the absolutely most I will hear of 10 percent of the cases (probably less) within this sample, so if I have at least 10 cases of severe injury within this sample that is a large red flag. Among the deadly side effects observed by the doctor are: Strokes, likely strokes and blood clots Hemorrhages Heart conditions Sudden death (unknown cause) Anaphylaxis and allergies Other neurological conditions Psychiatric conditions Autoimmune disorders and chronic fatigue Immune suppression and cancer Menstrual irregularities and miscarriages Birth defects There are also other very strange effects, the doctor further noted, that I cannot explain the mechanism for. This is perhaps due to the fact that messenger RNA (mRNA) technology has never before been used in humans, and thus the damage it causes is new to those in the medical field. Be sure to read the full report with stories at AMidWesternDoctor.substack.com. The CovidVaccineVictims.com website also has a plethora of stories about jab injuries and deaths. The latest news about COVID-19 vaccine injuries can be found at ChemicalViolence.com. Sources include: AMidwesternDoctor.substack.com NaturalNews.com (Natural News) Another deadly side effect of Wuhan coronavirus (Covid-19) vaccination has been unearthed, and it spells disaster for future generations. It turns out that the experimental drugs trigger germ line modifications to female eggs and male sperm. To make a long story short, Fauci Flu shots appear to cause female infertility in the next generation. Before the mRNA (messenger RNA) injections from Moderna and Pfizer had even been released, anonymous posters claiming to be a Moderna process engineer and a Moderna industrial engineer leaked information about how the drugs work. Most of the mRNA, these people revealed, ends up in the liver or gonads. The effects of it in the reproductive organs, it was further explained, are recessive, meaning in the next generation female offspring have premature ovarian failure. It was recently revealed that Pfizer knew about the fact that mRNA injections leak into ovaries, and now we are beginning to see a clearer picture of what is happening to peoples bodies in the process. This was actually well written using proper trade jargon, wrote Igor Chudov on his Substack about how the anonymous poster who revealed all this is clearly in the know. This was written in 2020 BEFORE anything became known about dangers of mRNA vaccines and the terms used were not on the radar. Many allegations of this post actually check out, Chudov added. Specifically, LINE-1 reverse transcriptase interacts with vaccines, and DNA reverse transcription does convert mRNA into DNA in human cells This stuff is very hard to make up without knowing. It appears as though covid vaccines were designed to make recipients offspring unable to reproduce The most significant allegation is that a purposely mutated version of the gene CDKN1B ends up in the gonads (ovaries and testes). The mRNA payload is so high that the DNA of eggs and sperm get modified, introducing a CDKN1B mutation. The only way this would show up is if both parents germ cells, meaning the egg and the specific sperm cell that fertilizes it, are carrying CDKN1B. The possible result of this alleged mutation is that female offspring of vaccinated people would be prone to Premature Ovarian Failure and thus would not be able to reproduce, Chudov explains. Andreas Oehler from the Live to Fight Another Day Substack added more to the conversation by pointing out that both CDKN1B and CYP19A1, which was also mentioned in the leak, are implicated in female infertility problems. We also now know that the injections contain a hidden additive, according to Oehler, that specifically upregulates LINE-1. Melissa Strickler, a former Pfizer quality control manager and whistleblower, came forward back in October to explain that the manufacturing process for that companys injection is unusual, deviating from the usual norms. The compounding room has no idea what are the components they are mixing into the product,' Oehler writes, making mention of highly sensitive trade secret adjuvants being added to the vials. This secrecy about what goes into the vials is unprecedented. Furthermore, the vaccine manufacturers are not controlled by any independent bodies as to the quality control, the vials being shipped directly to the vaccine administration locations. This lends credence to the assertion that the mRNA vaccines may contain undisclosed constituents. It turns out that Big Pharma has been secretly adding female fertility-harming substances to drugs for many decades. In collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the drug industry has been making women infertile through medicine. Are Chinese Virus injections just another depopulation plot? Is there even more to it than that, still to be uncovered? The latest news coverage about the health damage caused by Wuhan coronavirus (Covid-19) vaccines can be found at ChemicalViolence.com. Sources for this article include: IgorChudov.substack.com NaturalNews.com Live2FightAnotherDay.substack.com MBABANE Clerk to Parliament Benedict Xaba has now come out to say that the proposed new Parliament building project does not include residential houses for parliamentarians. In a press statement released to this publication yesterday, Xaba said although when the project was initiated during the ninth Parliament, it was proposed that the structure should include a residential village, the housing project was never included in the project brief and the loan negotiation with the Export and Import Bank of India. Publishing However, in interview with our sister publication Times of Eswatini SUNDAY, prior to the publishing of the article, Xaba had confirmed the proposed village, stating that it was in phase two of the project. Xaba further went on to state why it was necessary for the parliamentarians to have houses built for them close to the Parliament building. The proposed village was also confirmed by the Chairman of the Portfolio Committee on Economic Planning and Development Mduduzi Magagula. In his statement, Xaba said the background of the matter was that the Parliament of the Kingdom of Eswatini passed the Construction of the New Parliament Act of 2020, which was approved for the country to borrow a sum of USD 108.28million from the Export and Import Bank of India to construct the new building. Subsequently, Xaba said the country through the Ministry of Finance negotiated and signed a Line of Credit (LOC) agreement with the Exim Bank of India wherein loan conditions were detailed. The loan agreement was signed in October 2021which was then to be followed by detailed designs of the project. The implementing ministry, which is that of Economic Planning and Development is in the process of getting the detailed architectural designs in line with the LOC agreement, Xaba said. He added that Parliament was sensitive to the needs of all emaSwati and remained committed to the development of the economy of the country, through executing its constitutional mandate of representation, legislation and oversight. He said it was envisaged that emaSwati would benefit through job creation in the construction phase, as well as employment opportunities upon completion of the project. (Natural News) Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs Victoria Nuland confirmed that the United States through the Department of Defense has been running biological weapons laboratories in Ukraine, according to host Melissa Red Pill during the March 9 episode of the Freedom Force Battalion on Brighteon.TV. Testifying before a Senate Foreign Relation Committee hearing on Ukraine on March 8, Nuland said the U.S. was working with Ukraine to prevent biological research material from falling into the hands of invading Russian forces. Ukraine has biological research facilities, which in fact, we are now quite concerned Russian troops, Russian forces may be seeking to gain control of, so we are working with the Ukrainians on how they can prevent any of those research materials from falling into the hands of Russian forces, Nuland said after she was asked by Florida Senator Marco Rubio if Ukraine has biological or chemical weapons during the Senate hearing. Red Pill pointed out that Nuland was worried that this is going to be exposed before the whole world and that she was one of the main personalities involved in this coup years ago to get Ukraine out of Russias territory. She has been part and parcel with this. And now shes worried that Russia is going to get hold of these biological agents. She says shes 100 percent sure that if theres a biological attack, its Russia, said Red Pill, noting that the Russians are being blamed for something they havent done yet. Red Pill also talked about the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation briefing where the Russias Minister of Defense General Sergey Shoygu said Ukraine houses 30 biolabs funded by the U.S. Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA). She mentioned that the DTRAs work was tasked with three directives, namely: monitoring of the biological environment around the military locations of NATO; repatriation of different strains of dangerous pathogens to the U.S. and around the world; and research on potential agents of biological weapons. (Related: Russian military accuses Pentagon of destroying evidence of secret biological experiments in Ukraine Pt. 1.) The Freedom Force Battalion host stated that all these biological weapons were aimed at every culture, whether it is Russia, Europe, America or other parts of the world. She added that on Ukraines territory, Germanys Federal Ministry of Defense studied the pathogens of the Crimean Congo hemorrhagic fever, leptospirosis, meningitis and Hantavirus as part of an agreement between the two states to guarantee biological safety on the outer borders of the European Union. Ukraines Health Ministry orders destruction of pathogens in biolabs Melissa Red Pill also revealed that Ukraines Ministry of Health ordered the destruction of the pathogens in the biolabs last February 24. The Pentagon understands that if this collection finds its way into the hands of experts, it would be determined that the U.S. and Ukraine broke the Convention on the Prohibition of Biological and Toxin Weapons, particularly the ban on enhancement of pathogens of microorganisms and sent via synthetic biology. The Biological Weapons Convention prohibits the development, production, acquisition, transfer, stockpiling and use of biological and toxin weapons. It was the first multilateral disarmament treaty banning an entire category of weapons of mass destruction. They dont want us to get hold of these because it would prove that they broke the Convention on Prevention of Biological and Toxic Weapons. You cant use this in war. And so thats the agreement but of course they never keep the agreement, Red Pill explained. She pointed out that the biolabs evidence that Russia gathered caused Russian President Vladimir Putin to take that step of invading Ukraine. She added that Putin is not a madman because he is just trying to prevent evil people in the Pentagon from harming and destroying the Russian people. Follow Plague.info to know more about the plagues and biological weapons being unleashed in the world. Watch the full March 9 episode of the Freedom Force Battalion below. Freedom Force Battalion airs every Wednesday at 11-12 p.m. on Brighteon.TV. More related stories: Pentagon ran bioweapons labs in 25 countries, including Ukraine yet no global outcry against the USA for funding covid gain-of-function crimes against humanity. China accuses USA of having bioweapons research program in strategic retaliation against accusations of coronavirus origins. Both China and USA engaged in weaponized bioweapons research. Some of the worlds most dangerous bioweapons are made at a lab in Maryland (not just in China and Ukraine). Sources include: Brighteon.com NewsPunch.com UN.org (Natural News) A study included in the first batch of Pfizer documents released on March 1 following a court order indicates that the companys Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine accumulates in the ovaries over time. This is significant because official data from the U.K. recently showed that the cases of ovarian cancer in 2021 were at a record high. Also last year, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), the U.K.s drug regulator, received more than 40,000 reports linked to reproductive and menstrual disorders that were suspected as adverse reactions to the vaccines. The study, which is among the many documents that can be accessed on the Public Health and Medical Professionals for Transparency website, was conducted on 21 female and 21 male Wistar rats. Each animal subject was given a single intramuscular dose of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine. Then, researchers tested rat blood and tissue samples to determine the content and concentration of total radioactivity in blood, plasma and tissues at pre-defined points after administration. This means the scientists measured how much of the coronavirus vaccine spread to other parts of the animals bodies, such as their skin, liver, spleen and heart. According to the results, the Pfizer vaccine accumulates in the ovaries over time. An ovary is one of a pair of female glands where eggs form and the female hormones estrogen and progesterone are made. Within the first 15 minutes of vaccination, the scientists discovered that the total lipid concentration in the ovaries measured 0.104 ml. The figure then increased to 1.34 ml after one hour, 2.34 ml after four hours and 12.3 ml after 48 hours. The research team didnt conduct further research on the accumulation after a period of 48 hours, so it remains to be seen if the alarming accumulation continued beyond that time frame. (Related: Pfizers COVID vaccine causes miscarriages, stillbirths.) Links between COVID-19 vaccines and ovarian cancer Official data from the U.K. published by Public Health Scotland contained some alarming clues hinting at the consequences of vaccine accumulation in the ovaries. It presents information concerning different topics like births and babies, child health, cancer, cardiovascular and mental health, injuries, pregnancy and substance use. In September 2021, Dr. Victoria Male, a lecturer in reproductive immunology at Imperial College London, published an article in the British Medical Journal about a possible link between menstrual changes and the COVID-19 vaccines. While side effects like soreness in the arm, fever and fatigue are common in vaccinated individuals, others like changes to periods and unexpected vaginal bleeding hint at a potential connection that should be studied further. She added that the effects of medical interventions on menstruation should not be an afterthought in future research. Since clinical trials are the ideal setting for differentiating between menstrual changes caused by interventions from those that occur anyway, volunteers are unlikely to report changes to periods unless specifically asked. Information about menstrual cycles and other vaginal bleeding should be actively solicited in future clinical trials, including trials of COVID-19 vaccines, concluded Male. While its impossible to definitively conclude that coronavirus vaccines are the cause of an increase in cases of ovarian cancer, the data from Pfizer and the thousands of menstrual disorders being reported as adverse reactions to the injections suggest something worth investigating. Visit Vaccines.news for more information about the COVID-19 vaccine and its many adverse effects. Watch the video below to know more about a woman whose healthy aunt died after receiving the coronavirus vaccine. This video is from the Polyxena Lobkovice channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: Reiner Fullmich and 50 lawyers: The vaccines are designed to kill and depopulate the planet. Highly vaccinated Israel has the most COVID-19 cases per capita IN THE WORLD. The Ben Armstrong Show: Vaccines more dangerous than COVID Brighteon.com. The Big Logic: Dr. Peter McCullough talks about how COVID-19 vaccines can cause organ failure Brighteon.com. Dr. Sherri Tenpenny: mRNA COVID vaccines increase hospitalization and death rates Brighteon.TV. Sources include: DailyExpose.uk PHMPT.org 1 PHMT.org 2[PDF] Scotland.ShinyApps.io BMJ.com Brighteon.com (Natural News) Proponents of a fourth Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine shot are in for a big shocker. Informed Consent Action Network (ICAN) CEO Del Bigtree revealed that results of recent study will put to rest the debate on whether another booster shot is needed to protect the population against SARS-CoV-2. Theres a brilliant study showing that we have now proven scientifically that the fourth shot doesnt work. In fact, it causes the antibodies to attack a different part of the virus its giving up on so that spike protein is going to, you know, a different binding domain. And so its actually more like immune system fatigue, Bigtree told Mike Adams during the March 9 episode of the Health Ranger Report on Brighteon.TV. (Related: FDA considering approval of FOURTH vaccine dose despite dangers.) I think the immune system says Ive already seen this. Let me look at a different part of it. And then it goes to a useless attack that wont work. And so its really interesting that now were seeing that theres a limit to how many times you can vaccinate, and now youre going to get nothing out of it, only the negative effects. And so this idea that will keep vaccinating over and over again in the future is going to be very problematic for those that had that plan. Its all about the freedom of choice Clarifying that hes not after the abolition of all vaccines, Bigtree said he simply wants people to have freedom of choice. Im not here to eradicate vaccines from the planet. Thats not my goal, I simply want no mandate, like its really simple. And the language is coming out now with the defeat of the mandate, which is a great name. I just dont believe in mandates. I mean, usually advertise, you can convince whoever you can. But in the end, its my choice. Adams, founder of Brighteon.com and Brighteon.TV, agreed. Youre free to destroy your body with these needles, illegal street drugs, and meth and crack and everything else. Thats literally their opinion. But you cant say no to these other needles. Right? Thats crazy, said Adams, an award-winning investigative journalist. According to Bigtree, a lot of people went along with the first two shots, but now they feel like, weve had enough of this. We are tired of hearing about variants. Were tired of lockdowns, were tired of being told what to do. And this feeling goes beyond being a Republican or a Democrat. Democrats know theyre toast if they dont change narrative Bigtree bared that an internal memo circulating in the Democratic Party is basically urging its members to just shot down the vaccines, shut down the masking, get it done now, claim a victory, [otherwise] were gonna be destroyed in the [mid-term] election this year. Dont even just say weve won, say its all over, or were screwed. According to Bigtree, part of the Democrats plan to move on from the vaccine issues is to create a new emergency to distract the public. This was evident when Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, suddenly putting COVID-19 in the rearview mirror. Earlier, it was Canadas Freedom Convoy that dominated the headlines. Bigtree, an Emmy-winning television producer, couldnt help but think the scenarios are inter-connected. After all, major role players like Russian President Vladimir Putin, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and French President Emmanuel Macron all have links to the World Economic Forum founded by Klaus Schwab. He also ranted on Anthony Fauci, President Joe Bidens Chief Medical Adviser, and the health departments. According to Bigtree, Fauci is the most terrifying figure during the pandemic because he was never elected and yet he is dictating decisions for the world. Lashing at the health departments, Bigtree said they are usually your bottom feeder doctors that couldnt make it in the hospital, couldnt actually do the job, went in to get into the government. And so these losers rise to the top and now were going to hand them so much power that no politician can stand against them. For Bigtree, giving them an unfettered power is a super dangerous proposition, especially when it concerns more vaccine injections. No wonder, he intends to stop them before they can again impose their will on the people. Follow Vaccines.news for more news related to the COVID-19 vaccines. Watch the video below for the full March 9 episode the Health Ranger Report with the Health Ranger Mike Adams and guest Del Bigtree. Catch new episodes of the program from Monday to Friday at 3-3:30 p.m. on Brighteon.TV. More related stories: Fauci claims fourth COVID dose is entirely conceivable. Moderna CEO claims FOURTH dose needed by Fall, 2022 where does it end? AstraZeneca vaccine creator says continual Covid vaccine booster shots are UNSUSTAINABLE. Fourth COVID jab on the way? Despite plummeting cases, FDA pushes for another booster as potential annual shot. Israeli Health Ministry survey finds an INCREASE of vaccine injuries from boosters. Sources include: Brighteon.com NPR.org WSJ.com (Natural News) The Texas Supreme Court late last week ruled against abortion providers seeking to have a law barring the procedure after a fetal heart tone is detected, which generally occurs at around six weeks, ending the final challenge to the statute. Today, the Texas Supreme Court said no to the claim made by abortionists that state officials have a role in enforcing the Texas Heartbeat Law which is not how the law is designed, said a report on the decision posted online Friday. Justice Jeff Boyd wrote that giving enforcement authority to state officials goes against the plain language of the statute, which specifically requires the law to be enforced by private citizens and forbids government enforcement, the report added. Jonathan Saenz, the president of the pro-life org Attorney for Texas Values, agreed with the ruling, noting: Once again, the Texas Heartbeat Law prevailed in court not only at the U.S. Supreme Court, but now at the Texas Supreme Court. The high court rejected the abortion groups faulty interpretation of this pro-life law and as a result, this life-or-death case should be dismissed. Babies win again, Saenz added. According to ABC affiliate KVUE, the high court ruled that state licensing boards neither directly nor indirectly enforce the law, which effectively ends an eight-month challenge by abortion providers. The outlet noted that the challenge regarding enforcement of the law also made it to the U.S. Supreme Court last December, when justices ruled against most of the arguments made by abortion providers. However, the nations highest court did allow a narrow challenge regarding the states licensing boards to move forward but remanded the case back to the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans. Abortion providers were hoping the appeals court would send the case to a federal district court that previously blocked the law, however, the appeals panel instead sent it to the Texas Supreme Court, KVUE noted. Lawyers for abortion providers argued that the Texas medical licensing board can take away licenses from physicians who perform abortions after fetal heart tones are heard, which means the board can effectively enforce the law and as such, the state can be sued. But the Texas high court disagreed: Senate Bill 8 provides that its requirements may be enforced by a private civil action, that no state official may bring or participate as a party in any such action, that such an action is the exclusive means to enforce the requirements, and that these restrictions apply notwithstanding any other law. Based on these provisions, we conclude that Texas law does not grant the state-agency executives named as defendants in this case any authority to enforce the Acts requirements, either directly or indirectly. The law took effect in September 2021, and lawsuits were immediately filed to overturn it. The law bans abortions once fetal cardiac activity is detected, which is typically at six weeks gestation and before most women know they are pregnant, KVUE reported. Under the law, almost anyone can sue a Texas doctor who performs or has an intent to perform an abortion or anyone who aides a woman in receiving an abortion and be awarded at least $10,000. The only exception to the law is for medical emergencies that put a womans health at risk, the report continued. The U.S. Supreme Court has another abortion case before it involving a Mississippi law that bans all abortions after 15 weeks. Pro-life supporters are hoping that, at a minimum, justices will not strike down the Mississippi statute and by doing so return the issue of abortion to states where it once resided and where it should always have resided under the principles of constitutional federalism. They could also overturn the landmark Roe v. Wade decision legalizing abortion nationwide as well. Sources include: KVUE.com CitizenFreePress.com (Natural News) Has the Pentagon been spending untold millions of American taxpayer dollars to build race-specific bioweapons in Ukraine? The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation says it has proof to think so. In a recent announcement, Igor Kirillov, head of the Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical Protection Troops of the Russian Armed Forces, revealed that the United States military-industrial complex has not only been conducting bat coronavirus-related experiments in Ukraine, according to uncovered evidence, but has also been trying to develop bioweapons that selectively target certain ethnicities and all under the guise of research. The available documents confirm numerous cases of the transfer of biological samples of Ukrainian citizens abroad, Kirillov stated. With a high degree of probability, we can say that one of the tasks of the United States and its allies is the creation of bioagents that can selectively affect various ethnic groups of the population. As we reported, the Pentagon has been operating biolabs all over the world, including in Ukraine. According to Kirillov, some 350 cryocontainers filled with blood serum samples were transferred from the Public Health Center of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine to a reference laboratory for infectious diseases at Australias Doherty Institute. This was done under the pretext of identifying antibody titers. The Russian Defense Ministry obtained documents confirming that this high-risk biological research in Ukraine is, in fact, being led by the United States. Kirillov said the documents show that the U.S. Department of Defense funded this research. Under Secretary of State Victoria Nuland confirms existence of Ukrainian biolabs In a recent testimony before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Under Secretary of State Victoria Nuland admitted that these biolabs exist, though she made sure to call them research facilities, never once mentioning the word bioweapons. Kirillov said that Nuland did, however, indirectly confirm that the U.S. has, in fact, been participating in Ukrainian biological research when she stated that Washington, D.C., is concerned about Russia taking over these biolabs. The biological research funded by the US in Ukraine, according to Kirillov, included the projects UP-2, UP-9, UP-10, aimed at studying the pathogens of anthrax and African swine fever,' reported InfoWars. The UP-4 project, in particular, is said to have been in development in laboratories in Kyiv, Kharkov and Odessa, and was scheduled until 2020. Kirillov also said that the Pentagon has shown interest in insect vectors that are capable of spreading dangerous infectious diseases. More than 140 containers filled with ectoparasites from bats, including fleas and ticks, were captured and transferred from the biological laboratory in Kharkov, he noted. According to the available information, the Americans have already managed to evacuate most of the documentation from the laboratories in Kyiv, Kharkov and Odessa, including databases, biomaterials and equipment to the Lvov Research Institute of Epidemiology and Hygiene and to the American Consulate in Lvov, Kirillov added. It is possible that part of the collection will be moved to Poland. Biolabs in Georgia, Kirillov added, are also working on projects involving bats as carriers of bioweapons. This is a stark similarity to what was happening at the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV) in China, which is believed to be where the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) originated. Russian Major General Igor Konashenkov expressed similar concerns about the Ukrainian biolabs, warning that U.S.-funded projects there involve the use of bat coronaviruses that can be spread via wild birds that migrate between Russia, Ukraine and other countries. White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki, meanwhile, denied all of this, claiming that it is preposterous. Its the kind of disinformation operation weve seen repeatedly from the Russians over the years in Ukraine and in other countries, which have been debunked, and as an example of the types of false pretexts we have been warning the Russians would invent. The latest news about this subject can be found at WWIII.news. Sources include: InfoWars.com NaturalNews.com De-extinction is the process of resurrecting species that have died out or gone extinct. This seems to have provided some people an opportunity to expand diversity of species and bring back animals which humans have driven away back to life. De-extinction scientists set to bring an enormous, long-lost rat back to life after going extinct 120 years ago in a mass extinction event between 1899 and 1908, Newsweek reported. Christmas Island rat (Rattus macleari) also known as the Maclear's rat is native and Australia and shimmied the nation before the early 1900s. The massive rodent is characterized by large teeth, powerful enough to feast on the island's red crabs. It had long, thick fur and black whiskers about three inches in length, and grows to around 1.5 feet from head to tail. Scientists were able to recover 95 percent of its genome by comparing it to its living relative, the Norway brown rat, and hope that they could resurrect the lost species from there, according to ScienceNews. It's a match! The team compared the extinct rat's genes with the genome of the Norway brown rat and recovered as much as about 95 percent of the extinct genome, but this means that 5 percent were still missing. To address this matter, the team used CRISPR technology to edit the DNA of the living species that don't match up with the identified parts of the extinct genomes. However, Tom Gilbert, from the University of Copenhagen and lead evolutionary geneticist on the project said that with the current technology, it may be completely impossible to ever recover the full sequence. "Because of the combined problems of DNA degradation and evolutionary divergence, you'll never (through editing) be able to get back exactly what went extinct. We will have to accept they will be some kind of hybrid of the extinct form and the living relative," he said. "And then with that information at hand (especially if you run the analysis we did) you can then decide if it's worth your time/money/effort to create whatever you are working on." Their findings are published in the journal Current Biology. Also read: Experts Name Extinct Vampire-Like Squid With 10 Arms After Biden Evolutionary divergence Gilbert compares the extinct species' genome to that of a shredded book. Theoretically, someone could reconstruct this book by scanning the fragments and comparing them with a reference, but the very same book won't be intact properly. "You can only bring back what you can find. And our point is we can't find everything," says Gilbert. The reason why researchers chose the Christmas Island rat for analysis is because it diverged from its closest relative, the Norway brown rat (Rattus norvegicus), only around 2.6 million years ago. However, due to evolutionary divergence between the two species, most of that genetic information "was simply lost." Because of this same reason, the Christmas Island rat's chance at survival could also be hindered if it were released into its former habitat. "By doing these kinds of analyses, which is not hard to do, you can at least come up with the what will you get, what will you not get, and you can use that to decide is it worth doing," Gilbert says. Related article: Scientists Uncovered Evidence That Octopuses Are Probably Older Than Dinosaurs Two massive blob-like formations exist within the Earth's mantle, roughly on opposing ends of the planet. Each of the blobs, technically known as Large Low-Shear-Velocity Provinces (LLSVPs), is the size of a continent and 100 times taller than Mt. Everest. One is located beneath the African continent, while the other is located beneath the Pacific Ocean. Scientists have determined that these two blobs have complex patterns and structures using seismic wave sensors. Still, nothing is known about why the blobs exist or what caused their unusual formations despite their notable characteristics. Discovering the Blobs Qian Yuan and Mingming Li of Arizona State University's School of Earth and Space Exploration used geodynamic modeling and assessments of existing seismic investigations to understand more about these two blobs, according to SciTech Daily. They were able to estimate the greatest heights that the blobs can reach via their research and how the volume and density of the blobs and the surrounding viscosity in the mantle may influence their size. Their findings were just published in the journal Nature Geoscience. Their seismic investigation revealed that the blob beneath the African continent is roughly 621 miles (1,000 kilometers) higher than the blob beneath the Pacific Ocean. Also Read: Superionic Material Might Explain Mysterious Secrets of Earth's Inner Core According to Yuan and Li, the clearest explanation for the large height disparity between the two is that the blob beneath the African continent is less dense (and hence less stable) than the one beneath the Pacific Ocean. Yuan and Li used hundreds of mantle convection model simulations to investigate. They thoroughly investigated the impacts of critical elements that may influence the blobs' height, such as the volume of the blobs and density and viscosity disparities between the blobs and their surroundings. They discovered that the blob beneath the African continent must have a lower density than the blob beneath the Pacific Ocean to explain the enormous disparities in height between the two, implying that the two may have distinct composition and evolution. Initial Volume According to Live Science, the blobs' starting volume does not affect their height, according to Yuan. "The density of the blobs and the viscosity of the surrounding mantle are the main determinants of their height." The Africa LLVP may have been rising in recent geological time, said co-author Li. "This might explain eastern Africa's rising surface topography and intensive volcanism." These results might significantly impact how scientists understand deep mantle processes and how they affect the Earth's surface. The blob under the African continent, for example, may be unstable because of changes in topography, gravity, surface volcanism, and plate motion on the continent. Seismic Analysis and Geodynamic Modeling According to Yuan, the combination of seismic analysis and geodynamic modeling sheds fresh light on the nature of the Earth's greatest structures in the deep interior and their interactions with the surrounding mantle. Scientists striving to understand the current state and development of the deep mantle structure and the nature of mantle convection would benefit greatly from this research. Related Article: Evidence of Life Discovered Deep Beneath Earth's Mantle For similar news, don't forget to follow Nature World News! For thousands of years, volcanic eruptions have shaken human civilizations, such as the historic Mount Vesuvius eruption of 79 AD, which buried the ancient city of Pompeii under meters of volcanic ash and pumice. In January, a volcanic explosion in Tonga hurled ash 60,000 feet (18,000 meters) into the sky, obliterating a volcanic island. The eruption, which killed at least five individuals, was classified as a once-in-a-thousand-year occurrence with a Volcanic Explosivity Index (VEI) of up to five. Meanwhile, supervolcanic eruptions have a VEI score of eight, the maximum conceivable. They explode every 17,000 years and are 1,000 times more powerful than the 1980 Mount St Helens explosion, the worst in US history. Yellowstone in the United States, Lake Toba in Indonesia, and Lake Taupo in New Zealand are just a few of the world's recognized supervolcanoes. New Supervolcano Threat A new supervolcano might be forming beneath the US states of Massachusetts, Vermont, and New Hampshire, according to a groundbreaking 2018 research. As described in a research published in 2016, the North Appalachian Anomaly is an active, autonomous upwelling of molten rock under the surface. Scientists at Rutgers University analyzed two years of data from the 2016 research to understand better what was going on under the surface. "The upwelling we saw is like a hot-air balloon," geophysicist Vadim Levin told Fox News. "We deduce that something is coming up through the deepest section of our earth under New England." The area where they discovered it is geologically stable and devoid of active volcanoes. In terms of Earth's geological processes, the magma build-up is recent - tens of millions of years, to be precise. "It will most likely take millions of years for the upwelling to get where it's heading," Prof Levin concluded. The next stage is to figure out exactly what's going on. He said, It's not Yellowstone-like, but it's a distant relative in the sense that something little - a couple of hundred kilometers across - is happening. Also Read: Scientists Warn of Disastrous Aftermath in Case of Supervolcano Eruption in US Not Reaching the Surface The magma bubble may never reach the surface. If it happens, it will very certainly take a very long period. "Perhaps it didn't have time yet, or maybe it's too little and will never make it," Prof Levin told National Geographic in 2018. We'll see what happens in 50 million years, say the researchers. When magma from the mantle rises into the crust but cannot break through supervolcanoes form. In a big, rising magma pool, pressure develops until the crust can no longer withstand it. They can form in hotspots, such as the Yellowstone Caldera, or subduction zones, such as Toba. When they erupt, they can trigger long-term climate disruption and extinction of species. Historic Eruptions Mount Tambora's 1815 explosion was the most intense volcanic eruption recorded in human history, resulting in the "year without a summer." Any possible supereruption with a VEI of 7 would be ten times more powerful than Mount Tambora. The most recent supereruption occurred roughly 26,500 years ago in Taupo, New Zealand. Most New Zealand was hit by ashfall, with an 18-centimeter coating remaining on the Chatham Islands, 1,000 kilometers distant. It's unclear how humanity would react if such a catastrophe occurred again, but experts have suggested that humans might not receive much warning when the next supereruption occurs. "Our work also reveals that no severe events occur before a supereruption," Earth scientist Luca Caricchi said in a report published in PNAS last year. However, other research at Yellowstone suggests magma reserves might achieve eruptive capability within decades, which scientists would undoubtedly notice. Related Article: One of the World Largest Mass Extinctions May Have Been Triggered by Volcanic Winter For similar news, don't forget to follow Nature World News! Urban trees bring real benefits to our cities, future well-being, and livability. This nature-based solution is unfortunately at a high risk of mortality from invasive pests in the United States. By 2050, 1.4 million US street trees could be killed by invasive insects. According to Phys.org, he population of urban settings in the US is currently at 82% and growing, and street trees help build resilience against threats natural environments face. The findings published in the British Ecological Society's Journal of Applied Ecology show that 90% of the 1.4 million trees deaths will be caused by the emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis), an East Asian wood-boring beetle that is presently causing dramatic damage to ash species. Here, scientists from McGill University, the USDA Forest Service Southern Research Station and North Carolina State University made the first nationwide spatial forecast of street tree mortality from invasive insects. Pest-induced hotspots The emerald ash borer, also known by the acronym EAB, is forecasted to virtually kill all ash trees in more than 6000 urban areas in the US country. However, the impact will not be evenly distributed with less than a quarter of US communities set to experience 95% of all urban tree deaths. The study identified New York, Chicago and Milwaukee as hotspots with very high numbers of ash trees, and if not presently, in the near-future will be the path for the emerald ash borers. Large human population is also predicted to increase the invasive insect's entry to the area. Researchers aim to gather information regarding which tree species and in which areas will be at the greatest risk from invasive insects. "These results can hopefully provide a cautionary tale against planting a single species of tree throughout entire cities, as has been done with ash trees in North America," said lead author Dr. Emma Hudgins at McGill University. "Increasing urban tree diversity provides resilience against pest infestations. While we know this more intuitively for monocultures of crops, many cities continue to plant what are essentially monoculture urban forests," he added. Also read: Extinct Giant Crocodile Species Rediscovered After 200 Years Message to urban planners The establishment of these insect species, including the new ones identified yet to arrive in the US namely the Asian wood boring insects (Anoplophora chinensis), will cost the country around 4.9 billion dollars over the next 30 years. "Urban trees do a variety of wonderful things-they keep cities cool, they take the sting out of heavy downpours, they are good for biodiversity and they even make people happier," said Professor Jane Memmott at the University of Bristol, who was not involved in the study. According to her, unless a variety of tree species are planted in cities, urban trees will remain at serious risk from invasive pests. "The take home message to urban planners, is to plant multiple species in cities rather than focus on just a few familiar species; It'll keep trees wonderful, and it will keep them in our cities," she said. This is also a message to neighboring countries impacted by the same invasive insect species. Related article: Journey to the World's Highest Active Volcano Unearths Clues of Life on other Planets Showers and storms have reappeared in the east coast of the United States, and the wet weather is not forcasted to let up until the end of the week. Meanwhile, storm activity in the west has been creating havoc, along with a low-intensity heatwave. Since Friday, lightning strikes have caused more than 40 fires in southwest Western Australia, according to the Bureau of Meteorology (BoM). Severe winter storm weather will experience in southern and eastern states Severe thunderstorms with destructive winds, hail and a few tornadoes are likely in southern states such as Texas, Oklahoma, and Louisiana, as per ABC News. This storm will sweep over the South in the coming days, bringing heavy rain and the danger of further severe weather. Meanwhile, many storms will continue to travel through the West, bringing heavy rainfall from Washington to Northern California. The San Francisco Bay Area might get some much-needed rain Monday night and Tuesday early. Heavy snow is forecast in areas of the Washington region, with a few inches falling in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. According to a Hazardous Weather Outlook published by the NWS on Monday, some thunderstorms coming to the state later this afternoon would most likely be severe, with big hail and destructive winds being the principal threats, via the Texarkana Gazette. A single tornado cannot be ruled out and it will continue to be a secondary hazard. While the worst of the storms should pass by midnight, heavy storms may persist through Southern Arkansas and Northeast Louisiana until Tuesday morning. According to the statement, a few of these may also be serious. Also Read: A Stormy Trend Is Expected To Bring Additional Rain and Mountain Snow to the Northwest Wildfires will come to Central Texas and Southern California Wildfires are being fanned by the wind and dry weather from Southern California to Texas ahead of the western storms. More than 100 firefighters fought a brush fire from the air and the ground in the Hansen Dam Recreation Area near Pacoima, California, on Sunday night. Within 10 p.m., the fire had escalated to the "Major Emergency" level. According to the Los Angeles Fire Department, personnel looked to have the upper hand just after 11 p.m. with a highly coordinated air attack paired with a persistent ground-based onslaught using firefighting hand lines and hand tools. Authorities said that firefighters were able to restrict the Hansen Fire to four acres. Throughout the night, crew continued to work the perimeter of the fire with hose lines, hand tools, and heavy machinery to extinguish hot areas. While in Texas as per Austin American-Statesman, a planned burn that erupted out of hand in Bastrop County earlier this year served as a terrifying warning that Central Texas is extremely vulnerable to catastrophic wildfires. State officials are now rethinking their strategy for fighting fire with fire. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department's stricter standards for controlled burns, which were implemented last week, make sense. Fire scientists and professionals warned that the Austin area is becoming increasingly prone to the types of wildfires that devastated cities in California, Oregon, Arizona, and other states last year. Texas is second only to California in terms of the number of properties threatened by wildfires, with counties in Central Texas accounting for the majority of our state's affected inventory. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department was acting proactively and within current procedures last January 18 when it began a planned burn at Bastrop State Park to remove thick vegetation that may make a wildfire more difficult to manage. Unfortunately, the intended 150-acre burn turned into a terrifying 812-acre wildfire before being extinguished, most likely owing to embers drifting in the wind. Related article: Wildfire 'Double-Hazard' Zones: Growing Communities in the US Western States Face Risks SITEKI Suspicions are high that it was actually pupils who torched the Mbokojweni High School staffroom so that internal classes pupils would not sit for their exams. With the internal examinations in progress in most schools, it is believed that pupils were behind the setting alight of the staffroom that had examination papers with the intention to stop exams from taking place. It is believed that the pupils felt ill-prepared for the exams and feared that they would fail. Currently, Form I, II and IV pupils are sitting for their internal exams that started last week. According to the Head teacher, Thulasizwe Dlamini, suspicions were rife that the intention behind the arson attack on Sunday night, which also resulted in the torching of books for Siswati, Economics and Accounts at around 9pm had been necessitated by the fact that some of the pupils were not ready and ill-prepared to write their exams. Damage The incident has left damage amounting to over E80 000. Worth mentioning is that there were disturbances that occurred last year due to the escapades of arson attacks at different schools around the country resulting in lessons being suspended by the Ministry of Education and Training. This, coupled with COVID-19, made it impossible for pupils to enjoy normal learning and there had been fears from many teachers that the pupils would perform poorly as they only had classes for three months last year in total. The head teacher said she was informed by the security guard that there were four young men who stormed the school premises on the night of the incident. Dlamini said the arsonists threatened to assault the security guard after he flashed his torch towards their direction. The security guard is said to have fled. The young men are believed to have proceeded to set on fire books and some of the desks, possibly thinking that the fire would spread and burn everything inside, including the exam papers. She said the security guard informed her that he called the police who promptly came to the scene together with personnel from the Eswatini National Fire and Emergency Services. They managed to contain the fire before a lot of damage was done, hence the walls were not extensively damaged but only three desks and some books were burnt, she said. None of the exam papers were burnt as the fire did not spread much. She said exams continued without disturbances yesterday. The head teacher said she was informed that a matchbox, supposedly used in the commissioning of the crime and a cigarette were found inside the staffroom when police conducted their investigation. Acting Lubombo Regional Education Officer (REO) Richard Dlamini echoed the head teachers suspicions, mentioning that they had a strong belief that pupils were involved in the incident due to the fact that those behind the arson attacks targeted the internal examination papers. The acting REO said the examination papers were spared and the damage was minimal as only a few desks and books were burnt. Dlamini added that the building was also spared from the fire. Looking at the target of the arsonists, it points to the internal papers, he said. The acting REO further condemned the arson attack, stating that it was a burden to parents because they were behind the building of schools in communities. Dlamini further said the continuing spate of arson attacks was delaying parents and governments efforts in ensuring that pupils acquired the best education. The acting REO said such could have been prompted by the fact that some pupils were not ready for the exams due to the recent spate of riots and the emergence of COVID-19 in the country, which resulted in lessons being suspended. However, the head teacher informed me that everything was normal today and the internal exams went well, added the acting REO. Ministry of Education and Training Principal Secretary (PS) Bhekithemba Gama condemned the incident and advised parents to warn their children not to resort to such uncalled for acts as it was detrimental to their future. The PS further stated that the ministry was working on ensuring that such arson elements were stopped in schools in the upcoming calendar year. Unfortunate Gama said it was unfortunate that there were still pupils whose mindset was solely set on disturbing the smooth progress of the internal exams and were not focusing on their future goals. They must study and consult with their educators if they are not clear about what they learnt before sitting for their exams. They will write what they learnt so there is no need to resort to such barbaric acts because they are disturbing other pupils who are ready to write the exams, the PS said. He further emphasised the need for head teachers to communicate any suspicious acts among pupils to their respective REOs. It is imperative that head teachers report any unbecoming behaviour they spot among pupils so that the offices of the REOs can act appropriately in curbing that, he said. It should be noted that government was emphatic that there would not be automatic promotions this year as pupils had to be assessed before proceeding to the next class. Meanwhile, the National Commissioner of Police William Dlamini condemned the act and further advised parents to warn their children from engaging in such unbecoming behaviour as it compromised their future. Dlamini further advised pupils to focus on studying and doing better in their exams than putting their efforts on something that would result in them being apprehended and facing the wrath of the law. It is wrong that some pupils have resorted to burning books and school furniture and now they have turned into burning examination papers. As police, we totally condemn such an act because there are some pupils who have prepared themselves for the exams. Parents should play their role and warn their children against engaging in such unruly behaviour, Dlamini said. Unrest Clinical Psychologist Ndo Mdlalose said the recent unrest incidents have had a negative effect on the pupils preparedness and readiness to learn due to the fact that they had been demotivated by the opening and closing of schools abruptly by government last year. Mdlalose said a majority of the schools she visited during her educational campaign proved that most of the pupils were at a point of sacricificing their future and resort to violent acts. She said some pupils were fed-up and were not keen to learn, hence they have resorted to mob attacks like in this instance. She described the current state of affairs in schools as a disaster due to the fact that group discussions and motivational speeches could be the only tool used to ensure that they listened and implemented what they have been told rather than conducting one-on-one counselling sessions. During my visits in schools, I learnt that most pupils wanted to do away with learning because they had been subjected to situations that were not conducive for the growth of their minds, academically to say. I believe government with all the education stakeholders should find a lasting solution to this before it explodes, she said. The genetics of an iconic Australian seafood species, the Australian black tiger prawn, has been sequenced by researchers, which might lead to larger and more disease-resistant cultivated stock in the future. Researchers from James Cook University were part of the first effective property to sequence the genomes of an the Australian black tiger prawn. The enormous black tiger prawn According to North Queensland Register, Dean Jerry, a JCU professor of aquaculture and research participant, stated that the black tiger prawn is the most important aquaculture sector in northern Australia. It is a species with enormous promise to address some of the world's food security challenges while also supplying high-quality seafood to Australia, he added. It is a species that was just recently domesticated for farming purposes. Prior to this effort, it lacked many of the genetic and genomic resources needed in a selective breeding setting, such as those found in livestock and plant species that have been domesticated and cultivated for thousands of years. Dr. Kenneth Chan, AGRF Bioinformatics Manager, described the genetic mapping procedure used to reassemble the genome of the black tiger prawn as "diabolically difficult." Imagining bringing something together 1.9 billion pieces double-sided puzzle with no borders, long replicated intertwining sections, millions of pieces missing, multiple pieces that can fit in the very same place, no photo on the box to guide scientists, and possibly lots of pieces from the other unconnected puzzle, said Dr. Chan. Scientists also discovered something extremely odd in the way the tiger prawn resisted viral infections, as per ScienceDaily. Dr. Nick Wade, the Senior Research Scientist at CSIRO, highlighted that the viral components in the genomes that help combat infectious diseases (known as the Endogenous Viral Element) are genuinely unique in the Australian tiger prawn. Professor Jerry stated that the aquaculture industry, which faces disease obstacles similar to farm animals and plant production, can now use more targeted and selective practices for illness sensitivity, with the genome providing an incredible tool for the industry to increase efficiency and production. It will enable the industry to select for rapid growth, strong consumer qualities, and, most significantly, disease resistance in the face of changing environmental circumstances, according to Professor Jerry. Also Read: Millions of Prawns Wash up on Beach in Chile DNA Sequencing According to Britannica, DNA sequencing is a technique for determining the nucleotide sequence of DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid). The genetic material is the most basic level of understanding of a gene or genome. It is the blueprint that holds the instructions for making an organism, and without it, no knowledge of genetic function or evolution would be complete. The Maxam-Gilbert technique, named after American molecular scientists Allan M. Maxam and Walter Gilbert, and the Sanger method (or dideoxy method), created by English biochemist Frederick Sanger, were among the first-generation sequencing technologies to emerge in the 1970s. The Sanger method, which became the more widely used of the two approaches, involved synthesizing DNA chains on a template strand, but chain growth was halted when one of four possible dideoxynucleotides, which lack a 3' hydroxyl group, became incorporated, preventing the addition of another nucleotide. Later, the technology was used with automatic decoding machines, in which shortened DNA molecules tagged with fluorescent tags were sorted by size within tiny glass capillaries and identified by laser excitation. Related article: A Better Understanding of DNA Sequencing A visitor looks at a mummified monitor lizard, the only one of its kind in the world displayed during the exhibition "Pharaon, Osiris and mummy" at the museum Granet in Aix-en-Provence, southeastern France, on September 18, 2020. - The exhibition will take place from September 19 until February 14 2021. (Photo : Photo by CHRISTOPHE SIMON/AFP via Getty Images) An international team of scientists took pictures of six bodies interred in 8,000-year-old tombs in southern Portugal. World's Oldest Mummy From Portugal In a recent examination of hitherto unreleased pictures, the earliest humanoid corpses do not come from Egypt or perhaps even Chile, but instead from Europe, this is according to Cambridge University Press release. Upon assessing the photographs and exploring the grave sites, over a couple of extra primitive carcasses were discovered all through 1960s archaeological digs in Portugal's southern Sado Valley, and potentially to find things simpler to transmit prior to actually interment, at least one of the other carcasses had already been embalmed. There are also indications that further remains entombed at the property may well have been discovered when utilizing images to recreate the graves at the two locations. The remains of one skeletal system were found to be hyper flexed, wherein the legs and arms was once shifted further than one normal boundary, indicating that the victim was bound with now-disintegrated extensions that were enforced since the person's passing. If some of the tombs were carried to the Sado Valley locales to be entombed, as the research teams propose, mummification which results in much thinner and lightweight rotting corpses, might well have managed to make them faster and more efficient to travel. There were also no indicators that the dirt of the prehistoric tomb had shifted when the person's muscle tissue disintegrated, a phenomenon that decreases the size of the cadaver, culminating in the underlying silt covering up the gaps left alone, implying that no such disintegration occurred. While scientist Michael Parker Pearson of University College London remarked that it's quite thrilling to have the method acknowledged abroad in Europe. Pearson's team pioneered this method to evaluate mummification in archaic remains over two decades ago. As per Rita Peyroteo-Stjerna, a bioarchaeologist at Uppsala University in Sweden, even though mummification is moderately simple in very dry weather such as the Atacama Desert, scientific proof for it is tough to locate in Europe, where much extremely wet environments indicate that mummified connective tissue infrequently remain secured. Experts also noticed that the skeleton's components remained linked, or joined and in position, following the interment, particularly the absolutely tiny joints of the legs, which normally come off from each other entirely when a person decays. Parker Pearson's crew discovered indications of mummification in carcasses from an island in Scotland that were around 3,000 years old; and while the preserved corpse from the Sado Valley was considerably ancient, he informed Live Science in a statement that this may not be the globe's longest so far. Also read: Longest-Lasting Fire in Australia Has Been Ongoing for 5,500 Years! The 8000-Year-Old Mummy As to the experts, the natural fermentation technique also involved the usage of flame to empty out the corpse, and the bonds on the corpse were gradually reinforced throughout period, keeping its structural coherence while enhancing the bending of the extremities. While findings from other historical bones from the very similar location indicates those corpses were handled similarly, Peyroteo-Stjerna noted those samples do not demonstrate the comparable mix of findings. In a statement of Peyroteo-Stjerna, the evaluation of the prehistoric tombs was also based on data from skeletal disintegration studies done at the Biomedical Sciences Experimental Institute at Texas State College, where one of the investigators had attended. The deceased individual appeared to have been wrapped up and positioned on an external unit, including a high podium, to enable breakdown materials to fade freely from future interaction with the corpse. Related article: Scientists to Resurrect Giant Long-Lost Rat That Went Extinct 120 Years Ago Cosmic ray scans were found to reveal the two hidden, mysterious voids inside one of the ancient world's wonders - Egypt's Great Pyramid of Giza. Using cosmic rays, archaeologists were able to locate the two hidden voids - the largest one just above the grand gallery, a passageway that leads to what may be the chamber of the pharaoh Khufu, ScienceAlert reported. The space is about 98 feet (30 meters) long and 20 feet (6 m) in height, according to previous pyramid scans. Some 4,500 years ago, the pyramid was built during the Fourth Dynasty of ancient Egypt's Old Kingdom and was believed to have been "built to last", according to National Geographic. Scientists have long been piecing together how these towering monuments were constructed and somehow made significant advances in painting clearer picture of the monument's feat. What's inside the void had long been an object of mystery and intrigue, but scientists believe in a mundane possibility that it somehow played a role in the building of the pyramid. Wonder of the world by ancient writers During pharaoh Khufu's reign, Egypt was a powerful, highly centralized monarchy, and the Great Pyramid was argued to be the ultimate expression of that power. Constructed for the pharaoh Khufu (reign circa 2551 BCE to 2528 BCE), it was deemed the largest pyramid ever constructed and only surviving wonder of the ancient world. In 2017, the "Scan Pyramids" project detected both of the voids through cosmic particles. Since this fact has been established, the pyramid's mystery has been magnified, urging researchers to analyze muons in greater detail, using more powerful system this time. In a preprint paper published on the preprint server on arXiv, the team plans "to field a telescope system that has upwards of 100 times the sensitivity of the equipment recently been used at the Great Pyramid," the authors wrote. Their approach is to put detectors outside than inside the pyramid since it is rather large, and move them along the base, producing much higher resolution images due to large number of detected muons. "In this way, we can collect muons from all angles in order to build up the required data set," the team added. Also read: Satellite Reveals Arctic Ice Melting at "Frightening Rate" Due to Greenhouse Gas Emissions Need for funds to build the equipment Although the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities approved the scans, the team still needs funds to build the equipment and conduct the study. "We are looking for sponsors for the full project," said Alan Bross, a scientist at the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory who is co-author of the paper. "Once we have full funding, we believe it will take [about] two years to build the detectors." As of the moment, the researchers only have enough funding to conduct simulations and design some prototypes, according to Bross. Once they deploy the telescopes after about one year of viewing time, they will need some time to gather data and examine preliminary results. According to the scientist, viewing will take between two and three years so they can collect enough muon data to reach full sensitivity for the study. Related article: New Discovery Shows that the World's Oldest Mummy is from Portugal According to a research, more than 850 animal species, including the slow loris, are at risk of extinction in the next 30 years owing to urban sprawl. Many of us are aware of the climate catastrophe confronting the Earth and its people; nevertheless, a new study warns of an impending 'biodiversity crisis' resulting from human population expansion. The findings were published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences in their entirety. Grave Impact The impact of a predicted urban growth of 590,000 square miles (1.53 million square km) during the next 30 years was calculated by Yale University researchers.f They discovered that such growth directly threatens the extinction of 855 animal species worldwide, particularly in 'biodiversity hotspots.' The Javan slow loris, a primate endemic to Indonesia threatened by poaching, and the pink-headed warbler, a bird, found in Mexico and Guatemala, are two of the most endangered species. Central Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean, Haiti, Nigeria, Cameroon, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Brazil, and Ecuador are all home to species under threat from expansion. Rohan Simkin, a researcher at Yale School of the Environment in Latest Haven, Connecticut, led the new review. Also Read: Over 80,000 Plant Species at Risk of Extinction Because "Humans Don't Find Them Useful" Goals One of the study's goals was to identify those species that are especially threatened by urban land expansion, not simply threatened in general, said Simkin. He believes that the typical citizen is now well aware of the climate issue, but he doubts that they are aware of the biodiversity catastrophe.' The worldwide urban population is expected to grow by 2.5 billion people in the next 30 years, resulting in a significant rise in urban sprawl. Much of this urbanization is expected to take place in biodiversity hotspots, which are places rich in species that are in danger of extinction due to human activities. However, experts believe that focusing on urban development that preserves ecosystems, such as cities with more green spaces, can help to mitigate the adverse effects of new concrete. Risk of Extinction According to Yale University's Karen Seto, despite the risk of extinction from land development, the study shows how cities may safeguard biodiversity in advance. 'The bulk of these places are still under construction,' she explained. 'Science-based policies that govern how cities of the future are created will have a huge impact.' The researchers used Yale's Map of Life, a database of species distribution data used to monitor, investigate, and develop policies to conserve biodiversity. It also used recently produced land-use estimates to estimate potential habitat loss from urban land growth for over 30,000 terrestrial species worldwide. For around one-third of these species, urban land development is a crucial cause of habitat loss, while only a tiny proportion is threatened with extinction. Endangered Species The study discovered that metropolitan places with "many endemic species" and where growth can damage ecosystems had the greatest influence on species, rather than the world's largest metropolis. Unfortunately, according to experts, these locations are gradually becoming more urbanized. Many of these cities are located in tropical areas, where urbanization threatens valuable and "biodiverse" environments. Cities in growing tropical regions such as Sub-Saharan Africa, South America, Mesoamerica, and Southeast Asia represent the biggest threat to species. Overall, the study demonstrates the need to include legislation to protect species in urban areas in worldwide conservation efforts. Cities are part of the answer, Seto explained. 'We can develop cities in a different way than we have in the past. Potential They have the potential to be good for the Earth; they can conserve species; they have the potential to be biodiversity hotspots, and they have the potential to save land for nature. Related Article: One of the World Largest Mass Extinctions May Have Been Triggered by Volcanic Winter For similar news, don't forget to follow Nature World News! In humans, the epidemic appears to be winding down, however, infections occur to be prevalent in white-tailed deer and other species. Denmark slaughtered millions of mink in 2020 to eliminate a source of zoonotic COVID-19 transmission, the transfer of the SARS-CoV-2 virus from humans to animals. Last year, the virus attacked zoo animals such as lions, tigers, and gorillas, apparently infected by their caregivers. Pet hamsters were also involved in a new epidemic in Hong Kong earlier this year. Slaughtering Millions of Mink Coronaviruses were known to cause some common colds and illnesses affecting animal populations before the COVID-19 pandemic. As the epidemic progressed, it became apparent that SARS-CoV-2 has a proclivity for infecting a broad variety of animal species. With a virus that is so adept at switching species, the danger is that even if the pandemic is brought under control in human populations, the virus will stay in an animal community, ready to leap across species boundaries and restart the cycle of human infection. Danger of Inter-Species Transmission According to Frederic Bushman, a microbiologist at Penn's Perelman School of Medicine, the worry is that it may create an animal reservoir that could spread to people. It's thought that this happened with mink. When a virus survives, it can evolve further and alter. While there is no proof that this is happening largely, research by experts around the country, including a Penn team, shows that these reservoirs may already exist. Covid Infection SARS-CoV-2 infection was identified in significant numbers in white-tailed deer in Iowa last year, according to a Penn State University-led analysis. Previous research conducted by the U.S. Antibodies were identified in 40% of deer examined by the Department of Agriculture, indicating that they had previously been exposed to the virus. The omicron variation was also discovered in deer in New York earlier this month. SARS-CoV-2 has been detected in white-tailed deer in 15 different states. According to Eman Anis, a veterinary microbiologist at the School of Veterinary Medicine, "white-tailed deer are at the top of a list of animal species that have cellular receptor binding sites that allow them to be infected by SARS-CoV-2." In recent research, Anis, Bushman, doctorate student Andrew Marques, wildlife disease ecologist Erick Gagne of Penn Vet, and colleagues set out to gain a broad picture of the virus's presence in deer across Pennsylvania. Sample collection was aided by the Wildlife Futures Program, a collaboration between the School of Veterinary Medicine and the Pennsylvania Game Commission. "We wanted to see if we could use our network to collect a large number of samples so we could get a better idea of the virus's spatial distribution and prevalence in deer," Gagne says. During the autumn and winter of 2021, the researchers gathered nasal samples from 93 hunter-killed or road-killed deer through Wildlife Futures. 18 of the 31 counties studied, or 19 percent of those tested, were positive using a PCR test, reflecting diverse parts of the state. Also Read: Vaccine Creator Warns That Next Pandemic Can be Worst and Deadlier Than Covid Studying the Samples Seven of the positive samples were subjected to whole-genome sequencing at Bushman's lab, sequencing human samples and tracking variants since the outbreak began and keeping a dashboard of their findings, representing almost 5,000 whole genome sequences. Two deer samples tested positive for the alpha type of SARS-CoV-2, while the other five tested positive for the delta variant. According to Bushman, the findings were published on the MedRXiv preprint service and have not yet been peer-reviewed, but they are the first written descriptions of delta and alpha in deer. The researchers discovered that the two alphas were sufficiently distinct from implying that the virus had spread from people to deer on two different occasions. Also worth noting is that when alpha was discovered in deer, there was no alpha circulating in people-delta had unseated alpha as the main version. Alpha peaked in people in April and May, Bushman adds, but it's still there in deer in November, long after it's disappeared in humans. The alpha form appears to have been circulating among Pennsylvania deer for quite some time. According to Gagne, the delta samples were also divided into two groups, "which appears to be two separate overflow incidents," according to Gagne. "Those sequences are more similar to what was circulating in the population at the time of sampling." Despite the researchers' caution in interpreting their findings, Gagne believes that the data, together with those of other organizations, show that "deer being infected isn't a one-off or unusual event." Related Article: Experts Warn of Another Deadly Global Outbreak to Strike Within 60 Years For more health and medicine related news, don't forget to follow Nature World News! Continental plate clashes usually lead to the formation of mountains and mountain ranges due to the impact caused by the collision. How Hot Springs Help in Discovering Point of Collision A previous crash recorded in the convergent boundaries led to the formation of the Himalayan Mountains and the Tibetan Plateau. Recent studies have revealed another clash between the continental plate and the Tibetan plateau, according to Phys.org. Due to the global climate importance of collision between these plate tectonics, researchers proposed theories between the tectonic plates beneath the surface and the iconic behemoth. An example of this collision involved the African Plate and the Eurasian Plate that created the series of ranges extending from the Alps in Europe to the Zagros Mountains in Iran. Research on about 225 hot springs has led experts to the recent discovery of Indian and Asian boundaries and the activities going on beneath. Simon Klemperer, a senior study author and a geophysics professor at the School of Earth, Energy & Environmental Sciences in Stanford said: "A principal debate amongst geologists is whether or not continental collision looks like an oceanic collision," according to Stanford News. Also Read: Scientists are Puzzled as Earth's Core Continues to Grow Lopsided Over Time Efforts to Locate Geothermal Springs Klemperer, along with his team, further researched this collusion by collecting samples within these regions for over a decade, these samples were collected both from the Buddhist territory Tibet and India. Hot springs hundreds of miles across the mountains and plateau were tracked down, and Klemperer used the chemical bubbling method to monitor the activities going on below the surface. Experimenting on the hot springs using noble gas helium, he was able to reveal one hot mantle, which was the Asian plate, and a colder plate which was the Indian. The helium isotope result showed the colder plate could only be detected below the Himalayas as it is completely detached from Tibet. "It's amazing that we now have this remarkably well-defined boundary just a few kilometers wide at the surface above a plate boundary that is 100 kilometers deep," Klemperer said. Subduction of Ocean Crust Oceanic subduction involves the oceanic lithosphere recycled into the Earth's mantle at convergent boundaries. Oceanic subduction only occurs when two oceanic plates collide. One is being subducted by the other, that is, one sliding down and sinking beneath the other. Japan, Indonesia, and the Aleutian Islands are instances of this kind of subduction. According to a theory, ocean subduction brings the two continental plates close together when they collide. In the 1960s, researchers proved the movement of these plates caused mountain buildings, earthquakes, and volcano eruptions, but the reason behind the movement was yet to be revealed. Klemperer believes that this new revelation could further bring the research to discover what controls and drives plate tectonics. According to Klemperer, more research is yet to be done as these recent findings are currently being observed in relation to the Himalaya collision. "We're seeing the same processes through these different lenses, and we have to figure out how to put them together," Klemperer added. Related Article: Origin of the Swiss Alps and Molasse Plateau Basin Reexamined Due to New Evidence For more news, updates about continental plates and similar topics don't forget to follow Nature World News! OLYMPIA Washingtonians should do their due diligence and conduct research on the charities or non-profit groups before donating to support relief efforts in Ukraine, says Secretary of State Steve Hobbs. Sign up to get breaking news, weather forecasts, and more in your email inbox. Sign Up Now NEW CANAANThe most common cause of fatalities for rescue workers, according to Fire Chief Albe Bassett, is drivers who are distracted by an array of lights flashing as they pass an accident, an occurrence he believes will be mitigated by a new rescue truck design. The departments new vehicle features a lighting system with a sensor to pick up on the same pattern as other emergency vehicles, so drivers are less likely to get distracted since they are all flashing at the same sequence, which is very important, Bassett explained. The new $527,000 vehicle will have room for four firefighters. The 20-year old rescue truck that the department is replacing could only carry two. The Board of Selectmen also recently approved an additional $27,345 for accessories for the newly constructed truck. The rescue truck is a toolbox on wheels, Bassett said Friday as he showed off the new truck with large compartments on the sides and back, custom designed by Connecticuts Gowans-Knight Company. Since the trucks are customized to meet the specific needs of a municipality, New Canaan needs to be prepared for really bad car accidents since the Merritt Parkway runs through the southern part of town, said Kevin Vetti, a member of the departments committee to determine the towns requirements. This truck has features some other communities dont need, while the small town does not need equipment that departments in large cities might require, he added. The new truck has several compartments on both sides and in the back to store items such as hydraulic-extrication rescue tools that save people after a collision. The equipment, first called the Jaws of Life, is now made in a variety of designs to adapt to changes car companies are making in new automobiles, Bassett said. Cars manufacturers are using different metals and designs that make car doors harder to open after an accident, which protects passsengers but makes it more difficult to extricate them, Bassett explained. The additional equipment has increased the demand for storage space, so we have outgrown the other truck, because it had no room for other equipment, Vetti said. Also, because of the space limitations, equipment was not stored in the most efficient way in the old truck, he added. New Canaans fire department has been waiting for three years for the truck, because production was held up at the Connecticut-based company during COVID-19. The new truck design allows workers to pull up in front of the accident and safely and efficiently offer aid, Vetti said. It also has a towing winch that can be used in different locations around the vehicle and a new computer screen, that replace the switches in the old vehicle. It also boasts additional protections the older truck did not have, such as air bags, updated seat belts and ear protection so the emerency workers can hear the public safety radio while not suffering ear damage from loud noices. CNHI Harrisburg Bureau Eric Scicchitano is the CNHI Pennsylvania state reporter. He is a former CNHI Reporter of the Year and previously worked at The (Sunbury) Daily Item before until he took over the Harrisburg beat in January 2022. Email him at erics@cnhinews.com. More than 400 companies from 41 countries across the globe are taking part in the Dubai WoodShow 2022 which opened its doors today (March 15). The three-day event was inaugurated by Thani bin Ahmed Al Zayoudi, UAE Minister of State for Foreign Trade, at Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre. During the show, a huge number of machineries from Canadian, European, Chinese and American manufacturers were on display, targeting timber factories not only in the UAE but also other parts of the Mena region. The show has attracted a number of end-users who are on the lookout for timber products that fit their requirements. A large variety of traders, architects and decision-makers from the contracting, environment and other relevant sectors are visiting the show to look into the offerings of some of the world's premier companies in the field of wood and working machinery. According to the show's organisers, more than 400 companies are participating at this year's show--also expressing bullishness on using Dubai Woodshow as a key platform to discover new opportunities, forge long-term partnerships, and tap into newer markets. Some of the companies present at the event include American Hardwood, American Softwood, AIMMP, Pro Panama, Moscow Export Center, North Carolina, AZan Building Materials, Investment & Development Agency of Latvia, Malaysia Timber Council, French Timber, AIMSAD, QUBEC, Turkey Pavilion, China Pavilion, Cefla Middle East, German Tech Machinery, Industrial Machine Company, RG Export, SALCO Wood, Saleh International, Schattdecor, Elesgo, Egypt Panel Global, Modecor, Saudi Wood Production, Simplex, and Coast to Coast. The event has also been graced by some of the world's leading wood and wood working experts--who will graciousy share their key insights about the industry while also tackling some of the industry's timely challenges. Meanwhile, the UAE's vibrant construction industry is seen to help drive up the demand for luxury furniture products. Based on data released by Dubai Woodshow, the country's construction and development market is being forecasted to be valued at $133.53 billion in 2026, which reflects a Compounded Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 4.6 per cent in the next four years--further prompting industry experts to be bullish about the increased demand for luxury furniture products over the same period--seeing a CAGR of 2.5 per cent from 2021 to 2026. The increasing number of construction and development projects in the country is playing a key role in driving up the demand for luxury furniture products. In addition, the government's move to roll out new initiatives aimed at developing the tourism and hospitality segments will also prove to be a significant factor in the growth of the luxury furniture segment. Dawood Al Shezawi, President, Strategic Conferences and Exhibitions, organiser of the show, said, Looking to make this year's show more exciting, we have added new additions to the event, including the 1st Innovations and Excellence Awards for the Wood and Woodworking Industry, a B2B Matchmaking Programme, and a Hosted Buyer Programme. Dubai Woodshow is a must-attend event for wood specialists from all over the globe. We remain steadfast in our commitment to position the event as a strategic platform for buyers and sellers to connect and forge key partnerships that eventually will lead to long and strong business relationships," he added. Some of the high-level attendees include Yelsica Cadallero, Chief, Pro Panama; Victor Pocas, President, AIMMMP; Alex Pletnev, Executive Director, Moscow Export Center; Charles Trevor, Director, American Softwood; Tom Sudrabs, Project Manager, Investment and Development Agency - Latvia; Roderic Wyles, Director, American Hardwood; Sven Gustavson, Event Manager, QUBEC; Thibaud Le Moign, Manager, French Timber; Roshan Clarice, Regional Head, Malaysia Timber Council; Liz Isley, Director, North Carolina Furniture Export Office; Gabriel Jabbor, Trade Commissioner, General Consulate of Canada; and Arif Onur Kacak, Secretary General, AIMSAD. In the battle between Intel and AMD, it can be easy to overlook Marvell Technology, but you shouldnt. Through acquisition and organic growth, the company has turned into quite a powerhouse playing in multiple areas. Marvell is the first major vendor to support the Arm on 5G initiative that Arm unveiled last October, when it launched the Arm 5G Solutions Lab. The lab is designed to let hardware and software partners work on 5G-based products running on Arm architecture. Read more: SmartNICs set to infiltrate enterprise networks Now Marvell is preparing to show off its 5G Open RAN platform at the Mobile World Congress 2022 in Barcelona. Marvells Octeon Fusion processor integrates 5G in-line acceleration with Arm Neoverse CPUs and is the foundation for Marvells Open RAN DU reference design. The Octeon processor is referred to as a data processing unit (DPU) and is used in smartNIC cards designed to offload network traffic processing from the CPU. The Octeon Fusion scales from mid-capacity small cells to high-capacity macro cells supporting traditional integrated and open, cloud RAN implementations. Marvell acquired the Cavium processor line in 2019. Prior to the Cavium purchase, the Octeon was MIPS-based. After buying Cavium, it switched to Arms Neoverse design, which is for enterprise servers. In addition, Marvell already has a customer for Octeon Fusion. Ahead of MWC, it announced a deal with Dell Technologies to introduce new hardware that combines a Dell PowerEdge server with an inline Octeon Fusion 5G Layer 1 processing card for vRAN and Open RAN solutions. Although it is dubbed the Dell Open RAN Accelerator Card, Dell notes that the card will work with other x86-based servers, not just its own. Dell is also adding new Dell Bare Metal Orchestrator Modules to its software, giving cloud service providers the ability to deploy and manage the entire cloud foundation stack. The Dell/Marvell partnership comes just a week after HP Enterprise announced a similar partnership with Qualcomm. HPE plans to offers Qualcomm's inline accelerator card, the X100 5G RAN, with its ProLiant DL110 Gen10 Plus Telco Server. Juniper Networks has added features to its Apstra intent-based networking software it says will help customers secure and support smaller data centers at distributed edge networks. The Apstra software keeps a real-time repository of configuration, telemetry, and validation information to ensure the network is doing what IT teams want it to do. The software includes automation to provide consistent network and security policies for workloads across physical and virtual infrastructures. In addition, its baked-in analytics performs regular network checks to safeguard configurations. Typically deployed in larger data centers, Apstra is now suitable for edge data centers, branche offices, and colocation facilities that dont need the scale a large, centralized data centers. This means enterprises can overlay flexible Ethernet VPN-Virtual Extensible LANs (EVPN-VXLAN) on top of their physical networks in a configuration made up of only two leaf switches. Additionally, teams can add access switches to the architectue whenever needed. Apstra automatically registers the new devices and applies pre-validated configurations, wrote Mansour Karam, founder and president of Apstra in a blog about the announcement. Newburyport, MA (01950) Today Overcast with rain showers at times. Expect mist and reduced visibilities at times. High near 50F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 80%.. Tonight Cloudy skies early, then partly cloudy after midnight. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low 47F. Winds light and variable. Newburyport, MA (01950) Today Cloudy with periods of light rain. Expect mist and reduced visibilities at times. High near 50F. Winds ENE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 80%.. Tonight Rain showers this evening with clearing overnight. Expect mist and reduced visibilities at times. Low 47F. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%. Help support your local hometown newspaper/website. Independent local news reporting matters. Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription, for as little as $3, so we can continue to provide independent local reporting on our communities. Dubai Multi Commodities Centre (DMCC) and Botswanas Okavango Diamond Company (ODC) will work together to promote the diamond industries in UAE and Botswana and support the development of the industry worldwide. An MoU to this effect has been signed at DMCCs headquarters in the presence of the President of Botswana, Mokgweetsi Masisi. The MoU was signed by Feryal Ahmadi, Chief Operating Officer of DMCC, and Mmetla Masire, Managing Director of ODC. The signing ceremony took place at Almas Tower, DMCC, on March 14, 2022 in the presence of senior DMCC executives and Masisi along with an accompanying delegation of Ministers. Ahmadi said: This partnership comes on the back of Dubai being announced as the largest trade hub for rough diamond in the world, which is a testament to its attractiveness as a business partner and a trade gateway to the world. As one of the worlds largest producers of diamonds, Botswana is a key market for DMCC and its members, and I look forward to a fruitful partnership with the Okavango Diamond Company. Masire said: I am thrilled that we are strengthening our relationship with DMCC and I am looking forward to working together to support the growth of our respective businesses, and to sharing our knowledge and expertise. The MoU will see DMCC host many ODC diamond auctions and viewings at the Dubai Diamond Exchange (DDE). The first auction is taking place this week, from March 14 to 19, 2022. DMCC and ODC have agreed to work together to advance the diamond industry in both UAE and Botswana. Both parties will exchange information, analytical materials and forecasts on the prospects for the development of the global diamond market, while also supporting each other on all aspects relating to the application of the Kimberly Process. The UAE and Botswana have long-standing diplomatic and bilateral relations across various sectors. The past ten years have witnessed a rapid increase in trade volume between the UAE and Botswana, with non-oil bilateral trade reaching around $1.3 billion in 2020, compared to just $4.2 million in 2010. This MoU comes just a few weeks after Botswanas Minister for Environment, Natural Resource Conservation and Tourism, Philda Nani Kereng, recognised the huge potential to extend the scope of bilateral trade and partnerships between the two countries. In October 2021, DMCC met with Lefoko Maxwell Moagi, Botswana's Minister of Mineral Resources, Green Technology and Energy Security, to discuss untapped opportunities in mining and trade.-- TradeArabia News Service MADISON - The Ukrainian flag flying in front of the Hartley Dodge Memorial building will fly for at least the next 30 days, per a resolution a Peach blossoms harkening spring's arrival form a sea of pink in SW China's Yunnan People's Daily Online) 16:54, March 15, 2022 Recently, over 130,000 square meters of peach flowers have blossomed in the city of Yuxi, southwest China's Yunnan Province, forming a sea of vivid pink hues carpeting the entire locality. Clusters of pink peach blossoms perched on the branches dance in the breeze, attracting throngs of visitors to embrace a beautiful encounter with an early harkening of spring's arrival. (Photo/Yang Honglong) (Web editor: Xian Jiangnan, Liang Jun) Qatar and Jordan have signed an agreement to enhance cooperation in air services between the two countries. The agreement was signed by Qatari Acting Chairman of General Authority of Civil Aviation Mohammed Al-Hajri, and the CEO of Jordan Civil Aviation Regulatory Commission Haitham Misto, reported Saudi Press Agency (SPA). The agreement falls within the framework of linking Qatar with air services agreements that open the way for its national carrier to expand destinations network. Download Now The News-Gazette mobile app brings you the latest local breaking news, updates, and more. Read the News-Gazette on your mobile device just as it appears in print. Capitol News Illinois is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news service covering state government and distributed to more than 400 newspapers statewide. It is funded primarily by the Illinois Press Foundation and the Robert R. McCormick Foundation. Our County Editor Dave Hinton is editor of The News-Gazette's Our County section and former editor of the Rantoul Press. He can be reached at dhinton@news-gazette.com. Reporter Mary Schenk is a reporter covering police, courts and breaking news at The News-Gazette. Her email is mschenk@news-gazette.com, and you can follow her on Twitter (@schenk). Longview, TX (75601) Today Mostly cloudy skies. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 89F. Winds SSE at 10 to 15 mph.. Tonight Mostly cloudy skies. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low around 70F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph. Long-term use of implantable electronic medical devices such as pacemakers and cochlear implants is hampered by the body's reaction to foreign bodies. Now, in a study in mice, a team led by scientists at the University of Cambridge has shown that this reaction can be dramatically reduced by incorporating an anti-inflammatory drug into the silicone coating around the implant. Implantable electronic medical devices are already widely used for a number of applications, but they also offer the prospect of transforming the treatment of intractable conditions, such as the use of neural electrical stimulators for spinal injury patients. There is one major problem, however: our body recognizes, attacks and surrounds these implants with a dense, 'protective' capsule of scar tissue that prevents electrical stimulation reaching the nervous system. This so-called 'foreign body reaction' is driven by an inflammatory response against the implant. First, immune cells known as macrophages attack and try to destroy the device. Then a more long-term response kicks in, again coordinated by the macrophages, which leads to the build-up of a collagen-rich capsule to separate it from the surrounding tissue. This response then persists until the implant is removed from the body. The mechanisms by which foreign body reaction occurs are poorly understood, meaning that there are no effective methods to prevent it without interfering with the tissue repair mechanisms, for example after nerve damage. Foreign body reaction is currently an unavoidable complication of implantation and is one of the leading causes of implant failure. At the moment, the only way we have of preventing it is to use broad-spectrum anti-inflammatory drugs such as dexamethasone. But these are problematic they may stop the scarring, but they also stop the repair." Dr Damiano Barone, First Author, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge In a study published today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), scientists implanted an electrical device into mice to compensate for sciatic nerve damage and compared the response within the surrounding tissue to that in mice who did not receive an implant. As well as using normal mice, the researchers used mice whose genes controlling the inflammatory response had been 'knocked out', preventing a response. This allowed the team to see how the body's inflammatory response generated the foreign body reaction, and which genes were involved. In turn, this showed that a particular molecule known as NLRP3 plays a key role. The researchers then added a small molecule known as MCC950 to the device coating and tested its effect in the mice. MCC950 has previously been shown to inhibit the activity of NLRP3. They found that this prevented the foreign body reaction without affecting tissue regeneration. This contrasted with dexamethasone treatment, which prevents the foreign body reaction but also blocks nerve regeneration. NLRP3 inhibitors are being developed for a number of clinical applications including inflammatory disease, cancer, sepsis, Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease. They are already being tested in clinical trials for certain conditions. Joint senior author Professor Clare Bryant from the Department of Medicine at the University of Cambridge said: "There's a lot of excitement around this new class of anti-inflammatory drugs. Once they've been through clinical trials and have been shown to be safe to use, we should be in a good position to integrate them into the next generation of implantable devices. "Combining these drugs with different materials and softer coatings for devices could transform the lives of individuals who need long-term implants to overcome serious disability or illness. In particular, this could make a huge difference to neuroprosthetics prosthetics that connect to the nervous system where the technology exists, but scarring has not yet made their widespread use viable." The research was supported by the Medical Research Council and Wellcome. Research in the March 2022 issue of JNCCN-;Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network examined data from the Ontario Cancer Registry from September 25, 2016 through September 26, 2020, to determine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the number of new cancer cases detected. They found 358,487 adult patients had a new cancer diagnosed during that time period. The week-to-week rate of diagnosis was steady before the pandemic, but dropped 34.3% in March of 2020. After that, there was a trend of 1% increase in new diagnoses every week for the rest of the study period. Our data demonstrates that many cancers have gone undetected due to the disruptions in the healthcare system in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. This is concerning because a delay in diagnosis for cancer is associated with a lower chance of cure. Healthcare providers should encourage patients to catch up on their cancer screening if any have been missed during the pandemic, and should use a low threshold to investigate patients with any unusual symptoms that may be related to an undiagnosed cancer." Antoine Eskander, MD, ScM, ICES, Toronto, Ontario The drop in new diagnoses was found in both screening cancers-;those that have formal screening programs such as cervical cancer, breast cancer and colorectal cancer (and sometimes lung cancer)-;and non-screening cancers. The researchers estimate approximately 12,600 cancers went undetected between March 15 and September 26, 2020. The largest decreases in diagnoses were found in melanoma, cervical, endocrine, and prostate cancers. "The pandemic has caused dramatic changes in the health care system, including a worrisome decline in cancer screening," commented Harold Burstein, MD, PhD, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, who was not involved with this research. "This study is a well done report from Ontario, Canada, where province-wide records are available, and it shows a huge decline in screening for colorectal (colonoscopy), cervical (Pap smear), and breast cancer (mammogram) in the early months of the pandemic. Similar findings have been reported at major health centers across North America, Europe, and other countries with widespread screening programs." Dr. Burstein-;a member of the NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology (NCCN Guidelines) Panel for Breast Cancer-;continued: "Despite the pandemic, it is critical that people continue to get recommended cancer screenings. With the COVID precautions that clinics have put in place, it is very safe for people to see their medical team for routine mammograms, pap smears, and other important testing. Fortunately, here in Boston and many other centers, our numbers of screening mammograms are recovering rapidly after the lull in 2020, and we are doing all we can to remind people of the importance of regular screening." NCCN has also teamed up with cancer groups across the country to share information about the importance and safety of cancer screening. Learn more about how "Cancer Won't Wait and Neither Should You" at NCCN.org/resume-screening. In a recent study published in the latest issue of the Biomedical Journal, researchers reviewed coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) resurgence events in China related to frozen food and packaging contaminated with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). They identified one of the weak links of the SARS-CoV-2 epidemic where patient zero often remained hidden and was hard to detect, such that the infectious disease outbreak was apparent only after a while and by that time had spread uncontrollably. The current review findings could help devise more effective COVID-19 mitigation and intervention strategies for the future. Background After the first COVID-19 outbreak of late 2019 in Wuhan, China, several incidences of COVID-19 resurgence events related to frozen food or packaging contamination have been reported as China imports frozen food from countries where the COVID-19 epidemic is ongoing. Most of these events reported since July 2020 traced back to frozen shrimp imported from Ecuador. Later, in September 2020, the live SARS-CoV-2 virus was isolated from the outer packaging of imported frozen cod carried by the two stevedores found to be SARS-CoV-2-positive during a routine nucleic acid amplification test (NAAT) testing of the personnel in Qingdao Port, China. According to the authors, this event is the first known case where live SARS-CoV-2 was detected on cold-chain food in the world, confirming that it can survive on cold-chain food packaging and spread through cross-border transportation. Perhaps SARS-CoV-2 itself is not responsible for the material surface contamination. In lieu, the enclosed and highly humid environment of food packaging and processing facilities and transportation favors the material-to-human SARS-CoV-2 spread. To date, epidemiological features of such COVID-19 outbreaks and the risk of this transmission route remain unclear. In the present study, researchers conducted a literature search on the official website of the Centers for Disease Control of China and local authorities to identify COVID-19 resurgence events related to cold-chain food or packaging contamination. Additionally, they gathered the relevant epidemiological events and laboratory evidence to support their work. Incidences of COVID-19 resurgence in China On August 6th, 2020, in Yingkou, Liaoning Province, China, three packaged food samples were SARS-CoV-2-positive, whereas all 43 employees and 306 personnel of the enterprise tested SARS-CoV-2-negative in the NAAT and antibody tests. This finding led researchers to one of the most intriguing findings of this literature review that SARS-CoV-2 does not transmit via eating or buying cold-chain food products. Thus, it is evident that only the port staff, especially the stevedores, were at high risk of contracting SARS-CoV-2 as they came in direct contact with virus-contaminated materials and needed COVID-19 vaccination on priority. Further, this finding led to the understanding that successful COVID-19 transmission to humans occurs through the material surface only when - i) a human (host) comes in direct contact with the SARS-CoV-2-contaminated material surface, including food packaging and ii) the human carrier sheds the virus to the surface. Interestingly, SARS-CoV-2 stays viable (live) and stable on material surfaces, such as cardboard and plastic, for days, particularly under refrigerated (4C) and frozen (-10 to -80C) conditions; however, when it finds another human body through direct contact, it rapidly disseminates via human-to-human transmission. Incidences of COVID-19 resurge in other countries A rather popular COVID-19 resurgence event occurred in Auckland, New Zealand in August 2020. After 102 consecutive days of zero local cases of COVID-19 in Auckland, authorities reported four lab-confirmed COVID-19 cases in one Auckland household with no overseas travel history. Notably, one of the SARS-CoV-2-positive individuals in this household worked with a cold-chain company. Within two days, three more employees tested SARS-CoV-2-positive, and seven family members of these cold-chain workers also tested positive. By October 2020, there were 179 origin-unknown cases with a C.12 lineage of SARS-CoV-2, designated as the outbreak of Auckland August Cluster. Likewise, similar outbreaks have occurred in several other countries, including Australia, Japan, Germany, and the United States, among workers of food processing facilities. Additionally, there have been multiple cruise ship outbreaks of norovirus in the United States between July and October 2019. The present food provisioning review traced this infection to imported frozen raspberries from China, which then had to be recalled. Workplace conditions, such as prolonged close contact with coworkers, shared workspace and transportation, and congregate housing, also add to the risk for SARS-CoV-2 infection. According to the data released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), United States, between March 1st and May 31st, 2020, there were 28,364 reported cases and 132 deaths among workers in 382 meat and poultry processing facilities in several US states. Often these workplaces were crowded and highly humid, overall, conducive for human-to-human, human-to-material, and material-to-human transmissions. Conclusions To conclude, the study highlights the significance of surveying materials and the entire territory where imported products arrive as frequent human testing alone does not suffice. Additionally, the study data suggest that regular sampling and proper disinfection of imported products are effective ways to detect SARS-CoV-2 and prevent its spread on material surfaces. In 2021, the Joint Prevention and Control Mechanism of the State Council of the Peoples Republic of China issued a series of technical guidance for the prevention of COVID-19 transmission related to cold-chain food and controlled occurrence of several community-level outbreaks with the potential to turn into an epidemic. Several studies have reported the efficacy of facemasks in managing the ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2). The studies have revealed that the use of facemasks prevents the release and inhalation of viral particles. Therefore, proper use of facemasks could reduce virus transmission and protect individuals from the virus. Background In many countries, non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPI), such as the mandatory use of face-covering masks (FCM), have been implemented by public healthcare policymakers to manage the rapid spread of the COVID-19 virus. Some countries implemented FCM mandates in schools, and the recommendation of the World Health Organization (WHO) and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC) had been that children over 12 years of age or those present in conditions of high community transmission were required to wear masks. The findings of previous studies that evaluated the effectiveness of wearing masks in schools were inconsistent because of various limitations and confounders. Researchers believe that randomized controlled trials (RCT) could be a favorable strategy to elucidate the effectiveness of such policies, although they are difficult to perform in schools. In September 2020, face-to-face tuitions, using NPI methods, were implemented in Catalonia, Spain. The study A new study posted to The Lancet* preprint server has evaluated the role of the mandatory use of FCM to control SARS-CoV-2 transmission in schools. In this study, researchers designed a retrospective population-based cohort, where the data was obtained from the official census of school age children in Catalonia, connected the regional central database of reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and lateral flow tests (LFT) for SARS-CoV-2. Researchers revealed that during the study period when one positive case was detected by the healthcare systems; the whole bubble group was immediately quarantined for a 10-day period. Additionally, all children in the study group were tested with an RT-PCR four to six days after they came in contact with the COVID-19 positive person. Additionally, they further performed a second test if symptoms appeared despite having a negative COVID-19 test. This study was conducted during the first term of the 2020-2021 academic year. The first trimester of the 2020-2021 academic year exhibited an age-dependent COVID-19 transmission in schools, with no significant differences between children under six and older children. During this period, Delta was the dominant circulating strain and vaccination rates were quite high among teachers and eligible students. Scientists compared the incidence of SARS-CoV-2 secondary attack rates (SAR) and the effective reproductive number (R*) among school children between the ages of 3 and 11. They compared children without mandatory FCM in the preschool stage and primary school children, where mask usage was compulsory. Findings There was no significant difference between P5 and year 1 of primary education in terms of transmission indicators, despite the difference in the FCM mandate. The observed SAR and the R* values, however, suggested that P5 could have transmission values slightly higher than those expected (P3 and P4 data suggested lower values than expected). The youngest children had significantly lower transmission indicators, compared to other groups and they showed much lower proportions of circulating monocytes and dendritic cells. Researchers concluded that the innate immune differences between infected children and infected adults were most evident in infants and preschool-age children. Further, more cross-reactive T cells in younger children, compared to adults or those at advanced stages of childhood, were observed. For children aged between six and eleven years, the variation of incidence, SAR, and R* with age suggested a linear relationship. The results obtained in this study are broadly in line with others, conducted in the UK and the USA, which analyzed the impact of mask-wearing policies for students in educational settings. Strengths and limitations Given the difficulty in conducting RCT in such settings, the quasi-experimental method was the best possible approach to the aim of the study. The study benefitted from homogeneous and well-defined treatment and control groups, which differed only on the basis of mandatory use of FCM. The results on age-dependency proved that age was the most important variable, which was also consistent with data from previous research. The study also had certain limitations. Researchers performed an intention-to-treat analysis, which meant that there might have been children in P5 who did not use facemasks and also children in primary school who did not use masks or used them in an incorrect manner. Although the treatment and control groups were constructed very well, there could still be factors that were not considered, such as classroom dynamics or the density of students in the classroom. Scientists also could not rule out overreporting of study outcomes and that a higher proportion of asymptomatic infections in younger children might have led to more asymptomatic cases. *Important notice Preprints with The Lancet publish 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. When T-cells are activated, naive CD4+ cells will differentiate into various types of T helper (Th) cells. One notable factor influencing this differentiation is the cytokine milieu present during antigen engagement. This differentiation is also driven by autocrine mechanisms. Th subsets are linked to adaptive immune responses in physiological processes. Specific pathogens and Th cell dysregulation are also key contributors to allergic and autoimmune diseases. It is possible to identify Th subsets at least in part by analyzing their unique cytokine secretion profile. The iQue Qpanels T Helper Kits from Sartorious have been designed to facilitate the measurement of Th cells cytokine secretion. These pre-configured multiplexed bead-based kits can be used to quantitate Th1 and Th2 (4-, 6-, or 9-plex) or Th1, Th2, and Th17 (7-plex) associated cytokines in cell supernatants. As they are miniaturized assays, the iQue Qpanels T Helper Kits only require 10 L for each sample. Reagents are pre-mixed to support ease of use and streamlined workflows. Data acquisition is undertaken on the iQue Advanced Flow Cytometry Platform using 96-, 384-, or 1536-well plates. The full range of pre-mixed reagents and cytokine standards help streamline workflows, while templated data analysis allows all parameters to be automatically generated. These include event gates, the gating strategy, four or five parameter logistic standard curves and sample quantitation. These factors combine to facilitate the rapid enumeration of Th cell cytokine profiles. The multiplexed assay is able to simultaneously detect all proteins via a straightforward, single-wash protocol that offers users genuinely actionable results in a short time just over 3 hours from sample addition to the generation of quantitated cytokine profiles. Assay principles iQue Qpanels T Helper Kits feature pre-mixed multiplexed cytokine capture beads that have been coated with antibodies directed against Th cytokines. Each of these beads has been designed to bind one specific Th analyte and has been encoded with varying intensities of two different fluorescent colors. This encoding enables the different beads to be tracked during quantitation on the iQue platform, allowing users to view which cytokines have been captured by each specific bead. It is also important to note that each kit includes pre-mixed lyophilized standards to enable a rapid standard curve setup. The iQue Forecyt software is able to calculate four or five parameter logistic curves, enabling quantitation of a samples Th cytokine secretion levels. This is done in a multiplexed system to allow for simultaneous binding and detection at picograms per milliliter (pg/mL) levels. Assay workflow All of the kits components are pre-mixed for maximum ease of use. Users are simply required to dissolve the cytokine standards and dilute the capture beads prior to commencing the assay. This is done by dissolving the pre-mixed lyophilized standards, preparing a standard curve, and then diluting the pre-mixed capture beads with the included assay buffer. Next, 10 L of the samples or standards should be combined with 10 L of the pre-mixed capture beads. This mixture should be incubated for a total of 1 hour before 10 L of the pre-mixed detection reagent is added and the resulting mixture incubated for another 2 hours. One wash should be performed at the end of incubation before resuspending the beads and reading the result on the iQue Advanced Flow Cytometry Platform. The whole protocol takes approximately 3.5 hours. Plate reads take less than 20 minutes for 384-well or 10 minutes for 96-well plates, irrespective of the iQue Qpanel (4-, 6-, 7-, or 9-plex) kit employed. Methods Cell culture These particular studies saw peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from three donors being cultured in media, which included human sera and IL-2. Cells were then stimulated using anti-CD3 | CD28 beads, while control cells did not include any stimulation beads. Supernatants were acquired at 1-, 2-, and 3-days post-stimulation. Prior to being assayed, these were kept frozen at -80 C. Cytokine quantitation The 7-plex Th1 | Th2 | Th17 iQue Qpanel kit (IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, IL-17A, IFN and TNF) was used with the cell culture supernatants. This process included a number of steps. First, the lyophilized standard was dissolved and serially diluted 1:2 to prepare a 12-point dilution series. A total of 10 L of each individual dilution of the standard curve was transported to a fresh 96-well assay plate. Supernatants were then thawed before 10 L of each was added to the assay plate. This was done in triplicate for each sample. The pre-mixed capture beads were diluted to their working volumes before 10 L was added to each well, whether this well included supernatant or standard. The contents of the wells were mixed before being incubated for 1 hour at room temperature. A total of 10 L of pre-mixed detection reagent was added into each individual well before this was mixed and incubated for a further 2 hours at room temperature. Next, 50 L of buffer designed to function as a wash was added to each well. The plate was centrifuged for a total of 5 minutes at 1100 xg before being aspirated using a BioTek ELx405 plate washer. After the aspiration had been completed, 10 L buffer was added to resuspend the beads. Finally, the 96-well plate was read using an iQue Screener PLUS (VBR configuration). This reading took less than 10 minutes. Using the iQue Forecyt software, it was possible to ascertain curve fits for the cytokine standards. These fits were then used to quantitate the number of cytokines secreted by the PBMCs by converting the median fluorescence intensity (MFI) associated with each beads captured analyte to determine the actual secreted concentrations. Image Credit: Sartorius Image Credit: Sartorius Results It was observed that there was a degree of donor to donor variation and some temporal differences in secreted cytokine levels. The addition of exogenous IL-2 to the media helped encourage T-cell growth and viability. It was noted that this was detectable in control wells, but increased IL-2 production (approximately 23 fold over control) was observed in stimulated cultures from all three donors. The complete set of donor PBMCs exhibited a Th1-type response, secreting IFN and TNF post-stimulation. Secretion was found to increase in a time-dependent manner on days 2 and 3. It was also observed that one of the donors (donor 2) demonstrated more robust Th2 (IL-4, IL-6, and IL-10) and Th17 (IL-17A) responses than the others. Discussion iQue Qpanels represent a straightforward, accessible means of profiling Th cell subsets. These kits can be used to efficiently screen secreted proteins from T cells in order to quantitate multiple cytokines. Their simple, pre-mixed format requires minimum hands-on time while ensuring that maximum data is obtained. This data serves to highlight the application of iQue Qpanels in T cell screening and the panels role in the analysis of effector function and identification of Th subsets. The data also demonstrates donor and time-dependent cytokine secretion. Streamlined, pre-mixed Th panels include: 4-plex Th1 | Th2 panel: IL-4, IL-6, IFN, TNF 6-plex Th2 | Th2 panel: IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, IFN, TNF 7-plex Th1 | Th2 | Th17 panel: IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, IL-17A, IFN, TNF 9-plex TH1 | Th2 panel: IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, IL-12(p70) IL-13, IFN, TNF, GM-CSF The kits standards, capture beads, and detection reagent are all pre-mixed, enabling a quick and simple assay setup. The iQue Forecyt acquisition and analysis templates also ensure rapid data analysis and quantitation. Image Credit: Sartorius Acknowledgments Produced from materials originally authored by Mark Carter and John ORourke from Essen BioScience, Inc., part of the Sartorius Group. About Sartorius Sartorius is a leading international pharmaceutical and laboratory equipment supplier. With our innovative products and services, we are helping our customers across the entire globe to implement their complex and quality-critical biomanufacturing and laboratory processes reliably and economically. The Group companies are united under the roof of Sartorius AG, which is listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange and holds the majority stake in Sartorius Stedim Biotech S.A. Quoted on the Paris Stock Exchange, this subgroup is comprised mainly of the Bioprocess Solutions Division. Innovative Technologies Enable Medical Progress A growing number of medications are biopharmaceuticals. These are produced using living cells in complex, lengthy and expensive procedures. The Bioprocess Solutions Division provides the essential products and technologies to accomplish this. In fact, Sartorius has been pioneering and setting the standards for single-use products that are currently used throughout all biopharmaceutical manufacturing processes. Making Lab Life Easier Lab work is complex and demanding: Despite repetitive analytical routines, lab staff must perform each step in a highly concentrated and careful way for accurate results. The Lab Products and Services Division helps lab personnel excel because its products, such as laboratory balances, pipettes and lab consumables, minimize human error, simplify workflows and reduce physical workloads Sponsored Content Policy: News-Medical.net publishes articles and related content that may be derived from sources where we have existing commercial relationships, provided such content adds value to the core editorial ethos of News-Medical.Net which is to educate and inform site visitors interested in medical research, science, medical devices and treatments. The poll workers volunteered to help with the local primary elections on Tuesday. What's Included With a Digital Only subscription, you'll receive unlimited access to our website and e-edition. Our digital products are available 24/7 and are accessible anywhere, anytime. If you have any questions or need further assistance, please call our customer service team at 574-583-5121 or email cgrace@thehj.com. (Newser) A convoy of more than 160 cars carrying civilians left Mariupol on Monday, a city under siege by Russian forces. Local officials called it the first successful evacuation through a "humanitarian corridor," the Guardian reports. An online post by officials said the convoy had made it to Berdyansk, a city nearby, by 1pm local time. It was the biggest evacuation of Mariupol so far, said Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk, though many more people are trying to get out. The cars' destination was the city of Zaporizhzhia. A convoy of trucks bringing humanitarian supplies to Mariupol did not fare as well on Monday, per the Washington Post. The trucks were stopped about 50 miles southeast of Mariupol, the city council said, which accused the Russians of violating a cease-fire. "The occupation forces, without reason, are blocking in Berdyansk needed food and medicine for our people, in the city that they are mercilessly destroying," Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said in a video address. The council said the 400,000 people in Mariupol need the supplies; plans called for the trucks to then help with the evacuation. "Tomorrow morning will be a new attempt," its statement said. (Read more Russia-Ukraine conflict stories.) (Newser) Update: "It's been a couple of heavy days around here," Fox News' Bill Hemmer told viewers Wednesday, before providing "a dose of good news": Correspondent Benjamin Hall, who was injured in Ukraine on Monday, has been safely removed from the country. "Ben is alert and said to be in good spirits. He's being treated with the best possible care in the world," Hemmer added. He asked viewers to keep Hall in their prayers, along with "Sasha and Pierre"two members of the Fox News team who died in the same attack that injured Hall. Fox News says "their vehicle was struck by incoming fire" outside Kyiv. Our original story from Tuesday follows: A Fox News correspondent has been hospitalized after being injured while reporting from Ukraine. "We have a minimal level of details right now, but Ben is hospitalized and our teams on the ground are working to gather additional information as the situation quickly unfolds," the network CEO said Monday in a memo to employees about Benjamin Hall's injuries. Hall is a war correspondent who has worked for the New York Times, AFP, and BBC, among others, CNN reports. Hall, a dual US-UK citizen, has worked for Fox since 2015, reporting from Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan, and other conflict zones. He was reporting from outside the capital city of Kyiv when he was hurt, the New York Post reports. Another US journalist, Brent Renaud, was killed reporting in Ukraine on Sunday, and journalist Juan Arredondo was injured there the same day. Ukraine's prosecutor general says Hall's injuries are more proof that Russia is attacking civilians. She said her office will focus "on those war crimes that have affected the citizens of our partner countries." As Yahoo News notes, Hall had recently, on-air, pushed back against Fox host Greg Gutfeld's claim that the media is sensationalizing the situation in Ukraine. "This is not the media trying to drum up some emotional response. This is absolutely what's happening," Hall said last week, adding that cities "are being absolutely flattened." (Read more Ukraine stories.) (Newser) Update: Idaho's governor has signed anti-abortion legislation modeled after the law in Texas. Republican Gov. Brad Little noted his reservations about the legality of the measure even as he approved it. "While I support the pro-life policy in this legislation, I fear the novel civil enforcement mechanism will in short order be proven both unconstitutional and unwise," Little wrote in a letter to the state's lieutenant governor, the AP reports. An opponent, Democratic Rep. Lauren Necochea, said: "The vigilante aspect of this bill is absurd. Its impacts are cruel, and it is blatantly unconstitutional." The measure takes effect in 30 days, barring court challenges. Our story from last week follows: The first copycat of Texas' abortion ban is here. On Monday, the Republican-led Idaho House approved, in a 51-14 vote, a law enabling certain civilians to sue any person who "aids or abets" a woman getting an abortion after fetal cardiac activity has been detected, the New York Times reports. That could mean a doctor, or even the person driving the woman to the clinic. The "heartbeat bill" allows relatives of what it refers to as the "preborn child" to sue for up to four years after the procedure, and provides $20,000, plus legal fees, for successful suits. To anyone arguing the bill is unconstitutional, its co-sponsor says, "Texas has already made two visits to the Supreme Court. [And] abortions are still being stopped in Texas." Unlike in Texas, exceptions are allowed in cases of rape or incest, but only if the woman has filed a police report and provided it to the provider before obtaining an abortion. The state Senate had already passed the bill, which has now been sent to Republican Gov. Brad Littlewho is anti-abortion, and who last year signed a different "heartbeat bill." That one, however, was an outright ban, and included a trigger provision requiring a favorable federal court ruling somewhere in the US before it takes effectwhich hasn't happened yet, the AP reports. So-called "heartbeat bills" aim to ban abortion after around 6 weeks of pregnancy, at which point many women don't yet realize they're pregnant. (Read more Idaho stories.) (Newser) Horrific news out of Southern California, where authorities say a middle school assistant principal took his own life on the school's campus. He was found fatally shot in a bathroom at Kraemer Middle School in Placentia on Monday morning with a firearm nearby, NBC News reports. No students witnessed his death; authorities think it happened before they, and even most staff members, arrived for the day. The superintendent says the administrator, Moises Plascencia, died in a private staff area. Mental health professionals will be made available to the school community, and the Orange County coroner's office will investigate the death. "Moises [Plascencia] was so much more than a respected assistant principal," the superintendent says in a statement. "He was a father, husband, brother and friend to so many in our school district community. His passing, and the manner in which it occurred, has left us devastated, confused and heartbroken." Students were sent home, but will return to school Tuesday, ABC 7 reports. "Words will never be able to express our true sorrow regarding this loss," the school's principal says in a statement. "While we may never make sense of nor understand why this occurred, please know how deeply Mr. Plascencia cared for your students, their education, and all of Kraemer Middle School." (Read more California stories.) (Newser) A narrow diplomatic path stayed open as Ukraine and Russia planned another round of talks and Moscows forces pounded away at cities across the country, including the capital, in a bombardment that deepened the humanitarian crisis. The latest negotiations, held via video conference, were the fourth round involving higher-level officials from the two countries and the first in a week. The talks ended Monday without a breakthrough after several hours, with an aide to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy saying the negotiators took a technical pause and planned to meet again Tuesday, the AP reports. The two sides had expressed some optimism in the past few days. Mykhailo Podolyak, the aide to Zelenskyy, tweeted that the negotiators would discuss peace, cease-fire, immediate withdrawal of troops & security guarantees. Previous discussions, held in person in Belarus, produced no lasting humanitarian routes or agreements to end the fighting. In Washington, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said that while the Biden administration supports Ukraines participation in the talks with Russia, Russian President Vladimir Putin would have to show signs of de-escalating in order to demonstrate good faith. Shortly before dawn on Tuesday, large explosions thundered across Kyiv while Russia pressed its advance on multiple fronts. Elsewhere, a convoy of 160 civilian cars left the encircled port city of Mariupol along a designated humanitarian route, the city council reported, in a rare glimmer of hope a week and a half into the lethal siege that has pulverized homes and other buildings and left people desperate for food, water, heat, and medicine. Overall, nearly all of the Russian military offensives remained stalled after making little progress over the weekend, according to a senior US defense official who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the Pentagon's assessment. Russian troops were still about 9 miles from the center of Kyiv, the official said. (Read more Russia-Ukraine conflict stories.) (Newser) Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's latest address wasn't directed at other world leaders but at ordinary Russiansand in particular the soldiers who are invading his nation, reports the BBC. Speaking Russian in his nightly video address, Zelensky urged the troops to surrender before they were killed. You will not take anything from Ukraine," he said, per the New York Times. "You will take lives. But your life will also be taken. He added that surrendering soldiers would be treated with dignity. Choose, he said. "I know that you want to survive." Zelensky also encouraged Russians to resist their own leaders or their country would turn into a "very large North Korea," closed off from the world. He spoke as another round of talks was to resume between Ukrainian and Russian delegates but also as the bombardment of Kyiv and other cities continues. In another diplomatic front Tuesday, the leaders of the Czech Republic, Poland, and Slovenia were traveling by train into Ukraine to meet with Zelensky. They planned to offer the European Union's "unequivocal support" for his nation. Meanwhile, the Ukraine leader is expected to ask the US Congress for more weaponry on Wednesday, per the Wall Street Journal. (Read more Volodymyr Zelensky stories.) (Newser) An employee of Russia's state TV Channel One interrupted a live broadcast of its flagship evening news program Monday to denounce government "propaganda" and shout anti-war slogans. The protester entered the frame as anchor Ekaterina Andreeva reported on Russian efforts to combat sanctions. OVD-Info, a human rights group that tracks protest activity in Russia, identified the woman as editor and producer Marina Ovsyannikova, per the Washington Post. She held up a sign reading, "Stop the war. Don't believe the propaganda, they are lying to you here." Her protest was visible for several seconds before the channel switched to recorded video. Ovsyannikova also recorded a video, saying she'd been "working on Kremlin propaganda" for years. "I am ashamed that I've allowed the lies to be said on the TV screens. I am ashamed that I let the Russian people be zombified," said Ovsyannikova, who mentioned having a Ukrainian father and Russian mother. "What is happening in Ukraine is a crime and Russia is the aggressor," she continued, per the Guardian, pointing the blame at Russian President Vladimir Putin. "The next 10 generations wont be able to clean themselves from the shame of this fratricidal war." She has since been arrested, as she likely predicted. "It is only in our power to stop this madness," she told Russians in the video, per the Post. "Take to the streets. Do not be afraid. They can't jail us all." The Kremlin has threatened 15 years in prison for those who contradict Russia's official narrative of a limited operation to "denazify" Ukraine. Censorship in Russia is so strict that other news programs blurred Ovsyannikova's message in reporting on the incident, per the Guardian. A recording of the broadcast has also been removed from Channel One's website. But it was not missed by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who thanked "the woman who entered the Channel One studio" on Monday. "I am grateful to those Russians who do not stop trying to convey the truth," he said in a video update, per the Post. Tens of thousands of others posted messages of support on Ovsyannikova's Facebook page. (Read more Russia stories.) (Newser) Almost 30 years after the death of Selena Quintanilla-Perez, an "unexpected surprise" is set to drop from the "Queen of Tejano Music." That treat, per KSAT: a new album, according to her dad, who says it will be released by Warner Music. Abraham Quintanilla chatted last week with Latin Groove News and announced the 13-song album, with previously heard tunes set to new arrangements by Selena's brother, AB Quintanilla. It's a family project to honor the Texas native, who was murdered in 1995 at the age of 23 by the president of her fan club. One of the songs, for instance, is a ballad that Selena first recorded when she was just 13, but the vocals now sound like her adult voice before she died, thanks to her brother's sound-editing wizardry, per NBC News. Meanwhile, her sister, Suzette, is said to be assisting in designing the album's artwork. "Selena's been gone 26 years now," Quintanilla said in the interview, noting that all the music for the album has been completed. "What amazes me ... is that 26 years later the public still remembers Selena. They haven't let go of her. They're waiting for a project like this to come out, and I know that it will be well received by the public." There's no official release date yet for the album, but Quintanilla says he expects it will come out next month. (Read more Selena Quintanilla stories.) Russia keeps up attacks in Ukraine as two sides hold talks (Newser) Mariah Nelesen and Clay Slenk's wedding on June 10 was supposed to be a grand affair, with every detail meticulously planned out. Now they've moved the date up to April 9, and they're planning on a reception meal of "burgers and brats on the grill," Nelesen tells WOOD. The reason for the decidedly more grounded event: The Michigan high school sweethearts were each informed earlier this year they had cancer, all within just eight days of each other. After getting engaged on Dec. 26, 2020, the couple kicked back for a long engagement, but soon after they'd sent out their "save the date" announcements, the bad news came. Nelesen, 23, got the call from her doctor first, on Jan. 11 of this year, which is when she was told she had ovarian cancer. "That's not a call that anyone expects to receive," she tells WOOD. On Jan. 19, Slenkwho'd recently had some blood work done to find out why he still didn't feel well after having pneumoniareceived his own doctor's call. "I think you have leukemia," is what Slenk remembered his doctor saying, imploring him to immediately go for further tests. Those tests confirmed he had acute myeloid leukemia, which "required immediate treatment" and "a long hospital stay," per the couple's Caring Bridge page. Meanwhile, Nelesen had to start looking into her own treatment options, which included possible surgery and chemo, and took steps to begin freezing her eggs. That's when they knew they wanted to shift their wedding date up two months, before Slenk was due for a stem cell transplant, so "we could go through that hard part together," he tells WOOD. "Now we're into it deep," he adds. "And it's not just one person, it's both of us." They say they'll draw strength from each other as a married couple, and Slenk has even rewritten his vows to reflect that. "There'll be a little more sickness before the health, but that's all right," he notes. A GoFundMe set up to help the couple with medical expenses and lost income has raised more than $23,000 as of Tuesday morning. (Read more engagement stories.) (Newser) Nelya Melnitchouk came to the US from Ukraine when she was 18. After becoming an oncology surgeon at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, she began working with an organization to share information on cancer treatment with her counterparts in Ukraine. But once Russia invaded the country on Feb. 24, cancer treatment was no longer a priority. As Melnitchouk tells the Washington Post, doctors started reaching out with questions about trauma care. "Lots of civilians are dying," Melnitchouk tells the Post. "That's not what should happen." And with her launch of an educational campaign from 4,500 miles away, Melnitchouk is hoping it won't. Melnitchouk teamed up with emergency medicine physician Eric Goralnick, who works with the Stop the Bleed educational campaign, to release two YouTube videos that teach Ukrainians how to stop significant bleeding. In one 39-second video, Goralnickwhose paternal grandparents were Ukrainianuses a dummy to demonstrate how to stop blood loss and apply a tourniquet, alongside written Ukrainian instructions. In a longer 4.5-minute video, Melnitchouk offers step-by-step narration in Ukrainian: Anyone giving assistance should first call medical professionals, then look for significant bleeding, and if they find it, apply pressure using a cloth or tourniquet. The videos have been viewed more than 5,000 times combined since they were shared March 4 on the hospital's YouTube page. "Even if this video can save one life, I accomplished my goal," Melnitchouk, who has family in Ukraine, told Boston.com earlier this month. "This is the smallest thing I can do," she added, per CBS Boston. "I wish I could do more." Amid videos of Russian forces firing on civilians and a maternity hospital, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights reported Monday that at least 636 civilians have died and 1,125 have been injured during the invasion. The actual figures are thought to be "considerably higher," the office said. (Read more Ukraine stories.) (Newser) American democracy is rare, fragile, and in need of protection, Mitt Romney told Republican donors on Monday, amid fresh speculation of yet another presidential run. Five people who attended the private fundraiser for GOP Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyomingherself a subject of similar speculationorganized by Republican bigwigs Bobbie and Bill Kilberg at the Hilton hotel in McLean, Va., gave an account of the speech to CBS News. "We are really the only significant experiment in democracy, and preserving liberal democracy is an extraordinary challenge," said the Utah senator and former Massachusetts governor, who was the introductory speaker, according to the outlet. He said he has a chart on the wall of his Senate office that shows the progress of civilizations over the past four millennia. Autocracy is the chart's "default setting," said the 2012 Republican presidential nominee. He said Russian President Vladimir Putin is following the authoritarian playbook "rehearsed time and time again, over the many thousands of years of world history." America has only avoided "falling in with the same kind of authoritarian leader" due to "the strengths of our institutions, the rule of law, our courts, Congress, and so forth," he added. "People of character and courage have stood up for right at times when others want to look away. Such a person is Liz Cheney." As CNN reports, "Cheney is emerging as the anti-Trump champion, and plenty of Republicans are glad to see it." Bill Kilberg said the event, which raised more than $526,000 for the congresswoman, went "exceedingly well," with Romney receiving a standing ovation for his remarks on the fragility of American democracy, per CBS. Republicans unhappy with the direction of the party "are really hungry for a sensible, rational alternative in our political dialogue," he said. "They saw two sensible, intelligent, rational conservatives, and they were excited." Cheney similarly noted that "if someone doesn't have respect for the rule of law and the democratic system, then it's all for naught," Bobbie Kilberg added. (Read more Mitt Romney stories.) (Newser) Ukraine has won praise for its ability to blunt the progress of Russia's militarysee this assessment in the Conversationbut footage from Kyiv and elsewhere makes clear that aerial bombardments are still exacting a massive toll. One reason, reports the New York Times, is that Ukraine's anti-missile defenses aren't intercepting as many missiles as they should. And the newspaper sheds some light on a potential reason whyRussia is launching what are essentially decoy missiles that fool defense systems and draw their missiles. Here is how John Ismay of the Times explains things: "The devices are each about a foot long, shaped like a dart and white with an orange tail, according to an American intelligence official. They are released by the Iskander-M short-range ballistic missiles that Russia is firing from mobile launchers across the border, the official said, when the missile senses that it has been targeted by air defense systems." The devices have electronics to jam or otherwise fool radar. Photos of the missiles have been cropping upsee here and here and they initially baffled observers. The concept has been employed in years past on nuclear warheads (in the form of devices known as "penetration aids"), but they've never been previously seen on conventional warheads, per the Times. (Read more Russia-Ukraine conflict stories.) (Newser) President Biden, who became the oldest president in US history on the day he took office, turns 80 later this year. And while he has said he plans to run in 2024, a lot of people have their doubts. According to the latest Wall Street Journal poll, 52% of Americans believe Biden will not seek re-election, 29% think he will, and 19% are unsure. Among Democrats, only 41% feel sure that Biden will seek a second term. If he wins a second term, Biden will be 82 years old when he is sworn in. Ronald Reagan, the second-oldest president, left office weeks before his 78th birthday. While Republicans have sought to portray the president as old and increasingly confused, supporters say Biden is still very sharp and has coped well with challenges including the economic impact of the pandemic and Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Other say that with heavy losses expected in this year's midterm elections, the Democrats are likely to fare better in 2024 with a different candidate. "I dont think President Biden is going to runnot simply because of his age, but hes been doing this for a very long time," Georgia state lawmaker Derrick Jackson tells the Journal. "You can hear it in his voice. You dont hear the same level of energy and enthusiasm." Voters feel differently about the chances of Donald Trump running again, according to the Journal's poll. Some 49% of voters, including 60% of Republicans, said they are sure Trump will take another shot at seeking a second term. Were he to win in 2024, Trump would become history's second-oldest president at 78 years old on the day he is sworn in. According to the poll, Biden and Trump are tied at 45% each in a hypothetical 2024 contest. More than a year into his first term, Biden's approval ratings are low, but approval of his handling of "the situation with Russia and Ukraine" has risen from 34% to 39% over the last few weeks, according to a new Yahoo/YouGov poll. (Read more President Biden stories.) (Newser) The Russian journalist who staged a remarkable protest against her own government on live TV is not facing harsh punishment for the time being. The BBC reports that Marina Ovsyannikova appeared in a Moscow court Tuesday, pleaded guilty to organizing an unauthorized public event, and was fined about $280 before being released. A big caveat: That charge pertains to a video Ovsyannikova made before her on-air protest. She could yet face charges for the protest itself, and Russia's Investigative Council has opened an investigation. The Kremlin recently put into place penalties of up to 15 years in prison for those who spread what Russian authorities deem to be "fake news" about its invasion of Ukraine. (Even saying the word "invasion" would qualify.) Watch it: See video of the protest via Reuters. Ovsyannikova, a now-former editor at the state-controlled Channel One, walked behind an anchor delivering the news, held up an anti-war sign, and labeled the Russian government's statements about the war "propaganda." See video of the protest via Reuters. Ovsyannikova, a now-former editor at the state-controlled Channel One, walked behind an anchor delivering the news, held up an anti-war sign, and labeled the Russian government's statements about the war "propaganda." Meaningful necklace: Ovsyannikova was detained immediately after the protest, and her lawyers initially could not reach her. However, she was later pictured in a Moscow court with attorney Anton Gashishky. NPR, citing a Russian outlet, reports that Ovsyannikova refused to retract her statements condemning the invasion. It also notes she's been wearing a blue, yellow, red, and white necklace, symbolizing Ukrainian-Russian unity. Rationale: "The anger has been building up with her ever since the war started," an unidentified friend of Ovsyannikova's tells the Guardian. "Two days ago, she told me how she was going to do it." In the video she made before the protest, Ovsyannikova said that her father was Ukrainian and that she was ashamed to have worked at Channel One. "The anger has been building up with her ever since the war started," an unidentified friend of Ovsyannikova's tells the Guardian. "Two days ago, she told me how she was going to do it." In the video she made before the protest, Ovsyannikova said that her father was Ukrainian and that she was ashamed to have worked at Channel One. Support: French President Emmanuel Macron offered Ovsyannikova diplomatic protection and promised to raise the issue directly with Vladimir Putin, per CNN. "France strongly condemns any imprisonment of a journalist," he said. Ukraine President Zelensky also praised her, as did a spokesperson for jailed Russian dissident Alexei Navalny: "Wow, that girl is cool," wrote Kira Yarmysh, per the South China Morning Post. French President Emmanuel Macron offered Ovsyannikova diplomatic protection and promised to raise the issue directly with Vladimir Putin, per CNN. "France strongly condemns any imprisonment of a journalist," he said. Ukraine President Zelensky also praised her, as did a spokesperson for jailed Russian dissident Alexei Navalny: "Wow, that girl is cool," wrote Kira Yarmysh, per the South China Morning Post. Unprecedented: An analysis by Vitaliy Shevchenko at the BBC notes that Channel One is a primary voice of the Kremlin. He called Ovsyannikova's protest an "unprecedented moment of dissent," one that required "extraordinary courage." (Read more Russia stories.) (Newser) This story has been updated with news of Kuvshinova's death. Fox News said Tuesday that one of its camera operators was killed in Ukraine, reports Axios. Pierre Zakrzewski was in a vehicle that came under fire on Monday outside Kyiv, wrote Fox News CEO Suzanne Scott in a company memo, per this tweet. Zakrzewski was with Fox correspondent Benjamin Hall, who was injured and remains hospitalized. Senior field producer Yonat Friling later confirmed that Oleksandra Kuvshinova, a 24-year-old Ukrainian journalist working with the Fox team, was also killed in the attack, NPR reports. Zakrzewski had "covered nearly every international story for Fox News from Iraq to Afghanistan to Syria during his long tenure with us," wrote Scott, per the Washington Post. "His passion and talent as a journalist were unmatched. His talents were vast and there wasn't a role that he didn't jump in to help with in the fieldfrom photographer to engineer to editor to producerand he did it all under immense pressure with tremendous skill," she continued. Scott also wrote that Zakrzewski was instrumental last year in helping freelance associates in Afghanistan flee the country after the US withdrawal. Zakrzewski, who was based in London, had been in Ukraine since February. Friling tweeted that Kuvshinova had done a "brilliant job" working with the Fox team over the last month. "We have lost a beautiful brave woman," Friling said. "She loved music and she was funny and kind." (The deaths follow the death of US journalist Brent Renaud in Ukraine over the weekend.) (Newser) A middle school math teacher in Kansas asserts she is doing no harm to her students in refusing to call them by their preferred names and pronouns. LGBTQ organizations and medical associations disagree. But the conflict Pamela Ricard primarily has is with her school district superintendent, board members, and principal, whom she sued on March 7. Ricard, a teacher at Fort Riley Middle School in Fort Riley, cites her Christian religious beliefs in her suit, which notes she believes "God immutably creates each person as male or female" and that referring to them in any way other than that biological sex violates her religious rights; as such, she contends her First Amendment rights to free speech and exercise of religion are being violated. The Kansas City Star reports Ricard was suspended for three days over the spring 2021 semester after calling a student listed in school records as female by the student's last name only, rather than the student's preferred name and he/him pronouns. The Washington Post reports a fellow student in the class had previously told Ricard via email that the student was now using male pronouns. That second student responded by leaving a note on her desk which read, "his pronouns are He/Him & if you cant act like an Adult & respect him & his pronouns then prepare yourself to deal with his mother since you cant be a decent human being and respect him. All youre doing right now is showing that youre transphobic & dont care that youre being visibly transphobic." She was given a three-day paid suspension while the school looked into 11 potential violations of board policy. School officials determined three violations held and gave her a written reprimand. Per the suit, the school had no written policy on the subject of student names at the time, so Ricard was disciplined "under generic school district policies related to bullying by staff," per the Star. "I continue to enjoy teaching my students day in and day out, but the stigma of being officially labeled a 'bully' simply for using a student's enrolled last name has been disheartening," Ricard told CNN. She seeks "nominal damages" and for her school disciplinary record to be wiped clean. (Read more teacher stories.) (Newser) Update: The good news for anyone who hates switching their clocks twice a year: Nancy Pelosi is on board with making daylight saving time permanent, and the Hill reports the proposal passed by the Senate on Tuesday is racking up bipartisan support in the House. The bad news: Pelosi hasn't committed to taking up the legislation any time soon, noting that Ukraine remains front and center for lawmakers right now. In general, she sounded positive though, saying, "I think its not going to be much of an issue for us. But we have to socialize it in our caucus, and our Congress, not just the caucus." Our original story from Tuesday follows: If you're still feeling crabby over Sunday's time change, take heart: The Senate on Tuesday gave the green light to a proposal to make Daylight Saving Time permanent. If the House does the same and President Biden signs the Sunshine Protection Act, the "fall back" ritual that happens each year would be done away witheventually. The Hill reports the change would go into effect on Nov. 20, 2023, in order to give airlines and other transportation companies adequate time to prepare. It would make for darker mornings but lighter evenings during the winter. The Hill's two examples: The sun wouldn't rise until 8:15am on Dec. 21 in New York, but it wouldn't set until 5:31pm, versus the typical 4:31pm. Axios reports the bill, which has Democrat Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse and Republican Sen. Marco Rubio as its sponsors, passed by unanimous consent. Politico notes "The quick and consequential move happened so fast that several senators said afterward they were unaware of what had just happened." It adds that Whitehouse says he has gotten no pledge from Nancy Pelosi to get the bill across the line in the House. The Washingtonian reports Congress approved permanent Daylight Saving Time in 1973, but it wasn't a long-lived change. (Read more about that here.) (Newser) A group of Maine middle and high school students grabbed the wheel of their school bus Monday morning when their driver suffered a fatal medical condition, steering the vehicle to safety while another classmate attempted to administer first aid to the stricken driver. Topsham Police Chief Marc Hagan thanked the students for their quick, "deliberate action to save lives." The bus was carrying 14 students when the driver collapsed at the wheel, Topsham police told the Portland Press Herald. They were able to steer the bus off the road and apply the brakes, stopping the vehicle on an embankment before calling 911 and flagging down traffic. Their driver, 77-year-old Arthur McDougall, of Lisbon, was taken to a hospital Monday morning and died, district authorities said. No students were injured. Another bus arrived and took them to school. The school district and local authorities were working Tuesday to support the students in the aftermath of the drivers death, said Gabrielle Mathieu, school resource officer with the Topsham Police Department, per the AP. "At this time we are giving the families and students time to process the incident," Mathieu said. (Read more Maine stories.) (Newser) As Russia continued to bombard Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities Tuesday, President Volodymyr Zelensky made what the Guardian sees as a "significant concession": He said Ukraine will not become a member of NATO. Zelensky told officials from the UK-led Joint Expeditionary Force that the country must accept that it won't be joining the alliance. "It is clear that Ukraine is not a member of NATO, we understand this," Zelensky said. "For years we heard about the apparently open door, but have already also heard that we will not enter there, and these are truths and must be acknowledged. Permanently ruling out Ukrainian membership of NATO was one of Russia's main demands before it launched the invasion last month. Ukrainian officials said Tuesday that negotiations with the Russians were "very difficult and sticky" but there is still room for compromise and talks are expected to resume Wednesday, the AP reports. Despite the Russian shelling, the Polish, Czech, and Slovenian prime ministers traveled to Kyiv Tuesday for in-person talks with Zelensky and other Ukrainian lawmakers, reports the BBC. Polish deputy foreign minister, Marcin Przydacz, described the Russians as "barbarians" and said the trip was "obviously risky"but the leaders decided it was a risk "worth taking for the sake of values, for the sake of our common security, and for the sake of solidarity." Zelensky also spoke to Canadian lawmakers Tuesday, the CBC reports. The president, introduced by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as "a champion for democracy," repeated his call for a no-fly zone and asked Canadians to imagine their own country under attack. "What if the CN Tower was being bombed?" he asked. "What if Edmonton was left undefended against aerial attacks? What if Canadian schools were the ones being bombed, Canadian children the ones being killed?" (Zelensky will speak to Congress Wednesday morning.) TDT | Manama The Daily Tribune www.newsofbahrain.com An oncology centre launched within a leading private hospital is all set to revolutionise cancer treatment in Bahrain. Gulf Uro-Oncology Foundation, a unit of Royal Bahrain Hospital, was launched two months ago, with an aim to provide state-of-the-art diagnosis and treatment to patients suffering from cancer in Bahrain. The Centre is headquartered in Bahrain and has a branch in the UAE. Speaking exclusively to The Daily Tribune, the Centre Director Prof Dr Bob Djavan said Gulf Uro-Oncology Foundation will bring the latest and innovative practices in cancer treatment to Bahrain. Most of the Bahraini patients suffering from cancer go to other countries, mainly in Europe, to undergo treatment. With the establishment of this centre, the situation is going to change as the patients here will have the facility to receive the most advanced form of treatment. The centre will have the services of Europes leading four cancer specialists including Prof Dr Djavan, who is a professor of Urology at the University of Vienna and New York University. He is also the Chairman of the Department of Urology, Rudolfinerhaus Foundation Hospital in Vienna, Austria. The leading urologist praised Bahrains healthcare sector, especially with regard to the cancer treatment protocols including the diagnosis and treatment. He said the increasing rate of prostate cancer in Bahrain should be linked to the early detection and screening programmes, which is a reflection of the best healthcare system. Thirty years ago, two-thirds of cancer cases in Europe were detected in its advanced stage. Today it is just 10 per cent with patients living longer and having high survival rates. He said early detection and early treatment are vital to tackle the rising number of cases, be it prostate cancer or breast cancer. As long as we dont have the so-called perfect treatment for cancer, these are the two important things that we could do. One thing we have learnt in the past few years in Urology and Uro-Oncology is you cannot put a specific cancer age for human beings. But we know one thing, you are at high risk if you have a positive family history of cancer. Since prostate cancer numbers are increasing, we recommend the first Prostate-Specific Antigen Test to be done at the age of 35. At Gulf Uro Oncology Foundation, we have genetic tests that will tell whether completely healthy people will be at risk of developing prostate cancer in the future. We need to identify at-risk patients in order to not to be surprised by cancer diagnosis. We have new imaging techniques being implemented here, MRI and digital analysis systems, which will give us the proper images of the prostate. The only thing doctors did earlier was a digital rectal exam. He said there is a misconception among patients that robotic surgery is always a better option, which is not true. There are patients who benefit from robotic surgery while there are many who will benefit from open surgery. Dr Djavan said the robotic surgery facility will be one of the core highlights at the Gulf Uro-Oncology Foundation. Speaking on the Gulf Uro-Oncology Foundation, Ahmed Jawahery, President, Royal Bahrain Hospital, said: The Kingdom of Bahrain has made its mark in the region and the world with its thriving economy and open policies, particularly in the healthcare sector. It is my firm belief that prospering societies must have easy access to quality and affordable healthcare. Along with KIMSHEALTH, we have established a group of successful hospitals and medical centers in Bahrain, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the UAE. Taking our services to the next level, last month we established, the first of its kind Gulf Uro-Oncology Foundation at our Royal Bahrain Hospital, providing Urology and Uro-Oncology services and surgical care to our patients. It is our pleasure that Prof Dr Bob Djavan from Austria who is one of the global experts in Uro-Oncology and Uro-Oncological surgery will lead this effort together with colleagues from Bahrain and a select group of experts from Europe and the USA. We are sure that this will lead to a new era of Urology and Cancer care and help make Bahrain a hub for medical care in the Gulf region. Dr Sheriff M Sahadulla, Group Chief Executive Officer at KIMSHEALTH said that healthcare is becoming more specialised each day. Our objective is to provide highly specialized and advanced care to our patients. With the establishment of Gulf Uro-Oncology Foundation, in partnership with Prof Dr Djavan, we shall be bringing the highest level of medical expertise in Urology and Uro-Oncology to the Kingdom of Bahrain, he stated. BNA | Manama The Daily Tribune www.newsofbahrain.com With the new terminals at the Bahrain International Airport (BIA) fully operational and the increase in tourists arrivals, the Bahrain Duty-Free Shop Complex (BDFS) is upbeat about good business this year. Farooq Almoayyed, Chairman of the Board of Directors BDFS said that he was optimistic about the positive business in 2022 and beyond. Almoayyed, who chaired the annual general assembly of Bahrain Duty-Free on Monday, told Bahrain News Agency (BNA) that the new airport and Gulf Airs busy schedule will impact positively on the Duty-Free business this year. The meeting was informed that the total net profits of BD 2.1 million were achieved in 2021, which represents an increase of 6% compared with last year. Earnings per share are 15 fils compared with 14 fils for 2020. At December year-end, total Assets were BD 47.6 million while total shareholders equity stood at BD 47.5 million. The AGM approved BD 4.3million for distribution to the shareholders by 31 March 2022. The meeting, attended by the shareholders of the Duty-Free Shop, has approved the Companys financial statements for the year-end 31 December 2021. I am also pleased to report that Bahrain Duty-Free achieved positive financial results earning a net income of BD2.1million. The year 2021 was a challenging year due to the continuing effects of the Covid-19 pandemic affecting the performance of the Company, he said. In January 2021, the new joint venture Bahrain Duty-Free Company commenced duty-free operations on the opening of the new Airport Terminal, thus ending Bahrain Duty-Free Shops direct involvement in the duty-free business after thirty years. Bahrain Duty-Free Shop is a shareholder in the new company with a 55% shareholding and accrues a share in the profits of the new joint venture. For the full year 2021, the company reported gross revenues of BD806,000 representing a decrease of 94.8% last year. Similarly, gross profits earned were BD 488,000 down on the prior year by 91.2%. Administration and selling expenses totalled BD848000 giving a positive variance of 85.5% as compared to last year. Within this, Royalty and Salaries represent the biggest savings on expenses. Other income recorded a figure of BD398,000, a decline of 60.0% in the prior year. Operating results for the year are BD38k vs BD689000, a decline of 94.5% year on year. The above changes in performance are due to the transfer of the Duty-Free Operations to the new Joint Venture Bahrain Duty-Free Company which commenced operations in 2021, the statement of the company said. Net Investment Income from all related activities for the year was BD2.1million an increase of BD1.2m or 144.8% compared to the prior year. The main driver in this growth was income from our new joint venture Bahrain Duty-Free Company. Other investment income was reduced in the year by BD440,000. The decrease is mainly due to the decrease in dividends income by BD 102,000. This reduction is because of many companies reducing their dividend payments due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The funds portfolio also saw reductions in income by BD 117,000 and unrealized losses of BD 135,000. Share of profits of equity-accounted investees saw increased profits in the year due to the share of the profit earned from the new joint venture Company Bahrain Duty-Free Company. Profits earned were BD 1.6m compared to a figure of BD217k in 2020. Impairment provisions of BD358000 were taken during 2021 and down on last years figure of BD 614,000, a positive variance of BD256,000. The investment portfolio now totals BD 45.1million a growth of BD 2.6million (5.4%) compared with BD 42.8million last year. The main movements in the portfolio for 2021 was income from associated companies BD1.5 million and Fair Value increases of BD1.4 million. Agencies | Ashgabat The Daily Tribune www.newsofbahrain.com Serdar Berdymukhamedov, the son of outgoing Turkmen President Kurbanguly Berdymukhamedov, won a snap election with 73% of the vote and will succeed his father, the Central Asian nation's Central Election Commission said. The victory of 40-year-old Serdar Berdymukhamedov was widely expected after his father elevated him to the No.2 position in the country as a deputy prime minister, clearly indicating that he was the designated successor. Eight other candidates ran in the election. Under the Turkmen constitution, the president is elected for a seven-year term, according to Reuters. Serdar Berdymukhamedov is commonly referred to by local media as "the son of the nation," while his 64-year-old father - who intends to stay on as the Speaker of the upper house - is known as Arkadag, or Protector. The gas-rich nation of six million has borders with Iran and Afghanistan in the south. Facility will produce 20 million cubic meters of renewable natural gas (RNG) from organic biomass FARNHAM, QC, March 15, 2022 /CNW/ - Nature Energy, a global leader in renewable energy, announced that it has acquired land in Farnham, Quebec, to build its first-ever biogas plant in North America. This is an important step for the Danish company to establish a large-scale facility to convert biomass from local agricultural production, industry and institutions into renewable natural gas (RNG) for the Quebec grid. "It's fantastic that our ambitions to contribute to the ecological transition with farmers, businesses and the community beyond Denmark's borders are being realized here in Quebec. Our Danish facilities have allowed us to acquire unique expertise in the field of ecological transition. With this acquisition in Quebec, we are now taking our expertise abroad, which will contribute to the green transition worldwide," said Ole Hvelplund, President and CEO of Nature Energy. Nature Energy looks forward to working with agricultural producers in the region, regardless of the size of their operation. The use of organic biomass (manure, slurry, etc.) helps reduce GHGs by providing consumers with a clean source of energy. We are looking forward to working with Quebec farmers on this circular economy and green transition project, added Ole Hvelplund. Reducing the environmental impacts of human activity requires a global effort and we look forward to helping make a concrete difference in the green transition in Quebec by supplying RNG to the natural gas grid." In addition to adding value to biomass produced by agriculture, industries, businesses and institutions, Nature Energy's project represents an investment of approximately $100 million that will create more than 200 jobs during the plant's construction phase and 15 permanent jobs once it is in operation. "The fight against climate change is our common responsibility and today I am proud that Farnham is part of the solution, with a project that will have concrete results right here. The biogas plant will directly benefit local farmers, in addition to positioning our region as a leader in this field in Quebec. I hope that our example will inspire others to adopt the same solution," said Farnham Mayor Patrick Melchior. Nature Energy plans to establish other plants in Canada. Key facts The project is expected to create 200 jobs during the construction phase and 15 high quality jobs during the operation phase. In total, Nature Energy plans to invest C$100 million in the project. in the project. The future plant is expected to produce 20 million cubic meters of climate-friendly RNG. This corresponds to a reduction of 80,000 tons of CO2. In comparison, it is necessary to remove XX diesel cars to achieve the same result. The site of the future plant in Farnham is 10.8 hectares. is 10.8 hectares. Nature Energy expects to be able to distribute its green gas by the end of 2024. About Nature Energy Nature Energy has in less than five years become one of the leading companies in the world to develop, build and operate industrial scale biogas plants. Based in Denmark, home of the world's most sustainable gas grid, where a quarter of Denmark's consumption of gas is covered by biomethane, Nature Energy is the industry leader operating 11 industrial size biogas plants producing one third of all biomethane in the Danish gas grid. By 2023, Nature Energy will have another two large scale biogas plants on the Danish grid. For more info : Nature Energy (nature-energy.com) SOURCE Nature Energy For further information: Media contact : Jean-Pascal Lavoie, Senior consultant, Le Cabinet de relations publiques NATIONAL, M : 418-208-4937, [email protected] Modern shipbuilding and through-life support are rapidly evolving with integrated use of digital technology and digital twins. Effective use of digital information is critical for shipbuilders and ship owners/operators and forms the foundation for connected products and services that can result in more efficient, safer and sustainable fleets. Seaspan's HoloShip enables designers, engineers, production teams, and customers to virtually experience, on a 5.6-metre-wide display wall, a fully detailed, three-dimensional and highly accurate digital model of the vessel. Using 3D and virtual reality headsets, participants are transported onto the ship, able to move about to view and interact with the space, as well as with the equipment, components, systems and subsystems. Participants can also access the HoloShip via a networked system at a remote location. The HoloShip platform enables engineering and design teams to assess and evaluate a wide range of uses and scenarios across all stages of a vessel's lifecycle, from design and construction through to delivery, operations, maintenance and training. Integrating advanced visualization systems allows teams to optimize models and collaborate effectively with customers to increase productivity, efficiency and quality. Emerging digital twin technologies can be leveraged to aid vessel owners and operators to reduce down-time for repair, more effectively maintain, sustain and enhance fleets and lower vessel cost of ownership. The HoloShip will immediately benefit the non-combat vessels that Seaspan is constructing for the Canadian Coast Guard and Royal Canadian Navy under the National Shipbuilding Strategy (NSS), including the Polar Icebreaker and Multi-Purpose Vessels that are currently in the design phase. It also presents an opportunity to nurture growth across the supply chain enabling companies to sustain and grow over the long term and better position Canadian technology in the export market. The HoloShip platform is part of Seaspan Shipyards value proposition commitments under Canada's National Shipbuilding Strategy. QUOTES "Seaspan's investment in its new immersive visualization HoloShip facility is a critical step for Canada's marine industry. The HoloShip facility will help enhance the Canadian shipbuilding industry's ability to seize the opportunities of the digital economy, help to ensure Canada has the modern ships needed, and create good jobs for Canadians." The Honourable Francois-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry "Investment in advanced digital technologies such as our new HoloShip platform contributes to the continued development of Seaspan as one of the most modern shipyards in North America. Collaborating with the marine industry community to develop a vertically integrated cluster of Canadian companies that provide both independent and integrated solutions to the global market will also help position and enhance Canada's reputation as a leader in technology, shipbuilding and ship repair." Dave Hargreaves, Senior Vice President, Strategy and Business Development, Seaspan Shipyards QUICK FACTS Seaspan is one of the most modern shipyards in North America , following its $185M shipyard modernization, development of a skilled workforce of 2,700 and state-of-the-art, purpose-built infrastructure to deliver the entire non-combat fleet, including the Polar Icebreaker. , following its shipyard modernization, development of a skilled workforce of 2,700 and state-of-the-art, purpose-built infrastructure to deliver the entire non-combat fleet, including the Polar Icebreaker. The National Shipbuilding Strategy (NSS) objectives are to develop a sustainable, competitive marine industry and to renew the federal fleet with ships built in Canada by Canadians. by Canadians. Seaspan has become a major economic and job creation engine while contributing more than $2.6 billion to Canada's GDP and directing more than $1.8 billion in NSS-related contracts to more than 660 suppliers from coast to coast. (Source: Deloitte Socioeconomic Impact Study, October 2021 ). ASSOCIATED LINKS National Shipbuilding Strategy Seaspan Shipyards SOCIAL MEDIA Twitter: @MoreThanShips LinkedIn: Seaspan ULC Instagram: @SeaspanULC Facebook: @Seaspan Shipyards ABOUT SEASPAN SHIPYARDS Seaspan Shipyards, a division of Seaspan ULC, is a leader in Canada's shipbuilding and ship repair industry. With modern facilities and a dedicated workforce of approximately 2,700 in North Vancouver and Victoria, the company has proven itself to be a trusted and strategic partner on a range of complex projects for both government and the private sector. Seaspan Shipyards is proud to deliver Canada's non-combat program of work under the NSS. The company is building state-of-the-art ships in Canada for the Canadian Coast Guard and Royal Canadian Navy. Through its NSS-related work, Seaspan Shipyards is creating thousands of jobs, generating significant economic benefits, and rebuilding Canada's shipbuilding and marine industries. MEDIA CONTACT Anu Sharma [email protected] 613-292-9929 SOURCE Seaspan Shipyards Addressing the Rajya Sabha, the minister informed that standard operating procedures (SOPs) for operations, maintenance, and inspection of such systems are being reviewed after the incident. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday said in the Parliament that a high-level inquiry has been ordered into the inadvertent firing of a projectile that landed in Pakistan on March 9 saying that if any lapses are found, action will be taken accordingly. Addressing the Rajya Sabha, the minister informed that standard operating procedures (SOPs) for operations, maintenance, and inspection of such systems are being reviewed after the incident. The Defence Minister informed Rajya Sabha about the details of the incident. He told the house, Id like to tell this House about an incident that occurred on 9th March 2022. Its related to an accidental missile release during the inspection. During routine maintenance and inspection of the missile unit, around 7 pm, one missile got accidentally released. Singh sought to assure Parliament that the Indian missile system is very reliable and safe and that the safety procedures and protocols are of the highest order. Singh assured the house of the safety measures of the missile system. He said, I can assure the House that the missile system is very reliable and safe. Moreover, our safety procedures and protocols are of the highest order and are reviewed from time to time. Our Armed Forces are well-trained and disciplined and are well experienced in handling such systems. He informed that the government has taken serious note of the incident, and that a formal high-level inquiry has been ordered. The minister also said that the probe would determine the exact cause of the accident. Assuring the house that any technical shortcomings in the missile system would be fixed at the earliest, Singh said, We attach the highest priority to the safety and security of our weapon systems. If any shortcoming is found, the same would be immediately rectified. India on March 11 admitted that a technical malfunction during maintenance operations had resulted in the accidental launch of a missile that landed in Pakistani territory. As per ANI, the HC bench while pronouncing the judgement remarked that the prescription of school uniforms is a reasonable restriction that students could not object to. Karnataka High Court on Tuesday dismissed the various pleas challenging the ban on Hijab in several educational institutes in the state. The court observed that wearing Hijab is not an essential religious practice of Islam. As per ANI, the HC bench while pronouncing the judgement remarked that the prescription of school uniforms is a reasonable restriction that students could not object to. The judgement was delivered by a bench comprising of Karnataka High Court Chief Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi, Justice Krishna S Dixit, and Justice JM Khazi. Ahead of the Karnataka High Court judgment, the state administration had issued prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the Indian Penal Code in Udipi, Shivamogga and Kalburagi among other districts of the state. Udupi District Magistrate has announced that all schools and colleges in the district will remain closed today in view of the HC judgement. The administration of Dakshina Kannada, Haasan, Davangere, and Shivamogga have also ordered schools and colleges to stay shut today. In Bengaluru, the administration has banned all public gatherings, celebrations, or protests for a week till March 21. The Hijab row had erupted in January this year when the Government PU College in Karnatakas Udupi district allegedly barred six girls wearing the hijab from entering. Following this, the girls sat in protest sat outside college over being denied entry. The college and state administration orders sparked fierce protests in the state and across India, majorly by Muslim groups. Read Also : Rajnath Singh to make statement in LS over accidental firing of projectile into Pakistan Contact us: Facebook BJP National President JP Nadda is likely to lead the party leaders in giving a rousing welcome to PM Modi at the meeting. PM Modi had been a star campaigner for the BJP''s election campaign in all five states that underwent polling this year. The Bharatiya Janata Party will hold its Parliamentary panel meeting today at Ambedkar Bhavan in New Delhi, according to sources cited by ANI. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will also attend the meeting. BJP National President JP Nadda is likely to lead the party leaders in giving a rousing welcome to PM Modi at the meeting. PM Modi had been a star campaigner for the BJPs election campaign in all five states that underwent polling this year. As per the sources, PM Modi can also address the BJP leaders in the meeting. The meeting comes just days after BJPs massive victory in assembly elections of four states. Earlier on Monday, PM Modi was given a rousing welcome by BJP MPs in Lok Sabha on the first day of the second part of the Budget Session with chants of Modi, Modi. The party has appointed central observers and co-observers for the elections of leaders of the legislative party in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Manipur and Goa Assembly. Union Home Minister Amit Shah has been appointed as the Central observer for Uttar Pradesh, and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh for Uttarakhand. Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has been appointed Central observer for Manipur while Kiren Rijiju is co-observer. For Goa, Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar has been made the Central observer. Moreover, BJP Uttarakhand chief Madan Kaushik and the states incumbent CM Pushkar Singh Dhami are expected to meet BJP National President JP Nadda in the national capital today. Read Also: Kashmir Files: Cong blames RSS, BJP hits back; Time to stop politicising matter? Contact US: Facebook India had said that a technical malfunction during routine maintenance was the reason behind the accidental firing of the missile. The Indian Defence Ministry released a statement and said that it has ordered a court of enquiry into the incident. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will make a statement in Lok Sabha today over the inadvertent firing of an Indian projectile that landed into Pakistani territory last week. India had said that a technical malfunction during routine maintenance was the reason behind the accidental firing of the missile. Pakistan Army had said that an Indian projectile had entered the Pakistani airspace and caused some damage to surrounding areas after it fell near a place called Mian Channu in their territory. The Indian Defence Ministry released a statement and said that it has ordered a court of enquiry into the incident. The statement added that it was a matter of relief that no casualties were caused by the accidental firing. On 9 March 2022, in the course of routine maintenance, a technical malfunction led to the accidental firing of a missile. The Government of India has taken a serious view and ordered a high-level Court of Enquiry, said the Defence Ministry in the statement. It is learnt that the missile landed in an area of Pakistan. While the incident is deeply regrettable, it is also a matter of relief that there has been no loss of life due to the accident, it added. Pakistan sought a joint probe into the matter which India has reportedly rejected. According to the Russian military, a residential area of Donetsk was targeted with a Tochka-U tactical missile. Russian foreign ministry has claimed that a Ukrainian missile strike has killed 20 people while injuring 28 others. According to the Russian military, a residential area of Donetsk was targeted with a Tochka-U tactical missile. As per Ukrainian media reports, heavy fighting continues in the Donbas region. According to Ukraines Armed Forces, 100 Russian soldiers were killed and six vehicles were destroyed, The Kyiv Independent reported. Russia tried to break through Ukrainian defences in Donetsk Oblast, it added. The Kyiv Independent also reported that Russia hits Kharkiv with ballistic missiles. Kharkiv Governor Oleh Synyehubov has accused Russia of launching missile strikes on Kharkiv using short-range Iskander ballistic missile systems. Today is the 19th day of Russias special military operation in Ukraine. On February 24, Russia launched an invasion of Ukraine after identifying the independence of the Donetsk and Luhansk peoples republics and claimed that the military operations in Ukraine were to protect the people of Donetsk and Luhansk. US President Joe Biden's National Security Adviser warned a top Chinese official on Monday (local time) about Beijing's support for Russia's military operations in Ukraine, even as the Kremlin denied reports stating that it had requested Chinese military equipment to use in the war. Russia has requested China for military and financial assistance amid the conflict in Ukraine, as reported by CNN. According to sources cited by CNN, the assistance Russia requested was pre-packaged, non-perishable military food kits for its troops in Ukraine. US President Joe Bidens National Security Adviser warned a top Chinese official on Monday (local time) about Beijings support for Russias military operations in Ukraine, even as the Kremlin denied reports stating that it had requested Chinese military equipment to use in the war. Earlier, it was reported by CNN that Russia has asked China for providing drones to support its military operations in Ukraine. Liu Pengyu, the Chinese embassy spokesperson in Washington, said he was unaware of any suggestions that China might be willing to help Russia. Ive never heard of that, Pengyu said in a statement when asked by CNN about the reports of Russia requesting Beijing for military aid. Russia also, later in the day, denied it needed Chinas help. President Putins spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said reports suggesting Russia asking for military assistance from China are not true. US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan held an intense seven-hour meeting in Rome with senior Chinese diplomat Yang Jiechi earlier today. Sullivan laid out potential consequences of Beijing assisting Russia in the war in Ukraine. The national security adviser and our delegation raised directly and very clear our concerns about the PRCs support to Russia in the wake of the invasion, and the implications that any such support would have for the PRCs relationship not only with us but for its relationships around the world, said State Department spokesman Ned Price. Sullivan also bluntly warned China to avoid helping Russia evade punishment from global sanctions that have hammered the Russian economy. Ned Price said that the US is keeping a close watch on the countries providing aid to Russia in various forms. Price added, We are watching very closely the extent to which China or any other country provides any form of support, whether thats material, economic or financial support to Russia, any such support from anywhere in the world would be of great concern to us. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Through the trauma carried by the families fleeing Ukraine, U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal said he saw first hand this past weekend how time was short for those fighting off the Russian invasion. In an effort to gather evidence from the ground, Blumenthal joined fellow Democrat Sen. Amy Klobuchar, of Minnesota, and Republican Sens. Roger Wicker, of Mississippi, and Rob Portman, of Ohio, on a short trip to Polands border with Ukraine. They hope to rally other members of Congress to approve critical aid for the Ukrainians fighting off an unprecedented Russian invasion. Time is not on the side of those Ukrainian freedom fighters or those under siege, Blumenthal said Tuesday, one day after returning to Washington. In visits to border crossings from Ukraine to Poland, Blumenthal said he saw the devastation these families faced since Russia first invaded the country. I think what really will stick with me forever is the sights and sounds at the border crossing, the terror and trauma in the voices and faces of those women and children. Almost all of them are women and children because the men are staying to fight, Blumenthal said, adding that many were fleeing homes hours before their cities were bombed. They are leaving with the clothes on their backs, and many of them maybe a backpack or rolling bag. All of their lifes possessions remaining at their homes, potentially destroyed, Blumenthal said. Their account of the reign of terror brought to their homes and neighborhoods by these Russian bombs, early in the morning the day we were there. The ground at the border crossing literally shook. The bombing, which was about 12 miles from the border, sent home the message that Russian President Vladamir Putin was extremely reckless by in effect bringing this war to the doorstep of Poland, Blumenthal said. According to media reports, Russian planes launched roughly 30 missiles early Sunday at a training ground in Lviv, Ukraine, near the Poland border. Those reports indicate that 35 people were killed and 134 were injured. If a bomb was misaimed or misfired and were to hit Poland, Blumenthal said it could potentially trigger a response from its other NATO allies, which includes the United States. Putin is reckless beyond words, the senator said. While along the border, Blumenthal said he and his fellow senators received classified briefings on the situation, while also meeting with Polish defense officials, and members of the U.S. Army 82nd Airborne Division, which is providing support in Poland. What became abundantly clear on the heels of the bombings was the need to provide increased air defenses for the Ukrainian forces, Blumenthal said. A critical fact here: Ukraine can win this fight if it can stop Russias pummeling and punishing air attack. The missiles, the bombs, the aircraft, the artillery raining down terror ... are an overmatch that Ukraine must be aided in overcoming, Blumenthal said. If the fight were solely on the ground, Blumenthal said resolutely that Ukrainians could win, but the air offensive has taken a deadly toll. My takeaway ... we have to provide Ukraine with all the tools it needs and its fighters require to defeat this invasion, Blumenthal said. He specifically highlighted providing planes, anti-aircraft batteries and drones to aid the fighters resisting Russian forces. Though the extent of support must also include humanitarian efforts, according to Blumenthal, who helped serve meals at the World Central Kitchen, which has been providing food to fleeing refugees. Food, clothing, shelter are desperately needed in Ukraine, Blumenthal said. We heard stories of the deprivation and misery of the people living in towns throughout Ukraine, not only under siege like Kyiv, but other towns and cities that have been threatened and cut off from the essentials they need. Blumenthal and his fellow senators were planning to take what they saw and heard to other members of the U.S. Senate as they push for a more robust response to the Russian invasion. While urging the need for greater military and humanitarian aid, Blumenthal said he also intends to push for more powerful economic sanctions against Russia. One of the key goals here ... was to have the kind of first-hand evidence from classified briefings but also what we saw and heard of the Russian aggression that will enable us to make the case more effectively for tightened economic sanctions and increased military aid, Blumenthal said. We are coming back the four of us, two Democrats and two Republicans, with rock solid, powerful evidence about the need for greatly enhanced military assistance ... but also economic sanctions and humanitarian assistance. If you have an event you'd like to list on the site, submit it now! Submit A man who at one point lived in Hamden was sentenced to more than 24 years in prison after law enforcement found more than 100 pounds of marijuana in his apartments as well as 40 fake identification cards with different names, according to federal officials. A jury in December 2018 found Andrew Davis, 41, guilty of one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 100 kilograms or more of marijuana; one count of possession with intent to distribute 50 kilograms or more of marijuana; one count of possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime; and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, according to Leonard Boyle, U.S. Attorney for the District of Connecticut. Davis, a citizen of Jamaica who last resided in Hamden, will face immigration proceedings after his prison term, Boyles office said. Davis was charged after investigators began looking into individuals who were moving large amounts of marijuana from the southwestern part of the country to Connecticut. During the investigation, law enforcement intercepted four packages from the U.S. Mail that each contained about 8 kilograms of marijuana, according to Boyles office. In February 2017, law enforcement searched a Hamden apartment that Davis shared with his girlfriend, Shanice Goffe, as well as a storage unit in West Haven that was rented in Goffes name and two Bridgeport apartments that Davis had under different aliases, Boyles office said. In the Hamden apartment, police found more than a pound of marijuana, a loaded 9 mm handgun, boxes of .45-caliber ammunition, more than $62,000 in cash and several fake identifications, including a U.S. passport; in the storage unit, investigators discovered more than 33 kilograms of marijuana, as well as ammunition, firearm magazines, additional fake IDs and $350,000 in cash, according to Boyles office. The two Bridgeport apartments, rented under the names Cordel Freckleton and Andrew Carter, had more than 60 pounds of marijuana and three firearms, one of which was reported as having been stolen, Boyles office said. Investigators also seized three cars registered to Goffe, a 2014 BMW X6, a Honda Accord and a 2008 Honda Odyssey, that had been purchased with proceeds from trafficking marijuana, according to Boyles office . Police discovered that Davis, while using the name Steve Williams, also was under investigation in 2008 for alleged marijuana trafficking. Police searched Davis Bridgeport apartment in August 2008 and found fake identification, photos of Davis, three firearms, extended magazines, ammunition, drug packaging paraphernalia, marijuana packaged for sale and eight UPS receipts that had not arrived, according to Boyles office . Police later seized the eight packages, revealing more than 75 pounds of marijuana. Meanwhile, Williams was never found, Boyles office said. Davis was charged in February 2017 and investigators seized more than 40 identification cards with false names. When U.S. Marshals asked his name, Davis replied Lets go with Steve Williams, Boyles office said. Goffe, Davis girlfriend, pleaded guilty in November 2017 to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 50 kilograms or more of marijuana and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. She was sentenced to 30 months in prison in February 2018. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate NEW HAVEN The image of Diane Gonzalez, a 13-year veteran of the Police Department remembered for her care and dedication, will be seen in the New Haven Police Department by generations to come. Gonzalez died in January after suffering a traumatic brain injury and falling into a coma in 2008 following an on-duty crash. Her colleagues remembered her fondly, speaking of her care and dedication in the days after her passing, including as she was interred at Evergreen Cemetery. On Tuesday, the department added Gonzalezs photo to its Fallen Officers Memorial wall, located in the lobby, and celebrated her life and service to city residents. Mayor Justin Elicker said Gonzalezs passing offered a chance for residents to consider the risk faced by officers in service to the community. Each day, he noted, officers bid their families farewell, leaving their loved ones hoping and praying for their safe return. Gonzalezs injury and later death was an example of the nightmare scenario, he said. There is nothing we could ever do or say to overcome the loss that you have experienced, to fill the mother- and grandmother-shaped holes in your heart. But on behalf of the City of New Haven, we stand with you, said Elicker to Gonzalezs family. We grieve with you; we honor your mother, your grandmother. We thank her for her sacrifice, and for yours. ... (She) represented the best of us. Interim Chief Renee Dominguez said the department had received thousands of cards and notes of condolence and support from police, both in the United States and beyond, in the months after Gonzalezs death. The well-wishes are mementos speaking to the brotherhood and sisterhood among officers, she said to Gonzalezs family a feeling that you know in your heart. I hope that you feel it from us, and know that we are here for you for the duration. We are here for whatever it is you need, no matter how big or how small, said Dominguez. It is overwhelming to receive (the cards) every single day, but it makes you remember and know what you do is not lost. What Diane sacrificed for is a bigger picture, and it means more to so many people. I am grateful that everyone could be here today to honor Diane, although I wish we didnt have to. Gonzalezs photo, she said, also is displayed within the department, where patrol officers see it regularly. After a presentation from the Hundred Club of Connecticut, which works to ease the financial burden on families of fallen first responders, those in attendance filed into the department, where Gonzalezs image and the details of her passing were unveiled. Her daughter, Diane Mora-Velez, and grandson talked about Gonzalez as the crowd began to dissolve. Mora-Velez said her mother was family-oriented, putting them first, even as she dedicated her life to her work as a police officer and loved every minute. Gonzalez, she said, had taught her to be her best self, and move through the world with kindness. She said she felt overwhelmed Tuesday, noting the difficulty of the years since the crash and the months since Gonzalezs death. But she felt comforted, she said, by the knowledge that her mother was looking down on the occasion, and on her. william.lambert@hearstmediact.com NHFD Local 825 President Patrick Cannon / Contributed photo NEW HAVEN About two-dozen New York City firefighters joined members of the New Haven Fire Department Sunday at the citys St. Patricks Day Parade, according to New Haven firefighters union President Patrick Cannon. Cannon said the New York members, from that departments Emerald Society, were invited by New Haven Emerald Society President Dan Coughlin and Vice President Josh Miller. The NYC firefighters previously were in New Haven for the funeral of New Haven firefighter Ricardo Torres Jr., who was killed in May 2021 fighting a blaze in the city. Christian Abraham / Hearst Connecticut Media file photo A New Haven man will be sentenced in May after a jury last week found him guilty of shooting and killing his girlfriend in 2020, according to state officials. Anthony Valeriano, 53, was found guilty March 7 of first-degree manslaughter with a firearm. After the verdict, judicial marshals took Valeriano into custody and his bail was increased to $750,000, officials said. He is scheduled to be sentenced May 2, according to New Haven States Attorney Patrick Griffin. BEIJING, March 15 (Xinhua) -- China's State Tobacco Monopoly Administration has issued a regulation that aims to strengthen supervision on electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes). The country will implement license management for e-cigarette production, wholesale and retail entities starting from May 1, according to the regulation. In recent years, due to regulatory gaps, the e-cigarette industry has seen disorderly development, with some products reporting problems such as unclear nicotine content, unknown additives and tobacco tar leakage, the document said. According to the regulation, sales channel management on e-cigarettes will be carried out, while an e-cigarette trading management platform will be established to standardize sales. Efforts will be made to regulate e-cigarettes in terms of product safety and quality, as well as transportation, import and export, said the regulation. E-cigarette sales outlets must not be set up near schools, and flavored e-cigarettes will be banned, it said. WEST HAVEN Police salaries in the city will increase by $10,000 over a two-year period, with the initial increase in costs possible through $2.4 million in federal pandemic relief funding. The measure, approved by the City Council, is intended as the first of a three-pronged approach to stop what city officials said is a high turnover of officers in the city Police Department. I am very excited about this as well as the members in back, said Board of Police Commissioners Chairman Ray Collins at Mondays City Council meeting, gesturing to about 20 officers standing in the back of the Harriet North Courtroom in City Hall. Sean Faughnan, president of the citys police union, said recruitment and retention have been difficult for the department over issues of pay and benefits. It was great working with the mayor and City Council on this issue, Faughnan said. Many on the council said a decision to abandon a pension plan for the Police Department more than a decade ago was a pivotal moment that led to current conditions, as the departments pay and benefits have not kept pace with neighboring municipalities. Councilman Robert Bruneau, D-9, said the new police officer salaries would be midrange compared to bordering municipalities. In addition to the $10,000 increase, the agreement also provides a 2.5 percent pay increase in both 2023 and 2024. Mayor Nancy Rossi said the pay raise, which was included in the ARPA plan she submitted to the City Council for approval, is intended as the first of a package of reforms, including putting the department onto a pension plan and drafting a disability plan for the department. Rossi said there are multiple benchmarks for the raises that include contractors and retirees. We are looking at the budget, and we have the money through ARPA to go forward for a July raise, she said, referring to the federal American Rescue Plan Act. This is going to be sustainable. Rossi said that sustainability would come through increases in PILOT funding following a reworking of the states formula. PILOT, or Payment in Lieu of Taxes, is funding a municipality receives to make up for lost revenue from tax-exempt properties. A lot of new officers waited, and the ones that stayed I thank you from the bottom of my heart, she said. Star Tires Plus Wheels business owners Andy and Paige Weinstein testified in support of the raises. We talk about bringing in more apartments; that means more people are coming in, Paige Weinstein said. It doesnt mean more people to create crime, but more people for us to manage. Milford alderman Tony Giannattasio also testified, urging the council to pass the raises. I think it shows we support them, they deserve it, and it will bring parity to the surrounding towns, he said. Milford struggles with retention, as well. We cant fill the positions fast enough. Although Faughnan said the union already unanimously approved in February the tentative agreement approved by the City Council Monday, a revision of the current union contract, ratification of the contract is conditional upon approval from the state Municipal Accountability Review Board. The decision is the first time the City Council has approved the use of any of its $29 million allocation of federal ARPA dollars. Last year, the council approved a resolution that no ARPA money could be spent by the city without first receiving approval for the council. Bridgette Hoskie, chairwoman of the councils finance committee, previously said that not a cent of the money would be spent without the city hiring a grants manager to oversee the spending of that grant. Hoskie said Monday that the council always knew that police raises were a possibility. It was important to hear on the record first how its sustainable, she said, and that the council did approve the expenditure first, per its own resolution. The measure passed unanimously with one abstention Councilwoman Sarah Ackbarali, D-3, who is married to a West Haven police officer. brian.zahn@hearstmediact.com For some of us, the realization came like a body thudding to Earth. COVID wasnt going to be easy, fast or even comprehensible at times. We were told the virus would be gone in two weeks 15 days, tops and that we would look back on it as nothing more than a common cold, rather than a pandemic that has killed nearly a million people in this country and in the meantime flipped everything on its head these last two years. The political party in power at the time said it would pass, but instead of the only thing we have to fear rhetoric we needed, we were told to drink bleach and get sunshine into our insides. A virus that knows no political party was politicized, weaponized and used to the greatest effect by a tragically flawed president and his acolytes. So that quick fix didnt happen. As the bottom was dropping out of everything, I was in Florida. Id been reading about the coronavirus in China, and there were already confirmed cases in Connecticut and an elderly man had died. For the plane ride down, I brought hand sanitizer and alcohol wipes. I counted just three passengers wearing masks, which at the time I thought was overkill, as if those passengers didnt trust the rest of us to be germ-free. How silly I was. The World Health Organization had already labeled COVID-19 a pandemic, and in Florida, we watched Dr. Anthony Fauci on CNN. The reporter, trying to find parameters for proper pandemic behavior, asked if the director of National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases would, say, fly on a plane, given this new virus. Without hesitating, the doctor said no, he wouldnt. Well, OK, then. I changed my ticket and flew home early, from one world to another. I left sunny Florida, a state where officials could never quite admit there was a killer virus, where bars and beaches were full of revelers who joined in the denial, and I arrived in cold Connecticut, where pandemic protocols were already being put into place. Everything felt hushed and sad. I picked up my car at the airport and drove down a mostly empty highway to my local grocery store, which was also mostly empty. And then I hunkered down. I visited that grocery store only during the special senior hour on Sundays. I ordered everything else online. Rare was the day the UPS/FedEx/Amazon truck didnt pull into my driveway. I went to work as soon as we opened back up, but I was masked and careful. At my front door, I put a battery candle that lights up every dusk, painted Stay Safe on the street in front of my house, and joined everyone else in a confusing stance of wait-and-see for that day when we could all come out of our bunkers, hug one another and get on with our lives. We talked about that great day when we could have a party that encompassed all the holidays wed missed, an Easter-Fourth-Labor-Day-Trick-or-Treat. But that didnt happen, either. We didnt all hunker down. A loud cohort of anti-science Connecticut residents insisted on treating the virus as they would an unwelcome Democrat, and they took the word freedom and twisted it into something I dont recognize. People do stupid things when theyre sad and scared, and surely, I kept thinking, theyll understand the seriousness of all this. But no. That didnt happen, either. We relearned that science is strictly what we know right now. Protocol changed in a day as scientists learned more about the coronavirus. Meanwhile, the rest of us discussed the best masks, and we learned phrases such as supply chain as we went in search of toilet paper. We also learned to Zoom. On social media, fakers became experts in virology (only switching to an expertise in military sociology after Russia invaded Ukraine). We talked about the medically vulnerable as if they existed as a separate group. And then we got the vaccine and we cautiously thought that would be the end of it, but the anti-science folks, still whinging on about freedom, refused to get vaccinated. Their protests got louder and their signs got bigger, but there came to be more of us than there were of them. Then came a new variant, and another one, and government officials tired of shooing away the anti-science signs began easing pandemic protocols. The rest of us crossed our fingers because the virus isnt gone. Rochelle Walensky, who runs the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said recently that we will be living with this for a while, with some surges in cases during respiratory virus season. People will still die from COVID, which, she said, will be tragic for some, but not to the tune of 2,000 to 3,000 a day. She also announced that 98 percent of the country has a low or medium COVID community level, a measure reached by calculating hospital beds used, hospital admissions and new COVID-19 cases. None of this addresses the cloud of grief that hangs low as we close in on losing one million people. The bulk of the dead were older so weve lost an army of grandparents, as Scientific American said. Thats a gut punch for some families. In troubled times, we usually draw together. We write checks, take food and show up. That hasnt happened, either, but hope is a lavender crocus pushing up through dirty snow. Spring hasnt come, either, but it will. 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. WESTPORT Three local farms have partnered together seeking to provide some relief to the citizens of Ukraine as the country continues to be invaded by Russia. Wakeman Town Farm in Westport, Lachat Town Farm in Weston and Ambler Farm in Wilton have put out a call to residents asking for their help in gathering medical supplies to be shipped to Ukraine. Christy Colasurdo, events and programs director at Wakeman Town Farm, said one of the missions of the farm is to help out the community in times of trouble. She said residents have already filled an entire room with supplies in just a few days. One of the great things about living in Westport, is that the community bands together, Colasurdo said. Whether its COVID or a neighbor in need, when you put out a call, people really step up. Colasurdo said Wakeman Town Farm has always been involved with different community drives including several food and coat collections. During the beginning of the pandemic, the farm partnered with Homes with Hope and created care packages filled with personal care items to give to residents. She said participating in a drive for Ukraine was a natural step. For us, we are a place that the community gathers so when we put out a call, the community really rallies and steps up, Colasurdo said. Its no different this time. Its pretty gratifying. She added helping them wasnt a controversial issue either. Everyone in town thinks the people in Ukraine are just like us, she said. Theyre parents, theyre people who lost their homes and theyre living in deplorable positions. Its really tough times over there. Colasurdo said instead of just saying that they are going to pray for Ukraine, theyre amalgamating their resources and doing something tangible. The idea for the drive, which is set to conclude at 1 p.m. on Friday, first began when Lachat Town Farm reached out to the other farms asking if they would be willing to work on a collection. Very quickly, the farms connected with the Ukrainian American Coordinating Council, an organization that will be flying the goods to Poland and Germany. Once in Europe, the Ukranian American Coordinating Council will then drive the donations to an organization called Come Back Alive Foundation in Ukraine. Anita Dinwoodie, executive director of Friends of Lachat, said the list of medical supplies, which can be found on the Farm Friends for Ukraine page on Amazon, was determined by nonprofit organizations working in Europe as the current immediate and essential needs. We thought the best way for us to help was to collectively pull all our resources together from the three farms and three towns, Dinwoodie said. Weve already had a lot of stuff come in. She said the participation and support so far has been huge. People are contacting us. Dinwoodie said. People are shopping local to get the items to us. It has just been an outpouring of a lot of people of all three towns coming into our farms and dropping off items. Deirdre Doran, a board member of Friends of Lachat, said there is one heartbeat when it comes to helping others in the community. She said it is natural to reach out and help people even if they are across the ocean. We would do this for anyone we could provide support to, but in this terrible crisis we can actually join in our hearts, Doran said. We have a large Ukrainian, Russian and eastern European community so everyone is bonded in so many different ways. Colasurdo said sometimes towns in Fairfield County get a bad rap, however, in situations where someone needs help, you realize how good people are. serenity.bishop@hearstmediact.com Pat McGuinness and his wife, Lois, stand at the new tailgate adorning his green Jeep. McGuinness will be leading the St. Patrick's Day parade in Buffalo as the first grand marshal living in Niagara County. (Photograph by Benjamin Joe) Niagara Falls, NY (14301) Today Cloudy. Slight chance of a rain shower. High near 60F. Winds NNW at 10 to 15 mph.. Tonight Partly cloudy skies. Low near 40F. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph. That's gotta be one good tasting Guinness after H. William Feder had it blessed by St. Patrick, Aka: Brian Nagelhout, during the 34th annual St. Patrick's Day Celebration at the Conference & Event Center Niagara Falls, hosted by the Niagara Falls chapter of the Ancient Order of Hibernians in 2016. Hope Uzodimma, governor of Imo, says it will amount to ingratitude for people from the south-east to say President Muhammadu Buhari negl... Hope Uzodimma, governor of Imo, says it will amount to ingratitude for people from the south-east to say President Muhammadu Buhari neglected the region. Uzodimma said only the Buhari-led administration fulfilled the promise of completing the second Niger bridge. On March 8, Babatunde Fashola, minister of works and housing, said the second Niger bridge will be completed in April. Speaking on Monday in an interview with Channels, the Imo governor said successive governments before Buharis administration paid lip service to the completion of the bridge. Today, whether you like it or not, the party to beat is APC. I come from the south-east. Since after the civil war, the only gateway out of the south-east the entire old eastern Nigeria was that old river Niger bridge, he said. Government after government came, made promises and paid lip service to the promises. From 1979 to 1983 the second republic we were promised the second Niger bridge. From 1999 to 2007, we were promised the second Niger bridge. Until 2015, President Muhammadu Buhari, as I speak to you, has spent over N360 billion Only last week, I was watching television. I saw the chief of staff to the president, minister of works, minister of labour and productivity inspecting the joining of the bridge for commissioning within the next three months. It would be a thing of ingratitude for anybody to come from that region to talk about President Buhari neglecting the old eastern bloc. Asked if he is sure that the 2023 presidential ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC) will be zoned to the south-east, the Imo governor said the partys ticket will be given to a politician who has the capacity to win the election. This ticket is not an airline ticket. We are talking about having a presidential candidate. It is a decision of the party. It has to be a collective decision, he added. Nobody will get the presidential ticket because he spoke good English on the television. Nobody will get the presidential ticket because he was abusing people on television. It is a decision of the party and many factors will be responsible covert and overt factors because at the end of the day, the ticket will be given to a name that can win the election. Winnability is the name. Man devotes life to protecting Tibetan antelopes in the wildlife paradise of Hoh Xil People's Daily Online) 17:16, March 15, 2022 Police officer Zhao Xinlu has been patrolling the inhospitable Hoh Xil, an ideal habitat for endangered Tibetan antelopes and other wildlife such as Tibetan gazelles and wild yaks in northwest Chinas Qinghai Province, for 25 years. Police officer Zhao Xinlu feeds a baby Tibetan antelope with milk in Hoh Xil, northwest Chinas Qinghai Province. File photo) Zhao has been working in the Hoh Xil, which rises to an average altitude of over 4,600 meters, since 1997 when the Hoh Xil National Nature Reserve was established. Back then, two of his main tasks were to catch poachers and to protect Tibetan antelopes. The Tibetan antelope population drastically dropped from over 200,000 to less than 20,000 due to rampant illegal hunting in the 1980s and 1990s. When Zhao first arrived at the Sonam Dargye protection station, which was named after Sonam Dargye, a martyr who died protecting Tibetan antelopes, he experienced severe hypoxia and nosebleeds and even thought for a moment about turning back in retreat. However, when he saw that dozens of Tibetan antelopes were being hunted down during his first patrol task, he became immediately determined to protect the species. Over the past years, Zhao and his colleagues have trekked more than 800,000 kilometers over the course of over 500 patrols conducted in Hoh Xil. They have captured 354 suspected poachers and lawbreakers, seized 21 guns and over 30,000 rounds of ammunition, having also confiscated 3,909 Tibetan antelope skins. Not one single shot has been fired by poachers in Hoh Xil for years, Zhao remarked proudly. Thanks to the efforts of Zhao and his team, the Tibetan antelope population in Hoh Xil has rebounded to a headcount of more than 70,000 now. Besides, the numbers of other rare and endangered species, such as snow leopards and Tibetan gazelles, have also increased continuously over the years. Hoh Xil has gained a reputation in the region as having the richest biodiversity on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Going forward, we will improve the working and living conditions of workers at our protection station, as well as the level of protection for animals and plants, Zhao said. (Web editor: Hongyu, Liang Jun) BEIJING, March 15 (Xinhua) -- Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Monday held a phone conversation with Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs Jose Manuel Albares. During their conversation, Albares congratulated China on its successful holding of the Beijing Winter Olympic Games and the two sides exchanged views on the current situation in Ukraine. Albares expressed his hope that the conflict in Ukraine will be put to an end as soon as possible through dialogue and diplomatic means and China will play an active role in promoting peace. Some forces have been constantly smearing China's objective and just position on the Ukraine issue and creating disinformation, Wang warned, adding that the Chinese side will continue to play a constructive role in the peaceful settlement of the Ukrainian crisis on multilateral occasions. The Ukraine crisis is the result of the accumulation and intensification of security frictions in Europe over the years, Wang said. He added that the Chinese side encourages Russia and Ukraine to achieve a ceasefire through peace talks, and expressed his hope that Europe and Russia will launch dialogue and negotiations on an equal basis, and find reasonable solutions to their security concerns, so as to set up a balanced, effective and sustainable European security framework. The All Progressives Congress (APC) says Mai Mala Buni, governor of Yobe, is still the national chairman of the partys caretaker commit... The All Progressives Congress (APC) says Mai Mala Buni, governor of Yobe, is still the national chairman of the partys caretaker committee. There has been controversy within the party over the change in leadership of the APC caretaker/extraordinary convention planning committee (CECPC). Recall that Abubakar Sani Bello, governor of Niger, who currently chairs the committee, denied knowledge of a letter from Buni requesting a leave of absence. The Yobe governor was said to have travelled abroad for medical treatment. In a statement issued on Tuesday, John Akpanudoedehe, secretary of the CECPC, said Buni is still in charge of the party, adding that all activities are done in proxy under his directive. Akpanudoedehe said the Governing Party is crisis-free, strong and remains united in giving the country the transformative leadership and good governance which she promised them. The CECPC, therefore, informs the Press and the General Public as follows, the statement reads. That the CECPC was appointed, and has always done her best, to steer the affairs of the APC in line with the mandate invested in her at the inauguration by the National Executive Council (NEC) of the All Progressives Congress. That on the 28th day of February, 2022, the CECPC Chairman took a long-delayed trip abroad on health grounds, leaving behind written authorisation for other members of the CECPC to continue work in his absence, particularly the day to day management of the APC. That in his absence, sundry activities earlier scheduled for action appeared to develop fresh urgency in order to satisfy the Timetable for the 2023 General Elections released by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), thus galvanizing some within the CECPC to act in their best understanding of both the situation and the leadership dynamics in the Committee/Party. That all such actions were clearly identified at all times as happening in an acting or proxy capacity, and under the auspices of the substantive Chairman, His Excellency, Governor Mai Mala Buni, contrary to widespread speculations that the Chairman, Secretary or some other officials of the CECPC have been removed from Office or otherwise replaced. That the CECPC is intact and functional as originally constituted. That delivering a seamlessly successful National Convention for the APC on March 26, 2022 is top on priority for the CECPC and we shall continue to execute such assignments as are legal pending the return of the Chairman who is on his way back to the country and shall resume Office on arrival with the full support of all members and other stakeholders. We are grateful to INEC for her firm guidance in the entire circumstances. On the partys national convention, Akpanudoedehe said the APC has engaged a team of senior lawyers to address a purported court order halting the planned exercise. We hereby call on the Judiciary to give the matter the needed and expedient attention in our bid to vacate the purported Court order and allow for the conduct of a transparent and rancour-free National Convention deserving of our great party, APC, he said. Indications have emerged that the coup against Chairman of the Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee, Governor Mai Mala ... Indications have emerged that the coup against Chairman of the Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee, Governor Mai Mala Buni, has failed. Senator John James Akpanudoedehe, Secretary of the committee, who normally presided over the partys affairs whenever Buni was unavailable, has resumed. Governor Sani Bello of Niger State had taken charge of the party, with Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna saying Bubi would never return as the party chairman. However, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) failed to acknowledge the leadership of Bello, forcing APC stakeholders to restrategise. But Akpanudoedehe resumed at the APC national secretariat on Tuesday afternoon. Sources at the secretariat also said Buni travelled abroad for medical attention is also being expected to resume work. In a statement issued on Tuesday by Senator Akpanudoedehe on resumption, the Secretary said the party is united and strong. He said, The Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC) of the APC under the Chairmanship of His Excellency, Governor Mai Mala Buni of Yobe State, makes this press release to clarify the events of last week and reassure the membership and stakeholders of the party, as well as the Nigerian people in general, that the Governing Party is crisis-free, strong and remains united in giving the country the transformative leadership and good governance which she promised them. The CECPC therefore informs the Press and the General Public as follows: That the CECPC was appointed, and has always done her best, to steer the affairs of the APC in line with the mandate invested in her at inauguration by the National Executive Council (NEC) of the All Progressives Congress. That on the 28th day of February, 2022 the CECPC Chairman took a long-delayed trip abroad on health grounds, leaving behind written authorisation for other members of the CECPC to continue work in his absence, particularly the day to day management of the APC. That in his absence, sundry activities earlier scheduled for action appeared to develop fresh urgency in order to satisfy the Timetable for the 2023 General Elections released by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), thus galvanizing some within the CECPC to act in their best understanding of both the situation and the leadership dynamics in the Committee/Party. That all such actions were clearly identified at all times as happening in an acting or proxy capacity, and under the auspices of the substantive Chairman, His Excellency, Governor Mai Mala Buni, contrary to widespread speculations that the Chairman, Secretary or some other officials of the CECPC have been removed from Office or otherwise replaced. That the CECPC is intact and functional as originally constituted. That delivering a seamlessly successful National Convention for the APC on March 26, 2022 is top on priority for the CECPC and we shall continue to execute such assignments as are legal pending the return of the Chairman who is on his way back to the country and shall resume Office on arrival with the full support of all members and other stakeholders. We are grateful to INEC for her firm guidance in the entire circumstances. Meanwhile, the party has engaged a team of senior lawyers to address a purported court order halting the planned APC National Convention. We hereby call on the Judiciary to give the matter the needed and expedient attention in our bid to vacate the purported Court order and allow for the conduct of a transparent and rancour-free National Convention deserving of our great party, APC. A federal high court in Abuja has threatened to strike out a fundamental rights enforcement suit filed by Abba Kyari, suspended deputy com... A federal high court in Abuja has threatened to strike out a fundamental rights enforcement suit filed by Abba Kyari, suspended deputy commissioner of police (DCP), against the federal government. Kyari was on March 7, arraigned alongside Sunday J Ubia, Bawa James, Simon Agirigba and John Nuhu who are members of the Police Intelligence Response Team (IRT) on allegations of conspiracy, obstruction and drug trafficking. Others are Chibunna Patrick Umeibe and Emeka Alphonsus Ezenwanne two alleged drug traffickers who were arrested at Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu. In the charge marked FHC/ABJ/57/2022, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) accused the defendants of tampering with 21.35kg of cocaine out of which they removed 17.55kg. Kyari denied the allegation. In his suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/182/22, Kyari accused the NDLEA of assisting drug traffickers, alleging that a corrupt NDLEA officer framed him after he went to demand compensation for a whistleblower who provided information that led to the arrest of a suspect by the IRT. At the hearing on Tuesday, Joseph Sunday, NDLEA director of prosecution and legal services, told the court that he was just served a further affidavit by Kyaris lawyer, Cynthia Ikenna. The matter was adjourned for the hearing of fundamental enforcement rights of the applicant (Kyari), he said. This morning, we were served with applicants further and better affidavit. We filed our counter-affidavit since February 24 and served the applicant February 28 but today, they are just serving us, he said. The lawyer argued that by virtue of Order 2 of Fundamental Enforcement Rights Civil Procedure Rules, 2019, the applicant was out of time to file the application. Ikenna prayed the court for more time to regularise the application. In a ruling, Inyang Ekwo, the judge, ordered the defendant counsel to do what is necessary or risk getting the case struck out for lack of diligent prosecution. Put your house in order before the next date of hearing and if you do not, I will assume you are frustrating this matter and the suit will be struck out, he said. The judge adjourned the matter until April 7 for hearing. Among other reliefs sought, Kyari is demanding N500 million compensation as damages from the federal government. National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has called on the Oyo State Police Command to explain what led to the shooting of a student... National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has called on the Oyo State Police Command to explain what led to the shooting of a student of Adeseun Ogundoyin Polytechnic, Eruwa, by a policeman in Ibadan. It was gathered on Monday that Samuel Akinsuyi, a Business Administration student of the Adeseun Ogundoyin Polytechnic in Eruwa, was shot by a yet-to-be identified policeman. The victim, according to sources, was beaten and then shot on the leg by a stop and search police officer. The incident occurred when Akinsuyi was coming from Eruwa to Ibadan on Friday. It was gathered that the policeman ran away after he shot the victim. NANS, which is the umbrella body of tertiary institution students in the country, is now demanding a thorough investigation into the matter. The students body noted that the police authorities should investigate the matter and punish the erring officer. Olatunji Adegboye, South-West coordinator of NANS in a statement obtained by newsmen on Monday, alleged that harmless and helpless Nigerians have continued to fall victim to bloodthirsty police officers on a daily basis. He added that many Nigerians have been subjected to inhuman treatments, ranging from verbal assault, outright assault, unlawful arrest, unjust detention and more often than not, being shot at by erring police officers. He alleged that those saddled with the responsibility of safeguarding the citizens from danger have turned themselves to the actual danger through their actions. On Friday, March 11, 2022, the Nigerian students yet again suffered a great injustice from the hands of a reckless policeman. Akinsuyi Samuel, a Business Administration student at the Adeseun Ogundoyin Polytechnic in Eruwa was beaten and then shot on the leg by a yet-to-be-identified stop and search police officer, on his way from Eruwa to Ibadan, on Friday. This demonic action has thrown Mr. Samuel Akinsuyi into a titanic battle against paralysis. It is rather unfortunate that several days after the criminal incident, the Nigeria Police Force, Oyo State Command, and the Police Service Commission have failed to make convincing action statement over this persistent cankerworm. Up till now, the assailant remains unidentified. This is a clear sign of the regular conspiracy practices of the police force. As we continue to piece the puzzle together, we demand a thorough and exhaustive investigation to identify the culprit and that the law be allowed to take its full course through the arrest, dismissal and prosecution of the offender as well as other disciplinary actions from the force itself and the police commission. On a daily basis, harmless and helpless Nigerian citizens continue to fall victim to bloodthirsty police officers who mete out on Nigerians various inhuman treatments ranging from verbal assault, outright assault, unlawful arrest, unjust detention and more often than not, being shot at, he said. But, Public Relations Officer of the State Police command, Adewale Osifeso when contacted, said that investigations were ongoing to unravel the incident. Osifeso, in a reply to newsmen enquiry said that update would be provided later. He said, Investigations are ongoing at the moment. You would be provided updates in due course. The Nigeria Police has reacted to news alleging that some members of the force will be embarking on strike from March 26, 2022. A statement ... The Nigeria Police has reacted to news alleging that some members of the force will be embarking on strike from March 26, 2022. A statement on Monday night by Muyiwa Adejobi, Public Relations Officer, declared the information as fake. The spokesman called it a mischievous attempt by unscrupulous individuals to bring the Force to disrepute, misinform the general public and heat up the polity. Adejobi noted that police is a regimented and disciplined organization with laid down rules and guidelines for addressing grievances and in no circumstance is a strike action one of such means. He said the personnel are fully aware that a strike action or other deliberate disruption of law enforcement services by any security organization is mutinous. The police emphasized that the IGP is accelerating efforts to ensure the full implementation of the increment of salaries and allowances proposed by President Muhammadu Buhari and approved by the Federal Executive Council (FEC). He recalled that it was the president, without any demand from the police, that directed the process of increasing salaries and allowances. The statement added that the federal government and IGP Usman Baba are fully committed to the implementation of the new salary package. Baba reiterated that police officers are well motivated with the ongoing reforms, especially the provision of kits, accoutrement, body armor and the cooperative societys housing scheme. He further mentioned the renovation of training schools, upgrade of police training curriculum, procurement and deployment of technology to boost ICT-driven policing. Former Kano State Governor, Rabiu Kwankwaso, has expressed displeasure with the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP. Kwankwaso said some P... Former Kano State Governor, Rabiu Kwankwaso, has expressed displeasure with the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP. Kwankwaso said some PDP members feel he is not needed. He noted that the PDP would crumble if he defected to another political party. He spoke on Channels Televisions Political Paradigm where he responded to what would be PDPs fate if he defects. Kwankwaso accused the PDP of belittling him in its operations in Kano State. He wondered why the party refused him from nominating candidates for some key positions. According to Kwankwaso: There is no question about it. Where are the leaders? Who are the leaders? They will crumble. I should be one of the most important individuals in a party like PDP. Look at the scenario in the North West during the congress, from the things that were taken to Kano, the vice-chairman of the zone was supposed to be given to me to nominate somebody. Just like it was done in Katsina, (Former Governor Ibrahim) Shema nominated what was allocated to him, in Kaduna (Former Governor Ahmed) Makarfi did that, in Jigawa (Former Governor) Sule Lamido did that, in Kebbi Kabiru Turaki did that, in Sokoto (Governor Aminu) Tambuwal did that. It is only in Kano that they thought I was too small to be given that position and thats what triggered the whole thing, and everybody kept quiet and were so happy that maybe Kwankwaso is not needed in the party. Recently, Kwankwaso is rumoured to have defected to the newly formed New Nigeria Peoples Party, NNPP. Amid the rumoured defection, NNPP had dismissed the possibility of an automatic ticket for Kwankwaso if he joined the party. BEIRUT, March 15 (Xinhua) -- Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati on Tuesday urged the United Nations to support Lebanon in dealing with food security threats amid the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the Lebanese Council of Ministers said. "We call on the UN to support Lebanon in confronting the repercussions of the war based on the organization's plan of helping countries in the region face this crisis," he said. Mikati's remarks came during his meeting at the Grand Serail with a delegation from the United Nations headed by the UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed. Lebanese officials stated earlier this month that the country would be facing food shortages within a month if the Ukraine crisis continues. Lebanon relies heavily on imported food, particularly sunflower oil and wheat from Ukraine, which risks jeopardizing its food security. Food prices in Lebanon have already increased by over 400 percent in light of the country's financial crisis and the conflict is expected to send prices higher. 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 View Results Working on a squat Remington typewriter in the heart of the French Quarter in 1946, Tennessee Williams wrote a play he called The Poker Night. His agent didnt care for the title. A year later, after a tumultuous out-of-town tryout period that included the recasting of the male lead, the play received a seven-minute standing ovation the night it opened on Broadway in December 1947. By then, it had acquired a new title: A Streetcar Named Desire. With stellar performances and its exploration of such themes as mental illness and sexuality, not to mention the raw force of nature that Marlon Brando embodied in the role of Stanley Kowalski, Streetcar had an effect on the theatrical community that was nothing less than seismic. The first-night audiences reaction was tumultuous. Never witnessed such an exciting evening, Williams wrote in a note to a friend, the publisher James Laughlin. Streetcar went on to win for Williams the first of his two Pulitzer Prizes. It has been performed on every continent except Antarctica, and it has been enshrined in the pantheon of American drama. 'Backstage' of a classic To celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Broadway debut of Streetcar," the Historic New Orleans Collection has mounted Backstage at A Streetcar Named Desire, an exhibit that will open on Friday and run through July 3 at 520 Royal St. Its sponsor is JPMorgan Chase & Co. Admission is free. It has no official connection with the Tennessee Williams/New Orleans Literary Festival, which will be held March 23-27 and has scheduled its own events to mark the Streetcar milestone. On display at the collection are items from its vast holdings of Williams-related material, including Williams well-worn typewriter; playbills from Streetcar productions around the world; production photographs of the movie from the scrapbook of Vivien Leigh, who played Blanche DuBois in the film; and the notebook of Elia Kazan, who directed the play and subsequent movie. The notebook will be interactive so visitors will be able to look for Kazans insights on the production and the development of the characterizations, said Mark Cave, the exhibits curator. Augmenting these items are pieces from other collections, including Leighs Oscar, which she won for her Streetcar performance, and Thomas Hart Bentons The Poker Night, which the movie mogul David O. Selznick commissioned as a gift for his estranged wife, Irene Mayer Selznick, the plays producer. (The two divorced in 1949, and he married Jennifer Jones, but thats another story.) The statuette, on loan from the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, gleams in a case all its own, protected by state-of-the-art security. The vivid painting, whose home is the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York City, teems with barely repressed sexuality as DuBois, wearing a clinging blue slip and holding a mirror, sashays through the room where the undershirt-clad Kowalski, leaning toward her, has been playing poker and drinking beer with his buddies. Diving into origins The exhibit will be a really fun event, said Cave, who started planning it three years ago. People can come here and find out (about the play) from the moment of creation and the influences that Williams had and the input of Kazan and all these brilliant actors and actresses, and then they can go home and watch the film on TV and have a better appreciation of how it was created. The exhibit does a deep dive into the origins of Streetcar," Cave said, starting with the fact that Williams had considered setting it in Atlanta or Chicago before settling on New Orleans. The plays genesis, he said, is believed to be a one-act Williams play with the intriguing title Interior: Panic. A draft of that play is on view. Williams agent, Audrey Wood, vetoed The Poker Night as a title because, Cave said, she felt it made the pay sound too much like a Western. Even though Brando put his stamp on the role of Stanley Kowalski, exhibit materials show he wasnt the first actor eyed for the part. The first choice was John Garfield, a fine actor who also had a solid reputation as a star of Hollywood hits, but his demands over such matters as the length of his commitment to the play and a guarantee that he would be cast in the movie were just too much of a headache for Williams and the producers; consequently, Garfield never signed a contract, the critic John Lahr wrote in Tennessee Williams: Mad Pilgrimage of the Flesh. The production that resulted went on to make theatrical history. The playwright Arthur Miller wrote that Streetcar planted the flag of beauty on the shores of commercial theater. ADDIS ABABA, March 15 (Xinhua) -- Authorities in Ethiopia's capital of Addis Ababa have concluded a 29.17 million U.S. dollars' worth of transportation modernization agreements with two Chinese firms, state media outlet Ethiopia Press Agency (EPA) reported Tuesday. "The first agreement worth 15 million U.S. dollars will see the Addis Ababa city administration purchase 110 buses from China's leading bus maker, Yutong in an eight months' period," the EPA reported. "The second agreement, a 14.17 million U.S. dollars scheme to modernize the city's public bus transportation system with advanced digital information devices, was signed between the Addis Ababa city administration and Hisense TransTech Co., Ltd." Ethiopia hopes the two transportation modernization agreements will bring about fundamental transport logistics improvement in the national capital, through the integration of state-of-the-art information communication technology (ICT) systems. Earlier this month, Ethiopia's national air carrier, Ethiopian Airlines (ET) announced it has partnered with Air Djibouti and International Djibouti Industrial Park Operation (IDIPO) to commence sea-air multimodal transportation, disclosing their agreement will see cargo being transported from Chinese destinations to Djibouti Free Zone by sea and then uplifted by air from Djibouti International Airport. The Ethiopian government has identified the transport and logistics sector as a game changer to maintain the East African country's economic growth trajectory. It has also recently developed a 10-year transport sector development plan, which envisages among many things construction of many road and rail projects. Khaled Hegazzi has kept Egyptian heritage central in his life since immigrating two decades ago from Alexandria on the Nile delta to New Orleans on the Mississippi delta. A poet and writer, he owns the Egyptian import shop Pharoahs Cave in the French Quarter. More recently he started a pop-up, Sittoos Kitchen, based on traditional Egyptian flavors. At home, he is always cooking kofta kebabs and the layered lentil and pasta dish koshary for friends and family. Now, Hegazzi has a key role in the most important showcase of Egyptian art and history in New Orleans in a generation, and that contribution comes through food. The New Orleans Museum of Art this week debuts "Queen Nefertaris Egypt," a collection of 230 objects that present life in ancient Egypt some 3,000 years ago through the lens of the wife of pharaoh Ramesses II. The exhibition runs March 18 through July 17. Throughout the exhibition, the restaurant within the museum, Cafe NOMA, serves traditional Egyptian dishes on its everyday menu and hosts a variety of special meals, cooking demos, and happy hours focused on Egyptian cuisine. Hegazzi is part of a team that has been working behind the scenes for months to make sure museum visitors get a genuine taste of his home country. The result is a mix of Egyptian home cooking, street food and more elaborate dishes on offer in different ways over the next five months. Im excited to see so much attention to Egyptian culture, said Hegazzi. When people come, theyll see the cultural aspect and then you get to experience it in a different way and really feel it through our food. Has to be authentic Cafe NOMA is accessible both through the museum and also independent of museum admission, with a separate entrance. Its part of the Ralph Brennan Restaurant Group and is overseen by veteran local chef Chris Montero, who also runs Napoleon House in the French Quarter. In the past, the cafe has worked some museum programing into its culinary offerings, but Montero said the scale and importance of Queen Nefertaris Egypt augured something more. The museum, after all, is hoping it sparks the same kind of public fascination that attended the blockbuster Treasures of Tutankhamun exhibition here in 1977. The issue of culture authenticity came up from the start. The question was, do we want the food were doing here to be first and foremost familiar and accessible to people, or do we want it to be authentic? Montero said. The answer without hesitation was it has to be authentic, and so we needed Egyptians to come in and say this is how we really do it. Montero began working with Dina Daniel, an Egyptian-born chef who runs restaurants under her Fava Pot brand in Washington, D.C. She shared invaluable experience translating Egyptian cuisine to the restaurant format, especially for a multicourse dinner she will host at Cafe NOMA later this month. However, Cafe NOMA also found talent much closer to home with Hegazzi. Soon after they began talking about working together, Hegazzi invited Montero to his house in Lakeview for dinner. It was the kind of thing Hegazzi serves all the time, a traditional spread from dips and cumin-studded flatbread to a whole selection of stuffed grape leaves, falafel and ful, the deeply-seasoned fava bean stew. Once we experienced that, I knew he had to be part of it, Montero said. Hegazzis role has been as hands-on consultant, working through menu development and training Cafe NOMA staff. Hell also be working in the kitchen for special events and other opportunities here when he can get away from his shop. Working with Khaled is like the difference between reading a recipe in a magazine or standing next to someone whos actually cooking it, said Montero. You learn how it should feel, how it should smell, the timing and the intuition that goes into it. Food as a bridge Back in Alexandria, where he and born and educated, Hegazzi met a fellow writer from Mobile, Alabama, Frank Dorghtry, and the two developed a friendship around their work. Food and restaurant news in your inbox Every Thursday we give you the scoop on NOLA dining. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up He would bring up New Orleans all the time, certain buildings in Alexandria, certain foods, we were always talking about New Orleans, Hegazzi said. He made me fall in love with the city before Id ever been to the States. Hes lived here since 2001, and over that time food has been a potent way to connect his New Orleans life and family to his own roots. His daughter Retiba has grown up cooking with him. In 2017, at age 9, she appeared on the Food Network show Chopped Junior and won the competition. She wowed the judges with a pairing of Egyptian and New Orleans flavors lamb koftas and beignets. Today, as a high school student, shes in the culinary program at the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts. During the pandemic, Hegazzi developed the pop-up Sittoos Kitchen with Michael Kerwin, a local musician. It combines Egyptian cooking with dishes from Kerwins Lebanese heritage. Family flavor is the common thread; Sittoo is Arabic for grandmother (look for Sittoos Kitchen appearances at the Broad Theater, 636 N. Broad St., on March 18 and 19, from 6 p.m.). Even the falafel is different One reason Hegazzi was eager to join Cafe NOMAs project is how rarely he finds his homelands culture in the spotlight. Egyptian cuisine is commonly lumped in with Middle Eastern food more broadly. Its about time to correct that," Hegazzi said. With the Egyptian chefs board, Cafe NOMA is showing the nuances and regional traditions, even in dishes that share common names around the Arab world. Taameya, Egyptian falafel, is made with fava beans, not chickpeas, for instance. Dolmas, or grape leaves, are typically filled with grains, not rice. The hummus has a thicker texture than other regional versions. You can feel the crunch in it, Hegazzi said. The overall goal is presenting food in sync with a limited time exhibition, rather than creating a conventional restaurant menu. Montero said that opened the doors to what the chefs and Cafe NOMA could do, and theyve come up with different ways to sample this food. Drop in for the daily Nefertari Hour, an exhibition-themed happy hour, for sampler platters and Egyptian-style flatbread to pair with specialty cocktails and wine. The dinner that chef Daniel will host March 31 brings a five-course progression that starts with spicy feta dip and ends with kunafa, a regal dessert of sweet cheese under a crisp crust. Street food staples will be on the daily cafe menu, including koshary and hawawshi, a meat-stuffed bread, and flatbreads topped with eggplant and crumbled lamb koftas. Egyptian falafel, hummus and dolmas stuffed with freekeh will be served daily too. When people leave here I want them to feel they had a cultural experience in the exhibition and a spiritual experience with our food, said Hegazzi. Cafe NOMA New Orleans Museum of Art 1 Diboll Circle, (504) 381-5107 Open daily during Queen Nefertaris Egypt exhibition, March 18-July 17, from 10 a.m. In addition to Egyptian dishes on the everyday menu, Cafe NOMA hosts these events: An Evening With Nefertari : March 31, a five-course dinner led by Dina Daniel of Fava Pot restaurant in Washington, D.C., beginning with docent-led exhibit tour, 5:30 p.m., tickets $80. March 31, a five-course dinner led by Dina Daniel of Fava Pot restaurant in Washington, D.C., beginning with docent-led exhibit tour, 5:30 p.m., tickets $80. Artful Palate Cooking Demo Series : March 29 with Dina Daniel and May 10 with Khaled Hegazzi; future editions to come, all from 6 p.m. : March 29 with Dina Daniel and May 10 with Khaled Hegazzi; future editions to come, all from 6 p.m. Royalty for the Day package : for groups of 10 or more, a guided exhibit tour followed by a two-course Egyptian lunch, $58 per person. : for groups of 10 or more, a guided exhibit tour followed by a two-course Egyptian lunch, $58 per person. Nefertari Hour: a happy hour with specialty cocktails, wines, Egyptian sampler platters and flatbreads, daily 3 p.m. to closing For details and tickets, see cafenoma.com. +16 This Brennan family restaurant expands to open new dining possibilities in City Park For the past year, a collaborative project has been quietly taking shape inside the New Orleans Museum of Art, one that frames a captivating v The spring festival season is making its comeback. After a two-year hiatus, major music festivals like the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, French Quarter Festival, Festival International de Louisiane in Lafayette and BUKU Music + Art Project return to their traditional slots on the calendar. And in between the major productions are neighborhood festivals, plays, touring bands, comedians and special events aplenty to keep New Orleanians busy in the coming months. In this week's Gambit, we preview the spring events calendar with music listings, event previews and information about Jazz Fest, Hogs for the Cause and more. Flip through the digital edition below to check it out. Cant see the e-edition above? Click here. Also in this week's Gambit: Femme and women comics band together for the new Lysistrata Comedy Festival; Political Editor Clancy DuBos previews the fight over redistricting maps coming to the legislative session; Blake Pontchartrain wishes a happy 85th birthday to Clarence "Frogman" Henry Jr.; Wakin' Bakin' expands to the French Quarter; blues legend Buddy Guy passes the torch to the next generation in a new documentary plus news and more. If pandemic restrictions make it harder to pick up a Gambit in your usual spot, we have you covered. Our e-edition is available to download at bestofneworleans.com/current and read at your leisure. If you enjoy this weeks issue, please share this digital edition on social media. And as always, New Orleans, thank you for your support. The Gambit staff Tipitinas will host a memorial for the late drummer Kevin ODay at 5 p.m. Monday, March 14. A second line will be led by the Soul Brass Band at 6 p.m., and artists including Stanton Moore, Anders Osborne, Ivan Neville, the Klezmer Allstars and others are expected to jam together. The prolific musician died unexpectedly on March 8 at the age of 49. Over the course of his career, he performed with a number of popular local groups and artists, including The Single Atom Theory, the Midnite Disturbers, Mustache Petting Zoo, the New Orleans Klezmer Allstars, Lynn Drury, Bonerama, Kirk Josephs Backyard Groove, Walter Wolfman Washington and Kevin ODay and the Live Animals. He was a fixture at local venues including Tipitina's and the Maple Leaf. The Louisiana native was also one of the first musicians to organize live performances after Hurricane Katrina. Moore, who co-owns Tipitina's and is a longtime friend of O'Day's, organized the event. There will also be a pig roast on the neutral ground next to the venue. Many of ODays friends, family and fellow artists have taken to social media to share memories of their friend. In a tribute posted on Facebook, musician Alex McMurray, who will also be at the memorial, described him as fearless and confident and badass and pure and innocent and sweet as pie." ODays family has also set up a 529 Plan college fund for his son, Luke, and donations are accepted through Venmo: @odayfund. A woman was robbed at gunpoint by a man who stopped to help after her car stalled on Interstate 510 near Lake Forest Boulevard, New Orleans police said. The robbery happened Sunday, but authorities didn't release a time. An unidentified man stopped to help a 54-year-old woman who was stuck at the location (map), according to preliminary information from authorities. After he fixed her car, police said, he pulled out a gun and demanded her property. The woman gave her jewelry to him and then he left, police said. No other details were immediately available. Anyone with information is asked to call Crimestoppers at 504-822-1111. Cody LaBranche told Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office detectives that he went to the Metairie home of Jonathan Pizzuto, his late sister's fiance, intent on finally clarifying the details surrounding her 2020 fentanyl overdose death. But LaBranche had, on more than one occasion, told others that he wanted to kill Pizzuto, whom he angrily blamed for her death. "He believed [Pizzuto] could have done more to save his sister's life," Sheriff's Office Detective Steven Quaintance said. After a year and a half of talking about killing Pizzuto, authorities say Cody LaBranche did just that the night of Jan. 17. He walked into Pizzuto's Rosa Avenue apartment and opened fire as Pizzuto, 37, was playing video games with childhood friend William Mitchell, 36, according to authorities. Pizzuto and Mitchell both were killed. Mitchell was not LaBranche's intended target, Quaintance said. "He was in the wrong place at the wrong time. He was collateral damage of Mr. LaBranches intentions," Quaintance said Tuesday morning while testifying during a preliminary hearing in Jefferson Parish Magistrate Court. LaBranche faces two counts of first-degree murder. Pizzuto's co-workers, who had come over to the house to play video games after work, discovered Pizzuto and Mitchell dead just before 9:30 p.m. Pizzuto had been shot twice in the chest and twice in the back of the head, Quaintance said. Mitchell was shot seven times with five gunshot wounds to his back and two to his front. It did appear the homicides were almost execution-style, Quaintance said. Detectives noticed that someone had lifted Pizzuto's mattress in his bedroom and laid it against a wall. A dog kennel where Pizzuto kept his 90-lb pit bull, Dro, was also open and empty, Quaintance said. The dog was nowhere to be found in the house, leading investigators to believe that someone took the pup and whatever may have been underneath Pizzuto's mattress. Top stories in New Orleans in your inbox Twice daily we'll send you the day's biggest headlines. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up A witness reported hearing gunshots coming from Pizzutos residence about 9 p.m. Another saw a man wearing dark clothing and a mask leave the apartment, get into a dark-colored, four-door vehicle and drive away, Quaintance said. Surveillance cameras in and around the neighborhood captured video of the sedan, which had unique chrome-colored rims and other accessories. Though no license plate information could be seen, detectives eventually determined the vehicle matched the description of a black, four-door Honda Accord driven by LaBranche, Quaintance said. +3 Co-workers discover 2 men fatally shot inside Metairie home; Friends identify victims Friends say they believe two men gunned down inside a Metairie home Monday night were playing video games when their killer or killers ambushe The car, registered to LaBranches mother, had been driven by Brittany LaBranche before her death. Relatives confirmed that Cody LaBranche drove the vehicle after she died, Quaintance said. Cody LaBranche admitted to the killings, according to authorities. "He said he stood in the doorway trying to talk to Pizzuto and Mr. Mitchell," Quaintance testified. "The two stood up from the sofa. His response was to begin shooting." LaBranche confirmed that he picked up Pizzuto's mattress while searching for his sister's ashes, Quaintance said. He also told authorities he took the dog, explaining Dro was very special to Brittany LaBranche and her family. "His sister was unable to have children, and the family viewed Dro as her son, claiming that he was her child, Quaintance testified. But LaBranche didnt keep Dro, according to authorities. As with other evidence from the crime clothing that was allegedly burned in a pit behind LaBranche's house and the murder weapon that was tossed into a river the dog was ditched, according to Quaintance. [LaBranche] drove up to Hazlehurst, Mississippi, went to an intersection and forced the dog out of the car, Quaintance said. Dro has not yet been found. Magistrate Commissioner Paul Schneider ruled there was probable cause to continue holding LaBranche at the Jefferson Parish Correctional Center in Gretna. He also declined to set a bond for the two murder charges. The Orleans Parish School Board has narrowed its search for a new schools superintendent to seven candidates, culled from the 15 applicants that had been forwarded to the board by the search firm it hired to help find a new schools leader. The seven candidates emerged after the board met in closed session over two days last week. The candidates will undergo background checks and the School Board will meet on March 22 to discuss the results. That meeting is open, but the board will discuss the candidates in executive session. The board will then select another round of finalists to be interviewed during a public meeting on March 29. Later that day, the candidates will also appear at George Washington Carver High School. The board hopes to choose a new superintendent at the special meeting on March 30, according to an a news release from the Spears Group, which is handling media for the board. The seven candidates are: Jawan Brown-Alexander, most recently chief of schools for New Schools for New Orleans. Brown-Alexander graduated from Southern University at New Orleans and earned a masters degree and doctorate in educational leadership at Xavier University. A former teacher, she also has held leadership positions at Lake Forest Charter School and the Recovery School District. See Brown-Alexander's resume. Meria Carstarphen, most recently the founder and CEO of an educational consulting group, attended Tulane University for her undergraduate studies. She has a masters in education in administration of elementary and secondary education from Auburn and a masters in education in administration and a doctorate of education in administration from Harvard University. A former teacher, Carstarphen formerly headed Atlanta Public Schools, Austin, Texas, Independent School District in Texas and St. Paul, Minnesota, Public Schools. See Carstarphen's resume. Top stories in New Orleans in your inbox Twice daily we'll send you the day's biggest headlines. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up Charles Grandson, the chief equity and strategy officer of Boston Public Schools, has a doctorate in educational leadership from Boston College. He has worked for Boston Public Schools since 2006 and also was interim superintendent of Malden Public Schools in Malden, Mass. See Grandson's resume. Marshall Tuck, currently the head of education recovery and strategic advisor at the nonprofit Great Public Schools Now in Los Angeles. Has an MBA from Harvard and was a fellow a the Broad Residency in Urban Education. Former president and chief operating officer of Green Dot Public Schools, a charter system in Los Angeles, and as chief executive officer of Partnership for Los Angeles Schools, a nonprofit that managed lowest-performing public schools in Los Angeles. View Tuck's resume. Avis Williams, currently the superintendent of Selma City Schools in Selma, Alabama. Holds a doctorate in administration and instructional leadership and a specialist in educational administration from the University of Alabama. Former teacher and assistant superintendent of curriculum and instruction for Tuscaloosa City Schools and executive director of secondary curriculum and instruction for Guilford County Schools in Greensboro, N.C. Former sergeant in U.S. Army. See Williams' resume. Andre L. Wright, senior vice president of Educational Transformation. Has master of education and education specialist degree in education leadership from Lincoln Memorial University in Tennessee. He formerly served as chief academic officer of Aurora Public Schools in Colorado and held a variety of roles at Fulton County Schools in Atlanta. Former teacher. See Wright's resume. Jermall D. Wright, founding superintendent for the Mississippi Achievement School District. Special education degree and masters degree from the University of Florida; doctorate in leadership for educational equity from the University of Colorado Denver. He also served as chief academic and accountability officer for Birmingham City Schools, as well as other leadership positions at the Alabama State Department of Education, School District of Philadelphia and Denver Public Schools. Former teacher. See Wright's resume. Current NOLA Public Schools Superintendent Henderson Lewis Jr. plans to leave the district when his contract is up at the end of June. The board wants to have his replacement on hand before then. The New Orleans City Council has released a second round of proposed changes to its map of council districts, and with a final vote just days away, most of the new maps add a major change to district borders that didn't appear in any earlier proposals. The Lower 9th Ward is shifted out of District E and into District C in three of the four newly drawn maps, which all aim to redistribute the city's residents among the five council districts based on new population data from the 2020 census. The move, if approved, would represent a significant shift to the Lower 9th Ward's representation in city politics. The Lower 9th, including the Holy Cross neighborhood, has historically been grouped with New Orleans East in District E, which covers almost every part of the city's area east of the Industrial Canal. The proposed change, made public Monday, did not go over well with District E Council member Oliver Thomas, who grew up in the Lower 9th Ward and said he was surprised to see the shift in the newly issued draft maps. "I don't know where this is coming from," Thomas said, adding that he is "vehemently" opposed to it. Population shifts Four earlier maps created by the City Council's consultant, FLO Analytics, and released last month focused primarily on shifting the border between District C and District D. Those two council districts have flip-flopped in the population rankings among the five council districts over the last decade. District C, which currently includes Algiers, the French Quarter and downriver neighborhoods, had the largest population in 2010 and now has the smallest. District D, which covers all of Gentilly and parts of several adjacent neighborhoods, was the smallest in 2010 and is now the largest, based on the 2020 Census. Claiborne Avenue generally serves as the border between District C and District D, splitting up historic neighborhoods like Treme, St. Roch, the 7th Ward and St. Claude along the way. 'historical relationships' The Claiborne Avenue-St. Claude Avenue corridor threading those neighborhoods extends across the Industrial Canal to the Lower 9th Ward, so there is a geographic connection on paper. But Thomas said that the proposals ignore social and familial ties that bind The Lower 9th Ward more closely to New Orleans East than to neighborhoods on the other side of the canal. Most of the people, especially in terms of my lineage and my family, people I know from the Lower 9, they live in New Orleans East. So theres historical relationships there, Thomas said. What it tells me is that the people who would make that recommendation don't understand the natural history and the relationship. District C Council member Freddie King III did not respond to requests for comment. Listening sessions The councils redistricting consultant completed the revised maps over the weekend, following a series of online forums last week aimed at garnering public input on the first drafts. Council staff received 95 comments, though only a handful came in the online forums. Top stories in New Orleans in your inbox Twice daily we'll send you the day's biggest headlines. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up An open-house and two listening sessions on Monday in council chambers were the only chance for the public to provide in-person feedback before the council votes on a final map on Wednesday, which is the deadline for council members to adopt a new map under the city charter. If they fail to do so, council members forfeit their salaries until a commission of university presidents completes the job for them. Calvin Alexander, president of the Holy Cross Neighborhood Association, said he does not know anyone who supports shifting his neighborhood to a new council district. It hasnt been widely accepted by anyone that Im aware of, Alexander said. With us being cut off from the rest of the city by the canal, it just kind of lumps us together anyway, naturally. An alternative map Pushing the District C boundary further toward Lake Pontchartrain in areas now in District D could balance the districts while still hewing to traditional neighborhood boundaries. All four of the draft maps from last month made that shift in some fashion, but only one of the final drafts the one that doesnt affect the Lower 9th Ward incorporated that change. The other three final draft maps either keep the District C-District D boundary where it is, or push the boundary in the opposite direction, toward St. Claude Avenue. All of the maps that move the Lower 9th Ward to District C also move a sliver of New Orleans East along the Downman Road corridor from District D to District E. One of the maps puts the Central Business District in District C, Lakeshore and Lake Vista subdivisions in District A and a small part of Mid-City around Carrollton Avenue and Canal Street in District B. Six people spoke in the first listening session Monday, the majority of whom said council members had not allowed enough time for an inclusive process. At-large Council member JP Morrell said he would author a charter amendment to ensure future redistricting processes start earlier and also allow the council to expand, which would allow for smaller districts and potentially easier groupings. Those proposals would need voter approval to become effective. "There is certainly a very good argument that even growing the council by two council seats could potentially alleviate some of these issues, as far as groups having similar interests," Morrell said. Happy birthday, James Madison, and thank you. Its on your birthday, March 16, that we observe Freedom of Information Day. Its an opportunity for conversation, discussion and vision more than a celebration like many traditional birthdays because theres so much work to do. As citizens and taxpayers, we expect our leaders to act in our best interest when it comes to public policy and spending money. Important issues are considered, discussed and decided by public governing authorities and panels. Our nations founders developed the First Amendment, guaranteeing us all of us, not just journalists five key freedoms: assembly, government petition, religion, speech and press. Adopted in 1791, the First Amendment has been a fundamental part of keeping our nation on track. Adopted in 1967, the Freedom of Information Act, or FOIA, was updated in 1976, 1986 and 1996 as times changed. FOIA has provided the public the right to request access to records from any federal agency. It is often described as the law that keeps citizens in the know about their government. Federal agencies are required to disclose any information requested under FOIA unless it falls under one of nine exemptions that protect interests such as personal privacy, national security and law enforcement. For the most part, government officials want to do the right thing and they want the public to understand what theyre doing and why. One of the best ways to make that happen is to make government information available and accessible to the public. After FOIA became law, it was in the 1970s when many local and state government entities officially started making a similar promise and saying they would do better on transparency. In Louisiana, many public records have been available since 1940. There have been updates to the public records law regularly. As is true with all such information, there are exceptions. But anyone including but not exclusively journalists can file a public records request. The National Freedom of Information Coalition shows you how. Before you dash off and start filing requests, you should know that officials know what theyre supposed to do but they frequently dont comply. There might be some good reasons for that, but a number of us who are journalists dont believe those reasons are very good. David Cuillier, an associate professor at the University of Arizona School of Journalism, is president of NFOIC and he regularly monitors whats going on with public information. Periodically, he also watches compliance. Using request results from MuckRock, a collaborative nonprofit dedicated to holding governments accountable by sharing public records to encourage transparency, Cuillier documented state requests and compliance in a 2019 research paper, Bigger Stick, Better Compliance? Testing Strength of Public Record Statutes on Agency Transparency in the United States. Good academic research papers are well-documented and thoroughly researched. I dont have the space to provide even a small bit of Cuilliers data, so Ill give you some high points. Out of 50 states, Louisiana is No. 43, bunched with a number of other southern states with poor public records performance. Only a third of the time do Louisiana agencies, on average, provide records when requested, he wrote when I asked about his research. That compares with the best complying states Washington and Idaho at 67% and the worst complying state, Alabama, at 10%. More recently, some MuckRock data has Louisiana performing even lower, at 24%. The Cuillier and MuckRock formulas are different, but darn close. The thing about public records requests is it doesnt matter why youre asking. Thats your business. It doesnt matter how you plan to use the information, if you plan to use it. Thats your business. It might result in a prize-winning story, an interesting infographic, a government policy change or a refund for a bill. You probably had other plans today, but I suggest that you say happy birthday to Mr. Madison and pursue a gift of knowledge by filing a public records request. 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. BEIJING, March 15 (Xinhua) -- Song Taiping, a former senior legislator in north China's Hebei Province, has been indicted on a charge of taking bribes, the Supreme People's Procuratorate (SPP) said Tuesday. Song, former vice chairman of the Standing Committee of the People's Congress of Hebei, took advantage of the posts he held to seek unjustified gains for others and accepted money and gifts in colossal amounts in return, which merit a criminal charge of bribery, the indictment said. The prosecution was brought by the procuratorate of Yuncheng City, north China's Shanxi Province, upon the designation of the SPP following the closure of a probe by the National Commission of Supervision. Prosecutors had informed the defendant of his litigation rights, interrogated him and listened to the defense counsel's opinions, the SPP said. Selinsgrove, Pa. -- Leaders across various industries will gather for a conference focused upon industrial and infrastructure projects through Central Pennsylvania. Called the Industrial Development Forum, the event will take place on Wednesday, March 23 from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., hosted by Focus Central PA at Susquehanna University. A total of 27 exhibitors will discuss critical topics including smart growth, economics, site selection, funding, and talent in Pennsylvania. The event schedule includes keynotes Jim Robey, PhD, Principal with Robey Analytics. Robey, an applied economist, economic developer, and site selection consultant with more than 30 years of experience, will provide a look at macro-economic conditions and what that means for industrial development moving forward. Dennis Burnside, Executive Managing Director with Vestian, will also keynote. Dennis brings a 30-plus year resume of serving large and small corporate organizations, the economic development community, and the commercial real estate service and investment industry. His work provides real estate market updates, trends and observations on what growth looks like moving forward. In addition to the keynote speakers, the event will have expert panels presenting on Ways to WIN at Site Selection, Funding Strategies for Capital Investment Projects, and Talent Advantages and Resources in Central Pennsylvania. Joe Kantz, Focus Central PA Board Member and Event Committee Chair, commented: "As a County Commissioner in Snyder County for the past dozen years, I have seen smart growth in our region. One of the reasons we've seen this growth is because of the work of FOCUS Central PA. "This Forum will be a 'must attend' event for anyone who is interested in economic and industrial development in the greater Central PA area. When we approach growth in central PA from a regional approach, we succeed. This event will broaden our ability to work together and bring even more growth to our region to benefit our residents and our local economies." To register, please click here. Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Error! There was an error processing your request. Get Our Free Newsletters Never miss a headline with NorthcentralPa.com newsletters. Sign Up Today! Morning Headlines: Would you like to receive our daily morning newsletter? Afternoon Update: What's happening today? Here's your update! Daily Obits: Get a daily list straight to your email inbox. Williamsport, Pa. A Philadelphia man is accused of selling 3.45 grams of crack cocaine last fall to a confidential informant in Williamsport. Victor L. Gibbs, 36, now faces felony charges of possession of narcotics with intent to deliver and criminal use of a communication facility. The informant contacted Gibbs, known as Lamar Gibbs, on his cell phone to arrange the sale on Oct. 6, 2021, according to the arrest affidavit. Gibbs told the informant to meet him at the corner of W. Third and Elmira streets in Williamsport. When the informant arrived, Gibbs got into the vehicle and completed the transaction of $200 of crack cocaine as detectives from the Lycoming County Narcotics Enforcement observed, according to the affidavit. Charges were filed on Feb. 7 at the office of District Judge Christian D. Frey. An arrest warrant is out for Gibbs. Court records show that Gibbs previously received charges for allegedly attempting to sell narcotics in March 2010 in Clinton County. Gibbs was apprehended a few weeks later and arraigned by Judge Frey. He was remanded to Lycoming County Prison in lieu of $75,000 monetary bail. At the preliminary hearing, Gibbs case was held for court. Formal arraignment is set for March 14 in front of Judge Ryan Tira at Lycoming County Court of Common Pleas. Docket Sheet Court Summary Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Error! There was an error processing your request. Get Our Free Newsletters Never miss a headline with NorthcentralPa.com newsletters. Sign Up Today! Morning Headlines: Would you like to receive our daily morning newsletter? Afternoon Update: What's happening today? Here's your update! Daily Obits: Get a daily list straight to your email inbox. Williamsport, Pa. - Two Kentucky men were indicted by a federal grand jury for conspiracy to transport 30 stolen catalytic converters from Kentucky and Ohio to State College, Pa. According to the United States Attorneys Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, Jose William Perez Felipe, age 25, and Wilber Sori San Miguel age 31, both of Louisville, Kentucky, were indicted on March 10. The indictment alleges that between November 29, 2021 and December 2, 2021, Perez Felipe and San Miguel unlawfully agreed to transport stolen catalytic converters from Kentucky to New York where the valuable metals contained inside them, including rhodium, palladium, and platinum, were to be extracted, said U.S. Attorney John C. Gurganus. Catalytic converters on the underside of vehicles help reduce emissions. But according to a recent NPR report, and increased PSP reports, rising prices for some metals has led to an increase in thefts. Related reading: Catalytic converter thefts continue: PSP Milton According to the indictment, Felipe and Miguel received additional stolen catalytic converters in Ohio. They also stopped in State College, where they stole six more catalytic converters from Penn State University vans parked in a campus parking garage and from box trucks at two businesses in State College. The indictment alleges that they used a reciprocating saw to cut the converters from the vehicles. Authorities said the defendants were found sleeping inside a green Ford van parked in the PSU garage and the van contained approximately 30 stolen catalytic converters. The indictment alleges that the 30 stolen catalytic converters recovered from the van had a value of approximately $90,000. The case was investigated by the FBI, the State College Police Department, and the Pennsylvania State University Police Department, according to a news release from the Department of Justice. Assistant U.S. Attorney George J. Rocktashel is prosecuting the case. According to Gurganus, if convicted, the maximum penalty under federal law for these offenses is 20 years in prison, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Error! There was an error processing your request. Get Our Free Newsletters Never miss a headline with NorthcentralPa.com newsletters. Sign Up Today! Morning Headlines: Would you like to receive our daily morning newsletter? Afternoon Update: What's happening today? Here's your update! Daily Obits: Get a daily list straight to your email inbox. Shamokin, Pa. A 61-year-old Danville man was charged with three separate felonies after authorities said he threatened a woman from the Northumberland County Jail. According to an affidavit filed by State Police with Stonington, Louis Orlando, 61, made several phone calls while incarcerated on stalking charges. Police said the phone calls started on Feb. 17, 2022 and culminated on Feb. 22 when a threatening text message was sent to the accuser. Phone calls from the prison allegedly started when a call was placed that went directly to voicemail. Two more calls were placed on Feb. 18 and 19. According to the affidavit, Orlando sent a text message to the accuser on Feb. 22 from a former roommates cellphone. The message was allegedly sent as if Orlando had composed it himself. (victim) after everything I did for you financially just drop the charges and Ill allow you to live your life, Orlando wrote in the text message, according to Trooper Jason Drumheller. The accuser told authorities this message was very alarming to her. Court records show Orlando was charged with intimidation with victim, retaliation against witness or victim, and criminal use of a communication facility. All are third-degree felonies. Orlando is already being incarcerated at the Northumberland County Jail due to another case involving the same accuser. Due to him already being incarcerated, Orlando was only given $100 monetary bail during a March 8 preliminary arraignment. Docket sheet Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Error! There was an error processing your request. Get Our Free Newsletters Never miss a headline with NorthcentralPa.com newsletters. Sign Up Today! Morning Headlines: Would you like to receive our daily morning newsletter? Afternoon Update: What's happening today? Here's your update! Daily Obits: Get a daily list straight to your email inbox. Troy, Pa. A Wyalusing man is accused of punching a Bradford County Correctional Worker and will appear in Bradford County Court this upcoming week. According to an affidavit from State Trooper Alexander Gushka, William Edward Bossong, 63, challenged the officer, who attempted to de-escalate the incident that took place just after noon on Feb. 24, 2022. Bossong allegedly asked wanna fight, do you want to fight to the officer prior to using a closed fist to strike him. The entire incident was recorded on the officers body camera. Bossong was charged with first-degree felony aggravated assault, third-degree misdemeanor simple assault, and summary harassment. Bossong, who was given $45,000 monetary bail during a preliminary arraignment, will appear in Bradford County court this week for a preliminary hearing. Docket sheet Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Error! There was an error processing your request. Get Our Free Newsletters Never miss a headline with NorthcentralPa.com newsletters. Sign Up Today! Morning Headlines: Would you like to receive our daily morning newsletter? Afternoon Update: What's happening today? Here's your update! Daily Obits: Get a daily list straight to your email inbox. Williamsport,Pa. -- If you're planning to celebrate St. Patrick's Day, be advised that Pennsylvania State Police will out patrolling for DUI offenders, according to the Lycoming County DUI Task Force and PSP. "Buzzed driving is drunk driving" is the message from PSP, the Pennsylvania DUI Association, the Lycoming County DUI Task Force, and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Anyone who is planning to drink during the festivities should plan ahead for a sober ride home. The Lycoming County DUI Task Force and PSP will be conducting joint DUI enforcement details during the holiday to provide further incentive for people to drive sober, according to a news release. Whether you are Irish or just looking for a reason to get out and socialize, support a local establishment or just celebrate St. Patricks Day, please do so responsibly, keeping our roadways safe for everyone. said Sgt. Chris Kriner, Old Lycoming Twp Police Department. According to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 10,142 people were killed in drunk-driving crashes in 2019. On average, more than 10,000 people were killed each year from 2015 to 2019 one person was killed in a drunk-driving crash every 52 minutes in 2019. Because of this, the participating organizations in the "buzzed driving is drunk driving" campaign are reminding drivers that drunk driving is not only illegal, but also is a matter of life and death. During the 2019 St. Patricks Day period (6 p.m. March 16 to 5:59 a.m. March 18), almost half (46%) of crash fatalities involved a drunk driver. From 2015 to 2019, a total of 280 lives were lost in drunk-driving crashes during the St. Patricks Day period. Drivers should also keep an eye out for pedestrians who have had too much to drink. Walking while intoxicated can also be deadly, as lack of attention to their surroundings could put pedestrians at risk of getting hit by a vehicle. According to PennDOTs preliminary data for 2021, there were 213 impaired driver crashes and nine fatalities on St. Patricks Day Weekend 2021 from 6 p.m. on Friday until 6 a.m. on Thursday in the Commonwealth. Impaired drivers are a continuing threat on our nations roads, especially around days like St. Patricks Day, said C. Stephen Erni, Executive Director, PA DUI Association. People need to know that they can go out for a night of fun and return home safely by ensuring they have a sober driver take them home. Dont be the reason someone including yourself doesnt get home. Dont let St. Patricks Day become an anniversary of a tragic night. PSP reminds designated drivers to stay sober both for themselves and for others who are counting on them - passengers, other drivers, and pedestrians. "The role should be taken seriously," the release said. Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Error! There was an error processing your request. Get Our Free Newsletters Never miss a headline with NorthcentralPa.com newsletters. Sign Up Today! Morning Headlines: Would you like to receive our daily morning newsletter? Afternoon Update: What's happening today? Here's your update! Daily Obits: Get a daily list straight to your email inbox. Instant unlimited access to all of our content on www.northcoastcitizen.com. The North Coast Citizen E-Edition Newsletter emailed to you each week, the night before the paper hits the street! This subscription is for NEW or RENEWING online subscribers. The charge will appear as "Country Media Inc." on your credit card statement. BEIJING, March 15 (Xinhua) -- A team of 10 traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) experts departed for Cambodia on Tuesday to help the country fight the COVID-19 pandemic. The team was organized by the National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine and selected by the China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences. Some TCM experts have arrived in Cambodia ahead of the team to carry out medical assistance work. The experts will work at the Cambodia-China Friendship Preah Kossamak Hospital, sharing China's experience in COVID-19 prevention and control, and treating patients using TCM. They will also carry out the clinical diagnosis and treatment of other diseases, promote TCM technology, and help Cambodia improve its medical and health levels. More TCM experts will be sent to help in Cambodia's anti-pandemic fight. Tillamook, OR (97141) Today Partly cloudy this morning, then becoming cloudy during the afternoon. High near 60F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Showers this evening, becoming a steady rain overnight. Low around 45F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 90%. BEIJING, March 15 (Xinhua) -- China will expand family doctor services to cover at least 75 percent of its population by 2035, according to a guideline jointly issued by six government departments, including the National Health Commission. By 2035, family doctors are expected to serve about 85 percent of priority patients, including the elderly, pregnant women, children, people with disabilities, people with chronic diseases and people with mental illnesses, the policy document said. The government will work to raise the percentage of people registered with family doctors by 1-3 percentage points every year from 2022, it said. Family doctors can be general practitioners, eligible doctors at hospitals, or doctors of traditional Chinese medicine. Doctors at primary-level hospitals are encouraged to join this line of work. Fees will be jointly covered by China's medical insurance scheme, government expenditure on public medical services, and the individuals receiving medical services. China's health authorities will work to raise the capacities of family doctors and streamline their services, the document said. Moreover, the Watch S1 series features dual-band GPS, 24/7 health-tracking, 5 ATM water resistance and up to 12 days of battery life. According to Xiaomi, the smartwatch supports MasterCard payments via NFC out of the box too. Typically, Xiaomi releases non-NFC and NFC-enabled models, as with the Mi Smart Band 6. The Xiaomi Watch S1 series is available to order from today, starting at 179 for the Watch S1 Active. In comparison, the regular Watch S1 costs 229, although there are no functional differences between the pair. Additionally, Xiaomi will bundle a Mi Body Composition Scale 2 worth 29.99 for those pre-ordering the Watch S1 or Watch S1 Active before March 31. BEIJING, March 15 (Xinhua) -- Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Monday held a phone conversation with Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi. China and Indonesia are both major developing countries and emerging economies, Wang said, adding that the two sides should deepen strategic mutual trust and practical cooperation under the guidance of the two heads of state, and play an active role in maintaining international and regional peace and stability. Retno said that Indonesia attaches great importance to developing relations with China and is willing to work with China to push the bilateral relations to a new level. The two sides exchanged views on the Ukraine issue. Retno said that Indonesia insists on respecting other countries' sovereignty and territorial integrity, calls for an early end to the military conflict and encourages relevant parties to hold dialogue to de-escalate the situation and prevent a humanitarian crisis. Wang said China will continue to play a constructive role in easing tensions, promoting peace talks and preventing humanitarian crises in accordance with the "four musts" put forth by Chinese President Xi Jinping. While talking about the current Ukraine crisis at a virtual summit with French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on March 8, Xi said the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries must be respected, the purposes and principles of the UN Charter must be fully observed, the legitimate security concerns of all countries must be taken seriously, and all efforts that are conducive to the peaceful settlement of the crisis must be supported. To achieve long-term stability in Europe, the European Union, NATO and Russia need to engage in dialogue on an equal footing, and establish a balanced, effective and sustainable security framework, Wang stressed. BP expects to lose up to $25 billion, more than a fourth of its market capitalization, after divesting from its 19.75% stake in the Rosneft oil company in Russia over the country's invasion of Ukraine. The London-based multinational energy giant, a major employer along the lakeshore in Northwest Indiana, warned investors it could eat a $25 billion loss after quitting the Russian market after 30 years over the country's unprovoked war on its neighbor. The company's total market capitalization is about $90 billion. BP, whose largest refinery is in Whiting, has owned roughly a fifth of Rosneft since 2013. Moscow-based Rosneft is a state-run petroleum refining company, the 24th largest in the world, that pulled in $122 billion in revenue, $20.9 billion in operating income and $14 billion in net income last year. Rosneft is the second-largest state-owned company in Russia, which has faced international scorn and opprobrium since its unprovoked attack on the independent nation of Ukraine, which was previously under its control when it was still the Soviet Union before it collapsed in 1991. BP expects to lose up to $14 billion in the carrying value of its shares in Rosneft and another $11 billion in foreign exchange losses accumulated since 2013 that were previously recorded in equity instead of on its income statement. The write-down of $25 million is expected in BP's first-quarter 2022 results, virtually ensuring a massive loss for the fiscal quarter and the full year. BP, which employs about 1,700 workers at the BP Whiting Refinery, recorded a profit of $12.8 billion last year amid rising oil prices. The oil giant expects the financial fallout will be offset at least in part by rising crude oil prices, which now stand at around $110 per barrel, promoting gas prices to soar over $4 a gallon. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 1 Sad 0 Angry 0 The business news you need Get the latest local business news delivered FREE to your inbox weekly. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Harbor Freight Tools will open a new store across from the Southlake Mall in Hobart. The California-based tool and equipment retailer plans to hire 25 to 30 workers at its new store at 2300 E. 80th Ave. in the Merrillville Plaza in Hobart. Harbor Freight Tools, which also has locations in Schererville, Portage and Michigan City, is taking over the former Petco space at the outdoor shopping center on U.S. 30 across from the super-regional mall. Construction has started. The store expects to open this spring but an opening date has not yet been announced. Weve been looking to open a location in Merrillville for a number of years so that we can provide the tools and equipment at tremendous values to the community, said Trey Feiler, senior vice president of real estate and construction for Harbor Freight Tools. In addition to finding a great location, we were attracted by the availability of great associates in the Merrillville area, and we look forward to having them join the Harbor Freight team. Founded as a mail-order business by a teenager 40 years ago, Harbor Freight Tools operates 1,200 stores across the country. The privately owned company focuses on low prices, including by selling many in-house brands like Chicago Electric, Drill Master and Pittsburgh and Pittsburgh Pro. The company has 40 million customers and is constantly adding to its product mix, expecting to roll out 800 new tools and accessories this year. It's fast-growing, opening an average of two new stores a week. The retailer expects to hire sales and logistics supervisors, senior associates and sales associates at its latest Northwest Indiana location. The company employs more than 24,000 workers nationwide. It says it offers competitive starting pay and benefits like health insurance and Thanksgiving and Christmas off. Forbes Magazine has named Harbor Freight Tools a top large employer in retail, in diversity, for women and for veterans. It also has won recognition as an employer from Diversityjobs.com and other places. For more information, visit www.harborfreightjobs.com. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 The business news you need Get the latest local business news delivered FREE to your inbox weekly. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. The Orland Park Police Department has sent surplus ballistic vests to help Ukrainian civilians in defending their country from the Russian invasion. The Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police put a call out for donations of ballistic vests for Ukrainian freedom fighters at the request of retired Mokena Chief of Police Steven Vaccaro because of family ties to the region. We are happy to do whatever we can to help with this urgent request, Orland Park Police Chief Joe Mitchell said in a statement. The surplus vests were sent to Wroclaw, Poland, to be given to Ukrainian civilians to help protect them from sniper fire during the war. In addition to the vests, the Village of Orland Park is organizing a humanitarian aid collection to provide much needed supplies for Ukrainian women and children in Poland March 19. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Like Best Actor, the Best Actress category this year is positively stacked. Jessica Chastain became the leader of the pack when she surprised at the SAGs for "The Eyes of Tammy Faye." But the SAG membership is massive compared to the Academy, and while the acting branch is the biggest component of Oscar voters, voters from other disciplines could choose to go with Olivia Colman for "The Lost Daughter" based on the power of that screenplay, for example. Or they could want to give Nicole Kidman a long overdue second trophy nearly 20 years after her first. Then there's Kristen Stewart, who was snubbed by the SAGs, but got a nomination here for "Spencer." Her performance was fantastic, but the movie was not exactly well-received. Who should win, but won't? Penelope Cruz for "Parallel Mothers." Steve Lopez, a social studies teacher at Munster High School, said students have been asking questions about what is happening in Ukraine recently. Ever since Russia invaded Ukraine last month, lives have been transformed globally. Several people in the Region have even been impacted, such as a woman from Crown Point with family in the country. Region churches and schools have also been showing their support. Lopez, who teaches United States history and AP U.S. History, said students are asking why Russia would choose to invade Ukraine. He said it has been helpful to explaining Western tensions with Russia since even before the Cold War. He said every class is discussing the subject, with students asking how much worse it could get and about the possibility of a draft. Lopez said students are asking why this is happening and what Russian President Vladimir Putins ambitions are. He said it is best to connect it back to history. However, Lopez said, some students are struggling because the media is presenting the conflict in different ways. Lopez said that while the war is obviously dangerous, current events like this make students understand how history impacts the modern day. Bob Deruntz, a teacher at Chesterton High School in U.S. and world history, said it has made his lessons more meaningful. My students were understandably unsettled and upset by images of Russian attacks against the Ukrainian people. But with little knowledge of Cold War history, they didn't have any context from which to understand the events unfolding before them. So we discussed the end of WWII, our ideological struggle with communism and the emergence of our Cold War, Deruntz said. He said that students were incredibly engaged and that it made history feel more real for them. Deruntz also said students have the world at their fingertips and have a lot of access to what is happening in Ukraine, such as potentially traumatic images of bombing or deaths. He said he has learned how resilient children are these days. Joseph Synakiewicz, a teacher at Hanover Central Middle School who teaches American studies, said he has his students engage with current events by watching a short news video every week. Lately, students have been asking about the possibility of World War III or nuclear warfare, with some students being genuinely concerned. Synakiewicz said he has placated some worries by explaining what it would take to get to that level and letting students know that Ukraine is not a NATO country. Synakiewicz said a lot of students do not understand sanctions, and he has to explain the complexities of them and the goals to influence Russia. He also said sanctions could possibly impact Russian citizens more. His curriculum does not go to the Cold War, only making it from early colonial times to reconstruction, but students are still very curious about what happened leading up to Russias invasion. He said he is studying the Cold War so he can be more educated on the subject. Synakiewicz said a unique challenge is that children do not have any recollection of the Soviet Unions collapse and the end of the Cold War in the 1990s. He said for some of them, it can be harder to grasp. However, Synakiewicz has tried to explain the situations leading up to this point, and many of the students are more open to historical events, as they have lived through several other major impactful events, such as the ongoing polarization in the United States and COVID-19. He said it is important to keep talking about these subjects so that students have a worldly view. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. BEIJING, March 15 (Xinhua) -- A speech by Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, at a central conference on the work of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) marking the 70th anniversary of the organization will be published. The speech by Xi, also Chinese president and chairman of the Central Military Commission, will be published on Wednesday in this year's sixth issue of the Qiushi Journal, a flagship magazine of the CPC Central Committee. The CPPCC is an innovative political system involving political parties, prominent individuals without any party affiliation, people's organizations, and people from all walks of life and all ethnic groups under the leadership of the CPC, says the article. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, building on our experience, we have put forward a series of new requirements for the CPPCC, says the article, noting that practice has proved that the CPPCC system has many unique strengths. In this new era, we must adhere to the CPPCC system, champion the cause of the CPPCC, carry out the work related to the united front with a strong sense of responsibility, and unite more people around the Party, according to the article. It also specifies three aspects on which the CPPCC should focus at present and in the future: -- First, the CPPCC should make the most of its role as a specialized consultative body. -- Second, the CPPCC should strengthen theoretical and political guidance and build extensive consensus. -- Third, the CPPCC should enhance the sense of responsibility among its members. HAMMOND Officials of the U.S. Department of Agriculture visited the School City of Hammond last week to observe the district's celebration of National School Breakfast Week. Vista Suarez Fletcher, regional administrator for the USDAs Midwest Region Office, and Alan Shannon, service director of public affairs for USDA, visited OBannon Elementary School Thursday to see students receive breakfast and participate in a door judging contest celebrating the week. Christine Clarahan, director of food and nutrition services for the School City of Hammond, emphasized the importance of school breakfast for students. In SCH, more than 70 percent of students qualify for free or reduced-price meals during the 2021-22 school year, according to the Indiana Department of Education. For some students, the school meals may be the main meals they rely on. National School Breakfast Week started in 1989, and a theme is chosen every year. This years theme was Take off with school breakfast. Clarahan said studies show school children who eat school breakfast are more likely to reach higher levels of achievement in reading and math, score higher on standardized tests, have better concentration and memory and are more alert through the school day. Hammond schools held a spirit week, with events like unicorn day and superhero day. They also held a contest where students could explain what they liked most about school breakfast to win $100. The USDA said Hammond was the first school district it had visited since the COVID-19 pandemic shut schools down in 2020. Shannon and Fletcher said they hoped to visit more soon, now that restrictions are starting to lessen. Hammond schools serve a variety of breakfast food. Meals are hot two days a week and cold the other three, with options like cereal, yogurt parfaits, fruit, muffins and more. Recently, School City of Hammond was able to purchase a refrigerated van with the help of grant money. Clarahan said they plan to use it this summer to help students who need meals when schools are closed. Clarahan is also on the No Kid Hungry Indiana Statewide Coalition. In 2020, she was honored by inclusion in the No Kid Hungry Indianas Hunger Hero Hall of Fame. According to its website, Clarahan and her team put together a drive-thru service where families could pick up meals for their children three times a week during the pandemic. They served more than 280,000 meals and Kings Hawaiian donated $50,000 to the school city. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. VALPARAISO A man testified Tuesday morning that when John Williams showed up at his Valparaiso apartment on Jan. 29, 2020 to purchase marijuana, Williams punched him in the face. Williams then forced the man into his bedroom and continued to repeatedly punch him in the face, according to the testimony. During the attack, the man said he was able to get ahold of a knife, but in an attempt to stop Williams, he stabbed another man he did not know. When that man, Travis Thompson, 36, of Valparaiso, said aloud he had been stabbed, Williams responded, "Oh hell no," the alleged victim said. The testimony came as part of an unsuccessful bid by Williams to secure bond from Porter Superior Court Judge Jeffrey Clymer. Williams, 29, is charged in the case in question with murder, two counts of robbery resulting in serious bodily injury, two counts of robbery resulting in bodily injury, aggravated battery when assault poses a substantial risk of death, two counts of robbery and one count of battery resulting in serious bodily injury, court records show. Williams is accused of battering the alleged victim while his friend, Thompson, searched the apartment for marijuana and THC wax, police said. During the encounter, the man being held down grabbed a knife and, while targeting Williams, wound up stabbing Thompson, according to police. After making a failed attempt to get Thompson into his vehicle, Williams and a woman drove away, leaving Thompson behind bleeding profusely in the 700 block of Elm Street, police said. Police and paramedics were unable to revive Thompson, and it was later determined he died as a result of blood loss caused by a stab wound on his upper left leg that severed the femoral artery. Williams, who is represented by defense attorney Mark Chargualaf, is scheduled to go trial April 4. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. VALPARAISO Police have released surveillance photos in hopes the public can help identify suspects in the recent vandalism of a local law office. Police say three people showed up around 9 p.m. Thursday to the Langer & Langer law office at 4 Indiana Ave. carrying items that may have been used in the damage to the building. "The damage consisted of a paint-like substance spelling out the word 'Victim' on the south facing wall of the parking area," police said. Police released photos of the suspects and their vehicle. Anyone with information is encouraged to contact Valparaiso police detective Eric Pickford at 219-462-2135. Information can also be texted to TIP411 (847-411) by entering "Valpo" in the message field prior to sending the message, police said. The word "paint" should be placed in the first line of the tip to identify the case. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. CROWN POINT A special judge rejected the Lake County sheriff's motion to dismiss his indictment on a felony count of resisting law enforcement and misdemeanor reckless driving. Lake County Sheriff Oscar Martinez Jr. was indicted by a grand jury in January. His attorneys, Paul Stracci and Michael Woods, asked the specially appointed judge to throw out the case, accusing Special Prosecutor Stanley Levco and an Indiana State Police commander of unduly and unfair influence on the neutrality of the grand jury proceedings. "On Feb. 16, 2022, the defendant by counsel filed a motion to dismiss," Special Judge Jeryl F. Leach wrote in a ruling Monday. "A hearing was held on March 7, 2022. At the conclusion of the hearing, the court took the matter under advisement. Having considered the defendant's motion to dismiss and the state's response, the court now denies the defendant's motion to dismiss." Martinez is accused of driving more than 50 mph over the posted speed limit on Taft and Main streets in Crown Point and Merrillville, as well as failing to stop for two Crown Point police officers who were chasing his vehicle with their sirens blaring. He was driving an unmarked Jeep TrackHawk at the time. Martinez has denied the charges. Stracci and Woods had argued the indictment should be dismissed because of a "flagrant" impingement on the independent judgment of the grand jurors that interfered with the detached tone the proceedings are supposed to have. Levco's co-counsel, David Thomas, argued during the hearing that Levco ensured the grand jury proceedings against Martinez were fair, even instructing them they could consider lesser charges. Woods argued that the Indiana State Police commander gave a legal opinion about reckless driving when on the stand, while Thomas countered that the comments were appropriate as he was qualified to testify as an expert witness. After hearing both sides, Leach took time to do further research of his own. A jury trial in the case is tentatively set to begin in June.* If convicted of a felony charge, Martinez would be automatically removed from elected office under state law. * Editor's note: This story has been updated to correct when the sheriff's jury trial is scheduled. The Times regrets the error. Love 2 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 1 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. VALPARAISO Vietnam-era veterans can get a free book and DVD as well as have their portrait made during a recognition event at the Valparaiso Public Library. They need to order the book online, though. The William Henry Harrison Chapter of Daughters of the American Revolution is hosting the event in collaboration with the Indiana Department of Veteran Affairs and Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans. The event will be held from 1 to 4 p.m. Wednesday for veterans who served between 1955 and 1975. Veterans may preorder their free book, A Time to Honor: Stories of Service, Duty, and Sacrifice, and DVD documentary, The Journey Home, at vetsgift.com. When they are presented the book and DVD, veterans will be photographed for the expanded digital version of the book. The book will not be mailed. Veterans are welcome to add their service photo, make comments about their branch of the service, unit, time in basic training, area served, awards received or story they wish to have preserved. Veterans will also be able to tell their stories through the Library of Congress Veterans History Project. Indiana has an estimated 130,000 Vietnam veterans. In the last few years, 17 presumptive illnesses attributed to the Vietnam War have been recognized and approved by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. HAMMOND Purdue University Northwest and the Society of Innovators will host a student pitch competition billed as "the most elite in the country" for high school innovators and entrepreneurs. The Innovate WithIN Region 6 Finals will take place from 1:30 to 5 p.m. April 18 at Alumni Hall at the Purdue Northwest Hammond campus, at 2200 169th St. The student competitors can win up to $25,000 in funding and tuition. "The 2022 Innovate WithIN represents not only our biggest applicant participation, but our most diverse group of students. In a day and age where we need innovators from all backgrounds, this years students will have the ability to fulfill our states need for young innovators and entrepreneurs," said Don Wettrick, founder and CEO of STARTedUP Foundation. Eleven teams picked from a regional field of more than 400 applicants will take part in the pitch contest. Region 6 has always been a leader in producing top talent. This talent has been supported by dedicated community members and teachers. Innovate WithIN continues to double in size every year largely in part of the local support and mentors like Purdue Northwest, Society of Innovators as well as the ecosystem of so many other local entrepreneurs in Northwest Indiana," Wettrick said. The regional finalists hail from Hobart High School, Valparaiso High School, Munster High School, Michigan City High School and others. Purdue Northwest is thrilled to be a supporter of the 2022 Innovate WithIN competition in Northwest Indiana, said Kenneth C. Holford, provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs at Purdue Northwest. As an institution that serves this broader metropolitan region, PNW is committed to ensuring that a strong workforce of future leaders is available. Consistent with the goals of the competition, we believe that creativity and innovation are among the most important life skills that can be instilled in our youth. These skills drive improvements in technology, business development, and ultimately strong economic development through the region. Prizes include full-year tuition scholarships to the first-place winners at the NWI regional competition, a $250 book scholarship and an opportunity to intern with the Society of Innovators or the NWI Small Business Development Center. Innovation is a mindset, and our aim is to help develop youth to be innovators, entrepreneurs and collaborators, said Sheila Matias, executive director of the Society of Innovators and Leadership Institute at Purdue Northwest. There is no better time to impact our growing innovation ecosystem than influencing the development of our region's high school students. That's why we at the Society of Innovators and Purdue Northwest are so excited to host the Innovate WithIN region finals in person this year where we can meet our young innovators and hear them pitch their innovative idea, product or service. It's going to be a great event." For more information, visit pnw.edu/innovate-within. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. This article was produced in partnership with the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting. GUANTANAMO BAY, Cuba For years, starting from the time they were held and interrogated by the C.I.A. after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, the prisoners spent their days and nights in isolation, each man locked alone in a cell, at times engulfed in darkness and white noise. During the period they were held in the C.I.A.s network of secret prisons, they would get solid food if they pleased their American captors, liquids if they did not and a mock medical procedure called rectal feeding if they refused their rations. Later, once they arrived at Guantanamo Bay and were placed in the bases most clandestine of lockups, called Camp 7, they were kept in isolation most of the day. When they were allowed out of their cells, guards would take them in shackles and chains so short they could only shuffle. Times have changed. Now the military allows the 14 former C.I.A. prisoners to walk unencumbered from their cells in two separate blocks, known as Alpha and Bravo, to enclosed open-air, recreation pens. There, they can pray and share meals together, in groups of six or eight. Some prisoners on Bravo block have fashioned a Ping-Pong table. Durkhanai Ayubi laughed as she recalled peeling walnuts as a child for haft mewa, a beloved Nowruz dish of her native Afghanistan. To Ms. Ayubi, a restaurateur in Adelaide, Australia, it was always the most tedious part of preparing the dish. For years, her mother, Farida, would gather Ms. Ayubi and her siblings to peel all the nuts and sort through dried fruit before rinsing and steeping everything in water for two days until the fruit plumped and the liquid was sweetened like syrup. Then, finally, they would serve the refreshing compote as a central part of the holiday. An ancient celebration rooted in Zoroastrian tradition, Nowruz signals the beginning of spring and the new year in Afghanistan, Iran, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and beyond. Meaning new day in Persian, this year, the holiday falls on March 20 at 11:33 a.m. Eastern time in the Northern Hemisphere. The incongruity of celebrating the first day of spring while heading into an Australian winter is not lost on Ms. Ayubi, who runs Parwana Kitchen and Kutchi Deli in Adelaide with her family. Even as her deportation loomed, Anna Sorokin appeared not to believe media speculation that she would soon be sent back to Germany. The rumors were devastating to the fake German heiress, who prefers to be called Anna Delvey and whose exploits were fictionalized on Inventing Anna, a Netflix series created by Shonda Rhimes released last month. Since her 2017 arrest and subsequent 2019 conviction by a Manhattan jury for bilking banks, stealing a private jet, skipping out on hotel bills and conning New Yorks elite, Ms. Sorokin, 31, had spent just six weeks out of custody, following completion of her minimum four-year sentence in February 2021. Then, last March, amid a bevy of media appearances, at a routine check-in at the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement office in Lower Manhattan, ICE authorities arrested her on charges of overstaying her visa. From detention cells in New Jersey and at Orange County Correctional Facility in Goshen, N.Y., Ms. Sorokin, who was born in Russia but has family in Germany, fought her deportation for almost a year. Once, in a phone interview, she referred to deportation as feeling like a big L on my end. March 15 update: The police in Washington said a suspect was arrested. Anthony Pla, homeless since 2015 and a New Yorker for 35 years, said that until this weekend, he had never experienced anything as unsettling as the streets of Manhattan emptying out during the pandemic. I survived that, Mr. Pla, 58, said Monday as he stood outside Holy Apostles Soup Kitchen on Ninth Avenue. And now we have people killing each other. As Mr. Pla spoke, the police and federal agents in New York and Washington were fanning out in both cities in their search for a gunman who over the last two weeks shot five men who were sleeping in the streets, killing one in each city. One law enforcement official described the man as a serial killer. In New York, investigators canvassed the street looking for video to help them identify the gunman and trace his steps. They searched encampments with outreach workers, looking for others he might have targeted, law enforcement officials said, and distributed fliers with pictures of a suspect, who had been caught on surveillance video in both cities. And they searched block by block for people sleeping on the streets, encouraging them to move into shelters for their own safety. ROME, March 14 (Xinhua) -- Yang Jiechi, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, on Monday elaborated on China's position on the situation in Ukraine during his meeting with U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan in Rome. Yang, also director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the CPC Central Committee, said that the Chinese side does not want to see that the situation in Ukraine has come to this point. China always stands for respecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries, and abiding by the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, he said, adding that China is committed to promoting peace talks. He called on the international community to jointly support the Russia-Ukraine peace talks so that substantive results can be achieved as soon as possible, and to help de-escalate the situation as early as possible. All parties should exercise maximum restraint, protect civilians and prevent a large-scale humanitarian crisis, Yang said, adding that China has provided emergency humanitarian assistance to Ukraine, and will carry on its efforts to this end. Yang also said that it is important to straighten out the historical context of the Ukraine issue, get to the bottom of the problem's origin, and respond to the legitimate concerns of all parties. He called for taking a long-term view, actively advocating a vision of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security, and encouraging relevant parties to conduct equal-footed dialogue, and set up a balanced, effective and sustainable European security framework based on the principle of indivisible security in a bid to preserve peace in Europe and around the world. Yang stressed that the Chinese side resolutely opposes any words and deeds that spread false information, or distort and discredit China's position. Ms. James, who sought the Supreme Courts intervention because it has ultimate jurisdiction over disputes between states, said in a statement that New Jerseys attempt to terminate this commission is unlawful, ill-advised, and infringes on our efforts to crack down on crime. In a statement issued by his office, Mr. Murphy, a Democrat, responded to New Yorks legal filing by saying his state welcomed the opportunity to vigorously defend its law withdrawing the state from an agency that he said does not fairly represent New Jerseys interests. The commission was born after public hearings in the early 1950s revealed the pervasive influence that mobsters had over the ports at the time. It performs background checks on prospective port workers and has the power to decide how many can be hired and when. It has also used its power in more recent years to demand that waterfront unions add diversity to membership ranks that have traditionally been dominated by white men. Fighting corruption remains a key focus. Several years ago, the commission investigated and helped prosecute union officials, shop stewards and foremen over a conspiracy to extort their own union members on behalf of the Genovese organized crime family. In 2019, a joint investigation by the commission and New Jerseys attorney general led to the sentencing of six men for their roles in criminal schemes that involved loansharking, illegal gambling and money-laundering on behalf of the Genovese family. Federal prosecutors in Manhattan on Monday accused a Russian tycoon of scheming to make $1 million in illegal campaign donations to federal and state political candidates in the United States to gain favorable licensing decisions for a cannabis business venture. The prosecutors said the donations by the businessman, Andrey Muraviev, 47, were at the heart of an illegal campaign finance scheme conducted in the months before the 2018 midterm elections that also involved two Soviet-born businessmen, Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman, and two other co-defendants. Mr. Parnas and Mr. Fruman were allies of Rudolph W. Giuliani, former President Donald J. Trumps personal lawyer, and assisted Mr. Giuliani in his efforts to undermine Joseph R. Biden Jr. when he was a leading Democratic presidential candidate. The allegations against Mr. Muraviev are not new; his name and alleged role surfaced at the October trial of Mr. Parnas and a co-defendant, Andrey Kukushkin, who were convicted of conspiring to funnel Mr. Muravievs money to American political candidates to aid their marijuana business plan. The court has also declined to intervene to stop the Texas law, which took effect in September. On Friday, the Texas Supreme Court said it was unable to stop the ban because the law explicitly prohibits the state officials who were sued from enforcing it. On Monday, the sponsors of the Idaho bill said they were encouraged by those decisions. Texas clever, private course of action did good, said Representative Steven Harris, the bills co-sponsor in the Idaho House. It stopped physical abortions, chemical abortions in their tracks. To those who objected that the bill was unconstitutional, Mr. Harris noted that Texas has already made two visits to the Supreme Court. And, he added, abortions are still being stopped in Texas. The Idaho bill differs from the Texas law in some key respects. Texas allows any civilian to sue anyone, whether a ride-share driver or a doctor, who aids or abets a woman in getting an abortion after fetal cardiac activity is detected, usually around six weeks before many women are aware they are pregnant. It provides $10,000 plus legal fees for successful suits. The Idaho bill, similarly titled a heartbeat bill, allows family members of what the legislation calls a preborn child to sue the abortion provider, and establishes a reward of at least $20,000, plus legal fees. It allows lawsuits against providers for up to four years after an abortion. The Texas law, considered the strictest in the nation, allows no exceptions for women who are victims of rape or incest. The Idaho bill provides an exception but requires women to file a police report and show it to the provider before they can get an abortion. Neither state would prosecute women who have an abortion. A separate group, launched by Novogratz, has been enlisting philanthropists to each pledge 1 percent of their net worth toward protecting democracy and said it had already raised $87 million toward a goal of $250 million in pledges by 2024. Most proposed changes include some variation on ranked-choice voting, a system that allows voters to select their preferred candidates in order. New York City used the system in its Democratic primary for mayor last year, to great media fanfare a breakout moment for what previously had been an obscure cause promoted by a small and scattered group of activists. Before then, ranked-choice proponents had notched a few quieter wins. In Maine, voters pushed through a ballot initiative in 2016 to become the first state to allow the system in elections for federal office. Alaska followed in 2020 with a similar ballot initiative, and 51 cities across the country have adopted ranked choice in some form or another. Proponents of ranked-choice voting argue it will make campaigns more civil, save money, lessen the polarization that is poisoning American politics and give voters more choices. And while the data is still out on many of those claims, surveys do show that voters tend to like it. One detractor has been Sherrie Swensen, the clerk of Salt Lake County, Utah, a state that has embraced ranked-choice voting in municipal elections. Swensen, whose position includes overseeing elections, said the system was very complex to implement, as it took weeks to figure out how to design new ballots. The democracy lobby Murdoch is plowing resources and much of her energy into Unite America, a group that backs organizations, campaigns and candidates that support electoral reform. Unite America is meant to be a cross-partisan meeting ground for donors and activists, she said. Its a group of people, Murdoch added with a chuckle, with a wide variety of reasonable opinions. Its executive director is Nick Troiano, a 32-year-old activist who ran for office as an independent in Pennsylvania at 24. Troiano has recruited a staff of hard-nosed political operatives from both parties, hoping to develop a cadre of seasoned campaigners who can steer investments and advise ballot initiatives in new states. KYIV, Ukraine Three European leaders were traveling to Kyiv on Tuesday to express the European Unions unequivocal support for Ukraine and offer financial help, the Czech and Polish governments said, even as fighting rages around the city, with half a dozen loud blasts shaking central Kyiv in the pre-dawn hours. The leaders of the Czech Republic, Poland and Slovenia were traveling by train and crossed into Ukraine on Tuesday morning, officials said. As evidence grows that Russias advance has stalled across multiple fronts, talks between Russian and Ukrainian negotiators were set to resume on Tuesday, presenting a narrow path to a diplomatic solution. President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine sought to step up pressure on the Kremlin by reiterating appeals to Russian soldiers and citizens appalled by the war to end the fighting. As long as your country has not completely closed itself off from the whole world, turning into a very large North Korea, you must fight, he said in a video address in Russian. There was little sign that the Kremlin would ease its assault, however, as it relies on long-range missiles and heavy artillery to bombard cities and other targets across Ukraine. Vladyslav Buialskyi stood center stage at the Metropolitan Opera, his hand on his heart, and sang the national anthem of his country, Ukraine. That was on Feb. 28, when the house reopened after a month off from performing and the Russian invasion of Ukraine was just a few days old. The companys chorus and orchestra joined Buialskyi, a member of the Mets young artists program, in a message of solidarity with him and his suffering people. Exactly two weeks later, on Monday, Buialskyi, a 24-year-old bass-baritone from the besieged port city of Berdyansk, stood center stage once more, his hand again on his heart, and sang the anthem with the orchestra and chorus. This time it wasnt a prelude to Verdis Don Carlos, but the start of A Concert for Ukraine, an event hastily organized by the Met to benefit relief efforts in that country and broadcast there and around the world. Alyona Alyona, one of Ukraines biggest rappers, said in a Skype interview from her home in Baryshivka, a town east of Kyiv, that she was hearing the anthem about 20 times a day on Ukrainian TV, where it was being used to rally the country. She had contributed to a compilation of the countrys music stars singing it, she added. This song has a very big meaning, she said. Even in Russia, Ukraines anthem has been heard, with some antiwar protesters in Moscow having been filmed defiantly singing it while being arrested. Paul Kubicek, a political scientist at Oakland University who has written extensively about Ukraine, said the anthem was penned in the 1860s when much of what is today Ukraine was part of the Russian Empire. It was a time of cultural awakening, Kubicek said, with elites looking to revive and celebrate a Ukrainian heritage that was at risk of being lost to a process of Russification. Those elites included Pavlo Chubynsky, an ethnologist and poet, who in 1862 wrote the lyrics after being inspired by patriotic songs from Serbia and Poland. The following year, a composer and priest, Mykhailo Verbytsky, set Chubynskys words to music. Rory Finnin, a professor of Ukrainian studies at Cambridge University, said Chubynskys song was one of a host of texts that worried the Russian authorities around that time. In 1863, they began censoring almost all Ukrainian publications, Finnin said. Soon, Chubynsky was expelled from the country for disturbing the minds of the public, Finnin added. Maureen Howard, who first drew wide attention in 1965 with her novel Bridgeport Bus, which came to be regarded as a precursor to second-wave feminism, and went on to write ambitious, well-regarded books for 45 more years, died on Sunday in Manhattan. She was 91. Her daughter, Loretta Howard, confirmed the death. Ms. Howards novels, some of which took Irish American assimilation as a theme, often featured women confronting challenges in marriage and society. Three successive midcareer works, Grace Abounding (1982), Expensive Habits (1986) and Natural History (1992), were finalists for the prestigious PEN/Faulkner Award. Her final four books, as she described them, were thematically a seasonal quartet first winter with A Lovers Almanac (1998), then spring with Big as Life (2001), summer with The Silver Screen (2004) and, finally, autumn with The Rags of Time (2009). Paul Slovak, her editor on those four books, which were published by Viking, said by email that Ms. Howards works featured an ambitious interplay of history, politics, art and life as they tracked the stories of families and especially of spirited, formidable women, providing a broad take on American life over the last 60 years. Ms. Howard, who also taught at Princeton, Yale and other institutions over the years, was in her early 30s when she published her first novel, Not a Word About Nightingales, in 1962. Bridgeport Bus, three years later, was about a 35-year-old virgin named Mary Agnes who lives with her mother, not particularly happily: When I go home my mother and I play a cannibal game; we eat each other over the years, tender morsel by morsel until there is nothing left but dry bone and wig. Russian forces want to take Mykolaiv because it stands in their way. Capturing the city would allow Russian forces to press on to Odessa, Ukraines largest civilian port. It would also enable Russian-backed separatist forces in eastern Ukraine to join forces with fighters from Crimea, which Russia annexed in 2014. To take control of Mykolaiv, Russian forces must first capture the Varvarivsky Bridge, where Ukrainian fighters have dug in. And to punish the city for its resistance, the Russian troops have been bombarding residential neighborhoods, hospitals and supermarkets. At least a dozen civilians were killed by airstrikes over the weekend, according to the local authorities. In this city under siege, Michael describes a refusal to succumb by residents. The resistance is led by Vitaliy Kim, the regional governor, who posts upbeat video messages on social media. In his messages, Kim refers to Russian forces as idiots, bastards and orcs, the evil army of the east in the The Lord of the Rings series. My strategy is to be much more joyous than is appropriate for this kind of situation, he said. This doesnt mean that I dont understand how serious things are. Any Russian effort to take Mykolaiv would lead to a bloody urban firefight, the governor said. Residents have piled tires and cached incendiary bombs on every street corner. If the Russians enter the city, they could be quickly plunged into a smoky blackness, providing cover as the Ukrainian defenders try to pick off the Russian tanks one by one. Three European leaders head to Ukraine The prime ministers of the Czech Republic, Poland and Slovenia traveled by train to Kyiv, Ukraines capital, on Tuesday to express the European Unions support for Ukraine. Next week, President Biden will travel to Brussels to attend a special NATO meeting about the war. The Tuesday visit comes as fighting raged around the city. Blasts shook Kyiv at dawn, killing at least four people, the mayor said. Follow live updates here. Russias advance remains stalled on several fronts as Ukrainian forces repel attacks in parts of the east and the south. But the Russian Defense Ministry claimed to have captured the entire Kherson region, after seizing the main city two weeks ago. Ukrainian resistance: The move possibly strengthens Russias ability to push west toward Mykolaiv, a strategic port city where the morgue is already overflowing. Our correspondent and photographer reported from Mykolaiv on a refusal to succumb by Ukrainian fighters and residents. RAMALLAH, March 14 (Xinhua) -- Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammed Ishtaye on Monday said it is necessary to continue making political progress to break the deadlock between Palestine and Israel. According to a statement, when meeting with U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Israel and Palestinian Affairs Hady Amr here, the prime minister urged Washington to "pressure Israel to abide by the signed agreements so as to turn the political file into motion." There is also a need for a political dialogue between Palestine and the United States, Ishtaye added. The meeting was held days after the Israeli District Planning and Building Committee approved a plan to build 730 new housing units in Pisgat Ze'ev, a Jewish settlement in East Jerusalem, which has provoked opposition and anger in Palestine. The last direct peace talks between Palestine and Israel, which had been sponsored by the United States and lasted for nine months, stopped in 2014 due to deep differences over issues related to Jewish settlements, borders and security. Prices for coal used to generate electric power have hit record levels in recent days on fears that supplies from Russia could be disrupted. Prices for thermal or hard coal recently topped $462 a metric ton before easing back to about $380, said Steve Hulton, vice president of coal at Rystad Energy, a consulting firm. He said these were record prices, well above established norms. Coal buyers are trying to lock up supplies, he said, amid worries that Western sanctions on Russia over the invasion of Ukraine could lead to a cutoff. Buyers who need coal are wanting to buy coal at almost any price, he said. Despite calls to curb the use of coal in an effort to tackle climate change, the dirtiest fossil fuel remains crucial for power generation, accounting for about 35 percent of global electricity. Both China and India are huge consumers of coal. Thermal coal use has been declining in Europe but ticked up in 2021 because of increased demand for power as economies recovered from the pandemic. Coal use is also expected to remain strong in 2022, partly because it can be a substitute for natural gas, which has reached exorbitant price levels. This month, Frans Timmermans, the European Commissions executive vice president for green energy, suggested that burning coal could be an alternative to Russian gas. President Biden will withdraw his nomination of Sarah Bloom Raskin to serve as the Federal Reserves top bank regulator on Tuesday, after a Democratic senator said he would join Republicans in voting against her, most likely dooming her chances of confirmation. Ms. Raskin earlier on Tuesday sent a letter to the White House asking to withdraw her name from consideration to be the Feds vice chair for supervision, according to two people familiar with the decision. The New Yorker earlier reported the existence of the letter. Sarah was subject to baseless attacks from industry and conservative interest groups, Mr. Biden said in a statement released on Tuesday afternoon. While the end of Ms. Raskins candidacy will leave the Biden administration without the regulatory voice it was hoping for at the Fed Board, which oversees the nations largest banks, it could pave the way toward confirmation for the White Houses other Fed picks. Republicans had been stonewalling Ms. Raskins nomination, and in the process they were holding up the White Houses four other Fed nominees, including Jerome H. Powell, who is seeking confirmation to a second term as Fed chair. A container ship operated by the same company whose vessel blocked the Suez Canal last year, holding up billions of dollars in global trade for nearly a week, has been stuck in the Chesapeake Bay since Sunday night, according to officials in Maryland. The 1,095-foot Ever Forward was on its way to Norfolk, Va., from Baltimore when it ran aground in the bay near the Craighill Channel, said Petty Officer Third Class Breanna Centeno, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Coast Guard. A salvage team, Naval architects and divers were working to free the ship, William P. Doyle, executive director of the Maryland Port Administration, said in a statement. The Coast Guard is leading the salvage efforts, he said. There were no injuries and no pollution-related spills, Mr. Doyle said. Petty Officer Centeno said the ship was not carrying hazardous materials. In an echo of the exodus of journalists from Afghanistan after the Taliban swept through the country last year, media executives and editors are engaged in a high-stakes debate about risk in Russia. Is it prudent, they ask their reporters over secure apps each day, to gather news in an increasingly hostile and isolated country? If not, is it feasible to continue from outside its borders? There is a constant minute-to-minute triage of that balance, said Matthew Baise, director of digital strategy at Voice of America, the U.S. government broadcaster, which until recently employed several journalists reporting from Russia. Every day, were attempting to adapt to the situation there while not jeopardizing peoples lives, but we also have to have a way to get reporting out of the country. Now a dozen Voice of America employees have left Russia. and others are lying low, Mr. Baise said. Clarissa Ward, CNNs chief international correspondent, said in an interview from Kyiv, Ukraine, that its a huge blow to not be able to do the kind of journalism we all aspire to do in Russia at the moment. Its not just a global audience there are a lot of Russians inside Russia who look to international news outlets to get a more well-rounded perspective, said Ms. Ward, who has been reporting from Ukraine for nearly two months. One crucial perspective that can be lost, she said, is how Russia is viewing this war, what ordinary Russians think about it. A Fox News cameraman and a Ukrainian journalist traveling with him were killed on Monday in Ukraine when their vehicle came under fire outside Kyiv, according to the network and Ukrainian authorities. The cameraman, Pierre Zakrzewski, 55, and the Ukrainian journalist, Oleksandra Kuvshynova, 24, were traveling in the same vehicle as the Fox News correspondent Benjamin Hall, who was also injured in the attack in the town of Horenka. Mr. Hall remained hospitalized in Ukraine; Fox News has not shared additional details about his condition. Mr. Zakrzewski was a veteran reporter at Fox News who reported from many war zones. He had been reporting for the network in Ukraine since February. Ms. Kuvshynova was a local journalist working with the Fox News reporting team. Suzanne Scott, the chief executive of Fox News Media, wrote in a memo to the networks staff that it was a heartbreaking day. Pierre was a war zone photographer who covered nearly every international story for Fox News from Iraq to Afghanistan to Syria during his long tenure with us, Ms. Scott wrote. His talents were vast, and there wasnt a role that he didnt jump in to help with in the field from photographer to engineer to editor to producer and he did it all under immense pressure with tremendous skill. He was profoundly committed to telling the story, and his bravery, professionalism and work ethic were renowned among journalists at every media outlet. Oil prices dropped on Tuesday, falling below $100 a barrel, as China, the worlds largest oil importer, imposed new lockdowns to combat an outbreak of the coronavirus, moves that could threaten demand. The swing in oil prices, which approached $130 a barrel last week, reverberated through the stock market: Airlines stocks rallied, and shares of oil producers slid. Brent crude, the global benchmark, dropped 7.4 percent to $99.91 a barrel, its lowest price since late February. West Texas Intermediate crude, the U.S. benchmark, fell 6.4 percent at $96.44 a barrel. Over the past week, crude prices have plunged more than 20 percent, reversing much of the surge after Russias invasion of Ukraine added turmoil to an already-tight energy market. Tens of millions of residents in Chinese provinces and cities including Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen are under lockdown amid an outbreak of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus. Travel has been cut off between cities, production lines have stopped and malls have been closed. To hear more audio stories from publications like The New York Times, download Audm for iPhone or Android. The tasty crumb of a detail appeared in news accounts last week about the death of Charles E. Entenmann, whose very surname conjures a white-and-blue box with a cellophane glimpse of some baked treat that is both good and bad for you. It was said that Mr. Entenmann, who died last month at age 92 in Florida far from the South Shore of Long Island, where he helped his familys business rise like a baking Bundt cake to become a national brand did not eat Entenmanns products. He just wasnt a dessert guy, one of his children explained, no doubt causing Entenmanns aficionados everywhere to choke on their second secret slice of a Cheese Danish Twist. Roughly 17 million Americans received the Johnson & Johnson Covid vaccine, only to be told later that it was the least protective of the options available in the United States. But new data suggest that the vaccine is now preventing infections, hospitalizations and deaths at least as well as the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines. The reasons arent clear, and not all experts are convinced that the vaccine has vindicated itself. But the accumulating data nonetheless offer considerable reassurance to recipients of the vaccine and, if confirmed, have broad implications for its deployment in parts of the world. In Africa, for example, distribution of a single-dose vaccine that can be refrigerated for months is by far the most practical option. Johnson & Johnson has at least temporarily shut down the only plant making usable batches of the vaccine. But the South Africa-based Aspen Pharmacare is gearing up to supply large quantities to the rest of the continent. Only about 13 percent of Africans are fully vaccinated, and only about 1 percent have received a booster dose. ATLANTA When the pandemic hit two years ago, the United States faced an acute shortage of reliable Covid-19 tests. It was the nations first major pandemic failure, blinding health experts and the public to the spread of the coronavirus and allowing the pathogen to spread across the country unchecked. And for much of 2020, getting tested required waiting hours just to be swabbed and a week or longer for results. Now, hundreds of millions of rapid, at-home tests are pouring into the American market every month. The federal government is mailing out free tests, Americans are trading swabbing tips on social media and children are spitting into collection tubes at school. The flashiest developments in medicine typically involve treatments and cures, but the pandemic has been a case study in the importance of diagnostics. That is our first line of defense against disease: Knowing early, knowing fast and doing something about it, said Robert Nobles, vice president for research administration at Emory University. Over the last two years, a group of researchers at Emory and other Atlanta institutions has played a key, but largely hidden, role in getting Covid tests into the hands of Americans, working with the National Institutes of Health and the Food and Drug Administration. But in most African countries there is far too little of everything vaccines, and all of the equipment and trained people it takes to administer them to envision a significant booster campaign now. At the vaccine headquarters in Kamakwie, the health workers are just trying to figure out how to use the supplies theyve been given as efficiently as possible. The health ministry, for instance, never instructed health workers to give Pfizer to teens and Johnson & Johnson to teachers, Dr. Demby, the health minister, said. Instead, the community came up with that patchwork rubric on its own. Many local officials have been hesitant to try to stimulate demand in the public, he said, not knowing what shots they will get and when. On a recent Tuesday, the vaccination team headed out with a small Styrofoam cooler of their mishmash of vaccines to the village of Kathantha Yimbo, about a 40 minute drive on a rough dirt track. An advance team had gone through with a motorbike and a bullhorn urging all those who had a vaccination card to turn up in the central square. About 40 people wandered in, but the cards of most showed they already had two Sinopharm shots. They were sent away, with no offers of boosters. Some people had one AstraZeneca, but it was delivered last June so the second shot they got that day came about six months later than the recommended eight to 12-week interval. Rugiatu Dumbuya, 35, who was selling fry cakes in the market, came to see what the excitement was about and decided to get her first vaccine, since the shots were right there. She had heard about Covid on a DVD of news reports a friend of hers purchased in town and played in the market recently. I saw that people die of Covid sometimes, so I will take this even though I am not sure what it will do to me, she said, just before she was given a Pfizer vaccine from the one vial the team brought. Mr. Conteh gave her a blue card recording her first vaccination and sent her on her way. No one discussed when or if she might get a second. Noah Weiland , Matina Stevis-Gridneff , Monika Pronczuk and Apoorva Mandavilli contributed reporting. Containment measures followed quickly as Ma'anshan, Anhui province, reported 10 locally transmitted COVID-19 infections on Monday afternoon, a local government statement said. The infections included one locally transmitted confirmed case. The others were asymptomatic carriers, the epidemic prevention office said. The city received a notice from outside the province on Sunday that an individual whose virus test result was positive had been traced to Huangchi township in Dangtu county of Ma'anshan, the office said, adding that an emergency response began immediately. According to the statement, local authorities traced 282 close contacts and 374 secondary contacts of the infected people and found the 10 locally transmitted infections. Testing had been conducted for 21,700 people in the township. Several villages and residential communities were locked down, the statement said. Earlier in the day, the municipal government had released a notice requiring people from quarantined areas to stay home and those from outside to stay away unless necessary. Hefei, the provincial capital, and Fuyang, the northernmost city, advised residents, on Sunday and Monday, to avoid traveling to outside the cities. LONDON, March 14 (Xinhua) -- The British government will remove all remaining COVID restrictions on international travel for all passengers ahead of the Easter holiday, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps announced Monday. From 4 a.m. local time the coming Friday, all COVID-19 travel restrictions will be lifted, including the passenger locator form for arrivals into Britain, as well as all tests for passengers who do not qualify as vaccinated. Therefore, holidaymakers will be able to enter Britain without any restrictions for the first time since the start of the pandemic. Currently, only fully vaccinated arrivals can enter the country without the need for tests. But they must fill out a passenger locator form within 72 hours of travel. Karen Dee, Chief Executive of Airport Operators Association, welcomed the announcement, saying that "a return to restriction-free travel is good news for passengers and should allow for aviation to take significant steps towards recovery." The move comes as coronavirus infections are rising in all four UK regions for the first time since the end of January, with Scotland already reporting record-high infection data, according to the latest estimates from the Office for National Statistics. Tim Spector, professor of genetic epidemiology at Kings College London, told Sky News, "It is disappointing that as we hit record levels of COVID, Grant Shapps is saying it's safe." Official figures on Monday showed Britain added 444,201 COVID-19 cases and 726 deaths over the last seven days. The total caseload in Britain is 19,700,952, with total deaths at 162,873. More than 91 percent of people aged 12 and above in Britain have had their first dose of vaccine, more than 85 percent have received both shots and more than 67 percent have received booster jabs. Mingus then slipped the remaining cardboard under the toilet seat. Eventually, with a magicians flair, he disposed of it completely so that the cat was just using the toilet. Dont be surprised if you hear the toilet flush in the middle of the night. A cat can learn how to do it, spurred on by his instinct to cover up. I first discovered Mingus in middle school. His music was spontaneous yet composed. He took the listener to the brink of cacophony but always maintained a handle on things. Now, years later, my five-year relationship had recently ended. I was lucky to be employed, but I was definitely in the wrong job. My life was taking another turn toward the unknown, and I didnt feel I had much control over it. Minguss pamphlet seemed to be filled with little glimpses into his worldview and his creative process. After all, a cat, like inspiration, is a mysterious force. It cannot be commanded to sit or roll over, like a dog. Somehow, it felt as if Mingus could see right into the mind of the cat, to work with the enigma. I started buying copies for friends, as gifts. Then I decided to test the method myself, to see what it might teach me about Minguss gift for making things happen that shouldnt be possible. I havent had a cat since we lost Cleo, the Abyssinian, who went crazy, my mom claims, from licking the sticky side of Scotch tape. So I enlisted the help of my friend Madden, a writer and organist who has a tuxedo cat, just like Nightlife. She picked up a cardboard box, and the journey began. The first hiccup came swiftly. Her cat, Reilly, didnt want to go on torn-up newspaper. And so, nary a week in, we reinstituted the Pine Pellet sawdust that Reilly trusted and that Madden hoped would not gunk up her pipes. The box crept closer to its destination, and Reilly began using it in the bathroom. But three weeks in, when Madden put the box on the toilet, Reilly wouldnt make the final leap. After Barcelona, Spain, fell to Gen. Francisco Francos forces in 1939, nearly half a million Spaniards fled to France in what is known as La Retirada, or the retreat. The Catalan illustrator and trade unionist Josep Bartoli was one of those who left. His experiences and sketches during his detainment in a series of French internment camps fuel the rough grace of Josep, a hand-drawn film that is the debut feature of the French cartoonist known as Aurel. A humane camp guard, Serge (voiced by Bruno Solo), throws Bartoli a lifeline, and their bond gives Josep its contemporary anchor: An elderly Serge recounts his memories to his grandson. Bartoli (Sergi Lopez) endures the hunger of camp life and the abuse of its villainous gendarmes one guards face morphs into a pigs snout but he rallies his spirits with other defiant, bohemian exiles. In a desperate episode, Serge even looks for Bartolis missing fiancee, who is feared dead. Even viewers accustomed to mountain-climbing documentaries, in which climbers routinely concede a willingness to face death, may struggle to adjust to the grim stakes of The Last Mountain, a documentary that involves two fatal climbs in one family. In 1995, the British mountaineer Alison Hargreaves died, at 33, on descent after summiting K2. In 2019, her son, Tom Ballard, died at 30 making a run at Nanga Parbat nearby in the Himalayas. Like his mother, he was a world-class climber, maybe even born to do it. (In archival audio, Ballard says Hargreaves climbed the Eiger in Switzerland while she was six months pregnant with him.) After the Chinese government cracked down on the demonstrations, killing hundreds if not thousands of people, Mr. Li escaped to his home in Wuhan. But the authorities found him there, arresting him in the middle of the night in front of his family, including his young son, he later told a Newsday reporter. He was held for nearly two years at Qincheng Prison, along with many other political prisoners. After his 1991 release, he emigrated to the United States, studying at Columbia University for a year and then completing his doctorate at the University of Wisconsin Law School. He returned to New York, where he worked as an immigration lawyer. He remained a pro-democracy activist and dreamed of returning to China to help shape the countrys future, according to the interview with Newsday. The lawyers friends and colleagues were stunned by the attack. He was a tireless fighter and advocate for democracy, and he was a great American, said Aaron Lebenger, a colleague who had known Mr. Li for more than 20 years. Wayne Zhu, an immigration lawyer and a close friend, said that Mr. Li always had a good heart. Mr. Zhu said that Ms. Zhang had told his friend that she had been persecuted in Beijing, saying she had been detained and sexually assaulted by the police. Chris Li, who worked with Mr. Li, said that their law firm had been working with Ms. Zhang pro bono, and that she had visited the office Friday asking that Mr. Li try to get a picture of her protesting in front of the United Nations building removed from the internet. Those issues seemed to be exacerbated by the widespread isolation that the pandemic brought on and the abrupt halt it caused to the rhythm of the citys vibrant theater and arts scenes, some friends said. He worked as an usher for the Nederlander Organization, which operates several Broadway theaters, until November. It was unclear what prompted his departure, though it appeared he left on tense terms. Mr. Cabana will also be charged with aggravated harassment for sending threatening emails to an official at a union that represents ushers, the police said, and with assault for punching an employee at a Broadway theater in January. As the police searched for Mr. Cabana in the days after the attack, officials said the Secret Service was also notified that he had made threats against former President Donald J. Trump. A user writing as Mr. Cabana on social media accounts also fired off several new posts, discussing his mental health and saying he had bipolar disorder. Bipolar is a tough road to hoe, the person wrote. Dr. Jekyll to Mr. Hyde. He also accused the museum of a frame job and said he had never caused earlier disruptions at the building or been escorted off the premises by security. Someday when all the lies are corrected by the Evil media, the Truth will out and I will be EXONERATED, read one new comment on Instagram, posted under an old post that displayed a program for a play about six wrongfully convicted people. A woman who said she attended college at Missouri State University with Mr. Cabana and remained friends with him said his behavior seemed to be reflective of deeper recent challenges and that he was not the monster some may believe. The woman, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because she wanted to preserve her privacy, recalled visiting New York about six years ago and spending the afternoon at a film institute and in Times Square with Mr. Cabana. She said his compassion, kind spirit and unique sense of humor stood out from their interactions. Germany is one of the worlds great trading nations. In 2019, it imported $1.2 trillion worth of goods from all over the world. Only about 2 percent of that total came from Russia. In fact, the Russian Federation, with roughly 144 million people, was only slightly more important in German trade than Ireland, with around five million people. Ordinarily, then, you wouldnt expect a disruption of economic relations with Russia to have a big effect on the German economy. Unfortunately, Russia is a key supplier of one good Germany will find it hard to replace: natural gas. Nearly all of Germanys natural gas consumption is imported via pipelines, and about 55 percent of its gas comes from Russia. This situation should never have been allowed to happen; successive U.S. administrations going all the way back to that of Ronald Reagan have warned Germany not to let itself become so dependent on a despotic regime. (I witnessed some of those discussions during my own brief stint in government, in 1982-83.) But here we are. And while democratic nations have imposed a wide range of economic sanctions on the Putin regime, restrictions on Russian gas sales remain conspicuously absent from the list. Yet Russian atrocities and, to be honest, the surprising incompetence of Russias vaunted military, as the expected blitzkrieg enters its 20th day of apparent stalemate have been rapidly changing the political calculus of the Wests response. Three weeks ago, it seemed inconceivable that German politicians would be willing to impose any significant pain on their voters in response to Vladimir Putins aggression. Now there are serious discussions underway about whether and to what extent Germany can wean itself from Russian gas. Congresss broad and nearly unlimited power to levy taxes, its limitless power to raise and maintain an army, its power to regulate interstate and foreign commerce and its general grant to do whatever is necessary and proper to fulfill its obligations are all a direct response to the weakness of the articles and the way that weakness empowered states to run roughshod over common interest. The supremacy clause This Constitution, and the laws of the United States which shall be made in pursuance thereof; and all treaties made, or which shall be made, under the authority of the United States, shall be the supreme law of the land; and the judges in every state shall be bound thereby, any thing in the Constitution or laws of any state to the contrary notwithstanding is likewise a product of the framers desire to bring state governments to heel as much as possible. It is not for nothing that opponents of the Constitution singled out its treatment of the states as an egregious assault on the freedom of the American people. To the antifederalists the Constitution represented a repudiation of everything that Americans had fought for, the historian Gordon Wood writes in The Creation of the American Republic, 1776-1787. In the context of conventional 18th-century political thought the Constitution obviously represented a reinforcement of energy at the expense of liberty, a startling strengthening of the rulers power at the expense of the peoples participation in the government. One rejoinder here is simply the 10th Amendment to the Constitution, which says that 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. This, for many conservatives, is an affirmation of the rights of states, one that proves the intent of the framers to protect the authority of state governments. But for Madison, who wrote the amendment, it was a superfluous recapitulation of the principle that the federal government was one of enumerated, not inherent, powers. He saw no harm in making such a declaration, if it would assuage opponents worried, as the historian Pauline Maier wrote in Ratification: The People Debate the Constitution, 1787-1788, that the Constitution failed to give states sufficient protection to guarantee their continued existence. And to ensure that it would not upset the balance of power established in the Constitution, Madison rejected the input of state ratifying conventions, which wanted the amendment to specify the expressly delegated powers of the United States. In the absence of that expressly, the new national government could, and would, take a broad view of its powers over the country and the states. Why does this matter? What, if anything, does it have to do with the present? Well, to start, it is a useful corrective in light of emerging theories like the independent state legislature doctrine I mentioned before, which rests on a states-centric view of the Constitution that falls apart on cursory contact with the history in question. Every war brings surprises, but what is most striking about Vladimir Putins war against Ukraine and indirectly against the whole democratic West is how many of the bad surprises, so far, have been for Putin and how many of the good surprises have been for Ukraine and its allies around the world. How so? Well, I am pretty sure that when Putin was plotting this war, he was assuming that by three weeks into it hed be giving a victory speech at the Ukrainian Parliament, welcoming it back into the bosom of Mother Russia. He probably also assumed that President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine would be in exile in a Polish Airbnb, Russian troops would still be removing all the flowers from their tanks thrown by welcoming Ukrainians, and Putin and President Xi Jinping of China would be high-fiving each other for having shown NATO and Sleepy Joe whos going to set the rules of the international system. Instead, Ukrainians have given Russians a tutorial on fighting and dying for freedom and self-determination. Putin appears locked into his own germ-free isolation chamber, probably worrying that any Russian military officer who comes near may pull a gun on him. Zelensky will be addressing the U.S. Congress virtually. And, rather than globalization being over, individuals all over the world are using global networks to monitor and influence the war in totally unexpected ways. With a few clicks theyre sending money to support Ukrainians and with a few more keystrokes telling everyone from McDonalds to Goldman Sachs that they must withdraw from Russia until Russian soldiers withdraw from Ukraine. I think of this kind of thing in reference to altering standards of evaluation so that Black and Latino students are represented proportionally in various institutions. These days, one is to think of this sort of thing as equity. The idea seems to be that until there is something much closer to equality as in equal access to resources throughout society, we must force at least the superficial justice of equity in sheer percentages. But too often, the message being communicated to Black and Latino people is that our presence is what matters, not our performance. I am uncomfortable, for example, with the domino-effect elimination of standardized testing requirements in university admissions policies across the country. According to the National Center for Fair and Open Testing, around 1,800 colleges and universities will not require high school graduates applying to start classes in fall 2022 to submit ACT/SAT results, with a list that includes not only U.N.C. and Harvard but also other prestigious public and private institutions, including the University of California, the University of Texas, Yale University and Princeton University. Many of the schools cite the pandemic as the reason for making standardized testing optional, but I dont buy it. Ive been in academia long enough and have experienced the decades-long debate over racial preferences long enough to suspect that this is cover for a policy change that some schools wanted to make anyway. Questions about how predictive the tests are of student performance are welcome, and its certainly true that some students with high scores struggle in college while some with low scores thrive. But those questions dont conclusively refute the utility of the tests as a tool for evaluating which students are ready to succeed in college. And one of the motivations for eliminating these tests or making admissions test-optional (as some colleges now say, as if students are eager to sit for optional exams) is to allow more Black and Latino students to be admitted. This impulse is based on an assumption that because Black, Latino, Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native kids, on average, according to the National Center for Education Statistics, dont perform as well on these tests as their white and Asian peers, the tests must be, in some way, racially biased. But what, really, does that mean? Is it that the tests ask racially biased questions? Which ones? Is it that it is somehow unfair to give a Black or Latino student a test of abstract cognitive skill and that Black and Latino students should be tested differently? This would seem dangerously close to saying that they arent as intelligent as others. If that isnt the intention, then is the inference that there is something cultural, broadly speaking, that hinders their ability to perform well on these tests? If so, what? I could say something like, Look up all the customer records from the last year, and it will go do that for you automatically, said Charles Lamanna, Microsofts corporate vice president of business apps and platforms. He estimates that half of all office work could be automated with A.I. if there were enough developers to do the work. The only way to do this is to empower everybody to be a no-code developer. Eventually the broader public will be able to create A.I.-enabled software in much the same way that teenagers today can create sophisticated video effects that would have required a professional studio a decade or two ago. For now, though, most no-code-A.I. users are business professionals who want to streamline the way things are done without having to involve a programmer. Googles AppSheet, for example, is an open platform where people can connect data and, with a single click, create apps that can be opened on a smartphone, tablet or computer. It uses A.I. to understand the intent of users and enables them to build mobile and desktop applications with integrated computer vision and predictive analytics features. It costs nothing to make apps for personal use. Were focused on making this consumable by regular people, said Praveen Seshadri, AppSheets co-founder and chief executive. There are many organizations around the world that have teams of people that need to coordinate schedules and tasks, he added. Each one is unique and more suited to building a custom app than trying to use something off the shelf. As an example, he cited New Incentives, an organization that gives small amounts of cash to mothers in some of the poorest parts of Nigeria to encourage them to immunize their children. To track that data, they built an app with AppSheet that their employees now use in the field. Alex Denning, who runs Ellipsis, a small marketing company for businesses that use WordPress, turned to Akkio to build an A.I. system that could predict which keyword and title would get his clients blog posts the most visibility on Google and other search engines. He dragged and dropped onto Akkios site a spreadsheet of past keywords and blog-post titles along with the number of clicks those posts got on Google. After a few keystrokes, Akkio created an A.I. to do the job. Children greet each other as they arrive at school in New York, the United States, March 7, 2022. (Xinhua/Wang Ying) Since the first week of September, there have been over 7.7 million additional child COVID-19 cases, according to the AAP. WASHINGTON, March 15 (Xinhua) -- Almost 12.8 million children in the United States have tested positive for COVID-19 since the onset of the pandemic, according to the latest report published by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the Children's Hospital Association. A total of 12,752,636 child COVID-19 cases had been reported across the country as of March 10, and children represented 19 percent of all confirmed cases, according to the report. Nearly 411,000 of these cases have been added in the past 4 weeks. About 42,000 child COVID-19 cases were reported in the past week, according to the report. Since the first week of September, there have been over 7.7 million additional child COVID-19 cases, according to the AAP. There is an urgent need to collect more age-specific data to assess the severity of illness related to new variants as well as potential longer-term effects, said the report. "It is important to recognize there are immediate effects of the pandemic on children's health, but importantly we need to identify and address the long-lasting impacts on the physical, mental, and social well-being of this generation of children and youth," said the report. But first the agency has to be built and Mr. Soltani, 47, a privacy expert who once served as the Federal Trade Commissions top technologist, has to overcome the lack of precedent. So he has reached out to groups not exactly adjacent to what his agency will be, like the racing board and others, for help navigating his new position. He has already encountered challenges. He and his colleagues have received reams of feedback from industry lobbyists. They face questions from privacy activists about whether their budget is substantial enough to police the worlds largest companies. The board discussions need to be open to the public. And in the coming months, they must translate the feedback they have received into hard rules. Its easily the most difficult thing Ive done in my life, but also I think potentially the most impactful, said Mr. Soltani, who has been working from his home in Oakland, Calif. The new California agency reflects a larger shift in how the rules of the global internet are being set and who is setting them. State capitals and foreign countries are increasingly taking a hands-on approach to limiting online data collection, curtailing the tech giants power and moderating extreme content on social media. They are filling a vacuum left by Congress. Lawmakers from both parties have long said they would support a national privacy law. But negotiations in Washington have stalled, partly because of a dispute over whether a federal law should supersede state laws. California, Colorado and Virginia have enacted privacy laws. Utah passed a privacy bill this month and other states are considering their own proposals. MIAMI The state was threatening the Roman Catholic Churchs ability to shelter immigrant children when Archbishop Thomas G. Wenski of Miami went for South Floridas emotional jugular: He compared the unaccompanied children who were crossing the border today to those who fled Communist Cuba six decades ago without their parents. Offended by the comparison, angry Cuban Americans called Spanish-language radio. They wrote letters to the editor. A discussion at the American Museum of the Cuban Diaspora to denounce the archbishops comments turned emotional. Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican, who had directed his administration to stop renewing shelter licenses, called the comparison to Cuban exiles who had arrived legally disgusting. Archbishop Wenski and his backers, including a different group of Cuban Americans, pressed on. A news conference to accuse the governor of politicking when childrens lives were at stake. An appearance by an unaccompanied Honduran boy who had been recently reunited with his parents in the United States. And, in the weeks since, an onslaught of radio ads blasting the governor as uncaring. Even in Miamis knockabout politics, the scrap has been striking, exposing a deep divide among the former children of Operation Pedro Pan, the secret program run by the Catholic Church with help from the State Department that resettled some 14,000 young Cubans after the islands 1959 revolution. In the past, the programs beneficiaries, known as Pedro Pans, had largely avoided making internal rifts so public. But for some Pedro Pans today, either Archbishop Wenskis comparison went too far or Mr. DeSantiss policy did. The victim, who has not been identified, was found by the police 11 hours later after a passer-by called 911. Five more shell casings were recovered at the scene. Investigators concluded it was the same attacker because the casings were of the same caliber, the assailant wore the same clothes and the location was close to the earlier shooting. That night, police officials gave a news conference about the shootings. A detective with Washingtons Metropolitan Police Department who follows the New York Police Department on social media thought the gunman might be the same person sought in connection with three recent shootings in Washington. By 5:20 a.m. Sunday, the suspect had returned in Washington, Chief Essig said. That morning, Washington police called their counterparts in New York to exchange information. They asked the A.T.F. to compare the shell casings. By 2 p.m., the results confirmed the casings came from the same gun. Mr. Brevard called his father on Sunday and told him he was being followed and plotted against by people from his job as a server at a restaurant in Washington, the elder Brevard said. He said his son did not mention anything about shootings. On Monday, Mayor Eric Adams and Police Commissioner Keechant Sewell of New York held a joint news conference with Washingtons mayor, Muriel Bowser, and law enforcement authorities. The authorities offered $70,000 for information that led to an arrest and conviction and shared a picture of the suspect taken at an A.T.M. in Union Station. In New York, the police received about a dozen tips, including at least one with Mr. Brevards name. An anonymous tip sent to the Metropolitan Police on Monday also provided a possible identity, Chief Robert J. Contee III said on Tuesday. Soon after the tip, he said, Mr. Brevard posted a picture on a social media account that suggested he was back in Washington. WASHINGTON At least nine House Democrats have announced in the last five days that they tested positive for the coronavirus, with more than half of those cases emerging after lawmakers attended a party retreat last week in Philadelphia. It is unclear what drove the wave of cases or where the representatives had been infected. But members of the House spent hours on the floor without masks for votes that stretched late into the night last Wednesday before Democrats boarded buses to travel to their gathering. The infections offered a jarring reminder that, even as top officials seek to pivot away from strict restrictions and encourage Americans to learn to live with the coronavirus, the pandemic rages on. The White House announced on Tuesday that Doug Emhoff, the husband of Vice President Kamala Harris, had tested positive for the virus. The uptick was all the more striking given that Democrats, including members of Congress and President Bidens team, have generally been far more supportive of strict precautions against the virus, while Republicans have been vocal opponents of mask mandates and other measures, arguing that they are excessive and an encroachment on personal freedom. GUANTANAMO BAY, Cuba Prosecutors have opened talks with lawyers for Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, the accused mastermind of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, and his four co-defendants to negotiate a potential plea agreement that would drop the possibility of execution, according to people with knowledge of the discussions. Guilty pleas in exchange for life sentences could bring to an end the long-running case at the war court, which was set up by the George W. Bush administration and has been mired in pretrial proceedings focusing on the C.I.A.s torture of the defendants. Nearly a decade after the men were arraigned, the military judge has set no trial start date. No deal is expected soon. But guilty pleas resulting in life sentences could force the Biden administration to modify its ambition of ending detention operations at Guantanamo Bay and instead rebrand it as a military prison for a few men. In an earlier, failed attempt at such talks during the Trump administration, the accused plotters demanded that they serve their sentences at Guantanamo, where they are able to pray and eat in groups. They specifically did not want to be sent to the supermax prison in Florence, Colo., where federal inmates are held in solitary confinement up to 23 hours a day. The leading Republican candidate in the Ohio Senate primary employed offensive stereotypes about Asian people in a 2013 podcast, citing a widely discredited book, The Bell Curve, that has drawn allegations of racism and sloppy research. The Senate candidate, Mike Gibbons, a financier who has poured millions of dollars of his own money into his campaign, made the comments during a discussion of how to do business in China. The remarks, published here for the first time, come as Republican candidates grapple with how to address a topic that has inflamed their voters, many of whom blame Beijing for a coronavirus pandemic that Donald Trump has referred to as the Chinese virus. And though Gibbons hasnt used that terminology, his decade-old comments on China and Asian people could draw fresh scrutiny to a candidate who has received little national media attention despite running in one of the marquee races in this years midterm elections. Ive often thought that when Ive run into Asians theyre all you know, if youve ever read The Bell Curve, its a book, a very controversial book, I cant even remember who wrote, I think his name is Murray wrote this book, Gibbons said in the Nov. 3, 2013, podcast, according to a transcript of his comments reviewed by The New York Times. He was referring to Charles Murray, a co-author of the 1994 book. WASHINGTON In 2020, a United States naval engineer and his wife made the fateful decision to try to sell some of Americas most closely guarded military secrets, the technology behind the nuclear reactors that power the U.S. submarine fleet. Then the couple faced another important choice: To which foreign government should they try to peddle the stolen secrets? The engineer appeared to believe that soliciting American adversaries like Russia or China was, morally, a bridge too far, according to text messages released in court. Instead, Jonathan and Diana Toebbe thought of a country that was rich enough to buy the secrets, not hostile to the United States and, most importantly, increasingly eager to acquire the very technology they were selling: Brazil. The identity of the nation approached by the Toebbes has until now remained shielded by federal prosecutors and other government officials. But, according to a senior Brazilian official and other people briefed on the investigation, Mr. Toebbe approached Brazil nearly two years ago with an offer of thousands of pages of classified documents about nuclear reactors that he had stolen from the U.S. Navy Yard in Washington over the course of several years. WASHINGTON The escalating crisis in Ukraine is upending policy and political thinking on both the left and the right on Capitol Hill, as an immediate threat to the global order and soaring energy prices empower the political center at the expense of the two parties flanks. When lawmakers convene on Wednesday for a virtual speech by President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine, Republicans and Democrats will be confronting a changed environment, for better and for worse. Its bringing Congress together in a way, frankly, I havent seen in my 12 years, Senator Chris Coons, Democrat of Delaware and a confidant of President Biden, said on Tuesday of the consensus to support Ukraine. Youd have to go back to 9/11 to see such a unified commitment. That has meant a retreat by both parties from the policy proposals and political messages that most thrill their core supporters. On the left, Democrats are acquiescing to higher military spending and dropping a bid to pull back rapidly from fossil fuels. On the right, Trump-era isolationism and attacks on the trans-Atlantic alliance are being relegated to the fringe in Congress. Plans to make the presidents son Hunter Biden and Ukrainian corruption front and center in a Republican-controlled House now seem far-fetched. In July 1960, a little girls body, decomposed and burned, was found by a hiker in a remote part of Arizona. The child wore a checkered blouse and white shorts. Adult-size flip-flops had been cut to fit her small feet. Her nails were painted red. She became known as Little Miss Nobody, because no one could figure out who she was or how she had died. After more than half a century, she has her name back: She was Sharon Lee Gallegos, and she died when she was 4 years old. Speaking at a news conference on Tuesday, investigators with the Yavapai County Sheriffs Office said DNA analysis of the girls remains helped link her to relatives, and eventually to a case in Alamogordo, N.M., where she was identified as the young girl who was reported missing on July 21, 1960. It was the oldest cold case that the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children has ever helped solve. The unidentified little girl who won the hearts of Yavapai County in 1960 and who occupied the minds and time of Y.C.S.O. and partners for 62 years will now rightfully be given her name back and will no longer need to be referred to as Little Miss Nobody, the Sheriffs Office said on Facebook this week. UN Undersecretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Martin Griffiths speaks at a Security Council meeting on Yemen at the UN headquarters in New York, on March 15, 2022. Martin Griffiths on Tuesday warned against inertia and fatigue on the dire humanitarian situation in Yemen. (Eskinder Debebe/UN Photo/Handout via Xinhua) UNITED NATIONS, March 15 (Xinhua) -- UN Undersecretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Martin Griffiths on Tuesday warned against inertia and fatigue on the dire humanitarian situation in Yemen. After more than seven years of war, Yemen is becoming what humanitarians often refer to as a "chronic emergency," he told the Security Council in a briefing. "And, as aid workers know, there are grave risks in chronic emergencies, namely inertia and fatigue. We have to avoid giving in to those forces." UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, together with the president of Switzerland and the foreign minister of Sweden, will host a high-level pledging event for Yemen on Wednesday. Aid agencies are seeking nearly 4.3 billion U.S. dollars to help more than 17 million people across Yemen for this year, said Griffiths. Yemen suffers globally from the terrible statistic that it has the highest rate of the percentage of its overall population in need. New nationwide assessments done by humanitarians in Yemen confirm that 23.4 million people now need some form of assistance. That is three-quarters of the overall population, he said. Among them, 19 million will go hungry, and that is an increase of almost 20 percent since last year. More than 160,000 of these people will face famine-like conditions, he said. Despite many calls for dialogue and a cease-fire, hostilities persist along nearly 50 front lines. Last year, hostilities killed or injured more than 2,500 civilians and forced nearly 300,000 people to flee their homes, bringing the number of internally displaced to 4.3 million people, said Griffiths. The war has also accelerated Yemen's economic problems, pushing more families into destitution. This collapse is among the largest drivers of humanitarian needs, he said. Yemen relies on commercial imports for about 90 percent of its food and nearly all its fuel and other essential goods. Many of these goods could soon be much harder to obtain and at a greater cost. About a third of Yemen's wheat comes from Russia and Ukraine, where the current conflict may restrict supply and push up food prices, he warned. Fuel imports have also fallen sharply through Hodeidah port. Fuel volumes last month were less than half the average. This drop is contributing to fuel shortages and price rises, which are likely to become even more acute as the energy prices globally continue to rise, he said. All this means that Yemen's import-dependent economy, because of events that have nothing to do with Yemen, is even more fragile now than just a few weeks ago. The Yemeni economy needs the support of the international community, including through foreign exchange injections and other measures, as well as to avoid risking further damage, he said. Two-thirds of major UN programs have already scaled down or closed in recent months for lack of money, including deep cuts to core services like food aid, water, health care and relief for people fleeing the violence in Marib and elsewhere, said Griffiths. "So, if we have one message here today, if I have one message today for the world, it is this: Don't stop now. The UN and its members must keep working together to help the millions of Yemenis who urgently need it and who deserve it. They must show that being out of the headlines does not mean being left behind," he said. A top court in the southern Indian state of Karnataka on Tuesday upheld a government order banning Muslim girls from wearing head scarves inside schools, a ruling that is likely to heighten tensions at a time when India is increasingly polarized along religious lines. The court said that wearing the hijab is not part of essential religious practice under Islam. The ruling came at a time when members of Indias minority community are increasingly coming under attack as the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has adopted Hindu-first policies. Religious freedom is protected under the countrys Constitution, but there has been a proliferation of religious-based hate crimes, particularly against members of the Muslim community. Their members and right-wing Hindu activists have also been clashing at school campuses around Karnataka. The dispute began in September at a college preparatory school for girls in Udupi, a city in southwestern Karnataka, when teachers there barred several Muslim students from entering their classrooms while wearing hijabs. Ms. Psaki provided few details of Mr. Bidens trip and declined to say if he planned to meet with Ukraines president, Volodymyr Zelensky, whom he has praised as a hero. She also would not say whether Mr. Biden or other U.S. officials would meet with refugees who have fled the fighting. Were still finalizing the trip at this time, said Ms. Psaki, adding, Nothing on the table at this point in time, but the real focus right now is to meet with NATO partners in Brussels. Last week, Vice President Kamala Harris visited Poland and Romania, NATO allies along Ukraines western borders, to express support for Ukraine and suggest that Moscow might need to be held accountable for possible war crimes in the conflict. Mr. Zelensky is expected to request greater economic and military aid when he delivers a virtual address to Congress on Wednesday. Mr. Biden will join 30 NATO leaders at the special, hastily organized meeting, then will go to a previously scheduled European Council summit. Twenty-one of the European Unions 27 members belong to NATO, and it is possible that close NATO allies like Sweden and Finland will also attend the meeting. Administration officials said that the White House was exploring whether Mr. Biden might continue his trip to Eastern Europe, to meet some of the refugees flowing out of the country. In the southern Ukrainian port city of Odessa, Wang Jixian often starts his days by recording the sirens howling warnings to residents against Russian air attacks. Its part of his own battle against the skewed, euphemistic depiction of the war propagated by Moscows crucial partner, China. Mr. Wang, a Chinese computer programmer who moved to Odessa for work last year, has become one of the boldest voices challenging the Chinese state-controlled medias version of the war, drawing hundreds of thousands of viewers. Chinese television has glossed over the bloodshed caused by Russian forces and pointedly avoided calling President Vladimir V. Putins actions an invasion. In video dispatches from his apartment or the streets, Mr. Wang has shifted between bleak and wryly matter-of-fact when describing life in wartime. That fearless neighbor is out walking his dog again, he says in one. But he exudes fury when discussing Chinese nationalists who see Mr. Putin as a hero, justified in attacking Ukraine. Ukraines prime minister, Denys Shmyhal, writing on Twitter on Tuesday afternoon, embraced the visitors. The courage of true friends of Ukraine, he said. Discussing support of Ukraine and strengthening sanctions against Russian aggression. There was no indication that Moscow had guaranteed safe passage for the prime ministers. Mr. Putins spokesman, Dmitri S. Peskov, said that the governments of Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovenia had not been in touch with the Kremlin about Tuesdays trip. The mayor of Kyiv, Vitali Klitschko, visiting a burning apartment building hit in one of Tuesdays strikes, applauded the visitors. Keep supporting Ukraine, he said, because we are fighting now not for Ukraine. This war touched everyone in the world, especially the European Union, the European family. Mr. Klitschko warned that his city and the whole country face great danger in coming days. Earlier, his office announced a two-day curfew for the capital. On Tuesday, firefighters in Kyiv battled a fierce blaze in a 16-story apartment block for most of the day after a missile gouged a big crater at its entrance. They rescued residents through apartment windows by ladder through the thick smoke and later went back for some of the pets had been left behind. By midafternoon they had carried out two bodies in black body bags. Some of the survivors sat on benches, reluctant to leave even as the authorities offered to take them to a refuge. India is in talks with Moscow about increasing oil imports from Russia in an effort to keep spiraling prices in check, Indias petroleum minister told Parliament this week. The move comes as New Delhi is also striving to preserve its relationship with Moscow, its biggest supplier of weapons, at a time when India faces an aggressive China on its borders. I myself have had a conversation with the appropriate levels of the Russian federation, Hardeep Singh Puri, Indias minister of gas and petroleum, told lawmakers on Monday. He said the issues being discussed included insurance, freight, and payment arrangements. India depends on imports for about 80 percent of its oil needs, with 3 percent of that coming from Russia. Indias oil and petroleum imports from Russia amount to nearly $1 billion, Alexander Novak, Russias deputy prime minister, said in a statement on Friday. Reuters reported earlier that Indian officials were in talks with Russia to import crude oil at a discounted price and that one of Indias main refineries had bought millions of barrels from the trader Vitol to be delivered in May. LVIV, Ukraine With some residents crushed in the rubble from a relentless two-week onslaught by Russian forces, and others dying in freezing conditions with no heat, food or clean water, officials in the besieged coastal city of Mariupol are struggling to account for the number of dead and missing. Officially, 2,400 civilians killed in the city have been identified, but Pyotr Andryushchenko, an adviser to the city government, said he believed the toll was far higher. We have inaccurate data on civilians killed, he said in an interview with Current Time, a Ukrainian radio station. He said the official figure represented a small handful of those killed and estimated that the actual total could be as high as 20,000. In a telephone interview with The New York Times later, Mr. Andryushchenko said that 2,000 vehicles had managed to escape the city on Tuesday and that another 2,000 were packed and ready to leave. Officials told civilians hoping to leave to delete all messengers and photos from phones in case Russian soldiers tried to search them for signs of support for Ukrainian forces. This is their attempt to annihilate the Ukrainian people, President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine said in an emotional video address to the Canadian Parliament, repeating his plea for NATO to enforce a no-fly zone over the country. It is an attempt to destroy our future, our nation, our character. Mr. Zelensky asked the lawmakers to imagine if the CN Tower in Toronto were shelled like the towers in Kyiv. His language has become more pointed, even scolding, with each speech to a Western audience, revealing his frustration with leaders who have resisted more direct military involvement out of fear that it would entangle them in a wider conflict with Russia. The Ukrainian leader, who has become a hero to many in the West, is scheduled to speak via video to Congress on Wednesday, where he is expected to amplify his pleas for more help and increase the pressure on the United States and its allies. Mr. Biden is planning to announce $800 million in new security assistance to Ukraine on Wednesday, according to White House officials. The administration last week announced $200 million in security assistance for Ukraine and has made available a total of $2 billion in such funding. On Tuesday evening, the Polish state broadcaster carried video of the Czech, Slovene and Polish leaders meeting Mr. Zelensky and other officials across a long table, with Ukraines blue-and-yellow flag behind them. OTTAWA In an emotional address to Canadas Parliament on Tuesday, President Volodymyr Zelensky urged its members to support his call for a no-fly zone over Ukraine, asking them to imagine cities like Vancouver or Toronto being attacked, and calling for intensifying sanctions in the face of Russian aggression. Mr. Zelensky called the invasion of Ukraine a war to annihilate his country. Repeatedly addressing Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of Canada as Justin, he called on Mr. Trudeau to imagine Vancouver being under siege, to imagine Torontos famous CN Tower being hit by Russian bombs, to imagine children being killed and kindergartens being bombarded. This is our reality, he said. Mr. Zelensky asked that Canada and the world to do more to help defend Ukraine. Weve been friends with you, Justin, he said. But also I would like you to understand and I would like you to feel this what we feel every day. We want to live, and we want to be victorious. BEIRUT, Lebanon The Syrian police stormed her house and dragged her husband away. Her eldest son died in a rain of Syrian government shells on her hometown. So like millions of other Syrians, Hanadi Hafisi fled the country with plans to return when the war ended. A decade later, shes still a refugee in Turkey, where her work at a center that treats war injuries exposes her to a constant display of the human destruction wrought by President Bashar al-Assad of Syria and his Russian backers: paralysis, missing hands and legs, and deep trauma that leaves her patients asking why such disasters consumed their lives. I dont know what to tell them when they ask me whether they will reach justice, said Ms. Hafisi, 46. Seriously, what to tell them? That Bashar will be held accountable? That he will face trial? Of course not. As the world takes in the grim realities of Russias invasion of Ukraine the once-vibrant neighborhoods bombed out, the civilians killed by shells while trying to flee, the speculation about whether Russia will use chemical weapons many Syrians have watched with a horrifying sense of deja vu and a deep foreboding about what lies ahead. Today, she is a convicted criminal, facing potential prison time. And this week, the state is taking her to court again. This time it wants to ban her memoir. Suddenly when Cissi Wallin woke up one morning and understood she has been on the wrong side of history.Who is next? #MeToo I told you all along that @fvirtanen speaks the truth and @cissiwallin is a liar. Look here where the Swedish #metoo disaster is heading next. Lesson learned: Never start a lynch mob, it is bound to turn on itself once rule of law (facts) is reestablished. She would soon learn how much trouble naming the man would cause. The post led to a maelstrom on social media and in the news. As Flight SK946 rounded the southern tip of Greenland, with her husband and 2-year-old son quietly sleeping next to her, Cissi Wallin felt her resolve begin to harden. Two generations of silence was enough. Her mother and her grandmother, too, told her they had mostly kept quiet when theyd been mistreated by men. Its what women did back then, theyd said. But as the plane carried Ms. Wallin, a Swedish writer and actor, from Chicago back to Stockholm that night in October 2017, her thoughts were on what was happening in America. Harvey Weinstein had just been exposed and was fired within days. Something seemed to be gathering momentum. Within a few weeks, women across the country and the world would be saying it out loud: Me Too. A week after the flight, after working out, skipping her shower and drinking several mugs of strong coffee at a cafe near her house, Ms. Wallin posted a mirror selfie to her tens of thousands of followers on Instagram. The powerful media man who drugged and raped me in 2006 is named Fredrik Virtanen, the caption began. Today more than four years later Mr. Virtanen has never been charged with any crime in connection to his encounter with Ms. Wallin. (He has denied her allegations.) She, meanwhile, is a convicted criminal, at risk of prison time. In 2019 she was charged with and convicted of defamation, after Mr. Virtanen reported her to the police. Other Swedish men have pursued similar tactics: At least 12 criminal convictions have followed of women who had told their own stories since the #MeToo movement began. And now, in what might be a low point in Ms. Wallins quest for the right to speak about what she says happened to her, shes about to be prosecuted again after self-publishing a memoir about her experience. Although the book doesnt name the man, if shes convicted, the government will seek to have all unsold hard copies of her book destroyed. Even today, in the post-Stieg Larsson era, Sweden retains its reputation as the feminist capital of the world. Much of that reputation is deserved: In Sweden, 480 days of parental leave is standard; fathers can be spotted pushing strollers around on any given day in the capitals parks; sexual encounters are in theory, at least governed by a consent law; the government even officially proclaims itself feminist. And still, the outpouring of testimonials at the height of #MeToo was striking. More than 60,000 Swedish women signed appeals, many of which detailed personal stories ranging from sexual harassment to sexual assault at workplaces and beyond. But what marked the Swedish version of #MeToo as unusual is that this outpouring of testimonials took place almost completely anonymously: Few women were willing to come forward to be identified as the victims, and only a handful of the accused men were named. I was 17 and was raped by a Stockholm politician whos now a top candidate in the election 2018. Sitting with colleagues in the dining room hall. One of them fixates his eyes on me and says I can really understand why men rape sometimes. The other colleagues (male) laugh. I was 25 when I was a new intern at the medical clinic. A 50 or 60-year-old chief resident suddenly pulled down my pants when I had turned my back, squeezed my bottom and explained to the male intern that heres where you perform a crista puncture. After I left the court as a law clerk, one of the judges became my mentor. He was supportive, offered advice, and one day he came to the office and wanted me to pay him back. In oral sex. We were greeted on the first day of law school with the phrase: Here, we educate Swedens best lawyers and Swedens most educated housewives. When I did my court service, a now retired judge called me into his office the day before I was sitting in on a rape trial with him. He showed me photos of the three defendants and asked me by whom I would rather be raped. Sourcing for anonymous accounts: Svenska Dagbladet, Dagens Nyheter. The actor Sofia Helin helped spearhead the appeal from Swedish actors. It began on Facebook Messenger and then transitioned into a closed Facebook group, where stories poured in. There, in this small, closed space, people were initially willing to name names, and eventually it became clear that many stories revolved around a group of about 15 men, of whom several were among our greats, as Ms. Helin put it. Ms. Helin had her own #MeToo story. But she came to believe there had to be a better way to effect systemic change, without the discomfort or the ugliness of how #MeToo played out in the United States. Were not doing this trial by shame, she said the female actors told one another. It would be undignified. Below us. We wanted to be above it. We believed in the Swedish system, that this could be worked out and resolved in some kind of orderly way. After publishing a selection of testimonials in a national newspaper, the group staged a dramatic reading of anonymous testimonials from female actors detailing cases of abuse and harassment. It was a national news event, attended by the queen and the crown princess. Even the prime minister at the time, a self-described feminist, offered his support for #MeToo. Naming names felt impossible, Ms. Helin said. The actors were afraid, and to her, doing so felt inhumane. Besides, this nameless mass attestation to grave injustice was more elegant anyway. And this way, she said, none of us could be called a crazy woman. A group of actors staging a dramatic reading of anonymous testimonials from female actors detailing cases of abuse and harassment in Stockholm, on Nov. 19, 2017. Karin Tornblom/IBL, via Zuma Press I met Cissi Wallin for the first time on a gloomy afternoon a few days after her Instagram post. At the time, she had a lingering cough from a cold shed found difficult to shake, and as she sat, hunched over in a puffer coat, wearing a too-large Yankees hat pulled down low, it was hard to look her in the eyes. For someone whod recently made such a bold move, she seemed shy and wary as she handed me a copy of the police investigation from her rape complaint. The case was never prosecuted: As with many rape cases, Ms. Wallin had taken years to report the alleged assault in her case, the encounter took place in 2006, and she reported it in 2011 and after the police investigated, it was determined there wasnt enough evidence for a prosecution that could lead to a conviction. Ms. Wallin, who is now 37, is from an industrial town in the southwest of Sweden; her Polish immigrant mother chain-smoked and worked as a cleaner. Ms. Wallin had no higher education but plenty of talent and made a name for herself through acting and writing and built her influence online in the early days, when most of my colleagues and I were just joining Twitter and Instagram. She was a natural at social media, letting her followers know what was on her mind at least once, sometimes multiple times a day. She reveled in personal disclosures that sometimes tipped into oversharing, like the time she livestreamed from the hospital before she was about to give birth. I first saw Ms. Wallins Instagram post while I was walking home from a correspondents dinner a few nights before and saw a link shed reposted on Twitter. The man she had called out was a high-profile columnist for Aftonbladet, Swedens largest newspaper. He often wrote with a feminist slant; he was also a recurring figure in the kind of whisper networks women use to warn one another about certain men. I myself had an unpleasant encounter with him at a bar around 2002, when I was a journalism student in New York. Ms. Wallin at age 21 Courtesy: Cissi Wallin With a burst of adrenaline, I retweeted her, adding a line about my own experience. I was one of tens of thousands of people who saw her Instagram post, and a few other women came forward with information about their run-ins with him. A little more than a week later, with pressure building, Mr. Virtanen agreed to an interview in Aftonbladet. In it he said that while he might have behaved badly at times, he had never drugged or raped anyone. When Ms. Wallin and I met, her phone was overflowing with notifications and missed calls. If she was a young, peripheral feminist writer a few days earlier, she was now at the center of something that was moving very fast and that nobody quite understood. I convinced her that she should let me investigate her case as part of a story about other allegations that women had made against Mr. Virtanen. I told her that the press would have more freedom to publish the allegations than ordinary citizens writing on social media. She seemed highly skeptical, but she agreed to let me try. If she was a young, peripheral feminist writer a few days earlier, she was now at the center of something that was moving very fast and that nobody quite understood. After poring over police transcripts, tracking down and interviewing witnesses and scrutinizing the stories of other women, a colleague and I published a story that month after 12 women gave us accounts of their experiences with Mr. Virtanen. They gave independent and detailed stories of incidents ranging from sexual harassment to sexual assault and one account eerily similar to Ms. Wallins, which included blacking out and experiencing only flashes of consciousness during what she described as an assault. All of the women except for Ms. Wallin declined to be named; Mr. Virtanen was too well known and too powerful, they told me. Those who knew him professionally were afraid for their jobs, and those who were not in the media were too ashamed. Four days after the story was published, the editorial page editor for Aftonbladet announced that she had dismissed Mr. Virtanen from its opinion pages. But unlike the handful of men in Sweden who had been named and who quit their jobs or were fired and for the most part moved away from the spotlight, Mr. Virtanen set out to fight what he has called a witch hunt. He has called Ms. Wallin a pathological liar, and as for the other stories about him, the women had misunderstood or exaggerated the situation or simply didnt exist; the presumption was that my colleague and I had invented them. Despite having gone public in his own defense on the same day that our story was published, Mr. Virtanen reported multiple stories identifying him. These complaints were later adjudicated by the media council, which is part of a sort of self-regulatory body that all traditional media in Sweden voluntarily subscribe to and that handles complaints about the press. The council criticized our story, among others, deeming it a clear breach of press ethics. The accounts by mostly anonymous women, some of whom were speaking about incidents that took place years ago, did not justify naming the accused, they reasoned. Publishing the story, the council wrote, harmed the complainant in an indefensible manner. My paper kept our account up online but removed his name. I was also asked to remove a tweet in which I named him in conjunction with the article; I refused. Other media took note of the councils decisions; slowly, it became clear that in Sweden, the possibility of publishing the name of someone accused of sexual misconduct, even with multiple witnesses and accounts, would be risky. The message from the council was clear: Doing so could be a breach of good journalistic practice. What was the point of speaking to journalists now, several women asked me, when not even the media would call out the worst of these men by name? Above all, they were paying attention to what was happening to Ms. Wallin. In January 2018, Mr. Virtanen filed his own charges. That spring, Ms. Wallin received an envelope bearing the insignia of the national police. The letter required her to appear at a Stockholm district police station so she could be interviewed, on suspicion of gross libel. Less than two weeks after giving birth to her second son, still wearing the adult diapers dispensed by the hospital underneath her clothes, she returned for additional questioning. Ms. Wallins first trial for defamation took place in the fall of 2019 at the Stockholm District Court, where an overflow room housed members of the press and the defendants posse of young supporters, some of whom had taken buses from other cities; Ms. Wallin offered to reimburse them for their tickets, even though shed never met most of them. In the end, much of the defense testimony did not matter. Not that of Ms. Wallins former therapist, who described her patients distress when she recalled details of the night; not that of her former boyfriend, who told the court how she broke down during sex and confided in him. Nor did it seem to matter that two women, who had never met or spoken, had stories about being invited to two different after-parties, in 2000 and 2002, where they identified the same man, Mr. Virtanen, as having assaulted them. (Mr. Virtanen has always held that he has never assaulted anyone.) One woman appeared in person at the trial but was not allowed to describe the assault she said took place. The other woman had given a detailed account to the police but when she was not able to appear in person at the trial for what her doctor said were mental health reasons, the court denied the request of Ms. Wallins defense team to introduce her written testimony as evidence. Trials for defamation in Sweden are open to the public, so they must steer clear of further defaming a complainant. As a result, Ms. Wallin could describe what happened to her, but at the urging of the prosecutor, the judge kept reminding her defense team and various witnesses not to go into detail on any allegation of sexual assault. This was not supposed to be a public rape trial. Id spent a few days watching Ms. Wallin prepare for her court date and practice what she wanted to say: When the right to choose what happens to your own body is taken from you, when someone else decides what should happen to it, shed say, then, you should at least have the right to speak about it. Thats just as important. I believe its a basic human right to be able to tell your own story. Ms. Wallin at her first trial for defamation in Stockholm District Court in 2019. Fredrik Persson/TT, via Zuma Press In the years since we first met, Ms. Wallin had become a reluctant standard bearer for free speech in Sweden. After Mr. Virtanen filed his defamation complaint, her career stumbled. A documentary she was making about abortion in Poland was put on hold indefinitely, with vague references to how she was being investigated for a crime. She lost her newspaper column after a conflict with the publisher. She and her husband were subjected to an interview by a social worker after they were anonymously reported as unfit parents. In much of establishment feminist Sweden a world of celebratory galas and paid lectures on how government agencies might become more equal Ms. Wallin was a pariah. And the more she felt like an outcast, the rawer her writing grew. She seemed to thrive off being polarizing: She would write fierce diatribes on hot-button topics, from gender identity to cancel culture to trigger warnings, and throw herself into the social media fights that followed. She was called an attention seeker a profound insult in a quiet country. I lost count of the times I watched her try, and fail, to organize some kind of more structured sisterhood-type group, with other women. In the end, she often wound up by herself again. Each time I saw her, her physical armor seemed to have increased slightly: Her hair slowly turned redder, her eye makeup got thicker, soft pastel sweaters gave way to all-black ensembles. At the same time, she was now well known enough to be periodically recognized around Stockholm. Women sometimes came up to her and began sharing spontaneously. Her DMs brimmed with #MeToo stories, vivid and full of detail. Ms. Wallin would occasionally suggest women go to the press or to the police; usually, theyd tell her it was not something they wanted. The day before the trial, Ms. Wallin focused her anxiety on footwear at the very least, people wouldnt be able to say she looked shabby or broken on national news and so we took a trip to the citys fanciest department store. As we cut through the cosmetics department, a woman who looked to be in her 50s by the MAC counter spotted her. Cissi Wallin, right? She placed her hand on the younger womans arm. Best of luck tomorrow! Thank you, Ms. Wallin said, picking out a bright crimson lipstick and smiling faintly. At her trial, Ms. Wallin spoke about how, for years, she feared no one would believe her and how the arrival of #MeToo had moved her deeply and helped her feel less alone. She described anxiety attacks from what she said was a physical memory that had taken hold in her body, a memory of being in a completely powerless state where one cannot defend oneself. But in the end, none of this, too, seemed particularly relevant to the verdict the court delivered. Unlike in the United States, where truth is widely considered to be an absolute defense in defamation cases, Swedish law takes a two-step approach. The court first decides whether the alleged defamation is justifiable that is, whether its of broad public interest. Only if the court decides that a statement is justifiable will it move on to consider whether or not it is true. In this case, despite Mr. Virtanens being one of the highest-profile writers at the countrys largest newspaper, the court concluded that he was not enough of a public figure to justify public interest in his personal conduct. Ms. Wallins posts, in other words, were not justifiable, and as a result, it didnt matter whether her account of their encounter was accurate. The court will not review whether the statements were true, the verdict read. Swedens approach to defamation law stems in part from its broader philosophical approach to justice. In this country of strong public oversight agencies and robust social safety nets, the state also zealously guards its role as the primary arbiter of crime and punishment. Sweden is not a smaller, colder America with better child care. It is a different society. In the United States, defamation is typically considered a civil matter, something to be sorted out between two parties. In Sweden, civil lawsuits for defamation are, in theory, an option, but in practice, relatively few are ever filed. Damages are kept low, so as not to encourage individuals or corporations to sue. The idea is that conflict between citizens should be resolved via the state, said Fredrik Bergman, a constitutional lawyer who heads the Center for Justice, a public interest law firm in Stockholm. Sweden is not a smaller, colder America with better child care. It is a different society a country of just 10 million people, built on consensus and collectivism, where schoolteachers are instructed, as part of the governments national guidelines for educators, to emphasize the importance to children of being able to relate to and understand the situation of others and to develop a desire to act while considering what is also best for those others. To be an outcast in such a society has different and potentially more extreme consequences than in the United States, and the strict legislation around defamation reflects the importance of protecting each citizens right to remain a part of the collective. You could even be convicted for defaming a criminal, Mr. Bergman said. If it means other people could look down on that person, it doesnt matter whether something has been proved in court; it could still be defamation. Thats how valuable the right for anyone to participate and reintegrate in society is viewed. In many ways, this approach is appealing. It encourages forgiveness, a fresh start: Even criminals should be able to serve out their sentences and have the opportunity to reintegrate without the additional and arbitrary punishment of being shunned when its over. With her Instagram posts, Ms. Wallin had produced the equivalent of a medieval pillory and tied Mr. Virtanen to it, argued his counsel Monique Wadsted. Mr. Virtanen, who is currently unemployed, testified about what he described as the near collapse of his everyday life: how a slew of hatred washed over him when he looked at social media, how he suffered from stress and anxiety and constantly feared for how his public fall from grace would affect his children. This case is not about silencing, said Daniel Suneson, the prosecutor. On the contrary, he said, Ms. Wallin had been able to speak to her friends, her family, the police and her therapist. But she shouldnt have accused and named the person in front of a wider audience that is, the internet. When the guilty verdict came two weeks after the trial, both parties immediately appealed: Ms. Wallin because she insisted she wasnt guilty, Mr. Virtanen because he wanted more than the roughly $9,000 Ms. Wallin had been ordered to pay him. This case is not about silencing, said Daniel Suneson, the prosecutor. On the contrary, he said, Ms. Wallin had been able to speak to her friends, her family, the police and her therapist. An interview with Ms. Wallin aired on national radio after the verdict. In it, the female interviewer was audibly frustrated: Has this defamation process made you re-examine yourself in any way? she asked. Those discussing her case on TV after were, for the most part, no more sympathetic. Ms. Wallin was a radical, one commentator said. In naming Mr. Virtanen, she had committed an extreme act. As a good daughter of Sweden, I was always a rule follower, confident that my country provided the greatest of protections for both women and their speech. But as an immigrant to the United States who spent two decades in New York, I watched the fallout from Ms. Wallins Instagram post and her subsequent ordeal with a growing sense of disbelief. Maybe I was a radical now, too. Its not that speaking out about sexual misconduct in the United States is risk-free. Any woman speaking out about a mans actions runs the risk of being sued and owing damages and legal fees. And of course, there is the risk of doxxing and other forms of harassment. But the law tries to provide protections among them, by holding that a true statement can never lead to liability in a defamation suit. JoAnne Sweeny, a law professor at the University of Louisville who has studied and published several articles and an academic paper on the legal fallout in the United States and internationally after #MeToo, told me she knows of no current U.S. cases in which a woman is in serious legal jeopardy of losing a defamation suit as a result of accusing a man of misconduct since the #MeToo movement began. The way #MeToo played out in the United States was chaotic, like several parallel justice systems operating at once. There was the lawless realm of social media, where men were criticized for their actions, sometimes by name, there were the quasi-public not-quite-a-whisper networks (the Shitty Media Men list, for instance), and of course, there were journalistic investigations, which often required accounts from multiple women in order to be published. What ensued has been rightly criticized: for focusing too much on the toppling of big names and neglecting to push for systemic change, especially for women working in anonymous low-wage jobs; for lacking due process; for giving those toppled men either no path back in some cases or for making the path back too easy in others. But if what unfolded in America was not perfect, it was undeniably powerful. And according to Ms. Sweeny, the movement that traveled across the ocean to Europe and beyond could not have happened without the naming of names. Women have been talking about this for a long time structurally, but naming names made it real, she said. Those first big names Mr. Weinstein, Louis C.K., Matt Lauer being made public gave many more women the courage to speak out about others. In a concurring opinion in a 1967 Supreme Court case, Curtis Publishing Co. v. Butts, Chief Justice Earl Warren explained why people considered public figures those who wield power and influence, despite not holding elected office ought to also be subject to a high degree of scrutiny by both the press and the public. These people often shape society as much as elected officials, Chief Justice Warren argued, and as a result, citizens have the right to know about these people and to choose whether either to continue to afford those people the same power and influence or to re-evaluate their status. Anonymity makes none of that possible. Even before Ms. Wallins conviction, women who had followed her example in Sweden and identified men in their #MeToo stories on social media were beginning to be called in for questioning by the police. Julia Lindh was 18 and hadnt yet graduated from high school when she first connected with the comedian Soran Ismail, who was 10 years older, online. It was the coolest thing that had happened to me, she said, recalling when he asked her out to dinner. That he chose me. In the year that followed, she was drawn into what she says was an abusive and sexually exploitive on-and-off relationship including nonconsensual assaults she alleges amounted to rape. Amid what she said were death threats and harassment, she finally broke off contact. (In an email, Mr. Ismail said he never threatened or harassed Ms. Lindh and that he broke off contact. Mr. Ismail also denied ever engaging in sexual activity without consent.) Even at the height of #MeToo, Ms. Lindh had no desire to shame Mr. Ismail publicly. But the many testimonies of women she read online helped her work up the courage to do something else: She decided to finally go to the police. But first, she went to a closed Facebook forum for sexual assault victims with more than 580 people in it, to ask for help. This is without a doubt the scariest thing Ive done in my entire life, her post read, asking members of the group to keep her name confidential and then announcing her decision to file a police report. I will need support, she pleaded, asking any other victims of the man to contact her. She soon learned that at least two other women had reported him for sexual assault, to no avail. (Mr. Ismail denied those allegations as well.) Her complaint, too, was later dismissed because of lack of evidence, but a screenshot of her Facebook post was forwarded to Mr. Ismail. Mr. Ismail sent the screenshot to the police. He told the police that he and Ms. Lindh had always had a consensual relationship. He said he suspected that Ms. Lindh was in love with him and felt disappointed, so she wanted revenge. In the more than four years that have passed since #MeToo arrived in Sweden, at least 12 women have been prosecuted for taking part in what several of them said they believed was a global womens rights movement. The courts have told these women otherwise. I have found no instance so far in which a woman charged in Sweden with defamation in a #MeToo-related case has been found not guilty. The court said Ms. Lindh was guilty of gross libel and ordered her to pay damages of more than $5,000 to Mr. Ismail. Despite referring to him in the verdict as a public and very famous person the court said naming Mr. Ismail in Ms. Lindhs post in the closed Facebook group was not "justifiable." Last April he appeared in a two-part special on Swedish public television, titled Persona Non Grata, in which he spoke out about how the accusations harmed his life and career. This month, Ms. Lindh lost her appeal. #MeToo was many things: It was a conversation about workplaces and who controlled them and what they did with that power; it was an attempt to rewrite a societys rules. But at its heart, it was an outpouring of speech from women telling the stories of their own lives, as they saw them. In the Swedish justice system, who the perpetrators of sexual violence are is a private matter, said Linnea Wegerstad, an assistant law professor and scholar at the University of Lund who for a forthcoming academic paper has been studying the cases of the women convicted of defamation since the #MeToo movement began. Its clear that Swedish courts do not consider stories about sexual violence that name the accused men to be a political topic, which would fall under Swedens constitutional right to speech, she said. Its instructive, she added, to hear whom the courts say a woman can still tell her story to without fear of repercussions: her therapist, her immediate family and friends. A few dozen friends on Facebook counts as too wide of a circle. But sexual violence and abuse are not private matters. And the speech in #MeToo is part of an ongoing dialogue between women and the state. If the justice system had worked as it was supposed to, #MeToo might not have existed, in Sweden or elsewhere. #MeToo was always a way of saying that the state and society at large had failed women, that they hadnt been listened to or protected, and now women had to speak for themselves. In Sweden, however, the state has responded to these cries not with contrition but with a rebuke: Who are you to say we are not listening? Social media vigilantism doesnt exist in a vacuum, Ms. Sweeny, the American law professor, said. When someone commits a crime against you and your justice system isnt working, what recourse do you have? In Sweden, however, the state has responded to these cries not with contrition but with a rebuke: Who are you to say we are not listening? In the spring of 2019, Fredrik Virtanen published a book. Its title translates in English as Without Mercy: A Reckoning. In it he details his years of partying involving alcohol and drugs, as well as his years of being a victim of what he calls a mass psychosis, narcissistic YouTube feminism, lynch justice and a complete breakdown of press ethics. A review in the liberal newspaper Expressen called the book a modern Kafka account, captivating, fascinating and deeply moving. In early 2020, Ms. Wallin also got a contract to write a memoir. When I spoke to her shortly afterward, she was giddy at the prospect: Finally, she was going to be heard. She was going to get to talk about what the trial was like from her perspective, the ugly aftermath though with a caveat: she would not mention Mr. Virtanen by name. Still, she was happy. Shed also secured a columnist gig with Expressen. This is my year, she told me. After that, she went quiet for a few months, furiously writing. She emerged with an almost complete manuscript, titled All That Was Mine: The Story Thats Not Allowed to Be Told. In the summer, she heard from her publisher: It had a problem. The publishers legal team had read the book and was concerned about defamation issues. Ms. Wallin said the company told her that it could publish only a version that contained no potential libel. In Ms. Wallins view, because she had already agreed not to name Mr. Virtanen, that meant taking out most of her story. Ms. Wallin withdrew her contract and self-published the book. Soon after, Mr. Virtanen filed another defamation complaint. It cant be reasonable that a person, who has been prosecuted and convicted for gross libel in one forum, then continues her criminal enterprise in another forum, escaping responsibility, his counsel wrote, this time to the Justitiekansler, or JK, the Swedish chancellor of justice , the authority responsible for pursuing rare cases involving free speech rights against media publishers. (Having self-published her memoir, Ms. Wallin is being treated as a publisher in this case.) Now Ms. Wallin will go to trial again. If the state wins, it will seek to have all unsold copies of her book confiscated. She risks a maximum prison sentence of two years for defamation in book form, in addition to the two years she risks in the appeals trial for her Instagram posts. In Ms. Wallins case, my grounds for prosecution is that shes already sentenced in a first trial, said Mari Heidenborg, the chancellor of justice, a former Supreme Court judge who previously wrote legislative reports for Parliament on topics such as sexualized crime and so-called honor killings. Shes defying the law a little, said Ms. Heidenborg in an interview, and shes not taking in the lesson about how you cant do this. Ms. Wallins lawyer, Percy Bratt, has been a human rights lawyer for most of his career. When she called him in 2017 after being summoned for questioning by the police, he immediately felt it could be an important case for free speech. He finds the case against Ms. Wallin puzzling. The country, he said, seems to want to send the message that this is something that we must stop: We must stop her. We must set an example so that no man will ever again be subjected to having the truth about him be spread around. Hes prepared for the possibility that Ms. Wallins case may end up before the European Court of Human Rights. Ms. Wallin outside her home in Sweden. Elin Berge for The New York Times That unpleasant encounter I referred to at the beginning of this story? It happened when I was a student at Columbia Journalism School in New York two decades ago. At the time, Mr. Virtanen was a U.S.-based correspondent, and I ran into him at a bar one evening while out with a friend. At some point, he began a lewd commentary on the shape of my breasts in the sleeveless red top I was wearing that evening. When I stood up to leave, he spluttered that I was a little whore. I share this story in part to disclose that I have met Mr. Virtanen before. I certainly dont intend to imply any equivalence between Ms. Wallins story and mine. An insult is not an assault. But I write this because in America, I can. The Times has done its due diligence: A fact-checker confirmed details of this account with my friend who was with me at the time and two friends I told about it shortly afterward. We gave Mr. Virtanen a chance to respond he declined to comment. So: Can I be a Swedish journalist and an American one? What is my own right to speak and tell my story? For women in particular, the right to speak is the bedrock on which all other rights are built; women obtained the right to vote, for instance, after holding rallies in order to demand that right. Not every act of speech results in that sort of broad, systemic change, of course, at least not right away. But what each does is contribute one additional testimonial to the collective story, being written in real time, of what it means to be a woman a story we use, in turn, to demand a better world. A few months ago, I met with Ms. Helin, the actor, in central Stockholm. In retrospect, she said, the decision to act collectively was beautiful, naive and also perhaps a little arrogant. Sweden wanted to do things differently, she said. Were a highly developed, civilized culture, she said. We wanted another solution to a dirty problem. But that method did not bring the change she had hoped for. Now here we are, she said. And I have to breathe deeply when I think of some people who are in power who should have no power at all over others. She has watched Ms. Wallins ordeal with both horror and awe for the woman at its center, but she feels the options for telling her own #MeToo story with a name attached to it have narrowed, should she ever want to. She wouldnt go to a newspaper now, she said, and were she to publish it on social media, she would become Cissi Wallin. So what does it mean to be Cissi Wallin now? She has moved out of the city, to a house in the woods a few hours from Stockholm. From there, she still posts whats on her mind at least once a day. Last night, she left her two small sons with her husband and got on a train to the capital; this week shell participate in the first of at least two more criminal trials. She still stands alone; only now millions in Sweden are paying attention to what will happen next to this difficult, persistent and some say dangerous woman, who lives and speaks out loud. Ms. Wallin has been asked hundreds of times by well-meaning friends: Why couldnt she have told her story without mentioning a name? Her answer has always been the same: Why do I need to keep his secret? His shame? Why is that my responsibility? Telling her story has quieted her mind, she said. And as Ms. Helin and I talked, she turned over the possibility, one more time, that she could have this quiet, too. Maybe Ill just start saying it out loud, she said. How many of us will they prosecute? Update On Thursday, March 17, a jury dismissed the libel case against Ms. Wallin related to her book. She still faces an appeals trial related to her Instagram posts. Jenny Nordberg (@nordbergj) is a Swedish journalist and author based in New York. BEIJING, March 15 (Xinhua) -- Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Tuesday held a phone conversation with Dutch Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Wopke Hoekstra, during which the two mainly exchanged views on the current situation in Ukraine. Wang said the position of the Chinese side on the Ukraine issue has been consistent and open, noting that "the four musts" highlighted by Chinese President Xi Jinping are China's clearest and the most authoritative attitude, and that all measures taken by China will be based on the "four musts." During his virtual summit with French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz earlier this month, Xi said China maintains that the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries must be respected, the purposes and principles of the UN Charter must be fully observed, the legitimate security concerns of all countries must be taken seriously, and all efforts that are conducive to the peaceful settlement of the crisis must be supported. Wang said China, as a peace-loving country, has always been committed to peaceful settlement of disputes through political means, and is ready to work with the Netherlands and other countries of the European Union to play a constructive role in resolving the Ukrainian crisis. The international community generally hopes to realize a cease-fire as soon as possible, ease the situation on the ground and avoid civilian casualties, which is also China's expectation, he said. Noting that Russia and Ukraine have held four rounds of talks and progress has been slow, Wang said there is hope for a cease-fire and a peaceful future can be opened up if the talks can be maintained, adding that China will continue making efforts in its own way to promote peace talks. Wang also said that the escalating sanctions imposed by the United States and Europe against Russia have compounded the difficulties facing a struggling global economic recovery and inflicted undue damage on the people's livelihood of various countries, calling on all parties to do more to promote peace talks, not the opposite. He also pointed out that the top priority for the international community at the moment is to deal with a possible large-scale humanitarian crisis, saying that China has already put forward a six-point proposal on easing the humanitarian situation in Ukraine and taken concrete actions, and the first batch of emergency humanitarian aid has arrived and been distributed, with more assistance to be provided in the future as needed. Stressing that behind the Ukraine crisis lies the issue of Europe's security, Wang said that how to safeguard Europe's security in the future concerns the vital interests of all European countries, including the Netherlands. The conflict will eventually end, Wang said, expressing his hope that European countries can sit down with Russia for an in-depth and comprehensive dialogue, and discuss ways to set up a balanced, effective and sustainable European security framework in a bid to achieve long-term stability in Europe. Matthew Beck Prosek Partners hires Matthew Beck as SVP in its new Washington, D.C. office. Beck joins Prosek from the Investment Company Institute, where he served as senior director of media relations. He was previously vice president, strategic communications at the Glover Park Group and communications director and policy advisor for the U.S. House Committee on Ways and Means. With his command of financial services policy and his understanding of the media and advocacy landscape in Washington, he will be a superb resource for Prosek clients seeking strategic support here, Jim David, gead of Proseks Washington office. Deb Freeman BCW names Deb Freeman chief strategy officer, North America. Freeman previously ran MOVE Consulting, where she counseled advertising agencies as well as brands, including McCann New York, Ulta Beauty, McDonalds, USTA, Clorox and Showtime. She has also served as chief strategy officer at FCB New York and co-head of strategy at Grey Group. Based in New York, Freeman will lead the regions growing research and strategy team. Deb is a real find; she has incredible experience pairing deep human insights with data, technology and creativity to position both new and existing brands for success, said BCW president, North America and global chief growth officer Brooke Hovey. Nick Blow Brunswick Group appoints Nick Blow as head of its Brussels office. Blow, who has been a partner at Brunswick since 2015, has served as acting joint office head in Brussels since 2020. Before joining Brunswick, he ran his own boutique firm, Strategic Communications. He has also served as a parliamentary assistant in the European Parliament. Nick is an outstanding leader, said Brunswick Group CEO Neal Wolin. He has deep experience in the Brussels market and brings proven management expertise. George Wright, LeslieAnne Wade, Matthew Berritt 160 over 90 names George Wright, LeslieAnne Wade and Matthew Berritt to vice president positions. Wright, who serves as vice president, social and influence, was previously at Weber Shandwick and Lippe Taylor. At 160over90, he will develop strategies for new business proposals and existing clients, managing a team of 10 and reporting to VP influence marketing Derek Goode. Wade, who is vice president of PR and communications, served as SVP of communications at CBS Sports for 17 years, and most recently was a co-founder of White Tee Partners, which works with clients in the golf space. Berritt, who is VP media relations, joins 160over90 from the Pamela Anderson Foundation, where he led all communications and partnerships for the organization and Ms. Anderson. He has also served as communications director for Kempner Communications and vice president of the lifestyle practice at EVINS. Michael Clendenin Michael Clendenin, who served as director of media relations in a 20-year stint at Consolidated Edison, has joined Butler Associates Strategic Communications. He will handle energy, infrastructure, environmental and real estate clients of the Manhattan-based shop. Clendenin worked in journalism at WEEI-AM and the Associated Press before moving into PR. He joined Con Ed in 2000 from NYCs City Council, where he served as director of communications. Tom Butler called Clendenin a consummate professional, highly respected by the New York Press corps and C-suite leaders that he has counseled. Most recently, he was running Clendenin Connections. Philippe Krakowsky Interpublic is suspending operations in Russia and leaving enough capital to pay its 200 staffers their salaries for the next six months, according to a March 14 memo from CEO Philippe Krakowsky. The IPG wind-down of operations is due to Russias unprovoked invasion of Ukraine. Krakowksy had hoped for successful ceasefire talks, but recent and escalating attacks on civilian targets, including hospitals, make it regrettably clear that the trajectory of the conflict is escalating, and the war could well go on for some time. He believes the tragic situation in Ukraine will re-shape the international order globally, with lasting consequences for Europe and have a ripple effect on political alignments all the way to Asia. It will also likely reverberate in countries across the globe where political or public figures have in recent years allied themselves with the Russian regime. Publicis Groupe CEO Arthur Sadoun announced March 15 that ownership of its 1,200 strong Russian operation has been transferred to local management. Since the start of the invasion, we have been working on exiting Russia as we strongly condemn the unilateral aggression against Ukraine, he said. We were committed to taking strong actions that fully respond to the gravity of the situation. Publicis is in daily contract with its 350 employees in Ukraine and is doing everything to protect them. It is providing security alert systems, psychological and mental health support, help with visas, and guaranteeing salaries for everyone for the entire year. Sadoun promised the French shop would continue to stand by the side of its Ukrainian team and "be exhaustive in the solutions we bring and immediate aid we provide." The Man Who Would King The Atlantic devotes 24 pages of the 98-page April issue to a profile of Saudi Arabias crown prince Mohammed bin Salman who will soon oversee the worlds largest accessible oil supplies and lead a nation that is a source of many of Americas headaches. The article is a must-read. The murder of Washington Post contributor Jamal Khashoggi, which the CIA says was ordered by MBS, fixed a view of the crown prince as brutish, thin-skinned and psychopathic, according to the magazine. MBS denies putting a hit on Khashoggi because he wasnt important enough to kill. He told the Atlantic that he never read anything written by Khasghoggi and that if he wanted to send an assassination team he would have sent a more competent group. If thats the way we did things, Khashoggi would not be among the top 1,000 people on the list. If you're going to go for another operation like that, for another person, its got to be professional and its got to be one of the top 1,000, said MBS, who called the Khashoggi killing a huge mistake. The crown prince has created a climate of fear unprecedented in Saudi history, where critics put themselves in danger for criticizing the ruler or paying a compliment to his enemies. The Atlantic credits MBS for transforming one of the worlds weirdest countries into a place that could plausibly be called normal. MBS has all but abolished the religious police, allowed women to drive and dress as freely as they like, opened the Kingdom to investment and legalized cinemas and concerts. King Mohammed could rule Saudi Arabia for 50 years. The US is going to have to figure out how to live with him, especially now that he has made overtures to China. The Wall Street Journal reported March 14 that Saudi Arabia may cut a deal with China to be paid for oil in yuan rather than US dollars due to its tension with Washington. It's time to get to work, Joe. Offaly's towns and villages are 'blighted' by derelict buildings. That's according to local councillor Clare Claffey who pointed out that Offaly's towns and villages have a high number of derelict buildings. She told the February meeting of Offaly County Council that this is a long running problem which the councillors have raised many times but it hasn't been properly tackled. Cllr Claffey was told by a Council official that the County Council has completed its first compulsory purchases of derelict properties. The process, said the official, which can take six months if no objection is lodged with An Bord Pleanala, involves a legal transfer process, a technical design and build project and then construction. She described the process as hard work but worthwhile, particularly when a derelict site begins to attract antisocial behaviour. The meeting was told that three CPOs were completed in 2021, and we are developing a CPO Programme for 2022 and onwards. Cllr John Clendennen said it's an essential process, we need to really increase our level of engagement with the property owners to see if we can come to some sort of resolution, he said, whereby the empty properties can be occupied once again, bringing not only the buildings to life but also bring back a bit of life to parts of the towns and villages where they are located. The more derelict properties are reoccupied then the more support there will be for local services and the greater the knock-on beneficial effects for the economy. Cllr Claffey said the statistics of the number of houses in the county which are vacant are shocking. 10% of houses in the Birr rural area (which includes Ferbane and Banagher) are vacant. 17% of the houses in the Clonmacnoise area are vacant. 20% of the houses in the Shannonbridge area are vacant. Our towns are blighted by dereliction and vacancy, commented Cllr Claffey. There's also a safety issue with some of these buildings because they can attract playing children, and the structures might be a bit unstable. She criticised the government's Housing for All strategy, pointing out that it's building houses, but not enough, and not quickly enough. She pointed out that the homeless figures, which always remained at a very high level, are now rising again. The housing crisis has been with us for years and we haven't made any significant headway into it. If anything, it seems to be getting worse. She said a lot more owners of vacant properties should be contacted by the Council. Sharon Kennedy, Director of Services, said it is the Council's intention to significantly tackle the homeless problem during the coming year. Cllr Noel Cribbin told the meeting that he recently counted sixty vacant houses in Edenderry. It's a very high number and they are scattered all over the town, he remarked, including Francis Street, St Mary's Road and Dublin Road. It's sad to see the vacant houses. A few years ago there were families living in them and they were busy with life. Now they are empty, locked and boarded up. Cllr Ken Smollen said he knows a number of people in Tullamore who have received notices to quit. Some of these people are on HAP (Housing Assistance Payment), most are on RAS (Rental Accommodation Scheme). "They are vulnerable. The system is treating them without empathy. The Council can't just abandon them." Sharon Kennedy said the Council is engaging with the people Cllr Smollen was referring to. We are seeking accommodation for them, she said. Cllr Clendennen said he's worried about the future of the county's villages. We must bring more life and services back into them, he remarked. It's a matter of the greatest urgency. Sharon Kennedy said the CPO process only applies to properties which are classified as derelict, and not to those which are classified as vacant. She said it takes about a year to process a CPO, from the initiation up to the point when the derelict property has been done up and is once again habitable. GeoDirectory published the Commercial Vacancy Rates Report for Q4 2021 this week. It revealed the following: Offaly's commercial vacancy rate remained unchanged at 15.5% in Q4 2021. Of the towns in Offaly surveyed, Edenderry had the highest commercial vacancy rate (27.7%), while Birr had the lowest (15.5%). In total, there were 29,317 vacant commercial units dispersed across Ireland in Q4 2021. At 20.0%, Sligo was the county with the highest commercial vacancy rate, followed by Leitrim and Roscommon, both 17.1%. The lowest commercial vacancy rates were recorded in Meath (10.2%), Wexford (10.4%) and Kerry (11.3%). Nationally, the commercial vacancy rate was 13.9% in Q4 2021, which was the highest level of commercial vacancy recorded by GeoDirectory since the report began in 2013. Commercial vacancies increased in 15 out of 26 counties. In the year to Q4 2021, there were 556 fewer Retail and Wholesale units recorded across the country, amounting to a decrease of 1.5%. A JUDGE will rule in May on the settlement of an Offaly councillor's mortgage dispute with the Bank of Ireland. Bank of Ireland Mortgage Bank issued proceedings against Clara couple Ken and Sandra Smollen in 2014 because of mortgage arrears. At last Thursday's sitting of the County Registrar at Tullamore Circuit Court, Finola Martin BL (instructed by Whitney Moore solicitors), for Bank of Ireland, addressed registrar James Seymour by videolink. Ms Martin said the defendant had appealed a refusal by the Circuit Court to allow him enter into a personal insolvency arrangement but the High Court had recently upheld the Circuit Court order. Ms Martin applied to have the matter heard by the Circuit Court on May 20 and said it should not take too long because she understood talks were taking place between the parties in relation to a consent order. Louisa McKeon, solicitor for the defendants, also appearing by videolink, said her instructions and her knowledge was that the matter had been settled. Ms McKeon said the matter had been taken off the High Court list on the basis that settlement had been reached between the parties and a long-term alternative repayment arrangement had been put in place. She said the defendants had instructed personal insolvency practitioner Mitchell O'Brien and he had been acting on their behalf with the insolvency department of Bank of Ireland. She told the registrar that the instructions may not have filtered down through the solicitors to the counsel for the bank. Ms Martin said her instructions were that there is going to be a consent order for possession as part of an alternative repayment arrangement which the bank is about to issue but that is going to have to be ruled by the judge. Mr Seymour listed the matter for mention for ruling by the judge in Tullamore Circuit Court on May 20 next. Kenneth Smollen's Circuit Court appeal under the Personal Insolvency Act is listed as settled on March 14 in the High Court. Ken Smollen is an independent councillor on Offaly County Council and the Charities Regulator lists him as trustee chairperson of the KS Food Appeal. IT was very scary . . . I'd say it was the hardest moment in my life. The comments of 17-year-old Mariia Vynnychenko who has escaped from war-torn Ukraine to begin a new life with the Dillon family in Gurteen, Killeigh. Mariia flew into Shannon airport last Friday and is now living with the Dillons, a family she stayed with previously in 2013 and 2019 when she travelled to Ireland as part of the Chernobyl Children's Project. David and Carol Dillon, and their children Rachel, Sarah and Sean, were joined by local councillor Neil Feighery yesterday (Tuesday) morning when Mariia enrolled in Killina Presentation Secondary School to continue her studies. The 17-year-old hopes to return to her native Ukraine to reunite with her mother, grandmother and seven-year-old brother. Speaking to the Tribune in Gurteen on Monday night last, Mariia said people in her home town Dymer, near the Belarus border, did not expect the Russians to invade. The town, located close to the Chernobyl nuclear plant, was captured by the Russians as were her family though they now have fled to the relative safety of western Ukraine. We had no communication with Mariia or her family for a while as the Russians took their phones, outlined Carol Dillon who said she was very worried about the family's safety. Mariia said the war was very difficult and had changed people's lives forever. I don't even see how we will ever be able to go back to our house again, she outlined. Families in her small home town have had to contend with primitive living conditions since the Russian invasion with no electricity or running water. My mom is very anxious, very scared . . . she is crying all time time, outlined Mariia who added her seven-year-old brother was too young to understand what was taking place. My grandmother is a strong woman who says everything will be OK. She added that her family were safe for the time being in western Ukraine even though the Russians are now bombing cities in that region. My family are really proud of me coming to Ireland and they are very thankful to the Dillons for caring for me, added Mariia. She said she wasn't sure how long she would be in this country but reckoned it would be at least six months. Speaking on the evening prior to starting school in Killina on Tuesday, Mariia admitted she was quite nervous. I don't know how people will react, she outlined. Stressing that she loved Ireland, Mariia said that Irish people were very, very friendly. She asked that Irish people to continue to support Ukraine and its people. We appreciate what you are doing very much . . . please keep being nice. Rachel Dillon said the family had been following the war closely and were delighted to welcome Mariia back to Gurteen. Carol Dillon said Mariia had first come to Gurteen in 2013 as part of the Chernobyl Children's Project and returned for a second visit in 2019. She said her eldest daughter, Rachel formed a close bond with Mariia and remained in contact with her when she returned to Ukraine. Carol collected Mariia in Shannon last Friday following her flight from Krakow in Poland. Mariia had made her way across the border by bus to Poland before boarding the flight to Ireland. Carol said she was very impressed with the welcome put in place by the authorities in particular the Red Cross who provided Mariia with a welcome bag. She also paid tribute to local councillor Neil Feighery whom she described as outstanding and very helpful. Carol also thanked the Principal of Killina Presentation Secondary School, John Cotter whom she said had been amazing and very co-operative. You see the worst of humanity with what is happening in Ukraine but you also see the best of humanity in what is happening here, she outlined. Carol added the family had great experiences of hosting children with the Chernobyl Children's Project since 2011. Most of the children who stayed in Gurteen with the project came from poor backgrounds but their families always ensured they brought gifts. They've brought cans of beer, ornaments, table clothes and lots of sweets, outlined Carol's husband David. I have seen some of those sweets in the Polish shop in Tullamore and will bring Mariia in there, said Carol. Describing Mariia a very easy to get on with, Carol added she had asked her would she a bit moody now that she was a teenager. She said not very much in reply. Mariia is among thousands of Ukrainians who have travelled to Ireland since the war commenced. Well over 10,000 Irish people have also volunteered to host Ukrainian refugees fleeing the war zone. What's Included With a Digital Only subscription, you'll receive unlimited access to our website and e-edition. Our digital products are available 24/7 and are accessible anywhere, anytime. If you have any questions or need further assistance, please call our customer service team at 716-372-3121 or email nfinnerty@oleantimesherald.com. When Russia invaded Ukraine last month, a spate of wishful thinking ran through the West that China, a great power with friends on both sides, might step in to mediate a cease-fire. China's government struck a pose of neutrality, called for a peaceful resolution and said it supported the principle of "territorial integrity." Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy made a public plea to China's Xi Jinping to intervene. But Xi has been missing in action and in practice, his policies have been far less neutral than advertised. China hasn't condemned the invasion and initially didn't even call it a war. It still hasn't acknowledged which country's tanks crossed the other's borders. Xi has talked by telephone with Russian President Vladimir Putin, but he hasn't talked with Zelenskyy. "China supports Russia in resolving the issue through negotiation," China's official summary of the Xi-Putin call said. Last week, China's foreign minister called Russia his country's "most important strategic partner" and said their relationship was "ironclad." Meanwhile, China's Foreign Ministry has endorsed Russian propaganda claims that the U.S. military is running bioweapons laboratories in Ukraine. The charge is false; the U.S. has funded programs to destroy old bioweapons, not produce new ones. There's a contradiction at the heart of China's foreign policy. China wants to be seen as a neutral power. But the way it calculates its interests giving top priority to reducing the global influence of the United States makes neutrality on issues involving Russia, its biggest ally, almost impossible. Less than three weeks before Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Xi welcomed Putin at a summit meeting in Beijing and declared that their partnership had "no limits." "China's policy is based on Xi Jinping's view of China's interests, and he sees the United States as implacably hostile," Bonnie Glaser, a China scholar at the German Marshall Fund, told me. "He sees Russia as his only ally against the United States and the other democracies. ... I don't think China can in any way be neutral." "At a strategic and diplomatic level, they've clearly leaned toward Russia," agreed Evan Feigenbaum, a former State Department official now at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. "It's a deliberate choice." The war in Ukraine may have "unsettled" China's leaders, but it doesn't appear to have shaken the Xi-Putin partnership, CIA Director William Burns told Congress last week. China "has invested a lot in the relationship," Burns said. "I don't expect that to change anytime soon." Still, two big factors limit how far China is willing to lean in Russia's direction. Economics is the first: China's prosperity depends on global trade, not trade with Russia, so it wants to avoid running afoul of the massive sanctions the U.S. and its allies have put in place against Moscow. Last week, Russian officials reported that China had turned down an emergency request for aircraft parts, apparently to maintain Chinese access to Western suppliers like Boeing and Airbus. But on a less visible level, Chinese banks are working with Russian banks to use China's UnionPay to replace Visa and Mastercard, shut down by sanctions. The pattern, Feigenbaum said, is an attempt to "straddle" the sanctions: complying where necessary, but still looking for opportunities to make deals with Russia. A second limit involves China's desire to maintain a good relationship with Europe, where most countries have been quick to support Ukraine. "There's a potential for China's relationship with the European Union to get much worse," Feigenbaum said. "China may want to avoid that." One limit that hasn't seemed to affect China's policies, though, is Beijing's long-standing adherence to principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity. "They have essentially jettisoned those principles," Feigenbaum said. For all those reasons, the idea that China might serve as a neutral mediator to help end the war never had much of a chance. In any case, it probably wasn't very workable. China's diplomats have little experience mediating international disputes, least of all in Europe. And while officials from Ukraine and Russia have met three times, their positions have been too far apart to produce even a temporary cease-fire. Several international leaders have offered their services as mediators France's Emmanuel Macron, Israel's Naftali Bennett, Turkey's Recep Tayyip Erdogan without success. Putin appears intent on pursuing his military offensive as far as he can before entering serious negotiations. But China was never neutral to begin with. And that reflects what may be the most important fact about the new world disorder that Putin's invasion has unleashed: China's Xi has made a choice. He believes the coming decades will be dominated by confrontations between the United States and China, with Russia as China's sole important ally. For anyone pondering the parallels between this new period and the Cold War, there's an eerie echo of the Sino-Soviet alliance that once sought to dominate Eurasia only this time, with China as the senior partner. (Doyle McManus is a columnist for the Los Angeles Times. Readers may send him email at doyle.mcmanus@latimes.com.) JOHANNESBURG, March 14 (Xinhua) -- In an effort to combat corruption, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa revealed that the establishment of the Special Tribunal has resulted in the recovery of 8.6 billion rand (570 million U.S. dollars) from unlawful contracts. "For any fight against corruption to be deemed effective, it is not sufficient that perpetrators are prosecuted. The proceeds of their crimes must be recovered," Ramaphosa said in his weekly newsletter on Monday. Ramaphosa said since the Special Tribunal Court was set up in 2019, this amount of money had been recovered from companies involved in corrupt state contracts. As a result of creating the Special Tribunal, public funds and state assets lost as a result of corrupt acts are now more likely to be reclaimed in a shorter period, avoiding delays in the high courts, where the Special Investigative Unit must wait its turn along with other litigants. "Over the past few weeks alone, the Tribunal has reviewed and set aside more than R100 million worth of irregular and unlawful contracts arising from COVID-related procurement," he said. Ramaphosa said that while the funds recovered were good in the fight against corruption, it would take time to "unravel the vast webs of patronage that had become entrenched." He warned that the state capacity has been eroded by these corrupt relationships. The state has been hampered in offering decent healthcare and delivering clean water, and in ensuring a consistent supply of electricity for communities and businesses. Are you a current print subscriber? You qualify for online access to the Omak Chronicle. To receive your access, create a website account and then verify your print subscription or e-edition subscription with your subscriber number, which may be found on your bill or mailing label. NATO Defence Ministers are meeting in Brussels on Wednesday to plot a long-term boost to the alliances defences, including more troops. Talks between Ukraine and Russia are expected to continue on Tuesday. The UK will also host talks with Baltic and Scandinavian leaders from the "Joint Expeditionary Force." Follow DW for the latest. IndiaTimes 16 Mar 2022 The Karnataka high court ruled on Tuesday that wearing the hijab is not an essential religious practice of Islam and upheld a state.. The Karnataka high court's order comes in the wake of a row over the Muslim headscarf in the southern state. The high court in Karnataka has upheld a ban on hijab-wearing in schools and colleges. The ruling could have major repercussions for the rest of the country, with India having a large Muslim minority. The leaders of Poland, Czech Republic and Slovenia are traveling to Kyiv in a show of "unequivocal support" for Ukraine, as Russia's invasion continues. An EU aid package is also expected to be presented. 2008-2022 One News Page Ltd. All rights reserved. One News is a registered trademark of One News Page Ltd. Elon Musk has sold all seven of his homes in California for $128million after vowing to "own no house", according to US media reports. Newsy 20 Mar 2022 Watch VideoFighting is raging on multiple fronts in Ukraine, with intense combat underway in the besieged port city of Mariupol .. MOGADISHU, March 15 (Xinhua) -- Somali government has appealed to the international community for humanitarian support, saying 6.9 million people have been affected by the severe drought which is ravaging several parts of the country. Prime Minister Mohamed Roble in a statement issued in Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia, Monday evening urged donors to hasten aid as the drought condition is deteriorating. Roble, who held a meeting with representatives of the donor community Monday, said the drought has affected nearly 6.9 million people and more than 9.5 million livestock, with 2.6 million people facing severe water shortages. "The country is experiencing the worst drought since the 2011 famine. Three consecutive rainy seasons have failed, resulting in the destruction of livestock and crops," said Roble, urging the international community to take part in the ongoing emergency assistance to the drought-affected people in the country. "Our calls for help have been answered by various countries and organizations that have sent aid to the worst affected areas of the country." "I appeal to you to come to the aid of the Somali people who are suffering from drought, in order to prevent famine, which would result in mass deaths and a difficult humanitarian situation to deal with," said Roble. The appeal came after the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has warned that the drought emergency is expected to get worse ahead of the next rainy season in April, noting that cases of measles and acute watery diarrhoea /cholera are on the rise. OCHA said additional funding for priority sectors is urgently required to save lives and livelihoods, adding that local communities, authorities and humanitarian partners continue scaling up assistance within available resources. US President Joe Biden will travel to Brussels next week for face-to-face talks with European leaders about the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Fox News video journalist Pierre Zakrzewski, and Ukrainian producer Oleksandra Kuvshynova lost their lives after their vehicle came under fire, with another reporter in hospital. SeattlePI.com 24 Mar 2022 Stocks were mixed Thursday in Asia following a retreat on Wall Street as crude oil prices rose sharply. Tokyo and.. About 4000 family members of Ukrainians living in New Zealand will be welcomed into the country under a new policy announced today in response to the rising humanitarian crisis following Russia's invasion. Immigration Minister Kris... Parliament will today mark the third anniversary of the March 15 Christchurch mosque terror attacks. A notice of a motion will be brought at 2pm in the House, after which leaders of political parties will give speeches on the attacks... Ukraine is humbled by the more than 150,000 Britons who have expressed an interest in housing refugees fleeing Russias.. Belfast Telegraph 18 Mar 2022 The White House asked for more money from Congress to keep its COVID response going. But that hasn't happened, so some things need to be wound down. ODN 14 Mar 2022 Housing Secretary Michael Gove appeals to Brits to open their homes to refugees as he announces the governments new Homes for.. The U.S. State Department warned China about supporting Russia in its invasion of Ukraine as President Joe Biden's national security adviser met with a top Chinese official to discuss the issue in Rome. (March 14) Constant fear, flying missiles, sirens, and deaths of civilians including innocent children are some of the realities a 68-year-old Ukrainian woman who fled to South Africa on Friday said she could not bear watching. LUSAKA, March 14 (Xinhua) -- Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema on Monday held talks with Somalia's Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Relations Abdisaid Muse Ali where they pledged to enhance the bilateral cooperation between the two countries. The Zambian president said his government was following with keen interest the ongoing elections in Somalia to ensure that the outcome was successful. Zambia, he said, values its relations with Somalia and called for increased cooperation with the purpose of creating a successful economic agenda for the benefit of the people of the two countries. According to him, security concerns in the region call for the need for more collaboration among countries to ensure that peace prevails and security was guaranteed. The Zambian president said it would be difficult to drive Africa's economic agenda without peace and stability, adding that wars make it difficult for governments to deliver to their people's expectations. He further expressed happiness that the Somali community in Zambia has had a strong presence in the business community. On his part, the Somalia minister said his president wanted to visit Zambia after the elections in that country as a way to cement the bilateral ties. He said the presence of Somalians in Zambia's business community was an indication that the southern African nation had a conducive business environment. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has again urged Russian soldiers to surrender to Ukrainian forces in his latest public address."They still can't recover, but have begun to realise they won't achieve anything by war," Zelenskyy... A Canadian man was injured when a military base near Ukraine's western border was struck by Russian missiles on the weekend, says the head of an organization now helping the volunteer fighter get back home. Newsy 29 Mar 2022 Watch VideoOf the more than 3.5 million people fleeing Ukraine, the Biden administration says the U.S. will welcome up to 100,000.. Following Russia's attack on Ukraine, Sweden and Finland are looking to bolster their security, including with renewed discussion about joining NATO. On top of the humanitarian crisis, Ukrainians worry about Russian destruction of cultural heritage sites. In Lviv, they're wrapping statues in fireproof material to protect them from Russian bombs. USATODAY.com 16 Mar 2022 Fox News correspondent Benjamin Hall has been taken out of Ukraine after being seriously injured while traveling outside of.. Newsy 21 Mar 2022 Watch VideoThe sounds of war, the rumble of tanks, the sirens, the crash of artillery and the rattle of a sewing.. Rumble 08 Apr 2022 Phil talks at length about Devolution, President Trump in Exile, various ways the end will all shake out, and Justice Clarence.. Dorothy Denney, 98, of Oskaloosa, passed away Sunday morning, May 1, 2022, at the Mahaska Hospice Serenity House in Oskaloosa. Dorothy Ione Denney, daughter of Elmer and Mary (Passalia) Shipley, was born September 26, 1923, in Sigourney, Iowa. She attended Tioga Country School and then Delta CANBERRA, March 15 (Xinhua) -- The spread of Australia's Japanese encephalitis (JE) outbreak is "difficult to predict," according to a leading expert. There have been 18 confirmed cases of JE - a potentially deadly virus spread by mosquitoes - across four Australian states since February, making it the biggest ever known outbreak on the country's mainland. The size of the outbreak prompted the federal government to declare it a Communicable Disease Incident of National Significance earlier in February and announce 69 million Australian dollars in funding for the response. David Williams, JE expert at the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization's Australian Center For Disease Preparedness (ACDP), said in a statement that approximately 1 percent of JE cases will develop severe illness. "Of these clinical JE cases, approximately 20-30 percent of are fatal, 30-50 percent develop longterm side effects such as movement and speech disorders, and the remaining cases fully recover," he said. As of Sunday there had been two confirmed JE deaths linked to the current outbreak. Williams said it was "not known" how the virus reached Australia but that a La Nina weather event and flooding in the country's northeast has created perfect conditions for mosquitoes to breed. "It's difficult to predict whether there will be further spread of JE virus this year, but this is something that state medical entomology teams and relevant public health units are considering and planning for," he said. "In the short-term, this will largely depend on weather conditions and how these influence the interplay between mosquitoes, and pigs and waterbirds." "As the colder months approach, we should see a reduction in mosquito populations, and with that a reduction in transmission within piggeries and waterbird populations." OTTUMWA [mdash] Dorothy Helen Cox 92 of Ottumwa Iowa went home to be with the Lord March 17th, 2022. She was born to Reece and Eva Carnes in Ottumwa. She was preceded in death by her daughter Connie Van Niewall and a great great grandchild. Surviving is her son Kevin (Vicki) Palmer, Son in l MANISTEE The Smoke on the Water event proposed by the Salt City Rock and Blues is getting closer to potential approval. Concerns were expressed related to marijuana use at the event as well as the initial planned date of the event which was having the concert take place concurrently with the Manistee National Forest Festival on July 2. An exact location has not been given. The concert would allow if approved by council for a fenced-off area where marijuana can be consumed. Currently, marijuana consumption is illegal in public but can be allowed in restricted areas with a special permit, according to Manistee Police Chief Josh Glass. The organizers of the Smoke on the Water event are Salt City Rock and Blues and Authentic 231. Both Ogilvie and McKenzie gave presentations on March 8 during a city council work session, with Ogilvie giving background information on Salt City Rock and Blues and McKenzie giving background information on Authentic 231. McKenzie said during his presentation that the event date had been moved so that it does not coincide with the festival. Salt City Rock and Blues was founded in 2013 to feature local bands Red Apple Road and Band X and at the tine, funds raised from the first concert contributed $20,000 in donations to rehabilitate the Manistee North Pier Head Lighthouse, according to Bob Ogilvie, co-founder and current vice president. When Rock and Blues was founded it was just a July Fourth concert to feature local bands but it is was such a success, that it was decided it should become an annual event. Events were then held during the Labor Day weekend. The current goal of the Smoke on the Water event as well as the broader goal of Salt City Rock and Blues is to raise money to build an amphitheater on First Street Beach to hold concerts and other community events. Organizers plan to feature a Deep Purple tribute band. Deep Purple's best known song is called "Smoke on the Water." What makes the event unique is that the concert would feature both marijuana and alcohol. Salt City Rock and Blues would have the license for alcohol, and Authentic 231 would be sponsoring the marijuana related parts of the event. Of the five marijuana dispensaries in Manistee, Authentic 231 will be hosting because CEO of Authentic 231 William McKenzie said he is the only person who works at any of the five dispensaries to hold a marijuana event organizer license. According to the Marijuana Regulatory Agency, people who hold a marijuana event organizer must give them 90 days before a scheduled event to apply for a license. "If a marijuana event organizer plans to hold a temporary marijuana event, the application for the temporary marijuana event must be received by the MRA at least 90 days before the first day of the event to ensure the MRA has ample processing time to approve and issue a license for the event prior to it occurring," according to the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs website. Authentic 231 would provide security for the event and patrol the restricted area. McKenzie noted that security would be checking identification upon entrance and exit of the fenced-off area, as well as patrolling the area. McKenzie also addressed some of the concerns that council members had brought up in his presentation. He said that both Authentic 231 and Salt City Rock and Blues will have event and general liability insurance that will provide double coverage in case of any incidents. McKenzie said that Authentic 231 and Salt City Rock and Blues will provide Manistee Dial-a-Ride services for free, to and from the event to patrons of the Smoke on the Water event. McKenzie also sought to allay some concerns about marijuana use. He compared the use of marijuana and alcohol, noting some differences. McKenzie said "there's never been a fatal overdose of marijuana." He noted that is not true of alcohol. "Alcohol use increases the risk of injury to the consumer. Marijuana use does not," he said. He also noted that marijuana users are less likely to be belligerent or cause problems during events. "The bottom line is that a group of marijuana users is much less likely to cause problems or create liabilities at an event than a group of people drinking alcohol. A person consuming cannabis is more likely to be napping under a tree enjoying the music than causing problems," McKenzie said. Concerns were also addressed as to whether people who were drinking could enter the restricted-area for marijuana consumption. McKenzie said that was not allowed and security would ensure that people could not enter the marijuana consumption area with a drink. Glass also had concerns about regulating marijuana use as people leave the event, as well as increased calls for service during the summer months. "I don't that if you have a bag of marijuana you put in your pocket ... no one can say 'sir you can't leave with that' or you can't stop them once they leave the facility from smoking it," Glass said. He noted it is somewhat of a capacity issue for enforcement. "I don't want to get calls for service (of) people smoking marijuana in public that we can't handle, because of call service (volume) and it gives us a perception that we're indifferent to the ordinance ... we're not (indifferent)," Glass said. McKenzie could not address those issues but Glass did say that the department would have to come up with a plan if the Smoke on the Water event were to be approved by city council. McKenzie and Ogilvie acknowledged some of the concerns and noted that is ultimately the responsibility of Authentic 231 and the Salt City Rock and Blues to ensure the event goes smoothly, if it's approved by council. Ogilvie noted there would be a capacity limit, and there would likely be no more than 1,500 tickets sold. McKenzie said that his experience with cannabis users is that they are receptive to whatever rules are set out. "We'll have signs everywhere that are asking people 'please do not consume cannabis outside of this area.' We'll have people, as they enter and exit reminding (other) people 'thank you for coming, there's cannabis no consumption outside of this area please respect the community rules'," McKenzie said. He noted why he thinks that strategy will be effective. "I think that's powerful because I think people want to see more of this stuff, and they know that abusing the privilege will not help us get these types of things approved in the future." ISLAMABAD, March 15 (Xinhua) -- Four soldiers were killed and at least eight others injured when a bomb went off in Pakistan's southwest Balochistan province on Tuesday, an official said. A convoy of paramilitary troops Frontier Corps (FC) was on its way to a check post when an improvised explosive device exploded in the Sangan area of Sibi district of the province, Assistant Commissioner of Sibi Muhammad Ismail Mengal told Xinhua. The injured FC soldiers have been transported to a military hospital in the provincial capital of Quetta, said the official, adding that their condition is said to be critical. Police and security forces have cordoned off the area and launched a search operation to arrest the culprits. No group or individual has claimed the attack. While MyMichigan Health President and CEO Diane Postler-Slattery shone in the public spotlight, her husband, Donald Slattery, conducted acts of public service quietly in the background. The effects of his work continue to ripple in Midland County today. The couple died in a plane crash on March 8 in northwest Florida. Slattery was born on Jan. 12, 1957 to William and Eleanor Slattery on a farm in Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin. He had 11 brothers and sisters. He began his career as a biomedical electronic technician and went on to establish his own company, Tower Technical Services. Slattery also earned a Master of Business Administration from the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh. Slattery met Postler-Slattery when she was working for Aspirus, Inc. in Wausau, Wisconsin. The couple was married on March 16, 1991. The couple joined their families and raised three kids: Michael Fredericks, Michelle Grutzik and Melissa Swihart. While Fredericks and Grutzik were Slatterys stepkids, Slattery warmly welcomed them into his own family circle. He treated us exactly the same. He was really the most amazing dad we could ask for, Grutzik said. Grutzik and Swihart explained how Slattery kept the entire family grounded and was always there for them, thus earning the nickname Superman. They describe him as physically and morally strong, intelligent, hardworking and creative. He built furniture for both his daughters and was known for taking cars apart and putting them back together, often in better shape than before. The Slatterys also owned a horse farm and would work long hours before cleaning themselves up for community events in the evening. When you think of Mom and Dad, Moms face is more public. But with every event that Mom went to with her charities, Dad was right by her side, Swihart said. Slattery retired from his job as the Aspirus Wausau Hospitals project manager in 2012 when Postler-Slattery accepted the job as MyMichigan Health president and CEO. Slattery kept busy in his retirement as a pilot and member of the Experimental Aircraft Association for about nine years, joining the local Chapter 1093. Midland pilot Dot Hornsby recalled how Slattery would always come to the annual Christmas parties with Postler-Slattery. He was a nice family man, Hornsby said. Malcolm Brubaker, a Midland pilot and owner of Michigan Sport Pilot Repair, had known Slattery since 2012. He explained how Slattery would travel from Midland to Wisconsin quite often sometimes once or more a month for business and to hunt deer. He was a really energetic guy, Brubaker said. "Don had a smile you could hear in his voice when he spoke. Jim Hohmeyer, of Midland, met Slattery during Instrument Flight Rules ground school at Barstow Airport. The two became friends, would swap aviation stories and flipped pancakes side-by-side at the pancake breakfasts at the airport. Don was really affable. I enjoyed being around him, Hohmeyer said. He always had a joke or a story to tell about his flying. Julie Nunn, executive director of Cancer Services of Midland, remembers Slattery as a likable, gentle giant. Slattery and Postler-Slattery were named the honorary chairs of the Cancer Services 2015 Spring Soiree, along with Lisa and Howard Ungerleider. Nunn explained how Slattery spent a fair amount of time in the Cancer Services office, connected with their clients and even volunteered to drive them to medical appointments. You could tell that he was open to helping the underserved, Nunn said. Nunn added that Slattery was a strong, quiet community supporter. He volunteered because it was the right thing to do, not for the accolades that came with it. He was a kind and caring contributor in our community who did great work for the betterment of his neighbors, Nunn stated. Slattery and Postler-Slattery are survived by their three children and five grandchildren. A celebration of life is planned for March 19 at New Hope Community Church in Wausau, Wisconsin. Visitation will take place from 9 a.m.-noon and 1:30-3:30 p.m., with a 4 p.m. service. Brainard Funeral Home in Weston, Wisconsin, is handling arrangements. A memorial for the couple is also being planned for the near future in Midland. Director of Content and Operations Spencer McKee is OutThere Colorado's Director of Content and Operations. In his spare time, Spencer loves to hike, rock climb, and trail run. He's on a mission to summit all 58 of Colorado's fourteeners and has already climbed more than half. SYDNEY, March 15 (Xinhua) -- A fire at a boarding house in Australia's Sydney has killed three people with another in a critical condition. The police have deemed the cause of the fire as "suspicious". Firefighters were called to a two-level boarding house in Newtown, a suburb in Sydney's inner west, early on Tuesday morning. Firefighters said it took about two hours to get the blaze under control. A body was recovered from the rubble in the morning with two more uncovered in the afternoon. Police said there were also "serious concerns" for a fourth person who escaped the fire, and is in a "crucial condition" at central Sydney hospital. In a statement, NSW Police Assistant Commissioner Peter Cotter said the incident was being investigated as a murder. "We are treating this as suspicious - it was an explosion, the flames took hold extremely quickly," he said. "It would be fair to say some type of accelerant was used - we are treating this as a murder, we are treating this as a maliciously lit fire." Residents in surrounding buildings have been evacuated due to instability in the building after the fire. Palestine, TX (75801) Today Mainly cloudy. A few peeks of sunshine possible. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 87F. Winds SSE at 10 to 15 mph.. Tonight Mostly cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low near 70F. Winds SSE at 10 to 15 mph. Tripoli, Libya (PANA) - The co-chairs of the International Monitoring Committee's Political Working Group on Libya have stressed the importance of maintaining calm and stability on the ground and the imperative of rebuilding a consensus among political actors Photo: (Photo : SERGEI SUPINSKY/AFP via Getty Images) As the Russian onslaught intensifies in Ukraine, the number of civilian casualties in the war-torn country sadly keeps on increasing. Fortunately for Tetyana Vlasenko and her family, they avoided joining that list despite being shot at by Russian troops at a checkpoint near Kyiv. Tetyana, 42, told NBC News of their miraculous escape while recovering from her bed in Kyiv City Hospital 17. According to Tetyana, she and her family decided to leave the community just outside the capital city of Kyiv after their house in the village of Vorzel was struck on March 2 by Russian forces. It was a heartbreaking decision for the Vlasenko family to flee, but this move is nothing new for them. According to Tetyana's husband, Roman, the family had already fled from Kremlin rule before, departing Crimea in 2014 after Russia annexed the peninsula. Russian troops open fire on the Vlasenko family Roman, a former business consultant, said he asked the Russian soldiers whether they could keep moving as they drove up to the checkpoint at the end of their street. According to Tetyana, the soldiers asked her husband what his nationality was as they were surprised with how well he spoke Russian. Roman responded, "We have a free country here; everyone speaks whichever language they like." Tetyana did not mince any words, telling the Russian troops, "Your brains are full of Putin propaganda crap. There are no Nazis here." The Russian soldiers waved them through, but they were subjected to intense firing before they could get 40 feet past the checkpoint. Tetyana said she was "naive" when the Russian forces started peppering their vehicle with bullets. Tetyana showed them their documents and said there were kids in the car. It was carnage inside the vehicle. Tetyana heard her daughter Katherina screaming after a bullet came through her knee and her bone. The teenager recalled that part, saying, "After this I lost consciousness." Tetyana recalled that Roman lost it when he saw his daughter lose consciousness, thinking the Russian soldiers killed their child. Their youngest son Igor was the only one who was not injured, with the eight-year-old getting protection from his older sister inside the car. Read Also: Ukrainian Surrogates Who Escaped War Zone Must Return to Ukraine to Give Birth to Clients' Babies Russian soldiers believe everyone around Ukraine is a Nazi Roman was also hit in his legs, but his wife Tetyana suffered the most damage. She bled from 12 bullet wounds to her legs after the soldiers opened fire. According to Tetyana, the Russian troops opened fire because of their paranoia that Nazis in Ukraine were there to hurt them. A soldier told the injured Tetyana that he was sorry for hurting them, but they had an order to shoot everything moving. The soldier then told Tetyana that there are many cars like this that are full of Nazis who are trying to bomb them. Those comments by the officer are chilling as they echoed President Vladimir Putin's false accusations of Nazi elements staying in Ukraine. Tetyana said all Russian soldiers genuinely believed that everyone in Ukraine were Nazis, a worrying development in this unending war. Related Article: Preemie Twins Born in Kyiv Finally in Their Father's Arms in Poland After Daring Rescue by Project Dynamo Photo: (Photo : Getty images ) A father saved his toddler and himself from a second-floor New Jersey apartment to escape the fire by dropping his son and then jumping from the apartment himself. The rescuers caught them both, saving their lives. The second and third floors of one of the South Ridge Woods Apartment Complex, South Brunswick, were in flames when police and firefighters received numerous calls at around 8:17 AM on Monday, March 7. The FireFire quickly escalated to level three and eventually to level four. When the police arrived, they found heavy fire in the rear of the building, from the second and third-floor balconies. The fire was spreading into the attic space, according to the Monmouth Junction Fire Department. Residents were immediately evacuated. However, a father and his toddler were trapped in the blaze. The big leap In a footage recorded by one of the responding police officers, police and firefighters urged the man to drop his son from a second-floor balcony. The father dropped the son, and Deputy Chief Jim Ryan said. After Sgt. William Merkler, Patrolman First Class Ryan Bartunek, Det. Sgt. John Penney and Fire Chief Chris Perez caught the toddler. The father lands on the ground seconds later, head first, but rescuers supported his fall. The father and the three-year-old son, were treated for minor injuries. According to South Brunswick Police Department (SBPD), the fire caused substantial damage in one of the South Ridge Woods complex apartment buildings, causing around six apartments to uninhabitable. Four people are being treated for smoke inhalation. A police spokesman said that at least fifty residents were also displaced, NJ reported. The police also said that 20 people, including nine children, lost their homes. Despite the damage, South Brunswick Mayor Charlie Carley is thankful that everyone is safe and were evacuated out of the apartment building. He also noted that many "lost everything." He ordered the Social Services Department to lead the relief efforts as financial assistance, gift cards, and food will be provided to the affected residents. Read Also: Bronx Fire Survivors: Families Files Lawsuit Against Owners for Alleged Safety Violations A Call for help for the fire victims According to Jeanne Wert, the Director of Social Services, the displaced families most need gift cards: Walmart, Target, Amazon, Stop & Shop, ShopRite. She said the families lost everything. The children of the affected families "went to class and returned to nothing," the South Brunswick Police Department said in its press statement. The Social Services established two locations for the gift cards to be dropped off: South Brunswick Municipal Building (Social Services office) 540 Ridge Road, Monmouth Junction NJ 08852; or South Brunswick Community Center 124 New Road, Monmouth Junction NJ 08852. The South Brunswick School District is also accepting donations for the fire victims.The Red Cross also assisted displaced families. Authorities are still investigating the cause of the fire. Related Article: Passerby Did Not Only Rescue a Family from House Fire But Also Bought New Clothing, Other Essentials for Them Photo: (Photo : MICHELE CATTANI/AFP via Getty Images) Merced, California police officials announced on Saturday that they have arrested the mother of a young 8-year-old girl, who was reported missing only this week but was last seen by family members in December, on suspicion of murder. According to authorities, police discovered the body of an adolescent girl on Friday, March 11, while they were serving a search warrant at a Merced residence believed to be connected to the disappearance of the girl named Sophia Mason. Investigators are not yet sure whether the body they found at the home is that of the missing girl's, but they hope to make an identification of the remains soon. Mason was believed to be with her mother, 30-year-old Samantha Johnson. According to authorities and jail records, she was arrested on Thursday by Hayward police and booked into Santa Rita Jail in Alameda County on suspicion of child abuse and obstruction. Murder warrants issued to Johnson and her boyfriend Jackson Authorities said Merced police interviewed Johnson at the Santa Rita jail regarding the body found in the house and arrested her later on the murder charge. Johnson remains in custody in Alameda Country and will soon be transferred to the Merced County Jail while facing her murder charge. Apart from Johnson, Merced police have also issued a murder warrant for her boyfriend, 34-year-old Dhante Jackson, 34. According to police, Jackson was living at the home where the body was discovered. Jackson, who is known to spend time in the Bay Area, fled the neighborhood soon after news spread that the home was being searched by the police. According to information provided by both police departments, Hayward cops had reached out to their colleagues in Merced on Friday, asking for help regarding their investigation into young Sophia's whereabouts. Hayward police was alerted to her disappearance on Tuesday after family members reported her missing, with their last sighting of her coming in December of last year. According to Merced police spokesman Lt. Joey Perez, Johnson provided suspicious answers to Hayward detectives when she was questioned about her daughter. With the help of their joint investigation with Hayward police, Perez said Merced authorities were able to link the girl and her mother to a home in the 500 block of Barclay Way. Read Also: Parents of Gabby Petito File Lawsuit Against Brian Laundrie's Parents, Claims They Knew of Murder Sophia Mason's relatives heartbroken with discovery of young girl's body Family members are heartbroken with the discovery of the young girl's body, saying the tragic death could have been avoided if Child Protective Services took notice of repeated warnings about Johnson. According to Mason's relatives, they have been very worried about her well-being for years now. Mason's cousin Melanie Verlatti was emotional when speaking to local network KPIX, saying "Devastated, shocked and angry. Just seems unreal. Thinking about how this could have been avoided, and just knowing that it's terrible, and it's a tragedy." Verlatti described her young cousin as a playful 8-year-old girl who loved her adoptive grandmother, Sylvia Johnson, so much. The elder Johnson raised Mason most of her life. Related Article: Hollywood Star Will Smith Shares Thoughts About Witnessing Violence at Home as a Kid Photo: (Photo : JUAN MABROMATA/AFP via Getty Images) After 22 long years, the Zapp family has finally returned home to Argentina, putting to an end their historic trip around the world. Their journey across the globe is the stuff of legends, traveling across five continents and 102 countries on board their 1928 Graham-Paige jalopy, driving a total of 362,000 kilometres (225,000 miles) in the process. News outfit AFP caught up with the Zapps just before their arrival at the Obelisk on Sunday, the famous monument in Buenos Aires that was also the starting point of their one-of-a-kind trip. Herman and Candelaria Zapp were both emotional as they reminisced about their journey that started back on January 25, 2000. Herman said "I have very mixed feelings. We are ending a dream, or fulfilling a dream." He asked the question "What will come now?" with the journey about to end, adding that there are thousands of changes and thousands of options for them to choose from. One of those options, according to the 53-year-old patriarch, is for the family to sail around the world. Candelaria Zapp discovered the beauty in humanity Candelaria, who was just 29 when the trip started and is now 51, said that her best discovery during the 22-year journey was the people that they met along the way. She said that "people are wonderful" and "humanity is incredible." Herman and Candelaria's idea of a round-the world journey was hatched during the couple's backpacking trip in Alaska in the United States. They have been married for six years already at that time, with both of them having good jobs. They had just built a house and were planning to have children soon. Their future in Argentina was secure but the Zapps decided to have an adventure of a lifetime instead. The plan to travel around the world started to take shape when they were offered a 1928 model of an American automobile called Graham-Paige. According to Candelaria, the car's engine was bad and the paint job looked terrible and worse of all the vehicle would not even start. Read Also: Michael Cera Reveals Being Dad to 6-Month-old Baby Boy After Amy Schumer Spills Secret Zapp's journey won't happen without 1928 Graham-Paige car Herman echoed that sentiment, listing more bad features of the vintage model. He said the car's seats are not great as well as its muffler. Herman added that the car does not have air conditioning and the 1928 Graham-Paige is a vehicle that you need to keep your eye on. Despite all of these bad features and the car not looking comfortable, Herman said this 1928 car was for him a 'marvelous' vehicle. Herman said the Graham-Paige was "good in cities, in mud and on sand." Such was the car's durability that they only went through eight sets of tyres in the 22 years that they used the vehicle for their travels. The Zapps only needed to do major engine work on it twice during that span. The car witnessed the family grow with the arrival of four Zapp children. The oldest Pampa, who is now 19 years old, was born in the United States. Tehue, who is now 16, was born in Argentina. Paloma, now 14, was born in Canada while the youngest Wallaby, who is now 12, was born in Australia. Related Article: Georgia Mom With Double Uterus Gives Birth to Two Babies 11 Months Apart Photo: (Photo : Omar Marques/Getty Images) Families of Ukraine children with cancer cried tears of joy following their arrival in the United Kingdom, according to a Southampton doctor who is supporting a mercy mission to bring the sick kids to Great Britain for their treatment. The children they flew in from the war-torn country range in age from babies to teenagers. They were all being treated for cancer in hospitals across Ukraine when the Russian onslaught began. According to the U.K. government website, doctors at University Hospitals Southampton received a phone call soon after and were asked to fly 21 children with cancer, who needed treatment, to the U.K. from the Ukraine-Poland border. The British doctors were more than glad to help them knowing the difficulty of the situation in Ukraine at the moment. U.K. hospitals team up for mercy mission to Ukraine border University Hospitals Southampton quickly went to work after receiving that initial phone call, assembling a team of nine doctors, nurses, and critical care technicians and providing them with the necessary kit and equipment. They also got some help from Birmingham Children's Hospital, which provided an oncologist to deliver specific cancer information to those on the ground. Translators also joined the team to help the doctors communicate with the Ukrainian families. Dr. Michael Griksaitis, among the medics helping with the mission, told ITV News that the Ukrainian children and parents they brought in were "utterly traumatized." Griksaitis, a consultant in pediatric care, added that the families would need an awful lot more support apart from the cancer care they will give to the children. Griksaitis said that the families looked tired and terrified when they first got on the plane. According to Griksaitis, the language barrier was a problem for the Ukrainian families as they did not know what was going on. He said the children started to smile when the doctors got to talk to them and deliver clinical care. What made the trip worthwhile, according to Griksaitis, was the look of relief in the parents' eyes. "They knew their children were going to be safe and that their children were going to have a chance at surviving this cancer now, which they wouldn't never have had if they had stayed where they were," said Griksaitis. Read Also: Ukrainian Family Tells Story of Surviving Russian Forces Fire at Checkpoint Near Kyiv Ukraine families had tears of joy upon arrival in the U.K. Griksaitis said that when the plane hit the ground in the U.K., the families on board had tears of joy. He added that moving 21 sick children was a daunting task as they usually provide pediatric intensive care transport on a single patient basis. However, there was no hesitation for them to accept this challenge and bring the children in from Poland. Griksaitis noted the keyword of their mission was "unknown" as they only found what children they were picking up and how sick they were when they landed in Poland, the BBC News reported. The group flew out on Sunday morning to collect the children and their families and flew back to the U.K. on the same day. He added that the "mission was incredibly successful and incredibly rewarding." A triage service was provided to the Ukrainian children while they were on the plane, and they have now been distributed across various hospitals across Great Britain, based on the type of cancers they have. Related Article: Baby Boom in the Valley as Chino Firefighters Welcome 15 'Quarantine Babies' in the Past 12 Months Photo: (Photo : JOEL SAGET/AFP via Getty Images) Arkansas Judge Joseph Wood has been trying to put the pieces of his life together as a child in foster care who was left in a shoebox in the dead of winter as a baby in 1965. In November 2021, Wood appeared in a digital program on Fox News to discuss his young life in a Chicago orphanage facility for National Adoption Month. In that interview, Wood also relayed in public that he's been trying to search for his biological parents. The Arkansas judge said that his only lead was his original birth documents, which he was able to access in 2010 after Illinois allowed adult adoptees to apply for the unsealing of their adoption records. In these documents, Wood learned he was a "founding," meaning his biological parents abandoned him at birth. Wood also learned that his parents left him in a shoebox in front of an apartment building. He was found on March 20, 1965, which he thought all along was his birthday. "It was the first time, as a 45-year-old man, that I was reading...'no, that date was the date you were found," Wood said. The name Ceasar Johnson was also on his founding certificate as he was the man who found and turned him over to the doctors. Read Also: DNA Test Reunites Sister And Brother Who Was Told She Died in a Car Accident Discovery of His Biological Parents After that interview, CeCe Moore, a sought-after genetic genealogist, reached out to Wood to offer her help. She considered his situation a "cold case" because his adoption records did not provide the exact details of his parents. Thus, the only way to proceed with his search was to get a DNA test. Wood accepted Moore's offer and realized they could be racing against time because his biological parents might not have more years to live. Two days before Christmas last year, the judge received a call from Moore's team informing him of a DNA match. However, that match led to an unfortunate discovery that his biological mother died at 36 years old in 1978 while his biological father died in 2007 at 68. Wood also learned that he lost one brother in 2013 while his grandfather on his mother's side died in 2020 at 98 years old. Wood has two other siblings, a brother, and a sister, whom he has yet to meet. He's also looking forward to getting to know more than a dozen aunts and uncles from both sides because his parents came from large families. Meeting Ceasar Johnson Wood has also personally met the man who found him in the shoebox. Johnson was a Korean War veteran who reassured Wood that his mother clearly loved him because she took care to place him in a shoebox on a site where he can be easily found, according to the New York Post. The judge, who has been struggling to find out why he was abandoned, felt he might not get all the answers he needs because his biological parents are no longer around. Specifically, he wants to know what could have been so horrible that his parents gave him up. He's still looking forward to putting the pieces of his life together through the eyes and stories of his other family. Related Article: Childhood Sweethearts, Who Gave up Baby and Separated at 15, Reconcile After 53 Years Photo: (Photo : Getty images ) On Monday, the Ukraine Ministry said the pregnant woman in the picture carried from a Ukrainian maternity hospital following the attack of Russian forces has died along with her unborn baby, Aljazeera reported. The unnamed woman was taken to an ambulance after the attacks on Mariupol on March 9. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said three people died in the attack, but it was unclear if the woman who recently died was among the death toll. Saving the three pregnant women in Mariupol Timur Marin, the surgeon attending to the woman, told the Associated Press that the woman's pelvis had been crushed, and her hips were detached. The baby was delivered via cesarean section, but it already showed "no signs of life." The woman stroked her bloodied left lower abdomen when the hospital was attacked as emergency workers carried her through the rubble. She was taken to another hospital, and doctors tried to save her. According to medics, when she realized that she was losing her baby, she cried out to them, "kill me now!" The medical team tried to resuscitate the mother for 30 minutes, but it was in vain as both mother and child died. The woman's father and husband retrieved their bodies from the hospital, saving them from being buried in the mass grave. The medics said they did not get the woman's name or any of their family members. Meanwhile, an expectant mother, Mariana Vishegirskaya, in the same maternity hospital in Mariupol, gave birth to a girl on Thursday. The mother, who escaped during the shelling with minor injuries, named her baby Veronika. Another woman that the AP documented lost her toes in the bombing. The medical workers performed a caesarian operation on the expectant mother on Friday. Medics rubbed her baby vigorously to stimulate any signs of life. After several moments, the baby started wailing. The medical staff cheered when the baby cried, and the mother and medical staff wiped their tears. The mother named her newborn baby Alana. Read Also: Father Drops Toddler from Second Floor Window to Escape Apartment Fire Pregnancy in times of war According to the United Nations Population Fund, there are around 240,000 pregnant women in Ukraine, and 80,000 of these women will be delivering babies soon. While many pregnant women will flee the country, those who cannot leave are forced to give birth in bomb shelters. The U.S. intelligence officials believed that Russia would be doubling its attacks in the coming weeks, making the future for expectant moms direr. Jaime Nadal, a United Nations Population Fund representative currently in Ukraine, told Today that the situation for pregnant moms is worsening. Hospitals are running their services in the basement of hospitals, and it is in very short supply of medicines and supplies. Nadal said that replenishing the supplies is "extremely challenging" as no humanitarian corridors are still in place. He also said that the pregnant women were in shock. Many are under stress for days as they escape their cities to find a place with safer conditions. Most would arrive in poor physical condition. In Western Ukraine, deliveries have increased and are associated with complications. Nadal said their organization gives out emergency kits for pregnant moms trapped in Ukraine. Related Article: Counting On' Star Jill Duggar Battles COVID-19 While Pregnant Nation's strategy still effective despite biggest surge in cases in two years As China strives to contain its biggest COVID-19 surge in two years, officials and experts have urged continuation of the dynamic zero-COVID strategy and enforcement of science-based control measures to halt the spread of the virus. Despite the large spike in new cases and challenges in blocking the highly transmissible Omicron variant, they said the goal of zero infection in communities must be achieved to protect medical systems from being overstretched and a jump in related deaths. More sustainable response strategies should be devised, such as providing home test kits, antiviral pills and better preparing healthcare services. The Chinese mainland reported 1,337 locally transmitted, confirmed infections for Sunday, down from over 1,800 the previous day. However, it was the second day in a row that confirmed infections topped 1,000. The number of asymptomatic cases also went down by about 500 to 788 on Sunday, according to the National Health Commission. Lei Zhenglong, deputy head of the commission's Bureau of Disease Prevention and Control, said on Monday that the recent epidemic has affected 27 provincial-level regions. As of Sunday, more than 10,000 domestic infections had been reported this month. The country's virus control strategy is still effective against the Omicron variant, but Omicron's stealth and rapid transmission means that faster and stricter measures should be taken, he said. The hardest-hit regions include Jilin and Guangdong provinces and Shanghai. Vice-Premier Sun Chunlan arrived in Jilin on Sunday to guide local virus control work, and visited a local high school and a residential complex. The province registered 895 locally transmitted, confirmed cases, or nearly 67 percent of total cases nationwide for Sunday, presenting a "severe and complicated situation", according to Sun. During the inspection, she stressed local authorities should cope with the outbreak in a resolute, scientific, and effective manner, and strictly implement mass testing, quarantine and treatment protocols to achieve zero cases as soon as possible. China approved on Sunday the use of rapid antigen testing kits, and Sun said screening for infections should be accelerated via both nucleic acid and antigen tests and improved organization. More aid will be sent to Jilin to boost its ability to conduct epidemiological investigations. While high-risk groups must undergo centralized quarantine, people at lower risk can isolate at home, she said. The latest outbreaks sweeping the Chinese mainland and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region are mainly caused by the highly transmissible subvariant of Omicron, known as BA. 2, according to experts. Zhang Wenhong, head of the infectious disease department at Fudan University's Huashan Hospital in Shanghai, said it is vital to stay confident, calm and clear-minded, and to not give up the fight against the virus. "The infections in the mainland are still in the early stage of an exponential rise," he said on the microblogging platform Sina Weibo. "Because of a surge of cases in a relatively short span, many regions have appeared to be flustered." With local authorities implementing targeted lockdowns and speeding up screening of key areas, Zhang said the virus' spread will eventually be slowed. Based on discussions with virologists at the University of Hong Kong, he said the virulence of the new strain has decreased, and that fully vaccinated people and those with normal immune systems are unlikely to develop serious symptoms. Only 0.1 percent of the 2,266 patients being treated in Shanghai over the past six months have been classified as having severe cases, and no one has died, he added. Based on Hong Kong data, the death rate of people who aren't fully immunized is 23 times higher than those have received two shots. Though the virus has become milder and less lethal, Zhang argues against relaxing virus containment policies. "If China opens up too quickly, many people will get infected quickly, leading to a staggering number of hospitalizations, strained medical systems and an impact on society," he said. The consequences would be unimaginable for the elderly and those with underlying health problems who have not been vaccinated for fear of side effects, he said. While it is vital for China to continue its strategy of achieving zero infection and bring the wave of Omicron infections under control, "it doesn't mean that we will impose lockdowns and mass testing persistently", he said. When the outbreaks are stamped out, it is essential to seize the window of opportunity to develop smarter and more sustainable strategies, such as launching an extensive booster vaccine plan for seniors, ensuring the supply of oral antiviral medicine and affordable home testing kits, and developing fully trained triage medical services and home quarantine protocols, he said. KIEV, March 15 (Xinhua) -- Ukrainian and Russian delegations resumed peace talks on Tuesday, local media outlet Ukrayinska Pravda reported, citing David Arakhamia, a member of the Ukrainian delegation. "The talks are already underway," Arakhamia said without giving further details. Ukrainian and Russian delegations started the fourth round of their talks via video link on Monday. Ukrainian Presidential Advisor Mykhailo Podolyak, also a member of the delegation, said the two sides took a technical pause in the negotiations until Tuesday for "additional work in the working subgroups and clarification of individual definitions." Photo: (Photo : Randy Shropshire/Getty Images for Critics Choice Association) Veteran comedian Billy Crystal joined other Hollywood stars in voicing their support for Ukraine at the Critics Choice Awards in Los Angeles, California, on Sunday. The 74-year-old Hollywood icon gave a stirring speech while accepting the Lifetime Achievement Award, telling the crowd about his Ukrainian roots and wishing for joy and laughter to be part of that world again. As reported by the Daily Mail, Crystal said in his speech that funny people and entertainers like him start by making their parents laugh first, then their family and friends. Crystal said he grew up when television was this new frontier. Crystal told the audience that it was the comics that made him want to be a comedian. "Watching them get laughs made me want to get laughs," said the comedian. Crystal added that before he knew it, he was standing on a coffee table imitating his relatives, many of whom came from Russia and Ukraine. He paid tribute to them. "My grandmothers were from Odessa and Kyiv. They escaped the pogroms to come to America, where they could live free from tyranny. And their laughter, the first laughs I ever got in my life, is the fuel that my engine is still burning today," Crystal said. Billy Crystal prays for laughter and joy to return to Ukraine People magazine reported that Crystal dedicated his award to those amazing people he entertained in Long Ridge, Long Island. Crystal noted that their laughter and joy started that five-year-old boy's journey to this moment where he is receiving a Lifetime Achievement Award. He then delivered a poignant message during his speech. "I pray that somehow, someway there can be laughter and joy in that part of the world once again," he said. Crystal's grandfather was an Austrian Jewish immigrant from Vienna, while his mother's family were Jewish immigrants who came from Russia, including the city of Rostov. Crystal's family is in a tough spot right now, with both Russia and Ukraine waging war against each other. Read Also: Elon Musk and Grimes are New Parents Once More: Secretly Welcome Baby Girl, Y, via Surrogate Crystal developed his comedic talent in New York Crystal spoke about his relationship with his grandparents in an interview with the Guardian back in 2013. According to the American actor, they were not fun, but they were really interesting people. He said his grandparents spoke Yiddish when they did not want their grandchildren to know what they were talking about. Crystal was born at Doctor's Hospital on Manhattan's Upper East Side in New York. He was raised in the Bronx before the family moved to East Park Avenue, Long Island. The screen star and his two brothers, Richard and Joel, were the sons of Jack and Helen Crystal. Crystal's comedic chops were developed at an early age, with the three young brothers reprising comedy routines from the likes of Sid Caesar and Rich Little. His father, Jack, owned and operated the Commodore Music Store founded by his grandfather, Julius Gabler. Related Article: Michael Cera Reveals Being Dad to 6-Month-old Baby Boy After Amy Schumer Spills Secret Photo: (Photo : ALEXANDER NEMENOV/AFP via Getty Images) The daughters of Russian Pres. Vladimir Putin, Mariya and Katerina, who are in their 30s, are presumed to have developed the same narcissistic traits as their father, a trauma expert said. Caroline Strawson, a therapist, believes that Mariya and Katerina have likely developed a trauma response because they have experienced their father's narcissistic tendencies as children. This trauma response may be a form of survival mode that leads the daughters to behave in certain ways. Speaking with Daily Express, Strawson said that Putin and his ex-wife, Lyudmila Aleksandrovna Ocheretnaya, have made efforts to shield Mariya and Katerina from the public. However, because of the environment they grew up in, Mariya and Katerina, may have received their parents' version of love and affection that have turned them into "entitled and potentially narcissistic" people as well. Strawson is speaking about the intergenerational trauma that exists in all families. She said that Putin is known to have spoiled his daughters because he was also treated like a "golden child" by his own parents. But because Putin doesn't talk about his private life or his daughters in public, the consequence of this silence may also trigger feelings of inadequacy from his daughters. "Usually, if one parent is a narcissist, this means the other is co-dependent," Strawson explained. "Normally this will then mean the child will either become a narcissist or a co-dependent themselves." Read Also: Russian Families Clash and Block Each Other on Facebook Over Opposing Views of War in Ukraine Mariya and Katerina's Childhood and Adult Life Reports cited that Mariya and Katerina were born more than a year apart in the 1980s when their father worked for the KGB. Their names were derived from their paternal grandmother, Maria Ivanovna Shelomova. When Putin became the acting president of Russia, the girls were pulled out of school and shifted to homeschooling, per Business Insider. Mariya and Katerina then studied in Moscow for college using false identities. Mariya went to medical school while her younger sister took Asian Studies. Mariya has been married to a Dutch national and works as a medical researcher in Moscow. It is unclear how many children they have, but in 2017, Putin acknowledged that he's a grandfather. On the other hand, Katerina is a self-made billionaire who has built a start-up and delved into acrobatic dancing on the side. She was married to a Russian billionaire until their 2018 divorce. Putin's Second Family Meanwhile, rumors abound that Putin's second partner, Alina Kabaeva, a former gold-winning Olympian gymnast, has been staying in Switzerland with their four young kids. Sources for Page Six stated that Putin and Kabaeva have twin daughters, age seven, born in the Central European country. They also have twin boys, allegedly born in 2019. In 2008, a Russian newspaper alleged that Putin was planning to divorce his first wife to marry Kabaeva. Kremlin, however, denied the story and ordered the closure of the local paper. In 2014, Putin and Ocheretnaya did end their marriage after three decades while Kabaeva went on to work at the National Media Group, as appointed by Kremlin. In a rare interview, she has denied having children and has stayed out of the spotlight just like Putin's adult daughters. Related Article: Virginia School Suspends Teacher Who Voiced Support For Russia's Ukraine Invasion Photo: (Photo : Pierre Crom/Getty Images) Ukrainian surrogates carrying the children of their foreign clients are reluctant to leave their home country despite the Russian invasion, leaving the biological parents feeling anxious about the safety of their babies. Ukraine has been a popular surrogacy destination for foreign couples. According to Sam Everingham in a report by Yahoo!, they are the second most popular destination globally for surrogacy arrangements, behind only the United States. It is estimated that there are currently 800 Ukrainian women pregnant with babies to foreign clients. Julia Osiyevska, who is the director of the New Hope surrogacy agency in Ukraine, talked about the current situation of their business. According to Osiyevska, she cannot leave Ukraine despite the ongoing war as she cannot abandon the surrogates under her care and the parents-to-be who are relying on her. Surrogates have the right to decide if they want to leave or not Osiyevska told i News that it was hard for her to balance the needs and fears of the Ukrainian surrogates and the people they are carrying the babies for. She understands where both parties are coming from, saying that "intended parents are scared and frightened as the surrogates [who] are carrying their child." Osiyevska reiterates that the surrogacy center treats the surrogates and the biological parents equally. That being said, the surrogate still has the right to decide if she does not want to flee from Ukraine. Osiyevska emphasized this point, saying, "Surrogates are not hostages or slaves." She added that many surrogates under their care are too afraid to move to a different place even though there is a war happening in Ukraine and the ongoing conflict is a "terribly difficult situation for them too." Osiyevska explained that New Hope is a small business compared to other surrogacy agencies in Ukraine. New Hope works with foreign couples, including those from the United States, Australia, and the United Kingdom, and is supporting nine pregnant Ukrainian surrogates at the moment. Read Also: War in Ukraine Puts Spotlight on Country's Surrogate Mothers New Hope agency bringing surrogates to Moldova Just days before the interview, Osiyevska said she spent 19 hours alongside five of the company's surrogates and their children on a bus ride to neighboring Moldova. Not all surrogates were willing to move to Moldova, though, as according to Osiyevska, the prospect of moving to another country terrifies some pregnant mothers. There was another case where the agency had already brought a surrogate to Moldova, but she decided to return to Ukraine just days later. According to Osiyevska, many surrogates don't want to leave Ukraine despite the war because the men are prohibited from joining them in leaving the country. Osiyevska added that living in other places such as Moldova is more expensive than staying in Ukraine. Many of their surrogates can't support themselves without their husbands. According to a report by the BBC, a total of 2.8 million people have already fled Ukraine because of the Russian invasion. At least 106,994 Ukrainian refugees have gone to Moldova as of March 13. Related Article: Video of Ukrainian Girl Singing "Let It Go" in Bomb Shelter in Kyiv Goes Viral Photo: (Photo : Getty images ) The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) recently issued a warning that infants and young children under 4.5 years of age should not be consuming rice milk as a substitute for cow's milk, breast milk, or formula milk. The warning came as it has come to FSAI's attention that the rice-based infant and follow-on formula called "Premibio Premiriz" is being sold online via the co.uk website. The authority had previously warned that rice milk contains low levels of inorganic arsenic, based on their tests, as per The Independent report. Not legally permitted The infant formula is not legally permitted to be sold in the European market as it does not meet infants' legal compositional and nutritional requirements. The FSAI is now coordinating with authorities in the U.K. and other EU member states to stop the sale of the product in Europe online as the product should not be placed in the European Market, the Chief Executive of the FSAI, Dr. Pamela Byrne, said. The agency is also in touch with hospitals and public health professionals to inform them about the sale. According to Byrne in Irish Mirror, the authority is aware that published studies in the past indicate that low levels of inorganic arsenic have been detected in rice-based formula and the follow-on formula in the past. The recommendation is that infants and young children should not have exposure to these products. Read Also: Scientists Develop Highly Accurate Tool for Detecting Autism as Early as 12 Months of Age Dangers of arsenic According to the World Health Organization, Arsenic is a naturally occurring chemical element widely distributed throughout the environment in the air, water, and land. It is, however, highly toxic in its inorganic form. Inorganic arsenic may come from contaminated water, consuming contaminated food, and smoking tobacco. Inorganic arsenic is a confirmed carcinogen. Acute arsenic poisoning causes vomiting, abdominal pain, and diarrhea. Long-term exposure to high levels of inorganic arsenic is observed in pigmentation changes in the skin, skin lesions, and hard patches on the palms and soles of the feet. Long-term exposure is also linked to skin, bladder, and lungs cancers. Health experts also say that symptoms and signs caused by long-term exposure to inorganic arsenic differ among individuals, population groups, and geographical areas. FSAI announced that exposure to inorganic arsenic should be kept low as reasonably practicable. As a precaution, the food authority should not give these foods to infants and young children below 4.5 years of age. Rice Milk is available worldwide Rice milk is sourced from rice whole grains and is produced through an enzymatic process. The carbohydrates transform into sugar, giving the drink a naturally sweetened taste. Market analyses show that the rice milk market is expected to gain market growth. The drink is popular for those who are lactose-intolerant and vegans. However, the drink contains almost no protein. Hence, the products are primarily produced with added fortified elements to compensate for their lack of nutrients. The product is currently available worldwide: in the US, Canada, Mexico, Europe, and Asian countries. Data Bridge Market Research says the rice milk market is high in North America because of the large percentage of vegans and lactose intolerant population. Related Article: Massive Milk Formula Recall Empties Store Shelves in Utah, Mothers Panicking Photo: (Photo : Rodin Eckenroth/Getty Images) Travis Barker and Kourtney Kardashian are getting ready to expand their family. According to US Weekly, the couple made their intentions known during the latest trailer for Hulu's "The Kardashians," released on Monday, March 14. In the voiceover of that footage, the 42-year-old "Keeping Up With the Kardashians" alum said, "Travis and I want to have a baby." That news will thrill fans of the duo, who got engaged in October of last year after the Blink-182 drummer proposed in Montecito, California. The clip from their upcoming reality show featured the rocker and Kardashian having an appointment with their doctor. The Posh creator can be heard instructing the camera crew to turn the mics off after the couple was told to put the sample in a cup. Kardashian joked that they don't get the audio for that. Kardashian and Barker teased baby plans before According to People magazine, this is not the first time Barker and Kardashian teased the public about having a baby together. Last October, Kardashian shared on Instagram a photo from her Halloween weekend with Barker. The reality star dressed up as Patricia Arquette's character, Alabama, in the classic 1993 film, "True Romance." Barker, who dressed as Christian Slater's character, opposite Kardashian, hinted at the idea of expanding his brood with his fiancee, writing in the comment section, "Our sons name would be Elvis." Though the drummer's comment was a reference to a scene in the movie where the ghost of Elvis visited Clarence, a source told the magazine that Kardashian would love to have a child with Barker. Those baby plans have been confirmed with the release of the trailer. The former E! star revealed during a segment at the Ellen DeGeneres Show in March 2021 that she froze her eggs in 2018. Read Also: New Dad Rupert Grint Shares Daughter Owns a Magic Wand and Has Seen 'Harry Potter' Kardashian wants to protect the relationship with Barker Kardashian explained her thought process behind that decision, saying she got talked into it. Kardashian said that she would do it one more time since everyone else was doing it. Kardashian added that she asked herself if she was supposed to get pregnant on her own at 41 before deciding to freeze her eggs. If they are successful in having a baby together, this will be the seventh child for the pair. Barker is already a father to his son Landon, 18 years old, and daughter Alabama, who is 16. He also has a 22-year-old stepdaughter named Atiana with his former wife, Shanna Moakler. On the other hand, Kardashian is the mom of three kids: 11-year-old Mason, nine-year-old Penelope, and Reign, six years old. Kardashian recently spoke to Variety and told the magazine that she considers her relationship with Barker sacred and that their romance won't be the main storyline in the family's new reality series. Related Article: Ryan Reynolds, Blake Lively to Match $1 Million Donation for Families Displaced by the Ukraine Invasion The Colorado River Indian Tribes have donated a portion of their gaming revenue to local non-profits, in accordance with their gaming compact with the State of Arizona. The Tribes operate the BlueWater Resort & Casino north of Parker. This service applies to you if your subscription has not yet expired on our old site. You will have continued access until your subscription expires; then you will need to purchase an ongoing subscription through our new system. Please contact the Parsons Sun office at (620) 421-2000 if you have any questions MOSCOW, March 15 (Xinhua) -- Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Tuesday stressed the importance of establishing a verification mechanism as U.S.-funded biological laboratories in Ukraine have caused concern. The issue of U.S.-funded biological laboratories in Ukraine must be addressed within the framework of the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention, Lavrov said during a briefing. Moscow plans to redouble its efforts to ensure that the United States stops blocking Russia's proposal made 20 years ago on the creation of a verification mechanism under the convention on biological agents that could be used to make bioweapons, he said. In addition to over 30 biolabs in Ukraine, the United States has created "hundreds of such laboratories" in other countries, he noted. "I believe that the international community will soon be convinced that such inadmissible activities are fraught with deadly risks for a huge number of people," Lavrov said. On March 8, while testifying before a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on Ukraine, U.S. Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs Victoria Nuland admitted "Ukraine has biological research facilities." At a UN Security Council meeting called by Russia to discuss the United States' alleged military biological research in Ukraine on Saturday, U.S. permanent representative to the United Nations, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, said, "Ukraine does not have a biological weapons program. There are no Ukrainian biological weapons laboratories supported by the United States." At a glance Experts Rating Pros Gorgeous OLED screen Simply outstanding battery life 5G option for mobile work Terrific inking experience, and the pen is included Decent value Cons Poor performance in places Slow, laggy SSD Almost out of date Our Verdict Samsungs Galaxy Book Pro 360 5G should appeal to a niche buyer searching for a connected, tablet-like PC with an excellent screen and battery life. Otherwise, youll probably find better options elsewhere. Price When Reviewed Samsung Galaxy Book Pro 360 5G: $1,399.99 Best Prices Today: Samsung Galaxy Book Pro 360 5G Retailer Price Delivery Samsung $1249.99 View Samsung Not Available Free View Samsungs Galaxy Book Pro 360 5G shouldnt be considered by those looking for a general-purpose PC. But for someone who lives at a coffee shop, tapping out email, sneaking in a Netflix video, and shuttling back and forth? Keep reading. This device is a tablet in laptops clothing, with a 5G connection and fabulous battery life that many of its competitors lack. Performance lags in places, though youll probably forget all about that while viewing the gorgeous OLED screen. Keep in mind that this particular device is nearly a generation old. Its still worth considering, as really only the 11th-gen processor lags behind the state-of-the-art 12th-gen Core hardware found within the Galaxy Book2 laptops Samsung recently announced. Still, view this device with a predators eye (aka watch for retailers who may be clearing out older inventory). If youre the specific sort of customer who finds this review appealing, then snap it up. Samsung Galaxy Book Pro 360 5G basic features Were reviewing the Galaxy Pro 360 5G, a specialized 360-degree convertible that ships only with a 13.3-inch display option, the Mystic Silver color scheme, and the integrated 5G radio. It ships in one of two configurations: one with a Core i5-1130G7 for $1,399.99 (or $1,249.99 on Samsung.com at press time) or a more expensive $1,599.99 version with a Core i7-1160G7. (At Samsung, that model is listed as out of stock). The Core i7 model also offers more memory (16GB RAM) as well as a larger SSD option (up to 512GB). We found the Core i7 version at Best Buy for $1,399.99 at press time. Keep in mind that while a laptop with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage is perfectly serviceable, the available discounts may make the upgrade worthwhile. Both models ship with Samsungs include S Pen for inking, which saves some money, though theres no built-in holster. Otherwise, the unit were reviewing requires purchasing one of our recommended USB-C hubs to connect to devices with a legacy USB-A connector. As a 360-degree convertible, the Samsung Galaxy Book Pro 360 5G can fold up into tent mode. Mark Hachman / IDG Samsung has numerous other options within its Galaxy Book lineup from which to choose, though the differences may be confusing. Forgoing the 5G option opens up more choices. Samsungs Galaxy Book Pro 360 (without 5G!) is available in either a 13.3-inch or a 15.6-inch form factor, and we reviewed one of the models last year with a Core i7 chip inside of it. This review unit has a slower Core i5, which allows us to provide a detailed comparison of the two notebooks in terms of performance and general usability. Finally, remember that this laptop is a 360-degree convertible, rotating from a clamshell all the way around to a tablet mode. Otherwise, consider the similar Samsung Galaxy Book Pro, a traditional clamshell notebook that lacks both the S Pen as well as a touch display. The Book Pro also includes a USB Type A port. If youre thinking to yourself, hey, isnt this the old one? yes, youre right. Samsung has recently launched its Galaxy Book2 lineup, which will ship soon. The importance of these laptops is that youll likely see these on discount as Samsung clears the decks for the new models. Mark Hachman / IDG Processor: Intel Core i5-1130G7 / Core i7-1165G7 (Core i5 as tested) Intel Core i5-1130G7 / Core i7-1165G7 (Core i5 as tested) Display: 13.3-inch (19201080) Super AMOLED with touch, HDR 13.3-inch (19201080) Super AMOLED with touch, HDR Memory: 8GB/16GB LPDDR4x (8GB as tested) 8GB/16GB LPDDR4x (8GB as tested) Storage: 256GB/512GB SSD (256 GB as tested) 256GB/512GB SSD (256 GB as tested) Graphics: Intel Iris Xe Intel Iris Xe Ports: 1 USB-C (Thunderbolt 4); 2 USB-C, microSD, 3.5mm jack, Kensington lock 1 USB-C (Thunderbolt 4); 2 USB-C, microSD, 3.5mm jack, Kensington lock Security: Fingerprint reader Fingerprint reader Camera: 720p (user-facing) 720p (user-facing) Battery: 62.1Wh (design), 63.3Wh (reported) 62.1Wh (design), 63.3Wh (reported) Wireless: WiFi 6E Gig+ (802.11ax), Bluetooth 5.1, 5G WWAN WiFi 6E Gig+ (802.11ax), Bluetooth 5.1, 5G WWAN Operating system: Windows 10 Home Windows 10 Home Dimensions: 11.91 x 7.95 x 0.45in. 11.91 x 7.95 x 0.45in. Weight: 3.06lb (rated) 3.06lb (rated) Colors: Mystic Silver Mystic Silver Prices: $1,399.99 as tested, $1,249.99 after discount (Samsung.com) My initial impression of the smaller 13-inch Galaxy Book Pro 360 5G was of just another silver laptop stamped with a small black Samsung logo on the rear of the display. While the Mystic Blue of the larger Pro 360 we reviewed last year sometimes felt like it was indistinguishable from black, it did offer a splash of color in the right light. Most silver 13-inch laptops in this category are actually Chromebooks and this slightly soured my initial impression. Not entirely, however. One of the strengths of a 360-degree convertible Chromebook is its ability to swivel back on itself and create a tablet for Android apps. Now, Windows 11 can do the same. Add the laptops pen capabilities to that and a 360-degree Windows 11 convertible and the Book Pro 360 5G is more valuable than ever. The hinge rotated firmly and stably without flopping around, and the overall build quality feels solid if a bit heavy for a 13-inch notebook. Theres a tiny bit of flex with the display, but nothing worrisome. On the right-hand side of the Samsung Galaxy Book Pro 360 5G is the SIM card slot, a standard USB-C port, and the headphone jack. Mark Hachman / IDG Air is pulled in by a fine grille of holes underneath the chassis and pushed out back through then hinge vents. Four rubber pads hold the laptop slightly off the desk or table. The Pro 360 5G does get warm (though not hot) in the default Optimized setting, which adjusts fan speed and performance. The fan turned on noticeably with Whiteboard and Microsoft Edge running with just a hint of coil whine. Four fan modes are available (High Performance, No fan, Silent, and Optimized). The Silent mode, unfortunately, isnt. Different display types offer their own distinct advantages. Most high-refresh-rate laptops use IPS technology. Samsungs OLED displays are a visual treat, with profoundly deep blacks and vibrant colors that help make this laptop a joy to watch videos on. There are a number of display modes to chose from, which slightly differ both in the standard Windows 11 settings as well as Samsungs Settings app. The display puts out 281 nits, just above the 250-260 nits or so that we consider a suitable brightness. Weirdly, the Samsung Galaxy Book Pro 360 5G performed better covering the AdobeRGB in the default configuration (slider all the way to the left) than in the dedicated AdobeRGB setting. As noted above, the laptop contains both a Thunderbolt 4-equipped USB-C port as well as two other generic USB ports. The I/O throughput difference is profound, so thankfully Samsung etched a tiny lightning bolt logo next to the high-speed port. The entire laptop is powered by a compact 65W USB-C charger that brought the laptop up to about 50 percent in a little more than an hour. You probably wont be flipping back and forth between the charger and battery power that often, but when you do, theres an annoying half-second or two when the display goes black before switching over to the new power mode. Theres a faint thunderbolt logo to the right of the right-hand USB-C port, signifying the faster I/O. Either squint or memorize where it is. Mark Hachman / IDG Typing experience, audio, and webcam Samsung rates the key travel on its Galaxy Book Pro 360 keyboard at 1mm, less than the key travel on comparable devices. Thats the distance in which your fingers can depress the key before it bottoms out. Personally, I prefer a travel distance of about 1.5mm. But Samsung softens the blow with a series of springy scissor switches mounted under rubbery keypad domes, which helps your fingers land more comfortably. The bigger the cushion, the sweeter the pushin, as one famous band wrote. The individual keys are also comfortably sized. I also prefer the way Samsung laid out its 15-inch keyboard but again, the compromises are smart. The tiny cross of directional keys in the lower right-hand corner isnt feasible for prolonged use and the top row of function keys are small enough that they should be used only occasionally. The choices laptop manufacturers make in selecting function-key shortcuts is oddly fascinating. The top row is especially noteworthy. The F11 key triggers performance mode and pressing Function + F10 turns your camera and mic on and off. The poor F11 key, on the other hand, does triple duty. It serves as a shortcut for both full-screen and performance mode (Function + F11), and it can also be used to launch Samsungs secret screen capability (Win + F11). Mark Hachman / IDG Keep in mind that Samsung tucks its Windows Hello fingerprint reader under the power switch to the upper right-hand-corner of the keyboard. Samsungs sensor still earns a mediocre grade, often failing to identify my finger until I tapped it several times. Make sure you have a PIN set within Windows. (You cant log in using the user-facing camera, unfortunately, as its not Windows Hello certified). As far as the camera is concerned, I still favor a higher-resolution 1080p camera than the 720p user-facing camera Samsung included instead. The camera should capture your face well with accurate color and lighting, but the low-res camera simply wont do you any favors on Microsoft Teams or Zoom. Samsungs F10 shortcut, mentioned above, serves as the only shortcut to turn off your mic and camera, as theres no privacy shutter. While the webcams color seems acceptable, there are some odd lines running down my nose that arent there in real life. Its all very splotchy. Mark Hachman / IDG On the other hand, the included beauty settings that accompany the camera have less work to do about the only noticeable change they offered were to erase circles from under my eyes and slightly slim my chin. The Galaxy Book Pro 360 5G delivers crisp sound of moderate volume from a pair of speakers, tuned by AKG. Really, they offer about as much as youd hope they would. Music and movies sound great at both the high end as well as the midrange. The low-end tones arent as robust as you might like, but a thin laptop doesnt offer all that much to work with. I couldnt find an audio equalizer in the included Realtek audio app, though the upcoming revamp to the Windows Media Player should supply one. My only complaint is that Id like the two speakers to deliver a bit more oomph. An excellent inking experience As with the 15-inch model of the Galaxy Book Pro 360, the smaller 5G model doesnt provide any place to store the included S Pen, which can be used for either drawing or as a control mechanism via its single button. You can magnetically attach the Pen to the back of the laptops screen (weakly near the bottom or more strongly near the top), though you should expect it to immediately lose it in the bottom of a backpack. Inking with the Samsung Galaxy Book Pro 360 5G is excellent. Theres hardly any ink jitter, no matter the line alignment. Mark Hachman / IDG Fortunately, the S Pen doesnt require charging or pairing, as it uses a Wacom technology called EMR to ink on the screens digitizer. Samsung has demonstrated impressive inking capabilities, both on our first look at an early Galaxy Tab S8, and now here on the Galaxy Book Pro 360 5G as well. Three factors usually determine the inking experience: the time it takes for the ink to flow from the pen, any ink offset from the nib, and any jitter that occurs while the pen is inking. The first metric is simply any lag that occurs as you quickly move the pen across the screen and with the Samsung S Pen it was noticeable but minimal. The S Pens interaction with the digitizer is flawless when inking horizontally, as the ink emerges directly under the nib. Its slightly offset when inking vertically. Normally, when slowly inking a diagonal line with a ruler, theres still some jitter, resulting in an unintentionally wavy line. Theres hardly any at all with the Galaxy Book Pro 360 5G, making it one of the best inking experiences around. 5G mobile experience Naturally, one reason to buy this laptop the optional 5G WWAN option. Samsung provided us a test SIM to facilitate testing. Keep in mind that a true mobile laptop experience is one part battery, one part SIM, and one part display Samsung seems to have nailed this. Mid-afternoon on the Samsung Galaxy Book Pro 360 5G, in the shade. Mark Hachman / IDG Though the display isnt overly bright, it was perfectly fine for working outside my local coffee shop as well as indoors just keep to the shade. Even right by the bay, the Verizon SIM provided 40 Mbits/s down, though less than a megabit upstream. It was far better elsewhere. At the coffee shop, for example, the laptop received 80Mbps downstream and 8Mbps up. Thats perfectly fine as an alternative to a suspicious or crowded Wi-Fi access point. (The laptops Wi-F 6E is the most advanced on the market today). Samsung is notorious for including many of its own branded apps. Youll find some tucked within the Start menu under the Galaxy name (the Galaxy Book Experience and the Galaxy Book Smart Switch, which helps migrate files from another Samsung PC) as well as Samsung. The latter includes apps that replicate what Windows does such as Samsung Studio Plus, which serves as a media editor. Pay closer attention to Samsung Security, which offers a custom privacy folder, a security cam that emails you when someone sits down at your PC, and a secret screen that uses transparency effects to confuse prying eyes. Samsung Settings also offers a number of configuration options which you may find useful including a screen mode to set your PC with vivid colors and a battery protection option that can prevent your PC from charging itself fully. The latter isnt a bug but a feature, in that it prolongs your laptops battery by doing so. Performance I wasnt particularly impressed with the performance, especially with how laggy the SSD can be. While unzipping files, the process would halt for a few seconds, making me wonder if there was something wrong with the system. These issues have been endemic to Windows 11, but they should have been fixed by now. So, I checked it. We usually let our standard performance tests speak for themselves, but the SSD issue was worth spotlighting. Below, weve compared CrystalDiskMark 4.0.3 results between the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio and the Book Pro 5G. Are they direct competitors? No. But even if you dont understand which tests govern what, you can see that the read and write performance of the Surface Laptop Studio are generally much higher than the Samsung laptop. Its a hidden weak point. In other tasks, however, the laptop performed more impressively. YouTube playback of a 4K/60 stream streamed without a single frame being dropped on the native 1080p display and just 17 out of 10,000 on an external 4K display. Thats excellent and you wont notice any jitter playing back videos. Modern browsers also accommodate systems with low memory well, so you should be able to open numerous tabs without any slowdown. Still, our synthetic benchmark results werent impressive. Weve chosen to compare the Samsung Galaxy Book Pro 360 5G to the 15-inch Samsung Galaxy Book Pro 360 as well as other similar devices such as the 13-inch Surface Pro 8 and the Dell Latitude 7320 Detachable tablets, the HP Elite DragonFly Max and Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Nano business notebooks, plus the Razer Book 13. (We also added the unreviewed Huawei Matebook X Pro, which isnt being sold in the United States). Ideally, the Samsung convertible would deliver competitive performance and outstanding battery life, but it falls well short in several areas. Theres a reason for why it falls short and its hidden in the PCUs model number. The Galaxy Book Pro 360 5G is powered by a Core i5-1130G7, one of Intels UP4 class of Tiger Lake processors. Thats code for a tablet-class processor, signaled by the 0 at the end of the number. More powerful UP3 processors for mainstream notebooks have a 5 at the end of the model number. Those processors demand more power (15 to 28 watts) versus the 7 to 15 watts UP4 chips like whats inside our review unit. Heres the upshot. Performance will suffer, though battery life should improve. We see this in the results below. Our benchmark suite begins with ULs PCMark 10, a general-purpose test that evaluates a PC on several fronts like web browsing, video calls, CAD work, and more. The benchmark is designed as a comprehensive evaluation of all of a laptops merits, though weve obviously added to it with our other tests. Remember, were testing a Core i5-powered tablet-class laptop against a number of Core i7-powered machines. Most of them perform quite similarly in this test. The Samsung Galaxy Book Pro 360 5G offers middling performance in the PCMark 10 test, but itll get the job done. Mark Hachman / IDG Weve maintained the use of Cinebench R15, though modern laptops complete this bursty test quite quickly. Cinebench is designed to show how well a laptop responds to a generic CPU-driven task that falls outside of the chores put to it within the PCMark test. The Galaxy Book Pro 360 5G performs surprisingly poorly here, even though the processor is a tablet-class chip. The ThinkPad X1 Nano and the Dell Latitude 7320 outperform it fairly handily. Even running the laptop in its maximum performance mode didnt move the needle at all. Not an impressive performance for the Samsung Galaxy Book Pro 360 5G in this synthesized CPU test. Mark Hachman / IDG Handbrake is a real-world application used for transcoding video, which can take an hour or more to transcode a full-length movie into a format thats appropriate for toting along on an Android tablet. We use this test to measure how well the Galaxy Book Pro 360 5G performs under prolonged load. Of all the tablet-class processors, it performs the best. The Samsung Galaxy Book Pro 360 5G performs decently in video transcoding. Mark Hachman / IDG Were not expecting you to use the Galaxy Book Pro 360 5G to play games on and our 3DMark test bears that out. We use the modern Time Spy benchmark here and the results arent anything to speak of. Instead, you could use the device like a Chromebook to play games on it from Xbox Game Pass or another service. The key here is that youll want to play most modern games in the cloud, not on the local PC. Lets just ignore the Samsung Galaxy Book Pro 360 5Gs 3D performance. Mark Hachman / IDG Battery life, though, is where wed expect this thin laptop to shine and it does. In our roundup, the only laptop that outperforms it is its bigger brother. Incidentally, almost 16 hours of battery life pushes into the range of laptops that use Qualcomms battery-sipping Snapdragon chips, as evidenced by the battery-life chart that accompanies our HP Elite Folio review. Why should you buy the Samsung Galaxy Book Pro 360 5G? This is why. Mark Hachman / IDG Conclusion The Galaxy Book Pro 360 5G is less like a traditional laptop and more like a convertible, connected tablet. Sure, its not as light as or as thin as a traditional tablet like the Surface Pro 8 nor is it as powerful as a more traditional clamshell. But if you like it offers, you might consider the 15-inch Galaxy Book Pro that we separately reviewed. In fact, you might consider this review as a jumping-off point for what youd really like in a laptop. More performance? Well, inevitable discounts might spur you to buy the Core i7 version of this machine. However, performance should only increase rather marginally. Other business notebooks offer competitive features and theyre worth a look. Our review, though, probably underscores what makes this laptop a must buy for a certain niche. At a little over $1,200 and with the possibility of more discounts to come, this convertible is both lightweight and connected. Samsungs OLED screens are simply lovely for watching videos upon and the 360-convertible form factor does allow for a tablet-like experience in this new era of Android apps on Windows. Finally, this laptop delivers marvelous battery life and a 5G connection to boot. From that perspective, the Galaxy Book Pro 360 5G has a lot to offer. A medical doctor at Ridge hospital in Accra, Dr Jonathan Juwerie, has called for intensive public education on breast cancer in deprived communities across the country. He said it was important for women in rural and deprived communities to have a better understanding of the causes, symptoms and prevention of the ailment to better protect themselves against it. The medical Doctor made the call at a free breast cancer screening organised by Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) at Gbetuori community in the Jirapa Municipality of the Upper West Region. The programme presented an opportunity for women and girls in the community to screen for the disease, while they were also educated on the causes and possible preventive measures of breast cancer. Dr Juwerie said educating women to understand the disease would help clear the negative perceptions and encourage women to seek early treatment, adding that they will be able to self-examine the breast for signs and symptoms of the disease. He encouraged women to regularly visit the hospital for check-ups since early detection was the surest way to fight against breast cancer. Dr Juwerie said the lack of support from men had become a major challenge and said it was time men understood the important role they played in the lives of women. He advised the women to consult medical doctors if they noticed lump, swelling, redness and darkening, change in size, dimpling and nipple discharge in the breast because early detection of breast cancer was important in saving lives. Mr Matthias Berthold, Project Manager-Resilience Against Climate Change(REACH), said the GIZ was ready to partner private organisations to promote quality healthcare delivery, and urged women in the area to take advantage of the exercise to know their status. He urged the members, especially women not to take lightly any change in the breast but to report promptly to a health facility and urged the participants to extend the education to their communities to ensure that no woman died of breast cancer. The project manager explained that the screening also sought to educate women in the community on how to detect abnormalities in their breasts at the early stage. He urged women to adopt healthy lifestyles to reduce their chances of getting the disease, and advised those who already have it to comply with the treatment as prescribed. Source: The Ghanaian Times 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 Residents at the Weija ridge and reservoir areas in Accra live in danger due to ongoing illegal sand winning activities in the area. The activities have created deep gullies on either parts of the ridge, which resulted in landslides whenever there was a heavy rainfall. This came to light when a multi-sectorial team on Friday embarked on a verification tour of Weija to access the level of risk caused by the activities of illegal mining to the ridge. Referred to as the Liaison group, the team included officials from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Water Resources Commission, Minerals Commission, Forestry Commission, Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources (MLNR), Ghana Chamber of Mines, Ghana Geological Survey Authority (GGSA) and Ga South Municipal Assembly. In an interview after the tour, the Acting Deputy Executive Director of EPA in charge of Operations, Ransford Sakyi, said the group observed that activities of illegal mining had destabilised the ridge, posing danger to residents and affected the buildings on top and beneath it. He explained that the situation since the last visit had worsened and could lead to disastrous consequences if not curtailed. I think it is time that we act as a nation on this problem. We are not doomsayers, but the fact must be said that there is a potential problem if nothing is done, he added. Mr Sakyi said the best approach now was to stabilise the ridge and rehabilitate it with a channel created for free drainage while recoveringthe surface. He reiterated the need for landowners to be engaged and educated on the impending danger looming at the site. The Principal Seismologist at the GGSA, Nicolas Opoku, said the mining activities had exposed the softer rocks which were responsive to weather conditions. Overtime, where we are standing will be eroded and it will start eating deep into the lower parts of the mountain, he said. He cautioned against continuous mining and sand winning around the ridge and reservoir areas, adding that it could have devastating effect on residents and the country at large if not checked. Source: The Ghanaian Times Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The National Lottery Authority (NLA) has donated GH100,000 towards the reconstruction of Appiatse, a community in the Prestea-Huni-Valley Municipality, which was destroyed by an explosion on January 20. Received into the Appiatse Support Fund, the donation followed the governments clarion call for individuals and organisations to contribute towards the rebuilding of the community. Presenting the cheque in Accra on March 9, Director of Operations of NLA, Dr George Gyamfi-Osew, said the contribution was purposely to support efforts towards the rebuilding of the Appiatse Community. Apart from its main mandate to deposit enough money into the Consolidated Fund for national development, he said the NLA was also mandated to raise revenue to help the less privileged and the vulnerable in the Ghanaian society. What has happened in Appiatse goes beyond less privileged or destitute in society, it looks like a war when there has been no war; so we are happy to support such a good cause coming from our Good Cause Foundation, he said. Mr Gyamfi-Osew called on other institutions and groups to donate sufficiently to complement governments efforts to rebuild the community. Chairperson of the Appiatse Support Fund Committee, Rev. Joyce Aryee, commended the Authority for their support, adding that the Committee would ensure transparency in the use of the funds. Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The government has launched its Homes for Ukraine site for those wanting to host a refugee, with 43,800 signing up in the first five hours. Housing and Communities Secretary Michael Gove said the UK had a history of "supporting the most vulnerable during their darkest hours". He said there would be no limit to how many Ukrainians could enter the UK under the visa sponsorship scheme. Each household housing a refugee will be offered 350 a month, tax-free. They will not be expected to provide food and living expenses but can choose to offer this. People who wish to offer a rent-free space in their home or a separate residence, for at least six months, can register their interest online. They will be able to individually sponsor a Ukrainian national's visa from Friday. Those initial applications will rely on the applicant knowing a named individual from Ukraine they want to help. But Ukrainian refugees with no family or other links to the UK can and will be hosted as part of the scheme, Mr Gove said. He said the sponsorship scheme was initially only between people who are already known to each other so it gets "up and running as soon as possible". The scheme will be expanded with the support of charities, community groups and churches who can help with matching refugees to hosts. No time scale has been announced for when this will happen but Mr Gove said it would expand "rapidly". Source: BBC Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The Majority Leader and Leader of Government Business in Parliamemt, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, has said President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo is within time to deliver the State of the Nation Address (SONA) to Parliament. He said the constitution provided that the President shall at the beginning of each Session of Parliamemt and before dissolution of Parliament deliver to Parliament a message of the State of the Nation. "The first meeting is the beginning of the session. So Mr Speaker, we are still within the beginning of the Session and people should avert their minds to this," he stated. Question and Answer Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu was responding to a question by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Member of Parliamemt (MP) for Ellembele, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, that the Business Statement presented to Parliament by the leader of the House, last Friday, March 11, 2022 was silent on the SONA, a requirement of the constitution. "Mr Speaker, Article 67, with all due respect, is to be adhered to by the President. If the President wants to do away with the constitutional requirement to a new date he can go to the Supreme Court and change it. But we expect him to follow the spirit of the constitution," Mr Buah stated. But responding, Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu asked the member to relate the question to the appropriate phraseology and the constitution. "Mr Speaker, he said the President wants to change the date for the SONA and that if the President wants to change the date he should go to the Supreme Court. I don't know what he is talking about. Mr Speaker, the constitution provides that the President shall at the beginning of each session of Parliament deliver to Parliament a message of the State of the Nation," he stated "We are still within the beginning of the session. So the President will come and he will come within this session in this meeting. This includes the entirety of the first session," Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu added. Recall Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, while presenting the business statement to Parliament on Friday, January 28, 2022, announced that President Nana Addo-Dankwa Akufo-Addo was expected to present the State of the Nation Address (SONA) to Parliament on February 24, 2022. However, a date was yet to be fixed for the President to come to Parliament to give the SONA, which is the duty of the Business Committee of the House to do so and that necessitated Mr Buah to ask the question. SONA The State of the Nation Address (SONA), also known as SONA, is an annual address to Parliament given by the President of the Republic covering economic, social and financial state of the country, according to Article 67 of the 1992 Constitution. Article 67 of the 1992 Constitution provides that The President shall, at the beginning of each session of Parliament and before dissolution of Parliament, deliver to Parliament a message on the state of the nation. 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. Featured Video The Executive Director of the Ghana Centre for Democratic Development, Prof. H. Kwasi Prempeh, has described as a constitutionally correct decision the Supreme Court Judgement affirming the right of Deputy Speakers of Parliament to vote. The court's judgement is faithful to the text and structure of the constitution, as it is to the discernible intent behind the relevant provisions, as well as in harmony with sound reason and comparative practice in parliamentary democracies, he said. In short, this is a constitutionally correct decision, no matter what one might feel about the outcome politically, he said. Context The Supreme Court last Friday came out with its reasons for giving a judgement that a Deputy Speaker presiding over proceedings in Parliament has the right to vote on matters for determination and be counted as part of the quorum for decision-making in the House. In a unanimous decision of the seven-member panel, authored by Justice Yonny Kulendi, the court held that the 1992 Constitution did not place any restriction on a Deputy Speaker from being part of the quorum for decision-making and to vote on matters for determination. In a statement in response to the reasons given by the Supreme Court, Prof. Prempeh noted that the longevity of a practice did not cloak that practice with constitutionality. According to him, no matter how longstanding a practice, its constitutionality could not be established or presumed until and unless it was challenged in an appropriate constitutional case. Thus, the fact that this is how Parliament has done its business all this while is not a good enough argument, constitutionally speaking, he stated. Exaggeration Prof. Prempeh was of the view that in this particular case, the powers of a presiding Deputy Speaker when it came to voting in Parliament was exaggerated. Presiding does not, in and of itself, present much of a conflict of interest to cause a Deputy Speaker to forfeit their vote, especially if he or she were to be required by House rules to vote last or cast a vote only when there's a tie, he said. Non-MPs Deputies He said another way to resolve the challenges of Deputy Speakers not voting was to make the Deputy Speakers non-Members of Parliament stressing that make them like the Speaker; not an MP and, therefore, not entitled to vote. The Speaker does not vote, not because he presides over proceedings of the House; he does not vote because he is not a Member of Parliament, he said. Prof. Prempeh noted that so long as presiding Deputy Speakers were, first and foremost, MPs elected to represent communities of voters in Parliament, Parliament cannot reasonably deprive them (and, for that matter, their constituents) of their right to vote merely by virtue of the fact of presiding over a sitting of Parliament. He explained that there was nothing really wrong with both Deputy Speakers being MPs and retaining their vote when they preside. This is why we must take the constitution seriously when it says that the 1st and 2nd Deputy Speakers must come from different parties. That way, the rival parties in Parliament will each have one Deputy Speaker and both of them get to vote when one presides, he stated. All in all, a correct constitutional decision, albeit politically messy and unpleasant within the context of the circumstances of the 8th Parliament is still, not such a big deal, he stated. 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. Featured Video Proactive measures are needed from state and non-state actors to stem pollution and other human activities that threaten the very existence of rivers in the country. On the occasion of International Day of Action for Rivers, which was marked yesterday, some environmentalists expressed concern about increasing illegal activities that were polluting rivers and impacting communities that depended on them for their survival. Marked on March 14 every year, the day is celebrated to raise awareness of the value and importance of rivers as well as bring people from across the world together to discuss and spread awareness about conserving rivers, river management, pollution and equitable access to clean and flowing water. This year marks the 25th edition of the International Day of Action for Rivers. The theme for this years celebration was: The importance of rivers to biodiversity. Enforcement of laws Friends of Rivers and Water Bodies, a voluntary environmental non-governmental organisation (NGO), suggested the enforcement of the countrys legal regime for the management of water resources to prevent a potential nationwide water crisis. According to the 33-year-old organisation, the current state of rivers in the country was nothing to write home about, and with the increasing demand for water, only a strict enforcement of the formal (statutory) laws and informal (customary) laws would save the situation from further deterioration and restore hope to the nation. The President of the organisation, Nana Dwomoh Sarpong, made the call in an interview with the Daily Graphic. Responsibility Nana Sarpong bemoaned the destruction caused by illegal mining (galamsey), irresponsible farming practices, sand winning and other human activities that pose a threat to water bodies and said: We cannot allow this to continue. I am deeply troubled travelling across the country and seeing rivers with severe destruction. Ashanti rivers threatened Kumasi, Kwadwo Baffoe Donkor writes that the activities of illegal miners and farmers operating along the banks of water bodies continued to pose a threat to the survival of water bodies and the availability of water for consumption. Although most of the rivers being used for water production by the Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) could be said to be in fairly good condition, there was the fear that if certain human activities were not curtailed, it could affect water availability in the region. Pollution The Ashanti Regional Chief Manager in charge of Production of GWCL, Charles Tulasi, called for deliberate efforts from all, particularly the state, to save water bodies from pollution and eventual extinction. He said even though the company had been liaising with the Regional Coordinating Council (RCC) and the National Security Coordinator for the region to check the activities of illegal miners, their activities continue unabated. CLAPgh wants action In an interview with the Daily Graphic, the Convener for Climate, Livelihoods and Agriculture Platform-Ghana (CLAPgh), Kofi Adu-Domfeh, said it was time the government took a decisive action against the activities of illegal miners to halt their negative impact on rivers and water bodies in the country. The destruction and pollution of surface water and groundwater by illegal miners, coupled with the use of pesticides and chemical fertilisers in food production, have the tendency to exacerbate the impact of climate change on lives and livelihoods, he said. Birim, Densu polluted The continuous pollution of the Birim River by illegal miners is affecting the operations of the GWCL in the Eastern Region, writes George Folley. Currently, the Anyinam headworks has been shut down because of high pollution. The Eastern Regional Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the GWCL, Kodwo Daase, told the Daily Graphic that the state of the Densu River was very worrying. He said most farmers during the dry season farmed close to the banks of the rivers contributing to severe pollution. "We spend a lot of resources to treat water from these two rivers to our consumers, yet people do not bother about how their activities threaten the lives of their compatriots," he said. Nana Kofi Ampofo, an environmental activist, advocated stricter punishment for people who deliberately polluted river bodies. GWCL engages assemblies From Tamale, Mohammed Fugu reports that the Nawuni River, the only source of water for the GWCL which serves the people of Tamale and its environs, is under serious threat from the activities of sand winners. The depth of the river has reduced drastically due to siltation, which has undermined its water holding capacity. The water intake level as of last week was 2.3ft, but the level had increased to 4.60ft by March 14, 2022, following the downpour. The minimum operation level is 2ft while its maximum level is 36ft. Officials said but for the downpour in the upstream in the past few days, the GWCL would have shut down water supply to the metropolis due to the low intake of water. The Northern Regional PRO of GWCL, Nicholas Abbey, told the Daily Graphic the company was currently engaging the assemblies where the river traversed to create a buffer zone to protect the water from the activities of sand winners. An environmental activist, Nana Yaw Osei-Darkwa, who is the Convenor of the Green Republic Project, called for the protection of water bodies to ensure sustainable water supply and protection of aquatic organisms. Western Region needs attention From Sekondi-Takoradi, Dotsey Koblah Aklorbortu writes that the Western Region, which is blessed with several natural resources, including rivers, has over the years suffered from pollution. The Regional Minister, Kwabena Okyere Darko-Mensah, said the RCC would do everything to ensure environmental safety and protect river bodies. The Western Regional Director of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), George Diawuoh, said the excessive human pressures leading to pollution, especially from land-based sources and habitat destruction, was having a negative effect on rivers. Urgent measures are required to reverse the trend, he said. The Executive Director of the Friends of the Nation (FoN), Donkris Mevuta, stressed the need to create and spread awareness of the protection of rivers. 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. Featured Video It was his advertised wedding day and it was supposed to be, as it usually is, one of his happiest days a day he would share with his bride but luck eluded them in the most disastrous way. Today, March 14, 2022, the death of Mohammed Zakari, the groom, has left his would-be bride, Mariam Osman, with nightmares of all the good things they expected Sunday, March 13, 2022, to bring to them. In a 3news.com report, Mohammed Zakaris life was snuffed in a sad way when he was involved in a car accident at Fumesua en route to the grounds of their marriage ceremony. The accident, which occurred on the Kumasi-Accra Highway around 1:00pm, involved a Ford Escape vehicle with registration number AS 3222-21, the police said. Mohammed Zakari is said to have been the driver, chauffeuring four of his friends when he lost control and ran into a ditch, dying on the spot. His other friends, except for one whose situation is a life-threatening one, are said to have made it but are currently being attended to at the KNUST Hospital. The critically injured occupant is reported to have since been transferred to the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH). The report added that the Ejisu Motor Transport and Traffic Directorate (MTTD) has commenced an investigation. The would-be bride is still in a coma after suffering from the traumatic shock. In accordance with Islamic rites, the deceased groom has been buried. Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The bail application of the #FixTheCountry convenor, Oliver Barker-Vormawor has been adjourned to Wednesday, March 16, 2022. The Tema High Court, where the application has been filed adjourned the case to Wednesday [March 16, 2022] when it came up for hearing on Monday. Barker-Vormawor, who has been charged with treason felony and on remand in police custody has applied for bail at the Tema High Court, presided over by Justice Daniel Mensah. The Attorney-General has, however, opposed the application, arguing that Barker-Vormawor had no fixed residence in Ghana, and therefore rendering it impossible to conduct a search by the investigative team. The A-G also argues that Barker-Vormawor has so far failed to cooperate with police investigators by failing to comply with an order by the Ashaiman District Court to grant the police access to his mobile phone as part of investigations. Barker-Vormawor has refuted the A-G's allegation. The Tema High Court has set Wednesday, March 16, to rule on the bail application. The bail application was last week adjourned to today, March 14, 2022. Read also: Barker-Vormawor's bail application to be heard Monday at Tema High Court Background Barker-Vormawor, a social media activist and one of the convenors of the #FixTheCountry movement is facing the charges in court for threatening a coup. He was charged with the offence after he allegedly posted on social media that he would stage a coup himself if the E-Levy Bill is passed by Parliament. Barker-Vormawor in a series of Facebook posts described the Ghana Army as "useless". He is said to have incited the army to stage a coup over the proposed E-Levy Bill in Parliament. According to the police, the post contained a clear statement of intent with a possible will to execute a coup in his declaration of intent to subvert the constitution of the Republic of Ghana, a police statement dated February 12, 2022, signed by the Director-General of Police Public Affairs, DCOP Kwesi Ofori 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. Featured Video The Japan International Cooperation Agency, JICA, the official development arm of the Government of Japan has produced a Flagship Video documentary to tell the progressive story of the challenges and successes with accessing healthcare in the Upper West Region of Ghana through the eyes of a daughter of the land. It details the roles played by JICA, Ghana government, the local community, its leadership and other well-meaning stakeholders. The Documentary will be shown on GTV (17th March at 8:00pm and 20th March at 9:30pm), UTV (17th March at 5:00pm and 20th March at 5:00pm), TV3 (15th March at 5:30pm and 19th March at 1:30pm) and Joy News (10th March at 6:30pm and 12th March at 7:30pm) in English and Akan. The 26-minute documentary, shot at many parts of the Upper West, detailed key challenges faced by the Region, the gradual and progressive journey to access healthcare and the future of healthcare in the Region: Life Course Approach. Before the year 2006, the Upper West Region of Ghana was one of the most deprived and under-developed regions in the country. The Ministry of Health established that more than 75% of the regions population had to travel over 8kilometres to access basic community health services. In Year 2000, Ghana launched the Community-based Health Planning and Service (CHPS) strategy to facilitate improved health services delivery closer to the doorstep of community members. Under the initiative, community health professionals, supported by community volunteers, were trained to provide basic healthcare that includes maternal and reproductive health, child health services, treatment of minor ailments, health education and promotion of healthy lifestyles, and follow-up on clients after treatment. In 2006, JICA decided to support and scale up the CHPS strategy in the Upper West Region. JICAs intervention in healthcare delivery in the Region, took a holistic approach; the support package had both soft (Technical Cooperation) and hard components (Grant Aid). JICAs interventions were largely successful despite some initial challenges. Before the inception of the projects in the 2006, the Region had about 24 CHPS facilities. Currently, the Upper West Region has effectively set-up over 378 well-established CHPS facilities with about 80% of the regions population of 904,695, being able to access healthcare without any barriers. JICA constructed 73 CHPS compounds, equipped 80 existing compounds and provided motorbikes and vaccine fridges. JICA trained over 1000 Community Health Officers to plan and skillfully mobilizing community members for health activities and support. JICA provided technical training for midwives on Safe motherhood for maternal and newborns and re-tooled each health centre with basic delivery equipment and portable autoclaves. Dr. Damien Punguyire, Regional Director of the Ghana Health Service in the Upper West Region reiterated that: The Government of Ghana requested technical assistance for CHPS, from the Government of Japan and it was granted because of the decades of good bilateral relationship between the two countries. The Director General of the Ghana Health Service, Dr. Patrick Kuma-Aboagye revealed that: Experiences and key lessons from the CHPS project have been reflected in guidelines and policy documents to guide sustenance and scale up of these interventions. We are grateful to JICA because these interventions were largely directed to the poor and the needy in society and every nation needs such support. Chief Representative of JICA Ghana, Mr. Araki Yasumichi reiterated: JICA will continue to support Ghana in its Universal Healthcare Coverage goals. Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Forest rangers and volunteers battled flames and strong winds on Sunday to stop a fierce fire raging across Kenyas Aberdare national park for nearly 24 hours. The blaze broke out on Saturday night, according to an official working for Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS), the government body in charge of national parks, who said the fire was moving very fast. It is on the grasses, it is spreading and very windy, the official told AFP on condition of anonymity, explaining that he was not authorised to speak to media. We have mobilised the community and staff around and today they have really tried their best it is only that they were overwhelmed. The parks name was etched in history when Britains Elizabeth II, then a princess on a visit to Kenya, received news of her fathers death while staying at the Treetops hotel, a remote game-watching lodge built high into a tree in the Aberdare forest. Rhino Ark, a conservation charity in Kenya, said on Twitter that it had deployed helicopters to conduct aerial surveys of the area to estimate the extent of damage to the forest cover. The Mount Kenya Trust, a body set up to conserve the countrys forests, said Sunday that a team had headed up to help with the bushfires in the Aberdares. They will camp and hit the fires at first light, it said on Twitter. The park lies some 100 kilometres (60 miles) north of the capital Nairobi. Located in the Aberdare mountain range, the park is home to spectacular waterfalls and lush bamboo jungles as well as a variety of wildlife including leopards, elephants and critically endangered black rhinos. The Aberdares are the third highest mountain range in Kenya, reaching a summit of just over 4.000 metres (over 13,100 feet). In recent days, concern has grown over a contentious proposal before parliament which could allow politicians to determine if public forest can be carved out and handed over to private interests. The amendment to the Forest Conservation and Management Act - reforms passed after decades of rampant land clearing has roused significant community anger and sparked fears that it could result in unchecked logging and environmental destruction. Source: The Ghanaian Times Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The Upper East Regional Director of the Ghana Health Service (GHS), Dr Emmanuel Kofi Dzotsi, Monday swallowed the Iron Folic Acid (IFA) tablet before his audience to dispel the myth that the medication is a family planning pill, which makes girls bleed heavily during menstruation. He emphasized that the IFA was not a family planning pill but rather prepared the body for pregnancy. Most of the side effects of the IFA tablet can be addressed. For example, the IFA increases the blood volume and so there is enough blood, the reason there is heavy bleeding. Dr Dzotsi was addressing the media on the Girls Iron and Folic-Acid Tablet Supplementation (GIFTS) Programme, and urged journalists to use their platforms to dispel the myths and increase demand and uptake of the supplement. Each tablet contains 60 mg elemental iron + 400 mcg folic acid. He said the Upper East Regional Health Directorate and the Ghana Education Service, with support from UNICEF and other development partners, started the implementation of the programme in October 2017 across all districts and municipalities. The Director said the GIFT programme provided a combined IFA tablet once weekly to adolescent girls in junior and senior high schools as well as technical and vocational training institutions, and adolescent girls not in school. Our meeting here should provide us the opportunity to demystify the myths surrounding the programme, thereby increasing demand and uptake of the supplement. Dr Dzotsi said the GIFTS programme was adopted by the GHS and its partners as one of several on-going actions to reduce the high rates of anaemia in adolescents and women of childbearing age in Ghana. In-school adolescent girls took the IFA tablet every Wednesday throughout the term under the supervision of their teachers, whose capacities were built to ensure the effective implementation of the programme. For out-of-school adolescent girls, he said they were registered at the nearest health facility and given a monthly dosage. The intervention aims at reducing the prevalence and severity of anaemia in adolescent girls and women. The programme targets all adolescent girls 10-19 years, both in school and out of school, and women aged 20 years and above and sensitises them to generate demand and encourage them to buy and take IFA supplements, he said. Dr Dzotsi said anaemia remained a major public health concern in Ghana, and common among children, adolescent girls and women of childbearing age, and indicated that about 42 per cent of women were anaemic countrywide. He said of the anaemic women, 45 per cent were pregnant and 48 per cent adolescent girls, according to the Ghana Demographic Health Survey of 2014, This implies that, for every two women in Ghana, one has anaemia. The Region had over the years struggled with a high prevalence of anaemia, especially among women of reproductive age, he said, and further disclosed that 43 per cent of women who reported for Antenatal Care at health facilities in 2021 were anaemic. Anaemia affects women and children throughout their lifecycle, In women, especially during pregnancy, anaemia is associated with premature births, low birth weight, neonatal and maternal mortality. In adolescents, anaemia may limit concentration in class and in daily activities, lowers attention span, affecting the performance of the adolescents in school leading to high school drop-out rates. Generally, anaemia reduces physical fitness and work productivity, Dr Dzotsi said. Source: GNA Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video THE SPEAKER of Parliament, Alban S.K. Bagbin, appears to have stirred up the hornets nest with his unverified statement that he is the least travelled Speaker in the Fourth Republic. According to DAILY GUIDE checks, the Speaker is turning out to be the most expensive, as well as unproductive Speaker in the Fourth Republic, using the first 14 months of every parliamentary tenure as a yardstick. Mr. Bagbin, in his 14th month as Speaker, may have not travelled to several countries, but his constant trips to Dubai for medical care, and number of days spent surpass any Speaker, a source in Parliament told DAILY GUIDE. On March 7, 2022, Mr. Bagbin, in the course of defending his lavish Dubai medical trips, claimed that he is the least travelled Speaker, asking his critics to turn their attention to other members of the leadership of the House. Even within the hierarchy of Parliament, there are members of the leadership whose frequency of travel is far higher than that of Mr. Speaker. It is also on record that Rt. Hon. Bagbin, in his 14 months as Speaker, is the least travelled of all previous Speakers of Parliament within the same time frame. The public is advised to see in such publications the political mischief that is intended and ignore such publications with the contempt they deserve, Speaker Bagbin said in a statement issued on his behalf. However, the statement, according to insiders, is palpable false, as the Speaker hardly stays in the jurisdiction. Since July last year, when he started his Dubai medical trips, Mr. Bagbin stays outside more than in the country, thereby impeding parliamentary works. According to information picked from Parliamentary corridors, the Speaker is in his fifth Dubai trip, where he spends average of $200,000, saddling the state with over $1.1million expenses. Sources indicated that, Mr. Bagbins claims of travelling less is because of his ill health, which has kept him outside the jurisdiction, mostly in Dubai, and that there is no basis for the comparison. Another source in Parliament also berated the Speaker over claims that he travels with few people. For purposes of clarity, Mr. Speaker travelled with the medical doctor in charge of Parliament Medical Centre, his spouse as carer and two other officials of Parliament as the least in practice. There is no advance party, no children, and certainly no other member on his entourage, he said in his statement about his current trip. According to checks, Mr. Bagbin only scaled down the number of his entourage when he realised it was becoming scandalous given the large retinue. For instance, in his first trip to Dubai in July 2021, he was said to have travelled with 13 people, including his wife and other family members, spending over $200,000 with SOS call for extra cash. His next trip was scaled down to nine with $150,000 spending money. 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. Featured Video Former Member of Parliament for Okaikwei North, Issah Fuseini has slammed the Speaker of Parliament, Rt. Hon. Alban Bagbin over his utterances in response to President Nana Addo's comment on the recent Supreme Court ruling. Court Ruling A seven member panel of the Supreme Court, on Wednesday, March 9, 2022 ruled that Deputy Speakers presiding over proceedings in Parliament can vote on issues and be counted as part of a quorum for decision-making. The court said a "Deputy Speaker is entitled to be counted as a Member of Parliament for quorum" and can "vote and take part in the decision of Parliament". President Akufo-Addo Opines Following the court decision, the President of the Republic explained why it's legitimate for the Deputy Speakers to participate in voting during parliamentary proceedings. He argued if they are ''denied the right to vote, [it will mean] it is tantamount to denying the right of the people you represent to have a say in the decision of the Assembly. That will not be right. So, I couldn't understand all this furore and controversy artificially generated''. ''We are being told that the decision of the court amounts to judicial interference in the work of Parliament. I'm not quite sure that the people who are saying have actually taken the time to read the constitution of our country. It says so in black and white. ''The legislative power of Parliament [that is vested] that is of the State which is vested in Parliament is subject to the provisions of the constitution. All organs of the Ghanaian State including me as the Head of Executive, we are all subject to the teachings of the constitution. There is nobody in the Ghanaian State that is above the fundamental law of the land'', he added. The President further averred that any defiance to the court ruling will ''lead to the very matter that we have striven so long to avoid; the concentration [of power] of unregulated power in our State. We don't want that. We've had that experience before and we brought about this constitution in order not to allow that to reoccur'' and expressed shock over what he believes is over-concentration on this subject matter, saying ''I'm astonished about how much public energy has been wasted, I say so with the greatest of respect, been wasted in an area on an issue where there is so much clarity and I'm happy that the court''. Speaker's Reply The Speaker, issuing a statement on the ruling, described the President's comments as ''myopic''. Excerpts of the statement read; ''Good morning comrades. I have resisted the temptation of making a comment on the judgment of the Supreme Court on the issue of the voting rights of Deputy Speakers when presiding. But the unfortunate and myopic comment of the President has compelled me to let it out. The SC decision, is to say the least, not only an absurdity but a reckless incursion into the remit of Parliament. ''The trend of unanimity is equally troubling. It doesnt help explore and expand our legal jurisprudence. The Presidents comment is myopic and unfortunate. It only goes to worsen the schism between the Executive and Parliament.'' Fuseini Punches Speaker Critiquing the Speaker's reply during Peace FM's ''Kokrokoo'' Monday morning, Hon. Issah Fuseini considered the feedback as an insult to the President. According to him, it is unparliamentary for Rt. Hon. Alban Bagbin to use such words which to him are harsh on the President. He admonished Hon. Bagbin to refrain from exhibiting such character in the House. ''I think he didn't accord the President respect...When someone shares his opinion on an issue, you don't have to use words like reckless, absurd and myopic. For me, it's an insult'' ''...as a former Member of Parliament, when I look at the arrangements and incidents in Parliament, I am not proud of it and a lot of Ghanaians are not proud of it. And for the institution of Parliament and the role it plays in our national developmental agenda, we need to be very careful because Parliament is losing grounds'', he hollered. He also emphasized that the Speaker, by his utterances and actions, is destroying the noble institution of Parliament, hence cautioned him saying ''the Speaker must tone down...He's destroying the institution called Parliament''. Hon. Fuseini also advised the Speaker to leave a good legacy behind. Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The Progressive People's Party (PPP) has turned 10 years today and to celebrate its anniversary, the party's National Chairman, Nana Ofori Owusu is calling on all Ghanaian electorates to vote for the PPP during the next general elections. Nana Ofori Owusu, speaking to host Kwami Sefa Kayi on Peace FM's ''Kokrokoo'', presented the PPP as the best alternative for Ghana as he expressed disgust over the turn of events at the 8th Parliament under the leadership of Rt. Hon. Alban S. Bagbin. The 8th Parliament has been characterized by violence and disturbances with many people expressing their disappointment in the members of the House. From intense arguments to wrestling in the chamber, the August House's notoriety seems to be growing faster but to Nana Ofori Owusu, Parliament would be balanced and the disorder ceased with the presence of a PPP representative. In respect of this, he urged Ghanaians to exercise the power of their thumb in favor of the PPP, the party he believes is the 'most powerful' in Ghana. " . . you can imagine a Parliament that if one PPP MP was there, the PPP would have been the most powerful party in Ghana with just one person in Parliament . . . one person can make a difference and if they vote for PPP, it's not a wasted vote," he said. Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Senior Psychologist, Professor Joseph Osafo, has bemoaned the character of some Parliamentarians in the country. Prof. Joseph Osafo, commenting on the Supreme Court ruling in relation to Deputy Speakers in Parliament's right to vote or be counted as Members of Parliament, warned the House against the use of rude and uncouth language. His comment comes on the heels of Speaker Alban Bagbin's reply to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo's position on the court ruling. President's Stance President Nana Addo, siding with the Supreme Court, explained ''our Speaker is expressly not a member of the Assembly, that's why he doesn't have the right to vote. In fact, he is really not even to participate in the deliberations of the House. He is the referee making sure that the debate is conducted properly and the rules of procedure or the orders of the House are complied with. That's his role''. He expounded; ''That is not the case with the Deputy of Speaker and that matter is transparent on the face of our constitution. Indeed, even the Presiding members of our district Assemblies, they have the right to vote. Look at the district Assembly law because they are members of the Assembly and once you are a member of the Assembly, you are representing certain constituencies.'' ''The legislative power of Parliament [that is vested] that is of the State which is vested in Parliament is subject to the provisions of the constitution. All organs of the Ghanaian State including me as the Head of Executive, we are all subject to the teachings of the constitution. There is nobody in the Ghanaian State that is above the fundamental law of the land," he added. Speaker Rebukes Prez In response, the Speaker said; ''Good morning comrades. I have resisted the temptation of making a comment on the judgment of the Supreme Court on the issue of the voting rights of Deputy Speakers when presiding. But the unfortunate and myopic comment of the President has compelled me to let it out. The SC decision, is to say the least, not only an absurdity but a reckless incursion into the remit of Parliament. ''The trend of unanimity is equally troubling. It doesnt help explore and expand our legal jurisprudence. The Presidents comment is myopic and unfortunate. It only goes to worsen the schism between the Executive and Parliament.'' Minority Leader's Take The Minority Leader in Parliament, Haruna Idrissu, on his part, described the Supreme Courts ruling as judicial interference in time-tested Parliamentary practice and established conventions, and nothing but a way to show their support for E-Levy. Our attention has been drawn to a very disappointing ruling of the Supreme Court of Ghana with more or less amounts to judicial interference in time-tested Parliamentary practice and established conventions....judicial support for e-levy and nothing more, judicial support for a struggling economy in distress and a judicial support for the restoration of a matter that they have said is constitutional, is repugnant to the provisions of 102 and 104, he said. Sham! But perhaps the most fiery outburst was from the Member of Parliament for Ningo-Prampram, Sam Nartey George, who in an enraged tweet called the decision not only "despicable", "sham", but further dared anyone to try to implement the ruling in the Chamber of Parliament. The sham called Justice delivery in our Republic. Despicable! he said in a tweet. "Abi we all go dey the Chamber inside. Come and give the referee the ball to play some let us see. The sweetness of the pudding is in its eating," he added in a subsequent tweet. Prof. Scolds MPs Addressing the Speaker and Members of Parliament, Prof. Joseph Osafo cautioned them saying ''if we don't respect our democratic architecture, we are preparing ourselves for abuse and violence. If we disrespect consensus and diplomacy or skills of negotiation in the evolution of democracy, we will succeed in destroying the proper governance structure of this nation.'' He noted that some of the legislators are speaking in anger, so warned that ''an anger that is unmanaged, uncensored can be very destructive''. He advised the Parliamentarians to stay away from parisan politics in the House but adopt diplomatic ways to address national issues, build consensus and desist from unnecessary engagments in unparliamentary incidents. ''As we rise through the ranks to serve this nation, we should be careful about the roles given us...We are not talking to our party members. We are talking to Ghanaians.'' Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video LONDON, March 14 (Xinhua) -- The rush seen in the United States to reinstate a sense of normalcy has inadvertently robbed people of the time they need to properly grieve their loved ones lost to COVID-19, The Guardian has reported. The feeling that everybody else is moving on from the pandemic can complicate this grief, the report said on Sunday. The interruption of mourning traditions can worsen mental health issues for the bereaved, it said, citing a study on the repercussions of Ebola epidemic in Sierra Leone. Noting that the pandemic is far from over, it said more lives were lost to COVID-19 in the United States last week alone than those in the attacks on Pearl Harbor and 9/11 combined. Nearly 1 million people have succumbed to the virus in the United States -- more than the number of people who died during the civil war, it added. The First Deputy Speaker, Joseph Osei-Owusu, has said he will not allowed himself to be coerced by any Member of Parliament (MP) to take decisions to suit their personal agenda. Mr Osei-Owusus caution came after a stand-off between him and Tamale North MP, Alhassan Suhuyini, over quorum in the House on Friday. The National Democratic Congress MP wanted the House to stop sitting and adjourn for lack of the required numbers to conduct business in line with the Constitution and Standing Orders of the House. With less than one-third of the 275 members in the House and about 30 minutes into the sitting, Mr Suhuyini, relying on Article 102 of the Constitution, called the Deputy Speakers attention to what he thought was a violation of the Constitution. The First Deputy Speaker and MP for Bekwaihad earlier directed at 1:11 p.m. that the bell be rung for a quorum to be formed within 10 minutes or would have to adjourn the House if the required numbers were not in the chamber within that time stipulated. However, at about 1:50 p.m. with quorum still not formed, Mr Suhuyini, after his two reminders yielded no result, interrupted proceedings and asked that the Deputy Speaker to respect the rules of the House. Mr Speaker, you do not have unfettered discretion to ignore my objection, a frustrated Suhuyini said whilst the Road Minister was responding to a question, prompting the Deputy Speaker to mute his microphone. Describing the broadcaster-turned politicians conduct as disrespect to the chair, Mr Osei-Owusu said the Standing Orders gave him clear powers to even suspend the Orders to allow proceedings to continue. If you disrespect the rules, I would refuse to recognise you; that is the privilege I have. Honourable members, these Standing Orders give power to the Speaker to suspend the Standing Orders where he considers it necessary. I would not be bamboozled by a member standing and hijacking the order and talking into the microphone, the First Deputy Speaker said, reminding Mr Suhuyini that once he had raised an objection, the thing is in my bosom and do not worry; I would attend to it. According to Mr Osei-Owusu, the questions being dealt with were private members business and did not require quorum, arguing that it afforded members to bring to the House peculiar needs of the constituencies. So, if you raise [matters relating to] quorum at that time, yes, we can bring all proceedings to a close but it is actually the members who are affected. When it is government business, it is another matter but when it is private business such as members statements, question time, these are often not times that we raise issues. It is members who have brought the minister here so that concerns regarding their constituencies could be heard but if you insist, I would bring proceedings to a close, Mr Osei-Wusu said. The First Deputy Minority Whip, Ahmed Ibrahim, intervening, backed the Speakers observation that private businesses did not require quorum, revealing that he had to go around and ensure that members who were programmed to ask questions came in to do so. 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. Featured Video President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has pointed out that some foreign elements are neck-deep in regime-changing moves in Africa to serve their parochial interests. Some foreign entities regard coups in Africa as a means of enhancing their regional ambitions, he noted. As such, they engage in all sorts of disinformation campaigns in a bid to disparage the authority of democratically elected authorities and instigate opposition protests against the incumbent. Ghanas leader made these known on Tuesday, March 15 when he opened a forum on coups in Africa. He expressed worry over the re-emergence of coups in Africa, calling for their condemnation and suppression. The reappearance of coups in Africa in all its forms and manifestations must be condemned by all since it seriously undermines our collective bid to rid the continent of the menace of instability and unconstitutional changes in government as currently defined by the frameworks enshrined in the Lome Declaration. Recent coups in Mali, Guinea, Burkina Faso and a failed one in Guinea-Bissau has been a matter of worry to West African leaders. At the start of an emergency meeting of the Economic Community of West African State (Ecowas) in January, Ghanas leader, who is also the Chair of the Authority of Heads of State and Government, charged leaders to nip coups in the bud. The deteriorating political situation in our region should be a matter of grave concern to all of us, he conceded. No country is insulated from the occurrence in the community and we have to take action to nip it in the bud. At the 65th Independence Anniversary celebration in Cape Coast on Sunday, March 6, President Akufo-Addo sent a strong warning to persons toying with the idea of coup in Ghana. Let us guard jealously the peace and stability we are enjoying. There are some restless spirits amongst us who, seeking to exploit the current difficulties confronting the nation, claim to have lost confidence in our democratic system. Either the absence of faith in the prospect of democratic alternative to the current government or their impatience to wield executive authority are the factors driving their appetite for the short cut of military intervention. Whatever be the case, they seem ready to jeopardise the hard-won reputation of our country as beacon of democracy and stability in Africa and indeed, in the world, in order to gratify their personal ambition, ambitions which show little or no respect for the capacity of the Ghanaian people to change when necessary their government peacefully through the ballot box, something we have done on three separate occasions in the 29-year life of the Fourth Republic. The great majority of us who are committed to democratic values and institutions will continue to resist the claims of these adventurers and deploy all legitimate means in our democracy to maintain our free open system of governance which has respect for human rights, the rule of law and the principles of democratic accountability. 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. Featured Video The Minority in Parliament has expressed disappointment in President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo over the demolition of the Bulgarian embassy in Accra. The embassy, situated at Kakramadu Road, Plot No. 10, East Cantonments, was pulled down by a private developer despite protests by staff and the Honorary Consul, Nicolaas C.M. van Staalduinen, who is said to have been attacked in his effort restrain the developer. Minority Leader Haruna Iddrisu, addressing journalists in Accra on Tuesday, March 15, expressed shock that such a diplomatic blunder has been committed under President Akufo-Addo. President Akufo-Addo is our key diplomat and he has a duty to keep our relationship with our foreign friends and neighbours [as] well. My understanding is that they have gone to demolish the Bulgarian Embassy in Ghana. This is unacceptable! And this can sever ties between Ghana and Bulgarian and its other foreign allies, he observed. The situation is said to infringe on the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations 1961. It comes a few years after a similar demolition created tension between Ghana and Nigeria when parts of the latters embassy were encroached upon by a private developer. The Tamale South Member of Parliament insisted: We just dont want to believe that this is happening under the watch of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, [a] former Foreign Minister, former Attorney General, [and] he cant respect the Vienna Convention on diplomacy? We are disappointed. 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. Featured Video A Calgary Police Service officer is seen in Calgary on April 14, 2020. The city's police chief says officers were in a no-win situation on Saturday when anti-vaccine, anti-mask protesters got into a "standoff situation" with residents and other counter-protesters. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh Tony Hall, founder of We the People YQL, takes part in a protest Tuesday, March 15, 2022, in front of the Lethbridge courthouse where four men charged with conspiracy to commit murder at a border blockade in southern Alberta last month appeared in court. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Bill Graveland Thank you for reading the Philadelphia Tribune. You have exhausted your free article views for this month. Please press the "subscribe" button below and see our introductory price of $0.10 per week for 10 weeks. Otherwise, we look forward to seeing you next month. How to Clip Click and hold your mouse button on the page to select the area you wish to save or print. You can click and drag the clipping box to move it or click and drag in the bottom right corner to resize it. When you're happy with your selection, click the checkmark icon next to the clipping area to continue. "looserGirl27" Wins Bounty Builder Series Main Event For $192K March 15, 2022 Matthew Pitt Editor The PokerStars Bounty Builder Series concluded in thrilling fashion on March 14 with the crowning of the $530 buy-in No-Limit Hold'em 8-Max Main Event High. Some 3,660 players bought in and fought it out for a share of the $2 million prize pool, with Germany's "looserGirl27" walking away with the title of champion and a total haul weighing in at $192,154. The victory not only gave some serious cushioning to looserGirl27's bankroll, but gave them bags of confidence for this weekend's $10 million guaranteed Sunday Million 16th Anniversary tournament Bounty Builder Series 190: $530 NLHE 8-Max Main Event Final Table Results Place Player Country Bounties Prize Total Prize 1 looserGirl27 Germany $59,217 $132,937 $192,154 2 [email protected] Malta $25,414 $132,935 $158,349 3 AlKatzone9 Austria $16,113 $78,873 $103,418 4 Kepalas89 Lithuania $18,726 $56,224 $72,337 5 VlgnasPokerV Lithuania $16,084 $40,078 $58,804 6 Gerson "Gerson'GR'" Braga Brazil $3,841 $28,569 $44,653 7 bruna_bsb Brazil $4,361 $20,365 $24,206 8 mayrogata Malta $7,447 $14,516 $18,877 Two Team PokerStars pros put together deep runs, made it through to Day 2, but failed to reach the eight-handed final table. Benjamin "bencb789" Rolle saw his tournament end in a 56th place worth $5,592 with bounty payments included. Felix "xflixx" Schneiders went a little deeper, eventually bowing out in 45th place for a combined $3,094. With bounty payments added, nobody at the final table won less than $18,000 for their $530 investment. Indeed, none of the finalists took advantage of the re-entry format and all sat down knowing they has invested $530 at the most. "mayrogata" was the first of the eight finalists to dust off their stack. Eighth-place came with a $18,877 payout. Here's how to qualify for the $10M Gtd Sunday Million Tournament Loses Its Samba Flair Two Brazilians were the next grinders out of the door. First, "bruna_bsb" busted in seventh for a $24,206 score. They were joined on the sidelines by Gerson "Gerson'GR'" Braga in sixth place; Braga banked $44,653 in total. The next two eliminated players were the last people not to walk away with a six-figure haul for their efforts. Lithuania's "VlgnasPokerV" collected $58,804 for their fifth-place finish while fellow Lithuanian, "Kepalas89" walked away with $72,337 for their incredible run. "AlKatzone9" of Austria ran out of steam in third-place and saw $103,418 wing its way to their PokerStars account. The Austrian's exit left "[email protected]" heads-up against looserGirl27 for the title and the lion's share of the prize pool. Both players secured more than $132,900 from the main prize pool, but the bounty payments at this stage were nothing short of huge. Those bounties meant [email protected] added $25,414 to their $132,935 prize for a combined score worth $158,349. The champion, looserGirl27, got their hands on $192,154, of which $59,217 came from the bounty prize pool. Attention Turns to the $10 Million Gtd Sunday Million on March 20 Vanessa Kade is the tournament's reigning champion The attention of the poker community now turns to the upcoming 16th Anniversary edition of the PokerStars Sunday Million, a $215 buy-in affair with a cool $10 million guaranteed prize pool. cards are in the air from 6:05 p.m. CET on March 20. Vanessa Kade is the reigning champion having taken down the 15th Anniversary Sunday Million for $1,514,920 last year. Expect Kade to attempt a title defense, especially because she is coming off the back of a final table appearance in the Wynn Millions Main Event that netted Kade more than half a million dollars. Time is running out if you want to win your way into this special Sunday Million and do so from as little as $0.50. There are dozens of satellites running around the clock starting at $0.55 and increasing to a still affordable $55. Sit & Go players have the chance to win their way into the $10 million guaranteed Sunday Million for $1.50 or $55, while Spin & Go specialists can enter $0.50 and $4 buy-in games and try to spin their way to a $215 Sunday Million 16th Anniversary seat. Your Ultimate PokerStars Sunday Million Strategy Guide Start Your Quest For $10M Sunday Million Glory With a $600 Bonus New depositing PokerStars customers can claim a welcome bonus worth up to $600. Download PokerStars via PokerNews, create your free online poker account, and decide how much you want to deposit. Your deposit is matched 100% up to $600 in the form of a bonus. Your first three deposits in the first 60-days after making your first deposit are matched up to a combined total of $600. The bonus releases into your playable balance in $10 increments each time you generate 180 redemption points, which in turn are earned at a rate of five per $1 contributed to the cash game rake or spent on tournament fees (6.5 points per 1, 5.5 points per 1, and four points per CAD$). Michael Addamo In Pole Position For Sixth Super MILLION$ Title March 15, 2022 Matthew Pitt Editor Nobody has won more GGPoker Super MILLION$ titles than the extremely talented Michael Addamo. The Canada-based Australian superstars has finished on top of payout list on five occasions, now he is in pole position to secure his sixth Super MILLION$ title, which will come with $339,445 in cold, hard cash. Super MILLION$ Season 2 Episode 34 Final Table Place Player Country Chips Big Blinds 1 Michael Addamo Canada 4,519,565 113 2 Isaac Haxton Canada 3,438,980 86 3 Tyler "TheRayGuy" Cornell Mexico 3,138,864 78.5 4 Sung Joo "ArtePokerTV" Hyun Hong Kong 2,441,766 61 5 Nikita "VSMPZD" Kuznetsov Russia 985,200 24.6 6 Matas "NoWeyyy" Cikinas Mexico 716,369 17.9 7 Mark Radoja Canada 711,662 17.8 8 spaise411 Russia 470,232 11.8 9 Elio Fox Mexico 277,362 6.9 Watch All The Final Table Action Here Click here! This weeks Super MILLION$, the 34th of Season 2, attracted 167 players who created a $1,670,000 prize pool. The majority of that pot is up for grabs at the nine-handed final table, which shuffles up and deals at 6:00 p.m. on March 15. Addamo sits down at his 11th Super MILLION$ final table armed with 4,519,565 chips, the equivalent of 113 big blinds. Half of Addamos previous final table appearances have resulted in him being the last man standing. He goes into this latest finale as the overwhelming favorite despite some incredible players in the chasing pack. Isaac Haxton is one of those players and probably the biggest obstacle standing between Addamo and title number six. Haxton has two Super MILLION$ titles of his own and will fancy his own chances of bagging a third with him returning to the action sat behind 3,438,980 chips, or 86 big blinds. Tyler Cornell won a WSOP bracelet last fall Third-place at the restart belongs to Tyler "TheRayGuy" Cornell, the same Tyler Cornell who won his maiden World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet at the 2021 WSOP last fall. Cornell has 3,138,864 chips (78.5) big blinds at what is his fourth Super MILLION$ final table. Finishing third or better this evening sees this grinders Super MILLION$ earnings break through the $1 million barrier. Super MILLION$ Season 2 Episode 34 Final Table Payouts 1st - $339,445 2nd - $266,153 3rd - $208,687 4th - $163,628 5th - $128,298 6th - $100,596 7th - $78,876 8th - $61,845 9th - $48,492 In fourth place is where you find another former Super MILLION$ champion and WSOP bracelet winner. Sung Joo "ArtePokerTV" Hyun is one of Asias hottest properties right now and is looking for his second title in the space of a month. Hyun won the February 15 edition of this event and banked $487,256. His 2,441,766 chips (61 big blinds) suggest he has a legitimate chance of reeling in that second title. There is quite a difference in stack sizes between the top four players at the start of the final table and the chasing pack. Nikita "VSMPZD" Kuznetsov occupies fifth place courtesy of his 985,200 stack, or 24.6 big blinds. This is only the second time Kuznetsov has reached a Super MILLION$ final table. The last time was on January 18 when he finished eighth for $72,759. Isaac Haxton won that week, will this weeks result be the same? Matas Cikinas Matas "NoWeyyy" Cikinas has plenty of work in front of him if he wants to kickstart his Super MILLION$ career. This is his first Super MILLION$ final table in what is his fourth entry. Cikinas go back into battle with 716,369 chips (17.9 big blinds). Just below Cikinas is Mark Radoja who is hunting for his first Super MILLION$ title. Most say a Radoja victory is long overdue such is his obvious talents, but being armed with 711,662 (17.8 big blinds) makes winning today difficult, especially because the likes of Addamo and Haxton are so deep stacked. However, stranger things have happened at the poker tables, so do not write off Radoja. Two players take their seats in "push or fold" territory from the moment they sit down. Russias "spaise411" returns with 470,232 chip (11.8 big blinds) while Elio Fox, another top-tier player looking for his first Super MILLION$ victory, has a 277,362 stack (6.9 big blinds). Join Kevin Martin and Daniel "Jungleman" Cates on the GGPoker YouTube channel and see if Addamo managed to become a six-time Super MILLION$ champion. After 10 levels of play from a massive star-studded field, Robert Cowen (285,100) holds the Day 1 chip lead in the 10,300 EPT High Roller with Kenny Hallaert (258,400), Adrian Mateos (254,400), and Chris Brewer (230,800) among those not far behind. The 246 Day 1 entries have already created a prize pool of 2,386,200, which will grow further on Tuesday with late registration open until the start of Day 2. 15% of the final field will make the money. With so many big names in the field, not every star could bring a big stack forward into Day 2. WSOP Main Event champ Koray Aldemir (22,400) and Stephen Chidwick (16,800) battled at the same table most of the day with neither being able to grab any traction, while others such as PokerStars Ambassadors and EPT Prague winners Sam Grafton and "Papo MC" Alejandro Lococo were unable to make it to the end of the night. Top 10 Chip Counts RANK PLAYER COUNTRY CHIP COUNT 1 Robert Cowen United Kingdom 285,100 2 Kenny Hallaert Belgium 258,400 3 Thi Nguyen Canada 256,000 4 Adrian Mateos Spain 254,400 5 Chris Brewer United States 230,800 6 Klas Lofberg Sweden 227,300 7 Georgios Karakousis Greece 226,000 8 Roman Hrabec Czech Republic 223,000 9 Santeri Piiroinen Finland 216,000 10 Francois Pirault France 215,100 High Rollers Galore While 25,000 High Roller I champion Teun Mulder makes a run at the EPT Main Event title, the other High Roller champions from this years festival that entered Mondays field had limited success. 2,200 Eureka High Roller champ Jose Manuel Gonzalez was eliminated midway through the day, 25,000 EPT High Roller II champ Andras Nemeth busted later in the day, while 25,000 EPT High Roller IV champ Rodrigo Selouan was also eliminated after being victimized by a stubborn pair of nines held by Alexander Glogar. 50,000 Super High Roller winner Timothy Adams (55,600) however survived the day with a bit more than starting stack. Day 1 Highlights In one of the wilder hands of the day, William Kassouf found himself on the right end of a two pair versus two pair all-in battle, only for his opponent to fill up on the river. Earlier in the day, while stacks were still very deep, Nemeth and Merijn Van Rooij each put in nearly a full starting stack preflop in a massive pot that resulted in an early double up for van Rooij, who final tabled the 1,100 Eureka Main Event earlier in the festival. Day 2 Tuesday Play will resume at 12:30 pm CET at the Kings Casino at the Hilton Prague, with action starting at Level 11 with blinds of 800 / 1,600 with a 1,600 big blind ante. Day 2 is scheduled to play to down to a final table, but with 122 players remaining and some more sure to max late-reg, that could potentially be in flux. Stay tuned to PokerNews for all the latest from this and every major event at the PokerStars European Poker Tour Prague. Maintenance workers at the Horgos initial compressor station of the West Pipeline Company under China Oil & Gas Pipeline Network Corporation (PipeChina) in Horgos, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Feb. 4, 2021. (Xinhua/Ding Lei) URUMQI, March 14 (Xinhua) -- The Tarim oilfield branch of PetroChina, China's largest oil and gas producer, said that it has so far supplied over 300 billion cubic meters of natural gas to central and eastern parts of China via the country's West-to-East gas pipeline. The total volume is equivalent to 1.5 times the country's total natural gas production in 2021. Last year alone, the oilfield provided more than 24.9 billion cubic meters of natural gas via the West-to-East pipeline, serving the mounting energy needs during the winter heating season. The Tarim oilfield is located in Tarim Basin, a major petroliferous basin in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. As per estimates of the Tarim oilfield company, the natural gas transported from the oilfield to other parts of China has helped reduce the use of standard coal by 400 million tonnes and cut carbon emissions by 426 million tonnes. The natural gas produced by the company has benefited about 400 million local residents in 15 provincial-level regions in China and further contributed to the optimization of the country's energy structure, according to the company. The penultimate day of the 5,300 Main Event has come to a close and Gab Yong Kim leads the final six into the finale of the flagship tournament at PokerStars European Poker Tour Prague. The return of the EPT Main Event to Prague drew 1,190 runners over two opening flights to generate a 5,771,500 prize pool, of which 1,033,520 will go to the winner of Wednesdays final table. Kim went on a late run to jump from the bottom of the leaderboard to the very top, putting an exclamation mark on the evening with an elimination of Teun Mulder to send the final table's original chip leader home in seventh place. Kim is joined for tomorrow's finale by Andrea Cortellazzi, Armin Rezaei, Symeon Alexandridis, Demetrio Caminita, and Grzegorz Glowny. PokerStars EPT Prague 5,300 Main Event Final Table Chip Counts Seat Player Country Chip Counts Big Blinds 1 Gab Yong Kim South Korea 9,565,000 80 2 Andrea Cortellazzi Italy 7,930,000 66 3 Armin Rezaei Austria 3,765,000 31 4 Symeon Alexandridis Greece 4,655,000 39 5 Demetrio Caminita Italy 4,720,000 39 6 Grzegorz Glowny Poland 5,040,000 42 Day 5 Action The outer table provided the first knockout when Alexandre Amiel shoved his ace-jack and ran into the pocket kings of Cortellazzi. Elsewhere on the featured table, Hossein Ensan made his move early, doubling through Mulder before knocking out Mario Navarro in 15th place with ace-king, but the former 2015 EPT Prague champion was out next in 14th when he shoved with pocket the hot hand of Mulder turned over pocket sevens. Meanwhile, Alexandridis went to work on the outer table and cracked Justin Steinbrenners pocket aces to eliminate him in 13th place with a set of fives. Leonardo Romeo was out next in 12th, another player falling to Alexandridis in his outer table run to nearly seven million chips. The next out was George Chiriac in 11th after he shoved his small stack into the pocket tens of Danchev. Manuel Labous was not far behind in 10th when Mulder cracked his pocket jacks with aces and fives. The unofficial table got underway and Danchev was out in ninth when he shoved with tens and Glowny looked him up with pocket jacks. Konakchiev suffered the same fate a short while later and was out in eighth place when his pocket nines couldnt improve against Kims queens. The lead changed hands throughout the final stretches of the night with Mulder drifting to the back of the pack. The final hand of the night came when Kim caught a king to crack the queens of Mulder, who came into the final table with the lead. In the end, it was Kim who finished the evening at the top of the leaderboard after a red-hot run to close out the night. Remaining Final Table Payouts Place Winner Country Prize (in EUR) 1 1,033,520 2 608,890 3 428,250 4 320,900 5 245,870 6 181,800 7 Teun Mulder Netherlands 138,570 8 Valentino Konakchiev Bulgaria 98,750 Cards go in the air for Wednesdays finale at 12 p.m. CET. Play will continue with blinds at 60,000/120,000 and a 120,000 ante with 35:57 left in Level 30. Be sure to keep it with the PokerNews team for live updates from the exciting finale of the 5,300 Main Event at PokerStars EPT Prague. On March 2, separatist militants in Indonesias Papua province killed eight technicians fixing a telecom tower in the remote village of Beoga. The attack, the bloodiest since 2018, was carried out by the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB), the armed wing of the Free Papua Movement (OPM). The same day, militants attacked a military post in the same district, wounding a soldier. Papua, the western portion of the Melanesian island of New Guinea, is under Indonesian control. But Papua is split into two provinces Papua and West Papua. Rebels in West Papua have been fighting for independence for decades. A spokesman for the rebel group, Sebby Sambom, took credit for the attacks, telling the Associated Press that Indonesians working on government projects in rebel-claimed areas would be viewed as being part of security forces. On March 5, Sambom weighed in on another conflict Russias invasion of Ukraine. He criticized Indonesia for joining 140 other countries in condemning Russia and demanding that Russian forces in Ukraine immediately withdraw. Sambom also rebuked Indonesia for joining the United States in criticizing Russias invasion while hiding the crimes of Indonesia against indigenous Papuans. He said both Indonesia and Ukraine are evil countries and stooges of American capitalists. Russia's attack on Ukraine is natural and reasonable because the Ukrainian government, through its military and police forces, carried genocide against indigenous Ukrainians in two regions that wanted their own independence, Sambom said. So basically, the Russian government supports Ukrainian separatist groups. And Russia has to do that in order to side with and help the weak Ukrainian separatist groups, who are people of the same family as Russia. Samboms reading of the situation in Ukraine is based on false narratives put out by Russia to justify its unprovoked attack on Ukraine. Chinese media, which has a growing media presence in Indonesia, have amplified those narratives. On February 16, U.S. State Department spokesman Ned Price accurately assessed that allegations of genocide, including reports of unmarked mass graves of civilians allegedly killed by Ukrainian armed forces, and allegations that the United States or Ukraine is developing biological or chemical weapons, are false narratives that Russia is developing for use as a pretext for military action against Ukraine. A State Department fact sheet released in January said there were no credible reports of ethnic Russians or Russian speakers being under threat from the Ukrainian government. It noted, however, that ethnic Ukrainians in Russian-occupied Crimea and the Donbas had faced suppression of their culture and national identity. While 14,000 people were killed during eight years of Russia-fomented conflict in eastern Ukraine prior to Russias February 24 invasion, loss of life occurred on both sides. The U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) reported last October that at least 3,393 civilians had been killed in the Ukraine conflict from April 2014 to September 2021, including 298 civilians killed when Russia-backed fighters shot down Malaysian Airlines flight MH17 in July 2014. Since February 24, the number of casualties has drastically increased. As Polygraph.info previously reported, the OHCHR found almost as many civilians were killed during the first five days of Russia's invasion than in the prior four years of war in the Donbas region. The OHCHR now estimates 691 Ukrainians have been killed since February 24, when Russia launched its invasion, many as a result of indiscriminate shelling, missile and air strikes. The OHCHR believes the actual death toll is much higher. Ukrainian authorities in the besieged city of Mariupol claim Russia's assault has already killed 2,500 people. Photos have shown mass graves in Mariupol. In July 2021, the OHCHR condemned human rights violations by Russian-backed forces and Ukrainian forces in eastern Ukraine, including arbitrary detention and torture. The OHCHR reported that arbitrary detentions had drastically declined in Ukrainian government-controlled territory, but not in separatist-backed areas. None of these actions rises to the level of genocide, which, according to the United Nations, requires proven intent on the part of perpetrators to physically destroy a national, ethnical, racial or religious group. The U.N. notes that cultural destruction does not suffice, nor does an intention to simply disperse a group. Human rights groups have expressed concern over a Ukrainian language law that makes Ukrainian the only official state language. It requires that publications in some languages be accompanied by a Ukrainian equivalent. English is an exception; Russian is not. New York-based Human Rights Watch said that while Ukraines government has every right to promote its state language and strengthen its national identity, it should ensure a balance in its language policy, to avoid discrimination against linguistic minorities. Still, there is no systematic persecution of Russian-speakers in Ukraine, and the Russian language is widely used throughout the country. The countrys president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, is a native Russian speaker. By contrast, there is evidence the Ukrainian language is being suppressed in the Russian-backed breakaway Donetsk and Luhansk peoples republics. Meantime, the views expressed by Papuan rebel spokesman Sebby Sambom reflect a broader trend throughout Indonesia. The Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post reported that some Indonesian Chinese had been receptive to Chinese-language messages on social media supporting Russias talking points on Ukraine. That has been traced to aggressive messaging from Beijing denying it was the source of the COVID-19 pandemic. Kezia Dewi, an Indonesian doctoral student at the Belgian university KU Leuven, told the South China Morning Post that many Indonesian Chinese had gone on the defensive against what they perceived as U.S. bullying of China and the Chinese over the COVID-19 origin issue. Keiza said existing anti-U.S. sentiment and empathy for China had extended to support for Russia a fellow U.S. rival. Russias invasion of Ukraine has also found support from some within Western New Guineas Muslim minority, fueled by a perception that Putin is more pro-Islam than the United States. Radityo Dharmaputra, a lecturer at Indonesias Airlangga University, wrote that Russias state-funded media and social media have been used to improve public perceptions of the country, and portray Russia as non-communist and pro-Islam. Anti-American attitudes over its war on terror, and perceived Western hypocrisy, especially over the rush to aid Ukrainians but not Palestinians, are also contributing to support for Russias invasion of Ukraine. Still, the indigenous population of Western New Guinea, also known as Papua or Indonesian New Guinea, are neither ethnically Chinese nor Muslim. More than 84 percent have identified as Christian, and less than 1 percent as Muslim. In 1963, Indonesia gained control over Papua in what some have called an invasion, although that framing is disputed. The United Nations referendum that led to Papuas incorporation into Indonesia in 1969 is largely viewed as a sham. Papuan rebels have been fighting a low-level insurgency in Indonesia since the 1960s. On March 1, the U.N. said the security situation in the Indonesian provinces of Papua and West Papua had dramatically deteriorated since rebels killed a high-ranking Indonesian military officer in West Papua on April 26, 2021. The recent attacks came shortly after U.N. human rights experts reported shocking abuses by Indonesian security forces against indigenous Papuans in the provinces of Papua and West Papua, including child killings, disappearances, torture and mass displacement of people. They estimated that 60,000 to 100,000 people have been displaced since December 2018. On March 7, the militants carried out two other attacks on workers in Papua province, killing one and injuring three. Clarification: This fact check has been edited to clarify that whether Indonesia "invaded" Papua in 1963 is a matter of dispute. COLUMBIA Gov. Henry McMaster vetoed legislation to turn Lancaster County school board elections partisan, defeating an effort some feared could be a precursor to a broader effort to inject politics into classrooms around the state. The bill, sponsored by state representative and Lancaster GOP Chairwoman Sandy McGarry, would have made Lancaster County just the third county in the state with partisan school board elections, along with Horry and Lee counties. Lancaster County would have been the first to adopt partisan school board elections in decades. Republicans in the Statehouse narrowly rejected the proposal in February but reversed course the following week when a larger number of their caucus was in attendance. In a March 14 letter to lawmakers, McMaster a Republican said he believed the bill to be an unconstitutional effort by the Legislature to impose policy for one specific county, and expressed concerns such legislation could lead to a "patchwork" of inconsistent policies from county to county. If the Legislature were to pursue partisan school board elections, McMaster wrote, it should attempt to do so on a statewide basis. "As our recent experience has made abundantly clear, school board elections are critically important," he wrote. "Thus, the manner in which these elections are conducted warrants scrutiny and debate, and the proposal to transition to partisan elections may have merit." He added, "However, given the importance of this issue, the General Assembly should address the matter on a statewide basis and consider general legislation that, for example, provides that all such elections should be conducted on a partisan basis or affords electors in the various districts the option to select the form of election in a referendum." Democrats, as well as the South Carolina School Boards Association, opposed the bill, arguing it could increase polarization in school boards' decisions at a time when issues such as critical race theory and masks in schools have raised the temperature of debate in school boards around the state. Partisan school board elections have also been in decline following several court decisions two decades ago that found partisan school elections helped exacerbate inequities between White students and people of color. The bill's co-sponsors consisted of the influential Lancaster County delegation, which included House Majority Whip Brandon Newton and House Speaker Jay Lucas, causing some concern that the legislation was a test run for a broader effort to impose partisan school board elections statewide. Similar efforts have been attempted this year in states like West Virginia, Missouri, Florida, Arizona and Tennessee, where one county successfully made the shift earlier this year. You might say its a local issue, but it has statewide ramifications, Rep. Wendy Brawley, D-Hopkins, said during debate on the bill in February. And we all know it. The House of Representatives could potentially override the governor's veto. It would need to achieve a two-thirds vote threshold to do so. COLUMBIA U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham is continuing to press for regime change in Russia amid the nation's ongoing invasion of Ukraine, saying he believed the risk of potentially destabilizing one of the world's five major nuclear powers to be minimal. His calculations include the possibility that Russian President Vladimir Putin could be replaced with someone worse. "I'm willing to take that bet," Graham said March 14. The comments came during a roundtable discussion at the University of South Carolina School of Law discussing possible war crimes against Russia and the challenges facing the international community as it looks to hold a nation with significant nuclear weapon capabilities accountable. Graham, who suffered bipartisan pushback after calling on Russian vigilantes to assassinate Putin, said he believes Russian military action is too great to ignore and sets a precedent that could lead to additional military actions from nuclear powers like China. The Chinese are "licking their chops" amid a lukewarm response from the international community, said Graham, R-S.C. Joel Samuels, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at USC and an expert on international law, said the invasion of Ukraine poses an "existential threat" to the international community's ability to keep the peace and raises serious questions about whether the community of nations can enforce laws when broken. Too weak a response could cause other nations to follow suit, the panelists agreed. "If you can let Putin get away with this, then the idea of Western civilization as we know it will cease to exist," said Graham. "There is no legal problem," he added. "There is a venue we can use. It's a problem of will." Graham's comments come days after former President Donald Trump appeared to advocate for the United States to take a more aggressive stand against Russia during his weekend campaign rally in Florence. Trump argued during the rally that Putin did not respect President Joe Biden, citing the United States' disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan while highlighting his administration's launch of 59 Javelin missiles against Russian ally Syria in 2017 as an example of his administration's "peace through strength" foreign policy. While the Biden administration has committed more than $1 billion in aid to Ukraine, according to the Pentagon, the U.S. has shown some reluctance to provide additional military aid over fears it could provoke Russia to escalate the conflict, including tapping into its nuclear arsenal. Graham said on March 14 he was not supportive of American boots on the ground in Ukraine or Russia. However, he said he was supportive of imposing a no-fly zone over the Eastern European nations should Russia deploy chemical weapons in the country, potentially creating a scenario where Russian planes could be shot out of the sky by forces aligned with NATO. "Do I believe that Putin is going to preemptively attack the United States with nuclear weapons? No," Graham told reporters. "He's a murderer, but he's not suicidal. And I do believe that if he ordered such an attack, the Russian generals on staff would take care of the problem. If we let this guide our thinking, then he will reign supreme." Both Graham and U.S. Rep. Joe Wilson, R-Lexington, proposed a multi-pronged approach to putting pressure on Russia, including increased military aid, "crushing" economic sanctions and the potential imposition of sanctions on countries like China who could be aiding the Russian government. "It's a police state with Starbucks," Wilson said of Russia. By impacting Russian quality of life, Graham said, the population there could potentially lose confidence in the government and rise up to replace it, citing the political revolution that occurred in the Middle East during the "Arab Spring" protests in the early 2010s. "I think there's a Russian Spring coming," Graham said. Graham urged caution in regime change, however. In Iraq, the toppling of Saddam Hussein led to a power vacuum that remained unfilled, allowing religious militias to maintain a hold over much of the country. Samuels, the foreign policy expert, noted that Russia is geographically vast and technically ungovernable, relying on a litany of strongman leadership and a powerful oligarchy throughout its history to instill order. If regime change were to occur, Graham said, the international community would need to be involved in the transition and in making the previous leadership be held accountable through the force of law. "It is much easier to knock down a building and kill somebody than it is to build up institutions," Graham said. "Without force of arms, there is no hope," he added. "But victory comes from the follow-up, when institutions are built to withstand the next demagogue." WEST COLUMBIA Spectrum cable and internet company will hire 350 new sales people to work in its West Columbia call center by the end of 2022. The added jobs will bring total employment at the Midlands site to more than 1,350. In addition, the company plans $2 million in technology and campus upgrades. With its expansion of in office jobs, Spectrum, a branch of Charter Communications Inc., is bucking the trend of other call centers in the Midlands, which have shuttered physical office space and turned to remote work. Companies, such as Aflac along Huger Street and Colonial Life on Colonial Life Boulevard, already had been shrinking before the COVID-19 pandemic, but the virus accelerated that trend. The large Verizon call center on Spears Creek Church Road in Elgin has been vacated with workers instead taking calls from home, according to real estate brokers. Aetna negotiated a buyout of its lease on St. Andrews Road just one year into a seven-year lease. But Spectrum is choosing to keep its new hires on site, finding it more effective for conducting the 12 weeks of training new hires receive and encouraging collaboration, said Tony Guevara, senior vice president of inbound and outbound sales at Spectrum's parent company, Charter. "These are career-building jobs where we hope that someone, like I did over 30 years ago, can come in answering the phones and then move their way up through the ranks," Guevara said. Salaries will average $55,000 for those who meet sales targets and $80,000 for top sales representatives. Call center employees take calls from customers and potential customers across Charter's 41-state service area. In 2021, Charter increased its total reach to 1.1 million homes, 44,000 of which were previously unserved locations in South Carolina. The company announced it would invest $5 billion to reach unserved rural communities, using $1.2 billion from the Federal Communications Commission and $3.8 billion in private funding. With that they expect to add another 1 million homes to their customer rolls nationwide, including 90,000 in South Carolina. "These 350 jobs are solid, well-paying jobs with benefits that will provide a wage and an opportunity for folks in South Carolina to build some savings, build a career and to raise a family," said Sen. Katrina Shealy, R-Lexington. "And 350 jobs shows the growth of this industry and the growth of this company right here in South Carolina." In an effort to fill these positions in a tight employment market, where open jobs outnumber people available to fill them, Spectrum is hosting open houses and job fairs in the coming weeks. "We have an ongoing outreach to the communities," Guevara said. "The more candidates that we can get, the faster that we can train them." COLUMBIA A woman held a knife to a Richland County Courthouse employee's neck March 10, after she was able to pass through security and a metal detector with the weapon, police reports show. Richland County Sheriff's Office, which handles security at the courthouse in downtown Columbia, did not answer questions March 14 about how the woman passed through security with a knife or if she was arrested. The employee who was attacked on March 10 works in the clerk's office. The employee was not seriously injured physically, Richland County Clerk of Court Jeanette McBride said in her statement thanking sheriff's deputies and staff for their "quick responses." "The Richland County Courthouse holds a special place in our community, as it provides equal justice to all in civil and criminal matters," McBride said in a statement. "We cannot and will not allow violence or the threat of violence to jeopardize the safety of our employees in the Clerks Office, the judges and their staffs, and the public who visits the Richland County Courthouse. We also will not allow such brazen acts of violence to affect or interfere with the justice dispensed daily within the Courthouse." A deputy of the Richland County Sheriff's Department was approached at 3:40 p.m. March 10 and told a woman had assaulted someone in the courthouse. He was asked to remove the woman from the building, according to an incident report from the Richland County Sheriff's Department. The officer arrived on the fourth floor and was told the woman had a knife. The officer did not see a knife while talking to the woman, who asked for a public defender, according to the police report. The officer left and returned with a member of the public defender's office, which was housed on the same floor. Upon their return another deputy was present with his TASER drawn and also stated the woman had a knife, which was closed and held behind her back, according to the police report. The first responding officer asked the woman to hand him the knife, which she did. It wasn't until later that deputies learned the woman had come up behind the clerk's office employee, who had been walking down a hallway. A witness getting off the elevator had seen the woman with the knife, which at one point was held at the neck of the clerk's office employee, according to the police report. Attorney Joe McCulloch, a lawyer for the clerk's office employee who was attacked, said the woman threatened to stab or cut his client with the knife until a member of the attorney generals office intervened. "My client, and many who work in the courthouse are understandably concerned about the safety of their workplace and for the safety of the public who come there to resolve disputes and do business," McCulloch said on behalf of his client. The clerks office and the sheriffs department said equipment upgrades and changes have been recommended as result of the incident. While the sheriff's department provides deputies, all equipment and maintenance of the building is handled by the clerk's office, the sheriff's department said. "The Sheriff's department will continue to request security enhancements so that incidents like this may be prevented in the future," department spokeswoman Major Maria Yturria said. Yturria did not respond to questions seeking details about the incident or the suspect. The public can comment or provide recommendations on improving security at the courthouse by emailing mcbride.jeanette@richlandcountysc.gov. Editor's note: This story has been updated with additional information. A resolution filed last week in the S.C. Senate would wipe clean virtually all of the state's beach-building regulations in a little over a year. By June 30, 2023, S. 1151 would sunset the regulations written by the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control meant to enforce the state's Beachfront Management Act. Specifically, the resolution covers rules written before a change in state law moved South Carolina from a policy of beach "retreat" to one of "preservation" in 2018. Unlike a regular bill, however, it doesn't change the text of the law itself. Environmentalists and beach managers are concerned by the proposal, saying it is a broad erasure of longstanding standards that have governed everything from homes built at the beach to sand replacement projects. Sen. Wes Climer, R-York, said the bill won't move this year; it's only meant to spur DHEC to move more quickly on writing new regulations. Climer is the author of the resolution and also chairman of the Senate Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee, which will vet the proposal. "Its almost as though DHEC has chosen to ignore in its regulations the statutory policy of the state of South Carolina," Climer said. "This is an effort to draw attention to that fact and to give the agriculture committee a pretext for holding hearings on that." Climer added that the current rules have led to "arbitrary and counterproductive regulatory decision making." He did not provide an example, however, when asked which regulations currently in place are contradictory to a policy of beach preservation. A spokeswoman for DHEC declined to comment on the legislation. While DHEC has to write regulations that help it enforce the law and make it clear how to obtain permits for development near the beach and sand dunes, many key provisions of coastal management are written into the law itself. A statewide ban on sea walls in the sand, for example, would not be fundamentally affected. But the idea of wiping out beach rules in a little over a year still worried some communities that deal with the regulations frequently. Nicole Elko, the executive director of the South Carolina Beach Advocates, said the group opposes the bill. "With the alarming predictions about sea level rise, opening up the oceanfront regulations to wholesale change seems precipitous at this point," said Mark Kruea, a spokesman for the city of Myrtle Beach. "If theres something that needs to be changed, let's focus on that rather than throwing everything out the window and starting from scratch." Aaron Pope, city manager for Folly Beach, said the bill is concerning because he wasn't sure what provisions were part of state law and which might be specific to regulation. Folly is exempted from some beach rules because of unique erosion problems there, but he said that the timeline of replacing all regulations by spring of 2023 isn't realistic. "That's a tall order, and that's a major thing that affects many communities. It affects the money-making beach in South Carolina, it affects tens of thousands of property owners," he said. Mary Shahid, an attorney with Nexsen Pruet who represents clients that seek environmental permits from DHEC, said she thought the regulatory rewrite could be possible in that timeframe. "Can you do something in a year? I think so," she said. "It would be nice, however, to have whatever studies and data you need before you do it ... (but) it's not insurmountable." Climer said he's planning to call representatives of DHEC, the environmental community and others as he holds hearings on S. 1151, and that he prefers that DHEC move on its own to rewrite the regulations. "If we give the committee a year and give stakeholders a year, and if DHEC's internal process bogs down and doesn't yield results, DHEC will force the General Assembly's hand," Climer said. "Id rather not. Id rather DHEC address this matter through the proper regulatory channels." At the same time, there's some disagreement on what, exactly, "preservation" means. A working group for DHEC is in the process of defining whether that's protecting the sandy beach and dunes or the infrastructure that's nearby. The group's work, however, was temporarily disrupted as a few members of the cohort became connected to a novel effort to keep sandbags on the beach permanently in DeBordieu Colony, a gated island community in Georgetown County. DHEC's board gave permission to keep the sandbags, which are typically only a temporary measure. That decision was recently appealed by the nonprofit Coastal Conservation League, represented by the South Carolina Environmental Law Project. SCELP made its appeal to South Carolina's Administrative Law Court based on DHEC's current regulations. Amy Armstrong, an attorney and executive director of the group, said Climer's resolution "seems very targeted to me." She questioned whether any of the basic rules about beach building on the books are contrary to the idea of preservation at all. "The idea the entire regulatory system for beachfront management needs a complete overhaul is incredibly misguided," she said. Acclaimed pitmaster Pat Martin, owner of Martins Bar-B-Que Joint on James Island, never thought hed write a cookbook. The West Tennessee native owns about 700 cookbooks, but he knew his brand of cooking didnt fit in with the standard grilling cookbook thats filled with fancy recipes, sauces and rubs. So he did it his own way. Martins 320-page book, Life Of Fire: Mastering The Arts of Pit-Cooked Barbecue, The Grill, And The Smokehouse (Clarkson Potter, $35), hit bookstands March 15. Co-written by Nick Fauchald, the book puts Martins dedication to live-fire cooking on display through 65 recipes that focus on traditional barbecue practices in their purest form. Martin describes the book as a procedural guide to West Tennessee barbecue, a style that specializes in pit-cooked meat preferably pork thats prepared low and slow. Theres no beef in this book by design, and I wanted to touch on the open pit barbecue, which is kind of the original barbecue if you think about it, Martin said. It forced (me) to remember why Im doing this. Im talking to the average person who really loves barbecue. Martin cooked several whole hogs with Fauchald while writing the book, meaning photography factors in throughout. Life of Fire is meant to engage readers, just like Martin hopes will be the case for families who build their own fire and cook barbecue in an open pit. Its hard and it's not meant to be bastardized down, said Martin, adding that cooking in this way can be very interactive for the entire family. I wanted to keep this traditional to the area I learned how to cook. The book is broken up into seven chapters that teach readers everything from birthing their own fire and building an open pit grill to cooking barbecue during the winter months. Recipes for charred carrots, corn and butternut squash, baby back ribs, whole pig on a spit and more can be found throughout the book. Martin aims to debunk certain assumptions about barbecue; he contends that wine, for instance, pairs perfectly well with pit-smoked meats. Most of all, Martin wants to teach people that traditional Tennessee cooking can be approachable for all. I feel like if you can cook these things, you're really getting the true essence, said Martin, describing some of the old -school recipes and techniques found in the book. Keeping cooking simple almost nine times out of 10 is always the way to go. Martin owns six Martins Bar-B-Que locations in Tennessee, along with one each in Kentucky, Alabama and Charleston. He also owns three Hugh Babys BBQ & Burger Shops in Nashville. Martins Bar-B-Que Charleston is located at 1622 Highland Ave. on James Island. Ukrainian immigrant Aleksandr Pavlichenko and his wife Maka Aptsiaur make daily calls to Pavlichenkos family members in Ukraine to make sure they are safe. Sometimes they answer. Other times, they are too frightened the light from their phones will give their location away. Pavlichenko was born in the Northern Ukrainian city Chernihiv. In broken English, he describes a recent Russian airstrike that killed upward of 50 people in his hometown. Pavlichenkos family members are dispersed throughout the Eastern European country, but many are still stuck in violent hotspots like Chernihiv. Oh my gosh, there are a lot, Aptsiaur said when asked how many family members her husband has in Ukraine. They all have children and grandchildren. Its a big family. Pavlichenko and Aptsiaur are the owners of Euro Foods Bakery & Cafe, and while theyve kept their West Ashley restaurant open during the crisis in Ukraine, its taken a backseat to their efforts to help those who have been displaced by the Russian attack. On March 5, the couple organized a donation event across the street from their restaurant with help from the city of Charleston and Kinga Madro, a Charleston-area resident who immigrated from Poland in the 90s. It was amazing to see such love and support. It was a joint effort of the whole Charleston community, Aptsiaur said about the event, holding back tears. People got together and feel the pain of a country like Ukraine. A native of the Republic of Georgia, Aptsiaur fears her country might be next, a sentiment echoed by freelance journalist Will Cathcart, who is currently stationed in Tbilisi, Georgia, a city Russian forces invaded in 2008. The five-day war resulted in nearly 850 deaths and approximately 35,000 homeless Georgians. Aptsiaur, who moved to the United States in 1999, was in Tbilisi as recently as December 2021 competing on a cooking show with her daughter Gvanca Macharadze. In Ukraine, the U.N. has recorded at least 596 civilian deaths, though it believes the true toll is much higher, and Ukraines prosecutor generals office said that at least 85 children are among them. An American filmmaker and journalist was among those killed March 12. Millions more people have fled their homes amid the largest land conflict in Europe since World War II. Here in Charleston, residents, nonprofits and businesses like Euro Foods are trying to get much-needed supplies to displaced Ukrainians. Nonprofit West Ashley Connects Executive Director Teresa Tidestrom was an integral part of Euro Foods' recent relief efforts that helped them fill 1 18-wheel trucks with medical supplies, military boots, socks, nonperishable food, candles, flashlights and other emergency items. Tidestrom is a FEMA first responder and resident of the Palms Apartments, where a February fire destroyed five buildings and wiped out 56 apartments. The morning of the fire, Tidestrom got the text to respond. After assisting displaced residents the day of the fire, she and other West Ashley Connects volunteers organized donation efforts that brought an influx of items to Citadel Mall, which still serves as a temporary storage facility. On March 5, Ukrainian immigrant Roman Pekar sent Tidestrom a message to see if West Ashley Connects could help the local efforts to support Ukraine. Having adequately assisted the displaced Palms Apartments residents, the nonprofit was able to contribute to Euro Foods donation drive. Now, West Ashley Connects is partnering with Euro Foods, allowing them to accept large donations for those in need. So it was by just knowing a person thats from the Ukraine and working with them, said Tidestrom, describing their involvement. In order (for Euro Foods) to accept donations, it needed to go through a nonprofit. After establishing a new bank account to accept donations, the group of 15 to 20 consistent volunteers that makes up West Ashley Connects worked with Euro Foods to address a problem that delayed the shipment of the items from the initial fundraiser, which were heading to individuals housing refugees in Eastern Europe. Eventually, half of the items made their way to Ukraine, and they are now raising funds for the second shipment, while refocusing their efforts on getting medical supplies to Ukraine. According to feedback Pavlichenko and Aptsiaur have received from family members on the ground in Ukraine, medical supplies are what they need most. We are in a devastating situation right now. We have people who we personally know working in a hospital. They dont have regular gauze. They dont have sanitation They have nothing, Aptsiaur said. They need supplies, so now we just concentrate to collect medical supplies. While money will help with the cost to ship goods the first round totaled $9,000 cash wont help those in parts of Ukraine where grocery stores, pharmacies and other essential businesses are shuttered, according to Aptsiaur. West Ashley Connects is in the process of setting up a new storage space to house donated items. As of publication, items can be dropped off at the Citadel Malls intake center for the Palms Apartments residents (all donations will benefit Ukrainian relief efforts). For more information on how to contribute, call West Ashley Connects at 843-751-2652. Other Charleston-area restaurants are contributing to the cause. Herd Provisions will host a specialty dinner March 19 with a portion of proceeds benefiting World Central Kitchen. Local food hub GrowFood Carolina is donating produce for the fundraiser. In the Avondale neighborhood of West Ashley, seven food and beverage establishments, including Euro Foods, will participate in #CHS4Ukraine. After gathering for a moment of solidarity at 5:30 p.m. March 18 at Lava Salon, locals are encouraged to visit nearby participants, like Charles Towne Fermentory and Pearlz Oyster Bar, where a portion of proceeds will be donated to Ukrainian relief efforts. For more information, send an email to chs4ukraine@gmail.com. Others are contributing through an initiative spearheaded by TastemakersCHS, a Charleston-based culinary social media club that raises funds and awareness for nonprofits. The groups CHS Restaurants for Ukraine campaign has brought in local restaurants that are pledging to donate $1 from a specialty dish or drink to GlobalGivings Ukraine Crisis Relief Fund. So far, nearly 20 Charleston-area restaurants have joined the campaign that runs through March 31, including The Pass, Malika, FIG, Circes Grotto, Pink Cactus and 82 Queen. For more information on the fundraising campaign, go to tastemakerschs.com. For more news, analysis and insider reporting on the Charleston food scene, subscribe to our Charleston's Menu newsletter today. The United States has been refusing to fulfill its commitment to prohibiting the spread of biological weapons, deliberately shirking its due responsibility, Syrian experts have said. Produced by Xinhua Global Service Piedmont is the next target for rezoning requests for housing projects Greenville County leaders will consider in the coming months as developers presented plans for apartment complexes and housing developments near the Interstate 185 corridor and elsewhere in the county during a public hearing March 14. On an 18-acre site south of Augusta Road and Interstate 185, a developer wants to build an apartment complex catty-corner to the Magna industrial complex against the wishes of Magna, whose general manager spoke against the plan. Adam Artigliere, an attorney representing the unnamed buyers of five properties, said the site would match the zoning of a multifamily plot north of the property if it is rezoned from services district. Drive Automotive General Manager David Meyer said the company located across the road from the proposed apartments is opposed to the rezoning because of the constant noise the heavy manufacturing plant produces from its scrap and press shops and 250 trucks per day shipped out by the 24-hour operation. Residential across the street from heavy manufacturing is not good planning, he said. Log Shoals Road mixed-use development Utah-based developer Surge Development wants to build a mixed-use development along Log Shoals Road in Piedmont that would consist of 234 apartments across five buildings with other buildings used for garages with apartment units above them. It would also include 20,000 square feet of office space on 17 acres south of the Southern Connector and east of Fork Shoals Road. The developer has easement agreements to bring sewer to the site and make it available in the area, said Paul Poteet with Surge. Piedmont multifamily development A developer wants to zone 37 acres of unzoned land along Emily Lane and Pine Drive in Piedmont for a multifamily project west of U.S. 25 and Blakely Avenue. The property across the street is already zoned for multifamily. No one spoke in opposition to the proposal. Huff Drive subdivision Near Staunton Bridge and White Horse roads in the vicinity of Carolina High School, a family wants to sell some of its 25 acres of land to build a subdivision zoned R-15 residential on mostly vacant land within an existing neighborhood. The owners want the site rezoned R-12 residential, which would allow up to 90 houses to be built, though the familys representative, Roger Clinkscales with SVN Blackstream, said the developer is looking to put 67 houses on the site with some priced for first-time homebuyers. Family members of the owners said the development would encourage more growth in the area. Residents who spoke against the rezoning said it would add traffic on a cut-through county road that doesnt have center lines or sidewalks. First agricultural zoning sought Just months after Greenville County created an agricultural zoning designation, James Pachter became the first landowner to seek the new designation for his property along State Park Road. Pachter said his family is in the midst of creating a small farm on his five acres that it hopes to continue to grow. He said the agricultural zoning would further his goals to maintain the land for use as a farm. The site is currently zoned R-S residential suburban. Kingstree, SC (29556) Today Sun and clouds mixed. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 87F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Partly cloudy skies. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 63F. Winds light and variable. Would you like to receive breaking news notifications from The Post and Courier? Sign up to receive news and updates from this site directly to your desktop. Breaking News Columbia Breaking News Greenville Breaking News Myrtle Beach Breaking News Aiken Breaking News N Augusta Breaking News Click on the bell icon to manage your notifications at any time. SUMMERVILLE Authorities arrested a teenager in the fatal shooting in March of two young people outside a public library on Sangaree Parkway. Deputies from the Berkeley County Sheriffs Office charged a 17-year-old boy with two charges of murder, Cpl. Carli Drayton said. The 17-year-old, who is from Ladson, was charged in connection to the March 2 killings of Malaki Trayvion Mazyck, 15, and Kenyon Johnson, 18. He was arrested by the U.S. Marshals Service March 11 at a hotel in Orlando, Florida, Drayton said. Authorities did not release the name of the suspect, but they will be charging the boy as an adult, Drayton said. If convicted, he could face life in prison. His arrest comes after deputies found Mazyck and Johnson with gunshot wounds the evening of March 2 at the Brighton Park Emergency Center on North Main Street in Summerville. Mazyck, of Summerville, died later that evening in the emergency room. Johnson, of Goose Creek, died the following morning at a hospital. Investigators determined the two were shot in the parking lot of the Sangaree Branch Library on Sangaree Parkway. The sheriffs office is continuing to investigate the case while the suspect awaits an extradition hearing from Florida, Drayton said. Anyone with information about the double homicide should contact the sheriffs office at 843-719-4412. The Charleston branch of the NAACP is relocating from its office on Columbus Street to the corner of Spring Street and Rutledge Avenue. The NAACP had been headquartered on the East Side for more than eight years until its landlord, PASTORS Inc., announced plans to renovate the building and raise the rent from $900 a month to $2,400 a month, according to NAACP President Dot Scott. At the new space, 117 Spring St., the nonprofit NAACP branch will pay $1,200 a month for two years, with an option to renew the lease for two more years, enabling the 105-year-old civil rights organization to maintain a presence on the Charleston peninsula. The move comes after some disagreement between the civil rights group and its former landlord, and it has raised concerns about how gentrification apparently has pushed the NAACP out of an area with a sizable Black population. The East Side has for decades been relatively affordable and predominantly Black. Since 2010, its been changing fast. The U.S. census divides the neighborhood into two parts. In the area south of Lee Street, the Black population has declined to 39 percent while the White population has increased to 52 percent. In the area north of Lee Street, which includes a large public housing project, the Black population has declined to 58 percent and the White population has nearly doubled to 36 percent. The Spring Street corridor, too, used to be predominantly Black but now is mixed and includes several popular restaurants and shops. Its getting difficult to find affordable office space on the peninsula, but the Charleston NAACP needs to be located there, Scott said, adding that the relocation was only partially prompted by the renovation and potential rent increase. It was also a result of a communications breakdown and other internal problems, she said. The COVID pandemic caused the NAACP to reduce the time its staff spent in the office. At the height of the pandemic, Scott was using the space for a few hours once a week, she said. But she has been keeping busy, quietly fielding phone calls sometimes three or four a day from embattled constituents and coordinating solutions. PASTORS Inc. is a community housing development nonprofit whose mission is to assist with the provision of affordable housing and to encourage the revitalization and empowerment of neglected neighborhoods. As a development partner of the city, it works with churches and other faith-based groups seeking to create housing on property they own. Because the city transfers federal dollars to these projects and can't legally fund faith groups directly, it relies on public-private partnerships, like the one with PASTORS Inc., to help create affordable housing, according to Geona Shaw Johnson, director of the citys Department of Housing and Community Development. This year, the city of Charleston provided $137,000 to PASTORS Inc. in support of an effort by New Israel Reformed Episcopal Church to establish new residential rental units on property the church owns in the North Central neighborhood. The city also provided $126,000 to PASTORS Inc. to help fund the rehabilitation of two housing units meant for people with AIDS that are owned by St. Luke's Reformed Episcopal Church. PASTORS Inc., which is run by Director of Development Fred A. Johnson II, has been involved in several other projects in Summerville, Hollywood and North Charleston. It also organizes workshops for faith groups on revenue diversification and how to collaborate with local, state and federal agencies. The East Side building that housed the NAACP has two affordable housing units on the second floor. The city helped PASTORS Inc. purchase and renovate the building about a decade ago, and as a lien holder it recently agreed to allow PASTORS Inc. to refinance the mortgage in an effort to secure liquid funds that will help pay for the imminent work, Johnson said. During the eight years the NAACP occupied the office at 81A Columbus St., a smaller adjacent office went unrented, Scott said. That smaller office was offered to the NAACP once PASTORS Inc. announced it was renovating the building, upgrading the apartments on the second floor and raising the commercial rents. Scott responded favorably, but NAACP board members balked, she said. Jerome Clemens, treasurer for the NAACP, said he preferred not to comment on the matter during the groups transition to its new space. Clemens was notified by PASTORS Inc. late last year about the renovation effort and the need for the NAACP to relocate, but he did not tell Scott, she said. She learned of the For Lease signs in the window in early December, only after they were put there, she said. In response to a Post and Courier query in January, PASTORS Inc. Chairman Julius Barnes sent a letter asserting that: PASTORS notified the NAACP of the need to increase the rent well before the property was listed (and) the NAACP Treasurer met with PASTORS Leasing agent prior to the listing agreement being signed. PASTORS Inc. retains ownership of 81 Columbus St. but set up a subsidiary nonprofit corporation, the Peninsula Economic Development Consortium, that now holds title to the property. PEDC directors are elected by PASTORS board. The renovation work will include replacing windows and HVAC units, and repairing exterior siding. The NAACP lease was first executed in July 2013. Rent was set at $900 a month starting in January 2015. Beginning in December 2017, the NAACP became a month-to-month tenant, continuing to pay $900 a month. PASTORS has worked in good faith in an unsuccessful attempt to negotiate a new lease with the NAACP for its existing space, or for a smaller space at a similar price, Barnes wrote. While we recognize the critically important work performed by the NAACP, we must cover our costs and can no longer operate under the previous financial terms. The Rev. Joe Darby, first vice president of the Charleston NAACP branch, once served on the board of PASTORS Inc. but resigned a few years ago, he said. Though smaller, the new space on Spring Street is in a good location and ought to help the branch continue tackling the issues, he said. CORRECTION: The address of the new NAACP office is 117C Spring St., at the corner of Rutledge Avenue. Syndicated and guest columns represent the personal views of the writers, not necessarily those of the editorial staff. The editorial department operates entirely independently of the news department and is not involved in newsroom operations. The state Department of Juvenile Justice has been struggling for years with dangerously inadequate security staffing and waves of violence that feed off each other, forcing out director after director. The latest one departed in September after two dozen employees walked off the job, complaining that low pay and deteriorating working conditions a growing number of youth were attacking staff had increased turnover, forcing guards to work 24- and even 48-hour shifts without breaks and feeding a vicious cycle that left both youth and employees unsafe. To a lot of people, it looked like the problem was a simple combination of the wrong director and the Legislatures refusal to pay enough to attract and keep staff. But problems are rarely as simple as they seem, and even when the solution involves spending more money, the key is always spending it in the right way. And that brings us to the simmering problem that most people outside the agency apparently including most lawmakers werent aware of. State law appropriately requires juveniles with severe mental illnesses to be treated at mental health facilities rather than DJJ, but for a variety of good and bad reasons, the state Department of Mental Health closed its youth facilities in 2015. Mental Health is able to place some young people in private treatment facilities, but the most challenging ones are stuck behind the fence at DJJs secure lock-up facilities in Columbia, in spite of the state law to the contrary. And the number has been growing steadily. Thats bad enough, because as the new director, Eden Hendrick, told House budget writers last month, they are kids we cannot rehabilitate in a quasi-correctional facility like DJJ is because they truly need a higher level of care in a hospital type setting. But it turns out that the two problems are intertwined. Having them at DJJ is disrupting the ability of the entire population to be rehabilitated, Ms. Hendrick testified, because staff have to spend so much time trying to find appropriate care for them and, when theyre unsuccessful, dealing with their acting out. She cited the example of one juvenile whose behavior problems kept coming up at staff meetings. This one kid basically paralyzed an entire institution, she said. If he wasnt there, our whole staff would have been focused on the 50 other kids who are appropriately placed. She eventually found a private treatment facility in another state to take him. But up to a quarter of the kids behind the gates on any given day have severe mental illnesses, so while getting one moved out might provide a respite, it's only temporary. What could solve the problem, Ms. Hendrick, the governors office and House budget writers are convinced, is spending $20 million to build a 20-bed unit on Department of Mental Health property to provide treatment to kids suffering from illnesses such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. This is going to be, in our estimation, one of the most important things that we can do to improve the workplace environment at DJJ for the (juvenile correctional officers) that we have all heard from, Brian Symmes, spokesman for Gov. Henry McMaster, told Columbias State newspaper. With staff no longer spending so much time on kids who arent supposed to be there, he said, the staff-to-juvenile ratio would decrease, and the job would become less dangerous and more manageable. And as conditions improve, the agency could finally begin to fill more than 200 vacancies. All of that suggests that this could be one of those rare instances where a complicated problem actually has a simple solution. So we urge lawmakers to approve the one-time funding in the budget bill under debate this week in the House and to be prepared to pay the $9 million to $11 million it will cost to operate once its built. They also need to find a way to sequester and treat those kids until the new facility can be constructed. And they need to recognize the conditions that allowed things to reach a crisis point at Juvenile Justice. One is incrementalism. As Ms. Hendrick told budget writers, it has been a long-time problem that has accumulated. Think of the frog whose luxurious bath turns into a death sentence. Its not an accident that the person who recognized that dramatic action was needed was someone who was brought in from the outside. Another is the number of state agencies that operate in their own silos. The agency that hasnt been doing its job is the Department of Mental Health whose director works not for the governor but for a part-time board. Although the governor can hire and fire those board members, that layer of separation means the agency is more likely to focus on the agenda of the individual board members, or the director, than the governor. It also means that the director isnt in the room with the director of Juvenile Justice when the governor gathers his Cabinet to find ways all of his agencies can work together to address the needs of the state. Finding the right solutions to daunting problems is important. But our goal needs to be preventing those problems, or at least addressing them long before they do the damage that has been done at Juvenile Justice. COLUMBIA Eight years after ascending to the South Carolina House's most powerful position vowing to dispel the scandalous cloud that hung over the chamber, Speaker Jay Lucas is stepping down. Lucas, R-Hartsville, is honoring a self-imposed term limit in the top spot and is leaving a Statehouse seat he's held for 24 years. He suddenly announced March 15 his decision to not seek reelection. It means ending a tenure where he oversaw debates on strengthening state ethics laws, shoring up public pensions, funding roadwork, improving education and the fight he considers the most difficult expelling the Confederate battle flag from Statehouse grounds. Perhaps the last accomplishments of the unassuming speaker, who stepped into the role pledging to wield less power, will be shepherding through proposals to massively cut income taxes and change South Carolina voting laws. His colleagues say the stunningly unanimous floor votes on those bills within the past month are a testament to Lucas' collaborative approach to leadership as is the day-early timing of his announcement. Lucas took the podium to inform his colleagues after the House adopted its nearly $14 billion spending plan for the fiscal year that starts July 1. The chamber approved the record-high budget proposal late March 14, wrapping up in a single day what was expected to take two. "His approach is to hear from fellow members and form workable solutions, not just from Republicans but Democrats as well to be all-inclusive and prove you can operate as a partisan in a bipartisan manner," said House Majority Leader Gary Simrill, R-Rock Hill, who is also not seeking reelection after 30 years in the House. Lucas said he's not sure what's next for him. He considered stepping down as speaker but staying in the House to continue serving his district in a non-leadership role. "I'd love to stay here because I love the people," he told The Post and Courier. "But you just can't do that." The movie enthusiast quoted from the final scene of a Harry Potter film in describing his unknown future: "Onward," said Lucas, who unwinds every Friday by going to a movie by himself and leaving his cellphone in his car. "I'll go onward." That could include teaching at Coker College in his hometown or continuing to teach at the University of South Carolina, his alma mater, where he taught law ethics last semester to honor students getting up at 5 a.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays to make the commute from Hartsville for an 8 a.m. class, what he jokingly calls the "Republican slot." "I'm a little sad, but I'm looking forward to the next challenge. I'm not retiring," said the 64-year-old, who became a proud grandfather on New Year's Day. "I'm going to do something else and, hopefully, it will be something impactful." Also a music aficionado, Lucas explained his decision to House members by citing four songs involving life's changes, including Aretha Franklin's "Ever Changing Time" and Pink Floyd's "Time." "Time is a constant, a limit on everything and everyone," Lucas said in his short remarks, pausing to check his emotions. "My time will come when this session ends. It will be time for a new chapter to be written for the House." His comments received a standing ovation before members of both parties crowded around him for hugs. "I have hugged the speaker more than any other man in my life," House Minority Leader Todd Rutherford, D-Columbia, told The Post and Courier after the crowd dispersed. "When we disagreed, he hugged me. When we agreed, he hugged me. When we were fighting over the (Confederate) flag and it was loud with lots of yelling, at the end of it, we hugged to make sure everything was OK," Rutherford said about the 13-hour floor fight in July 2015. "He led by consensus and inclusion." An unlikely ascension The improbable rise of South Carolina's first and he figures likely last speaker from rural Darlington County began with a mere 35-vote winning margin in 1998 to flip a seat in the Pee Dee, then a Democratic stronghold. "I knocked on 8,000 doors and won a race they thought I couldn't win," said Lucas, who has run without opposition ever since. Six years after winning the seat, the amiable, soft-spoken attorney took his first leadership post as a Judiciary subcommittee chairman. He sat on the Ways and Means Committee in 2010, when an Upstate Republican lost his reelection bid, creating a vacancy in the chamber's No. 2 spot. Lucas started making calls the morning after the election and quickly cinched up enough support from his colleagues to become speaker pro tempore, easily winning over Speaker Bobby Harrell's preferred candidate. Sign up for updates! Get the latest political news from The Post and Courier in your inbox. Email Sign Up! Lucas never imagined he'd become speaker four years later especially in the way he did, through a phone call. He took over as acting speaker in September 2014, when Harrell suspended himself amid a misconduct indictment. Speaker since 2005, Harrell pleaded guilty a month later to misdemeanor campaign spending violations and resigned from office as part of a yearslong investigation into Statehouse corruption. Lucas' colleagues officially elected him speaker in December 2014, after two other Republicans recognized they lacked the votes and bowed out of the race. Lucas' likability and squeaky-clean image are what kept him in the top spot, as he became the first speaker in 34 years to have never been a committee chairman. "Everybody admired how he ran the House" in Harrell's absence, said former Judiciary Chairman Greg Delleney, R-Chester. "And everyone knew his ethics were beyond reproach, so there was no one else." House Ways and Means Chairman Murrell Smith, R-Sumter, called Lucas a "humble and unassuming, but dynamic, leader who came in at a difficult time and united our body with patience and kindness." One of Lucas' first acts, even before officially winning the job, was to create a 17-member panel to consider new House rules that disburse the speaker's power and allow for more input on legislation. His recommendations included capping a speaker's tenure. While he suggested a maximum of eight years four two-year terms the committee chose 10 years, which the House adopted. Under those rules, Lucas could be speaker through 2024. But, in the vein of leading by example, he said, "I don't want to be the guy who said it should be eight and then go 10." He declined to weigh in on who replaces him, other than to say it shouldn't be someone overly partisan. "Obviously, you don't want the person who's going to create the wedge, which is what we've always tried to avoid," he said. Successes and challenges His biggest regret is not getting to Gov. Henry McMaster's desk a massive effort to begin overhauling K-12 public schools. While the House passed his proposal overwhelmingly in March 2019, it got stuck in the Senate amid a backlash from teachers protesting their lack of input in the drafting. By the time the Senate passed a vastly different version a year later, COVID cut the session short, killing the bill before a compromise was possible. But pieces of it have since become law, and Lucas is proud of the House's role in elevating teachers' salaries. Before COVID hit, Lucas was pushing to raise teacher pay above the national average within five years. While that pledge was put on pause, many teachers could still see their biggest raise ever this summer. The budget proposal sent to the Senate March 15 provides $4,000 jumps for teachers across the state salary schedule, which sets the minimums districts can pay for years of experience and degree. The starting salary for a first-year teacher in the fall would be at least $40,000 statewide, up from $29,500 when Lucas became speaker. His toughest challenge, he said, was guiding the House through the contentious Confederate flag debate following the June 2015 massacre of nine Black congregants at Emanuel AME Church in downtown Charleston. Victims of the white supremacist gunman included the church's pastor, Sen. Clementa Pinckney, a former House colleague. Fifteen years earlier, in May 2000, Lucas remembers watching from the sidelines during another contentious flag debate, as the Legislature approved a compromise that brought the rebel flag off the Statehouse dome and put a smaller, square version beside a monument on the front lawn. "Everything stopped, and there were huddles here and there. I wasn't in leadership, so nobody wanted me in their huddle," said Lucas, who quietly voted on the winning side to take it down without an inkling of how his leadership would be needed to remove it from grounds entirely years later. Then-Gov. Nikki Haley is often credited with calling for the flag's removal after the 2015 shooting, but it's Lucas who made it happen, Rutherford said. Lucas' decision to call the House back for the vote in his first session as speaker put him on opposite sides of some of his best friends who argued the flag honored ancestors who died in the Civil War and represented heritage, not hate. He recalled several close votes that almost upended the whole debate, including the possibility of hoisting a different Confederate battle flag that's not widely identified as a racist symbol. "That was the hardest thing I've ever had to do, but I believe after what happened at Mother Emanuel, that just could no longer be a symbol representing our state on Statehouse grounds," Lucas said. "Nothing changed with me, other than the resolve after what happened at Emanuel to get it done." That debate epitomizes how Lucas approached his job, even before he became speaker, said Delleney, who was among friends on the opposing side of that argument. The pair became instant friends early on as the two stood up to the video poker lobby and voted against their caucus leaders in a debate that eventually led to the industry's demise through a 1999 S.C. Supreme Court decision. "Whenever he had a decision, he did what he thought was best for the House and for the state," Delleney said. COLUMBIA Gov. Henry McMaster vetoed legislation to turn Lancaster County school board elections partisan, defeating an effort some feared could be a precursor to a broader effort to inject politics into classrooms around the state. The bill, sponsored by state representative and Lancaster GOP Chairwoman Sandy McGarry, would have made Lancaster County just the third county in the state with partisan school board elections, along with Horry and Lee counties. Lancaster County would have been the first to adopt partisan school board elections in decades. Republicans in the Statehouse narrowly rejected the proposal in February but reversed course the following week when a larger number of their caucus was in attendance. In a March 14 letter to lawmakers, McMaster a Republican said he believed the bill to be an unconstitutional effort by the Legislature to impose policy for one specific county, and expressed concerns such legislation could lead to a "patchwork" of inconsistent policies from county to county. If the Legislature were to pursue partisan school board elections, McMaster wrote, it should attempt to do so on a statewide basis. "As our recent experience has made abundantly clear, school board elections are critically important," he wrote. "Thus, the manner in which these elections are conducted warrants scrutiny and debate, and the proposal to transition to partisan elections may have merit." He added, "However, given the importance of this issue, the General Assembly should address the matter on a statewide basis and consider general legislation that, for example, provides that all such elections should be conducted on a partisan basis or affords electors in the various districts the option to select the form of election in a referendum." Sign up for updates! Get the latest political news from The Post and Courier in your inbox. Email Sign Up! Democrats, as well as the South Carolina School Boards Association, opposed the bill, arguing it could increase polarization in school boards' decisions at a time when issues such as critical race theory and masks in schools have raised the temperature of debate in school boards around the state. Partisan school board elections have also been in decline following several court decisions two decades ago that found partisan school elections helped exacerbate inequities between White students and people of color. The bill's co-sponsors consisted of the influential Lancaster County delegation, which included House Majority Whip Brandon Newton and House Speaker Jay Lucas, causing some concern that the legislation was a test run for a broader effort to impose partisan school board elections statewide. Similar efforts have been attempted this year in states like West Virginia, Missouri, Florida, Arizona and Tennessee, where one county successfully made the shift earlier this year. You might say its a local issue, but it has statewide ramifications, Rep. Wendy Brawley, D-Hopkins, said during debate on the bill in February. And we all know it. The House of Representatives could potentially override the governor's veto. It would need to achieve a two-thirds vote threshold to do so. A 90-day program in Spartanburg that employs individuals who are experiencing homelessness or housing instability is about to graduate its second cohort. The Litter Hero Program employs up to four people to work as a litter crew for the Spartanburg Opportunity Center. The group works 25 hours a week and makes $12 an hour picking up trash around Spartanburg. Participants are given one hour of weekly case management and life skills training to help them find permanent employment upon graduation. The second group will graduate from the program on March 29 during a ceremony at Cleveland Park. I became homeless last April and was living under an iron circle bridge for about a week and a half, said Jon Berkeley, a 51-year-old Litter Hero Program participant. Berkeley said he likes working because it has allowed him to build good relationships with people. The city gives the group daily mapped cleaning routines. Sometimes participants have special projects that citizens call in or special projects from the city in areas that have been neglected for a long time. The second group of Litter Heroes has collected 761 bags of litter and cleaned over 88 miles. Two people who graduated from the program are now full-time county employees, and another participant got a job working on a pipeline in Louisiana. The Litter Hero Program began as a pilot program in July 2021 with more than 10 community partners trying to find solutions to the increasing amount of litter throughout the county, the small number of labor options for those who were formerly incarcerated, and the increasing homelessness in Spartanburg. Some organizations and agencies assisting with the program include Spartanburg County, City of Spartanburg, OneSpartanburg Inc., Spartanburg Opportunity Center, United Way of the Piedmont, H.O.P.E. Ministries, Keep OneSpartanburg Beautiful, Miracle Hill Ministries and SC Works. Participants stay at Miracle Hill Rescue Mission Spartanburg. The organization has a transitional home that participants can stay at once they graduate. Through case management services, participants get help with setting up a checking and savings account through Carolina Foothills Federal Credit Union. Workers set up an individualized development account for participants that works as a match savings. Litter Heroes save $30 every two weeks and case management works to match those $30 using program funds. At the end of the program, they should have around $600. If necessary, workers help those in the program get their drivers license, social security card and a copy of their birth certificate. It kind of throws a ladder down and helps them climb their way back up, said Olivia McIntyre, outreach and education coordinator at the Spartanburg Opportunity Center. Were not doing it for them, we're just offering them the assistance they need to do it for themselves. INVASION: Russian paratroopers run toward aircrafts during an operation said to take control of an airfield, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine, at an unknown location, in Ukraine, in this still image taken from a video released by Russian Defense Ministry March 12, 2022. Russian Defense Ministry/Handout via Reuters Although it was noted in the news on February 1, I first heard on the grapevine a few weeks later that Senator Tom Cotton has put a hold on every pending United States Attorney nomination. He has placed the hold over his objection to the Justice Departments refusal to undertake the defense of four federal marshals being sued for their work defending the Portland federal courthouse in the George Floyd riots of 2020 (or tell him why). Has the department resolved his concerns? I learn from todays midday edition of Punchbowl News that the department has not responded to his satisfaction and that that he is hanging tough: Nominees who have been caught under Cottons hold include eight U.S. attorneys, two U.S. Marshals and one DOJ political appointee. At the closed-door Senate GOP lunch today, Cotton explained why he was blocking the nominees. Cotton noted that while it was not common for a senator to block U.S. attorneys, he believes its even rarer for the Justice Department to fail to defend federal law enforcement officers. Cotton asked his GOP colleagues to press DOJ to give an explanation as to why they wont provide what he believes is routine legal representation to the officers. Cotton sent a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland about this in February. I also learn from the report that the Punchbowl crowd is unhappy with Senator Cotton and that they cannot conceal their displeasure: DOJsays that they are providing counsel for 70 people charged in the demonstration. Of the four officers Cotton is referencing, only one has been denied counsel and DOJ has not made a decision on three others. DOJ says statute determines whether they can provide representation. [O]nly one has been denied counsel and DOJ has not made a decision on three others. That is precisely the point of Senator Cottons January 31 letter to the meritless Merrick Garland. Whats the problem with DOJ fulfilling its long-standing practice of providing a defense to the four marshals sued for actions taken in the line of duty? DOJ isnt even telling its friends at Punchbowl. As Senator Cotton observed in the February 10 letter to Garland linked by Punchbowl above, but neither quoted nor paraphrased you didnt answer my question. Why wont the Department of Justice defend four deputy U.S. Marshals attacked by a left-wing street militia in Portland? Perhaps the Punchbowl crowd can seek an explanation from Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta. She knows why. A famous actress, Kemi Afolabi, has alerted her fans and the general public that scammers and malicious individuals take advantage of her situation and use her name and picture to defraud people. The 43-year-old actress, in a recent interview with media personality, Chude Jideonwo, revealed that she had been diagnosed with Lupus. She also said her doctor told her that she has five more years to live and has spent one year already. After revealing her present health status, the actress broke down in tears, saying she did not know how much time she had left. Lupus is an autoimmune and inflammatory disease caused when the immune system attacks its tissues. It can also be referred to as Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE). It can affect the joints, skin, kidneys, blood cells, brain, heart and lungs. The actress said she could only manage the condition with medication. Scammers The mother-of-one shared a screenshot of the Facebook pages the scammers created to defraud unsuspecting public members. She wrote: It has come to my notice that some malicious individuals are taking advantage of my situation by using my name and image against my consent on Facebook. I am Kemi Afolabi/Afolabi Kemi on Facebook. I, at this moment, beckon on all my fans and lovers to disregard and report these impersonators. Lets ensure that unsuspecting individuals do not fall victim to fraud from these impersonators, thank you. Prayers After going public with the ailment, the actress has received prayers from her colleagues and fans, who have wished her a swift recovery. Some of the actress colleagues took to her comment section to shower her with prayers and encouragement amongst whom were Iyabo Ojo and Ngozie Nwosu. Ojo apologised for not being in touch with her colleague and urged her to reject the doctors report. She wrote: I celebrate you today, my dear Kemi Afolabi, and I reject the doctors report concerning our life. So sorry I havent kept in touch with you. I knew nothing and heard nothing. My heart is really heavy with this sad news, but I have faith that God will work his miracle in your life. He will not fail you. I have called and left you a voice note, and I will continue to encourage you and stand with you both in the open and closet. Love you, girl. Death is far away from you; you shall live long in his infinite mercy and grace, may his miraculous healing and miracle be upon you. Please say a little prayer for her. Nwosu, diagnosed with kidney disease in 2012, also took to the comment section to encourage the actress. Nwosu also recounted how she battled and was healed of a kidney-related illness and prayed that God who healed her would do the same for Mrs Afolabi. She urged Afolabi to believe that she would live more than five years the doctor predicted. Her post read: May the Almighty God who healed me when they thought it was over, heal you Kemi. May his mercy that never ends be with you now and always for what God cannot do does not exist. Have faith, my dear. Afolabi made her debut in the Yoruba movie Alagba. However, to the surprise of many, she took a very long break away from the movie industry for nearly five years between 2008-2013. Advertisements She has featured in numerous Nigerian movies like Gold Statue'(2019), Capones Wife (2019), Ayomi Sandra (2015), Oreke mulero (2006), Obinrin Ale Tinuke (2009), Ayomi Sandra (2015), Obinrin Ale Tinuke (2009) and Omo pupa'(2008). The development Research and Projects Centre (dRPC), under the Partnership for Advancing Women in Economic Development ( PAWED), is conducting a one-day technical review of the Womens Economic Empowerment (WEE) components of the National Development Plan 2022 2025. This is part of efforts to ensure womens involvement in Nigerias economic development. The event which is in collaboration with Nigerian Economic Society (NES), the Dangote Business School and Bayero University, Kano, will hold in Abuja on Tuesday. PAWED is a coalition that aims to build and nurture sustainable Nigerian Civil Society (CSO) advocacy to support leading WEE interventions at the national and states level. The PAWED project works at the national level and in selected states in each of the six geopolitical zones to increase the salience of WEE amongst policymakers in Nigeria. The event is expected to bring together economic analysts and economic analysis associations and Womens Economic Collectives (WEC) to review the component. Some of the objectives of the event is to determine the comprehensives in which WEE is situated within the strategic areas of the plan and the adequacy of provisions to readdress gender based barriers against women in economic development. The event also seek to determine the logical consistency of WEE design issues from primary objective formulation to operationalisation to monitoring and evaluation. Other objectives of the event is to strengthen the technical capacity of WECs and WEE coalition anchors to conduct gender analysis of medium-term national governments policy. The PAWED coalition civil society groups participating in the technical review are the NACCIMA Women Business Group ( NAWORG); the National Association of Women Entrepreneurs (NAWE); National Association Women in Agriculture (NAWIA); Market Women Association of Nigeria (MATAN); and the Association of Women in Trade and Agriculture ( AWITA). About WEE? WEE is an intervention sponsored by the Gates Foundation, which believes that womens economic empowerment is beneficial not only to individual women but also to their children, households, and communities. The programme aims to help women and girls move from limited power, voice, and chores at home and in the economy to having the skills, resources, and opportunities needed to compete equitably and benefit from economic gains. The Nigerian government had in September 2021 inaugurated a technical working group for the pilot monitoring and evaluation framework for the WEE interventions. The group was inaugurated following a national symposium organised by the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS) in collaboration with the dRPC on the application framework as it relates to WEE. The participants had at the event recommended that a working group be set up to follow up the implementation of the framework. Stay on this page as PREMIUM TIMES provides live updates of the technical review scheduled to commence by 9:00 a.m. LIVE UPDATE 9:10 a.m.-Its a beautiful Tuesday morning here at Jades hotel, Abuja. We are live at the one-day technical review of the Womens Economic Empowerment (WEE) components of the National Development Plan 2022 2025 anchored by the development Research and Projects Centre (dRPC), under the Partnership for Advancing Women in Economic Development ( PAWED). This session was expected to start by 9:10 am, unfortunately it will be starting late as participants are yet to settle in. 9:30 a.m. Participants are still trooping into the hall and registration is ongoing. 9:35 a.m.- The hall is almost filled and the session should begin any moment from now. 9:41 a.m- All is set for the commencement of the event. The lead facilitator of the event, Umar Kawu, welcomes the participants to the event. Advertisements 9:42 a.m. The event begins with the National Anthem. 9:44 a.m- Mr Kawu reads out the objectives of todays event. He said the programme is sponsored by the Bill and Melinda Gates foundation. 9: 45 a.m- The lead facilitator invites some guests to the high table. Amongst them is the National President of National Association of Women Entrepreneurs (NAWE), Veronica Ndanusa and the National president of Nigerian Economic Society (NES) Ummu Jalingo who is also the keynote speaker of the event. 9: 48 a.m- Ms Ndanusa is up to give her welcome remarks. She said the programme is a great development and welcomes everyone to the event. 9: 49 a.m- She said the journey has been a long one but the government agencies involved in the programme has been supportive. 9: 50 a.m- She said with the commitment shown so far, more successes will be recorded in no time. 9: 51 a.m.- She said the impact of WEE will be felt in everyones lives and the nation in general in years to come. 9: 54 a.m- The NACCIMA Women Group National President and former minister of Trade and Investment, Aisha Abubakar is set to give her remarks. Ms Abubakar commended the dRPC and PAWED for putting this event together. 9: 55 a.m- She said the review of the WEE components of the National Development plan 2022-2025 is important to achieve the Sustainable Development Goal 5 geared towards achieving gender equality and to empower all women and girls. 9: 56 a.m- She said the plan supports WEE by facilitating access to finance, providing capacity building programmes and supporting MSMEs business viability. 9: 58 a.m- As you are all aware, women play vital roles in the development of the nations economy and the implementation of these plans should be holistic for its success, she said. 10:00 a.m- She concluded by saying todays event is one of the many events in the gender-based value chain activities. 10:00 a.m- Giving his remarks, Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Womens Affairs, Funsho Adebiyi, said it is impossible for a nation to grow without involving women economically. 10: 03 a.m- Mr Adebiyi who was represented by Olisah JD, a director in the ministry, said women empowerment is about equality and as long as women are not allowed to contribute, it will fail. As long as women are not fully incorporated into the development strategies of their nation as active participants, and their voices are not heard in the discuss, their countries will be operating at half capacity, he said. 10: 06 a.m- Mr Adebiyi said it is important to empower the women not only economically or financially, but socially as well as politically because the role of a woman cannot be ignored. It is important to ensure that the voices of women are heard, he said. 10: 15 a.m- Plangsat Dayil is on the podium to give her presentation. The presentation is titled Introduction to gender review of national policies. Ms Dayil gender mainstreaming can be achieved by creating machineries for advancing various gender integrations. She explained that public policy is the collections of laws and rules to ensure mainstreaming is goal-oriented and formulated to attain objectives with a view of improvements. She said policy analysis is concerned with policy alternatives to determine the usefulness of such policies. She said this will further enlighten policy makers to avoid same mistakes. She said making such policies will ensure advancement is achieved in gender equality. She said gender perspective analysis is important because all policies and facilities affects both gender equally. 10:27 a.m- Ms Dayil said policy makers tend to implement policies and programmes with the thought that all is carried along, without realising that some are being left behind. Most times when we talk about gender equality, some assume that women want to be men which is untrue, she said. If you look at the creation of most policies, you will realise that women are excluded, making it difficult to achieve inclusiveness. She said gender mainstreaming requires adequate resources and synergy across Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDA) to ensure integration across all Policies. She urges everyone to play their role in ensuring gender balance in every aspect of life. 10:40 a.m- A representative of the Dangote Business School, Amina Leman, gives her remarks. Ms Leman said the group is always ready for collaborations aimed at improving womens involvement in Economic development. 10: 42 a.m- The ational president of Nigerian Economic Society (NES), Ummu Jalingo, is set to give the keynote address of the event. Ms Jalingo is speaking on the importance of investing in women economic projects. She said investing in women can make a world of difference for not only the women themselves, who by numerical strength constitute 50 per cent of Nigerias population, but also for their families, communities and the nation at large. She said investment in women will ensure reduction in poverty rates across the country. She noted that women give multiplier effect real meaning in economic parlance. To drive economic empowerment process, engender higher productivity and fast track economic growth, reduce poverty through the reduction of maternal and child mortality, women participation in economic ownership and control of productive assets is key, she said. Gender equality Ms Jalingo explained that gender equality is a right that must be fulfilled to mitigate number of challenges facing humanity most especially women ranging from economic crisis, healthcare issues, violence against women, climate change among others. She said women are not only more affected by these problems, but also possess ideas, will and leadership capacity to solve them. She lamented that gender discrimination is holding many women back, there by decelerating global economic growth. WEE is necessary for inclusive and equitable economic growth of any nation, she said. Ms Jalingo noted that there is increasing recognition that economically empowering women is essential both to realise womens rights and to achieve broader development goals such as economic growth, poverty reduction, health, education and welfare. 10: 58 a.m Ms Jalingo said when women have a source of income, they are on the path to becoming a healthy, empowered economic actor. She said this includes right to education, employment and income assets. She also explained that women who are able to decide where, when, and how to spend their income see improvements in their social and economic status and the level of resources devoted to their children. She said womens economic empowerment comes with lots of benefits. One of such benefits of WEE is that, it boosts productivity, increases economic diversification and income equality. Ms Jalingo noted that WEE is key to achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development: Particularly Goal 5, to achieve gender equality, and Goal 8, to promote full and productive employment and decent work for all; also Goal 1 on ending poverty, Goal 2 on food security, Goal 3 on ensuring health and Goal 10 on reducing inequalities, she said. She added that it is estimated that companies with three or more women in senior management functions score higher in all dimensions of organisational performance. 11: 12 a.m- She said women should be engaging at all times in every aspect of life. She said achieving WEE is not an easy task but continuous efforts will lead to success. Ms Jalingo has ended her presentation and the lead facilitator, Kawu takes the podium. He makes the announcement for tea break and group photo. Second session 12: 12 a.m- The tea break is over and all participants are back to the hall. The participants are being divided into Four groups to commence discussion on different aspect of WEE. 12: 17 p.m: The co-facilitator, Fatai Aremu, has taken to the podium. He will be leading the participants through this session. Mr Aremu said the groups will be working on four different topics pointing to the component of the National development plan 2022-2025. These are The comprehensives in which WEE is situated within all strategic areas of the plan. The logical consistency of WEE design issues from primary objective formulation to operationalisation to monitoring and evaluation. The adequacy of provisions in the plan to readdress gender-based barriers against women in economic development. Provisions for including womens Economic collectives in plan implementation, he said. He said group one will focus on economic growth and development while group two will work on infrastructure relating to logistics and others. Group three is expected to consider how well women economic empowerment is embedded in public Administration and human capital development and group four is expected to deliver on social development. The participants are now in various groups and this is expected to last for about 30 minutes. 1:50 p.m: The groups are rounding up their discussions and should be set for presentation in the next few minutes. 1:54 p.m: The Executive Director of Heroine omen foundation, Onyinye Mamah, is on the podium and set to present for group one. Ms Mamah said the group focused on economic growth and development. She said the group discussed the strategy of the Nigerian government and identified some huge existing gaps. She said there is a lack of communication chain between the government and women at the grassroots level. She said government representatives must adopt the local languages of women in agriculture to achieve effective communication. She noted that there is need for mechanised farming equipment. She said most farmers still rely on hoe to farm, whereas, there are better farming equipment that can be used. She also calls for security around farm settlements. She said women and youths are no longer safe cultivating on their farms. She explained that it is very important to promote agriculture to empower women in the society. She says to prevent the relation of Agriculture to poverty, the government should publish stories of successful farmers. The co-facilitator, Mr Aremu, is on the podium now. He calls for reactions to group one presentation. 2:03 p.m: Ogunbiyi Elizabeth is on the podium and ready to present on behalf of group Two. Ms Elizabeth said group Two discussion is on infrastructures, including transportation, housing, digital economy amongst others. She said the digital economy captured in the governments plan is too minimal and should be improved on. She said the federal government should encourage female child to go for engineering courses. She said this can be achieved by prioritising female in scholarship schemes relating to engineering courses. She said women must be involved in the planning process of such plans. Women should be involved from the very beginning, womens inputs should also be conducted, she said. She said women are not at the top in the countrys transportation system. She calls for women involvement in transport systems to encourage them to take ownership of businesses that have to do with infrastructures. She noted that women should be given opportunities of grants to encourage them to get involved in the countrys economic development. She calls for sensitisation of women in both urban and rural communities. A representative of group three, Deborah Obot, is set to present. Ms Obot said the group discussion bothers around how well womens economic empowerment is embedded in public administration and human capital development. She said women involvement in public administration is quite low. She said the government should give a higher percentage of public affairs to women. She said some women are still lacking behind due to failure to maximise their resources. She said some husbands are also responding for squandering resources provided for their wives. She calls for sensitisation for men who takes their wives resources, especially those in rural communities. 2: 32 p.m: A representative of group Four, Stella Ani is set to present. Ms Ani said the groups discussion is on social development. She said the federal government should prioritise any issues relating to WEE to improve economic development. She also calls on the government to form partnership with stakeholders to implement programmes associated with WEE. She said there is need for strategy development to achieve visible results. Ms Ani recommends that government should develop key performance indicator for WEE projects in the country. 2: 46 p.m: Mr Aremu, the co-facilitator is back to the podium. He applauds the participants for an amazing presentation. He said he is optimistic of the success of WEE projects because an empowered woman is of value to everyone in the society. Its time for lunch. The session will break for 30 minutes. 3:40 pm: The lunch break is over and we are awaiting the return of some participants. Mr Kawu, the lead facilitator, takes the podium to welcome everyone back from lunch We are still expecting other participants to join in for the concluding session of the technical review. Last session 3:50 p.m: All is set for the commencement of the last session of the event. Mr Aremu the co facilitator is speaking now. He directed all participants to regroup for the last session of the event. He said each group is expected to discuss the adequacy of provisions in the national development plan to readdress gender-based barriers against women in Economic development. Each group is also expected to discuss the provisions for including womens economic collectives in the implementation of the plan. 4:34 p.m: Ms Mamah is back on the podium to present for group one. She said the National development document failed to address cultural barriers against women. She noted that the documents also failed to address womens involvement in agricultural practices. She said the issue of storage facilities for farm produce was not adequately addressed in the plan. She said more women need to be employed in training and sensitising other women especially those in rural communities. 4:45 p.m: Group 3 is presenting ahead of Group 2. Deborah Obot is on the podium to represent Group 3. Ms Obot said forced marriage, poor maternal health and reproductive care, low remuneration and low land ownership are some of the barriers highlighted by the group. She said Primary Health Centre (PHC) must be fully equipped to standard to provide quality health services to the people. She also called for training and deployment of health workers to these rural areas. She said these health workers must also be encouraged to stay in these communities as some of them tend to leave. 5:03 p.m: Stella Ani is on the podium to represent Group 4. Ms Ani said the National Development Plan failed to identify the need for awareness creation. She said the educational system in Nigeria is biased and most parents support the male child to go to school than the female child. She also said the land acquisition process for women is not as flexible as that of men. The lead facilitator of the event, Mr Kawu, is on the podium now. He applauds the groups for their presentations. 5: 10 p.m: He said the dRPC will keep in touch with the participants. He wishes everyone safe travels to their various destinations. And that brings us to the end of this event. Thank you for staying with us. Authorities in the U.S. state of Georgia have dissolved Springfield Aviation Company LLC allegedly used for bank fraud and money laundering by the CEO and Chairman of Air Peace, Allen Onyema. The company, incorporated and based in Georgia State, is said to have been deficient in filing its annual registration, after the U.S. Department of Justice filed charges against its principals, including Mr Onyema in 2019. Owned and controlled by Mr Onyema, Springfield Aviation Company LLC was formed on April 4, 2016, as a domestic limited liability company to carry on any legitimate business, documents seen by PREMIUM TIMES show. But on November 22, 2019, the U.S. Department of Justice announced the charging of Mr Onyema, accusing him of moving more than $20 million from Nigeria through United States bank accounts in a scheme involving false documents based on the purchase of aeroplanes. Mr Onyema was charged alongside Air Peace Limiteds Head of Administration and Finance, Ejiroghene Eghagha. They both face 36 charges of conspiracy, bank fraud, aggravated identity theft, money laundering, and credit application fraud in connection with the $20million scheme. One of the companies used in committing the alleged offences is Springfield Aviation LLC, prosecutors said. Beginning in approximately May 2016, Onyema, together with Eghagha, allegedly used a series of export letters of credit to cause banks to transfer more than $20 million into Atlanta-based bank accounts controlled by Onyema, the U.S. Attorneys Office in the Northern District of Georgia said in a November 22, 2019 statement announcing the indictment of the two suspects. The letters of credit were purportedly to fund the purchase of five separate Boeing 737 passenger planes by Air Peace. The letters were supported by documents such as purchase agreements, bills of sale, and appraisals proving that Air Peace was purchasing the aircraft from Springfield Aviation Company LLC, a business registered in Georgia. However, the supporting documents were fake Springfield Aviation Company LLC, which is owned by Onyema and managed by a person with no connection to the aviation business, never owned the aircraft, and the company that allegedly drafted the appraisals did not exist. Eghagha allegedly participated in this scheme as well, directing the Springfield Aviation manager to sign and send false documents to banks and even using the managers identity to further the fraud. After Onyema received the money in the United States, he allegedly laundered over $16 million of the proceeds of the fraud by transferring it to other accounts. Firms dissolution However, since the charges were filed, nothing has been heard of the progress in the case and Mr Onyema is not known to have visited the U.S. ever since. Bob Page, the public affairs officer for the U.S. Attorneys Office in the Northern District of Georgia, declined comments when PREMIUM TIMES contacted him for updates on the case. But this newspaper has now obtained information that Springfield Aviation, the U.S. company Mr Onyema used in making the problematic transactions, has now been dissolved. In an October 22, 2020 letter to the company, seen by PREMIUM TIMES, the Secretary of State and the Corporation Commissioner of the State of Georgia informed the firm that it had been dissolved. I, Brad Raffensperger, the Secretary of State and the Corporation Commissioner of the State of Georgia, hereby certify under the seal of my office that Springfield Aviation Company, LLC a Domestic Limited Liability Company was mailed a notice in accordance with Title 14 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated and was involuntarily or administratively dissolved or its certificate of authority revoked by the Office of Secretary of State on 10/22/2020 for failure to file its annual registration and/or failure to maintain a registered agent or registered office in this state, the document, tiled Certificate of Administrative Dissolution/Revocation, read. This certificate is issued pursuant to Title 14 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated and is prima-facie evidence of the existence or nonexistence of the facts stated herein. PREMIUM TIMES learnt that Springfield Aviation LLC (with Control Number 16035630) became deficient in filing its annual registration following the indictment of its principals in 2019. Mr Onyema has kept away from the U.S. while the companys only staffer, based in Georgia, was also charged with conspiracy to commit bank fraud. The firms long-term registration agent, Roy Hadley, E. Jr., of Atlanta, also appeared to have cut off links with the embattled corporation. He did not respond to an August 7, 2020 correspondence from the Georgian Secretary of State informing him of the states intention to dissolve Springfield Aviation and requesting him to show cause why that should not be done. Other indicted firms Findings by PREMIUM TIMES showed that Springfield Aviation LLC is one Mr Onyemas four overseas business entities. The others are Springfield Aviation Company Inc., registered in Canada on August 22, 2018 (with incorporation number 1095798-4), Bluestream Aero Services Inc., also formed in Canada on August 22, 2018 (with incorporation number 1095801-8) and Air Peace Limited (Johannesburg) founded on December 9, 2020 (with identification number K2020918092). Advertisements At least $10.4 million of the $14.3 million seized from Mr Onyema in the case are held by the Bank of Montreal, Canada, by the two Canadian-registered firms. While $5,634,842.04 is held in the name of Bluestream Aero Services Inc., the sum of $4,593,842.05 is said to be held in the name of Springfield Aviation Inc. The balance of the funds $4,017,852.51 is held by JP Morgan Chase Bank in the name of Springfield Aviation Company, LLC, Mr Onyemas U.S.-based entity that has now been dissolved. Air Peace responds PREMIUM TIMES contacted Air Peace whose head of public affairs, Stanley Olisa, said he knows nothing about the dissolution of Springfield Aviation Company, LLC. I am not aware of that, I will not be able to comment. When asked about the status of the previous indictment, Mr Olisa said: the case is in public domain, there are reports on it, so that is it. Chiamaka Okafor is a reporter at Premium Times in partnership with Report for the World, which matches local newsrooms with talented emerging journalists to report on under-covered issues around the globe. Suspected bandits on Tuesday killed a divisional police officer in Magama Local Government Area of Niger State during an attack on Nasko village, the police have said. Police spokesperson in the state, Wasiu Abiodun, said in a statement that the senior officer, Mohammed Umar, was killed in a gunfight in which two other police officers and four vigilantes lost their lives. Magama council area is in the part of Niger State being vulnerable to armed bandits attacks. The DPO, Mr Umar, from Kebbi State, was a former ADC to former governor of Kebbi, Usman Dakingari. On 15/03/2022 at about 1: p.m. armed bandits/terrorists invaded Nasko village, Magama LGA of Niger State Police operatives with vigilante members were immediately mobilized by DPO Nasko and engaged the bandits in a fierce gun battle in which some the hoodlums were neutralised and others escaped with gunshot injuries, the police said. Unfortunately, during the gun battle, the DPO, two other policemen, and four vigilante members lost their lives The Area Commander, Kotangora immediately drafted reinforcement with the military personnel to the area to forestall break down of law and order The Commissioner of Police, Niger State Command CP Monday Bala Kuryas, fsi condoles with the families of officers and vigilante members who lost their lives in the unfortunate incident, while reassuring members of the public that the Command will not be deterred or relent in its effort to curb banditry in the State, the statement said. Two siblings, Esther Kehinde and David Kehinde, who were abducted by kidnappers at Oremeji Street, Ayetoro, in Yewa North local government area of Ogun State have regained their freedom. The siblings, aged 20 and 15, were freed after the payment of an undisclosed amount to the kidnappers, a source close to the family said. The source, who preferred not to be named because he does not have the familys permission to speak, said the parents of the victims sold their home appliances and other valuables before the ransom could be raised. The siblings were abducted at their residence at around 9:00 p.m. on Tuesday while they were washing their school uniforms at the back of their home. The kidnappers had requested N15 million. Although the actual amount paid could not be ascertained, the family handed over the ransom raised to the kidnappers on Friday night and immediately secured the release of their children. They didnt want us to know the real amount paid but our family and relations contributed money while our home appliances were also sold at cheap prices, the source added. On Sunday, the police in Ogun State said it had arrested the culprits. In a statement signed by the police spokesperson, Abimbola Oyeyemi, the suspects were described as serial kidnappers belonging to a gang of kidnappers responsible for multiple kidnappings in the state. Two members of a notorious kidnap syndicate, Jato Abu Bello and Muhammad Suleiman, have been apprehended by operatives of the Ogun State police command over their roles in a series of kidnap cases in recent time. READ ALSO: Kidnapped Lagos children found in abandoned bus The duo were arrested in the early hours of Saturday 12th of March 2022, following a painstaking technical and intelligence-based investigation embarked upon by the SP Taiwo Opadiran-led anti-kidnapping unit which led the operatives to the suspects hideout at Rounder area in Abeokuta. The suspects have confessed (to) being the gang that kidnapped one Ajibola Salimot Adejoke who they traced and abducted in her house at Oke ode area, off Ayetoro road, Abeokuta on the 17th of February 2022. They also kidnapped one Victoria Oladoyin on the 26th of February 2022 at Aboba area of Sodeke titun Abeokuta. Also, on the 8th of March 2022, the duo and their gang abducted two siblings namely; Esther Kehinde and David Kehinde at Ayetoro. The police spokesperson told PREMIUM TIMES over the phone that some of the victims, including the two siblings, identified the suspects as their abductors. Veteran journalist and publisher of Ovation Magazine, Dele Momodu, on Monday visited Maiduguri, the Borno State capital. During the visit, he met members of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state, seeking their support for his candidacy ahead of the 2023 presidential election. Mr Momodu arrived the city late afternoon and was received by some key supporters of the PDP in the state. The publisher, who joined the PDP in October last year, informed a gathering of his new party that the zeal to rescue Nigeria from its current state informed his decision to aspire for the foremost political office in the country. I am today in Maiduguri to commiserate with a friend who lost his mom, and I felt I cannot be in this great city without seeing the leader of our party the PDP, he told PREMIUM TIMES. I am happy to have met with the leaders of our party here in Borno who I commended for keeping safe despite all the crisis and beyond that I have also informed them about my intention to run for the highest office in Nigeria, because I have to formally consult with them, and they have promised to support my ambition because they see me as a fresh leader who would do things differently. I trust them and I pray that they will also trust me. Mr Momodu said he is determined to effect change in the country and that he had been reaching out to every part of Nigeria and I am talking to everybody who can give solution to the problems. On what he would do differently, the veteran journalist-turned-politician said if Nigerians give him a chance, he would transform the power sector which he believed has been the bane of the countrys development. He blamed the drawback in the power sector on unnecessary bureaucratic bottlenecks emplaced by the so-called cabals. He said the unstable power supply has been the handiwork of a very few individuals who are the enemies of the country. I hate that word cabal- and they are the ones that hold the power sector. On how he intends to tackle the protracted problems in the power sector, the publisher said the determination of one leader to succeed where others failed will change the bureaucracy holding the power sector. I have the knowledge and solutions to fix the power sector problem. If you dont know how to go about it, they ( Cabal) will browbeat you and you cant give what you dont have, Mr Momodu said. The former staunch supporter of President Buhari said he backed the presidents candidacy in 2015 believing he would effect the changes in the energy and other sectors, but ended up disappointed. Thats one of the reasons we supported Baba Buhari, and everybody knows he is a very disciplined man, Mr Momodu said. Unfortunately, I dont know what happened, maybe ill health, he couldnt do those things we expected him to do especially in the power sector the way we expected him to. He said to tackle the challenges in the power sector, he would have to confront and conquer the cabals. Im not joking here, anyone who knows me is aware that I have been imprisoned, forced into exile for three years, I have what it takes to fix the problems in the energy sector. On Education, Mr Momodu revealed that apart from providing quality education, his administration, if elected, will also pay attention to vocational education and ensure that youths are given the requisite knowledge to be self-reliant. He said Nigeria is failing because those in top positions lack experience in managing people and scarce resources. I am coming with impressive experience and pedigree as a successful manager of people and resources. And thats what I would be bringing on board when elected as president of this great country, he said. The Jigawa Hisbah Board has arrested 61 persons, including 44 women, in Taura Local Government Area of the state for alleged immoral acts. The Commandant of Hisbah in the state, Ibrahim Dahiru, made this known to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Dutse on Tuesday. He said the suspects were arrested on Monday in the popular Gujungu town by operatives of the command in collaboration with the police. The 44 women are suspected commercial sex workers. The 17 men were apprehended when the operatives raided the area at about 6 a.m.. The suspects have already been charged before a Magistrates Court in Ringim, he said. Mr Dahiru enjoined residents of the state, particularly the youth, to desist from engaging in vices and immoral acts capable of destroying their future and promoting social decadence. He further commended residents of the state for their support and cooperation to the board to enable it carry out its duties effectively. According to him, the Hisbah will continue to fight against immoral acts in all parts of the state. (NAN) As scarcity of premium motor spirit and diesel ravages Nigeria, the Northern Broadcast Media Owners Association (NBMOA) has warned that radio and television stations would soon shut down their operations in the northern part of the country. The association added that epileptic power supply has also compounded their situation. The association is made up of owners of radio and TV stations in the 19 northern state of the country. Fuel scarcity Nigerians have been experiencing a serious fuel scarcity which resulted into long queues at filling stations across the country with many of the stations out of supply. Some weeks ago, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) urged Nigerians to be patient, saying it had distributed products nationwide to end the scarcity that had lingered for weeks. The NNPC said this in a statement by GarbaDeen Muhammad, the Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division of the NNPC Limited. The corporation urged Nigerians to be patient, saying it has sufficient stock of petroleum products for distribution across the country. It said it was engaging depot operators to load products round the clock to accelerate the restoration of normal distribution. Were in a serious situation Broadcasters In an interview with BBC Hausa Monday evening as monitored by PREMIUM TIMES, the immediate former Chairman of the association, Tijjani Ramalan, said members of the association were finding it difficult to operate because of the fuel and diesel scarcity in the country. We are going through tough times to be on air because first, there is no stable electricity and the scarcity in fuel and diesel is always increasing. It is disheartening because we dont have a way out of the problems. You people need to know that 100 per cent of our operations are being done with diesel or fuel because there is no electricity, he said. Mr Ramalan, who is the Chairman of Liberty Radio and Television, said a litre of diesel has now reached between N720 and N730 which he said he cannot afford. He called on the federal government to take measures and ensure improvement in electricity supply across the country for broadcast organisations and other businesses to continue operating. As I stated earlier there are issues but our main problem now is the diesel scarcity which if not taken care of may lead to us shutting our operations which means our workers to stay at home till the situation improves, he added. The High Court of Anambra State has sentenced a former treasurer with the Anambra State Ministry of Finance, Innocent Onwuka, to five years imprisonment for defrauding pensioners of N66.5 million. The judge, Arinze Akabua, convicted him on all three counts of forgery and theft preferred against him by the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC), a statement by the anti-graft agency stated on Tuesday. According to the statement signed by ICPCs spokesperson, Azuka Ogugwa, the judge sentenced the convict to five years imprisonment on counts 1 and 2, and one-year imprisonment on counts 3. The judge ruled that sentences would run concurrently, implying that the convict will only spend five years in prison, the longest jail term imposed by the court. ICPC alleged that Mr Onwuka, a former sub-treasurer with the ministry of finance, diverted funds designated for the payment of gratuities to retired civil officials under the Aguata Sub-Treasury in Anambra State. It said investigations indicated that the convict abused his position by bestowing dishonest advantage on himself when he embezzled N66,520,564.62 designated for paying gratuities to retired personnel of the Aguata sub-treasury. Counsel for ICPC, Enosa Omoghibo, told the court that the convict committed the offence between June 2009 and June 2011, when he diverted the entire N66.5 million released by the state government for payment of gratuity to retirees. The court heard that Mr Onwuka was posted to Aguata Treasury office within the period. And, in defiance to the lawful directives issued to him by the then Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Finance to pay gratuities of retired civil servants under the Aguata Sub Treasury, diverted the monies released to other purposes, thereby leaving the affected beneficiaries in want and penury. The judge, at the conclusion of the trial, found Mr Onwuka guilty on all three counts and sentenced him to five years imprisonment on counts one and two, and one-year imprisonment on counts three. The sentences will run concurrently, the court ruled. Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) and the Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria have reached an agreement to forestall the shutdown of local aviation activities in the country. The two unions agreed to peg the price of Aviation Turbine Kerosene also known as Jet A1 fuel at N500 per litre from the current price of N630. The new price will be in place for 72 hours after which the marketers and the AON are to agree on new price modalities. The Nigerian government is also to allow the airline operators to import ATK by granting them licences. These resolutions were adopted on Monday during the investigative hearing by the House of Representatives ad hoc committee investigating the scarcity of jet fuel. The resolutions were read out by the Group Managing Director of NNPC Limited, Mele Kyari, during the hearing while the Deputy Speaker, Idris Wase, said the report of the committee will be considered and adopted by the House on Tuesday. The committee was mandated by the House on Wednesday to conduct the investigation following a motion by the Chairperson of the House Committee on Aviation, Nnoli Nnaji. Mr Nnaji brought the motion some weeks after major airlines increased their fares by over 100 per cent. Some airlines now charge N50,000 flat rate for tickets. The hearing At the commencement of the hearing, the Deputy Speaker, Idris Wase, asked Ugbugbo Ukoha, the executive director for Distribution System for Storage and Retailing Infrastructure in the Nigeria Midstream and Downstream Regulatory Authority, to brief the committee on the steps taken so far to crash the price of ATK. Mr Ukoha, in his response, said the authority had a meeting with the marketers to sell fuel to operators at discounted rates. He noted that the marketers and the operators failed to agree on any particular price for ATK. He also dismissed the allegation of marketers forming cartel to distort the price of the ATK fuel. Yes, we have a role to forestall cartels and all, but that is not what we have noticed in this case. We have sufficient product, what we observed is that it is a commercial challenge between the airlines and the marketers. The marketers have their own position, and they are saying we cannot sell in the price suggested here, he said. Marketers react Olumide Adeosun, the chairperson Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria, said the marketers have been selling fuel to the operators on credit. According to him, the increase in international oil prices had an impact on the liquidity of the oil marketers and the airline operators. He noted that some of the oil firms had expanded the credit of most of the buyers like Air Peace, Arik and Maxi Air. We typically sell on credit. For each of the airlines that are significant buyers, Air Peace, Arik, Max Air, we sell to them on credit. We had noticed that since the end of last year, the price of the product was getting higher, which had two impacts; it means the airlines needed working capital to increase and we as inventory holders needed working capital to increase. For most of the airlines, we have increased their creditfor Arik we were trading N115 million at the end of the year. We are now at N150 million, for Air Peace, we were at N120 million, but now we are at N200 million. At any given period, those accounts are delinquent. That is a fact. At any given point, those accounts are delinquent, he said. Mr Adeosun further explained to the committee that his Company, Ardova PLC lost over N2 billion in 2020 after the lockdown due to COVID19 pandemic. He stated that the marketers are willing to negotiate with the airlines on talking long positions. He urged the lawmakers to instead focus on local production of ATK, which according to him, some modular refineries are producing ATK, but they cannot sell it because they have not been certified to do so. There are some very easy things we can discuss. Do you know that there are refineries in Nigeria that are producing ATK? Do you know why we cannot sell that ATK? Every modular refinery that produces diesel, produces ATK, it is a middle distil, it is the same thing. The density is the only difference. But they cannot sell today because the refineries are not certified. And it is absolutely necessary that ATK that is produced in Nigeria must be priced in Nigeria, he stated. Ticket may sell for N120,000 However, Mr Onyema, who spoke for the airline operators, was not particularly convinced by the arguments put forward by the oil marketers representative. He stated that Mr Adeosun dodged the question around how much the oil marketers are getting FX at the parallel market and how much they are buying ATK. He said the operators will be forced to increase flight to N120,000 per ticket for economy class. According to him, it costs operators N7million on fuel to fly from Abuja to Kano on a standard 130-seater aircraft. Advertisements I have the mandate, if they (marketers) cannot come down from their high horse, we have only three more days to be able to fly, we are not threatening this country, we want to be able to subsidizeas at todaythe unit per seat is about N70,000 per seat, we have not included insurance that is very static, and Nigerians pay a lot of insurance premium, because Nigerians are stigmatizedyou have to insure abroad because all the insurance companies in Nigeria combined cannot insure one aircraft. From what is happening, if we continue, this way, the least ticket you will expect from airlines will be about 120,000 naira for economy. We dont want to do that. We are now demanding that we should be given licence to import this fuel, if we can buy jets that cost $80 million, we can afford to import this fuelgive us the rights to import this fuel, he said. The U.S. government has issued a warning to China against assisting Russia in the ongoing crisis in Ukraine, BBC is reporting. According to the BBC, unnamed U.S. officials reportedly told some news outlets that Russia had asked China to provide military assistance after it began the invasion. The Chinese foreign ministry did not address the allegation directly, but accused the U.S. of maliciously spreading disinformation about China. The exchanges come before top U.S. and Chinese officials meet in Rome. Russia in recent days specifically requested military equipment including drones from China, some reports from the U.S. media reported citing Washington officials. In a CNN interview, U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said they were communicating directly, privately to Beijing that there will absolutely be consequences for large-scale sanctions evasion efforts or support to Russia to backfill them. We will not allow that to go forward and allow there to be a lifeline to Russia from these economic sanctions from any country, anywhere in the world, he said. According to him, the U.S. believed China was aware that Russian leader Vladimir Putin was planning something before the invasion happened, Beijing may not have understood the full extent of it. Because its very possible that Mr Putin lied to them the same way that he lied to Europeans and others, Mr Sullivan said. In response, a spokesman for the foreign ministry in Beijing, Zhao Lijian, said the U.S. had been spreading disinformation targeting China on the Ukraine issue, with malicious intentions. Asked if he could clarify whether China had received a request for military help from Russia, Mr Zhao said this was fake news. He added that Chinas stance had always been consistent and that China was playing a constructive role in promoting talks. President Putins spokesman Dmitry Peskov said reports that Russia had asked China for military assistance were not true. Russia possesses its own independent potential to continue the operation. As we said, it is going according to plan and will be completed on time and in full, he said. Mr Sullivan met Yang Jiechi, a member of Chinas top decision-making body, the Politburo and head of the Central Foreign Affairs Commission, on Monday morning in Rome. There was no immediate word on the content of their discussions. Before it got underway Reuters news agency quoted a U.S. official as saying that during the meeting, Mr Sullivan would spell out the consequences and isolation China would face if it increased support for Russia. China has so far refrained from condemning Russia for the invasion and has said Moscows legitimate security concerns should be taken seriously. When the United Nations General Assembly voted to condemn Russias invasion earlier this month, China was one of 35 countries that abstained. But Beijing at the same time has expressed unwavering support for Ukraines sovereignty. It has also called for peace and has said it is ready to help end the war through diplomacy. Several countries have urged China to do more to stop Russias invasion. A former chief of staff, Mohammed Abdullahi, to Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State has declared his intention to run for the governorship of the state in the 2023 general elections. Mr Abdullahi, who currently serves as the states commissioner for budget and planning, has been one of the governors top lieutenants since 2015. The 42-year-old Abdullahi was the states commissioner for budget and planning between 2015 and 2019 before being appointed as chief of staff to the governor, a position he held from 2019 to 2021. However, when the Governor reshuffled his cabinet in 2021, Mr El-Rufai returned Mr Abdullahi to the ministry of budget and planning where he is at the moment. Speaking with reporters in Kaduna on Tuesday, Mr Abdullahi said: I remain deeply proud and honoured with the rare opportunity afforded me by the Governor to learn under his leadership and to contribute to the process that has delivered the indelible progress that Kaduna State has witnessed in the last seven years. With a front seat in government, first as Commissioner, later as Chief of Staff, and again as Commissioner; I have had the privilege to contribute to debate and to understudy the thinking behind every policy intervention and decision of the APC government. I am confident of my ability to sustain all that has been achieved so far and continue to Move Kaduna Forward. The desire to guarantee continuity in governance, especially in the area of evolving development in the State, has largely fueled my interest in the 2023 gubernatorial contest. As a development practitioner, Im conscious of the danger of retrogression and the need to ensure that the gains weve made as a State are not reversed under whatever circumstances. I am therefore putting myself forward based on the need to ensure the continuity of excellent performance weve witnessed in the last 7 years. Mr Abdullahi, popularly known as Dattijo, is expected to resign from the cabinet following his declaration to run for governor as demanded by the new Electoral Act recently signed into law by President Muhammadu Buhari Kannywoods top actor, Zaharadeen Sani, has said he was at the federal high court premises on Monday to protest against the denial of bail for embattled deputy commissioner of police, Abba Kyari. Mr Kyari is being tried for offences bordering on alleged cocaine trafficking deals. Mr Kyari and his co-defendants arrived at the court on Monday for the hearing of their bail application before the trial judge, Emeka Nwite. In an interview with PREMIUM TIMES on Tuesday Mr Sani said he was at the court on Monday to protest the denial of bail for Mr Kyari by the court. I believe in what he has been doing to Nigeria and for me, I think he deserves bail. What I did at the court is to let the public see and know that we are with him and he deserves bail. We shall return on the next court sitting to continue with our protest. Mr Sani is known for his film Abu Hassan which tells the story of banditry and Boko Haram in Nigeria. He is a producer, actor and movie director in the Hausa film industry. The bail PREMIUM TIMES reported earlier that the Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday slated March 28 for ruling on the defendants bail applications. The trial judge, Mr Nwite, adjourned for ruling after taking arguments from lawyers to the parties in the suit. A week ago, Mr Kyari; Sunday Ubua, an assistant commissioner of police; Bawa James, an assistant superintendent of police; Simon Agirgba, an inspector; John Nuhu, also an inspector, were arraigned along with two others on eight charges. They pleaded not guilty, setting the stage for the commencement of their trial. But two of Mr Kyaris co-defendants, Chibuna Umeibe and Emeka Ezenwanne, who are non-police officers, pleaded guilty to the charges on March 7, during their arraignment. The NDLEA accused Mr Kyari and the four IRT members of illicit dealing in 21.35kg of cocaine between January 19 and 25, 2022, thereby committing an offence contrary to and punishable under section 11(c) of the NDLEA Act. The police in Lagos on Tuesday paraded a 14-year-old househelp who allegedly strangled her mistress six-month-old baby kept in her custody. The househelp was among the more than 33 suspects paraded at the Police Command in Lagos State over alleged murder and kidnapping. The girl confessed that some cult members ordered her to kill the baby and bring her blood which she complied to, Adekunle Ajisebutu, the police spokesperson in Lagos, said. Other suspected crimes included robbery, unlawful possession of guns and cultism. Mr Ajisebutu, while speaking on behalf of the Commissioner of Police, Abiodun Alabi, said that the suspects were arrested between January 24th and March 1, 2022. The command, due to its proactive strategies and reinvigorated security architecture, foiled 16 armed robbery incidents. We arrested 62 armed robbery suspects. After diligent investigation, 50 were charged to court, he said. Mr Ajisebutu said the commands efforts toward curbing cultism also yielded tremendous results as no fewer than 104 suspected cultists were arrested. Of this number, 98 suspected cultists were charged to court while others are currently under close watch. A total of 15 vehicles stolen at different locations in the state, mostly those removed from parks, were recovered through painstaking and coordinated investigation carried out by our crack detectives. Sixty murder suspects were arraigned during the period covered by this brief. Twelve suspects were arraigned over rape/defilement, while 27 arms, 83 ammunition and 10 other dangerous weapons were recovered, he said. Other suspects Another suspect is a 26-year-old woman, who stabbed her boyfriend to death over N3,000 at Ogunnaike Street, Shangisha, Lagos. READ ALSO: The woman stabbed her boyfriend with a knife while fighting over the sharing of N3,000 that was given to them by a Good Samaritan. Another suspect paraded is a38-year-old male company worker also connived with others to rob his employer. He connived with some armed robbers to rob IMPCO Company, Mushin. He was said to have tied the company security guards before carting away 693 bags of raw materials for manufacturing of plastic products. Another suspect, a 27-year-old leader of an armed robbery gang, broke into the residence of a victim at the Sangotedo area and dispossessed him of his gold jewelry, mobile phones and other valuable property. He and his gang also made away with the victims Lexus RX 350 SUV and a Toyota Camry Saloon car. He was eventually nabbed at Ikeja on Feb. 22 while he and his accomplices were going for another robbery operation, Mr Ajisebutu said. (NAN) The All Progressives Congress (APC) is to train 250 youth as ushers and protocol officers for its forthcoming National Convention slated for March 26. Governor Umar Ganduje of Kano State, who is also the chairman of the APC Sub-Committee on Protocol, announced this while speaking with journalists at the partys headquarters on Tuesday in Abuja. The governor who said preparation for the national convention was in top gear, said the date was sacrosanct. We are preparing for the convention, apart from the selection of about 250 able young men and women, they will be undergoing training after which they will proceed to the Eagle Square venue of the convention. I will be there myself with other members of the protocol sub-committee. You know there will be many dignitaries; legislators, governors, the President and the Vice President, even ministers who will be there as observers. The convention will be a gathering of who is who, not only in the APC, but in government, Mr Ganduje said. He said the protocols and ushers were being trained to give the best services, befitting to the APC at the convention. Speaking on the court order restricting the conduct of the convention, Mr Ganduje said there was no need for worries. I have no fears, our convention will hold, dont worry, we are equal to the task. We are the biggest party in Africa and we have the experience to handle situations. We are organising the convention, selection and consensus is taking place and we believe we will give you the best, he said. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that new national executives are expected to emerge at the partys convention to manage its affairs. The partys affairs are currently being managed by the Governor Mai Mala Buni-led Caretaker and Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC). (NAN) The Federal High Court, Abuja, on Tuesday, threatened to strike out a fundamental rights enforcement suit filed by Abba Kyari, a suspended deputy commissioner of police, against the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA). The judge, Inyang Ekwo, gave the warning following the delay by Mr Kyaris lawyer, Cynthia Ikena, to serve NDLEA counsel, Joseph Sunday, her further and better affidavit after being served with the counter affidavit since February 28. At the resumed hearing, Mr Sunday, a director of Prosecution and Legal Services of the agency, informed that Ms Ikena only served on him the further and better affidavit this morning. The matter was adjourned for the hearing of fundamental enforcement rights of the applicant (Kyari). This morning, we were served with applicants further and better affidavit. We filed our counter affidavit since Feb. 24 and served the applicant February 28 but today, they are just serving us, he said. The lawyer argued that by virtue of Order 2 of the Fundamental Enforcement Rights Civil Procedure Rules, 2019, the applicant was out of time to file the application. Ms Ikena, who complained that she had tried to meet with Mr Kyari in NDLEAs detention about three tines but was denied access, prayed the court for more time to regularise the application. Mr Ekwo, in a short ruling, threatened to strike out the suit if the lawyer was unprepared in the next adjourned date. Put your house in order before the next date of hearing and if you do not, I will assume you are frustrating this matter and the suit will be struck out, he said. The judge adjourned the matter until April 7 for hearing. Background The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) had, on February 21, reported that Mr Kyari, through Ms Ikena, filed the suit for the enforcement of his fundamental rights. In the document, Mr Kyari, who described the allegation against him by NDLEA as trump-up, said the agency had failed to establish a prima facie case against him. He averred that the allegation linking him to an international drug cartel by the anti-narcotic agency was untrue. He said since the Nigerian Police Force arrested him and handed him over to the NDLEA, he has been kept in custody since February 12, without having access to his medical treatment. Mr Kyari, a former head of the Inspector-General (I-G) of Police Intelligence Response Team (IRT), demanded N500 million in damages from the NDLEA over alleged unlawful arrest and detention. He also sought an order directing the NDLEA to tender a written apology to him in two national dailies. Mr Kyari, along with six others, faces eight charges of illegal dealing in cocaine. The trial judge, Emeka Nwite, had on Monday, slated March 28, for ruling on the bail request by Mr Kyari and some of his co-defendants. (NAN) Editor's note: At the "two sessions" each year, NPC deputies and CPPCC members from Chinese armed forces actively put forward bills, proposals and suggestions. We are launching the "NPC deputies and CPPCC members from the military" series, telling stories of some military service persons in fulfilling their duties as NPC deputies or CPPCC members. The following is the sixth story of the series. As a two-term NPC deputy, Lieutenant Colonel Wang Hailong, an associate researcher at the PLA Army Research Institute, feels that the month of March always brings new hope to him and all tech professionals - the hope of strengthening the military with science and technology. Having worked as a grassroots instructor and a division chief at military organs, and now working on scientific research, Lieut. Col. Wang Hailong has realized that to promote technological progress, all "fetters" on the minds and actions of innovative talent must be smashed. "This year my proposal is about innovating the operating mechanism of scientific research. It is based on my thoughts and experience at work, and my surveys with colleges and relevant organs. I want to break the traditional evaluation mechanism that places too much emphasis on 'papers and awards'. Instead, we should pay more attention to how many scientific findings can actually contribute to augmenting combat capability," Wang said. Multi-post experience and various surveys through the years have given Wang insight into how science and technology can contribute to the troops' combat capability. The grassroots troops are at the forefront of building a strong military with science and technology. They are the first link along the whole combat system. Only by maximizing their enthusiasm and initiative, can we truly transform scientific research findings into real combat capability. The forum of local council chairmen and leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Enugu West District have faulted former deputy president of the Senate, Ike Ekweremadu, over his rejection of the zoning of the governorship position in Enugu State. Mr Ekweremadu, while declaring his interest to run for governorship of the state, on Friday, said there was no agreement on the zoning of the position. The PDP senator has been in the Nigerian Senate since 2003. The forum of council chairmen stated their position in a communique issued at the end of their meeting held at Udi Local Government Area on Saturday. The communique was jointly signed by the five council chairmen from the Enugu West District, which is represented in the Senate by Mr Ekweremadu. The chairmen include: Benneth Ajah (Aninri LGA), Pedro Nwankwo (Awgu LGA), Philip Okoh (Udi LGA), Chinedu Onyeagba (Oji River LGA) and Chukwudi Ozoeluba (Ezeagu LGA). The forum said Mr Ekweremadu was present when the agreement on the zoning of the governorship was reached. We are aware that even Senator Ekweremadus position in the Senate is a product of zoning and the newly elected councilor of his ward and chairman of his local government area are all products of zoning, the council chairmen said. They said other party leaders in the state were present when the agreement was reached in 1999. We unequivocally support the zoning pattern that is practiced in Enugu State since 1999. We acknowledge that it is not the turn of Enugu West Senatorial Zone to produce the next Governor of Enugu State. ALSO READ: Ekweremadu to contest Enugu governorship after 19 years in Senate We dissociate our people and ourselves from the declaration done by Senator Ike Ekweremadu, as such a declaration is either the product of a very bad advice or mischievously contrived to serve his selfish interest, they said. The PDP chairmen in the five local government areas also expressed support for the zoning of the Enugu governorship. The party chairmen made their position known in a communique issued at the end of their meeting at the Udi Local Government Area on Monday. The party chairmen are: Okechukwu Aneke (Udi LGA), Nebo Emmanuel (Deputy Chairman, Awgu LGA), Anayo Chude (Ezeagu LGA), Godwin Anekwe (Oji River LGA) and Victor Okoro (Aninri LGA). The party chairmen expressed support for Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyis administration, and said they would extend the same support to whoever the governor would pick as his successor. We acknowledge that it is not the turn of Enugu West Senatorial Zone to produce the next governor of Enugu State, and support that the next governor of the state shall come from Enugu East Senatorial Zone, the party chairmen said. A bill to reform the Delta State electric power sector passed second reading at the Delta House of Assembly on Tuesday. The bill is sponsored by Anthony Elekeokwuri (PDP-Ika North East) and 26 other PDP lawmakers. Leading the debate on it, Mr Elekeokwuri said the bill, when passed, would help in fast-tracking socio-economic development of the state. Mr Elekeokwuri decried the poor power supply in the country. He said, Before now, it was erroneously believed that power was reserved only in the exclusive legislative list but recent revelations had proven that power is also embedded in the concurrent legislative list. Mr Elekeokwuri cited Lagos and Ondo states as reference points where such laws were already in existence and called for speedy passage of the reform bill. The lawmaker noted that the bill, when passed, would give the state some lease of life in terms of enhanced industrialisation, peace and security. If we have adequate power supply in the state, there would be development in all facets of our economy. We need power to drive our economy because we have all it takes to generate, transmit and distribute power in the state, he said. Supporting the passage of the bill, the Deputy Majority Leader of the House and Member representing Bomadi State Constituency, Oboro Preyor, commended the lead sponsor of the Bill. Mr Preyor said, This is one of the most important bills we have received recently. Industrial revolution cannot take place without adequate power supply and adequate power supply triggers industrial revolution. On his part, the member representing Ughelli South Constituency, Reuben Izeze, also commended the sponsor of the Bill for his courage. Mr Izeze said, I have the support of my constituents to support this bill as it would help in addressing some of the irregularities in the power sector. About 95 per cent of communities in the state are currently living in darkness. This bill, when passed, would help in addressing the disturbing trend in the state, he said. The Speaker, Sheriff Oborevwori, referred the bill to the House Committee on Power and Energy for further scrutiny, after members through a voice vote unanimously supported the bill. (NAN) The Minister of State for Education, Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba, has expressed his delight that a young Nigerian, Joy Egbe, was among the 20 finalists of the CommonWealth Talented Youths Awards to be announced on March 16. Ms Egbe, alongside two other young people from Cameroon and Uganda, are the Africans who are part of the 20 finalists drawn from over 1,000 applications across Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, Europe & Canada, and the Pacific. Speaking at the Commonwealth commemoration event that was held at the Abdulkadir Hall, National Universities Commission (NUC) on Monday, Mr Nwajiuba noted that Ms Egbe was shortlisted under the Affordable Clean energy category through the works of the organisation she co-founded, Newdigit. The minister said: She (Ms Egbe) trained about 300 people in solar panel technology installation, mentored 5 small businesses and supplied 47 households with low-cost devices that use electrolysis to generate hydrogen gas for cooking and provide electricity. However, the annual winner of the Commonwealth Talented Youth Award will be announced on 16 March, 2022 and I am delighted that a young Nigerian, Joy Egbe was listed amongst two other young people from Cameroon and Uganda to represent the African sub-region. The star prize will be given to the overall best contestant out of the five regional winners that emerge from the twenty contestants representing Africa, Asia, Caribbean, Europe and Canada will become the Commonwealth Young Person of the Year 2022. The business initiative will be funded to the tune of 40,000 pounds in two years by the Commonwealth secretariat to mark the Queens platinum jubilee in addition to the coveted star prize. The theme for this years celebration is Delivering Our Common Future, Innovating, Connecting and Transforming. He said the theme surmises how the association of 54 countries that constitute the Commonwealth family creatively transform their common future through collaboration and innovation. The minister noted that about 60 per cent of the estimated 2.5 billion population of commonwealth nations are young people whose involvement is very significant in the realization and sustainability of the commonwealths shared vision to transform the future. Whereas talented young people with high potential for global competitiveness are encouraged to undertake fully funded undergraduate and postgraduate studies abroad, the Commonwealth Youth Council was established in 2011 to enable youths to participate in decision-making and national development, he said. He said the Commonwealth secretariat through relevant Commonwealth organisations and organs supports national governments including Nigeria to formulate national policies and programmes that will enable the achievement of commonwealth ideals, sustainable development goals and measurement of progress therein. He added that the education sector is very pertinent in the realisation and promotion of the stated ideals of the commonwealth. Accordingly, the Conference of Commonwealth Education Ministers takes place once every 3 years. The Education Ministers also hold quarterly meetings to promote collaboration and assess milestones, he said He added: Due to the existence of many poor countries with developing Economy as member nations of the commonwealth, the provision of quality education for all, migration to Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), access to quality education by all, the provision of free quality basic education for a minimum of the first 9 years of learning and the total elimination of out of children syndrome are recurrent issues. Out-of-school children Speaking further, Mr Nwajiuba said the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari has reduced the number of out of school children from 10.1 million in 2019 to 6.9 million in 2020. He listed innovations employed by the ministry of education to include the Better Education Service Delivery For All, (BESDA), which is being implemented in 17 pilot states and the Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment, (AGILE) project. While BESDA is aimed at increasing equitable access for out-of-school children, improving literacy, and strengthening accountability for results, AGILE is designed to empower adolescent girls who are either out of school or in-school through skill acquisition, financial empowerment and inculcation of other pertinent life skills to enable them to eke a living, remain and complete schooling. He added that three training manuals on Nomadic education have been developed by the National Commission for Nomadic Education (NCNE) and about one hundred nomadic extension agents trained to ensure that the children of nomads combine formal learning with nomadic herding. Despite the crisis rocking the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), its interim National Secretary, John Akpanudoedehe, said the partys leadership is intact and functional as originally constituted. He also said the party had set in motion a plan to vacate the court injunction restraining it from going ahead from March 26 National Convention. Mr Akpanudoedehe spoke at the APC National Secretariat in Abuja on Tuesday. The embattled secretary, who had stayed away from his office after denying his resignation, said the interim National Chairman, Mala Buni, was on his way from the United Kingdom to resume duties. President Muhammadu Buhari had reportedly appointed Governor Abubakar Bello to take over the leadership of the party from Mr Buni following the latters alleged reluctance to organise the national convention. Mr Bello is also a member of the Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC) appointed by Mr Buhari in June 2020 after the exit of the Adams Oshiomhole-led National Working Committee (NWC) of the party. Mr Akpanudoedehe said: The CECPC therefore informs the Press and the General Public as follows: -That the CECPC was appointed, and has always done her best, to steer the affairs of the APC in line with the mandate invested in her at inauguration by the National Executive Council (NEC) of the All Progressives Congress. -That on the 28th day of February, 2022 the CECPC Chairman took a long-delayed trip abroad on health grounds, leaving behind written authorisation for other members of the CECPC to continue work in his absence, particularly the day to day management of the APC. -That in his absence, sundry activities earlier scheduled for action appeared to develop fresh urgency in order to satisfy the Timetable for the 2023 General Elections released by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), thus galvanizing some within the CECPC to act in their best understanding of both the situation and the leadership dynamics in the Committee/Party. -That all such actions were clearly identified at all times as happening in an acting or proxy capacity, and under the auspices of the substantive Chairman, His Excellency, Governor Mai Mala Buni, contrary to widespread speculations that the Chairman, Secretary or some other officials of the CECPC have been removed from Office or otherwise replaced; -That the CECPC is intact and functional as originally constituted; and -That delivering a seamlessly successful National Convention for the APC on March 26, 2022 is top on priority for the CECPC and we shall continue to execute such assignments as are legal pending the return of the Chairman who is on his way back to the country and shall resume Office on arrival with the full support of all members and other stakeholders. Vacating court order Mr Akpanudoedehe also spoke on the injunction by a High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) against March 26 national convention of the party following a suit instituted by one Salisu Umoru. The hearing of the suit, which has the APC, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the CECPC chairman, Governor Mala Buni, as respondents, was recently adjourned to March 30 for hearing, four days after the fixed date for the national convention. Mr Akpanudoedehe said the party has engaged lawyers to vacate the court order. Meanwhile, the party has engaged a team of senior lawyers to address a purported court order halting the planned APC National Convention. We hereby call on the Judiciary to give the matter the needed and expedient attention in our bid to vacate the purported Court order and allow for the conduct of a transparent and rancour-free National Convention deserving of our great party, APC, he said. Two of the closest allies of Kaduna State Governor Nasir El Rufai, Uba Sani and Mohammed Sani Dattijo, say they will bid for his seat in 2023. Mr Sani was Mr El Rufais Special Adviser on Political and Intergovernmental Affairs in the governors first term but is now the senator for Kaduna central district, while Mr Sani-Dattijo was moved from being Chief of Staff to Commissioner for Budget and Planning. While declaring his interest Tuesday afternoon, Mr Sani pledged to sustain and build on Mr El- Rufais legacy. I pledge to sustain and build on the legacy of our indefatigable, innovative and resourceful governor, the incomparable Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, he declared. Mallam El-Rufai has changed the face of Kaduna State. He has redefined governance through his unprecedented infrastructural development and addressing of the developmental challenges of the state. He has raised the bar of leadership and citizens cannot tolerate any lowering of the bar, he said. For his part, Mr Dattijo said he has the ability to sustain all that the incumbent governor has achieved. I remain deeply proud and honoured with the rare opportunity afforded me by the Governor to learn under his leadership and to contribute to the process that has delivered the indelible progress that Kaduna State has witnessed in the last seven years. With a front seat in government, first as Commissioner, later as Chief of Staff, and again as Commissioner; I have had the privilege to contribute to debate and to understudy the thinking behind every policy intervention and decision of the APC government. I am confident of my ability to sustain all that has been achieved so far and continue to Move Kaduna Forward. The desire to guarantee continuity in governance, especially in the area of evolving development in the State, has largely fueled my interest in the 2023 gubernatorial contest, he said. Mr Dani-Dattijo is expected to hand over his resignation letter as a commissioner before he begins consultations Mr El-Rufai hints on possible successor During an interview with Channels TV, Mr El- Rufai said he wants his successor to be from his core team members. My preference is in our core team; that is the first 11. I said core team because these are the guys that worked with me since 2014 to organise our party, our campaign and we won and got elected, Mr El-Rufai said. Among those considered to be in his core team aside from Messrs Sani and Dattijo are Hadiza Balarabe (his deputy), Balarabe Abbas, Secretary to the State Government, Bashir Saidu and Samuel Aruwan, the commissioners of Finance and Internal Security respectively. Electoral Act A section of the new Electoral Act compels political appointees to resign to qualify to contest or serve as political party delegate. The clause reads: No political appointee at any level shall be voting delegate or be voted for at the Convention or Congress of any political party for the purpose of the nomination of candidates for any election. When the Act was submitted to President Muhammadu Buhari for assent, he complained to the National Assembly on the need to remove the clause. The president said the provision in this Clause is in conflict with extant constitutional provisions. It constitutes a disenfranchisement of serving political office holders from voting or being voted for at conventions or congresses of any political party, for the purpose of the nomination of candidates for any election in cases where it holds earlier than 30 days to the national election. The Senate ,however, rejected Mr Buharis request. The lawmakers, in a voice vote on Wednesday, unanimously opposed a motion that the bill is read and considered for a second time. An officer with the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) was shot dead on Tuesday when gunmen attacked the head office of the agency in Ebonyi State, Nigerias South-east. A patient who was undergoing rehabilitation at the agencys rehabilitation centre was also killed during the attack which happened around 2 a.m. Security officials, who fought hard to repel the attack, were able to kill two of the gunmen. The attackers were said to have entered the facility by scaling the perimeter fence at the back The agencys operatives on duty immediately engaged the assailants in a shootout, PREMIUM TIMES learnt. After about two hours of shootout, the gunmen were pushed back by the agencys operatives, supported by soldiers and police operatives who had raced to the scene to provide back up. Police spokesperson, Loveth Odah, confirmed the incident. She said the security agencies killed two of the gunmen, while others escaped with injuries. Unfortunately, one of the officers and a patient undergoing rehabilitation at the agencys rehabilitation centre was also killed, she said. ALSO READ: Suspected drug kingpin attacks NDLEA operatives She said security agencies were still combing the bushes around the area in search of the injured gunmen who escaped. Some of the items recovered from the gunmen include 140 rounds of K2 ammunition, 36 rounds of GPMG live ammunition, 30 rounds of AK 47 rounds of ammunition, an SUV, motorcycles, military and police uniforms, and charms, according to the police spokesperson. It could be recalled that an NDLEA officer was shot dead last month during an attack on the agency along the Enugu-Abakaliki Expressway. The House of Representatives has resolved to investigate the breakdown of the Lagos-Ibadan railway and general operations of the Nigeria Railway Corporations (NRC). The decision to investigate the incident and corporation followed a motion of urgent public importance moved by Ndudi Elumelu (PDP, Delta) on Tuesday. The motion was entitled, Need to investigate the Ibadan-Lagos train fuel saga. PREMIUM TIMES had reported the breakdown of the Lagos-Ibadan train due to insufficient fuel. The NRC Managing Director, Fidelis Okhiria, had explained the incident happened because of a faulty fuel gauge that was fixed within one hour. Moving the motion, Mr Elumelu accused the NRC of operational incompetence for the March 11 incident. He added that the episode exposes the carelessness, irresponsibility and incompetence of the management of the Nigeria railway corporation to effectively and efficiently manage the sector. Mr Elumelu berated Mr Okhiria for his response to the incident. He also indicted the House Committee on Land Transportation for not doing proper oversight on the sector. He prayed that an ad hoc committee be set up to investigate the sector. I am not aware that there have been issues or even seen on electronic media that the committee went on oversight on the railway. I dont want it to seem like I am indicting our committees. The MD having come out to insinuate that the committee may be aware of the fuel issue. I felt that an independent committee that may not be so indicted or seems to take sides should be set up to investigate this matter, he said. The request to set up an ad hoc committee was overruled by the Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila, who said the standing committee should be allowed to carry out the investigation. I believe that is Honourable Tajudeen Abbas committee, and he is a very competent chairman, we dont know what he is doing. It is not everything that a committee does that they will bring to the floor of the House. We dont know what he is doing behind the scenes, so, I dont think the circumstances are sufficient enough to send it to an ad hoc committee. We have no evidence that the standing committee is not doing enough, Mr Gbajabiamila said. Majority Leader trying to protect APC legacy project The 157km standard gauge railway constructed by the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) has been hailed by supporters of the current administration as one of the legacy projects of President Muhammadu Buhari. The Majority Leader of the House of Representatives, Ado Doguwa (APC, Kano), on Tuesday, attacked the Deputy Minority Leader, Toby Okechukwu (PDP, Enugu) over the latters comments on the safety of Nigerians using the railway. Mr Okechukwu, while contributing to the motion, said if such had happened with an aircraft, Nigerians should imagine the consequences. If prudent and deliberate effort is not made to forestall such a situation occurring, our lives and the lives of Nigerians may be exposed. That a train carrying Nigerian passengers could stop on the way is indicative of an underlying problem. Mr Speaker, imagine if you were airborne and suddenly had no aviation fuel. A breach of process or offence is committed by omission or commission, if you neglect or refuse to do those things you ought to have done I would not know the kind of management that would make it possible that 80km Mr Doguwa, thereby, raised a point of order, asking the Speaker to stop any debate into the motion. He said Mr Okechukwu is acting like an agent of doom. He stated that the comments by Mr Okechukwu were unnecessary and dialectical. This is somebody trying to be an agent of doom, suggesting a situation which imaginably cannot happen. Giving us stories about aircraft and fuels. How can you be a messenger of doom, giving impractical examples? He is going into dielectric matters, talking about aircraft losing fuel. It is like you are a messenger of doom. It is irrelevant, he said. However, Mr Gbajabiamila ruled him out of order, noting that the argument is relevant to the motion. Advertisements Mr Doguwa had even attempted to block the motion from being considered as a matter of urgent public importance. He accused the minority leader of having a motive for raising the motion. It cannot be too urgent, it has happened, it has happened. He should be guided. He has a motive, Mr Doguwa said. He was, however, ruled out of order by the Speaker over the comment. Mr Doguwa subsequently changed his stance on the minority leader by saying, He (Mr Elumelu) is a friendly opposition leader, if not in recent days that he has started messing up. After a prolonged debate, the House resolved that a status enquiry be done on the operations of the NRC and the committee should report to the House in four weeks. Nigerias ruling party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), has commenced the sale of forms to aspirants contesting for various offices in its National Working Committee (NWC). Although not official, a source within the party said the partys leadership at its 25th regular meeting on Monday, agreed and adopted a schedule of activities ahead of its March 26 National Convention. The interim leadership of the party also rolled out fees for different offices. In a document seen by PREMIUM TIMES on Tuesday, the ruling party pegged the cost of form for its chairmanship seat at N20 million while aspirants vying for deputy chairmanship seats are expected to obtain their form with N10 million each. As seen in the document signed by the partys Director of Organisation, Al-Mustapha Medaner, the aspirants have between March 14 and 18 to obtain the forms. With the recent approval of zoning the APC chairmanship seat to the North-central, only five out of the 13 known aspirants may end up testing their popularity at the convention. The five aspirants include a serving Senator and two term Governor of Nasarawa, Tanko Al-Makura; George Akume, Sani Musa, Saliu Mustapha and Abdullahi Adamu, another former governor of Nasarawa State and serving senator. PREMIUM TIMES can confirm that Mr Mustapha picked up the nomination form for the chairmanship seat on Tuesday. Other positions, including Zonal Chairman and National Youth Leader are to pay N5 million each. Female and physically challenged aspirants are to pay 50 per cent of the prescribed fees for each position. Other activities Screening of aspirants and appeal have been slated for March 19 and 22 respectively while accreditation of members for the March 26 event will hold 24th and 25th of the same month. Convention appeal and adoption of appeal report was approved by the APC leadership to hold on March 29 and 30 respectively. Elected NWC officers at the convention are to be inaugurated on March 31. The Nigerian Navy has raised alarm on the potential conflict over the planned expansion of the mandate of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) to include the security of maritime. It said NIMASA should limit its mandate to safety and administration on waterways and not involve in the security of maritime. Chief of Training and Operations, Nigerian Navy, Solomon Agada, said this during the public hearing on some bills on maritime, organised by the House Committee on Maritime and Safety. The bills are Merchant Shipping Act (Repeal & Enactment) Bill 2021 (HB.1602) and Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency Act (Repeal and Enactment) Bill 2021 (HB.1476) Others are Coastal and Inland Shipping (Cabotage) (Amendment) Bill 2020 (HB.77 8), the Maritime Development Bank of Nigeria (Establishment) Bill (202?) (HB.531) and the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency Act (Amendment) Bill 2021 (HB. 1471). In his presentation, Mr Agada said security should be removed from the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency Act (Amendment) Bill 2021, allowing the agency to focus on safety. The Nigerian Navy over time observed that NIMASA has a huge provision in its Act to expand its mandate beyond maritime administration and safety to the realm of maritime security. This conflicting trend also exists in the draft Bill 2021. Its against this background that the Nigerian Navy makes these observations: The word security was used without conceptual clarification. It is essential that the word security be replaced with administration in the preamble of the Bill and subsequent sections. This is necessary to ensure NIMASA focuses on core mandate of regulatory safety agency in order to avoid conflict with the Nigerian Navy Constitutional responsibility of Maritime security of the nation, Mr Agada said. While declaring the hearing open, the Speaker of the House, Femi Gbajabiamila, warned against over-regulating of the maritime sector. I have long believed and expressed that the primary role of government as it relates to private industry is to facilitate the conditions that allow private capital to thrive through investment and innovation. In performing this role, we must be wary of over-regulation. We must be careful not to over-legislate in ways that become inimical to our objectives of advancing the growth and prosperity of the industry, he said. Earlier, the Chairman of the committee, Linda Ikpeazu, said the hearing was to deliberate on critical maritime sector bills referred to the Committee, by the House in plenary. Not only are we focused on making the maritime sector a key alternative source of revenue and economic growth to our dwindling oil resources, we are also poised to develop a prosperous blue economy for our nation, akin to similar successes in other maritime nations around the world. The Womens Economic Collectives (WEC), under the Partnership for Advancing Women in Economic Development (PAWED), has called for more involvement of women in Nigerias economic development. The group made the call during a one-day technical review of the Womens Economic Empowerment (WEE) components of the National Development Plan 2022-2025 in Abuja on Tuesday. Speaking at the event, the national president of NACCIMA Women Group, Aisha Abubakar, said the importance of women in a nations economy development cannot be over emphasised. Ms Abubakar, a former trade and investment minister, said the review of the WEE components of the national plan is important to achieve the Sustainable Development Goal 5 geared towards achieving gender equality and empowering all women and girls. As you are all aware, women play vital roles in the development of the nations economy and the implementation of these plans should be holistic for its success, she said. WEC is a combination of CSOs: NACCIMA, Women Business Group (NAWORG), National Association of Women Entrepreneurs (NAWE), National Association Women in Agriculture (NAWIA), Market Women Association of Nigeria (MATAN), and the Association of Women in Trade and Agriculture (AWITA). PAWED is a coalition that aims to build and nurture sustainable civil society advocacy to support leading WEE interventions at the national and states level. The PAWED project works at the national level and in selected states in each of the six geopolitical zones to increase the importance of WEE amongst policymakers in Nigeria. Tuesdays event was anchored by the development Research and Projects Centre (dRPC), in collaboration with Nigerian Economic Society (NES) and the Dangote Business School, Bayero University, Kano. Gender Equality Speaking at the event, the national president of NES, Ummu Jalingo, said gender equality is a right that must be fulfilled to mitigate number of challenges facing humanity most especially women. Ms Jalingo said these challenges range from economic crisis, healthcare issues, violence against women, climate change among others. She said women are not only more affected by these problems, but also have ideas, will, and leadership capacity to solve them. She lamented that gender discrimination is holding many women back, thereby decelerating global economic growth. WEE is necessary for inclusive and equitable economic growth of any nation, she said. Investing in WEE projects Ms Jalingo said it is important for the government to invest in womens economic projects. She said investing in women can make a world of difference for not only women, but also for their families, communities, and the nation at large. She said investment in women will further ensure reduction in poverty across the country. To drive economic empowerment process, engender higher productivity and fast track economic growth, reduce poverty through the reduction of maternal and child mortality, women participation in economic ownership and control of productive assets is key, she said. WEE is sponsored by the Gates Foundation, which believes that womens economic empowerment is beneficial not only to individual women but also to their children, households, and communities. The programme aims to help women and girls move from limited power, voice, and chores at home and in the economy to having the skills, resources, and opportunities needed to compete equitably and benefit from economic gains. The Nigerian government had in September 2021 inaugurated a technical working group for the pilot monitoring and evaluation framework for the WEE interventions. The group was inaugurated following a national symposium organised by the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS) in collaboration with the dRPC on the application framework as it relates to the WEE. The participants had at the event recommended that a working group be set up to follow up the implementation of the framework. Advertisements With a Muslim as Nigerian president for eight years, and with the Nigerian Christian community convinced that a Muslim-led Nigerian presidency persecutes Christians and pampers Muslims, the Church of Nigeria appears resolved to get into the arena of action. It seems that Christian forces are now ready to sponsor candidates and mobilise the congregation, armed with PVCs. The Church has also been drawn into the politics of zoning and rotation. It wont be long before the various branches of the PFN begin to have chapters of political parties. It is difficult to imagine that the Church in Nigeria and its leaders would not be interested in politics, as Nigeria begins preparations for the general elections in 2023. A heated and emotional controversy was stirred last weekend when it became public knowledge that the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) had set up the Directorate of Politics and Governance. Many raised an eyebrow. Why would the Church create a Department of Politics and Governance? Publisher, veteran journalist, newspaper columnist and presidential aspirant, Aare Dele Momodu described the development as an invitation to Armageddon in an essay titled My Kobo Advice to Redeemed Christian Church of God (ThisDay newspaper, back page, March 12). His main concern was what he described as the general conspiracy theory that our church was setting up an extensive network for the obvious Presidential ambition of the current Vice PresidentYemi Osinbajo, whereas there are other members of the RCCG, including his good self who are interested in the presidential race. Why should the Church favour one person over and above other members? In a notable response, Kolade Segun Oke-Owo, deputy director, Directorate of Politics and Governance, Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), Ogun State, and national president, Believers in Politics, wrote the following: The RCCG did not actually create the Directorate of Politics and Governance. The creation of the Directorate is a brain child of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria under His Eminence, Bishop Wale Oke, its National President. The RCCG only became the first among other Pentecostal Churches in Nigeria under the leadership of PFN to kowtow and subscribe to the vision of the Directorate of Politics and Governance. It may also interest Uncle Dele Momodu that the National Directorate of Politics and Governance of the PFN is not headed by a member of the RCCG but a General Overseer from another denomination in the person of Rt. Hon. Pastor Femi Emmanuel. The fact that only a few days after the Dele Momodu essay, the Daily Trust newspaper and others published a story indicating that Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has now notified President Muhammadu Buhari of his interest in the 2023 presidential race, before that was refuted, lent greater currency to the Dele Momodu protest. The truth, indeed, is that over the past few months, a group of hidden and open persuaders have been threatening to sue Vice President Osinbajo if he did not throw his hat into the 2023 ring. Members of the RCCG have also not helped matters. They have often said that the General Overseer of the Church, Pastor Enoch Adeboye once predicted that a day would come when a member of the Church would become president of Nigeria. When Professor Osinbajo emerged as vice president in 2015, the members were excited. They talked openly about a prophecy that was about to be fulfilled. Professor Yemi Osinbajo is not just a member of the RCCG congregation; he is a pastor and one of the most visible leaders of the Church. Dele Momodus essay is a statement of caution: That the church cannot turn itself into a political machinery and a partisan campaign platform for one individual enjoying a special advantage. He is also a member of the Church. The wife of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, also a presidential aspirant, is equally a member and a pastor of the Church. He wants the church to be neutral. Equality before God should translate into equality of aspirations under the umbrella of the Church. Dele Momodus supporters have suggested, in accompanying reactions, that the Church should stay out of partisan politics. In 1961, the sage, Obafemi Awolowo had put up the same argument as Momodus. He said: It follows that in order that it may discharge its functions, a religious organisation must be independent of Government and its patronage and must never be subordinated to its dictates or whims A religious organisation should never allow itself to be regarded as the mouth piece and instrument of the powers-that-be. This may be a difficult argument to sustain. The Church has been enmeshed in politics from time immemorial, from the Roman Empire, to the Medieval Era and to the present day. In the New Testament, the word ekklesia, which is used to refer to the Church, actually means a political assembly, a political association, a gathering. The separation of the State and the Church, or the separation of secular and religious power, has not always been so clear-cut. During the Crusades (circa 1095 1291), Christians fought wars to acquire or regain territory. The Holy Book itself is full of this intersection between the Church, power struggles and secular politics. The clergy are not just spiritual leaders, they fight political battles worse than what is found in the secular community. The argument that the state and religion should be separated is largely theoretical. In 1534, King Henry VIII of England established the Church of England, away from the Catholic Church, following disagreements with Pope Clement VII on the scope of papal authority over marital choices. The politics of it is well captured in Robert Bolts A Man for All Seasons. The Anglican Church continues to play a dominant role in British politics. Back home here in Nigeria, the kind of politics that church leaders play, including litigations and open quarrels, is far more vicious than what is found in the regular political arena. To give a case in point would be the acrimonious conflicts over control and succession in the Celestial Church of Christ since the passing of the founder, Samuel Bilewu Joseph Oschoffa in September 1985. In 2015, Pope Francis advised that Catholics must participate in politics. Just as Christians wont hands-off secular and sectarian politics, being human beings and political animals, leaders of Muslim congregations are also just as involved. The assumption is that a Christian leader would defend the Christian faith and a Muslim leader would do the same for his own constituency as well. In every election at both Federal and State levels, Nigerians have adopted the convention of a Christian and Muslim ticket, in joint political races, to give the people a sense of balance, access and proximity to power. The most remarkable exception to this pattern occurred in 1993 It should be recognised also that ethnicity and religion are perhaps the two most central factors in the politics of power in Nigeria, as has been proven and examined in such works as Religion, Politics and Power in Northern Nigeria by Matthew Hassan Kukah, Iheanyi Enwerems A Dangerous Awakening: The Politicisation of Religion in Nigeria, and Religion and Politics in Nigeria: A Study in Middle Belt Christianity by Neils Kartfelt. Nigerian politicians, over the years, have used both ethnicity and religion as instruments of manipulating the people for their own purposes, exploiting the peoples fears about domination by others. Religion has featured prominently in ethnic conflicts in the Middle Belt, on the Plateau, in Southern Kaduna and elsewhere, with one group persecuting the other through repeated cycles of violence, and the State, which should enforce peace and justice, is usually partial and biased, taking sides, most cynically, depending on the religious affiliation of the persons in power at a point in time. It is this linkage between religious belief and how power is exercised that has resulted in the political patronage of religious groups and the rise of partisan experiences in places of worship. Nigerian politicians, regardless of the express provision of the Constitution that there shall be no state religion (Section 10 of the 1999 Constitution), have nonetheless turned religion into a special centre of engagement. In every Government House in the states and the State House in Abuja, there is usually a Mosque and a Church, and power shifts between both locations depending on the religion of the main leader in charge, who accordingly appoints Special Advisers and Assistants on Religious matters. Christian leaders send members of their constituency on pilgrimages to Jerusalem. Muslim leaders do the same for members of their religious community. Despite assurances over the years that the state shall no longer fund religious trips, the Pilgrims Welfare Boards of Nigeria continue to exist at all levels. The assumption is that a Christian leader would defend the Christian faith and a Muslim leader would do the same for his own constituency as well. In every election at both Federal and State levels, Nigerians have adopted the convention of a Christian and Muslim ticket, in joint political races, to give the people a sense of balance, access and proximity to power. The most remarkable exception to this pattern occurred in 1993 when a Muslim-Muslim ticket of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) presidential candidates, Bashorun M.K.O Abiola and Alhaji Baba Gana Kingibe, won the presidential election. Given the manner in which religion has further driven a wedge between Nigerians, it would be difficult to reproduce that magical moment again, either now, or in the immediate future. The Church in Nigeria believes that the time has come to do more than preaching and praying and become an active political force. In yet another statement on the matter, titled The New Dawn: Church Prophetic Political Delivery and Responsibility of the Church (March 11), Bishop Theophilus Taiwo Ajose, Ph.D, declared that all church fathers and leaders are required to direct their members and followers to register for and update their Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs) and urgently join any political party of their choice at the ward (grassroots) levels and participate actively in political activities of that party while upholding righteousness. It is important to further understand the context of this ideological declaration. Hitherto, the Church in Nigeria acted as the moral compass, without necessarily being partisan. During the struggle for democracy, from 1993 to 1999, Catholic Bishops, leaders of the Anglican Church and the Pentecostal Federation fought for the rights of Bashorun Abiola and Baba Gana Kingibe to be given their mandate. It didnt matter that both men were Muslims. The Church was a modulating voice of reason. The Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria and the Catholic Secretariat, through the Justice Development and Peace Departments of the Church, fought for democracy and development in the country. The Anglican Church and the Pentecostal Federation were also in the forefront of the struggle. Many would remember the heroism of the Rt. Rev. Peter Adebiyi, one of Chief Abraham Adesanyas most trusted lieutenants, popularly known as the NADECO Bishop, Bishop Bolanle Gbonigi and his fiery sermons, and the stinging interventions of John Cardinal Onaiyekan, as well as the activism of the likes of Fr. Matthew Hassan Kukah, Fr. George Ehusani, Fr. John Uba Ofei and and Fr. Iheanyi Enwerem. Catholic priests, on one occasion, trooped to the streets in defence of democracy! Today, Nigerian church leaders and the congregation are more interested in fighting for their own. They want their own people in power, even at the traditional, grassroots level. But that didnt start now. The truth is that churches in Nigeria today have become far more secular than they were a few years ago. The original words of the Lord Jesus Christ distinguished between the secular and the spiritual thus: Render to Caesar the things that are Caesars and to God the things that are Gods (Mark 12: 17). But in Nigeria today, those in charge of Gods affairs are threatening to contest with Caesar. They seek to move from a place of independence and spiritual power to the main arena. I recall that as President Goodluck Jonathans spokesperson in the lead up to the 2015 general elections, in the course of the campaigns, our campaign train visited as many major churches in the country as possible. We saw crowds of potential voters. Prayers were offered. There were declarations of vision and revelations. The Church was not necessarily fighting for democracy in 2014/2015. It wanted to protect its members who had become victims of religious and ethnic conflicts. Church leaders wanted a Christian president to remain in office to address the emerging crisis. Later, when I ran on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party as a deputy gubernatorial candidate in Ogun State in 2018/19, it was part of my schedule as the Christian on the PDP Muslim-Christian ticket to interface with the Christian community. We had a high-ranking member of the PFN in our political camp who made the necessary arrangements, and hence, we went from one church to the other, preaching to church elders. I even participated in debates organised by churches for political party candidates. It was clear to me from the interactions that church leaders in Ogun State wanted power to shift to a Christian candidate, the outgoing governor then, being a Muslim who had spent eight years in office. If the church leaders saw any visions, they did not tell me. It is perhaps the same drama that is now playing out ahead of the 2023 general elections. With a Muslim as Nigerian president for eight years, and with the Nigerian Christian community convinced that a Muslim-led Nigerian presidency persecutes Christians and pampers Muslims, the Church of Nigeria appears resolved to get into the arena of action. It seems that Christian forces are now ready to sponsor candidates and mobilise the congregation, armed with PVCs. The Church has also been drawn into the politics of zoning and rotation. It wont be long before the various branches of the PFN begin to have chapters of political parties. No one should be surprised if some churches ask very soon that they should be designated as polling units or centres! When that happens, sermons in churches would become political manifestoes. It would be a reflection of how desperate every Nigerian constituency has become, how badly religion has divided us, and how high the stakes would be in 2023. The truth is that churches in Nigeria today have become far more secular than they were a few years ago. The original words of the Lord Jesus Christ distinguished between the secular and the spiritual thus: Render to Caesar the things that are Caesars and to God the things that are Gods (Mark 12: 17). But in Nigeria today, those in charge of Gods affairs are threatening to contest with Caesar. They seek to move from a place of independence and spiritual power to the main arena. Many churches are personal estates. Many are business investments. The other day, the General Overseer of the Christ Living Hope Church with Headquarters in Anambra, Rev. Ugochuckwu Emmanuel Ekwem was caught at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport by the Nigeria Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) trying to smuggle 54 sticks of drugs to Kenya. Religious faith is in decline in Nigeria. Political belief is about to dilute religious belief, far more aggressively. The church is seeking redemption through politics. How far will it or can it go? Reuben Abati, a former presidential spokesperson, writes from Lagos. Several people, including police officers, have been killed by bandits in Ngaski town and Gafara community of Ngaski local government area of Kebbi State. Kebbi State is gradually becoming the new bandits hub. North-west states of Zamfara, Katsina, Sokoto and Niger state in north central used to be at the receiving end of their attacks. But in recent weeks, Kebbi has lost more than 83 lives, including the 63 vigilantes killed in Sakaba That attack was followed by a daring one on the deputy governor of the state, Samaila Yombe, who was on a security tour with the Army Commanding Officer in the state. 18 soldiers and six police officers were killed in the attack. While briefing journalists later, Mr Yombe said it was a serious gun battle between the security agents and bandits. Ngaski attack (Kebbi) Confirming the latest attack to VOA Hausa, the House of Representatives member representing Yawuri, Shanga, Ngaski, Yusuf Tanko -Sununu, said the bandits sent a letter that they would be attacking the community where a tomatoes processing factory is located. He said after the letter was sent, Chinese men and other workers in the factory were evacuated by the management and security agents were informed but the bandits still went ahead to launch the attack Tuesday afternoon. They went to Gafara community under Ngaski Local Government Area where the tomatoes processing factory is located with the intention of taking over the factory but they met stiff resistance from the security agents stationed there. Two civilians were killed there. The security agents did well in confronting the bandits but we would have to wait for now before we know how many people were killed, he said. The lawmaker said two bodies had been recovered but asked the VOA Hausa reporter to wait for details later. However, Labaran Magaji told PREMIUM TIMES that the number of people killed has been increasing but not less than 10 police officers were killed. The bandits killed the six mobile police officers at the Tomatoes processing factory (GB Company) and killed four others in Gafara. They could be more than but these are what have been confirmed, he said. When told by this reporter that a federal lawmaker told journalists that the number of those killed has not been ascertained, Mr Magaji said the lawmaker granted the interview during the attack. He spoke with VOA Hausa while the attack was ongoing. These are the dead bodies that have been confirmed. 13 people are killed; 10 police officers and three civilians, he said. Another anonymous source also told VOA Hausa that his younger brother was killed while the bandits were escaping out of the town to Nasko. He said they also looted shops before leaving Ngaski town. They entered the town (Ngaski) shooting in the air and went to Gafara. From Ngaski, we could hear the sounds of gunshots and then we saw a thick black smoke from the tomatoes company site. My junior brother was standing on the roundabout in Ngaski when the bandits made their way into the town shooting again. People began to run for their lives and that was when a bullet hit him (brother) on the eye and he died suddenly. They stopped in a shopping complex and looted commodities before they left, he said. Mr Sununu lamented that the bandits are threatening the state. I cant imagine what these people are doing. They sent a letter notifying residents of the imminent attack three days before they came and they did. I know that the security agents stationed in the factory tried their best but they went into the town and abducted several people and made away with it. The government needs to act, he said. The Kebbi state police command spokesperson, Nafiu Abubakar, did not respond to calls and SMS sent to him on the attack. The former commissioner for Economic Development in Akwa Ibom State, Akan Okon has said that it is God who will decide Governor Udom Emmanuels successor in the 2023 governorship election. He said this on Tuesday during an interview with the Arise News Television. Mr Okon posted a clip of the interview on his Facebook page. Mr Okon, who was also in-charge of the Ibom Deep Seaport project in Akwa Ibom, resigned from Mr Emmanuels cabinet on Monday to pursue his governorship ambition. He said in the Arise News interview that having been in Governor Emmanuels cabinet for eight years he was now in the position to lead the state. It is the right of the governor to have his preferred candidate, but that doesnt take away (the fact) that we are going to have an election, the former commissioner said when the Arise News told him there were fears that there may not be a level-playing field in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) since the governor already has a preferred successor. I want to say that in the affairs of any man or men, it is God that has the final say. We will have an election, he added. He dismissed reports of a crisis in Akwa Ibom PDP, saying that the party remained united and strong. The party chairman in the state, Mr Okon said, has assured that the field was open for everyone. And that is why you have seen every other contestant has gone to the party office to consult the leadership of the party, he added. Mr Okon said PDP is rooted in Akwa Ibom, and that he could not see the party being defeated in the state. Akwa Ibom State is PDP and PDP is Akwa Ibom State. Ill like to say that there is no division (in the party), people are going for election, and you have different aspirants and they are moving around campaigning and talking to the people of Akwa Ibom State in preparation for the primaries. The party is still together, Mr Okon said. Mr Okon is joining other aspirants like Bassey Albert, a senator, and Onofiok Luke, a House of Representatives member, who had already started their consultation for the 2023 governorship election in the state. Governor Emmanuel in January picked a member of his cabinet, Umo Eno, as his preferred successor. Teachers in public primary and secondary schools in Akwa Ibom State have commenced an indefinite strike to press home their demands for the payment of eight years leave grant and six years of promotion arrears. The Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT) hereby orders all primary and secondary schools teachers in public schools to proceed on an indefinite strike action, the Union Secretary, Victor Amirize, said in a statement in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State on Tuesday. Mr Amirize who said the strike takes effect from midnight Tuesday, added that the union arrived at the decision after all avenues of negotiation and amicable resolutions failed on the part of the state government. Continuing, the statement said, The government could not address the demands of the teachers after 21 working days and subsequent seven days ultimatum given by the union to the government. The government promise of payment of one year leave grant on compassionate ground and completion of payment of one month minimum wage arrears to primary schools teachers could not be actualised. Teachers demands Mr Amiziri listed the demands of teachers in the state to include, payment of 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021 leave grants to primary schools teachers. ALSO READ: Secondary school student stabs mate to death in Akwa Ibom Payment of promotion arrears for six years 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, and 2016 to primary schools teachers. Release of 2017, 2018 promotion exercise conducted by State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB). The union also demanded the refund of 7 per cent contributory pension to primary school teachers and appointment of teachers as permanent secretaries among others. The union solicits the understanding of parents and students and added that government insensitivity pushed the teachers to embark on the strike action The Commissioner for Education, Idongesit Etiebet could not be reached for comment as her phone was switched off. A man, Daniel Eze, was on Tuesday re-arraigned at a State High Court in Enugu State, Nigerias South-east, over the alleged rape of a 17-year-old girl. Mr Eze is also accused of defrauding the girl of N80,000. Court documents showed that the defendant allegedly committed the crime in 2017, arraigned before a Magistrate in 2019 and since then, the case was abandoned. He was arraigned on two-count charge of rape and obtaining money under false pretense. When the statement of offence was read to him, the defendant pleaded not guilty to all the charges. The prosecution counsel, P. O. Ugwu, told the court that the defendant raped the girl on December 26, 2017 at a bus stop in Abakpa Nike. Mrs Ugwu said the defendant used false pretense to defraud the complainant of the sum of N80,000 at the same venue. The offence, she said, contravened Section 306 of Criminal Code, Cap 30, Vol.ll, Revised Laws of Enugu State, 2004 and Section 12 of Advance Fee Fraud Act, 2016. The court, presided over by A. O. Anidi adjourned the matter to April 7 for hearing. The defendant, who had had no representation before now, was defended pro-bono by a counsel, Ngozi Eke. (NAN) The Lekki Concession Company Limited (LCC) has announced plans to resume activities at the Lekki-Ikoyi Link Bridge Toll Plaza by April 1. According to a newspaper advert placed in The Nation newspaper Monday, the LCC managing director, Yomi Omomuwasan, said motorists would be offered a two-week toll-free passage. The announcement comes 18 months after the toll Plaza was shut down due to the police brutality during the October 2020 #EndSARS protest in the state. The protest took a deadly turn on the night of October 20, when some protesters were shot at the Lekki Tollgate, also operated by the LCC, by the Nigerian Army. In its report submitted on November 15, the panel set up by the state government said nine persons were killed at the Lekki tollgate, while several other protesters shot at, maimed, injured and assaulted. Tolling will commence on 1st April 2022, but commuters plying the corridor will not have to pay any toll for the first two weeks until 15th April 2022 as this period would be toll-free to all motorists plying the Lekki-Ikoyi Link Bridge, Mr Omomuwasan said in the newspaper advert. The resumption of services at the Lekki-Ikoyi Link Bridge Toll Plaza, according to LCCs Managing Director, Yomi Omomuwasan, is coming after extensive consultations with, and the support of key including the Residents Associations, Traditional Rulers and Community Leaders, professional bodies, as well as the Lagos State Government. READ ALSO: Mr Omomuwasan said new technology and innovations have been introduced to make passages at the Toll Plaza seamless and faster for commuters. We are replacing old toll devices with upgraded ones for faster throughput at the Toll Plaza, he said. The new devices have been configured to synchronise with the newly upgraded tolling systems and will improve functionality while enabling a better experience at the Toll Plaza. The devices can be installed at any of LCC Customer Service Centres at the Admiralty Circle Toll Plaza, Conservation Toll Plaza or the Lekki-Ikoyi Link Bridge. They can also be delivered to customers preferred location, whilst the devices would only be installed on the vehicle by LCCs authorised personnel. The Police Zone 2 Command in Lagos said that its operatives had arrested 11 suspects over the murder of Odetola Olajide Ayinde, the Olu of Agodo town in Ifo council area of Ogun State. The command spokesperson, Hauwa Idris-Adamu, said in a statement that the traditional ruler was burnt to death in his car on January 24 near his village in Ewekoro Local Government Area. That on Monday Jan. 24 2022, His Royal Highness Oba Odetola Olajide Ayinde, the Olu of Agodo town in Ifo LGA. Ogun State was murdered by one Gbeminyi Sotade m aka okon and his cohorts. The late traditional ruler went to his village on a portion of land to clear the grave side of his late brother. All of a sudden a group of hoodlums numbering about 50; led by one Gbeminiyi Sotade m attacked him while three of his relatives were assaulted and macheted. The hoodlums pushed the Traditional Ruler into his Red Toyota Sienna SUV 2016 model with Registration number APP 55 GF while one Agbara drove the vehicle in the company of other hoodlums to a nearby forest. They poured petrol on him and the vehicle was finally set ablaze with the corpse locked in it, the police spokesperson said. Mrs Adamu said that the other three persons with the deceased Alfa Wahab, Deborah Onilere, and Lydia Odetola narrowly escaped death. 11 suspects have so far been arrested and they have confessed to their involvements in the crime and when asked why they attacked and murdered the traditional ruler; they claimed he was a land grabber. Efforts are at top gear to arrest others who are still at large, she said. She urged the public to desist from taking laws into their hands by involving in any form of criminality as anyone caught would face the full wrath of the law. Mrs Adamu said the Assistant Inspector of General (AIG), Adeleke Adeyinka Bode, assured the people of Lagos and Ogun states that whosoever was involved in the crime would be brought to book no matter how highly placed the person or group of persons are. She said that all hoodlums coming into Lagos and Ogun states should turn a new leaf or relocate.(NAN) The prime suspect, who distributed kegs of petrol as souvenirs at a party held at the Victoria Island, Lagos, on March 4, has been arrested and charged to court, the police said on Tuesday. Chidinma Ogulu was arraigned on a four-count charge of conduct likely to cause a breach of peace, endangering human life by distributing combustible matter in a public gathering, intent to harm another and unlawfully carrying on the business of storage and containerising petroleum product without a permit, Adekunle Ajisebutu, the state police spokesman said in a press statement. On March 5, a viral video showed how party guests were handed gallons of petrol at the Erelu Okin Installation Foundation Party, according to the sticker. It was a coronation party of Ms Ogulu, a fashion stylist, as the Erelu Okin of Orile Kemta. Mr Ajisebutu said that the fashion stylist was arraigned on Monday at the Special Offences (Mobile) Court of Lagos State in the Ikeja Magisterial District at Oshodi. She was, however, granted bail. A further hearing of the matter has been fixed for March 24, 2022. Back story Shortly after the video circulated, the government sealed Havillah Event Centre, Oniru, through the Lagos Safety Commission and the Rapid Response Squad for contravening public safety rules. The video surfaced at a time Nigerians are grappling with long queues at petrol stations and a hike in price for many weeks. This is despite the federal government saying that it has sufficient stock of petroleum products for distribution across the country while urging its citizens to be patient. Many fuel stations have refused to sell at the approved pump price of N165 per litre. The federal government had said methanol, a chemical additive, found in recently imported fuel, exceeded Nigerias specification. State Police lead away a man believed to be a suspect in an alleged shooting Tuesday in the Wallace Hill Road area. The photo was taken by a resident of the neighborhood who said they witnessed the apprehension. FELTON, Calif., March 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The global ecotourism market size is expected to reach USD 385.01 billion by 2028, according to a new report by Million Insights. It is expected to expand at a CAGR of 10.3% from 2021 to 2028. The increase in environmental protection awareness, attractive traveling packages, sustainable development, and affordable prices are the primary factors that propel the growth of the market. Sustainable travel to natural areas conserves the environment. It provides economic benefit to the local host, wherein these factors positively create lucrative opportunities for the travel agents/key tourism operators across the world. Ecotourism Market Report Highlights: Central and South America is expected to register the second-fastest CAGR from 2021 to 2028 owing to the increasing environmental consciousness among tourists in Brazil and Argentina . By type, wildlife ecotourism held the largest share of more than 33.0% in 2020. Nature ecotourism is expected to register the second-fastest CAGR from 2021 to 2028. The Asia Pacific region dominated the market by accounting for over 35.0% share in 2020. The rise of social media to create awareness about ecotourism in developing economies, including China and India , has positively influenced the growth of the travel and tourism industry in the region. Ecotourism Market Growth & Trends Ecotourism involves traveling to remote and unique hotspots where the flora, fauna, and cultural heritage are the major attractions. Developing economies such as India, Thailand, the Philippines, Egypt, Morocco, and Jordan have launched a campaign program to promote nature reserves, raise environmental awareness, and support sustainable travel. The nature ecotourism type segment held over 25.0% share in 2020 in the Asia Pacific region. The urban population in the Asia Pacific region is growing exponentially. Hence, the need to travel to natural areas for relaxation and to reduce stress is inevitable. Nature attraction includes birdwatching, hiking, and reef diving; therefore, these activities tend to be more physically demanding, whereas typical tourism is less physical and more comfortable. In 2020, the market for ecotourism was affected majorly due to the lockdown scenario triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic. Many organizations are not operating during the lockdown, which has resulted in significant losses to the travel and tourism sector due to worldwide restrictions and curfews. Conserving natural resources and accommodating many tourists with minimal impact on nature and the environment remain the core objectives for the key stakeholders. These initiatives by major stakeholders are propelling the global demand for ecotourism. Read synopsis or request for a free sample of market research report, "Ecotourism Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report by Type (Wildlife, Marine, Nature), By Region (North America, Asia Pacific, Europe, Central & South America, Middle East & Africa), And Segment Forecasts, 2021 - 2028", published by Million Insights. Ecotourism Market Segmentation Million Insights has segmented the global ecotourism market on the basis of type and region: Ecotourism Type Outlook (Revenue, USD Billion, 2017 - 2028) Wildlife Marine Nature Others Ecotourism Regional Outlook (Revenue, USD Billion, 2017 - 2028) North America U.S. Europe Germany U.K. France Russia Asia Pacific China Australia Central & South America Middle East & Africa List of Key Players of Ecotourism Market Responsible Travel &Beyond Adventure Alternative Intrepid travel Kind Traveler Aracari Rickshaw Travel Travel Leaders Group FROSCH International Travel Small World Journeys Pty Ltd. Browse more Research Reports published by Million Insights Online Pharmacy Market - The global online pharmacy market size is expected to reach USD 42.7 billion by 2028, according to a new report by Million Insights. It is expected to expand at a CAGR of 10.6% from 2021 to 2028. The market growth can be attributed to the increasing number of smartphone users and rising internet penetration, mostly in developing regions, including Asia Pacific , South America , and Sub-Saharan Africa. In developed economies, the market is driven by the increasing self-medication by the consumers due to accessibility, time efficiency, and economic factors. Moreover, technological developments in the IoT and artificial intelligence are likely to drive the market owing to the sophisticated and convenient consumer experience. The global online pharmacy market size is expected to reach by 2028, according to a new report by Million Insights. It is expected to expand at a CAGR of 10.6% from 2021 to 2028. The market growth can be attributed to the increasing number of smartphone users and rising internet penetration, mostly in developing regions, including , , and Sub-Saharan Africa. In developed economies, the market is driven by the increasing self-medication by the consumers due to accessibility, time efficiency, and economic factors. Moreover, technological developments in the IoT and artificial intelligence are likely to drive the market owing to the sophisticated and convenient consumer experience. eMagazines Market - The global eMagazines market size is expected to reach USD 6.27 billion by 2028, according to a new report by Million Insights. Itis expected to expand at a CAGR of 6.3% from 2021 to 2028. The key driving factors such as magazine publishers adopting digital platforms for publishing, localization of content eMagazines, more interactive and attractive eMagazines, availability of high-speed data network, increasing adoption of smartphones with advanced functionalities, and citizens focused on convenience are anticipated to drive the growth. The rising per capita income and increasing purchasing power are further supporting the demand. by 2028, according to a new report by Million Insights. Itis expected to expand at a CAGR of 6.3% from 2021 to 2028. The key driving factors such as magazine publishers adopting digital platforms for publishing, localization of content eMagazines, more interactive and attractive eMagazines, availability of high-speed data network, increasing adoption of smartphones with advanced functionalities, and citizens focused on convenience are anticipated to drive the growth. The rising per capita income and increasing purchasing power are further supporting the demand. Storage Unit Market - The global storage unit market size is expected to reach USD 76.6 billion by 2028, registering a CAGR of 5.5% over the forecast period, according to a new report by Million Insights. Rise in demand for laptops, smartphones, PCs, and online storage software are considered to be a major factor for market growth. Also, increasing brand recognition and the influence of storage units with the help of social media is anticipated to further fuel their demand. Crowdinvesting Market - The global crowdinvesting market size is expected to reach USD 10.25 billion by 2028, according to a new report by Million Insights. It is expected to expand at a CAGR of 8.3% from 2021 to 2028. The increasing usage of equity-based crowdfunding observed in the real estate industry is a crucial factor driving the market for crowdinvesting. Explore Snapshots by Million Insights, for industry specific reports that provide real-time market trends and forecasts, by condensing the integral elements from our industry reports into bite-sized paragraphs, charts, and tables. Access More Snapshot Reports and Press Releases. About Million Insights: Million Insights, is a market research and consulting company, provides syndicated as well as customized research reports and consulting services. We have a comprehensive marketplace, that will enable you to compare data points, before you make a purchase. Enabling informed buying, is our motto and we strive hard to ensure that our clients get to browse through multiple samples, prior to an investment. Service flexibility & the fastest response time are two pillars, on which our business model is founded. Our market research report store includes in-depth reports, from across various industry verticals, such as healthcare, technology, chemicals, food & beverages, consumer goods, material science & automotive. Contact: Ryan Manuel Research Support Specialist, USA Million Insights Phone: 1-408-610-2300 Toll Free: 1-866-831-4085 Email: sales@millioninsights.com Web: https://www.millioninsights.com/ Follow Us: LinkedIn | Twitter SOURCE Million Insights LONDON, March 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- For the second year in a row, HH Global has completed a full assessment of the carbon footprint of our business and disclosed the results to CDP. CDP is a not-for-profit organization that runs the global disclosure system for investors, companies, cities, states, and regions to manage their environmental impacts. Their aim is to see a thriving economy that works for both people and planet in the long term. CDP uses their disclosure system to rate the environmental impact of more than 13,000 companies around the world, including many of our clients, and is emerging as the principal measure of an organization's carbon impact. We are proud to announce that we have increased our rating from a C to a B for our climate change disclosure, with A ratings given for the strength of our governance and emissions reduction initiatives. HH Global also submitted a complete disclosure of our impact on forests and water security, achieving a B for each of these assessments. Kevin Dunckley, Chief Sustainability Officer, commented "I'm delighted that our efforts to tackle climate change have been recognized by CDP. Our team have worked hard to establish near-term and long-term plans to help keep global warming below 1.5C, in-line with the science of the Paris Climate Change Agreement and contributing to Goal 13 of the Sustainable Development Goals." HH Global's Sustainability and ESG commitments and targets are governed by the global sustainability team. This team oversees activities alongside the four regional steering groups and task forces (Americas, EIMEA, APAC, LATAM), which help embed the culture of sustainable innovation around common goals across the business. Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/471140/hh_global_Logo.jpg SOURCE HH Global Three Organizations Receive $20,000 Each SAN FRANCISCO, March 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- In celebration of the 14th year of the Innovations in Alzheimer's Caregiving Award, The Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Foundation , Bader Philanthropies, Inc. , and Family Caregiver Alliance are pleased to announce three winning organizationseach delivering a state-of-the-art program that addresses the needs of caregivers and those they care for living with Alzheimer's disease or a related condition. Each model program will receive $20,000 for their work in the following categories: Creative Expression Elderwise Using the Spirit-Centered Care philosophy at its core, Elderwise teaches, models, and promotes culture change among caregivers, family members, and healthcare professionals by recognizing the intrinsic value of each person and their capacity to live a rich and joyful life regardless of their cognitive or physical condition. For more than 24 years Elderwise has been providing arts-based activities, guided discussion, and movement with music, while fostering a safe environment for adults living with memory loss in Seattle, Washington . Using the Spirit-Centered Care philosophy at its core, Elderwise teaches, models, and promotes culture change among caregivers, family members, and healthcare professionals by recognizing the intrinsic value of each person and their capacity to live a rich and joyful life regardless of their cognitive or physical condition. For more than 24 years Elderwise has been providing arts-based activities, guided discussion, and movement with music, while fostering a safe environment for adults living with memory loss in . "Art IsIn" "Art IsIn" is a technology-free, professionally curated art-at-home program that aims to engage and encourage meaningful creative expression for caregivers and individuals living with dementia who cannot participate in virtual activities or those with limited access or ability to use a computer or internet. To date, "Art IsIn" has distributed over 1,200 free art kits to individuals with dementia and their caregivers of diverse backgrounds in partnership with The Memory Center at The University of Chicago Medicine. Diverse/Multicultural Communities Care NYC Sunnyside Community Services (SCS) based in Queens is a multifaceted organization serving one of the largest growing Spanish-speaking Latin American groups in the United States . In response to the growing linguistic and cultural needs, their program Care NYC created a comprehensive targeted program to honor the differences in cultural, linguistic, family dynamics, and religious identities for caregivers of individuals with Alzheimer's disease or other dementias seeking and receiving services. Care NYC matches 1,400 caregivers annually to staff members who provide and connect them to a range of support services (i.e., counseling, support groups, education workshops, respite, and supplemental/financial resources) and community-based organizations in their native language. View detailed information on the winning programs. In light of COVID-19, representatives of the winning organizations will celebrate receipt of their award via an online event to be held in April. A webinar highlighting these organizations and their innovative programs will be offered this spring. The mission of The Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Foundation is to invest in programs that promote education, tolerance, social services, healthcare, and the arts. The Foundation builds on the ideals and pursuits of its founders, Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert. In the area of Alzheimer's disease, The Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Foundation focuses its grant-making on the advancement of research by junior investigators in the United States and Israel and investments in Alzheimer's disease caregiving. Visit the Gilbert Foundation website. Milwaukee-based Bader Philanthropies, Inc. is a philanthropic leader in improving the quality of life of the diverse global communities in which it works. The organization funds innovative projects and programs, convenes partners, and shares knowledge to affect emerging issues in key areas. Since its founding in 1992 as the Helen Bader Foundation, the organization has committed more than $426 million in grants and program related investments, such as loans, loan guarantees, equity investments and other credit enhancements that advance its charitable mission. For more information on Bader Philanthropies, visit bader.org. The mission of FCA is to improve the quality of life for family caregivers and the people who receive their care. For more than 40 years, FCA has provided services to family caregivers of adults with physical and cognitive impairments, such as Parkinson's, stroke, Alzheimer's and other types of dementia. FCA'S services include assessment, care planning, direct care skills, wellness programs, respite services, and legal/financial consultation vouchers. Ongoing support is available with FCA CareNav. FCA is a longtime advocate for caregivers in the areas of policy, health and social system development, research, and public awareness, on the state, national and international levels. For more information about FCA, visit caregiver.org. SOURCE Family Caregiver Alliance TORONTO, March 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - My Coffee Marketplace (MCM) is changing the coffee game one coffee lover at a time. Many coffee subscription companies had their start during the pandemic-era but none of them have emerged quite like MCM. They've been described as the love child between a coffee subscription program and Rakuten. When the pandemic hit many smaller coffee roasters were forced to close or on the cusp of closing due to the immediate halt of their wholesale business (~70-80% of their revenue). Brandon Greenspoon, Founder of MCM was heartbroken to witness the pandemics devastating impact which motivated him to step up and help. It was obvious to Brandon that with more people working from home due to the pandemic, there was a massive opportunity to encourage coffee drinkers to purchase from small business coffee roasters rather than the typical big commercial brands. With the natural increase of online shopping, Brandon interviewed hundreds of coffee roasters and coffee drinkers to understand what they'd change about existing online coffee marketplaces or third-party subscription programs. It was important to him that he developed a program that truly provided undeniable value to both the coffee roasters and drinkers. From there My Coffee Marketplace was born! MCM's mission is to support small business coffee roasters by offering an online program that encourages and funnels coffee drinkers to their websites with the intent to purchase. For coffee drinkers, MCM provides exclusive coffee deals from some of the top coffee roasters from around the globe. They encourage their members taste and experience some of the highest quality coffee while saving big on their purchases. The average MCM members saves $120 a year on coffee. For coffee roasters, MCM acts as a program that helps drive additional online sales while keeping it "as business as usual". The program addresses the five key pain points coffee roasters face with other subscription companies: branding, quality assurance, fulfillment, data & insights, and profitability. The program has grown quickly since it launched in October 2020, as it's approaching its 4000th member. MCM has partnered with over 100 coffee roasters across the United States, Canada and Europe and MCM has plans to continue its global expansion in the coming months. Learn more about My Coffee Marketplace at www.mycoffeemarketplace.com. While there, be sure to pick up a lifetime membership for only $10. Follow My Coffee Marketplace on Instagram at @mycoffeemarketplace or www.instagram.com/mycoffeemarketplace/ SOURCE My Coffee Marketplace New way to enroll in TSA PreCheck kicks off at Jackson-Medgar Wiley Evers International Airport in Jackson, MS, with more U.S. cities to follow RESTON, Va., March 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- IDEMIA, the global identity leader and long-time authorized TSA PreCheck enrollment provider, announced today the launch of a new type of TSA PreCheck enrollment initiative that simplifies the process. The initiative kicks off at Jackson-Medgar Wiley Evers International Airport (JAN) in Jackson, Mississippi this week. IDEMIA I&S North America is bringing TSA PreCheck enrollment to the traveler as they depart for their trip. This will facilitate better access and awareness to the many benefits of TSA PreCheck, which helps keep travelers moving through security while also improving aviation security. The initiative starts on March 17th, 2022, at JAN Airport and IDEMIA plans to unveil the TSA PreCheck enrollment initiative at other airports later this year. "This is absolutely a game changer for enrollment efficiencies, and we are incredibly excited to roll it out this week at JAN Airport in Jackson, Mississippi," said Lisa Sullivan, SVP, Travel and Transport for IDEMIA I&S North America. "We are giving passengers greater access and flexibility, making the whole process easier, quicker, and more efficient. Passenger education is a priority for this initiative and key to its success, so we are working closely with our enrollment agents and brand ambassadors who will be stationed throughout the airport in easy-to-spot uniforms to increase awareness, encourage passengers to enroll and answer any questions." The new enrollment initiative at JAN Airport will be tested across three operational scenarios to evaluate various locations in the airport: pre-security, post-security and in the gate area. "This is an exciting development for TSA, the TSA PreCheck Application Program, and the traveling public. We've listened to travelers' feedback and worked with IDEMIA to make enrolling more accessible," shared Kim Jackson, Federal Security Director with the TSA for the State of Mississippi. "Once we've completed this two-week pilot, we will have a better understanding of how it can best accommodate the traveler and where it needs to be within an airport to have maximum benefit. From there, IDEMIA will work with the TSA and airports to expand this improved enrollment process to other markets in the U.S." Beginning March 17 and running through March 28, IDEMIA enrollment teams stationed throughout JAN airport will manage mobile carts equipped to enroll passengers for TSA PreCheck in five minutes or less. Most passengers will receive their Known Traveler Number (KTN) within 3-5 days. "I am elated that Jackson-Medgar Wiley Evers International Airport is the first to roll out this new TSA PreCheck enrollment initiative. TSA PreCheck is an opportunity to provide the public a way to shorten their time at the airport. The goal of TSA PreCheck is to help decrease passenger wait times at security checkpoints while providing constituents and others who are traveling, the chance to advance through potentially long lines and have a successful flight," said U.S. Congressman Bennie Thompson (MS-02), Chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee. "TSA PreCheck is an outstanding program created to provide the best combination of traveler safety and incredible convenience. The enrollment initiative launching in Mississippi is aimed at growing the TSA PreCheck program. Giving Mississippi travelers the first opportunity to add enrolling in TSA PreCheck to their departure itinerary, with the benefit of being approved within 3-5 days to use by their next trip, is our honor. Thank you to IDEMIA and TSA for using our wonderful state and incredible residents for this launch," said Congressman Steven Palazzo (MS-04). "As travel ramps up in a post-pandemic America, increasing enrollment in the TSA PreCheck program will help make air travel more secure and more efficient for travelers. I'm excited to see this new TSA PreCheck enrollment initiative launched from Mississippi, and look forward to seeing its successful implementation in other states," said U.S. Sen. Cindy Hyde of Mississippi, who serves on the Senate Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee. "TSA Precheck streamlines security checkpoints at airports for the many Americans who are looking forward to traveling across the country for work, vacation or to see their loved ones," said Congressman Michael Guest (MS-03), Vice Ranking Member of the Committee on Homeland Security. "The new TSA PreCheck initiative will ensure that TSA is enrolling more people, resulting in protecting the traveling public, while making air travel easier for all Americans." "TSA PreCheck has transformed travel for millions and benefits both traveler and airport operations," added Robert Martin, Chairman, Board of Commissioners, Jackson Municipal Airport Authority. "We are excited for Jackson to be at the center of this new and important evolution of the program and look forward to supporting efforts to get more travelers enrolled in TSA PreCheck." About IDEMIA I&S North America IDEMIA I&S is a leader in identity security and authentication services to governments and private companies, operating in North America. Our mission is to help people access what matters most more quickly, more safely, and more securely, in both the physical and the digital worlds. Our best-in-class technology helps to authenticate and secure physical and digital transactions. IDEMIA is recognized by the National Institute of Standards (NIST) as a top-ranking participant in the Institute's passenger facilitation simulation testing as well as in its regular Face Recognition Vendor Test (FRVT) rankings, reinforcing the trustworthiness and reliability of IDEMIA's facial recognition solutions for government and consumers alike. Media contact: Maggie McClain [email protected] 703-485-6551 SOURCE IDEMIA I&S North America NEW YORK, March 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- American Jewish Committee (AJC) announced today grants from its #StandWithUkraine Fund to Jewish organizations providing direct humanitarian relief to Ukrainians. The latest recipients are: The Jewish Confederation of Ukraine , an AJC international partner, received a grant to support, evacuate and transport elderly Ukrainian Jews, including Holocaust survivors. , an AJC international partner, received a grant to support, evacuate and transport elderly Ukrainian Jews, including Holocaust survivors. The American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC) received a grant to support its relief efforts for Ukrainian refugees. The Jewish Agency for Israel (JAFI) received a grant to sponsor a planeload of Ukrainian Jewish refugees from Poland to Israel . AJC's emergency #StandWithUkraine Fund, launched within days after Russia's unprovoked and deadly invasion began, has raised to date more than $1.4 million to assist Ukrainian refugees and to provide humanitarian assistance to Ukraine. The first recipient was IsraAID, the Israeli humanitarian group, which currently is working with Ukrainian refugees in Moldova. "One man, megalomaniacal President Vladimir Putin, has created this human drama of biblical scale, turning the lives of millions of Ukrainians upside down. Putin is guilty of war crimes," AJC CEO David Harris declared while visiting several reception centers for refugees in Poland last week. Harris led an AJC group to Poland on a three-day visit to demonstrate solidarity with Ukrainians who have fled their country, seeking safety in Poland and other neighboring countries. The AJC group met with several organizations, including the JDC and JAFI, during their visit. "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 Harris. AJC has stood in solidarity with the Ukrainian people and staunchly supported a free and democratic Ukraine for more than 30 years. In 1991, AJC became the first Jewish organization outside Ukraine to call on the United States to recognize the country's independence from Moscow. AJC was the only group in the world to set up a temporary office in Kyiv during the Maidan Revolution in 2014. Harris expressed AJC's "full, unreserved support for American leadership in mobilizing global solidarity and assistance for Ukraine," in a March 7 letter to President Biden. "The stakes could not be higher for the very future of a democratic country, which was assured of its sovereignty and territorial integrity when it signed the Budapest Memorandum in 1994, together with the United States, United Kingdom, and Russian Federation." SOURCE American Jewish Committee OAK PARK, Calif., March 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Dwellics, the authority in U.S. city data and personalized advice on where to move, has unveiled its 2022 list of the Top 100: Most Educated Cities in America 2022. Dwellics analyzed data on children and adults in more than 50,000 U.S. cities to compile the report. The analysis focused on math, reading, and language arts proficiency, spelling bee, and STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) competition winners, numbers of blue-ribbon schools, and percentage of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher or a STEM degree. Nationally, California is the most intelligent state, with twenty communities achieving rank in the report; the San Francisco Bay Area, home of the Silicon Valley, hosts a cluster of these cities. Virginia, particularly the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, comes in second, with fourteen. Ohio, home to twelve cities on the list, rounds out the top three states. The top cities in each of the top three states: Cupertino, California (#1) (#1) Saratoga, California (#3) (#3) McLean, Virginia (#7) (#7) Blacksburg, Virginia (#8) (#8) Solon, Ohio (#11) (#11) Madeira, Ohio (#25) The cities with the nation's largest school districts New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago did not achieve a ranking in the report, suggesting that there may be a correlation between smaller school districts and high academic performance. This fits with the general trend of American workers, who are taking advantage of working remotely in increasing numbers, moving from larger metropolitan areas to smaller communities. In addition, many of these workers are migrating to take advantage of a lower cost of living and better opportunities for their families, including seeking educational excellence. Media Contact: Giselle Sitdykova [email protected] SOURCE Dwellics Klein comes to Morrison after more than two decades at Sunsweet Growers Inc. CHICO, Calif., March 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Morrison, a top tier business consulting firm serving clients nationwide, is thrilled to announce Ana Klein as the newest partner to join the ownership team. Klein joins the business as a principal and will lead Morrison's Business & Accounting Advisory Services effective May 1, 2022. Before Morrison, Klein began her career at Sunsweet Growers in Yuba City, California in August of 1999. Klein started as the Finance Manager and rose through the ranks to become the youngest and first female Chief Financial Officer (CFO) at Sunsweet Growers. For the past 16 years she has held the title of Vice President/CFO, and has been instrumental in growing the cooperative's operations in Chile, including managing finance and grower relations, After previously working with Brent Morrison, founder and principal of Morrison, at the beginning of her career at Sunsweet Growers, Klein was delighted when the opportunity arose to work with him once more and join the talented team he has built at Morrison. In addition to Brent Morrison, Klein will join Toni Scott, managing principal, in ownership of the business. "I'm looking forward to working with a team that has a strong expertise and reputation for serving clients across multiple industries, including food, agriculture, manufacturing, processing, and the non-profit sector," said Ana Klein, Principal of Morrison. "I look forward to leveraging my longtime experience in finance and accounting to holistically strengthen the organizations Morrison has the pleasure to serve." "To have someone with Ana's impressive education and experience is imperative to the growth here at Morrison," added Brent Morrison, founder and principal at Morrison. "Ana's deep knowledge in all aspects of finance, accounting, and operations, will help meet the needs of new clients and elevate our service offerings to the next level." Klein will be joining a high caliber team who are trusted advisors in the business consulting space. Utilizing her network and experience, Klein wants to not only make a difference in the industry, but the community she lives in. ABOUT MORRISON Founded in 2002, Morrison offers a robust team of professionals in three service areas: Business & Accounting Advisory, Grants, and People Solutions. With headquarters in Chico, California, they serve clients across the United States. Whether it is a temporary need, regular ongoing assistance, or a special project for which additional expertise is required, their experience with middle market organizations allows them to support clients from the start-up phase to growth and transition. Media Contact: Augustine Agency Cambi Brown [email protected] SOURCE Morrison LONDON, March 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- APITech (API Technologies Corp.), a leading provider of capabilities that Protect, Power, and Process critical RF and electronics applications is pleased to announce our participation at EuMW 2022 in London UK. Held at the ExCeL London Exhibition & Conference Centre on April 4th-6th, 2022, APITech will be exhibiting at Booth 98. Michael Schwarm, the VP of Worldwide Sales and Marketing for APITech said, "We are very excited for the opportunity to meet with new and existing customers face to face to better understand their new and emerging challenges." APITech is looking forward to introducing our latest unique innovations for AESA radars which include a range of RF and microwave products, components, TR modules, and our newest generation of optical communication systems. Other shows that APITech will be attending in 2022 include AOC Europe in Montpellier, France in May, IMS in Denver in June, and AOC US in Washington, DC in October. For more information on APITech's trade show program, go to: https://info.apitech.com/events About APITech APITech (API Technologies Corp.) is an innovative designer and manufacturer of high-performance subsystems, modules, and components to Protect, Power, and Process critical RF and electronics applications. A high-reliability technology pioneer with over 70 years of heritage, APITech's products are used by global defense, industrial, and commercial customers for critical applications including electronic warfare, Radar, C4ISR, Space, missile defense, commercial aerospace, wireless communications, medical, oil and gas, and harsh environments. Contact: Madeline Lee APITech +1 508-251-6486 [email protected] SOURCE API Technologies Corp. Astellas' MOONLIGHT 1TM clinical trial evaluating investigational fezolinetant 30 mg administered once daily TOKYO, March 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Astellas Pharma Inc. (TSE: 4503, President and CEO: Kenji Yasukawa, Ph.D., "Astellas") today announced topline results from the ongoing Phase 3 MOONLIGHT 1 clinical trial investigating the efficacy and safety of fezolinetant, an investigational oral, nonhormonal compound being studied for the treatment of moderate to severe vasomotor symptoms associated with menopause (VMS), in women in Asia. VMS, characterized by hot flashes (also called hot flushes) and/or night sweats, are common symptoms of menopause.1,2 Based on the 12-week data analysis in 302 participants, fezolinetant 30 mg once daily (QD) in women in China, Korea and Taiwan did not meet the pre-defined endpoints for efficacy. While numerical improvements from baseline were observed in the fezolinetant 30 mg treatment group, the results did not meet statistical significance. The 12-week safety data in this study are aligned with what was previously observed with fezolinetant. Detailed results will be submitted for publication following completion of the 24-week analyses. "We are evaluating the results and look forward to reviewing the full data set once the study is complete," said Nancy Martin, M.D., PharmD, Vice President, Global Medical Head, Medical Specialties, Astellas. MOONLIGHT 1 is an ongoing randomized Phase 3 clinical trial evaluating the efficacy and safety of fezolinetant in 302 women in China, Korea and Taiwan who take fezolinetant 30 mg QD for 24 weeks. The trial is double-blinded and placebo-controlled for the first 12 weeks, followed by a 12-week non-controlled extension treatment period. Specifically, the MOONLIGHT 1 study is being conducted to support registration in China, Korea and Taiwan. As previously reported, the results from two pivotal Phase 3 clinical trials, SKYLIGHT 1 and SKYLIGHT 2, along with the findings from the long-term safety study, SKYLIGHT 4, will provide the foundational data for regulatory submissions in the U.S. and Europe. Fezolinetant is an investigational selective neurokinin-3 (NK3) receptor antagonist. The efficacy and safety of fezolinetant are under investigation and have not been established. This result will have no impact on the financial forecasts of the current fiscal year ending March 31, 2022. About MOONLIGHT Phase 3 Clinical Trials The MOONLIGHT 1TM clinical trial (NCT04234204) remains ongoing and has enrolled 302 women in China, Korea and Taiwan with moderate to severe VMS associated with menopause. The trial is double-blinded and placebo-controlled for the first 12 weeks, followed by a 12-week non-controlled extension treatment period. There were nearly 60 sites across Asia. MOONLIGHT 3TM (NCT04451226) is an ongoing 52-week single-arm Phase 3 clinical trial designed to investigate the long-term safety of fezolinetant in women in China with VMS associated with menopause. 150 women were enrolled at 34 sites in China. About BRIGHT SKY Phase 3 Program The BRIGHT SKY pivotal trials, SKYLIGHT 1 (NCT04003155) and SKYLIGHT 2 (NCT04003142), enrolled over 1,020 women with moderate to severe VMS. The trials are double-blinded and placebo-controlled for the first 12 weeks followed by a 40-week active treatment extension period. Women were enrolled at over 280 sites within the U.S., Canada and Europe. SKYLIGHT 4 (NCT04003389) is a 52-week double-blinded and placebo-controlled study designed to investigate long-term safety of fezolinetant. For SKYLIGHT 4, over 1,800 women with VMS were enrolled at over 180 sites within the U.S., Canada and Europe. About VMS Associated with Menopause VMS, characterized by hot flashes (also called hot flushes) and/or night sweats are common symptoms of menopause.1,2 Worldwide, more than 50% of women 40 to 64 years of age experience VMS and, in East Asia, the prevalence of VMS has been estimated to be around 80% of women 40 to 65 years of age, with 55% having moderate to severe VMS.3,4 VMS can have a disruptive impact on women's daily activities and overall quality of life.1 About Fezolinetant Fezolinetant is an investigational, oral nonhormonal therapy in clinical development for the treatment of moderate to severe VMS associated with menopause. Fezolinetant works by blocking neurokinin B (NKB) binding on the kisspeptin/neurokinin/dynorphin (KNDy) neuron to moderate neuronal activity in the thermoregulatory center of the brain (the hypothalamus) to reduce the frequency and severity of moderate to severe VMS associated with menopause.5,6,7 The safety and efficacy of fezolinetant are under investigation and have not been established. There is no guarantee the agent will receive regulatory approval or become commercially available for the uses being investigated. About Astellas Astellas Pharma Inc. is a pharmaceutical company conducting business in more than 70 countries around the world. We are promoting the Focus Area Approach that is designed to identify opportunities for the continuous creation of new drugs to address diseases with high unmet medical needs by focusing on Biology and Modality. Furthermore, we are also looking beyond our foundational Rx focus to create Rx+ healthcare solutions that combine our expertise and knowledge with cutting-edge technology in different fields of external partners. Through these efforts, Astellas stands on the forefront of healthcare change to turn innovative science into value for patients. For more information, please visit our website at https://www.astellas.com/en. Cautionary Notes In this press release, statements made with respect to current plans, estimates, strategies and beliefs and other statements that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements about the future performance of Astellas. These statements are based on management's current assumptions and beliefs in light of the information currently available to it and involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties. A number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements. Such factors include, but are not limited to: (i) changes in general economic conditions and in laws and regulations, relating to pharmaceutical markets, (ii) currency exchange rate fluctuations, (iii) delays in new product launches, (iv) the inability of Astellas to market existing and new products effectively, (v) the inability of Astellas to continue to effectively research and develop products accepted by customers in highly competitive markets, and (vi) infringements of Astellas' intellectual property rights by third parties. Information about pharmaceutical products (including products currently in development) which is included in this press release is not intended to constitute an advertisement or medical advice. References 1 Utian WH. Psychosocial and socioeconomic burden of vasomotor symptoms in menopause: a comprehensive review. Health Qual Life Outcomes. 2005;3:47. 2 Jones RE, Lopez KH, eds. Human Reproductive Biology. 4th ed. Waltham, MA: Elsevier, 2014. Col 2, para 1, lines 4-6. 3 Makara-Studzinska MT, Krys-Noszczyk KM, Jakiel G. Epidemiology of the symptoms of menopause an intercontinental review. Przeglad menopauzalny = Menopause review. 2014;13:203-11. 4 Yu, Qi MD1; Chae, Hee-Dong MD, PhD2; Hsiao, Sheng-Mou MD3; Xie, Jipan MD, PhD4; Blogg, Martin BSc (Hons), CStat5; Sumarsono, Budiwan MD, MSc5; Kim, SoyoungMPH5 Prevalence, severity, and associated factors in women in East Asia with moderate-to-severe vasomotor symptoms associated with menopause, Menopause: February 28, 2022 -Volume -Issue -doi: 10.1097/GME.0000000000001949 5 Depypere H, Timmerman D, Donders G, Sieprath P, Ramael S, Combalbert J, et al. Treatment of menopausal vasomotor symptoms with fezolinetant, a neurokinin 3 receptor antagonist: a phase 2a trial. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2019;104:5893-905. 6 Fraser GL, Lederman S, Waldbaum A, Kroll R, Santoro N, Lee M, et al. A phase 2b, randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, dose-ranging study of the neurokinin 3 receptor antagonist fezolinetant for vasomotor symptoms associated with menopause. Menopause. 2020;27:382-92. 7 Fraser GL, Hoveyda HR, Clarke IJ, Ramaswamy S, Plant TM, Rose C, et al. The NK3 receptor antagonist ESN364 interrupts pulsatile LH secretion and moderate levels of ovarian hormones throughout the menstrual cycle. Endocrinology. 2015;156:4214-25. SOURCE Astellas Pharma Inc. PUNE, India, March 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Automotive Part Die Casting Market is slated to cross USD 20.31 Billion By 2028, as per new research study by Zion Market Research Private Limited. It earned USD 11.1 Billion in 2021 and will register CAGR of about 7.8% in 2022-2028. Additionally, growth of automotive part die casting market over forecast timespan is subject to increase in per capita income of middle-income groups along with rise in sale of passenger vehicles. In addition to this, automotive die casting components help automotive in weight reduction, thereby minimizing fuel emissions along with enhancing fuel efficiency. Eco-friendly features of product will steer market growth trends. Zion Market Research published the latest report titled as "Automotive Part Die Casting Market- By Production Type (Squeeze Die-Casting, Semi-Solid Die-Casting, Pressure Die-Casting, and Vacuum Die-Casting), By Raw Material Type (Aluminum, Magnesium, and Zinc), By Application Type (Body Assemblies, Transmission Components, and Engine Components), By End-User (OEMs and Independent Manufacturers), and By Vehicle Type (Passenger Vehicle and Commercial Vehicle): Global Industry Perspective, Comprehensive Analysis, And Forecast, 20222028." into their research database. Automotive Part Die Casting Market: Overview Increase in middle-income group population coupled with rise in standard of living in emerging countries as well as developed nations have resulted into surge in sale of passenger vehicles. This has resulted in humungous demand for automotive part die casting across globe. Reportedly, a die casting in automotive sector is a special tool that is utilized for cutting automotive parts in uniform shapes through use of a press. Product manufacturers prefer flexible die casting services that can suit original equipment manufacturer configuration set up along with meeting quality of products & volume output needs. Owing to launching of automated die casting production processes, the consumption of time in vehicle manufacture has come down drastically. Get a Free Sample Report with All Related Graphs & Charts (with COVID 19 Impact Analysis): https://www.zionmarketresearch.com/sample/automotive-part-die-casting-market Our Free Sample Report Includes: 2022 Updated Report Introduction, Overview, and In-depth industry analysis COVID-19 Pandemic Outbreak Impact Analysis Included 166 + Pages Research Report (Inclusion of Updated Research) Provide Chapter-wise guidance on Request 2021 Updated Regional Analysis with Graphical Representation of Size, Share & Trends Includes Updated List of tables & figures Updated Report Includes Top Market Players with their Business Strategy, Sales Volume, and Revenue Analysis Zion Market Research methodology Industry Dynamics: Drivers: Surge in per capita income of population in emerging economies and rise in vehicle production will drive growth of automotive part die casting market. Need for reducing GHG emissions and focus on enhancing fuel efficiency will drive market trends. Surge in per capita income of population in emerging economies and rise in vehicle production will drive growth of automotive part die casting market. Need for reducing GHG emissions and focus on enhancing fuel efficiency will drive market trends. Restraints: Fluctuations in raw material costs and negative impact of COVID-19 on sales of the product will impede growth of industry. Fluctuations in raw material costs and negative impact of COVID-19 on sales of the product will impede growth of industry. Opportunities: With product playing a key role in weight reduction and need for effective designing as well as suppleness in creating complex components will open new growth avenues for automotive part die casting industry. With product playing a key role in weight reduction and need for effective designing as well as suppleness in creating complex components will open new growth avenues for automotive part die casting industry. Challenges: Transportation activities are hit by COVID-19 pandemic and changes in policies of governments regarding product approval & dales post COVID conditions will impact demand-supply growth curvature and can pose a challenge to the business. Directly Purchase a Copy of the Automotive Part Die Casting Market Report @ https://www.zionmarketresearch.com/buynow/su/automotive-part-die-casting-market Automotive Part Die Casting Market: Segmentation Market is divided into production type, raw material type, application type, end-user, and vehicle type. Based on different segments, automotive part die casting market is divided into production type, raw material type, application type, end-user, and vehicle type. On basis of production type, market is sectored into squeeze die-casting, semi-solid die-casting, pressure die-casting, and vacuum die-casting. Raw material type wise, automotive part die casting industry is divided into aluminum, magnesium, and zinc. In terms of application type, industry is segregated into body assemblies, transmission components, and engine components. Based on end-user, automotive part die casting sector is divided into automotive OEMs and Independent Manufacturers. In Vehicle type terms, the industry is sectored into passenger vehicle and commercial vehicle. Automotive Part Aluminum Die Casting Segment To Contribute Majorly Towards Market Share By 2028 Mechanical features of the raw material as well as its thermal & electric conductivity will drive segmental surge. Growth of segment over next six years is subject to its light weight and corrosion resistance properties of aluminum. In addition to this, mechanical features of the raw material as well as its thermal & electric conductivity will drive segmental surge. Apart from this, low density aluminum is required for die casting and hence finds massive application in automotive part die casting industry. Moreover, aluminum die casting method possesses high strength at extreme temperatures. Get More Insight before Buying @: https://www.zionmarketresearch.com/inquiry/automotive-part-die-casting-market Vacuum Die-Casting To Lead Production Process Segment In 2022-2028 Rise in demand for vacuum die-casting in aluminum part die casting process is due to former's ability in manufacture of effective weldable vehicle products in comparison to other processes. Automotive products produced in this way are very big. List of Key Players of Automotive Part Die Casting Market: Consolidated Metco, Inc. Endurance Technologies Limited Rockman Industries Ryobi Die-casting Inc. Alcast Technologies Dynacast Howmet Aerospace Inc. Key Industry Insights & Finding of the Automotive Part Die Casting Market Reports: As per the analysis shared by our research analyst, the Automotive Part Die Casting Market is expected to grow annually at a CAGR of around 7.8% (2022-2028). Through the primary research, it was established that the Automotive Part Die Casting Market was valued approximately USD 11.1 billion in 2021 and is projected to reach to roughly USD 20.31 billion by 2028. in 2021 and is projected to reach to roughly by 2028. Rise in sale of passenger cars in countries such as Malaysia , India , China , and Indonesia will drive regional market trends. Key questions answered in this report: What is the growth rate forecast and market size for Automotive Part Die Casting Market? What are the key driving factors propelling the Automotive Part Die Casting Market forward? What are the most important companies in the Automotive Part Die Casting Market Industry? What segments does the Automotive Part Die Casting Market cover? How can I receive a free copy of the Automotive Part Die Casting Market sample report and company profiles? Report Scope: Report Attribute Details Market size value in 2021 USD 11.1 Billion Revenue forecast in 2028 USD 20.31 Billion Growth Rate CAGR of almost 7.8% 2022-2028 Base Year 2020 Historic Years 2016 - 2021 Forecast Years 2022 - 2028 Segments Covered By Product Type, By Application, and By End Use Forecast Units Value (USD Billion), and Volume (Units) Quantitative Units Revenue in USD million/billion and CAGR from 2022 to 2028 Regions Covered North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa, and Rest of World Countries Covered U.S., Canada, Mexico, U.K., Germany, France, Italy, Spain, China, India, Japan, South Korea, Brazil, Argentina, GCC Countries, and South Africa, among others Companies Covered Consolidated Metco, Inc., Endurance Technologies Limited, Rockman Industries, Ryobi Die-casting Inc., Alcast Technologies, Dynacast, and Howmet Aerospace Inc. Report Coverage Market growth drivers, restraints, opportunities, Porter's five forces analysis, PEST analysis, value chain analysis, regulatory landscape, market attractiveness analysis by segments and region, company market share analysis, and COVID-19 impact analysis. Customization Scope Avail customized purchase options to meet your exact research needs. https://www.zionmarketresearch.com/custom/559 Free Brochure: https://www.zionmarketresearch.com/requestbrochure/automotive-part-die-casting-market Breakthroughs Taking Place in Automotive Part Die Casting Industry: In February 2021 , Endurance Technologies Limited a key manufacturer of aluminum die casting products- based in Maharashtra, India opened its commercial product unit in Tamil Nadu in Country. The establishment is predicted to increase volume of production of aluminum die castings and will supply machine aluminum castings to firms such as Royal Enfield and Hyundai. In December 2020 , a UK-based firm referred as Ryobi Aluminum Casting Limited declared that it secured a multi-million pound contract with a new transmission supplier in electrified drivetrains business. The deal is worth UK pound of 15 million yearly and is likely to produce nearly 1, 50,000 clutch & transmissions units annually for new hybrid automotive from 2023. Regional Dominance: Asia Pacific To Dominate Automotive Part Die Casting Market Over 2022-2028 Growth of regional market over forecasting timespan is due to thriving automotive vehicle sector in countries such as China with massive vehicle production & sale. Rise in sale of passenger cars in countries such as Malaysia, India, China, and Indonesia will drive regional market trends. Global Automotive Part Die Casting Market is segmented as follows: Automotive Part Die Casting Market: By Production Type Outlook (2022-2028) Squeeze Die-Casting Semi-Solid Die-Casting Pressure Die-Casting Vacuum Die-Casting Automotive Part Die Casting Market: By Raw Material Type Outlook (2022-2028) Aluminum Magnesium Zinc Automotive Part Die Casting Market: By Application Type Outlook (2022-2028) Body Assemblies Transmission Components Engine Components Automotive Part Die Casting Market: By End-User Outlook (2022-2028) OEMs Independent Manufacturers Automotive Part Die Casting Market: By Vehicle Type Outlook (2022-2028) Passenger Vehicle Commercial Vehicle Automotive Part Die Casting Market: By Region Outlook (2022-2028) North America The U.S. Canada Europe France The UK Spain Germany Italy Rest of Europe Asia Pacific China Japan India South Korea Southeast Asia Rest of Asia Pacific Latin America Brazil Mexico Rest of Latin America Middle East & Africa GCC South Africa Rest of Middle East & Africa Press Release For Automotive Part Die Casting Market: https://www.zionmarketresearch.com/news/automotive-part-die-casting-market-to-accrue-revenue Browse Other Related Research Reports from Zion Market Research Recreational Vehicle Market : The global Recreational Vehicle Market accrued earnings worth approximately 55.2 (USD Billion) in 2020 and is predicted to gain revenue of about 130.1 (USD Billion) by 2028, is set to record a CAGR of nearly 10.3% over the period from 2021 to 2028. The global Recreational Vehicle Market accrued earnings worth approximately 55.2 (USD Billion) in 2020 and is predicted to gain revenue of about 130.1 (USD Billion) by 2028, is set to record a CAGR of nearly 10.3% over the period from 2021 to 2028. Metal Replacement Market : The Global Metal Replacement Market accounted for more than USD 164.65 Billion in 2020 and is expected to reach more than USD 318.57 Billion by 2028, growing at a CAGR of more than 8.62% from 2021 to 2028. The Global Metal Replacement Market accounted for more than in 2020 and is expected to reach more than by 2028, growing at a CAGR of more than 8.62% from 2021 to 2028. Europe Automotive Subframe Market: The Europe Automotive Subframe Market accounted for USD 4,184 Million in 2020 and is expected to reach USD 6,062 Million by 2028, growing at a CAGR of 3.9 % from 2021 to 2028. Browse through Zion Market Research's coverage of the Global Automotive Industry Follow Us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/zion-market-research/ Follow Us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/zion_research Follow Us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/zionmarketresearch/ About Us Zion Market Research is an obligated company. We create futuristic, cutting edge, informative reports ranging from industry reports, company reports to country reports. We provide our clients not only with market statistics unveiled by avowed private publishers and public organizations but also with vogue and newest industry reports along with pre-eminent and niche company profiles. Our database of market research reports comprises a wide variety of reports from cardinal industries. Our database is been updated constantly in order to fulfill our clients with prompt and direct online access to our database. Keeping in mind the client's needs, we have included expert insights on global industries, products, and market trends in this database. Last but not the least, we make it our duty to ensure the success of clients connected to usafter allif you do well, a little of the light shines on us. Contact Us: Zion Market Research 3rd Floor, Mrunal Paradise, Opp Maharaja Hotel, Pimple Gurav, Pune 411061, Maharashtra, India Tel: +49-322 210 92714 USA/Canada Toll Free No.1-855-465-4651 Email: [email protected] Website: https://www.zionmarketresearch.com/ Blog - https://zmrblog.com/ SOURCE Zion Market Research Hostile work environment ruling first of its kind NEW ORLEANS, March 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, in reversing a hostile work environment summary judgment order in a Houston firefighter's case, set two new precedents in hostile work environment cases. In Melinda Abbt v. City of Houston, the panel found the firefighter did not need to experience harassment in real time for it to be actionable. According to the ruling, the victim still has a claim if she finds out later about what happened behind her back. This is the first time the court has ruled on that issue. The appellate panel also ruled that the City of Houston can be liable if a workplace harassment report goes up the chain of command but stops because a supervisor who was a recipient of the notice is also a participant in the harassment. This is also the first time the court has ruled on this issue. In this case, a fellow firefighter and a supervisor obtained an intimate video that Houston firefighter Melinda Abbt made for her husband. The two male firefighters secretly watched the video repeatedly for years. She did not find out for years that they had somehow obtained the video from her private computer, and she never learned who else may have seen it. On finally learning about their access to the video, she understandably was quite shaken and needed unpaid leave and counseling, especially when the city refused to promise she would not have to work next to the men in the future. "We are thrilled for our client that the federal appellate court saw how badly she was treated and created two new and well-founded precedents while sending her case back to the district court for a trial," said Kelsi Stayart White, the AZA appellate lawyer who argued the case. The trial will be handled by AZA co-founder Joe Ahmad and associate Jordan Warshauer. The court said the male firefighters' conduct was "disgraceful" and is actionable under Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act. The court noted the City of Houston conceded at oral argument that Abbt's work environment was subjectively hostile. The opinion is Melinda Abbt v. City of Houston, Case No. 21-20085. AZA, or Ahmad, Zavitsanos, Anaipakos, Alavi & Mensing P.C., is a Houston-based law firm that is home to true courtroom lawyers with a formidable track record in complex commercial litigation, including energy, healthcare, intellectual property, and business dispute cases. AZA is recognized by Chambers USA 2021 among the best in Texas commercial law and intellectual property; by U.S. News Best Lawyers' Best Law Firms as one of the country's best commercial litigation firms for nine years running; has been named Litigation Department of the Year by Texas Lawyer; and was previously dubbed by Law360 a Texas Powerhouse law firm. Contact: Mary Flood 713-857-6560 [email protected] SOURCE Ahmad, Zavitsanos, Anaipakos, Alavi & Mensing P.C. (AZA) Global distribution agreement with Saladax Biomedical brings antipsychotic therapeutic drug monitoring assays to Beckman Coulter customers BREA, Calif., March 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Beckman Coulter, a global clinical diagnostics leader, announces it will introduce new antipsychotic drug tests to laboratories and clinicians to address an unmet clinical need for 69 million people with serious mental conditions worldwide. In a new agreement with Saladax Biomedical, Inc., Beckman Coulter will distribute the tests designed to measure blood levels of antipsychotic drugs prescribed to treat patients with serious mental illness (SMI), such as Schizophrenia and Bipolar Disorder. These new assays are developed using an innovative nanoparticle technology and empower health care professionals with data to monitor psychiatric drugs prescribed in treatment of psychosis: Clozapine, Risperidone/Paliperidone, Olanzapine, Quetiapine, Aripiprazole. The rapid, high-quality assays run on Beckman Coulter's scalable AU clinical chemistry analyzers and shorten turnaround time for patient test results to hours instead of days leading to greater success managing and monitoring treatments for inpatients and outpatients. Serious mental illness is a significant public health concern. Worldwide 45 million1 people are affected by bipolar disorder and 24 million2 people are living with schizophrenia. Patients with untreated schizophrenia or bipolar may experience increased intensity of symptoms which could be disabling, potentially resulting in additional medical care or could lead to suicide.3,4 These new assays assist healthcare professionals evaluate patient treatment adherence and individual patient drug response. Kathleen Orland, senior vice president & general manager, clinical chemistry and immunoassay, Beckman Coulter, says: "Beckman Coulter's portfolio of therapeutic drug monitoring assays offers laboratories and diagnostic testing facilities ways to improve patient care by ensuring therapeutic ranges are monitored. Our relationship with Saladax expands access for laboratories and clinicians to antipsychotic drug testing for treatment of psychotic disorders, which is a growing healthcare need."5 Sal Salamone, CEO and Founder, Saladax, says: "Our partnership with Beckman Coulter is a major step in making these important antipsychotic tests available to health care professionals. These tests provide timely quantitative insights so they can make reliable assessments that will improve the care of patients with serious mental illness." Assays are being introduced across Europe and the United States, with plans to expand to Beckman Coulter customers globally. Please contact your Beckman Coulter sales representative or distributor for information about this product and availability in your region.6 For more information about Beckman Coulter's Antipsychotic Drug Testing addition to Therapeutic Drug Monitoring, visit www.beckmancoulter.com/antipsychotic. About Beckman Coulter, Inc. Beckman Coulter is committed to advancing healthcare for every person by applying the power of science, technology, and the passion and creativity of our teams to enhance the diagnostic laboratory's role in improving healthcare outcomes. Our diagnostic systems are used in complex biomedical testing and found in hospitals, reference laboratories, and physician office settings around the globe. Beckman Coulter offers a unique combination of people, processes, and solutions designed to elevate the performance of clinical laboratories and healthcare networks. We do this by accelerating care with a menu that matters, bringing the benefit of automation to all, delivering greater insights through clinical informatics, and unlocking hidden value through performance partnership. A subsidiary of Danaher Corporation since 2011, Beckman Coulter, Inc. is headquartered in Brea, Calif., and has more than 11,000 global associates working diligently to make the world a healthier place. About Saladax Biomedical, Inc. Headquartered in Bethlehem, PA, Saladax Biomedical, Inc. is a privately held company that develops, manufactures, and markets assays that provide rapid therapeutic drug levels for essential and life-saving medicines prescribed by psychiatrists and oncologists. Since 2007, Saladax's proprietary technology has been used in clinical laboratories or point-of-care settings to assist clinicians in monitoring and optimizing patient care. Additionally, the company collaborates with leading pharmaceutical companies to develop tests for clinical trials and companion diagnostics. For more information, visit MyCareTests.com. 2022 Beckman Coulter. All rights reserved. Beckman Coulter, the stylized logo, and the Beckman Coulter product and service marks mentioned herein are trademarks or registered trademarks of Beckman Coulter, Inc. in the United States and other countries. 1 GBD 2017 Disease and Injury Incidence and Prevalence Collaborators. (2018). Global, regional, and national incidence, prevalence, and years lived with disability for 354 diseases and injuries for 195 countries and territories, 19902017: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017. The Lancet. DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(18)32279-7) 2 https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/schizophrenia 3 https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/schizophrenia 4 https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/bipolar-disorder#part_2264 5 Therapeutic Drug Monitoring Market by Product, End-user, Drug Class, and Geography - Forecast and Analysis 2020-2024. https://www.technavio.com/report/therapeutic-drug-monitoring-market-industry-analysis 6 CE Marked. Some tests are not yet available for sale in the U.S. and have not yet been cleared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Global market does not currently include China, Hong Kong or Macao. SOURCE Beckman Coulter Diagnostics STAFFORD, Va., March 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Chenega Applied Solutions (CAS), a subsidiary of Chenega Corporation's Military, Intelligence, and Operations Support (MIOS) Strategic Business Unit and the Cyber Bytes Foundation (CBF), a 501(c)3 organization working to establish a sustainable cyber community through education, innovation, and outreach programs, are proud to announce their partnership to develop a showcase software factory at the Quantico Cyber Hub called "Nebula." The goal of Nebula is to become a "birthplace" of software factories throughout the Department of Defense (DoD) and the US Government (USG) by providing a fully operational software factory with best-in-class tools, development platforms, and cloud access for Government programs to come up with successful "Proofs of Concepts (POCs)" and "Minimal Viable Products (MVPs)" free of charge to help fuel-inject the Government's innovation progress. The Nebula Software Factory Since 2017, Chenega Applied Solutions has become a leader in Department of Defense's (DoD's) budding DevSecOps movement by providing fully managed turn-key software factories and innovation environments to notable DoD programs such as Kessel Run, LevelUP, and Project Synergy, through its innovative Modernization as a Service (MaaS) offering. Using their best-in-class MaaS capability, Chenega Applied Solutions will be building the Nebula Software Factory on the second floor of the Cyber Bytes Foundation's Quantico Cyber Hub, which hosted its Grand Opening in September 2021. The Quantico Cyber Hub (QCH) is the largest Cyber Security Center of Excellence in a Virginia HUBZone. It was designed as an agnostic "Cyber Domain Ecosystem," making it the perfect place for CAS to showcase the state-of-the-art software factories produced by MaaS for the DOD around the country. Current projects being worked on at the QCH include the Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with the U.S. Marine Corps as well as projects with the Department of Homeland Security, and Department of State. "Cyber Bytes Foundation is committed to bringing technology and solutions to the Warfighter at the local, State, Federal and DoD levels at the speed of Innovation," says Jonathan Payton of the Cyber Bytes Foundation. "The Nebula Software Factory, in partnership with Chenega Applied Solutions, is the latest representation of that commitment." The Nebula Software Factory will support QCH's mission of being a place where subject matter experts come together with processes and capabilities to customize solutions to accelerate the implementation of Advanced Cyber Technologies through experimentation, innovation, research, and application. CAS will provide all aspects of a modern software factory, including but not limited to computers, hardware, software, furniture, and collaboration equipment. Additionally, CAS has partnered with Cornerstone to provide free access to their cutting edge TruStacks DevSecOps Orchestration Platform, a deployable "software factory in a box" providing full end-to-end DevSecOps orchestration. Further partners include Insight Public Sector, Red Hat, and GitLab as contributors to the development platform. "True to its name, we want Nebula to be the birthplace of software factories for the DoD and USG. Despite all the press and attention, the DevSecOps movement within the DoD and USG is currently a disrupter movement and needs more support. Our goal with Nebula is to provide a place where foundling, bootstrap software development groups across the DoD and USG can come, free of charge, to use the best-in-class tools and technologies, create meaningful MVPs, and get the proof of concepts they need to go back to their leadership and say 'This works! Look what we can accomplish if we leverage the right tools and methods! Support this!'" says Mike Masten, Vice President of Operations for CAS and founder of MaaS. If you work within a government or DOD agency and would like to be considered as a beta user group for the Nebula Software Factory please fill out the form linked here. Both CAS and CBF are committed to providing a top-of-the-line cyber ecosystem at the Quantico Cyber Hub and look forward to sharing the process of building the Nebula Software Factory. Follow along on the Chenega Applied Solutions Linkedin and Cyber Bytes Foundation's social channels as well. A grand opening is expected in May 2022. About Cyber Bytes Foundation: The Cyber Bytes Foundation (CBF) is a 501(c)3 organization working to establish and sustain a unique "Cyber Ecosystem" to produce education, innovation, and outreach programs to enhance developers for the cyber workforce. About Chenega Applied Solutions: Chenega Applied Solutions (CAS) is an Alaska Native-Owned Company operating under Chenega Corporation's Military, Intelligence, and Operations Support (MIOS) Strategic Business Unit. For the better part of a decade, CAS has served federal agencies and the DOD as trusted advisors in IT, Records Management, Language Services, and more. CAS is proud to now support the DOD in its efforts to modernize through Modernization as a Service (MaaS). Contact Information: Chenega Applied Solutions Caleb Thompson 202.602.2039 [email protected] Cyber Bytes Foundation Jonathan Payton [email protected] SOURCE Chenega Applied Solutions NEW YORK, March 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Klein Law Firm announces that a class action complaint has been filed on behalf of shareholders of Clarivate Plc (NYSE: CLVT) alleging that the Company violated federal securities laws. Class Period: February 26, 2021 to December 27, 2021 Lead Plaintiff Deadline: March 25, 2022 No obligation or cost to you. Learn more about your recoverable losses in CLVT: https://www.kleinstocklaw.com/pslra-1/clarivate-plc-loss-submission-form?id=24638&from=4 Clarivate Plc NEWS - CLVT NEWS CLASS ACTION CASE DETAILS: The filed complaint alleges that Clarivate Plc made materially false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (i) Clarivate maintained defective disclosure controls and procedures as a result of a material weakness in its internal control over financial reporting; (ii) the foregoing material weakness was not limited to how the Company accounted for warrants; (iii) as a result, Clarivate failed to properly account for an equity plan included in its acquisition of CPA Global, a global leader in Intellectual Property software and tech-enabled services; (iv) accordingly, the Company was reasonably likely to restate one or more of its previously issued financial statements following its acquisition of CPA Global; and (v) as a result, the Company's public statements were materially false and misleading at all relevant times. WHAT THIS MEANS TO YOU AS A SHAREHOLDER: If you have suffered a loss in Clarivate you have until March 25, 2022 to petition the court for lead plaintiff status. Your ability to share in any recovery doesn't require that you serve as a lead plaintiff. NO COST TO YOU: If you purchased Clarivate securities during the relevant period, you may be entitled to compensation without payment of any out-of-pocket fees. HOW TO PROTECT YOUR FINANCIAL INTERESTS: For additional information about the CLVT lawsuit, please contact J. Klein, Esq. by telephone at 212-616-4899 or click this link: https://www.kleinstocklaw.com/pslra-1/clarivate-plc-loss-submission-form?id=24638&from=4 ABOUT KLEIN LAW FIRM J. Klein, Esq. represents investors and participates in securities litigations involving financial fraud throughout the nation. The Klein Law Firm is a boutique litigation firm with experience in a wide range of areas including securities law, corporate finance and commercial litigation. Since 2011, our experienced attorneys have achieved superior results for our clients with a personalized focus. Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes. CONTACT: J. Klein, Esq. Empire State Building 350 Fifth Avenue 59th Floor New York, NY 10118 [email protected] Telephone: (212) 616-4899 www.kleinstocklaw.com SOURCE The Klein Law Firm Firm formerly known as Prime Locations Cayman to now operate as Corcoran Cayman Islands NEW YORK, March 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Corcoran Group, LLC today announced its continued expansion by welcoming its latest Caribbean affiliate with the launch of Corcoran Cayman Islands, owned and led by Paul Young. The announcement, made by Pamela Liebman, President and CEO of The Corcoran Group, marks another milestone for the firm's global footprint. A British territory made up of three diverse islands in the western Caribbean Sea, the Cayman Islands are known for stunning beach resorts, a variety of scuba activities, and world-class deep sea fishing excursions. The islands are also widely recognized as the birthplace of recreational diving in the Caribbean, and a top choice for diving holidays. Known also for its consistently incredible weather, the Cayman Islands are a perfect fit for Corcoran's continued expansion. "Our presence in the Caribbean is extremely important as we continue to grow our global footprint, and this arrival into the Cayman Islands is no exception," said Liebman. "The importance that Paul and his team have placed on teamwork and a tight-knit working environment are invaluable, and perfectly in-line with our values at Corcoran. I'm pleased to welcome Corcoran Cayman Islands to our robust network and I'm confident that they will help us attract more U.S.-based buyers to the region." The firm formerly known as Prime Locations Cayman was founded in 2016 by Young. Located in the heart of Seven Mile Beach on Grand Cayman, the team recently moved into a new office at The Grove, which also serves as a sales gallery. Born in Canada, Young started his sales-oriented career in the 1980s, and his journey has taken him through several start-ups and experiences with notable area developers. He is also the sole shareholder and a member of CIREBA (Cayman Islands Real Estate Brokers Association) since 2002. The Corcoran Cayman Islands team prides themselves on their local connections and deep community roots, which will ensure they continue to create optimal client experiences with every transaction. "We are a company that operates on three important principles: product knowledge, communication, and follow-through. These cornerstones ultimately translate into a very positive, trusting experience for our clients," said Young. "The Cayman luxury property market, as well as our high quality of life and infrastructure, position us as one of the premier destinations for Caribbean real estate. We look forward to introducing clients to the many compelling opportunities now available through the wider Corcoran network." About The Corcoran Group The Corcoran Group has been a leading residential real estate brand for nearly 50 years. Through its New York City, Hamptons, and South Florida brokerages, along with its rapidly growing affiliate network, the firm is home to more than 160 offices and more than 5,700 independent salespersons in key urban, suburban, and resort markets nationwide. Corcoran agents earn and keep their clients' trust with an unwavering commitment to white-glove service, expertise, and integrity. In every market served, Corcoran helps you find the home that's just right for you. The Corcoran brand comprises both offices owned by a subsidiary of Realogy Brokerage Group LLC and franchised offices, which are independently owned and operated. For more information about The Corcoran Group, please visit www.corcoran.com. SOURCE The Corcoran Group Named after Barbara Cox, the late co-owner of Cox Enterprises and daughter of the company's founder, this honor is awarded to women who demonstrate business leadership and community advocacy, and a commitment to advancing the automotive industry. The winner was announced by Cox Automotive President Steve Rowley at the Northwood University Dealer Education Awards Breakfast at the NADA Show in Las Vegas on Saturday, March 12. "With this award, we affirm the importance of inclusion, diversity and equity at Cox Automotive," said Rowley. "We choose one of our clients to receive this award that shares the traits and accomplishments of the late Barbara Cox of being a strong, skilled and determined woman who cares about people, her business and her community. It is my honor to recognize Chrissy Taylor as the 2022 Barbara Cox Woman of the Year." "I am truly honored to receive the Barbara Cox Woman of the Year Award," said Taylor after receiving the award. "Like Cox Automotive, we are committed to the advancement of women in the mobility industry and giving back to our communities. I am even more thrilled that as part of this recognition, a deserving student will also be recognized for her leadership as she pursues her own career in our industry." Taylor joined Enterprise Rent-A-Car's renowned Management Training Program in 2000. She held numerous roles throughout the business before relocating to London in 2006 to develop the Enterprise Rent-A-Car rental business in several new European markets. In 2008, she returned to St. Louis and held various leadership roles within diverse areas of the business before being promoted to Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer in 2016 and President in 2019. She succeeded Pam Nicholson as CEO in January 2020. Taylor sits on the CEO Board for the U.S. Travel Association (USTA) and is a member of the Business Roundtable. She also serves on the Crawford Group Board of Directors and several local St. Louis boards and committees, including the Crawford Taylor Foundation. In addition to presenting the award to Taylor, Cox Automotive will present on behalf of the honoree the 2021-2022 Barbara Cox Memorial Scholarship of $10,000 to Madison Kolich, a Northwood University senior studying automotive marketing and management. Kolich, who is originally from Escanaba, Mi., will graduate in May. While at Northwood University, she was involved in Business Professionals of America (BPA), the Northwood University International Auto Show, Northwood's Fashion Show, and "NU" Auto a club designed to develop the future leaders of the automotive industry through transformational experiences, advanced technology, and the power of connections. Cox Automotive is accepting applications for the 2023 Barbara Cox Woman of the Year Award. Learn more and nominate a female leader in the automotive industry: https://www.coxautoinc.com/about-us/diversity/barbara-cox-woman-year-award/ About Cox Automotive Cox Automotive Inc. makes buying, selling, owning and using vehicles easier for everyone. The global company's more than 27,000 team members and family of brands, including Autotrader, Dealer.com, Dealertrack, Kelley Blue Book, Manheim, NextGear Capital, VinSolutions, vAuto and Xtime, are passionate about helping millions of car shoppers, 40,000 auto dealer clients across five continents and many others throughout the automotive industry thrive for generations to come. Cox Automotive is a subsidiary of Cox Enterprises Inc., a privately-owned, Atlanta-based company with annual revenues of nearly $20 billion. www.coxautoinc.com SOURCE Cox Automotive 'Common Data Sense for Professionals' Explains Data Science in a Simplified, Elegant and Fresh Approach with a "Conversation" Theme Between Two Fictional Business Professionals BOSTON, March 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Data science visionary, professor and process engineering leader, Rajesh Jugulum, Ph.D., today announced the release of Common Data Sense for Professionals, a step-by-step guide outlining data science approach so that "regular" business professionals can understand and implement data-based solutions quickly and easily without hesitation or fear. The process illustrated in Common Data Sense for Professionals empowers individuals to solve data-related challenges, making it one of the few resources available highlighting the need for making data science available to everyone. Common Data Sense for Professionals simplifies the concepts of data science into easily digestible phases through a "conversation" between two fictional business professionals. And to further clarify, Common Data Sense for Professionals presents a case study outlining business challenges for a fictional restaurant, and then succinctly outlines how powerful data science methods can be applied. "H.G. Wells predicted, 'Statistical thinking will one day be as necessary for efficient citizenship as the ability to read and write.' And now, whether we realize it or not, data is an intrinsic part of our daily lives. We are working with data from the time we wake up to the time we rest. And data is now the most valuable resource in the world," said Jugulum. "The goal of this book is to empower individuals to adapt to data-based thinking and solve data-related problems confidently and efficiently and realize that anyone can become their own version of a data scientist. If this is accomplished, then this book will have served its purpose." The foreword for Common Data Sense for Professionals is written by Thomas C. Redman, Ph.D., a world-renowned leader and pioneer in the data science community and known as the 'data-doc.' Redman said, "Rajesh's book stems from the premise that data science is not some sort of black magic reserved for those with advance degrees. Rather, it is for everyone. Nor is data science simply a collection of techniques for combining through data. Rather it is a way of thinking; a way of articulating problems; gathering, organizing and analyzing relevant data; reaching fresh conclusions; and putting those conclusions to work. There is a method to the madness and a process for doing this work that practically anyone can learn and follow." The book is now available on amazon.com. ABOUT RAJESH Rajesh Jugulum, Ph.D., is a data science, analytics, and process engineering leader. He has vast experience in these areas and held executive positions in large corporations related to healthcare and finance. Before joining industry, Rajesh was at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), where he was involved in research in the area of robust design. Currently, Rajesh is on the Board of a cloud-based data science/analytics firm. He also teaches at Northeastern University, Boston as an affiliate professor. Rajesh is the author/co-author of several papers and five books including books on robust quality, data quality, and design for lean six sigma. Rajesh also holds two US patents. Rajesh is a Fellow of American Society for Quality (ASQ) and his honors include ASQ's Feigenbaum Medal and International Technology Institute's Rockwell Medal. Media Inquiries: Christine McCullough [email protected] WHAT OTHERS HAVE TO SAY ABOUT COMMON SENSE FOR DATA PROFESSIONALS: "Rajesh takes a fresh approach to describing the importance of data and data-based thinking. I think it is unique and most helpful that he is able to simplify the topic of data science. Once simplified, we are all able to think about the importance of using data more clearly to solve problems." DON CALLAHAN, EXECUTIVE CHAIRMAN, TIME "Jugulum's book addresses two important trends in data science: adopting a process approach and democratizing the process. Appropriate for the topic, it addresses the issues in an accessible, conversational fashion. It's a rare book that is both easy and important to read." THOMAS H. DAVENPORT, DISTINGUISHED PROFESSOR, BABSON COLLEGE AND AUTHOR OF COMPETING ON ANALYTICS AND THE AI ADVANTAGE "A fresh approach to data science, making the concepts clear through an informal conversational style. This book simplifies this critical approach in business and makes it understandable to the layperson, even without a mathematical background" DESH DESHPANDE, ENTREPRENEUR, LIFE MEMBER MIT CORPORATION "The book stems from the premise that data science is not some sort of black magic reserved for those with advanced degrees. Rather, it is for everyone. Nor is data science simply a collection of techniques for combing through data. Rather, it is a way of thinking; a way of articulating problems; gathering, organizing, and analyzing relevant data; reaching fresh conclusions; and putting those conclusions to work." THOMAS C. REDMAN, "THE DATA DOC" "In his book, Rajesh Jugulum walks the readers through the 'analytic thinking' required for generating insights for informed decision making. Through a systematic approach that includes formulating problems, structuring data collection, and analyzing relevant data, he shows how one can easily solve data science problems. Addressing the topics in the form of a conversation between a mentor and a mentee engages readers. It is a must-read for anyone interested in becoming a data scientist" RAJ ECHAMBADI, PRESIDENT, ILLINOIS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY "In this book, Rajesh finds a very systematic way to understand the problem at hand and methodically steps through relevant data collection and a structured way to solve the problem. He uses a conversational method to introduce complex concepts that makes it easy to understand. A must read for anyone who wants to understand data science" GYAN DWIBEDY, CHIEF DATA AND ANALYTICS OFFICER, MOLINA HEALTHCARE "Data has become one of the most valuable resources we have in the Information Age. Until now, the ability to extract the real value contained within this resource has been limited to a rare group of data scientists and PhDs. In Common Data Sense for Professionals, Jugulum demystifies the effective analysis of data in a way that democratizes it making it possible for a wide range of roles and personas to make informed business decisions" CHARLIE GUYER, FOUNDER, GUYER GROUP "Data science and analytics can be an overwhelming and complex topic to many readers, yet, in his book, Rajesh is able to break this down into very digestible concepts. The book follows the interaction and conversation between the two main characters, all the while delivering a foundational approach to data analysis and problem solving. A fast, enjoyable read, this book really helps to shed light on how easy it is to apply data science to solving everyday problems" DAN DUZAN, MD, BOARD CERTIFIED INTERNIST/HOSPITALS "Rajesh outlines a clear process approach to analyze data and make results available. Once data scientists and 'non data scientists' alike understand the results, a conversation leading actionable decisions can be made. Great read" MARK PRINCE, MD MBA, DIRECTOR OF INPATIENT GASTROENTEROLOGY, GI HOSPITAL GROUP "Data science has made great strides in helping businesses solve important problems. But still, too often business people and data scientists have a hard time working together because they come from two very different worlds. The fanciful perception of data science and AI as 'magic wands' which can be waved at problems to solve them hasn't helped. In Common Data Sense for Professionals, Rajesh Jugulum has de-mystified data science for non-technical people. His focus on problem-solving with sound process management practices places data science in its proper placeas a vast and useful toolkit that, properly used, can work wonders." HEATHER H. WILSON, CEO, CLARA ANALYTICS "Rajesh Jugulum has produced a gem! In the Overview, he states: 'The goal of this book is to help regular people feel at ease, in order for them to use databased thinking and solve data-related problems.' He has thoroughly succeeded! Through the use of a hypothetical, conversational case study, much in the vein of The Goal, Jugulum demonstrates that data science is not limited to 'specialists' with advanced degrees, but is rather a way of thinking that is needed by everyone. I particularly applaud his emphasis on carefully understanding the problem one is trying to solve before jumping into analysis; a critical point often overlooked in the technical literature. Highly recommended." ROGER HOERL, BRATE-PESCHEL ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF STATISTICS, UNION COLLEGE SOURCE "While it lacks the hype of 'Machine Learning' and 'Artificial Intelligence', understanding the potential for Data Science to extract insights from structured and unstructured data is critical to virtually every skilled occupation, and to every investor. By adopting a conversational approach, Rajesh introduces data science in an informal yet informative manner and brings the field comfortably within the reach of readers without an engineering, maths, or computer science background." GARETH GENNER, CEO AND GROUP GENERAL COUNSEL, TRUST STAMP "Dr. Jugulum brings deep knowledge of data science and analytics to anyone interested in understanding the 'why' and 'how' of data analytics. Common Data Sense for Professionals shows through example how data science should be approached and why it is necessary to solve common business problems in today's economic climate. Those who do not understand and practice data analytics are doomed to business failure in our increasingly connected world. Dr. Jugulum clearly shows us the path to success regardless of the type of business we are conducting. This book should be required reading for all business operators, both large and small" JULIANNA LINDSEY MD MBA, CEO/CMO, RADIANT PRECISION MEDICINE "Now more than ever, we need to be guided by data, science, and facts to make informed decisions. In his new book, Common Data Sense for Professionals, Rajesh Jugulum seeks to demystify the world of data science for the layperson. As Thomas Redman notes in the Foreword to the book, 'Slowly perhaps, but inexorably, data are invading every aspect of our personal, public, and business lives.'. This book represents a helpful step forward for those seeking to understand the role of data science in the world today" RANDY BEAN, AUTHOR OF FAIL FAST, LEARN FAST: LESSONS IN DATA-DRIVEN LEADERSHIP IN AN AGE OF DISRUPTION, BIG DATA, AND AI, FOUNDER AND CEO, NEWVANTAGE PARTNERS LLC "I was delighted by how clearly Rajesh demystifies the practice of data science and dismantles the misconceived notion that all data science must be difficult or complex. The casual, conversational narrative quickly held my attention while providing a stage for exploring real world applications. As a data science practitioner, I use data in every aspect of my professional life to solve business problems. After reading Common Data Sense for Professionals, I'm reminded that not every problem we, as individuals, face is business related. With the vast access individuals have to data recording devices in the present day, or even plain paper and pencil, the process Rajesh outlines can be applied just as easily at home to improve every aspect of our lives where a problem can be found" CHRISTOPHER HEIEN, SENIOR DATA SCIENTIST, EVERNORTH "Solving problems and answering questions through analysis is typical procedure in data science. Data science involves experimenting by constructing models to predict outcomes or discover new information. Do you want to explore the realm of the latest developments in the data world? Are you considering a career in which data science is significant? Do you want to expand your knowledge? Whatever your purpose, in his book 'Common Data Sense for Professionals -Process Oriented Approach for Data Science Projects', Rajesh Jugulum has given us an interactive simple discourse to help non-technical consumers comprehend the use of data in overcoming real life challenges" AHMED ANKIT, DEAN, SCHOOL OF BUSINESS AND QUALITY MANAGEMENT, HBMSU, DUBAI "I don't know how many times in my career I have heard 'if I could only do what the big corporations do and apply that to my small business I could really grow'. Rajesh has done that here. He has taken data science down to a level that anyone can use. He has helped eliminate the 'If I could only'" SANDRA HARRY, CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD, DR. MIKEL J HARRY SIX SIGMA MANAGEMENT INSTITUTE INC., CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, THE GREAT DISCOVERY, LLC Media Inquiries: Christine McCullough [email protected] + 1 714 206 9800 SOURCE Dr. Rajesh Jugulum Texas National Bank looks outside their core for a modern banking platform to help launch their direct digital bank. HUTCHINSON, Kan., March 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Banks typically work exclusively with one core provider who delivers innovative business solutions for the bank and the bank's customers. Less typical is for a bank to utilize two cores, operating independently of each other, to serve different lines of business, but this is exactly the approach Texas National Bank, a $170 million bank headquartered in Sweetwater, is pursuing by adding Data Center Inc. as a core partner for their direct digital bank. DCI and Texas National Bank partner to launch Bankers Lender, TNB's new direct digital bank tailored to bankers. Texas National Bank President and CEO, Mike Fernandez, knew that the future of his bank would be dependent on pursuing growth in an innovative way. "We are geographically constrained for branch growth, and the economy is not as strong in our markets as it is in other areas which presents headwinds to growth and obtaining new business. The traditional solution to this problem is to look for an acquisition opportunity, whole bank or branch, or to make a de novo market entry, but those solutions are incredibly expensive, especially compared to the direct digital bank approach," Fernandez explained. "We Turned to Bankers Helping Bankers" "When first exploring the idea of a direct digital bank, we contacted our current core provider, and while they are a great vendor for our main bank processing, they were simply unable to confidently assist us in creating a solution for our direct digital bank needs. This forced us to look for other options and solutions." Fernandez details how they consulted with the "very visible" cores, but determined they weren't the right fit either. "Eventually," Fernandez continued, "we turned to Bankers Helping Bankers [a new, bankers only, platform designed for collaboration and communication among bankers]. They listened to our problem and connected us with Data Center, Inc." "What most people don't realize about DCI is that we have been working with banks who are exploring Fintech solutions that fall outside the "normal" banking model for close to a decade," explains DCI Senior Vice President of Digital Channels, Tanna Faulkner. "Our offerings and integrated systems are a perfect match for what Mike and his institution are looking to accomplish. These innovative solutions and uncommon collaborations are exactly what will save and secure community financial institutions for years to come, and that's why DCI is eagerly seeking these types of partnerships." It became apparent to both parties, after the initial meetings, that DCI's progressive and modern services were going to help Texas National make their idea a reality. "I knew DCI was the right choice, not just because their technology beat out everyone else, but when Tanna asked to see our business plan, I knew we weren't just another contract to them and that they really were invested in helping us succeed. We had a partner, not just a provider," Fernandez explains. The result, Bankers Lender, a direct digital bank tailored to bankers and delivered through a digital platform. Application, approval, and movement of funds will take place all online and all through one source. Fernandez and his team anticipate an April launch with initial customer offerings of: Unsecured revolving lines of credit; Unsecured closed-end loans; Secured revolving lines of credit; Secured closed-end loans; and Demand deposit accounts "We have a rich history of supplying bankers with deposit and loan services in our geographic area, and Bankers Lender will further enhance our reach and reputation," explains Fernandez. "This venture is coming to fruition because we found the right partner who also sees the gap this service fills and supplies the necessary tools to make the program run with an attractive interface for our customers." For DCI, this project falls directly in line with their culture and vision of securing a future for community financial institutions. "When they came back around with their plan and specific target audience, we were thrilled with the concept. It's imperative that community banks help one another, even as customers. We are incredibly excited to see where this takes Texas National Bank and we are proud to collaborate with them," Faulkner weighs in with her own excitement. DCI and Texas National are in the middle of implementation with plans to launch Bankers Lender in April of this year, and while the approach may be uncommon, both parties believe one of the most dangerous phrases in business is "we've always done it this way." Progress is rarely made by using ideas from the past, and this project is a potential blueprint for how others can take steps forward in the community banking industry. Contact: Sheila Lucia Marketing Specialist DCI [email protected] 620.694.1179 SOURCE Data Center Inc. Recognition honors companies demonstrating exceptional leadership and a commitment to business integrity through best-in-class ethics, compliance, and governance practices NEW YORK and TRIESTE, Italy, March 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- illycaffe, a global leader in sustainable high-quality coffee, has been recognized by Ethisphere, a global leader in defining and advancing the standards of ethical business practices, as one of the 2022 World's Most Ethical Companies. illycaffe has been recognized for ten consecutive years and is the only Italian company being honored this year, among a total of 136 honorees recognized spanning 22 countries and 45 industries. "Our commitment to ethical business practices is part of the company's heritage from its beginnings, and we continue on a path of leadership for the entire coffee industry, which places ethics as an essential component of our sustainable business model," said Andrea Illy, President and Chairman of illycaffe s.p.a. "The milestone of reaching our tenth year of being recognized among the World's Most Ethical Companies following our recent certification as a B-Corp, are significant accomplishment for illy, but it is imperative that we propel forward and set our sights on accomplishing even more like carbon neutrality and being a catalyst for positive action to mitigate the impacts of climate change." "Today, business leaders face their greatest mandate yet to be ethical, accountable, and trusted to drive positive change," said Ethisphere CEO, Timothy Erblich. "We continue to be inspired by the World's Most Ethical Companies honorees and their dedication to integrity, sustainability, governance, and community. Congratulations to illycaffe for earning the World's Most Ethical Companies designation for a tenth consecutive year." Methodology & Scoring Grounded in Ethisphere's proprietary Ethics Quotient, the World's Most Ethical Companies assessment process includes more than 200 questions on culture, environmental and social practices, ethics and compliance activities, governance, diversity, and initiatives to support a strong value chain. The process serves as an operating framework to capture and codify the leading practices of organizations across industries and around the globe. Honorees The full list of the 2022 World's Most Ethical Companies can be found at https://worldsmostethicalcompanies.com/honorees. About illycaffe illycaffe is an Italian family business, founded in Trieste in 1933 and committed to offering the greatest coffee to the world. It produces the unique illy 100% Arabica blend made of 9 of the world's best selections of Arabica; each day more than 8 million cups are consumed in over 140 countries in the finest cafes, restaurants, hotels and in offices and homes. Thanks to its innovations, it contributes to technological advancement in the coffee sector. With the bestowing of the first "Ernesto Illy Award for quality espresso coffee" in 1991 in Brazil, illy also pioneered sharing know-how and paying a premium price for the best quality. Since 2017, through its "Ernesto Illy International Coffee Award", the company celebrates the growers of the world's best batches of sustainable coffee. Since 2013 illycaffe has regularly featured on the list of the World's Most Ethical Companies. In 2019 illy renewed its commitment to pursuing a sustainable business model combining environmental and social issues by adopting Societa Benefit [benefit corporation] status and including this commitment in its by-laws. In 2021 illy was the first Italian coffee company to obtain B Corp international certification thanks to its commitment to abiding by the highest environmental and social performance standards. The company also founded its University of Coffee with the aim of fostering and spreading its culture, providing comprehensive academic and hands-on training for coffee growers, baristas and coffee lovers in order to cover every aspect of the product. Everything 'made in illy' is enhanced by beauty & art, which represent founding values of the brand, starting from its logo designed by an artist, James Rosenquist and including the renowned illy Art Collection, decorated by over 100 international artists. In 2020 the company was employing 1291 people and posted consolidated revenues of 446.5 million. There are 261 stores and mono-brand illy shops in more than 40 countries. In 2021 Rhone Capital became a minority shareholder of illycaffe to assist the company with its international growth. About Ethisphere Ethisphere is the global leader in defining and advancing the standards of ethical business practices that fuel corporate character, marketplace trust and business success. Ethisphere has deep expertise in measuring and defining core ethics standards using data-driven insights that help companies enhance corporate character and measure and improve culture. Ethisphere honors superior achievement through its World's Most Ethical Companies recognition program and provides a community of industry experts with the Business Ethics Leadership Alliance (BELA). More information about Ethisphere can be found at: https://ethisphere.com. SOURCE illycaffe "Turning Red" (PG) is an animated coming-of-age fantasy comedy film that champions the story of a teenage girl, Meilin "Mei" Lee, who is navigating the expectation to remain her mother's dutiful daughter during the chaos of adolescence. Her protective, if not slightly overbearing mother, Ming (voice of Sandra Oh), is never far from her daughteran unfortunate reality for the teenager. And as if changes to her interests, relationships, and body weren't enough, whenever she gets too excited (which is practically ALWAYS), she "poofs" into a giant red panda! "Turning Red" streams exclusively on Disney+ on March 11, 2022. To learn more about Domee Shi's personal story and inspiration, Jon M. Chu, an acclaimed filmmaker himself ("Crazy Rich Asians" and "In the Heights"), sits down with her to discuss favorite foods and snacks at Pixar's campus in an interview that's available on Weee!'s YouTube channel , as well as live on Weee!'s app. To give fans an opportunity to recreate the meals from "Turning Red" (PG) in their own homes, Weee! collaborated with Pixar to create three recipes inspired by the movie. From Meilin Lee Smiley-Face Congee, to Mom's After School Bao, to Dad's Famous Stir-Fry, fans who want to try these recipes can purchase all needed ingredients directly from Weee!, and create culinary memories at home that add another dimension to the movie experience. Weee! is also the ultimate snacking destination for hard-to-find treats that the entire family can enjoy. "Weee! is thrilled to team up with Pixar to celebrate "Turning Red," said Jon M. Chu, Chief Creative Officer at Weee!. "It is exciting to see Asian food and culture represented in such a creative and inspiring way. We are happy to be able to bring the experience off the screen and into people's homes through heart-warming recipes and the inspiring interview with director Domee Shi, the first Asian woman to direct a Pixar movie. We believe in the power of telling stories around how people share food, celebrate traditions, and experience culture and appreciate the opportunity to work with others that share that passion such as Pixar." About Weee! Inc. Weee! is the leading Asian and Hispanic e-grocer in the U.S., delivering more than 10,000 locally sourced and hard-to-find goods from around the globe directly to customers. Founded in 2015 and headquartered in Fremont, California, Weee! is on a mission to enable affordable access to groceries for every home in North America while setting a new standard for freshness and value. By leveraging social e-commerce and proprietary forecasting technology, the company continues to redefine online grocery shopping. Since its inception, Weee! has received $835M+ in funding from Arena Holdings, Blackstone, DST Global,Goodwater Capital, Greystone Capital, iFly.vc, Lightspeed Ventures, SoftBank Vision Fund 2, Tiger Global, VMG, and XVC. For more information, please visit www.sayweee.com/en or follow us on Instagram , TikTok , and Twitter . About Disney and Pixar's Turning Red: Disney and Pixar's "Turning Red" introduces Mei Lee (voice of Rosalie Chiang), a confident, dorky teenager torn between staying her mother's dutiful daughter and the chaos of adolescence. Her protective, if not slightly overbearing mother, Ming (voice of Sandra Oh), is never far from her daughteran unfortunate reality for the teenager. And as if changes to her interests, relationships and body weren't enough, whenever she gets too excited (which is practically ALWAYS), she "poofs" into a giant red panda! Directed by Academy Award winner Domee Shi (Pixar short "Bao") and produced by Lindsey Collins "Turning Red" releases on Disney+ on March 11, 2022. Disney+ Subscription Required. Must be 18+ to subscribe. Press Contact [email protected] SOURCE Weee Explorer Surgical's innovative procedural playbooks, telementoring and performance tracking tools help providers and medical device companies better collaborate and drive procedural efficiencies and repeatable processes to enhance patient outcomes. In fact, a recent study from the Journal of Pediatric Orthopaedics cites "...the COVID-19 pandemic and its related countermeasures have had significant impacts on pediatric orthopaedic practice and increased uptake of technology to provide care continuity." The impact the pandemic has had on this specialty demonstrates the immense need for technological integrations that can make procedures more efficient and teachable to give children optimal care and better outcomes. "We believe the Explorer Surgical platform will modernize the way our clinical and field sales teams train and support surgeons and OR staff," said Pega Medical VP of Product Development and Marketing Fady Rayes. "With clinical personnel located all over the world, the Explorer Surgical platform gives us the ability to connect and collaborate remotely and in real-time, providing our team with greater flexibility and efficiency, particularly when we are not on-site for a live case. Our primary focus is on the outcomes for the children receiving our implants and Explorer Surgical will be a tremendous asset in advancing our work." "Extending the highest quality care and the best possible outcome to all patients is at the heart of our mission, but it's especially important for children as they are one of the most vulnerable patient populations," said Explorer Surgical General Manager and Co-founder Jennifer Fried. "As a parent myself, there are few things as rewarding as helping a child live a fuller, healthier life. We are honored to help Pega Medical in its quest to put state-of-the-art technologies in the hands of surgeons who understand the unique complexities in caring for children." To learn more, join Pega Medical at booth #3663 (South Building) and Explorer Surgical at booth #118 (South Building) at the 2022 American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons (AAOS) Annual Meeting, taking place March 22-26 at the McCormick Place in Chicago. About Explorer Surgical Explorer Surgical, a GHX company, is dedicated to relentlessly innovating and developing scalable digital technologies to put best practices in the hands of all procedural teams. As a leader in creating state-of-the-art solutions, our cutting-edge, cloud-based, digital platform empowers medical device companies to disseminate procedural best practices and remotely connect with providers in real-time. Our goal is to demystify the black box of the operating room with an on-demand procedure playbook, real-time video collaboration and performance tracking tools to support medical device companies, accelerate product adoption, reinforce techniques, and support successful outcomes. Founded in 2015, Explorer Surgical started as a research project at the University of Chicago Medical Center in the Department of Surgery by Jennifer Fried and Dr. Alex Langerman. Dr. Langerman is a speaker and author on surgical ethics, video and data recording in the operating room, operating room efficiency and clinical care of head and neck cancer patients. Today, the company has a global reach and counts some of the world's top 10 largest medical device companies as part of its growing customer base. For more information or to schedule a demo of Explorer Live's platform, visit www.explorersurgical.com or follow us on LinkedIn. About Pega Medical Pega Medical is a company specializing in the design, development, evaluation and manufacturing of medical devices. Our innovative staff of bioengineers, industrial designers and ergonomists utilizes full 3-D modeling, Finite Element Analysis, static and fatigue testing equipment to bring the highest quality products and designs to both the surgeon in particular and the healthcare industry in general. Our dedication over the last two decades to pediatric orthopedics has led us to be the first medical device manufacturer fully devoted to the development of specialty orthopedic implants for children. To learn more, visit www.pegamedical.com Media Contact: Jordyn Comitor 847-504-6935 [email protected] SOURCE GHX WASHINGTON, March 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Ferguson, a leading value-added distributor in North America providing expertise, solutions, and products from infrastructure, plumbing and appliances to HVAC, fire, fabrication and more, and Uponor North America, a global pioneer in intelligent plumbing and climate solutions, have both announced their continued support for the International Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Foundation's (IWSH) Community Plumbing Challenge (CPC) program, the most recent of which begins today in Lowndes County, Alabama. IWSH's latest CPC effort is a collaboration with the Black Belt Unincorporated Wastewater Program (BBUWP) and LIXIL to provide plumbing repairs and upgrades for five homes and develop a framework for ongoing plumbing industry support to the BBUWP. The weeklong project will address a critical issue for public health and safety in the surrounding community, where many low-income homeowners are unable to afford an on-site sewage disposal system, instead resorting to straight piping, which releases sewage above ground. In cooperation with its nearest branch in Montgomery, Alabama Ferguson is generously donating all necessary plumbing products for the project, while Uponor is providing monetary support toward the new program. "It's unfathomable to think about the more than 2 million Americans living without access to clean water and proper sanitation," said Denise Vaughn, Ferguson's vice president of Environmental, Social & Governance (ESG). "We are honored to partner with IWSH, Uponor and LIXIL, along with many talented and kind plumbers, to bring this project to life in Alabama. This is just the beginning and we know that, with the leadership and vision of IWSH, change is on the horizon for many other communities, too." "We are honored to be able to support IAPMO/IWSH in their important work alongside a valued partner like Ferguson," said Ingrid Mattsson, director of Brand and Sustainability for Uponor North America. "Uponor has a long history of supporting plumbers in their role of providing health and safety to the nation and I'm happy to hear that Lowndes County, Alabama, will benefit from this collaboration." IWSH greatly appreciates the support and sponsorship of a multitude of leading plumbing industry organizations, from sectors including labor, manufacturing and supply. More details of current IWSH Global Partnerships may be found at https://iwsh.org/iwsh/get-involved/sponsors. "Bringing together the expertise of the plumbing industry to address this need demonstrates our commitment to begin to solve a long-standing issue in Lowndes County," said IWSH North American Program Director Jed Scheuermann. "We are grateful to Ferguson, LIXIL, Uponor and United Association locals in Alabama who join us in our latest Community Plumbing Challenge. Despite various challenges, we team up with support and guidance from community and state officials. Given March 11 is World Plumbing Day, our CPC could not be more perfectly timed to draw attention to how plumbers protect the health of the world!" The International Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Foundation (IWSH) is the philanthropic arm of the International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials (IAPMO). For more information, visit www.iwsh.org. SOURCE IWSH "Darkness is the absence of light and evil is the absence of God. With the miraculous gift of these rosaries from these beacons of light with prayer, love, and hope, we will pierce the darkness and inspire the leaders of our world to reject evil and move closer to God," said Bob Unanue, President and CEO of Goya Foods. With the help of Global Empowerment Mission (GEM), Goya Foods, through Goya Europa, its European facilities in Spain, and Goya Gives global initiative, the company will continue to distribute hundreds of thousands of pounds of food, water, and supplies as needed to Ukraine and Poland, where many refugees are fleeing. With the gift of these rosaries from faithful Americans, Goya seeks to fulfil Goya Cares' mission to nourish the soul. To learn more about Goya, please visit: www.goya.com About Goya Foods: Founded in 1936, Goya Foods, Inc. is America's largest Hispanic-owned food company, and has established itself as the leader in Latin American food and condiments. Goya manufactures, packages, and distributes over 2,500 high-quality food products from Spain, the Caribbean, Mexico, Central, and South America. Goya products have their roots in the culinary traditions of Hispanic communities around the world. The combination of authentic ingredients, robust seasonings, and convenient preparation makes Goya products ideal for every taste and every table. For more information on Goya Foods, please visit www.goya.com. For more information, contact: Natalie J. Maniscalco 845.659.6506 /[email protected] SOURCE Goya Foods, Inc. The CandE Awards Recognize Organizations That Deliver Exceptional Candidate Experiences SAN FRANCISCO, March 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Talent Board , a non-profit organization focused on the elevation and promotion of a quality candidate experience through its annual recruiting and hiring industry benchmark research, today announced Gem , a talent engagement platform that helps companies attract, nurture, and hire top talent, has returned as a Platinum sponsor for this year's 2022 Candidate Experience (CandE) Awards global benchmark research program . Gem Talent Board and the Candidate Experience Awards "We're grateful for the continued support of Gem. They are committed to building talent acquisition solutions that simplify workflows and automate tasks so recruiting teams can better nurture relationships," said Kevin Grossman, Talent Board president. "Gem also understands that a quality candidate experience makes all the difference in recruiting and hiring." The annual Talent Board candidate experience benchmarking and awards program offer employers in North America; Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA); Asia-Pacific (APAC); and Latin America, a risk-free and confidential opportunity to learn how an organization's candidate experience practices compare to those of their peers while obtaining anonymous feedback from their candidates. Employers will also gain insight into the latest tools and strategies for optimizing the recruiting process. The largest study of its kind, the Talent Board benchmark research program has evaluated responses from over 1,200 global employers and 1.25 million job seekers since 2011. To participate and qualify, each company has to commit to a statistically significant candidate response, and the proportion of respondents not hired also has to exceed a set standard. Registration for the 2022 CandE Benchmark Research Program is now open . "At Gem, we're big believers that the ability to meet your hiring goals is directly tied to the strength of your candidate experience, which is why we're proud to support an organization like Talent Board. Their mission of helping the industry improve through data and benchmarking is well-aligned with ours, and we are delighted to return as a sponsor for the CandE awards again this year," said Gem CEO Steve Bartel. Additional information about the 2022 Talent Board Candidate Experience Awards Benchmark Research Program can be accessed here . About Gem Gem is a talent engagement platform that enables talent acquisition teams to attract and nurture top talent. It works alongside LinkedIn and other places that recruiters source, while integrating with Gmail, Outlook, and your ATS. Gem's customers are savvy recruiting teams from industry-leading companies like Twilio, Robinhood, Lyft, and Cisco who understand that getting the best talent in the market is key to maintaining their competitive advantage. With $148M in funding led by ICONIQ, Greylock, and Accel at a $1.2B valuation, Gem has become one of the fastest-growing SaaS companies at its scale. In the last year, the company tripled ARR, made Y Combinator's Top Companies list, and was recognized as a great place for career growth and diversity by Comparably. About Talent Board Founded in 2011, Talent Board and the Candidate Experience Awards is the first non-profit research organization focused on the elevation and promotion of a quality candidate experience. Talent Board delivers annual recruiting and hiring industry benchmark research that highlights accountability, fairness and the business impact of candidate experience. More information can be found at https://www.thetalentboard.org . Media Contact: Kevin Grossman 831-419-6810 [email protected] SOURCE Talent Board NEW YORK, March 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Polaris Market Research recently published a research report on "Battery-free Sensors Market Share, Size, Trends, Industry Analysis Report, By Frequency (Low, High, Ultra High), By Industry (Automotive, Logistics, Healthcare, Food & Beverages, Oil & Gas, IT & Telecommunications, Others); By Sensor; By Region; Segment Forecast, 2022 - 2030" in its research database. According to research report published by Polaris Market Research, the global Battery-free Sensors Market size expected to reach to USD 284.69 Million by 2030 from USD 32.30 Million in 2021, at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 28.0% during forecast period 2022 to 2030. Battery-free sensors are sensors that do not include batteries and are commonly used in different sectors, smart homes, and consumer electronics. The sensors are used for measuring, assessing, and detecting characteristics such as temperature, distance, heat losses, sound, vibration, humidity, and pressure. In the logistics industry, they are used to reduce the risk of inventory loss during shipment. They are also used to perform low-intensity IoT (Internet of Things) operations as they offer efficient flexibility. These sensors rely on electromagnetic waves received from connected, powered devices. Major companies are heavily investing in developing battery-free sensors. As compared to battery-powered gadgets, battery-free sensors consume relatively little power as they have the ability to transform waves into energy to power themselves. The battery-free sensors market is anticipated to generate moderate revenue in the coming years. The industry is expected to produce modest revenue for key players in the coming years. Request Sample Copy of Battery-free Sensors Market Research Report @ https://www.polarismarketresearch.com/industry-analysis/battery-free-sensor-market/request-for-sample Key Aspects Covered By Report: Analysis and research of the global battery-free sensors market status and future forecast, involving, production, revenue, consumption, historical and forecast. Key manufacturers along with their production, revenue, market share, and recent development. Breakdown data by regions, type, manufacturers, and applications Qualitative and quantitative analysis of the global battery-free sensors market The global and key regions market potential and advantage, opportunity, challenge, drivers, restraints, and risks. Competitive developments such as expansions, agreements, new product launches, and acquisitions in the global battery-free sensors market. Top Global Market Players Are: Axzon Bridg Inc. DCO Systems Ltd Distech Controls Enocean Gmbh Everactive Farsens Fuji Electric Co. Ltd. General Electric Inductosense Ltd. Infineon Technologies AG ON Semiconductor Phase Iv Engineering Powercast Corp. Texas Instruments Inc Request for Discount on this Report Before Purchase @ https://www.polarismarketresearch.com/industry-analysis/battery-free-sensor-market/request-for-discount-pricing Some of The Key Questions From Our Customers Are: Which are the five top players of the global battery-free sensors market? How will the market change in the next five years? What are the drivers and restraints of the battery-free sensors market? Which regional market will show the highest growth? What will be the CAGR and size of the battery-free sensors market throughout the forecast period? Which area offers the most significant benefit for the world market? What are the threats to business and the impact of the current scenario on growth and market perception? What are the likely advanced scenarios and maximum incentive to see movement by application, type, and region? Directly Purchase a copy of report with TOC @ https://www.polarismarketresearch.com/checkouts/12161 Battery-Free Sensors: Growth Drivers: Increase in government initiatives to promote smart city projects the surge in the utilization of battery-free sensors and wireless battery-free sensors across industrial applications are projected to drive the battery-free sensor market growth in the future. These sensors are also used in the healthcare industry to make available a simple battery-free platform for constant monitoring of physiological health. The rapidly increasing use of RFID technology instead of a battery in automotive, healthcare, consumer electronics, and many other industries is the major contributor to the growth of the overall battery-free sensor market. Moreover, the rising adoption of the battery-free sensor in the automotive sector to increase efficiency & productivity is also projected to open up lucrative opportunities for the growth of the battery-free sensor market. The growing development of low-cost and highly reliable sensors, which has led to the surge in the use of sensing technologies in IoT applications is one of the factors fueling the market growth. These sensors are widely used in IoT devices among various industries such as healthcare, automotive, consumer electronics, and retail. Enquire more about this report before purchase @ https://www.polarismarketresearch.com/industry-analysis/battery-free-sensor-market/inquire-before-buying (You may enquire a report quote OR available discount offers to our sales team before purchase.) Global Battery-Free Sensors: Market: Report Scope Report Attribute Details Market Size 2021 Value USD 32.30 Million Market Outlook for 2030 USD 284.69 Million Expected CAGR Growth 28.0% from 2022 - 2030 Base Year 2021 Forecast Year 2022 - 2030 Top Market Players Axzon, Bridg Inc., DCO Systems Ltd, Distech Controls, Enocean Gmbh, Everactive, Farsens, Fuji Electric Co., Ltd., General Electric, Inductosense Ltd., Infineon Technologies AG, ON Semiconductor, Phase Iv Engineering, Powercast Corp., and Texas Instruments Inc. Segments Covered By Frequency, By Sensor, By Industry, By Region Geographies Covered North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America and Middle East & Africa Customization Options Customized purchase options are available to meet your research needs. Explore customized purchase options Battery-Free Sensors: Market: Key Segmentation Insight by Frequency On the basis of frequency, the market is segmented into low frequency, high frequency, ultra-high frequency. The ultra-high frequency segment witnessed the largest market share in the global battery-free market in 2021. Most battery-free sensor manufacturers use ultra-high frequency sensors for a variety of applications. UHF sensors have significantly longer read ranges (up to 20 feet) compared to low-frequency and high-frequency sensors. They can also be placed on metal, thereby beneficial for a variety of Industries. These factors are majorly contributing to the growth of UFH battery-free sensors. Similarly, high-frequency sensors have a significant market share due to the high deployment of these sensors in medical devices, smartphones, and the supply chain industry. Insight by Industry On the basis of industry, the market is sub-segmented into automotive, logistics, healthcare, oil & gas, food & beverages, IT & telecommunications, and others. In these segments, the automotive business segment is anticipated to register the largest share during the forecast period in the battery-free sensors market. Automobile manufacturers worldwide are rapidly adopting battery-free sensors for automating and improving their production lines. These sensors also have the ability to predict and prevent equipment failure by improving the performance and efficiency of assets and equipment reducing maintenance costs. Geographic Overview: Battery-Free Sensors Market Geographically, the battery-free sensors market in APAC is expected to progress at the highest CAGR during the forecast period. The important factors favoring the expansion of the battery-free sensors market in this area include growing industrialization, the surge in usage of predictive maintenance technologies, and growing competitive pressure to obtain operational efficiency. The transfer of production plants led to the increase of manufacturing operations in Asian countries with low labor costs, such as China, India, and South Korea. This is the major factor contributing to the need for battery-free sensors in Asia. However, the COVID-19 outbreak had a slight impact on the battery-free sensors market. The manufacturing of batteries was significantly disrupted in China and other Asian countries following the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to the shutdown of operations in these countries. Browse the Detail Report "Battery-free Sensors Market Share, Size, Trends, Industry Analysis Report, By Frequency (Low, High, Ultra High), By Industry (Automotive, Logistics, Healthcare, Food & Beverages, Oil & Gas, IT & Telecommunications, Others); By Sensor; By Region; Segment Forecast, 2022 - 2030" with in-depth TOC: https://www.polarismarketresearch.com/industry-analysis/battery-free-sensor-market For Additional Information OR Media Enquiry, Please Mail Us At: [email protected] The battery-free sensors market is primarily segmented on the basis of frequency, sensor, industry, and region. Battery-Free Sensors Market: By Frequency Outlook Low Frequency High Frequency Ultra-High Frequency Battery-Free Sensors Market: By Sensor Outlook Temperature Humidity/Moisture Pressure Motion and Position Light Others Battery-Free Sensors Market: By Industry Outlook Automotive Logistics Healthcare Oil & Gas Food & Beverages IT & Telecommunications Others Explore the Latest Market Research Reports by PMR: Automotive Sensor Market By Sensors Type (Pressure, Speed, Temperature, Position, Oxygen, Inertial, Image, Others); By Vehicle Type (Passenger Vehicles, Commercial Vehicles); By Application (Safety and Security, Emission Control, Engine and Drivetrain, Others); By Region, Segments & Forecast, 2018 2026 Radar Sensor Market By Type (Imaging Radar Sensor, Non-Imaging Radar Sensor) By Range (Short-Range Radar Sensor, Medium-Range Radar Sensor, Long-Range Radar Sensor) By Component (Transmitter, Receiver, Processor, Antenna, Video Amplifier) By End-User (Aerospace & Defense, Automotive, Security & Surveillance, Industrial), By Regions, Segments & Forecast, 2018 - 2026 Actigraphy Sensors and PSG Devices Market Share, Size, Trends, Industry Analysis Report, By Product Type (Actigraphy Devices; Polysomnography Devices); By Technology; By Regions; Segment Forecast, 2020 2027 PPG Biosensors Market Share, Size, Trends, Industry Analysis Report, By Product (Pulse Oximeters, Smart Watches, Smart Wrist Bands, Others); By Application; By Region; Segment Forecast, 2021 2028 Aircraft Sensors Market Share, Size, Trends, Industry Analysis Report, By Aircraft Type (Narrow-body, Wide-body, Regional, General Aviation, Helicopter, UAV, Military); By Sensor; By Application; By End-Use, By Region; Segment Forecast, 2021 - 2028 About Polaris Market Research Polaris Market Research is a global market research and consulting company. The company specializes in providing exceptional market intelligence and in-depth business research services for our clientele spread across different enterprises. We at Polaris are obliged to serve our diverse customer base present across the industries of healthcare, technology, semi-conductors and chemicals among various other industries present around the world. We strive to provide our customers with updated information on innovative technologies, high growth markets, emerging business environments and latest business-centric applications, thereby helping them always to make informed decisions and leverage new opportunities. Adept with a highly competent, experienced and extremely qualified team of experts comprising SMEs, analysts and consultants, we at Polaris endeavor to deliver value-added business solutions to our customers. Contact Us: Likhil G 30 Wall Street 8th Floor, New York City, NY 10005, United States Phone: +1-929 297-9727 Email: [email protected] Web: https://www.polarismarketresearch.com Follow US: LinkedIn | twitter SOURCE Polaris Market Research PUNE, India, March 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Since the outbreak of COVID-19 in December 2019, the disease has spread to nearly 100 countries, forcing the World Health Organization to designate it as a public health emergency. When compared to the normal population, some cancer patients have a higher risk of infection due to their immunosuppressed condition. Immunosuppression may also expose cancer patients to major consequences from infections, resulting in treatment delays and unnecessary hospitalizations that may have a poor impact on disease prognosis in the early stages. Efforts to prevent the spread of COVID-19 included steps to reduce in-person visits between patients and physicians around the world. Among these, there was an increase in the use of telemedicine, which, according to some studies, can be just as beneficial as in-person meetings. Major market players are also applying innovative approaches in the current pandemic and boosting cancer-related research and treatment, which is contributing for the upsurge in the global compounding chemotherapy market. Read our 420+ pages report on Global Compounding Chemotherapy Market published by Absolute Markets Insights Cancer, bone marrow diseases, immune problems, and other conditions that require chemotherapy treatment are becoming more common in the recent years. A growth in population and an increase in the incidences of such diseases is propelling the demand for compounding chemotherapy market. Cancer is the largest cause of mortality worldwide, accounting for approximately 10 million deaths in 2020, or nearly one in every six deaths, according to the World Health Organization. In 2020, the leading causes of cancer death were lung (1.80 million deaths), colon and rectum (916 000 deaths), liver (830 000 deaths), stomach (769 000 deaths), and breast (769 000 deaths) (685 000 deaths). Compounding requires expertise, which can only be provided by the best professionals. However, as technology advances, automated compounding devices are bringing about a shift in the market. Compounded drugs are prescription-based customized doses in which different chemicals are combined in the exact strength and dosage form required by a particular patient. ARxIUM provides unrivaled technology and expertise to pharmacies of all sizes and types, with the main goal of improving safety, productivity, and efficiency. ARxIUM's RIVA utilizes the same highly accurate gravimetric readings for all drugs. Furthermore, the airflow within RIVA for the preparation of chemotherapeutic medications is negatively pressured and ventilated externally via HEPA filters. These techniques protect pharmacy personnel from the acute and long-term hazards associated with dangerous chemotherapeutic medications. Get PDF sample report with related graphs & charts (Pre & post COVID-19 impact analysis): https://www.absolutemarketsinsights.com/request_sample.php?id=1094 Key Findings of Global Compounding Chemotherapy Market: In terms of revenue, global compounding chemotherapy market was valued at US$ 523.87 Mn in 2021 growing at a CAGR of 6.12% over the forecast period (2022 2030). in 2021 growing at a CAGR of 6.12% over the forecast period (2022 2030). The gravimetric segment accounted for the the highest market share in 2021 and is predicted to be the fastest emerging segment during the forecast period owing to the continuous adoption of new techniques in the compounding chemotherapy market and rising demand from the end-users. Gravimetric is a new technique for oncology that uses computer-aided technology, with software coupled with electronic balances in the isolators. This procedure is used to ensure that proper amount of drugs and diluent are added to the preparation. Chemotherapeutic dosage type accounts for the largest share of the compounding chemotherapy market in 2021. The increased efficacy of chemotherapy medicines is driving the market growth. Most chemotherapies are potent medications with a very restricted dose range for safety and effectiveness. Taking too little of a medicine will not effectively treat cancer, while taking too much may result in life-threatening side effects. As a result, physicians must carefully calculate chemo doses. The overall dose may be dependent on a person's body weight and body surface, and also the dosage of chemo differs for children and adults. Hospitals and clinics segment recorded the highest share of the market in 2021. The significant revenue of this segment is due to factors such as the availability of all treatment facilities in hospitals and clinics, as well as the advantageous reimbursement scenario in most developed economies. Asia Pacific region is expected to witness the highest growth rate during the forecast years in the global compounding chemotherapy market. The region's growth is attributed to the increasing population, increasing adoption of advanced technologies, and supportive government regulations in major economies such as China , India , and Japan . Furthermore, increasing cases of cancer in the developing economies in this region are expected to contribute to the growth of the compounding chemotherapy market. Speak to our analyst in case of queries before buying this report: https://www.absolutemarketsinsights.com/enquiry_before_buying.php?id=1094 Global Compounding Chemotherapy Market Research Scope: Base Year 2021 Historic Years 2015 - 2020 Forecast Years 2022 - 2030 Segments Covered By Offering, Dosage, Type, Technology, End Users Quantitative Units Revenue in USD Million/Billion (2015 2030) and CAGR from 2022 to 2030 Regions Covered North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa Countries Covered U.S., Canada, Mexico, Rest of North America, France, The UK, Spain, Germany, Italy, Nordic Countries, Benelux Union, Rest of Europe, China, Japan, India, New Zealand, Australia, South Korea, Southeast Asia, Rest of Asia Pacific, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Kuwait, South Africa, Rest of Middle East & Africa, Brazil, Argentina, Rest of Latin America Companies Profiled ARxIUM, B. Braun Melsungen AG, Baker, Baxter, COMECER S.p.A., Dedalus S.p.A., Equashield LLC., Grifols International, S.A, Icon Group, ICU Medical, Omnicell, Other Market Participants Report Coverage Market Determinants and Influencing Factors, Macro-Economic and Micro-Economic Indicators, Market Dynamics (Drivers, Restraints, Opportunities Challenges), Trends, Exclusive Details on the Effect of the Pandemic, Porter's Five Forces Analysis, Competitor Profiles and Landscape, Company Market Share Analysis, Product Benchmarking Customization Scope We offer the feasibility of customizing the reports specific to regions which will cover exclusive insights on regions and its respective countries. Unlock customized purchase options to meet your specific research needs. Add-Ons We offer our report in different languages which include German, French, Spanish, Japanese and Korean amongst others. Request for customization to meet your precise research requirements: https://www.absolutemarketsinsights.com/request_for_customization.php?id=1094 Absolute Markets Insights has segmented the global compounding chemotherapy market based on offering, dosage, type, technology, end-users, and region. Global Compounding Chemotherapy Market Offering Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2015 - 2030) Products Services Global Compounding Chemotherapy Market Dosage Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2015 - 2030) Chemotherapeutic Non-Chemotherapeutics Global Compounding Chemotherapy Market Type Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2015 - 2030) Gravimetric Volumetric Global Compounding Chemotherapy Market Technology Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2015 - 2030) With Robotic Arms Without Robotic Arms Global Compounding Chemotherapy Market End-Users Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2015 - 2030) Hospitals and Clinics Cancer Treatment Centers Others View our exclusive press releases on Industry Global News24 Global Compounding Chemotherapy Market Regional Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2015 - 2030) North America Europe Asia Pacific Middle East and Africa and Latin America Purchase the latest in-depth Global Compounding Chemotherapy Market Report @ https://www.absolutemarketsinsights.com/checkout?id=1094 Browse more trending reports by Absolute Markets Insights: Global mRNA Vaccines Market In terms of revenue, the global mRNA vaccines market is growing at a CAGR of 19.76% over the forecast period (2021 2029). In terms of revenue, the global mRNA vaccines market is growing at a CAGR of 19.76% over the forecast period (2021 2029). Global Pediatric Radiology Market Absolute Market Insights reports, the global pediatric radiology market is likely to grow at 7.5% CAGR during the 2021-2029 period, and reach a valuation of US$ 13835.84 Mn by 2029. Absolute Market Insights reports, the global pediatric radiology market is likely to grow at 7.5% CAGR during the 2021-2029 period, and reach a valuation of by 2029. Global Oncology Pharmaceuticals Market Absolute Market Insights reports, the global oncology pharmaceuticals market is likely to grow at 11.9% CAGR during the 2021-2029 period, and reach a valuation of US$ 439.87 Bn by 2029. Absolute Market Insights reports, the global oncology pharmaceuticals market is likely to grow at 11.9% CAGR during the 2021-2029 period, and reach a valuation of by 2029. 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About Us: Absolute Markets Insights assists in providing accurate and latest trends related to consumer demand, consumer behaviour, sales, and growth opportunities, for the better understanding of the market, thus helping in product designing, featuring, and demanding forecasts. Our experts provide you the end-products that can provide transparency, actionable data, cross-channel deployment program, performance, accurate testing capabilities and the ability to promote ongoing optimization. From the in-depth analysis and segregation, we serve our clients to fulfill their immediate as well as ongoing research requirements. Minute analysis impact large decisions and thereby the source of business intelligence (BI) plays an important role, which keeps us upgraded with current and upcoming market scenarios. Contact Us: Contact Name: Shreyas Tanna Company: Absolute Markets Insights Email Id: [email protected] Phone: IN +91-7400-24-24-24, US +1-510-420-1213 Website: www.absolutemarketsinsights.com SOURCE Absolute Markets Insights NEW YORK, March 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- There's a new top dog in town! This past year, the Golden Retriever took Denver's top spot in the American Kennel Club's (AKC) 2021 ranking of the most popular AKC-recognized dog breeds in the U.S. The Golden Retriever was also recognized as the #1 pup in Nashville, TN and Boston, MA. The Golden Retriever is not the only one to shake up the top ten most popular breeds. German Shepherd Dogs, Poodles, and Rottweilers are all moving up the charts as well as the Pembroke Welsh Corgi, which broke into the top ten in 2021. "The trends that we're seeing in Denver are similar to the national trend, as we see the Poodle climb up the charts nationally as well." said AKC Executive Secretary Gina DiNardo. "It's no surprise the Pembroke Welsh Corgi is climbing in popularity as well. It's a good family dog and responds well to training." Denver's top 5 breeds for 2021: 1. Golden Retriever 2. Labrador Retriever 3. French Bulldog 4. German Shepherd Dog 5. Bulldog * Registration data pulled from Denver zip codes as specified by U.S. Postal Service The AKC also announced its nationwide rankings today at a virtual press conference at the AKC Museum of the Dog in NYC. No one can keep the Lab down! The ever-popular Labrador Retriever is the nation's favorite dog for the 31st consecutive year. While the loveable Lab remains a constant at the top of the charts, the Poodle has pawed its way back into the top five after 24 years, bumping the perennial favorite Bulldog out for the first time in almost a decade. The Bulldog has been a fixture among the top five most popular breeds since 2012. Most Popular Breeds of 2021 1. Labrador Retriever 2. French Bulldog 3. Golden Retriever 4. German Shepherd Dog 5. Poodle Get social with the AKC! Join us on Facebook and Twitter. About the American Kennel Club Founded in 1884, the American Kennel Club is a not-for-profit organization, which maintains the largest registry of purebred dogs in the world and oversees the sport of purebred dogs in the United States. The AKC is dedicated to upholding the integrity of its registry, promoting the sport of purebred dogs and breeding for type and function. Along with its more than 5,000 licensed and member clubs and its affiliated organizations, the AKC advocates for the purebred dog as a family companion, advances canine health and well-being, works to protect the rights of all dog owners and promotes responsible dog ownership. More than 22,000 competitions for AKC-registered purebred and mixed breed dogs are held under AKC rules and regulations each year including conformation, agility, obedience, rally, tracking, herding, lure coursing, coonhound events, hunt tests, field and earthdog tests. Affiliate AKC organizations include the AKC Humane Fund, AKC Canine Health Foundation, AKC Reunite and the AKC Museum of the Dog. For more information, visit www.akc.org. AKC, American Kennel Club, the American Kennel Club seal and design, and all associated marks and logos are trademarks, registered trademarks and service marks of The American Kennel Club, Inc. Become a fan of the American Kennel Club on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter @AKCDogLovers SOURCE American Kennel Club NEW YORK, March 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Boston loves its Golden Retrievers. The breed took Boston's top spot in the American Kennel Club's (AKC) 2021 ranking of the most popular AKC-recognized dog breeds in the U.S. for the fourth year in a row. The Golden Retriever was also recognized as the #1 pup in Nashville, TN and Austin, TX. The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel broke into the top ten this year. The Toy breed moved up from the 11th spot in the previous year, knocking the Bernese Mountain Dog out of the ninth most popular breed spot. "Golden Retrievers are the quintessential dog breed." said AKC Executive Secretary Gina DiNardo. "While they were developed to be gundogs, they are the perfect family pet. In fact, you can't go wrong with any of the top ten breeds if you're looking to add a dog to your family." Boston's top 5 breeds for 2021: Golden Retriever Labrador Retriever French Bulldog German Shepherd Dog Pembroke Welsh Corgi * Registration data pulled from Boston zip codes as specified by U.S. Postal Service The AKC also announced its nationwide rankings today at a virtual press conference at the AKC Museum of the Dog in NYC. No one can keep the Lab down! The ever-popular Labrador Retriever is the nation's favorite dog for the 31st consecutive year. While the loveable Lab remains a constant at the top of the charts, the Poodle has pawed its way back into the top five after 24 years, bumping the perennial favorite Bulldog out for the first time in almost a decade. The Bulldog has been a fixture among the top five most popular breeds since 2012. Most Popular Breeds of 2021 1. Labrador Retriever 2. French Bulldog 3. Golden Retriever 4. German Shepherd Dog 5. Poodle Get social with the AKC! Join us on Facebook and Twitter. About the American Kennel Club Founded in 1884, the American Kennel Club is a not-for-profit organization, which maintains the largest registry of purebred dogs in the world and oversees the sport of purebred dogs in the United States. The AKC is dedicated to upholding the integrity of its registry, promoting the sport of purebred dogs and breeding for type and function. Along with its more than 5,000 licensed and member clubs and its affiliated organizations, the AKC advocates for the purebred dog as a family companion, advances canine health and well-being, works to protect the rights of all dog owners and promotes responsible dog ownership. More than 22,000 competitions for AKC-registered purebred and mixed breed dogs are held under AKC rules and regulations each year including conformation, agility, obedience, rally, tracking, herding, lure coursing, coonhound events, hunt tests, field and earthdog tests. Affiliate AKC organizations include the AKC Humane Fund, AKC Canine Health Foundation, AKC Reunite and the AKC Museum of the Dog. For more information, visit www.akc.org. AKC, American Kennel Club, the American Kennel Club seal and design, and all associated marks and logos are trademarks, registered trademarks and service marks of The American Kennel Club, Inc. Become a fan of the American Kennel Club on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter @AKCDogLovers SOURCE American Kennel Club The Peru portfolio is comprised of Marriott branded properties in irreplicable locations ranked best-in-class within their respective brands. They include Palacio del Inka Hotel, a Luxury Collection Hotel in Cusco, Tambo del Inka, A Luxury Collection Resort in Urubamba, Hotel Paracas, A Luxury Collection Resort, Aloft Lima Miraflores, AC Hotel Lima Miraflores and the Westin Lima Hotel & Convention Center. These properties join Highgate's current CALA portfolio, which includes a diverse collection of hotels and resorts including: The Ocean Club, a Luxury Collection Resort in Costa Norte, Dominican Republic, AC San Juan, Aloft Tulum in Mexico, Acoya Curacao Resort, the BRIX hotel, an Autograph Collection hotel in Port of Spain, Trinidad and the ROK hotel, a Tapestry Collection hotel in Kingston, Jamaica. Earlier this year, Highgate also announced that it had acquired and assumed management of the Embassy Suites by Hilton San Juan Hotel & Casino. To oversee the CALA portfolio, which spans 13+ countries including Aruba, Belize, Curacao, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Mexico, Peru, Puerto Rico, St. Lucia, Trinidad and Turks and Caicos, Highgate appointed Marco A. Selva, who recently joined as Senior Vice President of Luxury and Lifestyle Operations. "We are honored to be awarded the management of Urbanova's prestigious portfolio," said Arash Azarbarzin, CEO of Highgate. "There is an enormous opportunity for growth throughout Peru and we look forward to tailoring our hospitality style, activations and best-in-class revenue management to the needs of each region. With Marco at the helm of such an outstanding team and hotel collection, we will establish a new standard for hospitality management in the country. Travelers across the world are increasingly drawn to the beauty and cultural vibrancy of the Caribbean and Latin America, and Highgate will be at the center of the development of these world-class destinations." "Our search for a management firm drew a fiercely competitive field of prospective partners, but we knew that Highgate offered an owner-centric perspective and standard of excellence that is unparalleled," said Hugo Desenzani, CEO of Urbanova. "Our unique assets and fantastic talent under the management and leadership of Highgate will deliver incredible results and raise the hospitality bar in the region." About Highgate Highgate is a leading real estate investment and hospitality management company widely recognized as an innovator in the industry. Highgate is the dominant player in major U.S. gateway cities including New York, Boston, Miami, San Francisco and Honolulu, with a growing footprint in Europe, the Caribbean and Latin America. The hospitality forward company provides expert guidance through all stages of the property cycle, from planning and development through recapitalization or disposition. Highgate has a proven record of developing its diverse portfolio of bespoke lifestyle hotel brands, legacy brands, and independent hotels and resorts with contemporary programming and digital acumen. The company utilizes industry-leading revenue management tools that efficiently identify and predict evolving market dynamics to drive outperformance and maximize asset value. With an executive team consisting of some of the most experienced hotel management leaders, the company is a trusted partner for top ownership groups and major hotel brands. Highgate maintains corporate offices in New York, Dallas, London, Miami, Seattle and Waikiki. www.highgate.com. About Urbanova Urbanova is a Peruvian Real Estate group with approximately $2bn of Assets Under Management. Its irreplicable portfolio in premium locations combine over 170,000 Sq ft of prime office buildings, 5 shopping malls, the country's best hotel portfolio, and a vast landbank to be developed. Leveraging on its ability to develop and operate multiple asset classes, as well as an unparalleled local market knowledge, Urbanova has developed two clusters where Peruvians go to live, work and play. Its affiliate Intursa owns 9 hotels throughout Peru, including iconic city hotels such as the Westin Lima and JW Lima, luxury resorts in remote locations, historic hotels in Cuzco and a lifestyle select-service hotels in vibrant city boroughs. Urbanova Inmobiliaria SOURCE Highgate Holmes Murphy continues to flourish as one of the largest, privately held insurance brokerage firms in the country, and releases 2021-2022 Community Impact Report WAUKEE, Iowa , March 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Holmes Murphy is celebrating its 90th anniversary as an independent brokerage and innovative leader in the insurance industry with deep philanthropic roots embedded in the communities they serve. As an employee-owned and independent insurance brokerage firm, Holmes Murphy's continued growth stems from the company's commitment to care and dedication to the unique challenges of all clients in an ever-evolving industry. The 90th anniversary brings a chance for all Holmes Murphy team members to reflect on the company's impact around the nation. Founded in 1932 by Max L. Holmes during the Great Depression, Holmes Murphy is now one of the largest, independently owned insurance brokerages in the United States. Its founding principles and commitment to dynamic leadership, independent ownership, philanthropic giving, and relentless innovation continues to hold true today throughout the entire Holmes Murphy team, as illustrated by the company's co-founding and co-ownership of BrokerTech Ventures, the industry's first broker-led convening platform and accelerator program. "Being a private and growing insurance brokerage in an industry full of consolidation is something very unique and something to be extremely proud of," said Dan Keough, Holmes Murphy Chairman and CEO. "We would not be here without the dedication to excellence and continued care for our clients and communities from our employees and our leadership. The past 90 years is really something to celebrate, and I look forward to continuing to Care.Fully. for all those around us." Throughout the past several years, numerous independent insurance brokers have sold their companies, while Holmes Murphy has stayed keen on the values instilled in the company's foundational core, thus remaining independent and continuing to grow nearly a century later. As the commemoration of 90 years hits home, Holmes Murphy also established a brand refresh late last year which will continue to propel the company forward in leading the industry and emphasizing the company's greatest asset and its clients' greatest advocates Holmes Murphy employees. "Holmes Murphy has always been 'all in' when it comes to supporting our employees, clients, communities, and the industry. We wanted to reflect this, which is why our new .Fully brand evolution was created," said Keough. Holmes Murphy also remains committed to community service and philanthropy. As growth continues, Holmes Murphy understands the importance of continued focus on impacting all 13 communities in which the organization holds a geographic presence. Between 2019 and 2021, the Holmes Murphy Foundation has awarded more than $3,875,740 in Community Foundation, Direct Giving, and Employee Match dollars to the communities where its employees live, work, and play. The Holmes Murphy Foundation is committed to supporting organizations that help create a brighter future for families, friends, co-workers, clients, and partners in each of Holmes Murphy's markets across the country. Please click here for Holmes Murphy's 2021-2022 Community Impact Report. About Holmes Murphy "Caring for Your Unique Potential is Our Soul Purpose." That statement is the core of how we do business. We ask the tough questions, avoid the easy path, believe fully in caring for the unique challenges of our clients, impact the industry through innovation, and leverage our greatest assets the hearts and minds of our people to advocate on behalf of our clients. That's our approach to risk management and benefits consulting, and it's worked for us since our inception in 1932. As an independent brokerage, we serve clients in every industry and of almost every size, with the ultimate goal of providing exceptional service and caring for our clients' unique potential. We are also the co-founder and co-owner of BrokerTech Ventures, the industry's first broker-led convening platform and accelerator. For more information, visit www.holmesmurphy.com. You can also follow us on Twitter.com (@holmesmurphyins) or on Facebook, LinkedIn, or Instagram. Media Contact: Katie Burns 224.388.6445 [email protected] SOURCE Holmes Murphy CHICAGO, March 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- IES Abroad, a not-for-profit that provides premier study abroad and internship programs around the world, is excited to announce Seoul, South Korea as a new IES Abroad location starting in Fall 2023. Seoul is a dynamic metropolis where ancient history and modern life converge, offering everything from modern architecture and high-tech subways to Buddhist temples, palaces, and street markets, as well as a thriving arts and culture scene. IES Abroad is partnering with Yonsei University to offer the Seoul Direct Enrollment - Yonsei University Program. Tweet this Deoksugung Palace in Seoul, South Korea IES Abroad is partnering with Yonsei University, a prestigious private research university in Seoul, and trusted partner of IES Abroad's Study Abroad Foundation (SAF), to offer the Seoul Direct Enrollment - Yonsei University Program for Fall, Spring, and Academic Year terms. "Seoul is a highly sought-after location for tourism, business, and higher education and we are very excited to add this location to our program offerings," said Gregory D. Hess, Ph.D., President & CEO of IES Abroad. "We look forward to expanding our partnership with Yonsei University so that more students can benefit from this incredible institution. This partnership advances our commitment to offering worldwide experiential learning opportunities that set the highest standards of academic quality. It also provides an even greater opportunity to further the integration of more international students into all our programs." Overview Center Name: IES Abroad Seoul IES Abroad Seoul Direct Enrollment Partner: Yonsei University Yonsei University Program: Seoul Direct Enrollment - Yonsei University Seoul Direct Enrollment - Start Date: Fall 2023 Fall 2023 Terms: Fall (Late Aug Late Dec), Spring (Late Feb Late June) and Academic Year Fall (Late Aug Late Dec), Spring (Late Feb Late June) and Academic Year Housing : Residence Hall or Apartment : Residence Hall or Apartment IES Abroad Seoul On-Site Liaison: Suyeon Lee, University Relations & Counseling Manager of SAF Korea, will support both IES Abroad and SAF students alike on-site and closely partner with the Yonsei University to deliver quality programming Suyeon Relations & Counseling Manager of SAF Korea, will support both IES Abroad and SAF students alike on-site and closely partner with the to deliver quality programming Language & Courses: More than 500 courses in a wide variety of disciplines are offered in English to visiting students at Yonsei University . Additionally, students will have access to Korean language instruction through intensive courses offered through the Korean Language Institute at Yonsei University for those who meet requirements, and non-intensive courses offered through the university's Office of International Affairs Ms. Dongran Cho, Team Leader of International Affairs at Yonsei University, shared that Yonsei University is proud to be IES Abroad's first partner in Korea: "Yonsei has epitomized Korea's international education and exchange like IES Abroad. Based on this similar tradition of academic excellence, intercultural environment, and commitment to internationalization, Yonsei University continues to attract leading international students from across the globe. Also, Yonsei students will achieve more opportunities to study abroad through IES Abroad. We look forward to becoming an integral part of the IES Abroad family and watching our partnership prosper." Learn more about IES Abroad Seoul and sign up to receive updates on when the application is open, and other important details on the IES Abroad website. About IES Abroad Founded in 1950, IES Abroad is a global, not-for-profit academic consortium of more than 500 top-tier American colleges and universities. IES Abroad provides premier study abroad and internship programs around the world through IES Abroad, IES Internships, Customized & Faculty-Led Programs, and The Study Abroad Foundation. With more than 400 study abroad programs in 85 locations worldwide, the organization creates authentic global education opportunities for more than 10,000 students annually. IES Abroad has more than 140,000 alumni who have benefited from studying on IES Abroad programs since its inception and offers $6+ million in scholarships and aid. Learn more at www.IESabroad.org . SOURCE IES Abroad NEW DELHI, March 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- According to the study undertaken by Astute Analytica the Global Immune Health Products Market was valued at US$ 16,955.1 Million in 2021 and is forecasted to reach US$ 28,996.3 Million by 2027. The market is expected to register a CAGR of 9.4% during forecast period 2022-2027. The global immune health products market is driven by the increasing prevalence of chronic illness and rise in number of online shopping, internet penetration has led to growth in demand for immune products. Immunity boosting food products are also referred as immunity boosters, which are used to strengthen people's bodily immune systems. A healthy immune system protects the body by forming a barrier that prevents invaders or antigens from entering the body. If one slips through the barrier, the immune system produces white blood cells and other chemicals and proteins that target and destroy these foreign substances. Moreover, as individuals become more interested in personal fitness, there is a greater demand for immune-boosting products that include vitamins, herbal extracts, probiotics and other ingredients. Request a Sample Report of Immune Health Products Market: https://www.astuteanalytica.com/request-sample/immune-health-products-market The global immune health products market is driven by increasing prevalence of chronic disease such as diabetes, cancer and heart disease and rise in number of online shopping and penetration of internet has led to growth in demand for immune products. Also, there are major players across the globe who are focusing on the various strategies such as partnerships, mergers and acquisition, collaborations, advancements in products, expansion of plants and development of products among others which is boosting the market growth in the coming years. However, rise in number of counterfeit drugs due to lack of knowledge, consumer purchase counterfeit drugs on internet. Therefore, this rise in number of counterfeit drugs inhibit the immune health products market growth. Market Segmentation Plant based segment is estimated to have the highest market share in 2021 Based on source, the immune health products market is segmented into plant based, animal based and microorganism based. The plant-based segment is estimated to have the highest market share in 2021 primarily due to rise in demand for plant-based roots and tubers immune health products in the market. While, the microorganism based immune health products segment is expected to project the CAGR of 10.3% in immune health products market during the forecast period. Request Free Sample Copy @ https://www.astuteanalytica.com/request-sample/immune-health-products-market Semi-processed segment is expected to project the fastest CAGR in the Global Immune Health Products Market Based on processed type, the immune health products market is classified into raw, semi-processed, processed/packaged and frozen. The processed/packaged segment contributed the major share in the global immune health products market in 2021 owing to increased demand for the proper packaged products with detailed description. Tablets segment contributed the major share in the Global Immune Health Products Market in 2021 Based on form, the immune health products market is segmented into tablets, powder, liquid and others. Among these, tablets segment dominated the market due to its availability of perfect dosage as there is no requirement for measurement of dosage. The powder segment is expected to project the fastest CAGR of 10.4% in the global immune health products market. Vitamin segment contributed the major share in the Global Immune Health Products Market in 2021 Based on type, the immune health products market is segmented into vitamins, minerals, probiotics, omega-3 fatty acids, phytonutrients, amino acids and others. As individuals become more interested in personal fitness, there is a greater demand for immune-boosting products that include vitamins, herbal extracts, probiotics and other ingredients. Omega-3 Fatty Acids segment is projected to grow at the highest CAGR of 10.4% during the forecast period. Metabolism segment is expected to project the highest CAGR in the Global Immune Health Products Market during the forecast period Based on function, the immune health products market is segmented into fitness, anti-inflammatory, digestion, metabolism, disease prevention, personal protection and others. The fitness segment contributed the major share in the global immune health products market in 2021 due to rising interest for fitness among people. Online Stores segment holds the highest share and is projected to grow at a fastest CAGR during the forecast period Based on distribution channel, the immune health products market is segmented into medical stores, convenience stores, supermarkets and hypermarkets, online stores and others. The online stores segment contributed the major share in the global immune health products market in 2021 and is expected to project the fastest CAGR of 10.4% during the forecast period. This is growing due to the rising internet penetration and progressions in the e-commerce shopping sites. North America is the dominating region in the Global Immune Health Products Market North America is the dominating region in the global immune health products market owing to the increasing prevalence of lifestyle diseases such as obesity and diabetes, coupled with growing awareness about self-wellness and health. Whereas, Asia Pacific immune health products market is growing at a fastest CAGR of 10.7% during the forecast period. As China is the central hub for business across industries, as well as one of the fastest growing economies in the world. Competitive Landscape The key players in the global immune health products market are Bayer AG, Herbalife Nutrition, Koninklijke DSM N.V., Glanbia, Plc, Amway Corp, Add Veda, Banyan Botanicals, GNC Holdings, Herbalife Nutrition, Nature's Way and Source naturals among others. Global Immune Health Products Market is highly competitive in order to increase their presence in the marketplace. Through extensive research, it is found that big players have adopted various competitive strategies such as product development and collaboration in order to have a grip in the stabilized global market scenarios. Furthermore, leading companies are expanding their geographical boundaries by acquiring small brands and domestic companies. Segmentation Overview Global Immune Health Products Market is segmented based on source, processed state, form, type, function, distribution channel and region. The industry trends in global immune health products market are sub-divided into different categories in order to get a holistic view of the marketplace. Following are the different segments of the Global Immune Health Products Market. By Source segment of the Global Immune Health Products Market is sub-segmented into: Plant based Fruits Vegetables Herbs Grains and seeds Roots & Tubers Ginger Turmeric Beetroot Garlic Animal Based White meat Red meat Fish & Crustaceans Others Microorganism based Kefir Yogurt Fermented Vegetables Sauerkraut Tempeh Kombucha Tea Kimchi Miso By Processed State segment of the Global Immune Health Products Market is sub-segmented into: Raw Semi-processed Processed/Packaged Frozen By Form segment of the Global Immune Health Products Market is sub-segmented into: Tablets Powder Liquid Others By Type segment of the Global Immune Health Products Market is sub-segmented into: Vitamins Minerals Probiotics Omega-3 Fatty Acids Phytonutrients Amino Acids Others By Function segment of the Global Immune Health Products Market is sub-segmented into: Fitness Anti-inflammatory Digestion Metabolism Disease prevention Personal protection Others By Distribution Channel segment of the Global Immune Health Products Market is sub-segmented into: Medical Stores Convenience Stores Supermarkets and Hypermarkets Online Stores Others B y Region segment of the Global Immune Health Products Market is sub-segmented into: North America The U.S. Canada Mexico Europe The UK Germany France Italy Spain Poland Russia Rest of Europe Asia Pacific China Japan South East Asia South America Argentina Brazil Rest of South America Middle East & Africa (MEA) UAE Saudi Arabia South Africa Rest of MEA Directly Purchase a copy of report with TOC @ https://www.astuteanalytica.com/request-sample/immune-health-products-market For Additional Information OR Media Enquiry, Please Mail Us At: [email protected] About Astute Analytica Astute Analytica is a global analytics and advisory company which has built a solid reputation in a short period, thanks to the tangible outcomes we have delivered to our clients. We pride ourselves in generating unparalleled, in depth and uncannily accurate estimates and projections for our very demanding clients spread across different verticals. We have a long list of satisfied and repeat clients from a wide spectrum including technology, healthcare, chemicals, semiconductors, FMCG, and many more. These happy customers come to us from all across the Globe. They are able to make well calibrated decisions and leverage highly lucrative opportunities while surmounting the fierce challenges all because we analyze for them the complex business environment, segment wise existing and emerging possibilities, technology formations, growth estimates, and even the strategic choices available. In short, a complete package. All this is possible because we have a highly qualified, competent, and experienced team of professionals comprising of business analysts, economists, consultants, and technology experts. In our list of priorities, you-our patron-come at the top. You can be sure of best cost-effective, value-added package from us, should you decide to engage with us. Contact us: Aamir Beg BSI Business Park, H-15,Sector-63, Noida- 201301- India Phone: +1-888 429 6757 (US Toll Free); +91-0120- 4251598 (Rest of the World) Email: [email protected] Website: www.astuteanalytica.com Follow US: LinkedIn | Twitter SOURCE Astute Analytica DALLAS, March 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Jacobs (NYSE:J) was selected by the City of North Bay, Ontario, for environmental assessment activities, development of a remedial design, and engineering consulting services related to per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) cleanup at the North Bay Jack Garland Airport. "Addressing the public health and safety concerns of the North Bay community with comprehensive cleanup of the airport's PFAS contaminants is our team's top priority," said Jacobs Global Environmental Market Director Jan Walstrom. "As the industry leader in environmental consulting, our unique ability to shape PFAS solutions is drawn from our thorough understanding of PFAS chemical behavior, regulatory requirements and innovative treatment and remediation approaches." The airport lands are located atop the North Bay Escarpment and straddle a watershed divide between the Ottawa River to the east and the Great Lakes Basin to the west. Historically, aqueous firefighting foam (AFFF) containing PFAS was used in firefighter training on the site. PFAS are chemically and biologically persistent and highly mobile in the environment. Since 2017, the city has been working collaboratively with the Department of National Defence, the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks, and the North Bay Parry Sound District Health Unit to support ongoing testing and monitoring for PFAS in Trout Lake, Lees Creek and residential wells in close proximity to the North Bay Jack Garland Airport lands. The scope of work for the full-service contract encompasses a site-specific risk assessment; horizonal and vertical sampling in the targeted site remediation areas; development of a risk management/remedial action plan; a treatability study to assess potential remedial options for the impacted soils, drinking water and groundwater; preparation of a remedial design and tender package; technical assistance during construction; and performance monitoring to confirm that remedial objectives are achieved. For more than a decade, Jacobs' water and environmental technologists have been supporting municipal, national government and commercial clients with PFAS assessment and treatment around the globe. Additionally, since 2013, the company has been working on multiple U.S. Department of Defense research projects for PFAS characterization, treatment and remediation. Jacobs' technologists and scientists are partnering with the world's leading academics to better characterize, understand behavior and develop increasingly effective cleanup technologies for PFAS-contaminated media, with a focus on natural treatment alternatives. The company's in situ green and sustainable remediation approach harnesses big data to identify a diverse and highly specialized microbial ecosystem of naturally occurring bacteria and fungi that work in concert to break down and/or decrease PFAS contaminants in soil, groundwater and other media. At Jacobs, we're challenging today to reinvent tomorrow by solving the world's most critical problems for thriving cities, resilient environments, mission-critical outcomes, operational advancement, scientific discovery and cutting-edge manufacturing, turning abstract ideas into realities that transform the world for good. With $14 billion in revenue and a talent force of approximately 55,000, Jacobs provides a full spectrum of professional services including consulting, technical, scientific and project delivery for the government and private sector. Visit jacobs.com and connect with Jacobs on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter. Certain statements contained in this press release constitute forward-looking statements as such term is defined in Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and such statements are intended to be covered by the safe harbor provided by the same. Statements made in this release that are not based on historical fact are forward-looking statements. We base these forward-looking statements on management's current estimates and expectations as well as currently available competitive, financial and economic data. Forward-looking statements, however, are inherently uncertain. There are a variety of factors that could cause business results to differ materially from our forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, including the emergence and spread of variants of COVID-19, the efficacy and availability of vaccines and treatments, and the related reaction of governments on global and regional market conditions and the company's business. For a description of some additional factors that may occur that could cause actual results to differ from our forward-looking statements, see the discussions contained under Item 1 - Business; Item 1A - Risk Factors; Item 3 - Legal Proceedings; and Item 7 - Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations in our most recently filed Annual Report on Form 10-K, and Item 2 - Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations; Item 1 - Legal Proceedings; and Item 1A - Risk Factors in our most recently filed Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, as well as the company's other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The company is not under any duty to update any of the forward-looking statements after the date of this press release to conform to actual results, except as required by applicable law. For press/media inquiries: Kerrie Sparks 214.583.8433 SOURCE Jacobs HOUSTON, March 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Kraton Corporation (NYSE: KRA) ("Kraton"), a leading global sustainable producer of specialty polymers and high-value bio-based products derived from pine wood pulping co-products, today announced that the merger pursuant to which DL Chemical Co., Ltd. ("DL Chemical") acquired Kraton, has been completed on March 15, 2022. DL Chemical acquired Kraton in an all-cash transaction valued at approximately $2.5 billion. The merger enables Kraton to strengthen its global presence by leveraging DL Chemical's manufacturing capabilities and footprint in the Asian market, along with its financial strength, allowing Kraton to further invest in industry-leading sustainable innovation. The merger also accelerates both DL Chemical's and Kraton's vision of being a global leader of specialty chemicals. The transaction was announced on September 27, 2021, and received Kraton stockholder approval on December 9, 2021. As a result of the transaction completion, Kraton is now a wholly owned subsidiary of DL Chemical. Effective today, Mr. Marcello Boldrini and Dr. Holger Jung will lead Kraton as Co-Chief Executive Officers, overseeing Kraton's Chemical and Polymer segments, respectively. "Today marks an exciting new chapter for Kraton," said Mr. Boldrini, Co-CEO of Kraton. "We are thrilled to be part of the DL Chemical group and look forward to working with their talented team to advance our sustainable business even further." "We are pleased to have completed this transaction and look forward to what the future holds for Kraton and DL Chemical," said Dr. Jung, Co-CEO of Kraton. "DL Chemical provides the financial strength and the growth-oriented focus that allows Kraton to further invest in innovation and compete more effectively in the global market." About Dr. Holger Jung Since 2011 Dr. Jung has served as Kraton's Senior Vice President and Polymers' Segment President. Through his experience and leadership, the Polymers business has experienced growth and expansion. Before Kraton, Dr. Jung held multiple leadership positions with Invista, a Koch Industries subsidiary, prior to serving as Vice President of Invista's North American Polyester & Intermediates business. Dr. Jung holds a Ph.D. in polymer chemistry from the University of Marburg in Germany. About Mr. Marcello Boldrini Appointed as Kraton's Senior Vice President and Chemical Segment President in April 2017, Mr. Boldrini has successfully led Kraton's Chemical segment businesses. In April 2021, he was also appointed to the role of Chief Sustainability Officer. Before Kraton, Mr. Boldrini held senior-level positions at Houghton International, Hexion/Momentive, Ashland, Quaker Chemical, Unilever/Unichema, and internationally served on several JV boards. Mr. Boldrini holds an MS in Chemistry from the University of Milan, Italy, and an MBA from Bocconi University in Milan, Italy. About Kraton Kraton Corporation is a leading global producer of specialty polymers and high-value performance products derived from renewable resources. Kraton's polymers are used in a wide range of applications, including adhesives, coatings, consumer and personal care products, sealants and lubricants, and medical, packaging, automotive, paving and roofing products. As the largest global provider in the pine chemicals industry, the company's pine-based specialty products are sold into adhesive, road and construction and tire markets, and it produces and sells a broad range of performance chemicals into markets that include fuel additives, oilfield chemicals, coatings, metalworking fluids and lubricants, inks and mining. Kraton offers its products to a diverse customer base in over 70 countries worldwide. Kraton, the Kraton logo and design are all trademarks of Kraton or its subsidiaries or affiliates. About DL Chemical DL Chemical is a leading petrochemical company with more than 46 years of operational experience and unique technological know-how. Based in Korea, the company was the first petrochemical firm in the country to commercialize metallocene polyethylene and polybutene, as well as the first to export polybutene technology to the United States. DL Chemical is the world's largest producer of polybutene with a production capacity of 200 KTA year. DL Chemical has commercialized BOCD (Broad Orthogonal Co-Monomer Distribution) polyethylene and EPO (Ethylene-Propylene Oligomer) for only the second time worldwide. In March 2020, DL Chemical (as a part of Daelim Industrial Co., Ltd. before the split-off of DL Chemical) acquired Kraton's CariflexTM business for $530 million in cash. For additional information: Kristen Boyd 281-504-4986 SOURCE Kraton Corporation Jumping eleven spots from the 2021 list, Leaf Home is the leading provider of direct-to-consumer home improvement products including gutter protection, windows, doors, decking, water filtration, stairlifts, cabinet refacing, and walk-in tubs and showers delivering a superior end-to-end customer experience for homeowners. The company boasts more than 150 local offices across the U.S. and Canada, with a team of more than 2,000 employees supporting its operations. "It's an honor to have made the Inc. 5000 Regionals Midwest list for the third year in a row, and I can't wait to see what this year holds for our amazing team," said Jeff Housenbold, President and CEO of Leaf Home. "As we continue our strategic growth across North America, our number one focus is ensuring homeowners are comfortable, safe, and happy in their homes thanks to our products and solutions." Leaf Home is grateful to rank within the Midwest and join the succession of the greatest companies the region has to offer. The companies on this list show a remarkable growth rate across all industries in the Midwest region. Between 2018 and 2020, these 144 private companies had an average growth rate of 147% percent, and, in 2020 alone, they added 19,821 jobs and nearly $11.7 billion to the Midwest region's economy. Complete results of the Inc. 5000 Regionals: Midwest, including company profiles and an interactive database that can be sorted by industry, metro area, and other criteria, can be found at inc.com/midwest. About Leaf Home Leaf Home is a leading technology-enabled provider of home solutions on a mission to transform home hassles into personal peace of mind. Leaf Home's experienced, dependable specialists provide end-to-end services directly to consumers through its core brands; LeafFilter Gutter Protection, Leaf Home Safety Solutions, Leaf Home Water Solutions, and Leaf Home Enhancements. With its corporate headquarters in Hudson, Ohio, Leaf Home delivers seamless, transformative home solutions for safer, easier, and more comfortable living every day. Live Comfortable. Live Safe. Live Happy. For more information, visit www.leafhome.com. For more information, contact: [email protected]. More about Inc. and the Inc. 5000 Regionals Methodology The 2022 Inc. 5000 Regional are ranked according to percentage revenue growth when comparing 2018 and 2020. To qualify, companies must have been founded and generating revenue by March 31, 2018. They had to be U.S.-based, privately held, for-profit, and independentnot subsidiaries or divisions of other companiesas of December 31, 2019. (Since then, a number of companies on the list have gone public or been acquired.) The minimum revenue required for 2018 is $100,000; the minimum for 2020 is $1 million. As always, Inc. reserves the right to decline applicants for subjective reasons. About Inc. Media The world's most trusted business-media brand, Inc. offers entrepreneurs the knowledge, tools, connections, and community to build great companies. Its award-winning multi platform content reaches more than 50 million people each month across a variety of channels including websites, newsletters, social media, podcasts, and print. Its prestigious Inc. 5000 list, produced every year since 1982, analyzes company data to recognize the fastest-growing privately held businesses in the United States. The global recognition that comes with inclusion in the 5000 gives the founders of the best businesses an opportunity to engage with an exclusive community of their peers and the credibility that helps them drive sales and recruit talent. The associated Inc. 5000 Conference is part of a highly acclaimed portfolio of bespoke events produced by Inc. For more information, visit www.inc.com SOURCE Leaf Home WASHINGTON, March 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Leapfrog Group, a national watchdog organization of employers and other purchasers focused on health care safety and quality, will launch the Leapfrog Judie Burrows Education Institute and present the capstone Emerald Awards tomorrow evening at the Leapfrog Greenlight Gala. The Institute is named for Milwaukee native, Judie Burrows, subject of the award-winning HBO documentary Bleed Out, produced by the gala keynote speaker, Steve Burrows. The Emerald Awards honor two individuals and one organization for extraordinary leadership in patient safety. Leah Binder, The Leapfrog Group president and CEO commended the winners: Emerald Award for Outstanding Achievement by a Health Care System: AdventHealth (Orlando, Florida) "AdventHealth hospitals consistently demonstrate role model performance and foster an exceptionally strong culture of safety and accountability across all hospitals." Emerald Award for Outstanding Achievement by a Health Care Leader: Gary Kaplan, MD (Seattle, Washington) "Dr. Kaplan, CEO of Virginia Mason Medical Center, has shown extraordinary leadership in patient safety and quality. In fact, Virginia Mason remains one of the select hospitals receiving 'Straight As' since the start of the Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade in 2012." Emerald Award for Lifetime Achievement: Cristie Upshaw Travis (Memphis, Tennessee) "Cristie Upshaw Travis, CEO of the Memphis Business Group on Health, plays an indispensable role in advancing excellence and transparency in the U.S. health care system. We're honored to award her with Leapfrog's highest honor." The Leapfrog Judie Burrows Education Institute As the education arm of Leapfrog, the Judie Burrows Education Institute will offer programming that advances patient safety and empowers people to make improvements in the health care system. This includes three key audiences: purchasers, health care providers and the general public. Funds raised at the gala will support both existing and new programming. Please contact Elizabeth Harmon at [email protected] for media passes. Photos of the event will be available on our website on Thursday, March 17, 2022. About The Leapfrog Group Founded in 2000 by large employers and other purchasers, The Leapfrog Group is a national nonprofit organization driving a movement for giant leaps forward for patient safety. The flagship Leapfrog Hospital Survey and new Leapfrog Ambulatory Surgery Center (ASC) Survey collect and transparently report hospital and ASC performance, empowering purchasers to find the highest-value care and giving consumers the lifesaving information they need to make informed decisions. The Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade, Leapfrog's other main initiative, assigns letter grades to hospitals based on their record of patient safety, helping consumers protect themselves and their families from errors, injuries, accidents, and infections. For more, follow us on Twitter and Facebook, and sign up for our newsletter. SOURCE The Leapfrog Group The NFT project consists of a collection of 200 unique, algorithmically generated MedTech Chameleons stored on the Solana blockchain. The project will leverage digital assets to build a community aligned with real-world MedTech networking, exclusive content, and events. Other collaborators on the project, which is named "The Mad Device Club" and is set to launch this month, include: Henry Peck , Director of Global Marketing at Altoida and Co-Founder of the MedTech Club on Clubhouse, the social audio platform's largest healthcare community , Director of Global Marketing at Altoida and Co-Founder of the MedTech Club on Clubhouse, the social audio platform's largest healthcare community Omar M. Khateeb , Principal and Founder, Khateeb & Co and The State of Medtech Media , Principal and Founder, Khateeb & Co and The State of Medtech Media The "Mad Device Rep," the iconic digital figure behind the medical sales community's most famous Instagram page "The LSI Emerging Medtech Conference is a showcase for the future of life science technologies as well as the latest in market intelligence," said Scott Pantel, Founder and CEO of LSI. "Blockchain-based technologies have shown new possibilities for community-driven initiatives and funding mechanisms. I am excited to join Omar and Henry at the forefront of pioneering NFT utility in the global Medtech industry and to bring educational content to our distinguished attendees." "The Web 3 movement is driving innovation in the way that industries think about communication, data ownership, fundraising, and more," said Henry Peck. "While the technology may sound futuristic, the applications are here today across spaces like scientific research, BioTech, and BioPharma. I am thrilled to collaborate with industry leaders like Scott and the Life Science Intelligence organization to lay the foundation for the future of decentralization in Medtech." As part of the LSI 2022 Emerging Medtech Summit, Scott Pantel will moderate a panel with Omar M. Khateeb and Henry Peck to discuss NFTs and their utility in Medtech and life science industries. The panel will explore community-driven applications, as well as additional utility in financing science ventures and enabling patient ownership of health data. "The Medtech industry has historically been slow on innovating and changing when markets shift. We want to change that by taking action on exploring new technologies that can improve the industry" shared Omar M. Khateeb. "Scott Pantel and LSI have created a brand that focuses on exploring the latest technologies and understanding them before anyone else. They make a perfect partner for a community-driven NFT project like this." LSI 2022 Emerging Medtech Summit will convene at the Monarch Beach Resort in Dana Point, CA the week of March 15. The event has attracted close to a thousand in-person attendees with over 200 presenting medtech startups being vetted by hundreds of investors and strategics. Having reached capacity the event is extending virtual badges for attendance. About LSI USA '22 Emerging Medtech Summit Held annually in Southern California, the Emerging Medtech Summit brings together the industry's most innovative startups, active investors, and strategic buyers so they can connect, collaborate and build the future of healthcare. Learn more at https://www.lifesciencemarketresearch.com/medtech-summit-2022. About Life Science Intelligence (LSI) LSI is a market intelligence & consulting company focused on covering the global medtech and healthtech markets. We help healthcare executives make more informed strategic decisions by better understanding market dynamics, trends, opportunities, and the competitive landscape. https://www.lifesciencemarketresearch.com Contact: Omar M. Khateeb [email protected] SOURCE Life Science Intelligence "Treatment options for those with the most advanced stages of chronic kidney disease haven't changed in decades, and the ideas brought forward as a result of this challenge are energizing," said Jesse Roach, MD, Senior Medical Director, Health Equity at CVS Kidney Care . "For too long, outdated treatments have failed to meet the needs of many, and we look forward to hearing from entrepreneurs on how we can improve kidney health for everyone, especially historically underrepresented populations." The finalists, who were co-selected by the Lyfebulb and CVS Kidney Care teams, brought forward an array of strategic, creative, and scalable concepts to make kidney care more understandable, accessible, and equitable. The potential impact on patients and their care partners, as well as the feasibility and sustainability of innovations in the market, were considerations in the selection of the following finalists: "We are very excited by this inspirational group of finalists who are not only committed to improving health outcomes for kidney-disease patients, but also to improving their access to high-quality care," said Karin Hehenberger, MD, PhD, Founder and CEO at Lyfebulb. "They demonstrate a high degree of creativity and the potential to successfully break down the barriers kidney-disease patients face so that they may receive the care they need and deserve." The finalists will be joined by industry leaders spanning business, venture capital, technology, and health care industries, as well as public officials driving change for a two-day summit in Austin, Texas. Each finalist will present their solutions to an expert panel of judges on May 18-19, 2022, and one winner will be awarded a $25,000 prize to further the growth of their company. To learn more about the Lyfebulb-CVS Kidney Care Innovation Challenge, visit Lyfebulb.com. About CVS Kidney Care CVS Kidney Care is reimagining the future of kidney health because patients deserve care that helps them live on their own terms. Our unmatched patient insights, grounded in the connectivity of CVS Health , link data and clinical knowledge to create a personalized approach that breaks down barriers to care, including systemic barriers that have led to disparities in kidney health. Our end-to-end approach is flexible and customizable to help support a truly patient-centered experience. No matter where people are in their kidney-health journey, we help them connect to an integrated network of options that make care easier to understand, more accessible, and suited to their needs. We are changing kidney care as we know it, because the more than 37 million Americans living with chronic kidney disease deserve more than twentieth-century solutions. Learn more at cvskidneycare.com. About Lyfebulb Lyfebulb is an innovation accelerator that bridges the gap between patient communities and the healthcare industry by working directly with patients and care partners to generate insights and build new solutions to reduce the burden of living with chronic disease. Lyfebulb operates across 12 disease states and counting. For more information, see Lyfebulb.com , TransplantLyfe.com , and IBDLyfe.com, as well as Lyfebulb's Instagram , LinkedIn , Twitter , Facebook , and Karin Hehenberger's LinkedIn . For more information: CVS Health Contact: KC Sledd Senior Manager, Corporate Communications Phone: +1 401 328 5361 Email: [email protected] Lyfebulb Contact: Karin Hehenberger, MD, PhD CEO & Founder, Lyfebulb Phone: + 1 917-575-0210 Email: [email protected] SOURCE Lyfebulb "Our goal is to bring employers' data to life to assist them with understanding, analyzing and communicating with stakeholders about their retirement plan," said Betsy Waldofsky, MERS Finance Director. "GovInvest has tailored their online self-service actuarial tool to the specific needs of MERS and its members, and we're excited to provide each of our members with access to this powerful tool." Eighty-four percent of Michigan's retirement plans participate in MERS, a not-for-profit retirement system. With GovInvest's management solution, MERS will empower members across the state to better analyze their plans' liabilities. The software makes it easy to run detailed financial projections, compare data with peer groups and review historical plan data. "We're proud to partner with MERS to bring this new cutting-edge technology to all participating municipalities," said GovInvest Co-Founder & CEO Ted Price. "Using this software will allow governments of all sizes to make more informed decisions with more precise and comprehensive data literally at their fingertips so they can continue to be good stewards of taxpayer resources for generations to come." GovInvest Co-Founder & President Jasmine Nachtigall-Fournier added, "Working with MERS, we are truly honored to help provide the public servants of Michigan firefighters, public safety officers and the people who keep our roads and bridges safe the secure retirement they have earned." GovInvest also offers additional software solutions for in-depth other post-employment benefit (OPEB) and workforce cost analysis, providing dedicated experts for agencies to prepare for the changing economy, workforce and policy. About Municipal Employees' Retirement System (MERS) MERS is an independent, professional retirement services company that serves members across the state of Michigan. MERS manages 3,300 retirement and employee benefit plans for more than 960 municipal members from the western Upper Peninsula to Wayne County with a combined value of over $14 billion. MERS proudly serves more than 100,000 participants including local firefighters, nurses and the men and women who plow our roads and keep our communities safe. Learn more at www.mersofmich.com. About GovInvest Inc. Founded in 2014, GovInvest's mission is to empower public sector agencies to run their own financial forecasting at a fraction of the cost and time through powerful software solutions and best-in-class consulting. We employ and partner with industry-leading actuaries, senior public finance professionals and best-in-class engineers to provide an unmatched service. GovInvest's pioneering technology quickly pays for itself and provides real-time, visual projections that help our clients simplify communications with stakeholders and make better informed decisions for years to come. Learn more at www.govinvest.com. Media Contact: Christen McKay Director of Marketing [email protected] 770-317-1838 SOURCE GovInvest VANCOUVER, BC, March 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - Deep-South Resources Inc. ("Deep-South" or "the Company") (TSXV: DSM) reports that the legal counsel of the Ministry of Mines and Energy of Namibia ("Ministry") filed additional documents as part of the review record. However, the documents filed do not provide any evidence supporting the decision of the Minister not to renew the Haib Copper licence EPL 3140. The judge had previously granted an extension to the Ministry to file the documents they stated to have recently discovered and that were not part of the record of proceedings. The Ministry had until March 11, 2022, to complete their filing. The documents they filed on 11 March 2022 are copies of documents contained in previous filings or pertaining to previous licence tenures. The next hearing in court will be held on March 22, 2022. The next step in the legal proceedings will be considered at the upcoming hearing. The Company will provide regular updates in this regard and any other matter concerning this situation. About Deep-South Resources Inc Deep-South Resources is a mineral exploration and development company Deep-South growth strategy is to focus on the exploration and development of quality assets in significant mineralized trends and in proximity to infrastructure in stable countries. In using and assessing environmentally friendly technologies in the development of its copper project, Deep-South embraces the green revolution. 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. Caution Regarding Forward-Looking Information Information contained in this news release which are not statements of historical facts may be "forward-looking information" for the purposes of Canadian securities laws. Such forward-looking information involves risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results, performance, prospects and opportunities to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward looking information. The words "believe", "expect", "anticipate", "contemplate", "plan", "intends", "continue", "budget", "estimate", "may", "will", "schedule", "understand" and similar expressions identify forward-looking information. These forward-looking statements relate to, among other things: the Minister's refusal to renew the Company's Licence, the Company's intention to contest the Minister's decision before the Courts of Namibia and the outcome of such proceedings. Forward-looking information is necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable by Deep-South, are inherently subject to significant technical, political, business, economic and competitive uncertainties and contingencies. Known and unknown factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking information. Factors and assumptions that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from current expectations include, among other things: political risks associated with the Company's operations in Namibia; the failure of the Namibian Government to comply with its continuing obligations under the Act to allow for the renewal of the Licence; the impact of changes in, or to the more aggressive enforcement of, laws, regulations and government practices; the inability of the Company and its subsidiaries to enforce their legal rights in certain circumstances. For additional risk factors, please see the Company's most recently filed Management Discussions & Analysis available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. There can be no assurances that forward-looking information and statements will prove to be accurate, as many factors and future events, both known and unknown could cause actual results, performance or achievements to vary or differ materially from the results, performance or achievements that are or may be expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements contained herein or incorporated by reference. Accordingly, all such factors should be considered carefully when making decisions with respect to Deep-South, and prospective investors should not place undue reliance on forward looking information. Forward-looking information in this news release is made as at the date hereof. The Company assumes no obligation to update or revise forward-looking information to reflect changes in assumptions, changes in circumstances or any other events affecting such forward-looking information, except as required by applicable law. SOURCE Deep-South Resources Inc. Decoding Talent expounds on the new way to reframe and rebuild talent management leveraging AI appropriately and ethically; offers best practices and a six-step model to transform talent management in the age of AI CLEVELAND and DELAFIELD, Wis., March 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Modern Hire, the leading enterprise hiring platform for video interviewing and pre-hire assessments, today announced the launch of a book Decoding Talent: How AI and Big Data Can Solve Your Company's People Puzzle. Co-authored by Modern Hire's Eric Sydell, EVP innovation and Mike Hudy, chief science officer - both I/O psychologists - in collaboration with best-selling author Michael Ashley, the book offers HR practitioners research-based knowledge and strategies for leveraging data and AI to build diverse and successful workforces, while addressing the responsibilities of using AI. "More organizations are turning to advanced artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies to overcome the talent acquisition pressures and complexities of today and to do so fairly," said Sydell. "AI is gaining traction among hiring teams, but it continues to be greatly scrutinized and increasingly regulated through legislation to ensure it's used ethically. For the power of this technology to be fully realized, AI must be carefully harnessed and intentionally applied." Hudy added, "Our intention with this book is to challenge HR teams to rethink their current processes. We want them to understand how to start to apply more ethical, productive approaches to hiring with AI and deep learning tools based on scientific methods. Hiring teams don't need to become AI experts or creators, they have to empower themselves with understanding how this technology complements what they do, and how it can help them create the ideal talent acquisition model of the future." A must-read for businesses facing today's talent shortages and retention issues, Decoding Talent explains how modern HR organizations can leverage data, analytics, and emerging AI tools to achieve superior hiring outcomes and manage their workforces with greater insight than ever before. Not intended to replace the human decision-maker, AI and machine learning are designed to complement decision-making skills by consolidating and analyzing data to recommend actions. "This is a rare and valuable book that clearly explains the benefits, limitations, and social responsibility associated with using complex machine-learning algorithms to build workforces," said Steven Hunt, PhD, Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology (SIOP) Fellow. "Using illustrative examples that reflect the authors' decades of real-world business experience, the book explains these tools in an accessible manner without oversimplifying how they work, underselling their value, or overpromising their potential. It should be basic reading for anyone exploring the use of machine learning as a way to improve hiring effectiveness." In the book Sydell, Hudy, and Ashley explain why the traditional resume-based process is out of date, why hiring is difficult, the cost of bad people decisions, how bias interferes in hiring practices, and how AI can address these problems. They introduce a six-step process to guide organizations in how to harness the power of AI and big data to build a more diverse, engaged, and productive workforce. Published by Fast Company press, Decoding Talent is available on Amazon.com and via Barnes & Noble in hardcover for $24.95. For more on the book, visit: https://modernhire.com/the-cure-for-ai-anxiety/. About the Authors Eric Sydell, PhD, is an industrial-organizational psychologist, seasoned entrepreneur, and skilled consultant with more than two decades of experience working in the recruiting technology and staffing industries. He was one of the founding scientists of Shaker International. An expert in AI, machine and deep learning, psychometrics, and their practical application in hiring, Sydell regularly writes and speaks on these topics, both in the media and at academic and industry conferences worldwide. He currently serves as executive vice president of innovation at Modern Hire, where he oversees all research and product innovation initiatives. Mike Hudy, PhD, is an industrial-organizational psychologist and industry expert in predictive modeling using human capital data, experiment design, and talent analytics. He was also one of the founding scientists of Shaker International, an innovative hiring consulting and solutions firm, where he was executive vice president of science. Currently serving as chief science officer at Modern Hire, Hudy is skilled in deciphering talent acquisition complexities and ambiguities to create practical, effective, and satisfying solutions for organizations and their candidates. Michael Ashley is a former Disney screenwriter and the author of more than twenty-five books on numerous subjects. A regular contributor to Forbes and Entrepreneur, he writes about AI and big data from his vantage point as part of the United Nations' AI for Good summit series. Also an ambassador for City.AI, an international organization for the ethical use of tech, he is an in-demand professional speaker who keynotes on average three to four times a month for various organizations. About Modern Hire Modern Hire's intelligent hiring platform transforms each step of the process with screening, assessment, interview and workflow automation tools that make hiring more effective, efficient, ethical and engaging. Modern Hire is differentiated by its advanced selection science and is trusted by more than 700 leading global enterprises and nearly half the Fortune 100. Find out more about the company's commitment to seriously better hiring at www.modernhire.com . SOURCE Modern Hire The annual Facts and Figures report provides an in-depth look at the latest national and state-by-state statistics on Alzheimer's disease prevalence, mortality, caregiving and costs of care. This year's report also includes a new section on dementia care workforce. An accompanying special report, More Than Normal Aging: Understanding Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI), for the first time examined both public and primary care physicians' (PCP) understanding of real-world awareness, diagnosis and treatment of MCI and MCI due to Alzheimer's disease in the United States. "Mild cognitive impairment is often confused with 'normal aging,' but is not part of the typical aging process," said Maria Carrillo, Ph.D., chief science officer, Alzheimer's Association. "Distinguishing between cognitive issues resulting from normal aging, those associated with MCI and those related to MCI due to Alzheimer's disease is critical in helping individuals, their families and physicians prepare for future treatment and care." It is estimated 12% to 18% of people age 60 or older have MCI. While some individuals with MCI revert to normal cognition or remain stable, studies suggest 10% to 15% of individuals with MCI go on to develop dementia each year. About one-third of people with MCI due to Alzheimer's disease develop Alzheimer's dementia within five years. Identifying which individuals living with MCI are more likely to develop dementia is a major goal of current research, potentially enabling earlier disease intervention and treatment. Lack of awareness but still concern Despite the prevalence among aging Americans, the new report found more than 4 in 5 Americans (82%) know very little or are not familiar with MCI. When prompted with a description of MCI, more than half (55%) say MCI sounds like "normal aging." When MCI due to Alzheimer's disease is described, almost half of respondents (42%) express worry about developing it in the future. Despite these concerns, a large majority (85%) would want to learn about Alzheimer's disease early in its development, either during the MCI phase (54%) or mild dementia stage (31%). Challenges in dialogue and diagnosis Additional findings illuminate why individuals exhibiting MCI symptoms are reluctant to discuss them with their doctors, who face persistent challenges in diagnosis of their patients. Among the findings: Fewer than half of respondents (40%) said they would see a doctor right away if they experienced MCI symptoms, while the majority (60%) would wait or not see a doctor at all. Nearly 8 in 10 respondents (78%) expressed concerns about seeing a doctor for symptoms of MCI, citing reasons such as fear of receiving an incorrect diagnosis (28%); learning they have a serious problem (27%); fear of receiving an unnecessary treatment (26%); or believing symptoms will resolve in time (23%). 75% of PCPs say they are on the front lines of providing care for patients with MCI. However, just two-thirds feel comfortable answering patient questions related to MCI (65%) and/or discussing how MCI may be related to Alzheimer's disease (60%). PCPs are committed to learning more about MCI due to Alzheimer's disease and see clear benefits of making a specific diagnosis (90%). Yet, more than three-quarters of PCPs (77%) report MCI due to Alzheimer's being difficult to diagnose, and half (51%) do not usually feel comfortable diagnosing it. "Understanding and recognizing mild cognitive impairment due to Alzheimer's disease is important because it provides an earlier opportunity to intervene in the Alzheimer's disease continuum," Carrillo said. "While currently there is no cure for Alzheimer's disease, intervening earlier offers an opportunity to better manage the disease and to potentially slow progression during a time when individuals are functioning independently and maintaining a good quality of life." Racial and ethnic perspectives Concerns and confusion around MCI are evident across diverse populations as well: Awareness and understanding of MCI is low across all racial and ethnic groups surveyed: White Americans (18%), Asian Americans (18%), Native Americans (18%), Black Americans (18%) and Hispanic Americans (17%). Hispanic (79%) and Black (80%) Americans report wanting to know if they had Alzheimer's disease during an earlier stage (MCI or mild Alzheimer's dementia), which is slightly lower when compared to White (88%) and Asian (84%) and Native Americans (84%). Asian (54%) and Hispanic (52%) Americans are more likely to worry about developing MCI compared to Native (47%), White (45%) and Black Americans (44%). Asian (50%), Hispanic (49%) and Black (47%) Americans are most likely to worry about developing MCI due to Alzheimer's disease, followed by Native (41%) and White Americans (39%). Receiving an incorrect diagnosis was the top concern for not seeing a doctor right away for MCI symptoms among Asian (38%), Black (31%) and White Americans (27%). The top reason cited by Hispanic (27%) and Native Americans (31%) was learning they might have a serious problem. Overall, 43% of Americans cited clinical trial participation as a reason for early diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease. However, White Americans (50%) were twice as likely as Hispanic Americans (25%) to cite clinical trial participation as a reason for early diagnosis, followed by Asian (40%), Native (35%) and Black Americans (32%). "Clinical trials are critical to understanding more about current and potential Alzheimer's disease treatments and care," Carrillo said. "As research accelerates, we need to better address cultural concerns, access issues and other factors to ensure increased participation in clinical trials among all backgrounds, especially among diverse populations." Importance of early intervention, physician recommendations Of survey respondents who wanted to learn about Alzheimer's disease during the MCI phase, more than half (70%) noted the need for planning and opportunities for treatment. Early diagnosis gives families time to make legal, financial and care decisions for the future, based on a patient's concerns and priorities, and is associated with lower overall health care costs. Additionally, the vast majority of PCPs (86%) said early intervention could slow progression of cognitive decline. Yet, only 1 in 5 PCPs (20%) report being familiar with clinical trials available to their patients with MCI, and only 1 in 4 PCPs (23%) say they are familiar with new therapies in the pipeline to address MCI due to Alzheimer's disease. When MCI is detected, PCPs most often recommend lifestyle changes (73%). "There is more work to be done when it comes to expanding primary care physicians' readiness to diagnose cognitive impairment, including MCI and MCI due to Alzheimer's disease, particularly as diagnostic advancements are being made," said Morgan Daven, vice president, health systems, Alzheimer's Association. "This includes primary care physicians' awareness of new potential treatments and patient participation in Alzheimer's disease-related clinical trials and research." Future outlook and opportunities Despite the devastating toll Alzheimer's disease continues to have on individuals and families across the country, both patients and PCPs express optimism that new treatments to combat Alzheimer's disease are on the horizon. The surveys found more than 7 in 10 Americans (73%) expect new treatments to delay the progression of Alzheimer's disease will be available within the next decade. More than one-half of Americans believe there will be new treatments to stop progression (60%) and to prevent (53%) Alzheimer's disease. Among PCPs, 82% expect there will be new treatments to delay the progression of Alzheimer's disease within the next decade. More than half of PCPs (54%) anticipate there will be treatments to stop disease progression and 42% believe there will be treatments to prevent Alzheimer's disease. The last two decades have marked an increase in the development of a new class of medicines that target the underlying biology and aim to slow the progression of Alzheimer's disease. As of February 2022, there are 104 disease-modifying treatments being evaluated in clinical trials or at various stages of regulatory approval. These potential therapies are aimed at slowing the progression of MCI due to Alzheimer's disease and mild Alzheimer's dementia, according to the Alzheimer's Association. Impact of COVID-19 The report also examined the devastating impact the COVID-19 pandemic has had on people living with Alzheimer's disease. While it is unknown how COVID-19 will influence the number and proportion of people in the U.S. with Alzheimer's, COVID-19 has clearly had a dramatic effect on mortality from Alzheimer's and other dementias. According to the report, there were 44,729 more deaths from Alzheimer's disease and other dementias in 2020 compared with averages during the previous five years a 17% increase. The report highlights preliminary and anecdotal data indicating the pandemic is also having adverse effects on many family caregivers. It notes pandemic-related caregiving challenges, including the shutdown of adult day care centers and the inability of families to visit or communicate with relatives in long-term care settings, have caused "emotional distress and other negative outcomes among caregivers." Additional data from the report is included below and top statistics on Alzheimer's disease prevalence, mortality, cost of care, caregiving and dementia care workforce is available here . Full text of the 2022 Alzheimer's Disease Facts and Figures report, including the accompanying special report, More Than Normal Aging: Understanding Mild Cognitive Impairment can be viewed at alz.org/facts . The report will also appear in the April 2022 issue of Alzheimer's & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer's Association. About 2022 Alzheimer's Disease Facts and Figures The Alzheimer's Association 2022 Alzheimer's Disease Facts and Figures report is a comprehensive compilation of national statistics and information on Alzheimer's disease and related dementias. The report conveys the impact of Alzheimer's on individuals, families, government and the nation's health care system. Since its 2007 inaugural release, the report has become the preeminent source covering the broad spectrum of Alzheimer's issues. The Facts and Figures report is an official publication of the Alzheimer's Association. About the Surveys Survey of U.S. Adults Versta Research conducted a survey of 2,434 U.S. adults 18 years of age and older from November 5, 2021 to December 5, 2021. Respondents included 662 who were age 60 or older, and 1,772 who were age 18 to 59. The survey included a probability sample of 2,099 Americans fielded by NORC at the University of Chicago via the AmeriSpeak panel. It was offered online or as a phone survey in English or Spanish. Hispanic (n=328), Black (n=342) and Asian (n=318) Americans were oversampled and weighted back to their true population proportions for analysis and reporting. The probability sample of all Americans was additionally supplemented with an oversample of Native Americans (n=335) using non-probability online research methods. The Native American oversample was stratified and weighted by gender, age, income and education to match U.S. Census Bureau data. Survey of U.S. Primary Care Physicians (PCPs) Versta Research conducted a survey of 801 primary care physicians (M.D. or D.O.) from November 1, 2021 to November 22, 2021. Physicians were recruited via WebMD's Medscape physician network, which includes 70% of all practicing primary care physicians in the U.S. Sampling was stratified and weighted by type of practice, specialty, years in practice and region using benchmarks from the American Medical Association Masterfile of all practicing physicians in the U.S. To be included in the survey, physicians had to have been in practice for at least two years and spend at least 50% of their time in direct patient care, with at least 10% of their patients being 60 years of age or older. Physicians included in the survey reported spending an average (mean) of 93% of their time in direct patient care, and 45% of their patients as 60 years of age or older. Years in practice ranged from two years to 54 years, with a mean of 20 years. Primary medical specialties represented were internal medicine (49%), family medicine (48%) and general practitioner (3%). About the Alzheimer's Association The Alzheimer's Association is a worldwide voluntary health organization dedicated to Alzheimer's care, support and research. Our mission is to lead the way to end Alzheimer's and all other dementia by accelerating global research, driving risk reduction and early detection, and maximizing quality care and support. Our vision is a world without Alzheimer's and all other dementia. Visit alz.org or call 800.272.3900. Video - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1766632/Alzheimer_Facts_English.mp4 Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/479350/Alzheimer_s_Association_Logo.jpg SOURCE Alzheimer's Association "TradeStation is really a valued sponsor for us. Having them accompany our event at Bitcoin 2022 in Miami is going to be a spectacle and we are incredibly excited about it. The city of Miami is uniquely positioned as a place where Bitcoin and new capital are finding increased adoption and opportunity. April is going to be a special month." - Tillman Holloway, CEO, NFTglee. NFTglee will also be attending NFT Miami April 1 - 3. "The city of Miami and Mayor Suarez have made a commitment to Bitcoin that we admire. Spending extended time and resources in and around the city is exciting for us." - Tillman Holloway, CEO, NFTglee. NFTglee staff and talent will be spending half of April in Miami attending both NFT Miami and Bitcoin 2022; sharing the message of building on Bitcoin and the utility opportunities associated with NFT's. Website: https://www.nftglee.com For All Inquiries: Mark Gilbert, Magellan Fin. [email protected] (317) 361-2392 SOURCE NFTglee WASHINGTON, March 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Following is a statement from Jen Judson, president of the National Press Club, and Gil Klein, president of the National Press Club Journalism Institute, on the continued detention of Ethiopian journalists who have been reporting on the ongoing conflict in the country. "We call on the Ethiopian authorities to immediately release freelance video journalist Amir Aman Kiyaro, and his colleagues Thomas Engida and Temerat Negara who have been unjustly detained without any charges. Amir, who has reported on the ongoing conflict in Ethiopia for the Associated Press, has been held by the police for more than 100 days on allegations he violated the country's state of emergency and anti-terrorism laws by interviewing members of the Oromo Liberation Army. Essentially, the Ethiopian authorities are accusing him of doing journalism and as we've repeatedly stated: Journalism isn't a crime. The foundations of a democracy such as Ethiopia's rests on a free and independent news media where journalists are not persecuted for doing their jobs." Founded in 1908, the National Press Club is the world's leading professional organization for journalists. The Club has 3,000 members representing nearly every major news organization and is a leading voice for press freedom in the United States and around the world. The National Press Club Journalism Institute, the Club's non-profit affiliate, promotes an engaged global citizenry through an independent and free press and equips journalists with skills and standards to inform the public in ways that inspire civic engagement. Contact: Rachel Oswald, NPC Press Freedom Team, [email protected], 202-486-9173. SOURCE National Press Club Download Now! Major Price Models in the Pumps Sourcing and Procurement Market The report discusses in detail each pricing model and the pros and cons attached to every pricing model prevalent in the market. Also, the report provides insights with respect to the category supply chain and the margins of various suppliers within the supply chain. The most widely adopted pricing models in the Pumps Sourcing and Procurement Market Fixed pricing Volume-based pricing Learn about various other pricing models: Request for a FREE sample report Spend Growth and Demand by Region The Pumps Sourcing and Procurement market will register an incremental spend of about USD 17.44 Billion during the forecast period. However, 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. The growth is expected to be primarily driven by increasing demand and adoption of the category across those few regions. To get a detailed analysis of the regional factors driving the Pumps Sourcing and Procurement Report: Download the sample report now! Subscribe to our "Free Limited Period Starter Procurement Plan" to get the following: View 6 full reports View 800+ report samples Pre-order upcoming reports Dedicated account manager Subscribe Now for FREE! Most Adopted Procurement Strategies by Buyers Across the Pumps Sourcing and Procurement Market The report provides a detailed insight of the most adopted procurement strategies by buyers across industries and analysis of these strategies with respect to innovation, regulatory compliance, quality, supply, and cost. Adoption of these procurement strategies will enable the buyers to reduce category TCO and achieve cost savings, while sourcing for thermal equipment requirements. To get the exact information on various procurement strategies: Get the FREE Sample Report Now! This Pumps Sourcing and Procurement Market report answers help buyers identify and shortlist the most suitable suppliers, for instance: Am I engaging with the right suppliers? Which KPIs should I use to evaluate my incumbent suppliers? Which supplier selection criteria are relevant for? What are the workplace computing devices category essentials in terms of SLAs and RFx? Our Top Selling Procurement Reports: Asset Recovery Services - Forecast and Analysis: The asset recovery services will grow at a CAGR of 9.49% during 2021-2025. Asia Asset Recovery Pte Ltd., TES-Amm Singapore Pte Ltd., and Iron Mountain Inc. are among the prominent suppliers in asset recovery services market. Click the above link to download the free sample of this report. Vulnerability Management Sourcing and Procurement Report: Vulnerability Management Procurement Market, prices will increase by 4%-6% during the forecast period and suppliers will have a Moderate bargaining power in this market. Click the above link to download the free sample of this report. Celebrity Talent Management Services - Sourcing and Procurement Intelligence Report: This report offers key advisory and intelligence to help buyers identify and shortlist the most suitable suppliers for their celebrity talent management services requirements. Click the above link to download the free sample of this report. 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 Highlights: This is a first of its kind statewide offering for mapping and analytics in Minnesota . The state now has improved location accuracy by integrating network and mobile location data on a single map. RapidDeploy Radius alleviates challenges faced by overwhelmed primary call centers by quickly identifying any misrouted calls. Non-English speaking residents will be able to receive faster responses through automatically translated text messages. People in outstate Minnesota will benefit from increased location accuracy, resulting in reduced emergency response times AUSTIN, Texas, March 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- RapidDeploy, the industry's leading cloud-native emergency response platform, announced a statewide implementation of Radius Mapping, a best-in-class tactical map, and Eclipse Analytics, a flexible reporting and analytics solution, to reduce emergency response times and increase operational efficiency for 9-1-1 across Minnesota. In a first for local 9-1-1 call centers, every Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) will be equipped with the same map and GIS data, along with network, mobile device, and other supplemental location data. This improves location accuracy and situational awareness throughout the state, providing more relevant information about callers and finding them faster. It also enables PSAPs to quickly assess if a call has been misrouted, speeding up the time it takes to transfer a call to the correct PSAP, which is especially critical for the Twin Cities metro area, where there are multiple PSAPs in a single county. It also gives outstate Minnesota access to the same modern technology. Additionally, Minnesota's PSAPs will have access to new ways to communicate to callers through two-way SMS chat to contact callers who hang up or become disconnected. SMS chat has language detection and translation for over 70 different languages. This can have incredible outcomes for domestic violence situations where the caller cannot talk or in situations where English is not the caller's primary language. As part of the statewide rollout, the Twin Cities will also have access to Eclipse Analytics, an easy-to-use analytics solution providing the standard and on-demand reports that will drive operational efficiency of the 9-1-1 system. "We are honored to bring Minnesota onto our platform as our eighth statewide deployment," said RapidDeploy Co-Founder and CEO Steve Raucher. "With RapidDeploy Radius Mapping and Eclipse Analytics, PSAPs in Minnesota will see dramatic and immediate changes in their ability to get help to those who need it most more quickly and efficiently." Radius Mapping will help more than 1,200 9-1-1 Telecommunicators to get a more accurate location of an emergency caller and aid in quicker response times. Its best-in-class mapping will enhance in being able to locate Minnesota citizens and visitors who are not able to communicate their location, which will result in a more immediate response. Including this new deployment, RapidDeploy serves over 25% of the Telecommunicators in the US, in over 800 9-1-1 centers nationwide, including statewide deployments in California, Kansas, and Arizona. About RapidDeploy: RapidDeploy is the industry's only truly open and integrated response platform, transforming 9-1-1 communications centers of any size into data-centric organizations. RapidDeploy achieves new levels of situational awareness and reduces 9-1-1 response time by seamlessly integrating third-party data, ensuring it is available when, where, and how Telecommunicators and First Responders need it. The company's cloud-native platform includes analytics and mapping applications. To learn more, visit https://www.rapiddeploy.com/ SOURCE RapidDeploy VANCOUVER, BC, March 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Rehabtronics is pleased to announce that Genome BC is providing $1.25 million to support commercialization of Prelivia, the world's first neuroscience-based technology designed to protect patients against deadly pressure injuries (also known as bed sores and pressure ulcers). Despite an estimated $26 billion spent on current treatments, pressure injuries kill 60,000 people every year in the United States alone. Prelivia is patented and has been scientifically proven through animal and human studies. The funds will facilitate free 90-day quality improvement trials of Prelivia at qualified healthcare facilities in the United States. Rehabtronics is inviting applications for the free trials now. Genome BC is allocating the funding from its Industry Innovation Program (I2), which supports promising technologies at early stages of commercial development. "Genome BC has an impressive track record of supporting the most innovative companies in Western Canada and we are honoured by their vote of confidence in our team and technology," said Dr. Rahul Samant, CEO of Rehabtronics. "This investment accelerates our plan to help health care facilities fight deadly pressure injuries. We look forward to implementing more quality improvement trials of Prelivia at qualified healthcare institutions in the United States." Prelivia has already gained U.S. Food and Drug Administration 510 (k) Clearance to promote healthy blood circulation and maintains healthy tissue in immobile patients. The neurostimulation device is the first product to address the underlying physiological pathway of pressure injury development, which is the lack of blood flow and oxygen to the tissue. Prelivia is patented and has been scientifically proven through animal and human studies. The technology is currently part of the Protect2 multicentered randomized controlled study to further validate its effectiveness in decreasing progression and facilitating healing of pressure injuries. The Cleveland Clinic Foundation is currently recruiting participants. "Genome BC invests in cutting-edge, innovative life sciences companies," said Dr. Tony Brooks, Chief Financial Officer and Vice President, Entrepreneurship & Commercialization at Genome BC. "Rehabtronics has demonstrated there is an unmet need for this type of innovative product. Our investment will support the commercialization of Rehabtronics's device to improve health care outcomes across multiple care settings, such as hospitals, long-term care facilities and in-home personal care." On March 17 and 18, Rehabtronics will be showcasing Prelivia at the NPIAP 2022 Conference hosted by the National Pressure Injury Advisory Panel in Wesley Chapel, Florida. ABOUT REHABTRONICS Rehabtronics develops medical devices that restore function and improve the lives of people who are paralyzed or immobile. Founded in 2003 as a spinoff from the Neuroscience Institute of the University of Alberta, Rehabtronics is dedicated to bringing neuroscience discoveries into clinical practice. The company's newest product, Prelivia, is designed to alleviate pressure injuries, one of the deadliest hospital-acquired injuries. Its rehabilitation devices are used globally to help people recover movement after central or peripheral nervous system injury or disease. ABOUT GENOME BRITISH COLUMBIA: Genome British Columbia leads genomics innovation on Canada's West Coast and facilitates the integration of genomics into society. A recognized catalyst for government and industry, Genome BC invests in research, entrepreneurship and commercialization in life sciences to address challenges in key sectors such as health, forestry, fisheries and aquaculture, agrifood, energy, mining and environment. Genome BC partners with many national and international public and private funding organizations to drive BC's bioeconomy. Contact: Neena Rahemtulla Rehabtronics [email protected] 604.345.1646 Brad Lyle, Communications Manager, Brand and Marketing Genome BC [email protected] 778.999.8195 SOURCE Rehabtronics Key Market Dynamics: Market Driver Market Challenges The influx of numerous retail stores is one of the key market drivers. Apart from urban areas, retailers are focusing on non-urban areas to target untapped potential markets owing to the noteworthy increase in the middle-class population over the past decade. In addition, hypermarkets and supermarkets account for a majority of grocery and other fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) sales in Mexico. This, in turn, is encouraging retailers to expand their store chains to enhance market share. For instance, Walmart launched its biggest expansion in Mexico by opening 134 new stores across the country. However, factors such as issues related to logistics and supply chain operations will challenge market growth. The costs that are involved in the process are quite complex. They involve significant expenditure and include back-end support costs for IT, infrastructure management costs, and customer support costs. To learn about additional key drivers, trends, and challenges available with Technavio. Read our FREE Sample Report right now! Market Segmentation Based on product, the retail market in Mexico is segmented into PAT, personal and household care, AFA, electrical and electronics, and others. The PAT segment will have significant market share growth during the forecast period. This segment is experiencing growth in Mexico due to an upward trend in the prices of commodities and a rise in the purchasing power of people. These factors are expected to drive the growth of packaged food and drinks, alcoholic beverages, and tobacco products in Mexico during the forecast period. Based on distribution channels, the retail market in Mexico is segmented offline and online. The offline segment is expected to have significant market share growth during the forecast period. The offline distribution segment is considered the most effective mode of distribution as it offers the touch-and-feel experience to consumers, considered the most major source of marketing. View our sample report for additional insights into the contribution of all the segments, and regional opportunities in the report. Some Companies Mentioned The growing competition in the market is compelling vendors to adopt various growth strategies such as promotional activities and spending on advertisements to improve the visibility of their services. Some vendors are also adopting inorganic growth strategies such as M&As to remain competitive in the market. The report analyzes the market's competitive landscape and offers information on several market vendors, including: Amazon.com Inc. Carrefour SA El Puerto de Liverpool Fresko Heineken NV MercadoLibre S de RL de CV Tiendas Soriana SA de CV Transform SR Brands LLC Walmart Inc. To gain access to more vendor profiles with their key offerings available with Technavio, Click Here Retail Market in Mexico Value Chain Analysis The end-to-end understanding of the value chains is essential in profit margin optimization and evaluation of business strategies. The data available in our value chain analysis segment can help vendors drive costs and enhance customer services during the forecast period. The value chain of the internet and direct marketing retail market includes the following core components: Inputs Inbound logistics Operations Outbound logistics Marketing and sales Service Support activities Innovation Related Reports: ePharmacy Market by Drug Type and Geography - Forecast and Analysis 2022-2026 Online Fashion Retail Market in US by Product and End-user - Forecast and Analysis 2022-2026 Retail Market Scope in Mexico Report Coverage Details Page number 120 Base year 2021 Forecast period 2022-2026 Growth momentum & CAGR Accelerate at a CAGR of 5.48% Market growth 2022-2026 $ 9.72 billion Market structure Fragmented YoY growth (%) 4.42 Competitive landscape Leading companies, Competitive strategies, Consumer engagement scope Key companies profiled Amazon.com Inc., Carrefour SA, El Puerto de Liverpool, Fresko, Heineken NV, MercadoLibre S de RL de CV, Tiendas Soriana SA de CV, Transform SR Brands LLC, and Walmart Inc. Market dynamics Parent market analysis, Market growth inducers and obstacles, Fast-growing and slow-growing segment analysis, COVID-19 impact and recovery analysis and future consumer dynamics, Market condition analysis for 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 2. Market Landscape 2.1 Market ecosystem 2.1.1 Parent market Exhibit 01: Parent market 2.2 Market characteristics Exhibit 02: Market Characteristics 2.3 Value Chain Analysis Exhibit 03: Value Chain Analysis: Internet and Direct Market Retail 2.3.1 Inputs 2.3.2 Inbound logistics 2.3.3 Operations 2.3.4 Outbound logistics 2.3.5 Marketing and sales 2.2.6 Service 2.2.7 Support activities 2.2.8 Innovation 3. Market Sizing 3.1 Market definition Exhibit 04: Offerings of vendors included in the market definition 3.2 Market segment analysis Exhibit 05: Market segments 3.3 Market size 2019 3.4 Market outlook: Forecast for 2019 - 2024 Exhibit 06: Global - Market size and forecast 2021 - 2026 ($ million) Exhibit 07: Global market: Year-over-year growth 2021 - 2026 (%) 4. Five Forces Analysis 4.1 Five Forces Summary Exhibit 08: Five forces analysis 2021 & 2026 4.2 Bargaining power of buyers Exhibit 09: Bargaining power of the buyer 4.3 Bargaining power of suppliers Exhibit 10: Bargaining power of the supplier 4.4 Threat of new entrants Exhibit 11: Threat of new entrants 4.5 Threat of substitutes Exhibit 12: Threat of substitutes 4.6 Threat of rivalry Exhibit 13: Threat of rivalry 4.7 Market condition Exhibit 14: Market condition - Five forces 2021 5. Market Segmentation by Product 5.1 Market segments Exhibit 15: Product- Market share 2021-2026 (%) 5.2 Comparison by Product Exhibit 16: Comparison by Product 5.3 PAT - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 17: PAT - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 18: PAT - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 5.4 Personal and household care - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 19: Personal and household care - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 20: Personal and household care - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 5.5 AFA - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 21: AFA - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 22: AFA - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 5.6 Electrical and electronics - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 23: Electrical and electronics - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 24: Electrical and electronics - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 5.7 Others - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 25: Others - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 26: Others - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 5.8 Market opportunity by Product Exhibit 27: Market opportunity by Product 6. Market Segmentation by Distribution channel 6.1 Market segments Exhibit 28: Distribution channel- Market share 2021-2026 (%) 6.2 Comparison by Distribution channel Exhibit 29: Comparison by Distribution channel 6.3 Offline - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 30: Offline - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 31: Offline - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 6.4 Online - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 32: Online - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 33: Online - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 6.5 Market opportunity by Distribution channel Exhibit 34: Market opportunity by Distribution channel 7. Customer landscape Technavio's customer landscape matrix comparing Drivers or price sensitivity, Adoption lifecycle, importance in customer price basket, Adoption rate and Key purchase criteria Exhibit 35: Customer landscape 8. Drivers, Challenges, and Trends 8.1 Market Driver 8.1.1 Influx of numerous retail stores 8.1.2 Rising demand for convenience food products 8.1.3 Growing popularity of private-label brands 8.2 Market challenges 8.2.1 Issues related to logistics and supply chain operations 8.2.2 Threat from counterfeit products 8.2.3 Trade risks associated with the retail industry Exhibit 36: Impact of drivers and challenges 8.3 Market trends 8.3.1 Innovative packaging and marketing initiatives by prominent vendors 8.3.2 Surge in sales through online distribution channels 8.3.3 Growing per capita income of the country 9. Vendor Landscape Exhibit 37: Vendor landscape 9.2 Landscape disruption Exhibit 38: Landscape disruption Exhibit 39: Industry Risk 10. Vendor Analysis 10.1 Vendors covered Exhibit 40: Vendors covered 10.2 Market positioning of vendors Exhibit 41: Market positioning of vendors 10.3 Amazon.com Inc. Exhibit 42: Amazon.com Inc. - Overview Exhibit 43: Amazon.com Inc. - Business segments Exhibit 44: Amazon.com Inc. - Key offerings Exhibit 45: Amazon.com Inc. - Segment focus 10.4 Carrefour SA Exhibit 46: Carrefour SA - Overview Exhibit 47: Carrefour SA - Business segments Exhibit 48: Carrefour SA - Key offerings Exhibit 49: Carrefour SA - Segment focus 10.5 El Puerto de Liverpool Exhibit 50: El Puerto de Liverpool - Overview Exhibit 51: El Puerto de Liverpool - Business segments Exhibit 52: El Puerto de Liverpool - Key offerings 10.6 Fresko Exhibit 53: Fresko - Overview Exhibit 54: Fresko - Product and service Exhibit 55: Fresko - Key offerings 10.7 Heineken NV Exhibit 56: Heineken NV - Overview Exhibit 57: Heineken NV - Business segments Exhibit 58: Heineken NV - Key offerings Exhibit 59: Heineken NV - Segment focus 10.8 MercadoLibre S de RL de CV Exhibit 60: MercadoLibre S de RL de CV - Overview Exhibit 61: MercadoLibre S de RL de CV - Product and service Exhibit 62: MercadoLibre S de RL de CV Key news Exhibit 63: MercadoLibre S de RL de CV - Key offerings 10.9 Tiendas Soriana SA de CV Exhibit 64: Tiendas Soriana SA de CV - Overview Exhibit 65: Tiendas Soriana SA de CV - Business segments Exhibit 66: Tiendas Soriana SA de CV - Key offerings 10.10 Transform SR Brands LLC Exhibit 67: Transform SR Brands LLC - Overview Exhibit 68: Transform SR Brands LLC - Product and service Exhibit 69: Transform SR Brands LLC - Key offerings 10.11 Walmart Inc. Exhibit 70: Walmart Inc. - Overview Exhibit 72: Walmart Inc. - Key offerings Exhibit 73: Walmart Inc. - Segment focus 11. Appendix 11.1 Scope of the report 11.1.1 Market definition 11.1.2 Objectives 11.1.3 Notes and caveats 11.2 Currency conversion rates for US$ Exhibit 74: Currency conversion rates for US$ 11.3 Research Methodology Exhibit 75: Research Methodology Exhibit 76: Validation techniques employed for market sizing Exhibit 77: Information sources 11.4 List of abbreviations Exhibit 78: 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 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 The technology underpinning the platform has been proven with more than 1.5 million miles of real-world telematics data, demonstrating SEA Electric to be a dependable business partner. "More and more, schools are looking to the future with zero emissions school bus technology, reducing their carbon footprint while enhancing the air quality around their campuses and local areas," said Mike Menyhart, SEA Electric's President for the Americas and Chief Strategy Officer. "In the history of SEA Electric, we have already seen an incredible movement to switch to electric school bus technology, and we are proud to service the marketplace with the most cost-effective all-electric power system in the world." "Outside of the sustainability factors, SEA Electric's systems provide lower maintenance and ongoing operating costs, with fuel eliminated and fewer moving parts lowering service expenses and downtime." "Also, our unique battery technology, without the need for active thermal management and with mid-mounted batteries optimizing safety and operating costs." "Through the SEA Type C EV, schools across North America can take the step into the future, today." At the heart of the model is the SEA-Drive(R) 120b power-system, which has found favor in a wide range of commercial vehicle applications across the globe. With a maximum power of 335hp and peak torque of 1,845lb-ft, the package has range of up to 150 miles between charges, more than enough for even the most demanding school bus route. "After driving this pilot vehicle myself and comparising to a diesel equivalent driven the same day, it became abundantly clear that this transition must occur in scale and soon," CEO and Founder of SEA Electric, Tony Fairweather said. "With the ability to sell at a new Type C EV price of less than $200,000 per vehicle there is no excuse for fleets to not consider EV for any and all future purchases," Fairweather continues. "No need for incentives to justify this premium. The TCO provides the business case itself." The battery solution has a 138kWh capacity and a projected life cycle of more than 10 years, at which time it is envisioned that the cells would be repurposed for continued use. Standard charging through the integrated onboard charger can be provided through Level 2, Single Phase (208/240 VAC) up to 19.2kW, while optional fast charging is achieved via standard CCS Type 1, Level 3, DC fast charging, at a rate of up to 100 kW. Notably, the system is also Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) capable, paving the way for future power grid security and revenue opportunities. Supporting all SEA Electric products is a five-year battery warranty, with systems also backed by a three year or 50,000 mile warranty. Further information on SEA Electric and its wide array of electric transportation solutions is available at www.sea-electric.com. To access and download high resolution images: https://bit.ly/3CM9S8z About SEA Electric Global automotive technology company SEA Electric was founded in Australia in 2012, creating its proprietary electric power-system technology (known as SEA-Drive(R)) for the world's urban delivery and distribution fleets, as well as front powered school bus applications. Widely recognized as a market leader in the electrification of commercial vehicles on a global basis, SEA Electric commands a global presence, deploying product around the world including USA, Australia, New Zealand, Thailand, Indonesia, South Africa and throughout Europe, with collectively more than one million miles of independently OEM-tested and in-service international operation. Recently, SEA Electric's European base has been founded in England, with further operations being established in Italy, Spain, France and Germany to support the region. The company's global sales, after-sales and engineering are represented in all subsidiaries, whilst North America, home to the company's headquarters, has the largest upfitting capacity for SEA Electric at 60,000 units per year. Image Attachments Links: Link: http://asianetnews.net/view-attachment?attach-id=416998 Caption: EA Electric Continues Push Zero-Emissions School Buses SOURCE SEA Electric Driven by a proprietary set of pattern-recognition algorithms that provide the user with choice and control over the content they view VIENNA, Va., March 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Seekr, an internet technology company, launched its search beta version today, streamlining access to reliable information. The company provides an alternative to existing search engines and offers objective results combined with advanced information analysis to assist users in judging the quality of content. The site will initially offer the Seekr Score, which rates each news article's quality, and a Political Lean Indicator, which classifies political news as right, center, or left. Over time, the scoring will be extended beyond the news. Seekr makes it easier to assess the reliability of information by offering ratings and filtering Tweet this Seekr Score Seekr Political Lean Indicator Consumer rating systems exist across several industries; however, until today, no one has created a system to automatically evaluate the reliability of information at web scale. Developed over many years and packaged with long-tail search support from existing engines, the platform was built on an independent index, utilizing proprietary Lite-Web Technology to serve both news and the best of the web search results. It provides a unique scoring and filtering system that will empower users to make informed decisions on what they consume, share, and trust online. The goal is to provide both people and advertisers with a way to evaluate all web-based content. To showcase these advanced capabilities, the company has built a new user interface designed for clarity. This design approach foreshadows the next generation of a more consumer-centric search experience. "We believe that a user-driven search experience coupled with our content rating system is a step in the right direction towards reducing the distrust of online information that continues to grow among all democracies today," says Pat Condo, Seekr Founder and Chief Executive Officer. "We want users to see all sides of an argument and have every source of information available to make their own decisions rather than having other search engines draw conclusions for them." Seekr Score and Political Lean Indicator Are the First of Many Tools A suite of machine-learning algorithms generates a specific score for each news article, just as FICO scores and other rating systems are used to evaluate products and services. With each query, results are evaluated with the same scrutiny that a data scientist or expert journalist would provide. The Seekr Score analyzes the quality of information and adherence to journalistic principles for each article. Principles include Title Exaggeration, Personal Attack, and Subjectivity, among others. Individual news articles containing political content are rated right, center, or left through the Political Lean Indicator. The AI technology does this by extracting and deeply analyzing the text for expressions, words, and semantics typically associated with a political position. "We believe all machine-learning systems need to be explainable and transparent. We want our users to understand how our scoring systems work and trust them," says Rob Clark, Executive Vice President of Development at Seekr. "To achieve this confidence, ongoing automated and manual testing is employed to ensure accuracy, prevent bias or inaccurate drifts in the model." The company plans to offer ad-supported search with user consent in the future. When ads are included, they will be placed next to content that reflects the quality and suitability of their brands. "We are not driven by any political ideology nor by a business model that puts the consumer at a disadvantage. Our motivation is to provide you with a deeper understanding of the content you may rely on through transformative and groundbreaking technologies which can advance the state of how people use search to enhance their lives," says Condo. Access www.seekr.com. For press materials, visit www.seekr.com/press-center About Seekr Technologies Inc. Seekr is a privately held internet technology company that prioritizes transparency and empowers user choice and control by streamlining access to reliable information. Current services include an independent search engine powered by AI technology, which evaluates information and presents a Seekr Score and Political Lean Indicator. Seekr is committed to giving everyone access to technology that makes it easy to find trustworthy content in context. Media Contact: Erika Cruz Head of Communications [email protected] SOURCE Seekr Technologies Since its founding in 2008, StraighterLine has provided an alternative model to build the workforce of tomorrow by serving the learners of today. StraighterLine has provided thousands of learners with affordable and flexible postsecondary education courses that are accepted at more than 2,000 accredited U.S. colleges and universities. These courses are delivered through low-risk online pathway programs that help institutions address enrollment and retention challenges. StraighterLine also partners with employers to deliver flexible, low-cost career paths that align with in-demand skills. "The cost of college weighed heavily on me throughout my own journey to completing my degree as I worked throughout my college years and still graduated with student debt. Now, with my oldest daughter applying to college, affordability and optionality is top-of-mind for me once again," said Combs, who completed her undergraduate degree in three years, in part by taking on accelerated course loads. "I am excited to join StraighterLine to help expand affordable, flexible postsecondary opportunities and remove unnecessary barriers for today's students so they can perform at their best and achieve their career goals." With Combs' arrival, co-founder and chief executive officer Burck Smith will transition to chairman of the board and continue to advise on the organization's long-term priorities. "Heather brings an impressive track record of leading company growth and expansion, which makes her an ideal fit to help accelerate StraighterLine's scale and sustain our impact in higher education and workforce development," Smith said. "As a former working learner, Heather understands the unique aspirations and challenges of the modern student during this critical time for higher education and is the right leader to guide StraighterLine as we work together to meet the educational needs of future generations of students." INVESTING IN GROWTH In May 2020, BV Investment Partners ("BV"), a middle-market private equity firm with experience in the education technology space, recognized the innovation and potential of StraighterLine to meet the demand for efficient and effective online learning offerings and made a significant investment in StraighterLine. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, StraighterLine remained committed to investing in technology to support its institutional partners. It also expanded into the employer market by partnering with Bright Horizons, an employee benefits company that assists corporations looking to offer affordable, flexible and effective degree and certification pathways to their employees. In 2021, StraighterLine increased its workforce by 23% and helped tens of thousands of learners begin or restart pathways to college completion. "As we enter our next stage of growth, we plan to expand our reach and provide a broader spectrum of solutions to meet the needs of students, schools, workforce partners, and consumers at large," said Combs. A NEW WAY OF LEARNING StraighterLine's mission is to solve the biggest challenges facing education to meet the needs of today's learners. Prior to March 2020, only 50% of students had taken at least one class online. Following a sudden shift to remote education, learners have new expectations and desires around how higher education is delivered and accessed. The ensuing declines in enrollment and retention and the exodus of faculty and staff in higher education has institutions redefining financial sustainability and the partners they need to survive. "It is a pivotal moment in time for education with a great need for industry-valued stackable credentials and affordable degrees that offer a greater return on investment for students and companies alike," said Combs. "As a pioneer in online education, StraighterLine is uniquely positioned to help develop academic, career, and skill pathways to address these needs." LEADING THE WAY Most recently, Combs led 3Pillar Global's operations, marketing, and strategic growth initiatives as chief commercial officer, helping the company achieve double-digit growth. She also served as chief operating officer and chief revenue officer during her five and a half years with the company. Prior to 3Pillar, Combs led revenue strategy and product management as the chief business development officer at the HR Certification Institute and was the chief sales officer at Hanover Research, a market research and advisory firm serving the K-12, higher education, and corporate markets. Combs spent much of her early corporate career with the Corporate Executive Board (now part of Gartner), where she worked in a variety of roles in product, sales, and services during a nearly 13-year run that ended as practice manager for the Corporate Legal Exchange. Combs is active in the community as a founding member of Chief , a network to connect and support women executive leaders, and a member of the advisory council for STEM for HER , an organization that empowers girls and young women to pursue education and careers in science, technology, engineering, and math. A proud graduate of Texas A&M University, she is raising five daughters and resides in the Washington, D.C. metro area with her family About StraighterLine: StraighterLine is a student success company and the category creator for providing scalable solutions to deliver affordable, effective, and accelerated learning pathways to formal degree programs and widely recognized industry credentials. The StraighterLine platform supports over 40,000 new students a year, including directly through the straighterline.com website as well as through the company's growing network of university and employer relationships. Visit https://www.straighterline.com or https://partners.straighterline.com for more information. SOURCE StraighterLine Largest Candy and Snack Trade Show in North America Heads to Indianapolis and Las Vegas AVENTURA, Fla., March 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Confectioners Association today announced that its Sweets & Snacks Expo will make a historic move to host the premier trade show for the confectionery and snack industries in a rotation between Indianapolis and Las Vegas over the next ten years. This announcement comes as the show convenes to celebrate 25 years of candy and snack innovation. Beginning in 2024, the Sweets & Snacks Expo will cycle through a rotation of two years at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis, followed by one year at the Las Vegas Convention Center in Las Vegas until 2032. In May, McCormick Place in Chicago will host the 2022 & 2023 Sweets and Snacks Expos. "Indianapolis and Las Vegas are the right fit to meet the growing demand for our show and enable it to continue providing the innovation, insights and connections that the candy and snacks industries want and need," said John Downs, NCA president & CEO. "This decision is all about the show's future, and it was driven by our exhibitor and attendee community, for our exhibitor and attendee community." The decision to relocate the Sweets & Snacks Expo to Indianapolis and Las Vegas was made after careful deliberation by the Sweets & Snacks Expo Committee, which is chaired by Ferrero/Fannie May Confections Vice President of Sales and Business Development Ed Seibolt, and the NCA Board of Trustees. In 2021, the show relocated to Indianapolis because of the COVID-19 pandemic. "We saw great success in Indianapolis during the 2021 Sweets & Snacks Expo, with many attendees expressing a desire to return," said Seibolt. "Similarly, Las Vegas is an international destination with the facilities and attractions to help the Sweets & Snacks Expo continue to scale. I believe all parties will benefit tremendously from everything our new host cities have to offer." The Sweets & Snacks Expo brings together confectionery and snack retailers, manufacturers and suppliers to showcase the latest product innovations. Every year, the show has a significant economic impact on its host city; in 2022, the show is expected to generate $21 million for the City of Chicago. "It has been a great pleasure engaging with the staff, board, and business members of the National Confectioners Association over the past 18 months and hosting the Sweets & Snacks Expo last June," said Leonard Hoops, president & CEO of Visit Indy. "After the success of the 2021 show under particularly challenging conditions, Indy and the NCA were clearly a natural fit for long-term growth. The 2024 show can't come soon enough and we look forward to hosting these amazing people and businesses, small and large, for many years to come." "We are honored the National Confectioners Association selected Las Vegas as a host city for the Sweets & Snacks Expo," said Steve Hill, president and CEO of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority. "We look forward to welcoming the world's best candy and snack makers to the destination with an 'Only Vegas' experience." The full schedule of locations for the Sweets & Snacks Expo over the next decade is as follows. The show will continue to be held in May each year. 2022 McCormick Place in Chicago 2023 McCormick Place in Chicago 2024 Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis Convention Center in 2025 Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis Convention Center in 2026 Las Vegas Convention Center in Las Vegas Convention Center in 2027 Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis Convention Center in 2028 Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis Convention Center in 2029 Las Vegas Convention Center in Las Vegas Convention Center in 2030 Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis . Convention Center in . 2031 Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis . Convention Center in . 2032 Las Vegas Convention Center in Las Vegas . Visit SweetsAndSnacks.com to learn more about this year's Sweets & Snacks Expo and register to attend the show. About Sweets & Snacks Expo The Sweets & Snacks Expo is the premier event for the confectionery and snack industries. Featuring new product launches, business-building solutions and merchandising innovations, this annual trade show brings together qualified candy and snack retail professionals and company representatives who showcase the latest in candy and snack products. The event is sponsored by the National Confectioners Association. Learn more at SweetsAndSnacks.com. The health and safety of the Sweets & Snacks Expo community remain a top priority. Show management will abide by state and local public health COVID-19 requirements and CDC guidance to keep visitors at the show safe. Visit SweetsAndSnacks.com/COVID-19 to learn more about the Sweets & Snacks Expo's COVID-19 safety policies. About the National Confectioners Association (NCA): The National Confectioners Association is the leading trade organization for the U.S. confectionery industry, which generates more than $37 billion in retail sales each year. Making chocolate, candy, gum and mints, the industry employs nearly 58,000 workers in more than 1,600 manufacturing facilities across all 50 states. NCA advocates for an environment that enables candy makers to thrive and work to ensure that chocolate and candy are celebrated for their contributions to culture, society, the economy and everyday moments of joy. Learn more at CandyUSA.com or follow NCA on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Contact: Lauren Boland [email protected] Director of Communications 330-571-3693 SOURCE National Confectioners Association The latest product release expands on the Tealium customer data platform's flexibility and integrations so businesses can access data from wherever it lives, optimize it and use it to drive customer value. SAN DIEGO, March 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Tealium , the most trusted and largest independent customer data platform (CDP), announced their Spring 2022 product release "Integrate Everything" for 'technical marketers who need options but don't have tons of time'. With these product improvements, spanning Data Connect, Data Sync and Tealium Functions and more, Tealium's customers can leverage more data across the enterprise into their customer experiences than ever before, regardless of which systems need to be integrated. By combining the data from these disparate sources with real-time customer data collection across owned customer touchpoints, businesses can build rich experiences across numerous outlets while saving their teams' valuable time. With these new capabilities, technical teams gain: Workflow automation: access and use enterprise data sources (data warehouses and cloud applications) within the platform Unparalleled ability to immediately activate data directly from companies' data warehouses or reference that data alongside the customer profile for better context Synchronize customer engagement data with enterprise data warehouses Developer tools and APIs that customize data flows to transform, enrich and integrate data for the most flexible infrastructure possible New and enhanced integrations to world class marketing applications (e.g. TikTok Events, Google Analytics 4, Meta Custom Audiences, Amazon ads) Maintain better security and privacy controls when using data for customer experience "As we've grown into our use cases with Tealium, we've seen incredible opportunities to leverage more data that lives outside the CDP," said Jeff Newell, Technology Manager at Meridian Energy. "For instance, there's a wealth of data that lives outside of our own first-party data that could help enrich our datasets, and personalize a web experience. With Tealium Functions, we are now able to query databases through their third-party APIs to enrich our customers' web experience. It gave our team more flexibility without added complexity, and we were able to develop, test and stand up this use case in hours rather than weeks." "At Alaska Airlines, we're driving to create personalized travel experiences for every guest," said Joshua Benard, Product Manager at Alaska Airlines. "In order to do that at scale, we need to supply the right customer data, to the right tools across our stack, at the right time. Tealium's integration marketplace helped us get started in that effort, but as our use cases advanced, we found more need to customize how those integrations were working for us." Benard continued, "With Tealium Functions, we're given a canvas to work with our developers and customize existing integrations within the Tealium integration catalog with some simple JavaScript. In a day, we were able to write some code to customize our integration with a key personalization tool in our stack in order to bring in a broader set of events to inform how we'd deliver the customer experience. Tealium Functions gives us extra flexibility with our customer data infrastructure to bring new, custom ideas to life." To learn more about the benefits for businesses 'integrating everything' across their customer experiences with these product releases, visit: https://tealium.com/integrate-everything . About Tealium Tealium connects customer data across web, mobile, offline, and IoT so businesses can better connect with their customers. Tealium's turnkey integration ecosystem supports more than 1,300 built-in connections, empowering brands to create a complete, real-time customer data infrastructure. Tealium's solutions include the most trusted customer data platform with machine learning, tag management, an API hub and data management solutions that make customer data more valuable, actionable, privacy-compliant and secure. Nearly 900 leading businesses throughout the world trust Tealium to power their customer data strategies. For more information, visit www.tealium.com . Contact: Lauren Snedden [email protected] SOURCE Tealium Good-faith gesture from Teamsters designed to meet community needs as negotiations continue TUKWILA, Wash., March 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- As a strike by 330 members of Teamsters Local 174 enters its 116th day, the Teamsters today made the decision to care for our communities by offering to return to work at Cadman Seattle, Lehigh Cement, and Salmon Bay Sand & Gravel. This decision will allow some concrete to flow to critical projects in and around Seattle, with a dedicated and professional Teamster workforce operating equipment they know well, including the West Seattle Bridge, Sound Transit, the Convention Center, and the Hwy 520 Bridge. Negotiations for a new contract will continue with each Employer individually until contracts are reached. This includes the three companies whose workers have offered to return to the job. "It has become abundantly clear to us over the months this strike has gone on that these Employers simply do not care who they hurt in their quest to break the Union," said Teamsters Local 174 Secretary-Treasurer Rick Hicks. "Thankfully, we are not like them in that regard. Unlike the Employers, we care deeply about our communities and the people who live in them, which is why we are making this good-faith offer. We are all in full agreement this is the right move for the industry and the community. Our Union is stronger than ever, and we will not give up our fight until we reach a fair contract." The full text of the letters sent to Cadman Seattle, Lehigh Cement, and Salmon Bay Sand & Gravel is below: It has been the Union's goal to reach a successor agreement since we commenced bargaining in mid-July 2021. This effort has continued despite your refusal, in tandem with the other sand and gravel industry companies with whom you are aligned, to bargain in "good faith". Your actions have led to the Union filing charges with the NLRB and ultimately to the work stoppage we are engaged in currently. Through all of our attempts to convince you to course correct, including through public criticism, encouragement first and then pressure from multiple powerful political leaders, or pleadings from owners of major projects that have been severely affected by your behavior, you have demonstrated your blatant disregard for everyone who has been adversely affected. The Union and its members can no longer allow the destruction of the community we have literally built and that we love. Your conduct, along with that of the other struck companies, has impacted numerous jobs, including the halting of work on Sound Transit, the construction of the Seattle Waterfront, the Convention Center expansion, the 520 restoration project, the West Seattle Bridge repairs and countless construction projects, both public and private. You and the other three companies have refused to reach an Agreement despite the multiple concessions the Union has made, proving this has never been about the employees' demands. This is and has always been about "Union busting". Hopefully, now that we have exposed that failed strategy, you will all finally do the right thing for the sake of the community, the thousands of workers who are laid-off, and the contractors you have cost millions of dollars in delays. To that end, we are making a leap of faith and pray this brings an end to this completely unnecessary situation caused by your ill-conceived actions. After much consideration, and on behalf of the bargaining unit we represent and who you employ, which is currently engaged in an unfair labor practice strike against your company, the Union hereby accepts your March 4, 2022, offer to permit our members to return to work "at any time" for the Seattle Location. We designate the beginning of the workday on Tuesday, March 15, 2022, as the time when our members will return to work. To maximize efficiency, please promptly inform our members who are employed by you regarding their work assignments on that day. We are accepting your offer in hopes that a continuation of bargaining will produce an Agreement once and for all. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me directly at (206)441-6060. Otherwise, we will be standing by waiting to hear from you on your availability to resume bargaining. Respectfully, General Teamsters Local Union No. 174 Contact: Jamie Fleming, (425) 281-0166 [email protected] SOURCE Teamsters Local 174 LAS VEGAS, March 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Tech public relations agency Sevans PR today announced the promotion of Sarah Mawji to the role of Managing Director. In this new position, she provides leadership across all agency divisions and account teams and offers strategic support for company operations. Sarah Mawji, Managing Director at Sevans PR Based in the Greater Vancouver area, she is able to round out North American coverage for Sevans PR's growing international client and partner portfolio. She brings extensive experience and a proven track record from a traditional wealth management and marketing background. Mawji previously worked at Harbourfront Wealth Management and Fortuna Investments and is an active leader in the Canadian Women in Public Relations organization. "Our agency has tripled in size since 2019 and we are experiencing many signs of growth in a relatively quick period. One of the most rewarding signs is our internal leadership growth, especially Sarah Mawji's promotion. She brings a combination of expertise and grace not always found in high-stress positions and consistently outperforms KPIs. Celebrating success is key to our culture and doing so during a month that recognizes the accomplishments of women around the world seems fitting," said Sarah Evans, Sevans PR founder and CEO. Sevans PR is part of the Sevans Strategy family and was launched in 2019, just three months prior to a global pandemic. The emergence of a full-service strategic media relations agency has led to tremendous growth and now offers three divisions: technology and startups (fully funded), B.W.M.C. division (blockchain, web3, metaverse and crypto), and high-level strategic and crisis communications. Headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada, the team is remote, decentralized and international, with team members in New Zealand, Canada, Kyiv, London and across the United States. "Sevans PR is committed to partnering with emerging leaders across the global technology space and has demonstrated an unparalleled ability to immerse itself across all facets, including crypto, blockchain and Web3 while putting female leaders at the forefront," said Mawji. "I look forward to working with a decentralized, higher-caliber team that has successfully adopted a next-gen future of work model and is trailblazing innovation in PR." For additional information, please visit www.sevanspr.com . ABOUT SEVANS PR Sevans PR is a global tech PR agency focused on providing strategic media relations offerings across two main divisions: tech and startups and the newly launched blockchain, web3, metaverse and crypto (BWMC). Headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada, the team is remote, decentralized as well as internationally dispersed, with team members in New Zealand, Canada, Kyiv, London and throughout the United States. For additional information, please visit sevanspr.com. Media Contact: Sarah Evans 604.365.1786 [email protected] SOURCE Sevans PR SHREVEPORT, La., March 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Caddo Parish District Attorney's Office (the "Caddo DA") is providing notice of an incident that may affect the security of some information relating to certain individuals associated with the Caddo DA. The confidentiality, privacy, and security of information in the Caddo DA's care is among its highest priorities and the Caddo DA takes this incident very seriously. Please note, the Caddo DA has no indication that anyone's information has been subject to actual or attempted misuse in relation to this incident. On or about October 25, 2021, the Caddo DA became aware of suspicious activity on its network and discovered that it could not access certain files and folders on its servers. The Caddo DA immediately launched an investigation to determine the nature and scope of the incident. The investigation determined that certain computers on the Caddo DA network had been infected by malware. The investigation was unable to rule out unauthorized access to, or taking of, information stored on the Caddo DA network. The Caddo DA has undertaken a lengthy and labor-intensive process to identify the information within the affected systems and address information associated with the potentially affected individuals. The Caddo DA determined, through its investigation, that the information potentially at risk varies by individual and may include certain individuals' name, address and one or more of the following: date of birth; Social Security number; U.S. alien registration number; passport number; driver's license or state-issued identification number; military identification number; tax identification number; tribal identification number; non-U.S. national identification number; copy of birth or marriage certificate; IRS pin number; student identification number; employer identification number; financial account information; payment card information; system access information; biometric data; worker's compensation information; medical information; or health insurance information. The Caddo DA has seen no indication that any information has been subject to actual or attempted misuse in relation to this incident. The Caddo DA takes this incident and the security of personal information in its care very seriously. Upon discovery of this incident, the Caddo DA immediately took steps to ensure the security of its systems and investigate the incident. As part of its ongoing commitment to the privacy of information in its care, it is implementing additional technical security measures to strengthen the security of its systems. The Caddo DA is also reviewing and enhancing its existing data privacy policies and procedures. While unaware of misuse or any personal information, on March 15, 2022, the Caddo DA mailed notice letters to affected individuals for whom it had sufficient contact information. In addition to notifying impacted individuals, the Caddo DA is also reporting to regulatory officials, as required. As a precaution, the Caddo DA is also offering impacted individuals with credit monitoring services through Equifax at no cost. The Caddo DA encourages impacted individuals to remain vigilant against incidents of identity theft and fraud, to review their account statements, and to monitor their credit reports for suspicious activity. The Caddo DA is providing potentially impacted individuals with contact information for the three major credit reporting agencies, as well as providing advice on how to obtain free credit reports and how to place fraud alerts and security freezes on their credit files. The relevant contact information is below: Equifax Experian TransUnion https://www.equifax.com/personal /credit-report-services/ https://www.experian.com /help/ https://www.transunion.com /credit-help 888-298-0045 1-888-397-3742 833-395-6938 Equifax Fraud Alert, P.O. Box 105069 Atlanta, GA 30348-5069 Experian Fraud Alert, P.O. Box 9554, Allen, TX 75013 TransUnion Fraud Alert, P.O. Box 2000, Chester, PA 19016 Equifax Credit Freeze, P.O. Box 105788 Atlanta, GA 30348-5788 Experian Credit Freeze, P.O. Box 9554, Allen, TX 75013 TransUnion Credit Freeze, P.O. Box 160, Woodlyn, PA 19094 Potentially impacted individuals may also find information regarding identity theft, fraud alerts, security freezes, and the steps they may take to protect their information by contacting the credit bureaus, the Federal Trade Commission or their state Attorney General. The Federal Trade Commission can be reached at: 600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20580; www.identitytheft.gov ; 1-877-ID-THEFT (1-877-438-4338); and TTY: 1-866-653-4261. Instances of known or suspected identity theft should also be reported to law enforcement or the individual's state Attorney General. The Caddo DA has established a dedicated call center for individuals to contact with questions or concerns or to determine if they are impacted. This dedicated call center can be reached at 855-604-1778 Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM 9:00 PM Eastern Time. SOURCE The Caddo Parish District Attorneys Office RALEIGH, N.C., March 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Leith Automotive Group returns to the North Carolina State Fairgrounds for its next pop-up buying event Saturday, March 19th. This one-day event expands from 9 am to 7 pm, allowing more opportunities to stop by. Just enter Gate 9 on Trinity Road and follow the signs. Your car has never been worth more. We're buying cars on the spot at the LeithCars.com Pop-Up Buying Event, March 19th. For a variety of reasons, used car values continue to rise as we begin 2022. This is the time to turn your car's equity into dollars. Leith wants to buy your car and give you the most for it any year, make or model. Come to the LeithCars.com Pop-Up Buying Event at the Fairgrounds where you'll receive an offer that's valid at any Leith dealership. Whether it's worth $1000 or $100,000, Leith will make you an offer in just minutes. They can even buy it on the spot. Rain or shine, you can wait inside the Martin Building while Leith's appraisal team takes care of the rest. "Because we have such a high demand now from our customers looking for used cars, Leith can offer you more for your car," said Danny Williams, C.O.O. at Leith Automotive Group. "You benefit when you sell your car to Leith because we put the power of our 39 franchises and our own auction, into a top dollar offer for you." To sell your car on the spot, bring your vehicle title or payoff information, a valid and current registration to confirm ownership, and all keys and remotes. If you are missing any of the original keys and remotes, your offer may need to be adjusted. All title holders must be present too along with a valid state-issued photo ID. No purchase necessary and no appointment required. Leith makes it easier to sell your car. Visit www.LeithBuysCars.com. LeithCars.com is one of the largest automotive groups in North Carolina. A family business created in Raleigh, Leith Cars has been serving the Triangle community for over 50 years, incorporating over 1,900 North Carolinians into its family. The number one place to buy vehicles in the Raleigh metro area for four years running, according to a Marshall Marketing Survey, the auto dealer has 39 franchise locations throughout the state. For more information, visit www.leithcars.com . Media Contact: Alli Larado Oliver 919-592-8793 [email protected] SOURCE LeithCars.com ATLANTA, March 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Thomas ("Tom") G. Sampson Sr. has become a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, one of the premier legal associations in North America, at its annual meeting held in February in Coronado, California. Founded in 1950, the College is composed of the best of the trial bar from the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico. Fellowship in the College is extended by invitation only and only after careful investigation, to those experienced trial lawyers of diverse backgrounds, who have mastered the art of advocacy and whose professional careers have been marked by the highest standards of ethical conduct, professionalism, civility and collegiality. Lawyers must have a minimum of fifteen years trial experience before they can be considered for Fellowship. Membership in the College cannot exceed one percent of the total lawyer population of any state or province. There are currently approximately 5,800 members in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico, including active Fellows, Emeritus Fellows, Judicial Fellows (those who ascended to the bench after their induction) and Honorary Fellows. The College maintains and seeks to improve the standards of trial practice, professionalism, ethics, and the administration of justice through education and public statements on independence of the judiciary, trial by jury, respect for the rule of law, access to justice, and fair and just representation of all parties to legal proceedings. The College is thus able to speak with a balanced voice on important issues affecting the legal profession and the administration of justice. Mr. Sampson is a Founding Partner of Thomas Kennedy Sampson & Tompkins LLP, Georgia's oldest black-owned law firm, and has been practicing in Atlanta for 50 years. A 1971 graduate of the University of North Carolina School of Law in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Mr. Sampson serves as the firm's Managing Partner. SOURCE Thomas Kennedy Sampson & Tompkins LLP Two healthcare education companies are joining their expertise to reduce variation in care and improve patient outcomes. Tweet this "QURE is excited to join a company that is so aligned with our mission to raise the quality of healthcare, standardize practice and lower costs by changing clinician behavior," says Dr. John Peabody, the founder and president of QURE. "Measuring and reducing care variation using CPV vignettes is QURE's core business. We have demonstrated in the peer-review literature that we can do this from the ambulatory to the intensive care setting and for diseases ranging from angina to zoonoses, all with the goal to eliminate unwarranted variation, raise quality for patients and lower costs for payers." TRC Healthcare regards QURE as another key addition to its recent acquisition of NetCE, an industry leading continuing education platform that educates nurses, physicians, and mental health professionals. Together, QURE and NetCE fortify the evidence-based healthcare solutions TRC offers, "The addition of QURE increases our link between strong education and better patient outcomes," remarked Wes Crews. Dr. Peabody will continue to serve as QURE's President and will take on the additional role of Chief Medical Officer at TRC Healthcare. Dr. Peabody is a renowned international health care figure in clinical care quality and a professor at the University of California, San Francisco and Los Angeles. In 2012, John started QURE Healthcare. The QURE platform CPV vignettes has grown and become a widely adopted standard for measuring clinical practice. QURE CPVs are used by organizations looking to engage their providers in clinical variation reduction efforts, including large health care systems, independent practice associations, public and private payers, governments, non-governmental associations, and intergovernmental organizations. Dr. Peabody has contributed more than 200 articles, books, and abstracts to the peer-review literature, served on blue ribbon committees, testified before congress and advised heads of state on a wide variety of subjects notably quality improvement and the economic benefits of standardizing practice in healthcare systems. "QURE is an extraordinary company, with a validated product and team and an incredibly passionate community of users," said Wes Crews. "Together we can transform the way we engage providers and change patient care." About TRC Healthcare TRC Healthcare (TRC) is a premier source of lifelong learning solutions for healthcare professionals. TRC is most recognized for their education and CE offerings within the highly-regarded Pharmacist's Letter, Prescriber's Letter, and Pharmacy Technician's Letter. TRC also offers Pharmacy Technicians University, the leading online training program for pharmacy technicians. The Natural Medicines database makes it easy for subscribers to find unbiased, evidenced-based research about alternative drug therapies. Through the acquisition of CriticalPoint, NetCE and Bula TRC Healthcare has been expanding its offerings. CriticalPoint increases patient safety through a variety of educational compounding offerings concentrating on USP 797, 800, and 795. NetCE is an industry-leading, continuing- education platform supporting multiple professions including nurses, physicians, and mental health. And Bula provides legal and regulatory advice to retail pharmacies. These additions give TRC Healthcare the industry's largest catalog of continuing education and advisory services, with thousands of courses trusted by healthcare professionals to provide accredited training that meets continuing education and licensing requirements. About QURE QURE Healthcare is a provider engagement company committed to improving the quality of clinical care. using its proprietary technology, CPV (Clinical Performance and Value) vignettes. CPV vignettes are used in health systems in the US and over 30 countries worldwide. Core services include CPV and QualityIQ studies, health economic analyses, and physician-level data collection. The ease, validity and affordability of QURE's software attracts a wide array of clients: payers, hospital systems, life sciences and medical technology companies, medical licensing and education institutions, as well as international health development organizations. To learn more, please visit www.qurehealthcare.com. SOURCE TRC Healthcare - Unique collaboration to bridge the gap between liberal arts and technology skills for 500 additional new Infosys employees HARTFORD, Conn., March 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Infosys (NYSE: INFY), a global leader in consulting, technology and next-generation services, today announced it is expanding its exclusive collaboration with Trinity College to prepare talent for the workplace of the future. Launched in 2018, more than 450 new Infosys employees have participated in the program, which uses applied learning educational techniques to prepare participants with liberal arts backgrounds for success in the digital workplace. Over the next three years, the Trinity-Infosys Applied Learning Initiative will be offered to at least an additional 500 new employees. The Trinity-Infosys Applied Learning Initiative provides learning opportunities for Infosys employees through engaging with the college's faculty and alumni. The two organizations will continue to team up to co-develop content, building on Trinity College's core strengths in the liberal arts while also drawing on capabilities in technology and innovation to generate real-world case study material from Infosys. Tan Moorthy, Executive Vice President, Infosys, said, "Our collaboration with Trinity College reflects our investment in the future, where digital technology will enable all aspects of our work lives. It's essential that tomorrow's workforce is intellectually diverse to create opportunities for innovation. Bridging the gap between liberal arts and technology through collaborations, like ours with Trinity College, is a sure step to building a workforce that encompasses varied viewpoints and creates powerful solutions to problems while generating ideas to make the world a better place. We're delighted that the initiative is expanding to include at least 500 more new Infosys employees." Sonia Cardenas, Vice President of Academic Affairs, Dean of the Faculty, and Professor of Political Science for Trinity College, noted, "To date, our collaboration with Infosys has provided a distinctive means of combining liberal arts skills with success in the digital world. In the next stage, we will extend and expand this mission, continuing to prepare the next generation of talent. Tomorrow's workplace will require people with human-centered skill sets who can leverage digital technology to design impactful experiences. We're very pleased that the expansion of this collaboration will continue to play a key role in fostering innovation and lifelong learning across industries in Hartford and Connecticut." About Infosys Infosys is a global leader in next-generation digital services and consulting. We enable clients in more than 50 countries to navigate their digital transformation. With over four decades of experience in managing the systems and workings of global enterprises, we expertly steer our clients through their digital journey. We do it by enabling the enterprise with an AI-powered core that helps prioritize the execution of change. We also empower the business with agile digital at scale to deliver unprecedented levels of performance and customer delight. Our always-on learning agenda drives their continuous improvement through building and transferring digital skills, expertise, and ideas from our innovation ecosystem. Visit www.infosys.com to see how Infosys (NSE, BSE,NYSE: INFY) can help your enterprise navigate your next. About Trinity College Founded in Hartford, Connecticut, in 1823, Trinity College (www.trincoll.edu) is an independent, nonsectarian liberal arts college with more than 2,200 students from 48 states and 71 countries. It is home to the eighth-oldest chapter of Phi Beta Kappa in the United States, and it is one of the only liberal arts colleges in the country with an accredited engineering program. The faculty and alumni include recipients of the Pulitzer Prize, the MacArthur award, Guggenheims, Rockefellers, and other national academic awards. Trinity students integrate meaningful academic and leadership experience at all levels on the college's celebrated campus, in the capital city of Hartford, and in communities all over the world. Safe Harbor Certain statements in this press release are forward-looking statements intended to qualify for the 'safe harbor' under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements concerning our future business opportunities and growth prospects. Such forward-looking statements involve a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in such forward-looking statements. The risks and uncertainties relating to these statements include, but are not limited to, risks and uncertainties regarding fluctuations in earnings, fluctuations in foreign exchange rates, our ability to manage growth, intense competition in IT services including those factors which may affect our cost advantage, wage increases in India, our ability to attract and retain highly skilled professionals, client concentration, restrictions on immigration, industry segment concentration, our ability to manage our international operations, reduced demand for technology in our key focus areas, disruptions in telecommunication networks or system failures, our ability to successfully complete and integrate potential acquisitions, liability for damages on our service contracts, the success of the companies in which Infosys has made strategic investments, withdrawal or expiration of governmental fiscal incentives, political instability and regional conflicts, legal restrictions on raising capital or acquiring companies outside India, and unauthorized use of our intellectual property and general economic conditions affecting our industry. Additional risks that could affect our future operating results are more fully described in our United States Securities and Exchange Commission filings including our Annual Report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2021. These filings are available at www.sec.gov. Infosys may, from time to time, make additional written and oral forward-looking statements, including statements contained in the company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission and our reports to shareholders. In addition, please note that any forward-looking statements contained herein are based on assumptions that we believe to be reasonable as of the date of this press release. The company does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements that may be made from time to time by or on behalf of the company unless it is required by law. SOURCE Infosys Documentary tells three Native women's stories for healing, hope against trauma of colonization ST. PAUL, Minn., March 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Twin Cities PBS (TPT) announces the release of its newest documentary, "Bring Her Home," which tells the story of three Indigenous women fighting to vindicate and honor their missing and murdered relatives. An activist, an artist and a politician each strive to find healing and hope for themselves and for their Native community. Co-produced with Vision Maker Media, an organization dedicated to empowering and engaging Native people to share stories, "Bring Her Home" will be broadcasted locally on TPT and nationally on PBS stations, and the film will be available for streaming on tpt.org starting March 21, 2022. "Bring Her Home" explores a little-discussed human rights issue by following the stories of three Native women as they seek justice and honor for their murdered and missing relatives. Artist Angela Two Stars, activist Mysti Babineau and Representative Ruth Buffalo have all experienced and coped with the enduring trauma of colonization in their Indigenous communities. Within the framework of marching at the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women's Rally and March, an annual community event honoring missing Native women, the film tells the stories of how these women have brought attention to the crisis while also providing encouragement to their communities. "Native women make up less than 1% of the U.S. population, yet face murder rates that are more than 10 times the national average," said Director and Producer Leya Hale of the Sisseton Wahpeton Dakota and Dine Nations. "I've made it my obligation to not only highlight the challenges my people face, but to offer stories of resilience, healing, and hope to empower Indigenous communities near and far. It is my hope that this film will drive public awareness that will serve as a catalyst for conversation, cultural reclamation and ultimately, systemic change." A press kit including photos and the trailer for the documentary can be found here . Password: BringHerHome2022 A press screener of the film can be found here . Media can connect directly with Director Leya Hale at a Virtual Media Tour on Friday, March 18 from 11:00 11:30 a.m. CDT. RSVP at [email protected]. To learn more about TPT's upcoming documentary, visit https://www.tpt.org/bring-her-home/. About Twin Cities PBS Twin Cities PBS (TPT)'s mission is to enrich lives and strengthen our community through the power of media. Established 64 years ago, TPT now operates as a public service media organization that harnesses a range of media tools to serve citizens in new ways with multiple broadcast channels, online teaching resources, educational outreach and community engagement activities reaching more than 2 million people each month. Over its history, TPT has been recognized for its innovation and creativity with numerous awards, including Peabody awards and national and regional Emmy Awards. Find more information at tpt.org . About Vision Maker Media Vision Maker Media (VMM) is the premier source of public media by and about Native Americans since 1976. Our mission is empowering and engaging Native people to share stories. We envision a world changed and healed by understanding Native stories and the public conversations they generate. We work with VMM funded producers to develop, produce and distribute programs for all public media. VMM supports training to increase the number of American Indians and Alaska Natives producing public broadcasting programs. A key strategy for this work is in partnerships with Tribal nations, Indian organizations and Native communities. Vision Maker Media is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) funded in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) , For more information visit visionmakermedia.org . Contact: Carol Schuler [email protected] 612-281-7030 SOURCE Twin Cities Public Television (TPT) The launch of an official website enables users from around the world to have a simple way to make cryptocurrency donations to Ukraine. Anyone is now able to select the desirable amount in selected cryptocurrencies to donate, connect a wallet, and confirm a transaction within the same user-friendly interface. The fundraising process will be traceable in real-time on the website. The overall amount of donations will be summed up and tentatively expressed in USD at the Coingecko rate. The website also makes it possible to add more cryptocurrencies to the initiative thanks to the involvement of Everstake, the biggest decentralized staking provider in the industry. The company's officers are in direct contact with the community representatives willing to take part in helping the people of Ukraine. The crypto community does not want to stand aside and watch Ukrainians suffer from the unprovoked aggression by the Russian Federation and the subsequent humanitarian disaster unseen in Europe since the Balkan war. "Freedom has always been at the bedrock of the crypto community. It is the same fundamental value that Ukraine is currently fighting for, and the crypto community expressed its strong desire to help Ukraine right after the onset of this abysmal war. As a part of this great community and as a Ukraine-based company we feel an obligation to help in whatever way we can. That is how and why Aid For Ukraine came to be," Sergey Vasilchuk, CEO at Everstake said. So far, users can donate to the existing wallets of the Ministry of Digital Transformation in BTC, ETH, USDT (TRC-20), DOT, SOL, DOGE, and XMR. The initiative has also added ICX, EOS, and NEO. Aid For Ukraine will add other cryptocurrencies over time. "ICON Foundation is joining global community efforts by pledging $1M towards aid and relief for the Ukrainian people. I hope that our technology and community can make a small contribution in this time of need," Min Kim, founder of ICON states. Aid For Ukraine is cooperating with the cryptocurrency exchange FTX which converts crypto funds received into fiat and sends the donations to the National Bank of Ukraine. This marks the first-ever instance of a cryptocurrency exchange directly cooperating with a public financial entity to provide a conduit for crypto donations. Earlier this month, FTX already converted $1 million worth of SOL and transferred it to the National Bank of Ukraine. "At the onset of the conflict in Ukraine, FTX felt the need to provide assistance in any way it could. By working with the Ministry of Digital Transformation to set up payment rails and facilitate the conversion of crypto donations into fiat currency, we have given the National Bank of Ukraine the ability to deliver aid and resources to the people who need it most. We are grateful for the opportunity to work with Sergey and the Everstake team as they continue to work tirelessly in helping Ukrainians as they suffer from this conflict," Sam Bankman-Fried, the founder and CEO of FTX commented. The crypto community has already donated more than $80 million to Ukraine, with over $50 million going to the official accounts of Ukraine's Ministry of Digital Transformation. Aid For Ukraine seeks to raise more donations for Ukraine in the crypto community. Every contribution is important and valuable. "Today, crypto is playing a significant role in Ukraine's defense. Crypto assets proved extremely helpful in facilitation of funding flows to Ukrainian citizens and soldiers, as well as in raising awareness and engaging people worldwide. The amount of crypto crowdfunding for our country is already the biggest in history so far. We expect that the NFT collection will give the next boost to the crypto fundraising process. Huge thanks to the crypto community for this unprecedented support of Ukraine and its defense of the principles of democracy and freedom in face of the war waged by the Russian Federation," Oleksandr Bornyakov, the Deputy Minister of Digital Transformation of Ukraine on IT industry development said. The funds will be used to help the Armed Forces of Ukraine as well as Ukrainian civilians in dire need of humanitarian aid. To learn more about Aid For Ukraine and support its efforts, please visit: https://donate.thedigital.gov.ua/ . About the initiators of Aid For Ukraine About the Ministry of Digital Transformation The Ministry of Digital Transformation is one of the governmental authorities in Ukraine. Main mission is to build the most convenient and user-friendly country in the world. The Ministry is focused on creating "state in a smartphone". This combines both Diia mobile application and Diia web portal, where citizens store e-docs and get access to public services. The Ministry's vision is that the state should not be associated with a scary monster, corruption and bureaucracy, but become a convenient friendly service. State must provide quality and efficient service to citizens and businesses. This global goal is expanded into 4 specific strategic goals of the Ministry until 2024: Transfer 100% of all public services for citizens and businesses online. Provide 95% of transport infrastructure, settlements and their social facilities with access to high-speed Internet. To teach 6 million Ukrainians digital skills. Increase the share of IT in the country's GDP to 10%. About FTX FTX.COM is a cryptocurrency exchange built by traders, for traders. It offers innovative products, including industry-leading derivatives, options and volatility products, tokenized stocks, prediction markets, leveraged tokens and an OTC desk. FTX.COM strives to be an intuitive yet powerful platform for all kinds of users, and to be the most innovative exchange in the industry. FTX.COM has grown quickly since its founding, becoming one of the most respected cryptocurrency exchanges in the world in less than 3 years. To learn more about FTX.COM , please visit: https://ftx.com/ FTX.COM is not available to US residents or residents of other prohibited jurisdictions, as set out in its Terms of Service. About Everstake Everstake is a Ukraine-based company and the biggest decentralized staking provider in the blockchain industry, trusted by 625,000 users. The company has used enterprise-level hardware to run nodes for the most popular blockchain networks since 2018. Everstake employs 100+ experts across the world and creates complex blockchain products, such as lending protocols, staking pools, blockchain bridges, and marketplaces. The company has been heavily involved in the development of projects like Metaplex, Wormhole, and Everlend. Media contacts Liliia Tulupenko, PR & Communications at the Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine: [email protected] M Group Strategic Communications (for FTX): [email protected] Vlad Likhuta, Head of Growth at Everstake: [email protected] SOURCE Everstake Directed by Oscar-nominated Roko Belic, film shows need for media literacy and solutions for more resilience, trust and the preservation of democracy globally LOS ANGELES, March 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The timely new "Trust Me," film exposes problems caused by society's lack of media literacy and offers solutions. Public television stations across the country continue to address how mis- and disinformation are affecting society by scheduling premiers and repeats of "Trust Me" to reach 84% market coverage in the U.S. this year. "Trust Me" has won four "best documentary" awards at U.S. film festivals and been honored at many others. "Trust Me" is a documentary that explores manipulation and misinformation at the intersection of human nature and information technology. It explains how that drives a need for media literacy. Expert interviews point the way toward a positive future. http://www.trustmedocumentary.com/ The film brings awareness of the need for media literacy to combat polarization, threats to democracy, medical misinformation, and mental illness. It features compelling stories from around the world where media illiteracy led to crises. One story unveils a behind-the-curtain look at how Russian hackers are creating and feeding dissention in the U.S. Interviews from world-renowned experts explain why humanity is drawn to manipulation from sensational and negative news, and how commercial media often capitalize on our biases. A link to the trailer is here. "The large number of thought leaders and professional associations who have heartily endorsed 'Trust Me' sends a clear message that this timely film, about a challenge that is crucial to our overall health, is worthwhile viewing," said Joe Phelps, Executive Producer, "Trust Me." The film has been featured at national and global conferences including: the U.S. State Department's World Media Literacy Symposium, the National Association of Media Literacy Educators, UNESCO, MediaLiteracyNow, American Library Association, and the National Council of Teachers of English. Winner of four "best documentary" film festival awards, it premiered January 7, on PBS stations and the WORLD channel. Due to its timeliness and the critical subject matter, stations are continuing to schedule repeats. (Check local listings for dates and times.) The film is also streaming from TrustMeDocumentary.com. "It's essential that we understand how people learn about current affairs, and how to enhance their knowledge about the present and hope for the future. 'Trust Me' is a vivid, engaging, and penetrating portrait of these vital issues," said Steven Pinker, renowned psychologist at Harvard University. "Trust Me" is an incredibly important film at an incredibly important time. You will want to see this." - Michelle Ciulla-Lipkin, Executive Director National Association for Media Literacy Education (NAMLE) For information on "Trust Me," contact Rosemary Smith, Impact Producer at 989.370.2777. Or visit www.trustmedocumentary.com for more information about educational licensing or private screenings. About Getting Better Foundation (GBF): The mission is to "build trust through the truth about the positive progress of humanity." The Foundation primarily supports media literacy education and has produced "Trust Me" to raise awareness of the challenge. Properly armed with media literacy, people can avoid online manipulation, empowering them to rise to the best versions of themselves. For information, visit www.gettingbetterfoundation.org or contact Managing Director, [email protected] Or: [email protected] Media Contact Rosemary Smith 989.370.2777 [email protected] SOURCE Getting Better Foundation LOS ANGELES, March 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Westmount Asset Management ("Westmount"), a Los Angeles-based, independent wealth management firm with more than $4.8 billion in assets under management, is accelerating its expansion into Orange County with the hire of three professionals to support clients more directly in the region. Senior Advisor Phil Hagopian, AWMA, and Financial Planner Tim Lonergan, CFP, both joined the firm in 2021, following the hire of Senior Advisor Jeff Halbert in 2020. Phil Hagopian, Senior Advisor Jeff Halbert, Senior Advisor Tim Lonergan, Financial Planner Halbert and Hagopian will focus on cultivating new and existing relationships; Lonergan will advise clients on tax and estate planning matters. "A number of our clients already call Orange County 'home', and it remains an important area of focus for our firm's future growth," said Westmount President Mike Amash. "Jeff, Phil, and Tim will play a crucial role there as we continue to strengthen our footprint in the region. They are experienced, personable advisors who are passionate about designing cutting-edge solutions for our clients. We are delighted to welcome them to our firm." Halbert and Hagopian work in tandem with other members of the firm's advisory team to manage client relationships, advise on investment strategy, review portfolio allocations and performance, and create and review financial plans. They are also responsible for fostering new client relationships across Orange County, where Westmount maintains a satellite office in Newport Beach. Halbert studied economics at Rollins College in Orlando, Fla., where he also completed his MBA in finance and management. He then joined Raymond James as a financial advisor and later relocated to Laguna Beach to serve as vice president at Telos Capital Management before joining Westmount. Hagopian has spent more than a decade working for large investment companies as a consultant to financial advisors. Most recently, he was a vice president and wealth advisor at Lido Advisors. Hagopian earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration degree in finance from Northeastern University and holds the Accredited Wealth Management AdvisorSM designation from the College of Financial Planning. As a Financial Planner, Lonergan helps clients understand the various qualitative and quantitative aspects of the financial planning process and advises on a broad range of topics including taxes, estate planning, college savings, and charitable giving. Lonergan launched his wealth management career as an associate with Boston Private Wealth. Most recently, he advised high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth clients at Morgan Stanley, providing support in the areas of portfolio management, financial planning, research, and trading. Lonergan earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from the University of New Hampshire. About Westmount Founded in 1990, Westmount is a leading independent investment advisory firm based in Los Angeles, managing more than $4.8 billion in client assets as of Dec. 31, 2021. Westmount seeks to bring clarity and purpose to clients' financial lives by providing objective, independent investment advice complemented by sophisticated financial planning. To learn more, visit www.westmount.com. Media contact: Bart Zino, Marketing Manager: 310-556-2502 or [email protected] SOURCE Westmount Asset Management In her role at FIGUR8, Ryon will lead the company's fast-growing practice in payer partnerships, building the company's commercial infrastructure operations, sales, market access to scale FIGUR8's continued growth in the payer market. Scott Sexton, President and Chief Business Officer of FIGUR8, said: "We are delighted to welcome Jennifer to FIGUR8. Jennifer has an exceptional track record of developing high-performing sales and service teams and growing nascent markets that deliver profitable growth. A proven leader, Jennifer has managed one of the industry's most comprehensive provider networks in highly competitive and complex markets. Jennifer understands the unique needs of our industry, effectively serving the interests of multiple stakeholders, including patients, providers and payers. Jennifer joins FIGUR8 at a key moment and we look forward to her expertise and customer-focused leadership in accelerating our ability to scale FIGUR8's capabilities." Ryon brings over sixteen years of experience in client success strategy, revenue growth, customer service, account management, and driving customer value. Committed to the industry and women's growth, she has been a passionate Board Member for the Alliance of Women in Workers' Compensation ( www.allianceofwomen.org ) since January 2019 and currently serves as Vice President. Jennifer Ryon, Executive VP of Commercial Operations of FIGUR8, said: "After spending time with FIGUR8 it quickly became apparent to me that the company developed breakthrough technology with accessible precision analytics to the standard musculoskeletal clinical assessment in a way that's never been done before. I am excited to join FIGUR8 and its efforts in accelerating the digital transformation of musculoskeletal health while improving the experience by payers, providers, and patients alike." Today's announcement follows a succession of hires to expand the commercial team, including the recent appointment of Sean Melnick as Vice President of Provider Partnerships. Nan-Wei Gong, CEO and Co-Founder of FIGUR8, said: "FIGUR8's technology has increasingly become an indispensable solution to support decisions regarding musculoskeletal health conditions. Jennifer and Sean are invaluable additions to FIGUR8's leadership team as we grow to address the fast-growing, multi-market adoption from payers, providers and employers." In continued demand, FIGUR8 was most recently awarded a phase II STTR contract with the U.S. Air Force. FIGUR8's technology is in deployments with major health systems, insurance carriers, government organizations and Fortune 500 businesses that include Toppan and Parker Hannifin . FIGUR8's technology drives significant improvements in patient outcomes and lowers re-injury rates while generating significant cost savings for employers, healthcare systems and both commercial health and casualty insurance carriers. About FIGUR8 FIGUR8 is creating the most advanced wearable musculoskeletal (MSK) technology on the market. Its powerful, lightweight system combines clinically smart biosensors, intuitive software and AI to improve musculoskeletal health at every point of care from injury through full recovery. FIGUR8 has developed the first musculoskeletal health decision support system of its kind that can accurately pinpoint the source and severity of an injury while showing real-time recovery visibility. Powering FIGUR8's solution is breakthrough technology developed over years by MIT engineers in collaboration with Mass General Brigham clinicians. For more info, visit www.figur8tech.com. SOURCE FIGUR8 Bringing both fairness and ultimate safety to a controversial but critical issue WASHINGTON, March 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Many parents who lost children from dressers that tipped over had no idea that that could happen with dressers and in their homes. They had no perception of the hazard presented by some dressers. A public policy needs to manage this perception and promote a clear understanding of the nature of this hazard and what behavior is needed to deal with it. There are many hazards in our lives, including kitchen knives, cigarettes, etc. But dresser that can tip over are also very hazardous as they have maimed and killed mostly children. Dresser tip-overs do not go over the threshold of the public perception of their hazardous nature. But the death of infants is particularly devastating. First, the reality of the lack of perception of this hazard is to be acknowledge for establishing a good policy. Now, some parents and advocates are pushing for very stringent standards to make sure that dressers that will be manufactured in the future will never, tip over. There is a strong push back from the furniture industry, and it is disingenuous to put it all in account of big business greed. There is a great market for light, cheaper dressers. On a furniture seller website one can filter one's search of dressers as "under $250". That is the market! Most customers cannot afford dressers that cost over $2000, also sold by the same company. To deprive these people of the opportunity to purchase a low-cost dresser is unfair and against public service. So, here's the proposal: Two categories 1/ sturdy dressers that will not tip over and 2/ light dressers that should be sold with a strong hazard warning (as on cigarettes packs). Their buyers will also bear the responsibility to ensure their stability (conditional sales as for some medicine). Either anchor them to the wall or chose other means to stabilize them, such as the SureFix Solutions. Please register your reaction for the different parties to make peace. Help save kids! Surefix Solutions, LLC has recently be awarded a US Patent that describes a solution to stabilize dressers and cabinets from falling and hurting especially young children. Please contact us at GoSureFix.com This press release was issued through 24-7PressRelease.com. For further information, visit http://www.24-7pressrelease.com. SOURCE Surefix Solutions, LLC Leading Value-Based primary Care Provider Prepares for 2022 Expansion BALTIMORE, March 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- AbsoluteCare announced today that healthcare industry veteran Mark Scheyer has been appointed President of Medical Centers. As President of Medical Centers and a member of the executive leadership team, Mr. Scheyer is responsible for overall management, oversite, and performance of AbsoluteCare's growing comprehensive care center footprint throughout the country. "Mark's extensive background in medical center operations and his exceptional leadership skills make him the right person to lead our comprehensive care center operations," said Mike Radu, CEO. "Under his leadership, we will expand to provide compassionate, whole-person care for significantly more members, bringing our care beyond medicine to more communities than ever." Before joining AbsoluteCare, Mr. Scheyer was Chief Operating Officer of Steward Medical Group in Dallas, Texas. There, he was accountable for 1,700 providers in more than 450 practice locations across 11 states that provided care for over 2.2 million patients annually. His innovations in practice-based strategies and initiatives to enhance care coordination, improve profitability, and increase brand awareness helped to significantly grow and optimize the medical practices during the last five years of his tenure. "I was drawn to AbsoluteCare 's mission to address member health and life needs in our centers and in their communities through our concierge, PCP-led care teams," said Mark Scheyer. "I believe that the future of healthcare is providing more services to people in the ambulatory setting and their homes, with a keen focus on addressing the hierarchy of member needs stable housing, adequate food and clothing so that we can more successfully address their health and safety needs." Mr. Scheyer was with Steward for eight years, starting as Senior Director of Surgical Services for a few short months before being promoted to Vice President, Practice Management. He is a former physical therapist and holds a master's degree in Health Systems Management from Rush University Medical Center in Chicago and a master's in physical therapy from Drexel University. He is a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE). About AbsoluteCare Headquartered in Columbia, Maryland, AbsoluteCare is a leading value-based integrated healthcare provider. We go beyond medicine to provide comprehensive and preventive care to the most vulnerable populations. AbsoluteCare offers concierge health services using a risk-bearing, PCP-driven care model. We treat the most clinically complex and vulnerable members of the communities we serve many of whom face behavioral health, substance use, and SDoH challenges. AbsoluteCare tends exclusively to the needs of the top four to six percent of the population who persistently represent a disproportionate amount of unnecessary utilization and cost, regardless of whether they are engaged with other PCPs. We deliver this care in our comprehensive care centers as well as in the communities we serve. In our more than 20 years, AbsoluteCare has consistently achieved unprecedented outcomes by addressing medical and psychosocial issues, as well as life's hardships that exacerbate chronic health conditions and complicate access to care. AbsoluteCare currently operates out of five facilities: Atlanta, GA; Baltimore and Prince George's County, MD; New Orleans, LA; and Philadelphia, PA. We have treated tens of thousands of chronically ill individuals, living up to the mission of providing care that goes beyond medicine. Contact: Lauren J. Cutruzzula (410) 504-6971 [email protected] SOURCE AbsoluteCare The expansion of the board coincides with the successful completion of an initial pilot clinical study. Dr. Hermanowicz said, "We are pleased to announce our successful evaluation of the Allevx device in 14 patients in the U.S. with various movement disorder conditions, including essential tremor and Parkinson's disease. All patients demonstrated positive reduction of tremor. We're very encouraged with the results, as we prepare for multicenter clinical evaluations." "We are excited to welcome Rajesh, Stuart, and Patrick to our SAB and look forward to their insights and guidance, as we prepare for expansion of clinical studies in the U.S. and international markets, said Shawn Moaddeb, chief executive officer and chairman of the board of Allevion Therapeutics. Rajesh Pahwa, M.D., is the Laverne and Joyce Rider professor of neurology and chief of the Movement Disorder Division for the University of Kansas School of Medicine at the University of Kansas Medical Center. The Parkinson's Foundation has designated KU Medical Center as a Center of Excellence, one of 33 designated centers nationwide. These centers have earned a reputation for comprehensive care, strong clinical research and play a vital role in developing and disseminating new and better therapeutic approaches. Dr. Pahwa oversees diagnostic and treatment services for people with Parkinson's disease and related disorders, such as progressive supranuclear palsy and multiple system atrophy, as well as tremor disorders. He is also a diplomate of the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology. Dr. Pahwa has published more than 250 peer-reviewed articles, chapters, and abstracts in leading neurology and movement disorder journals, and he has conducted more than 150 clinical trials related to Parkinson's disease and other movement disorders. He is the co-editor of Handbook of Parkinson's Disease, 3rd, and 4th editions; Therapy of Parkinson's Disease, 3rd edition; and Handbook of Essential Tremor and Other Tremor Disorders. He is also the co-author of the book Parkinson's Disease: Questions and Answers, 4th edition. Dr. Pahwa commented, "I am delighted to join Allevion Therapeutics' SAB at this important time in the company's evolution." Stuart H. Isaacson, M.D., FAAN, is an associate professor of neurology at the Florida International University Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine and the director of the Parkinson's Disease and Movement Disorders Center of Boca Raton, Fla. He is also the medical director of the Parkinson's Research and Education Foundation. Dr. Isaacson is the director of the Parkinson's Disease and Movement Disorders Center of Boca Raton, where he leads a team of movement disorder neurologists and clinical coordinators combining a holistic approach to medical therapy with access to one of the largest Parkinson's and movement disorders clinical trial centers in the U.S. He has been involved in over 250 clinical trials and has served on national and international committees for many drug and device development programs, seeking to advance development of emerging therapies. Dr. Isaacson has authored or co-authored over 300 abstracts, journal articles, and book chapters and has presented research results at national and international scientific meetings. Dr. Isaacson is board-certified in neurology, a fellow of the American Academy of Neurology; a member of the International Association of Parkinson's and Related Disorders, the Movement Disorders Society, the Section on Movement Disorders of the AAN, the Parkinson's Study Group, the Huntington's Study Group; and has been recognized in Best Doctors in America List, America's Top Physicians, and Florida Super Doctors. Dr. Isaacson has worked closely with national foundations, including the Parkinson's Foundation and the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research. Dr. Isaacson commented, "Effective and tolerated treatment options for common movement disorders, like essential tremor and Parkinson's disease, remain an important unmet medical need. The Allevx smart-band neuromodulation device with its real-time tremor task monitoring, ability for multiple short treatment sessions throughout the day without the need to recharge the device, and the use of a band that can be worn on both arms is a new treatment option that provides benefit to our patients living with these disorders." Patrick McCartney is the executive director of the International Essential Tremor Foundation (IETF), the largest focused group dedicated to essential tremor (ET). The mission of the IETF is to provide hope to the ET community worldwide through awareness, education, support, and research. McCartney said, "We are extremely encouraged and looking forward to working with the team at Allevion Therapeutics to expand therapeutic options for essential tremor patients." About Allevion Therapeutics: Allevion Therapeutics is developing a patented next-generation smart wearable neuromodulation device using dual energy fusion technology for the treatment of a wide variety of movement disorders. Allevion Therapeutics is dedicated to improving the lives of the millions of people struggling with ET & Parkinson's disease. ET is a movement disorder far more common than Parkinson's disease, which has a significant impact on mobility and quality of life. Incidence of ET is expected to increase more than 6% annually. Allevx smart-band utilizes seven touchpoints contacting multiple nerves (radial, median, and ulnar) in combination with low frequency, ultra-low-power ultrasound and multi-phasic electrical stimulation synchronized with a novel algorithm, leading to faster and longer-lasting tremor reduction results. Allevx smart-band device can be used on both hands without the need to buy a separate unit for each hand. The device can learn from patient-specific activities to optimize stimulation parameters for different tasks. Data can be shared with physicians through secure cloud-based access. For more information, visit the company's website at www.alleviontx.com . Media Contact: Cortney Donaldson [email protected] . SOURCE Allevion Therapeutics IT-Harvest and Allgress Partner to Populate Security Vendor Information in New ComplianceVision tool. LIVERMORE, Calif., March 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Allgress, an industry-leading provider of Integrated Risk and Compliance Management solutions, today announced ComplianceVision and a partnership with analyst firm IT-Harvest. ComplianceVision is a free tool available for Security Consultants, MSSP's, Security Resellers, and CISO's, that allows anyone to visualize how their current compliance requirements are mapped to over 1,500 different security vendor solutions. Product Suggestions Screenshot A user can select their current stack of security products to generate a coverage map of controls from all major standards and frameworks, including NIST, COBIT, PCI, CMMC, SOC2, and FedRAMP. "Allgress has the most comprehensive mapping of compliance controls I have ever seen," said Richard Stiennon, Founder and Chief Research Analyst at IT-Harvest. "I am excited that the data IT-Harvest curates in our Analyst Dashboard, can contribute vendor information to enhance ComplianceVision." ComplianceVision is the industry's most comprehensive solution to reduce the complexity and shorten the timeframe of achieving compliance for customers and partners. Users can easily take a gap assessment and then receive suggested vendor solutions to fix any of their discovered gaps. Jeff Kushner, CMO of Allgress, said, "We are so pleased to leverage the research data from IT-Harvest. No other organization has compiled such extensive data on security solution providers. We look forward to utilizing IT-Harvest's research to keep supplying our customers with relevant targeted solutions." Create Free Account: https://get.compliancevision.io About IT-Harvest: IT-Harvest is a data-driven analyst firm, founded by Richard Stiennon. Subscribers to the Analyst Dashboard get access to carefully curated data on the entire cybersecurity industry including 2,900 vendors. Calls with the analyst can be scheduled from the app to review any sector of the industry. It was founded by Richard Stiennon in 2005. Stiennon has presented on the topic of cybersecurity in 31 countries on six continents. He was a lecturer at Charles Sturt University in Australia. He is the author of Security Yearbook 2021: A History and Directory of the IT Security Industry. He published Curmudgeon: How to Succeed as an Industry Analyst in 2020. In 2019, he published Secure Cloud Transformation: The CIO's Journey. He also wrote Surviving Cyberwar (Government Institutes, 2010), and Washington Post Best Seller, There Will Be Cyberwar. He writes for Forbes, and The Analyst Syndicate. He is a member of the advisory board at several technology startups and sits on the boards of Anitian and QuickHeal. Stiennon was Chief Strategy Officer for Blancco Technology Group, the Chief Marketing Officer for Fortinet, Inc., and VP Threat Research at Webroot Software. Prior to that, he was a Research VP at Gartner. He has a BS in Aerospace Engineering and his MA in War in the Modern World from King's College, London. Follow @cyberwar on Twitter. About Allgress Allgress is a global award-winning provider of next-generation Audit, Compliance, IT Security and Risk Management Solutions, for organizations to meet their risk objectives. Allgress' solutions enable organizations to streamline processes to manage the assessment, monitoring, reporting, and remediation of IT Risks with less complexity and reduced costs. Unlike other solutions, Allgress' technology allows customers to continuously derive quicker time-to-value without an army of consultants. For additional information, please visit us at https://get.compliancevision.io or https://allgress.com or connect with us on LinkedIn and Twitter. Media Contact: Jeff Kushner, 281-467-5877 [email protected] SOURCE Allgress, Inc. "We work hard everyday to bring value to our clients' lives and this ranking further validates the work we've been doing." Tweet this Forbes' rankings, developed by SHOOK Research, are the only advisor rankings with a focus on quality, including surveying and interviewing advisors in-person and virtually. Rankings are based on an algorithm of qualitative data collected through these surveys and interviews to evaluate best practices, level of service, investing models, and compliance records, as well as quantitative data such as revenue trends and assets under management. SHOOK Research prides itself on recognizing the most outstanding financial advisors in the business and creating rankings of role models advisors that are leading the way in offering best practices and providing a high-quality experience for clients. Unlike other advisor rankings, SHOOK is not a "robo-ranker" and is completely independent and objective they do not receive compensation from financial advisors, their firms, or the media in exchange for rankings. They believe that production and asset numbers don't tell the whole story and that a focus on both qualitative and quantitative factors is imperative. To see the full list of Forbes' 2022 Top Women Wealth Advisors Best-In-State rankings, please click here. BRAUN-BOSTICH ADVISORS CONTRIBUTE TO AMERICAN COLLEGE OF PHYSICIANS' REPORT AND WEBINAR Two advisors from Braun-Bostich & Associates, Amy Braun-Bostich, MSFP, CFP, CFS, APMA, CLTC, Founding Partner and CEO, and Cassandra Kirby, CFP, EA, Partner, Chief Operating Officer, and Chief Compliance Officer, recently contributed to two resources produced by the American College of Physicians and their Membership Insurance Program. The American College of Physicians (ACP) is a national organization of internists who specialize in the diagnosis, treatment, and care of adults, providing advocacy, practice tools, clinical guidance, and continuing medical education for internal medicine and more. With 161,000 members, ACP is the largest medical-specialty organization and second-largest physician group in the United States. The first resource that Kirby and Braun-Bostich contributed to was the 2021 ACP Physicians' Financial Preparedness Report, released in October 2021, which provided physicians, internists, and other medical professionals with personal financial insights, as well as comparisons and benchmarks by career stage, including household income, retirement portfolio values, emergency fund totals, and more. In the report, Kirby and Braun-Bostich reviewed the findings and provided financial advice and other insights for ACP member physicians in different financial situations and career stages. In addition, Kirby and Braun-Bostich participated in an ACP Member Insurance Program webinar, held in February 2022, where they discussed the role of insurance in financial planning and wellbeing. They also recapped their insights from the Financial Preparedness Report, discussed the different elements of retirement planning and estate planning, shared the value of having a diversified financial portfolio in retirement plans, explained the importance of disability and life insurance as a part of a solid financial plan, and posed questions to help participants prepare for the unexpected. Both the report and the webinar are publicly available on the ACP website, provided as educational resources for all physicians and medical professionals. ABOUT BRAUN-BOSTICH & ASSOCIATES Braun-Bostich & Associates is a comprehensive financial planning firm and Registered Investment Advisor based in Canonsburg, PA, delivering a range of wealth management solutions to high-net-worth individuals, families, and businesses in order to help them meet their goals and optimize their financial life. Founded by Amy Braun-Bostich, CEO and Founding Partner, Braun-Bostich & Associates is focused on securing the wellbeing of clients and their loved ones for years to come. By creating strategies designed for their clients' unique needs, they help develop a roadmap to financial independence. Learn more at www.Braun-Bostich.com. Media Contact: Jonny Swift Impact Communications, Inc. 913-649-5009 [email protected] SOURCE Braun-Bostich & Associates "While my favorite way of measuring Apploi's success is by hearing how much customers love our platform and how it's helped them with healthcare staffing in these challenging times, being acknowledged by Inc. is a close second," said Apploi CEO Adam Lewis. "It's truly rewarding to know our team's hard work is translating into growth and recognition." Apploi and the other companies on this list show a remarkable rate of growth across all industries in the Northeast region. Between 2018 and 2020, these 124 private companies had an average growth rate of 208% percent and, in 2020 alone, they added 5,010 jobs and nearly $2.7 billion to the Northeast region's economy. Companies based in the New York City and Boston areas had the highest growth rate overall. "This year's Inc. 5000 Regional winners represent one of the most exceptional and exciting lists of America's off-the-charts growth companies. They're disruptors and job creators, and all delivered an outsize impact on the economy. Remember their names and follow their lead. These are the companies you'll be hearing about for years to come," says Scott Omelianuk, editor-in-chief of Inc. Apploi's ranking caps a pivotal few years for the New York-based company, which included an expansion of its Advisory Board ; new partnerships with leading international in-home care company Right at Home and capital management platform Viventium ; and the launch of new product Onboard and Manage Teams , a secure onboarding and credential management solution for healthcare employers. In 2021, Apploi was recognized in Inc.'s Best in Business awards , winning the Gold medal for the Established Excellence category. About Apploi Apploi is the leading Healthcare Recruitment Technology specializing in high-volume people hiring. Apploi streamlines the hiring process from candidate acquisition to hired. Working with 5,000+ healthcare organizations across the US today, Apploi is the premier candidate management system for healthcare. To learn more about Apploi, visit: http://www.apploi.com . About Inc. Media The world's most trusted business-media brand, Inc. offers entrepreneurs the knowledge, tools, connections, and community to build great companies. Its award-winning multiplatform content reaches more than 50 million people each month across a variety of channels including websites, newsletters, social media, podcasts, and print. Its prestigious Inc. 5000 list, produced every year since 1982, analyzes company data to recognize the fastest-growing privately held businesses in the United States. The global recognition that comes with inclusion in the 5000 gives the founders of the best businesses an opportunity to engage with an exclusive community of their peers and the credibility that helps them drive sales and recruit talent. The associated Inc. 5000 Conference is part of a highly acclaimed portfolio of bespoke events produced by Inc. For more information, visit www.inc.com . SOURCE Apploi By shifting bonuses into tangible rewards given at regular intervals, this new approach can help hit the brakes on the Great Resignation. PROVO, Utah, March 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Awardco , the employee recognition and rewards company that builds culture through value-driven recognition, announced today that it has launched Awardco Pay, a game-changing new offering on its platform based on "Reward Compensation," integrating bonuses, rewards, and recognition. Reward Compensation is a form of compensation that goes into every employee's paycheck at regular intervals and is not part of their overall salary. By issuing the compensation regularly, companies can improve employee engagement, reduce voluntary turnover, and boost productivity. Instead of adding a dollar amount to every paycheck, the compensation takes the form of rewards a gift that provides an experience or something the employee wants. Through the Awardco platform, employees would receive points that they can use in the vast Awardco marketplace (e.g., Amazon products, event tickets, or gift cards) or a customized catalog curated by the employer. "Let's be honest, the traditional bonus structure isn't doing what it's supposed to do anymore, which is to reward employees and keep them on your team. They were created during a time when companies needed to distract their employees from their grueling 12-hour workdays. And, they were and often still are not given to every employee. Today, not much has changed, except employees are not fooled by the 'shiny thing' of a possible bonus at the end of the year; we're seeing the effects of that with the Great Resignation," said Steve Sonnenberg, Awardco founder and CEO. "We knew something had to change when it came to compensation. So, why not merge compensation with rewards and recognition and dismantle the typical bonus structure? To our creative and forward-thinking team, it seemed like an obvious solution to a huge problem facing companies big and small. Give your employees a gift, something that they want, not need. And, rather than giving bonuses to a select few, every employee is rewarded fairly and regularly. Ultimately, this is about respect for employees and flexibility for employers." With Awardco Pay, employers structure Reward Compensation however it best suits their organization. For example, if an employee makes $50,000 a year, a percentage of their overall salary is given back in the form of reward compensation. With a $50,000 salary and a 2% Reward Compensation structure, the employee would receive a bonus of $1,000, divided between each paycheck throughout the year. Companies already budget for rewards and recognition, and integrating Awardco Pay would simply mean shifting those allocated funds into this new structure. Awardco Pay can also be utilized for many different purposes outside of a regular bonus tied to paychecks. Organizations can use it to facilitate wellness programs in certain months, fulfill travel stipends (instead of reimbursements), or use it to celebrate service anniversaries, for example. This allows companies to use their rewards budget for much more than just an annual party. There are also psychological issues at work: extra cash per paycheck would eventually get wrapped into the paycheck itself, which defeats the purpose of a bonus. Reward Compensation, on the other hand, stands separate from the paycheck and is intended for something other than the typical use of a paycheck. For more information about Awardco Pay, visit http://www.award.co/awardco-pay . About Awardco Awardco incentivizes behavior and builds workplace culture through value-driven recognition and rewards. It is the only employee recognition and total rewards platform to partner with Amazon Business to offer the power of Amazon for any size organization's incentive programs. Offering millions of products, hotels through Priceline, event tickets, gift cards, swag, and custom catalogs, Awardco is the largest reward network on the planet all with zero markups. Coupled with the flexibility to build any number of recognition, incentive, milestone, or behaviorally driven programs, Awardco's platform drives employee loyalty. For more information, visit us online at award.co . SOURCE Awardco CHARLOTTE, N.C., March 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Bank of America Corporation today announced the Board of Directors has authorized regular cash dividends on the outstanding shares or depositary shares of the following series of preferred stock: Series of Preferred Stock Dividend per Share or Depositary Share1 Record Date Payment Date 7.25% Non-Cumulative Perpetual Convertible Preferred Stock, Series L $18.125 April 1 May 2 Fixed-to-Floating Rate Non- Cumulative Preferred Stock, Series Z $32.500 April 1 April 25 5.875% Non-Cumulative Preferred Stock, Series HH $0.3671875 April 1 April 25 4.375% Non-Cumulative Preferred Stock, Series NN $0.2734375 April 15 May 3 4.125% Non-Cumulative Preferred Stock, Series PP $0.2578125 April 15 May 2 4.375% Fixed-Rate Reset Non- Cumulative Preferred Stock, Series RR $11.1805556 April 1 April 27 1 Each series of preferred stock, other than Series L, is represented by depositary shares. Dividend payments are made on a quarterly basis for each series of preferred stock, other than Series Z, for which dividends are paid on a semi-annual basis. Bank of America Bank of America is one of the world's leading financial institutions, serving individual consumers, small and middle-market businesses and large corporations with a full range of banking, investing, asset management and other financial and risk management products and services. The company provides unmatched convenience in the United States, serving approximately 67 million consumer and small business clients with approximately 4,200 retail financial centers, approximately 16,000 ATMs, and award-winning digital banking with more than 54 million verified digital users. Bank of America is a global leader in wealth management, corporate and investment banking and trading across a broad range of asset classes, serving corporations, governments, institutions and individuals around the world. Bank of America offers industry-leading support to approximately 3 million small business households through a suite of innovative, easy-to-use online products and services. The company serves clients through operations across the United States, its territories and approximately 35 countries. Bank of America Corporation stock (NYSE: BAC) is listed on the New York Stock Exchange. For more Bank of America news, including dividend announcements and other important information, visit the Bank of America newsroom. Click here to register for news email alerts. www.bankofamerica.com Investors May Contact: Lee McEntire, Bank of America Phone: 1.980.388.6780 [email protected] Jonathan G. Blum, Bank of America (Fixed Income) Phone: 1.212.449.3112 [email protected] Reporters May Contact: Christopher P. Feeney, Bank of America Phone: 1.980.386.6794 [email protected] SOURCE Bank of America Corporation "Following years of extraordinary advocacy by the American Burn Association and the burn nursing community to set the stage for a burn nursing-specific professional credential, and knowing the impact specialty certification has on ensuring optimal patient safety and outcomes as well as nurse success and satisfaction, BCEN is honored to take on this important endeavor," said BCEN CEO Janie Schumaker, MBA, BSN, RN, CEN, CENP, CPHQ, FABC. "The CBRN will advance our specialty by promoting the knowledge, skills and abilities needed to care for those impacted by burn injury, thus encouraging quality nursing care and best patient outcomes," said Gretchen J. Carrougher, MN, RN, Research Nurse Supervisor, Department of Surgery, UW Medicine Regional Burn Center at Harborview Medical Center, Seattle, Washington. "I have been impressed by the dedication by many in our specialty and appreciative of the support by the ABA and BCEN in this long-standing effort." Carrougher chairs the American Burn Association's nursing certification committee. Among the ABA-led accomplishments leading up to the development of a burn nursing specialty certification was the formal recognition of burn nursing as a nursing specialty by the American Nurses Association in August 2020 and the publication of Burn Nursing: Scope and Standards of Practice. For more details and future updates about the CBRN, please visit BCEN's CBRN burn nursing certification page. Large-scale Burn Nurse Survey Gets Underway Today also marks the start of a large-scale burn nurse survey, which is a vital part of developing the certification. Burn nurses across the U.S. and around the world are being asked to participate in this survey which will yield pivotal data to define in detail burn nurse roles, responsibilities and competencies across the continuum of burn nursing care including pre-hospital and acute care, patient and family support, recovery and rehabilitation, and educational outreach and will inform the CBRN certification exam content. Nursing specialty certifications independently validate a nurse's advanced knowledge, clinical judgement and professionalism in their specialty. "It is particularly rewarding to announce our plans for this new certification in the lead up to Certified Nurses Day as BCEN celebrates the dedication, achievements and impact of the more than 50,000 emergency, trauma and transport nurses who hold one of BCEN's five credentials. We salute you, each and every one, along with your certified RN colleagues across all specialties," said Schumaker, who is also immediate past president of the American Board of Nursing Specialties (ABNS). ABNS represents 32 certifying bodies that certify approximately 930,000 registered nurses worldwide across dozens of nursing specialties. Burn nurses interested in participating in the survey who did not receive the survey invitation are encouraged to contact BCEN Director of Certification and Accreditation Amy Grand, MS, RN, at [email protected]. About BCEN Founded in 1980, the independent, not-for-profit Board of Certification for Emergency Nursing (BCEN) offers robust national board certification programs fostering empowered nurses across the emergency spectrum who contribute noticeably to patient care, safety and outcomes. Over 50,000 RNs who specialize in emergency, pediatric emergency, flight, critical care ground transport, and trauma nursing hold one or more of BCEN's five credentials. BCEN supports advanced lifelong learning through the BCEN Learn continuing education platform and the new-in-2022 BCEN Learn Live conferences. Learn more at bcen.org. Note to Editors: CBRN certification images available by request from BCEN. SOURCE Board of Certification for Emergency Nursing Ethisphere recognizes companies demonstrating exceptional leadership and a commitment to business integrity through best-in-class ethics, compliance, and governance practices OAKLAND, Calif., March 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Blue Shield of California has been recognized as one of the World's Most Ethical Companies in 2022 by Ethisphere, a global leader in defining and advancing the standards of ethical business practices. This is the sixth consecutive year and 10 of the past 11 years the nonprofit health plan has received this designation. In 2022, Ethisphere recognized 136 organizations spanning 22 countries and 45 industries. "Blue Shield of California's commitment to ethical behavior underpins our company's values of being human, honest, and courageous," said Hope Scott, senior vice president, general counsel & corporate secretary at Blue Shield of California. "It is integral to how we empower our more than 7,800 employees to 'do the right thing' as we serve our members, customers, and communities every day." Blue Shield is a nonprofit health plan driven by its mission of providing access to quality health care that's sustainably affordable for everyone. The company and its employees also continue to be at the forefront of responding to major health and social issues. In 2021, Blue Shield and its employees played a leading role in supporting the state of California's COVID-19 vaccination efforts, helping to build a network of vaccine providers that reaches more than 99% of Californians. The company also has supported community-based organizations, collaborating to address important issues including social justice, poverty, food insecurity, youth mental health, and sustainability. Ethisphere's World's Most Ethical Companies assessment considers more than 200 questions on culture, environmental and social practices, ethics and compliance activities, governance, diversity, and initiatives to support a strong value chain. The process serves as an operating framework that captures and codifies the leading practices of organizations across industries and around the globe. "Today, business leaders face their greatest mandate yet to be ethical, accountable, and trusted to drive positive change," said Ethisphere CEO, Timothy Erblich. "We continue to be inspired by the World's Most Ethical Companies honorees and their dedication to integrity, sustainability, governance, and community. Congratulations to everyone at Blue Shield of California for earning the World's Most Ethical Companies designation." The full list of the 2022 World's Most Ethical Companies can be found here. About Blue Shield of California Blue Shield of California strives to create a healthcare system worthy of its family and friends that is sustainably affordable. Blue Shield of California is a tax paying, nonprofit, independent member of the Blue Shield Association with over 4.5 million members, over 7,500 employees and more than $21 billion in annual revenue. Founded in 1939 in San Francisco and now headquartered in Oakland, Blue Shield of California and its affiliates provide health, dental, vision, Medicaid and Medicare healthcare service plans in California. The company has contributed more than $192 million to Blue Shield of California Foundation in the last five years to have an impact on California communities. For more news about Blue Shield of California, please visit news.blueshieldca.com . Or follow us on LinkedIn , Twitter , or Facebook . About Ethisphere Ethisphere is the global leader in defining and advancing the standards of ethical business practices that fuel corporate character, marketplace trust and business success. Ethisphere has deep expertise in measuring and defining core ethics standards using data-driven insights that help companies enhance corporate character and measure and improve culture. Ethisphere honors superior achievement through its World's Most Ethical Companies recognition program and provides a community of industry experts with the Business Ethics Leadership Alliance (BELA). More information about Ethisphere can be found at: https://ethisphere.com. CONTACT: Mark Seelig Blue Shield of California 510-607-2359 [email protected] SOURCE Blue Shield of California New research shows that BodiMetrics' leading smart ring for health works as well as traditional sleep apnea detection machines per study results presented by world-renowned sleep doctor Dr. Miguel Meira e Cruz at the 2022 World Sleep Congress ROME, March 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- BodiMetrics announced today the results of a 164 patient clinical study that compared their Prevention circul+ wearable ring device versus traditional polysomnography (PSG) test. The results revealed that the circul+ compares favorably to the conventional and bulkier PSG systems widely used for sleep apnea detection. Prevention circul+ sleep apnea results comparable to lab sleep study The Prevention circul+ measure heart rate, blood oxygen Miguel Goncalves Meira e Cruz presented the study results to a room of top sleep doctors at the 2022 World Sleep Congress in Rome, Italy, considered the premier global event for sleep science. Of all the available smart wearable devices, only the Prevention circul+ can continuously monitor and record heart rate, blood oxygen (SpO2), and heart rate variability and do so regardless of skin pigmentation. "The Circul ring is the only wearable consumer health device that can measure oxygen saturation beat by beat for the entire night," said Miguel Goncalves Meira e Cruz, head of the Sleep Unit of Cardiovascular Center of the University of Lisbon and director of the European Sleep Center. "This means that it is a highly sensitive screener." "The Prevention circul+ has shown itself to be among the best consumer health devices today," said Meir Kryger, MD, FRCPC, professor of pulmonary and sleep medicine at Yale. "These devices tend to be useful to physicians only if they can provide accurate health information for our patients, and the circul+ by BodiMetrics delivers." "When we launched the Circul and circul+ rings, we knew we needed to gain interest from leaders in the medical industry," said Neil Friedman, co-founder of BodiMetrics. "These latest results validate that the Prevention circul+ Ring can provide medical-grade data for consumers. Our device is not merely an activity or lifestyle device like the vast majority within this category. Instead, we provide deeper, more useful, and even critical information for the times we live in." About BodiMetrics: BodiMetrics is dedicated to empowering consumers with products, services, and solutions that will allow them to take charge of their healthcare, lower overall costs, and improve their well-being. Our products are tested by independent third-party labs to clinical standards as well, where indicated, approved by the FDA. For more information, visit http://www.BodiMetrics.com and follow them on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn. Media Contact: Ben Cooke 310-720-1214 [email protected] SOURCE BodiMetrics Editor's note: At the "two sessions" each year, NPC deputies and CPPCC members from Chinese armed forces actively put forward bills, proposals and suggestions. We are launching the "NPC deputies and CPPCC members from the military" series, telling stories of some military service persons in fulfilling their duties as NPC deputies or CPPCC members. The following is the eighth story of the series. Born in the 1990s, Lieutenant Yang Yang is a deputy to the 13th National People's Congress (NPC) and vice operational commanding officer of the naval dock landing ship Yimengshan (Hull 988) under the PLA Eastern Theater Command. As an NPC deputy, Lt. Yang Yang has collected more than 70 clues about the opinions of grassroots troops in the past five years and made several proposals on enhancing the amphibious combat capabilities, improving mental health services for sailors, and cultivating and use of petty officers, some of which have been adopted and put into practice. In Yangs opinion, bringing what grassroots soldiers wish for into reality is what makes her most proud. LAS VEGAS and VANCOUVER, BC, March 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - Body and Mind Inc. (CSE: BAMM) (OTCQB: BMMJ) (the "Company" or "BaM"), a multi-state US cannabis operator, is pleased to announce it intends to file results for the fiscal second quarter 2022 for the three months ending January 31, 2022, on March 17th after markets close. The company will be hosting a conference call to discuss its results for the quarter on Friday, March 18th, 2022, at 2 p.m. ET. Conference call details Canada: 1-416-764-8659 North America toll-free: 1-888-664-6392 Confirmation No.: 37292270 A replay of the call will be available until March 25, 2022. The replay can be accessed as follows. Encore replay -- Canada: 1-416-764-8677 Encore replay -- North America toll-free: 1-888-390-0541 Encore replay entry code: 292270 # About Body and Mind Inc. BaM is an operations focused, US multi-state cannabis operator investing in high quality medical and recreational cannabis cultivation, production and retail. BaM continues to expand operations in Nevada, California, Arkansas, Ohio and Michigan and is dedicated to increasing shareholder value by focusing time and resources on improving operational efficiencies, facility expansions, state licensing opportunities as well as mergers and acquisitions. Our wholly owned Nevada subsidiary was awarded one of the first medical marijuana cultivation licenses and holds medical and adult-use cultivation and production licenses. BaM products include dried flower, edibles, oils and extracts as well as GPEN products. BaM cannabis strains have won numerous awards including the Las Vegas Weekly Bud Bracket, Las Vegas Hempfest Cup, High Times Top Ten, the NorCal Secret Cup and the Emerald Cup. Please visit www.bodyandmind.com for more information. Instagram: @bodyandmindBaM Twitter: @bodyandmindBaM Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Market Regulator (as that term is defined in the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Safe Harbor Statement Except for the statements of historical fact contained herein, the information presented in this news release constitutes "forward-looking statements" as such term is used in applicable United States and Canadian laws. 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 other 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) are not statements of historical fact and should be viewed as "forward-looking statements". Such forward-looking statements 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 such forward-looking statements. Such risks and other factors include, among others, the actual results of activities, variations in the underlying assumptions associated with the estimation of activities, the availability of capital to fund programs and the resulting dilution caused by the raising of capital through the sale of shares, accidents, labor disputes and other risks. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that 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 contained in this news release and in any document referred to in this news release. Certain matters discussed in this news release and oral statements made from time to time by representatives of the Company may constitute forward-looking statements. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are based upon reasonable assumptions, it can give no assurance that its expectations will be achieved. Forward-looking information is subject to certain risks, trends and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected. Many of these factors are beyond the Company's ability to control or predict. Important factors that may cause actual results to differ materially and that could impact the Company and the statements contained in this news release can be found in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Company assumes no obligation to update or supplement any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy securities. SOURCE Body and Mind Inc. Outside of flower, edibles are the highest grossing products in the hemp industry, and Boston Hemp has no shortage of creative options. With hemp derived Delta-9 edibles legally (<0.3% by dry weight) arriving on the scene, Boston Hemp's wholesale and distribution sales have soared throughout the United States. They offer hemp derived Delta-9 gummies on their website and can legally ship by federal guidelines to ALL 50 states. This is a major competitive advantage over the traditional and very limited marijuana industry. Offering this relief to customers around the country is protected legally by the 2018 Farm Bill Act signed into law by President Donald J. Trump. Alongside hemp derived Delta-9 edibles, Boston Hemp offers HHC, THC-O, Delta-8, and CBD edibles as well. "As of right now, hemp derived Delta-9 and HHC are our top sellers in our nationwide distribution network" says Kevin Coyle, head of sales and operations. "Every day I'm answering hundreds of wholesale inquiries and getting orders boxed up and shipped out on an hourly basis". Boston Hemp has the largest selection of edibles in the industry with nearly 30 options of gummies, chocolates, and cereal bars available on the company's website and in variety of stores throughout the country. Kevin Coyle can also be reached via email for any wholesale inquiries. Check out all of Boston Hemp's products at https://bostonhempinc.com. SOURCE Boston Hemp Inc. Partnership bridges gap between social equity licensees and MSOs ANN ARBOR, Mich., March 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- C3 Industries ("C3"), a multi-state, vertically integrated cannabis company with headquarters in Ann Arbor, MI, has announced its entry into the Massachusetts retail market via a partnership with social equity licensee Brian Chavez, which encompasses three new High Profile x Budega retail locations in the City of Boston. The first of the three stores, located at 43 Freeport Street in Dorchester, is celebrating its grand opening this weekend from March 17th to the 20th. As part of the partnership, C3 Industries and Brian Chavez will also be opening locations at 561 Dudley Street in Roxbury and 3995 Washington Street in Roslindale. The stores will carry a wide array of cannabis products in all categories, and will specifically feature Cloud Cover flower, prerolls, concentrates and vape cartridges produced at C3's cultivation and processing facility in Franklin, Massachusetts. Brian is one of the only social equity applicants in the country to obtain licenses for three stores in a major city and will serve as the CEO of the partnership. Brian comes from a family of small business owners and entrepreneurs, and two of his uncle's bodegas will be converted into stores. Brian and his brother Jaison ran an extensive community engagement process to get the three locations approved. Many in the community sent letters of support for the projects; in total, more than 1,000 letters advocating for the approval of the three sites were submitted. "We are proud to be entering the Massachusetts retail market with Brian and his family, who are highly respected members of the Dorchester community and believe strongly in our mission to increase access to high-quality and safe cannabis products," said C3 Industries CEO Ankur Rungta. "We look forward to serving Boston consumers at the three new retail stores and hope that our partnership with Brian can serve as a model for the industry on how MSOs and social equity licensees can work together successfully." The partnership between C3 and Brian is groundbreaking, with an experienced operator partnering across a portfolio of locations in a major city with a local family that has the trust and support of the local community. The partners will share responsibility for managing and operating the portfolio, with C3's corporate team providing additional support. "Honestly, my family and I wouldn't have worked with most MSOs, but Ankur and the C3 team are not a typical MSO," said High Profile x Budega CEO Brian Chavez. "We had done everything we could to secure these licenses and were struggling to find funding and move these projects forward when we were introduced to C3's executive team, who share our passion for high-end flower and supporting the local community. We look forward to working with C3 and helping other small business owners partner with large MSOs in the future." For more information, customers can visit https://highprofilecannabis.com/ . About C3 Industries C3 Industries is a multi-state, vertically integrated cannabis company headquartered in Ann Arbor, Michigan, with several product brands including the award-winning Cloud Cover Cannabis and Galactic Meds, and a retail network, High Profile Cannabis Shop. The company produces high-quality cannabis products across all categories in Oregon, Michigan, Massachusetts and Missouri. For more information, visit www.c3industries.com. Additional information about High Profile Cannabis Shop can be found by signing up for the company's newsletters at www.highprofilecannabis.com and on Instagram at @highprofileofficial. Additional information on Cloud Cover Cannabis can be found at www.cloudcovercannabis.com and @cloudcovercannabis on Instagram. Additional information on Galactic Meds can be found at @galactic_meds on Instagram. About Brian Chavez Brian Chavez is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Massachusetts Citizens for Social Equity. He is a deeply ingrained member of the Dorchester community, a serial entrepreneur and local business owner. In 2020, Brian partnered with C3 Industries, a vertically-integrated cannabis MSO with operations in Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri and Oregon, to assist with the financing and operation of three retail locations in the city of Boston. The group is currently in the process of opening the three High Profile x Budega retail locations, with the Dorchester store open now and the Roxbury and Roslindale locations expected to open in the Summer of 2022. Brian's family immigrated to the United States, and to Boston specifically, from the Dominican Republic. Brian is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts Boston with a degree in Economics. Contact: Casey Hansen [email protected] SOURCE C3 Industries - Leading Fast Casual Seafood Franchise Capitalizing on Franchise Development Success; First Express Locations Debuting Soon - NASHVILLE, Tenn., March 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Captain D's, the nation's leading fast-casual seafood restaurant, announced today it has an impressive slate of new openings underway in the first half of 2022, capitalizing on continued franchise development interest from both new and existing franchisees. Market-smart real estate opportunities, strong sales performance and impressive AUV are attracting multi-unit and multi-concept franchisees who are growing with the brand across the country. Captain D's has 14 restaurants set to open by mid-year in states like Florida, Georgia, Ohio, Texas and Tennessee. Two of these openings will be both franchise and company debuts of the new 'Express' prototype, a significantly smaller footprint featuring only a drive-thru and walk-up windows for ordering and picking up. The brand is also continuing its success converting vacant restaurant properties with a recent franchise opening in Elberton, Georgia, and two more conversions planned in Florida this summer. Looking ahead, Captain D's is focusing its efforts on corporate and franchise development in target markets throughout the South, Midwest and Mid-Atlantic states, including Florida, Ohio and Pennsylvania. "The team at Captain D's has been hard at work, securing real estate opportunities in thriving markets and setting up franchisees for success to join or expand with us," said Brad Reed, chief development officer for Captain D's. "There is a growing momentum that we're leaning into, and it's rewarding to see both our company-owned stores and our franchisees benefit from our best-in-class support, unique niche in the fast casual space and flexible restaurant prototypes. We look forward to celebrating this success throughout the upcoming year as we open more restaurants, enter new markets and take the brand to increasing heights." Captain D's signed 16 new agreements in 2021 to develop 40 locations in key markets nationwide over the next several years, including Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, Detroit and Tampa. Nearly half of those agreements were with existing franchisees, whose success amid strong sales comps system-wide continues to be a driving force behind the company's accelerated growth. Captain D's also celebrated milestone restaurant openings in 2021, including the brand's first double drive-thru in Tupelo, Mississippi, first Chicago-area location and multiple cost-effective conversions. Captain D's is consistently recognized among the franchising and foodservice industries' most prestigious accolades. Most recently, the brand was ranked as the seafood category leader in Entrepreneur magazine's highly competitive Franchise 500 ranking for the third year in a row. Other recent awards include Franchise Times' Top 200 and Franchise Business Review's Best Franchise Opportunities to Buy. With more than 540 restaurants in 23 states, Captain D's is the fast-casual seafood leader and number one seafood franchise in America ranked by average unit volume. The company is currently seeking single and multi-unit operators to join in the brand's rapid expansion. For more information about franchise opportunities, visit www.captaindsfranchising.com or call 800-314-4819. ABOUT CAPTAIN D'S Headquartered in Nashville, Tenn., Captain D's has more than 540 restaurants in 23 states. Captain D's is the nation's leading fast-casual seafood restaurant and was named the #1 seafood chain in the QSR 50, ranked by AUV. Founded in 1969, Captain D's has been offering its customers high-quality seafood at reasonable prices in a welcoming atmosphere for more than 50 years. Captain D's serves a wide variety of seafood that includes freshly prepared entrees and the company's signature batter-dipped fish. The restaurants also offer premium-quality, grilled items such as shrimp, Tilapia, and Salmon, as well as hushpuppies, desserts, and freshly brewed, Southern-style sweet tea, a Captain D's favorite. For more information, please visit www.captainds.com. Contact: Ashley Bennett Fish Consulting 954-893-9150 [email protected] SOURCE Captain D's POZNAN, Poland, March 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- On March 13, a special cargo train arrived in Kyiv with humanitarian aid for the civilian population of Kyiv. 60 tons of long shelf life food, water, and necessary hygiene products were provided by the Zabka Group and its investors - CVC Capital Partners and Partners Group. This is another aid transport organized by Zabka, which together has transferred nearly 300 tons of food and hygiene products to border crossings, reception points, and Ukraine, among others to Kyiv, Sumy, Lutsk and Dnieper. The humanitarian aid train was organized in cooperation with the Warsaw City Council, which coordinates cooperation with the Kyiv City Council. The tragic situation in Ukraine requires exceptional mobilization and community action to meet the most basic human needs. We are intensifying our aid and in cooperation with the city council of the cities of Warsaw and Kyiv we are sending a humanitarian convoy says Krzysztof Krawczyk, Partner at CVC Capital Partners, and Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Zabka Group. The civilian population in Ukraine is currently in a dire situation lacking basic food products, thus we have sent another transport with humanitarian aid, organizing a dedicated freight train. We donated 60 tons of the most needed food, indicated by the Kyiv City Council, among others canned food, groats, pasta, sugar, ready made dishes in jars, and additionally water and hygiene products says Tomasz Suchanski, CEO of Zabka Group. Our thoughts are with the people of Ukraine at this incredibly difficult time. The country has an urgent need for humanitarian aid and Zabka is in a good position to help due to its business model and location. We are glad to be able to leverage the company's resources in this way says Stephan Schali, Chief Investment Officer at Partners Group and member of the Supervisory Board of Zabka Group. Only joint actions can help the citizen of Ukraine, both there on the spot, and here in Warsaw. We work together with our partners, who like, e.g., Zabka show that "where there's a will there's a way". The needs signaled from Kyiv are still huge: medicines, food, water, hygiene products, so we encourage everyone to join in. In view of this situation, our assistance and solidarity are essential. We are in constant contact with the authorities of Kyiv, who through us, thank all Warsaw residents who help Ukraine says Micha Olszewski, deputy president of the capital city of Warsaw. The transport of 60 tons of food and necessary hygiene products to Ukraine is possible thanks to the cooperation between the owners of Zabka and the city councils of the cities of Warsaw and Kyiv. The Warsaw City Council provides transport to Ukraine, and the owners of Zabka pay for the goods transported. The humanitarian convoy is another contribution of the Zabka Group - owned by CVC Capital Partners and Partners Group - to the Ukrainian community. Zabka has already delivered nearly 300 tons of food and essential hygiene products to the border in cooperation with our partners: Podkarpackie Voivodeship Office, Polish-Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce, Polish Red Cross, and Polish Union of Ukrainians. Zabka franchisees are also involved in the relief effort - people running stores near the border distribute warm drinks and snacks, and in other cities organize collections and deliver goods in their cars to the border. As a responsible organization, Zabka also wants to encourage and provide space to help - listening to the appeals of the aid organizations, as well as implementing the assumptions of its strategy, the chain has launched a program of corporate volunteering. Employees may, inter alia, work for NGOs cooperating with Zabka, as well as help in the support and coordination of donations in the Company Headquarters building. At the same time, the chain enables its clients to financially support the humanitarian activities of the Polish Humanitarian Action and the Polish Red Cross in the face of the war in Ukraine. Donations can be made by card or proximity payments - using a watch or phone. Donations collected in this way will be divided equally between the two charities. Zabka pomaga - Zabka Group (zabkagroup.com) Zabka Polska Sp. z o.o. is the owner of the fastest-growing chain of convenience stores in Poland and one of the most dynamic formats in the world, opening more than 4000 new stores in 2016-21. About 15.5 million Polish consumers live no further than 500 m from the nearest Zabka store. As part of its responsibility strategy, Zabka has made commitments in the areas of good nutrition, services that facilitate sustainable life, the development of entrepreneurship, diversity and inclusive organizational culture, corporate governance, and decarbonization and circularity. More information about Zabka Polska at: www.zabka.pl. Link to the 2020 Responsibility Report: https://raportodpowiedzialnosci.zabka.pl/ SOURCE Zabka Group The study surveyed over 3,000 adults across the United States, ages 18 and older, uncovering compelling statistics around sleep and its significant impact on Americans' daily lives WASHINGTON, March 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- In honor of the 15th annual World Sleep Day on March 18, Casper Sleep Inc. and Gallup, Inc. today announce the launch of The State of Sleep in America 2022 Report to uncover current sleep behaviors across America, and how these key factors affect various aspects of the respondents' lives. Most notably, the study reveals that only one-third of Americans report getting high-quality sleep. "Achieving quality sleep should not be considered a luxury. As this study demonstrates, sleep is essential to our emotional and physical wellbeing and serves as the backbone of several other habits that keep us in good health," said Emilie Arel, President & Chief Executive Officer of Casper. "At Casper, we're obsessively focused on bringing better sleep to all. We've partnered with Gallup to identify the key elements that impact sleep quality, allowing us to develop products that directly meet consumer sleep needs." Key findings from The Casper-Gallup State of Sleep in America 2022 Report include: Only 32% of adults report an "excellent" or "very good" night's sleep, while another third of Americans (33%) approximately 84 million people describe their sleep as "fair" or "poor." report an "excellent" or "very good" night's sleep, while another third of Americans (33%) approximately describe their sleep as "fair" or "poor." In particular, nearly two in five adults under the age of 40 say their sleep last night was "fair" or "poor," but for adults 65 and older this number drops to about one in four. but for adults 65 and older this number drops to about one in four. Women are more likely than men to say sleep is a major priority (61% vs. 48%, respectively) and report being more worried about sleep. Men are more likely than women to report they had no trouble sleeping the night prior by 10 percentage points (51% vs. 41%, respectively). Men are more likely than women to report they had no trouble sleeping the night prior by 10 percentage points (51% vs. 41%, respectively). The most consistent factor across all metrics affecting quality of sleep is one's mental and emotional state. 81% of Americans report that their mental activity thinking, mind racing or feelings has prevented them from having a good night's sleep. thinking, mind racing or feelings Stress increases the chances of a bad night's sleep by 96% and worry increases the chances by 69%. and worry increases the chances by 69%. Those who worry "a lot" about falling asleep are more than 3x more likely to not sleep well than those who don't worry at all. are more than than those who don't worry at all. Adults ages 18 to 29 struggle more with sleep and with stress. Their difficulties sleeping affect their daily lives nearly seven in 10 say sleep has a major impact on their mood. Their difficulties sleeping affect their daily lives nearly seven in 10 say sleep has a major impact on their mood. Among those who report "excellent" or "very good" sleep over the prior month, 84% rate their current life satisfaction highly , compared to 44% of those who generally get "poor" or "fair" sleep. , compared to 44% of those who generally get "poor" or "fair" sleep. Excellent or very good sleepers are also more likely to be actively and positively engaged in their community , reporting higher levels of donating to charity and volunteering than poor sleepers (77% to 67% and 42% to 33%, respectively). , reporting higher levels of and than poor sleepers (77% to 67% and 42% to 33%, respectively). Among other attributes such as eating healthy, exercising and sticking to a nightly routine every day, mattress quality is strongly related to sleep quality. Adults who are extremely satisfied with their mattress generally are more than four times as likely to report high-quality sleep the previous night compared to those who are dissatisfied with their mattress (48% vs. 11%, respectively). "Stress and poor sleep are closely connected and can create a vicious cycle if not addressed," said Dr. Michael Grandner, an internationally recognized sleep doctor who serves on Casper's Sleep Advisory Board. "While we can't eliminate stress from our lives entirely, we can implement healthier practices in our daily routines and control the environment we sleep in. It's important for consumers to ensure their individual sleep needs are met through thoughtfully designed products, specifically mattresses and pillows, that they rely on night after night." Sleep quality may also have a tangible impact on the U.S. economy. Those who report poor-quality sleep are more than twice as likely to skip or miss work due to poor health. "While a majority of Americans say they prioritize sleep in their lives, many struggle getting quality rest. Poor sleep is not only a detriment to personal health but can also cost the U.S. economy billions," said Dan Witters, Principal and Research Director at Gallup. The study finds that workers who typically get a poor night's sleep estimated to be 6.2% of the U.S. workforce report 2.29 days of unplanned absenteeism each month, compared to 0.91 days for all other workers. Dan continued, "This absence from the workforce can lead to huge losses for employers." The resulting lost productivity is estimated to cost the U.S. economy $44.6 billion annually in unplanned absenteeism from work after controlling for all major demographics, general health, clinical depression/anxiety, daily stress and COVID-19. To view the full study, please visit https://www.gallup.com/analytics/390536/sleep-in-america-2022.aspx. Survey Methodology Results are based on a survey conducted by web from Jan. 11 through Jan. 17, 2022, with 3,035 adults, ages 18 and older, living in all 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia as a part of the Gallup Panel. For results based on this sample of national adults, the margin of sampling error at the 95% confidence level is 1.9 percentage points for response percentages around 50% and is 1.2 percentage points for response percentages around 10% or 90% (design effect included). For subgroups the margin of error will be larger, typically running from around 4 to 5 percentage points for response percentages near 50% and 2 to 3 percentage points for response percentages around 10% or 90%. Gallup uses probability-based, random sampling methods to recruit its Panel members. Gallup weighted the obtained samples to correct for nonresponse. Nonresponse adjustments were made by adjusting the sample to match the national demographics of gender, age, race, Hispanic ethnicity, education and region. Demographic weighting targets were based on the most recent Current Population Survey figures for the aged 18 and older U.S. population. About Casper Casper believes everyone should sleep better. The Sleep Company has a full portfolio of obsessively engineered sleep productsincluding mattresses, pillows, bedding, and furnituredesigned in-house by the Company's award-winning R&D team at Casper Labs. In addition to its e-commerce business, Casper owns and operates Sleep Shops across North America and its products are available at a growing list of retailers. About Gallup Gallup delivers analytics and advice to help leaders and organizations solve their most pressing problems. Combining more than 80 years of experience with its global reach, Gallup knows more about the attitudes and behaviors of employees, customers, students and citizens than any other organization in the world. Media Contacts: For Gallup: Kristjan Archer Sr. Communications Consultant [email protected] For Casper: Dana Yacyk Director, PR & Brand Communications [email protected] SOURCE Gallup, Inc. Clarendelle, the Bordeaux's first premium family of wine is the brainchild of Prince Robert de Luxembourg who took over running of Domaine Clarence Dillon group, owner of Clarendelle and Chateau Haut-Brion among others. However film has been in Prince Robert's blood from the beginning, as he started his professional life as a screen writer in Los Angeles! This year Clarendelle is the official and exclusive wine Partner of the Santa Barbara International Film Festival. Globally celebrated and respected, the SBIFF is a cinema festival of 35 years standing. Regularly cited as a strong influence on the outcome of the Oscars, the SBIFF hosts 100,000 passionate film enthusiasts and celebrities, watching over 300 films and tributes over 11 days. This year, on March 4th, the festival honours internationally acclaimed actor Kristen Stewart, with the American Riviera Award for outstanding contribution to American cinema, while also being Oscar-nominated for her role as Lady Diana Spencer. Prince Robert de Luxembourg raised his glass of Clarendelle to celebrate her powerful performance. In the meantime, Clarendelle is proud to announce the launch of two new vintage releases for the next spring and summer, Bordeaux Blanc 2021 and Bordeaux Rose 2021, alongside the recent release of Clarendelle Rouge from the glorious 2016 vintage. Clarendelle Bordeaux Blanc 2021 A cool spring and relatively cool beginning to summer, followed by warmer sun early in late summer, resulted in a wine with wonderful freshness and beguiling, complex flavours. The Sauvignon Blanc unveils plethora of aromas, ranging from boxwood to tropical fruit and an array of citrus notes. The Muscadelle grape showed great colour contributing fragrant rose and lychee notes to the blend. A white wine with lovely tension and freshness, and a delicious palate, round and rich, balanced out by wonderful minerality. 43% Sauvignon Blanc, 32% Semillon, 25% Muscadelle, Alc : 12,5% Clarendelle Bordeaux Rose 2021 Harvested from vineyard plots especially selected for rose, the wine has an iridescent salmon-pink robe, leading to powerful tropical aromas, dominated by lychee and pomegranate. This rose has lovely balance, framed by a smooth lightly tannic structure. Flavours of liquorice and mint accent the lovely pink grapefruit flavours. The wine is indulgent and lingering on the palate. 65% Merlot, 32% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Cabernet Franc, Alc: 12,5% And for the red Bordeaux faithful, Clarendelle Bordeaux Rouge 2016 Clarendelle Bordeaux 2016 is a colourful, fresh and fruity wine, with aromas of red fruit and blackcurrant alongside floral overtones reminiscent of violet. They combine the tannic power of great vintages with a deliciously velvety texture and rare smooth, powerful, and generous on the palate. Their relatively high level of acidity gives them an admirable freshness and tremendous balance, without any hardness. Clarendelle Bordeaux 2016 can be enjoyed during an aperitif or it can be the perfect elegant partner for lunch and dinner during the coming Spring. 84% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Cabernet Franc, Alc: 13,5% Domaine Clarence Dillon Established in 1935, the family-run company Domaine Clarence Dillon is owner of several prestigious wine estates, Chateau Haut-Brion, Chateau La Mission Haut-Brion and Chateau Quintus. In 2005, Clarence Dillon Wines, one of Bordeaux's most significant fine wine merchant was founded while also creating Bordeaux's premier super premium family of wines; Clarendelle. Domaine Clarence Dillon also owns a Parisian residence, truly an embassy for the French art of living, so highly prized by its Chairman and CEO, Prince Robert of Luxembourg. This houses the two-starred gastronomic restaurant, Le Clarence and La Cave du Chateau, an exceptional retail and e-tail shop selling the finest wines and spirits from France's terroirs (www.lcdc.wine). In 2018, Prince Robert of Luxembourg and Domaine Clarence Dillon joined "Primum Familiae Vini", an international association bringing together 12 families, owners of prestigious estates and domains producing some of the world's finest wines. In September of 2021, a new visitor center and wine shop were opened at Chateau Haut-Brion in Bordeaux. Contact: Eline Huet Communications Officer, Email : [email protected] Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1765817/Clarendelle.jpg Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1750587/Clarendelle_Logo.jpg SOURCE Domaine Clarence Dillon NEW YORK and LONDON, March 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Leading global employee pay provider CloudPay today announced a new partnership with Visa to reduce payroll payment cycles that typically take 2-3 days through banking systems, down to seconds. The new digital payment method makes salary payments direct to employees' debit or credit cards using Visa Direct, Visa's real-time[1] push payment platform. Visa Direct leverages the payment provider's powerful, global network to facilitate fast digital payments worldwide, with state-of-the-art security and compliance controls. After completing a customer's payroll cycle, CloudPay can now make salary payments in seconds rather than days. Pay-to-card transactions are made via Visa Direct to any 16-digit debit or credit card number (PAN). Employees can still receive salary payments as usual in their bank accounts, but the payments arrive faster and more flexibly via Visa Direct's single point of connection rather than going through disparate systems. CloudPay also offers a global FinTech mobile app connected to Visa Direct. Employees use the CloudPay NOW app to make fast pay-to-card payments from their earned wages, before payday, anytime, anywhere. Earned Wage Access (EWA) is a low-cost, high-value benefit that enables employers to address new employee expectations, specifically on-demand access to wages earned. Launched in June 2021, CloudPay NOW is the only EWA solution that operates globally. The first CloudPay NOW customer, a global luxury retail brand, reported a 30% uptake by their employees after two months. The brand offers CloudPay NOW as an employee benefit, to give on-demand access to wages that have already been earned - in effect, choosing your own payday. Using the mobile app, employees make instant salary payments to debit or credit cards, 24/7, without the limitations of banking hours. CloudPay CEO, Paul Bartlett, said, "I think global organizations will jump at the chance to transform treasury processes with new digital payments, because the time and efficiency savings for treasury and payroll are nothing short of dramatic. And progressive employers looking for ways to improve employee experience, are becoming interested in earned wage access, and the opportunity to offer this benefit globally with CloudPay NOW." Nicky Alexander, Head of Visa Direct, Europe, said, "Enabling solutions that help workers access their paychecks faster through EWA and payroll solutions is more vital than ever. This is why our partnership with CloudPay is so important. We are delighted Visa Direct is now supporting businesses in their efforts to enhance their payroll systems and enable on-demand payouts for their workers." Checkout.com is the payment service provider that provides the secure transaction processing of salary payments between CloudPay and the Visa network. "At Checkout.com, we partner with innovators who wish to embrace emerging technologies and develop new business models. Our close integration with Visa Direct simplifies the complexities previously associated with paying out to consumers and enables our merchants to make real-time payouts globally through a single API. We're proud to support CloudPay to launch this new service and continue providing its customers with real-time, innovative payroll solutions designed for the digital economy," said, Moshe Winegarten, Head of Commercial UK and Ireland at Checkout.com. Bartlett added, "By combining the end-to-end service of global payroll, payments and earned-wage access, CloudPay continues to innovate the modern pay experience for employers and employees. We are delighted to break new ground with Visa Direct and look forward to continuing to do so." For additional details regarding CloudPay NOW, please visit: https://www.cloudpay.com/earned-wage-access. About CloudPay Employee pay processes have broad business consequences, requiring modern solutions and trusted experts. CloudPay is the only provider that guides global companies with vision and care toward the comprehensive pay experience employees deserve. CloudPay connects all employee pay processes including payroll, payments, and on-demand pay through a unified platform, available across 130+ countries. CloudPay's experts help companies implement best practices, navigate change, optimize operations, and improve employee experiences. To learn more about why over 1500 multinational companies trust CloudPay with their global pay initiatives, visit www.cloudpay.com. Note to editors: Trademarks and registered trademarks referenced herein remain the property of their respective owners. 1. Actual fund availability varies by receiving financial institution, receiving account type, region, and whether the transaction is domestic or cross-border. Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1764972/CloudPay_Logo.jpg Media contact: Vickie Collinge [email protected] +44 (0)1582 790705 SOURCE CloudPay "Hatch Detroit has become a vital resource for entrepreneurs and small business incubation over the past decade," said Mike Richie, Comerica Bank Michigan Market President. "The impact Hatch Detroit has made on growing and developing opportunities throughout Detroit is leaving an indelible mark on the economic revitalization of the city. Entrepreneurs need access to both capital and technical assistance to succeed, and we believe our partnership can continue delivering a proven platform that helps launch new opportunities for business owners." The four-month contest includes two rounds of public voting Top 10 and Top 4 allowing the community to vote for their favorite businesses to win the $100,000 grand prize from Comerica Bank as well as a package of accounting, legal, IT and public relations support from Hatch Detroit and its partners. "Our focus from the very beginning of the Comerica Hatch Detroit Contest was not only to launch one business, but to create an entire ecosystem of support that stimulates opportunities for entrepreneurs and generate a network of businesses who are prepared to navigate the challenges of launching a new venture in Detroit," said Vittoria Katanski, executive director of Hatch Detroit. "The past two years have added to those challenges, and we worked closely with our alumni keep their doors open. With the tremendous support of our partners, now is the time to present this contest once again to entrepreneurs and support new business growth in our city and neighborhoods." The Comerica Hatch Detroit Contest concludes Thursday, July 21 with the annual "Hatch Off." Since Comerica and Hatch Detroit's partnership began in 2012, Comerica Bank and the Comerica Charitable Foundation have contributed $660,000 in startup funding to support the winners of the annual neighborhood retail competition, as well as direct organizational support funding to Hatch Detroit. COMERICA EXPANDS PROGRAMMING SUPPORT Comerica is expanding upon its investment of the contest with economic development programming though technical assistance and financial education. Support will occur during the Comerica Hatch Detroit contest and with both Hatch Detroit and TechTown alumni following the contest. "Developing economic opportunities, especially in our underserved communities, remains a priority and our relationship with Hatch Detroit has been a successful resource in helping launch small businesses in Detroit," said Linda Nosegbe, Comerica Bank Vice President and Southeast External Affairs Manager. "Beyond investing financially, elevating technical assistance throughout the entire process will aid in the overall impact of the contest and the mission focused on entrepreneurial growth." At the start of the pandemic in 2020, Comerica Bank recognized the detrimental impact of COVID-19 on small businesses, and as a response invested $100,000 to Hatch Detroit to support the organization's alumni businesses that had been financially impacted. The Hatch Detroit Small Business Alumni Relief Fund provided utility assistance for approximately 40 Comerica Hatch Detroit Contest alumni businesses. In addition to the $100,000 investment, Comerica Charitable Foundation also provided Hatch Detroit $50,000 in organizational support. Comerica Charitable Foundation works to partner with communities through investments in education, economic and community development, and human services for those in need. TECHTOWN DETROIT-HATCH DETROIT PARTNERSHP The 2022 contest announcement comes on the heels of the newly-formed partnership between TechTown Detroit and Hatch Detroit. The integration into TechTown's small business services program lineup will provide a sustainable future for Hatch while creating synergies between the two organizations which both champion and support small businesses in and around Detroit. Hatch Executive Director Vittoria Katanski will manage the transition. "Our new partnership with TechTown Detroit will reinvigorate our incubation of small businesses in the City of Detroit and its neighborhoods," said Katanski. "By integrating into TechTown's programming, we believe our relationship will help further stimulate business growth, assist and build upon our networks of alumni, and bring a new level of support to the Comerica Hatch Detroit Contest." Beyond the contest, Hatch Detroit provides funding, exposure and mentoring in support of its alumni entrepreneurs. Together, Hatch Detroit alumni have opened 49 businesses, employ over 500 people and have invested more than $7 million in their businesses. Over the years, the Comerica Hatch Detroit Contest has helped launch some of Detroit's most successful and well-known businesses, including, La Feria (2012), Sister Pie (2014), Live Cycle Delight (2015),Meta Physica Massage (2016), Baobab Fare (2017) and 27th Letter Books (2019). KEY COMERICA HATCH DETROIT DATES: March 15: Submissions begin May 12: Submission period ends June 16: Top 10 announced June 17: Voting begins June 23: Top 10 voting ends June 24: Top 4 announced and voting begins June 30: Top 4 voting ends July 21: Winner announced at Hatch Off About Comerica Bank Comerica Bank, a subsidiary of Comerica Incorporated, has served Michigan longer than any other bank with a continuous presence dating back over 172 years to its Detroit founding in 1849. It is the largest bank employer in metro Detroit and has approximately 4,600 employees (FTE) statewide. With one of the largest banking center networks in Michigan, Comerica nurtures lifelong relationships with unwavering integrity and financial prudence. Comerica positively impacts the lives of Michigan residents by helping customers be successful, providing financial support that assists hundreds of charitable organizations, and actively participating in Detroit's downtown revitalization. Comerica Incorporated (NYSE: CMA) is a financial services company strategically aligned by three business segments: The Commercial Bank, The Retail Bank, and Wealth Management. Follow on Facebook: www.facebook.com/Comerica, Twitter: @ComericaBank and Instagram: @comerica_bank. About Hatch Detroit Hatch Detroit supports both existing and new retail initiatives in the cities of Detroit, Highland Park and Hamtramck. Hatch Detroit was founded in 2011 to give residents and aspiring entrepreneurs an opportunity to have a voice in neighborhood retail development and joined TechTown Detroit's suite of entrepreneurial programs and services in 2022. Beyond the contest, Hatch Detroit provides funding, exposure and mentoring in support of its alumni entrepreneurs. With support from Hatch Detroit, 49 alumni have opened businesses. They employ over 500 people and have invested over $10 million in economic development. To learn more, visit hatchdetroit.com. About TechTown Detroit TechTown is a nonprofit business service organization that provides programs, education and resources for early- to growth-stage small businesses and tech entrepreneurs. By building bridges for entrepreneurs to succeed, TechTown is accelerating an inclusive economy for Detroit and Southeast Michigan. Since 2007, TechTown has supported more than 4,500 companies, which created 1,600 jobs and raised more than $172 million in startup and growth capital. For more information, visit techtowndetroit.org. SOURCE Comerica Bank Limited-Time HELOC Offer Returns for Two Months ANAHEIM HILLS, Calif., March 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- To help Southern California families renovate their homes and achieve other important goals with their home's equity, Credit Union of Southern California (CU SoCal) is offering a low first-year 2.22% APR on a Home Equity Line of Credit (HELOC). The promotion runs from March 15-May 14, 2022. The credit union ran a similar HELOC promotion in fall of 2021 and is re-introducing the offer due to popular demand. The promotion only applies to new HELOCs at CU SoCal; however, it can be used to refinance HELOCs from other lenders. Members can access up to 80% of their home's combined loan-to-value (CLTV) with a CU SoCal HELOC, for a maximum line of $250,000. Those interested in the two-month promotional offer can find further details here: www.CUSoCal.org/222HELOC. "Southern California homeowners have seen a significant rise in the value of their homes over the last two years, providing them the opportunity to achieve important goals with their home's equity," said Dave Gunderson, CU SoCal Chief Executive Officer and President. "We make it easy for homeowners to affordably access their home's equity to either improve their homes or meet a critical financial need." About Credit Union of Southern California (CU SoCal) Founded in 1954 as Whittier Area Schools Federal Credit Union, CU SoCal is a credit union open to those who live, work, worship, or attend school in Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties. CU SoCal has a superior five-star financial rating from BauerFinancial, holds more than $2 billion in assets, and serves more than 130,000 Members. For more information, visit CUSoCal.org. SOURCE Credit Union of Southern California Fire and Life Safety Services Platform Continues its Growth with Expansion into Washington, D.C. Market BROOKLYN, N.Y., March 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Cross-Fire & Security Co., Inc. ("Cross-Fire"), a full-service life safety company specializing in the design, engineering, installation, maintenance, monitoring and servicing of state-of-the-art fire and life safety systems, announced today it has acquired Adcock's Systems LLC ("Adcock" or the "Company"), a full-service fire alarm, electrical and sprinkler contractor operating in the Washington, D.C. area. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Adcock marks the third add-on acquisition completed by Cross-Fire, a fire and life safety services platform established by AE Industrial Partners ("AEI") in May 2021. The Cross-Fire team is actively seeking additional acquisitions to expand its capabilities and geographic footprint. Founded in 1998 by George Adcock and Michael Stone and based in Waldorf, Maryland, Adcock is a full-service fire alarm, electrical and sprinkler contracting company featuring the latest industry technology, including Honeywell's Notifier products. For more than 20 years, the Company has served a variety of commercial clients including property management firms, general contractors and electrical contractors, in addition to private owners. The current Adcock management team headed by Benjamin Thompson and Dave Dunnington will continue to lead the Company going forward, with Kelly Preuett as head of the sprinkler division. "With the addition of Adcock, Cross-Fire is expanding its footprint south to the Washington D.C. market, a logical extension to its existing Northeastern operations," said Charlie Santos-Buch, Partner at AEI. "Additionally, Adcock broadens Cross-Fire's service offering as a one-stop solution for its customers with the addition into the sprinkler business." Cross-Fire has partnered with key industry executives, including Board Chair Kelly Romano, an AEI Operating Partner with deep sector experience in fire & security and commercial building industries including over 30 years at United Technologies Corporation (UTC), and Board Member Ed Cettina, a senior construction management executive previously working with AECOM and Tishman Construction. "Adcock's services align well with our existing operations, and we believe the addition will be a strong fit for Cross-Fire," said Brendan Doorly and Kevin Maguire, co-founders of Cross-Fire. "We welcome the Adcock team and look forward to serving new customers with the same high-level of service that Cross-Fire is known for within the industry." "We're pleased to be joining the Cross-Fire platform and gaining additional financial and operational resources, which will be a competitive advantage as we continue to grow our business," said Mr. Dunnington, General Manager at Adcock. "We look forward to collaborating with our new partners in providing the highest quality tech-enabled safety systems to a wide variety of customers," added Mr. Thompson, Chief Financial Officer at Adcock. About Cross-Fire & Security Co. Founded in 1993 and headquartered in Brooklyn, NY, Cross-Fire & Security Co. is a full-service life safety company specializing in the design, engineering, installation, maintenance, monitoring and servicing of state-of-the-art fire and life safety systems. Its dedicated team of highly skilled and certified project managers and technicians manage all aspects of a project, from the design phase through final inspection, using state-of-the-art solutions and technology. For more information and to see a sample list of Cross-Fire's projects, please visit www.cfsnyc.com. About AE Industrial Partners AE Industrial Partners is a private equity firm specializing in aerospace, defense & government services, space, power & utility services, and specialty industrial markets. AE Industrial Partners invests in market-leading companies that can benefit from our deep industry knowledge, operating experience, and relationships throughout our target markets. AE Industrial Partners is a signatory to the United Nations Principles for Responsible Investment and the ILPA Diversity in Action initiative. Learn more at www.aeroequity.com. CONTACT: Lambert Jennifer Hurson 845-507-0571 [email protected] or Caroline Luz 203-656-2829 [email protected] SOURCE Cross-Fire & Security Co., Inc.; AE Industrial Partners WAKEFIELD, Mass., March 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Curaleaf Holdings, Inc. (CSE: CURA /OTCQX: CURLF) ("Curaleaf" or the "Company"), a leading international provider of consumer products in cannabis, announced today that it has appointed Neil Davidson as Interim Chief Financial Officer, effective March 14, 2022. Mr. Davidson, who served as Curaleaf CFO from 2019-2020 and as Chief Operating Officer until now, will serve in the CFO role while the Company searches for a permanent replacement. Current CFO Ranjan Kalia is leaving the company to pursue other career opportunities. About Curaleaf Holdings Curaleaf Holdings, Inc. (CSE: CURA) (OTCQX: CURLF) ("Curaleaf") is a leading international provider of consumer products in cannabis with a mission to improve lives by providing clarity around cannabis and confidence around consumption. As a high-growth cannabis company known for quality, expertise and reliability, the Company and its brands, including Curaleaf and Select, provide industry-leading service, product selection and accessibility across the medical and adult-use markets. In the United States, Curaleaf currently operates in 23 states with 128 dispensaries, 26 cultivation sites, and employs over 5,600 team members. Curaleaf International is the largest vertically integrated cannabis company in Europe with a unique supply and distribution network throughout the European market, bringing together pioneering science and research with cutting-edge cultivation, extraction and production. Curaleaf is listed on the Canadian Securities Exchange under the symbol CURA and trades on the OTCQX market under the symbol CURLF. For more information, please visit https://ir.curaleaf.com . Forward-Looking Statements This media advisory contains forwardlooking statements and forwardlooking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws. These statements relate to future events or future performance. All statements other than statements of historical fact may be forwardlooking statements or information. Generally, forward-looking statements and information may be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "plans", "expects" or, "proposed", "is expected", "intends", "anticipates", or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases, or by the use of words or phrases which state that certain actions, events or results may, could, would, or might occur or be achieved. More particularly and without limitation, this news release contains forwardlooking statements and information concerning the Chief Financial Officer transition. Such forward-looking statements and information reflect management's current beliefs and are based on assumptions made by and information currently available to the company with respect to the matter described in this new release. Forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, which are based on current expectations as of the date of this release and subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such statements. Additional information about these assumptions and risks and uncertainties is contained under "Risk Factors and Uncertainties" in the Company's latest annual information form filed March 9, 2022, which is available under the Company's SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com, and in other filings that the Company has made and may make with applicable securities authorities in the future. Forward-looking statements contained herein are made only as to the date of this press release and we undertake no 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. We caution investors not to place considerable reliance on the forward looking statements contained in this press release. The Canadian Securities Exchange has not reviewed, approved or disapproved the content of this news release. Investor Contact: Curaleaf Holdings, Inc. Carlos Madrazo, SVP Head of IR & Capital Markets [email protected] Media Contact: Curaleaf Holdings, Inc. Tracy Brady, VP Corporate Communications [email protected] SOURCE Curaleaf Holdings, Inc. With 28 years of banking experience, Diana returns to BNY Mellon Wealth Management from Texas Capital Bank, where she most recently served as senior vice president, Escrow and Specialized Services and Deposit Escrow relationship manager, senior vice president, Citizens Financial Group. She originally joined BNY Mellon in 2006 and served for 11 years in a variety of roles, including vice president, escrow sales specialist. "We are pleased to welcome the return of Diana to BNY Mellon Wealth Management's Private Banking Group, with her deep experience supporting the M&A, VC, PE arenas and expertise in deposit and escrow services," said Graham. "She will be a great addition to the New England region in meeting the evolving private banking needs of our clients and developing customized solutions, as we reinforce and deliver to clients our Active Wealth framework." Diana earned a bachelor's degree from Emmanuel College in Boston. She also holds a Series 7 license and Series 63 license. She is involved in a variety of professional networks in her community and currently serves as a member of the board of directors with the Alliance of Merger & Acquisition Advisors. Diana also serves on the Boston Steering Committee for the Women's Association of Venture & Equity Inc., member of the Turnaround Management Association and a member of the Women's Initiative Committee for the Association of Corporate Growth Boston, which works to provide a strong network and create professional opportunities for women in the private equity and venture capital industry. ABOUT BNY MELLON WEALTH MANAGEMENT For more than two centuries, BNY Mellon Wealth Management has provided services to financially successful individuals and families, their family offices and business enterprises, planned giving programs, and endowments and foundations. It has $321 billion in total client assets as of December 31, 2021, and an extensive network of offices in the U.S. and internationally. BNY Mellon Wealth Management, which delivers leading wealth advice across investments, banking, custody, and wealth and estate planning, conducts business through various operating subsidiaries of The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation. A line of business within Wealth Management, BNY Mellon Investor Solutions includes the firm's institutional multi-asset solutions business. The Investor Solutions AUM/AUA is $31.3 billion as of December 31, 2021. For more information, visit www.bnymellon.com or follow us on Twitter @BNYMellonWealth. Media Contact: Ben Tanner 212-635-8676 [email protected] SOURCE BNY Mellon Wealth Management Strong Demand for Care Coordination Platform Lands Dina on Prestigious 2022 Ranking CHICAGO, March 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Inc. magazine today announced that Dina , an AI-powered care-at-home platform and network, is No. 40 on the third annual Inc. 5000 Regionals Midwest list, the most prestigious ranking of the fastest-growing private companies based in Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota, Nebraska, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin. The regional ranking, an offshoot of the annual Inc. 5000 franchise, provides a unique look at the most successful companies within the Midwest regional economy's most dynamic segment its independent small businesses. "Dina has seen exceptional growth as hospitals and insurers look for new ways to extend care into the home and community," said Dina CEO Ashish V. Shah. "We are committed to powering the infrastructure to make in-home care a safe, cost-effective and delightful experience." Dina earned its No. 40 ranking on the 2022 Inc. list based on revenue growth of 246.6% between 2018 and 2020. The 144 private companies on the 2022 list, representing all industries in the Midwest region, had an average growth rate of 147% and, in 2020 alone, added 19,821 jobs and nearly $11.7 billion to the region's economy. Companies based in the Chicago, Noblesville, Ind., and Overland Park, Kan., areas had the highest growth rate overall. "This year's Inc. 5000 Regional winners represent one of the most exceptional and exciting lists of America's off-the-charts growth companies," said Scott Omelianuk, editor-in-chief of Inc. "They're disruptors and job creators, and all delivered an outsized impact on the economy. Remember their names and follow their lead. These are the companies you'll be hearing about for years to come." Complete results of the Inc. 5000 Regionals Midwest, including company profiles and an interactive database that can be sorted by industry, metro area, and other criteria, can be found at inc.com/midwest. Methodology The 2022 Inc. 5000 Regional are ranked according to percentage revenue growth when comparing 2018 and 2020. To qualify, companies must have been founded and generating revenue by March 31, 2018. They had to be U.S.-based, privately held, for-profit, and independent not subsidiaries or divisions of other companies as of December 31, 2019. (Since then, a number of companies on the list have gone public or been acquired.) The minimum revenue required for 2018 is $100,000; the minimum for 2020 is $1 million. As always, Inc. reserves the right to decline applicants for subjective reasons. About Dina Dina powers the future of home-based care. We are an AI-powered care coordination platform and network that supports hospitals and health systems, ACOs, and health plans as they transition to home-centered care. Our technology is used to improve the coordination process; activate medical and non-medical in-home and social determinant services; and capture real-time data to help people stay healthy at home. We help our partners efficiently transition people home or to another post-acute setting after a hospitalization; activate medical and non-medical in-home services to deliver new models of care; remotely monitor people in between visits to help them stay home safely; and assess new types of home-based data to identify risks and inform care plans. For more information, visit www.dinacare.com . Media Contact: Monica Ginsburg, Dina 773-251-4845 [email protected] Philip Anast, Amendola (for Dina) 312-576-6990 [email protected] SOURCE Dina MedLern to offer ENA's flagship TNCC course online to support nurse skill development SCHAUMBURG, Ill., March 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Emergency Nurses Association and MedLern have teamed up to provide the association's Trauma Nursing Core Course online in India to help support the country's growing need for skilled trauma nurses. TNCC, one of ENA's flagship courses, is the premier trauma nursing course for nurses and hospitals worldwide. Now in its 8th Edition, TNCC prepares emergency nurses for life-threatening trauma cases when every second counts by providing nurses with the knowledge, critical-thinking skills and training needed to offer high-quality trauma care. MedLern provides hospitals and health care professionals with a comprehensive mobile platform for training and skill development that offers around-the-clock learning that can cover continuing education, compliance and many other areas. The MedLern-ENA partnership allows TNCC, for the first time, to be offered online in India, where demand for emergency nurses has risen during the pandemic. More than 200 attendees recently took part in a recent webinar hosted by MedLern and ENA to highlight TNCC's learning design and ways it benefits emergency nurses. "ENA's mission centers around advancing excellence in emergency nursing, and partnering with MedLern represents an important opportunity to bring TNCC directly to nurses in India who are interested in emergency care," said ENA President Jennifer Schmitz, MSN, EMT-P, CEN, CPEN, CNML, FNP-C, NE-BC. "ENA is excited to work with and support nurses who are looking to enhance their skills and grow more confident in how they deliver trauma care." MedLern CEO Deepak Sharma shared Schmitz's enthusiasm and spoke highly of adding ENA to the company's select list of global expert partners. "India's need for skilled trauma nurses continues to grow rapidly. MedLern is confident TNCC will make a big impact and offer nurses who aspire to hone their expertise a significant edge in the emergency care field," Sharma said. MedLern sees the introduction of TNCC as an initial step toward delivering other ENA courses such as the Emergency Nursing Pediatric Course and Geriatric Emergency Nursing Education in the future. More information about all of ENA's educational offerings can be found by visiting the ENA University website. About the Emergency Nurses Association The Emergency Nurses Association is the premier professional nursing association dedicated to defining the future of emergency nursing through advocacy, education, research, innovation, and leadership. Founded in 1970, ENA has proven to be an indispensable resource to the global emergency nursing community. With 50,000 members worldwide, ENA advocates for patient safety, develops industry-leading practice standards and guidelines, and guides emergency health care public policy. ENA members have expertise in triage, patient care, disaster preparedness, and all aspects of emergency care. Additional information is available at www.ena.org. ENA Media Contact: Dan Campana Director of Communications [email protected] About MedLern MedLern is a comprehensive learning, training and skill development platform for hospitals and health care professionals. It is designed to be a mobile-first solution enabling around-the-clock learning. The platform offers an extensive list of modules for compliance, employee induction, continuing education and soft-skills training. It is an end-to-end learning management platform that will help the hospitals in streamlining their compliance training, recruitment and onboard cycles. To learning more about how MedLern can help hospitals and health care professionals, visit www.medlern.com. SOURCE Emergency Nurses Association GRANTSVILLE, Md., March 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Independent insurance agency Ensurise LLC today announced its merger with the insurance brokerage operations of Hershberger Insurance Agency, Inc., effective March 1, 2022. Currently under the leadership of Frank J. Trotta II, the firm has been serving clients in the Garrett County and Deep Creek Lake regions of Maryland since 1939. Ensurise, LLC Merges with the Operations of Hershberger Insurance Agency, Inc. Tweet this "After speaking to a number of potential partners, it became clear that Ensurise best understood our local focus and dedication to unparalleled customer service," said Frank J. Trotta II, President of Hershberger Insurance Agency. "We look forward to a long and successful future together." Ensurise Managing Member Jonathan Nobil said, "We are thrilled to join forces with the Hershberger Insurance Agency team. In addition to their extensive knowledge and expertise, the firm has a long history and deep network of relationships in the Garrett County region. This partnership reflects the type of growth to which Ensurise is committed as we build a 'local and long-term' organization." Hershberger Insurance Agency will continue to operate from its Grantsville, Maryland location. About Hershberger Insurance Agency, LLC Hershberger Insurance Agency is an independent, full-service insurance brokerage firm focused on protecting business owners and private residents by providing the most competitive rates on the best coverage available in Grantsville, Maryland and the Deep Creek Lake area. For more information, please visit www.hershbergerinsurance.com. About Ensurise, LLC Ensurise is an independent insurance brokerage organization that partners with high quality insurance agencies in Washington D.C., Maryland, and Virginia. The company brings a differentiated approach to agency perpetuation and is committed to delivering superior risk management services to its clients. For more information, please visit www.ensurise.com. SOURCE Ensurise LLC "We are reinvesting our free cash flow in strategic, bolt-on M&A that expands our global presence and capabilities while staying true to our company purpose helping people to live their financial best," said Mark W. Begor, CEO of Equifax. "Including Data-Credito, we have completed 11 acquisitions totaling more than $3 billion in the past 18 months that strengthen and broaden Equifax. More data helps our customers drive better decisions for consumers. With the acquisition of Data-Credito, we will bring powerful new insights to lenders and service providers that can help them better understand their customers. Nearly half of the 10 million people in the Dominican Republic are unbanked or underbanked, making Data-Credito critical to opening new opportunities." Founded in 1998, Data-Credito provides consumer credit bureau services, analytics and scores. The company's established value proposition and experienced local team sets a strong foundation for Equifax to increase business leadership in risk analysis, decisioning, and fraud prevention platforms in the Dominican market. "Equifax is the only cloud-native consumer credit reporting agency. By optimizing our cloud-based global technology framework, we're able to drive relevant, market-focused innovation. We're also able to scale and adapt for the specific needs of the countries in which we operate," said Lisa Nelson, president of Equifax International. "At the same time, we're also focused on bringing more of our existing Equifax enterprise strengths into our international regions. More than 4,000 organizations in Latin America are current Data-Credito customers, with projected expansion to be fueled by the addition of differentiated data assets and analytics that 'Only Equifax' can provide." Data-Credito is now part of the International business unit at Equifax and will continue to be led by Alberto Adam, Corporate Vice President. Adam commented: "The combination of Equifax and Data-Credito will improve the credit landscape in the Dominican Republic, helping customers generate strategic insights to make better decisions. Equifax's experience and innovative solutions in the region along with our technical and analytical expertise will help to address the country's need to expand credit access for consumers and small-to-medium sized enterprises." Chris Jones, Equifax Latin America (LATAM) President, further commented on the innovation-driven strategy executed in the LATAM region: "We have transformed the markets where Equifax operates by combining our unique data, analytics and technology and with the acquisition of Data-Credito we are bringing this expertise and comprehensive solution set to the Dominican Republic. This is a bridge to the Caribbean that will allow Equifax to connect and stay close to strategic regional clients and to better serve our consumers." Since the beginning of 2021, Equifax has invested more than $3 billion in strategic acquisitions to strengthen the company for the future. The acquisition is not anticipated to have a material impact on Equifax's 2022 financial results. For more information about Equifax and the global markets it serves, please visit Equifax.com . FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS This release contains forward-looking statements and forward-looking information. All statements that address operating performance and events or developments that we expect or anticipate will occur in the future, including statements relating to the expected financial and operational benefits, synergies and growth from the Data-Credito acquisition, our ability to integrate Data-Credito and its products, services, technologies, IT systems and personnel into our operations, and similar statements about our outlook and our business plans, are forward-looking statements. We believe these forward-looking statements are reasonable as and when made. However, forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from our historical experience and our present expectations or projections. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, those described in our 2021 Form 10-K and subsequent SEC filings. As a result of such risks and uncertainties, we urge you not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date when made. We undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. ABOUT EQUIFAX INC. At Equifax (NYSE: EFX), we believe knowledge drives progress. As a global data, analytics, and technology company, we play an essential role in the global economy by helping financial institutions, companies, employers, and government agencies make critical decisions with greater confidence. Our unique blend of differentiated data, analytics, and cloud technology drives insights to power decisions to move people forward. Headquartered in Atlanta and supported by 13,000 employees worldwide, Equifax operates or has investments in 25 countries in North America, Central and South America, Europe, and the Asia Pacific region. For more information, visit Equifax.com . FOR MORE INFORMATION Magdalena Pinto for Equifax [email protected] SOURCE Equifax Inc. ERA Network Marks Milestone by Continuing its Commitment to Community MADISON, N.J., March 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- ERA Real Estate , a global franchising leader within the Realogy family of brands, is celebrating 50 years of global residential real estate franchising this year. For half a century, the ERA brand has been at the forefront of the global real estate industry, helping fuel the growth and success of its affiliated companies and agents. ERA Real Estate has been the force behind a growing network of real estate entrepreneurs across the world, earning the distinction of being the first real estate franchise to expand internationally with the launch of ERA Japan in 1981. The brand also pioneered the flexible branding model, offering companies the option of capitalizing on ERA's brand recognition with its Classic branding or retaining the brand equity they've built in their local markets with its unique Powered by ERA branding model. Since the beginning, the ERA brand has continued to take a bold approach to innovation, developing and offering enhanced technology solutions, tools and automated marketing programs to help give ERA affiliated real estate professionals a clear competitive advantage. The ERA network was the first national real estate brand to offer home warranties in 1973, the first to post listings online and the first to roll out an internet site in 1996. In addition, ERA Real Estate is notably the first national real estate brand to offer a guaranteed home sale program with the introduction of ERA Sellers Security Plan in 1980. The ERA brand has also been in tune with the evolving needs of consumers, resulting in the introduction of TextERA. One of the brand's most popular and effective lead generation tools, TextERA capitalizes on mobile technology, allowing potential clients to immediately access the listing agent, pricing and details about a property by texting a code on ERA property signs. Most recently, ERA Real Estate announced its affiliates will now have access to the MoxiWorks product technology suite, providing a powerful agent and consumer experience platform and CRM designed exclusively for the real estate industry. The ERA Real Estate network boasts more than 39,000 affiliated brokers and independent sales associates worldwide across the United States and in 33 other countries and territories, with nearly 35 affiliates that have been with the brand for more than 40 years. Named one of 2021's top 500 franchises in Entrepreneur's Franchise 500, ERA Real Estate was recognized for its continued momentum, adding multiple new companies, expanding its international footprint by welcoming a master franchise in Paraguay marking the ERA network's first expansion in South America and renewing many long-time affiliate contracts. ERA Real Estate will kick off this tremendous milestone at its global conference, Fuel 2022 in Nashville, Tenn., from March 18-20, recognizing the brand's dedication to helping its dynamic network transform their businesses. The brand will celebrate five decades of culture, collaboration, and connections throughout the conference, including a 50th birthday party celebration and the ERA Cares Across Communities Volunteer Challenge. The ERA Cares Across Communities Volunteer Challenge exemplifies the brand's philanthropic spirit, a hallmark of ERA Real Estate since its inception. This unique challenge will encourage each ERA affiliated office to volunteer at least 50 hours this year to the charities and organizations making a difference in their communities. The ERA brand will also commemorate this landmark achievement throughout 2022 with a year-long birthday campaign offering affiliates unique resources and materials designed to generate awareness and engagement in their local markets. Quotes: "ERA Real Estate's 50th birthday is a milestone to reflect on the brand's innovative history and exciting future. ERA has always been a brand of firsts, pioneering new business models and technology to push the industry forward. Since 1972, the real estate industry has seen incredible change: new competitive, financial and consumer dynamics that have transformed the way we do business. ERA's collaborative culture and dedication to local communities have enabled our network to thrive over the past fifty years and will be at the center of ERA's success in the decades to come." - Sherry Chris, President and CEO of ERA Real Estate "Congratulations to ERA Real Estate on a terrific milestone. ERA was the first real estate franchise to expand internationally with the launch of ERA Japan. I'm honored to be a longtime international ERA affiliate for over 40 years. As a member of the ERA network, we always think about the future one step ahead. The network collaboration is amazing, the technology available is unparalleled and the learning helps keep us ahead of the curve. ERA Real Estate's future is bright, and we can't wait to develop more ideas together for mutual growth." - Sumito Tajima, President, ERA Japan "I'm extremely grateful to be a part of a brand that puts its people first. My dad, Jeff Riber, Sr. and uncle, Mac Heavener, were key members of Team ERA for decades, becoming the first ERA affiliate just months after the brand was founded in 1972. My uncle, Mac Heavener, served as the president of the ERA brand from 1975 to 1996 and my dad worked in the ERA broker service division for over 30 years. They were both dedicated to putting others first and delivering value on a daily basis. Being a part of this culture is humbling and I'm thankful every day for the opportunities that bring a part of the ERA Network brings." - Jeff Riber Jr., Broker, ERA Heavener Realty, Son of Jeff Riber, Sr. (vice president of strategic consulting), Nephew of Mac Heavener (founder) About ERA Real Estate ERA Real Estate knows that real estate is as local as it gets. We believe that our core business values of collaboration, innovation, diversity and growth are needed more than ever. As a global leader in the residential real estate industry for 50 years, ERA features a powerful network of like-minded entrepreneurs supported by the brand's game-changing technology, products and powerful lead generation. The ERA Real Estate network includes more than 39,000 affiliated brokers and independent sales associates and approximately 2,350 offices throughout the United States and 33 other countries and territories. ERA Franchise Systems LLC ( www.ERA.com ) which operates the ERA Real Estate system, is a subsidiary of Realogy Holdings Corp. (NYSE: RLGY), a global provider of real estate services. ERA Real Estate information is available at www.ExploreERA.com . Media Contacts: Marie VanAssendelft ERA Real Estate 973-407-2209 [email protected] Randi Rispoli ERA Real Estate 973-407-5241 [email protected] SOURCE ERA Real Estate OXFORDSHIRE, England, March 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Etcembly today announced the appointment of Scott Cuthill PhD, as Chief Business Officer (CBO). The Oxford based company is harnessing the power of the adaptive immune system to transform the precision, scale and speed of development of TCR immunotherapies. Etcembly's CEO and co-founder Dr Michelle Teng said, "On behalf of the Etcembly team, I am delighted to welcome Scott as our CBO. Scott brings a wealth of business development expertise from an impressive career spanning both global Pharma and Biotech. Scott's leadership of this strategically important function will be key to maximising the full potential of EMLyTM the world's largest machine learning database of T cell repertoires. Paired with our unmatched immunology expertise, we will deliver safe and potent TCR immunotherapies through rapid computer-driven engineering." Etcembly's new CBO, Scott Cuthill, commented on his appointment, "I'm excited to join Etcembly's fantastic team. I'm looking forward to driving the Company's business development strategy as we provide our valuable machine learning platform, EMLyTM, to potential partners and bring effective T cell immunotherapies for their targets to the clinic." Scott has over 25 years' experience in the Pharma and Biotech industry, gained initially in a variety of R&D roles at Roche and OSI Pharmaceuticals in the UK, in oncology and viral diseases. Scott has considerable business development experience, having successfully led both in and out-licensing deals for assets ranging from early-stage platform technologies to marketed products. Scott has held Senior Business Development roles most recently at Finland-based Valo Therapeutics, Chroma Therapeutics, and Ipsen Biopharma. Scott gained his PhD in Medical Sciences from the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden, and subsequently had postdoctoral positions at The Beatson Institute for Cancer Research in Glasgow, Scotland and The University of Wisconsin Comprehensive Cancer Center in Madison, WI, USA. Media contacts: Etcembly CEO Michelle Teng +44 7731854522 [email protected] CBO Scott Cuthill +44 7585760228 [email protected] Scius Communications Katja Stout +44 7789435990 [email protected] About Etcembly Etcembly is a UK biotech company harnessing the power of the adaptive immune system to transform the precision, scale and speed of clinical development of immunotherapeutics. T Cell receptors (TCRs) constitute one of the most promising classes of emerging immunotherapies. Until now, they have remained one of the most complex facets of immune biology, hindering the effective delivery of immunotherapies to patients. Etcembly takes a novel, multi-modal approach to engineering optimal TCRs for targeted patient populations. The company's pioneering machine learning platform EMLyTM combines in silico prediction with in vitro optimisation. The unification of AI driven design with empirical validation allows the rapid decoding of T cell repertoires leading to TCRs primed for the clinic. The Company eliminates a significant bottleneck for its industry partners to create safe and potent therapeutic assets and accelerating drug development timelines in indications across oncology, autoimmunity and infectious diseases. The Company was founded in 2020 and is headquartered in Oxfordshire, UK. Our partners include Illumina, Great Ormond Street Hospital, Zelluna AS, SingHealth, National Cancer Centre Singapore and Imperial College London. For more information, please visit https://www.etcembly.com/, and follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn. SOURCE Etcembly Leading EV charging company also appoints three new high-profile directors as it accelerates execution of its US strategy QUEBEC CITY, March 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - AddEnergie Technologies Inc., operator of the FLO EV charging network, is proud to announce the new composition of its Board of Directors and Tom Werner's appointment as Chair. With broad and diversified experience in fast-growth technology companies, green industries and deep knowledge of the US market, FLO | AddEnergie's expanded Board of Directors will play a key role in guiding and supporting the company's ongoing expansion across North America. Tom Werner, new Chair of the Board, is a business advisor with extensive experience in leadership roles in technology and energy organizations. He was on the front lines of the solar revolution serving as CEO of SunPower for 18 years. During his tenure, Tom grew the business from a privately held company of 35 employees with revenues of less than $5 million to a publicly traded industry leader with a market value that reached $11 billion and an installed base of 350,000 clients. Alongside Tom, FLO | AddEnergie is pleased to announce the appointment of three other highly qualified directors: Renee Bergeron Senior Vice President and General Manager of AppSmart, the largest B2B recurring technology services marketplace in the world. Renee has been a thought-leader in the technology industry for more than 25 years including at Ingram Micro and Fujitsu. Senior Vice President and General Manager of AppSmart, the largest B2B recurring technology services marketplace in the world. Renee has been a thought-leader in the technology industry for more than 25 years including at Ingram Micro and Fujitsu. Richard Cherney Senior partner at Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP in the Mergers & Acquisitions, Capital Markets & Securities and Private Equity practices. Richard advises public and private companies, including Alimentation Couche-Tard (Circle K), New Look Vision Group, the Kaycan group of companies and Air Canada. Senior partner at Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP in the Mergers & Acquisitions, Capital Markets & Securities and Private Equity practices. Richard advises public and private companies, including Alimentation Couche-Tard (Circle K), New Look Vision Group, the Kaycan group of companies and Air Canada. Dany St-Pierre President of Cleantech Expansion. Dany advises entrepreneurs in the smart mobility sector with her more than 20 years of sales and marketing experience with globaltransportation and energy manufacturers such as Bombardier, Siemens, Alstom and Nordex. "I am proud to welcome these seasoned business leaders to our Board of Directors," said Louis Tremblay, President and CEO of FLO | AddEnergie. "Each of these individuals brings a unique perspective, tremendous insight and experience that will help us achieve our growth ambitions and our vision to be a world leader in EV charging. I am particularly excited to see Tom Werner take the helm of our board. Tom's background as thought leader in solar and renewable energy and deep experience across the value chain and strong track record of delivering growth and value creation will no doubt contribute greatly to the execution of FLO | AddEnergie's strategy. I look forward to working with all board members to see everything that we can accomplish together." Tom, Renee, Richard and Dany will work alongside FLO | AddEnergie's current experienced and knowledgeable directors: Norman Hebert President and CEO of Groupe Park Avenue for the last 30 years. Norman leads more than 1,000 employees in 21 car dealerships across Canada . President and CEO of Groupe Park Avenue for the last 30 years. Norman leads more than 1,000 employees in 21 car dealerships across . Hans Kobler Founder & Managing Partner of Energy Impact Partners (EIP). Hans has spent his career focusing on transformative businesses as an investor, advisor and operator. Founder & Managing Partner of Energy Impact Partners (EIP). Hans has spent his career focusing on transformative businesses as an investor, advisor and operator. Pierre Nelis Chief Operating Officer at Inno-Centre. Pierre advises innovative SMEs and early-stage technology companies in the pursuit of their growth and performance objectives. Chief Operating Officer at Inno-Centre. Pierre advises innovative SMEs and early-stage technology companies in the pursuit of their growth and performance objectives. Louis Tremblay President, CEO, and founder of FLO | AddEnergie and a trailblazer in the field of electric mobility. Louis cofounded AddEnergie in 2009 and, since then, he has guided the company to become a leader in EV charging solutions and operator of a major North American charging network. "On behalf of the Board and all of FLO | AddEnergie's employees, I would also like to extend special thanks to our outgoing Chair, Robert Benoit, for his guidance, expertise and support over the past 12 years," said Mr. Tremblay. "Robert's thoughtful leadership was instrumental as the company consolidated the success of its business model in Canada and launched its ambitious US growth strategy. I am particularly grateful for his wisdom and generosity" concluded Tremblay. To find more detail about the FLO | AddEnergie Board of Directors, click here. About FLO | AddEnergie FLO | AddEnergie is a leading North American electric vehicle charging network operator and a provider of smart charging software and equipment. In conjunction with its parent company, AddEnergie, FLO leverages its vertical integration to offer EV drivers the best possible charging experience. Every month, the company enables more than half a million charging events, thanks to over 60,000 high-quality EV charging stations deployed at public, commercial and residential installations. FLO employees are located across North America, from the headquarters in Quebec City, to assembly plants in Shawinigan, to offices in Montreal, Vancouver and Sacramento, and they also work remotely in key US and Canadian markets. For more information, visit flo.com. SOURCE FLO UTRECHT, Netherlands and BOSTON, March 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Gadeta B.V. ('Gadeta'), a clinical-stage company developing innovative, gamma delta () T-cell receptor (TCR)-based immunotherapies for every cancer patient, today provides an update on its development pipeline and strategy. Gadeta is developing a pipeline of cell therapies based on its TEG platform. Its first-in-class lead compound, GDT002, is a pan-tumor cell therapy currently undergoing phase 1/2 trials for safety and efficacy in relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Mass General Brigham Cancer Care and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in the US. The first dose cohort has been completed and dose escalation is ongoing. More details of the trial can be found at clinicaltrials.gov NCT04688853. Subsequently, Gadeta aims to start GDT002 Phase 1/2 studies in a solid tumor indication. Gadeta is also completing IND-enabling studies for its second program, GDT201, in colorectal cancer, and plans to file an IND towards the end of the year to begin clinical studies. GDT201 is based on a newly discovered TCR showing very promising preclinical results. In vivo data show the ability of GDT201 to eradicate colorectal cancer in a preclinical model (100% CR) suggesting potential to address well-known clinical hurdles such as lack of tumor restricted antigens and safety. GDT201 uses a proprietary bi-directional co-stimulatory mechanism (MiDis) to enhance cytotoxicity in the suppressive tumor microenvironment. Gadeta has also made significant strides in discovering novel tumor-specific TCRs through its proprietary discovery platform and will select further candidates as part of further building its pipeline. In parallel, Gadeta has been exploring the application of its platform in allogeneic settings. Marcel Zwaal, Chief Executive Officer of Gadeta, said: "Gadeta's goal is to develop transformative cell therapies for any type of tumor using its proprietary TEG platform. Gadeta has made significant progress over the last five years, with the support of Kite Pharma which remains a long-term, committed shareholder, in building a discovery engine for new gamma delta T-cell receptor targets and moving its first compound from preclinical into clinical development. Our strategy is clear, to maximize the potential of our pipeline and deliver on our mission of reinventing cell therapy by opening up a new universe of tumor targeting agents." In 2020, Kite Pharma returned, for strategic reasons, rights granted to it by Gadeta under a TEG technology collaboration agreement but retains certain notice rights and remains a shareholder. Importantly, this provides Gadeta with full control over its programs and pipeline. Gadeta aims to start GDT002 Phase 2 studies in a solid tumor indication based on proof-of-concept in multiple myeloma. Over the last few months this transition has been led by CEO Marcel Zwaal who joined from Kiadis Pharma, the Dutch NK cell therapeutics company acquired by Sanofi for $358 million. Together with Mark Throsby, CSO & COO (CSO Merus and Crucell), they have strengthened the Company's management team to progress its products into the clinic. Giovanni Mariggi, Partner at Medicxi, and member of Gadeta's Supervisory Board, said: "We are very excited by Gadeta's progress and future plans to become a leader in the TCR space. Marcel and Mark bring a wealth of experience in the field, particularly in advancing cell immunotherapies of high clinical and commercial interest. The team's experience and track record will be key to drive Gadeta through its next stages of growth as its lead programs progress through clinical development. I look forward to working together with them on Gadeta's next phase of development." About Gadeta Gadeta is developing first-in-class cell therapies for the treatment of various cancers. By harnessing naturally selected gamma delta TCRs, that target tumor specific antigens, Gadeta's technology provides potentially highly effective and novel therapy options to cancer patients. Gadeta's products target a wide array of cancers and in particular solid tumors, where cell therapies have not yet fulfilled the potential demonstrated in liquid cancers. For more information please visit: www.gadeta.nl. About TEG002 TEG002 is a cell therapy product implementing Gadeta's proprietary technology to harnessing gamma delta TCRs targeting antigens induced by neoplastic transformation. TEG002 targets one of these cancer antigens. TEG002 is designed to recognize and kill tumor cells expressing the tumor specific antigen while sparing healthy tissues. Preclinical data have shown that TEG002 is effective in multiple myeloma models of cancer as well as with significant activity observed in a broad spectrum of other cancer types. The target recognized by TEG002 is upregulated in MM cells, as well as a wide range of other liquid and solid cancers, presenting great therapeutic potential SOURCE Gadeta B.V. Americans support continued operation of DAPL by a 5-1 ratio, 6-1 ratio among ND residents WASHINGTON, March 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Ninety percent of Americans support President Biden's decision to ban oil imports from Russia at least temporarily in one of the first nationwide polls conducted after his announcement. A third of respondents would support a permanent ban on Russian oil, the poll found. To make up for the loss of Russian oil, 53 percent of Americans would support increased U.S. energy production. "Debating the development of American energy and American midstream is a fine theoretical exercise but when a theoretical discussion becomes a practical application, realities crystalize perspectives and that's exactly what we're seeing now with strong support for U.S. made energy," said Craig Stevens, spokesman for Grow America's Infrastructure Now and a former senior advisor at the U.S. Department of Energy. "With rising energy prices across the country, and the stark realization that U.S. consumers could end up paying for Russia's war against Ukraine, Americans want to know that their energy is homegrown, or sourced from allied nations." The poll also found that Americans support the continued operation of the Dakota Access Pipeline by a 5 to 1 margin, an important mark of support as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers completes its Environmental Impact Statement on the project. A separate poll of North Dakota residents in mid-February found overwhelming statewide support for the Dakota Access Pipeline 83% - 12%. The pipeline has been safely operating for more than four years transporting about 570,000 barrels of crude oil daily from the Bakken region of North Dakota to Illinois. "There continues to be consistent support for U.S. energy across virtually all demographics," said Ryan Munce, president and CEO of co/efficient. "We've tested these questions a couple of times over the past year and there is unmistakable support for American oil. This was the first time we asked about a Russian oil ban, and that number was really through the roof as Americans supported a ban 89% - 5%. We also see consistent strong support for the U.S. pipeline industry, and specifically the Dakota Access Pipeline." The nationwide poll of 1,214 registered voters was conducted from March 8-10, 2022, with a Margin of Error of +/- 3.3 percent. The North Dakota poll of 488 registered voters was conducted from February 14-17, 2022, with a Margin of Error of +/- 4.4%. Both were conducted by national polling firm co/efficient and were sponsored by the GAIN Coalition. SOURCE GAIN Coalition Recognition honors companies demonstrating exceptional leadership and a commitment to business integrity through best-in-class ethics, compliance, and governance practices ROLLING MEADOWS, Ill., March 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Gallagher, a global insurance brokerage, risk management and consulting services firm, has been recognized for the eleventh consecutive year by Ethisphere, a global leader in defining and advancing the standards of ethical business practices, as one of the 2022 World's Most Ethical Companies. Gallagher was honored in the insurance brokerage category. In 2022, 136 honorees were recognized spanning 22 countries and 45 industries. "We are extremely proud to be recognized for the 11th consecutive year as one of the World's Most Ethical Companies," said J. Patrick Gallagher, Jr., Chairman, President and CEO. "For 95 years, Gallagher has led with integrity, ethics, and compassionthe building blocks of The Gallagher Way. You see these shared values every day in how we help people, businesses, and communities worldwide face the future with confidence. This recognition is such an honor because it's earned by the work our colleagues do every day, at every level of the organization, to provide the best service to our clients." "Today, business leaders face their greatest mandate yet to be ethical, accountable, and trusted to drive positive change," said Ethisphere CEO, Timothy Erblich. "We continue to be inspired by the World's Most Ethical Companies honorees and their dedication to integrity, sustainability, governance, and community. Congratulations to Gallagher for earning the World's Most Ethical Companies designation." Methodology & Scoring Grounded in Ethisphere's proprietary Ethics Quotient, the World's Most Ethical Companies assessment process includes more than 200 questions on culture, environmental and social practices, ethics and compliance activities, governance, diversity, and initiatives to support a strong value chain. The process serves as an operating framework to capture and codify the leading practices of organizations across industries and around the globe. Honorees The full list of the 2022 World's Most Ethical Companies can be found at https://worldsmostethicalcompanies.com/honorees. About Gallagher Gallagher is one of the world's largest insurance brokerage, risk management and consulting firms. As a community insurance broker and trusted local consultant, we help people and businesses move forward with confidence. With more than 39,000 people working around the globe, we're connected to the places where we do business and to every community we call home. Managing risk with customized solutions and a full spectrum of services, helping you foster a thriving workforce, and always holding ourselves to the highest standards of ethics to help you face every challengethat's The Gallagher Way. About Ethisphere Ethisphere is the global leader in defining and advancing the standards of ethical business practices that fuel corporate character, marketplace trust and business success. Ethisphere has deep expertise in measuring and defining core ethics standards using data-driven insights that help companies enhance corporate character and measure and improve culture. Ethisphere honors superior achievement through its World's Most Ethical Companies recognition program and provides a community of industry experts with the Business Ethics Leadership Alliance (BELA). More information about Ethisphere can be found at: https://ethisphere.com. Media Contacts Gallagher Media Contact Kelli Murray [email protected] Ethisphere Media Contact Anne Walker [email protected] SOURCE Gallagher LUXEMBOURG, March 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Globant S.A. (NYSE: GLOB), a digitally native technology services company (the "Company"), announces that its Annual General Meeting of Shareholders and an Extraordinary General Meeting of Shareholders (collectively, the "General Meetings") are to be held on April 22, 2022. The General Meetings will be held at the registered office of the Company at 37A, Avenue J.F. Kennedy, L-1855, Luxembourg. The Convening Notice including the agenda for the General Meetings, the form of proxy card and the relevant materials for the General Meetings are available at the Company's website at http://investors.globant.com. About Globant (NYSE: GLOB) We are a digitally native company that helps organizations reinvent themselves to create a way forward and unleash their potential. We are the place where innovation, design and engineering meet scale. We have more than 23,500 employees and we are present in 18 countries working for companies like Google, Rockwell Automation, Electronic Arts and Santander, among others. We were named a Worldwide Leader in CX Improvement by IDC MarketScape report. We were also featured as a business case study at Harvard, MIT and Stanford. We are a member of the Cybersecurity Tech Accord. For more information, please visit www.globant.com. Investor Relations Contact: Amit Singh, Globant [email protected] +1 (877) 215-5230 Media Contact: Wanda Weigert, Globant [email protected] +1 (877) 215-5230 SOURCE Globant The annual competition attracted a record number of participants, with more than 1,600 submitters from around the world who contributed more than 2,900 original haiku. Participants in the DMV region accounted for almost half of the submissions. In total, participants represented 71 countries, 49 states, Washington, DC, and Puerto Rico. The farthest submissions came from halfway around the globe in Australia and Indonesia. All ages took part in the contest, with nearly 300 young people in elementary, middle, or high schools submitting haiku. "Every spring, the Golden Haiku signs are a familiar and cheerful sight in the Golden Triangle. This year, participation increased by about 50 percent, with more than 500 additional submitters than ever before," says Leona Agouridis, Executive Director of the Golden Triangle BID. "We're elated to have a worldwide community writing haiku that enhances our streets as more people return to DC's central business district." The 2022 theme of "Reboot and Rebloom" inspired a variety of haiku submissions. The Golden Haiku competition follows the Haiku Society of America's guidelines for modern haiku, which does not require the traditional 5-7-5 structure. Removing the strict structural requirements for syllables frees the author to use evocative language to capture a moment or expression of beauty in a short, descriptive verse. The winning haiku were selected by an esteemed panel of haiku experts, including Abigail Friedman, Lenard Moore, Kit Pancoast Nagamura, and John Stevenson. Winning authors received prizes up to $500. The full list of winning haiku and printed signs are available on the Golden Triangle BID website. About the Golden Triangle Business Improvement District Formed in 1998, the Golden Triangle Business Improvement District (BID) enhances Washington, DC's central business district, the 44-square-block neighborhood stretching from The White House to Dupont Circle. For more information, visit: goldentriangledc.com on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. SOURCE Golden Triangle Business Improvement District Taste Intelligence company Halla is recognized for enhancing shoppers' experience with real-time & personalized grocery search, substitutions and recommendations NEW YORK, March 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- CB Insights today named Halla , the Taste Intelligence company and creator of the only human preference engine designed for grocery, to its Retail Tech 100 ranking, which showcases the 100 most promising B2B retail tech companies in the world. The 2022 Retail Tech 100 cohort highlights startups reimagining the retail experience across 13 categories. This year's winning companies are working on hyper-personalized shopping, blockchain-powered commerce, autonomous delivery, virtual shopping, and more. 19 countries are represented this year, including India, China, Mexico, Singapore, and the Netherlands, among others. "By almost any measure, this has been a breakout year for retail tech. We've seen skyrocketing funding across the industry, powering companies involved in every aspect of retail from instant grocery delivery to supply chain technology," said Brian Lee, SVP of CB Insights' Intelligence Unit. "In 2021 alone, these 100 companies raised $13.1B in funding, an incredibly impressive feat. As the retail landscape evolves, we're excited to see how the companies on the Retail Tech 100 continue to revolutionize how consumers shop." "We're honored to have Halla's Taste Intelligence engine recognized as an important contribution to the future of grocery," said Spencer Price, co-founder and CEO of Halla. "To provide an exceptional customer experience today, retailers must be able to recognize customer intent, and then present options that meet customers' individual needs across all touchpoints in real-time. This is not only a nod to Halla for solving this imperative in one engine, but also to our grocery partners who have recognized these new consumer expectations and achieved double-digit basket size growth by meeting them." Through an evidence-based approach, the CB Insights research team selected the Retail Tech 100 from a pool of over 7,000 companies, including applicants and nominees. Selection was based on factors including patent activity, business relations, investor profiles, news sentiment analysis, proprietary Mosaic Scores, market potential, competitive landscape, team strength, and tech novelty. The Mosaic Score , based on CB Insights' algorithm, measures the overall health and growth potential of private companies to help predict a company's momentum. To find out more about the selection process and this year's winners, join the CB Insights team for a webinar today at 2 p.m. ET. Halla's Taste Intelligence engine has redefined personalization in grocery by introducing a solution that predicts what individual customers will want to buy next. Its API-first technology can easily plug into any digital touchpoint within the grocers' existing platform. The engine leverages over 100 billion shopper and product data points to predict, with remarkable accuracy, what grocery shoppers are actually looking for, and delivers real-time personalized search results, substitutions and recommendations. Halla has been deployed in over 1,100 ecommerce storefronts for multiple top-50 U.S. grocers, driving best-in-class digital ad media performance and improvement in ecommerce profitability. About CB Insights At CB Insights, we believe the most complex strategic business questions are best answered with facts. We are a machine intelligence company that synthesizes, analyzes and visualizes millions of documents to give our clients fast, fact-based insights. Serving the majority of the Fortune 100, we give companies the power to make better decisions, take control of their own future, and capitalize on change. About Halla Halla is The Taste Intelligence Company, founded in 2016 by Gabriel Nipote, Henry Michaelson, and Spencer Price. Taste Intelligence is the world's only human preference engine designed specifically for grocery. Halla was formed to help grocers better understand and answer the fundamental human query, How do people decide what to eat? Today, Halla's industry-leading Taste Intelligence engine helps shoppers intuitively find and discover grocery items they want via solutions that map 1:1 to their unique shopping behavior, in real-time. From cart pages online to printed coupons in-store, Halla drives value for the retailer and shopper at every digital touchpoint along the customer journey. Shoppers see the most enticing products at the perfect moment, resulting in bigger baskets, better rewards, and the best grocery experience possible. To learn more about Halla, check out our website at halla.io and follow us on LinkedIn . SOURCE Halla For the past three years, RiS has been successfully deployed in the energy industry, used exclusively by the world's leading geo-data specialist, resulting in an overall cost reduction of approximately 50%, delivery of unprecedented reliability and security over ultra-low-bandwidth connections, and up to 90% packet loss without any loss of control. Packet loss occurs when data doesn't reach its destination after being transmitted across a network. Starting today, customers can use RiS to transition their assets, engineers, and inspection surveyors from offshore platforms, vessels, and rigs worldwide to local onshore operation centres or even their offices, where they receive the video and data to carry out inspections. RiS allows technical experts to be in single or multiple command centres anywhere globally. As a result, they can access remote operations, review data, and make critical decisions without going on site. This improves asset and people safety and reduces environmental impact and operational costs. "RiS is the ideal product for customers who want a step-change in how they manage remote operations through live off-site inspection and reporting," said Paul Guilfoyle, Group CEO, Harvest Technology Group. "RiS makes it safer for workers, cuts operational costs and allows multiple offshore projects to be supported simultaneously by one onshore team." "Moving personnel to a local onshore operation centre promotes a better way of life, providing technical experts a set schedule and quality time safe at home with their families," continued Guilfoyle. "Many remote sites are hazardous areas. Removing people provides an instant reduction in health and safety exposure because they are no longer in a dangerous location, travelling to and from remote locations, or going into zones that may be subject to political unrest. RiS is true innovation, and we look forward to providing this solution to new customers around the globe." Technical experts will no longer need to prepare to travel and work on remote sites. It can take weeks, for example, learning about a remote location, proving a certain fitness level, passing a medical, getting vaccinated, undertaking safety training, and travelling to the site. They also won't be offshore for weeks or months at a time. RiS is built on Harvest's proprietary protocols, allowing the ability to switch between command locations via the Nodester control application. In addition, the solution has other broad industry applications, including energy and resources, defence, first responders and emergency services, agriculture, and unmanned vehicles. RiS will launch at the Oceanology International event in London, UK, from March 15-18, 2022. To learn more about RiS, please visit RIS - Harvest Technology About Harvest Technology Group Harvest Technology Group Limited (ASX: HTG) is a global leader in network optimised remote operations that deliver real-time remote control, communication, automation and monitoring capabilities for the energy, resources, and renewables sectors. Based in Perth, Australia, the group of companies is revolutionising remote field services with ultra-low bandwidth Network Optimised Livestreaming solutions that enable customers to stay connected to operations and personnel anywhere in the world while utilising just a fraction of existing bandwidth resources. If you would like to receive HTG newsletter updates, visit the Investor Page to subscribe: www.harvest.technology/investors-1 Media enquiries, please contact: Josie Taylor Otto Pijpker [email protected] [email protected] +61 467 764 768 +1 503 805 7705 SOURCE Harvest Technology Group Some of the key High-End Server Players with Offerings: Acer Inc. - The company offers AR180 Optimized rack performance with max storage, ECC (Error-correcting code) memory, and others. The company offers AR180 Optimized rack performance with max storage, ECC (Error-correcting code) memory, and others. Apple Inc. - The company offers Macpro which has up to 28-core Intel Xeon W processor, 1.5TB of DDR4 ECC memory, eight PCI Express expansion slots, and others to provide good performance, expansion, and configurability. The company offers Macpro which has up to 28-core Intel Xeon W processor, 1.5TB of DDR4 ECC memory, eight PCI Express expansion slots, and others to provide good performance, expansion, and configurability. ASUSTeK Computer Inc. - The company offers ESR3-515-X3 which delivers 5G performance, low latency, and ultra-small footprint for easy and effective operation at the edge. The company offers ESR3-515-X3 which delivers 5G performance, low latency, and ultra-small footprint for easy and effective operation at the edge. Cisco Systems Inc. - The company offers a Unified Computing System (UCS) which helps customers to simplify system management, supercharge apps, and streamline infrastructure. The company offers a Unified Computing System (UCS) which helps customers to simplify system management, supercharge apps, and streamline infrastructure. Dell Technologies Inc. - The company offers servers, storage, and networking devices like rack servers, tower servers, modular infrastructure, and others as power edge servers for high-performance computing, data analytics, and others. To know about all major vendors with their key offerings - Click here! High-End Server - Driver & Challenge Key Market Driver One of the main drivers of high-end server market growth is the increased demand for edge computing. Edge computing refers to an architectural approach in which data created by IoT devices is processed at the network's edge, which is typically near to the data source. In the late 1990s, the concept of the Internet of Things was popularised by the use of radio-frequency identification (RFID) sensors to tag, track, connect, and read items in logistics and warehouses. Manufacturing, utilities, retail, automotive, and social media are among the businesses that are utilizing the Internet of Things to increase data transfer. As a result of the expanding number of IoT-enabled devices, edge computing services will be required. Key Market Challenge One of the major challenges limiting the size of the high-end market is the rise of cybersecurity threats . Security of sensitive information, such as customers' personal information, financial information, and the organization's intellectual property, is a problem for businesses across several sector verticals. . Security of sensitive information, such as customers' personal information, financial information, and the organization's intellectual property, is a problem for businesses across several sector verticals. Furthermore, ransomware attacks have skyrocketed in recent years, with the majority of them targeting government and financial services organizations. To avoid such assaults, businesses must establish security measures before implementing storage systems. These reasons have increased the demand for effective data security software and solutions, driving up business costs and overall operating expenses. To know about more drivers & challenges - Download a free sample now! Key Regions for the High-End Server Market During the projection period, North America will account for 38% of the market's growth. In North America, the US is the most important market for high-end servers. The market in this area will grow at a quicker rate than the markets in MEA and South America. Over the projected period, the rising use of high-performance computing (HPC) systems in industrial verticals such as government, BFSI, healthcare, and others would aid the expansion of the high-end server market in North America. This market research report includes thorough information on competitor intelligence, marketing gaps, and geographical potential for suppliers, all of which will aid in the development of effective business plans. High-End Server Market Value Chain Analysis The value chain of the information technology spending market includes the following core components: Research and development Developers or manufacturers Sales and distribution End-users To gain insights on the market contribution of various segments - Talk to our Analyst. Related Reports: Online Travel Agencies IT Spending Market - The online travel agencies IT spending market share is expected to increase by USD 1.73 billion from 2021 to 2026, and the market's growth momentum will accelerate at a CAGR of 15.22%. Download a free sample now! Consumer Biometrics Market - The consumer biometrics market share is expected to increase by USD 2.31 billion from 2021 to 2026, at a CAGR of 14.48%. Download a free sample now! High-End Server Market Scope Report Coverage Details Page number 120 Base year 2021 Forecast period 2022-2026 Growth momentum & CAGR Accelerate at a CAGR of 18.41% Market growth 2022-2026 USD 32.09 billion Market structure Fragmented YoY growth (%) 16.96 Regional analysis North America, Europe, APAC, MEA, and South America Performing market contribution North America at 38% Key consumer countries US, Germany, China, France, and Japan Competitive landscape Leading companies, competitive strategies, consumer engagement scope Companies profiled Acer Inc., Apple Inc., ASUSTeK Computer Inc., Cisco Systems Inc., Dell Technologies Inc., Fujitsu Ltd., HCL Infosystems Ltd., Hewlett Packard Enterprise Co., International Business Machines Corp., and Toshiba Corp. Market Dynamics Parent market analysis, Market growth inducers and obstacles, Fast-growing and slow-growing segment analysis, COVID-19 impact and future consumer dynamics, market condition analysis for the forecast period, Customization purview If our report has not included the data that you are looking for, you can reach out to our analysts and get segments customized. Table of Contents 1. Executive Summary 1.1 Market Overview Exhibit 01: Key Finding 1 Exhibit 02: Key Finding 2 Exhibit 03: Key Finding 3 Exhibit 04: Key Finding 5 Exhibit 05: Key Finding 6 Exhibit 06: Key Finding 7 2. Market Landscape 2.1 Market ecosystem Exhibit 07: Parent market Exhibit 08: Market Characteristics 2.2 Value chain analysis Exhibit 09: Value chain analysis : Global Information Technology Spending Market. 3. Market Sizing 3.1 Market definition Exhibit 10: Offerings of vendors included in the market definition 3.2 Market segment analysis Exhibit 11: Market segments 3.3 Market size 2021 3.4 Market outlook: Forecast for 2021 - 2026 Exhibit 12: Global - Market size and forecast 2021 - 2026 (million units) Exhibit 13: Global market: Year-over-year growth 2021 - 2026 (%) 4. Five Forces Analysis 4.1 Five Forces Summary Exhibit 14: Five forces analysis 2021 - 2026 4.2 Bargaining power of buyers Exhibit 15: Bargaining power of buyers 4.3 Bargaining power of suppliers Exhibit 16: Bargaining power of suppliers 4.4 Threat of new entrants Exhibit 17: Threat of new entrants 4.5 Threat of substitutes Exhibit 18: Threat of substitutes 4.6 Threat of rivalry Exhibit 19: Threat of rivalry 4.7 Market condition Exhibit 20: Market condition - Five forces 2021 5. Market Segmentation by Application 5.1 Market segments The segments covered in this chapter are: Mobile PC Payments Access Exhibit 21: Application - Market share 2021-2026 (%) 5.2 Comparison by Application Exhibit 22: Comparison by Application 5.3 Mobile - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 23: Mobile - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 (million units) Exhibit 24: Mobile - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 5.4 PC - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 25: PC - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 (million units) Exhibit 26: PC - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 5.5 Payments - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 27: Payments - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 (million units) Exhibit 28: Payments - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 5.6 Access - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 29: Access - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 (million units) Exhibit 30: Access - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 5.7 Market opportunity by Application Exhibit 31: Market opportunity by Application 6. Customer landscape 6.1 Overview Exhibit 32: Customer landscape 7. Geographic Landscape 7.1 Geographic segmentation The regions covered in the report are: APAC North America Europe South America MEA Exhibit 33: Market share by geography 2021-2026 (%) 7.2 Geographic comparison Exhibit 34: Geographic comparison 7.3 APAC - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 35: APAC - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 (million units) Exhibit 36: APAC - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 7.4 North America - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 37: North America - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 (million units) Exhibit 38: North America - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 7.5 Europe - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 39: Europe - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 (million units) Exhibit 40: Europe - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 7.6 South America - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 41: South America - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 (million units) Exhibit 42: South America - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 7.7 MEA - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 43: MEA - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 (million units) Exhibit 44: MEA - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 7.8 Key leading countries Exhibit 45: Key leading countries 7.9 Market opportunity by geography Exhibit 46: Market opportunity by geography (million units) 8. Drivers, Challenges, and Trends 8.1 Market drivers 8.1.1 Growing adoption of smartphones 8.1.2 Emergence of in-display fingerprint scanners 8.1.3 Increasing mobile payment transactions 8.2 Market challenges 8.2.1 Data security and privacy concerns 8.2.2 Decreasing demand for contact-based biometric systems 8.2.3 Lack of standardization Exhibit 47: Impact of drivers and challenges 8.3 Market trends 8.3.1 Emergence of biometric-enabled payment cards 8.3.2 Integration of consumer biometrics in automotive vehicles 8.3.3 Emergence of multimodal biometric technologies 9. Vendor Landscape 9.1 Competitive scenario 9.2 Overview Exhibit 48: Vendor landscape 9.3 Landscape disruption Exhibit 49: Landscape disruption Exhibit 50: Industry risks 10. Vendor Analysis 10.1 Vendors covered Exhibit 51: Vendors covered 10.2 Market positioning of vendors Exhibit 52: Market positioning of vendors 10.3 Apple Inc. Exhibit 53: Apple Inc. - Overview Exhibit 54: Apple Inc. - Business segments Exhibit 55: Apple Inc.- Key news Exhibit 56: Apple Inc. - Key offerings Exhibit 57: Apple Inc. - Segment focus 10.4 ASSA ABLOY AB Exhibit 58: ASSA ABLOY AB - Overview Exhibit 59: ASSA ABLOY AB - Business segments Exhibit 60: ASSA ABLOY AB - Key offerings Exhibit 61: ASSA ABLOY AB - Segment focus 10.5 Aware Inc. Exhibit 62: Aware Inc. - Overview Exhibit 63: Aware Inc. - Product and service Exhibit 64: Aware Inc. - Key offerings 10.6 IDEX Biometrics ASA Exhibit 65: IDEX Biometrics ASA - Overview Exhibit 66: IDEX Biometrics ASA - Business segments Exhibit 67: IDEX Biometrics ASA- Key news Exhibit 68: IDEX Biometrics ASA - Key offerings Exhibit 69: IDEX Biometrics ASA - Segment focus 10.7 NEC Corp. Exhibit 70: NEC Corp. - Overview Exhibit 71: NEC Corp. - Business segments Exhibit 72: NEC Corp. - Key news Exhibit 73: NEC Corp. - Key offerings Exhibit 74: NEC Corp. - Segment focus 10.8 Princeton Identity Exhibit 75: Princeton Identity - Overview Exhibit 76: Princeton Identity - Product and service Exhibit 77: Princeton Identity - Key offerings 10.9 Qualcomm Inc. Exhibit 78: Qualcomm Inc. - Overview Exhibit 79: Qualcomm Inc. - Business segments Exhibit 80: Qualcomm Inc.- Key news Exhibit 81: Qualcomm Inc. - Key offerings Exhibit 82: Qualcomm Inc. - Segment focus 10.10 Semiconductor Components Industries LLC Exhibit 83: Semiconductor Components Industries LLC - Overview Exhibit 84: Semiconductor Components Industries LLC - Business segments Exhibit 85: Semiconductor Components Industries LLC - Key news Exhibit 86: Semiconductor Components Industries LLC - Key offerings Exhibit 87: Semiconductor Components Industries LLC - Segment focus 10.11 Shenzhen Goodix Technology Co. Ltd. Exhibit 88: Shenzhen Goodix Technology Co. Ltd. - Overview Exhibit 89: Shenzhen Goodix Technology Co. Ltd. - Business segments Exhibit 90: Shenzhen Goodix Technology Co. Ltd. - Key news Exhibit 91: Shenzhen Goodix Technology Co. Ltd. - Key offerings 10.12 STMicroelectronics NV Exhibit 92: STMicroelectronics NV - Overview Exhibit 93: STMicroelectronics NV - Business segments Exhibit 94: STMicroelectronics NV- Key news Exhibit 95: STMicroelectronics NV - Key offerings Exhibit 96: STMicroelectronics NV - Segment focus 11. Appendix 11.1 Scope of the report 11.1.1 ????Market definition 11.1.2 Objective 11.1.3 Notes and caveats 11.2 Currency conversion rates for US$ Exhibit 97: Currency conversion rates for US$ 11.3 Research Methodology Exhibit 98: Research Methodology Exhibit 99: Validation techniques employed for market sizing Exhibit 100: Information sources 11.4 List of abbreviations Exhibit 101: List of abbreviations About Technavio Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focuses 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. Contacts 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 "By almost any measure, this has been a breakout year for retail tech. We've seen skyrocketing funding across the industry, powering companies involved in every aspect of retail from instant grocery delivery to supply chain technology," said Brian Lee, SVP of CB Insights' Intelligence Unit. "In 2021 alone, these 100 companies raised $13.1B in funding, an incredibly impressive feat. As the retail landscape evolves, we're excited to see how the companies on the Retail Tech 100 continue to revolutionize how consumers shop." "At HIVERY , our philosophy has always been that 'Data has a better idea'. Being named one of the world's top 100 Retail Tech just validates that what we are doing with data is truly unique. We are solving something that was once believed humanly unsolvable. Whenever CPG brands and retailers talk about assortment and space, we are in the middle. We work with 20 of the top 25 CPG manufacturers in the world and have delivered over $2B in incremental revenue for our clients" - Jason Hosking CEO, HIVERY. Through an evidence-based approach, the CB Insights research team selected the Retail Tech 100 from a pool of over 7,000 companies, including applicants and nominees. The selection was based on factors including patent activity, business relations, investor profiles, news sentiment analysis, proprietary Mosaic Scores, market potential, competitive landscape, team strength, and tech novelty. The Mosaic Score , based on CB Insights' algorithm, measures the overall health and growth potential of private companies to help predict a company's momentum. To find out more about the selection process and this year's winners, join the CB Insights team for a webinar today at 2 p.m. ET. HIVERY is fundamentally changing the way consumer packaged goods (CPG) companies and retailers collaborate with regard to merchandise and space decisions. HIVERY Curate leverages proprietary machine learning and applied mathematics algorithms that have been developed and acquired from Australia's national science agency - CSIRO's Data61. This allows customers to make rapid assortment strategy simulations around SKU rationalization, SKU introduction, and space allocation while considering category goals, merchandising rules, and demand transference - a process that takes months is reduced to minutes. See how it works here Quick facts on the 2022 Retail Tech 100: Funding trends: In 2021, these 100 private companies raised $13.1B in equity funding across 109 deals, triple the amount they raised in 2020. So far in 2022, they have raised $2.3B across 15 deals (as of 3/8/22). In 2021, these 100 private companies raised in equity funding across 109 deals, triple the amount they raised in 2020. So far in 2022, they have raised across 15 deals (as of 3/8/22). Future market leaders: Nearly two-thirds of the companies on the list are early- or mid-stage companies. There are 20 early-stage companies (seed/angel and Series A) and 43 mid-stage firms (Series B or Series C) in this year's cohort. Nearly two-thirds of the companies on the list are early- or mid-stage companies. There are 20 early-stage companies (seed/angel and Series A) and 43 mid-stage firms (Series B or Series C) in this year's cohort. Unicorns: 36 of the 100 companies (36%) are valued at or above $1B as of their latest funding rounds. 36 of the 100 companies (36%) are valued at or above as of their latest funding rounds. Top investors: Salesforce Ventures is the most active investor in this year's Retail Tech 100 companies, with investments in 10 companies across 19 deals since 2017. Tiger Global Management and Insight Partners, which have both invested in 9 companies on the list, are tied for second. Salesforce Ventures is the most active investor in this year's Retail Tech 100 companies, with investments in 10 companies across 19 deals since 2017. Tiger Global Management and Insight Partners, which have both invested in 9 companies on the list, are tied for second. Global reach: 40% of the 2022 Retail Tech 100 is based outside the US. After the US, the UK and India follow with 6 companies each. Overall, this year's winners span 19 countries, including Singapore , Australia , China , and the Netherlands . About CB Insights At CB Insights, we believe the most complex strategic business questions are best answered with facts. We are a machine intelligence company that synthesizes, analyzes, and visualizes millions of documents to give our clients fast, fact-based insights. Serving the majority of the Fortune 100, we give companies the power to make better decisions, take control of their own future, and capitalize on change. Contact: [email protected] About HIVERY HIVERY is a pioneer of next-generation assortment strategy simulation & optimization technologies to consumer packaged goods (CPG) companies and retailers globally. These proprietary machine learning and applied mathematics algorithms were co-developed and acquired from Australia's national science agency - CSIRO's Data61. HIVERY was founded on the vision that Data Has A Better IdeaTM - and we're working together with our clients to uncover its full potential. SOURCE HIVERY; Mediacbinsights.com LONDON, March 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Huobi Global, one of the world's leading digital asset exchanges, today announced the launch of CandyDrop, a new program that rewards users with a chance to win free token airdrops. Huobi Global is rolling out the program to incentivize active traders and broaden their exposure to a wider range of assets. To be eligible for CandyDrop events, users will need to have at least 100 USDT in average daily spot trading volume for the three days preceding event registration. Once registered, users will be entered into a lucky draw for a chance to win an equal share of the total token airdrop prize pool. "As we continue growing the Huobi ecosystem with new listings and partners, we're always looking for ways to better engage and reward our users," said Du Jun, Co-Founder of Huobi. "CandyDrop will create new profit opportunities for users while driving brand loyalty, benefiting both users and projects. We're committed to building a vast digital asset ecosystem that's inclusive and accessible to users all over the world." Huobi's previous events have proven popular among a vast number of investors, providing them with access to exciting new projects. The new CandyDrop program will enable users to win airdrops to newly listed tokens without requiring them to hold such tokens in advance. The tokens allocated to prize pools will vary by campaign. Some of the lucky users will be able to obtain more than one type of token during an event. CandyDrop events will be held up to five times a week, giving users plenty of opportunities to participate in the free token airdrops. 1st Huobi CandyDrop The first Huobi CandyDrop event will open on March 14, 2022 with Scream (SCREAM) and SpookySwap (BOO). Participants will be able to enter for a chance to claim part of the SCREAM and BOO prize pool. Scream is a lending protocol that provides peer-to-peer lending solutions that are fully decentralized, transparent and non-custodial. SpookySwap is an automated market-making decentralized exchange for the Fantom Opera network. Registration period : 17:00 Mar 14, 2022 - 17:00 Mar 17, 2022 (UTC+8) : 17:00 - 17:00 (UTC+8) Event link: https://www.huobi.com/en-us/topic/flashback/h5 As a bonus, users can click "Up chances" to take a quiz and increase their chances by up to 30% (max bonus). The total prize pool will be equally distributed to all of the winners. The draw will start immediately after the registration period ends and the draw results will be announced within the following hour. A total of 12,000 users will be able to win the free token airdrops. For more information on CandyDrop event rules, click here . About Huobi Group Huobi Group, a world-leading blockchain company, was founded in 2013 to make breakthroughs in core blockchain technology and further the integration of blockchain technology with other industries. Huobi Group has expanded its products and services to public blockchains, digital asset trading, wallets, mining pools, proprietary investments, project incubation, digital asset research, and more. Huobi Group has established a global digital ecosystem through investing in over 60 upstream and downstream companies across the blockchain industry. SOURCE Huobi MIAMI, March 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Asteya , an income insurance technology company whose mission is to provide financial health and wellbeing by transforming the income insurance space, today announced its launch of an additional product offering; Accidental Death. Asteya's solutions are purpose-built to help give people peace of mind and real support through the unanticipated circumstances that have increasingly become facts of life. Asteya's applications are completely online, and users may get coverage within minutes rather than days and weeks. The company's first offering was geared toward the underserved creator economy and gig workers. Asteya's goal is to make shopping for income insurance quick, convenient, and affordable. "It was always our intention as a company to launch new products after our inaugural offering of income insurance," said Hadi Radwan, Co-Founder at Asteya. "Since our launch in March 2021, our team has paid careful attention to the insurance market space to make sure we were providing the next best offerings for communities at large. Our products, Permanent Disability and Accidental Death, fill a gap in affordable insurance protections. As we continue to launch new product offerings, our main goal, outside of making it affordable and convenient, will be to meet the needs of current and potential customers." Total and Permanent Disability insurance provides payment in the event you suffer an illness or injury which totally and permanently prevents you from working again. Accidental Death insurance provides a financial safety net for your beneficiaries should you pass away due to an accident. According to the CDC, accidents are the third leading cause of death in the U.S., after heart disease and cancer. Accidents are also the number one cause of death for adults ages 25 to 44. Product features for Permanent Disability and Accidental Death include a two-year policy term length and a one-time payout of up to $500,000. For more information on Asteya, its mission, and its products visit www.Asteya.world . ABOUT ASTEYA Asteya is an insurtech company whose mission is to make income insurance accessible to anyone. Asteya's goal is to support people's financial, physical, and mental health so they can focus on living. Asteya was founded in 2019 and is backed by I2BF Ventures, Capital Factory, Cap Meridian Ventures, and Northstar.vc. For more information on Asteya, its mission, and its products visit www.Asteya.world. SOURCE Asteya LIMA, Peru, March 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Intercorp Financial Services Inc. ("IFS" or "the Company") (BVL/NYSE: IFS) announced that, in accordance with the Company's Bylaws, its Virtual Annual Shareholders' Meeting will be held on March 31, 2022, with the first call at 09:30 a.m. Peru Standard Time. If the first call does not achieve a quorum, as set forth under IFS's Bylaws, a second call will take place on April 7, 2022 at the same time and also conducted virtually. The following agenda will be discussed during the meeting: 2021 Results Presentation. Approval of the Annual Report for the fiscal year 2021. Approval of the Audited Separate and Consolidated Financial Statements for the fiscal year 2021. Results of IFS's participation in the S&P Global 2021 Corporate Sustainability Assessment (CSA) and the Company's progress in matters of sustainability (ESG). Approval of Net Profit Allocation and Dividend Distribution for the fiscal year 2021. Approval of Dividend Policy for the fiscal year 2022. Delegation of powers to the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors for approval of the designation of External Auditors and determination of their compensation, for IFS and its subsidiaries for the fiscal year 2022, or another longer period that does not exceed that of the year 2026. Approval of power of attorney to formalize decisions approved at the 2022 Annual Shareholders' Meeting. Shareholders may attend the 2022 Annual Shareholders' Meeting virtually or by proxy. Proxies must be registered with the Company, by sending an email to IFS's Investor Relations Office ([email protected]) at least 48 hours in advance of the scheduled time for the 2022 Annual Shareholders' Meeting. Accordingly, it is hereby evidenced that all information regarding the agenda to be discussed at the Company's Annual Shareholders' Meeting, as well as a valid proxy for shareholders' representation and related guidelines, are available on IFS's website (www.ifs.com.pe). About the Company: Intercorp Financial Services, Inc. ("IFS"), is a company incorporated under the laws of the Republic of Panama, and has securities listed on the Lima Stock Exchange and the New York Stock Exchange. IFS is a leading provider of financial services in Peru. IFS' main subsidiaries are Banco Internacional del Peru, S.A.A.-Interbank ("Interbank"), Interseguro Compania de Seguros, S.A. ("Interseguro") and Inteligo Group Corp. ("Inteligo"). Interbank is a full-service bank providing general banking services to retail and commercial customers. Interseguro is a leading insurance company, providing annuities, individual life insurance, disability insurance and survivor benefits, and mandatory traffic accident insurance. Inteligo is a fast-growing provider of wealth management services through Inteligo Bank Ltd. and Interfondos, as well as brokerage services through Inteligo SAB. For more information, please visit www.ifs.com.pe, or contact us: Mr. Ernesto Ferrero, Investor Relations Officer Mr. Jorge Orihuela, Investor Relations [email protected] [email protected] Tel: (511) 219-2000 Tel: (511) 219-2000 Intercorp Financial Services Inc. Torre Interbank, Carlos Villaran 140 Lima 13, Peru SOURCE Intercorp Financial Services Inc. PITTSBURGH, March 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- "We thought there could be a more personalized and creative way to communicate in the digital world," said one of two inventors, from Sacramento, Calif., "so we invented the JUPITER. Our design would provide various family-group user interactions like voting on meals, trivia and other interactive socialization." The invention provides a unique communication alert for users. In doing so, it would offer a variety of user interaction capabilities. As a result, it could improve the social quality of life and it could also provide various learning and exploratory capabilities. The invention features a novel design that is easy to use so it is ideal for the general population. The original design was submitted to the Sacramento sales office of InventHelp. It is currently available for licensing or sale to manufacturers or marketers. For more information, write Dept. 20-SOG-570, InventHelp, 217 Ninth Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15222, or call (412) 288-1300 ext. 1368. Learn more about InventHelp's Invention Submission Services at http://www.InventHelp.com. SOURCE InventHelp Cetera experienced significant financial growth in 2021: assets under administration grew to $350B and EBITDA was up 24% year over year LOS ANGELES, March 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Cetera Financial Group, one of America's largest networks of financial professionals, announced today that its Chief Financial Officer Jeffrey Buchheister has been named a 2022 CFO of the Year finalist by the San Diego Business Journal. Each year, the San Diego Business Journal honors CFOs in the San Diego area who demonstrate resiliency, strategic vision and above all, compelling financial growth. "Businesses in San Diego faced unprecedented challenges in 2021, and despite those headwinds, Cetera grew exponentially," Buchheister said. "Our financial team worked tirelessly to deliver exceptional results heading into 2022, and countless individuals at Cetera committed significant time, energy and resources to propel us to where we are today. Most importantly, we navigated a challenging backdrop of a global pandemic and mercurial markets, while continuing to serve our valued advisor community in meaningful ways, so that they were empowered to keep their own clients' financial health top-of-mind. Giving back to the San Diego community means a great deal to us at Cetera. I am honored to live here, work here and to be recognized in this way by the San Diego Business Journal." Buchheister displayed his leadership agility through a combination of offensive and defensive strategies. Offensively, he spearheaded three major acquisitions in 2021 that helped add $100 billion to Cetera's assets under administration, which recently eclipsed $350 billion. His efforts grew Cetera's earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) a measure of a company's overall financial performance by 24% year over year. Defensively, he prioritized Cetera's most valuable assets the company's nearly 2,000 employees and their families, and Cetera's financial professionals across the country. His team developed and implemented a "Resiliency Pack" a comprehensive suite of services, tools and resources designed to help financial professionals navigate market disruption and pandemic-related challenges. Buchheister is a California native and has lived in the San Diego area since 2003. He and his wife are the parents of four children (two sets of twins). He is a supporting parent of St. Vincent de Paul Parish where his children attend school, and he contributes to the Wounded Warrior Project, a nonprofit organization that helps veterans and active-duty service members. He has helped Cetera's financial professional communities raise more than $100 million for Caring Cetera, a nonprofit that provides support for communities and individuals in need. He is a graduate of University of California, Riverside and completed a leadership development course at Harvard Business School. About Cetera Financial Group Cetera Financial Group (Cetera) is a leading financial services firm whose purpose is to enable the delivery of best-in-class financial advice to as many Americans as possible. Cetera empowers its financial professional communities to help clients achieve their version of financial wellbeing through the Advice-Centric Experience. Cetera proudly serves independent financial professionals, tax professionals, banks and credit unions in providing wide-ranging financial planning and wealth management services. Cetera oversees approximately $353 billion in assets under administration and $122 billion in assets under management, as of December 31, 2021. Visit www.cetera.com, and follow Cetera on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook. "Cetera Financial Group" refers to the network of independent retail firms encompassing, among others, Cetera Advisors LLC, Cetera Advisor Networks LLC, Cetera Investment Services LLC (marketed as Cetera Financial Institutions or Cetera Investors), Cetera Financial Specialists LLC, and First Allied Securities, Inc. All firms are members FINRA/SIPC. Located at: 655 W. Broadway, 11th Floor, San Diego, CA 92101 Individuals affiliated with Cetera firms are either Registered Representatives who offer only brokerage services and receive transaction-based compensation (commissions), Investment Adviser Representatives who offer only investment advisory services and receive fees based on assets, or both Registered Representatives and Investment Adviser Representatives, who can offer both types of services. SOURCE Cetera Financial Group NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J., March 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ) will host a conference call for investors at 8:30 a.m. (Eastern Time) on Tuesday, April 19th to review first-quarter results. Joseph J. Wolk, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer and Jessica Moore, Vice President, Investor Relations will host the call. The question and answer portion of the call will also include additional members of Johnson & Johnson's executive team. Investors and other interested parties can access the webcast/conference call in the following ways: The webcast and presentation material are accessible at Johnson & Johnson's website www.investor.jnj.com. A replay of the webcast will be available approximately three hours after the conference call concludes. By telephone: for both "listen-only" participants and those financial analysts who wish to take part in the question-and-answer portion of the call, the telephone dial-in number in the U.S. is 877-869-3847. For participants outside the U.S., the dial-in number is 201-689-8261. A replay of the conference call will be available until approximately 12:00 a.m. on May 3 rd . The replay dial-in number for U.S. participants is 877-660-6853. For participants outside the U.S., the replay dial-in number is 201-612-7415. The replay conference ID number for all callers is 13727645. on . The replay dial-in number for U.S. participants is 877-660-6853. For participants outside the U.S., the replay dial-in number is 201-612-7415. The replay conference ID number for all callers is 13727645. The press release will be available at approximately 6:45 a.m. (Eastern Time) the morning of the conference call. the morning of the conference call. Please refer to www.investor.jnj.com for a complete list of currently planned earnings webcast/conference calls. Please note the second-quarter date of Tuesday, July 19 th, 2022. About Johnson & Johnson At Johnson & Johnson, we believe good health is the foundation of vibrant lives, thriving communities and forward progress. That's why for more than 130 years, we have aimed to keep people well at every age and every stage of life. Today, as the world's largest and most broadly-based health care company, we are committed to using our reach and size for good. We strive to improve access and affordability, create healthier communities, and put a healthy mind, body and environment within reach of everyone, everywhere. We are blending our heart, science and ingenuity to profoundly change the trajectory of health for humanity. SOURCE Johnson & Johnson AUSTIN, Texas, March 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- A jury in Delaware District Court found that both CareDx, Inc. and Natera, Inc. engaged in false advertising including that CareDx made materially false statements about its involvement in and funding of a scientific publication. Specifically, the evidence showed that CareDx senior leadership misled investors and physicians regarding CareDx's drafting and funding of a paper that they claimed was independent, when it was not. Final monetary relief, if any, remains to be decided by the Court. In reporting the jury's decision, CareDx omits that CareDx itself was found to have engaged in false advertising, and makes unsubstantiated allegations, including false assertions regarding Natera's executives. In addition, there has been no finding regarding the scientific validity of Natera's published data and test performance. In other litigation between the parties, a federal court recently invalidated all the patents that CareDx asserted against Natera. Natera continues to pursue its own patent enforcement action against CareDx. About Natera Natera is a global leader in cell-free DNA testing, dedicated to oncology, women's health, and organ health. We aim to make personalized genetic testing and diagnostics part of the standard of care to protect health, and inform earlier, more targeted interventions that help lead to longer, healthier lives. Natera's tests are validated by more than 100 peer-reviewed publications that demonstrate high accuracy. Natera operates ISO 13485-certified and CAP-accredited laboratories certified under the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA) in Austin, Texas and San Carlos, California. For more information, visit www.natera.com . Forward-Looking Statements All statements other than statements of historical facts contained in this press release are forward-looking statements and are not a representation that Natera's plans, estimates, or expectations will be achieved. These forward-looking statements represent Natera's expectations as of the date of this press release, and Natera disclaims any obligation to update the forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially, including with respect to developments in matters under dispute or litigation, and the scope of protection we establish and maintain for, and developments or disputes concerning, our intellectual property or other proprietary rights. Additional risks and uncertainties are discussed in greater detail in "Risk Factors" in Natera's recent filings on Forms 10-K and 10-Q and in other filings Natera makes with the SEC from time to time. These documents are available at www.investor.natera.com and www.sec.gov . Contacts Investor Relations: Mike Brophy, CFO, Natera, Inc., 510-826-2350 Media: Communications, Natera, Inc., [email protected] SOURCE Natera, Inc. KANSAS CITY, Mo., March 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- R. Philip Bixby, President, Chief Executive Officer, and Chairman of the Board of Kansas City Life Insurance Company (the "Company") announced today that he will retire as President and Chief Executive Officer effective during the April 25, 2022, meeting of the Board of Directors, at which time his successor will be elected. Mr. Bixby has served as Chairman of the Board of Directors since 2005 and will continue to serve in that role. He joined the Company in 1977, working his way through various positions from entry level employee to management. He has served as a Director of the Company since 1985 and became President and Chief Executive Officer in 1998. Under Mr. Bixby's 24 years of leadership, the Company has continued to grow and provide Security Assured for millions of policyholders. Kansas City Life celebrated its 125th year in business on May 1, 2020. Mr. Bixby stated, "It has been my privilege to work with the great people of Kansas City Life for the last 45 years, and an honor to serve as President since 1998. I am proud of all that we have accomplished during that time. These are challenging times for our industry, but I know we will continue forward with the same resolve and strength as we have shown for the last 127 years." Kansas City Life Insurance Company (OTCQX: KCLI) was established in 1895 and is based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Company's primary business is providing financial protection through the sale of life insurance and annuities. The Company operates in 49 states and the District of Columbia. For more information, please visit www.kclife.com . SOURCE Kansas City Life Insurance Whole life cycle support will be provided to include research, development, test and evaluation for the U.S. Army's STARE Project Office. HOUSTON, March 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- KBR (NYSE: KBR) was awarded a new $70 million contract to provide technical analysis for sensor development that addresses current and future threats for the U.S. Army Program Executive Office Missiles and Space, Search, Track, Acquire, Radiate, Eliminate (STARE) Project Office. KBR was awarded this contract under the Department of Defense Information Analysis Center's (DoD IAC) multiple-award contract (MAC) vehicle. These DoD IAC MAC task orders are awarded by the U.S. Air Force's 774th Enterprise Sourcing Squadron to develop and create new knowledge for the enhancement of the DTIC repository and the R&D and S&T community. "KBR is proud to support the Army in sustaining readiness while modernizing the force of the future," said Byron Bright, President of KBR Government Solutions. "This contract is critical to maintain current sensor readiness, within the Army Fires portfolio, while modernizing sensors to address emerging threats and support future Army multi-domain operations." During the four-year contract, KBR's technical support will independently verify and validate sensor and system-of-systems performance within the Integrated Air and Missile Defense Battle Command System (IBCS) and future multi-domain operation architectures. The United States Army awarded the task order under an Information Analysis Center Multiple Award Contract. KBR is proud to be a leader in advancing air, space, cyber, and missile defense systems for the U.S. military. For more than 40 years, KBR has supported U.S. Army air and missile defense systems. The company drives innovation by combining engineering, technical and scientific expertise with its full life cycle capabilities, mission knowledge and future-focused technologies. Known for excelling in complex and extreme environments, KBR is trusted to overcome the nation's most pressing challenges. About DoD IAC Program The DoD IAC, sponsored by Defense Technical Information Center, provides technical data management and research support for DoD and federal government users. Established in 1946, the IAC program serves the DoD science and technology (S&T) and acquisition communities to drive innovation and technological developments by enhancing collaboration through integrated scientific and technical information development and dissemination for the DoD and broader S&T community. About KBR We deliver science, technology and engineering solutions to governments and companies around the world. KBR employs approximately 28,000 people performing diverse, complex and mission critical roles in 34 countries. KBR is proud to work with its customers across the globe to provide technology, value-added services, and long- term operations and maintenance services to ensure consistent delivery with predictable results. At KBR, We Deliver. Visit www.kbr.com Forward Looking Statement The statements in this press release that are not historical statements, including statements regarding future financial performance, are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws. These statements are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the company's control that could cause actual results to differ materially from the results expressed or implied by the statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: the significant adverse impacts on economic and market conditions of the COVID-19 pandemic and the company's ability to respond to the resulting challenges and business disruption; the recent dislocation of the global energy market; the company's ability to manage its liquidity; the outcome of and the publicity surrounding audits and investigations by domestic and foreign government agencies and legislative bodies; potential adverse proceedings by such agencies and potential adverse results and consequences from such proceedings; changes in capital spending by the company's customers; the company's ability to obtain contracts from existing and new customers and perform under those contracts; structural changes in the industries in which the company operates; escalating costs associated with and the performance of fixed-fee projects and the company's ability to control its cost under its contracts; claims negotiations and contract disputes with the company's customers; changes in the demand for or price of oil and/or natural gas; protection of intellectual property rights; compliance with environmental laws; changes in government regulations and regulatory requirements; compliance with laws related to income taxes; unsettled political conditions, war and the effects of terrorism; foreign operations and foreign exchange rates and controls; the development and installation of financial systems; the possibility of cyber and malware attacks; increased competition for employees; the ability to successfully complete and integrate acquisitions; and operations of joint ventures, including joint ventures that are not controlled by the company. The company's most recently filed Annual Report on Form 10-K, any subsequent Form 10-Qs and 8-Ks, and other U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filings discuss some of the important risk factors that the company has identified that may affect its business, results of operations and financial condition. Except as required by law, the company undertakes no obligation to revise or update publicly any forward-looking statements for any reason. Disclaimer. "This material is based upon work supported by the DoD Information Analysis Center Program (DoD IAC), sponsored by the Defense Technical Information Center (DTIC) under Contract No. FA8075-18-D-0015." Approved for Public Release, Distribution Unlimited. "Any opinions, findings and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the DoD" SOURCE KBR, Inc. VALLETTA, Malta, March 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Kindred Group has today published a combined Annual Report and Sustainability Report for the 2021 financial year. The report can be accessed on the Group's website www.kindredgroup.com. Kindred Group plc (Kindred) has today published its combined Annual and Sustainability Report for the 2021 financial year. The report provides an introduction to Kindred as a company and the Group's long-term strategy. It also includes facts and figures, case studies, as well as ambitions and commitments within Kindred's five sustainability priority areas: `Responsible gambling', `Maintaining integrity', `Running a compliant business', `Being Kindred' and `Contributing to our communities'. The report includes progress on the Group's sustainability ambitions and commitments in 2021, and sets out new long-term sustainability ambitions next to the important ambition of reaching zero per cent Gross winnings revenue from harmful gambling by 2023. Kindred has also continued to work on limiting climate impact, entered into new partnerships, launched several initiatives in local communities and continued the development of its diversity, equity and inclusion agenda. In his CEO comment, Henrik Tjarnstrom points out the strategic direction of Kindred and the focus on locally licenced markets; "Looking ahead, I see an exciting future for Kindred. Over ten years ago we embarked on a strategy to transform ourselves and over time only operate in locally licensed markets. In 2020 we took the decision to adapt the organisation for this future based on scalability, compliance and differentiation. In the final quarter of 2021, we derived 77 per cent of our Gross winnings revenue from locally licenced markets and have proved we can be scalable in these markets with solid bottom line growth". Kindred Group plc's Annual General Meeting will be held on 13 May 2022 at 10.00 CET in Stockholm, Sweden. The Annual Report 2021 has been prepared using the single electronic reporting format specified in the Transparency Directive ESEF Regulation. The ESEF format will be filed to the relevant officially appointed mechanism (OAM) as soon as this has been confirmed by the authorities where we are registered and listed. Once filed, the ESEF report will also be published on the Kindred Group website. This disclosure contains information that Kindred Group is obliged to make public pursuant to the Swedish Securities Markets Act (2007:528). The information was submitted for publication, through the agency of the contact person, on 15-03-2022 09:00 CET. CONTACT: For more information: Alexander Westrell, Group Head of Communications, [email protected], +46 73 7071686 Patrick Kortman, Head of Corporate Development & Investor Relations, [email protected], +46 723 877 438 This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com https://news.cision.com/kindred-group/r/kindred-publishes-combined-annual-and-sustainability-report-for-2021,c3524753 The following files are available for download: https://mb.cision.com/Main/824/3524753/1548247.pdf Kindred Group's Annual and Sustainability Report 2021 https://mb.cision.com/Public/824/3524753/beec4585383094fc.pdf Kindred publishes its combined Annual and Sustainability Report 2021 SOURCE Kindred Group The Korean pavilion is a part of the project supporting overseas expansion of ICT-based medical systems promoted by the Ministry of Health and Welfare and KHIDI. It is a by means of promoting overseas expansion of outstanding Korean digital healthcare products and services. In the Korean pavilion, five innovative companies will participate and present diverse digital healthcare technologies of South Korea: AvoMD Korea: Nocode Platform of Virtual Clinical Consult based on AI SmartSound: Smart Stethoscope (Skeeper) Lemon Healthcare: Smart Healthcare Platform (Lemon Care, LemonCare Plus, LemonCare365) ITI Technology: Smart Patient Healthcare System (Bedside multimedia terminal telemedicine solution) WELT: Smart belt-based fall risk prevention Haeng-Shin LEE, the Director of Department of Global Healthcare Strategy in KHIDI, announced, "The Korean pavilion at the HIMSS 22 is an opportunity for Korean digital healthcare companies, which have been facing difficulties in overseas entry because of COVID-19, to contact potential overseas customers and find new market channels." Media Contact KHIDI, ICT Global Healthcare Team, Researcher Kim Eun-Kyeol [email protected] SOURCE Korea Health Industry Development Institute (KHIDI) More than 12 million videos were removed during the second-half year of 2021 on Kwai and SnackVideo, and the company aims to release the report every half year. SnackVideo in Indonesia and Kwai in Brazil launched various successful campaigns to fight against Covid-19 and fake news. BEIJING, March 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Kuaishou Technology (HK:1024) released its first Transparency Report for its international apps, Kwai and SnackVideo, showing the health status of their global content eco-systems and the effectiveness of their trust & safety measures. As the first publicly listed short video company, Kuaishou has seen strong momentum in the growth of its international business since the 2021 IPO, adding millions of new users in Latin America, the Middle East, North Africa and South and Southeast Asia to its 1 billion strong monthly active user community. The inaugural Transparency Report defines and reports on various safety efforts and enforcement metrics from 1 July to 31 December 2021. "The publication of a Transparency Report is one of the steps we are taking to generate greater awareness and understanding of our policies, our community enforcement actions, and our approach to privacy and security. " Eugenia Xiong, Project Lead of Transparency Report from Kuaishou Trust and Safety team comments, "We would like the data and insights in this report to generate discussion, invite questions and feedback, and ultimately, help us better serve our users. " The Report also details how Kwai and SnackVideo have worked with various local and global organizations, including the World Health Organization, to provide accurate information on the COVID-19 pandemic and to protect the mental health of its users. The Report is expected to be issued bi-annually and made available on Kwai and SnackVideo platforms globally. The full report link at Kwai https://www.kwai.com/safety/resources?id=transparency and SnackVideo https://www.snackvideo.com/transparency The report is also available in Portuguese, Spanish and Bahasa Indonesia. SOURCE Kuaishou Technology NEW YORK, March 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Once again, the Labrador Retriever took Raleigh's top spot in the American Kennel Club's (AKC) 2021 ranking of the most popular AKC-recognized dog breeds in the U.S. The Lab was also recognized as the #1 pup in Buffalo, NY and Cleveland, OH. Mirroring the national trend, Poodles broke into Raleigh's top 5 most popular breeds in 2021 at number 5. Another mover and shaker this past year was the German Shorthaired Pointer, which jumped from #13 to #8. "Raleigh loves its retrievers," said AKC Executive Secretary Gina DiNardo. "Both the Lab and Golden Retriever have remained a fixture at the top of the charts and don't seem to be going anywhere anytime soon." Raleigh's top 5 breeds for 2021: 1. Labrador Retriever 2. Golden Retriever 3. German Shepherd Dog 4. French Bulldog 5. Poodle * Registration data pulled from Raleigh zip codes as specified by U.S. Postal Service The AKC also announced its nationwide rankings today at a virtual press conference at the AKC Museum of the Dog in NYC. No one can keep the Lab down! The ever-popular Labrador Retriever is the nation's favorite dog for the 31st consecutive year. While the loveable Lab remains a constant at the top of the charts, the Poodle has pawed its way back into the top five after 24 years, bumping the perennial favorite Bulldog out for the first time in almost a decade. The Bulldog has been a fixture among the top five most popular breeds since 2012. Most Popular Breeds of 2021 1. Labrador Retriever 2. French Bulldog 3. Golden Retriever 4. German Shepherd Dog 5. Poodle Get social with the AKC! Join us on Facebook and Twitter. About the American Kennel Club Founded in 1884, the American Kennel Club is a not-for-profit organization, which maintains the largest registry of purebred dogs in the world and oversees the sport of purebred dogs in the United States. The AKC is dedicated to upholding the integrity of its registry, promoting the sport of purebred dogs and breeding for type and function. Along with its more than 5,000 licensed and member clubs and its affiliated organizations, the AKC advocates for the purebred dog as a family companion, advances canine health and well-being, works to protect the rights of all dog owners and promotes responsible dog ownership. More than 22,000 competitions for AKC-registered purebred and mixed breed dogs are held under AKC rules and regulations each year including conformation, agility, obedience, rally, tracking, herding, lure coursing, coonhound events, hunt tests, field and earthdog tests. Affiliate AKC organizations include the AKC Humane Fund, AKC Canine Health Foundation, AKC Reunite and the AKC Museum of the Dog. For more information, visit www.akc.org. AKC, American Kennel Club, the American Kennel Club seal and design, and all associated marks and logos are trademarks, registered trademarks and service marks of The American Kennel Club, Inc. Become a fan of the American Kennel Club on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter @AKCDogLovers SOURCE American Kennel Club Lankenau Medical Center, a 371-bed teaching and research hospital and Level II Trauma Center, is one of five hospitals within the Main Line Health system that serves Philadelphia and its western suburbs. Main Line Health has engaged a national search firm to conduct the recruitment for a leader to assume Robinson's responsibilities and continue to grow Lankenau Medical Center and Main Line Health. "I can't say enough about the legacy Phil leaves behind," said Jack Lynch, president and CEO of Main Line Health. "His leadership and commitment to Main Line Health are unparalleled, and he leaves Lankenau positioned to continue providing the highest level of care for years to come due to his recruitment of countless world-renowned physicians. He is a beloved figure here, not just because of his qualities as an executive but because he genuinely cares about his team, the community and making sure our patients receive the best care." Robinson arrived in 2010 from his native Texas pledging to serve only on an interim basis until a new president was found. "Then 25 of our top surgeons and department chiefs unexpectedly showed up at my front door saying they needed me here at Lankenau," Robinson said. "I couldn't say no and I'm glad I stayed. It's been a privilege to work with our dedicated, inspiring group of clinicians, nurses, researchers, advanced practice providers, technologists and staff members. They are wonderful, caring people, and just when I thought I had seen them at their best, I saw them rise to the challenge these last two years during the COVID-19 pandemic. I have never been prouder." As a senior executive at Houston Methodist Hospital, Robinson worked with physicians such as Dr. Michael DeBakey and Dr. Stanley Crawford, pioneers in modern cardiovascular surgery. He also worked with the legendary Dr. John Ochsner in New Orleans. Robinson used those experiences in attaining his foremost achievements: the simultaneous growth of Lankenau's top-level cardiac facilities and the quality of care for heart patients. He oversaw the Lankenau Master Plan, a $500 million renovation with construction of the 246,000-square-foot Heart Pavilion as its pillar. His executive leadership of Lankenau Heart Institute has established Main Line Health as a destination for best-in-class cardiovascular care and research. Since its launch in 2013, Lankenau Heart Institute has more than doubled its cardiovascular surgery volume, with U.S. News and World Report ranking it among the top hospitals in abdominal aortic aneurysm repair, aortic valve surgery, heart bypass surgery and heart failure. Lankenau has repeatedly earned recognition from IBM Watson Health and Healthgrades as a Top 50 cardiovascular hospital. "At every turn, Phil demonstrated a fundamental understanding of what a world-class heart institute looked likespecifically the essential human, physical and programmatic elements and the important contributions of research and education necessary to achieve that goal," said William A. Gray, MD, who along with Basel Ramlawi, MD, serves as co-director of Lankenau Heart Institute. "He delivered unrelenting support of these critical components, which have ultimately combined to both define and drive excellence in cardiac care at the Lankenau Heart Institute." Robinson also oversaw the renovation and expansion of the Lankenau emergency department in 2019, which tripled in size to accommodate the area's growing needs. During his tenure, Lankenau became a Level II Trauma Center. He also has launched plans for the construction of additional operating rooms to continue to grow Lankenau's specialty services. Robinson has been a force in positioning Lankenau to flourish for years to come. He led the way in raising nearly $86 million for the Lankenau Medical Center Foundation to support patient care and capital projects, including a $48 million capital campaign for the Heart Institute and seven endowed chairs at Lankenau Medical Center and Lankenau Institute for Medical Research. Robinson says among his proudest achievements have been Lankenau's efforts to reduce healthcare disparities. As an example, the Delema G. Deaver Wellness Farm, the first hospital-based wellness farm in the Philadelphia region, has produced and distributed more than 13,000 pounds of produce to patients in underserved communities since its opening. In 2016, Robinson represented Lankenau at the White House and received special recognition from First Lady Michelle Obama. "Phil Robinson has been a champion of equity and a fighter for the elimination of healthcare and socioeconomic disparities," said Barry D. Mann, MD, system medical director for health equity. "Phil recognized the broad reach of the disparate communities served by the hospital, and in every business decision he honored his commitment to serve all equitably." Robinson also oversaw the expansion of Lankenau's world-class Colorectal Center. His support has promoted the creation of a multidisciplinary international rectal cancer society, with experts from four continents in the fields of radiation oncology, pathology, radiology, medical oncology and surgery gathering at Lankenau Medical Center for scientific meetings. Lankenau's rectal cancer program is one of only 15 in the countryand the only one in the regionto be accredited by the National Accreditation Program for Rectal Cancer as a Center of Excellence. The center was the first to acquire the single-port (SP) robot. Lankenau's team has the largest experience in the world with SP robotic colorectal surgery. The team has authored over half of the world's literature in the field. "Phil has been the best administrator I've ever had the pleasure of working with," said John Marks, MD, chief of colorectal surgery. Robinson found himself thrust into a critical leadership role, creating an incident command center at Lankenau and partnering with Main Line Health's COVID-19 command center, in charge of logistics including securing PPE from sources around the world, crisis staffing plans and preparation for a surge in patients. He had considerable preparation. He coauthored the book Anticipate, Respond, Recover: Healthcare Leadership and Catastrophic Events based on his extensive experience in developing and executing emergency preparedness protocols in a hospital setting, including major hurricanes and the anthrax crisishe was the CEO of the Florida hospital treating the nation's first anthrax patient three weeks after 9/11. Robinson will remain in his role as president until his successor is hired and will work alongside the selected candidate to ensure a smooth leadership transition before he retires. WHAT THEY'RE SAYING ABOUT PHILLIP ROBINSON John Schwarz, President, Bryn Mawr Hospital; former Vice President of Administration, Lankenau Medical Center: Phil has been an amazing mentor for me. In his long career, it seems he had prior experience to help frame just about every situation we confronted at Lankenau or across Main Line Health. He has great instincts and a memory most of us only wish we could have. His legacy will be long-lasting in cardiovascular services, teaching and research programs, and the growth of many of the clinical services on the Lankenau campus. Phil cared deeply about our mission to serve everyone in our communities. Gregory Papa, Vice President, Human Resources, Main Line Health; former Director, Human Resources, Lankenau: Phil is truly a leading healthcare strategist. He has grown and developed many successful clinical programs such as the Women's Heart Initiative, a trauma program, a Spine Center, and a Colorectal Center just to name a few. Phil was also instrumental in expanding the healthcare services of Lankenau and Main Line Health to the residents of West Philadelphia, Conshohocken, Plymouth Meeting, Center City and the Roxborough/Manayunk areas. Phil has a passion for diversity, respect, equity and inclusion and has been a champion and a driver for all of Main Line Health's accomplishments in this space. Alfred W. Putnam, Jr., Chairman, Lankenau Medical Center Foundation: Phil Robinson has been one of the most consequential and successful leaders in the long history of the institution. The primary reason is an open and attentive personality that inspires trust, loyalty and genuine affection in everyone from physicians and staff to volunteers and donors. He has run Lankenau extremely well and raised a prodigious amount of money to help ensure our ability to serve our community in the future. We are greatly in his debt. Basel Ramlawi, MD, Chief, Cardiovascular Surgery, Main Line Health, and Co-Director, Lankenau Heart Institute: Phil Robinson has been a true leader and advocate for excellence in patient care across Lankenau, particularly the Lankenau Heart Institute. His consistent and unwavering support for clinical growth, building excellent teams, and driving research and innovation is truly appreciated by everyone who has had the privilege of working with him. John Marks, MD, Director, Colorectal Center, Lankenau Medical Center: Phil's ability to maintain a laser focus on quality, execution and administrative responsibility is unmatched. He has been unrelenting in his encouragement for us to do great things. He Phil has been instrumental in creating a world-class facility here at Lankenau, where we are proud to boast the only vertically integrated colorectal center in the region, providing dedicated colorectal specialty units in the outpatient area, the operating rooms and postoperatively in the hospital. Phil's vision and dedication of resources allow us to provide integrated colorectal care with specialized training to the nurses, OR staff and physicians so that together we can provide the best for our colorectal patients." About Lankenau Medical Center Lankenau Medical Center, a member of Main Line Health, is recognized as a national leader in advancing new options to diagnose and treat illness, protect against disease and save lives. Located on a 93-acre campus just outside of Philadelphia, Lankenau Medical Center is a 371-bed, not-for-profit teaching hospital that includes one of the nation's leading cardiovascular centers; the Lankenau Institute for Medical Research, one of the few freestanding hospital-associated research centers in the nation; and the Annenberg Conference Center for Medical Education, that trains over 100 new physicians each year through nationally ranked residency and fellowship programs. Lankenau has received both regional and national recognition for its excellence in providing state-of-the-art, quality care. Lankenau Medical Center has been named among the top 10 hospitals in Pennsylvania and top three in the Philadelphia metro area in U.S. News & World Report's Best Hospitals 2021-22 and was ranked as high-performing in abdominal aortic aneurysm repair, aortic valve surgery, colon cancer surgery, gastroenterology & GI surgery, geriatrics, heart bypass surgery, heart failure, hip replacement, knee replacement, lung cancer surgery and nephrology. Lankenau has achieved The Joint Commission's Gold Seal of Approval for stroke care and breast cancer care and is one of the nation's Top Performing Hospitals for heart attack, heart failure, pneumonia and surgical care. Lankenau has also been ranked for multiple years as one of the top 50 cardiovascular hospitals in the nation by Truven Health Analytics. Lankenau has also earned the highest distinction for excellence in nursing care, the American Nurses Credentialing Center Magnet designation. About Main Line Health Founded in 1985, Main Line Health is a not-for-profit health system serving portions of Philadelphia and its western suburbs. Main Line Health's commitmentto deliver advanced medicine to treat and cure disease while also playing an important role in prevention and disease management as well as training physicians and other health care providersreflects our intent to keep our community and ourselves well ahead. A team of more than 10,000 employees and 2,000 physicians care for patients throughout the Main Line Health system. At Main Line Health's core are four of the region's most respected acute care hospitalsLankenau Medical Center, Bryn Mawr Hospital, Paoli Hospital and Riddle Hospitalas well as one of the nation's recognized facilities for rehabilitative medicine, Bryn Mawr Rehabilitation Hospital. Main Line Health also includes Mirmont Treatment Center for drug and alcohol recovery; Main Line Health HomeCare & Hospice, which includes skilled home health care, hospice and home infusion services; Main Line Health Centers, primary and specialty care, lab and radiology, and other outpatient services located in Broomall, Collegeville, Concordville, Exton, King of Prussia and Newtown Square; Lankenau Institute for Medical Research, a biomedical research organization; and Main Line HealthCare, one of the region's largest multispecialty physician networks. Main Line Health is the recipient of numerous awards for quality care and service, including System Magnet designation, the nation's highest distinction for nursing excellence and the Mid-Atlantic Alliance for Performance Excellence (MAAPE) Excellence Award. Main Line Health is committed to creating an environment of diversity, respect and inclusion and has proudly embraced the American Hospital Association's #123forEquity Pledge to Act to eliminate disparities in care. We are dedicated to advancing patient-centered care, education and research to help our community stay healthy. SOURCE Main Line Health O'Brien has substantial experience representing public and private companies in a wide variety of corporate transactions, including public and private debt and equity securities offerings and domestic and cross-border M&A transactions, as well as in connection with corporate governance and SEC reporting and corporate and securities compliance matters. O'Brien has represented companies in a broad range of industries, including the life sciences and biotechnology, information technology, telecommunications, semiconductor, software, defense, financial services, and clean technology industries. "Teri is highly regarded with tremendous experience in complex capital markets transactions and corporate governance matters, and we are delighted to welcome her," said Cheston Larson, Office Managing Partner of Latham & Watkins' San Diego office. "Her understanding of the technology and life sciences sectors, in particular, will further elevate our leadership in those high growth areas and cement our position as the premier capital markets firm in California and globally." Ian Schuman, Global Chair of Latham's Capital Markets and Public Company Representation Practices, said: "Teri's experience complements our ability to efficiently and comprehensively advise clients at every stage of their lifecycle. She will bring significant value to our clients as they face cutting-edge transactional and public company challenges." "Latham's global platform and exceptional capabilities across disciplines provide an exciting opportunity to serve my clients, and I'm thrilled to join the team," said O'Brien. "Companies at every stage face a host of distinct issues in the current market environment, and I look forward to working with my colleagues to solve their business challenges." O'Brien joins Latham from Paul Hastings LLP. She received her JD from the University of San Diego School of Law and BS from San Diego State University. About Latham & Watkins (lw.com) Latham & Watkins delivers innovative solutions to complex legal and business challenges around the world. From a global platform, our lawyers advise clients on market-shaping transactions, high-stakes litigation and trials, and sophisticated regulatory matters. Latham is one of the world's largest providers of pro bono services, steadfastly supports initiatives designed to advance diversity within the firm and the legal profession, and is committed to exploring and promoting environmental sustainability. Notes to Editors 1 Latham & Watkins operates worldwide as a limited liability partnership organized under the laws of the State of Delaware (USA) with affiliated limited liability partnerships conducting the practice in France, Hong Kong, Italy, Singapore, and the United Kingdom and as an affiliated partnership conducting the practice in Japan. Latham & Watkins operates in Israel through a limited liability company. Latham & Watkins operates in South Korea as a Foreign Legal Consultant Office. Latham & Watkins works in cooperation with the Law Office of Salman M. Al-Sudairi in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Contacts Cheston Larson, Office Managing Partner of Latham's San Diego office, +1.858.523.5435 Ian Schuman, Global Chair of Latham's Capital Markets and Public Company Representation Practices, +1.212.906.1894 SOURCE Latham & Watkins Leap ranks among Inc. Magazine's list of the fastest-growing private companies in the Mid-Atlantic region with a three-year growth rate of 272%. COLUMBIA, Md., March 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Inc. magazine today revealed that Leap , the leading business and sales platform for home service contractors, is No. 63 on its third annual Inc. 5000 Regionals: Mid-Atlantic list, the most prestigious ranking of the fastest-growing private companies based in Washington, D.C., Delaware, Maryland, North Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia. Based in Columbia, Maryland, Leap is ranked amongst the highest performing companies on this prestigious list that uniquely captures the dynamic economic segment of independent small business. The recognition comes at a moment of significant growth for the company, which received a majority growth investment from private equity firm Nexa Equity LLC in December 2021. Leap has also been active in expanding its offerings to support customer growth and retention, most recently announcing the acquisition of CRM and project management platform JobProgress and developing new platform integrations with industry partners such as CompanyCam. "For the past year, our team has energetically worked to reach new customers, enhance our product and grow our business, and we're thrilled to see those efforts recognized with this placement on the Inc. 5000 Regionals list for a second straight year," said Patrick Fingles, CEO of Leap. "I'm proud of the hard work and dedication our team has devoted to our customers and look forward to what we'll be able to accomplish in 2022." The companies on this list show a remarkable rate of growth across all industries in the Mid-Atlantic region. Between 2018 and 2020, these 131 private companies had an average growth rate of 161% percent and, in 2020 alone, they added 7,365 jobs and $1.9 billion to the Mid-Atlantic region's economy. Companies based in the Richmond and Washington, D.C., areas had the highest growth rate overall. Complete results of the Inc. 5000 Regionals: Mid-Atlantic, including company profiles and an interactive database that can be sorted by industry, metro area, and other criteria, can be found at inc.com/mid-atlantic starting March 15, 2022. "This year's Inc. 5000 Regional winners represent one of the most exceptional and exciting lists of America's off-the-charts growth companies. They're disrupters and job creators, and all delivered an outsize impact on the economy. Remember their names and follow their lead. These are the companies you'll be hearing about for years to come," says Scott Omelianuk, editor-in-chief of Inc. Leap experienced three-year revenue growth of 272%, positioning them near the top of the Inc. 5000 Regionals: Mid-Atlantic list. Leap became the first-ever end-to-end contractor sales software application to make the list last year (2021). Built and backed by seasoned home improvement professionals, Leap empowers contractors and home services professionals through software that digitizes every step of the in-home sales process. The all-encompassing app includes estimating, financing, contracting and real-time customer communication to simplify and automate sales while eliminating errors and providing streamlined tools to grow a customer's business. More About Inc. & Inc. 5000 Regionals Methodology The 2022 Inc. 5000 Regional are ranked according to percentage revenue growth when comparing 2018 and 2020. To qualify, companies must have been founded and generating revenue by March 31, 2018. They had to be U.S.-based, privately held, for-profit, and independentnot subsidiaries or divisions of other companiesas of December 31, 2019. (Since then, a number of companies on the list have gone public or been acquired.) The minimum revenue required for 2018 is $100,000; the minimum for 2020 is $1 million. As always, Inc. reserves the right to decline applicants for subjective reasons. About Inc. Media The world's most trusted business-media brand, Inc. offers entrepreneurs the knowledge, tools, connections, and community to build great companies. Its award-winning multiplatform content reaches more than 50 million people each month across a variety of channels including websites, newsletters, social media, podcasts, and print. Its prestigious Inc. 5000 list, produced every year since 1982, analyzes company data to recognize the fastest-growing privately held businesses in the United States. The global recognition that comes with inclusion in the 5000 gives the founders of the best businesses an opportunity to engage with an exclusive community of their peers and the credibility that helps them drive sales and recruit talent. The associated Inc. 5000 Conference is part of a highly acclaimed portfolio of bespoke events produced by Inc. For more information, visit www.inc.com. About Leap Leap is a subscription-based software that home service contractors use to digitize their business, including digital contracts, estimates, documents, financing, and more. Integrating with top home improvement software, Leap eliminates redundancies and errors that slow down your sales process and brings together everything in one place. Learn more at www.leaptodigital.com. For Leap: Alex Gunderson Padilla [email protected] 612.598.6398 SOURCE Leap RESTON, Va., March 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Leidos (NYSE:LDOS), a FORTUNE 500 science and technology leader, today announced it has been named one of the World's Most Ethical Companies. The award by Ethisphere, a global leader in defining and advancing the standards of ethical business practices, cited Leidos for its unwavering commitment to business integrity. "It's a privilege to be again named one of the World's Most Ethical Companies," said Roger Krone, Leidos Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. "This recognition reflects the commitment of our 43,000 employees worldwide. Each serves our stakeholders with uncompromising integrity and dedication to making the world safer, healthier and more efficient. I am proud of our team and honored by this recognition." This marks the fifth consecutive year for Leidos to receive this honor from Ethisphere. The company is one of only two honorees in the Information Technology Services category. In 2022, 136 honorees were recognized, spanning 22 countries and 45 industries. "Having a strong values-based ethical culture is a responsibility shared by every Leidos employee," said Courtney Edmonds, Leidos Chief Ethics and Compliance Officer. "At Leidos, we're guided by our core values every day and this recognition validates the company's commitment to acting with trust and integrity." Ethisphere evaluates each year's honorees by assessing their culture, environmental and social practices, ethics and compliance activities, governance and diversity. The process serves as an operating framework to capture and codify the leading practices of organizations across industries and around the globe. "Congratulations to everyone at Leidos for earning the World's Most Ethical Companies designation," said Timothy Erblich, Ethisphere Chief Executive Officer. "Today, business leaders face their greatest mandate yet to be ethical, accountable, and trusted to drive positive change. We continue to be inspired by the World's Most Ethical Companies honorees and their dedication to integrity, sustainability, governance, and community." Ethisphere's long-standing belief that financial performance and ethics go hand-in-hand continues to be validated by the "Ethics Premium." Ethisphere's annual practice of tracking how the stock prices of publicly traded honorees compare to the Large Cap Index found that 2022 World's Most Ethical Companies outperformed the large cap sector by 24.6 percent over the past five calendar years. The full list of the World's Most Ethical Companies can be found at https://worldsmostethicalcompanies.com/honorees. 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, Va., Leidos reported annual revenues of approximately $13.7 billion for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021. For more information, visit www.Leidos.com. SOURCE Leidos SHARJAH, UAE, March 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- LMBPN International FZC announced Judith Anderle as the company's Chief Executive Officer. With more than 20 years of experience as a global marketing and business strategy executive, Judith will lead the company's path towards global expansion and reach. Judith has proven experience in strategic development and plan execution of multi-billion drug and medical device products. She gained indie publishing experience as Chief Commercial Officer of LMBPN Publishing, where she led in establishing the LMBPN brand as a force in indie publishing. Judith Anderle According to Michael Anderle, the Chief Executive Officer of LMBPN Publishing, "LMBPN International FZC will focus on all publications of books translated from English to other languages. It will publish original books written in languages other than English as well. In establishing the company, our first step was to choose a proven executive leader who could take on the challenge of quickly ramping up and extending the LMBPN brand in the global community. Judith's extensive international education and global experience make her the perfect individual to take on this task." When asked about her plans for the company, Judith stated she wants to establish a strong, deep bench of like-minded leaders to expand the company's readership to various languages. "Working and interacting with individuals from various cultures and languages has always been a personal passion of mine," Judith added, "At LMBPN International FZC, we will publish an impressive roster of authors who seek a forward-thinking indie publisher to get their native language and translated books to readers around the world." She further highlighted that the company will be making multiple announcements "highlighting new acquisition of partnerships, digital presence and global engagement." LMBPN Publishing LMBPN Publishing was founded in 2015 to support authors and the indie community and publish stories readers enjoy. The company strives to establish its brand in multiple markets, achieve financial success, and be socially responsible. A loyal global fan base consistently propels LMBPN's books into Amazon.com, Inc.'s top ranks, and its digital catalog includes over a thousand titles, many of which are among the thousand bestselling books on Amazon.com. Over two hundred titles are available on Audible.com* through LMBPN Audio, and more than four hundred titles have been licensed for audio through partners including Blackstone Publishing*, Dreamscape Media*, Graphic Audio*, Recorded Books*, Tantor Media*, and Podium Audio*. For more information about the company, visit http://LMBPN.com or contact [email protected] LMBPN International FZC Founded in 2021, LMBPN International FZC is the sister company of LMBPN Publishing. It is incorporated in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, and headquartered at Business Center, Sharjah, Publishing City Free Zone, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates. * Brands are the property of their respective owners. Media Contact: Judith Anderle +1-626-827-4549 [email protected] SOURCE LMBPN Publishing Regarding this exciting placement, Lloyd Roberts, co-founder and CRO of LoanPro said, "We're honored to be recognized for our growth, and the validation that it gives both our best-in-class software and team members. Providing our users with a product that breaks former lending barriers, and powers financial innovation is paramount to our growth. We are excited to continue our current course of making a positive impact on the marketplace we all rely on." LoanPro believes in powering financial innovation and makes it possible for businesses to easily add lending to their current operations. LoanPro simplifies the complex world of lending, by offering the servicing of multiple lending types all while keeping users processes in a single source of truth. LoanPro continues to expand their product and team, with approval to add over 450+ jobs in Utah over the next 16 years. "This year's Inc. 5000 Regional winners represent one of the most exceptional and exciting lists of America's off-the-charts growth companies. They're disrupters and job creators, and all delivered an outsize impact on the economy. Remember their names and follow their lead. These are the companies you'll be hearing about for years to come," says Scott Omelianuk, editor-in-chief of Inc. Methodology The 2022 Inc. 5000 Regionals are ranked according to percentage revenue growth when comparing 2018 and 2020. To qualify, companies must have been founded and generating revenue by March 31, 2018. They had to be U.S.-based, privately held, for-profit, and independentnot subsidiaries or divisions of other companiesas of December 31, 2019. (Since then, a number of companies on the list have gone public or been acquired.) The minimum revenue required for 2018 is $100,000; the minimum for 2020 is $1 million. As always, Inc. reserves the right to decline applicants for subjective reasons. About Inc. Media The world's most trusted business-media brand, Inc. offers entrepreneurs the knowledge, tools, connections, and community to build great companies. Its award-winning multiplatform content reaches more than 50 million people each month across a variety of channels including websites, newsletters, social media, podcasts, and print. Its prestigious Inc. 5000 list, produced every year since 1982, analyzes company data to recognize the fastest-growing privately held businesses in the United States. The global recognition that comes with inclusion in the 5000 gives the founders of the best businesses an opportunity to engage with an exclusive community of their peers and the credibility that helps them drive sales and recruit talent. The associated Inc. 5000 Conference is part of a highly acclaimed portfolio of bespoke events produced by Inc. For more information, visit www.inc.com . About LoanPro LoanPro is a core lending software that empowers tech-forward lenders through automation and data visibility. Built on its own API, LoanPro unites with its users existing software, while encouraging the use of powerful integrations and unifying all aspects of the loan lifecycle in a single source of truth. LoanPro is hosted on Amazon Web Services (AWS) "the cloud" and is held to the highest standards of compliance and security, giving users of its software valuable peace of mind. Lenders enjoy increased transparency, control, flexibility, real-time database access, calculation accuracy, and scalability. For more information on LoanPro, visit LoanPro.io. Lloyd Roberts, CRO (800) 559-4776 ext: 707 [email protected] SOURCE LoanPro Digital agency to expand resources, reach and talent to better serve growing clientele needs. SEATTLE, March 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Lone Fir Creative has joined forces with veteran brand agency of Northern California, MC2 Design. The move will bring together two growth-minded firms to develop a 'super team' that can better help brands grow and scale in today's market. Lone Fir Creative launched as an independent digital marketing agency in 2015. Since then, they have specialized in growth marketing, digital tactics and inbound methodologies using a messaging-led approach. Notable partnerships include being a StoryBrand Certified Agency and HubSpot Diamond Partner. Tyler Pigott, Founder and CEO of Lone Fir Creative, states, "We've built a structure that offers methodical marketing for brands with ambitious goals. We've been intently focused on developing a system of growth marketing services to create consistent and repeatable results, and we've been fortunate to see it do just that for clients. Now, the goal is to carry that systematic structure to a more holistic approach that includes a higher level of brand building and strategy and MC2 Design is the perfect partner to accomplish that." MC2 brings over 30 years of deep expertise in brand development, strategy, and design to the partnership. Together, the goal is to form a uniquely constructed agency that combines the potential energy of brand building with the performance focus of growth marketing to help brands scale year-over-year. MC2's Founder, Brian Curtis, notes, "We have always focused on helping clients achieve their vision through brand building, but growing a brand in today's market demands even more; it requires both a differentiated brand and a high volume of digital activity to create the optimal conditions for engagement and revenue." "To say we're excited about this move would be an understatement," adds MC2 Partner Michael Coogan. "The needs of clients and brands today are so diverse, so to be developing a team that can serve those needs comprehensively and proactively is an incredible opportunity." Operationally, Tyler Pigott will remain Lone Fir Creative's CEO as Coogan and Curtis continue to lead as Partners. Coogan to focus on larger client projects and long-term growth strategies, Curtis to focus on educational and economic development sector growth as well as providing creative direction on large-scale campaigns, and Pigott to focus on vision, culture, teams, etc. They have also decided to adopt Lone Fir Creative as the new agency name. As a full-service brand building and growth marketing agency, Lone Fir Creative will focus on all levels of work, from strategy to execution. This includes, but is not limited to, brand and business strategy, go-to-market, creative campaigns, market research, paid and organic media, sales funnels, custom development, and a full range of skillsets for high performance and a robust digital presence. Visit lonefircreative.com to learn more. Contact: Ashlee Rolkowski 628-227-7166 [email protected] SOURCE Lone Fir Creative LOUIS XIII Cognac is delighted to collaborate with these three iconic female artists who are all changemakers in their respective fields. They worked together to bring the concept, Believe in Time, to life. As a result, the campaign stands as a meeting point: it's the convergence of individuals, of artistic visions, of creative fields and of cultures. With the announcement of the project Solange Knowles stated: "Time and space are really at the foundation of my expressions. I'm a strong believer that the space and time surrounding our work is just as important as the work itself, and world making has been a part of my practice for quite some time now. These ideas align with what is being expressed with LOUIS XIII's creation, Believe in Time. The question of time is always in my container of consciousness while creating. In most of my own work, whether it be music, film, or sculpture, I try to give thought on how future generations will discover it; and so, to be aligned on these ideas gave me great interest in the type of projects LOUIS XIII has been creating. I've been a huge fan of Mati Diop's "Atlantics", and Guo Pei's incredible craftsmanship and jumped at the conversations to collaborate with them. Being able to bring all of these facets of creation by composing an original musical score really brought this project to life." Ornamented in Guo Pei's piece of art, and incarnated by Solange, Mother Earth is the perfect embodiment of what time is able to create over the centuries. It took more than two years for the Chinese Couture artist to imagine and create Mother Earth's garment, sourcing the most precious fabrics, rocks and metals, and using Chinese ancestral techniques for the embroideries. "I aim to create heirlooms to be handed down from one generation to the next. With posterity in mind, I picture my creations as eternal, and precious objects that will connect our present with the future." says Guo Pei. The film - imagined and developed by award winning creative agency FRED & FARID Los Angeles - reminds us of the human being's place in the universe, and the infinite time it takes for great things to happen. It takes the audience through the birth of the universe, the time it took for the Himalayas to be formed, the time for humans to stand up and control the use of fire, the time it took to fly and the age of the oldest tree on earth "Methuselah." Solange's music gives pace to this narrative. Mati Diop and Solange Knowles spoke extensively about creating an artistic film that celebrated the process- Solange Knowles honing in on all the ways it could be interpreted sonically. The featured original track was built in real time: starting with one instrument, adding another layer, building upon all of the sonics and textures, the process building up to the larger idea that flourishes, culminates and embodies the feminine spirit of Mother Earth. With this artistic creation, LOUIS XIII cognac reaffirms its commitment to craftsmanship, quality, beauty, and human made creations. In an accelerating, frenetic, impatient period of time where everyone is trapped in scaling up, industrializing and mass producing, LOUIS XIII strongly believes in the opposite, quality over quantity. Time over instant gratification. Slow pace over precipitation, such as Mother Earth, a perfect illustration of those values. The Believe in Time project, from award winning creative agency FRED & FARID Los Angeles marks seven years of successful collaboration between LOUIS XIII and FRED & FARID. To discover the creation, Believe in Time, and the artistic campaign, visit the LOUIS XIII website https://believeintime.louisxiii-cognac.com?idfrom=15 FOR MORE INFORMATION: For pictures: HERE Brand website: https://believeintime.louisxiii-cognac.com?idfrom=15 FRED & FARID website: http://www.fredfarid.com ABOUT LOUIS XIII COGNAC: Think a century ahead. Each decanter is the life achievement of generations of Cellar Masters. Since its origins in 1874, each generation of Cellar Master selects from our cellars the most precious eauxdevie for LOUIS XIII. Today, Cellar Master Baptiste Loiseau is setting aside our finest eauxdevie as a legacy to his successors for the coming century. LOUIS XIII is an exquisite blend sourced from Grande Champagne, the first cru of the Cognac region. The legendary decanters have been mouthblown by some of the most skilled master craftsmen for generations. LOUIS XIII features exceptional aromas evoking myrrh, honey, dried roses, plum, honeysuckle, cigar box, leather, figs and passion fruit. PLEASE DRINK RESPONSIBLY http://press.louis-xiii.com/Press_kit/Contacts/ LOUIS XIII's Believe in Time campaign is not to be broadcasted in France. Media Contact: [email protected] Video - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1766879/LOUIS_XIII_COGNAC.mp4 Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1766827/LOUIS_XIII_COGNAC_1.jpg Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1766828/LOUIS_XIII_COGNAC_2.jpg Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1766829/LOUIS_XIII_COGNAC_3.jpg Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/777273/LOUIS_XIII__Cognac_Logo.jpg SOURCE LOUIS XIII COGNAC FORT COLLINS, Colo., March 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Content marketing is a key component of any small business marketing strategy. When consumers are looking for a product or service, they almost always turn to search engines first. The right content marketing strategy can help businesses gain visibility in those searches, and build trust and authority for their brand. Good organic visibility doesn't happen overnight, though, and content marketing must be realized as a long-term strategy that takes consistency and time. In this case study , Marketing 360 analyzes how a local solar contractor drove long-term organic success, with the help of the Marketing 360 content marketing strategy and their Content Marketing Specialist. Over the last year, this Utah-based business saw 525K impressions, 7.6K clicks, and 374 conversions, with almost all that success coming from organic search. Compared to the previous year period, this resulted in a 69.86% increase in impressions, a 304.67% increase in clicks, and a 14.1% increase in their average organic ranking. They almost more than doubled the number of keywords that they were ranking for. The strategy? This business, with the help of their Content Marketing Specialist at Marketing 360, started by optimizing all of their website pages with relevant keywords. Then, the Marketing 360 content team created a separate page for each of their services. Next, they began regularly adding fresh content to the site in the form of blogs, videos, and infographics. Over the course of a year, this business stayed the course with their content marketing strategy, and it paid off big time. Through many tools and integrated apps, plus the backing of a fully integrated marketing team, the Marketing 360 platform makes it easy for small businesses to manage their business and marketing, all from one place, while saving time, money, and tons of manual work. Learn more about Marketing 360 at https://www.marketing360.com/ . About Marketing 360 Marketing 360 is a technology company that provides business management, and marketing software and services for SMBs and franchises. For over a decade, the Marketing 360 platform has given SMBs everything they need to manage and grow their business from a singular platform, including the ability to build a professional website, accept and manage payments, manage leads and customers, book appointments, monitor reviews, manage social media, syndicate business listings, manage content marketing, run multi-channel digital advertising campaigns, and more. Marketing 360 was founded in 2009 with the mission of enriching communities by helping small businesses grow, and is headquartered in Fort Collins, Colorado. Learn more about Marketing 360 at https://www.marketing360.com/. Contact: Farra Lanzer 970-541-3284 [email protected] SOURCE Marketing 360 MB2 Dental had a two-year revenue growth of 168%. The average growth rate of companies on the list was 154%. DALLAS, March 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Inc. magazine today revealed that MB2 Dental is No. 68 on its third annual Inc. 5000 Regionals Southwest list, the most prestigious ranking of the fastest-growing private companies based in Arizona, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas. This regional list represents a unique look at the most successful companies within the Southwest region. MB2 Dental is No. 18 on the list among those in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. MB2 Dental Ranks No. 68 on Inc. 5000 Regionals 2022 Southwest List In February, MB2 Dental celebrated its 15-year anniversary and the closing of its 400th affiliated practice. Up until 2017, MB2's growth was 100 percent funded by its doctor partners. MB2 partnered with private equity firms, recapitalizing in 2017 and again in 2021. The financial backing combined with the shared vision that doctors should be kept in control has fueled tremendous growth for the organization. MB2's model combines the most valued aspects of private practice and traditional dental support organizations. What makes the company unique is its first-of-its-kind joint venture model, which allows doctors to earn through multiple revenue streams and reinvest in the parent company while keeping their original branding and 100 percent control. "It's an honor to be recognized by Inc. for our growth achievements over the last two years. We look forward to continuing being a partner that doctors can feel confident in and trust their life's work with," said Dr. Villanueva. The companies on this list show a remarkable growth rate across all industries in the Southwest region. Between 2018 and 2020, these 141 private companies had an average growth rate of 154 percent, and, in 2020 alone, they added 10,563 jobs and nearly $10.9 billion to the Southwest region's economy. Companies based in Scottsdale, Arizona, and Austin and Fort Worth, Texas, had the highest overall growth rate. This is MB2's second time being featured on the Inc. 5000 Regionals Southwest list, ranking No. 114 in 2021. "This year's Inc. 5000 Regional winners represent one of the most impressive and exciting lists of America's off-the-charts growth companies. They're disrupters and job creators, and all delivered an outsize impact on the economy. Remember their names and follow their lead. These are the companies you'll be hearing about for years to come," says Scott Omelianuk, editor-in-chief of Inc. Complete results of the Inc. 5000 Regionals Southwest, including company profiles and an interactive database that can be sorted by industry, metro area, and other criteria, can be found at inc.com/southwest . More about Inc. and the Inc. 5000 Regionals Methodology The 2022 Inc. 5000 Regionals are ranked according to percentage revenue growth when comparing 2018 and 2020. To qualify, companies must have been founded and generating revenue by March 31, 2018. They had to be U.S.-based, privately held, for-profit, and independentnot subsidiaries or divisions of other companiesas of December 31, 2019. (Since then, a number of companies on the list have gone public or been acquired.) The minimum revenue required for 2018 is $100,000; the minimum for 2020 is $1 million. As always, Inc. reserves the right to decline applicants for subjective reasons. About Inc. Media The world's most trusted business-media brand, Inc. offers entrepreneurs the knowledge, tools, connections, and community to build great companies. Its award-winning multiplatform content reaches more than 50 million people each month across a variety of channels including websites, newsletters, social media, podcasts, and print. Its prestigious Inc. 5000 list, produced every year since 1982, analyzes company data to recognize the fastest-growing privately held businesses in the United States. The global recognition that comes with inclusion in the 5000 gives the founders of the best businesses an opportunity to engage with an exclusive community of their peers and the credibility that helps them drive sales and recruit talent. The associated Inc. 5000 Conference is part of a highly acclaimed portfolio of bespoke events produced by Inc. For more information, visit www.inc.com . About MB2 Dental Dallas, Texas-based MB2 Dental is a first-of-its-kind Dental Partnership Organization (DPO) founded and led by dentist and entrepreneur CEO Dr. Chris Steven Villanueva, with a mission to empower dentists to preserve their profession. Since its founding in 2007, MB2 has partnered with hundreds of dentists to help them stay in the driver's seat as they maximize their talents, connect as part of a community and build exceptional wealth. MB2 currently partners with dentists and specialists in more than 35 states. For more information, visit https://mb2dental.com. PRESS CONTACT NAME Lindsey Byrnes PHONE 9728693789 WEBSITE https://mb2dental.com/ SOURCE MB2 Dental The planned 40,000-square-foot hospital will initially feature 30 private patient rooms and is designed to expand to a total of 40 private rooms. It will also include a rehabilitative gym with specialized equipment, a dining room with a dedicated chef and food service staff, and an activity of daily living space to allow patients to receive therapy in rooms that emulate home conditions. The Harker Heights hospital is the first of several planned ClearSky Health hospitals that are to be developed by MedCore. "We are excited about the addition of ClearSky Health's medical rehabilitation hospital in Harker Heights," says David Mitchell, City Manager. "This project will provide more local access to needed healthcare options for our citizens and will also generate additional jobs in the city. We look forward to working with our partners in the development to include ClearSky Health and the project developer MedCore." MedCore is excited to, once again, partner with Trinity Investors and Washington Federal Bank to provide funding for the project. The project is expected to be completed late in 2022, with an opening scheduled for Spring 2023. ClearSky Health is a premier rehabilitative healthcare provider that collaborates with healthcare facilities to improve, expand, or introduce rehabilitative services to communities served. Its management team has expertise in design, development, implementation, and operation of rehabilitative services. ClearSky Health currently owns and operates five rehabilitation hospitals in Texas, Louisiana, and New Mexico. About MedCore Partners, LLC - Based in Dallas-Fort Worth, MedCore Partners is a full-service real estate company dedicated exclusively to the healthcare and senior living industry. By leveraging off both its intimate knowledge of the dynamics of the medical sector and its comprehensive platform of real estate services, MedCore is uniquely qualified to identify and capitalize on healthcare projects around the nation and to maximize the potential profits returned to its investors. Over their careers, the principals of MedCore have led the development and investment efforts for healthcare projects around the country that have been valued in excess of $1 billion in addition to executing brokerage transactions for over 1,500 physicians. This level of experience within the medical real estate industry has allowed MedCore's principals to build trusted relationships with both healthcare providers around the United States as well as numerous capital sources. SOURCE MedCore Partners "ATTA is an approach to living that inspires greatness, promotes balance, and encourages us to choose progress over perfection," said Sarraille. "Reaching any goal requires time and discipline, so we have built a lifestyle community who will be there to support everyone's journey and help them find success One Step ATTA Time." ATTA helps you, an Everyday Warrior, harness the power of positive habits to achieve physical, mental, and spiritual fitness the three pillars that make up the ATTA Way philosophy. As a community-based platform, ATTA will inspire growth by focusing on the whole person, not just part, and empowering members to unlock their full potential through the life-long pursuit of progress, focus, and balance. Available today at LiveATTA.com, Everyday Warriors can browse inspirational and educational blogs, shop apparel and accessories, and submit their own stories for a chance to be published in Men's Journal under the Everyday Warrior column, an initiative run by Mike Sarraille and Men's Journal Editorial Director, James Heidenry. "Mike's background and the Everyday Warrior ethos perfectly complements what Men's Journal is all aboutadventure, wellness, and personal discovery," says Heidenry. "So it's no surprise his podcast on MensJournal.com has been such a success out of the gate, with guests ranging from celebrities to fitness experts to NASA scientists." Along with the launch of ATTA, Sarraille is turning his popular Men's Journal series 'The Everyday Warrior' into a podcast which will air in April. The podcast is currently taping in front of a live audience in Austin, Texas, and will inspire listeners to live their best life through incredible stories and in-depth conversations with diverse leaders that reflect the strength and resilience of the human spirit. Live recordings are held every Friday at 6 p.m. at Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, a whiskey lounge and patio bar. To download headshots, website designs, and apparel images featured in this release, click here. About Mike Sarraille Mike Sarraille is a retired U.S. Navy SEAL officer and a former enlisted Recon Marine and Scout-Sniper. A graduate of the University of Texas McCombs Business School, he is the founder and CEO of Talent War Group, a management consulting and executive search firm. He is co-author of 'The Talent War: How Special Operations and Great Organizations Win on Talent' and a columnist for Men's Journal under 'The Everyday Warrior' series. Mike is also an avid adventurer. About ATTA ATTA is a purpose-driven apparel line and lifestyle community of Everyday Warriors who value personal growth and are dedicated to making progress One Step ATTA Time. About Men's Journal At Men's Journal, the journey is its own reward. Every day we work to inspire readers by providing expert advice on adventure travel, fitness, gear, food & drink and lifestyle & entertainment. The brand's large and ever-growing community is accomplished, confident and socially conscious, but we emphasize and celebrate the individual human spirit that makes this world so exciting. Quality journalism and service are at the core of everything we do, which speaks to MJ's vaunted legacy of award-winning content that is as informative and topical as it is entertaining and actionable. SOURCE Accelerate360 DOWNERS GROVE, Ill., March 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Mouvex, a brand of PSG, a Dover (NYSE: DOV) company, and a worldwide leader in specialty pumps, announced the release of its new H-FLO Series and G-FLO Series Eccentric Disc Pumps for use in the North American market. Specially designed to provide premium performance in critical hygienic, chemical and industrial applications, H-FLO and G-FLO pumps offer a variety of improved design features and benefits when compared to competitive eccentric disc pumps. This includes the ability to handle highly viscous fluids up to 10,000 cP and soft particles up to 20 mm due to an increased offset in the eccentric shaft. Additional features include the Easy Clean System (ECS) for more efficient cleaning, adjustable inlet port positions, tangential inlet ports and internal shapes designed to optimize cleaning-in-place (CIP), and a new piston-locking design that does not require specific tools resulting in easier maintenance. Thanks to an exceptionally gentle, pulse-free flow that protects shear-sensitive products, the Mouvex H-FLO pump is ideally suited for use in a wide range of pumping applications in the food, cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries, all of which require extremely hygienic operations. The H-FLO pump also delivers very high vacuum on suction and strong air compression on discharge that allows it to self-prime and fully strip lines, a critical consideration when maximizing product recovery in these applications. The H-FLO pump is EHEDG and FDA compliant. The Mouvex G-FLO pump has been designed to excel in the safe transfer of critical high-value fluids in chemical-processing and industrial applications. Incorporating a unique seal-less design that features triple stainless-steel bellows, the G-FLO pump helps ensure durability while fully maximizing product containment. The G-FLO pump also provides a consistent and efficient flow with a wide range of viscosities, eliminating a major application concern for many chemical processors. The G-FLO pump is CE, ATEX and TA Luft compliant. For more about Mouvex, please visit mouvex.com. Mouvex is a product brand within PSG, a Dover company. For more information on PSG, please visit psgdover.com. About Mouvex: Mouvex was incorporated in 1906 and is a leading manufacturer of positive displacement pumps, screw compressors and hydraulic coolers. Through a global network of distributors and original equipment manufacturers, Mouvex serves the following markets: refined fuels, oilfield, energy, food/sanitary, military, transport and chemical process. Backed by more than a century of experience and a commitment to product innovation and manufacturing quality, Mouvex provides its customers with cutting-edge solutions and unrivaled application support no matter where in the world they need it. Mouvex, a brand of PSG, a Dover company, is headquartered in Auxerre, France. To learn more about Mouvex, please visit mouvex.com. About PSG: PSG is a global pump and dispensing solution expert and leading manufacturer of pumps, systems and related flow-control technology for the safe and efficient transfer of critical and valuable fluids and materials. Headquartered in Oakbrook Terrace, IL, USA, PSG is comprised of several world-class brands, including Abaque, All-Flo, Almatec, Blackmer, Ebsray, em-tec, Griswold, Hydro, Mouvex, Neptune, Quantex, Quattroflow and Wilden. PSG products are manufactured on three continents North America, Europe and Asia in state-of-the-art facilities that practice lean manufacturing and are ISO-certified. PSG is part of the Pumps and Process Solutions segment of Dover Corporation. For additional information on PSG, please visit psgdover.com. PSG: Where Innovation Flows. About Dover: Dover is a diversified global manufacturer and solutions provider with annual revenue of approximately $8 billion. We deliver innovative equipment and components, consumable supplies, aftermarket parts, software and digital solutions, and support services through five operating segments: Engineered Products, Clean Energy & Fueling, Imaging & Identification, Pumps & Process Solutions and Climate & Sustainability Technologies. Dover combines global scale with operational agility to lead the markets we serve. Recognized for our entrepreneurial approach for over 65 years, our team of over 25,000 employees takes an ownership mindset, collaborating with customers to redefine what's possible. Headquartered in Downers Grove, Illinois, Dover trades on the New York Stock Exchange under "DOV." Additional information is available at dovercorporation.com. PSG Contact: Christophe Jovani +33 3 8649 8681 [email protected] Dover Media Contact: Adrian Sakowicz, VP, Communications (630) 743-5039 [email protected] Dover Investor Contact: Andrey Galiuk, VP, Corporate Development and Investor Relations (630) 743-5131 [email protected] SOURCE Dover Award Winning Search to Be Provided to an International Leader in Law CHICAGO, March 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- My Future Consulting, Inc. (MFC), an award-winning search and recruitment agency recently signed a services agreement partnership with Cooley LLP. Based in the greater Chicago area, MFC is noted for its leadership in fulfilling diversity talent request for the leading companies in the banking, financial services, law, technologies, and consumer package goods industries. Cooley LLC Cooley LLP, a worldwide law firm specializing in M&A transactions, tech, and life sciences IPO's along with litigation, regulatory and intellectual property issues, have an embedded philosophy of fostering diversity throughout its culture. In a recent affirmation of its underlying commitment to diversity hirings, and executive placements, Cooley LLP has implemented an updated Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Action Plan. The Partnership between MFC and Cooley LLP is a concrete effort to fulfill the objectives of the Cooley LLP Action Plan. MFC is committed to delivering highly rated effective, diverse talent to fulfill the vital roles at Cooley LLP which will enable them to continue to maintain a legal leadership position on the global stage. In announcing this strategic partnership with Cooley LLP to deliver top rated talent to fulfill their vital and leadership roles, Anthony Fletcher Sr., President of MFC stated, "We are extremely pleased and excited that Cooley LLP has expressed confidence in the MFC capabilities by entering into a Search and Recruitment partnership with our firm. As one of the most respected law firms in the world this vote of trust in MFC is rewarding. We look forward to utilizing our worldwide contacts to deliver the best talent available in the marketplace that also checks the Cooley LLP boxes to fulfill their commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion in hiring, and placements." About Cooley LLP: Founded in 1920 by Arthur Cooley and Louis Crowley in San Francisco, California, this International Law Firm is headquartered in Palo Alto, California. The Cooley LLP worldwide footprint includes 17 offices in the United States, Asia, and Europe. These offices support 1500 lawyers, 370 single-tier global partnerships, as well as an excess of 3000 employees. Cooley LLP has consistently been honored as a Fortune Best Company to work for, across a variety of categories. These include Best Workplaces for Women, Flexibility, Giving Back, and for Parents. About My Future Consulting, Inc.: My Future Consulting Inc. (MFC) was founded by Anthony Fletcher, Sr. after an executive career with international Fortune 100 Companies. This multiple award-winning company, headquartered in Orland Park, IL, has a commitment to executing Search and Recruitment processes to fulfill vital roles for a variety of companies. Top international firms where MFC has placed multifaceted diverse talent includes Morgan Stanley, Raytheon, and Nationwide Insurance. Media Contacts: MFC Info & Media Requests Anthony Fletcher, Sr. 708-428-6462 [email protected] Cooley LLP Thomas Freeman, Director of Communications San Francisco, CA +1 415 693 2077 [email protected] SOURCE My Future Consulting, Inc. Includes Sister companies 5ACVO and Primoris Credentialing Network TULSA, Okla., March 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Fifth Avenue Healthcare Services and its affiliated lines of services, including 5ACVO and affiliated sister company, Primoris Credentialing Network, have completed the lengthy, intricate NCQA auditing process and have received the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) credentialing accreditation. Fifth Avenue Healthcare Services Receives NCQA Credentialing Accreditation NCQA accredits and certifies a wide range of health care organizations. It also recognizes clinicians and practices in key areas of performance. NCQA's Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS) is the most widely used performance measurement tool in health care. NCQA's website contains information to help consumers, employers and others make more informed health care choices. NCQA has reviewed and accredited Fifth Avenue Healthcare Service's Credentialing functions only. For complete details on the scope of this review, visit www.ncqa.org. NCQA President Margaret E. O'Kane states, "Achieving NCQA Credentialing Accreditation demonstrates that Fifth Avenue Healthcare Services has the systems, process, and personnel in place to conduct credentialing in accordance with the strictest quality standards." How Important is NCQA Credentialing Accreditation? NCQA Credentialing Accreditation protects patients. It provides a foundation for organizations to employ superior standards for the credentialing of healthcare professionals. The guidelines NCQA sets can help credentialing organizations identify areas for improvement and keep the industry strong. Without NCQA Credentialing Accredited organizations such as Fifth Avenue Healthcare Services, the industry would be less safe. What Does NCQA Credentialing Accreditation Mean For Fifth Avenue Healthcare Services? NCQA Credentialing Accreditation can help credentialing organizations: Deliver streamlined and precise credentialing: Punctuality and accuracy are crucial aspects that help confirm that only qualified physicians can practice medicine. Punctuality and accuracy are crucial aspects that help confirm that only qualified physicians can practice medicine. Follow state requirements: A credentialing organization that understands the requirements can adhere to them and operate more effectively and without interruption. A credentialing organization that understands the requirements can adhere to them and operate more effectively and without interruption. Grow revenue streams and secure new contracts: Accredited organizations can use their status when marketing their services. Accredited organizations can use their status when marketing their services. Exhibit credentialing programs' qualities to providers, regulatory agencies, and health plans: An organization that demonstrates the industry's best practices can potentially be looked at as a leader in its field. For more information on NCQA, please visit them online at http://ncqa.org/, Twitter @ncqa, Facebook.com/NCQA.org/ and/or at LinkedIn.com/company/NCQA. For more information on Fifth Avenue Healthcare Services, please visit FifthAvenueHealthcareService.com or Contact Us. Media Contact: Curt Matlach 918-381-3617 [email protected] SOURCE Fifth Avenue Healthcare Services Homeowners will enjoy a complete portfolio of on-site amenities to enhance their daily lifestyle, including a building concierge, community clubroom, furnished conference space, fitness studio with a yoga room, dog spa and bike storage areas. A shared rooftop terrace will feature picturesque views of the Potomac River and Old Town North. This coveted address puts an abundance of local and regional destinations within easy reach. Homeowners will have walkable access to shopping and dining in Old Town North and to outdoor recreation with the Mount Vernon Trail and Potomac Waterfront just steps away. Plus the community's location at Slaters Lane connects homeowners to even more throughout the entire Washington, D.C. region via its close proximity to Metro and the G.W. Memorial Parkway. "The interest we've been seeing at Towngate North is remarkable," observes Gregg Hughes, Senior Vice President at Brookfield Residential. "Home shoppers are very excited about this opportunity for an impressive new home in such an ideal location." Towngate North's first building is set for a late 2022 move-in, with the second building ready in early 2023. Interested home shoppers can schedule a private appointment at Towngate North's off-site sales office, located at 525 Wythe Street, by visiting TowngateNorth.com. About the Towngate North Team McWilliams|Ballard is a leading project development, sales, marketing and consulting firm in the Washington, D.C. area, drawing on its vast experience and unique understanding of the market to help projects succeed. Brookfield Residential Properties Inc. is a leading land developer and homebuilder in North America. It entitles and develops land to create master-planned communities, builds and sells lots to third-party builders and operates its own homebuilding division. Brookfield Residential also participates in select, strategic real estate opportunities, including infill projects, mixed-use developments and joint ventures. Further information is available at BrookfieldResidential.com. Contact: Chris Masters, Executive VP of Sales Phone: 703-535-5550 Email: [email protected] SOURCE Brookfield Residential Innovative audit tool improves end-to-end quality control for products consumers trust PUTEAUX, France , March 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Today Trace One, the world's largest collaborative retail business platform for consumer-packaged goods (CPG), announced the official launch of Trace One Quality Management System, a new quality audit tool for global manufacturers to protect consumer safety. By streamlining quality management processes, this new solution offers efficient, end-to-end quality control to ensure both new and existing products are trustworthy for consumers. As global consumers become more empowered with online access to information, they expect and search for products that consistently deliver good quality. Now Trace One Quality Management System helps companies keep consumers safe and reduce risk with processes that protect product quality. This retail tool modernizes quality management operations by simplifying the organisation of an audit and monitoring the follow-up actions with a single source of information. Companies will improve their collaboration on quality audits and save time as they develop products consumers trust. "Across industries, companies have embraced a new way of working, and digital tools are now necessary for efficient collaboration," said Christophe Vanackere, CEO, Trace One. "That's why we created Trace One Quality Management System, an intuitive, digital retail tool that makes life easier for quality management teams so they can proactively prepare internal product audits and supplier audits." The centralized system helps companies improve end-to-end visibility for quality assurance, continuous improvement and risk mitigation. Elevating product quality can help manufacturers and retailers improve brand trust, performance results and loyalty to gain a competitive edge. Launching Trace One Quality Management System extends Trace One's legacy of connecting retail partners with digital tools for efficient collaboration and product innovation. Traditionally, quality management tools include emails, Excel files and paper documents. Now Trace One Quality Management System simplifies the process to ensure products are made with care and conscientiousness. Companies can centralize all their internal audit information to boost visibility and quickly identify any non-conformities to promptly resolve quality issues. Also, manufacturers can use this tool to audit their raw material suppliers for ingredient or component quality to protect their industry certifications, retail partnerships and top line. Trace One Quality Management System is flexible, accommodating national brands, niche products and private labels. Right now, retail companies face competing pressures of quality and agility to stay competitive. Shoppers' needs continuously evolve, as in-demand consumer trends include sustainability, buy local, plant-based, value for money and products that reflect diversity. That's why global manufacturers and retailers need new ways to adapt their products with innovation and speed-to-market without compromising product quality to satisfy and delight today's consumers. About Trace One Founded in 2001, Trace One is the world's largest collaborative retail business platform for consumer-packaged goods (CPG). Trace One offers a suite of integrated cloud solutions for the creation and management of CPG products. We've created a global community of 5,000+ brand owners spanning more than 100 countries. Our smart solutions let them collaborate and innovate on remarkable products worth over $300 billion every year. We've been helping them create products that consumers really want since 2001, through bigger (and faster) thinking. For more information, visit www.traceone.com Photo(s): https://www.prlog.org/12908887 Press release distributed by PRLog SOURCE Trace One CONAKRY, Guinea, March 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Nimba Development Company, "NDC", a modern mining company focused on resource development in West Africa, is pleased to announce that it has been transferred control of Societe de Developpement Nimba ("SDN"), formerly Zali Mining S.A. and prior to that West African Exploration S.A. ("WAE"), the owner of the Nimba Iron Ore Project. Alongside NDC, which has an 85% shareholding, the Government of Guinea holds the remaining 15% in SDN. NDC and the Government of Guinea have agreed to work together to advance the development of the Nimba Iron Ore Project and associated transport infrastructure so as to encourage responsible economic development in the Nimba region of Guinea. NDC is a UK registered company with an international, mining experienced management team and Guinean and International shareholders. SDN is a Guinean registered company with rights to develop the iron ore assets adjacent to, but not intruding into, the Mount Nimba Strict Nature Reserve. It is a priority of SDN and its shareholders to ensure that the Mount Nimba Strict Nature Reserve and its flora and fauna are protected. All mining development will be subject to stringent international environmental protection standards with adherence monitored by UNESCO to ensure there is no negative impact. In addition to the development of the mine, and in order to ensure that the iron ore accesses global seaborne markets, a rail extension will be developed to connect the Nimba region to the existing railroad in Tokadeh and the port of Buchanan on the Liberian coast. It is intended that this transport infrastructure will also be made available to other users in order to encourage increased investment in South-Eastern Guinea as well as to increase connectivity for individuals across Guinea and Liberia. The executive management of NDC is led by Chief Executive Officer, Steven Din, and includes, Paul Wilson (Chief Financial Officer), Alexander Pouget (Chief Marketing Officer) and Gert Buelens (Chief Legal Counsel). Steven Din, Chief Executive Officer of Nimba Development Company, commented: "On behalf of everyone at the Nimba Development Company, I would like to express how honoured we are to be working alongside the Guinean Government and representatives of the community in the Nimba region. Together, we have an opportunity to accelerate economic development in South-Eastern Guinea and develop an iron ore facility that will, for the first time from this region, export iron ores from Guinea through Liberia to the coast. "We are excited about developing a modern, 21st century mining company that holds the environment and local communities at the core of its identity. The executive management team at NDC is world class, bringing skills and experience from across the industry to be combined with local talent to ensure timely delivery of our maiden project. "The next step in our journey is to work with our development and infrastructure partners to finalise the necessary feasibility studies and agree detailed, future plans. I look forward to implementing NDC's long-term strategy and helping catalyse the creation in West Africa of a third, global iron ore province. Alongside Western Australia and Brazil, West Africa can be a globally important iron ore producer, delivering long-overdue economic development for Guinea and Liberia." Enquiries: Yellow Jersey (PR advisor) Tom Randell Henry Wilkinson Annabelle Wills [email protected] Tel: +44 (0) 20 3004 9512 Notes to Editors Nimba Development Company ("NDC") is a modern mining company focused on resource development in West Africa. Further information on Nimba Development Company can be found on the Company's website: www.nimbadevelopment.com. SOURCE Nimba Development Company TORONTO, March 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - McLean & Company, the trusted partner of HR and leadership professionals globally, has published a new blueprint to guide HR leaders in designing an employee experience strategy. This timely research blueprint will allow HR leaders to find the sweet spot where employee needs and organizational strategy meet. Employees' expectations of their experiences at work are evolving. Similar to their daily customer experiences, they want an overall employee experience that fits more seamlessly into their lives. McLean & Company's 2021 Engagement Survey, with over 202,000 respondents, suggests that positive employee experiences lead to engaged employees, and engaged employees are 5x more likely to recommend the organization than those who are not engaged. Increasingly, employers are recognizing life outside of the workplace and adapting work to accommodate it. Life can impact work, and similarly, work can impact life. Impacting the employee experience is dependent on creating a flexible framework that allows the organization to operate effectively while allowing enough customization for employees to adjust to suit their needs and context. McLean & Company's Employee Engagement Survey found that employees who believe their managers care about them as a person are 3.4x more likely to be engaged than those who do not. HR has a critical role to play in leading the organization's employee experience efforts. As an expert in balancing employee and employer needs, HR is well positioned to positively and proactively impact the employee experience. Designing the employee experience is not a linear process. The blueprint's iterative approach allows for movement back and forth through any of its outlined steps based on feedback that is gathered. In the newly released blueprint, McLean & Company's framework models a five-step process to design the employee experience to encompass all employee interactions with an organization. The blueprint is intended for HR leaders to start with the employee lifecycle and identify moments that matter, where the employee and employer needs are most aligned, and use a design thinking approach to engage employees in the process of identifying and designing a best-fit solution. To learn more about McLean & Company and to download all the latest research, visit hr.mcleanco.com and connect via LinkedIn and Twitter. Media professionals are encouraged to register for McLean & Company's Media Insiders program for more research and insights. This complimentary program provides unrestricted, on-demand access to HR, IT, and software industry content and the ability to speak with subject-matter experts from a group of more than 200 research analysts and thought leaders. To register for access, contact [email protected]. Supporting Resources Download the full Design the Employee Experience research blueprint. About McLean & Company Through data-driven insights and proven best-practice methodologies, McLean & Company offers comprehensive resources and full-service assessments, action plans, and training to position organizations to meet today's needs and prepare for the future. McLean & Company is a division of Info-Tech Research Group. SOURCE McLean & Company Dr. Feiten joined OP through its acquisition of RemedyConnect in February, where he served as its President, Co-Founder, and Chief Medical Officer. RemedyConnect provides a pediatric telehealth solution, business management support, and marketing services, including: website development and SEO, an after-hours answering service, and a patient education symptom tool. This year, OP expanded its portfolio of brands in order to meet the needs of today's pediatric practices. The acquisition of RemedyConnect follows that of NextStep Solutions , an ONC-certified, fully specialized behavioral health EHR and RCM solution. This expanded initiative will focus on building technology and services that allow pediatric providers to support the whole health and well-being of every child. NextStep Solutions will continue to provide both child- and adult-focused behavioral health specialists with EHR and revenue cycle management solutions. Likewise, RemedyConnect will continue to provide its full line of digital media solutions. With Dr. Feiten's guidance, the new OP family of brands will continue to invest in innovative features and functions that help pediatric practices evolve and meet the holistic healthcare needs of children and families nationwide. "We are thrilled to add Dr. Feiten to our leadership team," said Kraig Brown, CEO of OP. "Adding someone like him, with his extensive experience in pediatrics and leadership position in our industry, shows OP's continued commitment to providing the pediatric community with the products and services they need to care for the whole child." Dr. Feiten is a practicing pediatric physician and co-founder of Greenwood Pediatrics, a 26-provider office with three locations in Denver, Colorado. A 1983 graduate of the CU School of Medicine, he completed his residency and chief residency with UCHSC's Department of Pediatrics. As a founder of RemedyConnect, he speaks nationally to physicians and medical organizations about digital media strategies. He is also a co-founder of PediaClinic, an innovative collaboration of 25 pediatric clinicians to provide more affordable after-hours care for families in metro Denver. In his new role with Office Practicum, he will apply his clinical and technical expertise alongside contributions to the specialty practice community and industry-leading organizations, most notably AAP and the American Telemedicine Association. "I look forward to helping OP create new technology solutions that focus on the next frontier in Pediatrics the whole child," Dr. Feiten said. "With a focus on innovation and the input of the Physician Advisory Council, we believe we will be able to offer the technology pediatricians need to holistically support children's behavioral, emotional, and physical health." The OP Physician Advisory Council is a group of pediatricians and practice managers that provides quarterly product feedback and development direction based on real-time insights sourced from their daily practice management experience. Their rich perspectives, clinical expertise, and focus on improving care will support the whole child initiative and continue to drive innovation and advocacy for the diverse and growing OP community. To learn more, visit www.officepracticum.com/we-are-op . About Office Practicum Office Practicum is the market's first "whole child" digital healthcare platform, designed to help pediatric practices and behavioral health clinics provide integrated healthcare that supports the whole health of their patients. We offer a full array of technology solutions including OP's industry-leading pediatric EHR, practice management, and revenue cycle management services, NextStep Solutions' best-in-class behavioral health EHR, and RemedyConnect's portfolio of website, SEO, telehealth, and after-hours answering services. Together, the three brands provide the full suite of technology solutions providers need to holistically support their patients' behavioral, emotional, and physical health. Today, Office Practicum serves over 9,000 pediatricians across 49 states. For more information, visit us at www.officepracticum.com/we-are-op . Media Contact: George Evanko, 703-627-3037, [email protected] SOURCE Office Practicum PET Bottle Market 2022-2026: Scope The PET bottle market report covers the following areas: PET Bottle Market 2022-2026: Drivers and Challenges The rising adoption of PET as a packaging solution is driving the PET bottle market growth. PET is used for encasing products such as beverages, food, and others. The use of PET bottles for beer is gaining popularity in the eastern and central parts of Europe. They weigh less than glass and metal ones and are preferred across various end-user industries for reduced transportation emissions and resources in the supply chain. Stringent government regulations and policies on the use of plastics are hindering the PET bottle market growth. Plastics are non-biodegradable and remain in the environment for a long time. Various international regulatory bodies and governments across the world are introducing regulations to minimize the use of plastics as packaging film. For instance, in January 2018, the EU formulated a region-wide strategy wherein all types of plastic packaging in the EU countries must be recyclable or reusable, and businesses should reduce plastic waste. PET Bottle Market 2022-2026: Segmentation End-user Food And Beverage Household Personal Care Others Geography APAC Europe North America MEA South America Learn about the contribution of each segment. Download a Free Sample PET Bottle Market 2022-2026: Vendor Analysis We provide a detailed analysis of around 25 vendors operating in the PET bottle market, including Amcor Plc, Alpha Plastics Inc., BASF SE, BERICAP Holding GmbH, Berry Global Group Inc., Captiva Co., Cospack America Corp., Graham Packaging Co., Ontario Plastic Container Producers Ltd., and Plastipak Holdings Inc. among others. The key offerings of some of these vendors are listed below: Amcor Plc - The company offers PET bottles that are lighter and more convenient. The company offers PET bottles that are lighter and more convenient. Alpha Plastics Inc. - The company offers PET bottles for drugs and vaccines. The company offers PET bottles for drugs and vaccines. BASF SE - The company offers pet bottles under the brand name of Petra. Subscribe to our "Lite Plan" billed annually at USD 3000 that enables you to download 3 reports/year and view 3 reports/month. PET Bottle Market 2022-2026: Key Highlights CAGR of the market during the forecast period 2022-2026 Detailed information on factors that will assist PET bottle market growth during the next five years Estimation of the PET bottle market size and its contribution to the parent market Predictions on upcoming trends and changes in consumer behavior The growth of the PET bottle market Analysis of the market's competitive landscape and detailed information on vendors Comprehensive details of factors that will challenge the growth of PET bottle market vendors Related Reports: Micro Packaging Market by End-user and Geography - Forecast and Analysis 2022-2026 Single Use Packaging Market by Product and Geography - Forecast and Analysis 2022-2026 PET Bottle Market Scope Report Coverage Details Page number 120 Base year 2021 Forecast period 2022-2026 Growth momentum & CAGR Accelerate at a CAGR of 4.07% Market growth 2022-2026 USD 11.21 billion Market structure Fragmented YoY growth (%) 3.41 Regional analysis APAC, Europe, North America, MEA, and South America Performing market contribution APAC at 51% Key consumer countries US, China, India, Germany, and UK Competitive landscape Leading companies, competitive strategies, consumer engagement scope Companies profiled Amcor Plc, Alpha Plastics Inc., BASF SE, BERICAP Holding GmbH, Berry Global Group Inc., Captiva Co., Cospack America Corp., Graham Packaging Co., Ontario Plastic Container Producers Ltd., and Plastipak Holdings 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 *Exhibit 01: Parent market *Exhibit 02: Market characteristics **2.2 Value chain analysis *Exhibit 03: Value chain analysis: Metal and glass containers market *2.2.1 Inputs *2.2.2 Inbound logistics *2.2.3 Operations *2.2.4 Outbound logistics *2.2.5 Marketing and sales *2.2.6 Aftermarket and service *2.2.7 Support activities *2.2.8 Innovations ***3. Market Sizing **3.1 Market definition *Exhibit 04: Offerings of vendors included in the market definition **3.2 Market segment analysis *Exhibit 05: Market segments **3.3 Market size 2021 **3.4 Market outlook: Forecast for 2021 - 2026 *3.4.1 Estimating growth rates for emerging and high-growth markets *3.4.2 Estimating growth rates for mature markets *Exhibit 06: Global - Market size and forecast 2021 - 2026 ($ million) *Exhibit 07: Global market: Year-over-year growth 2021 - 2026 (%) ***4. Five Forces Analysis **4.1 Five Forces Summary *Exhibit 08: Five forces analysis 2021 & 2026 **4.2 Bargaining power of buyers *Exhibit 09: Bargaining power of buyers **4.3 Bargaining power of suppliers *Exhibit 10: Bargaining power of suppliers **4.4 Threat of new entrants *Exhibit 11: Threat of new entrants **4.5 Threat of substitutes *Exhibit 12: Threat of substitutes **4.6 Threat of rivalry *Exhibit 13: Threat of rivalry **4.7 Market condition *Exhibit 14: Market condition - Five forces 2021 ***5 Market Segmentation by End-user **5.1 Market segments *Exhibit 15: End-user - Market share 2021-2026 (%) **5.2 Comparison by End-user *Exhibit 16: Comparison by End-user **5.3 Food and beverage - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 *Exhibit 17: Food and beverage - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) *Exhibit 18: Food and beverage - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) **5.4 Household - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 *Exhibit 19: Household - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) *Exhibit 20: Household - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) **5.5 Personal care - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 *Exhibit 21: Personal care - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) *Exhibit 22: Personal care - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) **5.6 Others - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 *Exhibit 23: Others - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) *Exhibit 24: Others - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) **5.7 Market opportunity by End-user *Exhibit 25: Market opportunity by End-user ***6. Customer landscape **6.1 Overview *Technavio's customer landscape matrix comparing Drivers or price sensitivity, Adoption lifecycle, importance in customer price basket, Adoption rate and Key purchase criteria *Exhibit 26: Customer landscape ***7. Geographic Landscape **7.1 Geographic segmentation *Exhibit 27: Market share by geography 2021-2026 (%) **7.2 Geographic comparison *Exhibit 28: Geographic comparison **7.3 APAC - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 *Exhibit 29: APAC - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) *Exhibit 30: APAC - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) **7.4 Europe - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 *Exhibit 31: Europe - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) *Exhibit 32: Europe - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) **7.5 North America - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 *Exhibit 33: North America - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) *Exhibit 34: North America - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) **7.6 MEA - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 *Exhibit 35: MEA - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion) *Exhibit 36: MEA - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) **7.7 South America - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 *Exhibit 37: South America - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion) *Exhibit 38: South America - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) **7.8 Key leading countries *Exhibit 39: Key leading countries **7.9 Market opportunity by geography *Exhibit 40: Market opportunity by geography ***8. Drivers, Challenges, and Trends **8.1 Market drivers *8.1.1 Rising adoption of PET as a packaging solution *8.1.2 Growth in the organized retail segment *8.1.3 Rising consumption of bottled water **8.2 Market challenges *8.2.1 Stringent government regulations and policies on the use of plastics *8.2.2 Volatility in crude oil price *8.2.3 Issues related to the recyclability of PET *Exhibit 41: Impact of drivers and challenges **8.3 Market trends *8.3.1 Growing popularity of lightweight packaging *8.3.2 Rising demand for Bio-PET material worldwide *8.3.3 Increasing demand for functional drinks ***9. Vendor Landscape **9.1 Vendor landscape *Exhibit 42: Vendor landscape *The potential for the disruption of the market landscape was moderate in 2020, and its threat is expected to remain unchanged by 2025. **9.2 Landscape disruption *Exhibit 43: Landscape disruption *Exhibit 44: Industry risks ***10. Vendor Analysis **10.1 Vendors covered *Exhibit 45: Vendors covered **10.2 Market positioning of vendors *Exhibit 46: Market positioning of vendors **10.3 Amcor Plc *Exhibit 47: Amcor Plc - Overview *Exhibit 48: Amcor Plc - Business segments *Exhibit 49: Amcor Plc Key news *Exhibit 50: Amcor Plc - Key offerings *Exhibit 51: Amcor Plc - Segment focus **10.4 Alpha Plastics Inc. *Exhibit 52: Alpha Plastics Inc. - Overview *Exhibit 53: Alpha Plastics Inc. - Product and service *Exhibit 54: Alpha Plastics Inc. - Key offerings **10.5 BASF SE *Exhibit 55: BASF SE - Overview *Exhibit 56: BASF SE - Business segments *Exhibit 57: BASF SE - Key news *Exhibit 58: BASF SE - Key offerings *Exhibit 59: BASF SE - Segment focus **10.6 BERICAP Holding GmbH *Exhibit 60: BERICAP Holding GmbH - Overview *Exhibit 61: BERICAP Holding GmbH - Product and service *Exhibit 62: BERICAP Holding GmbH - Key offerings **10.7 Berry Global Group Inc. *Exhibit 63: Berry Global Group Inc. - Overview *Exhibit 64: Berry Global Group Inc. - Business segments *Exhibit 65: Berry Global Group Inc. - Key offerings *Exhibit 66: Berry Global Group Inc. - Segment focus **10.8 Captiva Co. *Exhibit 67: Captiva Co. - Overview *Exhibit 68: Captiva Co. - Product and service *Exhibit 69: Captiva Co. - Key offerings **10.9 Cospack America Corp. *Exhibit 70: Cospack America Corp. - Overview *Exhibit 71: Cospack America Corp. - Product and service *Exhibit 72: Cospack America Corp. - Key offerings **10.10 Graham Packaging Co *Exhibit 73: Graham Packaging Co. - Overview *Exhibit 74: Graham Packaging Co. - Product and service *Exhibit 75: Graham Packaging Co. - Key offerings **10.11 Ontario Plastic Container Producers Ltd. *Exhibit 76: Ontario Plastic Container Producers Ltd. - Overview *Exhibit 77: Ontario Plastic Container Producers Ltd. - Product and service *Exhibit 78: Ontario Plastic Container Producers Ltd. - Key offerings **10.12 Plastipak Holdings Inc. *Exhibit 79: Plastipak Holdings Inc. - Overview *Exhibit 80: Plastipak Holdings Inc. - Product and service *Exhibit 81: Plastipak Holdings Inc. - Key offerings ***11. Appendix **11.1 Scope of the report *11.1.1 Market definition *11.1.2 Objectives *Notes and caveats **11.2 Currency conversion rates for US$ *Exhibit 82: Currency conversion rates for US$ **11.3 Research Methodology *Exhibit 83: Research Methodology *Exhibit 84: Validation techniques employed for market sizing *Exhibit 85: Information sources **11.4 List of abbreviations *Exhibit 86: List of abbreviations About Us Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focus on emerging market trends and provide actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios. Contact Technavio Research Jesse Maida Media & Marketing Executive US: +1 844 364 1100 UK: +44 203 893 3200 Email: [email protected] Website: www.technavio.com/ SOURCE Technavio With the deepening of Strategy 2.0 Continuum, the Company shifted its focus onto B2C users to better serve paying users and empower providers. By virtue of different membership fees and value-added health services for tiered users and categorized products, the Company improved user coverage and stickiness. The Company's registered users reached 420 million and cumulative consultations reached 1.27 billion strengthening its leading position in the industry. In 2021, the cumulative number of paying users climbed to 38 million with the conversion rate of paying users at 24.8%. As an integral part of Ping An Group's HMO model and the flagship platform of the healthcare ecosystem, the Company has been committed to integrated finance channels and has strived for synergies with Ping An Group to develop "heartwarming financial services" under the "integrated finance + healthcare services" strategy driving rapid growth of user base, stickiness, recognition etc. Taking "Zhen Xiang RUN" Health Services Plan, Ping An's life insurance product empowered by Ping An Good Doctor as an example, the medical and health rights are internalized into the policy, and chronic illness insurance policy users can enjoy high-quality medical and health services without additional payment. The Company is accelerating the conversion of new and existing financial customers within Ping An Group mapping the value of customers and exploring other untapped channels. With the immense business opportunities presented by the 310 million corporate employee market, the Company has developed three product categories, including employee health checkup services, employee health management and corporate benefit redemption platform and has partnered with numerous large-scale central enterprises and state-owned enterprises on several projects driving corporate employee traffic within the Company's product ecosystem to facilitate the cross-selling of medical and healthcare products. Going forward, the Company will continue to expand user acquisition channels, accurately target user healthcare needs, offer tailored services and implement innovative health plans. Meanwhile, family doctor memberships system can better assist corporate customers to provide more efficient, comprehensive and professional healthcare services to corporate employees, so that employees can feel the care and warmth of the company more effectively. Establishes family doctor memberships with an increase in revenue from medical services With the enhancement of user experience and model innovation of online consultation services, revenue from medical services amounted to RMB2,280 million, representing an increase of 8% year-on-year and accounting for 31.2% of the total revenue. The Company strives to build an efficient, integrated and exclusive family doctor membership model to fully understand user demand to transform passive users into active ones. Ping An Good Doctor's platform boasts 48,000 in-house and external doctors, health management specialists, nutritionists, and counseling psychologists, as well as 1,100 contracted external renowned doctors. Not only does it build a professional and authoritative image, it also empowers corporate employee products to serve consumers in need of quality medical and health services. In addition, Ping An Good Doctor has devoted more energy to vertical fields. Specifically, service packages were added to meet the rigid demands of patients with specialized diseases while full-cycle management services including consultation, examination and treatment are offered by coordinating O2O resources. The diagnosis and treatment system has been upgraded to provide members with a flexible product combination and improve post-diagnosis patient management. After paid consultation is fully implemented, the paying rate and value-added services paying rate have significantly increased. Both members and users covered by service packages for specialities have skyrocketed and five-star reviews rates has risen to 97.2%. Further improving O2O services, building an integrated healthcare service platform Ping An Good Doctor continued to consolidate its offline healthcare service network to achieve full-scene traffic matching and integration with the help of the family doctor memberships, a service model of "online, in-store and home-delivered" and comprehensive provider management system. As of 31 December 2021, Ping An Good Doctor has forged co-operation deals with over 3,600 hospitals (including over 50% Grade A tertiary hospitals), 202,000 pharmacies, covering 34% of all pharmacies across China. The Company also set up 225 central warehouses realizing drug delivery within 1 hour in 140 cities. In addition, it cooperated with 96,000 healthcare providers to meet the demands of offline users and improve service network. Capitalizing on the medical capabilities and traffic advantages of the platform, the Company strives to build first-class check-up scheme to form a closed-loop of "pre-examination guidance + post-examination interpretation + solutions". The Company has forged co-operation with over 1,700 health checkup institutions covering 321 cities in China. The interpretation rate of health checkup results exceeded 39%. To build a complete O2O healthcare service network, Ping An Good Doctor can also provide more diversified customized services for corporate customers, and give full play to the offline healthcare service network in aspects such as employee physical examination, employee health management, and corporate welfare exchange. synergistic effect. Ping An Good Doctor will continue to pursue the HMO model providing users with an easier, faster and more affordable services. The Company will also focus on its family doctor memberships and continue to improve its O2O services. It is committed to build an O2O integrated healthcare service platform covering health management, sub-health management, disease management, chronic illness management and eldercare management to provide users with expertise as well as convenient and trustworthy services. About Ping An Healthcare And Technology Company Limited Ping An Healthcare and Technology Company Limited ("Ping An Good Doctor"; stock code: 01833.HK) is the leading online medical and healthcare service platform in China. Ping An Good Doctor strives to bridge communication gap between doctors and patients with expertise, convenience and trust. It is committed to building an Internet healthcare platform with the largest scale, the most advanced models, and the highest entry barriers in China. Ping An Good Doctor was listed on the Main Board of HKEX on 4 May 2018 and has been included in Hang Seng TECH Index in July 2020. Currently, Ping An Good Doctor pursues an integrated strategy of HMO, family doctor memberships and O2O services. Through its key business sectors including medical service and healthcare service, consumer healthcare, online mall, as well as health management and wellness interaction, the Company strives to provide users with heart-warming healthcare services. SOURCE Ping An Healthcare and Technology Company Limited Premier Estate Properties' specialized expertise and proven marketing program resulted in $4.9 billion in sales and new listings over a 12-month period all with less than 50 agents. This was a direct result of Premier Estate Properties dedicating 100% of the company's multi-million-dollar marketing budget annually to promoting the sale of the company's top-tier properties. According to Gerard Liguori, one of the Broker/Owners of Premier Estate Properties, "The reason we earn market dominance year after year is that our agents function as trusted advisors to our high-net-worth clientele. We have in-depth knowledge of these communities and of the market to enable us to skillfully tailor the buying or selling experience to each client's needs. We could not achieve such unprecedented success without the loyalty and support of our valued clients." Premier Estate Properties has perfected the combination of its multi-media program with traditional marketing initiatives utilized throughout its six strategic offices in Vero Beach, Palm Beach, Delray Beach, Boca Raton, and Fort Lauderdale. To set its luxury properties apart, the brokerage utilizes professional cinematic video, award-winning HD and drone aerial photography, custom copywriting, and 3D-virtual tours. Additionally potential sellers and buyers are targeted through direct mailings, custom email campaigns, along with a strong social media presence, SEO digital efforts and an in-depth website. Additionally, the brokerage maintains an unrivaled global network, which all contributes to Premier Estate Properties' continuous market dominance. For more information on Premier Estate Properties visit premierestateproperties.com. About Premier Estate Properties Established in 1993, Premier Estate Properties is Florida's only privately held boutique brokerage specializing in properties exclusively in excess of one million dollars. With six strategic coastal offices ( Fort Lauderdale , Boca Raton , Delray Beach , Palm Beach, Vero Beach ); a billion-dollar-plus Estate Portfolio of exceptional Oceanfront, Intracoastal, Deepwater, Estate Enclave and Country Club Estates, as well as ultra-luxury Condominiums; and historic sales surpassing $18 Billion, Premier Estate Properties is consistently the dominant high-end leader in each of its market areas. In 2021 alone, Premier Estate Properties closed $3.1 billion in sales and found their own buyers for their sellers up to 70% of the time. The company's accomplishments are particularly remarkable, with only 42 Agents, the majority of whom are nationally ranked among the top 1% of America's Best Realtors by RealTrends and The Wall Street Journal. As a result, Premier Estate Properties is now recognized as #225 in sales according to the Mega 1000 National Ranking of Top Companies per the T360 Real Estate Almanac 2. For more information, visit www.premierestateproperties.com. SOURCE Premier Estate Properties SAN MATEO, Calif., March 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- PrognomiQ a healthcare company focused on harnessing the power of multi-omics data to transform the detection and early treatment selection and monitoring of cancer and other complex diseases today announced it has raised $46 million in financing led by Bruker Corporation, with participation from new investors, including Catalio Capital Management, and from existing investors including aMoon, Fidelity Management and Research Company LLC, funds and accounts advised by T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc., Invus, Maverick Ventures, Emerson Collective and Wing VC. The closing of this round brings PrognomiQ's total funding to more than $101 million since the company was founded in September 2020. PrognomiQ's scientific approach is focused on gaining valuable insights provided by high-quality multi-omics data, generating proteomic, genomic and metabolomic data at scale. The company will use this round of funding to accelerate development of the company's platform and pipeline of multi-omics products for the early detection, treatment selection and monitoring of multiple cancers. "We are thrilled by the leadership that Bruker has demonstrated in this round, and we're honored to welcome Catalio Capital Management, a thought-leading investor in this space that recognizes the power of our multi-omics approach to develop transformative products for the detection and treatment selection and monitoring of cancer," said Philip Ma, CEO of PrognomiQ. "We're grateful for the support from our syndicate of investors who acknowledge the exceptional value of our platform and pipeline with their potential to impact millions of lives." The understanding of biology has advanced tremendously through large-scale genetic, epigenetic and transcriptomic data collection. Yet, despite these genomics advancements, there is still a tremendous unmet need for higher sensitivity with high specificity in early cancer detection, since researchers and clinicians lack the functional context at the protein and broader molecular phenotype level for the bulk of this genomic information, significantly limiting its utility. PrognomiQ generates rich phenotypic proteomic and metabolomics information and complements this with large-scale genomics data. The resulting deep multi-omics data provides unparalleled levels of biological insights into cancer disease mechanisms, as well as into host response, and offers novel next-generation approaches to the detection and treatment selection and monitoring of some of the most complex diseases. "The PrognomiQ team has a unique and novel multi-omics approach for early detection of cancer from liquid biopsies," said Frank H. Laukien, President and CEO of Bruker. "If higher sensitivity, earlier cancer detection and cancer precision medicine are to reach their full potential to save or substantially prolong many more patient lives, we need to tap into the rich set of systems biology markers that PrognomiQ can deliver with its unique, next-generation ability to do large-scale, unbiased multi-omics studies. We look forward to supporting the company as they develop next-generation products that positively impact human health in the most challenging and impactful clinical indications." Seer spun out PrognomiQ in September 2020 with the vision of fully leveraging the power of Seer's proteomic platform for unbiased proteomic analysis at great depth, breadth and scale. PrognomiQ has expanded its next-generation unbiased multi-omics platform to include DNA, epigenetic and mRNA next-generation sequencing, as well as the large-scale, deep detection of post-translational modifications of proteins, and deep lipidomics and metabolomics at scale. About PrognomiQ Founded in 2020, PrognomiQ is a healthcare company pursuing the development and commercialization of multi-omics human tests for cancer and other complex diseases. PrognomIQ uses leading edge proteomics technologies, in addition to metabolomics and genomics technologies, to develop multi-omics products to improve human health. For more information, please visit www.prognomiq.com . Media Contact Betsy Levy [email protected] +1-415-377-3112 SOURCE PrognomiQ AVOCA, Pa., March 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- ProGuard Warranty announced enhancements to their existing vehicle protection plans to help auto dealers adapt to current inventory shortages. These changes were developed to address the lack of new, rental and off-lease vehicles entering the market, a situation that has increased acquisition costs at the auction houses. Feeling the pinch, many dealers are being put in the position of either making a sale or making a profit. With products sold exclusively through dealers, ProGuard felt compelled to find alternative solutions to help dealers compete in today's market. "Last year we began working on ideas to address the lack of inventory and other major concerns facing independent and franchise dealers today," said Dominic Limongelli, President and COO. "There are still no new vehicles, used cars are hard to source and once secured, fly off the lot. Our dealers who have inventory are doing incredibly well but there are many who have nearly empty lots and are struggling to survive. We focused on improving coverage for vehicles that are not in short supply to help attract customers and increase back-end profitability." Commercial vehicles are a market segment that ProGuard believes has strong potential in this environment. "In addition to everything else, the pandemic has caused a shift in the workplace. Many are choosing to leave their jobs and work for themselves. Small and medium sized businesses are popping up all over, creating a need for commercial vehicles that wasn't there previously." offered Limongelli. Their commercial coverage is designed for a variety of commercially registered vehicles including rideshare, delivery vans and utility trucks up to medium duty. Mileage bands were increased, and the annual mileage allowance expanded to help companies offset the rising costs of doing business. "By adding commercial vehicles to their product offering, dealers can cultivate new customers and attract business owners that they already have a personal relationship with." Electric and Hybrid vehicles are another segment of the pre-owned market that ProGuard believes is about to take off. "Gas prices are attracting a whole new audience to these vehicles at the same time we're seeing an influx of used models hit the market. First generation buyers who've had their vehicles for 4-5 years are getting nervous about the life of their battery and starting to trade them in." said Jan Klaiss, Vice President of Analytics. Seeing the potential, ProGuard committed R&D resources to develop coverage specific to EV, plug-in, and Hybrid vehicles. "The components that operate these machines are new to dealers, who are often hesitant to sell pre-owned EV vehicles because they don't want to risk putting an $5-8K battery into their portfolio," Limongelli explained. "We designed our plan to cover the components that are most likely to fail, not just the propulsion battery, and priced it cost-effectively to attract buyers. By working with us, dealers can get into this growing market with little to no risk and increase profitability by participating in our revenue-generating programs." The company has also addressed dealer concerns about service, knowing that very few have the internal expertise to handle these models. With In-network repair facilities nationwide and a partnership with RepairPal Certified Shops, ProGuard can provide recommendations on where to take the vehicles for service if a dealership is not equipped to do so. Change is inevitable and ProGuard is committed to providing innovative solutions that help dealers succeed by anticipating the unexpected. "Our dealer partners know they can rely on us to be the eyes and ears to the marketplace," stated Limongelli. "Having been in this business a long time, we are certain that the automotive market will continue to offer challenges and have made it our mission to help dealers adapt to the ever-changing marketplace." About ProGuard Warranty ProGuard is a third-generation, family-owned business that has been serving the automotive industry for over seventy years. Their many years in the industry has led to a unique expertise in knowing the products and coverage needed to protect dealers and their customers. They offer an expansive menu of new and pre-owned vehicle protection plans through their nationwide network of dealer partners that offers extensive coverage ranging from a limited powertrain all the way to an exclusionary policy that mimics the manufacturer's warranty. They also offer a CPO program with multi-point inspection, GAP policies and reinsurance. Dealers appreciate the company's tradition of flexibility, transparency and simplicity, and their customers appreciate their commitment to protecting them from the high cost of repairs. SOURCE ProGuard Warranty ELLINGE CASTLE, Sweden, March 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Purity is now a top 10 super premium priced vodka brand in the United States based on 26-week Nielsen dollar sales. PURITY is committed to making the best tasting, highest rated organic spirits in the world. Purity has earned hundreds of international awards in blind tasting as well as sustainability. Purity Connoisseur 51 Reserve Organic Vodka is the highest-rated unflavored vodka under $35 in the last 10 years. Purity Connoisseur 51 Reserve Organic Vodka is made from natural ingredients, its prize-winning flavors come from the combination of organic barley and wheat, distilled slowly with low heat multiple times. The heart of Purity Connoisseur 51 Reserve is distilled 51 times to maximize flavor as well as smoothness. As a family- owned, craft, organic distillery we are so pleased when consumers and critics alike praise Purity for its quality versus more industrial producers. Purity Vodka is comprised of three award winning straight vodkas. In 2021 all Purity Vodka offerings earned a 93+ point rating and Purity Connoisseur 51 Organic Vodka took top honors with a 95-point rating. The highest rated Vodka the last 5 years by Wine Enthusiast Magazine. PURITY is now available for purchase in store and online in more than 25 US States. "To become a Top 10 Super Premium Vodka brand indicates we have earned the recommendation of expert retail and on-premise partners. It also means consumers are responding favorably to the Purity taste and quality promise," says Purity Vodka Inc CEO Andy Kullhem. Mathias Tonnesson, Master Blender at Purity Distillery says: "Our main ingredients, Swedish wheat, and malted barley, are carefully selected without any chemical cultivation or processing. We believe that by using organic ingredients it creates a much better tasting vodka, and of course, is better for the environment. We also value the quality of the water that we use and believe it's crucial to the taste. Most brands use only distilled water, which removes any of the natural nuances, sediments, and flavors that help bring out the complexity of the vodka. At Purity, we use naturally soft Swedish water, and as a result, it blends with the other ingredients creating a complex, characterful, and truly unique spirit." Purity Connoisseur 51 Organic Vodka. Available in 750mL, 1.0L, and 1.75L For the true connoisseur, this is our most refined and exquisite vodka. Incredibly smooth and distinctive, our flagship spirit requires very little to enjoy all the nuance and flavor that the world's finest vodka has to offer. When it's this good, you don't need anything but time to enjoy it. Purity Signature 34 Organic Vodka. Available in 750mL , 1.0L, and 1.75L Perfectly balanced, our signature edition has won more than 150 international awards and is recognized for its character, smoothness, and ability to be enjoyed neat or blended for unforgettable cocktails. Signature 34 Edition is our original vodka, with a decade spent refining the number of distillations required by our master distiller, Stefan Magnusson, to create this extraordinary spirit. Purity Estate 17 Organic Vodka . Available in 750mL and 1.75L Estate 17 Reserve is a versatile and full-bodied ultra-premium vodka and is the perfect partner for making unforgettable cocktails. The heart of the Vodka is distilled 17 times, it is smooth enough to enjoy neat but really shines when blended with other distinguished ingredients. For more information, please visit www.puritydistillery.com About Purity Distillery - the home to the world s best tasting Vodka & Gin At the Swedish family-owned Purity Distillery we only have one motivation to produce the best tasting spirits imaginable. It's a simple statement to make but much harder to achieve. For the last decade, every decision is based on that one criterion. From choosing the best organic ingredients and mineral-rich soft natural water to spending years refining our unique distillation process. Every step matter, because the taste matters. That's all that counts. Media contact: Mathias Tonnesson, Master Blender Purity Distillery +46701111222 [email protected] SOURCE Purity Distillery SECAUCUS, N.J,, March 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Quest Diagnostics Foundation today announced a $500,000 donation to Project HOPE to support its humanitarian crisis relief efforts in Ukraine and for Ukrainian refugees in Eastern Europe. Project HOPE is on the ground in Ukraine delivering medical supplies and other urgent assistance. Additionally, Project HOPE is coordinating with local organizations in Ukraine, Poland, Moldova, and Romania to provide support inside Ukraine as well as in the surrounding countries. "We are proud of our Foundation's commitment to support the lifesaving efforts of Project HOPE in response to the devastating humanitarian crisis unfolding in Ukraine and the surrounding countries," said Steve Rusckowski, Chairman, CEO and President of Quest Diagnostics (NYSE: DGX). "The need is urgent, as more than two million refugees have been forced from their homes. Project HOPE is on the ground providing aid. We stand fully behind the people of Ukraine and pray for an end to the violence they are experiencing in their country." Quest Diagnostics employees have also donated to Project HOPE, with the Foundation matching employee contributions. "We are grateful to Quest Diagnostics and its employees for their steadfast support of Project HOPE," said Rabih Torbay, President and CEO of Project HOPE. "The grant will help alleviate suffering by supporting the provision of medicines, medical supplies and equipment to health facilities in Ukraine and the surrounding countries of Poland, Romania and Moldova. The need is urgent as the fighting intensifies, and the support from Quest is greatly appreciated." To learn more about Project HOPE's efforts in Ukraine, visit www.projecthope.org About Project HOPE With the mission to place power in the hands of local health workers to save lives around the world, Project HOPE is a global health and humanitarian organization operating in more than 25 countries. Founded in 1958, we work side-by-side with local health systems to improve health and support community resilience. We work at the epicenter of today's greatest health challenges, including infectious and chronic diseases; disasters and health crises; maternal, neonatal and child health; pandemic preparedness and response; mental health for health workers; and the policies that impact how health care is delivered. For more information, visit www.ProjectHOPE.org and follow us on Twitter @ProjectHOPEorg. About the Quest Diagnostics Foundation The Quest Diagnostics Foundation was formed in 2001 to promote the benefits of healthcare and wellness, drive the prevention, early detection, monitoring and treatment of disease, and educate the general public and healthcare professionals on healthcare issues. Together with Quest Diagnostics, the Foundation sponsors Quest for Health Equity, a $100+ million initiative launched in 2020 focused on eliminating health disparities in underserved communities across the U.S. About Quest Diagnostics Quest Diagnostics empowers people to take action to improve health outcomes. Derived from the world's largest database of clinical lab results, Quest's diagnostic insights reveal new avenues to identify and treat disease, inspire healthy behaviors, and improve health care management. Quest Diagnostics annually serves one in three adult Americans and half the physicians and hospitals in the United States, and our nearly 50,000 employees understand that, in the right hands and with the right context, our diagnostic insights can inspire actions that transform lives. SOURCE Quest Diagnostics Download the Sample Report Now! Key Real Estate Agents and Brokerage Services Sourcing and Procurement Report Highlights: Market growth 2022-2026: USD 377.4 Billion Growth momentum & CAGR: Accelerate at a CAGR of 6.71% Top Pricing Models: Commission-based pricing model, and Fixed fee pricing model Key consumer countries: North America , Europe , and APAC Supplier Selection Criteria: Types of services, Additional services, Specialized knowledge of major property types, and Property strategy formulations Top Suppliers: CBRE Group, Jones Lang LaSalle , and Cushman & Wakefield Know More About This Market: Request for a Free Sample Report Now! Insights into buyer strategies and tactical negotiation levers: Several strategic and tactical negotiation levers are explained in the report to help buyers achieve the best prices for the Real Estate Agents and Brokerage Services market. The report also aids buyers with relevant Real Estate Agents and Brokerage Services pricing levels, pros, and cons of prevalent pricing models such as Unit-based pricing, and Bundled pricing, category management strategies and best practices to fulfil their category objectives. For more insights on buyer strategies and tactical negotiation levers, www.spendedge.com/report/real-estate-agents-and-brokerage-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. Identify favorable opportunities in Real Estate Agents and Brokerage 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. To know more about various other market drivers, trends and challenges. Download our free sample report 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. STARTER PACK Get 6 Full Reports, View 800+ report samples, Pre-order upcoming reports, Pre-order upcoming reports. Subscribe Now for FREE Want to know about various other Subscription packs? Click here Get the Details That You Are Looking for: Buy our detailed market analysis report to uncover: Changing market landscape with yearly forecast till 2026. Analyze the market's competitive and vendor landscape. How much marketing budget to set aside for geographical market expansion? Understanding the most adopted procurement strategies by buyers across industries. Download the FREE sample Report Now! Table of Content Executive Summary Market Insights Category Pricing Insights Cost-saving Opportunities Best Practices Category Ecosystem Category Management Strategy Category Management Enablers Suppliers Selection Suppliers under Coverage US Market Insights Category scope Appendix About SpendEdge: SpendEdge shares your passion for driving sourcing and procurement excellence. We are the preferred procurement market intelligence partner for 120+ Fortune 500 firms and other leading companies across numerous industries. Our strength lies in delivering, real-time procurement market intelligence reports and solutions. Contacts SpendEdge Anirban Choudhury Marketing Manager Ph No: +1 (872) 206-9340 https://www.spendedge.com/contact-us SOURCE SpendEdge Sources: 1. SPINS Total US MULO, excluding Costco, dollar sales for 4-week and 12-week ending February 20, 2022. All comparisons in this paragraph are to the same measured period in the prior year. 2. The "Overall Frozen Category" and "Health & Wellness Frozen" category excludes Frozen and Refrigerated Meat, Poultry & Seafood. About The Real Good Food Company Founded in 2016, Real Good Foods believes there is a better way to enjoy our favorite foods. Its brand commitment, "Real Food You Feel Good About Eating," represents the Company's strong belief that, by eating its food, consumers can enjoy more of their favorite foods and, by doing so, live better lives as part of a healthier lifestyle. Its mission is to make nutritious comfort foods that are low in carbohydrates, high in protein, and made from gluten and grain free real ingredients more accessible to everyone, improve human health, and, in turn, improve the lives of millions of people. Real Good Foods offers delicious options across breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacking occasions available, in over 16,000 stores nationwide, including Walmart, Costco, Kroger, and Target, and directly from its website at www.realgoodfoods.com . Learn more about Real Good Foods by visiting its website or on Instagram at @realgoodfoods, where it has one of the largest social media followings of any brand within the frozen food industry today with nearly 420,000 followers. For interviews with Bryan Freeman, Executive Chairman, email [email protected]. Media Contact Nikole Johnston [email protected] Investor Contact Chris Bevenour [email protected] SOURCE Real Good Foods COLUMBIA FALLS, Maine, March 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- 60 years ago tomorrow, March 16, 1962, Flying Tiger Line Flight 739 (FTLF 739) was on a secret mission sanctioned by President Kennedy, to fly to Vietnam. This secret Vietnam reconnaissance mission went missing and no trace of the plane or its passengers have ever been found. Onboard were 93 United States Army soldiers and 11 civilian crewmembers. On Wed., March 16 at 12pm ET/9am PT, Wreaths Across America will be streaming a live event to remember and commemorate the 60th anniversary of Flying Tiger Line Flight 739. The event will be streamed LIVE on WAA's Official FB page and on Wreaths Across America Radio which can also be heard via the iHeart Radio app, or by downloading it at the App Store or on Google! Very little is known about what happened to FTLF 739 and its crew and passengers, and due to the circumstance surrounding this mission, the names of those lost have not yet been added to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington D.C. However, today many families and loved ones of these heroes still fight to have their loved ones recognized for their contributions to our freedom and our shared history. Presently, the only monument that bears the names of these almost forgotten American heroes was erected by a private citizen, Wreaths Across America founder Morrill Worcester, on the tip land in Columbia Falls, Me., where the 60th anniversary commemoration event is being held. "When I first heard the story about this mission, I was shocked to learn that nothing has been done for these families," said Morrill Worcester. "I said that day, that we would do something to make sure these people are honored and remembered, and to hopefully give some closure to these families." The inscription on the monument reads: "Missing in action; Presumed dead. Flying Tiger Line Flight 739 went missing on March 16, 1962, with 93 U.S. Army soldiers on board. These men and their flight crew perished in what would become one of the biggest aviation mysteries out of the Vietnam War era. THE NAMES OF THOSE WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES AND WHO REMAIN MISSING ARE INSCRIBED HERE SO THAT THEY WILL BE SAID ALOUD AND THEIR MEMORY WILL LIVE ON." Presently, this private memorial is the only recognition that the heroes of FTLF 739 have ever received for their shared sacrifice to our nation. However, that can change. Senator Gary Peters (MI) introduced Senate Bill 2571 which is supported by Senators Blackburn (TN), Stabenow (MI), and Shaheen (NH). This bill which is presently sitting in the committee for Energy and Natural Resources seeks to have these long-forgotten heroes added to the list of names on the Vietnam War Memorial in Washington D.C. "As an Army Veteran who has had the privilege of serving alongside so many amazing patriots serving in our special operations and intelligence communities I know we may never have the opportunity to share the full story of these men's sacrifice," said Joe Reagan, Director of Military and Veteran Outreach for Wreaths Across America. "This should not stop us from providing their families, and all Americans the opportunity to honor their service by saying their names in our nation's Capital. Adding their names to the Vietnam wall alongside their 58,318 Brothers and sisters who made the ultimate sacrifice during the Vietnam War is a fitting tribute to these men and a reminder to all of us that our freedom is oftentimes secured by men and women who serve in silence." If you support our nation's veterans and want to see American heroes recognized for their significant contributions to our freedom, please write your Senator and ask them to add the names associated with FTLF 739 to the Vietnam War Memorial. About Wreaths Across America Wreaths Across America is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded to continue and expand the annual wreath-laying ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery begun by Maine businessman Morrill Worcester in 1992. The organization's mission Remember, Honor, Teach is carried out in part each year by coordinating wreath-laying ceremonies in December at Arlington, as well as thousands of veterans' cemeteries and other locations in all 50 states and beyond. For more information, please visit www.wreathsacrossamerica.org. Press contacts: Amber Caron [email protected] (207) 513-6457 Sean Sullivan [email protected] (207) 230-4599 SOURCE Wreaths Across America NEW YORK, March 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- WHY: Rosen Law Firm, a global investor rights law firm, reminds purchasers of the securities of Clarivate Plc (NYSE: CLVT) between February 26, 2021 and December 27, 2021, inclusive (the "Class Period"), of the important March 25, 2022 lead plaintiff deadline. SO WHAT: If you purchased Clarivate 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 Clarivate class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=3079 http://www.rosenlegal.com/cases-register-2246.htmlor 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 25, 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) Clarivate maintained defective disclosure controls and procedures as a result of a material weakness in its internal control over financial reporting; (2) the foregoing material weakness was not limited to how Clarivate accounted for warrants; (3) as a result, Clarivate failed to properly account for an equity plan included in its acquisition of CPA Global; (4) accordingly Clarivate was reasonably likely to restate one or more of its previously issued financial statements following its acquisition of CPA Global; and (5) as a result, defendants' 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 Clarivate class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=3079 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. Engaging, interactive summer programs feature adaptive assessment technology and ready-to-teach curriculum to meet school districts' significant needs PARAMUS, N.J., March 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Savvas Learning Company , a K-12 next-generation learning solutions leader, launched today several new summer learning solutions to support school districts in addressing unfinished learning in math and literacy. The curated, easy-to-implement instructional materials, combined with state-of-the-art screener and diagnostic assessment tools, are designed to help move learning forward for all students. Our highly-effective summer solutions...provide the data-driven insights and instructional content that educators need. Tweet this Ready-to-teach curriculum will be especially important this summer to help districts address expected teacher-staffing issues, which, according to a recent nationwide Savvas Learning Company poll of 500 educators, are among the five greatest needs for summer learning programs. "Teachers have been working hard to get students back on track academically after three school years of disrupted education. For many students, these efforts will need to extend beyond the end of this school year," said Bethlam Forsa, CEO of Savvas Learning Company. "This summer will be a critical time to reenergize learning, and school districts are looking for evidence-based learning materials that are easy to use. That is why Savvas has taken the lead in developing flexible, high-quality math and reading programs designed to maximize valuable teaching time for summer learning." Ready-to-teach curriculum will be especially important this summer to help districts address expected teacher-staffing issues, which, according to a recent nationwide Savvas poll of 500 educators, are among the five greatest needs for summer learning programs. In addition to teacher staffing being a concern, the poll identified the following resources that educators need to make summer learning more effective: reading/English Language Arts (ELA) and mathematics curricula, along with access to online materials and lessons, and remediation programs to close learning gaps. Savvas makes it easy for educators, teachers, and students to access their content-rich summer learning solutions on its award-winning Savvas Realize , one of the publishing industry's most versatile learning management systems that features easy-to-use, single sign-on, and plug-and-play interoperability with top classroom tools. With its programs meeting the requirements of the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund (ESSER Fund), Savvas can also help educators address unfinished learning with federal funding sources. Ready-to-Use Summer Solutions Whether educators are looking to target learning recovery, acceleration, or enrichment, Savvas has designed two summer learning solutions that support students' diverse needs while providing ready-to-use, curated, and sequenced curricula that support districts' summer teaching staff. Savvas Summer Impact features two off-the-shelf, digital programs that focus on grade-level instructional priorities for reading and math: Savvas Summer Impact Math The program for grades K-Algebra 1 leverages strong math foundations, procedural skills and fluency, and conceptual understanding through interactive learning experiences. The program for grades K-Algebra 1 leverages strong math foundations, procedural skills and fluency, and conceptual understanding through interactive learning experiences. Savvas Summer Impact Reading This program for grades K-8 offers literacy instruction, based on the Science of Reading, with high-quality literature and informational texts, systematic skills instruction, and engaging digital lessons. Savvas One for Summer, developed for educators wanting to build more customized summer programs, combines the content of Savvas Summer Impact with digital access to the most popular Savvas math, literacy, science, and social studies K-12 programs. This all-inclusive solution for grades K-12 provides the flexibility of grab-and-go lessons and multimedia resources with options to custom-tailor summer courses to school- and district-level goals. Both packages include SuccessMaker Focus , which provides targeted intervention and digital practice on priority skills from the previous grade for K-8 reading and math. Savvas summer solutions are all supported by flexible, on-demand professional learning. Test Less, Teach More To give teachers a clear picture of where their students are when they come into the classroom and better inform their K-8 math or literacy instruction, Savvas has bundled its summer solutions with these new cutting-edge screener and adaptive diagnostic assessment tools: Savvas Math Screener and Diagnostic Assessments (MSDA) empower teachers by giving them deep insights into their students' math knowledge and seamless access to instructional content to personalize learning for every student. empower teachers by giving them deep insights into their students' math knowledge and seamless access to instructional content to personalize learning for every student. Savvas Literacy Screener and Diagnostic Assessments (LSDA) maximize the power of instruction by targeting each student's greatest opportunities for growth and pairing that data with aligned instructional resources. The Savvas MSDA and Savvas LSDA provide power-packed toolkits that work directly with core K-8 math and literacy programs on the Savvas Realize digital platform, helping educators make the most of instructional time during the summer. Developed in collaboration with the highly acclaimed research agency WestEd, the screener and diagnostic assessments work in tandem to generate scoring results that are both "criterion-referenced" and "norm-referenced" meaning they compare student performance to grade-level expectations and to that of their peers across the country, respectively. The assessments and the results are also deemed valid since they accurately measure what they are intended to measure. Supplemental Reading Support for Younger Students To further support reading and foundational skill-building for younger students this summer, Savvas offers several flexible, supplemental literacy programs available in digital and blended formats: Reading Spot for Grades K-5 lets students of all backgrounds, abilities, and interests access a digital library, anytime and anywhere. Thousands of e-books include high-interest, popular, and culturally relevant titles. Students can add bookmarks, notes, and highlights as they read. for Grades K-5 lets students of all backgrounds, abilities, and interests access a digital library, anytime and anywhere. Thousands of e-books include high-interest, popular, and culturally relevant titles. Students can add bookmarks, notes, and highlights as they read. Savvas Essentials Foundational Reading , aligned to the Science of Reading, is a blended K-2 curriculum that targets concepts of print, phonological awareness, phonics, fluency, and the teaching of high-frequency words. , aligned to the Science of Reading, is a blended K-2 curriculum that targets concepts of print, phonological awareness, phonics, fluency, and the teaching of high-frequency words. Savvas Now Literacy is an all-new, K-5 digital resource library that makes it easy to find high-quality instructional materials for a range of ELA focus areas, from foundational skills practice to vocabulary, comprehension, and writing. "During a school year when districts are experiencing staffing shortages and teachers are stretched for time like never before," said Forsa, "our highly-effective summer solutions, coupled with reliable screeners and diagnostic assessment tools, provide the data-driven insights and instructional content that educators need to close skills gaps and promote learning growth ahead of the new school year." ABOUT SAVVAS LEARNING COMPANY At Savvas, we believe learning should inspire. By combining new ideas, new ways of thinking, and new ways of interacting, we design next-generation learning solutions that help prepare students to become global citizens in a more interconnected, digital world. To learn more, visit Savvas Learning Company . SOURCE Savvas Learning Company LONDON, March 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Global Brand Awards is an annual event held by Global Brands Magazine (GBM) an international publication headquartered in the UK. The award aims to recognise global brands achieving excellence in performance across a broad range of sectors while keeping its readers updated on key trends surrounding the branding world. Scottish Friendly was evaluated based on customer service, satisfaction, digital innovation, strategic relationships and new business development. Commenting on Scottish Friendly winning the awards, ShivKumar (CEO) of Global Brands magazine said, "Scottish Friendly managed to rise to the ranks despite the global economy suffering during the pandemic. Having a strong-willed and highly motivated team, Scottish Friendly went the extra mile and provided for its customers, regardless of any hardships that may have come. Rightfully so, the fruits of their labour were recognised and the brand definitely deserves these awards. We are very proud of Scottish Friendly and all the efforts that they have put in. They have rightfully earned their spot as one of the largest mutual life and investment organisation brands in the UK." Commenting on winning the award, Martin Pringle, Chief Executive (Acting) said "We are extremely proud to have won 'Best Junior ISA Provider' and 'Most Innovative Mutual Insurer' at the prestigious Global Brands Awards 2021. Despite another year of economic and political uncertainty, we have continued to show true grit and resilience. This further proves that our long-term strategy, flexibility and innovative approach enables us to navigate and overcome the challenges we face whilst continuing to build our business for the future." "We could not have achieved these awards had it not been for the unwavering motivation, drive and commitment shown by our colleagues, in particular through these continually challenging times, so on behalf of myself and the rest of the executive, we dedicate these awards to each of them." About Scottish Friendly Scottish Friendly is a leading UK mutual life and investments organisation that provides investors and their families with a wide range of investment and protection solutions and provides life and investment products and services to other financial organisations. Scottish Friendly has roots stretching back to 1862. Established as the City of Glasgow Friendly Society, its name changed in October 1992 when it took over Scottish Friendly Assurance. In recent years Scottish Friendly has significantly restructured its business. The Group has flourished through a three-part growth strategy of organic growth, mergers and acquisitions, and business process outsourcing. About Global Brands Magazine (England) Global Brands Magazine (GBM) has been at the forefront, bringing news, views and opinions on brands shaping the future of their industry. The UK-based magazine provides its readers with the latest news and information on 'best-in-class brands across the globe. Each year, GBM develops a series of awards for companies that stood out, having a unique vision, exceptional service, innovative solutions and consumer-centric products among their industry leaders. About Global Brand Awards Global Brand Awards honours brands for their excellence in performance and rewards companies across different sectors for the quality of their services. The Brand Awards highlight accomplishments of organisations that have performed remarkably well in finance, education, hospitality, automotive, lifestyle, education, real estate, technology and several more. Global Brand Awards recognise vital players who progress towards excellence by providing a platform to acknowledge their efforts. In addition, GBM strives to create awareness concerning the significance of such organisations and rewards them for their notable efforts with the ultimate global recognition. Check out the below links for our social media shout outs: Facebook: https://bit.ly/3pYN7ck Linkedin: https://bit.ly/3t93Yv3 Twitter: https://bit.ly/37t3BTM Instagram: https://bit.ly/3qpnYrJ SOURCE Global Brands Publications Limited Agreement provides qualified learners a path to earn an Associate Degree in General Studies EXTON, Pa. , March 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Society of Cable Telecommunications Engineers (SCTE), a CableLabs subsidiary, has partnered with Fort Hays State University in Hays, Kansas, to create a degree program for professionals working in the telecommunications industry. Through a combination of courses from both Fort Hays and SCTE, learners can earn an Associate of General Studies degree with an emphasis on Computer Networking & Telecommunications. SCTE online courses count toward the associate degree that can be completed through FHSU Online. Through this cooperative program between SCTE and Fort Hays University, enrolled students will receive college credit from Fort Hays State University for SCTE courses, leveraging SCTE's most popular courses along with several partner courses. "We're committed to expanding the pathways our members have to earn their degrees and are thrilled to be working with Fort Hays to help accomplish that," said Mark Dzuban, CEO of SCTE. "We also recognize that the unprecedented demand for talent in the broadband industry requires creative solutions. This program addresses the need to onboard, train and develop a fully skilled technical and operations workforce." "With the ever-changing telecommunications industry, it has always been important for higher education to be responsive to the workforce skill-profile that industry demands. With unprecedented workforce dynamics, industry is responding aggressively to issues related to skilled labor supply, while seizing the opportunity to develop the next generation of industry leadership through strategic pathways to degrees in the field," said Dr. Melissa Hunsicker-Walburn, Department Chair and Associate Professor, Informatics. "We couldn't be more pleased to extend and expand our agreement with SCTE. The partnership affirms there is a lot of career opportunity in the telecommunications industry." Learners can receive credit for coursework completed at SCTE and other colleges or universities. The credits can then be applied towards the total needed to achieve a degree. The partnership, which is an extension of an original agreement between the Fort Hays State University Department of Informatics and SCTE established in February 2012, represents a 10-year relationship between the two organizations. For more information about the program and how to enroll, please visit the SCTE website. About SCTE, a subsidiary of CableLabs SCTE is shaping the future of connectivity. Through technological leadership and innovation, SCTE has served as the applied science leader for the cable telecommunications industry for more than five decades. As a not-for-profit member organization, SCTE moves member companies forward through continuous training for the workforce of tomorrow and by putting leaders into the conversations that matter. SCTE is the force behind the annual SCTE Cable-Tec Expo, the largest cable telecommunications and technology tradeshow in the Americas. Learn more at www.scte.org. About Fort Hays State University Fort Hays State University was founded in 1902 as the Western Branch of Kansas State Normal School on the grounds of Fort Hays, a Nineteenth-Century frontier military outpost. FHSU is a regional comprehensive public university serving more than 15,000 students. The innovative community of teacher-scholars and education professionals at FHSU is committed to providing an accessible and quality education to the citizens of Kansas, the nation, and the world. The university excels at developing engaged global citizen-leaders through innovative online and on-campus programs designed to push the boundaries of what is known and drive solutions that serve the public good. Tuition and fees at FHSU are nearly half the national average and substantially lower than peer institutions in Kansas and across the nation. More than 95% of FHSU students secure jobs or go on to pursue advanced educational opportunities after graduation. Academic excellence, affordability, and extensive student support services combine to make FHSU the best value in higher education anywhere. SOURCE Society of Cable Telecommunications Engineers (SCTE) Series Kicked Off at W Goa and Jatayu Earths Center in Kerala; Next Stop is Petra, Jordan with a Cercle Records Experience at W Amman BETHESDA, Md., March 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Let the music move you. W Hotels Worldwide, part of Marriott Bonvoys portfolio of 30 extraordinary hotel brands, today announces a collaboration with Cercle, the renowned French music media company known for producing some of the most jaw-dropping performances ever staged. Through a series of livestreamed concerts, exclusive moments, and Cercle Records parties at and around W Hotels across the globe, W and Cercle will celebrate the compelling, emotional connection between music and travel. W Amman Music is a universal language and powerful source of memory, said Carly Van Sickle, Senior Director, Global Brand Marketing, W Hotels. It can instantly transport you back to a time and place, which is why sound has always been such an important part of the W Hotels experience. As the world opens up, were excited to team with the visionaries at Cercle to inspire people to travel, dance together and explore the world once more. From the Great Pyramids of Giza to a hot air balloon above Cappadocia and Glacier 3000 in the Swiss Alps, Cercle honors cultural heritage sites and landmarks through electronic music and video. W and Cercle will continue this legacy by celebrating five W destinations throughout 2022. At each stop, Cercle will stage one of their iconic livestreams at a cultural landmark, with W playing host to an in-person party at a nearby W Hotel. The World is Our Stage: The W Hotels x Cercle Lineup W Hotels x Cercle Soundtrack: W Goa + Jatayu Earth ' s Center, Kerala, India W Hotels x Cercle launched the series on March 5 with a Cercle Records Live Experience on the breathtaking beaches of W Goa. Artists included Colyn, Teho, W Goa Music Curator Ayush Avo and Cercle Duo Phil & Derek. On March 7, a set by Colyn was live streamed from Jatayu Earths Center in Kerala, India - a park which sits 1200 feet above sea level and features the worlds largest bird sculpture, a representation of the Hindu demi-god Jatayu who took the form of an eagle. The livestreamed performance can be viewed here. W Hotels x Cercle Soundtrack: W Amman + Petra, Jordan Today, W Hotels x Cercle announce they are heading to Jordan for a live-streamed performance by Bedouin at the archaeological wonder of Petra on March 21. That evening, W Amman will play host to a Cercle Records Experience featuring performances by Bedouin and Sebastien Leger. For event tickets or to book a stay at W Amman, click here. W Hotels x Cercle Soundtrack: ?, ?, ? As with all Cercle shows, things are kept under wraps until several weeks before the music starts. The final three W Hotel destinations, cultural landmarks and performers will be announced through both brands social media channels as well as on whotels.com/cercle. For more information and to book your musical journey, please visit whotels.com/cercle. All Cercle performances are live-streamed on Facebook @cerclemusic or Twitch @cerclemusic and relive all performance on Cercles YouTube channel. Stay up-to-date with the latest and find exclusive, behind-the-scenes content on Instagram at @whotels and @cerclemusic. For more information, visit w-hotels.marriott.com and cercle.io. About W Hotels Worldwide Born from the bold, 24/7 culture of New York City, W Hotels has redefined hospitality for over two decades, breaking the norms of traditional luxury wherever the iconic W sign stands. With nearly 60 hotels around the globe, detail-driven design, iconic Whatever/Whenever service and buzzing, signature Living Rooms create an experience that is often imitated but never matched. Dynamic and invigorating, the brand celebrates each travelers desire to uncover the destination through a lens that is distinctly W. For more information on W Hotels, visit whotels.com/theangle or follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. W Hotels Worldwide is proud to participate in Marriott Bonvoy, the global travel program from Marriott International. The program offers members an extraordinary portfolio of global brands, exclusive experiences on Marriott Bonvoy Moments and unparalleled benefits including free nights and Elite status recognition. To enroll for free or for more information about the program, visit MarriottBonvoy.marriott.com. About Cercle Cercle is a media company dedicated to promoting artists and venues through exceptional production in order to raise awareness around art, cultural heritage, and great sceneries via two mediums: music and video. Every other Monday, one artist plays an hour-long set in a unique setting, followed by an interview via Facebook Live and Twitch. Cercle has already collaborated with cultural destinations such as the Eiffel Tower, the great pyramids of Giza, Chateau de Chambord, Griffith Observatory and more. SOURCE Marriott International, Inc. ALBANY, N.Y., March 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The silicone masterbatches market is prognosticated to register growth at a CAGR of 6.3% during the forecast period from 2021 to 2031, states a research report by Transparency Market Research (TMR). Sales of automotive vehicles have been on the surge in several European nations. Moreover, government authorities in Europe are increasing initiatives to decrease the carbon emission levels, thereby containing the severe impacts of greenhouse gas emissions. As a result, they are imposing stringent regulations pertaining to trucks and light duty vehicles to meet specific emission standards, notes the TMR study on the silicone masterbatches market. Hence, companies operating in the automobile industry are utilizing lightweight materials in the development of key vehicle parts. The demand for silicone masterbatches is increasing in the industry, owing to its key properties such as high strength, low coefficient of friction, and fire resistance. Get PDF Brochure for More Insights https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=84549 Silicone Masterbatches Market: Key Findings Silicone is being utilized in a wide range of industries in the manufacturing of transportation products such as auto interior PP parts and different energy products, including wire & cables, according to the TMR study on the silicone masterbatches market. In addition, these materials are also being increasingly utilized for producing packaging products, including BOPP films. This wide range of application of silicone is creating lucrative prospects in the silicone masterbatches market. Silicone masterbatches find application in the production of paints, inks, and coatings, owing to many properties they demonstrate, including mar resistance and high slip. Hence, rise in demand for these products in expected to drive the silicone masterbatches market in the years to come. Get Covid 19 Analysis - https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=covid19&rep_id=84549 Flame retardant cables and wires are used in different end-use industries, including consumer electronics, automotive, and telecommunication industries. Surge in the demand for these cables and wires is boosting the sales of silicon masterbatches, which, in turn, is fueling the growth avenues in the silicone masterbatches market. Silicone masterbatches are widely utilized in the production of different home appliances, owing to their mechanical properties. Hence, the increasing sales of home appliances in many emerging economies is propelling the silicone masterbatches market. Moreover, the market is being driven by rising use of silicone masterbatches as wetting and lubricating agents and surfactants. Silicone Masterbatches Market: Growth Boosters Expansion of consumer electronics, automotive, packaging, and construction industries is projected to bolster the silicone masterbatches market during the forecast period Rise in the demand for stable power supply and the economic growth of Europe are expected to boost the sales of wire and cables, which, in turn, is estimated to help in the market expansion in the near future are expected to boost the sales of wire and cables, which, in turn, is estimated to help in the market expansion in the near future Increased use of silicone masterbatches in personal care and pulp & paper industries is creating lucrative prospects in the silicone masterbatches market Surge in demand for sustainable and lightweight automotive vehicles in order to decrease the carbon emission levels is expected to lead to revenue-generation opportunities in the silicone masterbatches market during the forecast period Request a Sample https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=S&rep_id=84549 Silicone Masterbatches Market: Key Players Some of the key players profiled in the report are: Momentive Performance Materials DuPont Avient Corporation Wacker Chemie AG AB Specialty Silicones SILCOLORS Dow Corning Silteq Ltd Chengdu Silike Technology Co., Ltd. ACSIC Ingredients Make an Enquiry Before Buying - https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=EB&rep_id=84549 Silicone Masterbatches Market Segmentation Application Wires & Cables Auto Interior PP Parts BOPP Films PC / ABS Parts End-use Industry Energy Transportation Packaging Electronics Telecommunications Others (including Industrial) Region Covered Europe Key Countries Covered Germany France Italy U.K. Spain Russia CIS Rest of Europe Chemicals & Materials Industry battles Tangible Impact of Economic and Cultural changes, Explore Transparency Market Research's award-winning coverage of the global Chemicals & Materials: Automotive Silicone Sealant Market - https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/automotive-silicone-sealant-market.html Transfluthrin Market - https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/transfluthrin-market.html About Transparency Market Research Transparency Market Research is a global market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. Our experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyse information. Our data repository is continuously updated and revised by a team of research experts, so that it always reflects the latest trends and information. With a broad research and analysis capability, Transparency Market Research employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques in developing distinctive data sets and research material for business reports. For More Research Insights on Leading Industries, Visit our YouTube channel - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8e-z-g23-TdDMuODiL8BKQ Access MarketNgage: The On Demand, Subscription based platform from Transparency Market Research www.marketngage.com Now avail flexible Market Research Subscription through MarketNgage, the Market Research Subscription Platform from Transparency Market Research and other iconic market research powerhouses. Go beyond just reports and access research multi-format through downloadable executive summaries, chapters, databooks, infographics, charts, interactive playbook for data visualization and full reports across all major industries, 200+ sub sectors and 1200+ niche markets, through MarketNgage. Sign Up for a 7 day free trial! Contact Rohit Bhisey Transparency Market Research State Tower, 90 State Street, Suite 700, Albany NY - 12207 United States USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453 Email: [email protected] Website: http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com Press Release Source: https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/pressrelease/europe-silicone-masterbatches-market.htm SOURCE Transparency Market Research The Austin HVAC company says the new design better communicates the company's commitment to modern heating and cooling technologies AUSTIN, Texas, March 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Smart Air Cooling & Heating, a family-owned and operated HVAC company serving the Austin area since 2009, announced it has completed a major rebranding to better reflect the company's commitment to advancements in the home services industry. "While we are still dedicated to providing the same localized and professional service that we have become known for, we feel the new company name, logo, website, uniforms and truck wraps better conveys to the public the type of service we furnish," said Shane Bryant, president of Smart Air Cooling & Heating. "We are still a family-owned and operated business, but we are also a forward-thinking company that provides our customers with the latest heating and air conditioning solutions. We are highly accountable for the results of our work product." When Bryant started the company, he was still working as a technician for a major HVAC manufacturer but was making repairs for a handful of clients as a side job. Once his clientele grew larger, he left his full-time job and devoted his time to his fledgling business, known then as Smart Air Service Company. Now, the company that started as Bryant's part-time job has grown to employ 14 office workers and technicians. "We still have many of the customers we started with," Bryant said. "We wanted our brand to reflect our growth while still paying homage to the customers who started this journey with us." Office Manager Jeff Jones said Smart Air has always been forward thinking in its approach and that is not limited to its services. In December, Smart Air hired Lisa Pena to head its installation team. Pena, who has worked as an HVAC service technician and manager for more than 20 years, is one of only a handful of female installation managers in the industry. "Shane has always looked to the future and spends a great deal of his time to make sure we stay on the cutting edge of the latest technologies in heating and air conditioning products and services," Jones said. "We are confident the new branding will show our customers we are devoted to providing them with the most modern product and services available in this industry." About Smart Air Cooling & Heating Smart Air Cooling & Heating, a family owned and operated heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) installation and repair company, has served the Austin, Texas area since 2009. Providing both residential and commercial service, Smart Air has grown through a consistent customer-base referral system. The company's technicians exceed the licensing and training requirements of the Texas HVAC energy efficient industry and pass rigorous background checks to ensure they meet the highest standards. Committed to innovation, the company provides the best HVAC and air-quality solutions to its customers based on industry knowledge, expertise and energy efficiency. To learn more about Smart Air Cooling & Heating, please visit their website at https://smartairaustin.com/. MEDIA CONTACT: Heather Ripley Ripley PR 865-977-1973 [email protected] SOURCE Smart Air Cooling & Heating ORLANDO, Fla., March 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Social Mobile, a mobility solutions provider that specializes in developing mobility ecosystems that provide critical services to organizations looking to bring to market innovative mobile products, will exhibit its healthcare technology solutions at the HIMSS Global Health Conference and Exhibition March 14-18, 2022, in Orlando, Florida. Social Mobile, who counts many major healthcare providers as its clients, will showcase a multitude of unique, first-of-a-kind healthcare technology solutions, including an Android-powered vaccine administration device developed for VaxCare. VaxCare, a major provider of vaccine management services to healthcare organizations, leveraged the expertise of Social Mobile to enable healthcare workers to effectively manage the delivery of critical vaccines to patients inside and outside of medical offices. "We worked closely with Social Mobile to create one-of-a-kind devices that operate on Android Enterprise and are simple to set up, use and manage," said Evan Landis, Chief Product Officer at VaxCare. These devices are currently being used by a network of 10,000 healthcare providers, and to date have been instrumental in tracking and managing the administration of 650,000-plus shots during the pandemic, which represented a 54% year-over-year increase. Additionally, the company will exhibit a 22" all-in-one device designed to create a seamless patient engagement experience in hospitals, configured with state of the art biometric features and a built-in VoIP phone. It will also feature a handheld device used to power some of the biggest remote patient monitoring operations across the US. The display will also include the company's RHINO portfolio of Android devices that can be used to support an array of healthcare applications. A leading Google Mobile Services (GMS) partner, Social Mobile offers new and innovative ways to leverage the Android operating system by creating customized solutions dedicated to the unique and challenging environments in which enterprise organizations, particularly those in the healthcare industry, deploy and manage devices. "We're excited to exhibit at HIMMS this year as healthcare has become the fastest growing sector of our business. We have enabled many organizations in this industry to seamlessly adopt the Android Enterprise platform, scale their businesses, and deliver an extremely intuitive and simple user experience," said Robert Morcos, Founder & CEO of Social Mobile. To learn more, engage with these innovative devices, and pick the brains of Social Mobile's expert team, visit Social Mobile at HIMSS Booth #1370 or book an appointment with their team here: https://calendly.com/smhimss22/30min About Social Mobile Social Mobile is a key Google Mobile Services (GMS) partner, offering new and innovative ways to leverage the Android operating system that have enabled them to pioneer new products and solutions that many have never seen or considered possible. Social Mobile recognizes the power and flexibility of the Android OS, supercharge it by creating solutions dedicated to the unique and challenging environments in which their clients operate, and offer the option to use their proprietary mobile device management system. Through their work as an OEM, managed service provider, and consultancy, they have become the industry's best aggregator of resources, helping clients control their own destiny for over a decade. To learn more about other Social Mobile products and solutions, visit: https://socialmobile.com. Media Contact: Samantha Kretmar [email protected] SOURCE Social Mobile MIAMI BEACH, Fla., March 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Good Music, Awesome T-Shirts, and Rock n' Roll! That's how TheSocietees, based in Florida, decided to give the Rock Music community something to look forward to from their favorite musicians. After creating a community-driven Rock T-Shirt Hall of Fame, they were able to decide the top-ten Rock n' Roll bands ranked by which classic tees sold the most. The support from the many music fans of the different 70s, 80s, or 90s bands, created an indisputable list of favorites ranging from Poison and The Police, all the way to the top contender and first place winner, Def Leppard and its Pyromania USA Tour 1983 T-Shirt! Societees The First 10 Inductees to the Rock T-Shirt Hall of Fame are: 1) Def Leppard - Pyromania USA Tour 1983 T-Shirt 2) ACDC - High Voltage 1975 Men's T Shirt 3) Journey - Departure 1980 Men's T Shirt 4) Pink Floyd - Animals Tour 1977 Men's T Shirt 5) Bon Jovi - Heart Tattoo Men's T Shirt 6) ZZ Top - US Tour 1990 Men's T Shirt 7) Motley Crue - Vintage Band Logo Men's T Shirt 8) KISS - Destroyer Album Men's T Shirt 9) The Police Ghost in the Machine Tour Men's Raglan 10) Poison - Talk Dirty To Me Men's T Shirt While these top-ten inductees have been holding their current positions strong, this is only the beginning of the Rock Music battle of the ages, where competing for the number one spot in the Rock T-Shirt Hall of Fame is up to the fans of all the iconic Rock n' Roll band T-shirts that TheSocietees.com has as the Rock Bestseller contenders. As Societees Inc. President, Simon Shenker stated: "We wanted the Rock T-Shirt Hall of Fame to be solely based on sales performance. The reason is that polls can be faked, social likes can be bought, but shirt sales are evidence of real fans who have been there, done that, and are now buying the t-shirt..." This helped us acknowledge that this Hall of Fame event was truly driven by the community, and only they could make a difference in this fierce competition. Some followers were able to say more about this online event. Brendon Snyder, the YouTube Creator who reviewed all the Top 10 inductees to the Rock T-Shirt Hall of Fame that you see on the website, said, "The Rock T-Shirt Hall of Fame is like a personal list of my favorite shirts!" solidifying the testament of TheSocietees offering not only quality products, but something that resonates with every fan. So, you see! This is what TheSocietees does, they bring high-quality and exciting apparel to fans from all over the place. Whether you are a die-hard fan of some of the unforgettable movies, like Scarface, are a big follower of the one and only Bruce Lee and his amazing teachings, or love singing and rocking along to your favorite bands , they have something for every taste! Societees are currently assessing the next 10 inductees into their Rock T-Shirt Hall of Fame - announcement to come by Summer 2022. Every t-shirt was created with the utmost attention to detail and is meant to be a wearable piece of art. They know their customers will love wearing these t-shirts as much as they loved creating them. Learn more about the Societees Rock T-Shirt Hall of Fame by visiting www.TheSocietees.com About Societees: The company is full of vintage-inspired t-shirt creators, gamers, lovers of classic movies, and fans of classic rock and roll. Created in Miami, the team loves designing t-shirts that take their customers back to a time when things were simpler. Overall, it's fun for them to connect with like-minded people through their designs and bring back some of the nostalgia that everyone feels when they think about their favorite bands, music, and moments from the past. Their clothing is meant to be stylish, representing their customers' favorite artists, while also being comfortable enough to wear all day long. Societees is all inclusive and offers sizes up to 6XL, so anyone and everyone can join in on the fun. The company hopes that their customers love their rock t-shirts as much as they do, and will join them in celebrating some of the best artists of all time. Media Contact Simon Shenker (786) 208-9880 [email protected] SOURCE Societees PASADENA, Calif., March 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- SueYa.com recently commissioned a study utilizing sophisticated technology to scour the Los Angeles County court system databases to determine how many legal judgments remain unsatisfied. The results are eye-opening, concluding that nearly 65% of plaintiffs collect little or no money from defendants. "Most people think that the moment a court grants them a legal judgment, that the defendant will be quick to pay. The reality is, obtaining a judgment is only 50% of the battle," says Takashi Cheng, Chief Executive Optimist at SueYa.com. Cheng explains that "plaintiff fatigue" is to blame. He adds, "A plaintiff has typically expended a lot of time, money on legal fees and endured emotional stress to secure a judgment. When their attorney tells them that they need to spend more money to enforce the judgment and collect, the plaintiff is exhausted. Over time, the plaintiff often loses track of the debtor, and a judgment becomes nothing more than a bad memory." SueYa.com is asking anyone with a California judgment to send it their way. The website offers a judgment enforcement service on contingency, meaning anyone holding a legal judgment can assign the case to SueYa.com for servicing. The client will receive 50% of the net proceeds after court costs if they collect on the judgment. "Our proposition to any potential client is simple. Let us leverage our 15 plus years of experience to see if we can get you paid. We don't ask for any fees up-front," says Cheng. It is important to note that outstanding legal judgments accrue 10% interest per year and additional awards of attorney fees in the State of California. A study similar to the one performed by SueYa.com was showcased in the ABA Journal in April of 2020. The author of the article, financial forensic investigator Joe Dickerson, identified a pattern amongst lawyers and plaintiffs, sharing that, "Proper follow-up and analysis could have resulted in recovery of significant amounts of money in those cases. We did the follow-up, and it worked more times than not, resulting in significant recoveries." SueYa.com employs a multifaceted approach to judgment enforcement. The platform combines technology, active monitoring of credit profiles, and debtor demographic data, and it examines what they describe as a "financial literacy curve." This curve relies on the notion that people in their younger years are often not conscious of their credit and leave unpaid debts behind. As these debtors get older, have careers, and require access to credit, the likelihood that they will pay increases dramatically as they seek to remove harmful credit notations. This might also be prompted by purchasing a new car or home. The ABA Journal concluded that 80% of judgments nationwide are uncollected, validating SueYa.com's local study. SueYa.com is now focusing on outreach to the many plaintiffs who have judgments due to expire. In California, judgments must be renewed every 10 years to remain in effect. SueYa.com wants to ensure that clients have a second chance to collect. About SueYa.com SueYa.com empowers consumers to file small claims actions, lawsuits, issue eviction notices, and enforce legal judgments using our fully-integrated online platform. Our cutting-edge service utilizes self-reported information combined with AI-driven tools to perform and expedite the accurate filing of court documents and other ancillary services designed to drive the best resolution for our clients. Contact: Lucia L. (888) SUEYA-88 [email protected] SOURCE Sue Ya, Inc. BANGALORE, India, March 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The System Integration Market is Segmented by Type (Infrastructure integration services market, Application integration services market, Consulting services), Application (Banking, financial services, and insurance, Communications and media, Manufacturing (discrete and process), Government, Health, Wholesale and retail services, Services, Transportation, Utilities and resources). The report covers global opportunity analysis, regional outlook, growth potential, industry forecast from 2022 to 2028. The System Integration market size was valued at USD 442070 million in 2021, and it is anticipated to reach USD 809700 million by 2028, registering a CAGR of about 8.9% during the forecast period (20222028). Major Factors Driving The Growth Of The System Integration Market: The need for organizations to improve their productivity, adoption of new technology and quality of operations is expected to drive the growth of the system integration market. System integration aids in the organization's information flow and reduces operational costs. Get your sample today: https://reports.valuates.com/request/sample/QYRE-Othe-0S471/System_Integration_Market Trends Influencing The Growth Of The System Integration Market: Integrating systems, data, and processes improves the business's agility and efficiency by allowing for an incremental construction approach based on abstraction and reuse, which makes it easier to model the global application architecture appropriately in the context of the organization. This, in turn, is expected to propel the system integration market forward. The automated exchange of consistent information between different systems is made possible by systems integration. For example, one system may have been updated with a customer's new address, but another system may not have received it. The integration of both systems in this update alleviates the issues associated with inconsistent data, enhancing the efficiency and overall quality of the associated business processes. This factor is expected to drive the growth of the system integration market. System integration allows businesses to access and visualize data at the same time, allowing them to make better decisions. As a result, rising demand from businesses to improve the efficiency of their existing systems, rising preference for automation technologies, adoption of cloud computing technology, and the expansion of broadband infrastructure are some of the key factors driving system integration market growth. Browse the Table of Contents and List of figures at: https://reports.valuates.com/reports/QYRE-Othe-0S471/system-integration System Integration Market Share Analysis: Based on region, Latin America and the Middle East, and Africa regions are expected to be the most lucrative. Governments throughout the region are encouraging business expansion with large investments. Because of rising internet penetration, rising consumer spending, and growing middle-class consumer base and technology acceptance, Latin America is seeing an increase in the number of IT companies, e-commerce firms, and digital media market players. Based on application, The BFSI segment is expected to be the most lucrative. Download Regional Report: https://reports.valuates.com/request/regional/QYRE-Othe-0S471/System_Integration_Market This report includes the following companies; we can also add the other companies as you want. Accenture Alcatel-Lucent Business Connexion Deutsche Telekom (T-Systems) Ericsson Hpe Honeywell Ibm Infosys Mahindra Satyam Mannai Ness Technologies Oracle Siemens Tata Consultancy Services Wipro Deloitte Bt Group Plc Dimension Data Gijima Chapter Cost Request: https://reports.valuates.com/request/chaptercost/QYRE-Othe-0S471/System_Integration_Market Buy Now for Single User + Covid-19 Impact : https://reports.valuates.com/api/directpaytoken?rcode=QYRE-Othe-0S471&lic=single-user SUBSCRIPTION We have introduced a tailor-made subscription for our customers. Please leave a note in the Comment Section to know about our subscription plans. SIMILAR REPORTS - The global Industrial Robotics System Integration market size is projected to reach USD 33620 Million by 2028, from USD 22010 Million in 2021, at a CAGR of 6.1% during 2022-2028. - The global Industrial Automation System Integration market size is projected to reach USD 11590 Million by 2028, from USD 7434.9 Million in 2021, at a CAGR of 6.4% during 2022-2028. - The global Enterprise Application System Integration market size is projected to reach USD 17150 Million by 2028, from USD 6820.8 Million in 2021, at a CAGR of 13.8% during 2022-2028. - Global Food and Beverage Robotic System Integration Market Insights and Forecast to 2028 - Global ERP System Integration and Consulting Market Insights and Forecast to 2028 - Global Enterprise System Integrators Market Insights and Forecast to 2028 - Global Healthcare and Medical System Integrators Market Size, Status and Forecast 2022 - Global Logistics Automation System Integration Market Insights, Forecast to 2028 - Global System Integration in Telecommunication Market Insights and Forecast to 2028 - Global 5G System Integration Market Size, Status and Forecast 2021-2027 To see the full list of related reports on the System Integration ABOUT US: Valuates offers in-depth market insights into various industries. Our extensive report repository is constantly updated to meet your changing industry analysis needs. Our team of market analysts can help you select the best report covering your industry. We understand your niche region-specific requirements and that's why we offer customization of reports. With our customization in place, you can request for any particular information from a report that meets your market analysis needs. To achieve a consistent view of the market, data is gathered from various primary and secondary sources, at each step, data triangulation methodologies are applied to reduce deviance and find a consistent view of the market. Each sample we share contains detail research methodology employed to generate the report, Please also reach to our sales team to get the complete list of our data sources CONTACT US: Valuates Reports [email protected] For U.S. Toll-Free Call +1-(315)-215-3225 For IST Call +91-8040957137 WhatsApp : +91 9945648335 Website: https://reports.valuates.com Follow on Twitter - https://twitter.com/valuatesreports Follow on Linkedin - https://in.linkedin.com/company/valuatesreports Follow on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/valuatesreports SOURCE Valuates Reports Advancing urology through leadership development and business acumen BALTIMORE, March 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The American Urological Association (AUA) is proud to launch the AUA Institute for Leadership & Business (ILB), a new initiative dedicated to providing education, training and resources to support leadership development and business acumen within the urology community. The AUA Institute for Leadership & Business will provide education, training and resources to support leadership development and business acumen within the urology community. The AUA recognizes the tremendous value of business and leadership training for all urology professionalsthroughout all stages of their career. To that end, the AUA has already established several programs to cultivate and nurture the next generation of leaders so the organization can endure and thrive. Among the most notable of those initiatives is the AUA Leadership Program which produced its first graduates in 2005. Additionally, AUA recognizes that its members are navigating the increasingly complex business landscape of medicinefrom economic models of practice and contract negotiations, to communication and negotiation skills and operational efficiencies. "Establishing a formal Institute solidifies leadership and business as areas of priority and focus for the AUA," said AUA President Raju Thomas, MD, FACS, FRCS, MHA. "We look forward to bringing all of AUA's current leadership and business of urology offerings under the umbrella of the ILB as well as introducing several new initiatives in the coming year." The AUA will officially launch the Institute for Leadership & Business with a full-day course at the 2022 Annual Meeting in May, a series of podcast episodes that explore financial management and a new Global Residents Leadership Retreat to begin in 2023. The Annual Meeting courseThe Economics of Healthcare: Understanding Physician Compensationwill take an in-depth look at the economics of clinical practice including various compensation arrangements, bonuses, benefits and other aspects of total compensation and will include break-out sessions for individualized discussions appropriate to practice setting. In addition to new programming, several of AUA's existing leadership and business-related activities will be integrated into the ILB, such as AUA Leadership Program Holtgrewe Legislative Fellowship Gallagher Health Policy Scholarship Science and Quality Fellow Urology Scientific Mentoring and Research Training Academy AUA Speed Mentoring AUA Academic Exchange Scholar Programs For more information about the AUA Institute for Leadership & Business, visit www.AUAnet.org/Business. About the American Urological Association: Founded in 1902 and headquartered near Baltimore, Maryland, the American Urological Association is a leading advocate for the specialty of urology and has nearly 24,000 members throughout the world. The AUA is a premier urologic association, providing invaluable support to the urologic community as it pursues its mission of fostering the highest standards of urologic care through education, research and the formulation of health policy. Media Contact: Caitlin Lukacs, Corporate Communications and Media Relations Manager 410-689-4081, [email protected] SOURCE American Urological Association The dynamics of the Community-acquired Bacterial Pneumonia market are anticipated to change in the coming years owing to the launch of upcoming therapies along with the rise in the number of cases and healthcare spending across the world. LAS VEGAS, March 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- DelveInsight's Community-acquired Bacterial Pneumonia Market Insights report includes a comprehensive understanding of current treatment practices, Community-acquired Bacterial Pneumonia emerging drugs, market share of individual therapies, and current and forecasted market size from 2019 to 2032, segmented into 7MM (the United States, the EU5 (the United Kingdom, Italy, Spain, France, and Germany), and Japan. Key Takeaways from the Community-acquired Bacterial Pneumonia Market As per DelveInsight's estimates, the Community-acquired Bacterial Pneumonia market size is expected to reach USD 2,866 million by 2032. by 2032. As per DelveInsight's estimates, the total CABP incident cases is expected to be approx 6.9 million cases in the 7MM, which is further anticipated to increase by 2032. cases in the 7MM, which is further anticipated to increase by 2032. Key Community-acquired Bacterial Pneumonia companies including Nabriva Therapeutics, Melinta Therapeutics, Wakunaga Pharmaceutical, Forest Pharmaceuticals, Pfizer, Paratek Pharmaceuticals, Cumberland Pharmaceuticals Inc., Theravance Biopharma, Merck Sharp & Dohme Inc., Cubist Pharmaceuticals LLC, Shionogi Inc., Allergan, Eagle Pharmaceutical Inc, Combioxin SA, Takeda, and others are having approved products for the treatment of patients affected with CABP and some of them are currently working to improve the treatment paradigm of CABP. and others are having approved products for the treatment of patients affected with CABP and some of them are currently working to improve the treatment paradigm of CABP. The Community-acquired Bacterial Pneumonia therapies in the pipeline include CAL02, Cx611, and others. and others. The key driver for the surge in Community-Acquired Bacterial Pneumonia market size is the rise in the number of incident cases in the 7MM. Discover more about therapies set to grab major Community-acquired Bacterial Pneumonia market share @ Community-acquired Bacterial Pneumonia Market Landscape Community-acquired Bacterial Pneumonia Overview Community-acquired Bacterial Pneumonia (CABP) is a common, severe infection of the lung parenchyma. It is a leading cause of death in adults. It is one of the most common respiratory diseases among the various infections that cause sepsis. Community-acquired Bacterial Pneumonia most commonly caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae in adults worldwide. Haemophilus influenzae and Mycoplasma pneumoniae are two other common bacteria that cause Community-acquired Pneumonia (CAP). Chlamydia and mycoplasma pneumonia is frequently clinically indistinguishable from other types of pneumonia. The CABP symptoms include malaise, chills, rigor, fever, cough, dyspnea, and chest pain. Coughing is usually productive in older children and adults but dry in infants, young children, and the elderly. Dyspnea is usually mild and exertional, and it is almost never present at rest. Community-acquired Bacterial Pneumonia Epidemiology Segmentation As per DelveInsight analysis, the total incident cases of CABP infection were approx 6.9 million cases in the 7MM which are anticipated to be increased by 2032. Among EU5 countries, Germany had the highest number of CABP incident cases in 2019. The Community-acquired Bacterial Pneumonia Market Report proffers epidemiological analysis for the study period 2019-2032 in the 7MM segmented into: Incident Cases of CABP Incident Cases of CABP based on Gender Incident Cases of CABP based on Severity Incident Cases of CABP based on Pathogens Incident Cases of CABP based on Age Download report to understand which factors are driving CABP infection epidemiology trends @ Community-acquired Bacterial Pneumonia Epidemiological Insights Community-acquired Bacterial Pneumonia Market Although the majority of patients with Community-acquired Pneumonia are treated empirically, but the best treatment option remains unknown. The antibiotics govern the Community-Acquired Bacterial Pneumonia treatment landscape. Nuzyra (omadacycline), Baxdela (delafloxacin), and Xenleta (lefamulin) are some of the drugs approved for the Community-Acquired Bacterial Pneumonia treatment. In addition, Recarbrio (Cilastatin/imipenem/relebactam), Fetroja (cefiderocol), Avycaz (ceftazidime-avibactam), Vibativ (telavancin), and Zerbaxa (ceftolozane + tazobactam) are among the drugs approved for hospital-acquired/ventilator-associated bacterial pneumonia (HABP). Moreover, in individuals 18 years of age and older, a vaccine such as Vaxneuvance is recommended for active immunization to prevent invasive disease and pneumonia caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae. Furthermore, Community-acquired Pneumonia treatment has become difficult due to changing safety profiles and efficacy of well-established antibiotics, as well as a lack of new therapeutic options. Discover more about therapy set to grab substantial Community-acquired Bacterial Pneumonia market share @ Community-acquired Bacterial Pneumonia Treatment Community-acquired Bacterial Pneumonia Pipeline Therapies and Key Players CAL02: Eagle Pharmaceutical Inc/Combioxin SA Cx611: Takeda To know about more Community-acquired Bacterial Pneumonia developing drugs for treatment visit @ Community-acquired Bacterial Pneumonia Treatment Outlook Community-acquired Bacterial Pneumonia Market Dynamics The dynamics of the Community-Acquired Bacterial Pneumonia market is anticipated to change in the coming years owing to the improvement in the rise in the number of healthcare spending across the world. Furthermore, the surge in the rise in the number of incident cases of Community-Acquired Bacterial Pneumonia will also contribute to the Community-Acquired Bacterial Pneumonia market growth. In addition, the expected launch of drugs in the pipeline will fuel the Community-Acquired Bacterial Pneumonia market size. However, an already saturated market with various approved candidates and varying etiology of the disease will hinder the Community-acquired Bacterial Pneumonia market growth. Furthermore, unreported and undiagnosed cases, as well as lack of awareness about the disease, might also serve as potential barriers for the Community-acquired Bacterial Pneumonia market. Scope of the Community-acquired Bacterial Pneumonia Market Report Study Period: 2019-2032 2019-2032 Coverage: 7MM [ The United States , EU5 ( Germany , France , Italy , Spain , and the United Kingdom ), and Japan ] 7MM [ , EU5 ( , , , , and the ), and ] Key Community-acquired Pneumonia Companies: Nabriva Therapeutics, Melinta Therapeutics, Wakunaga Pharmaceutical, Forest Pharmaceuticals, Pfizer, Paratek Pharmaceuticals, Cumberland Pharmaceuticals Inc., Theravance Biopharma, Merck Sharp & Dohme Inc., Cubist Pharmaceuticals LLC, Shionogi Inc., Allergan, Eagle Pharmaceutical Inc, Combioxin SA, Takeda, and others Nabriva Therapeutics, Melinta Therapeutics, Wakunaga Pharmaceutical, Forest Pharmaceuticals, Pfizer, Paratek Pharmaceuticals, Cumberland Pharmaceuticals Inc., Theravance Biopharma, Merck Sharp & Dohme Inc., Cubist Pharmaceuticals LLC, Shionogi Inc., Allergan, Eagle Pharmaceutical Inc, Combioxin SA, Takeda, and others Key Pipeline Therapies : CAL02, Cx611, and others : CAL02, Cx611, and others Therapeutic Assessment: Community-acquired Pneumonia current marketed and emerging therapies Community-acquired Pneumonia current marketed and emerging therapies Community-acquired Bacterial Pneumonia Market Dynamics: Community-acquired Bacterial Pneumonia market drivers and barriers Community-acquired Bacterial Pneumonia market drivers and barriers Competitive Intelligence Analysis: SWOT analysis, PESTLE analysis, Porter's five forces, BCG Matrix, Market entry strategies SWOT analysis, PESTLE analysis, Porter's five forces, BCG Matrix, Market entry strategies Unmet Needs, KOL's views, Analyst's views, Community-acquired Bacterial Pneumonia Market Access and Reimbursement Discover more about the future Community-acquired Bacterial Pneumonia market share of treatment therapies @ Community-acquired Bacterial Pneumonia Treatment Market Table of Contents 1. Key Insights 2. Report Introduction 3. Community-acquired Bacterial Pneumonia Market Overview at a Glance 4. Executive Summary 5. Disease Background and Overview 6. Treatment and Management 7. Epidemiology and Patient Population 8. Patient Journey 9. Community-acquired Bacterial Pneumonia Marketed Therapies 10. Emerging Drugs 11. Other Therapies: Generics 12. 7 Major Market Analysis 13. Community-acquired Bacterial Pneumonia Market Outlook 14. KOL Views 15. Unmet Needs 16. SWOT Analysis 17. Appendix 18. DelveInsight Capabilities 19. Disclaimer 20. About DelveInsight Get in touch with our Business executive @ Healthcare Due Diligence Services Related Reports Community-acquired Bacterial Pneumonia Epidemiology Community-acquired Bacterial Pneumonia Epidemiology Forecast to 2032 report delivers an in-depth understanding of the disease, historical, and forecasted Community-acquired Bacterial Pneumonia epidemiology in the 7MM. Community-acquired Bacterial Pneumonia Pipeline Community-acquired Bacterial Pneumonia Pipeline Insight, 2022 report provides comprehensive insights about the pipeline landscape, pipeline drug profiles, including clinical and non-clinical stage products, and the key Community-acquired Bacterial Pneumonia companies involved such as Allergan, Eagle Pharmaceutical Inc, Combioxin SA, Takeda, among others. Community-acquired Pneumonia Pipeline Community-acquired Pneumonia Pipeline Insight, 2022 report provides comprehensive insights about the pipeline landscape, pipeline drug profiles, including clinical and non-clinical stage products, and the key Community-acquired Pneumonia companies involved such as Nabriva Therapeutics, Melinta Therapeutics, Wakunaga Pharmaceutical, among others. Hospital-acquired and Ventilator-associated Bacterial Pneumonia Market Hospital-acquired and Ventilator-associated Bacterial Pneumonia Market Insights, Epidemiology, and Market Forecast-2032 report deliver an in-depth understanding of the disease, historical and forecasted epidemiology, as well as the market trends, market drivers, market barriers, and key Hospital-acquired and Ventilator-associated Bacterial Pneumonia companies such as Duke University, Sinovent Pty Ltd., Cumberland Pharmaceuticals, among others. Bacterial Pneumonia Market Bacterial Pneumonia Market Insights, Epidemiology, and Market Forecast-2032 report deliver an in-depth understanding of the disease, historical and forecasted epidemiology, as well as the market trends, market drivers, market barriers, and key Bacterial Pneumonia companies such as Shionogi, Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp., among others. Pneumonia Market Pneumonia Market Insights, Epidemiology, and Market Forecast-2032 report deliver an in-depth understanding of the disease, historical and forecasted epidemiology, as well as the market trends, market drivers, market barriers, and key Pneumonia companies such as Pfizer, Affinivax, Merck Sharp &Dohme Corp., Vaxcyte, among others. Nosocomial Pneumonia Pipeline Nosocomial Pneumonia Pipeline Insight, 2022 report provides comprehensive insights about 13+ companies and 15+ pipeline drugs in the pipeline landscape. It covers the pipeline drug profiles, including clinical and non-clinical stage products. It also covers the key Nosocomial Pneumonia companies involved such as Merck & Co, Clarametyx Biosciences, Aridis Pharmaceuticals, Clarametyx Biosciences, Nabriva Therapeutics, among others. About DelveInsight DelveInsight is a leading Business Consultant, and Market Research firm focused exclusively on life sciences. It supports Pharma companies by providing comprehensive end-to-end solutions to improve their performance. Get hassle-free access to all the healthcare and pharma market research reports through our subscription-based platform PharmDelve. Connect With Us at LinkedIn | Facebook | Twitter Contact Us Shruti Thakur [email protected] +1(919)321-6187 www.delveinsight.com SOURCE DelveInsight Business Research, LLP Years of innovation have led to a tech-driven process that provides customers with the perfect pair of work boots. RED WING, Minn., March 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Taking the safety footwear shopping experience to the next level, Red Wing Shoe Company has launched an AI-driven Ultimate Fit Experience for customers across all 500+ retail stores. Red Wing's priority has always been to provide the best fitting work boots that reduce fatigue and protect feet, and the new in-store technology makes it even easier. The Ultimate Fit Experience, only available in Red Wing stores, provides the most customizable, premium and efficient retail experience in the category. "We saw an opportunity to advance the Ultimate Fit Experience to provide an even more personalized fit for our customers," said Mike VanGoethem, vice president and chief services officer, Red Wing Shoe Company. "Our previous experience focused on standard 2D measurement and foot pressure points, and now we are enhancing that, adding in gait assessment and whole foot volume 3D measurement. We're excited to merge the art of our purpose-built shoes, with the science of this new dynamic, tech-driven approach to ensure the best fit for worker comfort and safety." FINDING THE ULTIMATE FIT In the new Ultimate Fit Experience, a Red Wing Certified Fit Specialist will help customers build a customized fit system (boot, insole and sock), starting with a personal assessment of their work environment conditions and safety requirements. This is combined with new state-of-the-art foot scanning technology by Volumental. Customers first step onto a 3D scanner that assesses 16 foot measurements in less than 5 seconds. They then walk across a pressure plate for a dynamic foot scan, which provides a visualization of their gait and pressure points. This customized technology creates a digital 3D model of the customer's feet, which is used to recommend their ideal work boot size and any additional foot support with incredible accuracy. In a partnership between Red Wing and Superfeet, stores will also offer insole recommendations and the ability to purchase custom 3D printed footbeds that are designed and printed for their unique foot shape and movement patterns, then mailed directly to the customer. These custom footbeds help reduce fatigue on feet due to a combination of custom arch support, flex zones and flex lines, designed to enhance natural motion and help feet move more efficiently. Data collected from the personal assessment and foot scan is combined with retail purchase data and custom AI-driven technology to provide tailored recommendations across Red Wing's catalogue of footwear styles. Shoppers will leave inspired by the experience and confident in their work boot purchase. "I hear positive feedback of the Ultimate Fit Experience process nearly every day from at least a customer or two," said Branden Rion, Virginia Beach Red Wing store associate. "Once customers have a better visual understanding of things like sizing, arch height and foot pressure distribution, they're more liable to make purchases based off of that." And when it comes time for a customer to make their next work boot purchase, their personal profile, including work requirements and fit history, will be easily accessible across Red Wing's store ecosystem to help match the individual to the perfect fitting boot again and again. Learn more about Red Wing's Ultimate Fit Experience here. To find your nearest retailer, visit www.redwingshoes.com/stores. About Red Wing Shoe Company Red Wing Shoe Company Inc. is a global leader in the design, production and distribution of safety and lifestyle footwear and work apparel. Established in 1905 in Red Wing, Minn., the privately held company's family of brands includes Red Wing Shoes, the premium choice for purpose-built work footwear, workwear and accessories. Its brands are distributed to more than 110 countries in an immersive multichannel environment of 500+ Red Wing retail stores, third-party partners and owned e-commerce platforms. Red Wing Shoe Company employs more than 2,000 employees worldwide and operates two U.S. manufacturing facilities in Red Wing, Minn. and Potosi, Mo. For more information, please visit RedWingShoeCo.com or follow @RedWingShoes. Media Contact: Sabrina Diaz [email protected] 612-375-8549 SOURCE Red Wing Shoe Company The primary aim of the prize, which was first awarded in 2018, has been to raise awareness about the importance of publishing all well-conducted studies, regardless of the outcome, to ensure scientific integrity and increase public trust in research. When researchers fail to publish negative findings, an important part of the complete scientific knowledge is lost, which could lead to unnecessary duplication of research efforts and potential loss of time and money. According to Chantelle Ferland-Beckham, PhD, Senior Director of External Affairs at CVB and member of the GPDF Steering Committee, which oversees the prize, "Since the prize was first initiated, we've seen a shift from relegating negative results to the lab notebook to celebrating their contribution to collaborative science. CVB is deeply committed to broadly promoting scientific integrity at all levels. We are the lead organization behind the US branch of the GPDF and actively sponsor several initiatives that help to advance greater discipline in research methodology and processes We believe strongly in the Best Negative Data Prize in Preclinical Neuroscience and its contribution to scientific discourse and are privileged to co-sponsor this with ECNP." ECNP president-elect Martien Kas stated, "ECNP exists to advance the science and treatment of brain disorders. The scale and impact of these disorders demand our very best research efforts as well as the optimal use of available resources. Ensuring that negative results are accessible to researchers plays a critical role in improving scientific transparency and enhancing the rigor and efficiency that will lead to better, safer treatments." The call for submissions for the 2022 Best Negative Data Prize in Preclinical Neuroscience will open on March 15, 2022, with a closing date of April 30th, 2022. The award itself is a monetary prize of 10,000 made available through the generous sponsorship support provided by CVB (https://www.cohenveteransbioscience.org/) and will be awarded at the 35th ECNP Congress in Vienna, Austria, October 2022. Full details about the criteria for submission and how to apply for the 2022 Best Negative Data Prize in Preclinical Neuroscience can be found at the following URL https://www.preclinicaldataforum.org/negative-prize/ How To Apply Corresponding authors may submit their papers directly on the GPDF's website (https://www.preclinicaldataforum.org/negative-prize/) via the submission link. The review committee will select and inform the winner by September 1, 2022. The public announcement and presentation of the prize will take place at the 35th ECNP Congress in Austria, Vienna October 15-18, 2022, where the winner will be expected to present a talk about his or her negative data results paper. About the Global Preclinical Data Forum The Global Preclinical Data Forum (GPDF) is a joint US and European initiative to encourage global collaboration to address the challenge of ensuring that preclinical research is reproducible, robust and translatable to support disease research utility for clinical research & development. Members are comprised of preclinical scientists from academia, publishing, non-profit, industry and government, across the US and Europe, who aim to encourage global collaboration to advance translational research through the identification and sharing of best research practices, the development and implementation of novel data quality standards and providing training to the neuroscience community. To learn more about the GPDF and its work, visit https://www.preclinicaldataforum.org/. About Cohen Veterans Bioscience Cohen Veterans Bioscience (CVB) is a non-profit 501(c)(3) biomedical research organization dedicated to fast-tracking the development of diagnostic tests and personalized therapeutics for the millions of veterans and civilians who suffer the devastating effects of trauma-related and other brain disorders. CVB promotes best practices in research for evidence-driven, reproducible, and effective solutions. To support & learn more about our research efforts visit www.cohenveteransbioscience.org. About the ECNP ECNP is a scientific association dedicated to advancing the science of the brain, promoting better treatment and enhancing brain health. It is Europe's leading independent forum for the science of CNS treatments. The ECNP Congress, Europe's largest meeting on brain science, showcases the world's best disease-oriented brain research, annually attracting between 4,000 and 6,000 neuroscientists, psychiatrists, neurologists and psychologists. ECNP's wide range of scientific and educational activities, programmes and events make it the largest non-institutional supporter of applied and translational neuroscience research and education in Europe. The ECNP Preclinical Data Forum, established by ECNP in 2014, was the founding basis, and now the European branch, of the Global Preclinical Data Forum. More information about ECNP, its aims and activities, can be found at www.ecnp.eu. SOURCE Cohen Veterans Bioscience Fohse is ranked #1 after years of diligence, innovation and massive growth resulting in a growth of 2,332 percent. Tweet this Brett Stevens Fohse CEO and Co-Founder says: "This is such an amazing honor for all of us at Fohse and a clear validation of the amazing growth we have experienced. This is just the beginning for us. We are still a young company and 2022 will be an even bigger year for growth as we release new products and expand into more markets across the globe. We are so grateful for our loyal customers who utilize our lights and are continuing to see their yields go up!" The companies on this list show a remarkable rate of growth across all industries in the Rocky Mountain region. Between 2018 and 2020, these 60 private companies had an average growth rate of 252% percent and, in 2020 alone, they added 4,176 jobs and nearly $1 billion to the Rocky Mountain region's economy. Companies based in the Las Vegas, Nevada, Boise, Idaho, and Vail, Colorado, areas had the highest growth rate overall. Complete results of the Inc. 5000 Regionals Rocky Mountain, including company profiles and an interactive database that can be sorted by industry, metro area, and other criteria, can be found at inc.com/rocky-mountain starting March 15, 2022. "This year's Inc. 5000 Regional winners represent one of the most exceptional and exciting lists of America's off-the-charts growth companies. They're disrupters and job creators, and all delivered an outsize impact on the economy. Remember their names and follow their lead. These are the companies you'll be hearing about for years to come," says Scott Omelianuk, editor-in-chief of Inc. About Fohse: Fohse, the Future of Horticultural Science & Engineering, a leading manufacturer of high-performance LED grow lights, creates lighting fixtures that enable previously unobtainable and unthinkable results. Fohse's sustainable and innovative first-of-their-kind products create a loyal customer base around the world. More about Inc. and the Inc. 5000 Regionals Methodology The 2022 Inc. 5000 Regionals are ranked according to percentage revenue growth when comparing 2018 and 2020. To qualify, companies must have been founded and generating revenue by March 31, 2018. They had to be U.S.-based, privately held, for-profit, and independentnot subsidiaries or divisions of other companiesas of December 31, 2019. (Since then, a number of companies on the list have gone public or been acquired.) The minimum revenue required for 2018 is $100,000; the minimum for 2020 is $1 million. As always, Inc. reserves the right to decline applicants for subjective reasons. About Inc. Media The world's most trusted business-media brand, Inc. offers entrepreneurs the knowledge, tools, connections, and community to build great companies. Its award-winning multiplatform content reaches more than 50 million people each month across a variety of channels including websites, newsletters, social media, podcasts, and print. Its prestigious Inc. 5000 list, produced every year since 1982, analyzes company data to recognize the fastest-growing privately held businesses in the United States. The global recognition that comes with inclusion in the 5000 gives the founders of the best businesses an opportunity to engage with an exclusive community of their peers and the credibility that helps them drive sales and recruit talent. The associated Inc. 5000 Conference is part of a highly acclaimed portfolio of bespoke events produced by Inc. For more information, visit www.inc.com. MEDIA CONTACT: Ida Bo Frazier The Rose Group [email protected] SOURCE Fohse Companies on the 2022 Inc. 5000 Regionals Pacific list had an average growth rate of 195% percent SAN DIEGO , March 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Inc. Magazine today revealed that Cymbiotika is No. 30 on its third annual Inc. 5000 Regionals: Pacific list, the most prestigious ranking of the fastest-growing private companies based in Alaska, Hawaii, California, Oregon, and Washington. Born of the annual Inc. 5000 franchise, this regional list represents a unique look at the most successful private companies within the Pacific region economy generating sustainable growth and jobs. "We're thrilled to receive this recognition for the hard work and dedication that our team has put into Cymbiotika, helping to make us one of today's fastest-growing health and wellness lifestyle brands," said Cymbiotika. "We are on a mission to empower individuals to take ownership of their lives, both by reclaiming their health and advancing their understanding of optimum wellness, with the power of natural, plant-based supplementation. Cymbiotika has grown exponentially over the past four years and we are confident it is positioned for even better growth in the years to come." The companies on this list show a remarkable rate of growth across all industries in the Pacific. Between 2018 and 2020, these 150 private companies had an average growth rate of 195% percent and, in 2020 alone, they added 10,252 jobs and $5.1 billion to the Pacific region's economy. Companies based in the Irvine, Santa Monica, and Venice, California, areas had the highest growth rate overall. Complete results of the Inc. 5000 Regionals Pacific, including company profiles and an interactive database that can be sorted by industry, metro area, and other criteria, can be found at inc.com/pacific starting March 15, 2022. "This year's Inc. 5000 Regional winners represent one of the most exceptional and exciting lists of America's off-the-charts growth companies. They're disrupters and job creators, and all delivered an outsize impact on the economy. Remember their names and follow their lead. These are the companies you'll be hearing about for years to come," says Scott Omelianuk, editor-in-chief of Inc. About Cymbiotika Cymbiotika is an innovative wellness brand based in San Diego. With the motto, "Your mind and body deserve the best", Cymbiotika is driven by the higher purpose of inspiring everyday people to achieve their optimal health. Founded in 2017, Cymbiotika uses the most advanced bioavailable absorption technology and sources only the highest quality plant-based nutrients to resolve specific nutritional deficiencies and support healthy aging, detoxification and longevity. Cymbiotika never uses synthetics, GMOs, fillers, chemicals, preservatives, additives or sugars in its products. For more information, visit www.cymbiotika.com . More about Inc. and the Inc. 5000 Regionals Methodology The 2022 Inc. 5000 Regionals are ranked according to percentage revenue growth when comparing 2018 and 2020. To qualify, companies must have been founded and generating revenue by March 31, 2018. They had to be U.S.-based, privately held, for-profit, and independentnot subsidiaries or divisions of other companiesas of December 31, 2019. (Since then, a number of companies on the list have gone public or been acquired.) The minimum revenue required for 2018 is $100,000; the minimum for 2020 is $1 million. As always, Inc. reserves the right to decline applicants for subjective reasons. About Inc. Media The world's most trusted business-media brand, Inc. offers entrepreneurs the knowledge, tools, connections, and community to build great companies. Its award-winning multiplatform content reaches more than 50 million people each month across a variety of channels including websites, newsletters, social media, podcasts, and print. Its prestigious Inc. 5000 list, produced every year since 1982, analyzes company data to recognize the fastest-growing privately held businesses in the United States. The global recognition that comes with inclusion in the 5000 gives the founders of the best businesses an opportunity to engage with an exclusive community of their peers and the credibility that helps them drive sales and recruit talent. The associated Inc. 5000 Conference is part of a highly acclaimed portfolio of bespoke events produced by Inc. For more information, visit www.inc.com . SOURCE Cymbiotika NEW YORK, March 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Ned Davis Research (NDR), a global provider of independent macro investment research and a business of Euromoney Institutional Investor, have released compelling data confirming the impact women have on the global economy and the markets, in commemoration of International Women's Day. In a special report, How Women Drive the Global Economy and Markets, NDR discusses how the world's female population plays a significant role in the global economy, productivity, and equity market trends over time. The report also identifies which economies are better positioned to reap the benefits of their extremely valuable female populations. "The potential contribution of women to the global economy and markets is immense, but the proper policies need to be put in place to make the best of this resource," said Alejandra Grindal, chief economist for NDR, and author of the report. NDR's support of International Women's Day demonstrates the company's desire to advance gender equality and is part of Euromoney's commitment to promoting the goals of diversity and inclusion within its own businesses and across the investment industry. "Women's Day is an opportunity for all of us to celebrate the contributions that women have made to the growth and prosperity of our society, but it is also a platform for discussing the barriers that exist to fair and equal treatment in the workplace, said Fran Cashman, CEO of Euromoney Institutional Investor's Asset Management Division. "Women have made great strides in leveling the playing field, but there is so much more to do," added Cashman. "We must be intentional in our pursuit to provide more opportunities for women who often shape and create the world as we know it." Paul Jakubowicz, managing director for NDR, added "NDR is fortunate to have incredibly talented women driving key products and research. By recruiting, training, and supporting these women throughout their careers, we have seen new doors opened for them and for the broader investment community. We know our future success depends on the hard work, innovation, and leadership that women bring to NDR every day." International Women's Day is a global holiday celebrated annually on March 8th to commemorate the cultural, political, and socioeconomic achievements of women. It is also a focal point in the women's rights movement, bringing attention to issues such as gender equality, reproductive rights, and violence and abuse against women. Ned Davis Research (NDR) is a global provider of independent investment research, solutions and tools. Founded in 1980, NDR helps clients around the world make objective investment decisions. Our experienced strategists and analysts use fundamental and technical research with models, charts, indicators and weight-of-the-evidence methodology to help clients see the signals and invest with confidence. Part of the Euromoney franchise, NDR is headquartered in Nokomis, Florida with offices in New York, London, Hong Kong and Sydney, and Montreal. Euromoney is a global B2B information-services business, providing actionable data, analysis, intelligence and access through three divisions in markets where information and convening participants is valued. Euromoney has customers in more than 160 countries and over 2,500 employees located in North America, South America, Europe and Asia. Media Contacts: Darrell Oliver Global Head of Communications and Public Relations W: (646) 539-3640 C: 929.316.2708 [email protected] Danielle Nemeth Public Relations Account Manager Montieth & Company [email protected] 732.575.3948 SOURCE Ned Davis Research (NDR) DUBLIN, March 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Gas Compressors Market: Global Industry Trends, Share, Size, Growth, Opportunity and Forecast 2021-2026" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The global gas compressors market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 7.5% during 2021-2026. Keeping in mind the uncertainties of COVID-19, the analyst is 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. A gas compressor refers to a mechanical device that increases the static pressure of a gas by reducing its volume. Some of the commonly used gas compressors include positive displacement and dynamic gas compressors. Positive displacement compressors include reciprocating and rotary variants that compress the gas by confining it in a closed space and increasing the pressure. On the other hand, the dynamic compressor consists of an axial and centrifugal compressor that compresses the gas through the mechanical action of rotating vanes or impellers. These compressors are commonly used for gases, such as ethylene, fluorine, argon, hydrogen, nitrogen, xenon and silane. As a result, they find extensive applications across various industries, including general manufacturing, construction, oil & gas, mining, chemicals and petrochemicals and power generation. Significant growth in the oil and gas industry across the globe represents one of the key factors creating a positive outlook for the gas compressors market. Furthermore, the widespread adoption of gas compressors for the processing and transportation of renewable energy resources, such as natural gas, over long distances, is also driving the market growth. In line with this, they are also used in hospitals during surgical procedures and in air filtration duct systems for maintaining the air quality and preventing contaminations and infections. Additionally, various product innovations, such as the development of energy-efficient portable compressors for automation in industrial plants, are acting as other growth-inducing factors. Product manufacturers are also developing variants with improved storage tanks, enhanced performance capabilities, minimal maintenance requirements and fuel consumption, which, in turn, is favoring the market growth. Other factors, including rapid industrialization, along with extensive research and development (R&D) activities, are anticipated to drive the market further. Competitive Landscape The competitive landscape of the industry has also been examined along with the profiles of the key players being Ariel Corporation, Atlas Copco AB, Bauer Compressors Inc., Burckhardt Compression Holding AG, Exterran Corporation, Gardner Denver Inc., General Electric Company, Hitachi Ltd., Kobelco and Siemens AG. Key Questions Answered in This Report How has the global gas compressors market performed so far and how will it perform in the coming years? What has been the impact of COVID-19 on the global gas compressors market? What are the key regional markets? What is the breakup of the market based on the compressor type? What is the breakup of the market based on the end use industry? 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 gas compressors 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 Gas Compressors Market 5.1 Market Overview 5.2 Market Performance 5.3 Impact of COVID-19 5.4 Market Forecast 6 Market Breakup by Compressor Type 6.1 Positive Displacement Compressor 6.1.1 Market Trends 6.1.2 Market Forecast 6.2 Dynamic Compressor 6.2.1 Market Trends 6.2.2 Market Forecast 7 Market Breakup by End-use Industry 7.1 General Manufacturing 7.1.1 Market Trends 7.1.2 Market Forecast 7.2 Construction 7.2.1 Market Trends 7.2.2 Market Forecast 7.3 Oil and Gas 7.3.1 Market Trends 7.3.2 Market Forecast 7.4 Mining 7.4.1 Market Trends 7.4.2 Market Forecast 7.5 Chemicals and Petrochemicals 7.5.1 Market Trends 7.5.2 Market Forecast 7.6 Power Generation 7.6.1 Market Trends 7.6.2 Market Forecast 7.7 Others 7.7.1 Market Trends 7.7.2 Market Forecast 8 Market Breakup by Region 9 SWOT Analysis 10 Value Chain Analysis 11 Porters Five Forces Analysis 12 Price Analysis 13 Competitive Landscape 13.1 Market Structure 13.2 Key Players 13.3 Profiles of Key Players 13.3.1 Ariel Corporation 13.3.1.1 Company Overview 13.3.1.2 Product Portfolio 13.3.1.3 SWOT Analysis 13.3.2 Atlas Copco AB 13.3.2.1 Company Overview 13.3.2.2 Product Portfolio 13.3.2.3 Financials 13.3.2.4 SWOT Analysis 13.3.3 Bauer Compressors Inc. 13.3.3.1 Company Overview 13.3.3.2 Product Portfolio 13.3.4 Burckhardt Compression Holding AG 13.3.4.1 Company Overview 13.3.4.2 Product Portfolio 13.3.4.3 Financials 13.3.5 Exterran Corporation 13.3.5.1 Company Overview 13.3.5.2 Product Portfolio 13.3.5.3 Financials 13.3.5.4 SWOT Analysis 13.3.6 Gardner Denver Inc. 13.3.6.1 Company Overview 13.3.6.2 Product Portfolio 13.3.7 General Electric Company 13.3.7.1 Company Overview 13.3.7.2 Product Portfolio 13.3.7.3 Financials 13.3.7.4 SWOT Analysis 13.3.8 Hitachi Ltd. 13.3.8.1 Company Overview 13.3.8.2 Product Portfolio 13.3.8.3 Financials 13.3.8.4 SWOT Analysis 13.3.9 Kobelco 13.3.9.1 Company Overview 13.3.9.2 Product Portfolio 13.3.9.3 Financials 13.3.9.4 SWOT Analysis 13.3.10 Siemens AG 13.3.10.1 Company Overview 13.3.10.2 Product Portfolio 13.3.10.3 Financials 13.3.10.4 SWOT Analysis For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/e5l49b 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 Guided by its New Vision for Value Creation, Yili actively seized the opportunities created by growth in overall consumption and achieved the best-ever start to a year in history, with a single-month operating income of over RMB 10 billion. Exceptional performance in product categories Yili continuously optimized its product portfolio, upgraded the product lines and offered richer product experience to consumers. In January and February 2022, the business segments of liquid milk, milk power and dairy products, and ice cream maintained strong growth momentum. Satine, Ambrosial, Jinlingguan, Chocliz, Gemice, Chang Qing, Meiyitian and Cheese Bars for Kids saw a 3-percentage-point YoY growth in the market share, further expanding the scale of Yili's high-end niche market and maintaining its leading position in market share of high-end products. The second growth curve As sales of Jinlingguan infant formula milk powder grow rapidly and the cheese business doubles, Yili is now on its way to establishing a second growth curve. In January and February, the sales revenue of Jinlingguan rose by at least 30% year on year, ranking first in the industry. In February, Yili took the lead in upgrading the formula of Jinlingguan infant formula milk powder and became the only leading milk power producer to meet the strict new national standard. In addition, Yili has just entered into an agreement to acquire Ausnutria by way of a tender offer. After the merger, Yili will see fast growth in its milk power business. Yili's cheese segment is also growing rapidly. The market share of its cheese products expanded by 3 percentage points year-on-year in January 2022. Strong milk supplies At present, Yili enjoys quality milk supplies from Youran Dairy, the largest cow breeder in China, and Zhongdi Dairy, and has also acquired Westland Dairy, the second largest dairy company in New Zealand. Additionally, Yili has empowered its cooperative farms with funding, training and other quality resources. With the acquisition of Ausnutria, which holds rich dairy resources in the Netherlands and Australia, Yili will further enhance its advantages in milk supply. Moreover, Yili also has 15 R&D innovation centers and 13 overseas production bases and sells its products to over 60 countries and regions in the world. Yili is confident that it will achieve robust growth in the future. SOURCE Yili Group JPMorgan has cut its earnings estimates for European banks by 14-15% a year in the wake of Russias invasion of Ukraine. The banks now find themselves in a lower growth environment which might crimp their ability to dish out the dividends and buy back shares. The Russian banking market is relatively small at just US$1,600bn in assets compared to the EU banking sectors US$40,000bn, JPMorgan (JPM) noted. European banks overall direct Russian exposure accounts for an estimated US$8bn of equity/intra-group debt as well as US$210bn in Russia-related bank, corporate and central bank exposure, JPM calculates. The majority of forecast risk, therefore, comes via the spillover effect in respect to capital at risk from: i) commodity traders, but we think this is generally manageable; and ii) most importantly, the economic spillover effect on Europe, the investment bank said. Even after scaling back its share buyback and dividend forecasts, JPM thinks the risk/reward balance on European banks is positive following the recent share price resets. We see it unlikely the ECB [European Central Bank] will take a blanket approach on payouts for Eurozone banks under its supervision, JPM said, expressing a preference for UBS, Deutsche Bank, Lloyds Banking Group PLC (LSE:LLOY), AIBG, Sabadell and Nordea in the sector. Sovereign Metals Ltd (ASX:SVM, AIM:SVML) has encountered the highest rutile grades to date in assay results from a 2021 drilling program at the flagship Kasiya-Nsaru Project in Malawi, increasing the drill-defined mineralised footprint by 28% to 165 square kilometres. Sovereign has determined that the Kasiya and Nsaru deposits are a single, very large, coherent body of near-surface rutile and graphite mineralisation. The new set of drilling results returned the highest grade of rutile yet discovered at the project from Nsaru and added new extensions to the east of Kasiya with highlights of: 11 metres at 1.34% rutile, including 2 metres at 3.00%; 8 metres at 1.36%, including 2 metres at 2.66%; 12 metres at 1.46%, including 4 metres at 2.42% 12 metres at 1.27%, including 3 metres at 2.16%; 7 metres at 1.84%, including 4 metres at 2.71%; and 13 metres at 1.48%, including 5 metres at 2.23%. These new extensions coupled with new blocks of high-grade mineralisation are expected to add substantially to an upcoming mineral resource estimate update, and an updated scoping study is underway, focused on incorporating the growing resource base. World's single largest rutile deposit The results of the latest drilling program have surpassed all of our expectations, Sovereign Metals managing director Dr Julian Stephens said. Not only did we encounter the highest rutile grades to date, but the coalescing of the Kasiya and Nsaru deposits supports our belief that we have the single largest rutile deposit in the world on our hands. We are looking forward to announcing the updated mineral resource estimate in the coming weeks. Sovereign says these results confirm the strategic and global significance of Kasiya as the largest undeveloped natural rutile project in the world, and first major rutile discovery in half a century. The main uses for rutile include the manufacturing of ceramics, pigments and titanium metal. Finely powdered rutile can be used in paints, plastics, paper, foods and other applications that call for a bright white colour. Sovereign Metals Ltd (ASX:SVM, AIM:SVML)s Julian Stephens discusses a large increase to the drill-defined mineralised rutile footprint of the companys flagship Kasiya-Nsaru Project in Malawi, which grew by 28% to 165 square kilometres. The rutile sector is currently in a severe production deficit, meaning Sovereign will be able to leverage its rutile deposit which is one of the largest natural deposits in the world strategically in the market. Imperial Brands PLC (LSE:IMB) is in talks to sell its Russian assets and operations as the group tries to cut ties with the increasingly isolated country. The tobacco maker employs 1,000 people in Russia in sales and marketing in a factory in Volgograd. Russia and Ukraine accounting for around 2% of total revenue and 0.5% of operating profits. Imperial Brands shares are down more than 11% since Putin ordered troops into Ukraine. We believe that, in the current circumstances, an orderly transfer of our business as a going concern would be in the best interests of our Russian colleagues, the company said in a statement. The company, which had previously suspended operations in Ukraine, will continue to pay the wages of Russian staff until a sale is completed. Imperial Brands now expects net revenue growth of 0-1% this year, with limited impact on profitability given the minimal profit contributions by its Russian and Ukraine business. Shares in Imperial Brands were down 1.2% at 1,531.50p in morning deals. Inchcape PLC (LSE:INCH) has joined the growing throng of UK businesses exiting Russia. In conjunction with its original equipment manufacturing (OEM) partners, it has initiated a process to change the ownership of its business in Russia in full compliance with international and local regulations and with the aim of safeguarding the jobs of employees. Inchcape's car dealing business in Russia is a retail-only operation, the company said, and during 2021 it disposed of its St. Petersburg operations. The remaining business contributed 750mln of revenue in 2021, which is roughly 10% of group sales; over the last five years, Inchcapes Russian operations have generated around 5% of the group's operating profit, although prior to the pandemic this percentage would have been less than 3%. The FTSE 250 companys shares have plunged from around 832p to 702.5p since Russia invaded Ukraine. UK petrol prices could jump to 2.50 a litre, while diesel could touch 3 and may even be rationed as a result of Russias invasion of Ukraine, experts told a Treasury select committee. Leading economics and energy analysts also called on chancellor Rishi Sunak to subsidise lower-income households so they can cope with soaring energy bills amid a broader spike in the cost of living, The Guardian reported. The average cost of a litre of petrol on 13 March rose to almost 1.64, while diesel was up at 1.73, according to the latest figures from data firm Experian (LSE:EXPN) Catalist, with prices continuing to hit record highs following Russias invasion of Ukraine on 24 February. The UK gets relatively little crude oil and gas from Russia, but about 18% of diesel imports came from Russia in 2020. The Treasury committee was told that prices could increase much further if geopolitical tensions continue or even worsen, with the cost of diesel potentially doubling in the UK, the paper reported. Dr Amrita Sen, a founding partner and chief oil analyst at the research consultancy Energy Aspects, warned that diesel was likely to be rationed in Germany before the end of March and that the same could happen in the UK. Government win While consumers are suffering, the UK government is benefitting from the spike in prices. Fuel duty is levied at a flat rate of 57.95p per litre for both petrol and diesel, while VAT at 20% is then charged on both the product price and the duty, according to the RAC Foundation. The chancellor should consider cutting the level of fuel duty if pump prices continue to rise, the RAC Foundation said. The Republic of Ireland previously announced that excise duty on petrol and diesel will be reduced until the end of August. Petrol will be cut by 20 cents a litre and diesel by 15 cents a litre. If the chancellor is looking for ways to help with soaring household bills then an obvious option would be to follow the example set in Ireland and cut the rate of fuel duty to ease the burden of soaring pump prices, said RAC Foundation director Steve Gooding. That would directly benefit the three quarters or so of households that run a car and indirectly help us all by reducing the rising fuel cost pressure on businesses and hauliers that will otherwise inevitably make its way to higher prices on the shelves for consumers. The UK government is to tighten sanctions on Russia with a ban on exports to the country of high-end luxury goods from works of art to fashion, while imposing new import tariffs on hundreds of products such as vodka. About 900mln of goods will initially be affected by the fresh import levies, which will represent a 35 percentage point hike on current rates. The export ban is designed to deprive oligarchs and members of Russias elite from access to luxury goods, the government said. "Our new tariffs will further isolate the Russian economy from global trade, ensuring it does not benefit from the rule-based international system, said Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak. "These tariffs build on the UKs existing work to starve Russias access to international finance, sanction Putins cronies and exert maximum pressure on his regime. The latest sanctions follow asset freezes and travel bans on seven oligarchs and 286 members of the Russian Duma. The UK has also provided 400mln of humanitarian aid to Ukraine, defensive weapons and civilian supplies, the government said. Goods included in the import levies include iron, steel, fertilizers, wood, tyres, railway containers, cement, copper aluminium, antiques, fur skins and glassware. Several luxury goods companies, including Aston Martin Lagonda Global Holdings PLC (LSE:AML) and Burberry Group PLC (LSE:BRBY) have already made steps to suspend the supply of goods to Russia or temporarily close their outlets in the country. Shares of Aston Martin traded down 6.8%, while Burberry was just 0.4% lower. In addition, the British government announced sanctions against a further 350 Russian individuals and entities, Sky News reported. Crossword Cybersecurity PLC (AIM:CCS)'s Jake Holloway, Chief Product Officer, joins Proactive London's Katie Pilbeam to talk about acquiring Threat Status Ltd, the provider of a platform for businesses to monitor leaked data, for a total consideration of 1.53mln. The plan is to incorporate their products - Trillion and Arc into Crossword's product suite to support their aim of having five products in the market by the end of 2022 and adding over 20 new recurring revenue clients. The move represents their third acquisition in less than a year, adding to their portfolio of subscription-based, enterprise-class products and services. By Zhongsheng Recently some American politicians and media have been busy smearing and slandering China on the Ukraine issue by fabricating and spreading disinformation, but such contemptible buck-passing and rumor-mongering hit a wall of iron-clad facts. Instead of exculpating America from its responsibilities for the Ukraine crisis, it only further exposed its viperous intention of bringing the whole world into a snafu. Whats happening in Ukraine right now is something China doesnt want to see. As a permanent member of the UN Security Council, China has made its judgment and expressed its assertions independently based on the merits of the matter itself and the spirit of impartiality and justice. The special historical complexities on the Ukraine issue require great calm, care and clarity of mind when being dealt with. China believes that to resolve the current crisis, all parties must uphold the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, and respect and protect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries; must adhere to the principle of indivisible security and accommodate the legitimate security concerns of parties involved; must settle the disputes in peaceful ways through dialogue and negotiation; and must keep in mind the long-term peace and stability of the region and put in place a balanced, effective and sustainable European security architecture. Chinas stance is just and righteous with positive and constructive assertions. Whats most needed now is facilitating peace talks rather than pouring oil. China is on the side of peace, cooperation, fairness and justice. It endorses any efforts that ease the situation and facilitate a political settlement and objects to any action that escalates the situation and sabotages a diplomatic resolution. China has been in close communication with all parties. It has tried to facilitate a peace talk and stands ready to continue to play a constructive role in that direction and mediate, along with the international community, when necessary. This is the kind of behavior that is expected of a responsible major country, posing a sharp contrast to some certain countrys attempt to create and shift the crisis and fish in the troubled water of its own making, which indeed does no good to any party, including itself. China does not approve of sanctioning the Ukraine crisis out, let alone unilateral sanctions not supported by international law. Sanction is never an effective solution it only inflicts economic and livelihood hardships on relevant countries and further aggravates division and confrontation, not only causing economic losses to all parties but obstructing the process of a political resolution. According to data from the US Department of the Treasury, the number of sanctions imposed by the US in the past 20 years has grown 10 times, including 3,800 sanction items during the previous administration, averaging three times per day. Americas unilateral sanctions have made much trouble for the world for their sustained, systematic harm to human rights. It should stop the abuse of sanctions and give up the illusion that it could force other countries to do things they are objected to. The American politicians and medias fabrication and spreading of disinformation about the Ukraine issue ring a bell of Americas shitty record of waging wars based on lies and rumors. During its short history of fewer than 250 years, there are less than 20 years when the US didnt start a military operation on foreign land, while sometimes all it took to impose military intervention was a piece of fake news. Former American ambassador to Soviet Union George Frost Kennan gave a piece of advice to the US government back in the 1990s. He said NATOs continuous expansion against Russia would be the most lethal mistake in American policies. As the culprit, Washington should seriously reflect on its role in the Ukraine crisis, and stop lying, cheating and misleading. What it should do now is live up to its due responsibilities, take concrete actions to mitigate the tension and solve the problem, and make some contribution to rebuilding peace. Editor's note: This article is originally published on the People's Daily, 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. Investors in the flagship fund of former star manager Neil Woodford are facing a further delay in the sale of its remaining assets after fund administrator Link continues to struggle winding up the fund. Having last summer pushed back the final sales of the Woodford Equity Income funds assets until some time in 2022, and confirmed the same in late November, but investors were today told that this may not be completed by the end of 2022. Link Fund Solutions, which suspended the fund in June 2019, began the process to finally wind up the fund in January 2020. Ryan Hughes, head of investment research at AJ Bell, said the news will be extremely disappointing for investors locked in the fund and that it seems that little progress has been made on disposing the remaining assets in the fund since Links last update. Moira ONeill, head of personal finance at Interactive Investor, said the letter is guaranteed to add insult to injury after almost three long years. It adds more questions when all people want is answers. Theres no specific date for the fifth capital distribution and no guarantee that a wind up of the fund will happen in 2022. Link, which has been taken to court by law firm Leigh Day to claim losses suffered by investors in the fund, sent a letter to investors that revealed the value of the funds remaining assets was 140.9mln at the end of February 2022. While this represented an improvement from the 124.3mln in November, it compares to 288mln a year ago. The current assets comprise nine shareholdings to be sold: Atom Bank, Benevolent AI, Drayson, Mafic, Nexeon, Origin, RM2 (LSE:RN2), Rutherford Healthcare and Sabina Estates. The main change from the last update is that Cambridge Innovation Capital is no longer listed in the assets to be sold. Hughes said while investors may be heartened to see that the value of the assets has actually increased since the last update, this will be of little comfort given the longer term performance. Investors will be more focused on when they can finally get the remainder of their money back and there is no commitment in the latest update on this front. Its been 15 months since investors had their last distribution which shows just how challenging it is to try and sell the remaining assets into a market where the buyers hold all the cards. While Link will be trying to ensure they get the best possible price for the assets, its also important to balance the length of time investors are having to wait. I suspect many would now simply accept a lower price to get the sale completed so they can draw a line under this sorry saga and move on. Investors are also waiting to hear from the Financial Conduct Authority, which in January said it was close to making a decision on whether to take enforcement action over Link's gating of the fund in 2019, with chief executive Nikhil Rathi saying the watchdog was "finalising our legal analysis with a view to making decisions as to whether to take action and, if so, what action should be taken and against whom". There has been no update since. The FCA must provide some answers soon," said O'Neill, because investors need closure of some kind. We were expecting news from the regulator by the end of 2021 but the deafening silence has continued well into 2022. Mako Gold Ltd (ASX:MKG) has intersected high-grade gold mineralisation in deep extensional drilling beneath the Tchaga prospect of the flagship Napie Project in Cote dIvoire, returning multiple notably high-grade intercepts including: 4.5 metres at 6.92 g/t gold, including 1-metre at 29.46 g/t; and 19.6 metres at 4.36 g/t, including 2.2 metres at 23.49 g/t. All 10 diamond drill holes returned appreciable mineralisation of sufficient width and grade with the potential to increase the size of a maiden mineral resource estimate (MRE) Mako expects to complete in the second quarter of this year. Several of the drill cores revealed multiple distinct sections of mineralisation, including NARC559DD which hosts an aggregate width and weighted average grade of 63.1 metres at 1.25 g/t gold. Option to extend resource at depth We are pleased with the results from our extensional deep diamond drilling at the Tchaga Prospect, especially since all 10 holes intersected significant gold mineralisation," Mako Gold managing director Peter Ledwidge said. Gold mineralisation is shown to be open at depth, indicating that post maiden MRE, there will be the option to extend the resource at depth at Tchaga, thereby increasing the size of the resource. Extensional drilling is ongoing at Gogbala with two drills working around the clock, as we gear up for the upcoming MRE. Other highlight assays from Tchaga include: NARC621DD: 41 metres of mineralisation intersected over 7 zones averaging 2.85 g/t gold, including: 6 metres at 1.24 g/t from 48 metres; 6.7 metres at 1.46 g/t from 160.1 metres, including 1-metre at 6.87 g/t from 160.1 metres; and 19.6 metres at 4.36 g/t from 187.4 metres, including 2.2 metres at 23.49 g/t from 189.8 metres. NARC512DD: 14.6 metres of mineralisation intersected over 4 zones averaging 3.32 g/t gold, including: 4.5 metres at 6.92 g/t from 213.1 metres, including 1-metre at 29.46 g/t from 216.6 metres; and 5 metres at 2.28 g/t from 256 metres. NARC559DD: 63.1 metres of mineralisation intersected over 15 zones averaging 1.25 g/t gold, including: 3 metres at 2.66 g/t from 45 metres; 8.3 metres at 0.96 g/t from 115.5 metres; 4.8 metres at 1.24 g/t from 165.2 metres; 13 metres at 1.05 g/t from 297 metres; 3.5 metres at 1.55 g/t from 327.5 metres; 4 metres at 1.65 g/t from 326 metres; and 5 metres at 1.66 g/t from 361 metres; including 1-metre at 5.50 g/t from 361 metres. NARC566DD: 7.75 metres at 1.10 g/t from 169 metres. NARC265DD: 5 metres at 1.12 g/t from 236 metres. Further extensional reverse circulation (RC) drilling and diamond drilling programs are ongoing at the Gogbala prospect, with assays still pending. Once all results have been collated and processed, the company will move to complete a resource estimate for Tchaga and Gogbala. About Mako Gold Mako Gold is an exploration company focused on advancing its flagship Napie Gold Project in Cote dIvoire in the West African Birimian Greenstone Belts which host more than 70 deposits of +1 million ounces. The company is concentrating on a systematic exploration and growth strategy that aims to extend existing high-grade mineralisation and test multiple high priority regional prospects. Mako also has 100% ownership of the Korhogo Gold Project comprising two permits covering 17 kilometres of faulted greenstone/granite contact (high-grade targets) within 30 kilometres of Barricks operating Tongon Gold Mine. February progress on crusher concrete and 2nd lift formwork in the foreground and the mill concrete formwork in the background. Galena Mining Ltd (ASX:G1A) has reached the halfway mark with the construction of Abra Base Metals Mine, its flagship lead-silver project in the Gascoyne region of Western Australia. Construction milestones passed during the last month include the raise drilling of the first 4.5-metre diameter primary ventilation shaft (80 metres) and the start of the civil works associated with the liquid natural gas (LNG) and solar power station. A great milestone Managing director Tony James said: Its a great milestone to go past the 50% mark for the overall construction progress at Abra. Steady progress has been made in the processing plant construction with a total of 766 cubic metres of concrete poured project to date. Underground development has reached 880 metres since commencement, against a plan of 815 metres. By the end of February, the decline has reached 1,422mRL which is 128 metres below the surface and 109 metres above the orebody. The successful drilling of the first 4.5-metre primary ventilation shaft also represents a critical reduction in mining risk as the mine will be able to establish the first leg of the ventilation following installation of the primary ventilation fan that was acquired in 2019. No delays despite altered delivery times The company has been advised of five new delivery times for overseas equipment deliveries. The new delivery times are not expected to alter the plant construction program with work programs being modified to accommodate the changes. During January the manufacturer of the mill equipment reported that one of the girth gear halves was damaged during the tooth cutting machining process. To ensure the girth gear is made correctly with no inherent defects, the supplier decided to re-cast a new gear and start over. The original three shipments for the mill equipment were then changed to include a fourth shipment for the new girth gear and pinion. Shipments for sole plates, a lube system and a shell, gearbox and motor are all proceeding as originally planned. The girth gear and pinion are now scheduled to arrive in July, which will wrap up the mill shipments. None of these changes are expected to cause any delays in the processing plant building schedule. About the Abra Project The Abra Base Metals Mine is a globally significant lead-silver project between the towns of Newman and Meekatharra, 110 kilometres from Sandfires DeGrussa Project. Galena has completed a definitive/bankable feasibility study for development of an underground mine and processing facility to produce a high-value, high-grade lead-silver concentrate. A final investment decision to complete the project was made in June 2021 and the company hopes to complete construction and target first commercial production in the first quarter of 2023. Frontier Energy Ltd (ASX:FHE) hit a new high on kicking off a renewable energy expansion and green hydrogen study at its Bristol Springs Solar (BSS) Project in Western Australia. Through the expansion study, the clean energy company hopes to increase the BSS assets power capacity beyond 500 megawatts of direct current (MWdc). In tandem, the green hydrogen study will consider how future clean energy production at the BSS could tie in with green hydrogen generation. Ultimately, both studies underpin FHEs long-term strategy to become an Australia-focused, integrated clean energy company, as well as the West Australian Governments aim to become a global leader in the green hydrogen industry. In the long run, the BSS Project is projected to provide enough power for 45,000 homes and abate 180,000 tonnes of carbon emissions every year. The project is 120 kilometres south of Perth, within the Golden Triangle of Kwinana-Bunbury-Collie a key region that provides supporting infrastructure and potential offtake customers. Establishing early-mover advantage Commenting on the studies, Frontier managing director Mike Young said: The development of our Bristol Springs Project is well advanced, but the current project (114Mwdc) is only the first stage of our long-term vision. With vast opportunities for solar expansion as well as other renewable energy solutions, we believe there is future potential to increase the power capacity at the project to in excess of 500MWdc. These studies will be led by experienced consultancy Xodus Group, who will consider a range of clean energy scenarios as well as the potential for Green Hydrogen production. With the Western Australian Governments plans for Green Hydrogen to match LNG market share by 2030, having an early mover advantage in this sector is essential. We look forward to the outcome of these techno-economic studies as we continue to enthusiastically advance the development of Bristol Springs Project to potentially have stage one under construction by this time next year. Shares were as much as 23% higher intraday to $0.27, a new record high for the company. Studies underway The initial stage of Frontiers clean energy strategy comes under Stage One of the BSS Project, with construction piqued to commence in early 2023. Stage One will carry an installed power capacity of 114MWdc and has already received development approval, while an electricity connection application (ETAC) is in progress with Western Power. In addition to Stage One, Frontier has kicked off multiple workstreams around solar, wind and battery energy storage as it looks at ways it can increase the power capacity at BSS to more than 500MWdc. FHE is also considering its place in WAs emerging green hydrogen market. Its planned work programs include a hydrogen market assessment and a distribution analysis that will drive the techno-economic evaluation for the production, storage and export of green hydrogen produced using clean energy from the BSS Project. In parallel, the company will complete a hydrogen market assessment to identify potential offtake partners and market prices for green hydrogen. Making a name in clean energy In 2019, the Australian Federal Government outlined a National Hydrogen Strategy, which sets a vision for a clean, innovative, safe and competitive hydrogen industry down under. Essentially, it aims to position Australias industry as a major global player in the space by 2030. In addition, the Western Australian Government also adopted its own Renewable Hydrogen Strategy, which aims to harness WA's own competitive advantages. Launched in November 2020, the WA Renewable Hydrogen Roadmap is the next step on WA's renewable hydrogen journey. It identifies 26 initiatives the WA Government is driving and supporting to realise the WA Renewable Hydrogen Strategy's vision, mission and goals. Theres a key focus on export, remote applications for renewable hydrogen, hydrogen blending in natural gas networks and transport in the western state, and Frontier is eager to contribute to that vision. What does the future look like? By 2030, the state government hopes that its market share in global hydrogen exports is similar to its share in LNG today. Theres also a vision for WA's gas pipelines and networks to contain up to 10% of a renewable hydrogen blend and to get renewable hydrogen into mining haulage vehicles. Finally, less than a decade from now, WAs legislators want renewable hydrogen to be a large fuel source for transportation in regional WA. Magmatic Resources Ltd (ASX:MAG) welcomes a new managing director, Dr Adam McKinnon, who starts today in the role. Dr McKinnon is an exploration and mining professional with an extensive record of discovery in Central West New South Wales. In his previous role as general manager, exploration and business development, at Aurelia Metals Ltd (ASX:AMI), he managed a $20-million-plus yearly exploration budget, including the discovery and subsequent growth of the exceptionally high-grade Federation deposit in the south-eastern Cobar Basin. McKinnons work at Aurelia Metals saw him honoured as a finalist in the AMEC (ASX:111) Prospector Award in 2020 and he again represented Aurelia as a finalist in the NSW Explorer of the Year Awards last year. McKinnon has also worked with CBH Resources (ASX:CBH) and KBL Mining (ASX:KBL) in the NSW Central West, during a time when the high-grade Pearse gold-silver deposit at the Mineral Hill Mine near Condobolin was discovered. Magmatic chairman David Richardson applauded the new appointment, saying: I am delighted to welcome Adam to Magmatic and look forward to him applying his significant discovery skillset to advancing Magmatics highly prospective exploration portfolio. About Magmatic Resources Magmatic Resources Ltd (ASX:MAG) is a New South Wales-focused gold and copper explorer, which acquired an advanced gold-copper target portfolio in the East Lachlan section of Lachlan Fold Belt from Gold Fields Limited in 2014. The East Lachlan contains more than 80 million ounces of gold and 13 million tonnes of copper, including the gold-copper porphyry cluster at Cadia Valley District, where the Cadia East Mine represents Australias largest gold mine and one of the worlds most profitable gold producers. Magmatics three Wellington North tenements surround the recent Boda gold-copper discovery by Alkane Resources and the company also occupies a strategic position in the Parkes Fault Zone, with its Myall and Parkes projects, immediately north and south of Alkanes Tomingley Gold Operations. Suvo Strategic Minerals Ltd (ASX:SUV) has started an executive and board transition with several key appointments to support the company's expansion plans. This follows the recent $7.5 million capital raise, with funding to go towards accelerating the expansion of its Pittong hydrous kaolin plant in Victoria. As part of this transition, Henk Ludik and Oliver Barnes have been appointed non-executive directors, with Ludik acting as interim non-executive chairman. Further, Marty Helean has been appointed chief operating officer and will continue to oversee the expansion of the Pittong plant while the company completes its search for a chief executive officer. Suvo also announces that Robert Martin has resigned as executive chairman. Exciting time for Suvo Suvo non-executive director Dr Ian Wilson said: On behalf of the board and everyone at Suvo, I thank Rob for his dedication to the company since its listing in August 2020. The company has been patiently laying the foundations for long-term growth and we are delighted to welcome new expertise with operational experience as the business expands its Pittong plant. This is an exciting time for Suvo and we cant wait to provide an update to our shareholders in due course. With the company being well funded to complete its Pittong expansion, Martin saw this as the opportune time to step down as SUV enters a new exciting phase of growth. Search for CEO to drive Suvo forward Dr Wilson added: The board has already commenced and will oversee the recruitment process to ensure that Suvo appoints a high calibre mining CEO to drive the company strategically moving forward. It is important to the board that any applicant has a strong track record of delivering scale, innovation and enhanced value for stakeholders. Suvo is in a very important transitional phase and the company is committed to attracting the best possible talent as it builds out its management team. Interim chair Interim chair Ludik is a mining engineer with a career spanning more than 20 years in mining with expertise in engineering, feasibility, mine optimisation, ESG and corporate finance. He has worked for a number of investment banks with in excess of $10 billion in mining transactions since 2006 and holds a Bachelor of Engineering in Mining Engineering, MSc in Oil and Gas Engineering and an MBA. Non-exec director Barnes has more than 20 years experience in natural resources and asset development with expertise in carbon, rural development, ESG and clean technology commercialisation. He was previously the managing director of an ASX-listed land and water developer and held a senior role with an ASX-listed phosphate technology company. He holds a BSc in Agricultural Business Management. COO Helean has more than 25 years experience in senior management and executive roles across mining, exploration, manufacturing and construction industries. He was previously director of operations for ASX-listed Greenland Minerals Ltd (ASX:GGG, OTC:GDLNF) and chief operating officer of Meneghello Industries. Critical Resources Ltd (ASX:CRR) has invested C$1 million in Canadian battery technology company, Volt Carbon Technologies Inc (VCT), which is focused on high-performance solid-state lithium-ion battery development and scalable air classification technologies for natural graphite beneficiation. Critical Resources non-executive chairman Robert Martin said: The investment in Volt Carbon Technologies demonstrates a clear strategy to pursue downstream opportunities that leverage off our asset base and expertise. We look forward to working with VCT to develop synergies that add value to both businesses. The resources company took the plunge via placement of 8 million units at C$0.125 per share including a free attaching 0.5 common share purchase warrant like an option with an exercise price of C$0.25, which expires on February 28, 2024. Critical Resources will own 5.2% of VCT on completion of the placement. Prototyping enviro-friendly natural graphite VCT has patent pending technology in solid-state lithium batteries for major automotive, aerospace and consumer electronics applications. The battery company completed construction of an Ontario-based battery prototyping facility in December 2021 and is advancing proprietary graphite air-classification technology, which aims to deliver more efficient and environmentally friendly natural graphite beneficiation. The investment provides Critical Resources with exposure to emerging downstream lithium battery and graphite technologies. CRR continues to pursue opportunities with downstream battery material producers, battery manufacturing and associated technology participants. Next-gen, low-carbon batteries VCT, through its wholly-owned subsidiary, Solid Ultrabattery Inc, is developing a solid-state battery that exceeds current battery performance in key areas of energy density, charge rate, safety and cost. The next-generation battery is designed to have a lower carbon footprint and higher recyclability. Solid Ultrabattery Inc was founded by Professor Zhongwei (Wei) Chen, a global expert in battery and fuel cell technologies, who has published more than 380 scientific papers and holds more than 30 patents and provisional patents. VCT has developed a proprietary air classification system for separating out large-flake graphite, leveraging the difference in the aerodynamic properties of flake graphite and the denser, more spherical surrounding material. The result is an effective, energy-efficient, mobile means of extracting natural graphite after the initial primary crushing processes. VCT also owns 100% of the Lochaber Graphite Project in Quebec, Canada. We welcome the investment from Critical Resources, at a time where Volt Carbon is rapidly advancing its solid-state battery development and disruptive graphite processing technology, VCT CEO and president William Pfaffenberger said. Given Critical Resources growing footprint in Canadian lithium, we believe there are additional opportunities to explore in the refining of battery-grade materials for North American markets. Kopore Metals Ltd (ASX:KMT) has inked a deal with Paladin Energy Ltd (ASX:PDN) to acquire historical mining information on the Agadez uranium play in Niger, West Africa. The explorer hopes to wind back the clock and analyse exploration data that Paladin collected just over a decade ago as it maps out its forward work programs at the newly-acquired uranium asset. Agadez represents a unique exploration opportunity in a prolific mining jurisdiction that carries a 50-year history of uranium production. Amid a favourable uranium market bearing the highest prices since 2011 Kopore is determined to realise Agadezs mineralised potential in the year ahead. Hit the ground running Kopore managing director Caroline Keats said the historical information was extremely valuable to Kopore. This data, which includes geological and geophysical information, surveys, photographs, drill logs and assay results, will enable the company to not only validate the historically reported information but inform the forward work programs, without the significant expense and delay for the company to have to re-do a number of the exploration programs, she explained. The receipt of this historical information is very timely, as we are looking to finalise the acquisition of the Agadez Project following shareholder approval on March 4, 2022. The only remaining condition is the target obtaining a two-year extension on the three granted exploration permits to November 2024 (on satisfactory terms). This will leave Kopore ready to hit the ground running in Niger. The story so far Agadez exploration asset spans a 726-square-kilometre landholding and three tenements in the Nigers uranium-rich Tim Mersoi Basin. The most prominent uranium prospect is the Takardeit target, where NGM Resources Ltd reported a maiden mineral resource estimate in 2010. Takardeits resource is reported at 23 million tonnes, grading 210 parts per million (ppm) triuranium octoxide for 11 million pounds of uranium ore, using a 120ppm cut off. That same year, Paladin Energy picked up the Agadez project for A$27 million, when uranium fetched around US$45 a pound. In the 12 years since, the uranium spot price has risen considerably, with the commodity now fetching US$58.50 per pound. One year after taking over the property, Paladin completed roughly 12,000 metres of drilling on the hunt for uranium. But in 2016, the explorer relinquished all title in the permits and has no ongoing interest in the Agadez Project leaving the door open for Kopore to acquire the uranium opportunity. In December last year, Kopore inked a binding share sale agreement with Endeavour Financial AG to acquire its subsidiary, and with it, the Agadez project. Now, the explorer is blazing a new path at the uranium asset, with the forward work programs to be shaped by the historical mining data thats come before. Burgeoning uranium market Amid political turmoil in Eastern Europe and rising oil and natural gas prices, investors are bullish on uranium. This week, uranium futures traded above US$60 a pound the highest theyve been since March of 2011. In a note on uraniums performance this month, market data provider Trading Economics said mounting supply concerns and stronger global demand prospects were fuelling uraniums rise. The Kremlin signed a decree that will include a ban on raw material exports, raising alarms about US uranium imports, it notes. The US nuclear energy sector produces 20% of the country's electricity and relies on Russia for 16% of its imports. On the demand side, elevated oil and natural gas prices prompted utilities to search for cheaper alternatives. Elsewhere, South Korea elected a new, pro-nuclear president, boosting nuclear energy-related stocks in the country, and strengthened uraniums demand prospects. President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol has promised that nuclear will make up 30% of the countrys future energy generation a move that further bolsters the uranium outlook. According to Trading Economics data, the ore could fetch US$61.66 per pound by the end of this quarter. A year from now, analysts are betting on a US$66.93-per-pound price target. Source: Trading Economics. Create your account: sign up and get ahead on news and events NO INVESTMENT ADVICE The Company is a publisher. You understand and agree that no content published on the Site constitutes a recommendation that any particular security, portfolio of securities, transaction, or investment strategy is... In exchange for publishing services rendered by the Company on behalf of Silk Logistics Holdings Ltd named herein, including the promotion by the Company of Silk Logistics Holdings Ltd in any Content on the Site, the... Tlou Energy Ltd (AIM:TLOU, ASX:TOU, BSE:TLOU) has awarded the contract for the construction of the grid transmission line to connect the Lesedi power project in Botswana to local contractor Zismo. Building the overhead line is expected to take approximately 15 months to complete, the company said in a statement. In addition to the lines, substations will be installed at Lesedi and Serowe, with OptiPower earmarked for this work and a contract expected to be signed nearer to the completion date for the overhead lines. Tony Gilby, Tlous managing director, said: "Commencement of transmission line construction represents a new and exciting phase for the company aimed at delivering on our huge gas-to-power potential and starting the monetisation process for our considerable gas reserves. It has taken a long time but what has been achieved to this point is outstanding. Having secured the first tranche of BPOPF funds allowing us to get Zismo started on the transmission line we are now progressing additional power off-takers as well as exploring further ways of monetising our enormous gas reserves. The existing two production pods continue to flow gas and perform in line with expectations given these are only two pods in a very large basin. Additional wells should assist the dewatering process and result in higher gas flow rates. In February, Banxa processed over 127,000 transactions and added five new partners, including TokenPocket and ApolloX BANXA (TSX-V:BNXA, OTCQX:BNXAF) Holdings Inc, the world's first listed payment service provider (PSP) and RegTech platform for the digital assets industry, has announced its February 2022 total transaction values (TTV), recording US$76 million (AU$106 million), up 48% year-on-year, which it said was in line with the general market trends. In February, BANXA (TSX-V:BNXA, OTCQX:BNXAF) processed over 127,000 transactions and added five new partners, including TokenPocket and ApolloX. The company also added two new fiat currencies to now support a total of 32 fiat currencies enabling seamless access to digital currencies through multiple payment methods. "The crypto ecosystem is ever-changing, and BANXA (TSX-V:BNXA, OTCQX:BNXAF) is ideally positioned to continue its accelerated growth in the market, CEO Holger Arians said in a statement. We are delighted to welcome our new partners, providing support for more coins and fiat currencies every month." Banxa revealed that it also secured a cryptocurrency custody registration from the Dutch National Bank (DnB) which allows it to hold custody of Bitcoin, Ethereum and other cryptocurrencies on behalf of its customers. This registration adds further to its focus on acquiring digital currency exchange and custody licences around the world, the company added. Banxa powers the world's largest digital asset platforms by providing payments infrastructure and regulatory compliance across global markets. The group is headquartered in Melbourne, Australia, with European headquarters in Amsterdam. Contact the author at stephen.gunnion@proactiveinvestors.com A coalition of global investment groups has come together to develop a new 14-point 'standard' for preventing corporations from lobbying to "delay, dilute, and block" climate action. The 'Global Standard on Responsible Climate Lobbying' has been developed by investors networks with a collective capital under management of more than US$130 trillion. Under the standard's 14 points, companies must commit to practising responsible climate lobbying, disclose their support of business groups lobbying on their behalf, and take action if doing so is incompatible with the global climate goal. "For too long corporate lobbying activities have either been shrouded in opacity or run simply and overtly in contrary to the goals of the Paris Agreement," said Stephanie Pfeifer, CEO of the Institutional Investors Group on Climate Change. "While the ambition is for all companies to adhere to the new standard, it is particularly pertinent for companies that claim to support a net zero pathway while simultaneously pursuing lobbying activity that runs counter to this. "The new Global Standard will be a vital tool for investors to use in calling out and mitigating irresponsible climate lobbying through corporate engagement and good stewardship," she said. Advised by the UN Principles for Responsible Investment and the Institutional Investors Group on Climate Change, there were 150 contributors to the standard, including the Church of England Pensions Board, the Swedish Pension Scheme AP7, BNP Paribas Asset Management, the Asia Investors Group on Climate Change, with the London School of Economics, Chronos Sustainability, InfluenceMap and Ceres also supporting the process. Companies that fail to act on climate change could face shareholder resolutions if governments attempt to delay, mitigate, or prevent climate action, the group said in a statement. The standard does not mandate that investors divest from firms that delay, dilute or obstruct climate action; but in the first instance, they should "escalate the issue" such as by filing shareholder resolutions. The new standard also commits supporters to funnel more money to businesses capable of consistently advocating on behalf of the Paris Agreement - as well as to support coalitions whose sole purpose is to coordinate lobbying for Paris-aligned policies. Despite the formation of many coalitions in recent years to help investors collaborate on net-zero transition plans, much of the focus has been on whether companies are reducing their direct and indirect emissions. Their influence on policy has received less attention. EverGen Infrastructure Corp (TSX-V:EVGN) calls itself Canadas Renewable Natural Gas (RNG) Infrastructure Platform. The companys mission is to combat climate change by producing RNG and helping communities contribute to a sustainable future. Headquartered in Vancouver, EverGen acquires, develops, builds, owns, and operates a portfolio of RNG, waste-to-energy, and related infrastructure projects. While the company is focused on Canada, it expects continued growth across other regions in North America and beyond. EverGen CEO Chase Edgelow recently discussed the company's ongoing operations and plans for 2022 with Proactive. Proactive: EverGen recently listed in the US on the OTCQB in New York. How significant is this move as the company expands its RNG Infrastructure Platform in Canada? Chase Edgelow: This is set to be a transformational year for EverGen. With long-term contracted RNG expansion projects positively contributing to our financial performance and acquisition opportunities across Canada, this is an ideal time to list in the US. A listing provides broader access for investors looking to participate in the early stages of what is expected to be an industry that will see similar growth to that of the wind and solar sector that build a number of multi-billion dollar renewable power companies (IPPs). The listing will provide US investors with an accessible and transparent trading platform to invest in EverGen as we continue to work to close the gap in renewable energy infrastructure in North America. The companys Sea to Sky Soils facility processed 160% of its budgeted tonnage in the second half of 2021. What are the companys plans to build on this momentum and expand processing even further in 2022? We are currently working with the British Columbia Ministry of Environment to expand our operational capacity in 2022 to 60,000 tonnes per year. This will allow further processing of organic waste that is turned into valuable compost and soils for organic farms, businesses, and residents from North Vancouver to Pemberton. It also sets the stage for future potential RNG development at the site. EverGen also has two other facilities in British Columbia. What are the status of operations at Fraser Valley and the Abbotsford facility where the company has a 20-year off-take agreement with FortisBC? Fraser Valley Biogas was the original RNG producing facility in Western Canada and has been in production for over ten years. The facility combines anaerobic digesting and biogas upgrading technologies to produce RNG from organic waste, which is then sold to FortisBC under a long-term contract. EverGens wholly-owned subsidiary Net Zero Waste Abbotsford Inc is also about to break ground on an expansion project with a 20-year offtake agreement whereby FortisBC will purchase up to 173,000 gigajoules of RNG annually for injection into its natural gas system. This project will convert municipal and commercial organic waste into enough energy to meet the needs of approximately 1,900 residential homes. The company naturally fits the ESG profile for sustainable investment. On the social side, how important is EverGens working partnership with the Lilwat Nation to the companys growth and success? Our focus is to support reconciliation, which often involves supporting economic sovereignty through partnerships and job creation. At our Sea to Sky Soils project in Pemberton, we have a long-term partnership with the Lilwat Nation as one of the largest employers in the community, and we operate on leased land providing long-term economic benefits. It is a true win-win relationship that we will foster well into the future and look to replicate in future projects. We are committed to a dedicated workforce that's over 80% Indigenous and work with the Squamish and LilWat nation to provide job training and growth opportunities that offer a positive impact on the environment. You predict that 2022 will be a transformational year for EverGen as it journeys to compete on the global RNG stage to combat climate change with a carbon-free future. That said, what is the outlook and strategy for the remainder of the year? We have big plans this year as we assess new projects across the country where we see an opportunity to replicate what has been successful with our existing assets. A perfect example is our recent announcement about our planned interest in a 140,000 GJ (gigajoules) per year project in Alberta this will be a cornerstone project for EverGen as we develop a community partnership and leverage our footprint for additional growth and expansion opportunities in the province. We are looking at a number of similar opportunities to grow throughout Canada, particularly in the Ontario and Quebec markets which are very supportive of the future of RNG. And going forward, what is the companys message to shareholders and investors? This year will be a transformative year for EverGen. In 2020, we established the company to address a gap in the market where we saw the need for a reliable RNG infrastructure platform that would contribute to the reduction of GHG (Greenhouse Gas) emissions and be part of the circular economy. In 2021, we raised capital and successfully completed our IPO, setting the stage for 2022. We have several fully-funded expansion projects this year that will take our EBITDA from around a $3 million annual run-rate to around $12 million without raising additional capital. Our M&A team is very active and is evaluating multiple opportunities for consolidation in the space, with an aim to grow our platform to over 1,000,000 GJ per year through 2024. Contact the author: patrick@proactiveinvestors.com Follow him on Twitter @PatrickMGraham PolarX Ltd (ASX:PXX)s recent exceptional drilling results from the Caribou Dome Project in Alaska have prompted the company to conduct a full review of its existing resource model, with a view to growing the high-grade copper inventory. The existing Caribou Dome mineral resource estimate is 2.8 million tonnes at 3.1% copper. PolarX sees the potential to increase the average grade and tonnage, and a new drilling campaign is now in the works. Results exceeded modelling This new direction has been prompted by recent assays that demonstrated that copper grades exceeded those predicted by the block model used for the existing mineral resource estimate. The results, which the company described as "exceptional", also confirmed the deposit is open at depth and along strike from these high-grade zones. In light of the positive findings, PolarX has commenced a full review of the resource model to include a follow-up drilling campaign to extend the known mineralisation. Recently reported results highlighted thick zones of massive sulphide mineralisation of up to 14.8% copper with silver credits, shown below: PolarX is analysing the viability of trucking high-grade mineralisation from Caribou Dome to a potential processing plant at its fully owned Zackly copper-gold deposit. Background to strategy PolarX drilled four holes at Caribou Dome early in the second half of last year to provide samples of copper mineralisation for metallurgical test-work. The holes were drilled into zones of copper mineralisation hosted in massive to semi-massive sulphides with locations exactly as predicted by the resource block model used for resource estimation in April 2017. Initial evaluation of the results also found that the very high-grade mineralisation has not been closed off at depth or along strike. Mineralisation remains open below two lenses of copper sulphides which assayed 19.1 metres at 7.0% copper and 11.2 g/t silver, and 5.7 metres at 7.3% copper and 7.5 g/t silver. These intersections also remain open along strike to the east, and the new program of drilling is being designed to test these and other extensions to the known high-grade copper mineralisation. PolarX executive chair Mark Bojanjac said: These results show there is scope for significant growth in the Caribou Dome resource. The high grades and the density of the mineralisation exceed our resource model and it remains open along strike and at depth. Bezant Resources PLC (AIM:BZT) said it intersected visible copper mineralisation in initial drilling at its Gorob prospect, part of the Hope and Gorob copper-gold project in Namibia. Eight drill holes were completed at the Gorob prospect for a total of 395.96 metres (m), (out of a 2,000m programme), with drill holes consistently intersecting visible copper mineralisation at, and near-surface, said the AIM-traded company. "The exploration programme for Hope and Gorob has been directed towards testing for the presence of near surface sulphides and oxides, said executive chairman Colin Bird. To date there has been very little oxide but we are very pleased that all holes drilled include sulphide zones of reasonable thickness. The intersections have been as close as 20m from surface and visual inspection suggest that copper values will be consistent with deeper intersections. The drilling programme was designed to develop a resource at less than 150m deep, a portion of which will be open pit-able, and so minimize the time taken to get to production. The company also located a 140m deep vertical shaft, which was excavated in the 1970s, at the Hope prospect and said that an investigation of the shaft and its alignment with known and projected near-surface mineralisation indicated scope for a high-grade near-term production opportunity. Bezant noted that the shafts location, in relation to drilled mineralisation and the latest surface projections, is expected to significantly reduce future capital expenditure on underground development. The project covers a significant portion of the highly prospective Matchless copper belt. Red Pine Exploration Inc (TSX-V:RPX, OTCQB:RDEXF) has announced the publication of its inaugural 2021 Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) report as it seeks to establish itself as a sustainable mineral explorer in the Michipicoten Greenstone Belt of Ontario, Canada. "The initiation of the ESG process was a crucial aspect of Red Pine's vision, as we commit ourselves to operating responsibly and remain accountable to the highest environmental, social and governance standards, Quentin Yarie, president and CEO of Red Pine Exploration said in a statement. The company is proud of its substantial first efforts to disclose our practices and performance in ESG in a formal context as we continue to competently advance our exploration program at the Wawa Gold Project." The company's flagship Wawa Gold project is spread over 6,986 hectares and hosts several former mines with a combined historic production of 120,000 ounces (oz) of gold. The Wawa property has Barrick Gold's Hemlo mine to the west and Newmont's Borden mine to the east - the two largest gold producers in the world. The project also has other successful neighbors like Alamos Gold and Argonaut Gold. Red Pine's ESG report, available on the companys website, serves as a valuable tool for investors and stakeholders and focuses on sustainable reporting, enhancing the companys relations with the community and indigenous partners. Among the highlights of the report are: Red Pine is currently involved in surface water monitoring in the Parkhill and Darwin-Grace areas of the property for any run-off that may enter Trout Creek or eventually into the Michipicoten River system Red Pine has a mutually agreed upon consultation process to identify adverse impacts to aboriginal and treaty rights, and engage with respect to accommodation, with an aim to establish a mutually beneficial, positive, and productive relationship The company's objective is to develop a mutually beneficial and respectful relationship with local communities within the direct area of interest of the mineral concessions in Wawa Red Pine is currently in the process of completing a mine closure plan. Under this plan, the company is in the monitoring stage of vegetation and lake biodiversity. The current Wawa Gold Project is a brownfield site with 8 historic gold mines on the property dating back to the late 1800's The company also said it has retained Hybrid Financial Ltd to provide marketing, promoting market and brand awareness for Red Pine and to broaden its reach within the investment community. The contract runs for an initial 12-month period to be renewed automatically for successive 6-month periods. And Red Pine said it has engaged Haywood Securities Inc as a market-making service to aid in maintaining an orderly trading market for the common shares of the company, for an initial term of 12 months, subject to earlier termination. Haywood will provide market stabilization and liquidity services in respect of Red Pine's listed securities. Contact the author at jon.hopkins@proactiveinvestors.com Ero can acquire the Tucuma property by paying to Soma up to US$6.45 million and spending US$1.7 million on exploration in three phases Soma Gold Corp. (TSX-V:SOMA), the Colombia-focused miner, told investors it has struck an option deal worth potentially over US$8 million to sell the Tucuma properties in Para state to established Brazilian mining group Ero Copper Corp. The miner said that along with Angra Metals Mineracao Ltda it has entered the deal to grant Ero an option to buy 100% of the assets. Separately, Soma said it has struck a deal with the former owners of certain mining rights to acquire their 1% net smelter returns royalty (NSR) and to extinguish the former owners' right to a US$3 million payment, which is due on the start of commercial production on those rights. Upon Soma having exercised this buy-back option, together with Ero having exercised its option to acquire the properties, Soma will be entitled to receive a 1.5% NSR. "Soma is very pleased to have reached an agreement with a company of Ero's stature, and whose knowledge of the region and experience in Brazil will assist in demonstrating the potential of the Tucuma property," noted Geoff Hampson, Soma's executive chairman in a statement. Ero can acquire the Tucuma property by paying to Soma up to US$6.45 million and spending US$1.7 million on exploration in three phases. This includes cash of US$250,000 on signing of the agreement and US$1.2 million for exploration on or before September 6, 2023. Ero must pay a final option payment of US$6 million in cash or shares in the event that Soma has exercised the buy-back option or US$3 million in cash or shares if Soma has failed to exercise the buy-back option, on or before September 6, 2025. Soma owns two adjacent mining properties - La Ye and Mangos - in Antioquia, Colombia with a combined milling capacity of 675 tonnes per day (tpd), and is permitted for 1,400 tpd. The El Bagre mill is currently operating and producing and internally generated funds are being used to finance a regional exploration program. Contact the author at giles@proactiveinvestors.com Cangrejos is a copper-gold project in southwest Ecuador that Lumina says is the largest primary gold deposit in Ecuador Lumina Gold Corp (TSX-V:LUM, OTCQX:LMGDF) has released an additional set of drill results from its Cangrejos project in Ecuador that showed strong mineralized grade continuity beyond the current preliminary economic assessment pit limits. The company drilled 1.11 grams per ton (g/t) gold equivalent over 260 metres in one hole, and 1.55 g/t gold equivalent over 184 metres, including 1.98 g/t over 126 metres. To date, 27 drill holes have been completed and six drill holes are in progress, for a total of 11,785 metres. Lumina said that six drill rigs are currently on site and two additional drill rigs are set to join the campaign at the end of March. One of the new drill rigs will initially be dedicated to geotechnical and hydrological drilling in support of the pre-feasibility study, the company added. Three of the holes were drilled in the western and central portions of the Cangrejos deposit, where high grades largely occur within intrusive and hydrothermal breccias, Lumina told investors. Another hole contained mineralization that continued laterally beyond the pit limits defined by the 2020 preliminary economic assessment. Cangrejos is a copper-gold project in southwest Ecuador that Lumina says is the largest primary gold deposit in Ecuador. Vancouver-based Lumina is a precious and base metals exploration and development company primarily focused on Cangrejos. Contact Angela at angela@proactiveinvestors.com Follow her on Twitter @AHarmantas The existing resource shows 485.4 million tonnes averaging 0.245% Ni in the indicated category, with 1,115.1 million tonnes at 0.248% Ni in the inferred, using a cut-off grade of 0.1% Ni Zeb Nickel (TSX-V:ZBNI) Corp has hailed the latest drill results from its flagship Zebediela nickel project in South Africa, which confirmed that higher grade mineralization lies below the historical NI 43-101 resource and is potentially amenable to open-pit mining. The company has now completed a first and second phase drill program with 14 holes sunk. The latest phase successfully hit the so-called 'Critical Zone' lithologies in all holes and Critical Zone rocks have now been uncovered along three kilometres (km) of strike. Notably, this 'Critical Zone' of the Bushveld Complex is the geological horizon that hosts Platreef-style mineralization, which is currently being mined at Anglo American Platinum's flagship Mogalakwena mine, and Ivanhoe Mines Platreef mine. Zeb Nickel highlighted that a weighted average calculation using a cut-off grade of 0.31% nickel (Ni) from this phase of drilling had resulted in a 76% higher grade than that which was declared in the historical resource used in the existing preliminary economic assessment (PEA). Highlight drill results include 6.4 grams per ton (g/t) three platinum group elements plus gold (3PGE+Au) with 89% platinum content, and 0.39% nickel at 72m depth below surface, and 0.71 g/t 3PGE+Au, at 58% palladium content, and 1.7 % nickel at 260m depth below surface. The existing resource shows 485.4 million tonnes averaging 0.245% Ni in the indicated category, with 1,115.1 million tonnes at 0.248% Ni in the inferred, using a cut-off grade of 0.1% Ni. "With two major mining companies in our area exploiting the same Critical Zone lithologies which host the Ni-PGE mineralization that we have recently discovered as part of our recent exploration campaign, and the recent increases in nickel and palladium prices, we are encouraged with the results to date," said Wayne Isaacs, the CEO of Zeb Nickel in a statement. "We look forward to receiving the remaining assay results and we are confident that these will continue to add value to the overall project economics." Assays from five holes are pending from the phase of drilling and the firm said it was looking forward to beginning the next phase of drilling, which should allow for a maiden Ni-PGE resource statement on this higher-grade Ni-PGE mineralization target and allow for a new PEA with improved economics. Zeb Nickel Corp explores for and develops projects related to the supply of metals critical for the electric vehicle (EV) and clean energy revolution. Contact the author at giles@proactiveinvestors.com The company said all the required permits are valid until the end of the year for the next phase of drilling at its Tomtebo property which is likely to kick off in early April and will comprise 1,200 meters (m) in three holes District Metals Corp. (TSX-V:DMX) has provided a sweeping update on permitting and its planned drill programs on its Tomtebo and Gruvberget properties in the Bergslagen mining district in south-central Sweden, and its Bakar Copper property in Canadas westernmost province of British Columbia. The Vancouver-based developer of prospective mineral properties gave a broad outline of its planned drill programs for the first half of 2022. Tomtebo property: The company said all the permits are valid until the end of the year. The next phase of drilling at Tomtebo is likely to kick off in early April and will comprise 1,200 meters (m) in three holes. Drilling will step out below high-grade polymetallic mineralization at the Steffenburgs zone where the company reported hole TOM21-028 intersected 30m at 10.9% zinc-equivalent (ZnEq). In addition, a magnetic high anomaly 665m northeast and along trend from the historic Tomtebo Mine will be tested. READ: District Metals poised for drilling at Bakar property in BC after Elephant Crossing target discovery Gruvberget property: The firm said the drill permit application has been submitted, and all approvals are expected by April 2022. The maiden drill program at the Gruvberget property is scheduled for early-May and will comprise 1,800m in 10 holes. Drilling will focus on the Gruvberget North zone where historic drilling has delineated continuous polymetallic mineralization along a 550m strike length that extends to a vertical depth of 160m. Historic drilling at the Gruvberget North zone intersected significant polymetallic mineralized intervals such as hole GRU1011 that returned 6.1m at 11.0% ZnEq. Bakar Copper property: The drill permit application was submitted in November 2021, and the BC Ministry of Energy, Mines and Low Carbon Innovation has not provided any guidance on the timing of the permit approval. The maiden drill program at Bakar will ideally be completed within H1 2022 and will comprise 800m in two holes. Drilling will test the high-priority EC Target that was recently identified by coincident VTEM and ZTEM anomalies, and rock chip samples from outcrop assaying 0.49% to 4.13% copper (Cu). In a statement, District CEO Garrett Ainsworth said: We are excited to get back to the drill bit starting with follow-up on our recent exceptional drill results from the Steffenburgs zone at the historic Tomtebo Mine. Our planned step out 665m northeast from the Tomtebo Mine will target a magnetic high that shows a magnetic response that is analogous with significant polymetallic mineralization at the Tomtebo Mine. He noted that the permitting process continues to go smoothly in Sweden as the firms drill permit application for the Gruvberget Property is on track for District to start its maiden drill program in early-May 2022. Our data compilation on the Gruvberget property identified the Gruvberget North zone as a high priority target with potential to build out a mineral resource based on historical drilling, surface rock geochemistry, and geophysical anomalies where mineralization is open in most directions, added Ainsworth. Meanwhile, the District boss said the company is communicating with the BC ministry on a monthly basis regarding its permit application to drill the EC Target on the Bakar Copper Property. The EC Target represents an excellent opportunity for a grassroots porphyry copper or VMS discovery based on coincident geophysical anomalies, structural setting, geochemical anomalies, alteration features, and an associated topographic low, said Ainsworth. Contact the author Uttara Choudhury at uttara@proactiveinvestors.com Follow her on Twitter: @UttaraProactive Total units sold by City Trees for January 2022 were up 47.8% from the comparable month of the previous year CLS Holdings USA (CSE:CLSH, OTCQB:CLSH) Inc has announced a strong start to the year with the release of financial and operational results for its Nevada wholly-owned subsidiaries for January and February 2022. Despite decreasing overall retail numbers in the state of Nevada, BDS Analytics data for January 2022 cast a bright spotlight on CLS' branded division, City Trees, which saw total retail sales of $1.05 million versus $340,000 for January 2021, demonstrating a 195.5% increase year-on-year (YOY) and a 205% increase over 2020. City Trees total units sold were up almost 50% YOY and the brand boasted a 6.2% brand share by units sold and 6.3% brand share by dollars sold within the entire cannabis market in Nevada. The company said that City Trees' overall performance continues to position the brand at the second position in the overall concentrate category in Nevada and as the first position in tincture brand in the state, according to BDS Analytics. City Trees' overall performance continues to position the brand at #2 in the overall concentrate category in Nevada and as the #1 tincture brand in the state, according to BDS Analytics, CLS said, adding that it is important to note that all the growth and success has happened organically, from investing within and expanding the brand without any acquisitions. CLS earned just under $2 million in net revenue during February 2022 which represented a 32% increase YOY and a 72% increase from 2020. The wholesale branded division at City Trees continued to show accelerated growth with net revenues of $812,000 during February 2022 with an increase of 122% YOY and a 205% increase from 2020. The company continued to achieve its goal of a greater than 50% gross profit margin during February, 2022, achieving 55% for the month of February. CLS's retail division, Oasis, attained a 53% gross profit margin during February 2022, while the branded wholesale division at City Trees maintained a 57% gross profit margin. City Trees saw total units sold for January 2022 up 47.8% from the comparable month of the previous year. During January 2022, City Trees brand share was 6.3% of the entire cannabis market in the state of Nevada, the company said. CLS said it will be holding its first-ever quarterly investor call this April. Contact Ritika at ritika@proactiveinvestors.com TomCo Energy has kicked off the drilling of three exploration wells at the Tar Sands Holdings II (TSHII) site, located in Uinta Basin, Utah. TomCo currently owns a 10% interest in TSHII with an exclusive option to acquire the remaining 90% for additional cash consideration of US$16.25 million before 31 December 2022. These wells are targeting the oil sands at depth to demonstrate the continuity of the deeper formation. Initial results from the drilling completed to date have conformed with the company's expectations. TomCo published a reserve report for TSHII in January, which estimated 1P reserves of 22.8 million barrels of oil (mbbls), 2P (proved + probable) oil reserves of 33.6 mbbls & 3P (2P + possible) oil reserves of 44.3 mbbls. TomCo is planning to acquire the outstanding 90% interest in TSHII, and then advance it to production from both open-pit mining operations in the near-surface formations and steam injection in the deeper formations. The company is currently in discussions for a funding package of up to US$145 million to allow it to complete these transformational milestones. The initial oil sands remediation plant is expected to produce 5,000 barrels of oil per day from the mining of oil-bearing sands at the TSHII site. Initial economic studies have suggested operations could return a post-tax NPV 10 (net present value with a 10% discount rate) of US$576.3 million using a 25-year operation life. The oil-sands in the Uinta Basin have been a long-standing environmental issue for the local community and by cleaning these sands in a commercial operation, TomCo can create value for its shareholders and the local community simultaneously. The plant is expected to produce a variety of hydrocarbon products, a higher-value asphalt product or a heavy oil and diesel. In addition to hydrocarbons, the plant is expected to produce construction sand, industrial sand, fracking and well sand and silica sand. Interestingly, it is the sands that are expected to generate the bulk of the revenue for the company, so the operation is expected to be economic in a low oil price environment. Through its subsidiary, Greenfield, TomCo has already operated an existing oil sands pilot plant at Asphalt Ridge, which demonstrated the feasibility of mining shallow tar sands using conventional open pit mining and applying solvents to extract, process, and sell oil. Having demonstrated the viability, TomCo has now begun to negotiate marketing contracts for refining and marketing asphalt, heavy oil and diesel. Alongside the mining and remediation of oil sands, TomCo is also planning to drill production wells to remove oil, using steam and CO 2 injection, from deeper formations, which can't be assessed by the open-pit mining operation. The CO 2 used for this process will be industrial CO 2 that would have previously gone into the atmosphere and will now instead be sequestered within the oil-bearing formation. Potentially this process could capture and store more CO 2 than the oil being extracted would produce when used, creating carbon-negative oil production. VP Greg Hahn: The two core holes, PC22-89 and PC22-90, into the shark fin target is visually remarkable with respect to vein thickness and textures, however the strength of the mineral system will be defined by the assays." Arizona Silver Inc said it has completed three more drill holes at its Philadelphia gold project in Arizona. The company's vice president Exploration Greg Hahn told investors that the core drilling program is progressing very well. We are intersecting our target at anticipated depths and intervals on all holes. Geologically, the mineral system continues to appear stronger in the deeper holes, Hahn said in a statement. In the first section, Arizona Silver said the total thickness of the visually mineralized interval is 73.90 metres. The company said it will drill one more hole on the section to test the down-dip continuation of the mineral system below the intercept. In the second hole, the overall thickness of the visually mineralized interval is 13.81 metres and 30.40 metres, respectively, thinner than the deepest intercept in hole PR22-88, which Arizona Silver said suggests the mineral system is stronger with depth, or has been truncated near the surface. We will continue to chase the system down dip, particularly as the deepest (vertical) hole is only 219 metres below surface, Hahn added. The two core holes, PC22-89 and PC22-90, into the shark fin target is visually remarkable with respect to vein thickness and textures, however the strength of the mineral system will be defined by the assays." Vancouver-based Arizona Silver is focused on exploring gold-silver properties in western Arizona and Nevada. Contact Angela at angela@proactiveinvestors.com Follow her on Twitter @AHarmantas Moscow, March 15 : Negotiations between Russia and Ukraine are being held daily, Russian presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky, also the head of the Russian delegation, has said. "The negotiations with Ukraine are being held every day, seven days a week, in a format of video conferences," Medinsky posted on his Telegram account on Monday, Xinhua news agency reported. Medinsky said video meetings save time and are more efficient. "We are striving to do everything that is possible to fulfill the tasks set by (Russian President) Vladimir Putin for Russia's peaceful future," he wrote. The fourth round of negotiations between Russia and Ukraine occurred earlier on Monday through video link. According to Ukrainian Presidential Advisor Mykhailo Podolyak, a member of the delegation, a technical pause has been taken in the negotiations until Tuesday. Latest updates on Russia-Ukraine War -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text New Delhi, March 15 : The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has filed chargesheet against 16 narco-traffickers, six Afghanistan nationals and four Indians including a woman, in a case related to seizure of narcotics drugs at Mundra Port in Gujarat. Ten people were arrested in the case while six are still on the run. The accused were chargesheeted for the offences punishable under sections 120B, 466, 471 of the IPC, sections 8(c), 21(c), 23(c) & 29 of the Narcotic Drugs ans Psychotropic Substances Act, and sections 17, 18 & 20 of UA (P) Act. The chargesheet was filed before the Special NIA Special Court, in Ahmedabad, an official said on Monday. The ten arrested accused who were held by the NIA are, Machavaram Sudhakar, Durga Purna Govindaraju Vaishali, Rajkumar Perumal, Pradeep Kumar, and six Afghanistan nationals, Mohammad Khan Akhlaqi, Mohammad Hussaini, Fardin Amery, Sobhan Aryanfar, Alokozai Mohammad Khan, and Murtaza Hakimi The case relates to seizure of 2,988.21 kg of narcotic substance (heroin) at Mundra Port in 2021. The consignment was being imported by Aashi Trading Company and exported by Hasan Hussain Ltd. Kandahar, Afghanistan through Bandar Abbas Port of Iran. The narcotics were found concealed in import consignment of 'Semi-processed Talc stones' originating from Afghanistan. During investigation it was established that the smuggling of narcotics into India was carried out earlier as well by the same set of accused persons. These included the offences registered by DRI Delhi zonal unit wherein heroin was seized from a warehouse in Delhi. In Hoshiarpur, Punjab too 20.250 kg of heroin was seized. These two offences were also subsumed in the instant case as connected offences. "Accused Mohammad Hussain Dad and Mohammad Hasan Dad of Hasan Hussain Ltd, Kandahar, Afghanistan and accused M Sudhakar, DP Vaishali and Rajkumar Perumal of Aashi Trading Company along with others had entered into criminal conspiracy to smuggle huge quantity of narcotics to India by concealing in consignments of semi processed talc," said the NIA. The consignment sent in September, 2021 was intercepted whereas earlier consignments were received and stored in a warehouse in Delhi for further distribution in Delhi and Punjab. "Links of the accused Mohammad Hasan Hussain Dad and Mohammad Hasan Dad and other co-conspirators have also emerged with proscribed terror organisations based in Pakistan. The proceeds of drugs trafficking were channelled back to foreign entities through hawala channels at the behest of Pak based terror outfits for use in anti-India activities," the NIA has stated in the chargesheet. Further investigation into the matter is underway. New Delhi, March 15 : To have evacuated safely more than an estimated 18,000 Indian nationals from Ukraine amidst the ongoing conflict, is truly a commendable task. Also, to have done it without much fanfare speaks volumes of the coordination put it by the government of India to ensure swift and speedy evacuation. That is the hallmark of 'Operation Ganga', initiated to evacuate all Indian nationals living in Ukraine, but stranded due to ongoing military operations on Ukrainian territory by the Russia. The most important foreign policy priority in the ongoing conflict for India has been the safe and secure evacuation of Indians, both students and other residents alike, to India. Operation Ganga is a combined civil and military effort to ensure all Indian nationals return home safely. India brought back its nationals from Romania, Poland, Hungary, Slovakia and Moldova after they had crossed over to these countries from Ukraine via land border transit points. This process began on February 22. By March 10, more than 80 flights had been operated to rescue stranded Indians. Initially, India used its fleet available with the civil airlines, but by March 1 the Indian Air Force (IAF) was called in to help; this was the day when an Indian student was killed in Kharkiv. The first flight carrying Indians landed in Mumbai on February 26 and was received by Piyush Goyal, Minister for Commerce and Industry. Once the IAF got into action, it became possible to increase the effort as the C-17 Globemaster has a capacity to carry 400 passengers. Notably, the C-17 Globemaster not only brought back stranded Indians but also helped to deliver humanitarian aid to Ukraine, which is experiencing a shortage of food, fuel, medical supplies, and other essentials. Just last year, the IAF C-17 helped in evacuating citizens and officials from Kabul when the Taliban captured Afghanistan. Not only has India ensured safety for its citizens but is also helping its neighbours. In a recent video, a student from Pakistan can be seen thanking the Indian embassy in Kiev and Prime Minister Modi. This is not the first time that India has evacuated its citizens from conflict zones. In 1990, when Iraq invaded Kuwait, India evacuated nearly 200,000 Indians stranded there over a period of two months. In 2015, India undertook Operation Raahat to rescue thousands of Indians and hundreds of people from other countries at the height of the conflict between the Yemeni government and Houthi rebels. Then in 2021, India launched Operation Devi Shakti to evacuate its nationals from Afghanistan after the fall of Kabul in August that year. In the case of Ukraine, the government has operated some 80 flights under Operation Ganga to safely bring about 18,000 Indians back home. Of these, private airlines operated 46 as on March 9. Notably, the government decided not to charge anything from those being evacuated. This means that the Centre will have to pay approximately Rs 66-70 crore per flight for a two-way operation. Of the 46 evacuation flights, 29 were operated to Bucharest in Romania, 10 to Budapest in Hungary, six to Rzeszow in Poland, and one to Kocise in Slovakia. With Prime Minister Modi leading from the top, the Ministry of External Affairs established 24x7 control centres to provide the impetus for the necessary flow of information out of Ukraine. This ensured that the Centre was able to match records of Indian nationals with available databases. This process was further helped by friendly countries in Eastern Europe, like Poland who waived documentation requirements for Indians to enter and then fly home. A key part of this exercise was the constant conversations that the government had at the highest levels, with heads of state. This ensured smoother facilitation of the evacuation process. Coordination for the operation came right from the top and despatch of senior ministers of the government to the countries mentioned above provided the necessary coordination and direction on the ground to ensure smooth completion of all formalities. That the Prime Minister himself held daily meetings to supervise this mission demonstrated India's seriousness. Modi sent four Ministers, namely Jyotiraditya Scindia, Hardeep Singh Puri, Kiren Rijiju, and V.K. Singh to Hungary, Romania, Slovakia, and Poland, respectively, to oversee the evacuation of Indians. The real challenge of evacuating those Indians stuck in eastern Ukraine was of moving people amidst the raging conflict. This is why India proposed the creation of humanitarian passages to both Russia and Ukraine, so that the evacuation would be less hazardous. India deployed one team also in the Russian city of Belgorod, close to the border with Ukraine, in case the possibility of evacuation from the Russian side arose. This did not happen given the intensity of conflict in eastern Ukraine. The closure of the Ukrainian air space further complicated matters as India could not extricate its nationals from Kiev or any other Ukrainian city. This is what created the necessity of moving most people by road or rail to friendly countries across the Ukrainian border for eventual evacuation by air to India. India has now considerable experience of Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief, both within the country and overseas. It has also functioned as a first responder to countries in its neighbourhood, like it did in Nepal during the 2015 earthquake. The lessons from Operation Ganga will definitely be internalised and adopted to meet such contingencies in the future. The reality is that Indians are spread and settled all over the world and many of them are resident in potential conflict zones. The case of Ukraine is a telling example of how a perfectly quiet situation can turn into a 'hot' zone in a short time. The way forward is for India to further refine its capabilities of evacuation, while monitoring the presence of Indians in potentially hazardous zones. Overall, though it must be said "job well done", when looking back at Ukraine. Latest updates on Russia-Ukraine War -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text New Delhi, March 15 : Union Ministers S. Jaishankar and Rajnath Singh will address the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday over the ongoing situation in the war-torn Ukraine. On Monday, Rajya Sabha Chairman M. Venkaiah Naidu had informed the House that the External Affairs Minister will make a statement on the Ukraine-Russia war. Although Naidu lauded the efforts of the Centre and state governments for rising to the occasion to evacuate stranded Indian nationals from Ukraine, later during zero hour, the members had again raised concerns about the future of students who returned from the war-torn country. Besides the conflict, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will also make a statement on Tuesday on the inadvertent firing of a missile on March 9 that landed in Pakistan. Meanwhile, the Centre is likely to table 'The Constitution (Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes) Orders (Amendment) Bill, 2022' in the Rajya Sabha. Union Tribal Affairs Minister Arjun Munda will move the Bill to further amend the Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order, 1950 to omit the 'Bhogta' community from the list of Scheduled Castes in relation to Jharkhand and the Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order, 1950, for inclusion of certain communities in the lists of Scheduled Tribes in relation to the state, be taken into consideration. A reply to the discussion on the working of the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region, which was raised by Congress MP Ripun Bora on Monday, will be given on Tuesday. Reports of different department related parliamentary committees will be also tabled in the Rajya Sabha. Kiev, March 15 : Ukraine's Deputy Prime Minister Irina Vereshchuk said that more than 4,000 people were successfully evacuated in the last 24 hours via humanitarian corridors. In a video address late Monday, Vereshchuk said that seven out of the 10 corridors were operational on Monday, reports Ukrayinska Pravda. According to the Deputy Prime Minister, 2,028 people were evacuated from the Kiev region's Hostomel, Nemishayevo, Vorzel, Dmytrivka, Peremohy, while 1,780 others moved out from the separatist Luhansk region's Severodonetsk, Popasna, Hirs'ke, Rubizhne, Kreminna and Lysychansk. However, the Russian forces violated the ceasefire agreement in Kiev's Brovary district, due to which evacuation buses could not pass to the villages of Bohdanivka, Nova Bohdanivka and Bobryk, Ukrayinska Pravda quoted the Minister as saying. Despite the ceasefire, the forces also "provoked skirmishes during evacuations along corridors in the towns of Popasna and Rubizhne" in Luhansk, she added. The situation in Mariupol also remained dire on Monday as Russian forces continued to attack the strategic port city, Vereshchuk noted. She said that a convoy of humanitarian aid with food, medicine, and water for Mariupol remained blocked in Berdyansk, about 60 km from the besieged city. The Deputy Prime Minister further said that there was no information on three Ukrainian nationals who were allegedly kidnapped by Russia. The Mayors of Melitopol (Ivan Fedorov) and Dniprorudne (Yevhen Matveyev) were abducted on March 13, while Oleksiy Danchenko, an employee of Ukraine's State Emergency Service, has been under captivity for two days. New York, March 15 : India has warned of the increasing likelihood of terrorists getting weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and urged the UN Security Council to make preventing it a "central priority". "Preventing terrorist groups from acquiring and using weapons of mass destruction must be a central priority and responsibility of this Council and the international community," A. Amarnath, a counsellor in India's Permanent Mission to the UN, said on Monday. Various UN reports have shown that the "threat of terrorists acquiring WMDs is no longer in the theoretical realm", he said at a Security Council briefing by a panel set up to monitor the problem. "Procrastination cannot be an option anymore." He cited a recent finding of the team set up by the Council to investigate the Islamic State (IS) terror group, also known by the Arabic acronym Da'esh, that it had WMDs. The report of the Investigative Team to Promote Accountability for Crimes Committed by Da'esh/IS (UNITAD) "on the possession and use of WMDs by Da'esh are deeply disturbing", he said. Amarnath spoke after a briefing given by the panel known as the 1540 Committee after the Council resolution that set it up. The committee, set up in 2004, monitors compliance with the resolution that asked all nations to prevent "non-state actors" - terrorists - from getting access to nuclear, chemical or biological weapons. Mexico's Permanent Representative Juan Ramon de la Fuente Ramirez, who heads the committee, said that while countries "have made significant progress in the full implementation of the resolution, nevertheless, gaps remain". "The full and effective implementation of the resolution is a long term task." Amarnath said that there was a global consensus on preventing terrorists from acquiring WMDs. India, which has "resolutely fought the battle against terrorism for many decades", has introduced every year since 2002 a resolution in the General Assembly India, on "measures to prevent terrorists from acquiring weapons of mass destruction", he said. "The resolution is adopted without a vote reflecting the global consensus on this matter." Trina Saha, the acting political coordinator at the US Mission to the UN, said that "Resolution 1540 is one of the few established, authoritative international instruments" to address the WMD threat and the Committee is "a powerful multilateral tool to help prevent the most dangerous weapons from falling into the hands of non-state actors". Amarnath offered India's assistance to countries to comply with the resolution. "We support continuous and constant efforts towards full implementation of Resolution 1540, wherever possible, by offering to share our knowledge and technical expertise as part of the Committee's assistance framework." India has organised several programmes for industry, academia, and other key stakeholders on implementing Resolution 1540, he said, adding that they covered export controls for the industry and intangible technology transfers. (Arul Louis can be reached at arul.l@ians.in and followed @arulouis) Chennai, March 15 : The DMK has lashed out at the Congress for the debacle in the recent elections to the five states. In its editorial on Monday, the party mouthpiece 'Murasoli' said that the lethargic attitude of the Congress to unite other opposition parties in its fold was the reason for the drubbing in the polls. The editorial also said that opposition unity was the need of the hour to oust the BJP from the centre. The stand of the party mouthpiece is the political stand of the DMK and this is the first time that the party has come out strongly against its ally. Quoting the statement of Priyanka Gandhi before the elections that the Congress was ready to align with any party but the BJP, the editorial said that the Congress did not do that and hence lost the polls. Criticising the BJP, Murasoli in its editorial, said that BJP won the elections with its divisive and communal politics and added that in Uttar Pradesh, the BJP could increase its vote share by only 2 per cent while the Samajwadi Party could raise the vote share by 10 per cent. The party mouthpiece said that in Uttar Pradesh had the SP, BSP, and Congress united, the BJP would have been defeated. In Punjab, the BJP could not do anything except win two seats. Political analysts feel that the DMK wanted Congress to take the lead in stitching together an anti-BJP front for the 2024 general elections. Dr R. Padmanabhan, Director, Socio-Economic Development Foundation, a think tank based out of Madurai while speaking to IANS said: "Given the poor situation that the Congress is in, it is better for the DMK to take the initiative for a front against the BJP and to take the Congress on board. This is workable and Stalin must take the initiative just like his father Late Chief Minister, M. Karunanidhi had done in earlier years." Kiev, March 15 : Military authorities in Ukraine have claimed that Ivan Fedorov, the Mayor of Melitopol who was allegedly abducted by Russian forces on March 11, has been taken to the separatist Luhansk region. According to the latest update by the military administration of Zaporizhzhya region, where Melitopol is located, said Fedorov is in currently in Luhansk, "where he is incriminated with terrorism", the Ukrayinska Pravda newspaper reported. The administration said that a protest rally in Berdyansk on Monday demanding the release of Fedorov was obstructed by Russian forces. "Armed Russian troops surrounded the square and pushed people away. The occupying forces accompanied their actions with warnings from loudspeakers to ban rallies," it added. Participants of the rally chanted slogans in both Ukrainian and Russian like, "Melitopol is Ukraine" and "Go home while you are alive". President Volodymyr Zelensky has said that the Melitopol Mayor was tortured so that he could record a video showing his support for the Russian authorities. Since Russia began its invasion on February 24, there has been several abductions. On March 10, the Russian forces abducted Leyla Ibragimova, a deputy of the Zaporizhzhya Regional Council, in Melitopol. She was later released, reports the Ukrayinska Pravda. During a protest in the city on March 12, activist Olga Haisumova was kidnapped amidst the demonstration. Meanwhile, the fates of abducted Dniprorudne Mayor Yevhen Matveyev and Head of Melitopol District Council Serhiy Priyma remain unknown. New Delhi, March 15 : Amid the Russian offensive in Ukraine, tech billionaire Elon Musk challenged Vladimir Putin to single combat. "I hereby challenge Vladimir Putin to single combat. Stakes are Ukraine," Elon Musk said in a tweet. "Do you accept this fight?" he added in Russian, directly addressing the official English-language Twitter account of the 69-year-old president. Twitter user came up with a chart measuring Musk and Putin's heights against each other. The Twitter user wrote, "The fight would be over in 10 seconds. It would just depend on how much damage Elon would want to do and how fast. Nothing else. Elon is also 19 years younger." Musk tweeted back: "Pretty much." Another user asked, "Did you think this through? Or am I missing something?" Musk answered: "I am absolutely serious." Vice president of Ukraine Mykhailo Fedorov also joined in and said that there is always the option to send Putin to Jupiter. "We can send him to Jupiter, just in case," he wrote, sharing a link where people can donate to support Ukraine's fight against Russia. Recently, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has invited Tesla Founder and CEO Elon Musk to visit his country after the war. A video of the meeting was posted on Zelenskyy's Instagram. The Russia-Ukraine war began when Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24 in what it calls a special military operation. Latest updates on Russia-Ukraine War San Francisco, March 15 : A restaurant group in the US has sued Google for directing customers to unauthorised Google-branded food ordering web pages rather than sending them to the restaurant's own website. The Florida-based restaurant group called Left Field Holdings, that runs Lime Fresh Mexican Grill franchises, alleged in the lawsuit that Google employs "bait-and-switch" tactics by placing its "Order Online" button at the top of restaurants' profile panels on the search engine, reports Ars Technica. The large blue button redirects users to a food.google.com page where they can select items from a restaurant's menu and then place an order through a variety of food delivery companies like GrubHub, DoorDash, or Seamless -- and not through the restaurant itself. These services take a commission from participating restaurants -- as high as 15 to 30 per cent in many cases. "Google never bothered to obtain permission from the restaurants to sell their products online," the lawsuit read. "Google purposefully designed its websites to appear to the user to be offered, sponsored, and approved by the restaurant, when they are not -- a tactic, no doubt, employed by Google to increase orders and clicks." In a statement to Ars Technica, Google said late on Monday it would defend against the lawsuit. "Our goal is to connect customers with restaurants they want to order food from and make it easier for them to do it through the 'Order Online' button," a company spokesperson was quoted as saying. "We do not receive any compensation for orders or integrations with this feature," the company added. When users click the "Order Online" button, they're directed to a page that contains links to food delivery companies, complete with their logos. "The restaurant's own site gets a link as well, though it's a small, generic 'website' button. In some cases, Google provides an interface for assembling an order, complete with prices and descriptions of the menu items," according to the report. "Google's 'Order Online' button leads to an unauthorised online storefront -- one owned and controlled by Google -- wherein consumers can place orders for the restaurant's products, all under the restaurant's trade name," the lawsuit read. Bengaluru, March 15 : The Karnataka High Court's special bench on Tuesday dismissed petitions filed by students seeking direction for permission to wear hijab in classrooms. The court said, "Wearing of hijab was not an essential part of Islam." "The prescription of uniform is constitutional and students can't object to it." The court dismissed all the petitions filed by the students. The bench stated that no case was made out by the petitioners. Further details of the judgement were awaited. Earlier, as a precautionary measure, security was beefed up across the state. Holiday was declared in the districts of Dakshina Kannada, Kalaburagi and Shivamogga for the schools and colleges. Most of the districts imposed prohibitory orders in the surrounding areas of the educational institutions. Bengaluru Police Commissioner Kamal Pant issued prohibitory orders restricting protests, celebrations and gatherings in the entire city for seven days from Monday. The hijab row, which started as a protest by six students of the Udupi Pre-University Girl's College in January, turned into a big crisis and was also discussed at the international levels. The bench headed by the Chief Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi, Justice Krishna S. Dixit and Justice Jaiunnesa Mohiyuddin Khaji heard the matter on a daily basis. The counsels appearing for the petitioners contended that restrictions on hijab to classrooms is a violation of fundamental and religious rights. There is no legal standing for the School Development Committee (SDC) or College Development Committee (CDMC), they said. They also argued that wearing of hijab is an integral part of Islam. However, the Advocate General and other counsels appearing for the government argued that wearing of hijab is not an essential part of Islam. They have also stated that the government respects the wearing of hijab and it had been left to the discretion of SDMC and SDC's. It was also brought to the notice of the court that many Islamic and European countries have banned hijab. Copenhagen, March 15 : Food prices in Denmark increased by 5.7 per cent in February compared to the same month last year, due to rising energy costs, according to official data. The data published by Statistics Denmark on Monday revealed that consumer price index increased 4.8 per cent year-on-year in February owing primarily to rising energy prices and global shortages, reports Xinhua news agency. Between February 2021 and February 2022, the price of butter increased 16.3 per cent, that of cooking oils went up 20 per cent, while that of pasta surged to an astounding 24.3 per cent. Prior to the current spike in food prices, the last significant increase, 5 percent, was registered in 2012, Statistics Denmark said. "Food manufacturers rely heavily on heating and petrol. As a result, food prices are highly correlated with energy prices," Danish news agency Ritzau quoted Marie Moesby, consumer economist at Nordea Bank, as saying. "Another reason is that global shortages have occurred as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. Shutdowns harmed some producers by preventing them from growing and transporting their produce. "This had a pronounced effect on the price of cooking oils," she said. Rome, March 15 : In a meeting with US officials in Rome, China urged Ukraine and Russia to exercise "maximum restraint" in the ongoing war that has continued for 20 days as of Tuesday, the media reported. The remarks were made by Yang Jiechi, who heads China's Central Foreign Affairs Commission, during the seven-hour meeting with US National Security Adviser (NSA) Jake Sullivan in the Italian capital on Monday. "All parties should exercise maximum restraint, protect civilians and prevent a large-scale humanitarian crisis," the BBC quoted Jiechi as saying in a read-out summary of the meeting published by China on Tuesday. China was committed to promoting peace talks, and "the international community should push the situation to cool down as soon as possible", he said. Yang however, added that the "legitimate concerns of all parties" would need to be addressed. During the meeting, the US NSA raised a range of issues in US-China relations, with substantial discussion of Russia's war against Ukraine, the White House said in a readout. Yang and Sullivan also "underscored the importance of maintaining open lines of communication between the United States and China", it added. According to the White House, Monday's meeting was a follow up on the November 15, 2021 virtual summit between US President Joe Biden and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping. Since Russia launched its war on February 24, China has refrained from condemning Moscow, saying that its "security concerns" should be taken seriously, reports the BBC. At the same time, China has also expressed "unwavering support" for Ukraine's sovereignty. Meanwhile, US security officials have accused China of signalling its willingness to supply Russia with weapons, a claim which Beijing has dismissed as "disinformation". Latest updates on Russia-Ukraine War -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Seoul, March 15 : South Korean flag carrier Korean Air Lines Co. said on Tuesday that it will suspend routes to Russia until the end of April due to safety concerns amidst Moscow's ongoing invasion of Ukraine. Korean Air will temporarily halt the operation of passenger jets to Moscow and Vladivostok, and cargo planes that are bound for Europe via Moscow until the end of next month, Yonhap News Agency quoted the company as saying in a statement. Flights on some routes from Incheon to Europe and the US will take a detour to avoid the Russian and Ukraine airspace, it said. Affected routes include the routes to London, Paris, Amsterdam, Frankfurt, New York, Atlanta, Chicago, Washington, Boston and Toronto. Flights to the cities will take up to three hours longer, the company said. Also on Tuesday, Air Busan Co., a budget carrier unit of Asiana Airlines Inc., said it will suspend six flights on the Incheon-Vladivostok route from March 19 until April 15 also due to the same reasons. Kiev, March 15 : Russian shelling hit a 10-storey apartment building in Kiev on Tuesday, leaving one person injured, Ukraine's State Emergency Service (SES) said. According to the SES, fire erupted on the first through the fifth floors of the building located in the capital city's the Podil neighbourhood, Ukrayinska Pravda reported. The fire was extinguished 6.51 a.m. and the injured person has been hospitalised. In another shelling also on Tuesday morning, a two-storey house was hit on Sadova Street in the Osokorky neighbourhood, causing a fire. No victims or injuries were reported in the second shelling. Meanwhile air raid sirens have gone off in Kyiev, as well as Odesaa in the south, Uman in the centre and the Khmelnytsky region in the west. On the 20th day of Russia's war on Ukraine, Kiev continues to be shelled. On Monday, two people were killed after a nine-storey apartment building in the capital city was struck by Russian shelling. New Delhi, March 15 : A teenage girl suffering from a muscular disorder of twisted neck, medically known as Atlanto-axial rotatory dislocation that caused her head bent at 90 degree angle, has undergone successful surgery to straighten her neck. The girl - Afsheen Gul from Pakistan- was born healthy but she got injured while playing when she was eight months old. She suffered with cerebal palsy. The problem later aggravated to the extent that Afsheen had to struggle to eat, use toilet and even going outside. However, last week, Afsheen underwent a sucessful life-changing surgery at Apollo Hospitals in Delhi where she is recovering in intensive care. Earlier, she was taken to the Apollo hospitals in February 2018 when the specialists said that there would be only 50 per cent chance of survival and asked Afsheen's brother Mohmad Yaqoob to go home and think. However, nothing happened thereafter. Meanwhile, Dr Rajagopalan Krishnan, a specialist of complex spinal surgeries, was ready to help Afsheen. He was in touch with Yaqoob. Finally, Yaqoob with his sister Afsheen again visited India on November 16 last year and Dr Krishnan met her and offered his services to Afsheen's surgery completely free of charge. After meeting her it was clear it was likely she would have died in the short or medium term if left untreated, said Dr Krishnan. He said that it was most probably the first case of its kind in the world. Due to her Celebral Palsy, Afsheen only learned to walk aged six and speak when she was eight, but her neck began to bend aged one. At first she had to have a Halo-Gravity traction put in place back in early December to help her neck upright for some time. The team of Dr Krishnan which comprised Dr Manoj Sharma; anaesthetists Dr Jayalalitha and Dr Chetan Mehra; and Dr Bhanu Pant fuse Afsheen's skull to her spine during a six-hour operation on February 28. Doctors operated through the mouth and removed disks from the neck and then fixed the skull to the cervical spine using a rod and screws to keep the neck straight. Afsheen will be discharged from hospital this month. However, she has to continue wearing a neck brace. Kiev, March 15 : Ukrainian authorities said that evacuation corridors will operate from four cities in the Sumy region, where heavy fighting has continued since Russia's war started on February 24. In a social media post, Dmytro Zhyvytskyi, head of the Sumy Regional State Administration, said the corridors from the cities of Konotop, Shostka, Trostyanets, and Lebedyn will be operational from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. No evacuation took place in the region on Monday due to continued Russian attacks, said Ukayinska Pravda newspaper. Last week, approximately 5,000 civilians, including 1,700 foreign students - many of them from India - were evacuated from Sumy through a humanitarian corridor towards Poltava. Sumy, located near the Russian border, has been subject to heavy shelling with reports of power and water cut off since Russia invaded. Thiruvananthapuram, March 15 : A temple committee has decided not to allow a ritual to be performed by an artist during a festival after his son married a Muslim woman. The incident took place at the Karivelloor Kaniyan Parembethu Bhagathy temple in Kannur district. The temple committee decided that Vinod Panicker, an artist who has been performing the 'Poorakali' ritual for the past 37 years, cannot perform now since his son married a Muslim. "I am a Poorakali artist and have been doing this for the past 37 years and this sort of humiliation has never been experienced when I was told I will not be able to perform it as my son married a Muslim lady," said a deeply sad Panicker. 'Poorakkali' is a ritual art form performed in the Bhagavati temples and sacred groves across North Kerala districts. This art form focuses mainly on rhythmic footsteps resembling the movements of martial art form. The name 'Poorakkali' literally means play on 'Pooram' day. Originally, this was an art form of the women folk, but today it is performed by men and stories of Ramayana and Mahabharata are narrated in the songs. Panicker was told by the temple authorities if he moved out of the house where his Muslim daughter-in-law also resides, then he would be allowed to perform, but this was fused by Panicker. Even though Panicker's mother's house is nearby only, he refused to move to her house. "This was my passion and I used to earn a bit of extra income performing this ritual art form," said Panicker. Meanwhile, the temple authorities claim that they had to do this because of pressure from devotees and they conducted the ritual with a different artist. Karivelloor has a lot of history associated with it. It is the place where the uprising for land, food and freedom and against the feudal lords and British rule started for the first time 75 years ago. Hyderabad, March 15 : The BJP members of Telangana Legislative Assembly, who were suspended from Assembly last week, called on Speaker Pocharam Srinivas Reddy on Tuesday, a day after the High Court asked them to meet him. As per the suggestion of the court, Raghunandan Rao, Eatala Rajender and T. Raja Singh met the Speaker at his chamber in the Assembly building and informed him about the observations made by the court while hearing their petition challenging the suspension. The Speaker reportedly assured the legislators that he will take an appropriate decision. The BJP MLAs later held a meeting at the party office to decide their future course of action. Tuesday is the last day of the Budget Session of the Assembly. The session had commenced on March 7 and on the very first day all three MLAs of BJP were suspended for disrupting the proceedings. Protesting over the government's move to commence the Budget Session without the Governor's address, the BJP legislators tried to disrupt the proceedings. On a resolution moved by the government, the Speaker announced their suspension for the entire session. The MLAs had approached the high court challenging their suspension. They argued that their suspension was against the rules of the Legislative Assembly and the Constitution of India. After a single judge refused to stay the suspension, the legislators filed an appeal before a division bench. A bench of Justice Ujjal Bhuyan and Justice A. Venkateswar Reddy left the decision to the Speaker. The court hoped that the Speaker would take an appropriate decision to uphold democratic principles in line with the impartial role of his office in the House. The court had directed the Legislature Secretary to ensure that the trio gets to meet the speaker. The bench had expressed its displeasure over the HC registry being prevented from handing over notice to the Assembly. On the direction of the court, the judicial registrar personally met Legislature Secretary Narasimha Charyulu and served the notice. Chennai, March 15 : Director Sanjay Leela Bhansali's crime drama 'Gangubai Kathiawadi' featuring Alia Bhatt in the lead, has come in for praise from actor Karthi, one of the top stars in the Tamil film industry and the younger brother of actor Suriya. Karthi took to Twitter to pen his thoughts on the film, which has been winning critical acclaim from different segments of society. Karthi said, "Gangubai - what a lovely film. Alia - blessed with great talent. She erupts, melts and shines without losing the innocence. Sanjay Leela Bhansali films are always opulent and rich with aesthetics. This one is very special. So much heart in it. Actors, Writers and Crew - Fabulous!!" The film is about a young girl named Ganga who turns into a madame in the red light area of Kamathipura to protect the rights of sex workers. The film is loosely based on the story of Gangubai Harjivandas, popularly known as Gangubai Kothewali, whose life was documented in the book 'Mafia Queens of Mumbai', written by S Hussain Zaidi. Wellington, March 15 : New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern on Tuesday remembered the victims of the 2019 Christchurch mosque shootings, which claimed the lives of 51 people. "We will always remember and acknowledge the 51 'shaheed' (martyr) who died as a result of the terrorist attack on 15 March. One way their memories are honored is through the work that is taking place to make our country a better home for all who live here," Xinhua news agency quoted Ardern as saying in a statement. Actions of counter-terrorism and counter-extremism were implemented after the shootings at the Al Noor and Linwood mosques on March 15, 2019, which also injured 40 people and traumatised many others, she said. Ardern said just 10 days after the attack, a Royal Commission of Inquiry was established, providing 44 recommendations to ensure that New Zealand becomes a diverse, safe and inclusive country. Work also continues in other areas, including the reform of gun licensing, she added. Deemed as deadliest attack in New Zealand's history, the attack was carried out by an Australian national Brenton Harrison Tarrant. He had live-streamed the first shooting at the Al Noor Mosque on Facebook. In March 2020, Tarrant pleaded guilty to 51 murders, 40 attempted murders, and engaging in a terrorist act, and in August was sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole - the first such sentence in New Zealand. Chennai, March 15 : South Korean tech giant Samsung will set up a compressor plant at an outlay of Rs 1,588 crore near here, a senior group official said on Tuesday. Spread over 22 acres, the new plant will have a capacity to make eight million units per year. The compressors produced at the new plant will be used for the refrigerators made by the company and also for exports, said Ken Kang, President and CEO, Samsung Southwest Asia said. Samsung India has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Tamil Nadu government. Speaking on the occasion, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin welcoming the fresh investment also requested Samsung to set up a semi-conductor plant in the state. He said Samsung's total investment in Tamil Nadu has gone upto about Rs 1,800 crore till date. Bengaluru, March 15 : After the landmark judgment by the special Bench of the Karnataka High Court, which dismissed the petitions seeking permission to wear hijab in classrooms, the counsels appearing for students on Tuesday said they will soon decide on approaching the Supreme Court. The High Court special bench upheld the government order on the uniform. "We welcome the judgment by the High Court. We will obtain the copy of the order and see whether we can approach the SC on this matter," advocate Shatabish Shivanna, who appeared for the petitioners, said. The court has given the verdict after hearing arguments and counterarguments for 11 days. The copy of the order is yet to be obtained. After studying the order, a decision will be taken, he reiterated. Meanwhile, MLC C.M. Ibrahim, who submitted resignation to the Congress and from the post of MLC, stated that they will challenge the order in the Supreme Court. "I have spoken to the advocates in Mumbai in this regard. No one should come out on the streets," he said. Opposition leader Siddaramaiah stated that the party was of the view that hijab didn't cause any problems for others and they wear it along with the uniform. Now, when the court decision has come, the matter is over. Former Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa stated that all should respect the verdict of the High Court and he appealed to the people not to rake up the controversy again. New Delhi, March 15 : Amazon counsel on Tuesday told the Supreme Court that the dialogue to settle the dispute with Future Retail did not work, and complained against Reliance taking over Future stores, despite no asset transfer order. Senior advocate Gopal Subramanium, representing Amazon, submitted before a bench headed by Chief Justice N.V. Ramana, "the efforts did not work and the conversation is over. Nothing is happening." On March 3, Amazon had proposed a dialogue with Future Retail to end the legal battles. Subramanium complained against Reliance taking over Future Retail stores. He submitted before the bench, also comprising Justices A.S. Bopanna and Hima Kohli, that the highest court told that no assets will be transferred, it's been recorded, and during pendency the orders have been flouted. "I don't want this message to go out that orders of the court can be happily flouted," said Subramanium. The bench queried senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, "How can your client take over the stores and make matter infructuous? That's what he's saying." Rohatgi replied that he is representing Future Coupons and not Reliance. Senior advocate Harish Salve, representing Future Retail, submitted that nothing has been transferred and rents for the shops were not paid for over two years and the landlords terminated the leases. Salve said: "We are completely broke, which is what we've been telling all forums... Amazon is driving us to our knees, we're broke." Another counsel for Amazon said, "So suddenly they are saying there's no money so the shops are taken over? Look at the conduct." The bench said, "Proceedings are going on and everything is happening. We're getting a feeling that by adjourning the matter, we're being lenient." Subramanium said: "Let us go back to the tribunal...80 per cent shops surrendered to Reliance." Salve reiterated that not one store has been surrendered and Reliance took away the boards as they're entitled to, all our assets are where they are. "I have been saying, this litigation will drive us to bankruptcy, and it has," said Salve. The bench queried Subramanium, "what are the interim orders that you're expecting, put it in by tomorrow, we'll list it on reopening day." Subramanium replied, "Till then nothing should happen. Only 300 shops are left." Salve said: "Shops takeover started 15 days ago... Reliance is taking over; we can't do anything. What do we do? We haven't signed anywhere. In fact, Mr Biyani went and protested." After a detailed hearing, the top court allowed Amazon to file an application in the matter and scheduled the matter for further hearing on Wednesday. The top court was hearing Amazon's challenge against Delhi High Court's order staying further arbitration proceedings with the Future Group before the Singapore Arbitration Tribunal. Future Retail Ltd (FRL) entered into a Rs 24,713 crore deal with Reliance Retail to sell its business, which has been objected to by the US-based e-commerce giant Amazon. Bengaluru, March 15 : After the Karnataka High Court dismissed petitions by Muslim girls seeking permission to wear hijab in educational institutions, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Tuesday said that stern action will be initiated against those who disturb peace in the state. Upholding the government order, the court has stated that hijab is not an essential part of Islam. "This is the question of our children and it is also the question of their future " he said. There is nothing more important than education for the children. The judgment of three-judge bench must be followed by all. When the verdict is implemented, the people must cooperate with the authorities, he said. "I appeal to all parents, community leaders to abide by the court orders and allow children to get education. It should be seen to it that no one remains outside and students must now focus on building their future," he explained. The police have beefed up security and everyone should accept the verdict. If anyone takes law and order into their hands they will be dealt with sternly, he warned. The High Court has settled the matter now, he said. A special bench of the Karnataka High Court constituted to look into the hijab issue dismissed all the petitions this morning and upheld the rights of the government to prescribe the uniforms for schools and colleges. New Delhi, March 15 : A 28-year-old man was arrested for knifing a stray dog to death in the national capital's Kalyanpuri area, an official said on Tuesday. The accused was identified as Vijay, a resident of Kalyanpuri. According to the official, the incident took place on March 13 and they received information about it on the same day. Accordingly, the police registered a case under section 11.1L (mutilating or killing any animal (including stray dogs) by using the method of strychnine injections in the heart or in any other unnecessarily cruel manner) of the Animal Protection Act. "We arrested the accused on March 13 only," a police official told IANS, adding that further probe is on. The Prevention of Cruelty to Animal Act, 1960 is one of the most comprehensive laws on the subject of animal welfare in India. According to Animal Protection Index 2020, India is one of the best performing countries in the whole world. The index ranks countries from A (being the highest score) to G (being the weakest score) according to their policy and legislation. India attained a C ranking in 2020 in the index. New Delhi, March 15 : Union Power Minister Raj Kumar Singh on Tuesday informed the Rajya Sabha that after the technological interventions and measures taken by the states, the power theft in the country has been reduced to a large extent. Replying to a question of Congress lawmaker Fauzia Khan, he said, "We have asked the state governments to use technology such as high voltage power supply and surveillance mechanism, the theft of power through illegal hooking directly from the supply wire, have gone down. "We offered to fund the state governments to use technology for surveillance." He also said that with the free electricity connection under the 'Saubhagya Yojna, the houses which were built earlier have been included, "but all houses cannot be included as new houses are being built every day," said the minister. Responding to another question of Samajwadi Party Member Rewati Raman Singh, the Minister further informed the House that new connections have also been given in the rural areas. In Uttar Pradesh, over 79,80,000 connections were given till 2018, after which the state government asked for 12 lakh more connections which were approved and later a request for another three lakh connections was also approved by the Power Ministry. "We have also informed the states that after March 31, 2022 the Saubhagya Yojna will be closed and we will not be able to give free connections. Pradhan Mantri Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana -- 'Saubhagya' -- is to provide energy access to all by last mile connectivity and electricity connections to all remaining un-electrified households in rural as well as urban areas to achieve universal household electrification in the country. Brussels, March 15 : The Euro area will mitigate the impact of the Russia-Ukraine conflict on its economy by closely monitoring the situation and by promptly adjusting its fiscal policy if needed, said officials after a meeting of the Eurogroup. "The key element is that given uncertainties and risks, we need to remain agile and flexible in our policy response; and the Eurogroup will work closely with the Commission in the coming weeks and months to do this," declared Paschal Donohoe, President of the Eurogroup. The Eurogroup, an informal gathering of the finance ministers of the Euro area, was meeting to issue budgetary guidance for 2023 for the countries of the region, reports Xinhua news agency. "Transitioning from an aggregate supportive fiscal stance in the euro area to a broadly neutral aggregate fiscal stance next year appears to be appropriate while standing ready to react to the evolving economic situation, also in view of the high level of uncertainty," read the statement issued at the end of the meeting. As the European economy was well into its recovery from two years of Covid-19 pandemic, it was strong enough to take in the first impacts of the Russia-Ukraine conflict. However, the true cost of the conflict remains to be seen, so a close monitoring of the situation should allow the Eurogroup to react and adjust to any evolution. "It is too soon to have a clear measure of the quantity of this impact. It is clear that our Winter Forecast that were projecting a four percent growth for this year looks now overly optimistic," declared Paolo Gentiloni, European Commissioner for Economy. The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) will be affected through several channels, he explained, such as higher commodity prices like gas, oil and wheat, or supply disruptions. The confidence of financial markets is also affected by uncertainty, according to Gentiloni. "The fiscal guidance agreed by the Eurogroup today will be contingent on the development of the economic situation," read the Eurogroup statement. Latest updates on Russia-Ukraine War Moscow, March 15 : A top official from Russia's Defence Ministry has claimed that troops have taken control of the entire region of Kherson, after the territory's namesake capital city was first captured on March 3. Confirming the takeover, Major General Igor Konashenkov, the Ministry's official representative, said that troops from 'Donetsk People's Republic' also broke through Ukrainian defences and took control of the settlement of Panteleymonovka, RT News reported. According to the official, Russian air defences shot down 16 Ukrainian military aircraft, including 13 drones, in the past 24 hours. The aircraft include one Su-24 and Su-25 of the Ukrainian Air Force, as well as an Mi-8 helicopter. The Russian armed forces have also attacked a Ukrainian airbase near Kramatorsk, Konashenkov said. In the attack, three hangars were destroyed, in which there were four Ukrainian Su-25 attack aircraft, one Mi-24 helicopter and five Mi-8 helicopters. New Delhi, March 15 : Appreciating Vivek Agnihotri's film 'The Kashmir Files', Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said more films like this need to be made so that people can know the truth. Prime Minister Modi was addressing the BJP parliamentary party meeting here before the start of day's proceedings in Parliament. It is learnt that Prime Minister Modi said that there have been attempts to conceal the truth from the nation for a very long time and films like 'The Kashmir Files' need to be made to bring out the truth before people. "Truth should be brought in the right form before the country. The truth prevailed in Kashmir Files," a BJP MP said, quoting the Prime Minister. Another MP said that, while appreciating the film, the Prime Minister told the party lawmakers to watch it. It is also learnt that the Prime Minister also said that attempts were made to suppress the truth by the 'flag bearers' of freedom of expression. "Torchbearers of freedom of expression have started a campaign to discredit the film. Whole ecosystem is active against the man who tried to present the truth. Instead of judging the film they are trying to stop people from watching the film," a BJP MP said quoting Prime Minister Modi. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text New Delhi, March 15 : Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday said that the GST Council should not be politicised as it is a body in which every finance minister from every state sits in and decides on how the disbursements happen. While intervening during the question hour in the Rajya Sabha on the issue of GST compensation which is yet to be paid to the states, the Finance Minister said: "I appeal through you, that we don't need to politicise this. Its an insult to the GST council." NCP lawmaker Vandana Chavan during the 'Question Hour' had cited inadequate release of funds to the state of Maharashtra, saying that the situation was similar in certain non-BJP states during her supplementary question on the GST related issue. Responding to her question, the Finance Minister said: "The council is a body which decides on how the disbursements happen...It is very well to point out that Maharashtra has a very big amount due, but in distribution as well, the share of Maharashtra has been fairly higher compared to other states." BJP Member Y.S. Chowdary also asked a question on GST compensation yet to be paid to the states, at which Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary informed the House about status of pendency with respect to Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. While responding to a question on the setting up of Siddha Medical Research Centre at Kollimalai hills in Tamil Nadu, Minister for Ayush Sarbananda Sonowal said: Considering the availability of the medicinal plants there, I would definitely visit the place and a decision will be taken after that." New Delhi, March 15 : National Commission for Women chairperson Rekha Sharma on Tuesday welcomed the decision of Karnataka High Court on Hijab ban, saying that students must follow the dress code prescribed inside an educational institution by the administration. "Girls and women have the right to wear anything of their choice and nothing should come in the way of their freedom to choose but inside an educational institution, in my view, students must follow the dress code prescribed by the administration," the NCW chairperson said welcoming the court's decision. Earlier, a Karnataka High Court's special bench dismissed all petitions seeking direction for permission to wear hijab in classrooms. The HC also stated that "wearing of hijab is not an essential part of Islam. Prescription of uniform is constitutional and students can't object to it." The NCW chief further said the verdict will now hopefully put an end to the ongoing controversy and will allow girls to go back to school and continue their education. The hijab row, which started as a protest by six students of the Udupi Pre-University Girl's College in Karnataka, turned into a big crisis. Today, on the day of judgement, security was beefed up across the state as a precautionary measure. A holiday was declared in the districts of Dakshina Kannada, Kalaburagi and Shivamogga for schools and colleges. Most of the districts imposed prohibitory orders in the surrounding areas of educational institutions. The Bengaluru Police Commissioner Kamal Pant issued prohibitory orders restricting protests, celebrations and gatherings in the entire city for seven days from March 15. Bhubaneswar, April 13 (IANS) The Odisha government on Monday said e-commerce and online platforms can resume operations in the second phase of the lockdown beginning April 15. Image Source: IANS News New Delhi, March 15 : Few multinational e-commerce entities with heavy arsenal of funding operating in India have attempted to flout the FDI norms, said the traders' body Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT). Releasing a white paper document, the industry body said: "The FDI Policy is put to multifarious interpretations and e-commerce entities structure their relationship as marketplace with sellers, in such a way that they are in a position to control either seller on their platform or the inventory and also escape the scrutiny of the enforcement agencies." "Under the guise of such control or ownership over sellers, the issue also permeates from being a mere FDI Policy violation to also being an anti-competitive conduct." "The mitigating measures and strict action for enforcement of the law in letter and spirit are of paramount importance. Otherwise, the FDI Policy on e-commerce would fail in its very objective of catering to the interests of domestic manufacturers, traders, sellers, MSMEs, startups and creation of a level playing field in retail," it mentioned in the paper. The definition of e-commerce, clearly capturing the role of a neutral e-commerce marketplace and the MRBT store operating in electronic form is the need of hour, it suggested. "To avoid such conflict of interest and contain market distortions, it is essential that the marketplace platform must act in a neutral manner and should not have any relation with sellers (whether by shareholding, control or otherwise, directly or indirectly) or control sellers registered on the platform as that leads to marketplace to acting as seller itself, which is essentially, inventory-based model of e-commerce." Further, it said neither a marketplace entity should act as an inventory-based e-commerce entity, nor should inventory-based e-commerce entities act as a marketplace entity. Also, an e-commerce regulator should be set up and it should be commissioned to look into unfair trade practices of both end consumers as well as the intermediate consumer such as sellers on the platform, it said. "Protection of the right to free and fair trade should be ensured for several small sellers who look forward to e-commerce platforms for their livelihood and consumers who are equally dependent on such platforms for their needs," it said, adding that a mandatory GST registration for conducting e-commerce activities should be abolished. New Delhi, March 15 : The Delhi High Court on Tuesday rejected a plea seeking probe against Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and its national convenor Arvind Kejriwal alleging that they have links with a banned Khalistani organisation named Sikhs For Justice (SFJ). A Division Bench of Acting Chief Justice Vipin Sanghi and Justice Navin Chawla rejected the Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by Congress leader Jagdish Sharma, terming it "completely frivolous'. It also asked him not to make such pleas in the future. The plea, mentioning former Punjab Chief Minister Charanjeet Singh Channi who has leveled similar allegations, pointed out the statement of founding member of AAP Kumar Vishwas before a few days of the election. The plea also alleged funding to the AAP by the separatist groups. Recently, a row had erupted after Kumar Vishwas allegedly talked about the collaboration between Kejriwal and the Khalistani separatists in an interview. A video clip going viral showed Vishwas alleging that Arvind Kejriwal wanted to become either chief minister of Punjab or PM of an Independent Khalistan without naming him. AAP had termed the video false, misleading, and a handiwork of rival political parties who have been trailing in the Assembly election in Punjab. A Delhi-based lawyer had also filed a complaint with Home Minister Amit Shah, the National Investigation Agency, and Delhi Police against Chief Minister Kejriwal over the statement of Kumar Vishwas. A similar complaint by Congress leader Sandeep Dixit has already been filed against Kejriwal at a police station in Mohali in Punjab over his alleged 'collaboration with the Khalistani separatists.' March 15 : Actress Kangana Ranaut slams the critics and celebrities for not stepping-up for The Kashmir Files, says they are so used to mediocrity that they dont even recognize a good movie. Kangana Ranaut was interacting with NewsHelpline on the sidelines of The Kashmir Files screening. Written and directed by Vivek Agnihotri and produced by Zee Studios, the film Anupam Kher, Darshan Kumar, Mithun Chakraborty, and Pallavi Joshi, has its fair share of tussle with critics and celebrities who has tried to snub the maker and the film. Slamming the people causing the trouble for the film, Kangana said, And I would urge everyone in Bollywood, who are hiding in their holes like rats, should step out and promote this movie. I mean, they keep promoting such rotten movies, why cant they promote a good movie for change People make such mediocre films and keep promoting one another, keep praising each others work, but when it comes to promoting good work, I dont know where they are hiding. This is good movie, the best one so far, this movie will fetch fame for everyone on a world stage. This movie should be sent to Oscars said Kangana. The film chronicles the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits which took place in 1990 during Kashmir surgency. Further adding Kangana said, The way Jews were butchered during Holocaust, Kashmiri Pandits were mass murdered, and no one wants to talk about it. When the world will see it, they would know the Hindus are minority in their own country. Meanwhile on the work front, Kangana Ranaut will soon be seen as an Indian Air Force pilot in Sarvesh Mewara's Tejas, a spy in Razneesh Ghai's Dhaakad, Indira Gandhi in her second directorial project, Emergency, and the Hindu goddess Sita in Alaukik Desai's The Incarnation: Sita. She will also produce the black comedy film Tiku Weds Sheru, starring Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Avneet Kaur. New Delhi, March 15 : The knives are out between the loyalists and dissenters in the Congress as the rebel G-23 group has stepped up its attack on the Gandhi family and the loyalists have come out in strong defence. Anil Shastri, the Congress leader in a tweet in Hindi on Tuesday said, "Those who don't want the Gandhi family to lead the party don't know that without them the party will weaken and a weak Congress will be fatal for the democracy." Later talking to IANS he said, "There is need for course correction but this should be done with the Gandhis at the helm, and the Congress can't compete on communal agenda of the BJP and those who are attacking the party should tell how they want to take the party forward." Shastri said, "The BJP invokes emotion but the Congress is committed to a certain ideology and we have to move forward with it." Talking to IANS, Sandeep Dikshit a former MP said, "The Congress President should have accessibility, acceptability and accountability." He said that accessibility to people and party leaders, acceptability within the public and accountability in wake of the losses should be there for the president and this should also be the norm for the state chief ministers and state chiefs. He said that the family is not acceptable to the people and this is evident in continued failures in poll after poll, and they are not accessible to anyone, including the party leaders. "In 90 per cent cases, Congress is pitted against Congress who are in turn backed by top AICC leaders. These leaders are full of arrogance and have held on to the big posts for long," said Dikshit. He alleged that the sycophants have led the party to the peril. While saying that members like him are not going to leave the party and will remain and fight back, he said, "We have no plans to leave but fight for revival." The rebel group is planning to meet on Wednesday and chalk out a future strategy. Days after the Congress working committee meeting, the party's senior leader Kapil Sibal on Tuesday demanded that the 'Gandhis should step aside from the leadership role and give a chance to someone else to lead the party'. Since the poll debacle of 2014 the Congress has lost elections continuously except on a few occasions, he said, and added that "the CWC has reposed faith in the party leadership but those outside the CWC feel otherwise as many have left the party and new leaders should be given a chance to lead the party". Sibal is one of the signatories of the letter written to Sonia Gandhi for bringing reforms within the party, but in the CWC meet on Sunday sources say that Ghulam Nabi Azad and Anand Sharma did not raise the issue of leadership change. Sonia Gandhi in the CWC on Sunday had offered to step aside from the leadership along with Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, but was turned down by the CWC. The Congress Working Committee on Sunday reposed faith in her. Sydney, March 15 : A fire at a boarding house in Sydney has killed three people, with another in critical condition, the police said on Tuesday, saying that the cause of the blaze is of "suspicious" nature. Firefighters were called to a two-level boarding house in Newtown, a suburb in Sydney's inner west, early Tuesday morning, reports Xinhua news agency. Firefighters said it took about two hours to get the blaze under control. A body was recovered from the rubble in the morning with two more uncovered in the afternoon. Police said there were also "serious concerns" for a fourth person who escaped the fire, and is in a "crucial condition" at central Sydney hospital. In a statement, New South Wales Police Assistant Commissioner Peter Cotter said the incident was being investigated as a murder. "We are treating this as suspicious - it was an explosion, the flames took hold extremely quickly," he said. "It would be fair to say some type of accelerant was used - we are treating this as a murder, we are treating this as a maliciously lit fire." Residents in surrounding buildings have been evacuated due to instability in the boarding house after the fire. Imphal, March 15 : Amidst reports of factionalism over the post of the Chief Minister in Manipur, caretaker Chief Minister N. Biren Singh and another contender for the top post Thongam Biswajit Singh on Tuesday rushed to Delhi to discuss the issue with the central leadership of the BJP. The Parliamentary Board of the BJP on Monday appointed Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Union Law and Justice Minister Kiren Rijiju as central observers to select the legislature party leader in Manipur. A top BJP leader said that the central leaders called Biren Singh and Biswajit Singh to Delhi for discussion on the leadership issue. "After meeting, Sitharaman and Rijiju might come to Imphal to discuss with other BJP MLAs and leaders to finalise the name of legislature party leader," a BJP leader told IANS. Meanwhile, Manipur BJP Vice-President Ch Chidananda, refuting the media reports, strongly denied that there is more than one contenders for the CM's post. Biswajit Singh was the second-in-command in the outgoing BJP government after Chief Minister and is in the party for longer than Biren Singh. Biren Singh won from his traditional Heingang assembly constituency for the record 5th time while Biswajit Singh was elected to the assembly fourth time from Thongju seat. The BJP has a thin majority of 32 MLAs in a 60-member Assembly. BJP's erstwhile ally National People's Party secured seven seats while Janata Dal (United) won six seats, the Congress and the Naga People Front bagged five seats each, Kuki People's Alliance, a newly floated tribal based party, managed two seats and three Independent candidates also got elected to the Assembly. The NPF, JD(U) and an independent member announced to support the BJP government. For the first time in the electoral and parliamentary history of Manipur, five women members, highest ever, were also elected, including three of BJP and two of the NPP. Biren Singh on Friday resigned from his post and the Governor asked him to continue in office until the new government takes charge. Washington, March 15 : The US has information suggesting China has expressed willingness to provide Russia with requested military and financial assistance as part of its war on Ukraine, CNN quoted a Western official and an American diplomat as saying. It is not yet clear whether China intends to provide Russia with that assistance, US officials familiar with the intelligence told CNN. But during an intense, seven-hour meeting in Rome, a top aide to President Joe Biden warned his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping of "potential implications and consequences" for China should support for Russia be forthcoming, a senior administration official said. The series of events underscored the growing concern among American officials at the budding partnership between Moscow and Beijing as Biden works to isolate and punish Russia for its aggression in Ukraine. While officials have said the Chinese President was alarmed at what has taken place since Russia invaded, there is little to indicate China is prepared to cut off its support entirely, CNN reported. That leaves open a troubling possibility for American officials -- that China may help prolong a bloody conflict that is increasingly killing civilians, while also cementing an authoritarian alliance in direct competition with the US, the report said. In a diplomatic cable, the US relayed to its allies in Europe and Asia that China had conveyed a willingness to assist Russia, which has asked for military support. The cable did not state definitively that assistance had been provided. One official also said the US warned in the cable that China would likely deny it was willing to provide assistance. Latest updates on Russia-Ukraine War New Delhi, March 15 : After thumping victory in Uttarakhand, the BJP state leadership is meeting the central leaders to discuss formation of a new government in the state. Caretaker Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, Uttarakhand BJP president Madan Kaushik are likely to meet party chief J.P. Nadda and national general secretary (organisation) B.L. Santhosh to discuss the formation of the new government. Sources said that a meeting was held at the Prime Minister Narednra Modi's residence late on Monday night. It is learnt that Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, BJP president Nadda and state election in-charge Pralhad Joshi were present in the meeting. Sources claimed that Dhami and other Uttarakhand BJP leaders are also likely to meet central observers Rajnath Singh and Meenakshi Lekhi and other central leaders. Uncertainty is still prevailing over the next Chief Minister of Uttarakhand after incumbent Dhami lost assembly polls. Days after declaration of results, the BJP is still trying to find a suitable formula to select the new Chief Minister of the hill state. "Clarity will emerge over the new Chief Minister after series of meetings today and swearing in of the Chief Minister will take place soon after election of new leader of legislative party," a party insider said. There are different opinions within the BJP over giving Dhami another chance. While some support a second chance for him, many are saying it will set a wrong precedent which the party always opposed. "Apart from the Dhami's fate, there are other issues like caste and region to be addressed before finalizing the name of the new Chief Minister. The party leadership has to take a call on whether the new Chief Minister will be from Garhwal or Kumaon and also whether he or she will be Thakur or Brahmin," a party insider said. Sydney, March 15 : Qantas, Australia's flag carrier, Tuesday agreed on a deal to buy almost 20 million litres of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) from US biofuels company Aemetis each year from 2025. The sustainable fuel, which comes from certified feedstock from waste products and then blended with normal jet fuel, will be used to help reduce carbon emissions on Qantas flights from Los Angeles and San Francisco to Australia, reports Xinhua news agency. This is Qantas' second major offshore purchase of SAF with flights from London already using a blend of sustainable fuel since the start of this year. Its previous deal saw Qantas purchase 10 million litres of SAF in 2022 with an option to purchase up to another 10 million liters in 2023 and 2024. Qantas Group CEO Alan Joyce said the company was looking to source more SAF for its operations, but that was only possible overseas given it was not available to be produced locally. "Operating our aircraft with sustainable aviation fuel is the single biggest thing we can do to directly reduce our emissions," Joyce said. SAF produces up to 80 per cent fewer emissions than traditional jet kerosene and is compatible with Qantas' existing aircraft. The airline has already committed A$50 million to support the development of a SAF industry in Australia and has aimed to be net carbon neutral by 2050. "For now, SAF is more expensive than traditional fossil fuels but with the right investment it could grow to a scale where the cost is on par," added Joyce. New Delhi, March 15 : Tech giant Microsoft has announced that it is making its DirectStorage API available to game developers to fully utilise the speed of the latest storage devices. The company said that this public SDK release begins a new era of fast load times and detailed worlds in PC games by allowing developers to more fully utilise the speed of the latest storage devices. "In September 2020, we announced DirectStorage would be coming to Windows, and after collecting feedback throughout our developer preview, we are making this API available to all of our partners to ship with their games," the company said in a blogpost. Microsoft said it will be presenting an introduction to DirectStorage at GDC -- along with some tips and tricks to get started -- on March 22. "If you want to get your PC ready to take advantage of DirectStorage games, we have a few suggestions. DirectStorage is compatible with Windows 10 devices, but Windows 11 has the latest storage optimizations built in and is our recommended path for gaming," the company said. "While you may see benefits on any kind of storage device, installing games to an NVMe SSD will maximize your IO performance and help you more fully experience the benefits of DirectStorage. Stay tuned to learn about games that will be shipping with DirectStorage in the future!" it added. Gandhinagar, March 15 : More than 6,000 cases of atrocities against the Scheduled Caste (SC) community are pending in Gujarat courts, as per the state government. Several of the cases are pending for more than 10 years. The information was shared in the ongoing budget session of the 14th state Assembly on Monday. Responding to a question raised by the Dasada MLA, Naushad Solanki, law minister Rajendra Trivedi informed the house that there were 6,024 cases of atrocities against the SC community in Gujarat in specially designated courts. Of these, there were 1,117 cases with a pendency of over two years, 1,221 cases of more than three years, 585 cases of more than five years and there were even 168 cases since more than a decade. On the legislator's question on steps taken by the government to reduce this pendency, the minister replied that there was constant monitoring of the courts declared as 'Special courts' and designated under the provisions of the Atrocity Act, 1889. Instructions were also issued to expedite the matters to the principal judge, City Civil court, Ahmedabad and other district court judges, under the provision of Atrocity Amendment Act, 2015 section 14 (3). In a question put up by the Congress lawmaker from Vav constituency, Geni Thakor, the law minister informed the house that the government had established special exclusive courts set up in Ahmedabad (rural), Anand, Banaskantha (Palanpur), Mehsana, Patan, Rajkot, Surat, Gandhinagar, Bharuch, Bhavnagar, Jamnagar, Junagadh, Kutch (Bhuj), Vadodara and city civil court in Ahmedabad. In the remaining district and subdivision, the session courts were designated as special court to deal with atrocity cases under the Atrocity Act 1889. Replying to a question put up by late Dr Anil Joshiyara (who died on Monday), a legislator from Bhiloda, the law minister informed that a family belonging to the Valmiki community was attacked in Jitpur village of Aravalli district, but no incident of exodus has been reported of the community. Similarly, in response to Khedbrahma MLA Ashwin Kotwal's question on the Jitpur family exodus, the minister said that as the village does not fall in Sabrkantha district, the information is not available. New Delhi, March 15 : The Supreme Court on Tuesday stayed the Centre's ban on Malayalam TV news channel Media One. The Central government had cited national security grounds to justify the ban. A bench headed by Justice D.Y. Chandrachud said the court is of the view that ground for providing interim relief is made out by the petitioners and the January 31 order, issued by the Centre, revoking the security clearance granted to the TV channel should remain stayed, pending further orders. The bench allowed the channel to resume broadcasting again, pending final adjudication of the matter. On March 10, the Supreme Court on Thursday issued notice on a plea by Malayalam news channel Media One challenging the Kerala High Court order, which upheld Centre's decision to not renew its telecast licence. The Centre had cited national security grounds to justify the ban. The top court granted interim relief in the petition filed by the channel. The bench, also comprising Justices Surya Kant and Vikram Nath, passed the order after examining the files produced by the Ministry of Home Affairs, citing security concerns in connection with the TV channel. The bench said: "The petitioners shall be permitted to continue operating the news & current affairs channel MediaOne on the same basis as the channel was being operated to the revocation of the security clearance." The top court has asked the Centre to file a counter affidavit in the matter within two weeks. Media One had moved the top court after the Kerala High Court upheld the ban imposed on it by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. The division bench of the high court comprising Chief Justice S. Manikumar and Justice Shaji P. Chali noted when certain issues with respect to the security of the state are concerned, the government is at liberty to decline to renew the permission granted, without disclosing the complete reasons for the non-renewal. The high court on March 2 dismissed the appeals filed by the channel's management and journalists challenging a February 9 single-bench order, which refused to lift the ban. Chennai, March 15 : The team of director Maari Selvaraj's 'Maamannan' accorded a warm welcome to one of Tamil cinema's most popular comedians, Vadivelu, who joined the unit in Salem recently. Vadivelu, who is making a return to the silver screen with director Suraj's 'Naai Sekar Returns', is again getting busy in Tamil cinema after a long time. The actor, who plays the lead in director Suraj's 'Naai Sekar Returns', has just completed shooting the second schedule of the film in Mysore. Says a source close to the unit of 'Naai Sekar Returns', "While the team of 'Naai Sekar Returns' has just returned to Chennai after finishing the second schedule, actor Vadivelu has now headed to Salem for the shooting of 'Maamannan'. The third schedule of 'Naai Sekar Returns' will start after Vadivelu returns from the sets of 'Maamannan'." Meanwhile, social media is abuzz with director Mari Selvaraj welcoming Vadivelu with a garland on the first day of shooting of 'Maamannan' that stars actors Udhayanidhi Stalin and Keerthy Suresh in the lead. Srinagar, March 15 : The terrorist killed during a gunfight with the security forces in the Awantipora area of South Kashmir's Pulwama district belonged to the proscribed Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) and was involved in several terror crimes, officials said on Tuesday. The police said that based on specific input generated by them regarding the presence of terrorist in village Charsoo area of Awnatipora, a joint cordon and search operation was launched by the police, Army's 42 RR and CRPF. "During the search operation, as the search party proceeded towards the suspected spot, the hiding terrorist fired indiscriminately upon the search party which was retaliated effectively leading to an encounter," police said. In the ensuing encounter, one terrorist was killed and his body was retrieved from the site of encounter. He has been identified as Owais Raja, resident of Subhanpora. "As per police records, the killed terrorist was a categorised terrorist of proscribed terror outfit JeM. He was a part of group involved in several terror crime cases, including attack on police/ security forces and civilian atrocities," police said. Meanwhile, Inspector General Police Kashmir Vijay Kumar termed this operation as very important as it was situated very close to the National Highway and threat was imminent. Incriminating materials, arms and ammunition, including one AK-56 rifle, three AK Magazines and 80 AK rounds were recovered from the site of encounter. "All the recovered materials have been taken into case records for further investigation," police said. A case has been registered and investigation has been initiated. Moscow, March 15 : Russia and Iran are preparing documents that will fix a new quality of partnership between the two countries, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said at a meeting with his Iranian counterpart Hossein Amir Abdollahian, who is in Moscow. "We are preparing new documents that are designed to fix the new qualities of our partnership," said Lavrov, quoted by Ria Novosti, RT reported. The trade turnover between Russia and Iran, despite external factors, is growing steadily, it has exceeded $4 billion, Lavrov said at the meeting. "It is gratifying that, despite all the well-known factors, our trade turnover is steadily growing at a record pace. It increased by almost 80 per cent last year, exceeding $4 billion," Lavrov said. Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian will discuss with the Russian side issues of bilateral cooperation and the status of negotiations on the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). He will hold talks with officials of the Russian Federation on bilateral issues, as well as on the progress of negotiations on the JCPOA. Budgam, March 15 : Fata Begum, the wife of Mohammad Ramzan Parray of Hukhlatri village, suffers from hypertension. The doctor had advised that Begum monitor her blood pressure regularly and be mindful of hypertensive symptoms to avoid complications such as a heart attack or stroke. "Due to the lack of a basic health facility [here], Fata is forced to visit the sub-district hospital at Beerwah, which lies 15 km from the village, even for minor checkups," Parray told 101Reporters. "If there were dedicated staff at our sub-health centre, then my wife and other such patients would not have to face this inconvenience for treatments." Self-sufficient community - then and now Although health services come under the purview of the government, the residents of Hukhlatri village of Budgam district, Central Kashmir, were forced to take matters into their own hands back in 1989, after their repeated requests for a local health centre fell on deaf ears. This medical unit, which had been serving nearby villages for the past three decades, collapsed in 2018 due to heavy snowfall. Mohamad Akbar Dar, a retired teacher, recalled: "In 1989, we approached the district administration and concerned ministers and MLAs to provide us with a basic healthcare facility. We had to use our own homes as makeshift immunisation centres in those days. However, when the government failed to establish even the minimum infrastructure, the village committee inspired the villagers to raise funds to construct a health centre on public land." Gh Mohideen, a retired police officer who's currently the chairman of the village awqaf board, said, "After the building was constructed, we approached the then MLA Mir Lasjan, who pushed the Health Department to post the staff members required at this centre." Since then, this medical unit has catered to the healthcare needs of the residents of Hukhlatri, Bagander, Danas, Lasipora, and Ramhuma villages, which have a combined population of around 6 thousand people. "It had been functioning smoothly and providing medical attention for minor health issues," added Mohideen. "On the rare occurrence of an accident or emergency, the paramedical staff posted here would offer first aid." In 2018, the sub-health centre collapsed after heavy snowfall pummelled the Valley, halting all health services in the village. Doctors would hardly visit, but one nurse and a medical assistant remained available during the working days of the week. The village committee (awqaf board) made multiple representations to the district administration and panchayat regarding the reconstruction of the centre. But they did not allocate any funds to rebuild the structure. "We raised the issue at the Back to Village Programme in 2020, but nothing substantial was done," Mohideen said. 'Back to Village', an initiative of the Jammu and Kashmir government, is a public outreach programme that helps engage villagers directly with officials of different departments to redress the issues that need immediate government intervention. Mohmmad Shafi, deputy sarpanch of the village, said: "We raised the issue before every concerned official-from the district commissioner of Budgam to the block medical officer and District Development Council-but we failed to raise any funds through them. Not one person responded to our demands." Mohideen, the awqaf chairman, further added: "After waiting six months for the bureaucratic and panchayat machinery to act and redress the problem, we decided to construct it through the awqaf fund. Local households donated funds for the welfare of the village." In 2021, the Awqaf board completed the construction of the new health centre at a cost of around Rs 10 lakh-an exorbitant amount to be borne by the villagers. Awqaf board to the rescue The local village committee, called the awqaf board, has been instrumental in liaising between the government and villagers and assisting with public projects that serve the community. Awqaf (also spelt awkaf or auqaf, singular waqf/wakf) is an Arabic word, meaning assets that are donated, bequeathed, or purchased for being held in perpetual trust for general or specific charitable causes that are socially beneficial. Some of the causes supported through awqaf include poverty alleviation programmes, disaster relief, free health services, religious and contemporary education, heritage, culture, and environment. Thus, in addition to being a religiously significant institution, the idea underlying awqaf can be of significance to the larger development of the community. Historically, awqaf have played a significant role in providing sustainable finance for many basic social services, including-but not limited to-education and health. In the same spirit, the village awqaf committee comprises local residents who work voluntarily in service of the community, managing charitable donations contributed by individuals or groups, mediating between the government and residents and, when the need arises, providing concrete support for public projects within the village-even if it means they complete the task themselves. The awqaf board is actively involved in resolving local issues proactively. For instance, when heavy snowfall descended on the Valley rendering all roads unmotorable and plunging villages into darkness, they received negligible government assistance in clearing the streets or restoring the power supply. The village awqaf committee sprang into action and spearheaded the mission to remove the snow, de-ice the roads and assist the Power Development Department (PDD) in restoring electricity with the help of the local youth. Government indifference dampening awqaf's efforts Even though the board took the initiative to build the village a health centre, the paramedical staff stationed there lacked basic accommodation facilities, like electricity, in the old building. The new building offers better accommodation; it was completely renovated, painted and equipped with power supply. However, the centre still lacks basic staff like doctors and other necessary medical personnel, for which the government sanction has not been granted yet. A Health Department employee told 101Reporters: "The nurse posted here remains engaged in multiple tasks of the department, including vaccination duties in other villages, meetings and other official work. So she cannot stay at this sub-health centre the whole week." According to the Sub-Health Centre Guidelines of 2012, two auxiliary nurse midwives should be posted at the centre. It should be ensured that at least one of them is available at the centre, and that it remains open for OPD services on all working days. Only one of them may offer outreach immunisation services at a time. However, the nurses posted at this centre remain engaged in outreach services. Saja Begam, a resident of Hukhlatri, demanded that regular paramedical staff be posted here, including doctors who can perform minor medical tasks like checking blood pressure, administering an injection and other first-aid treatments. "Most households live in poverty, and they cannot afford the fare to visit another hospital for minor treatments. The block medical officer should allot a doctor for at least two days a week and regular paramedical staff, so we are not forced to wander in search of different hospitals," she added. In response to the allegations of neglect, Block Medical Officer of Beerwah Dr Javed Ganaie, said: "Since the awqaf body established the building, we could not reconstruct it after its collapse, as it was beyond our jurisdiction and duty. However, now that the awqaf rebuilt it, we have posted a nurse (tabassum) at the sub-health centre." "We are making attempts to provide more staff here," he added. "It now functions as an immunisation centre, but we will upgrade it to the Centre-sponsored scheme as soon as possible. A mid-level health provider or doctor will be made available, and its infrastructure upgraded. Other health facilities such as blood, urine and sugar level tests, as well as provision for medicines, will be provided here, including treatment of other minor health issues." (The author is a Jammu-based freelance journalist and a member of 101reporters, a pan-India network of grassroots reporters.) New Delhi, March 15 : External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Tuesday said that despite challenges posed by the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine, the government ensured that about 22,500 citizens have returned home safely from the war-torn country. In a statement in the Rajya Sabha, he said that a large number of students continue to stay in Ukraine, adding that 18,000 citizens were caught in the conflict. Referring to the steps taken by the government to evacuate Indian nationals including students, he further said that the MEA control room was ramped up to 100 personnel and strategies were chalked out to bring back citizens via neighbouring countries of Ukraine. He also said that the MEA control room received over 13,000 calls and 9,000 e-mails while Russian speaking officials were sent to Ukraine to assist the evacuations. "Members of the House should appreciate the work of diplomats who went beyond the call of duty to facilitate students and citizens. Under Operation Ganga, 90 flights were operated including 20 Air Force flights. The 70 flights were operated by the private airlines like Air India, Air India Express, Vistara, IndGo and others," Jaishankar said. The Indian Air Force rose to the occasion and operated 20 flights under Operation Ganga, he added. Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself spoke to President Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to seek support for Indian nationals, the External Affairs Minister said. "PM Modi, Foreign Secretary Harsh Shringla and myself, were in touch with counterparts in Poland, Slovakia, Romania and Hungary," he said. The Prime Minister reviewed the situation on a daily basis and sent four senior Union Ministers to the neighbouring countries of Ukraine to oversee the evacuation mission. Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia was sent to Romania and Moldova, Kiren Rijiju to Slovakia, Hardeep Singh Puri to Hungary and Gen V.K. Singh (Retd) to Poland. The Minister also said that the most challenging evacuation of Indian students were from Kharkiv and Sumy as the there was a chance that the students might get caught in the crossfire. He also said that the Ukrainian authority provided trains and buses to Indian students to reach bordering countries and also provided travel documents in a short time for those who lost their passports. During the evacuation process, the Indian nationals, NGOs and individual Indian businessmen in neighbouring countries helped the Indian students for their stay in those countries. During the entire period, the Indian embassy officials were in touch with Indians and Ukrainian authorities to provide all possible help such as food, shelter and medicines. Besides, the Minister also informed the House that India flew Ukrainian nationals from India to Poland and flew out 147 citizens from 18 countries during the evacuation operations including the neighbouring countries like Bangladesh and Nepal. Mentioning the major implications of the Ukraine conflict, Jaishankar said that this has major economic implications; its impact on energy and commodity prices is already visible. "The disruption of the global supply chain is expected to be significant, India has substantial dealings with both Russia and Ukraine and assessment in this regard by the government is underway," he said. Latest updates on Russia-Ukraine War -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Hyderabad, March 15 : Nandamuri Balakrishna, who enthralled the Telugu TV audience with his perky hosting on 'Unstoppable: With NBK', is rumoured to be a part of S.S. Rajamouli's upcoming big-ticket project. Rajamouli's next, which will feature superstar Mahesh Babu as the main lead, will apparently have Balakrishna in an extended cameo. While the other details are not mentioned, it is said that Balakrishna will have a screen-time of nearly 40 minutes in this yet-to-be-announced movie. While there is no formal confirmation on the same, Balakrishna and Mahesh Babu's fans have been excited for the makers to make this news official. The movie which will have K.L. Narayana as producer, will be launched in the coming months, while sources also report it will have an ensemble cast. For now, Balakrishna and Mahesh Babu are busy with their respective movies. Balakrishna's movie under Gopichand Mallineni is in the making, while Mahesh Babu's 'Sarkaru Vaari Paata' is gearing up for its release this summer. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Hyderabad, March 15 : The Telangana government will bear the educational expenses of over 700 students brought back from war-torn Ukraine to enable them to complete their medical education in India, Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao announced on Tuesday. He told the Assembly that the state government will write to the Centre to give permission to 740 students who returned from Ukraine to complete their MBBS course. KCR, as the Chief Minister is popularly known, said the students were studying medicine in various universities in Ukraine and the war has forced them to discontinue the education and return home. He said that since the students face an uncertain future due to the current situation in Ukraine, the state government is ready to bear the expenses to help them complete the MBBS. His announcement came while he was replying to the debate on the Appropriation Bill. He said over 20,000 Indian students were stranded in Ukraine. They had gone there to study medicine as there were no opportunities for them in India. "To study MBBS in India, it was costing them over Rs 1 crore and since they could not afford this they went to Ukraine where they had to pay Rs 20-25 lakh," he said. In another major announcement, KCR declared that 7,000 field assistants working for Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) will be taken back. The field assistants were removed after they went on strike. The CM advised them not to go on strike again. He also announced that 4,000 employees working for Society for Elimination of Rural Poverty (SERP) will be given salaries at par with the government employees. KCR announced that Government Order (GO) 111 will be revoked after receiving the report of the experts' committee. He said the GO, which imposes certain restrictions on constructions on around 1.32 lakh acres in catchment areas of Osman Sagar and Himayat Sagar reservoirs in Hyderabad, has become redundant as the water from the two reservoirs is no longer being used for drinking purposes. He pointed out that water is being pumped from projects on Krishna and Godavari rivers to meet the drinking water needs of the city and surroundings. KCR said the government will take all necessary steps to ensure that there is no haphazard development in 1.32 lakh acres with the revocation of GO 111. The GO was issued in 1996 for the protection of two reservoirs. Latest updates on Russia-Ukraine War Mumbai, March 15 : With five years of heat and dust of temple and politics behind, the Uttar Pradesh government now finally plans to pay attention on the state of its economy. Accordingly, the UP government has decided to hire a consultant to advise on how to boost the state's economy to $1 trillion by 2027 -- or during the second term of Chief Minister-designate Yogi Adityanath. The UP Department of Planning on Tuesday released ads in prominent Mumbai media oulets to this effect, soliciting request for proposal (RFP) by April 14. "The Department of Planning wishes to engage Consultant to boost up the size of the Economy of Uttar Pradesh to One Trillion Dollar in five years (2022-2027)," read the ad. The step evoked some curiosity and chortles among economic experts and India Inc., though it could not be immediately confirmed if similar releases were issued in UP media too. The measure came just four days after the Maha Vikas Aghadi government's Deputy Chief Minister and state Finance Minister Ajit Pawar announced in the Legislature that Maharashtra is well-poised to become the first state in the country to achieve $1 trillion economy in the next three years, spelling cheers. The timing of the UP government's expression of interest - and desire - to 'bulldoze' its economy has raised questions like "why now" among experts and corporates here. "There are other concerns... How much investment does the UP government expect for this and whether it will be able to arrange and manage the fund inflows," said Ratnakar Mahajan, a well-known economic expert and former Executive Chairman of Maharashtra State Planning Board. Bhalchandra Mungekar, a former member of the Planning Commission and ex-UGC Chairman, feels the UP government is attempting to "blindly imitate" Maharashtra as its "well nigh impossible for any expert or consultant to advise on turning them into a $1 trillion economy within a specified time-frame" like this. "For this, factors like the basic strengths of the UP economy, the sectoral position of agriculture, industry, services, infrastructure, domestic and foreign investments, ease of doing business, plus a certain gestation period are the chief parameters which any prospective investors would consider," Mungekar pointed out. Mahajan said that traditionally, Maharashtra has been an advanced state, both agriculturally and industrially, since 1960, and later it evolved its visionary 'agro-industrial policy' with equal emphasis on both these engines of development. "UP is largely dependent on agriculture... Kanpur is an economic hub, but the state lags in industrialisation, urbanisation, skilled talent etc. It seems they are 'clueless' as to how to go about it... So they need outside experts to advise them," Mahajan said. Mungekar said India is currently a $3 trillion economy, so if Maharashtra and UP end up contributing two-thirds to it, the rest of India would contribute only $1 trillion. "This could result in a regional economic imbalance... But I wish the UP government the very best in its endeavour, and hope that all Indian states also progress in a similar fashion," Mungekar said. US-returned NRI in Mumbai, Ketan R. Kakkad, feels the UP government is showing yet another 'lollipop' to the people, which may not materialise in the near future. "As in the US or any other advanced country, economics and politics must always remain independent. After the polls, the government must shift into the 'economic mode' rather than continuing in the 'election mode', as we have witnessed since 2014. Then only a clear message will go and the economy can flourish," Kakkad explained. "For good economic growth, a multi-pronged approach is essential -- enhancing the manufacturing sector, an annual growth in GDP and distributing it among various sections of the society. While UP's GDP stands at around 6.4 per cent, Maharashtra's GDP has crossed 12.1 per cent this year," said Mahajan. Endorsing the view, Kakkad urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi and state Chief Ministers to appoint or elect economists and influential NRIs to guide on the economy instead of 'sadhus' (saints) whose vision is limited to religion or temple politics. Despite repeated attempts, the UP Planning Department Special Secretary could not be reached for comments on his landline numbers. (Quaid Najmi can be contacted at: q.najmi@ians.in) New Delhi, March 15 : Union Minister for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Piyush Goyal on Tuesday lambasted his own ministry officials for harassing small shopkeepers in the name of Legal Metrology Act and indicated that some of them are hand in glove with the wrong doers. Recalling his own harassment 35 years ago when he started out as a young entrepreneur, Goyal listed out the number of cases registered under three different sections of the Legal Metrology Act and pointed out the vast difference between the number of cases under first and second offences. Goyal was addressing the World Consumer Rights Awareness Day event organised by his ministry. Of all the cases registered, 60 per cent of them are under section 33 penalty for use of unverified weights and measures; 25 per cent of them are under section 36 (1) penalty for selling of non-standard packaging and 8-10 per cent are under section 25 penalty for use of non-standard weights and measures, the Minister said. Last three years' data shows that broadly 51,000-54,000 cases are registered under section 33, about 20,000-22,000 under section 36 (1) and about 8,000-10,000 cases are filed under section 25, all first offences, which is compoundable. "I fail to understand that after the first offence, which is compoundable, how the number of cases for second offence, which can actually put you behind bars, which is criminal, comes down drastically," Goyal said. "In 2018-19, first offence cases were 89,724 while second offence 11,000; in 2019-20, first offence 92,000 cases but second offence was just 2 (two) and in 2020-21, first offence cases was 85,000 but second offence was zero," the Minister rattled the numbers to a stunned audience comprising top officials from his own ministry, from the respective state departments and also those from the national and state level consumer forums. "Now I want to ask - do you think none of these shopkeepers, small businessmen who you fined in thousands, did anything wrong, did they not commit any offence after you compounded the first one? You can imagine what all may have gone between the one first and the second offence? This is what I want to stop, want to de-criminalise. I myself have been a victim of this," he said. The Minister also blamed the state government and the consumer organisations for opposing reforms. He gave an example of how an attempt to streamline sizes of cement bags was met with cement industry associations for a mere Rs 0.25 paise increase that they would incur per bag. "We wanted to change it in view of the environmental damage. But look at the opposition?" Stating that the officials need to act responsibly along with exercising their rights, Goyal then ordered the officials present right from the Secretary, Additional Secretary, two Ministers of States, Joint Secretaries and a host of others apart from the state representatives - to have a meeting right next week and sort of the issues pertaining to the Legal Metrology Act. New Delhi, March 15 : Womanhood cannot be celebrated in a single day. Understanding this Phoenix Marketcity Mumbai brings a month-long event with fun activities and offers. There's a lot going on, from fitness activities and makeovers to special entrepreneurial discussions and live events. Workshops held with Shaina NC, Brinda Miller, and EshaaAmiin, a stylist who needs no introduction.And, if you're a sucker for a good deal sign up on their website for a Free power woman booklet worth INR 20,000 across various brands at Phoenix Marketcity Mumbai. Finally, the Big Break initiative recognises the herculean task that it is for women-led businesses to receive funding and mentorship from a Venture Capital firm (VC). Phoenix has decided to bridge the gap between a powerful female entrepreneur and an investor or Venture Capital Firm by giving them their Big Break. Big Break's website has gone live, allowing female entrepreneurs to upload their pitch decks and business plans. Shortlisted women entrepreneurs will be invited to an on-site panel discussion, after which the VC will select a few women entrepreneurs for funding. "Believing in women's empowerment Phoenix has dedicated its services to both women shoppers and business owners over the years. As a result, at a time when India is seeing an increase in the number of female entrepreneurs, it is proud to provide another platform that contributes to the cause. The Phoenix Marketcity Mumbai Big Break Initiative is just the beginning of our many efforts to promote passionate businesswomen," stated Mr. Amit Kumar, Director-Malls. Register here: https://bit.ly/PowerWomenFiesta2022 (IANSlife can be contacted at ianslife@ians.in) -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text New Delhi, March 15 : Samsung is set to launch its entry-level Galaxy smartphones on March 17 and the cheapest of the lot, Galaxy A33, will house a 6.4-inch 90Hz 1080p OLED display, a 5,000mAh battery and four rear cameras. It is likely to be priced at 379 euros in Europe, according to new leaks posted by Evan Blass and Appuals. According to Appuals, the Galaxy A33 will be powered by Samsung's Exynos 1280, housing an octa-core CPU. There will be a 48MP camera, a 8MP ultrawide sensor, a 5MP macro lens and a 2MP portrait lens at the rear end, along with a 13MP selfie camera. Sporting an IP67 rating for dust and water resistance, the phone will have an under-display fingerprint sensor, 6GB RAM and 128GB internal storage without a charging brick in the box. Samsung's mid-low tier Galaxy A series is forecast to come in various new models -- A73, A53, A33 and A23 -- a product line the company earlier said would provide "cutting-edge innovations, services and features at an accessible price". Galaxy A53 may sport a bigger 6.5-inch display with a higher 120Hz refresh rate, with same Exynos 1280 processor as well as a quad-camera at the rear with a 64MP main camera, and a 32MP selfie sensor. The Galaxy A73, which will be the most high-end among the A series, is widely expected to come with Qualcomm's Snapdragon 750G, a 6.7-inch screen and a Super AMOLED display. Samsung introduced the Galaxy A72 and A52 models at its 'Galaxy Awesome Unpacked' online event in March last year. It was the first time Samsung held a large-scale introduction event for Galaxy A devices. The A series, designed in part to deal with growing challenges from Chinese rivals in the mid- and low-end handset market, proved to be popular among price-conscious consumers. Chennai, March 15 : While their countries are involved in a bloody war, far way in India, 16 Russians and 6 Ukrainians are staying together at a guest house in Tiruvannamalai, Tamil Nadu in complete peach with each other. The Russians and Ukrainians are stranded in the temple town and a good samaritan, Sathya Gopalan, took them under his wings and provided them free accommodation and food. Of the 22 tourists who are stuck here, 18 are women. Sathya Gopalan told IANS that he found them stranded and one woman was crying. Gopalan while speaking to IANS said, "I found two Ukrainian woman tourists crying near the Arunachaleswarar temple in Tiruvannamalai and when enquired they told me that they don't have any cash left and were not in a position to get food and accommodation. I immediately arranged accommodation at my guest house and several friends are helping with the food." Most of them had reached India on a one-month tourist visa and some reached on a three-month tourist visa. Sathya Gopalan said, "The visas of some of the tourists will expire by the end of March and have already written to the FRRO and other officers for providing an extension and mostly will get." Sathya Gopalan found that six Russian tourists were also struck in another guest house after they ran out of money. He then brought them to his own guest house. He also put out a Facebook photo of the Russian and Ukrainian tourists sitting together in his guest house and called for other stranded tourists to contact him if they need help. After his post on the social media, Russians and Ukrainians from Rishikesh, Puducherry, and other places came down to Tiruvannamalai and started staying at his guest house. Gopalan said, "There are medical doctors, engineers and teachers among those who are on a visit to India. While accommodation is given free of cost by me, some Ashrams here provide food on a rotational basis to the tourists." He also said that Ukrainians and Russians are living in a very friendly manner in his guest house, at peach with each other. Sathya Gopalan said that the Russian tourists who are psychologists are helping the Ukrainian tourists who have some mental issues and are depressed due to the ongoing war. R. Vetrivelan who is taking care of the tourists, told IANS, "They are friends here and there are no issues between them even though their countries are fighting a deadly war against each other. Some Ukrainians don't know English and Russians translated that to us so that we could help them properly." Sathya Gopalan said that he was trying to help Russian and Ukrainian tourists stranded across India by finding food and accommodation near their respective locations. We are on a Pan India mission to support the stranded Russians and Ukrainians." Vetrivelan said that there is a good bonding between the Ukrainians and the Russians here even though their mother nations are fighting a deadly war. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Mumbai, March 15 : The Bombay High Court on Tuesday rejected a plea by Maharashtra Minister Nawab Malik seeking his release from judicial custody after his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in an alleged money-laundering case arising out of a tainted land deal around 20 years ago. Malik, 62, arrested by the ED on February 23, contended the central agency's arrest and subsequent remand was "illegal", without jurisdiction and sought setting aside the order of the Special PMLA Court which sent him to ED custody. His legal team of Rashmikant & Partners argued that the illegal acts of the ED rendered his continued detention illegal and without jurisdiction, entitling him to a writ of habeas corpus and immediate release. However, a division bench of Justice P.B. Varale and Justice S.M. Modak, which declined Malik's plea, said that certain debatable issues are raised and which need to be heard at length. At the hearings, Malik's lawyer, senior advocate Amit Desai argued that Malik had implicated in the case which was based on statements by persons with no credibility, and the financial transactions alleged against the Minister ranged from 1999 to 2003 to 2005 when the Prevention of Money Laundering Act did not exist. Desai reiterated that PMLA was applied retrospectively by arresting Malik in a 22-year-old case and sought his immediate release given the present circumstances of the case. Opposition the plea, ED's counsel, Additional Solicitor-General Anil Singh questioned the maintainability of Malik's plea, saying that the remand order was after careful consideration of all material evidence and submissions before the Special PMLA Court, money-laundering was an separate offence on which the Section 45 of the PMLA is applicable, and demanded the plea should be dismissed. According to the ED, Malik had purchased a property, Goawala Compound in Kurla at a throwaway rate, through the power of attorney holder Sardar Shahawali Khan, currently in jail for the March 12, 1993 serial blasts case, and Salim Patel, a henchman for the late Hasina Parkar, the sister of absconding mafia don Dawood Ibrahim Kaskar. Meanwhile, the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party has vehemently demanded that Malik should resign from Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray's ministry or should be sacked. Bengaluru, March 15 : Even as the special Bench of the Karnataka High Court dismissed petitions seeking permission to wear hijab in classrooms, the six petitioner college girls, who started the protest, claimed on Tuesday that to them hijab is as important as education. They maintained that they will not shun hijab at any cost and continue their legal battle. "We are feeling betrayed by our own country. They are just saying that hijab is not important. While Quran clearly says hijab is mandatory," Almas said. "If we are allowed to write exams, they need to allow us with hijab. Otherwise we will not attend classes. We will not go to college without hijab...," another student petitioner Aliya Assadi said. "The constitution is good, but people who are running it are not. We are mentally traumatised," she said. "If hijab was not necessary we would not have taken up the agitation. Quran clearly mentions about hijab. If hijab was not necessary we would not have worn it," she added. She further alleged that the issue has been blown out of proportion for political gains. "It has been made communal for the reason." "This is not a stay on hijab, this is a stay on our education. Dr B.R. Ambedkar would have cried today if he would have been alive and he would have sulked after seeing the plight," Almas maintained. "We did not get justice regarding hijab. We expected to get our constitutional right. We will talk to our advocates and take a call in few days. We have not taken any decision yet" she said. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text New Delhi, March 15 : A court here on Tuesday deferred the order on the bail application filed by United Against Hate campaign founder, Khalid Saifi, who is allegedly involved in a larger conspiracy case linked to the 2020 Delhi riots. Additional Sessions Judge Amitabh Rawat will now pronounce the order on March 24. Earlier, the bench had, on February 16, reserved its order after hearing the submissions of Saifi's counsel, senior advocate Rebecca John, who argued that the prosecution had built its argument by taking messages in isolation. Saifi, along with several others, has been booked under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act for allegedly being the "masterminds" of the riots followed by the protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act. "Why is the prosecution attempting to communalise the narrative? Don't lay the narrative on one community. Don't brush aside the actions of Delhi Police, that too are apparent from reading this WhatsApp group," John argued in the last hearing. "The protest was not communal except that the persons who were against the Bill belonged to a particular community," she argued. Saifi has been accused in three cases related to the riots, which claimed 53 lives and left 700 injured, but granted bail in two. Besides Saifi, Sharjeel Imam, Tahir Hussain, Safoora Zargar, Natasha Narwal, Devangana Kalita, Umar Khalid, Ishrat Jahan are the other accused in the larger conspiracy case. Others include Meeran Haider, Gulfisha, Shafa-ur-Rehman, Asif Iqbal, Shadab Ahmed, Tasleem Ahmed, Saleem Malik, Saleem Khan, Athar Khan and Faizan Khan. New Delhi, March 15 : The Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge, on Tuesday sought an answer from the Centre as to why defence funding is falling despite rising national security threats, including from China. Sharing a reply to a parliamentary question by the Defence Ministry on Twitter, Kharge said, "Defence expenditure as a percentage of Central government expenditure has fallen from 17.7 per cent to 13.3 per cent in the last five years. Does the government have an answer as to why defence funding is falling while national security threats, including from China, are increasing?" As per the reply to Kharge's question, budget estimate 2022-23 has earmarked Rs 5,25,166 crore for defence expenditure, while Central Government Expenditure (CGE) is Rs 39,44,909 crore, which is 13.31 per cent of CGE. In the revised estimate (RE) for 2021-22, 13.34 per cent of CGE is allocated for defence expenditure. Rs 5,02,884 crore is allocated for defence expenditure against the CGE of Rs 37,70,000 crore in 2021-22 RE. In 2017-18 (actual), defence expenditure was 17.73 per cent of CGE, and in 2018-19 it was 17.43 per cent. The defence expenditure of CGE had further fallen to 16.86 per cent in 2019-20 and to 13.84 per cent in 2020-21. In 2017-18, the CGE was Rs 21,41,973 crore and defence expenditure was Rs 3,79,702 crore, while in 2018-19 the CGE was Rs 23,15,113 crore and defence expenditure was 4,03,457 crore. In 2019-20, the defence expenditure was Rs 4,52,996 crore and CGE was Rs 26,86,330 crore. In 2020-21, defence expenditure was Rs 4,85,681 crore and CGE was Rs 35,09,836 crore. Chennai, March 15 : Air conditioning major Blue Star Ltd will receive a sum of Rs 73 crore as production-linked incentive (PLI) over a five-year period starting fiscal 2024 for investing in a new plant in Andhra Pradesh, said a top company official. He also said the company has sufficient stock of copper and other materials to meet the production needs till June this year. Owing to the rising commodity prices, Blue Star may revise its prices upwards in April or May this year. The company is setting up a new air conditioner plant in Sri City in Andhra Pradesh at an outlay of Rs 525 crore. "The plant is expected to start production this October. The investment in plant and machinery is about Rs 153 crore, which will be taken into account for computing the incentive. The company will get Rs 73 crore as PLI over a period of five years beginning FY 2024," B. Thiagarajan, Managing Director, Blue Star, told the media here on Tuesday. "Between October and March 2023, about 1.2 lakh units will be made at the Sri City plant. The next year, production will be 3.5 lakh and it will touch a volume of 12 lakh units by 2026," added C.P. Mukundan Menon, President and Chief Operating Officer, Cooling & Purification Appliances Group, said. The Sri City plant will cater to the southern market and the company's total production capacity will touch 17 lakh air conditioners per year by 2026, which is sufficient to meet the demand till 2029, he added. Kiev, March 15 : Ukrainian hackers and security researchers have claimed that leading bug bounty platform HackerOne has blocked their payouts running into thousands of dollars. According to them, HackerOne is blocking payouts citing economic sanctions and export controls following the Russian invasion of Ukraine. "If you are based in Ukraine, Russia, or Belarus, all communications and transactions (including swag shipping) have been paused for the time being," according to an email from HackerOne that security researcher Vladimir Metnew tweeted late on Monday. HackerOne told TechCrunch that bounty payouts will resume shortly. "We actively support Ukraine's fight for freedom and have no intention of restricting bounty payments to Ukrainian hackers. I'm truly sorry for the stress caused here, and am committed to getting things back up and running as quickly as possible," the company was quoted as saying in the report. In 2020, HackerOne paid out more than $107 million in bug bounty rewards to researchers. Ukrainian security researcher Bob Diachenko tweeted that he had $3,000 in earnings since February currently withheld from his account. "I am from Ukraine and Hackerone is not sending bounties here as well (they owe me like 3k usd since Feb). I guess they simply disabled payouts to the entire country, no matter if it is occupied or not," he said. Several hackers and researchers who are still in Ukraine reported their accounts being frozen or they could not withdraw funds. Chandigarh, March 15 : Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Tuesday informed the state Assembly that the data of land registries executed between 2010 and 2016 would be investigated to check violation. The Chief Minister, during the ongoing Budget session of the Vidhan Sabha, was replying to a 'Calling Attention Motion' regarding irregularities in the registries. He said that whenever any case of corruption has come up to light, the government itself has taken cognizance and further action has been taken on it. "Also, the government itself took cognizance and got the records of tehsils checked," Khattar asserted. The Chief Minister said that violations of 7-A in land registries in 140 tehsils and sub-tehsils would be investigated and the entire process would be taken forward at a fast pace. Strict action will be taken against anyone found involved in this entire process. If required, the records up to year 2004 will also be investigated, he added. Taking a jibe at the Opposition, the Chief Minister said that the Opposition never shared any authenticated information. "It is we who have tightened the noose around those involved in corruption. The Opposition can only point fingers and works to mislead the people by talking beyond the facts," Khattar said. He said on June 13, 2020, some complaints of irregularities in the registry were received from Gurugram and the Financial Commissioner, the Divisional Commissioner and the Deputy Commissioner were asked on August 13, 2020, to take cognizance and share the complete data of the violation of 7-A norms in their respective tehsils with the government. "As a result, the data of about 60,000 registries has come to the notice of the government." The Chief Minister further said that earlier the work of registry was done manually, but the government introduced an online system in September 2020. "New registries were not done across the state for one-and-a-half months to make all the systems run smoothly." He said that given the "irregularities" in the registry, the government noticed that only two kanals that is 1,000 sqm is used for illegal colonies. The words agriculture land and vacant land used under the rule were misused to get the registries done. "To keep a check on this, we decided that the limit of two kanals should be one acre," added Khattar. Panaji, March 15 : With the BJP unable to get a fix on its chief ministerial nominee in Goa, five days after election results returned the saffron outfit as the single largest party, just one short of the majority mark, caretaker Chief Minister Pramod Sawant is headed for the national capital to meet BJP national President J.P. Nadda. "I am going to Delhi to meet the party President," Sawant told reporters at the Assembly complex here, after taking oath as a re-elected legislator. The BJP has 20 MLAs in the 40-member Goa Assembly, just one short of a simple majority. The ruling party, however, has received letters of unconditional support from three Independent MLAs and the two-member Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP). While Sawant was sworn-in as a caretaker Chief Minister by Governor P.S. Sreedharan Pillai on March 12, BJP legislators have not formally chosen their legislative party leader so far. On Monday, the top BJP leadership appointed Union ministers Narendra Singh Tomar and L. Murugan as observer and co-observer, respectively, for the election of the leader of Goa's legislative party. Meanwhile, amid reports of a rivalry between Sawant and his now former Health Minister Visjwajit Rane in the race for the top chair, Rane's wife, newly-elected MLA Deviya Rane, created a flutter on Tuesday by saying that her husband, like any elected legislator, is ready to accept the top chair. "Of course, any elected representative can be ready and he (Visjwajit Rane) is a very experienced politician. But the final decision is of the central committee," Deviya Rane told reporters after she was asked if her husband is ready to take up the top post. She, however, said that there is no dissent over the choice of chief minister within the BJP, adding that the decision is left to the party's high command. "The party will decide, its central leaders will decide... Whatever they decide is the final decision," she said, as she blamed mediapersons for 'fabricating' a 'rift' between Rane and Sawant. Last week, Visjwajit Rane's sudden visit to the Raj Bhavan had triggered a political turmoil in Goa, with a section of the media claiming that the former Health Minister was making a pitch for the CM's post. Visjwajit Rane had, however, dismissed the reports as 'baseless' and 'bereft of fact'. Thiruvananthapuram, March 15 : Malayalam TV news channel Media One on Tuesday welcomed the decision of the Supreme Court staying the Centre's ban on their operations. The Central government had cited national security grounds to justify the ban and the channel management approached the apex court. Addressing the media, the channel's Editor Pramod Raman said: "Through the verdict, we now only get the chance to have a look on what grounds were we banned as everything was given in a sealed cover and we have no idea, what wrong we did for a ban to be effected. Once we get the papers, we will move legally on it and go forward. We are happy to state that we will be resuming telecast very soon." A bench headed by Justice D.Y. Chandrachud said the court is of the view that ground for providing interim relief is made out by the petitioners and the January 31 order, issued by the Centre, revoking the security clearance granted to the TV channel should remain stayed, pending further orders. The bench also allowed the channel to resume broadcasting, pending final adjudication of the matter. The channel had moved the apex court against the Kerala High Court order, which upheld Centre's decision to not renew its telecast licence. Chennai, March 15 : Tamil Nadu Governor R.N. Ravi has assured Chief Minister M.K. Stalin that the anti-NEET bill passed by the state assembly would be forwarded to the President of India for assent. A statement from the Chief Minister's office on Tuesday said that Stalin had met Governor R.N. Ravi at the Raj Bhavan and asked him to forward the bill against National Eligibility Cum Entrance Examination (NEET) at the earliest for Presidential assent. The Tamil Nadu assembly had on February 8 in a special sitting in a unanimous resolution passed the anti-NEET bill for the second time. The BJP members had abstained from voting in the House while the opposition AIADMK had supported the bill. The previous anti-NEET bill passed by the Tamil Nadu assembly on September 13, 2021, was returned to the government by the Governor after 142 days. The DMK had in its 2021 assembly election campaign openly said that one of the first priorities, if the party came to power, was abolishing NEET and reverting to the old system. Bengaluru, March 15 : Campus Front of India (CFI) President Ataulla Punjalakatte on Friday termed Karnataka High Court's dismissal of pro-hijab petitions as "against" the Constitution. Rejecting the court's verdict, Punjalakatte said: "We will continue to support the six girl students who are fighting for the right of hijab." It is left to those children whether to attend classes or refrain from it. Their parents must take a decision on this, he added. After the hijab row came to the fore, the CFI had conducted a survey in 21 districts of the state. As many as 11,000 girls have been excluded from education, the CFI leader stated. Quran says that women should cover their faces. The individual rights must be protected. The government should have a broad mindset. The policy of "Beti Bachao Beti Padao" has been reversed here, he maintained. Meanwhile, as many as 35 students in Kembavi of the Yadgir district refused to remove hijab and take exams. They were sent back. Moulana Shafi Assadi, the President of Wakf Board, said that he is in discussions with community leaders. He questioned that the special bench of High Court had a Muslim judge, in spite of that how can they come to conclusion that hijab is not an essential part of Islam? He maintained that the court's verdict is not acceptable and will be challenged in the Supreme Court. Congress MLA Tanveer Sait stated that the verdict would create rift among students and challenge integrity. One community has been targeted, religious right is constitutional, he said. Series of enactments of law on Triple talaq, religious conversion and the cow slaughter will show that one community is targetted, he claimed. -- Except for the title, this story has not been edited by Prokerala team and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed Kyiv, March 15 : Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko on Tuesday announced a 35-hour curfew for people in the capital, warning "today is a difficult and dangerous moment", BBC reported. It comes after Russian air strikes hit residential buildings and a metro station overnight. Two people were killed in an attack on an apartment block in the city, emergency services say. A curfew is to be imposed on the Ukrainian capital after recent bombardments on the city. "It is prohibited to move around the city without special permission, except to go to bomb shelters," Klitschko said. "The capital is the heart of Ukraine, and it will be defended. Kyiv, which is currently the symbol and forward operating base of Europe's freedom and security, will not be given up by us. "Today is a difficult and dangerous moment. This is why I ask all Kyivites to get prepared to stay at home for two days, or if the sirens go off, in the shelters," Klitschko added. An airport in the eastern Ukrainian city of Dnipro has been hit by Russian missiles, regional authorities say, BBC reported. Valentyn Reznichenko, the head of the Dnipropetrovsk regional state administration, says there has been "massive destruction". "At night, the enemy attacked the airport in Dnipro. Two missile strikes," he wrote on Telegram. "The runway was destroyed. The terminal was damaged. Massive destruction." Army dedicates Chair of Excellence to USI in memory of Bipin Rawat Image Source: IANS News Army dedicates Chair of Excellence to USI in memory of Bipin Rawat Image Source: IANS News Army dedicates Chair of Excellence to USI in memory of Bipin Rawat Image Source: IANS News Army dedicates Chair of Excellence to USI in memory of Bipin Rawat Image Source: IANS News New Delhi, March 15 : The Indian Army has dedicated a Chair of Excellence in memory of late Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat at the United Service Institution of India (USI) on the eve of his 65th birthday. The formal announcement was made by General M.M. Naravane, Chief of Army Staff and Officiating Chairman, Chiefs of Staff Committee, at a ceremony organised at the South Block on Tuesday. Indian Army Vice Chief Lieutenant General Manoj Pande, Vice Chief of the Air Staff Air Marshal Sandeep Singh, Vice Chief of Naval Staff Vice Admiral S.N. Ghormade, Chief of Integrated Defence Staff to the Chairman Chiefs of Staff Committee (CISC) Air Marshal B.R. Krishna and Deputy Chiefs of the Army Staff Lt Gen S.K. Sharma also attended the event. A cheque of Rs 5 lakh was handed over to Maj Gen B.K. Sharma (retd), Director, USI which will be paid as honourarium to the nominated Chair of Excellence. Late General Bipin Rawat who served as India's first CDS as well as the 27th Chief of Indian Army was an outstanding professional and was in the midst of steering one of the most radical transformations of the Indian military. Gen Rawat Memorial Chair of Excellence will focus on the field of Jointness and Integration. The Chair of Excellence is a befitting tribute to the astute leadership and professionalism of the General. On the occasion, the Army Chief recounted that General Rawat was passionate about strategic thoughts and invested considerable time and energy in the activities of various Think Tanks and therefore, his 65th birthday provided an opportune moment to reinforce the Services' bond with their intellectual institutions. The Chair will be open to Veterans of three Services and civilians having expertise in the field of National Security. General Rawat, his wife Madhulika and 12 armed personnel were killed in a chopper crash on December 8, 2021. New Delhi, March 15 : Ireland and India will do cross-border collaborations in the field of education. The initiative is to meet the key-drivers of education in India as both the countries are on the same mission to make world-class education accessible to all. "The cross-border collaborations are a revolution in the higher education industry and this partnership will not only boost India-Ireland's bilateral relationship but also create a fine talent that will lead innovation for a sustainable tomorrow," said, Irish Minister Robert Troy who visited the North Campus of Delhi University on Tuesday. Troy visited DU north campus to explore cross-border collaborations. During the meeting, delegates from both sides proposed different ideas of what could be the constituent parts of potential agreements that will further strengthen the partnership. Addressing the delegates, Robert Troy said, "Education is a key sector for both India and Ireland, and institutes on both sides recognise the value and support, greater internationalisation of education to ensure the next cohort of students are industry ready. To achieve this, we understand the importance of meaningful partnerships, the collaboration between UCD and Delhi University is very welcome and a positive step forward to create opportunities for students to study and learn abroad whilst deepening the ties between India and Ireland." Adding to Troy's statement, Professor Yogesh Singh, Vice-Chancellor of Delhi University, said, "Since India is at an exciting juncture, we are delighted to be a part in developing the skills of the next generation. Ireland is an internationally renowned provider of higher education with up-to-date career opportunities. Furthermore, via our key partnerships with UCD among others, learners can take full advantage of the foreign teaching in a blended learning format yet stay associated with India. This partnership allows Ireland to leverage the world-class facilities, ensuring students learn the most current methodologies and are at the cutting edge of learning." Yogesh singh said, "Ireland is emerging as a preferred destination for international exchange today, I am delighted that Minister Troy visited Delhi University and met the key-drivers of education in India as both India and Ireland are on the same mission to make world-class education accessible to all. Besides, cross-border collaborations are a revolution in the higher education industry and this partnership will not only boost India-Ireland's bilateral relationship but also create a fine talent that will lead innovation for a sustainable tomorrow." New Delhi, March 15 : As many as 382,875 companies were struck off under the relevant section of Companies Act till FY21, the Parliament was informed on Tuesday. The exercise was conducted as part of a special drives taken by the Registrar of Companies under section 248 (1) of the Companies Act, Minister of State for Corporate Affairs Rao Inderjit Singh told the Rajya Sabha in a written reply. Noting that the Companies Act has no definition of the term 'Shell Company', or a company without active business operations or significant assets, and in some cases, being used for illegal purposes such as tax evasion, money laundering, obscuring ownership, and benami properties, he said: "The Special Task Force set up by the government to look into the issue of 'Shell Companies" has, inter-alia, recommended the use of certain red flag indicators as alerts for identification of suspected 'Shell Companies'." He said that the Registrar of Companies struck off those companies from the register of companies after following the due process of law where the official has reasonable cause to believe that those companies are not carrying on any business or operation for a period of two, immediately during the preceding financial year. Furthermore, the Registrar of Companies also verified that such companies have not made any applications within such a period for obtaining the status of a dormant company under Section 455 of the Act, he added. New Delhi, March 15 : A plea has been moved in the Supreme Court challenging the Karnataka High Court order on Tuesday dismissing all petitions seeking direction for permission to wear hijab in classrooms. The plea, filed by two Muslim students, Manan and Niba Naaz, through advocate Anas Tanwir, said: "The Petitioners most humbly submit that the High Court has erred in creating a dichotomy of freedom of religion and freedom of conscience wherein the court has inferred that those who follow a religion cannot have the right to conscience." The plea contended that the high court failed to note that the Karnataka Education Act, 1983, and the Rules made thereunder, do not provide for any mandatory uniform to be worn by students. "The High Court has failed to note that the right to wear a Hijab is protected as a part of the right to conscience under Article 25 of the Constitution. It is submitted that since the right to conscience is essentially an individual right, the 'Essential Religious Practices Test' ought not to have been applied by the Hon'ble High Court in this instant case," it said. "The High Court has failed to note that the Indian legal system explicitly recognises the wearing/carrying of religious symbols. It is pertinent to note that Section 129 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, exempts turban wearing Sikhs from wearing a helmet," it said, and also cited rules made by the Ministry of Civil Aviation, allowing Sikhs to carry kirpans on the aircraft. The plea added that this "step-motherly behaviour" of government authorities has prevented students from practising their faith which has resulted in an unwanted law and order situation. "However, the High Court in its impugned order had vehemently failed to apply its mind and was unable to understand the gravity of the situation as well as the core aspect of the Essential Religious Practices enshrined under Article 25 of the Constitution of India," it said. The high court, in its judgment, said "wearing of hijab is not an essential part of Islam. Prescription of uniform is constitutional and students can't object to it". The bench headed by Chief Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi said: "We are of the considered opinion that wearing a hijab by Muslim women does not form any essential form of practice in Islamic faith. The prescription of school uniforms is only a reasonable restriction and are constitutionally permissible which the students cannot object." Bhopal, March 15 : The Madhya Pradesh government has decided to constitute mobile veterinary units on the lines of '108' ambulance service in the state to provide medical assistance to animals at the doorstep. The state cabinet has approved the proposal for this on Tuesday. These veterinary units (van) will function on the lines of the 108 services, which will have a veterinarian, an assistant and a driver will be deputed on these vans. According to Madhya Pradesh Home Minister Narottam Mishra, each mobile unit comprising a doctor and assistant will be available on phone call. "The government has decided to form mobile veterinary units to provide medical assistance to animals. These units will function on the lines of the 108 services. A veterinarian, an assistant and a driver will be deputed on these vans," the minister said. He further said that to ensure the smooth functioning of the veterinary units across the state, the government has also decided to set up district and ward levels committees to monitor the scheme. "Every block will have at least one such van. Bigger blocks will be provided with at least two units. A three-tier system will be put in place at state-district and block level to operationalise the mobile veterinary care concept," Mishra elaborated. In another decision, the cabinet also decided to handover the work of Ram Van Gaman Path to the state culture department to implement the scheme from the religious endowments department. The cabinet also sanctioned posts for starting various offices in Niwadi and Agar districts of the state, including forest, PHE, food and public relation department among others. New Delhi, March 15 : Congress Rajya Sabha MP Anand Sharma on Tuesday appreciated the efforts of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and diplomats for evacuating Indian nationals from war torn Ukraine. "I am saying on record that the Ministry of External Affairs and diplomats have done a commendable job in evacuating our citizens," Sharma said. Soon after External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar made a statement in the House, Sharma said, "I am proud as an Indian that our country has once again reinforced our reputation for undertaking large scale evacuation operations." He said that he also got a distress call from someone who wanted to rescue his ward and he rang up the foreign secretary and within half an hour the student was located. Sharma said he was updated of the student's well being. He also said that he wanted to know what was India's stand at the UN Security Council and also asked the Minister about the efforts being made for effective interventions in ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict. Noting that there have also been concern about oil prices and defence supplies being impacted and how the government plans to ensure that there are no disruptions in the supply chain, he asked. Congress MP and Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge asked, why India was late on issuing advisories, why did our students face danger while the citizens of other countries did not. He said that the mortal remains of Naveen Sekharappa, who died in cross firing in Kharkiv, Ukraine is yet to be brought back. While appreciating the efforts of the MEA and the calls that were made by PM Modi to his counterparts in Russia and Ukraine, DMK MP Tiruchi Siva said that the main question is now the future of these students. Trinamool Congress MP Sushmita Dev said that the government should not use the term evacuation, as students had to walk to the borders through the conflict zone while the MEA officials did not go to the conflict area. Replying to the questions by the Members, Jaishankar said that students didn't want to leave in the first place because universities threatened to cancel their degrees. "I care about the students' future, whether you do or not," Jaishankar said. He also said that the Ukrainian authorities gave the confusing messages and even President Volodymyr Zelenskyy himself said that there was no need to panic. "Let us also recognise that about 4,000 of them (Indian students) actually returned on their own due to our advisories," he said. On the question about the return of Naveen Sekharappa's mortal remains, the Minister said that the government will ensure his body returns, adding that he would not be sharing details and that every effort was being made. He also said that India's focus was primarily on the evacuation of students which is more or less done, "We can now focus fully on diplomacy," he added. Replying to the comment that Indian officials were not present in the conflict zone, the Minister said that was not correct and that Indian officials even went to Sumy and they escorted Indian students from the conflict area after coordinating with the local authorities. On the future of evacuated students from Ukraine, he said, "I can assure you that the government will approach this matter with the fullest sense of responsibility." Latest updates on Russia-Ukraine War Patna, March 15 : A day after having heated arguments with Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar in the house, Speaker Vijay Sinha refused to come to the Assembly on Tuesday. In his absence, presiding officer Prem Kumar conducted Assembly proceedings even as RJD leaders strongly protested against the Chief Minister for humiliating Sinha. RJD's Bhai Virendra, with more than 20 other legislators, demanded clarification from Prem Kumar as to why the Speaker has not come to the Assembly. "Speaker is the highest post in the Vidhan Sabha. The way the Chief Minister humiliated him is an insult to the democratic structure of the country. He should immediately apologise for his behavior and take back the non-parliamentary remark he had made on Monday," he said. Interestingly, while opposition leaders are objecting to the act of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, BJP leaders are not so vocal against him, despite Sinha being its MLA. In the Legislative Council, RJD leader and former Chief Minister Rabri Devi slammed the BJP and termed its leaders "shameless". "They (BJP leaders) want to stay in government at any cost - even if someone beats them with boots. "Nitish Kumar is saying that the Speaker does not know the rulebook of Vidhan Sabha. I would say that he has no knowledge of the constitution. The Speaker is the highest constitutional post and he (Nitish Kumar) is humiliating him. Such a trend is dangerous in democracy," Rabri Devi said. Meanwhile, the Chief Minister had visited Raj Bhavan around 8 p.m. on Monday and met Governor Phagu Chauhan. On Tuesday he visited Maner Sharif and offered a "Chadar" on the Dargah of Makhdoom Yahya Maneri which is known as 'Badi Dargah' (The great shrine) and Makhdoom Shah Daulat which is called the 'Choti Dargah' on the outskirts of Patna, located 25 km away from the Chief Minister's residence. Chief minister, after offering the Chadar on both the Dargah, said that he used to come to this place regularly. "It is a symbol of Hindu-Muslim brotherhood in Bihar. I pray to God to maintain peace in our state," he said. Nitish Kumar, however, did not comment on his tiff with the Speaker. Mumbai, March 15 : As the black comedy 'Jolly LLB' completes nine years on Tuesday, actor Boman Irani who essayed the role of advocate Tejinder Rajpal in the film, shared that he was invested in the movie right at the narration level. The actor also revealed that he consulted many of his lawyer friends to sketch a believable performance in the film. Looking back at this beautiful journey and the film completing nine years, Boman said, "Time indeed flies, it feels like it was just yesterday we all were on the sets shooting for the movie, and today we are celebrating its ninth anniversary. Subhash and I had been friends for a long time and when he narrated the story to me, it immediately arrested my attention (sic)." He was floored by the performances of his fellow actor Saurabh Shukla in the film, "I discussed my role with my lawyer friends and I drew inspiration from those discussions. Also I was absolutely blown away by Saurabh Shukla's performance and collaborating with him was a surreal feeling. I wish the entire team of 'Jolly LLB' a very happy anniversary." The film directed by Subhash Kapoor also starred Arshad Warsi as the protagonist, who seeks justice for wronged poor people and puts up a daunting fight on their behalf as their legal representative. Meanwhile, Boman will be seen in Ajay Devgn's much-awaited project 'Runway 34', YRF's 'Jayeshbhai Jordaar', Ali Abbas Zafar's 'Detective Sherdil' and Sooraj Barjatiya's 'Unnchai' along with Anupam Kher and Parineeti Chopra. Hong Kong: Welfare chief views care worker drill Secretary for Labour & Welfare Dr Law Chi-kwong visited a professional training centre in Sham Shui Po this afternoon to learn about the training courses for contract care workers arriving in Hong Kong from the Mainland. At the centre, Dr Law observed a practical training session and was briefed on the course structure. Showing support for the trainees, he expressed appreciation for their willingness to travel to Hong Kong to take up short-term contract jobs amid the severe COVID-19 epidemic, thereby easing the acute manpower shortage of care workers locally. Dr Law said: To provide the manpower urgently needed to take care of the elderly, people with disabilities and the needy who are required to undergo quarantine or isolation, the Social Welfare Department has been recruiting contract care workers both locally and from the Mainland. Upon receiving training in areas such as nursing and infection control, they will be deployed to work in holding centres, community isolation facilities, quarantine centres or residential care homes. Since March, the department has been directly hiring contract care workers from the Mainland and 180 have arrived in Hong Kong so far. Upon arrival, they undergo a three-day training course on nursing and caring skills. Some 120 workers will be serving at holding centres by the end of this week. In addition, the department is progressively arranging training for other care workers in the coming week. It is also continuing with the local recruitment and actively processing applications, with priority consideration given to those who can start work sooner. This story has been published on: 2022-03-15. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. File photo provided by the interviewee shows Pir Tariq Shah, a doctoral student majoring in microbiology at a lab in Shanxi University in Taiyuan, north China's Shanxi Province, May 21, 2021. (Xinhua) BEIJING, March 15 (Xinhua) -- China's "two sessions," the annual gatherings of the National People's Congress (NPC) and the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), offer foreign students in China a window to observe the country's development trend. Pir Tariq Shah, a doctoral student majoring in microbiology at Shanxi University, followed the events. The Pakistani student was impressed by China's achievements last year. China's gross domestic product (GDP) exceeded the 110-trillion-yuan (about 17.3 trillion U.S. dollars) threshold in 2021, an increase of 8.1 percent over 2020, according to the government work report. "As a major economy in the world, China played a crucial role in stabilizing the global economy," he said. For many foreign students, the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is the topic of the most concern during the "two sessions." The government work report said that China will promote high-quality cooperation under the BRI, remaining committed to the principle of achieving shared growth through consultation and collaboration. Tariq believed that this will boost growth for participating countries. Connecting Kashgar, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, and Gwadar Port, Pakistan, the 3,000-km China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) covers transportation, energy, agriculture and other construction projects, which brought tangible benefit to local people. The Koto Hydropower Project is an example of China's participation in Pakistan's infrastructure construction. With the help of Chinese contractors, the project in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, Pakistan, is nearing completion and is expected to generate clean energy this year. "China's investment in Pakistan enabled more local people to have jobs and laid a foundation for sustainable development in the future," said Tariq. Passy Charles Riseph, a student from the Republic of the Congo who majors in Business Management at Shanxi University, was a direct beneficiary of the BRI. From 2010 to 2014, he worked as a translator in the construction of the Maya-Maya Airport in Brazzaville, also a project undertaken by a Chinese company. "Our airport had only one floor in the past. While after the construction was completed, it was at one point the most competitive airport in Central Africa," Riseph said. The experience inspired him to study in China. In 2014, he took off from the new airport and arrived in China for a new adventure. China is now participating in the construction of the Republic of the Congo's Pointe-Noire Special Economic Zone. Riseph hopes that one day his country can also own a special economic zone as developed as China's Shenzhen. Tungamirai Eric Mupona, a Zimbabwean student who majors in international affairs and global governance at Zhejiang University, cares more about the topic of rural development. In recent years, he visited rural areas in Ningxia, Jiangxi, Zhejiang and other places, hoping to learn from China's poverty alleviation experience and apply it to his hometown. The government work report mentioned that China will fully consolidate and build on its achievements in poverty elimination by promoting all-round rural vitalization. "It is of great significance for promoting the continuous income increase of poverty-stricken people and preventing large-scale return to poverty," Mupona said. Last summer, Mupona and more than 10 African youths came to Xingxian County, Shanxi Province to explore the magic code of poverty alleviation in this former national poverty-stricken county. During a week's visit, he found that the local households had moved from earthen caves in the mountains to residential areas with complete living facilities. Through the development of paper-cutting, millet planting and other industries under the guidance of the government and village cadres, the income of the villagers had been continuously increased. "China's economic achievement has brought not only opportunities but also confidence to developing countries," said Riseph, who is determined to go back to his country and put his knowledge to use. "I want more compatriots to live better lives in the future." New Delhi, March 15 : The Centre on Tuesday told the Supreme Court that as on March 13, over 180 crore doses of Covid-19 vaccines have been administered and "adverse event incident", which were periodically recorded were 77,314 as on March 12, or 0.004 per cent of total vaccinations, as it emphasised that segregated clinical data cannot be demanded by anyone under the garb of filing of public interest litigation. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta and Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati made submission on behalf of the Centre before a bench comprising Justices L. Nageswara Rao and B.R. Gavai. On the aspect of disclosure of segregated clinical trial data, the Centre said: "By the very nature of the subject matter, there is a confidentiality attached to certain parts of the clinical trial process which cannot be compromised under the law." Mehta said it is pertinent to note that the petitioner has not shown any material to suggest that there is any legal obligation anywhere in the world to publicly disclose segregated/raw clinical data for vaccines. He added that so far as the raw or segregated data generated at trial sites is concerned, the said data is always called for and examined before grant of either emergency use approval or final approval by the statutory committee of domain experts and by the approving authority. "The statutory authority and the domain experts, which granted the approval, have examined this raw data as required under statutory provisions. Such data cannot be demanded by anyone under the garb of filing of public interest litigation either to satisfy his curiosity or in furtherance of his attempts to create vaccine hesitancy in the country and which are, by its very nature, against public interest," the two law officers said in their submissions. The Centre said it is relevant that there is a logical rationale in not disclosing raw data either segregated or otherwise and the citizens have a reason to rely upon the statutory system in place, the wisdom of domain experts consisting of statutory committees and the decision-making process while going for vaccination. "Once such raw data have been repeatedly examined and scientifically evaluated by the statutory committees consisting of independent domain experts, any disclosure of raw data would lead to different people evaluating the data and irresponsibly throwing their own conclusions," they said in the submissions. It further added such a situation would lead to vaccine hesitancy and will defeat the very object of the vaccination drive anywhere in the world. According to the submissions over 8.91 crore doses Covaxin has been administered in the age group of 15-18 years as on March 12 and the number of adverse events following immunisation (AEFI) reported are 1,739 minor, 81 serious, and six severe. The Centre said as on March 13 2022, over 180 crore doses of Covid-19 vaccines have been administered. The government emphasised that both vaccines - Covaxin and Covishield - generate antibodies and adverse events are also found to be minimal. "Further the efficacy, safety and immunogenicity of these vaccines, which are rolled out after an elaborate procedure by domain experts, are also accepted by the World Health Organisation which shows recognition by global experts also," added the submissions. The Centre' s response came on a plea seeking directions for disclosure of data on clinical trials of Covid-19 vaccines and post-jab cases. The submissions added: "This court, would not, therefore, accede to the prayer of the petitioner to exercise judicial review in issues concerning several, scientific and medical aspects which are already considered by domain experts drawn from all over the country representing various medical faculties." Advocate Prashant Bhushan, representing petitioner Jacob Puliyel, had argued that whether to get vaccinated or not is an individual decision. "Even, I had Covid. But, I have not taken the vaccine. I have decided not to take the vaccine, come what may." He insisted that adverse effects of Covid vaccination are not known, and questioned why governments are issuing vaccine mandates restricting people from entering public spaces by making vaccination mandatory. "If one was infected with Covid (and got cured), that person gets better natural immunity against the infection," he said. The top court will continue to hear arguments on March 21. Gandhinagar, March 15 : The Gujarat government informed the Assembly on Monday that the number of cases registered under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 has been on the rise since the past three years with the state reporting over 1,500 such cases. Replying to a question posed by Congress legislator from Visavadar, Harshad Ribadiya, state Forest and Environment Minister Kiritsinh Rana informed the House that a total of 1,531 cases were registered under the Wildlife Protection Act in Gujarat between July 2018 and June 2021. Between July 2018 and June 2019, 463 cases were registered, 485 cases were registered from July 2019 to June 2020, while 613 cases were registered between July 2020 and June 2021. Maximum cases -- 358 -- were registered in the Gir Somnath region during this period, followed by Junagadh at 315. Replying to another question raised by Congress MLA from Bayad, Jashu Patel, Rana informed the House that a total of 347 incidents of fire were reported from the wildlife sanctuary pockets in Balaram Ambaji, Jesor, Gir, Barda, Mitiyala, Purna, Girnar, Jamughoda, Ratanmahal and Shurpaneshwar between 2019 and 2020. As many as 160 incidents of fire were reported in 2019, while 187 incidents were reported in 2020. New Delhi, March 15 : The Delhi High Court on Tuesday asked the city police to probe without influence from any side into the incident in which a 23-year-old youth Faizan was forced to sing 'Vande Mataram' during the 2020 riots. The youth had later succumbed to the injuries sustained during the violence. "The Court has no ground to disbelieve the highest officer of the police, your IPS rank officer. You are responsible person but I am directing you, without influence from any side, you have to investigate the matter as per the mandate of CrPC as well as Delhi Police Rules and Regulations," the bench said. During the course of the hearing, Advocate Vrinda Grover, appearing for petitioner Kismatun, the mother of the deceased youth, pointed out the large number of injuries in post mortem. In the last couple of hearings, the court had pulled up Delhi Police over the nearly two years delay in the investigation of the incident. In one of the hearings, the bench of Justice Mukta Gupta had come down heavily on the delay of the Delhi Police, saying: "You have done your level best? These were five children who were assaulted. One has died and four are surviving. It is an offence of murder, right? In this case, you have not taken the help of eyewitnesses but gone around the world." The video of the incident, showing the injured youth, identified as Faizan, lying on the ground as some uniformed men forced him to sing 'Vande Mataram' and the national anthem, had gone viral during the riots. The riots broke out in northeast Delhi in February 2020 after clashes between anti-CAA (Citizenship Amendment Act) and pro-CAA protesters took a violent turn. The mayhem, which coincided with then US President Donald Trump's maiden trip to India, saw over 50 people lose their lives. New Delhi, March 15 : There is no plan by the government to introduce cryptocurrency, the Parliament was told on Tuesday. There is no plan to introduce a cryptocurrency and currently it is unregulated in India, Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary told the Rajya Sabha in a written reply. "Reserve Bank of India (RBI) does not issue cryptocurrency. Traditional paper currency is legal tender and is issued by RBI in terms of provisions of RBI Act, 1994. A digital version of traditional paper currency is called Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC)," the minister said. In reply to another question, the minister informed the upper house that the RBI is currently working towards a phased implementation strategy for introduction of CBDC and examining use cases which could be implemented with little or no disruption. He stated that introduction of CBDC has the potential to provide significant benefits such as reduced dependency on cash, higher seigniorage due to lower transaction costs, etc The minister further informed the house that printing of notes have declined over a period of time. "During 2019-20 notes worth Rs 4,378 crore were printed, while in 2020-21, notes worth Rs 4,012 crore were printed. In 2016-17, notes worth Rs 7,965 crore were printed," he said. New Delhi, March 15 : Heads have started to roll after the poll Debacle in five states as Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi has asked state party presidents to put in their papers. The party suffered massive defeats in five states which went to polls in February and March. Randeep Surjewala, General Secretary of the party said, "Congress President, Sonia Gandhi has asked the PCC Presidents of Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Goa & Manipur to put in their resignations in order to facilitate reorganisation of PCCs." Those who have been asked to resign include Navjot Sidhu (Punjab), Ganesh Godiyal (Uttarakhand), Nameirakpam Loken Singh (Manipur), Ajay Kumar Lallu (UP) and Girish Chodankar (Goa). The decision comes two days after the Congress Working Committee (CWC) meet, which authorised Sonia Gandhi to undertake "necessary and comprehensive" organisational changes. "The CWC unanimously reaffirms its faith in the leadership of Sonia Gandhi and requests the Congress President to lead from the front, address the organisational weaknesses, effect necessary and comprehensive organisational changes in order to take on the political challenges," the CWC resolution had said. The CWC statement said that the recent Assembly election results of five states are a cause of serious concern for the Indian National Congress. The party accepts that due to shortcomings in our strategy, we could not effectively expose the misrule of BJP state governments in four states and overcome the anti-incumbency in the state of Punjab in the short time after effecting a change of leadership. Hyderabad, March 15 : Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao on Tuesday slammed the BJP government at the Centre for what he called undermining the spirit of federalism and also warned that communal madness will cause great harm to the country. Speaking in the State Assembly, he trained guns on the Narendra Modi government for taking away the powers of the states and said this would create many problems in future. Voicing concern over the policies being adopted by the Centre to take away the powers of the states, he said all state legislatures should debate and condemn this. He said though the Constitution describes India as a union of states, the policies adopted by the present government at the Centre is damaging the federal setup. KCR, as Rao is popularly known, voiced concern over growing communalism and an atmosphere of hatred in the country saying this is not good for the country. Citing statistics, he said the country's economic performance during the last seven years has been disastrous. The growth rate has come down to 6 per cent from 8 per cent during the UPA rule, the unemployment rate has gone up from 4.7 per cent to 7.11 per cent, and over 5 lakh industrial units have been shut down. "Only communalism and mob attacks have increased," he remarked and warned that if this continues the country will be in danger as people will lose employment opportunities and investments will not come. He said the dangerous situation had already started unfolding. Stating that politics is much beyond votes and seats, he said whipping up communal passions and spreading hate may give some political mileage in the short term but the country will suffer in the long run. KCR said the ecosystem built over the hardwork of decades will be damaged with the attempts to divide people in the name of religion and pitting one section of people against the other. Referring to the Hijab row in Karnataka, the Chief Minister said that it is for people to decide what they want to wear. "Some people wear shirts, some wear waistcoats, dhoti or sherwani. How is government concerned with this. Why make it such a big issue that people fight against each other. Where are we heading," he asked. Stating that Bengaluru developed as Silicon Valley of India with the hard work of many decades, he said the IT sector there provides employment to 30 lakh people and warned that communal disturbances threaten to undo all this development. He recalled that people voted for the BJP as the performance was not good but under the BJP, the country has crashed and its economy is in worse situation than what it was earlier. He said the decline in the financial progress of the country took place much before Covid-19 pandemic. KCR said during the same period of seven years, Telangana's growth has been much better than that of the Centre. He said Telangana's GSDP grew from Rs. 4.5 lakh crore to Rs 12.5 lakh crore and its growth rate was 38.7 per cent higher than the growth rate of the Centre. Stating that the Centre's poor performance impacted, he said had the Centre performed at par with Telangana, the state's GSDP would have been Rs 14.3 lakh crore. KCR said the dream of a $5 trillion economy will remain a dream. "Today, the Indian economy is $3.1 trillion. If it has to become $5 trillion, the country needs 16 per cent growth rate. With mere 6 per cent growth GDP this will definitely remain an Eastman colour dream. It will never become a reality," he said. The TRS chief dismissed the talk of "double-engine" growth, or the growth achieved when the same party is in power in the state and at the Centre. With statistics comparing Uttar Pradesh and Telangana, he dismissed the slogan being raised in the wake of the BJP retaining power in Uttar Pradesh in the recent elections. "The per capita income of Telangana is Rs 2.78 lakh while per capita income of Uttar Pradesh with double engine growth is only Rs 71,000. Do you know where Uttar Pradesh ranks among states. Last but one," he said amid slogans of "shame, shame" by TRS legislators. He said from 2017 to 2021, the double engine growth rate in Uttar Pradesh was 25.69 per cent while single-engine Telangana's growth rate was 55.46 per cent. "This is not a double-engine. This is trouble engine," he quipped. Shimla, March 15 : Himachal Pradesh Urban Development Minister Suresh Bhardwaj said on Tuesday that the state Assembly has passed the HP Slum Dwellers (Proprietary Rights) Bill, 2022, aimed at giving property rights to people living in slum areas in the state. After the minister tabled the Bill in the Assembly on Monday, the matter has been listed for discussion. Bhardwaj said the Bill would not only benefit the eligible people living in Shimla, but also in other urban local bodies across the state. He said, "The BJP government is committed to the welfare of all sections of society. This Bill is an important step for the slum dwellers. A slum dweller shall be entitled to a land not exceeding 75 square metres that is two biswa." "Provided that where the slum-dweller is in occupation of land less than 75 square meters, the land in actual occupation of such slum dweller may be settled accordingly," the Bill read. The minister said the rights will be conferred free of cost to the eligible person falling under economically weaker sections. The rates for other categories will be nominal and be decided in the notification. The Bill also proposes a fund called the Municipal Area Development Fund in each urban local body to which the money received from the slum dwellers under this Act shall be credited. In addition, funds from the government or CSR may also be credited to the fund. New Delhi, March 15 : After the party's massive victory in assembly polls in four states, the BJP has called state leaderships to the national capital to start discussion on government formation. Uttarakhand and Manipur chief ministers have arrived, while the chief minister of Goa is on the way. Sources said that leaders from Manipur, Uttarakhand and Goa have been called to discuss the names of chief ministers in these states and of MLAs who would be inducted in the new cabinet. "Caretaker chief minister of Manipur, N. Biren Singh and others have reached the national capital to discuss the issue and formation of new government in the state with the central leadership of the BJP," a party insider said. BJP chief J.P. Nadda and party national general secretary (organization) B.L. Santhosh met Manipur caretaker CM Biren Singh, state election in-charge Bhupender Yadav, in-charge Sambit Patra and held discussions about formation of new government in the northeastern state. It is learnt that after discussion in New Delhi, central observers Nirmala Sitharaman and Kiren Rijiju will go to Imphal to discuss with other BJP MLAs and leaders to finalise the name of the legislature party leader. The BJP for the first time got the majority of its own in Manipur. Caretaker Chief Minister of Goa Pramod Sawant is expected to reach the national capital on Tuesday night, however, there is no confirmation about the Goa BJP president. "Sawant is expected to meet Prime Minister Modi, Nadda, Home Minister Amit Shah and other senior leaders including central observer Narendra Singh Tomar and L. Murugan," a party insider said. Earlier in the day, Uttarakhand caretaker Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, Uttarakhand BJP president Madan Kaushik and others met party chief Nadda and Santhosh to discuss the formation of the new government. Dhami also met Amit Shah. Sources said Dhami and other Uttarakhand BJP leaders are also likely to meet central observers Rajnath Singh and Meenakshi Lekhi and other central leaders. A similar meeting is likely to take place on Wednesday about the formation of the BJP government in Uttar Pradesh. New Delhi, March 15 : The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is working tirelessly on ground level for next assembly elections in Himachal Pradesh and Gujarat, the elections of which will be held later this year, said N.D. Gupta, Rajya Sabha Member from AAP while talking to IANS. "We are hopeful that people will bless us like Punjab," Gupta said. In an interview with IANS, Gupta said that the AAP is the first regional party in India which has claimed victory outside the home state. "This is not simply a victory but even more than thumping majority with which people of Punjab has blessed us", said Gupta. People of Punjab have voted for Arvind Kejriwal who even doesn't belong to that state. This victory is the testimony to the Delhi Model which we want to implement in every state, added Gupta. On being asked about party's further plan for other states, Gupta said that AAP is working for Himachal Pradesh and Gujarat assembly elections. He said that people of these two states will vote for the Delhi model. "However Haryana assembly election is two-and-a-half years away but we have made strong presence in the state already", the AAP Rajya Sabha Member said. On AAP's plan about 2024 general elections, Gupta said that of course party will fight the elections, but major focus is being given to the state assembly elections. "We are ready to make clean sweep in MCD elections in Delhi whenever it will be held", Gupta said. New Delhi, March 15 : The Economic Offences Wing of the Delhi Police has arrested a 57-year-old man for duping 51 people to the tune of Rs 11 crore in a fake housing project. The accused was identified as Rajkumar, a resident of Ramprastha Colony in Delhi. Giving details, Deputy Commissioner of Police MI Haider said the complainants or victims reported that the Directors of Manju J Homes Ltd. having its registered office at C-294, Ist Floor, Vivek Vihar, Delhi, induced them to book flats in its proposed housing project, Red Apple Homez situated at Rajnagar Extn. in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh. According to the official, in 2012, at the time of booking of the flats, the victims were assured that possession of the flats will be given within 3 years. After the initial payment (booking amount), on the application of the investors/victims, funds for the proposed flats were obtained from the banks or financial institutions and the builder company had promised to pay the EMIs against the loan obtained till the handing over of possession. "However, till date the construction at the site has not been completed and the builder company stopped paying EMIs to the banks," the DCP said. So far 51 complainants have approached the police with an amount of Rs 11 crores being allegedly involved. Several of these complainants have alleged that though the loan was sanctioned on their applications, but without their knowledge, the loan amount was disbursed to the builder by forging their signatures on several documents, the official said. Accordingly the police registered a case under sections 406, 409, 420, 467, 471 and 120B of the Indian Penal Code at the economic offence wing police station. During investigation it was found that the land for the residential project situated at Morta village, is registered in the name of the accused builder company namely Manju J Homez Pvt. Ltd. A notice under section 102 CrPC to the District Collector, Sub-Registrar, SDM, Tehsildar, GDA, was sent with the information that the land for the project was used to cheat the investors and no further transfer or creation of third party right on the land should be allowed, the police said. The reply received from the Ghaziabad Development Authority has revealed that the license or permission for the project was accorded in December, 2015 and thereafter permission from the Fire Department, Environment Department and Municipal Corporation were to be received. However, an examination of the complainants revealed that the builder company prior to sanction of the project had started collecting funds from the investors since 2012. Further it was found that the builder company had raised the structures of the buildings and thereafter the construction was stopped in 2015. At present the project site was sealed by the Ghaziabad Development Authority for violation of the conditions of license. The reply received from the Fire Deptt also confirmed that the NOC in this regard was accorded in April, 2016. Investigation revealed that the accused Rajkumar Jain in connivance with other co-accused persons namely Vijayanta Jain, Prateek Jain and Akshay Jain had started a company and launched a project, Red Apple Homez to dupe the public. Rajkumar Jain was also one of the authorized signatories for the bank account and director of the company. The accused was previously found involved in 29 cases. The official said that the other co-accused persons are yet to be traced. New Delhi, March 15 : Uttarakhand's caretaker Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami met Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday amidst the ongoing discussions on the selection of the state's next Chief Minister. Dhami, along with the party's national media in-charge and Rajya Sabha MP Anil Baluni, met Amit Shah at the Home Minister's office in the Parliament House complex. Talking to the media after the meeting, Dhami called it a routine meeting. However, the meeting is being considered crucial in view of the ongoing discussions within the party to finalise the name of the next Chief Minister. A meeting was also held at the Prime Minister's residence late on Monday night to discuss probable names for the Chief Minister post. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, BJP President J.P. Nadda and election in-charge Pralhad Joshi were present at the meeting. Earlier on Tuesday, in a meeting chaired by Nadda at the party's headquarters in Delhi, discussions were held regarding government formation in Uttarakhand. Apart from Dhami, many leaders of the state BJP core group attended the meeting. As per sources, a meeting of the BJP legislature party is scheduled to be held in Dehradun on March 19. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh as central observer and Meenakshi Lekhi, Minister of State for External Affairs as co-observer, will be present in the meeting. The name of the Chief Minister would also be announced on March 19 and the swearing-in would take place on March 20, sources said. New Delhi, March 15 : Continuous/over use of nitrogenous fertiliser alone has a deleterious effects on soil health and crop productivity, the Parliament was told on Tuesday. "There is no harmful effect of chemical fertilisers on soil health with balanced and judicious use but, investigations carried out under All India Coordinated Research Project on 'Long Term Fertiliser Experiments' over five decades at fixed sites have indicated that continuous/over use of nitrogenous fertiliser alone had deleterious effect on soil health and crop productivity showing deficiencies of other major and micro nutrients," Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar told the Lok Sabha in a written reply. The Indian Council of Agricultural Research is recommending soil test-based balanced and integrated nutrient management through conjunctive use of both inorganic and organic sources (manure, bio-fertilisers etc.) of plant nutrients for judicious use of chemical fertilisers to improve soil health, he said. In addition, growing leguminous crops and use of Resource Conservation Technologies (RCTs) are also advocated. ICAR imparts training, and organises front line demonstrations (FLDs) to educate farmers on all these aspects. Tomar said the Government is promoting non-chemical farming under the names of organic and natural farming through the Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana and Bharitya Prakratik Krishi Padhati along the river Ganga. The PKVY scheme is implemented in all the states across the country. Under this scheme, farmers are provided financial assistance of Rs 31,000 per hectare for three years for organic inputs such as seeds, biofertilisers, bio-pesticides, organic manure, compost/vermi-compost, botanical extracts etc. In addition, support is also provided for group/Farmers Producers Organisation (FPO) formation, training, certification, value addition and marketing of their organic produce. Under the Namami Gange Programme, a total of Rs 120.49 crore has been released for 6,181 clusters and 123,620 ha area covered. The government is also promoting Integrated Nutrient Management (INM) which includes soil test-based balanced and integrated use of chemical fertilisers in conjunction with organic sources of nutrients like Farm Yard Manure (FYM), city compost, vermi-compost and bio-fertilizers that leads to saving in use of chemical fertilisers, the Minister said. Guwahati, March 15 : Over 19 lakh people, whose names were not included in the final draft of the National Register of Citizens (NRC), published in August 2019, did not get Aadhaar cards as the document is necessary for availing benefits of various welfare schemes. These 19 lakh people in absence of Aadhaar cards are now facing serious problems as their biometric data have been locked following the directive of the Supreme Court, which is overseeing the NRC updating process. While replying to a question of All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) MLA Aminul Islam, General Administration, Panchayat, Rural Development Departments Minister Ranjeet Kumar Dass told the Assam assembly on Tuesday that the state government is aware of the problem as many eligible people are not getting benefits of welfare schemes due to the lack of Aadhaar cards that are mandatory to be linked to their bank accounts in receiving the benefits. The Minister said that the state government has written at least twice to the Union Home Minister in 2020 and 2021, requesting the Centre to allow the authority to access the biometric details of at least those whose names had figured in the final draft of the NRC. "Chief Minister (Himanta Biswa Sarma) himself recently raised the issue in the state Cabinet meeting and a sub-committee has been formed to look into the problem and the way forward with different organisations," Dass said. The ministerial sub-committee, comprising ministers Ajanta Neog, Atul Bora and Pijush Hazarika, would soon likely to initiate consultations with different groups, including All Assam Students' Union (AASU). The Minister told the house that 85.55 per cent of people in Assam have registered for Aadhaar enrolment till February this year. AIUDF legislator Islam said that though the state government has been claiming to have resolved the issue, no favourable step has been taken. A large number of genuine citizens are being denied their due benefits, he said. While Congress MLA Jakir Hussain Sikdar requested the government to define specific period to resolve the problem, ruling BJP legislator Biswajit Phukan said that the government should ensure that at least those whose names were included in the final draft of the NRC are not deprived of the benefits. Congress MLA Kamalakhya Dey Purkayastha said that in absence of Aadhaar, lakhs of people are not getting ration under the public distribution system, unable to operate bank accounts and not getting houses under various housing schemes. Assam assembly Speaker Biswajit Daimary said that after discussing the matter with the Chief Minister and others, the matter once again can be brought to the notice of the central government. New Delhi, March 15 : Starting March 12, maximum temperatures have increased over central India resulting in a heat wave to severe heat wave conditions in some parts of Saurashtra-Kutch, Konkan and west Rajasthan and heat wave conditions over eest Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, east Rajasthan, and Odisha. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Tuesday predicted continuation of the heat wave and severe heat wave over these regions. Heat wave conditions to severe heat wave conditions are very likely to prevail in some parts of west Rajasthan till March 17 and heat wave conditions in isolated pockets are likely over the region on March 18. The IMD also predicted heat wave conditions to heat wave conditions are very likely to prevail in isolated pockets over Konkan and Saurashtra-Kutch on March 16 while heat wave conditions is very likely to prevail in isolated pockets over Gujarat region, west Madhya Pradesh till March 17, over east Rajasthan on March 16 and 17, and over Odisha during March 16-18. As the sun marches northwards and according to the climatology, the month of March is when the region extending from Maharashtra to Odisha is a heat zone. In its March to May seasonal forecast issued on March 1, the IMD had already predicted that it was expecting above normal maximum temperatures most likely over many parts of western and central India and hence a heat wave can be expected extending from south Gujarat to Maharashtra to Odisha. On the reasons for the heat wave, IMD Director General, Mrutyunjay Mohapatra told IANS: "The higher than normal temperatures are because of the wind flow pattern in these areas. The lower level winds in these areas are from south towards north and that brings hotter air from land (as against when north to south winds bring colder air). The winds are southeasterly over southern peninsular area, mainly Karnataka, Telangana with some feeble circulation which is favouring the advent of heat from south to north Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Karnataka and up to Vidarbha area of Maharashtra. Mohapatra said, even for Saurashtra, Kutch and Rajasthan, the reason for heat wave conditions is southerly winds. The IMD records show that the maximum temperatures recorded on March 14 were around 39-41 degrees Celsius over many parts of Gujarat and west Rajasthan, and 38-40 degrees Celsius over some parts of southeast Rajasthan, Vidarbha, Konkan, and Goa. Heat wave conditions in some pockets with severe heat wave conditions in isolated pockets was observed over Saurashtra-Kutch, heat wave to severe heat wave conditions was observed in some pockets over Konkan-Goa and west Rajasthan and heat wave conditions in isolated pockets over Gujarat region. The maximum temperatures were above normal by 3-6 degrees Celsius at most places over Punjab and Uttarakhand, at many places over Jammu-Kashmir-Ladakh-Gilgit-Baltistan-Muzaffarabad, at a few places over Himachal Pradesh, west Rajasthan and Saurashtra and Kutch, at isolated places over east Rajasthan and Gujarat region, IMD data showed. New Delhi, March 15 : The Income-Tax Department has conducted search operations at 28 different locations belonging to realty developer Omaxe Ltd, seizing Rs 20 crore in cash. The I-T Department has also freezed several accounts and seized ledger accounts belonging to Omaxe Ltd. During the earch operations, the I-T Department detected unaccounted transactions anounting to Rs 200 crore. The search operations in connection with alleged tax evasion began on Monday morning and went on till the evening at Noida, Faridabad, Gurugram and Delhi. The I-T team examined the transactions of last three to four years. It also recorded the statements of those who were present at the premises at the time of search operations. A few incriminating documents were also seized by the team. Berlin, March 15 : Germany is seeking to buy a consignment of US F-35 fighter jets to replace its aging Tornado fleet, the German Defence Ministry has told the Parliament, DW reported. The decision comes after German Chancellor Olaf Scholz last month announced a massive boost in defence spending, as the Ukraine conflict forces Berlin to reassess its foreign and defence policies. Berlin is seeking to use the Lockheed Martin planes to replace the Tornados, which were introduced more than 40 years ago. In light of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Scholz said he would bring the nation's investments above a key NATO commitment of 2 per cent of GDP, the report said. The F-35 is considered the world's most modern combat aircraft. Its unique shape and outer coating make the jet difficult for enemy radars to detect. At present, the Tornado is the only German jet capable of carrying US nuclear bombs stored in Germany, in case of a conflict. However, the German air force has been flying those planes since the 1980s, and they are due to be phased out between 2025 and 2030, DW reported. The government is seeking more information on when the planes could be delivered, according to a document circulated to German lawmakers. "In a first step, we will put in a formal request with the US government for the purchase of F-35 fighter jets in order to get clarity regarding delivery timelines and options for cooperation in training and maintenance," the document said. Announcing an increase in military spending, Chancellor Scholz said the German army would receive $113 billion for investments and armament projects. Moscow, March 15 : Russia has imposed personal sanctions against US President Joe Biden and Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, Russia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on Tuesday. Restrictive measures have also been introduced against US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin, CIA Director William Burns, and White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki, RT reported. In addition, the Russian sanction list included US National Security Assistant Jake Sullivan, Chairman of the US Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley and a number of other top US officials. Such measures are being taken in response to a series of unprecedented sanctions imposed against Russia. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced the expansion of the sanctions list at the expense of a number of US citizens for 'inciting hatred' against the country. "In the near future, new announcements will follow to expand the sanctions list by including top US officials, military, legislators, businessmen, experts and mediapersons, who are 'Russophobic' or who contribute to inciting hatred towards Russia and the introduction of restrictive measures," the ministry said. The new restrictions will be introduced in accordance with government decisions in financial, banking and other areas to protect the country's economy and ensure its sustainable development, it added. New Delhi, March 15 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday interacted with the stakeholders of 'Operation Ganga', under which about 23,000 Indian citizens and 147 foreign nationals belonging to 18 countries were evacuated from war-torn Ukraine. During the interaction, representatives of the Indian community and private sector in Ukraine, Poland, Slovakia, Romania and Hungary narrated their experiences of being part of Operation Ganga, the challenges they faced, and expressed their sense of satisfaction and honour at having contributed to such a complex humanitarian operation. According to the Prime Minister's Office, Modi expressed his warm appreciation for the Indian community leaders, volunteer groups, companies, private individuals and government officials who worked for the success of the evacuation missions. "He praised the patriotic fervour, the sense of community service, and the team spirit displayed by all the stakeholders involved in Operation Ganga. The Prime Minister especially praised the various community organisations, pointing out that their selfless service exemplifies the Indian civilisational values that they continue to embody even in foreign shores," the PMO said. Speaking about the efforts made by the government to ensure the safety of Indian nationals during the crisis, the Prime Minister recalled his personal interactions with leaders of Ukraine and its neighbouring countries, and expressed gratitude for the support received from all the foreign governments. Reiterating the high priority that the government attaches to the safety of Indians abroad, the Prime Minister said that India has always acted with alacrity to assist its citizens during any international crisis. New Delhi, March 15 : The Department of Fisheries has no proposal for providing a weather-based index insurance scheme to cover the loss suffered by the fishing community due to adverse climatic changes, the Parliament was told on Tuesday. However, there is a scheme that provides for insurance for normal circumstances, Fisheries, Animal Husbandry, and Dairying Minister Parshottam Rupala told the Lok Sabha in a written reply. Be it inland fisheries or marine, the changing climatic conditions have posed multiple hazards, including increasing instances of floods and cyclones, for fisher folks over the years. The draft National Fisheries Policy does recommend insurance of life, craft and gear and other assets of fishers from the vagaries of nature, he said. On what the government does for the fishing community, the Minister said that the Department is implementing a flagship scheme, the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) with the highest-ever investment of Rs 20,050 crore for a period of five years with effect from 2020-21 to 2024- 25 across India. The PMMSY provides livelihood and nutritional support for socio-economically backward active traditional fishers' families during the fishing ban/lean period under which governmental financial assistance at the rate of Rs 1,500 per month is paid for three months annually. This comes from Rs 3,000 per annum provided to each enrolled beneficiary along with beneficiary contribution of Rs 1,500 annually. The PMMSY also provides support for insurance to fishers and insurance premium subvention for fishing vessels under its Centrally Sponsored scheme component. Insurance coverage for fisher folks includes Rs 5,00,000 against accidental death or permanent total disability, Rs 2,50,000 for permanent partial disability and insurance coverage for hospitalisation expenses in the event of accident for a sum of Rs 25,000, the Minister said. New Delhi, March 15 : The National Investigation Agency (NIA), on Tuesday filed a chargesheet against six accused alleged Khalistani terrorists including one Pakistani in connection with Punjab's Jalalabad bomb blast case before the NIA Special Court in SAS Nagar, Punjab. The NIA chargesheeted Sukhwinder Singh, Parveen Singh, Gurpreet Singh alias Gora, Ranjit Singh, Pakistani national Habib Khan and Lakhbir Singh Rode, (a Pakistan based designated terrorist). They were chargesheeted under sections 3, 4, 5 & 6 of the Explosive Substances Act, sections 21B, 27A and 29 of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act; sections 16, 17, 18, 18B, 20, 38 & 39 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and section 120 B of the Indian Penal Code. The case pertains to a bomb explosion in Jalalabad town of Fazilka district of Punjab on September 15, 2021 in which one person was killed. Initially a case was lodged with the Punjab Police and later the probe was taken over by the NIA. The NIA learnt during the investigation that Pakistan based designated terrorist Lakhbir Singh Rode, self-styled chief of the International Sikh Youth Federation (ISYF), and his associates were behind the blast. The NIA found that the accused had hatched a conspiracy to cause multiple explosions at crowded places in Punjab to effect large scale casualties and strike terror in the hearts of people. "On the directions of Rode, another Pakistan based narco-terror operative Habib Khan alias Doctor had radicalised and recruited Balwinder Singh and Sukhwinder Singh and motivated them to plant bombs using pre-assembled Improvised Explosive Devices (tiffin bombs) smuggled along with heroin from across the border. In furtherance of their plan, 8 pre-assembled tiffin bombs (along with training material) were received by Binder Singh (also recruited by Habib Khan) and Sukhwinder Singh along with a large quantity of heroin and money, sent to fund their terror activities. Prior to the bomb explosion that occurred in Jalalabad, this terrorist gang had also set ablaze a car as well as a few shops in Ferozpur city," the NIA mentioned in the chargesheet. Binder Singh and Sukhwinder Singh had conducted a reconnaissance of a crowded market in Jalalabad town for carrying out the explosion. While Binder Singh was trying to retrieve the motorcycle along with the planted tiffin bomb, as it had not exploded at the designated time, he was killed on the spot due to the delayed explosion. Further investigation in the matter is underway. New Delhi, March 15 : Automobile major Maruti Suzuki India said on Tuesday that it has clocked cumulative sales figures of 1 million units of S-CNG vehicles. At present, the automobile major offers nine S-CNG vehicles in the personal and commercial segments. "Today, there are already over 3,700 CNG stations, making CNG more accessible to people. With the government setting a target of reaching 10,000 CNG stations across the country in the next few years, we expect the demand for CNG vehicles to remain robust," said Kenichi Ayukawa, Managing Director & CEO, Maruti Suzuki India. "As a technology, CNG will play a bigger and significant role in reducing carbon emission of a large volume of passenger vehicles," Ayukawa added. According to the company, the S-CNG vehicles are integrated from the first stage itself to deliver unmatched safety, performance, durability and high fuel efficiency. "Maruti Suzuki's efforts to popularise the adoption of S-CNG vehicles are aligned with the government of India's objective of reduction in oil imports by enhancing the share of natural gas in the energy basket of the country from 6.2 per cent presently to 15 per cent by 2030," the company said. Amaravati, March 15 : Ahead of the much-awaited Cabinet revamp, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy on Tuesday held a meeting of YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) legislators. Amid indications that he will reconstitute the Cabinet next month, he apparently held a meeting with party members of the Legislative Assembly and Council to spell out the reasons for the exercise. The YSRCP chief told the legislators that many equations will be considered for the Cabinet revamp. He is likely to seek resignation of the entire Cabinet before reconstituting a new one on Telugu new year Ugadi, which is scheduled to be celebrated on April 2. With the YSRCP government set to complete three years in May, the Chief Minister set the agenda for a two-year mass contact programme. He asked the legislators to carry out a door to door campaign and highlight the welfare schemes of the government. He also made it clear that the performance of MLAs during door to door campaigns will be considered for giving them tickets in the next election. Jagan Mohan Reddy stressed the need to reach out to people through door-to-door programmes and reminded that it is the responsibility of all MLAs to go to the public. He asked the MLAs to play an active role in visiting villages and honouring the village volunteers from Ugadi for their exemplary services. The MLAs were asked to visit at least 3-4 villages every day. From May, each MLA should tour 10 village/ward secretariats and visit every household enquiring about their welfare, he said. The Chief Minister stated that the performance of MLAs will be taken into consideration and it is their responsibility to take good initiatives from the government to the people. He told them to train grassroot level leaders on how to counter the "negative campaign" of opposition TDP and its "friendly" media. He said the government will clear all bills including MGNREGS by April 10 including for works in towns and cities and added that Rs 2 crore special fund will be activated from April 1. He said district, mandal and village committees should be set up by April and regional coordinators will play a crucial role in making these committees. One regional coordinator will be appointed for three to four districts and there will be eight regional coordinators. The Chief Minister said all the schemes are being implemented with transparency and social audit is being done and there will be 31 lakh houses in Jagananna colonies. "We should be proud to go to the people and make them aware of these activities," he said. Islamabad, March 15 : Pakistans top military brass on Tuesday urged the relevant international fora to take a serious view of the "accidental firing" of a missile by India despite New Delhis public admission that it was a "mistake", Express Tribune reported. The corps commanders, who met in Rawalpindi at the army's General Headquarters, warned that such dangerous incidents could "act as a trigger and seriously endanger regional peace and strategic stability", according to the military's media wing, ISPR, the report said. The unarmed missile fired accidently by India on March 9 travelled 124 km inside the Pakistani territory and fell in Mian Channu, damaging some local properties. Pakistan has sought a joint probe into the missile fiasco that could have led to a major disaster between the two countries. Presided over by army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa, the corps commanders were given a comprehensive briefing on important global and regional developments, internal security situation and progress on 'Western Border Management Regime'. The forum reviewed with concern the recent incident of missile firing, claimed as accidental by India, which could have resulted in a major disaster, read a statement issued by the ISPR, Express Tribune reported. "It was emphasised that despite Indian acknowledgment of the mistake, relevant international fora must take a serious view of the incident and subject the safety and security protocols of Indian strategic assets to deliberate oversight. Such dangerous incidents can act as trigger and seriously endanger regional peace and strategic stability," the statement said. New Delhi, March 15 : A meeting of top BJP leadership was underway at Prime Minister Narendra Modi's residence on Tuesday evening to discuss the formation of the party's governments in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Goa, and Manipur. Sources said that BJP chief J.P. Nadda, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and party national General Secretary, Organisation, B.L. Santhosh were present in the meeting, chaired by Modi. Sources said that the key agenda of discussion was the next Chief Minister of Uttarakhand where incumbent Pushkar Singh Dhami has lost the polls despite the party winning a two-thirds majority. "In Uttarakhand, we are in a peculiar position. Our Chief Minister lost the polls and the party won. The party central leadership has to take a call on whether Dhami will be given a chance to lead the state or not. Making Dhami, who lost the polls, the Chief Minister will be against the BJP's practice to give responsibility to a person who lost the poll. The issue of Dhami will be discussed in the meeting," a BJP leader said. Sources further said that apart from the Chief Ministers, composition of new cabinets in these four states would also be discussed in the meeting. Before meeting with Prime Minister Modi, BJP chief Nadda and Santhosh met state leadership of Uttarakhand and Manipur including incumbent chief minister Dhami and N. Biren Singh, respectively, at the party headquarters. Goa's caretaker Chief Minister Pramod Sawant was expected to reach the national capital by Tuesday night, however, there is no confirmation about the Goa BJP President. "Sawant is expected to meet Prime Minister Modi, Nadda, Amit Shah and other senior leaders including Central observer Narendra Singh Tomar and L. Murugan on Wednesday," a party insider said. New Delhi, March 15 : All states and UTs have been advised to ensure home distribution of Iron Folic Acid supplementation to the target age groups of pre-school children (6-59 months), children 5-9 years, adolescents 10-19 years, and pregnant and lactating women, the Parliament was told on Tuesday. Minister of State for Health Bharati Pravin Pawar told the Rajya Sabha, in a written reply, that the states/UTs have also been advised to undertake distribution of IFA supplements through the Village Health Sanitation Nutrition Days (VHSNDs) to be held in the staggered manner while ensuring all the personal protective measures and physical distancing norms by the frontline workers i.e. ASHAs, ANMs and AWWs. Responding to a question, Pawar said that Health Ministry has issued guidance notes to all the states/UTs regarding 'Enabling Delivery of Essential Health Services during the Covid-19 Outbreak' on April 14, 2020 and 'Provision of Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child, Adolescent Health plus Nutrition services during and post-Covid-19 pandemic' on May 24, 2020 for continuation of service delivery amid the pandemic. "The Government of India has also developed and launched Anaemia Mukt Bharat (AMB) e-Training Modules to facilitate training of the health care providers through virtual platform amid COVID 19 pandemic," she told the house. She said that under the National Health Mission, financial support is provided to the states/UTs for effective implementation of interventions under AMB strategy based on proposals submitted through their respective annual Programme Implementation Plan (PIP). New Delhi, March 15 : The Supreme Court on Tuesday observed that negligence cannot be treated as misconduct, as it reinstated a judicial officer with all consequential benefits, including continuity of service and seniority. A bench of Justices U.U. Lalit and Vineet Saran said: "Merely because a wrong order has been passed by the appellant or the action taken by him could have been different, this does not warrant initiation of disciplinary proceedings against the judicial officer." Citing court orders, the bench added: "We hold that the appellant may have been guilty of negligence in the sense that he did not carefully go through the case file and did not take notice of the order of the High Court which was on his file. This negligence cannot be treated to be misconduct." The bench noted that any "probability" of misconduct needs to be supported with oral or documentary material, and this requirement has not been fulfilled in the present case. "These observations assume importance in light of the specific fact that there was no allegation of illegal gratification against the present appellant. As has been rightly held by this court, such relief-oriented judicial approaches cannot by themselves be grounds to cast aspersions on the honesty and integrity of an officer," it added. The top court judgment came on an appeal filed by Abhay Jain, who joined as a judicial officer in 2013, challenging the October 2019 order passed by the Rajasthan High Court. In 2016, he was discharged from service after a complaint that he passed a bail order with some ulterior/oblique motives and for extraneous considerations. The full court passed the discharge order, noting that his services were unsatisfactory during probation. The petitioner's counsel argued that the charges against his client are vague and absolutely no details have been provided regarding the allegation of passing the bail order for extraneous considerations/ulterior motives. The bench, in its 70-page judgement, said: "In this context, there is no detail provided as to what was the said extraneous consideration or ulterior motive, but merely an inference has been drawn on the basis of suspicion. Further, the record reveals that no complaint or other material exists which could form the basis of the said allegations." The bench noted the present case revolves only around a single bail order, and that too was passed with competent jurisdiction. "Since the respondent (high court) chose to hold an enquiry into the appellant's alleged misconduct, the termination of his service is by way of punishment because it puts a stigma on his competence and thus affects his future career," it added. The top court set aside the high court judgment and the discharge order passed in 2016. "We direct that while the appellant be reinstated with all consequential benefits including continuity of service and seniority, but will be entitled to be paid only 50 per cent back wages, which may be paid within a period of four months from today," it said. New Delhi, March 15 : Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) across the country have conducted 1.12 lakh assessment trials of technologies in farmers' fields during the last three years, the Parliament was informed on Tuesday. These KVKs also conducted 7.35 lakh demonstrations on different technologies related to crops, livestock, fisheries, farm machineries and other enterprises during the same time, Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Narendra Singh Tomar told the Lok Sabha in a written reply. The technologies developed out of research conducted by Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR) are taken to the farmers' fields for assessment by KVKs to ascertain their location specificity under various farming systems. There are 38 KVKs under the control of various state governments, 66 under ICAR institutes, 103 under NGOs, 506 under Agricultural Universities, three under Central Universities, three under Public Sector Undertakings, seven under Deemed to be Universities and five under other educational institutions, Tomar said. Moscow, March 15 : Russian President Vladimir Putin during a telephonic conversation with the head of the European Council, Charles Michel, said that Kiev is not demonstrating a serious attitude towards finding mutually acceptable solutions during negotiations with Moscow. According to the press service of the Kremlin, Putin outlined his fundamental assessments of the Russian-Ukrainian negotiations to develop agreements, taking into account Russia's demands. "At the same time, it was noted that Kiev does not demonstrate a serious attitude towards finding mutually acceptable solutions," the Kremlin said, RT reported. Putin focused on the EU's silence regarding the Ukraine military's missile attack on the centre of Donetsk. "The President of Russia paid special attention to the fact that the leadership of the European Union, while publicly assessing what was happening, ignored yesterday's criminal and inhuman action of the Ukrainian military -- a missile attack on a residential area in the centre of Donetsk using cluster munitions," Kremlin said. Putin, during a telephonic conversation, told the King of Bahrain, Sheikh Hamad bin Ise al-Khalifa, about the reasons and goals of the special operation of the Russian military to protect Donbass. New Delhi, March 15 : The total cost for implementation of the 'Svamitva' scheme, which aims to provide the legal ownership rights, in the form of property cards/title deeds, to household owners possessing houses in villages, is Rs 566.23 crore for five years (2020-25), the Parliament was told on Tuesday. Under the scheme, the land parcels in inhabited areas of all the villages of the country are surveyed, Minister of State for Panchayati Raj, Kapil Moreshwar Patil, told the Lok Sabha in a written reply. "It is being implemented with the collaborative efforts of the Ministry of Panchayati Raj, the Survey of India, state Revenue Departments, state Panchayati Raj Departments, and the National Informatics Centre. States need to sign MoUs with SoI for implementation of the scheme. So far 29 States/UTs have signed an MoU with SoI," he said. The minister said that the scheme is being implemented in Karnataka in a phase-wise manner and 'drone' flying has been completed in 2,270 villages of 18 districts in the state and property cards have been distributed in 836 villages so far. However, implementation is yet to start in the state's Kolar district. "Total cost for implementation of the scheme from 2020-2025 is Rs 566.23 crore. Under the scheme, funds to Survey of India are provided for two components - Large Scale Mapping (LSM) using drones and establishment of Continuous Operating Reference Station (CORS)," he said. Funds on limited scale are also provided to states for Information, Education, Communication (IEC) and setting up of State Project Monitoring Unit (SPMU). Funds are also released to National Informatics Centre for enhancement of spatial planning application 'Gram Manchitra' and Central infrastructure. "After successful launch of the scheme during 2020-21 in the pilot States of Haryana, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Rajasthan, and Andhra Pradesh in Phase 1, svamitva scheme was extended through-out the country from 2021-22. So far, property cards have been prepared in around 31,000 villages in the country. The scheme is envisaged to be completed by March 2025," he said. Moscow, March 15 : Russian Defence Ministry spokesperson, Major General Igor Konashenkov, claimed on Tuesday that the armed forces of the Russian Federation has taken full control of the entire territory of Kherson. The spokesperson said that the grouping of troops of the Donetsk People's Republic and the continuing offensive broke through the defence of Ukrainian nationalists, and took control of Panteleimonovka before reaching the Verkhnetoretskoye-Novoselovka-2 line. "Over the past day, aviation and air defence of the Russian air forces shot down 16 air targets: 1 Su-24 and Su-25 aircraft of the Ukrainian Air Force, 1 Mi-8 helicopter and 13 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles, including 6 Bayraktar TB-2," Konashenkov said. Konashenkov also said that operational-tactical, army and unmanned aviation hit 136 military infrastructure assets of Ukraine, including 7 command posts and communication centres, 4 anti-aircraft missile systems, 3 multiple launch rocket systems, 4 radar stations for reconnaissance, target illumination and targeting of S-300 anti-aircraft missile system, 1 electronic warfare station, 4 ammunition and fuel depots and 72 areas of military equipment concentration. The Russian forces claimed that three hangars containing 4 Ukrainian Su-25 assault aircraft, 1 Mi-24 and 5 Mi-8 helicopters were destroyed at a military airfield near Kramatorsk. In total, 156 unmanned aerial vehicles, 1,306 tanks and other armored combat vehicles, 127 multiple launch rocket systems, 471 field artillery and mortars, and 1,054 units of special military vehicles of the Ukrainian armed forces have been destroyed. On the evening of March 14, units of the Russian Airborne Troops captured a strong point of nationalists and foreign mercenaries near Guta-Mezhigorskaya, it claimed. Russian paratroopers also seized 10 US-made Javelin anti-tank missile systems and a number of other weapons supplied by western countries to Ukraine, the Russian forces claimed. All seized Javelin anti-tank missile systems and other foreign weapons have been handed over to the units of the People's Militia of the Donetsk and Lugansk people's republics. New Delhi, March 15 : The Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) government has taken a slew of measures to ensure transparency and accountability in financial management and implementation of projects, Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai informed Lok Sabha on Tuesday. He further said that the J&K government has made administrative approvals, technical sanction and e-tendering mandatory for transparent execution of works. It also makes the geo-tagged photographs of works mandatory for making payments at the treasury. All works or projects being implemented in the UT are in public domain for public feedback and suggestions to improve expenditure outcomes and ensure involvement of people in development works, he added. Financial reforms and interventions initiated recently have facilitated early completion of works, projects, Rai said in a written reply, adding that during 2018-19 and 2019-20, 9,229 and 12,637 projects/works were completed respectively. "Similarly, during 2020-21, 21,943 works or projects were completed which shows significant increase as compared to the previous years. During the current financial year 2021-22, 22975 works have already been completed up to January, 2022." Further, J&K Integrated Grievance Redressal and Monitoring System (JKIGRAMS) has been developed as an e-Governance initiative to provide a 24x7 platform to the Citizens for redressal of their grievances. The JKIGRAMS Portal has been integrated with the Centralised Public Grievance Redress and Monitoring System (CPGRAMS). Under 'Mulaqaat Programme', the citizens can interact directly with the Lieutenant Governor for seeking redressal of their grievances that have been filed on the JK grievance portal but have not been redressed. Meanwhile, the office file work has been shifted from manual to e-office mode from April-2021 and all Heads of Departments have been brought on e-office portal while the "Annual Performance Reports' of JK Administrative Services (JKAS) officers shifted to online mode on SPARROW Portal. The minister also informed the Lower Houes that an 'Online Departmental Vigilance Officers Portal' has been developed as a communication channel between Anti-Corruption Bureau and Departmental Vigilance Officers posted in different departments and districts. "The other measures include Electronic Vigilance Clearance System for furnishing vigilance clearances through electronic or online mode of all the government employees has been done, e-filing of property returns by employees (PRS-Portal) has been made mandatory, transaction of Business Rules of UT of J&K has been notified." As part of the Public Outreach Programme, administrative Secretaries have been allocated districts to monitor development schemes and a dedicated Helpdesk established in the General Administration Department to hear the issues of public importance through telephone, he added. Patna, March 15 : Three persons of a village in Bihar's Katihar district died in mysterious circumstances on Tuesday, while two others are battling for their lives in hospitals, officials said. The incident occurred at Jubarganj Rishi Tola village under Koda police station. While villagers are claiming that the three died after consuming poisonous liquor, the local administration is yet to confirm this. District Magistrate Udayan Mishra said that the matter is under investigation. The villagers claimed that the five had consumed liquor on Monday evening and their condition deteriorated late in the night. The victims were taken to adjoining Purnea district and admitted to the government hospital there, but three of them died. With this, 22 persons have lost their lives in five districts in the last one week. On Saturday, five persons died in Bhagalpur, and four in Gopalganj. Five others also died in Gopalganj on Friday, and three in Siwan and two in Bettiah on last Tuesday. New Delhi, March 15 : Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha MP Abir Ranjan Biswas said on Tuesday that the representation of Schedule Tribe (ST) people in the government offices is just 6 per cent in the country. Participating in a debate in the Upper House on the working of the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Biswas said that despite the Constitutional guarantee to the ST population, we as a country have failed to accommodate the ST population. Referring to the Ministry data on villages where ST population is greater than 25 per cent, the Trinamool lawmaker stated that it is shocking to know that only 9 per cent of these villages have a bank, only 24 per cent have a healthcare centre, and only 50 per cent of them have tap water connection. Noting that ST constitutes 8.6 per cent of the total population of the country, CPI-M member V. Sivadasan demanded that 8.6 per cent of the total Budget allocation should be allotted for STs. He said the government has allocated only 2.26 per cent of the total expenditure to STs in the Union Budget for 2022-23. Joining the debate, DMK lawmaker Kanimozhi said that many students from marginalised communities have been compelled to stay out of schools and support their parents in forest-based and local livelihoods during the pandemic. She asked the government whether it has assessed the situation. She further said that a National Scheme of Incentive to Girl Child for Secondary Education (NSIGSE), which was started in 2008 to promote the enrolment of SC and ST girls in secondary schools and also to reduce dropouts, has been discontinued. Quetta, March 16 : At least four Pakistan Frontier Corps (FC) personnel were killed and 10 other personnel were injured in a blast on an FC convoy in the Sangan area of Quetta's Sibi district on Tuesday, officials said, Dawn reported. Sibi Assistant Commissioner Sana Mahjabeen said the blast was caused by an improvised explosive device (IED). She said among the 10 injured personnel, the condition of six was critical, and they were being treated at Sibi's Combined Military Hospital. Meanwhile, Adviser to the Balochistan Chief Minister on Home Mir Zia Langove condemned the incident and said in a statement that the injured FC personnel should be provided the best medical treatment. He also expressed grief over deaths caused by the blast. "Terrorists are making failed attempts at sabotaging peace in Balochistan through such cowardly acts," he said. Separately, Balochistan government spokesperson Farah Azeem Shah also condemned the incident and expressed sorrow over the loss of lives. She said the role of security forces in ensuring peace in Balochistan had been "exemplary", adding that "anti-Pakistan forces were trying to sabotage peace in Balochistan." The blast on the FC convoy comes a week after a suicide bomber struck along the route of President Arif Alvi's motorcade in Sibi, claiming the lives of six security personnel and leaving 22 others, including 19 law enforcers, injured. The suicide bomber had blown himself up near a government rest house on Jail Road after the motorcade of President Alvi and other VIPs passed through the area on their return from the concluding ceremony of the annual Sibi festival held at Sibi Stadium, Dawn reported. Moscow, March 16 : The Russian Foreign Ministry announced on Tuesday that 313 Canadian officials have been barred from entering Russia, including Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Canada's Foreign Minister Melanie Joly, Defence Minister Anita Anand, and most members of the House of Commons of the Parliament are among the blacklisted officials, the ministry said in a statement, Xinhua news agency reported. The restrictions were introduced in retaliation for the anti-Russian hostility of the current Canadian government, it said. "The ways in which we work and play have changed forever, and the metaverse will significantly disrupt how people and brands interact and engage. Almost every CMO and HR leader we talk to is looking for ways to harness the power of the metaverse," Yaron Lipshitz, Allseated CEO, Allseated announces $15 million in new funding from Trinity Capital, Vestech Partners, NYFF, Magma Venture Partners, and WGG to further scale its metaverse platform, to expand beyond events, into corporate use. The new funding will boost Allseateds revenue growth and product development. The Metaverse The metaverse, expected to be a $1 trillion market opportunity, brings new ways to connect people in immersive experiences. It gives users a sense of presence in virtual environments and enables new ways to communicate, explore and engage. "The ways in which we work and play have changed forever, and the metaverse will significantly disrupt how people and brands interact and engage. Almost every CMO and HR leader we talk to is looking for ways to harness the power of the metaverse, and to drive new engagement paradigms with their customers, employees and partners. New use cases and opportunities are rapidly forming and the possibilities are endless," Yaron Lipshitz, Allseated CEO, said. Allseateds Metaverse Solution Our platform has the unique ability to create metaverse environments to bring employees together, power lead generation, and support sales acceleration. Our visionary team has brought a new experience to a market craving innovation beyond the 2D screen, Daniel Anisman, Allseated Co-Founder/CTO, said. The rapid growth of Web 3.0 presents Allseated, a recognized market leader in the event visualization and execution space with thousands of paying customers, exciting new opportunities to transform the ways in which corporations engage in the metaverse. Very different than the B2C providers, Allseateds B2B metaverse offering is helping companies to power internal and external engagements while supporting their brand identity. The funding will supercharge Allseateds 120% 2021 revenue growth into 2022 with the team recently expanding from 40 employees to 120 worldwide. San Francisco based Nfluence Partners served as financial advisor and Fenwick and West as Legal counsel. About Allseated Allseated has been on the cutting edge of virtual technology for years and has pioneered the use of immersive virtual environments over web browser and VR headsets to plan, sell, and execute events in venue digital twins. Since the pandemic, Allseated has powered virtual and hybrid events for some of the leading corporations in world, providing the closest thing to in-person events, virtually. A leader in event tech solutions, Allseated is expanding the use of its award-winning technology to deliver corporate metaverses. As the metaverse is changing the way we do everything, Allseated remains at the forefront of innovation, providing immersive virtual environments for corporations to host meetings, facilitate interactive sales experiences, and create entirely digital offices all in one platform. https://www.allseated.com/ We felt it important to develop a methodology that easily allows companies to utilize their existing VersaTest testing solutions into whatever CI stream their corporate policies mandated. As companies transition from older methods of overnight batch testing to a Continuous Integration (CI) model, Ascert continues to lead the market with its payments testing technology. Seamless access to message-based tests and their results is now possible in the most commonly used CI platforms such as Bamboo, Jenkins, Team City, Azure, Gitlab CI, thanks to Ascerts VersaTest product set. This approach allows for faster testing, better reliability, greater visibility of success and failure points, and ultimately increased customer satisfaction. We felt it important to develop a methodology that easily allows companies to utilize their existing VersaTest testing solutions into whatever CI stream their corporate policies mandated. Our first deployment was through a Jenkins plug-in. This has now evolved into a range of tool and platform-agnostic modules which support virtually any CI tool chain within the VersaTest ecosystem said Simon Miles, VersaTests Chief Software Architect. The VersaTest CI integration modules can be easily incorporated by clients, or via an Ascert assisted project. In addition to message and interface testing with CI tool support, VersaTest also provides certification and stress testing services both on-premises and via the companys popular cloud-based test system called Ascertified (http://www.ascertified.com). A growing number of companies have created a hybrid of both cloud and self-hosted options, increasing flexibility for both internal users and external partners. To find out more about VersaTest visit the Ascert website or contact a local Ascert office. About Ascert: Ascert is recognized as a leading provider of premier testing software solutions. Ascert was founded in 1992 to provide automated software testing solutions that help companies measure the performance, reliability, and scalability of their mission-critical back-end servers and applications. With over 100 clients worldwide, Ascert's products and services are used at some of the world's most successful companies. Off-the-shelf simulators for Ascerts VersaTest product include solutions for EFT testing, POS testing, stress testing, ATM testing, Fraud testing, IFX testing, EMV/chip card testing, ISO8583 testing, ISO 20022 testing, Faster Payments testing, and 3270 & 6530 terminal testing. Ascerts custom simulators have been used for testing air traffic control systems and biometric payment systems. Ascert delivers flexible solutions that are either customer site installed or accessed via Ascerts Remote Testing Services. Ascert's products assist testing professionals across industry segments to better manage their testing processes and environments through an end-to-end toolset. For inquiries in the Americas and Asia-Pacific: Rich Greene Ascert, LLC 180 Harbor Drive Suite 225 Sausalito, CA 94965, USA Telephone: 1-415-339-8500 Toll Free:1-877-ASCERT-IT Fax: 1-415-339-8501 E-mail: info(at)ascert.com http://www.ascert.com For inquiries in Europe, Middle East, and Africa: Martin Traves Ascert Limited Telephone: +44 (20) 7488 3470 Fax: +44 (20) 7488 3477 E-mail: ukinfo(at)ascert.com http://www.ascert.com When women come together as mentors, friends, sisters, and mothers we can accomplish anything. It is our turn. We dont fight for a seat at the table anymore. We build our own table. Dawn Crawley, founder of House Cleaning Heroes (HCH), was named as the Loudoun County Chamber of Commerce Entrepreneur of the Year 2021 Award winner. The awards program recognizes entrepreneurs who demonstrate extraordinary success and personal commitment to their businesses and communities. For 27 years, the Loudoun Small Business Awards have been the most prestigious honors celebrating the best small businesses, entrepreneurs, and nonprofit organizations in the Loudoun County, Va community. The Loudoun County Chamber of Commerce celebrated the communitys top businesses and entrepreneurial leaders during the 27th annual awards ceremony at the National Conference Center in October 2021. As founder and owner of House Cleaning Heroes, Dawn Crawley is an entrepreneur who is having an impact on the community in which she works and lives. A highly energized person, Dawn instills a culture within the company of giving back to the community, helping the planet, doing right by her team, and making connections. Her ultimate goal is to change the world around her, either through her non-profit Helping Heroes or supporting HCH employees to advance in their own careers and personal growth. She credited supporters in the Loudoun County Chamber of Commerce for contributing to the success of House Cleaning Heroes, which she opened in 2017. It was many of you who gave me the courage to start again when I thought all was lost, when we lost our previous business. When women come together as mentors, friends, sisters, and mothers we can accomplish anything, Crawley said at the awards ceremony. It is our turn. We dont fight for a seat at the table anymore. We build our own table. In 2021, House Cleaning Heroes was also named a finalist for Superior Service of the Year, and in 2022, Dawn was also named as a top 3 finalist for the Women of Excellence Award with the NAWBO DC chapter. House Cleaning Heroes Gives Back to the Community with Helping Heroes Program House Cleaning Heroes has always looked for ways to give back to the community. When cancer or another unforeseen circumstance makes life at home difficult, House Cleaning Heroes comes together to support cancer patients and their families through their Helping Heroes program. When it comes to the mission of House Cleaning Heroes, founder Dawn Crawley has always felt strongly that her business had to give back. Because her mother died of breast cancer, Dawn always felt passionate about helping to make life easier for those who are suffering from breast cancer. Consequently, she started by building a specific number of monthly free housecleaning hours to people fighting the disease into her business plan and budget. She expanded the companys pro bono services to include people with other serious illnesses, and then she started working with first responders. Today, the company works with anybody in the community who needs the help. They donate cleaning hours to any person in need or a person or family who needs support. What started as mainly working with breast cancer patients and their families, branched to all areas including car accidents, deaths, and unexpected hospitalizations. In particular, their focus is with first responders, educators, and cancer patients. About House Cleaning Heroes As a leading provider of residential and commercial cleaning services in Northern Virginia, House Cleaning Heroes is dedicated to protecting their clients free time so they can spend it on the things that matter most. Whether it be a home, an office, or a commercial facility, clients deserve to enjoy a clean, germ-free environment. House Cleaning Heroes takes pride in providing customized, professional residential and commercial cleaning services. The hard-working, professionally trained cleaning superhero staff of House Cleaning Heroes saves their clients weekends by offering the best quality cleaning services possible. House Cleaning Heroes sets the industry standard for consistently high quality, compliant, and cost-effective residential and commercial cleaning services. House Cleaning Heroes goes above and beyond the cleaning expectations of its customers to deliver the highest quality services. With a commitment to delivering the highest standards of clean, the company helps make businesses and homes throughout Northern Virginia shine. For more information, please visit the company website: https://housecleaningheroes.com/. Visit LBX Food Robotics in Booth 1906 at The NAMA Show LBX Food Robotics will be exhibiting in Booth 1906 at The NAMA Show. To schedule a private meeting, demonstration, or interview, please visit bit.ly/LBXatNAMA. LBX Food Robotics, the leader in hot food vending, today announced that its Bake Xpress micro-bakery will be serving a full menu of freshly-baked foods at The NAMA Show to be held April 6-8 at McCormick Place in Chicago. In addition to continuous demonstrations featuring standard menu items that can include breakfast tacos, pastries, pasta meals, artisan sandwiches, fresh salads, cookies and more, LBX will be hosting special tasting events each day that feature products from partner restaurants and bakeries. Bake Xpress is a revolutionary hot or cold food vending solution that can custom bake a range of foods within 30-120 seconds, or in the case of fresh foods like salads or cheese plates, deliver the food chilled. The smart oven inside Bake Xpress is calibrated specifically for each menu item to use a precisely-tuned combination of heating technologies to properly warm and crisp each food to replicate the traditional restaurant experience. This sets Bake Xpress apart from similar products that rely on microwave technology. Over 50 Bake Xpress machines are in operation, with an additional 50 in various stages of delivery and installation. Bake Xpress is the only multi-product machine with years of established reliable operation, which makes it attractive to food services companies, food brands looking to expand and traditional restaurants and bakeries that want to offer their products at extended times. LBX Food Robotics will be exhibiting in Booth 1906 at The NAMA Show. To schedule a private meeting, demonstration, or interview, please visit bit.ly/LBXatNAMA. # # # About LBX Food Robotics LBX Food Robotics is revolutionizing the food service industry with an innovative combination of robotic, AI, sensor, wireless, and heating technologies. LBX's flagship product, the Bake Xpress micro-bakery, is a ground-breaking hot food vending machine that custom bakes a full range of artisan foods on demand in its smart combination oven. Bake Xpress offers a customizable menu that can include pastries like croissants, muffins, and cookies; hearty meals like pasta, pizza, and gourmet sandwiches; and refrigerated foods like salads. LBX launched the first Bake Xpress micro-bakery as Le Bread Xpress in 2018 and has installed machines in universities, hotels, retail centers, factories and office parks world-wide. For more information, please visit http://www.lebreadxpress.com. Alcatraz AIs facial authentication technology provides a constant identity verification critical when adopting Zero Trust environments, keeping assets at your data centers secure, said Tina DAgostin, CEO of Alcatraz AI. Alcatraz AI, a leader in physical security technologies, announced today they will be showcasing their autonomous access control technology, the Rock, at Data Center World 2022 (Booth 1025). Alcatraz AI offers a touchless and secure biometric device that utilizes facial authentication to grant safe and efficient entry to modernize and improve access control systems. The security conference will be taking place at the Austin Convention Center in Austin, Texas on March 28-31, 2022. This is Alcatraz AIs first time attending the conference. Alcatraz AI was also recently announced as a finalist for the 2022 Data Center World Startup Challenge. The Startup Challenge is recognizing startups that are revolutionizing the IT community and impacting the data center. Data Center World delivers expert strategy and insight on the technologies and concepts you need to know to plan, manage, and optimize your data center. Alcatraz AI will be showcasing its product, the Rock, which deploys autonomous access control through facial authentication technology incorporating artificial intelligence, data analytics, and the individuality of the human face to make spaces safer for all. With features like multi-factor authentication, identity verification, tailgating detection, and video at the door, the Rock makes it easy for companies to secure spaces and data centers. The Alcatraz AI technology delivers dual-factor authentication access control that helps data centers deploy the critical protection required to secure data. With 3D facial mapping and deep neural networks, the Rock can authenticate users in real-time and helps ensure the safety of employees, intellectual property, and valuable assets. Alcatraz AI will also be showcasing its updated Administration and Management Platform at Data Center World. V2 provides simplified installation on customer-provided infrastructure and simplified system upgrades and troubleshooting tools, improving the user experience in all aspects of installing and upgrading the Rock. Although the Alcatraz Platform and the Rock are Access Control System agnostic and do not require a low-level software integration, the new platform provides the necessary interface for deeper software integrations and enables enterprise features such as Single Sign On (SSO) with support for OAuth2 and SAML. Alcatraz AIs facial authentication technology provides a constant identity verification critical when adopting Zero Trust environments, keeping assets at your data centers secure, said Tina DAgostin, CEO of Alcatraz AI. We are excited to showcase our enterprise-grade access control solutions at Data Center World for the first time. To learn more about Alcatraz AI (Booth 1025), please visit: https://www.alcatraz.ai/resources/alcatraz-ai-data-center-world-2022 About Alcatraz AI: Alcatraz AI transforms access control by leveraging artificial intelligence and analytics to make powerful decisions at the edge, where your face becomes your credential. Alcatrazs facial authentication technology and intelligent tailgating detection enable enterprises to innovate and future-proof their security strategy. Our state-of-the-art product, the Rock, is designed to be easy to deploy on any access control system, providing an enterprise-grade security solution to protect businesses, people, and assets. Visit http://www.alcatraz.ai for more information and follow the companys updates on LinkedIn. Mercy Emergency Department (ED) members gather on the ED deck to celebrate winning the 2022 All-Pro Nursing Team Award. The Emergency Department team has done so very much, working diligently each day to fulfill our mission to provide high quality care with dignity, compassion and respect to all, said Stacey Brull, DNP, RN, NE-BC, V.P. of Patient Care Services and Chief Nursing Officer. Mercy Medical Center Emergency Department has been selected the top winner of the 2022 All-Pro Nursing Team Award. Presented by Healthcom Media, the publisher of American Nurse, the peer-reviewed journal of the American Nurses Association, the award celebrates the dedication, commitment, patient advocacy, and clinical expertise of all nurses. The All-Pro Nursing Team Awards recognize the best teams in the United States based on several professional criteria, including communications, responsiveness, and adaptability, as well as demonstrating a winning formula that drives success. We are extremely proud of the achievements of Mercy nurses; the Mercy Emergency Department team has shown great perseverance, rising to the challenges of COVID-19 in addition to handling all the day to day demands of the ED environment. This is a well-deserved win for an incredible team, said Susan Finlayson, DNP, RN, Senior Vice President of Operations for Mercy. Its been said that alone we can do so little, but together we can do so much. The Emergency Department team has done so very much, working diligently each day to fulfill our mission to provide high quality care with dignity, compassion and respect to all, said Stacey Brull, DNP, RN, NE-BC, Vice President of Patient Care Services and Chief Nursing Officer (CNO). American Nurse editorial staff and nursing professionals evaluated 41 entries in the contest and selected Mercys Emergency Department as the top winner, with three runners-up and four honorable mentions. Entries represented a spectrum of nursing organizations, from regional healthcare systems to acute care facilities. Applications provided deep analysis, as well as practical results for learning opportunities. American Nurse journal reaches more than 220,000 dedicated nurses in a multitude of specialties and practice settings. Published monthly, American Nurse is a comprehensive, trusted information source that nurses can rely on to enhance patient outcomes, develop their professional careers, and build their educational foundation of best practices. Founded in 1874 by the Sisters of Mercy in downtown Baltimore, Maryland, Mercy Medical Center is a university-affiliated, Catholic hospital with a national reputation for womens health, orthopedics, surgical oncology, and other medical disciplines. Honored for nursing excellence having received the coveted Magnet recognition from the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), in 2011, 2016 and 2021, Mercy is home to the renowned Weinberg Center for Womens Health and Medicine. For more information, visit Mercy online at http://www.mdmercy.com; MDMercyMedia on Facebook and Twitter, or call 1-800-M.D.-Mercy. https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/3150176001627651596 Thanks to AI-powered analytics, Execuvue is more intuitive than ever before. Hoteliers can quickly and easily build dashboards, charts, and visualizations to help them better navigate the future. Aptech, the industry standard for hospitality financial management, is making business intelligence easier than ever before. Leveraging the IBM Cognos Analytics AI Assistant within its recently enhanced Execuvue business intelligence solution, hoteliers can clean and connect data, create stunning data visualizations, and see how business is performing today while predicting what will happen tomorrow. Users type simple browser commands into the system, such as Show Me Room Revenues by State, and the AI Assistant will instantly present the data in a compelling, relevant, and easy-to-understand visual format. Thanks to AI-powered analytics, Execuvue is more intuitive than ever before, said Cam Troutman, Aptech Vice President. Hoteliers can quickly and easily build dashboards, charts, and visualizations to help them better navigate the future. However, we are still learning about practical applications for this cool technology and time will tell where we are in the Hype Cycle. Interested in seeing what AI Analytics can do within Execuvue? Aptech will host a Business Intelligence Workshop titled Going Beyond with AI on March 16, 2022, at 2:00 p.m. EDT. To register, click here. The Execuvue Dashboard tool delivers stunning images of financial and operational data to provide actionable insights. Its a drag-and-drop environment with predictive analytics that creates the best visualizations based on the data entered. Heres how it works: The Execuvue AI Assistant field asks: How may I help you? The user types a reply: Create dashboard for Room Revenue and States. Immediately on the dashboard canvas appears four visualization options. AI Analytics may determine the best way to present the requested data is by Map. Via the Room Revenue tab at the top of the dashboard, a user can scroll over the map and click on each state to examine revenue figures. The user also has three additional Room Revenue visualization options to choose from: 1) a bar chart showing Room Revenue and NOI by State, 2) a line chart showing Room Revenue and GOP by State, and 3) a combined bar and line chart showing comp rooms and Room Revenues by State. Then, clicking on the States tab, four visualizations again appear. With a map appearing as the AI Assistant pre-selected visualization, the user can click on each state to see available rooms for State regions and Room Revenue for State points. If further information is needed, the user again has three optional visualizations to choose from: 1) a bar chart showing Total Revenue and Room Revenue by State, 2) a line chart showing STR sold rooms prior year and Room Revenue by State, and 3) a combined bar and line chart showing Room Revenue and STR Rooms Revenue Year Prior by State. Within seconds, a user has eight visualizations to choose from, each containing predictive analysis that can be leveraged and shared to make smarter business decisions, Troutman said. Data can be uploaded into Execuvue by hoteliers without Aptechs assistance, enabling them to create custom reports and dashboards on the fly and view the findings in a whole new way. Within the Execuvue dashboard, users can prepare visualizations for reports by simply dragging and dropping key words onto the canvas. By selecting from pre-defined descriptors, such as Room Revenue, users may be presented with a simple text box (4.58B Room Revenue). However, by dragging multiple descriptors onto the canvas, such as Room Revenue and Property Name, users will receive a visually appealing chart depicting the data in seconds. For multi-property enterprises, the Execuvue AI Assistant can drill down and provide even more rich data, such as Room Revenue by Quarter Colored by Franchise. The AI-based forecast feature enables users to see portfolio performance by brand or property name, whichever is dragged and dropped onto the canvas. AI Analytics then provides visualizations of the requested data, including measures for Confidence Upward Bound, Room Revenue (Sum) Forecast, and Confidence Lower Bound. Users can hover over data points to see even more rich detail. With limited staff and leaner budgets, Aptech is helping operators do a lot more with a lot less, Troutman said. The AI Assistant within Execuvue is extremely user friendly so much so that no training is needed. Users type in questions and the AI Assistant provides the answers in a visually compelling way. This is some of the coolest technology on the market, and it can be leveraged to show future trends based on historical data to better predict the future. The scalability, flexibility, and integration capabilities of todays AI-powered Execuvue is truly setting Aptech apart from other providers of hospitality business intelligence. To get more information about the new Execuvue or request a demo, click here. # # # About Aptech Computer Systems Inc. Aptech Computer Systems, Inc., based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, is the only provider of a fully integrated enterprise accounting, business intelligence and planning ecosystem to the hospitality industry. All clients are companies like yours, which own or manage hotels. Its solutions help customers at both the corporate and property levels understand their financial and operational data for faster goal achievement. The company is renowned for introducing business intelligence into the hotel industry and offers a solid resource of hospitality professionals. Aptech is an IBM Software Value Plus partner and Premier Solution Provider, as well as a Prophix Premier Business Partner. Incorporated in 1970, Aptechs state-of-the-art back office, true business intelligence and enterprise planning solutions are 100% hotel specific. Solutions include PVNG, Execuvue and Targetvue. Clients comprise more than 4,000 properties including large chains, multiple-property management companies and single-site hotels. Execuvue is registered to Aptech Computer Systems Inc. All other trademarks are owned by their respective holders. For more information, please visit http://www.aptech-inc.com. One of the most exciting parts of being on the Inc. 2022 list is how many people will learn about our brand and mission. The growth we have seen is a result of our teams hard work and passion, said Bearbottom CEO Robert Felder. Inc. magazine today revealed that Bearbottom Clothing is No. 11 on its third annual Inc. 5000 Regionals Southeast list, the most prestigious ranking of the fastest-growing private companies based in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, and Tennessee. Born of the annual Inc. 5000 franchise, this regional list represents a unique look at the most successful companies within the Southeast region economys most dynamic segmentits independent small businesses. One of the most exciting parts of being on the Inc. 2022 list is how many people will learn about our brand and mission. The growth we have seen is a result of our teams hard work and passion, said Bearbottom CEO Robert Felder. We strive every day to provide the best product and experience possible for our customers. We have so much more planned for the future including launching new product categories, furthering our sustainability efforts, and expanding our mission of giving back. This is just the beginning for Bearbottom. The companies on this list show a remarkable rate of growth across all industries in the Southeast region. Between 2018 and 2020, these 173 private companies had an average growth rate of 147% percent and, in 2020 alone, they added 27,794 jobs and nearly $4.9 billion to the Southeast regions economy. Companies based in the Miami, Florida, Fairhope, Alabama, and Covington, Louisiana, areas had the highest growth rate overall. Complete results of the Inc. 5000 Regionals Southeast, including company profiles and an interactive database that can be sorted by industry, metro area, and other criteria, can be found at inc.com/southeast starting March 15, 2022. This years Inc. 5000 Regional winners represent one of the most exceptional and exciting lists of Americas off-the-charts growth companies. Theyre disrupters and job creators, and all delivered an outsize impact on the economy. Remember their names and follow their lead. These are the companies youll be hearing about for years to come, says Scott Omelianuk, editor-in-chief of Inc. Bearbottom Clothing is a rapidly growing, e-commerce mens fashion brand on a mission to become the go-to for the most versatile, comfortable, and wearable everyday clothing. The team at Bearbottom has spent years perfecting their fabrics and fits, so you can trust youre getting nothing but the best shorts, swim trunks, and tees. With over 15,000 five-star reviews, their everyday go-tos have gained a cult-like following of guys looking for premium quality clothing without the premium price. When you buy from Bearbottom youre also helping make a difference. Founded on a buy-one-give-one model, their giving back initiatives provide food and clothing to the communities that have helped build the brand. For more information about Bearbottom Clothing, please visit http://www.bearbottomclothing.com. More about Inc. and the Inc. 5000 Regionals Methodology The 2022 Inc. 5000 Regionals are ranked according to percentage revenue growth when comparing 2018 and 2020. To qualify, companies must have been founded and generating revenue by March 31, 2018. They had to be U.S.-based, privately held, for-profit, and independentnot subsidiaries or divisions of other companiesas of December 31, 2019. (Since then, a number of companies on the list have gone public or been acquired.) The minimum revenue required for 2018 is $100,000; the minimum for 2020 is $1 million. As always, Inc. reserves the right to decline applicants for subjective reasons. About Inc. Media The worlds most trusted business-media brand, Inc. offers entrepreneurs the knowledge, tools, connections, and community to build great companies. Its award-winning multiplatform content reaches more than 50 million people each month across a variety of channels including websites, newsletters, social media, podcasts, and print. Its prestigious Inc. 5000 list, produced every year since 1982, analyzes company data to recognize the fastest-growing privately held businesses in the United States. The global recognition that comes with inclusion in the 5000 gives the founders of the best businesses an opportunity to engage with an exclusive community of their peers and the credibility that helps them drive sales and recruit talent. The associated Inc. 5000 Conference is part of a highly acclaimed portfolio of bespoke events produced by Inc. For more information, visit http://www.inc.com. Jesus of Nazareth Our Liberator: a potent reminder of all that God has provided through His son. Jesus of Nazareth Our Liberator is the creation of published author Beatrice Francis Carey. Carey shares, Some think, Okay, another book about Jesus Christ. They say, Right on, brother, but I have one up on that. All books should be written about Jesus Christ the Nazarene. There is no other game in town, none, Jesus is the only thing going on. The reason for this being twofold. First, Christs imminent return is apparent to most. Second, God is answering our cries and our pleas in the face of our crumbling and disintegrating world that has no hope in sight. In the hands of God, however, we have hope for all things, for Jesus said, With God, nothing is impossible. The one thing most are still stumbling over, and yet still not discovering is this God/Man named Jesus Christ. The facts have been handed down to us through eyewitnesses. At first, it was just an oral communication, but Jesus Christ inspired the Apostles and Paul, the chosen of God, for us Gentiles and inspired them to write for us undeniable testimonies of Jesus. They wrote of His beginnings and his mission to Earth in the Holy Gospels. And Paul wrote a great number of the Holy Epistles of our Bible given to Him with abundance of revelation by God. All which are good for our knowledge of Jesus Christ and his mission to Earth. Jesus wants us to make Him known to all men. Why? Because Jesus said, I am the Way, the Truth, and the Light. This is central to every Word written in the Bible. Jesuss last Words to His disciples on Ascension Sunday were, Go and preach. In a nutshell, that means yes, make Jesus known to mankind. Publicize it, broadcast this knowledge; every one of us is to be laboring at this command. God helps those that think it is enough to sit in their easy chair and pay tithes and go to Church on Sabbath. No and no, because the knowledge of Jesus Christ the Nazarene must cover the Earth as the waters cover the Sea. Go and make disciples of all Nations, and then the end shall come. Published by Christian Faith Publishing, Beatrice Francis Careys new book will challenge and encourage believers to pursue a stronger connection with their faith. Carey shares a powerful message within the pages of this spirited work. Consumers can purchase Jesus of Nazareth Our Liberator at traditional brick & mortar bookstores, or online at Amazon.com, Apple iTunes store, or Barnes and Noble. For additional information or inquiries about Jesus of Nazareth Our Liberator, contact the Christian Faith Publishing media department at 866-554-0919. Certified Used Toyota Camry and Toyota Corolla for Sale in Milford, CT Colonial Toyota is pleased to offer a wide range of Certified used vehicles in Milford, CT. Customers can buy a certified Toyota Camry, Toyota Camry Hybrid, Toyota Corolla and Toyota Corolla Hybrid at 1.99% APR for up to 60 months. These cars have all been through a rigorous inspection process and are guaranteed to run smoothly without any repairs. Grab this opportunity as there is no better way to get a good deal on these popular cars. The offer is valid till April 4, 2022. The Camry and Corolla are great vehicles for commuting to work or around town. Both have a sleek design and an automatic transmission that will make the driving experience more enjoyable. The cars have many safety features, come with airbags to prevent collisions from happening and have an automatic braking system. Milford customers who are keen to learn more about the certified used Toyota Camry or Corolla can find the details on the dealership's website: https://www.colonialtoyotact.com/. The dealership is well-known for its integrity and honesty while also providing exceptional customer service. They offer low-cost monthly payments with available financing options to make buying a new car easier than ever before. Their service team is available to assist you at 203-403-6890 and they are conveniently located at 470 Boston Post Road, Milford, CT. Anna Kochkina "This promotion is well-deserved, said John Dearing, Capstone Managing Director and Partner. Our clients view Anna as a trusted advisor and, as she takes on these additional responsibilities, we are confident she will continue to thrive." Capstone Strategic, Inc. has announced the promotion of Anna Kochkina to the position of Director, Valuation Services. Most recently, she held the title of Manager with Capstone. In her new capacity, she will oversee all aspects of the M&A valuation services Capstone provides to clients including valuation of business interests, designing financial models, and conducting risk assessments. "This promotion is well-deserved, said John Dearing, Capstone Managing Director and Partner. Our clients view Anna as a trusted advisor and, as she takes on these additional responsibilities, we are confident she will continue to thrive." Anna joined the Capstone Team in 2016 where her duties included a focus on financial modelling and valuations for M&A transactions and conducting research in a variety of sectors including aerospace, agriculture, chemicals, consumer goods, credit unions and CUSOs, healthcare, metal and mining, telecommunications, and utilities. Her work has been both domestic and international in scope. Prior to joining Capstone, Anna developed valuation models and provided buy-side and sell-side equity research for global banks including ING and UniCredit. She received her MBA in Finance from American University and holds a designation as a Certified Valuation Analyst (CVA). About Capstone Strategic, Inc. Headquartered in the Washington, DC metro area, Capstone is a management consulting firm specializing in corporate growth strategies, primarily mergers and acquisitions, for the middle market. Founded in 1995 by CEO David Braun, Capstone has facilitated over $1 billion of successful transactions in over 30 countries and across more than 100 industries. Yang Jiechi (L), a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, meets with U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan (R) in Rome, capital of Italy, March 14, 2022. /Chinese Foreign CGTN America releases Senior Chinese and U.S. diplomats held talks in Rome When senior Chinese diplomat, Yang Jiechi, met with U.S. National Security Advisor, Jake Sullivan in Rome on Monday, they discussed bilateral ties, the fighting in Ukraine, and other global flashpoints. The Chinese Foreign Ministry described their exchange as candid, in-depth, and constructive communication. Yang, a member of the Politburo the highest-level policy-making body in China told Sullivan that China will continue to pursue peace talks between Russia and Ukraine. Yang said in the meantime all parties should exercise maximum restraint, protect civilians and prevent a large-scale humanitarian crisis. As director of the Communist Party of Chinas Office of Foreign Affairs Commission, Yang said: China always stands for respecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries, and abiding by the purposes and principles of the UN Charter. He also said it is important to straighten out the historical context of the Ukraine issue, get to the bottom of the problem's origin, and respond to the legitimate concerns of all parties. Yang and Sullivan also discussed Afghanistan, and nuclear issues related to Iran and the Korean Peninsula. In a one-paragraph Readout on the meeting, the White House underscored the importance of maintaining open lines of communication between the United States and China. The Yang-Sullivan meeting followed up on last Novembers virtual summit between Chinese President Xi Jinping and U.S. President Joe Biden, the statement said. During that summit, President Xi suggested the worlds two most powerful economies should pursue mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation as a foundation for China-U.S. relations in the new era. As Yang reminded those present in Rome, President Biden told Xi that the U.S. is not seeking a new Cold War or a world divided into rigid blocs. In promoting the need for consensus between the two great powers, Yang said some issues are non-negotiable. Xinjiang, Tibet, and Hong Kong concern Chinas core interests, he said. Yang also told the U.S. side that any attempts to support Taiwan independence will be futile. Click here to read more about Senior Chinese and U.S. diplomats held talks in Rome. https://news.cgtn.com/news/2022-03-14/Senior-Chinese-diplomat-meets-U-S-national-security-advisor-18oIcUJIqK4/index.html This material is distributed by MediaLinks TV, LLC on behalf of CCTV. Additional information is available at the Department of Justice, Washington, D.C. Christian Rozsenich, CEO at clickworker clickworker - a leading provider of crowdsourcing solutions - has successfully completed ISO/IEC 27001 certification for its companies in Germany and the USA, taking another step towards sustainable security. The certification audit confirms that clickworker meets the requirements of the ISO/IEC 27001:2017 standard. This includes successful implementation of an information security management system (ISMS), the assured availability of IT systems and processes, the prevention of IT risks and the confidentiality of data within clickworker.com Inc. and clickworker GmbH. This internationally recognized standard for information security management systems (ISMS) is the most important certification in this field. It provides organizations with clear guidelines for planning, implementing, monitoring and improving their information security. "For clickworkers global operations, information security has always had a high priority in all business areas and is practiced and enforced by constant communication and training. This applies to everyone involved in our business processes. Along with our existing 100% GDPR certified compliance, this new certification, according to the internationally recognized standard ISO/IEC 27001:2017, confirms once again our world-class services in data and IT security. Being recognized by an official body offers our customers the certainty that our business processes and information security meet their high demands", explains Christian Rozsenich, Managing Director of clickworker. The certification also confirms to clickworker's 3.6 million strong crowd that their data is handled securely and in compliance with data protection laws. In addition, clickworker enables its customers, via the implemented ISMS, a secure transfer of all data required for the crowdsourcing projects. This includes secure, data protected, and compliant processing and IT systems, editing and storage, as well as the transmission of project results. About clickworker: With more than 3.6 million freelancers, known as Clickworkers, in Europe, America and Asia, clickworker is one of the leading providers of paid crowdsourcing. clickworker offers scalable solutions in the area of training data for AI, text creation, categorization and tagging, surveys, web research, mobile crowdsourcing and product data maintenance in 18 languages and in more than 30 target markets. clickworker is a full-service provider and offers both standardized and individual solutions for the implementation of its customers' data-oriented projects. These projects are automatically broken down into micro jobs and processed by qualified Clickworkers from the crowd. The results are then reassembled and transmitted to the customer in a quality-assured manner. clickworker also offers a self-service solution via the online marketplace for smaller and standardized tasks in the areas of text creation, surveys and sentiment analysis. These practice-proven procedures offer reliable and high-quality results with high throughput, outstanding scalability and significant cost savings. Further information at: http://www.clickworker.com Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/clickworker_com Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/clickworker-com-inc-/ Inc. magazine today revealed that Cypress Environment & Infrastructure is No. 75 on its third annual Inc. 5000 Regionals Southeast list, the most prestigious ranking of the fastest-growing private companies based in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, and Tennessee. Born of the annual Inc. 5000 franchise, this regional list represents a unique look at the most successful companies within the Southeast region economys most dynamic segmentits independent small businesses. Were fortunate to work with a passionate team serving great clients who appreciate our innovative and interdisciplinary approach to planning, environmental, and engineering services. Cynthia Henderson, CEO The companies on this list show a remarkable rate of growth across all industries in the Southeast region. Between 2018 and 2020, these 173 private companies had an average growth rate of 147% percent and, in 2020 alone, they added 27,794 jobs and nearly $4.9 billion to the Southeast regions economy. Companies based in the Miami, Florida, Fairhope, Alabama, and Covington, Louisiana, areas had the highest growth rate overall. Complete results of the Inc. 5000 Regionals Southeast, including company profiles and an interactive database that can be sorted by industry, metro area, and other criteria, can be found at inc.com/southeast starting March 15, 2022. This years Inc. 5000 Regional winners represent one of the most exceptional and exciting lists of Americas off-the-charts growth companies. Theyre disrupters and job creators, and all delivered an outsize impact on the economy. Remember their names and follow their lead. These are the companies youll be hearing about for years to come, says Scott Omelianuk, editor-in-chief of Inc. Cypress provides interdisciplinary planning, environmental, and engineering services to a variety of federal, state, municipal, and private clients. We help our clients build a better world through the integration of science and design. We enjoy designing award-winning public recreation facilities like the Shepard State Marsh Walk as well as supporting the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources, City of Biloxi, US Army Corps of Engineers and the Hancock County Port & Harbor Commission in their missions. We look forward to serving more clients while providing great project outcomes. Contact: Marc Foster, Vice President. 228-596-1580. mfoster@cypressei.com More about Inc. and the Inc. 5000 Regionals Methodology The 2022 Inc. 5000 Regionals are ranked according to percentage revenue growth when comparing 2018 and 2020. To qualify, companies must have been founded and generating revenue by March 31, 2018. They had to be U.S.-based, privately held, for-profit, and independentnot subsidiaries or divisions of other companiesas of December 31, 2019. (Since then, a number of companies on the list have gone public or been acquired.) The minimum revenue required for 2018 is $100,000; the minimum for 2020 is $1 million. As always, Inc. reserves the right to decline applicants for subjective reasons. About Inc. Media The worlds most trusted business-media brand, Inc. offers entrepreneurs the knowledge, tools, connections, and community to build great companies. Its award-winning multiplatform content reaches more than 50 million people each month across a variety of channels including websites, newsletters, social media, podcasts, and print. Its prestigious Inc. 5000 list, produced every year since 1982, analyzes company data to recognize the fastest-growing privately held businesses in the United States. The global recognition that comes with inclusion in the 5000 gives the founders of the best businesses an opportunity to engage with an exclusive community of their peers and the credibility that helps them drive sales and recruit talent. The associated Inc. 5000 Conference is part of a highly acclaimed portfolio of bespoke events produced by Inc. For more information, visit http://www.inc.com. Pugh Proverbs: an engaging arrangement of articulate aphorisms. Pugh Proverbs is the creation of published author Dwane Pugh, who received a bachelors degree in theology from Piedmont Bible College in Winston Salem, North Carolina. Pugh also attended Liberty University and North Carolina School of Theology to get his masters and doctorate degrees in theology. Pugh shares, Wisdom is a rare treasure that people need but seldom ever find. In these simple yet profound proverbs, you will find nuggets of golden truth that can enrich your life and make it a treasure map for others to follow. Published by Christian Faith Publishing, Dwane Pughs new book is an enjoyable balance of personal reflection and relevant scripture. Pugh offers readers an appealing opportunity to consider helpful truths found within engaging stories. Consumers can purchase Pugh Proverbs at traditional brick & mortar bookstores, or online at Amazon.com, Apple iTunes store, or Barnes and Noble. For additional information or inquiries about Pugh Proverbs, contact the Christian Faith Publishing media department at 866-554-0919. Law Offices of Blumenthal Nordrehaug Bhowmik De Blouw LLP For more information about the class action lawsuit against Fastaff, LLC, call (800) 568-8020 to speak to an experienced California employment attorney today. The Los Angeles employment law attorneys, at Blumenthal Nordrehaug Bhowmik De Blouw LLP, filed a class action complaint alleging that Fastaff, LLC violated the California Labor Code. The Fastaff, LLC class action lawsuit, Case No. 22STCV07610, is currently pending in the Los Angeles County Superior Court of the State of California. A copy of the Complaint can be read here. According to the lawsuit filed, Fastaff, LLC allegedly (a) failed to pay minimum wages, (b) failed to pay overtime wages, (c) failed to provide legally required meal and rest periods, (d) failed to provide accurate itemized wage statements, (e) failed to reimburse employees for required expenses, and (f) failed to provide wages when due, all in violation of the applicable Labor Code sections listed in California Labor Code Sections 201, 202, 203, 226, 226.7, 510, 512, 1194, 1197, 1197.1, 2802, and the applicable Wage Order(s), and thereby gives rise to civil penalties as a result of such alleged conduct. Additionally, the complaint alleges employees were from time to time unable to take thirty (30) minute off-duty meal breaks or were not fully relieved of duty for their meal periods. California labor laws require an employer to provide an employee required to perform work for more than five (5) hours during a shift with, a thirty (30) minute uninterrupted meal break prior to the end of the employee's fifth (5th) hour of work. For more information about the class action lawsuit against Fastaff, LLC, call (800) 568-8020 to speak to an experienced California employment attorney today. Blumenthal Nordrehaug Bhowmik De Blouw LLP is an employment law firm with offices located in San Diego, San Francisco, Sacramento, Los Angeles, Riverside and Chicago that dedicates its practice to helping employees, investors and consumers fight back against unfair business practices, including violations of the California Labor Code and Fair Labor Standards Act. If you need help in collecting unpaid overtime wages, unpaid commissions, being wrongfully terminated from work, and other employment law claims, contact one of their attorneys today. ***THIS IS AN ATTORNEY ADVERTISEMENT*** Bronze Sponsor of 2022 Students of the Year Campaign LLSs 2022 Students of the Year campaign recognizes the philanthropic efforts of high-school student leaders who help raise funds in honor of children who have fought and survived blood cancer. ER Injury Attorneys has announced its sponsorship of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Societys (LLS) Las Vegas 2022 Students of the Year (SoY) campaign. The Las Vegas campaign launched on January 27, 2022 and will conclude on March 17, 2022 at the Grand Finale event at the JW Marriott Las Vegas Resort and Spa. This is the first year ER Injury Attorneys is participating in the SoY Campaign. Our team actively supports local youth and families that battle childhood cancer. As such, we are honored to sponsor LLSs 2022 Students of the Year campaign that recognizes the philanthropic efforts of high-school student leaders who help raise funds in honor of children who have fought and survived a type of blood cancer, said attorney Corey Eschweiler. To find out more about the Leukemia & Lymphoma Societys Las Vegas Student of the Year campaign, visit lls.org. MORE ABOUT ER INJURY ATTORNEYS Helping southern Nevada injury victims put their lives back on track after an accident is a top priority of the legal team at ER Injury Attorneys. In fact, their award-winning lawyers have built a reputation for providing the highest level of service by taking the time to listen, learn, and evaluate the needs of those who contact their law firm. This attention to detail not only promotes a positive and open collaboration, but also a higher success rate in terms of negotiating the best possible results. For more information about ER Injury Attorneys and their dedication to serve and assist local community members, please visit erinjuryattorneys.com or call 702-878-7878. ABOUT THE STUDENTS OF THE YEAR FUNDRAISING CAMPAIGN The Students of the Year campaign is a philanthropic leadership development program through which highly motivated, high-school leaders embark on a journey of professional growth, ensuring that they stand out when preparing for college and beyond. During the program, students foster professional skills such as entrepreneurship, marketing, and project management in order to raise funds for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS). Student leaders fundraise for LLS in honor of children who are blood cancer survivors. The title Student(s) of the Year is awarded to the candidate or co-candidate team in each community that raises the most funds during the 7-week competition. ### Last week alone, we delivered nearly 70,000 tutoring sessions, said Ryan Patenaude, Sr. Vice President and Co-Founder of FEV Tutor. We are honored that our partner districts have entrusted us to help their students through our experienced tutors and our individualized instruction practices. FEV Tutor, the most comprehensive virtual tutoring solution in K-12, today announced that its personalized high-impact tutoring program is now used by more than 400 districts with nearly 5 million students in aggregate. The company is projecting a 200% growth in the number of tutoring sessions delivered from 2021 to 2022. This milestone underscores the challenges school districts face and FEV Tutors commitment to providing research-based, high-impact online tutoring to students around the clock seven days a week, year after year. Last week alone, we delivered nearly 70,000 tutoring sessions, said Ryan Patenaude, Sr. Vice President and Co-Founder of FEV Tutor. We are honored that our partner districts have entrusted us to help their students through our experienced tutors and our individualized instruction practices. FEV Tutor is a US Department of Education, Level Two ESSA research and evidence-based intervention. Its live 1:1 online tutoring program employs instructors with a minimum of a bachelors degree and two years of teaching experience. It delivers personalized academic intervention where its needed most and is designed to naturally extend the instruction delivered by a specific school or district. The company has a proven track record of success in providing students with individualized instruction. In addition to allowing students to work with a preferred tutor from the company or request tutors on-demand, FEV Tutor offers a variety of evidence-based program models such as targeted instructional support, 24/7 homework and coursework support, targeted test prep and remote learning support. Measured student progress is at the core of the companys work. To accurately assess the effectiveness of interventions, FEV Tutors Academic Impact Analysis reports compare student response to the interventions with a districts benchmark and assessment data. Those findings are regularly shared with teachers to help them evaluate student growth and course success as well as deliver data-driven instruction. The companys data-driven approach involves using formative assessment in the form of exit tickets to measure student growth and progress. The companys proven track record of success is reflected in the exit tickets average score of 80%, indicating that students left sessions with a good understanding of the material that had been covered. Students have also voiced their own appreciation of the FEV approach, giving the tutoring sessions an average rating of 4.8 stars out of five. At the beginning of the pandemic, FEV Tutor used its more than a decade of online instruction experience to help K-12 educators quickly adjust to distance learning. Since March 2020, the company has supported hundreds of thousands of new students via 24/7 homework help and data-driven live tutoring sessions. FEV Tutor has garnered enormous general acclaim; in 2021 alone, the company won the Supes Choice Awards, EdTech Digests Cool Tool 2021 Award for Best Tutoring Solution, and the 2021 Tech Edvocate Award for Best Tutoring/Test Prep App or Tool. Patenaude stated, These awards and the consistent high marks that weve received from educators and students have added fuel to our teams motivational fire. Were more dedicated than ever to our mission of making a social impact through K-12 education. About FEV Tutor Based in Boston, FEV Tutor is the leading Level 2 ESSA research and evidence-based online tutoring platform working nationally to effect change in K-12 education. Its intervention programs are strategically designed in close collaboration with each partner school, district, charter school, and other organizations to accelerate learning for every student. FEV Tutor leverages technology to deliver 1:1 high-impact and transformative personalized learning pathways through live, virtual tutoring sessions. For more information on FEV Tutor, visit fevtutor.com or follow on Twitter # # # TN Department of Financial Institutions Commissioner Greg Gonzales encouraged FHU students to use their unique Christian education to do something positive in their communities Tuesday, March 8, 2022. Tennessee needs you as leaders, I urge you to enter the arena and give yourself to a great cause. Commissioner Greg Gonzales of the Tennessee Department of Financial Institutions encouraged FHU students to use their unique Christian education to do something positive in their communities. Tennessee needs you as leaders, said Gonzales, who quoted Theodore Roosevelts The Man in the Arena, during his chapel address Tuesday, March 8. I urge you to enter the arena and give yourself to a great cause. Gonzales began his day on FHUs campus as a guest lecturer in Instructor Michael Prentices financial markets and institutions class, where he discussed the importance of community banks, the difference between state-monitored and federally monitored institutions, and the growth of digital assets and cryptocurrency in the state. In Tennessee, there are 13 million in virtual currency transactions with $7 billion worth of activity, Gonzales said. He also offered students the chance to learn more about his department, sharing that his office is actively recruiting. To prepare for this work, were looking for people in finance, accounting, and economics with an understanding of the IT world, Gonzales said. Sophomores and finance majors, Will Rivers and David Clayton, thanked Gonzales after class. Everything he talked about was interesting, Clayton said. Im thinking about going into financial planning because I want to help people budget better in Mississippi, my home state. Too many people are living paycheck to paycheck and should be saving for retirement. Rivers, who is interested in becoming a loan officer, said he wants to serve people. During his chapel lecture, Gonzales shared with the student body that he was inspired by scripture, Romans 13:1, during his childhood to pursue a public service career. Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established, Gonzales said. He began serving as the 18th commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Financial Institutions in 2005 and has served under three different Tennessee governors. Gonzales has served the department since 1986, and in his current role, he is the states chief regulatory officer of all state-chartered depository and licensed non-depository financial institutions. Gonzales spent his lunchtime with local leaders of financial institutions, where he said, The banking industry is very healthy, and our most recent quarterly report shows, in some respects, that it is as strong as weve seen it. On his last stop of the day, Gonzales met members of the Freed-Hardeman Investment Team, a $1 million student-managed investment fund. With mostly junior and senior business majors, the student-led, student-managed investment opportunity provides them with real-world experience. Since 2007, it has generated more than $154,000 for the FHU finance program. The finance program uses these funds to strengthen the program. He watched as the students debated the pros and cons of an investment. This is a standard day for us, Associate Vice President of Finance Jay Satterfield explained to Gonzales. Its rapid fire. They know to come prepared for a discussion, be dressed for work and ready to share their knowledge. Gonzales praised the students efforts. What an impressive group; you all are doing a magnificent job, he said. The mission of Freed-Hardeman University is to help students develop their God-given talents for His glory by empowering them with an education that integrates Christian faith, scholarship and service. With locations in Henderson, Memphis and Dickson, FHU offers associates, bachelor's, master's, specialist and doctoral degrees. More information is available at fhu.edu. "In my mind, Im thinking shes going to stop. We have another checkpoint she will stop at," Schuck recalled. But the drunk driver did not stop. Michael Letts, CEO of InVestUSA of Columbia, South Carolina, announced that his organization is bestowing the InVest USA Heroism Award to Florida Highway Patrol Trooper Toni Schuck for putting herself in harms way to defend thousands of runners from a reckless drunk driver barreling across the Sunshine Skyway Bridge last Sunday. According to Letts, on Sunday morning, Florida Highway Patrol Trooper Toni Schuck was working for the Skyway 10Ka military benefit run. As nearly 7,000 runners crossed the bridge, she heard a radio call, saying a driver hadnt stopped for the road closure. Troopers say the drunk driver kept going through the barricades. "In my mind, Im thinking shes going to stop. We have another checkpoint she will stop at," Schuck recalled. But https://www.fox13news.com/news/i-did-my-job-hero-fhp-trooper-who-stopped-drunk-driver-during-skyway-10k-recalls-moments-before-crash. Instead, the driver blew past cones, barriers, and law enforcement officers. Instead of letting the driver get onto the Skyway Bridge, Trooper Schuck veered her Chevy Tahoe into her path -- knowing she was the last line of defense to keep the suspected drunk driver from endangering the lives of the runners on the bridge. I did my job, Schuck told reporters. Said Michael Letts of Columbia, SC. Trooper Schuck exemplified the heart of law enforcement nationwide when she placed the lives of strangers above her own. Daily across America, our law enforcement officers put their lives at risk of death to protect and serve members of the community they dont even know. Their selfless acts truly come from the heart. These are Americas Heroes, deserving of our recognition, honor, and gratitude. Letts added, The era we live in today, with such radical ideas as Defunding the Police must come to an end. Such demonizing of our officers and cutting budgets to the point of not being able to afford the necessary equipment, including Active Shooter Vests, so they can return safely to their families is a travesty. It is time all Americans join us in standing with our heroes of the thin blue line, and the presentation of this recognition to Trooper Schuck is one small step in that right direction, said Michael Letts. InVest USA is a nonprofit 501c3, a national grassroots organization, helping hundreds of communities provide thousands of bulletproof vests for their police forces through educational, public relations, sponsorship, and fundraising programs. Interview opportunities on this topic are available at https://SpecialGuests.com/guests-topics/ Carmen Beauchamp Ciparick, Edward C. Wallace, and India L. Sneed of global law firm Greenberg Traurig, LLP have been named to City & States 2022 Law Power 100 list. The Law Power 100 list honors legal professionals who are influential in their field and New Yorks governmental landscape. According to the website, the list includes federal prosecutors, district attorneys, white-collar defense attorneys, law school deans, public interest lawyers, and bar association leaders who shape New York politics and government. The Greenberg Traurig attorneys on the list are: Ciparick is a co-chair of the National Appeals & Legal Issues Group and a former New York State Court of Appeals senior associate judge who was recently also named to City & States Latino Power 100 list. She advises clients on appellate matters and litigation strategy and mentors the firm's junior lawyers. She is active in public service, serving on the Permanent Commission on Access to Justice, the New York Courts Historical Society, and the New York State Indigent Legal Services Board. Ciparick was appointed by the chief judge to co-chair the New York Justice Task Force that examines the causes of wrongful convictions. She was also appointed by Mayor Bill de Blasio to serve as chair of the Mayor's Advisory Committee on the Judiciary. Ciparick also serves as chair of the New York State Board of Law Examiners. Sneed is an associate in the New York Government Law & Policy Practice and was recently also named to City & States Black Power 100 list. She focuses her practice on government relations and represents clients at the municipal, state, and federal level on election law matters including petition process, ballot access, challenges, and court proceedings. She previously served as a City Council members chief of staff where she helped craft legislation. Sneed also worked at the Kings County District Attorneys office as a member of the Hon. Kenneth Thomsons inaugural class and accepted a position in the Civil Rights Bureau of the office trying six cases before juries and the bench as first and second chair. Wallace is co-chairman of Greenberg Traurigs New York office, a shareholder in the firms Real Estate Practice, and was recently also named to City & States Real Estate Power 100 list. He is a trusted advisor to many clients and has represented major institutions and real estate companies, Columbia University, New York University, and Fordham University in their Manhattan expansions. In addition, he has advised Extell, Silverstein, Fetner Properties, and other leading developers and financial and media companies. Wallace currently advises Hornblower, New York citys ferry provider, and serves as outside national counsel to JCDecaux, the worlds largest bus shelter company. Active in the New York civic community, he serves as vice-chair of the French American Foundation and the Citizens Budget Commission and he is a board member emeritus of New Yorkers for Parks, where he previously served as chair. About Greenberg Traurig: Greenberg Traurig, LLP has more than 2400 attorneys in 42 locations in the United States, Europe, Latin America, Asia, and the Middle East. The firm, often recognized for its focus on philanthropic giving, innovation, diversity, and pro bono, reported gross revenue of over $2 Billion for FY 2021. The firm is consistently among the top firms on the Am Law 100, Am Law Global 100, NLJ 250, and Law360 (US) 400. On the debut 2022 Law360 Pulse Leaderboard, it is a Top 15 firm. Greenberg Traurig is Mansfield Rule 4.0 Certified Plus by The Diversity Lab and net carbon neutral with respect to its office energy usage. Web: http://www.gtlaw.com. HopSkipDrive CareDriver As gas prices continue to impact everyday lives, HopSkipDrive is committed to providing the best possible support for HopSkipDrive CareDrivers. As gas prices reach historical highs up to $7/gallon in states like California safe school transportation solution HopSkipDrive is helping HopSkipDrive CareDrivers allay fuel costs with the Help at the Pump initiative. Estimating that HopSkipDrive CareDrivers are spending an average of $2 more per HopSkipDrive ride than before gas prices started climbing, HopSkipDrive is offering promotions to all CareDrivers that pay $4 per ride. HopSkipDrive SVP of Marketing Miriam Ravkin says, As gas prices continue to impact everyday lives, HopSkipDrive is committed to providing the best possible support for HopSkipDrive CareDrivers. Anticipating and understanding the needs of the CareDriver community, HopSkipDrive knew we needed to jump in and help offset gas costs during this difficult time. A crucial part of HopSkipDrives mission of creating opportunity for all through mobility, CareDrivers must pass a 15-point certification process that includes a required five years of caregiving experience. This caregiving background ensures CareDrivers have the knowledge and skills they need to transport vulnerable populations including children experiencing homelessness, children in foster care, children with special needs and older adults with empathy and the utmost safety measures. HopSkipDrive is the innovative, safe school transportation solution of choice for schools and districts. Currently partnered with more than 300 school districts across the country, HopSkipDrive provides an opportunity for CareDrivers, who are independent contractors, to earn money in a safe and flexible way while making a difference in their community. About HopSkipDrive Designed by protective moms and driven by caregivers, HopSkipDrive is the innovative, safe school transportation solution. HopSkipDrives advanced technology platform and industry-leading operational expertise provide flexibility and visibility, while helping to create opportunity for all through mobility. Since 2014, HopSkipDrive has expanded to eight states and D.C., and 18 major markets. HopSkipDrive CareDrivers have driven 1.4M+ Riders over 20M+ safe miles, helping 13K schools. A venture capital-backed company, HopSkipDrive shares investors with well-known brands like Airbnb, Pinterest, Bird and Ring. When we make a commitment to act as one, the sky is the limit. Inc. magazine today revealed that INFUSEmedia is No. 67 on its third annual Inc. 5000 Regionals Southeast list, the most prestigious ranking of the fastest-growing private companies based in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, and Tennessee. Born of the annual Inc. 5000 franchise, this regional list represents a unique look at the most successful companies within the Southeast region economys most dynamic segmentits independent small businesses. This is INFUSEmedias fourth time appearing on the Inc. listand I am incredibly proud of our team members dedication and brilliance, says Alexander Kesler, Founder and CEO of INFUSEmedia. To our clients and partners, we are grateful to be in the position to positively influence your outcomes. INFUSEmedia is built on a foundation of excellence, integrity, and purpose. When we make a commitment to act as one, the sky is the limit. The companies on this list show a remarkable rate of growth across all industries in the Southeast region. Between 2018 and 2020, these 173 private companies had an average growth rate of 147% percent and, in 2020 alone, they added 27,794 jobs and nearly $4.9 billion to the Southeast regions economy. Complete results of the Inc. 5000 Regionals Southeast, including company profiles and an interactive database that can be sorted by industry, metro area, and other criteria, can be found at inc.com/southeast. This years Inc. 5000 Regional winners represent one of the most exceptional and exciting lists of Americas off-the-charts growth companies. Theyre disrupters and job creators, and all delivered an outsize impact on the economy. Remember their names and follow their lead. These are the companies youll be hearing about for years to come, says Scott Omelianuk, editor-in-chief of Inc. About INFUSEmedia INFUSEmedia is an award-winning, fully integrated, data-fueled demand generation engine designed to help B2B organizations drive qualified interest. Its omnichannel approach helps to identify, qualify, and produce actionable engagement. Supported by the latest innovations in digital marketing, INFUSEmedia generates leads by strategically promoting content through social, programmatic, mobile, and direct outreach campaigns. The company leverages its own proprietary content marketing engine, fueled by data-driven demand generation tactics and built on AI, and a global database of 138+ million B2B decision-makers in 24 verticals to reach target audiences with precision and scale. Its demand generation solutions include content marketing, ABM, intent-driven marketing, brand amplification, competitive displacement, and more. For more information, visit https://www.linkedin.com/company/infusemedia. More about Inc. and the Inc. 5000 Regionals Methodology The 2022 Inc. 5000 Regionals are ranked according to percentage revenue growth when comparing 2018 and 2020. To qualify, companies must have been founded and generating revenue by March 31, 2018. They had to be U.S.-based, privately held, for-profit, and independentnot subsidiaries or divisions of other companiesas of December 31, 2019. (Since then, a number of companies on the list have gone public or been acquired.) The minimum revenue required for 2018 is $100,000; the minimum for 2020 is $1 million. As always, Inc. reserves the right to decline applicants for subjective reasons. About Inc. Media The worlds most trusted business-media brand, Inc. offers entrepreneurs the knowledge, tools, connections, and community to build great companies. Its award-winning multiplatform content reaches more than 50 million people each month across a variety of channels including websites, newsletters, social media, podcasts, and print. Its prestigious Inc. 5000 list, produced every year since 1982, analyzes company data to recognize the fastest-growing privately held businesses in the United States. The global recognition that comes with inclusion in the 5000 gives the founders of the best businesses an opportunity to engage with an exclusive community of their peers and the credibility that helps them drive sales and recruit talent. The associated Inc. 5000 Conference is part of a highly acclaimed portfolio of bespoke events produced by Inc. For more information, visit http://www.inc.com. Navarre, FL, Vacation Rentals and Management "Due to demand, we decided to expand to Navarre in order to better serve vacation rental owners and visiting guests. We now manage vacation rentals in Pensacola Beach, downtown Pensacola, Gulf Breeze, Navarre, Fort Walton Beach and Okaloosa Island." iTrip Vacations is thrilled to announce short-term rental property owners and guests in Navarre, Florida, now benefit from world-class property management and customer service. Two iTrip Vacations franchises now serve the area: iTrip Fort Walton Beach and iTrip Pensacola, creating a joint effort for even better short-term rental management services in Navarre. The full-service short-term rental property management program increases net rental income and five-star guest reviews, while providing worldwide marketing, free light maintenance, professional cleaning, and automatic-response systems. "Our teams have been gradually adding properties in Navarre to our respective markets for almost four years," says Ken Erdberg, owner of iTrip Fort Walton Beach. "During that time, our short-term rental property management program has increased in demand, so we decided to expand to Navarre in order to better serve vacation rental owners and visiting guests. Our teams now manage vacation rentals in Pensacola Beach, downtown Pensacola, Gulf Breeze, Navarre, Fort Walton Beach and Okaloosa Island." The Florida expansion is part of a growing portfolio of destinations managed by iTrip Vacations, the largest franchise brand serving the short-term rental property management industry in North America. iTrip Vacations continues to experience growth despite the pandemic and travel restrictions, showing that our business model focuses on innovation, automation and industry-leading technology, says Steve Caron, iTrip Vacations GM/CEO. Through our valuable partnerships and award-winning software, we provide our franchisees with the highest quality tools and processes available to the short-term rental property management industry. Navarre is located east of Pensacola and offers 12 miles of beautiful white sand along the Gulf of Mexico. Visitors come to Navarre to relax, ride bikes, swim, fish, watch wildlife and escape the hustle of busier beach destinations in the Florida panhandle. To learn more about the full-service property management program, contact iTrip Vacations at navarre@itrip.net. About iTrip Vacations iTrip Vacations is a leader in short-term rental property management with more than 3,000 properties under management in the U.S. and Canada. iTrip provides full-service rental property management programs to more than 80 franchise-owned destinations in North America and has been named a Vrbo Elite Partner in Software for four consecutive years. Image of the event site page for the KHSC & Providence Care Virtual Job Fair Kingston Health Sciences Centre (KHSC) and Providence Care have partnered with KEYS Job Centre and vFairs to host their upcoming Virtual Job Fair on March 23, 2022. The event is open to all interested candidates, and interested parties can register here. The event will connect candidates in a variety of fields with some of the most prestigious employers in the Kingston area. Open roles for the Kingston Health Sciences Centre include: Registration Clerks Unit Clerks Medical Laboratory Technologists Personal Support Workers Nurses (RN, RPN & Nursing Support Assistants) Environmental Service Assistants Nutrition Assistants Open roles for Providence Care include: Patient Food Services Assistants Cooks Nurses and Nursing Students Personal Support Workers Housekeeping/Environmental Services Resident Support Assistants The virtual event will allow candidates to browse open roles, share their resume with representatives from KHSC and Providence Care, chat with recruiters about job opportunities and company culture, and even interview for open roles right within the virtual event platform. Employment Ontario Service Provider staff will also be available throughout the event to provide advice and help candidates with their job searches. "We at KEYS Job Centre are pleased to be working alongside two of Kingston's largest and most prestigious employers. This fair will be a great opportunity to learn more about the professional opportunities currently available. Kingston is an incredible city to work and we are looking forward to an event that showcases this," noted Matthew Snell, Employer Liaison at KEYS Job Centre. We are happy to be able to provide the technology where people can connect and find meaningful employment with such prestigious entities within the Kingston area, added Muhammad Younas, CEO of vFairs. To learn more about the event, or to register, please visit the event page here. About Kingston Health Sciences Centre Kingston Health Sciences Centre (KHSC) is Southeastern Ontarios largest acute-care academic hospital. Consisting of our Hotel Dieu Hospital site and Kingston General Hospital site, as well as the Cancer Centre of Southeastern Ontario and two research institutes, we care for more than 500,000 patients and families from across our region. As one of Kingstons largest employers, we are home to nearly 5,000 staff, more than 2,000 health-care learners and 1,000 volunteers who are committed to partnering with patients and families to ensure we continually provide high quality, compassionate care. Fully affiliated with Queens University we are ranked as one of Canadas top research hospitals. About Providence Care Providence Care Hospital is one of the first publicly-funded hospital in North America to fully-integrate long-term mental health and psychiatry programs with physical rehabilitation, palliative care and complex medical management. The entire hospital has been designed to be welcoming and inclusive of all people, no matter what age, ability or needs. Providence Care Hospital brings to life the concept of person and family centred care, where everyone works in collaboration to meet the physical, emotional, social and spiritual needs of each person. Providence Cares long-term care program is provided at Providence Manor a 243-bed home located in downtown Kingston. The charitable home provides care for residents who have stable medical conditions, but require 24-hour nursing care. At Providence Manor, we are committed to providing you with care that is resident-focused, respectful, compassionate, safe and efficient. We are proud to be a Home that continues to provide compassionate and respectful care for residents and their families founded on the Catholic values and beliefs of our Founders, the Sisters of Providence of St. Vincent de Paul. Residents are cared for as a person with your own unique physical, emotional, social and spiritual needs. About vFairs vFairs strives to deliver top-class virtual events for all audiences, with an intuitive platform that recreates physical events through an immersive online experience. With a range of powerful features and dedicated support for users around the world, vFairs removes the hassle from organizing, exhibiting at, and attending events such as conferences, trade shows, and career fairs. vFairs is a 2021 Mid-Market Leader in the Virtual Event Platforms Category by G2. We believe food is more important than medicine for most health issues. Dimitri Cavathas, Chief Executive Officer, Lower Shore Clinic, Inc The Lower Shore Clinic, Inc. has partnered with food service provider Culinary Services Group to provide its clients access to healthy, nutritious food through a breakfast and lunch program. Meals are prepared in a centralized location and delivered to several satellite locations throughout the region. The partnership is part of the organizations larger initiative to provide a high quality of healthcare through nutritional intervention. We believe food is more important than medicine for most health issues. Dimitri Cavathas, Chief Executive Officer, Lower Shore Clinic, Inc. The Lower Shore Clinic provides primary care, mental health, addiction treatment, and vocational services to the residents of the Eastern Shore region of Maryland. The meal service program is available to all the organizations clients, many of whom would otherwise face food insecurity. Dimitri Cavathas, Lower Shore Clinics CEO, is eager to share his enthusiasm about this partnership stating, The program will improve the overall physical and emotional health of the organizations clients while also assisting in managing chronic conditions such as high blood pressure, asthma, diabetes, COPD, and heart disease. The Eastern Shore has all the elements to become a Blue Zone community, an area of the United States where people live longer through healthy eating and active lifestyles. Several cities throughout the US have already implemented policies and initiatives to improve the well-being of their citizens through the Blue Zones Project. A nutritious food program is the first step to making the Eastern Shore a Blue Zone community. Culinary Services Group and Lower Shore Clinic are aligned in our values and culture. Were looking forward to continually expanding our services to have an even greater nutritional and educational impact to the local community. Scott Alme, Senior Director of Business Development Maryland-based Culinary Services Group is pleased to partner with the Lower Shore Clinic to provide food services to a neighboring community. The company already provides similar food programs in St. Marys and Calvert counties, making this partnership a natural fit. As a food service provider who works primarily in the healthcare market, Culinary Services Group is familiar with the needs of both behavioral health and social programs. The Lower Shore Clinic needed a partner who is well-versed in USDA guidelines. The CSG team can provide menus that not only meet USDA guidelines, but also feature a wide variety of meals. To learn more about the kinds of food service management offered by Culinary Services Group visit their website. Building and Spreading Faith through the Heart of a Child: Gods Melting Pot: a delightful message of the power of prayer. Building and Spreading Faith through the Heart of a Child: Gods Melting Pot is the creation of published author Mary (Sweet) Harris, a loving mother and grandmother who has dedicated her life to pursuing various forms of higher education since 1970. Harris shares, This book is about a little girl who has heard and watched her father and mother pray. She is very curious as to the reason(s) why so she can get a better understanding of this type of dedication. While she was absorbing the answers as they were given, she begins to build on that; then, she loved it so much, and now she wants to share (spread) this with her friends who were from different ethnic backgrounds and nationalities. One day, this little girl witnessed firsthand the importance of prayer. Prayer became an integral part of her life and in her little friends lives. Because of this little girl, Building and Spreading Faith through the Heart of a Child: Gods Melting Pot was created. Published by Christian Faith Publishing, Mary (Sweet) Harriss new book will encourage the spirit of young believers as they begin to learn about Gods love and promise to all. Harris shares in hopes of nurturing a faithful spiritual life in young readers as they step into awareness of Gods grace. Consumers can purchase Building and Spreading Faith through the Heart of a Child: Gods Melting Pot at traditional brick & mortar bookstores, or online at Amazon.com, Apple iTunes store, or Barnes and Noble. For additional information or inquiries about Building and Spreading Faith through the Heart of a Child: Gods Melting Pot, contact the Christian Faith Publishing media department at 866-554-0919. "...These mandates were met with applause from many and boos from others. Speaking for myself, I believe these mandates were the best methods to ensure the safety and comfort of our patrons," shared Executive Theater Manager, John Healey Effective March 11, 2022, the Weinberg Center for the Arts, Maryland Ensemble Theater and New Spire Arts will lift their vaccination/proof of negative Covid test requirement for the public to attend performances at their venues. The venues had previously lifted their mask mandates on February 28, 2022, when the City of Frederick, who owns and operates the Weinberg Center, lifted that requirement for all its facilities. Weinberg Center Executive Theater Manager, John Healey, reflected over the struggles of the last two years, March 13, 2020, will be long remembered as a day when businesses, including the Weinberg Center for the Arts, closed due to COVID-19. What many of us thought would be temporary for a few weeks stretched into months and then into years. The Weinberg Center for the Arts cautiously re-opened our doors in May 2021 with social distancing and masking to allow students in dance recitals the opportunity to experience their craft on a professional stage. The summer of 2021 brought back full houses and the hope that the virus was finally behind us. The Delta and Omicron variants had different plans, leading the Theater District Collaborative (Maryland Ensemble Theatre, New Spire Arts, and the Weinberg Center for the Arts) to jointly announce the decision to mandate masking and proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test 72 hours or less for entry to an event at our venues. These mandates were met with applause from many and boos from others. Speaking for myself, I believe these mandates were the best methods to ensure the safety and comfort of our patrons. If anyone who has purchased a ticket to any of these venues feels uncomfortable with the changes, the venues will refund their tickets. Masks will still be highly recommended but not required. If the health situation changes, mandates may have to go back in place at a moments notice. Some casts and artists performing at the three venues may have specific contractual details that require either the vaccine or mask policies or both be reinstated for an event; therefore, the theaters recommend checking the specific venue website for any updates before attending a show. A complete listing of artists and performers scheduled for the 2021-2022 season can be found at WeinbergCenter.org. ABOUT THE WEINBERG CENTER FOR THE ARTS The Weinberg Center for the Arts is one of the regions premier performing arts presenters, offering film, music, dance, theater, and family-focused programming. Located in the historic Tivoli movie theater in downtown Frederick Maryland, the Weinberg Center strives to ensure that the arts remain accessible and affordable to local and regional audiences alike. Weinberg Center events are made possible with major support from the City of Frederick, the Maryland State Arts Council, Plamondon Hospitality Partners, and other corporate and individual donors. Our partnership with KickFire deepens our ability to help our customers optimize campaigns to outcomes at unbelievable scale. KickFire, the leader in first-party intent data and IP address intelligence, today announces its partnership with Metadata.io, the first demand generation platform for B2B marketers, to provide enhanced targeting and analytics capabilities within the Metadata platform. By integrating KickFires IP-to-company data, Metadata builds on its existing foundation as a premier ad platform by giving its customers the ability to build highly targeted audiences for their ad campaigns and identify the exact companies that have seen their ads across programmatic display networks. This partnership allows Metadata customers to: Understand ad impressions at a company level Ensure their customers ads are reaching and resonating with high-value target audiences Fine-tune their customers campaigns to drive higher conversion rates Recapture in-market non-converting companies through retargeting campaigns For demand marketers focused on driving sales and business growth, revenue is the ultimate KPI. B2B marketers who target their audience with paid social media campaigns are able to scale their activities to revenue faster with Metadata, stated Jason Widup, VP of Marketing at Metadata. Our partnership with KickFire deepens our ability to help our customers optimize campaigns to outcomes at unbelievable scale. Over the past few years, weve watched Metadata rise up to become a dominant player in the B2B demand generation space, said Tina Bean, KickFire Co-Founder. Adding KickFires powerful data intelligence allows Metadata to provide unparalleled company-level campaign experimentation and shows its commitment to being a pioneer in this category. We are incredibly proud to be part of Metadatas best-in-class demand generation platform. About Metadata Metadata is the first demand generation platform that launches paid campaign experiments and self-optimizes to revenue. Through AI and machine learning, Metadata helps B2B marketers automate the repeatable and time-consuming parts of running paid campaigns so they can focus more of their time on strategy, targeting, and creative. B2B marketers at Zoom, Okta, and ThoughtSpot rely on Metadata to get closer to revenue. Start experimenting so you can get revenue faster with https://metadata.io/. About KickFire, a Foundry Company KickFire is the leader in first-party intent data and IP address intelligence. KickFires data is powered by TWIN Caching, a proprietary IP-to-company identification technology. KickFire's wide range of delivery methods enables companies to enhance every aspect of their ABM strategy and tap into their websites invisible pipeline to transform anonymous visitors into actionable sales opportunities. KickFire, a Foundry company, is based in San Jose, California. For more information, visit http://www.kickfire.com or https://foundryco.com/. MIAMI Chairman of the Board Fernando Arencibia Jr. Miami and Dubai have incredible potential for increased global business, and thats why we are so thrilled with our partnership with Invest in Dubai Real Estate and our trip to Dubai" The MIAMI Association of Realtors (MIAMI) and our newest global partner, 'Invest in Dubai Real Estate', are creating new global business opportunities between Dubai and South Florida, two surging real estate markets with robust synergy. MIAMI will exhibit, present, and enhance Miamis global exposure at two major United Arab Emirates real estate conferences: the Florida Realtors/Dubai International Real Estate Conference & Trade Mission from March 21-23 and the International Property Show from March 24-26. Dubai blessed with advantageous strategic proximity to the Middle East, Asia, and Africa is a global gateway to 2.4 billion consumers. South Florida blessed with advantageous strategic proximity to Latin America is a global business powerhouse and home to an economic output larger than many countries. Miami and Dubai have incredible potential for increased global business, and thats why we are so thrilled with our partnership with Invest in Dubai Real Estate and our trip to Dubai, MIAMI Chairman of the Board Fernando Arencibia Jr. said. Miami and Dubai are two surging young major cities with fast-changing skylines, major global investment, and incredible cultural diversity. We are humbled to be invited by Invest in Dubai Real Estate President Dawood Al Shezawi to exhibit and present at the largest sales platform in the Middle East. MIAMI signed an international reciprocal agreement with Invest in Dubai Real Estate, a global real estate platform in the UAE, during the 2021 National Association of Realtors (NAR) annual Conference in San Diego, expanding its record number of global partners to 225. These alliances create business opportunities for MIAMI members, enhance Miamis global position and strengthen the local economy. They also provide resources, visibility, and connections for MIAMIs international partners. MIAMI and Invest in Dubai Launching Programs to Boost South Florida & UAE Markets MIAMI and Invest in Dubai Real Estate quickly put our new partnership to work by creating plans and launching programs to enhance the global opportunities between our two markets. Al Shezawi invited MIAMI, the nations largest local association, to exhibit and present at the International Property Show (IPS 2022), which is the largest property sales platform in the Middle East with property think tank programs, business-to-business meetings, country pavilions and more. We are pleased to have MIAMI present with us at International Property Show, Invest in Dubai Real Estate President Dawood Al Shezawi said. We are confident that our show will serve as a strategic platform for MIAMI to connect with a global audience and cement their position as leaders in real estate. Showcasing some of their leading real estate players, MIAMI will be able to provide an opportunity to the wide range of investors an option to invest in best projects, as well as cash in on lucrative onsite deals and financing options. We are certain that both the shows will create huge benefits for MIAMI by promoting their projects to high-quality investors from globally competitive countries, which will also enable them to expand their network and build valuable partnerships. At the International Property Show, MIAMI Realtors will enhance Miamis position as a premier global city, work to attract more commercial and residential investment for South Florida and emphasize the advantages of doing business with MIAMI members. At the International Property Show (IPS 2022), Invest in Dubai will host a YPN lounge where young professionals from all over the globe can network and create business opportunities. In addition to adding to our record 225 international partners, MIAMI YPN also plans to sign YPN-to-YPN global agreements to benefit major markets worldwide. MIAMI to Also Exhibit and Present at Florida Realtors Dubai Trade Mission Before MIAMI heads to the International Property Show, the association will join Florida Realtors at the Dubai International Real Estate Conference and Trade mission from March 21-23, 2022. About 1,500 foreign delegates from around the world will be participating. The trade mission will feature unique programming, including a MIAMI-specific panel where our MIAMI leaders will present about South Florida luxury offerings, MIAMI commercial, women in real estate and more. We are excited about these opportunities to expand the Miami brand, influence and global presence, MIAMI CEO Teresa King Kinney said. This will be our fourth and largest venture to Dubai to establish new partnerships, visibility and create new opportunities for our members and our markets. We are excited to partner with Invest in Dubai, participate in programs and exhibit at the International Property Show (IPS 2022). We will also be launching our new Global Young Professionals Network (Global YPN) and announcing the first ever YPN Global Congress in Dubai, March 2023. About Invest in Dubai (IID) Real Estate Invest In Dubai (IID) Real Estate is a global platform which bestows a gateway allowing growth for investors, business owners, financial service providers, government sectors, real estate and asset management, legal advisors, property management, construction authorities, architectural support, management organisations, and associates. Invest In Dubai (IID) Real Estate bridges the gap between those seeking growth in their businesses for long-term rewards and reaping the potential benefits. About the MIAMI Association of Realtors The MIAMI Association of Realtors was chartered by the National Association of Realtors in 1920 and is celebrating 102 years of service to Realtors, the buying and selling public, and the communities in South Florida. Comprised of six organizations, the Residential Association, the Realtors Commercial Alliance, the Broward-MIAMI Association of Realtors, the Jupiter Tequesta Hobe Sound (JTHS-MIAMI) Council, the Young Professionals Network (YPN) Council and the award-winning International Council, it represents nearly 60,000 total real estate professionals in all aspects of real estate sales, marketing, and brokerage. It is the largest local Realtor association in the U.S. and has official partnerships with 225 international organizations worldwide. MIAMIs official website is http://www.MiamiRealtors.com ### Brett Martinez, Redwood Credit Union By offering specialized financing for the creation of ADUs, Redwood Credit Union is helping to provide a brighter future through housing opportunities and economic stability across our region. Napa Valley Community Foundation (NVCF) and Redwood Credit Union (RCU) have entered a first-of-its-kind partnership that aims to accelerate the adoption of accessory dwelling units (ADUs) in Napa and Sonoma Counties. The result is an innovative ADU construction loan product that will enable more homeowners to borrow the capital they need to construct second units. Redwood Credit Union, a mission-driven, not-for-profit financial institution with 400,000 members in northern California, is managing all aspects of the ADU lending program. Napa Valley Community Foundation, a public charity that focuses on the most important challenges facing the region, including the scarcity of workforce housing, is setting aside reserves that will be available to help defray losses that the credit union may incur under new underwriting standards that take future ADU rental income into account in ways that traditional loan products do not. We think our collaboration with RCU will open the door to thousands of fixed-income, middle-income, and lower-income homeowners in the North Bay, people who would not otherwise be able to afford to finance an ADU, said NVCF President Terence Mulligan. The loan product, Mulligan continued, does two things differently. First, it allows borrowers to include a significant share of their expected ADU rental income during the underwriting process, which means a more favorable debt-to-income calculation, which generally means a bigger loan. Second, it establishes a value for the completed ADU based on future rental cash flows instead of the cost of construction, which means a more favorable loan-to-value number, which also makes more capital available. The Association of Bay Area Governments has determined the need to identify capacity for 18,400 new housing units in Napa and Sonoma Counties during the upcoming eight-year Housing Element period (2023 to 2031). ADUs will play an important role in helping to alleviate the significant housing challenges, creating much-needed affordable workforce housing. A recent study conducted by the University of California at Berkeley found that statewide, 85 percent of ADUs rented on the open market were affordable to lower or moderate-income households. The study included data from Napa and Sonoma Counties, and its findings were consistent with what has been observed in more mature ADU markets, like Portland, Oregon. ADUs tend to be rented at a substantial discount, often leasing for 20 percent less than traditional apartments, because they are generally smaller and afford a bit less privacy, among other reasons. A popular one-bedroom ADU floorplan in the North Bay includes 500 square feet of living space, while many one-bedroom apartments provide 600 to 700 square feet of living space. The need for affordable housing has never been greater, and we see this partnership with the Napa Valley Community Foundation as a way to be part of the solution, said RCU President and CEO Brett Martinez. By offering specialized financing for the creation of ADUs, RCU is helping to provide a brighter future through housing opportunities and economic stability across our region. The ADU loan product is a key element of a multi-pronged strategy for supporting the development of ADUs in Napa and Sonoma counties that includes the provision of free technical assistance to local homeowners via the nonprofit Napa Sonoma ADU Center. A fiscally sponsored project of Napa Valley Community Foundation with support from Community Foundation Sonoma County, the City and County of Napa and the City of Calistogaas well as dozens of individual donorsthe Napa Sonoma ADU Center has helped 335 homeowners catalyze ADU projects since its launch in May 2020, with more projects in the pipeline. To learn more about the new ADU loan product and free technical assistance available, local homeowners are invited to join a free webinar hosted by the Napa Sonoma ADU Center and Redwood Credit Union on Tuesday, March 29 at 6:00 p.m. Register here. For an individualized consultation about financing an ADU project, contact Sean Charter, Assistant Manager, Construction Lending at Redwood Credit Union at scharter@redwoodcu.org or (707) 576-5339. About Redwood Credit Union Founded in 1950, Redwood Credit Union is a full-service financial institution providing personal and business banking to consumers and businesses in the North Bay and San Francisco. RCU offers complete financial services including checking and savings accounts, auto and home loans, credit cards, online and mobile banking, business services, commercial and SBA lending, and more. Wealth management and investment services are available through CUSO Financial Services L.P., and insurance and auto-purchasing services are also offered through RCU Services Group (RCUs wholly owned subsidiary). RCU has more than $7 billion in assets and serves 400,000 members with full-service branches from San Francisco to Ukiah. For more information, call 1 (800) 479-7928, visit redwoodcu.org, or follow RCU on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn for news and updates. About the Napa Sonoma ADU Center The nonprofit Napa Sonoma ADU Center launched as a pilot in May 2020 to serve as a neutral third party entity working across the public and private sectors to help increase ADU development across all 16 jurisdictions in Napa and Sonoma Counties. We began our work by conducting a series of surveys, data gathering, and focus groups with city and county staff, builders and architects, as well as homeowners who have built ADUs or are interested in building one in the future. This information helped shape our website (http://www.napasonomaadu.org) and the many ADU tools and resources available on it today, including an ADU Workbook, ADU Calculator tool, frequent ADU webinars, ADU feasibility consults, ADU Home Match, ADU newsletter & blog, spotlights of Napa and Sonoma County neighbors who have built ADUs, and much more. Homeowners can Contact Us for more information or for help with an ADU project today. About Napa Valley Community Foundation Napa Valley Community Foundation works side-by-side with local donors and nonprofits to tackle the most important challenges our Valley faces. Now celebrating 27 years of service to the community, the Foundation has distributed more than $85 million in grants to improve the quality of life for residents of the region, and currently serves as the philanthropic partner to thousands of individuals, families, nonprofit agencies and corporations in Napa Valley and beyond. To learn more, visit napavalleycf.org. We welcome the opportunity to work with emerging managers, said NAV COO Ambuj Garg. About 60% of our clients began as new launches with less than $20 million AUM. Our expertise, experience, and focus on superior client service mesh particularly well with the needs of new fund managers. NAV Fund Administration Group, a leading provider of administrative services to alternative asset managers, was awarded Best Fund Administrator for Small/Start-Up Funds at the Fund Intelligence Operations & Services Awards in New York City on February 23. NAV was chosen for the award by an independent judging panel selected for their industry experience and expertise. The award program is designed to celebrate the top-performing operators and services providers of 2021 and recognize excellence and outstanding contributions made by business, operations & technology leaders at asset management and service provider firms. We always welcome the opportunity to work with emerging managers and first time funds of any size, said NAV COO Ambuj Garg. About 60% of our clients began as new launches with less than $20 million AUM. Our expertise, experience, and focus on superior client service mesh particularly well with the needs of new fund managers. NAV works with 1,800 clients worldwide and we are especially proud of our history of support for emerging funds, Garg continued. NAV partners emerging managers with a personal account manager for consistent and ongoing support through the launch process and beyond, throughout their relationship with us. We take the time to work with them through what can sometimes be a complicated process. The Fund Intelligence Operations & Services Awards selection team stated outlined the purposed of the program as: The asset management servicing sector continues to evolve with a great focus on technology, innovation, and integration, we feel the time is right to shine a light on vendors who are truly delivering for their asset management clients. 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. https://www.navconsulting.net/ About Fund Intelligence Fund Intelligence is the leading platform of news, data, and analysis providing key insights and business strategy for professionals across the U.S. mutual fund space. https://fundintelligence.global/ Were using the goodwill weve spent 20 years building in New York to create a network of green businesses, all doing well on their own. Movers, Not Shakers! (MNS), New York Citys leading green moving company, today announced the launch of a nationwide franchise offering. MNS now offers franchisees a complete package of technology, sustainable supplies, and business acumen, including a proprietary customer relationship management system (CRM) that allows them to start up and scale their own green business operations and logistics from day one with industry specific methods to effectively run sales and operations. Every new MNS franchise owner can quickly operate a business in the thriving $86 billion dollar moving industry with long-term growth potential and unlimited scalability all while making an enormous, positive impact on the planet by using its environmentally sustainable practices. Its no secret: starting a business from scratch is an inherently major risk, especially for entrepreneurs who put their lives and livelihoods on the line. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics found that roughly 20 percent of small businesses fail within the first year alone. Just as alarming, 10 years down the line, only 33 percent of the businesses that survive the first year are still afloat. Translation: half of independent businesses fail within five years. The MNS business model has thrived for more than 20 years in one of the most competitive markets in the world, said Mark Ehrhardt, Founder and CEO, Movers, Not Shakers!. In that time, we have continued to grow despite facing several economic challenges along the way, including events directly caused by climate change. As experts in the field, we are ready to draw upon those experiences to help you launch your new venture or take your existing moving business to the next level as an MNS franchise. While the COVID-19 pandemic challenged many industries in adverse ways, it created enormous opportunities for moving companies because people are reconsidering how and where they want to live like never before. Getting into an MNS franchise is easy. From obtaining the correct permits, to proper site selection to assistance with closing sales, MNS is dedicated to assisting in the new owners launch of territories that allows them to gain an early foothold and quickly grow from there. Also, todays consumers are more open to working with green-friendly businesses that are dedicated to reducing carbon emissions and making the world a healthier place for everyone. The act of consumers choosing sustainability-related services will only increase, positioning forward thinking owners to higher levels of revenue over time. It is our goal to keep you 20 percent ahead in revenue at all times than you wouldve been by doing everything on your own, said Matthew Stewart, Director of Sales. Sounds like a win-win to me. Since the launch of MNS, there is significant interest in being a part of its up and coming brand. We've finally cracked the code, said Stewart. We believe a combination of high quality service, using sustainable materials, such as our reusable bins, and our tech that weve spent the last five years building, and the last three using ourselves, combine to make a startup moving company in a fresh territory absolutely primed for both quick and sustained growth. Were using the goodwill weve spent 20 years building in New York to create a network of green businesses, all doing well on their own, said Ehrhardt. Then we will apply the logistical advantage of a national footprint to push our franchisees higher, while being part of the solution to reduce the impact of climate change by limiting carbon intensive practices in an industry currently hooked on fossil fuel. Plus, each opening of a new franchise supports each individual franchise in a passive way by giving them a boost on all of their platforms with positive news to share while they build within their local area, and deepen their local roots. For more information on how to become an Movers, Not Shakers! franchisee, please visit http://www.mnsfranchise.com. About Movers, Not Shakers Movers, Not Shakers! is turning the $86 billion moving industry green. Recession-resistant, essential, immune to automation, and always in demand, Movers, Not Shakers! is proof that going green is not only good for the environment, but its also good for business. Founded in 2002, Movers, Not Shakers! has become New York Citys #1 green moving company. By pioneering moving practices that focus on sustainability and environmental responsibility, Movers, Not Shakers! has consistently outperformed in one of the most competitive markets in the world. Now, were ready to help you do the same in your community. If youre ready to take control of your own future and get out of corporate America for good, Movers, Not Shakers! is ready to help you own a business with long-term growth potential and unlimited scalability all while making an enormous, positive impact on the planet. For more information, please visit http://www.mnsfranchise.com. Bryan J. Levine, SVP Operations, Onward Search Levine brings an in-depth knowledge on how to leverage technology to improve operations and increase revenue. - Eliana Hassen, CEO, Onward Search Onward Search, a leading staffing agency for creative, marketing, technology, and gaming professionals, announced Bryan J. Levine has joined the company as Senior Vice President of Operations. In this role, Levine will be responsible for driving growth, efficiency, and operational excellence across the organization. Levine has 15+ years of executive leadership experience and a proven track record of outstanding results in the staffing industry. Prior to joining Onward Search, he served as Vice President of Operations for Signature Consultants as they scaled to one of the largest IT staffing companies in the U.S. Previously, he held leadership roles at top ranked divisions of Robert Half and Business Wire. "Bryan has a history of driving operational excellence in the staffing industry and will be a valuable partner on our senior leadership team," said Eliana Hassen, CEO, Onward Search. "He brings an in-depth knowledge on how to leverage technology to improve operations and increase revenue. His track record of transformation also makes him the perfect leader to help scale our business and position us for our next chapter of rapid growth." "I'm excited for the opportunity to join an organization that shares my passion for helping top companies and talented candidates grow," exclaimed Levine. "I look forward to developing, leading, and mentoring high-performing teams across the organization." Onward Search was just named one of the "Top Staffing Companies to Work For in 2022" at the recent World Staffing Awards. CEO, Eliana Hassen, was also named one of the "Top Staffing Leaders to watch in 2022." The company has previously been recognized as a top employer by Forbes, Hearst Media, Comparably, InHerSight, and UpCity. About Onward Search: Onward Search is an award-winning recruitment and staffing agency with the mission to connect the nations top companies with the best creative, marketing, and technology talent in the industry. Founded in 2007, the company is headquartered in Wilton, CT, and services clients in all 50 states. Onward Search also has a dedicated technology staffing division, Onward Select, and a dedicated staffing division for gaming companies, Onward Play. The company has been recognized as a Best of Staffing winner for service excellence to clients and talent in 2021. Integr8 2022 is back with new energy, inspired by the role Industry 4.0 processes played in creating rapid-response solutions to pandemic-induced global business disruptions. Elevating the conversation on the future of manufacturing, Automation AlleyMichigans Industry 4.0 knowledge center and a World Economic Forum Advanced Manufacturing Hub (AMHUB) for North Americais taking its signature Industry 4.0 conference, Integr8, to the Suburban Collection Showplace in Novi on May 10 for a high-energy experience filled with innovation, interaction and new this year an additive manufacturing pitch competition. A livestream will also be available for those who want to attend virtually. Registration for the event is now open here. Building on Automation Alleys previous Industry 4.0 conferences, Integr8 2022 will include breakout sessions and presentations from industry experts, an exhibition featuring advanced technologies, and keynotes from Jeff Winter, an industry executive for manufacturing at Microsoft, and Howard Heppelmann, vice president and general manager of smart connected operations, for PTC. Michigan Manufacturing Technology Center will also return with its popular Smart Technology Zone featuring its Technical Assessment & Implementation Team and partner technology suppliers for five interactive sessions on Industry 4.0 technologies. Joining Integr8 for the first time is the Project DIAMOnD Experience. Led by Automation Alley, Project DIAMOnD aims to create the countrys largest 3D printing marketplace and network by engaging small- and medium-sized manufacturers in their digital transformation. Guiding Integr8 2022 participants through three areasphysical technology, community, and design automationthe showcase will feature partnered Project DIAMOnD companies, interactive displays, success stories, and real-world examples with opportunities to explore, discover and connect face-to-face. Integr8 2022 is back with new energy, inspired by the role Industry 4.0 processes and solutions played in creating rapid-response solutions to pandemic-induced global business disruptions, said Tom Kelly, Automation Alley Executive Director and CEO. Automation Alley is excited to bring this level of advanced manufacturing and digital transformation leadership to Integr8 attendees to help them succeed on their Industry 4.0 journey. Also new to Integr8 in 2022, Michigan businesses with a manufacturing facility in the state and less than 500 employees are encouraged to participate in a pitch competition presented by Automation Alley in partnership with MEDCs Pure Michigan Business Connect program. Applicants must explain how a 3D industrial printer would solve a labor, capacity or process challenge and support the overall business. The grand prize is a Photocentric LC Magna 3D printer, including Air Wash L, Cure L2, and a one-year CAD software package provided by Southfield-based Core Technolgie. The prize package is valued at more than $42,000. The pitch application can be found here; applications are accepted through April 7. On April 27, selected applicants will be invited to participate in the Integr8 pitch competition at the May 10 event. Integr8 ticket prices for Automation Alley members are $199; non-member tickets are $299. Virtual tickets are $49. As an extra benefit this year, the Michigan Economic Development Corporation will provide all small to medium-sized Michigan manufacturers one free ticket per company to attend Integr8 2022 in-person. More information on the MEDC courtesy rate and other Integr8 details, including registration, are available here. Key sponsors for the event include: 3YourMind, Ascent Aerospace, Baker Tilly, Behco, Brand XR, CADIA, City of Southfield, Claroty, Clayton & McKervey, Comcast Business, Crown Castle, Detect-It, DTE Energy, Durr, Electro-Matic, Epic Games, HRPro, IoTco, Lawrence Technological University, Light Guide Systems, Manpower Group, Markforged, MEDC, Michigan Manufacturing Technology Center, MPDV, Novastar, Oakland University, Omron, Phoenix Contact, PTC, Soothsayer, Stratasys, Verizon, Whim Detroit and Xemelgo. Contributing sponsors include: City of Detroit, DTI Global, Independent Bank, IPS Technology Services, and Lease Corporation of America. About Automation Alley Automation Alley is a World Economic Forum Advanced Manufacturing Hub (AMHUB) for North America and a nonprofit Industry 4.0 knowledge center with a global outlook and a regional focus. We facilitate public-private partnerships by connecting industry, education and government to fuel Michigan's economy and accelerate innovation. Our programs give businesses a competitive advantage by helping them along every step of their digital transformation journey. We obsess over disruptive technologies like AI, the Internet of Things and automation, and work hard to make these complex concepts easier for companies to understand and implement. Visit automationalley.com. Mission: Automation Alley helps businesses embrace the Fourth Industrial Revolution by equipping them with the knowledge and tools to develop a software-first mindset that leverages the intersections of advanced technologies, systems and people to jumpstart or accelerate a digital path to strategic success. ### Popular Publishing Platform Announces #Blockchain, #Web3 and #DecentralizedInternet Writing Contests With Cash Prizes I stand strongly by one of our founding principles: learning should be accessible to everyone, HackerNoon Founder & CEO David Smooke. HackerNoon a popular publishing platform -- announced three new Writing Contests in partnership with Octopus Network, Tatum, and Quicknode. The $33k in total writer rewards will pay out monthly through to the end of August 2022. The announcement comes as part of HackerNoons larger initiative to incentivize writers to write about cutting edge technology stories. The tech companys goal is to increase the amount of quality stories for readers while serving the contributing writers interest via writing contests The new contests include The Web3 Writing Contest, The Blockchain Writing Contest, and The Decentralized Internet Writing Contest and collectively account for over $33,000 in total prizes. The contests began in March 2022 and will run for at minimum - three months each. Weve published tens of thousands of stories about how the future of the internet could work, said HackerNoon Founder/CEO David Smooke. #Blockchain, #DecentralizedInternet and #Web3 are crucial ideas and technologies to making an internet that works better for the end user. With Writing Contests, HackerNoon is working to incentivize and reward the people and ideas that will power this digital evolution. Very much looking forward to reading these stories! Entry is free and open to anyone, however to be considered a valid contestant, participants should be at least eighteen years of age and have a willingness to write about the respective topics of the contests. HackerNoon is a free to use platform. The rewards are given based on quantitative and qualitative voting. Finalists are determined based on reading time over the period, and then HackerNoon editors will vote on which of the finalists deserves first, second place, and so on. Both the finalists and the winners will be announced in HackerNoon stories. Each contest has 4 to 5 winners per month with individual prize amounts ranging from $100 to $2,500. While publishing isnt guaranteed, HackerNoon has an editorial team willing to suggest how content creators can improve their work. I stand strongly by one of our founding principles: learning should be accessible to everyone. HackerNoon Founder/CEO David Smooke "At QuickNode, were big on education. We find it our responsibility to help developers cross the chasm into Web3, and thats why today we have one of the largest libraries of Web3 developer content. Expanding on these efforts, we have partnered with the premier technology publishing platform, Hackernoon, to create more content, and spread knowledge about blockchain, Web3, and the #decentralized-internet!" Dmitry Shklovsky, Co-Founder, QuickNode.com Interested in running a writing contest? Check out contests.hackernoon.com for more details. "We are about to enter the next phase of the Internet, where community-owned cryptonetworks will replace company-owned platforms as the dominating coordinators for the global digital economy, bringing people a more open, fairer, and more secure Web, so-called Web3," said Louis Liu, Founder of Octopus Network. "Web3 will impact each of our lives and careers in a positive way. But we need more people to push forward, to share what Web3 is all about and how it will benefit society as a whole. That's why Octopus Network is co-hosting the #web3 writing contest with Hacknoon. If you've known Web3 with the help of leading minds, it's now your turn to help others." "We at Tatum are huge blockchain enthusiasts and we want to encourage the blockchain community to share their thoughts, opinions, help each other, and move the space forward as a whole. We're super excited about the new conversations, resources, and information exchanges this contest will create, and we can't wait to see what the talented Hackernoon contributors come up with!" added representatives at Tatum About HackerNoon HackerNoon is built for technologists to read, write, and publish. We are an open and international community of 25,000+ contributing writers publishing stories and expertise for 4,000,000+ curious and insightful monthly readers. Founded in 2016, HackerNoon is an independent technology publishing platform run by David Smooke and Linh Dao Smooke. Get your technology story published today. About Quicknode QuickNode makes it simple to power your blockchain applications and scale up as you grow. From elastic APIs & dedicated nodes, to powerful tools & analytics, all at your command through a simple control panel. About Tatum Tatum is a blockchain development platform that saves time and cost by reducing the complexity of blockchain development, offering a unified framework for 40+ blockchain protocols and thousands of digital assets. About Octopus Network The Octopus Network is a multichain interoperable cryptonetwork for launching and running Web3.0 Substrate-based application-specific blockchains, aka appchains. The Octopus Network is committed to unleashing a new wave of innovation for Web3.0. Quiq, the AI-powered conversational platform that enables brands to engage with customers across the most popular asynchronous text messaging channels Leading brands must meet consumers where, when and in the manner they increasingly prefer text messaging in order to remain relevant with todays digital consumers, said Mike Myer, CEO and founder of Quiq. Inc. magazine today revealed that Quiq, the AI-powered conversational platform that enables brands to engage with customers across the most popular asynchronous text messaging channels, is No. 38 on the third annual Inc. 5000 Regionals Rocky Mountain list, the most prestigious ranking of the fastest-growing private companies based in Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Utah and Wyoming. Born of the annual Inc. 5000 franchise, the regional list represents a unique look at the most successful companies within the Rocky Mountain region economys most dynamic segment its independent small businesses. Leading brands must meet consumers where, when and in the manner they increasingly prefer text messaging in order to remain relevant with todays digital consumers, said Mike Myer, CEO and founder of Quiq. Being named one of the fastest-growing private companies in the Rocky Mountain region is a huge validation and Im honored to share this incredible recognition with the entire Quiq team as we continue to accelerate the adoption of Conversational AI, Conversational Commerce and the next generation of customer engagement. Quiq is used by brands across many industries, including Overstock, Brinks Home Security, Blue Nile and Spirit Airlines. Quiq empowers brands with the necessary tools to drive Conversational Commerce, increase customer trust and consistently provide exceptional customer experience across every customer interaction on any messaging channel. The full suite of Quiq supported messaging channels includes SMS/text, Apple Messages for Business, Google Business Messages, web chat, WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook Messenger and more in 170+ languages. Quiq works with popular CRMs including Salesforce, Zendesk, Oracle and Microsoft Dynamics. Messaging conversations are recorded as tickets that are attached to customers, giving brands a full 360-degree view of customer activity across all interaction channels. The companies on the Inc. 2022 list show a remarkable rate of growth across all industries in the Rocky Mountain region. Between 2018 and 2020, these 60 private companies had an average growth rate of 252%, and in 2020 alone they added 4,176 jobs and nearly $1 billion to the Rocky Mountain regions economy. Companies based in the Las Vegas, Nevada, Boise, Idaho, and Vail, Colorado areas had the highest growth rate overall. Complete results of the Inc. 5000 Regionals Rocky Mountain, including company profiles and an interactive database that can be sorted by industry, metro area, and other criteria, can be found online at Inc. This years Inc. 5000 Regional winners represent one of the most exceptional and exciting lists of Americas off-the-charts growth companies. Theyre disruptors and job creators, and all delivered an outsize impact on the economy. Remember their names and follow their lead. These are the companies youll be hearing about for years to come, says Scott Omelianuk, Editor-in-Chief of Inc. More about Inc. and the Inc. 5000 Regionals Methodology The 2022 Inc. 5000 Regionals are ranked according to percentage revenue growth when comparing 2018 and 2020. To qualify, companies must have been founded and generating revenue by March 31, 2018. They had to be U.S.-based, privately held, for-profit, and independentnot subsidiaries or divisions of other companiesas of December 31, 2019. (Since then, a number of companies on the list have gone public or been acquired.) The minimum revenue required for 2018 is $100,000; the minimum for 2020 is $1 million. As always, Inc. reserves the right to decline applicants for subjective reasons. About Inc. Media The worlds most trusted business-media brand, Inc. offers entrepreneurs the knowledge, tools, connections, and community to build great companies. Its award-winning multi-platform content reaches more than 50 million people each month across a variety of channels including websites, newsletters, social media, podcasts, and print. Its prestigious Inc. 5000 list, produced every year since 1982, analyzes company data to recognize the fastest-growing privately held businesses in the United States. The global recognition that comes with inclusion in the 5000 gives the founders of the best businesses an opportunity to engage with an exclusive community of their peers and the credibility that helps them drive sales and recruit talent. The associated Inc. 5000 Conference is part of a highly acclaimed portfolio of bespoke events produced by Inc. For more information, visit http://www.inc.com. About Quiq Quiq is the AI-powered Conversational Platform enabling businesses to engage with customers across the most popular digital messaging channels. Trusted by leading brands and boasting a 56 NPS score, Quiqs enterprise-grade Conversational Platform supports SMS/text, Apple Messages for Business, Google's Business Messages, webchat, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, call-to-text, and more. Quiq provides the leading solutions for business communications for the worlds best commerce and care teams. Quiq for Commerce and Quiq for Customer Care combine Conversational AI and digital contact center to help commerce and service teams increase efficiency, drive revenue, and improve customer satisfaction. Headquartered in Bozeman, Montana, with an office in New York City, Quiq is a privately held company backed by Foundry Group, Venrock and Next Frontier Capital. Follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, or learn more at https://www.quiq.com. All trademarks contained herein are the property of their respective owners. ### "As healthcare organizations evolve their engagement strategies and add channels, it becomes increasingly difficult to understand how each patient interacts, what channels are effective for which patients, and what combination of channels most effectively drives patient action, said MacKenzie. RevSpring, a leading provider of healthcare engagement and payment solutions, today announced a new channel optimization score called RevSpring Engage. This predictive score, which enables providers to personalize engagement channels to each patient, represents another major step forward in RevSprings ability to leverage intelligence to improve patient experience and optimize outcomes for patients. RevSpring Engage prescribes the right channels based on individualized attributes and behavior appropriate to the outcome. Engage informs a personalized combination of print and digital channels (text, email, phone) based on an understanding of patients and the actions they take. As an example, Engage determines what channels are more or less likely to drive certain patients to pay their balance. RevSpring will use Engage scores in the OmniBrain to prioritize channels to inspire patient action in personalized journeys for payment, preservice engagement, and other use cases. Engage can also be used to inform channel engagement for other RevSpring products, such as PersonaPay or Talksoft, or as a stand-alone solution. We know that some patients respond best to a certain channel, or combination of channels, and those channels may vary based on the call to action, said Michelle Perez, director of analytics at RevSpring. We dont want to overwhelm patients by simply using more channels. We want to use the right channels to deliver the best patient experience, without wasting touches, for the right reasons. Engage allows us to do that. Using a precise combination of channels based on an understanding of patients and the actions they take, Engage can be used to inform patient engagement journeys for billing and payments, the delivery of estimates, surveys, patient intake forms, and more. As healthcare organizations evolve their engagement strategies and add channels, it becomes increasingly difficult to understand how each individual patient interacts, what channels are effective for which patients, and what combination of channels most effectively drives patient action, said Scott MacKenzie, CEO at RevSpring. Using a precise combination of channels is instrumental in delivering a personalized patient experience, giving patients the sense you understand how they wish to interact. One primary benefit of patient journey analytics is to eliminate unused, underused, and expensive points of interaction to reduce costs. Engage informs the utilization of channels to drive that benefit. By letting data drive the best channel for the journey, RevSpring helps providers adjust engagement campaigns quickly to optimize results. This shift to highly effective channel patterns eliminates wasted outreach and underperforming channels. RevSpring will demonstrate Engage during the HIMSS2022 Global Health Conference & Exhibition in Orlando, FL, March 15-17. RevSpring will demo Engage working within the OmniBrain as part of an integrated patient experience journey that transforms patient engagement into a more unified, individualized patient experience everywhere. Visit RevSpring at booth #2279. About RevSpring RevSpring leads the market in patient engagement and payment solutions that inspire patients to participate in and pay for their healthcare. The company has built the industrys most comprehensive and impactful suite of patient engagement, OmniChannel communications and payment solutions backed by behavior analysis, propensity-to-pay scoring, contextual messaging, and user experience best practices. Using proprietary data analytics to tailor the engagement from preservice to post-service, RevSpring improves the patient experience and outcomes for providers and their patients. To learn more, visit revspringinc.com/healthcare. Rockler Announces Winners of the #RocklerHobbyChallenge This year, it was fun to see woodworkers apply their skills to other hobbies in their lives, and push them to challenge themselves to create something totally new and unique. Family-owned Rockler Woodworking and Hardware, one of the nations premier retailers of woodworking tools and supplies, announced the winners of the #RocklerHobbyChallenge, a contest that called on creators and builders to channel their hobbies into unique woodworking projects. The contest launched in November 2021, receiving 794 entries from woodworking enthusiasts all over North America pulling from hobbies ranging from antique cars to music to surfing and many other passions. View the winners and all entries online. The winners of the #RocklerHobbyChallenge were: 1st place $500 Rockler gift card Miles Menely, Portland, Oregon Electric guitar View entry: https://www.instagram.com/p/CW9tO-0Ftkc/ 2nd place $250 Rockler gift card Ross Everhard, Cadiz, Kentucky Small set of speakers View entry: https://www.instagram.com/p/CX3f-kFLbdE/ 3rd place $125 Rockler gift card Chris Powell, North Charleston, South Carolina Antique car View entry: https://www.instagram.com/p/CW6bgp7pq_u/ The contest was hosted and judged by woodworking celebrities Mike Montgomery, Chris Salomone and Ben Uyeda from The Modern Maker Podcast. We are amazed at the creativity that woodworkers bring to these annual challenges, said Scott Ekman, Rocklers VP of Marketing. This year, it was fun to see woodworkers apply their skills to other hobbies in their lives, and push them to challenge themselves to create something totally new and unique. A Modern Twist on Traditional Japanese Style Miles electric guitar was decorated in the Japanese tradition of Kumiko, a type of joinery which forms an intricate grid design using small, hand-chiseled wood pieces, without the use of glue or nails. For a modern twist, he decided to fill the negative space of the Kumiko panel with an epoxy. I was interested in combining a modern material such as epoxy, with the traditional craftsmanship that is Kumiko joinery, said Miles. One of the main aspects of Kumiko I love is the process itselfthe repetitive nature of cutting and fitting each small piece with a chisel makes for a very meditative process! Though it can be frustrating in the beginning, there is also something quite satisfying about executing something with that level of precision. For the Love of Music Everhards entry channeled his love of music to build two sleek, unique speakers. I generally dont like to build things that I have seen before, he said. I take inspiration from a lot of places, but generally dont like making exact replicas of work I have seen. So I just started with what is required in a speaker, and then did my best to think outside the box a little. I also like doing projects that involve tricks or techniques I have never used before, to help stretch my skills and learn something new. Woodworking Meets Car Building In third place, and as perhaps one of the largest entries of the competition, Chris Powells antique car was a lesson in patience, ingenuity, and improvisation. It required a lot of skills I had never learned before, so when I wasnt working on it, I was trying to absorb as much content as possible to learn how to do everything. I made a lot of it up as I went, he said. I work nights at my full-time job, and would get home at 7 a.m. and work on the car until about 3 p.m. every day. It was super stressful, but very rewarding. I learned a lot in just a little over two months. Winners of this and previous Rockler challenges can be found at http://www.rockler.com/modern-maker-challenges. About Rockler Woodworking and Hardware Celebrating its 67th anniversary as a family-run business, Rockler Woodworking and Hardware is the nations premier supplier of specialty hardware, tools, lumber, and other high-quality woodworking products. Rockler has 38 retail locations across 21 states, as well as extensive internet and catalog operations. To learn more about Rockler, please visit http://www.rockler.com or call 1-877-ROCKLER. ### TCN, Inc., a global provider of a comprehensive cloud-based call center platform for enterprises, contact centers, BPOs, and collection agencies, today announced the appointment of Scott Brownlee as director of product training and customer engagement. With 30 years of hands-on experience in the ARM industry, especially in the healthcare space, Brownlee has a proven track record of driving maximum efficiency of operations to ensure best-in-class performance for his organizations. We are thrilled to welcome Scott to the TCN team, said Dave Bethers, vice president of product engagement at TCN. The addition of Scott is highly representative of TCNs desire to connect to our clients and truly understand their daily struggles and needs. Having the experience of a former call center manager in the ear of our developers will serve as a looking glass into the needs of our clients. In his new role at TCN, Brownlee will be working closely with the product development teams and the executive team, and serving as a critical liaison between clients and TCN development to ensure TCN is best serving its clients with industry-leading applications of its products. This includes aligning the product roadmap, product rollout, customer training, adoption, evaluating beta users and early adopters and client feedback. Brownlees long and impressive tenure in the ARM industry includes running a high-volume call center in a new business vertical at a near-shore contact center that had its agents outperforming the U.S.-based control group of agents at a 1-1 level within four months. Additionally, Brownlee has served on the ACA International Council of Delegates, the ACA International Education & Credentialing Committee and currently sits on the ACA International Healthcare Committee, where he continues to enhance the performance of the ARM industry at the local, regional and national levels. Brownlee will also be attending the ACA IGNITE 2022 Conference starting March 16, 2022 to engage and connect with industry leaders. Brownlee held senior positions at Dorado Systems, Inc., Grimley Financial Corporation, Sallie Mae, Florida Hospital, AllianceOne, and RSI Enterprises throughout his extensive career. Prior to joining TCN, Brownlee served as the vice president on operational strategy at the Arcadia Recovery Bureau, where he oversaw and executed the operational, strategic direction of the organization in alignment with company goals. I am humbled and thrilled to join the amazing team at TCN. I am confident in the best-in-class platform TCN has developed for the ARM industry, said Brownlee. I look forward to introducing TCNs robust and cost-effective omnichannel communications platform to organizations looking to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of their communications. Whether 10 seats or 10,000 seats, TCN is undoubtedly the communications platform of choice. About TCN TCN is a global provider of a comprehensive, cloud-based call center platform for enterprises, contact centers, business process outsourcing firms (BPOs), and collection agencies. Founded in 1999, TCN combines a deep understanding of the needs of call centers with a unique approach to pricing no contracts, monthly minimums, or maintenance fees that supports rapid scaling and instant flexibility to changing business needs. TCN's flagship platform for contact centers, TCN Operator, features a holistic set of easy-to-use, automated agent tools and advanced apps for omnichannel communications, workforce engagement, compliance & data management, integration & automation, intelligence, reporting & analytics, and collaboration & accessibility. Its suite of compliance tools helps businesses meet the requirements of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) and other state and federal regulations, including new and updated debt collection rules issued by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. TCN Operator integrates seamlessly with leading APIs and is accessible to agents with visual impairments. TCN is trusted by Fortune 500 companies and enterprises of all sizes in multiple industries in many countries. For more information, visit https://www.tcn.com/ and follow on Twitter @tcn. Seebos vision is of a greener, more efficient future that will benefit everyone - from the consumers, to the manufacturers, to our planet itself. Seebo has been named to Fast Companys prestigious annual list of the Worlds Most Innovative Companies for 2022, the latest in a series of high-profile industry recognitions for the company. The Fast Company has described this year's list as honoring businesses that are making the biggest impact on their industries and culture as a wholeultimately thriving in todays ever-changing world. We are truly excited at this latest recognition, said Seebo CEO Lior Akavia. Being named as one of the Worlds Most Innovative Companies in the manufacturing industry is, above all, a testament to the hard work and dedication of our team of world class innovators, and the incredible partnerships we have forged with the world's leading manufacturers. Process manufacturing is often seen as a zero-sum game between competing objectives, Akavia continued. This is particularly true in the battle between profitability and sustainability. Seebos vision is of a greener, more efficient future that will benefit everyone - from the consumers, to the manufacturers, to our planet itself. We are seeing this vision materialize every day: in food production lines that are drastically reducing waste while improving the quality of the food they put on our tables; and in energy-intensive industries that are reducing their carbon footprint even as they ramp up production to meet the needs of a growing global population. AN ESSENTIAL ROLE IN ADDRESSING THE MOST PRESSING ISSUES FACING SOCIETY Fast Companys editors and writers sought out the most groundbreaking businesses across the globe and industries. They also judged nominations received through their application process. The Worlds Most Innovative Companies is Fast Companys signature franchise and one of its most highly anticipated editorial efforts of the year. It provides both a snapshot and a road map for the future of innovation across the most dynamic sectors of the economy. The worlds most innovative companies play an essential role in addressing the most pressing issues facing society, whether theyre fighting climate change by spurring decarbonization efforts, ameliorating the strain on supply chains, or helping us reconnect with one another over shared passions, said Fast Company Deputy Editor David Lidsky. ABOUT SEEBO Seebo is the Predictive Quality and Yield solution. Manufacturers use Seebo to unlock the full potential of their production lines. Seebo Process-Based Artificial Intelligence empowers manufacturing teams to achieve global process optimisation, across multiple, conflicting objectives - from improving quality, throughput and yield, to reducing waste and scrap, cutting energy costs and lowering emissions. With Seebo your team can focus on a unified production objective; quantify untapped process potential; know the most important process parameters and their optimal ranges via custom Operating Envelopes; and prevent inefficiencies before they happen with real time Proactive Alerts. Seebo customers include leading manufacturers across multiple industries, like Barilla, Nestle, ArcelorMittal, Mondelez, Lindt, PepsiCo, General Mills, Allnex and ICL. Seebo is backed by Vertex Ventures, 10D, The Phoenix, Leumi Partners, Viola Ventures and TPY Capital. For more information, visit http://www.seebo.com ABOUT FAST COMPANY Fast Company is the only media brand fully dedicated to the vital intersection of business, innovation, and design, engaging the most influential leaders, companies, and thinkers on the future of business. Headquartered in New York City, Fast Company is published by Mansueto Ventures LLC, along with our sister publication Inc., and can be found online at http://www.fastcompany.com. The SEO industry in 2022 has evolved into a masterful dance of elegance and grace. SEOblog.com, a fast-growing website providing the latest SEO news, tips and resources and helping business owners connect with leading SEO agencies, has released its exclusive 2022 ratings naming the best local and SMB SEO companies in the United States. SEOblog analysts determined the 15 best local and SMB SEO companies in the U.S. based on dozens of key quantitative and qualitative factors. SEOblog industry experts examined each digital marketing agencys website, industry experience, market presence, client list, portfolio, expert certifications and authorship, among other factors in its ranking system. SEOblog has provided an in-depth view of companies in a particular city or focus area on various directory pages to help business owners find the expert help they need to grow. This was a new, free offer added by SEOblog in 2019. The United States boasts several top local and SMB SEO companies that provide a very competitive digital marketing landscape. "The SEO industry in 2022 has evolved into a masterful dance of elegance and grace, said Dennis J. Patino, international marketing director of Absolute Marketing Guru. Michelle Hummel, CEO of Web Strategy Plus also said: What I love about SEO is how blogging can influence it. Consumers buy from brands they know, like and trust. Blogging can help you show up on page 1 of Google so people recognize you. If your blog answers their question they "like" you. If your call-to-action is to sign up for your email newsletter and you are continuously providing valuable content they will trust you which can result in a sale. Ivan Vislavskiy, CEO of Comrade Digital Marketing Agency also said: "What sets SEO apart is how dynamic it can be. In our industry, we always have to be vigilant - staying on our toes and fine-tuning our campaigns and methods to get our clients the best SEO results." Mike Hodgdon, COO of Infront Webworks also said One of the major things that makes the SEO industry so unique is that it is likely the only 79+ billion-dollar industry that you cannot get a college degree in. So, a vast majority of experts in the field learn as they go. This combined with the fact that it is always changing, makes it a career with bountiful opportunity for those who excel at it. SEOblog.com rankings are updated regularly as the market shifts and new players emerge. SEOblog.com has published more than 2,300 agency listings, with more added every day. There is no fee to participate, and the website welcomes all qualified agencies to apply. SEOblog.coms 15 Best Local and SMB SEO Companies in the United States in 2022: DashClicks, Red Spot Design, Main Street ROI, Infront Webworks, Spin Modern, Digital Resource, Miller Ad Agency, Blue Corona, TheeDigital, Absolute Marketing, VisualWebz, Search Influence, Comrade Digital Marketing, Web Strategy Plus and Momentum Digital. Link: https://www.seoblog.com/best-small-business-seo/ https://www.seoblog.com/best-local-seo/ About SEOblog.com SEOblog.com is a leading thought leadership site with a rich history of publishing educational and informative articles about SEO and digital marketing topics. In early 2019, SEOblog.com answered the call from buyers of digital marketing services that lacked unbiased, informative online resources and launched a comprehensive directory to highlight the best SEO companies in the United States https://www.seoblog.com/best-seo-companies/. SEOblogs mission is to connect businesses with qualified digital marketing agencies while also offering further SEO education, best practices and industry trends. SEOblog.com is a one-stop shop for educational SEO and digital marketing content, research, ratings and reviews for the best agencies in each local market across the United States and Canada. The website will be increasing its coverage of U.S. and Canada SEO agencies and accepting more guest blog posts in the coming months. Contact SEOblog if youre interested in getting involved. "Attendees can expect to learn from their Chief Medical Officer peers and create long-lasting relationships, said Andrew Goldstein, Producer, Chief Medical Officer Summit 360. The Conference Forum announces the launch of its Women in R&D Scholarship to attend the 10th Annual Chief Medical Officer Summit 360. The new scholarship is aimed at women physician leaders and aspiring R&D leaders. The scholarship is open to women working in medicine development with an MD, MD equivalent or PhD. The scholarship covers attendance to all live sessions, on-demand audio recordings, networking breaks and roundtable discussions at the Chief Medical Officer Summit 360 in Cambridge, MA on April 4-5. As a woman-founded company dedicated to supporting women R&D leaders in biotech and encouraging greater equity in biotech leadership, launching this scholarship is a great pleasure, said Valerie Bowling, Executive Director, the Conference Forum. The Chief Medical Officer Summit 360 will focus on clinical decision making and regulatory strategy, trends in biotech financing and business development, C-suite relationships and team building, external communication strategies and professional and skill development for CMOs through fireside discussions, interactive panels and roundtable discussions. In addition to the scheduled sessions, there will also be over five hours throughout the CMO Summit for peer-to-peer learning and networking, plus exhibitions that specialize in supporting emerging biotech R&D. Attendees can expect to learn from their Chief Medical Officer peers and create long-lasting relationships, said Andrew Goldstein, Producer, Chief Medical Officer Summit 360. Applicants are required to fill out the registration scholarship form and write about their current role, what inspired them to go into medicine development and what they hope to gain from their attendance and participation at the Chief Medical Officer Summit 360. Applications are due March 29th. Applicants will be informed within 48 hours. To learn more about the scholarship, please visit https://theconferenceforum.org/conferences/chief-medical-officer-summit/women-in-rd-scholarship/ About the Chief Medical Officer Summit 360: The CMO Summit 360 is the forum for Biotech Chief Medical Officers to connect with peers and develop the skills needed to succeed in their current CMO role and beyond. It is the conference to network with other biotech CMOs across indications, company stages and geographic locations. The CMO Summit attracts the largest gathering of physicians in biotech to address the unique challenges associated with directing and managing R&D functions often with limited resources, while raising capital and strategizing for growth and appropriate exits. About the Conference Forum: The Conference Forum is an independent, women-founded-and-led life science industry research firm. Based on its research, the company presents 12 conferences a year, all dedicated to discovering how to get therapeutics to patients faster. They produce webinars and the podcast program, Pharma Talk Radio. They also publish six quarterly newsletters covering patients as partners, immuno-oncology, clinical trial innovation, clinical research as a care option, drug delivery technologies and supporting the role of the Chief Medical Officer in emerging biotech. Learn more about the Conference Forum at theconferenceforum.org. eDNAtec Water Sampling Operations This is one of the deepest and most ambitious studies we have undertaken. This partnership will contribute to the growing body of data that is informing our understanding of deep oceans and the extraordinary spectrum of species that play important roles in those ecosystems. - Dr. Hajibabaei From the tradeshow floor of Oceanology (OI) 2022, OceanGate Expeditions and eDNAtec today announced plans to gather environmental DNA (eDNA) water samples throughout all five missions of the 2022 Titanic Survey Expedition. The submersible crews will collect water samples at depths throughout the water column to gain a clearer understanding of the biodiversity of the deep ocean artificial reef created by the wreck of the Titanic. This is groundbreaking deep-sea research. The deeper you go into the ocean, the less knowledgeable we are. This study will give us an entirely different view of this one-of-a-kind habitat while also adding substantially to shared deep water DNA data sets, says marine biology expert Dr. Steve W. Ross. Our primary goal is to publish the most important findings so the results are available to researchers, marine biologists, and scientists for future studies and comparison. Water samples taken and analyzed using advanced genomics technologies will not only help us identify the lifeforms we can directly observe from the Titan submersible, but will also give us a full picture of the lifeforms we cannot see. This includes invisible signs of both microscopic creatures and larger animals that leave traces of DNA in the water surrounding the Titanic. This research effort will contribute to conservation of the ecosystem of the wreck site, continues Dr. Ross. We will conduct a longitudinal eDNA study to document the marine biodiversity of the Titanics deep-water ecosystem, explains Dr. Mehrdad Hajibabaei, an internationally recognized expert in biodiversity genomics and Founder and CSO of eDNAtec. Utilizing EnviroSeq, our advanced eDNA sequencing approach, we will generate a complete view of organisms in an ecosystem using high-capacity sequencing platforms that generate billions of genomic sequences. According to Dr. Hajibabaei, environmental genomics is contributing in an unprecedented way to our ability to study and monitor biodiversity directly from bulk environmental samples, such as water, soil and sediments. This is one of the deepest and most ambitious studies we have undertaken. This partnership will contribute to the growing body of data that is informing our understanding of deep oceans and the extraordinary spectrum of species that play important roles in those ecosystems. The OceanGate Expeditions 2022 Titanic Expedition marine biology crew is comprised of marine biologists from the U.S. and Scotland including Dr. Steve Ross, Research Professor, University of North Carolina at Wilmington; Dr. Lea-Anne Henry, Chancellors Fellow, School of Geosciences, University of Edinburgh; Dr. Murray Roberts, Professor of Applied Marine Biology & Ecology, University of Edinburgh, and Dr. Anna Gebruk, Head of International Collaboration, LMSU Marine Research Center, University of Edinburgh. The expeditionary crew will also include environmental DNA experts from eDNAtec including Beverly McClenaghan, Senior Ecologist, eDNAtec. These studies are supported by OceanGate Foundation, a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization, which provides financial support for marine research and applied technology. eDNAtec will conduct the eDNA analyses in their state-of-the-art research centre, the Centre for Environmental Genomics Applications (CEGA), in St. Johns, Newfoundland, Canada. The crew will be further supported by OceanGate Expeditions crewmembers and citizen explorers who will serve as Mission Specialists for this important ecological study. Aspiring Mission Specialists interested in supporting the Titanic Survey Expedition should contact OceanGate Expeditions for qualifications, availability, and additional details. OceanGate Expeditions Media Inquiries | Lisa Dreher | lisa.dreher@oceangateexpeditions.com | +1 425-442-1301 Expedition Inquiries | Kyle Bingham | kyle.bingham@oceangateexpeditions.com | +1 425-595-6343 Investor Inquiries | Bob Shuman | robert.shuman@oceangatexpeditions.com | +1 425-595-5017 Business Inquiries | Bob Shuman | robert.shuman@oceangatexpeditions.com | +1 425-595-5017 CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD IMAGES eDNAtec Media Inquiries | Caron Hawco | caron@eDNAtec.com | +1 709-770-3429 Business Inquiries | Steve Barrett | steve@eDNAtec.com | +1 416-200-7694 ABOUT OCEANGATE EXPEDITIONS OceanGate Expeditions, Ltd is dedicated to direct human exploration of the undersea world. Not satisfied with scratching the surface of the ocean near the shoreline, OceanGate Expeditions charters manned submersibles to create expeditions at depths far deeper than can be reached with SCUBA. The organization conducts undersea expeditions to explore and document the 95% of the seafloor that man has never visited including iconic shipwrecks, hydrothermal vents, deep-sea canyons, and uncommon biological events around the world. These expeditions, to depths approaching 4,000 meters (13,123 feet), provide rare opportunities for citizen scientists to observe the mysteries of the deep sea and expand our understanding of our home, Earth, the blue planet. Visit http://www.oceangateexpeditions.com. Follow OceanGate Expeditions on: YouTube | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | LinkedIn ABOUT eDNAtec eDNAtec Inc. are specialists in environmental genomics dedicated to transforming how to assess, characterize and monitor ecosystems using DNA sequencing and supporting environmental stewardship of our planets marine and terrestrial ecosystems. Since 2015, eDNAtec has delivered hundreds of remediation and ecological genomics projects for clients around the world. CEGA , eDNAtecs R&D centre, is fully dedicated to the application of genomics to environmental characterization and monitoring. eDNAtec is working closely with the worlds ocean industries, including energy and fisheries as well as the Government of Canada and Indigenous communities, to bring genomics to mainstream environmental assessment and monitoring. Visit http://www.ednatec.com. Follow eDNAtec on: LinkedIn | Twitter ABOUT OCEANGATE FOUNDATION OceanGate Foundation is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to fueling underwater discoveries in nautical archaeology, marine sciences, and subsea technology through public outreach and supplemental financial support. The organization was founded by entrepreneurs with a passion for ocean exploration who want to expand the world's appreciation and understanding of the deep ocean. Since 2010, OceanGate Foundation has been providing supplemental financial support to augment primary research grants that enable to efficiently conduct extended and enhanced research studies during expeditions occurring in locations across the globe. Visit http://www.oceangatefoundation.org. We believe that the success of our Turing partners and the success of Turing AI are one in the same." Christopher Zenaty, Senior Vice President of Sales, Turing AI Turing AI is pleased to announce their latest update to the Turing Partner Program: the new Turing Partner Portal. The Turing Partner Portal enables dealer and integrator partners to view and manage the Turing AI video solutions platform for each of their customers at-a-glance, through a secure and user-intuitive dashboard. Features of the Turing Partner Portal include real-time device status, OTA firmware system upgrades, and access to Turing AI resources and updates. Turing AI President, Ron Rothman, has championed development of the portal noting, At Turing AI, we value the relationships weve built with our dealer and integrator partners. The Turing Partner Portal will provide our partners with secure, efficient, and easy-to-use status of their customers' sites, thereby enabling them to deliver best-in-class responsiveness and customer service for their clients. Through the portal, Turings partners can easily view a list of their customers, their sites using Turing AI security solutions, and how many cameras, bridges and NVRs are online. If any of these devices are offline and they shouldnt be, partners can troubleshoot directly from the portal, as well as push software updates with one click. We believe that the success of our Turing partners and the success of Turing AI are one in the same, said Christopher Zenaty, Senior Vice President of Sales at Turing AI. The Turing Partner Portal ensures that our partners have access to the latest resources from Turing, including how-to-videos to train their teams and updates on the latest features at their fingertips. The Turing Partner Portal will be displayed later this month at ISC West. Features of the Turing Partner Portal currently include: Real-time status and control Turing devices without being on site. Device upgrades: upgrades are now easier than ever with a single click of a button. Turing updates: find how-to videos and stay up to date on the latest Turing Resources such as features, products, and promotions. About Turing AI Turing AI's mission is to reimagine safety, security, and operations with AI. At our very core, we develop complex, machine learning models to create interconnected AI-enabled solutions, unlike any other in the world. UrbanFootprint, the worlds first urban intelligence platform, has been named to Fast Companys annual list of Worlds Most Innovative Companies for 2022. The company earned the #4 spot in the Data Science category, marking the second consecutive year UrbanFootprint has been named to the accomplished list. UrbanFootprint was recognized for its unique dynamic data tools that provide critical intelligence to help government agencies and frontline organizations better target relief efforts. Deepening social inequities and the profound, disparate impacts of the COVID-19 crisis have laid bare the inadequacy of current systems to provide decision makers with the clear and honest information they need to drive effective and equitable decisions. To close this gap, UrbanFootprint launched two tools Eviction Risk Insights (ERI) and Food Security Insights (FSI) the first-ever dynamic data tools to track the scale and distribution of the evolving food insecurity and eviction crises across the country. Massive relief and age-old government programs need to be reimagined to build resilience back into our communities and solve hunger, homelessness and health disparities, said Joe DiStefano, CEO & Co-Founder of UrbanFootprint. With our growing suite of data-driven tools, like Eviction Risk Insights and Food Security Insights, UrbanFootprint is helping to build lasting capacity at the state and local levels within both public and nonprofit sectors, and set a new national standard for relevant, equitable, and data-driven resource distribution and decision making. With FSI and ERI, UrbanFootprint, applies cutting-edge data science and machine learning technology, which have catapulted other major sectors of the global economy, into relief policy and planning for the very first time. Both ERI and FSI dynamically unify, analyze and map previously isolated datasetsincluding key demographic variablesfor any area in the U.S., providing data-driven insights on a biweekly basis that empower government agencies and community based organizations to assess risk and resilience, distribute resources to where theyre needed most and ultimately design more effective and equitable policy. UrbanFootprint also has capabilities across the energy, finance, real estate and urban planning sectors. The worlds most innovative companies play an essential role in addressing the most pressing issues facing society, whether theyre fighting climate change by spurring decarbonization efforts, ameliorating the strain on supply chains, or helping us reconnect with one another over shared passions, said Fast Company Deputy Editor David Lidsky. This years list honors businesses that are making the biggest impact on their industries and culture as a whole ultimately thriving in todays ever-changing world. These companies are creating the future today with some of the most inspiring accomplishments of the 21st century. In addition to the World's 50 Most Innovative Companies, 528 organizations are recognized across 52 categories. Fast Companys editors and writers sought out the most groundbreaking businesses across the globe and industries. They also judged nominations received through their application process. The Worlds Most Innovative Companies is Fast Companys signature franchise and one of its most highly anticipated editorial efforts of the year. About UrbanFootprint UrbanFootprint is the world's first urban intelligence platform a comprehensive urban, climate, and community resilience data system that serves mission-critical insights to the institutions that are rebuilding, financing, and insuring the world's physical and social infrastructure. UrbanFootprints data and web-based geospatial software unifies previously siloed climate, environmental, urban, and socio-economic data and helps governments, utilities, financial institutions, and urban planners answer fundamental resource questions where to invest, where to deploy resources, and where to optimize for risk, return, resilience, and community. Visit: https://urbanfootprint.com/ ABOUT FAST COMPANY Fast Company is the only media brand fully dedicated to the vital intersection of business, innovation, and design, engaging the most influential leaders, companies, and thinkers on the future of business. Headquartered in New York City, Fast Company is published by Mansueto Ventures LLC, along with our sister publication Inc., and can be found online at http://www.fastcompany.com. U.S. Navy Reserves Captain J. Michael Ray (right) presents Richard Hall with the prestigious Patriot Award. Supporting our active and reserve forces and our veterans is vital. Im honored to help provide that support, and Im deeply humbled to be recognized for it. Richard Hall, president and CEO of U.S. Oral Surgery Management (USOSM), recently received the Patriot Award from the U.S. Office of the Secretary of Defense and the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve, which are under the U.S. Department of Defense. Established in 1972, the Patriot Award recognizes individual supervisors and their companies for contributing to national security and protecting liberty and freedom by supporting employee participation in Americas National Guard and Reserve force. The Patriot Award honors individual supervisors and employers who are exceptionally supportive of employees who serve in the National Guard or Reserve, equipping them with the tools they need to serve their country and successfully transition back to their day-to-day workplace. This is accomplished through a wide variety of programs and incentives, such as flexible scheduling or supplemental support of family members. Supporting our active and reserve forces and our veterans is vital. Im honored to help provide that support, and Im deeply humbled to be recognized for it, said Hall. Unfortunately, the general public only sees a glimpse of what our service men and women and their families go through to fight and provide our freedom, and theres a monumental gap between the support thats needed and whats available. Our armed forces need to know that when theyre called to duty that they can count on us as individuals, as businesses and as a community to step up and take care of their needs and the needs of their families. Hall was nominated for the honor by Dr. J. Michael Ray, an oral and maxillofacial surgeon with Oral Surgery Associates of North Texas (OSANT), a partner practice of USOSM. Dr. Ray served on active duty in the U.S. Navy from 19992010 and has served in the Navy Reserves since then. He currently holds the rank of Captain. Rick is actively involved with and gives generously to programs that support service men and women and their families. Hes also very supportive of me personally as a reservist and of other reservists in our company, said Dr. Ray. I nominated him for this award to thank and recognize him because of the significant difference he makes. This level of support is essential for being able to do what we do, and he understands that very well, having been a Marine himself. In a private practice, its very hard to stay in business if you arent physically in the office or the hospital, but as a Naval Officer, there are times when I have to be away, continued Dr. Ray. I know that if I have to be deployed again, Rick Hall, OSANT and USOSM will stand with me, taking care of things here while Im gone, and when I come back, helping make the transition as smooth as possible. Hall is a former U.S. Marine, who is actively involved with the Folds of Honor and The Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation, nonprofit organizations that help provide the families of fallen and disabled service members and Marines with educational scholarships. In addition, Hall has more than 35 years of experience as a healthcare executive. He joined USOSM in 2018 as president and CEO, shepherding the company through its early growth and development. Hall holds a bachelors degree in healthcare administration from Penn State and completed the executive healthcare program at Duke University. About U.S. Oral Surgery Management: Headquartered in Irving, Texas, USOSM has partner practices spanning 19 states. They include Texas, Colorado, Georgia, Tennessee, Minnesota, Alabama, Oklahoma, Louisiana, South Carolina, Mississippi, Florida, Indiana, Kentucky, Arizona, California, Oregon, Virginia, Washington and Massachusetts. A shared services organization, USOSM collaborates with premier oral and maxillofacial surgeons to offer a partnership solution for continued and accelerated practice success. USOSM provides operational, marketing and administrative support services, reinvests resources, and applies best practices to improve clinical and financial performance and produce steadier, more profitable growth for all. For more information, visit https://www.usosm.com/. Venture Construction Group of Florida (VCGFL) teamed up with Kendra Scott to raise funds for the ALS Association. The Kendra Gives Back Party event was held on Feb. 11 from 6 p.m. - 9 p.m. at Kendra Scott - Mizner Park. Open to the public, the pre-Valentines Day fundraiser included sips, sweets, and a fun shopping event. 20% of all sales donated to the ALS Association Florida Chapter. The mission of the ALS Association is to lead the fight to treat and cure ALS through global research and nationwide advocacy, while also empowering people with ALS and their families to live fuller lives by providing them with compassionate care and support. We are thrilled to partner with Kendra Scott once again! We are ongoing supporters to fight for a cure and support those living with ALS. These events are a great way to raise awareness and help in the advancement to find a cure, said Stephen Shanton, CEO and president of Venture Construction Group of Florida (VCGFL). Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrigs disease, is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. The cause of ALS is not known, and no cure exists. According to the ALS Association, over 5,000 new cases are diagnosed every year. Its estimated that 30,000 people in the U.S. live with the disease. Most people who develop ALS are between the ages of 40 and 70, with an average age of 55 at the time of diagnosis. ALS is 20 percent more common in men than in women. However, with increasing age, the incidence of ALS is more equal between men and women. Recent studies show that military veterans are twice as likely to develop ALS. About 90 percent of ALS cases occur without family history, which is known as sporadic ALS. The remaining 10 percent of ALS cases are inherited through a mutated gene, which is known as familial ALS. VCGFL is an award-winning construction and restoration company committed to giving back and supports numerous ALS organizations and programs each year. About Venture Construction Group of Florida Founded in 1998, Venture Construction Group of Florida (VCGFL) is an award-winning leader in construction, restoration, renovations, roofing, storm damage repairs, and 24/7 emergency services throughout Florida, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, Bahamas and the Caribbean. Specializing in residential, industrial and commercial projects, VCGFL assists homeowners, property managers, condominium boards, homeowner associations, association boards, hotels, and business complexes with general contractor services, roofing, specialty construction, historical restoration, water and flood mitigation, and property repairs due to fire, flood, water, wind and hurricanes. With offices in Boca Raton, Ft. Myers, Naples, Panama City Beach, Orlando, Stuart, Tampa, San Juan, and Nassau, VCGFL is committed to operational excellence and exceptional customer service. VCGFL takes care of the details every step of the way including roofing, siding, windows, drywall, flooring, paint, gutters to rebuilding properties after major storm events from hurricanes, tornadoes, and hailstorms. VCGFL has earned leading industry awards including Roofing Contractor Magazines Top 100; Better Business Bureau (BBB) Southeast Florida and Caribbean 2021 Torch Award for Ethics Finalist; Gold Coast Builders Association (GCBA) Silver PRISM Award for Safety Team of the Year, GCBA Gold PRISM Award for Craftsmanship- Commercial Exterior, GCBA Silver PRISM Award for Craftsmanship- Commercial Exterior, Owens Corning Pinnacle Award for Safety, Construction Business Owner Award, Roofing Alliance MVP Award, Coatings Pro Contractor Award, Pro Remodeler Forty Under 40 Award, Qualified Remodeler Top 500 Remodelers Award, Qualified Remodeler Master Design Award, Florida Roofing and Sheet Metal Contractors Association S.T.A.R. Spotlight Trophy for the Advancement of Roofing Awards in Sustainability and Community Service. Shanton is a certified member of the WindStorm Insurance Network and is a WIND Certified Umpire, WIND Certified Appraiser, and WIND Certified Fellow. VCGFL carries advanced accreditations and is an exclusive certified National Storm Damage Center Preferred Contractor and Certified Member of the United Association of Storm Restoration Contractors. VCGFL is a proud member of Exterior Insulation and Finish Systems (EIFS) Industry Members Association (EIMA); Florida Roofing and Sheet Metal Contractors Association (FRSA); Gold Coast Builders Association (GCBA); Insurance Appraisal and Umpire Association (IAUA); National Association of Environmentally Responsible Mold Contractors (NAERMC); National Association of Home Builders (NAHB); National Roofing Contractors Association (NRCA); NRCA Qualified Trainer; Property Liability and Resource Bureau (PLRB); Restoration Industry Association (RIA). VCGFL is a registered U.S. Federal Government Contractor and holds leading manufacturer certifications including Owens Corning Platinum Preferred Contractor, Mule-Hide Legacy Contractor, Certified CertainTeed Contractor, and Duro-Last Certified Contractor status. VCGFL credentials have been vetted and screened through independent third-party Global Risk Management Solutions. For more information, call 866-459-8351 or visit us online at http://www.VCGFL.com. About Kendra Scott Kendra Scott is a leading fashion accessories brand inspired by the personal experiences, travel and sense of community of its CEO and Designer, Kendra Scott. A true omni-channel business, Kendra Scott is sold at premiere retailers including Nieman Marcus, Nordstrom, Bloomingdales, Von Maur and over 600 specialty boutiques worldwide, the brand boasts a thriving web business and over 50 stand alone retail stores across the United States. The brand is well-known for its comprehensive suite of elegantly designed jewelry pieces as well as lifestyle categories such as beauty, home goods and fine jewelry. The brand also offers the Kendra Scott Color Bar, an innovative jewelry customization experience available in all Kendra Scott stores as well as http://www.KendraScott.com. Kendra Scott has become a staple for women of all ages as well as a favorite of Hollywood's starlets. About ALS Association Florida Chapter Established in 1987, The ALS Association Florida Chapter is fighting Lou Gehrigs Disease on all fronts, or as we like to say, Covering all the bases for people living with ALS in Florida. We provide patient programs, advocate on behalf of patients with our government leaders, create awareness of the disease, and fund research. In addition, the Chapter provides financial support to our statewide multidisciplinary ALS clinics and research facilities, enabling them to increase patient care. Learn more at http://www.alsafl.org. Media Inquiries: Alexis Bott Elev8 Consulting Group Ph: 386-243-5388 Web: http://www.elev8cg.com ### Based in Radford, Virginia, the veteran-owned business is managed by a team of executives and engineers with decades of experience in the air quality industry. Recognition on this list is a testament to Oransis vision to build best-in-class air purification products for consumers, schools, companies and organizations nationwide, said Peter Mann, CEO & Founder of Oransi. Oransi, a leading air purification company known for its efficient, intuitive and reliable products, today announced Inc. magazine has named it No. 81 on its third annual Inc. 5000 Regionals: Mid-Atlantic list. It is the most prestigious ranking of the fastest-growing private companies based in Washington, D.C., Delaware, Maryland, North Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia. This regional list represents a unique look at the most successful companies within the Mid-Atlantic region economys most dynamic segment its independent small businesses. Recognition on this list is a testament to Oransis vision to build best-in-class air purification products for consumers, schools, companies and organizations nationwide, said Peter Mann, CEO & Founder of Oransi. For more than 13 years, our growth has been driven by innovation. Were proud to be named to the Inc. 5000 list and expect 2022 to be exciting with more than 100 new hires at our Virginia manufacturing facility and the launch of our newest high quality, yet affordable American-made air purification products. The companies on this list show a remarkable rate of growth across all industries in the Mid-Atlantic region. Between 2018 and 2020, these 131 private companies had an average growth rate of 161% percent and, in 2020 alone, they added 7,365 jobs and $1.9 billion to the Mid-Atlantic regions economy. This years Inc. 5000 Regional winners represent one of the most exceptional and exciting lists of Americas off-the-charts growth companies, said Inc.s Editor-in-Chief Scott Omelianuk. Theyre disrupters and job creators, and all are delivering an outsized impact on the economy. Remember their names and follow their lead. These are the companies youll be hearing about for years to come. Visit https://oransi.com/ to learn more about Oransi. About Oransi What began as an engineers quest to find a better indoor air quality solution for his young asthmatic son, 13 years later has evolved to become a leading air purification company designing some of the most efficient and intuitive products on the market. Based in Radford, Virginia, the veteran-owned business is managed by a team of executives and engineers with decades of experience in the air quality industry. They are allergy and asthma sufferers themselves, making air purifiers they also use and need. Oransi provides best-in-class HEPA air purifiers to consumers, businesses and those in the health, dental and medical fields. The company believes everyone deserves to breathe clean, fresh air and while performance is most important, they recognize the need for products that are easy to use and reliable. More about Inc. and the Inc. 5000 Regionals Methodology The 2022 Inc. 5000 Regional are ranked according to percentage revenue growth when comparing 2018 and 2020. To qualify, companies must have been founded and generating revenue by March 31, 2018. They had to be U.S.-based, privately held, for-profit, and independentnot subsidiaries or divisions of other companiesas of December 31, 2019. (Since then, a number of companies on the list have gone public or been acquired.) The minimum revenue required for 2018 is $100,000; the minimum for 2020 is $1 million. As always, Inc. reserves the right to decline applicants for subjective reasons. About Inc. Media The worlds most trusted business-media brand, Inc. offers entrepreneurs the knowledge, tools, connections, and community to build great companies. Its award-winning multiplatform content reaches more than 50 million people each month across a variety of channels including websites, newsletters, social media, podcasts, and print. Its prestigious Inc. 5000 list, produced every year since 1982, analyzes company data to recognize the fastest-growing privately held businesses in the United States. The global recognition that comes with inclusion in the 5000 gives the founders of the best businesses an opportunity to engage with an exclusive community of their peers and the credibility that helps them drive sales and recruit talent. The associated Inc. 5000 Conference is part of a highly acclaimed portfolio of bespoke events produced by Inc. For more information, visit https://www.inc.com/. Media Contact Ria Romano, Partner RPR Public Relations, Inc. Tel. 786-290-6413 Web3 Law Center Web3 is a rapidly evolving area of law. The future is here and at the Web3 Law Center we are committed to facilitating legal education and services in this underrepresented area of the law. Attorneys Charles Brown, Michelle Mears, and Truett Akin are proud to announce the launch of the Web3 Law Center. After realizing the emerging need for attorneys who are knowledgeable about web3, the Web3 Law Center was created to serve as a platform for knowledge, education, and opportunity. On the Web3 Law Center website, it states that its mission is threefold: Create a community of legal and industry leaders. Educate as to the various areas of law impacted by web3. Offer career opportunities to the next generation of attorneys. With web3 rapidly changing the way that users interact with the internet and complete transactions, now is the time for attorneys and law firms to strategize about how they can enter the web3 space prepared for what the future holds. Attorney Charles Brown, who is considered a thought leader on law and technology topics, says, Our goal in establishing the Web3 Law Center is helping law firms across North America get ahead of the inevitable learning curve. Attorneys Bring Decades of Legal Experience to Web3 Pioneers Attorneys Brown, Mears, and Akin each bring their unique experience in the legal industry to this rapidly growing area of law. Together, they are providing an unprecedented platform that attorneys can use to evolve their firms and marketing strategies into the future. Michelle Mears notes, Web3 is a rapidly evolving area of law. The future is here and at the Web3 Law Center we are committed to facilitating legal education and services in this underrepresented area of the law. The Web3 Law Center is also helping to pave the way for future generations of attorneys who will undoubtedly be impacted by web3. The Web3 Law Center is offering law students complimentary memberships, career assistance, and scholarship opportunities for attendance at upcoming events. One such event is the Web3 Law Centers inaugural event The Web3 Law Conference coming in April. The laws governing Crypto, NFT, Blockchain, web3 and their impact on the legal industry are being debated now. Join the conversation at the Web3 Law Center. Bio info: Charles Brown is one of the founding members of the Web3 Law Center. He is an award-winning attorney and adjunct professor at the University of Houston Law Center. Michelle Mears is another founding member of the Web3 Law Center. She brings more than 20 years of nationwide legal experience. Founding member Truett Akin also brings more than 20 years of legal experience to the Web3 Law Center. Learn more about the Web3 Law Center and its founders and mission by visiting https://www.web3law.center. This achievement is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our talented team of employees and because NXTsoft delivers quality APIs to the financial and Fintech community that facilitate connectivity and enable digital transformation Inc. magazine today revealed that with a two-year revenue growth of 1726%, NXTsoft is No. 5 on its third annual Inc. 5000 Regionals Southeast list, the most prestigious ranking of the fastest-growing private companies based in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, and Tennessee. Born of the annual Inc. 5000 franchise, this regional list represents a unique look at the most successful companies within the Southeast region economys most dynamic segmentits independent small businesses. NXTsoft is thrilled to be named one of the fastest growing companies in the Southeast, said David Brasfield, CEO of NXTsoft. This achievement is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our talented team of employees and because NXTsoft delivers quality APIs to the financial and Fintech community that facilitate connectivity and enable digital transformation, he said. The companies on this list show a remarkable rate of growth across all industries in the Southeast region. Between 2018 and 2020, these 173 private companies had an average growth rate of 147% percent and, in 2020 alone, they added 27,794 jobs and nearly $4.9 billion to the Southeast regions economy. Companies based in the Miami, Florida, Fairhope, Alabama, and Covington, Louisiana, areas had the highest growth rate overall. Complete results of the Inc. 5000 Regionals Southeast, including company profiles and an interactive database that can be sorted by industry, metro area, and other criteria, can be found at inc.com/southeast. This years Inc. 5000 Regional winners represent one of the most exceptional and exciting lists of Americas off-the-charts growth companies. Theyre disrupters and job creators, and all delivered an outsize impact on the economy. Remember their names and follow their lead. These are the companies youll be hearing about for years to come, says Scott Omelianuk, editor-in-chief of Inc. About NXTsoft NXTsoft is headquartered in Birmingham and has offices in Orlando and Denver. NXTsoft is the market leader in secure, comprehensive, and complete workflow API connectivity, connecting fintech companies to banks and credit unions throughout the United States. NXTsofts other solutions include data analytics, data management and data migration. NXTsofts products and services help businesses secure, connect and optimize their data to maximize revenue opportunities and enhance profitability. For more information visit http://www.nxtsoft.com, or call 1-800-915-3381. More about Inc. and the Inc. 5000 Regionals Methodology The 2022 Inc. 5000 Regionals are ranked according to percentage revenue growth when comparing 2018 and 2020. To qualify, companies must have been founded and generating revenue by March 31, 2018. They had to be U.S.-based, privately held, for-profit, and independentnot subsidiaries or divisions of other companiesas of December 31, 2019. (Since then, a number of companies on the list have gone public or been acquired.) The minimum revenue required for 2018 is $100,000; the minimum for 2020 is $1 million. As always, Inc. reserves the right to decline applicants for subjective reasons. About Inc. Media The worlds most trusted business-media brand, Inc. offers entrepreneurs the knowledge, tools, connections, and community to build great companies. Its award-winning multiplatform content reaches more than 50 million people each month across a variety of channels including websites, newsletters, social media, podcasts, and print. Its prestigious Inc. 5000 list, produced every year since 1982, analyzes company data to recognize the fastest-growing privately held businesses in the United States. The global recognition that comes with inclusion in the 5000 gives the founders of the best businesses an opportunity to engage with an exclusive community of their peers and the credibility that helps them drive sales and recruit talent. The associated Inc. 5000 Conference is part of a highly acclaimed portfolio of bespoke events produced by Inc. For more information, visit http://www.inc.com. "With plans to start our expansion internationally this spring, we look forward to continued growth driven by our ultimate goal of becoming the best unified rewards platform in the world, said Daniel Todd, founder and CEO of Influence Mobile. Rewarded engagement company Influence Mobile today announced that Inc. Magazine has ranked it No. 28 on its third annual Inc. 5000 Regionals: Pacific list, the most prestigious ranking of the fastest-growing private companies based in Alaska, Hawaii, California, Oregon, and Washington. The list measures growth between 2018 and 2020, during which Influence Mobile grew by 490%. This impressive growth can be traced back to the companys work ethic combined with the success of its rewarded engagement platform [E]ngageTM. This platform has allowed Influence Mobile to compete with companies like Google as one of the top five return on investment and retention ad networks on Android in North America. Its an incredible honor to be recognized for Influence Mobiles record growth, said Daniel Todd, founder and CEO of Influence Mobile. Ultimately, the companys success is a tribute to our outstanding employees who are committed to innovation and ensuring our players and clients receive tremendous value from working with us. With plans to start our expansion internationally this spring, we look forward to continued growth driven by our ultimate goal of becoming the best unified rewards platform in the world. Influence Mobile is transforming a part of the mobile ecosystem that has largely remained untapped: rewards through advertising. As one of the only rewarded engagement providers, Influence Mobile has a proven track record of success both supporting app developers and publishers like Scopely, Playtika and Peak Games as well as mobile gamers looking to earn high-value rewards. Complete results of the Inc. 5000 Regionals Pacific, including company profiles and an interactive database that can be sorted by industry, metro area, and other criteria, can be found at inc.com/pacific. This years Inc. 5000 Regional winners represent one of the most exceptional and exciting lists of Americas off-the-charts growth companies. Theyre disruptors and job creators, and all delivered an outsize impact on the economy. Remember their names and follow their lead. These are the companies youll be hearing about for years to come, says Scott Omelianuk, editor-in-chief of Inc. About Influence Mobile Founded in 2012, Influence Mobile is a rewarded gaming platform that entices and nurtures high-value mobile gamers by engaging them with relevant rewards. With its owned and operated apps, including Rewarded Play, the GooglePlay Stores top rewarded gaming app in the US, Influence Mobile boasts a community of highly-engaged players that create ongoing value for its growing list of clients. More about Inc. and the Inc. 5000 Regionals Methodology The 2022 Inc. 5000 Regionals are ranked according to percentage revenue growth when comparing 2018 and 2020. To qualify, companies must have been founded and generating revenue by March 31, 2018. They had to be U.S.-based, privately held, for-profit, and independentnot subsidiaries or divisions of other companiesas of December 31, 2019. (Since then, a number of companies on the list have gone public or been acquired.) The minimum revenue required for 2018 is $100,000; the minimum for 2020 is $1 million. As always, Inc. reserves the right to decline applicants for subjective reasons. About Inc. Media The worlds most trusted business-media brand, Inc. offers entrepreneurs the knowledge, tools, connections, and community to build great companies. Its award-winning multi-platform content reaches more than 50 million people each month across a variety of channels including websites, newsletters, social media, podcasts, and print. Its prestigious Inc. 5000 list, produced every year since 1982, analyzes company data to recognize the fastest-growing privately held businesses in the United States. The global recognition that comes with inclusion in the 5000 gives the founders of the best businesses an opportunity to engage with an exclusive community of their peers and the credibility that helps them drive sales and recruit talent. The associated Inc. 5000 Conference is part of a highly acclaimed portfolio of bespoke events produced by Inc. For more information, visit http://www.inc.com. Inc. magazine today revealed that Hawaiian Bros is No. 11 on its third annual Inc. 5000 Regionals Midwest list, the most prestigious ranking of the fastest-growing private companies based in Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota, Nebraska, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin. Born of the annual Inc. 5000 franchise, this regional list represents a unique look at the most successful companies within the Midwest region economys most dynamic segmentits independent small businesses. The Hawaiian Bros team has been on a fast-track to success with tremendous, exciting growth since launching in 2018 and we couldnt be more honored for the recognition among so many incredible Midwest companies, said Scott Ford, co-CEO of Hawaiian Bros. Were committed to continuing to provide fast, fresh and flavorful island-inspired dishes at a great value in our home region and as we expand around the country. The companies on this list show a remarkable rate of growth across all industries in the Midwest region. Between 2018 and 2020, these 144 private companies had an average growth rate of 147% percent and, in 2020 alone, they added 19,821 jobs and nearly $11.7 billion to the Midwest regions economy. Companies based in the Chicago, Illinois, Noblesville, Indiana, and Overland Park, Kansas, areas had the highest growth rate overall. Complete results of the Inc. 5000 Regionals Midwest, including company profiles and an interactive database that can be sorted by industry, metro area, and other criteria, can be found at inc.com/midwest starting March 15, 2022. This years Inc. 5000 Regional winners represent one of the most exceptional and exciting lists of Americas off-the-charts growth companies. Theyre disrupters and job creators, and all delivered an outsize impact on the economy. Remember their names and follow their lead. These are the companies youll be hearing about for years to come, says Scott Omelianuk, editor-in-chief of Inc. About Hawaiian Bros Hawaiian Bros is a new, fast-growing restaurant brand born in the geographic heart of the country, with a plate lunch concept from Hawaii with coast-to-coast appeal. The menu centers around fresh, flavorful meats, like slow-roasted pulled pork and marinated teriyaki chicken, along with traditional side dishes such as jasmine rice and tangy macaroni salad. The island-inspired fare is served up by a team that projects the warm and welcoming charm of Ohanathe Hawaiian word for family. For more information, visit https://hawaiianbros.com/. Media Contact: Sarah Atterbury, SarahA@Snackbox.us More about Inc. and the Inc. 5000 Regionals Methodology The 2022 Inc. 5000 Regional are ranked according to percentage revenue growth when comparing 2018 and 2020. To qualify, companies must have been founded and generating revenue by March 31, 2018. They had to be U.S.-based, privately held, for-profit, and independentnot subsidiaries or divisions of other companiesas of December 31, 2019. (Since then, a number of companies on the list have gone public or been acquired.) The minimum revenue required for 2018 is $100,000; the minimum for 2020 is $1 million. As always, Inc. reserves the right to decline applicants for subjective reasons. About Inc. Media The worlds most trusted business-media brand, Inc. offers entrepreneurs the knowledge, tools, connections, and community to build great companies. Its award-winning multiplatform content reaches more than 50 million people each month across a variety of channels including websites, newsletters, social media, podcasts, and print. Its prestigious Inc. 5000 list, produced every year since 1982, analyzes company data to recognize the fastest-growing privately held businesses in the United States. The global recognition that comes with inclusion in the 5000 gives the founders of the best businesses an opportunity to engage with an exclusive community of their peers and the credibility that helps them drive sales and recruit talent. The associated Inc. 5000 Conference is part of a highly acclaimed portfolio of bespoke events produced by Inc. For more information, visit http://www.inc.com. Actor John Chos film career has spanned two decades, including iconic roles in the Harold and Kumar and Star Trek series. Cho pivots his talents to writing with his debut middle grade novel, Troublemaker, which follows Jordan, a Korean American boy, who makes a dangerous trek to help protect his father during the L.A. riots of 1992. We spoke with Cho about the books historical Korean influences, the communal connections that inspired the protagonist, and using books to help children understand complex truths about the world around them. What was the starting point for Troublemaker? It was really the events of 2020 that gave birth to the idea in this book. We were locked inside the house from Covid. Watching the protests over George Floyds murder and observing the anti-Asian violence that was starting to happen. And I changed course. I was supposed to write a different book for the same audience. but I was thinking of a lighter book, maybe a mystery novel. And then I started thinking about my parents lives, my life, my childrens lives, and the direction of the country. My thoughts went back to 1992. And I started thinking so much about it, I was like, I dont know if I can write that other book. This story kind of came to me during that time. Even though Troublemaker takes place during the 90s, how do you think it reflects similar fears and concerns for safety that Asians and Asian Americans are facing right now? I was shocked at how little had changed since 1992. I was thinking about how my kids are understanding this. And thats when I thought, what if there was a boy of a similar age who was trying to understand the events in 1992? I was thinking about Rodney King, and how it was happenstance that George Holliday, a motorist who happened to have a Handycam, recorded those events. I thought, They got it on video. That's open and shut. But it didnt turn out to be. And in the ensuing years, cops started wearing bodycams, and then everyone had cell phones in their pockets with cameras. And I thought, That ought to solve that. And again, and again, it was proved wrong. And so looking at George Floyds murder, and seeing [police officer] Derek Chauvin seemingly look down the barrel of the camera as he knelt on Floyds neck got me to think: are we becoming a better country or not? In your research for this book, was there anything you learned that surprised you or changed your perspective and altered the direction you were taking the story? I talked to Richard Choi who was a broadcaster at Radio Korea, which is the Korean-language radio station mentioned in the book. It was really delightful to hear about this radio station, which was an early Google for Koreans in L.A., People would call the radio station, and these were new immigrants, so they didnt know who to go to for answers. So they would call and ask things like, Do you recommend a dentist in the area? or Wheres a good SAT prep school? That was really beautiful to recount. His summation of the events of 1992 became my books thesis in a lot of ways. I asked, In your opinion, how did the Korean American community change from then on? And he said, I think prior to April 29, we Koreans, that generation, thought of ourselves as sojourners to America. Maybe we were going to go back to Korea. We didnt know. We were here just to get our kids educated [or] start a business. But we didnt really lay our roots down. But after going through that trauma, we realized, were Americans. Your protagonist Jordan is very determined and clever. Where did the character come from? I was just pulling from people I knew and grew up with. So its a blend. But I always knew that I wanted to make Jordan a bit of a troublemaker and someone who was not perfect. And I think that was a little bit of a resistance to what our parents did. There are many Asians who also believed in the model minority myth that we were good, and that was perpetuated by our parents. My friends and I all resented that our parents would tell us about a mythical Peter Kim in Cerritos who got a 1600 on [the] SAT, and they would tell us we were supposed to be like Peter Kim. And we all felt like screwups in comparison. And so I definitely wanted Jordan to be very imperfect and start there. And I was very sympathetic to that kid. I always knew that I wanted to make Jordan a bit of a troublemaker and someone who was not perfect. A lot of kids want to rise to the occasion for their parents, but is it different for a child of immigrants? Even though hes very young, Jordan understands that his parents have gone through a lot, and theyre doing a lot for him. I wanted to understand a bit more about Jordan and that pressure of trying to be great, while also trying to be a kid. This is something I hear from a lot of immigrants. Its a really benevolent phrase, but so heavy because, Ive heard from my parents and lots of other parents, We came here for you. But to bear the weight of your parents lives on your shoulders is extra hard. So there is an extra expectation, and in Jordans case, it went awry. Others may rise to the occasion, but a lot of kids buckle under that pressure and Jordan was one of them. Another interesting thing about this book is that it considers gun violence, which is a prevalent issue in the U.S., with recent shootings. How did you approach thinking about including a gun in this book? I was careful, but I was scared to do it. I was working backward thinking what do people remember of Koreans [during that event], and it was the image of the shopkeepers on their rooftops with the rifles. And then I thought, we really had to illustrate what [the shopkeepers] home life is. And thats where I wanted to go. But still, the gun was there. I guess the gun became a proxy for so many things. The dreams of America, of American independence, of freedom. For Jordan, it was adulthood, and responsibility. But he is told in no uncertain terms by his father that the gun is a machine thats used to kill and so theres a certain responsibility and weight with that. I do believe that there are responsible ways to use a gun, but there are many irresponsible ways to use a gun. I say in the authors note that I felt it was an abdication of my duty as a parent if I didnt talk about these things that my kids are already living. Theyre going through active shooter drills at school so it seemed like an opportunity to open a window of discussion. In an interview with the Los Angeles Times, you say that as a child you would have liked a book that spoke to you honestly about adult events. What truths do you wish youd been told when you were growing up? And what truths do you hope young readers will take away from Troublemaker? I think Jordan is really unaware of the events of both African American history [in the country] and African American history in his own city that led to that moment, and he is not very aware of the Korean history that led to that moment. A lot of that is the immigrant mentality as it relates to Korean Americans; I think many immigrants are leaving behind their country, or maybe it might be more particular to my generation of immigrants. And theyre like, Were leaving that behind. You dont need to know that. And also, its painful. But as painful as it is, very often its necessary to understand the past moving forward, so that you dont repeat things. And there we were in 2020; it was the ultimate moment of repetition. So I wish that I had been more educated at that age. And hopefully my children are more educated moving forward. Troublemaker by John Cho. Little, Brown $16.99 Mar. 22 ISBN 978-0-7595-5447-4 In 1944, when transatlantic travel meant constant threat of torpedoes from German U-boats, librarian Margaret McElderry boarded a freighter in New York to take a job at the Office of War Intelligence in London. To soothe the jangled nerves of fellow passengers as their ship navigated perilous waters, she told stories aloud; childrens stories, her friend, author Susan Cooper said, because she believed they were the very best kind of stories. Upon the wars end and her return to the U.S., she initiated the first childrens book department at Harcourt Brace & World, becoming one of a handful of editors instrumental in elevating childrens literature from its minor status to the thriving industry it is today. Those who knew her say her characteristic fearlessness and advocacy for childrens literature made an impact thats still undeniable as the imprint she founded celebrates 50 years. McElderry died in 2011 at age 98. In its first half century, Margaret K. McElderry Booksnow a boutique imprint of Simon & Schuster Childrens Publishinghas sold more than 80 million books. In addition to publishing Coopers much-heralded The Dark Is Rising series, the imprint has launched the careers of award-winning and bestselling authors and illustrators including William Alexander, Holly Black, Cassandra Clare, Hilary McKay, Margaret Mahy, Shelia P. Moses, Helen Oxenbury, and Chloe Gong among many others. Karen Wojtyla, the imprints v-p and editorial director, said its still very much a bold publisher. Theres truth telling in everything we do, she added. McElderry dauntlessly plotted her imprints direction based on decades working to engage young readers. If you dont catch them young, she once said, you wont have any adult readers. At Harcourt, she edited Newbery and Caldecott winnersin 1952, both awards in the same year. She published the Borrowers series by Mary Norton and became one of the first American editors to scout for books overseas. Her insight as a publisher came from intelligence, experience, and instinct, Cooper said, developed in part from her experience working at the New York Public Library under the supervision of the fearsomely demanding Anne Carroll Moore. McElderrys training as a librarian was foundational. She never hesitated to take risks on controversial books, including in 1950, acquiring and editing The Two Reds by William Lipkind, which was boycotted by retailers who feared from the title that the book was about communism at the height of the Red Scare. In addition to championing groundbreaking books, she blazed a trail for women at a time when the publishing industry was nearly exclusively dominated by men. When McElderry was fired in 1972 by William Jovanovich, who famously told her that the wave of the future has passed you by, she started her own imprint at Atheneum; she was the first editor in childrens publishing to have an eponymous imprint. Cooper was one of the authors who followed McElderry from Harcourt to her new home. I was going with her wherever she went, Cooper said. I trusted her judgment absolutely. The Dark Is Rising, the second in Coopers five-book series, was published by McElderry Books in 1974 and won a Newbery Honor. Her greatest gift was for nurturing the talents she discovered: keeping in close touch with her authors and illustrators, tracking their ideas, encouraging the work in progress, and ensuring that there will be more, Cooper said. Thats the mark of a great editor, as important as any handling of a manuscript. Because of her lengthy tenure in childrens publishing, McElderry was often referred to as the industrys grand dame. Twenty-five of the books she personally edited are still in print. Continuing McElderrys legacy, the imprint now focuses on high quality literary fantasy, contemporary and historical fiction, and a range of other author and character-driven titles. We always look for great writing, Wojtyla said, adding that the imprint has a gold standard to live up to. We dont publish anything that we think wouldnt get a starred review. McElderry Books currently publishes about 30 to 35 books per year. Although the imprints roots are in middle grade and picture books, about half of the list is now YA and also includes poetry and nonfiction. McElderry's legacy is a solid foundation to build upon, but the imprint remains focused on the future. Theres a lot more YA than McElderry would have imagined, Wojtyla said, and a much broader variety of stories than in the past. Chloe Gongs bestselling These Violent Delights duologywhich debuted in 2020carries on the imprints fantasy tradition. A Romeo and Juliet retelling set in 1926 Shanghai, the story was an instant commercial and critical success. Gong grew up reading McElderry author Cassandra Clare; her books made me fall in love with fictional worlds, Gong said. Opening a book and being somewhere else, the world ceased to exist. I was in another world fighting demons. It shaped what I wanted to achieve with my own writing. Being part of the McElderry tradition is a great honor, she said. The team of unsung heroes at the imprint carries on McElderrys legacy of nurturing talent and is wholeheartedly committed to her career, Gong said. Foul Lady Fortune, set in the same world of Violent Delights, is slated for September release, the first volume of another duology. Taking up the mantle in middle-grade fantasy, Onyeka and the Academy of the Sun by Tola Okogwu releases in June. Described as Black Panther meets X-Men, the story follows a British Nigerian girl who learns that because she's a member of a secret group called the Solari, her hair has psychokinetic powers, which shell learn to use at the Academy of the Sun, where she and her classmates must battle for the truth. McElderrys courage lives on in the imprint she founded, Wojtyla said. Were in a regressive time, she said. With books increasingly being challenged, its incumbent upon us to fight for kids and their right to read anything and everything. Providing windows and mirrors that empower children is central to its mission. McElderry wouldnt have shied away from publishing powerful, challenging books and her successors dont either, Wojtyla added, saying that she would certainly have been an advocate for inclusion and diversity. We are always reminded of Margarets influence. McElderry's legacy as a trailblazer and standard bearer for childrens books shows no sign of waning. Authors and artists can cover subjects today that were verboten even 20 years ago, Cooper said. But their story still has to be a good story. Its thanks to MKM and her successors that the world has something classifiable as childrens literature. As a publisher, I am here to safeguard the historical record. Last September, we at The Collective Book Studio commemorated Banned Books Week by sharing a list of our favorite banned books. But we need to think beyond that tongue-in-cheek reaction. The recent banning of Maus in a Tennessee school district is an alarming example of how banning books is rooted in the suppression and distortion of history. As the granddaughter of Holocaust survivors, this issue is particularly relevant for me. My roots in publishing and in the Jewish community mean that this is not just a controversy, it is a devastating setback. Holocaust commemoration and education is a global imperative, and books are a way to preserve memories and histories. I am a daughter of an immigrant. My Palestinian-born mother came here in the 1950s. Her mom, my grandmother, had fled Germany for Palestine, where she met my grandfather, who had arrived there in the early 1930s after stabbing an SS officer in self-defense. Grandpa Rudy lost almost his entire family in concentration camps, with only my great-grandmother surviving. During a recent conversation about banned books on The View, Whoopi Goldberg said, Lets be truthful about this, because the Holocaust isnt about race.... Its not about race... its about mans inhumanity to man. Antisemitism is insidious. People like Goldberg may think they are still respectfully acknowledging the truth, but they are in fact dismissing it. While she acknowledged the brutality of the Holocaust, her sweeping comment about mans inhumanity to man ignores the systematic and systemic marginalization of Jews on the basis of race. With only a quick search on the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum website, readers will find that in September 1935, the German parliament passed the Nuremberg Race Laws, effectively institutionalizing the persecution of Jews on the basis of inherited race. In fact, Nazi ideology specifically hinged on the racialization of Jews, and the Nazis tyranny was orchestrated through these laws and widespread propaganda, such as Aryan eugenics posters. How does this all tie back to banning books? Reading is education, and access to books and source material allows us to crystallize our histories in our consciousness, and in our childrens, so that we do not repeat the past. In May 1933, Nazis burned books, largely those by Jewish intellectuals, that contained un-German spirit. This burning took place at universitiessimilar to how current U.S. book bannings are taking place at schools. As literature about the Holocaust continues to be challenged, people lose access to the voices of the oppressed, allowing misrepresentations to seep into popular culture. I often speak about being the publisher of a woman-owned independent press, but the bigger picture is that my business is not just woman owned, it is Jewish woman owned. I never thought I would be intimidated to identify this way, but to step into my own power and family history means that I also need to be aware of the stereotypes associated with Jews. It is a risk to broadcast the fact that one operates a Jewish business, and a risk that I am keenly aware of based on my familys history of being targeted, and having businesses burned down, for this reason. That said, I am willing to accept the risk when it means I can create a safe space for Jewish voices. Many of my authors are Jewish, and several of them address Jewish issues and themes in their books; 52 Shabbats, for instance, uses food as a lens to examine diversity in the Jewish community. No suffering happens in isolation; when one community suffers, there are ripple effects for other communities. The environment that allows one community to be disenfranchised, or oppressed, is the infrastructure that will allow other communities to be disenfranchised and oppressed. It is so crucial that our communities unite to uplift our voices in spaces like book publishing, for the good of all oppressed groups. Now we have Maus appearing on bookstore bestseller lists, as people are flocking to add this onto their bookshelves, but are they really doing anything to break down the stereotypes? Forty-eight percent of the worlds Jewish population currently resides in the U.S., yet we continue to have security officers stationed outside of our synagogues, and on our holiest holidays we fear for our safety. We worry about our children being targets in schools. We do not know our own family history, as many of our families have huge gaps in their lineage. Banning books like Maus erases my Jewish experience, minimizes the violence of the Holocaust, and ultimately validates Holocaust-denial rhetoric. Uncomfortable books are necessary because they preserve memories like those Ive shared about my own family, and as a publisher, I am here to safeguard the historical record and challenge the distortion of history often expressed in contemporary antisemitism. Angela Engel is publisher and founder of The Collective Book Studio. State Rep. Sharon Negele, R-Attica, speaks in the House chamber in favor of House Enrolled Act 1079, which declares it is rape when a person disregards the other person's attempts to physically, verbally, or by other visible conduct refuse the person's sexual acts. {span}Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks during his State of the State speech in Sacramento on March 8, 2022.{/span} A Syrian man works at a textile workshop at the Al-Qatirji industrial city in Syria's northern city of Aleppo on March 7, 2022. As the Syrian crisis is entering its 12th year, the U.S. and Western sanctions remain a major obstacle for normal life to return in the country. The economic sanctions, in particular, have crippled most factories in the war-torn country. (Photo by Ammar Safarjalani/Xinhua) by Hummam Sheikh Ali ALEPPO, Syria, March 14 (Xinhua) -- As the Syrian crisis is entering its 12th year, the U.S. and Western sanctions remain a major obstacle for normal life to return in the country. The economic sanctions, in particular, have crippled most factories in the war-torn country. After dusting the dirt of war off of themselves and their largely shattered factories, the industrialists of Aleppo city, the commercial and industrial capital of Syria, faced the U.S. and Western sanctions that were like bullets in their feet. At the Al-Qatirji industrial city of Aleppo, and much of the areas in the eastern part of the city, the scars of war are still obvious, with damaged or partially destroyed buildings, which are still a sign of how vicious the war was in Aleppo. But despite the war and its destruction, life is beating strongly in that area with the defining sound of machines reverberating here and there amid the energetic movement of passengers, workers and cars. The Aleppo people are known for their dedication to labor and output. Most factories in Aleppo used to run 24 hours a day, seven days a week before the war. Their hard work earned them and their city the title of the country's industrial and commercial capital. When the battles in Aleppo city came to a halt in late 2016, the industrialists were quick to pick up the pieces of their days of glory and return to work, even at the lowest capacity. Xinhua team in Syria has been committed to visiting Aleppo every year to see how the situation in the city is evolving in comparison with other parts of Syria. Every year, something new is done in Aleppo: factories that are rebuilt, squares are repaired and marketplaces are reopened. The vitality in Aleppo is so contagious that there is no room for sorrow or wallowing in the past. Hard work combined with inner strength and resilience seems like a successful formula shared by locals. But with all the positive attitude and the willingness to emerge from under the rubble, here comes another challenge for the people in Aleppo in particular and for Syrians in general: the U.S. and Western sanctions. It's as if the bombings, destruction and relocation weren't enough to shatter the Syrians' spirits, so the U.S. and its Western allies decided to add to their suffering and pain by imposing crippling sanctions to prevent people from having decent lives. As the country marks the 11th anniversary of the crisis, Aleppo's industrialists continue to struggle with the shortage of gasoline, electricity, spare parts for their equipment, and the inability to export or import due to sanctions. According to Abdul-Salam Mzayek, secretary of the Al-Qatirji Industrial Zone, Aleppo's manufacturers were so quick to invest all of their savings to restore their enterprises and start from scratch. However, he pointed out that the sanctions imposed by the U.S. and its Western allies have had an impact on industrialists, particularly those in the textile industry, who are having difficulty finding spare parts for their looms as well as cotton threads for their production, not to mention to export their products due to the lack of bank transactions between Syria and the rest of the world. "We have been severely harmed as a result of the sanctions imposed on by the U.S. and Western countries. Textile businesses have been impacted in terms of getting threads and spare components for looms," he said. He said around 30 to 40 percent of these factories were forced to shut down. At a textile factory in the Al-Qatirji zone, Saleh Mzayek, the owner, told Xinhua that sanctions have hampered his capacity to get cotton threads, noting that spare parts for his looms are nearly depleted and, if they are found, are highly expensive. The 53-year-old man said he is working at the minimum capacity in order to make a livelihood for the workers. "In terms of exports, only Iraq and Lebanon import some, but there are no longer any exports. The situation is difficult, and people's livelihoods are severely impacted," he said. Abdul-Munem Hashimi, the owner of another textile factory in the same industrial zone, told Xinhua that now they only produce half of what they used to. "We used to work all day round in the winter and summer," he continued, "but today, because of the sanctions, high prices, and people's declining purchasing power, we can barely make half of our regular production." He went on that lifting U.S. sanctions is critical for the business to recover to pre-war levels, which would benefit the Syrian people as a whole. Several conditions, according to him, are required for production to return to its former levels: first, prohibitions on imports and exports should be repealed; second, electricity should be available 24 hours a day, as well as enough fuel in case of an emergency. That was a glimpse of the suffering of industrialists in Aleppo, and it can for sure be applied to all businesses in Syria that have been affected by the sanctions. The UN Syria Commission of Inquiry said in a report that in light of the deteriorating living conditions, the commission has called for a review of the implementation and impacts of sanctions currently imposed on Syria. It added that despite humanitarian exemptions, more is required to mitigate unintended consequences on the daily lives of the civilian population brought about by over compliance. "Where sanctions are not adequately reviewed, they can lead to further shortages and impede humanitarian assistance, for the most vulnerable populations, with devastating impact on everyone except the political and economic elite," the commission said. A destroyed building is seen at the Al-Qatirji industrial city in Syria's northern city of Aleppo on March 7, 2022. As the Syrian crisis is entering its 12th year, the U.S. and Western sanctions remain a major obstacle for normal life to return in the country. The economic sanctions, in particular, have crippled most factories in the war-torn country. (Photo by Ammar Safarjalani/Xinhua) A Syrian man works at a textile workshop at the Al-Qatirji industrial city in Syria's northern city of Aleppo on March 7, 2022. As the Syrian crisis is entering its 12th year, the U.S. and Western sanctions remain a major obstacle for normal life to return in the country. The economic sanctions, in particular, have crippled most factories in the war-torn country. (Photo by Ammar Safarjalani/Xinhua) A Syrian man works at a textile workshop at the Al-Qatirji industrial city in Syria's northern city of Aleppo on March 7, 2022. As the Syrian crisis is entering its 12th year, the U.S. and Western sanctions remain a major obstacle for normal life to return in the country. The economic sanctions, in particular, have crippled most factories in the war-torn country. (Photo by Ammar Safarjalani/Xinhua) A Syrian man works at a textile workshop at the Al-Qatirji industrial city in Syria's northern city of Aleppo on March 7, 2022. As the Syrian crisis is entering its 12th year, the U.S. and Western sanctions remain a major obstacle for normal life to return in the country. The economic sanctions, in particular, have crippled most factories in the war-torn country. (Photo by Ammar Safarjalani/Xinhua) The line-up includes new premium factual series focused on code breaking, true crime stories, a science series unearthing evidence from cataclysmic events in our past and a documentary revealing the real stories of African Amercans in the Wild West from leading producers including Future Studios, Blink Films, Joined Up Films and CAPA TV.Codes and ciphers have been used for millennia to send secret messages, hide identities and operate outside the law. Featuring 3D graphics alongside captivating archive and interviews with key protagonists and cryptography experts, Cracking the Code (8 x 60) reveals the high stakes stories of the race to unravel a wide range of secret codes. It encompasses the cipher-breaking heroine who took on the mob to the code-breaking brilliance that changed the course of World War II, and the hunt for the Zodiac Killer right through to cracking the human genetic code. The programme is produced by Blink Films for Curiosity in association with Drive.In five-part history series Curse of the Ancients (5 x 60), produced by Future Studios and Krempelwood for Sky HISTORY, Professor Alice Roberts reveals how scientists are unearthing the evidence for cataclysmic events in the past and their disastrous consequences. From wars to earthquakes and floods to famines these are the events that have helped shape our modern world. In each episode, Roberts takes viewers on a journey across Europe and North Africa to discover epic sites and landmarks.Claremont (3 x 60) is the story of the most expensive and long-running manhunt in Australian history. In 1996, women began to disappear off the streets of Claremont, sending shockwaves through the wealthy suburb of Perth and all of Australia. A community lived in fear and the perpetrator simply disappeared, leaving behind a chilling trail of rape and murder. It took over 20 years and the assistance of FBI profilers and British forensic experts to uncover the identity of the killer someone who was already in the system. Through the lens of the surviving victims, this series reveals how society can enable a serial killer to hide in plain sight. It is produced by Joined Up Films/ Barking Mad Productions for Channel 10 Australia.Black West (1 x 60/90- pictured) debunks one of the Western worlds most powerful myths: the story of how the American West was won by great heroes and white men. In 1875, one in four American cowboys was Black sheriffs, trappers and soldiers. Some were adopted by Native American tribes while others became their slaves. These anonymous heroes were the inspiration for many great Westerns; yet Hollywood has erased them from the silver screen. Pieced together from archives, carefully crafted re-enactments and first-hand historical accounts, Black West restores these invisible heroes to their rightful place in history. The programme is produced by CAPA TV for ARTE.In addition to bringing the new titles to Cannes, Drive will also bring a raft of successful returning series to the market including second series of History Mystery series Strangest Things (10 x 60), Eli Roths Paranormal Horror series A Ghost Ruined My Life (8 x 60) and true crime shows Made for Murder and A Killers Mistake (both 10 x 60).Commenting on the MIPTV slate, Lilla Hurst, Drive co-MD, said: Drives largest ever slate of new titles not only delivers on all of the non-scripted genres that our buyers are currently seeking but to a high production standard across the board. US government sanctions require the worlds leading retail-payment networks Mastercard and Visa to stop serving Russian banks listed as Specially Designated Nationals. There are 3.8 billion and 2.6 billion Visa and Mastercard cards, respectively, worldwide. Three hundred million of them are issued by Russian banks. The global payment networks went further, blocking all cross-border payments and cash withdrawals on their cards from and to Russia. For example, French Mastercard cardholders wont be able to pay Russia-domiciled merchants in-person or online. Russian Mastercard cardholders wont be able to pay for hotels and restaurants in-person or online or to withdraw cash at ATMs in NYC. American businesses and consumers will be hurt. Pain will be incurred to inflict pain. However, as former intelligence officer Ralph Peters observes, economic sanctions against bad actors rarely work, at least not on their own. They didnt force North Korea, Iran, Cuba, Syria, Venezuela, or Russia after its first invasion of Ukraine, to bend the knee. Moreover, while sufficiently tough sanctions will hurt Russias economy and dictator Vladimir Putins war machine, they disproportionately hurt the common folk. But financial sanctions are politically easier than more concrete measures and enable a soft West to feel good about ourselves, like were doing something. Only the credible threat of retributive violence deters motivated bad actors. And, in Ukraine the window for deterrence is closed. Its a hot and bloody war. Financial sanctions wont stop Putins attack helicopters and tanks. Fighting men and arms decide hot wars. Bearing that in mind, sanctions should be viewed as a supplement not a silver bullet, and be maximal. Theres a downside. The more financial sanctions are used, the less effective they become, the less willing countries will be to rely on US-domiciled payment systems. Well-established payment systems like Mastercard, Visa, and Belgium-based bank association SWIFT work, have global network critical mass, and would be enormously difficult to replace. Nevertheless, kicking bad actors out of them encourages the development of alternatives. After Putins 2014 invasion of Ukraine, the US forced Visa, Mastercard, American Express, and PayPal to cut off Crimea. That spurred Russia to launch its long-contemplated national-champion card network Mir and to mandate that foreign payment networks like Mastercard and Visa process transactions in-country, denying the US Treasury Department the ability to turn off the switch. The Russian central banks National Payment Card System runs Mir. NPCS also processes all domestic Mastercard and Visa transactions. Because Russia mandated in-country payment-network processing over which it has control, Mastercards and Visas prohibitions wont affect domestic transactions payments and cash withdrawals by cards issued by banks and used at merchants and ATMs in Russia. Mir will become Russias monopoly domestic card network like China UnionPay in the Middle Kingdom. To work around the global payment networks cross-border-payment bans, Russian banks including Sberbank, Alfa Bank, and Tinkoff Bank, are exploring cobranding with CUP for international payments. While CUPs global acceptance network is weaker than Mastercards and Visas, it would provide Russian banks and cardholders some relief. CUP enjoys reciprocal acceptance with the Discover network, which has acceptance parity with Mastercard and Visa in the US. Russian CUP/Mir cardholders could pay at any US Discover merchant. Additionally, CUP has built acceptance abroad by partnering with the same merchant acquirers that provide Mastercard and Visa acceptance. In line with Mastercards and Visas approach, Discover will block CUP cards issued by Russian banks. Additionally, merchant acquirers like Chase, FIS, Fiserv, Global Payments, Stripe, Adyen, US Banks Elavon, and Square providing CUP acceptance, must block payments from cards issued by Russian banks, and, to be airtight, for all Russian banks not just those on Treasurys sanctions list. While no substitute for arms, financial sanctions including restrictions on payments can increase pressure. They should not, however, be deployed as tools of foreign policy casually or often. Eric Grover is Principal at Intrepid Ventures, providing corporate development and strategy consulting to financial services, payment network, and processing businesses, and to firms serving and investing in the payments space. By Elizabeth Kwiatkowski, 03/15/2022 ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT Elizabeth Kwiatkowski is Associate Editor of Reality TV World and has been covering the reality TV genre for more than a decade. couple Olga Koshimbetova and Steven Frend have announced they are having another baby together after a brief split.Steven revealed that his wife Olga is pregnant with the couple's second child, In Touch Weekly reported "She is currently 10 weeks, gender is unknown," Steven, 24, told In Touch on Tuesday. "It was not expected. It threw us off completely."Steven and Olga, who starred on Season 6 of in 2018 and got married in late August 2019, are apparently in a big life transition and so they were not trying to conceive."We just made a huge move from Maryland to Brooklyn, New York. So, it wasn't expected but gratefully, I have a great job that pays amazing so with having a new kid on the way, I'm at no worries," Steven shared."Olga can take time for a few months when the baby is born. It's been a crazy four months living here and this made it more interesting!"Steven and Olga's three-year-old son Richie Aleksandr "Alex" Frend, who was born in April 2018, is apparently looking forward to having a sibling."Our family just grew bigger and Alex is so excited to have a brother or sister, even though he really wants a brother," Steven noted. "Alex will be the best big brother ever."Olga shared with her social media followers in November 2019 that her relationship with Steven was "too complicated" when asked why she had been spotted without her wedding ring on.And then more than a year later, breakup rumors started to swirl about the pair.Steven confirmed his "civil" and "no drama" split from Olga after only one year of marriage in October 2020, when he also deleted all photos of his wife from his Instagram account.Steven said at the time co-parenting Alex amicably would remain his top priority.However, Steven and Olga later reconciled and agreed to work on their relationship.Steven and Olga got a fresh start in New York City in 2021, but they apparently continued to struggle with marital issues."We were really surprised when we found out [about Baby No. 2] because our relationship has been kind of rocky and will require attention so we're considering therapy for an outside opinion, but I know we will get through this!" Steven told the magazine."With having a new baby, we most likely will stay in New York for maybe two more years, then move to the Bay Area in California to be closer to Olga's family that lives in the states -- get a nice house there and settle down."Steven met Olga while she was visiting America for the summer in 2017, and after only about six weeks of dating, the couple discovered Olga was pregnant. Steven said learning he was going to be a father was "a holy sh-t moment" for him.Olga returned to Russia about a week after learning she was pregnant, but Steven suggested they should get married and have her return to America on a K-1 visa.Steven told Olga he had applied for her K-1 visa shortly after her return to Russia but the visa application had been delayed, leaving her stuck overseas for the birth of their son.However, viewers witnessed Steven eventually admit to Olga that he had been lying and didn't actually apply for the visa until after traveling to Russia to be with Olga for Alex's birth.Once Steven confessed the truth to Olga on Season 6 of , she appeared to take the news surprisingly well and quickly forgave him.Steven left Maryland and returned to Russia to visit the love of his life in January 2019, and then in April of that year, Steven announced Olga would be arriving in the United States shortly."I'm in the U.S. now, Olga will be here in a week or 2. She already has her Visa," Steven shared in an Instagram Story at the time, referencing how Olga's K-1 visa application had been approved."Now we only need the plane tickets. I had to leave Russia without Olga early or I was going to lose my job."Olga hinted she was in the United States on Instagram in June 2019 when she complained about not being used to the humidity, and Steven subsequently confirmed she had arrived on June 24 of that year by posting a family photo at the Annapolis City Dock in Maryland.Olga's visa gave her 90 days to wed Steven or else she would have to return to Russia.In early July 2019, Olga revealed she and Steven had spent time in Maryland before traveling to New York for a "spontaneous" trip.Olga and Steven apparently enjoyed sightseeing before settling into their new life together and getting married."30.08.2019 we are officially husband and wife ," Olga captioned an Instagram selfie in late August of that year, showing the couple posing with Alex and a marriage certificate.A courthouse was visible in the photo's background and the certificate appeared to be a State of Maryland document, indicating the young couple married in a courthouse ceremony in Steven's home state.Olga said in Fall 2019 it would be "awesome" if she and her husband got to star on another season of a spinoff on TLC.Want more spoilers or couples updates? Click here to visit our homepage! Netflix is giving a glimpse of the new series Our Great National Parks. ADVERTISEMENT The streaming service shared a trailer for the docuseries Tuesday featuring president Barack Obama Our Great National Parks celebrates and explores "the power of our planet's greatest national parks and wild spaces." Obama serves as narrator. "This is a journey through the natural wonders of our shared birthright," the former president says in the trailer. The five-episode series will span five continents and highlight Monterey Bay, Calif., Tsavo National Park in Kenya, Gunung Leuser National Park in Indonesia, and other areas. Obama also serves as executive producer with James Honeyborne (Planet Blue II) and Tonia Davis. Our Great National Parks premieres April 13. Obama and his wife, former first lady Michelle Obama, signed a multi-year deal with Netflix in 2018. The couple have since executive produced the Netflix series Waffles + Mochi and We the People. "Love is Blind" star Shaina Hurley is engaged to be married. ADVERTISEMENT The television personality recently got engaged to her boyfriend, Christos Lardos, E! News reported this week. People said Lardos proposed March 10. The couple plan to marry in Greece over the summer. "Shaina is engaged. She's been dating Christos for almost a year and this is the happiest I've ever seen her," a source said. "He has stood by her side through all of the 'Love is Blind' drama and has been her steady in the storm." Hurley and Lardos made their relationship Instagram official with a slideshow of photos and videos from Mykonos on Sunday. "My ride or die forever," Hurley captioned the post. News of Hurley's engagement follows her appearance in Love is Blind Season 2, which ended with a reunion special released March 4 on Netflix. FOLLOW REALITY TV WORLD ON THE ALL-NEW GOOGLE NEWS! Reality TV World is now available on the all-new Google News app and website. Click here to visit our Google News page, and then click FOLLOW to add us as a news source! Season 2 saw Hurley accept an engagement proposal from her co-star Kyle Abrams after voicing her feelings for Shayne Jansen. Hurley ended her relationship with Abrams due to their differing religious beliefs. "Love is Blind" is a dating reality series featuring singles who connect in "pods" where they can talk but not see each other. The couples meet in person after getting engaged. Top Gun: Maverick, starring Tom Cruise, is set to screen at the 75th annual Cannes Film Festival, according to multiple reports. ADVERTISEMENT The sequel to 1986's Top Gun will screen at Cannes before it premieres in theaters on May 27 for Memorial Day weekend, sources close to the festival confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter. The Cannes Film Festival is set to run from May 17-28. Variety confirmed that Top Gun: Maverick will screen at Cannes. Deadline noted that the film will still have its world premiere in San Diego before Cannes takes place. Top Gun: Maverick, from director Joseph Kosinski, has had its theatrical release delayed multiple times due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The film will feature Cruise as an older Maverick who is training a new group of Top Gun graduates for a specialized mission. Miles Teller stars as the son of Maverick's late co-pilot Goose. Co-stars include Jennifer Connelly, Jon Hamm, Glen Powell, Lewis Pullman, Danny Ramirez, Monica Barbaro, Ed Harris and Val Kilmer, who is reprising his role as Iceman. TRAVERSE CITY Traverse City Area Public Schools Board of Education trustees failed to pass a motion adopting a policy regarding a Head Start federal masking mandate. Two policies regarding two separate federal mandates came before TCAPS trustees once again after months of them being discussed at meetings. The board has been continually reviewing the policies and reaching out to their lawyers for guidance. The latest on COVID-19 Continuing coverage of COVID-19 and its impact. If you have a question about the novel coronavirus pandemic and haven't been able to find an a One policy correlated with a federal mandate that has since been dropped, so the board voted unanimously to not adopt it. The other policy would lay out the districts guidelines and procedures for complying with federal vaccination and masking requirements for the Head Start program, which is still in place despite changing federal guidelines. Trustees voted 3-3 with trustee Sue Kelly absent on whether or not to adopt the policy. Board President Scott Newman-Bale, trustee Matt Anderson and trustee Andrew Raymond opposed the policy while trustees Josey Ballenger, Erica Moon Mohr and Flournoy Humphreys voted in favor of adopting it. With the motion failing, the policy was not adopted, but the school district will continue to comply with the federal mandate. Thrun Law, the boards law firm, advised that the board adopt a policy because of the complex nature of the mandate, said Cindy Berck, TCAPS executive director of human resources. By adopting a policy, the board would be laying out the specific ways in which the school district would follow and enforce the mandate. Even if theres a federal law that youre going to comply with, a policy will dictate how the employer, how TCAPS, will respond to that, Berck said. So its no different than Title IX or sexual harassment policies. A few board members took issue with adopting such a policy that contradicts the current trend of public health policy. I just dont like putting a policy like this in place. Its inconsistent, Anderson said. Its another inconsistency from state, federal, local and to come up with another policy here from the school board level directly contradicts in so many places. That just seems absurd to me. Other trustees expressed interest in following Thrun Laws advice. I think we all find issue with this policy, but I think its still its in the best interest to follow the advice of our lawyers, Humphreys said. The board also took a consent item off their agenda on Monday evening that was contested by a few members of the public. The item would change the school districts dress and grooming policies for staff, support staff and students by adding a line to acknowledge staff and students right to dress according to their gender identity. At the outset of Mondays meeting, Newman-Bale took the policy change off the agenda because some board members thought it was recommended by the boards lawyers. It was not. A few members of the public expressed relief that the policy change was scratched from the agenda and requested it not be taken up again. Some said adding that kind of language to policies is distracting the trustees from focusing on education while others had concerns about what it would mean. Theres a lot of community members that would be very upset if that dress code policy went into place, Jamie Francisco said. There are a lot of parents that would be wondering: Does that mean that were going to have Mr. Smith come into their kindergarten classroom to read story time dressed in drag? The board also voted 5-0 with Newman-Bale abstaining because he owns Shorts Brewing Company to adopt a resolution that would proclaim April as Social Host Awareness month. The Social Host Awareness Resolution is an initiative of TCAPS and Grand Traverse County that encourages adults over 21 years of age to not promote or enable underage drinking. Some in the audience raised concerns about this resolution as well, saying it is outside of the schools prerogative. This is not something to me that I feel should be something that the school has to have a resolution, Darcie Pickren said. This is human behavior. Its been going on since the beginning of time. It is not often that people are walking around wearing clothes they made for themselves, but this isnt the case for Lillian Maple, a junior fashion merchandising major at the University of Georgia. Police have identified a suspect following reports of a bomb threat on campus on March 2, according to a University of Georgia Police Department report. Police determined the threats were not credible. An individual under the username ImJustQuicker posted a bomb threat in an online Discord channel called UGA Casual Gamers, according to the report. The threat did not include any specific location on campus. The post read, I AM BOMBING UGA AT 2 EST TODAY REPORT ME ALL YOU WANT OPS WONT DO SHIT DONT COME IF YOU DONT WANNA DIE THE WORLD WILL PAY FOR WHAT IT HAS DONE TO ME. The suspect was determined to be located in Colorado and has no known ties to UGA. UGAPD coordinated with Colorado law enforcement and the Federal Bureau of Investigation was contacted. The FBI is actively working on the investigation and will consider prosecuting the perpetrator at the federal level. Police investigating bomb threat on UGA campus The University of Georgia Police Department received reports of a bomb threat on campus Wednesday. Police carrying bags and wearing vests were on the scene investigating at the Tate Student Center, moving throughout the food court and main lobby areas. K9 units in training were also seen at Tate, according to the Tate information desk. UGA Police do not believe there was ever any actual threat posed to the UGA community, according to an Archnews email sent around 4 p.m. that day. 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 Sam Baker-Gentry, an assistant at the Winston Prouty Center for Child and Family Development, pushes a preschooler on a swing on Wednesday, Jan. 5, 2022. Brattleboro, VT (05301) Today Periods of rain. High 56F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 80%.. Tonight Showers early, then partly cloudy overnight. Low 47F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 40%. BURLINGTON An investment firm that promised to help Koffee Kup Bakery dig out of nearly $15 million in debt told a federal court that a clas U.S. Rep. Peter Welch recently spoke with Vermont News & Media and Greater Northshire Access Television for an interview to be telecast later this month. STAMFORD OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma, which reached a $6 billion settlement earlier this month with Connecticut and other states, has stopped promoting its treatment for Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Purdues decision to end the promotion of Adhansia XR, which is unrelated to the settlement, was documented in a recent report submitted by independent monitor and former Montana Gov. Steve Bullock. The companys public communications about the drug, which went on the market in 2019, have been closely watched in light of the thousands of lawsuits filed in the past few years that allege Purdue fueled the opioid crisis with deceptive OxyContin marketing. The company has reported to the monitor that in December 2021 it discontinued the use of an outside sales force for Adhansia, Bullock said in the report. Accordingly, the company no longer has employees or entities promoting any of its opioid or ADHD products directly to health care providers or patients. In response to an inquiry from Hearst Connecticut Media about why it decided to stop promoting the drug, Purdue said in a statement that we made the business decision last year to stop investing commercially in Adhansia XR. This decision was not based on any safety/efficacy concerns or bankruptcy/legal requirements. We have enough inventory to meet the needs of health care providers and patients, and we continue to meet all regulatory requirements. From March 2020 to October 2020, the company used third-party contract sales teams, consisting of approximately 90 people, to promote Adhansia, according to Bullocks report. Another contract sales team for the drug, with 60 customer-service representatives, was added in November 2020. An injunction implemented after Purdue filed for bankruptcy in September 2019 prohibits the company from employing or contracting with sales representatives or others to promote opioids to health care providers or patients, but it does not ban the use of sales representatives for non-opioids. Amid the torrent of OxyContin-focused lawsuits, Purdue ended its opioid marketing and disbanded its sales force in 2018. Those changes resulted in several hundred layoffs. Produced by Purdue subsidiary Adlon Therapeutics, Adhansia consists of an extended-release capsule that is intended for patients age 6 and older. It comprises a methylphenidate medication one of the main stimulant groups for treating ADHD. Stimulants increase the brain chemicals dopamine and norepinephrine, which are crucial to thinking and attention. Adhansias sales totaled nearly $24 million in 2021, up more than 70 percent from 2020, according to health care data provider IQVIA. There were about 64,000 dispensed prescriptions for the drug last year, compared with around 36,000 in 2020. It is only available in the U.S. But the treatments account for a small percentage of the ADHD pharmaceuticals market. Among ADHD drugs available in the U.S., amphetamine salts, the generic equivalent for Adderall, generated the most dispensed prescriptions in 2021, with a total of nearly 24 million, according to IQVIA. Takeda Pharmaceuticals Vyvanse was No. 1 in sales last year in the category, with a tally of more than $4 billion. Dubious promoting of ADHD treatments has persisted for years. By 2013, the Food and Drug Administration had cited every major ADHD drug for false and misleading advertising in the previous 13 years, some for multiple infractions, according to a New York Times investigation that year. The FDA has not sent any warning letters to Purdue related to the promotion of Adhansia, according to a search of records on the agencys website. Purdues promotion of Adhansia was not part of Connecticuts lawsuit against the company and the Sackler family members who own the firm because that complaint focused on the allegedly deceptive marketing of OxyContin. Connecticut Attorney General William Tong declined to comment on the end of the promotion of Adhansia. pschott@stamfordadvocate.com; twitter: @paulschott Dave Roberts / Contributed photo BARKHAMSTED Resident Dave Roberts will represent the Grange on the United Nations Council of Organizations. He was appointed by National Grange Patrons of Husbandry President Betsy Huber. The council was founded 75 years ago by former First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt to include United States non-profit organizations in the work of the United Nations, according to a statement. National Grange was one of 42 non-profit organizations originally involved to promote the United Nations. Today, 30 of the 42 original non-profit organizations are still in existence. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate While it remains an open question if adults in Connecticut will be eligible to get a second COVID-19 vaccine booster, experts say a decision is not likely imminent. The decision, which will weigh a variety of factors, may be based on a goal to have COVID vaccines become a regular occurrence, like they are with vaccines against influenza, according to one expert. Im hoping that were shifting toward a yearly shot, said Dr. Asha Shah, director of infectious diseases at Stamford Hospital. If were thinking about boosters in the fall, are we getting more toward a seasonal model, similar to the flu? The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention approved boosters for millions of patients in November. At that point, people who had received two doses of either the Moderna or Pfizer-BioNTech COVID vaccine six months earlier, or were two months past receiving a Johnson & Johnson single-dose vaccine, could get a booster shot. That was later shortened to five months, and expanded to include all fully vaccinated individuals except for 5- to 11 year-olds. Children younger than 12 remain ineligible to be boosted, and children younger than 5 are still not eligible to receive their initial COVID vaccine course. A decision on a second round of boosters has not been discussed publicly by federal regulators. Some immunocompromised patients have already received a fourth shot, but the data to support further doses for the majority of patients, however, is not yet there, according to experts. A lot of things with COVID, I feel like the answer should always be, We're still looking into it, do we really know about it? Yes or no? And the answer, usually, more often than not, is, Not really, until we get the data, said Dr. Jessica Abrantes-Figueiredo, chief of infectious disease at St. Francis Hospital. I am not in favor of the fourth shot just yet, said Dr. Ulysses Wu, chief epidemiologist at Hartford HealthCare. I dont think its time. Though some countries, such as Israel, have begun administering fourth doses for the general public, Art Caplan said the data does not yet support it in the United States. Theres relatively little data yet, said Caplan, a Ridgefield resident and founder of the bioethics department at New York University Langone. Its kind of an under-evidenced debate right now. There are, Wu said, both epidemiological and sociological concerns. According to David Banach, head of infection prevention and hospital epidemiologist at UConn Health, the immune response is the primary factor. I think that the main factors to consider when evaluating the need for future doses would be the durability of cell-mediated and antibody immune protection after a primary series plus a booster, which could be impacted by the appearance of new variants, he said. Wu agreed. A new, possibly more infectious variant would necessitate another vaccine dose. There will be another peak, another variant, he said. Around that time, a fourth shot would be best. The state said Monday that 809 COVID cases had been identified through weekend out of 31,488 reported tests for a positivity rate of 2.57 percent. COVID hospitalizations decreased by 19 statewide, for a total of 121 patients. With the COVID numbers trending downward, Caplan said it might not be the right time for a fourth vaccine shot. It does seem that rates are falling, it does seem that hospital and death rates are falling, he said. Maybe right now is the time to hold tight. There are also questions of uptake. While more than 85 percent of eligible Connecticut residents have been fully vaccinated, booster rates have stalled. About 52.3 percent of people older than 12 in Connecticut have received a booster dose, figures show. Thats despite clear evidence that booster shots prevented the worst symptoms during the recent omicron surge, experts said. We already know and have data that shows if you aren't boosted, you still could be at risk for severe infection or death, Abrantes-Figueiredo said. Having those three doses, four doses if you're immunocompromised, will really reduce your chances of getting hospitalized or dying. Though Wu said he expects the CDC to reserve a booster recommendation until the next variant or the next surge, Shah said that would be a missed opportunity. She said the recommendation for the first booster dose also came too late. I think that was a missed opportunity in the fall when boosters came out and nobody got them, she said. The larger question, Shah said, was if the message should shift from recommending one booster and then the next, to a question of regularity. We need to set the expectation from a (public) health standpoint that it's important to stay up to date with your vaccines, she said. This needs to become normalized with all the other vaccines. That needs to be the message. Caplan said its not yet known what frequency would provide the most immunity for the longest time. I am sure that more shots are in store for all of us, but everything with boosters is the timing, he said. The technical term for a booster is when experts agree that immunity from a shot has started to wane. But experts are disagreeing what that might look like. Is a 10 percent drop in immunity over two weeks enough of a decrease to warrant a booster? Or is the figure closer to 30 percent decrease in immunity over the course of a year? We dont know what the timing is that would make it the most effective, Caplan said. If you're immunity hasn't declined, you're kind of wasting your time. When asked to predict when the CDC might make another booster recommendation, Wu said he would expect it to come in the summer if a new variant emerges in this country or overseas, and if not, then by the fall. Its going to be based off the epidemiology, he said. Shah said she expects fourth shots for adults might be available sooner than initial vaccines for the youngest patients. I think the higher-risk group are the adults, she said. As weve seen, its adults with comorbidities or the elderly or the immunocompromised that are more at risk for severe disease or hospitalization. Republicans on Monday criticized Gov. Ned Lamonts firearms initiatives, charging that the proposed measures would violate the constitutional rights of gun owners. The GOP lawmakers also questioned whether the governors budget proposals would fall short of the juvenile justice reforms needed to address the states uptick in crime and car thefts during the last two years. But James Rovella, commissioner of the state Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection, said that adding rifles to the states list of banned weaponry, prohibiting guns on public transportation and on municipal property, and allowing police to review the permits of people openly carrying guns are needed to increase public safety. The GOP lawmakers, during an anticipated daylong, virtual public hearing of the legislative Judiciary Committee, for which 227 people registered to speak, also opposed having tighter restrictions on so-called ghost guns, homemade weapons made from a variety of purchased parts, without engraved registration numbers that provide a record of ownership. And while Lamont has proposed $72.5 million in state surplus and federal American Rescue Plan Act funding to pursue the legislation, including a new task force to work with neighboring states to investigate and fight the proliferation of illegal firearms from out-of-state, Republicans noted that in recent years they have proposed adding more money to an existing unit, which majority Democrats failed to properly fund. Rovella said the trafficking unit was a victim of a staffing shortage that has reduced the State Police personnel from 1,100 in 2017, to 888 today. In recent years, Democrats in the General Assembly have failed to pass a law allowing police to ask people openly carrying firearms to show their permits, the result of a high-profile case from Bridgeport in 2016. Members of the legislative Black and Puerto Rican Caucus helped derail the proposal, out of concerns that police could use the law to profile minority residents. It gives an officer a little more security in the ability to ask for a permit and to relief the stress of having someone harmed close to you, Rovella said. My question was how is that constitutional? replied state Rep. Doug Dubitsky, R-Chaplin. Im interested in the safety of police officers, Rovella said, stressing that free speech can be hindered by people openly carrying firearms. Illegal firearms are out there. How is this possibly constitutional? Dubitsky continued. State Rep. Bob Godfrey, D-Danbury, one of the longest serving members of the legislature and the committee, criticized Republican claims on the proposals in general, commending Rovella and Lamont for helping keep Connecticut a national leader in gun-safety laws. When I see fascist-leaning, gun-toting people wanting to overturn democracy and replace it with government by dictatorship, I get really, really angry and I get really frightened and will continue to fight that, Godfrey said. So when I see a proposal that says no guns in polling places? Therere entire groups of people who would like to overturn elections. When we see that people are afraid when they see someone carrying a gun openly in public places, theyre frightened. By mid-afternoon, with still more than 200 people left to testify, Walt Kupson, outreach coordinator for the pro-gun Connecticut Citizens Defense League, slammed the governors proposals. Eighty five percent of it is pure, biased gun control, Kupson told the committee. It wont do a thing for crime. Most of the first hours of testimony focused on firearms. On juvenile justice issues, state Child Advocate Sarah Eagan and Marisa Halm, director of the Youth Justice Project in the Center for Childrens Advovacy, warned that the main juvenile jail, the Manson Youth Institution in Cheshire, has been found in violation of childrens rights. State Rep. Craig Fishbein of Wallingford, a top Republican on the committee who is leading GOP efforts to make it easier for police to hold and arraign repeat juvenile suspects, said he was worried that under the governors current proposal, responding police would only be able to access the records of youths going back 90 days. At some point someones got to say youre doing something wrong, Fishbein said, supporting a Republican proposal to expand the crimes for juveniles to be taken to adult court.. Lets just say that a juvenile has been convicted of stealing three cars, Fishbein said. Those convictions happened two years ago or thereabouts. An officer in the field would not know that and they would not be able to get access to that information. They would only know about recent cases within 90 days. Rovella admitted that he did not know the reasoning behind the 90-day lookback, but officials agreed it to be an appropriate period. The hearing included several Republican-proposed bills, including expedited arraignment and detention of juvenile criminal suspects, as well as a so-called stand your ground law for gun owners, to create a legal presumption to support deadly force. Kupson, the CCDL spokesman, said he usually carries a firearm. Parking lots, gas stations, liquor stores, convenience store, those are places and they always have been places where it is a very easy target for criminals, and no more so now than ever. So I can absolutely imagine a situation where Im in my car and Im pumping gas and as I get into my car someone is going to come in it could even be a juvenile comes in from the other end to carjack me or to point a weapon at me. A free and law-abiding citizen should be able to take whatever measures necessary up to and including the use of lethal force (a firearm) to protect themselves, others, or protect and preserve their personal property or known property of others, said Jonathan Aniuk of Shelton, in written testimony. Not only does this give us law-abiding citizens a good and legal defense for protecting ourselves/others/our property, but laws like this will also have a meaningful effect on criminals because it will give them pause before they decide to commit any criminal acts, knowing that the stakes are now much higher. That proposal, however, has little chance to win support in the committee, which is dominated by Democrats who have 97-54 and 23-13 control of the House and Senate, respectively. State Rep. Steve Stafstrom, D-Bridgeport, co-chairman of the committee, said the proposal is problematic. As drafted, this proposal will make our streets less safe, Stafstrom said. It could literally allow someone to justifiably shoot someone else who mistakenly enters the wrong car. Imagine mistakenly opening the drivers side door of a car that looks like yours and someone being permitted to put a a bullet in your head? I dont expect this proposal to get much Democratic support in the committee. The panels deadline is April 4, at 5 p.m. kdixon@ctpost.com Twitter: @KenDixonCT Think of a quintessential 'beach house:' the first thoughts that are likely come to mind are seaside color schemes and shutter-flanked cottages. But the coastal home on 131 Beachside Avenue in Westport expands the definition of what a shoreline house might look like. Listed for $6.95 million, the 2021 glass-encased Westport home has views of the Long Island Sound from every room, according to the listing, and features floor-to-ceiling windows and sliding doors throughout the home. Support local journalism We are making critical coverage of the coronavirus available for free. Please consider subscribing so we can continue to bring you the latest news and information on this developing story. The thousands of North Korean workers dispatched to Russia to earn foreign cash for the Kim Jong Un regime had it tough even before Russia's invasion of Ukraine. They are paid in rubles for their labor at garment factories, restaurants and construction sites, but Pyongyang takes more than half of their earningsand only accepts dollars. The collapse of the ruble since Vladimir Putin launched his war on Ukraine has made the migrant workers' take-home pay close to worthless. Left: Ukrainian soldiers and firefighters search in a destroyed building after a bombing attack in Kyiv, Ukraine, Monday, March 14, 2022. Credit: AP. Right: This file handout photo by Chin Twin Chit Thu taken on February 3, 2022 and released on February 5, 2022 shows an aerial photo of burnt buildings in Mingin Township, in Sagaing Division, where more than 105 buildings were destroyed by junta military troops, according to local media. As the war in Ukraine drags on, with no clear-cut Russian victory in sight, we are seeing important parallels with the conflict in Myanmar, which has fallen from the headlines. The Russian offensive in Ukraine has faltered, and there has been a heavier reliance on indiscriminate air attacks with non-precision guided munitions and artillery. The Russians dont have sufficient forces to capture and hold cities, so they surround them and use long-range artillery fire. They are intentionally targeting civilians, apartment blocks, and hospitals. Like Myanmars military, Russian forces have laid siege and prevented humanitarian convoys from reaching civilians. There can be no pretense that this is simply collateral damage. The Tatmadaw, as the Myanmar military is known, has razed villages, burning down at least 6,700 homes, according to the group Data for Myanmar. Its a punitive act because they cannot hold territory. And yet their ruthless Four Cuts strategy - employed for decades to deny insurgents support from local people - has not deterred the public from supporting the shadow National Unity Government since last years coup. Left: A wounded woman stands outside a hospital after the bombing of the eastern Ukraine town of Chuguiv on February 24, 2022, as Russian armed forces invade Ukraine. Credit: AFP Right: A protester holds onto the shirt of a fallen comrade, during a crackdown by security forces on demonstrations against the military coup, in Hlaing Tharyar township in Yangon, March 14, 2021. Credit: AFP Both Russia and Myanmar rely on poorly trained, conscript militaries, with low morale. As Russian forces have been depleted through deaths, injury or desertion, we are seeing the leadership call up mercenaries from Chechnya, Syria, and their own Wagner Group, a Russian paramilitary organization. In Myanmar, where the Tatmadaw has been slowly hollowed out, there is greater reliance on the pro-junta Pyu Saw Htee militia. Both regimes have stepped up arrests of dissenters. Russia has imposed almost a total blackout of media not under state control, forcing most foreign reporters from its borders. Russia is transforming its internet into a Chinese-style intranet. In Myanmar, there have been attempts to shut down the internet in the conflict-wracked regions like Sagaing to prevent evidence of government atrocities, while policing social media to target dissent. In both countries, the assaults and arrests of journalists continue apace. As in the towns and cities that the Russians occupy, the Myanmar military has been summarily executing civilians. The leadership of both countries believe that if they act with enough violence they can submit the civilian population to their will and will be able to evade all accountability. In recent fighting in Myanmar, over five dozen civilians were burnt to death. Neither government tries to hide their war crimes; indeed they want them there for all to see, as a warning of things to come. Left: This video grab taken on March 15, 2022 shows Russian Channel One editor Marina Ovsyannikova holds a poster reading " Stop the war. Don't believe the propaganda. Here they are lying to you" during a broadcast by news anchor Yekaterina Andreyeva on Russia's most-watched evening news broadcast, in Moscow, March 14, 2022. Credit: AFP/ Channnel One Right: Japanese journalist Yuki Kitazumi raises his hands as he is escorted by police upon arrival at the Myaynigone police station in Sanchaung township in Yangon, Myanmar, Feb. 26, 2021. Credit: AP There is a shared belief that they can weather international sanctions and both governments are displaying callous disregard for the economic crisis that they are causing their populations. Both have quickly reversed over a decade of economic progress. The junta in Myanmar oversaw an 18 percent contraction of the economy in 2021, and more than half the population now lives in poverty. Both regimes are sanctioned, and have seen much of their trade diminish. Today the citizens of Yangon are experiencing electric shortages and a lack of water. The wars in both countries have seen incredible courage against all odds. Weve witnessed valiant fighting by Ukrainians defenders as well as by Myanmars Peoples Defense Forces (PDFs) and their allied Ethnic Armed Organizations (EAOs). But they are up against insurmountable odds. Even if the Tatmadaw has a smaller fighting force than is often suggested, it is still larger and better resourced than the PDFs, with the power of conscription. Like the Russian army, the Tatmadaw is weaker and more poorly armed than budgets would suggest because of endemic corruption. Authoritarianism tends to weaken most institutions including the security services. When PDFs display captured equipment or army prisoners of war, its pretty shocking how poorly armed and equipped they are, given the militarys primacy and budget. But clearly much of the military budget goes to prestige items while young conscripts fighting the war remain poorly fed, armed, and equipped. The PDFs continue to have significant challenges in raising funds and acquiring arms and ammunition. Recently weve seen several battles that have left about dozen PDF personnel killed having run out of ammunition. The NUG just announced that their PDFs will have a $30 million budget this year. While thats significant amount for sub-state militia, it is paltry compared to the resources of the Tatmadaw. Just through their asymmetrical dominance in materiel, the Russian military and the Tatmadaw are able to grind out a long war. Like the Ukrainian forces, the PDFs and their affiliated EAOs have high morale, relatively good discipline, and a just cause that they are fighting for. They hold themselves to higher standards on the battlefield in terms of trying not to commit war crimes, intentionally target civilians, or looting and pilfering. And unlike the Tatmadaw or the Russians, they enjoy overwhelming popular support. Left: Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a meeting with government members via a video link in Moscow, Russia March 10, 2022. Credit: Sputnik via Reuters. Right: Myanmar's junta chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, who ousted the elected government in a coup on February 1, 2021, presides over an army parade on Armed Forces Day in Naypyitaw, Myanmar, March 27, 2021. Credit: Reuters. The one thing that the PDFs and EAOs have not focused on sufficiently is targeting the Tatmadaws long and vulnerable supply lines. The Myanmar military has never fought on as many fronts simultaneously and they have never had to fight in the ethnic majority Bamar heartland. The Ukrainians have taken advantage of this vulnerability to a much greater degree. While the NUG may beg for the provision of manpads portable, surface-to-air missiles - the best way to target the militarys air assets is by targeting the supply of jet fuel. As much as we can root for the underdogs in Ukraine and Myanmar, neither is likely to win a clear-cut military victory. But they dont have to. Guerrilla forces simply have to not lose. They have to wear down the occupying force, trap them in a war of attrition that forces them to further alienate the population through barbaric attacks and systematic human rights abuses. And in that regard the PDFs are doing admirably. In both cases, the way the conflicts likely end is from within. In Russia, the oligarchs may not pose a challenge to President Vladimir Putin simply because they do not control any coercive instruments. The threat Putin faces comes from his own security services, which he appears to be scapegoating for the militarys poor performance. The real threat to junta leader Min Aung Hlaing and his deputy Soe Win comes from lower-ranking generals and colonels who have not shared in the military regimes spoils. These are the people who have to execute the war and who understand that given the rate of casualties and defections that they do not have the manpower to hold territory. These are the people that know how despised the military is and how little legitimacy its regime has. They are the people who know that the war is unwinnable and have an interest in protecting whats left of the militarys political, economic, and institutional interests. They know they can only do that through a negotiated settlement and that is impossible with this senior leadership still in place. One expert noted that as many as 40% of detainees were awaiting trial. Prisoners, including Rong Chhun, leader of the Cambodian Confederation of Unions, arrive in a truck at Phnom Penh Municipal Court, where he was standing trial for alleged incitement in the latest court case that activists say aimed at cracking down on opposition voices, in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Jan. 15, 2021. Cambodias vastly overcrowded prisons may violate international laws against cruel and inhuman punishment, as inmates lack sufficient sleeping spaces and access to clean water and fresh air, according to the United Nations Human Rights Committee. The committee met on March 11 in Geneva, Switzerland, to discuss a report on how Cambodia implements the provisions of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and to hear responses from Cambodian officials. The body of independent experts monitors implementation of the multilateral treaty. Governments must submit regular reports on how civil and political rights of individuals including the right to life, freedom of religion, freedom of speech, freedom of assembly, electoral rights, and rights to due process and a fair trial are being implemented. Cambodias prison population has doubled since 2015, with 38,977 inmates in facilities that can hold up to 8,804, meaning that the prisons are operating at 343% capacity, said the report issued in September 2021. The report covers the period from June 1, 2020, to May 31, 2021. The situation in prisons is perilous to the point that the conditions may constitute cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment under the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment given the levels of mental and physical pain experienced by prisoners, the lack of sleeping space, the inadequacy of the water and sanitation, and the limited access to fresh air and health care, the report said. The document also referred to allegations of several suspicious deaths of Cambodians while they were in custody, many of which were neither reported nor investigated. The Cambodian delegation at Fridays meeting included representatives of the Cambodia Human Rights Committee, Ministry of Labor and Vocational Training, Ministry of Information, Ministry of Women Affairs, Ministry of Interior, and the Permanent Mission of Cambodia to the United Nations Office at Geneva. Chin Malin, secretary of state of Cambodias Justice Ministry, said his country has worked hard to resolve the issue of overcrowded prisons, including by reducing a backlog of court cases, suspending sentences and releasing some Cambodians held in pretrial detention. Authorities use pretrial detention which for serious felonies can last for 24 months because of a lack of legal personnel and the case backlog, Cambodian officials said. Authorities have released detainees who committed minor offenses, expedited vaccinations and limited visitations to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus within prisons, the officials said. But a committee expert cited data suggesting that the average prison occupancy in 2020 was beyond 300% of capacity, with overuse of incarceration as one of the underlying causes. The expert, whose name was not given in a U.N. summary of the meeting, requested more information on what Cambodia was doing to reduce prison overcrowding. The expert also noted that 30-40% of all detainees were awaiting trials and that there had been frequent allegations that their due process rights were being disregarded. The person wanted to know if Cambodian officials had developed guidelines for judges to use in their decisions on pretrial detention. Water shortages Another committee expert asked for more information on the number of deaths in prisons from epidemiological outbreaks, the availability and access to COVID-19 testing, and the rate at which detainees have been vaccinated. Experts also raised questions about people who suffered from drug addiction being detained and forced to undergo medical treatment under Cambodian law and reports of homeless people detained against their will in the Cambodian capital Phnom Penh. Cambodian officials said the General Department of Prisons was investigating cases of torture and that the government was reviewing its laws to try to prevent the practice. Some officials who have been identified as torturing inmates have been charged and placed in pretrial detention, the delegation said. Nuth Savana, spokesman for the Ministry of Interiors General Department of Prisons, told RFA that the prison overcrowding has been reduced since last year. The department reported a decrease of 2,000 prisoners this year from the nearly 39,000 inmates that were behind bars in 2021. Nuth Savana said his department was also working to address the problem of water shortages in detention facilities, saying that more wells are being dug at prisons. [Concerning] prisons that face the problem, we are working with the International Committee of the Red Cross to create filtered water systems, such as in Preah Vihear, Oddar Meanchey and Siem Reap provinces, he said. Weve dug more wells. Prisons in Kampong Cham and Kampong Chhnang provinces have filtered water system installed, he said. We have prioritized the lack of water first, Nuth Savana said. As I said, the problem of water shortages is an old report. Ny Sokha, a human rights defender and president of the Cambodian Human Rights and Development Association, said overcrowding continues to be a problem because the government has not paid much attention to it. The situation is still serious enough that it affects the detainees physically and psychologically, he said. Ny Sokha, who was himself a prisoner of conscience, also said the congestion could be due to an increase in the number of drug users who have been incarcerated. If we cannot solve the problem of overcrowded prisons, it can affect prisoners health and their mental state, so that when they are released, they cannot be good human resources, he said. They become sick and suffer from debilitating diseases, so its not good for them or for our society. The U.N. Human Rights Committee is scheduled to hold another public meeting on Friday and plans to issue its concluding observations and recommendations on Cambodia by March 25. Reported by RFAs Khmer Service. Translated by Sok Ry Sum. Written in English by Roseanne Gerin. China says reports that it could provide military assistance to Russia are malicious disinformation. In this photo released by Xinhua News Agency Yang Jiechi, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the CPC Central Committee, at left meets with U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan at right in Rome, Italy, March 14, 2022. The United States has expressed concern over close ties between China and Russia, following several media reports that Beijing is open to Russian requests for military assistance. Reuters, CNN and the Financial Times all reported that U.S. officials had told allies by cable that Beijing could help Russia out in a number of ways, with CNN reporting that the Kremlin had asked for Chinese military rations. In a background briefing to journalists following a meeting in Rome between National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan and senior Chinese diplomat Yang Jiechi, U.S. officials declined to confirm or deny the reports, but said they had concerns about the relationship. "Im just going to reiterate that we do have deep concerns about Chinas alignment with Russia at this time," a senior U.S. official told a White House conference call. "And the National Security Advisor was direct about those concerns and the potential implications and consequences of certain actions [during the meeting with Yang]." But he declined to comment further, saying Washington was in direct contact with Beijing. "Were not communicating via the press with China. Were communicating directly and privately," the official said. International relations commentator Wu Qiang said that while China has no wish to see the collapse of Russian president Vladimir Putin's government, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is likely to be far more concerned with minimizing the damage to China on the world stage than with supporting its "rock-solid" ally at all costs. China has refused to criticize the Russian invasion of Ukraine since the war began, preferring instead to repeat calls for a diplomatic solution to both nations' security concerns. "[China's] position on the Ukraine war has changed from defending Putin's interests to defending China's, since the start of the war," Wu said. "However, geopolitical security is a secondary consideration." He said Beijing was unlikely to sign up for formal allyship on the lines of the Axis powers during World War II, but was highly likely to render assistance to Russia in a way that would avoid international sanctions. "This war has put China in a similar situation to the Korean War in 1950," Wu said. "They will be happy to follow that model so as to avoid sanctions and implication in the eyes of the international community ... while helping to prop up Putin's regime." If Putin falls, there will be a political backlash for Beijing, he said. "Should Putinism fail, decline or the regime suddenly collapse, China will face an unpredictable chain reaction in its domestic political sphere," Wu said. "It would be similar to the impact of on China after the collapse of the Soviet Union." Wang Hung-jen, associate professor at Taiwan's National Cheng Kung University, said China has scant reason to cooperate with U.S. policy aims regarding Ukraine. "Their relationship with Russia is better than their relationship with the U.S., so they have no reason to cooperate with U.S. policy," Wang said. "I think the U.S. is worried about that." "Naturally, they don't want to fall out with the U.S., nor do they wish to stand in confrontation with the entire Western world," he said. "They want to try to please everyone and remain neutral, keeping a distance from the Ukraine issue, and extricating themselves as soon as they can." "I think they will still assist [Russia], but they may weigh up carefully how to do this," Wang said. China has banned any criticism of Russia from its tightly controlled internet. However, a March 5 essay by Hu Wei, vice-chairman of the Public Policy Research Center of the Counselors Office of the State Council and chairman of Shanghai Public Policy Research Association, said the Russian invasion had caused "great controversy" in China, with scant common ground between supporters and those who oppose it. Hu, who's essay has been deleted from China's internet, describes Putin's military action as "an irreversible mistake" that was unlikely to yield any sort of victory for Russia, whether on the battlefield or at the negotiating table. Whatever the outcome, China risks becoming further isolated from the international community. "If China does not take proactive measures to respond, it will encounter further containment from the U.S. and the West," Hu warned. "China cannot be tied to Putin and needs to cut him off as soon as possible." Hu argued that China's insistence on "playing both sides" and staying neutral was failing to help Russia, and had infuriated everyone else. "The bottom line is to prevent the U.S. and the West from imposing joint sanctions on China," he wrote. Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian dismissed the media reports about military assistance to Russia as "malicious disinformation." "We have been playing a constructive part in promoting peace talks," Zhao told a regular news briefing in Beijing on Monday. "The top priority at the moment is for all parties to exercise restraint, cool the situation down instead of adding fuel to the fire, and work for diplomatic settlement rather than further escalate the situation." Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie. As toll of Putins Ukraine invasion rises, Senate panel examines how US should respond to threat. Uzra Zeya, under secretary for civilian security, democracy and human rights at the US State Department, addresses members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee during a hearing on combating authoritarianism, in Washington, DC, March 15, 2022. The United States and other democracies must think of new ways to challenge the rising threat of authoritarian governments across the globe, seen most dramatically in Russias brutal invasion of Ukraine, according to testimony presented at a U.S. Senate panel today. State Department officials and other foreign policy experts discussed the challenges presented by shifting geopolitical forces at a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing titled Combating Authoritarianism: U.S. Tools and Responses. Over the past two decades, a new type of 21st century authoritarian support system has arisen, committee Chairman Bob Menendez, a New Jersey Democrat, said to open the hearing. Rather than working in despotic isolation, authoritarian leaders operate through networks of new kleptocratic financial mechanisms, disinformation professionals and an array of security services to protect one another from democratic pressures and to secure their repressive rule autocrats from Venezuela to Cuba, Belarus and Burma. We must combat the complex web of kleptocracy sustaining autocrats from around the world, Menendez said. We must cut off their lifeblood and impair their ability to buffer one another from sanctions. We must combat digital authoritarianism, including disinformation propaganda and censorship used to subvert democratic principles and advance autocrats interests. Sen. Jim Risch of Idaho, the panels top Republican, said Russia and China were the most egregious models of authoritarianism, followed by Iran, Venezuela, North Korea and Zimbabwe. Clearly, the United States and our allies need to step up our game against these regimes, he said. The Biden administration has made supporting democracy a focal point of its foreign policy. Russian President Vladimir Putins invasion of Ukraine and Chinas attempt to redefine global norms in favor of authoritarianism are proof of the necessity for the U.S. to take bold action to fight authoritarianism, Uzra Zeya, under secretary for civilian security, democracy and human rights at the State Department, told the panel. Across the globe, authoritarianism enabled by economic freefall, inequality, alienation and most recently pandemics threatens democratic governments and societies, Zeya said. The U.S. is working with allies to counter the immediacy of Russias autocratic attack and on Chinas rising influence, while reinvesting with Americas allies to ensure security, prosperity and freedom for Americans and the rest of the world. Jennifer Hall Godfrey, the State Departments senior official for public diplomacy and affairs, told the committee that authoritarian governments pose a threat to the global interests of the U.S. and other democracies by lying to their own people and exploiting freedom of expression and independent media to promote misinformation in more open societies. To this end, the department, working with interagency partners, maintains a full-spectrum approach to both counter the influence of authoritarian regimes, and equally as important to demonstrate in word and in deed the value of democratic governance, government transparency, and the rules-based international order, she said. It is not enough to expose foreign disinformation and propaganda, Godfrey said. We must also engage global publics with honest and credible information about U.S. values, priorities, and policy objectives and the strengths of alternatives to authoritarian governance. Changing the rules of engagement Anne Applebaum, a staff writer at The Atlantic and author of Twilight of Democracy: The Seductive Lure of Authoritarianism, in her remarks called for a new strategy toward Russia, China and other autocracies in which we dont merely react to the latest outrage, but change the rules of engagement altogether. We cannot merely slap sanctions on foreign oligarchs following some violation of international law, or our own laws: We must alter our financial system so that we stop kleptocratic elites from abusing it in the first place, she said. We cannot just respond with furious fact-checking and denials when autocrats produce blatant propaganda: We must help provide accurate and timely information where there is none and deliver it in the languages people speak. Daniel Twining, president of the International Republican Institute in Washington, told the committee that Chinas ambition is based on ethno-nationalism and a pledge to return China to the center of global events, using its economic strength to bend other countries to its will. Political leaders around the world who have taken steps to stand up to PRC bullying and aggression have found themselves on the receiving end of economic coercion designed to turn their business communities against them, he said. Twining noted Chinas repression in Xinjiang as an example of its authoritarian bent. The ongoing suffering of the Uyghur people of Xinjiang and the feebleness of the international communitys response to what independent tribunals have determined is an ongoing genocide show that in at least one important way, China has already succeeded in building a new world even if many people in Washington and other world capitals did not yet realize it, he said. Also on Tuesday, President Joe Biden signed into law an omnibus spending bill to fund the government, including RFAs parent organization, the United States Agency for Global Media, for the rest of the fiscal year. The legislation increases RFAs funding by 30 percent, to $62.3 million from $47.6 million, a record increase for the 25-year-old digital news outlet. We are absolutely thrilled by this momentous development, RFA President Bay Fang said in an email to employees. It is the result of a constant effort over the last year to showcase our amazing journalism and our great potential. With autocracy and media repression on the rise around the world, RFAs mission to bring accurate news and information to people who cant otherwise get it is more important than ever, she said. The spending bill also increased the budgets of RFA's sister organizations Voice of America, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and the Open Technology Fund that collectively provide accurate information to audiences around the world in support of freedom and democracy. An anonymous Twitter account has started translating online internet comment about the Russian invasion of Ukraine from inside the Great Firewall for readers outside China, in a bid to highlight online opinion about the war, which has been heavily influenced by ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP) propaganda and a ban on criticism of Russia. The crowd-sourced Great Translation Movement account @TGTM_Official on Twitter features online comments made on Chinese social media platforms rendered into English by volunteer translators, one participant told RFA. The account started out in mid-February, amid growing tensions between Russia and Ukraine, with volunteers selecting and tweeting various examples of Chinese online comment using the hashtag #TheGreatTranslationMovement in various languages. Most of the topics are selected by the volunteers and then submitted to the account, the volunteer said. The account was later subjected to huge volumes of complaints to Twitter, as pro-CCP commentators tried to get it taken down, with some of its tweets blocked, and huge volumes of pro-CCP comments using its hashtag. On the pandemic, the account has also made some revealing tweets, translating social media comments that agree with CCP claims that the SARS-CoV2 virus originated in the United States. "This is the real view of the Chinese on Weibo, with the highest likes reaching 76k," the account tweeted. "Almost everyone believes that COVID19 was deliberately created by the United States." The account has been criticized for portraying people in China in a poor light, and potentially sparking anti-Asian racism. "We do not discriminate at all," the volunteer said. "Because we are only translating their actual words." "We leave that translated content for the public to make up its own mind," he said. Taiwan Democracy Lab's bilingual webpage that monitors Chinese propaganda about Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Credit: Taiwan Democracy Lab Naked hatred He said some of the content is shocking and involves people taking pleasure in acts of extreme animal cruelty, as well as showing naked hatred of people from Hong Kong and Taiwan. "Some people lack awareness, and post content when they have no idea how horrible it is," the volunteer said. "This is the sort of collective unconscious behavior that the CCP wants to cultivate; fanatical patriotism and love for the party." "If you've read George Orwell's 1984, you'll have some idea of this," the volunteer said. Taiwan-based dissident Gong Yujian said the Great Translation Movement account had indeed exposed the ugly workings of the Chinese internet under the CCP. "I can actually say without hesitation that Chinese nationalism has that Wolf Warrior character that has become very belligerent, unfriendly, and irrational under the long-term deception and brainwashing of the Communist Party," Gong told RFA. Wolf Warrior was a blockbuster movie whose blunt jingoism has been embraced by Chinese diplomats and keyboard warriors. "Basically, in their eyes, Ukraine is the aggressor, while Russia has become the invaded country, the weaker party," he said. "Their ideas are totally back to front." He said the translation movement had exposed content that is intended for domestic consumption to the international community. "There is official Chinese internal propaganda and official external propaganda, and they are very clearly distinguished from each other," Gong said. "This translation account has exposed what was considered internal propaganda to specific groups overseas." "For the CCP, it's a very advanced form of subversion." Taiwan Democracy Lab chairman Shen Po-yang agreed. "They don't do much [propaganda] in English, which is left mostly to the official media, after [the propaganda department] sets the tone," he said. "Such comments [as those translated] have a huge impact in China, but have been fairly low profile in the Western world." "[These translations] are letting everyone know China's position, which isn't very good for China," Shen said. Idolizing Putin In one translated post from Chinese social media, a screenshot of Russian President Vladimir Putin standing in front of a crowd with the caption "Half the countries in the world are bullying this man" garners tens of thousands of comments from social media users in China. "A glimpse inside how Putin is being idolized on Chinese Tiktok (Douyin)," the account comments, quoting one user as commenting "We. China. Are here for you. Hang in there." Other comments call Putin a "legendary figure who will go down in history," while another tweet focuses on lewd comments made by accounts with profiles bearing photos of women about the Russian leader's supposed masculine prowess. "Sorry, we've translated something more vulgar that might make you uncomfortable," the account quips. It also posted a Putin fan video, translating the voice-over as saying "I admire Putin's toughness," and a tweet detailing how widely accepted the Russian claim that the U.S. is running bioweapons laboratories in Ukraine is inside China, where most people only have access to footage and storylines from the Russian media, via state news organizations who rebroadcast them as fact. Social media users comment that the U.S. is guilty of "a very serious crime against humanity." "Due to the deliberate guidance of CCTV news, Chinese hatred of Americans has reached a historical peak, and it is difficult to find a neutral reply," the account commented. Another video translated and tweeted by the account showed Chinese schoolchildren talking about the Russian invasion as a "special military operation" and repeating claims that the Russian army had destroyed the Ukrainian military within a couple of hours. Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie. The U.N. is asking Beijing not to repatriate seven detained refugees from North Korea who escapee rights groups say would face severe retribution from the government if returned to their home country. In a letter to the Chinese government, the U.N. human rights officials also ask for information about the detainees, one of whom is reportedly in poor health, and the charges they face, their legal status and the measures Chinese authorities are taking to protect them. Although the Chinese government has pledged to adhere to the U.N. convention forbidding countries to return refugees to their home countries if they will face serious threats to their life or freedom, Beijing claims it must return North Koreans found to be illegally within Chinese territory under two bilateral border and immigration pacts. We are concerned that these seven refugees are facing the risk of forcible repatriation in violation of the principle of non-refoulement. We are also concerned about the information that [name redacted] health condition is not good, the letter stated. It was signed by Tomas Ojea Quintana, the U.N.s special rapporteur on North Korean Human Rights, and Nils Meltzer, the special rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. The letter was dated Feb. 15 and released by the U.N. on March 11. The names of the detainees and the places of their arrests were obscured to protect their identities. The two U.N. officials emphasized that there were multiple appeals to the Chinese government to prevent the repatriation of North Korean refugees in China. Forced repatriations endanger peoples lives and can destroy families, they said in the letter. Deporting the seven refugees would be a clear violation of international law, Su Bo Bae of the Seoul-based Database Center for North Korean Human Rights, told RFA. She said that North Korean refugees returned home have been tortured and sexually assaulted, although there is some indication the government may be moving away from relying on violence as a means of punishment in these cases. There was a guidance that came down from the top telling the Security Department, the Ministry of Security, or the officials in each detention facility not to torture or beat the repatriated people. Perhaps thats why the most recent testimonies regarding serious human rights violations, such as forced abortions and infanticide, are decreasing, Su said. The issue of North Korean refugees in China is a wide-ranging international problem, not just concerning China, North Korea and South Korea, said Kim Youngja, director general of the Seoul-based Citizens Alliance for North Korean Human Rights. The South Korean government must tell the Chinese government that it intends to protect North Korean refugees in China in any positive way, Kim said. The international community, including the United Nations, should actively speak up and not let the attention fade. Last months letter echoes one U.N. rights officials sent to the Chinese government in August asking them to provide information on at least 1,170 North Korean refugees known at that time to have been detained in China. They feared that those refugees were facing the risk of forcible repatriation. The Chinese government replied in September, arguing that the principle of non-refoulement did not apply to these cases because the persons were illegal immigrants and not refugees. RFA reported in July 2021 that 50 North Koreans were loaded onto buses in the Chinese border city of Dandong and taken across the Yalu River. Sources said Chinese onlookers were hostile to the police, warning that they were effectively sending the refugees to their deaths. Hundreds of thousands of North Koreans fled to China to escape a mid-1990s famine, with about 30,000 making their way to South Korea. As many as 60,000 North Koreans remain in China, despite having no legal status. Some have married Chinese nationals. RFA reported in August that police had begun actively arresting North Korean spouses of Chinese nationals after a long period of time during which they were treated leniently. Translated by Claire Lee and Leejin Jun. Written in English by Eugene Whong. Abdureshid Obul was charged with religious extremism for having a fourth child. A Uyghur woman pushes her children in a stroller through a police checkpoint at a night food market near the Id Kah Mosque in Kashgar, northwestern China's Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, June 25, 2017. A Uyghur farmer jailed for moving his pregnant wife from their hometown in Xinjiang to prevent authorities from forcing her to have an abortion died in 2020 while serving an eight-year prison sentence, a Uyghur with knowledge of the situation and local police officials confirmed to RFA this month. Abdureshid Obul from Lenger village in Keriye (in Chinese Yutian) county, saved his wife from the forced abortion by moving from Hotan (Hetian) prefecture in the summer of 2012, according to a Uyghur from the same county who now lives abroad. Abdureshid and his wife returned a year after the birth. Upon their return, village police detained and interrogated him for a week. He was released after he underwent political re-education and paid a 20,000 yuan (U.S. $3,150) for violating the governments family planning policy, the source said. Ethnic minority families that lived in rural areas were limited to two children under the governments policy. Abdureshid and his wife had three children when she was pregnant with the fourth child, a son. In 2017, as Chinese officials ratcheted up a crackdown on Uyghurs, detaining hundreds of thousands of members of the mostly Muslim community for religious extremism, authorities reconsidered Abdureshids action to be a crime requiring harsher punishment, the source said. Although Abdureshid had paid the fine, authorities sent him again to an internment camp, said the source, who asked not to be named so that he could speak freely. The source said there had been a sudden surge that year in the enforcement of the family planning policy. Abdureshid spent two years in the camp, before being sentenced to eight years in prison for relocating to avoid the forced abortion, which the government said was an antigovernment action, an example of religious extremism, and a disruption of the social order, according to the source. He died in Keriye Prison after serving only one year of his sentence, and authorities handed his body over to his family, he said. Chinese government officials in Keriye county contacted by RFA confirmed that Abdureshid died while in prison. When asked about residents who recently died while in jail, a Saybagh hamlet police officer, who did not give his name, mentioned Abdureshid by name and confirmed information provided by the Uyghur in exile. He was sentenced to eight years in prison for violating the family planning policy, the policeman said. Its been two years since he died of an illness. Abdureshid was about 50 years old at the time of his death, he said. Authorities in Xinjiang have inconsistently applied the family planning policy, sometimes cracking down on violators and sometimes giving them a pass. But in recent years, forced abortions have reached record numbers among Uyghurs in the region, observers say. As part of the crackdown that began in 2017, the Chinese government implemented population control measures for Uyghurs, including forced sterilizations and abortions. Uyghur and other Turkic minority women who have been detained in Xinjiangs vast network of internment camps but later released have reported being raped, tortured and forced to undergo sterilization surgery. Such population control measures, among other repressive policies in Xinjiang, were cited by some Western parliaments and the United States as evidence that China is committing genocide against the Uyghurs. Translated by RFAs Uyghur Service. Written in English by Roseanne Gerin. Ethnic Yao locals say the dam threatens their livelihoods and want the developer to pay for their losses. Villagers protest the construction of a hydropower plant in a hamlet of the town of Sa Pa in northern Vietnam's Lao Cai province, March 14, 2022. Thugs with steel pipes attacked members of the Yao ethnic minority community in Vietnams Lao Cai province on Monday as they protested the construction of a hydropower plant they said would block the water source they rely on for salmon farming. Residents are trying to block construction of the project because they say it has contaminated water on a nearby spring, killing their fish, and Vietnamese project developer May Ho Energy Company Ltd. has not offered inadequate compensation to cover their losses. The company has been carrying out the construction work without paying [enough] compensation to local residents, a resident surnamed Lo told RFA by text message. But when members of the Dao Do (Red Yao) community gathered to stop work on the plant in a hamlet of Sa Pa town, the company hired thugs to suppress them, Lo said. Being beaten, the residents had to resist, he said. Because the thugs all used steel tubes, the residents had to pick up bricks [to throw] to fight back. A video shot by a protester shows dozens of people in plainclothes with steel tubes approach and attack local residents who had gathered peacefully. The incident quickly escalated and turned into a clash when the locals fought back. Vuong Trinh Quoc, who is the chairman of the towns Peoples Committee, told state media that locals assaulted construction workers, leaving eight workers injured. Many residents, including Lo, denied the report and said they were not the instigators. He expressed anger about the incident on social media after seeing Quocs statement in the media. Another resident who gave her name as May also said that those who had assaulted locals were thugs hired to attack them. RFA could not reach Quoc for comment, but later contacted Pham Tien Dung, vice chairman of the towns Peoples Committee, who said he was not authorized to speak with the media about the incident. RFA could not reach the local representative of the May Ho Energy Company for comment, despite making several calls. The private company registered in April 2017 received a project license for construction of the hydropower plant in May 2021. Building work began the following month. The project falls under a category that allows the state to appropriate land for the purpose of national development, according to a report by state-run Vietnam News Agency. Reported by RFAs Vietnamese Service. Translated by Anna Vu. Written in English by Roseanne Gerin. There have been more Russian attacks on the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, with shells hitting several residential buildings in the early hours of March 15. At least two high-rise buildings in the capital's Svyatoshyn district were heavily damaged and set ablaze. RFE/RL correspondent Levko Stek reported from the site of another attack in the city's Kurenivka district that killed one person and injured 10 on March 14. He spoke to Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko, who said the attacks were further proof that Russian forces are targeting civilians. 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 Up to 20,000 civilians managed on March 15 to leave the besieged city of Mariupol, which has been devastated by relentless Russian shelling, Ukrainian officials said, as invading forces stepped up strikes on suburbs of the capital, Kyiv, and Ukrainian and Russian negotiators ended a second day of talks aimed at reaching a cease-fire without palpable progress. "Today around 20,000 people drove out of Mariupol in private cars along the humanitarian corridor," President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's deputy chief of staff, Kyrylo Tymoshenko, said on Telegram. Earlier, the city council said on Telegram that "as of 1400 (local time) it is known that 2,000 cars left Mariupol," adding that a further 2,000 vehicles were waiting to leave the port city on the Sea of Azov. But the city's deputy mayor said that Russian troops were holding 400 people, including doctors and patients, "like hostages" inside a hospital in Mariupol, while a humanitarian convoy was being prevented from reaching the city. The city of some 400,000 inhabitants has been besieged by Russian troops for days and cut off from the rest of the country. Local officials estimate that more than 2,300 civilians have been killed in the siege. Kyiv was under a 35-hour curfew declared by Mayor Vitali Klitschko from 8 p.m. local time on March 15 , with Klitschko warning that as Russian forces step up their strikes and close in, the capital faces a "difficult and dangerous moment." There are "fundamental contradictions" in talks aimed at ending Russia's military attack on Ukraine but compromise is possible, a member of the Ukrainian delegation and presidential aide, Mykhaylo Podolyak, said at the end of a second day of virtual talks. "We'll continue tomorrow. A very difficult and vicious negotiation process. There are fundamental contradictions. But there is certainly room for compromise," Podolyak tweeted. Zelenskiy earlier referred to the talks as "pretty good" while the Kremlin said the fact they were ongoing was "in itself positive." Zelenskiy is due to address the U.S. Congress via video link on March 16, and he will likely reiterate his appeal for the West to impose a no-fly zone over Ukraine. The Ukrainian president made the same impassioned appeal in his address to the Canadian parliament on March 15. The White House announced that U.S. President Joe Biden will travel to Europe next week for face-to-face talks with European leaders about the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Biden will meet with NATO and European leaders at an extraordinary summit of the alliance in Brussels on March 24, and will also attend a scheduled European Council summit, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said. 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. Such a move is extremely rare for a U.S. president. The extraordinary NATO summit will seek to coordinate its response to Russia's war in Ukraine, Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said on March 15. "We will address #Russia's invasion of #Ukraine, our strong support for Ukraine, and further strengthening NATOs deterrence & defense. At this critical time, North America & Europe must continue to stand together," Stoltenberg wrote on Twitter. Zelenskiy urged the Canadian parliament and government on March 15 to exert greater economic and military pressure on Russia, and asked Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and lawmakers for help to enact a no-fly zone over the Ukraine. "Please close the sky, close the airspace," Zelenskiy told a packed House of Commons chamber on video link from Ukraine. "Please stop the bombing. How many more cruise missiles have to fall on our cities until you make this happen?" said Zelenskiy, who received a standing ovation. The prime ministers of Poland, the Czech Republic, and Slovenia arrived in Kyiv on March 15, according to Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki. "Here, in war-torn Kyiv, history is being made," Morawiecki wrote on Twitter as he posted pictures of himself with his deputy, Jaroslaw Kaczynski, as well as Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala and their Slovenian counterpart, Janez Jansa, at a table with a map of Ukraine. Russian forces also unleashed new artillery strikes on the eastern city of Kharkiv, the General Staff of Ukraine's armed forces said on Facebook, and overnight shelling destroyed a runway and damaged the terminal at the airport in the eastern city of Dnipro, said Valentin Reznichenko, the governor of the region. WATCH: At least two high-rise buildings in the Kyiv's Svyatoshyn district were heavily damaged and set ablaze. RFE/RL correspondent Levko Stek reported from the site of another attack in the city's Kurenivka district that killed one person and injured 10 on March 14. The European Union and the United States slapped a new round of sanctions on Russian individuals and entities close to the Kremlin on March 15. The EU sanctions include freezing the assets of several oligarchs such as Roman Abramovich, the owner of the Chelsea soccer club, an import ban on Russian steel and iron, an export ban on luxury goods worth more than 300 euros and cars costing more than 50,000 euros ($55,000), and a ban on investments in oil companies and the energy sector. Washington, meanwhile, targeted more individuals in Russian President Vladimir Putin's power structure with sanctions and slapped fresh punitive measures on Belarusian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka, Putin's close ally. The U.S. State Department imposed sanctions on 11 Russian military leaders, including several deputy ministers of defense and Viktor Zolotov, chief of Russia's National Guard and a member of Putin's Security Council. The U.S. Treasury Department imposed measures on four Russians and one entity it accused of being involved in concealing events around the death of whistleblower Sergei Magnitsky or of being connected to human rights violations against human rights advocate Oyub Titiyev. WATCH: A criminal defense lawyer who now spends her days in a hospital basement in Kharkiv tells RFE/RL the mood in the eastern city is "amazing," and that she is now gathering evidence of war crimes. In a move intended as a tit-for-tat response, Russia's Foreign Ministry announced sanctions on Biden and Trudeau on March 15 alongside several officials. The measures, also applied to U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, "is the consequence of the extremely Russophobic policy pursued by" Washington, Moscow said in a statement. In a separate statement, Moscow announced punitive measures against 313 Canadians including Trudeau and several of his ministers. Russia has also circulated a proposed UN Security Council resolution demanding protection for civilians "in vulnerable situations" in Ukraine along with safe passage for humanitarian aid and people seeking to leave the country. The draft resolution released on March 15 voices "grave concern" for the deteriorating humanitarian situation and civilian casualties in and around Ukraine without mentioning Russia's responsibility for invading the country. With reporting by AP, AFP, and Reuters The URL has been copied to your clipboard The code has been copied to your clipboard. On March 14, residents of the village of Bilozerka, near Kherson, went unarmed to protest against the Russian occupiers. Only bursts of gunfire in the air forced them to disperse. A few weeks ago, Nargiz Gurbanova was working as a criminal defense lawyer, but now she spends her days sheltering in a hospital basement as the Russian military bombards her city, Kharkiv, in eastern Ukraine. In an interview with RFE/RL on March 15, she says the mood there is "amazing," and that she is now gathering evidence of war crimes. Written By Joe Schulz served as the reporter of the Green Laker in 2019 and 2020, before being hired as a reporter for the Commonwealth in October 2020. He is from Oshkosh and graduated from UW-Oshkosh in December 2020 with a bachelor's degree in journalism. | Roanoke Rapids, NC (27870) Today Mostly cloudy skies. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 86F. Winds WSW at 10 to 15 mph.. Tonight Partly to mostly cloudy skies with scattered thunderstorms during the evening. Low 59F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 40%. Three Belarusian banks Belagroprombank, Bank Dabrabyt, and the Development Bank of the Republic of Belarus have been disconnected from SWIFT. Belarus was hit by Western sanctions after Russias military operation in Ukraine began. However, sanctioned Belarusian banks cut off from SWIFT will soon switch to other systems, according to Belarusian Finance Minister Yury Seliverstov. Of course, this is unpleasant, because everyone is accustomed to the established patterns of interaction and exchange of financial information. But this is not the only system in the world. Of course, it was convenient to use it. But in relations with Russia, we have channels and opportunities to use the Russian system, we have this and it works quite well. There is a Chinese system. I think that in the near future banks will be change over to those systems, he stated. Belagroprombank The bank serves as a Government Agent on servicing state programs, and has over 40,000 corporate clients and 1.6 million retail clients, serviced by over 300 ATMs throughout Belarus. It has built up a wide commercial base from its original, and still significant agricultural client base, and finances loans for farming equipment. The bank has been accused of financing Belarus military vehicles, a claim it denies. According to the authoritative international publication the Banker, JSC Belagroprombank ranked 787th among Top 1000 World Banks as at the year-end 2015. Besides, JSC Belagroprombank confirmed its 18 place among 25 largest banks in Central and Eastern Europe (Top 25: Central and Eastern Europe). Bank Dabrabyt Bank Dabrabyt OAO (previously Bank Moscow-Minsk) is a state-owned Belarusian bank, headquartered in Minsk. This is a universal bank with a pronounced specialization in retail lending. In the corporate sector, the bank plays an important role servicing export and import transactions between enterprises, including the public sector, Belarus and Russia, including providing finance for infrastructure construction projects between the two countries. Development Bank of the Republic of Belarus The Development Bank of the Republic of Belarus (DBRB) is a specialized financial institution founded by the Council of Ministers and the National Bank of the Republic Belarus. The creation of the DBRB was carried out in close cooperation with the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank and based on international practice of institutional functioning. The main objective of the DBRB is the financing for government programs and the implementation of significant infrastructure investment projects. It finances these in the framework of government programs and activities implementation; supports small and medium-sized enterprises by means of special credit products granted through a network of partner banks; and provides concessional export credits to support large (US$1 million plus) projects of domestic exporters. The Central Bank of Russia says all Belarusian banks were connected to its System for Transfer of Financial Messages (SPFS), which emerged after the first round of sanctions against Russia in 2014 in a bid to stave off problems for Russian banks if cut off from SWIFT. Banks connect to the SPFS by signing agreements with the Central Bank of Russia. Discussions are also believed to be underway with China. Related Reading Rutland, VT (05701) Today Rain likely. High 53F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 90%. Rainfall near a quarter of an inch.. Tonight Rain showers this evening with overcast skies overnight. Low 44F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 50%. Danvers, MA (01923) Today Overcast with rain showers at times. Expect mist and reduced visibilities at times. High 53F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 90%.. Tonight Cloudy skies early, followed by partial clearing. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low 47F. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph. The Best Men's Skincare Brands of 2022 Hop in, gents, were going shopping for a new skincare brand to look ten years younger. Long before Dayva Cross stabbed to death his new wife and two stepdaughters, he had tumbled into a dismal world of depression and delusions, his attorney told jurors yesterday. He tried medication. He tried suicide. He tried anything he could to "shut out what was happening in his mind," said attorney Richard Warner, who will spend the next few weeks trying to persuade a jury to spare the man's life. But King County prosecutors argued Cross knew exactly what he was doing March 6, 1999. He brutally ended three lives and left a terrorized young witness, an unforgivable crime that they contend deserves the law's harshest penalty. The 41-year-old Snoqualmie man already admitted to the slayings, leaving a King County Superior Court jury to decide whether he should live or die. Anything less than a unanimous vote for execution would send him to prison for life. In his opening statement, Warner said Cross' inner battles emerged years ago. He threw blankets over the windows of his house in Pennsylvania and hunkered in the darkness, occasionally coming out to pace the halls at night. His first wife and children were afraid of him. Cross "tried to put the sickness behind him" in 1990, his attorney told jurors. He began exercising incessantly and stopped drinking, smoking and eating meat. But a nasty child-custody battle and his mother's 1996 death hurled him back into depression, his attorney said. When he moved in with his soon-to-be wife, Anouchka Baldwin, in 1998, Warner said, he tried to keep himself drunk or stoned. In court yesterday, Cross was clearly annoyed to hear his attorney spell out intimate details of his life. He shifted uneasily several times before blurting out, "Your time's up!" Ignoring him, Warner told jurors that Cross' wife had cried out before the slayings, "What are you, insane?" His aberrant behavior after he slashed the woman and her two teenage girls showed that he likely was, Warner said. Cross was "growling and grunting like an animal" in the back seat of a police car, he said, then hugged his knees at the police station while "humming a mantralike song." He told his youngest stepdaughter -- the only one he spared -- that he would kill his ex-wife and go live elsewhere. He was "clearly not understanding what he had just done or the absurdity of just going off to live happily ever after," Warner said. Cross tried to kill himself in jail "in what truly is a bizarre manner," his lawyer said. He packed his throat with mattress stuffing and toilet paper and crammed his nose with cornbread, then he slammed himself into walls and the floor, fracturing his skull and neck. He is hardly a danger to others now that he is bound to a wheelchair, Warner said. But deputy prosecutor Tim Bradshaw described Cross' bloody rampage through the eyes of Melissa Baldwin. The 13-year-old girl was lying in bed when she heard her mother's frantic screams, then silence. After Cross killed the woman, he stabbed to death her oldest daughter, Salome Holly, an 18-year-old aspiring marine biologist. Her body was found near the kitchen door as if she had tried to escape, Bradshaw said. Terrified, Mellissa Baldwin was cowering in her bedroom with her 15-year-old sister, Amanda, when Cross knocked the door off its hinges and began stabbing the older girl. Bradshaw, holding up a stained piece of cloth, told jurors the younger girl tried futilely to stop the bleeding from her sister's leg. Cross then held Mellissa Baldwin captive for hours in his bedroom, dragging her to the kitchen occasionally so he could get more wine. He threatened the girl with the two bloody knives and punched her in the face, the deputy prosecutor said. The girl ran to a neighbor's house when he finally fell asleep. Police arrived to find the three victims covered with blankets and Cross sitting in his bedroom, puffing a cigarette. Bradshaw urged jurors to consider what Cross said nonchalantly to police: "I don't give a. ... I killed them. I did it. My life's over." "When you consider the merciless, unmitigated deaths in this case, the ultimate question answers itself," Bradshaw said. "This becomes Dayva Cross' ultimate day of reckoning." The U.S. Supreme Court will hear a case this month that could prevent many Californians from taking their employers to court on claims that they violated state labor laws, such as paying minimum wages and requirements for overtime, meal and rest breaks. Most large companies, in their employment contracts, require workers to take those disputes to private arbitration rather than suing in court. Arbitrators decisions are virtually unappealable, and their findings usually favor employers, their frequent customers. A review of 1,213 California employment arbitration cases from 2003 through 2007, published by the Journal of Empirical Legal Studies, found that employees won only 21.4% of the verdicts. Another study found that employers were more likely to win if they had appeared before the same arbitrator in the past. And because the contracts require individual arbitration and prohibit collective action, the potential payments are often so small that employees cannot find lawyers to take their cases, causing many to drop their claims. California responded with a 2004 law, the Private Attorneys General Act, or PAGA. It allows employees to file complaints, individually or collectively, in the name of the state for violations of labor laws. If the state Labor & Workforce Development Agency does not take over the case which it rarely does, with a limited enforcement budget the employees can file suit and collect 25% of any penalties awarded by the court, with the rest going to the state. Businesses have long opposed PAGA and contend the 1925 Federal Arbitration Act overrides such state laws and allows employers to require individual arbitration in work contracts. The California Supreme Court disagreed in a 2014 ruling allowing PAGA workplace suits to continue, and the U.S. Supreme Court denied review in that case and others from state and federal courts in the subsequent years. But in December, the high court, with its most conservative majority in decades, agreed to take up an appeal by a Southern California cruise line facing a PAGA suit by hundreds of present and past employees. The court has scheduled arguments for March 30, with a ruling due by the end of June, a timetable that has prompted expectations the justices will allow California employers to require individual arbitration. The rapid schedule indicates they know what theyre going to do. Theyre not going to look favorably on representative actions that are carved out from the Federal Arbitration Act, said Fred Hiestand, an attorney for the Civil Justice Association of California who filed arguments with the court on behalf of business groups. The smart money is betting against the workers. Theyre arguing into a headwind, said Gordon Renneisen, a San Francisco lawyer who represented employees in one of the earlier cases in which PAGA was upheld. The stakes are high for both businesses and their employees. PAGA suits are extracting millions of dollars from employers (as) another tax for doing business in California, Viking River Cruises said in a court filing by attorney Paul Clement, a former U.S. solicitor general. Business advocates and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce have filed supporting arguments. And Brian Maas, president of the California New Car Dealers Association, is leading a campaign to collect signatures for a proposed November ballot measure that would repeal PAGA. On the other side, state Attorney General Rob Bonta told the court that the California law plays a crucial role in ensuring the fair and legal treatment of some of the states most vulnerable workers, including those in the agricultural, garment, and front-line service industries. In 2003, a year before PAGA was passed, Bonta said, a federal study found more than 33,000 serious wage violations by employers of more than 100,000 garment workers in Los Angeles, while the state labor office filed fewer than 100 wage complaints against all employers in California. Court filings backing the state law include one from the AFL-CIO, even though union members, about one-sixth of all employees in California, can usually rely on union contracts to avoid individual arbitration. Millions of employees, union and non union, depend on the effective enforcement of state employment laws to protect their livelihood and their health and safety while at work, the labor organization told the court. Even the National Academy of Arbitrators provided some support for PAGA, telling the court that employees claiming violations of labor laws should be allowed to seek penalties for the state during arbitration. The Supreme Court has been friendly to arbitration in the past. A 5-4 ruling in 2011 overturned another California Supreme Court decision and said companies could require employees or customers to arbitrate disputes individually rather than joining forces in a class-action suit. That case, which did not involve PAGA, required a household to arbitrate its challenge to a $30.22 phone fee from AT&T prompting Justice Stephen Breyer to ask, in a dissenting opinion, whether any rational lawyer would take a case offering fees for a share of $30.22. 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. But opponents of PAGA say the law offers far less to employees than to their attorneys bounty hunters, as Hiestand of the Civil Justice Association described them. The California Business and Industrial Alliance said in a recent report that the average employees share in a PAGA case was $1,200, while lawyers fees averaged $372,000. The alternative, however, is far worse for employees, said Eric Kingsley, a Los Angeles-area labor lawyer and board member of Consumer Attorneys of California. When not if the court overrides the state law, he said, even more businesses will require arbitration in their employment contracts, and there will be effectively no labor enforcement in the state of California except for labor agencies, which are grossly underfunded. But Renneisen, the San Francisco labor lawyer, said the court might not have the last word. Ideally for employees, he said, Congress could pass a law allowing them to sue over labor conditions without going to arbitration, like a bill President Biden signed March 3 allowing employees claiming sexual harassment to sue in court despite arbitration requirements in their contracts. While legislation applying to all workplace suits seems unlikely in the current Congress, Renneisen said, California could also rewrite its laws to fit the courts standards. For example, he said, if the court says employees who file claims under PAGA are bound by individual arbitration agreements, the Legislature could broaden the law to allow nonemployees to accuse the same company and collect a share of the penalties the vigilante enforcement approach that Texas included in a recent anti-abortion law and that Gov. Gavin Newsom has proposed to let private citizens sue sellers of illegal firearms. If the court finds the state law shifts too much enforcement authority to employees, Renneisen said, California could give its Labor & Workforce Development Agency veto power over all PAGA settlements. And if the justices decide employees subject to arbitration contracts should not receive any automatic share of PAGA penalties, the law could be recast to direct all payments to the labor agency, which then could decide whether to share them with the employees. As Renneisen put it in an article on the Law360 website, even if employers win in the nations highest court, the long-running struggle over PAGA will continue. Bob Egelko is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: begelko@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @BobEgelko During a record dry start to 2022, Californians have begun using more water - not less, like the governor has asked for - which has left the state well short of its drought-time conservation goal of 15% savings. Data released Tuesday by the State Water Resources Control Board shows urban water consumption across California increased 2.6% in January, compared to the same month in 2020. Since July when Gov. Gavin Newsom called for voluntary reductions, cities and towns have cumulatively saved 6.4%, less than half of what was requested. The failure of residents to comply puts increased pressure on Californias water supplies, which are already squeezed as the state enters a third year of drought. The lackluster conservation also puts pressure on the governor to ratchet up his ask of Californians and perhaps edge closer to mandatory statewide water rationing like what enacted during last decades five-year dry spell. The State Water Board has already put prohibitions in place on certain outdoor water activities, including watering lawns within 48 hours of rain, hosing down driveways and filling decorative fountains. Charlotte Ely, a senior environmental scientist and conservation program lead for the State Water Board who tracks the conservation data, said there was untapped potential for voluntary savings. Januarys increase in water consumption was driven largely by water use in inland parts of the state. More than anywhere, the southern deserts and Central Valley have reeled from little rainfall and mild temperatures during what is historically the cold, wet time of year. Among the biggest water users, based on their relative January consumption, were the cities of Manteca, Kingsburg and Tracy in the San Joaquin Valley, which upped their use by 51.1%, 47.9% and 38.3% respectively, according to the state data. The Bay Area was one of the few regions in California to continue conserving in January, though water use dropped just 1.4%, the data shows. Since July, the region has saved 11%, well above the state average but still shy of the state target. Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts. The past two years are among the driest California has experienced in modern times, and after sparse rain and snow this January and February, another year of drought appears imminent. Some parts of the state saw no measurable rain during the first two months of 2022, while San Francisco, San Jose, Sacramento and Fresno all set records for their driest start to the year. Reservoirs across the state, where California gets most of its water, are sometimes alarmingly low. Shasta Lake, the states biggest, was 38% full this week, about half of what it typically contains this time of year. Lake Oroville, the second biggest, was at 46% of capacity, about two-thirds of what it typically contains. Many communities, especially those reliant on diminishing reservoirs, have already put mandatory water restrictions in place. Some water experts have urged the governor to follow suit with statewide water restrictions. This story will be updated. Kurtis Alexander is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: kalexander@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @kurtisalexander Even as California and the Bay Area drop most coronavirus restrictions amid a precipitous decline in cases, COVID-19 is on the rise again in the United Kingdom and other parts of Europe as the omicron subvariant BA.2 spreads. Throughout the pandemic, the U.K. has generally served as a harbinger of whats to come for California, first with the alpha variant, followed by delta, and most recently with omicron. Given the pattern, does the U.K.s latest spike signal a new surge here in the coming weeks? The short answer from Bay Area experts: Yes and no. Where the numbers stand now After the Bay Areas winter spike in cases driven by the omicron variant, case rates here have dropped back to levels not seen since the fall, with 9.8 new daily cases per 100,000 people recorded March 10. The U.K. also saw a sharp rise in December as omicron took over. Cases then started tumbling in early January and continued declining through February. But since then, in tandem with the rise of the highly transmissible omicron BA.2 subvariant, cases in the U.K. have begun to rise steadily, growing from a recent low of about 49 per 100,000 people on Feb. 28 to 86.8 per 100,000 reported on March 12, according to Our World in Data. In the U.S. on those dates, the rate declined from 20 per 100,000 to 10.8 per 100,000. BA.2 is now the dominant variant in England, Northern Ireland and Scotland, according to Britains Office for National Statistics. In the U.S., it accounted for 11.6% of COVID-19 cases in the week ending March 5, an increase from 6.6% in the previous week, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention . Are we headed for another surge? Matt Dunham/Associated Press Cases are indeed likely to rise again in the Bay Area, experts said, as the BA.2 subvariant spreads further even as most restrictions are eliminated and people move around more freely, as has occurred in Britain. We should be mindful of what is happening in the U.K., said Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, a UCSF infectious disease expert. However, he added, Britain moved earlier and more aggressively to lift restrictions. That timing, combined with colder winter weather driving people indoors where the coronavirus spreads more easily, could create the perfect storm in the U.K. and other European countries, while the Bay Area is relatively less affected. BA.2 has been doubling in prevalence every week in the U.K. and is about 30% more transmissible than the original BA.1 omicron variant. BA.2 likely will become the dominant variant here, according to John Swartzberg, an infectious disease expert at UC Berkeley. However, he noted that all sublineages of omicron are decreasing, so that while BA.2 will account for a greater share of cases, in absolute numbers it is likely to decrease. I do not think it will cause another surge, but it may slow the descent of omicron cases, he wrote in an email. Whats different this time? As the U.S. reopens and people travel more nationally and internationally, BA.2 will circulate and be easier to transmit, and more people will be infected for the first time or potentially get reinfected, Chin-Hong said. Those factors, combined with a wild psychological enthusiasm for the urgency of normal, will inevitably drive increases in cases, he wrote in an email. However, he said he doesnt think it will be a surge in the traditional sense that weve seen in the past. He said BA.2 is very similar to omicron, and vaccines and boosters are similarly effective against it which will keep people out of the hospital for the most part. Swartzberg agreed: It is unlikely that BA.2 is more effective than BA.1 at evading the immunity we get from vaccines or previous infection, he said. Vaccination rates in the U.K. and California are similar, and while the U.K. historically has been more lax with restrictions, both areas have now lifted virtually all COVID restrictions though the U.K. moved several weeks earlier and more aggressively. The U.K. lifted mask requirements for schools on Jan. 20 and for all indoor public spaces on Jan. 27. In February, officials introduced a living with COVID plan that scaled back testing and ended mandatory self-isolation for those who test positive. 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. California lifted its mask mandate for vaccinated people in mid-February and for everyone on March 1, and Bay Area counties have since aligned with the state. The vast majority of Bay Area school districts lifted mask mandates starting Monday. State health guidelines still call for a minimum of five days isolation for those who test positive. In mid-February, Gov. Gavin Newsom also announced a strategy for living with COVID in the long term. While state officials have said mask requirements could return if circumstances change, experts call broader limits on businesses and activities unlikely. What I anticipate is a whole other round of questions about restrictions and so forth when we see an increase in cases, but I dont ever think we are going to go back to lockdowns and such, Chin-Hong said. Restrictions will likely mirror the new CDC guidance with a focus on how our hospitals are doing. What precautions should people take? While widespread COVID restrictions might not return, Chin-Hong and Swartzberg still recommended wearing high-quality masks in crowded indoor settings as cases continue to come down, especially for unvaccinated, elderly and immunocompromised individuals. The U.K. has often been a forerunner of what happens in the U.S. and more specifically California and the Bay Area, Swartzberg said. The rise in omicron cases recently in the U.K., coincident with the rise in the percentage of BA.2, is a warning for us to proceed cautiously with abandoning precautions. Britain has announced that second vaccine booster shots will be available in the spring to people 75 and older, elderly care home residents, and people 12 and older who are immunosuppressed. While Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla told CBS on Sunday that a fourth vaccine dose would be necessary to combat any future variants, the CDC currently recommends that only immunocompromised individuals get a second booster. Swartzberg agreed that otherwise healthy people dont need a second booster right now, and those with underlying health conditions should talk to their doctors. Kellie Hwang is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: kellie.hwang@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @KellieHwang The immigrant who was acquitted of murdering Kate Steinle on a San Francisco pier in 2015 pleaded guilty Monday to federal charges of illegally possessing the lethal weapon. Steinle, 32, was killed in July 2015 by a bullet that ricocheted off the pavement and struck her in the back as she walked with her father along Pier 14. Jose Ines Garcia Zarate, reportedly 51, has been in custody since then and entered his guilty pleas after a federal judge found he had regained his mental competency. He pleaded guilty without a plea agreement, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office for Californias Northern District. Garcia Zarate had previously been deported to his native Mexico five times, had returned to the United States each time, and had served 46 months in prison for illegal re-entry. Rather than deporting him again, immigration officials sent him to San Francisco to face an old marijuana charge, which city prosecutors quickly dropped. He was then freed without notice to the federal government under San Franciscos sanctuary policy, which barred notifying immigration officials about the release of undocumented immigrants. Although immigration officers knew Garcia Zarate was in San Francisco, opponents of sanctuary laws blamed the citys policy for the fatal shooting, and after the jury verdict in 2017, President Donald Trump used the case to proclaim the dangers of illegal immigration. The gun belonged to a U.S. park ranger who left it loaded and unlocked in a backpack under the seat of a sport utility vehicle. Garcia Zarate denied intentionally shooting it and said he found it wrapped in a towel at the pier, picked it up and immediately dropped it as it went off. A San Francisco jury acquitted him of murder and assault and convicted him only of being a felon in possession of a gun. But a state appeals court overturned that conviction and said a jury should be allowed to decide whether he had only momentary possession of the weapon, which would not be a crime. Federal courts, meanwhile, rejected a suit by Steinles parents against both San Francisco and the federal government, saying they were not responsible for her death. Federal prosecutors, however, filed charges of illegal firearms possession by a felon and an illegal immigrant. Garcia Zarate remained in custody and, after being found mentally incompetent to stand trial, was sent to a federal prison for treatment. Last year, Garcia Zarates attorneys called on the Biden administration to drop the federal charges, arguing that politics surrounding immigration enforcement, fueled by Trumps public criticism of the partial acquittal in 2017, was the reason Garcia Zarate remained incarcerated. Trump had called the acquittal a complete travesty of justice. U.S. District Judge Vince Chhabria of San Francisco said last month that Garcia Zarate had regained his mental health last year before before being sent to Santa Rita Jail, where his medication was withheld. He was then transferred to Marin County Jail, where he was again provided medication and restored to competency, Chhabria said. Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts. At Mondays hearing, according to the Associated Press, Chhabria asked Garcia Zarate if he understood the charges, and he replied, through a Spanish interpreter, The charges are because I was in the country illegally and I had a firearm. He then was allowed to plead guilty. Sentencing is scheduled for June 6, with a maximum term of 10 years plus three years of supervised release on each of the two charges. Garcia Zarate can request credit for the time he has spent in custody. He faces another deportation after completing his sentence. Bob Egelko and Andy Picon are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Email: begelko@sfchronicle.com, andy.picon@hearst.com Twitter: @BobEgelko, @andpicon This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Around 20 teachers union members brought sleeping bags, pillows and snacks to spend Monday night at the San Francisco Unified School District office to protest a problem with the districts new paycheck system. Educators have been dealing with uncertainty in pay since the district transitioned to a new payroll system in January, they said. Some people have received partial paychecks or no pay at all. Other educators had issues with their medical insurance being canceled, as well as improper deductions on their paychecks. Their protest began around 4 p.m. as a large group of educators, retired teachers and concerned community members gathered outside the office with signs stating Pay Us Now! and We Need Pay to Stay, as passing cars honked in support. Superintendent Vincent Matthews met with the members of the sit-in in the SFUSD building to apologize for the problems. He was handed a box of letters from educators explaining how their lives have been affected by lack of payments. Anyone who has had a delay in their check, there is no way that that should have happened, Matthews told the crowd of 20. I hold myself accountable. And I want to apologize to our employees. Theres no way our system should do that. And in that way, we have failed you. Leslie Hu, a social worker with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Middle School and union secretary, said the protest will continue until the district meets their demands for payments. Educators are also demanding that their promised COVID sick days be fulfilled. Educators who have gotten COVID have had to use personal sick days, protesters said. District leadership has failed us completely, she said as colleagues brought chips and water for protesters. Were here because we have hundreds, if not thousands, of educators that are not getting paid. ... Weve had situations where landlords are threatening to evict educators because they dont have the money. Carlos Avila Gonzalez/The Chronicle Cassondra Curiel, the union president and a Visitacion Valley Middle School English teacher, said she is one of the many employees who had paycheck problems. I have quite a lot the district did not pay into, according to that pay stub, she said. She explained that educators are also having issues with health care benefits. Weve heard from people whove had to pay for their prescriptions on dollar value instead of with their health care, she said. Weve heard of folks whove been receiving medical care and they're told that their insurance is not up to date. Matthews said he has reassigned the head of payroll to work full time in an effort to prioritize COVID leave and the missing checks. He said that just this weekend, at least 700 employees have gotten their missing checks, but there are others who havent. The superintendent said he hopes that everyone missing payments will receive their checks in the upcoming weeks. There is no way that any of you shouldve had to come down here with sleeping bags to say, Pay us, he said. Everett Middle School History teacher and union member Angel Rafael Vazquez said that though he cares for the superintendent and the monumental problem hes facing, no apology will ever undo the damage and humiliation that he and other educators have experienced. 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. Vazquez said he was paid late in January and received only $600 of his anticipated $3,900 paycheck in February. Educators are paid monthly. I had to immediately resort to (family) and my support system in order to be able to sleep at night and not worry and go into my gig economy brain that has been dormant for many years, he said. I chose a career for that reason so I didnt have to worry about how to find $2,000 before 4 p.m. today. He said he is thankful for his support system but worried for colleagues who approached him in tears because they cant make payments. This should have been foreseen, he said. Ryce Stoughtenborough is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: ryce.stoughtenborough@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @rstoughts Joe Salcedo didnt set out to make history when he moved out of his car and into a temporary housing complex in San Mateo County five months ago. But hes stoked about the idea now. The 56-year-old is among hundreds of unhoused people being pulled off the streets so quickly that San Mateo is on track to become the first Bay Area county to reduce its unsheltered homeless population to functional zero. That means that as soon as someone like Salcedo hits the streets, they can be moved indoors. Its all because of an unanticipated boon of the coronavirus pandemic so much federal relief money poured into California over the past two years that counties have been able to create rooms and beds that they couldnt have imagined before. Gabrielle Lurie/The Chronicle But whether San Mateo County can achieve what no other place in the Bay Area has and whether its approach can be replicated in a region with great variables in size and needs of its homeless populations are open questions that could drive policy discussions for years to come. I was homeless off and on for a lot of years, and they didnt have anything like this to help me anywhere before, Salcedo said as he sat in his tidy studio apartment at the 52-room Coast House interim housing complex in Half Moon Bay. With a roof over my head finally, in a quiet clean place like this, Ive been able to get better, feel better about moving ahead with my life. Every county in California should do what this county is doing. It works. Rep. Jackie Speier, D-San Mateo, and a bevvy of county and city officials inspected Coast House and another new housing complex in Redwood City for the first time this month. Both facilities were hotels bought by the county and converted over the past year. Speier, who helped drive federal relief money to the region, called the result phenomenal. There are a lot of counties where they dithered, but that didnt happen here, Speier, whose district includes most of the county, said after looking at Coast Houses brightly decorated, whistle-clean rooms. This is a lasting use of the federal funding because San Mateo County saw an opportunity in a crisis. At one point Salcedo told the congresswoman, voice cracking as he teared up, after being here Im finally getting back together with my 12-year-old daughter. That shows you can change. Speier put her arm around him and said quietly, You did. Gabrielle Lurie/The Chronicle Officials say that enough counseling-enriched housing complexes and safe parking sites will be generated by the end of this year to take in more than 700 people, largely by using federal money in the Cares Act and the states Project Homekey. Some of those complexes are interim units what used to be called transitional housing, but with fewer time restrictions and some are permanent supportive housing. Coast House, a former motel along breezy Highway 1 on the edge of town, was paid for with $8 million in Cares funding. Its being run by the LifeMoves nonprofit. The second place inspected last week, the 95-unit Redwood Shores permanent supportive housing, is a more upscale former Marriott hotel on the bay. It cost $29.2 million in Homekey and Cares funding, and is run by the MidPen Housing nonprofit. So far, the interim units have moved out as many as 25% of their residents into permanent apartments, either in San Mateo or elsewhere, program managers say. The countys last one-night homeless count from 2019 showed 900 people in the streets, with another 600 in shelters a conservative estimate the federal government requires but that isnt intended to reflect the fully encompassing size of the homeless population. Even still, with at least 300 more interim or permanent housing units in a planning stage, plus the anticipated turnover in the existing complexes, county officials are hopeful they can hit what homelessness experts call functional zero within a year or so, meaning anyone who becomes unsheltered is quickly moved under a roof with services, leaving virtually nobody on the streets for long. Gabrielle Lurie/The Chronicle Were still working on the numbers, but we do think well come close to functional zero with the new projects we have up or coming online, said County Manager Mike Callagy, whom Speier and others credit with being the driving force behind the housing and shelter push. We know that these one-night counts are somewhat of a guesstimate, but even with that we believe we have a good shot. Since the end of 2020, San Mateo County has received $120 million in Homekey funding, funneled through the state to acquire hotels and similar buildings for conversion into apartments for the unhoused. It also got $150 million in Cares federal coronavirus emergency funding which is going to several purposes, including addressing homelessness. Aided by the same kinds of funding, San Francisco is on track to set up more than 2,500 new permanent supportive housing units this year, and Santa Clara County has begun an effort to house 1,200 homeless families over the coming year. Gail Gilman, chief strategy officer for the regional homelessness nonprofit All Home, based in San Francisco, said if they get all their Homekeys and other grants in their pipeline, San Mateo will reach that functional zero. Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts. The addition of interim housing in recent years is a change from the early-to-mid 2000s, when homeless agencies emphasized permanent supportive housing above all. This was driven by federal funding preferences and a belief that its more efficient to house people without an in-between step. But as housing and construction prices soared, and affordable housing continues to only trickle into the market, officials have become more accepting of places like Coast House where people can stay in their own rooms not just group shelters with a cot or bunk bed next to dozens of other people. We learned from the pandemic that you heal better when you have a door that you can lock, and you dont have a tight deadline for losing your bed, Gilman said. But this is important interim housing needs to be linked to permanent housing. You cant just leave people in temporary places forever. Yalonda M. James/The Chronicle The challenge of sheltering and housing people stands out in richer counties like San Mateo, where the median home selling price is $1.6 million, according to Realtor.com, one of the highest in the nation. In contrast, the median home selling price is $580,000 in Solano County and $1.5 million in San Francisco. And the ongoing tabs can be steep. Coast Houses $1.6 million annual operating cost is currently being largely paid with federal funding that may decline in the coming years, and Redwood Shores $750,000 annual operating cost is less dependent on federal dollars, but needs to refresh funding in the future. But thats where being in a wealthy county with a healthy budget can also help. Callagy said he sees no problem in maintaining the programs and pointed to San Mateos half-cent sales tax, passed by voters in 2016 largely to help with homelessness and emergencies, as a major resource. The tax generates as much as $100 million a year, and funding thats had to go toward coronavirus relief will be freed up as the pandemic fades. We call this the year of ending homelessness, Callagy said. Were committed to getting this done. Kevin Fagan is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: kfagan@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @KevinChron A state civil rights agency revealed the first round of data collected from California companies on pay equity among people of different race and ethnicities, showing stark pay gaps that disadvantage women and people of color. The data, released Tuesday, were gathered and reported by the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing under a law, SB973, that requires private companies with more than 100 employers to collect information on how much they pay people broken out by job type and along gender, racial and ethnic lines. Statewide, women were much less likely to be in the highest salary range than men despite the breakdown of the workforce being roughly even along gender lines. Of the top earners making more than $128,960, only 36% were women compared to 64% being men. That trend was flipped at the lower end of the wage scale however, with 55% of people making $30,679 annually or less being women and the rest men. The report also looked at metropolitan statistical areas like the San Francisco, Oakland, Fremont area, finding that of the people in the highest salary range making more than $208,000 per year, roughly two-thirds were men, while only about a third were women. The report was based on data collected on 6.3 million workers statewide in 2020. Industry breakdowns showed women were overrepresented in not only low wage positions but in administrative, sales, and service jobs among others. Men were more likely to be executives and managers. The agency said it will release data on gender nonbinary people after additional analysis. Todays report reinforces the need for employers to review their compensation and other employment practices to correct pay disparities and ensure equal opportunity in their workplaces, said Fair Employment and Housing Director Kevin Kish in a statement. DFEH will continue to vigorously enforce Californias equal pay and anti-discrimination laws. The agency also found that Asian and white people were more likely to be at the highest end of the pay scale across the state, while Hispanic and Latino people and Black people were overly represented at the lowest pay levels. Of people making $30,679 or less: 50% were Hispanic or Latino, 25% were white, 10% were Asian and 8% were Black or African American. That is despite 37% of the 6.3 million workers captured in the report being classified as Hispanic or Latino, 34% being white, 18% Asian and 6% Black or African American. Only 4% identified as being of two or more races 1% as native Hawaiian or other Pacific islander, and 0.5% as American Indian or Alaska Native. At the highest end of the pay scale, of those making $128,960 or more in 2020 only 9% were Hispanic or Latino while 3% identified as Black or African American. White people made up more than half of the category while Asian people made up about a third. Tuesday was also National Equal Pay Day and saw other government agencies focus on the issue of unfair pay gaps. The U.S. Department of Labor released a report on how the pandemic has hurt womens pay and job prospects during the pandemic. The Labor Department also instructed federal contractors to further audit their payrolls to prevent unfair pay disparities along ethnic and gender lines. The Fair Employment and Housing report did not include data from public employers, independent contractors or companies with fewer than 100 employees workers, but other state legislation is looking to close some of those gaps in pay reporting. Last month, state Sen. Monique Limon, D-Santa Barbara, authored SB1162, which would require companies to release more information about how much they pay employees, and the contractors they hire out through third parties. The data released Tuesday included industry type but not company name. SB1162 would identify employers by name, and require companies with more than 100 workers to report pay data not just for their employees, but their contractor workforce as well. Pay equity advocates say the bill is particularly important in California where technology companies and other businesses contract out a variety of jobs that often pay less and have fewer privileges than full employees. Chase DiFeliciantonio is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: chase.difeliciantonio@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @ChaseDiFelice A Siskiyou County man admitted he took two bear cubs away from their mother, the state Department of Fish and Wildlife said. Cody Dylon Setzer, 29, of Yreka took the two cubs, then about 4 weeks old, in March 2019 from their den in a tree that had fallen across a forest road, the department said. According to the department, he pleaded guilty to taking the bears, a violation of state law. Setzer called the department several days later to report that he had found them along Highway 263 north of Yreka, state wildlife officials said. A skeptical wildlife officer doubted Setzers account when no bear tracks or habitat were found. Something wasnt adding up with the report of two bear cubs being discovered, said Patrick Foy, a captain with the departments law enforcement division. You dont just find bear cubs on the side of the road. Scientists with the departments Wildlife Forensics Laboratory in Rancho Cordova took DNA samples from the cubs and determined they were likely born in the Sacramento River canyon in northern Shasta County, more than 90 miles south of where Setzer said he found them. Fish and wildlife investigators said they determined that Setzer and an unnamed co-worker at a timber management company took the cubs from a den inside a tree that had fallen across an access road to a work site, the department said. The co-worker took officers to the location of the den site east of Salt Creek and Interstate 5. Evidence was collected from the den, which had been destroyed by both men, and the cubs mother was never located. After wildlife officials took the young bears DNA, they were taken to the Lake Tahoe Wildlife Center, which said they were the youngest bears ever in their care. When the bears were deemed old enough to survive on their own, in April 2020, they were returned to their native habitat in Shasta County. Setzer pleaded guilty in Siskiyou Superior Court in November to possession of a prohibited species and obstructing a peace officer. In combination with an unrelated case, he was fined $2,290, ordered to complete 200 hours of community service, and placed on a years probation with his hunting and fishing privileges suspended. Foy said the cub abduction appeared to be a case of someone spotting young animals, taking them home for their kids entertainment, then regretting their decision when the wild animals wouldn't consume cows milk. That happens often with deer, he said, but almost never with bear cubs. Finding bears that small would be super rare, he said. Youd have to go into their den and snatch them. Michael Cabanatuan (he/him) is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: mcabanatuan@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @ctuan Five people are facing federal criminal charges for their alleged roles in a national gun trafficking operation that officials said brought more than 500 guns to California from Georgia, according to court documents reviewed by The Chronicle. Jerrell Lawson, Malek Williams, Aisha Hoggatt, Terrence Phillips and James Gordley face charges of of unlawfully dealing in firearms, conspiracy to unlawfully deal in firearms, transferring a firearm to an out-of state-resident and the unlawful mailing of a firearm. The ring allegedly operated out of North Highlands in Sacramento County, with mail parcels containing weapons also received in Union City, Martinez and Turlock, according to the court documents. Gun trafficking and straw-purchasing operations, in which people or groups bring firearms illegally into California from elsewhere, represent one of the main ways in which guns make their way onto the street in the state. How many of those guns may have been used in crimes committed in the Bay Area was not immediately clear. According to the sworn testimony of Special Agent Mark Giacomantonio of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Lawson bought the guns through the internet, picked them up in Georgia and returned to California to resell them. An ATF spokesperson could not immediately provide a comment or answer additional questions about the charges. Federal public defender John Reichmuth declined to make a statement on behalf of his client, Phillips. From November 2019 through October 2021, Lawson allegedly purchased more than 500 firearms for over $162,000, Giacomantonio wrote. Based on this investigation, I believe that each of those firearms was purchased in Georgia, mailed to California, and then (unlawfully) sold onto the black market in California, he wrote. The guns were acquired legally by Williams, who has a license to carry a concealed weapon, from unknowing individuals in Georgia in private party-to-party transactions, according to Giacomantonios affidavit. Lawson, Phillips and Gordley, the alleged dealers on the California end of the deal, are convicted felons prohibited from possessing firearms, federal officials wrote. Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts. The break in the case came on Dec. 5, 2020, when three people were shot during an incident in Sacramento, according to the ATFs account of investigation reviewed by The Chronicle. Police recovered a pistol traced to a pawnshop in Newman, Ga., and the story started to unfold. The gun sale was made on a classified website, and ATF officials were able to determine the identity of the buyer of the weapon, who was using the online handle Jay223 and was based in Kennesaw, Ga. The transactions were also linked to an IP address allegedly used by Gordley in North Highlands. A further break came on Sept. 15, 2021, when U.S. Postal Inspectors allegedly intercepted a parcel containing three Glock pistols. The parcel was allegedly addressed to J. Williams at a Union City address. Under federal sentencing guidelines, the defendants could face five to 10 years for unlawfully dealing in firearms and up to 20 years for conspiracy. Sam Whiting is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: swhiting@sfchronicle.com Twitter:@samwhitingsf Jacom Stephens/Getty Image A Fairfield man suspected of shooting three people over the weekend, killing one of them, surrendered to police, Fairfield police said. Trine Martinez, 25, turned himself in to the Fairfield Police Department on Monday, authorities said. Its never been easier to get an artisanal flour tortilla in the Bay Area. Unless you had the good fortune to grow up in a household that made them fresh daily, a flour tortilla might not be something that you pause to think about much. Instead, you might associate them with the utilitarian products sold in grocery stores: dense and tacky disks made to have cheese melted onto them in the midnight hours. But now, there is a burgeoning movement of local producers making flour tortillas the old-fashioned way, inspired by the regional traditions of northern Mexico. Three such producers Tortillas de MamaCuca, Xulo and Semilla offer an experience that is a whole universe away from what youll find at the grocery store. When you get a good tortilla, you dont necessarily have to load it up with ingredients; you can eat it fresh off the griddle, unadorned, so you can savor the rich aroma of toasted wheat. It can be life-altering: a plot twist that makes you re-evaluate everything thats come before. It wont dissolve into a claggy mush and make you want to bust out a toothpick after you eat it. On a hot plancha, its outer layer forms a roti-like flaky texture while maintaining a tender interior. A great tortilla is a comfort; a warm wheaten cloth you might be inspired to lay on your face during a spa session. Rather than simply existing as a platform for other foods, the four- to five-ingredient dish demands attention as something complete in itself. Bronte Wittpenn/The Chronicle Local makers treat the tortilla as such, and like the Bay Areas many artisanal sourdough bread producers, theyre picky about ingredients. For instance, Maria Marquez of MamaCuca exclusively uses a Mexican brand of super-fine flour and vegetable shortening, which she says makes more flexible tortillas than pork lard. Norma Quinonez of Semilla relies on Diamond Crystal kosher salt and organic cold-pressed vegetable shortening. She and Michael de la Torre (Xulo) opt for organic flour from Central Milling, which also supplies Phoenixs Tacos Chiwas, the Mill in San Francisco and Maiden Breads in Point Reyes. De la Torre swears by Central Millings Type 70 flour, a semi-rustic blend with a rustic texture that he says bridges the gap between modern tortillas, made with fine all-purpose flour, and the original Sonoran white wheat milled in colonial Mexico hundreds of years ago. The difference is dramatic in the tortillas from Xulo, founded by de la Torre in 2019, who learned the craft from his Sonoran grandmother. Among this group, his are the most experimental, incorporating fats like coconut oil, local butter and duck fat. Bronte Wittpenn / The Chronicle Bronte Wittpenn / The Chronicle Above left: Xulo tortilla dough waits to be rolled out in Oakland. The artisan company incorporates fats like coconut oil, local butter and duck fat in its tortillas. Above right: Semilla owner Norma Quinonez shapes a flour tortilla at Eclectic Cookery in S.F. Semilla tortillas are sold at the Outer Sunset Farmers Market. Photos by Bronte Wittpenn / The Chronicle Above left: Xulo tortilla dough waits to be rolled out in Oakland. The artisan company incorporates fats like coconut oil, local butter and duck fat in its tortillas. Above right: Semilla owner Norma Quinonez shapes a flour tortilla at Eclectic Cookery in S.F. Semilla tortillas are sold at the Outer Sunset Farmers Market. Photos by Bronte Wittpenn / The Chronicle Two people at the forefront of the artisanal flour tortilla business are Armando Hernandez and Nadia Holguin, the restaurateurs behind the acclaimed Tacos Chiwas and Bacanora in Phoenix. The states proximity to northern Mexico makes it a prime location for flour tortilla culture, and the couple made it their mission to make the best possible version of it at their restaurants. Hernandez compares the tortilla to pizza. It doesnt matter what ingredients you throw on top of it. If the main receptacle the crust isnt good the rest is not good. Its a matter of regional pride for a couple that hail from the state of Chihuahua, where its a common sight to see street vendors toting coolers full of premade burritos filled with cheese and chiles, potatoes and savory beef picadillo. Yet the artisanal flour tortilla hasnt taken off in national popularity quite the way that masa has. Tension still exists around its history: Mexicos wheat came from 17th century Spanish missionaries, who enslaved Indigenous people to cultivate wheat fields in land that theyd stolen. Over time, the surplus made its way into regional cuisine in pozoles beefed up with tepary beans and plump wheat berries; sugary pastries and sweet breads; and flour tortillas. Its complex, says de la Torre. Its a colonizer food created from Indigenous hands colonizer ingredients combined with Indigenous muscle memory. Bronte Wittpenn/The Chronicle Hernandez struggles with perceptions that flour tortillas arent as authentic as corn tortillas; at most, people seem to think theyre permissible only in burritos, which is far from reality. My grandma made flour tortillas and my grandmas grandma made them, too, says Hernandez. If a 500-year-old technique isnt real, then what is? To me, thats 100% traditional. It is Mexican. Xulos de la Torre has some ideas about how to lean into any sense of unease like potentially using bison fat for an upcoming batch. For Marquez, the flour tortilla is a family heirloom. She grew up in Obregon, Sonora, and as a snack her mother used to give a tortilla to her still warm, with just a drizzle of honey on top. Thanks to the work of the Bay Areas flour tortilla makers, the dishs reputation is shifting. You can find Xulos par-cooked tortillas via food shopping websites like Pastel and Good Eggs, which suggests using them in tacos or dipping them into soup. Recently, Marquez also started selling her tortillas all dressed up via a taqueria pop-up; she makes the tortillas and her husband cooks carne asada on a charcoal grill. (Incidentally, her brilliant Sonoran-style tacos merited inclusion on our Top East Bay Tacos list.) Its a showcase of Sonoran dishes like the Yaqui-style taco, a flour tortilla coated in a crust of melty cheese, then filled with a roasted Anaheim chile pepper and smoky chopped beef. Eventually, she hopes to open a lonchera, a food truck, where she can continue to serve people dishes from her home state. Sorry, your browser doesn't support embedded videos. San Francisco Chronicle At the Outer Sunset farmers market, Quinonez sells her tortillas by the pack or wrapped around breakfast burritos. Armed with a small wooden roller, she and her assistant, Maria, form the tortillas on the thicker side, which Quinonez says is a traditional style in her birthplace of Durango, a state in northwestern Mexico. Thanks to an overnight rest before rolling, the tortillas are robust but also soft like French crepes. Theyre sturdy enough to contain juicy fillings like scrambled eggs with cactus and shredded beef stewed with citrusy salsa verde. Quinonez is hoping to expand into a brick-and-mortar operation: a drive-thru in San Francisco or on the Peninsula, where people can simply grab good coffee and breakfast burritos during the week. As these businesses expand, the perception of Mexican food will increasingly reflect a more diverse reality. Theres ample appetite for regionality here, as evidenced by popular Chinese restaurant stalwarts like Wojia Hunan Cuisine in Albany and the Sichuanese Shang Cafe in San Jose; but Mexican food, which has myriad distinct culinary dialects, has more room to grow here. Bronte Wittpenn/The Chronicle And more than making our food scene more delicious, it means something real to people. In general, Quinonez said, I would like people to be more aware of the northern part of Mexico, and representing Durangos home cooking is how she does her part. Marquez told me that once a customer from Sonora cried upon tasting the familiar flavor of her tortillas: The memory of that moment, and the possibility of making it happen again, is what propels her as she rolls 300 tortillas a day. With additional reporting by Cesar Hernandez. Soleil Ho is The San Francisco Chronicles restaurant critic. Email: soleil@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @hooleil The events in Ukraine have once again shown the need for moral clarity, and the lack thereof, in U.S. foreign policy. To that aim our government should do the following: First we should renounce the 200-year-old Monroe Doctrine and apologize for the countless U.S. military interventions in Latin American countries. We have no more right to hegemony over the Western Hemisphere than Russia does over Eastern Europe. Second, we should withdraw U.S. support for the occupation of the West Bank and Golan Heights by Israel, both seized during the Six-Day War. Israel has no more right to either territory than Russia has to the Crimean and eastern Ukraine. Third, we should end our support for Saudi Arabias war of the Yemeni people. Innocent civilians should not be allowed to be targets of military assaults in any country on any continent. Until and unless we and our government are willing to correct our own actions, our criticism against Russian atrocities will ring hollow. Bernie Corace, San Francisco Sanctions wont work Regarding Paying more to fill up not that costly (Letters to the Editor, March 11): Thank you Ernest Isaacs for your analysis on gas prices. I agree with you, and I am even willing to pay three times as much, if it works. But America doesnt buy that much oil from Russia, and sanctions dont work against dictators. We are using a capitalist mind-set to go against communist behavior. We have sanctions against North Korea and Iran. We also have a trade war with China. How is that working for us? We are dealing with a madman, fanatics. When they want to achieve their goals at all cost, it is hard for us Western, comfort-seeking world to comprehend. People are willing to strap bombs on themselves and fly airplanes into buildings. People are scared into worshiping their dictator. How do we fight against that? Kin Allan, San Bruno Fight on, Ukraine Regarding Its my time in the fight for Ukraine (Insight, March 13): We are witness to the courage and nobility of the Ukrainian people. Catarina Buchatskiys personal story in the Sunday Chronicle is a reminder of the heart and soul of the Ukrainians and a reminder that faith, justice and courage will always prevail. Michael Traynor, Burlingame Court transforms CEQA Regarding Population is not the problem (Insight, March 6): The column on the negative effects of the California Environmental Quality Act failed to note that the imposition of the law on private building permits was the result of the California Supreme Courts 1973 Mammoth decision, which determined a permit was sufficient government action to require CEQA. Until then, no city or county understood CEQA to apply to private projects or the act of issuing a building permit. CEQA was intended to expose public projects like the horrid Embarcadero Freeway, which had no environmental review, and to stop proposals such as the plan to link the Golden Gate Bridge to Interstate 280 down 19th Avenue. The irony today is that the Legislature for the past 50 years has on occasion provided legislation to avoid CEQA for certain public projects, such as exempting the rampant redefining and limiting of urban roadway uses, but expanded or continued its burden on private projects. The costs created by CEQA might even be justified if it did not allow for delay and extortion. Vincent Muzzi, Millbrae How much can we grow? Regarding Dearth of housing remains, 50 years later, at UC Berkeley (Front Page, March 14): This and similar articles, editorials and letters have common themes, like students saying its unfair that they cant attend, or that the neighbors are the villains, or that the California Environmental Quality Act needs updating. But have we identified the number of students we can add? What is sustainable? UC Berkeley students are the unfortunate victims of our lack of regional planning and inability to match population growth with finite resources like water. Climate change is the culprit, and we need to recognize that drought is a key factor when planning housing and growth in the state. Jim Hallock, Oakland Ditch the time change Four years ago, we overwhelmingly passed a ballot initiative in California instructing our politicians to get rid of daylight-saving time. Every spring forward has been documented to lead to increased car accidents and heart attacks, with no discernible benefits to anyone. Not to mention it makes me tired and sad. Why cant our elected officials get this done? Now please. The Russian-initiated war in Ukraine has filled our news with images of destruction and heart-wrenching accounts of human suffering. Still, the war seems distant and unlikely to impact our daily lives significantly. We are concerned about gas prices, but, other than that, few of us expect this faraway conflict to alter our lives dramatically. Unfortunately, the trouble in Ukraine could easily destabilize our lives and could possibly threaten our existence. When nuclear power plants and nuclear weapons are part of the equation, things could unravel quickly and with catastrophic consequences. The most prominent risk is a disaster worse than the 1986 Chernobyl reactor meltdown. There are 15 operating nuclear reactors in Ukraine. Each is vulnerable to an attack or sabotage that could precipitate a plant meltdown. On March 4, Russian troops attacked the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in Southeast Ukraine. There were fires at the complex, but the reactors were not damaged. The Ukrainian staff at the Zaporizhzhia plant has continued to operate the facility, but there is word that they do so at gunpoint. Also, on March 9 the International Atomic Energy Agency lost touch with its remote systems that monitor nuclear material at the Zaporizhzhia plant. The cause of this is unknown. Nuclear plants do not automatically wind down if the workforce abandons them. Will the nuclear technicians at Ukrainians other nuclear plants stay at their posts in the face of a real or threatened attack? If not, a meltdown could ensue. There is also the risk that a Russian cyberattack would cut off the power supply to one or more reactors making even the most committed technicians impotent to prevent a meltdown. The 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster in Japan occurred when an earthquake cut off the regular power supply and a tsunami damaged the backup power system. The 15 Ukrainian reactors are clustered together, with one site having five reactors. If one reactor were to melt down, the staff manning the other reactors might flee, causing a further meltdown at a close-by reactor. The result could be a radiation leak that wafts over large parts of Europe and contaminates people and land. An even greater risk is that Russia will intentionally or accidentally launch a nuclear weapon. It could be a last-ditch effort by Vladimir Putin to destroy the Ukrainian economy and its resistance. It could also be a first strike by a cornered and unstable Putin, who believes that the U.S. has declared war on Russia by imposing severe sanctions. Our world has come close to nuclear war numerous times. In 1983, war was narrowly averted when a Russian soldier disobeyed orders rather than launch a nuclear weapon. The Soviet Union early-warning satellites had signaled a U.S. attack. The false alarm was caused by a rare alignment of sunlight on high-altitude clouds. Russia has supersonic nuclear weapons that could reach the U.S. in as little as a half-hour. That leaves little time to analyze a potential first strike by Russia and to respond thoughtfully. Most of us have only a vague understanding of the destructive power of nuclear weapons. A single 100-kiloton bomb detonated over the U.S. Capitol would kill more than 170,000 people over 50 times the number who died on 9/11 and injure and additional 400,000, according to some estimates, completely overwhelming any disaster response capability. A nuclear attack on Washington, D.C., would almost certainly escalate into a full-fledged nuclear conflict. Both the U.S. and Russia would most likely direct warheads at each others major cities. New York or Moscow could be hit with 10 to 20 nuclear weapons. Those not killed would almost certainly die of starvation or disease as there would be virtually no way to get them food or medical attention. It would be the end of civilization as we know it. The war in Ukraine is only the most recent example of how nuclear weapons and nuclear power make the world more dangerous and unstable. Our only hope for a safe and stable world hinges on eliminating nuclear weapons and, ultimately, nuclear power. There is too much risk involved, and our future is at stake. Dr. Michael J. Martin is president of Physicians for Social Responsibility, which shared the 1985 Nobel Peace Prize for its work on nuclear disarmament. He is also an associate clinical professor of epidemiology and biostatistics at UCSF. Dr. Tova Fuller is an assistant clinical professor of psychiatry at UCSF. She is on the board of Physicians for Social Responsibility. Mayor London Breed is letting the 90-day state of emergency in the Tenderloin expire, but will continue daily operations in the neighborhood with street cleaning and outreach to get people who are homeless and using drugs into services and off the sidewalk. Breed will also keep open the citys new Tenderloin Linkage Center at U.N. Plaza, opened as part of the emergency, which provides basic services such as food, laundry and showers to people on the streets and tries to connect them with housing and drug treatment. Breed declared the emergency the week before Christmas, arguing that it would help her administration respond to overdose deaths that have skyrocketed citywide in the pandemic, killing more than 1,300 people over the past two years. Nearly a quarter of those deaths last year occurred in the Tenderloin. The emergency was part of a bigger pledge by Breed to clean up the streets and crack down on crime, drug dealing and open-air drug use. While the mayor promised to lead with services offered by outreach workers and ambassadors, she said that if they met with resistance, she would turn to police to deal with some of the neighborhoods problems. That stance stoked controversy, particularly her statements that police could arrest drug users who refused to move inside and continued problematic behavior. The city has already used the emergency, which waives local laws, to accomplish two of its original goals. The city sped up the hiring of 100 behavioral health workers to fill vacancies and opened the linkage center in U.N. Plaza that provides basic services including food, laundry and showers to people on the streets and tries to connect them with housing and drug treatment. Without the emergency, it would have taken months to jump over bureaucratic hurdles to hire staff and open the center. The emergency will expire Thursday, but Breed on Monday submitted a new order to the Board of Supervisors to keep 14 staff who were pulled from their regular jobs at the airport, library and other departments at the linkage center until the city can hire permanent contracted workers to replace them. Supervisors can choose to vote on whether to approve the new order; if they dont take action, it will move forward. Board President Shamann Walton did not immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday about whether he would bring the order forward for a vote. Gabrielle Lurie/The Chronicle The city has leased the center through at least June 30. The health department is taking over running the site from the emergency management department, which has been overseeing Tenderloin emergency response. Breed said Monday shes heard from some residents that the streets are cleaner, but there is still work to be done. Its not what it should be, we know, but its going to get better as we continue the pressure, she said. The Tenderloin has been very much problematic since I was a kid. My goal is to improve the conditions, but most of all to improve safety for the people who live there and work there. Breed added that the city invests more in social services in the Tenderloin than any other community and said, Its time for it to actually work, so accountability will play a role. Breeds top official overseeing the emergency response said in late February that accountability will look like police more involved in outreach and possibly taking action against drug dealers and users if the latter refuse services. Back in December, Breed pledged to crack down on crime and said that people on the streets openly using drugs could be given a choice of going either to the linkage center or to jail. But data shows that despite those proclamations, drug-related arrests in the Tenderloin have remained relatively flat over the past three months. Officials say the Police Department faces a historic staffing shortage, with numbers below levels recommended by a consultant. However, at the same time that the mayor announced her emergency in December, the city had additional officers in Union Square after mass theft incidents the week before Thanksgiving, already spending more than $2.4 million on overtime there from Nov. 20 to Dec. 10. Breeds office did not immediately respond for a comment on any changes to policing as part of the Tenderloin plan. The Board of Supervisors is scheduled to hold a hearing on progress on the emergency response during Tuesdays meeting. Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts. Supervisor Aaron Peskin, who called for the hearing, said hes seen some modicum of successes under the emergency, but said referrals and connections to get visitors at the linkage center into housing and treatment have slowed. The most recent report on the Tenderloin emergency shows 2,570 visits during the first week of March to the linkage center, although the same person could visit multiple times. Those resulted in 277 referrals to services ranging from detox to therapy but just 14 completed linkages for example, if someone moved into a treatment program or housing and three pending linkages. The first week the center was open in mid-January, there were only 1,880 visits with 187 referrals and 33 completed linkages with 11 pending linkages. This situation has been extant in the Tenderloin for long before an emergency was declared and is not going to go away when the emergency is undeclared, Peskin said. This is an opportunity to focus resources and attention on a state of human misery That is the long-term goal. It aint going away because someone declared an emergency or not. Peskin said his desire is to continue holding hearings even when the emergency ends to keep the city focused on the situation in the neighborhood. Mallory Moench (she/her) is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: mallory.moench@sfchronicle.com Twitter:@mallorymoench Three city employees sued San Francisco on Monday for requiring them and their coworkers to get vaccinated against COVID-19, saying it violates their religious freedom and does not protect workers' health. The suit, like those filed elsewhere, claims the vaccine was derived from stem cells from aborted fetuses, in direct contradiction to (their) Christian beliefs. All three said they applied for religious exemptions, which the city says are available for the vaccine mandate, but were turned down. The Pfizer vaccine, cited in the lawsuit, however, does not contain fetal cells. Pfizer, like Moderna, used cells taken from fetuses aborted 40 to 50 years ago in the early stages of research, but did not use them to make the vaccines. Johnson & Johnson used a fetal cell line in vaccine production, but the vaccine itself has no fetal cells. Last June, San Francisco ordered its 35,000 employees to be vaccinated against the coronavirus by last Nov. 1 to keep their jobs, becoming the first U.S. city or county to issue such a mandate. The city said it would allow exemptions based on medical conditions or religious beliefs, but reportedly has been reluctant to grant them the Associated Press reported that the first 800 requests for exemptions were all denied. Two of the employees in Mondays lawsuit said they had contracted COVID-19 and recovered, giving them a natural immunity to the illness that is at least as effective as the vaccine, the suit said. The plaintiffs said they have used vacation time, sick time and administrative leave to try to keep their jobs while unvaccinated. One plaintiff, a 60-year-old man, said he has lost his pension and half his income. A female plaintiff said she has gone on disability leave because of an unrelated physical condition and fears losing her home. Instead of requiring vaccines, the suit contended, San Francisco could protect its employees and the public just as well with non-pharmaceutical interventions, such as daily health screenings, wearing masks, quarantining, and, in some cases, telecommuting. Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts. The suit seeks a court order overturning the vaccine mandate and unspecified damages. It was filed by lawyers from the conservative Pacific Justice Institute. Bob Egelko is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: begelko@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @BobEgelko For more stories like this, check out The Chronicles weekly Travel newsletter! Sign up here. A proposed 320-mile trail that would stretch between Marin and Humboldt counties, and is being touted as the countrys longest rail trail, came one step closer to fruition on Monday. The Great Redwood Trail, as the concept is known, has been floated for years: It would convert a rail corridor between San Francisco Bay and Humboldt Bay into a recreational trail for pedestrians, hikers and bicyclists. The route passes through classic Northern California scenery like old-growth redwood forests and rolling golden hills, and it skirts the edges of both the Russian and Eel rivers. In the eyes of advocates, the routes scope and scenery could draw worldwide interest from bikepackers as well as backpackers who flock to the Pacific Crest Trail and Appalachian Trail for long-distance thru-hikes each summer. On Monday, the newly created Great Redwood Trail Agency took control of a key 200-mile segment of the line in Humboldt and Mendocino counties from the North Coast Railroad Authority, which had operated it for 30 years to ship timber and gravel to the Bay Area. The transfer was approved last fall when Gov. Gavin Newsom signed SB69, which empowers the new agency to assume the right-of-way for the purpose of building the trail. The mood of the agency board meeting was joyous. This is truly an historic occasion and one that should be celebrated, said state Sen. Mike McGuire, who championed SB69. The Great Redwood Trail will be a game changer for our region and the Golden State. We are on the brink of creating a world-class resource that will transform the North Coast, said agency Director Caryl Hart, who serves on the California Coastal Commission. Scott Strazzante/The Chronicle 2021 Theres no total cost estimate for building the trail. The finished product would occupy abandoned rail lines in some places and run as a path alongside functioning railroads in others. It would mix in paved sections in urban areas with gravel-and-dirt paths in more remote sections. The new agency is embarking on a $10 million master-planning process, headed by the California State Coastal Conservancy, which will assume responsibilities for staffing the agency in July. Between Larkspur and Cloverdale, the trail is being overseen by Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit, which has already built portions of trail alongside its train line. Damage to remote portions of the northern rail line would have to be fixed before a trail could be installed there. That northern segment has been defunct since the 1990s, when El Nino storms undercut sections of the line that proved too expensive to repair. Scott Strazzante/The Chronicle 2021 Will there be challenges? Youre damn right there will be, McGuire said. It goes without saying with a project of this magnitude. One of those challenges emerged last year when a Wyoming company submitted a federal application to redevelop the North Coast railroad segment for coal shipping. Lawmakers across Northern California have vociferously opposed that agenda. During a brief period of public comment on Monday, Mike Pechner, a Bay Area meteorologist for CBS News, spoke out against the trail concept, calling it a financial boondoggle that could cost several billion dollars in maintenance and repairs for little economic gain. But agency board members view the trail as a long-term investment in active transportation and outdoor recreation, which has spiked during the coronavirus pandemic. It represents major promise for the states rural communities, they say. Toward the end of Mondays meeting, Humboldt County Supervisor Steve Madrone, who serves on the agencys board, summed up the trail as a regional asset for future generations of locals and visitors. Its not just about recreation, he said. It is truly going to be an economic engine for all of our counties. Gregory Thomas is The Chronicle's editor of lifestyle & outdoors. Email: gthomas@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @GregRThomas After the state of California rescinded its statewide mask mandate in schools, many of the Bay Area's largest public school districts followed suit. San Francisco Unified School District has set dates for the expiration of the mask mandate at all schools, and the San Jose Unified School District went mask-optional as soon as state guidance allowed for it. One major outlier is Oakland Unified School District, which, in addition to enforcing an indoor mask mandate, is also enforcing an outdoor mask mandate. The district says on its website the indoor mandate will remain until at least April 15, and a decision will be made on the duration of the outdoor mandate within two weeks. Some parents want the school board to accelerate the district's timelines, given the fact that Oakland Unified's neighboring districts Piedmont Unified, Alameda Unified and Berkeley Unified are all going mask-optional. Alameda County is currently in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's "low" risk tier, meaning, per CDC guidance, "people may choose to mask at any time." "They're essentially bucking federal, state and county guidance, saying, 'We know better than all of you,'" said Megan Bacigalupi, a parent of two children at the district and founder of parent activist group CA Parent Power. "It's saying there are conditions that persist in Oakland that require a child with speech impediments to be masked, but in Berkeley, that same child can be unmasked." SFGATE reached out to the Oakland Unified School District and asked why the district enforces an outdoor mask mandate given the limited risk of outdoor transmission, as well as why the district is taking an approach different from the one taken by neighboring districts. Alameda County's current guidance states that masks can be optional in schools. District spokesperson John Sasaki said he could not answer questions about the science behind an outdoor mask mandate or why OUSD is diverging from neighboring districts. He said the district is primarily keeping its mask mandate over concerns of a potential post-spring break surge. Spring break is scheduled for April 4 through 8. "We don't want to get rid of the mask mandate just yet and have to reinstate it if something goes wrong," he said. "In the meantime, we're consulting with our stakeholders that include available partners to figure out the best time to remove the mandate." The district's teachers union the Oakland Education Association is likely one of the stakeholders Sasaki referenced. Los Angeles Unified is the largest school district in the state and is keeping its mask mandate indefinitely; it reportedly has a contract with the local teachers union to keep the mandate in place through the remainder of the school year. The Oakland Education Association did not respond to a request for comment from SFGATE. "Parents are angry because it feels like kids are pawns in a greater labor dispute that has little to do with safety," Bacigalupi said. "As far as the outdoor mask mandate goes, people are apoplectic about why thats still in place." School board meetings have seen no shortage of parents seeking an end to the mask mandate, and one school board member also criticized the district's decision to continue current policies. "We should not be out of alignment with what the county or the state are saying in terms of health, safety and science," District 5 Director Mike Hutchinson said at a recent meeting. "Were not experts in those things." In addition to masking debates, the Oakland Unified School District has also recently been at the center of controversy over its decision to close or merge nearly a dozen schools. The closures would disproportionately affect Black students in low-income neighborhoods, and the decision prompted protests and hunger strikes. Bacigalupi and other parents have asked the school board to convene a special meeting to consider overriding district officials on the mask mandate but they say they have been turned away to this point. "I think a majority of the board agrees with our position on this," she said. "Parents have been pushing the board, which can and should act." Tiffany A. / Yelp La Jolla Zip Zoom, a zip line operator in Pauma Valley, Calif., has been ordered to pay $25,000 in fines after a tragic accident at the attraction in last year. On Oct. 30, company employee Joaquin Romero, 34, grabbed a rider by the harness as they landed on a tower platform at the end of their ride. Both the rider and Romero were pulled off the platform. Romero then lost his grip on the rider's harness and fell 50 feet to his death, according to a press release from the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration last week. Blanca Limon cleaned 11 rooms during a recent shift as a housekeeper at the Hilton San Francisco Union Square - emptying trash cans, making beds, cleaning bathrooms in one of the most expensive cities in the world - and earned exactly $3 in tips. She'd never seen it like this. While her tips had been drifting downward for years, they seemed to nearly disappear during the pandemic. Gone were the days of when she could count on tips of $1 to $3 in nearly every room she cleaned earlier in her 27 years as a housekeeper. "No one makes that anymore," Limon, 55, said. "It's hard when you don't get tips because right now I could use extra money." While the pandemic has led to a surge in tipping for restaurant servers and food delivery workers - the standard gratuity climbing closer to 20% than 15% and increasingly even carryout orders leading to tips - millions of other tipped workers have been largely excluded from this newfound generosity. These often-overlooked workers - hotel housekeepers, bellhops, carwash jockeys, airport skycaps and wheelchair escorts among them - have been hit hard by an increasingly cashless economy and new pandemic work rules that chip away at tipping opportunities. These workers provide services with unclear tipping expectations. They also usually can only accept a tip in cash. "People don't have cash these days. Happens all the time," said John Bragg, 64, who has worked for three decades at airports in the Washington area, mostly as a skycap providing curbside services. Ibrahim Sisay, a wheelchair escort at Dulles International Airport in Virginia, said he had $8 in tips in his pocket after a recent shift that included helping at least a dozen passengers navigate the terminal and make their flights. Some passengers don't seem to know if they should tip him. And he said he's forbidden from making any mention of a gratuity. What is happening to these workers - many of them minorities and immigrants - is mostly a mystery to researchers. Studies of tipping behavior tend to focus on the restaurant industry, such as research finding that customers tip more when a server uses their name. Credit cards and digital payment services such as Square have a wealth of data, but it too is mostly from the food service industry. One recent study by Popmenu found restaurant tips of at least 20% were increasingly becoming the norm. But little is known about how cash-tipped workers such as hotel housekeepers or wheelchair escorts are faring, said Michael Lynn, a professor at the Cornell University School of Hotel Administration and a leading researcher on tipping. "I don't know of a single study and I'm looking all the time," Lynn said. "It's a real issue," he added. "We just don't know how big the issue is." Research is difficult because tips for these workers are usually cash and off-the-books. Lynn said he suspected they have been hurt by the move away from cash and toward credit cards and mobile payments. The days of someone always carrying a little walking-around money seem long gone. A lack of cash recently tripped up D. Taylor, president of the Unite Here union representing 300,000 workers in the hospitality industry in North America. He was checking out of a hotel on Capitol Hill when he realized he didn't have money for the hotel housekeeper. He went out on a cold, windy morning to hunt down an ATM. He left $20 behind in his room. He said he realizes most people might not do that. "The cashless society poses a real challenge," Taylor said. Tipping is seen by some as an outdated practice - allowing employers to pay a lower minimum wage to tipped workers, with the expectation that they will earn more via gratuities. And there have been calls for restaurants, in particular, to abolish tipping and pay waitstaff a higher wage. In one well-known experiment, restaurateur Danny Meyer announced in 2015 that his popular stable of restaurants would do just that. Meyer reversed course five years later when his restaurants reopened following the worst of the pandemic. Lynn, the Cornell professor, said most waiters prefer tips to a flat wage because they can earn more. For now, the Unite Here union is pushing to boost minimum pay for these tipped workers. That has helped Anjannette Reyes, a wheelchair escort at Orlando International Airport, whose base pay has jumped from a little over $5 an hour last year to $10.50 an hour today. But she has also seen her tips plummet from $45 on a good day pushing at least a dozen people through the airport to maybe $20. She's heard all kinds of reasons people don't tip. They didn't have cash - "It's a plastic world," she said. Or they tell her they just spent what cash they had on unexpected baggage fees. "So we wind up not getting anything," Reyes said. The union also has supported new laws in cities such as San Francisco and Las Vegas that require daily room cleaning in some hotels as part of beefed-up safety measures during the pandemic - which has the effect of providing more regular work for hotel housekeepers. How much to tip workers is hard to pin down. A discussion board for Fodor's Travel suggested $5 for wheelchair assistance at the airport. A gratuity guide from the American Hotel and Lodging Association suggests $1 to $5 a night for hotel housekeepers and $1 to $5 per bag for porters. The guide was last updated in 2014. Tipping norms are unclear even in restaurants. Lynn said surveys he did of expected restaurant tips before the pandemic found that nearly a third of consumers suggested a number below 15%. "And that's where everyone knows to tip and tips all the time," Lynn said. A lack of cash has turned into a problem even in places where everyone knows cash is king - such as strip clubs. It's why seemingly every club has an ATM. Brandi Campbell, a veteran dancer at a club in the Midwest, said her tips have declined because strip clubs appear to be losing popularity as people shift their attention online. Campbell, who advocates for better employment protections on her site Stripper Labor Rights, said she has seen only one dancer experiment with cashless payment systems. That dancer used mobile payment system Venmo for tips. But Campbell said she had privacy concerns about doing so herself. Companies have explored using technology to allow people to offer cashless tips to hospitality workers. One company, Bene, based in Fairfax County, Va., is working with major hotel chains on a pilot project that would allow guests to scan a QR code and tip hotel housekeepers and valets, as well as workers at beauty and nail salons. InterContinental Hotel, owner of brands such as Holiday Inn and Kimpton Hotels, plans to test out Bene later this year, said Brian McGuinness, a senior vice president with InterContinental. It is also trying out another cashless tipping app, TipBrightly, at one of its properties in Asheville, N.C. The hotel company found that its bartenders and waiters actually saw their average tip go up during the pandemic, McGuinness said. But tipping opportunities for hotel housekeepers - already facing pressure from cashless customers - dried up during the pandemic when room-cleaning was pushed back from every day to once every three to five days at some of its brands, he said. Even after room cleaning resumes, the biggest obstacle remains needing cash. "Cash went away," said McGuinness, who noted that he has dealt with this problem, too, such as when it comes time to tip carwash workers. Hotels have been wary of taking on the problem ever since Marriott tried to boost tips for hotel housekeepers with its "The Envelope Please" campaign, launched with Maria Shriver's group A Woman's Nation, in 2014. Guests found a note inside their rooms suggesting they leave a tip. The backlash was intense. Critics said it felt like the hotel chain was asking guests to subsidize low wages and, at the same time, turning a courtesy into an expectation. The campaign - and envelopes - soon disappeared. Today, Marriott is "in the early stages" of looking at ways to allow cashless tipping of its hotel staff, said company spokesman Ben Gerow. Hilton said it is also aware of the problem and is looking at options. For hotel workers, the lack of tips has only gotten worse since the pandemic. Jesus Sanchez, who works in room service at the San Francisco Hilton Union Square, said he has seen his tips dwindle from $80 a shift to maybe $5 to $8. He used to bring food into the room. The meals came on real plates with metal utensils. Now, everything is paper and plastic, and he leaves the food outside the door. He never sees the guests. "We don't have the same interaction," he said. Sanchez, a 50-year-old father of three, also works in the hotel's grab-and-go market. He's noticed that many younger customers don't wait for a paper receipt or they pay with their mobile phones. There isn't even a chance to earn a tip. He wonders if these customers had ever worked in a hotel or in a restaurant. "I want to tell them that we are working for extra money for our families," Sanchez said. OAKLAND, Calif. Across from where the Athletics play baseball sits a two-story concrete building painted bright orange and white. It is home to a cannabis dispensary called Blunts and Moore. A pair of inflatable tube guys flap crazily on the roof, beckoning customers with their windblown gyrations. A food truck sells tacos in the parking lot under a bright California sun. But there are signs that all is not well here. Bullet holes etched by an assault rifle dot the entrance. Three security guards, dressed in military fatigues, screen customers as they pass through a metal detector. One of the guards, a former infantryman, wears a camouflage Kevlar vest and mirrored sunglasses. A 9-mm pistol and 50 rounds of ammunition are strapped to his waist. Its crazy to think we need all this war stuff to protect our business, said the stores owner, Alphonso Blunt, who is known as Tucky. But thats where we are today. In May 2020, Blunts and Moore was ransacked by thieves with automatic weapons, incurring losses of nearly $1 million, much of which insurance would not cover. The store, which has the air of a high-end boutique, was robbed again in late November, its shelves cleared and the floor speckled with blood from where the thieves had cut their hands on all the smashed glass. Struggling financially, Blunt turned to his landlord for a rescue but had to give up some managerial control of the store. This is not what Blunt, the city of Oakland or the state of California had in mind for an ambitious effort to help grow a cannabis industry and provide financial opportunity to struggling neighborhoods with a large number of Black and Hispanic residents. Blunt is among the entrepreneurs in Oakland, many of whom are Black, who were granted equity licenses to run cannabis businesses after California legalized the substance for recreational use in 2016. Applicants who live in areas that had a high number of drug-related arrests or who have a cannabis-related arrest record are given priority to receive the licenses. Race has often been at the heart of the movement to legalize cannabis. Some states legalized the drug largely to stop the cannabis-related arrests that disproportionately ensnared Black and Hispanic people. But there has also been a push by lawmakers in states like California, Illinois and New Jersey to ensure that those same communities can profit from the legalized industry, which has been largely dominated by white owners, some of whom have made a fortune on cannabis. Oakland was one of the first cities to prioritize equity licenses for those like Blunt, 42, who got teased in high school because his name is a common term for a cannabis cigar. In 2005, he was arrested and accused of possessing several small bags of the drug. The nations emerging cannabis industry is being shaped by the broader push for racial justice and the belief that creating business opportunities for Black individuals will help lift communities. But interviews with more than 30 cannabis business owners, investors and regulators in California, an early adopter of equity licenses, show how the hope of fixing historical wrongs is being challenged by the reality of an industry facing troubled business conditions, including issues like high taxes and volatile sales. Some of the problems are being exacerbated by conflicting state and federal policies. Even as 18 states have legalized the substance for recreational use, the federal government still prohibits it. That means cannabis stores are limited in their access to federally regulated banking services, such as credit cards. Forced to deal largely in cash, the businesses can be a tantalizing target for thieves. The federal prohibition also makes it difficult to obtain bank financing or small-business loans, forcing some Black social equity applicants to enter deals with investors who sometimes end up controlling the business. Another challenge is policing. Some say police in Oakland, at times, have not switched their mindset from arresting cannabis dealers to protecting their legal businesses. During a wave of robberies late last year, police never showed up to some of the crimes, business owners say. Police say a surge in crime during the pandemic has stretched their resources. Insurance companies are also adding to the challenges. Some owners said their claims were denied even though their policies indicated they would be covered. Others said they believe they were treated unfairly during the claims process because they were Black. You are giving licenses to people who would struggle in any industry, but in cannabis, the deck is further stacked against them, said John Hudak, deputy director of the Center for Effective Public Management at the Brookings Institution. States need to do a better job adjusting for the structural racism built into the system. Since the initiative began in 2017, Oakland has granted cannabis licenses to 282 equity applicants and 328 non-equity applicants. But the city does not keep an ongoing tally of how many of those businesses are currently operating. While not a panacea, this program is a meaningful step toward embedding fairness and justice in all we do to improve conditions for communities of color, Greg Minor, an assistant to the city administrator, said in an email. Amid the industrys struggles, Minor said, the state recently authorized a $5.4 million grant to support Oaklands equity program and was considering reducing the cannabis taxes. But for Blunt, legalization has not produced the boon some might expect. Since he opened his licensed store four years ago, Blunt has yet to generate a profit. Social equity sounds like peaches and cream, Blunt said. But I did better selling weed on the street than I am doing right now. This article originally appeared in The New York Times. OAKLAND, Calif. Across from where the Athletics play baseball sits a two-story concrete building painted bright orange and white. It is home to a cannabis dispensary called Blunts and Moore. A pair of inflatable tube guys flap crazily on the roof, beckoning customers with their windblown gyrations. A food truck sells tacos in the parking lot under a bright California sun. But there are signs that all is not well here. Bullet holes etched by an assault rifle dot the entrance. Three security guards, dressed in military fatigues, screen customers as they pass through a metal detector. One of the guards, a former infantryman, wears a camouflage Kevlar vest and mirrored sunglasses. A 9-mm pistol and 50 rounds of ammunition are strapped to his waist. Its crazy to think we need all this war stuff to protect our business, said the stores owner, Alphonso Blunt, who is known as Tucky. But thats where we are today. JIM WILSON/NYT In May 2020, Blunts and Moore was ransacked by thieves with automatic weapons, incurring losses of nearly $1 million, much of which insurance would not cover. The store, which has the air of a high-end boutique, was robbed again in late November, its shelves cleared and the floor speckled with blood from where the thieves had cut their hands on all the smashed glass. Struggling financially, Blunt turned to his landlord for a rescue but had to give up some managerial control of the store. This is not what Blunt, the city of Oakland or the state of California had in mind for an ambitious effort to help grow a cannabis industry and provide financial opportunity to struggling neighborhoods with a large number of Black and Hispanic residents. JIM WILSON/NYT Blunt is among the entrepreneurs in Oakland, many of whom are Black, who were granted equity licenses to run cannabis businesses after California legalized the substance for recreational use in 2016. Applicants who live in areas that had a high number of drug-related arrests or who have a cannabis-related arrest record are given priority to receive the licenses. Race has often been at the heart of the movement to legalize cannabis. Some states legalized the drug largely to stop the cannabis-related arrests that disproportionately ensnared Black and Hispanic people. But there has also been a push by lawmakers in states like California, Illinois and New Jersey to ensure that those same communities can profit from the legalized industry, which has been largely dominated by white owners, some of whom have made a fortune on cannabis. On Thursday, Gov. Kathy Hochul of New York announced that the state planned to give its first cannabis retail licenses to people who had been convicted of a cannabis crime or their relatives. Oakland was one of the first cities to prioritize equity licenses for those like Blunt, 42, who got teased in high school because his name is a common term for a cannabis cigar. In 2005, he was arrested and accused of possessing several small bags of the drug. The nations emerging cannabis industry is being shaped by the broader push for racial justice and the belief that creating business opportunities for Black individuals will help lift communities. But interviews with more than 30 cannabis business owners, investors and regulators in California, an early adopter of equity licenses, show how the hope of fixing historical wrongs is being challenged by the reality of an industry facing troubled business conditions, including issues like high taxes and volatile sales. JIM WILSON/NYT Some of the problems are being exacerbated by conflicting state and federal policies. Even as 18 states have legalized the substance for recreational use, the federal government still prohibits it. That means cannabis stores are limited in their access to federally regulated banking services, such as credit cards. Forced to deal largely in cash, the businesses can be a tantalizing target for thieves. The federal prohibition also makes it difficult to obtain bank financing or small-business loans, forcing some Black social equity applicants to enter deals with investors who sometimes end up controlling the business. Another challenge is policing. Some say police in Oakland, at times, have not switched their mindset from arresting cannabis dealers to protecting their legal businesses. During a wave of robberies late last year, police never showed up to some of the crimes, business owners say. Police say a surge in crime during the pandemic has stretched their resources. Insurance companies are also adding to the challenges. Some owners said their claims were denied even though their policies indicated they would be covered. Others said they believe they were treated unfairly during the claims process because they were Black. You are giving licenses to people who would struggle in any industry, but in cannabis, the deck is further stacked against them, said John Hudak, deputy director of the Center for Effective Public Management at the Brookings Institution. States need to do a better job adjusting for the structural racism built into the system. Since the initiative began in 2017, Oakland has granted cannabis licenses to 282 equity applicants and 328 non-equity applicants. But the city does not keep an ongoing tally of how many of those businesses are currently operating. JIM WILSON/NYT While not a panacea, this program is a meaningful step toward embedding fairness and justice in all we do to improve conditions for communities of color, Greg Minor, an assistant to the city administrator, said in an email. Amid the industrys struggles, Minor said, the state recently authorized a $5.4 million grant to support Oaklands equity program and was considering reducing the cannabis taxes. But for Blunt, legalization has not produced the boon some might expect. Since he opened his licensed store four years ago, Blunt has yet to generate a profit. Social equity sounds like peaches and cream, Blunt said. But I did better selling weed on the street than I am doing right now. Thin Margins and, Often, Losses Keith Stephenson, 53, is a former aviation maintenance technician who is originally from South Los Angeles. He suffers from a severe form of arthritis and takes cannabis to relieve his constant pain. Cannabis saved my life, he said. Stephenson opened his dispensary on Fourth Street in downtown Oakland in 2006, 10 years after California legalized cannabis for medical use. His goal has long been to own a publicly traded cannabis company. But his store has been closed to customers for nearly two years, the result of theft, vandalism and an insurance company that he said treated him poorly because of his race. When Stephenson started his business, there were few of the generous loans or rent subsidies that the citys equity initiative now provides. He took out a second mortgage on his house and put up $60,000 in cash as collateral for a secured bank loan. He called the store the Purple Heart Patient Center, inspired by a cannabis strain known as the Granddaddy Purple. Business was rough at first. He was losing $130,000 each month, paying to process the raw cannabis, and for security guards at the front door. Broader legalization brought more customers but not necessarily higher profits. The state and city impose steep taxes which can total more than 30% of each sale. Some dispensaries take in about $3 million in revenue annually, but their taxes and expenses leave little left over. Yet there has been a perception around Oakland, he said, that cannabis operators are swimming in money. On May 29, 2020, Stephenson was watching the news about the murder of George Floyd when he looked at footage from his stores security camera on his phone. A man was trying to break in through the bulletproof front door. Over the next few days, a band of thieves returned and ransacked the store, stealing everything they could. Police told him they were too busy with the broader unrest provoked by Floyds killing to help. The real fight came months later, when his insurance company reviewed his claims. The adjuster, he said, asked him leading and insulting questions, like whether he had left the door open or whether Stephenson personally knew any of the thieves. Are you kidding me? Stephenson said in recounting the conversation. Did I leave the door open? Come on, man. Why is the door beaten in? JIM WILSON/NYT At one point, the adjuster falsely suggested that money had been taken from an ATM inside the store. Stephenson believed the adjuster wanted to see if he could catch him in a lie. It is my belief he would not have said that if I was a white male, he said. Christy Thiems, a senior director at American Property Casualty Insurance Association, a trade group, said that she did not know the specifics of Stephensons case but that the claims process could be difficult. Some questioning, she said, could seem offensive to a business owner because adjusters were acting like investigators. Only a limited number of insurance companies are willing to cover the cannabis industry, she added, because of the federal prohibition, and the few insurers operating in the sector are still trying to understand the unique risk that the businesses pose. In the end, Stephensons insurer rejected most of his claims. Stephenson is still planning to reopen his doors to customers late next month or in May. There is no Plan B, he said. Where Are the Police? In the early hours of Nov. 20, a group of 12 people, many of their faces obscured by sweatshirt hoods, streamed into Amber Senters cannabis manufacturing facility in East Oakland. This is where Senter provides space to help social equity cannabis businesses get off the ground. The robbers broke through the first door easily, security footage showed, then a second door and a third. Most of the cannabis product was locked in a cage, which the thieves could not breach. Senter estimates that the damage totaled $20,000. But when she called police, they told her to fill out a report online. Where are the police? Senter said. Why arent they helping us? Over one 24-hour period in November, police said, they investigated more than a dozen reported burglaries of cannabis businesses across Oakland, including several in which the thieves were armed and one in which officers were shot at as they responded. That rash of robberies followed burglaries and crimes at other cannabis businesses through the spring and summer of 2020. In a statement, a spokesperson for the Oakland Police Department said it treats the cannabis businesses as it does all businesses in the city of Oakland and added that police were engaged in ongoing meetings with cannabis business owners over safety issues. Ersie Joyner, a retired captain in the Oakland Police Department, said that after arresting drug dealers for decades, some officers still did not respect the cannabis industry as a legitimate enterprise. Joyner, who supervised Blunts arrest 17 years ago, understands how ingrained drug prosecution is in law enforcement. The messaging from the highest level of government was that drugs are bad and destroying the community, and law enforcement should have zero tolerance, Joyner said. Looking back, it was absolutely the wrong way of dealing with this societal issue. Joyner, who now works as a security consultant to cannabis businesses, said the police needed to adjust their attitudes. He said it took the Oakland police nearly three hours to dispatch officers to the store of one of his clients, whose cannabis business had been robbed. If this happened to Bank of America, the police would have a more robust response, said Joyner, who was nearly killed in a shootout with robbers at an Oakland gas station in late October. The doctors, he said, found 22 bullet holes in his body. In many instances, private security companies are acting as the unofficial police force of the citys cannabis industry. One security firm, Black Anchor Tactical Response, operates a set of SUVs with a color scheme similar to those of Oakland police cruisers. When a client transports cannabis from a warehouse to a store, the companys guards, some of whom are veterans who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, block off city streets to prevent ambushes. The firm also guards cannabis operators homes. While it is difficult to pinpoint what prompted surging crime during the pandemic, the legacy of mass drug arrests still looms over Oakland. About 71% of those arrested on suspicion of cannabis offenses in Oakland between 1995 and 2015 were Black, according to an analysis by the city. During that time, Oaklands Black population was 30%. The robberies and property damage are compounding the cannabis industrys other challenges, such as high taxes. Why would I want to transition to the legal market if I know I am going to go broke? said Chaney Turner, a member of the citys Cannabis Regulatory Commission. This Is Not Sustainable When Blunt was selected for one of Oaklands first equity cannabis licenses in early 2018, he remembers shouting out his gratitude to the crowd gathered at City Hall. Blunt, who started selling cannabis to his co-workers at a grocery store when he was 16, also remembers being surrounded that day by representatives from established cannabis companies looking to be his partner. Some wanted to lend him money in exchange for an ownership stake in his store; he wanted to own it outright. But he did not have the money needed to start a licensed business. So he agreed to do a deal with a larger cannabis operator, Grizzly Peak, started by a real estate contractor from San Diego named Dave Gash. Grizzly Peak, which focuses on cultivating cannabis, was denied a dispensary license in Oakland and was looking for a partner to open a store. Blunt was proud of his stores appearance: glass cases displaying cannabis cigarettes and brightly colored packs of gummies and lots of natural light. But Blunt also struggled with the rising taxes; the cost of the armed guards, who are each paid about $30 an hour; and the looting in the late spring of 2020. The bigger problem, he said, was that one of his partners, who oversaw the books, stopped paying taxes and vendors. A year ago, Blunt had to close for several months because the stores finances were a shambles. Grizzly Peak agreed to bail him out, but Gash told Blunt, We have to do it our way, and we need total control. Gashs company has now taken tighter oversight of the store and will split any profits with Blunt, who still owns a majority stake in the store but is paid a salary as a consultant. I am grateful that Grizzly Peak believes in me, Blunt said. I wouldnt be in business without them. In late November, business was looking up. The stores finances had been stabilized. But then, a few days before Thanksgiving, Blunts store was robbed for the second time in 18 months. The thieves cleared out much of the store. This, he said, is not sustainable. This article originally appeared in The New York Times. Scrolling through Instagram on a recent Tuesday, Kevin Diedrich said one image caused him to pause. His award-winning bar, Pacific Cocktail Haven, appeared just as it used to on-screen. It had been a year since an early morning fire triggered by electrical issues forced the celebrated watering hole to temporarily close. Last week was our one-year anniversary on Feb. 22, Diedrich told SFGATE in early March. It showed up in my Instagram feed ... and it was tough. There was so much blood, sweat and tears that went into that place. Last February, Diedrich was stirred awake around 3 a.m. by the firm buzz of an incoming call. On the other line, a loyal PCH customer frantically cried, Kev! Kev! Your bar is on fire. You've got to get down here." It's a call Diedrich will never forget as he described the difficult moment to SFGATE after the fire was extinguished. Diedrich then grabbed his belongings and sped to his bar, just a few blocks away from his home, and was confronted with every business owners worst nightmare. Thick, black smoke billowed from the structure as fire crews actively worked to get the blaze under control. By 4 a.m., the fire was out but it was far too late for the Lower Nob Hill bar that endured severe structural damage. The fire also destroyed all the existing bar equipment, including funky glassware gifted to the bar by customers and Diedrichs personal collection of rare liquor bottles amassed at conventions or on his travels abroad over the past 10 years. Douglas Zimmerman/SFGATE The equipment wasn't really a concern because that can always be replaced, Diedrich said. We had a nice collection of mugs that people would bring from their travels and we would put them up on the beam. Those are things we can't replace. I think the liquor was the hardest thing for me because they don't make a lot of these bottles any more. But, at the end of the day, it's just alcohol and no one was hurt. Five years of business had vanished in a moment, but Diedrich, an eternal optimist, wouldnt let the fire crush his fighting spirit. Nearly a year after the incident, Diedrich, along with business partners Andy Chun and Jan Wiginton, looks forward to reopening the bar March 16 just three doors down from its original home. PCH will shift from the bars former moody atmosphere at its previous location and welcome guests into a new bright and warm space at 550 Sutter St. Dozens of lights suspended from the ceiling will illuminate exposed brick and a sundry of tropical plants positioned throughout the space. Its a look Diedrich describes as subtly tropical but not over the top. Douglas Zimmerman/SFGATE The larger PCH will also offer more wiggle room to comfortably host about 100 customers at max capacity where it can avoid the bottleneck issue often experienced at the former building. But among the greatest features PCH will gain, especially at the two-year pandemic mark, is a gated courtyard positioned by the storefront that Diedrich said is a game-changer. The biggest thing that attracted us to the building was having this gated courtyard in front of the sidewalk, he said. That's something to be very excited about. Securing a new home for PCH was a combination of perseverance, good luck and a connection with the landlord at the new site. The latter came during the pandemic, when PCH was allowed to use the courtyard to seat customers for outdoor service, in addition to the four parklets PCH already owned. Douglas Zimmerman/SFGATE After the fire, Diedrich lost 100% of his equipment and inventory, which resulted in about $430,000 of total losses. He said his insurance only covered $230,000. It was yet another blow for Diedrich, but with the help of a friend, PCH was able to raise an additional $53,000 of donations on GoFundMe that helped pay for staff wages. The stress of it all had Diedrich and his team weighing their options, even entertaining the ugly idea of calling it quits. But he was resolute. Remaining closed wasnt an option. I'm just the type of person who just doesn't back down on a fight, Diedrich said. PCH was my first bar my baby. So, I said, Let's buckle down and see what we can do. Determined to stay within Lower Nob Hill, Diedrich and the team reached out to the landlord at 550 Sutter St. to ask about setting up a bar and eventually struck a deal that will bring PCH, which was dubbed the Best American Cocktail Bar in the 2020 Spirited Awards, back. Douglas Zimmerman/SFGATE We had looked at other spaces around the city, but they just didn't speak to me personally, Diedrich said. So, it just happened to work out and we were very fortunate to stay on the block. Our main goal was to stay in this neighborhood. PCHs return comes two years after San Francisco announced shelter-in-place orders on March 16, 2020, and in the aftermath of pandemic closures that shuttered dozens of San Francisco bars and restaurants within the last year alone. When PCH opened in 2016, it was surrounded by neighboring businesses such as Hopwater, Summer Place, Hogwash and Liholiho Yacht Club. Each has experienced temporary or permanent closures. Douglas Zimmerman/SFGATE While there is some concern on Diedrichs part regarding the empty storefronts nearby, he also said he believes the timing is right. If his other bar, Kona's Street Market in SoMa, is any indicator, people are coming back. Business has been picking up in the last week, so that's definitely a good sign, he said about Kona's Street Market. People are out and about and getting comfortable. Diedrich admits that, in many ways, reopening PCH feels like hes debuting a different bar. That sentiment comes in part from the new space, but also due to a fresh set of bartenders and staff. During the pandemic, many of his veteran bartenders either shifted to different roles within hospitality or left the industry altogether. It resulted in 95% new talent at PCH, with the exception of bar manager Francis Stansky, whos stayed on board since day one. Douglas Zimmerman/SFGATE Stansky and Diedrich are leading the charge with intense training that focuses on teaching the staff how to fashion the bars famous drinks, among other aspects of running the business efficiently. For now, PCH plans to maintain its existing Rolodex of cocktails inspired by bold Asian flavors, so guests new and old can taste standbys like the miso old-fashioned, Thrilla in Manila and Kung Fu Pandan, among other classic bar staples. Eventually, PCH plans to add more creative libations down the road. Its been a roller coaster of a year for Diedrich who kept the momentum going with PCH pop-ups and road tours to Fresno and Las Vegas to keep the brand alive. With Wednesdays reopening, Diedrich said he and his staff are ready for PCH 2.0. Douglas Zimmerman/SFGATE We opened PCH in 2016 with not a whole lot of money so there's definitely like a lot of memories of how hard we fought to get the bar open, he said. [But] I've never been a negative person, so we're trying to find the positive, not dwell on things, and push forward. I'm surrounded by a lot of awesome people that keep you going and we've built something awesome and special. Pacific Cocktail Haven opens March 16 and is now at 550 Sutter St. For now, the bar will operate from Wednesday to Saturday from 5 p.m. to 12 a.m. LVIV, Ukraine After helping a friend stanch the bleeding from a shrapnel wound Tuesday morning during renewed shelling in Mariupol, Ukraine, Anastasia Kushnir and her family decided it was time to take the opportunity to get out of the besieged coastal city, where they had been struggling to stay alive for the past three weeks. There was heavy shelling and aerial bombardment, said Kushnir, who is 21. But we made it out, fortunately. Kushnir and her family members made it as far as Urzuf, a small beachside town on the Sea of Azov 28 miles from Mariupol, a way station on their way farther north and west, to safety. A drive that usually takes 30 minutes took five hours, as their car joined a convoy of thousands of others trying to leave after waiting weeks for a humanitarian corridor to open. About 160 cars left Monday, and an estimated 4,000 cars, or 20,000 people, were expected to leave the city Tuesday, city officials said. Kushnir said she saw cars broken down along the road; many had run out of gasoline, which she said was nearly impossible to find in the region. But still, she said, she was relieved to be out of Mariupol and away from the constant shelling. Humanitarian corridors have been partially opened today, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a speech Tuesday. Little by little, people are leaving the besieged city by private transport. However, he lamented that a convoy with humanitarian cargo for Mariupol remains blocked. For several days in a row. About 2,000 vehicles had managed to escape the city by Tuesday afternoon, and another 2,000 were packed to leave before nightfall, Pyotr Andryushchenko, an assistant to Mariupols mayor, told The New York Times. Officials told civilians hoping to leave to delete all messages and photos from phones in case Russian soldiers tried to search them for signs of support for Ukrainian forces. Kushnir said she and her family had tried to leave before, but the locations where a convoy was being organized were being shelled. While they waited, she said, she and her family slept on the floor of a room with no electricity, no lights, no windows and no heating. Evgeniy Maloletka/Associated Press There is not a single residential building left with windows in my neighborhood, she said. After five days, they started to run out of food. Residents organized into groups, with men walking amid the shelling to find water, and women improvising outdoor cook stoves to make watery vegetable soups. Temperatures dropped to as low as 16 degrees Fahrenheit, Kushnir said. We had to drink tea constantly to keep warm, she said, adding that some elderly people had died of cold and hunger. As she left her city by car, she saw bodies lying in the street that authorities had not managed to collect or bury. People who died are not buried; they just lie where they died, she said. There is an enormous number of them. With some residents crushed in the rubble from the relentless Russian onslaught and others dying in freezing conditions with no heat, food or clean water, officials in the besieged coastal city of Mariupol are struggling to account for the number of dead and missing. Officially, 2,400 civilians killed in the city have been identified, but Andryushchenko said he believed the toll was far higher. We have inaccurate data on civilians killed, he said in an interview with Current Time, a Ukrainian radio station. He said the official figure represented a small handful of those killed and estimated that the actual total could be as high as 20,000. A battleground since the first hours of the war, Mariupol is under an increasingly relentless assault that is taking an unspeakable toll. Ukrainian estimates for the number of civilians trapped in the city have ranged from 200,000 to 400,000, with the latest estimate being 300,000. The regions top official, Pavlo Kyrylenko, who until martial law was declared was its governor, announced that the Russians were also holding doctors and patients of the main intensive care hospital hostage. An estimated 400 people are inside. It is impossible to get out of the hospital, Kyrylenko wrote on Telegram, quoting a message from one of the facilitys employees. They shoot hard; we sit in the basement. Cars have not been able to drive to the hospital for two days. High-rise buildings are burning around. Battered by Russian shelling, the city has been overwhelmed by the wounded and dead. Videos shared on Telegram showed residents of the Cheryomushki neighborhood burying a body in a courtyard. Another video showed how local people had turned a post office building into a makeshift morgue, with MORGUE spray-painted in large Cyrillic letters on the outside of the ground floor of the building. Here, in this building of the new post office on Cheryomushki, they stack corpses, which in the future they themselves will bury, a man can be heard saying in the video, which he posted to the Telegram channel Mariupol Now. Russian forces have dropped more than 100 bombs within city limits, according to a Telegram post by the Mariupol city council, destroying nearly all basic services, even as they battle Ukrainian forces on the outskirts of the metropolis. The Kremlin has said that it is Ukrainian forces that are keeping people trapped in the city. The Ukrainian government said that repeated attempts at mass evacuation have failed as Russian forces continue their attack. The Ukrainian armys high command said Tuesday that its forces had managed to repel the latest Russian attempt to move into the city, claiming to have destroyed two tanks, seven infantry fighting vehicles and one armored personnel carrier. After the losses, the occupiers stopped the offensive and retreated, the Ukrainian military said. The Ukrainians noted that their forces had also suffered losses. It is nearly impossible to independently verify almost any information out of Mariupol, as nearly all lines of communication have been severed. Andryushchenko, the adviser to the city government, declined to comment on whether he and the mayor would be evacuating from the city. The mayors security would likely be of concern: Russian forces kidnapped the mayor of nearby Melitopol and installed a replacement. We sincerely hope for the safety of our mayor and that our defenders will help ensure it, Andryushchenko said. We know for sure that he will not accept the Russian occupation under any circumstances, will not cooperate with the occupiers and will not recognize any occupation authority. But he was also at a loss for words thinking about the citys future. He has estimated that 80% of the residential housing stock has been destroyed. What kind of city can it be? Kushnir, a model, described the persistent fear of being there for the past three weeks: Every day is like a new birth. That is, you do not know whether you make it home or not. After she arrived in Urzuf, she had her first proper meal in weeks. But her mind was occupied with new, pressing questions, she said: How will it be possible to get somehow to a safe place in Ukraine? Where is it safe in this country? How it will be possible to go abroad, where it can be safe for us?" This article originally appeared in The New York Times. A day after she burst onto a live news broadcast on Russian state television holding a sign denouncing the war in Ukraine, producer Marina Ovsyannikova has been found guilty of organizing an illegal protest and fined 30,000 rubles (about $280), although it's not clear if further charges will be pursued against her. The charges, brought about by a Moscow court, were related to her video address prompting others to protest as well, not for interrupting the TV broadcast. Ovsyannikova appeared on the set of Russian state TV's flagship Channel One evening news program Monday, chanting "Stop the war!" and denouncing government "propaganda" - a striking moment of public protest as the Kremlin cracks down on any criticism of its invasion of Ukraine. Before storming the set of Channel One, Ovsyannikova recorded a video message in which she said her father is Ukrainian and her mother is Russian. She described the war in Ukraine as a "crime" and urged Russian people to publicly demonstrate. "Unfortunately, I have been working at Channel One during recent years, working on Kremlin propaganda," Ovsyannikova said. "And now I am very ashamed. I am ashamed that I've allowed the lies to be said on the TV screens. I am ashamed that I let the Russian people be zombified." OVD-Info, a human rights group that tracks protest activity and detentions in Russia, identified her as an editor and producer with the broadcaster and said she has been detained. Ovsyannikova's Instagram account also identifies her as a Channel One employee. During a news briefing Tuesday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov dismissed Ovsyannikova's actions as "hooliganism" and said the television channel, not the Kremlin, was "dealing with this." Her act of bravery - protesting in Russia comes at great personal risk, especially since Moscow has tightened its propaganda machine regarding the war - prompted many leaders and international organizations to worry about her safety. News reports saying she was missing circulated after she was detained. A prominent Russian lawyer, Sergei Badamshin, shared the first photo of Ovsyannikova since her detention, where she can be seen with lawyer Anton Gashinsky. She also spoke briefly to reporters after her court appearance. A spokeswoman for the United Nations' human rights office, Ravina Shamdasani, told reporters in Geneva that Russian authorities should ensure that Ovsyannikova "does not face any reprisals for exercising her right to freedom of expression." James Cleverly, a junior minister in Britain's Foreign Office, told the BBC on Tuesday that the United Kingdom was "worried" for her safety. "These acts of defiance within Russia . . . these are incredibly important," he said. "It shows a huge degree of bravery for those individuals to protest in what is, we know, an oppressive authoritarian state." "It's really important that the Russian people understand what is being done in their name," Cleverly said. French President Emmanuel Macron, who's having ongoing conversations with Russian President Vladimir Putin as part of negotiations to end the war, said he would bring up Ovsyannikova's case during his next conversation with the Russian leader. "We will launch diplomatic efforts aiming to offer (her) protection - either at the embassy but also protection through asylum," said Macron, according to France24. The European Commission also said Tuesday that it applauds the "continued courage" of Russian citizens who oppose the Ukraine war. Spokesman Daniel Ferrie said more than 14,000 Russian citizens have been detained in over 140 cities across Russia for protesting the war in Ukraine. Ferrie praised Ovsyannikova for her "brave moral stance" and said she has "disappeared" for daring to object. "The state apparatus continues its oppression against the domestic opposition, against the domestic peace-loving population, denying them their basic rights and freedoms," he added. Her personal protest was hailed around the world as a dangerous act of resistance. Kira Yarmysh, a spokeswoman for jailed Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, praised Ovsyannikova, sharing the video on her Twitter account. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky personally thanked "the woman who entered the Channel One studio" in one of his regular video updates to the nation, posted to Telegram. Thousands of people demonstrating against the conflict have been arrested in Russia, according to OVD-Info, which says the invasion and its fallout have "irrevocably changed" Russian society. - - - The Washington Post's Jennifer Hassan and Amar Nadhir contributed to this report. MYKOLAIV, Ukraine - At the front line of the battle for southern Ukraine, Diana was having her birthday party in the unfinished basement of an apartment building. She turned 5 on Monday. In the absence of a cake, her parents stuck a candle in a mandarin orange and told her to make a wish. After she blew out the flame, Diana told them she asked for the war to end soon. "Come see the basement, that's where we live," she said, bounding down the stairs that lead to the space that's now a bomb shelter for the neighborhood. Some people have brought down cots and air mattresses to place on the cold earthen ground. It's dark. The fighting in the distance during the day sounds like far-off thunder. At night, the bombardment is louder and closer. One elderly woman has her dog with her. Diana has her stuffed bear. This apartment building complex in southeastern Mykolaiv is in range of Russia's multiple-launch rocket systems located in nearby Kherson, the first significant city Moscow's military captured since its invasion of Ukraine started nearly three weeks ago. Now Mykolaiv, a city of about 500,000 people on Ukraine's Black Sea shoreline, is all that's standing in Russia's way of an assault on the major port city of Odessa. But despite more than a week of heavy bombardment, Ukraine's forces in Mykolaiv have remarkably thwarted Russian advances - a major blow to the Kremlin's apparent plans for an attack on Odessa, an economic lifeline for Ukraine as one of the largest Black Sea ports. Though Russian warships have lingered off the coast of Odessa, local officials have said the Russians are probably delaying any amphibious assault until they can get more ground support from their forces in the east. That is how Mykolaiv has become a crucial roadblock. The region's governor, Vitaliy Kim, told The Washington Post on Monday that some Russian forces were beaten back from here and are currently located in Kherson, about 40 miles to the southeast. They've repeatedly shelled the city, including civilian residences, with suspected cluster munitions, but have been unable to move into Mykolaiv itself. Ukraine's stand at Mykolaiv underscores how Russia's advance in parts of the country has stalled, making this war more of a fight than many expected. Russia has more manpower and firepower, but it has been bogged down by what U.S. officials have said was a poor military strategy and basic logistical and supply issues. "The forces that they sent, they thought they'd easily march through here because this was a region that didn't have enough military presence," Kim said. "But we've showed them the opposite, with our soldiers and our civilian defense, that they have no business roaming around on our land." Kim has become the face of Mykolaiv's resistance and a major national figure. Perhaps inspired by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's powerful video messages from downtown Kyiv, Kim cheerfully addresses Mykolaiv citizens with similar short updates posted to his Telegram channel every few hours. His feed has 700,000 subscribers, more than the city's population. "Good day, we are from Ukraine," Kim starts every video, holding up a peace sign. On Monday, he told viewers that an air-raid alert in the city would be extended because the Russians had heavily shelled the region overnight and "we don't know what's in the head of those dummies." The day before, Kim thanked everyone for the birthday wishes - he turned 41 - and said, "how dumb these occupiers are, it's just a catastrophe." "They go from one direction and get bashed, they go from another direction and get bashed and then go from a third direction and get bashed as well," he said with a grin. His optimistic nature in the face of an assault on his city has resonated with Ukrainians and turned Kim into something of a celebrity. At a military checkpoint at the edge of the city, a soldier commented that meeting Kim now is "like meeting Biden." "It just seems like everything is relaxed and easy here, but this is hard work every day," Kim told The Post. "But there's no need to look sad or feel tired over it." Like other cities across Ukraine, Mykolaiv has adapted to wartime. Movements across the city's bridges are regulated through checkpoints. If Russians manage to gain ground here, the bridges might be blown up to prevent any further advance. Stacks of tires are positioned around streets with molotov cocktails, or petrol bombs, beside them, ready to be set ablaze if Russian troops approach. There are also signs of the fight that has already taken place. On one downtown street, the glass facade of a furniture store was shattered. Two homes across the street have had the roofs burned off. This is where Ukrainian and Russian armored vehicles had a shootout in the first days of the war and where the Ukrainians said they destroyed the Russian column. The damage left behind is at once a reminder of the war's toll and a proud symbol of a small victory. At a pharmacy down the road, a shell landed in front, shattered the sign and knocked out power. Two days later, the pharmacy continued its work, powered by a generator. The local zoo, which boasts the most animals of any zoo in Ukraine, has had four projectiles land on its property. The animals have not been evacuated and are being fed daily, said Volodymyr Topchiy, the zoo's director. A rocket that landed on the grounds on Feb. 27 is now on display in the zoo's museum. Another still-unexploded ordinance is currently nestled into the ground in a bustard's dwelling. "This is such a rare bird; there are only two in Ukraine," Topchiy said. The bird was unharmed and remains in its home - along with the shell. The rocket appeared to carry cluster munitions, according to two former military bomb technicians who reviewed photos of it. The cluster bomblets are indiscriminately released over a wide area and have a high dud rate, posing a threat to civilians who may encounter them later on. "I'm getting the sense that Mykolaiv is getting used to the shelling and is ignoring it," Kim said in his Tuesday morning video message. "At the moment, everyone's calm." In the city's Korabelnyi district, a shell from a Russian multiple-launch rocket system, which has a range of about 50 miles, landed on an apartment building, causing one whole side to catch fire. Alexander Zadere lived in the building next door, so he and his son managed to get his 83-year-old mother out of the apartment where she had lived for more than 50 years. She was shocked and scared but not injured. The wall that faces outside was gone. The flames peeled the paint off the walls. The television was destroyed, but the remote resting on the charred couch was undamaged. Zadere has already turned his attention to renovating the place for her, sure that there is a future here. The money he had been saving for a country house will now be used to rebuild here. "As a Mykolaiv native, I can tell you they won't pass through us," he said. "Victory will follow us." Diana's bunker birthday party was taking place in the apartment building next door. The one open store in the area sold chocolate eggs with a toy inside, so that was the present Diana's grandmother bought her. Diana was cheerful, despite the war all around her. She sang a song about cats and danced outside while it was temporarily safe to leave the underground dwelling. She's been sleeping through the night. Her parents smiled and said they hoped Diana wouldn't remember this when she grew up. They worried about how much more their city could withstand. "If Mykolaiv goes, it's not clear that other cities will hold for as long as this one has," said Sveta, Diana's mom. "We're getting used to it, but we don't want to. We don't want to live with this pain and fear." - - - The Washington Post's Alex Horton in Washington contributed to this report. Gov. Gavin Newsom wasted no time in signing legislation on Monday to halt a cap on student enrollment at the University of California, Berkeley. Senate Bill 118 passed unanimously through the state Senate on Monday afternoon and had been awaiting the governor's signature. The bill amends the state's environmental law to allow about 2,600 more students to attend the university in person in the fall. The new law requires environmental reviews of campus growth, but for the total campus population and not just the number of students on campus. Lawmakers said that the bill passed Monday will affect not just UC Berkeley but all University of California campuses, state university campuses and community college campuses. Jose Inez Garcia-Zarate, a Mexican national and convicted felon who has been deported from the United States five times, pled guilty Monday to two federal weapons offenses, according to U.S. Attorney Stephanie Hinds. Garcia-Zarate shot and killed Kathryn "Kate" Steinle, a tourist, in 2015 on Pier 14 on San Francisco's Embarcadero. On November 30, 2017, he was convicted of being a felon in possession of a firearm, but was acquitted on homicide charges by a jury that accepted the defendant's argument: that the shooting resulted from an accidental discharge of a gun he found wrapped in cloth on the pier. He was then indicted by a federal grand jury in December 2017 on federal weapons charges. At a hearing on Monday, Garcia-Zarate pled guilty to the two weapons counts. The Prosecutors Alliance of California has asked the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors to audit the disciplinary practices in Sheriff David Livingston's department and to increase outside oversight of alleged departmental misconduct. The request comes in the wake of an email Livingston sent his department after the March 3 sentencing of Contra Costa deputy Andrew Hall, who received a six-year-prison sentence after being convicted of assault with a firearm in the 2018 killing of unarmed motorist Laudemer Arboleda in Danville. The group claims Livingston's remarks suggest "he believes his deputies are above the law, raising serious concerns over the legitimacy of an Internal Affairs investigation into former Deputy Andrew Hall and how the Sheriff is disciplining officers who abuse their authority." In the email, Livingston wrote that he supports Hall and that an internal review found his actions to be within departmental policy. The Berkeley Haas Business School on the university campus is closed until further notice due to a water main break, the UC Berkeley Police announced on Twitter at approximately 6:30 p.m. Monday. People are being asked to avoid the area while "excessive cleanup" takes place. No further information is available at this time. San Francisco Unified School District teachers said Monday the district has failed to pay them and other staff members, with some awaiting payment since January. During a rally held outside district headquarters, the teachers called on district officials to fix the issue, which has affected employees' livelihoods, as many are unable to pay rent and other bills. The payment issues come as the district and the San Francisco Board of Education are mulling laying off hundreds of teachers to balance the budget for the upcoming school year, as the district faces a $125 million projected budget shortfall. SFUSD officials have admitted that hundreds of teachers and other staff members have not gotten paid since January but attributed the error to a recent change by the district to a new payroll system. Fairfield Police announced that they have a suspect in custody for a triple-shooting that killed one person and injured two others Sunday. Trine Martinez, 25, of Fairfield, turned himself in to police Monday afternoon shortly before 3 p.m., police said. Martinez was accompanied by his attorney and did not provide a statement. The shootings took place around 5 a.m. Sunday in the 200 block of East Tabor Avenue. Police allege that it was not a random shooting and was "predicated by an altercation between the involved parties." The deceased victim was a 44-year-old Fairfield resident. The coroner is still attempting to notify the next of kin before releasing the name, police said. The Alameda County Social Services Agency temporarily closed its Self Sufficiency Center at Eastmont Town Center, effective Tuesday, in order to deal with a rat infestation. County officials did not provide an estimate when the center will reopen and advised the public, in the interim, to access services at the other centers in the county. Case Information and assistance may also be obtained by calling 510-263-2420 or 1-888-999-4772. More information is also available on the Agency's website: www.alamedacountysocialservices.org. County officials said the closure does not impact services provided by ACSSA's Adult and Aging Services (AAS) department at the Eastmont Town Center. Judge Nancy L. Fineman was appointed San Mateo County Civil Grand Jury advisor Monday by Leland Davis, III, the county's presiding judge. Fineman's term is for the 2022-2023 year that begins July 1. Applications are open to serve on the grand jury through April 29. Application forms can be obtained by calling (650) 261-5066 or online at: http://www.sanmateocourt.org/documents/grand_jury/application_form.pdf. The National Weather Service forecast for the San Francisco Bay Area calls for rain Tuesday morning. Daytime highs will range from the mid to upper 60s, with overnight lows in the low to mid 40s. A weak cold front moving across Northern California should bring a light rain over the North Bay and the Golden Gate through Tuesday morning with clearing expected after 10 a.m. Dry conditions with seasonal temperatures are anticipated Wednesday through Friday, with the next chance of rain coming this weekend. Copyright 2022 Bay City News, Inc. All rights reserved. Republication, rebroadcast or redistribution without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited. Bay City News is a 24/7 news service covering the greater Bay Area. Copyright 2022 by Bay City News, Inc. Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited. Three weeks into Russia's invasion, Ukraine is fighting back - in the streets but also in the courtroom. Three international courts are investigating alleged atrocities committed by Russia. Ukraine's fate, at this point, largely hinges on what happens on the battlefield, but these court proceedings still matter. While it is difficult to imagine Russian President Vladimir Putin in the dock at The Hague, judgments against Russia could strengthen international solidarity with Ukraine, reinforce norms against aggressive expansionist warfare and make life more difficult in the long run for members of the Russian military and government. The first international body to begin proceedings was the International Court of Justice - established by the U.N. Charter in 1945, with a mandate to settle disputes between countries. In a Feb. 26 filing, Ukraine alleges that Russia both planned to commit genocide and is doing so by deliberately killing Ukrainians because of their nationality. It also makes the more novel argument that Russia violated the convention by falsely claiming, as a reason for starting the war, that Ukraine was committing genocide. If the ICJ rules in favor of Ukraine, it could order Russia to stop military operations, reinstate prewar borders and compensate Ukraine for damage - with one immense caveat: The ICJ relies on the U.N. Security Council to enforce its judgments. Russia, a permanent member of the council, can veto enforcement. Russia, moreover, has some support from other members of the council: India and China abstained from a U.N. vote demanding Russia's withdrawal from Ukraine. Even if Russia weren't on the Security Council, the size of its army and its status as a nuclear power could preclude enforcement. Nonetheless, even an unenforced ICJ judgment would symbolically affirm such important norms as Ukraine's right to territorial integrity and sovereignty, and the protection of civilians during wartime. That may seem cold comfort to Ukrainians, but a finding could help maintain international resolve to keep pressure on Russia. Ukraine also is pursuing accountability via the International Criminal Court, which prosecutes individuals and not states. On Feb. 28, ICC chief prosecutor Karim Khan announced that he would investigate suspected atrocities in Ukraine. This court, created by the Rome Statute in 1998 and operational since 2002, has jurisdiction over 123 member countries. Although Ukraine is not a member, it has accepted ICC jurisdiction to investigate people accused of committing war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide within its borders. Other attempts to hold nationals of ICC nonmember states accountable have been ineffectual - especially where world powers are concerned. The United States, for example, which is not an ICC member, has for years rejected the court's jurisdiction over U.S. personnel, including for suspected abuses during the war in Afghanistan (which is an ICC member). The court has effectively abandoned the U.S. side of the investigation, to the dismay of global justice advocates. But going after citizens of Russia, a major power, may help to restore some of the legitimacy that the ICC has lost for its alleged favoring of superpowers. Indeed, the ICC has the support of dozens of countries to investigate atrocities linked to Russians. Even if Russian officers and soldiers never stand trial before the court, indictments could make them the targets of travel bans and other sanctions. Traveling abroad, in any case, would make them vulnerable to arrest by ICC member states such as France and Germany, which are obligated to arrest court fugitives under the Rome Statute. Finally, Ukraine has brought a case to the European Court of Human Rights. This court has a mandate to examine violations of the 1959 European Convention on Human Rights by members of the Council of Europe, an organization that includes Ukraine and Russia. On March 1, the court granted an interim measure, ordering Russia to cease military attacks against civilians and provide unimpeded access to humanitarian aid. The attacks continue, though, and Russia has failed to respect the humanitarian "corridors" to which it agreed. Still, as Ukrainians continue to record videos of bombings of civilians in such cities as Kyiv and Kharkiv, the evidence against Russia mounts - and it would be meaningful for the court to make Russian misconduct part of the international-law record. Some prominent figures in the West - former British prime minister Gordon Brown among them - have called for an ad hoc tribunal to prosecute the crime of unjustified military aggression, over which the other courts lack authority. A special tribunal would allow the United States, specifically, to sidestep the ICC and avoid accusations of hypocrisy, since it has long argued that the court lacks jurisdiction over nonmember nationals. What is next? In a break with the past, all three courts are acting decisively: Hearings have started at the International Court of Justice, the International Criminal Court investigation is moving at a clip after being frozen for over a year, and the European Court has declared it has reason to believe Russian forces are committing atrocities, something it has been slow to do in the past. International courts have a mixed record - at best - with delivering justice, especially during ongoing conflicts. But international courts do not operate in a vacuum. When combined with other diplomatic and political tools, court judgments could counter Moscow's propaganda over Russia's disingenuous "humanitarian" reasons for invading. Court judgments also demonstrate - and reinforce - the global order's willingness to push back against Russia through democratic, legal means. - - - Kelebogile Zvobgo is an assistant professor of government at the College of William and Mary, the founder and director of the International Justice Lab and a faculty affiliate at the Global Research Institute Twitter Nathaniel Liu is a James Monroe scholar at the College of William and Mary and a research fellow in its International Justice Lab. San Francisco Mayor London Breed's office announced Monday that she has embarked on a 10-day tour of Europe "to support bringing international travel back to San Francisco." According to her office, she will tour London, Brussels, Frankfurt and Paris and "meet with airlines, airports, and local leaders to both continue and expand partnerships to reestablish San Francisco International Airport (SFO) as the international gateway to California and a hub for European markets, and to bring tourists back to San Francisco." The trip will be paid for by SFO, which is owned and operated by San Francisco but does not receive city funds. For residents confused by the timing, purpose and political implications of the trip, here's some context. According to city data from 2012 and 2015, San Francisco's top "feeder markets" for tourism are typically domestic: In 2015, the top six markets were Los Angeles, the greater Bay Area, Sacramento, New York, San Diego and Washington, D.C. In 2012, Seattle, Boston and Portland were also top feeder markets. Breed and local travel officials seem to believe that travel has cratered not only because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but also because of San Francisco's well-documented image problem (the city's high rates of homelessness and property crime relative to other major U.S. cities are evergreen topics in national media outlets). Last month, Breed embarked on a trip to New York, Chicago and D.C. and said that business leaders in those cities expressed concern over these issues. While in Europe, Breed will be "doing media interviews with local and trade publications to create positive attention for San Francisco," her office said. But why Europe, and not elsewhere? City data from 2012 shows that Mexico, China and the United Kingdom provided the most tourists to San Francisco in that year. China and other Asian countries are still enforcing pandemic lockdowns and travel restrictions, making the region largely unviable as a means of increasing tourism. Breed's office said in its statement that "the European markets are expected to lead the global recovery for United States visitation" more broadly. One can debate whether London Breed appearing on the BBC and other European TV stations will actually help persuade tourists to come to San Francisco, but one cannot debate the fact that London Breed sure seems to relish exposure in media outlets outside of San Francisco. She has done interviews with the New York Times, NBC News and MSNBC in recent months, wading into national policy debates over crime policy and staking out firm ground in intra-Democratic Party fights. Look, it's not like the position of mayor of San Francisco can be a stepping stone or anything. It definitely can't land a politician higher office in California such as governor or senator if one builds up enough name recognition and endears oneself to large donors. It's also not like those seats could free up anytime soon. Sure, speaking to European media outlets may not further ambitions for higher California office the same way a national media tour might, but exposure is exposure, regardless of whether the medium is European television or two whole seconds in "The Matrix Resurrections." And besides, she gets a free trip to Europe out of it. Inside Hook At midnight, Russia officially cut off access to Instagram, banning the platform for much of the countrys population. The ban comes just days after Moscow vowed to restrict access to the photo-sharing app in retaliation for Facebook parent company Metas decision to allow calls for violence against Russian soldiers on its platforms. On Friday, Instagram users in Russia were given a 48-hour grace period by Russias communications regulator Roskomnadzorto and told to transfer their photos and videos from Instagram before the ban went into effect at midnight Sunday, when they would no longer be able to access their accounts. Reading Hospital in Reading, as seen in August 2021, when officials from the Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs visited the hospital to highlight the importance of warm handoff programs for overdose survivors. Update Required To play the media you will need to either update your browser to a recent version or update your Flash plugin. Looking for something to do on Saturday, May 14, between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m.? Looking to donate to a very worthwhile cause? Come and join the Li Local Scottville introduces marijuana ordinance, will vote on April 11 Riley / RILEY KELLEY | Daily News Howard VanderLaan, left, is honored with a resolution celebrating his 70 years service to the City of Scottville by City Manager Jimmy Newkirk, right, Monday at City Hall. SCOTTVILLE A policy allowing and regulating marijuana establishments in Scottville could be approved by April following a first reading of a new ordinance at Mondays meeting of the city commission. The extensive and detailed ordinance outlines guidelines for medical and recreational establishments. It was moved forward to the city commission by the ordinance committee, according to Mayor Marcy Spencer. City Manager Jimmy Newkirk previously told the Daily News he believed allowing for the businesses could provide a boost to the citys economy. During Mondays meeting, Newkirk said the arrival of the ordinance should be no surprise to anyone, as officials have been working on it since November 2021, when the commission opted to consider repealing the marijuana-business ban it implemented in 2019. Weve been talking about this since last fall. This has gone through many committees and changes; the planning commission has gone through many details with this, the ordinance (committee) had this for a while. Now were at the point where there isnt much more research and discussion as far as the ordinance details can go. So tonight is the first reading for the ordinance permitting medical marijuana and recreational marijuana in Scottville. City Attorney Carlos Alvarado said the first reading was essentially the introduction of the ordinance. Now we have to wait for 30 days for the commission to read it and then at the (April 11) meeting, there will be discussion, Alvarado said. Because of the length of the ordinance, normally these are either approved or rejected. If rejected (the commission) will have the option to send it back to committee or it could be approved with amendments. Alvarado said one of the key components of the proposed ordinance have to do with licensing medical marijuana facilities as well as recreational marijuana facilities. He said its possible that the two could co-exist in the same location. You could effectively have almost double the number if two licenses of medical and recreational marijuana are filed, Alvarado said, adding that his research has indicated that these shared spaces are rare. Included in the packet for Mondays meeting was a map that indicates the locations of zoning areas recommended for various types of marijuana businesses, including the downtown area, the area by the water tower and the area near the Mason County Road Commission building, functioning as Zones A, B and C. Zone C, near the road commission would be recommended for growers, microbusinesses and processors. The proposed ordinance stipulates that no medical facilities can be located within 1,000 feet of a school, including a pre-kindergarten facility, or within 500 feet of public parks, commercial childcare organizations, churches, facilities at which substance-use treatment or rehabilitation services are provided, or another medical marijuana facility. It also contains stipulations for growers, processors and microbusinesses. The ordinance also states that Newkirk would administer licenses and that he has the authority to revoke or deny licenses. The proposed ordinance would also allow the city to impose a limit on the number of facilities allowed, and to collect licensing fees up to $5,000. The commission will discuss the issue again during the Monday, April 11 meeting prior to voting on the matter. The commission assured attendees that there would be ample time for public comment, and Alvarado recommended that the ordinance be published in full at least seven days before the April 11 meeting. VANDERLAAN HONORED Following his resignation from the citys planning commission, Howard VanderLaan was honored for his seven decades of service to the City of Scottville in a formal resolution unanimously approved by all commissioners. Newkirk stated VanderLaan has served the city in a number of capacities, first being elected to the city commission in the 1960s. He served as mayor and mayor pro-tem, acted on various city boards and brought honor, respect and integrity to the City of Scottville, according to the resolution. (VanderLaan has) imparted knowledge and wisdom to those he mentored and made a substantial contribution to the betterment of the City of Scottville, Newkirk said. CITY MANAGER The commission entered closed session to conduct Newkirks one-year review, and after resuming open session, approved entering into negotiations with Newkirk to extend his contract. The motion was made by Rob Alway and approved unanimously. ALSO ON MONDAY The city approved making a contribution of $543.42 to the Mason-Lake Conservation Districts Household Hazardous Waste collection and disposal event, which is set to take place in August. The commission approved participating in the Michigan Cooperative Liquid Assets Securities System (CLASS), a cash-management option that would offer the city safety, liquidity, independence, customer service and competitive returns, according to Newkirk. Michigan CLASS is an LLC put together by several municipalities by municipalities, for municipalities, all overseen by its investors, Newkirk said. This would allow us to earn a higher rate of return and have more control over where our investments go, but its also very liquid. At any point we can add or move money around without losing liquidity. Mason County Central Superintendent Jeff Mount also provided an update on how to access material relevant to the school districts upcoming $33.6 million bond proposal, which will appear on the May 3 ballot. Mount reminded the commission and the public that MCC will be holding a public forum about the bond at 7 p.m. today at MCCs A.O. Carlson Gym. Try out LudingtonDailyNews.com for only 99 per month for the first 3 months, $9.99 a month after. Unlimited website access 24/7 Unlimited e-Edition access 24/7 The best local, regional and national news in sports, politics, business and more! With a Digital Only subscription, you'll receive unlimited access to our website and e-Edition. Our digital products are available 24/7 and are accessible anywhere, anytime. Page Content Ukrainians and others streaming across the border to escape Russian military attacks should find it easier than in the past to seek work under relaxed policies approved by the European Union and individual nations. The EU recently granted temporary protection for Ukrainians and certain other foreign nationals fleeing the besieged country to enter member nations and receive one-year residency permits, with the right to employment, housing and education. The EU emergency protection is subject to extension, potentially by another two years. "The details of implementation by each of the 27 EU countries are still being finalized, but the normal visa requirements have been lifted," said Sarah Hawk, an Atlanta-based attorney with Barnes & Thornburg. Easing Immigration Rules "Even before the recent announcement, many European countries were allowing an extreme relaxation of immigration processes to provide temporary measures for visa-free entry for Ukrainians for 90 days and then an option for changing to work-authorized status at a later time," Hawk said. The United Kingdom also announced a proposed humanitarian sponsorship pathway to enable U.K. companies, organizations and individuals to sponsor Ukraine nationals to travel to the U.K., with the ability to work and access public services, she noted. Sky News reported on March 9 that the U.K. had introduced two visa paths for Ukrainians, one allowing refugees to reunite with family members living in the U.K. and another, yet to be implemented, allowing individual or organizational sponsorship of Ukrainians even if they lack U.K. ties. "The policies reflect an unprecedented unity among EU countries to act more quickly and with immediate warmth toward the Ukrainians, whereas [other] refugee and asylum situations have been much slower and more challenging due to the lengthy processing requirements," Hawk said. Employers in Europe should know that individuals fleeing Ukraine to EU countries will need to await each individual EU member country's legislation on the protection measures, which are being finalized for implementation, she said. They may also face processing delays with obtaining the requisite biometric passports and immigration and educational credentials to obtain their work authorization documents for long-term residency or subsequent work-permit programs, she said. Humanitarian Crisis More than 3 million people had fled Ukraine as of March 15, after the Russian military launched widespread attacks against the country on Feb. 24. Poland alone has received approximately 1.8 million people, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. Others have crossed the border into nearby Romania, Slovakia, Hungary, Moldova, Russia and Belarus, and more than 258,000 had traveled beyond those countries to other European nations, according to the U.N. agency, which estimated that 4 million people may flee Ukraine. People escaping Ukraine can go to Poland without any special formalities and without presenting a passport at the border, according to Anna Skuza, an attorney with Moskwa Jarmul Haladyj in Warsaw. Given the EU's temporary protection measure, she said, "the approach to refugees from Ukraine will be relatively unified across the European countries." The EU has provided protection to all Ukrainian citizens and family members who resided in that country before Feb. 24 and were forced to flee due to the Russian invasion, Skuza said. The Polish parliament has been working on a draft law that would allow Ukrainian citizens who legally crossed the border into Poland starting Feb. 24 to legally stay for up to 18 months from that date without obtaining residency permits, she said. The period could be extended for another 18 months, according to Barron's. The special law would allow Ukrainian citizens to work in Poland without a work permit, establish businesses in Poland or register as unemployed, and these Ukrainian citizen refugees would be entitled to certain social benefits, including a one-off cash benefit, free psychological assistance, medical care and food aid, Skuza said. Non-Ukrainian citizens who were granted international protection in Ukraine prior to the war will be entitled to protection in Poland, she said. Employers in Europe who plan to hire relocating workers from Ukraine and provide organized accommodation may need to offer them child care during work hours, according to Skuza, who noted that women and children account for most of the arrivals from Ukraine. "Alternatively, work should be organized in a manner enabling these emerging communities to provide such care on their own," she said. Employers should take into account that when the armed conflict ends, some fleeing Ukraine may decide to return to Ukraine. For those who choose to stay, the immigration status may change and it may be necessary to obtain appropriate permits, potentially at short notice, Skuza said. Dinah Wisenberg Brin is a freelance reporter and writer based in Philadelphia. Page Content One misconception about military leave is that employers never have to pay for this time off. But sometimes military leave does have to be paid, such as when it's comparable to other kinds of paid time off like sick leave or jury duty leave. "Recent appellate decisions make clear that a lack of comparability may not be assumed as a matter of law," said Mark Girouard, an attorney with Nilan Johnson Lewis in Minneapolis. Employers can prevail under the particular facts of their leave policies, he added. In light of the recent decisions, "employers would be well-advised to review their paid-leave policies and consider paying for shorter periods of military leave, if they do not already, as it will be more difficult for them to argue that those shorter periods are not comparable to periods of nonmilitary leave for which the employer provides pay," Girouard said. USERRA Requirements Under the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA), employees who provide notice to an employer of a need for leave to perform voluntary or involuntary service in the uniformed services are entitled to leave for up to five nonconsecutive years, said Carmen Decot, an attorney with Foley & Lardner in Milwaukee. Uniformed services include the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, Coast Guard, Reserves and federal National Guard. One common myth about USERRA is that it applies only to members of the Reserves or National Guard, said Tom Spiggle, a plaintiff's attorney with The Spiggle Law Firm in Alexandria, Va. Decot added that service includes active duty, active and inactive duty training, fitness-for-duty examinations, and funeral honors duty. "Some categories of service, such as required training for Reservists and National Guard members, are exempt from the five-year limitation," she said. At the end of service, eligible employees who apply for re-employment within USERRA's specified time periods are entitled to be promptly re-employed in the job the workers would have been in but for the absence due to military service, Decot explained. This is known as the escalator provision. In some cases, an employee is to be placed in a comparable job. Returning employees are entitled to the seniority and seniority-based benefits they would have received with reasonable certainty if they had not taken leave. Employees who have taken military leave also are entitled to receive any other benefits that are available to employees on comparable nonmilitary leaves of absence. Employees covered by USERRA have the right to be free from discrimination and retaliation based on their membership, application for membership, or service in the uniformed service or their participation in any activity protected by USERRA, Decot noted. Recent Decisions In a 2021 decision, White v. United Airlines Inc., the 7th Circuit ruled that paid military leave falls within the rights and benefits covered by USERRA. "The 7th Circuit emphasized that USERRA does not require military leave to be paid in all circumstances," Decot said. "However, military leave must be treated the same as other comparable types of leave provided by an employer. If an employer provides other types of paid leave, the employer is required to pay for military leaves that are comparable to those other paid leaves." Determining whether a military leave is comparable to paid leave provided by the employer focuses on such factors as the duration of the leave, the purpose of the leave and the ability of the employee to choose when to take the leave, Decot explained. This is referred to as the three-factor test. In another 2021 decision, Travers v. Federal Express Corp., the 3rd Circuit reached the same conclusion. The 3rd Circuit stated that "USERRA does not allow employers to treat service members differently by paying employees for some kinds of leave while exempting military service." However, Girouard said, district courts have applied the comparability analysis and found military and other forms of leave not to be comparable. In the 2021 decision of Clarkson v. Alaska Airlines, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Washington considered duration of different kinds of leave. "The evidence was that for the defendant's employees, jury duty, sick and bereavement leaves generally lasted three to five days, with the longest leave lasting six days, but military leaves were longer and generally lasted for nine days or more," Girouard noted. The court also noted that the majority of employees used bereavement or jury duty leave only once while members of the plaintiffs' purported class took between 17 and 47 military leaves per employee. In addition, the average number of sick days per employee was 33, compared to an average of 359 days of military leave for class members during the same period. "Based on these differences, the court concluded that the military leave was not comparable to jury duty, sick or bereavement leave in terms of duration or frequency," Girouard said. As for purpose, the court concluded that a primary reason for military leave is to allow employees to pursue parallel careers in the military and earn additional income. By contrast, the purpose of jury duty is to fulfill a required duty, the purpose of bereavement leave is to grieve the death of a loved one, and the purpose of sick or vacation leave is to allow time for rest. The court concluded that military leave was not comparable to other forms of leave in terms of purpose. Military leave was automatically granted while other forms of leave were subject to approval, Girouard noted. Don't Preclude Possibility of Paid Military Leave Nonetheless, Christine Hawes, an attorney with Crowell & Moring in Washington, D.C., said employers should ensure their policies do not preclude the possibility of paid military leave under any circumstance. Employers should apply the three-factor test to make explicit policy rulings about when military leave will be paid because it is comparable to other forms of paid leave, Hawes added. "Employers should also take care to document their determinations on these issues in case of disputes or litigation." Today, Canada is recognized for its sophisticated government and welcoming society. Home to some of the world's most outstanding universities that offer world-class education and incredible job opportunities for overseas students. The country has retained its status as the number one destination for international students. Many of the Canadian universities rank among the top universities in the world. The best way to select a university for yourself is by first identifying which course you want to pursue. Then, sort out universities that are well known for your desired course. You should also check if the university supports your career ambitions and personal interests. Many Canadian universities offer excellent co-curricular activities and encourage students to join their student clubs and societies. Hence, studying in Canada gives you an excellent degree and a chance to pursue your passion, such as sports, music, theatre, etc. Another thing that must be kept in mind while identifying your dream university is the student-to-teacher ratio and the average class size. Identity if you enjoy working in big groups with your peers or want more one-on-one attention from your professors. This factor will help you make a better choice based on your preference. Look for scholarships and financial aid for international students to help alleviate the financial strain of excessive spending. Indian students have a lot of scholarship options in Canada. Keep an eye out for the campus placement situation and ensure that it includes overseas students. Getting a higher degree might add to your expenses. The cost of tuition varies based on the university, course, and length of the program. The average annual cost of a top undergraduate program is around $17,000 (12,76,709 INR). You'll also have to pay for rent, food, transportation, and other necessities, and it is not enough to meet one's fundamental necessities. If you plan on staying in Canada for the course duration, you'll need to buy jackets, computers, and stationery. Your lifestyle determines the amount you spend in this area. You will not have to worry about expenditures if you are wealthy. Universities in Canada provide three major entrance points or intakes for applicants to study. Fall, Winter, and Summer are the three main intakes. The most popular intake in the country is fall, followed by winter and summer. The summer intake is the least popular because limited courses are offered. For the September and May-June intakes of 2022, Canadian institutions accept applications from overseas students who intend to study in Canada. To ensure that international students are not harmed due to the ongoing pandemic, the Canadian government has made temporary changes to its Post Graduate Work Permit Program (PGWP), allowing international students to complete their studies online from anywhere in the world without jeopardizing their PGWP eligibility. Most institutions, on the other hand, follow a similar admissions process. Firstly, please fill out the application form completely, including all of your options, and submit it along with the application money. If you are an Indian student, you must take an English proficiency exam such as the TOEFL or IELTS, depending on your university's preference. Provided you have trouble passing the IELTS, you can study in Canada without them if you have spent at least four years in an English-medium school and can show proof through your academic credentials. Students from English speaking countries are exempted from giving IETLS exam. To get admitted into a postgraduate program, you must take standardized examinations such as the GRE or GMAT and obtain at least the minimum score required by the university. You may be required to create resumes and submit financial statements, Statement of Purpose (SOP), Letters of Recommendation, Transcripts, etc. Also, may be required to provide two letters of academic reference along with past letters of employment if you are applying for a Masters's or PhD program in Canada. And need an ECA if you've never studied in Canada before (Educational Credential Assessment). Specific colleges may hold interviews to determine your eligibility and aptitude for the course. After going through all of these steps, the university will either admit you or place you on a waiting list. If you've been waitlisted but still want to attend that institution's course, you'll need to speak with university authorities and explain your situation. Once you've been admitted, look into the university's culture, academic rigour, and subject mix to see whether they align with your objectives and expectations. It's critical to make your application stand out if you want to study in Canada. To continue, please log in, or sign up for a new account. We offer one free story view per month. If you register for an account, you will get two additional story views. After those three total views, we ask that you support us with a subscription. A subscription to our digital content is so much more than just access to our valuable content. It means youre helping to support a local community institution that has, from its very start, supported the betterment of our society. Thank you very much! Up-and-coming artist Atong Atem has been awarded the Art Gallery of NSWs inaugural La Prairie Art Award for her self-portrait in five parts, A yellow dress, a bouquet (2022). The award, comprised of a $50,000 acquisition and $30,000 worth of travel, is a new partnership between the gallery and the Swiss skincare company La Prairie in support of Australian women artists. As part of the award, Atem, who is South Sudanese and lives in Melbourne, will travel to Switzerland in June for a residency in Zurich and to attend the high-profile Art Basel art fair. Atong Atem with the self-portrait that won the Art Gallery of NSWs new La Prairie Art Award. Credit:Louise Kennerley Atem, an artist for 10 years, says the ambitious work reflects how she felt when she was told she was the awards recipient. Its hard to not see value in your own work when people you admire are seeing value in it, she says. [I was] feeling like I have so much potential and I can realise this potential, and some of my limitations as an artist wont always be there. In the self-portrait, Atems skin is painted in otherworldly violet, with turquoise eyeshadow and coral lips. Dressed in yellow, she is surrounded by colourful flowers. A magenta fabric backdrop is dotted with white, and her face, veiled in some images, is flecked with small dots to match. While the subject, costume and set are intertwined, Atems gaze remains stoically fixed on the viewer. Never mind the 45 years since they were in their raggedy prime; legendary Manchester punk icons Buzzcocks are still riffing and raging through all new, original music. The band began as a ramshackle opening act for Sex Pistols in 1976. What they lacked in proficiency, they made up for with enthusiasm and unadulterated stage energy. Steve Diggle (guitar), Steve Garvey (bass guitar), John Maher (drums) and Pete Shelley (vocals) pioneered the UK punk scene alongside Siouxsie and the Banshees, The Clash and The Damned. Pete Shelley [front, centre], singer, songwriter and founding member of the band, 1990. We never planned anything, says Diggle, 66. It was in the moment; lets get the band together, say what weve gotta say and create some excitement. If we get one or two gigs, lets see where we go from there. We opened up for Sex Pistols in Manchester and from there we got other gigs. Suddenly, the press reviewed us and put us in all the music pages. Punk was new then. Suddenly, everybody wanted us, know what I mean? It is not the sort of case you imagine a politician would take a great deal of joy in winning on such a public stage a few months out from an election as vast stretches of the east coast remain sodden from floodwaters, but a victory it was nonetheless. A full bench of the Federal Court overturned an earlier ruling that the federal Environment Minister Sussan Ley had a duty of care to protect children from the impacts of climate change when assessing new coal mines in this case in assessing whether to approve a proposal by Whitehaven Coal to expand its Vickery coal mine in northern NSW. The young activists leave court after the Federal Court found against them. From left to right: Luca Saunders, Anj Sharma, Izzy Raj-Seppings and Ava Princi. Credit:Brook Mitchell What was not contested, though, was the environmental substance of the childrens original claim. That substance was rendered starkly in the childrens earlier partial court victory, when Justice Mordecai Bromberg noted in his ruling that the climate impacts of the emissions from coal extracted from the mine may fairly be described as catastrophic, particularly should global average surface temperatures rise to and exceed 3 degrees beyond the pre-industrial level. Tesla chief executive Elon Musk last week fired off a series of jarring tweets: ESG should be deleted if not fixed and ESG rules have been twisted to insanity. The comments were prompted by an analyst note emerging from US investment bank Citi that argued defence stocks should now be given an environment, social, governance (ESG) tag, so that ethical investors could invest in arms manufacturers. Tesla and SpaceX chief executive Elon Musk mocked suggestions that defensive weapons against Russia could be included in ethical investments. Credit:AP The move would help socially conscious investors maintain global peace, the analysts said, by boosting the capability of western democracies to fight the likes of Vladimir Putin. US celebrity entrepreneur Mark Andreessen joined in, pointing out the hypocrisy in encouraging the same cohort of investors who refuse to invest in fossil fuels to now fund weapons. Mr Hopper saw the elderly man who had jumped out the window lying on the ground with his pants on fire, while another man, whose room was on the ground floor, was blown through the window by the explosion. Assistant Commissioner Peter Cotter said detectives were treating the case as a murder. A body is removed from the site of a fatal building fire on the corner of Probert and Albermarle streets in Newtown. Credit:Wolter Peeters We are treating this as a maliciously lit fire, he said. There was an explosion, the flames took hold extremely quickly. Without going into the scientific evidence so far, it would be fair to say that some type of accelerant has been used. Assistant Commissioner Cotter said police had been unable to contact the owner of the boarding house but emphasised he was not a suspect. We know who he is, we reached out through a series of addresses in western Sydney, and as yet we havent been able to make contact with him. Wed like that gentleman to come forward as a matter of priority, particularly to talk to us about who was inside, he said. Fire crews were working to stabilise the building on Tuesday afternoon. Credit:Nick Moir Property records list the owner of the building as A&J Wong Holdings Pty Ltd. A NSW Fair Trading spokeswoman said Albert Wong was the proprietor of seven boarding houses in Sydney, including one in Surry Hills, another in Enmore and two in Petersham. Each house was registered to the same proprietor PO Box in Wahroonga. Nine News reported on Tuesday night that Mr Wong was fined in 2019 for failing to complete a fire safety check on the Newtown building. The Herald is not suggesting Mr Wong is at fault in relation to the fire. Phone calls and an email to Mr Wong went unanswered on Tuesday. The buildings former caretaker, Ian Mineall, said the property had gone downhill since he moved out in 2018. He visited last week and said the kitchen ceiling had caved in and you could see some electrical wires. It was a disaster waiting to happen. The outside is not too bad, but the inside is not too good, he said. Plenty of people have been complaining about [the property]. Mostly about cockroaches and other little problems, and particularly that when it rained the roof leaked, and parts of the roof were falling in. Mr Mineall was worried about a friend of his, a man in his 70s, who lived in one of the rooms. Part of his mattress was jutting out over his door and for him to get out, hed have to squeeze out, and with smoke and fire, Im not sure how possible it would be for him to get out of there, he said. Newtown resident Bernie Godzic said the boarding house and its residents were well-known among locals as the building was opposite the Carlisle Castle Hotel. Its a house of horrors. Theres broken glass, exposed wires. Its disgusting, Its terrible, he said. Three days ago I sat at the pub drinking a beer and I said, something needs to be done. It was prophetic. But its been like that for years. Its a death trap and everybody knew it. A spokesman for the Inner West Council said the boarding house was registered with Fair Trading NSW and the council was helping police with their inquiries. Loading Newtown Neighbourhood Centre chief executive Liz Yeo said workers at the community organisation, which supports residents in boarding houses, had previously received complaints from people who lived in the building about rain coming through the roof, ceiling collapses, and overcrowding. They were definitely terrible conditions in that boarding house. The owner owns about three other boarding houses in the inner west, and theyre all in bad shape. Ms Yeo said the blaze was tragic and had highlighted the difficulties in regulating boarding houses, which were often home to elderly and vulnerable residents, such as those with mental health problems or people on parole. Persia poised The Persian army is ready to fight to the last man if the Russians move towards Tehran, the capital, the Persian War Minister, General Sepehod Amir Ahmedi, warned today. Trainloads of Russian ammunition and troops were arriving at Kara, 23 miles north of Tehran, where the garrison was now four times stronger than it was a month ago. The Russian troop movements inside Persia have spread alarm, says the Ankara correspondent of The Times. Kingly sum While looking for white ants and borers under an old hut at the Quarantine Station, North Head, Mr W. Patison put his foot in a rabbit warren and stumbled upon 60 gold sovereigns. Yesterday at the Coroners Court the sovereigns were declared treasure trove and the property of our Lord the King. This is the first case of Treasure trove in Sydney for many years. The earliest coin was dated 1864 and the latest 1894. They are valued at 162. Flagging change Former NSW Police commissioner Mick Fuller did not engage in misconduct when he part-owned two racehorses with people who had been investigated for criminal offences, the independent law enforcement watchdog has found. In a report on Tuesday, the Law Enforcement Conduct Commission said it is possible Mr Fuller, who retired this year, was targeted in a campaign by disaffected officers who repeated old claims in an attempt to harm his reputation and prospects. Former NSW Police Commissioner Mick Fuller (left) pictured in December 2021. Credit:Mick Tsikas The commission examined Mr Fullers part-ownership of two horses Mad Magic, which was owned from 2015 to 2017 with 13 other people, and Once Epona Time, which was owned between 2019 and 2020 with 16 others. Questions had been raised by the ABC about two co-owners and a horse trainer, including one owner being investigated over the illegal dumping of asbestos, and the other being investigated for fraud but never charged. The horse trainer had been accused of doping. Every morning at Ashfield Public School, teachers are taken away from their classrooms for 30 minutes to teach small groups of students who need extra support. These learning intervention groups are based on the schools extensive and regular collection of data around students progress. Ashfield Public School principal Damien Moran. Credit:Rhett Wyman Principal Damien Moran said this frequent analysis and collation of student performance had proved transformational for the school. Its one of 210 NSW schools to be identified as high progress organisations meaning students showed above-average progress compared to those of similar backgrounds and starting scores in the 2021 NAPLAN data uploaded to the My School website on Wednesday. Researchers have discovered a genetic link between melanoma and autoimmune diseases, opening the door for improved treatments for both conditions. The findings by scientists at the Queensland Institute of Medical Research do not suggest melanoma is caused by autoimmune disease or vice versa, but gives insight into the complex range of factors at play, from genes to environment. QIMR Berghofers Associate Professor Matthew Law (left) and Dr Upekha Liyanage. Credit:QIMR Berghofer Lead author of the research, QIMR Berghofer geneticist Upekha Liyanage, said they had discovered there was overlap between the two conditions at a specific genetic level. The new areas we discovered are associated with rheumatoid arthritis and hyperthyroidism, which are autoimmune conditions, Dr Liyanage said. The once-sleepy Gippsland town of Drouin is booming, and so is its traffic. At the afternoon school pick-up, cars stretch, bumper to bumper, for hundreds of metres. Traffic is forecast to triple in parts of Drouin by 2036 and the neighbouring town of Warragul is under similar pressure. Traffic during school pick-up time in Drouin. Credit:Joe Armao Busy roads are nothing new to drivers in Melbourne and its suburbs, but for regional motorists in towns just beyond the city fringe, these traffic jams are a new experience, albeit increasingly common. From the Baw Baw Shire in west Gippsland, which includes Drouin, to the Surf Coast and Geelong, rapid population growth is leading to road congestion. Like many schools, East Preston Islamic College struggled during Melbournes coronavirus lockdowns. The P-12 school in Melbournes north had a large outbreak during 2020, which triggered a sharp fall in its VCE results. But the resilience of the low-fee independent school has been demonstrated by its NAPLAN scores, which were among Victorias most improved for 2021. Majida Ali, school curriculum co-ordinator, with students at East Preston Islamic College. Credit:Luis Ascui New data shows the college is one of 125 Victorian schools 93 government, 18 Catholic and 14 independent that recorded better-than-expected results compared with their average scores two years ago, factoring in their level of community socio-educational advantage. NAPLAN is a national test of numeracy and literacy taken by students in years 3, 5, 7 and 9 each year. A man is under police guard in hospital after allegedly setting his home in Melbournes north-west alight, injuring his wife and teenage daughter. Neighbours told Nine News they heard what sounded like a bomb going off before flames engulfed the front room of the home on Sutherland Street, Albanvale, about 5.20pm on Monday. Six children were home at the time. A resident who was identified only as Kylie said her husband heard a big pop and saw a teenage girl running down the street with burns to her legs. When I saw her, her shorts were burnt. Her legs were burnt. Her hands were burnt, she said. The West Australian government is resisting calls to allow more small businesses to shop around for cheaper power until it solves the trickiest problem of tenants in shopping centres having a choice. Synergy, the state-owned generator and retailer, has a monopoly on providing power to all customers needing less than 50 megawatt-hours of power a year. State-owned Synergy has a monopoly of supplying power to homes and small businesses in WAs south west. Alinta Energy, which competes for larger customers in WA, wants the threshold for competition to be lowered to 20 MWh to bring another 24,500 businesses into the market. A business now using 20 MWh could cut $481 and $802 from its annual power bill, according to an analysis conducted for Alinta by KPMG. Savings for larger businesses using 50 MWh a year were estimated to be between $1217 and $1878 a year. One of Australias top defamation barristers has lambasted the federal governments proposed anti-trolling legislation as a violent assault on the law of defamation that risked leaving victims worse off. Sue Chrysanthou, SC, who routinely acts in high-profile defamation cases, said the Commonwealth should take over responsibility for defamation law in Australia through a new federal act, but was scathing of its attempts to legislate in this space through the Social Media (Anti-Trolling) Bill 2022. Leading defamation barrister Sue Chrysanthou has told a parliamentary inquiry the governments proposed anti-trolling laws were fundamentally misconceived. Credit:AAP Addressing a federal parliamentary inquiry into the bill, Ms Chrysanthou said it had nothing to do with trolling, but rather was a misconceived attempt to overturn a recent High Court decision that confirmed media companies were liable as publishers for third-party comments on their social media pages. This bill is a violent assault on the tort of defamation by the Commonwealth, for which no rational basis or reason has been provided. Countless experts, including professors of law expert in defamation, oppose this legislation, she told the Senates legal and constitutional affairs committee on Tuesday. Child protection workers who engage with some of the states most at-risk youth participated in snap walk-outs on Tuesday in protest of understaffing and workload concerns. About 95 per cent of the 160 workers who took part in a lunchtime union meeting at 1pm voted to take immediate industrial action which included walk-outs at Perth, Fremantle and Joondalup. Department of Communities child protection caseworkers protest working conditions in Fremantle outside of the organisations head office. Credit:Peter de Kruijff CPSU/CSA branch secretary Rikki Hendon, whose union represents child protection workers, said staff were frustrated that pleas for 200 more child protection workers had not been acted on by the Department of Communities or Child Protection Minister Simone McGurk. All our members want is for every child with an open case to be allocated a caseworker, and to have safe and sustainable caseloads that enable them to undertake best practice work with vulnerable children and families, she said. Tokyo: Japanese pupils will no longer need to dye their hair a regulatory shade of black as a number of high schools abolish rules governing the appearance of students. Tokyo Metropolitan Board of Education will scrap five rules at nearly 200 public high schools and educational institutions next month, the start of the academic year, according to media reports. Recent high school graduates in Tokyo. Credit:Akio Kon One rule being revoked is a ban on a particular undercut hairstyle known as a two block, which consists of a short cut at the side and back with long hair at the front, the Mainichi newspaper reported. Around 60 per cent of public schools in Japan require pupils who do not have straight, black hair to submit a document proving their hair is a lighter shade or naturally curly. Washington: A Russian state television employee who interrupted a live news program by protesting against the war with Ukraine was ordered to pay a fine by a Russian court on Tuesday. Marina Ovsyannikova, an employee of Russias state-run Channel One, walked into the studio during Mondays evening news show with a poster saying no war and Russians against the war. In a video recorded before her action, Ovsyannikova said that her father is Ukrainian and her mother is Russian. She said that Russia is the aggressor country and one person, Vladimir Putin, solely bears responsibility for that aggression and urged Russians to join anti-war protests. Marina Ovsyannikova who protested against Russias war against Ukraine cannot be found, her lawyers say. Ovsyannikova spent the night in police custody and on Tuesday Moscows Ostankino District Court ordered Ovsyannikova to pay a fine of 30,000 roubles (about $390) on charges of organising unsanctioned actions for her call to take part in demonstrations against the war. Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size Kramatorsk: From the carcass of a shrapnel-blasted industrial complex, Ukrainian soldiers exchange fire with separatist fighters. In the Donbas, these battle-proven soldiers are somehow holding the eastern front against the dual threat of separatist fighters and a Russian onslaught. The walls and pillars of the bunker are decorated with poems, drawings and letters from school children across the nation. A Ukrainian unit commander, Nazar, on the frontline at Avdiyivka in eastern Ukraine. Credit:Kate Geraghty In one letter, there is a drawing of a girl embracing a Ukrainian soldier surrounded by a garland of poppies and corn. From the depth of our hearts, we would like to wish you strong health, many smiles despite this difficult situation, the Ukrainian child writes. And also we would like to thank you for protecting this country. Advertisement Standing in this former industrial park south of the city of Avdiyivka, we are less than 500 metres from separatist fighters firing shots in our direction. This drawing decorates the wall of a bunker near the contact line. Credit:Kate Geraghty With Ukraines forces now spread far and wide to repel the Russian invasion, the countrys soldiers on the eastern front are battling to hold their positions. These veterans of the eight-year Donbas war are repeatedly hit with mortars from canons on the ground and now bombs from Russian planes above. Its the most advanced firepower they have had to deal with in the eight-year war with Russian-backed separatists. This is the frontline in a long-running war which claimed more than 14,000 lives and displaced 1.5 million people before the latest invasion. The Russian invasion of Ukraine cannot be explained without going back to 2014, when the world allowed Russian President Vladimir Putin to annex Crimea while rebels in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions took over large areas of the countrys east. Advertisement For all the devastation wrought on Ukraine since Russia invaded, Putin is yet to achieve much for his two breakaway states; Donetsk and Luhansk. In fact, during the opening two weeks of the invasion, the Ukrainian army has wrested back parts of the key city of Horlivka from the separatists. But the contact line between Ukrainian forces and the two breakaway states could be about to break. In an effort to create a land bridge between the two self-declared republics and Russian forces in the north of the country, Putins troops have been trying to push through the cities of Izyum, Lyman and Siversk. The major hub of Kramatorsk has also been hit with multiple rocket attacks. Breaking through this area would give the Kremlin a third avenue in which to encircle the countrys two biggest cities, Kyiv and Kharkiv; troops would advance from the south, north and east. Its almost as if Putin has only now realised he should have opened up the eastern front first, handing his separatist friends a major land grab and giving himself a three-pronged line attack. Now he is trying to make up for lost time. In Avdiyivka, the commander of the unit we visit, Nazar, says the shelling from the separatists has become more frequent since the Russian invasion, but insists the Ukrainian side is holding its ground well. The separatists, he says, have lost the plot since the Russian invasion. The enemy is conducting their operations without logic. As a person with combat experience, I can say that the enemy is demoralised and scared to return fire, he says. Advertisement It is firing in a chaotic way with little precision. Therefore, they are revealing their positions. Which we aim at and destroy. I think that it will continue like this. Nazar says his unit must hold its position against the separatists, so that Russia cannot break through to the rest of Ukraine. As a soldier with plenty of frontline experience in the Donbas war, he hopes the rest of Ukraines troops hold their nerve and keep fighting in the wider conflict against Russia. My advice for the rest of Ukraine is that there is nowhere to retreat, so instead of hiding we need to take arms and defend our country, he says. We need to stay together and stay united and then we will be victorious very quickly. Asked what weapons his unit is using to hold their position, Nazar says he cannot be specific but confirms it is a mix of old and new armaments, some of which have been provided by other countries. From what we can see, BMP-2 armoured infantry vehicles and man-held missile launchers have featured prominently. A veteran of the Donbas wars, Ukrainian unit commander Nazar, says the enemy is operating without logic and making poor strategic decisions. Credit:Kate Geraghty Just down the road from the frontline, 64-year-old Liudmyla Rudska sits in her Avdiyivka apartment which was shelled in 2016. Advertisement Almost all the time when there was shelling, I have to stay on my sofa or in the corner of the corridor because I have problems with my leg and I cannot go down to the shelter, the Russian-speaking Rudska says. Sittting in her apartment in Avdiyivka and unable to leave, Liudmyla Rudska, 64, listens to artillery outside and wipes tears from her face when she recounts the impact of living on the contact line for the past eight years. Credit:Kate Geraghty After eight years of war, she says she now feels sorry for the rest of Ukraine which has to deal with the costs of conflict. She then cries, puts her hands over her face, and shares her concerns for the children who will have to grow up in a war. I dont understand why they [the Russians] came here and started this war. I hope they will be thrown out from Ukraine as soon as possible, she says. Every one of us want peace, and this war should stop as soon as possible. Avdiyivka was held for months by the separatists at the onset of the war in 2014. On the outskirts of the town sits one of Europes biggest chemical coke plants, which was hit by five rockets on Sunday. Advertisement Tehran: Irans Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corp arrested several members of a spy network connected to Israeli intelligence for attempting to sabotage the Fordow nuclear enrichment facility, the state-run Islamic Republic news agency reported. The plot, which the corps described as a major sabotage attempt against an Iranian nuclear facility, was intended to be carried out before March 21, the Persian New Year or Nowruz. The operation involved an employee at Fordow cooperating with Israeli intelligence officers in exchange for cash and digital currency, according to IRNA. A truck carrying uranium hexafluoride gas leaves the Ahmadi Roshan uranium enrichment facility in Natanz, Iran, to the centrifuges at the Fordow nuclear facility. Credit:AEOI/AP/File Earlier, the semi-official Fars news agency reported that Iran had captured two teams of terrorists linked to foreign intelligence services. The six individuals had sought to assassinate several foreign nationals working on infrastructure projects in the south-east province of Sistan and Baluchestan, Fars said. Irans nuclear program has weathered a number of attacks over the years, including the assassination of one of its top nuclear scientists and an explosion near the Natanz enrichment facility. More recently, Iran claimed that international surveillance cameras in its Karaj nuclear facility had been hacked. Iranian officials have blamed Israel for these incidents. PHILIPSBURG:--- Ambulance Department of the Ministry Public Health, Social Development & Labor recently received an initial donation of safety helmets and vests for its operational staff working aboard the ambulance. The generous donation was made possible by the Bjrn Steiger Foundation based in Germany. The foundation also presented 50 safety vests for kindergarteners; which will be distributed by the Sint Maarten Emergency Services at a later date. The Honorable Minister Ottley briefly discussed with the representatives of the Bjrn Steiger Foundation the possible collaboration with the Ambulance Department on Emergency Medical Services (EMS) related projects in the areas of EMS training, vehicle procurement, software upgrading, networking, and more in order to strengthen the local capacity to further enhance the services provided by the Ambulance department. PHILIPSBURG:--- In recent years, automakers have begun adding more EVs to their vehicle lineups and the Hyundai brand is no exception. Helping to drive Hyundai towards a more sustainable future is the Hyundai KONA. This compact SUV is an all-electric vehicle that goes all out with style, safety, and comfort. The KONA is incredibly efficient, with features like regenerative braking that allows you to capture the energy thats already in motion. These brakes convert the wheels mechanical energy into electricity and store it in the battery so that you can travel for longer periods on a single charge. The Hyundai KONA has great acceleration, amazing handling, and modern styling. Its ultra-quiet, super fun to drive, with a plush and comfortable ride. As expected, its packed with all the luxury creature comforts customers want. It is electric driving without compromise. Being able to add electric vehicles into our lineup this year is something that Im definitely proud of, shares Motorworld Managing Director, Tariq Amjad. The demand for electric vehicles has been steadily increasing on the island, and we of course, want to continue to meet our customers needs. Being able to offer the Hyundai KONA is our first step in doing so. The future is here. For further information, please contact: Motorworld T: +1 (721) 544-5294 E: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. W: www.motorworldgroupsxm.com 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 News spotlight Cameras coming soon to a park near you For years, vandalism of public and city property has been a common topic of discussion in Lonsdale. City staff has tried to combat vandalism in different ways but has not yet found great success. At the end of February, Lonsdale Police Chief Jason Schmitz provided the City Council with a glimpse at the future of security within the parks. Spencer Beissel / By SPENCER BEISSEL spencer.beissel@apgsomn.com Lonsdales Trcka Park, among others, is a recent addition to the amenities offered by the city. The park offers soccer fields, an ice rink, and a warming house. (Spencer Beissel/southernminn.com) During his address to the council, Schmitz discussed some of the complications with installing security cameras. The main debate came down to the way in which the cameras would be monitored. The options were between running the camera feeds through a server at the new police station or through the cloud. With servers, it takes time and an IT person, he said. With the cloud, you dont have as much of that. Russ Vlasak, public works director for the city, said adding cameras may help to deter people from vandalizing the parks, and if not, it will help to catch them. I know we are looking at purchasing cameras. That is the biggest thing were trying to do, he said. The security cameras would be able to see when and where people are, so the police would at least be able to see who to question in the time frame. Most of the vandalism and damage takes place in the bathrooms and enclosed areas at the parks. That said, the cameras cant be inside those buildings, so they would be used to determine who may have been involved given the time frame that the vandalism took place. Spencer Beissel / By SPENCER BEISSEL spencer.beissel@apgsomn.com The warming house at the new Trcka Park has been the target of graffiti and vandalism since its construction. The city is seeking deterrence methods for this and other locations. (Spencer Beissel /southernminn.com) Recalling some examples of vandalism, Vlasak explained what normally happens to the park amenities. Vandalism is one thing, he said, but theres also things like kids just being kids, throwing garbage around or urinating in the garbage cans or at the concession stand. Stuffed toilets full of towels, or taking the toilet paper off the rolls and throwing it around. It could be a lot worse, but it could be a lot better. While much of the vandalism has been attributed to teenagers and kids, not all of the damage was caused by young people. It doesnt mean its always kids either, it can be beer bottles left around or thrown around. Theres not supposed to be glass at the parks, but that doesnt mean it doesnt happen, Vlasak said. Vlasak explained the current process when graffiti and other types of vandalism are reported. Mainly, we notify the police of things that happen, and they go from there and try to investigate, he said. In the past, we have locked some of the bathrooms to not allow anyone in there for a period of time. During the council discussion, Mayor Tim Rud and Councilor Scott Pelava provided their opinion on the cameras. A security camera may deter it anyway, Rud said. Or catch it, Pelava added. All things considered, the City Council approved of the direction that Schmitz was taking the project. Vlasak left a few words of advice for anyone who may see a property being vandalized. Society is the way it is, he said. I wish parents could do a better job trying to discipline the behaviors. When youre out there, do as much as you can as a parent to discipline these individuals or turn them in if you see it. Paris, 14 March 2022 (SPS) - The Polisario Front representative for France, Mohamed Sidati, said that the best way to contain the conspiracies of Morocco is the exercise by the Saharawi people of their right to self-determination and independence and the application of international law. During the anti-colonial week organized Saturday and Sunday in Montreuil, near the French capital Paris, the struggle of the Saharawi people was in the spotlight and a debate was devoted to Western Sahara, the last colony in Africa, with the participation of the lawyer of the Polisario Front, Gilles Devers, and Mohamed Sidati, member of the National Secretariat of the Polisario Front. In his speech, Mr. Sidati revealed that "the expansionist Morocco wants to expand the conflict and put the whole region on fire. Hence the urgent need to contain and defeat his conspiracy schemes". "The most appropriate path remains the exercise by the Sahrawi people of its inalienable right to self-determination and independence, that is to say, the respect and application of international law," he said. For Mr. Sidati, this is the issue of the hour, given the seriousness of the international context today. "It is necessary to end the policy of double standards. The Sahrawi people must imperatively exercise its legitimate rights for the sake of peace and justice at the global level," said the Sahrawi leader. "In Western Sahara, there is a denial of justice - the denial of the inalienable right to self-determination of the Sahrawi people - where a brutal repression is exercised, without mercy, an unprecedented violence coupled with an unbridled exploitation and the shameless sale of the natural resources of the territory..." The Sahrawi representative explained: "To contain the heroic resistance of the Sahrawi people, which has intensified after the breakdown of the ceasefire on November 13, 2020, Morocco calls to the rescue" the Zionist entity and "resorts to the use of sophisticated weapons to sow death and desolation, especially among civilians. For his part, Mr. Devers stressed that "things are moving quickly at the European courts: the complaints and statements of the Polisario Front, as a national liberation movement, were received by the courts, which led to the cancellation of the illegal EU-Morocco agreements. The lawyer said that the latter did not respect the requirement of consent of the Sahrawi people, which must necessarily be expressed through its legitimate representative, the Polisario Front. "This is the concordance of European law with international law on the issue of Western Sahara," he added. 062/T For many TV viewers, the war in Ukraine became real when Matthew Chance donned his flak jacket. CNN's senior international correspondent was reporting live from a Kyiv rooftop the night of Feb. 23, explaining Russia's declaration of a "special military operation" in Ukraine's Donbas region, when he heard a loud bang in the distance - and calmly explained to anchor Don Lemon that it was time for him to put on a combat vest and helmet. Which he did, on camera, as Lemon advised him on how to make sure his microphone could still pick up his words. In coming weeks, viewers would see Chance in several stunning conflict-zone scenes, from interviewing Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in a secret bunker to kneeling next to a hand grenade. But the veteran war correspondent has left the battlefield, at least temporarily, returning to his home in the United Kingdom to catch his breath and recover after a few tense months and perilous weeks in Ukraine. "I'm a bit concerned that I've left [Kyiv] before the real push on the city has happened," he told The Washington Post. "But, at the same time, I'm so tired that I can barely hold my thoughts together. It's been exhausting." As a conflict that seemed abstract just a month ago metastasizes into its fourth week of full-fledged war with no end in sight, news organizations are assessing how to deploy staff for the round-the-clock demands of covering it. Safety is a paramount concern: an American documentary filmmaker, Brent Renaud, was killed Sunday during heavy fighting in the town of Irpin, and Fox News correspondent Benjamin Hall was hospitalized after suffering injuries while reporting from the outskirts of Kyiv Monday. But media bosses are also concerned about the toll that exhaustion could take on their Ukraine-based staffs. "You start making mistakes when you get tired," Chance said. "So, we have a responsibility as a company to try to rotate people out . . . You can't just constantly keep doing that forever. The problem is that your judgment could fail." Chance joined CNN in October 2001, at the start of the war in Afghanistan; he was one of the first Western reporters to arrive - by foot - in the capital city of Kabul. In the two decades since, Chance has reported from conflict zones around the world, including coverage of Putin's previous territorial incursion in Georgia in 2008. In 2011, he was taken hostage by forces loyal to Libya's ruler Moammar Gaddafi in a Tripoli hotel. But it was his coverage of Ukraine this winter that made him a household name in the United States for the first time. A day after Russia's incursion into Ukraine, Chance was "right in the middle of the fighting" outside Kyiv, at Hostomel Airport, anchor Jim Sciutto told CNN viewers. Chance broadcast while kneeling on the ground, with Russian troops visible in the background. "I've spoken to the commander on the ground there, within the past few minutes, and he said they are now in control of this airport," Chance told viewers. "Frankly, we didn't even know that the Russian forces were going to be here." He then calmly kicked it back to Sciutto after saying that the situation was "deteriorating," as jets roared overhead. On Feb. 28, Chance was reporting from outside Kyiv when he discovered, mid-broadcast, that he was crouched next to a grenade he hadn't noticed before. "Let's move away from that," he said simply before continuing with his report. A few days later, on March 1, Chance scored a rare and coveted interview with Zelensky, conducted in an underground bunker at a secret location. Chance, who had previously interviewed the Ukrainian president in April 2021, pressed the leader on why he had downplayed the threat of a Russian invasion: "Do you think the fact that you didn't act earlier has left the people of Ukraine unprepared?" Chance posted a photo of himself with Zelensky when announcing his departure on Monday, a message that was met with rounds of praise for his coverage of the conflict from both CNN colleagues and viewers. "Incredible work, it truly made a difference," wrote CNN's Omar Jimenez. CNN's chief international correspondent, Clarissa Ward, has also received plaudits for her on-the-ground coverage, part of a larger team of veteran reporters who have distinguished the network's coverage from the competition. Chance, who spoke with The Post shortly after arriving back in London, said the process of leaving Ukraine on Sunday night was long and arduous - 14 hours from Kyiv to the border with Poland, and then on to Krakow. He traveled in a convoy that included other CNN staffers leaving the country, he said. "As soon as you cross the border, I feel this immense sense of relief," said Chance, who coincidentally turned 52 years old on Monday. "You kind of visibly change in appearance. Your shoulders drop down. I slept like a baby last night." But Chance, who arrived in Ukraine in mid-January, said it was a very difficult decision - particularly since Russia could still launch the full assault on Kyiv that journalists in the city have been anticipating for weeks. While Chance said that he's looking forward to spending time with his family, he's expecting to deploy back to Ukraine at some point, particularly since Putin has shown no signs of backing down. Normally based in Russia, with an apartment in Moscow, Chance is staying away from the country for now. CNN, like many other news organizations, has pulled back from reporting in the country due to a draconian new anti-press law that criminalizes independent reporting. "I'm not going back to Moscow until we've established that there's no threat to us from the Kremlin," Chance said. "This war, I don't know when it's going to end," he added. "I don't think it'll ever end." A new zoning bill would allow denser housing development around Connecticuts train stations, with goals of making housing more affordable and providing easier access to transportation, experts said during a public hearing Monday. House Bill 5429, backed by advocacy group Desegregate Connecticut, would require towns to allow housing with at least 15 units per acre within a half mile of a passenger, commuter rail or bus rapid transit station. At least 10 percent of the units would have to be designated as affordable. Several local officials and legislators spoke against the bill, saying it would primarily increase density, not affordability. They also said the bill doesnt take into account the unique needs of Connecticuts towns. Under the bill, which would go into effect Oct. 1, developers wouldnt need to undergo the public hearing process to build in those areas, and decisions on permit applications must be issued within 65 days of submission. Supporters say that the bill, which supports a concept often called transit-oriented development, would increase overall housing stock in Connecticut and allow people to easily use public transportation for commutes. Access to transportation is often particularly challenging for people with lower incomes, many of whom dont have cars. Public transportation also benefits the environment if fewer people drive. Supporters also said the zoning would increase foot traffic to local businesses close to the stations. Rent and house prices have spiked nationwide as demand has outpaced available supply. And in Connecticut, new development for multi-family housing is particularly tough because of restrictive local zoning laws, advocates have said. The more housing that is created, the more affordable it is overall, said Sara Bronin, founder of Desegregate CT. Its a sort of economics argument. That goes both for purchase prices and rental prices. Alan Cavagnaro, a college sophomore and a planning and zoning commissioner for South Windsor, spoke in favor of the bill, saying hed seen graduates forced to leave the state because they couldnt afford housing in Connecticut. Whether it be an affordable place to live, or increased use of public transit, there is more that we can do, Cavagnaro said in written testimony. Whats the point of having job opportunities in CT if our state isnt affordable to live in for the next generation of leaders and innovators? His testimony led to an exchange with Rep. Kimberly Fiorello, a Republican who represents Greenwich and Stamford, about whether housing is a right or a want. Cavagnaro said in response to a question from Fiorello that it was a right that its a habitat that humans need, and that there are lots of people in Connecticut who are having a hard time finding an affordable place to live. Thats a problem that needs to be addressed, Cavagnaro said in testimony. Housing is not a right, because housing is built by other people, Fiorello responded. Its a want, and theres a variety of different housing that people may want. But housing is not a right. You dont have a right to other peoples labor. People will offer it at a certain price, and you are either willing to pay for it or not. Other officials said they thought the bill would negatively impact particular towns. Rep. Jonathan Steinberg, D-Westport, expressed concern with his towns train stations, which he said werent suitable for housing development. Theyre surrounded by wetlands, near a beach and a school, he said. Certain types of land are exempt from the requirement, including wetlands, steep slopes and areas necessary for protecting drinking water, among other classifications. Steinberg said that while he supports more affordable housing development, this bill is not the way to do it. It ignores the basic facts on the ground, Steinberg told members of the Planning and Development Committee. And Danielle Dobin, planning and zoning commissioner for Westport, echoed sentiments brought up last week during a public hearing for another affordable housing bill that Connecticut should wait to see the effects of a 2017 law. She said that towns, including Westport, are already working on their affordable housing development plans required under a 2017 law. The law, 8-30j, requires towns to develop affordable housing plans every five years. The first is due in July. Fred Camillo, Greenwichs first selectman, said the bill would hurt property values. There are other ways to make it less expensive to live in Connecticut, Camilo argued. I would focus on jobs, he said. Lower the taxes. Make it easier to live here. Karen DuBois-Walton, president of Elm City Communities/the Housing Authority of New Haven, said in written testimony that the bill would make it easier to live in Connecticut for many families. Im here to support HB 5429 because, in an era of spiking gas prices and a rapidly warming climate, housing is not affordable if it is not close to affordable transit, DuBois-Walton wrote. Supporters of the bill reiterated the urgency of the need for more housing in Connecticut. Our current zoning system, with individual towns left to determine how and where to develop such housing if at all, has left us with this housing shortage, Kiley Gosselin, executive director at the Partnership for Strong Communities, wrote in her testimony. Our families and our state economy are suffering as a result. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate STAMFORD The Stamford food scene is about to get a little more crowded. City officials confirmed Tuesday that Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana and Shake Shack both plan to expand their empires side by side in Stamford. The two eateries will post up at 64 High Ridge Road, right in the heart of Bulls Head. The Stamford Building Department filed building permits for their new home which will replace a Bank of America drive-through on March 4, according to Operations Director Matt Quinones. We are excited to welcome Frank Pepes and Shake Shack to Stamford, Mayor Caroline Simmons said. They join a growing list of popular establishments that residents will now have easy access to and enjoy. Property owner Frontier Development, which owns dozens of commercial properties across the East Coast, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The Stamford Shake Shack will be the companys fourth outpost in Fairfield County and sixth in the state. The company also operates locations in Danbury, Westport and Darien. Similarly, Pepes owns seven restaurants throughout Connecticut. But more recently, the New Haven pizza giant has expanded its footprint beyond New England with locations planned for Florida, Virginia and Maryland. But within Stamford, the new Pepes location wont be the only celebrated apizza place. Just a mile and a half away, Sallys Apizza in October opened its first location outside of New Haven on Summer Street. When the other beloved New Haven pizzaria burst onto the scene, lines wrapped around the block on opening day as the lunch and dinner crowd angled to get a taste of the famous pies without taking a drive up Interstate 95. veronica.delvalle@hearstmediact.com This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate STAMFORD Stamfords Government Center seemed like business-as-usual early Tuesday morning until three charter buses pulled over in front of the glassy building. Cheers, chants and hollering filled the crisp morning air as people with handmade signs piled out. The crowd, comprised mostly of women, formed two lines facing one another. Out came three women holding a banner with the words Pay teachers like heroes on it. The colorful banner took front and center as the participants chanted with percussion beating from maracas, tambourines and drums made from home improvement store buckets. What do we want? Childcare! What do we need? Money! When do we need it? Now! The rally was one of eight demonstrations across the state of Connecticut Tuesday focused on increased funding for childcare. Child Care for Connecticuts Future, a coalition of more than 30 childcare centers and other organizations, encouraged childcare centers to delay opening to bring awareness for its cause and titled the occasion Morning Without Childcare. The group is pressuring Gov. Ned Lamont to provide $700 million to the childcare industry which rally participants Tuesday said was struggling. Four out of five childcare centers have open positions on staff, and 57 percent of centers have closed classrooms because of staffing problems, the Connecticut Early Childhood Alliance learned during a poll of more than 100 childcare businesses in late January. Childcare centers across the state are in financial trouble, and many of them are, frankly, going to close many are going to lose their jobs, former Stamford mayor David Martin said in an impromptu speech. Erica Phillips, president of childcare nonprofit All Our Kin, said the pandemic has highlighted the industrys financial struggles, but she said that had been a problem even before COVID-19 was detected. The pandemic came along and really laid bare how fragile their finances were, and they stayed open, many of them taking on debt, many of them getting sick themselves, she said. However, home-based family childcare providers, 70 percent did stay open. The coalition is advocating for childcare to be subsidized so that parents only have to pay 7 percent of their wage. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services uses 7 percent as its standard for affordability. Only 11.5 percent of Connecticut families can afford the states average cost of childcare, according to the Economic Policy Institute. The median wage for childcare workers in the Bridgeport-Stamford area is $14.49, according to the Connecticut Labor Markets 2021 first quarter data. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Child Care reports that the average childcare teacher in Connecticut makes $40,150 per year while teacher assistants average $26,800. Ruby Bruno, who runs day cares, said parents get denied subsidized childcare because they make $1 over the minimum wage. She faced that problem herself once, which is why she pursued a career in childcare, she said. Our staff are not even able to afford apartments. We have staff working nine to 10 hours a day and can only afford a room in Stamford, she said, calling on legislators to fix this broken system. In addition to affordable childcare for families, Child Care for Connecticuts Future hopes government funding will provide better wages for workers, organizers said. Lisa Perrelis worked full-time while studying to become an early childhood educator and raising three small children, she said in a speech. She received an associates degree in early childhood education and a bachelors in child studies before being hired as a teacher at Childrens Learning Centers. She works a second job in addition to her teaching position to make ends meet, working long hours. She said it leaves no free time for herself nor her children. I've gone through many financial hardships due to inadequate pay for teachers such as myself, she said. I found that I was not valued as highly as my public school teacher colleagues. I was not paid as much despite the fact that I had a similar amount of education and experience. Said All Our Kin president Phillips, For too long, weve treated childcare like a private good; weve treated childcare like it's only the responsibility of an individual parent and family. However, it's in all of our best interest to invest in children from birth until five. The fact is that we have this broken private market that does not allow for quality; it doesn't allow for sustainable wages for the providers who are going to work, she said. State Rep. Corey Paris, D-Stamford, showed his support for the movement, bellowing a speech into the microphone that spurred waves of cheers and thumps from the crowds drums. It's no secret that if you don't take care of their kids, people can't go to work, he said. We're making sure that women on average can go to work, and work one job and not multiple jobs, and not lose on average $700 out of a paycheck because they need equitable and affordable childcare. At the national level, U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., has long fought to expand the federal child tax credit to more families. The New Haven Democrat successfully lobbied to include the expanded tax credit in the 2021 American Rescue Plan. Monthly checks began going out to parents last July, but the payments stopped late last year with Congress failure to pass President Joe Bidens signature domestic spending package known as Build Back Better, which would have extended the tax credit for a year. State Rep. Sean Scanlan, D-Guilford, has championed the idea of state child tax credit. He has proposed a credit of $600 per child, up to three children per family, for households making up to $200,000 a year, or $100,000 for single parents. Lamont has scheduled an announcement for noon Thursday regarding state support for childcare centers. annelise.hanshaw@hearstmediact.com STAMFORD A city teenager rejected a state offer to serve five years in prison in return for guilty pleas on charges connected to two separate shootouts in late 2020. Assistant States Attorney Daniel Cummings said the state offered Antoine Henry, 17, a 12-year prison sentence suspended after five years if he pleaded guilty to attempt at first-degree assault and illegal discharge of firearm. Henry also would have had to serve five years of probation as a part of the deal. Under the deal, the state also offered to waive the firearms sentence enhancement, which is applicable to cases where a gun is used in the commission of a felony. In this case, the enhancement means Henry would have to serve a mandatory minimum of 10 years, as opposed to 5 years, for an attempt at first-degree assault. Henry rejected the offer at the same time he is attempting to hire a private attorney to replace public defender Barry Butler, who has represented him since his arrest in December 2020. During a remote hearing held on the case Tuesday, Butler asked the state to consider keeping the offer on the table until Henry had time to hire and speak with his new attorney. Cummings, however, said the defense team had months to discuss the offer, which was scheduled to be accepted or rejected Tuesday. When Henry rejected the offer Tuesday, Cummings rescinded it and asked Judge Gary White to place the case on the trial list. Henry faces three counts of attempt at first-degree assault, two counts of criminal use of a firearm, first-degree reckless endangerment, illegal discharge of a firearm, risk of injury to a child and carrying a pistol without a permit stemming from two shootouts that police said stemmed from a neighborhood beef in 2020. Henry, who is turning 18 next month, was originally arrested as a juvenile. His cases, however, have since been transferred to the Part A docket at Stamford Superior Court where the districts most serious matters are heard. The first incident happened on Nov. 23, 2020, near the intersection of Myano and Catoona lanes. Henry was allegedly involved in what police described as a shootout where two men fired 16 bullets at each other around 2:15 p.m. that day, according to the warrant. While no one was injured in the shootout, the incident led to a lockdown at the nearby Westover Elementary School. The lockdown marked the second time in less than a week where a school needed to be secured because of gunshots in the area. The second incident, which left a 56-year-old hospital worker with a gunshot wound, happened on Dec. 6, 2020, in the area of West Broad Street. According to his arrest warrant, Henry was walking with a friend near the intersection of West Broad Street and Delaware Avenue, when another individual, dressed in all black and wearing a facemask, allegedly ambushed them and fired about five gunshots in their direction. Surveillance footage from the area showed a man later identified as Henry and his friend run toward the intersection, where Henry is seen taking what is believed to be a gun out of his pocket and firing off one shot. (B)ased on Antoine Henrys path of travel it is more likely than not that he fired the (sixth) and final shot, Laccona wrote in the warrant. There was an eyewitness to the shooting, according to the warrant. Following the shooting, patrol officers responded to the rear of Westover Elementary School, where they found Henry, breathing heavily and sweating profusely even though it was a cold evening with temperatures near freezing, the warrant said. Henry has an extensive criminal background and has recently been linked to several shootings in Stamford, Investigator Frank Laccona wrote in the arrest warrant. A day after the shooting, investigators combed the area with K9s and metal detectors and found a loaded 9-mm pistol with an illegal extended clip. The gun had been reported stolen out of South Carolina. That gun, Laccona writes in the warrant, was found nearly 200 feet from where Henry was arrested a day earlier. Henry was initially arrested in connection to the second shooting. Investigators were able to the link the gun found after that shooting to the November incident. Following Tuesdays hearings, Henrys case was placed on the jury list where it will stay until it is scheduled for trial. Branden Knight, 29, passed away May 1, 2022. Calling hours will be Friday from 6:00-8:00 with the funeral Saturday at 11:00 at Fleming-Billman Funeral Home, 49 W. Jefferson Street, Jefferson; burial will follow in Oakdale. www.fleming-billman.com This is archive content that is no longer updated. Go to the up-to-date statistics page. A more recent publication of this set of statistics is available. Latest publication: Turnover of trade 2022, February Published: 15 March 2022 Turnover in trade grew by 7.8 per cent in January According to Statistics Finland, turnover in total trade adjusted for working days increased by 7.8 per cent in January from one year ago. The working day adjusted volume of sales in total trade, from which the impact of price changes has been eliminated, still went down by 3.9 per cent. The industry of wholesale trade especially boosted changes in turnover and sales volume. Annual change in working day adjusted turnover and sales volume in total trade (G), % Turnover in motor vehicle turned to a decline Among industries of trade, turnover fell only in motor vehicle trade, where working day adjusted turnover fell in January by 0.6 per cent and sales volume by 4.8 per cent from a year earlier. Turnover in the trade industry with the biggest turnover, wholesale trade, grew in January by 12.8 per cent, but sales volume decreased by 6.1 per cent year-on-year. The more favourable development in turnover than in sales volume in wholesale trade is explained by higher prices especially of natural gas and processed petroleum products. In retail trade, working day adjusted turnover grew in January by 4.3 per cent and sales volume by 0.3 per cent. Turnover in daily consumer goods trade increased by 5.5 per cent from the previous year and sales volume by 1.2 per cent in the corresponding period. Turnover in department store trade increased by 0.3 per cent, but sales volume fell by 2.2 per cent from one year back. Turnover in specialised store trade grew by 1.5 per cent while sales volume fell by 2.3 per cent from January 2021. Annual change in working day adjusted turnover and sales volume in industries of trade, January 2022, % (TOL 2008) Seasonally adjusted turnover fell compared to December Seasonally adjusted turnover in total trade fell by 0.1 per cent in January compared to December. Seasonally adjusted sales volume also went down by 1.6 per cent. In December, seasonally adjusted turnover fell by 0.5 per cent and sales volume by 0.6 per cent compared to the month before. Change in seasonally adjusted turnover and sales volume in total trade (G) from the previous month, % Trend of turnover and sales volume in total trade The calculation of indices of turnover of trade is based on the Tax Administrations data on self-assessed taxes, which are supplemented with Statistics Finlands sales inquiry. The volume index of sales is calculated by removing the effect of price changes from the value index series. The factors caused by the variation in the number of weekdays are taken into account in adjustment for working days. This means taking into consideration the lengths of months, different weekdays and holidays. In addition, seasonal variation is eliminated from seasonally adjusted series, on account of which it makes sense to compare observations of two successive months as well. The data for the latest month are preliminary and they may become significantly revised particularly on more detailed industry levels in coming months. Source: Turnover of trade, Statistics Finland Inquiries: Lauri Pullinen 029 551 3043, Valtteri Pinkkila 029 551 3471, kauppa.suhdanne@stat.fi Head of Department in charge: Katri Kaaja Publication in pdf-format (285.8 kB) Updated 15.3.2022 Referencing instructions: Official Statistics of Finland (OSF): Turnover of trade [e-publication]. ISSN=1799-0939. January 2022. Helsinki: Statistics Finland [referred: 4.5.2022]. Access method: http://www.stat.fi/til/klv/2022/01/klv_2022_01_2022-03-15_tie_002_en.html This is archive content that is no longer updated. Go to the up-to-date statistics page. A more recent publication of this set of statistics is available. Latest publication: Index of turnover in industry 2022, February Published: 15 March 2022 Turnover in industry increased by 27.6 per cent in January According to Statistics Finland, working day adjusted turnover in industry (TOL BCD) increased in January by 27.6 per cent year-on-year. Growth occurred in almost all main industries. Turnover in the chemical industry increased most among the main industries, by 65.1 per cent year-on-year. The growth was partly due to higher prices of products in the industry. Seasonally adjusted turnover in industry (TOL BCD) decreased by 0.8 per cent in January compared with December. Annual change in working day adjusted turnover in manufacturing (BCD), % (TOL 2008) Working day adjusted turnover grew in January by 38.8 per cent in electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply from one year back. In the metal industry, the growth amounted to 19.9 per cent and in the forest industry to 15.2 per cent. Turnover in mining and quarrying was 12.9 per cent higher and in the food industry 5.5 per cent higher than one year earlier. Turnover in the textile, clothing and leather industry grew by 2.4 per cent. Turnover decreased only in the electronic and electrical industry and was 1.9 per cent lower than one year earlier. Annual change in working day adjusted turnover in manufacturing by industry, January 2022, % (TOL 2008) Export turnover and domestic turnover growing in January in nearly all main industries In January, growth in export turnover was strongest in the chemical industry, up by 83.0 per cent from the year before. Export turnover grew in the metal industry by 24.2 per cent and in the textile, clothing and leather industry by 19.6 per cent. Mining and quarrying went up by 17.2 per cent. Compared to one year ago, export turnover was 16.9 per cent higher in the forest industry and 14.7 per cent higher in the food industry. Export turnover decreased in the electrical and electronics industry by 2.5 per cent. Annual change in working day adjusted export turnover and domestic turnover in manufacturing by industry, January 2022, % (TOL 2008) Domestic turnover grew most in the chemical industry, by 31.9 per cent from one year earlier. The metal industry increased by 22.6 per cent. Domestic turnover grew by 12.9 per cent in the electrical and electronics industry and by 12.1 per cent in the forest industry. Domestic turnover in mining and quarrying was 10.9 per cent higher than one year earlier. The food industry went up by 4.9 per cent. Domestic turnover fell only in the textile, clothing and leather industry, by 6.7 per cent year-on-year. Trend series of turnover, export turnover and domestic turnover in manufacturing (BC), 1/2007 to 1/2022, % (TOL 2008) The index of turnover in industry describes enterprises whose main industry is manufacturing. The calculation of the indices is based on the Tax Administrations self-assessed tax data which are supplemented with data obtained with Statistics Finlands sales inquiry. The monthly turnovers of manufacturing enterprises can vary considerably, especially in the metal industries. The variation is mainly due to invoicing practices. The final invoice for major machinery deliveries and projects may be recorded in the sales of one month, even if the delivery had required the work of several months or years. The factors caused by the variation in the number of weekdays are taken into account in adjustment for working days. This means taking into consideration the lengths of months, different weekdays and holidays. In addition, seasonal variation is eliminated from seasonally adjusted series, on account of which it makes sense to compare observations of two successive months as well. The data for the latest month are preliminary and are released at a delay of around six weeks. The data may become significantly revised particularly on more detailed industry levels in coming months. Revisions to the data may be particularly significant on the more accurate industry levels of export turnover and domestic turnover. Source: Index of turnover in industry 2022, January, Statistics Finland Inquiries: Jussi Haavisto 029 551 3341, Heli Suonio 029 551 2481, myynti.teollisuus@stat.fi Head of Department in charge: Katri Kaaja Publication in pdf-format (335.3 kB) Updated 15.3.2022 Referencing instructions: Official Statistics of Finland (OSF): Index of turnover in industry [e-publication]. ISSN=1798-596X. January 2022. Helsinki: Statistics Finland [referred: 4.5.2022]. Access method: http://www.stat.fi/til/tlv/2022/01/tlv_2022_01_2022-03-15_tie_001_en.html This is archive content that is no longer updated. Go to the up-to-date statistics page. Published: 15 March 2022 Finland's international trade grew compared to the year before in the last quarter of 2021 In the last quarter of 2021, the combined exports of goods and services grew by EUR 5.4 billion compared to the corresponding quarter of 2020. Around three-quarters of this growth originated from exports of goods. Although the growth in exports of services was relatively smaller, exports did, however, grow by EUR 1.4 billion compared to the corresponding quarter in the previous year. Compared to the last quarter of 2020, the combined imports of goods and services grew even more than exports, by EUR 7.1 billion. The shares of goods and services in the growth were the same as in exports, that is, around 75 per cent was due to imports of goods and 25 per cent by imports of services. These data derive from Statistics Finland's statistics on international trade in goods and services, which are part of balance of payments . Figure 1. Imports and exports of services quarterly It should be noted that Finland's international trade did not grow only relative to the last quarter of 2020. The value of exports and imports also grew compared to the last quarter of 2019, when the pandemic caused by the coronavirus did not yet have an effect on economic life. The value of goods exports grew by EUR 3.5 billion compared to the situation two years ago, while the value of service exports increased by around EUR one billion. Imports of services, in turn, grew only by EUR 0.2 billion. However, it could be said that the value of service imports was at least on the same level as prior to the pandemic, although growth compared to the situation two years ago was not that big. In the past quarter, the value of goods imports was EUR 4.1 billion higher than two years earlier. Exports of telecommunications, computer and information services again on high level When viewing the figures for different quarters of 2021, exports of telecommunications, computer and information services (TCI) seem to have grown steadily. The difference to the last quarter of 2020 is again smaller because exports of the service item were also on a high level at that time. According to the present data, TCI exports grew by EUR 0.5 billion compared to those top figures as well. Compared to the last quarter of 2019, the growth amounted to close on EUR 1.5 billion. TCI exports have also previously been the biggest service item in Finland's exports of services. Figure 2. Exports of services by service item The impact of the pandemic on international trade in services has been strong especially in transport and travel services. There were indications in the past quarter that exports of these service items had recovered. Compared to the last quarter of 2020, their combined exports grew by good EUR 0.6 billion, or even more than TCI exports. Compared to the last quarter of 2019, around EUR 0.5 billion less transport and travel services were exported, however, so it is not yet possible to talk about full recovery. Most of the growth in service exports is thus explained by the high level of TCI exports and the partial recovery of exports of transport and travel services. Compared to one year ago, the value of exports of professional and management consulting services and of charges collected for the use of intellectual property also rose, but only by around EUR 0.1 billion for both service items. Exports of any service item did not decline by EUR 0.1 billion or more compared to the last quarter of 2020. In comparison to the last quarter of 2020, imports of services grew by a total of EUR 1.8 billion in the past quarter. The combined imports of transport and travel services covered EUR 0.8 billion of this growth. Imports of transport services were roughly on level with the situation two years ago, while imports of travel services were still on a lower level. The value of Finns expenditure on foreign travel was around EUR 0.7 billion lower than in the last quarter of 2019. Compared to the last quarter of 2020, imports of other business services also grew clearly, or by EUR 0.7 billion, in the last quarter of 2021. Imports of the service item were also higher than in the last quarter of 2019. In other service items, changes compared to one year ago were smaller, although imports of manufacturing services grew by close on EUR 0.2 billion. Growth of exports centred on Europe If total exports of goods and services grew by EUR 5.4 billion relative to the last quarter of 2020, the growth in exports to Europe covered 90 per cent of this, or EUR 4.8 billion. The value of exports to EU countries grew by EUR 4.0 billion from one year ago, which represented around 84 per cent of total exports growth. Especially exports to Sweden and the Netherlands grew compared to the last quarter of 2020. Growth was lower in other continents than Europe. Exports to Asia grew by close on EUR 0.4 billion, which was more than the growth of exports to the American continent, which amounted to EUR 0.1 billion. Figure 3. Exports of goods and services in balance of payments terms by area Growth in imports of goods and services was not equally centred on Europe or EU countries in the last quarter of 2021. Thus, the total value of imports grew by EUR 7.1 billion compared to the last quarter of 2020 and just under one-half of this growth came from EU countries. Imports from Asia grew by close on EUR 1.5 billion and imports from Russia were also EUR 1.5 billion larger in value in the past quarter than one year earlier. Compared to the last quarter of 2019 prior to the pandemic, the value of imports from Russia was EUR 0.7 billion higher in the last quarter of 2021. Statistics on international trade The statistics on international trade in goods and services are part of balance of payments . The statistics comprise breakdowns of goods and services on a more detailed level. The guidelines and recommendations of the Balance of Payments Manual (BPM6) applied to balance of payments are consistent with the European System of Accounts (ESA 2010). National Accounts are published on quarterly and annual levels . Finnish Customs publishes data on goods trade across borders. Goods trade published by Finnish Customs is used as source data for the statistics on international trade in goods and services. Removals and additions caused by definitions described in the quality description are made to them to achieve goods trade in balance of payments terms. Finnish Customs statistical service, tilastot@tulli.fi, +358 29 552 335. Source: International trade in goods and services 2018, Statistics Finland Inquiries: Kasperi Lavikainen 029 551 3674, globalisaatio.tilastot@stat.fi Head of Department in charge: Katri Kaaja Publication in pdf-format (272.7 kB) Updated 15.03.2022 Referencing instructions: Official Statistics of Finland (OSF): International trade in goods and services [e-publication]. ISSN=2343-4244. 4th quarter 2021. Helsinki: Statistics Finland [referred: 4.5.2022]. Access method: http://www.stat.fi/til/tpulk/2021/04/tpulk_2021_04_2022-03-15_tie_001_en.html As many as 20 Ukrainian men were discovered by the border police on Romanian territory after crossing through the Tisa river, according to the spokesperson of the northern Sighetu Marmatiei Border Police, Iulia Stan, Agerpres reports. "During different times, our workers with the Sighetu Marmatiei Border Police identified 15 Ukrainian citizens, all male, with ages between 23 and 55, who crossed from Ukraine into Romania, through the waters of the Tisa river. They were detected on the direction of border towns such as Sighetu Marmatiei, Bocicoiu Mare and Lunca and Tisa. The Sarasau border police have also identified yesterday (Monday ed. n), in their responsibility area, four Ukrainian citizens, with ages between 25 and 49, who crossed from Ukraine to Romania," said the spokeswoman for Sighetu Marmatiei Border Police.According to the quoted source, all these Ukrainian citizens have requested a form of protection from the Romanian state, which is why specific procedures are currently underway for such cases.After Ukraine imposed martial law as a result of the Russian attack, men between 18 and 60 no longer had permission of exiting the country. The President of the Republic of Bulgaria, Rumen Radev, will pay a working visit to Romania on Tuesday, Agerpres reports. He will be received in the afternoon at the Cotroceni Palace by President Klaus Iohannis.The two heads of state will hold one-on-one talks and official discussions, at the end of which they will make joint press statements. Minister of National Defense Vasile Dincu met on Tuesday, at the 57th Air Base in southeastern Mihail Kogalniceanu, with his Belgian counterpart, Ludivine Dedonder, with current topics on the NATO and EU agenda being approached, in the context of the security situation developments in Ukraine and the Black Sea region. According to a press release issued by the Ministry of National Defense (MApN), the Romanian official underlined "the gravity of the situation generated by the invasion of the Russian Federation in Ukraine, which fundamentally changed the paradigm of European and Euro-Atlantic security". Vasile Dincu thanked his Belgian counterpart for deploying a contingent of 300 troops with equipment in Romania, in the context of the deployment of the NATO Response Force, as part of measures adopted at allied level to consolidate measures to strengthen security on the eastern flank. During the talks, Vasile Dincu pointed out the importance of supporting the Republic of Moldova and Georgia in their European course. Another topic he addressed was the measures taken by Romania to support Ukraine, mentioning the operationalization of the logistics center in northeastern Suceava through which humanitarian aid from the country and abroad reaches Ukraine, as well as the process of managing the refugee influx. "Minister Vasile Dincu hailed the very good bilateral relationship between Romania and Belgium, pointing out that there are very good premises to intensify bilateral cooperation. He also highlighted the extraordinary cooperation with the Military Hospital in Brussels, involved in treating Romanian patients with severe burns and thanked his Belgian counterpart for his support," the release further reads. Romania's Defence Minister Vasile Dincu said on Monday evening that people lacking military training cannot be brought into the army or dispatched to the frontline, Agerpres reports. Dincu told Digi24 private broadcaster that certain aspects of a bill that had to be done quickly for this crisis were blown out of proportions."Some aspects have been blown out of proportions, such as the mobilisation of those between 18 and 60 years old. No law can say that, because in the Constitution and in the old laws of defence it is said that an active reserve of Romania shall be set up, which means people working other jobs. For example, there may be a number of provisions at the time that say you can't go on a vacation or resign, or anything else in that area. No one can bring an untrained person into the army, even if that person is 20 years old, or dispatch them to the frontline. Those who put the provisions there placed them improperly, without thinking in a context," said Dincu.The minister detailed the package of three defence laws that concern national security."The package comprises three important laws: a crisis management bill, which is an older law before the pandemic (...), the state of crisis is not defined in the Constitution and we have not tried to create a new status. The second component is the cyber-security, cyber defence law, and we can see that this is a very important component of threats - it is continuous and needs to be amended (...) There were also amendments to Law 446/2006 - a national defence law contains, for example, population mobilisation, economy mobilisation, what the economy does in times of hypothetical war, and then some very important regulations regarding the State Reserves and Emergency Agency - we had to make changes not related to security or communication, but simply rules of organisation," said Dincu.He said that the bill that reached the media was proposed before the package of three laws was considered."We thought we would make a law that would come with this crisis situation right now, because there is still an ongoing health crisis, the crisis in Ukraine, and then a bill should be made quickly for this crisis situation. Everyone picked up from several laws, pieces were taken from that package (...), an attempt was made to make a collage. When we saw the collage, and the prime minister saw it, they all said 'this can't work', because it was done too hastily, and then we stick to the three laws that will be in a package. But it reached the media after we decided to withdraw it and started a discussion that contains all sorts of details that are made urgent by the current hybrid war that Russia has been developing lately," he added. Belgian Minister of Defence Ludivine Dedonder is paying a visit to Romania on Tuesday, Agerpres reports. On this occasion, Ludivine Dedonder meets with Romanian Defence Minister Vasile Dincu at the 57th Air Base in Mihail Kogalniceanu.On March 7, elements of the Belgian detachment, part of the NATO Response Force (NRF) activated by the North Atlantic Council on February 25, arrived in Romania via the Nadlac border crossing point in Arad County.According to the Ministry of National Defence, the military convoy joined the French detachment of the NATO Response Force, already in Mihail Kogalniceanu.NATO has activated defence plans to strengthen command and control of Allied forces and to facilitate the rapid response of military capabilities along Allied borders.A total of 500 French and 300 Belgian soldiers, part of the NATO Response Force land component, will join the Romanian military in measures to strengthen the Alliance's Eastern Flank. The chair of the Legal Committee of the Chamber of Deputies, Social Democrat Laura Vicol, said, on Tuesday, that the draft law that introduces in the Penal Code the incitation of the public, through any means, to violence, hatred or discrimination, re-examined by the Parliament at the request of President Klaus Iohannis, transposes into Romanian legislation a Framework Decision of the European Commission, Agerpres reports. "This legislative initiative has reached the agenda of the Parliament in February last year, when the Government had within it the USR [Save Romania Union]. It is thus an initiative on the part of the Government in which they requested the transposing of the Framework Decision. (...) Thus, the European Commission requested, through an address, the transposing of the Framework Decision into Romanian legislation. The Government that the USR was part of put this initiative on the table of the Parliament, the legislative initiative passed in May in the Plenum of the Parliament, President Klaus Iohannis challenged it at the Constitutional Court [CCR] and won, the law returned to Parliament, it was adopted by the Senate and later came to us, in the Legal Committee in the Chamber of Deputies," said Laura Vicol, in Parliament.According to her, the amendment mentioned there that was wrongly related to her name is an amendment adopted in the Senate and promulgated in this law.Laura Vicol emphasized that all the amendment mentions is part of this Framework Decision requested by the European Commission in view of transposing it to Romanian legislation."We will enter infringement procedures if we do not respect the text of the Framework Decision exactly. We have already tried to do this, being in opposition, last year, when the law was on the table of the Parliament, yet as long as the President of Romania won at the CCR, we will respect the decisions of the Constitutional Court and what the European Commission requests, as EU member state. We were practically obligated to transpose this Framework Decision into Romanian legislation. Ultimately, I believe that we should all respect each other, respect the freedom of the press, but be in equal measure careful to everything we say," Laura Vicol added.The plenum of the Chamber of Deputies adopted on Monday a draft law by which the incitation of the public, through any means, to violence, hatred or discrimination is punishable by imprisonment from 6 months to 3 years or by fine."The incitation of the public, through any means, to violence, hatred or discrimination against a category of persons or against a person for being part of a certain category of persons defined by criteria of race, nationality, ethnicity, language, religion, gender, sexual orientation, political opinion or appurtenance, wealth, social origin, age, disability, chronic non-contagious diseases or HIV/AIDS infections believed by the perpetrator as causes of inferiority of a person in relation to others is punishable by imprisonment from 6 months to 3 years or by fine," the draft law says.The project transposes an article of Framework Decision 2008/913/JHA on combating certain forms and expressions of racism and xenophobia by means of criminal law.The Chamber of Deputies is the deciding chamber in this case. The chairman of the European People's Party (EPP) in the European Parliament, Manfred Weber, who is visiting Bucharest on Tuesday, has noticed the efforts made by the Romanian authorities in support of the refugees, adding that the Ukrainian people is fighting for freedom and democracy. "It's good to see that all European states have shown that they are open and are ready to receive refugees and help them, offering a home during wartime. It is good to see that we have a common vision, on the European side, regarding the unprovoked aggression from Russia and the sanction package. It is clear what is going on. We are siding with the Ukrainian people. They are fighting for freedom and democracy," he said, in a press conference, held together with the chairman of the National Liberal Party (PNL) Florin Citu. Weber also highlighted the authorities in Chisinau for their efforts in managing the refugee crisis. "Moldova's contribution in managing the migration crisis represents an extraordinary effort. We respect this greatly. The European Union is fully committed in supporting the authorities in Moldova. We are offering a lot of money - humanitarian aid from refugee funds, and this money is well invested in Moldova. We are proud to have a member of EPP as President of Moldova. Maia Sandu is part of our political family and we are doing all we can to help them stabilize the situation over there. We are also seeing the efforts made by the Romanian Government. So, together, Brussels and Bucharest, we are determined to do all that we can in order to stabilize the situation, in order to help," the EPP leader said. Florin Citu, the liberal leader, said that discussions were focused on the situation in Ukraine, but also sanctions against Russia, highlighting that "we are both supporting stronger sanctions against Russia". As many as 75 people from Ukraine are admitted to hospitals in Romania, Health Minister Alexandru Rafila said on Tuesday, Agerpres reports. "It's a situation from the last week, from March 9 to 15. So 75 people are hospitalized today. As for the requests for medical assistance to the county ambulance stations, they are also in the same limit, around 100 requests registered daily. Some of the people have also traveled with their own means to the health units, but the figures do not pose any problems in terms of providing medical assistance," the Health Minister said in a press conference."CNAS (National Health Insurance House) has tailored a system for the identification and allocation of a unique code, based on passport data, date and place of birth of each person, a unique code that will be used to highlight the medical services that are performed for these people, so that they benefit from the entire range of services, including access to health programmes, like the patients in Romania," explained Alexandru Rafila.As for the number of beds allocated per county for people injured or refugees who have various conditions that require surgery, the Minister of Health said that there are 3,300 beds available."We have added to the figure we presented last week as a result of the intervention at the level of the Plastic Surgery Commission of the Ministry of Health as many as 151 places of plastic surgery. The health units and specialists there treat the patients who need surgery. Romania, so far, has no problems in providing medical assistance to these refugees," the dignitary said.According to the Minister of Health, several hundred people from Ukraine have been tested and vaccinated against SARS-CoV-2. President Klaus Iohannis had a telephone conversation with his Azerbaijani counterpart Ilham Aliyev on Wednesday about strengthening energy cooperation, Agerpres reports. "A very good phone call with the President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, about strengthening and expanding the Strategic Partnership between Romania and Azerbaijan in all areas of cooperation, in the context in which we celebrate 30 years of diplomatic relations. I spoke with President Ilham Aliyev about strengthening our cooperation in the field of energy, to increase energy security by diversifying natural sources of gas and electricity. I thanked President Ilham Aliyev for his openness to support our efforts in these areas," the president wrote on Twitter on Tuesday. The Minister of National Defense, Vasile Dincu, will attend on Wednesday the extraordinary meeting of the Defence ministers from NATO member states, which will take place at the Alliance's Headquarters in Brussels. According to a release of the Ministry of National Defense, the event is held under the coordination of NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, amid the war unleashed by the Russian Federation in Ukraine and represents a significant landmark in the plan of preparing the decisions on the level of adapting the Alliance to the current security context, in view of the Madrid Summit on June 29-30. The agenda of the reunion is focused on two main themes. The first session will be dedicated to the security situation in Ukraine and the implications of this conflict on NATO and its partners in the vicinity, and will have as guests the Defence ministers from Sweden, Finland, Georgia and Ukraine. The EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, will participate. The second session, in allied format, provides for in-depth debate on the long-term adaptation of NATO's collective posture to respond to the new security realities at the Alliance's border. On the sidelines of the reunion, Minister Vasile Dincu will have a bilateral meeting with his counterpart from Canada. Approximately 52pct of Romanians say that they have been involved in supporting and helping Ukrainian refugees, and 61pct say they intend to get involved, according to a study by Reveal Marketing Research, Agerpres reports. According to the survey, eight out of ten respondents say they have done charitable work in the past year, particularly young people and people with medium and high incomes. When it comes to how they got involved, more than half (55pct) said they helped by donating clothes, medical supplies, non-perishable foodstuffs and other essential products, while 43pct said they helped by filling out the form through which they give 5pct of their income tax to a charitable cause.Romanians also donated money to humanitarian causes (38pct) and helped disadvantaged people in the community (31pct). Ranking last among the ways in which Romanians tried to help others was by volunteering with an NGO (13pct) and by doing political/social activism (8pct). The annual budget allocated by the people who choose to donate money is 453 lei. The allocated budget is high among active people aged between 35 and 44, but also among high-income people.According to the same survey, foodstuffs (72pct), accommodation services (70pct) and health care (55pct) are the categories of assistance considered to be the most important for refugees in Ukraine. To a greater extent, people over the age of 55 believe these types of assistance to be important.At the same time, six out of ten Romanians say they would offer housing for refugee accommodation if they had the necessary space, and 57pct say they would be willing to give their time voluntarily to help the situation of refugees in Ukraine.The Reveal Marketing Research study also aimed to assess the level of optimism and security regarding the future of Romania, but also of Ukraine, in the current context. Thus, almost half of the respondents (45pct) are pessimistic about the future and security of Romania.Regarding the situation in Ukraine, more than half of the respondents (55pct) are pessimistic about the future and security of Ukraine.The Reveal Marketing Research study was conducted online from March 7 to 10, 2022, on a representative sample for the population aged 18+, from urban and rural areas. The sample size was 1,004 respondents, and the maximum sampling error is +/- 3.1pct at a 95pct confidence level.Reveal Marketing Research is a full-service market research company, specialized in marketing research, sociological studies, customer insight, business strategy, market development. The occupancy rate at several hotels in the Prahova Valley, in Poiana Brasov, in other mountain resorts, spas or in rural tourism was 90 - 100% last weekend, the representatives of the National Travel Agencies Association (ANAT) inform in a release sent on Tuesday to AGERPRES. "As a result of the relaxations and the elimination of all restrictions, the bookings for Romania have registered an increasing trend. Also, as to the foreign destinations, for the Romanian tourists returning from abroad there is no need for any certificate or and the PLF form, and there is no quarantine when one returns to the country. In the last weekend, the occupancy rate was 90-100% at several hotels in Prahova Valley, in Poiana Brasov, in other mountain, spa resorts and in rural tourism. Romanians usually book tourist packages for summer destinations, taking advantage of early booking offers, which still promote discounts of 15-35% until March 31, this being the last month with discounts," the release informs.At the same time, ANAT states that planes operate normally from all airports in Romania, and countries are beginning to waive restrictions, totally or in part, an example being France, which lifted all restrictions, such as requesting a PLF form, presenting tests and the green certificate."Romanians have long discovered the pleasure and benefits of traveling. I have noticed that tourists think a lot about the present. Romanians are empathetic, have supported and continue to support Ukrainian refugees, as ANAT has done, with effort and dedication, they enjoy life and hope for peace. But the conclusion is that life is worth living, so many Romanians are already making short and medium term travel plans. I can say that the booking situation is clearly better than in the same period of the previous year," said Dumitru Luca, the president of ANAT.The data of tourism employers show that, at present, Romanian tourists book short stays and exotic destinations (Egypt, United Arab Emirates - Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Ras Al Khaima, Zanzibar, Maldives, Dominican Republic) or holidays breaks in Europe.Early booking offers are sought, as usual, for Greece, Turkey, Bulgaria, Spain, Portugal, Cyprus, Malta or Italy, but also for the Romanian coast, notes ANAT. Over 30 persons, Ukrainian women and children refugees, are hosted at the Mogosoaia Palace, with Kata Rudakova, the artistic director of the Bravo Theater in Kyiv, among them. Arrived in Romania initially for a cultural project, she had to remain in Bucharest where she also obtained resident status. "Ever since February 25 we have had as guest the artistic director of the Kyiv Theater, Kata Roudakova, and obviously the emotions were extremely powerful and she was extremely distraught. We asked her what we can do to help. She desired to remain as an artistic resident - we have the possibility of offering artistic residence - and she also obtained residence as a refugee to our country," said, on Tuesday, for AGERPRES, the General Manager of the Cultural Center "The Brancoveanu Palaces at the Gates of Bucharest," Marian Geani Dinu. 'Following discussions had with Ms. Kata, we had the initiative to bring 18 artists from Kyiv that we are hosting here and that we are supporting in their artistic activity. Unfortunately we didn't manage. Instead we brought eight children from Cernauti [Chernivtsi in Ukrainian - e.n.], who, are also pupils of the Art School, two of them being students at the Arts University in Cernauti. All of them are conducting their activity in creation workshops within the palaces. (...) Meanwhile, there are 32 refugees, most of them mothers with children, and they have a relaxed program because the purpose is for them to feel good and, somehow, disconnect them from the tension of the war. Many are in transit, leaving towards western Europe, but many expressed their desire to remain in Romania," the manager of the cultural center also added. Marian Geani Dinu mentioned that Friday an exhibition where the works of young Ukrainian artists will be exhibited and sold. The project bears the name "Art for Ukraine." "We've been here for ten days. Everyone greeted us very nicely. We came here to draw and through these drawings show that we support Ukraine. All the drawings are from Ukraine, women in traditional dress. We had in mind to sell them and to send the money to those who need help. I am here with my university colleagues. We have in mind in a week or two to return home," said Anastasia, one of the young refugees from Ukraine. She is among the painters that have submitted works to be auctioned off on Friday. The Mogosoaia Palace is hosting, in its Lapidarium hall, the work titled "Cross of the Tree of Life," done by Kata Roudakova, a copy of the "Cross of Miracles" or "Flower Cross", in a direct translation from its Slavonic name. The original is in the Arochena museum in Mexico. "The icon is called 'Cross of Miracles' or 'Flower Cross', translated directly from its Slavonic name. In the Romanian tradition this icon is called the 'Cross of the Tree of Life'. The cross shows the entirety of human existence, and the tablets on the icon describe the crown of the Christian faith, that written by Petru Movila, a Moldovan prince who founded the first academy of studies in Eastern Europe, in Kyiv, and to whom we owe the text on this icon. The icon is unique through the fact that it has the text in Romanian with Slavonic characters. It is not a canonical icon because Jesus crucified is depicted with his eyes partly open," said, for AGERPRES, Nicoleta Zagura, the person responsible for the scientific research and artistic concept of the work. Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca announced on Tuesday that the Romanian authorities, in coordination with those at EU level, have planned, depending on the duration and size of the flow of equipment and materials intended for Ukraine, to open two more humanitarian hubs in Sighet and in the area of southeastern Isaccea locality. "A humanitarian aid hub has currently been opened and is operating in Suceava, and the implications of the Romanian state are those carried out by the institutions responsible for this activity and, of course, there is this coordination and involvement at EU level, which, depending on the duration and size of the flow of equipment and materials, we have already planned to additionally (...) set up two [humanitarian aid centres - ed.n.] on the main transport routes, namely Sighet and one here, in the area of Isaccea locality," premier Ciuca said at the end of the visit made at the Isaccea Border Crossing Point in Tulcea County. He was asked by a foreign journalist if there is support from the European Union through Romania for Ukrainian refugees. "We have had meetings and discussions at the level of the President of the European Commission, Mrs von der Leyen, we have had meetings at the level of the Commissioner for Home Affairs, we have had meetings with several officials from the European Union and there are already mechanisms in place, allow me to give you an example, the RESCUE Mechanism. There is also readiness, so that all the expenditures that are made by the countries on the border with Ukraine and, are presently ensuring an effort, both material and budgetary, to be able to receive settlements for all the expenditure incurred," Nicolae Ciuca specified. Romania becomes one of the first countries where the production of modern military equipment and hardware is located, Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca said on Tuesday at the signing ceremony of a joint venture agreement between Uzina Mecanica Bucharest (UMB) and General Dynamics European Land Systems Romania (GDELS Romania) on the production of Piranha armoured personnel carriers, Agerpres reports. "We can witness the first consolidated joint venture between Uzina Mecanica Bucharest and GD Land System and MOWAG. It is very obvious that by this we can see a high degree of trust that our strategic partners are placing in our country in a special security context and that materialises in the transfer of know-how to the Romanian industry, to the Romanian economy. I was talking to those who were directly involved in this project and they told me that it must be a moment of pride, not only for the two companies, but also for us, for the fact that Romania becomes one of the first countries where the production of modern military equipment and hardware is being localised," said Ciuca.The prime minister pointed out that the value of the agreement is about 297 million euros, an amount of which about 55% -56% has so far been realised."It is the value that is specific to the first subsequent contract and (...) the development of the second subsequent contract ensues and, of course, the start of the process for the making of the other 133 carriers," said Ciuca.He added that UMB made important progress with its production of armorued personnel carriers that helped modernise the combat equipment of the Romanian Armed Forces."Before the start of this ceremony, I had the opportunity to go together with the management of the Bucharest Mechanical Plant and GDELS representatives to see what has been achieved and how the production of Piranha carriers has been integrated in Romania. The last time I was here was in 2019. On the production line there were two or three vehicles, today the line is at full capacity, and at the same time, 68 carriers have been successfully delivered since then. Two infantry battalions from Romania's Land Forces now have modern combat equipment," said Ciuca.He also pointed out the importance of the contribution of other privately-owned companies operating in Romania to the completion of this project."I think it is very important to emphasise that along with UMB there are other privately-owned companies that actually contribute to the making of this product. We consider it important to say that Elmet has developed a facility at Magurele, where it has managed to design and produce the turret; that should be a source of joy and pride for us. At the same time, Pro Optica is a supplier of equipment for the entire carrier. And then there are CSR and Interactiv that contribute to everything that means the communications parts and the integration of the information system management capacities. These are the parts that we wanted and that we see as possibly a catalyst for the revival of the Romanian defence industry," added Ciuca.The prime minister also sent a message to defence investors: "Romania has human resources, Romania has potential.""We ask each of those we spoke to to understand that Romania has human resources, that Romania has potential and that Romania has a will that we must capitalise on and make fruitful so that we can align ourselves with everything that means the need for standards, as we pledged when we became members of the North Atlantic Alliance and members of the European Union and, of course, as we committed ourselves to the strategic partnerships we signed with our most important partners. Finally, I would like to thank all those who have supported and been involved in this project and assure them that the Romanian government supports and will continue to support such initiatives, which we all need," added Ciuca.Also attending the signing ceremony were Economy Minister Florin Spataru, and charge d'affaires of the US Embassy in Bucharest David Muniz. On Tuesday, Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca sent a message on the occasion of the Day of Hungarians Everywhere, in which he speaks of respect for the identity and values of the Hungarian community in Romania, Agerpres reports. "Today, on the occasion of the Day of Hungarians Everywhere, I assure you once again of my personal respect and that of the Romanian Government for the identity and values of the Hungarian community. I wish you, the Romanian citizens of Hungarian ethnicity, a blessed holiday, as we are glad to reunite in the diversity of the European Union we all belong to. The years of the pandemic and the recent challenges we have been facing bring us even closer, while we are sharing these difficult times, showing solidarity with each other and especially with our Ukrainian friends and neighbours, who chose to take refuge with us fleeing the war. The spirit of tolerance and harmony, in which all minorities enjoy equal constitutional rights, gives us today the opportunity to show our generosity and gratitude. Many happy returns to all Hungarians in Romania and everywhere!," Nicolae Ciuca said in his message. President Klaus Iohannis stated, on Tuesday, that the accession of Romania and Bulgaria to the Schengen Area will contribute in an essential way to consolidating the Single Market and strengthening the resilience of the European Union in its entirety. The head of state had tete-a-tete talks and official talks with his Bulgarian counterpart, Rumen Radev, who is conducting a working visit to Romania. "We have also approached the objective of our countries with regard to advancing the accession to the Schengen Area. Our accession will contribute essentially to the consolidation of the Single Market and increasing the resilience of the Union in its entirety, which is all the more necessary in the current context, marked by multiple crises. The measures adopted by the Romanian authorities in managing the border in the current context of the refugee flow from Ukraine have proven, once more, that Romania is efficiently applying the common standards that regard the Schengen acquis," Klaus Iohannis said, during the joint press conference with the Bulgarian President. President Iohannis said that he agreed with President Radev to maintain close coordination on the matter in the coming period. President Klaus Iohannis pays a visit to Moldova on Wednesday, according to official sources, Agerpres reports. In February, Iohannis had a telephone conversation with his Moldovan counterpart Maia Sandu in which he reconfirmed "Romania's full support for Moldova and its citizens in this dramatic context in which our region finds itself."In March, he welcomed Sandu's move to sign Moldova's application for accession to the European Union, and pointed out that Romania will give its full support to that endeavour. NATO's eastern flank must be strengthened in the context of the war in Ukraine, at the level of the one in the Baltic Sea area, in order to prevent any conflict in the area, President Klaus Iohannis said on Tuesday, after the discussions held at the Cotroceni Palace with his Bulgarian counterpart, Rumen Radev. "We do not believe that this conflict will extend to NATO countries, but on the other hand, we want to be very well prepared for any situation, that is why in the eastern flank we must bolster the defense. The eastern flank must be strong and must be so strong that no one ever has the idea that it should attack on the eastern flank. This is NATO's Strenght and Deterrence concept, which makes any possible adversary give up an attack. It is very clear that the eastern flank must be strengthened, it must be balanced in such a way that our part, the southern part, the part towards the Black Sea is as well consolidated and defended as the northern part, towards the Baltic, in this sense we believe that we can prevent any conflict in our area," the president said, at the joint press conference with the visiting Bulgarian counterpart. President Iohannis stressed that the security and stability of the Black Sea are very important, and each riparian state has a responsibility to ensure them. "Romania will continue to act as a state responsible for ensuring the security of our citizens and the region, being fully open to cooperation with Bulgaria for this purpose," the president said. The Bulgarian President asserted that there are risks and in this context joint efforts are needed to neutralise them. "We should always think in perspective and think preemptively about the risks. You can see that drones have already begun to fly, they're going all the way to Croatia. Yesterday a drone fell in Romania. We have blows that are a few kilometres from the Polish border, which is very worrying. There is a potential for also destabilising the situation in Moldova, Romania's neighbours, so that the risks exist, are present and that is why our joint efforts should lead to neutralizing these risks," Rumen Radev said. The central topic of the discussions between the two high officials was the serious security situation generated by the military aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine, as well as the combating of its multiple effects. President Klaus Iohannis reconfirmed Romania's full support for all the refugees from Ukraine who come to our country and presented the measures adopted to help them. The two top officials also discussed the steps taken to provide humanitarian support, including through the operation of the logistics center in northeastern Suceava, which collects and transfers to Ukraine and, if necessary, to the Republic of Moldova, the international aid. "It is quite possible that the flows of refugees will increase. That is why I have discussed with President Radev the best ways of coordinating so that we can cope well with this crisis without precedent," President Iohannis said. The Romanian president stressed the need for the EU, together with all its member states, to provide support to the Republic of Moldova in the context of the large number of Ukrainian refugees, as well as in terms of increasing its resilience. The European Fast Danube project, aimed at improving navigation on the Danube, needs to be quickly implemented, President Klaus Iohannis said on Tuesday, at the Cotroceni Presidential Palace, at a joint press conference with his Bulgarian counterpart, Rumen Radev, who is currently on a working visit to Romania. "In a context in which interconnection is essential for us all, and the Danube plays an important role for both countries, I have discussed with President Radev about the joint objectives that regard, on the one hand, the construction of new bridges across the Danube and, on the other hand, the finding of solutions to ensure navigation on the Danube. We need to quickly implement the European Fast Danube project, co-financed by the European Commission, aimed at improving navigation on the Danube, on the common Romanian-Bulgarian part of the Danube. The interest is a joint one and I am convinced that the Ministries of Transport of the two countries will accelerate discussions in this direction," said Iohannis. According to the head of state, from the point of view of economic cooperation, Romania is the second commercial partner of Bulgaria among the European Union's member states. "We are glad to note that, last year, the bilateral commercial flows recorded a significant increase, to over 6 billion euro, by 55 percent higher than in 2020. There is still a high potential for new opportunities in the economic domain and at the sectorial level, including as regards increasing reciprocal investments," Klaus Iohannis showed. In his turn, the President of Bulgaria, Rumen Radev, emphasized that in the context of the war in Ukraine there is need for interconnection between Bulgaria and Romania at the level of transport, energy, digital, new natural gas connections. "I expect - and it is a joint appeal of ours to the governments of the two countries - to take powerful measures. We have been speaking for a long time about bridges, speaking about motorways, about rail connections, about pipelines, but this war shows that it is finally time to take measures and combat that gap. Our ambitions for economic, social development - we can't have them without real interconnection," Rumen Radev said. The Presidents of Romania and Bulgaria Klaus Iohannis and Rumen Radev discussed on Tuesday the diversification of energy sources and transport routes amid efforts to reduce energy reliance on the Russian Federation. "With the mounting need to reduce energy reliance on the Russian Federation, we discussed the diversification of energy sources and transport routes. We also emphasized the importance of the speedy commissioning of the Bulgaria-Greece interconnector. Once completed, this can be connected to the already operational BRUA pipeline for the key important Vertical Gas Corridor to become operational," President Iohannis told a joint press conference delivered with his Bulgarian counterpart at the Cotroceni Presidential Palace. Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca met on Tuesday with Chairman of the European People's Party Group Manfred Weber, context in which the former assured that the Government is "fully" committed "and "consistent" in implementing reforms and speed up the investment program for the application of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR). According to a press release of the Executive, the Prime Minister showed that Romania fully understands the significant benefits of the cohesion policy, and the important benefits it brings can be better used, including through some flexibilities aimed at improving the absorption capacity of Member States. "The Romanian government will make the most of all European instruments for intervening in support of the Romanian business environment and enterprises, forced to operate in a market affected by the energy crisis and the security situation in Romania's immediate vicinity," the release said. Ciuca emphasized the "severe" and "multidimensional" impact of the Russian military aggression on Ukraine, saying that it calls for greater solidarity and sustained action to assist Ukrainian refugees. "In close connection, the immediate objectives at EU level must aim at strengthening energy resilience, by accessing new sources that for Romania mean natural gas and nuclear energy as transitional resources," the Government release also said.AGERPRES The Minister of Health, Alexandru Rafila, declared on Tuesday that he initially proposed a phased lifting of the anti-COVID restrictions, but it was considered that this is no longer the case, and the decision to lift them was taken jointly, within the Government, Agerpres reports. "First of all, we must clarify that this was not decided by the Ministry of Health, it was a decision of the Romanian Government not to prolong the state of alert, and the consequence of the termination of the state of alert was the cancellation of these restrictions, which were on during the state of alert. We have continued to recommend a number of things that we consider to be essential during this period, when there is still a community transmission of the new coronavirus infection. However, there are quite a few thousand cases registered daily and until this community transmission does not stop, ie the disease can happen anywhere, due to the presence of people who are infected, then obviously our recommendations are still the same, namely the use of masks in enclosed spaces and means of public transport, avoidance of congestion, individual hygiene," said Alexandru Rafila on RFI.According to him, there are some things that have to do with individual responsibility, but they also have to take into account the responsibility of a certain community that wants to stay healthy.Asked if he agreed with the lifting of the restrictions, the Minister of Health said that he had proposed a phased lifting.He added that the decision, which was probably based on an analysis, was taken by the entire Government, and that it was important for the population to remain responsible.Among the elements taken into account to make this decision, the most important was the one related to the rapid decrease in the number of cases registered in the last two or three weeks.As to a future "wave six", Alexandru Rafila believes that it "can be taken into account or can only be discussed in the autumn, except this spring", adding that it cannot be discussed because it involves a another strain.Referring to renouncing of the introduction of the "green certificate", the minister said that "there is no kind of failure and no change of opinion"."Of course there are criticisms from people who have often been inconsistent and incorrect during their tenure. I want to tell you that in terms of use of the professional certificate, the green certificate, we even made a normative act that was debated regarding its use. As long as I am a member of this Government I cannot have a contrary opinion to this decision taken by the Government not to extend the state of alert. (...) This does not mean that we should not continue to do our duty as doctors and try to protect the population as best we can, under the conditions decided at the level of the governing coalition," Alexandru Rafila argued. Rector of the Bucharest National School of Political and Administrative Studies (SNSPA) Remus Pricopie says that "plagiarism is still plagiarism" regardless of any legislative amendments, and the issue will never be resolved unless it is addressed seriously by universities and the Ministry of Education, Agerpres reports. At the same time, Pricopie says that the decision-making bodies on this issue must be "100% politically independent."He says that there will be other proposals to amend plagiarism provisions in the education law.Pricopie argues that universities "for the most part have chosen the easy path - silence."Pricopie's statement alludes to a proposal to amend the Education Law to grant "amnesty for those who plagiarised PhD theses before 2011."Several Save Romania Union (USR) lawmakers said on Monday that they were dissatisfied with the fact that plagiarists were "whitewashed' under an amendment tabled with the Chamber of Depities to a bill amedning the eductaion law, discussed by the Education Committee, and said that if that amendment passed through the plenary sitting they would notify the Constitutional Court. The 20th day of war in Ukraine. Romania continues its actions to support Ukrainian refugees and Kyiv authorities. Here is a selection of the main news of Tuesday, March 15: * NATO's eastern flank must be strengthened in the context of the war in Ukraine, at the level of the one in the Baltic Sea area, in order to prevent any conflict in the area, President Klaus Iohannis said on Tuesday, after the discussions held at the Cotroceni Palace with his Bulgarian counterpart, Rumen Radev. President Klaus Iohannis reconfirmed Romania's full support for all the refugees from Ukraine who come to our country and presented the measures adopted to help them. The two top officials also discussed the steps taken to provide humanitarian support, including through the operation of the logistics center in northeastern Suceava, which collects and transfers to Ukraine and, if necessary, to the Republic of Moldova, the international aid. "It is quite possible that the flows of refugees will increase. That is why I have discussed with President Radev the best ways of coordinating so that we can cope well with this crisis without precedent," President Iohannis said. The Romanian president stressed the need for the EU, together with all its member states, to provide support to the Republic of Moldova in the context of the large number of Ukrainian refugees, as well as in terms of increasing its resilience. * The authorities are ready to increase the number of ferries at the southeastern Isaccea border crossing point in Tulcea County to ensure a higher rate of crossing of refugees coming from Ukraine, Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca said on Tuesday. "We discussed this aspect, because, as we could see, at this moment, there is a regularity and a number of refugees that can be easily processed, but at the same time, there are data that we have learned from the Ukrainian citizens that beyond the border there are several Ukrainians who are waiting to leave the country and then we discussed what would be the possibilities of processing and transport at the moment that number would increase. With a single ferry it is clear that we cannot ensure a higher fluency and we found out from the Ministry of Transport that there is a reserve in Galati and several ferries can be made available to ensure a higher rate of passage. (...) We can definitely do this," said Nicolae Ciuca, at the end of the working visit to Vama Isaccea. * The chairman of the European People's Party (EPP) in the European Parliament, Manfred Weber, who is visiting Bucharest on Tuesday, has noticed the efforts made by the Romanian authorities in support of the refugees, adding that the Ukrainian people is fighting for freedom and democracy. "It's good to see that all European states have shown that they are open and are ready to receive refugees and help them, offering a home during wartime. It is good to see that we have a common vision, on the European side, regarding the unprovoked aggression from Russia and the sanction package. It is clear what is going on. We are siding with the Ukrainian people. They are fighting for freedom and democracy," he said, in a press conference, held together with the chairman of the National Liberal Party (PNL) Florin Citu. * The chairman of the Hungarian Democratic Union of Romania (UDMR), Kelemen Hunor, who is in northern Sighetu Marmatiei for Hungarians Day highlighted that the Western world needs to remain united in order to defeat Russia's expansion. "Within man resides the most noble desire and virtue, of a divine nature: to live free in dignity. Affirmation of life in front of destruction. Today, the Ukrainian citizens are fighting for freedom. All freedom-loving people are alongside them today. They are on liberty's side. They are against the aggressor, against the Russian invasion. We too are doing the same thing. Today, this is the only right conduct," Kelemen Hunor specified. * As of March 14 at 24:00hrs, 425,786 Ukrainian citizens entered Romania, the Romanian General Border Police Inspectorate (IGPF) informs on Tuesday. * More than 100,000 Ukrainian refugees have crossed the Romanian border through the Siret border crossing point since the outbreak of the armed conflict in the neighbouring country, the spokesman for the Suceava Border Police, Ilie Poroch Seritan, said on Tuesday. * As many as 75 people from Ukraine are admitted to hospitals in Romania, Health Minister Alexandru Rafila said on Tuesday. As for the number of beds allocated per county for people injured or refugees who have various conditions that require surgery, the Minister of Health said that there are 3,300 beds available. * More than 45 tonnes of foodstuffs have been sent to Ukraine so far by the Orthodox Diocese of Covasna and Harghita, which has organized humanitarian aid collections for people in conflict areas. Also, the Valcele parish in the Sfantu Gheorghe Archdiocese organized collections and distributed food, water, fruits and basic products to the Siret, Sighet and Isaccea customs, which products have later reached the conflict zones in Ukraine. * An information point for foreign citizens or stateless persons in special situations from the area of armed conflict in Ukraine will be set up on the A1 Motorway, on the route of the green corridor that passes through Alba County, in Pianu. Thus, according to a decision of the Alba County Committee for Emergency Situations (CJSU), a modular building initially distributed to the Alba Dialysis Center will be relocated at km 316 on the A1 Motorway, and will house an information point for refugees from Ukraine. * Over 30 persons, Ukrainian women and children refugees, are hosted at the Mogosoaia Palace, with Kata Rudakova, the artistic director of the Bravo Theater in Kyiv, among them. Arrived in Romania initially for a cultural project, she had to remain in Bucharest where she also obtained resident status. "Following discussions with Ms. Kata, we had the initiative to bring 18 artists from Kyiv that we are hosting here and that we are supporting in their artistic activity. Unfortunately we didn't manage. Instead we brought eight children from Cernauti [Chernivtsi in Ukrainian - e.n.], who, are also pupils of the Art School, two of them being students at the Arts University in Cernauti. All of them are conducting their activity in creation workshops within the palace. (...) Meanwhile, there are 32 refugees, most of them mothers with children, and they have a relaxed program because the purpose is for them to feel good and, somehow, disconnect them from the tension of the war. Many are in transit, leaving towards western Europe, but many expressed their desire to remain in Romania," the manager of the cultural center also added. The Mogosoaia Palace is hosting, in its Lapidarium hall, the work titled "Cross of the Tree of Life," done by Kata Roudakova, a copy of the "Cross of Miracles" or "Flower Cross", in a direct translation from its Slavonic name. The original is in the Arochena museum in Mexico. "The icon is called 'Cross of Miracles' or 'Flower Cross', translated directly from its Slavonic name. In the Romanian tradition this icon is called the 'Cross of the Tree of Life'. The cross shows the entirety of human existence, and the tablets on the icon describe the crown of the Christian faith, that written by Petru Movila, a Moldovan prince who founded the first academy of studies in Eastern Europe, in Kyiv, and to whom we owe the text on this icon. The icon is unique through the fact that it has the text in Romanian with Slavonic characters. It is not a canonical icon because Jesus crucified is depicted with his eyes partly open," said, for AGERPRES, Nicoleta Zagura, the person responsible for the scientific research and artistic concept of the work. * World Vision has shipped more than 100,000 food items to hospitals in Ukraine, according to a statement released by the organisation on Tuesday. The organisation distributed a second shipment of mattresses, detergents and other essential supplies. * In the account opened by the Red Cross Suceava, aimed at acquiring necessary materials for granting humanitarian aid for Ukraine, donations were deposited until now, summing up 544,993 RON, the northeastern Suceava Prefecture informed on Tuesday. Currently, there are 6,220 accommodation spots for Ukrainian refugees put at their disposal by the Archdiocese of Suceava and Radauti, the other religious cults that are activating in the county area, territorial administrative units, economic operators and individuals, of which 900 are occupied. Senate President Florin Citu, declared on Tuesday, in eastern Buzau, that the only option for increasing the salaries of Romanians is to reduce the contributions by five percentage points. "This means higher net income for all Romanians. It will be difficult for PNL [the National Liberal Party] to support any other measure that will increase the income of only one category of Romanians, from a certain budgetary sector or another category. We are interested in the welfare of all Romanians and today, there is only one measure that can increase the salaries of all Romanians. This is the reduction of contributions by five percentage points," Citu told a press conference. The Liberal leader said that in the context of rising prices, "purchasing power must be increased for all Romanians." Florin Citu goes on to say that he has not yet succeeded in convincing his coalition colleagues of this compromise, namely that "this is the best measure, but I will not stop coming up with arguments. Especially today, when we see prices rise, the purchasing power must be increased and it must be increased for all Romanians. And it is the only option: the reduction of contributions. There is no other option," said Citu. Six migrants from Lebanon, India and Afghanistan were caught on a field in the Arad County, in the last 24 hours, while attempting to cross the border into Hungary, most of them asylum seekers in Romania, Agerpres reports. The foreigners were caught near the border towns of Nadlac and Varsand, the Arad Border Police reported on Tuesday.Five of the migrants were caught in Varsand, 50 metres far from the border line. The foreigners were spotted by a surveillance crew, who intercepted them on their way to the neighbouring country."Because the persons did not justify their presence in the area, they were taken to the headquarters of the checkpoint. Following the investigations, it was established that the persons in question are citizens of India and Afghanistan, most of them asylum seekers in Romania," the source said.A 31-year-old Libyan man was caught on the field in the Nadlac area.In both cases, the border guards are conducting investigations. The chairman of the Hungarian Democratic Union of Romania (UDMR), Kelemen Hunor, who is in northern Sighetu Marmatiei for Hungarians Day, declared that priority needs to be that of helping, of being ready to receive refugees, on the one hand and on the other hand to make sure that "none of our communities will fall victim neither to the psychosis of war, nor war propaganda". "The war in our vicinity not only leaves its mark, but also defines the way we are celebrating today. (...) We do not know how long this war can last. It can last weeks, it can last months. As a result, we need to be ready, on the one hand, to receive refugees, and on the other hand to make sure that none of our communities will fall victim neither to the psychosis of war, nor to the war propaganda. That is what I am asking everyone, what I am urging everyone to do, as much as possible, remain calm, look ahead and try to do all that we can, where we can. We are working to keep the citizens of this country safe. We are working to keep our freedom," Kelemen Hunor said during his speech. He highlighted that the Western world needs to remain united in order to defeat Russia's expansion. According to the UDMR leader, human nature is built on desire and idea of freedom. "Within man resides the most noble desire and virtue, of a divine nature: to live free in dignity. Affirmation of life in front of destruction. Today, the Ukrainian citizens are fighting for freedom. All freedom-loving people are alongside them today. They are on liberty's side. They are against the aggressor, against the Russian invasion. We too are doing the same thing. Today, this is the only right conduct," Kelemen Hunor specified. During his speech, the chairman of UDMR reminded of the importance of the 174th anniversary of the Revolution of 1848-1849, the heroes' actions and history lessons that are actual even today. World Vision has shipped more than 100,000 food items to hospitals in Ukraine, according to a statement released by the organisation on Tuesday, Agerpres reports. The organisation distributed a second shipment of mattresses, detergents and other essential supplies.Last week, the organisation supported two hospitals in western Ukraine with a shipment of supplies. One of the hospitals is in Novoselytsia, the other is close to the Siret border.For the two hospitals in Ukraine, World Vision distributed more than 100,000 food items. In addition, the foundation sent several essential products, including: 200 pillows, 200 mattresses, 350 blankets, 900 bath and kitchen towels, over 4,000 diapers (for babies, children and adults), 300 bed sheets and 600 kilograms of detergent.Many hospitals in western Ukraine have been turned into shelters for Ukrainians fleeing the most dangerous areas targeted by military attacks. In all these hospitals, as well as in other shelters in Ukraine, the need for essential products is growing as the number of Ukrainians fleeing the war is growing, World Vision officials say.According to them, World Vision was one of the first humanitarian organisations to provide immediate response to mothers, children and other Ukrainians who entered Romania through the border areas of Siret, Sighetul Marmatiei, Isaceea, Albita and Husi. At all these border points, the foundation provided food, tea, personal care products, as well as counselling for mothers and children.At the same time, two of the tents in which World Vision Romania operates have been transformed into spaces for the reception of mothers and children. They are equipped with beds, air heaters and televisions.The third tent, where World Vision Romania has joined Star of Hope, is specially designed for children and adults with disabilities. The tent was made accessible to people with disabilities by adding an access ramp and wheelchairs for people with mobility impairments, as well as specialist staff to care for those with disabilities. CLAYTON A high-profile office building adjacent to the Ritz-Carlton hotel, facing unprecedented market competition, will soon add a game lounge, rooftop deck and other amenities to attract tenants. The owner of the Plaza in Clayton, Franklin Partners, a Chicago-based real estate firm, will be using the fifth and six floors for its upgrades. It is aiming to have the renovations done by the end of 2023, a spokesperson said, who declined to disclose costs of the renovations. Husch Blackwell is occupying some of the space, at 190 Carondelet Plaza. The law firm plans to leave the Plaza for the new Commerce Bank Tower at Forsyth Pointe, which is under construction a half-mile west. Franklins plan comes as tenants are seeking newer, more amenitized buildings, prompting building owners across the country to renovate or see more vacancy at their properties. Accounting firm Ernst & Young also left the Plaza for new digs at Centene Plaza, up the street. Franklin, though, is far from the only owner to upgrade its Clayton property. Less than a half-mile west, Tryperion Partners is making over its building, Shaw Park Plaza. Its absolutely the right time to upgrade the building, said Tripp Hardin, executive director of real estate firm Cushman & Wakefield in St. Louis. Theyve obviously paid attention to what the competition offers and where the market is headed. Franklin Partners has hired Chicago-based architecture firm Wright Heerema Architects to design the space. Mark Palmer and Artie Kerckhoff with CBREs St. Louis office are representing Franklin Partners with tenants. Franklin, which owns properties across the Midwest, acquired the 16-story brick and limestone building in 2017. It also owns two office buildings in Des Peres, where it wooed an office of health care company Centene Corp. and construction company McCarthy Holdings after renovating those buildings. The business news you need Get the latest local business news delivered FREE to your inbox weekly. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Q Id like to get the recipe for the Cilantro Garlic Cream sauce from Mayo Ketchup. Its got a unique taste I want to experiment with on dishes at home. Bill Lamberton, Princeton Heights A At Mayo Ketchup, the restaurant known for its wide-ranging menu of Puerto Rican and Caribbean specialties, Cilantro Garlic Cream is served with fried yucca. This full-flavored sour cream dip has a much wider reach, however. Its great with tostones, the twice-fried crispy patties made from green plantains. Use it as a topper for beans and rice or chili. Spread it on a sandwich for an extra kick, or use it as a dip for fresh veggies, chips or pretzels. We think the cream will be great with nachos, too, although thats throwing a Mexican dish in the mix. Co-owner Mandy Estrella perfected the dip that she first enjoyed at a popular Caribbean fast-food restaurant in Florida. She added it to the menu at the island-themed Lafayette Square restaurant where its become a customer favorite as well. On the first trip to visit the recently reopened dining room for lunch, we enjoyed Papa Rellenas, a new shareable dish Estrella and co-owner Bradley Payne perfected during the pandemic, which was served with the traditional pink mayo-ketchup sauce. We also enjoyed the table sauce with a bit of heat tempered with a touch of smokiness developed by Payne. They hope to bottle that sauce for sale soon. The mashed potato balls stuffed with the picadillo style ground beef mix used in their empanadas are coated with breadcrumbs and deep fried. Good as they taste with mayo-ketchup, the cilantro garlic cream added another layer of flavor we enjoyed. Every Latin culture has a version of this comfort food, Estrella says. Estrella and Payne offered curbside service and carryout all throughout the pandemic, offering a full range of shareable plates, bowls, sandwiches and sides of the tempting Latin specialties that have become mainstays. Estrella, who is also known as Plantain Girl, developed a loyal following for her authentic dishes with complex layered flavors. The food from Puerto Rico and the Caribbean isnt hot and spicy. Its full-flavored, not hot, she says. For our first in-person visit, the newest menu item, the Papa Rellanas with mayo ketchup sauce made for a great shareable dish. The garlic cilantro cream added an additional kick. Then we ordered two old favorites, the Pollo Guisado bowl with tender braised chicken, vegetables, red beans pickled onions and avocado and the Pernil, roasted pork with rice, tostones, grilled onions, avocado and lime. Although Mayo Ketchup still offers curbside service, table service in recently re-opened dining room is also now available. {!--BriefNoIndentStart--}Mayo Ketchup 2001 Park Avenue To request a recipe Would you like to request a recipe from a restaurant that is still open in the St. Louis area? Send your request along with your full name and the city you live in to reciperequest@post-dispatch.com. ST. LOUIS Missouri state Rep. Tricia Derges is pushing a bill to give assistant physicians like herself a pathway to becoming fully licensed doctors in the state. Not that Derges among the highest-profile holders of the assistant physician license created in 2014 to ease a doctor shortage is the most persuasive advocate right now. Derges was indicted last year on charges accusing her of selling fake stem-cell treatments, illegally prescribing drugs, and fraudulently receiving COVID relief funds. Derges, who did not respond to multiple messages sent to her and her lawyer, has pleaded not guilty. But she has already been kicked out of the Republican caucus, forced to move her legislative office into a Statehouse broom closet, put on a three-year probation for her narcotics license, and denied the ability to run for reelection as a Republican following her indictment. A trial is set for June. Her personal tribulations have jeopardized an already contentious solution for states that struggle with gaps in primary health care. Even some early proponents now want to rein in the assistant physician license. Assistant physicians sometimes called associate physicians, and not to be confused with physician assistants are medical school graduates who have not yet completed residency training. Similar licenses also now exist in Arizona, Arkansas, Kansas, and Utah. Virginia is considering adding one, and model legislation is making such licenses easier than ever for other state legislatures to adopt. Derges proposed legislation would allow assistant physicians to become licensed similar to doctors who have completed a residency provided an assistant physician has practiced for five years with a collaborating physician, passed a licensure exam, and completed certain training requirements. Her bill would create a new path for training physicians. Competing legislation aims to scale back the license, though, and cap the number of years assistant physicians can practice until they funnel back into residency programs. Dr. Keith Frederick, a former state representative and orthopedic surgeon from Rolla, proposed the original assistant physician legislation, the first of its kind in the nation. Nearly every county in Missouri is short of primary care providers, according to the federal Health Services and Resources Administration. Itd take nearly 500 physicians to fill that void, but efforts to get doctors to practice in underserved areas have been chronically unsuccessful, Frederick said. At the same time, thousands of medical school graduates who apply for residency programs each year are not accepted 9,155 applicants did not match to a program in 2021 alone, or about 1 in 5 of the candidates, most coming from international medical schools. The assistant physician license allows those medical school graduates to practice medicine in Missouri under a collaborative practice agreement with a physician, who is ultimately responsible for the care given, and on the condition that they do so in an underserved area. They can see patients, prescribe drugs, and provide certain treatments, in much the same way as nurse practitioners or physician assistants so-called midlevel practitioners, both of which have distinct masters-level training. Fredericks bill passed the same year it was introduced, a legislative feat he described as pretty remarkable. The idea did have its detractors at the time. Chief among them was the Missouri Nurses Association, which argued the states 12,000 nurse practitioners were better suited to address primary care shortages. The association views the states rules for nurse practitioners as among the most severely restrictive in the nation. Nationally, the American Medical Association and the American Academy of Family Physicians opposed the license. The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Educations CEO Dr. Thomas Nasca said the American public does not deserve second-class care in a 2014 interview. These are physicians with rudimentary experience. But in Missouri, theyd be turned loose to manage patients with complex diabetes, congestive heart failure, arrhythmias, Nasca said. This is nuts. The risk of an error is huge. One initial supporter of the idea was Dr. Jeff Davis, chief medical officer for Scotland County Hospital in rural Memphis, and an executive committee member of the Missouri Association of Osteopathic Physicians and Surgeons. Eight years after the law passed, however, Davis has no assistant physicians working with him, even though he said he has several openings that would benefit from them. The challenge, Davis said, is Medicare will not reimburse for care provided by assistant physicians. Hospitals in rural areas often depend on revenue from that public insurance program for Americans 65 and older. But for hospitals to get paid by Medicare for the work of an assistant physician, Davis said, the assistant physician would have to work under the direct supervision of a physician whose name would be used to submit the bill. That doesnt make much business sense, Davis said. Frederick hopes that having more states create an assistant physician license will force the hand of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to start reimbursing for the work done by those clinicians. The American Legislative Exchange Council adopted model associate physician legislation after Frederick presented the idea at the conservative nonprofits summit last year. Currently, Missouri has 348 active licenses for assistant physicians, including Dr. Trevor Cook, creator of the Association of Medical Doctor Assistant Physicians. Cook graduated in 2014 from the International American University medical school on the Caribbean island of St. Lucia. Unfortunately, I was one of those many, many, many, many thousands of doctors that dont match each year into a residency program, Cook said. Cook has practiced at Downtown Urgent Care in St. Louis since 2018, a position he called rewarding. He will find out whether hes been accepted to a residency March 18. Either way, Cook is supportive of a pathway for assistant physicians to become fully licensed in Missouri, like the one proposed by Derges. As to the indictment, Cook said, one persons actions are not representative of an entire group of practitioners. A review of active assistant physician licenses in the state including Derges found none under current disciplinary action. Two were previously under probation due to prior behavior. Still, state doctor groups that initially supported the idea now want to cap the number of years someone can hold an assistant physician license, as other states have done. Under current Missouri law, assistant physicians can practice indefinitely. As with anything, you find out that people try to game the system and work an angle and get something that wasnt intended out of something you did in good faith, Davis said. Dr. Sterling Ransone, president of the American Academy of Family Physicians, said he already had concerns about the quality of care provided by assistant physicians, citing a 2018 JAMA article that found they had lagging test scores compared with their counterparts in residency programs. He said hes doubtful about creating an alternative pathway to full physician licensure. I would personally have trouble supporting it without a lot more information to verify quality standards, Ransone said. The American Medical Association favors a bill in the U.S. Congress that would increase the number of residency positions in the U.S. by 14,000 over the next seven years. Dr. Kevin Klauer, CEO of the American Osteopathic Association, didnt shut the door on a role for assistant physicians but said he was skeptical: We have to be responsible to make sure that weve put all the safeguards in with training and verification and monitoring, so that health care that is delivered by a physician is up to the standards that it should be. Frederick called those concerns purely turf protection amid what he said is a tremendous health care shortage. We have all these people that are highly trained, Frederick said. Why would you waste that resource? KHN (Kaiser Health News) is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues. Together with Policy Analysis and Polling, KHN is one of the three major operating programs at KFF (Kaiser Family Foundation). KFF is an endowed nonprofit organization providing information on health issues to the nation. Editors note: This article was updated at on March 28, 2022, to clarify that although the CEO of the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education spoke out against assistant physician licenses in 2014, the organization itself does not lobby or participate in any formal regulatory advocacy. 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 St. Louis Alderman Joe Vaccaro and I have something in common. His son is a cop. My oldest daughter was on the force for about 15 years. Several years ago, something in one of my columns caused her pause. I had written about Heather Taylor, who, like my daughter, was a sergeant. Taylor, who is now a senior adviser to interim Public Safety Director Dan Isom, was also the president of the Ethical Society of Police, an organization founded by Black officers in 1972 to address issues of discrimination in the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department. My daughter, who did her public service in the Denver area, was dumbfounded that St. Louis had, in effect, two police unions one, the St. Louis Police Officers Association dominated by white officers, and the other whose primary membership was Black officers. The two organizations often find themselves at odds with each other. Thats not the case this week, and that brings us back to Vaccaro. A couple of weeks ago, the alderman got pulled over on Interstate 44 for speeding. Thats something else we have in common. I have a bit of a lead foot. The officer who pulled Vaccaro over was Black. The alderman is white. After the stop, Vaccaro went on television and the radio to blast the officer who pulled him over. Vaccaro called him an expletive. He said he was a jerk and that he was rude. The officers body-camera footage told a different story. In fact, it was Vaccaro, who is the powerful chairman of the Public Safety Committee on the Board of Aldermen, who was rude, and misrepresented the incident. If thats all this was a politician throwing his weight around this would be what we in the journalism business call a dog bites man story, which is to say its not unusual. Dogs bite people. Its not uncommon. Now, man bites dog? Thats a big deal. And thats what this story became last week, when both the Ethical Society of Police and the St. Louis Police Officers Association called for Vaccaro to resign or otherwise be removed from the Public Safety Committee. You can draw your own conclusions, but it appears he (Vaccaro) wanted preferential treatment. Instead, he received professionalism from the officer as evidenced in body-cam footage that has been made public, said the Ethical Society in a statement. It is clear that Mr. Vaccaro cannot be objective about matters involving members of the Citys police force. A day earlier, Jay Schroeder, president of the other police officers association, had called on Vaccaro to issue a public apology, take accountability for his actions, resign his chairmanship of the Public Safety Committee and step down as an Alderman. None of those things has happened. But what did occur is that the police department, following Vaccaros original complaint, apparently started an investigation into the officers behavior. Thats what happens in politics when powerful people complain about people below them. That the two police associations found themselves in agreement on the issue should offer some context that could be useful in other public safety debates. Before this incident, Vaccaro had a solid pro-cop reputation. But what does that mean, really? Is he pro-white cop? Is he pro-cop when officers use his car wash? Or is he only pro-cop when his more progressive opponents on the Board of Aldermen are pushing for police accountability measures, and the politics of division helps his cause? Thats the little detail about this incident that shouldnt be lost: This was a traffic stop on a highway. Such encounters can be deadly for police officers, and sometimes deadly for motorists, as well. Its hard to imagine that a grown man who sits in power over a police departments budget and policies doesnt know how to properly behave in such a situation, but the video doesnt lie. Vaccaro got out of his car and approached the officer while on the shoulder of a busy highway. He offered excuses for his speeding, and was aggressive as the officer was trying to do his job. Two police organizations that dont see eye-to-eye very often find themselves on the same page because the arrogance of an elected politician could have negative professional consequences for one of their own. In response, they are biting the hand that feeds them. Will Vaccaro bite back, or accept the lesson the rank-and-file St. Louis police officers are trying to teach him? Thats the question that remains to be answered. 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. ST. LOUIS A man from Arkansas who drove to Pagedale to sexually assault a 14-year-old girl was sentenced Monday to 18 years in federal prison. Prosecutors say Jerrell West, 32, of Forrest City, met the girl online and began communicating with her daily. On April 19, 2020, he drove to her home in Pagedale, saying he wanted her to come live with him. He picked her up and took her to a truck stop south of Ste. Genevieve, where he sexually assaulted her in the back seat, they said. West then drove her home. Investigators later traced a cellphone number to West and the girl picked him out of a lineup. West was indicted that May on a charge of traveling with intent to engage in sexual conduct with a minor. He was convicted at trial by a federal jury last August. We hope today's 18-year sentence will empower the victim to see that 100% of the blame sits squarely on child predator Jerrell West, said Akil Davis, acting head of the St. Louis office of the FBI. Davis said Pagedale police's "quick action enabled agents to use a large number of advanced techniques to produce overwhelming and undeniable evidence against the perpetrator. Shake off your afternoon slump with the oft-shared and offbeat news of the day, hand-brewed by our online news editors. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. ST. LOUIS Authorities have charged a 27-year-old man with murder in connection to the shooting death of a 72-year-old business owner earlier this month. James Cody, of the 4000 block of N. 22nd St., was charged Monday with first-degree murder and armed criminal action. Officers on March 8 found Michael Kelly dead with several gunshot wounds in the drivers seat of a pickup truck in the 3900 block of North 25th Street. Kelly is listed as the owner of Prime Mortgage Services Inc., which has its office at 3910 N. 25th Street, according to business records. Charges said Kelly owned homes in the city's Hyde Park neighborhood and that he parked his truck outside his office on North 25th Street. While sitting in his truck, charges said, Cody approached with something in his hand. Surveillance video showed Cody move outside of the camera frame and Kelly's truck struck several times by gunfire. Police said in charges that a gray sedan seen in surveillance video had followed Kelly before the shooting. Police also said Cody's girlfriend had rented the car from Enterprise, which provided police with two phone numbers that police tracked by obtaining search warrants. Police arrested Cody Monday by tracking the phones and also found the car, charges said. Cody admitted shooting Kelly and his truck. He also told detectives where they could find guns used in the shooting. Police also recovered clothes Cody wore during the shooting. A judge denied bail for Cody who was being held at the St. Louis City Justice Center. Updated at 3 p.m. with more details from court documents. Shake off your afternoon slump with the oft-shared and offbeat news of the day, hand-brewed by our online news editors. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. JEFFERSON CITY Missouris attorney general sued a statewide education group Tuesday, claiming the organization is subject to open records laws even though it is not a governmental unit. Attorney General Eric Schmitt, a Republican who is running for U.S. Senate, filed suit against the Missouri School Boards Association, saying it is withholding documents related to Schmitts legal crusade against mask mandates and curriculum issues. While the states Sunshine Law is typically focused on records kept by governmental entities, the lawsuit argues that the MSBA is subject to the Sunshine Law because the organization receives public funding and provides training required under Missouri law. Today, I filed a lawsuit against the Missouri School Boards Association for hiding public records records that the public and particularly parents of children in Missouris schools have a right to see, Schmitt said in a statement. Chuck Hatfield, an attorney representing the MSBA, called Schmitts action unprecedented. In the history of the Attorney General office, no Attorney General has ever sued a not-for-profit entity for violating the sunshine law. And a review of the lawsuit shows it is not the result of any complaint or important governmental policy, but rather to advance a particular political agenda. Not-for-profit entities everywhere should be terrified, Hatfield said. Among the records sought by Schmitt are documents related to MSBAs guidance on mask mandates, as well as a dust-up over a letter sent to the White House by the National School Boards Association that compared parents who act out at school board meetings to domestic terrorists. After the letter was sent in October, the MSBA withdrew from the national organization. Schmitt, however, believes the organization knew about the letter weeks in advance and initially agreed with the contents. As Schmitt has campaigned for the Senate seat being vacated by Republican Roy Blunt, he has sued dozens of school districts over pandemic-related mask requirements. Some school districts have returned fire. In January, the St. Charles School District said it was deeply disappointed and that the cynical action is a waste of taxpayer dollars and serves to undermine the authority of local, publicly elected officials and, thus, the will of the people. Schmitt is running in the GOP primary election against former Gov. Eric Greitens, St. Louis attorney Mark McCloskey, Senate President Pro Tem Dave Schatz and U.S. Reps. Vicky Hartzler and Billy Long. Democrats include Lucas Kunce, of Independence, the top fundraiser in the race; and former state Sen. Scott Sifton, D-south St. Louis County. Jewel Kelly, Spencer Toder, Gena Ross, Josh Shipp, Lewis Rolen and Carla Coffee Wright also are running as Democrats. The lawsuit is asking for the Boone County Circuit Court to enter a judgment requiring MSBA to comply with the Sunshine Law. MSBA executive director Melissa Randol called Schmitts lawsuit frivolous. This lawsuit is a political stunt by candidate Schmitt and, as citizens of Missouri, its discouraging to see his state office being turned into an extension of his campaign, Randol said. Shake off your afternoon slump with the oft-shared and offbeat news of the day, hand-brewed by our online news editors. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Updated Monday night with Major Case Squad statement SAUGET The Major Case Squad of Greater St. Louis is asking for the public's help in identifying several people believed to have been in the area of a nightclub where a fatal shooting occurred on Sunday. Police officers found a 29-year-old Black Jack man dead early Sunday morning in the overflow parking lot of the Oz Night Club in the 300 block of Monsanto Avenue. St. Clair County Coroner Calvin Dye Sr. later confirmed Jonathan Brown died of a gunshot wound to the head. Police were called to the area about 6:45 a.m. Sunday, and Dye said Brown was pronounced dead at 10:30 a.m. On Monday night, the Major Case Squad tweeted a series of photos of people "believed to have been in the area when the shooting occurred." Anyone with information on the case or the individuals shown in the photos is asked to call the Sauget Police Department at 618-332-6500, St. Clair County police dispatchers at 618-825-2681 or CrimeStoppers at 866-371-8477. A 23-year-old man arrested in Las Vegas on Friday is the third suspect to be charged in connection to a car chase in St. Louis that culminated in the shooting of two officers in Ferguson. St. Louis County police said Johnny Lewis, of the 800 block of Canaan Avenue, will be extradited from Nevada. He is charged with resisting arrest by fleeing and creating a substantial risk of serious injury or death. Once here, he will be held on a $50,000 cash-only bail. Police previously said that officers on Jan. 26 started following a white Toyota 4Runner SUV that had been spotted at the scene of a homicide hours earlier. The SUV fled, weaving in and out of traffic as officers chased it into Ferguson. The SUV driver eventually lost control and crashed near West Florissant Avenue and Lang Drive, according to court documents. There, at least one of the SUVs occupants, while running away, fired at the officers, and officers shot back, according to St. Louis County police. One of the men in the car, 23-year-old Equan Hopson, of St. Louis, was shot and later died from his injuries. St. Louis police Officer Colin Ledbetter, in his fourth year as a St. Louis police officer, was shot at least twice and another officer was also shot in the leg. Both survived. Two men in the back seat of the vehicle, August Burns, 23, of Florissant, and Clyde Thomas, 35, of Farmington, were both charged shortly after with resisting arrest. Burns was also charged with unlawful possession of a firearm. Police confirmed they were not looking for additional suspects in connection to the case. ST. LOUIS Eight area high school students were welcomed to a seat at the table here Monday, to directly tell a sitting congresswoman their experiences of growing up exposed to racism and gun violence. We know what it looks like, U.S. Rep. Cori Bush, D-St. Louis, told them. How is this affecting you? After facing strong bipartisan rebukes nationally over continued commitment to her defund police activism, and recent vote against Russian sanctions and other measures, Bush was welcomed at the youth speak-in as one of their own. By the end of the one-hour event, held in her district at historic Sumner High School, she was in tears. Seven Robinson, 17, of Vashon High, spoke about how his emotions have been shut off like a water line since his friend was recently killed. We lose people so much, it becomes normal, he said. You become numb to pain. Tyania Daniels, 17, of Jennings High, could count on both hands the number of people shes known who have been shot. Whats more, she said, the past two years added another layer of trauma to the mix. Its hard to hear that you lost a teacher, Daniels said of the COVID-19 pandemic. Its hard to hear you lost someone to gun violence. She said many children have been struck by stray gunfire. You never know what could happen, said Daniels, who wants to be a pharmacist one day. Kenneth White III, 18, of Cardinal Ritter College Prep, said youths often live in fear of getting robbed or killed. This is nothing new, he said. Its just getting worse. While most of the panelists knew somebody who had been a victim of gun violence, White was one. In 2021, on Interstate 70, he was shot six times, a detail he didnt share until after the panel was over. Instead, he spoke publicly about how environment plays a large role, starting at home. He said staying busy with good after-school programs is vital. Dont make time for negativity, he said. Stephon Riggins, 17, of Sumner High, added: The first step to a revolution is a change of thought. And that change does not come easily. Moriah Morrow, 17, who lives in Florissant, said she experienced racism transitioning from a majority Black school to Villa Duchesne, a majority white, private Catholic school for girls in Frontenac. She said some teachers acted surprised by her intelligence because shes Black. Morrow is a leader, but she said shes grown weary of having to educate people about Black history and racism thats easily found through a basic Google search. To the white people, please, please unlearn racism, she said. And take the burden off of Black people. Bush vowed to support the panelists, and anyone watching the discussion online, by helping them connect with services in the community. She told them that therapy had helped her get through trauma and PTSD that she didnt even know was there, some of which happened as a teenager. I am not going to push under the rug that you feel these things, she told the group, adding: What we need from you is joy. You need to live life. You need to enjoy life. You deserve that. At the event, Bush announced a new program called Congress In Your Classroom that is supposed to continue and broaden Mondays discussion to two representatives from any high schools in her district that want to participate. There will be a recurring meeting with her, as well as a smaller group of students that will suggest policy changes. Bush said she and representatives of her office will also be visiting schools of all levels to enhance civic engagement and help connect students and their families with resources. Zipporah Lawal, 18, a senior at Hazelwood East, said in an interview that she was walking away from the panel feeling empowered. We have more of a voice than we think, she said. Stay up to date on life and culture in St. Louis. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. KANSAS CITY, Mo. Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitts office says excusable neglect is the reason it missed a court deadline in a lawsuit challenging Lees Summit schools now-expired mask mandate. The Republican attorney general, a candidate for U.S. Senate, sued dozens of districts in January over masks. Lees Summit schools dropped its mandate last month and on Feb. 25 the district asked the court to dismiss the case. But a March 10 deadline passed without a response from Schmitts office, an attorney for Lees Summit schools said in a filing Monday. The district now wants Jackson County Judge Marco Roldan to issue a judgment in favor of the school district and against Schmitt. The attorney generals office on Monday filed its response and asked the court not to hold the missed deadline against it. Jay Atkins, the offices general counsel, signed an affidavit saying excusable neglect caused the office to miss the deadline. Excusable neglect is a legal term referring to having a justifiable reason for missing a deadline. The affidavit provides no explanation of the neglect, something the district seized on in a separate filing Monday. The Attorney General has carpet bombed Missouris courts and school districts with at least 45 suits challenging the authority of school districts to create a safe environment for their students and staff, Joseph Hatley, an attorney representing the district, wrote. His failure to follow the rules governing these cases suggests that he was only interested in the publicity he generated from filing the suits, but that he wasnt interested in the hard work of actually litigating them. In an email to The Star, Schmitt spokesman Chris Nuelle said: Lees Summit took two years to unmask children, and took a month to respond to our lawsuit, and now theyre whining that they couldnt read our excellent brief over the weekend? Its ridiculous. Were going to keep fighting to unmask children across the state. The Lees Summit lawsuit is just one of several against Kansas City area districts filed by Schmitt this year that remain ongoing. Both Independence and Park Hill filed motions to dismiss the lawsuits against their districts last week. A spokeswoman with the Lees Summit district did not immediately offer comment on the litigation or the estimated legal fees associated with the case. Earlier this winter, Lees Summit took a hard stance defending its mask mandate, arguing that Schmitt had no legal authority to order that districts drop their COVID-19 rules. Hatley wrote a scathing letter to Schmitt after the attorney general threatened legal action against districts with mandates, sending out dozens of cease and desist letters. Hatley wrote that the threats not only lack(ed) legal effect they are simply wrong. The Board (of Education) will continually evaluate its response to the COVID pandemic based on available and reliable data, Hatley wrote in the letter to Schmitt. The Board also shares your stated objective of supporting parental involvement in their childrens education it just recognizes its responsibility to represent a wider range of voices than those you are publicizing. Several other Kansas City area districts also argued that Schmitt did not have the authority to force them to drop their COVID mandates because the rules were created by locally elected officials. Schmitt called school districts mitigation measures illegal following a November court ruling that stripped local health authorities of their powers to issue disease-control measures. As COVID-19 cases declined following record peaks this winter, school districts across the Kansas City metro have eased pandemic rules and dropped their mask mandates. Last month, Kansas City officials allowed a health order requiring masks in schools, previously approved by the City Council, to expire. Mayor Quinton Lucas cited falling COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations. Kansas City Public Schools, which maintained its mask requirement for longer than many surrounding districts, allowed its mandate to end last week. This story was originally published by the Kansas City Star on March 14, 2022 3:30 PM. WASHINGTON The bipartisan spending deal that Congress cleared last week provides billions of dollars in aid for Ukraine, but it cuts other humanitarian programs meant to address mounting hunger crises elsewhere in the world, including Afghanistan and West Africa. When the bills $4.1 billion in emergency supplemental humanitarian funding for Ukraine is excluded, the baseline fiscal 2022 spending level for humanitarian accounts covered by the State-Foreign Operations title comes in at $6.8 billion a $1 billion cut compared to fiscal 2021 enacted levels. The Biden administration had requested over $8.5 billion in total fiscal 2022 funding spread over two principal humanitarian aid accounts: the State Departments Migration and Refugee Assistance account and the U.S. Agency for International Developments International Disaster Assistance account. The initial House-passed bill and one offered in the Senate, written by majority Democrats, would have largely fulfilled the White Houses humanitarian funding request. In interviews and statements, foreign aid advocates said they were embarrassed and flabbergasted that Congress reduced funds for dealing with the worst refugee displacements since World War II and other crises caused by mounting natural disasters and manmade conflicts. It cuts the humanitarian [account] disastrously, said Lisa Pena, director of policy, budget and appropriations for InterAction, a large U.S.-based umbrella organization for foreign aid groups. This bill was insufficient prior to [Russian President Vladimir] Putin even moving his tanks near the border with Ukraine. We knew there were food price spikes on food and other commodities prior to the war in Ukraine. When President Joe Biden submitted his fiscal 2022 international affairs spending proposal to lawmakers last spring, and when the House passed its version of the annual foreign aid bill in July, the Taliban had yet to take over all of Afghanistan. Considering that, foreign aid experts had been anticipating Congress would have to boost humanitarian levels from what was initially requested in order to respond to the rapidly rising needs out of Afghanistan as well as worsening conflicts and instability in Ethiopia and Myanmar. The cuts to nonemergency humanitarian spending, as well as the lack of any international COVID-19 assistance in the omnibus, are a self-inflicted wound to Americas ability to recover from the pandemic and to pursue its long-term national security interests, said Liz Schrayer, president of the bipartisan U.S. Global Leadership Coalition. There is no question that were terribly concerned when we look at what has come out of this budget deal in the international affairs programming, Schrayer said in an interview. The breadbasket of the world is having a war right now. Everyone knows that there is a drought expected in West Africa. We have 45 million people on the verge of starvation. Base fiscal 2022 State-Foreign Operations spending received an increase over enacted levels of 1 percent, or nearly $600 million the smallest increase of any of the 12 federal spending bills that Congress passed last week as part of its omnibus spending deal. The White House had initially sought an increase of 12 percent to the international affairs budget. Blame game Independent budget analysts have pinned blame on Republicans insistence that any increases in nondefense spending be kept roughly equal to increases in defense spending, and to both parties choosing to prioritize larger increases for domestic spending bills at the expense of the State-Foreign Operations title. We have more people who are hungry and people who are hungrier getting hungrier and we have no grain. It is absolutely catastrophic, Pena said. SFOPs got the raw end of the stick. The Senates lead foreign aid appropriator issued a similar view in an uncharacteristically blunt statement for a congressional appropriations cardinal criticizing his own bill. The SFOPs account is not a piggy bank that can be raided by other appropriation accounts, Senate State-Foreign Operations Appropriations Chairman Chris Coons, D-Del., said last week. And Coons House State-Foreign Operations subcommittee counterpart, Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Calif., said the $56.1 billion baseline funding level is not nearly enough to meet the diplomatic, humanitarian and development needs around the world. While fiscal 2022 defense spending saw an increase of 5.6 percent over last years levels, the nondefense spending accounts got a boost of 6.7 percent but not the foreign aid portfolio. Multiple lawmakers have pointed to the over $4 billion in emergency humanitarian funding for the Ukraine crisis to argue Congress has provided ample taxpayer assistance this year for foreign aid. Still, budget experts do not believe the Russia-Ukraine war, which has dominated Capitol Hills attention in recent weeks, is the reason other humanitarian disasters did not see a funding injection. For one thing, Appropriations subcommittee spending levels, known as 302(b)s, were set in early February, weeks before Putin ordered the invasion of Ukraine. Even as appropriators like Coons have pledged to push for higher foreign aid spending levels in fiscal 2023, advocates are nervous about those prospects. Considering that Democrats might lose unified control of the White House and Congress after the November midterm elections, the fiscal 2022 appropriations levels were viewed as the high-water mark for Democrats to lock in robust spending increases. That would help cushion the blow of probable GOP pushes for cuts to foreign aid, which remains unpopular with an outspoken minority of Republican fiscal hardliners. Any supplemental aid for Ukraine, and possibly for the global coronavirus pandemic, will likely have a fleeting impact on the overall budget, experts say. At the end of the day, we all know that an emergency supplemental is exactly what it says it is. It is an emergency supplemental that is not part of the regular budget and so there is an artificially low baseline for humanitarian assistance moving forward, just looking at the numbers, and that is concerning for conversations around what is needed for the coming fiscal year, said one foreign aid professional, who did not have authorization to speak candidly about the budget. Food price spikes Prior to Russias invasion of Ukraine, the United Nations projected that 274 million people globally would need humanitarian assistance and protection this year. That represents an increase of 39 million people from the 235 million who were estimated to need such support in 2021. And even before the onset of the Russia-Ukraine war last month, global food prices were already higher than at any point since 2011. Russia and Ukraine are breadbaskets of the world. Their food exports account for about 12 percent of total calories traded in the world. Together, they export about 30 percent of the worlds wheat, wrote InterActions deputy policy director Alexis-Clair Roehrich and policy intern Justin Hurley in an analysis posted last week. War may disrupt the ability to harvest and transport food commodities as workers have been called to battle, the duo wrote. Not only is the effect of war immediate but could harm future crop rotations if farmers are unable to harvest this seasons crops. Respectively, Russia and Ukraine are the first and fifth-largest exporters of wheat in the world with Ukrainian wheat previously supplying humanitarian programs in Afghanistan, Yemen, Sudan and elsewhere. The effects on the ground make for brutal choices, U.N. World Food Program Director David Beasley wrote in an op-ed last week. With our funding leveling off because donor nations treasuries are so stretched, we have had to slash rations to refugees and other populations across East Africa and the Middle East. Halved rations mean hungry children eating the equivalent of just one bowl of cereal each day. 2022 CQ-Roll Call Inc. Visit cqrollcall.com. While most Americans pull for Ukraine and its resistance to Russias invasion, Rep. Madison Cawthorn, R-North Carolina, recently called Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky a thug and labeled his government incredibly evil. Its part of a broader phenomenon among hard-right politicians who have found a soft spot for Russia and its monstrous leader. Its time to ask some hard questions about the American rights fetishization of Vladimir Putins violent autocracy. Historically, hawkish conservatives were the toughest talkers regarding Americas chief global adversary. Even after the fall of Soviet communism, U.S. politicians understood (until recently) that a non-communist Russia didnt necessarily mean a non-threatening Russia. Russias post-communist government has never fully embraced democracy and lost ground on that front under Putin. Russias nuclear arsenal remains an existential threat to humanity. Yet theres Tucker Carlson on Fox News, blithely declaring that America has no legitimate interest in opposing Russias unprovoked invasion of a nascent democracy. As Mother Jones reported Sunday, a Kremlin propaganda office has distributed a memo telling state-controlled media to use as much as possible fragments of broadcasts of the popular Fox News host Tucker Carlson. How proud Carlson must be to see his name written in Russian on an official Kremlin document. Then theres the recent white-nationalist event that Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene attended in Florida. As if her implied acceptance of the groups flagrant racism wasnt bad enough, Greene took the stage even after the crowd applauded Russia and chanted Putins name. Add to that Cawthorns savage assessment of a U.S. ally that Russia is currently pounding mercilessly and his and other conservative votes against sanctioning Russia or providing military aid to Ukraine and its clear that, in this battle between a democracy and an autocracy, todays hard-right feels kinship with the latter. Is this trend toward Kremlin-coddling by the American right as simple as following Donald Trumps lead? For whatever mysterious reasons, the ex-presidents deference to Putin while he was in office was nothing less than bizarre. From his grotesque endorsement of Putins lies on the podium in Helsinki, to his abandonment of Kurdish military allies in Syria, to his undermining of the NATO alliance, to his attempt to strong-arm Zelensky for political help by endangering its defense against Russia, Trump couldnt have been more helpful to the Kremlin if hed been on its payroll. Trump, still in Putins thrall, initially called his invasion of Ukraine genius. After some blowback, he resorted to tougher language against Russia though he still refuses to say an unkind word regarding Putin. Even in a remarkable Fox News interview last week, in which Trump-friendly host Sean Hannity all but implored him to acknowledge that Putin is evil, Trump wouldnt do it. Hannity, for once, is right: Putin is evil. And the American rights embrace of this particular brand of evil indicates it isnt just Ukraines problem. Regarding "Pentagon says Poland's jet offer for Ukraine 'not tenable'" (March 8): In my opinion, President Joe Biden needs to get a backbone. He and Democratic lawmakers are refusing to transfer outdated Russian fighter jets to the Ukrainians, reasoning it might escalate the war. But they have forgotten some history lessons. They should remember how that the Russians provided missiles to communist Cuba in 1962 until President John F. Kennedy backed them down. Biden and the Democrats have also forgotten that the U.S. provided millions in military aid in the Bay of Pigs conflict and that Russia provided planes and missiles to North Vietnam in order to kill American pilots. Democrats also don't remember that the U.S. provided military hardware for the people of Afghanistan to combat the Russian invasion into their country. The Polish MiG-29 fighter jets in question are not an immediate game changer but could be used to help bomb and strafe the many missile and rocket positions that are killing the Ukrainians. But once all of the airfields in Ukraine are neutralized, it will be too late to give Ukrainians the jets. I would like to see Biden to get off his hands and knees and provide America and the world a little leadership. Paul Lewis St. Peters How to Save Money in OTT with AI Learn more about AI and streaming at Streaming Media East 2022. Read the complete transcript of this clip: Nadine Krefetz: Realistically, you're training a system with information to look for certain things. And in Zixi's case, you're training within the transfer side. In Michael's case, it could be on the production side or the monetization side. For Ethan, realistically, if you're not getting cost savings, what kind of value are you seeing? Because now we started to talk about the fact that you can have people doing other things, but Ethan, for instance, are there things that you are having delivered, is there value that you are creating, that you could not create in another way? Ethan Dreilinger: From our perspective, you can create the value in another way, but to create that value in another way would be far more costly than applying AI to it. And I think if you look at the economies of scale, it's not just an OPEX/CapEx discussion. It's really about user experience. And then ultimately on the advertising side, what the value of that is. So you go back to like the first example that I had where, as far as weather goes, all I want to know is the pollen count, right? All the rest of the stuff is just useful information to me, but pollen count to me is actionable. We can start to target that because now the AI knows that that's of interest to me. So you can start to send ads to me that are tailored to that. It also makes experience better. So this way, when I go looking for weather, I'm gonna go back to the place that has that information easy for me to find, making it simple and making my life better. Downstream of any AI that was applied, it makes my life better as an end user. So it goes back into the stack. It's the same as what Eric is doing at Zixi, where, on that QoE, if you can continue to deliver great streams of high quality, I'm not gonna fall off of it. I'm not going to say, that stream was awful. I'm not going back to that anymore, deleting that app, because I know I'm gonna get a consistent experience. And I think there's a lot of value in that. It's not value that hits a ledger anywhere, but it's value to the brand and to the end user. Nadine Krefetz: But would you say you are able to create something with machine learning that you would not be able to create otherwise? Ethan Dreilinger: Oh, absolutely. And again and again, that goes into that application of AI or machine learning into your particular foundation. and what you're looking to do with it. We've done some projects where we were creating highlights using AI, no humans involved, just creating highlights from different sporting events. We've done some stuff on the political side with residential and congressional debates where you're pulling out the highlights of the debates and sort of matching up the responses. So they kind of make some sense and stuff along those lines. So there's a lot of value to be created there, Is there an audience for that? That's the next question you have to figure out. And then obviously there are some ways to use AI to find the audience for that stuff you've just created. Probably not a great business model, but you can then start to use those AI learnings that you've got. With what Michael's doing with transcriptions, if discovery is the next step from that, let's take those transcriptions, and feed them back into a natural-language understanding model. And then you can start to create derivatives of that programming and start to serve up some bite-sized pieces of programming that drive people back into full content. So there's lots of different ways to start to apply that and create value from it. Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus. Related Articles The Biggest Misconceptions About AI Video Workflow Automation Zixi VP of Business Development Eric Bolten discusses some of the prevailing misconceptions about AI/ML video workflow automation in this clip from Streaming Media Connect 2022. Companies and Suppliers Mentioned - Strengthens firms formal commitment to ESG - Adds to existing environmental commitments including to Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI) and Climate Action 100+ FOSTER CITY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Bailard, Inc., an independent, values-driven wealth and asset management firm in the San Francisco Bay Area, is pleased to announce that it has furthered its commitment to mitigating climate change risk in its portfolio and driving corporate climate disclosure by becoming an investor signatory to CDP (formerly known as the Carbon Disclosure Project), the non-profit that runs the global environmental disclosure system. As an investor signatory, Bailard joins a group of 680+ financial institutions, with over $130 trillion in assets, requesting disclosures using CDPs climate change, deforestation, and water security questionnaires, which are fully aligned with the recommendations issued by the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD). Additionally, the membership affords Bailard access to the most up-to-date research from the worlds largest corporate environmental dataset, which it will use to inform its investment process and its corporate engagement activities. Last year, over 3,100 public companies reported environmental data to investors through CDPs disclosure system. Bailard is already a signatory to the Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI) and the Climate Action 100+. With this CDP signature, Bailard builds upon its formal commitment to Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG). Companies differ drastically on carbon performance, climate goals, and the disclosure of related information. To reach alignment with the Paris Accords and achieve net-zero, we need climate change-informed investment decision-making, backed by accurate carbon emissions disclosure from all economic players, said Blaine Townsend, CIMC, CIMA, Executive Vice President and Director of Sustainable, Responsible and Impact Investing at Bailard. Townsend continued, CDP is driving transparency, accountability, and action through the carbon data it gathers from thousands of companies, cities, states, and regions around the world. Bailard is committed to being a climate leader through our investment approach, our corporate engagement, and our client engagement in support of carbon disclosure and climate action. Our signature to the CDP reflects our dedication to ensuring we are functioning as a good actor in our industry, said Sonya Mughal, CFA, CEO of Bailard. We are a company committed to our valueson behalf of the individuals, families, and institutions we serve, as well as with respect to our own corporate engagement. About Bailard, Inc. Founded in 1969, Bailard is an independent asset and wealth management firm serving individuals, families, and institutions alike. Bailard has built a longterm asset management track record across domestic and international equities, fixed income, and private real estate, as well as robust, inhouse ESG expertise. These investment capabilities are combined with financial, tax, and estate planning to provide sophisticated and comprehensive wealth management. Through it alland in line with its core principles and strong ESG mindsetBailard works with clients to align their financial goals with their values. With over $5.5 billion under management, Bailard is a majority employeeowned and womenled firm, and a Principles of Responsible Investing (PRI) signatory. A valuesdriven firm based in the San Francisco Bay Area, Bailard has its own private charitable foundation and is deeply committed to its core values of accountability, compassion, courage, excellence, fairness, and independence. All information as of 12/31/2021. Neither Bailard nor any employee of Bailard can give tax or legal advice. Please consult your tax or legal professional for such advice. About CDP CDP is a global non-profit that runs the worlds environmental disclosure system for companies, cities, states and regions. Founded in 2000 and working with more than 680 investors with over $130 trillion in assets, CDP pioneered using capital markets and corporate procurement to motivate companies to disclose their environmental impacts, and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, safeguard water resources and protect forests. Over 14,000 organizations around the world disclosed data through CDP in 2021, including more than 13,000 companies, worth over 64% of global market capitalization, and over 1,100 cities, states and regions. Fully TCFD aligned, CDP holds the largest environmental database in the world, and CDP scores are widely used to drive investment and procurement decisions towards a zero carbon, sustainable and resilient economy. CDP is a founding member of the Science Based Targets initiative, We Mean Business Coalition, The Investor Agenda and the Net Zero Asset Managers initiative. Visit cdp.net or follow us @CDP to find out more. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220315005585/en/ Emma Clarke Vested for Bailard [email protected] 917-765-8720 Source: Bailard SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Broadmark Realty Capital Inc. (NYSE: BRMK) (the Company), an internally managed secured real estate finance company, today announced that its board of directors has declared a cash dividend of $0.07 per share of common stock for March 2022. The dividend will be payable on April 15, 2022 to stockholders of record as of March 31, 2022. Forward Looking Statements Certain statements made herein are not historical facts but are forward-looking statements for purposes of the safe harbor provisions under The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements generally are accompanied by words such as may, should, would, plan, intend, anticipate, believe, estimate, predict, potential, seem, seek, continue, future, will, expect, outlook or other similar words, phrases or expressions. These statements are based on the current expectations and are not predictions of actual performance. In addition, actual results are subject to other risks and uncertainties that relate more broadly to the Companys overall business, including those more fully described in the Companys filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of performance, and speak only as of the date made, and the Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements except as required by law. About Broadmark Realty Capital Broadmark Realty Capital Inc. (NYSE: BRMK) is a specialty real estate finance company, providing financing solutions generally in the $2 to $50 million range across the entire debt capital stack for commercial and residential real estate opportunities throughout the United States. Broadmark is particularly well equipped to address complex financing requirements that require rapid response, investing across a variety of market conditions and economic cycles. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220315006038/en/ Investor Relations [email protected] 206-623-7782 Source: Broadmark Realty Capital Inc. TORONTO--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Chemtrade Logistics Income Fund (TSX: CHE.UN) announced a comprehensive set of ESG targets that it will track and monitor. A summary of each of the targets is shown in the table below. Additional details are contained in Chemtrades 2021 Annual Information Form that is available on Chemtrades website (Chemtradelogistics.com) and on SEDAR (Sedar.com). Scott Rook, President and CEO said I am pleased to announce today our comprehensive ESG targets at Chemtrade. These targets are consistent with our strategy of being a leading example of ESG in the North American chemical industry. Achieving these targets will require a lot of hard work from everybody on our team. We are committed to achieving these targets as these are the right things to do for all our stakeholders. ESG TARGETS Environmental GHG and other air emissions Reduce or offset 2021 baseline direct greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions emitted from sources we own or control (Scope 1 emissions) by 50% by 2025 Including all future acquisitions, maintain GHG intensity (kg GHG/kg product) below the chemical industry average (based on Chemistry Industry Association of Canada data) Industrial and Hazardous Waste Reduce high clay alumina landfill disposal by an additional 20% of 2021 baseline by 2025 Energy Management Ensure a minimum of 85% of our electricity usage is from hydroelectric or other renewable sources and maintain this target when making acquisitions Social Workforce Health and Safety Achieve employee occupational injury/illness incident rates (OIR) of 0.7 by 2025 Avoid all serious injuries or fatalities for employees and contractors in 2022 and beyond Operational Safety, Emergency Preparedness and Response Reduce Level 1 spills or releases by 50% of 2021 baseline by 2025 Reduce the number of transportation incidents by 40% of 2021 baseline by 2025 Employee Engagement and Diversity Achieve industry benchmark employee engagement survey results by 2023 Across the organization, fill 40% of vacancies with black, Indigenous and people of colour (BIPOC) and/or women by 2024 Achieve 50% BIPOC and/or women in all management positions by end of 2025 Governance Corporate Governance and Business Ethics Demonstrate leadership on ESG by reporting material Sustainable Accounting Standards Board (SASB) factors in alignment with Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosure model (Governance, Strategy, Risk Management, Metrics and Targets) Incorporate ESG into short term and long-term incentive plans of executives starting in 2022 About Chemtrade Chemtrade operates a diversified business providing industrial chemicals and services to customers in North America and around the world. Chemtrade is one of North Americas largest suppliers of sulphuric acid, spent acid processing services, inorganic coagulants for water treatment, sodium chlorate, sodium nitrite, sodium hydrosulphite and phosphorus pentasulphide. Chemtrade is a leading regional supplier of sulphur, chlor-alkali products, liquid sulphur dioxide, and zinc oxide. Additionally, Chemtrade provides industrial services such as processing by-products and waste streams. Caution Regarding Forward-Looking Statements Certain statements contained in this news release constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of certain securities laws, including the Securities Act (Ontario). Forward-looking statements can be generally identified by the use of words such as anticipate, continue, estimate, expect, expected, intend, may, will, project, plan, should, believe and similar expressions. Specifically, forward-looking statements in this news release include statements respecting certain future expectations about: Chemtrades ability to meet each of the ESG targets within the respective timelines noted. Forward-looking statements in this news release describe the expectations of the Fund and its subsidiaries as of the date hereof. These statements are based on assumptions and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results or events to differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking statements for a variety of reasons, including without limitation the risks and uncertainties detailed under the RISK FACTORS section of the Funds latest Annual Information Form and the RISKS AND UNCERTAINTIES section of the Funds most recent Managements Discussion & Analysis. Although the Fund believes the expectations reflected in these forward-looking statements and the assumptions upon which they are based are reasonable, no assurance can be given that actual results will be consistent with such forward-looking statements, and they should not be unduly relied upon. Except as required by law, the Fund does not undertake to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or for any other reason. The forward-looking statements contained herein are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220314005816/en/ Rohit Bhardwaj Chief Financial Officer Tel: (416) 496-4177 Ryan Paull Business Development Manager Tel: (973) 515-1831 Source: Chemtrade Logistics Income Fund Chief Financial Officer Brian Cohen and General Counsel John Milton Bring a Wealth of Experience Scaling Global Technology Companies DANVERS, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- DemandScience, a global B2B data company that partners with customers to upgrade their sales pipelines, today announced it has named two new members to its senior executive team. Chief Financial Officer Brian Cohen and General Counsel John Milton bring impressive leadership experience at high-growth public and privately held technology companies including Fuze, Logz.io, Markforged, BitSight, Imprivata, and Symantec. I am thrilled that Brian Cohen and John Milton are joining our executive team. DemandScience is accelerating growth on many fronts our market share, revenue, customers, and global workforce are all at record levels and we will benefit from their experience in scaling global companies, said DemandScience Chair and CEO Peter Cannone. Chief Financial Officer Brian Cohen is a Boston-based financial and operational executive with a 30-year track record at global technology and SaaS businesses, most recently as CFO of Logz.io. Previously he was CFO at BitSight Technologies, where he helped spearhead the companys growth of over 300% in three years, and DigitalOcean, where he led an $83 million equity financing, a $180 million syndicated credit facility and supported the 400% growth of the business. As General Counsel, John Milton brings DemandScience knowledge gained from over 25 years helping Fuze, Markforged, Imprivata, EqualLogic, Symantec and others achieve their domestic and international growth objectives, and manage intellectual property, data privacy, compliance, and transactions. Milton most recently served as General Counsel at Fuze, which was acquired earlier this year by 8x8. Cohen succeeds Gary Kraemer, who recently retired after serving as DemandSciences CFO for three and a half years. Commenting on Kraemers retirement, Cannone said, On behalf of everyone at DemandScience, Id like to thank Gary for the countless contributions he made to our company. We all wish Gary a wonderful and well-deserved retirement after his distinguished four-decade career in finance. About DemandScience DemandScience is a global B2B data company that partners with customers to upgrade their sales pipelines. Our accurate data and predictive insights enable B2B sales and marketing professionals to identify, activate, and convert the right buyers at the right time and achieve their growth goals. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220315005077/en/ Media: Derek Beckwith, Senior Director, Corporate Communications, 617-331-3567, [email protected] Source: DemandScience Successful strategic repositioning: strengthening of the Spine business (+62% in 2021) with the acquisition of OSD and divestment of MADISONTM Sharp increase of 46% in the gross margin, to 3.72 million 22% improvement in the net result BORDEAUX, France & BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Regulatory News: IMPLANET (Euronext Growth: ALIMP, FR0013470168, eligible for PEA-PME equity savings plans), a medical technology company specializing in vertebral implants, announces its results for the financial year to December 31, 2021, approved by the Board of Directors on March 14, 2022. Ludovic Lastennet, IMPLANETs CEO, said: 2021, which was marked by the acquisition of OSD and the divestment of our Knee business, was a pivotal year for Implanet. The reorganization of our operations has already started to bear fruit, with a significant improvement in our revenue and gross margin over the period, and should show its full potential in 2022. These achievements were accompanied by our continuous investment policy, which aims to enhance our vertebral implant range, and the signing of new partnerships, essential to our continued commercial development. Continuing on from 2021, and in keeping with the strategic routes we have been following for the last two years, our target is to strengthen our presence abroad, and more specifically in the United States. 2022 has got off to a good start, with the first surgical procedures with both JAZZ PF and ORIGIN, and should see an acceleration following the postponements of surgical procedures observed in 2021. Income statement In thousands consolidated accounts, IFRS 2021 2020 restated Change Revenue 6,140 3,892 58% Cost of goods sold - 2,420 - 1,339 81% Gross margin 3,721 2,553 46% Gross margin % 60.6% 65.6% Operating costs -8,040 -5,860 37% Recurring operating profit/loss - 4,319 -3,307 -31% Other non-recurring operating income/expenses -323 -135 139% Operating profit/loss -4,642 -3,442 -35% Financial profit/loss 46 -293 116% Net profit/loss from continuing business -4,597 -3,735 -23% Net p/l and divestment price of divested business 1,509 -240 - Net result -3,088 -3,976 22% N.B.: The 2020 result includes restatements associated with the divestment of the MADISONTM business in accordance with IFRS 5: Non-current assets held for sale and discontinued operations. As per this standard, revenue generated by MADISONTM activity up to October 29, 2021 (date of its divestment to SERF) and related operating expenses are classified as divested business under the net profit/loss from continuing business. 2021 revenue: substantial increase of 58% 2021 consolidated revenue, restated for the MADISONTM business in accordance with IFRS 5, totaled 6.1 million, up 58% compared with the previous year. Excluding the restatement of the MADISONTM business, revenue would have been 7.7 million, up 29% compared with 2020 not restated. Spine activity recorded very strong growth of 62%, with revenue totaling 6.1 million in 2021. OSDs contribution to revenue (between May 19 and December 31, 2021) corresponded to 2.0 million. Hence, despite the still substantial impact of COVID-19 in 2021, the Spine business generated organic growth of 8%. In France, Spine activity more than doubled to 2.7 million. The Rest of the World generated revenue of 2.0 million, giving very buoyant growth of 168% compared with 2020. Lastly, the United Sates saw revenue decline by 20% to 1.4 million, a decrease primarily due to surgical operations being postponed and SeaSpines orders being pushed back. Sharp increase in the gross margin and improvement in the net result The gross margin improved by 46% between 2020 and 2021, increasing from 2.55 million to 3.72 million. Over the period, recurring operating expenses increased by 2.18 million, notably as a result of OSDs operating expenses of 1.34 million (from May 19, 2021). Implanet also continued its investments in R&D, quality control and regulatory affairs in order to maintain its technological lead and secure marking and marketing approvals for its implants. The recurring operating loss was 4.32 million in 2021, versus a loss of 3.31 million in 2020. Other non-recurring operating expenses correspond to the costs incurred for the acquisition of OSD. Taking into account these exceptional items and the financial result, the net loss from continuing business was 4.60 million in 2021 versus a loss of 3.74 million in 2020. Furthermore, the net profit of divested business (MADISONTM) was 1.51 million in 2021, compared with a loss of 0.24 million in 2020. The 2021 figure includes net income of 1.52 million from the divestment of the MADISONTM business. Certain price supplements, which could depend on regulatory approvals or sales generated with partner KiCo, for a total of 1.35 million, were on grounds of caution not booked at the end of the year, and will be booked at a later time depending on the approvals and sales mentioned above. As a result, in 2021 the net loss improved by 22%, from -3.98 million to -3.09 million. The Company is committed to continuing its cost controls, and the reorganization of operations with its new OSD subsidiary completed at the end of September 2021 should bear fruit in 2022. Cash position At December 31, 2021, Implanet had a cash position of 1.87 million. At the same time, the payment of the remaining balance on the divestment price of the MADISONTM knee business, i.e. 2.3 million, is being spread over time depending on the achievement of regulatory milestones relating to CE marking, with 0.6 million of this balance expected to be received in 2022. Lastly, in January 2021 the Company signed a convertible bond program with Nice & Green for a total of 5.0 million. At December 31, 2.1 million is still available and remains to be subscribed to by Nice & Green. Given these elements, the Company considers that it has sufficient working capital for the next 12 months. Furthermore, it is continuing to review additional solutions to finance its development. Key 2021 highlights Acquisition of Orthopaedic & Spine Development (OSD), which specializes in developing, manufacturing and marketing implants for spine surgery Signature of a distribution contract in Germany with ulrich GmbH & Co. KG for Implanets JAZZ implants and the OSD cervical plate Signing of an exclusive agreement with GLOBUS MEDICAL for the distribution of its REFLECT scoliosis correction system to 15 French university centers specialized in pediatric spine surgery Divestment of the MADISONTM knee prosthesis range to the MENIX Groups SERF company Key events since the end of 2021 First surgical procedures in the United States with JAZZ PF, innovative solution from the JAZZ range First surgical operations in the United States with the ORIGIN cervical plate, marking the first successes of the synergies with OSD products 2022 strategy and outlook Finalize the globalization of our product offer for Spine surgery: Sustain the product synergies initiated in 2021 on our priority direct sales markets; Address emerging group purchasing concerns, both in the public sector and in private facility groups. Revitalize our presence in the United States: Add to the existing commercial team; Strengthen our direct approach by expanding our opinion leader scientific team; Launch, in 2022, two more product ranges resulting from the acquisition of OSD: SWINGO and ORIGIN. Seek strategic partnerships to allow Implanet to enter a new phase and achieve revenue leading to financial equilibrium in the short / medium term. About IMPLANET Founded in 2007, IMPLANET is a medical technology company that manufactures high-quality implants for orthopedic surgery. Its activity revolves around a comprehensive innovative solution for improving the treatment of spinal pathologies (JAZZ) complemented by the product range offered by Orthopaedic & Spine Development (OSD), acquired in May 2021 (thoraco-lumbar screws, cages and cervical plates). Implanets tried-and-tested orthopedic platform is based on the traceability of its products. Protected by four families of international patents, JAZZ has obtained 510(k) regulatory clearance from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the United States, the CE mark in Europe and ANVISA approval in Brazil. IMPLANET employs 39 staff and recorded a consolidated revenue of 6.1 million in 2021. Based near Bordeaux in France, IMPLANET opened a US subsidiary in Boston in 2013. IMPLANET is listed on the Euronext Growth market in Paris. For further information, please visit www.implanet.com. The Company would like to remind readers that the table for monitoring the equity line (OCA, BSA) and the number of shares outstanding is available on its website: http://www.implanet-invest.com/suivi-des-actions-80 View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220315006056/en/ IMPLANET Ludovic Lastennet, CEO David Dieumegard, CFO Tel.: +33 (0)5 57 99 55 55 [email protected] NewCap Investor Relations Mathilde Bohin Nicolas Fossiez Tel.: +33 (0)1 44 71 94 94 [email protected] NewCap Media Relations Nicolas Merigeau Tel.: +33 (0)1 44 71 94 94 [email protected] Source: IMPLANET Grant program will offer support for education and professional development WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- MPOWER Financing, a mission-driven fintech firm and the leading provider of education loans to promising international students, has partnered with the North American Association of Indian Students (NAAIS), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, to provide grants supporting dependent visa students in their efforts to pursue higher education and professional development. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220315005040/en/ (Graphic: Business Wire) Dependent visa students, also called documented dreamers, immigrated legally as children accompanying their parents, who typically arrived in the U.S. on a long-term visa. But at age 21, these children lose their dependent status, are no longer eligible to stay in the U.S. under their parents visas. Many choose to stay in the U.S. through an F-1 student visa while attending college. According to the American Immigration Council, there are more than 200,000 dependent visa students in the U.S., primarily from India and China. Recipients of the MPOWER and NAAIS grant must be in the U.S. on an F-1 student visa and can use grant funds for a variety of educational and professional development expenses. The Hidden Dream, a community organization for dependent visa students, will perform outreach and administration of the grant. Since our founding, MPOWER has been on the forefront of financing education for high-promise students. We are the only lender to international and DACA students without a U.S. cosigner or collateral, and we firmly believe dependent visa students deserve access to higher education, said Manu Smadja, CEO and Co-Founder of MPOWER Financing. This strategic partnership with NAAIS allows us to better serve these students, helping them realize their full academic and career potential. Dependent visa students are a strong but vulnerable segment of the Indian-American community facing a long or nonexistent path to permanent residency, which impedes their education, upward mobility and future in the United States, said Sudhanshu Kaushik, Executive Director of NAAIS. Thanks to MPOWERs proprietary algorithm and proven track record in nontraditional lending, this partnership puts us in a better position to build new paths to success for dependent visa students. About MPOWER Financing MPOWER Financing, headquartered in Washington, D.C., and with employees worldwide, is a mission-driven fintech company and the leading provider of global education loans. It is the only student lender worldwide that uses a proprietary algorithm to analyze overseas and domestic credit data as well as future earning potential to serve promising international and DACA students. MPOWER works with nearly 400 top universities across the U.S. and Canada to provide financing to students from over 200 countries. The MPOWER team consists heavily of former international students and provides students with personal financial education and career support to prepare for life after school. MPOWER was named one of the best places to work, one of the best tech workplaces for diversity, and one of American Bankers top fintech firms to work for four years in a row. MPOWER is backed by Tilden Park Capital Management, King Street Capital Management, ETS Strategic Capital, Drakes Landing Associates, Pennington Alternative Income Management, Zephyr Peacock, Breega, Potencia Ventures, Goal Solutions, Gray Matters Capital, Cometa, AI8, DreamIt, 1776, Village Capital, Fresco, K Street, and University Ventures. About the North American Association of Indian Students The North American Association of Indian Students (NAAIS) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that was founded in 2020. The organizations mission is to identify, educate, and mobilize students of Indian origin to foster a thriving community. As a nonpartisan umbrella organization, NAAIS seeks to represent the 800,000+ students of Indian origin studying in the United States and Canada with the aim of giving them a unified voice. For more information, please visit https://naais.org/. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220315005040/en/ Kelly Ferraro [email protected] Source: MPOWER Financing DUBAI, United Arab Emirates--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Hytera (SZSE: 002583), the global leading provider of professional communications equipment and solutions, is proud that its PoC radios showcased at Expo 2020 Dubai are also endorsed by multiple national pavilions and enterprises for security communication, including Australia, Kazakhstan, Switzerland, Emaar Hospitality, Emirates and RTA securities. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220314005928/en/ (Photo: Business Wire) World Expo 2020 is currently hosted by Dubai in the United Arab Emirates from October 1, 2021 to March 31, 2022, with the theme Connecting Minds, Creating the Future. Expo 2020 Dubai is the first World Expo ever hosted in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia (MEASA) region. There are more than 200 participants including nations, multilateral organizations, businesses and educational institutions. To date, 192 nations from across the world have confirmed their participation in Expo 2020. 26 Presidents and world leaders have visited Expo 2020 Dubai so far. During Expo 2020 Dubai, Hytera's products are widely used by national pavilions and security staff. Different from traditional radios, Hytera PoC radios enable users for both voice and video communication, thus enhancing the efficiency for security professionals. In addition, Hytera's latest PMR-LTE convergent Multi-mode Advanced Radios, 4G body-worn cameras and other innovative products are also favored by public safety, industrial and commercial customers. Kenneth Liang, country manager of Hytera Dubai, said, Hytera has been exploring the market in the Middle East for more than fifteen years, and has established many in-depth cooperation relationships with local governments and enterprises. Airports, factories and other commercial customers are using Hytera's products. We hope that Hytera will be introduced to more customers via World Expo Dubai in both the Middle East and the world. Despite the great challenges posed by the global pandemic, national and regional daily activities are gradually resuming. As the broadband, intelligent and integrated products enter a period of upgrade, Hytera's overseas business is going to see plenty of opportunities. About Hytera Hytera Communications Corporation Limited (SZSE: 002583) is a leading global provider of professional communications technologies and solutions. With voice, video and data capabilities, we provide faster, safer, and more versatile connectivity for business and mission critical users. We enable our customers to achieve more in both daily operations and emergency response to make the world more efficient and safer. Visit Hytera official website: https://bit.ly/3MM5MSm View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220314005928/en/ Jia Liu [email protected] Source: Hytera Communications Corporation Limited - Omniscients revolutionary connectomic brain mapping platform, Quicktome, is the worlds first and only software to non-invasively map human brain networks in astonishing detail - SXSWs Innovation Awards recognize globally significant, novel and promising technological advances in the fields of artificial intelligence (A.I.) and machine learning AUSTIN, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Omniscient Neurotechnology Pty (o8t), a neuroscience company focused on mapping and quantifying the human brain, announced that its Quicktome automated brain mapping platform has won the 2022 South By Southwest (SXSW) Innovation Award, which acknowledges the most exciting tech developments in the connected world. Quicktome was lauded for its innovative ability to harness A.I. and machine learning to create a uniquely powerful view into the brains connections. By harnessing artificial intelligence and machine learning, we are generating insights into the complexities of the brain in ways that were never before possible and bringing this power to doctors, researchers, therapeutics developers & brain technology innovators around the world, said Dr. Stephane Doyen, Chief Data Scientist and co-founder of Omniscient Neurotechnology. The company is a world leader in a rising branch of neuroscience called connectomics. Using advanced analytic techniques, the Quicktome platform can build a precision brain map from a standard MRI scan personalized to the individual in less than one hour. It is the only software commercially available today for mapping the brains higher cognitive and emotional regulation networks. The company is building applications for neurology, mental health and human performance. In a world first, Quicktome was recently cleared by the U.S. FDA for use by neurosurgeons in planning life-altering brain surgery. The tool provides neurosurgeons with a unique and personalized map of each patients brain networks prior to surgery, which may help surgeons minimize risks and maximize outcomes for their patients. Its invigorating to have the tech community share in our excitement about connectomic brain mapping and its positive impact on healthcare and humankind. This award from SXSW recognizes the profound significance of the Quicktome platform in unlocking the mysteries of the brain and reinforces our confidence in our mission to improve the lives of billions through connectomics, said Stephen Scheeler, CEO. The Quicktome platform was announced as the winner of the awards A.I. & Machine Learning category, which evaluates digital systems that replicate learning, problem-solving, and cognition. SXSW is an annual celebration of ingenuity and a destination for creators and technologists. It brings pioneers in these areas together through conferences and film, interactive media and music festivals. About the Quicktome Platform Quicktome is the worlds most advanced digital brain mapping platform that provides doctors, researchers, therapeutics developers and brain technology innovators with a personalized picture and understanding of an individuals brain networks. Such insights help inform doctors prior to administering precision brain medicine therapies such as neurosurgery; allow researchers to explore the deep complexities of the human brain; enable therapeutics developers to engineer more precise treatments; and help brain technology innovators to build new tools for improving brain performance. An individuals brain networks are responsible for everything from their ability to talk and move to their thoughts and emotions. Brain maps can help scientists and doctors pinpoint specific locations in individual brains for treatment, research or augmentation. To do this, Quicktome analyzes millions of data points derived from a standard MRI and produces a personalized connectomic brain map in less than one hour, for use on any device. This makes brain mapping completely non-invasive for individuals and practical for doctors, researchers, therapeutics developers & innovators alike. The launch of the Quicktome platform is a milestone that combines decades of connectomics research the study of brain connections with cutting-edge algorithms and cloud computing. Quicktome has received regulatory clearance in the United States, Canada and Australia for use in neurosurgery. About Omniscient Neurotechnology Omniscient Neurotechnology (o8t) is a neuroscience company focused on brain health, and a world leader in the field of connectomics. It is led by a team of physicians, data scientists and big-tech experts who are building digital brain maps to help science better understand, treat and prevent brain health conditions. The companys aim is to use its intelligence augmentation software to find biomarkers, create diagnostic tools, refine therapeutic targeting and track disease progression. Headquartered in Sydney, Australia with additional offices throughout the world, the company is poised to change the future of neuroscience and make advanced brain-mapping technology accessible to all. To learn more, visit o8t.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220314005890/en/ Media: Kyle Owens [email protected] +1 (908) 947-0500 x709 Source: Omniscient Neurotechnology Independent retailers in Nationwide Marketing Groups network offered member-only access to the LTO leaders e-commerce, app-based, and in-store fintech products SALT LAKE CITY--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Progressive Leasing, a leading provider of e-commerce, app-based, and in-store lease-to-own solutions, announces a partnership with Nationwide Marketing Group, North Americas leading buying, marketing and operational support organization for independent retailers in the major appliances, consumer electronics, furniture, bedding, home theater, and outdoor industries. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220315005319/en/ The partnership offers thousands of retailers in Nationwides independent merchant network member-specific access to Progressive Leasings innovative e-commerce, app-based, and in-store lease-to-own products and technologies. By enabling Progressive Leasing's flexible payment options, all Nationwide merchant members can offer customers an additional way to gain access to their preferred payment structure powered by seamless transactions. Nationwides members can also utilize Progressive Leasings proprietary ProgCentral platform to easily manage every aspect of their lease-to-own business from a computer, tablet, or mobile device, while enhanced plug-ins for Salesforce Commerce Cloud, Adobe Commerce, and WordPress offer a plug-and-play retailer experience optimized for easy integration of Progressive Leasing into existing shopping websites. Our partnership with Nationwide Marketing Group provides Progressive Leasing a trusted introduction to thousands of small and medium sized retailers across the country, said Mike Giordano, Progressive Leasings Chief Commercial Officer. Nationwides members can now help grow their business by offering their customers the transparent and flexible payment options they want, backed by Progressive Leasings industry-leading technologies, decisioning, and customer support. As one of the most-respected vendors in the lease-to-own space, Progressive Leasing has proven to be a stable and sustainable partner for independent retailers looking to expand their LTO options, says Megann McDaniel, director of financial services for Nationwide Marketing Group. We are excited to now be able to offer Progressive Leasings flexible payment options to our members. Dozens of Nationwides member retailers have contacted Progressive Leasing to add or extend their lease-to-own payment options following the announcement of the partnership at last months PrimeTime event, Nationwides semi-annual buying, education, and networking opportunity for independent retailers. Members of Nationwides independent merchant network looking to learn more about integrating Progressive Leasings lease-to-own payment options to their e-commerce or in-store checkout processes should use Nationwides Membernet to contact their local Progressive Leasing representative for more information. About Progressive Leasing Progressive Leasing is a leading provider of e-commerce, app-based, and in-store point-of-sale lease-to-own solutions that provide transparent and competitive payment options and flexible terms intended to help credit challenged consumers achieve merchandise ownership. The company has helped millions of consumers acquire furniture, appliances, jewelry, electronics, mattresses, cell phones, and other products consumers need by utilizing a technology-based proprietary platform that provides instant decisioning results. Progressive Leasing is owned by PROG Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: PRG), a fintech holding company based in Salt Lake City, Utah. More information on Progressive Leasing can be found on the companys website, https://progleasing.com. About Nationwide Marketing Group Nationwide Marketing Group works on behalf of thousands of independent appliance, furniture, bedding, electronics, specialty electronics, and custom installers helping them grow their businesses and thrive on their own terms. With more than 5,000 members operating some 14,000 storefronts, Nationwide Marketing Group is the largest buying, marketing, and business support organization of its kind, representing billions in combined annual sales across the membership. For over 50 years, the organization has remained committed to the independent channel, empowering members with the scale, sophistication, and efficiencies they need to compete while delivering the unmatched business intelligence, tools and resources required to win in an ever-changing business environment. To learn more, visit nationwidegroup.org. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220315005319/en/ Progressive Leasing Investor Contact John A. Baugh, CFA VP, Investor Relations [email protected] Progressive Leasing Media Contact Mark Delcorps Director, Corporate Communications [email protected] Nationwide Marketing Group Media Contact Amy Croom Director, PR & Communications [email protected] Source: Progressive Leasing PARIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Regulatory News: Publicis Groupe [Euronext Paris FR0000130577, CAC 40] (Paris: PUB) today announces that it is stopping its business and investments in Russia by ceding the ownership of its agencies to local management, effective immediately. Publicis Groupe is handing over control of its Russian operations to Sergey Koptev, Founding Chairman of Publicis in Russia, with the clear contractual condition of ensuring a future for employees there. Since the start of the invasion, we have been working on exiting Russia as we strongly condemn the unilateral aggression against Ukraine. We were committed to taking strong actions that fully respond to the gravity of the situation. But we were determined to take the necessary time to come with a solution that was truly people-first, because our 1200 employees in Russia are our people too. We couldnt just abandon them. By ceding control of our Russian operations to Sergey, we are securing a future path for our colleagues while immediately stopping all of our operations, engagement and investment in Russia, said Arthur Sadoun, CEO & Chairman of Publicis Groupe. As the violence and humanitarian crises in Ukraine deepen, Publicis first priority remains the safety of its people and their families. The Groupe is more committed than ever to bringing them the security, relocation and financial support they need in this incredibly difficult time. The safety of our people in Ukraine remains our number one focus. We are in daily contact with all 350 of them on an individual basis and doing everything we can to protect them. From security alert systems, to psychological and mental health support, to help with visas, or guaranteeing salaries for everyone for the entire year, we will continue to stand by their side, be exhaustive in the solutions we bring and immediate in the aid we provide Sadoun added. About Publicis Groupe - The Power of One Publicis Groupe [Euronext Paris FR0000130577, CAC 40] is a global leader in communication. The Groupe is positioned at every step of the value chain, from consulting to execution, combining marketing transformation and digital business transformation. Publicis Groupe is a privileged partner in its clients transformation to enhance personalization at scale. The Groupe relies on ten expertise concentrated within four main activities: Communication, Media, Data and Technology. Through a unified and fluid organization, its clients have a facilitated access to all its expertise in every market. Present in over 100 countries, Publicis Groupe employs around 87,000 professionals. www.publicisgroupe.com | Twitter: @PublicisGroupe | Facebook | LinkedIn | YouTube | Viva la Difference! View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220315006106/en/ Publicis Groupe Delphine Stricker Corporate Communications +33 (0)6 38 81 40 00 [email protected] Lizzie Dewhurst Corporate Communications EMEA + 44 (0)79 49 918194 [email protected] Michelle McGowan Corporate Communications US +1 312 220 40 73 [email protected] Alessandra Girolami Investor Relations +33 (0)1 44 43 77 88 [email protected] Clemence Vermersch Investor Relations +33 (0)1 44 43 72 17 [email protected] Source: Publicis Groupe TORONTO--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Q4 Inc. (TSX: QFOR), a leading capital markets communications platform, announces its participation in upcoming investor events including fireside chat and investor conferences. March 29th, 2022: Canaccord Genuity Tech 2022, Themes in a Stock Picker's Market Darrell Heaps, Chief Executive Officer, will be participating in a virtual Fireside Chat at Canaccord Genuity Tech 2022: Themes in a Stock Pickers Market event. Darrell will be speaking on the Spending to be a Category Killer - Growth vs. Profitability panel at 9:00 am ET. Those interested in attending please register with Canaccord Genuity, via their Registration Link. March 28-30th, 2022: Maxim 2022 Virtual Growth Conference Darrell Heaps, Chief Executive Officer and Ryan Levenberg, Chief Financial Officer will host a virtual presentation and investor meetings on March 29th at the M-Vest Virtual Conference Series: 2022 Virtual Growth Conference. Those interested in attending can register here. The presentation will be available following the event at https://m-vest.com/events/2022-virtual-growth-conference/p/qfor. April 7th, 2022: Credit Suisse The Investor Landscape Hidden Gems Conference Q4 Inc. will be participating in the Credit Suisse Hidden Gems conference, April 7th in New York. The event will include in person investor meetings and panel discussions. We look forward to seeing investors in person. Following the event, a copy of the presentation will be on Q4s Investor website at https://investors.q4inc.com/. About Q4 Inc. Q4 Inc. (TSX: QFOR) is a leading capital markets communications platform that is transforming the way publicly traded companies, investors and investment banks make decisions to efficiently discover, communicate and engage with each other. The Q4 end-to-end technology platform facilitates interactions across the capital markets through its IR website products, virtual events solutions, capital markets CRM, shareholder and market analytics tools. The firm is a trusted partner to more than 2,600 public companies globally including many of the most respected brands in the world. Q4 is based in Toronto, with offices in New York and London. Learn more at q4inc.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220315006019/en/ Investor Relations: Sara Pearson, [email protected] Media Inquiries: Karen Greene, [email protected] Source: Q4 INC. MELBOURNE, Australia--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Rio Tinto welcomes the release today of a joint Commonwealth Government and First Nations Heritage Protection Alliance Discussion Paper designed to strengthen state and federal cultural heritage protection laws. Rio Tinto supports strengthening safeguards for cultural heritage at both state and Commonwealth legislative levels, including the reform process currently underway to ensure an incident like the destruction of rock shelters at Juukan Gorge in Western Australia never happens again. These reforms must ensure that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are placed at the centre of decision-making on matters relating to protection of their cultural heritage. Rio Tinto Chief Executive, Australia Kellie Parker said We have heard the call for Rio Tinto to play a greater role in the strengthening of state and Commonwealth cultural heritage protection laws. This call has been made by the Commonwealth Parliamentary Committee that inquired into the destruction of the Juukan Gorge rock shelters, Traditional Owners, the National Native Title Council, the First Nations Heritage Protection Alliance, and our investors. The call is reinforced in the Dhawura Ngilan Vision Statement. We firmly believe a co-design process with Traditional Owners will strengthen cultural heritage management and protection to ensure it is valued and celebrated for its intrinsic worth. There are and will be differences in views on how this will be best achieved but we will continue to work in close consultation with Traditional Owners and their representative organisations to better understand and protect their cultural heritage and ensure mining is done in the right way. Last month, Rio Tinto developed a joint management plan with the Yinhawangka Aboriginal Corporation in Western Australia. This plan ensures the protection of significant social and cultural heritage values, as part of the proposed development of the Western Range iron ore project in the Pilbara. It is the result of a strong collaboration between the Yinhawangka people and Rio Tinto. Kellie Parker said: Our determination not to repeat the events leading up to the destruction of the Juukan Gorge rock shelters is ingrained in everything we do. Significant changes continue to be made at all levels of our business. While we are hopeful we have put in place the right foundations for a better future, we know we will be judged by our actions and not our words. riotinto.com View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220314005953/en/ Please direct all enquiries to [email protected] Media Relations, UK Illtud Harri M +44 7920 503 600 David Outhwaite M +44 7787 597 493 Media Relations, Americas Matthew Klar T +1 514 608 4429 Media Relations, Australia Jonathan Rose M +61 447 028 913 Matt Chambers M +61 433 525 739 Jesse Riseborough M +61 436 653 412 Investor Relations, UK Menno Sanderse M: +44 7825 195 178 David Ovington M +44 7920 010 978 Clare Peever M +44 7788 967 877 Investor Relations, Australia Amar Jambaa M +61 472 865 948 Rio Tinto plc 6 St Jamess Square London SW1Y 4AD United Kingdom T +44 20 7781 2000 Registered in England No. 719885 Rio Tinto Limited Level 7, 360 Collins Street Melbourne 3000 Australia T +61 3 9283 3333 Registered in Australia ABN 96 004 458 404 Category: General Source: Rio Tinto BETHLEHEM, Pa.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Saladax Biomedical, Inc. (Saladax) is pleased to announce the signing of a global distribution agreement with Beckman Coulter, Inc. to distribute the MyCare Psychiatry Laboratory Assays. The MyCare Psychiatry Laboratory Assays measure drug levels of the antipsychotic drugs prescribed to treat patients with serious mental illness (SMI), such as such as Schizophrenia and Bipolar Disorder. Saladaxs assays address a significant unmet clinical need for patients with SMI by providing healthcare professionals (HCPs) a rapid, low-cost, and accurate antipsychotic drug blood level. These assays run on automated clinical analyzers in laboratories, significantly shortening the time to results as compared to traditional testing. Together with Beckman Coulter, Inc., a leading global manufacturer of automated clinical analyzers, we will greatly increase access to this testing to improve the care of patients with serious mental illness, stated Sal Salamone, CEO and Founder, Saladax. SMI is a significant public health concern. The estimated economic impact of SMI in the United States (U.S.) is more than $300 billion each year with the number of people that SMI affects growing rapidly. Current data shows that more than 13 million adults in the U.S. experienced SMI in the past year. That is more than 5% of the adult population.1 Schizophrenia and Bipolar Disease alone account for more than $88 billion dollars in direct healthcare costs.2 Recognizing the need to provide HCPs quantitative insights to manage patient therapy, clinical guidelines recommend the routine measuring and monitoring of drug levels. Saladax is positioned as the leading diagnostic company in the field of antipsychotic drug monitoring with 345 validated patents worldwide that cover 80% of the commercial tests run for antipsychotic drug therapeutic monitoring.3 I am very excited to launch this partnership with Beckman Coulter. The Beckman Coulter sales and support channels will increase the availability of these much-needed tests, stated Sal Salamone. This is a major step in allowing HCPs to make reliable assessments by providing timely quantitative insights. Beckman Coulters portfolio of therapeutic drug monitoring assays offers laboratories and diagnostic testing facilities ways to improve patient care by ensuring therapeutic ranges are maintained. Our relationship with Saladax expands access for laboratories and clinicians to antipsychotic drug testing for treatment of psychotic disorders, which is a growing healthcare need,4 said Kathleen Orland, senior vice president & general manager, clinical chemistry and immunoassay. To learn more about our Antipsychotic Drug Monitoring and Therapeutic Drug Monitoring menu, visit BeckmanCoulter.com/Antipsychotic. For more information about Beckman Coulters Antipsychotic Drug Testing addition to Therapeutic Drug Monitoring, visit www.beckmancoulter.com/antipsychotic. About Saladax Biomedical, Inc. Headquartered in Bethlehem, PA, Saladax Biomedical, Inc. is a privately held company that develops, manufactures, and markets assays that provide rapid therapeutic drug levels for essential and life-saving medicines prescribed by psychiatrists and oncologists. Since 2007, Saladax's proprietary technology has been used in clinical laboratories or point-of-care settings to assist clinicians in monitoring and optimizing patient care. Additionally, the company collaborates with leading pharmaceutical companies to develop tests for clinical trials and companion diagnostics. For more information, visit MyCareTests.com. About Beckman Coulter, Inc. Beckman Coulter is committed to advancing healthcare for every person by applying the power of science, technology, and the passion and creativity of our teams to enhance the diagnostic laboratorys role in improving healthcare outcomes. Our diagnostic systems are used in complex biomedical testing and found in hospitals, reference laboratories, and physician office settings around the globe. Beckman Coulter offers a unique combination of people, processes, and solutions designed to elevate the performance of clinical laboratories and healthcare networks. We do this by accelerating care with a menu that matters, bringing the benefit of automation to all, delivering greater insights through clinical informatics, and unlocking hidden value through performance partnership. A subsidiary of Danaher Corporation since 2011, Beckman Coulter, Inc. is headquartered in Brea, Calif., and has more than 11,000 global associates working diligently to make the world a healthier place. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (2020). Key substance use and mental health indicators in the United States: Results from the 2019 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (HHS Publication No. PEP20-07-01-001, NSDUH Series H-55). Rockville, MD: Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Bessonova L, Ogden K, The Economic Burden of Bipolar Disorder in the United States: A Systematic Literature review 2011. doi: 10.2147/CEOR.S259338 Magellan 2016 Rx Management Medicaid Trend Report. Therapeutic Drug Monitoring Market by Product, End-user, Drug Class, and Geography - Forecast and Analysis 2020-2024. https://www.technavio.com/report/therapeutic-drug-monitoring-market-industry-analysis 2022 Beckman Coulter. All rights reserved. Beckman Coulter, the stylized logo, and the Beckman Coulter product and service marks mentioned herein are trademarks or registered trademarks of Beckman Coulter, Inc. in the United States and other countries. 2022-10123 View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220308005075/en/ Saladax Biomedical, Inc. Salvatore Salamone [email protected] Source: Saladax Biomedical, Inc. Internal promotions coincide with firms 40th anniversary DALLAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Sunwest Communications is enhancing its Leader-Led Public Relations approach through the internal promotion of three Vice Presidents and one Senior Vice President in key industry verticals including: commercial real estate, consumer goods, corporate social responsibility, and its in-house creative services. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220315006161/en/ Sunwest Communications senior leaders, Lauren Dugger, Melodie Elliott, Wachelle Williams and Sydney Townsend. (Graphic: Business Wire) Wachelle Williams will continue to lead the agencys creative services in the newly appointed role of Senior Vice President of Creative. With two decades of marketing and design experience, Williams expertise yields striking visuals that clearly illustrate a clients messaging from inception to final execution. Sunwest veteran Lauren Dugger will serve as Vice President of Corporate Social Responsibility and Philanthropic Services, bringing with her a wealth of knowledge in the nonprofit sector. Since joining the firm, Dugger has managed strategic CSR planning, grant management, special events, community relations, and other initiatives for corporate and nonprofit clients. Melodie Elliott, a longstanding Sunwest team member, will lead the consumer division as the Vice President of Consumer Products, representing national brands in home improvement, home decor, CPG, and lifestyle industries. Elliotts expertise will further strengthen the services provided to consumer clients. With more than 17 years of experience with Sunwest, Sydney Townsend has been promoted to Vice President of Commercial Real Estate. The real estate teams client list encompasses mixed-use, office, industrial and multi-family developers, along with engineering, investment, and architectural firms. Sunwest Communications prides itself on being Leader-Led, which means our most experienced team members lead all client work, said Sunwest Owner and CEO, Crayton Webb. These four leaders have been instrumental in Sunwests success and exemplify the best of our core values over our 40-year history. Sunwest clients vary from international oil and gas corporations to real estate, finance, direct selling, technology, education, and consumer products companies. The firms services include brand and marketing communications, community relations & outreach, corporate communications, corporate philanthropy/CSR, creative services, crisis communications, media relations, public affairs, social media strategy, special event planning and spokesperson training. About Sunwest Communications: Founded in Dallas in 1982, Sunwest Communications helps companies and brands build trust, increase visibility, and reach business goals through strategic marketing and public relations initiatives. One of Texas leading public relations and public affairs firms, Sunwest develops tailored, strategic solutions that drive audience behavior for clients spanning industries and geography. For more information, visit sunwestpr.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220315006161/en/ Alejandra Ortiz [email protected] Source: Sunwest Communications Commercial launch of BIOCERA-VET product line in United Kingdom and Ireland in accordance with the development plan announced by the company Participation at the British Small Animal Veterinary Association congress in Mancherster (UK) from 24 to 26 March 2022 to support the launch GOSSELIES, Belgium--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Regulatory News: TheraVet (ISIN: BE0974387194 - ticker: ALVET), a pioneering company in the management of osteoarticular diseases in companion animals, announces today the commercial launch of BIOCERA-VET - its new generation bone substitute for bone surgery and for osteosarcoma - in the UK and Ireland. After the launches in Belgium, France and The Netherlands in 2021, TheraVet is pursuing, as announced in its development plan, its commercial expansion strategy. TheraVet enters the third largest European market with more than 16 million of companions (dogs and cats) in UK. By targeting this region, TheraVet is addressing a fast growing veterinary care market with an expected CAGR of +9.5% up to 20261. In 2020, the companion animal services market represented 6.2 billions, of which 2.1 billions2 dedicated to veterinary care. With over 23%3 of companion animals covered by health insurance, the UK is one of the countries with the highest coverage behind Sweden. To optimize its commercial deployment, the company has also launched in Ireland, a market that accounts for approximately 1 million companions. In order to support the launch of its products, TheraVet will be attending to the BSAVA (British Small Animal Veterinary Association) congress, a world-class conference in small animal veterinary medicine taking place in Manchester (UK) from 24 to 26 March 2022. This year, the conference will be also held in a hybrid format, you can attend online by registering at this link. About TheraVet SA TheraVet is a veterinary biotechnology company specialising in osteoarticular treatments for companion animals. The Company develops targeted, safe and effective treatments to improve the quality of life of pets suffering from joint and bone diseases. For pet owners, the health of their pets is a major concern and TheraVets mission is to address the need for innovative and curative treatments. TheraVet works closely with international opinion leaders in order to provide a more effective response to ever-growing needs in the field of veterinary medicine. TheraVet is listed on Euronext Growth Paris and Brussels, has its head office in Belgium (Gosselies) with a US subsidiary in Texas. For more information, visit the TheraVet website Or follow us on LinkedIn / Facebook / Twitter _________________________________ 1 https://www.mordorintelligence.com/industry-reports/united-kingdom-veterinary-healthcare-market-industry 2 https://www.statista.com/statistics/463662/pet-care-market-value-in-the-united-kingdom-by-category/ 3 https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/pet-insurance-market View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220314005704/en/ TheraVet Chief Operating Officer Sabrina Ena [email protected] Tel: +32 (0) 71 96 00 43 Chief Corporate Officer Julie Winand [email protected] NewCap Investor Relations and Financial Communications Theo Martin / Olivier Bricaud [email protected] Tel: +33 (0)1 44 71 94 94 Press Relations Arthur Rouille / Ambre Delval [email protected] Tel: +33 (0)1 44 71 00 15 NewCap Belgique Press Relations Laure-Eve Monfort [email protected] Tel. : + 32 (0) 489 57 76 52 Source: TheraVet Tufin Orchestration Suite Lauded for Ability to Automate Network Changes While Maintaining a Consistent Security Policy Organization-Wide BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Tufin (NYSE: TUFN), a company pioneering a policy-centric approach to security and IT operations, announced today that the Tufin Orchestration Suite was named a 2022 Gold Winner in Network Security and Management by the Globee Awards 18th Annual Cyber Security Global Excellence Awards. The Tufin Orchestration Suite provides a policy-centric solution for automatically designing, provisioning, analyzing, and auditing enterprise security changes for the worlds largest, most complex networks. From applications to containers and firewalls, Tufin provides advanced security policy management automation to enhance business agility and accuracy by eliminating manual errors and ensuring continuous compliance via a single console. This award is a tremendous recognition of our teams success in delivering a solution that gives businesses the visibility they need to balance development and protection, said Yoram Gronich, SVP of Products and Engineering, Tufin. Businesses today need to be both agile and secure - two requirements that for a long time seemed to be incompatible. However, with Tufin, the delivery of business applications can be accelerated while network security risks are minimized, empowering DevOps teams to securely deploy code as needed to drive business forward. The Globee Awards 18th Annual Cyber Security Global Excellence Awards recognize cyber security and information technology vendors with advanced, ground-breaking products, solutions, and services that are helping to set the bar higher for others in all areas of security and technologies. More than 55 judges from around the world, representing a spectrum of industry experts, participated in the judging process. About the Globee Awards Globee Awards are conferred in ten programs and competition: the American Best in Business Awards, Business and Communications Excellence Awards, CEO World Awards, Cyber Security Global Excellence Awards, Disruptor Company Awards, Golden Bridge Awards, Information Technology World Awards, International Best in Business Awards, Sales, Marketing, & Service Excellence Awards, and Women World Awards. Learn more about the Globee Awards at https://globeeawards.com. About Tufin Tufin (NYSE: TUFN) simplifies management of some of the largest, most complex networks in the world, consisting of thousands of firewall and network devices and emerging hybrid cloud infrastructures. Enterprises select the Tufin Orchestration Suite to increase agility despite ever-changing business demands while reducing costs, ensuring compliance with regulations and internal policies, and maintaining a robust security posture. A single solution designed to meet the needs of both network and cloud security teams, the Suite reduces the attack surface and meets the need for greater visibility into secure and reliable application connectivity. With over 2,000 customers since its inception, Tufins network security automation enables enterprises to implement accurate changes in minutes instead of days, while improving their security posture and business agility. Find out more at: www.tufin.com Follow Tufin on Twitter: @TufinTech Read more on Tufins blog: Suite Talk View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220315006075/en/ Susan Rivera Corporate Communications Manager, Tufin [email protected] Source: Tufin Partnership to Accelerate Veracodes Growth and Innovation Agenda in the Fast-Growing Application Security Market BURLINGTON, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Veracode, a leading global provider of application security solutions today announced that TA Associates (TA), a leading global growth private equity firm, has signed a definitive agreement to make a significant growth investment in the company. Veracodes current majority investor, Thoma Bravo, a leading software investment firm, will retain a minority position in the business. The transaction, which values Veracode at $2.5B, is expected to be completed in Q2 2022, subject to customary closing conditions. An eight-time leader in the Gartner Magic Quadrant for Application Security Testing, Veracode offers a comprehensive software security platform that empowers organizations to deliver secure software at scale and with unmatched speed. "What we do has never been more crucial, said Sam King, CEO of Veracode. The confluence of digital transformation, software supply chain complexity, and the strengthening regulatory environment places software security firmly in the spotlight. Were grateful for Thoma Bravos partnership over the last three years and look forward to our next chapter with TA. Together, we aim to accelerate our vision to deliver the most comprehensive software security platform that caters to the needs of both development teams and security teams by enabling them to build and deliver secure software at the speed that business demands. Under pressure by the ever-accelerating pace of digital transformation, software development teams are often forced to make tradeoffs between speed of delivery and the security of the software they deploy. Veracodes platform balances the needs of both development and security teams by streamlining workflows to help customers ensure that software is coded securely without compromising speed while providing a comprehensive view of software security posture through powerful reporting and analytics. Collectively, Veracode customers have scanned over 53 trillion lines of code and fixed more than 71 million security flaws. With more than 2600 customers and nearly two-thirds of its revenue generated from large enterprise companies, the business has consistently outpaced growth forecasts for spending growth in application security. TA recognizes the strong market opportunity for Veracode, driven by the need to secure software and educate developers, said Jason Werlin, a Managing Director at TA. "We believe Veracode's heritage and sustained leadership position, along with the breadth and depth of its portfolio, uniquely positions the company to drive the next wave of growth in the application security market. TA is excited to partner with the Veracode management team and Thoma Bravo on the next phase of the companys journey. Over the last three years, Veracode has expanded its platform, extended its market footprint, and established a clear track record of sustained innovation, said Seth Boro, a Managing Partner at Thoma Bravo. In todays digital world, cybersecurity solutions are more critical than ever before, and Veracode continues to drive innovation while helping solve customers most complicated security needs. We are very proud of what Veracode has achieved under our majority ownership and look forward to continuing to support Veracode as it enters its next phase of growth in partnership with TA. We are committed to our mission, strategy, and product vision, continued King, and we are excited to partner with TA, leveraging its significant experience investing in enterprise software companies and track record in scaling growth businesses, to realize that vision. We plan to invest in the expansion of our product portfolio through organic development and strategic M&A, as well as accelerate the expansion of our global footprint and growth, while maintaining the healthy business fundamentals we have achieved over the last few years. Continued expansion of Veracodes talented team around the world is central to its growth objectives. The company is hiring talent in engineering, product management, marketing, sales, and customer success. Today, Veracodes more than 725 team members around the world embrace remote and hybrid work models and are committed to the companys mission to ensure that the software that powers our world is secure. Deutsche Bank Securities Inc. is serving as exclusive financial advisor to Veracode and Thoma Bravo, and leading and providing committed debt financing to TA for the transaction. Barclays is serving as financial advisor to TA. Kirkland & Ellis is acting as legal counsel to Thoma Bravo and Goodwin Procter is serving as legal counsel to TA. About Veracode Veracode is a 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. Learn more at www.veracode.com, on the Veracode blog and on Twitter. Copyright 2022 Veracode, Inc. All rights reserved. All other brand names, product names, or trademarks are the property of their respective holders. About TA Associates TA is a leading global growth private equity firm. Focused on targeted sectors within five industries technology, healthcare, financial services, consumer and business services the firm invests in profitable, growing companies with opportunities for sustained growth, and has invested in more than 550 companies around the world. Investing as either a majority or minority investor, TA employs a long-term approach, utilizing its strategic resources to help management teams build lasting value in high quality growth companies. TA has raised $47.5 billion in capital since its founding in 1968. The firms more than 100 investment professionals are based in Boston, Menlo Park, London, Mumbai and Hong Kong. More information about TA can be found at www.ta.com. About Thoma Bravo Thoma Bravo is one of the largest private equity firms in the world, with more than $91 billion in assets under management as of September 30, 2021. The firm invests in growth-oriented, innovative companies operating in the software and technology sectors. Leveraging the firm's deep sector expertise and proven strategic and operational capabilities, Thoma Bravo collaborates with its portfolio companies to implement operating best practices, drive growth initiatives and make accretive acquisitions intended to accelerate revenue and earnings. Over the past 20 years, the firm has acquired or invested in more than 350 companies representing over $155 billion in enterprise value. The firm has offices in Chicago, Miami and San Francisco. For more information, visit www.thomabravo.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220315005831/en/ Press and Media Contacts Veracode Katy Gwilliam Head of Global PR, Veracode [email protected] +44.7584.341.110 Related Links veracode.com TA Associates Maggie Benoit Communications Manager [email protected] +1 617.598.6685 Related Links ta.com Thoma Bravo Megan Frank Head of Communications +1 212.731.4778 [email protected] Related Links thomabravo.com Source: Veracode NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- White Oak Healthcare Finance, LLC (White Oak) announced today that it acted as sole lender and administrative agent of a senior credit facility to recapitalize and extend growth capital to Youth Opportunity Investments (YOI), a provider of adolescent and psychiatric treatment services across four US states. Founded in 2009, and headquartered in Carmel, Indiana, YOI provides comprehensive residential treatment services to adolescents, addressing individuals who have experienced neglect, substance abuse, mental health and behavioral issues. The company leverages individualized treatment plans, evidence-based practices and interactive technology which have resulted in superior clinical outcomes in the industry. YOI is distinguished by their experienced management team, mission-oriented culture, and their proprietary clinical approach which empowers individuals, said Ross Eldridge, Executive Vice President and Chief Originations Officer at White Oak. We are excited to support the YOI management teams continued geographic and service expansion in trauma care, psychiatric care and other behavioral services. We are extremely excited about our financial partnership and strong relationship with White Oak, said Ronald Hunter, CEO at YOI. White Oak demonstrated a deep understanding of the challenges and opportunities within our sector and operated with transparency throughout the transaction process, Mr. Hunter added. About Youth Opportunity Youth Opportunity Investments was founded in 2009 as an adolescent treatment provider focused on improving the lives of at-risk youth. The Company serves individuals through residential treatment facilities in Florida, Michigan, Tennessee and Texas. The Company maintains >1,000 clinical and support staff providing behavioral health services including trauma-informed care, mental health care and treatment programs to address substance abuse and co-occurring disorders. About White Oak Healthcare Finance White Oak Healthcare Finance, LLC (WOHCF), an affiliate of White Oak Global Advisors, LLC is a lender to all subsectors within the healthcare industry including healthcare services, pharma and life sciences, medical devices, healthcare technology, healthcare real estate, hospitals and SNFs. WOHCF has deep domain expertise with a sole focus on healthcare, which enables it to provide flexible and creative solutions with certainty of execution. WOHCF offers a differentiated product set including cash flow term loans, asset based loans and ABL Stretch facilities, unitranche facilities, last out financings, real estate financings, equipment financings and opportunistic investments. About White Oak Global Advisors White Oak Global Advisors, LLC (WOGA) is a leading alternative debt manager specializing in originating and providing financing solutions to facilitate the growth, refinancing and recapitalization of small and medium enterprises. Together with its financing affiliates, WOGA provides over twenty lending products to the market, including term, asset-based, and equipment loans, to all sectors of the economy. Since its inception in 2007, WOGA and its affiliates have deployed over $10 billion across its product lines, utilizing a disciplined investment process that focuses on delivering risk-adjusted investment returns to investors while establishing long term partnerships with our borrowers. More information can be found at www.whiteoaksf.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220315005377/en/ Spencer Tait Prosek Partners (on behalf of White Oak Global Advisors) [email protected] Source: White Oak Healthcare Finance, LLC Companies on the 2022 Inc. 5000 Regionals Rocky Mountain list had an average growth rate of 252 percent SALT LAKE CITY--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Inc. magazine today revealed that Whistic is No. 19 on its third annual Inc. 5000 Regionals Rocky Mountain list, the most prestigious ranking of the fastest-growing private companies based in Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Utah, and Wyoming. Born of the annual Inc. 5000 franchise, this regional list represents a unique look at the most successful companies within the Rocky Mountain region economys most dynamic segmentits independent small businesses. Were pleased to be listed with so many other innovative companies in the region, said Nick Sorensen, Whistic CEO. Our growth comes from helping customers solve some of the most pressing problems that information security teams face. We help companies fulfill their need to assess, publish and share security information, and to place security first in building trusted relationships between vendors and their customers. The companies on this list show a remarkable rate of growth across all industries in the Rocky Mountain region. Between 2018 and 2020, these 60 private companies had an average growth rate of 252 percent and, in 2020 alone, they added 4,176 jobs and nearly $1 billion to the Rocky Mountain regions economy. Companies based in the Las Vegas, Nevada, Boise, Idaho, and Vail, Colorado, areas had the highest growth rate overall. Complete results of the Inc. 5000 Regionals Rocky Mountain, including company profiles and an interactive database that can be sorted by industry, metro area, and other criteria, can be found at inc.com/rocky-mountain. This years Inc. 5000 Regional winners represent one of the most exceptional and exciting lists of Americas off-the-charts growth companies. Theyre disrupters and job creators, and all delivered an outsize impact on the economy. Remember their names and follow their lead. These are the companies youll be hearing about for years to come, says Scott Omelianuk, editor-in-chief of Inc. About Whistic Located in the heart of the Silicon Slopes in Utah, Whistic is the network for assessing, publishing, and sharing vendor security information. The Whistic Vendor Security Network accelerates the vendor assessment process by enabling businesses to access and evaluate a vendors Whistic Profile and create trusted connections that last well beyond the initial assessment. Make security your competitive advantage and join businesses like Airbnb, Okta, Betterment, and Qualtrics who are leveraging Whistic to modernize their vendor security programs. For more information, visit https://www.whistic.com/. More about Inc. and the Inc. 5000 Regionals Methodology The 2022 Inc. 5000 Regionals are ranked according to percentage revenue growth when comparing 2018 and 2020. To qualify, companies must have been founded and generating revenue by March 31, 2018. They had to be U.S.-based, privately held, for-profit, and independentnot subsidiaries or divisions of other companiesas of December 31, 2019. (Since then, a number of companies on the list have gone public or been acquired.) The minimum revenue required for 2018 is $100,000; the minimum for 2020 is $1 million. As always, Inc. reserves the right to decline applicants for subjective reasons. About Inc. Media The worlds most trusted business-media brand, Inc. offers entrepreneurs the knowledge, tools, connections, and community to build great companies. Its award-winning multiplatform content reaches more than 50 million people each month across a variety of channels including websites, newsletters, social media, podcasts, and print. Its prestigious Inc. 5000 list, produced every year since 1982, analyzes company data to recognize the fastest-growing privately held businesses in the United States. The global recognition that comes with inclusion in the 5000 gives the founders of the best businesses an opportunity to engage with an exclusive community of their peers and the credibility that helps them drive sales and recruit talent. The associated Inc. 5000 Conference is part of a highly acclaimed portfolio of bespoke events produced by Inc. For more information, visit www.inc.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220315006174/en/ Cheryl Conner or Paul Murphy SnappConner PR 801-806-0150 [email protected] Source: Whistic SACRAMENTO, Calif., March 15, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- California has a $30 billion surplus making 2022 the second year in a row with flush government coffers after last year's $70 billion surplus. According to Tom Sheehy, former Chief Deputy Director of the California Department of Finance and now principal and founder of the Sheehy Strategy Group, these circumstances present golden opportunities for business owners to work with the State of California and local government agencies. "For companies who are already selling goods and services and contracting with the state, it's a really good time for them to expand their relationships with the state," Sheehy said. California has never seen such record government revenues and purchasing managers are spending aggressively to take advantage of the current situation. The government needs products and services to function, which makes now the perfect time for companies to start selling to them or sell more of what they already do. SSG's procurement team combines Tom Sheehy's extensive executive branch experience running the Department of Finance and Government Operations Agency along with Eric Mandell's many years of service as the State of California's Chief of Acquisitions at the Department of General Services. Additionally, Brena Sheehy has over 15 years in the insurance and healthcare industries and has served as a strategic advisor to SSG since its inception. SSG has strong relationships throughout all branches of government at both the state and local level. These relationships, along with the team's technical expertise, allow them to provide clients with multiple procurement opportunities and take advantage of the opportunities associated with California's surplus. "Businesses who already contract with the state can find new state departments, new customers, and perhaps local governments as well, to be doing business with," Sheehy added. "And they can find new goods and services to expand their offerings. If they need small business certification or disabled veteran business enterprise certification, or they want to get on the California Multiple Award Schedule Contractor other contracts like that which make it easy to do business with the statethe Sheehy Strategy Group can help them with all those things." Sheehy Strategy Group helps clients to pick the right contract vehicles and leverage what their company has to sell. Cutting through the red tape of the bureaucracy, the group helps businesses be successful in both state and local government procurements. SSG also helps clients achieve effective public policy and regulatory outcomes while protecting their brand and reputational objectives. ### Contact: Tom SheehyPhone: (916) 213-8998Email: [email protected] Related Images Image 1: Tom Sheehy Tom Sheehy, former Chief Deputy Director of the California Department of Finance and now principal and founder of the Sheehy Strategy Group, is recognized as one of Sacramento's most experienced and influential lobbyists, as well as a fiscal expert. This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com. Attachment Tom Sheehy Tom Sheehy Source: Sheehy Strategy Group OAKVILLE, Ont., March 15, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- AbleDocs, the leader in digital accessibility products and services, with funding from the Government of Canadas Ministry of Innovation, Science and Industry, is proud to announce the launch of ADReader, the most inclusive and barrier-free mobile reading application for Android and iOS. Designed with the ability to reflow content and interact with built-in screen readers, ADReader is designed for everyone, no matter their reading ability. ADReader represents an amazing collaboration between the leader in digital accessibility and the Government of Canada to bring the next evolution in accessible PDF reading to the masses, said Adam Spencer, President and CEO of AbleDocs. We couldnt be prouder of what weve built and what were able to provide to the rest of the world. In the past, PDFs have had a stigma of being inaccessible on mobile devices due to the inability to reflow content correctly. This was because PDFs traditionally represented static pages with the content meant to be printed. With ADReader, users can now reflow the content, like responsive websites, so that it best fits the screen size to provide a better reading experience while minimizing the amount of horizontal scrolling. ADReader is now available for download for Android in the Google Play Store and will be available on iOS soon through the App Store. About AbleDocs AbleDocs has become a world leader in digital accessibility. With offices in Australia, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Israel, Kuwait, Switzerland, United Kingdom, and the United States, AbleDocs offers products and services that help to ensure high volume document accessibility compliance, testing, training, and web compliance. AbleDocs is the only company to guarantee the compliance of every file they produce with a $10,000,000 liability guarantee. Offerings include ADService, ADScan, ADStream, ADLegacy, ADTraining, ADWeb, axesWord and axesPDF. For more information, visit abledocs.com. Source: AbleDocs OAKVILLE, Ont., March 15, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- AbleDocs, the leader in digital accessibility products and services, with funding from the Government of Canadas Ministry of Innovation, Science and Industry, is proud to announce the launch of ADReader, the most inclusive and barrier-free mobile reading application for Android and iOS. Designed with the ability to reflow content and interact with built-in screen readers, ADReader is designed for everyone, no matter their reading ability. ADReader represents an amazing collaboration between the leader in digital accessibility and the Government of Canada to bring the next evolution in accessible PDF reading to the masses, said Adam Spencer, President and CEO of AbleDocs. We couldnt be prouder of what weve built and what were able to provide to the rest of the world. In the past, PDFs have had a stigma of being inaccessible on mobile devices due to the inability to reflow content correctly. This was because PDFs traditionally represented static pages with the content meant to be printed. With ADReader, users can now reflow the content, like responsive websites, so that it best fits the screen size to provide a better reading experience while minimizing the amount of horizontal scrolling. ADReader is now available for download for Android in the Google Play Store and will be available on iOS soon through the App Store. About AbleDocs AbleDocs has become a world leader in digital accessibility. With offices in Australia, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Israel, Kuwait, Switzerland, United Kingdom, and the United States, AbleDocs offers products and services that help to ensure high volume document accessibility compliance, testing, training, and web compliance. AbleDocs is the only company to guarantee the compliance of every file they produce with a $10,000,000 liability guarantee. Offerings include ADService, ADScan, ADStream, ADLegacy, ADTraining, ADWeb, axesWord and axesPDF. For more information, visit abledocs.com. Amlan International will exhibit and host multiple presentations at the XLVI ANECA 2022 Annual Congress and sponsor a half-day program on animal welfare topics Phylox Feed, Amlans new natural non-pharmaceutical solution to support optimum performance economics as antibiotics and anticoccidial drugs are removed from poultry rations, will be highlighted for Mexican poultry producers at the event Results from a recent commercial trial on patented mineral-based product Varium will also be presented at the ANECA congress CHICAGO, March 15, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Poultry specialists in Mexico will have the opportunity to learn about new research and solutions to industry challenges, including the launch of a new solution, Phylox Feed, from Amlan International, at the upcoming XLVI ANECA 2022 Annual Congress. The event is presented by the National Association of Specialists in Poultry Sciences (ANECA) and will be held from Tuesday, March 29, to Friday, April 1, 2022, at Hotel Azul Ixtapa in Ixtapa Zihuatanejo, Mexico. Phylox is a natural non-pharmaceutical solution for poultry that supports optimum bird performance and the economics of poultry production. The active ingredients in Phylox have been demonstrated through independent research to interrupt the life cycle of various Eimeria species, the causative agents in coccidiosis. The synergistic blend of bioactive phytochemicals in Phylox also helps strengthen bird intestinal integrity and supports strong, natural immune function. Coccidiosis can cause significant health and performance issues for birds and has traditionally required pharmaceutical solutions, ionophores, or other antibiotic products to control field outbreaks, said Dr. Wade Robey, VP of Marketing and Product Development. With the launch of Phylox, producers in Mexico now have the opportunity to use a natural solution to help support bird health as drugs and other harsh chemical solutions continue to become more and more unacceptable to consumers. Amlan is taking part in multiple events throughout the ANECA congress including hosting a presentation at 9 a.m. on Thursday, March 31, by Dr. Elein Hernandez, FES Cuatitlan, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico (UNAM), on Animal Welfare from the Perspective of Poultry Production. Additionally, Amlan Sales Key Account Manager Andres Soto will present Use of a Non-Antibiotic Growth Promoter in Chickens at 9:45 a.m. on Thursday, March 31. Andres will discuss the use of the patented mineral-based Amlan feed additive Varium and the results seen during a trial on a commercial farm in Mexico. Pathogens like Salmonella and Clostridium perfringens, the causative agent of necrotic enteritis, are common challenges right now for poultry producers in Mexico, particularly if poultry are raised antibiotic-free, said Margarita Santa, Director of Sales for Latin America. Our mineral-based feed additives like Varium can help protect the intestinal environment from enteric pathogens and the negative health, welfare and economic effects they cause. During the congress Amlan will be hosting a half-day program starting at 9 a.m. on Thursday, March 31, 2022, that will focus on animal welfare issues. Discussion topics include the management and transportation of birds, broiler breeder feed and welfare, and the importance of animal welfare culture in companies. Further details about the XLVI ANECA 2022 Annual Congress can be found here. For more information about Phylox, Varium or other Amlan products, contact [email protected]. Company Information Amlan is the animal health business of Oil-Dri Corporation of America, leading global manufacturer and marketer of sorbent minerals. Oil-Dri leverages over 80 years of expertise in mineral science to selectively mine and process their unique mineral for consumer and business-to-business markets. Oil-Dri Corporation of America doing business as Amlan International is a publicly traded stock on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: ODC). Amlan International sells feed additives across the world. Product availability may vary by country; associated claims do not constitute medical claims and may differ based on government requirements. Reagan CulbertsonMedia Contact[email protected] Source: Oil-Dri Corporation Of America MONTREAL, March 15, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Coordinated Accessible National (CAN) Health Network is excited to announce that leading vision care company, DIAGNOS, is the first Quebec-based organization to join the Network. Through their strategic partner, Labtician Ophthalmics Inc, a Toronto-based company with Eyecare Specialist customers across Canada, DIAGNOS CARA solution will help health care professionals in their day-to-day screening of diabetic patients by allowing them to monitor ocular health, ultimately helping to prevent vision loss in their patients. Diabetic Retinopathy is the leading cause of blindness, and early detection has been identified as the best preventative measure and solution. Patients who require these critical screenings often come up against barriers resulting in non-compliance, high costs, or a missed diagnosis, leading to potentially life-altering vision loss. In particular, DIAGNOS solution will help professionals identify patients who are overdue for a screening, ensuring Diabetic Retinopathy is caught early. This low-cost, non-invasive state-of-the-art technology involves the use of a simple rear eye camera image, which quickly and effectively screens patients. Assessment results are then returned within a few minutes; saving both time and health care costs. DIAGNOS, a publicly traded company on the TSX Venture Exchange, is pleased to be part of the CAN-Health Network, said Andre Larente, CEO, DIAGNOS. Our solution for screening diabetic patients uses Artificial Intelligence. The CARA application is approved by Health Canada and is in use today in hospitals and primary care clinics. This new local screening program will give accessibility to all patients in Canada to a fast and low priced medical test. Funded by Government of Canada, the CAN Health Network works with health care providers to identify their biggest challenges, and matches them with Canadian-made technology solutions. This Integrated Market model allows Canadian innovators to gain access to the healthcare market, and rapidly validate and scale their solution across the country, and internationally. The CAN Health Network has been focused on accessing the Quebec marketplace to ensure a truly national scope and economic prosperity for all of Canada. Adding DIAGNOS and Labtician to the Network is another great step in ensuring all Canadians have access to the best home-grown innovative health care technologies, said Dante Morra, Chair, CAN Health Network. We are pleased to be working with CAN Health Network and DIAGNOS, a Canadian company based in Quebec, in addressing growing needs in the monitoring of diabetic patients, explains Labtician President, Polydor Strouthos. For over 60 years, weve been introducing innovative eye care products, solutions, and resources for eyecare professionals and their patients in the Canadian marketplace. Through our extensive network, we commercialize our high-quality value add eyecare products as well as those of our forward-thinking partner companies in Canada and worldwide. We help companies through the complexities and nuances of Canadian and international markets, from prelaunch assistance and obtaining regulatory approval, to securing commercialization, and distribution channels. ASSOCIATED LINKS ABOUT DIAGNOS DIAGNOS is a publicly traded Canadian corporation dedicated to early detection of critical health problems based of its FLAIRE Artificial Intelligence (AI) platform. FLAIRE allows for quick modifying and developing of applications such as CARA (Computer Assisted Retina Analysis). CARAs AI-based image enhancement algorithms provide sharper, clearer and easier-to-analyze retinal images. CARA is a cost-effective tool for real-time screening of large volumes of patients. CARA has been cleared for commercialization by the following regulators: Health Canada, the FDA (USA), CE (Europe), COFEPRIS (Mexico) and Saudi FDA (Saudi Arabia). DIAGNOS works with AI Distributor, Labtician Ophthalmics (Labtician). ABOUT CAN HEALTH The CAN Health Network is a Canada-first approach to technology adoption. It helps break down barriers to scaling in the health care system and provides an environment for companies to scale to their full potential. Currently operating in Ontario, Western and Atlantic Canada, the CAN Health Network will soon be expanding into Quebec and the North. The Network has received a total of $12.45 million in funding from the Government of Canada to build a national platform that harnesses the purchasing power of health care organizations. To learn more about the CAN Health Network, visit canhealthnetwork.ca. For more information: Mr. Polydor Strouthos, President Labtician Ophthalmics Inc. Tel: 905-829-0055 ext. 227 [email protected] Mr. Andre Larente, President DIAGNOS Inc. Tel: 450-678-8882 ext. 224 [email protected] Natasha Zelinski, Communications Coordinator CAN Health Network [email protected] Source: DIAGNOS Inc. GUELPH, Ontario, March 15, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Ontario Co-operative Association (OCA) has released the latest data profiling the co-operative business sector in Ontario, and the numbers paint a significant portrait of the contribution co-operatives make to the social and economic fabric of the province. The 2022 profile of the co-operative sector - based on the most recent data available from 2019 - reveals there are 1,181 co-operative businesses in operation in Ontario. This represents almost twenty percent of the total Canadian co-operative sector (6,301 co-operatives), and the second highest number of co-operatives in the country after Quebec (2,816 co-operatives). Ninety-three percent of Ontario co-operatives (1,104) are non-financial in nature, and the remaining seven percent (77) are financial businesses (i.e., credit unions and insurance co-operatives). Furthermore, 28 percent of businesses have a for-profit structure (332) and 72 percent are not-for-profit in nature (849). While strong, Ontario's co-operative sector has not grown in proportion to other provinces. The province counts for 40 percent of both population and GDP of Canada, yet its co-operative sector accounts for only twenty percent of the total number of co-operatives nationally, says Erin Morgan, OCAs Executive Director. Much of this slow growth is attributed to the overall lack of public understanding of the co-operative model, as well as outdated regulations that makes investing in and developing new co-operatives a challenging process; the very two things we at OCA are working very hard to change. And yet, co-operative economic contributions are significant. The revenues of Ontarios co-operative businesses equate to $7.8 billion, with combined assets of $76 billion. This means that eleven percent of the countrys total revenues are generated by Ontario co-operatives, and sixteen percent of the total assets. Non-financial co-operatives generate a higher revenue ($5B) than financial co-operatives ($2.9B), however, the latter own more than eleven times the number of assets ($70B) as compared to the non-financial sector ($6B). Co-operatives also have a significant social impact, employing over nineteen thousand individuals (full-time), who earn a combined $891M in annual income. Moreover, and contrary to what many know, the products and services they provide are diverse in nature and span many industries, from housing (43% of the Ontario co-operative sector), to health care and social assistance (14%), to finance and insurance (8%), retail and wholesale (7%), construction and manufacturing (6%), Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing, Mining and Gas Extraction (2%), and transportation and warehousing (1%). Ontario's co-operatives are an important part of the social and economic fabric of the province and play a key role in building a more sustainable economy with a focus on people, planet and profit, notes Morgan. The very notion of co-operation creates opportunities for innovation, pooling the minds of many to help address and solve challenges within our communities, while also focusing on equity and inclusion. Co-operation as a way of life makes sense, and co-operative businesses have this value at their core. The OCA will be using the recent data to inform candidates of the upcoming provincial election of the strength and importance of Ontarios co-operative sector, while advocating for increased awareness and continued support to create a more favourable legislative environment for the development of co-operative businesses. FOR MORE INFORMATION Contact Erin Morgan 1.888.745.5521 x or at [email protected]. View the The Co-operative Sector in Ontario (2019) Report. View the infographic. ABOUT THE ONTARIO CO-OPERATIVE ASSOCIATION (OCA): Co-operatives are a different kind of business model that are driven by people, planet and profit. Our mission is to develop, support, educate, advocate and catalyze collaboration between co-operative businesses. Our vision is an Ontario where co-operatives and credit unions contribute to the sustainable growth and development of our communities. Co-operatives, together, building a better world. Visit us at www.ontario.coop for more information. IF YOU ARE GOING TO USE THIS MEDIA RELEASE, KINDLY MENTION THE ONTARIO CO-OPERATIVE ASSOCIATION AS A SOURCE THANK YOU. Source: Ontario Co-operative Association Torino welcomes the second edition of VTM, the international business convention dedicated to vehicle and transportation innovation. Taking place in the Piemonte region North-West Italy , at the OGR, a hub of innovation in Torino, the event will bring together major global automotive and mobility stakeholders. First edition of VTM Torino Torino, Italy, the heart of the Italian automotive and mobility sector and birthplace of FIAT now Stellantis will host the second edition of the business convention Vehicle & Transportation Technology Innovations Meetings in March 30-31, 2022. Since launching the first edition in 2018, which gathered 1,300 participants from 20 countries, the VTM team has delivered a range of digital and in-person events that have supported the creation of industry-specific networks, shared learning, encouraged international business and paved the way to VTM 2022 which already gathers participants coming from more than 25 countries and has a fully booked exhibition floor. Piemonte is a major European hub for the automotive and mobility industry. Only district gathering the complete automotive supply chain in Italy, VTM 2022 is a unique opportunity for the Piemonte automotive local savoir-faire to shine. Organized by advanced business events, the business convention is delivered with support from the Regione Piemonte (Regional Government) and the Torino Chamber of Commerce, and in cooperation with ICE - Italian Trade Agency and Piemonte Agency. Conference panel discussion at @VTM edition Innovation at all levels to take up to the industrys new challenges Since the first edition of the event, innovation in vehicle and transportation technology has been at the heart of VTM. Sustainability, one of the biggest challenges faced by the automotive and mobility industry, is a central theme shaping this years agenda. Speakers will share their insights on a range of solutions currently adopted by industry, including innovative manufacturing, new mobility solutions, electrification, fuel cell technologies and hydrogen propulsion. The emergence of new technologies such as autonomous vehicles, shared mobility solutions, and connectivity has also highlighted the increasing need for robust cybersecurity strategies and connected thinking. Guest speakers will take the stage at VTM to discuss the opportunities and challenges industry faces as it drives innovation, both in manufacturing and in new mobility solutions such as unmanned air mobility. This year at VTM 2022, following two days of competition held in Torino, there will be an official ceremony announcing the winner of the 5GMETA Hackathon, taking place on March 30. Speaker line-up: https://italy.vehiclemeetings.com/index.php/conference/speakers-plenary-conference.html Strong support from the global and local automotive and mobility industry VTM Torino brings together the entire supply chain, including vehicle makers, tier suppliers, mobility decision makers, disruptive technology entrepreneurs and solution providers. Since its first edition, VTM has received the support from a prestigious network of companies. Intesa Sanpaolo and its Innovation Center are the main sponsors of this edition. The Gold Sponsors include AVL Group, CSI Group, Denso, FEV Europe and Grape Up, followed by Accenture Italia, Blue Engineering, Bosch, Continental Engineering Services, DACA-i, ITT, Keysight Technologies, Punch Torino, TEXA and Vishay Intertechnology as Silver Sponsors. Special spotlight will be given to Piemontes know-how and its companies with a dedicated pavilion. Request the participants list and get more information about VTM https://italy.vehiclemeetings.com/why-attend-vtm Registrations are still open for decision makers, get your free pass now https://meetings.vehiclemeetings.com/2022/signup.php # # # # # Contact information: Isabella Balducci Event Manager [email protected] Rosanna Quigley Conference Manager [email protected] Ariane Bobillon-Lebre PR Officer [email protected] # # # # # About advanced business events advanced business events is a leading European organizer of business conventions, conferences and congresses dedicated to professionals in various industries including automotive and aerospace through its brand BCI Aerospace. About Regione Piemonte Regione Piemonte is the regional government of Piedmont region. It is in charge, together with the national Government, of foreign trade and international relations and promotes the competitiveness and the internationalization of its economic system, enhancing also the attractiveness of its territory. About Torino Chamber of Commerce The mission of the Chamber is to foster the growth of local economy and enhance it through effective and targeted initiatives, thus playing the role of spokesman towards competent authorities for more than 220,000 companies based in the Torino area. About Piemonte Agency Piemonte Agency is the one-stop-shop for business and investments in Piemonte, North-West Italy. On behalf of its members, the Agency guarantees top class free, responsive and tailored services to companies wishing to locate in the area, searching for suppliers and partners in a variety of sectors, requiring training in international trade and commercial strategies. Source: ADVANCED BUSINESS EVENTS Iceland Seafood International hf: Information related to Annual General Meeting As previously announced the Annual General Meeting of Iceland Seafood International hf will be held on March 17th 2022 at 4pm. The meeting will be held at Hilton Reykjavik Nordica, Suurlandsbraut 2, 108 Reykjavik and will also be webcasted live. A link to the webcast will be published on the Company's website www.icelandseafood.com/investors before the meeting. Recording will also be available after the meeting on the Company's website. Deadline for notification of candidacy for Board of Directors was on March 12th. Below is a list of candicates for the Board of Directors: Liv Bergorsdottir, the CEO of ORF Genetics from April 2020. She joined ORF Genetics after 20 years in the telecommunication industry. Jakob Valgeir Flosason, CEO of Jakob Valgeir ehf. Jakob has been a board member of Iceland Seafood since February 2019 and has a long experience in the seafood industry. Ingunn Agnes Kro, the general manager of Jarvarmi slhf. Previously Ingunn was a Director of Administration and Communication at Skeljungur hf. Ingunn sits on several boards of listed and unlisted companies in Iceland. Bergor Baldvinsson, CEO of Nesfiskur. Has been the CEO of Nesfiskur since 1979. Nesfiskur and its subsidiaries employ around 400 people today. Halldor Leifsson, Marketing and Sales director of FISK Seafood ehf. Halldor has held various management positions within the seafood industry for the last 30 years Alternate: Gunnlaugur Karl Hreinsson, Chairman and owner of GPG seafood. Gunnlaugur has decades of experience within the seafood sector. According to the Articles of Association of the Company, the Board of Directors shall be comprised of 5 members and up to two alternate members. Consequently, the above candidates will be elected to the Board without ballot at the meeting. Further information on all candidates to the Board of Directors will be made available on the Company's website www.icelandseafood.com/investors . Further information: March 15, 2022 Clinical surveillance solution is designed to identify emergent patient deterioration and offer enhanced patient data visibility, flexible viewing options, and clinical decision support Facilitates remote patient oversight at mobile, eICU and virtual care clinical touchpoints New FDA clearance covers additional use cases and information access methods Amsterdam, the Netherlands Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA), a global leader in health technology, announced today at HIMSS22 that the latest Philips Capsule Surveillance solution has received 510(k) market clearance from the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA), paving the way for widespread deployment across healthcare systems in the USA. Capable of utilizing streaming data from virtually any connected medical device, the solution aggregates patient data, analyses it to generate actionable insights and alerts, and sends timely notifications to the patients caregivers so that they can intervene before deterioration progresses further. This latest release of Philips Capsule Surveillance includes expanded interoperability into hospitals existing mobile clinical communication and collaboration tools and electronic intensive care units (eICUs) and virtual care population health management systems, offering more visibility on live streaming data, waveforms, device alarms and contextual alerts. This FDA clearance of the latest release of clinical surveillance solution enables more integrated viewing options within EMR and HIT tools through the secure web-based user interface. The updated intended use provides flexible deployment configurations that Philips Capsule can offer to hospitals and health systems in the USA, said Elad Benjamin, general manager of Clinical Data Services at Philips. Properly implemented clinical surveillance has the potential to significantly improve patient outcomes by helping to avoid deterioration, while also improving the care team experience via clinical decision support and minimizing the burden of false and clinically unactionable alarms. Enhanced data visibility at eICU and virtual care locations Philips Capsule Surveillance offers an enterprise-wide solution that complements eICU telehealth command center solutions, such as Philips eCareManager, by bringing together live-streaming patient data across multiple acuity settings, equipment brands and device types to show each patients immediate status. Smart rule clinical decision support Built on the vendor-neutral Philips Capsule Medical Device Information Platform , which captures and normalizes streaming data from a network of connected devices, the Philips Capsule Surveillance software continuously analyzes patient data using patented technology to identify deteriorating conditions and critical events. The software applies a set of smart rules based on clinical parameters and current best-practice guidelines that can be tailored to an individual hospitals protocols for specific morbidities. Philips Capsule Surveillance allows clinicians to see patient data and patient monitor settings and alarms from multiple device types without needing to enter the patients room. When caring for infectious patients, this can help reduce the risk to clinical staff. Early identification of deteriorating patient conditions can also help to avoid complications and escalations, contributing to lower cost of care, while the ability to remotely monitor large numbers of patients and focus resources where needed can help mitigate the shortage of experienced clinicians. The latest version of Philips Capsule Surveillance will be released in Q2 to limited sites in the USA. For more information, visit https://capsuletech.com/capsule-clinical-surveillance . For more information on Philips full portfolio of connected care solutions being showcased in booth #2501 at the HIMSS22 Global Health Conference & Exhibition, please visit www.philips.com/himss and follow @PhilipsLiveFrom for #HIMSS22 updates throughout the event. For further information, please contact: Meredith Amoroso Philips Global Press Office Mobile: +1 724 584 8991 E-mail: [email protected] About Royal Philips Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA) is a leading health technology company focused on improving people's health and well-being, and enabling better outcomes across the health continuum from healthy living and prevention, to diagnosis, treatment and home care. Philips leverages advanced technology and deep clinical and consumer insights to deliver integrated solutions. Headquartered in the Netherlands, the company is a leader in diagnostic imaging, image-guided therapy, patient monitoring and health informatics, as well as in consumer health and home care. Philips generated 2021 sales of EUR 17.2 billion and employs approximately 78,000 employees with sales and services in more than 100 countries. News about Philips can be found at www.philips.com/newscenter . Attachment Waterloo, Canada, March 15, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Maplesoft today announced a major new release of its flagship product, Maple, the powerful and easy to use mathematical software. Maple is used by mathematicians, educators, students, engineers, and scientists to analyze, explore, visualize, and solve math problems. The new release, Maple 2022, offers a range of improvements that expand problem solving capabilities, enhance usability, and increase support for teaching and learning. Highlights of Maple 2022: The enhanced math engine provides new problem solving power and increased performance, with improvements in integration, differential equations, formal power series, physics, and more New plotting algorithms include automatic detection of discontinuities, improved zoom, and enhanced appearance, all while maintaining high levels of performance An improved workflow simplifies preparation of documents for printing and PDF export The Plot Builder assistant is even easier to use, and supports the creation and customization of even more visualizations using only the mouse New signal processing tools let engineers create, combine, and analyze signals in more ways, more efficiently Maple 2022 also offers improvements designed specifically to support teaching and learning. These include: New step-by-step solution tools that enable students to practice solving more problems on their own More tools for programmatically creating and sharing interactive documents, such as concept explorations and practice sheets that can provide feedback on individual solution steps Easy access to operations for presenting and understanding the basic material of a standard first course in ordinary differential equations Math powers our modern world, and our customers are looking for technology that makes it easy to explore, solve, understand, and communicate mathematical problems, applications, and ideas, says Karishma Punwani, Director of Product Management at Maplesoft. Maple 2022 provides advancements in all these areas, so that instructors, students, researchers, engineers, and scientists can all do more with Maple, more easily. Maple is part of the Maple Math Suite, a collection of products from Maplesoft that provides access to the worlds most powerful mathematics engine through a variety of specialized, easy-to-use interfaces that make it extremely easy to explore, visualize, and solve mathematical problems in different situations. Other products include Maple Learn, an online environment for solving problems, exploring concepts, and creating interactive math content; Maple Flow, a mathematics tool that makes it easy for engineers to brainstorm, develop, and document their design calculations; and the free Maple Calculator app, which allows students to graph and solve problems on their phone. For more information about new features in Maple 2022, visit http://www.maplesoft.com/products/maple/new_features About Maplesoft Maplesoft has provided mathematics-based software solutions to educators, engineers, and researchers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) for over 30 years. Maplesoft's flagship product, Maple, combines the world's most powerful mathematics engine with an interface that makes it extremely easy to analyze, explore, visualize, and solve mathematical problems. Building on this technology, the product line includes solutions for education and research, system simulation, calculation management, and systems engineering. Maplesoft products provide modern, innovative solutions to meet today's technical challenges, from exploring math concepts on a smartphone to reducing development risk in complex engineering design projects. Maplesoft products and services are used by more than 8000 educational institutions, research labs, and companies, in over 90 countries. Maplesoft is a subsidiary of Cybernet Systems Group. Attachment Rochelle Angyal Maplesoft 1-800-267-6583 [email protected] Source: Maplesoft Houston, TX, March 15, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- rePlant Hemp Advisors, LLC officially opened the rePlant Hemp Impact Fund 1, LP (The Fund) today for investments. As the world transitions from a fossil-based economy, the Fund is focusing on bio-based innovation, a carbon-negative domestic supply chain, good green jobs, sustainable consumer products, and the verifiable sequestration of CO2. Industrial hemp is a growth industry, set to add almost $10 billion to its current $5 billion global market size in the next five years.[i] rePlant Hemp Advisors, LLC aims to place $500 million in the space by 2030, with the Funds first close set at $75 million. rePlant Hemp President and Cofounder Geoff Whaling said, Hemp is a critical asset on our journey to decarbonization. For every polluting technology phased out, new cleantech must emerge. Hemp plays a vital role in many significant industries, such as green construction, plant-based proteins, bioplastics, sustainable aviation fuels and powering the electrified future of mobility. An investment in hemp is an investment in the emerging technologies that will shape our future. rePlant Board Chair and Cofounder Michael Woods added, Hemp offers virtually all major industries a much needed and critical path toward sustainability. A major use case is constructionas global corporations and governments seek ways to construct carbon neutral and even carbon negative buildings and infrastructure, hemp provides sustainable materials, insulation, flooring and moreright now. And in the near term, hemp will play a standout role in the development of new sustainable construction tech like structural green concrete. rePlant Hemp Impact Fund 1, LP is managed by Entoro Investments, a Houston, TX based Registered Investment Advisor. James C. Row, CFA, Entoro Founder and CEO said Hemp is an American natural resource with enormous opportunity. Were excited to support our US farmers and their families, while simultaneously investing in world-changing innovative clean tech. The Fund has hired Clearbrook and Merida Capital Holdings LLC as subadvisers. In this capacity each firm will assist the Fund in sourcing, evaluating, and managing portfolio investments. Geoff Whaling added, Nobody said the journey to net-zero was going to be easy. I have been working in this space relentlessly for a decade, and I know the challenges and the almost limitless value that comes from unlocking the potential of hemp. Step one in the US is to invest in our farmerswithout the agricultural supply chain and agtech that comes along with that, none of this is possible. The rePlant Hemp team brings recognized industry leadership, elite financial acumen and a passion for sustainability to address one of the biggest opportunities of the 21st century. With shared expertise in hemp, finance, marketing and advocacy, rePlant Hemp may represent the most sophisticated approach yet to delivering on the promise of hemp. Cofounder, President and Chief Vision Officer Geoff Whaling has a decade of hemp leadership and liaises with the Administration and Congressional leadership weekly. Cofounder and Board Chair Michael Woodsformer CEO and COO of Rothschild & Co. Asset Management U.S., Inc. and before that CEO of DWS Investments and Head of the Americas, Global Client Group, for Deutsche Asset & Wealth Managementis now heading up Big Sun Holdings Group Corporation, focusing on the sustainable 3D printing of structures. CMO Wilson Kello led Collective Growth Corporation with Mr. Whaling, a SPAC which combined on April 5, 2021 with Innoviz Technologies in a $1.4 billion transaction. An award-winning Creative Director, he has over 20 years of creative consulting experience, including acting as creative consultant for cannabis companies such as Canopy Growth Corporation, Kiva Confections, and other disruptive companies in emergent spaces. rePlant Hemp Chief of Staff Erica Stark is the Executive Director of the National Hemp Association and the Pennsylvania Hemp Industry Council and has years of experience in hemp education and legislative advocacy, including testifying before the US Senate Agricultural Committee. LinksGeoff WhalingMichael WoodsWilson KelloErica Stark About rePlant Hemp Impact Fund 1, LP rePlant Hemp Impact Fund 1, LP was organized as a Delaware limited partnership (the Fund) on December 2, 2021 to operate as a private investment partnership. The Fund was formed for the purpose of investing in the expanding industrial hemp sector, defined as hemp for: industrial fiber and grain (seed), climate tech, and global sustainability solutions across a range of industries. The Fund will invest directly or through other private pooled investment vehicles (each a Portfolio Fund and together Portfolio Funds), advised by third party managers who employ a variety of investment strategies and techniques. The use of industrial hemp for material manufacturing inputs and nutrition is a $5 billion global industry predicted to grow to $14 billion by 2027. The key driver of growth is widespread demand for new sustainable materials and processes as the world transitions away from a fossil-based economy. In the US the hemp industry is hampered by an almost nonexistent domestic supply chain; the expanding $500million+ US market is reliant upon imports. The Fund aims to repatriate the US industrial hemp agricultural and processing supply chain to fuel dynamic growth in an industry that many experts see as a major player in combating climate change and securing a sustainable future. Concurrently, the Fund aims to support demand and lengthen the hemp value chain by investing in downstream markets including nutrition, auto parts, green construction, paper and packaging, bioplastics, bioenergy and more. The Fund will chiefly focus on North America, though the General Partner will look to global IP and downstream use cases as the Fund endeavors to develop the US into a major global producer and exporter of sustainable hemp-based technologies. Each investment of the Fund shall be referred to as a Portfolio Investment and together as the Portfolio Investments. For more information, or to receive rePlant Hemp materials, please contact: rePlant Hemp Advisors1300 Pleasant Hill RoadFleetwood PA USA 19522Email: [email protected] Links:rePlant HemprePlant: video teaser About Entoro Entoro Capital, LLC (Entoro) provides advice and services to a wide range of established and growth-oriented businesses around the world. They offer deep sector expertise across a full range of services in investment banking, equities and fixed income in the Americas, Europe, South America, the Middle East and Asia. Entoro provides financial and strategic advisory services which include Capital Formation (Reg D, Reg A+ and Reg CF), M&A, A&D, leveraged finance, equity/equity-linked financing, restructuring and recapitalization solutions. Their experienced team is dedicated to serving the private equity community. As a fund manager to rePlant Hemp Impact Fund 1, LP, Entoro Investments, LLC brings decades of experience and leading-edge digital capabilities to the structuring and management of the fund. In addition to handling back and middle office, Entoro will utilize its proprietary OfferBoard platform to efficiently connect Accredited Investors to this unique and timely investment opportunity. Links:entoro.com About Clearbrook Independent and objective, Clearbrook combines the structure and culture of a boutique with the experience and resources usually found only at larger firms. Clearbrook offers non-discretionary and discretionary Advisory Solutions, including OCIO reimagined their customized, flexible Chief Investment Officer solution. They have a growing range of Innovative Return Solutions, providing clients access to asset classes, markets and managers that might otherwise be out of reach. Clearbrook also offers Capital Opportunities for clients seeking creative capital solutions for private fixed income and real estate opportunities, and for those seeking to raise capital. As a subadviser to rePlant Hemp Impact Fund 1, LP, Clearbrook will assist the Fund in sourcing, evaluating, and managing portfolio investments. Clearbrook brings seventeen years of investing experience including experience in ESG-based venture investing. Links:clearbrookglobal.com About Merida Capital Holdings LLC Merida Capital Holdings LLC is a private equity firm targeting fundamental growth drivers underpinning the rapid development of the cannabis industry. Their investment emphasis focuses on cultivation technologies, products and services associated with the evolution of cannabis as an agricultural product, a natural plant-based medicine, a constituent in pharmaceutical formulations, and a recreational consumer product. Merida seeks to invest in companies that have successfully transitioned from start-up to revenue-generating growth companies. They work to further accelerate proven operating models and supercharge the growth of commercial pipelines. By identifying essential providers with strong management teams, Merida can anticipate where enterprise-level or large industrial providers in related non-cannabis fields will look to find growth in their core businesses through acquisition or investment. As a subadviser to the Fund, Merida brings a stringent data-driven approach to new industry filled with opportunity. They aim to bring the same approach that has seen them successfully invest in the medical and adult-use markets to the industrial hemp marketalso a recently deregulated arena bustling with startups and upside potential. Merida will focus on North American opportunities in the industrial hemp sector, including but not limited to materials processing, hemp nutrition, hemp CPGs, and related IP. Merida is led by Managing Partner Mitchell Baruchowitz and Senior Partner Mina Mishrikey. Links:meridacap.com Important Disclosure Information Reg BI: Entoro Capital, LLC, is the parent company of OfferBoard, LLC and Entoro Securities, LLC. Entoro Securities, LLC, is registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) as a Broker-Dealer and is a member of FINRA and SIPC. Entoro Investments, LLC is registered with the SEC as a Registered Investment Advisor. Complete disclosures can be found at https://www.entoro.com/disclosures and https://www.entoroinvestments.com/disclosure Private placements are exempt from the registration requirements of the Securities Act of 1933 and public disclosure requirements, as long as certain requirements are met and, as such, carry a high degree of risk. Private placements being promoted are illiquid investments, with no guarantee of returns, distributions and/or interest payments, and it is possible to lose some or all of the investment. The Issuer may require more capital in the future to continue growing, with no guarantee that the Issuer will be successful in securing it. There is more information about the risks of private placements on FINRAS WEBSITE. Securities offered by Entoro Securities. Entoro Disclaimers Entoro Investments is a registered investment adviser located in Houston, Texas. Entoro Investments and its representatives are in compliance with the current filing requirements imposed upon registered investment advisers by those states in which Entoro Investments maintains clients. Entoro Investments may only transact business in those states in which it is registered, or qualifies for an exemption or exclusion from registration requirements. 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[1] Industrial Hemp Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Product (Seeds, Fiber, Shivs), By Application (Animal Care, Textiles, Personal Care), By Region (North America, APAC), And Segment Forecasts, 2022 2030 GrandView Research -30- Attachment Wilson Kello rePlant Hemp Advisors [email protected] Source: National Hemp Association Washington, March 15, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today, Administrator Isabella Casillas Guzman, head of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) and the voice for Americas 32.5 million small businesses in President Bidens Cabinet, announced that National Small Business Week (NSBW): Building a Better America Through Entrepreneurship will take place May 1-7, 2022. The virtual summit will acknowledge small businesses from across the country for their resilience, ingenuity, and creativity. It will also recognize SBA partners for their involvement in entrepreneurial development, disaster recovery, government contracting, financial development, and overall support for small businesses and entrepreneurship. National Small Business Week is a time to honor and celebrate Americas entrepreneurs and innovative startups. This years theme, Building a Better America through Entrepreneurship, celebrates the resiliency and tenacity of Americas entrepreneurs who are doing their part to power our nations historic economic comeback, said Administrator Guzman. While there is more work to do, under the Biden-Harris Administration, we are on a path toward building a better, more competitive American economy centered around families, workers, and small businesses. This years NSBW will offer entrepreneurs in rural, suburban, and urban communities across America a week-long event that will highlight the tools and information they need to continue to power our economic growth, strengthen our supply chains, and deliver the products and services Americans depend on every day. I look forward to recognizing our small business giants and their tremendous impact on our economy and communities across the nation. The SBA will co-host a free, four-day virtual summit from May 2 through May 5, 2022, along with SCORE, to honor the nations 32.5 million small businesses for their perseverance. This years summit will feature access to critical federal resources, educational workshops, and networking to help our nations entrepreneurs pivot and grow in the face of any challenge, seize new opportunities, and make sure the dream of starting a small business is in reach for every American. We look forward to joining the SBA in co-hosting this important virtual summit during National Small Business Week, said SCORE CEO Bridget Weston. For anyone thinking about starting or growing a small business, this event will connect entrepreneurs with a wealth of industry experts and crucial information to help them achieve success. The 2022 Small Business Persons of the Year award winners from each state, including the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands, will be honored, and the SBA will announce the 2022 National Small Business Person of the Year from among the state winners represented. In addition, National Small Business Week recognitions and educational sessions will occur throughout each of the SBAs 10 regions and 68 district offices. Details on National Small Business Week event registration and speaker information will be announced later and posted on www.sba.gov/NSBW. --- Cosponsorship Authorization# 22-1-C. The SBAs participation in this cosponsored activity is not an endorsement of the views, opinions, products or services of any cosponsor or other person or entity. All SBA programs and services are extended to the public on a nondiscriminatory basis. ### About National Small Business Week For more than 51 years, the President of the United States has issued a proclamation announcing National Small Business Week, which recognizes the critical contributions of Americas entrepreneurs and small business owners. More than half of Americans either own or work for a small business, and they create about two out of every three new jobs in the U.S. each year. As part of National Small Business Week, the U.S. Small Business Administration takes the opportunity to highlight the impact of outstanding entrepreneurs, small business owners, and others from all 50 states and U.S. territories. Every day, theyre working to grow small businesses, create 21st century jobs, drive innovation, and increase Americas global competitiveness. About SCORE SCORE, the nations largest network of volunteer, expert business mentors, is dedicated to helping small businesses get off the ground, grow and achieve their goals. Since 1964, SCORE has provided education and mentorship to more than 11 million entrepreneurs. SCORE is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and a resource partner of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). About the U.S. Small Business Administration The U.S. Small Business Administration helps power the American dream of business ownership. As the only go-to resource and voice for small businesses backed by the strength of the federal government, the SBA empowers entrepreneurs and small business owners with the resources and support they need to start, grow or expand their businesses, or recover from a declared disaster. It delivers services through an extensive network of SBA field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations. To learn more, visit www.sba.gov. Press Office United States Small Business Administration [email protected] Source: United States Small Business Administration Washington, March 15, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF) applauds Congress and the Biden Administration for making historic investments into Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and low-income students in the FY22 Omnibus Appropriations (budget) Bill signed by President Biden today. The FY 22 Omnibus Appropriations Bill includes $885 million, an increase of $96 million over the FY 2021 enacted level, to assist HBCUs, Predominantly Black Institutions (PBIs) and other Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) in the Aid for Institutional Development account, including $363 million for Title III programs at HBCUs and an increase of $25 million over FY21 enacted levels and a $400 increase of the maximum Pell Grant award to $6,895. Other material changes include increases to: (i) TRIO; (ii) the FSEOG Grant program; and (iii) the Federal Work Study Program. Additionally, the budget includes historic investments in 1890 Land Grant Universities by appropriating $80 million in the Evans-Allen Research Program, an increase of $18 million over FY21 enacted levels, and fully funds both the 1890 Centers of Excellence and 1890 Scholarship programs. In addition to the funding increases included in the FY22 Omnibus Appropriations Bill, TMCF has taken the lead in recent months in advocating for the loosening of restrictions on the use of Higher Education Emergency Relief Funds (HEERF) for HBCUs, PBIs and other MSIs that would allow our schools to use those funds to tackle pressing infrastructure needs on their campuses. We are pleased that the bill includes language to loosen the restrictions on that funding and look forward to working with the Department of Education to promulgate new regulations that will allow our schools to better tackle the infrastructure challenges that they face. We are also thankful to Congresswoman Marilyn Strickland (D-WA) and Congresswoman Alma Adams (D-NC) for taking the lead on this initiative. The investments included in this bill again demonstrate the commitment that Congress and the Biden Administration have to HBCUs and their students, said TMCF President and CEO Dr. Harry L. Williams. We thank President Biden and his administration, congressional leaders in both parties who put together this bipartisan budget agreement and especially our allies in the Bipartisan HBCU Caucus and the Congressional Black Caucus for keeping our schools a top priority on Capitol Hill. The House passed a government funding package that provides significant investments to lower the cost of college, support vulnerable institutions of higher education, and promote pathways to rewarding careers, said House Education and Labor Committee Chairman Robert Bobby Scott (D-VA). Specifically, the bill includes the largest increase in the maximum Pell Grantthe cornerstone of our student aid systemin more than a decade and secures a notable funding increase for Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities, and Minority Serving Institutions. To promote skills for better paying jobs, the bill expands funding for Registered Apprenticeships. And importantly, for the first time we are establishing a Postsecondary Student Success Grant program to implement proven strategies to help students either stay in school or complete their degrees. This week, Congress demonstrated a historic level of solidarity with our Historically Black Colleges and Universities, said Congresswoman Alma Adams (D-NC), founder and co-chair of the Congressional Bipartisan HBCU Caucus. That is why I am excited to announce that the Fiscal Year 2022 omnibus appropriations package further demonstrates our commitment to HBCUs. By strengthening financial support for HBCUs - including increasing Title III funds as well as Pell Grants - Congress is continuing to answer our call to turn words into action and make equity in higher education a reality. As a graduate of Clark Atlanta University, I recognize the powerful impact that HBCUs have on the students and communities they serve when it comes to educational access and economic opportunity, said Congresswoman Marilyn Strickland (D-WA). That is why I was proud to secure a provision in the omnibus appropriations package that allows HBCUs to utilize COVID relief funds to help preserve and sustain themselves for generations to come. We have a responsibility to invest in these historic institutions, and I look forward to President Biden signing this important provision into law. As a proud Morehouse College graduate and beneficiary of good education policy, I fought hard to secure investments to provide loans for our hardworking students, fund administrative costs, maximize Pell Grants, and strengthen STEM education at our HBCUs. I was proud to lead the bipartisan effort to strengthen funding for HBCU campus infrastructure, and I will continue championing federal investments in the Senate for our HBCUs to maximize their opportunities for success, said Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock. Thurgood Marshall College Fund [email protected] Source: Thurgood Marshall College Fund RALEIGH, N.C. and DURHAM, N.C., March 15, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Trusting Heart Blood Center (THBC) will hold a ribbon cutting ceremony today from 4:30 to 6:30 PM EDT to commemorate the opening of its new platelet collection facility at 10441 Moncreiffe Rd, Raleigh, North Carolina. This is the second of several THBC centers planned to open across the United States. The first center was opened in October 2020 in Edina, Minnesota. The Raleigh opening is an important milestone and represents THBCs continued progress in its mission to address the nations growing platelet shortage and help patients in urgent need. The U.S. continues to face rising blood and platelet shortages that are causing hospitals to postpone vital treatments and surgeries, threatening the well-being of patients and healthcare institutions alike, said Derek Dagendesh of Trusting Heart Blood Center. We hope with the opening of this second platelet collection center, we will continue to partner with hospitals amidst the growing platelet shortage. We warmly welcome new donors in the Raleigh-Durham metropolitan area to join us on our mission and ensure patients get the life-saving treatments they need. Our passion for quality and focus on excellence enables us to restore hope, build trust, and improve quality of life through readily available and safe transfusion solutions. Each day, hospitals around the U.S. require an average of 7,000 platelet doses, and with ongoing and worsening national blood and platelet shortages, a significant number of these institutions struggle to meet this demand. The majority of platelet transfusions at hospitals are used to prevent bleeding in certain cancer patients and those undergoing cardiac surgeries and organ transplants. Platelets have a shorter shelf life than other blood components and must be transfused within five to seven days from collection, driving a continuous need. Exacerbated by industry challenges to the effective recruitment of blood donors, hospital demand for platelet units continues to exceed available supply. At Duke University Hospital, we recognize the critical role of a safe, stable platelet supply in treating and saving the lives of our patients, said Dr. Nicholas Bandarenko, Director of Transfusion Services at Duke University Hospital. Platelet shortages are common and put our patients, especially those being treated for cancer and heart disease, at risk for not having platelet transfusions immediately available when they need them most. We welcome new and innovative models to expand the platelet supply, so patients will get the transfusions they need without delay. Dr. Bandarenko encourages all eligible donors in the Triangle to make a difference to someone in need by donating at one of the many reputable blood donor centers in the area. Building a new generation of reliable, impassioned donors by offering a best-in-class experience with state-of-the-art facilities using the responsible use of compensation, THBC is reimagining the typical blood and platelet donation experience. Platelets collected at THBC can supplement and diversify a hospitals supply with 100% pathogen-reduced, single-donor apheresis platelets. By partnering with hospitals and donors, THBC sends high quality platelets to communities where they are used within days, ensuring the highest quality of care for patients struggling with diseases like cancer or undergoing major surgeries. Individuals interested in becoming donors can find more information at our website here, or call (844)-222-7001. Trusting Heart Blood CenterDo Good. Get Paid. Save Lives. Hospitals desperately need platelets as part of life saving treatments given to seriously ill patients. On average, we need 7,000 platelet doses each day to meet the nations need. Trusting Heart Blood Center is committed to working with hospitals to help ensure a readily available supply. Our donors give back to the community, and we believe in giving back to them. Company Contact:Trusting Heart Blood Center[email protected](844) 222-7001 Media Contact:Mike TattoryLifeSci Communications[email protected] Photos accompanying this announcement are available at: https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/64f07148-1309-49e7-8f71-7b115c3571b2 https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/1fa89065-94e9-4bed-bf03-511e340c4d85 https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/f60d2474-6047-4a46-8ae3-6dfdbfa05484 https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/483ac6ae-44e8-4d76-afcb-9ffbc43f1718 Photo 1 Reception at New Trusting Heart Blood Center Raleigh, North Carolina Photo 2 Exterior of New Trusting Heart Blood Center Raleigh, North Carolina Photo 3 Interior of New Trusting Heart Blood Center Raleigh, North Carolina Photo 4 Platelet Collection Area of New Trusting Heart Blood Center Raleigh, North Carolina Source: Trusting Heart Blood Center Washington, March 15, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) and Public Private Strategies Institute (PPSI) announced the launch of Building a Better America: A Small Business Resource Community (BBA Resource Community), a new engagement series geared toward connecting Americas 32.5 million small businesses with critical resources and information about the Biden-Harris Administrations efforts to support entrepreneurs. Small businesses are at the heart of the Biden-Harris Administrations economic agenda as we know they power our nations historic economic growth and job creation, said U.S. Small Business Administrator Isabella Casillas Guzman. The SBA is proud to launch Building a Better America: A Small Business Resource Community, to help highlight opportunities on the horizon thanks to President Bidens commitment to increasing competition, rebuilding our supply chains, and investing in American ingenuity. The BBA Resource Community will be an important tool to help enhance the Small Business Administrations larger effort to ensure that entrepreneurs in rural and urban communities across America have the resources they need to capitalize on this historic moment for economic development and generate growth for their businesses, communities, and families for generations to come. Through the BBA Resource Community, respected leaders from small businesses, economic development, and other sectors will headline briefings and training. In addition, this new initiative will also feature a series of free briefings and trainings to help small businesses access tools and resources and help them learn about new opportunities available thanks to the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (Bipartisan Infrastructure Law). The BBA Resource Community will also provide opportunities for small business owners to expand their networks and connect with key stakeholders that are critical for business success. The small business landscape has been transformed by the COVID-19 pandemic and rapid changes in our economy, and small business leaders need the most up-to-date information and resources to continue to grow, innovate, and thrive, said Rhett Buttle, President of Public Private Strategies Institute. Through Building a Better America: A Small Business Resource Community, the Small Business Administration and Public Private Strategies Institute will convene experts from across government, business, and advocacy to provide small business leaders with critical training and resources, as well as updates on new opportunities for small businesses. To RSVP to this or future events, please go to bit.ly/BBASBRC. Cosponsorship Authorization # 22-13-C. SBAs participation in this Cosponsored Activity is not an endorsement of the views, opinions, products, or services of any Cosponsor or other person or entity. All SBA programs and services are extended to the public on a nondiscriminatory basis. ### About Public Private Strategies Institute The Public Private Strategies Institute (PPSI) is an independent research and education organization. PPSI engages in educational activities concerning the public and private sectors roles in advancing societal change. PPSI explores best practices and trends through research, publications, and educational events. Additionally, it produces educational and informational content that will educate public and private sector actors about their capacity to be agents of social change; and conduct research into the existing landscape of public and private social responsibility and the potential for the future. About the U.S. Small Business Administration The U.S. Small Business Administration helps power the American dream of business ownership. As the only go-to resource and voice for small businesses backed by the strength of the federal government, the SBA empowers entrepreneurs and small business owners with the resources and support they need to start, grow or expand their businesses, or recover from a declared disaster. It delivers services through an extensive network of SBA field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations. To learn more, visit www.sba.gov. Press Office United States Small Business Administration [email protected] Source: United States Small Business Administration Paris, Amsterdam, March 15, 2022 Press release UNIBAIL-RODAMCO-WESTFIELD SELLS PROMENADE DEVELOPMENT PARCEL TO PRIVATE INVESTORS Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield (URW) announced today the continued streamlining of its US regional portfolio with the sale of the 34-acre site of the former Promenade Mall, located in the San Fernando Valley of Los Angeles, to a group of private investors. URW recently completed the citys planning and development process for the property, securing approval for a dynamic 3.2 million square foot mixed-use development aligned with the areas existing Warner Center 2035 Specific Plan. URW owns and operates the adjacent Westfield Topanga & The Village flagship destinations. This transaction demonstrates the significant potential for alternative investment in and around the companys assets, which URW can leverage to support its efforts to deleverage. The sale price of $150 Mn (at 100%, URW share 55%) reflects a 60% premium to the latest appraisal. For further information, please contact : Investor RelationsMaarten Otte+33 7 63 86 88 78[email protected] Media Relations Cornelia Schnepf Finelk+44 7387 108 998[email protected] Robyn Cottelli (US)[email protected]+1 929 254 83 09 About Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield is the premier global developer and operator of Flagship Destinations, with a portfolio valued at 54.5 Bn as at December 31, 2021, of which 86% in retail, 6% in offices, 5% in convention & exhibition venues and 2% in services. Currently, the Group owns and operates 85 shopping centres, including 53 Flagships in the most dynamic cities in Europe and the United States. Present on two continents and in 12 countries, Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield provides a unique platform for retailers and brand events and offers an exceptional and constantly renewed experience for customers. With the support of its 2,800 professionals and an unparalleled track-record and know-how, Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield is ideally positioned to generate superior value and develop world-class projects. Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield distinguishes itself by its Better Places 2030 agenda, that sets its ambition to create better places that respect the highest environmental standards and contribute to better cities. Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield stapled shares are listed on Euronext Amsterdam and Euronext Paris (Euronext ticker: URW), with a secondary listing in Australia through Chess Depositary Interests. The Group benefits from a BBB+ rating from Standard & Poors and from a Baa2 rating from Moodys. For more information, please visit www.urw.comVisit our Media Library at https://mediacentre.urw.comFollow the Group updates on Twitter @urw_group, Linkedin @Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield and Instagram Attachment Source: Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield SE LONDON (Reuters) - Chinese companies listed in New York fell sharply during premarket trade on Tuesday after surging COVID-19 cases fuelled fears for the world's second-largest economy and sent mainland firms listed in Hong Kong to 2008 lows. China's mammoth firms Alibaba, JD.com, Nio, Baidu, Gaotu Techedu and Bilibili were down between 4.5% and 6% in premarket U.S. trading. Exchange-traded funds exposed to Chinese securities also suffered heavy losses with iShares China Large-Cap ETF, iShares MSCI China ETF, KraneShares CSI China Internet ETF and Invesco China Technology ETF down between 3% and 7%. China posted a steep jump in daily COVID-19 infections on Tuesday, with new cases more than doubling from a day earlier to hit a two-year high, raising concerns about the rising economic costs of its tough measures to contain the disease. JPMorgan Chase & Co downgraded 28 Chinese stocks listed in the United States and Hong Kong on Monday, sending the tech giants listed in Hong Kong tumbling more than 8% on Tuesday. "As the Russia-Ukraine conflict continues, we believe global investors are increasingly nervous about geopolitical risks to China as more and more country and corporates impose sanctions on Russia," JPMorgan Chase & Co said. There were also concerns that China could decide to provide economic support for Russia which is being hit by sanctions for its invasion of Ukraine. Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - March 15, 2022) - Battery Mineral Resources Corp. (TSXV: BMR) (OTCQB: BTRMF) ("Battery" or "BMR" or the "Company") is extremely pleased to announce encouraging drill core assay results from the ongoing 2021 exploration and infill drill program focused on extensions of the Cinabrio orebody, the Dalmacia target and San Andres targets within the Punitaqui mine complex ("Punitaqui") in Chile. Punitaqui is slated for resumption of copper concentrate production in Q4-2022. The Cinabrio Norte target represents a potential northern extension of the main Cinabrio mine orebody, which historically was the primary source of ore feed to the Punitaqui copper ore concentration plant for eight-plus years (see Figure 1). Highlights At Cinabrio Norte, 29 holes have been completed for 6,192 meters ("m") and drilling is ongoing with three diamond drills. Significant visual copper mineralization has been recorded in 17 of the first 29 holes. The initial phase 1 program of step-out holes has been expanded from 24 holes (3,600m) to 48 holes, totaling 9,000m which will test 400m of strike length to a depth of 330m. Assay results have been returned with encouraging results as follows (see Table 1): CNN-22-07: 41.5 meters ("m") at 1.36% Copper ("Cu"); CNN-21-02: 13m at 1.36% Cu including 7.6m at 2.08% Cu; CNN-22-01: 26m at 1.28% Cu; CNN-22-06: 15m at 1.24% Cu; CNN-21-11: 7m at 1.21% Cu; CNN-21-06: 53m at 0.91% Cu including 20.8m at 1.14% Cu; CNN-21-07: 9.7m at 0.70% Cu; CNN-22-09: 25m at 0.65% Cu. Battery CEO Martin Kostuik states; "We are continuing to produce encouraging results from the identified targets at our former producing Punitaqui copper mine in Chile. These initial step-out drillhole results at the Cinabrio Norte target have confirmed the strike and down dip extent and thickness of the Targeted Stratigraphic Unit, as well as the fact that it hosts significant copper sulphide mineralization. Cinabrio Norte is about 100 meters north of the original Cinabrio deposit which was the primary source of copper feed to the Punitaqui mill for 8-plus years. This new target still remains to be largely untested and has the potential to provide the Company with an additional source of copper mineralization as ore feed for the Punitaqui processing plant. "The development of Punitaqui towards a restart is progressing well on all fronts, including drilling, engineering and permit modifications. We look forward to the potential of these latest assay results for the Cinabrio Norte Target contributing to the forthcoming restart plan for the mine as we progress towards a potential near-term resumption of operations and cashflow at Punitaqui." Cinabrio Norte Drill Program With the phase 1 drill programs at San Andres and Dalmacia completed, the drilling focus has shifted to Cinabrio Norte with three diamond drills in operation. The Cinabrio Norte phase 1 drill testing will follow-up on a limited number of historic drillholes that targeted the northern extension of the Cinabrio orebody. The historic exploration drilling confirmed that the favorable targeted stratigraphic unit ("TSU") that hosts the copper mineralization within the Cinabrio orebody extends to the north. The TSU has been mapped along a north-south strike from the mine. Importantly, the Cinabrio Norte target is only 110m north of the Cinabrio underground workings on level 200m. Historic hole CNS-20-01, drilled in 2020 by the prior operators, was drilled completely within the TSU resulting in multiple mineralized intercepts and, most importantly, confirmed the presence of TSU for over 200m of strike length with significant copper sulphide mineralization (CNS-20-01: 48m at 0.64% Cu, 3m at 0.47% Cu and 6m at 0.45% Cu). The current drilling is planned as a series of step-out holes to test the TSU 400m along strike (north-south) to a depth below surface ("down-dip") of 330m. To date, 29 holes have been completed totaling 6,192m. Significant visual copper mineralization has been recorded in 17 of the first 29 holes. This program has been expanded to 48 holes totaling 9,000m. Complete assay results were recently received for 18 holes: CNN-21-01 to CNN-21-12 as well as CNN-22-01, 02,04, 05, 06, 07 and 09 (see Figure 1 and Table 1). These initial step-out drillhole results have largely confirmed the strike extent, down-dip extent and thickness of the TSU and also verified that it hosts significant copper sulphide mineralization. Drillhole CNN-21-01 was designed as a step-out hole to test the TSU 70m down-dip from historic hole CNS-20-04 (14m at 0.74% Cu). The new hole successfully intersected 29m of the TSU and returned a copper mineralized zone of 2.9m at 1.11% Cu from 162m downhole and indicates a potential extension of the TSU down-dip. Drillhole CNN-21-02 was planned as a step-out hole to test the drilling gap in the TSU south of historic hole CNS-20-01 collar. This hole intersected significant copper mineralization of 13m at 1.36% Cu from 206m downhole including 4.6m at 3.01% Cu from 211.4m downhole. This hole confirmed that copper mineralization extends north from Cinabrio into the Cinabrio North target. Drillhole CNN-21-03 was drilled in the up-dip portion of the southwest corner of the target zone west of historic hole CNS-20-02 (3m at 0.91% Cu from 82m). The hole was designed as a 30m vertical step-out from the surface exposure of the TSU. The hole cut a 12m section of the targeted sediments that were dominantly sandstones. A narrow zone of disseminated copper sulphides yielded a 1.8m at 0.60% Cu from 53m downhole. Drillhole CNN-21-04 was planned to test the TSU 40m down-dip from the historic intercept in CNS-20-04 (14m at 0.74% Cu) in the southern part of the Cinabrio Norte target. The hole cut a 4m section of sediments consisting of sandstones with some interbedded shales that returned an assay interval of 1.2m of 0.98% Cu from 127.8m downhole. A second, narrow anomalous zone of 1.9m at 0.77% Cu from 137m. The two mineralized intervals are interpreted to successfully represent the downdip continuation of the CNS-20-04 intercept. Drillhole CNN-21-05 was designed to test the TSU 60m down-dip from the deeper historic intercepts in CNS-20-01 (3m at 0.47% Cu and 6m at 0.45% Cu) in the central part of the Cinabrio Norte target. The hole intercepted a 16m section of the sandstones and interbedded shales within which an assay interval of 2.5m at 0.46% Cu from 130m downhole was encountered. The new hole successfully confirmed the targeted stratigraphy extends downdip with anomalous copper sulphides associated with the shaley interbeds. Drillhole CNN-21-06 was drilled as a 200m step-out to the north of historic hole CNS-20-01 targeting the TSU in the northern part of the Cinabrio Norte zone to test the TSU 120m downdip from the surface outcrop zone. The steeply inclined hole cut a wide 85m section of sediments consisting of sandstones with some interbedded shales. This new hole yielded a mineralized intercept of 53m at 0.91% Cu from 92m downhole that included 20.8m at 1.14% Cu from 94.2m. The hole was successful in confirming the presence of the favorable stratigraphic unit that hosted significant copper sulphide mineralization over broad intervals. Subsequent holes to the south, east and northeast of CNN-21-06 also intersected broad zones of mineralized sediments. These include CNN-21-11 (25m south), CNN-22-06 (40m east) and CNN-22-07 (50m northeast). Drillhole CNN-21-07 targeted a 60m up-dip extension of the anomalous intercept in CNN-21-05 (2.5m at 0.46% Cu) in the central part of the Cinabrio Norte target. A 12m interval of the TSU was encountered that assayed 9.7m at 0.70% Cu from 92.3m including 3.7m at 1.35% Cu from 92.3m. This hole confirmed that narrow zones of variable grade mineralization are located in the central part of the target area. Hole CNN-22-02 located 50m down dip from CNN-21-07, intersected 2m of 0.55% Cu. Drillhole CNN-21-08 was designed as a 40m down-dip step-out of the TSU projected to the north under recent alluvial cover. Below cover, the hole encountered a 100m section of strongly sheared volcanics followed by the footwall andesites. The targeted TSU is now interpreted to be displaced to the west by the same low angle northwest dipping fault encountered in CNN-22-03. Drillhole CNN-21-09 was drilled from the same collar position as CNN-21-07 in the central part of the Cinabrio Norte Target. This hole was planned as a 40m down-dip test of the mineralization in historic hole PZ-1 (9m at 0.87% Cu). A 50m section of the TSU was successfully encountered with visible copper sulphides noted in the upper part of the intercept that yielded a 2.4m interval grading 0.73% Cu from 82m downhole. Drillhole CNN-21-10 was drilled from the same platform as CNN-21-12 in the southern part of the Cinabrio Norte target. This vertical hole was a 150m down-dip test of the mineralization drilled in CNN-21-07 (9.7m at 0.70% Cu). A 9m section of sandstones and shales noted with patchy disseminated chalcopyrite - bornite mineralization. An assay of 9.4m at 0.48% Cu from 253.4m including 2.7m at 0.80% Cu from 253.4m were returned. CNN-21-10 confirmed mineralized sedimentary rocks extend down dip in the central part of the target area. The mineralization encountered is open at depth. Drillhole CNN-21-11 collared in the northern part of the target, from the same collar position as CNN-22-01, 04, 06 and 08 and was planned as a 200m down-dip test of the TSU from the surface outcrop. The hole cut 60m of interlayered shales and sandstone with copper mineralization. Significant intervals include 7.0m at 1.21% Cu from 157m and 10m at 0.62% Cu from 210m and this confirms the continuity of mineralization at depth. CNN-21-11 extends the mineralization encountered in CNN-21-06 40m down dip. Drillhole CNN-21-12 was drilled from the same platform as CNN-21-07 in the southern part of the Cinabrio Norte target. The hole was a 300m down-dip test from the TSU surface exposure. Ten meters of shales and sandstones with disseminated chalcopyrite mineralization was encountered and yielded an assay interval of 1.7m at 0.44% Cu from 277.6m which confirms the mineralization is present at depth. Drillhole CNN-22-01 collared in the northern part of the target, from the same collar position as CNN-22-04, 06 and 08 and targeted the TSU down-dip and north of CNN-21-06 (20.8m at 1.14% Cu). The targeted interval produced a broad intercept of 26m at 1.28% Cu from 167m confirming the down-dip and northern extent of the copper mineralization. The hole extended a thick zone of mineralization 60m down dip from CNN-22-04 and 40m north of CNN-21-11. Drillhole CNN-22-02 was drilled in the central part of the Cinabrio Norte target and was collared from the same platform as CNN-21-10 and 12 as a 50m down-dip test of the intercept in CNN-21-07 (3.7m at 1.35% Cu). The hole successfully intersected 18m of weakly mineralized TSU. The interval produced an assay of 2m at 0.55% Cu from 163m. Drillhole CNN-22-03 collared in the northeast part of the target, on the same platform as CNN-21-06, 08 and CNN-22-05 was planned as a northwest step-out from CNN-21-06 and designed to intersect the TSU 150m downdip from surface. A 25m section of strongly sheared TSU was encountered. The shearing is interpreted the same low angle northwest dipping extensional fault which offset the TSU in CNN-21-08. No significant copper sulphides were noted. Drillhole CNN-22-04 drilled in the northern part of the target, from the same collar position as CNN-22-01, 06 and 08 and targeted a 50m down-dip step-out from the CNN-22-03 in which the TSU was faulted out. This new hole cut a 33m section of the favorable TSU stratigraphy with copper sulphides resulting in two mineralized intervals; 7.7m at 0.93% Cu from 163m and 4m at 1.27% Cu from 163m. The hole confirmed that mineralized TSU is present below the extensional fault encountered in CNN-22-03. Drillhole CNN-22-05 collared in the northeast part of the target, on the same platform as CNN-21-06, 08 and CNN-22-03, was designed as a 120m down-dip step-out from the surface TSU outcrop. A 50m section of the TSU was intersected with copper sulphides noted in the upper and lower parts of the TSU drilled. The upper part of the TSU is faulted, and it is interpreted that some of the TSU in CNN-22-05 has been faulted out by extensional faulting. Two mineralized intercepts reported of 2.9m at 1.68% Cu from 102.1m downhole and 3.1m at 0.80% Cu from 150m correlate with the two intervals of visible sulphide mineralization. Drillhole CNN-22-06 drilled in the northern part of the target, from the same collar position as CNN-22-01, 04, and 08 was planned as a 40m down-dip test of the copper mineralization cut in CNN-21-06 (20.8m at 1.14% Cu). The new hole successfully intersected a 78m interval of the TSU consisting of sandstone with shale interbeds. The best mineralization was reported from the upper portion of the TSU 15m at 1.24% Cu from 145m downhole. This hole confirmed the continuity of mineralization that was seen between CNN-21-06, CNN-21-11 and CNN-22-07. Drillhole CNN-22-07 collared in the northern part of the target, was drilled from the same drill pad as CNN-21-06 and 08. The objective was to test the TSU 50m south of the mineralization intersected in CNN-21-06 (20.8m at 1.14% Cu) and CNN-22-06 (assays pending). An 88m section of the TSU was drilled that yielded 41.5m at 1.36% Cu from 169m showing that significant mineralization occurs between CNN-21-06 (51m at 0.91% Cu) and CNN-21-05 (2.5 m at 0.46% Cu). Drillhole CNN-22-09 collared on-section to the east of hole CNN-21-05 in the central part of the Cinabrio Norte target was designed as a 40m downdip follow-up of historic hole PZ-1 (9m at 0.87% Cu). A 40m section of the TSU was intersected of oxide and sulphide copper mineralization that yielded two significant assay intervals 5m at 0.72% Cu from 36m downhole and 6m at 0.85% Cu from 51m. This mineralization is the down-dip continuation of the PZ-1 intercept and interpreted as part of a continuous zone of mineralization extending from drillhole CNN-22-07 40m to the north (41m at 1.36% Cu). Table 1: Cinabrio Norte Exploration Drill Intercepts Hole Number From (m) To (m) Sample Interval (m) Copper (Cu%) Silver (Ag g/t) CNN-21-01 162 164.9 2.9 1.11 2.0 CNN-21-02 206 219 13 1.36 5.3 including 211.4 219 7.6 2.08 5.7 and 211.4 216 4.6 3.01 8.2 CNN-21-03 53 54.8 1.8 0.60 2.2 CNN-21-04 127.8 138.9 11.1 0.32 1.1 including 127.8 129 1.2 0.98 7.2 and 137 138.9 1.9 0.77 1.0 CNN-21-05 130 132.5 2.5 0.46 0.8 CNN-21-06 92 145 53 0.91 2.8 including 94.2 139 44.8 0.98 2.7 including 94.2 115 20.8 1.14 2.3 and 121 128 7 1.16 4 CNN-21-07 92.3 102 9.7 0.70 5.2 including 92.3 96 3.7 1.35 11.1 and 100 102 2 0.72 3.8 CNN-21-09 82 84.4 2.4 0.73 5.9 CNN-21-10 253.4 262.7 9.4 0.48 6.0 including 253.4 256 2.7 0.80 7.5 CNN-21-11 157 164 7 1.21 3.0 including 200 203 3 0.76 3.8 and 210 220 10 0.62 9.2 CNN-21-12 277.6 279.3 1.7 0.44 6.3 CNN-22-01 167 193 26 1.28 15.2 CNN-22-02 163 165 2 0.55 3.7 CNN-22-04 163 170.7 7.7 0.93 2.3 including 163 167 4 1.27 2.6 CNN-22-05 102.1 105 2.9 1.68 9.1 including 150 153.1 3.1 0.80 2.8 CNN-22-06 145 160 15 1.24 4.5 including 202 208 6 0.46 12.3 CNN-22-07 83.5 125 41.5 1.36 3.5 including 169 190 21 0.42 3.3 and 169 170.7 1.7 1.54 6.8 CNN-22-09 36 61 25 0.65 4 including 36 41 5 0.72 6.4 and 51 57 6 0.85 3.5 Note: All intervals are downhole length Figure 1: Cinabrio Norte Drill Collar Plan (2021 completed holes in green, historic holes in grey and holes" in progress" in red) To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/6076/116805_ee4c3463a48319c9_002full.jpg Quality Control Sample preparation, analysis and security procedures applied on the BMR exploration projects is aligned with industry best practices. BMR has implemented protocols and procedures to ensure high-quality collection and management of samples resulting in reliable exploration assay data. BMR has implemented formal analytical quality control monitoring for all field sampling and drilling programs by inserting blanks and certified reference materials into every sample sequence dispatched. Sample preparation is performed by ALS Global - Geochemistry Analytical Lab in La Serena, Chile and sample analyses by ALS in Lima, Peru. ALS analytical facilities are commercial laboratories and are independent from BMR. All BMR samples are collected and packaged by BMR staff and delivered upon receipt at the ALS Laboratory. Samples are logged in a sophisticated laboratory information management system for sample tracking, scheduling, quality control, and electronic reporting. Samples are dried then crushed to 70% ME-ICP61: A high precision, multi-acid digest including Hydrofluoric, Nitric, Perchloric and Hydrochloric acids. Analysed by inductively coupled plasma ("ICP") mass spectrometry that produces results for 48 elements. ME-OG62: Aqua-Regia digest: Analysed by ICP-AES (Atomic Emission Spectrometry) or sometimes called optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) for elevated levels of Co, Cu, Ni and Ag. Certified standards are inserted into sample batches by ALS. Blanks and duplicates are inserted within each analytical run. The blank is inserted at the beginning, certified standards are inserted at random intervals, and duplicates are analysed at the end of the batch. Additional Information Michael Schuler, Battery Mineral Resources Corp. Chile Exploration Manager, supervised the preparation of and approved the scientific and technical information in this press release pertaining to the Punitaqui Exploration Drill Program. Mr. Schuler is a qualified person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects. About Battery Mineral Resources Corp. A battery mineral company with high-quality assets providing shareholders exposure to the global mega-trend of electrification and focused on growth through cash-flow, exploration, and acquisitions in the world's top mining jurisdictions. Battery is currently developing the Punitaqui Mining Complex and pursuing the potential near-term resumption of operations for the second half of 2022 at the prior producing Punitaqui copper-gold mine. The Punitaqui copper-gold mine most recently produced approximately 21,000 tonnes of copper concentrate in 2019 and is in the Coquimbo region of Chile. Battery is engaged in the discovery, acquisition, and development of battery metals (cobalt, lithium, graphite, nickel, and copper), in North and South America and South Korea with the intention of becoming a premier and sustainable supplier of battery minerals to the electrification marketplace. Battery is the largest mineral claim holder in the historic Gowganda Cobalt-Silver Camp, Canada and continues to pursue a focused program to build on the recently announced, +1-million-pound high grade cobalt resource at McAra by testing over 50 high-grade primary cobalt silver-nickel-copper targets. In addition, Battery owns 100% of ESI Energy Services, Inc., also known as Ozzie's, a profitable pipeline equipment rental and sales company with operations in Leduc, Alberta and Phoenix, Arizona. Battery Metals Resources is based in Canada and its shares are listed on the Toronto Venture Exchange under the symbol "BMR". Further information about Battery and its projects can be found on www.bmrcorp.com. For further information, please contact: Battery Mineral Resources Corp. Martin Kostuik Phone: +1 (604) 229 3830 Email: [email protected] Mars Investor Relations [email protected] 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 press release. Forward-Looking Statements This news release includes certain "forward-looking statements" under applicable Canadian securities legislation. 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 of the Company on the date the statements are made and are based upon a number of assumptions and estimates that, while considered reasonable by the Company, 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. Such factors include, without limitation, the ability of the Company to obtain sufficient financing to complete exploration and development activities, the ability of the Company to complete the Debenture offering, risks related to share price and market conditions, the inherent risks involved in the mining, exploration and development of mineral properties, the ability of the Company to meet its anticipated development schedule, government regulation and fluctuating metal prices. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Battery undertakes no obligation to update publicly or otherwise revise any forward-looking statements contained herein, whether as a result of new information or future events or otherwise, except as may be required by law. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/116805 Sulphide-bearing ultramafic rocks encountered in drill core at the Fortin Sill Target Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - March 15, 2022) - Quebec Nickel Corp. (CSE: QNI)(FSE: 7lB)(OTCQB: QNICF) (or the "Company") is pleased to provide an update of exploration activities at its 100%-owned nickel-copper-platinum group element Ducros Project, located 80 kilometres Northeast of Val-d'Or Qubec. The 2022 Ducros Project Phase I diamond drilling program, which began in early February at the Fortin Sill target area with one diamond drill (February 22, 2022 News Release), is focused on drill testing multiple Ni-Cu-PGE targets generated by the Abitibi Geophysics ground electromagnetic (ARMIT-TDEM) survey completed in 2020. At the time of writing, a total of five holes have been completed for over 1,500 metres of core drilled, with one hole in progress. Of note, drill holes QDG-22-04 and QDG-22-05, located approximately 260 metres apart, have intersected wide core length intervals of ultramafic rocks, some of which contain what is interpreted to be primary magmatic sulphides, the results of which are summarized below. Drill holes QDG-22-01 through QDG-22-03 were designed to evaluate a series of near-surface high-conductance electromagnetic anomalies identified from the ground electromagnetic survey completed in late 2020 (ARMIT-TDEM). All three holes encountered thick successions of variably sheared, altered and quartz-carbonate-veined mafic volcanic rocks +/- minor feldspar porphyritic dykes intercalated with units of variably graphitic sulphide/oxide facies iron formation, some of which are several metres thick. The targeted electromagnetic conductors are interpreted to be adequately explained by the occurrence of the pyrrhotite + pyrite-rich sulphide facies iron formation units in these holes. Drill hole QDG-22-04 was collared approximately 330 metres southwest of the Fortin Sill Ni-Cu-PGE showing, in an area of no previous drilling and was designed to evaluate the geology of the area at depth; the hole is also intended to be used as a platform for future down-the-hole electromagnetic surveys (BHEM). After collaring in a mixed package of sulphide/oxide facies iron formation, sheared mafic to intermediate and felsic volcanic rocks, hole QDG-22-04 intersects ultramafic rocks at a hole depth of approximately 193 metres, including what is interpreted to be coarse-grained pyroxenite and dunitic units (chlorite schists). Of note is the occurrence of what is interpreted to be primary magmatic sulphides (blebby pyrrhotite) within portions of strongly chlorite-altered ultramafic rocks, such as at 424 metres depth (Figure 1). The hole was terminated at 559.5 metres within a strongly sheared and quartz-carbonate veined ultramafic unit. Figure 1. A photo of drill core from hole QDG-22-04 at ~424 metres depth shows what is interpreted to be primary magmatic sulphides (blebby pyrrhotite) within a strongly chloritized ultramafic rock (chlorite schist). To view an enhanced version of Figure 1, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/8152/116722_quebecnickel.jpg Drill hole QDG-22-05 was collared approximately 85 metres to the west-southwest of the Fortin Sill Ni-Cu-PGE showing and was designed to undercut by approximately 85 metres historical drill holes GCF-08-06 and GCF-08-07, drilled by Golden Valley Mines in 2008, which intersected 0.21% Ni + 0.11% Cu over 33 metres (not analyzed for PGE's) and 0.38 % Ni, 0.44% Cu and 0.65 g/t Pt+Pd+Au over a 20.70 metre core length (from 4.50 m to 25.20 m down-hole) respectively. From approximately 72 metres downhole depth to the end of the hole at 285 metres, hole QDG-22-05 cored through a mixed package of mafic volcanic rocks, minor sulphide/oxide iron formation and moderately to strongly sheared ultramafic rocks, all cut by late feldspar porphyritic dykes. This hole ended at 285 metres depth in strongly sheared and veined ultramafic rocks (Figure 2). Figure 2. A photo of drill core from hole QDG-22-05 near the end of the hole at ~279 metres depth showing intensely sheared and veined ultramafic rocks. To view an enhanced version of Figure 2, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/8152/116722_3247c56c44f3297c_009full.jpg A total of 991 samples from the first five holes completed at the Fortin Sill target area have been delivered to the AGAT Laboratories sample preparation facility in Val-d'Or. Assay results are expected to be received in the coming weeks and will be reported in due course. In addition to the ongoing Phase I drilling program at the Fortin Sill Ni-Cu-PGE target, the Company also reports the 1,717 line-kilometre property-wide helicopter-borne Geotech Ltd. VTEMTM electromagnetic-magnetic survey is nearing completion. Once reviewed and interpreted, the results from this survey will be used to guide the Phase II drilling program, which will focus on testing new Ni-Cu-PGE related geophysical anomalies associated with unexplored mafic-ultramafic intrusions over the entire Ducros property holdings. QUALIFIED PERSON Gary DeSchutter, P.Geo., Vice-President of Exploration for Quebec Nickel Corp., and a Qualified Person ("QP") as defined under National Instrument 43-101 ("NI 43-101"), has reviewed and approved the scientific and technical content of this press release. ABOUT QUEBEC NICKEL CORP. Quebec Nickel Corp. is a mineral exploration company focused on acquiring, exploring, and developing nickel projects in Quebec, Canada. The Company has 100% interest in the Ducros Group Property, consisting of 280 contiguous mining claims covering 15,147 hectares within the Abitibi region located in Quebec, Canada. Additional information on Quebec Nickel Corp. is available at www.quebecnickel.com . The CSE has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this news release. Neither the CSE nor its Market Regulator (as that term is defined in the policies of the CSE) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. On behalf of the Board of Directors David Patterson Chief Executive Officer and Director 1 (855) 764-2535 [email protected] CAUTIONARY AND FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS This news release includes certain statements that may be deemed "forward-looking statements". All statements in this news release, other than statements of historical facts that address events or developments that the Company expects to occur, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally, but not always, identified by the words "expects," "plans," "anticipates," "believes," "intends," "estimates," "projects," "potential" and similar expressions, or that events or conditions "will," "would," "may," "could" or "should" occur. Although the Company believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance, and actual results may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause the results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include market prices, continued availability of capital and financing, and general economic, market or business conditions. Investors are cautioned that 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. Forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs, estimates and opinions of the Company's management on the date the statements are made. Except as required by applicable securities laws, the Company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements if management's beliefs, estimates, opinions, or other factors should change. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/116722 FILE PHOTO: Sanctioned Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich stands in a VIP lounge before a jet linked to him took off for Istanbul from Ben Gurion international airport in Lod near Tel Aviv, Israel, March 14, 2022. REUTERS/Stringer By Catarina Demony LISBON (Reuters) - An inquiry into the granting of Portuguese citizenship to Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich has led to the opening of disciplinary proceedings against employees involved in the process, Lusa news agency reported on Tuesday. The Russian billionaire was granted Portuguese citizenship in April 2021 based on a law offering naturalisation to descendants of Sephardic Jews who were expelled from the Iberian peninsula during the mediaeval Inquisition. There is little known history of Sephardic Jews in Russia, although Abramovich is a common surname of Ashkenazi Jewish origin. The inquiry by the Institute of Registries and Notary (IRN), which provides nationality and passport services, was launched in January amid criticism from some activists, commentators and politicians who said the law must be reviewed as they believed it was being used by Russian oligarchs to get a foothold in the EU. IRN, which did not immediately reply to a Reuters request for comment, told Lusa that, following the initial investigation, disciplinary proceedings were opened but said details of it were confidential. It did not say on how many employees were targeted. A second inquiry into the granting of citizenship to Abramovich was opened in January by the Portuguese prosecutor's office and his citizenship could be stripped depending on its outcome. A rabbi responsible for issuing a document needed to obtain citizenship was arrested last week. Abramovich was among several Russian billionaires added on Tuesday to an EU blacklist after being a target of British sanctions last week. Abramovich, the owner of Britain's Chelsea soccer club, flew to Moscow in his private jet on Tuesday. Earlier on Tuesday, Portuguese Foreign Minister Augusto Santos Silva said Portugal would implement restrictive measures against Russian oligarchs agreed at EU level even if those sanctioned by the bloc were Portuguese citizens. "These sanctions are supported by Portuguese authorities and (will be) scrupulously enforced," Santos Silva told parliament. (Reporting by Catarina Demony, Additional reporting by Sergio Goncalves and Patricia Rua; Editing by Edmund Blair and Sandra Maler) FILE PHOTO: Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal addresses the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe via videolink, in an extraordinary session to discuss Russia's invasion of Ukraine, in Strasbourg, France March 14, 2022. REUTERS/Arnd Wiegman (Reuters) -Russia on Tuesday quit the Council of Europe, the continent's leading human rights watchdog, pre-empting an expected expulsion over its attack on neighbour Ukraine. Russia is only the second country to leave the pan-European group tasked with upholding human rights and the rule of law since its formation after World War Two. Greece had done the same in 1969, also to avoid expulsion, after a group of army officers seized power in a military coup. It rejoined after restoring democracy five years later. Russia's withdrawal from the institution that devised the European Convention on Human Rights and helped eastern European nations to democratise their political systems after the collapse of Communism carries symbolic weight. But the decision, announced hours before a vote on its expulsion in the Council of Europe's assembly, also has concrete consequences. The human rights convention will cease to apply to Russia and Russians will no longer be able to appeal to the European Court of Human Rights against their government. Russia, explaining its departure, accused Western countries of undermining the human rights body, which had suspended Russia's membership on Feb. 25, the day after it invaded Ukraine. "SLAM THE DOOR" Leonid Slutsky, head of the International Affairs Committee of Russia's lower house of parliament, accused the countries of NATO and the European Union of seeing the Council of Europe as "a means of ideological support for their military-political and economic expansion to the east". In a resolution drafted on Monday but adopted on Tuesday after Moscow's announcement, the Council of Europe's assembly said Russia should be pushed out. "In the common European home, there is no place for an aggressor," it said. The resolution, adopted by unanimity, said that the impact of Russia withdrawing from Europe's court of human rights would be mitigated by the fact that Moscow failed to properly act on its judgements. "Today's decision is not against the people of Russia, it's against the autocratic, kleptocratic, oppressive regime of (Russian President Vladimir) Putin," said former Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou, now a Council of Europe assembly member. "My country, Greece, was kicked out of the Council of Europe in the 1970s ... this decision strengthened our struggle for democracy and freedom," he said. Pyotr Tolstoy, head of the Russian delegation at the Council's Parliamentary Assembly, said on his Telegram channel that he had handed over a letter from Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov announcing Moscow's decision to leave the watchdog. The Council of Europe, which is separate from the European Union, confirmed it had received Moscow's letter. Russia describes its invasion of Ukraine as a "special operation" to demilitarise and "denazify" Ukraine and prevent a genocide of Russian speakers. Ukraine and Western allies call this a baseless pretext for a war of choice. The Council of Europe was founded in 1949. Russia joined in 1996. (Writing by Ingrid Melander and Kevin Liffey; Editing by Mark Trevelyan, Mark Heinrich, Jonathan Oatis, David Goodman and Tim Ahmann) (Reuters) - Moscow is in favour of the Iran nuclear deal resuming as soon as possible, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Tuesday, and is waiting for Washington to lift sanctions on Tehran. European powers have warned that Russia's demands to have its trade guaranteed with Iran could wreck an attempt to restore the Iranian nuclear deal which lifted sanctions on Tehran in return for curbs on its nuclear programme. (Reporting by Reuters) HOUSTON, March 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- AllianceHCM, one of the nation's largest privately-held human capital management (HCM) software providers, announced today its latest benefits integration partner, Employee Navigator, a software that is trusted by more than 60,000 companies and 10 million employees to help manage benefits administration, onboarding, and compliance "AllianceHCM is committed to deepening our partnerships with the benefits broker community. A key to our broker referral strategy is to integrate with the solutions they love, like Employee Navigator. Couple our seamless two-way integration to Employee Navigator with the most personalized customer service in the industry, and it's a win-win for our broker partner's customers." said AllianceHCM President Matt Umboltz. The technology and service benefits of AllianceHCM and Employee Navigator helps brokers: Manage benefit election changes for the employee in Employee Navigator and automatically sync to AllianceHCM's payroll Keep employee demographic data changes in AllianceHCM's payroll updated in Employee Navigator Decrease the workload during benefit open enrollments elections or as life changes are made Get support from designated partner success managers to guide the implementation and provide ongoing support This technology integration has the potential to save benefit brokers an average of 21 hours of manual entry per month. The AllianceHCM and Employee Navigator partnership allows brokers to expand benefit offerings, increase client retention, and get back to consulting with their clients without increasing their workload. AllianceHCM's integration comes on the heels of several other product enhancements. These enhancements include AllianceHCM boosting its talent acquisition offering by incorporating video interviewing, helping companies track employee vaccination statuses as a part of its core HR feature, and releasing expense management as part of its payroll services. To learn more about AllianceHCM and Employee Navigator's integration, visit alliancehcm.com/integration/employee-navigator/ About Alliance Alliance Human Capital Management (HCM) heavily invests in providing the latest workforce technology backed by the most personalized customer service in the industry. Since 1989, we've listened to our users and worked with thousands of business owners' unique needs to ensure we always provide the most superior HCM solution and unrivaled support to our clients. Our proprietary online software delivers streamlined applicant tracking, video interviewing, paperless onboarding, WOTC, employee self-service, payroll processing, HR management, benefits enrollment, timekeeping, expense management, COVID tracker, and so much more, all within one complete system, so you can easily manage employee data from applicant to retirement with Alliance. In an industry that too often over-promises and under-delivers, we're the HCM provider you've been looking for! See our complete HCM solutions. About Employee Navigator Employee Navigator helps insurance brokers, employers, and our integrated partners create a more efficient way of managing their business online. Launched in 2008, Employee Navigator serves more than 2,500 insurance brokers, 150+ integrated partners, and 60,000+ companies across the country. We've built a platform to help millions of employees enroll in benefits and have a single place for HR to manage it all, from new hire onboarding and online enrollments to ACA reporting and time-off tracking. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/alliancehcm-launches-employee-navigator-integration-to-better-partner-with-benefit-brokers-301502967.html SOURCE AllianceHCM New pages to reflect company's new mission and vision SAN JOSE, Calif., March 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Boviet Solar, a leading global solar energy technology company specializing in the manufacturing of Monocrystalline PERC PV cells, Monofacial and Bifacial PV Modules, has launched new corporate social media pages for LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Boviet solar launches social media pages reflecting company's new mission and vision The new social media pages are introduced on the heels of a new company website. Social media will complement the website by providing information about Boviet Solar, its products and services, and its customers, in a conversational and interactive manner. Boviet Solar expects to reach clients, potential clients, the solar community, and people interested in solar through its social media presence. "Social media is the ideal forum for sharing not only company information but also ideas and concepts related to solar energy and renewable energy. We look forward to building our online presence and engaging and networking with virtual communities on the leading social media platforms," said Sienna Cen, President, Boviet Solar USA. "Like our new website, our new social media aligns with our new company mission, vision, culture and growth plans," Cen added. The new social media pages, which will offer information about Boviet Solar's core business, new product introductions, solar projects and industry news, can be found at: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/boviet-solar-usa/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bovietsolartechnology/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/BovietSolarTech Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Boviet-Solar-Technology-101861935765888 About Boviet Solar Founded in 2013 in Vietnam, Boviet Solar is part of Boway Alloy and a global Tier 1 solar technology company that specializes in the manufacturing of Monocrystalline PERC cells, Monofacial and Bifacial PV modules, as well as solar project development. The company works with IPPs, EPCs, project developers, solar installers, and contractors to deliver top-performing PV modules for utility-scale, commercial, industrial, and residential solar projects. With a proven track record of success working with many of the industry's leading players, Boviet Solar has maintained its position as a BloombergNEF Tier 1 solar module manufacturer and supplier since 2017. The company offers financial stability, technology know-how, manufacturing excellence and supply chain transparency. Its PV Modules are known for their power, performance and quality and have been rated as top performers on the PVEL/DNV-GL module reliability scorecard since 2019. Boviet Solar's USA headquarters are in San Jose, California and its global headquarters are located in Vietnam. For more information, please visit www.bovietsolar.com. Safe Harbor Statement This press release has been prepared by Boviet Solar (the "Company") solely to facilitate the understanding of the Company's business model and growth strategy. The information contained in this press release has not been independently verified. No representation, warranty or undertaking, express or implied, is made as to, and no reliance should be placed on, the fairness, accuracy, completeness or correctness of the information or the opinions contained herein. None of the Company or any of its affiliates, advisers or representatives will be liable (in negligence or otherwise) for any loss howsoever arising from any use of this press release or its contents or otherwise arising in connection with the press release, and you are advised to conduct an independent analysis with respect to any matters contained herein. This press release contains forward-looking statements and management may make additional forward-looking statements in response to your questions. These forward-looking statements include descriptions regarding the intent, belief or current expectations of the Company or its officers with respect to its future performance, consolidated results of operations and financial condition. These statements can be identified using words such as "expects," "plans," "will," "estimates," "projects," or words of similar meaning. Such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially from expectations implied by these forward-looking statements because of various factors and assumptions. Although we believe our expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, we cannot assure you that they will be realized. In addition, these forward-looking statements are made as of the current date, and the Company does not undertake to update forward-looking statements to reflect future events or circumstances, unless otherwise required by law. View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/boviet-solar-launches-new-social-media-pages-301501628.html SOURCE Boviet Solar Cambium Carbon, a climate-tech startup is building a local, regenerative wood supply chain and future gigaton climate solution. WASHINGTON, March 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Cambium Carbon PBC announced a $3.2M seed round investment this week led by MaC Venture Capital, and supported by Soma Capital, Joe Tsai (Co-Founder and Executive Vice Chairman of Alibaba), Revolution's Rise of the Rest Seed Fund, Blue Ivy Ventures and others. Cambium Carbon Raises $3M in Seed Funding To Reinvent the Wood Supply Chain and Radically Reduce Carbon Emissions More salvageable trees fall in U.S. cities each year than in our national forests, and they're often wasted and sent to landfills. Cambium Carbon's SaaS platform, Traece, saves these trees by connecting them to local sawyers & millers who turn them into durable productsstoring carbon for generations and funding tree planting in communities that need them most. Traece has moved $3.7M of wood to date. Real estate developers, tech companies, and furniture manufacturers have all purchased Carbon-Smart Wood through Cambium Carbon's supplier network. "We're on a mission to transform wood products manufacturing. This can be a huge climate solution by dramatically reducing transportation emissions, as well as facilitating reuse of materials in our cities," said Cambium Carbon CEO, Ben Christensen. The investment comes at a moment of growing pressure on international supply chains. Since Russia invaded Ukraine, lumber prices have jumped 14% to $1,452, putting them just below the all-time peak of $1,711 per thousand board feet recorded last May, according to a report in Market Insider. High gas prices make shipping timber from overseas expensive and many companies are looking for price-competitive alternatives to traditional timber that contributes to deforestation. "What excites us most about Cambium Carbon's platform is the expansive impact of their marketplace. By connecting major buyers to local producers they are both creating access to domestic supply chains and actively reducing carbon emissions. Not to mention, their efforts to replant trees will benefit us all in the long term," said Adrian Fenty, former Mayor of D.C. and Managing General Partner at MaC Venture Capital. "This funding will allow us to grow a two-sided marketplace for locally sourced and salvaged material that reinvests in urban tree restoration and creates local jobs," said Cambium Carbon Co-Founder and CFO, Marisa Repka. Launched in 2020, Cambium Carbon plans to quickly grow its team in the coming months, expanding its platform user-ship, diverting 2,500 tons of wood waste, and planting 10,000 high-impact trees in partnership with communities. About Cambium CarbonCambium Carbon uses technology to build local, regenerative wood supply chains. Founded by former Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies classmates Ben Christensen, Marisa Repka and Colorado College alum and former Thomas Watson Fellow Theo Hooker, Cambium Carbon is on a mission to bring manufacturing back to our cities, dramatically reducing climate impacts and creating green jobs. View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/cambium-carbon-raises-3m-in-seed-funding-to-reinvent-the-wood-supply-chain-and-radically-reduce-carbon-emissions-301503184.html SOURCE Cambium Carbon - Leading Fast Casual Seafood Franchise Capitalizing on Franchise Development Success; First Express Locations Debuting Soon - NASHVILLE, Tenn., March 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Captain D's, the nation's leading fast-casual seafood restaurant, announced today it has an impressive slate of new openings underway in the first half of 2022, capitalizing on continued franchise development interest from both new and existing franchisees. Market-smart real estate opportunities, strong sales performance and impressive AUV are attracting multi-unit and multi-concept franchisees who are growing with the brand across the country. Captain D's has 14 restaurants set to open by mid-year in states like Florida, Georgia, Ohio, Texas and Tennessee. Two of these openings will be both franchise and company debuts of the new 'Express' prototype, a significantly smaller footprint featuring only a drive-thru and walk-up windows for ordering and picking up. The brand is also continuing its success converting vacant restaurant properties with a recent franchise opening in Elberton, Georgia, and two more conversions planned in Florida this summer. Looking ahead, Captain D's is focusing its efforts on corporate and franchise development in target markets throughout the South, Midwest and Mid-Atlantic states, including Florida, Ohio and Pennsylvania. "The team at Captain D's has been hard at work, securing real estate opportunities in thriving markets and setting up franchisees for success to join or expand with us," said Brad Reed, chief development officer for Captain D's. "There is a growing momentum that we're leaning into, and it's rewarding to see both our company-owned stores and our franchisees benefit from our best-in-class support, unique niche in the fast casual space and flexible restaurant prototypes. We look forward to celebrating this success throughout the upcoming year as we open more restaurants, enter new markets and take the brand to increasing heights." Captain D's signed 16 new agreements in 2021 to develop 40 locations in key markets nationwide over the next several years, including Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, Detroit and Tampa. Nearly half of those agreements were with existing franchisees, whose success amid strong sales comps system-wide continues to be a driving force behind the company's accelerated growth. Captain D's also celebrated milestone restaurant openings in 2021, including the brand's first double drive-thru in Tupelo, Mississippi, first Chicago-area location and multiple cost-effective conversions. Captain D's is consistently recognized among the franchising and foodservice industries' most prestigious accolades. Most recently, the brand was ranked as the seafood category leader in Entrepreneur magazine's highly competitive Franchise 500 ranking for the third year in a row. Other recent awards include Franchise Times' Top 200 and Franchise Business Review's Best Franchise Opportunities to Buy. With more than 540 restaurants in 23 states, Captain D's is the fast-casual seafood leader and number one seafood franchise in America ranked by average unit volume. The company is currently seeking single and multi-unit operators to join in the brand's rapid expansion. For more information about franchise opportunities, visit www.captaindsfranchising.com or call 800-314-4819. ABOUT CAPTAIN D'SHeadquartered in Nashville, Tenn., Captain D's has more than 540 restaurants in 23 states. Captain D's is the nation's leading fast-casual seafood restaurant and was named the #1 seafood chain in the QSR 50, ranked by AUV. Founded in 1969, Captain D's has been offering its customers high-quality seafood at reasonable prices in a welcoming atmosphere for more than 50 years. Captain D's serves a wide variety of seafood that includes freshly prepared entrees and the company's signature batter-dipped fish. The restaurants also offer premium-quality, grilled items such as shrimp, Tilapia, and Salmon, as well as hushpuppies, desserts, and freshly brewed, Southern-style sweet tea, a Captain D's favorite. For more information, please visit www.captainds.com. Contact:Ashley BennettFish Consulting954-893-9150[email protected] View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/captain-ds-expanding-footprint-with-strong-lineup-of-new-prototypes-and-conversions-opening-early-this-year-301503116.html SOURCE Captain D's WAITSFIELD, Vt., March 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Chooseco, publisher of the world-famous Choose Your Own Adventure (CYOA) gamebooks, has announced it is donating 100% of their webstore book sales to two humanitarian groups aiding Ukrainians in the front lines of their invasion by Russia. Choose Your Own Adventure Donates Webstore Book Sales to Two Nonprofits Supporting Ukrainians Beginning March 1, 2022, all proceeds from books purchased on www.CYOA.com (minus shipping) are being divided between Jose Andres' World Central Kitchen, and to Razom For Ukraine. World Central Kitchen is providing tens of thousands of meals to Ukrainian refugees daily at more than 30 mobile kitchens. Razom For Ukraine, founded during the Maidan Revolution of 2014, is providing critical medical supplies to the front lines of the conflict, and is also working to amplify the voices of Ukrainians defending their country. "This is Putin's war of choice, and it is horrific," stated CYOA Publisher Shannon Gilligan. "We sincerely hope his next choices are wiser ones. Slava Ukraini." About Chooseco Chooseco is a purpose-built publisher who relaunched the groundbreaking Choose Your Own Adventure series of interactive gamebooks in 2006. Since the series relaunch, Chooseco has sold over 15 million copies of bestselling, original, and all-new books, translated into 40 languages. Over 270 million books are in print worldwide. www.cyoa.com Contact: Dot GreeneMarketing Manager802-496-2595 [email protected] View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/choose-your-own-adventure-stands-with-ukraine-301503124.html SOURCE Chooseco LIVERMORE, Calif., March 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, CoverEase, a digital insurance brokerage, announced the launch of its digital platform that leverages artificial intelligence to automate underwriting, and deliver a simple way to shop, compare, and buy workers' compensation, in 3 minutes. In 3 minutes businesses can shop the insurance marketplace to receive instant quotes from top-rated insurance companies. The company has transformed the typical long and complicated process of purchasing business insurance into a lightning-fast, easy, and awesome experience. CoverEase instantly shops the workers' compensation marketplace, and during the same journey, quotes business property and liability, cyber liability, and for California businesses, group health insurance, comparing pricing and coverages from top-rated insurance companies including The Hartford, Travelers, Liberty Mutual, Markel, Berkshire Hathaway Guard, Employers, AmTrust, Anthem, Kaiser Permanente, United HealthCare and Cowbell Cyber, among others. CoverEase's AI-powered, embeddable solution offers a seamless way for its partners to offer business insurance to its customers, at the point of sale, via a browser. "We're obsessed with delivering a best-in-class customer experience that makes it easy to shop and save on the insurance that businesses need. CoverEase offers choice and transparency by providing seven different workers' comp quotes along with business, property, cyber liability, and group health quotes within a unified platform. We're uniquely positioned within the digital insurance marketplace to provide instant quotes and best-in-class service with a broad product suite through multiple distribution models," commented Shawn Edgington, Founder and CEO. CoverEase's digital platform is supported by Coverage Concierges, the company's business insurance experts, who help customers navigate the options and purchase the right insurance at the best price. Start your quotes with CoverEase to explore coverages, tailored to your business. About CoverEase: CoverEase is a digital insurance brokerage that simplifies the way business insurance is quoted and purchased across the United States. CoverEase combines artificial intelligence and broker expertise to instantly quote, and purchase workers' compensation plus other business insurance coverages from top insurance companies. CoverEase, headquartered in Livermore, California, with offices in New York, was built on the same technology that their sister company's pay-go workers' comp agency, E-COMP NOW! has been using and improving for the past 5 years. Both companies were founded by Shawn Marie Edgington. Visit us: www.coverease.com. Follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter. Media Contact:Kim NelsonHead of Corporate CommunicationsCoverEase Insurance Services, LLC, [email protected]888-611-3273www.coverease.com View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/coverease-helps-businesses-instantly-shop-and-save-on-business-insurance-301500623.html SOURCE CoverEase Leading EV charging company also appoints three new high-profile directors as it accelerates execution of its US strategy QUEBEC CITY, March 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - AddEnergie Technologies Inc., operator of the FLO EV charging network, is proud to announce the new composition of its Board of Directors and Tom Werner's appointment as Chair. With broad and diversified experience in fast-growth technology companies, green industries and deep knowledge of the US market, FLO | AddEnergie's expanded Board of Directors will play a key role in guiding and supporting the company's ongoing expansion across North America. Tom Werner, new Chair of the Board, is a business advisor with extensive experience in leadership roles in technology and energy organizations. He was on the front lines of the solar revolution serving as CEO of SunPower for 18 years. During his tenure, Tom grew the business from a privately held company of 35 employees with revenues of less than $5 million to a publicly traded industry leader with a market value that reached $11 billion and an installed base of 350,000 clients. Alongside Tom, FLO | AddEnergie is pleased to announce the appointment of three other highly qualified directors: Renee Bergeron Senior Vice President and General Manager of AppSmart, the largest B2B recurring technology services marketplace in the world. Renee has been a thought-leader in the technology industry for more than 25 years including at Ingram Micro and Fujitsu. Senior Vice President and General Manager of AppSmart, the largest B2B recurring technology services marketplace in the world. Renee has been a thought-leader in the technology industry for more than 25 years including at Ingram Micro and Fujitsu. Richard Cherney Senior partner at Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP in the Mergers & Acquisitions, Capital Markets & Securities and Private Equity practices. Richard advises public and private companies, including Alimentation Couche-Tard (Circle K), New Look Vision Group, the Kaycan group of companies and Air Canada. Senior partner at Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP in the Mergers & Acquisitions, Capital Markets & Securities and Private Equity practices. Richard advises public and private companies, including Alimentation Couche-Tard (Circle K), New Look Vision Group, the Kaycan group of companies and Air Canada. Dany St-Pierre President of Cleantech Expansion. Dany advises entrepreneurs in the smart mobility sector with her more than 20 years of sales and marketing experience with globaltransportation and energy manufacturers such as Bombardier, Siemens, Alstom and Nordex. "I am proud to welcome these seasoned business leaders to our Board of Directors," said Louis Tremblay, President and CEO of FLO | AddEnergie. "Each of these individuals brings a unique perspective, tremendous insight and experience that will help us achieve our growth ambitions and our vision to be a world leader in EV charging. I am particularly excited to see Tom Werner take the helm of our board. Tom's background as thought leader in solar and renewable energy and deep experience across the value chain and strong track record of delivering growth and value creation will no doubt contribute greatly to the execution of FLO | AddEnergie's strategy. I look forward to working with all board members to see everything that we can accomplish together." Tom, Renee, Richard and Dany will work alongside FLO | AddEnergie's current experienced and knowledgeable directors: Norman Hebert President and CEO of Groupe Park Avenue for the last 30 years. Norman leads more than 1,000 employees in 21 car dealerships across Canada. President and CEO of Groupe Park Avenue for the last 30 years. Norman leads more than 1,000 employees in 21 car dealerships across Canada. Hans Kobler Founder & Managing Partner of Energy Impact Partners (EIP). Hans has spent his career focusing on transformative businesses as an investor, advisor and operator. Founder & Managing Partner of Energy Impact Partners (EIP). Hans has spent his career focusing on transformative businesses as an investor, advisor and operator. Pierre Nelis Chief Operating Officer at Inno-Centre. Pierre advises innovative SMEs and early-stage technology companies in the pursuit of their growth and performance objectives. Chief Operating Officer at Inno-Centre. Pierre advises innovative SMEs and early-stage technology companies in the pursuit of their growth and performance objectives. Louis Tremblay President, CEO, and founder of FLO | AddEnergie and a trailblazer in the field of electric mobility. Louis cofounded AddEnergie in 2009 and, since then, he has guided the company to become a leader in EV charging solutions and operator of a major North American charging network. "On behalf of the Board and all of FLO | AddEnergie's employees, I would also like to extend special thanks to our outgoing Chair, Robert Benoit, for his guidance, expertise and support over the past 12 years," said Mr. Tremblay. "Robert's thoughtful leadership was instrumental as the company consolidated the success of its business model in Canada and launched its ambitious US growth strategy. I am particularly grateful for his wisdom and generosity" concluded Tremblay. To find more detail about the FLO | AddEnergie Board of Directors, click here. About FLO | AddEnergie FLO | AddEnergie is a leading North American electric vehicle charging network operator and a provider of smart charging software and equipment. In conjunction with its parent company, AddEnergie, FLO leverages its vertical integration to offer EV drivers the best possible charging experience. Every month, the company enables more than half a million charging events, thanks to over 60,000 high-quality EV charging stations deployed at public, commercial and residential installations. FLO employees are located across North America, from the headquarters in Quebec City, to assembly plants in Shawinigan, to offices in Montreal, Vancouver and Sacramento, and they also work remotely in key US and Canadian markets. For more information, visit flo.com. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/flo--addenergie-welcomes-former-sunpower-ceo-tom-werner-as-chair-301502459.html SOURCE FLO SOUTHFIELD, Mich., March 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Helping Hand for Relief and Development (HHRD) has provided humanitarian assistance to over 2 million Syrian refugees from 2020 to 2021. Since 2013, HHRD's Middle East North Africa (MENA) office in Jordan has been assisting Syrian refugee families with 13 programs and projects. Approximately 6.8 million Syrians are refugees or asylum seekers, with another 6.7 million internally displaced. Overall, 13.5 million Syrians have been forcibly displaced, accounting for more than half of the country's population. Children make up roughly half of those affected by the Syrian refugee crisis. More than 80% of Syrians live in abject poverty, earning less than $1.90 a day. Hundreds of thousands of people were displaced in northern Syria in 2020, and humanitarian organizations are struggling to meet their basic requirements for shelter, clean water, and food. HHRD's MENA team has been working in Jordan, Lebanon, and Turkey delivering relief through 13 programs. Millions of Syrian refugees living in tents or makeshift dwellings across Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey, and a few other nations suffer from the constant threat of succumbing to inclement weather. HHRD's Infrastructure Development program has gifted them "Caravans of Hope Shelter Homes", assisting 3,150 beneficiaries in 2020-2021. In 2020-2021, HHRD's In-Kind Gifts program has helped 1,822,000 refugees with essentials such as clothing, shoes, hygiene kits, and much more. Almost 80,000 refugees received Qurbaani and food packages. With 2.4 million Syrian children out of school, HHRD's Education Support program has helped provide an education for 3,269 Syrian refugees in the past 2 years. Almost 5,000 orphans were given support through HHRD's Orphan Support Program. Almost 4,000 Syrian Refugee beneficiaries have received help through HHRD's Water for Life and Water Sanitation and Hygiene Programs, including restrooms and clean drinking water through trucks. HHRD ensured that, no matter the circumstances, refugees were provided with basic hygiene to keep safe from infections, with nearly 50,000 refugees receiving Emergency Relief during these pandemic times. Those who are interested in learning more about HHRD's Syrian Refugee Relief program can visit www.hhrd.org/Syria Ranked among the top 3% of 9,000+ NGOs, HHRD has received a four-star rating from Charity Navigator over the past 10 years. To donate please visit www.hhrd.org or call 1-888-808-4357 (HELP). HHRD is a non-profit 501 (c) (3) tax-exempt organization. Tax ID# 31-1628040 CONTACT: Ilyas Choudry313-279-5378 Il[email protected] View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/helping-hand-for-relief-and-development-marks-11-years-of-the-syrian-refugee-crisis-301503434.html SOURCE Helping Hand for Relief and Development Two healthcare education companies are joining their expertise through an acquisition that helps reduce variation in care and improves patient outcomes. DENVER , March 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- TRC Healthcare (TRC), a trusted leader in continuing education, has acquired QURE Healthcare, a recognized innovator in clinical measurement and quality improvement. QURE's provider-focused solutions lead to better patient outcomes and lower costs for healthcare systems and coverage and reimbursement for life-science clients. TRC's acquisition paves the way for QURE to scale its innovative Clinical Performance and Value (CPV) patient simulation software solutions. Two healthcare education companies are joining their expertise to reduce variation in care and improve patient outcomes. "Through the acquisition, TRC Healthcare intends to augment its already robust suite of products by focusing on improving patient outcomes with evidence-based training, education and continuing education/continuing medical education (CE/CME) for physicians and other providers" TRC Healthcare's CEO, Wes Crews, announced. "QURE is excited to join a company that is so aligned with our mission to raise the quality of healthcare, standardize practice and lower costs by changing clinician behavior," says Dr. John Peabody, the founder and president of QURE. "Measuring and reducing care variation using CPV vignettes is QURE's core business. We have demonstrated in the peer-review literature that we can do this from the ambulatory to the intensive care setting and for diseases ranging from angina to zoonoses, all with the goal to eliminate unwarranted variation, raise quality for patients and lower costs for payers." TRC Healthcare regards QURE as another key addition to its recent acquisition of NetCE, an industry leading continuing education platform that educates nurses, physicians, and mental health professionals. Together, QURE and NetCE fortify the evidence-based healthcare solutions TRC offers, "The addition of QURE increases our link between strong education and better patient outcomes," remarked Wes Crews. Dr. Peabody will continue to serve as QURE's President and will take on the additional role of Chief Medical Officer at TRC Healthcare. Dr. Peabody is a renowned international health care figure in clinical care quality and a professor at the University of California, San Francisco and Los Angeles. In 2012, John started QURE Healthcare. The QURE platform CPV vignettes has grown and become a widely adopted standard for measuring clinical practice. QURE CPVs are used by organizations looking to engage their providers in clinical variation reduction efforts, including large health care systems, independent practice associations, public and private payers, governments, non-governmental associations, and intergovernmental organizations. Dr. Peabody has contributed more than 200 articles, books, and abstracts to the peer-review literature, served on blue ribbon committees, testified before congress and advised heads of state on a wide variety of subjects notably quality improvement and the economic benefits of standardizing practice in healthcare systems. "QURE is an extraordinary company, with a validated product and team and an incredibly passionate community of users," said Wes Crews. "Together we can transform the way we engage providers and change patient care." About TRC Healthcare TRC Healthcare (TRC) is a premier source of lifelong learning solutions for healthcare professionals. TRC is most recognized for their education and CE offerings within the highly-regarded Pharmacist's Letter, Prescriber's Letter, and Pharmacy Technician's Letter. TRC also offers Pharmacy Technicians University, the leading online training program for pharmacy technicians. The Natural Medicines database makes it easy for subscribers to find unbiased, evidenced-based research about alternative drug therapies. Through the acquisition of CriticalPoint, NetCE and Bula TRC Healthcare has been expanding its offerings. CriticalPoint increases patient safety through a variety of educational compounding offerings concentrating on USP 797, 800, and 795. NetCE is an industry-leading, continuing- education platform supporting multiple professions including nurses, physicians, and mental health. And Bula provides legal and regulatory advice to retail pharmacies. These additions give TRC Healthcare the industry's largest catalog of continuing education and advisory services, with thousands of courses trusted by healthcare professionals to provide accredited training that meets continuing education and licensing requirements. About QURE QURE Healthcare is a provider engagement company committed to improving the quality of clinical care. using its proprietary technology, CPV (Clinical Performance and Value) vignettes. CPV vignettes are used in health systems in the US and over 30 countries worldwide. Core services include CPV and QualityIQ studies, health economic analyses, and physician-level data collection. The ease, validity and affordability of QURE's software attracts a wide array of clients: payers, hospital systems, life sciences and medical technology companies, medical licensing and education institutions, as well as international health development organizations. To learn more, please visit www.qurehealthcare.com. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/trc-healthcare-expands-portfolio-with-the-acquisition-of-qure-healthcare-301503318.html SOURCE TRC Healthcare Unisys chosen for its robust trans-Tasman digital workplace solutions support capabilities, combined with airport and border security domain expertise SYDNEY and AUCKLAND, New Zealand and BLUE BELL, Pa., March 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Unisys Corporation (NYSE: UIS) today announced that Vision-Box has awarded the company two digital workplace solutions contracts to support electronic security gates at New Zealand's Auckland International Airport Limited (AIAL) and SmartGates for automated border control at 10 Australian international airports. Vision-Box, a new client for Unisys, is an international technology company that helps airports, airlines and governments optimise the identification and flow of travellers by establishing trusted biometric identity enrollment, verification and authentication processes. Vision-Box selected Unisys for its locally-proven service desk and field engineering services and logistics and parts management capabilities to support critical systems, biometric solutions and deep airport and national border security experience. The two Unisys contracts support these two Vison-Box engagements: In Australia, Unisys will support 93 SmartGates used for automated border control at 10 international Australian airports: Adelaide, Avalon, Brisbane, Cairns, Canberra, Darwin, Gold Coast, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney. Vision-Box provides the SmartGates under a contract with Australia's Department of Home Affairs. The SmartGates automatically process passengers through passport control, using facial recognition technology and ePassports to check a passenger's identity quickly and securely so they can leave the airport more efficiently. Vision-Box awarded this contract to Unisys in the third quarter of 2021. In New Zealand, Unisys will support 12 electronic security gates provided by Vision-Box at AIAL, the nation's busiest airport. The gates are used by departing international passengers to ensure only genuine and authorized travelers can enter the secured zone. This Unisys contract with Vision-Box was signed in the first quarter of 2021. "In the post-COVID-19 environment, contactless travel processes and identity verification are more important than ever. Unisys brings Vision-Box a unique combination of local service desk and support capabilities alongside current experience working with border security agencies, airlines and airports spanning biometric authentication solutions, baggage reconciliation systems and air cargo. We look forward to partnering with Vision-Box to ensure the automated security gates are available to facilitate travellers departing Auckland and the 10 Australian airports," said Andrew Whelan, vice president, client management, Unisys Asia Pacific. Unisys has extensive experience supporting government departments and agencies in Australia, New Zealand and around the world and has more than 55 years of experience providing solutions in the aviation sector. For more information on Unisys' solutions for Public Sector clients visit unisys.com/industries/public-sector and for the aviation sector visit unisys.com/industries/travel-and-transportation. About Unisys Digital Workplace Solutions Unisys Digital Workplace Solutions deliver advanced workplace solutions to help clients transform their digital workplaces and create exceptional end-user experiences. Unisys works with clients to transform their end-user experience to engage and retain employees, increase collaboration and innovation and drive productivity and business growth. About Unisys Unisys is a global IT solutions company that delivers successful outcomes for the most demanding businesses and governments. Unisys offerings include digital workplace solutions, cloud and infrastructure solutions, enterprise computing solutions and business process solutions. For more information on how Unisys delivers for its clients across the commercial, financial services and government markets, visit www.unisys.com. Follow Unisys on Twitter and LinkedIn. Release No.: 0315/9865 Unisys and other Unisys products and services mentioned herein, as well as their respective logos, are trademarks or registered trademarks of Unisys Corporation. Any other brand or product referenced herein is acknowledged to be a trademark or registered trademark of its respective holder. View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/vision-box-selects-unisys-digital-workplace-solutions-to-support-automated-security-gates-at-11-international-airports-across-australia-and-new-zealand-301502209.html SOURCE Unisys Corporation UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549 SCHEDULE 14A (RULE 14a-101) Proxy Statement Pursuant to Section 14(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 Filed by the Registrant Filed by a Party other than the Registrant x Check the appropriate box: Preliminary Proxy Statement Confidential, for Use of the Commission Only (as permitted by Rule 14a-6(e)(2)) Definitive Proxy Statement x Definitive Additional Materials Soliciting Material Pursuant to 240.14a-12 PEOPLES FINANCIAL CORPORATION (Name of Registrant as Specified In Its Charter) Stilwell Value Partners VII, L.P. Stilwell Activist Fund, L.P. Stilwell Activist Investments, L.P. Stilwell Value LLC Joseph Stilwell (Name of Person(s) Filing Proxy Statement, if other than the Registrant) Payment of Filing Fee (Check the appropriate box): x No fee required Fee computed on table below per Exchange Act Rules 14a-6(i)(1) and 0-11 (1) Title of each class of securities to which transaction applies: (2) Aggregate number of securities to which transaction applies: (3) Per unit price or other underlying value of transaction computed pursuant to Exchange Act Rule 0-11 (set forth the amount on which the filing fee is calculated and state how it was determined): (4) Proposed maximum aggregate value of transaction: (5) Total fee paid: Fee paid previously with preliminary materials. Check box if any part of the fee is offset as provided by Exchange Act Rule 0-11(a)(2) and identify the filing for which the offsetting fee was paid previously. Identify the previous filing by registration statement number, or the Form or Schedule and the date of its filing. (1) Amount Previously Paid: (2) Form, Schedule or Registration Statement No.: (3) Filing Party: (4) Date Filed: On March 15, 2022, Joseph Stilwell and affiliated entities filed Amendment No. 11 to their Schedule 13D relating to Peoples Financial Corporation, a copy of which is filed herewith. SECURITY HOLDERS ARE ADVISED TO READ THE PROXY STATEMENT AND OTHER DOCUMENTS RELATING TO THE SOLICITATION OF PROXIES BY THE GROUP AND OTHER PARTICIPANTS FROM THE SHAREHOLDERS OF PEOPLES FINANCIAL CORPORATION FOR USE AT ITS 2022 ANNUAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS WHEN THEY BECOME AVAILABLE BECAUSE THEY WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION, INCLUDING INFORMATION RELATING TO THE PARTICIPANTS IN OUR PROXY SOLICITATION. OUR DEFINITIVE PROXY STATEMENT AND A FORM OF PROXY HAVE BEEN MAILED TO THE SHAREHOLDERS OF PEOPLES FINANCIAL CORPORATION AND ARE ALSO AVAILABLE AT NO CHARGE AT THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION'S WEBSITE AT HTTPS://WWW.SEC.GOV. UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Washington, D.C. 20549 SCHEDULE 13D Under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (Amendment No. 11) PEOPLES FINANCIAL CORPORATION (Name of Issuer) Common Stock, par value $1.00 per share (Title of Class of Securities) 71103B102 (CUSIP Number) Mr. Joseph Stilwell 200 Calle del Santo Cristo Segundo Piso San Juan, Puerto Rico 00901 Telephone: (787) 985-2193 (Name, Address and Telephone Number of Person Authorized to Receive Notices and Communications) March 14, 2022 (Date of Event which Requires Filing of this Statement) If the filing person has previously filed a statement on Schedule 13G to report the acquisition that is the subject of this Schedule 13D, and is filing this schedule because of 240.13d-1(e), 240.13d-1(f) or 240.13d-1(g), check the following box. The information required on the remainder of this cover page shall not be deemed to be filed for the purpose of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (Act) or otherwise subject to the liabilities of that section of the Act but shall be subject to all other provisions of the Act (however, see the Notes). CUSIP No. 71103B102 SCHEDULE 13D Page 2 1. Names of Reporting Persons. I.R.S. Identification Nos. of above persons (entities only). Stilwell Value Partners VII, L.P. 2. Check the Appropriate Box if a Member of a Group (See Instructions) (a) x (b) 3. SEC Use Only 4. Source of Funds (See Instructions) WC, OO 5. Check if Disclosure of Legal Proceedings Is Required Pursuant to Items 2(d) or 2(e) 6. Citizenship or Place of Organization: Delaware Number of Shares Beneficially Owned by Each Reporting Person With 7. Sole Voting Power: 0 8. Shared Voting Power: 464,645 9. Sole Dispositive Power: 0 10. Shared Dispositive Power: 464,645 11. Aggregate Amount Beneficially Owned by Each Reporting Person: 464,645 12. Check if the Aggregate Amount in Row (11) Excludes Certain Shares (See Instructions) 13. Percent of Class Represented by Amount in Row (11): 9.9% 14. Type of Reporting Person (See Instructions) PN CUSIP No. 71103B102 SCHEDULE 13D Page 3 1. Names of Reporting Persons. I.R.S. Identification Nos. of above persons (entities only). Stilwell Activist Fund, L.P. 2. Check the Appropriate Box if a Member of a Group (See Instructions) (a) x (b) 3. SEC Use Only 4. Source of Funds (See Instructions) WC, OO 5. Check if Disclosure of Legal Proceedings Is Required Pursuant to Items 2(d) or 2(e) 6. Citizenship or Place of Organization: Delaware Number of Shares Beneficially Owned by Each Reporting Person With 7. Sole Voting Power: 0 8. Shared Voting Power: 464,645 9. Sole Dispositive Power: 0 10. Shared Dispositive Power: 464,645 11. Aggregate Amount Beneficially Owned by Each Reporting Person: 464,645 12. Check if the Aggregate Amount in Row (11) Excludes Certain Shares (See Instructions) 13. Percent of Class Represented by Amount in Row (11): 9.9% 14. Type of Reporting Person (See Instructions) PN CUSIP No. 71103B102 SCHEDULE 13D Page 4 1. Names of Reporting Persons. I.R.S. Identification Nos. of above persons (entities only). Stilwell Activist Investments, L.P. 2. Check the Appropriate Box if a Member of a Group (See Instructions) (a) x (b) 3. SEC Use Only 4. Source of Funds (See Instructions) WC, OO 5. Check if Disclosure of Legal Proceedings Is Required Pursuant to Items 2(d) or 2(e) 6. Citizenship or Place of Organization: Delaware Number of Shares Beneficially Owned by Each Reporting Person With 7. Sole Voting Power: 0 8. Shared Voting Power: 464,645 9. Sole Dispositive Power: 0 10. Shared Dispositive Power: 464,645 11. Aggregate Amount Beneficially Owned by Each Reporting Person: 464,645 12. Check if the Aggregate Amount in Row (11) Excludes Certain Shares (See Instructions) 13. Percent of Class Represented by Amount in Row (11): 9.9% 14. Type of Reporting Person (See Instructions) PN CUSIP No. 71103B102 SCHEDULE 13D Page 5 1. Names of Reporting Persons. I.R.S. Identification Nos. of above persons (entities only). Stilwell Value LLC 2. Check the Appropriate Box if a Member of a Group (See Instructions) (a) x (b) 3. SEC Use Only 4. Source of Funds (See Instructions) n/a 5. Check if Disclosure of Legal Proceedings Is Required Pursuant to Items 2(d) or 2(e) 6. Citizenship or Place of Organization: Delaware Number of Shares Beneficially Owned by Each Reporting Person With 7. Sole Voting Power: 0 8. Shared Voting Power: 464,645 9. Sole Dispositive Power: 0 10. Shared Dispositive Power: 464,645 11. Aggregate Amount Beneficially Owned by Each Reporting Person: 464,645 12. Check if the Aggregate Amount in Row (11) Excludes Certain Shares (See Instructions) 13. Percent of Class Represented by Amount in Row (11): 9.9% 14. Type of Reporting Person (See Instructions) OO CUSIP No. 71103B102 SCHEDULE 13D Page 6 1. Names of Reporting Persons. I.R.S. Identification Nos. of above persons (entities only). Joseph Stilwell 2. Check the Appropriate Box if a Member of a Group (See Instructions) (a) x (b) 3. SEC Use Only 4. Source of Funds (See Instructions) n/a 5. Check if Disclosure of Legal Proceedings Is Required Pursuant to Items 2(d) or 2(e) 6. Citizenship or Place of Organization: United States Number of Shares Beneficially Owned by Each Reporting Person With 7. Sole Voting Power: 0 8. Shared Voting Power: 464,645 9. Sole Dispositive Power: 0 10. Shared Dispositive Power: 464,645 11. Aggregate Amount Beneficially Owned by Each Reporting Person: 464,645 12. Check if the Aggregate Amount in Row (11) Excludes Certain Shares (See Instructions) 13. Percent of Class Represented by Amount in Row (11): 9.9% 14. Type of Reporting Person (See Instructions) IN CUSIP No. 71103B102 SCHEDULE 13D Page 7 Item 1. Security and Issuer This is the eleventh amendment (this Eleventh Amendment) to the original Schedule 13D (the Original Schedule 13D), which was filed on November 23, 2020, and amended on December 23, 2020 (the First Amendment), on February 9, 2021 (the Second Amendment), on March 12, 2021 (the Third Amendment), on March 17, 2021 (the Fourth Amendment), on March 29, 2021 (the Fifth Amendment), on April 5, 2021 (the Six Amendment), on April 8, 2021 (the Seventh Amendment), on April 20, 2021 (the Eighth Amendment), on May 5, 2021 (the Ninth Amendment) and on February 7, 2022 (the Tenth Amendment). This Eleventh Amendment is being filed jointly by Stilwell Value Partners VII, L.P., a Delaware limited partnership (Stilwell Value Partners VII); Stilwell Activist Fund, L.P., a Delaware limited partnership (Stilwell Activist Fund); Stilwell Activist Investments, L.P., a Delaware limited partnership (Stilwell Activist Investments); Stilwell Value LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (Stilwell Value LLC), and the general partner of Stilwell Value Partners VII, Stilwell Activist Fund, and Stilwell Activist Investments; and Joseph Stilwell, the managing member and owner of Stilwell Value LLC. The filers of this statement are collectively referred to herein as the Group. This statement relates to the common stock, par value $1.00 per share (Common Stock), of Peoples Financial Corporation (the Issuer). The address of the principal executive offices of the Issuer is Lameuse and Howard Avenues, Biloxi, Mississippi 39533. The joint filing agreement of the members of the Group is attached as Exhibit 1 to the Original Schedule 13D. Item 2. Identity and Background (a)-(c) This statement is filed by Joseph Stilwell with respect to the shares of Common Stock beneficially owned by Joseph Stilwell, including shares of Common Stock held in the names of Stilwell Value Partners VII, Stilwell Activist Fund, and Stilwell Activist Investments in Joseph Stilwells capacities as the managing member and owner of Stilwell Value LLC, which is the general partner of Stilwell Value Partners VII, Stilwell Activist Fund, and Stilwell Activist Investments. The business address of Stilwell Value Partners VII, Stilwell Activist Fund, Stilwell Activist Investments, Stilwell Value LLC, and Joseph Stilwell is 200 Calle del Santo Cristo, Segundo Piso, San Juan, Puerto Rico 00901. The principal employment of Joseph Stilwell is investment management. Stilwell Value Partners VII, Stilwell Activist Fund, and Stilwell Activist Investments are private investment partnerships engaged in the purchase and sale of securities for their own accounts. Stilwell Value LLC serves as the general partner of Stilwell Value Partners VII, Stilwell Activist Fund and Stilwell Activist Investments, and related partnerships. (d) During the past five years, no member of the Group has been convicted in a criminal proceeding (excluding traffic violations or similar misdemeanors). (e) During the past five years, no member of the Group has been a party to a civil proceeding of a judicial or administrative body of competent jurisdiction and, as a result of such proceeding, was or is subject to a judgment, decree or final order enjoining future violations of, or prohibiting or mandating activities subject to, Federal or State securities laws or finding any violation with respect to such laws. (f) Joseph Stilwell is a citizen of the United States. Item 3. Source and Amount of Funds or Other Consideration Since we last reported purchases and sales of Common Stock (see the First Amendment), Stilwell Value Partners VII has not expended any monies to acquire shares of Common Stock. Such funds were provided from Stilwell Value Partners VIIs working capital and, from time to time, may be provided in part by margin account loans from subsidiaries of Interactive Brokers extended in the ordinary course of business. Since we last reported purchases and sales of Common Stock (see the First Amendment), Stilwell Activist Fund has not expended any monies to acquire shares of Common Stock. Such funds were provided from Stilwell Activist Funds working capital and, from time to time, may be provided in part by margin account loans from subsidiaries of Morgan Stanley extended in the ordinary course of business. Since we last reported purchases and sales of Common Stock (see the First Amendment), Stilwell Activist Investments has not expended any monies to acquire shares of Common Stock. Such funds were provided from Stilwell Activist Investments working capital and, from time to time, may be provided in part by margin account loans from subsidiaries of Morgan Stanley extended in the ordinary course of business. All purchases of shares of Common Stock made by the Group using funds borrowed from Interactive Brokers or Morgan Stanley, if any, were made in margin transactions on their usual terms and conditions. All or part of the shares of Common Stock owned by members of the Group may from time to time be pledged with one or more banking institutions or brokerage firms as collateral for loans made by such entities to members of the Group. Such loans generally bear interest at a rate based on the brokers call rate from time to time in effect. Such indebtedness, if any, may be refinanced with other banks or broker-dealers. CUSIP No. 71103B102 SCHEDULE 13D Page 8 Item 4. Purpose of Transaction We are filing this Eleventh Amendment to announce that we have mailed a letter to the Issuers shareholders. A copy of this letter is attached as Exhibit 13 to this Eleventh Amendment and is also available at http://www.okapivote.com/PFBX . Our nominee for election as a director at the Issuers 2021 annual meeting was not elected. On February 7, 2022, we announced our nominee, Rodney H. Blackwell, for election as a director at the Issuers upcoming annual meeting, with Jonathan W. Briggs, Ronald Wade Robertson, Jr., and Gregory H. Browne as alternate nominees. We believe the Issuer should explore all possibilities to maximize shareholder value. Our purpose in acquiring shares of Common Stock of the Issuer is to profit from the appreciation in the market price of the shares of Common Stock through asserting shareholder rights. We do not believe the value of the Issuer's assets is adequately reflected in the current market price of the Issuer's Common Stock. THIS ELEVENTH AMENDMENT MAY BE DEEMED TO BE SOLICITATION MATERIAL IN RESPECT OF THE SOLICITATION OF PROXIES BY THE GROUP FROM THE ISSUER'S SHAREHOLDERS IN CONNECTION WITH THE ISSUER'S 2022 ANNUAL MEETING. SECURITY HOLDERS ARE ADVISED TO READ THE PROXY STATEMENT AND OTHER DOCUMENTS RELATING TO THE SOLICITATION BY THE GROUP AND OTHER PARTICIPANTS OF PROXIES FROM THE ISSUER'S SHAREHOLDERS FOR USE AT THE ISSUER'S 2022 ANNUAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS WHEN THEY BECOME AVAILABLE BECAUSE THEY WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION, INCLUDING INFORMATION RELATING TO THE PARTICIPANTS IN OUR PROXY SOLICITATION. OUR DEFINITIVE PROXY STATEMENT AND A FORM OF PROXY HAVE BEEN MAILED TO SHAREHOLDERS OF THE ISSUER AND ARE ALSO AVAILABLE AT NO CHARGE AT THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION'S WEBSITE AT HTTPS://WWW.SEC.GOV. Members of the Group may seek to make additional purchases or sales of shares of Common Stock. Except as described in this filing, no member of the Group has any plans or proposals which relate to, or could result in, any of the matters referred to in paragraphs (a) through (j), inclusive, of Item 4 of Schedule 13D. Members of the Group may, at any time and from time to time, review or reconsider their positions and formulate plans or proposals with respect thereto. Since 2000, members or affiliates of the Group have taken an activist position in 71 other publicly-traded companies. Currently, members or affiliates of the Group file Schedule 13Ds to disclose greater than 5% positions only in SEC-reporting companies. For simplicity, these affiliates are referred to below as the Group, we, us, or our. In each instance, our purpose has been to profit from the appreciation in the market price of the shares we held by asserting shareholder rights. In addition, we believed that the values of the companies assets were not adequately reflected in the market prices of their shares. Our actions are described below. We have categorized the descriptions of our actions with regard to the issuers based upon certain outcomes (whether or not, directly or indirectly, such outcomes resulted from the actions of the Group). Within categories I through III below, the descriptions are listed in chronological order based upon the completion date of the investment; within categories IV through VII below, the descriptions are listed in chronological order based upon the respective filing dates of the originally-filed Schedule 13Ds, or, in limited instances, the acquisition date of the 5% position of a non-reporting company. I. Security of Pennsylvania Financial Corp. (SPN) - We filed our original Schedule 13D to report our position on May 1, 2000. We scheduled a meeting with senior management to discuss ways to maximize the value of SPNs assets. On June 2, 2000, prior to the scheduled meeting, SPN and Northeast Pennsylvania Financial Corp. announced SPNs acquisition. Cameron Financial Corporation (Cameron) - We filed our original Schedule 13D to report our position on July 7, 2000. We exercised our shareholder rights by, among other things, requesting that Cameron management hire an investment banker, demanding Camerons list of shareholders, meeting with Camerons management, demanding that Cameron invite our representatives to join the board, writing to other shareholders to express our dismay with managements inability to maximize shareholder value and publishing that letter in the local press. On October 6, 2000, Cameron announced its sale to Dickinson Financial Corp. Community Financial Corp. (CFIC) - We filed our original Schedule 13D to report our position on January 4, 2001, following CFICs announcement of the sale of two of its four subsidiary banks and its intention to sell one or more of its remaining subsidiaries. We reported that we acquired CFIC stock for investment purposes. On January 25, 2001, CFIC announced the sale of one of its remaining subsidiaries. We then announced our intention to run an alternate slate of directors at the 2001 annual meeting if CFIC did not sell the remaining subsidiary by then. On March 27, 2001, we wrote to CFIC confirming that CFICs management had agreed to meet with one of our proposed nominees to the board. On March 30, 2001, before our meeting took place, CFIC announced its merger with First Financial Corporation. CUSIP No. 71103B102 SCHEDULE 13D Page 10 Montgomery Financial Corporation (Montgomery) - We filed our original Schedule 13D to report our position on February 23, 2001. On April 20, 2001, we met with Montgomerys management and suggested that they maximize shareholder value by selling the institution. We also informed management that we would run an alternate slate of directors at the 2001 annual meeting unless Montgomery was sold. Eleven days after we filed our Schedule 13D, however, Montgomerys board amended its bylaws to limit the pool of potential nominees to local persons with a banking relation and to shorten the deadline to nominate an alternate slate. We located qualified nominees under the restrictive bylaw provisions and noticed our slate within the deadline. On June 5, 2001, Montgomery announced that it had hired an investment banker to explore a sale. On July 24, 2001, Montgomery announced its merger with Union Community Bancorp. Community Bancshares, Inc. (COMB) - We filed our original Schedule 13D reporting our position on March 29, 2004. We disclosed that we intended to meet with COMBs management and evaluate managements progress in resolving its regulatory issues, lawsuits, problem loans, and non-performing assets, and that we would likely support management if it effectively addressed COMBs challenges. On November 21, 2005, we amended our Schedule 13D and stated that although we believed that COMBs management had made progress, COMBs return on equity would likely remain below average for the foreseeable future, and it should therefore be sold. We also stated that if COMB did not announce a sale before our deadline to solicit proxies for the next annual meeting, we would solicit proxies to elect our own slate. On January 6, 2006, we disclosed the names of our three board nominees. On May 1, 2006, COMB announced its sale to The Banc Corporation. Jefferson Bancshares, Inc. (JFBI) - We filed our original Schedule 13D reporting our position on April 8, 2013. Our shareholder proposal requesting the board seek outside assistance to maximize shareholder value through actions such as a sale or merger was defeated at JFBIs 2013 annual meeting. We met with management and the board of directors and told them that we would seek board representation at JFBIs 2014 annual meeting if JFBI did not announce its sale. JFBIs sale to HomeTrust Bancshares, Inc. was announced on January 23, 2014. FedFirst Financial Corporation (FFCO) - We filed our original Schedule 13D reporting our position on September 24, 2010. After several meetings with management, FFCO completed a meaningful number of share repurchases, and on April 14, 2014, FFCO announced its sale to CB Financial Services, Inc. SP Bancorp, Inc. (SPBC) - We filed our original Schedule 13D reporting our position on February 28, 2011. On August 9, 2013, we met with management and the chairman to assess the best way to maximize shareholder value. SPBC completed a meaningful number of share repurchases, and on May 5, 2014, SPBC announced its sale to Green Bancorp Inc. TF Financial Corporation (THRD) - We filed our original Schedule 13D reporting our position on November 29, 2012. We met with the CEO and the chairman, encouraging them to focus only on accretive acquisitions and to repurchase shares up to book value. They subsequently did both. On June 4, 2014, THRD announced its sale to National Penn Bancshares, Inc. Fairmount Bancorp, Inc. (FMTB) - We filed our original Schedule 13D reporting our position on September 21, 2012. On February 25, 2014, we reported our intention to seek board representation at FMTBs 2015 annual meeting if FMTB did not announce its sale. However, due to the appointment of our representative to another board in the local area, we were unable to nominate our representative at the 2015 election of FMTB directors. We reiterated our intent to seek board representation at the earliest possible time if FMTB was not sold. FMTBs sale was announced on April 16, 2015. Harvard Illinois Bancorp, Inc. (HARI) - We filed our original Schedule 13D reporting our position on April 1, 2011. In 2012, we nominated a director for election at HARIs 2012 annual meeting and communicated our belief that HARI should merge with a stronger community bank. Our nominee was not elected, so we nominated a director at HARIs 2013 annual meeting and stated our position that HARI should be sold. We communicated to stockholders our intent to run a nominee every year until elected, and we nominated a director at HARIs 2014 annual meeting. Our nominee was not elected, so in April 2015, we began soliciting stockholder votes for our nominee for HARIs 2015 annual meeting. On May 21, 2015, HARI announced the sale of its subsidiary bank to State Bank in Wonder Lake, IL. We subsequently withdrew our solicitation of proxies for the election of our nominee at HARIs 2015 annual meeting. The sale of HARIs subsidiary bank was completed on August 1, 2016. On August 10, 2016, we entered into a settlement agreement with HARI whereby two legacy board members stepped down, and we agreed not to seek board representation through 2017. HARI implemented a plan of voluntary dissolution. Eureka Financial Corp. (EKFC) - We filed our original Schedule 13D reporting our position on March 28, 2011. We encouraged EKFC to pay special dividends to shareholders and repurchase shares. Management and the board did both, and on September 3, 2015, EKFC announced its sale to NexTier, Inc. CUSIP No. 71103B102 SCHEDULE 13D Page 11 United-American Savings Bank (UASB) - We filed our original Schedule 13D with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation reporting our position on May 20, 2013. We believe management and the board acted in good faith to position UASB to maximize shareholder value. After we encouraged them to sell, UASB announced its sale to Emclaire Financial Corp on December 30, 2015. Polonia Bancorp, Inc. (PBCP) - We filed our original Schedule 13D reporting our position on November 23, 2012. After several conversations with the Chairman and CEO, we publicly called for PBCPs sale. On June 2, 2016, PBCPs sale to Prudential Bancorp, Inc. was announced. Georgetown Bancorp, Inc. (GTWN) - We filed our original Schedule 13D reporting our position on July 23, 2012. We encouraged GTWN to maximize shareholder value through share repurchases, and we supported management and the boards consistent efforts to do so. On October 6, 2016, GTWN announced its sale to Salem Five Bancorp. Wolverine Bancorp, Inc. (WBKC) - We filed our original Schedule 13D reporting our position on February 7, 2011. We encouraged WBKC to maximize shareholder value through share repurchases and payments of special dividends, and we supported management and the boards consistent efforts to do so. On June 14, 2017, WBKCs sale to Horizon Bancorp was announced. First Federal of Northern Michigan Bancorp, Inc. (FFNM) - We filed our original Schedule 13D reporting our position on March 10, 2016. We believed FFNM was positioned to repurchase shares, and we urged management and the board to do so. FFNM deregistered its shares of common stock effective in 2016. On January 16, 2018, FFNMs sale to Mackinac Financial Corporation was announced. Jacksonville Bancorp, Inc. (JXSB) - We filed our original Schedule 13D reporting our position on July 5, 2011. We supported JXSBs consistent efforts to maximize shareholder value through share repurchases and payments of special dividends. On January 18, 2018, JXSBs sale to CNB Bank Shares, Inc. was announced. Anchor Bancorp (ANCB) - We filed our original Schedule 13D reporting our position on May 7, 2012. We previously urged ANCB to maximize shareholder value by increasing share repurchases or selling the bank. We called for ANCBs sale to the highest bidder on July 7, 2016. On August 29, 2016, we agreed not to seek board representation at the 2016 annual meeting in consideration of ANCB appointing Gordon Stephenson as a director. We believe the board acted in good faith to maximize shareholder value through ANCBs announced sale to Washington Federal, Inc. on April 11, 2017. That acquisition was delayed due to regulatory issues at Washington Federal, Inc. On July 17, 2018, ANCBs sale to FS Bancorp, Inc. at a higher price was announced. Hamilton Bancorp, Inc. (HBK) - We filed our original Schedule 13D reporting our position on October 22, 2012. Having met with management over the years, we believe management and the board acted in good faith to maximize shareholder value through HBKs announced sale to Orrstown Financial Services, Inc. on October 23, 2018. Ben Franklin Financial, Inc. (BFFI) - We filed our original Schedule 13D reporting our position on February 9, 2015. We urged management and the board to repurchase shares as soon as BFFI was permitted. We subsequently believed BFFI should be sold, and on December 3, 2018, announced our intent to seek board representation at BFFIs 2019 annual meeting. On February 22, 2019, we served our notice of intent to nominate Ralph Sesso for election as a director on BFFIs board. On July 16, 2019, BFFIs sale to Corporate America Family Credit Union was announced. BFFI deregistered its shares of common stock effective in 2018. Alcentra Capital Corp (ABDC) - We filed our original Schedule 13D reporting our position on December 28, 2017. We informed management at a meeting on January 5, 2018, and reiterated several times throughout the year, that if ABDC did not repurchase 10% of its shares in 2018, we would aggressively seek board representation. They did not do so. On January 25, 2019, we announced our nominees and alternate nominee for ABDCs 2019 election of directors. On August 13, 2019, ABDCs sale to Crescent Capital BDC, Inc. was announced. First Advantage Bancorp (FABK) - We filed our original Schedule 13D reporting our position on March 20, 2017. We believe management and the board acted in good faith to maximize shareholder value over the long term. On October 23, 2019, FABKs sale to Reliant Bancorp, Inc. was announced. FABK deregistered its shares of common stock effective in 2013. CUSIP No. 71103B102 SCHEDULE 13D Page 12 Central Federal Bancshares, Inc. (CFDB) - We filed our original Schedule 13D reporting our position on January 25, 2016. We urged management and the board of CFDB to repurchase shares as soon as CFDB was permitted. On May 21, 2019, we met with management, the board and its attorney at CFDBs annual meeting, and followed up with a letter to the board calling for CFDBs sale if it did not repurchase a meaningful number of shares. On January 17, 2020, CFDBs sale to Southern Missouri Bancorp, Inc. was announced. CFDB deregistered its shares of common stock effective in 2019. Carroll Bancorp, Inc. (CROL) - We filed our original Schedule 13D reporting our position on March 17, 2014. On March 6, 2020, CROLs sale to Farmers and Merchants Bancshares, Inc. was announced. CROL deregistered its shares of common stock effective in 2017. II. Oregon Trail Financial Corp. (OTFC) - We filed our original Schedule 13D reporting our position on December 15, 2000. In January 2001, we met with the management of OTFC to discuss our concerns that management was not maximizing shareholder value, and we proposed that OTFC voluntarily place our representative on the board. OTFC rejected our proposal, and we announced our intention to solicit proxies to elect a board nominee. We demanded OTFCs shareholder list, but OTFC refused to give it to us. We sued OTFC in Baker County, Oregon, and the court ruled in our favor and sanctioned OTFC. We also sued two OTFC directors alleging that one had violated OTFCs residency requirement and that the other had committed perjury. Both suits were dismissed pre-trial but we filed an appeal in one suit and were permitted to re-file the other suit in state court. On August 16, 2001, we started soliciting proxies to elect Kevin D. Padrick, Esq. to the board. We argued in our proxy materials that OTFC should have repurchased its shares at prices below book value. OTFC announced the hiring of an investment banker. Then, the day after the 9/11 attacks, OTFC sued us in Portland, Oregon and moved to invalidate our proxies; the court denied the motion and the election proceeded. On October 12, 2001, OTFCs shareholders elected our candidate by a two-to-one margin. In the five months after the filing of our first proxy statement (i.e., from August 1 through December 31, 2001), OTFC repurchased approximately 15% of its shares. On March 12, 2002, we entered into a standstill agreement with OTFC. OTFC agreed to: (a) achieve annual targets for return on equity, (b) reduce its current capital ratio, (c) obtain advice from an investment banker regarding annual 10% stock repurchases, (d) re-elect our director to the board, (e) reimburse a portion of our expenses, and (f) withdraw its lawsuit. On February 26, 2003, OTFC and FirstBank NW Corp. announced their merger, and the merger was completed on October 31, 2003. HCB Bancshares, Inc. (HCBB) - We filed our original Schedule 13D reporting our position on June 14, 2001. On September 4, 2001, we reported that we had entered into a standstill agreement with HCBB, under which HCBB agreed to: (a) add a director selected by us, (b) consider conducting a Dutch tender auction, (c) institute annual financial targets, and (d) retain an investment banker to explore alternatives if it did not achieve its financial targets. On October 22, 2001, our nominee, John G. Rich, Esq., was named to the board. On January 31, 2002, HCBB announced a modified Dutch tender auction to repurchase 20% of its shares. Although HCBBs outstanding share count decreased by 33% between the filing of our original Schedule 13D and August 2003, HCBB did not achieve the financial target. On August 12, 2003, HCBB announced it had hired an investment banker to assist in exploring alternatives for maximizing shareholder value, including a sale. On January 14, 2004, HCBB announced its sale to Rock Bancshares, Inc. SCPIE Holdings Inc. (SKP) - We filed our original Schedule 13D reporting our position on January 19, 2006. We announced we would run our slate of directors at the 2006 annual meeting and demanded SKPs shareholder list. SKP initially refused to timely produce the list, but did so after we sued it in Delaware Chancery Court. We engaged in a proxy contest at the 2006 annual meeting, but SKPs directors were elected. Subsequently on December 14, 2006, SKP agreed to place Joseph Stilwell on its board. On October 16, 2007, Mr. Stilwell resigned from SKPs board after it approved a sale of SKP that Mr. Stilwell believed was an inferior offer. We solicited shareholder proxies in opposition to the proposed sale; however, the sale was approved, and our shares were converted in a cash deal. American Physicians Capital, Inc. (ACAP) - We filed our original Schedule 13D reporting our position on November 25, 2002. The Schedule 13D disclosed that on January 18, 2002, Michigans Insurance Department had approved our request to solicit proxies to elect two directors to ACAPs board. On January 29, 2002, we noticed our intention to nominate two directors at the 2002 annual meeting. On February 20, 2002, we entered into a three-year standstill agreement with ACAP, providing for ACAP to add our nominee to its board. ACAP also agreed to consider using a portion of its excess capital to repurchase ACAPs shares in each of the fiscal years 2002 and 2003 so that its outstanding share count would decrease by 15% for each of those years. In its 2002 fiscal year, ACAP repurchased 15% of its outstanding shares; these repurchases were highly accretive to per share book value. On November 6, 2003, ACAP announced a reserve charge and that it would explore options to maximize shareholder value. It also announced that it would exit the healthcare and workers compensation insurance businesses. ACAP then announced that it had retained Sandler ONeill & Partners, L.P., to assist the board. On December 2, 2003, ACAP announced the early retirement of its president and CEO. On December 23, 2003, ACAP named R. Kevin Clinton its new president and CEO. CUSIP No. 71103B102 SCHEDULE 13D Page 13 On June 24, 2004, ACAP announced that it had decided that the best means to maximize shareholder value would be to shed non-core businesses and focus on its core business line in its core markets. We increased our holdings in ACAP, and we announced that we intended to seek additional board representation. On November 10, 2004, ACAP invited Joseph Stilwell to sit on the board, and we entered into a new standstill agreement. This agreement was terminated in November 2007, with our representatives remaining on ACAPs board. On May 8, 2008, our representatives were re-elected to three-year terms expiring in 2011. Upon the passage of federal healthcare legislation in 2010, ACAP became concerned about the fundamentals of its business and promptly acted to assess its strategic alternatives. On October 22, 2010, ACAP was acquired by The Doctors Company, and our shares were converted in a cash deal. Colonial Financial Services, Inc. (COBK) - We filed our original Schedule 13D reporting our position on August 24, 2011. On December 18, 2013, we reached an agreement with COBK to have a director of our choice appointed to its board of directors. Our representative, Corissa B. Porcelli (formerly Corissa J. Briglia), joined COBKs board of directors on March 25, 2014. On September 10, 2014, COBK announced its sale to Cape Bancorp, Inc., and the cash/stock deal was completed on April 1, 2015. Naugatuck Valley Financial Corporation (NVSL) - We filed our original Schedule 13D reporting our position on July 11, 2011. On February 13, 2014, we reported our intention to seek board representation. On March 12, 2014, we reached an agreement with NVSL for our representative to join NVSLs board of directors and for NVSL not to seek approval for stock benefit plans. On June 4, 2015, NVSL announced its sale to Liberty Bank in Middletown, CT, and the cash deal was completed on January 15, 2016. Fraternity Community Bancorp, Inc. (FRTR) - We filed our original Schedule 13D reporting our position on April 11, 2011. We reached an agreement with FRTR, and on November 18, 2014, our representative, Corissa B. Porcelli (formerly Corissa J. Briglia), was appointed to the board of directors. On October 13, 2015, FRTRs sale was announced, and the cash deal was completed on May 13, 2016. Sunshine Financial, Inc. (SSNF) - We filed our original Schedule 13D reporting our position on April 18, 2011. We reached an agreement with SSNF, and on February 5, 2016, our representative, Corissa B. Porcelli (formerly Corissa J. Briglia), was appointed to the board of directors. On December 6, 2017, SSNFs sale to The First Bancshares, Inc. was announced, and the cash/stock deal was completed on April 2, 2018. Delanco Bancorp, Inc. (DLNO) - We filed our original Schedule 13D reporting our position on October 28, 2013. We reached an agreement with DLNO, and in May 2017, our representative, Corissa B. Porcelli (formerly Corissa J. Briglia), was appointed to the board of directors. On October 18, 2017, DLNOs sale to First Bank was announced, and the stock deal was completed on April 30, 2018. Poage Bankshares, Inc. (PBSK) - We filed our original Schedule 13D reporting our position on September 23, 2011. We believed PBSKs board was not focused on maximizing shareholder value and nominated a director for election at PBSKs 2014 annual meeting. Our nominee was not elected, so we nominated a director at PBSKs 2015 annual meeting. On July 21, 2015, our nominee, Stephen S. Burchett, was elected as a director with a mandate to maximize shareholder value. Subsequently, the CEO left the company. We publicly called for PBSKs sale, and on July 11, 2018, PBSKs sale to City Holding Company was announced. The stock deal was completed on December 7, 2018. HopFed Bancorp, Inc. (HFBC) - We filed our original Schedule 13D reporting our position on February 25, 2013. At HFBCs May 2013 annual meeting, we nominated a director for the board of directors and strongly opposed HFBCs agreement to purchase Sumner Bank & Trust. Our nominee won by a two to one margin, and the proposed Sumner deal was subsequently terminated in August 2013. On May 1, 2017, we sent a letter to stockholders (filed as Exhibit 13 to the Twelfth Amendment to our Schedule 13D) detailing the extensive real estate holdings of HFBCs CEO, John Peck, as well as numerous other conflicts of interest of both Mr. Peck and HFBCs counsel, George M. (Greg) Carter, of which HFBC board members were apparently unaware. Subsequently, HFBC formed a Special Litigation Committee to investigate. On February 23, 2018, HFBC filed a Form 8-K reporting that although the Special Litigation Committee did not dispute the facts in the May 1 letter, it declined to recommend HFBC bring a lawsuit or remedial action against John Peck. CUSIP No. 71103B102 SCHEDULE 13D Page 14 On May 4, 2017, we filed a complaint in the Delaware Court of Chancery against HFBC, the then current members of the board of directors and one former board member, asking the Court to declare that HFBCs prejudicial bylaw was invalid and that the directors breached their fiduciary duties. On October 4, 2017, HFBC announced it had amended the bylaw thus mooting that case. Subsequently, we filed a motion to recover our attorneys fees and expenses, which Vice Chancellor J. Travis Laster granted in its entirety on February 7, 2018, awarding us $610,312. In his ruling on the motion, the Judge excoriated the conduct of HFBCs board; the full court transcript is filed as Exhibit 14 to the Fourteenth Amendment to our Schedule 13D. On February 23, 2018, we formally demanded that HFBCs board of directors take action against the Issuers attorneys, Edward B. Crosland, Jr., of Jones Walker LLP and Greg Carter of Carter & Carter Law Firm, for legal malpractice and seek damages in excess of $1 million to HFBC; our demand letter is attached as Exhibit 15 to the Fifteenth Amendment to our Schedule 13D. Following our nomination of Mark D. Alcott in March of 2018 for election to HFBCs board of directors to replace John Peck, we entered into a Standstill Agreement with HFBC dated April 10, 2018, whereby Mr. Alcott would be appointed to the HFBC board. The board also adopted revised compensation policies requiring HFBC to reach at least average annual performance relative to that of its peer group, or its executive officers would not receive salary raises, bonuses or perquisites. Mr. Alcotts appointment to the HFBC board became effective on April 18, 2018. On January 7, 2019, HFBCs sale to First Financial Corporation was announced, and the cash/stock deal was completed on July 27, 2019. MB Bancorp, Inc. (MBCQ) - We filed our original Schedule 13D reporting our position on January 9, 2015. We urged management and the board to repurchase shares, and on March 30, 2016, MBCQ announced and subsequently completed its plan to repurchase an initial 10% of its shares outstanding. We urged management and the board to complete the existing 5% share repurchase plan and put MBCQ up for sale when permitted in January 2018. On February 20, 2018, we reached an agreement with MBCQ, and our representative, Corissa B. Porcelli (formerly Corissa J. Briglia), was appointed to the board of directors. On September 5, 2019, MBCQs sale to BV Financial, Inc. was announced, and the all-cash deal was completed on February 29, 2020. MBCQ deregistered its shares of common stock effective in 2019. III. FPIC Insurance Group, Inc. (FPIC) - We filed our original Schedule 13D reporting our position on June 30, 2003. On August 12, 2003, Floridas Insurance Department approved our request to hold more than 5% of FPICs shares, to solicit proxies to hold board seats, and to exercise shareholder rights. On November 10, 2003, FPIC invited our nominee, John G. Rich, Esq., to join the board, and we signed a confidentiality agreement. On June 7, 2004, we disclosed that because FPIC had taken steps to increase shareholder value, such as multiple share repurchases, and because its market price increased and reflected fair value in our estimation, we sold our shares in the open market, decreasing our holdings below 5%. Our nominee was invited to remain on the board. Roma Financial Corp. (ROMA) - We filed our original Schedule 13D reporting our position on July 27, 2006. Prior to its acquisition by Investors Bancorp, Inc., in December 2013, nearly 70% of ROMAs shares were held by a mutual holding company controlled by ROMAs board. In April 2007, we engaged in a proxy solicitation at ROMAs first annual meeting, urging shareholders to withhold their vote from managements slate. ROMA did not put their stock benefit plans up for a vote at that meeting. We then met with ROMA management. In the four months after ROMA became eligible to repurchase its shares, it announced and substantially completed repurchases of 15% of its publicly held shares, which were accretive to shareholder value. In our judgment, management came to understand the importance of proper capital allocation. Based on ROMA managements prompt implementation of shareholder-friendly capital allocation plans, we supported managements adoption of stock benefit plans at the 2008 shareholder meeting. In our estimation, ROMAs market price increased and reflected fair value, and we sold our shares in the open market. First Savings Financial Group, Inc. (FSFG) - We filed our original Schedule 13D reporting our position on December 29, 2008. We met with management, after which FSFG announced a stock repurchase plan and began repurchasing its shares. In December 2009, we reported that our beneficial ownership in the outstanding FSFG common stock had fallen below 5%. Prudential Bancorp, Inc. of Pennsylvania (PBIP) - We filed our original Schedule 13D reporting our position on June 20, 2005. Most of PBIPs shares were held by the Prudential Mutual Holding Company (the MHC), which was controlled by PBIPs board. The MHC controlled most corporate decisions requiring a shareholder vote, such as the election of directors. However, regulations promulgated by the FDIC previously barred the MHC from voting on PBIPs management stock benefit plans, and PBIPs IPO prospectus indicated that the MHC would not vote on the plans. We announced in August 2005 that we would solicit proxies to oppose adoption of the plans as a referendum to place Joseph Stilwell on PBIPs board. PBIP decided not to put the plans up for a vote at the 2006 annual meeting. CUSIP No. 71103B102 SCHEDULE 13D Page 15 In December 2005, we solicited proxies to withhold votes on the election of directors as a referendum to place Mr. Stilwell on the board. At the 2006 annual meeting, 71% of PBIPs voting public shares were withheld from voting on managements nominees. On April 6, 2006, PBIP announced that just after we had filed our Schedule 13D, it had secretly solicited a letter from an FDIC staffer (which it concealed from the public) that the MHC would be allowed to vote in favor of the management stock benefit plans. PBIP also announced a special meeting to vote on the plans. We alerted the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (the Fed) about this announcement, and PBIP was directed to seek Fed approval before adopting the plans. On April 19, 2006, PBIP postponed the special meeting. The Fed subsequently followed the FDICs position in September 2006. In December 2006, we solicited proxies to withhold votes on the election of PBIPs directors at the 2007 annual meeting. At the meeting, 75% of PBIPs voting public shares were withheld. Also during the annual meeting, PBIPs President and Chief Executive Officer was unable to state the meaning of per share return on equity despite Mr. Stilwells holding up a $10,000 check for the charity of the CEOs choice if he could promptly answer the question. On March 7, 2007, we disclosed that we were publicizing the results of PBIPs elections and its directors unwillingness to hold a democratic vote on the stock plans by placing billboard advertisements throughout Philadelphia. In December 2007, we filed proxy materials for the solicitation of proxies to withhold votes on the election of PBIPs directors at the 2008 annual meeting. At the 2008 annual meeting, an average of 77% of PBIPs voting public shares withheld their votes. Excluding shares held in PBIPs ESOP, an average of 88% of the voting public shares withheld their votes in this election. On October 4, 2006, we sued PBIP, the MHC, and the directors of PBIP and the MHC in federal court in Philadelphia seeking an order to prevent the MHC from voting in favor of the management stock benefit plans. On August 15, 2007, the court dismissed some claims, but sustained our cause of action against the MHC as majority shareholder of PBIP for breach of fiduciary duties. Discovery proceeded and all the directors were deposed. Both sides moved for summary judgment, but the court ordered the case to trial, which was scheduled for June 2008. On May 22, 2008, we voluntarily discontinued the lawsuit after determining that it would be more effective and appropriate to pursue the directors on a personal basis in a derivative action. On June 11, 2008, we filed a notice to appeal certain portions of the lower courts August 15, 2007, order dismissing portions of the lawsuit. We entered into a settlement agreement and an expense agreement with PBIP in November 2008 under which we agreed to support PBIPs management stock benefit plans, drop our litigation and withdraw our shareholder demand, and generally support management; and in exchange, PBIP agreed, subject to certain conditions, to repurchase up to three million of its shares (including shares previously purchased), reimburse a portion of our expenses, and either adopt a second step conversion or add our nominee who meets certain qualification requirements to its board if the repurchases were not completed by a specified time. On March 5, 2010, we reported that our ownership in PBIP had dropped below 5% as a result of open market sales and sales of common stock to PBIP. United Insurance Holdings Corp. (UIHC) - We filed our original Schedule 13D reporting our position on September 29, 2011. On December 17, 2012, we disclosed that we sold shares in the open market, decreasing our holdings below 5%. Home Federal Bancorp, Inc. of Louisiana (HFBL) - We filed our original Schedule 13D reporting our position on January 3, 2011. We believe management and the board acted in good faith and took steps to increase shareholder value, such as multiple share repurchases. In our estimation, HFBLs market price increased and reflected fair value; on February 7, 2013, we disclosed that we sold shares in the open market, decreasing our holdings below 5%. Standard Financial Corp. (STND) - We filed our original Schedule 13D reporting our position on October 18, 2010. We believe management and the board acted in good faith and took steps to increase shareholder value, such as multiple share repurchases. In our estimation, STNDs market price increased and reflected fair value; on March 19, 2013, we disclosed that we sold our shares in the open market, decreasing our holdings below 5%. CUSIP No. 71103B102 SCHEDULE 13D Page 16 Alliance Bancorp, Inc. of Pennsylvania (ALLB) - We filed our original Schedule 13D reporting our position on March 12, 2009. When we announced our reporting position, a majority of ALLBs shares were held by a mutual holding company controlled by ALLBs board. However, on August 11, 2010, ALLB announced its intention to undertake a second step offering, selling all shares to the public. The plan of conversion and reorganization was approved by depositors at a special meeting held December 29, 2010. We strongly supported ALLBs action. Following completion of the conversion of Alliance Bank from the mutual holding company structure to the stock holding company structure, we increased our stake with the belief that shareholders and ALLB would do well if management focused on profitability. We believe management and the board acted in good faith and took steps to increase shareholder value, such as multiple share repurchases. In our estimation, ALLBs market price increased and reflected fair value; on November 21, 2013, we disclosed that we sold shares in the open market, decreasing our holdings below 5%. ASB Bancorp, Inc. (ASBB) - We filed our original Schedule 13D reporting our position on October 24, 2011. On August 23, 2013, we met with management to assess the best way to maximize shareholder value. We believe management and the board acted in good faith by cleaning up non-performing assets and repurchasing shares, and ASBBs market price increased to reflect fair value. On July 18, 2014, we disclosed that we sold our shares to ASBB. United Community Bancorp (UCBA) - We filed our original Schedule 13D reporting our position on January 22, 2013. We believe management and the board acted in good faith and took steps to increase shareholder value, such as multiple share repurchases. In our estimation, UCBAs market price increased to reflect fair value; on November 9, 2015, we disclosed that we sold shares to UCBA, decreasing our holdings below 5%. West End Indiana Bancshares, Inc. (WEIN) - We filed our original Schedule 13D reporting our position on January 19, 2012. We believe management and the board acted in good faith and took steps to increase shareholder value, such as multiple share repurchases. In our estimation, WEINs market price increased to reflect fair value; on November 12, 2015, we disclosed that we sold our shares in the open market. William Penn Bancorp, Inc. (WMPN) - We filed our original Schedule 13D reporting our position on May 23, 2008. A majority of WMPNs shares are held by a mutual holding company controlled by WMPNs board. We met with management and the board to explain our views on proper capital allocation and following the financial crisis, we continued to urge WMPN to take the steps necessary to maximize shareholder value. On December 3, 2014, WMPN announced and subsequently completed its plan to repurchase 10% of its shares outstanding and further completed several additional share repurchases. We believe management and the board acted in good faith to maximize shareholder value through shareholder-friendly capital allocation; on April 11, 2016, we disclosed that we sold shares in the open market, decreasing our holdings below 5%. First Financial Northwest, Inc. (FFNW) - We filed our original Schedule 13D reporting our position on September 12, 2011. At the Companys 2012 annual meeting, we solicited an overwhelming majority of shareholder votes for our nominee based on our position that Victor Karpiak (then Chairman and CEO) should be removed from the Company and board. After the Company pushed to have our votes invalidated, we sued to enforce our rights. In 2013, we settled with the Company. Our nominee, Kevin Padrick, was seated on the board, and Mr. Karpiak resigned as Chairman. The board later replaced Mr. Karpiak as CEO. We filed two additional lawsuits arising from the invalidation of our votes at the 2012 election, both of which we settled. Since 2013, we believed management and the board acted in good faith by cleaning up non-performing assets and reaching a moderate level of profitability, and they maximized shareholder value by repurchasing in excess of 40% of FFNWs shares. In our estimation, FFNWs market price increased to reflect fair value; on October 11, 2016, we disclosed that we sold our shares in the open market. Kevin Padrick continued to serve on the board. Alamogordo Financial Corp. (ALMG) - We filed our original Schedule 13D reporting our position on May 11, 2015. We urged management and the board to provide meaningful returns to shareholders either through a second-step conversion or by effectuating a shareholder-friendly capital allocation program. On March 7, 2016, ALMG announced and later completed a second-step conversion which we believe maximized shareholder value. On October 14, 2016, we disclosed that we sold shares of the converted Company, Bancorp 34, Inc., in the open market, decreasing our holdings below 5%. Malvern Bancorp, Inc. (MLVF) - We filed our original Schedule 13D reporting our position on May 30, 2008. When we announced our reporting position, a majority of MLVFs shares were held by a mutual holding company controlled by MLVFs board. On October 26, 2010, we demanded that MLVF pursue a derivative action against its directors for breach of their fiduciary duties. MLVF failed to pursue the action and, on June 3, 2011, we sued MLVFs directors in Chester County, Pennsylvania, demanding that the court, among other things, order the directors to properly consider pursuing a second step conversion. On November 9, 2011, Judge Howard F. Riley Jr. overruled the director defendants preliminary objections to the derivative lawsuit. CUSIP No. 71103B102 SCHEDULE 13D Page 17 On January 17, 2012, MLVF announced its intention to undertake a second step conversion and we withdrew the lawsuit. The conversion and stock offering were completed on October 11, 2012, and our shares were converted into shares of Malvern Bancorp, Inc. On September 5, 2013, we notified MLVF of our intention to nominate John P. OGrady for election as a director at its 2014 annual meeting, but we later reached an agreement with MLVF for Mr. OGrady to join its board of directors and executed a standstill agreement. Subsequently, MLVFs long-standing CEO resigned, its chairman of the board stepped down and several directors resigned from the board of directors. On November 25, 2014, we terminated our standstill agreement with MLVF, including the agreements performance targets. John P. OGrady continued to serve as an independent director on the board but no longer as our nominee. After meeting with the new CEO and the new chairman of the board, we believed that management and the board of directors were focused on maximizing shareholder value and were successful in doing so. On December 7, 2016, we disclosed that we sold shares in the open market, decreasing our holdings below 5%. FSB Community Bankshares, Inc. (FSBC) - We filed our original Schedule 13D reporting our position on October 26, 2015. We urged management and the board to provide meaningful returns to shareholders either through a second-step conversion or by effectuating a shareholder-friendly capital allocation program. On March 3, 2016, FSBC announced and later completed a second-step conversion which we believe maximized shareholder value. On December 9, 2016, we disclosed that we sold shares of the converted Company, FSB Bancorp, Inc., in the open market, decreasing our holdings below 5%. Pinnacle Bancshares, Inc. (PCLB) - We filed our original Schedule 13D reporting our position on September 23, 2014. On November 14, 2014, PCLB announced the continuation of its share repurchase plan and announced a new repurchase plan on May 25, 2016. We believe management and the board acted in good faith to maximize shareholder value through multiple share repurchases. On December 13, 2016, we disclosed that we sold our shares in the open market. Sugar Creek Financial Corp. (SUGR) - We filed our original Schedule 13D reporting our position on April 21, 2014. We believe management and the board acted in good faith to maximize shareholder value through share repurchases. In our estimation, SUGRs market price increased to reflect fair value; on July 28, 2017, we disclosed that we sold our shares in the open market. Provident Financial Holdings, Inc. (PROV) - We filed our original Schedule 13D reporting our position on October 7, 2011. We supported PROVs consistent efforts to maximize shareholder value through a meaningful number of share repurchases. In our estimation, PROVs market price increased and reflected fair value; on September 25, 2017, we disclosed that we sold shares in the open market, decreasing our holdings below 5%. West Town Bancorp, Inc. (WTWB) - We believe management and the board acted in good faith to maximize shareholder value, and on July 18, 2019, we sold our shares to WTWB. WTWB deregistered its shares of common stock effective in 2003. IF Bancorp, Inc. (IROQ) - We filed our original Schedule 13D reporting our position on March 5, 2012. We urged management and the board to maximize shareholder value through share repurchases. We believe IROQ acted in good faith to do so and, in our estimation, IROQs market price increased to reflect fair value. On September 24, 2019, we disclosed that we sold shares in the open market, decreasing our holdings below 5%. CUSIP No. 71103B102 SCHEDULE 13D Page 18 NorthEast Community Bancorp, Inc. (NECB) - We filed our original Schedule 13D reporting our position on November 5, 2007. A majority of NECBs shares were held by a mutual holding company controlled by NECBs board. We opposed the grant of an equity incentive plan for the NECB board, and the board and management never received such a plan while they remained an MHC. In July of 2010, we delivered a written demand to NECB demanding to inspect its shareholder list, but NECB refused to supply us with the list. We sued NECB in federal court in New York seeking an order compelling compliance. In August of 2010, NECB produced the list of shareholders to us. In the fall of 2011, we sent a letter to NECBs board of directors demanding that NECB expand the board with disinterested directors to consider a second step conversion. In October of 2011, we filed a lawsuit in New York state court against NECB, the mutual holding company, and their boards of directors, personally and derivatively, for breach of fiduciary duty arising out of failure to fairly consider a second step conversion and alleging conflict of interest. During the course of a protracted litigation, we deposed every named director including a former director. Although the New York trial court judge agreed with us in partially granting our motion for summary judgment and finding that upon trial the defendants would bear the burden of the entire fairness standard, the First Department reversed on other grounds; the New York Court of Appeals declined to hear our appeal. After years of urging NECB to become fully public, the company announced on November 4, 2020 that it would undertake a second-step conversion. We supported NECBs decision to do so, and on July 12, 2021, the company completed its second-step conversion. We sold shares in the open market, decreasing our holdings below 5%. NECB shares of common stock were deregistered from 2016 to 2021. Parkway Acquisition Corp. (PKKW) - We filed our original Schedule 13D reporting our position on May 27, 2020. On November 24, 2021, we disclosed that we sold our shares in the open market. IV. Garrison Capital, Inc. (GARS) - We filed our original Schedule 13D reporting our position on January 21, 2020. In April 2020, we sold our stake with the belief that the global pandemic made activism in a business development company problematic for the next couple of years. V. Kingsway Financial Services Inc. (KFS) - We filed our original Schedule 13D reporting our position on November 7, 2008. We requested a meeting with KFSs CEO and chairman to discuss ways to maximize shareholder value and minimize both operational and balance sheet risks, but the CEO was unresponsive. We then requisitioned a special shareholder meeting to remove the CEO and chairman from the KFS board and replace them with our two nominees. On January 7, 2009, we entered into a settlement agreement with KFS whereby, among other things, the CEO resigned from the KFS board and KFS expanded its board from nine to ten seats and appointed our nominees to fill the two vacant seats. By April 23, 2009, the board was reconstituted with just three of the original ten legacy directors remaining. Also, Joseph Stilwell was appointed to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of one of our nominees, and our other nominee was elected chairman of the board. In addition, the board fired the CEO and CFO for incompetence and insubordination. By November 3, 2009, all of the legacy directors had resigned from the board. Since then, Joseph Stilwell has remained on the board, and KFS has sold non-core assets, repurchased public debt at a discount to face value, sold a credit-sensitive asset, disposed of its subsidiary Lincoln General, substantially reduced its expenses, and reduced other balance sheet and operations risks. On May 24, 2018, we announced that we would withhold our proxy votes on the re-election of the then current CEO at the KFS annual meeting. Although the CEO was re-elected to the board, the board announced on September 5, 2018, a CEO transition in which he would no longer serve as CEO. The KFS board appointed John T. Fitzgerald as the new CEO to execute its warranty segment strategy. On September 21, 2020, our representative, Corissa B. Porcelli, was elected to the board of directors. Wheeler Real Estate Investment Trust, Inc. (WHLR) - We filed our original Schedule 13D reporting our position on July 3, 2017. On December 4, 2017, we announced our nominees and alternate nominee for WHLRs 2018 election of directors. On January 17, 2018, we called for Jon Wheelers removal from WHLR, and he was fired by the board on January 29, 2018. CUSIP No. 71103B102 SCHEDULE 13D Page 19 We ran three nominees for election as directors at WHLR's 2018 annual meeting. They lost. On October 24, 2019, we announced our nominees, Joseph D. Stilwell, Paula J. Poskon and Kerry G. Campbell, for election as directors at WHLRs annual meeting. Several of WHLRs legacy directors did not stand for reelection. On December 19, 2019, we defeated the three legacy directors that stood for reelection by more than a 7 to 1 margin and our three nominees were elected to WHLRs board. Later that day, WHLR announced that its CFO had resigned, and twelve days later, the only remaining legacy director resigned. The CEO was fired on April 13, 2020. On July 15, 2021, our representative, E. J. Borrack, was elected to the board of directors. VI. Wayne Savings Bancshares, Inc. (WAYN) - We filed our original Schedule 13D reporting our position on October 8, 2010. In 2014, we supported H. Stewart Fitz Gibbon IIIs appointment as CEO and as a director on the board. We believed management and the board were acting in good faith to position WAYN to maximize shareholder value. When the board announced Mr. Fitz Gibbons unexplained resignation on December 20, 2016, we nominated a director for election at WAYNs 2017 annual meeting. We lost by a narrow margin. We nominated a director for election at WAYNs 2018 annual meeting with the belief that there have been multiple suitors interested in acquiring WAYN, and that the board has a duty to evaluate strategic alternatives to maximize shareholder value. Our nominee was not elected. Due to projected and achieved Return on Equity (ROE) targets since WAYNs 2018 annual meeting, we did not seek board representation in 2019. Sound Financial, Inc. (SFBC) - We filed our original Schedule 13D reporting our position on November 21, 2011. We urged management and the board to pursue a second step conversion. On August 22, 2012, Sound Financial Bancorp, Inc. (SFBC) announced completion of its second step conversion and our shares of SNFL were converted into shares of SFBC. We support maximizing shareholder value at SFBC. Seneca-Cayuga Bancorp, Inc. (SCAY) / Generations Bancorp NY, Inc. (GBNY) - We filed our original Schedule 13D reporting our position in SCAY on September 15, 2014. We believed SCAY was positioned to provide meaningful returns to its shareholders either through a second-step conversion or a shareholder-friendly capital allocation program. We encouraged management and the board to choose the path that would maximize shareholder value, but they refused. On January 29, 2018, we served a letter to the board demanding that SCAY undertake a second-step conversion. Instead, SCAY announced its merger with a smaller mutual. We re-served a demand for a second-step conversion on June 12, 2019, and in furtherance to that, we served a demand for inspection of SCAYs books and records on September 4, 2019. When SCAY refused to permit the inspection of its books and records, we filed, on November 11, 2019, a motion to compel the production of those books and records in U.S. District Court for the Western District of New York. SCAY filed a motion to dismiss, which the Judge denied on April 7, 2020. The Judge ordered SCAY to begin the production of board materials for our inspection by June 1. SCAY announced its intention to second-step on May 6, 2020, and we discontinued our lawsuit. On January 12, 2021, SCAY completed its second-step conversion and ceased to exist. The new stock holding company, Generations Bancorp NY, Inc. (GBNY), began trading on January 13, 2021. We believe GBNY should begin repurchasing shares as soon as regulations permit it to do so. CIB Marine Bancshares, Inc. (CIBH) - We believe management and the board are acting in good faith to maximize shareholder value. CIBH deregistered its shares of common stock effective in 2012. U & I Financial Corp. (UNIF) - We have met with management and believe we can work with management and the board to maximize shareholder value. Although UNIFs common stock trades publicly on the OTCQX U.S., UNIF does not file reports with the SEC. Cincinnati Bancorp, Inc. (CNNB) - We filed our original Schedule 13D reporting our position on May 7, 2020. ICC Holdings, Inc. (ICCH) - We filed our original Schedule 13D reporting our position on December 28, 2020. We believe management and the board should improve capital allocation and profitability at ICCH. CUSIP No. 71103B102 SCHEDULE 13D Page 20 VII. Brunswick Bancorp (BRBW ) - We met with the President, CFO and Chairman of the Board to express our views on BRBWs capital allocation, and they have indicated that they would rather grow than repurchase shares below book value. Therefore, in the absence of material share repurchases, we nominated Corissa B. Porcelli (and Kerry G. Campbell as the alternate nominee) for election as a director at BRBWs 2021 annual meeting. She was not elected. We intend to nominate a candidate again in 2022. BRBW deregistered its shares of common stock effective in 2007. Item 5. Interest in Securities of the Issuer The members of the Group beneficially own an aggregate of 464,645 shares of Common Stock. The percentages reported herein for the Group are calculated based on the number of outstanding shares of Common Stock, 4,678,186, reported as the number of outstanding shares as of as of February 28, 2022, as reported in the Issuers Preliminary Proxy Statement on Form PRE 14A filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 10, 2022. The purchases and sales of Common Stock reported in this item, if any, were made in open-market transactions. (A) Stilwell Value Partners VII (a) Aggregate number of shares beneficially owned: 464,645 Percentage: 9.9% (b) 1. Sole power to vote or to direct vote: 0 2. Shared power to vote or to direct vote: 464,645 3. Sole power to dispose or to direct the disposition: 0 4. Shared power to dispose or to direct disposition: 464,645 (c) Within the past 60 days, Stilwell Value Partners VII has not purchased or sold shares of Common Stock. (d) Because he is the managing member and owner of Stilwell Value LLC, which is the general partner of Stilwell Value Partners VII, Joseph Stilwell has the power to direct the affairs of Stilwell Value Partners VII, including the voting and disposition of shares of Common Stock held in the name of Stilwell Value Partners VII. Therefore, Joseph Stilwell is deemed to share voting and disposition power with Stilwell Value Partners VII with regard to those shares of Common Stock. (B) Stilwell Activist Fund (a) Aggregate number of shares beneficially owned: 464,645 Percentage: 9.9% (b) 1. Sole power to vote or to direct vote: 0 2. Shared power to vote or to direct vote: 464,645 3. Sole power to dispose or to direct the disposition: 0 4. Shared power to dispose or to direct disposition: 464,645 (c) Within the past 60 days, Stilwell Activist Fund has not purchased or sold shares of Common Stock. (d) Because he is the managing member and owner of Stilwell Value LLC, which is the general partner of Stilwell Activist Fund, Joseph Stilwell has the power to direct the affairs of Stilwell Activist Fund, including the voting and disposition of shares of Common Stock held in the name of Stilwell Activist Fund. Therefore, Joseph Stilwell is deemed to share voting and disposition power with Stilwell Activist Fund with regard to those shares of Common Stock. CUSIP No. 71103B102 SCHEDULE 13D Page 21 (C) Stilwell Activist Investments (a) Aggregate number of shares beneficially owned: 464,645 Percentage: 9.9% (b) 1. Sole power to vote or to direct vote: 0 2. Shared power to vote or to direct vote: 464,645 3. Sole power to dispose or to direct the disposition: 0 4. Shared power to dispose or to direct disposition: 464,645 (c) Within the past 60 days, Stilwell Activist Investments has not purchased or sold shares of Common Stock. (d) Because he is the managing member and owner of Stilwell Value LLC, which is the general partner of Stilwell Activist Investments, Joseph Stilwell has the power to direct the affairs of Stilwell Activist Investments, including the voting and disposition of shares of Common Stock held in the name of Stilwell Activist Investments. Therefore, Joseph Stilwell is deemed to share voting and disposition power with Stilwell Activist Investments with regard to those shares of Common Stock. (D) Stilwell Value LLC (a) Aggregate number of shares beneficially owned: 464,645 Percentage: 9.9% (b) 1. Sole power to vote or to direct vote: 0 2. Shared power to vote or to direct vote: 464,645 3. Sole power to dispose or to direct the disposition: 0 4. Shared power to dispose or to direct disposition: 464,645 (c) Stilwell Value LLC has made no purchases, sales or transfers of shares of Common Stock. (d) Because he is the managing member and owner of Stilwell Value LLC, Joseph Stilwell has the power to direct the affairs of Stilwell Value LLC. Stilwell Value LLC is the general partner of Stilwell Value Partners VII, Stilwell Activist Fund, and Stilwell Activist Investments. Therefore, Stilwell Value LLC may be deemed to share with Joseph Stilwell voting and disposition power with regard to the shares of Common Stock held by Stilwell Value Partners VII, Stilwell Activist Fund, and Stilwell Activist Investments. CUSIP No. 71103B102 SCHEDULE 13D Page 22 (E) Joseph Stilwell (a) Aggregate number of shares beneficially owned: 464,645 Percentage: 9.9% (b) 1. Sole power to vote or to direct vote: 0 2. Shared power to vote or to direct vote: 464,645 3. Sole power to dispose or to direct the disposition: 0 4. Shared power to dispose or to direct disposition: 464,645 (c) Joseph Stilwell has made no purchases, sales or transfers of shares of Common Stock. Item 6. Contracts, Arrangements, Understandings or Relationships With Respect to Securities of the Issuer Between February 1 and February 3, 2022, the Group entered into a nominee agreement (the Nominee Agreements) with each of Rodney H. Blackwell, Jonathan W. Briggs, Ronald Wade Robertson, Jr., and Gregory H. Browne (the Nominees), pursuant to which the Nominees have agreed, should the Group so elect, to stand for election to the Issuers board of directors at the Issuers 2022 annual shareholder meeting and to serve as director if elected. Pursuant to the Nominee Agreements, the Group has agreed to (i) reimburse all of the Nominees actual out-of-pocket expenses incurred in connection with the nomination process and (ii) indemnify each Nominee for any damages and expenses incurred in connection with her or his nomination for director of the Issuer. The foregoing summary of the Nominee Agreements is qualified in its entirety by reference to the full text of the Nominee Agreements, copies of which are filed as Exhibits 10, 11, 12 and 13 attached to the Tenth Amendment and are incorporated by reference herein. Other than the Nominee Agreements, there are no contracts, arrangements, understandings or relationships among the persons named in Item 2 hereof and between such persons and any person with respect to any securities of the Issuer, including but not limited to transfer or voting of any of the securities, finders fees, joint ventures, loan or option arrangements, puts or calls, guarantees of profits, divisions of profits or losses, or the giving or withholding of proxies, except for sharing of profits. Stilwell Value LLC, in its capacity as general partner of Stilwell Value Partners VII, Stilwell Activist Fund, and Stilwell Activist Investments, and Joseph Stilwell, in his capacities as the managing member and owner of Stilwell Value LLC, are entitled to an allocation of a portion of profits. See Items 1 and 2 above regarding disclosure of the relationships between members of the Group, which disclosure is incorporated herein by reference. CUSIP No. 71103B102 SCHEDULE 13D Page 23 Item 7. Material to be Filed as Exhibits Exhibit No. Description 1 Joint Filing Agreement, dated November 23, 2020, filed with the Original Schedule 13D. 2 Letter to the Shareholders of the Issuer, dated February 9, 2021. 3 Nominee Agreement, dated February 16, 2021, with Nominee Peter Prickett, filed with the Fourth Amendment. 4 Letter to Shareholders of the Issuer, dated March 16, 2021, filed with the Fourth Amendment. 5 Letter to Shareholders of the Issuer, dated March 29, 2021, filed with the Fifth Amendment. 6 Letter to Shareholders of the Issuer, dated April 8, 2021, filed with the Seventh Amendment. 7 Letter to Shareholders of the Issuer, dated April 19, 2021, filed with the Eighth Amendment. 8 Letter to Shareholders of the Issuer, dated May 5, 2021, filed with the Ninth Amendment. 9 Nominee Agreement, dated February 1, 2022, with Nominee Rodney H. Blackwell, filed with the Tenth Amendment. 10 Nominee Agreement, dated February 2, 2022, with Jonathan W. Briggs, filed with the Tenth Amendment. 11 Nominee Agreement, dated February 2, 2022, with Ronald Wade Robertson, Jr, filed with the Tenth Amendment. 12 13 Nominee Agreement, dated February 3, 2022, with Gregory H. Browne., filed with the Tenth Amendment. Letter to Shareholders of the Issuer, dated March 14, 2022. SIGNATURES After reasonable inquiry and to the best of our knowledge and belief, we certify that the information set forth in this statement is true, complete and correct. Date: March 15, 2022 STILWELL VALUE PARTNERS VII, L.P. By: STILWELL VALUE LLC General Partner /s/ Megan Parisi By: Megan Parisi Member STILWELL ACTIVIST FUND, L.P. By: STILWELL VALUE LLC General Partner /s/ Megan Parisi By: Megan Parisi Member STILWELL ACTIVIST INVESTMENTS, L.P. By: STILWELL VALUE LLC General Partner /s/ Megan Parisi By: Megan Parisi Member STILWELL VALUE LLC /s/ Megan Parisi By: Megan Parisi Member JOSEPH STILWELL /s/ Joseph Stilwell* Joseph Stilwell */s/ Megan Parisi Attorney-In-Fact Exhibit 13 T HE S TILWELL G ROUP 262 CALLE DEL SANTO CRISTO SEGUNDO PISO SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO 00901 (787) 985-2194 [email protected] March 14, 2022 Dear Fellow PFBX Owner, Another year, another year of disappointment with our Company. Economic earnings for all of 2021 were a mere 29 cents per share an increase of 13 cents in book value and 16 cents of dividends. We could write about a loan to asset ratio of less than 40%; we could write about a board that allows its shares to languish below book value while maintaining excess capital; or we could write about a public company board that seems too concerned about passing the CEOs role to his son. Lets skip all that and focus on one salient fact: In the midst of a great year for community banks, PFBX earned just 29 cents on a book value of $19.45 less than a 2% return. The board and management need some new blood (not named Swetman) down at headquarters. Deliver a message to the board of directors that its time for a change. Vote the GREEN card today. You can vote by telephone, online or by signing and dating the enclosed GREEN proxy card and returning it in the postage-paid envelope. If you have any questions, require assistance in voting your GREEN proxy card, or need additional copies of our proxy materials, please contact us or Okapi Partners at the phone numbers or email listed below. Okapi Partners LLC 1212 Avenue of the Americas, 24th Floor New York, New York 10036 + 1 (212) 297-0720 (Main) + 1 (855) 305-0856 (Toll-Free) AUSTIN, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced a new commander for the Texas military who has vowed to rebuild trust with state troops as more than 10,000 National Guard members are deployed on one of the states largest, longest and most controversial missions. Abbott on Monday appointed Maj. Gen. Thomas Suelzer as adjutant general of the Texas Military Department, replacing Maj. Gen. Tracy Norris, who took the job in January 2019. Norris said Tuesday that she will retire. I am honored to have been selected to serve in this role and appreciate the trust and confidence Gov. Abbott has placed in me to carry out the immense duties of this office, Suelzer said in a statement Tuesday. I look forward to serving our soldiers, airmen and state Guardsmen, and will work tirelessly to rebuild trust within our organization. The news comes after months of media coverage about the 10,000 troops deployed on a state-sponsored border security mission. Troops have faced a number of issues, including late paychecks, lack of necessary equipment and cramped living conditions for a mission that some soldiers have said lacks purpose. The border mission, known as Operation Lone Star, began one year ago with about 500 troops working alongside the Texas Department of Public Safety to curb illegal activity between the legal entry points connecting Texas and Mexico. In October, the mission rapidly expanded to about 10,000 troops and officials have conceded there were problems that came with the increase. The problems led to some troops joining the Texas State Employees Union to help them advocate for better working and living standards at the Texas Capitol. The Texas Military Department did not comment on whether the change of commanders was related to the handling of the border mission and did not state whether there were any pending investigations. Norris appointment expired Feb. 1, according to a statement from Abbotts office. Democratic members of the state legislature have called for the Justice Department to investigate Operation Lone Star. Texas Democrats serving in Congress also have called for the Texas Military Departments inspector general to investigate the border mission. Norris was announced as the first woman to lead Texas troops in December 2018 with support from Abbott and a formal ceremony the following month. Im very proud and honored to have served as the adjutant general for the great state of Texas, particularly during a time of great transition and historic ops tempo for the Texas National Guard, Norris said in a statement Tuesday. I look forward to my retirement and transition into a new season of life out of uniform. The Texas Military Department said Tuesday that Suelzer has already assumed all responsibilities as commander and a ceremony is in the planning stages. The adjutant general is the highest-ranking officer in the state and oversees the Texas Military Department, which includes roughly 22,000 Army and Air National Guard troops and about 1,900 members of the Texas State Guard. Suelzer comes into the job from his post as the deputy adjutant general for air and served as the top adviser to Norris on Air National Guard issues. He was responsible for the management and direction of policies, plans and programs affecting more than 3,200 Air National Guard personnel. Abbotts announcement did not include who will replace Suelzer. The position of deputy adjutant general is a gubernatorial appointee. Next month, Suelzer or another Guard official has been called to sit before the newly created Texas Senate Committee on Border Security to discuss the budget of Operation Lone Star. The mission at its current size costs about $2 billion a year, the department said. However, the state only allocated about $412 million to the Texas Military Department for Operation Lone Star, according to documents presented by the Texas Legislative Budget Board in a March meeting of the border security committee. Abbott approved an infusion of funds in January to the department, which is expected to last through the spring. At a news conference last week, Abbott and state police officials praised the Guards work at the border. Without the efforts of what we have put in over the past year, there would be millions of deadly drugs on the streets in Texas. There would be thousands more human trafficking victims. There would be no resources to respond to the complaints and concerns by the ranchers and residents, Abbott said. Updated at 10 a.m. CET, March 18, 2022. NAPLES, Italy A U.S. Navy Reserve commander living in Naples faces bribery and fraud charges after federal prosecutors said he admitted to writing fake recommendation letters for Afghan nationals seeking visas to live in America. Cmdr. Jeromy Pittmann, 53, of Pensacola, Fla., appeared in a New Hampshire U.S. district court on Friday, the Justice Department said in a statement that day. If convicted, Pittmann faces up to 20 years in prison. Court records show that Pittmann was scheduled to be released from federal custody Friday but is required to seek approval for federal prosecutors if he travels outside of Italy. A hearing in the case is scheduled April 11. Pittman was a civilian supervisory engineer working at Naval Support Activity Naples Capodichino site. He was assigned to the N4 Force Engineering Directorate as part of U.S. Naval Forces Europe and Africa/U.S. 6th Fleet, said Lt. Cmdr. Andrew DeGarmo, a Navy spokesman based in Washington D.C. Pittmanns lawyers did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment. Pittmann is accused of receiving thousands of dollars for writing more than 20 false recommendation letters between May 2018 and September 2020 vouching for Afghan citizens seeking a Special Immigrant Visa through the State Department, according to court documents. The visa program for translators and others who aided U.S. personnel in Afghanistan was plagued by delays, lack of coordination and understaffing, the State Department Inspector General found in 2020. Some candidates had been waiting for years for approval when the Taliban captured Kabul last year. The State Department learned about the allegations against Pittmann through a complaint made in September 2020, court documents show. In the letters, Pittmann claimed he knew and had supervised the applicants in their roles as translators for the U.S. Army and NATO, that the applicants were in danger and that they posed no threat to national security, according to court records. Just by being a translator directly supporting the United States army (sic) and NATO forces his life is in jeopardy some of the extremist and Taliban consider him a traitor despite his hardship he always shows up for work, Pittmann wrote, according to a letter included in the criminal complaint by investigators. Investigators said Pittmanns email account shows he was contacted by an unnamed person in 2018, asking if he could write recommendation letters. Subsequent emails discuss payments, according to court documents. In one case, investigators alleged that Pittmann received at least $1,500 for three letters. The U.S. Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction, Naval Criminal Investigative Service and the Defense Criminal Investigative Service have been investigating the case. (Tribune News Service) A U.S. Navy sailor charged in the Friday killing of a Virginia Beach man was on a crack bender and used a dumbbell to kill the man, according to police and court documents filed in the case. Jason Jablonski, 41, of Virginia Beach, is one of two people charged in connection with the death of 45-year-old Herbert Bryant. Authorities found Bryant dead Friday morning when they were called to a residence in the 1200 block of Edenham Court, near Indian River Park and the Chesapeake city line, at 7:31 a.m. Friday. Court records indicate Jablonski, who appeared in Virginia Beach District Court for arraignment Monday, has been in the Navy 12 years. He is charged with second-degree murder. Heather Totty, 35, of Virginia Beach, is charged with accessory to murder after the fact. A bail determination sheet filed in court said Jablonski was on a crack bender and got into a fight with Bryant inside a residence. During the fight, the court documents say he hit Bryant in the face with a dumbbell and then pushed it down on his neck until he stopped moving. Totty was present when the altercation happened and afterward, she helped Jablonski drag the body outside, the court documents state. Jablonski fled to a hotel. Totty attempted to clean up the residence afterward, and gathered Bryants things, which authorities later found in a dumpster. It was unclear how Jablonski, Totty and Bryant all knew one another or who reported Bryants death. Both Totty and Jablonski were ordered held without bond until a bond hearing scheduled for Thursday. Jablonski has hired attorney Eric Leckie and Totty will be represented by a public defender. Authorities ask anyone with information about the incident to call 757-385-4101 or leave an anonymous tip at 1-888-LOCK-U-UP. 2022 The Virginian-Pilot. Visit pilotonline.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Stars and Stripes is making stories on the coronavirus pandemic available free of charge. See more stories here. Sign up for our daily coronavirus newsletter here. Please support our journalism with a subscription. (Tribune News Service) Rep. Thomas Massie is leading a group of conservative lawmakers in a lawsuit to strike down the federal mandate requiring masks on airplanes. The suit is against the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and includes 16 other Republican members of Congress. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention does not have the legal authority to force people traveling on commercial airlines to wear masks, said Massie in a statement. Congress never passed a law requiring masks on commercial flights. This lawsuit targets the faceless bureaucrats who are behind the CDCs unscientific regulation so that this illegal mask mandate can be brought to a permanent end. Sen. Rand Paul, a continual critic of government mandates, has signed on as a co-plaintiff. The named defendants are CDC Director Rochelle Walensky and CDC chief of staff, Sherri Berger. While most states and many businesses have relinquished the requirement to have a mask on in public venues, the federal mandate continues to impact transportation entities, like the airlines, Amtrak and subway systems. The Biden administration is reportedly extending the COVID-19 restriction for at least another 30 days, through April 18, just as Europe deals with another spike in cases. American officials are worried the U.S. is now vulnerable to another outbreak after finally emerging from the Omicron variant. But in his filing, Massie claims that none of the statutes or regulations cited by the CDC permit the agency to implement or enforce the mandate. Secondly, Massie said that even if Congress had granted the CDC such authority, it would violate a principle known as the non-delegation doctrine. The non-delegation doctrine is a principle in administrative law that Congress cannot delegate its legislative powers to other entities. Besides Paul, Massies other congressional co-plaintiffs include: Rep. Andy Biggs of Arizona, Rep. Dan Bishop of North Carolina, Rep. Lauren Boebert of Colorado, Rep. Andrew Clyde of Georgia, Rep. Warren Davidson of Ohio, Rep. Bob Good of Virginia, Rep. Paul Gosar of Arizona, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, Rep. Brian Mast of Florida, Rep. Alex Mooney of West Virginia, Rep. Barry Moore of Alabama, Rep. Ralph Norman of South Carolina, Rep. Bill Posey of Florida, Rep. Matt Rosendale of Montana, and Rep. Chip Roy of Texas. 2022 McClatchy Washington Bureau. Visit mcclatchydc.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. An RQ-4B Global Hawk surveillance drone that landed Saturday at Misawa Air Base in northeast Japan is the first of three that will be operated by the Japan Air Self-Defense Force, according to the unmanned aircrafts manufacturer. Photographs of the Global Hawks arrival were posted Monday on Misawas official Facebook page. Congratulations to our JASDF counterparts on their newest capability! The addition of the RQ-4B Global Hawk to the Japan Air Self-Defense Forces inventory directly supports the defense of Japan, and peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region, said a message accompanying the images. The Global Hawk flies at 60,000 feet and has a line of sight to targets more than 340 miles away, according to manufacturer Northrop Grumman. The exact range of the aircrafts cameras and sensors is classified, but a Global Hawk flying near the Korean Demilitarized Zone, for example, could see well beyond the Yalu River that marks North Koreas border with China. Japans three Global Hawks cost nearly $500 million combined, with deliveries slated to wrap up this year, Forbes reported April 15, 2020. The new Global Hawks will conduct information gathering in areas relatively remote from Japan, as well as persistent airborne monitoring during situations with heightened tensions, Japans Ministry of Defense said in a statement after the drone landed. The first of Japans three Global Hawks left Palmdale, Calif., on Thursday and landed at Misawa nearly 19 hours later, Northrop Grumman said in another statement Monday. The arrival of the first Japan Global Hawk is an important milestone in the development of this critical security asset, Jane Bishop, vice president and general manager for global surveillance at Northrop Grumman, said in her companys statement. The autonomous Global Hawk will provide the Japan Air Self-Defense Force with persistent, high-altitude surveillance of the Indo-Pacific. The U.S. Air Force has positioned its Global Hawks at Misawa for several summers since 2014. The drones come to Japan to avoid typhoons at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam. In recent years, including 2020, they have operated out of Yokota Air Base in western Tokyo during the summer. South Korea has four Global Hawks that are believed to be flown out of Sacheon Air Base, near the port of Busan, according to an October report by Janes Defence Weekly. The Royal Australian Air Force will acquire seven RQ-4C Tritons, the maritime version of the drone, and will fly them from RAAF Base Edinburgh, according to the services official website. Guam-based Air Force Tritons completed a maiden deployment to Misawa in October. The U.S-Japan defense treaty allows America to share defense technologies such as the Global Hawk, F-35A Lightning II stealth fighter and E-2D Hawkeye early warning aircraft, Lt. Col. Cody Chiles, a spokesman for the Misawa-based 35th Fighter Wing, said in an email Saturday. The Japan Air Self-Defense Force has positioned these aircraft at Misawa, Chiles told Stars and Stripes by phone March 9. The Air Force shares the base with the 3rd Air Wing of the Self-Defense Force. The acquisition of these platforms, and subsequent operations by our allies, sends a strong signal to regional adversaries that the United States and our allies are equipped and ready to detect and defend our nations from regional threats, he said. TOKYO Six Russian warships passed through Soya Strait, which separates Japans northern island of Hokkaido and Russias Sakhalin Island, early Monday, according to the Japanese government. The Russian surface vessels and submarines were about 80 miles southeast of Soya Cape heading northwest, Japans Joint Staff said in a statement that day. The vessels included an Udaloy-class destroyer, three Kilo-class submarines, a Marshal Nedelin-class tracking ship and a Goryn-class tugboat, the statement said. The flotilla moved from the Pacific Ocean to the Sea of Japan/East Sea while monitored by the JS Makinami, a Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force destroyer, according to the statement. The strait at its narrowest is about 30 miles wide. Ten Russian vessels were spotted at around 2 a.m. Thursday about 112 miles east-northeast of Cape Erimo on Hokkaidos southern coast, the Joint Staff said in a statement Friday. That flotilla, which included an Udaloy-class destroyer and a Steregushchiy-class frigate, traveled westward through Tsugaru Strait. The Russian military has been conducting large-scale exercises in Sea of Okhotsk since February that correspond to its invasion of Ukraine, and the vessels may have been participating, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno told reporters Tuesday. Japan has complained to Russia about the ship movements and exercises through diplomatic channels, Matsuno said. We protested that we are observing closely with great concern that the Russian military is increasing its activities around our country in the midst of the Ukraine situation, he said. Japan will remain alert and continue to monitor the situation, Matsuno said. Japan, in concert with the United States and other countries, has imposed sanctions targeting Russian banks and oligarchs in response to the war in Ukraine. Tokyo has also committed more than $200 million in support for Ukraine, sent bulletproof vests to Kyiv and announced it would accept Ukrainian refugees. The Russian flotillas are a show of force designed to warn Japan against imposing further sanctions, according to James Brown, an international affairs expert at Temple Universitys Japan campus. Russia promised a response to Japan's decision to join international sanctions and we're now beginning to see it, he told Stars and Stripes in an email Tuesday. The recent violation of Japanese airspace by a Russian helicopter and live-fire drills of the S-300 missile system on Iturup can be seen as part of this behavior, Brown said. As Japan imposes further sanctions, we can expect to see more of this, he said. Stars and Stripes reporter Seth Robson contributed to this report. CAMP HUMPHREYS, South Korea Large-scale military drills with American troops and a U.S.-made missile defense system will be back on the table when South Koreas new president is inaugurated in May. President-elect Yoon Suk Yeol and the conservative People Power Party released a statement of their goals for his five-year presidency on Feb. 25. In the document, Yoon and the party called for a strong national security and defense bolstered by an ironclad South Korea-U.S. alliance. Yoons policy plans specifically call for the restoration of broken trust in the alliance. South Korea President Moon Jae-ins tenure has been marked by some unease during Donald Trumps presidency, some of which was predicated on Trumps claims of trade inequities between the United States and South Korea. Trump, in private talks with advisers and closed-door speeches, threatened to withdraw some of the 28,500 U.S. troops from South Korea, citing an unequal cost-sharing agreement to station those forces in the country, according to multiple news reports and a White House memoir written by former national security adviser John Bolton. Under the Trump and Moon administrations in 2018, the U.S. and South Korean militaries began conducting smaller computer simulations in lieu of large field exercises. The two leaders suspended the joint drills and described them as costly and detrimental to lowering tensions with North Korea. North Korea denounces the U.S.-South Korean military exercises and in articles published in its state-run newspaper describes them as hostile behavior. Previous field exercises included around 11,500 U.S. troops and 290,000 South Korean troops operating from land, air and sea. Yoons policy plan assures that his administration will rebuild the military partnership that would normally conduct theater-level command post exercises and field training exercises. Yoons plans also appear to undercut Moons unwillingness to deploy an additional U.S.-manufactured missile defense system in the country. The $800 million Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system, or THAAD, was deployed to South Korea in 2017 as a defensive measure against North Korean missiles. The THAAD batterys deployment prompted China to retaliate financially against South Korea, which resulted in an estimated $7 billion loss to the economy, according to South Korean lawmakers. The president-elects plans call for deploying additional THAAD units to supplement South Koreas missile defense system and to normalize those units readiness. Securing deterrence against the North Korean threat is a matter of sovereignty, and Seoul should remain open to additional deployments of THAAD in proportion to North Koreas growing missile threat, Yoon wrote in an opinion column published Feb. 8 in Foreign Affairs magazine. Yoon, a former chief prosecutor, defeated ruling Democratic Party candidate Lee Jae-myung by 0.73 percentage points, or around 247,000 votes, in South Koreas presidential election on March 9. Yoon takes office on May 10. Stars and Stripes reporter Yoo Kyong Chang contributed to this report. TOKYO Masks came off at more U.S. military installations across Japan on Tuesday, a day after the overarching U.S. military authority approved easing that part of pandemic life. Misawa Air Base in northeastern Japan, Sasebo Naval Base on the southern island of Kyushu, and Yokosuka Naval Base, the homeport of the U.S. 7th Fleet south of Tokyo, updated their public health orders to reflect masks are no longer required on those installations, indoors or outdoors, regardless of an individuals vaccination status. Yokota Air Base in western Tokyo and Kadena Air Base and Marine Corps bases on Okinawa lowered their mask requirements on Monday. Some exceptions apply, including medical and dental facilities and Air Mobility Command terminals. Tenant organizations may require masks inside their facilities. Yokosuka, for example, requires masks at child and youth programs. Most commands also warned against harassing individuals who choose to or must wear masks. Some people are required to mask up because they have contracted COVID-19, were exposed to someone with the disease or have symptoms of it. Others may be immunocompromised or simply choose to wear a mask. Masks are required off base of anyone in Japan under the status of forces agreement, according to an order updated Monday by U.S. Forces Japan. USFJ lowered the mask requirement because the rate of new COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations has fallen to a community level considered low or medium by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, according to a command statement emailed Stars and Stripes on Monday. New COVID-19 cases in Tokyo fell to 4,836 on Monday, the lowest one-day count there since 4,172 on Jan. 16. On Tuesday, the city reported 7,836 people tested positive for the virus, according to public broadcaster NHK. Japan on Monday reported 32,359 new COVID-19 infections, the lowest its reported since 37,002 on March 7, according to the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center. Another 116 people died Monday of complications of the disease. USFJ on Monday reported 73 new COVID-19 cases at 13 installations over the previous 24 hours. The command last reported 99 infections as of Thursday. None of those cases are considered serious or are hospitalized. Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni accounted for 13 in the Monday update. Separately, the air station in two news releases this week reported 33 new cases between Friday and Monday. Yokosuka Naval Base accounted for 12 in USFJs Monday update. Misawa Air Base had nine. Kadena Air Base, which dropped its mask mandate, with some exceptions, on Monday, reported 114 total cases there, according to an update on its website the same day. Okinawa prefecture, where Kadena and the bulk of III Marine Expeditionary Force are located, reported 832 new cases Monday and Tuesday, along with 52 in the U.S. military population on the island, according to the prefectural Department of Public Health and Medical Care. Stars and Stripes reporter Mari Higa contributed to this report. Credit Suisse Group Chief Executive Officer Thomas Gottstein signaled that the bank will review its wealth management business in Russia and eastern Europe, as peers including UniCredit consider their future in the region after the invasion of Ukraine. We are going to exit sub-Saharan Africa and together with Francesco de Ferrari, our new CEO for wealth management, we are looking at some other wealth management markets in emerging markets, Gottstein said at a Morgan Stanley conference on Tuesday. Well obviously also now have to look at Russia and Eastern Europe. He said the bank hasnt yet taken any decisions. Credit Suisse Group said last week that it had 848 million francs ($904 million) of credit exposure to Russia at the end of last year, including derivatives and financing at the investment bank and lombard and other loans within the private banking business. About 4% of the assets run by the Swiss banks wealth management arm were with Russian clients, either in the country or nationals living abroad, Gottstein said. A rising number of European banks are exiting Russia or weighing their future there after the war in Ukraine triggered a humanitarian crisis and huge sanctions for the countrys business elite and economy. Andrea Orcel, chief executive officer of UniCredit, said earlier in the day at the same conference that the bank is also considering its presence in Russia. We are now reviewing the situation, its a very serious situation, Gottstein said. We will have to see now over the next few months what this all means for our operation in Russia. I have not taken any decisions on that, he said, adding that the bank has a very well managed risk management around the situation. The banks Moscow office has approximately 125 employees working across wealth management and the investment bank. The firm said last week it has planned for a number of potential scenarios, without giving more details. Net assets held in the banks Russian operations were 195 million francs as of Dec. 31. Wealthy Russians with links to President Vladimir Putin have seen their assets frozen across the world, while other rich bank clients who borrowed against Russian assets have to come up with more collateral after those securities plunged in value. Bloomberg reported previously that UBS Group and Credit Suisse are both triggering margin calls on some customers who use Russian bonds as collateral, after marking down the value of debt issued by the country and its corporations. BERLIN Three European leaders traveled Tuesday to the besieged Ukrainian capital to meet with the countrys president, Volodymyr Zelensky, and to pledge the European Unions unequivocal support and offer financial assistance. The dramatic visit, as Kyiv went under a curfew in response to renewed Russian attacks, was made by the prime ministers of Poland, Slovenia and the Czech Republic, who crossed into Ukraine by train. They would be the first foreign leaders to enter the capital since Russias attack began 20 days ago. Their visit unfolded against the backdrop of intensifying missile strikes on Kyiv, which killed at least four people Tuesday, according to the mayor, Vitali Klitschko, who placed the city under a 35-hour curfew in light of what he described as a difficult and dangerous moment. John Spencer, a retired Army officer and chair of urban warfare studies at the Madison Policy Forum, called the visit extremely risky, not just for the safety of the visiting heads of government but also because of possible reprisal by Russian President Vladimir Putin, who may see leaders of NATO countries entering Ukraine as crossing one of his lines. The presence in Ukraine of Central European leaders was especially notable two days after Russian missiles struck a military training base close to Ukraines border with Poland, bringing the war closer to NATO and E.U. territory. In a Facebook post, Petr Fiala, the Czech prime minister, said he and his counterparts, Polands Mateusz Morawiecki and Slovenias Janez Jansa, were visiting Kyiv as representatives of the European Council. Jansa wrote on Twitter that the delegation, which also included Polish Deputy Prime Minister Jaroslaw Kaczynski, was bringing a message from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, or OECD, which he said was committed to rebuilding and reconstruction of the Ukraine. The purpose of the visit is to confirm the unequivocal support of the entire European Union for the sovereignty and independence of Ukraine, Fiala wrote. The aim of this visit is also to present a broad package of support for the Ukraine and Ukrainians. Separately, the Ukrainian foreign minister, Dmytro Kuleba, posted a photo Tuesday with his Lithuanian counterpart, Gabrielius Landsbergis. A Lithuanian government spokeswoman said that meeting took place in the western Ukrainian city of Lviv. There were signs, too, of efforts by international organizations to signal support for the Ukrainian state, which has been more resilient than some expected. The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, or OSCE, which pulled staff from Ukraine following Putins full-scale assault on Feb. 24, has been discussing how to return a team to the embattled country, according to an official familiar with the matter who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the plans have not been finalized. An OSCE spokeswoman declined to comment but pointed to recent remarks by the general secretary in which she said, The OSCE retains premises, a fleet of vehicles, and has long experience as an intermediary to facilitate localized ceasefires which we believe can be put to good use in supporting the provision of humanitarian assistance, and facilitating evacuation and relocation of Ukrainian citizens. Ukrainian and Russian forces have for days been locked in intensifying street fighting on the outskirts of Kyiv, as the Kremlins forces seek to strengthen a cordon around the capital. The defending army has managed to stall Russias advance, possibly buying Ukraine time to receive more Western military aid, though most military analysts still predict that Kyiv will fall. A photo released by the Slovenian government showed the three leaders seated around a table, in talks on their way to Kyiv. Papers, a phone and a tablet were arranged in front of them. Morawiecki, describing the aims of the trip, harked back to the visit paid by Lech Kaczynski, then the Polish president, to Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia, during the Russian invasion of that country in 2008. His visit then changed the perception of this war, and a great act of courage added spirit to Georgians and is still remembered all over the world today, the Polish prime minister wrote. IRPIN, Ukraine The bodies of Russian soldiers were scattered by the wreckage of charred military vehicles and shelled buildings. Twenty feet away, behind tanker trucks, Ukrainian volunteers stood watch, their eyes on a cement mixer about 500 yards away. Behind it were Russian troops on the edges of Bucha, the next town over. This front line in Irpin, on Kyivs northwest outskirts, had not moved in two weeks despite the Russian military superiority. That itself was a victory for Cmdr. Casper and his fighters. The Russians were trying to push forward, said the short, burly unit leader who did not give his full name for security reasons but goes by a nom de guerre. But they didnt expect that the Ukrainians were waiting for them. When Russian forces seized control of a military airport in Hostomel, a few miles north of Irpin, on the first day of the war, many military observers expected a rapid takeover of Kyiv. But more than two weeks later, Russian troops have struggled to advance. A visit to two active front lines Irpin and near Brovary, northeast of the capitals center offered insights into the strategies, tactics and capabilities of Ukrainian forces defending Kyiv as well as apparent Russian tactical errors and miscalculations of Ukraines resistance. The United States and as many as 20 other nations, mostly NATO and European Union members, have pledged to send Ukrainian forces significant shipments in weaponry, including Javelin antitank missiles, Stinger surface-to-air missiles, machine guns and sniper rifles. Its unclear how many of these added arms have reached Ukrainian forces in Kyiv, leaving them to rely on the arsenal at hand and adapt their tactics in the field. The Russians were not ready for unconventional warfare, said Rob Lee, senior fellow at the Foreign Policy Research Institute and an expert on Russian defense policy. They were not ready for unconventional tactics. They are not sure how to deal with this insurgency, guerilla-warfare-type situation. To be sure, most military analysts and Western officials still predict that Russian forces will eventually encircle Kyiv and push into the capital, possibly aided by airstrikes. While this could prove true, its far from clear whether Russia will prevail. For the Ukrainian forces, this war is one of attrition. They appear to be trying to slow and wear down the Russian military, creating conditions for a stalemate on the outer boundaries of Kyiv. That would buy the Ukrainians time for other pressures on Russian President Vladimir Putin. Off the battlefield, these include tightening international sanctions on Russia and diplomatic efforts for Russian concessions. On the fronts, Putins forces face more Western heavy weaponry delivered to Ukraine, and a growing global outrage for killing civilians and bombing residential areas and hospitals acts that could be potential war crimes. In interviews, Ukrainian soldiers also said they capitalized on the Russians own flaws, including using predictable strategies, a lack of knowledge of local terrain and even a surprising unpreparedness for a grinding conflict. Reports have surfaced on social media and on battlefields of Russian soldiers running out of food, water and gas for their vehicles. Some have reportedly surrendered after they got lost or due to low morale. Russian military convoys have slowed down or halted due to mechanical failures. Ukraines main game is a game for time, said Michael Kofman, director of Russian studies at the Center for Naval Analyses. To try to do something else is going to waste a lot of military potential they have available. Are they in a position to drive Russians forces out of Ukraine? No. Are they in a position to win the war? Yes. Across the country, Ukrainian forces have fallen back to the cities, refusing to engage with Russian forces in rural areas, out in the open. While Moscow has gained control of southern cities such as Kherson and Melitopol, it is struggling to take over nearby Mariupol as well as other hubs across Ukraine such as Kharkiv, Chernihiv and Sumy. That is also the case in the southern city of Mykolaiv where, for more than a week now, Ukrainian forces have prevented a major Russian advance west toward the strategic port Odessa. In Kyiv, the seat of government, the stakes cannot be higher. So far, Ukraines defenders have blocked Russias primary effort: encircle and seize the capital, using the airfield in Hostomel as an air bridge for more tanks, armored vehicles and other weaponry. Ukrainian forces have shot down several Russian helicopters and so far prevented a major Russian armored column from pressing into the capital. Meanwhile, a solid air-defense system has been mobilized against airstrikes and missile attacks. The biggest problem is that [Russia] didnt organize a proper military operation, Kofman said. They thought they were just going to drive in and they werent going to get a fight. That led to a lot of disasters because they didnt plan. Seesaw battles have unfolded in the areas of Hostomel, Bucha and Irpin - a possible harbinger of the urban, street-by-street warfare that could envelop the capital if Russian forces break through. On Saturday, large plumes of black smoke rose above the town of Bucha amid the incessant thuds of shells landing. We have planted antitank mines everywhere, Casper said with a laugh. ___ Roughly 40 miles away, on the other side of the capital, Russian forces tried to push into Kyiv from the northeast. A column of tanks moved down a main highway toward the town of Brovary. As they passed a cluster of houses, the Ukrainian forces saw an opportunity. They pummeled the convoy with artillery shells and antitank missiles, destroying or disabling several tanks and armored personnel carriers. Russian soldiers fled their vehicles and ran into the woods, according to videos posted on social media by Ukraines military. One tank slowly rolled to a halt, engulfed in flames. (The videos could not be independently verified but fit with descriptions of the battle provided by Ukrainian fighters and doctors treating the wounded.) The ambush unveiled the Russians ineffective and, at times, inexplicable tactics, military analysts said. The tanks and other military vehicles were crawling slowly on the open highway, making them an easy target. They also were bunched up close to each other, which allowed a single artillery shell to knock out multiple vehicles. There were also no dismounted infantry troops moving parallel in the woods or alongside the column to detect potential ambushes. What was also surprising, analysts said, is that some of the tanks were generations old and not well-equipped, including the T-72, a Soviet-era tank that first entered production more than 50 years ago. Its kind of bizarre seeing this, Lee of the Foreign Policy Research Institute said. Kyiv is the decisive mission, the decision objective, and yet they are sending in some very old units to take it. The ambush also led to civilian casualties. The Russian soldiers who fled the convoy hid in nearby villages and shot anyone they deemed suspicious. Over the following two days, 23 civilians and soldiers arrived at the Brovary Central District Hospital, many with bullet wounds, said Valentin Baganyuk, the hospitals director. They included members of a family shot after they left their house. As the father drove, bullets hit his hand, blowing three fingers off, and wounded him in the head as well. His 14-year-old daughter was also struck. The father managed to drive to safety. The Russians targeted them as they tried to escape from their village, Baganyuk said. ___ Tucked inside the forests on the northwestern edges of Kyiv, Ukrainian artillery batteries have battered Russian positions inside Irpin and Bucha in attempts to slow a possible advance. The bridge connecting the capital to Irpin was demolished last week by Ukrainian forces to stop Russian armored vehicles from crossing. As an added precaution, the road from the destroyed bridge into Kyivs center has been barricaded every 100 yards by large concrete blocks, tanker trucks, tires and sandbags. On the other side of the bridge, at the entrance to Irpins center, volunteer armed groups have dug trenches on a hill with a commanding vantage point to strike Russian forces or attempt to ambush them. In front of the hill, Ukrainian fighters wearing camouflage were positioned behind trees. Other fighters were inside buildings. They looked out on streets that Russians would need to move toward Kyiv. They have their own line to defend, and we have to keep our position, said Igor Zadorozhny, 30, a former army officer now defending the city in an armed unit set up by Irpins mayor. Right now, there is a stalemate. The conflict is a meld of small confrontations often at Ukrainian checkpoints, tit-for-tat artillery shelling and moments of heavy street battles. They attack our posts, said Artiem, 34, a realtor-turned-soldier. Then we attack them, and they run back. Like all Ukrainian fighters interviewed by The Washington Post along the front lines, he declined to give his full name for security reasons. He said Russian forces dont know Irpins geography. At times, they make wrong turns or end up getting stuck on small streets in their tanks and armored vehicles. That has allowed Ukrainian fighters inside buildings to strike them. [The Russians] are disoriented in the city, Artiem said. Clutching a rifle, the former army officer Zadorozhny said Ukrainian forces were waiting for civilians to evacuate Irpin before we start to clear the city of Russians. They dont have enough provisions, food, water, he said, recounting reports from residents of Russian soldiers looting houses and stores. They dont have a lot of gasoline. They will get tired. And then we will go and drive them out. Local knowledge of the urban terrain was a major asset for Kyivs defenders, Zadoroshny said. Everything, every stone, every tree is for us, he said. Another fighter, 32-year-old Roman, said residents have been providing intelligence to help target the Russians in areas where there is still cellphone reception. They are trying to take Kyiv, but they wont, Ramon said. Everything is helping us. ___ With Russian ground forces slowed down, another questions grows: Will Moscow escalate bombing Kyiv to pressure the government to surrender or flee? So far, the capital has largely escaped the barrage of airstrikes and shelling that have hammered cities such as Kharkiv and Chernihiv. At Caspers checkpoint, Russian forces have intensified their attacks. Tanks fired between 20 to 25 shells, demolishing a large blue house next to the Ukrainians base on Friday. The Ukrainians didnt fire back. Our goal is to defend our positions, not to attack the Russians, Casper said. Such a tactic is smart, military analysts said. Ukraines military cant compete with the might of Russian weaponry and need to conserve a much smaller arsenal rather than waste resources on counteroffensives. Casper said they also wanted to keep the road from Bucha open to allow more civilians to flee. Firing back could turn the road into a battle zone, he said. The Russians, he added, have sent teams to explode Ukrainian mines. So what if Russian tanks to roll down the road toward his checkpoint one day? Casper smiled and walked to a warehouse. He came out with a British-supplied NLAW antitank missile and a rocket-propelled grenade. We know how to greet them, he said, handling the weapons in his hands. We have everything right here. NATO will map out ideas for adding substantially more military force to member countries on the alliances eastern flank, top officials said Tuesday on the eve of a meeting of defense chiefs. Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg delivered remarks as U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin was en route to NATO headquarters in Brussels for talks Wednesday. Participants will focus on Russias war on Ukraine and the implications on the trans-Atlantic security pact. Stoltenberg said allies must prepare for major increases in spending to facilitate more robust defense. On land, this could include substantially more forces on the eastern part of the alliance, Stoltenberg told reporters, adding that more air and missile defenses also will be required. NATO defense ministers are expected to direct military commanders to draft force plans to be adopted when heads of state meet in Madrid in June, he said. During the past month, the U.S and other NATO states have deployed forces to the east, sending thousands of extra troops to Romania, Poland and the Baltic countries of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. Discussions in Brussels will center on what medium- and longer-term force posture changes could be required next to guard against potential Russian aggression, Julianne Smith, the U.S. ambassador to NATO, told reporters. This is an evolving story, Smith said of NATOs planning. This is not over by any means. While the U.S. and other allies mull over ways to boost defenses, what isnt under consideration is a NATO no-fly zone in Ukraine, she said. For weeks, Ukrainian leaders have called on the alliance to impose such a zone over Ukrainian airspace, a move that could put allies in the position of having to shoot down Russian planes that violated the airspace. Calls for NATO to do more have extended to parts of the alliance itself. On Monday, Estonias parliament passed a resolution calling on NATO to enact a no-fly zone in Ukraine, which some former U.S. government and military officials also have advocated for in recent days. But President Joe Biden has already ruled out such a move, and there is no indication that allies are prepared to reconsider. The fear, Smith said, is that such a maneuver would risk a wider war with Russia. That would take us in the wrong direction. ... Where the alliance has landed is to take that option off the table, Smith said. A six-ton unmanned reconnaissance drone that streaked across eastern Europe from war-ravaged Ukraine and crashed in the Croatian capital last week has raised awkward questions about NATOs readiness to protect European airspace. Startled authorities are asking how none of the three North Atlantic Treaty Organization member states Romania, Hungary and Croatia reacted as the Soviet-era Tu-141 traversed their respective airspaces at as much as 435 mph on March 10. Officials point to a lack of coordination between the three governments and with NATO. This was a clear and immediate threat to which we should have reacted, Croatias prime minister, Andrej Plenkovic, said on Saturday at the crash site in Zagreb, a park next to a student dormitory where it gouged a 10-foot-wide crater. We will raise this issue at all levels, since this is an incident that mustnt be repeated ever. Croatian authorities say the unarmed drone, which was used from the 1970s by the Red Army as well as the post-Soviet Ukrainian military, was launched from Ukrainian territory, though the exact circumstances and its origin are not known. Plenkovic said it is unclear whether the flight was error or sabotage. Investigators in Zagreb are now working with NATO and counterparts in the Ukrainian government on the circumstances of the crafts launch as well as on traces of explosives reported in an initial finding by the Defense Ministry in Zagreb. It wasnt immediately clear whether the remnants were part of a self-destruct mechanism with which similar vessels are outfitted. Nobody was injured in the crash. The 14-meter-long vehicle, whose parachute was partly activated during the fall, damaged several cars. It had flown at an altitude of 4,264 feet, crossing briefly over Romania. The drone then spent 40 minutes aloft over Hungary and seven minutes in Croatian airspace before going down. The security breach has prompted a round of finger-pointing amid already frayed nerves in the region as Russian President Vladimir Putins military advances into Ukraine. Plenkovic said his government wasnt notified by either neighboring allies or by NATO, while Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban found out from Plenkovic, the government in Zagreb said. Air defense systems between the three NATO states were unable to translate intermittent radar blips into a unified flight path, according to a NATO official who declined to be identified as the investigation continues. Omissions can happen and will help improve air defense in the future, the official said. A spokesperson for NATO did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Why nobody reacted thats an excellent question, Ivan Selak, a retired Croatian lieutenant colonel who flew MiG-21 jets for 35 years, said in a phone interview in Zagreb. An integrated defense system needs to be in place to shield NATO countries, he said. Even without a NATO warning, in a case as this one, a country should react and scramble its fighter jets. The drone was flying too fast and at low altitude during its brief trip over Romania, officials there said. Those factors didnt allow for additional measures to be taken to identify the aircraft mid-fight, the Defense Ministry in Bucharest said. Hungary was more at pains to explain the incident after the drone traversed nearly the length of the country. Orban, an erstwhile Putin defender up for reelection next month, has announced a policy of strategic calmness on Ukraine, prohibiting the shipment of lethal arms to the country. Hungarys aim is to stay out of this war and avoid it, even if events like this occur with a provocative intent, the Hungarian Defense Ministry said in a statement to the national news agency MTI. It is important to handle this in a prudent and calm manner, it said. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg on Friday said in a tweet that the organization will work closely with Croatian authorities to establish the facts. The drone crash deep within NATOs frontiers has only compounded war jitters. Hungarian jets were scrambled twice on Friday, though fighters near the Ukrainian border didnt intercept anything. On Sunday, a small unmanned aircraft, likely an outdate Soviet-made Orlan-10 vehicle, crashed near a house in Romania some 160 kilometers from the Ukrainian border. Romanian Defense Minister Vasile Dincu, speaking in a phone interview, said an investigation is underway, though not big enough to be considered by NATO a security incident. Bloombergs Zoltan Simon, Irina Vilcu, Marton Kasnyik, Lenka Ponikelska and Andra Timu contributed to this report. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Tuesday that hes grateful for the help his nation has received so far, but he called on European leaders to do more to help his country fend off Russias invasion, asking for more weapons and heftier sanctions against Moscow. He also said it was apparent to him that Ukraines long-standing hope of entering NATO currently faces a closed door. It is clear that Ukraine is not a member of NATO; we understand this. ... For years we heard about the apparently open door, but have already also heard that we will not enter there, and these are truths and must be acknowledged, Zelensky said during a speech before the leaders of the Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF). Ukraines potential membership to NATO has been a point of contention and one of the reasons wielded by Russia to justify its invasion. Since Russias annexation of Crimea in 2014, Ukraine has made joining NATO a priority. But the alliance, while having promised to add Ukraine as member as far back as 2008, has not done so, though in 2021 NATO did reaffirm its intentions. Zelensky added that Ukraine is not aiming to activate Article 5 of the NATO agreement, which establishes the collective defense principle among member countries, in that if one of the countries in the alliance is attacked, this is considered an attack on all members. Zelensky has asked NATO repeatedly to impose a no-fly zone over Ukraine, something the alliance has resisted doing for fear it could escalate the conflict. We always talk about how our sky needs to be defended like the alliances sky, but - we understand that there is always a but, he said. What will be the response of NATO to members of the alliance in Eastern Europe if they ask for protection, if Russian missiles fly to them or, God forbid, Russian planes? Zelensky also mentioned the Russian attack in the Lviv region, on the Yavoriv military base close to the border with Poland, 20 km (12 miles) from NATOs borders. Zelensky said hes grateful for the sanctions imposed on Russia so far but that they are not enough and have not stopped Putin. He said there needs to be a ban on the Russian fleet in global ports, for Russian banks to be fully barred from international financial markets systems, for the Russian state to be deemed terrorist, as well as an embargo on any kind of trade with Russia. Help yourself by helping us, he said. He added, however, that some companies who have left Russia are just waiting for the conflict to end to return to the Russian market, saying this is deception of Ukraine, referring to the Wests lack of rules on foreign companies operating in Russia. The Joint Expeditionary Force, led by Britain, brings together 10 North Atlantic countries with the purpose of establishing a framework to respond rapidly to international events. Some of the countries are NATO members, such as Britain, Norway, Latvia and Lithuania, but some of them are not, such as Finland and Sweden. The Washington Posts Annabelle Chapman contributed to this report. The U.S. has given Russia written guarantees that sanctions imposed over the invasion of Ukraine wont affect its nuclear supply agreements with Iran, potentially clearing the way for a resumption of talks to revive the 2015 atomic accord. Oil prices fell. World powers and Iran suspended their efforts to restore the nuclear pact on Friday, amid deepening tensions between the Kremlin and the White House. U.S. officials confirmed they were considering sanctions against Russias Rosatom -- the worlds biggest nuclear fuel maker -- just days after Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov demanded guarantees that such penalties wouldnt be allowed to torpedo the Iran deal. We received written guarantees, Lavrov said Tuesday after meeting his Iranian counterpart in Moscow. The guarantees provide reliable protection for all projects and activities envisaged in the nuclear deal, he said. There was no immediate confirmation from the U.S. which recalled its negotiating team from Vienna for consultations after the last breakdown in talks. The potential breakthrough raises the prospects that an agreement could still be clinched to limit Irans nuclear program in return for sanctions relief that would bring Iranian oil back onto global markets roiled by the war in Ukraine. Brent crude futures fell as much as $9.46 to trade as low as $97.44 in London after Lavrovs comments. They had been trading above $100 for most of March. In parallel to the diplomatic headway on the nuclear file, there were also signals on Tuesday that Iran could release a dual British-Iranian charity worker who has been detained since 2016. Lawyers for Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe said theyre very hopeful their client will be released soon, in a case linked to a longstanding U.K. government debt to Iran over a decades-old defense deal. Before the Russian demand, diplomats from all sides had said they were very close to an agreement to restore the 2015 deal abandoned by then-President Donald Trump four years ago. State Department spokesman Ned Price said Monday that it was up to Moscow and Tehran to decide whether a deal to revive the so-called JCPOA was in reach within the coming days. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Tuesday the U.S. knew Russias position and that its very important that nuclear diplomacy continues. Russia has not caused any obstruction, said Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian following the meeting with Lavrov. Russia will continue a very positive, constructive role in supporting Iran if a deal is finalized, he said. While the Biden administration has yet to decide on whether or not to sanction Rosatom, its business with Iran shows the potential for unintended consequences. The company is the worlds biggest supplier of nuclear reactors and fuel with projects stretching across Africa, Eurasia and Latin America. U.S. sanctions guru Richard Nephew, who was among U.S. JCPOA negotiators until December, warned this past week such measures carried a high risk of boomeranging back on enforcers. At the heart of the issue is Irans only operating nuclear power plant at the Persian Gulf port city of Bushehr. That Russian-built reactor still relies on fuel assemblies provided by Rosatom, which is also building a second unit at the site that should be ready this decade. The JCPOA stipulates that Russia may continue supplying Irans Bushehr reactor, even as the Islamic Republic reduces its stockpile of enriched uranium to below 300 kilograms (661 kilograms). Iran warned last year, however, that U.S. sanctions risked forcing operations at Bushehr to shut down because payments couldnt be transferred to Russian vendors. New sanctions against Moscow would threaten to further impair the partnership between the two countries, even under a restored agreement that lifted U.S. sanctions on Iran. Preventing Rosatom from fulfilling fuel-supply contracts could encourage more countries to follow Irans lead and enrich uranium directly, Nephew wrote. Enrichment is the 75-year-old dual-use technology needed to both fuel nuclear weapons and reactors. Bloombergs Lin Noueihed contributed to this report. (Tribune News Service) Timothy Hale-Cusanelli, the former Army reservist who worked as a security guard at a Naval base when he was charged with being at the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot, has been re-indicted by a federal grand jury and faces two fewer crimes. Hale-Cusanelli, 31, remains jailed in Washington, D.C., awaiting trial on five crimes, which a grand jury returned last week. They accuse him of disorderly conduct, obstructing an official proceeding and unlawfully parading in the Capitol. Shortly after his arrest in January last year, a grand jury had indicted Hale-Cusanelli on seven crimes. He no longer faces crimes that accuse him of civil disorder/aiding and abetting, as well as impeding egress in a restricted building. His lawyer, Jonathan W. Crisp, said his client is now a less involved person, but declined to elaborate on the new indictment. The U.S. Attorneys Office for the District of Columbia, which is prosecuting Jan. 6 cases, declined to comment on the new indictment, saying its policy not to do so while cases are being tried. At his latest court hearing, in February, attorneys discussed a possible trial in May of this year. Of the roughly 30 Capitol suspects with ties to New Jersey, Hale-Cusanelli is one of three who remains jailed pending trial. The others are Julian Khater and Christopher Quaglin. Last year, federal prosecutors successfully fought to keep Hale-Cusanelli jailed, arguing several times in court he is a white supremacist and anti-Semite and a danger to the community specifically to the predominantly Hasidic Jewish community in Lakewood, not far from his home. Hes worn his mustache like Hitler and wishes for a civil war in the country, and at the Capitol, prosecutors say he was inside the Capitol and encouraged the rioters to advance on police with hand signals. His defense attorneys have argued in response that Hale-Cusanelli has not been charged with any specific violence at the Capitol, and even wore a suit and tie that day. His crimes were only words, repugnant as they may be. And, he has a good support system in New Jersey if released, his lawyers pledged. Hale-Cusanelli was a contracted security officer at Naval Weapons Station Earle in Colts Neck when arrested and was living in base housing. He was also a U.S. Army reservist at a unit based at Joint Base McGuire-Dix Lakehurst in Burlington County. He was banned from the Naval base following his arrest and discharged from the military later in 2021. kshea@njadvancemedia.com 2022 Advance Local Media LLC. Visit nj.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. (Tribune News Service) An extended conflict between Russia and Ukraine would hit the U.S. economy broadly, with all 50 states affected by the fallout, according to an analysis by Moodys Analytics. While the U.S. has limited trade ties with Russia and Ukraine, businesses from beer breweries in Missouri to semiconductor plants in California would see an impact, as prolonged combat and even harsher sanctions constrict supplies and drive up global prices for oil and other critical materials. The odds are much better than even that we actually do experience a recession in that scenario, chief economist Mark Zandi said. Some states would fare better than others, according to the analysis of effects of a military conflict that extends into next year. Energy producers such as North Dakota and Alaska stand out in that regard, with a lengthy conflict boosting oil prices to $150 a barrel as Russia reduces energy supplies to Europe. On the flip side, Alabama and Mississippi the two states most dependent on cars and driving would suffer disproportionately from an energy shock. The analysis, by Moodys Analytics senior regional economist Adam Kamins, shows that an extended war would hurt U.S. states and localities in a variety of ways, some of them not immediately apparent. Michigan automakers would be hit by continued shortages of computer chips, as semiconductor plants deal with cutbacks in Ukrainian supplies of the neon they need for lasers. Higher prices for palladium, used in catalytic converters and a major Russian export, would also affect carmakers. High-end condominium prices in New York City and south Florida could fall as Russian oligarchs are frozen out of those markets. Farmers would see mixed effects. Some would benefit from higher prices for wheat and corn as supplies from Ukraine the breadbasket of Europe are constricted. They would, though, have to pay up for fertilizer, a key export from the region. Livestock producers would find themselves spending more on feed stock. Higher barley prices would affect beer makers in and around St. Louis. States with greater exposure to the financial markets, like New York and Connecticut, would be under pressure as extended hostilities after a Russian occupation of Ukraine heighten uncertainty and put a further big dent in stock prices. Washington and South Carolina, the two states that export the most proportionally to Russia and Ukraine, would be hurt. Shipments affected likely would include transportation equipment from Washington and auto parts from South Carolina. A Moodys Analytics computer model suggests that the U.S. as a whole would be able to avoid a recession, even if military hostilities are prolonged. But Zandi has his doubts. Models are very good in typical times, he said. In highly stressed and very unusual environments, the world goes what I would call non-linear and things go off the rails. 2022 Bloomberg L.P. Visit bloomberg.com . Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. WASHINGTON Russian mercenaries, Chinese investments and Iranian weaponry are challenging U.S. security interests in Africa and the Middle East, commanders told senators on Tuesday as lawmakers shifted their attention to regions coming under the increasing influence of adversaries. The small U.S. military footprint in Africa, which was diminished in 2020 with the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Somalia, is grappling with local extremist groups as well as the rising presence of Russian paramilitary organizations such as the Wagner Group, Army Gen. Stephen Townsend, the commander of U.S. Africa Command, told the Senate Armed Services Committee during a hearing on the posture of U.S. forces in the region. In the Middle East, the U.S. is eyeing the advancement of Irans missile capabilities and looking to the Taliban in Afghanistan to help counter the Islamic State terrorist group, said Marine Gen. Kenneth McKenzie, commander of U.S. Central Command. ISIS is expected to establish the capability to attack the U.S. and its allies in 12 to 18 months, he said. McKenzie emphasized the need to restore the 2015 Iran nuclear agreement despite concerns from Sens. Angus King, I-Maine, Kevin Cramer, R-N.D. and Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., that lifting sanctions to facilitate the deal would give Iran more money to pour into weaponry. This deal would unlock billions [of dollars] for Iran, I am very concerned what Iran is going to do with that money, Blackburn said. McKenzie called the brewing deal a less than perfect solution but the general said it was necessary to halt Irans nuclear program. It is an overriding national policy, the objective of the United States is for Iran not have a nuclear weapon or to be able to possess a nuclear weapon, McKenzie said. So I think that's a very important goal and you might have to make some tradeoffs to get to that point, but my concern is first of all that they not have a nuclear weapon. The top nuclear threat in Africa and the Middle East for now is Russia, both commanders said. Russia is most noticeably flexing its power in Africa, where mercenaries with the Wagner Group are infiltrating governments to protect authoritarian regimes, exploit vast natural resources, and exact violence, Townsend said. Theyre a malign influence, they dont follow anybodys rules, they do what they want and they perpetuate gross violations of human rights, he said. I think its bad for Africas security and prosperity in the future. Russian private military groups are in Libya and Sudan, "essentially running" the Central African Republic and gaining strength in Mali, where more than 1,000 mercenaries have usurped Malis longstanding relationship with France, Townsend said. When the Wagner Group pulled out of Libya at the end of the countrys second civil war in 2020, it left behind mines and improvised explosive devices, including a heinous one planted in a teddy bear, he said. Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., called the behavior of the group disturbing and he said it threatened U.S. efforts to combat terrorism and support democratic governance in the region. Those efforts are also under threat from China, which is primarily wielding influence in Africa through infrastructure project investments and arms sales. China is also looking to expand its military bases beyond Djibouti on the coast of the Horn of Africa. American intelligence reports suggest China is planning to establish its first permanent military base on the Atlantic Ocean in the Central African country of Equatorial Guinea. Townsend said he was troubled by Chinas push to corner Africas rich mineral market and the refusal of more than half of Africas nations to condemn Russias invasion of Ukraine in the United Nations this month. Many have strong economic ties to Russia and China and I think theyre biding their time, he said. Despite attempts by Russia and China to assert themselves in Africa and the Middle East, the U.S. remains the partner of choice for governments seeking arms, training and protection, Townsend and McKenzie said. Recent U.S. weapons deals include the sale of F-15 fighter jets to Egypt, McKenzie said. The sale has faced long delays over Egypts controversial human rights record. Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., urged his fellow senators to focus on humanitarian issues in the region as well as military objectives. Ethiopias Tigray War and other conflicts in Africa and the wider region have been unfairly cast aside due to Russias invasion of Ukraine, he said. When there's crises and challenges in the world, people turn to the United States for help, Kaine said. Its worthy and important that were paying attention to the Russian illegal war against Ukraine but I hope we may all strive to be even-handed in the attention that we pay to humanitarian crises all over the world. WASHINGTON - A bipartisan group of senators on Tuesday will release legislation calling for the Treasury Department to offer cash rewards for information that leads to the seizure of assets held by sanctioned Russian oligarchs, the latest attempt to escalate financial pressure against the Kremlin over the invasion of Ukraine. The proposal would give President Joe Biden the authority to make an emergency declaration enabling federal authorities to confiscate - and then liquidate - holdings of Russian oligarchs or other financial elites linked to the Russian government. The bill would also allow the money raised by selling those assets to then be given to the Ukrainian government to assist in that countrys reconstruction or finance its military. Typically, sanctions law allows the federal government to only freeze the assets of sanctioned individuals, not seize them. The bill is being introduced by Sens. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., and Roger Wicker, R-Miss. The United States and its European allies have tried to impact these financial elites by targeting the money they have stashed overseas, but the effect of those moves on Russian President Vladimir Putin remains unclear. The fate of the legislation is also unclear, with the administration so far resisting attempts by Congress to control Russian sanctions policy. Anything that encourages people to come forward and provide information about where to find these assets would be a big help, said Daniel Glaser, who served in the Treasury Departments Office of Terrorism and Financial Intelligence under the Obama administration. The Justice Department has the authority to seize these assets, but they need to find them. Russias billionaires control roughly 30% of the nations wealth and have about as much financial wealth stashed in offshore foreign accounts as the entire Russian population has in Russia itself, according to a 2017 paper released by the National Bureau of Economic Research. Putin and his oligarchs stow their dirty money in rule-of-law nations by purchasing mansions, mega-yachts, artwork, and other high-value assets. We ought to seize those ill-gotten luxuries and put them to use helping the Ukrainian people, Whitehouse said in a statement. Whitehouse added that the bipartisan group of senators has worked closely since recently traveling together to Germany: That would be a measure of justice for a nation besieged by a corrupt dictator . . . We remain united in our commitment to leveling a massive financial blow on Putin and his oligarchs. The White House has moved with rapid speed to impose crippling measures on the Russian economy - hitting the countrys central bank, curbing its technology imports and cutting off oil and gas imports to the United States, among other measures. But the administration remains under pressure to go further. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday asked Biden to broaden the U.S. sanctions campaign, including by dramatically increasing the number of Russian elites subject to economic penalties. The United Kingdom has sanctioned some Russian elites that so far the United States has not touched, such as Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich. Sanctions experts say part of the problem with imposing economic penalties on Russian oligarchs close to Putin is that their assets are often hidden in opaque financial arrangements. The Treasury Department is working on a law passed by Congress last year to put an end to anonymous shell companies by mandating that firms disclose their owners to the federal government. That law included exemptions for roughly two dozen types of entities, and the Treasury Department has not yet implemented the measure. The legislation would aim to help the United States work much more quickly to uncover where the Russian oligarchs assets are hidden. Since the start of the war, the United States has sanctioned more than 200 Russian people and entities, according to a tracker by the Brookings Institution, a Washington-based think tank. But where their holdings are often remains a mystery. The bill would allow the administration to confiscate assets worth more than $2 million. The legislation says the funds seized from Russian oligarchs assets could go to reconstructing Ukraine, humanitarian assistance, military support to Ukraine and support for Ukrainian refugees, among other potential uses. WASHINGTON President Joe Biden on Tuesday signed into law a funding bill that will give $6.5 billion to the Pentagon to support its efforts aiding Ukraine and its refugees as Russia armed forces attack the nation. About $3.5 billion of the funds earmarked for the Pentagon will help resupply U.S. military stocks of equipment already given out in security assistance packages, Defense Department spokesman Christopher Sherwood said Tuesday. The U.S. has given about $1.2 billion in security assistance packages to Ukraine in the past year, and more than $5.6 billion since Russia first invaded Ukraine in 2014, according to the State Department. The remaining $3 billion will help cover operations mission support, the deployment of personnel, and intelligence support in the U.S. European Command area of responsibility, Sherwood said. The money is part of the $1.5 trillion Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2022, which Congress passed last week. Additionally, Sherwood said the Pentagon is considering sending other weapons to Ukraine, including anti-air and anti-armor capabilities, small arms and ammunition, tactical gear, Meals Ready to Eat, and military medical equipment such a first-aid kits. The types and quantities of specific equipment provided to Ukraine through security assistance might vary based on Ukraines evolving requirements, allied commitments, and the availability of DOD stocks, Sherwood said. After 20 days of war, Russian and Ukrainian forces still retain about 90% of the initial combat power that each had when the war began Feb. 24, a senior U.S. defense official said Tuesday. Security assistance from the United States and other nations continues, to include over the last 24 hours, the official said. We will not detail the specifics, but these shipments did include weapons. Also on Tuesday, the White House announced Biden will travel to Brussels next week for a NATO summit on March 24 to discuss ongoing deterrence and defense efforts in response to Russias unprovoked and unjustified attack on Ukraine. While on the trip, Biden will also attend a European Council Summit to discuss our shared concerns about Ukraine and the transatlantic efforts to impose economic costs on Russia [and] provide humanitarian support to those affected by the violence. Bidens Brussels visit will come after Defense Secretary Lloyd Austins NATO defense ministerial meeting scheduled for Wednesday. After that, Austin will also visit Slovakia and Bulgaria this week "to again make clear our firm commitment to NATO's eastern flank, chief Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said. The European travel comes as Russian ground forces make limited to no progress in achieving their objectives in Ukraine, including in its siege of the nations capital, Kyiv, the defense official said. Kyiv remains under bombardment by long-range fires with civilian targets to include residential areas being struck with increasing frequency, the official said. But leading elements of Russian forces have not appreciably advanced on the city. Russian forces remain about 9 to 12 miles northwest and 12 to 18 miles east of Kyiv, which is still being defended and controlled by Ukrainians, according to the official. They also continue to hold the nearby city of Brovary, which has seen heavy fighting for about a week. About 300 miles east of Kyiv, Ukrainians also retain control of Kharkiv the countrys second largest city. However, Russian forces are still on the outskirts of the city, facing stiff Ukrainian resistance, the official said. However, the Russians have isolated several other cities including Chernihiv and Mariupol, which is still suffering heavy bombardment," the official said. Russian forces have now fired more than 950 missiles since the start of the war, most of which came from Russian and Ukrainian territory, the official said. The airspace above Ukraine remains contested as neither country has gained full control of the skies. Back in 2016, U.S. officials waited months to officially blame Russia for trying to influence the election by hacking Democrats emails. Now researchers are urging the government to move a lot faster in the 2022 and 2024 elections to release any information it might garner about potential Russian cyber and disinformation campaigns. The goal is to subvert Kremlin plans, blunt the force of any hack and release operations and help guard against American voters being taken in by phony claims during an election cycle. Its modeled on a rapid declassification of intelligence on Russias Ukraine invasion, which was widely celebrated by analysts who said it blunted Russian efforts to justify the invasion and helped strengthen U.S. allies opposition. Theres a recognition, especially when the public imagination is the target, that theres more that can be done to blunt those efforts, Gavin Wilde, a former Russian-focused National Security Council official, told The Washington Post. Wilde, whos now a managing consultant at the Krebs Stamos Group, co-authored a paper with Justin Sherman, a nonresident fellow at the Atlantic Councils Cyber Statecraft Initiative, that advocated for such intelligence declassification. --In 2016 The traditional hesitancy to declassify and release intelligence has often worked against U.S. interests - especially where Russias concerned. That hesitancy has usually been driven by concern about giving the adversary a heads up about how U.S. intelligence agencies are getting their information. But its also made it easier for Russian information operations to have a greater impact, including by influencing U.S. public opinion. For example: It wasnt until October 2016 that the U.S. government officially blamed Russia for hacking and leaking emails from the Democratic National Committee and the Hillary Clinton campaign - months after the emails had been released online and begun to sway public opinion. Some information about Russian hacking operations in the election didnt come out until the release of the Mueller report in 2018. Per that report, Kremlin hackers breached voter rolls in at least two states before the 2016 contest, but theres no evidence they changed any votes. --Ukraine war The government moved much faster when it came to Russias invasion of Ukraine. The Biden administration took a novel approach to Russia, rapidly declassifying and releasing intelligence about the Kremlins invasion plans and phony justifications for the operation. The move to release information in advance of the Ukraine invasion was widely celebrated by analysts who said it blunted Russian efforts to justify the invasion and helped strengthen U.S. allies opposition. In 2016, you had an effort by Obama and [Director of National Intelligence James] Clapper to say, lets get all of our cards on the table, but it was still a post hoc diagnosis. Whereas, this time theres clearly political will at the senior levels to bless getting out ahead [of Russian operations], Wilde told The Post. --Looking ahead U.S. officials have been trying to learn the lessons of 2016. When Iran launched an operation to sow fear and doubts around the 2020 election, officials rapidly exposed details of the operation. That scheme involved posing as the Proud Boys, a far-right group, and threatening violence against registered Democrats if they didnt vote for President Donald Trump. Theres no evidence of major interference by the Kremlin in the 2020 presidential election. But such interference may be more likely in 2022 and 2024 given U.S.-Russia tensions following the Ukraine invasion and a spate of punishing U.S. sanctions Lawmakers are increasingly concerned that Russian President Vladimir Putin will turn to election interference as a way to retaliate against the United States for harsh sanctions, as Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., told The Post recently. The status of Ukraine has also frequently been a topic in Russian disinformation campaigns targeting the West. A common theme from 2016 onward is that Ukraines trajectory is a motivating factor for Russian influence efforts against U.S. elections, Wilde said. I would certainly bet on 2024 being another trial run for some of these operations, so we should steel ourselves. WASHINGTON The Department of Veterans Affairs released its Asset and Infrastructure Review Commission report containing nearly $2 trillion in recommended facility closures and upgrades to provide better services to veteran patients in their respective markets across the country. In January, VA officials began reviewing agency facilities across the country to determine which buildings to close and where to invest more resources. They wanted to determine which facilities are underutilized and outdated, the demand of services, and the needs of the veteran demographic in each market, according to the report. The report, which was released Monday, listed 35 medical center closures. However, some closures are recommended to be replaced by new buildings and, in some cases, other locations. Other medical centers were recommended to close permanently. The VA report cited old, deteriorating buildings and a projected decrease in demand for VA services in the areas where it is suggested hospitals be closed. Furthermore, the veteran population in each market varied. Additionally, the VA proposed more than 100 multi-specialty, community-based outpatient clinics. The agency also recommended clinic closures and consolidation of services to other nearby VA clinics or medical centers. "We're entering into a new strategic partnership there with VA clinicians embedded into a community hospital, so vets can get care in a modern, high-quality setting, rather than a VA hospital that only serves five or six patients per day," VA Secretary Denis McDonough said Thursday. "And then, when all of that new infrastructure is in place, and the need for the old medical center has gone, we'll recommend closing it. So we can focus on investing in the new facilities rather than pouring limited dollars into a facility that opened just after World War I." However, these are only recommendations. The commission has until next February to determine the VA's recommendations. Afterward, the recommendations move on to the president, then Congress. McDonough said they can only vote down the recommendations if they disapprove. As part of the Maintaining Internal Systems and Strengthening Integrated Outside Networks Act of 2018, or MISSION Act, the VA was required to establish the Asset and Infrastructure Review, which would analyze veterans' current and future health care needs as well as the VA's health care infrastructure. Also, in 2018, Congress approved the creation of an Asset and Infrastructure Review Commission to work on the "modernization or realignment" of VA properties. The commission was formed to recommend the Veterans Health Administration's modernization or realignment of facilities, construction improvements, and the current and future health care needs of veterans. "All across the board with these recommendations, we're embracing the idea that health care has evolved, so VA evolves with it, and in fact lead the evolution," McDonough said. "That means building facilities designed with veterans and VA employees in mind because VA employees will always be our number one asset and they should have the modern tools they need to provide the best care possible for vets." McDonough said some facilities need to be updated, such as the Buffalo VA Medical Center, "a dated facility which needs to be updated, and especially in an area like Buffalo, where the census of veterans will continue [to be] quite high." The Buffalo medical center was built in 1949, and the VA's facility condition assessment reported the VA campus has limited parking and failing infrastructure systems. The deficiencies cost approximately $260.9 million, while the yearly maintenance and operation costs are an estimated $14.1 million. Its last major renovation was in 1990. The Buffalo VA medical center will be relocated near or in the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus if the closure and replacement are approved. However, McDonough said the VA didn't only consider the demand when making choices. For example, numbers for some markets suggest certain medical centers should close, but at a closer look, VA officials realized veterans in those areas were historically underserved, specifically rural and minority vets. "If we reduced our presence in those markets, there wouldn't be enough good options in the community," he said. "So instead of downsizing those markets, we're doubling down on them because that's the only way to guarantee that vets who live there will get the care they need." Other medical centers that the VA recommended be closed and replaced with new facilities, either in the same city or within the area include: Manhattan, N.Y.; Dublin, Ga.; Louisville, Ky.; Shreveport, La.; San Antonio, Texas; Muskogee, Okla.; Reno, Nev.; Phoenix, Ariz., and Hot Springs, S.D. For the Muskogee hospital, the VA proposed replacing it with a new medical center about 50 miles to the northwest in Tulsa, Okla. Likewise, the Hot Springs, S.D., facility would be replaced with a hospital in Rapid City, which is about 60 miles north. Additionally, the VA said it would consider closing the hospital in Fort Meade, S.D., if a new clinic were opened nearby. Fort Meade is about 30 miles north of Rapid City. Recommended permanent closures will have services from the medical centers moved to nearby VA medical centers or outpatient clinics within the respective area. The proposed medical centers to be closed include: Brooklyn, N.Y.; Castle Point, N.Y.; Chillicothe, Ohio; Alexandria, La.; Bonham, Texas; Fort Wayne, Ind., and Livermore, Calif. Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, R-N.Y., spoke out Sunday against the proposed closure of the Brooklyn VA medical center. According to the commission report, Brooklyn medical center patients would receive services at St. Albans VA Medical Center in Queens, N.Y, about 20 miles from Brooklyn. The VA proposed a replacement and expansion of the St. Albans location. Additionally, Brooklyn's research and primary receiving center would be relocated to the Manhattan VA Medical Center. However, according to the commission report, its new outpatient clinic is proposed to be located farther from the Staten Island outpatient clinic. Moreover, the Staten Island clinic location is proposed to be within the New Jersey market. "Under no circumstance will we allow the Biden administration to close our VA hospitals," Malliotakis said in front of the Staten Island Community VA Clinic. "Our VA medical centers provide specialized treatments and services that our veterans rely on, need, and quite frankly, deserve. I hope my colleagues on the other side of the aisle will be steadfast and strong against this proposal. If President Biden is serious about expanding health care access to our nation's veterans, I fully expect this proposal to be dead on arrival if it gets to his desk." Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., chairman of the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee, said any effort to kneecap veterans' health care is a nonstarter for him. "I will fight tooth and nail against any proposals that blindly look to reduce access to VA care or put our veterans at a disadvantage," Tester said in a prepared statement. The White House named the VAs new Asset and Infrastructure Review Commission last week, with the White House and the VA providing five nominees for the commission. Four others were nominated as commission members by leaders in the House and Senate. McDonough said Thursday that the agency is awaiting one more nominee from Congress. Stars and Stripes reporter Nikki Wentling contributed to this story. Stillwater, OK (74074) Today Variable clouds with scattered strong thunderstorms. High 67F. Winds E at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 60%.. Tonight Variable clouds with strong thunderstorms. Damaging winds, large hail and possibly a tornado with some storms. Low near 60F. Winds SE at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 90%. Rainfall near an inch. Carol Anderson, as Chairman of the Sunshine Week Committee with the Stillwater League of Women Voters, appeared before the Payne County Board of Commissioners at Mondays meeting with a proclamation for the commissioners to sign supporting open government and the right of the public to attend government meetings and access public records. Mark A. Moore for the News Press (Left - Right) District 1 Commissioner Zach Cavett, District 2 Commissioner Chris Reding, District 3 Commissioner Rocky Blasier, Carol Anderson Port Richey, FL (34668) Today Partly cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 84F. Winds WNW at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Clear skies. Low 68F. Winds WNW at 5 to 10 mph. Changes to the SunCommercial's back end processing means the e-edition is getting a facelift. The biggest change is the e-edition, by default, is now presented in Text view. Traffic stopped in downtown Mount Maunganui yesterday as a procession of cars accompanied local teenager Braidon Townsley on one last trip to his favourite places before he was laid to rest. Braidon, 17, died a week ago in the early hours of Monday, March 7, when the car he was driving hit a power pole on Maunganui Road. Police were called to the crash just after 2am, but Braidon died at the scene. His mother, Cattalina Townsley, 33, described her eldest son as a beautiful person and an amazing big brother to his two younger siblings, Storm, 7, and Psalms, 2. Before Mondays tangi, Cattalina put a note out to the local community, where Braidon and his family are well known, inviting people to join the procession of vehicles. A chain of cars sounded their horns after setting off from Braidons home in Papamoa, while some were decorated with messages in bright pink writing. The first stop was Papa Mos restaurant at Golden Sands, where Braidon got his first job in hospitality. They carried on to the skateboarding park on Maunganui Road, next to the location of the former Fire and No 8 restaurants, where the hospitality apprentice also worked. The motorcade then went on to visit Pilot Bay at the base of Mauao, one of Braidons favourite places in the region. The line of cars stopped outside Mount Social Club on Maunganui Road, where Braidon had worked full time since January. Managers and staff, dressed in black, stood outside while the cars circled the area three times. Tom Collins, operating partner of Mount Social Club, says the club hosted 100 of Braidons whanau and friends for food and drinks after his private cremation. He says the staff are still shocked and devastated, especially bar manager Rahul Sharma, who had been Braidons mentor. Both Tom and Rahul helped to carry Braidons coffin. Seeing the cars was a very emotional moment for us all, says Tom. It has been such a shock, but today it brought it home that we have lost him and we are devastated. Tom says Braidon was a natural for the hospitality industry, and had a great career ahead of him. He was turning 18 next month and had saved up to go to Australia to work there. He was a boy following his dreams. He was such a talented all-rounder who always strived to learn more about the business. He had his heart set on a career in hospitality, and he was great at it because of his personality. He got on with people so well. He was loved by the staff and guests alike. Its still sinking in that hes not going to come through the door again with one of his cheeky grins. Braidons mother Cattalina grew up in Arataki, Mount Maunganui, and called Braidon my rock, our beautiful boy, a beautiful soul, my motivation for everything. Cattalinas best friend, Shannon Finey, set up a Givealittle page to help support the whanau. So far more than $12,000 has been raised. - Stuff "Imagine Aotearoa without good water. That'd be rude as, eh? Everyone remembers the Governments Three Waters reforms advertising campaign, where cartoon people were unhappy with poor quality water. A voiceover says The Government was working to ensure Kiwis could keep drinking straight from the tap. That's why we're working with councils to make sure it doesn't happen for real. So now, instead of them having to shoulder this burden, we're grouping them together, to keep everybody on the path to better all-round water, the voiceover espoused. The campaign appeared to do little to gain support for the reforms, based on the opposition expressed by many residents and councils across the country. A Stop Three Waters movement has formed and last year a group of protesters gathered outside Tauranga City Council chambers to express their objections. The ad campaign. Supplied image. As well as receiving 48 complaints to the advertising standards authority, the campaign has been labelled a missed opportunity by Tauranga City Council commission chair Anne Tolley. Our view is the Government advertising campaign undertaken to raise awareness of the reforms was a missed opportunity, says Tolley. The working group has also highlighted an opportunity for improvement in Governments ongoing communications and engagement with the public to build understanding of both the direct impact and the broader context of the Three Waters reforms. Local Government New Zealand president Stuart Crosby agrees with need for better communication. LGNZ pushed hard for better public communications from the Government throughout the reform process, says Crosby. So, we were very pleased the working group also highlighted the need for much stronger and clearer communications to ensure the public understands these complex reforms, why theyre necessary, and the benefits theyll bring to New Zealand communities. The independent working group of 20 local government and iwi representatives was set up to advise Local Government Minister Nanaia Mahuta on how to address concerns over the government's proposal to have drinking, waste and storm water management handed to four regional bodies instead of being managed by 67 councils. The group released its 47 recommendations last week, which include, a communications campaign to explain the 'need for change' to the nation and the establishment of sub-groups to ensure local voices are considered in investment prioritisation. It also recommends a Water Ombudsman be put in place to oversee Water Service Entities interactions with water users and a public shareholding model to help protect against privatisation. Local Government Minister Nanaia Mahuta acknowledges, the advertising campaign is one of the areas of the Three Waters reform programme she underestimated. There was a high level of sensitivity from local government around that campaign because they felt that they were getting blamed for issues that these ads raise, says Mahuta. I acknowledge that decades of under investment in water infrastructure is within the council purview, but the messaging in the advertising campaign wasn't targeted in such a way where people understood the full context of these systemic issues and the problem we are trying to fix. Going forward, the need for reform is absolutely clear and I am heartened by the unanimous agreement of this from those in the working group. Local Support Western Bay of Plenty District mayor Garry Webber is one of the working group members and he is in support of the reforms, despite them having minor benefits to the district in the short term. There will be minor benefits to the Western Bay and thats on the basis that the majority of our operations are compliant and operating reasonably well, says Webber. Western Bay of Plenty District mayor Garry Webber. File photo: SunLive. He says the reforms are needed for the regions future growth and to create continuity across the sector. It's not just the pipes and the pumps in the ground. There is a lot of systems behind this, he says. The pipes in the ground, the pumps, the processes are exactly the same for Western Bay as they are for Tauranga City, Kawerau and Opotiki. Why can't we have one standard for our pipes, our pumps, and all of those things where there is some commonality, says Webber. By getting together as a sector, across New Zealand, there's a whole lot of best practice we could employ. Tauranga City also scores well for its water services. It is one of the top five councils in the country in terms of delivering drinking water, wastewater and stormwater. Even with this strong position, Tolley says the environment councils are operating in is changing. Increased environmental standards for wastewater and stormwater will require expensive upgrades to meet future national standards and community expectations, and climate change pressures also mean that the delivery of existing levels of service will become progressively more costly, she says. If we keep doing things the way we have in the past, its likely that the future cost of three waters services will become unaffordable for our communities. The reforms could also strengthen councils financial position by removing current and future three waters debt from its balance sheet, says Tolley. Webber says there is a flip side to this in that councils no longer collect revenue for water services through the proposed model. In regard to the working group recommendations, Tolley says council will take time to consider them from a Tauranga Moana perspective and form a view as to how well they address the concerns raised by the community and mana whenua last year. Working group chair Doug Martin says the group received an overwhelming message from the sector that the status quo isnt working, and reform is needed. We are proposing a model that places our waters and the health of our communities at the centre of all decision making, it retains public ownership and ensures local representation. Mahuta says Cabinet will consider the working groups recommendations before finalising reform plans and introducing legislation. We know it is important to get this reform right for every New Zealander, says Mahuta. Local Democracy Reporting is Public Interest Journalism funded through NZ On Air. Current Print Subscribers will be prompted to either login to their current site user account or to create a new one. A confirmation email will be sent when a new user account is created, which must be confirmed within three days in order to provide uninterrupted online access through your Print Subscription. Once the email address is confirmed please provide your Account Number to activate your Print Subscription Service. Offer a personal message of sympathy... By sharing a fond memory or writing a kind tribute, you will be providing a comforting keepsake to those in mourning. If you have an existing account with this site, you may log in with that below. Otherwise, you can create an account by clicking on the Log in button below, and then register to create your account. Sanidhya mukund BHPian Join Date: Jun 2019 Location: New Delhi Posts: 420 Thanked: 3,910 Times Re: Fiat 1100 Club - Bangalore [FCB] I had a question, I have seen 1100Ds and Padminis with all sorts of wing mirrors, but havent been able to figure out the actual design that came from the factory. Did these cars even have ORVMs from the factory? What a lovely sight to see all these gleaming cars with shiny chrome embellishments and owners with beaming smiles.I had a question, I have seen 1100Ds and Padminis with all sorts of wing mirrors, but havent been able to figure out the actual design that came from the factory. Did these cars even have ORVMs from the factory? In context: One of the main selling points for next-gen consoles is their SSDs. Or, more specifically, how their software and games interact with and take advantage of those SSDs. PS5 and XSX players enjoy lightning-fast load times, features like Quick Resume, and seamless in-game transitions across supported next-gen titles. However, Microsoft has promised that PC players won't be left out, thanks to a Windows feature called 'DirectStorage,' now available to developers. For the unaware, DirectStorage boasts many of the same benefits of similar next-gen console tech: fast load times, and more detailed game worlds, to name just a couple. How does DirectStorage accomplish this feat? Microsoft explained the tech in detail in a blog post from late 2020, but we'll briefly summarize it here. In short, DirectStorage aims to take advantage of the newer, speedier storage drives that have become commonplace over the past couple of years. Sadly, though PCIe and SSD drives are fast, efficient, and more readily available to consumers than ever, it still feels like games aren't utilizing them to the fullest. Sure, our load times are generally shorter, but low-quality distant terrain, disguised loading screens, and frequent texture pop-in are still common gripes for PC users. These issues exist partially because current storage APIs are badly optimized for the high number of IO requests modern games make. As Microsoft says, this forces developers not to "fully saturate" the IO pipeline and to leave precious bandwidth on the table. DirectStorage saves the day by allowing games to make far more IO requests than before; and with greater efficiency, to boot. It batches "many-at-a-time parallel IO requests" and then feeds them to the GPU, all while using the fastest, most modern decompression methods available. Though DirectStorage will be available across various drive types, Microsoft says NVMes will benefit the most thanks to data access pipes called "NVMe queues." The company explains the tech as follows: To get data off the drive, an OS submits a request to the drive and data is delivered to the app via these queues. An NVMe device can have multiple queues and each queue can contain many requests at a time. This is a perfect match to the parallel and batched nature of modern gaming workloads. The DirectStorage programming model essentially gives developers direct control over that highly optimized hardware. So, now that you have a basic idea of how DirectStorage might benefit you, the question remains: when can we expect to see these benefits manifest in actual titles? Sadly, nobody can say for sure. Developers still need to take advantage of the DirectStorage API in their games, and since it only just become generally available yesterday (it was restricted to a developer preview previously), it will probably be a while before the first AAA and AA titles take advantage of it. However, the future is certainly bright, and we hope DirectStorage really is capable of bringing the visual and load time improvements Microsoft is boasting about. If it isn't, we'll be sure to tell you about it here. If you're a game dev, you can download the SDK here. If you're a gamer, Microsoft recommends upgrading to an NVMe drive for game storage when it's financially feasible for you to do so. Otherwise, there are no major requirements besides a Windows 10 or 11 PC. According to Microsoft, the latter will allegedly benefit from DirectStorage more than the former, but until we see some real-world comparisons from independent reviewers (such as ourselves), don't feel obligated to make the leap to Windows 11 yet. Middle image credit: Rock Paper Shotgun WTF?! Elon Musk is not known for his reserved, nuanced tweets. Keeping with that theme, the world's richest person has just challenged Vladimir Putin to single combat, with the "stakes" being Ukraine. The CEO wrote Putin's name in Russian and the word Ukraine in Ukrainian in his tweet. I hereby challenge Vladimir Putin to single combat,' Musk tweeted Monday. Stakes are Ukraine, he added. Musk followed up his offer of combat with another tweet written entirely in Russian. Do you agree to this fight? he asked, tagging the Kremlin. I hereby challenge to single combat Stakes are Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 14, 2022 While 6' 1" Musk is six inches taller, 19 years younger, and reportedly over 25 pounds heavier than the diminutive Russian leader, Putin is a judo black belt who has co-written a book on the martial art called Judo: History, Theory, Practice. He was also made honorary president of the International Judo Federation in 2008 but has since been suspended from the role over the war with Ukraine. Musk did say on the Joe Rogan show that he trained in Kyokushin karate, taekwondo, and judo when he was a kid, though its hard to imagine that being enough to best the former KGB officer. Musk tweeted another message a few hours ago, replying to the director-general of Russias space agency, Dmitry Rogozin, who responded to Musk's offer to fight Putin with, You, little devil, are still young. I see you are a tough negotiator! Ok, you can have 10% more pay per view money. pic.twitter.com/Nrbkz9IsTP Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 15, 2022 Reactions to the tweets have been mixed. Some praised Musk for the work he has done for Ukraine, while others have criticized the self-proclaimed edgelord for seemingly making light of a conflict that has claimed thousands of lives. Musk has tweeted out several posts related to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. He previously shared a video of him speaking directly with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, tweeted Hold strong Ukraine, and wrote, [] my sympathies to the great people of Russia, who do not want this. He has also sent Ukraine shipments of Starlink terminals so citizens can access the internet in cities under siege. Thank you [Musk] for supporting Ukraine and peace in the entire world! tweeted deputy Prime Minister Mykhailo Fedorov. Received the second shipment of Starlink stations! @elonmusk keeps his word! Thank you for supporting Ukraine and peace in the entire world! @OMarkarova thanks! pic.twitter.com/hNZwsXkOCT Mykhailo Fedorov (@FedorovMykhailo) March 9, 2022 Musk also said SpaceX could stop the ISS crashing into Earth after Russia's space chief warned the 500-ton structure could hit the US, Europe, India, or China. The big picture: With return to office plans in full swing across the country and around the world, individual workers and companies are starting to think longer term about their PCs and other client devices. The big question is, how will their existing laptops and desktops fit within the various types of hybrid work environments expected to become more commonplace? Even for those planning to still work from home, it makes sense to use this transitional time to think through the types of capabilities they're going to need in their next PCs. Timed to meet some of these questions is a spring refresh of new ThinkPad series laptops from Lenovo as well as a set of desktop CPUs from AMD. On the mobile side, the two companies worked together on the new Ryzen Pro 6000 exclusive ThinkPad Z-series (expected to ship this May). In this latest round of announcements, there are a few more mainstream-priced AMD powered ThinkPad options. In sum, Lenovo announced six new additions to its third-gen ThinkPad line, all of which offer Intel 12th-gen Core CPUs and five of which offer a Ryzen Pro CPU as an option. The models range from the $1,369 Intel-only ThinkPad X13 Yoga Gen 3 down to the $799 Ryzen Pro 5000-powered ThinkPad L13 Gen 3 (an Intel version of which runs $859). In between are AMD and Intel versions of the ThinkPad L14 and L15 Gen 3, the ThinkPad L13 Yoga Gen 3, and the ThinkPad X13 Gen 3. All feature hardware and software features for enhanced collaboration, including Dolby Voice AI noise suppression, optional full HD cameras, multiple microphones, and a variety of connectivity enhancements. Lenovo continues to offer a broad range of wireless WAN cellular support, including 4G LTE for the L Series Gen 3 and X13 Yoga Gen 3, and sub-6 GHz 5G (no mmWave) for the X13 Gen 3 models. As people start to return to regular business travel, the desire for embedded, always-on cellular connectivity is going to be increasingly strong, so it's great to see Lenovo extend that option to a broader range of laptop price points. For the record, the lack of mmWave 5G support in a notebook is going to be a non-issue for most as the extremely high frequency mmWave signals can't pass through walls or windows and are typically only available outside. Both the X13 and X13 Yoga Gen 3 feature WiFi 6E support (requires Windows 11 to function), and all the other models also offer an optional upgrade to WiFi 6E. On the security front, all the new ThinkPads have ThinkShield capabilities, including an integrated TPM (Trusted Platform Module). Intel-powered units also support vPro and the Intel Hardware Shield, while the AMD-equipped models support AMD Pro Security. For login and verification purposes, the entire line optionally supports a fingerprint reader built into the power button. For those who may be more focused on continuing to work remotely for the long term, desktop PCs are becoming an increasingly popular option, particularly in conjunction with the growing range of extra-large PC monitors now available. Plus, many work-from-home employees have recognized that an up-to-date, self-built desktop system can be converted to an occasional (or more than occasional!) gaming rig at night and on the weekends. To that end, AMD unveiled a new range of lower-cost Ryzen 4000 and 5000 Series desktop CPUs, as well as the pricing and release date for the Ryzen 7 5800X3D gaming-focused CPU. The 5800X3D is now expected to be available on April 20 for $449. It's the first CPU to use AMD's proprietary 3D V-Cache chip stacking technology. Essentially, V-Cache allows the CPU's cache to be packaged directly on top of the CPU cores, thereby enabling faster connections to the cache, and translating into a 15% increase in performance for gaming applications. It's a prime example of how chipmakers are starting to leverage new ways of packaging components in clever new ways to improve overall system performance. AMD also released three new Zen 3-based Ryzen 5000 series processors and three new Zen 2-based Ryzen 4000 series chips for desktops, ranging from the 4-core $99 Ryzen 3 4100 up to the 8-core Ryzen 7 5700X at $299. All but the 5700X come bundled with the Wraith Stealth cooler/fan. To improve the range of systems that can use these and other Zen 3 Ryzen 5000 series CPUs, the company announced that a BIOS update for existing AMD X370, B350, and A320 chipset-based motherboards will be available in April. Desktop PC gaming grew tremendously during the pandemic, and even as people start to adapt to new hybrid working models, there's little doubt that enthusiasm for the category will not be waning anytime soon. Bob O'Donnell is the founder and chief analyst of TECHnalysis Research, LLC a technology consulting firm that provides strategic consulting and market research services to the technology industry and professional financial community. You can follow him on Twitter @bobodtech. In brief: Nvidia's deal to purchase chipmaker Arm was risky from the get go. When competition authorities pushed back, the two sides decided to walk away from the $40 billion acquisition. Where does that leave Arm and its employees ahead of an IPO? For some, the answer is "jobless." The Guardian reports Arm is planning to cut up to 15 percent of its workforce. Most of the job cuts - totaling around 1,000 - will impact employees in the UK and US. The company is said to employ around 6,500 people worldwide, including roughly 3,000 folks in the UK alone. Arm told the publication that like any business, it is continually reviewing its business plan to ensure it has the right balance between opportunities and cost discipline. "Unfortunately, this process includes proposed redundancies across Arm's global workforce," the company added. Arm parent company SoftBank Group will receive a $1.25 billion breakup fee from Nvidia as a result of the deal falling through. Mike Clancy, general secretary of prospect, said Arm is one of the most important providers of high-quality tech jobs in the UK. "We always knew there was a risk once the sale to Nvidia fell through that the company would seek to restructure or cut costs. We urgently need leadership from government now to protect British jobs and British research and development spending," Clancy added. When the acquisition collapsed, Arm vowed to move forward with an initial public offering within the fiscal year (ending March 31, 2023). Arm also appointed former Nvidia executive Rene Haas as its new chief executive officer. Verizon established its name as one of the best wireless network operators in the United States. The company is regarded to be the largest global information services firm in the world and it will not be possible without CEO Hans Vestberg. Since Vestberg was appointed to be the tech leader in charge, the company has achieved several successes in its business. This year, it was able to deploy more advanced mobile technology, in addition to the 5G Ultra Wideband launch. Here's what you need to know more about Hans. Get to Know Verizon CEO Hans Vestberg According to the United Nations Foundation, Vestberg first served as a Chairman back in March 2019. In addition, he became the Chief Technology Officer and the Global Networks President in 2017 wherein his tasks revolve around improving the company's service in fiber-optic networks. He helped in bringing the 4G LTE network across the US and even managed to introduce the 5G capability for the customers. Speaking of this pre-Verizon service, he was an Ericsson CEO. Prior to this position, he worked as the company's president for six years. The Swedish CEO has helped the telecommunications company in distributing its global mobile infrastructures globally. In 2007, he was the Chief Financial Officer under Ericsson. Two years later, he was promoted as the CEO of the same firm where he took the responsibility of leading over 115,000 employees towards providing seamless improvement in both hardware and software ventures. From Verizon's official website, Hans also became a board member of numerous groups including the UN Foundation, BlackRock, and more. Towards digital evolution, he chaired the EDISON Alliance from The World Economic Forum. This particular project aims to bring more accessibility to digital technologies for the people. Aside from that, one notable collaboration that he partook with was with Tim Cook, the CEO of Apple. At that time, Vestberg presented the first 5G iPhone on the globe. He even joined Amazon CEO Andy Jassy for bringing the mobile edge computing network during the AWS re:Invent. As for his educational background, he finished the degree in Bachelor of Business Administration in Sweden's University of Uppsala. At the moment, he's a married man and has two children. Hans is also known to be multilingual since he can speak fluent Portuguese, English, Spanish, and of course, Swedish. Related Article: #TechCEO: Introducing Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong and His Contribution to Crypto Space Verizon's Growth Opportunity and Societal Contribution CNBC reported earlier this month that Vestberg is pretty optimistic regarding the improvement of the company. According to the source, the Verizon CEO is eyeing a growth of at least 4% by 2024. The tech boss also announced the official partnership that is formed with Mark Zuckerberg's Meta on their way to building a metaverse with the help of Verizon's 5G network. Speaking of societal responsibility, the company is also helping the affected people in Ukraine. To extend a helping hand to the victims of the crisis, Verizon decided to waive all international calls, text, and other services to customers based on Ukraine, Hungary, Moldova, Poland, Romania, and Slovakia. Read Also: #TechCEO: Get to Know Adobe CEO Shantanu Narayen and How He Came on Top of the Business This article is owned by Tech Times Written by Joseph Henry 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Lyft is following Uber's footsteps in implementing fuel surcharges due to the dramatically high gas prices nowadays, helping its drivers with its increasing costs. Lyft to Add Fuel Surcharge As per a news story by CNBC, Lyft announced that it is planning to add a new temporary surcharge when its users book a ride on the platform, which primarily helps its drivers keep up with the astronomical fuel prices. The American ride-sharing app, Lyft, stated that the additional fees for its rides will directly go to the drivers of the service. But only for those who are responsible for fueling their vehicles. Lyft has yet to provide more details regarding the new measure that it plans to implement to aid its drivers in paying for their fuel. Increasing Gas Prices The latest move of Lyft comes after drivers of ride-sharing apps like Uber have voiced out that the surging prices of fuel have been messing up their earnings significantly. In fact, some of these folks have already decided to stop their driving sessions due to the burden of paying for their gas. It is worth noting that fuel prices in the United States have been gravely affected by the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, skyrocketing the average price for a gallon of gas to a whopping $4.325. CNBC noted in the same report that in March last year, its price was only at $2.859. Read Also: Lyft Introduces Health Care Program that Lets Organizations Give Passes for Doctor's Appointments Uber's Surcharge Meanwhile, according to a recent story by NBC San Diego, another ride-sharing service, Uber, has already announced that it will start charging its passengers with an additional surcharge. The ride-sharing platform specifically said that it would be implementing the new additional charge to passengers and delivery customers via Uber Eat both in the United States and Canada. Uber also clarified that the new measure will only be a temporary thing, noting that will last for about two months. Its passengers will have to pay up to $0.55 for the surcharge fee starting March 16, which will go directly to its drivers to keep up with the staggering gas prices. On the other hand, UberEats customers will have to pay up to $0.45 per delivery. On top of that, Uber also disclosed that its number of drivers is not going down despite the astronomical fuel prices, which affect their earnings. Related Article: Uber, Lyft, and DoorDash Drivers Say Gas Hike Affected Their Earnings Even More: Drivers Decide to Stop Working This article is owned by Tech Times Written by Teejay Boris 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. The Data Protection Commission of Ireland, working as the government's watchdog, is now being sued for alleged years of inaction over complaints regarding "largest data breach ever." Per the lawsuit, the watchdog was evasive in responding to security complaints filed against Google when the European Union's General Data Protection Regulation, or GDPR, was passed. DPC Sued by the ICCL According to The Journal, the suit was accepted and will be heard by the Irish High Court. The litigation came from the Irish Council for Civil Liberties, or ICCL, with John Ryan, its senior fellow, acting as the plaintiff in the case. The issue circulated the response made by the DPC regarding a long-running complaint regarding Google's role when it came to selling off users' personal data for ads. In addition, another issue being pressed is the lack of attention that these types of data-trading systems pay when it comes to security. Lawsuit Circles Around DPC's Inaction Regarding 'Massive Google Data Breach' According to the story by TechCrunch, the ICCL's lawsuit is accusing the DPC of not acting regarding a "massive Google data breach." Recently, however, the complaints have increasingly started to point at the DPC themselves. An example of this issue can be illustrated in September 2020 when he initially published numerous pieces of evidence. The evidence published by Ryan reportedly highlights how the online ad-targeting industry benefits from profiling intimate characteristics of users. This can be done without them being aware. Previous Complaints Also Launched by Ryan Ryan called out the DPC for taking no action when it came to the real-time bidding (RTB) security complaint. With that, a complaint was also filed against the European Commission which led to the EU's high level monitoring being looked at. Following an original September 2018 complaint which was also launched by Ryan, both Google as well as IAB Europe, an online ad industry body, were named as two main players when it came to the RTB system. Read Also: Uber Attempts to Help Drivers Through Higher Surcharges: 100% Surcharge Goes to Drivers Government Decided to Open 'Own Volition Inquiry' Ireland only opened a formal inquiry when it came to the adtech of Google in May 2019. According to the allegations, however, the government did not open an inquiry despite the initial substance shown in the complaints filed by Ryan in 2018. Instead, the government decided to open its "own volition inquiry" noting that they will be looking to establish as to whether or not personal data was carried out at different stages of the ad transaction. To add, the government will also decide whether or not it was compliant with the GDPR provisions. The DPC also noted that the inquiry they launched would be interrogating Google's role when it came to the RTB using a security-focused perspective. This is despite Ryan's complaints being, at core, "a system that functions by broadcasting what can be highly sensitive data about people." Related Article: UK Watchdog Declares Bitcoin ATMs Illegal; Forces Shut Down or 'Face Punishment' This article is owned by Tech Times Written by Urian B. 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. NSW (New South Wales) Health agency is now warning teenagers in Australia after a new study revealed alarming about e-cigarettes. The Australian government and health experts of the New South Wales Health explained that they are concerned about the negative effects of vapes on the lungs of young individuals. Right now, e-cigarettes are considered less harmful substitutes for traditional cigarettes. However, the NSW Health agency seems to disagree with this as it launches a new anti-vaping campaign. NSW Health Agency Warns About Vaping NSW Health agency announced more and more teens are now using e-cigarettes. Experts said that this could be happening because many individuals across the globe think that vaping is healthier than common cigarettes. Also Read: FDA Confirms Rejection of Almost 1 Million E-Cigarettes-But Retains Juul and Postpones Its Review Deadline However, a new study conducted by the Therapeutic Goods Administration revealed that vapes or e-cigarettes have chemical concentrations that are more than the amount required by legal limitations imposed by the Australian government. According to The Daily Mail UK, TGA discovered that around 31% of the e-cigarettes they analyzed exceeded legal chemical concentration limitations. Aside from this, involved researchers in the new study also confirmed that all of the 190 nicotine vaping brands they studied have incorrect ingredient labels and don't have enough warnings to show the potential dangers of products. NSW Health Launches Anti-Vaping Campaign The Sydney Morning Herald reported that the New South Wales partnered with the Department of Education to launch a new anti-vaping campaign, which costs $300,000. "The goal is to engage young people in a conversation about e-cigarettes and make them aware of the health harm," said the Acting NSW Chief Health Officer Marianne Gale. If you visit the official website of NSW Health, you will see that the campaign provides some alarming facts about vaping. The government agency claims that vapes are comparable to harmful cleaning products, such as bug spray, weed killer, and polish remover. Eight teenagers in Wisconsin were recently hospitalized because of vaping in other news. Meanwhile, China previously asked online e-cigarette stores to stop their operations. For more news updates about e-cigarettes and other health topics, always keep your tabs open here at TechTimes. Related Article: FDA Allows e-Cigarettes, Vape Products To Stay so People Avoid Excessive Smoking; Still a Health Risk This article is owned by TechTimes Written by: Griffin Davis 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Wiper malware has another form that recently hit Ukrainian organizations, according to ESE researchers. The new variant dubbed "CaddyWiper" was focused on exploiting the system's information by removing all of its data and programs. CaddyWiper Malware Detected in Ukrainian Network ZDNET wrote on its March 15 report that ESET Research Labs analysts uncovered the activity of the mysterious wiper malware. According to the researchers, this dangerous threat is deployed to hit networks via Twitter. For weeks, the experts discovered the third wiper in a few organizations based in Ukraine. This time, the CaddyWiper posed a huge threat to its victims by erasing any data in hard drives and other outlets. While this new malware is notorious for its destructive capabilities, ESET said that CaddyWiper could not remove information on domain controllers. For instance, the threat actors have spread CaddyWiper to the GPOs or Group Policy Objects of Microsoft. This could mean that before the deployment of this malware, the attackers have already infiltrated the Active Directory service of the company. #BREAKING #ESETresearch warns about the discovery of a 3rd destructive wiper deployed in Ukraine . We first observed this new malware we call #CaddyWiper today around 9h38 UTC. 1/7 pic.twitter.com/gVzzlT6AzN ESET research (@ESETresearch) March 14, 2022 Related Article: Ukraine Fights Cyberattacks Amidst Russian Invasion: Government Websites Under DDoS Attack CaddyWiper Has No 'Significant' Code Similarities With Other Variants Earlier this month, ESET spotted that IsaacWiper and HermeticWizard had been invading a network of the Ukrainian government. While these two wiper malware feature "data-destroying" capabilities, the code for the CaddyWiper is not similar to them. Apart from that, the experts saw the destructive attacks launched by HermeticRansom and HermeticWiper. To mitigate the cyberattacks amid the Ukraine crisis, the Computer Emergency Response Team for Ukraine (CERT-UA) urged all the organizations to report to them if they encounter the new wiper. The first time we heard about wiper malware this year was back in January when Microsoft issued a warning. This took place before Russia attacked Ukraine. Prior to the crisis, the latter had experienced several cases of DDoS (Distributed Denial-of-Service) attacks that targeted the government establishments. How to Stay Protected Against Wiper Malware MakeUseOf wrote some tips on how you can protect yourself against wiper malware. The tech site advised the people to update their malware protection tool. It also included that users should educate other people regarding cyberattacks. To make sure that you can recover your files after the attack, don't forget to conduct regular backups for support. You need to patch the existing OS of your device and update their software to the latest. These steps will help you to prevent this malware at all costs. The European continent experienced a massive internet outage following a wide-scale cyberattack that attacked some countries in other news. The exploitation caused 5,800 wind turbines to go offline as a result. It should be noted that the affected residents are living in Germany, Italy, France, Poland, Hungary, and Greece. This occurred amid the continuous attacks on Ukraine. Read Also: Ukraine DDoS Cyberattack: Suspects Russia and May Ignite Tensions Between Them This article is owned by Tech Times Written by Joseph Henry 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Geely's new EV battery auto swap stations have arrived! The Chinese automaker announced that these new swapping stations would be used for heavy electric construction vehicles. Right now, swapping stations are still having a hard time replacing the batteries of electric vehicles, especially if they are as massive as cement mixers. But, Geely's new auto swap technology is expected to solve this issue, especially since these new battery swapping stations no longer need to lift the so-called Heavy Goods Vehicles (HGVs). Geely's New EV Battery Auto Swap Stations According to Electrek's latest report, Geely's new auto swap tech is comparable to those used for passenger EVs. Also Read: Tesla Increased Prices of Vehicles For the Second Time This Month, With Cheapest Model Now $46,990 However, these new swapping stations rely on a different feature that allows them to replace the battery cells of electric cars without actually lifting them from the ground. As of the moment, these new swapping stations are essential for Geely since it partners with other OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturers). Aside from these, it also has its own vehicles, which also need auto swap stations. Right now, Geely's new battery-replacing tech still hasn't reached the expected cell swap speeds that the company is trying to target. But, the Chinese automaker said that these new swapping stations are improving one step at a time. Geely's Subsidiary To Have Self Driving Feature Motor Authority reported that Geely's subsidiary, Zeekr, is now testing a new self-driving feature developed by Waymo. This car function will be integrated into the electric shuttle of the automaker. As of the moment, the vehicles of Zeekr still rely on Chrysler Pacifica minivans and Jaguar I-Pace crossovers. These cars still need a human driver to operate. But, once the test for Waymo's self-driving feature, the new electric shuttle of Zeekr will be able to drive without the presence of drivers. In other news, Tesla Model Y vehicles in China is are now becoming more in-demand. Meanwhile, Subaru's WRX STI shuts down its gas-engine operations for good. For more news updates about Geely and other giant automakers, always keep your tabs open here at TechTimes. Related Article: Apple Car 2025 Launch: Ming-Chi Kuo Shares Suggestion So iPhone Maker's EV Can Arrive On Time This article is owned by TechTimes Written by: Griffin Davis 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. (Photo : Unsplash/Daniel Romero) iPhone China's Silicon Valley, Shenzhen, suffered a rise in COVID-19 cases, forcing the city to lockdown. Because of the situation, Foxconn had suspended its operations in the city, but it won't affect iPhone production. China's Shenzhen on Lockdown A J.P Morgan analyst said that Foxconn would deploy backup plans to reduce disruption. With that said, it seems it could impact no more than 10% of the iPhone production worldwide. Analyst Gokul Hariharan told Reuters on Mar. 14 that they believe the impact from the Shenzhen lockdown on iPhone EMS should be limited because of the low season and small production exposure to Shenzhen. Another proof that the lockdown won't impact iPhone shipments is that the Shenzhen region represents less than 20% of the total iPhone production capacity for Hon Hai, with the majority of assembly plants located in Zhengzhou, China's industrial and transport hub. Also Read: iOS 15 Rumors: Bid Farewell to iPhone 6s and SE Gen 1-Leak Details iPhone 13 in the Works! Also, a J.P Morgan analyst said that the problem is not the chip shortage, but it could hurt the global LCD panel supply. It is important to note that Apple is releasing a new iPhone SE 3 within this week that uses an LCD panel. While orders for Apple's new phone have already slipped for April, it is still difficult to order some iPads online because of all of the shortages. The iPhone SE 3 is expected to be responsible for 25% of Apple's iPhone sales in 2022. According to the Indian Business Today publication, Apple shipped up to 5.4 million phones in India. It is expected to cross the 7.5 million mark this year, thanks to the iPhone SE 3. Prabhu Ram, the Head Industry Intelligence Group at CMR told Business Today that with the new iPhone SE 2022, Apple will seek to further build on its recent growth in the first quarter of launch, recording a 224% YoY growth, when compared to the earlier generation iPhone SE 2020. The public will have to wait and see how the new lockdown in China will impact iPhone production and whether the semiconductor shortage or LCD panel supply issue could affect Apple in the future. Apple's Chip Shortage Dilemma In 2021, the sales of the iPhone 13 series were affected by the global chip shortage, which is the biggest concern for the tech giant dependent on a semiconductor chip for production. The smartphones were launched in September 2021, but many of the models have become out of stock immediately, citing the country's demand. A report cites that it is unlikely that Apple would be able to meet the consumer demands this year. According to Digitimes Asia, the global chip shortage demand is easing as suppliers increase production and the assemblers step up the manufacturing process to meet the demands in 2022. Apple lost $6 billion dollars because of chip shortage in 2021, and the loss was greater in the last three months of 2021 during the festive season when people made new purchases. Apple CEO Time Cook had said that the main reason for the supply chain-related shortages would be the chip shortage in the next couple of months. Earlier this year, Apple's iPhone 13 is expected to have 5G connectivity. In 2021, it was reported that Apple's iPhone 13 is reported to have 10 hours of battery performance. Related Article: Apple: iPhone 13 Mini to Be the Last 'Mini' Says Kuo- Camera Leaks Show Up in 3D Render of New Device This is article is owned by Tech Times Written by Sophie Webster 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Although NATO is the "strongest defense alliance in the world", some of its members "are hypnotized by the Russian aggression", the Ukrainian president said. On March 15, representatives of Russia and Ukraine are expected to continue virtual negotiations aimed at reaching a solution to the conflict between their countries. The main developments in the situation are presented below as they happen. Zelensky called the positions of the Ukrainian and Russian delegations at the talks "more realistic Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that the positions of Ukraine and Russia at the ongoing bilateral talks have become "more realistic." "The meetings continue, and as I am told, the positions at the talks sound more realistic already," Zelensky said in his telegram video message. He added that "it still takes time for solutions to meet Ukraine's interests," noting that it is "hard, but important." Mikhail Podolyak, an adviser to the head of the Ukrainian presidential office, said the day before that talks between the Ukrainian and Russian delegations would continue on Wednesday. "We will continue tomorrowa very complicated and dense negotiation process. There are fundamental contradictions. But there is certainly room for compromise. During the break, the work in the subgroups will continue," follows a tweet from the adviser. Earlier on Tuesday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said at a press conference: "Negotiations (...) are now ongoing to ensure Ukraine's neutral military status, in the context of security guarantees for all participants in this process, in the context of demilitarizing Ukraine so that no threats to Russia will ever come from its territory, and in the context, of course, of stopping the policy of Nazification of the country." Japan to revoke Russias most favored trade partner status - TV Japanese Prime Minster Fumio Kishida decided to revoke Russias most favored nation' trade status over the situation in Ukraine, the NHK television reported on Wednesday. An official announcement is expected later in the day. The move means, among other things, that Russia will lose various trade preferences granted by Japan. On Tuesday, Japan has expanded the list of goods and technologies that are prohibited from being exported to Russia as part of the sanctions imposed against the country due to the military operation in Ukraine. Now there are about 300 items on the list instead of previously announced 57 items. In particular, this includes semiconductors, equipment for ensuring maritime and aviation security, telecommunications equipment, communications equipment. The list also includes equipment and products related to nuclear energy, products of the chemical industry, various types of sensors, software. EU decides not to prohibit imports of Russian vodka, caviar The European Union, which unveiled its fourth package of anti-Russian sanctions on Tuesday, decided not no prohibit imports of Russian-made luxury goods, such as vodka and caviar, the European Commission said. "Does the ban on luxury goods also cover imports from Russia (such as caviar or vodka)? No, the focus of this package of sanctions is on depriving Russia from EU luxury goods," the organization said. The European Union introduced a restriction for trading of iron and steel goods with Russia and imposed a ban on certain luxury goods sales to Russia, according to the Official Journal of the EU. The list of prohibited goods includes, among other things, expensive cars and motorcycles (worth over 50,000 euro and 5,000 euro, respectively), as well as perfume, alcohol, household appliances and clothes worth over 300 euro per one item. Biden to announce $1 billion aid to Ukraine on Wednesday - paper US President Joe Biden is set to announce a 1.01-billion military aid package to Ukraine on Wednesday, the Wall Street Journal said, citing US administration sources. The aid package will include anti-tank and air defense weapons, including Javelin portable anti-tank missiles and Stinger man-portable air-defense systems. World Bank President: "The biggest impact on world GDP is due to the sanctions against Russia itself" World Bank President David Malpass said Monday in an interview for The Washington Post that the fighting in Ukraine will have "an immediate short-term impact" on global GDP, but what will have an even bigger influence are the anti-Russian sanctions. "I think the even bigger impact for global GDP is the Russia sanctions themselves," Malpass argued, recalling that the Eurasian country has "a big enough economy." The economist added that it should be kept in mind that Russia's per capita income has fallen below that of China, "so it's not that big a factor in world GDP, probably $1.5 trillion, and it will slow down markedly as a result of the sanctions." Over 3 million Ukrainian refugees arrive in neighboring countries - UN Russian rescue personnel distributes hot tea to people evacuated from Mariupol on the Ukraine-Russia border at the border crossing point Veselo-Voznesenka in the Rostov region, Russia, 15 March 2022. EFE/EPA/ARKADY BUDNITSKY Over 3 million Ukrainian refugees have arrived in neighboring countries, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees said. According to the agency, the number of people who fled Ukraine between February 24 and March 15 has reached 3,000,381. A total of 1,830,711 people fled to Poland, 459,485 - to Romania, 337,315 - to Moldova, 267,570 - to Hungary. Operation in Ukraine will be over when its goals are achieved - Russias UN envoy Russias special military operation in Ukraine will end when its goals are met, Russian Permanent Representative to the UN Vasily Nebenzya told reporters on Tuesday. "When the goals of the special military operations are achieved, it will stop," Nebenzya said. When asked when a universal ceasefire will be achieved, Nebenzya replied that it "will take place when conditions that were put forward by Russia will be implemented." Those conditions are "demilitarization, denazification of Ukraine, no threat which would come from the territory from that country to Russia. No joining NATO," he said. Zelensky dismissed military commander over missile strike at Donetsk - says DPR Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky ruled to relieve of duty the commander of Kievs military operation in Donbass, Alexander Pavlyuk, over his decision to fire a Tochka-U missile towards Donetsk without authorization, deputy department head of the DPR Militia Eduard Basurin said on Tuesday. "The decisive factor in Pavlyuks dismissal was his arbitrary decision to fire a missile with a cluster warhead from the Tochka-U tactical system towards the Donetsk city center, which left 21 citizens of the republic dead and 37 injured," Basurin said in a statement, posted in his Telegram channel. Among other reasons behind the dismissal, he named several major failures of the Ukrainian armed forces in Donbass. "According to our source, the military leadership of Ukraine lost credibility due to Pavlyuks total inability to organize proper defense of the Ukrainian armed forces, as well as due to the loss of Volnovakha and the blocking of Ukrainian troops in Mariupol," Basurin said. Zelensky assumes that Ukraine will not be part of NATO. On March 15, Ukraine's President Volodimir Zelensky admitted that his country will not join the North Atlantic Organization (NATO), but insisted on asking Western countries for arms to stop the Russian military operation, which continues advancing towards Kyev. In a videoconference with leaders of the Nordic and Baltic countries convened by British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, The Ukrainian president showed his frustration that his country has not been admitted to NATO. He said that Ukraine has no choice but to "accept" it but insisted on finding other ways of military collaboration. Although NATO is the "strongest defense alliance in the world", some of its members "are hypnotized by the Russian aggression", said Zelensky, who also regretted that the NATO does not apply a "No-Fly Zone" over Ukraine to prevent Russian attacks. Russia imposes sanctions on top U.S. officials, including Biden, Blinken. The Russian Foreign Ministry announced sanctions on top U.S. officials, including U.S. President Joe Biden, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin. Russia's "stop list" also includes Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark Milley, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, Central Intelligence Agency Director William Burns, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki, Biden's son Hunter, and former presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. Moscow made the "stop list" on the basis of reciprocity in response to a series of unprecedented sanctions prohibiting, among other things, top Russian officials from entering the United States starting Tuesday, the Russian Foreign Ministry said. Russia introduced the restrictions as a counter reaction to the extremely Russophobic course taken by the current U.S. administration, warning that the blacklist could be expanded in the future. "At the same time, we do not refuse to maintain official relations if they meet our national interests. And, if necessary, we will solve problems arising from the status of the blacklisted persons in order to organize high-level contacts," it added. Russia will propose "a humanitarian resolution" to the United Nations Security Council (UNSC). On Wednesday, Russia will propose to UNSC members that they vote in favor of a "humanitarian resolution" linked to the "special military operation" in Ukraine. Russia's ambassador to the UN, Vassily Nebenzia, regretted that France and Mexico had given up putting their draft resolution on humanitarian aid to a vote after 15 days of discussions. Instead, those countries preferred to request a vote directly in the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) where Russia does not have the right of veto. Russian soccer teams remain out of European competitions. The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) rejected a request to suspend FIFA sanctions that was presented by the Russian Football Federation (FUR). Russian teams are therefore excluded from European competitions. The Court, however, promised to continue analyzing the petition in depth. Belarus accuses Ukraine of launching a missile against its territory. President Alexander Lukashenko accused Ukraine of having launched a Tochka-U missile in the direction of Belarus. The missile, however, was shot down by his defense forces over the Pripyat territory, on the border between the two countries. "I have warned that we will be pushed into this military operation," the Belarusian president said, adding that this possibility "was demonstrated just two days ago with another overnight launch of a Tochka-U missile, and it was an attack against the territory. There are 25+ US-funded biolabs in Ukraine which if breached would release & spread deadly pathogens to US/world. We must take action now to prevent disaster. US/Russia/Ukraine/NATO/UN/EU must implement a ceasefire now around these labs until theyre secured & pathogens destroyed pic.twitter.com/dhDTH5smIG Tulsi Gabbard (@TulsiGabbard) March 13, 2022 The West said nothing about deaths at Donetsk. Kremlin Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov lamented the lack of reaction of Western countries to the deaths caused by a missile launched by Ukrainian forces. We are very disappointed that neither European leaders, nor my counterpart Jen Psaki, nor U.S. President Joe Biden, nor the heads of international organizations, nor the NATO administration made any statement about what happened in Donetsk," he said. They did not say anything about the innocent civilians who died due to a missile fired by the Ukrainian armed forces. They did not say anything about the atrocities taking place in Donetsk. No one was convicted. I am not going to give my assessment. I just want to make a call to everyone to pay attention to it, he added. Three million people left Ukraine. Paul Dillon, the spokesman for the International Organization for Migration (IOM), indicated that the Ukrainian conflict has generated the displacement abroad of three million people, of whom 1.4 million are children and 157,000 are citizens of other countries. Currently, Poland hosts 1.8 million refugees. Kyev enters a 36-hour curfew. Mayor Vitali Klitschko said his city is going through a "dangerous and difficult time." Therefore, he prohibited traffic from 8:00 p.m. on March 15 until 7:00 a.m. on March 17. Russia restricts grain exports to four Eurasian countries. To avoid shortages and price increases, Russian authorities restricted grain exports to Kazakhstan, Belarus, Armenia, and Kyrgyzstan. As part of his campaign to rally international support, the Ukrainian president will also address the Canadian Parliament on Tuesday. The Russia-Ukraine conflict continues on Monday as relevant parties are working to broker a peaceful solution. Following are the latest developments of the situation. Zelensky will speak to the US Congress on Wednesday. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky will address virtually the U.S. Congress on Wednesday at 1 p.m., House and Senate Democratic leaders Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer announced. On Tuesday, he will also address the Parliament of Canada. Last week Prime Minister Justin Trudeau invited Zelensky to hold this event. Virtual round of negotiations concludes. The Russian and Ukrainian delegates concluded the talks without reaching concrete results, but with the commitment to resume negotiations on Tuesday. "In the negotiations, we have taken a technical break until tomorrow for additional work in the subgroups and to define certain definitions. The negotiations continue," said Mikhail Podoliak, adviser to the office of the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Ukrainian neo-Nazis launch 'Tochka-U' cluster warhead in Donetsk. The attack left 20 civilians dead and 28 wounded. The shelling of Donetsk was carried out from Krasnoarmeysk, which is controlled by Ukrainian nationalist units. "The cluster munition from the Tochka-U rocket shows that the purpose of the attack was to kill as many civilians as possible in Donetsk. The launch decision is made by the command of the Ukrainian troop group after the approval of the leadership of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in Kiev," the Russian Defense Ministry said, adding that the use of "Tochka-U" in a city where there are no firing points of the Armed Forces is a war crime. #Zakharova: Attacks against their own nuclear facilities have become the signature of the current Ukrainian regime. The blame for this lies squarely with Kiev, the American masters of Vladimir Zelensky and US vassals in @NATO. https://t.co/41zjCLBm96 pic.twitter.com/DRp0t0DwRm MFA Russia (@mfa_russia) March 14, 2022 Russian and Ukrainian delegations will resume talks on Monday via video link. "Negotiations go non-stop in the format of video conferences. Working groups are constantly functioning. A large number of issues require constant attention. On Monday, March 14, a negotiating session will be held to sum up the preliminary results," Mykhailo Podoliak, advisor to the Head of the President's Office of Ukraine, tweeted on Sunday night. External electricity supplies have been restored at Chernobyl nuclear power plant. This happens four days after its disconnection from the power grid, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said. Ukrainian specialist teams repaired one of the two damaged power lines at Chernobyl on Sunday, enabling all required off-site power to be delivered to the plant. The plant will be connected to the Ukrainian electricity grid on Monday morning. "This is a positive development as the Chernobyl nuclear power plant has had to rely on emergency diesel generators for several days now," the IAEA Director-General Rafael Grossi said. "However, I remain gravely concerned about safety and security at Chernobyl and Ukraine's other nuclear facilities." I dont think we can expect any kind of condemnation from the West of this heinous terrorist attack committed with cluster munitions. They were closing their eyes and denying ongoing massacre of Donbass people for 8 years, why would they open their eyes now? #Donetsk #DonbassWar https://t.co/Q1tfPL89Zi Dmitry Polyanskiy (@Dpol_un) March 14, 2022 Russia bombs aircraft factory. The Kiev mayor's office reported that one person died and six citizens were injured as a result of a Russian bombing that targeted the Antonov aircraft factory. In the Ukrainian capital, another attack left one dead and 12 wounded in a residential area. France will add Russians to the EU blacklist. French Economy Minister Bruno Le Mayor indicated that his country will submit to the European Union (EU) dozens of names of people close to the President Vladimir Putin to be added to the list of sanctioned Russian citizens. The sanctions against Russia seek to provoke a debt default. The Russian Finance Ministry stated that the sanctions against its country are aimed at causing an artificial default on Russian debt service. "Statements that Russia cannot meet its public debt obligations do not correspond to reality. The freezing of foreign currency accounts of the Russian Government and Central Bank show the desire of foreigners to create an artificial default," authorities indicated. The Foreign Minister Felix Plasencia stated that Venezuela's commitment to the United Nations Charter, which is based on the sovereign equality of States, has placed the country in a prominent position in the international arena. The minister disclosed at the II Diplomatic Forum in Antalya that Venezuela enjoys respect and recognition in international forums. Plasencia ratified that the Venezuelan State is part of the Group of Friends in Defense of the Charter of the United Nations. Along these lines, he also expressed that his country advocates the promotion of multilateralism, pointing out that anachronistic unilateralism constitutes a failure in the international dynamics. The top official denounced the imposition of sanctions against nations in the interest of executing international pressure, saying that it is an unacceptable practice since it violates the ground rules of the UN Charter. Felix Plasencia, Canciller de Venezuela: La ruta de las sanciones no pueden ser vistas como una solucion o medidas a mejorar nada, sino todo lo contrario, son una imposicion de danos y sufrimientos. #PsuvMiranda #PescadoresDePaz #14Mar https://t.co/q08kob05Cs pic.twitter.com/sYsqFFSowy Psuv Miranda (@PsuvMirandaVE) March 14, 2022 Felix Plasencia, Chancellor of Venezuela: "The sanctions route cannot be seen as a solution or measures to improve anything, but on the contrary, they are an imposition of damage and suffering". According to a press release issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the diplomat held the Antalya Diplomatic Forum in high regard, stressing that it is a space to promote the defense of multilateralism and discuss main issues related to the world peace. During the event, the head of Venezuelan Foreign Affiars met with representatives of several countries such as Turkey, Palestine, Cuba, South Africa and the European Union, with whom he discussed issues on the bilateral agenda. Youth in their 20s who have fallen into the swamp of preventing the return of Corona and poverty Madisonville, KY (42431) Today A mix of clouds and sun. High near 70F. Winds light and variable.. Tonight Mainly cloudy. Low near 55F. Winds light and variable. From left, Louisiana State Police Col. Kevin Reeves, Maj. Doug Cain and Capt. J.B. Slaton walk to a press conference to speak after cadets in the academy reported injuries during defensive tactics training, Tuesday, October 15, 2019, at the Louisiana State Police Training Academy in Baton Rouge, La. They are joined by Lt. Col. and chief of staff Mike Noel, back right. Tommy Phillips was so worried that he went to his insurance agent to get some answers and they werent good. Phillips, who lives near Boutte in St. Charles Parish near levees, a canal and a pumping station, heard about changes on the way for the nations flood insurance program and wanted to know how much more hell eventually have to pay. FEMA has not yet provided that information, so he asked his insurer to quote him a rate as if it were a newly built house. The price he ended up with was more than $8,100 annually. Phillips currently pays $567 making it an increase of more than 1,300%, to be phased in over multiple years for a house that has never flooded. He lives in an area where flood insurance is required. Thats just ludicrous to think of that, said the 52-year-old, who moved into his 2,400-square-foot in 2003, when it was new, and raised his two children there. People cant afford it. They cant pay it. So what happens to their homes? Theyre going to have to default their mortgages. Louisiana homeowners who currently have flood insurance will begin seeing the impact of a drastic overhaul of the program next month, but there are concerns that few understand the changes or their implications. With big increases on the way for many, public officials and residents accuse FEMA of leaving the public in the dark by failing to sufficiently explain the new system and the effect it could have on the states housing market. FEMA says the changes will make the program more fair and more solvent, but early results have provoked worry and growing calls for greater transparency. Flood insurance premiums in Louisiana are rising. Help us investigate. Sweeping changes are coming to the National Flood Insurance Program, which will result in premium increases for many Louisiana policyholders s Louisianas two Republican U.S. senators, Bill Cassidy and John Kennedy, on Monday announced they had filed a bipartisan bill that would require FEMA to provide tools to help policyholders understand what their new rates are likely to be. The bill is co-sponsored by Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y. Even some in the industry say they havent been provided enough information to fully understand how the new rates will be set under what is known as Risk Rating 2.0. An executive for a company that sells thousands of flood insurance policies says she has yet to be provided with details on how base rates are being calculated. The stakes are huge for Louisiana, which has the nations highest participation rate in the National Flood Insurance Program. Its coast is largely a working one, home to shrimpers and roughnecks rather than seaside mansions. Major increases, even phased-in, could reshape parts of the housing market and weigh on mortgages. But so far, FEMA has provided only limited information, while seeking to reassure anxious policyholders and public officials that the new system will be equitable for all. It has only published data on monthly increases and decreases for the first year after the program takes effect, masking the true, long-term impact. Because the programs rules cap annual increases for existing policyholders at 18%, the initial increases dont really tell the story. Using data provided so far, an analysis by The Times-Picayune | The Advocate shows that around half of the states policyholders are expected to see phased-in increases that will total more than 129%. About one in 10 could see their premiums jump by more than four times their current amount, while around 20% are expected to see decreases. Kill our community At a recent town hall on the issue in Luling, St. Charles Parish President Matthew Jewell said residents were seeing unreasonable rate increases that were going to kill our community. FEMA says it has provided detailed training to insurers so they can explain the system to customers and notes that policyholders also see increases under the old system, though those average 10% per year. We will continue to reach out to the public through these channels to increase understanding of Risk Rating 2.0 as implementation continues, it said. The new system marks the programs biggest change ever in how policies are priced. It began for new policies in October and takes effect for existing policyholders starting in April, though not all at once. The states roughly 500,000 policyholders making up about 10% of the national total will begin seeing the changes with their first renewal after March 31. FEMA says it will take up to five years for half of all policyholders to reach their target rate under the new system, considering the 18% cap on increases. It will take up to a decade for 90% to reach that threshold and the remaining 10% even longer. Policyholders will be told their full target rate when they receive their renewal notifications. Those receiving decreases will see them in the first year only. The idea behind the new system is to more accurately account for flooding risk. FEMA says that under the old system, policies for newer, more expensive homes were essentially being subsidized by those for older houses that are less costly to repair. Policies for pricey beach houses should not be artificially low thanks to comparatively higher rates for working-class homes, according to FEMA and a range of organizations that support the changes. Beyond that, the changes aim to have the NFIP function more in line with private-sector actuarial standards, which could help address its gigantic debt, currently at around $20.5 billion. Hurricane Katrina was a main cause of that debt, accounting for more than $16 billion in paid NFIP claims. But as many have pointed out, flooding happened then because the federal governments levees failed. It was a man-made failure. I think when people are at fault for doing something, they need to be held responsible, not us through higher insurance rates, U.S. Rep. Garret Graves, R-Baton Rouge, who attended the Luling town hall, said to applause from the several dozen people in attendance. Lake Charles news in your inbox Once a week we'll send you the top stories we find in the Lake Area e-mail address * Sign Up Surges in rates Since October, new policies are being priced at the full rates immediately, and thats where the first shocks are being felt. The price quoted to Phillips was especially steep, and its unclear if his actual policy will be in that range. But its also not outside of the realm of possibility, considering some of the early returns. Graves called the new system a flawed strategy and urged better communications from FEMA. We have seen just surges in rates, he said. Rates going from $560 a year to $6,000, $7,000 a year or more in St. Charles and Lafourche parishes and in other areas. FEMA defends the new system, saying it demonstrates the real risk that current policyholders are facing so that they can be properly informed. It has proposed granting assistance for those who cant afford it, but that would require approval from Congress. Such assistance was not approved as part of a massive government funding bill passed last week, FEMA says. One major point of contention involves what homeowners see as a bait and switch. They argue they bought their homes and planned investments under the old system based on flood maps, which they could understand. Now a complicated algorithm is being used to set new rates that may have nothing to do with the old ones. As one example, a FEMA representative was asked at the Luling meeting about homes that were built to a required elevation under the old rules, but could now be penalized because of the changes. I wish I had an answer for that question, sir, said FEMA official Gilbert Giron. The structures were built compliant. They were built on data that we provided. Giron then sought to explain why the changes were being made and the flaws in the old system to the skeptical audience. The thing that they were not built on was a risk assessment, he said. They were built on the location on a paper map. Now I'm sure a lot of you know that water is not going to stop because there's a line on a piece of paper saying that this is the end of the flood zone. Just not clear Risk Rating 2.0 sets prices based on a complicated series of factors. Unlike the old system and its map-based formula, the new one looks at characteristics of each individual home. Those factors include distance from water, levee quality, foundation type and cost to rebuild. It also seeks to account for more types of flooding. One factor that remains perplexing to many is how the new system will account for elevation. Sample worksheets combine a homes individual characteristics with a base rate per $1,000 of coverage value to come up with a quote. But its unclear what goes into the base rate. They did not inform us of how they came up with those base rates, said Patricia Latshaw, a senior vice president for Florida-based Wright National Flood Insurance, which says it is the nations largest seller of NFIP policies. Asked about transparency from FEMA, she said there has been some transparency, but really what makes it difficult is we can't look inside (the new system) to see how a building is rated. The states congressional delegation has sought to delay Risk Rating 2.0s implementation as well as reduce the cap on annual increases, among other changes. In addition to his new transparency bill, Cassidy has highlighted a FEMA internal study saying nearly 20% of policyholders could drop out of the program over a decade. FEMA says the study used pessimistic assumptions and it expects enrollment to increase. From what Phillips has seen, he believes the outcome in south Louisiana will be severe. He worries the levees near his home are not being accurately accounted for, and believes the new rates could have a devastating effect on communities. He says the whole thing is just not clear as to whats going on. This is more about the culture we have in south Louisiana and how it is going to be destroyed if its not changed, he said. Editor's note: This story was updated on March 15 to note FEMA confirmation that affordability help was not approved as part of a massive government funding bill last week. The United States government is refusing to back down in a court battle with CSL over the legitimacy of Mexican plasma donors, insisting it was right to block non-citizens from crossing the border to visit the biotech giants collection centres. The Australian biotechnology company and a group of its peers, including Grifols, have been fighting a ruling by the US Customs and Border Protection from last year that banned Mexican citizens from entering the country to donate plasma. The companies have several collection centres along the US-Mexico border and the ban disrupts their recovery plans after plasma volumes dropped throughout the pandemic. A centrifuge at CSLs new plasma fractionation facility at Broadmeadows which will increase the companys plasma processing capacity in Australia to 9 million litres a year, from 1.2 million. Credit:Eddie Jim The companies lost their initial bid to have the ban overturned, but are appealing, with oral arguments scheduled for April 1. In documents filed with the appeals court, US Customs and Border Protection said CSL was wrong to claim that there was a longstanding practice of letting Mexican citizens on B1 visas to enter the country to donate plasma. It was in the heat of the 2019 election campaign that Prime Minister Scott Morrison declared Labors policy target for sales of electric vehicles amounted to an attack on the Australian way of life and on an important stream of government revenue. [Bill Shorten] hasnt thought through what that means for diesel and fuel excise - thats around about $11 billion a year, Mr Morrison added. That number has since gone up to $19.2 billion, and as we approach another federal election, fuel excise is again at the front of politicians minds. This time, though, some are seeing it as a lever with which to tackle the rising cost of living. South Australian Premier Steven Marshall, whose government has an even closer date with the voters on Saturday, came out of last weeks meeting of the national cabinet calling for temporary relief from the tax. New Zealand has already announced a 25-a-litre cut for the next three months, as well as halving the cost of public transport. This being election season, Mr Morrison was careful not to rule that out in his interview with Nine reporter Chris Uhlmann, but he did point out that the current rise is so high that even removing the 44-a-litre excise entirely would still leave a petrol price higher than it was a few weeks ago. Easing oil prices sent the ASX higher on Wednesday, particularly travel and transportation-exposed stocks, as a relief rally swept through Wall Street and into Asian trade. The benchmark S&P/ASX 200 held onto gains all day before closing 1.1% higher, up 77.8 points to 7175.20 with moderate volumes. This was the highest close since Russian President Vladimir Putin sent troops into Ukraine on 24 February and sparked chaos in commodity and energy markets. Both US and Brent crude on Wednesday dropped below $US100 per barrel for the first time in two weeks, and Asian markets reversed sharp declines seen on Tuesday. Oil prices are set for a weekly fall for the first time this year. Credit:Getty Retreating oil prices were joined by weaker than expected US consumer price data on the eve of a Federal Reserve rate hike, according to Oanda senior market analyst Jeffrey Halley. In a market hungry for reasons to buy the dip, that was enough to pull back on hawkish (Federal Reserve) expectations from their policy decision tonight, he wrote in a note to clients on Wednesday. That, of course, is complete nonsense, and I believe the oil retreat is the underlying reason. That too is built on very marginal foundations, on the hopes that Ukraine-Russian negotiations will yield fruit. If nothing else, it shows that the pre-programmed need to buy the dip in equities is alive and well. On the ASX, travel stocks also rallied thanks to easing restrictions in New Zealand and news some airlines were lifting mask requirements. Qantas gained 2.2 per cent to a two-week high of $5.05, Corporate Travel gained 5.3 per cent, Webjet gained 3.3 per cent, and Flight Centre improved 1.9 per cent. Woolworths gained 3 per cent and Coles was up 1.7 per cent, while the big five banks closed higher. BHP dragged, down 0.4 per cent, and QBE Insurance fell 0.9 per cent after reporting 34,000 flood damage claims. Santos gained 1.2 per cent and Beach Energy gained 0.7 per cent, but Woodside and Worley declined. Three tiny mineral explorers surged after the Federal Government announced generous production grants. Australian Vanadium jumped 40 per cent, Arafura Resources gained 15.4 per cent, and Alpha HPA gained 15.2 per cent. The technology sector followed the Nasdaq higher, with Block Inc gaining 7 per cent, Life360 up 7.4 per cent, and WiseTech Global up 4.7 per cent. SEEK gained 4.3 per cent to an eight-week high of $29.96. The US Federal Reserve was expected to announce on Wednesday, early Thursday morning in Australia, that it would lift its official cash rate by 25 basis points to 0.5 per cent. Anything different would surprise markets. Biggest gains: Life360 7.4% Block Inc 7% Corporate Travel 5.3% Appen 4.8% WiseTech 4.7% Biggest declines: While he admits that as the writer of particular episodes there can be a morbid, masochistic desire to scroll through every comment, I always remind myself, its engagement, he says. If someone takes the time to write some scathing review, or to make some hilarious meme, or whatever it is, about something that youve created: Thanks! he laughs. Loading To hear Murphy tell it, the team had a similar attitude as they started work on season two. Whether loved or hated, Emily in Paris was clearly in the critical conversation, and thats flattering. I think that you can do a knee-jerk response: people didnt like this or that, we better not do that for season two. From what Ive learned from Darren over the years,there are a lot of things that the audience want in a show, that doesnt necessarily mean thats what you should give them, he says. Star has solidified his status as a pop-cultural icon with shows such as Beverly Hills 90210, Melrose Place and Sex and the City, all water cooler shows that got everyone talking. However, when Emily was first released, no one was near any literal water coolers as the global pandemic had most of us working from home. Some people found it fantastic travel escape, whereas others felt like it wasnt really reflective of the times. But, you know, it never intended to be, he says. The truly global reach of Netflix also contributed to all the noise. The show finds you, in much more ways, because there is this big tech behind streamers. The algorithms are like, Oh, you like Emily in Paris? Heres a link to a Ringarde T-shirt on Amazon or heres this girl on TikTok doing her take. The show has such a larger, continued life outside the actual parameters of the show itself, he observes. The happy ending for the cast and crew is that all the internet chatter has driven enough eyeballs to the show that Netflix has renewed it for seasons three and four. The great thing with the double renewal is that we have this opportunity to tell longer form stories. Its phenomenal and rare in television, and speaks to Netflixs confidence in the show. Sutton Foster as Liza and Peter Hermann as Charles in season six of Younger. Credit:Stan Murphy describes the team of writers as tight-knit and most of them had worked together on Emilys predecessor Younger. While the two shows have a lot in common, the reactions to them have been very different. Romcom Younger, which screens on Stan, is about a 40-year-old woman, Liza Miller (played by Sutton Foster) who lies about her age to get a job. The premise, which allowed them to explore issues around ageism and sexism, was a winning formula that just kept providing opportunities for story and character, says Murphy. Although it ran for an impressive seven seasons, was favourably reviewed, rated well and had a really faithful, dedicated fan base, Younger flew under the radar. Loading The absence of that intense scrutiny allowed them to enjoy the creative process and the gratitude for having had such a long run with an adored group of colleagues is evident throughout Murphys conversation. We love those characters and that story so much that weve had a hard time letting go of them, he reveals. While the two shows are set in heightened versions of already glamorous words (Younger, New York publishing; Emily, European luxury brands) Murphy says it is always emotion, not fantasy, driving them. Darren is actually very committed to making things feel grounded and motivated. We break Younger and Emily as a drama. He wants to know, how a character is feeling, why theyre doing what theyre doing? And then whats a surprising way for them to react that we maybe havent seen before, he explains. At 10.15am on Tuesday, young people across the country held their collective breath as the full bench of the Federal Court of Australia delivered an important judgment in Minister for Environment v Sharma. The case was an appeal by the Federal Environment Minister, Sussan Ley, against a previous ruling that she owed a duty of care to Australian children to take reasonable steps to avoid climate harm when deciding whether to approve a new coal mine. This morning, the full bench of the Federal Court upheld the ministers appeal. But while the appeal decision overturns the legal basis for a novel duty of care, what hasnt changed is the facts. Young climate activists Luca Saunders (L) and Natasha Abhayawickrama were emotional after Tuesdays verdict was handed down. Credit:Brook Mitchell In May last year, the primary judge, Justice Bromberg, found that climate change poses a very real and existential risk to the lives of Australian children who are alive today. In a truly landmark judgment, his Honour found that death and injury arising from climate harm will largely be inflicted by the inaction of this generation of adults, in what might fairly be described as the greatest inter-generational injustice ever inflicted by one generation of humans upon the next. Significantly, the full bench of the Federal Court unanimously rejected the Ministers attempts to challenge the courts findings of fact, noting that the nature of the risks and the dangers from global warming, including the possible catastrophe that may engulf the world and humanity were never in dispute. While the children will no doubt be considering whether to appeal todays decision to the High Court, regardless of what happens next, it is those factual findings on the science and effects of climate change that make the Sharma case so influential. With the internet, things are not always what they seem. Take the REA Group, the digital business that operates the realestate.com.au website. It is listed on the stock exchange, is majority owned by Rupert Murdochs News Corp and has been caught out registering a rather large number of website addresses that it really shouldnt have. Credit:John Shakespeare The practice is known as cybersquatting. Users click on an address but instead of calling up the website in question, get taken straight to the real estate site, whether they like it or not. One of the addresses is multilist.com.au, which appears to be the website of Multilist Real Estate, but the website address redirects to realestate.com.au. Other names are slightly more salacious (CBD accessed these purely for research purposes, you understand), including FindNudeDude.com.au and SexOnline.com.au, both of which were hastily decoupled from REAs site after a call from CBD. Talk about sexying up a real estate listing. A Victorian government plan to hire up to 1000 overseas health workers to tackle severe staff shortages in hospitals has so far attracted only about 100 people, heightening concerns the state could soon lack enough qualified people in essential services. Hospital sources unable to speak publicly have warned Victoria will have limited capacity to catch up on an elective surgery backlog unless state and federal governments ramp up efforts to recruit foreign health professionals. A plan to attract up to 1000 international healthcare workers has fallen well below its targets. Credit:Chris Hopkins In October last year the Andrews government announced a $2.5 million package to recruit up to 1000 extra healthcare workers living overseas to help ease pressure on the overburdened hospital system. The idea was to pay the relocation costs for nurses, doctors, midwives and allied health professionals, including Australians living overseas who wanted to come home. At the time, the government said priority for relocation assistance would be given to the first 1000 healthcare workers who started work at a Victorian health service, as soon as possible. ATAGI will also discuss fourth doses of COVID-19 vaccine for older and immunocompromised people and is expected to make a recommendation on this later in the week. At the meeting, ATAGI will discuss lowering the age for boosters currently available for people aged 16 and over according to a government source with knowledge of the process, who spoke on condition of anonymity. Dylan Nguyen Ton, 14, received his first Moderna shot last year. ATAGI is examining evidence from around the world on boosters for 12-15 year olds. Credit:Kate Geraghty The Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) is due to meet on Wednesday to discuss the next steps for the nations coronavirus vaccination program. The expert body that advises the federal government on vaccines is considering whether to recommend COVID-19 booster shots for children aged 12-15 years. They are potentially going to recommend a second booster, which would then be potentially the start of an annual program for people 65 and above, federal Health Minister Greg Hunt said on Friday. He said ATAGI had been doing deep research on immunity, on waning and on the situation around the world. Vaccine expert Professor Julie Leask, from the Sydney Institute for Infectious Diseases at the University of Sydney, said some believe the effort to boost the population should be focused on older people because theyre the ones that are turning up with severe disease in hospital, while serious disease was rare for children. But there are other considerations. People dont like to see low coverage rates in children. They dont like to see children affected by any disease ... So, whats important to the community often weighs in here [and] its usually reflected through our elected representatives, Professor Leask said. Epidemiologists were focused on reducing the burden of disease in the overall population, she said, and thats why they focus quite a lot on making sure that the immune system of older people is boosted. The biggest concern for us in Australia right now is, first of all, the small number of people whove had no vaccines, Professor Leask said. While it may seem straightforward to reveal if a murder has taken place at a home for sale, a principal with LMG Lawyers, David McKenzie, said there had been legal debate about what a material fact is and whether historical cases need to be revealed. Agents and vendors must disclose if a house has a dark past, but what is a dark past? Mr McKenzie said. Because what is a material fact for one person may not be a material fact for another. Inside 147 Easey Street, Collingwood which sold for $1,095,000 despite its dark past. A person could be very allergic to pets and could ask if the home has ever had pets in it and the vendor could say they never had a cat or dog, but its impossible to know the full history and whether pets have ever lived in the house. It makes for tricky legal interpretations, he said, including whether vendors and agents could be seen to be withholding information even if they were unaware. Victoria is not the only state with specific real estate disclosure laws, NSW also introduced legislation almost 20 years ago after a real estate agency selling a house linked to convicted triple murderer Sef Gonzales did not reveal the murders to the homes potential buyers. Gonzales killed his mother Mary, father Teddy and sister Clodine in their family home in Collins Street, North Ryde, in 2001. A disclosure also had to be made about this house in Greendale Street, Greenwich, which sold in 2018. Credit:Peter Rae When it was listed for sale in 2004, a couple who made an offer and paid a deposit were only made aware of the murders when they read about it in the newspapers. The couple complained to Fair Trading, resulting in the agency being fined and tighter laws introduced by the NSW government. Those laws have since resulted in a number of disclosures, including that of a home in Sydneys lower north shore which sold in 2018, where the mummified body of a man was discovered among piles of rubbish. The owner of the Greenwich home, who passed away in 2017, had been a hoarder, leaving behind the macabre discovery for forensic cleaners and a need for agents to disclose what had been found. The land in Greenwich was listed with plans for a new home to be built. The dilapidated home was bought for $2.07 million at auction before being torn down. The land and some associated building plans were put up for sale in 2020. Even though there was no legal requirement to disclose its grisly past in this second sale, Sydney agent Karl Ferguson said they still let buyers know what had happened. Why hide it when buyers only need to do a Google search on 31 Greendale Street to see all the stories of what took place there? Mr Ferguson said at the time. A similar stance was taken in Western Australia when the former home of convicted serial killers David and Catherine Birnie came up for sale in 2020. Potential buyers of the notorious former home of David and Catherine Birnie, signed paperwork to acknowledge the propertys past. The notorious couple, who lived at 3 Moorhouse Street, Willagee in 1986, were found guilty of the rape and murder of four women two of whom were killed in the home. A fifth victim who was kidnapped and assaulted on the premises escaped to raise the alarm. While there was no direct legal requirement to reveal the history of the home, with One Residential Palmyra selling agent Tony Papineau advised disclosure wasnt necessary after about 10 years, he still wanted potential buyers to know. WA and other states and territories are bound by Australian consumer laws to disclose pertinent facts during a sale. In WA, these rules are included as part of a code of conduct for real estate agents, but there are no national laws detailing what material facts should be revealed. The current owner, who paid $425,000 for the three-bedroom home, signed a written statement saying they had been told about the homes past before buying, as had others who inspected the property. People needed to know about the Willagee houses history, Mr Papineau said. Some people were concerned about it, some werent, Mr Papineau said. Some of them were just lookers, and felt they had some psychic connection and wanted to feel the vibe. He said it was important to reveal the homes past, particularly as it was so well known across the globe. China has described claims by the United States that Russia had asked for military equipment as malicious disinformation. The claims have been spread in a series of media reports in the United States and to allies via diplomatic briefings to Europe and Asia. As a US ally in Asia, Australia would have also received the briefing. The claims related to specific requests for military equipment including drones, surface-to-air missiles and armoured vehicles, but there is conjecture over whether the request was made by Moscow to Beijing at the beginning of the invasion on February 24 or more recently. Russia has denied it needed help as the conflict grinds on into its fourth week and Moscow grapples with troop, tank and weapon shortages after the death of up to 6000 Russian soldiers and the destruction of 465 heavy vehicles, including tanks. The capital Kyiv was hit by large explosions across the city before dawn on Tuesday as Russian troops moved within 15 kilometres of the capital. A series of strikes on a residential area started a fire inside a 15-storey apartment building, killing one and trapping others inside. Across Ukraine, many of Russias military offensives continued to stall under ineffective air power. US officials briefing the media in Washington said that more than 900 missiles had been launched by Russia, but Ukraine was still contesting the airspace. About 160 cars full of civilians were allowed to leave the besieged city of Mariupol, which is now running out of water, food and medicine. In the meeting in Rome between Beijings top foreign affairs official Yang Jiechi and US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan, Yang told Sullivan that China firmly opposes any words and deeds that spread false information, distort and smear Chinas position. A Ukrainian soldier passes by a destroyed a trolleybus and taxi after a Russian bombing attack in Kyiv. Credit:AP China does not want to see the situation in Ukraine come to this point, said Yang. China is committed to promoting peace talks, and the international community should jointly support the Russia-Ukraine peace talks to achieve substantive results as soon as possible. But Chinas unwillingness to condemn the actions of Russia, a country that it has described as its most important strategic partner since its invasion of Ukraine began in February, has led the Biden administration to claim that it is tacitly supporting Moscows actions. US State Department spokesman Ned Price said Sullivan raised directly and very clearly our concerns about [Chinas] support to Russia in the wake of the invasion, and the implications that any such support would have for [Chinas] relationship not only with us but for its relationships around the world. Birmingham said that, after sanctioning Russian ally Belarus in February, Australia had shown it was willing to take sanctions against those players who support Russia in ways that underpin Russias atrocious attacks on Ukraine. We will continue to do that to any and all in relation to actions that in any way support Russias assault on the Ukrainians, he said. What we encourage China to do is stand up for the sovereignty of Ukraine. Stand up for the rights of Ukrainian people and apply pressure on Russia to cease this war, to stop this war, on Vladimir Putin to end the killing of Ukrainians. China has hit Australia with $20 billion in trade strikes over the past two years after Australia banned Huawei, called for an independent inquiry into the origins of COVID-19 and raised human rights concerns about Chinas treatment of Xinjiang and Hong Kong. Australia has not directly sanctioned Chinese officials involved in either region, after passing Magnitsky laws last year, but has backed sanctions by the US and Britain. The US has been co-ordinating with allies to establish a threshold at which China would cross the line in its assistance to Russia, triggering fresh sanctions. The response to that breach would be co-ordinated across Europe, the US and Asia. Loading Governments could levy economic sanctions on Chinese individuals, companies and financial institutions, seizing their assets or preventing them from doing business - but they would need to be matched by partners around the world to stop them from being evaded. China makes up more than 18 per cent of the global economy, compared with Russias 3 per cent, meaning any action against China would be felt around the world. Ratings agency Moodys on Tuesday said the war in Ukraine had hurt the global economy just as it started showing signs of bouncing back from COVID-19 and that oil, gas, shipping, car manufacturing and electronic supplies were all now being hit. The myriad risks to supply-chain normalisation come just as they were beginning to recover from the disruptions of COVID-19, it said in a note to investors. David Silbey, an associate professor in military history at Cornell University in Washington, said China had yet to decide what role it would play in the conflict. Loading In a cynical great power move, they could supply arms to the Russians to keep the US and the European nations focused on Ukraine and distract them from Asia, he said. Two women wrangle over a man who may not be good enough for either of them. The man himself doesn't appear, but he's easily recognizable from the women's discussion. He's a mediocre traveling salesman from Brooklyn, with a joke for every occasion and two teenage sons. One woman is his wife of many years, the other is his mistress in Boston. Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman is clearly the model for Eleanor Burgess's Wife of a Salesman, although the nameless characters are identified only as Wife and Mistress. Burgess also alters the Death time frame. She sets Wife in the early 1950s with the sons still teens and the salesman still alive. That's about 20 years later than the Death flashback when Biff Loman catches his dad with a woman in Boston, the incident which poisons their lives. The nameless women and the different time period may be devices to avoid copyright issues, but they also position the new play as more than an extension of Miller's classic. It's a much broader examination of marriage, motherhood, and a woman's participation in any relationship, with Wife (Kate Fry) and Mistress (Amanda Drinkall) landing good punches at each other, men, and social convention in Burgess's pointed and facile (in the best sense) script. By stages, the hostility between Wife and Mistress gives way to bonding as unexpected details are revealed. For instance, Mistress left evidence in the salesman's car for Wife to find ("I thought you should know the truth," she says), and Wife had an illegal abortion to avoid having another child. Then, midway through the 90-minute work we learn that (spoiler alert) Wife of a Salesman is a play-within-a-play and we're watching a rehearsal. The play's comically annoying male director (Rom Barkholder) appears, and he and the actors discuss the play and its connections to Death of a Salesman. One of the women observes that Arthur Miller's main point is "that men are miserable because they try to find the meaning of life through their jobs." It's also precisely Wife's fix, although left unspoken: she's sought meaning through marriage and motherhood her job and she clings fiercely to her beliefs. Mistress projects different values, yet craves something better for herself, which Wife warns she won't find with the salesman or any man. Wife compares herself to an apple and vehemently says you can't eat the apple and throw away the core, referring to her years of self-sacrifice and compromise. It's a direct parallel to the moment in Death when Willy Loman tells his young boss, "You can't eat the orange and throw away the peel a man is not a piece of fruit!" Director Jo Bonney has guided esteemed Chicago actors Fry and Drinkall to outstanding performances as Wife and Mistress. Both characters are strong women with deep vulnerabilities, trying hard not to wear their hearts on their sleeves. Fry convincingly plays into the stiff and restricting look of Wife's costume, appearing tall and proper in a calf-length brown tweed suit, which is stylish but conservative (Raquel Adorno designed the period-realistic costumes). By contrast, Drinkall is relaxed and more fluid in a louche lounge outfit of white and pale-pink stripes with blue trim, as Mistress casually sprawls on the bed or hangs her feet over the sofa arm. And why not? The play takes place in her spacious and comfortable studio apartment, a rounded thrust platform decorated in light-patterned wallpaper (Courtney O'Neill is the scenic designer). A high-up curved ceiling piece is draped with dozens of women's stockings, a reference to a running device in Death of a Salesman. However, several unexpected old-hat flourishes a cathedral radio and a non-electric icebox confuse the time period a bit, which, remember, is the early 1950s. If Wife of a Salesman has a weakness, it's that it feels more like an intellectual exercise than an emotional investment. It's an open-ended discussion with no definitive takeaway, especially after a crucial late revelation and a closing physical confrontation. One is conscious of the Death points-of-reference and of the perspectives being presented, and aware that Burgess's purpose is less about storytelling and more about demolishing narrow aspects of "conventional wisdom" which still remain prevalent. The play offers plenty to think about broadly, but not so much to care about personally, as Wife and Mistress end in a draw, with attention still needing to be paid. Pedestrians walk along the street next to a homeless encampment as temperatures continue to soar past 115 degrees Thursday, June 17, 2021, in Phoenix. This photo provided by Orange County Sheriff's Office shows Miya Marcano in Orlando, Fla. Authorities found the body of the missing Florida college student who disappeared September. Iowa hospitality industry leader: We have to learn how to do things with fewer employees Staff Reporter RaeLynn Ricarte is the author of two books and an award-winning editor and reporter with more than 25 years in the newsroom. She now covers government in Eastern Washington for The Center Square. In this 2014 filed photo, Alana Sutton works on an engine at a Harley-Davidson plant in Menomonee Falls, Wis. Instant unlimited access to all of our E-Editions and content on thechronicleonline.com. The Chronicle E-Edition Newsletter emailed to you each week, the night before the paper hits the street! This subscription is for NEW or RENEWING online subscribers. (The charge will appear as "Country Media Inc." on your credit card statement) We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Send us your news, photos, and videos and let us know what's going on! Submit Here Local Jeff Tech students share successes with Jefferson County Commissioners Alex Nelson The Jefferson County Commissioners are pictured with the Jeff Tech students who presented at the most recent meeting about their accomplishments at the school. From left: Commissioners Scott North and Jeff Pisarcik, Jeff Tech Board Chairman Fred Park, Miranda Beane, Lauren Wingert, Skylar Allshouse, Mariska Isaac, Kayla Ceriani, Jeff Tech Director Barry Fillman, Michael Ford, T.J. Weaver, and Commissioner Herb Bullers. BROOKVILLE Students from Jeff Tech (Jefferson County Vocational Technical School) attended last weeks Jefferson County Commissioners meeting to share their accomplishments and what type of impact the school has had on them. Jeff Tech Director Barry Fillman opened the presentation by saying the school was fortunate to have a great relationship with the county from day one. He then gave the students the chance to share what they do at the school. Kayla Ceriani is a third-year cosmetology student from Brockway. She participated in Skills USA, creating a braided updo and getting fourth place. She hopes to travel the world giving those in need haircuts, like a mission trip but as a hairstylist. She said the school accepts appointments from the community for the students getting their clinic hours on Wednesdays and Thursdays from noon to 2:45 p.m. Students can do manicures, pedicures, hair cuts, and colors. T.J. Weaver spoke about his three years of work in the auto body technology department. He started working for Kelly Chrysler Collision in Brookville in December through the schools co-op program. He said he prefers working on older model cars. I know weve had some county vehicles, and Tracy (Zents) sitting there, he brought a truck over there last year or the year before and you guys did a great job, Commissioner Jeff Pisarcik said. Weavers dad is also a graduate of Jeff Tech and is the current welding instructor. He is thinking about going into the military before opening his own auto body shop. Miranda Beane has been in the culinary arts program for four years, and brought banana bread with her for those in attendance. She later said she preferred baking to cooking, something Fillman recalled has been the case since her first year at Jeff Tech. She is planning to attend IUP Punxsutawney to focus on pastries and hopes to open her own bakery one day. Skylar Allshouse is a member of the welding technology department, in her fourth year. She has several years of experience competing in Skills USA, which she shared. She also works at Superior Energy Resources in Brockway through co-op. She had her first opportunity at Skills USA in her sophomore year, and made it to states. Unfortunately she did not go to Hershey because of COVID-19. She competed last year and earned third place. This year, because of the number of students participating in the metal sculpture competition, she was given a fast track to states, and did not participate in districts. She is making a dump truck as her sculpture to honor her mother, who is recovering from COVID. My mother is a dump truck driver, and she had a very big incident with COVID this year. Both my mother and my step-dad were in the hospital from October to December. My stepdad was released in November and he has gone back to work and been doing very well. My mother is slowly recovering, but she is getting better. I figured that doing the dump truck would be something to help her out and get her through her struggling, Allshouse said. Allshouse would like to continue working with Superior Energy after she graduates, and attend BC3 Brockway for business management. She is considering starting her own business. Michael Ford is in his third year with the diesel mechanic program, and is also employed with Superior Energy through co-op. He is the president of his shop. He brought a JPro system with him to show the commissioners, explaining it is a computer system he can use to reprogram trucks. It is used as diagnostic and troubleshooting software on commercial vehicles. When eighth grade hit, youve got to make that decision. Do you want to go to Jeff Tech or do you want to stay at Brockway. I just went with my gut and went with Jeff Tech, Ford said. I would never go back to Brockway, I love Jeff Tech. I actually say Jeff Tech is my home school. He is still deciding if he wants to be a mechanic or go into truck driving when he finishes school. Lauren Wingert is a senior in the digital arts program, and she focuses on photography. She brought some of her photos with her to show the commissioners. She attended Skills USA in ninth grade and won third place. This year she is going to states for website design. She is hoping to become a photographer for interstate studios when she graduates. Fillman said Wingert has done a lot of the work on the marketing products for Jeff Tech. Finally, Mariska Isaac is a junior in the advanced manufacturing program, and is in her second year with the program. She has completed four and a half of the National Institute of Metalworking Skills (NIMS), which she said are like SATs for machine shops. There are seven in total, which she said usually takes four years to complete. She said she is a fast learner and likes working with her hands, which has helped her get through the NIMS faster. I think it goes without saying These are extremely dedicated students. They work hard and do what theyre asked to do and theyre going to be the leaders tomorrow, and thats why shes so far ahead. They all are, Fillman said. Mind. Body. Control. Uncover the dark truth in Power Trip, a new investigative series with original reporting from New York Magazine. Photo-Illustration: by The Cut; Photo: Getty Images On this weeks episode of Cover Story: Power Trip, one of the participants of an MDMA-assisted-therapy clinical trial gets her hands on the data. Though her symptoms of PTSD lessened immensely with treatment and she was a success story on paper, she left the experiment more torn and depressed than before. Collaborator Lily Kay Ross and partner Dave Nickles turn to MAPS, the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies, for answers. Why did the data make it seem like every participant was a success story when that was not the case? To hear more about the clinical trial and how MAPS defined the success of the participants, subscribe for free on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen, and find the full transcript below. Just a quick note: This series deals with sexual assault and suicide, so please keep that in mind when you decide when and where to listen. Also, to protect their identities, weve changed the names of some of the people weve interviewed. Lily Kay Ross: I want to take you back one more time to the talk that Meaghan gave about her experiences in the MAPS clinical trial. There she was looking like another poster woman for MDMA healing and feeling torn up inside about what was happening back on Cortes. After she gave her talk, something really important happened. She got into a conversation with the man in charge of this whole research project. Rick Doblin was also talking at the same conference. Shed been asking herself a lot of different questions about the study and her own place in it. And she realized in this conversation that this was it, this was her opening. So she asked Rick Doblin for the data from all the research sites in her clinical trial. Meaghan: I said I was a clinical trial participant and I would love to see the clinical trial data. Do you think hed send it to me? And he said, sure. Lily: And this moment was the key to a doorway that we didnt even know existed when we started our investigation. Meaghan has told Dave and me a lot about her escape from Cortes Island. Meaghan: It was hard splitting from my ex-therapists. Lily: It takes a few attempts before she finally gets out. Meaghan: I was tied to them in this wretched way. Dave Nickles: And as she takes account of those experiences, she realizes that there might be things she can do to hold her therapists accountable. Lily: She tries to report Richard Yensen to multiple agencies that oversee psychologists. Dave: But she discovers that hes not actually licensed as a therapist. Lily: She also starts questioning what is in that data that shes gotten from Rick Doblin Meaghan: I just wanted to sit down and go through it, so I did. Lily: This is a 90-ish page submission to the FDA that summarizes findings from across every MAPS study site for their PTSD research at the time. Meaghan: And then I just went, what the hell? And so I read it again and Im just like, are you fucking kidding me? And then I hauled out my pen. Why are they comparing apples to oranges? Because if there are seven different clinical trials and yet the patient screening is different and these patients were recruited. Lily: If Meaghan thought that getting the data from Rick Doblin was going to answer her questions, it only raised more. She was reading about a bunch of tiny study sites that all had different rules and they all showed widely different outcomes. Meaghan: It was just like screaming red flags to me. Lily: The document includes unpublished data to support MAPS claim that MDMA was a promising treatment for PTSD and that the research should move on to Phase 3. Dave: We had heard rumors of therapists spooning with trial participants, rumors of trials that were stopped and restarted. Lily: Now we had the document to look at, to pull apart, to ask questions about. So we started investigating. We started reaching out to experts to hopefully tell us that we were just wrong. We wanted to talk with research ethicists people with a background in psychological and psychiatric research And Dr. Erick Turner, who used to review psych drugs for the FDA. Erick Turner: I havent seen an End of Phase Two briefing document since I was at the FDA. Lily: The document that we are talking about is the end of Phase 2 submission to the FDA. Its a companion document to a meeting where theyre deciding if the research can move from Phase 2 to phase 3. Erick: The FDA is going to say, yes, thats fine. Or theyll say, ah, well Phase three is the definitive look at whether the drug is effective and whether its safe. Lily: The last phase before MDMA in combination with psychotherapy could be approved for PTSD. Meaghan: For me, I was just like my heads exploding. Lily: Meaghan brought us this data and her questions about it. And we would be like, Hey, have you seen this? Sometimes it would jog her memory and she would be like, well, let me tell you about that one. Each of us talked to other participants in MAPS clinical trials Dave: And those participants talked to other participants. Meaghan: I think its pretty rad that its people from the clinical trial who are doing this work. Lily: It would take hours and hours to walk you through everything that weve learned in the depth and the detail that it deserves. But for now, we want to focus on three big ideas. Dave: Three big ideas that make us worry that MDMA-assisted therapy isnt as safe or effective as the MAPS researchers claim. Lily: And the first of those ideas is this concept called equipoise. A couple of months back, one of the researchers was explaining this concept of clinical equipoise, which is the idea that the people involved in doing research should be equally prepared to figure out if this works? Does this not work? Dr. Emma Tumilty studies research ethics and misconduct. Emma Tumilty: So if the Catholic Church was going to set up a bunch of trials to tell you how holy water was efficacious, we would all take those with a pinch of salt. We might think it was because the Vatican wanted more gold or we might think its because they believed in it, their motivations dont matter. but you would generally think, well, Id like somebody else to do that study. Lily: Obviously, this is an issue in all scientific research. Any pharmaceutical company thats putting all the resources into investigating a new drug wants for that drug to work. But in the case of psychedelics, its the money, plus a whole movement cheerleading and even participating in the research. We have to start with Rick Doblin. Rick Doblin: The first time I took MDMA, I was just stunned at how profound the experience was. I knew that it was great for PTSD. Dave: Even as this research is going forward while therapists and participants are still being recruited for studies Doblin is often out in public saying things like: Rick: It seems to work for a vast majority of the people in the hardest cases, and so dont give up hope. Lily: You have this really exciting media narrative of the latest intervention that is gonna help alleviate so much human suffering. And people within the movement of psychedelics feel like Doblin is this hero for getting the mainstream to accept these drugs. Rick: To bring psychedelics back from the underground, it was necessary to have a patient population that the general public is sympathetic with. You know Ive often felt that we dont do science, we do political science. Lily: In medical research, there are ways to combat the influence of hype and true belief: you have to design your research with checks and balances. And one of the most common is that you blind your study. This basically just means that neither the researchers nor the participants know if theyre getting the medicine or a placebo. But the big problem with psychedelics is that almost everyone knows if theyre high. And The whole blinding thing mostly just goes out the window. Dave: This combination of hype and the impossibility of blinding affects the researchers. And also the participants in their studies. Mel: Everyone knows that if this is successful, it gets FDA approval and this miracle cure can go out to millions. That message right there gave this incredible sense of responsibility. If Im not successful, Im going to fuck it up for all the rest of America. Lily: Mel remembers hearing about the clinical trials on TV. Mel: I remember this guy, he was on the news. He had tried to kill himself. I think three times had the gun to his head. And every time the gun malfunctioned. His story was the one that I was like, there we go. It worked for him. It can work for me. Dave: Gotcha. Lily: So, was that the moment that you decided that you wanted in? Mel: Yeah. Three times he was ready to go. Dave: From the outset, Mel put a lot of work into making sure shed get accepted into the trial. Mel: I got the MAPS protocol. I read all the exclusion criteria and tried to understand exactly where I needed to land to get in. I got all of the assessments that they use, the CAPS five. The one thing I remember is that question that followed like every question was how much does that bother you? What kind of a fucking question is that? How much does that bother you? Like a shit ton, it bothers me, what the fuck? Like I remember that used to aggravate me. But I took the CAPS several times to make sure that my answers wouldnt come off too extreme. Dave: Even once the trial started, Mels desire to succeed affected what she did and didnt tell her therapists. Lily: Can you tell us a bit about what the active sessions were like? Mel: A lot of conversation about trusting my bodys ability to heal itself. Lily: I think they call it inner healing intelligence? Mel: Yes, the inner healer, thats it! To listen to the inner healer. I dont know where my inner healer is. I still dont. That was so annoying because I didnt understand it, but it was what I was supposed to do. I was supposed to trust my inner healer and ignore my inner critic. It was very vague. And not entirely helpful. Dave: Did you say anything like that to your therapists? Mel: No. I didnt want to insult them. They believe it. And Im sure they believe it because theyve seen it work for some people. And thats what I need to do and If I cant figure that out, thats on me. LILY: Mel and all the participants that we spoke to remember the researchers telling them: you are so lucky to be in this trial. She told us she felt she had a responsibility to succeed. Mel: I felt like I just needed to report how I was getting better, how things were improving. It didnt feel like therapy. It felt like reporting. And I think part of the problem is, whos reporting. Im the one reporting all of this. Im the one who wants nothing more than to be better. Im the one who doesnt want to disappoint my therapists. Im the one who doesnt want to screw everything up for every other person who wants to try this medicine. Dave: How would you define disappointing them? Mel: By not being better. That all their hard work was for nothing. Lily: Is it fair to say that you wanted to believe that it was working? Mel: Yeah. I wanted to believe that it was working. Dave: At the end of the trial when Mel had to answer the questions on that test called the CAPS, she says her answers were driven more by that belief than by what she was feeling. Mel: I started high as having severe PTSD symptoms and I ended very low as having minimal to none. Lily: And do you feel that that was reflective of what your lived experience was? Mel: No. I think in the end I had more symptoms than when I started. And now it was coupled with the fact that I had been given a miracle cure and wasted it. That I had tasted what life is supposed to be like. And somehow I managed to blow it. Dave: So, without revealing her identity, we brought Mels story to one of MAPS leading researchers. Lily: Theres a person we spoke to who told us that they didnt tell MAPS researchers that they were going through a really hard time, precisely because they didnt want to be a black mark on the research. Dr. Michael Mithoefer: Well thats a challenge, too Ive heard people tell me the same kind of thing. That they didnt want to hurt the research results. Dave: Dr. Michael Mithoefer is MAPS Senior Medical Director. He wasnt surprised by Mels story. He told us hes also experienced this idea of expectancy being a problem. Michael: Our approach to that is to impress upon people, what helps us the most is for you to let us know what youre experiencing. And we want to know if youre having difficulty and we try hard to help people get over that worry about hurting the study, but its because its kind of, theres a lot of media that makes that more challenging. Dr. Mithoefer: MAPS has an aggressive media campaign. Micheal: It would be a lot easier if we could just quietly do the research without any attention, but thats not the situation. Lily: Dr. Mithoefer explained to us that expectancy can kind of cut both ways - sometimes expectancy can cause people to report feeling better than they are and sometimes it can cause people to be extra disappointed if the treatment isnt working for them. Dr. Mithoefer: Weve certainly had people that felt they werent helped nearly as much as other people. But in our questionnaires, theyve never said they were worse off afterward. LILY: Mel told us she was worse off after the trial maybe you remember the analogy she used to describe what she felt like. Mel: Like someone did open heart surgery, but then everyone just walked away from the table and my chest was still wide open. LILY: At that point she was done with the trial and she didnt tell anyone from MAPS how much she was struggling. Mel: Three months later, suicide was not just a daily option. It was a moment-to-moment option. Lily: The research paper that included her trial data came out in Nature Medicine and, by the numbers, she was one of the people who got better. Lily: Can you tell us about the sort of overall feeling you have towards your therapists from the trial? Mel: Its so mixed. I know that they cared about me. I know that they had really good intentions. Lily: Mel doesnt blame her therapists for any of what happened to her. She says that she thinks people like Dr. Mithoefer and the people over at MAPS are just doing what they believe in. She just worries about that. Mel: They believe that theyve found a miracle cure, but theyre so blinded by what they believe that they found, they cant see the truth. I do not doubt in my mind that that soldier who put the gun to his head three times is doing wonderful. Im not doubting his experience or his story in any way, or any of the people who have been in the media and shared their experience. But what Im saying is I dont think that were outliers. I think were more the norm. And theyre the exception and its a beautiful exception and Im thrilled for them. And freely admit that I am jealous of them. But you cant pick and choose what you show. Lily: The trial participants whove found their way to us are saying that by the numbers, they got better. But they feel like some things got worse. If Mels story is about not telling researchers how hard things werethe next story is about someone who did try and tell - yelled and called and emailed and rattled the cage- Leah: I was trying to communicate that I was not okay. Dave But who also never saw her experience reflected in the published research. Leah: You can only capture the things you measure. And the things they measured made me look pretty good on paper. So like on my final CAPS, I looked like the all-star participant. Lily: So big, bold takeaway number two has to do with what you measure and what you dont measure. Dave: What makes it into the frame or doesnt. Leah was one of the trial participants we talked to from the Phase 3 clinical trials so that would be the last set of trials before the FDA potentially approves this drug/therapy combination for the public. Lily: At the beginning of the study, she was asked to select one trauma that would be the focus of her assessment. Leah: You have to pick the one biggest trauma. And Ive had multiple traumatic experiences. So, I picked the one that led to the PTSD diagnosis. I think it mightve been a bit hard for my therapist to keep up. Dave: It was just a large volume of traumatic experiences. And, as the trial progressed, she was scared there wouldnt be time to deal with it. Leah: I was feeling this very subtle, but growing sense of danger in the relationship with the therapists, cause like feeling that depending on anybody is kind of terrifying. Dave: She voiced this concern to her therapists and they told her to trust the process. Leah: They did a lot of things like trying to reframe it as this is a new beginning. And I would get pissed off at them because I was like, this is not, no, youre not hearing me right now. Dave: And when she got to the end of the trial, Leah: Something was not right? What did I say? Like hell was inside of me and was only halfway out and it got stuck. I felt like I got stuck. And I was supposed to leave. I couldnt make my body go. And I could tell that they were getting frustrated with me. And they walked me out. I made it like half a block and ended up puking in the back alley. Lily: The participants weve spoken to have said ending this therapy after three MDMA sessions was really hard. And its something Dr. Mithoefer told us he knows can be difficult. Dr. Mithoefer: We find that difficult also. People do deep work and its over a relatively short period of time when its in a clinical trial. Lily: Ethics-wise, in a clinical trial, researchers have a responsibility to pay close attention to participants who are saying theyre not okay at the end of the trial. MAPS says that they do, that they provide an exit plan. And that plan can include referrals to doctors and therapists. MAPS also told us something surprising to the other researchers weve talked to, their research therapists are allowed to keep working with trial participants, as long as the trial has ended. And as long as that specific study site allows it. Dr. Mithoefer: It is inherently challenging in clinical trials that you do this deep work with a pair of therapists, and then after a few months that ends. Lily: And the thing is, yes its a clinical trial, but its also the number of sessions that MAPS is asking the FDA to review. And yet, in the published research and in the news its really hard to find any discussion of people suffering because those sessions arent enough. Dave: Leah has a whole list of really hard experiences, both during and after the trial which to other researchers we talked to, seems like a big deal. And worth bringing to the publics attention. Lily: But they also havent appeared in MAPSs papers. Dave: For example, in between the sessions, Leah says she was dipping really low. Leah: I dont think Ive ever before or since, felt like that level of depression. I could barely move my body. Lily: So MAPS offers trial participants access to this emergency phone line that goes to their research therapists phone and Leah says her therapists told her to go ahead and call them if she needed to talk. She says they also let her know that if the calls went longer than 30 minutes, they were gonna have to record that in the study data. Dave: At the time, just like Mel, she didnt want her own experience to be a stumbling block to the broader public having access to this miracle cure. She wanted to help make the research look as promising as possible - so she kept the calls under the limit. Lily: Weve looked at Leahs cell phone records and there are multiple calls a week with her therapists that last for just under 30 minutes. Dave: Leah says the calls made her feel even more dependent on her therapists. But none of this, not the intense feelings of dependence or even the calls themselves, made it into the narrative. Lily: Three weeks after the trial is over, Leah really goes downhill. Leah: I emailed them that I was in crisis and I needed support. Lily: She wrote: I dont know if Im allowed to ask, but I need to talk to someone, please. Leah: Over the course of the next few months, I emailed them in crisis probably three or four times. Lily: I am really scared of whats happening to me. Leah: I was extremely suicidal by then. Lily: I feel like Im a ticking time bomb and Im scared Im going to explode my life even more than it already is. Leah: I just got these very curt responses, bouncing me back to my therapists. I needed someone who knew about MDMA therapy, because I felt like I was having things that were specific to their expertise. I couldnt access it anywhere else. I kept having these visions that would pop up spontaneously. Lily: Delusions. Paranoia. What she described as leftover psychedelic effects. Leah: Id go to the grocery store and I brushed shoulders with this man. Then, the next thing I knew, I was him at age four and my dad was coming at me with a belt and I was hiding behind a furnace. It felt like I was starting to have other peoples mostly traumatic memories. Lily: Theres a pretty common understanding that certain people are predisposed to psychotic symptoms after taking psychedelics. For example, people with bipolar disorder or borderline personality disorder. I want to be clear: Leah has no personal or family history of psychosis, bipolar, or personality disorders. MAPS screened her for all of that, and they just wouldnt have let her into the trial if she did. Dave: Other psychedelic researchers have told us that the symptoms Leah was talking about were definitely red flags. Leah: I didnt really know what to make of these experiences. Lily: It started just days after her last MDMA session and then escalated. Leah: Like at last a few times a week. This was part of the reason why I was really focused on having somebody who knew about psychedelics. Lily: So she emailed her MAPS therapists. Leah: And even when I wrote about having leftover psychedelic effects they kind of just sort of just glossed that one over and were like, this isnt about psychedelics. This is about your attachment problems and your trauma. Lily: Their response to her really highlights this idea of whats in the frame and whats not in the frame. Because the way that they view it, what shes going through now, isnt related to the MDMA trial. They think that its just related to her trauma in general. Lily: We asked Dr. Mithoefer about this, how can you sort through whether symptoms like that are or are not related to the clinical trial? Dr. Mithoefer: Well, its very difficult for me to comment on some situation that I know very little about Lily: Dr Mithoefer told us that he couldnt comment on Leahs specific case. Dr. Mithoefer: Im sure all therapists dont do everything perfectly at all times. Lily: MAPS has generally said that these symptoms are not related to the clinical trial - they attribute them either to the original trauma, or to the process of psychotherapy - but not the MDMA session. But other researchers have told us that in an untested therapy like this one - you should exercise a lot of caution, and look really closely at any symptoms that come up. Understandably, Leah gets more and more upset as they continue to deny theres any connection between whats happening to her and the clinical trial. So on one hand, she told us, she was feeling terrible about herself - like this was all her fault. And on the other hand Leah: I kind of snapped and I lashed out at them by email. Lily: About six months after the last MDMA session, she writes to her therapists: This situation is not okay. You gave me a drug that would make me trust you and bond with you. And then you severed that attachment. She starts dropping f-bombs.Where the fuck is the concern for participants wellbeing after the study? Who the fuck designs, a researcher protocol that leaves people in this kind of shape and then cuts ties with them? Where the fuck is the aftercare? Lily: The therapists write back and say Leah: I feel surprised by your email. I do not experience our connection as severed, nor have I cut ties with you. However, Im sorry for not responding to some emails. I can see how that would make you feel abandoned. Lily: It sounds like a young part that wants to sabotage all of the healing and growth that I witnessed in you. Leah: It was a power struggle for who got to tell this story of what was wrong with me. Lily: There comes a point where Leahs therapists do eventually offer her more sessions. By that time its half a year later their rapport is really strained and talking to her therapists is making Leah feel a whole lot worse. But something important starts to happen around the same time: Leah starts to meet other participants from other study sites. And she realizes that shes not the only one. And as she hears their stories she gets more furious than ever and she becomes really set on making sure that her own experience gets on the record, one way or another. Leah: I started coming up with very elaborate plans. I wrote like probably dozens, if not more, suicide notes that I was planning on sending to the media, because I wanted to really make it clear that this was tied to the MDMA trial. Lily: In June of 2020, she writes to the principal investigator for the site where she did her therapy. Leah: I told her I think that there are things that you dont understand about the drugs that youre using. And I think you need to know whats happening to me Lily: The investigator asks her to consider sending along a write-up summary of her experience in the trial. Leah: So I did. I wrote a pretty long document really detailing everything. Lily: In that writeup, Leah outlines a couple of adverse events like suicidal thoughts starting to turn into actions, she says PTSD symptoms were returning, she had difficulty caring for herself. Leah: And I also wrote that I was having leftover psychedelic effects. Lily: The principal investigator thanks her and assures her that theyre exploring all of this and that its going to have an impact on their research. Leah: Multiple people at multiple levels of the organization were looking into this and that they were taking it very seriously. Lily: And they were going to share what theyve learned with her. Over three months after Leah makes contact the principal investigator writes to say that it turns out she doesnt have any more information to share, aside from that they updated the informed consent form a little bit. But she assures Leah that her experience will have an impact on the research thats done. Dave: At some later point, Leah asked MAPS to help pay for therapy she needed after the trial. MAPS declined, writing, there is no evidence of a study related injury. We actually spoke to one of her doctors and he confirmed Leahs view - that shed been a quote high functioning person before the trial, he also said it was reasonable to make the association between her decline and the trial. Lily: So then fast forward to May 10th, 2021. Phase three results are published. Dave: There was a huge celebration within the psychedelic research community. Lily: It seemed like MDMA for severe PTSD was not only impressively effective, but that there seemed to be very little potential for harm. So the study comes out and Leah is reading it. And shes thinking, where is my experience of the study in this paper? Leah: There was a line in it that basically was saying like one participant from the MDMA group pulled out before the trial ended, because of a severe lowering of mood following one of the MDMA sessions, and otherwise, no adverse events of lowering of mood following MDMA sessions were reported. I had very severe mood drops after all three of my MDMA sessions that my therapists were aware of. And like lowering of mood after an MDMA session is not quite as serious on the grand scheme of things as was acutely suicidal for a fucking year after the study ended. Lily: Theres no mention of leftover psychedelic effects in the nature article. So these are three major events for Leah that seemed to have just disappeared from the scientific record. Dave: So weve gone to MAPS and asked them where this persons experience is? And why isnt it reflected in the data or the discussion of these results? Lily: MAPS told us that reports of negative experiences following study termination are not considered SAE or serious adverse events, by the FDA. Basically, they arent captured in the study data. MAPS added that thats why the long term follow up studies are so important to fill in that gap. Dave: In Leahs case, her long term follow up was planned for a year after her trial. It was actually over 20 months before she was contacted about it. Lily: When they did get in touch, Leah asked a bunch of questions about the informed consent document that shed have to sign to participate. Shed been talking to a researcher friend who thought her concerns were big enough to ask about. Dave: In an email the MAPS researcher wrote back: My understanding is that you are declining study participation because the consent form raises concerns for you. Two hours later Leah wrote back. No youve misunderstood and said she just had some questions so she could feel safe participating. Lily: Leah reminded them she had negative experiences and that she wanted those on the scientific record. But in the end they wrote it would be inappropriate for her to participate in the long term follow up. Dave: All of this goes back to that question of framing. The way that you collect data affects the stories that you tell to the world. Lily: When participants negative experiences are ignored, we cant learn from it and we cant evaluate safety or efficacy. Lily: So here is a thing thats unusual about these clinical trials. Theyre combining a drug - MDMA - with psychotherapy. And this is a big deal because the FDA does not usually regulate psychotherapies. Now for takeaway number three: What we like to talk about as the black box of therapy. MAPS presents these core ideas for how the therapy is supposed to be carried out. And its a, what they call a non-directive approach to therapy. The whole idea is that the therapists arent there to intervene or be heavy handed. Its not for the therapists to lead. This is the participants trip. Carlin: Lily, its good to see you. I havent seen you in a really long time. Lily: The person in charge of training at MAPS now is someone Ive known since my days as an aspiring psychedelic guide. And she told us that, for their most recent clinical trials, MAPS has been training all of its therapists to offer touch when its helpful Carlin: Touch, like a hand to hold. Lily: But to keep touch minimal. Carlin: And practicing what that would look like. What parts of the body that would include or not include, times and situations that you would or wouldnt offer it? Lily: But in that manual, they give to all the therapists that they work with, they also list like a dozen different types of therapy that they say might occur spontaneously. And that list is broad. And colorful. Erick: Whats this? Holotropic Breathwork? Lily: Back when we met up with former FDA regulator Erick Turner, we walked him through the therapy manual. Erick: Prolonged exposure, PE. Cognitive processing. Okay. So far so good. Lily: It includes things people are more familiar with, but a lot of them are a bit more esoteric. Erick: Internal family systems. IFS voice dialogue. Hakomi Lily: Hakomi, which is very popular with Francoise Bourzat and her followers. Erick: Psychosynthesis Lily: Psychosynthesis happens to be the name of the therapy that was designed by the infamous Salvador Roquet Erick: Blah, blah, blah. Okay. Lily: Holotropic breathwork, which is like a hyperventilating to get high, healing modality popular among Boomer hippies. Erick: Sounds like its kind of going to be real loosey goosey. I mean, usually in a clinical trial, you want one variable. You want to know: what is the drug doing? And if you add in a second variable, what one therapist compared to another could be doing, administering their therapy in very different ways Lily: They say the aim is to establish a standardized approach to treatment. And at the same time to provide creative latitude Erick: To provide creative latitude. This is pretty frank, just say creative latitude, apply their own intuition and training. So its really enabling them to say, do whatever you feel like in the moment. We trust you. Lily: Back in 2016, when Meaghan got that document the one that summarized all the data from all the phase 2 trials one of the things that really stood out to her was they were pooling all this data from these really small studies around the world and she could see that different therapist teams had wildly different outcomesbut they were all mixed together as the evidence to show how well this was working. For example, the results from one therapist team were twice as good as another team. Or in another case, the placebo group actually did better than the drug group. Meaghan knows now the extent to which at the end of the trial, she felt really dependent on her therapists what she didnt realize until we came along is what they did in that little incubator of a room where she got her therapy. The Black Box. Meaghan: I dont think theres any way to process what Ive heard about the clinical trials. Lily: Her memory of what happened in those sessions was always a little bit blurry, but she did manage to get ahold of her videos from the trial. Meaghan: All right. Take it away. Intrepid Video Watchers Lily: As we were getting to know her, she asked Dave and me to watch the videos on her behalf. Meaghan: What a horrible thing to have to do. Lily: Could I walk you through some of what we saw, how it progressed? Just a reminder that you can say stop at any time. Meaghan: Yeah, Ill hold up my hand. Im just going to listen for a while. Lily: So within like an hour and a half of the tapes starting, theres what I would describe as like an encroachment: knee against the bed, arms on the bed, hand holding, then hes rubbing your back. Dave: Theres like a thumb rubbing, that sort of like intimate partner contact. Its not just a reassuring hand hold but its got that additional intimacy Meaghan: Yeah. Lily: Theres more than 75 hours of video recordings of what happened in that little basement room with the stained glass windows. And by halfway through the first session, there is a lot of touch. Richard Yensen is in almost constant physical contact with Meaghan. Like, shell go to brush her hair out of her face and hell grab her hand in the middle of it to hold her hand. And this escalates throughout the session. So eventually hes like kneeling on the floor and kind of leaning over Meaghan, and then hes in the bed with Meaghan and hes holding Meaghan. And then Donna Dryer is in the bed with Meaghan as well. The music is driving and intense and percussive and overwhelming. Meaghan: I remember it like the music wasnt around me, but penetrating into me. Lily: There are moments where you can see Meaghan is starting to show signs of distress and Richard reaches over to the computer and puts on more intense music. Dave: You have to remember that Yensen was a devoted student and interpreter of Salvador Roquet. Lily: Its like it was designed to make you lose your shit. Meaghan: Well, it probably was Lily. Dave: Theres one point, in the second session, where Meaghan, at her therapists encouragement, is basically re-experiencing a sexual assault. Near the beginning of the session, Richard Yensen tells her to lie back and spread your legs. And Meaghan just snaps shut like a mousetrap. Then over time, they kind of console her and convince her shes safe. And about two hours later, things start to escalate. Lily: They engage Meaghan in this fighting where it starts off with holding her legs and feet and encouraging her to kind of kick, to putting more weight on her feet. Shes a really strong athlete. So it takes a lot to try to hold her down. There are moments where Richard Yensen has his whole body over the top of Meaghan and is pinning her down. Dave: At one point, Meaghan is jerking her head around she says she was basically looking to get away by just knocking herself out. There are points where she is screaming, crying, get off me, get off me! Meaghan: How did they respond? Dave: Its hard to tell. Sorry. Meaghan: No, keep going. I just, I can see it in my head. I got flashes of what it looked like and that was an extremely difficult session. Lily: Shall I continue? Meaghan: Please. Lily: When they finally back off, they transitioned into a long period of cuddling her, stroking, her face and her hair nuzzling up to her Richard Yensen is eye gazing with her. Dave: Its like theyre offering themselves as comfort now, after this ordeal. Lily: Theres a moment where he starts to fall asleep and Donna says shes going to go make sandwiches. And as she gets up to leave the room, you can see Richard Yensen and hear Richard Yensen kiss Meaghan on the forehead. So, in that black box of therapy that weve been talking about, where the manual leaves so much room for the creativity and intuition of the therapists, this was what Meaghan got. It wasnt until we watched and then described to Meaghan what her therapy looked like that we all wondered: were Richard and Donna following the protocol? Was this FDA-approved clinical trial therapy? Dave: One person I thought might be able to answer that question was the lead investigator on Meaghans trial, Dr. Ingrid Pacey. Even though she hadnt seen the videos, I described some of the practices that we had observed. Yensen and Dryer were putting a towel in the clients mouth for her to bite on. In addition to lying on her and grappling or wrestling with her. Is that typical or an intervention strategy youre familiar with? Dr. Pacey: Its used in holotropic breathwork. It is. Lily: You may remember, holotropic breathwork is mentioned as a possibility in the manual. And lots of underground psychedelic people trained in it Dr. Pacey: I cant imagine the whole scene with him lying on top of her, but certainly in breathwork, what youre trying to do is release the tension. Maybe the memory thats held in the muscles. So you do that, you bite down and you pull the towel. Dave: The MAPS manual suggests that using holotropic breathwork techniques is fine. Dr Pacey says it depends on the situation. Dr. Pacey: All I can say is that I would not support a training that suggests that people do that to someone whos taken MDMA. Dave: Why not? Dr. Pacey: Well, because I think with MDMA, youre so opened up anyway, to have someone doing something as intrusive as that no. With MDMA you dont need to overwhelm anybody or push them into something. Lily: The next question we had was even more basic than the last: had anyone at MAPS ever checked these videos to see if they thought the therapy was ok? Hanna Rosin: Has anyone reviewed them? Lily: That turned out to have a not so basic answer. Our Executive Producer asked Rick Doblin. Rick: Yeah, of course. We reviewed them. Which videos? Hanna: Its the ones that Meaghan had, the ones of the clinical trial. Lily: Later in the conversation Doblin sort of dismissed the videos as a non-issue. Rick: Whatever made you uncomfortable watching those videotapes probably was not a sign that they were going to have a sexual relationship. Hanna: I dont know about that. Rick: Maybe. I havent seen those particular ones. Lily: So MAPS followed up to say that no one had seen the videos until we brought them up. But Meaghan says Dr. Mithoefer told her long ago that he did watch them - and wasnt concerned. When did you decide to review the videos of her MDMA sessions? Dr. Mithoefer: I dont know the answer to that, but it was after that. Dave: But you have reviewed the videos? Dr. Mithoefer: Theyre under review right now. Dave: Yes, but Betty: Currently, sorry, I need to jump in here. Lily: MAPS has a PR person named Betty Aldworth and she jumped in whenever the videos came up. Dave: So Betty, I would like to ask you why you told us that no one at MAPS had seen the videos? Betty: Sure. So your supposition is incorrect. Lily: MAPS gave us more than five different answers about who had watched the videos and when. They also said we cant talk about it now because now, more than half a decade after the recordings were made, and more than 3 years after Meaghan reported what happened on Cortes, MAPS is doing a compliance review. And theyve drafted a statement that says: Though the review is ongoing, MAPS has determined that Yensen and Dryer did not follow MAPS therapeutic protocol on several occasions during the sessions. In medical research, there is supposed to be a whole system in place to track whether protocols are being properly followed. MAPS has people called adherence raters theyre supposed to watch the therapy sessions and rate how well the therapists are doing certain things and note anything that is clinically questionable. Dave: In one of the phase 2 MAPS trials in Switzerland, adherence raters caught therapists cuddling on the floor with participants. Lily: That doesnt show up in any documents that we have seen. And MAPS was able to move right along to Phase 3 clinical trials, which is the last set of studies before this is potentially approved for the general public. Dr. Mithoefer told us the training and supervision is a lot more robust this time around. Dr. Mithoefer: What Im telling you is that was before the system of adherence rating and robust supervision that we have now. Dave: So phase two wasnt doing adherence rating and robust supervision? Dr. Mithoefer: Not in the same way and not at that point. We were doing a best practices type of supervision but it wasnt as robust as we have now. And obviously it was not as robust as we needed it to be. Rick: My simple answer is were dealing with humans. We can have everything in place, but some humans are going to cross lines they shouldnt cross. I think this is an aberration. Lily: What happens in the therapy matters. And, at the end of the study, MAPS needs to be able to say with confidence MDMA plus the specific psychotherapy works. The thing that keeps me awake at night is that this is the safest and most closely monitored these sessions will ever be. And if this gets approved, who knows what will happen in that black box? As Ive seen for so long in the underground world of psychedelic therapy, hype is getting in the way of rational thought; bad experiences especially those of women are being explained away; and what I see is willful ignorance about whats going on in the black box of the therapy. Thats not at all the way Dr. Mithoefer told us he sees it. And MAPS has already completed the first round of Phase 3 clinical trials, where 46 more people were given MDMA with their therapy. Dr. Mithoefer:You know, weve had extensive meetings with the FDA and been through a special protocol assessment. A lot of very experienced scientists have agreed that this is adequate for approving this drug. I think we need to be careful, but also, people need better treatments. Lily: I hear what youre saying and in light of having spoken to participants who say, hey my CAPS score shows dramatic improvement, my self reported symptoms are life threatening and severe. And that we have not been able to find that in the data and so Im wondering if you think that Dr. Mithoefer: How many people have you spoken to? More than 20, less than 10? Dave: Less than 10. And were aware of double digit numbers of participants beyond those who have expressed some degree of distress. That seems to be at odds with the public narratives. Dr. Mithoefer: Without wanting to dismiss your concern about these people I appreciate that youre concerned about them, but the idea that after all this research, that we would decide to change our design based on you having talked to five people, five or less people, we cant do science that way. There are reports of over 20 veterans a day committing suicide. We have people dying in large numbers every day with PTSD and people suffering. So I think we should stick to the science and see what we need to discover what treatments may be the most helpful for them. Lily: Most people weve talked to in this show, including victims of harm, have told us that theyve gotten relief and insight from psychedelics. But we dont actually know how safe and effective this kind of MDMA treatment for PTSD is because the science, so far, is so flawed. Dr. Mithoefer says that our talking to 5 people isnt enough for them to make changes. Other experts have told us 5 people would be a major issue. More importantly, the types of things the participants are reporting to us are a big deal even if they only happen to one person. So whats it going to take? Dave: We dont have all the information. Were not the FDA. But there is an FDA and they already know what happens when treatments that arent proven safe get rolled out to the public. Especially if they are targeting a vulnerable population. Lily: We asked Doblin what it would take for the FDA not to approve MDMA-assisted therapy. Hanna: In your mind, is there anything that could derail it? Rick: In this second phase three study, if we had several people in the MDMA group kill themselves, that would call into question the safety of what were doing. Are we properly monitoring people as we bring these difficult emotions to the surface? So thats one thing that I worry about. Lily: Is that really what its gonna take? Batavia, NY (14020) Today Cloudy with a few showers. High 56F. Winds NNW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 30%.. Tonight Partly cloudy skies. Low 39F. Winds light and variable. This is the temporary subscription pass for users returning from the Vision Data subscription process. Your subscription will be updated within 24 hours, after your information is verified. Please click the button below to get your pass. UNION SPRINGS - Leonard L. Beers, 90, formerly of Norwich and Otego, passed away Jan. 18, 2022. A memorial graveside service will be held at 11 a.m., Friday, May 6, in Evergreen Cemetery in Otego. Arrangements are with Lewis, Hurley & Pietrobono Funeral Home, Oneonta. Click the image to the left and log in to get your exclusive reader perks. Christine Flowers is an attorney and a columnist for the Delaware County Daily Times, and can be reached at cflowers1961@gmail.com. Forest City, NC (28043) Today Sunshine and clouds mixed. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 84F. Winds WNW at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight A few passing clouds. Low around 55F. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph. 2020 Election Nullification, Audit Bills Dead or Dying in State Legislatures Nine of 10 bills filed in six states seeking to audit 2020 election resultsincluding three that would have nullified Joe Bidens victoryhave fallen by the wayside as legislative sessions wind down. Seven bills seeking 2020 general election audits were filed in four states, Florida, New Hampshire, South Carolina, and Tennessee. Only a New Hampshire measure proposing a review of one countys 2020 results remains on the docket. Lawmakers in New Hampshire, Arizona, and Wisconsin filed 2022 legislation demanding the nullification of 2020s election results with an audit to determine the winner. Only the embattled Wisconsin effort has a heartbeat. New Hampshires House Bill 1484, sponsored by state Rep. Tim Baxter (R-Seabrook) advanced, got a hearing before the House Election Law Committee but, on March 12, the panel issued an inexpedient to legislate verdict, essentially killing it for the session. Under HB 1484, New Hampshire would hire an independent third party to conduct a full statewide forensic audit of ballots cast in the 2020 election, with the multimillion-dollar cost covered by private donations. Failed Resolution While HB 1484 is dead, another bill seeking only to audit election results in Merrimack County has secured one committee approval and remains viable. Arizona Rep. Mark Finchems (R-Oro Valley) House Concurrent Resolution 2033 seeking to nullify the states 2020 election was buried at introduction when state House Speaker Rusty Bowers (R-Mesa) assigned it for approval to all 12 House committees. It has not been heard by one. The resolution calls on Congress to set aside the results of the Maricopa, Pima, and Yuma County elections as irredeemably compromised and reclaim the 2020 Presidential Electors due to the irredeemably flawed nature of these elections that prevent the declaration of a clear winner of said presidential electors. He said, They cant see to bring themselves to consider the evidence that has been laid before them. Finchem said Bowers told him he was essentially killing the resolution because he hadnt seen the evidence and hadnt seen the supporting jurisprudence. Well, I found the evidence and now thats not good enough. Last year, Finchem survived two election recalls in part for his outspoken support for a failed resolution seeking to block the states 11 electoral college votes for Biden and instead accept the alternate 11 electoral votes for Trump. It is a case where if you dont like the message, even if the message is right, you kill the messenger, he said, calling for a show up or shut up public debate with those who oppose a 2020 election audit. We have a great place, the Hyatt Regency downtown [Phoenix]. They have a ballroom that will accommodate 800 people, Finchem said. On the stage, pros and cons making their case. The problem is there are no cons who want to come, none have the spinal fortitude to show up, The pros will show. All I have to do is pick up the phone and tell them when to be there. This is who the cons aretheyre afraid they will be found out. As lawmakers, he said, it is their solemn responsibility to safeguard the Constitution and the sanctity of citizens votes. But not everybody agrees, he said. No Basis in Law The people who fill the institutions, they love the status quo because this protects their power, Finchem said, adding as far as he knows, Arizona is one of only two states that recognize the Constitution and the pertinent judicial prudence and have received evidenceformally received evidence, that the 2020 election should be nullified. That other state would be Wisconsin where, on March 1, the Legislatures Office of the Special Counsel published a 136-page report that lays out a legal argument that the the Wisconsin Legislature could lawfully take steps to decertify electors in any Presidential election; provides a method for private citizens to challenge the states voter rolls; gives power to certify elections to a politically accountable body rather than the governor and the elections commission; creates a way for presidential candidates to assemble alternative slates of electors; and allows post-certification challenges to election results. Despite the report, Joint Resolution 120, filed by state Rep. Timothy Ramthun (R-Campbellsport) which calls for reclaiming the electoral ballots for President and Vice President that were certified under fraudulent intent and purpose has not advanced since it was filed Jan. 25 and referred to the House Rules Committee. Ramthun maintains if the Wisconsin Legislature decertifies the 2020 results and rescinds the states 10 electoral votes it could begin a process that ends with Biden ousted from office. Critics, even some supporters, say the proposal has no basis in state or federal law. Stand Earns Punishment Inaction on last years Legislative Audit Bureau (LAB) election analysis and demands for decertification have fostered division among Wisconsin Republicans with every member of Assembly GOP leadership issuing a joint statement accusing Ramthun and a staffer of spreading misinformation among lawmakers while continuing to demand House Speaker Robin Vos (R-Rochester) do more to overturn the 2020 election result. As punishment, Ramthun was denied legislative aides until Feb. 20 when legislative aide Erin Yeager was assigned to his office 20 hours a week to take care of 66,000 constituents. Ramthun in February announced he would challenge establishment Republicans Kevin Nicholson and Rebecca Kleefisch for the partys nod in the GOP August primary to take on incumbent Democrat Tony Evers in Novembers gubernatorial race. There is unfinished business in examining issues related to the 2020 presidential election and not investigating it further is an assault on our Constitution and its a national security issue, he said in announcing his candidacy. Decertifying the 2020 election will be a key component of his campaign, Ramthun promised. I want everything to be revisited and reviewed fully and forensic because if were not going to get closure in 2020 and justice, were going to need to continue to pursue that in every election until we get it right, he said. I wont stop until we have justice so Ill keep poking. Im all in. Correction: The Wisconsin special counsel report does not explicitly call for decertifying the 2020 election. The Epoch Times regrets the error. James Leslie Little walks through the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. (U.S. Department of Justice/Screenshot via The Epoch Times) 60 Days Jail, 3 Years Probation for North Carolina Man Who Did Fist Bumps, Took Selfies at the US Capitol Judge imposes twice the jail term sought by prosecutors A North Carolina man who may be on the autism spectrum was sentenced to 60 days in jail and three years probation Monday for his walk through the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, and for behavior that included fist-bumping other protesters and taking selfies in the Senate Gallery. U.S. District Judge Royce C. Lamberth doubled the jail time recommended by federal prosecutors for James Leslie Little, 51, of Claremont, North Carolina. Lamberth stressed that he wanted to ensure Little was under court supervision during the next presidential election cycle. James Leslie Little, 51, of Claremont, North Carolina, showing off the cap he wore to the Ellipse and the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. (U.S. Department of Justice/Screenshot via The Epoch Times) I believe some term of imprisonment is essential in these cases now, to reflect the seriousness of the offense, promote respect for the law and to provide just punishment for the offense, Judge Lamberth told Little during a video hearing in Washington D.C. The court does not have confidence the same would not happen in the next election cycle, Lamberth said. Youre going to be on probation during the next election cycle. You will not be without court supervision during the next election cycle. Federal public defender Peter S. Adolf of Charlotte, N.C. said Lamberths sentence was the first time a judge imposed jail and probation on a single count, something Adolf had argued is not allowed under federal law. We plan to appeal, Adolf said. Adolf spent an hour painting a picture of Little as emotionally fragile, someone who meets the standard for autism or Aspergers syndrome. He said Little suffers from attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and major depression, lives with his elderly mother, and serves as her caretaker. When asked to describe who he is closest to, Little said it was his mother and Lady, his Jack Russell terrier, his attorney said. There is no reason to put him in jail at this point, Adolf said. The reality of Les Little is the only risk that he presents anybody in the future is the risk that he would yell at the TV. As part of a deal with prosecutors, Little pleaded guilty to one count of parading, demonstrating, or picketing in a Capitol building, a petty misdemeanor. Prosecutors said Little penetrated the Capitol all the way to the Senate Gallery, where he took photographs of himself and sent the photographs to trusted friends. We Just Took the Capital Little also fist bumped other rioters in celebration of their breach of the Capitol, prosecutors wrote in a 27-page sentencing memorandum. He sent out text messages that said, We just took the Capital! (sic) and We are stopping treason. Stealing elections is treason. Little uploaded a video to YouTube on Nov. 30, 2020, that warned Democrats of civil war if the U.S. Supreme Court did not support President Donald Trump. Conservative law enforcement officers, military members, and conservative Trump supporters owned lots of guns and God forbid wed ever have to use it on you, he wrote. When FBI agents first visited Little in North Carolina, he told them he wanted to speak to a lawyer. Then he said he would pray about it for a few minutes. When they returned, he invited them in and gave a statement. If the cops had stopped us at the door, I wouldnt have went in, he said, according to an audio played at Mondays hearing. Heres another reason I think it was a trap: the cops were standing on either side of an open door and we walked right past them, same way going out. I couldnt believe they werent stopping us. Little said he followed the crowds around the Capitol. I dont even know where Im going and had no ulterior motives, he said. Honest to God, Jesus as my witness, all I did was walk around in there and take pictures. Prosecutors said an aggravating factor in the case was that Little went into the Senate Gallery, which is considered a sensitive area. I Dont Need to Be Going Off to Jail Little told the FBI agents that he was worried about being arrested and sent to jail. You know Ive been really praying about this stuff, because I need to be taking care of my mother, you know. I dont need to be going off to jail for walking around the Capitol taking pictures. You can look at my record. Im not a violent person, never have been. Prosecutor Michael G. James said Adolf offered no evidence that Little was autistic. Adolf said he did not feel he needed to have the government pay for $10,000 in testing costs for a diagnosis. Mr. Little is not a child, James said. The pre-sentence report said Little is emotionally stable because of the treatment he is receiving currently. Hes not someone who is so blindly led that he didnt know what was going on, James said. Adolf said unlike other Jan. 6 defendants, Little did not use social media to whip up others into action. In fact, Little tended to get slapped down when he shared what was going on in Washington. His plea on Facebook for people to write character references to Judge Lamberth for him didnt yield any offers. I impulsively put my life, freedom and neck on the line at a protest to try to save our constitutional Republic, freedom, rule of law, and capitalism, and no one wants to even write a letter for me? Little posted on Facebook. A relative who got a text from Little on Jan. 6 said action at the Capitol was treason, and if he didnt condemn it, he should never bother speaking to me again! Court records show the unnamed relative reported Little to the FBI. Little texted a relative about his activity in Washington and was rebuked. (U.S. Department of Justice/Screenshot via The Epoch Times) When Adolf mentioned that Little walked through open doors and did not know what was happening in the Capitol, Judge Lamberth interrupted him. I cant agree with that, the judge said. He knew exactly what was going on. He saw, from the governments description of that evidence, he saw that people were fighting the police before he ever walked in. So I dont think you can mischaracterize it that way, Lamberth said. He walked through open doors. They were open because the police had been overwhelmed. So dont misstate things there. When Adolf began describing what the judge would hear on the FBI interview audio, Judge Lamberth stopped him again. He didnt walk through open doors that were open voluntarily. He walked through open doors that were open because police had been overwhelmed, and he saw it, Lamberth said. He knew that when he walked through those doors. So dont play him as some innocent guy here. Little told the agents he generally does not trust the FBI because of the Russia collusion hoax. He also expressed worry about vengeful prosecution of Jan. 6 defendants. Im really concerned about political prosecutions, too. Basically all I did is trespass, if you consider it trespassing when you were pretty much let in by the police, he said on the tape. The Democrats are out for blood, Little said. I fear that they will come after us and they can charge us with anything: domestic terrorism, sedition, whatever, just cause they dont like Trumpers, just because we were in there. Lamberth said one of the conditions of probation will be that Little not be allowed to use the internet, social media, or phone-to-phone texting without permission from a parole agent. Lamberth said he sentenced one defendant in a similar case to probation. The very next day, the defendant in that sentence contradicted statements she had made in the sentencing on national television and caused me really to reflect on whether or not I was acting in a fashion that was reflecting the seriousness and whether my sentence was reflecting the seriousness of the offense of those in this position, Lamberth said. Officers work the scene where in Chicago in a March 2022 file photo. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune/TNS) 7 Men Shot in South Chicago Neighborhood, Authorities Say From Chicago Tribune CHICAGOSeven men were shot and injured Sunday afternoon in the citys South Chicago neighborhood, authorities said. The people were shot at a strip mall in the 7900 block of South Exchange Avenue a little after 3:30 p.m., police said. At a Sunday news conference, Chicago police Superintendent David Brown said the group was standing near a Little Caesars Pizza when a car pulled up and shots were fired from inside the car. The number of shooters was unclear, Brown said, and it was not yet clear if the shooting was targeted. There was not an exchange of gunfire, he said. One shooting is one too many, Brown said. Whether it was a targeted shooting or an altercation, its unacceptable. All of the victims were taken to area hospitals in serious to critical condition, according to officials. 2022 Chicago Tribune. Visit at chicagotribune.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Editors Note: Links to sources for this article appear at the bottom. A report released by the UK government has confirmed that 9 out of every 10 deaths related to COVID-19 are found in those who are fully vaccinated. Although the virus variant is the same and the UK approved only one different vaccine (AstraZeneca) from the United States, the data in the U.S. are different. This may be due in large part to the CDC definition used to identify who is vaccinated. U.S. data are also likely to become even more sparse in the coming weeks and months. In addition to the CDC hiding data, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) quietly decided in early February to stop recording deaths attributed to COVID-19. Data Is Essential Yet, data is the foundation of scientific analysis. Without it, researchers are unable to analyze statistics and draw conclusions, which leaves public health experts unable to make accurate recommendations. Knowledge gives you the power to make informed decisions based on evidence. Six months into the pandemic, a report revealed that most Americans had significant misconceptions of the COVID-19 risks. Months later, a second survey demonstrated that not much had changed. While analysts blamed ignorance of fundamental, undisputed facts on who is at risk for the so-called misconceptions, others said the politicization of the pandemic was also at fault. But there were other factors at play that skewed the data scientists thought they had. According to a whistleblower who worked on Pfizers Phase 3 COVID injection clinical trials, data were falsified, patients were unblinded, the company hired poorly trained people to administer the injections and follow up on reported side effects lagged way behind. Her testimony was published November 2, 2021, in the British Medical Journal by investigative journalist Paul Thacker. This is yet another indication that the true number of adverse events and deaths from the shots currently identified as COVID vaccines may never be known. The only logical conclusion to draw is that the data dont support the Warp Speed production and mass vaccination program initiated in early 2020. In fact, the shot program not only is ineffective, but also has likely damaged and killed far more people than any health agency will ever publicly admit. It is essential to share this information to help prevent more deaths and damaged lives. UK Government Report: 90 Percent of Deaths Are in Fully Vaccinated A reporter from The Expose points out that while the world has been distracted by Russias invasion of Ukraine, the UK government quietly released a report that confirmed 9 in every 10 deaths from COVID-19 in England were in people who were fully vaccinated. The February 2022 report was from the UK Health Security Agency, which publishes weekly surveillance. The report contains several tables of raw data showing that the vast majority of people who were infected, hospitalized or died from COVID-19 were fully vaccinated. The Expose, demonstrated step by step how the data, gathered from Jan. 24, 2022, through February 28, 2022, supported this assertion. In the UK, health authorities differentiate between those who have never received a shot and those who received one, two or three doses. All told, there were 1,086,434 cases of COVID in vaccinated individuals that accounted for 73 percent of all cases during that period. When children were removed from the equation, vaccinated individuals accounted for 91 percent of all cases. The reporter also compared data taken in 2021 when Delta was the dominant variant against the current report when Omicron is the dominant variant in England. It showed a higher number of children hospitalized for Omicron than for Delta. Since children have never been at high risk for severe disease from any COVID variant, it begs the question if the current number of children hospitalized with COVID-19 may be due to increased PCR testingknown to have a high false-positive ratein children hospitalized for other reasons, such as a broken leg or appendicitis. When children were included in the figures for hospitalization, the data showed 75 percent of those hospitalized with COVID in the current period were vaccinated. But, when children were removed from the equation, 85 percent of the hospitalized individuals were vaccinated. Similar results were found when the data were analyzed for COVID deaths. During the four-week period in the current report, vaccinated individuals accounted for 89 percent of deaths. Most interestingly, not only are the deaths in vaccinated individuals rising precipitously, but the number of deaths in those who are not vaccinated is dropping. Vaccinated Deaths Rising in California Headlines in the March 7, 2022, Mercury News read, COVID-19 Deaths in California Among Vaccinated Rose Sharply With Omicron. The corresponding story added that 10 deaths recorded in Santa Cruz County, California, and nine of those were vaccinated. On the surface, this is similar to findings reported from the UK. Yet, the raw numbers in the United States are different. This is likely because U.S. data do not differentiate between individuals who have had one, two or three shots. In fact, the U.S. CDC clearly states that you can only be considered fully vaccinated two weeks after receiving the final dose in the primary two-shot series from Pfizer and Moderna or the one shot from Johnson & Johnson. Therefore, as the UK analyzes data that identify individuals on the spectrum of having received one of three shots, the United States only counts vaccination if youre two weeks after your last dose. Since not all patients who are fully vaccinated are identified on admission, analyzing U.S. numbers is difficult, if not impossible. You must ask yourself if this is intentional. It probably is safe to assume that if a person in the United States is identified as being vaccinated, they are likely fully vaccinated by CDC standards. However, there are also likely individuals lumped into the unvaccinated group who have had one or two shots or may even be fully vaccinated by CDC standards but were not counted as such on admission. The Mercury News justified the vaccinated deaths, writing: Of the vaccinated patients who died, one was in his early 100s, three were in their 90s, two were in their 80s, three were in their 70s and most had underlying health problems. The unvaccinated man who died was in his 50s. While age is certainly a significant factor in any infectious disease including COVID, the article did not mention any of the other CDC-identified comorbidities that contribute to COVID deaths. To add to the misinformation, the article quoted Dr. Errol Ozdalga, a hospitalist at Stanford, who told the Mercury News that patients admitted during the Delta wave and earlier infections were otherwise healthy. The implication is that those with comorbidities the CDC identified as increasing the risk of severe illness, such as heart disease, diabetes, obesity, chronic kidney disease and immunocompromised, were not hospitalized with COVID before Omicron. That went away with Omicron, Ozdalga said. The variant has afflicted those with weakened immune systems, those who were predisposed in some way to severe illness, he said. Additionally, without supporting information, the news report included a simple statement: Dr. George Rutherford, an infectious disease expert at UC-San Francisco, said the raw numbers make the deaths among the vaccinated look worse than they are their rates of dying remain far less than the unvaccinated. Economist Survey Reveals Significant Vaccine Injury Rate Economist Mark Skidmore executed a critical online survey using the U.S. population to estimate damage from the COVID-19 shots. He presented the most recent and significant data20 from the ongoing study at the Doctors for COVID Ethics Symposium 3. His paper seeks to understand the number of people who have died from the COVID shots that he estimates based on the survey. He used the survey to triangulate information from the general population and what they are experiencing. The participants were asked to report on the adverse events of people they knew best in their social circle in other words, good friends or family members. The surveys were close to representative of the general population in age, income and gender in December 2021. Skidmore first presented a list of adverse events the FDA acknowledged could be possible and compared it against the documented data of injury and deaths from the Vaccine Adverse Events Reporting System (VAERS) published in OpenVAERS. Some of the most common events on the list were stroke, heart attack, myocarditis, death, thrombocytopenia and venous thromboembolism (blood clots). According to Skidmore, everyone agrees that adverse events can and do occur the main difference in opinion is how often and how many. Skidmore then looked at the ratio between COVID illness fatalities and COVID shot fatalities. The ratio in OpenVAERS is 2.6 percent and in VAERS (the number reported by the CDC that doesnt contain all data originally substantiated) its 0.9 percent. If these numbers reflect reality, the number of people who report injury or death in the survey should be close to zero since the cohort is small enough that it may not capture such a small percentage. Skidmore then asks, if we assume that the survey is a reflection of the true ratio in the population, what is the true population ratio for injury or death after receiving the COVID-19 shot? From the data collected the ratio reveals there have been 307,997 deaths from the shot. The method used gives a 95 percent confidence interval between 215,018 and 391,410 deaths. Using the same mathematical approach to identify the number of severe adverse events to the general population, the data show there were roughly 1.1 million severe events and 2.3 million less severe events from the shot. He acknowledges that much of what people see and report is through the lens of their biases. One of those is political affiliation. He showed that people who identified as Democrats reported far fewer shot-related deaths than did Republicans or independents. This likely also affects the number of deaths and adverse events reported to VAERS. Using the fatality counts by party affiliation, he found that if the Democrat perception was correct, there were 119,000 fatalities compared to 487,000 fatalities if the Republican perception was correct. This gives a potential range of deaths and illustrates the differences in perceptions of people based on how they see the world. However, no matter which number is used, it is still far more than the number of fatalities reported in the VAERS system. Unprecedented US Death Toll Keeps Rising While the data from Skidmore and the UK reflect the death rate from COVID-19, it is also important to track the number of all-cause mortality as its one of the most reliable data points we have. This statistic is clear-cut. Either a person is dead or theyre not. It does not rely on the reason for death. In early 2022, mutual insurance holding company OneAmerica announced an increase in the death rate of working Americans, aged 18 to 64, in the third quarter of 2021. Their data show it was 40 percent higher than prepandemic levels. Other insurance companies have also cited higher mortality rates, including the Hartford Insurance Group that announced mortality increased 32 percent from 2019 and 20 percent from 2020 before the shots. Lincoln National reported death claims have increased 13.7 percent year over year and 54 percent in quarter four of 2021 compared to 2019. Funeral homes are also posting an increase in burials and cremations in 2021 over 2020. One large German health insurance company reported their company data were nearly 14 times greater than the number of deaths reported by the German government. This data were gathered directly from doctors applying for payment from a sample of 10.9 million people. The rising death toll that can be linked to the COVID shots is an inconvenient truth for the health agencies that have promoted mass vaccinations with a genetic therapy experiment. In what appears to be a response to this data, Health and Human Services (HHS) have decided to stop the reporting requirements for hospitals and acute care facilities on COVID-19 deaths. Although the information is published on the HHS website, fact-checkers have claimed the viral social media posts are false by simply changing the headline.29 So, while the HHS publicly announced they would no longer require hospitals to report deaths from COVID-19, fact-checkers erroneously report the U.S. government is not ending daily COVID death reporting. If it helps to sort all this out, an unnamed federal health official actually acknowledged the move to stop reporting COVID-19 hospital deaths when they spoke with a reporter from WSWS, calling the move incomprehensible. The official added, It is the only consistent, reliable and actionable dataset at the federal level. Ninety-nine percent of hospitals report 100% of the data every day. I dont know any scientists who want to have less data. CDC Withholds Data, Fearing Hesitancy and Misinterpretation When data from multiple sources all reveal the same trends and values, its easy to see how the CDC would be unwilling to acknowledge the information or want to release their data for fear it would have a negative impact on the mass vaccination campaign. February 20, 2022, The New York Times reported the CDC still had not published large parts of the data they collected during the pandemic. While they have published data on the effectiveness of boosters in some individuals, data from people 18 to 49 years were left out. Interestingly, this is also the group who are the least likely to benefit from the shot, since they have some of the lowest rates of severe disease and death as reported by the CDC. In comments to The New York Times, a CDC spokesperson attempted to justify why the organization had withheld large portions of data since the beginning of the pandemic. She said the data were not yet ready for prime time, that the information may be misinterpreted to mean the vaccines are ineffective and that the data they have is based on 10 percent of the U.S. population, which the Times pointed out is the same sample size used to track influenza each year. Without raw data from the United States, scientists have relied on Israeli data. One study gathered information from 4.6 million people ages 16 and older who had received two doses of the Pfizer vaccine. They compared severe illness and death between those who had the booster and those who did not. The data showed the group from 16 to 29 years had zero deaths whether they were boosted or not. Likewise, the group from 30 to 39 years had one death whether they were boosted or not. In fact, the difference in death rate did not rise until the participants were 60 to 69 years, at which point the non-boosted group had 44 deaths and the boosted group had 32 deaths. In an opinion piece, Staten Island Advances Tom Wrobleski characterizes the CDCs decision, writing about what has happened to most people who have been willing to publish data and opinions that go against a national or international health agencys narrative: Were told to have faith in the CDC, in Dr. Anthony Fauci, in all the experts who are trained to handle public health crises. But we cant have trust if vital information is withheld from us. Because then it becomes a case of, Shut up and do what we say. Were the experts. You dont need to know how we come to our decisions. We know whats best. And if you question the received wisdom, youre suddenly a dangerous person. Youre likened to a terrorist. Youre told you want people to die. You get banned from social media. If you dare protest, you can have your bank account frozen and your vehicle insurance suspended, as we saw during the Freedom Convoy protest in Canada. You can get trampled by police on horseback. Withholding information only makes people more skeptical. It breeds suspicion. Or mere doubt. The CDC needs to do better if it wants our trust. Originally published March 15, 2022 on Mercola.com Sources and References Student Recounts Being Tortured at Psychiatric Hospital in China He was just 24 when he returned to China. He had heard of the human rights violations there, and he believed that not getting involved in politics and religion would get him a free pass. But, his world turned upside down two years later. Zhu Shuang, a Chengdu City native, was imprisoned in a mental hospital for 40 days, where he experienced electroshocks and physical abuse, and was given unknown drugs. Meanwhile, his pregnant wife was forced to have an abortion. He managed to leave the mental hospital and now pursues his studies at York University in Toronto, Canada. Tormented by his experience in China, Zhu decided to speak out and demand justice from the Chinese Consulate in Toronto. Police Break-In While in China, the pandemic and lockdown of residential communities intruded on his personal dignity. He was blocked from his social media account due to posting online complaints. On Dec. 21, 2020, he received a call demanding that he report to the police station. Zhu said to the Chinese language edition of The Epoch Times, My first hunch was that its a prank call. He wouldnt even give me his name, and finally he said his last name was Zhang, and he was a police officer from the neighboring district of Qingbaijiang. Zhu was busy preparing for the graduate school entrance exam he would sit on Dec. 27, so he just hung up after telling Zhang not to bother him. On Dec. 22, Zhang called him again, saying that he was accused of picking quarrels and provoking trouble, and posting flyers. I told him I didnt do it, didnt have time to go to his place, and told him not to harass me, Zhu said. On the morning of Dec. 23, around 12 police, with arms and shields, broke into his apartment. Zhu was stunnedhis face was hit with a shield, his glasses were knocked off, the world turned dark, and he felt like he had been hit by a carall of which happened in front of his wife who was four months pregnant. Screams filled the air. Zhu was quickly pinned to the ground, and at that moment, his mind went blank. He remembered being beaten and told not to resist, and he finally managed to control his instinctive resistance after the boots kicked his ribs and stomach. When his face was pressed against the wall he came to his senses. He asked them to show an arrest warrant and subpoena. You are trespassing, he said. But the police didnt show any documents. Zhu continued, Its an illegal arrest without an arrest warrant; you deliberately broke the law, its an abuse of power; I will definitely appeal to the government. An officers hands pressed around his throat felt like an iron collar. Not until his pleas turned weak was the officer ordered to relax his grip a little. Zhu was then dragged into a police car. At the station, he was asked his whereabouts on Dec. 21, when he was in Qingbaijiang shopping for tiles to remodel his newlywed home. Police officer Zhang told him to admit that he posted a flyer and said that if he cooperated, his case would be a minor security issue with a small fine and detention; if not, it could become the crimes of picking quarrels and provoking trouble, and a sentence of up to three years in prison. Zhu refused to admit to something he did not do, instead, he insisted that hed reveal the incident to the media to win justice. His response only brought him further maltreatment. He was driven to a local mental hospital, the Mental Health Center of Chengdu, the Fourth Peoples Hospital of Chengdu. Psychiatric Mistreatment The hospital security staff locked Zhu in a very small cargo container labeled with nucleic acid testing. Zhu was completely isolated from the hospital. At the same time, Zhus mother was forced to sign a paper stating that his admission to the mental hospital was voluntary. His mother was told that refusing to sign the paper meant Zhu would be taken to the police station, where hes subject to torture and therell be no guarantee hell survive, the officer said. In the interview on March 8, Zhu told The Epoch Times that this incident shows how the regime labels someone with mental illnesswithout any evidencein its persecution campaign. He said, The police claimed that I had threatened social security; but when I was arrested, I was standing at the door of my own home, with a Huawei Mate10 mobile phone in my hands. How did I impose danger to society? Two strong male nurses moved Zhu to the acute psychiatric area of the hospital. On the way, he saw the numb faces of the real patientssome were drooling, moving slowly with their bodies hunched and feet dragging on the ground, and their eyes were lifeless; some were sitting idle on chairs, with military coats full of holes and paying no attention to the surroundings; some excitedly rushed to Zhu and asked how he got in. All of them wore the same patient pants, which Zhu later realized were to prevent patients from escaping. At this time, he saw a man with long hair standing at the door of ward number 2. His clothes were neat and clean, and his eyes were clear. Although he looked haggard, he was definitely not defeated. In a prayer-like gesture, he smiled at Zhu. In those few seconds, Zhu was impressed. This was the first time he saw Si Yi. Zhu was taken to a ward with a restraint bed in the center of the room. He was forcibly stripped of all his clothes (including underwear), and examined by the nurses. At that time, Zhus wrists were bleeding and his hands were swollen from the handcuffs. He learned later that they were checking him for dangerous items. After that, he was tied to the smelly bed. Given Unnecessary Drugs In the early evening, a nurse came with a small vial of medicine. Zhu questioned who prescribed the medicine since he had not seen a doctor. The nurse said that she did not know how the doctor diagnosed him but he had to take the medicine. He refused. A number of nurses came in and forced the injection. Zhu said that to this day, he still has no idea what was injected into his body. He said, In the morning, it was all quieted down, and I yelled, I need to pee, but for hours or more than 10 hours, no one came. Finally, Zhu had no choice but to urinate while tied to the bed. He said, Its humiliating something I would never want to experience again in my life, thats not something human beings should experience. Hours later, a male nurse came and was angry to find that Zhu had wet the bed. In anger, he tied Zhus hands tightly behind his back and left. Zhu was left in the same position until the next morning. His shoulders were swollen so badly that he could not lift his arms above his shoulders for at least a week. In order to keep from breaking down mentally, he tried very hard to hypnotize himself and meditate. He closed his eyes and imagined that he was lying on the prairie in Queenstown, south of Christchurch, New Zealand, with blue lake water at his feet and misty lawns on his back he prayed to God with the most sincere heart that it was all just a nightmare. He started to cry as quietly as he could. A doctor finally showed up the next day. Zhu kept calm and told her that there was a mistake and that he was not sick. She said to him that only cooperation could prove that he was not sick. On the third day, Zhu was transferred to a small room, where he learned that someone had died on the restraint bed less than a month ago. On the same day, Zhu finally had his first meal in three daysrice and boiled cabbage; he was so hungry that he ate three bowls of rice. He tried yoga and meditation to maintain his sanity and to help heal his wounded shoulders. He was then moved to a large ward where other normal people tried to distinguish the normal ones from the real patients. They helped each other to avoid being harassed by mentally ill patients. He said, Of course I dont know if those mental patients were sick before or after they were in the hospital. Si Yi, a man from Chengdu, was detained in a mental hospital many times. (Provided by Yang Zhuhua, a volunteer at the mental hospital) A Failed Escape Attempt Si Yi was sent to the hospital because he addressed the unfair compensation of a forced demolition. He had been there for four months, but kept his spirit up. He carefully analyzed Zhus situation and told him of a way to escapehopefully Zhu would be able to come back and rescue him. Zhu totally collapsed on the day he was told that his wife had to undergo an abortion because of Zhangs threats and intimidation. More than a dozen unknown drugs were forced on him every day, the drugs made him so weak that he could barely move. The escape plan ended before it even started; someone reported their plan and was rewarded with biweekly exercise. Both Zhu and Si were tied on a bed for three days and nights, and had no choice but to urinate and defecate in their pants. A nurse even poured an AIDS patients urine onto Zhus genitals. Zhu was forced to take more pills and have more injections. Every morning there was a routine session of electroshock. He said the pain was all he could sense. His mind was blank. It felt like someone sawed my head open while I was alive, and then hit into my brain with a hammer. I dont want to ever remember that moment, Zhu said. He was given the electroshock torture from the day he was tied to the restraining bed; the shocks were given for 30 minutes to two hours, depending on his behavior the day before. He said, I really cant remember how long I was shocked. After the electrical torture, he would unknowingly drool, and sit vacantly in the hallway. Any outside sound or light would frighten him, My heart was in my mouth, he said, and this also happened when he was safely in Toronto in September 2021. At first, he was shocked once a day. After a week, it was once a week. Every Monday, everyone queued for the treatment. You must go to the electrical treatment yourself; if youre escorted by the nurse that means a longer shock time, he said. The torture at the mental hospital turned a cheerful, academically successful young adult into a completely different person. During that time, Zhus bones felt itchy every day. He would scratch so hard his skin would break but nothing stopped the itching. He could only lie on the ground, with feces and urine in his pants, and wait for the itching to slowly dissipate. Zhu said: There was also a despairsomething I have never experienced in my lifeno words can describe it. It is a feeling of numbness and coldness. Zhu took the initiative to ask for antidepressants for the first time in his life. During that time, Si Yi, like a caring family member, forced him to walk around the room together in circles every daycheering him up. Zhu said, He made me tell him all the happy things from the past, what its like in the West. He was like my father and my big brother. He would pull me up from the bed, force me to take a shower, and change, guide me in Buddhism, and ask me to meditate with him. He told me that the wicked must be punished, and it was only a matter of time. After the Chinese edition of The Epoch Times and other Chinese media reported Si Yis experiences, the hospital started giving him only vitamin pills. Zhus parents used the entire 170,000 yuan ($26,670) he had saved for remodeling his home to get him out of the hospital. To this date, he still has no idea how much his parents spent to save him. On Feb. 3, 2021, Zhu was finally released from the hospital accompanied by his wife and mother. The moment he saw the sky again, each step felt like stepping on cotton. The photophobia (sensitivity to light) lasted for more than a month before he could be in the sun without wearing sunglasses; but the post-traumatic stress disorder continues to this day. After 40 days of receiving unknown drugs, Zhus body was completely destroyed. His body fat used to be 19 percent; by the time he was released, it was 30 percent, and he had gained 40 lb. He said, Even my wife barely recognized me. Rice and cabbage can cause someone to gain 40 pounds; of course, thanks to the hormones they administered for treating schizophrenia. Around Feb. 24, 2022, Zhu received the news that Si Yi had passed away. Zhu said, No one deserves that. Mary Hong contributed to this report. Amazon Temporarily Relocating Employees From Downtown Seattle Office Amid Rise in Violent Crimes Amazon is temporarily relocating employees from its downtown Seattle office due to an increase in violent crimes in the area, the company said on March 11. The tech giants office is located at 300 Pine Street, about a half-mile from its main headquarters on Seventh Avenue in Seattle, and roughly 1,800 Amazon employees are working there. Given recent incidents near Third and Pine, were providing employees currently at that location with alternative office space elsewhere, an Amazon spokesman said in an emailed statement to The Epoch Times. We are hopeful that conditions will improve and that we will be able to bring employees back to this location when it is safe to do so. It is unclear how many of the 1,800 are being relocated, given that many have been working remotely from home due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Amazons decision to relocate employees comes after a string of violent crimes in the area, including one that claimed the life of a 15-year-old boy on March 2. Police are still searching for the suspect and have appealed to the public for help identifying the attacker. Since Feb. 21, there have been at least three shootings, two stabbings, and one carjacking in the area, according to information from the Seattle Police Departments Twitter account. Amid the uptick in violence, Seattle Police Chief Adrian Diaz announced on March 3 that the police department would be launching an initiative to curb the violent criminal behavior in the area surrounding 3rd Ave., between Pike and Pine St. Commenting on Amazons decision to relocate, a spokesperson for Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell told KOMO News that his office is working every day to make downtown a safe and thriving neighborhood for residents, workers, and businesses. While it will take time to reverse longstanding safety issues, Mayor Harrells early efforts are critical first steps to address crime and improve safety through dedicated SPD officers, a mobile SPD precinct, and additional environmental changes. Mayor Harrell will continue to develop a comprehensive approach to public safety in collaboration with police and safety advocates, community members, service providers, and businesses, including Amazon, to activate, revitalize, and restore downtown for all, the spokesperson said. Amazons decision comes just weeks after fast-food chain McDonalds was also forced to temporarily close its restaurant located at 1530 Third Avenue due to the rise in crime, with franchise owner and operator David Santillanes citing the companys inability to keep its workers safe in a statement to KOMO News. According to the Seattle Police Departments year-end crime report, overall citywide crime increased by 10 percent (+4,209) in 2021 compared to 2020. Meanwhile, the city saw a decade-high number of aggravated assaults3,925last year. Residents evacuate the city of Irpin, Ukraine, north of Kyiv, on March 10, 2022. (ARIS MESSINIS/AFP via Getty Images) American Living in Kyiv Recalls Escaping Ukraine: Its Surreal The first thing David heard about Russias war on Ukraine was the explosion near his apartment in Kyiv. David, an American who asked not to use his full name, has lived in Ukraine on and off since 2015. After COVID-19 travel restrictions ended, he visited Kyiv again. At about 4 a.m. on Feb. 24, a resonant kaboom woke him, he told The Epoch Times. He knew instantly that it had to be a Russian missile. It woke me up. And that was the first, he said. It was so loud that I was like, Okay, weve got a war on our hands. To David and other Ukrainians, Russias missiles and invasion came as a shock. Russia President Vladimir Putin had never done anything like this in Ukraine before, he said. Everybody said, Theres no way Putins going to do this. This is insane, he said. He bluffs, but its only to negotiate. He never goes all the way. Todd Gallagher, a Baptist missionary serving in Vinnytsia, Ukraine, agreed. When he advised his church to stock up on supplies in case of war, they laughed at him. I wasnt really too offended by it, but Im like, Come on, guys. Weve got to be smarter than this, Gallagher said. In preparation, he gave his Ukrainian father-in-law money to buy and store food in the church. So far, its been crucial to keeping the community fed, he said. Russias previous invasions were always marked by a cunning ability to push the line and steal territory without starting a war, David said. Then tanks rolled into Ukraine. Kyiv, Ukraine, stands motionless and empty after the news of the Russian invasion in February 2022. (Photo courtesy of David) David, a former New Orleans resident, said that in many ways, the war has felt like a hurricane. He stocked up on food and water, and hunkered down. Then the Russian military smashed through the cities in its path. He described the sound of missiles hitting Kyiv. Everything just sort of shudders. Almost like clockwork, at 4 a.m. every morning, youd hear explosions, he said. David wanted to leave, but he couldnt travel because hed just had major surgery. But his apartment building was fairly safe, he said. It was in the middle of a rough wall of other buildings. A Russian missile would have to be aimed directly at it to hit it. A City Under Siege Kyiv changed overnight, David said. Suddenly, there was martial law. You couldnt go anywhere. It was like mass hysteria, he said. It was like a ghost town practically immediately. For 10 days, David waited to recover until he was well enough to travel and leave the country. Each night around 4 a.m., missiles would strike the northern side of Kyiv, he said. Otherwise, life was strangely normal. The power and internet stayed on, people still bought groceries at stores with near-empty shelves. But some businesses were closed, and explosions echoed in the distance. Its really is surreal. Thats all I can describe of it, he said. It was almost like a dream. Im like, What the hell just happened last week? Despite the shock of the invasion, Ukrainians are willing to fight, David said. You can see the resolve in everyones eyes, he said. Theyre absolutely stone-faced determined. Theres no one scared. Everybodys calm. I didnt see excitement or worry, or people wringing their hands. Theyre motivated by memories of the cruelty of Soviet Russian rule, David said. The Soviets killed millions when they ruled Ukraine, and because they remember that history, Ukrainians are willing to fight to the death against the Russians, he said. Everybody has a family story about living in the USSR, and none of these are good, David said. People either knew of kids or family members who disappeared, or their personal effects were stolen. These people know whats in store for them if they lose. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has also been a major factor in Ukrainian morale, David said. When the president showed he was willing to stay and face death, people decided they were willing to die for him. They were willing to die for this man because he was willing to die for them, David said. Theyre fighting tooth and nail. Men and women together are doing everything that they can do to fight this war. Gallagher told The Epoch Times that Ukrainian militias are being equipped for war in towns across the country. Because of Ukraines tight cultural bonds, citizens are willing to unite and sacrifice to fight the invaders, he said. Those are things that have united and sparked the unity. The militias, the civilian militias, the little guerrilla units that Russia just didnt count on are especially keeping Russia at bay, he said. A group of Ukrainian militia pose with new radios. (Photo courtesy of Todd Gallagher) Fleeing Invasion On March 5, David left Kyiv in a car with a few other people. A guard on one of Kyivs bridges told him they were only allowing military vehicles through, but let him and his group pass anyway. First, David stayed at an acquaintances house. Then he slept in a church where the windows had been blown out by a bomb blast. He heard air-raid sirens all night as the Russians bombed a nearby military base. In the four days it took to reach the Romanian border, he had only two meals, David said. But what he got was enough. That water bottle made all the difference in the world, he said. He also recalled the moment when a man with two young children begged David to take his two children over the border. Here I am, a stranger, and hes handing me his kids, David said. Gallagher was the one to help drive David on the final stretch across the border. Although David and his family had a chance to leave, they stayed in Romania so they could send aid into Ukraine. The Russian invasion has left Ukraine, one of the worlds most fertile countries, without food, Gallagher said. Now, many Ukrainian families depend on donations from missionary organizations such as his church for food. That crisis is worst in the small towns. Theres no food, theres nothing here, David said. A couple of weeks before the war, Gallagher took his family on vacation to Romania. While he was there, his car was damaged in an accident, stranding them there for a few weeks. When the war started, his family considered leaving for the United States, but they reconsidered, choosing to help war refugees. The most needed items for Ukrainians now are food, medicine, blankets, toiletries, and diapers, he said. Todd Gallagher, a Baptist missionary, and his family visiting the Transylvania region of Romania. Gallagher and his family are currently helping Ukrainian war refugees. (Photo courtesy of Todd Gallagher) Gallagher depends on donations for these crucial items, he said. All the money he collects from his churchs donation page goes toward buying supplies for the needy in Ukraine. When David arrived at the Romanian border, a long line of Ukrainian refugees stretched for miles, he said. While some waited in cars, many others were on foot in the freezing sleet. The refugees wore winter coats, but often carried little else, David said. According to Gallagher, the vast majority of refugees are women and children. Ukraine isnt allowing men from 18 to 60 years old to leave unless they have at least three children. Many Ukrainians are hoping against hope for the war to end soon. The Kremlin is reflected in a polished plate of the state-controlled Russian oil giant Rosneft at the entrance of its headquarters in Moscow, on May 17, 2011. (Dmitry Kostyukov/AFP/Getty Images) Anonymous Hacker Group Targets German Subsidiary of Russian Oil Giant Rosneft: Reports Hackers have targeted the German subsidiary of the Russian state-controlled energy giant, Rosneft, Germanys Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) said on March 14. Anonymous, an online group of hackers that has previously targeted Russian media channels, published a statement on Friday claiming responsibility for the attack on Rosneft Deutschland GmbH. The group said it had captured 20 terabytes of data and that it is confirmed to have caused extensive damage. Rosneft Deutschland reported the incident in the early hours of the morning on March 12, the BSI confirmed to die Welt newspaper, adding that the BSI had offered support to rectify the issue and is in constant communication with Rosneft. A cyber security warning has also been issued to other stakeholders in the petroleum industry, according to die Welt, which reported that there had so far been no effect on Rosnefts business or supply chain. German news outlet Der Spiegel also reported on the cyber attack, adding that the Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA) confirmed it was investigating the incident. The Epoch Times has contacted Rosneft Germany and the Federal Office for Information Security for comment. According to its website, Rosneft Deutschland in Germany is the third largest petroleum refinery company, processing roughly 12.5 million tons of crude oil per year; which amounts to more than 12 percent of the Federal Republic of Germanys total processing capacity. The German subsidiary is both responsible for supplying refineries PCK, MiRO and Bayernoil with crude oil, as well as for the distribution of petroleum products. In the past three years, Rosneft was responsible for, on average, about one-quarter of crude oil imports into Germany, according to the company. Amid backlash to Russias invasion of Ukraine, Western nations have levied a number of sanctions against Russian oligarchs with close ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Rosnefts chief executive is Igor Sechin, who is said to be a close associate of Putin. Earlier this month, authorities in France said they had seized a yacht linked to the CEO in the Mediterranean port of La Ciotat. Meanwhile, former German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, another reportedly close associate of Putin, is chairman of the board of directors for Rosneft and has come under fire for the role. For some anons from Germany, this is exactly a reason to take a closer look at Rosneft Germany. Not because of the refineries, but because of the lobbying, the sanctions, Anonymous said in a March 11 statement. The group said that during the hack, it pulled data which includes complete hard disk images of employee laptops and computers, hard disk images of a mail server (34GB), many archive files (ZIP, TAR.GZ and 7Z), CSV, XLSX, DOC and of course software packages, manuals, license keys for software, and because everything is Microsoft Windows thousands of DLLs. Anonymous added that it didnt want to mess around directly with the Russian energy companies because there are some sanctioning states whose energy supply is linked to Russia. But Rosneft Germany is interesting enough, the group said. While Anonymous said it was able to successfully retrieve the vast amount of data from the energy giant, the hack was abruptly cut off. Rosneft Deutschland GmbH told local media it had taken its systems offline for the time being. A U.S.-made F-16V fighter jet with its armaments is on display during an exercise at a military base in Chiayi, southern Taiwan, on Jan. 15, 2020. (Sam Yeh/AFP via Getty Images) Arms Sales Rise in Asia as Chinas Military Grows The overall number of major international arms sales declined during the last five years, but arms imports spiked sharply in nations throughout Asia and Oceania. Experts correlated the increases to a combination of tension regarding Chinas growing military and the United States foreign policy. Australia, Japan, and South Korea all saw large increases in major arms imports for the period of 2017-2021 as compared to 2012-2016, according to a new report by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). Arms imports grew in Australia by 62 percent, in South Korea by 71 percent, and in Japan by 152 percent, reflecting ongoing tensions with the Chinese communist regime throughout both Asia and Oceania. Tensions between China and many states in Asia and Oceania are the main driver of arms imports in the region, said Siemon Wezeman, a senior researcher at SIPRI, in an associated statement. These tensions are also a major factor in US arms transfers to the region. American arms exports to the region are a critical component of the current U.S. strategy for maintaining a free and open Indo-Pacific. Imports from the United States accounted for the largest arms transfers to Australia, Japan, and South Korea. Australia purchased 50 combat 11 anti-submarine aircraft from the United States, whereas Japan and South Korea both purchased F-35 fighter jets and long-range air defense systems. Asia and Oceania remained the largest importing region, according to the report, and received 43 percent of global arms transfers. Six states in the region were among the 10 largest arms importers in the world: Australia, China, India, Japan, Pakistan, and South Korea. Some 30 percent of all imports to the region came from the United States. The United States has sought to strengthen its alliances and partnerships in the region. Washingtons new Indo-Pacific Strategy places a premium on building regional coalitions against Chinese communist aggression, including Chinas ongoing military intimidation of Taiwan and hostilities with India. The report also comes at a time of increased tension between China and the United States. New allegations from within the State Department claimed in March that the Chinese Communist Party signaled it was willing to lend military assistance to Russias ongoing invasion of Ukraine, sparking fears that Ukraine could be used as a proxy war between the United States and China. A former senior State Department official said, meanwhile, that China and the United States were in a new Cold War. And national intelligence leaders have accused the Chinese communist regime of seeking a new world order. The nations growing their arms imports are not limited to those in Asia and Oceania, however. In fact, the largest growth in arms imports occurred in Europe, with the UK, Norway, and the Netherlands leading a new buildup of weapons in the West. The severe deterioration in relations between most European states and Russia was an important driver of growth in European arms imports, especially for states that cannot meet all their requirements through their national arms industries, said Pieter Wezeman, a senior researcher for SIPRI. All things considered, the United States, China, France, Germany, and Russia accounted for more than three-quarters of all arms exports globally. The largest exporter of arms was the United States. China was the fourth. A Border Patrol agent apprehends a Chinese couple that just waded across the Rio Grande from Mexico into Eagle Pass, Texas, on Jan. 25, 2022. (Charlotte Cuthbertson/The Epoch Times) Arrests of Illegal Immigrants at US-Mexico Border Up 63 Percent in February The border crisis shows no signs of slowing down under President Joe Biden, with arrests of illegal immigrants in February spiking 63 percent from February 2021. Border agents made 164,973 across the month, the Biden administration announced on March 15, compared to 101,099 in February 2021, under 37,000 in February 2020, and about 76,500 in February 2019. The newest figure is the highest number of arrests in the month of February since 2000. Since Biden took office in January 2021, he and top administration officials have relaxed or ended various Trump era immigration policies, including curbing the use of expulsion powers and cutting deportations. Immigration arrests started spiking the month after Biden was sworn in and have remained at unprecedented levels. The number of arrests in Bidens first year set a record. That record will likely be broken in his second year unless drastic changes are made, some experts say. RJ Hauman, head of government relations and communications at the Federation for American Immigration Reform, said the February figures confirm what we already knew: President Biden and Secretary Mayorkas arent securing our border; they are trying to build upon a historic crisis and make mass migration the new normal. In doing so, they are not only undermining our sovereignty, but compromising the health, safety, and security of the American people, he added. Rep. Pete Stauber (R-Minn.) wrote on Twitter, Numbers dont lie: this was the worst February on record in over 2 decades! The White House didnt respond to a request for comment. A query sent to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) requesting a comment from Alejandro Mayorkas, the departments head, wasnt returned. Customs and Border Protection, an agency that sits inside DHS, claimed the numbers are overstated. The large number of expulsions during the pandemic has contributed to a higher-than-usual number of migrants making multiple border crossing attempts, which means that total encounters somewhat overstate the number of unique individuals arriving at the border, the agency said in a statement. February registered a slight uptick in the number of encounters along the Southwest border, with most individuals arriving from Mexico and the Northern Triangle, and the majority of noncitizens expelled under Title 42, Chris Magnus, the agencys commissioner, added. Title 42 is a power imposed during the pandemic that allows agents to quickly expel many illegal immigrants because of fears they are carrying the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, which causes COVID-19. The Biden administration early on stopped using Title 42 against illegal immigrant children who arrive without a responsible adult. The administration on March 12 formally ended expulsions of such children, asserting the pandemic doesnt present as big of a public health threat as it once did. The number of encounters with unaccompanied children rose 37 percent in February over the prior month, hitting an average of 520 a day. Encounters with family units decreased but the number of arrests of single adults increased. Approximately 66 percent of single adults encountered were expelled under Title 42, along with about 30 percent of people who arrived at the border as part of a family. Ukrainian service members look for and collect unexploded shells after a fighting with Russian raiding group in the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv in the morning of Feb. 26, 2022. (Sergei Supinsky/AFP via Getty Images) ASEAN Countries Responses to Russian Aggression in Ukraine Vary Across the Spectrum On Feb. 26, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) released a statement regarding the situation in Ukraine. Without naming Russia, the foreign ministers of the ten member states said they were deeply concerned over the evolving situation and armed hostilities in Ukraine. We call on all relevant parties to exercise maximum restraint and make utmost efforts to pursue dialogues through all channels to de-escalate tensions, and seek peaceful resolution in accordance with international law, the principles of the United Nations Charter and the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia, they said. For peace, security, and harmonious co-existence to prevail, it is the responsibility of all parties to uphold the principles of mutual respect for the sovereignty, territorial integrity and equal rights of all nations, the statement went. The individual responses from ASEANs member states varied across the spectrum. The strongest response was from Singapore. Uphold Principles Instead of Choosing Sides In a ministerial statement made before Singapores parliament on Feb. 28, the countrys minister for foreign affairs Dr. Vivian Balakrishnan announced that Singapore would join other countries in imposing sanctions and restrictions against Russia. Singapore has always complied fully with sanctions and decisions of the U.N. Security Council, but we have rarely acted to impose sanctions on other countries in the absence of binding Security Council decisions or directions, Balakrishnan said. But given the unprecedented gravity of the Russian attack on Ukraine, and the unsurprising veto by Russia of a draft Security Council resolution, Singapore would 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, Balakrishnan said. The measures would be revealed soon. In his speech, he said Russias invasion of Ukraine was a clear and gross violation of the international norms and a completely unacceptable precedent. This is an existential issue for us, he said. A world order based on might is right would be profoundly inimical to the security and survival of small states. We cannot accept one country attacking another without justification, arguing that its independence was the result of historical errors and crazy decisions. Balakrishnan acknowledged that Singapores actions would entail some cost and implications on our businesses, citizens, and indeed, to Singapore. However, unless we as a country stand up for principles that are the very foundation for the independence and sovereignty of smaller nations, he said, our own right to exist and prosper as a nation may similarly be called into question one day. Later that day, Singapores Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said on a Facebook post: What is happening in Ukraine now is important to us. Singapore strongly condemns Russias invasion of Ukraine, and affirms that the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of Ukraine must be respected. As a small country, we strive to maintain good relations with all countries big and small, he said. We do not choose sides, but chart our own course based on consistent principles and long-term national interests. According to retired Singapore senior diplomat Bilahari Kausikan, this was the second time Singapore imposed unilateral sanctions. The first time was after Vietnam invaded Cambodia in 1978, he said in a post on social media. The issue then was the samethe invasion of a sovereign state in gross violation of the U.N. Charter and international law, he said. Responses of Other ASEAN Countries Indonesian President Joko Widodo posted on Twitter, Stop the war, on Feb. 24. War brings misery to mankind and puts the whole world at risk, he said. Neither Russia nor Ukraine was named. A day later, on Feb. 25, also without naming Russia, Indonesias Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that the military attack on Ukraine is unacceptable as territorial integrity and sovereignty should be upheld in accordance with the U.N. Charter and international law. Brunei, on Feb. 26, released a statement on Ukraine. Brunei Darussalam condemns any violation of sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of any country, and reiterates the importance of upholding the principles of a rules-based framework and respect for international law. Thailand mirrored the official ASEAN stance in a statement on Feb. 27, a step up from an earlier Feb. 24 statement where it noted its concern regarding developments in Ukraine and escalation of tensions in Europe and voiced its support of efforts to find a peaceful settlement to the situation through dialogue. Cambodia, similar to Thailand, also mirrored ASEANs stance in a statement. Vietnam, in a Feb. 25 press release, stated that it was deeply concerned with the armed conflict in Ukraine, and called for all parties to exercise restraint, observe the United Nations Charter and the fundamental principles of international law and keep up dialogue to seek a peaceful solution. Prior to ASEANs statement, the Philippines had called on the international community to reaffirm by more than words its commitment to the peaceful settlement of disputes and urge all parties to exert every effort to stick to diplomatic and peaceful means, in its statement on Feb. 25. After Malaysia initially expressed sadness for the situation in Ukraine on Feb. 24, its issued a subsequent statement on Feb. 26 expressing its concern over the escalation of conflict in Ukraine and calling for all concerned parties to immediately take steps to de-escalate and prevent loss of lives and devastation. In a press statement, Laos on Feb. 26 described the situation in Ukraine as evolving, complex and sensitive. It also called all parties to exercise utmost restraint and pursue efforts in deescalating the tension that may undermine international peace and security. Burmas (also known as Myanmar) military regime is supported Russia. According to Ye Myo Hein, a fellow at Wilson Center, the military junta said on Feb. 24 that Russias invasion is an appropriate measure to preserve its sovereignty. The varying degrees of firmness in ASEAN nations responses against Russias military actions are in sync with the varying degrees of closeness in bilateral ties between these countries and Russia. Vaccine and Defense Diplomacy Russia has been trying to boost its relationship with Southeast Asian countries over the past year. Despite the countrys traditionally weak ties in the region, vaccine diplomacy has opened a new window of opportunity. Just three months ago, Vietnamese pharmaceutical company VAbiotech and investment firm Sovico Group inked a new deal with Russian counterparts to expand the production of Sputnik V vaccines in Vietnam when COVID-19 cases peaked again. This is after the Southeast Asian country has successfully manufactured a test batch of Sputnik V vaccines in July and purchased 20 million doses of the Russian vaccine in June. In the Philippines, Russia delivered 10 million doses of Sputnik V vaccinesalbeit after several delaysand donated 5,000 doses of the one-shot version of the Russian vaccine, Sputnik Light, last year. Malaysia secured 6.4 million doses of Sputnik V last June. Russia also had earlier offered to share with Malaysia its technical know-how to produce the Russian vaccine, according to local media Malay Mail. Russian vaccine diplomacy, however, still pales when compared to that of China and the United States, and has not always been smooth in making inroads into the Southeast Asia market. Out of more than 66 million doses of vaccines administered in Malaysia so far, close to 60 percent were Pfizer while Sinovac accounted for about 32 percent. Last month, more than 60 million doses of Pfizer and 55 million doses of Sinovac vaccines had been delivered to the Philippines. Even in Vietnam, only about one percent out of a total of 150 million doses of vaccines received are Sputnik V. In Thailand, the government announced plans to purchase Sputnik V last April, but the vaccine has not yet been approved by the Thai Food and Drug Authority. Although a Lancet study had reported the vaccine efficacy of Sputnik V to be 91.6 percent against COVID-19, researchers were also concerned of the lack of data for Sputnik V phase 3 trial. In terms of trade, the weights of both Russia and Ukraine are marginal in ASEANs trade network. Russia accounted for less than 6 percent of the value of total bilateral trade flows between ASEAN member states and the world, and Ukraine represented an even smaller 1 percent in 2020. Meanwhile, China and the United States combined accounted for more than 30 percent of ASEAN bilateral trade flows, based on estimates using Direction of Trade Statistics published by the IMF. Interestingly, against the weak economic fundamentals underpinning the Russia-ASEAN relationship, Russian arms export into Southeast Asia notably stands out. However, despite being the worlds second largest arms exporter, Russias arms sales outlook has not been that rosy in the past decade. Russian arms exports globally have declined by 18 percent between 2010 and 2019, due to both U.S. sanctions and increasing competition from China and South Korea, according to Ian Storey, senior fellow at Singapores ISEASYusof Ishak Institute. China is a particular source of frustration for Russia because some of its arms exports are copied or retro-engineered from military equipment originally purchased from Russia. Moreover, because China views defense sales as a tool to acquire political influence rather than generate money, it is willing to undercut Russia on price, said the researcher. But within the ASEAN region, Russia remained the top weaponry exporter into Southeast Asia from 2000 to 2019, based on data published by Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. Since Russia announced its turn to the east policy in 2010, the country has been pushing forward its defense diplomacy in Southeast Asia, noted Storey. The Kremlins Asia pivot aimed to reduce Russias dependence on the West and ride the wave of Asias economic growth. Huge disparities exist within the ASEAN region in purchases of Russian arms, though. Vietnam, Malaysia, Myanmar, Indonesia, and Laos are Russias long-standing customerswith Vietnam having 84 percent of its total arms imports coming from Russiawhereas Thailand, the Philippines, and Cambodia are new and potentially new customers. Over the other end of the spectrum, Singapore and Brunei are low potential countries, according to Storey. History Repeats The spectrum of ASEAN leaders responses to the current Russian aggression in Ukraine is similar to that after Russias annexation of Crimea. Both now and back then, Singapore has been the most direct in voicing out opposition to Russian attacks. The country said that it opposes the annexation of Crimea into Russia in 2014. As a city state, Singapore perhaps particularly understands the predicament and uncertainties small countries such as Ukraine face when squeezed between major powers of the world. Reflecting on the Ukraine crisis, Singapores then Minister for Foreign Affairs K Shanmugam pointed out that when it comes to the crunch, treaties are only meaningful if you have the ability to enforce them. He also noted that country size matters in international affairs and that the U.N. Security Council cannot always act decisively to protect small countries. We do not know what was or was not considered by the different parties. And we do not know what the P3 [the UK, the U.S., and France] and EU plan to do next. What is obvious now is that it is, unfortunately, Ukraine and its people who have to face the consequences of all that has happened, Shanmugam said at the time. Australia Boosts Steel Manufacturing for Defence, Renewables The Australian government is pouring millions of dollars into domestic steel production, which will be used across industries, ranging from armoured vehicles and patrol boats to wind turbines and large-scale solar installations. The $55.4 million (US$39.7 million) investment is part of the federal governments $1.3 billion (US$930 million) Modern Manufacturing Initiative designed to support Australias manufacturing industries. The fund will go towards BlueScope Steels $217 million (US$156 million) Advanced Steel Manufacturing Precinct located one and a half hours south of Sydney around the Port Kembla steelworks, one of Australias largest industrial complexes. A view of Port Kembla industrial complex in New South Wales, Australia. (Taras Vyshnya/Adobe Stock) Industry Minister Angus Taylor said the facility would reduce the need for overseas imports, strengthening Australias domestic supply chains and steel security. This precinct represents an incredible win-winnot only increasing the local production of Aussie-made steel but also helping build up our renewable energy and defence sectors, Taylor said. BlueScopes existing steelworks in Port Kembla dates back to 100 years ago, currently employing 3,000 and making 3 million tonnes of steel each yeararound half of Australias total steel production. The Port Kembla steelworks has a proud history. This precinct will help BlueScope thrive into the future and create more jobs in the region, Taylor said. Shrinking Steel Manufacturing Global supply chain disruptions have sparked calls to bring more sovereign manufacturing back to Australia. As a production powerhouse in the 20th century, Australian manufacturing accounted for more than one in four jobs in the 1950s and 1960s. Now, the number has dwindled to around one in 20. At Port Kembla, 3,000 steelworkers are a mere fragment of the more than 20,000 in the 1980s who toiled away beside big fire-spitting blast furnaces. One of the biggest drivers of Australias shrinking steel output has been the oversupply of cheap steel made in China, a significant portion of which is produced using iron ore exported from Australia. Workers weld the ends of hot rolled steel on the line at the Wuhan Iron & Steel Group Corp on August 27, 2016, in Wuhan, China. (Wang He/Getty Images) However, Chinas decision to strangle steel exports, coupled with widespread supply chain issues, has caused a resurgence of calls to increase domestic steel production once again. For this reason, the Australian Steel Institute (ASI), the peak body for Australias steel industry, recommended against shutting down steelmaking facilities for the foreseeable future. The recent disruption to global supply chains associated with the COVID-19 pandemic and ensuing impacts on the cost and availability of international shipping have highlighted the importance of sovereign capability in the form of fully capable and self-reliant domestic manufacturing value chains, ASI said in submission (pdf) to the Senate last year. ASI highlighted that the ongoing transition to renewable energy demanded a substantial quantity of steel-dependent infrastructure, including wind towers, solar farm structures, power transmissions towers, and pumped hydro storage systems. A Barren Renewable Energy-Making Industry Despite an abundance of mineral reserves used in solar and battery components, along with an accelerating uptake of renewable energy systems, Australia is incapable of producing solar cells or batteries of its own. Instead, it continues to import most of its batteries and solar panels from China, prompting calls for the nation to take advantage of its domestic resources and employ Australians to produce its own high quality products. Western Australias (WA) Curtin University Professor of Sustainability Peter Newmanand the lead author for transport on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Changebelieves that WA is in a perfect position to establish a complete battery manufacturing supply chain. There are huge opportunities right through the value chain, and at this stage, were just digging it up and sending it off, Newman previously told The Epoch Times. WA alone boasts most of the countrys cobalt, lithium, and nickel deposits, most of which is exported to China. Haulage truck at the Rio Tinto West Angelas iron ore mine in the Pilbara region of West Australia July 9, 2014. (AAP Image/Alan Porritt) We have the largest lithium mine in the world, and that is now going to be processed in two places: in Bunbury and in Kwinana, to a very high-quality lithium that can go straight to a battery manufacturer, he said. In Australia, we have high quality science, analytical, and engineering capabilities to make and run these factories. And we do it on the site, so we dont waste that energy, were doing it very close to where the product is being mined thats the next economy. With one in four homes adorning solar panels on their rooftops, similar concerns have been raised for solar panelsa challenge mining billionaire Andrew Forrest has taken on with the announcement of the nations first solar mega-factory. Royal Australian Navy ships HMAS Adelaide (centre), HMAS Canberra and HMAS Supply (left) are escorted into Nukualofa harbour by the Tongan Navy Guardian-class patrol boat VOEA Ngahau Siliva (right) during Operation Tonga Assist 2022 on March 1, 2022. (LSIS David Cox via ADF) Australia Must Be Vigilant in Pacific Where China Territorial Disputes Remain: Minister Australias Minister for the Pacific Zed Seselja has warned that Russias incursions into Ukraine should serve as a reminder for Australia to remain vigilant in its own backyard in the Pacific, where China has unresolved territorial disputes. In an op-ed for News Corps The Australian published on March 14, Seselja noted that China had conspicuously failed to condemn Russias military operation in Ukraine and warned that it was not the time for complacency when it comes to our own security. China has its own unresolved territorial disputes, a growing military power, and a deepening partnership with Russia, he wrote. It would be naive for us now to assume the war in Ukraine, while almost 15,000 [kilometres] away, does not have serious implications for our own security, he wrote. The Australian government has sounded the alarm on a number of Beijings moves in the Indo-Pacific region. An aerial view of the uninhabited island of Spratlys in the disputed South China Sea, on April 21, 2017. (Erik De Castro/Reuters) This includes Chinas growing stockpile of nuclear weapons, its militarisation of the South China Seaturning reefs and island into unsinkable aircraft carriers and how it has come to control 20 ports around the world through its trojan horse, debt-trap lending scheme, the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Seselja said Australia cant afford to take our eyes off the increasingly complex strategic environment evolving in our own backyard nor create opportunity for those who seek to destabilise our region to do so. Australian Defence Minister Peter Dutton has previously said these moves cant be ignored. The BRI has been Beijings largest soft-power operation in the Pacific, with the communist regime offering loans to developing countries. However, some have not been able to service the loan and have handed over key infrastructure, such as ports, to China as a result. Two BRI deals made between the Victorian state Labor government of Australia and Beijing were torn up by the federal minister for foreign affairsunder new powers legislated in 2021after the arrangements were deemed to be against the countrys national interests. Despite Victorias Labor leader, Premier Daniel Andrews, defending the deals, national Labor supported the decision to scrap them. The Sihanoukville port in Cambodia becomes part of the Chinese regimes Belt and Road Initiative. (Tang Chhin Sothy/AFP/Getty Images) With Beijing peddling the BRI to Pacific island countries, Seselja has said it has never been more important to support the sovereignty of democracies in our region and strengthen our relationships with our Pacific family. None of us wishes to see the regional order undermined or destabilised, he wrote. But we are not sitting back and waiting for this to happen. Through strengthening our close ties and cooperation in our region, and strengthening our own forces, we are taking steps to safeguard our national security. Seselja noted that Australias ruling Coalition government last week committed to increasing its defence force personnel by 30 percent, expected to bolster its numbers to 101,000 personnel by 2040. A photo of the Q-Store at the construction site of the Blackrock Camp redevelopment project in Nadi, Fiji, on March 18, 2021. (Obtained from ADF) Australia has also invested billions in key security programs in the Pacific to counter Beijings influence, including 21 Guardian-class patrol boats. The minister for the Pacific noted Australia is delivering around $2 billion for a package of capability, infrastructure, sustainment, training, and coordination through the Pacific Maritime Security Program in a bid to increase regional maritime security. Seselja also highlighted Australias recent security partnerships with Fiji to bolster its security capability and strengthen ties. Eight high school students and their 87-year-old litigation representative, Sister Brigid Arthur stand outside the NSW Federal Court in Sydney, Australia, on March 15, 2022. The Federal Court full bench is set to rule on a finding that the Australian government has a duty of care to protect children against climate change. (AAP Image/Dean Lewins) Australian Government Does Not Have Legal Duty of Care on Climate Risk, Says Federal Court The Australian government has no legal obligation to protect individuals from supposed harm from risks from climate change, the Federal Court of Australia has ruled. On March 15, the full bench of the court overturned an earlier decision that recognised that Environment Minister Sussan Ley had to consider the potential harm from climate change when deciding whether to hand out mining leases. The action was originally brought by eight high school students seeking to block the expansion of a major coal mineWhitehaven Coals Vickery Extension Project near Gunnedah in the state of New South Wales (NSW). At the time, Justice Mordecai Bromberg allowed the expansion to go ahead but ruled that the minister had a duty of reasonable care not to cause injury to children when exercising her decision-making powers. Such a decision had major ramifications and meant the minister would need to constantly consider whether future decisions could contribute to climate change. However, Justices James Allsop, Michael Wheelahan, and Jonathan Beach found otherwise, stating that such a duty was a matter for the Parliament, and not the courts to determine, while also finding that a duty of care was inconsistent with the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Act. Allsop said the minister only had minimal control over any potential harm from climate change and not enough to construe a duty of care. Environment Minister Sussan Ley speaks during a press conference at Parliament House in Canberra, Australia on June 22, 2021. (Photo by Sam Mooy/Getty Images) It can be accepted that the minister had, almost exclusive, control over any risk created by the approval of the extension of the mine, he said in his judgement. But bearing in mind the nature of the harm as [a] worldwide global climate catastrophethe control of the minister of the harm is simply not present. He also noted that the concept of control was directly related to the harm that could be caused not over a tiny increase in the risk of rising temperatures. Additionally, both Beach and Wheelahan were not persuaded that approving the extension of a coal mine would cause injury to the students. Speaking outside the court in Sydney, the students behind the case said they would continue fighting. The federal court today may have accepted the ministers legal arguments over ours, but that does not change the ministers moral obligation to take action on climate change and to protect young people, Anjali Sharma, a 17-year-old student, told reporters. It does not change the science, she said. It does not put out the fires or drain the floodwaters. The students lawyer, David Barnden, said the science has not changed. Irrespective of todays decision, adults should do all they can to create a safe future for our children, he said in a statement. The latest decision is part of a growing body of law involving legal action around climate change. In May 2021, a court in The Hague ordered oil giant Royal Dutch Shell to cut emissions by 45 percent by 2030. The court interpreted an unwritten standard of care under Dutch law for companies to mitigate human rights impacts arising from rising emissions. Yet debate still exists over the veracityand interpretationof the science and modelling that underpins policy around addressing climate change. For example, while Australias Great Barrier Reef has been the source of considerable consternation from scientists and political leadersacademics from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology found that research on ocean acidification of the Reefwhich is believed to weaken the growth of coralcould be subject to bias. The study found researchers tended to selectively publish impressive results in prestigious journals which could result in a proliferation of studies reporting strong effects, even though they may not be true and can fuel citation bias. Michael Shellenberger, the founder of the non-profit Environmental Progress, said that despite a change in average temperatures, the overall picture was positive and should not be portrayed in a negative light. On so many other environmental metrics, things are going in the right direction, Shellenberger said in an interview with EpochTVs Jan Jekielek on American Thought Leaders. The chance of dying from an extreme weather event has declined over 99 percent for the average human being, he said. Deaths from natural disasters overall are 90 percent down, we produce 25 percent more food than we need. Theres no estimate of running out of food Sea level rise is something that weve done a very good job adapting to and well continue to do a good job adapting to. Daniel Khmelev contributed to this report. A branch of Barclays Bank is seen, in London on Feb. 23, 2022. (Peter Nicholls/Reuters) Barclays Suspends Sales of Two Products Linked to Oil, Volatility LONDON/NEW YORKBritish bank Barclays said on Monday it had suspended the sales and issuance of two exchange-traded notes (ETNs) with combined assets of about $1 billionone linked to crude oil and another to a gauge of market volatilitydue to capacity constraints, in a move that some investors said could spur big price swings in the products. ETNs are debt securities that banks issue with the promise to pay holders a return linked to the performance of underlying securities or benchmarks. Investors are particularly sensitive about the product ever since another volatility-tracking ETN called XIV went bust in a matter of days in February 2018, dealing nearly $2 billion in losses to shareholders. The ETNs affected are called iPath Pure Beta Crude Oil ETN and iPath Series B S&P 500 VIX Short-Term Futures ETN. Barclays, which expects to reopen sales and issuances of the ETNs as soon as it can accommodate additional capacity, said the actions were not linked to the crisis in Ukraine or any issue with the market dynamics in the underlying index components. The bank does not have sufficient capacity to support further sales from inventory and any further issuances of the ETNs, it said in a statement. Barclays declined to elaborate further on the reasons for the actions, which were effective from the opening of trading on Monday. My first reaction is that Barclays is probably trying to de-risk, said Brent Kochuba, founder of analytic service SpotGamma, noting a recent jump in trading volume in VXX. Some 71 million VXX shares changed hands daily over the last month, about double the average daily volume over the past year, as investors placed bets on stock market volatility as the Russia-Ukraine crisis roiled global financial markets. Matt Thompson, managing partner at Chicago-based investment adviser Thompson Capital Management, which specializes in volatility trading, said Barclays move could have been prompted by a lack of liquidity in the market. Analysts warned that the suspension of the share creation process for the two ETNs might cause their trading price to stray from their indicative pricewhere they should be trading based on the value of their underlying securities. Typically, large banks buy and sell shares to generally keep the trading price of the ETNs in line with their indicative value. But with the suspension of new shares that process can break. The trading price of these securities can float up without any effective constraint above the indicative price, said Vance Harwood, who runs the alternative investment website Six Figure Investing and is a consultant focused on volatility-linked products. Shares of VelocityShares Daily 2x VIX Short-Term ETN (TVIX) collapsed nearly 60% over the course of four trading sessions in March 2021, after the ETNs issuer, Credit Suisse, reopened issuance of TVIX shares after a one-month suspension. Short Squeeze Candidate For VXXa heavily shorted instrument with about 90 percent of its shares sold shortthe halt of share creation makes it a prime candidate for a potential short squeeze, Ihor Dusaniwsky, managing director of predictive analytics at S3 Partners, said. Short sellers sell borrowed shares, looking to make a profit by buying back the shares at a later date at a lower price. A short squeeze happens when short sellers are unable to find shares to buy to close their bearish bets even as the share price rises. VXX short sellers are down about $198 million for the year-to-date, according to S3 data. VXX shorts are already teetering the lack of supply might really put them over the edge, Dusaniwsky said. By Iain Withers and Saqib Iqbal Ahmed Biden to Attend NATO Summit in Europe Amid Ongoing RussiaUkraine War President Joe Biden is planning to travel to Europe next week amid the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine, the White House announced Tuesday. The President will attend a NATO summit in Brussels, Belgium, on March 24 to discuss ongoing deterrence and defense efforts in response to Russias unprovoked and unjustified attack on Ukraine White House press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters. Psaki says Biden will also attend a European Council Summit to discuss humanitarian support to Ukraine and the effort to impose sanctions on Russia, adding that the White House is still working through the final details of the trip. His goal is to meet in person face-to-face with his European counterparts and talk about and assess where we are at this point in the conflict in the invasion of Ukraine by Russia, Psaki said. Weve been incredibly aligned to date. That doesnt happen by accident. The president is a big believer in face-to-face diplomacy. So, its an opportunity to do exactly that. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg tweeted Tuesday: I have convened an extraordinary Summit on 24 March at #NATO HQ. We will address #Russias invasion of #Ukraine, our strong support for Ukraine, and further strengthening NATOs deterrence & defence. At this critical time, North America & Europe must continue to stand together. The war between Russia and Ukraine has been ongoing since Russia invaded Ukraine nearly three weeks ago. Peace talks between delegations from the two countries restarted Tuesday after a pause on Monday, according to Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak. Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky is scheduled to speak virtually before the U.S. Congress Wednesday and is expected to make another call for the United States to supply Ukraine with fighter jets and impose a no-fly zone over Ukraine. Biden and NATO leaders have warned repeatedly against taking these steps in order to avoid military conflict with Russia. Zelensky conceded Tuesday that his country has to accept that it will not become a member of the NATO military alliance, a critical Russian concern that was used to justify the invasion. The United States and its allies have imposed sanctions on Russian financial systems and individuals in Russian President Vladimir Putins inner circle. The United States has also banned the import of Russian oil and, along with other Group of Seven (G-7) nations, moved to end Russias normal trade relation status, making it more difficult for Russia to do business with the West. The Russian Foreign Ministry announced Tuesday it has added Biden and a list of other top U.S. officials to a stop list. The United States has supplied Ukraine with military and humanitarian aid, including $13.6 billion approved by Congress. Bill 67 Would Entrench Critical Race Theory in Ontario Schools, Say Critics Jordan Peterson says if pernicious and dangerous legislation passes in Ontario, the rest of Canada will follow suit News Analysis The advancement of Ontarios Racial Equity in the Education System Act to third reading has alarmed critics, who say the legislation would entrench critical race theory (CRT) in schools and could lead to its adoption across Canada. Bill 67 defines anti-racism as the policy of opposing racism including anti-Indigenous racism, anti-Black racism, anti-Asian racism, antisemitism and Islamophobia, without naming whites. It requires every school board to establish a racial equity plan for all of its schools, and sets out anti-racism and racial equity requirements that apply to every college of applied arts and technology and every university that receives ongoing operating funds from the government for the purposes of post-secondary education. Brian Giesbrecht, senior fellow with the Frontier Centre for Public Policy and a retired judge, says the bill is the Canadian version of the critical race theory dogma now being forced on American parents. He notes that CRT contradicts the hope of Martin Luther King Jr., who said in his famous I Have a Dream speech that people should be judged by the content of their character, not by the colour of their skin. This view is shared by Queens University law professor Bruce Pardy, who says CRTs subtle language confuses people and that what King advocated was non-racism, the opposite of anti-racism. Anti-racism means discriminating on the basis of race, Pardy told The Epoch Times, while non-racism is the belief that race does not matterthat people should be treated equally under the law as human beings regardless of their race. The language subtlety apparently misled a lawmaker who would normally be opposed to the bill. Ontario Party MPP Rick Nicholls, who voted in favour of Bill 67, later said he had made a significant, unintentional error. In a commentary, Nicholls wrote: I find discrimination motivated by race, sex, or creed disgusting. When I voted in favour of the bill, I thought the bill stood against these things that I and my fellow Ontarians find evil. But it doesnt. In fact, it promotes them. Racial Equity Plan The bill requires every school to implement the racial equity plan established by its school board. It mandates a system for reporting racism, defined as the use of socially constructed ideas of race to justify or support, whether consciously or subconsciously, the notion that one race is superior to another. Those who use racist language or engage in racist activities could be fined $200. The Ontario legislature at Queens Park in Toronto on June 18, 2021. (The Canadian Press/Chris Young) The legislation would also provide programs, interventions or other supports for students, teachers, and staff who are victims, witnesses, or perpetrators of racism. The bill was introduced by NDP MPP Laura Mae Lindo on Dec. 2, 2021. It was debated on March 2, and after receiving nearly unanimous support, was passed to the social policy committee for further discussion on March 3. You have to actually change legislation, because legislation and policies perpetuate racism, Lindo, who worked as director of diversity and equity at Wilfred Laurier University before being elected in 2018, said in the legislature on March 2. New Blue Party MPP Belinda Karahalios was the only MPP who voted against the bill. I am one of the few MPPs at Queens Park who is a woman of mixed ethnicity and recognized by the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists, and fighting racism is something we should strive for. But the details of Bill 67 are based on the dangerous woke political ideology of critical race theory and do nothing to fight racism in education, Karahalios told The Epoch Times in an email. Calling it a costly big government bill that is designed to vilify our education system and our history as being systemically racist, she said that it attacks, intimidates, and seeks to punish by giving bureaucrats police like powers to fine ordinary Ontarians, including our children, for language deemed unacceptable in our school system. Enforcing Ideology Vs Improving Education Pardy noted that American professor Ibram Kendi, a leading anti-racism proponent, says that to make society equitable, whites must be punished. They must be denied equal treatment and be made to pay for past historical wrongs. While CRT attacks white people as inherently racist, Pardy says its even more insulting and damaging to the people it claims to champion. It is based upon the disparaging and patronizing idea that people of colour cant succeed on their own. It proposes to lower expectations, to compensate, to do for them what they are unable to do for themselves, he said. Vancouver Island University liberal and political studies professor David Livingstone says the legislations introduction reveals how influential the ideas of Kendi and author Robin DiAngelo have become. He believes the bill would enforce an ideology, not improve education. Part of the problem is precisely that the provincial faculties of education have a monopoly on training Canadian teachers. So as the education faculties get taken over by certain ideological trends, they simply pass that on to the future teachers. Those teachers eventually become principals and then curriculum advisers, and then the cycle continues, Livingstone told The Epoch Times. Anti-racism seems to be code for you must sing from Ibram X. Kendis songbook of anti-racism and no other, he said. [But] for education systems that purport to develop independent minds and critical thinking, this represents the opposite. Its just sheer conformity. It has nothing to do with thinking critically about the issues. Livingstone cited Columbia University English professor John McWhorter, who said DiAngelos book White Fragilitya term referring to white peoples defensive reactions in response to discussions on racismis one of the worst books ever written. CRT in Practical Terms David Haskell, a professor of religion and culture at Wilfred Laurier, says CRT is one among a broader list of whats called critical theories that condemn whites, Christians, and males as oppressors, and the sociological effect is to aggravate racial tensions and make people less sympathetic to impoverished whites. What [Bill 67] would do is amplify the racial division in our schools, because it mandates that teachers, to advance, even to be hired, must promote these discriminatory ideas, he said in an interview. The bill would create classrooms where feelings trump facts, he said. By illustration, he said a teacher would be disciplined for presenting studies by black Harvard academic Roland Fryer that statistically disprove the notion that police are more likely to use lethal force against blacks than whites. Haskell likens CRT to a left-wing religion in its societal effect. For example, students have dropped his public speaking course after being asked to explore the other side of an issue and write a speech based on empirical evidence when the other side is what would be called the non-dominant cultural position, which tends to be the conservative position. They simply refuse to do it, even though its only an academic exercise, he said. Mandating Institutions of Inquisition Haskell said a tweet in February by Teneile Warren, an equity and inclusion officer at the Waterloo Region District School Board, illustrates how CRT can negatively characterize white people. Jordan Peterson speaking with attendees at the 2018 Student Action Summit hosted by Turning Point USA at the Palm Beach County Convention Center in West Palm Beach, Fla., on Dec. 20, 2018. (Gage Skidmore/flickr) WPs are scared right now. History is paved with white-led violence almost always in the name of freedom. WPs built a system on the narrative that these acts of violence were well intentioned & necessary. The system is (sic) never stops it because this is how it fuels itself, Warren tweeted. Psychologist and University of Toronto professor emeritus Jordan Peterson recently posted two YouTube videos in which he slammed Bill 67, titled Kill Bill (67) and Warning: Bill 67. In the latter, Peterson called the bill the most pernicious and dangerous piece of legislation that any Canadian government has attempted to put forward, and said if it passes, the rest of the provinces in Canada will follow suit. [Its] based on the idea that all our extant institutions are racist, sexist, and discriminatory, he said. Bill 67 will mandate the creation of institutions of inquisition in every educational institution to which anyone who has an opinion or undertakes an action that is perceived to violate the tenets of critical theory will be made necessarily subject to punishment. Bob Sagets Fractures Possibly Caused by Fall on Carpeted Floor: Officials Bob Sagets head injury, including several skull fractures, was possibly caused by a fall on a carpeted floor, said Florida officials on Tuesday. Yesterday, a court order was entered prohibiting the release of certain materials gathered during the course of OCSOs investigation into the death of Bob Saget. The Orange County Sheriffs Office will comply with the order, while remaining committed to transparency and following the law regarding access to public records, the Orange County Sheriffs Office in Orlando, Florida, told WESH-TV and other local media. A doctor who performed the autopsy on the Full House star said that fractures in Sagets eye sockets and bleeding around his brain may have been caused by him hitting something hard, covered by something soft, including a carpet, according to the report. Saget, who was also a standup comedian and who hosted Americas Funniest Home Videos, was found dead in a Florida hotel room in January. A Florida judge this week permanently blocked the release of certain details about Sagets case after his family filed a lawsuit seeking the order. The medical examiner in January concluded that Saget died from an accidental blow to the head, possibly due to a backward fall. Investigators previously said there was no foul play in his death, and a toxicology report found there were no illegal drugs or toxins in his system at the time of death. In the incident report released by the Orange County Sheriffs Office, a detective noted that Medical Examiner Joshua Stephany said the fractures would have stunned Mr. Saget, and that he would have experienced dizziness, reported The Associated Press. If Saget were around people, they would have noticed him exhibiting confusion, balance, and/or slurred speech, the police report said, without noting where he fell. After his autopsy was released, investigators re-investigated Sagets hotel room. The countertops, tables, nightstands, and other hard furniture in the room all had sharply defined edges and corners and were thought to be unlikely due to the fact that they would have lacerated the skin, the Orange County Sheriffs Office report said, local media reported. Most of the chairs and couches were thickly upholstered and were too soft to have caused the type and extent of injury Mr. Saget suffered. They also spoke to individuals who interacted with the actor in the days leading up to his death, and they said Saget appeared to be fine and showed no signs of impairment, according to the report. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Border Patrol Agents Seize $300K Worth of Meth, Fentanyl U.S. Border Patrol agents on March 11 arrested a 28-year-old man suspected of smuggling almost $300,000 worth of methamphetamine and fentanyl through an immigration checkpoint near Salton City, California. The man was arrested with more than 60 pounds of methamphetamine with a street value of almost $216,000 and about five pounds of fentanyl valued at about $84,000, U.S. Customs and Border Protection said in a March 14 statement. A K-9 team sniffed out the drugs when a border agent at the Highway 86 checkpoint ordered a closer inspection of the suspects vehicle, a blue 2007 Hyundai Santa Fe, at about 3:45 a.m. They found 40 packages of meth and seven packages of fentanyl hidden in the floorboard area of the car. U.S. Border Patrol agents found 40 packages of methamphetamine and seven packages of fentanyl pills in a vehicle near Salton City, Calif., on March 11, 2022. (Courtesy of U.S. Customs and Border Protection) The suspect, who is a U.S. citizen, the vehicle, and the narcotics were turned over to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). California Sen. Melissa Melendez (R-Lake Elsinore) praised the efforts of Border Patrol agents to stop the illicit drugs from hitting the streets in California and accused President Joe Biden and California Gov. Gavin Newsom of failing to properly address drug trafficking at the southern border. Im so proud of our Border Patrol agents who are the ones picking up the slack, Melendez told The Epoch Times via text message on March 14. The amount of fentanyl seized is enough to kill almost 1.2 million people, she said. U.S. Border Patrol agents confiscated methamphetamine and fentanyl pills near Salton City, Calif., on March 11, 2022. (Courtesy of U.S. Customs and Border Protection) This latest incident marks the complete failure of the Biden administrations policies at the border and further illustrates the embarrassing failure of Vice President [Kamala] Harris trip to Central America and Mexico last year to deal with the border crisis, Melendez said. Riverside County District Attorney Michael Hestrin told The Epoch Times the federal government needs to do more to help Border Patrol agents confront the smuggling of fentanyl and other drugs. Fentanyl is so toxic in such tiny amounts, Hestrin said. If you think about two milligrams is fatal to the human body, and there are 5,000 milligrams in a teaspoon, five pounds of this stuff is enough to kill entire populations. It doesnt work that way, thankfully. But the point is still there. This is a deadly poison thats being smuggled into our communities. Its got to stop. Hestrin said the Border Patrol isnt receiving enough support from the federal government to deal with fentanyl trafficking. My office is engaged with task forces, so I know the Border Patrol agents themselves are working very hard on this, and I think the DEA is working very hard on this, but theyre overwhelmed, he said. Theyre not getting the resources they need. Its coming in in waves and they can only do what they can do, and so I would say the federal government has to focus on this problem and come up with a plan to stop the flow of fentanyl from coming across the southern border. Dennis Harmon, acting Border Patrol chief for the El Centro sector, said agents work tirelessly to keep dangerous drugs out of local communities, in a statement emailed to The Epoch Times. The impact and devastation that fentanyl causes can be felt across this entire country, he said. Canadians Were Persuaded to Fear COVID-19 Too Much: Constitutional Rights Group Two years have passed since governments first imposed lockdown measures across Canada in mid-March 2020, among other COVID-19 restrictions. The measures continued on an off over the two years, which is a deviation from the initial order of two weeks to flatten the curve and calls for an apology from officials, a constitutional rights group says. On March 15, the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedom released a new report, titled Two weeks to flatten the curve, two years to flatten our freedoms, in which it said public health policies that were imposed and reimposed repeatedly have brought widespread economic, physical, and psychological damage upon Canadians. For sheer national impact, the single most devastating bait-and-switch was selling lockdowns to Canadians on the basis of two weeks to flatten the curve, then continuing with them for nearly two years to reach the goal of total eradication of the virus, the Justice Centre said. Two weeks turned into two years as federal, provincial, and municipal governments violated the Charter freedoms of Canadians to move, travel, associate, assemble, worship, express themselves, and exercise control over their own bodies. The group concluded that Canadians have been persuaded to fear COVID too much, and have thus endured a two-year national trauma of human rights violations. That fear started out with the governments embrace of what the Justice Centre said turned out to be an irresponsibly alarmist prediction from a study led by Imperial College London epidemiologist Dr. Neil Ferguson. Based on its modelling, more than 326,000 Canadians would die of COVID-19 in a few months unless the government implemented a combined suppression that includes the social distancing of the entire population, or what came to be known as lockdowns. The report said that prediction was soon proven to be grossly exaggerated, as Canada had registered only 103,918 COVID-19 cases and 8,566 COVID deaths as of June 30, 2020. Yet, inexplicably, when the theorised problem of runaway COVID had been revealed to be flawed, the proposed flawed solution was retained and rebranded, the group said. The justification for massive economy-killing government intervention, and the shredding of the fabric of civil society, would no longer be flattening the curve. It was the total elimination of COVID. The report said the governments constantly changing narratives and public health objectives led Canadians to become doubtful and cynical. It also noted that the federal and provincial governments failed to justify their many infringements of Canadians Charter freedoms through their confused and arbitrary approach. We were all stripped of our Charter rights to travel, assemble, worship, and exercise control over our own bodies, in order to combat a virus whose most severe effects were felt by a single demographic: elderly and infirm Canadians. Governments have yet to provide persuasive evidence that lockdowns spared the lives of those belonging to this vulnerable minority, the group said. We were encouraged to report our friends and neighbours, if we suspected they might be in breach of public health regulations. Friends and families quarrelled bitterly over masks and vaccinations. We were taught to fear and even hate each other. The Justice Centre called for change as the country marks the second year since these measures were imposed, listing their recommendations in the report: 1) Promoting true scientific discourse without censorship. Rationality must replace fear. 2) A return to the parliamentary process and a rejection of emergency authoritarian powers. Violations of Charter rights and freedoms by the arbitrary will of government officials and un-elected health official must never again be allowed to happen. 3) Lockdown strategies are unjust and dont work. All governments should repudiate them. Never again. 4) Personal agency over ones own body is a core Canadian value. Vaccine mandates must be repudiated. 5) Health policy in Canada be adjusted to living with the virus. 6) Infrastructures of compulsion, in particular that needed to support so-called vaccine passports, be dismantled. 7) The federal government apologize for demonizing dissent and promoting disunity among Canadians. Capitol Report (March 14): Ukraines President to speak to U.S. Congress Congress is acting to revoke Russias normal trade status. Russia may soon default on its debt for the first time in over a century. And President Joe Biden could make a trip to Europe soon. The United States and China on Monday held the first high-level, in-person talks on Ukraine. What did they say? And how are they reacting to reports that Beijing is helping the Russian military? As Russias war in Ukraine wages on and the world watches, there is another war being waged behind the scenes. America is being tested on many fronts. We take a look at that, as well as the battle back home for Second Amendment rights. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will address members of Congress in a virtual call. Five shootings targeted homeless people in Washington, D.C., and New York City. Police need your help to find the suspect. Crime across America is raging out of control. Many blue cities that called to defund the police are now seeing record surges in violent crime. We sit down with Congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis who represents part of New York City to discuss. Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin on Monday said that he opposes Bidens pick for a powerful position on the Federal Reserve Board. Who and why? Follow CapitolReport on social media: Twitter https://twitter.com/capitolreport Facebook https://www.facebook.com/CapitolReport/ Gettr https://gettr.com/user/capitolreport A response boat crew from Coast Guard Station Curtis Bay monitors the 1,095-foot motor vessel Ever Forward, which became grounded in the Chesapeake Bay on March 13, 2022. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Kimberly Reaves/Released) Cargo Ship Stuck in 24 Feet of Water in Chesapeake Bay Vessel owned by same company that blocked the Suez Canal last year A fully loaded cargo ship is still stuck in the Chesapeake Bay. On Sunday March 13, at approximately 9 p.m., we received a call from the vessel, the Ever Forward, stating that they had run aground, Coast Guard Public Affairs Specialist Petty Officer 3rd Class Breanna Centeno, told The Epoch Times. We do not know the reasoning as to how it happened, however once the vessel is refloated, we are going to do an investigation to figure out possible causes. A response boat crew from Coast Guard Station Curtis Bay monitors the 1,095-foot motor vessel Ever Forward, which became grounded in the Chesapeake Bay, on March 13, 2022. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Kimberly Reaves/Released) The vessel, owned by Evergreen Marine Corp., is currently in water just 24 feet deep. It was leaving Baltimore, Maryland, and headed to Norfolk, Virginia. The vessel is carrying general dry cargo and although the Coast Guard does not know exactly what is in the containers, it was able to confirm the cargo is not made up of hazardous materials. The plan to move the ship is not defined yet. The Coast Guard and the Maryland Department of the Environment are in the process of putting together a refloat plan, Centeno said. The Coast Guard issued a Captain of the Port order directing the vessels crew to conduct a sounding every four hours to check the levels of liquids in any tanks and bilges to guard against leaks or breaches. This practice is a safety measure. There are no reports of leaks as of Tuesday afternoon. As of right now, there are no reported injuries or pollution reported due to the grounding, Centeno said, adding that other ships can still get through the area. The vessel is aground outside of the channel so theres no hazard to navigation. A response boat crew from Coast Guard Station Curtis Bay monitors the 1,095-foot motor vessel Ever Forward, which became grounded in the Chesapeake Bay on March 13, 2022. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Kimberly Reaves/Released) The Ever Forward is 1,095 feet long. Its home port is in Hong Kong. Evergreen Marine Corp. is based in Taipei City, Taiwan. It owns more than 150 container ships, including the Ever Given, which got stuck in March 2021 in the Suez Canal for six days. The company sent The Epoch Times the following statement. At 20:40 on March 13, EDT, Ever Forward, a 12,000 TEU ( Twenty Equipment Unit) container ship deployed on Evergreen Lines Asia-US East Coast. Service ran aground when departing the Port of Baltimore. The incident has not caused a fuel leakage. Evergreen is arranging for divers to conduct underwater inspections to confirm any damage to the vessel, and is coordinating with all the concerned parties to refloat the ship as soon as possible. The incident did not block the navigation channel or disrupt traffic entering or leaving the port. The cause of the incident is under investigation by the competent authority. On March 7, the company issued a statement about how it is navigating the conflict in Ukraine. Due to the recent developments in Ukraine and Russia, we regret to inform that our operations in the area are disrupted and our ability to complete the carriage of consignments to some destinations is, or is likely to become, obstructed, the company said in a statement. As a result, booking acceptance to and from Odessa, Ukraine, and Novorossiysk, Russia was suspended until further notice, as well booking acceptance to and from St. Petersburg, Russia. The company, at that time, was evaluating solutions for cargo that was on the water. Workers are seen wearing protective clothes next to some lockdown areas after the detection of new cases of covid-19 in Shanghai on March 14, 2022. (Hector Retamal/AFP via Getty Images) China Locks Down 51 Million as COVID Surges Across the Country Inside a newly shuttered Chinese hospital deemed the nations latest COVID-19 outbreak hotspot, overworked nurses started a shouting match with doctors demanding basic measures of protection. At some Chinese universities, students broke down in tears after some were sealed inside their dorms without access to water or toilets. Elsewhere, in some rental apartments, tenants were shocked to learn that they had to pack up within hours because what they considered their home would be converted into quarantine facilities. Over the past week, scenes of exasperation have emerged in various parts of China as officials battle the stealth omicron variant that has fueled the countrys purported worst outbreak since the pandemic began two years ago. Among the hardest hit is the southern technology hub of Shenzhen, whose 17.5 million residents were put into lockdown. Dongguan city in southeastern China and northeastern Jilin Province, home to 10 million and 24 million inhabitants, respectively, were also ordered into lockdowns. Since March 1, China has reported more than 10,000 cases spanning most provinces, Lei Zhenglong, the vice director for the National Bureau of Disease Control and Prevention, said on March 14, adding that in some districts, the outbreaks are still developing at an accelerating speed. Critics have long been skeptical of Beijings official virus figures, citing the Chinese Communist Partys routine practice of suppressing information that harms its image and its need to sustain the narrative that the regime is keeping the pandemic under control. Leis tally marks the highest recorded in the country since April 2020. Theres no way its accurate, one resident from Changchun, where 9 million residents had already been locked in their homes for three days, told The Epoch Times, referring to Beijings official infection count. As most countries learn to live with the virus, mainland China is among the final holdovers of the zero-COVID policy, despite growing questions about whether the goal is ever achievable and concerns over its mounting toll on the economy. On March 14, Lei insisted that the approach, which the regime has recently labeled as dynamic COVID-zero, is absolutely effective. We need to take action earlier, faster, stricter, and more thoroughly in outbreak response because the Omicron virus is sneaky and fast-spreading, he said. A health worker dressed in protective clothing waits to assist people at a mass COVID-19 testing site in Beijing on March 14, 2022. (Kevin Frayer/Getty Images) We Have Families, Too The policy has pushed officials to defer academic and civil servant tests, and more than half a dozen cities have suspended in-person classes. Many higher institutions are also barring their students from setting foot outside. The strain is already showing among the general populace. At Shanghai Sixth Peoples Hospital, which was locked down after one patient tested positive for COVID-19, an emotional nurse confronted a doctor who asked her to care for COVID-19 patients despite not having adequate protection gear. The doctor had told her that COVID-19 is not a contagious disease and apparently hit a male nurse who refused to comply. Since you claim its not contagious, take your mask off, the nurse shouted at the man, who was wearing a full hazmat suit and a transparent face shield in a video that went viral on the Chinese internet. You can ask all of us nurses here, most of us are taking sleeping pills, the nurse said. She added that they rise at 4:30 a.m. to test patients health and sleep on paper boards. My pulse rate is 120 minimum. We have families, too. When authorities in Guangzhou, a southern port city, closed an exhibition midway after identifying one virus casetrapping roughly 50,000 visitors inside for mass testingsome climbed fences to get out. In Jilin Province in northeastern China, students wrote lengthy pleas online after campuses were closed off over infections, leaving students to fend themselves. Some said their sick classmates were sealed inside their rooms, denying them access to bathrooms. A lot of people here are suffering from fever. Our teachers kept giving us antipyretics, telling us to wrap ourselves in a blanket and sleep it away, and that they will try a different drug if it doesnt work, wrote a female student from Jilin Agriculture Technology College on Chinese social media. For those who were healthy like her, there was a shortage of drinking water, disinfectants, and even sanitary pads, she said. We are basically left to die, she said in a post that has generated 2.76 million likes. Will the school be happy if everyone on campus becomes virus-positive? In response to outrage online over the students treatment, they were later transferred to quarantine centers. But one student said they were made to wait in the cold for two hours at night in front of the dorm building. Just Laughable Shanghai officials evicted tenants with little notice to make space for quarantining virus contacts, which created a backlash. Li Min, who rented an apartment in the citys upscale Xuhui district, said that she and about 100 other mostly office workers only got a two-hour window on March 10 to move out of her building. She was incredulous at first. This is not a hotel, its an apartment. Some of us have lived here for three or five years. To us, this is home, Li (a pseudonym) told The Epoch Times. The residents began to protest through all channels available, calling the police and neighborhood committee officials. Eventually the authorities extended the deadline to midnight. The residents paid all the moving costs out of their own pocket, with not a penny of compensation, Li told The Epoch Times. If they at least gave us two days time, we could all understand, she said. But they put out such an attitude. Why do you turn us out like this as if we are homeless people? An officer from the Shanghai Municipal Administration of Culture and Tourism told Li that it would be useless to complain to authorities, because half of the officials in her district were in quarantine. Her best option was to move out as soon as possible, the officer said. A health worker (C) helps people to fill out information requested in an app to be able to be tested as a measure against COVID-19 near the Shanghai Jinan Central Hospital, in Shanghai on March 14, 2022. (Hector Retamal/AFP via Getty Images) A staff member for the Xuhui district government told The Epoch Times they have non-disclosure rules and cannot reveal such information when asked about Lis claims regarding local officials being in quarantine. Dont make it hard for me, the employee said. District officials later apologized for the tight time frame, saying they were under significant pressure to contain the virus and racing against time. Li, who stored some of her 20 boxes of hastily packed things at her friends place, plans to stay at a hotel near her workplace for a week as she looks for a more permanent apartment space. Its just laughable, she said, suggesting that the government policies are more political than practical. They dont want to publicize the information, she said, adding that it would make Shanghai authorities look bad to admit the full extent of the outbreak. Zhou Bin (a pseudonym), a hotel marketing manager from Shanghai, appeared to agree. The outbreak has hit Shanghais economy hard because of the COVID-zero policy, Zhou told The Epoch Times. This policy is hooked into the local officials careers. Chang Chun and Luo Ya contributed to this report. Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese leader Xi Jinping pose for a photograph during their meeting in Beijing on Feb. 4, 2022. (Alexei Druzhinin/Sputnik/AFP via Getty Images) China Should Learn Lessons, Think Twice Before Attacking Its Neighbors: US General Gen. Kenneth Wilsbach, commander of the U.S. Pacific Air Forces (PACAF), said Russias invasion of Ukraine should give China some pause about attacking its neighbors, if the communist regime really learns some key lessons from the war. The biggest lesson should be the solidarity of the international community in opposing the invasion and the crippling sanctions that Western governments have slapped on Moscow, according to Wilsbach. Im hoping that China will recognize that, and realize that something very similar, maybe even more robust would happen, if they were to conduct some kind of unprovoked attack on one of their neighbors, Wilsbach said, during an online event hosted by the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies on March 14. Russias invasion of Ukraine has fueled speculation that Chinese leader Xi Jinping may follow his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putins footsteps and fulfill his own territorial ambition by invading Taiwan. Last October, Xi vowed that the reunification of Taiwan with China would definitely be realized. The Chinese Communist Party claims that Taiwan is a part of its territory even though the island has never been under the regimes rule. Internationally, Taiwan is widely recognized as a de facto independent entity, with its own constitution, democratically-elected government, and military. Some kind of unprovoked attack inside of the Indo-Pacific region certainly would provide some kind of solidarity for the nations of the Pacific to come together and oppose something like that, he added. Whats more, the Chinese should also think about some of the terrain they would have to contend with, around where their neighbors are at, according to Wilsbach. While Russia and Ukraine share a land border, Taiwan is an island that is separated from mainland China by a narrow body of water called Taiwan Strait. A Taiwanese military expert said in a 2021 report that China does not have enough amphibious capabilities to invade Taiwan successfully. In December, Taiwans deputy minister of defense told local lawmakers that Chinas lack of landing equipment and logistical support capabilities would make any Chinese invasion of Taiwan very difficult. Wilsbach said Beijing should keep in mind how the Russians have incurred immense costs for the war. Theyve killed so many of their own people as well as those in Ukraine, and Im hopeful that China will pay attention to that as well, he said. The U.S. general also warned Beijing about using the Ukraine crisis to advance its agendas. I am watching China very closely during this Russia-Ukraine crisis, he said. Im keeping a close eye on where they might take advantage. China is still operating in the Pacific and many instances outside the rule of law and the rules-based international order, he added. Sino-Russian Alliance Russia and Chinas no limits partnership has severe limitations when it comes to military cooperation, according to Wilsbach. Weve seen some integrated bomber patrols in the past, he said. Theres been a couple of other exercises that weve seen them do together, but I would not say that theyre interoperable in any way. And their systems are quite different. Its interesting to see the power play: China thinks that they should be the lead, and Russia thinks they should be the lead. So Im fairly happy with that tension there, he said. I think that will be a problem for them as they go into the future. In contrast, Wilsbach said the United States and its alliesSouth Korea, Japan, Australia, Indonesia, India, Malaysia, and Singaporeare quite interoperable, given their fighter jets have similar equipment and are data-linked together. One thing that the U.S. general wasnt sure of is whether Xi knew about Moscows military plans prior to the invasion. Was Xi wrong? Was he part of the misinformation campaign that Russia was putting out? Or was he surprised? Was he duped by the Russians? I dont know the answer to that question, Wilsbach said. A Western intelligence report, first covered by The New York Times on March 2, indicated that senior Chinese officials asked their Russian counterparts to wait until after the end of the 2022 Winter Games before invading Ukraine. The request happened early last month, but it is unclear from the report whether Xi and Putin talked about it during their meeting in Beijing on Feb. 4. I think that China is taking a pretty cautious approach right now, based on uncertainty of how this might turn out, he said. And also the international backlash thats happened toward Russia, they probably dont want to get caught up in that too much. But it still is very surprising that theyve come up with the support rhetoric that they have, he concluded. U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan speaks during the daily briefing in the Brady Briefing Room of the White House in Washington, on Feb. 11, 2022. (Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images) Chinese State Media Signals Beijing Wont Cooperate With US Over Ukraine Following Intense Talks With Washington News Analysis Chinas state-run media is signaling that Beijing will continue to side with Russia over the war in Ukraine, after seven hours of intense talks between U.S. national security advisor Jake Sullivan and Chinese diplomat Yang Jiechi in Rome on March 14. The two sides discussed a number of issues, including Taiwan and North Korea, as well as a substantial discussion on Russias invasion of Ukraine. A senior administration official told reporters after the meeting that the talks were intense due to the gravity of the moment amid efforts to end the fighting in Ukraine. They also mentioned that Sullivan had also expressed concerns to his Chinese counterpart about the emerging Sino-Russian alliance. We do have deep concerns about Chinas alignment with Russia at this time, and the National Security Advisor was direct about those concerns and the potential implications and consequences of certain actions, the senior administration official said. Shortly before the meeting, Reuters and the Financial Times reported, citing unnamed U.S. officials, that Russia had requested military assistance and financial aid for its war from Russia, and the Chinese regime had signaled willingness to comply with the request. When asked about the reports, the senior administration official declined to comment. Both China and Russia have denied the allegations. During a separate briefing on Monday, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said China would face significant consequences if it aids Russia with its war on Ukraine. Im not going to get into specific consequences, Psaki said. I think what we have conveyed and what was conveyed by our National Security Advisor in this meeting is that should they provide military or other assistance that, of course, violates sanctions or supports the war effort, that there will be significant consequences. The Chinese readout of the Rome meeting did not mention the U.S.s concerns about China providing help to its northern neighbor. However, it did say that Yang warned the United States not to distort and discredit Chinas position on Ukraine through false information. Yangs warning has become a part of an editorial published by Chinas hawkish state-run media Global Times on March 15, signaling Chinas reluctance to work with Washington over the Ukraine crisis. The article, titled U.S. cannot expect China to cooperate under its suppression, said the reports on possible Chinese aid to Russia were an old U.S. diplomatic tactic to threaten Beijing. The U.S. is the instigator of the Ukraine crisis, the article stated. It wants China to dance to its tune. We look forward to seeing the U.S. true implementation of its commitments to China and meet China halfway, the article concluded. The Chinese readout stated clearly what the Chinese regime wants from Washingtonsupport for its territorial claim over Taiwan. Yang allegedly told Sullivan that China was upset about recent wrong words and deeds of the U.S. side on Taiwan-related issues. China urges the U.S. side to recognize the high sensitivity of the Taiwan question, [and] abide by the one-China principle, according to the Chinese readout. Sullivan did not heed Chinas demand during the meeting. The National Security Advisor also reiterated our One China policy based on the Taiwan Relations Act, Three Communiques, and Six Assurances. And he underscored concerns about Beijings courses and provocative actions across the Taiwan Strait, the U.S. official said. The United States has long held a one China policy, which asserts that there is only one sovereign state with the name China, but it is different from the one-China principle under which the Chinese regime, which claimed mainland China after the civil war, asserts its rule over self-governed Taiwan. Chinas ruling Chinese Communist Party sees Taiwan as a part of its territory even though the island is a de facto independent entity with its own liberal democratic government. Russias invasion of Ukraine has fueled speculation that Chinese leader Xi Jinping may follow his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putins footsteps and invade Taiwan. The two leaders declared their no limits partnership on Feb. 4, with Putin supporting Chinas claim over Taiwan and Xi taking up Moscows opposition to NATO expansion. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), in an interview with Fox News on Monday night, called on U.S. President Joe Biden to draft sanctions against China if the communist regime chooses to aid Moscow in its war. Chinas trying to bail out Putin. If Putin loses, China loses, Graham said. He added, If you believe the Chinese are going to help Putin survive by providing military equipment and economic assistance put on the table for China to read, the sanctions that will come [their] way, if [they] help Putin. People walk past a ZTE Corp. booth at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Shanghai, China, on Feb. 23, 2021. (Aly Song/Reuters) ZTE Awaits Judges Ruling After US Probation Hearing An FBI agent testified on Monday that Chinese nationals brought to the United States under research visas went to work for ZTE Corp. in New Jerseya possible sign the Chinese tech company violated its probation from a 2017 U.S. plea deal. At a hearing in federal court in Dallas, FBI special agent Marcus Wondergem said Chinese nationals came to the United States under the guise they would be doing research at the lab of Georgia Tech professor Gee-Kung Chang, but spent little time there and moved to apartments near ZTE in Morristown, New Jersey. Is it true that some of these individuals spent months without entering the lab? Assistant U.S. Attorney John de la Garza asked Wondergem. Yes, it is, Wondergem replied. U.S. District Judge Ed Kinkeade said he hoped to issue a written ruling in a matter of days. ZTE is on probation from its guilty plea in a case tied to illegally shipping American technology to Iran. Kinkeade summoned the company to his courtroom over the possible violation involving an alleged conspiracy to commit visa fraud. ZTEs shares declined after word of the hearing surfaced about a week ago, falling more than 12 percent last week in Hong Kong and then slipping 7 percent further on Monday. Chang and Jianjun Yu, a former ZTE research director in New Jersey, are accused of conspiring to bring Chinese nationals to the United States to conduct research at ZTE between at least 2014 and 2018, according to an indictment unsealed in March 2021. The Chinese nationals were in the United States on J-1 visas, which are intended for work and study at sponsoring institutions like Georgia Tech. During his testimony, the FBIs Wondergem said he checked the door logs for the Georgia Tech lab and produced leases for apartments in Morristown. On cross-examination by Dallas lawyer Scott Barnard, who represents ZTE, Wondergem acknowledged that the sponsor of the J-1 visasGeorgia Tech, not ZTEwas responsible for the accuracy of the visa applications and that research scholars are permitted to work at more than one location. Wondergem also said that, despite years of investigation in the Georgia Tech case, neither ZTE nor a U.S. subsidiary was indicted. No other witnesses were called at the hearing. In closing arguments, Robert Buehler, a lawyer for ZTE, said Yu was a professor at Shanghais Fudan University and, in many cases, recommended former students to Georgia Tech. He described their work at ZTE as an informal internship. Buehler also argued that Georgia Tech was responsible for the visas and for the conduct of scientists and engineers in the United States. If anyone here should have done more, it was Georgia Tech, Buehler said. De la Garza argued that Yu and Chang conspired to use J-1 visas for people to work at ZTE because it was a cheaper, faster, easier way to get foreign nationals into the United States. Its a sham, de la Garza said. Chang has pleaded not guilty. A lawyer for Chang, Robert Fisher, declined to comment. Yus status is unclear. ZTE said he left the company in 2019. By Bruce Tomaso and Karen Freifeld Children hold up signs during a rally against critical race theory being taught in schools at the Loudoun County Government center in Leesburg, Va., on June 12, 2021. (Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images) Critical Race Theory a Form of Child Abuse: Sam Sorbo Critical race theory (CRT) is a perverted ideology that is akin to child abuse, suggested Sam Sorbo, a Hollywood actress. In an interview with NTDs Capitol Report program, Sorbo, a nationally syndicated radio show host, film producer, and author, criticized the presence of CRT in K12 education. The issue has become a topic of debate, particularly in some of the nations recent high-profile elections. A number of GOP-led states have barred schools from using curriculums based on critical race theory or The New York Times 1619 Project, which critics have denounced as ahistorical and inaccurate. An outgrowth of Marxism, CRT interprets society through a Marxist dichotomy between oppressor and oppressed, but replaces the class categories with racial groups. Proponents of CRT see deeply embedded racism in all aspects of U.S. society, including in neutral systems such as constitutional law and standardized tests, and deem it to be the root cause of racial inequity, or different outcomes for different races. Its a perverted ideology that teaches children that theyre victims, and even teaches the oppressors, who are now the victims of the color of their skin, which is what CRT is, right? said Sorbo. Youre the victim of the color of your skin. Youre the victim of your libido, the whole sex education thats in our schools is basically human trafficking. Its grooming children to be trafficked. Youre a victim of your libido. Youre a victim of your emotions, you have no control over your emotions. And so for me, the education system now looks like child abuse, she said. Sam Sorbo, actress, author, and radio show host. (Courtesy of Sam Sorbo) Sorbo, a mother of three, describes herself as a passionate advocate for parental autonomy and home education. CRT is currently being pushed in every institution, from schools to the military, and from businesses to online platforms. White House press secretary Jen Psaki has defended both the 1619 Project and critical race theory. The problem is it [CRT] goes further to say that everything that we are enjoying now is due to whiteness, all progress is due to whiteness, therefore, we have to basically give up all progress, Sorbo continued. Well turn in your iPhones, turn off the lights, shut down your cars. Obviously I disagree with that. But thats their ideology. Speaking separately to NTDs Capitol Report, Josh Mandel, a former Marine and a leading contender for the GOP nomination in Ohio, described CRT as horrific. Its a huge issue. I mean, let me tell you this story. My buddy Mike, he has an 8-year-old daughter. So their third-graders at his daughters school, they split the kids into what they called affinity groupsthe black kids, the white kids, the Hispanic kids, the Asian kids. And the name of the affinity group for the white kids was bystanders and oppressors. Theyre calling 8-year-old girls with bows in their hair oppressors, said Mandel. Mandel, 44, accused schools across the United States of stomping on the grave of Martin Luther King. Because Martin Luther King preached, lets judge people based on the content of their character, not the color of their skin. And the radical left with critical race theory, The New York Times 1619 Project and all this racial garbage, theyre trying to make everything about race. And theyre completely perverting and flipping upside down what Martin Luther King preached, he added. A handful of states have successfully enacted laws to combat CRT, including Arkansas, Idaho, Iowa, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, and South Carolina. Most of these anti-CRT laws do not explicitly mention the words critical race theory, but instead target specific concepts and beliefs that are derived from the ideology. Bill Pan 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. David Boston of Dayton, Ohio, who serves on the Ohio Eastern European Congress' board of directors, hand-cranks homemade Hungarian sausage with Kim Kovacs on March 5, 2022, for the Magyar (Hungarian) Club of Dayton. Boston has been supporting and promoting Senate Bill 46 that recently was passed by the Senate to better recognize Eastern European communities in the state. The proposed bill, which was introduced in February 2021, next will be heard in the House of Representatives. (Michael Sakal/The Epoch Times) Eastern European Communitys Contribution to Ohio Gains Senate Recognition Ohios Eastern European Community is gaining traction to be more recognized as a key player in the states past, present, and future. A bill that was co-sponsored by Sen. Kenny Yuko (D) of Ohios 25th District in the states northeast was passed by a 32-1 vote in the Senate on March 3, and helped pave the way to establish the Office and Commission on Eastern European Affairs. Sen. Niraj Antani cast the lone dissenting vote against SB 46. The bill, which was co-sponsored by Sen. Michael Rulli (R) of northeast Ohios 33rd District, is considered the foundation for the Buckeye States large but under-represented Eastern European populations leg up on being recognized on an equal level as other ethnic groups. Legislators who are supporting the proposed bill with strong bi-partisanship, consider the first step of its passage as timely since April is recognized as Eastern European Month in Ohio. More than 1,000 people converged in downtown Cleveland for rallies the weekend of Feb. 25 to Feb. 27 to support Ukraine and condemn Russias invasion. (Michael Sakal/The Epoch Times) The bill, which was introduced on Feb. 3, 2021, is planned to help establish Eastern European education as part of the curriculum in public schools, especially in larger cities such as Cleveland, Columbus, Toledo, Cincinnati, Dayton, and Youngstown. If ultimately passed, the bill would pave the way for Gov. Mike DeWine to appoint members to serve on the Eastern European Commission. Eastern Europeans from Poland, Italy, Greece, Hungary, Romania, and Ukraine who emigrated to the United States in the latter part of the 1800s and the first quarter of the 20th Century, helped solidify Americas success as a manufacturing world power and center of innovation. They established their own churches, lived in neighborhood enclaves, and worked hard in Americas many factories to chase the American Dream. David Boston of Dayton, who serves on the board of directors on Ohios Eastern European Congress, and also on the Magyar (Hungarian) Club of Daytons publicity committee, told The Epoch Times he has been supporting the bill as it has progressed. Boston is of Hungarian descent and has been a member of the Magyar Club for more than 30 years and is a past president. I think its great, he said of the bills passage in the Senate. This will help bring more of an awareness to the Eastern European community through education and facilitating anything thats Eastern European. Theres Cinco de Mayo, St. Patricks Day, OctoberFest, and the Juneteenth Festival, but the Eastern Europeans really dont have a day where were collectively recognized, Boston added. Were trying to bring an understanding and more exposure to the ethnic groups of the Eastern European community. The 60-year-old club is a non-profit organization and promotes the culture through participating in language classes and preparing ethnic foods for the events it hosts throughout the year. Most recently, members of the Magyar Club made 450 pounds of Hungarian sausage as part of its Easter fundraiser, a tradition that goes back decades within its churches and organizations. Boston said he hopes younger generation Eastern Europeans take notice of SB 46 and that more members of the younger Eastern European community become involved. Everything is cyclical, Boston said. All ethnic groups strive for ethnic identity when they come to the United States. Then, after time, it goes away, but eventually comes back through other generations who become interested. Ohio Sen. Kenny Yuko (D) has been pushing for the establishment of an Eastern European Commission in the state that helps promote awareness of under-represented Eastern European communities. (Courtesy of Sen. Kenny Yukos Office) In a statement issued by Yukos office, he said, I would like to thank Senator Rulli for sponsoring this bill with me. SB 46 will allow us to support and advocate for more than 1.1 million Ohioans who have Eastern European ancestry, including the tens of thousands of Ohioans with Ukrainian ancestry. I also am pleased that we voted to adopt a resolution to condemn Vladimir Putin and the Russian Federation for waging war on the sovereign nation of Ukraine, Yuko added. These pieces of legislation couldnt come at a better time. I stand with the people of Ukraine, and I was proud to wear a pin with the colors of the Ukrainian flag on the Senate floor. Ohios large Eastern European presence recently was in evidence during the weekend of Feb. 24 to Feb. 27 when more than 1,000 people converged for prayer services and rallies in downtown Cleveland to show support for its large Ukrainian community. Thousands of Ukrainian refugees are continuing to flee their homeland because of Russias invasion that has killed hundreds of innocent people including children. Larissa Reidy (L) and her brother, Alex Pohuliaj (R), both of Lorain, Ohio, have been bringing awareness to the Eastern European community of their Ukrainian heritage. The Reidy and Pohuliaj families have been attending events that support Ukraine and condemn Russias invasion of it. Reidy is collecting supplies to be sent to Ukraine to help displaced people there. Here, Reidy and Pohuliaj are pictured at St. Vladimir Ukrainian Orthodox Cathedral in Parma for a prayer service on Feb. 25, 2022. (Michael Sakal/The Epoch Times) As the Greater Cleveland area is preparing to take in refugees Larissa Reidy and her brother Alex Pohuliaj, both of Lorain, are of Ukrainian descent and their families have been attending events that support Ukraine and condemn Russias unprovoked attacks on the country. In fact, Reidy and Don Attie, commander of the Disabled Americans Veterans Chapter 20 in Lorain, together have collected supplies to send to Ukraine to help those who have been left homeless and hungry because of Russias invasion. Whatever is collected will be taken to St. Vladimirs Ukrainian Orthodox Cathedral in the nearby west Cleveland suburb of Parma that is home to Ukrainian Village, one of the largest Ukrainian communities in the United States. So far, wheelchairs, clothes, baby strollers, diapers, diaper wipes, food, Pedialyte, vitamins, protein drinks have been collected. Reidys and Pohuliajs father, Konstantin Pohuliaj, emigrated to the United States in 1952 after being forced to work as a slave dentist, first by the Germans during World War II, and later by the Russian communists. His family, including five siblings, was massacred by the communists in the late 1930s. Konstantin was not at home that day and survived. Im devastated, Larissa Reidy told The Epoch Times of whats going on in her late fathers homeland after it had been free since 1991. I cant believe this is happening. Hopefully, the rest of the world will find a way to put an end to it. Trucks and protesters block downtown streets near the Parliament Buildings in Ottawa on Feb. 15, 2022. (Scott Olson/Getty Images) Emergencies Act Left Crypto Businesses Scrambling, Committee Hears The financial measures imposed through the Emergencies Act to target the participants in the Freedom Convoy left some businesses scrambling to interpret the broad order, the House Finance Committee heard on March 14. We have a very highly skilled team of AML [anti-money laundering] professionals and lawyers, said WealthSimples chief legal officer Blair Wiley, yet the team was calling everyone we knew, peers in the industry, to try to understand how people were applying and interpreting those definitions to be able to be both responsive to government policy and the law, but also not cast too wide of a net. Wiley was answering a question from Conservative MP Philip Lawrence related to the language contained in the Emergency Economic Measures Order, which applied to designated persons defined as any individual or entity that is engaged, directly or indirectly in a prohibited activity defined by the Emergency Measures Regulations. Lawrence said the definition was extremely broad and asked Wiley if that made it hard to identify people to the authorities. I think the initial order and the breadth of that definition, which youve alluded to, did present challenges for companies like WealthSimple, Wiley said. So it was a very difficult and stressful period when the order first came down. The meeting of the Finance Committee was part of a broader study into the Emergencies Act that was invoked by the government on Feb. 14 to suppress protests and blockades demanding the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions. With the act, the government included financial measures to go after the movements fundraising and to freeze participants bank accounts without a court warrant. The RCMP provided a list of names to financial institutions of all types, and institutions also used their own methodologies to track down participants. This was done to discourage individuals from participating in the movement or to compel them to leave the Ottawa protest site, the RCMP testified during a previous committee meeting on March 7. Witnesses for the March 14 meeting included financial services and cryptocurrency platforms like WealthSimple, business groups, as well as the National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations RoseAnne Archibald. Wiley and Dustin Walper, the representative of cryptocurrency platform Newton Crypto Ltd., told the committee that their companies did not freeze accounts, but they did block some transactions from occurring, which constituted small amounts. From our perspective, from our client base, we did not see any significant volumes that were attempted to fund a transaction for the convoy, Wiley said. The RCMP said on March 7 it identified and disclosed 170 Bitcoin wallet addresses linked to crowdfunding for the convoy, which had raised 20.7 Bitcoins valued between $1 to $1.2 million during the period of the public order emergency. Wiley and Walper also attempted to counter the assertion that the world of cryptocurrency is the Wild West. When the government invoked the act, it said it would seek to make some financial measures permanent, such as including crowdfunding and cryptocurrency platforms under the countrys anti-money laundering and terrorist financing (AMLTF) regulations. Walper said his business has been registered since 2019 with FINTRAC, Canadas financial intelligence agency responsible for tracking AMLTF. Cryptocurrency trading platforms in Canada are becoming highly regulated businesses, more so than in most of the United States, almost every state, he said. Wiley said WealthSimple was already registered with FINTRAC as well. Crypto is a legitimate and compelling emerging asset class worth over $2 trillion and owned by millions of Canadians. We believe those Canadians deserve the same protections they would expect regarding any other investment, he said. Wiley and Walper also remarked that the government could have communicated better on the matter of the emergency and accompanied financial measures. The Canadian Bankers Association testified on March 7 that they were given a heads up by the Department of Finance about the economic measures to be applied in the Act, but details were still lacking. Cryptocurrency platforms were not advised in the same way. We were sort of on the receiving end, via notices received through indirect channels, and through publication of orders on government websites, said Wiley. Yeah, I agree. We were in a similar situation where it was quite unclear initially what exactly the implications would be for us. So we would definitely welcome more direct channels in the future, added Walper. The BMW logo is seen during the Munich Auto Show, IAA Mobility 2021, in Germany, on Sept. 8, 2021. (Wolfgang Rattay/Reuters) Europes Carmakers Scramble to Replace Ukrainian Auto Parts BERLINCarmakers including Volkswagen and BMW are scrambling to find alternative sources of vital parts made in Ukraine from as far afield as China and Mexico, as Russias invasion halts assembly lines and breaks complex supply chains. The hunt for new supplies is the latest challenge for an auto industry already reeling from soaring metal and energy prices, supply chains snarled by the pandemic, and a shortage of semiconductor chips. The fighting in Ukraine has now disrupted output of wire harnesses, which bundle up to 3.1 miles (5 km) of cables in the average car. Unique to each model, vehicles cannot be built without them. As a result, world No. 2 automaker Volkswagen and rival BMW have cut output and temporarily closed some assembly lines, while Mercedes-Benz has warned its production will be affected soon. VWs premium brand Audi said the entire Volkswagen group is working to get major suppliers to relocate their Ukrainian wire harness production to other plants, or find alternative suppliers. That search includes Eastern Europe, North Africa, Mexico, and possibly China, it said. We have been working successfully with various suppliers from these regions for our models for years, it said. It is possible, for example, that suppliers will split production across several locations. BMW also said it is in intensive talks with suppliers to find alternative sources for parts, while world no. 4 carmaker Stellantis said it has already shifted its sourcing from Ukraine to elsewhere in Europe, declining to say where. Nick Klein, a vice president at global logistics firm OEC Group, said carmakers who have relied on Ukraine will need to move fast. Youll need to order way ahead of time, because youll face delays, and carmakers will be competing against each other for the same sources, said Klein, who specializes in automotive logistics. Messed Up Supply Chains Western Ukraine, with its low-cost, highly-skilled workforce and proximity to Europes car factories and a wealth of raw materials, has grown into a major production hub for wire harnesses, with Japans Fujikura and Frances Nexans among those producing there. Some manufacturers, like Fujikura, have suspended Ukrainian production altogether since the invasion, while others are operating at reduced capacity. Neither Fujikura nor Nexans replied to requests for comment on their plans. Moving production to plants in other low-cost markets with a vibrant wire harness industry, like Romania, Serbia, or Tunisia, involves buying new equipment to boost capacity, which could take months to install. According to industry sources, suppliers and carmakers are discussing who will foot the bill. Carmakers interviewed for this story would not name their suppliers. Some wire harness manufacturers in Ukraine, such as Kromberg & Schubert, Japans Yazaki, and Leoni, already have alternative plants in other countries. Leoni declined to comment on its plans, and K&S and Yazaki did not respond to requests for comment. There is still a trickle of supply out of Ukraine. One wire harness manufacturer in the countrys west, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of concerns for the safety of workers, said some production continues during the day, though it is shuttered at night due to curfews. Some trucking companies are hauling wire harnesses south across the border into Romania because for now the fighting has not reached that region, OEC Groups Klein said. That could soon change. The number of truckers who are willing to drive those routes as this continues will be less and less, Klein said. Theres going to be a point where you cant get anything out of there safely. Facing a messed up global supply chain, European carmakers need as many sources of parts as possible, Klein said. Right now you cannot have enough suppliers and you cannot have enough shipping partners, because of the climate were in. By Christina Amann and Nick Carey Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, responds to questions during a congressional hearing in Washington in a file image. (Greg Nash/Pool via Reuters) EXCLUSIVE: Fauci Said Great Barrington Declaration Reminded Him of AIDS Denialism Declaration author, signee react Dr. Anthony Fauci tried to link a strategy to avoid lockdowns to scientists who questioned whether HIV causes AIDS, according to an email obtained by The Epoch Times. Fauci, the longtime director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, and his former boss, Dr. Francis Collins, both strongly opposed the strategy, which was outlined in a document called the Great Barrington Declaration on Oct. 4, 2020. Martin Kulldorff, then of Harvard University; Dr. Jay Bhattacharya of Stanford University; and Oxford University professor Sunetra Gupta were among those who signed the declaration, which promoted policies aimed at minimizing death and social harm, while acknowledging that COVID-19 posed a much greater threat to older people than younger people. The most compassionate approach that balances the risks and benefits of reaching herd immunity, is to allow those who are at minimal risk of death to live their lives normally to build up immunity to the virus through natural infection, while better protecting those who are at highest risk, they wrote. The document set off strong reactions in the federal government. There needs to be a quick and devastating published take down of its premises, Collins, who headed the National Institutes of Health (NIH) at the time, wrote to Fauci and two other government scientists on Oct. 8, 2020, according to an email published in 2021. Fauci and Collins both went public with their criticism, speaking to separate news outlets and claiming the strategy represented a fringe component of epidemiology and was dangerous. In private, Fauci went so far as to try linking the declaration with AIDS, a serious condition that is caused by HIV and can lead to death. This is very reminiscent of the AIDS denialist days of Peter Duesberg, Harry Rubin, and Kary Mullis (all of Berkley [sic]), Fauci wrote on Oct. 14, 2020, according to an email obtained by The Epoch Times through a Freedom of Information Act request. Collins was the main recipient, and Dr. Lawrence Tabak, who went on to succeed Collins at NIH, and four other NIH employees received a copy. Rubin and Mullis are deceased; Duesbergs wife answered a query by saying that hes recovering from a stroke and cant comment at this time. The trio challenged the orthodoxy that HIV causes AIDS, including in a book called Inventing AIDS. Kulldorff told The Epoch Times that the comparison from Fauci, who consistently championed some of the harshest measures in the world to deal with the pandemic, was strange. COVID is a terrible disease. The impetus for the Great Barrington Declaration was to use focused protection to better protect older high-risk people, who were not properly protected by the lockdown strategy that led to numerous unnecessary COVID deaths, he said in an email. As public health scientists, we also take the collateral public health damage from lockdowns very seriously, something we now must live with, and die with, for many years to come. Professor Ehud Qimron, who heads the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at Tel Aviv University and signed the declaration, questioned the way top officials in the U.S. government responded to the declaration. I think it is a shame that government officials refer ad hominem rather than to the GBD statement itself, Qimron told The Epoch Times in an email. They likely could not, and still cannot, win with arguments favoring their policy of lockdowns, restrictions, masking, and zero-COVID. It was clear then and even clearer now that those measures caused only harms with no benefits whatsoever. Then-National Institutes of Health Director Dr. Francis Collins stands in Bethesda, Md., on Jan. 26, 2021. Collins stepped down in December 2021. (Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images) Qimron noted that researchers in January concluded that lockdowns had little to no effect on COVID-19 mortality during the pandemic. Fauci, Collins, and Faucis agency didnt return requests for comment. Herd immunity, or an adequate level of protection against the CCP virus, which causes COVID-19, formed the basis of both the Great Barrington Declaration and the preferred response of Fauci and Collins. But natural immunity, or the protection one develops after recovering from COVID-19, played a large role in the declaration, while Fauci and some other health officials have repeatedly downplayed that aspect and promoted near-universal vaccination instead. A NIH spokesperson previously told The Epoch Times that people who want to see why the declaration is dangerous should go to Wikipedia. Collins and Fauci in late 2021 stood by their criticism of the document. Their position was aligned with Dr. Deborah Birx, a top health official under Trump, but clashed with that of some other officials. Alex Azar, the health secretary under Trump, said on Twitter after meeting with Dr. Scott Atlas, a Trump adviser, and the authors of the declaration in 2020 that we heard strong reinforcement of the Trump administrations strategy of aggressively protecting the vulnerable while opening schools and the workplace. Emails (pdf) published by a House of Representatives panel convened to examine the response to the pandemic showed that Trump was scheduled to meet around that time with Kulldorff, Bhattacharya, Dr. Joseph Ladapo, a professor who is now Floridas surgeon general, and Dr. Cody Meissner, a health expert who advises the Food and Drug Administration on vaccines, to discuss the administrations science-based strategy to defeating the China virus. The meeting ended up taking place, but Birx did not attend. Correction: A previous version of this article inaccurately described the meeting with Trump as not happening. It did happen. The Epoch Times regrets the error. A house in which militants are suspected to have sheltered is in flames after a gunfight happened between rebels and Indian security forces that killed four soldiers, in South Kashmir's Pulwama district, about 10 kilometers away from the spot of recent suicide bombing, on Feb. 18, 2019. An investigator has pointed out that MBBS seats sold to Kashmiri students in Pakistan are being used to fund terror activities. (STR/AFP via Getty Images) EXCLUSIVE: Pakistan Funding Terror in Kashmir Through Student Scholarship Program, Indian Investigator Says NEW DELHIPakistan is funding terrorism in Indian-administered Kashmir through a medical scholarship program, according to an Indian investigator. The accusation adds to a long-held Indian claim that Pakistan is backing separatist militants in the region, which is one of the worlds most dangerous geopolitical flashpoints. The official program, the Pakistan Technical Assistance Program (PTAP), sponsors family members of slain jihadist separatists in India-administered Kashmir to study medicine in Pakistani universities, Abhinav Pandya, an independent investigator, told The Epoch Times. The program also accepts candidates recommended by Kashmiri separatist leaders, he said. Pakistans intelligence service has allocated these scholarships across several separatist groups who then charge Kashmiri students to receive recommendations, allowing these organizations to raise funds to support their militant activities in the region, according to Pandya, a counterterrorism analyst with field research experience in Kashmir. A report on his investigation, obtained by The Epoch Times, states that Pakistans Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) allocated 100 medical degree placements for the 202021 academic year to five separatist organizations. These groups charged students between $26,000 and $33,000 for each spot. Police personnel (R) escort Indian Kashmiri students carrying their belongings as they prepare to return to their colleges in Pakistan, at the IndiaPakistan AttariWagah border post about 35 kilometers from Amritsar, India, on Sept. 30, 2020. (Narinder Nanu/AFP via Getty Images) Through this sophisticated method of raising funds, the separatist outfits have already generated more than $1 million this past year, according to Pandya. During the past decade, Kashmir, which is home to 1 percent of Indias population, received 10 percent of the countrys development budget, while larger states such as Uttar Pradesh, which has a population of more than 200 million people and a higher rate of poverty, got far less development aid, he said. The aid and subsidy provided by the center form the key component of the economic lifeline of Kashmir, Pandya said. However, the locals use the same money to buy [bachelor of medicine and bachelor of surgery] seats in Pakistan. A large part of the federal aid ends up oiling the engine of the [Pakistani]-backed terrorist ecosystem. More funds are expected to be generated, as 100 more seats will be allocated soon for the next school year, according to Pandya. The spokesperson for Pakistans Foreign Ministry didnt respond by press time to a request by The Epoch Times for details about how students from Indian-administered Kashmir are enrolled under PTAP. Beneficiaries According to the investigation, 21 scholarship spots under PTAP for the 202021 academic year were assigned to Islamist group Jamaat-e-Islami and other small organizations, which would have netted them about $550,000 for that year. India banned Jamaat-e-Islami under the countrys anti-terror laws in 2019, citing the groups ties to militant organizations. In 2021, Indias counterterrorism agency conducted raids on more than 50 locations allegedly connected to the group in Kashmir and Jammu as part of a terror funding probe. U.S. Rep. Jim Banks (R-Ind.) has previously sounded the alarm on the Islamist groups influence across South Asia, saying its tied to separatist violence in Kashmir. Through violent actions, JeI seek to silence the voices of others and discourage participation in democracy. Much of the violence in Kashmir is linked to the organizations related to Jamaat-e-Islami and its terrorist partners, Banks said during a 2019 seminar hosted by the Middle East Forum, a Washington-based think tank. He also introduced a resolution (pdf) in 2019 calling attention to Jamaat-e-Islami and affiliated theocratic extremist groups that it states pose an immediate and ongoing threat to stability and secular democracy in South Asia. Pandya said that his investigation shows that the ISI has directed Jamaat-e-Islami and other separatist organizations inside Jammu and Kashmir to generate funds through the scholarship program for the purpose of creating unrest in the region. Of the remaining scholarship placements for the 202021 academic year, 32 spots were allocated to United Jihad Council (UJC), 21 for All Party Hurriyat Conference, six for the Geelani Hurriyat group, and six for the Mirwaiz Hurriyat group, according to the investigation. The UJC is an umbrella organization of various jihadist outfits, including Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammad, and Hizbul Mujahideen. The council is headquartered in Pakistani-administered Kashmir and is headed by the leader of Hizbul Mujahideen, Syed Salahuddin, who has been labeled by the United States as a specially designated global terrorist. UJCs Hizbul Mujahideen, Lashkar-e-Taiba, and Jaish-e-Mohammad have been designated by the United States as Foreign Terrorist Organizations and are also banned terrorist organizations in India. A copy of a letter dated Feb. 1, from the Section Officer of the PTAP section of the Ministry of Economic Affairs of the Pakistani Government with the list of 37 selected Kashmiri candidates for admission in the first year of MBBS. Names are blurred to protect the candidates identities. For the 202122 school year, 37 students from Indian-administered Kashmir were awarded the PTAP scholarship, according to a Feb. 1 letter obtained by The Epoch Times from a PTAP Section Officer of Pakistans Ministry of Economic Affairs to the secretary of the Specialized Healthcare & Medical Education Department of the Punjab provincial government. The letter was also copied to Pakistans Ministry of Interior, a director and assistant director at Pakistans Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the president of the Pakistan Medical Commission, and other government officials in Pakistan. Kashmir students have been able to participate in the Pakistani scholarship program despite the fact that the two countries dont permit citizens to travel to each others territories on student visasand despite warnings by Indian authorities to Kashmiri students against taking up such plans. However, students are bypassing the procedure by traveling on tourist visas for attending the sponsored programs, Pandya said, pointing to recent reports of about 57 Kashmiri youth who went to Pakistan for higher education between 2017 and 2018 on tourist visas and became terrorists, with some even returning to Kashmir with arms. Militant groups have used various sophisticated rackets to generate funds for their operations in Kashmir for about two decades, according to Pandya. But India only started seriously looking into this issue in 2010, when it established its counterterrorism body, the National Investigation Agency. The agency started to put a greater focus on enforcement efforts in 2014. In late 2021, Indian authorities filed charges against nine separatists for allegedly illegally selling medical degree placements in Pakistan to Kashmiri students. Authorities said the separatists were involved in several instances where parents were forced to pay extra for the placements or were duped into paying for the spots. A policeman checks documents of Indian Kashmiri students as they return to their colleges in Pakistan, at the IndiaPakistan AttariWagah border post, about 35 kilometers from Amritsar, India, on Dec. 30, 2020. (Narinder Nanu/AFP via Getty Images) Controversy The alleged sale of medical degree placements to generate funding for militant activities in Kashmir previously came to light after a senior Kashmiri separatist leader resigned in 2020, alleging differences over financial matters with other separatist factions. Syed Ali Shah Geelani, the chairperson of All Party Hurriyat Conference, one of the separatist organizations involved in the scheme, resigned, alleging financial irregularities in one of the organizations chapters. Hurriyat sources told The Indian Express, a leading Indian daily newspaper, that these financial irregularities were over the alleged sale of medical degree seats in Pakistan. Geelanis own granddaughters allegedly studied medicine in Pakistan under this program, according to the newspaper. After the issue of alleged corruption surfaced, the All Party Hurriyat Conference stopped issuing recommendation letters to Kashmiri students in 2018. The Epoch Times reached out to the Pakistan Foreign Ministry about the allegations, but didnt receive a response by press time. The resulting uproar in India led New Dehli to start derecognizing some of these courses and increase scrutiny on Kashmiri students crossing its borders. This has resulted in the Pakistani establishment continuing the operations through different routes, according to Pandya. So now they are sending these Kashmiri students to Gulf countries like Dubai, Saudi, Turkey, and from there, they are routed to Pakistan, where theyre studying these courses, he said. A man walks past a store advertising cargo shipping to Russia and other countries, in Beijing on March 4, 2022. (Hector Retamal/AFP via Getty Images) Experts Analyze Impetus Behind Chinese Buying Out Russian Goods Online Russian goods on Chinese e-commerce platforms have recently been sold out after a flurry of buying by Chinese netizens, so much so that a Russian delegate personally came forward to call on them to consume rationally. Analysts believe that this approach will not help the economy of Russia amid Western sanctions. Recently, many Chinese netizens went to the Russia National Pavilion, the only e-commerce platform authorized by the Russian Embassy in China, and emptied the store of various snacks and teas. Popular products were even displayed as pre-sale products, and the number of fans in the store skyrocketed, increasing by more than 200,000 people on March 2 alone. On the same day, a thank-you video appeared on the front page of the Russia State Pavilion. Sergei Betsev, business ambassador of the Russian Federation Chamber of Commerce to China, said that at this difficult time, he would like to thank the Chinese friends for their support of Russia and the Russian State Pavilion, and that he will remember this deep friendship. At the same time, he also called on Chinese netizens to consume rationally. In an interview with the Epoch Times on March 7, Lu Tianming, a U.S.-based China expert and current affairs commentator, stated that the phenomenon of buying Russian goods in China is due to the Chinese Communist Partys (CCP) intentional promotion and guidance behind the scenes. In China, this type of phenomenon is not spontaneous, like the anti-Japanese tide that occurred in the past, which seemed to be a non-governmental act, but was later confirmed to be manipulated and promoted by the CCP. This time it is no different, he said. Lu also expressed that on the other hand, the CCPs long-term lies and propaganda have made many Chinese have a Russian complex, and they do not know that Russia occupies the most Chinese land in modern history. Under the CCPs so-called Sino-Russian Friendship propaganda, many people have been misled to have pro-Russian and anti-American sentiments. After Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine, the Chinese regime has so far been reluctant to recognize Russias actions as an invasion and has refused to impose sanctions on Russia. On March 2, Guo Shuqing, chairman of the China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission (CBIRC), claimed that the CCP would not introduce sanctions against Russia, especially not in favor of unilateral sanctions, and would continue to maintain normal economic, trade, and financial exchanges with relevant parties in Russia. Limited Help to the Russian Economy Lu believes that the Chinese people mass buying Russian goods will not contribute much to Russias already sanctioned economy. It looks like its just a Russian specialty store, and a lot of it is out of stock. Its nothing more than food, snacks, vodka, and other things, and their value is very limited, he said. Its impossible to expect that this will do much to support the economy, but it creates a sense of public opinion and creates the illusion that Chinese are supporting Russia. Another more important point is that it is covering up the CCPs support for Russia behind its back so that what the international community sees is that it seems the Chinese people are spontaneously supporting Russia, buying its goods and sending it money. Lu said that what actually played an important role were the 15 contracts signed by Russian President Vladimir Putin in Beijing during the Winter Olympics, the most important being commodities such as oil and natural gas, as well as Chinese imports of grain, fertilizers, and other materials from Russia. In fact, the Chinese Communist Party had already communicated with Russia and made preparations in advance before the war between Russia and Ukraine, and now that the West is sanctioning Russia, the Chinese Communist Party is still supporting it behind the scenes, including the recent signing of a freight contract to help Russia, thereby creating an illusion to cover up the actual official support of the Chinese Communist Party, he said. Russian container shipping companies announced on March 2 that they have signed third-party cooperation agreements with Chinese freight forwarders to improve the competitiveness of transit container shipping from China to Europe. Sino-Russian cooperation continues as the Russo-Ukrainian war continues and international sanctions are imposed on Russia. Russias Trade with Countries Around the World After the start of the war between Russia and Ukraine, the West imposed economic sanctions on Russia, including restrictions on the Russian central bank and the removal of some Russian banks from the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication (SWIFT). These measures have devalued Russias currency, the ruble, and will also make it more difficult to pay for and transport goods. Russia mainly exports crude oil, refined oil, petroleum gas, coal, and wheat to China, the Netherlands, Belarus, Germany, and Italy; the second tier of exports includes wood, fertilizers, aluminum, machinery, and grains. U.S. business news website Quartz said in a March 2 article that the United Kingdom buys more gemstones and metals from Russia than any other country, mainly gold and platinum. Turkey is the largest buyer of Russian steel; 40 percent of semi-finished iron and unalloyed steel products in Taiwan are imported from Russia; Belarus and Kazakhstan are also major importers of Russian steel. Russian timber is the main source of Chinas timber imports, accounting for a total of about 37 percent. Brazil is the largest importer of Russian fertilizers, both mineral and chemical, which account for 69 percent of Brazils fertilizer imports. Russias aluminum exports surged in July 2021 after Russian authorities lifted export tariffs. But the recent intensification of the Russia-Ukraine conflict has sparked concerns over global supply shortages, and aluminum prices on the London Metal Exchange have soared. Russian products account for 26.7 percent of the worlds exports of nuclear reactors and their components, second only to the exports of turbojets, gas turbines, and their components. Chinas machinery imports from Russia are mainly nuclear reactors and their components, accounting for about 13 percent of such imports. Grain products such as wheat and barley account for the majority of Russias grain exports, and Russia accounts for nearly 30 percent of global export of such grains. Chicago Wheat Futures, the international benchmark for wheat, has risen more than 50 percent since the start of the Russia-Ukraine war. Turkey and Egypt are the biggest buyers of Russian grain, and Lebanon has reduced its dependence on Russias grain and replaced it with Ukrainian products. The sharp rise in wheat prices has weakened the wheat-buying capacity of food-importing countries. Turkey, as one of the main buyers of Russian wheat, was forced to reduce its initial target volume in an international tender. Russia and Ukraine produce about 19 percent of the global barley production and 32 percent of exports; Russia ranks 6th in the world in terms of corn exports, accounting for 2.3 percent . Both Russia and Ukraine rank among the top 10 in the world in terms of soybean production and exports. The two countries are also major producers and exporters of sunflower oil, and 60 percent of the worlds sunflower oil is produced from these two countries, accounting for 75 percent of exports. Dr. Anthony Fauci, Director at the National Institute Of Allergy and Infectious Diseases during a hearing, with the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, on the Covid-19 response, on Capitol Hill in Washington, on March 18, 2021. (Anna Moneymaker-Pool/Getty Images) Fauci Suggests More Vaccines Likely Needed: Were Not Done With This White House COVID-19 adviser Anthony Fauci suggested Monday that its likely that more COVID-19 vaccines will be needed. In an interview with CNBC, Fauci was asked how many more COVID-19 vaccine doses, or boosters, will be needed. The answer is: we dont know. I mean, thats it It is likely that were not done with this when it comes to vaccines, Fauci, who has headed the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases since 1984, said in response. A day before that, Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla suggested that a fourth COVID-19 booster dose is likely needed. The protection that you are getting from the third [vaccine] is not that good against infections, he admitted to CBS News, but doesnt last very long but we are just submitting those data to the FDA and then we will see what the experts also will say outside Pfizer. As a result, he said that it is necessarya fourth boostright now. Last week, Bourla said that his firm was going to file for emergency use authorization for a second booster. Earlier this year, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued an authorization for a third dose of Pfizers mRNA vaccine. Stephane Bancel, the CEO of Moderna, the maker of the other FDA-authorized mRNA vaccine also suggested in February that a fourth vaccine is coming. We believe theres a high probability that were moving into an endemic setting, Bancel said in an interview with CNBC. We should still be cautious because as weve seen with Delta, which came after Alpha and was more virulent, [it] is always possible to get the more virulent variant of course. The comments from Fauci come as several Republican lawmakers have stepped up their criticism of the public health official in recent days. On Monday, Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), who has frequently sparred with Fauci in Senate hearings over the origins of the virus, proposed an amendment that would eliminate Faucis position. No one person should have unilateral authority to make decisions for millions of Americans, Paul, a doctor, said in announcing the amendment. The move will, he added, ensure that ineffective, unscientific lockdowns and mandates are never foisted on the American people ever again. A spokesperson for the National Institutes of Health, which oversees Faucis agency, told The Epoch Times that the agency does not comment on pending legislation. And last week, several GOP lawmakers, including Reps. Chip Roy (R-Texas) and Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), pledged to investigate Fauci if Republicans take a majority in the House. And if youre watching this, Dr. Fauci, look out because when the Americans give us control in the House of Representatives, God willing, were going to get some answers on behalf of the American people, Roy remarked in a Fox News interview. COVID-19 is the disease caused by the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus. Montgomery County Sheriffs deputies and emergency personnel respond to a suspected drug overdose in a gas station carpark in the Harrison Township of Dayton, Ohio, on Nov. 1, 2019. (Charlotte Cuthbertson/The Epoch Times) Fentanyl Crisis in America a God-Size Hole in Need of an Aggressive Solution GOODYEAR, Ariz.Mitch and Josephine Dunn of Arizona believe their beautiful daughter, Ashley Marie, didnt just die of an overdose on May 26, 2021. They say she was murdered. And the lethal weapon that took her 26-year-old life was fentanyl. She was poisoned, said Josephine, the anger in her voice building. These drug dealers are no longer drug dealers. Theyre serial killers. Our daughter smoked half a pillenough to kill two-and-a-half people. Our grandson no longer has a mother, she said. And the Dunns arent alone in their grief. Renee Wright of Arizona said she feels shes just as much a victim of the fentanyl plague as her young daughter. As the mother of a fentanyl addict, Wright said she knows her daughter is still out there, living dangerously on the streets in Arizona, though day-to-day I dont know if shes going to be alive or dead. Addressing the Dunns, she said, Our hearts are connected. Were in a club nobody wants to be ina club of victims that keeps growing. On March 14, the two families participated in a roundtable discussion on the killer fentanyl crisis. The event was held in Goodyear, Arizona, and sponsored by U.S. Congressman Paul Gosar, (R-Arizona). Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb speaks with Kari Lake, a Republican candidate for Arizona governor during a roundtable discussion of the fentanyl crisis in Goodyear, Ariz., on March 14, 2022. (Allan Stein/The Epoch Times) The purpose of the roundtable was to draw attention to the severity of the fentanyl crisis, which in 2021 killed 105,000 Americans along with other opiate-related overdoses. Close to 1 million people have died since 2014 with the exponential rise in illegal fentanyl imports from China through Mexico. Its cascading across the country. I dont think Americans understand how much this epidemic is costing them, Gosar said. Once a miracle drug used to treat severe pain, it works very well for what its intended for, said Gosars chief of staff and roundtable moderator, Thomas van Flein. Today, its been adulterated and counterfeited for recreational usefatal even in small amounts, he said. The drug is mostly made in China and then processed and smuggled into the United States by Mexican drug cartels, according to the panel. But the problem goes even deeperto the social, cultural, and spiritual heart of America. The border crisis is but a leading cause of the present fentanyl crisis. Congress has kicked the can down the road far too long, said Gosar, who called on lawmakers to take immediate action to address the fentanyl epidemic. You have to be held accountable for what youre doing. Death is a violent act, regardless of how its done, he said. These are not overdosesthese are poisonings, added Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb, a panel speaker. Mitch and Josephine Dunn of Arizona lost their daughter to a fentanyl overdose on May 26, 2021. The couple was part of a roundtable discussion on the fentanyl crisis in Goodyear, Ariz., on March 14, 2022. (Allan Stein/The Epoch Times) Panel speaker Kari Lake, a Republican candidate for Arizona governor, said fentanyl imports can be traced directly to the open border policy of President Joe Biden and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). We have to act aggressively. Were also fighting the CCP, said Lake. Its killing Americans, and its killing Arizonans. Lake is lobbying for her program Defend Arizona, which declares a migrant invasion of the state through Mexico is underway. Youre going to see the problem increase even more and its not right, Lake said. Were going up against the cartels. These guys are monsters. You have no idea what is coming into this country, Lamb said. What better way to undermine [the rule of law] than by drugging Americans? Other panel speakers included Police Chief Larry Hall of Buckeye, Arizona; Sheriff Doug Schuster of Mohave County, Arizona; Thomas Sauer, president and founding director of the MacArthur Group, a behavioral healthcare firm focused on mental health and addiction treatment for veterans; Larry Tracey, executive director of Youth4Youth, and Dawn Mertz, director of Arizona High-Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA), established in 1990 to facilitate collaborative drug control efforts with law enforcement and community-based agencies. In addition to closing the border with Mexico, the roundtable discussed the need for an aggressive law enforcement response including legislative efforts and community approaches to battle fentanyl and other illegal drugs. Hall, however, cautioned that law enforcement is only one part of that solution. Were not going to be able to arrest ourselves out of this at all. The enforcement side is just one part of the problem and its getting a lot harderand thats the problem. We have to be creative, he said. What is stopping us is the federal government, Lamb said. Our system is broken, folks. Schuster added, We cant forget the big picture. We need reform in this state. We cant put everybody in jail. Lake said that when Americans go to the polls in 2022, We have to vote like our lives depend on it. Weve got to go full bore against these narco-terrorists, said Lake, who sees a God-size hole in America that needs to be filled. Fenugreek is one of the first cultivated herbs in recorded history and remains a fundamental ingredient in curative and culinary traditions from around the world. Fenugreek is found in Indian curry powders, Middle Eastern spice mixes, and Ethiopias ubiquitous berbere powder. In India, fenugreek greens are often found in a variety of dishes, but most of the worlds culinary interest in this plant lies in the seed. Fenugreek seeds look like pale-yellow pebbles. They have an unmistakably maple-syrup scent and are often used to flavor imitation maple-syrup products. Other aspects of the fenugreek flavor include notes of celery and bitterness. This herb has a unique taste, but there may be reasons other than flavor why fenugreek is found in so many traditional cuisines. Germanys botanical medicine agency, Commission E, approves use of fenugreek as an appetite stimulant, and this is one of the plants oldest uses. The ancient Greeks (and later the Romans) fed this herb to their livestock because often it was the only thing sick animals would eat. This is where we get the name fenugreek, which means Greek hay. Many herbalists use fenugreek on even deeper digestive issues. For example, its high fiber content has been shown to lower cholesterol and prevent constipation. In India, fenugreek has long been used to treat diabetes. Modern preliminary studies suggest that fenugreek may be effective at lowering blood sugar levels, normalizing glucose metabolism, and reducing insulin resistance. The agent responsible for this action is an unusual amino acid called 4-hydroxyisoleucine of which fenugreek seed is a rich source. In animal models, this amino acid has demonstrated antidiabetic properties. Hormonal Effects Insulin is not the only hormone that fenugreek appears to influence. One study from Texas A&M University suggests that fenugreek may increase testosterone, which has since made it very popular with bodybuilders. Fenugreek is also used to treat menopause, as estrogenic isoflavones in the herb may help relieve mood swings, hot flashes, and depression. In the 19th century, fenugreek was a key ingredient in a popular patent formula known as Lydia Pinkhams Vegetable Compound. It was used to treat female troubles such as menstrual pain and vaginal dryness. Further aspects of fenugreeks treatment scope are found in traditional Chinese medicine, where fenugreek is used to treat kidney yang deficiency. This manifests in conditions such as edema in the legs, back pain due to weakness, hernias, and reproductive issues, such as impotence and irregular periods. When it comes to female hormones, fenugreek holds a special affinity for breasts. Regular consumption is said to increase breast size and fullness, and it has been used for thousands of years to help nursing mothers stimulate milk production. Fenugreek also has a reputation for increasing other fluids as well, such as semen and sweat. One side effect of heavy fenugreek consumption is that body fluids develop a pronounced maple smell. Fenugreeks mucilaginous nature can help maintain bowel regularity and soothe a sore throat. This herb can also be used topically to soothe inflamed tissues like rashes and wounds. For topical application, soak the seeds in a little water until soft and grind them into a paste. A Few Precautions Fenugreek is generally safe, but it isnt appropriate for everybody, as it may affect hormones in problematic ways. Those with hypothyroidism, for example, are urged to take caution with fenugreek because it is believed to interfere with thyroid hormones. Some mothers who take copious amounts of fenugreek to increase their milk supply also report a drop in thyroid function. Keep in mind that these cautions mostly apply to medicinal doses of fenugreek. Small amounts in a vegetable curry, for example, should pose little harm. However, its also important to note that fenugreek is a member of the legume family, and a close relative of peanuts and chickpeas. Anyone with an allergy to these related legumes may also have a sensitivity to fenugreek as well. How to Use To use as medicine, make a strong tea from the seedsabout a level teaspoon per cup of water and simmer for 20 minutes. If you dont like the taste, fenugreek capsules may be a better bet. Consult a qualified herbalist for an appropriate dosage, and proceed with caution if taking blood-thinning medication, thyroid hormones, or insulin. Since fenugreek is known to relax the uterus, it is also best to avoid during the first trimester of pregnancy. When using fenugreek in your cooking, dry-roast the seeds first. This improves flavor by removing some of the bitterness. To grow your own fenugreek greens, simply sprout the seeds. The Ford logo is seen at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, on Jan. 15, 2019. (Brendan McDermid/Reuters) Ford to Sell Romanian Plant to Turkish Joint Venture Ford Motor Co.s Turkish joint venture will buy the U.S. companys Craiova plant in Romania for 575 million euros ($630 million) and plans to move Courier van production there, the company said on Monday. Ford Otosan, the joint venture with Turkeys Koc Holding, will pay an additional 140 million euros to Ford over the next decade according to certain capacity utilization criteria, the company said. Ford Otosan shares jumped 8.5 percent to 264.7 liras in response. The Romanian plant produces Puma and EcoSport passenger models. It will begin production of the Courier along with Puma next year, with battery electric versions of both rolling off in 2024. Ford Otosan, which is undergoing a 2 billion-euro expansion of its Turkish plant, will likely finance the acquisition with bank loans, CEO Haydar Yenigun told a press conference. It plans to keep paying dividends. The transaction is expected to be completed in the third quarter pending a regulatory review. Ford Otosan plans to begin manufacturing Europes top selling van Transits electrical and hybrid versions in Turkey next year. Ford also announced plans, together with Korean battery maker SK On and Koc Holding, to form a joint venture to produce electric vehicle batteries in Turkey. By Can Sezer Francis Fukuyama speaks onstage during "Our Tribal Nature: Tribalism, Politics, and Evolution" symposia by The Leakey Foundation at The Morgan Library & Museum in New York City on Sept. 19, 2019. (Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Images for The Leakey Foundation) Fukuyama Gets the Old Band Back Together Commentary What will happen in Ukraine? You and I, mere mortals, do not know. But Francis End-of-History Fukuyama is not so reticent. The owlish foreign-policy intellectual has just issued a list of 12 prognostications that are as amazing for their air of certitude as for their preserved-in-amber globalist aspirations. Id like to comment on a few of those predictions and then say a word or two about their intellectual motor. First, Fukuyama thinks that Russia is heading for an outright defeat in Ukraine. Thats possible, I suppose. Almost every commentator says that the invasion did not go as smoothly as Vladimir Putin thought it would. But notwithstanding the endless stories about the pluck and determination of the Ukrainians, the Russians do not seem to have gotten Fukuyamas memo. Indeed, in the last day or two, many news sites are speaking ominously of an escalation of the Russian assault. This seems to argue against Fukuyamas second prediction, that the Russian collapse will likely be sudden and catastrophic, rather than happening slowly through a war of attrition. Again, maybe that will happen, but, so far, all the evidenceas distinct from the wishful thinkingsuggests that the Russians are digging in their heels and turning up the heat. Third, Fukuyama says that there is no diplomatic solution to the war possible . There is no conceivable compromise that would be acceptable to both Russia and Ukraine. Its too bad that Volodymyr Zelensky, the telegenic Ukrainian president, forgot to consult with Fukuyama before asking to meet with Putin to broker a ceasefire. He could have saved himself a lot of trouble. Speaking of Putin, Fukuyama is also confident that Putin will not survive the defeat of his army. Logically, I guess this has the form of a modus ponens: If A, then B. A. Therefore B. I might be onboard with the protasis: were Putins army to be defeated outright by the Ukrainians, it is unlikely he could survive in power. But are we entitled to the assumption that the Russian army is a toothless bear that is about to collapse? The jury is out on that. Fukuyama also thinks that Russias experience in Ukraineby which I mean what he assumes the Russian experience has beenwill, or should, teach the Chinese a lesson. China, Fukuyama believes, should be chastened by the miserable performance of the Russian military. By the same token, he says, what has unfolded in Ukraine ought to bolster Taiwans will to fight. I confess that the analogy seems strained to me, but you can see why Fukuyama thinks that by considering the real center of his prognostications. This has two parts. First is the contention that Russias invasion of Ukraine has already done huge damage to populists all over the world, who, prior to the attack, uniformly expressed sympathy for Putin. May I pause to ask, did they? Fukuyamas list of populists is a disparate one that includes Italys Matteo Salvini, Brazils Jair Bolsonaro, Frances Eric Zemmour and Marine Le Pen, Hungarys Viktor Orban, and of course Donald Trump. Have they expressed sympathy for Putin? Or have they merely recognized that he is the leader of an important country that they must, for their own national interest, deal with? According to Fukuyama, the politics of the war has exposed their openly authoritarian leanings. Again, I ask, has it? How has Russias invasion of Ukraine exposed the supposedly authoritarian leanings of any of these figures? Fukuyama, it turns out, is singing from an old song book. It was printed back when the United States, flush from the collapse of the Soviet Union, bestrode the world as the sole superpower. That moment passed soon enough, but Fukuyama did not heed its passing. Which is why he concludes that we are, in the aftermath of his predicted defeat of Russia, about to witness a new birth of freedom (when in doubt, quote Lincoln!) that will reenergize the quest for global democracy and rekindle the spirit of 1989. Talk about getting the band back together again! You might wonder about the origin of Fukuyamas confidencea confidence, I should add, that has an ostentatious moral or (rather) moralistic element as well as a predictive element. The source of both is the poisonous philosophy of G.W.F. Hegel. As to Fukuyamas grandiosity, he learned it from the master himself. About his firm and invincible faith that there is Reason in history, for example, Hegel assures us that his faith is not a presupposition of study; it is a result which happens to be known to myself because I already know the whole. It is cheering to possess knowledge of the whole, of course, but a bit daunting for the rest of us. Meanwhile, it turns out that the Wests financial assault on Russia may hurt us almost as much as it hurts Russia. After a brief moment of cheering that assault, the news is peppered with headlines like this: Bidens sanctions might hurt Americans more than Putin. Back in 2015, the canny realist foreign policy expert John Mearsheimer told us that trouble was brewing in Ukraine, and that the trouble was largely the fault of the West. His analysis lacks the presumption of Fukuyamas morality tale. It does, however, have the advantage of historical sobriety. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. Two F-35 fighter jets of the Royal Netherlands Air Force are seen in a file photo. (Courtesy of Netherlands Air Force) Germany to Buy F-35 Fighter Jets From US Amid Ukraine Crisis The German government will purchase several dozen F-35 fighter jets from the United States amid the RussiaUkraine conflict, said a government minister this week. After looking thoroughly into all available options, I decided to initiate the purchase of F-35 aircraft as replacement for the Tornado in the role of nuclear sharing, Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht said in a statement. She was referring to Germanys aging fleet of Panavia Tornado planes, which Germany has employed since the 1980s and are reportedly due to be phased out in the coming years. Officials said those F-35 jets, which are considered among the most advanced aircraft in the world due to their electronic warfare and stealth capabilities, would be upgraded to carry nuclear weapons. Currently, Germanys Tornado jets are capable of doing so. Announcing the decision to reporters on Tuesday, Lambrecht added that Germany also will upgrade its Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jets for electronic warfare. Germanys air force commander, Ingo Gerhartz, said the current war in Ukraine made it necessary to choose Lockheed Martins F-35s. Previously, the government had considered replacing the Luftwaffes Tornados with a mix of different U.S. and European-made aircraft. There is only one response [Russian] aggression: unity within NATO and a credible deterrent, Gerhartz also remarked. Thats why there is no alternative to the decision in favor of the F-35. Residents evacuate the city of Irpin, north of Kyiv, Ukraine, on March 10, 2022. (Aris Messinis/AFP via Getty Images) Unconfirmed reports citing anonymous sources said that some 35 F-35 planes will be bought from the United States. The decision comes weeks after Germany, a longtime member of NATO, made a significant adjustment in its defense strategy after Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz last month said that Germany would boost its defense spending above 2 percent of its gross domestic product, something that former President Donald Trump had demanded while he was in office. In Europe, Finland, Switzerland, Belgium, Poland, Denmark, Italy, Norway, the United Kingdom, and the Netherlands operate one or more F-35 variants or are awaiting delivery of the planes. Israel, South Korea, Japan, and Australia have also purchased the jets. The opposition Left Party criticized the decision to purchase the F-35s for Germanys military. We reject arming the Bundeswehr with new, nuclear-capable combat jets, said Ali Al-Dailami, the partys deputy defense spokesman. He warned that equipping German pilots to drop U.S. atomic bombs could fuel the risk of nuclear war in Europe. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Government May Be Testing the Waters With Universal Basic Income Senate Bill Commentary When a government wants to make a radical or controversial policy shift, it rarely will dive right into it. It will test the waters of public support using legislative tools to float trial balloons while maintaining the illusion that it has a degree of separation from the proponent of the policy. The federal government is doing this right now as they try to lay the groundwork and build public support for a universal basic income (UBI) scheme. Almost 80 percent of the delegates at the Liberal Party of Canadas policy convention in April 2021 voted in favour of establishing a UBI plan. The party clearly wants that policy, but they still arent sure how they will get there. Thats why we are seeing the trial balloons. The Liberals first tested the waters of a UBI scheme with Bill C-273, which Liberal MP Julie Dzerowicz tabled as a private members bill. Private members bills rarely pass. When a government member tables such a bill, it means they want to explore a concept but be able to distance themselves from it if there is a public backlash. Dzerowiczs bill predictably died on the order paper when the federal election was called in August. It had served its purpose in breaking the ice on the issue and starting discussions. Now the Liberals have moved on to promoting the concept of a UBI system through Bill S-233. Bill-S-233 is a Senate public bill which is pretty much the Senates version of a private members bill. The bill is very unlikely ever to pass as it has to go through multiple readings, a terribly slow committee process, and would eventually end up in the House of Commons. The bill was sponsored by Sen. Kim Pate. While the Liberal government likes to keep up a facade of independence among the senators, Liberal-appointed senators still follow party guidance, even if unofficially. Sen. Pate was appointed to the Senate on the recommendation of Justin Trudeau in 2016. If you think she tabled Bill S-233 without direction from the Liberal party, I have a bridge I would like to sell you. An NDP private members bill calling for a UBI scheme is making its way through the House of Commons right now as well. It will never make it to final reading, but considering NDP Leader Jagmeet Singhs rather cozy relationship with Trudeau, it doesnt defy belief that the parties are at least loosely partnered on the concept of bringing in some form of UBI. The pitch and failure of these UBI bills is by design. With every independent bill that comes and goes, the Liberals have opened the door a little further for the imposition of a true UBI program. People are becoming desensitized to the concept. Aside from a lack of widespread public support for UBI, the Liberals face the challenge of finding a way to fund a program that would come with such a staggering bill. The CERB program cost Canadians over $75 billion in its first year and that program is much smaller than what a UBI scheme would be. The Liberals desperately need a large new source of revenue if they want to bring in a program as massive as UBI. It may or may not be related, but the Liberals continued flirtation with the concept of an equity tax on primary residences would give the government a sudden influx of income if they taxed homeowners on their hard-earned equity. Much like with the UBI concept, the Liberals keep floating the idea but instead of using private members bills as their tool, they have been using the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC). The CMHC answers directly to the federal government and it seems as if hardly a year goes by without the CMHC commissioning a study into home equity taxes, then backing off when exposed. Much like with the UBI concept, the Liberals dearly want to tax home equity, but they know they havent softened Canadians up to the concept enough to go there yet. Should Canadians be worried about the current bill before the senate? Yes and no. Bill S-233 will never become legislation but it is certainly a stepping stone towards it. The bill wasnt created and tabled with just the goal of talking about UBI and then forgetting about it. Justin Trudeau is an ideologically driven prime minister and he has hit the point in his career where he will be seeking a permanent legacy. Implementing a UBI program could certainly be that legacy and it has party support. The subject just keeps coming up and where there is smoke, there is fire. A formal government pitch for a UBI scheme is likely a matter of time now. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, left, talks to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan during their meeting in Istanbul, on March 13, 2022. (Turkish Presidency via AP) Greek Prime Minister COVID-Positive Day After Istanbul Visit ATHENS, GreeceGreek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said Monday he had tested positive for COVID-19 and would be self-isolating at home, a day after a trip to Istanbul. Mitsotakis held talks Sunday with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and met with Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I, who is considered the spiritual leader of the worlds Orthodox Christians. Mitsotakis, wearing a mask, said in a video posted on Instagram that the result of his daily coronavirus test was positive on Monday, and he would therefore be working from home. Mitsotakis held talks over lunch with Erdogan in Istanbul on Sunday in a rare meeting between the leaders of the two neighboring countries. Relations between Greece and Turkey are strained over a series of issues, including territorial and energy exploration rights in the Mediterranean, which led to a naval standoff in mid-2020. The two discussed bilateral and international relations, as well as Russias invasion of Ukraine, the Turkish presidencys communications directorate said. Earlier, Mitsotakis had met with the 82-year-old Bartholomew, who is based in Turkeys largest city, and attended a church service there. Both Erdogan and Bartholomew are fully vaccinated and have previously tested positive for the virusErdogan on Feb. 5 and Bartholomew in December. Erdogans wife Emine had also contracted the virus and both have since recovered, as has Bartholomew, who had suffered mild symptoms at the time. Greece has seen a total of more than 2.6 million confirmed positive coronavirus cases and more than 26,500 deaths since the start of the pandemic. More than 7.5 million of the countrys roughly 11 million population are fully vaccinated. An ultrasound machine sits next to an exam table in an examination room at Whole Woman's Health of South Bend in South Bend, Ind., on June 19, 2019. (Scott Olson/Getty Images) Idaho Legislature Passes Texas-Style Abortion Ban A bill in Idaho banning abortion after about six weeks with a unique enforcement mechanism modeled off of a Texas abortion-ban law is headed to the governors desk after passing the states House of Representatives. The Idaho House on Monday voted 5114 to pass S.B. 1309, with all 12 state House Democrats voting against the measure. The bill updates Idahos current abortion ban, signed into law in 2021; it bans abortion after a fetal heartbeat is detected, around six weeks of pregnancy. However, the bill is not in effect due to a trigger provision that means the measure would only be enacted if a federal appeals court upholds another heartbeat law. Several states that have passed heartbeat laws in recent years had them blocked from being enforced because of legal challenges. S.B. 1309 would add to the 2021 law by adding a private enforcement mechanism modeled after the Texas Heartbeat Act, also known as S.B. 8. In particular, the Idaho measure would allow certain family members to bring a civil lawsuit against the abortion provider for a minimum of $20,000 in damages, within four years after the alleged abortion. Family members who can sue include the father, the grandparent, a sibling, or an aunt or uncle of the unborn child. The exception is for the individuals who caused the pregnancy through incest or rape; they cannot sue the abortion provider for damages. S.B. 1309 passed the state Senate 286 on March 3. It now heads to Gov. Brad Littles desk. He has 10 days to sign the bill to become law or veto it. Little has not publicly commented on whether he would sign the measure but has generally expressed opposition to abortion in the past. Idaho has a Republican trifecta, which means both chambers of the states legislature are controlled by Republicans, and the governor is a Republican. This bill makes sure that the people of Idaho can stand up for our values and do everything in our power to prevent the wanton destruction of innocent human life, state Rep. Steven Harris (R-Meridian), a sponsor of the bill, said in a statement after the vote. Alexis McGill Johnson, president and CEO of the Planned Parenthood Action Fund, said in a statement in response to the bills passing: If this ban goes into effect, it will harm pregnant people & disproportionately impact already marginalized communities. Make no mistake: Planned Parenthood will continue to provide care in Idaho & will continue fighting for patients. Were not done. Planned Parenthood Alliance Advocates commented on the Idaho bill, saying in a statement, This bill is modeled directly after Texass latest abortion ban, which was designed explicitly to avoid legal challenges and which the Supreme Court ultimately allowed to go into effect. Since its implementation in September, 60 percent of the states abortion care has been eliminated, the group said, referring to Texas. Idahos bill differs from Texass abortion ban in several instances. While the Idaho proposal permits only the person who receives the abortion or certain family members to sue, Texass law lets private citizens bring lawsuits. The Idaho ban provides exceptions for rape and incest in some cases, but Texass S.B. 8 does not provide any such exceptions. Under the Idaho ban, the pregnant woman must have reported her rape or incest to the police and given the police report to the abortion provider. The exception for rape and incest would likely be impossible for many women to meet, opponents say, because Idaho law prevents the release of police reports in active investigations. Texass law furthermore allows the lawsuits to be filed against anyone suspected of having helped the woman have an abortion, for up to $10,000 and legal fees for each successful suit. The Idaho proposal only allows for the person who carried out the abortion to be sued, and orders the abortion provider to pay a minimum of $20,000 as well as legal fees. Idaho also has another law in place that would ban abortions after Roe v. Wade is overturned. The U.S. Supreme Court is due to rule by the end of June on the constitutionality of a law in Mississippi that bans abortion after 15 weeks of gestation. Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch asked the court in a filing to overturn Roe v. Wade so the state can uphold its law. The case is Dobbs v. Jackson Womens Health. The 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling prohibited states from banning abortions prior to when the fetus is deemed viablethat is, potentially able to live outside its mothers wombdeemed at the time usually around the second trimester of pregnancy at 24 weeks. Activists of the Indian youth congress hold placards during a protest on the issue of stranded Indian students in Ukraine near the residence of Indian external affairs minister in New Delhi on March 1, 2022. (Money Sharma/AFP via Getty Images) India Walks Diplomacy Tightrope on Ukraine War, Prioritizes Evacuation of 20,000 Students NEW DELHIIndias refusal to criticize Russia for its invasion of Ukraine has meant the country has had to walk a diplomatic tightrope balancing relations with its traditional partner Russia and its core partner in the Indo-Pacific, the United States. The most important and immediate consequence of this diplomatic posture resulted in ensuring rescue efforts for some 20,000 stranded Indian students from Ukraine who experts said were at risk of being taken as hostages by militias that form part of the Ukrainian forces. Early in February, when it became clear that Russia would invade Ukraine after the Beijing Winter Olympics, these militias, which are violently Russophobic, such as the Azov Battalion, often stopped non-whites who were not citizens of NATO member states from boarding buses and trains to safer destinations, said Madhav Nalapat, the Vice-Chair of the Manipal Advanced Research Group. Azov Battalion was a volunteer Ukrainian militia fighting Russian separatists until 2014 when they were incorporated into the National Guard of Ukraine; members come from 22 countries and some of them are allegedly self-avowed neo-Nazis. U.S. Congress banned arms and training to Azov in 2018. It had also done so earlier in 2015, but the measure was repealed a year later. The Azov battalion was recently in news after the Russian attack on the childrens hospital in the Ukrainian city of Mariupol gained worldwide condemnation and accusations of war crimes. Russia claimed the hospital was no longer a medical facility but a base used by armed forces and radicals, namely the neo-Nazi Azov Battalion. According to Nalapat, the complicated situation on the ground in Ukraine was one of the main reasons causing India to find a diplomatic balance following President Vladamir Putins invasion of Ukraine. The largest number of foreign students in Ukrainian universities were from India, more than 20,000, so they were particularly affected, Nalapat said. Prime Minister Modi spoke to [Ukraine] President Zelensky about this, after first getting President Putin to agree to a limited cease-fire to enable trapped students to escape. Putin agreed to order such ceasefires at multiple times. Students evacuated from Ukraine on a special flight from Bucharest wait for directions from officials at a helpdesk upon arriving at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport in Mumbai on March 1, 2022. (Indranil Mukherjee/AFP via Getty Images) This intense diplomatic engagement helped India rescue the last of its 600 stranded from the northeastern Ukrainian city of Sumy who flew back to the country on March 10. Indian Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar on Friday thanked Russia, Ukraine, Red Cross along with Ukraines neighboring countries, Romania, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, and Moldova for exceptional support. Vishnu Prakash, a former Indian ambassador to Canada and South Korea told The Epoch Times that New Dehlis rescue operation was a coordinated exercise involving the various military and civilian sectors across government. The effort was led from the front by Modi who kept open communication with the heads of state in Russia and Ukraine, according to Prakash, who was an official spokesperson in a similar rescue operation of Indian people from Libya. And I must say that it was also Indias equity and standing with these countries that they cooperated. It was not a normal situation. Circumstances were very difficult. And it is almost a miracle that we could get everybody out, he said, adding that India has a track record of getting its citizens out of harms way in times of foreign crisis. Indias evacuation efforts have resulted in almost 20,000 Indian students being brought back in over 90 flights, according to Indian media outlets. Parents of Indian students studying in Ukraine take part in a protest against Russias invasion of Ukraine and demand the safe evacuation of Indians, in New Delhi on February 26, 2022. (Prakash Singh/AFP via Getty Images) India Abstains from Condemning Russia India abstained from voting on a United Nations Security Council (UNSC) draft resolution on Feb. 26 that condemned the Russian invasion and called for a withdrawal of Russian forces from Ukraine. India is deeply disturbed by the recent turn of developments in Ukraine, said Indias U.N. Permanent Representative T.S. Tirumurti in a release on Feb 25. We are also deeply concerned about the welfare and security of the Indian community, he added. New Dehli later abstained when the U.N. General Assembly voted overwhelmingly to demand an immediate end to the attack on Ukraine. Nalapat said what added urgency to Indias rescue operation was the death of one of its students who was denied permission by his university to leave. The university authorities threatened him with fee confiscation and erasure of his scholastic record, and this is why he was forced to stay for so long. More than 20,000 stayed because either the universities did not give permission or they believed the Ukrainian authorities that NATO would stop Russia from attacking, said Nalapat. Indias refusal to criticize Russia has disappointed many in the West, including U.S. lawmakers from both sides of the aisle who have called on India to distance itself from its major arms supplier Russia. But New Dehli would have faced harsh blowback domestically if anything happened to its students in Ukraine. If a lot of students had died in the midst of bombing and shelling, public anger against Russia would have grown and instead of support, Indias impartial stand would have become unpopular at home, said Nalapat. Leftist students shout slogans to protest Russias invasion of Ukraine, in Kolkata on March 3, 2022. (Dibyangshu Sarkar/AFP via Getty Images) Former diplomat Prakash believes that characterizations of Indias stance as neutral are incorrect, saying that the country has stakes on both sides. We have invested decades in a relationship with Russia, Russias relationship and [our relationship] with the U.S. is perhaps the most important one that we have today, said Prakash. Theres no reason for us to condemn Russia publically. Whatever we need to say we can say privately, counsel, an opinion we can give privately, he added. Prakash also pointed to Indias public statements saying that international law should be respected, the human rights of Ukrainian people should be respected, those hostilities should cease and both countries should get back to the negotiating table. He said India has its own language and the country need not be sanctimonious and preachy. He cited Indias positions on similar matters of conflict and said the country has had 45 rounds of talks with Pakistan between 1947 and 2017 and with China after the bloody Galwan conflict India had 15 rounds of talks already. This is the only way forward, he said. I hope that this madness comes to an end. Its a man-made disaster which should have never happened. Yet India may face costs for continuing to hold its position as the West mounts an escalating sanctions campaign against Russia. Indias 2018 purchase of the Russian S-400 air defense system could invite sanctions under the U.S. Countering Americas Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA), which penalizes countries that sign defense deals with Russia, Iran, and North Korea. Before Russias invasion, there was speculation that India may be granted a waiver, but analysts have suggested that the issue could now be used as a bargaining chip between Washington and New Dehli. U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia Donald Lu said at a Senate Foreign Affairs Committee on March 2 that the Biden administration is still considering whether to apply CAATSA against India. Hunter Jaxon Francis is shown in a handout photo from his Facebook page. (The Canadian Press/HO-Facebook-Hunter Jaxon Francis) Injured Canadian Says There Was No Warning Ahead of Missile Attack on Ukrainian Base A New Brunswick man who was injured when a military base near Ukraines western border was struck by Russian missiles on Sunday says there was no warning of the attack. Hunter Francis of the Eel Ground First Nation in northeast New Brunswick says there were no air raid sirens before the missiles hit. In text messages to The Canadian Press, Francis says the missiles struck a supply depot first, then the barracks where he was located. The former Canadian Forces member, who arrived in Ukraine last week to volunteer in the defence against Russia, says the bombardment lasted about 30 minutes and left him with shards of glass and metal in his right hand and his nose. Francis is now in an unidentified country bordering Ukraine, and efforts are underway for him to return to Canada. Ukrainian officials said at least 35 people were killed in the attack and 134 wounded. A general view shows a damaged mansion following an overnight attack in Erbil, the capital of the northern Iraqi Kurdish autonomous region, on March 13, 2022. (Safin Hamed/AFP via Getty Images) Irans Weekend Missile Strikes Not Aimed at US Consulate: Gen. McKenzie CENTCOM Commander Gen. Kenneth Frank McKenzie said March 15 that Iranian missiles that struck near a U.S. consulate in Iraq over the weekend were aimed at other targets. McKenzies statements were made at a Senate committee hearing on CENTCOM, buttressing the State Departments assessment of Iranian missile strikes that occurred in the late hours of March 12 in Erbil, a Kurdistan region of Iraq. His statements also come as U.S. and Iranian officials attempt to massage the final details of a nuclear treaty. According to Kurdish officials, 12 ballistic missiles were fired into Erbil, wounding two civilians. As videos circulated online, national security experts noted that the heavy barrage of missiles indicated that they were launched by a nation-state actor, rather than a terrorist. Just a day later, on March 13, Irans Revolutionary Guard claimed responsibility for the attack, which it said was in retaliation for Israels recent crimes, including an airstrike in Syria the previous week in which two Revolutionary Guard officers were killed. However, the Fars News Agency, which is managed by Irans Revolutionary Guard Corps, appeared to suggest that the attack was linked to a January 2020 airstrike ordered by then-President Donald Trump, which killed the regimes top Iranian military commander, Qasem Soleimani. Missiles hit the Israeli-American bases at 01:20 local time; thats not a coincidence. IRGC-QF chief Soleimani was killed in #Iraq on 7Jan2001:20 Iraq time, the news agency wrote in a Twitter post. While condemning Irans strikes, the State Department said March 13 that theres no indication they were aimed at U.S. facilities. The strikes were an outrageous violation of Iraqs sovereignty. No U.S. facilities were damaged or personnel injured, and we have no indications the attack was directed at the United States, said State Department spokesperson Ned Price. Iran must immediately cease its attacks, respect Iraqi sovereignty, and halt its interference in Iraqs internal affairs. McKenzie, who is retiring from the U.S. military at the end of the month, made a similar assessment at the March 15 committee hearing. We dont believe Iran actually targeted us, he told committee members. We believe they were aiming at other targets. McKenzie was pressed further on the matter. He indicated that he would provide more information at a closed-doors briefing set for later that day, but reiterated that Iran was not targeting American facilities with its recent missile strikes. They were not targeting us, he said. I am sure of that. Meanwhile, negotiations on the Iran deal have reportedly stalled due to Russian demands about sanctions targeting Moscow in response to its ongoing invasion of Ukraine. Speaking on March 5 about the negotiations, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov cited the avalanche of aggressive sanctions that the West has started spewing out over Russias invasion of Ukraine, according to The Moscow Times. Josep Borrell Fontelles, the European Unions foreign policy chief, said in a March 11 Twitter post that, although negotiations were paused, a final text is essentially ready and on the table. He added that officials will continue to work to overcome the current situation and to close the agreement. A member of Irans Supreme National Security Council said March 14 that negotiations will continue until our legal and logical demands are met and a strong agreement is reached. An image of Russian Channel One employee Marina Ovsyannikova entering Ostankino on-air TV studio in Moscow during Russia's most-watched evening news broadcast on March 14, holding up a poster that reads as "No War" and condemning Moscow's military action in Ukraine, taken on March 15, 2022. (AFP via Getty Images) Journalist Arrested After Interrupting Russian State Television to Protest Against War in Ukraine: Reports A journalist at one of Russian state televisions biggest channels has reportedly been arrested after protesting against the Moscow-led invasion of Ukraine live on the show. The woman, identified by multiple reports as Marina Ovsyannikova, allegedly works as an editor at Russias state TV flagship program, Channel One. She interrupted a live broadcast by running onto the set of the show on March 14 shouting, Stop the war. No to war. Ovsyannikova was also brandishing a sign that read in both English and Russian, No war, Stop the war, Dont believe the propaganda, They are lying to you here, and Russians against war. Despite her demonstration live on air, the news anchor continued to read from her teleprompter before the camera switched to a different report. The woman was identified by the head of the Agora human rights group, as Marina Ovsyannikova, a journalist who works for the channel. Pavel Chikov, head of Agora, said she had been arrested and taken to a Moscow police station. She could face prison time under a new law signed by President Vladimir Putin that criminalizes anyone sharing deliberately false information about the actions of Russian military personnel in Ukraine. The law would impose up to three years, or fines but at a maximum, the punishment rises to 15 years for cases considered to have led to severe consequences. Russias state news agency TASS reports that Ovsyannikova could also be charged under legislation banning public acts that aim to discredit the use of Russias armed forces. The Epoch Times has contacted Channel One and the Agora human rights group for comment. In a pre-recorded video published online, a woman who appeared to be Ovsyannikova and described herself as a Channel One employee said she was ashamed of having worked on the show and spreading Kremlin propaganda. Regrettably, for a number of years, I worked on Channel One and worked on Kremlin propaganda, I am very ashamed of this right now. Ashamed that I was allowed to tell lies from the television screen. Ashamed that I allowed the zombification of the Russian people. We were silent in 2014 when this was just beginning. We did not go out to protest when the Kremlin poisoned [opposition leader Alexei] Navalny, she said. We are just silently watching this anti-human regime. And now the whole world has turned away from us and the next 10 generations wont be able to clean themselves from the shame of this fratricidal war, the woman added. The woman was wearing a blue and yellow necklace of the Ukrainian flag in the video and said her father is Ukrainian and her mother is Russian. What is happening in Ukraine is a crime and Russia is the aggressor, she said. The responsibility of this aggression lies on the shoulders of only one person: Vladimir Putin. The woman ended the video by urging her fellow Russians to join anti-war protests in an effort to help bring an end to the ongoing conflict. We Russians are thinking and intelligent people. Its in our power alone to stop all this madness. Go protest. Dont be afraid of anything. They cant lock us all away, she said. Russias news coverage is closely monitored by President Vladimir Putins government, and Moscow has been quick to launch a stringent crackdown, shutting down and blocking media outlets that move away from the narrative that is dictated and heavily controlled by the Kremlin. Ovsyannikovas protest was praised by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday night. In a video address, Zelensky said, Im thankful to those Russians who dont stop trying to deliver the truth, who are fighting against disinformation and tell real facts to their friends and families, and personally to that woman who went in the studio of Channel One with an anti-war poster. Judge Greenlights Free Speech Lawsuit by Texas Professor Fired for Mocking Microaggressions A First Amendment lawsuit against the University of North Texas (UNT) brought by a math professor who was fired for mocking the concept of microaggressions may proceed, a federal district judge ruled. Judge Sean D. Jordan, a Trump appointee, wrote that the case would boil down to a single question: What can a public employee say, and what can he choose not to say, without fear of reprisal from his employer? The case stemmed from a November 2019 incident, when someone anonymously left a stack of flyers warning about microaggressions in the UNT mathematics departments faculty lounge. Nathaniel Hiers, an adjunct professor at the time, read through the leaflets and jokingly wrote on a nearby chalkboard, Dont leave garbage lying around, with an arrow pointing to the stack. The flyer, according to the complaint (pdf), discourages the use of certain apparently innocuous and non-threatening expressions to avoid these so-called microaggressions. A list of alleged microaggressive statements on the flyer includes America is a melting pot, I believe the most qualified person should get the job, and America is the land of opportunity, because they propagate the myth of meritocracy and promote color blindness. Hiers said the head of the UNT math department pressured him to apologize for his views and asked him to attend extra diversity training, to which he declined. In December 2019, Hiers was notified that the public university had terminated his employment specifically because of his chalkboard message and subsequent response. In his 69-page opinion (pdf), Jordan dismissed some of Hierss claims, but found the First Amendment retaliation claim plausible, noting that the professor was expressing his views as a private citizen on matters of public concern. Hierss critique of the flyer on microaggressions transcended personal interest and touched on a topic that impacts citizens social and political lives, the judge wrote. His speech did not address a personal complaint or grievance about his employment. The point of his speech was to convey a message about the concept of microaggressions, a hot button issue related to the ongoing struggle over the social control of language in our nation and, particularly, in higher education. The court also pushed back on UNTs argument that the method used by Heirs was uncivil or otherwise wouldnt fall under First Amendment protection, instead holding that the professor expressed the kind of pure speech to which the First Amendment provides strong protection. In addition, the judge said he was persuaded that UNT had engaged in unconstitutional compelled speech when administrators allegedly demanded that Hiers apologize for his speech. Taking these allegations as true and viewing them in the light most favorable to Hiers, it is plausible that the university officials unconstitutionally punished Hiers for refusing to affirm a viewthe concept of microaggressionswith which he disagrees, Jordan wrote. Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), a conservative Christian legal group representing Hiers in the case, welcomed the decision. Tyson Langhofer, a senior counsel at ADF, said Hiers should have had that same freedom of expression as the person who left the flyers in the faculty lounge. Public universities cant fire professors just because they dont endorse every message someone communicates in the faculty lounge. By firing Dr. Hiers, the university sent an explicit message: Agree with us or else,' Langhofer said. The university should start modeling, instead of opposing, that right for everyone. Judge Permanently Blocks Release of Records of Probe into Bob Sagets Death A Florida judge ruled to permanently block the release of records related to an investigation into the death of comedian and actor Bob Saget. The Full House actor was found dead on Jan. 9 in Orlando, Florida, in a room at the Ritz Carlton hotel. He was on a stand-up tour and had performed in the area the previous night. At a court hearing in Orlando on Monday, Circuit Judge Vincent Chiu issued the permanent injunction that was requested by Sagets family. Previously, Chiu temporarily blocked the further release of the records. Widow Kelly Rizzo and Sagets three daughters had filed a lawsuit in February against the local medical examiners office and the Orange County Sheriff John Mina, seeking to stop the release of any records related to the investigation into Sagets death. They said that doing so would cause the family to suffer irreparable harm in the form of extreme mental pain, anguish, and emotional distress. No legitimate public interest would be served by the release or dissemination of the records to the public, they also said in the lawsuit. According to the familys lawsuit, while the records are not allowed to be released publicly under state law, some media outlets had filed requests to obtain them. Read More Autopsy Reveals New Details in Bob Sagets Cause of Death During the course of the autopsy and death investigation, the medical examiners office and sheriffs office created graphic videos and photos of Sagets body, as well as audio recordings. The medical examiner said Saget died from blunt head trauma. The autopsy report said Saget had an abrasion on his scalp, a fracture at the base of his skull, fractures around the eye sockets, bruises to the brain, and bleeding between the brain and tissue covering the brain. A statement from the family in early February also said that Saget died from head trauma. No illicit drugs or toxins were found in Sagets body, per a toxicology analysis. His death was ruled as accidental. The entire Saget family is grateful that the judge granted their request for an injunction to preserve Bobs dignity, as well as their privacy rights, especially after suffering this unexpected and tragic loss, the family said on Monday in a statement to news outlets via their attorney, Brian Bieber. We are pleased this issue has been resolved, and the healing process can continue to move forward. All of the prayers and well wishes continuously extended to the family are beyond appreciated. The Associated Press contributed to this report. A destroyed bridge at Bucha on the outskirts of Kviv, Ukraine, on March 12, 2022. (Courtesy of Igor Korsun) Kyiv Gateway Town Still Unconquered After Three Weeks of Warfare It was only their second day in Ukraine, but a Russian armored column already had reached their bridge too far at Bucha, northwest of Kyiv. I had just crossed the bridge in Bucha to drop off a friend who would meet her family on the Kyiv side of the Irpin River, and as I glanced back, I saw a group of Russian armored personnel carriers approach the bridgehead from the other side, said Igor Korsun to The Epoch Times. He recalled the incident he witnessed on Feb 25. In a flash, I saw a Javelin missile pass a couple of meters from my car on its way to the lead Russian vehicle which exploded in fire, he said. I hurriedly drove to a side street while the Ukrainian soldiers demolished three armored vehicles in the column, said Korsun, who now lives on the southwestern perimeter of Kyiv. A burned-out Russian armored personnel carrier in Bucha on Feb. 27. (Courtesy of Igor Korsun). Russian forces are today still occupying the west side of the river Irpin where they were stopped, Korsun said in a phone call on March 15. They attempted to build a pontoon bridge in recent days but were stopped by fire from Ukrainian troops, he said. The defenders have been buoyed by reports that a new shipment of Turkish-made drones has arrived. Korsun was sharing his house in Bucha with two other families when the invasion began on Feb. 24. After three weeks and scores of local civilian casualties, the Russian army is still trying to cross the Irpin River, which runs through the northwestern suburbs of the gateway towns of Irpin and Bucha. The Irpin River is a tributary of the Dnieper River whose basin forms the ancient heartland of Kyivan Rus. Today the no mans land of Irpin is littered with corpses of civilians caught in the continuous shelling and crossfire between Ukrainian and Russian soldiers. Korsun helped his sisters family leave the Bucha house on March 12. Today she and her children are refugees in Germany, he said. IT expert Igor Korsun works from his home office in Kyiv to help the Territorial Defense Force. (Courtesy of Igor Korsun) For residents who stayed in their houses, the constant shelling has taken its toll in lives and emotional trauma. Bucha residents had a mass burial of 67 people on March 10, Korsun told The Epoch Times. Russian soldiers looted the Novus supermarket a few blocks from Korsuns home on Feb. 27. The soldiers just collected all the precooked meat, canned goods, and alcohol they could carry, leaving behind anything that needed to be cooked because they have no cooking equipment, Korsun said. According to reports, the tank crews were carrying expired rations with expiration dates in 2015, according to Korsun. They were told that after entering the target area they could buy or seize food and fuel in the city. The day after Russians looted the Novus store, the managers opened the doors to all local residents and gave the products away, Korsun said. Before the invasion a minority of Ukrainiansalmost 10 percentwanted to return to Russia, but since the attacks began that percentage has almost disappeared, Korsun said. But the information war has separated him from his brothers family in Russia. My brother has lived in Russia for more than 40 years and sees only state-approved news. All dissident TV channels and news sites have been shut down. He told me the Ukrainian president [Volodymyr Zelenskyy] and the leadership are Nazis who have deliberately bombed our own cities and blamed it on the Russians, Korsun said. The propaganda war is a nightmare, he added. A supermarket in Bucha was looted by Russian troops on Feb. 27. (Courtesy of Igor Korsun) The disinformation war is very important, according to Kira Rudik, a Ukrainian member of Parliament speaking to Fox News over the weekend. They are doing everything they can to make Russian people believe what they see is fake. We have to oppose it with the free media, Rudik said. Korsun works part-time daily in the territorial defense militia as an IT specialist coordinating CCTV scans of the village where he lives. The militia-operated checkpoints in the village are aimed at discovering plainclothes saboteurs attempting to infiltrate the city, says a fellow resident at Korsuns house. We can spot some Russian infiltrators by their language. They dont have quite the same accent and they dont know Kyiv slang, he said. Already more than 700 Russian soldiers have been captured or surrendered, according to Ukrainian TV reports, Korsun says. It has become a problem for the city administration to find jail space for them. Some US media have been reporting for three weeks that Russian forces are entering Kyiv, yet counterattacks by Ukrainian forces and effective anti-tank missiles have bogged down Russian armored columns, according to an Institute for the Study of War report. Ukrainian forces have slowed the advance of Russias army, which made very little progress in the second week of the war. The Ukrainian general staff claims to have destroyed or damaged 31 Russian Battalion Tactical Groups (BTGs) so far, according to the institute in Washington. A BTG is composed of 10 to 12 tanks and 40 infantry fighting vehicles (armored personnel carriers) with 600 to 800 soldiers and officers, which would mean 31 tactical groups equals some 310 to 370 tanks, 1,200 armored vehicles, and 20,000 men. Last week it was reported that 30 Russian tanks were left abandoned. The Ukrainians report 13,000 Russian soldiers have been killed in the three-week war, a figure not confirmed by the U.S. government. Ukrainian civilian fatalities range from 550 to as many as 2,000, according to Fox News reporter Jonathan Hunt in Lviv. Despite missile attacks on two airfields on March 13, the Ukrainian air defense system is preventing Russia from winning the air war. Some Ukrainian fighters are still operational. Ukrainian militarys claims cannot be verified but have reported having shot down 77 Russian jets and 90 helicopters. At his house, and at virtually every house on Korsuns block, the residents have Molotov cocktails ready to throw at Russian armored vehicles should they appear. More than 100,000 Ukrainian citizens have registered to serve with the Ukrainian military or the territorial defense. It was announced that 30,000 new rifles were distributed in Kyiv alone, Korsun said. Life in the village still functions much the way it did before the invasion. Several supermarkets and pharmacies are open, and gas stations are selling petrol at close to $8 a gallon, but there is a limit to how much each customer can purchase. We will fight if the soldiers come to Kyiv, Korsun says. But honestly, I dont think they will. At this point, they cant defeat the citizenry. The Canary Island pine trees in a retirement community of Laguna Woods, Calif., on March 15, 2022. (The Epoch Times Staff) 300 Potentially Hazardous Pine Trees Sparking Concerns, Debates in Laguna Woods Correction: The tree inspection and removal evaluation were initiated by the retirement community, instead of the Laguna Woods City Council. The Epoch Times regrets the error. LAGUNA WOODS, Calif.A landscape committee in a Laguna Woods retirement community identified nearly 300 potentially hazardous Canary Island pine trees, with an ongoing public debate on whether these 60-foot-tall conifers should be uprooted. The Canary Island pines were planted very close together, Kurt Weimann, director of Laguna Woods Villages Landscaping Services, told The Epoch Times. They create all kinds of problems. When developers began constructing the Village over 60 years ago, they over-planted these pine trees for more curb appeal. Many of the groves of three to nine trees were planted near buildings, carports, and sidewalks. Weimann said the communitys Board of Directors tasked its staff and arborists, who are all self-identified as staunch tree huggers, to evaluate six attributes impacting the approximate 1,100 Canary Island pines in the retirement community to determine whether the trees should be removed. They searched for groves tightly planted together, trees with declining health, canopies damaging building roofs and rooftop gutters, poor growth underneath the trees, an abundance of pine needles clogging ground-level and rooftop gutters, and trees causing infrastructure damage. Of those 1,100 trees, 393 were identified with one or more attributes, but roughly 100 trees did not meet the criteria for removal. The Canary Island pine trees in Laguna Woods Village, a retirement community in Laguna Woods, Calif., on April 27, 2018. (Courtesy of Laguna Woods Village) The rest have caused infrastructure damage or blocked rooftop gutters, costing the community $150,000 annually. We have rules about tree removals, Weimann said. Taking them down because they cause a mess is not permitted. According to the communitys United Landscape Committee, reconstructive trimming of the Canary Island pines would cost an average of $1,320 per tree, whereas removal averages $1552 per tree. Some of the trees sit as close as five feet from the buildings, and trimming only one side of a tree would cause an unbalanced canopy, ending up hurting the tree, according to Weimann. However, since the discussion of these longstanding evergreens came into the public, residents who opposed the removal spoke out. I have three Canary Island Pines sheltering my balcony, Linda Yatchman wrote to the Laguna Woods Globe. I would have never bought this place if it werent for the trees providing shade, shelter for birds, and blocking the view of the parking lot. Helen Bazuin also wrote to the Laguna Woods Globe, Please reconsider cutting down 393 Canary Island Pines. Once they are gone, the empty spaces cannot be easily filled, and the ecological and aesthetic benefits they provide will have disappeared permanently. During a few recent public meetings, over 30 residents also voiced their concerns citing environmental concerns and the potential loss of aesthetics. In response, the communitys landscape committee decided to put the project on hold for further review. They plan to re-examine the identified trees with an environmental specialist and third-party arborists to meet the needs of the urban forest and the quality of life for their residents. The trees have been there for 60 years, Weimann said. We are in no hurry to take them out. LGBTQ Activists Face Rare Defeat in Florida Commentary LGBTQ activists are enraged at Floridas legislature for passing the Parental Rights in Education bill, which they mislabel the Dont Say Gay bill. The bill seeks to ban teachers from instructing students about sexual orientation and gender identity in kindergarten through third grade. Few believe children of this age (five to eight years old) should be taught in school about homosexuality and transgenderism, but for LGBTQ activists, this does not matter. They call it oppression and have rallied their formidable forces to defeat it, even coercing the corporation most identified with childrenDisneyto oppose it. They do not like to lose, and rarely do. LGBTQ activists have been on an incredible roll in state legislatures throughout the country, using their tried-and-true practice of denigrating opponents, labeling them as homophobic and transphobic. And, naturally, it all started here in California. San Francisco was the first city to legalize gay marriage in 2004. Barack Obama was elected president in 2008 while opposing gay marriage. Yet today, opponents of gay marriage are considered homophobes. California quickly moved far beyond gay marriage and began the practice of putting the state between parents and their children on matters of sexual orientation and gender identify. In 2012, California became the first state to ban so-called conversion therapy. Twenty states have since followed, as well as twelve countries, including Canada, which just implemented its country-wide ban of the practice. The California law prohibits any practices by mental health providers that seek to change an individuals sexual orientation. Specifically, it includes efforts to change behaviors or gender expressions, or to eliminate or reduce sexual or romantic attractions or feelings toward individuals of the same sex. In a sweeping statement, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the law, noting that parents do not have a fundamental right to choose for their children a particular type of provider for a particular medical or mental health treatment that the state has deemed harmful. In other words, the state decides what is best for your child, not you. The path to getting these laws passed was paved by some of Americas major medical institutions. LGBTQ activists have successfully highjacked them, coercing them to embrace their agenda or face scorn and ridicule. These institutions include the American Academy of Pediatricians (AAP) and the American Psychological Association. Put succinctly, the agenda is that LGBTQ individuals are born this way. (The organization promoting the conversion therapy bans is named Born Perfect.) Bizarrely, they believe they cannot be accepted in society unless all believe this. They pressured the AAP to issue a policy statement on the treatment of children. The primary focus of the statement is on discrimination, and the primary recommendation is transitioning the child as soon as possible. It expressly criticizes providing psychotherapy or taking a wait and see approach. They reject therapy because it goes against the born this way narrative. Yet, we know people are not born LBGT because there have been numerous identical twin studies which reveal that the majority of time, when one twin is LGBTQ, the other is not. Same DNA, different outcome. Scientists have now mapped the entire human genome. No gay or transgender gene has been found. The most likely explanation is that it happens in early childhood due to some form of trauma, just like so many other conditions which manifest later in life. Gender dysphoria can be treated in the same way as other disorders through traditional psychological counseling. This is not shaming or pray away the gay as some seek to label it. Nonetheless, they seek to impose their opinion on everyone by making it illegal for parents to take their children to a psychiatrist or psychologist to see what may be going on with their child. Parents who want to help their children reduce gender dysphoria are not permitted to do so. They are only permitted one treatment option: help their child transition to the opposite sex. This means changing the childs name and clothing, taking hormone blockers, and ultimately changing their genitalia. This is all in the name of reducing stigma, but it really amounts to an unscientific experiment on children, also known as child abuse. Incredibly, at the same time they ban parents from talking about the issue with professionals, they want teachers to talk to our children about it! No doubt because they want teachers indoctrinating children into believing that gay and transgender is normal and natural and that they are born that way. The activists loss in Florida will likely just be a small bump in the road. They are already seeking to make it illegal for adults to make their own choice to seek such treatment. Such a ban has been introduced in California and is included in Canadas ban of the practice. The punishment in Canada for someone who dares to provide such therapy? Five years in prison. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. People examine the damage to a residential building in Mostytska Street which got hit by a rocket in Kyiv, Ukraine, on March 15, 2022. (Anastasia Vlasova/Getty Images) Russia-Ukraine (March 15): Ukraine Says 4th Russian General Killed The latest on the RussiaUkraine crisis, March 15. Click here for updates from March 14. Ukraine Says 4th Russian General Killed Ukraine said a fourth Russian general has been killed in the fighting. Maj. Gen. Oleg Mityaev died Tuesday during the storming of Mariupol, said Ukrainian Interior Ministry adviser Anton Gerashchenko, who published a photo on Telegram of what he said was the dead officer. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reported the death of another Russian general in his nighttime address but didnt name him. Mityaev, 46, commanded the 150th motorized rifle division and had fought in Syria, Gerashchenko said. There was no confirmation of the death from Russia. ___ Zelensky Says Russia Demands More Realistic Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said early Wednesday that Russias demands during negotiations are becoming more realistic after nearly three weeks of war. He said more time was needed for the talks, which are being held by video conference. Efforts are still needed, patience is needed, he said in his nighttime video address to the nation. Any war ends with an agreement. Zelensky, who is to address the U.S. Congress on Wednesday, thanked President Joe Biden and all the friends of Ukraine for $13.6 billion in new support included in a spending measure that Biden signed. He appealed for more weapons and more sanctions to punish Russia, and repeated his call to close the skies over Ukraine to Russian missiles and planes. He said Russian forces on Tuesday were unable to move deeper into Ukrainian territory and continued their heavy shelling of cities. ___ Zelensky Appeals to North European Leaders for More Arms Ukraines president appealed to northern European leaders for more weapons to counter Russias invasion of his country. President Volodymyr Zelensky, speaking to leaders of the Joint Expeditionary Force via videolink Tuesday, said the Ukrainian military is rapidly using up weapons and other hardware that western nations have shipped to his country. He also appealed for a full trade embargo on Russia, saying sanctions have not been enough to counter the Russian advance. We have to acknowledge Russia as a rogue state and there has to be a trade embargo with Russia, Zelensky said. This is something that we need and you need as well, just like the rest of the world, to make sure there is peace in Europe and Ukraine. Zelensky also repeated his frustration with NATO over its refusal to implement a no-fly zone over Ukraine as he addressed JEF leaders meeting Tuesday in London. The United Kingdom-led JEF is a grouping of 10 north Atlantic countries designed to react quickly to international crises. It includes NATO members such as Britain and the Baltic states, as well as non-NATO countries such as Sweden and Finland. ___ 3 EU Prime Ministers Visit Kyiv as Russian Attacks Intensify The prime ministers of Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovenia traveled to the embattled Ukrainian capital of Kyiv and met with President Volodymyr Zelensky on Tuesday in a show of support for Ukraine even as bombardment by the Russian military edged closer to the center of the city. The three leaders went ahead with the hours-long train trip despite worries within the European Union about the security risks of traveling within a war zone. It is here, in war-torn Kyiv, that history is being made. It is here, that freedom fights against the world of tyranny. It is here that the future of us all hangs in the balance, Polands Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said on Twitter. ___ Ukraine, Russia to Continue Talks Wednesday A top Ukrainian negotiator says talks with Russia will continue Wednesday. Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to Ukraines President Volodymyr Zelensky, who spoke to Russian negotiators via video link on Monday and Tuesday, described the talks as very difficult and viscous. He said that there are fundamental contradictions, but added that there is certainly room for compromise. The talks via video link this week follow three rounds of negotiations in Belarus that have failed to produce any visible progress. Both Russian and Ukrainian negotiators have voiced cautious optimism but havent spelled out any details of talks. ____ 2 Journalists Working for Fox News Killed in Ukraine A veteran videographer and a 24-year-old Ukrainian journalist working for Fox News were both killed when their vehicle came under fire outside of Kyiv, the network said on Tuesday. Pierre Zakrzewski, 55, and Oleksandra Sasha Kuvshynova were traveling Monday in Horenka with Fox News reporter Benjamin Hall, who remains hospitalized. Today is a heartbreaking day for Fox News Media and for all journalists risking their lives to deliver the news, the networks CEO, Suzanne Scott, said in a staff memo. Zakrzewski, an Irish citizen who was based in London, had covered conflicts in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Syria for Fox and won an internal unsung hero award for playing a key role last year in getting Foxs freelancers and their families out of Afghanistan after the U.S. withdrawal. He had been working in Ukraine since February. Kuvshynova was a local fixer, as is known in war zones. She helped Fox crews navigate the Kyiv area, gathered information, and spoke to sources. She had a passion for music, the arts, and photography, Scott said in the staff memo. ____ EU Imposes Sanctions on Chelsea Owner Roman Abramovich The European Union imposed sanctions Tuesday on Chelsea soccer club owner Roman Abramovich as part of a new package of measures targeting Russia and President Vladimir Putins close allies. The EU included the Russian oligarch in its updated list of individuals facing assets freeze and travel bans over their role in the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The 55-year-old Abramovich had already been punished in Britain by Prime Minister Boris Johnsons government last week. The aluminum magnate was among seven wealthy Russians who had their assets frozen under British sanctions in response to Russias invasion of Ukraine. Abramovich has also been suspended as director of the Premier League club. The EU said Abramovich has had privileged access to the [Russian] president, and has maintained very good relations with him. This connection with the Russian leader helped him to maintain his considerable wealth. The European Council added 15 individuals and nine entities to its list of people and bodies sanctioned. ____ NATO Chief Warns of Potential Accidental Russian Strike on US Allies NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg warned Tuesday about an increased chance of an accidental Russian strike on a neighboring NATO nation, calling for additional air defense in Europe. The United States has already sent batteries of Patriot surface-to-air missiles to Polands border after Russia invaded Ukraine in late February. We are ready to protect and defend every inch of NATO allied territory, Stoltenberg told reporters Tuesday, but warned, When we see more military activities, when we see actually fighting going on close to NATO borders, theres always a risk for incidents and accidents. Because of the heightened risk, we have to make every effort to prevent such incidents and accidents and if they happen, to make sure that they dont spiral out of control and create really dangerous situations, he added. Read the full article here ____ Putins Predictions About Ukrainian People Were Wrong: University of Illinois Professor Russian President Vladimir Putins expectations about how Ukraine would respond to an invasion were upended, and instead Ukrainians have never been more united, according to a professor at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. At this point in time, the rally-around-the-flag effect, the idea of coming together, and the idea of social unity in Ukraine has really never been stronger, and this is the exact opposite of what Putin predicted, sociology professor Cynthia Buckley said in a March 12 interview with Kevin Hogan of NTD News. He was predicting chaos and that people would scatter, she said. This is not occurring. Buckley stressed the key role Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is playing to rally his people to fight the Russian forces. Youve seen the emergence of an enormously charismatic leader in Zelensky, she said. Him staying and working with the troops and being in Kyiv, for now, has been tremendous in terms of solidifying unity, establishing an idea of patriotism, and really bringing Ukrainians together. Read the full article here ____ Tone Improves in Russia Talks A senior aide to Ukraines president says that Russia has softened its stance in the talks over a possible settlement. Ihor Zhovkva, a deputy chief of staff to Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky, said Tuesday that the talks between Russian and Ukrainian representatives have become more constructive and Russia has changed tone and stopped airing demands for Ukraine to surrendersomething Russia had insisted upon during earlier stages of talks. Three rounds of talks in Belarus earlier this month have been followed by video calls between Russian and Ukrainian negotiators, including the one on Tuesday. Zhovkva said that Ukrainian representatives feel moderately optimistic after the talks, adding that it would be necessary for Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin to meet to make major progress. ____ Biden to Meet With NATO Leaders in Brussels Next Week NATO leaders will meet in Brussels on March 24 in an extraordinary summit to discuss Russias invasion of Ukraine, the alliances chief said on Tuesday, as the White House confirmed U.S. President Joe Biden would also attend. We will address Russias invasion of Ukraine, our strong support for Ukraine, and further strengthening NATOs deterrence & defense. At this critical time, North America & Europe must continue to stand together, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg wrote on Twitter. White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki confirmed Biden would attend the meeting at NATO headquarters. His goal is to meet in person face-to-face and talk about and assess where we are at this point in the conflict, she told reporters at a news briefing. Weve been incredibly aligned to date. That doesnt happen by accident. Asked if Biden would also visit in Poland, do something tied to Ukrainian refugees or meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Psaki declined to comment, saying trip details were still being worked out. ___ Moscow Sanctions Trudeau and Canadian Leaders The Russian Foreign Ministry says Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly, Defense Minister Anita Anand, and other Canadian officials have been put on a sanctions list. The ministry said in Tuesdays statement that they have been barred from entering Russia in retaliation to Canadian sanctions against the Russian leadership. The Russian sanctions also targeted Canadian lawmakers. The ministry said the decision was a forced move taken in response to hostile actions by the current Canadian regime that has long tested our patience. The decision followed the announcement of Russian sanctions against President Joe Biden and senior members of his administration. ____ Russia Sanctions Joe Biden and Antony Blinken The Russian Foreign Ministry says that U.S. President Joe Biden, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, and other top Biden administration officials have been put on the Russian sanctions list. The ministry said in Tuesdays statement that the measure is a response to the U.S. sanctions against the Russian leadership. At the same time, it noted that Russia may not renounce official contacts with the U.S. officials targeted by the sanctions if such contacts are in the countrys national interests. ____ Russia, Ukraine Resume Talks Peace talks between Russian and Ukrainian delegations via a video link resumed on Tuesday. An adviser to the Ukrainian president says that the Ukrainian and Russian negotiators are discussing a cease-fire and Russian troops withdrawal during their talks. Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to President Volodymyr Zelensky, who is taking part in Tuesdays talks via video link, said on Twitter that the talks are continuing, adding that general issues related to a settlement, a cease-fire and troops withdrawal from the countrys territory are on the table. Earlier Tuesday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that Moscow was pressing its demands for Ukraine to drop its bid to join NATO, take a neutral status, and demilitarize. ___ Russia Officially Withdraws From Council of Europe The Russian Foreign Ministry says Moscow is withdrawing from the Council of Europe. The ministry said it handed a formal notice about Russias decision to leave the continents leading human rights organization to the Council of Europes Secretary General Marija Pejcinovic Buric on Tuesday. It said the move followed the Council of Europes decision to suspend Russias membership that was taken on Feb. 25. The ministry charged that the Council of Europe has become an instrument of exerting pressure on Russia and alleged that it has been heavily influenced by NATO and the European Union. It said in a statement that its withdrawal from the Council of Europe wouldnt impact human rights and freedoms in the country, which officials said are safeguarded by the Russian constitution. ____ Zelensky: Ukraine Must Recognize It Will Not Join NATO Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky said his country has to accept that it will not become a member of the NATO military alliance, a critical Russian concern that was used to justify the invasion. Ukraine is not a member of NATO. We understand that. We have heard for years that the doors were open, but we also heard that we could not join. Its a truth and it must be recognized, Zelensky said during a video conference with the UK-led Joint Expeditionary Force on Tuesday. He also again urged Western allies to provide Ukraine with fighter planes. At the same time, Zelensky again called on NATO, which has provided the Ukrainian military with weapons and ammunition, to establish a no-fly zone over his country. U.S. and NATO officials have said such an agreement is not feasible as it would likely escalate the conflict with Russia. Peace talks between Russian and Ukrainian delegations restarted Tuesday after a pause on Monday, according to Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak. Read the full article here ___ Kyiv Imposes New Curfew Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko announced a new curfew for the city Tuesday, saying it would run for 35 hours. Fighting has intensified on Kyivs outskirts in recent days, and air raid sirens wailed inside the city. Tuesdays artillery strikes hit the Svyatoshynskyi district of western Kyiv, adjacent to the suburb of Irpin, which has seen some of the worst fighting of the war. Flames shot out of the 15-story apartment building as firefighters climbed ladders to rescue people. Rescue workers said at least one person was killed. ____ Zelensky Tells Canada: Close the Airspace Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky asked Canadians to imagine bombs landing in their communities as he told the Canadian Parliament that his people want to live. Zelensky urged Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Canadian lawmakers to help enact a no-fly zone over Ukraine and called for greater economic pressure on Russia. Justin, can you imagine you and your children hearing all these severe explosions, the bombing of the airport, the bombing of the Ottawa airport, Zelensky said. Cruise missiles are falling down and your children are asking you, What happened? Speaking by video from Ukraine to a packed Canadian House of Commons chamber, Zelensky said the Russian war is designed to annihilate Ukraine and subjugate its people. Zelensky evoked British wartime leader Winston Churchill as he told the U.K. Parliament last week that his country would fight Russias invasion to the end. Zelensky will also speak Wednesday to members of the U.S. House and Senate, an event that will be livestreamed for the public. ___ Zelensky Offers Russian Forces a Chance to Surrender Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Tuesday called on Russian troops to surrender. On behalf of the Ukrainian people, I give you a chance, Zelensky in a video address posted online. If you surrender to our forces, we will treat you the way people are supposed to be treatedas people, decently. He said Russian forces did not expect such resistance, claiming that Ukrainian forces have destroyed as many as 90 warplanes since Russian President Vladimir Putin launched an invasion on Feb. 24. They believed in their propaganda, which has been lying about us for decades, Zelensky said. Read the full article here. ___ West Made Terrible Mistake Over Russian Annexation of Crimea: UKs Johnson The West made a terrible mistake in 2014 when it allowed Russian President Vladimir Putin to get away with annexing Crimea, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said. In a commentary in The Telegraph, Johnson wrote: When Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine the first time round, in 2014, the West made a terrible mistake. The Russian leader had committed an act of violent aggression and taken a huge chunk out of a sovereign countryand we let him get away with it. We decided we could somehow go back to normality. Economic relations did not just resumethey intensified, with the West taking more Russian gas than ever before, becoming more dependent on the goodwill of Putin and more exposed to the vagaries of the global gas and oil price. He said the addiction to Russian fuel had emboldened Putin to bomb civilians during his invasion of Ukraine, while at the same time profiting from soaring global oil and gas prices. Read the full article here. ___ France Offers Asylum to Russian War Protester President Emmanuel Macron said France is offering protection from the French embassy and asylum to the anti-war activist who interrupted a news program on Russias state television, holding a poster protesting the war in Ukraine. An independent human rights group that monitors political arrests identified the woman as Marina Ovsyannikova. The group, OVD-Info, posted on its website that Ovsyannikova, who identified herself as an employee of the station, was taken into police custody. Macron said he will propose this solution in a direct and very concrete manner to Russian President Vladimir Putin in their next phone call. He condemned any detention of journalists and hoped that Ovsyannikovas situation will be clarified as soon as possible. Macron spoke after visiting on Tuesday a facility housing Ukrainians fleeing war in western France. The country is getting ready to welcome at least 100,000 Ukrainians fleeing the war, he said. Government officials said about 15,000 Ukrainians have arrived in France so far. ___ 3 EU Country Leaders Take Train to Kyiv in Show of Support for Ukraine The prime ministers of the Czech Republic, Poland, and Slovenia were traveling to Kyiv by train on Tuesday to show support for the country on behalf of the E.U., the first foreign leaders to visit the Ukrainian capital since Russia invaded last month. Kyiv has been under Russian attacks: two powerful explosions rocked the capital before dawn on Tuesday. Emergency services said two people died when an apartment building was struck. Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said on Facebook the trip took place on the 20th day of Russian President Vladimir Putins criminal aggression against Ukraine. At such breakthrough times for the world, it is our duty to be where history is forged. Because its not about us, but about the future of our children who deserve to live in a world free from tyranny, he said. Top aide to Morawiecki, Michal Dworczyk, told reporters the delegation had crossed the Polish-Ukraine border by train after 8 a.m. (0700 GMT). The purpose of the visit is to confirm the unequivocal support of the entire European Union for the sovereignty and independence of Ukraine, Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala said in a statement also released by the Polish government. The aim of this visit is also to present a broad package of support for Ukraine and Ukrainians. Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Jansa was also taking part in the trip, which Fiala said was taken in consultation with European Council President Charles Michel and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. The idea of the trip was agreed at an E.U. leaders summit in Versailles in France last week, Dworczyk said. ___ War Could Be Over by May, Says Ukrainian Presidential Adviser The war in Ukraine is likely to be over by early May when Russia runs out of resources to attack its neighbor, Oleksiy Arestovich, an adviser to the Ukrainian presidents chief of staff, said late on Monday. Talks between Kyiv and Moscowin which Arestovich is not personally involvedhave so far produced very few results other than several humanitarian corridors out of besieged Ukrainian cities. In a video published by several Ukrainian media, Arestovich said the exact timing would depend on how much resources the Kremlin was willing to commit to the campaign. I think that no later than in May, early May, we should have a peace agreement, maybe much earlier, we will see, I am talking about the latest possible dates, Arestovich said. We are at a fork in the road now: there will either be a peace deal struck very quickly, within a week or two, with troop withdrawal and everything, or there will be an attempt to scrape together some, say, Syrians for a round two and, when we grind them too, an agreement by mid-April or late April. ___ China Showing No Signs of Ending Support for Russia After Intense Talks With US Chinas state-run media is signaling that Beijing will continue to side with Russia over the war in Ukraine, after seven hours of intense talks between U.S. national security advisor Jake Sullivan and Chinese diplomat Yang Jiechi in Rome on March 14. The two sides discussed a number of issues, including Taiwan and North Korea, as well as a substantial discussion on Russias invasion of Ukraine. A senior administration official told reporters after the meeting that the talks were intense due to the gravity of the moment amid efforts to end the fighting in Ukraine. They also mentioned that Sullivan had also expressed concerns to his Chinese counterpart about the emerging Sino-Russian alliance. We do have deep concerns about Chinas alignment with Russia at this time, and the National Security Advisor was direct about those concerns and the potential implications and consequences of certain actions, the senior administration official said. Read the full article here. ___ Putin Signs Law to Seize Foreign Aircraft Amid Crippling Sanctions As sanctions cripple Russias aviation industry, President Vladimir Putin signed a law on Monday allowing foreign-owned aircraft to be re-registered as Russian for domestic use, according to state-run news agency TASS. Russian airlines would have the ability to seize and operate aircraft leased by companies that are no longer operating in the country over sanctions imposed due to the Ukraine invasion, TASS reported. Russian airlines have almost 780 leased jets, with 515 leased from abroad. The new law, part of Russias measures to combat the sanctions, says it aims to ensure the uninterrupted functioning of activities in the field of civil aviation. TASS reported that the aircraft will be certified using certification centers and test laboratories. Read the full article here. ___ EU Imposes 4th Set of Sanctions Against Russia for War The European Union announced late Monday that the 27-nation bloc has approved a new set of sanctions to punish Moscow for its invasion of Ukraine. France, which holds the E.U. presidency, said the bloc in consultation with our international partners, has approved a fourth package of sanctions targeting individuals and entities involved in the aggression against Ukraine, as well as several sectors of the Russian economy. The French presidency said in a statement that the bloc also approved a declaration to the World Trade Organization on suspending the application of the most-favored-nation clause for Russia and suspending the examination of Belaruss application for accession to the WTO. If Russia is suspended, its companies would no longer receive special treatment throughout the bloc. ___ NATO Chief Says Russia May Use Chemical or Biological Weapons in Ukraine NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg warned on March 13 that Russia might use chemical or biological weapons in the fight with Ukraine, which the head of the alliance said would amount to a war crime. In recent days, we have heard absurd claims about chemical and biological weapons laboratories, Stoltenberg said during an interview with German newspaper Welt am Sonntag, adding that he believes the Kremlin is trying to create a false pretext to justify the unjustifiable. Stoltenbergs warning came as Russian officials claimed on March 7 that the U.S. military has been involved with the development of chemical or biological weapons in laboratories across Ukraine, a project backed by the Defense Threat Reduction Agency, an agency within the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD). Now that these false claims have been made, we must remain vigilant because it is possible that Russia itself could plan chemical weapons operations under this fabrication of lies. That would be a war crime, the NATO head said. Read the full article here. Lorenz Duchamps, Isabel van Brugen, Frank Fang, Jack Phillips, Alexander Zhang, Masooma Haq, Kevin Hogan, The Associated Press, and Reuters contributed to this report. Los Angeles City Council Mulls New Social Equity Housing Rules The Los Angeles City Council has introduced a package of new social justice rules that supporters say would make it easier for homeless and underprivileged residents to find housing. The Fair Access for Renters legislation recently proposed by city councilors Mike Bonin, Nithya Raman, and Marqueece Harris-Dawson would restrict landlords from asking certain information of prospective tenants. The new rules would prohibit property owners from asking about prospective tenants criminal records, eviction history, or credit ratings. It is really easy to become homeless in Los Angeles, but its really hard to stay housed and to get housed in Los Angeles. We need to fix that, Bonin said in a recent statement. There are structural barriers and biases that make it nearly impossible for some people to find housing. The California Apartment Association has denounced the regulations. The people of Los Angeles should be outraged by these proposals, which do nothing to get homeless people off the streets or build more homes that Angelenos can afford, Fred Sutton, the apartment associations senior vice president of local public affairs in Los Angeles, said in a statement provided to The Epoch Times. Newly built apartments await residents in Anaheim, Calif., on Jan. 8, 2021. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times) The new proposals would result in owners removing rentals from the market, worsening the regions housing shortage, according to Sutton. L.A.s fair chance ordinance modeled after laws in Oakland and Berkeley, goes to an extreme, Sutton said. The ordinance would also allow tenants or their representatives to sue landlords over alleged violations. A third part of the proposal is a rental transparency and accountability ordinance, which would require landlords to disclose their screening criteria. Landlords also would have to include the criteria in advertising for rental properties. Sutton said the proposals would invite frivolous lawsuits and red tape while removing the ability of rental property owners to protect their investments and their residents. The California Assembly also introduced similar new rules with Assembly Bill 2527, which would have banned the use of credit reports in tenant screening across California. However, the bill was allegedly shelved at the apartment associations request. Los Angeles city councilors worked with SAJE [Strategic Actions for a Just Economy] and other housing advocates to create the proposed new rental housing rules. The LA-based group SAJE is also spearheading a housing justice initiative for Los Angeles called the Los Angeles Housing Movement Lab, a socialized housing program that strives to stop property owners from making money on rentals. Apartments in Long Beach, Calif., on Nov. 1, 2021. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times) Homes must not be financial instruments to be traded for gain, but rather safe havens from the dehumanizing interests of capitalist exploitation, according to an online statement posted by the Housing Movement Lab. SAJEs executive director and organizer of the housing lab didnt respond to requests for comment by press time. The proposed new regulations follow Bonins push to lay a foundation for a local version of the national Homes Guarantee program, which is linked to the Green New Deal for Public Housing Act introduced in Congress in 2019 by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Rep. Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.). The program calls for economic justice through improvements to public housing as a way to combat climate change. Westside city councilor Bonin and Raman, a member of the Democratic Socialists of America representing the Silver Lake area, survived recall efforts last year after organizers could not collect enough valid signatures to place the recalls on the ballot. Bonin has survived at least two recall efforts since being elected in 2013. During Bonins latest recall effort, residents voiced frustration over homelessness in his district. Representatives for Bonin and Raman didnt respond to requests for comment by The Epoch Times. Los Angeles Police Department officers walk with community members in the Melrose area during an event to promote safety and police-community relationships in Los Angeles on Aug. 3, 2021. (Mario Tama/Getty Images) Los Angeles Crime Wave Turns Melrose Dream into Misfortune LOS ANGELESEight years ago, Mandy Madden Kelley touted Melrose Place as a quiet street where the most fashionable individuals would hang out, grab a cup of joe from Alfreds Coffee, and shop in some of the citys most luxurious boutiques. French and Italian designer stores line the street: Oscar de la Renta, Bottega Veneta, and The Row, to name a few. Its a quaint street nestled next to multimillion-dollar homes, which gives it a softer touch than many of LAs bustling strip malls and high-end shopping locations like the storefronts on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills. Kelleyan immigrant from New Zealandlives a short 10-minute walk from Melrose. It was such an Instagrammable place that everyone wanted to hang out and have business meetings in their spare time, Kelley told The Epoch Times. And it felt safe, you know, it felt fun, I was able to step out of my house, take my dog for a walk, grab a coffee down the street in the morning, come back, and go to the Farmers Market on Sundays. Content creator Mandy Madden Kelley in her Los Angeles home. (Courtesy of Mandy Madden Kelley) She aimed for not just the American Dream, but the Melrose Place dream. So she created an online personal lifestyle brand and high-end luxury pet boutiqueraking in over 100,000 followers on Instagram. She never would have imagined that her family would be victims of a crime wave nearly a decade later. But red flags did start to appear. Once a hidden empire in the Los Angeles fashion scene, many beloved storefronts on the street permanently went out of business during the pandemic. New businesses moved in. Its sad to see that its such a contrast to what it is like right now, Kelley said. All of the major retailers are leaving the district, and now were getting [marijuana] stores such as Cookies, and it just replaced those prestigious brands and their locations. And because of that, the culture, the environment, has completely shifted. A For Lease sign on the window of a closed store on the famous shopping area of Melrose Avenue in Los Angeles on Aug. 3, 2020, amid the coronavirus pandemic. (Valerie Macon/AFP via Getty Images) She said that during the pandemic, several houses on her street had been robbed. The house next to her has been robbed at least three times. Stolen appliances, $50,000 worth of you know, stoves and fridges in the middle of the night, and it happened multiple times during the pandemic, she said. On Jan. 25, an intruder entered her guest house shortly after midnight and rummaged through her business documents, snapped photos of her paperwork, and attempted to log into her laptop. Her husband could see the burglar from their bedroom window and told her to call the police. An intruder rummages through personal belongings in Los Angeles. (Courtesy of Mandy Madden Kelley) But the police took 20 minutes to come. A handful of officers arrived on the scene at 12:30 a.m. as the suspect fled out of the back gate. On Kelleys security footage, officers can be heard telling the suspect, Put your hands up. The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) told The Epoch Times that police report filings show they havent caught the suspect. It really felt like the longest 20 minutes of my life and really felt like two hours, it was just so traumatizing to be so helpless, Kelley said. To not be able to defend myself and just watch him go through some of my most private documents such as my tax documents, ripping papers out of my checkbook. During the 20 minutes Kelley and her husband waited for police to arrive, her husband asked the 911 operator if he should confront the suspect with a machete they had in the house. The operator advised him to wait for the police. The intruder on Mandy Madden Kelleys property in Los Angeles. (Courtesy of Mandy Madden Kelley) Officers who took the police report didnt take any surveillance footage of the suspect that they caught on their security camera, and they didnt swab her home for fingerprints, Kelley said. They also told her they were three houses down when they got the call. A week went by without any follow-up from LAPD, and her calls were not returned, so she decided to contact local media. Fortunately, the attention appeared to help prompt a response from the LAPD, as well as a follow-up visit by another officer. More information from the incident was documented, and police are still searching for the suspect. Police are searching for an intruder who burglarized Mandy Madden Kelleys house in Los Angeles. (Courtesy of Mandy Madden Kelley) I was really not blaming them. As a business owner myself, I know that everyone tries their best, she said. But of course, since now I am a U.S. citizen and I have a family here, I want to protect the community and I knew that if I hadnt spoken out about it, this will keep going. After local reports with Kelley appeared on TV, more residents in her neighborhood reached out to tell her they had experienced burglaries, too. So, it allowed me to really speak up for my neighbors to be heard and try to make a difference so that we can really try to try to troubleshoot what happened and ensure it doesnt happen again, she said. Los Angeles saw an increase in property-related crimes in 2021according to an analysis by the Public Policy Institute of Californiadriven by car break-ins and auto thefts, which brought property crime numbers back to pre-pandemic levels. The institute also found that of all reported property crimes in California in 2020, 63 percent were larceny thefts, 17 percent were burglaries, and 20 percent were auto thefts. Over the last six months, some of LAs celebrities were even burglarized in their homes, according to the LAPD, with most of the suspects carrying firearms. The increase in home burglaries caused LAPDs Robbery-Homicide Division to post a community notice last November to warn residents to remain vigilant. Victims have been followed from such places like Melrose Avenue, the Jewelry District of Los Angeles, nightclubs, and high-end restaurants in Los Angeles. The target of these robberies has been expensive jewelry, including watches and necklaces, as well as expensive purses. Victims have also been targeted based on the type of vehicle they are driving, the alert read. A mural depicting Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna is seen in the Los Angeles Melrose district on Jan. 26, 2021. (Emma McIntyre/Getty Images) LAPD Chief Michel Moore also announced in November a new task force to address home robberies throughout the city, adding that the department hasnt seen violent ransacking like this in decades. As the Los Angeles mayoral election approaches later this year, Angelenos have expressed in polls that public safety remains a top concern for residents. Lyft Joins Uber in Charging Customers Extra for Fuel Amid High Gas Prices Lyft Inc. on Monday joined Uber Inc. to levy fuel surcharge on rides from customers in an attempt to cushion the impact on drivers pockets from higher fuel costs. Driver earnings overall remain elevated compared to last year, but given the rapid rise in gas prices well be asking riders to pay a temporary fuel surcharge, all of which will go to drivers, Lyft said in a statement in Monday. Last week, Uber said U.S. customers, excluding New York City, will have to pay a fuel surcharge from March 16 to address the same concerns. The move comes as drivers have been protesting on social media over high gas costs after Western sanctions following the invasion of Ukraine by Russia, a major oil producer, had crippled global oil trade and could further lift gasoline prices. A depot used to store pipes for Transcanada Corp's planned Keystone XL oil pipeline in Gascoyne, N.D., on Jan. 25, 2017. (Terray Sylvester/Reuters) Majority of Americans Support Resuming Work on Keystone XL Pipeline: Poll A majority of Americans back resuming work on a major pipeline that President Joe Biden blocked soon after taking office, according to a new poll. Some 71 percent of respondents to the survey said they favor very much or favor somewhat Biden signing an executive order to restart construction of the Keystone XL pipeline. The poll was conducted by Maru Public Opinion for a Canadian news outlet. If built, the pipeline would transport oil from Canada through the middle portion of the United States down to Texas. Biden on his first day in office signed an order revoking authorization for the pipeline. President Donald Trump had allowed the project to move forward after President Barack Obama blocked it. Bidens order referred to a 2015 assessment by the Obama administration that determined the pipeline would not serve the U.S. national interest because the pipeline would have a limited impact on energy security and the U.S. economy and get in the way of developing alternative energy sources such as solar. The analysis further concluded that approval of the proposed pipeline would undermine U.S. climate leadership by undercutting the credibility and influence of the United States in urging other countries to take ambitious climate action, Biden said at the time. The move drew widespread outcry, with Albertas premier calling it disrespectful and one of many fired workers saying the action would hurt a lot of people, a lot of families. Surveys carried out by the Pew Research Center found support for Keystone declined from a majority of Americans to a minority between 2014 and 2017, and about half of Americans, including a supermajority of Democrats, said in 2021 that canceling the project was the correct move. But with gas prices spiking amid the Russia-Ukraine war, and Bidens ban on Russian petroleum imports, more Americans appear receptive to kickstarting the project, which would take months to complete but would make an impact in the future. The ban was referenced in the question for the poll, which was conducted on March 10 among 1,508 Americans and had a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percent. It would appear that the public, given the current circumstance, has decided that this is a bipartisan solution to what is now an unprecedented circumstance, John Wright, Maru Public Opinions executive vice-president, told PostMedia, which commissioned the poll. Keystones developer said after the war started that it would not work on the project even if it were restarted. White House press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters recently that there no plans to let construction resume, adding, it would not address any of the problems were having currently. Jason Kenney, Albertas premier, said around the same time that the Canadian government would be willing to help ensure the project is completed if agreements are hammered out. The U.S. House of Representatives, meanwhile, rejected a bill that would approve the pipeline, with Democrats largely opposed and Republicans largely in favor. A woman uses a smartphone in front of a laptop in Abidjan, on April 3, 2019. (ISSOUF SANOGO/AFP via Getty Images) Malware Attacks Affect 10 Million Mobile Devices Worldwide: Report Malicious actors are waging increasingly sophisticated attacks on smartphone and app users, according to a new report from U.S. mobile security firm Zimperium. According to its Global Mobile Threat Report 2022, around 30 percent of zero-day vulnerabilitiesa known weakness in a system that has yet to be patchedwere found in mobile devices over the course of 2021. Zimperium also found a 466 percent increase in active attacks on such weaknesses, while also finding that 75 percent of phishing websites targeted mobile devices. In terms of malware, the group detected 2,034,217 samples of malicious software last year and found that 10 million devices across 214 countries were affected. Some malware programs were also re-emerging in more advanced forms. For example, the spyware program Pegasus, which was detected in 2016, surfaced again in 2021 targeting zero-day vulnerabilities in iOS devices. It affected 50,000 individuals including journalists, activists, and politicians. Additionally, the Joker trojan program, which was founded in 2017, re-emerged in 2021 to target Android devices. Smartphones play an increasingly integral role in our personal and professional lives, Richard Melick, director of product strategy at Zimperium said in a press release. Sadly, in the process, these devices have come to capture the increased attention of cybercriminals. Malicious actors are waging increasingly sophisticated attacks that target mobile devices and applications, and they continue to invest more to advance their techniques and tactics, he said. Melick said the mobile landscape was growing in scope and complexity with new apps and features being introduced regularly. Therefore, it is essential to realise that security, like mobile devices, is a constantly moving target, he said. It is vital to establish the right tools and resources, so teams understand the risks involved and their potential impact. Cybersecurity has become a more pervasive issue as the world becomes more interconnected, however, the cost of monitoring and protecting against such threats has also ballooned. A February report found that the average cost of insurance to cover cybersecurity breaches spiked 113 percent in Australia from 2020 to 2021. Ransomware has been, and will continue to be, a plague on organisations and insurers alike, across all industries and segmentsequally challenging for small to medium enterprises, as well as large corporates and the public-government sector, the AON report said. Man, 2-Year-Old Child Die in Drive-By Shooting in Tuscaloosa TUSCALOOSA, Ala.Someone in a vehicle pulled up to a home in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, and opened fire with a rifle, leaving a man and a 2-year-old child dead, authorities said Monday. Police were searching for three people who may have been present at the killing of Marcus Winston, 25, and the youngster on Sunday afternoon, said Capt. Jack Kennedy of the Tuscaloosa County Sheriffs Office. But no charges were filed and the three may or may not be suspects, he told a news conference. Authorities did not release a possible motive or the name of the child, who Kennedy said wasnt related to Winston. They said at least one rifle was used in the shooting. Earlier, in a statement shared on social media, Mayor Walt Maddox referred to unnamed suspects in the shooting and said they are not new to Tuscaloosa police. The fact that the suspects are known speaks to our states broken criminal justice system, Maddox said. Authorities didnt release many details of the shooting, which occurred at a residence beside a park. The shots came from a white, four-door vehicle that witnesses identified both as a car and small sport-utility vehicle with multiple people inside, Kennedy said. We had a vehicle drive by and fire multiple times into the front yard of the residence, striking two individuals who were outside, he said. Winston died on the scene and the child died later at a hospital. Maddox said that based on his experiences, someone knew a drive-by shooting could happen. Our humanity must compel us to do everything in our power to save lives, he said. What started as a junior-high class project turned into an expedition across the Atlantic, bridging the gap between two continents. A small unmanned sailboat, constructed and launched by students in New Hampshire, voyaged all the way to Norway, where it washed ashore and was found by a family over a year later. Their young son took it to school where he, alongside excited classmates and teachers, opened the cargo hatch. It contained a clutch of messages and trinkets placed there by the American kidsand the moment was aired on Norways national news. Through GPS tracking, a team in Massachusetts had followed the ships progress for part of its 462-day journey, though there were long periods when it went silent. The boat, Rye Riptides, had sailed a total distance of over 8,300 miles. After its 462-day journey, Rye Riptides washed ashore in Norway. (Courtesy of Mariann Nuncic via Educational Passages) The project was a collaboration between Rye Junior High and nonprofit Educational Passages, based in Maine. Aimed at developing a host of skills and knowledge, it began in 2020, when fifth graders in Ms. Sheila Adamss science class began building. Educational Passages delivered a kit for making the 5.5-foot unmanned vessel. This project tapped into so much more than the science curriculum, Ms. Adams said in a press release, detailing the start of a learning journey that would end in the hands of a group of strangers in Smla, Norway, in February 2022. Rye Riptides boat ready to set sail. (Courtesy of Sheila Adams via Educational Passages) As excitement began to swell at seeing the mini-boat come together, the pandemic hit and students were sent home for the rest of the school year. Not to be deterred, they each created a piece of artwork for the deck, which was submitted and made into a collage. The boat was then ready to sail. With restrictions due to the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus causing further hiccups, however, the official launch was delayed, meaning the class had a chance to add their special input: deciding what color to paint the bottom and adding messages. Rye Riptides aboard Corwith Cramer, ready to set sail. (Courtesy of Sea Education Association (SEA) via Educational Passages) On Oct. 25, 2020, Rye Riptides finally set sail. The first leg of the voyage was from Massachusetts to Florida, which took six weeks. The Sea Education Association in Woods Hole volunteered to launch Rye Junior Highs boat, alongside another, Sojourners Truth, from JFK Middle School in Northampton. Chief scientist Dr. Jeffrey Schell, who launched both mini-boats from the quarterdeck of much larger ship Corwith Cramer, described the exciting moment. When Rye Riptides and Sojourners Truth hit the water, there was a raucous cheer from the crew as both mini-boats caught the wind immediately, he said. Karel Nuncic poses with Rye Riptides in Norway. (Courtesy of Mariann Nuncic via Educational Passages) The boats fates were now at the mercy of the seas. Rye Riptidess tracking device would sometimes go quiet and theyd wonder if all was lost. After 10 months, during hurricane season, children and teachers began getting intermittent reports. Around September, they discovered their boat was at about the same latitude as Irelanduntil it vanished. It would not show itself again until the end of January, when it appeared to have hit a small, desolate island in Norway. The little boat was battered when the Nuncic family found it with help from social media. The mast, hull, and keel were gone, and it was covered in barnacles. But Karel Nuncic, the sixth grader who took the boat to his school, Smla barneskole, was thrilled the next day to find the deck and cargo hold intact. Karel Nuncic and his classmates opening Rye Riptides in Norway. (Courtesy of Mariann Nuncic via Educational Passages) Karel Nuncic and his classmates pose with Rye Riptides in Norway. (Courtesy of Mariann Nuncic via Educational Passages) Ms. Adams has since retired, but the adventurous project she helped launch lives on. Video linkups between Rye Junior High and the Norwegian school are planned, celebrating the unlikely bond formed across the pond. What I find so special about Educational Passages is that it combines education with the mystery of a message in a bottle and the hope of making a human connection across the sea, remarked Schell. Share your stories with us at emg.inspired@epochtimes.com, and continue to get your daily dose of inspiration by signing up for the Bright newsletter at TheEpochTimes.com/newsletter The Montreal Police logo is seen on a police car in Montreal on July 8, 2020. (The Canadian Press/Paul Chiasson) Montreal Police Make Arrest After 10-year Old Girl Seriously Injured in Beating Montreal police say they are investigating the assault of a 10-year old girl who was beaten and dragged in the streets by a man on Monday. Police spokesperson Sgt. Raphael Bergeron said today the girl was walking on the sidewalk with a friend in the citys east end before noon when a man grabbed and punched her multiple times. Bergeron said officers arrested a 21-year-old man after several bystanders intervened and stopped the assault. The girl was taken to hospital with serious but non-life-threatening injuries to her upper body. Police say the Crown prosecutors office will likely request a psychological evaluation of the suspect, and he could face charges including aggravated assault. Montreal Mayor Valerie Plante issued a statement on social media today condemning the attack and calling the violence unacceptable. More Countries Consider Returning to Fossil Fuels to Maintain Energy Security Many countries worldwide have been faced with a dilemma over the last year: turn to fossil fuels to maintain energy security or turn to renewables for their political climate agendas. In the aftermath of the pandemic, a growing number of nations have endured power outages, shrinking inventories, and higher oil and gas prices. Despite investing billions into green technology, such as solar and wind, it has been challenging since output failed to satisfy immense energy demand across developed and developing markets. The other issue, particularly in Europe, is an enormous dependence on Russias crude and natural gas exports. The eurozone had imported vast amounts of energy from Moscow40 percent of its natural gas and 30 percent of its oil. Because of the brutal winter that gripped the region and led to falling stockpiles, the European Union recently announced it would be gradually reducing its reliance on energy imports from Russia by up to two-thirds by the end of the year. In recent years, plenty of advanced and developing economies have pledged to kick the addiction to fossil fuels and invest more in green energy, be it solar panels or windmills, to curb emissions. However, with data showing that alternatives have been unable to keep up with substantial consumption, more countries are returning to crude oil, coal, and natural gas for the time being. Speaking to a local newspaper, German Finance Minister Christian Lindner suggested that the nation should reconsider its ban on new oil and gas drilling in the North Sea as it decreases its purchases of Russian energy. Oil pumpjacks in the Inglewood Oil Field in Los Angeles, Calif., on Jan. 28, 2022. (Mario Tama/Getty Images) Germany will not approve any new permits for drilling oil and gas in the area as part of a coalition deal between Chancellor Olaf Scholzs Social Democrats, the Greens, and Lindners Free Democrats (FDP). But Lindner believes that this should be postponed due to recent geopolitical and market developments and the countrys need for more fossil fuels. We have to question the decision in the coalition agreement. Due to global market prices developments, this looks more economical, he told the Tagesspiegel newspaper. Against the changed geopolitical background, I think it is advisable to examine the entire energy strategy of our country without any prohibitions on thinking. Over the last year, Germany has seen coal become the countrys main electricity source again, topping wind. This comes after the government planned to shut down all 84 of its coal-fired power plants, importing 45 percent of its needs from Russia. Estimates suggest that Germany will see an increase of hard coal imports by 7.7 percent this year. Coal burn in Europe has remained at high levels since last year due to high gas prices, and it is likely to continue the trend this year, too, with gas prices surging further, said Yan Qin, an analyst at Refinitiv, in a note. In recent weeks, there had been some speculation that the German government would delay its plan to close its remaining nuclear power plants. But Berlin rejected this proposal. We have again examined very carefully whether a longer operation of the nuclear power plants would help us in this foreign policy situation, German Vice-Chancellor Robert Habeck said in a statement last week. The answer is negativeit would not help us. Today, gas and nuclear power continue to represent a significant portion of Europes power grid, ING analysts say. The future role of gas and nuclear power highly depends on political choices about Europes future power system, wrote ING senior sector economist Gerben Hieminga and head of its Financials Sector Strategy, Maureen Schuller, in a report. Will China, India Go Green or Stick to Fossil Fuels? In September 2020, speaking before the U.N. General Assembly, Chinese leader Xi Jinping vowed to achieve carbon neutrality by 2060. Beijing has built more wind power than the rest of the world combined, and it could see more robust capacity growth over the next five years. Late last year, India also pledged to accomplish net-zero emissions by 2070, including meeting half of its energy needs by renewables by 2030. But it could prove challenging for these two nations to be successful in this broader green-related pursuit as they buy and mine more conventional forms of energy. The worlds second-largest economy had experienced rolling power outages throughout the country last year. This prompted Beijing to revive coal consumption, approve mining expansions, and start construction on coal-powered generators. While it still buys more than 30 million tons of coal per month, China aims to cut down on imports and improve domestic production. The National Development and Reform Commission (NRDC), the nations top economic planner, wants to increase domestic output by roughly 300 million tons while also erecting a 620-million-ton stockpile for the fuel source. A coal-fired power plant in Hanchuan, Hubei Province, China, on Nov. 11, 2021. (Getty Images) Vice Premier Han Zheng called coal Chinas last barrier to energy security. Last month, the Indian government confirmed that coal production rose 6.13 percent year-over-year to 79.6 million tons in January. India also projects to enhance coal production by 75 percent to 1.2 billion metric tons by 2023 or 2024. While officials say they want to diminish their dependence on imports, the South Asian economy witnessed its coal inventories plummet to critically-low levels in October. This sparked rolling blackouts throughout the country. Reportedly, India is also considering acquiring more Russian crude and other commodities at a discount. What About the US? Even in the U.S., where the administration is expanding a green energy agenda, coal imports have remained strong and production has climbed sharply from previous years. U.S. coal production rose more than 6 percent in the last week, according to estimates from the Energy Information Administration (EIA). It is also a net exporter of coal, although the country still imports more than five million short tons. Meanwhile, with prices as high as they are, some industry observers believe the U.S. oil and gas sector could begin to ramp up production. Experts note that companies have been apprehensive about drilling full speed ahead, whether it is because of trying to reduce their carbon footprint or regulatory uncertainty at the federal level. But this could incrementally change. IHS Markit statistics highlight that private firms have been steadily increasing output, contrary to the White Houses suggestion. Over the longer term, inventory exhaustion is likely to emerge as a mounting concern. Although drilling inventory within lower-tier acreage remains abundant, exhaustion of core acreage is likely to emerge within smaller, mature unconventional plays over the next several years, IHS stated. Crude oil rigs in the United States advanced to 527 in the week ending March 11, up from 519 in the previous week, according to Baker Hughes. This is the highest number since April 2020. The technologies to supply America with the energy it needs doesnt exist in the green energy world yet. Well sure you can have instrumental incremental increases in solar and wind battery technology breakthroughs but right now theyre not there, wrote Phill Flynn, a senior energy analyst at The Price Futures Group and the author of The Energy Report. In October 2021, the EIA forecast in its International Energy Outlook that oil and gas would still be the top sources of global energy by 2050, with renewables making up approximately one-quarter of the international energy mix. We do see a lot of impact from the growth in renewables and such in reducing carbon intensity, Chris Namovicz, EIAs electricity, coal and renewables modeling team lead, said during a presentation on the outlook. That being said, demand is still growing and there are still portions of demand that are most economically satisfied through burning of fossil fuels. Overall, the skyrocketing price of fossil fuels reflects the substantial demand for these products, strategists note. Coal prices are expected to top $500 per ton this year, according to Rystad Energy. A barrel of West Texas Intermediate and Brent crude oil is above $100. Natural gas is trading at around $4.50 per million British thermal units (Btu). Until renewables can do their part and remain reliable during all types of conditions, from market to weather, strategists purport that fossil fuels will continue to remain present in the global economy, even by 2050. A major solar eruption is shown in progress on Oct. 29, 2003. This X18 flare is the strongest flare since Aug. 16, 1989 when an X20 flare occurred. A large coronal mass ejection has been hurled towards the Earth and could hit the Earth's magnetosphere by Oct. 30. (Solar & Heliospheric Observatory/NASA via Getty Images) Multiple Geomagnetic Storms Expected to Hit Earth This Week, Scientists Say The Space Weather Prediction Center issued a geomagnetic storm watch on March 13, noting that mild solar storms are expected to hit earth this week due to possible effects from the arrival of coronal mass ejections on March 10. Geomagnetic storms occur when a large burst of solar wind interferes with the Earths magnetic field. The agency, which is run by the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), said that moderate and minor geomagnetic storms will hit Earth from March 14, which were classified as G1 and G2 on the five-level solar storm scale. The British Met Office also issued an advisory on Tuesday saying that solar activity has been moderate over the past 24 hours. There is a large but stable region which will be rotating off the Earth-side of the disc towards the end of March 15, it stated. There is one slow, weak coronal mass ejection observed on March 13 which may give a glancing blow at Earth on March 17, but with low confidence. The Met Office said the best chance of seeing the aurora borealis, or northern lights, is in the northern parts of Scotland, with chances declining in the United Kingdom. It noted that aurora sightings are still likely at high latitudes through Tuesday. The Aurora Borealis can be seen over Northern Europe on Tuesday night because of a solar storm hitting the Earth. People in Scotland, Ireland, Norway, Finland, and Sweden said they could see the Northern Lights. (RAIGO PAJULA/AFP/Getty Images) The count rate of energetic particles (high energy protons) is forecast to be at background levels with no solar radiation storms, although there is just a very slight chance of an increase in response to any larger flares that may occur, it stated. According to the United States Geological Survey, satellite electronics can be damaged during geomagnetic storms due to the build-up and discharge of static electric charges. Astronauts and pilots flying at high altitudes may also be exposed to increased levels of radiation. Because the ionosphere is heated and distorted during storms, long-range radio communication that relies on sub-ionospheric reflection can be difficult or impossible, and global-positioning system (GPS) communications can be degraded, it stated. Internet Apocalypse University of California Irvine Assistant Professor Sangeetha Abdu Jyothi warned in September last year that a solar superstorm directed at Earth could prompt an internet apocalypse across the entire globe that could last for several months. According to Jyothis research, power grids, oil and gas pipelines, and networking cables are the most vulnerable to the impacts of geomagnetically induced currents, while submarine cables, which span hundreds or thousands of kilometers, are even more vulnerable than land cables, due to their larger lengths. The U.S. is one of the most vulnerable locations with a high risk of disconnection from Europe during extreme solar events. Intra-continental connections in Europe are at a lower risk due to the presence of a large number of shorter land and submarine cables interconnecting the continent, the report notes. Katabella Roberts contributed to this report. U.S. astronaut Mark Vande Hei sits in the International Space Station on Feb. 4, 2022. (Kayla Barron/NASA via AP) NASA Confirms US Astronaut Will Return on Russian Spacecraft Later This Month Russia will pick up an American astronaut as scheduled later in the month and deliver him to a third country, U.S. space officials said on March 14. U.S. astronaut Mark Vande Hei is on the International Space Station along with several Russians and other spacefarers. The reality is Mark Vande Hei is coming home on March 30 with Anton and Pytor, period, Joel Montalbano, an official with NASA, told reporters during a briefing. Pyotr Dubrov and Anton Shkaplerov are also scheduled to fly to Kazakhstan on a Russian craft from the station that day. The United States and Russia have long cooperated on operations for the station, but since Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24, questions have been raised about the scheduled flight. Dmitry Rogozin, who heads Russias space agency, has clashed with U.S. astronauts on social media. And Roscosmos, the agency, appeared to make a video that showed Dubrov and Shkaplerov being picked up but waving goodbye to Vande Hei, leaving the American on the space station. The video, recently posted by a state media outlet, also depicted the Russian portion of the station detaching. International Space Station crew members Mark Vande Hei of NASA, cosmonauts Oleg Novitskiy and Pyotr Dubrov of Roscosmos are pictured during space suit check at the Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan on April 9, 2021. (Irina Spector/GCTC/Roscosmos via Reuters) That led to stories about Russia threatening to renege on their agreement and leaving the American behind. NASA officials on Monday declined to discuss any possible contingency plans. Montalbano said the scheduled flight hasnt changed and that Roscosmos has confirmed they will bring back all three astronauts. At this time, theres no indication from our Russian partners that they want to do anything different, so we are planning to continue operations as we are today, he said. The United States is sending a contingent of approximately 20 people, including doctors, on the agencys Gulfstream plane to pick up Vande Hei in Kazakhstan, a former Soviet Union republic that abuts Russia. U.S.-based SpaceX in 2020 started taking American astronauts to the space station after NASA for years relied solely on Russia to ferry the spacefarers back and forth, but SpaceX is not contracted to perform every single flight at this time. The International Space Station was launched in 1998 and NASA currently plans to keep it in operation through 2030. Russian troops in uniforms without insignia are seen atop of a tank with the letter "Z" painted on its sides, in the Donetsk region, Ukraine, on March 1, 2022. (Alexander Ermochenko/Reuters) NATO Chief Warns of Potential Accidental Russian Strike on US Allies NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg warned Tuesday about an increased chance of an accidental Russian strike on a neighboring NATO nation, calling for additional air defense in Europe. The United States has already sent batteries of Patriot surface-to-air missiles to Polands border after Russia invaded Ukraine in late February. We are ready to protect and defend every inch of NATO allied territory, Stoltenberg told reporters Tuesday. But warned, When we see more military activities, when we see actually fighting going on close to NATO borders, theres always a risk for incidents and accidents. Because of the heightened risk, we have to make every effort to prevent such incidents and accidents and if they happen, to make sure that they dont spiral out of control and create really dangerous situations, he added. Days before that, authorities in Croatia, also a NATO ally, said a Soviet-era unnamed vehicle crashed near its capital Zagreb after flying over Hungary and Romania. Officials said they believe the drone came from Ukraine, and the Croatian Ministry of Defense claimed it had explosives on board. Stoltenberg denied that the drone was loaded with explosives. I can say that we are stepping up our vigilance, Stoltenberg told reporters. We are both increasing the capabilities we have to monitor, to track, but also to ensure that we are able to react if needed. The drone incident, he said, demonstrates the need to further strengthen integration, further strengthen information sharing among allies, and also to invest more and upgrade everything from radars to our persons of air and missile defense systems. Police inspect the site of a drone crash in Zagreb, Croatia, on March 11, 2022. (Darko Bandic/AP Photo) Stoltenberg said that Slovakia, which has a small border with Ukraine, will also receive U.S. Patriot batteries, which are capable of shooting down attacking missiles. Croatian officials said that dozens of parked vehicles were damaged by the drone crash. No one was hurt in the incident. We cannot tolerate this situation, nor should it have ever happened, Croatia Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic said while visiting the crash site. This was a pure and clear threat and both NATO and the EU should have reacted, he continued. We will work to raise the readiness not only of us but of others as well. Plenkovic, who identified the drone as a Soviet-era Tu-141 Strizh unmanned vehicle, said it flew for about 40 minutes over Hungary and seven minutes over Croatia before it crashed. This could have fallen on the nuclear power plant in Hungary. Obviously there was no good reaction and other countries did not react well. Now we have a test from which we have to learn and react much better, he warned. Neither Ukrainian nor Russian officials have claimed responsibility for the drone. Since the start of the invasion, U.S. military officials have said Russia has fired more than 900 missiles at targets inside Ukraine from the land, sea, and air. Targets near the Polish border, including a Ukrainian military training site in the countrys western portion, were hit over the weekend. NATO warships are in battle formation during Sea Breeze 2021 maneuvers, in the Black Sea, on July 9, 2021. Ukraine and NATO have conducted Black Sea drills involving dozens of warships in a two-week show of their strong defense ties and capability following a confrontation between Russia's military forces and a British destroyer off Crimea last month. (Efrem Lukatsky /AP Photo) NATO Moves Ahead With Military Drills in Europe, Deploys 30,000 Troops NATO started scheduled military drills this week in Norway, involving 30,000 troops, 220 aircraft, and 50 warships, according to a statement from the military alliance on Tuesday. While no mention of the RussiaUkraine conflict was made, the drills involve tens of thousands of troops from across Europe and North America [who] are training together in harsh climatic conditions as part of Norwegian exercise Cold Response 2022, according to the alliance. Non-NATO states Sweden and Finland, a nation that shares a large border with Russia, partook in the drills, the statement said. Around 30,000 troops from 27 nations, including NATOs close partners Finland and Sweden, are taking part in the exercise, as well as about 220 aircraft and more than 50 vessels, NATO also wrote. Cold Response 2022 was planned long before Moscows invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, and it aims to show how Norway would manage reinforcements. The naval, air, and ground drills are held every two years over large areas across Norway, including above the Arctic Circle. Its a defensive exercise, said General Yngve Odlo, the official in charge of Cold Response, on Monday. Its not a military operation with an offensive purpose, he added, according to Norwegian broadcaster TV2. NATO said that it offered an invitation to Russia to observe the drills, but Moscow declined to attend. Any build-up of NATO military capabilities near Russias borders does not help to strengthen security in the region, Russias embassy in Norway told AFP last week about the exercises. But Russia has the capacity out there to follow (the exercise) in an entirely legitimate manner, Odlo told TV2. I really hope they respect existing agreements, he added. Russian President Vladimir Putin has cited NATOs expansion east in recent years for why he decided to invade Ukraine last month, describing the development as a threat to Russian sovereignty. Following the start of the UkraineRussia conflict, polls have shown that an increasing number of citizens of Finland and Swedenwho are members of the European Union and considered NATO partnersare considering joining NATO. But earlier in March, Swedens Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson issued a statement saying that a near-term bid to join NATO isnt planned, describing it as a move that would escalate tensions in Europe. Over the past weekend, Sergei Belyaev, the head of the Second European Department of Russias Foreign Ministry, told news agency Interfax that Sweden and Finland could face consequences for joining the alliance. The two nations non-participation in NATO is an important factor in ensuring security and stability in northern Europe, he said. Navy personnel prepare doses of a COVID-19 vaccine at a vaccination site in New York City on Feb. 24, 2021. (Seth Wenig/Pool/AFP via Getty Images) Navy Warship Was at Sea When Officials Said It was Undeployable: Commander The warship that U.S. Navy officials described as undeployable if they were not able to remove the unvaccinated commander was actually deployed when the assertions were made, the commander told a judge during a recent hearing. No sir, I do not, the commander, who has not been publicly named, said when asked whether he thought the officials statements were accurate. U.S. District Judge Steven Merryday, a George H. W. Bush appointee who is overseeing the case, ordered military officials in February not to take punitive action against the commander because they appear to have wrongfully denied the commanders request for a religious exemption from the militarys COVID-19 vaccine mandate. In an emergency motion to the judge on Feb. 28, officials alleged the ruling was affecting military readiness because unvaccinated sailors pose a risk to other personnel since the COVID-19 vaccines have proven effective at halting the spread of the virus that causes the disease. The order effectively places a multi-billion dollar guided missile destroyer out of commission, the motion stated. For example, if it becomes necessary to deploy an East Coast-based surface ship in response to global events in Ukraine (or elsewhere), the Navy will not deploy the Commanders vessel. In this way, the Courts order will have a wide-ranging impact on Navy operations and national security. Besides federal health officials saying the vaccines dont affect the transmission of the virus, and the vaccines proving virtually ineffective against preventing infection, the claim about the ship itself was undermined by the commanders testimony in federal court, according to a transcript released March 14. I was out at sea on Feb. 28, when the motion was entered, the commander said. The officer said he was in charge of his ship and there did not appear to be any problems stemming from his vaccination status, as both unvaccinated and vaccinated people can test positive for COVID-19, particularly since the emergence of the Omicron variant of the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus. The training exercises the ship was completing lasted through about March 4, according to the commander. The Navy and Department of Justice, whose lawyers are representing the military in the case, declined to comment. Im here today because the military is not executing this policy while respecting the constitutional freedoms laid out in the First Amendment or RFRA, the commander said, referring to the Religious Freedom Restoration Act. I should not be the one standing here to say that today; generals and admirals, the executives in our service, should be here to say that to the politics, to the bureaucracy, to their decision-making. One day after the hearing, the judge rejected the governments motion. The Navy has asked an appeals court to step in; that court has yet to rule on the request. NYC Mayor Limited by NY Legislature in Effort to Reduce Crime: Rep. Nicole Malliotakis Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-N.Y.) said she is hopeful that New York Citys public safety standards can be restored. She said although most New Yorkers want crime reduced, Mayor Eric Adams efforts will be limited by a Democrat majority in the state legislature. Theres a tide turning, and New Yorkers have made it clear. Three out of four New Yorkers are saying they want more public safety, they want this restored, Malliotakis told Steve Lance, host of NTDs Capitol Report program, in response to a question about the new mayor being able to restore public safety. Violent crime in New York has surged in recent years, and there were more than 1,800 shooting incidents in 2020 and in 2021. Eric Adams has said the right things in terms of wanting to reinstate public safety, to his credit. I think that theres still those politicians who keep pandering to the far left and arent embracing the changes that need to be made, Malliotakis said. For example, New Yorks radical bail law. You know, the governor, the legislative leaders continue to say that theyre not going to take any action, despite calls from the mayor, despite calls from members of Congress like me. New York implemented a bail reform policy in 2020 that bans judges from requiring cash bail for most nonviolent and some lower-level violent crimes, allowing criminals to quickly get back on the street after an arrest. Some experts have pointed to bail reform, anti-police sentiment, and the criminalization of police takedown techniques as factors exacerbating the rise in violence. Adams, a Democrat and former police officer who took office Jan. 1, 2022, has urged state lawmakers to pass updated legislation that makes the bail process fairer, smarter, and more targeted. That should include letting judges detain accused criminals who pose a threat to the community, the mayors office said. New York City Mayor-elect Eric Adams speaks during a press conference in New York City on Dec. 15, 2021. (David Dee Delgado/Getty Images) This is a pivotal moment for our city and my team is focused on this issue, focused on the challenge thats in front of us. With the right leadership this can be a safe city, Adams said in a January 2022 briefing at City Hall. Malliotakis said despite the fact that instances of rape, robbery, hate crimes, assaults, and car thefts are increasing across the board, the state legislature is not taking the necessary action to address the problem. She said prosecutors in major cities such as New York are following Democrat policies that are putting criminals back onto the streets instead of behind bars. Malliotakis explained how Asian residents in her district, which includes Staten Island and part of Brooklyn, are concerned for their safety because of a rise in violent crimes against them. My community wants public safety. I think its one of the top issues that President Biden should be talking about: the need to support law enforcement all across America and get rid of these policies, she said. Adams has introduced a plan to bring down crime which would include implementing a summer youth employment program, which he says will help deter youth from turning to guns and violence. The plan, titled The Blueprint to End Gun Violence, (pdf) would also expand mental health care programs and require all city agencies to name an anti-gun violence liaison to communicate with the mayoral administration, health care providers, and the New York Police Department (NYPD). In addition, the NYPD will ramp up efforts to patrol neighborhoods, seize illegal guns, and improve partnerships with state and federal agencies such as the FBI. Peter Svab and Zachary Stieber contributed to this report. Masooma Haq Follow Masooma Haq began reporting for The Epoch Times from Pakistan in 2008. She currently covers a variety of topics including U.S. government, culture, and entertainment. NZSIS Director-General of Security Rebecca Kitteridge speaks during He Whenua Taurikura at Christchurch Town Hall in New Zealand, on June 15, 2021. (Kai Schwoerer/Getty Images) NZ Intelligence Agency Thwarts Foreign Power Plot To Steal Sensitive Technology New Zealands (NZ) security service has thwarted a scheme by a foreign power to gain access to sensitive technology, which would likely be deployed for military use. Rebecca Kitteridge, director-general of the Security Intelligence Service (SIS)NZ domestic spy agencymade the revelations during a public hearing hosted by the parliamentary Intelligence and Security Committee on March 15. We disrupted an NZ-based individual who was trying to facilitate the transfer of sensitive NZ-based technology to a foreign state. The technology would have highly likely supported that states military capability, she told the Committee. The director-general did not name the foreign state who had attempted to steal the technology. Kitteridge also outlined the range of activities the agency had been dealing with, revealing that foreign states had targeted NZs political, academic, media, and private sectors. Ethnic communities were also being monitored and pressured by foreign governments to suppress opposition. Espionage activity likely reduced over the year due to New Zealands border restrictions. Closed borders, however, did not restrict either the activities of foreign state proxies already in New Zealand or those using cyber means, she said. Like her Australian counterpart, Kitteridge warned that extremists were being influenced online. They cherry-pick from a range of extremist views that may resonate with them, she said. Im particularly concerned by the increasing number of young people weve seen exploring violent and extremist material, mostly online, and some have gone on to express support for extremist violence. SIS has faced pressure over its response to the Christchurch massacre perpetrated by Brenton Tarrant, which resulted in the deaths of 51 attendees of a local mosque. Meanwhile, NZ universities and businesses have faced questions over their connections to Chinese institutionslinked to the Peoples Liberation Armyand the sharing of technology that could be repurposed for military use. For example, Massey University had previously partnered with Chinese artificial intelligence firm iFlytek. iFlytek has attracted controversy because of its development of speech recognition technology which has been used by Beijings Ministry of Public Security for mass surveillance programs on Uyghur Muslims. The company was blacklisted by the U.S. Trump administration. In the business scene, in 2014 major Chinese state-owned automotive and machine manufacturer, Beijing Automobile Industry Company (BAIC) acquired a 50 percent interest in Pacific Aerospace, based in Hamilton, NZ. The companys flagship drone cargo plane model (the P-750-XSTOL) was subsequently adopted and flown in China under a different moniker (the AT-200) and was adapted for military use, specifically for counter-insurgency and light attack. Democratic nations have wised up in recent years to the risks of playing a part in Beijings military-civil fusion strategy, where the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) harnesses research and technology developed by civilian organisations. Nathan Kirk poses with his license plate that the state of Alabama finds "objectionable" on Feb. 25, 2022 (James Nicholas, Blount County Tactical) Alabama Backtracks on Attempt to Recall Objectionable License Plate PUNTA GORDA, Fla.An Alabama man who personalized his license plate with LGBFJB on a state-issued Dont Tread on Me yellow license plate that the state found objectionable now says he can keep it. Nathan Kirk, Blount County resident and owner of Blount County Tactical, a store that sells firearms and ammunition, received a letter from the Alabama Department of Revenue dated March 9 stating that the license plate would not be recalled. The state had telephoned me [on March 11] and told me that they would not be recalling the plate and that a letter would be forthcoming, Kirk told The Epoch Times in a telephone interview. I wanted to make sure and verify with that letter that it was real. Kirk believes the amount of attention his story garnered was the reason behind the state changing its mind. Jefferson County Sheriff David Clarke tagged the governor [Kay Ivey] about what was happening to me, he said. Then, before you know it, I was getting a telephone call and now a letter. I dont think they wanted the backlash. Kirk said his advice to anyone who is getting bullied by government officials is to not lay down. Unless its something bad or vulgar in expressing your opinion, its nobodys right to tell you you cant do something, he said. America in general needs to start standing up. Kirk said that he is meeting with legal counsel soon to discuss his options and said that litigation is not off the table. I will listen to what they have to say, he said. As long as they dont mess with me any longerit shouldnt have ever happened and my main thing was shutting it down, and Ive accomplished that. In October Kirk received his new Ford truck that he had ordered a couple of months prior. He registered the vehicle in his wifes name and ordered a specialty plate, sometimes called a vanity plate, displaying in bold black letters LGBFJB against a yellow background with the Gadsden coiled snake logo for his new silver Ford F-150 King Ranch pick-up truck from the Alabama Department of Revenue, Motor Vehicle Division. I wanted to do something goofy with the tag, Kirk told The Epoch Times in a telephone interview. Being in the firearm industry and knowing how [President Joe] Biden feels about firearms, yeah, its derogatory against Joe Biden, Ill admit that. Kirk said in Alabama tags normally arrive within two weeks of ordering them, but not this one. The paper tag that I had on the truck was expired and I called the tag office and they told me that there was an aluminum shortage at the courthouse where I ordered the tagthat was news to me because everyone was still drinking out of aluminum cans, he continued. On Jan. 21, Kirk said he received his tag in the mail, put it on his truck, took a picture of it, and posted it on his Facebook account. Then on Feb. 25 he received a letter telling him that the tag was inappropriate and objectionable. That doesnt sound right to me, he said of the letter. I thought somebody had seen it and then reported it, but that turned out not to be the case. He said he received a telephone call a few days after receiving the letter and told him the exact reason why they found Kirks tag to be objectionable. They told me they have reviewers from the review departmentthats the exact terminology they used, he said. The reviewer said they thought the F meant the explicative word. But Kirk said the letter F that has everyones feathers ruffled doesnt stand for that, it stands for the word forget. In my interpretation, it doesnt stand for that, he said. I cant help what they make it stand for, but regardless, its up to your own interpretation. Dont Tread on Me sample license plate from the state of Alabama. (Alabama Dept. of Revenue) Kirk said he issued a challenge to the department by telling them he would surrender his tag if they revoked every single license plate in the state of Alabama that has the letter F in it. They said theyre not going to do that, he laughed. Then I said youre probably not going to get mine either. Kirk said while researching license plates throughout the state he came upon something very interesting. I found out just a year ago, the state was issuing tags for the Freemasons, the Masonic Lodge, and youll never guess what the first three letters were on the tagFJB 001, FJB 002 and the numbers go up from there, he said. But my F tapping is offensive? Florida attorney Charles Heekin said that if the state of Alabama had carried through with its plan of revoking Kirks license plate he had a good case against the state. Alabama, because it has censored political speech, has set itself up as an arbiter of political speech and therefore has violated the mans First Amendment rights, Heekin told The Epoch Times during a telephone interview. This is a breathtaking ignorance of the law regarding free speech and the First Amendment, which is the most sacred. The anthem of Lets go Brandon reportedly has cemented itself into the vernacular of American citizens who do not particularly care for the sitting president originated from a cheer that broke out at Alabamas Talladega Speedway in May 2021 when a reporter mistook the crowds cheers of [expletive] Joe Biden for a cheer of Lets Go, Brandon, referring to the NASCAR driver she was interviewing, Brandon Brown, after he won the race. The phrase subsequently caught on like wildfire on social media, with numerous public figures, from rappers to politicians, using the term, including Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who signed legislation ending mask and vaccine mandates in Brandon, Florida. First amendment rights and expressing oneself came at a price for Kirk and his family, however, as they, and even their pets, have received death threats because of his gun store and now his license plate dispute with the state. He said that he gets calls from private numbers saying awful things about his wife and her salon business. He said he does not think that it is anyone local, he believes it is someone who has seen the story on other media outlets and has gone to great lengths to obtain his and his wifes cell numbers, and the calls are relentless. He said that people will call and say derogatory things about his wife, and his children were singled out by telling him they were going to find them and slap them. They called my wife and said the same things, he said. They even said I wasted my money on a car tag when I couldve gotten my wife a facelift and a boob job. It cant be anyone from around here, he said about his hometown. Theyre not the same breed of people. I would never do anything like that to someone no matter their political viewsits just a smear campaign and they tried the cancel culture thing and failed. A Facebook digital sign is seen in Menlo Park, Calif., on Oct. 23, 2019. (Josh Edelson/AFP via Getty Images) Kirk has also had an issue with Facebook canceling his page in an attempt to silence his opinions and hurt his firearm business. I have had four profiles that Ive had to make because of my affiliation with a firearm store, he said. They will either take them down or say I am violating their community standards. Kirk said he has lost his Facebook pages due to advertising sales that he has in his store and that Facebook is violating its advertising policies on the Marketplace site located within the Facebook domain. They said that a brick-and-mortar firearms store can post things for sale at your store, he said. But they cancel it anywayand they have moved my feed to where nobody can see itIm basically irrelevant. Kirk said his personal Facebook page has been banned because of comments he posted during the pandemic involving vaccines. I got banned from Facebook for 30 days because I called a woman a liberal, but she wished death on me and my familyeven my dogsand she gets to keep her page, he said. Kirk is now seeking the advice of a constitutional attorney to not only take on the state of Alabama over his license plate, but Facebook as well. I want Mark Zuckerberg to know who I am, he said. According to the departments website, In Alabama, every motor vehicle operator who operates a motor vehicle upon any city street or other public highway of or in this state shall at all times keep attached and plainly visible on the rear end of such motor vehicle a license tag or license plate as prescribed and furnished by the Department of Revenue at the time the owner or operator purchases his license. Anyone violating the provisions of this section shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and shall, upon conviction, be punished by fine not exceeding $500.00 and, in addition thereto, shall be prohibited from driving a motor vehicle in Alabama for a period of not less than 60 days nor more than six months, the website says. The Alabama Department of Revenue responded via email to The Epoch Times that the matter is now closed. Ohio Gov. DeWine Signs Bill to Eliminate Permit Mandate for Concealed Carry Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine on Monday signed into law a constitutional carry bill that allows permitless concealed carry in the state. The bill, Senate Bill 215, dubbed Constitutional Carry by its backers, was introduced by state Sen. Terry Johnson, a Republican from southern Ohios Scioto County. It will allow anyone aged 21 and above who is able to legally possess a weapon to carry a concealed gun without a permit or training. The measure also removes a requirement for gun owners to notify police when stopped that they are armed, although they must inform police officers if asked. The measure was passed by Ohios Legislature earlier this month, and a spokesperson for the Republican governor had hinted that DeWine would likely sign it into law. Governor DeWine has long supported the Second Amendment rights of law abiding citizens to keep and bear arms, spokesperson Dan Tierney said at the time. This is a day that will go down in history, Buckeye Firearms Association Director Dean Rieck said in a statement. This is a great moment for Ohio and for those who wish to more fully exercise their Constitutional right to keep and bear arms. The measure is one of several GOP-backed proposals in recent years seeking to expand gun rights in Ohio. Johnson said it eliminates a discrepancy in Ohio law that currently allows people to openly carry a gun. The measure doesnt prevent anyone from obtaining a license for carrying a concealed handgun in the state if they wish to do so. The Buckeye Firearms Association said 21 other states allow people to carry a concealed weapon without a license. Gun control groups such as Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America opposed it, as did law enforcement groups concerned about the legislations lack of required training. State law previously required eight hours of training, including two hours at a gun range firing a weapon, background checks, and applications though the local sheriff to obtain a permit to carry a concealed weapon. The Ohio Democratic Party accused the governor of caving to special interest groups and extremists, saying the measure will make all Ohioans less safe. Last year, Ohio sheriffs issued 202,920 new or renewed conceal carry licenses, a 20 percent increase over 2020, the Ohio Attorney Generals Office said. Sheriffs denied licenses to 2,668 applicants who didnt meet state-mandated requirements and revoked 420 licenses for such things as felony convictions and mental incompetence. States including Alabama, Iowa, Tennessee, Texas and Wyoming also have permitless carry laws. The Associated Press contributed to this report. When my children were little, I read a story in a magazine that stopped my heart. A mom had sent her daughter to the corner grocery store to buy some bread and milk. Her daughter was walking home with the purchases when a stranger in a car pulled to the curb beside her. He smiled at the girl, used her namewhich he had overheard the clerk use at the storeand told her to get in the car. The girl, who was 10 or 11, was confused. She knew better than to get into a car with a stranger, but she had been taught to be polite and respectful to adults. Against her better judgment, she obeyed. Luckily, a woman driving by saw the interaction and noticed the look of terror on the young girls face. The bystander acted quickly, blocking the mans car with her own so he could not speed away. It turned out the abductor was a registered sex offender recently released from prison and on parole. If not for the brave bystander who intervened, something horrible might have happened. Ever since I read that story, I have marveled at that bystanders braveryand her willingness to take action to save someones life. What Is Bravery? Bravery is a virtue that was considered fundamental in the ancient world, but what is it, exactly? Is it even relevant today? Lets take a look. In the time of the Iliadan Ancient Greek epic poem about a hero named Odysseus that describes the last year of the Trojan Warthe Greeks called bravery thumos, the Greek word for liver. The Ancient Greeks believed the liver to be the seat of many emotions that people in todays world would more readily attribute to the brain or the heart. Courage, confidence, spiritthese were things that came from that big, fleshy, reddish-brown organ in your torso, according to the Greeks. Achilles, the strongest warrior of the Trojan War, who looms large in the Iliad, had plenty of thumos. But the Ancient Greeks also valued other qualities, many of which were embodied in Odysseus. It was Odysseus, after all, who made the plan to defeat Troy by hiding soldiers in a giant hollowed-out horse that he offered to them as a gift of peace. Odysseus had clever ways of dealing with problems, and shrewd judgment. He knew how to win a battle no matter what it took. He also personified persistence in the face of adversitypart of the Ancient Greek idea of bravery. Bravery in war was a primary virtue. But the Greeks also valued cunning, pride, know-how, good judgment, and skill in war. Aristotle: Bravery Means Balance The Greek philosopher Aristotle, who lived several centuries after the Iliad was composed, also grappled with the question of bravery in his writing on ethics. For Aristotle, bravery was about balance: too little of it, and you have cowardice; too much, and you have foolhardiness. Aristotle did not believe more bravery was better. He argued that bravery had to be gauged to the danger. The brave fear what should be feared, and are bold when the situation demands. Combining Courage With Good Character Confucius, the Classical Chinese philosopher whose ideas had a formative influence on Chinese culture, had a slightly different idea of bravery. Confucius argued that courage needed to be combined with good character. No one would admire the bravery of a rapacious evildoer, as such boldness would amplify vice, rather than embody virtue. In fact, to possess bravery without a strong sense of right and wrong would turn bravery into wickedness, according to Confucius. In The Analects of Confucius, a collection of his aphorisms published after his death in 479 B.C., he wrote, An ordinary person with courage but no righteousness would become a bandit. Bravely Breaking Totalitarian Laws In the modern world, the best examples of bravery may be people who have gone against the current of their societies to stand up for what is rightfor example, the Germans, Poles, and other Europeans who resisted the Nazis during World War II, hiding Jewish people in their homes, even as they knew they could be killed for doing so. These resisters were truly brave. So were the Americans who lived in the Deep South before the Civil War who refused to obey unjust laws and instead secreted escaped slaves to the North where they could live freely. And the Chinese students and other demonstrators who participated in the Tiananmen Square protests in Beijing in 1989 to demand democracy and freedom of speech in Communist China. Standing unarmed against a totalitarian force, the demonstrators showed extraordinary bravery. When you are truly brave, you do not merely endure the troubles that come your way, but put yourself in jeopardy against overwhelming odds in order to fight for what is right. Against the Consensus While being brave was highly valued in Ancient Greece and Classical China, most people in the Western world dont talk much about bravery today. You may hear people say someone bravely fought cancer, but bravery these days is more about trying new foods, asking someone you just met out on a date, or doing something that creates personal risk, like skydiving or bungee jumping. For most people, there are certainly fewer physical threats today than there were in the ancient world. But are there fewer opportunities for bravery? Most people feel a tremendous amount of pressure to unquestioningly go along with what is happening in todays world, and there seems to be less tolerance for people to use their own conscience to make choices outside of the societal current. But going along with the status quo is not being brave. Bravery is when you do something that your conscience tells you to door that you know is righteven though it is outside the social norm. The situations in our lives that require courage today are often quiet ones. We show bravery when we stand up to a boss at work, defend someone from a bully, or tell a friend about their childs missteps. When we do the brave thing in these everyday situations, we arent going to be recognized for our courage. No epic poem or magazine article will be written about our heroic deeds. Instead, we become everyday unsung heroes, acting with virtue in the face of challenges. Are You Brave? Are you sleepwalking through your life, going along to get along, or are you acting with integrity, even when it is difficult to do so? Do you make your own decisions, or just go along with whatever is easiest, and grumble about it afterwards? If you dont make your own decisions and back them up with action, are you really your own person? Are you living a virtuous life, or a life of conformity? There may not be an imminent battle to win or lose with swords, but these questions make it clear that the personal stakes for courage are as high as ever. When you act with cowardice or remain quiet in the face of unkindness or evil, you lose your sense of self. When you act with bravery, you increase your self-respect. And as you act with bravery more often, you also gain confidence that you can make a difference, and arent helpless or passive, in your life or in the world at large. How to Be Brave You know when you feel afraid. Maybe your heart starts to race, or your hands get sweaty, or you start to get lightheaded. When you feel that fear, check in with yourself and acknowledge it. But dont let the fear stop you. The voice in your head telling you not to act is the voice to ignore. Instead, ask yourself how the person or mentor you look up to the most would act facing the same situation. Then channel that personwhether it is Jesus, Ganesha, the Biblical David who stood up to Goliath, your closest friend, a parent, your spouse, or another relativeand use their bravery as your own. This means telling your close colleague that you disagree with their decision to get a nonessential surgery (though you will support whatever choice they make); insisting that you get remunerated by your clients for the time you spent on a job even as they try not to pay you; or writing a letter to the editor or an opinion piece for the newspaper explaining why you disagree with your local politicians attempt to enact popular but unethical legislation. When You Act Rightly In his short essay The Great Learning, Confucius wrote that when you act rightly and affect your small sphere of direct contacts and family, its worthwhile because its the right thing to do, but also because right action reverberates to produce an outsized effect. In other words, your right action influences the people who you affect and those who see you doing the right thing. Then those people, in turn, act just a little differently with their contacts, and your circle of influence spreads like ripples in a pond. The effect you have diffuses, spreading outward through society. Maybe you cant completely change society, but every ripple affects the whole pond. Your actions matter. I think its always brave to do what we know is right, even if it isnt popular or will not benefit us personally, says Christine Gross-Loh, Ph.D., an expert in Asian studies and coauthor of the book The Path: What Chinese Philosophers Can Teach Us About the Good Life, which includes a chapter on Confucius. I think we all benefit in the long run by having done the right thing. The Butterfly Effect The butterfly effect is an idea first proposed by meteorologist Edward Lorenz in 1963 and later championed by mathematicians, physicists, and other thinkers interested in chaos theory. Lorenz proposed that every time a butterfly flaps its wings, the weather across the planet is affected. The idea behind his theory is that small actions can have a nonlinear impact on a much larger system. Thats what your bravery can do today. Being brave, in both small and large ways, has a positive impact on the world. This article was first published in Radiant Life Magazine. Chicago's Lyric Opera keeps it traditional CHICAGOTosca debuted in 1900 in Rome and immediately became one of the most popular operas of all time, which it continues to be into our contemporary age. With its drama of good versus evil, fast-paced suspense, and a melodramatic plot thats as much a thriller as a Hitchcock film, its no wonder that it still has the power to capture the publics imagination. Spectacular Production Indeed, this new-to-Chicago production of Tosca is the highlight of the Lyric Opera season. Thats because director Louisa Muller did not succumb to reimagining the opera to fit modern unconventional sensibilities and kept faithful to the classic. She realized that trying to fit the work into a modern framework would, as it often does, compromise the operas force and its composers vision. Thankfully this production keeps to its traditional production values, which have been enhanced by a compelling ensemble of performers and talented designers. Russell Thomas as Cavaradossi in the Lyric Operation production of Tosca. (Cory Weaver) The towering scenery, originally created by French designer Jean-Pierre Ponnelle, is spectacular, giving the production a sense of swirling climactic events. These take on a depth and larger-than-life perspective within the church of SantAndrea della Valle, an apartment in the Palazzo Farnese (Farnese Palace), and on the roof of the Castel SantAngelo (Castle of the Holy Angels). The majestic sets are embellished by Duane Schulers dramatic lighting effects, and Marcel Escoffiers period costumes that are based on his iconic original designs for the most famous Tosca of them all, Maria Callas. A gripping story of love, passion, and betrayal, Tosca offers a heightened theatricality that grabs ones attention from beginning to end. A masterpiece by composer Giacomo Puccini (who also gave the world La boheme and Madama Butterfly), this Tosca is as pitch perfect as opera gets. Riveting Cliffhanger As elegantly directed by Muller, the story of Tosca is a riveting cliffhanger. Here you have the beautiful Tosca and her handsome lover Cavaradossi, both of whom have been targeted by Baron Scarpia, a politician consumed by a desire for power and control. Scarpia hates Cavaradossi, not only because the young artist rebels against his tyrannical rule, but also because he is loved by Tosca. Scarpia wants to seduce Tosca and will walk over dead bodies to do so (and since this is opera, thats exactly what he does). Michelle Bradley as Tosca and Fabian Veloz as Scarpia in Tosca. (Todd Rosenberg) In addition to a dazzling vocal triangle, the Lyrics production features Puccinis glorious musical score that soars under the Lyrics exceptional orchestra led by conductor Eun Sun Kim, in her Lyric debut. In addition, chorus master Michael Black does a wonderful job leading the Lyric Opera Orchestra Chorus in the powerful Te Deum, and the childrens chorus, led by Josephine Lee, is also in top form. Presented against the backdrop of the Napoleonic invasion, the opera is set in motion by Toscas jealousy, which leads to her betraying her lovers friend, and that friends death. That jealousy is the titular characters fatal flaw, which erupts after she sees the picture of another woman painted by her lover. Cavaradossi is hiding Angelotti, whom Tosca doesnt see, but whom she believes to be the woman in the painting. Thus Toscas jealousy is further inflamed. Because Cavaradossi is known to be hiding Angelotti, the former consul of the short-lived Republic, he is arrested by Romes sadistic police chief Scarpia, who has a passion for Tosca, and who plans to use her lovers imprisonment as a way to have his way with her. Michelle Bradley as Tosca in the Lyric Operation production of Tosca. (Cory Weaver) Stunning Performances With a velvety rich soprano Michelle Bradley delivers a stunning performance as Tosca. She is vivacious and frolicsome with her lover, yet intensely fierce in her desperation against Scarpias advances. She delivers a sublime aria when she sings about love, faith, and her life in Vissi darte. Portraying Cavaradossi, tenor Russell Thomas partners well with Bradley, hitting the high notes with a strong Recondita armonia and a despairing E lucevan e Stella, in which he recalls the tenderness of love as he faces what may be his impending death. Bradley and Thomas make beautiful music together and garnered show-stopping raves from the audience throughout the production. Ensemble cast of Tosca at the Lyric Opera. (Cory Weaver) Furthermore, baritone Fabian Veloz, in his Lyric debut, is bone-chilling in a cold and brutal portrait of the villainous Baron Scarpia, the strong-man politician whom you cant help but hate. Veloz does such a wonderful job juxtaposing a savage government cruelty with a lying piety that he is a riveting, strutting presence throughout the opera. Others who contribute to the excitement of Tosca include Alan Higgs as Sacristan, Rodell Rosel as Spoletta, and Rivers Hawkins as the political prisoner Angelotti, whose escape from jail sets the wheels of the plot in motion. If you see only one opera this year, let it be this edge-of-your-seat, stunning Tosca. Tosca The Lyric Opera of Chicago 20 N. Wacker Drive, Chicago For tickets: 312.827.5600 or LyricOpera.org Runs: 2 hours, 50 minutes Closes: April 10, 2022 Pennsylvania Lawmakers Mull Legalizing Recreational Marijuana The debate over legalizing marijuana for recreational use in Pennsylvania is no longer asking if it should be done, but how to regulate it. The Pennsylvania Senate Law and Justice Committee on Monday completed its third and final public hearing studying the impact of implementing an adult-use marijuana law. Pennsylvania already allows the purchase of marijuana, through a doctor, for medical use. Were fortunate to already have an established medical marijuana program in Pennsylvania which has laid the basic groundwork for licensing, growing, manufacturing, and selling cannabis through a state-regulated system, Republican state Sen. Mike Regan, committee majority chair, said during the hearing. He says his support of legalization is not a sign that he is going soft on crimeit is his way of fighting crime. Its a multibillion-dollar industry that is financing murder incorporated, Regan told The Epoch Times in a phone interview after the hearing. Police officers and DAs have decriminalized personal use amounts. So you know who makes out here? The bad guys. And now its complicated by the fact that its unsafe. They lace it with fentanyl, embalming fluid, PCP, and theres also pathogens that are harmful to you. My rallying cry has been, lets make it safe, lets take the money out of the hands of the bad guys, lets tax it, regulate it, and make it something where we can help law enforcement organizations. The committee has been hearing testimony in recent weeks and will work next on crafting legislation defining the rules surrounding adult use of marijuana. But Regan says he would still have to convince a lot of Republicans to support recreational use for a bill to move forward. Representatives of the marijuana industry testified about their recommendations for building a regulatory program, about the current market; and when asked, most had similar complaints about poor communication from Pennsylvanias Office of Medical Marijuana, run through the Department of Health as a regulatory agency for the medical industry. We have had reasonable and more challenging interactions with the Department of Health, testified Sara Payne, Vice President for Government Affairs, at Jushi Inc., a multi-state company developing cannabis products and stores. Some of the things that have been most difficult for us to overcome in terms of the communications issues have been the unavailability of the department to take meetings, take calls, have open conversations about the departments expectations about policies and practices. Most of the testifiers recommended creating a new state agency to oversee the marijuana industry. Regan envisions an advisory board instead, with representatives from law enforcement, drug abuse counselors, and others relevant to the industry. Another recommendation was to keep taxes on recreational marijuana low so the cost is competitive. When you think about taxation, you dont want to see cannabis as a cash cow. Its not. Its only about 1 percent of a state budget, testified Bryan Murray, executive vice president of government relations at Acreage Holdings, a marijuana investment firm. I know we often talk about tax and cannabis, but I just want to make sure that when you think about cannabis that its not overtaxed, because that will drive people back to the illicit market. High cost was identified as a problem for medical marijuana users. Because it is not covered by insurance, patients are paying $150200 a month. Some stop going to dispensaries and look for illegal dealers to provide marijuana. Payne said the remedy is a patient fund that would lower the cost for patients. The goal is to see it funded, with money flowing out to patients in need. I think that has been [a] source of confusion and frustration in the program to date, Payne testified. The alternative to being able to access and afford a regulated product is looking to unregulated options, or conventional pharmaceuticals, that in some cases carry meaningful side effects that patients struggle to manage. The Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry, which did not testify at the hearing, says marijuana use is a major concern in the workplace. Businesses are concerned about worker safety and liability issues if someone is involved in an accident. A lot of our members are concerned over their inability to determine who among their employees might be a user of medical marijuana because there are reasons why they cant ask them, yet there theyve got people who have a medical marijuana card and are driving forklifts, driving semis, which leads to a lot of workplace safety issues and of course liability issues, Gene Barr, president and CEO of the chamber, told The Epoch Times. Our perspective, as it relates to the legalization of recreational use, is that we still havent figured out how to make medical marijuana work. We still have issues with that. We should work out all those issues before we expand the utilization of it. During the hearing, Republican state Sen. Judy Ward asked about workplace safety and driving under the influence. There are no easy answers. A test to measure marijuana impairment in drivers or workers has not been perfected. The thought of adult use cannabis in the commonwealth is a huge policy shift and a process that needs thorough vetting. This is an extremely complicated issue with many facets, and it deserves much discussion. These hearings have been extensive, Ward said during the hearing, But theyve only presented us one side of the argument. There are many stakeholders who want, and quite frankly deserve to be heard. We need to hear from drug and alcohol professionals, chiefs of police, and the Pennsylvania Chamber to name a few. There are many questions and concerns as we look into this issue. As chairwoman of Aging and Youth, I plan to use my committee to look at some of these issues. The Pennsylvania Family Institute has closely watched the hearings and noted that all three hearings were platforms for people within the marijuana industry, but there were no testifiers discussing the drawbacks of marijuana use. Its so discouraging to have such a one-sided affair with these hearings. To invite the marijuana industry, those that have a conflict of interest and would directly profit from more people using this drug. They profit from somebody being addicted to marijuana. Why not have people that dont have that interest, that dont make money off the sale of this, as part of the hearing, Dan Bartkowiak, director of communications for Pennsylvania Family Institute, told The Epoch Times. Retired Superior Court Judge Cheryl Allen, who spent 25 years in Pennsylvanias juvenile court system, recently spoke with the Pennsylvania Family Institute about marijuana use. Here is what she said in the interview: Theres no such thing as a harmless substance when its a mind-altering chemical. So many people think that marijuana is harmless. It is not. It does contribute to cognitive decline, especially in young people. It contributes to a lack of productivity. We dont want to see more young people who employ a mechanism for dropping out of society. We have too much of that now. If a bill allowing recreational marijuana use landed on Democrat Gov. Tom Wolfs desk, he would likely sign it. Wolf has been pushing for legalization since he took office. Wokal Distance, a fellow at the Center for Renewing America, on EpochTV's "American Thought Leaders" on Feb. 9, 2022. (Screenshot via The Epoch Times) People Are Seeing Through Holes in Woke Ideology: Critical Theory Expert Wokal Distance, an expert in postmodernism and critical theory and a visiting fellow at the Center for Renewing America, believes that woke ideology will destroy itself because it is not grounded in truth, but rather seeks power. The man who posts explanatory threads on social media under the pseudonym Wokal Distance sat down for an interview with Jan Jekeilek, host of EpochTVs American Thought Leaders program, on March 5. Distance said a sign that people are starting to see the flaws in woke ideology is that mainstream comedians are making jokes about their ideas. Humor exposes it, making fun of it exposes it. The reason why the left made fun of Bush so much is because the best way to take the social power out of something is to mock it, he said, referring to former President George W. Bush. The social justice, branding, and packaging of We just want to be tolerant and kind and caring, that held for a long time, Distance said. But now that people are getting to have a look at whats inside the social justice box and what they actually believe, people are beginning to see it for what it is. Distance said that inside the social justice box, there is a cynical attempt to guilt people into giving revolutionists and critical theorists power and clout, and that they now realize that they were browbeaten and morally scolded and shamed into giving people the benefit of the doubt. He cited comedian Bill Maher questioning the sanity of woke ideas such as defunding the police, gender surgery for 13-year-olds, and the idea that men can become pregnant. Distance was referring to the fact that Maher has repeatedly called out the elite left for their restrictions and regulations, saying they are providing a lot of material for his jokes. People sometimes say to me, You didnt use to make fun of the left as much. Yeah, because they didnt give me so much to work with, Maher said during a January 2022 episode of his show HBO talk show, Real Time with Bill Maher. Members of Congress tweeting things like cancel rent, cancel mortgage, and no more policing or incarceration, declaring that capitalism is slavery, canceling Lincoln and Dr. Seuss, teaching children theyre oppressors and math is racist, making Mr. Potato head gender-neutral, and now an emoji for pregnant men, Maher said. RealIm not making it up. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) speaks during a press conference about student debt outside the U.S. Capitol in Washington on Feb. 4, 2021. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images) Maher isnt the only comedian calling attention to the radical lefts new ideas. Joe Rogan, a comedian and podcaster who has been attacked by the left for hosting guests who disagree with mainstream narratives, has said that woke culture will eventually completely cancel white men. Thats the problem. It keeps going. It keeps going further and further and further down the line. And if you get to the point where you capitulate, where you agree to all these demands, it will eventually get to, straight white men are not allowed to talk,' Rogan said in a May 2021 episode of his podcast, The Joe Rogan Experience. Distance said Republicans are now more in line with average people. Even though the left calls conservatives crazy and transphobic, people are starting to see through the irrationality of the lefts ideology, he said, from children being allowed to change their gender to defunding police in urban areas. Thats not a crazy position. Thats the position that everyone in America agreed on until three minutes ago, and a very small group of radical lefties have brought an entirely different conception of the world and are trying to make that the center, and theyre trying to act as though all of this new stuff that they invented last week is normal, correct, true, good, right, proper, Distance said. Its absurd, and they cant see the absurdities. People carry signs during a Defund the Police march from King County Youth Jail to City Hall in Seattle, Wash., on Aug 5, 2020. (Jason Redmond/AFP via Getty Images) The lefts concept of intersectionality is at the heart of woke ideology. Intersectionality links two ideas together: The first, that society is made up of many systems such as the education system and economic system, and the second, that each person has multiple identities, such as man, gay, white, black, woman, and mother, added Distance. All of these systems oppress people, according to these various identities. And so, intersectionality is the idea that were going to study the way these various identities intersect with power, Distance said. Its the theory that says, Look, your role in society, your position in the social hierarchy is in part determined by, limited by, controlled by these various identities.' According to the left, there is a hierarchy of oppression and privilege with heterosexual white males having the greatest privilege and a transgender black female being a person who faces some of the greatest levels of oppression in society. All of it has been built for the interests of, and to the benefit of, straight white males, Distance said about how the ideology sees American society. A woman holds a placard reading white privilege during a demonstration in Barcelona, Spain, on June 14, 2020. (Josep Lago/AFP via Getty Images) Its something that [white men] invented for ourselves, and that it needs to be challenged because that system was invented by white males, and therefore the interests and the benefit of white males have been centered in that system, and therefore needs to be deconstructed, said Distance, explaining the intersectionality argument. Because there is no absolute, objective, universal, eternal truths that can be stated. Because there is no Gods eye view to get these absolute truths. Youre a finite, limited, biased, self-interested person whos been warped by power. Distance said when white men speak, Marxists and those on the left are not asking whether or not what the white men are saying is true. What theyre doing is focusing on who gets power, whose interests are served, and who benefits, rather than whether or not the statements are true, said Distance. The truth of those questions is thrown away because [they] dont care about the truth. Its expressions of power to control people, and thats how they view everything. So, you always end up with this endless back and forth, where people are arguing about Well, who benefits?' said Distance. Distance said its useful to turn this process around and ask critical theorists and Marxists to explain their definition of justice, who benefits from their work, and their motivations for pursing Marxist ends. This dissolves everything it touches because it gets rid of truth and replaces it with an analysis of interests, he said. Distance cited the many communist dictators who proclaimed to be on the side of justice, including Joseph Stalin in the former Soviet Union, Pol Pot in the Khmer Rouge regime in Cambodia, and Mao Zedong in the Cultural Revolution in China. Once they established their power, these dictators killed millions of working people. A young Cambodian woman looks at the main stupa in Choeung Ek Killing Fields, which is filled with thousands of skulls of those killed during the Pol Pot regime in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, on Aug. 6, 2014. (Omar Havana/Getty Images) Distance said anyone who challenges critical theorists or the left will be branded as having privilege, wanting power, or suffering from white fragility. Theres nothing I can say because no matter what I say, it does not get viewed for its content. It does not get viewed for its truth. It doesnt get viewed for its argument. The only question that theyre asking is, does that agree with us, Distance said. He believes the lefts woke culture will disintegrate because its proponents are already having to use force and coercion to make people listen to them. Truth doesnt care, reality doesnt care about your ideology. Truth is unconcerned by whatever you think someone elses interests are. It persists, said Distance. Radical leftists have sacrificed the truth in order to get power so they can enact their vision of justice, Distance said. He said woke ideology is disconnected from reality and truth, and it will meet with the same fate as the oppressive communist regimes of the past. When the Soviet Union came down, it didnt crumble because of bombs and guns, he said. It collapsed under the weight of the lies that were propping it up. 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. A Philippine Navy special operations group (NAVSOG) on board speed boats patrols off Subic Bay, facing the South China Sea, on Aug. 6, 2013. (Ted Aljibe/AFP via Getty Images) Philippines Summons Chinese Envoy to Protest Naval Intrusion MANILA, PhilippinesThe Philippine government on Monday summoned the Chinese ambassador to protest what it said was the illegal incursion of a Chinese navy ship into the countrys waters and to demand that Beijing order its ships to respect the countrys territory and follow international law, officials said. The Department of Foreign Affairs in Manila said a reconnaissance ship of Chinas Peoples Liberation Army crossed into the Sulu Sea and cruised off the western Palawan and nearby Mindoro provinces from Jan. 29 to Feb. 1 without permission and in violation of Philippine sovereignty. Philippine Foreign Undersecretary Maria Theresa Lazaro summoned Beijings envoy Huang Xilian and demanded that China respect Philippine territory and maritime jurisdiction and to comply with its obligations under international law, the department said in a statement. It added that Lazaro asked the Chinese regime to direct its vessels to desist from entering Philippine waters uninvited and without permission. A Philippine navy ship repeatedly ordered the Chinese vessel to leave the countrys waters immediately but the vessel responded that it was exercising innocent passage, a claim which the Philippine government disputed. The Chinese vessel did not follow a track that can be considered as continuous and expeditious, lingering in the Sulu Sea for three days, the foreign affairs department said. Foreign ships can be allowed to pass through archipelagic and territorial waters of another country under certain restrictionsincluding that they should not carry out fishing, surveillance, and research without a permit or conduct any activity that can undermine the security of the coastal state. Chinese embassy officials did not immediately react to the Philippine government statement. The incident sparked a higher level of alarm because it happened within the countrys territory and not in the disputed South China Sea, where China, the Philippines, and four other governments have had territorial disputes for decades, a military official said. The Chinese navy ship may have been shadowing an American military ship, which was maneuvering off Palawan at the time as part of a government-authorized exercise with Philippine marines, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of a lack of authority to discuss the sensitive issue publicly. The Philippine navy ship approached as close as 1 nautical mile (1.15 miles) from the Chinese navy ship to monitor its movement until it moved away, the official said. In this photo from a social media post by Scott Cowdrey, people are evacuated from the Museum of Modern Art in N.Y.C. where a stabbing occurred on March 12, 2022. (Scott Cowdrey via AP) Philly Police Arrest Man Wanted in Connection With NYC Museum Stabbing A man accused of stabbing two employees at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York City on March 12 was arrested in Philadelphia early on Tuesday, police said. Gary Cabana, 60, was located by Philadelphia police officers on a bench at the Greyhound bus station in Center City. He was taken into custody without incident, authorities said. Cabana, who is known to the New York Police Department (NYPD), has been accused of stabbing two MoMA workers, a 24-year-old man and a 24-year-old woman. Both victims were stabbed multiple times after the suspect was denied entry into the museum. NYC: Do you know him? Earlier today, inside the @MuseumModernArt he stabbed a 24-year-old male employee and a 24-year-old female employee then fled. Both victims are in stable condition at an area hospital. If you have any information, contact @NYPDTips at 800-577-TIPS. pic.twitter.com/hkEezq6rQk NYPD NEWS (@NYPDnews) March 13, 2022 NYC Mayor Eric Adams was briefed on the incident on March 12, his press secretary said in a statement. He added that the mayor will continue to monitor the investigation as well as the recovery of the two victims, who are both listed in stable condition and are expected to make a full recovery. This appears to be an isolated, criminal incident. Neither victim is suffering from life-threatening injuries at this time, Fabien Levy said in the statement. Security footage from inside the museum shows Cabana allegedly jumping over a reception desk toward the workers and stabbing them as they attempted to flee. In this photo provided by Yuichi Shimada, medical personnel respond at the Museum of Modern Art in New York after a man stabbed two employees after he was denied entrance for previous incidents of disorderly conduct on March 12, 2022. (Yuichi Shimada via AP) NYPD Deputy Commissioner of Intelligence & Counterterrorism, John Miller, said the suspect became angry after his membership was revoked in relation to two separate incidents of disorderly behavior at the museum in recent days. He became upset about not being allowed entrance, and then jumped over the reception desk and proceeded to attack and stab two employees of the museum multiple times, Miller said. MoMA, founded in 1929, is one of NYCs top tourist attractions, drawing more than 700,000 visitors in 2020. Its collection of modern art includes The Starry Night by Vincent Van Gogh and works by Henri Matisse and Paul Gauguin. The museum evacuated patrons after the attack and closed. It was scheduled to reopen Tuesday. The Associated Press contributed to this report. From NTD News The little-known story of how the idea for the television was stolen from a young entrepreneur On a summers afternoon in 1920, 14-year-old Philo Taylor Farnsworth was plowing a potato field on his familys Idaho farm. The horse was pulling a disc harrow, and the teen followed behind. Farnsworth, the horse, and the harrow plowed a row, turned around, plowed another row, and turned around again until the job was done. It was at this moment that the science-loving teenager had an idea. If he could train an electron using the same methodgo to the end of one row, turn around, then another rowhe could send pictures through the air. The inspiration for television came from a horse. The Next Step The following fall, Farnsworth started high school. At the end of the school year, he took his idea to his science teacher, Justin Tolman, and wrote out on the chalkboard just how the transmission of pictures would work. Tolman had a hard time following what the freshman was saying. At the end of their conversation, Farnsworth drew in his notebook a sketch of what the inner workings of a television camera might look like, tore out the page, and handed it to Tolman. 30 years later, this crude diagram proved to be a crucial piece of evidence in a lawsuit. He dropped out of school to help support his family, and when his father, Lewis, died soon after, there was no going back. At 19, Farnsworth married literally the girl next door, Elma Gardner, who went by the nickname Pem. Two investors, Les Gorrell and George Everson, set the couple up with a lab in California with their investment of $6,000. Farnsworth knew hed be devoting an enormous amount of time to research, so he asked Pem to work with him side-by-side. She agreed. As documented in Farnsworths book of daily records, the first successful television transmission took place on September 7, 1927. Everson sent a telegram to Gorrell with the single sentence, The damn thing works! The notebook drawing that Farnsworths high school teacher produced, showing that Farnsworth had the idea for picture transmission. (Courtesy of TheHistoryofTV.com) Competition Just about every entrepreneur will eventually attract competition. In Farnsworths case, it was the Radio Corporation of America, which was run by David Sarnoff at the time. RCA was an American electronics company, founded in 1919, and was essentially a monopoly in the electronics industry. It was impossible to manufacture or sell radio equipment without paying a royalty to RCA. In April 1930, one of Farnsworths associates arranged a visit to his lab in San Francisco from a fellow traveler in the field of electronics. Farnsworth knew of Dr. Vladimir Zworykin, who had a working knowledge of the subject. Zworykin said he worked at Westinghouse (which had been instrumental in the development of electric infrastructure in the United States) and had questions about Farnsworths experiments. Being the trusting soul that he was, Farnsworth showed him what he and his staff had invented and how it worked. Zworykin stayed for three days, and Pem even made him dinner. Zworykin did not work for Westinghouse at the time (although he had a short time before). He was there as a spy for Sarnoff and RCA. He dictated a 700-word telegram to his partners-in-crime at RCA, explaining exactly how television works. Zworykin and Sarnoff stole it all and manufactured their own version. World War II impeded the further development of television, and by the end of the war, Farnsworths patents had expired, leaving them in the public domain. A lawsuit followed. RCA argued that someone so young could not have conceived such an invention. But when Tolman testified, with the page from the adolescents notebook to corroborate, the U.S. Patent Office ruled that Farnsworth invented television. Even so, RCAnot Farnsworthmade all the money that television produced. The Moon Landing By the 1960s, Farnsworth hated what his invention had become. He had visions of television being The Great Unifier, showing people just how similar we all are and thereby ending war. But television was called a vast, intellectual wasteland and the idiot box, so Farnsworth wanted nothing more to do with it, forbidding his four sons from watching it. As NASA was ready to embark on the moon landing, they knew they needed to televise this monumental occasion from space. The camera absolutely, positively had to work. Of all the camera designs NASA reviewed, it was Farnsworths that was the most reliable. On July 20, 1969, Philo and Pem turned on the television for the first time in years. As they watched science fiction become science realityand were able to do so because of his inventionPhilo turned to Pem and said, This has made it all worthwhile. Before then, he wasnt too sure, said Pem in an interview shortly before her death in 2006, at age 98. For one night, his vision came true, and the world was united using his invention. None of this is a secret. There are plenty of books that contain the story of Farnsworth and his invention of television. Yet for some reason, Philo Taylor Farnsworth is unknown to a worldwide populace that uses his invention every day. Hes not taught in history classes in grade schools, and other than those who seek out his story, no one knows who Philo Farnsworth is. Paul Schatzkin, author of the book, The Boy Who Invented Television, has a three-part theory as to why this is so. The first idea is that Farnsworth didnt dwell on his own achievements. The second factor is that there were plenty of pretenders to the throne, said Schatzkin in an interview, referring to Sarnoff and Zworykin. But the major reason why we dont know the name Philo Farnsworth is because he was not survived by his own company. By-and-large, the inventors that we know of were survived by the companies that they formed. A camera receiver tube. Farnsworth had the idea for transmitting images over a television, but would not reap the monetary benefits of his invention during his lifetime. (Courtesy of TheHistoryofTV.com) Lightning Strikes Twice Television wasnt Farnsworths only invention. In 1953, he was struck by the lightning bolt of inspiration again. He came up with an idea that would provide peoples houses and cars with clean, efficient, unlimited nuclear energy. He envisioned a device he called a fusor, which was essentially a personal nuclear reactor. The goal was to design a fusor that would dispel more energy than it consumed and still be stable enough to not destroy the container it was in. This would be done by unleashing the power of the atom and using water as the fuel source. By 1966, Farnsworth had a working fusor, which was small enough to hold in ones hands. In theory, this technology would replace fossil fuels forever. The fusor was developed in Farnsworths lab at International Telephone and Telegraph. Unfortunately, ITT was just as untrustworthy as RCA. Since Farnsworth had lost television, he wasnt about to lose the fusor, so he dismantled the lab and walked away, hoping to raise financing on his own. He didnt. Farnsworth knew his inventions werent really his own doing and believed he was just the conduit through which the information flowed. In his book, Schatzkin quotes Farnsworth as having written, I know that God exists. I know that I have never invented anything. I have been a medium by which these things were given to the culture as fast as the culture could earn them. I give all the credit to God. Saving the Artifacts Phil Savenick had a 40-year career in television as a writer, director, and producer, and he knows he has Farnsworth to thank for it. In 2004, he saw a posting on eBay for a tube that once belonged to Farnsworth. I wrote the guy and said, For you to have this for sale, you must be his son, said Savenick. Indeed he was. The seller was Kent Farnsworth, and he had far more than one tube. It appears Philo and Pem never threw anything out. Kent had literally 500,000 artifacts from his parents. Kent and his wife, Linda, were financially destitute, with their house being foreclosed on, and needed immediate cash. So I started to arrange to buy the holiest relics of television from the son of the inventor, said Savenick. These holy relics included the first television camera ever to photograph a person (that person being Pem), experimental tubes, a disc from the harrow the horse pulled, and two nuclear fusors. Also included were notebooks the Farnsworths kept, documenting the day-by-day progression of the invention of television, as well as one dedicated to the fusor. Although the plans for the fusor were patented, there arent enough details in them for someone to recreate a working one today. Nobody ever had that knowledge except Farnsworth, said Schatzkin. In Savenicks possession is the notebook that possibly once contained the secret. The label on the cover reads, Notes, Highly Confidential, Philo T. Farnsworth. Theres a singular entry, written by Pem on page 7 and dated 1970, that reads, The last ideas he considered too confidential to leave a record of. He felt the world humanity was not ready for his last giftand may not be worthy of it. The first six pages of the notebook were ripped out and presumably destroyed. Farnsworth took the formula to his grave. Keepers of the Flame While Schatzkin refers to Farnsworth as his ongoing obsession, and Savenick refers to him as a primary preoccupation of my adult life, there are descendants of Farnsworth who also keep his memory alive. Russel Skee Farnsworth is Philos only living child. Hes 86 and resides in New York. Theres Philo Krishna Farnsworth, a grandson, and Jessica Moulton, a great-granddaughter who narrates a 10-minute YouTube video entitled Philo Farnsworth, the Most Famous Man Youve Never Heard Of, which was written and produced by Savenick. Jessicas brother, Jonathan Moulton, handles his great-grandparents estate. Schatzkin and his business partner, both of whom worked in the television industry in Los Angeles, attempted to have a television or theatrical movie made about Farnsworths life starting as far back as 1975, but they have not been successful. Ive got lots of rejection letters, said Schatzkin. Ive got a rejection letter from Jeffrey Katzenberg, who was at Disney at the time. (Katzenberg and Schatzkin were bunkmates at summer camp in 1962.) The storys been dropped in Ron Howards lap. Hes passed, too. Savenick and his director, Kevin Lee Miller, are currently trying to find someone with a development deal with a studio or network to champion their eight-part, limited teleplay about Farnsworth. The 100th anniversary of the invention of television is in 2027, so hes hoping it will be available through a streaming service when the anniversary comes. In the meantime, the artifacts Savenick saved from the dumpster are on display (along with other items from televisions history) on the ground floor of his West Los Angeles home. Some of them were sold to the MZTV Museum of Television in Toronto, Canada. Farnsworths wife, Pem, who stayed by his side in the laboratory and amid legal battles. (Courtesy of TheHistoryofTV.com) The Legacy of Philo T. Farnsworth In 1971, Farnsworth passed away at age 64. Died penniless, died heartbroken, died drunk, said Savenick. In 2013, the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences posthumously inducted Farnsworth into its Television Hall of Fame. At the dinner, both Schatzkin and Savenick were in attendance. Savenick had produced a video biography shown to the attendees at the induction ceremony. Since 2003, the Academy has awarded the Philo T. Farnsworth Corporate Achievement Award to companies who have significantly affected the state of television and broadcast engineering. The inception of what we now know of as television was not a minor point in human evolution; it was one of the major points in human evolution, said Schatzkin in an interview. That was not just another invention in the path of modern inventions; it was a turning point in human history. [Farnsworth] sits right at the flex point between the mechanical age to the electronic age. He brought to bear the science of relativity in a device from which every screen we are now looking at finds its origins. So what is this dark cloud that hung over Farnsworth for his entire life and beyond? Schatzkin has a very philosophical answer to that question: I would go as far as to say he represents the potential of access to a realm of knowledge for which humans are not yet ready. Rest in peace, Philo Taylor Farnsworth. This article was originally published in American Essence magazine. Law enforcement officers and members of the National Guard stand outside the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. (Samuel Corum/Getty Images) Prosecutors Admit to Violating Jan. 6 Defendants Rights; Judge Blocks Guilty Plea Prosecutors on March 14 admitted to violating the rights of a Jan. 6 defendant by keeping him in jail without filing charges within the timeframe required by federal law. The defendant at a hearing later Monday attempted to plead guilty, but was turned down by the judge in a move that raised questions about the judges grasp of the law. U.S. prosecutors said in a motion filed in the case against Lucas Denney that the government violated a law called the Speedy Trial Act by failing to file an indictment or information within the time frame set forth by a federal law, 18 U.S.C. 3161. Denney has been held since Dec. 13, 2021, on belief he committed crimes at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. U.S. law requires charges to be filed within 30 days of arrest. Eighty-five days elapsed before a federal grand jury indicted Denney for allegedly assaulting an officer at the Capitol. The indictment came after the defendants lawyers filed a motion to dismiss the case and for Denneys immediate release in custody, noting the violation of federal law. Each day Mr. Denney remains in custodial detention is an additional day that his liberty rights are denied without due process in violation his rights under The Fifth Amendment, they wrote. Mr. Denney should not be made sit in a jail cell even a single day longer while the Government tries to explain away its failure to comply with the law. U.S. prosecutors agreed, but asked that the court dismiss the case with prejudice, which would enable fresh charges to be filed against Denney in the future. In their motion, prosecutors said the violation was unintentional because government lawyers mistakenly believed that the 30-day time frame stipulated by law wouldnt start until Denney first appeared in court in Washington. To be sure, the government failed to comply with the Speedy Trial Act in this case. But there is no evidence of bad faith, a pattern of neglect, or something more than an isolated incident that resulted from a number of unfortunate factors, they said. During a hearing hours later, Denneys lawyer, William Shipley, said his client wanted to plead guilty to the single count instead of having it dismissed. One reason, Shipley said, was to preclude prosecutors from going back to the grand jury to get new charges filed, Politico reported. U.S. District Judge Randy Moss, an Obama appointee, was caught off guard and expressed concern about Denneys rights. Your client could end up with a very lengthy sentence in a sort of rush to cut the government off, Moss said. Moss ended up refusing to accept the guilty plea and scheduled an arraignment/plea hearing for Thursday. According to lawyer Leslie McAdoo Gordon, Mosss move was totally unwarranted and contrary to the rules of the court. She said that a guilty or not guilty plea must be entered during an arraignment. Denney was entitled to enter a guilty plea at his arraignment under the rules, and the fact that he wanted to do so was not a basis for the judge to stop the arraignment proceedings. The delay could have ended up prejudicing Denneys rights if he had lost the opportunity to plead to the existing one-count indictment, Gordon wrote in an article published by RedState. Shipley told The Epoch Times via email: Because the case remains pending, and the issue of his arraignment and plea is not yet resolved, my only comment is that Mr. Denney appreciates the concession by the government that they violated his right to have a timely indictment, and that he has the right to plead guilty to the pending indictment that they belatedly obtained. The defense will trust the good judgment of Judge Moss at sentencing to resolve the issues in dispute. Russian President Vladimir Putin chairs a meeting with members of the Russian government in Moscow, on March 10, 2022. (Mikhail Klimentyev/Sputnik/AFP via Getty Images) Putin Signs Law to Seize Foreign Aircraft Amid Crippling Sanctions As sanctions cripple Russias aviation industry, President Vladimir Putin signed a law on Monday allowing foreign-owned aircraft to be re-registered as Russian for domestic use, according to state-run news agency TASS. Russian airlines would have the ability to seize and operate aircraft leased by companies that are no longer operating in the country over sanctions imposed due to the Ukraine invasion, TASS reported. Russian airlines have almost 780 leased jets, with 515 leased from abroad. The new law, part of Russias measures to combat the sanctions, says it aims to ensure the uninterrupted functioning of activities in the field of civil aviation. TASS reported that the aircraft will be certified using certification centers and test laboratories. The bill has rattled global leasing firms days before a March 28 deadline to repossess aircraft worth $10 billion as a result of Western sanctions imposed following Russias invasion of Ukraine. It comes after Bermuda and Ireland, where virtually all foreign-leased jets operating in Russia are registered, said they were suspending airworthiness certificates on the jets because they could no longer be sure they were safe. File photo shows an aircraft of Russias flagship airline Aeroflot during a media presentation at Sheremetyevo International Airport outside Moscow on March 4, 2020. (Rueters/Maxim Shemetov/File Photo) Re-registering jets in Russia would aim to keep them flying domestically by granting access to new safety approvals. But adding Russia as a second host country could put Moscow at odds with international rules barring the registration of civil planes in more than one country at a time. Unless Western lessors agree to Russian requests to release their jets from foreign registrieswidely seen as unlikely while they struggle as it is to regain control of assetsthe new policy also paves the way for a major contractual debate. It is illegal to register an aircraft without proof of deregistration from the previous registry as well as the agreement of the owner. This would be a default under leasing contracts, said aviation adviser Bertrand Grabowski. The Wall Street Journal noted that the law is likely to have limited effect, as sanctions prohibit maintenance, updates, support or the supply of spare parts for aircraft. Passengers could be put at risk as modern passenger jets require high levels of maintenance. The Russian Federal Aviation Agency said 776 planes were registered abroad as of Feb. 24, the day Russia invaded Ukraine. Russia calls its actions in Ukraine a special operation to demilitarise and denazify its neighbor. Ukraine and the West argue that this is a false pretext to justify its invasion. Reuters contributed to this report. Putins Predictions About Ukrainian People Were Wrong: Univ. of Illinois Professor Russian President Vladimir Putins expectations about how Ukraine would respond to an invasion were upended, and instead Ukrainians have never been more united, according to a professor at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. At this point in time, the rally-around-the-flag effect, the idea of coming together, and the idea of social unity in Ukraine has really never been stronger, and this is the exact opposite of what Putin predicted, sociology professor Cynthia Buckley said in a March 12 interview with Kevin Hogan of NTD News. He was predicting chaos and that people would scatter, she said. This is not occurring. Buckley stressed the key role Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is playing to rally his people to fight the Russian forces. Youve seen the emergence of an enormously charismatic leader in Zelensky, she said. Him staying and working with the troops and being in Kyiv, for now, has been tremendous in terms of solidifying unity, establishing an idea of patriotism, and really bringing Ukrainians together. But the professor warned that this solidarity could wane when human suffering increases as Putin escalates the war. We are at a precipice right now in terms of social services in, particularly, central and eastern Ukraine, Buckley said. And that, as that develops may start to diminish the idea of social solidarity and patriotism as we see more big cities go without water, without health care, without basic social services. In her assessment of Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Buckley said Lavrov is not ready to deescalate his countrys military action. I dont see on the Russian side any sort of motivation for a ceasefire anytime soon, she said. Lavrovs behavior in [the] face of clear human war crimes has been quite surprising, even for Sergei Lavrov, and so a ceasefire, unfortunately, is not on the table at present. The fourth round of negotiations between Ukrainian and Russian delegations on a possible ceasefire was paused temporarily on March 14 and expected to resume the next day, an adviser to the Kyiv government said. Buckley said she thinks it will be difficult to hold Putin and his administration accountable for war crimes, especially if they capture Kyiv. Hundreds of Russian and Ukrainian soldiers, as well as civilians, have died since Russia invaded the country in the early morning hours of Feb. 24. The move prompted widespread international condemnation, and a number of Western countries have hit Russias economy with significant sanctions, with more likely on the way. Since the start of the conflict, over 2.8 million people have fled Ukraine into neighboring countries including Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, Moldova, Russia, and others, according to the International Organization for Migration at the United Nations. Jack Phillips contributed to this report. Police officers walk toward demonstrators protesting against curfew measures in front of Quebec Deputy Premier and Public Security Minister Genevieve Guilbault's office in Quebec City on April 13, 2021. (Jacques Boissinot/The Canadian Press) Quebec Study Finds No Correlation Between Punitive Pandemic Response and Case Reduction Report says Quebec's fines for non-compliance with pandemic restrictions were based on 'political choice' and not the obligation to 'flatten the curve' The Quebec government issued tens of thousands of fines to residents for not complying with its pandemic restrictions, but a new report finds that this punitive approach did not necessarily slow the spread of COVID-19. Quebec chose to turn the public health crisis into a public safety crisis, managed with 46,563 police interventions, concluded the report, conducted by four researchers from the University of Montreals Profiling Observatory (lObservatoire des profilages) and released on March 10. Our report shows that 46,563 statements of offence were issued with regard to the health measures between September 21, 2020, and October 3, 2021. This means that on average, more than 123 statements of offence were issued per day in Quebec by police forces during this period. Specifically, the report analyzed infractions related to COVID-19 measures, including gathering limits, curfews, mask mandates, and proof of vaccination. The authors noted that the number of infractions jumped in the winter and spring months of 2021. From an average of 206 per week between Sept. 21, 2020, and Jan. 3, 2021, the number rose to 1,093 in January, February and March, and peaked at 2,232 in April and May that year. Quebecs first curfew was imposed starting Jan. 9, 2021, and lifted on May 28, 2021. To put the infraction numbers into context, the authors juxtaposed the figures with the weekly new COVID-19 cases reported. Their analysis showed that the two datasets do not correlate. We found that the pattern of changes in the number of statements of offence does not necessarily follow the pattern of changes in the epidemiological situation, they wrote. For example, the number of new COVID-19 cases peaked at 17,827 during the week of Dec. 28, 2020, but the number of tickets issued per week was quite low at that time, at 271. While the number of new cases decreased steadily during the winter and spring of 2021, the number of infractions continued to increase during the period, averaging about 2,000 per week. The authors cautioned against drawing conclusions between the two datasets. It can be assumed that the rationale for issuing statements of offence is to punish and deter those who do not comply with public health rules, in order to reduce contacts and possibly the number of COVID-19 cases, the report said. The data do not make it possible for us to measure the effect, or lack of effects, of the issuance of statements of offence on the number of COVID-19 cases, nor the deterrent effect of the imposition of criminal sanctions on behaviour. But the study criticized the Quebec government for relying on police repression and criminal law to force compliance to its pandemic restrictions. This stems from a political choice and not from an unavoidable obligation to flatten the curve, it said. The authors added that the punitive approach and repressive discourse of pitting the minority who were recalcitrant to the measures against the majority who complied have had the effect of stigmatizing part of the population and creating significant division, rather than strengthening solidarity. Citing a report by the Canadian Civil Liberties Association (CCLA) and the Policing the Pandemic Mapping Project (PPMP) in June 2020, the authors said Quebecs pandemic response has been one of the harshest in the country. The CCLA and PPMP report stated that between April 1, 2020, and June 15, 2020, more than 10,000 tickets were issued or charges laid relating to COVID-19 across Canada, resulting in fines amounting to over $13 million at the time. The vast majority of COVID-related finesa full 98% of the national totalhave been issued in just three provinces: Quebec (6,600 COVID-related charges, 77% of the total dollar amount of fines), Ontario (2,853 charges, 18%) and Nova Scotia (555 charges, 3%), the report said. The authors cited another report by the two organizations released in May 2021, which stated that Quebecs rate of infractions was one of the highest among five other provinces from October 2020 to February 2021. While Ontario, B.C., and Nova Scotia had ticketing rates between 0.21 and 0.28 per 1,000 residents, Quebec had a rate of 0.51, just behind Manitoba at 0.69. Children play at an improvised play area at the protest site where demonstrators have camped to protest against COVID-19 mandates and restrictions, in Ottawa on Feb. 9, 2022. (Jonathan Ren/The Epoch Times) Rex Murphy: Claiming the Trucker Protest Was an Attempted Government Coup Is Beyond Ridiculous Commentary The world is richer than it has ever been in examples of lunacy and triviality, and that part of the world we call the West is richer in the same than anywhere else. Our comfort, security, and wealth, with all the deep benefits that triad has brought us, has also bought committed shallowness, deep narcissism, self-absorption, and actual ignorance. It has also made us morally insensitive on many matters, if not numb. We take seriously and give our energies and attention to matters that those less secure, less comfortable, and less wealthy look on in wonder and horror. We have campaigns against plastic shopping bagsand feel morally elevated in doing sowhile millions upon millions have never seen one, on the irrefutable premise they have never seen shops. Kardashians and Hollywood empty-heads glut our media, micro-aggressions consume super-fragile college students, we have battles over toilet use, and yet here on the same globe people fight famine, face exacting and real poverty, or, as in the current moment, see their country invaded and bombed. Just last week I read of the most expensive private school in England (its American) charging close to $50,000 per student, which was introducing its Richie Riches to the idea of 64 genders. 64! And when the gullible parents who were paying their Everest fees to have their childrens mind turned into swamps of idiocy objected, the school authorities professed to be horrified at such backward attitudes. You may write it down: People who do not have enough to eat are satisfied with two genders, and people under armed invasion would take the idea of a micro-aggression as a personal insult. We had a legitimate protest here in Canada very recently. As opposed to nearly every other (and usually hard-left, semi-professional) protest, it was peaceful. No one was shot, police were not stoned, no Molotov cocktails were thrown; miraculously the windows of downtown stores were as unbroken at the end of it as they were at its beginning. There was no arson, no looting, no armed occupiers (as in Seattles famous free zone of the summer of 2020). There were sing-a-longs, barbeques, and even a monstrously threatening bouncy castle. All of Canada and most of the worldsuch was the publicity given to the Freedom Convoy of truckers which constituted the protestknow that this polite, civil, and innocuous exercise was shut down, without benefit of ANY negotiation or meeting with federal politicians or the prime minister, with the unheralded invocation of the Emergencies Act. This was legislation put in place to guard against, well, emergencies such as invasion, acts of terrorism, or great national calamities. It was not even contemplated to deal with a number of parked trucks on downtown Ottawa streets and their drivers worried about losing their livelihoods over drastic COVID regulations. Theres a line in Shakespeare (there always is) to cover this. It is excellent to have a giants strength, but it is tyrannous to use it like a giant. I do not think of Justin Trudeau as a giant, but through the exercise of this wildly excessive legislation, he might easily apprentice as a tyrant. He also unleashed the banks to go into the accounts of supporters and donors and leaders. Tamara Lich, a lead organizer, was jailed without bail. The response was brutal, imperious, anti-democratic, and repulsive. The key of this entire episode: Mr. Trudeau would neither meet nor talk with the truckers, nor delegate any of his ministers to do so. He called them racists, misogynists, said they should not be tolerated, and hurled the always convenient Nazis. They were a fringe. A week or so after the use of the brutal measure we had a declaration from Mr. Trudeaus national security adviser. It wasnt 64 genders. It wasnt micro-aggression. But it was in the same ludicrous and trivial territory. Read and shed tears. The occupation of Ottawa was dug in. They had supply chains, they had organization, they had funding coming in from across Canada but also other countries, Jody Thomas said. The people who organized that protestand there were several factions there, theres no doubtcame to overthrow the government. Oh, horror of horrors. The Great 18-Wheeler, Slow-Motion, Cross-Country, Bouncy-Castle, Hot-Tub, Mid-Winter Revolution of 2022. It will go into the history books alongside the War of 1812 and the Battle of the Plains of Abraham. Is there a single Canadian citizen, of the age and use of reason, Liberal, Tory, or otherwise, who really thinks that at any moment the long-haul truckers from West and East had the wish, the thought, the means, or even a dream of overthrowing the Canadian government? That they were, in the words of this same overwrought security adviser, planning a coup of the Canadian government? For if they were, what an odd coup detat. For three whole weeks they slowly drove across the country. They brought no munitions. They stopped frequently. They were on television every day in some town or city. Once in Ottawa they didnt move on the TV and press headquarters. They held social nights. Numerous accounts tell of their hospitality. They had more Canadian flags on display than any other time but Canada Day. I presume they intended to overthrow the government and keep the flag. Ive seen more menace and threat to a government at a Newfoundland outport Bingo night. The charge is, was, utterly vacant and ridiculous. It was thrown in after the quick use of the Emergencies Act and its even quicker revocation before full Parliament had a chance to vote on it and hear of these excessive powers given to the government and the banks, to pretend to justify it. I say pretend, because even those making this hollow and outrageous claim must know it was pure air, pure hollow empty assertion. An attempt, which has failed drastically, to put some legitimacy on an arbitrary, mean and, I repeat, totally excessive response to a classic exercise of the basic civil right of protest. There was no coup. There was no attempted coup. No one was intending or designing the overthrow of the Canadian government. And to think a week later Mr. Trudeau was over in Europe, using his soft, slow, Im-really-serious-this-time voice to speak of how it is necessary in the democracies to listen to people we disagree with. Dear Lord, there is no shame, and absolutely no self-consciousness. And to end on my theme all this on the eve of a true military invasion in another country, one with tanks and missiles and soldiers and, alas, deaths and injuries. In comparison with Ukraine, this attempt to overthrow the government was a Lego game. We in the West make the trivial great, and the really great and serious things, we walk by. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. Civility. We dont hear that word much these days. My online dictionary defines it as formal politeness and courtesy in behavior or speech. Come to think of it, we not only dont hear much about civility, but we also dont see much formal courtesy exhibited by most of our public figures or even by some of the people we encounter in everyday life. Instead, Do your own thing and Be yourself seem the watchwords of our age. Look, for instance, at our casual use of language. In some professional settings, we find ourselves addressed right off the bat by our first names. To the doctor or dentist we visit, were Bob or Sally, though most of us bestow on them the honorific of doctor, which, unintentionally or not, places us in a subservient position. Even worse is the frequent crudity of our words. Todays F-bombs dropped in casual conversation, public pronouncements, books, and rap music would have shocked my mother and her friends. Or my father and his friends, for that matter. In my childhood and even later in high school, I never once remember hearing anyone using that word. Other examples of incivility abound. We may not think of dress as a matter of civility, yet many people present themselves in public in ways that 60 years ago would have also induced in my mother and her friends a major meltdown. The plethora of tattoos, the purple hair, the pants drooping down the posterior, the pajamas worn on shopping trips to the grocery store, and the obscene T-shirts some wear all send messages that were a culture big on doing our own thing. Civility isnt a part of that equation. At any rate, formal politeness and courtesy in behavior or speech seem at times missing in action. Yet I wonder: In abandoning formality and politeness, are we possibly abolishing some element vital to our interior selves, or even to civilization itself? Manners When we hear the words etiquette or manners, most of us probably think of rules taught in childhood: Dont chew your food with your mouth open, put your napkin in your lap, say please and thank you, and dont interrupt a conversation. These precepts when practiced are a sort of modicum of civilized behavior, signs of a proper upbringing. Although this view of manners is all well and good, however, it constitutes just the surface meaning of civility, and for that matter, of personal dignity. We may know which fork to use for eating a salad or the correct way to introduce a friend to our grandfather, meanwhile treating others rudely or with contempt. In other words, we may know and practice the rules of etiquette but lack the fundamentals of civility. Dignity In his introduction to Rules of Civility: 110 Precepts That Guided Our First President in War and Peace, Richard Brookhiser explains how George Washington as a boy developed a list of rulessome of them acquired from other writersthat would serve as his guide through life, at least in terms of his behavior. Many of these guidelines, like Do not laugh too loud or too much at any public spectacle, are quite specific and aimed more at outward conduct than at moral principles. Yet, as Brookhiser wisely describes these rules, They seek to form the inner man (or boy) by shaping the outer. The effect of all the rules taken together is to remind you that you should not just do whatever feels right, or the first thing that comes into your head; rather, you should always be mindful of other people, and remember that they have sensibilities, and feelings of self-respect, that deserve your respect. This development of outer behavior working its way inward left its mark on Washington for the rest of his life. Though he at times displayed a fiery temper, most of Washingtons contemporaries remarked on his composure and great sense of dignity. Brookhiser gives us this example of the effect he had on others: When Washington had been president for seven years, a foreign diplomats wife observed that he had perfect good breeding, & a correct knowledge of even the etiquette of a court, though how he had acquired it, heaven only knows. Washington had this persona because he had aimed at this impression of good breeding and etiquette his entire life. Given the impression he made on the other Founding Fathers, its even likely that he became our first president in part because of his bearing and his taciturn dignity. Civility Washingtons first rule introduces this principle of proper behavior: Every action done in company ought to be done with some sign of respect to those that are present. His last rule, #110, reads as follows: Labor to keep alive in your breast that little spark of celestial fire called conscience. Both rules lead us toward civility, the philosophy behind etiquette. In Choosing Civility: The Twenty-Five Rules of Considerate Conduct, Johns Hopkins professor P.M. Forni lists as his first rule, Pay attention. Here, I think, Forni not only hit the nail on the head, but drove it all the way home. In the whirlwind world in which we all live, paying attention to others seems a lost virtue. We drive through our days steering by routine and automatic pilot, sometimes scarcely seeing the store clerks, our fellow employees, and even our family members, intent as we are on the headlines on the internet, problems at work, or our dwindling bank account. Here is just one reminder from Forni of how we might pay greater attention to those around us: I am not just talking with a colleague but with this colleague, who told me several weeks ago that he was concerned about his childs health and whom I have seen grow more and more preoccupied in the last few days. I will keep this in mind as we plan our next months teamwork. Paying attention to others in all sorts of waystalking with them, laughing together, really listeningis surely the foundation of civility. One Small Example Years ago, a man I know described an encounter with another driver on an entrance ramp to an expressway. He pulled onto the ramp and found himself behind a driver who refused to accelerate above 45 miles per hour. He wasnt rude enough to beep his horn, but he did let loose a string of expletives, and as they reached the highway, he slammed his foot on the gas and sped past the other car. As he did so, he glanced over and in that car saw an older woman who looked very much like his mother. There, he paused in his story. And? I asked him. And I felt like a jerk, he said, shamefacedly. Which leads us back to Washingtons last rule about that celestial fire called conscience. The Sunshine of Civility At the very end of Choosing Civility, Forni writes: What is civility if not a constant awareness that no human encounter is without consequence? What is it if not sharing with intention the best that is in us? Sharing it again and again, adding brightness to the day. Heaven knows we need that brightness today. President Joe Biden speaks at the National League of Cities Congressional City Conference in Washington, on March 14, 2022. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images) Russia Announces Sanctions Against Biden, Blinken, Other Top Officials Russia has announced sanctions against U.S. President Joe Biden, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, and a list of other top-ranking U.S. officials and well-known American figures in a tit-for-tat exchange with the West amid the ongoing war in Ukraine. In a statement Tuesday, the Russian Foreign Ministry said that, in response to unprecedented U.S. sanctions against Russia, a list of Americans will be included in the Russian stop list on a reciprocal basis as of March 15 of this year, according to the statement translated by Interfax. The list of Americans also includes Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, national security adviser Jake Sullivan, White House press secretary Jen Psaki, Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley, CIA Director William Burns, Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development Samantha Power, and others. The announcement comes in response to sanctions against Russian financial systems and individuals in Russian President Vladimir Putins inner circle the United States put in place following the Russian invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 25. The United States has also announced a ban on Russian oil and, along with other Group of Seven (G-7) nations, moved to end Russias normal trade relation status, making it more difficult for Russia to do business with the West. U.S. officials have pointed to the devaluing of the Russian Ruble as well as the Russian stock market remaining closed as evidence of the effectiveness of sanctions. Weve made President Putins war of choice a strategic failure, Psaki told reporters Tuesday. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov expressed confidence to reporters Tuesday that Russia will find a way to eliminate its economic dependence on the West. We will make sure we never find ourselves in a similar situation and that neither some Uncle Sam nor anybody else can make decisions aimed at destroying our economy, Lavrov said. Russias stop list also includes Bidens son Hunter Biden and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. As a joke, Clinton tweeted I want to thank the Russian Academy for this Lifetime Achievement Award following the announcement from the Kremlin. Peace talks between Russian and Ukrainian delegations restarted Tuesday after a pause on Monday, according to Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak. Jack Phillips contributed to this report. Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov attends a news conference following talks with Syria's Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad in Moscow, Russia, on Feb. 21, 2022. (Russian Foreign Ministry/Handout via Reuters) Russia Bars Trudeau and Canadian Officials, Warns of Asymmetrical Retaliation Russia announced Tuesday it is imposing sanctions on Canadian officials and members of Parliament, barring them from its soil, in retaliation for Canadas sanctions against it. Moscow also warned that future responses will be decisive and not symmetrical. The action was published on the Russian foreign ministry website, which states the black list targets Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly, and Defence Minister Anita Anand. The list of 313 names also includes most members of Parliament, other cabinet ministers, as well as Canadas Chief of Defence Staff Gen. Wayne Eyre. The foreign ministry says Russia was forced to take this step to respond to the outrageous hostility of Canada, which has tested our patience for so long. Every attack on Russia, whether on diplomatic missions, the closure of airspace, or the severing of economic ties will inevitably receive a decisive and not necessarily symmetrical rebuff, says the foreign ministry. Canadian MPs reacted by taking to Twitter, with some expressing pride, but also incomprehension. Im designated Russophobic whereas I never spoke about Russia in Parliament since my election, said Bloc Quebecois MP Xavier Barsalou-Duval. On top of committing unspeakable atrocities in Ukraine, the Putin regime also intimidates foreign parliamentarians. Liberal MP Anthony Housefather wrote, I have now been banned from visiting Russia. I am humbled by the honour Putin has bestowed on me. I am glad to see I am near the top of the list of people banned from Russia, wrote Conservative MP Dan Albas, who is No. 2 on the list. Members of Ukrainian-Canadian organizations are also being targeted by Russia, such as the president of the Ukrainian Canadian Congress Alexandra Chyczij. She released a brief statement in response to the sanctions that reads: LOL. On the same day, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky addressed Canadas House of Commons, and while thanking Canada for its support so far, he also pleaded for more help and for Canada to help impose a no-fly zone. Close the airspace, please stop the bombings. How many more cruise missiles have to fall on our cities until you make this happen? said Zelensky. Officials in the U.S. administration were also slapped with the same sanctions on March 15, including President Joe Biden, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, and CIA Director William Burns. The list of 13 names also includes people outside the administration, such as the presidents son Hunter Biden and former presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. A photo taken on March 14, 2022, shows the logos of Visa, Mastercard and Russian Mir payment systems on bank cards in Moscow. (AFP via Getty Images) Russia to Continue Financial Operations With China Through Chinese Payment System UnionPay Following the suspension of Visa and Mastercard services in Russia, at least three Russian banks have announced plans to use Chinas UnionPay system to continue their financial operations. Analysts say that Russias strategy of evading Western sanctions through the Chinese financial system puts the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) at risk of consequences as well. On March 6, the three largest banks in RussiaSberbank, Alfa-Bank, and Tinkoffannounced plans to start issuing credit cards powered by Chinas UnionPay system. The China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission (CBIRC) has also pledged to continue business and financial operations with no sanctions on Russia at a press conference on March 3. Only Chinas Big Banks Will Comply With Russia Sanctions Albert Song, a senior Chinese financial analyst, says the CCP is in a dilemma over its economic ties with Russia, as some banking giants in China are going against the CBIRC pledge and are restricting financing of Russian commodities. Those with international financial operationsthe four largest banking institutions in Chinaare more vulnerable to potential sanctions from the West, as they are part of the U.S. dollar-based global financial system, Song told The Epoch Times. Those banks want to avoid being implicated in not complying with Western sanctions, thats why they have complied with past U.S. sanctions against Iran and the Hong Kong authorities, he said. Chinese leader Xi Jinping applauds after unveiling a sculpture during the opening ceremony of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) in Beijing on Jan. 16, 2016. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, Pool) Other than the four banking giants, the Beijing-based Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) also announced on March 3 that it has suspended all activities relating to Russia and Belarus. As one of the founding members of the 6-years old AIIB, Russia holds 6 percent of the voting power, the third-biggest after China and India. Its also noteworthy that the AIIB was founded as part of Xi Jinpings Belt and Road Initiative to reduce the United States leadership status in the World Bank and the IMF. Smaller banks, those that only operate domestically in China, are immune to the sanctions imposed by the West. So the big banks will transfer the Russian-related business to these smaller banks as a way to evade the sanctions, Song said. So what were seeing right now is that, following the freeze on the $630 billion in foreign exchange reserves as part of the sanctions against Russias Central Bank, Russia is forced to ally with the CCP to obtain sanctioned commodities by trading its energy resources and agricultural products. International Financial Systems Depend on US Technology As outlined in the 2021 periodical published by Chinas Institute of Russian, Eastern European and Central Asia Studies: The Cross-Border Interbank Payment System (CIPS) for international RMB transactions is heavily dependent on U.S. equipment, software, and the SWIFT banking system. As a result, all cross-border transactions are monitored by the United States. Chinas UnionPay also relies on the U.S.-based BMC software services for overseeing algorithms in its payment system and the production of credit cards. The dependence of financial systems on U.S. technologies also applies to Russias national payment system, as the American financial technology company PSC CartStandard provides services to over 100 banks in Russia. The periodical also stated that All Russian and Chinese financial institutions try to avoid financial sanctions for violating the long-arm jurisdiction policy of the United States. White House press secretary, Jen Psaki, at a press briefing on March 7, emphasized the United States capability to take steps if China refuses to abide by the financial sanctions imposed on Russia. Psaki also said that Russia has been strengthening its ties with China before the invasion of Ukraine, and China cannot completely backfill the impact of the G7 and others as the G7 accounts for 50 percent of global GDP. Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin chairs a meeting on improving Russia's economic resilience amid the sanctions, in Moscow, Russia, on March 11, 2022. (Alexander Astafyev/Sputnik/Pool via Reuters) Russia to Spend $9 Billion to Rebuild Supply Chains, Prime Minister Says Russia plans to spend 1 trillion roubles ($9 billion) on so-called anti-crisis measures, Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin said on Tuesday, as the government tries to partially offset the impact of fresh western sanctions. The plan includes more than 100 proposals and is to be updated, Mishustin said, to rebuild production and supply chains. ($1 = 110.5070 roubles) Russian President Vladimir Putin chairs a meeting with members of the Russian government via teleconference in Moscow on March 10, 2022. (Mikhail Klimentyev/Sputnik/AFP via Getty Images) Russia Withdraws From Council of Europe as Putin Says Talks Show No Progress Russia is leaving the Council of Europe human rights organization, announced Russias Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Tuesday as Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that recent talks with Ukraine havent shown any progress yet. The Council of Europe oversees the European Court of Human Rights, which hears cases from individuals alleging their rights were violated. With Russias exit from the body, Russian citizens cannot bring cases to the court. A letter from Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergey Lavrov announcing Russias exit was handed to the head of the Council of Europe, said Russian Duma Deputy Speaker Pyotr Tolstoy. All responsibility for breaking off the dialogue with the Council of Europe lies with the NATO countries, which all this time have been using the topic of human rights for fulfilling their own geopolitical interests and for attacks on our country, Tolstoy said of the resignation letter, according to state-funded RT. Because of unprecedented sanctions and political pressure against Russia, Moscow is not going to pay the annual fee to the Council of Europe, he added. In February, the Council of Europe suspended Russias rights of representation following the invasion of Ukraine. In 2014, Russia was suspended by the Council of Europe after it annexed Crimea, though it was readmitted to the body in 2019. Ukraines Foreign Ministry criticized the 2019 decision, saying at the time that Russias reinstatement would encourage Moscow. Russias invasion has sparked allegations of war crimes amid reports that Ukrainian civilians have been killed and numerous residential areas have been targeted by troops. The United Nations refugee agency said Tuesday that at least 3 million people have fled Ukraine to neighboring countries in the past three weeks or so. It comes as the Kremlin said Tuesday that Putin has discussed the situation in Ukraine with European Council President Charles Michel. The Kremlin said in a statement that Putin informed Michel about the Russian view of the peace negotiations with Ukraine in Tuesdays call, adding that Ukrainian officials havent yet demonstrated a serious intention to search for mutually acceptable solutions. Michel wrote on Twitter that he told Putin about the urgent need to stop Russias fratricidal war against Ukraine and emphasized that indiscriminate shelling by Russian forces of Ukraine civilians must stop. Russia must urgently enable humanitarian access and safe passage, he also said. Over the past weekend, Russian and Ukrainian officials said that there appeared to have been progress made during talks, with a Russian official remarking that a peace agreement could come within days. Previous rounds of negotiations yielded few results. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Firefighters work in an apartment building damaged by shelling in Kyiv, Ukraine, on March 15, 2022. (Efrem Lukatsky/AP Photo) Russian Shelling of Kyiv Intensifies as EU Leaders Head to Ukraine Capital to Meet Zelensky Russian shelling of Kyiv intensified Tuesday morning as the leaders of Poland, the Czech Republic, and Slovenia were setting out on a trip by train to the Ukrainian capital on a European Union mission to meet with the countrys top leadership. In such critical times for the world it is our duty to be where history is forged, Polands Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said in a statement announcing the trip to Kyiv, which had been kept secret for security reasons. Because its not about us, but about the future of our children who deserve to live in a world free from tyranny, he added, while calling Russian President Vladimir Putins special military operation in Ukraine an act of criminal aggression. In his message, Morawiecki cited an ominous warning from Polands now-deceased former President Lech Kaczynski about the risk that Putin would not stop at invading Ukraine. Today Georgia, tomorrow Ukraine, the day after the Baltics, and later perhaps itll come time for my country, for Poland, Morawiecki cited Kaczynski as saying when the now deceased former president was on a trip to the Georgian capital of Tbilisi, to lend his support to the countrys leadership during the Russian invasion of Georgia 14 years ago. Polands Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki speaks during a news conference in Budapest, Hungary, on Oct. 12, 2021. (Bernadett Szabo/Reuters) Heading to Kyiv with Morawiecki are Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala, Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Jansa, and Jaroslaw Kaczynski, Polands deputy prime minister for security and the leader of the conservative ruling party, Law and Justice. Morawiecki said in a separate statement that the delegation plans to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal. Europe must guarantee Ukrainian sovereignty and pledge help in rebuilding the country, he said. Several hours before Morawiecki announced the trip, a series of strikes hit residential buildings and a metro station in Kyiv, according to emergency services and the citys mayor, Vitali Klitschko. The enemy continues to attack Kyiv, Klitschko wrote in a message on his official Telegram channel. Two high-rise buildings were hit in the Sviatoshyno district and one in the Podil neighborhood, as well as a single-family house in an unspecified location, he said. The entrance to one of the metro stations was damaged by the shock wave. There are victims in residential buildings, with details about casualties still being clarified, he said, adding that rescuers and medics were working on the ground. Ukrainian emergency services later said two people had been killed in the shelling of one of the high-rise buildings, according to Interfax Ukraine. Firefighters work at the scene of an apartment building bombing in Kyiv, Ukraine, on March 15, 2022. (Felipe Dana/AP Photo) Klitschko said in a follow up message that a curfew would be imposed in Kyiv from 8 p.m. on March 15 and would last until 7 a.m. on March 17. Its unclear whether the curfew is connected with a visit to Kyiv by the EU politicians. Today is a difficult and dangerous moment, Klitschko wrote, adding that special passes will be required to move through the city during curfew except to seek refuge in a shelter. I ask all Kyivites to prepare for the fact that they will have to be at home for two days or, in case of an alarm, in a shelter. Morawiecki said he and the other leaders were making their trip in agreement with the European Union, citing the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, and the head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen. He added the United Nations had been informed of the visit. Michal Dworczyk, the head of Morawieckis office, said in a statement that the visit had been planned for several days but was kept secret for security reasons. Dworczyk said at around 10 a.m. local time that an hour or so earlier a train carrying the delegates had crossed the border between Poland and Ukraine. Minister @michaldworczyk: Mniej wiecej godzine temu pociag, w ktorym jest premier @MorawieckiM, wicepremier ds. bezpieczenstwa Jarosaw Kaczynski oraz premierzy Czech @P_Fiala i Sowenii @JJansaSDS przekroczy granice polsko-ukrainska. pic.twitter.com/ngiCdhleVE Kancelaria Premiera (@PremierRP) March 15, 2022 Dworczyk said in a separate statement that a proposal of concrete help for Ukraine would be presented to the countrys leaders. Klitschko, in a follow-up message, issued a call for Ukrainian men who had left Kyiv to return to help defend the capital instead of sitting somewhere and sympathizing. Kyiv, which today is a symbol and outpost of European freedom and security, we will not give up! We will not be brought to our knees! he wrote. Russias invasion of Ukraine, which the Kremlin calls a special military operation to demilitarize and de-Nazify the country entered its 20th day on Tuesday. The U.N. says that nearly 3 million people have been driven from their homes due to the fighting, an exodus that European officials have called the biggest refugee crisis in Europe since the Second World War. San Francisco Mayors Welcome Back to SF Pledge Needs More Substance Commentary On March 3, San Francisco Mayor London Breed announced the Welcome Back to SF pledgea commitment by large private employers to return their workforce to offices in several areas of the city by the end of March. When we first heard about this, we thought, Terrific! and pored over the press coverage for the other half of the story: What has Mayor Breed committed the City of San Francisco to do? What policies will City Hall change to rejuvenate our business districts? We searched in vain. Breed offered no ambitious proposal, no carrot, no stick, and no follow-through. Its easy for any large employer to say that some of their workers will return in person to some offices, under hybrid and flexible workplace policies, by the end of March. Here is the reality. San Franciscos office neighborhoods are the most vacant, inactive and shuttered of any major city in the country today. This is a serious problem that the mayor cant address with speeches and handshakes. We have the highest major urban commercial vacancy rate, which continues to rise monthly as long-term leases and subleases expire, according to Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL) Research. A recent survey of entry card swipes by Kastle Systems ranked San Francisco as the major urban center with the lowest share of workers showing up daily, less than 25 percent of pre-pandemic levels. And yet, oddly enough, San Francisco is already back to work, just not in the usual fashion or in the usual office places. According to the California Employment Development Department, local unemployment, which had been about 2 percent pre-pandemic and hit a pandemic high of 13 percent, by the end of 2021 dropped to less than 3 percent. Total employed residents, which had been about 570,000 pre-pandemic and declined to a pandemic low of about 480,000, by the end of 2021 rose to over 550,000. The situation has become, therefore, more lopsided than it might first appear. At a time that San Francisco ranks worst for worker returns to the urban office, employment has nearly recovered. A recurring theme in the mainstream media is that the pandemic has changed the cultural connection between office work and employment, and there is something to it. Pre-COVID, business in San Francisco meant high-density, urban office work. Northern California companies attracted and congregated the best and brightest from around the world and encouraged face-to-face interaction and collaboration. The pandemic brought a dramatic shift that was more than cultural. The Bay Area economy turned upside down at least twice. Corporate practices changed. So did our professional lives. Many lost or switched jobs or homes. How we balance work and family, including childcare and education, is different today. What employers ask of us, and what we demand of employers, has evolvedwhats up for negotiation is a whole new ballgame. Employers and employees have leapt across a canyon to new ways of doing business in which working from home is a norm. Half of the pre-pandemic workforce in major tax-generating sectors has stopped commuting into San Francisco or no longer lives here. As a result, the city is losing significant revenue from the gross receipts (business) tax, which depends on the number of a companys employees that work or live inside city limits. State and federal bailouts are set to expire this year. The City Controllers Office casually predicts a 75 percent return to offices by next year, and 85 percent by 2026. And yet the mayor has put forward nothing meaningful to encourage the return of the urban workforce other than proclamations. Its a big leap back. Employers and employees need dramatic incentives. We believe that Breed wants what is best for San Francisco. If shes serious, now is the time for her to exercise the full authority of the Office of the Mayor and to put her administration and personal reputation on the line to restart the San Francisco office economy. Here are a few tips: Clean up our office streets downtown and end the scourge of broken glass, trash, and human waste on our sidewalks. Move the homeless into shelters and care. Fully staff the police force, and increase the visible police presence downtown. Intervene with the Chief of Police and the District Attorney and insist that those departments function as they should, so that we reorient our criminal justice effort to deter crime, prosecute violent offenders, and ensure public safety. Upgrade and secure our transit stations, garages, and street parking for commuters. On the economic front, encourage the Board of Supervisors to see the benefits of reducing gross receipts tax rates and cutting or suspending taxes and surcharges that impede the commercial office marketwhich should be rapidly rebounding. Streamline the red tape that hamstrings business activity in San Francisco. Stop the cycle of endless business tax increases, and commit the city to a long-term, friendly climate for urban job creation. Break the logjam on constructing residential housing that is convenient to urban offices, with a more balanced approach toward affordable housing. Acknowledge that San Franciscos urban office neighborhoods will change in scale and that some commercial properties should be rezoned and repurposed. Make a concerted effort to attract and revitalize our tourism industry. Finally, remember that it is the duty of the Office of the Mayor to represent all of San Franciscos residents and to be constantly vigilant against divisive and self-serving agendas that may be put forward by members of the Board of Supervisors, lobbyists, and special interests. The reins of leadership of this once magnificent city must change and adapt with the times as San Francisco struggles to recapture its preeminence in the business world. We would all love to see the theme of Mayor Breeds press conference come true. Words, however, can sometimes be hard to put into action. Picking a date is not a policy. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. Tony Hall Follow Tony Hall is a former supervisor for San Francisco's District 7. He has held executive and administrative positions positions in seven different City departments in all three branches of government- Executive, Legislative, and Judicial over a 33 year period. He is also a highly regarded vocalist-entertainer in the Bay area. First Minister Nicola Sturgeon updates MSPs on any changes to the COVID-19 restrictions at the Scottish Parliament Holyrood Edinburgh, on March 15, 2022. (PA) Scotland Delays Lifting Mask Mandates, Citing Spike in COVID-19 Cases The Scottish government has pushed back the date for lifting its mask mandates, saying it is prudent for this measure to remain in place in view of the current spike in COVID-19 cases. Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said last month that the legal requirement to wear a mask on public transport and in some indoor settings would come to an end on March 21 assuming no significant adverse developments in the course of the virus. But she told the Scottish Parliament on Tuesday that ministers had agreed it would be prudent to keep the mandate in place for longer. She said she knew this would be disappointing and urged people to be patient for a little while longer. Sturgeon said, Given the current spike in case numbers, we consider it prudent to retain this requirement in regulation for a further short period. Ensuring continued widespread use of face coverings will provide some additional protectionparticularly for the most vulnerableat a time when the risk of infection is very high, and it may help us get over this spike more quickly, she added. She said the legal requirement will be reviewed again in two weeks time, and her expectation was that it will become guidance rather than law in early April. She said that official advice on testing would also change next month, saying that from April 18 we will no longer advise people without symptoms to test twice weekly. Our intention is that from the end of April all routine population-wide testing will end, including for those who have symptoms. Contact tracing will end at this point tooalthough people with symptoms of respiratory illness will be advised to stay at home. Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross said that the rise in CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus cases should not be a reason to keep mask mandates. Its true that case numbers are higher now than any of us would like, but COVID cases were always going to rise when restrictions were eased, he said. We cant get complacent with COVID but we have to move forward. We cant stay stuck with COVID rules forever, he added. In response, Sturgeon stressed that, apart from the mask mandates, every single legal measure will have been lifted. She said that much of the public would welcome this precautionary move given the high case rates. PA Media contributed to this report. The U.S. Capitol is shown in Washington on June 5, 2003. Both houses of the U.S. Congress, the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives meet in the Capitol. (Stefan Zaklin/Getty Images) Senate Votes to Make Daylight Savings Time Permanent In a unanimous voice vote, the Senate passed a bill that would make daylight savings time permanent, potentially putting an end to twice-annual time changes. The measure, called the Sunshine Protection Act, will now go to the House. If passed, it will head to President Joe Bidens desk for approval. Supporters of daylight savings time credit the time change with helping to reduce crime as it increases daylight hours, making it harder for criminals to go undetected. It has also been credited with helping to reduce traffic accidents, as drivers are better able to see. The system began in the United States in 1918. Originally put into place by Germany to conserve fuel during World War I, the time change was quickly adopted by the rest of Europe before being picked up by the United States in the Standard Time Act. Since then, Americans have changed their clocks twice every year under the assumption that it helps to conserve energy. According to a Department of Transportation study from 1975, the United States used around one percent less energy during daylight savings time. However, the validity of this research has been called into question. A 2006 study in Indiana found that the opposite was true: rather than cutting down on energy usage, it actually increases by about one percent during daylight savings time months. Supporters of the Sunshine Protection Act say that it would help Americans to avoid the psychological consequences of daylight savings time, which has been shown by some research to exacerbate seasonal depression. I know this is not the most important issue confronting America but it is one of those issues that there is a lot of agreement. If we can get this passed, we dont have to do this stupidity anymore, Rubio added. Pardon the pun, but this is an idea whose time has come. The federal legislation comes after more than half of the union, around 30 states, have passed legislation to make it daylight savings time year-round. If passed by the House and signed into law by Biden, the practice of changing the clocks will be ended across the United States. The House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Frank Pallone (D-N.J.) has indicated that he supports the goal of the legislation. The loss of that one hour of sleep seems to impact us for days afterwards. It also can cause havoc on the sleeping patterns of our kids and our pets, Pallone said. He told another news outlet that he supports ending the time change but said that he has not decided whether the year-round time should be daylight savings time or standard time, and cited a 2019 poll that showed that most Americans did not want to continue to change their clocks. It has real repercussions on our economy and our daily lives, Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.), another sponsor of the legislation said. Undated photo of 16-month-old Star Hobson who died from "utterly catastrophic" injuries at her home in Keighley, West Yorkshire, in September 2020. (West Yorkshire Police/Handout via PA)) Sentence Increased for UK Mother Who Allowed Childs Death A UK court on Tuesday increased the sentence of a woman who caused and allowed the fatal abuse of her toddler daughter by her female partner. Frankie Smith, 20, was given an eight-year sentence on Dec. 15, 2021, for causing or allowing the death of her 16-month-old daughter Star Hobson. Her partner, 28-year-old bouncer and security guard Savannah Brockhill, was found guilty of murder and handed a life sentence with a minimum prison term of 25 years. Smiths sentence was later referred to the Court of Appeal by the Attorney Generals Office under the unduly lenient sentencing scheme. On Tuesday, three senior judges at the Court of Appeal increased Smiths sentence to 12 years, saying it shouldnt have been mitigated due to the fact she had lost her daughter. Undated photos of Savannah Brockhill (L) and Frankie Smith. (West Yorkshire Police/PA) Brockhill abused Hobson for months before she died from utterly catastrophic and unsurvivable injures. Sentencing the pair in December last year, Justice Christina Lambert said that Hobsons short life was marked by neglect, cruelty, and injury. She said that the fatal punch or kick to Hobson caused the toddler to lose half the blood in her body and damaged her internal organs, and that the toddler was found to have suffered two brain injuries, numerous rib fractures, the fracture and refracture of her leg, and a skull fracture. She was also treated with, at best, callous indifference by you both and, on many occasions, with frank cruelty, the judge said, but added that Smith was a rather immature and impressionable girl, who became obsessed by Brockhill, and that Hobson had been caught up in the crossfire of their relationship. She said she took into account that Smith had lost her daughter. Arguing for an increase of Smiths sentence, Tom Little QC, for the Attorney Generals Office, said the original judge had found Smith to be a neglectful and cruel parent who thought only of her own interests. He argued that there were aggravating parts of Smiths crime that were not taken into account and that the sentencing judge had wrongly decreased the number of years she should serve. This was not a case where the offender was so racked with guilt and pleaded guilty at the very first opportunity, remorseful from the outset about the loss, to be a significant point in the offenders favour, he said. The barrister also said the sentencing judge did not refer to Stars vulnerability or to the at least 11-minute delay in calling 999 after she suffered the fatal injuries. Zafar Ali QC, for Smith, said it was simply incorrect to say his client had not been remorseful, saying she had been extremely remorseful during the trial. He added that Smith was also a victim of Brockhills abuse. This case was permeated by domestic violenceshe was physically abused by Brockwell on several occasions, he said. Dame Victoria Sharp, sitting with Mr. Justice Sweeney and Mr. Justice Jeremy Baker, found that the sentencing judge was wrong to reduce Smiths sentence from the starting point based on mitigation, including of her losing her daughter. On the facts of this case, where Miss Smith had treated Star with such cruelty the judge was wrong to identify this as a mitigating feature and then give it the weight she did, she said. There was little, if any, to be said in mitigation, she said. In our judgment no less a sentence than 12 years would meet the justice of this case. The judge said Star was particularly vulnerable due to her very young age, and that self-evidently, Miss Smith was in a position of trust. PA Media contributed to this report. George Soros, Founder and Chairman of the Open Society Foundations arrives for a meeting in Brussels, on April 27, 2017. (Olivier Hoslet/AFP via Getty Images) Soros Worries About Putin-Xi Partnership, Hopes Both Leaders Can Be Stopped Before They Destroy Our Civilization Chinese leader Xi Jinping gave explicit signals that he was a friend and partner of Russian President Vladimir Putin in the weeks leading up to Moscows Feb. 24 invasion of Ukraine. Now, with the invasion bogged down amid stiff Ukrainian resistance and much of the world on edge over the conflict, Xi has backtracked somewhat and contradicted his earlier stance by endorsing the efforts of European heads of states to make peace. Thats according to billionaire philanthropist George Soros, 91, who set forth his views on the crisis in an op-ed piece on March 11. Russias invasion of Ukraine on February 24 was the beginning of a third world war that has the potential to destroy our civilization, Soros wrote. In his editorial, Soros contrasts Xis current stance with the extensive and cordial meeting between Xi and Putin on Feb. 4 on the opening day of the Winter Olympics in Beijing. The upshot of that meeting was the issuance of a 5,000-word text announcing a no limits partnership between Russia and China. The document is stronger than any treaty and must have required detailed negotiation in advance, Soros stated, expressing his surprise that Xi could have been willing to grant such unconditional support for Russias designs on Ukraine, or, as Soros put it, carte blanche to invade and occupy the country. Soros viewed this support as having emboldened Putin, a ruler who, as he approaches age 70, feels increasing pressure to make his mark on history, Soros states. Having obtained Xis backing, Putin set about realizing his lifes dream with incredible brutality, wrote Soros. More recent developments in Ukraine, where resistance to the invasion is fiercer and more determined than some expected, and support for Russia noticeably lower than Putin presumed, have prompted Xi to reassess his stance. Xi seems to have realized that Putin has gone rogue, Soros observed. On March 7, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said the friendship between Russia and China was still rock solid, but then the next day Xi called French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz to voice his support for their efforts to make peace and to advocate restraint, Soros noted. Since the invasion, both Macron and Scholz have spent many hours on the phone with Putin in an effort to work toward a resolution of the conflict. It is far from certain that Putin will accede to Xis wishes. We can only hope that Putin and Xi will be removed from power before they can destroy our civilization, Soros concluded. Earlier this year, Soros articulated his view that the year 2022 would be a turning point during which the world would pivot decisively either in the direction of openness and freedom or of dictatorship and repression. He pointed particularly to the Chinese Communist Partys growing aggression on the world stage, coupled with domestic problems faced by the regime. Ukrainian Military Forces servicemen attend a military drill with Next generation Light Anti-tank Weapon (NLAW) Swedish-British anti-aircraft missile launchers at the firing ground of the International Center for Peacekeeping and Security, near the western Ukrainian city of Lviv on Jan. 28, 2022. (AFP via Getty Images) The Coup That Caused the Ukraine Conflict Commentary According to the prevailing narrative, the Russian invasion of Ukraine must be entirely blamed on President Vladimir Putin. The narrative discloses that the Russian invasion of Ukraine was an unprovoked Russian aggression against a democratic country, and Putin is a murderous dictator who desires to resuscitate the defunct Soviet empire and may even seek to subjugate other European countries to achieve this objective. To give an example, the British tabloid, The Sun, even compares Putin to Hitler. According to its editorial, it is paramount, as in 1939, that the free peoples of the West defeat this hideous new evil, this Hitler for our times. However, careful consideration of the Ukrainian crisis reveals that there are more sides to this story, only one of which is being told. John J. Mearsheimer is the R. Wendell Harrison Professor of Political Science at the University of Chicago. For years, he has claimed that the Russian approach towards Ukraine was primarily caused by Western intervention. Mearsheimer argues that the United States, in pushing to expand NATO eastward, has increased the likelihood of war between nuclear-armed powers and laid the groundwork for Russias aggressive position toward Ukraine. With regards to Ukraine, he comments that up until 2014, no one envisioned the NATO and EU expansion as policies aimed at containing Russia and nobody seriously thought Russia was a threat before Feb. 22, 2014. Mearsheimer continues, stating What happened is that this major crisis broke out, and we had to assign blame, and of course we were never going to blame ourselves. We were going to blame the Russians. So we invented this story that Russia was bent on aggression in Eastern Europe. Putin is interested in creating a greater Russia, or maybe even re-creating the Soviet Union. It is therefore instructive to ascertain what happened to Ukraine in 2014a coup supported by the American government, more specifically, by the then Obama administration. U.S. President Barack Obama (R) shakes hands with Ukraine President Petro Poroshenko in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, on Sept. 18, 2014. (Mark Wilson/Getty Images) With the victory of the pro-Russian candidate, Victor Yanukovych, in the Ukrainian presidential elections of 2010, its parliament voted in that same year to abandon NATO membership aspirations (pdf). However, President Yanukovych, a democratically elected leader, was arbitrarily and unconstitutionally removed from office in February 2014. Prior to that coup, in December 2013, the late Senator John McCain, then a leading Republican voice on U.S. foreign policy, told leaders of the Ukrainian opposition camped on Kyivs main square that Ukraine will make Europe better and Europe will make Ukraine better . And the destiny you seek lies in Europe. To understand why the removal of President Yanukovych was unconstitutional, some facts about the Ukrainian Constitution must be considered. The Ukrainian Constitution lists four circumstances in which an elected president may cease to exercise power before the end of their term: retirement; inability to exercise their powers for reasons of health; removal from office by the procedure of impeachment; and death. The process of impeachment is laid down in Article 111, which requires the Ukrainian Parliament to create a special temporary investigation committee to formulate charges against the president, seek evidence to justify the charges, and come to conclusions about the presidents guilt. Prior to a final vote of impeachment, this process also requires the nations Constitutional Court to review the case and certify that the procedure has been properly followed, and the Ukrainian Supreme Court to certify that the acts of which the president is accused are worthy of impeachment. Finally, the removal of an elected president from power must be approved by at least three-quarters of the members of Parliament. On Feb. 22, 2014, this process of impeachment was not followed at all. No investigation committee was formed, and no courts were involved in the removal of the president. Instead, a bill was rushed through Parliament to remove President Yanukovych from his office, although this was not even supported by three-quarters of members of Parliament. Russias President Vladimir Putin (R) talks with Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych during a signing ceremony at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, on Dec. 17, 2013. (Alexander Nemenov/AFP via Getty Images) On that occasion, Putin quibbled that this was an unconstitutional overthrow of a democratically elected president. He labelled it a coup and questioned the legitimacy of the process at his press conference on March 4, 2014. [Impeachment] has to involve the Constitutional Court, the Supreme Court, and the Rada (the unicameral parliament of Ukraine). This is a complicated and lengthy procedure. It was not carried out. Therefore, from a legal perspective this is an undisputed fact, Putin said. When that coup of the Ukrainian Parliament succeeded in expelling the countrys elected president, then American President, Barrack Obama, misled the international community by hiding the imposition of a pro-Western government on Russias most neuralgic and politically divided neighbour. Soon after a new government was established, it declared itself unable to control the popular reaction to that coup in the countrys east. The American government then conveniently accused Russia of destabilising Ukraine, thus aiming to turn Russia into a pariah state. Ukraine has never been able to have a functional government since. Russia almost immediately retaliated by annexing the region of Crimea, in March 2014, but only after a popular referendum that was not recognized by the United States and its Western allies. Crimeans, who mostly speak Russian, voted overwhelmingly to join the Russian Federation. Writing for the American Conservative, foreign policy expert Dominick Sansone explains: The move into Crimea came as a response, to secure Russias key naval interests in the warm-water port at Sevastopol. The coinciding uprisings in the Donbas were additionally a response to the situation in Kyiv . The official position of the Kremlin has subsequently been that these ethnically Russian citizens should not be forced to live under the rule of an illegitimate rebel group that illegally came to power by overthrowing the duly elected government. The reality is that the eastward expansion of NATO has triggered the current Ukrainian crisis, primarily because of Washingtons attempt to pull Ukraine decisively into its orbit and defence structure by building an explicitly anti-Moscow association and supporting a notoriously corrupt government. The Russian authorities believe that this constitutes a direct threat to their national security and they have bitterly opposed NATO engagement since the mid-1990s. Further, it is the Russians, not the Americans and their allies, who ultimately get to decide what counts as a threat to them (pdf). Russian troops in uniforms without insignia are seen atop of a tank with the letter Z painted on its sides, in the Donetsk region, Ukraine, on March 1, 2022. (Alexander Ermochenko/Reuters) Despite this important context, speaking to reporters in Adelaide, on Feb. 24 the Australian Prime Minister, Scott Morrison, stated: We should be taking every step we can to ensure Russia pays a price in the international community for the violent and aggressive acts of invasion against Ukraine. Asked what he thought of the Russian president, Morrison replied: I call him a thug. This sort of language is unwise and belligerent with 46 million people and a vast territory that is rich in natural resources, Ukraine is by far the largest and most impressive of the states that had split away from the Russian Federation, in 1991. Above all, the Australian prime minister has denied that Putins actions might be motivated by legitimate security concerns. According to Seumas Milne, a British journalist and former Labour Partys Executive Director of Strategy and Communications: No Russian government could have acquiesced in such a threat from territory that was at the heart of both Russia and the Soviet Union. Putins absorption of Crimea and support for the rebellion in eastern Ukraine is clearly defensive, and the red line is now drawn: the east of Ukraine, at least, is not going to be swallowed up by NATO or the EU. Commenting on the present situation in Ukraine, Bill Roggio, a senior colleague at the Foundation for Defense of Democracy and editor of its Long War Journal, states that: Putin appears to want to take Ukraine intact . The systematic nature of the Russian assault is at odds with the speculation that Putin has lost control of his senses. Nobody knows for sure, but Putins actions appear to be that of a cold and calculating adversary. Dismissing his decision to invade Ukraine as a form of madness is effectively an excuse to ignore Putins likely motivations and future actions. The Russians had already been seriously humiliated by NATOs decision to expand the Alliance to include former Warsaw Pact countries. And now they sense that NATO is dangerously moving right up to their border by turning one of their most formidable former states into a de facto member of the American military alliance. Clearly, the Russians have reached the limits of their willingness to tolerate NATOs expansionist policies. The consequences of the unconstitutional coup of 2014 should be blamed, at least in part, for Russias disastrous military invasion of Ukraine. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. Augusto Zimmermann Follow Augusto Zimmermann is professor and head of law at Sheridan Institute of Higher Education in Perth. He is also president of the Western Australian (WA) Legal Theory Association and served as a member of WA's law reform commission from 2012 to 2017. Zimmermann is an adjunct professor of the University of Notre Dame Australia, and has co-authored several books including COVID-19 Restrictions & Mandatory VaccinationA Rule-of-Law Perspective (Connor Court). In some places in the Himalayas, doctors are few and hospitals are far, far away I dont remember her name, but I do remember her courage. We had all our gear packed, and we were ready for our caravan to take us back to civilization. Our guide received a call that a woman was about two hours out and badly needed to see the doctor who she heard was visiting from America. We had an eight-hour trek by car ahead of us in our Tata Jeeps, driving down what was nothing more than a goat path. Travel time in this part of the Himalayas, in Nepal, is measured by walking. This woman was two hours away by foot, not by car; she had been already walking for six hours trying to get to us. Its fascinating that travel time here is measured by walking, and yet there is better cell reception than I have at home. I spent almost three weeks in Nepal in the spring of 2014 as a guest of One Heart Worldwide, a truly amazing organization dedicated to helping establish safe birthing sites in third-world countries. Arlene Samen, the founder, has a special heart for Nepal, and her work is literally blessed by the Dalai Lama. Looking at health data from Nepal in 2018, the Maternal Health Task Force blog at Harvard noted: The maternal mortality ratio (MMR) in Nepal decreased from 539 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births to 239 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births between 1996 and 2016. In 2016, roughly 12 percent of deaths among women of reproductive age were classified as maternal deaths. By comparison, the maternal mortality rate in the United States, according to Statista, was 17.4 per 100,000 live births in 2020, while that of Norway was 1.8 per 100,000 live births. There are a lot of reasons for the differences in maternal mortality rates between countries, drug abuse being a key factor for the United States. Of course, we said we would wait for this woman. The only limitation I had was that, while I was a guest in Nepal and could observe health care and its services, I was forbidden to provide any health care whatsoever. One Heart Worldwide helped establish such simple concepts as a clean and safe birthing site for women in the countryside. They would teach local women the basics for a safe delivery, and these women would be the health and delivery providers for their community. Many womens lives and that of their newborns were saved because of their work. While we waited, I was reminded of another situation where a father brought his 16-year-old daughter to see the foreign doctor. This occurred while we were waiting for our flight from a small town on the Indian border back to Pokra, the regional center, where so many Himalayan treks begin. The poor man saw us at the small airfield and approached us with a sad and pleading demeanor. This poor young woman was obviously very ill; she looked jaundiced and had ascites (a significantly swollen abdomen from abnormal fluid collection). I didnt examine herI wasnt allowedbut the father did have some lab tests with him from a local clinic. The father told us she was raped about two years ago and soon after got sick. She had what looked like obvious liver failure to me, from hepatitis C, as her lab tests showed deadly elevated liver enzymes. There was nothing we could do; there was only a sliver of hope if she could get to Kathmandu. Our guides spoke with the man and daughter and arranged for their transportation to the capital. Nepal is an amazing place with amazingly strong and kind people, whom we all fell in love with. We had two absolutely fantastic guides, Suraj and Surya. These two devote their lives to helping their countrymen and women. It was getting late, and we had to leave soon. No one wanted to drive down through this mountain goat path at night, not even the drivers. When this woman arrived, the local provider determined that she had been in labor for well over 24 hours, and the woman felt something was wrong. The baby was not coming down the canal. Even this poor woman and her companion knew she would need a Cesarean section, and they thought we were their best hope. The only solution was to take her with us, and hope we could get to the local hospital in time. We left a few bags behind and made room. While in Nepal, I met with the director of the Nepal Obstetrics and Gynecology Association in Kathmandu, as well as doctors in smaller town hospitals and clinics. Some of the smaller town hospitals were frightening from a spoiled Western perspective, with blood-stained walls, limited supplies, wards filled with patients, and clinics overpacked with lines of patients going out the building. But there was also a serenity and appreciation thats hard to describe. It reminds me of Albert Einstein and his theory of relativity. Basically, we need to have some comparison to realize and appreciate what we really have. The eight-hour drive was daunting, especially for this poor woman, who was stoic and brave. While I was sweating and scared as one of our back tires screeched over the ledge on this goat path road, she just looked at peace as I looked down the side of the mountain. My wife and eldest daughter (23 years old at the time) had joined me on this life-changing journey. We made it down to the local hospital in about eight hours, where there was a physician waiting for us at the local hospital. We left the woman there, in good hands, as we needed to continue before nightfall. Later that night, we heard she did indeed get a Cesarean and had a healthy baby boy. The vast majority of births in Nepal are natural, with no need for a Cesarean. The work of organizations such as One Heart Worldwide helps ensure those safe deliveries. Visiting Nepal was indeed a life-changing experience from many different perspectives. We have to appreciate what we have and always be willing to help our fellow human beings. As President Ronald Reagan said, We cant help everyone, but everyone can help someone. Chinese leader Xi Jinping and Russia's President Vladimir Putin (L) attend a summit for the Belt and Road initiative, at the International Conference Center in Yanqi Lake, north of Beijing, on May 15, 2017. (Lintao Zhang/AFP/Getty Images) Time to Pick Sides: CCP Advisor Censored for Urging Beijing to Distance Itself From Russia The censoring of the post came as pro-Russian rhetoric flourished on the heavily monitored Chinese web A policy advisor for the Chinese Communist Partys (CCPs) cabinet-like State Council who called for Beijing to distance itself from Russias war in Ukraine was censored on the countrys internet, the latest voice criticizing the invasion to be silenced by the communist regime. Hu Wei, vice-chairman of the Public Policy Research Centre of the Counsellors Office of the State Council, wrote to warn the CCPs decision-makers of what he predicts will be Russian President Vladimir Putins defeat and a short time window for China to pick sides between Russia and the West. Hus article, titled Possible Outcomes of the Russo-Ukrainian War and Chinas Choice, was first published in Chinese on the U.S.-China Perception Monitor (USCNPM) website, a publication operated by the U.S.-based non-profit The Carter Center on March 5, two days after China abstained from voting on a United Nations General Assembly motion to condemn Russias invasion of Ukraine. The article, which was posted to USCNPMs WeChat account on March 12 and deleted two hours later, was censored across the Chinese web. Since Russias invasion of Ukraine, Chinese censors have clamped down on those condemning Moscows aggression while allowing pro-Russian voices to proliferate online. These measures fall in line with Beijings official position that seeks to portray a neutral stance but is viewed by many as tacitly supporting Russia. Irreversible Mistake In his article, Hu speculated that the hope of Russias victory is slim in the Ukraine war, which would lead to a post-war Russia with a political landscape void of great power status. After Putins blitzkrieg failed, the hope of Russias victory is slim and Western sanctions have reached an unprecedented degree, the article reads, Russia is unable to support a protracted war and its associated high costs. Even if Russia succeeded in taking over Ukraine, Hu said, it would not be long until Russia could no longer cope with the international sanction effort and prospective rebellion forces within Ukraine. Ukraine will most likely set up a government-in-exile to confront Russia in the long term. Russia will be subject both to Western sanctions and rebellion within the territory of Ukraine. The battle lines will be drawn very long. The domestic economy will be unsustainable, he continued. In any case, this military action constitutes an irreversible mistake. Short Window of Time In his article, Hu envisioned a post-Ukraine-war world order with U.S. allies more united, an expanded NATO, and an America regaining leadership status in the Westall of which, he says, are signs that China should cut ties with Russia as soon as possible. Hu warned that China has 1-2 weeks to choose between standing by Putin and siding with the worlds mainstream stance. At present, China has tried not to offend either side and walked a middle ground in its international statements and choices, including abstaining from the U.N. Security Council and the U.N. General Assembly votes. However, this position does not meet Russias needs, and it has infuriated Ukraine and its supporters as well as sympathizers, putting China on the wrong side of much of the world, he said. China cannot be tied to Putin and needs to be cut off as soon as possible. Pulled Two Ways Hus recommendation came as top officials from both the United States and Russia demanded China stand on their respective sides. On Sunday, Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov said in a TV interview that Russias partnership with China would increase as Western nations continue to ramp up sanctions on Russia. We have part of our gold and foreign exchange reserves in the Chinese currency, in yuan. And we see what pressure is being exerted by Western countries on China to limit mutual trade with China. Of course, there is pressure to limit access to those reserves, he said. But I think that our partnership with China will still allow us to maintain the cooperation that we have achieved, and not only maintain, but also increase it in an environment where Western markets are closing. On the same day, U.S. officials warned China would face severe consequences if it helped Russia evade sanctions. We are communicating directly, privately to Beijing that there will absolutely be consequences for large-scale sanctions evasion efforts or support to Russia to backfill them, White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan told CNN. Sullivan and CCPs top diplomat Yang Jieshi met in Rome on Monday. According to a White House readout, the two sides raised a range of issues in U.S.-China relations, with substantial discussion of Russias war against Ukraine. New Iron Curtain Hus article also anticipates a new iron curtain dividing countries that are governed by liberal democratic values with authoritarian regimes. The new Iron Curtain will no longer be drawn between the two camps of socialism and capitalism, nor will it be confined to the Cold War. It will be a life-and-death battle between those for and against Western democracy, Hu said. According to Brigadier General Robert Spalding, senior fellow at the D.C.-based Hudson Institute, the Chinese regime will not position itself against Putin because [Xi Jinping] needs support to invade Taiwan. This is where the world order fractures between authoritarianism and democracy, he said on Twitter on Sunday. Spalding told the Epoch Times on March 8 that Russia required tacit approval from the CCP before invading Ukraine. Spalding warned it is vital for the West to recognize the threat posed to the international order by the axis of authoritarian powers. This is a long-term effort that really hinges on whether the free world recognizes that China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, and other authoritarian regimes have to be confronted and have to be isolated economically, or this is going to consume the world, he said. People walk past the logo of Toyota at a showroom in Tokyo, on Oct. 18, 2021. (Koji Sasahara/AP Photo) Toyota Motor Sees Additional Production Cuts As Semiconductor Crisis Continues to Bite Toyota Motor Corp. looked at additional production cuts in March as the semiconductor chip crisis continues to pinch, Reuters reports. The production suspension will affect the production of ~14,000 Noah and Voxy minivans. Recently, the Japanese automaker reduced its domestic production target by up to 20 percent for the April-June quarter. Toyota looked to suspend production on one line at a factory for eight weekdays starting March 22 through the end of the month. Toyota had already suspended domestic production at two factories announced in February. Toyota also pledged to halt production at its joint venture plant with FAW Group in the city of Changchun, China, due to the COVID-19 resurgence. Interestingly, it looks to maintain its 8.5 million vehicle production target for the year. Toyota and other automakers have stopped production at their Russian plants due to supply chain disruptions after Russia invaded Ukraine. By Anusuya Lahiri 2021 The Epoch Times. The Epoch Times does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved. Democratic presidential candidate Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-Hawaii) listens to a question during a campaign stop in Londonderry, N.H., on Oct. 1, 2019. (Charles Krupa/AP Photo) Tulsi Gabbard Responds To Romney Calling Her Treasonous Gabbard says Romney 'should resign from the Senate' Former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-Hawaii) responded to a statement by Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) accusing her of treasonous lies over possible U.S.-funded bio labs in Ukraine. Though President Joe Biden and senior officials have denied any involvement with biological research in Ukraine, some have remained skeptical. Gabbard has long been a staunch opponent of allowing the United States to become entangled in foreign conflicts. Since the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Gabbard has staked out a position against U.S. military involvement, an attitude shared by several libertarian and populist organizations and commentators. In a Twitter thread posted over the weekend, Gabbard said that the United States had funded several bio labs in Ukraine. Im not convinced there are biological weapons labs or biological weapons in Ukrainethats not what Im concerned about, Gabbard wrote. Im concerned about the existence of the 25+ biological labs in that warzone. Because the official government position is that these labs do not exist, Gabbards comments drew backlash from Romney, who has long espoused a far more interventionist foreign policy. Tulsi Gabbard is parroting false Russian propaganda, Romney said in a Twitter post. Her treasonous lies may well cost lives. On Monday Gabbard appeared on Tucker Carlson Tonight, where she responded to Romneys accusations of treason. What would be your response to Mitt Romney? Carlson asked Gabbard. This is not a matter of disagreement or holding a dissenting viewthis is about facts and this is about the truth, Gabbard said. While all these talking heads [in Congress and in the media] are regurgitating Hillary Clintons slanderous talking points, the facts remain. Gabbard said that she has been accused of saying that the United States has bioweapons labs in Ukraine, but she denied the allegation as a misrepresentation. I have said no such thing, at any point. I have said that there are bio labs in Ukraine that have received U.S. support, that contain dangerous pathogens, that if those labs are breached then we in the world are facing a potential future of pandemics. I think its important to recognize that facts exist, especially in this case, and the truth is the first casualty of war, said Gabbard. And so this is exactly what we are seeing here: people [who] have a very specific agenda [are] refusing to recognize the truth, refusing to have a conversation and instead immediately resorting to their age-old tactic of silence, smear, and destroy the character and reputation of anyone who dares to say anything that they dont like. Senator Romney, please provide evidence that what I said is untrue and treasonous, Gabbard wrote. If you cannot, you should do the honorable thing: apologize and resign from the Senate. In addition, Gabbard said, members of Congress and officials in the Biden Administration have denied the mere existence of these labs, despite a plethora of evidence to the contrary. The Russian accusations are absurd, they are laughable and you know, in the words of my Irish Catholic grandfather, a bunch of malarkey, Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said on March 9 of the claim that the U.S. funded bio labs in the region. Theres nothing to it. Its classic Russian propaganda. However, during a March 8 Senate hearing Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Victoria Nuland admitted to Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) that the labs did exist, saying that the United States was quite concerned that the facilities dangerous contents could fall into the hands of the Russians. Ukraine has biological research facilities which in fact we are now quite concerned Russian troopsRussian forcesmay be seeking to gain control of. A 2010 document by the USAF Counterproliferation Center in Alabama indicated that the United States at that time had long provided funding for these facilities (pdf). U.S. Sen. Dick Lugar applauded the opening of the Interim Central Reference Laboratory in Odessa, Ukraine, this week, announcing that it will be instrumental in researching dangerous pathogens used by bioterrorists, the release said of the level-3 bio-safety lab. Lugar was quoted in the document saying, The continuing cooperation of Nunn-Lugar partners has improved safety for all people against weapons of mass destruction and potential terrorist use, in addition to advancements in the prevention of pandemics and public health consequences. However, these labs have existed for much longer. According to an archived Nunn-Lugar report from August 2005, the United States that year signed a research agreement with Ukraine to counter the threat of bioterrorism and to prevent the proliferation of biological weapons, technology, materials, and expertise (pdf). The report said the initiative includes a provision for a modern, safe and secure diagnostic health laboratory and a national network of epidemiological monitoring stations equipped to rapidly detect, diagnose, and respond to infectious disease outbreaks throughout Ukraine, whether naturally occurring or as a result of bioterrorism. Such cooperation is ongoing with Georgia, Uzbekistan, and Kazakhstan. In an earlier appearance on Carlsons show, Gabbard said that despite abundant evidence proving the existence of these labs, Biden officials have been playing the blame game rather than taking responsibility for the facilities existence. That is not what a responsible leader would do, Gabbard said. The Epoch Times reached out to Romney and Gabbard for comment but has not received a response at the time of publishing. UK Family Doctors Under Pressure as Patients Are Stuck on NHS Waiting List General practitioners (GPs) in the UK are under tremendous pressure as they have to support a record number of patients who are stuck on the NHS waiting list for specialist care, MPs heard on Tuesday. During an oral evidence session of Parliaments Health and Social Care Committee, a GP said she has to support patients on the NHS waiting list, including one during a 63-week wait to see a gastroenterologist. And what are all those patients doing? Well, were holding them, were taking the risk, were trying to support them through that, Dr. Kate Fallon, a GP at Somerton House Surgery in Somerset, said. Its not just gastroenterology, but thats the worst example. The time-consuming task is creating a bottleneck that left GPs with two to three minutes to deal with each health issue, according to Professor Martin Marshall, chair of the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP). So you got a complex problem and youve got two or three minutes to deal with it in a consultation. It doesnt work, he said. And what it means is youre constantly cutting corners and youre constantly making compromises. Marshall said he knows a number of GPs who are just constantly worried that theyre going to make a prescribing error or a diagnostic error. A record number of people are waiting for hospital care in England after being referred for specialist care by their GPsome 6.1 million people in England alone. The situation is unlikely to get better soon. As diagnoses and elective treatments were delayed during the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus pandemic, it will take the NHS years to clear the backlog. According to the NHSs delivery plan for tackling the COVID-19 backlog of elective care (pdf) published in February, the NHS set out its ambitions including cutting waiting time for elective care to under two years by July 2022, under 18 months by April 2023, under 65 weeks by March 2024, and under a year by 2025. Other ambitions include delivering 95 percent of diagnostic tests within six weeks by March 2025 and delivering cancer diagnoses within 28 days of their GPs urgent referral for 75 percent of the patients by March 2024. Apart from the increased workload for GPs, Marshall told MPs the sector can also expect a staffing crisis. He told MPs that a poll by the RCGP found that 34 percent of GPs said that they plan to retire in the next five years. That would be 14,000 fewer GPs than we have at the moment, he said. So were likely to be losing more GPs than were recruiting and that is a massive crisis. He called for a larger workforce, different GP practices, and changing the nature of demand by helping patients understand when they can self-care or seek help from a pharmacist. Meanwhile, Dr. Kieran Sharrock, deputy chair of the British Medical Associations England GP committee, said that the negative rhetoric GPs faced was harming the morale of the profession. One in five GPs has been the butt of abuse as a result of the recent campaign against general practice, he told MPs. Dialling down the rhetoric against general practice is really important if you want to retain and recruit GPs, he said. Sharrock said the public needs to be informed of what GPs are delivering now instead of what it should be delivering. Clearly a 10 or 20-year plan is needed for that, including a workforce plan, but at the moment we cant provide the care to the level we want to, he said. We need the government to support us and say: This is what your GP can do at the moment because of the rise in demand, the huge backlog, and the loss of staff.' That might actually make the profession feel supported. I have a member of my staff who burst into tears after having abuse from a patient and we have to have zero tolerance of that. PA media contributed to this report. UK Secretary of State for Defence, Ben Wallace (R), and Defence Minister of the Russian Federation, Sergei Shoigu (L), are seen inside the Russian Ministry of Defence building in Moscow on Feb. 11, 2022. (Tim Hammond/MoD Crown Copyright via Getty Images) UK Intelligence Experts Concerned Russia Will Use Fabricated Chemical Weapons Claims in False-Flag Attack on Ukraine UK intelligence experts are concerned that Russia will use fabricated claims regarding chemical weapons in Ukraine to move forward with a false-flag operation. The UK Ministry of Defence said in a March 14 report that Russian accusations that Ukraine intends to use chemical and biological weapons continue but officials noted that they have seen no evidence to support these accusations. Russia could possibly be planning to use chemical or biological weapons in a false-flag operation. Such an operation could take the form of a faked attack, a staged discovery of agents or munitions, or fabricated evidence of alleged Ukrainian planning to use such weapons, officials said, adding that such a false-flag attack would almost certainly be accompanied by extensive disinformation to complicate attribution. Officials added that intelligence suggests that Moscow had likely intended to use false-flag operations as justification for its invasion of neighboring Ukraine on Feb. 24. Prior to Russias invasion of Ukraine, John Kirby, the Pentagons spokesman, told reporters in Washington that U.S. officials had information that indicated Russia was working actively to create a pretext for a potential invasion, for a move on Ukraine and was looking to conduct a false-flag operation, an operation designed to look like an attack on them or their people, or Russian speaking people in Ukraine, as an excuse to go in. Russia has in recent months repeatedly perpetuated the accusation that U.S.-funded laboratories in Ukraine are developing biological warfare weapons. Even before its invasion of Ukraine, such allegations were being aired on Russian state-run media. However, analysts believe that the narrative is part of the Kremlins plan to create a false-flag operation in an attempt to justify using chemical weapons operations in Ukraine itself. The Russian Ministry of Defense issued a statement on Telegram accusing Ukraine of having destroyed pathogens being studied at a lab in Ukraine that the ministry says is funded by the U.S. Department of Defense. Russias allegations regarding the biological laboratories appeared to be repeated by the Chinese regime on March 7. Yet both the United States and Ukraine maintain that the laboratories seek to prevent bioweapons and pathogens, a project backed by the Defense Threat Reduction Agency, an agency within the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD). In response to Russias allegations, State Department spokesman Ned Price said in a statement that the disinformation being spread by Russia is total nonsense and not the first time Russia has invented such false claims against another country. The UK Ministry of Defences report comes as NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg warned on March 13 that the Kremlin might use chemical or biological weapons in its invasion of Ukraine, which would amount to a war crime. In recent days, we have heard absurd claims about chemical and biological weapons laboratories, Stoltenberg said during an interview with German newspaper Welt am Sonntag. The NATO Secretary General echoed comments by the UKs Ministry of Defense that Russia could be using the claims to create a false pretext to justify its actions. Now that these false claims have been made, we must remain vigilant because it is possible that Russia itself could plan chemical weapons operations under this fabrication of lies. That would be a war crime, Price said. White House press secretary Jen Psaki has also cautioned officials to be on the lookout for Russia to possibly use chemical or biological weapons in Ukraine, or to create a false flag operation using them. UK to End Last CCP Virus Restrictions for International Arrivals All remaining CCP virus travel rules will end for people who arrive in the UK after 4 a.m. on Friday, transport secretary Grant Shapps has said. Its expected to boost the travel industry as the Easter holiday approaches. All remaining COVID travel measures, including the Passenger Locator Form and tests for all arrivals, will be stood down for travel to the UK from 4 a.m. on 18 March, the transport secretary announced on Twitter on Monday. Currently, all passengers arriving in the UK are required to fill in a passenger locator form. Adults who are not fully vaccinated have to take a pre-departure test and a day two post-arrival test. Mandatory managed quarantine is required for those who arrive from countries on the red-list, which has been empty since Dec. 15 last year. The government said all the remaining managed hotel quarantine capacity will be fully stood down from the end of March. The minister attributed the lifting of the restrictions to the UKs high CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus vaccination rate. According to the government, 86 percent of the population has had two doses of a CCP virus vaccine, while 8 out of 10 adults (67 percent of the population) received a booster dose. The government said it will maintain a range of contingency measures in reserve in order to delay any future harmful variants of COVID-19 entering the UK, but it promised to use the least stringent measures that are appropriate and only deploy the contingency measures in extreme circumstances. Tim Alderslade, chief executive of Airlines UK, said the industry is grateful for the timing of the announcement and for the UKs leadership in being the first major aviation market to remove all remaining restrictions. The UKs international travel rules throughout the pandemic have been agreed upon by the overarching central government and the local administrations in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, but the local governments set their own domestic rules while the central government sets the rules for England. The last remaining legal restrictions in England were removed on Feb. 24, and all legal restrictions became guidance in Northern Ireland from Feb. 15. In Scotland, mandatory mask-wearing in some indoor spaces and on public transport is currently in place, but may end next week. First Minister Nicola Sturgeon previously said the rule will be downgraded to guidance from March 21 assuming no significant adverse developments in the course of the virus. The legal requirement for businesses to retain customer contact details for contact tracing is also expected to end on March 21. There have been some calls for the government to delay the lifting of the restrictions due to a surge in the official numbers of cases and hospitalisations. Sturgeon is expected to give an update on Tuesday afternoon. But Sturgeon made clear the Scottish government would continue to ask those who test positive for COVID to isolate for the recommended period. Financial support for self-isolation also remains. Mandatory face coverings and self-isolation rules still apply in Wales, but the rules are due to expire on March 28 if the current public health situation remains stable. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson wearing pins of the Union Jack and the Ukrainian flag visits the Cammell Laird shipyard in Merseyside on March 10, 2022. (Phil Noble/AFP via Getty Images) UK Will Pursue More Options to Bolster Ukraines Self-Defence: Johnson The UK will continue to pursue more options for bolstering Ukraines self-defence, Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said. In a call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Sunday, Johnson said the UK would continue to stand behind Ukraine in all their efforts to bring an end to this disastrous conflict. According to Downing Street, the prime minister commended Zelensky and the Ukrainian people on their fortitude, adding that Russian President Vladimir Putins barbaric actions were testing not just Ukraine but all of humanity. A Ukrainian Military Forces serviceman aims with a Next generation Light Anti-tank Weapon (NLAW) Swedish-British anti-aircraft missile launcher during a drill at the firing ground of the International Center for Peacekeeping and Security, near the western Ukrainian city of Lviv on Jan. 28, 2022. (AFP via Getty Images) The prime minister outlined the support the UK continues to deliver to Ukraine, Johnsons official spokesman told reporters. He said the UK would continue to pursue more options for bolstering Ukraines self-defence, working with partners including at Tuesdays meeting of the Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) in London. Johnson is hosting leaders from the JEF, an alliance of northern European nations including Denmark, Finland, Estonia, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Sweden, and Norway, on Monday and Tuesday. Also on Sunday, Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said she had spoken to her Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba. She wrote on Twitter that the UK is doing all we can to support including defensive weapons and humanitarian aid. Earlier on Sunday, 35 people were killed in a Russian missile attack on a military training base in western Ukraine, less than 15 miles from the border with Poland, a NATO member state. The attack on the Yavoriv base, which has previously been used by NATO to train Ukrainian soldiers, was one of the western-most targets struck by Russia during the invasion. Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky warned it was only a matter of time before NATO gets struck by Russian fire. Talking to the BBC on Monday, UK Health Secretary Sajid Javid said he believed a direct Russian attack on a NATO member was still very unlikely, but it is not impossible. He warned that such an attack would trigger a response from the alliance, which has a policy of mutual defence. He said: Weve made it very clear to the Russians even before the start of this conflict. Even if a single Russian toecap steps into NATO territory, then it will be considered an act of war. Downing Street said the strike so close to a NATO member is deeply concerning and that the UK is seeking to build the broadest possible coalition against the Russian aggression. These strikes are deeply concerning, the prime ministers official spokesman said. We want everyone in the international community to condemn Putins barbaric acts. PA Media contributed to this report. A combine harvester loads a truck with wheat in a field near the village of Hrebeni in Kyiv region, Ukraine, in this July 17, 2020, file photo. (Reuters/Valentyn Ogirenko) Ukraine War Creates Wheat Crisis in Middle East and North Africa, China Looking to Take Advantage Russias war with Ukraine is creating worries of a potential global wheat supply crunch, with countries in the Middle East especially standing to lose the most due to their dependence on the two nations for the staple. Russia and Ukraine combined account for 29 percent of global wheat exports, with the Middle East being a major buyer. If Russia captures Ukraines Odessa port, it can essentially disrupt Kyivs wheat supply to the Middle East and North Africa. Importing around 50 percent and 30 percent from Russia and Ukraine respectively last year, Egypt remains the worlds top importer of the grain. Egypts General Authority of Supply Commodities (GASC) buys wheat to supply heavily subsidized bread to over 60 million of the countrys more than 105 million people. Since the Russian invasion, GASC has been forced to cancel two tenders, owing to high prices and a lack of offers. Two cargoes are currently stuck at ports in Ukraine. Taking into account Egypts wheat reserves as well as local supplies that will be soon added to the stocks, the country has enough grain for nine months, Ibrahim Ashmawy, deputy supply and internal trade minister, said to Reuters. But for future imports during the rest of the year, we will look into EU because of proximity but we will not exclude other exporters like the U.S., Kazakhstan, Romania, he added. The Egyptian government is expected to add an extra $950 million into the current budget to compensate for the higher price of wheat. Moreover, supplies from strategic reserves can also get depleted. The price of local wheat had risen by 23 percent while that of flour had surged 44 percent as of March 7, Ezzat Aziz of the Cairo Chamber of Commerce, told Reuters. Lebanon is another big importer of wheat and could be severely affected by the Ukraine crisis. The country only had wheat reserves for a month when Russian forces entered Ukraine. Lebanon imports 60 percent of its wheat from Ukraine. They import a lot of wheat from Ukraine or Russia, but they also import a lot of flour. Where is the flour milled? Its milled in Egypt, Turkey, and the Arab Emirates. And where do they get their wheat? They get it from the Black Sea, Joe Glauber, a senior research fellow at the International Food Policy Research Institute in Washington, told The Washington Post. There are a lot of knock-on effects that I think dont show up immediately that were beginning to uncover. In Tunisia, the government has reportedly banned officials from discussing wheat imports. Bread stocks have fallen and shops are rationing flour. In Syria, the government has begun rationing wheat. Though Libya, Algeria, and other oil-producing nations are also exposed to higher wheat prices, some of the additional costs could be offset by higher rates fetched from hydrocarbon sales. China might seek to take advantage of the situation as the country is said to have a large surplus of wheat, accounting for roughly 50 percent of global stocks. For instance, the Egyptian government has often supported Beijing in issues like the persecution of Uyghur Muslims of Xinjiang. Egypt not only arrested and deported Uyghurs in 2017 but also supported Chinas policy on Xinjiang in 2019 in a letter to the United Nations. By offering a small portion of its reserves to struggling countries like Egypt, China is aiming to strengthen ties in the region. A group of Slavic people living in Taiwan display placards during a protest against Russia's military invasion of Ukraine at the Free Square outside the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall in Taipei, Taiwan, on March 6, 2022. (Sam Yeh/AFP via Getty Images) Ukrainian Victory Is Essential for Both Europe and Asia Defeating Putin, Xi, and other future medieval warlords Commentary The recent example of Russian barbarism and medieval sieges of Ukrainian cities is a stark reminder that we still live with dictators who believe in blood and soil, despise any notions of constitutional self-governance, and do not observe any fictional red lines that third parties project onto them. Ukraine Is Not About NATO, Its About Russian Domination of the West Vladimir Putin has never acknowledged the existence of Ukraine as an independent country, and is willing to go to extremes to realize his lifelong goal on conquering it and subjugating its people. Many people around the world, and particularly in the West, have deluded themselves into believing that the catastrophic events of the World Wars and the human enslavement within the USSR during the Cold War belong permanently in the past. They do not. Refusal to acknowledge this has resulted in a failure of deterrence thereby resulting in Putin and his inner circle erroneously concluding that they could invade and conquer Ukraine quickly, decisively, and at a low cost. It has become clear that the Ukrainian armed forces, civilian militias, and international legion fighters will take extreme risks and fight to the end. Putin has panicked at the prospect of an intense Ukrainian insurgency and has opted for the Grozny model of indiscriminate shelling of civilian infrastructure (including apartment buildings), the use of cluster munitions, and encirclement of entire cities. The historical parallels between Russian forces presently attempting to strangulate Kharkiv and the actions taken by Josef Stalin to deliberately induce famine and starvation in the same city are impossible to ignore. If Ukraine had been a full member of NATO, this would not have happened. If Ukraine had the full integrated air defense systems, artillery and mortar systems, cruise and ballistic missile systems, and attack aircraft that Kyiv had requested for years, this would not have happened. If Estonia, Lithuania, and Latvia were not members of NATO, Russian troops would likely be (at least) staged on their borders. It would also be an even more dangerous time to be in Poland, Romania, Hungary, or even Turkey. Putin does not understand or appreciate indirect communication, the polite diplomatic language of cocktail parties, or any forms of nuance. He has come up through the Russian jungle and he operates as such. Putin has sought to reconstitute the USSR ever since he physically witnessed the Berlin Wall fall during his KGB days, and he invaded Ukraine because he thought that he could. If official NATO was not next to him in Ukraine, the strategic situation would be even more severe than it presently is. President Ronald Reagan addresses the people of West Berlin at the base of the Brandenburg Gate on June 12, 1987. Tear down this wall! was the famous command Reagan gave to Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev. The address is considered by many to have affirmed the beginning of the end of the Cold War and the fall of communism. (Mike Sargent/AFP via Getty Images) No Limiting Principle: Putin Will Not Stop Unless He Is Stopped Putin does not respect the European Union as an institution, nor does he likely acknowledge the independent existence of the Baltic States, especially Lithuania. He also is clearly intending to conquer all of Ukraine, not simply the mythical Eastern Half. It is important to remember that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy himself is from the East and speaks Russian as his first language. Understanding the mindset and strategic orientation of Putin is not complex: he will continue to push as far into Europe (yes, Europe) as he can until the costs of these actions exceed his personal threshold of acceptance. This is at least Putins fifth war since he has been president and his threshold is higher than what many appear to appreciate. While economic and financial sanctions, the cancelling of pipeline projects, and other non-kinetic measures are not to be trivialized, it is likely that these risks have already been factored in by Putin and his team. The collapse of the ruble has placed millions of Russians into economic hardship, who then face the potential of treason charges if they speak out publicly against Putins actions in Ukraine. While there have been protests across Russian cities, they have been dealt with ruthlessly and do not likely represent a credible threat to the Putin regime. Nor is a rebellion within his inner circle likely either as they owe their positions and, maybe even more importantly, their own personal wealth to Putin granting it to them. As a substantial portion of this personal wealth has been kept in Russia to protect it from international sanctions (and is not likely denominated solely in rubles due to their privileged status), it remains subject to Putins discretion. If Putin gives it, he can also take it away. The net result is that, in Moscow, Putin remains in control and will continue to execute his medieval ambitions in Ukraine (and then Europe more broadly) unless he is stopped and his forces are obliterated. Only when Putin and his inner circle have been defeated and have personally lost everything, will this insanity cease. Half measures such as temporary ceasefires, partial territorial partitions, economic sanctions that can even take years to have an effect, or any other measures short of outright Ukrainian victory and full Russian expulsion and/or destruction will not resolve the issue. Previous generations of World War II-era leaders (aside from Winston Churchill) did not fully understand or appreciate this timeless strategic principle and roughly 60 million people (mostly in Europe and Asia) lost their lives as a result. Decisive actions need to be taken now or we will end up taking extreme actions later. Either way we will deal with thisit is not an option. Ukraine and Taiwan: Very Different Countries With the Same Strategic Principle Ukraine and Taiwan are two countries with unique histories, cultures and languages, and their own respective forms of democratic and constitutional government. One country is an island nation in between East and Southeast Asia, while the other is a large landmass in Eastern Europe. Despite these differences and others, Ukraine and Taiwan share one fundamental principle that both the West and Asia must understand, absorb, and act upon. Ukraine is an Orthodox Christian, Slavic, and Ukrainian/Russian-speaking country that has successfully navigated the chaos of the collapse of the USSR and continued Russian intimidation and psychological warfare. It has emerged as a self-governing democratic nation that sees its future in Europe and as a full member of Western civilization. Ukraine is living, breathing proof that Putins claim that Russia is the true Slavic father nation and must be governed by an iron fist to maintain stability is a self-evident and self-serving lie. As Ukraine continues to progress, it becomes increasingly impossible for Putin to explain Russias own relative lack of progress (and now outright regression) while a neighbouring country like Ukraine moves forward under a fundamentally different and superior system. Every day that Ukraine exists, it poses a threat to Putin through its mere existence. The Taipei 101 tower, once the worlds tallest building, and the Taipei skyline, in Taipei, Taiwan, on Jan. 7, 2020. (Carl Court/Getty Images) Taiwan is an ethnically Chinese-majority, Mandarin Chinese-speaking country with a fully functioning democratic system and free market that has produced a degree of widespread economic well-being and political stability that is unimaginable in mainland China. Taiwan weathered initial periods of dictatorship under Chiang Kai-shek, followed by stagnant one-party rule to emerge as arguably the most robust multiparty democracy in Asia. Taiwan today represents that exact inverse of the program of Xi Jinping and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) who continue to abide by the demonstrably false and incredibly regressive idea that Chinese people are incapable of self-rule and, therefore, require a ruthless top-down system of control in order to maintain stability. Taiwans continued progress and unapologetic existence represents an existential threat to Xi and the CCP leadership. Taiwan is a Chinese nation that has taken the polar opposite path of mainland China and has achieved superior results according to any metric that matters. Xi does not, and never has, had any method of credibly addressing this issue and explaining it to his subjects in the mainland. This explains his continued multi-decade obsession with a country that has fewer people living in it than the greater Shanghai metropolitan area. Ukraine and Taiwan represent the future, but are located directly across from those who are committed to the brutal and barbaric past of the atrocities of the 20th century. The continued success and freedom of both countries will further reduce the risk of any repeat of these events. The inverse is also true. A set of seemingly small border wars in Europe in the 1930s culminated in at least 20 million people in Asia dying not long after. We ignore or attempt to dismiss this historical reality at our own peril. Xi Is Watching It is inconceivable that the Russian military buildup and potential invasion of Ukraine was not discussed during Putins visit to Beijing as Xis personal invited guest for the Winter Olympics. While what was specifically discussed is not fully known, Xis strategic intent can be inferred by his actual actions over the course of this invasion. Aside from bizarrely attempting to blame the United States for Putins invasion, Xi and the CCP leadership have sealed long-term energy supply contracts with Russian state-owned companies, a mechanism to circumvent the ever-increasing Western sanctions. This will also likely have the effect of increasing Russian dependence on the Chinese yuan to settle transactions and clandestinely procure resources for the Russian state from China as well as from international markets. Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese leader Xi Jinping pose for a photograph during their meeting in Beijing, on Feb. 4, 2022. (Alexei Druzhinin/Sputnik/AFP via Getty Images) Russian arms exports are also likely to be more narrowly concentrated on Xis priorities and considerations given Putins increasingly junior partner status in the relationship. The CCP understands leverage in a ruthlessly strategic manner and exploits it accordingly. Putins major mistake in this situation was believing that he was the smartest person in the room. With or without Putin, Russia will find itself in a structurally diminished state relative to China and, therefore, will find itself being subjected to Xis own strategic agenda. The CCPs established track record with many other internationally ostracized countries, such as Pakistan, provides solid evidence of this. Aside from China, India and Vietnam are the other major regional importers of Russian arms and weapons systems. It is unlikely that Xi will continue to tolerate this situation as his senior partner status is fully solidified. Aside from leveraging Putins strategic errors to establish asymmetric advantages in the Sino-Russian relationship, Xi is fundamentally observing the precedents that are, or are not, being established and determining what precisely will be tolerated, or reacted against, by leading Western and Asian powers. Putins insane claims on Ukraine are based on fictional historical accounts that are made up as they go along, superficial linguistic commonalities, and superficial claims of generalized ethnic overlap without any regard to citizenship. If this precedent is allowed to again be established in Europe without severe consequences, what Xi has the potential to attempt to actualize across Asia could dwarf what is happening in Europe today, as serious as the situation is. If You Invade an Independent Democratic Country, You Are Gone Brave words, impromptu visits to Moscow, and pleading mixed with unspecified threats of consequences and international isolation all failed to deter Putins ambitions in Ukraineand we are all now living with the results of this failure. Both the West and Asia must understand that murderous tyrants still live among us and that they closely coordinate with and take cues from each other. While they may even have substantial differences, they are able to temporarily put them aside to focus on their shared strategic goal of reorienting the world order around top-down control, self-enriching dictatorships, and inflicting outright misery for billions of innocent people. Many in the generation of our parents and grandparents were unable to perceive these risks as there had never been an event such as World War II in human history. Today we have no such excuse and we owe it to ourselves, our future generations, and those who fought and defeated these evils before us to stop these agendas dead in their tracks. Landing barges carry U.S. troops to Leyte Island during the war in the Pacific of World War II in October 1944. (U.S. Coast Guard) Deterrence does not work unless a nation or nations effectively utilize their comprehensive national resources (military and otherwise) and communicate clearly and directly that they will be used. Modern strategic concepts such as soft power and leading from behind have demonstrably failed. In order to safeguard our own futures, medieval warlords such as Putin and Xi must be spoken to directly. They must be told the following: If you invade an independent democratic nation, you and everyone around you will lose everything. The loss of your self-appointed titles and self-granted medals will be the least of your concerns. Your entire circle will be decimated, bankrupted, and you will not be safe even in your own house. You may start this fight but you will have no control over where or how that fight is finished. This is not the flowery diplomatic language that is taught at Cambridge or Georgetown. However, it is the direct type of communication that dictators with the personal histories and strategic orientations of Putin and Xi understand and actually respect. Both the West and Asia should never again be in a position where we are verbally negotiating at gunpoint with those who do not believe that we even have the right to exist. The combination of democratic governance, freedom of speech and information, and free market capitalism have produced military superiority and dynamic, robust economies that continuously innovate and produce unimaginable abundance. It is time to point these capabilities directly at the dictatorships in Moscow and Beijing. Slava Ukraini. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. A man walks past boards celebrating 200 years of Karl Marx's birth in Trier, Germany on May 3, 2018. (Photo by Patrik Stollarz/AFP via Getty Images) University of Florida Strips Marxs Name From Library Study Room The University of Florida has removed the name of Communist Manifesto author Karl Marx from a library study room after it gained media attention. According to a March 7 report by Campus Reform, the public university had one of its 14 group study rooms at the George A. Smathers Libraries named Karl Marx Study Room. In a photo publicized by the education news site, Marxs name is inscribed on a plaque at the rooms entrance, with a short passage describing him as a philosopher, radical economist, and revolutionary critic of all that exists. The description further credited Marx as being the founder of scientific socialism whose reputation as a radical thinker emerged during the rise of the socialist political parties in the 1870s and 1880s and for laying the foundation of socialist and communist movements around the world. The unique extent of the influence of Marxs materialist explanation of the workings of society, economics and history, inevitably saw Marxist theory extend its influence to literary criticism, the plaque read. Some other Library West study rooms were named after historical figures such as Benjamin Franklin, Frederick Douglas, William Shakespeare, and Ernest Hemingway. The librarys online booking system previously displayed all those names, but it now only refers to the rooms by numbers, with Karl Marx Study Room becoming Room 229. In a statement to Campus Reform, the university said that name change has to do with the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine. Given current events in Ukraine and elsewhere in the world, we determined it was appropriate to remove the name of Karl Marx that was placed on a group study room at the University of Florida in 2014, a University of Florida spokesperson said. Earlier this month, the Florida State Legislature voted to designate Nov. 7 as Victims of Communism Memorial Day in remembrance of and honoring those who have died and suffered under communist regimes. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is expected to approve the measure and make his state the fifth in the United States to do so. The scary reality about communism and those who promise to bring equality and liberation is that they promise freedom and economic equalitybut all that they bring is misery, destruction, and death, said Republican state Rep. David Borrero, the bills sponsor in the lower chamber. We need this bill because 1 in 5 people live under communism today in China, Cuba, Vietnam, North Korea, and Laos. Over 100 million people have died because of these failed economic policies, Borrero added, pointing to a report that says nearly half of Generation Z would be willing to vote for a socialist and in 1 in 5 would be willing to vote for a communist. According to the latest version of the Report on U.S. Attitudes Toward Socialism, Communism, and Collectivism by non-profit group Victims of Communism Memorial, pro-socialist sentiment increased among younger Americans with Gen Zs approval at 49 percent in 2020, up from 40 percent in 2019. Favorable opinions toward Marxism also increased in the youngest generation, with 30 percent of Gen Z having a favorable view of Marxism in 2020, up 6 percentage points from the previous year. U.S. Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcon (R) and F-35A Lightning II fighter jets taxiing at Kunsan Air Base in Kunsan, South Korea, on Dec. 3, 2017. (Senior Airman Colby L. Hardin/U.S. Air Force via Getty Images) US Forces in South Korea Bolster Air Defense After North Koreas ICBM Tests The U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) said Tuesday that it has increased air defense exercises in South Korea, after speculations that North Korea had used an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) system in its recent tests. USFK said that its 35th air defense artillery brigade has recently increased the intensity of its certification exercise as a demonstration of the forces capabilities and commitment to defend South Korea against any threat or adversary. [The Democratic Peoples Republic of Koreas] significant increase in its missile testing activity undermines peace, security, and destabilizes the Northeast Asia region, it said in a statement, referring to North Koreas official name. It noted that the unit validated their wartime mission requirements by moving to a remote location, occupying its wartime defensive position, emplacing the patriot missile system, and executing air and missile defense operations under a simulated combat scenario. While this type of training is routinely conducted by U.S. Patriot batteries across [South Korea], its increased intensity of its certification underscores the seriousness USFK takes against the DPRKs recent missile launch behavior, USFK stated. The U.S. Treasury Department on March 11 claimed that North Korea had conducted 11 ballistic missile launches since the start of 2022, the most recent being on March 4, which Pyongyangs state-run media said was an attempt to test cameras installed on a spy satellite. Washington concluded that North Koreas recent tests on Feb. 26 and March 4 involved a new intercontinental ballistic missile system that the Kim regime first unveiled during a military parade in 2020. The purpose of these tests, which did not demonstrate ICBM range, was likely to evaluate this new system before conducting a test at full range in the future, potentially disguised as a space launch, Pentagon press secretary John Kirby said. South Korea has also urged North Korea to immediately stop any activity that raises tensions and regional security tensions. It also warned that Pyongyang appears to be restoring parts of the Punggye-ri nuclear testing site, which the Kim regime razed in May 2018 as a sign of its commitment to end nuclear testing, Yonhap News Agency reported. On Dec. 2, 2021, the military chiefs of the United States and South Korea announced their agreement to update strategic planning guidance to deter North Koreas military threats. U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and his South Korean counterpart Suh Wook affirmed their commitment to strengthening the alliances deterrence posture by leveraging all available alliance capabilities, including cyber and space capabilities, and to update operation plans. The two defense officials said that the Korean peninsula is one of the places on the globe where conflict could start with little notice, and the forces in South Koreaincluding 28,000 Americansmust be ready to fight tonight. In this photo illustration, a DJI Mavic 2 Pro made by the Chinese drone maker hovers in place in Miami, Florida on Dec. 15, 2021. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images) US Software Company Drops Chinese Drone Maker DJI Over Russia-Ukraine War Figma, a fast-growing U.S. provider of vector graphics editing software, closed access to its services for the worlds leading drone maker, Chinas DJI, on March 12, according to the Chinese state-run media China Fund on March 13. The financial newspaper operated by the Peoples Daily posted an email that it is was sent by Figma to DJI. We have learned that DJI is named in U.S. issued sanctions. As a result and in compliance with U.S. laws, Figma can no longer provide you with access to our software, read the email. The email said that Figma had frozen DJIs access, and would send DJIs users their files by email or other solutions within two weeks. China Fund reported that over the weekend, DJI asked all its employees who use Figma to download their files using their private accounts because the company registered accounts couldnt log in. On March 13, the China Financial Information Center (CFIC), co-owned by state-run Xinhua and Shanghai city, reported that several Chinese software providers claimed that their products would replace Figma to serve DJI. The logo of Chinese company DJI is seen at a store in Beijing on Dec. 16, 2021. (JADE GAO/AFP via Getty Images) These products include MasterGo, JsDesign, and Pixso. CFIC listed that these three online tools had been founded in recent years and their software can edit Figmas files. They would like to help if any potential users choose to transfer their Figma files to their systems. Among them, Pixso was founded in Shenzhen in 2021, and its products supply the same functions as the foreign unicorn business Figma, CFIC reported. JsDesign was launched by Beijing-based company Xueyun Ruichuang Tech in September 2020. Its unclear whether they will be successful alternatives to Figma. DJI in Russia-Ukraine War In the past days, use of DJI drones in the Russia-Ukraine war has come into the spotlight. On March 10, Volodymyr Shymanskyy, co-founder of Blynk IoT Platform, posted on Twitter that according to a Ukrainian forces working group, the Chinese company limited the capabilities of its Aeroscope technology for the Ukrainian army, giving a significant air reconnaissance edge to Russian invaders. A DJI Mavic 2 Pro and DJi Mavic Mini made by the Chinese drone maker fly near each other in Miami, Florida on Dec. 15, 2021. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images) According to Shymanskyy, the Aeroscope function allows users to track DJI drones movements and the operators position and personal information within the range of 6.2 miles, which can be extended to 31 miles with supplementary DJI-made antennae. However, the Aeroscope function was frequently turned off for Ukrainian operators, while Russians have the technical capabilities to track Ukrainian DJI drone operators in the recent conflict, Shymanskyy said. He said that the Russians were able to use DJI technology to kill Ukrainian drone operators, but Ukrainians couldnt track the Russian operators. Quickly, Adam Lisberg, DJI U.S. communication director, responded to the claims on Twitter confirming that DJIs Aeroscope function wasnt working properly in Ukraine recently. But he said the malfunctions may be connected to prolonged loss of power/internet. On March 13, reports emerged about Russia having asked the Chinese regime for military aid, including drones, making the situation more sensitive although the Beijing side has denied the allegations. Liu Pengyu, spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in Washington, stated on March 13: Ive never heard of that (Russias request for military aid). Drone Market Over 80 percent of DJI drones are sold overseas, and DJI makes up over 70 percent of the global consumer drone market, Chinese state-run CCTV reported on March 13. As a key player in the drone market in the United States, DJI was added to the foreign entity list by the U.S. Department of Commerce on Dec. 22, 2020. Companies on the list are believed to act contrary to the national security or foreign policy interests of the United States. Initially, the drone industry believed that the listing might be due to cybersecurity concerns. The Department of Commence didnt list any threats related to cybersecurity, but mentioned two reasons for the companies listing: they were enabling wide-scale human rights abuses within China and facilitated the export of items by China that aid repressive regimes around the world. Acting Police Sergeant Chris Linzey pilots a DJI Matrice M300 drone (UAV) during a demonstration for media ahead of the upcoming in-person G7 Summit to be held in Cornwall, at the Police headquarters in Exeter, southwest England on May 25, 2021. (GEOFF CADDICK/AFP via Getty Images) DJI sells drones to authorities in Xinjiang for surveillance. Experts and witnesses have warned that millions of Uyghurs are detained in re-education camps across Xinjiang, where the regime has brainwashed them and forced them to be laborers. There are reports about the usage of DJI products for illicit purposes by non-state or anti-American actors, including by ISIS and an attempted assassination of Venezuelas president. By press time, Figma and DJI didnt respond to The Epoch Times requests for comment. Trucks drive alongside each other as they participate in The People's Convoy on the Capitol Beltway in Bethesda, Maryland, on March 7, 2022. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images) Vehicles in Truck-Led Convoy Ride Through Washington, DC Part of a convoy led by trucks rode through Washington, D.C. on Monday after more than a week of circling the nations capital to call for an end to the federal governments COVID-19 emergency declaration, restrictions, and mandates. It was the first time protesters of The Peoples Convoy sought to enter the city since arriving in the area earlier this month. The U.S. convoy was inspired by trucker convoys in Canada that made global news headlines for protesting against COVID-19 restrictions. The procession started out in California on Feb. 23 and arrived in the Washington area on March 4. Police blocked many bridges, highway exits, and city streets on Monday, preventing many of the convoy vehicles from entering downtown D.C. While many trucks were blocked, some apparently made it into the city, according to live streams posted on social media. Rolling Road Closures and Honking Prior to Monday, The Peoples Convoy had been peacefully circling Washington on the Capitol Beltway, a 64-mile interstate highway that surrounds the city, in a show of force. The D.C. Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency announced via Alert DC early Monday afternoon that three major interstate highways in the capital regionI-395, I-695, and I-295would face demonstration activity and that motorists should expect traffic delays. The agency advised people to consider alternative transportation or delay travel through the routes. The Metropolitan Police Department temporarily closed some streets and highway exits to keep traffic moving safely through the area, according to the announcement. These rolling road closures are occurring in real-time as they are needed, and will be lifted as soon as they are no longer necessary, the agency said. The convoy in the afternoon passed by the Pentagon before crossing the Potomac River into D.C. on the 14th Street Bridge. The dozens of large trucks and vehicles in the convoy were captured honking loudly amid heavy traffic delays exacerbated by their presence. D.C. Police closed access to certain city streets, slowing I-395 into downtown D.C. After entering the city, the convoy continued to I-695 before returning to the Beltway via the Anacostia River, reported The Washington Post. DC Police Traffic said there was Heavy Traffic Congestion along Northbound VA-395 thru Northbound DC-395 to Southbound DC-295 to Northbound MD-495 due to the Trucker Convoy from Hagerstown, MD. It continued to announce updates to temporary closures of exits throughout the afternoon until about 4 p.m., when it said all traffic closures have been lifted along DC-395/695 & DC-295. DC Alert announced around 4:30 p.m. local time, All freeway exit closures associated with the demonstration activity have been lifted. Permit to Protest at National Mall Rejected Last week, the convoy met with Sens. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) and Ted Cruz (R-Texas) on Capitol Hill to discuss the groups concerns over government restrictions encroaching on the personal freedoms of Americans. That was followed by further discussions with several members of the House of Representatives. The meetings with congressional members marked the first step in working with elected officials to end the mandates that have resulted from the national emergency declaration, the group said in a release on March 9. The group had planned to stage a protest on Washingtons National Mall but withdrew its application for a permit when the National Park Service partially rejected a request to hold a two-week protest there starting March 14, according to The Washington Post. The group demands the COVID-19 national emergency to be lifted immediately, according to its website. The national emergency, recently renewed by President Joe Biden, has enabled various pandemic restrictions and mandates to take effect in the United States over the past two years. The U.S. Senate on March 3 approved a measure to end the COVID-19 national emergency, but the measure does not have enough Democratic support to pass the Democrat-controlled House. Even if Congress approves the measure, the White House indicated that Biden would veto it. Reuters contributed to this report. Victoria Records $10 Billion Deficit Between June and December 2021 Victoria has run up a $10 billion (US$7.2 billion) deficit in the first six months of the 2021/22 financial year, although the Australian state witnessed a rise in economic activities after it relaxed COVID-19 restrictions. According to the mid-year financial report (pdf) released by the Department of Treasury and Finance of Victoria on March 11, the deficit mainly resulted from the impacts of the COVID-19 Delta variant and the lockdown of Melbourne lasting for 77 days in 2021. There was almost no difference between Victorias latest mid-year financial result and the $10.1 billion deficit the state reported in the first six months of 2020/21. However, the economic consequence suffered by the state in late 2021 was not as severe as when it shut down Melbourne for 112 days in 2020. While necessary restrictions associated with the Delta variant of COVID-19 led to a decline in economic activity in the September quarter of 2021, economic activity and employment remained stronger than during restrictions in 2020, the report read. Compared to September 2020, the number of employed Victorians recorded in October 2021 was higher by approximately 100,000, and the states final demand or total demand for final goods and services in late 2021 exceeded pre-pandemic levels due to rising household consumption. At the same time, Victorias net debt rose by $16.8 billion to $89.6 billion from June 30 to December 31, 2021, as a result of government spending on pandemic measures and main infrastructure projects. The state predicted that it would post a deficit of $19.5 billion for the entire 2021/2022 financial year, which amounted to 4.1 percent of the Gross State Product. The news of the deficit comes after business and financial information company S&P Global forecasted that Victorias debt would increase by four times to over $200 billion between 2019 and 2025, causing the state and its residents to become the most indebted in Australia. Victorian Treasurer Tim Pallas speaks to the media during a press conference in Melbourne, Australia, on May 30, 2021. (Daniel Pockett/Getty Images) Meanwhile, the mid-year report did not fully include the adverse effects of the COVID-19 Omicron wave, which peaked in January and early February 2022, because it only covered the six months to December 31, 2021. Nevertheless, data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics revealed that Victorias jobless rate stood at a record low of 4.1 percent in January 2022. Additionally, the states final demand increased by 1.6 percent to 3.7 percent between September and December 2021. Victorias choices through the pandemic have placed us in a frontline position for a sustained statewide recovery, Victorian Treasurer Tim Pallas said in a statement. Regarding the states revenue, Victoria collected $38.8 billion during the six months to December 2021, a growth of $7.8 billion compared to the previous year. Taxation also went up by $13 billion from the same period last year due to increases in land transfer duty, payroll tax and in-person gambling. Speaking of the latest state financial report, shadow Treasurer David Davis condemned the Labor government over Victorias rising levels of tax and debt. I note the government press release has a four-letter word that wont be mentioned and that four-letter word is debt, he told reporters. This is about the future of the state. Members of the 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Battalion, 69th Armored Regiment deploy to Germany on March 2, 2022 in Savannah, Georgia. (Melissa Sue Gerrits/Getty Images) War in Indo-Pacific Could Reach US Mainland: Army Secretary The next war that the United States fights could see hostilities erupt in the American homeland, according to the Armys top two leaders. The homeland really isnt a sanctuary anymore, said Army Secretary Christine Wormuth during a March 15 interview with the Hudson Institute, a Washington-based think tank. If we were to get in a real shooting war, our homeland would be part of the theater. The comments came amid a discussion of the role of the U.S. Army in the Indo-Pacific, and as tensions rise between aggressive regional powers such as China and North Korea with the democratic nations of Japan and South Korea. Wormuth said that the United States nuclear arsenal was key to preventing a war from erupting out of those tensions, even as the United States pivots some of its attention to Russias war in Ukraine. An important part of maintaining deterrence in this day and age is our nuclear triad, Wormuth said. Thats sort of the ultimate insurance policy. Thats something that our adversaries have to bear in mind, frankly, as they think about contemplating opportunistic aggression. Wormuth noted, however, that the Chinese Communist Partys military wing, the Peoples Liberation Army (PLA), was rapidly modernizing and expanding its forces, and presented a serious threat to both the stability of the Indo-Pacific and to the United States more generally. Im quite concerned, obviously, about the PLA threat, Wormuth said. They have embarked on a very impressive 20-year effort to comprehensively modernize their military across every single service. They have very impressive capabilities, she added. Wormuth noted advances in the PLA such as the reorganization of its strategic rocket force in 2016, and the modernization of its nuclear forces as contributing factors to its growing relevance on the global stage. Despite these growing capabilities, Wormuth noted that the United States retained a vital advantage in the experience and professionalism of its own fighting force. She added that the human dimension of the military should not be undervalued and noted that the United States military was coming fresh out of 20 years of combat experience and had superior training. Conversely, the PLA has not fought a war since Chinas attack on Vietnam in 1979. Concerning the possibility of overt hostilities between the United States and China, the issue of a Chinese invasion of Taiwan was at the forefront of the conversation. Gen. James McConville, Chief of Staff of the Army, spoke on the subject. He said that the PLAs lack of training and combat experience would prove a weakness in any invasion attempt, which Taiwan or the United States could exploit. If youre going to seize an island, that means youre doing one of three types of operations, or maybe all three, McConville said. Youre doing an amphibious operation, youre doing an airborne operation, or youre doing an air assault operation. All those are very complex. They take highly trained troops to do it. And anyone with a certain capability can impede that from happening. Like Wormuth, McConville stressed the difference in training quality and combat experience between the Chinese and American forces, and said that the United States non-commissioned officers, which form the backbone of the military, presented an important advantage. It takes a long time to train soldiers, McConville said. Were very blessed that we have a non-commissioned officer corps with the United States Army. A lot of our non-commissioned officers have three, four, five, six combat tours. Theyve been doing it for a long time. Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson chairs a meeting with leaders of the Joint Expeditionary Force at Lancaster House in London, on March 15, 2022. (Justin Tallis - WPA Pool/Getty Images) West Made Terrible Mistake Over Russian Annexation of Crimea: UKs Johnson The West made a terrible mistake in 2014 when it allowed Russian President Vladimir Putin to get away with annexing Crimea, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said. In a commentary in The Telegraph, Johnson wrote: When Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine the first time round, in 2014, the West made a terrible mistake. The Russian leader had committed an act of violent aggression and taken a huge chunk out of a sovereign countryand we let him get away with it. We decided we could somehow go back to normality. Economic relations did not just resumethey intensified, with the West taking more Russian gas than ever before, becoming more dependent on the goodwill of Putin and more exposed to the vagaries of the global gas and oil price. He said the addiction to Russian fuel had emboldened Putin to bomb civilians during his invasion of Ukraine, while at the same time profiting from soaring global oil and gas prices. The prime minister said Western dependence on Russian energy must now end because as long as the West is economically dependent on Putin, he will do all he can to exploit that dependence. We cannot go on like this. The world cannot be subject to this continuous blackmail, he said. If the world can end its dependence on Russian oil and gas, we can starve him of cash, destroy his strategy and cut him down to size, he added. The UK government said last week that it will phase out importing Russian oil by the end of the year. Later on Tuesday, Johnson will jet to Saudi Arabia for talks with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in the hope the kingdom can increase its production of oil and gas to make up for the gap in supplies. In his Telegraph article, Johnson said he will set out a British Energy Security Strategy later this month to make the UK more self-sufficient and no longer at the mercy of bullies like Putin. He said there is a need to press ahead with investment in renewables, including expanding the number of offshore wind farms and creating more solar power. Johnson also said there needs to be a series of big new bets on nuclear power, with a strategy that includes small modular reactors as well as the larger power stations. He reaffirmed his ambition to achieve net zero emissions target, but said the country will of course continue to use oil and gas as we make the transition. It is crazy that we are importing oil and gas from Putins Russia when we have our own resources in the North Sea, he said. Johnson said it is time to give investors more confidence in British hydrocarbons, but stopped short of mentioning the prospects of shale gas mining in England, where a moratorium on fracking is still in force. PA Media contributed to this report. Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson (R) listens as Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky addresses by video link a meeting of the leaders of the Joint Expeditionary Force at Lancaster House in London, on March 15, 2022. (Justin Tallis - WPA Pool/Getty Images) West Must Do More to Help Ukraine Resist Russian Aggression: UKs Johnson The West must do more to help Ukraine in its effort to resist Russian aggression, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said. Johnson made the remarks in London on Tuesday while hosting a meeting of the Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF), an alliance of northern European nations including Denmark, Finland, Estonia, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Sweden, and Norway. The UK government on Tuesday announced sanctions against a further 350 Russian individuals and entities, bringing the UK in line with measures already announced by the European Union. Addressing the JEF meeting via video-link, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he welcomed Western sanctions but they are not enough to end the Russian aggression, calling for a full trade embargo. He also urged the JEF countries to supply more weapons, as the shipments of supplies from the UK and other nations were being rapidly used up. Johnson told Zelensky, You challenge us, quite rightly, to do more and we all know that we can and we must do more. He said, I hear your point very loud and clear about the economic sanctions that we need to tighten, where we need to go harder on the banks, on Swift. He acknowledged it is a desperate moment and we must try to do more, particularly to support you in protecting the Ukrainian people from bombardment from artillery and by aviation. The UK has already said it is planning to send Starstreak anti-aircraft missile systems to Ukraine. Among the individuals added to the UKs sanctions list on Tuesday are 51 Russian oligarchs and their families, plus a raft of politicians. These include Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu, and former President of Russia Dmitry Medvedev. President Vladimir Putins press secretary Dmitry Peskov and Russian Foreign Affairs spokeswoman Maria Zakharova are also on the list. Russian oligarchs now subject to UK sanctions include Mikhail Fridman, Pyotr Aven, and German Khan. The UK Foreign Office said the oligarchs sanctioned on Tuesday have a combined estimated worth of more than 100 billion ($130 billion). UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said: We are going further and faster than ever in hitting those closest to Putinfrom major oligarchs, to his prime minister, and the propagandists who peddle his lies and disinformation. We are holding them to account for their complicity in Russias crimes in Ukraine. Working closely with our allies, we will keep increasing the pressure on Putin and cut off funding for the Russian war machine. Further general economic sanctions were also announced on Tuesday, with the export of high-end luxury products to Russia being banned and import tariffs hiked on hundreds of goods, including vodka. PA Media contributed to this report. U.S. President Joe Biden makes a statement from the East Room of the White House about Russia's invasion of Ukraine in Washington, on Feb. 24, 2022. (Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images) White House Warns of Severe Consequences Congress Doesnt Pass COVID-19 Aid The White House warned that it will have to make cutbacks to the U.S. COVID-19 response if Congress doesnt authorize new funding. As the Administration has warned, failure to fund these efforts now will have severe consequences as we will not be equipped to deal with a future surge. Waiting to provide funding once were in a surge will be too late, the White House wrote in a statement Tuesday. The Biden administrations statement also noted that the United States wont have enough booster doses or vaccines specific to emerging COVID-19 variants. Meanwhile, the statement added that the federal government is unable to purchase additional life-saving monoclonal antibody treatments and will run out of supply to send to states as soon as late May while the federal government cannot purchase sufficient quantities of treatments for immunocompromised individuals. And, the federal government will be unable to sustain the testing capacity we built over the last 14 months, as we head into the second half of the year, according to the White House. And vaccine shortages will be even more acute if we need a variant-specific booster vaccine, since we will not have any existing supply, the statement continued. A letter will be sent to Congress on Tuesday outlining the COVID-19 response cutbacks to pressure members of Congress to provide funding, said the White House statement. Previously, Senate Republicans have insisted that the new funds be entirely paid for, while Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) told reporters on Monday that she hopes the House will vote on at least part of the COVID-19 response funding this week. Some public health officials recently warned that there could be forthcoming shortages of COVID-19 antiviral drugs, tests, and other therapeutics. Congress needs to think of this as an investment as they did before, ensuring that we have the capacity. This virus has fooled us every single time we thought we understood it, Georges Benjamin, executive director of the American Public Health Association, told the Washington Examiner. The amount of money theyre asking for in light of the multitrillion-dollar impact in our society I dont think is unwarranted. The administrations statement came as President Joe Biden on Tuesday signed a 2,700-page, $1.5 trillion government spending bill that didnt include a proposed $22.5 billion in COVID-19 relief. Once we lost it in the House, itll be tough to get back, Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) told reporters on Monday after the proposed funding wasnt included in the spending package. I dont know if those House members deluded themselves into believing that there was some other path, but I think its hard to find an alternative path other than in the budget. Whitmer Kidnap Trial Postponed Amid COVID-19 Exposure By Robert Snell From The Detroit News A key participant in the trial of four men accused of plotting to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has tested positive for COVID-19, forcing the judge to halt one of the nations most important cases of alleged extremism. Chief U.S. District Judge Robert Jonker postponed the trial in federal court in Grand Rapids until at least Thursday, according to an order filed in federal court on Sunday afternoon. The judges order does not identify who tested positive for COVID-19 and instead refers to an essential trial participant. Assuming no other complications, the court hopes to re-convene trial Thursday, Jonker wrote. The development illustrates the complications of resuming trials during the pandemic. Jonker has followed Centers for Disease Control guidelines, which do not recommend masks in counties, like Kent, with a low risk of transmission, and has not required trial participants to wear masks. Few prospective jurors wore the protective gear during jury selection last week and almost nobody wore masks during the first three days of trial. In August, the chief federal judge in Detroit was placed in quarantine and one of the largest health care fraud trials in U.S. history put on hold after the jurist and two staffers were exposed to someone who contracted COVID-19. At the time, the case against Dr. Frank Patino was the first criminal jury trial in federal court in Detroit since the start of the pandemic. Patino eventually was convicted. Jurors have heard two days of testimony in a trial that is projected to last as long as six weeks. The trial started 17 months after FBI agents said they thwarted a kidnapping conspiracy involving self-described patriots and militia members angered by restrictions imposed during the first months of the COVID-19 pandemic. The indictment describes a conspiracy hatched in clandestine meetings across the Midwest, from online chats to hotel rooms in Ohio, where members mulled abducting Whitmer, to the farmlands of Wisconsin where members tried detonating homemade bombs, and at a heavily wooded training camp in northern Michigan where plotters practiced with an arsenal of weapons and launched surveillance of the governors cottage. The case has focused national attention on violent extremism in Michigan and raised questions about whether that team of FBI agents and informants orchestrated the conspiracy and entrapped the alleged plotters. Defense lawyers have argued that there was no plot, just coarse anti-government language, and have focused on the conduct of the lead FBI agents and one key informant. Still, prosecutors are armed with two star witnessesmembers of the conspiracy who pleaded guilty and are expected to testify that the group conceived of the plot, not FBI agents. The four defendantsAdam Fox of Potterville, Barry Croft of Delaware, Lake Orion resident Daniel Harris and Brandon Caserta of Canton Townshipface up to life in prison if convicted of kidnapping conspiracy. 2022 www.detroitnews.com. Visit at detroitnews.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. A visit to South Carolinas Lowcountry means more than Palmetto trees and pralines. I should know, after spending the weekends as a grad student driving from one end of the state to the coast for one reason alone: the food. The regions restaurants serve the best briny oysters, bowls of freshly caught shrimp nestled on top of bowls of creamy grits, and, my favorite, she-crab soup. But I shouldnt have to wait for a trip to South Carolina to serve this seafood stew, and neither should you. Heres how to make the Lowcountry classic in your own kitchen. Where Did She-crab Soup Originate? This creamy crab chowder is a specialty of Charleston. Scottish settlers brought partan bree, a traditional rice-and-crab bisque, with them when they emigrated in the 1700s. William Deas, chef and butler to Charlestons mayor in the early 1900s, is credited with adding the red-orange roe to the now-famous soup. What Type of Crab Is in She-crab Soup? Classically, she-crab soup distinguishes itself from other seafood chowders with the combination of crabmeat and crab roe. The roe gives the chowder its traditional orange hue and distinctive briny flavor. Crab roe, or the eggs from the female crab, are only available in the spring, making she-crab soup a seasonal specialty. Today, crab roe can be difficult (if not impossible) to find because to protect the crab population, you arent allowed to harvest egg-carrying female crabs in many states. But an absence of roe doesnt mean you have to forgo this decadent dish altogether. Make this special soup at home using lump crabmeat. Pull out the biggest clusters of crab for finishing the soup. Add the rest of the crab to a Dutch oven with rich cream, briny clam juice, lemon juice, and a dash of sherry. What Does She-crab Soup Taste Like? She-crab soup is a luxurious and creamy chowder with an undercurrent of briny crab flavor. If this is your first time trying this type of soup, the flavor is somewhat similar to clam chowder. While clam chowder relies on hearty potatoes and bacon for flavor and heft, she-crab soup is more delicate. The smooth soup is studded with lumps of crabmeat and drizzled with sherry. She-Crab Soup Serves 4 1 1/2 cups whole milk or half-and-half 1 cup heavy cream 1/2 teaspoon hot sauce, such as Tabasco, plus more for serving 1 small yellow onion 2 stalks celery 4 cloves garlic 1/2 medium lemon 1 pound lump crabmeat 5 sprigs fresh parsley, for serving (optional) 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter 1 teaspoon kosher salt 1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour 1 (8-ounce) bottle clam juice, divided 2 tablespoons dry sherry, plus more for serving 1. Place 1 1/2 cups whole milk or half-and-half, 1 cup heavy cream, and 1/2 teaspoon hot sauce in a large measuring cup or medium bowl and let sit at room temperature while you prepare the remaining ingredients. 2. Prepare the following, adding each the same medium bowl as you complete it: Grate 1 small yellow onion on the large holes of a box grater (about 1/3 cup). Finely chop 2 celery stalks (about 1 cup). Mince 4 garlic cloves. 3. Prepare the following, keeping each separate as you complete it: Finely grate the zest of 1/2 medium lemon until you have 1/2 teaspoon zest. Gently pick through 1 pound lump crabmeat to remove any shells or cartilage. Reserve 4 ounces (about 1 cup) of the crab for serving. Pick the leaves from 5 fresh parsley sprigs and coarsely chop if desired (1 tablespoon). 4. Melt 4 tablespoons unsalted butter in a Dutch oven over medium-low heat. Add the onion mixture, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper, and 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg. Cook until the onion is softened but not browned, about 5 minutes. 5. Add 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour and cook, stirring constantly, until the flour coats the vegetables, is cooked, but not browned, and starts to leave a film on the bottom of the pot, about 2 minutes. Add 1/4 cup clam juice, and cook, scraping any browned bits from the bottom of the pan, until the liquid evaporates, about 2 1/2 minutes. 6. Add the remaining 3/4 cup clam juice, milk mixture, and crab. Bring to a simmer and cook, whisking often, until thickened, about 10 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat. Add the lemon zest and 2 tablespoons dry sherry and stir to combine. Taste and season with more kosher salt or white pepper as needed. 7. Divide the reserved 4 ounces crab meat between 4 bowls, then ladle the warm soup on top. Garnish with the parsley and serve with more dry sherry or hot sauce if desired. Recipe note: Leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to two days. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy places his hand on his chest as he listens to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau deliver opening remarks before addressing the Canadian parliament, on March 15, 2022 in Ottawa. (Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press) Zelensky Asks Canada to Do More for Ukraine in Address to Parliament Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky thanked Canada for its support but said the country must do more to help Ukraine as he delivered a virtual address to the House of Commons today. Zelensky sought to strike an emotional chord as he addressed Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Canadian politicians in a joint session of Parliament, asking his audience to imagine what it is like to live under war and the sound of Russian bombs and missiles. Justin, can you imagine hearingyou, your childrenhearing all these severe explosions? Bombing of airports, bombing of Ottawa airport, tens of other cities of your wonderful countrycan you imagine that? said Zelensky. The Ukrainian president repeated his ongoing plea for the imposition of a no-fly zone, asking how many more cruise missiles have to fall on our cities until you make this happen? This option has not been on the table for NATO allies, since it would likely draw the alliance into war. While thanking Canada for its steadfast support, providing military censors and humanitarian assistance while imposing severe sanctions on Russia, Zelensky said unfortunately this just did not bring the end to the war. Basically, what am I trying to say [is] that you all need to do more to stop Russia, to protect Ukraine, and by doing that to protect Europe from Russian threat. Zelensky also pleaded with the Ukrainian diaspora in Canada, asking for its practical support. This is a historical moment and we need your practical support. We hope that with your practical steps you will show that you are part of the modern Ukrainian history. The presidents address was followed by a roaring three-minute standing ovation, with shouts of Slava Ukraini! (Glory to Ukraine). Before Zelensky spoke, Trudeau gave a speech and announced additional sanctions on 15 Russian officials. He also commented on the contribution Ukrainians have made to Canada, saying the 1.4 million Ukrainian-Canadians make up the second-largest Ukrainian diaspora in the world. Your courage and the courage of your people inspires us all, Trudeau told Zelensky. Youre defending the right of Ukrainians to choose their own future, and in doing so, youre defending the values that form the pillars of all free democratic countries: freedom; human rights; justice; truth; international order. Conservative interim leader Candice Bergen also spoke and said that supporting Ukraine is not a choice, but a moral duty, and allies must do more to secure Ukraines airspace. We need to protect at a minimum the airspace over the humanitarian corridors so that Ukrainians can seek safe passage away from the war zones and to allow humanitarian relief to reach those areas under siege, she said. Zelensky is set to virtually address the U.S. Congress on March 16. No NATO Zelensky was on another call on March 15 with the UK-led Joint Expeditionary Force, which comprises Denmark, Finland, Estonia, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Sweden, and Norway. He said his country must accept that it will not be granted NATO membership, which was a critical Russian concern used to justify its invasion of Ukraine. Ukraine is not a member of NATO. We understand that. We have heard for years that the doors were open, but we also heard that we could not join. Its a truth and it must be recognized, Zelensky said. On March 7, Russia presented its conditions for a pull-back and it included Ukraine enshrining neutrality in its constitution, which would include not joining blocks like the European Union or NATO, and recognizing Russian sovereignty over annexed Crimea and the independence of the breakaway republics of Donetsk and Luhansk. Negotiations have been ongoing between Moscow and Kyiv. Zelensky Offers Russian Forces a Chance to Surrender Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Tuesday called on Russian troops to surrender. On behalf of the Ukrainian people, I give you a chance, Zelensky in a video address posted online. If you surrender to our forces, we will treat you the way people are supposed to be treatedas people, decently. He said Russian forces did not expect such resistance, claiming that Ukrainian forces have destroyed as many as 90 warplanes since Russian President Vladimir Putin launched an invasion on Feb. 24. They believed in their propaganda, which has been lying about us for decades, Zelensky said. His remarks came shortly after he submitted a bill to parliament that seeks to extend martial law for another 30 days from March 24, according to the presidents website. In an interview with Reuters on March 7, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said that Russia could end war immediately if Ukraine agreed to sign a neutrality agreement that would prohibit it from entering NATO. Peskov also said Ukraine must recognize Crimea as Russian, recognize the regions of Luhansk and Donetsk as independent, and cease all military action. Ukrainian officials were told that all this can be stopped in a moment, Peskov noted. We really are finishing the demilitarization of Ukraine, Peskov said. We will finish it. But the main thing is that Ukraine ceases its military action. They should stop their military action and then no one will shoot. We have also spoken about how they should recognize that Crimea is Russian territory and that they need to recognize that Donetsk and Luhansk are independent states. And thats it. It will stop in a moment. Peskov added, They should make amendments to the constitution according to which Ukraine would reject any aims to enter any bloc. Zelensky immediately shut down Russias demands, telling ABC News on the same day that recognizing the territories as Russian is more difficult than Moscow is making it out to be. Russias demands are an ultimatum, he said. We are not prepared for ultimatums but we have the possible solution, resolution for these three key items, Zelensky said. What needs to be done is for President Putin to start talking instead of living in the information bubble without oxygen. Meanwhile, Oleksiy Arestovich, an adviser to the Ukrainian presidents chief of staff, said late on Monday that Russia is likely to run out of resources to attack Ukraine by early May. I think that no later than in May, early May, we should have a peace agreement, maybe much earlier, we will see, I am talking about the latest possible dates, Arestovich said in a clip published by several Ukrainian news outlets. We are at a fork in the road now: there will either be a peace deal struck very quickly, within a week or two, with troop withdrawal and everything, or there will be an attempt to scrape together some, say, Syrians for a round two and, when we grind them too, an agreement by mid-April or late April, he added. NORWALK A city man was arrested after police say he threatened a Walmart employee before leaving the store with stolen merchandise. Stanley Epps, 60, was taken into custody Sunday and charged with third-degree robbery and sixth-degree larceny, according to Norwalk Police Department records. Sgt. Sofia Gulino, a spokesperson for the department, said officers were dispatched to the store at 680 Connecticut Ave. shortly before 5 p.m. after employees reported an assault. A Walmart employee told the officers that Epps was observed concealing several items in a backpack that he had also stolen from the store, Gulino said. He then exchanged some of the merchandise, which he had not purchased, at the service desk for a gift card, she added. Gulino said employees tried to stop Epps from leaving the store without paying, but he became hostile and managed to escape with $167 worth of items. Epps physically pushed an associate blocking his path and threatened to punch the associate, Gulino said. No injuries were reported. Epps was arrested after he was located in the area of nearby Home Depot. Gulino said he was transported to police headquarters without incident where he was held on a $5,000 bond. richard.chumney@hearstmediact.com NORWALK An elected city official responsible for serving court papers has been charged with disorderly conduct, police said. John Romano, 73, one of the citys seven constables, was cited after officers were dispatched around 9 a.m. Monday to an East Rocks Road home, according to Norwalk Police Department records. Lt. Joe Dinho, a spokesperson for the department, said the misdemeanor charge stemmed from an incident involving a juvenile. Dinho said no one was injured during the incident. In a brief telephone interview on Tuesday, Romano said he was innocent of the allegation and intends to fight the charge in court. There's nothing that I did that's actually wrong, Romano said. I don't look at this as any blemish or black eye on my personal integrity. As a result of the charge, the state Department of Children and Families opened an investigation into the incident, Romano said. Ken Mysogland, the agency's bureau chief of external affairs, said he was unable to confirm the existence of an investigation due to a state law that mandates that child protective services records be kept private. Romano, a Republican, was elected to a two-year term as constable last fall. He previously served in the same role between 2013 and 2019, according to city election records. Norwalks constables are tasked with serving civil court papers, including lawsuit notices and tax warrants. They do not earn money directly from the city, but are paid by lawyers for delivering court documents. A longtime Norwalk resident, Romano also serves as the chairperson of the Norwalk Harbor Management Commission and is the owner of All American Custom Pools & Spas, a Bridgeport-based pool construction business. Despite the charge, Romano said he has no plans to step down from roles as constable or commission chairperson. Mayor Harry Rilling, who said he was not aware that Romano had been charged with disorderly conduct, declined to comment about the case. Republican Town Committee Chairperson Fred Wilms, said the local party is standing by Romano. Our thoughts go out to the entire Romano family, Wilms said. richard.chumney@hearstmediact.com John Kovach / Hearst Connecticut Media NEW CANAAN A landlord was charged last week after police say he turned off the heat and electricity at a local apartment. New Canaan police said they received a complaint on Jan. 21 about a landlord turning off utilities at an apartment on Garibaldi Lane. Police determined that the landlord, Dinesh Parmar, 63, had been responsible for the utilities being turned off to the apartment, the police department said. For The Intelligencer The FBIs Springfield Field Office will hold the 2022 Future Agents in Training (FAIT) Academy at Lewis and Clark Community College, 5800 Godfrey Road in Godfrey, on June 21-23. The FAIT Academy allows students an opportunity to get a comprehensive look into todays FBI. Students learn from special agents, intelligence analysts, and professional staff about investigative tactics that include gathering evidence, interviewing witnesses, and assisting with cases in an interactive learning environment. Chief Circuit Judge William A. Mudge on Friday announced that he is retiring at the end of his term Dec. 4. Voters will select a new circuit judge in the November 2022 election. Associate Judge Ryan Jumper on Friday announced he will seek to fill the vacancy. A life-long Edwardsville resident, Mudge has more than 25 years of public service as both a judge and prosecutor, including eight years as Madison County States Attorney. It is time for someone else to have an opportunity to serve and for me to move on to a new chapter in my career, Mudge said in a written statement. I am grateful to the citizens of Madison and Bond counties for entrusting me with the responsibility to serve them fairly and impartially. A circuit judge in the Third Judicial Circuit since 2010, Mudge was elected Chief Circuit Judge in 2019. Prior to that he served eight years as Madison County States Attorney. Mudge received his law degree in 1985 from the Saint Louis University School of Law. He began his career as an assistant states attorney, then became a partner in the Edwardsville-based law firm of Lucco, Brown and Mudge. My professional career has been incredibly rewarding, Mudge said in a written statement. I was privileged to be a law partner with Bill Lucco and Joe Brown two of the best human beings and lawyers anyone could have been lucky enough to be associated with. They, along with my step-father Jim Gorman, were my mentors. It could not get any better than that. In 2002 Mudge succeeded the late state Sen. Bill Haine as Madison County States Attorney after Haines appointment to fill the unexpired term of the late Sen. Evelyn Bowles. My years as Madison Countys States Attorney were fulfilling, Mudge said. The office enjoyed a record-setting run of trial success during those years due to the talented men and women who worked with me. It was a great place for lawyers to obtain trial experience and grow professionally, and many of them have risen to be respected as some of the best judges, lawyers and prosecutors in Southern Illinois, he added. Im proud to have worked with all of them. He was elected a circuit judge in 2010. My years as a circuit judge in the Third Judicial Circuit could not have been more rewarding, Mudge said. Some of the most highly regarded lawyers from here and around the country, representing all walks of life, tried a wide variety of civil cases in my courtroom. I have been honored to wear the robe and administer justice fairly and impartially for them and the people of Madison and Bond counties, he said. It has also been an honor and privilege to serve alongside my fellow associate and circuit judges as well as with our dependable bailiffs, clerks and staff. They are hard-working public servants and are dedicated to the pursuit of justice. In addition to his role as chief circuit judge, he is a past chair of the U.S. Senate Judicial Nominating Commission for the Southern District of Illinois, and served on the board of the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority in Chicago. Mudge currently serves as Chairman of the Board for the Madison County Child Advocacy Center, a position he has held since its inception in 2003. Jumper has been an associate judge since 2018 and presides over the probate, chancery and small claims divisions. Prior to joining the bench Jumper was an attorney for The Lance Callis Law firm in Granite City and Thompson Coburn LLP in St. Louis. He is a 2005 graduate of the Southern Illinois University School of Law. Ive spent my career both in private practice and on the bench working with principled friends from all backgrounds and know that whatever their politics, people depend on a fair and independent judiciary to secure their most sacred rights, he said in a released statement. It has been 50 years since Clayton Williams was first appointed an associate judge in Madison County. Since that time there has not been a single Black circuit judge or countywide officeholder, Jumper said. Although my candidacy is historic, Im not running just to be the first Black anything. Im running because the Third Circuit needs good, smart people who care about and invest in this county to join its leadership. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Despite a pandemic, despite being an artform thought outside of the arts' popular lexicon, Opera Edwardsville (OE) has thrived and grown, now celebrating its fifth year as a cultural and nonprofit arts organization. Opera Edwardsville consistently and professionally has proved its chops, putting world-class talent together each season, for dedicated opera fans and the curious alike. Through its education program, OE has opened the doors to a whole new artist world of young performers. Opera Edwardsville was voted best new organization in the last five years by the Great Rivers and Routes Tourism Bureau. The board and I are extremely grateful to the members of the Edwardsville Rotary Club for recognizing the powerful impact an arts organization can have for our community, said OE founder and Artistic Director Chase Hopkins, who divides his time between Edwardsville and Chicago with the Haymarket Opera Co., of which he was named general director last year. With so many fabulous artists joining for Opera Edwardsvilles performances, likewise we are thrilled to be building an educational platform to create new opportunities and support arts education happening in our area. Hopkins sees Opera Edwardsville as a continuation of the vibrant arts scene happening in Edwardsville. A sort of spirit child of the great Mississippi River Festival, he explained, bringing top operatic talent to Edwardsville and Madison County from around the world. None of this would be possible without our sponsors and audiences. In 2021, Opera Edwardsville had the distinction of being the first local organization to be invited to debut the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Arts and Issues series, with Opera Edwardsville at Dunham Hall. The Arts and Issues series has welcomed illustrious speakers and artists, including Maya Angelou, Ken Burns and George Winston. OEs concert was the first that Arts and Issues broadcasted live from Dunham Hall on the SIUE campus. I am proud that OE was asked to perform as part of the SIUE Arts and Issues Series, Hopkins said. The university is becoming more and more of an important partner for OE. We have collaborated with the music department to present three student-led productions as part of our Opera for Kids initiative. Those Opera for Kids include Pinocchio, in 2019, The Three Little Pigs, in 2020, and Jack and the Beanstalk last year. Additionally, OE has presented masterclasses for SIUE vocal students with Karen Brunssen, a renowned voice professor from Northwestern University and the president of the National Association for Teachers of Singing. Opera Edwardsville is in an unique position to bridge the university and community through the power of live (or filmed) performance, Hopkins said. Another important reflection of OEs values and effort to support arts education, is featuring a student spotlight performance at Christmastime. Three years in, the nonprofit Opera Edwardsville found itself at the brink of its existence due to the new coronavirus pandemic. OE adjusted quickly and effectively. Instead of letting its annual Christmas at the Wildey concert be something of the past, OE created its free-to-view The 12 Days of Opera Edwardsville series, featuring 15 different performers, which was presented online in 2020 and 2021. Local performers last year included from Edwardsville, Lebanon, Bunker Hill, Belleville, Glen Carbon and St. Louis, including OEs Grammy winning artistic advisor, soprano Christine Brewer, of Lebanon, and award-winning pianist Joseph Welch, originally from Bunker Hill. When the global pandemic forced us to cancel our live and in-person program for 2020, Opera Edwardsville went digital by presenting a filmed version of our Opera for Kids, The Three Little Pigs, and a replacement series of online performances in place of our signature December concert, which became The 12 Days of Opera Edwardsville, Hopkins explained. The 12 Days series was filmed on the historic stage of The Wildey Theatre in downtown Edwardsville by St. Louis production company Once Films. In its first year, The 12 Days of Opera Edwardsville saw 40,000-plus views across YouTube, Facebook and Instagram, with daily performances released via OE email blasts and at OEs Facebook page. In 2021, the online series saw another 40,000-plus views. I think this is an incredibly exciting way to connect people with opera, and hope to see OE continue its digital presence, Hopkins said. Opera Edwardsvilles concerts and education programs would not be possible without the generous support of the 2021 OE business sponsors and individual donors, Hopkins said. "Throughout the years, around 50 donors, five businesses, and three grants have helped offset the cost of every performance, he said. It's through people's enthusiasm and generosity that OE is able to offer programs for free. I'm very grateful for the relationships we are building with music lovers and business owners alike. I'm particularly grateful for the long-term support of the Edwardsville Rotary Club, Lewis Rice and Stifel, which have been presenting sponsors for OE since the beginning; also, to the new and flourishing relationship with the city of Edwardsville. Last year, OE received its first special events grant from the city. A big thanks to the mayor, alderpersons, city administrator and head of finance for their support in our initial application, Hopkins acknowledged. I'm very excited to see municipal support for OE's free concerts that the entire community can enjoy. He also gave another big thanks to the Edwardsville Parks and Recreation Department and the Edwardsville Public Library. And, especially to Jill Schardt and Trina Vetter, for their help in making our dream of an outdoor concert a reality, he said. It really is all about the people and the growing OE family that make this project so special. It's the poinsettias being delivered from Market Basket every December, the champagne popping from Cleveland Heath, and the paintings and artwork from local artists that are featured on our season posters that make OE a true reflection of this community. I'm grateful for everyone that is involved and look forward to the coming year when we will celebrate OE's fifth anniversary!" Hopkins asked that if youre not a sponsor already, please consider. We have big plans for Opera Edwardsville and hope to see it continue to grow and develop, he said. This would not happen without the generous donations that come with each sponsorship. Sponsors also have ticket access ahead of the general public and receive a number of special benefits to recognize their contribution, including complimentary season posters. OE's 2022 poster features the work of acclaimed local painter and SIUE professor, John DenHouter. The work captures the mood and atmosphere of OE's first outdoor concert at Edwardsville City Park, with a starry night, glowing lights of the stage and dazzling searchlights in the background. "Taking the stage at the Edwardsville City Park is one of my favorite OE memories," Hopkins recalled. "It has been a goal to present this sort of event, and because we were concerned for the safety of artists and audiences throughout 2021, outdoors made sense. I'm so glad this forced us to be bold, and get out there, he noted. Having my team from Chicago join for the sound amplification made the event sound incredible, and there is nothing more charming than a duet with the cicadas. People brought tables, chairs, candles, flowers and picnics to the park for the event. I was so happy to see this, Hopkins said. This is very much in the spirit of the great outdoor festivals, like, Tanglewood, Ravinia and Glyndebourne. I can't wait to return to the lawn in Edwardsville. Details of Opera Edwarsdville's 2022 performances as part of its fifth anniversary season have not been released yet, but will be soon, Hopkins promised. "We've got some jaw-dropping talent headed to Edwardsville this year. Do not miss out!" Hopkins said. Visit www.operaedwardsville.org or email operaedwardsville@gmail.com for more information and sponsorship opportunities. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate GODFREY Renovations are planned for five historic buildings at Lewis and Clark Community College's campus. In August, the college closed two floors of Baldwin and Caldwell Halls in the Main Complex because of safety and health concerns after HVAC problems led to mold growth. On Monday, Gov. J.B. Pritzker came to the college to announce a $37.5 million state grant through Rebuild Illinois. LCCC President Ken Trzaska said the project has been a long time coming. "The Main Complex represents our past, but with this investment it also brings to the forefront a critical investment to our future," Trzaska said. Trzaska said the college has made numerous updates and repairs to the Main Complex over the last three decades. But because of the age of the facility, and the need to integrate modern mechanical and electrical systems, a complete renovation was the only path forward to return the historic complex to full operations. He said the college has been working over the past 10 years to secure the funding needed to bring the complex to current code and modernization. The grant was originally appropriated by the state in the Rebuild Illinois Capital Program in 2019. LCCC alumnae state Sen. Rachelle Aud Crowe, D-Glen Carbon, recognized the need for renovations and was instrumental in acquiring the funds, according to Trzaska. The project features a renovation of about 170,000 square feet in the Main Complex which includes five historic buildings Baldwin, Caldwell, Wade, Fobes and Reid. The renovations are partially funded through Rebuild Illinois and an additional $12.5 million local match from the school. Serving 15,000 students, Lewis and Clark is exactly the kind of institution we should be investing in to fuel economic opportunity in this region," Pritzker said. "And thanks to our Rebuild Illinois capital plan, were celebrating nearly $40 million worth of renovations on the L&C campus today." The renovation work, scheduled to begin next year, will include mechanical, electrical and plumbing upgrades; health and life safety improvements; the replacement of the fire suppression and fire alarm systems; Americans with Disabilities Act work; lighting and elevator upgrades; interior finishes; and upgrades to the roofing systems, windows, and building envelopes. LCCC Student Trustee Sam Copeland said that many students love the complex. "Students can certainly feel how historic this building is when the AC broke," Copeland said. "Students can definitely hear how historic this building is as the floors creak as we walk down the hallways. "I would personally love to see laughter and conversation come back into the hallways of this building," he said. Rebuild Illinois money is currently funding three deferred maintenance projects at Lewis and Clark Community College totaling just over $1 million. The projects will address fire alarm system and fan coil unit replacements, as well as critical structure and foundation repairs. Our community, and Lewis and Clark, are grateful for this meaningful investment and for the states confidence in our work as educators, Trzaska said. The Main Complex is the heart of our campus. It represents our history and now will provide a balance between our history and our future. Local lawmakers were on hand for Monday's announcement. These state funds are critical for Lewis & Clark to make the needed repairs in order to safely open the main complex in its entirety for students and faculty," said state Rep. Amy Elik, R-Fosterburg. Lewis and Clark is arguably one of the best community colleges, not only in the state, but in the nation, Elik said. We will keep that reputation with these necessary renovations. State Sen. Steve McClure, R-Springfield, said the renovations are vital for the entire region. I dont think people realize that people tend to stay where they go to school," he said. "This is one of the most beautiful campuses I think in the whole country for any community college. But these renovations are going to help so much to sustain that and to bring us into the future here. Crowe also noted the college's regional impact. "As a historic building from the mid-19th century, the Main Complex is the heart of campus for students, faculty and visitors," she said. "Repairs and renovations are necessary to offer stability back to the community. Trzaka said the college was extremely grateful for the work of local and state legislators, the Illinois Community College Board and LCCC's board of trustees for helping "champion the project" and ensure that students will have a "safe and modern space to learn." This project represents not only an educational impact for our region, but it also represents an incredible economic impact to the region through the jobs a project of this size will bring to the region, Trzaska said. Salida, CO (81201) Today Partly cloudy this morning, then becoming cloudy during the afternoon. High 56F. Winds WNW at 10 to 20 mph.. Tonight Mostly cloudy early, then clearing overnight. Low 34F. Winds W at 10 to 15 mph. Instant unlimited access to all of our content on thenewsguard.com. The News Guard E-Edition Newsletter emailed to you each week, the night before the paper hits the street! This subscription is for NEW or RENEWING online subscribers. (The charge will appear as "Country Media Inc." on your credit card statement) That release could not be found. Water, sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), as well as Education and Health are very important sectors determining the level of development in any given community. This consciousness underscores the reason for many local and international donors, Non-governmental and Civil Society Organizations to take interest in them. Unfortunately, Nigeria with its myriad of problems has not been voting adequate funds to the sectors in recent times. But for the intervention efforts of international partners like UNICEF, USAID, among others, the sectors, especially WASH could have been worse than it is at the present. In Ebonyi, stakeholders have decried the poor state of water, sanitation and hygiene, (WASH) sectors in the State, describing it as needing immediate attention. They also harped on the need for the government to give more attention to Education and health as vital sectors determining the future of the State. The stakeholders raised the alarm during a one-day Citizens Engagement Mapping Validation/Strategy Development meeting organized by Development and Integrity Intervention, Goals (DIG) Foundation, in collaboration with the USAID sponsored State Accountability, Transparency and Effectiveness (State2State) project. The meeting held in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State capital, recently, sought participants contributions to, and confirmation of the organizations findings on Education, health and WASH sectors. It also sought citizen's involvement in drawing strategic plans on how to improve the sectors in the State. Some of the participants who spoke at the event, including the Chairman, forum of Local government HODs of WASH in the State, Thomas Abarifi and the traditional ruler of Ameka community in Ezza South Council area, HRH Martins Nwali Oyibe, among others, decried the menace of open defecation and lack of potable water as challenges to sanitation and hygiene in the State. While Oyibe asserted that open defecation was a global and national issue, not localized in any particular State in the country, Abarifi stressed that Ebonyi statistically ranks the highest in the State. He recalled the earlier efforts of the Japanese International Agency in sanitation and hygiene in some parts of Nigeria, including the present geographical area called Ebonyi State, and further applauded the United Nations Children Emergency Fund, UNICEF, for their recent WASH, Education and health programmes in the State, which saw the emergence of VIP toilets and community water boreholes, among others. He noted that UNICEF did great work in enhancing status and structures for water and sanitation in the State through community engagements and collaboration with appropriate government offices under its Community-led Total Sanitation (CLTS). He however, alleged that the State governments failure to follow up the recent works of UNICEF in water, sanitation and hygiene, through sponsorship crippled the program in the State, calling on government to give attention to the sectors. Abarifi explained: Nothing specifically is going on in WASH in the State. It is the responsibility of the State government to fund the follow up. It is a counterpart issue. It is those of us who are the technical persons that are supposed to be funded to follow-up what is going on. But all efforts we made for release of fund were not taken. I dont know what really happened, but that is the situation. We cant do much without funding. From statistics, you can browse it; we saw that Ebonyi State has the highest number of citizens who engage in open defecation in Nigeria. It is as bad as that and UNICEF even communicated that to the State government when they came, and up till now, nothing has been done in that regard. On the water situation, Oyibe lamented: In every community in the Southeast, it is the same situation: there is no water, and the government has not embarked on tackling the issue of water, both in Ebonyi, Enugu, Anambra and the rest. Speaking, the Executive Director, DIG Foundation, Oliver Aja Chima explained that the meeting was in line with the mandate given to his organization by USAID-State2State, to validate their field findings concerning the sectors in the State. He said: DIG is being sponsored by USAID-State2State. So, we carried out what is called citizens engagement mapping to know how the people are being carried along in decision making in the State and Local government areas. We are here to validate the findings. And here, what the Stakeholders are saying is in agreement with our findings in the field and those of USAID-State2State in the area of WASH, health and education. Actually the report is there to speak for itself. Im not speaking as Oliver Aja Chima, but from what I saw in the field as Executive Director of DIG, and what Im seeing here today. People rated our education system as very poor, and we didnt see anyone rating them satisfactory in terms of education, WASH and health In fact, WASH is the worst. Meanwhile, some State Actors interviewed at the meeting argued that the State government has done a lot in those sectors. In his submission, the Chairman of Afikpo South Local Government area, Barr. Eni Uduma Chima, represented by Mr. Okechukwu Ugwuocha, an administrative officer from the Council, stated that although open defecation was rampant before now, his council has taken measures to stem the practice. Before now, there used to be open defecation everywhere, but as we speak now, it is seriously under control. We have given WASH free hand to operate in our council, and the department has done a lot to reduce open defecation in rural communities within the council area Ugwuocha explained. For the water sector, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Water Resources, Mr Silas Eze, disagreed on the status of portable water in the State, insisting that the government under Engr. David Umahi, has made the Ezzillo Water scheme operational, supplying water to Abakaliki, the capital city. He further noted that the Oferekpe water Scheme built by the previous administration had some defects which the present government has invited the company to correct, adding that water would soon be reticulated into the town from the Oferekpe scheme. We are doing our best; the government is doing a whole lot, but people should understand that potable water anywhere in the whole world is an expensive service, ranging from sourcing the water to purifying it Eze maintained. Emmanuel Nwagbo, a Director of training and Staff development in the State Ministry of Education, representing the Commissioner, Sunday Nwangele also argued that Umahis government has improved educational infrastructures in the State, adding that the government recently approved the recruitment of more teachers to boost teaching and learning in the State. Describing the meeting as an eye opener, the participants said they would begin to engage with the government more, and do the needful as community members to add value to the important sectors. According to Nwagbo, the Education Ministry would intensify monitoring and supervision of schools, training and retraining of teachers as well as push for increased funding for the sector Nwagbo however, observed that the States education budget was in line with what the State government can afford at the moment and every government budgets according to funds available to it. Some of the strategic plans developed by participants included intensified community awareness and sensitization programs, engagement with government to secure increased budget for the sectors as well as increased community participation in decision making. Participants however, insisted that until the government backed the knowledge and strategies developed from the meeting, it would continue to be business as usual. The Minister of Power, Abubakar Aliyu on Monday March 14 held an emergency meeting with stakeholders in the power sector over the erratic power supply in the country. The meeting which was held after the national grid collapsed again, was attended by a delegation from power generation companies, Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading (NBET), Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC), Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC), Shell and other stakeholders in the power value chain. Speaking at the meeting, the Minister told stakeholders that they must work together to make electricity stable. He also said the federal government would not relent in its effort to ensure improvements in the power sector. Aliyu said; This meeting was summoned to address the current electricity situation in the country which we are not happy about. We must find a solution so that Nigerians will have electricity. I want us to have the patience to talk to each other, not blaming each other. It is inherent that love drives every positive virtue in our society. A former Governor of Imo State, Senator Rochas Okorocha has recently stated that Nigeria needs a detribalized leader to change results. In view, Senator Okorocha spoke out of love for his country. What does Senator Okorocha mean by 'detribalized' ? Tribalism is a necessary problem of society. It could be a tool for nation building and also a measure for disunity in Nigeria. Honestly, the average Nigerian is tribal; They advocate for tribal loyalty and consciousness. Indeed human evolution came with identity and mutuality. The proverb 'birds of a feather flock together' best describes the natural tendency to identify and conform with common interests and usages. Tribalism is more like social bonding amongst a certain group of individuals. Senator Okorocha said "We need someone who is in the eyes of every Nigerian and he is not tribalized because people cannot work together when they don't agree". This statement is quite partial. Yes we need a leader who can work with everyone but a leader doesn't ineluctably agree with everyone. A Patriotic Leader should consistently do the right thing. Leadership is responsibility and not luxury. It is impossible to have a detribalized leader because the concept of identity is collective. The fact is that we need a leader who supports the nation no matter what, a leader who defends the forces and agencies, a leader who respects the national flag and anthem and a leader who is not afraid to do the right thing. Patriotism is a state of mind developed by the love of country and based on the beliefs of founding fathers. All Nigerians belong to a particular tribe. Since there's already the love for tribe, we need the love for country above all. A Patriotic Nigerian only cares about the good of the nation. The belief is that, citizens are equal components of the society and should therefore build in unity. It is important to note that tribalism is more divisive in a multi-ethnic terrain like Nigeria. The interests of the country should always prevail before factions within. Both religion and ethnicity have caused a stir in our nation's unity. Nigerian politicians have repeatedly emphasized on tribal domination thereby causing intertribal conflicts. The results are hostility and negativity towards other tribes. To me, it is time Nigerian interests come first. We need a leader who can be a citizen, subjected to all laws. A patriotic leader represents his country, tribe and other tribes within his county. Sometime in 2019, I was with a friend who made the statement "I am tired of Nigeria". And when I asked why, he opined that there's nothing to live for in Nigeria. I kept thinking about this and i realized that the majority in the nation share the same view and that is more alarming. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr was a United States of America patriot. He envisioned a nation who triumphed over racism. He identified as a black man but highlighted his belief in nationhood above race and colour. In veracity, patriotism is a virtue for all Nigerians. As Nigeria begins preparations for the general elections in 2023, we must recognize the patriotic antecedents of all candidates. An unpatriotic leader would never love and care for the governed. We have a duty to our nation regardless of our various shortcomings. Moreover, what he have is a Nigerian passport and not an Igbo, Hausa, Yoruba, or Efik passport. Contact: [email protected] Southern Pines, NC (28387) Today Scattered showers and thunderstorms. High 88F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%.. Tonight Partly cloudy skies. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 61F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph. Clearfield, PA (16830) Today Overcast. Slight chance of a rain shower. High around 65F. Winds NW at 10 to 20 mph.. Tonight Some clouds. Low 44F. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph. Salem, MO (65560) Today Cloudy with occasional rain showers. High 61F. Winds ESE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50%.. Tonight Rain showers early will evolve into a more steady rain overnight. Low 54F. Winds ESE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 90%. Rainfall near a half an inch. The shocking Russian invasion of Ukraine has left most Americans bewildered, angry and deeply troubled. But exactly how our nation should respond remains unclear. Polls have shown a surprising number of Americans uncertain about the desirability of sanctions or the admission of Ukraine into NATO, although most wholeheartedly support President Joe Bidens refusal to deploy combat troops. Few recognize that another Democratic president, also in office less than two years, faced a near-identical crisis over 100 years ago. In the early weeks of World War I in 1914, news of the brutal German invasion of Belgium reached President Woodrow Wilson and the American public. Wilson, though deeply sympathetic to the Belgians, recognized that the attack complicated his vision for Americas place in the European war. The United States and its people, he had believed, must remain impartial in thought as well as in action. Only then would the nation be in a position to play a significant role in the eventual peace process and postwar reconstruction of Europe. The president, then, consciously refused to denounce the German invasion, a decision Wilsons great political adversary Theodore Roosevelt came to violently oppose. But Roosevelt initially believed Wilson had handled the situation appropriately. The Belgians dilemma, Roosevelt observed, was unfortunate but not surprising. When giants are engaged in a death wrestle, he wrote, they are certain to trample on whoever gets in the way of either of the huge, straining combatants. Just as today, few Americans possessed more than a rudimentary understanding of what had caused the war in Europe or even the Belgian invasion. We are a very shortsighted and ignorant people in international affairs, Roosevelt grumbled. Still, most desperately wanted to do something for Belgium. Some Americans enlisted in the French or British armies, but the easiest way to help was to give to the now-ubiquitous Belgian relief charities. Even children willingly participated, dutifully surrendering their pennies to adopt their starving counterparts in Belgium. For the celebrated social worker Jane Addams, these activities were simply not enough. As a pacifist who viewed war as especially destructive to the reforms she had advocated for years, Addams believed the Wilson administration needed to do much more. Our neutrality should be a vigorous and dynamic kind that is not content to sit still with folded hands waiting for Europe to cease fighting, she said. Such peace is not worthy of a great people. Nor is it enough to send shiploads of food and clothing to destitute Belgians, splendid as that is. Addams, Roosevelt and Wilson -- all progressives of the early 20th century stripe -- understood that the Belgian invasion and the European war were of critical importance to the United States. Roosevelt, though never quite advocating war, at least before 1917, believed it was essential for the United States to beef up its pathetically small army of some 100,000 men. Otherwise, America would be in no position to assist small nations such as Belgium violated by predatory powers. For Addams, militarism of any kind was never the answer. Americas efforts should be directed toward finding a way to end the conflict. The United States, she said, should throw every bit of its power into the scale for peace. Wilson, like Biden today, faced the greatest burden. He understood that much of the country strongly opposed American involvement in European affairs. On the other hand, American trade with the Allies and travel to Europe resulted in multiple disturbing incidents (the sinking of the British ocean liner RMS Lusitania, among others) between 1914 and 1917, pushing the country dangerously close to involvement in war. For more than two years, Wilson managed to thread a very difficult needle. He placated pacifists such as Addams by his interest in peacemaking and a future League of Nations, while also moving toward the military preparedness Roosevelt advocated. But ultimately Germanys decision to resume unrestricted submarine warfare in early 1917 forced Wilson into a war he never wanted. By then, he came to believe involvement was necessary if the U.S. was to have any influence in the peace process and a new world order. Wilsons decision for war had enormous ramifications. Bolstered by American forces, the Allies decisively defeated Germany in 1918, imposed harsh conditions at Versailles and set the stage for a second World War 20 years later. In 2022, Biden must also weigh the considerable potential impact of his response to the crisis in Ukraine. Any move in the wrong direction might lead to a wider war, a disrupted global order and serious political setbacks for the Democratic Party, the identical challenges faced by Wilson between 1914 and 1917. Unlike Wilson, Biden has at his disposal 21st century tools such as powerful economic sanctions and the support of a virtually united international community. Only time will tell whether they will be enough to resolve the current crisis. WOOD RIVER Waggoner Equipment Rental, LLC has been chosen as the March 2022 Riverbend Growth Association Small Business of the Month award recipient. Located at 6 Helmkamp Drive in Wood River, the family-owned and operated company has been in business for 35 years. Waggoner is a large equipment rental company, with a core fleet of deck cranes that range from 2.5 tons to 25 tons. Additionally, they have a solo 33-ton boom truck as well as rough terrain cranes with a range of 35 to 160 tons. They can also provide their customers with forklifts/telehandlers and skid steer equipment as needed, as well as crane mats and rigging. Waggoner provides free onsite job evaluations and consultations and offers 24-hour service as needed. All their operators are NCCCO certified and members of International Union of Operating Engineers and they have a fully staffed shop to service the equipment. Waggoner got its start in Madison. It was first owned and operated by Wilbur Waggoner. At that time, the Wilbur Waggoner Company was known for trucking, equipment rental, and excavating. The fleet back then consisted of trucks, backhoes, hi-lifts, crawler cranes, truck cranes, and hydraulic cranes. In 1986, three partners purchased the Wilbur Waggoner facility, with David S. Yates, as the partner and operating general manager. While continuing to follow in its founders footsteps, Waggoner Equipment Rental took a primary lead in crane rental. And in 2020, Alana (Yates) Yount, daughter of David S. Yates and serving as Waggoners operations manager, solely purchased the company. Soon after, Waggoner Equipment Rental, LLC, was designated by the Illinois Capital Development as a certified Womens Business Enterprise (WBE). In 1987, Yount started working with payroll, accounts receivable, and accounts payable at the company back when her father was still GM and needed the help. At the time, she was pursuing a career in nursing. Her father offered to pay her just slightly more than she was making as a certified nurses aide (CNA) to come help him out, and she did. Over the years, Younts career goals shifted to align with becoming the companys president and owner. For over 30 years now, Waggoners mission has been to help its customers reach new heights. We restore the past and build the future, observing safe lifting practices on the ground and in the air. We aim to make our customers look good, and always represent them in the highest fashion, noted Yount. We are always keeping our employees updated and trained, she added. We strongly promote safety and always encourage advancement in education and training. And we pride our operations on our strong customer relations on all our construction sites industrial, commercial, and residential. We believe in excellent communication, knowledge, and skillset to make the job easier for our customers. Waggoner Equipment Rental is further passionate about its involvement and support of the community. They sponsor a variety of events and hold membership in organizations like the RiverBend Growth Association. Yount said, We are very passionate about working with organizations such as Refuge and Patches and Badges for Kids. I am also a part of the 100+ Women Who Care from the 618. There always seems to be challenges for any company to face. For us, one is being smaller and competing with the larger companies," she said. "But we are a personable company with a long-term, dedicated team. You will see a familiar face and likely work with the same person. One of the best things about being a family-owned and operated local business is the people we work with and serve and being a part of the community. To learn more about Waggoner Equipment Rental, visit waggonerequipment.com or call 618-254-2464 in Illinois or 314-231-2111 in Missouri. You can also find and follow them on Facebook at @waggonerequipment. The RBGAs Small Business of the Month Committee recognizes a different member business each month for its outstanding efforts and leadership in the community. The RBGA is the Chamber of Commerce and economic development organization for the 11 communities known as the Riverbend. For more information visit www.growthassociation.com or call 618-467-2280. Arm is planning to cut hundreds of jobs after a takeover deal with US tech giant Nvidia collapsed. Boss Rene Haas told staff at the Cambridge-based computer chip maker yesterday that the cuts would affect 12 per cent to 15 per cent of its 4,400 strong global workforce meaning over 600 jobs could be at risk. Arm employs around 1,800 people in the UK. Arm boss Rene Haas told staff of the Cambridge-based computer chip maker that 12% to 15% of its 4,400 strong global workforce- some 600 people- could lose their jobs Haas said most of the redundancies would be in the UK and the US and that the process would be a tough time for everyone but the company needed to be more disciplined about its costs, the Daily Telegraph reported. An Arm spokesman said the company was continually reviewing its business plan and that unfortunately, this process includes proposed redundancies. Arms plan to swing the axe came after its planned 31billion takeover by Nvidia fell through last month amid opposition from British regulators. The firm, which makes chips for electronic devices such as smartphones and is owned by Japanese conglomerate SoftBank, is considering a blockbuster listing on either the New York or London stock market. The cost of filling a 55-litre family car with petrol has exceeded 90 for the first time, but wholesale oil prices are now falling, according to RAC Fuel Watch. The average price of a litre of petrol rose to 163.71p on Monday, marking another new record, Simon Williams, a spokesman for RAC Fuel Watch, said. Diesel also recorded another all-time high at 173.68p yesterday after increasing by the tiniest of margins. However, with a barrel of Brent crude oil now back below the $100 mark, in theory, lower prices at the pumps should be seen in the not too distant future if retailers do the right thing and reduce their prices. Costly: The cost of filling a 55-litre family car with petrol has exceeded 90 for the first time this week, RAC Fuel Watch said Williams said: 'Drivers should be encouraged by oil and wholesale prices dropping again yesterday. 'Its now vital that the biggest retailers who buy fuel most often start to reflect these reductions at the pumps to give drivers a much-needed break from the pain of constantly rising prices.' Brent crude has now reversed all of its March gains and is back below $100 a barrel, after climbing to as high as $139 in the last few days. The price was around $80 at the start of the year. Victoria Scholar, head of investment at Interactive Investor, said: 'Oil prices are down by more than 5 per cent reaching two-week lows. 'The prospect of a diplomatic solution towards Russias military aggression against Ukraine would help ease the worlds energy supply shock that has sent commodities soaring. 'Although no progress was announced, the two sides engaged in their fourth round of talks on Monday. 'Meanwhile on the demand side for oil, fears about an aggressive policy response from Beijing to Chinas Covid outbreak has raised the prospect of a much weaker demand for oil from the worlds second largest economy.' Michael Hewson, chief market analyst at CMC Markets, said today: 'Todays sharp fall in oil prices looks set to offer a temporary respite to beleaguered consumers here in Europe, as well as the US, as they worry about the recent surge in energy prices on their disposable incomes.' While falling oil prices may offer a glimmer of hope for motorists, it remains unclear how prices will pan out in the coming days and weeks, particularly in light of fragile negotiations between Russia and Ukraine. Drivers are being warned that pump prices could in fact rise even further, with experts warning the sudden crude oil price drop could just be a 'lull before the storm'. Speaking to Parliament's Treasury Committee yesterday, Dr Amrita Sen, director of research at Energy Aspects, warned petrol prices could rise to around 2.40 a litre. She also warned MPs that diesel prices of '2.50 - even closer to 3' were 'definitely in the realms of possibility'. On Monday, Brent crude fell from above $113 a barrel to as low as $103.49 in London. In the US, the West Texas Intermediate oil price fell back below $100. Fuel hikes in the last few days Date Petrol Diesel 11 March 161.96 171.63 12 March 162.94 173.67 13 March 163.46 173.44 14 March 163.71 173.68 The slide in the oil price came as the International Monetary Fund said Ukraines economy could shrink by more than a third this year if the war with Russian continues. Predicting a slump of 25 per cent to 35 per cent, the watchdog said the estimates should be seen as a bare minimum. The financial institution added: A deep recession and large reconstruction costs are to be expected, on the backdrop of a humanitarian crisis. Figures from data firm Experian Catalist show the average cost of a litre of petrol at UK forecourts on Sunday was 163.5p, while diesel was 173.4p. A month ago, pump prices were 148.0p per litre for petrol and 151.6p per litre for diesel. AA fuel price spokesman Luke Bosdet said this week: Unless the price of oil takes off again this week, the AA expects these wild pump prices to stabilise this week and even fall back at fuel stations that were supplied at peak prices but will eventually get cheaper deliveries. The war in Ukraine and Western sanctions on Russia have driven oil prices higher in recent weeks amid fears over supplies. But hopes that talks could lead to a ceasefire and resolution of the conflict have sent oil into reverse in recent days. Chinas decision to lockdown a number of cities including Shenzhen one of the worlds largest ports and a major technology hub also dented the oil price as concerns over the state of the global economy mounted. Four Russia-linked companies including a steel group backed by Roman Abramovich have been ejected from FTSE indices. Evraz, Petropavlovsk, Polymetal International and property group Raven set up by British entrepreneur Anton Bilton will be barred from holding positions on the FTSE 100, FTSE 250, FTSE 350 and FTSE All-Share Index from the end of this week. The move is a blow for the four businesses as many investment funds track these indices and membership affords an air of respectability. Banned: Steel maker Evraz - where Roman Abramovich (pictured) holds the biggest stake - is among four Russian firms set to be barred from the FTSE from the end of the week But critics said the move did not go far enough as the shares are still listed on the stock market in London despite their exclusion from the indices. While shares in Evraz where Chelsea owner Abramovich holds the biggest stake are suspended, trading continues in the other companies. And one of the companies, FTSE 100-listed Polymetal, said the expulsion will have no effect whatsoever. A spokesman for the gold miner said: 'The recent exclusion of Polymetal shares from the series of FTSE equity indices does not impact the company's listing on the London Stock Exchange. Trading of Polymetal shares on LSE continues.' FTSE Russell, the company behind the indices, said the decision was taken after brokers refused to trade the shares of Russian-linked companies. But the announcement was met with calls for the authorities to go even further and expel firms linked to Russia or close to the Kremlin from the LSE altogether. Former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith and financier-turned-campaigner Bill Browder want to see Russian companies booted off the UK stock market for good. Tom Keatinge, director of the Centre for Financial Crime and Security Studies at think-tank Rusi, said: 'In terms of practicalities, we need to make sure we are following the rule of law. 'But if the aim is to put massive economic sanctions on the Russian economy, then we need to do the very maximum which means we'll do things we've never done before.' Neil Wilson, analyst at Markets, added: 'This is all just posturing. Let's kick them out and show we are serious.' Shares have been suspended in more than 30 Russia or oligarch-linked firms. But regulators and the Foreign Office have been slammed for still allowing them to stay listed on the LSE. Critics said the lack of intervention showed the UK's sanctions regime is a 'shambles'. Although the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) is in charge of the 'Official List' of companies on the LSE, the regulator says it will only take guidance on delisting from the Foreign Office, which is overseeing sanctions. The UK has slapped sanctions on oligarchs such as Oleg Deripaska and Abramovich. But no plans have been announced around listings. This leaves firms potentially propping up President Putin on one of the world's most prestigious stock markets. The lack of action comes even after Chancellor Rishi Sunak urged on Sunday for British businesses to 'think very carefully' about any investments that would support Putin's barbaric regime. MP Liam Byrne, who is a member of Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee, said it was 'absolutely crucial' to remove Russian firms from the LSE, adding that UK officials are 'miles behind' other countries when it comes to preparing sanctions. He said: 'The fact we haven't done it is further evidence of the shambles at the heart of Britain's sanctioning strategy. The Foreign Office is in disarray.' Instant unlimited access to all of our content on tillamookheadlightherald.com. The Headlight Herald E-Edition Newsletter emailed to you each week, the night before the paper hits the street! This subscription is for NEW or RENEWING online subscribers. (The charge will appear as "Country Media Inc." on your credit card statement) Tillamook, OR (97141) Today Partly cloudy skies this morning will become overcast during the afternoon. High 61F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Showers this evening, becoming a steady rain overnight. Low around 45F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 90%. Barre, VT (05641) Today Cloudy with periods of rain. High 54F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 70%.. Tonight Showers early, then cloudy overnight. Low 43F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 50%. Kingsport, TN (37660) Today A mix of clouds and sun. High around 80F. Winds W at 10 to 20 mph.. Tonight A few passing clouds. Low around 50F. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph. The prime ministers of the Czech Republic, Poland and Slovenia were travelling to Kyiv by train on Tuesday to show support for the country on behalf of the EU, the first foreign leaders to visit the Ukrainian capital since Russia invaded last month. Kyiv has been under Russian attacks: two powerful explosions rocked the capital before dawn on Tuesday. Emergency services said two people died when an apartment building was struck. Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said on Facebook the trip took place on the 20th day of Russian President Vladimir Putins Putins criminal aggression against Ukraine. At such breakthrough times for the world, it is our duty to be where history is forged. Because its not about us, but about the future of our children who deserve to live in a world free from tyranny, he said. Top aide to Morawiecki, Michal Dwoczyk, told reporters the delegation had crossed the Polish-Ukraine border by train after 8 a.m. (0700 GMT). The purpose of the visit is to confirm the unequivocal support of the entire European Union for the sovereignty and independence of Ukraine, Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala said in a statement also released by the Polish government. The aim of this visit is also to present a broad package of support for Ukraine and Ukrainians. Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Jansa was also taking part in the trip, which Fiala said was taken in consultation with European Council President Charles Michel and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. SOURCE: REUTERS BETHLEHEM Alain Kaloyeros has landed in a downstate federal correctional facility with floors that have been walked by a who's-who of corrupt New York officials. The founder of Albany Nanotech, who was convicted in 2018 on federal bid-rigging charges, has started his 3-year prison sentence at a minimum-security camp in Otisville. For years, the Orange County facility has been the incarceration home to some of the most powerful state officials ordered to serve time for federal crimes. Former state Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, who died earlier this year at a federal prison hospital in Massachusetts, reported to Otisville in 2020 to begin serving a term of more than six years. Joseph Percoco, a former top aide to now ex-Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo who, like Silver, was sentenced to six years, also served time at Otisville for bribery and corruption. State Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos, 72, who was sentenced in October 2018 to 51 months in prison for his conviction on charges of bribery, conspiracy and corruption, also served a stint in the prison in Orange County. Kaloyeros, of Slingerlands, had to finally go to prison after unsuccessfully appealing his case to the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, which includes the Manhattan court where Kaloyeros was tried on wire fraud and wire fraud conspiracy charges. The 66-year-old is appealing his case to the U.S. Supreme Court, but he had to start serving his sentence as that process unfolds. His release date if he serves his entire sentence is March 7, 2025, according to the Federal Bureau of Prisons. There are 57 inmates in the Otisville minimum-security camp. Kaloyeros will know at least two of them: Steven Aiello, 63, and Joseph Gerardi, 62, who worked for a Syracuse-area real estate development firm involved in the bid-rigging scheme with Kaloyeros. 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 other person convicted under the same case was Louis Ciminelli, 66, a Buffalo developer and construction executive. Ciminelli is serving his time at a minimum-security camp in Tucson, Ariz. The three upstate businessmen were large donors to former Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo. Prosecutors were able to show that Kaloyeros had manipulated the bid documents for hundreds of millions of dollars in state-funded high-tech construction projects in Buffalo and Syracuse to ensure that their companies would be picked as "preferred developers." At the time, Cuomo had been trying get Kaloyeros to replicate the Albany Nanotech model in other upstate cities to create manufacturing jobs. Cuomo was never implicated in the case. The two projects ended up being built in Buffalo and Syracuse. They are the Tesla solar panel and battery component factory in Buffalo, and the NexGen factory outside of Syracuse that makes power transistors using semiconductor manufacturing. ALBANY At a special meeting on Friday, commissioners of the state Joint Commission on Public Ethics may adopt a new strategy in their attempt to force ex-Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo to repay $5.1 million in book royalties, according to people with knowledge of the deliberations. Some of the ethics panel's commissioners are mulling a plan that would cut state Attorney General Letitia James out of the process of seeking the $5.1 million repayment. In December, James' office expressed concern that the commissioners could not seek Cuomo's "disgorgement" of the royalties he earned in 2020 without a full investigation into whether he misused state resources to produce "American Crisis: Leadership Lessons from the COVID-19 Pandemic" an inquiry that could last months or years. Under the new plan being considered, JCOPE would issue an order demanding that the former governor quickly repay the money to the book publisher, Penguin Random House. And instead of James' office enforcing the order and deciding how to handle the sum as JCOPE prescribed in an original Dec. 14 motion the commission would potentially hire its own counsel to enforce the repayment. While a number of JCOPE commissioners are weighing the idea, sources said the plan could change before Friday or be tabled for a future meeting. Since December, the ethics panel and James' office have been at a legal impasse, which has frustrated a number of commissioners who believe that the attorney general is wrong about the need to conduct a full investigation. When Cuomo sought approval from JCOPE to write the book, his government counsel, Judith Mogul, explicitly stated that government workers would not be used in its production. Yet state workers were extensively used to produce Cuomo's book, and many JCOPE commissioners believe that misrepresentation by itself empowers them to seek immediate repayment of the $5.1 million. For his part, Cuomo says any staff that worked on the book did so in a "volunteer" capacity and their labor was therefore legal. The former governor has promised to fight JCOPE in court if it continues to seek the repayment. JCOPE Commissioner Gary Lavine, a Senate Republican appointee to the body, is planning to raise two other issues at this week's meeting. Lavine said he would introduce a motion referring the matter of a 2019 JCOPE leak to state Inspector General Lucy Lang for re-investigation. Lang has not responded to a letter Lavine wrote in January asking for her office to revisit who leaked confidential, sensitive commission information to Cuomo in 2019. Lavine also wants Lang to review the inspector general's probe of the matter that year. In 2019, the inspector general's office then overseen by Cuomo's administration and run by his former aide failed to interview key witnesses in the leak case, including Cuomo and Assembly Speaker Carl E. Heastie, before stating it could not determine if a leak occurred. Lang was appointed inspector general by Hochul in October, and is currently investigating a more recent JCOPE "hot mic" incident following a complaint filed by Cuomo's attorney. But there's been no indication Lang has reopened the 2019 leak matter, which Lavine argues was a far more serious, intentional breach of confidentiality. At the special Friday meeting, which required an affirmative vote by eight of JCOPE's 14 commissioners to be held, Lavine also plans to ask JCOPE staff about the status another Cuomo-related matter. A subpoena issued in a separate matter by the commission to Hochul's office had a return date of Feb. 28, Lavine said, and he wants an update on what's occurred since then. In January, JCOPE commissioners approved the subpoena, which seeks information about the "volunteers" that played a crucial role in Cuomo's COVID-19 response, but were exempted by executive order from certain ethics rules. Correction: JCOPE commissioners are unlikely to propose revoking a prior approval of former Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo's book on Friday, since some commissioners feel the action is unnecessary. That fact was misstated in an earlier version of this article published online March 15, 2022. ALBANY A lot of terrible ideas and proposals have come out of the Capitol over the years too many to count, really. But a plan announced last week by Gov. Kathy Hochul might be one of the worst. Under the plan, the state's first licenses for retail marijuana stores will go to applicants who have been convicted of marijuana-related possession and distribution, or have family members convicted of the same. To put it another way: A person who has followed the law is ineligible for a license, at least initially, unless the person is fortunate enough to have a relative who broke the law. Those who followed the law, or at least weren't caught, will have to wait. It's like the world has been turned upside down. Before we go further, let me stress that I believe the overly punitive criminalization of cannabis was one of our society's great mistakes, a grievous error that sent too many to prison for too long. That there was racial discrimination in how we policed and prosecuted the drug war made criminalization that much worse, and it is a fine thing that we are at last coming to our senses by making recreational marijuana legal. In that the state's licensing policy is an attempt to make amends for errors of the past, we can perhaps give it credit for good intentions. Hochul and the state's Office of Cannibis Management want the benefits of marijuana legalization to accrue to neighborhoods that suffered the most under its criminalization. But poor minority neighborhoods didn't suffer under criminalization only because police arrested so many residents for possession and for dealing. They suffered because drug dealers were often part of larger criminal enterprises that violently protected market share. They suffered because homes and entire blocks were turned over to the drug trade and the terrible things that came with it. And now the state wants to reward some of the dealers? "New York state is making history, launching a first-of-its-kind approach to the cannabis industry that takes a major step forward in righting the wrongs of the past," Hochul said as she announced a program that was signed into law last year by former Gov. Andrew Cuomo. Well, it's true New York is making history, given that no other state with legal marijuana has attempted anything so dumb. But that's hardly an accomplishment. "I'm left speechless," Albany County District Attorney David Soares said of the conviction preference, calling it "nothing short of insanity." Soares was elected in 2004 as an opponent of the state's harsh drug laws, and he has advocated more recently for efforts to repair the damage, including the expungement of lower-level marijuana convictions. But speaking Friday on Albany's WAMC radio, Soares noted that guns and violence accompanied the operation of what he called "weed houses." "To reward people who have been at the forefront of those offenses is just, to me, breathtaking," the Democrat said. "You're just rewarding people who were perpetrating crimes in those communities." (OK, so Soares wasn't, it turns out, left speechless.) Soares, a critic of some recent bail reforms, also contended that the licensing policy was evidence of a destructive shift in how state lawmakers view criminal justice, with a rising leniency provoking a rise in crime. I won't go that far, but it does seem that the license preference represents a shift in sympathy toward the people convicted of crimes and away from those impacted by them. At best, the preference feels like a naive gimmick. It may also suggest a worrying disrespect for the rule of law. It would be one thing if the state was deciding to ignore possession convictions for candidates who met all the other license qualifications. But to reward applicants with convictions at the expense of those without them is an entirely different thing. Keep in mind that the state and its taxpayers have a lot on the line as marijuana shops open. The stores will be in neighborhoods across the state, and so we all have an interest in ensuring that they succeed. We will also be helping to support them, most likely, given that Hochul's budget proposes a $200 million "cannabis equity fund" that will draw from the state's cannabis revenue, including licensing fees, and also tap private-equity funding. As part of the effort, the state Dormitory Authority will help marijuana retailers find, lease and renovate storefronts. Why marijuana stores are worthy of support that other retailers don't receive is a question worth asking, but that one will have to wait. So many bad ideas out of the Capitol, so little time. An earlier version of this column incorrectly said that Gov. Kathy Hochul's proposed budget seeks $200 million in taxpayer support for marijuana businesses. Also, the column was updated to reflect that the state's marijuana retailing plan was signed into law by former Gov. Andrew Cuomo. cchurchill@timesunion.com 518-454-5442 @chris_churchill AP/File The U.S. Small Business Administration on Tuesday extended by six months the repayment schedule for COVID Economic Injury Disaster Loans that went to thousands of businesses nationwide, including New York. The extended deferment period will provide additional flexibility to small business owners impacted by the pandemic, especially those in hard-hit sectors dealing with recent variants of the pandemic as well as supply chain and inflation challenges. When Maria Perreca Papa announced last year that she bought and would be reviving Cornells in Little Italy, which closed at the beginning of the pandemic after 77 years in Schenectady, 68 in the same family, Susie Davidson Powell and I discussed reviewing Cornells 4.0. Papa, who owns the restaurant More Perreca's and co-owns the adjoining, century-old Perreca's Bakery, across a parking lot from Cornells, said she'd rehired virtually the entire staff, including bringing back the former co-head chef to run the kitchen. And the menu would showcase most of the favorites from the past, Papa said. As a result, Powell was uncertain about a review. She'd written one in 2017. What would be different? She asked if I might be interested in subbing for her. Well, I said, I've been going to Cornells since it was Cornell's and located on Van Vranken Avenue, not on Little Italy's North Jay Street, where it lost the apostrophe. In fact, you could say I've been dining there since before I was born. This is literally true: My parents had dinner at the restaurant several times while my mother was pregnant with me. Further, JoAnn Cornell Aragosa, whose parents founded Cornells in 1943 and later turned it over to her, was an inspiration for my father opening his own Schenectady restaurant, The Oxbow Inn, in 1976. So we've got some history, Cornells and I do. It feels largely the same as when I last visited, five years ago in February. This is by turns good and not so good. Food arrives fast. Even on a Saturday night a month after reopening, when the large restaurant was essentially full before 6 p.m., plates sped from the kitchen without making us feel rushed. We ate two courses within an hour and departed after spending about 80 minutes total. The staff handled the onslaught with aplomb, weaving adroitly between bar area's closely spaced tables, where the backs of chairs at adjacent parties were often inches apart, sometimes touching when the occupant stood up. The homey Italian dishes look and taste familiar, comforting. With large portions and modest prices, these sections of the menu offer a fair value. It would require an appetite far more capacious than mine to finish the $23 braciole. About the size of a flashlight that takes four D batteries, its thin, tender beef wraps a stuffing of Sindoni's sausage, provolone and Perreca's breadcrumbs before a long simmer in a sauce bright with tomato and just the right hint of acid. One would be a fool not to mop that sauce with a chunk of Perreca's bread, its famed thick crust scattering crisp shards onto the tabletop when torn. I was not a fool. One of my companions, a friend's teen daughter familiar with the Italian restaurant scene in Albany and Utica if not Schenectady, considered her $20 bowl of penne alla vodka. She liked it, she said, but no more so than an $8.99 to-go version from Cardona's Market in Albany, and that comes with chicken meatballs. Two other starters, plates of Utica greens and broccoli rabe with sausage, played their stock parts expertly, offering neither variation nor disappointment. Disappointingly, they were served no more than warm, suggesting the steam table needs a temperature adjustment and/or that the food shouldn't have been put on cold plates. I need say nothing about the filler-heavy clams casino; of the predictable by-the-glass wine list, only that the seven flights are a nice touch. The bottle list is better, with 54 entries, from $26 to $221, many at $45 or less. Papa said the menu would complement old favorites with an "elevated steak and seafood experience," and to that end she buttressed Executive Chef Ryan Nicklaw's team by hiring Anthony Vagnini, who has done two stints at the steakhouse Salt & Char in Saratoga Springs and made a name for himself with a program of long-dry-aged beef at East Cove restaurant in Lake George. The 10-entree Bistecca e Pesce section of the menu averages $32, with a full half of its dishes costing more than $35. This is notably high on a menu where pastas average $24, Italian entrees $1 more. Worse, the sense of value vanishes when you see the $38 rib-eye is a broad, thin, albeit flavorful steak marked with an unimpressive crosshatching of grill lines. The menu promises "roast shallot demi glaze." What we received looked like someone had spilled onion soup on the steak and topped it with a sprig of rosemary. The potato-and-veg offering, a lamentable plate of broccoli, cauliflower and gluey, tepid mashed potatoes with pale onions, proved an emphatic if unintentional reminder to always opt for a red-sauced pasta side, even with a steak. My friend's elder child, a senior in high school, was initially impressed by his dish of scallops with lobster risotto, the most contemporary of any plate we were served, in conception and presentation. Crusted with a solid but not aggressive sear, properly seasoned and pleasingly translucent inside, the large scallops showed the work of a sure hand. The risotto's lobster nuggets were small and few, however, and its salt level, not apparent in the first few bites, had a cumulative effect, requiring repeated reaches for a water glass. And he couldn't get his head around the price: $42 for four scallops, which after tax and tip works out to more than three hours on the clock at his sub-shop job. He'd pay that for thrilling food, he said, noting that he's done so for sushi, but what he'd just eaten didn't qualify. That juxtaposition between old and new Cornells extended to the service, which, depending on the moment and the staffer, alternated from attentively professional to a busser who during a post-entree visit took away just one plate. He then returned to standing against a wall, hands in pockets and in full view of us, while the remaining three people at our table, also finished eating, sat facing uncleared plates for what became an amusingly long period of being ignored. My overall impression of the new Cornells in Little Italy is a restaurant assured of its past, more tentative about its expanding direction. For now, I can see sitting at the bar for a chopped salad or bowl of zuppa di vongole with a glass of Montepulciano and that legendary Perreca's bread. I can't see returning for another dinner for four that, for two courses each and a single glass of wine, somehow ends up costing $250 after tax and tip. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate ALBANY Art fans are seeing stars over dueling Vincent van Gogh events touring the country. But red flags abound that the two similarly named events are not alike and one has a track record of consumer complaints. The Better Business Bureau has issued a warning about the Albany-bound Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience over ticketing issues, last-minute cancellations, refund processing and a lack of communication from the promoters. As a result, the BBB slapped the promoters, Fever, with a pattern of complaint designation. BBB is also warning consumers that the exhibit is one of several van Gogh-related events touring cities in North America this summer, but offering different experiences. The soundalike names of the events are causing confusion and some fans are frustrated that they bought tickets to one event but then realized it was not the one they wanted, wrote the BBB in an advisory issued last week. Promotional materials for Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience advertise a 20,000-square-foot light and sound spectacular. Visitors can expect a 360 degree video, light and music experience and total artistic immersion that will display two-story projections of the Dutch painters work, including one of his most well-known pieces, 1889's "The Starry Night." There are also virtual reality experiences available, and a physical recreation of the room in "Bedroom in Arles" that van Gogh painted in 1888. Tickets for the Albany event will go online Thursday, yet promoters are keeping the location under wraps for now. Mario Iacampo, the creative director and founder of Exhibition Hub (which organizes the show in conjunction with Fever), has said locations are typically announced at the last minute to build a sense of anticipation. Meanwhile, Immersive Van Gogh is a separate exhibit advertising 500,000 cubic feet of projections. The Massimiliano Siccardi-designed exhibition features rave reviews on its website, while Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience, features fewer accolades and a track record of BBB complaints. (There are no current plans for "Immersive Van Gogh" to touch down in Albany.) Common issues reported by consumers about Fever, according to the Better Business Bureau, are problems with the events, including canceled or rescheduled venues, allegedly sometimes at the last minute or with no communication at all about the change in status of the event. Customers also complained about long delays in fulfilling refund requests and getting stonewalled while trying to resolve issues. The issues extended to other events organized by Fever, including Dining in the Dark and other themed immersive experiences. Fever acknowledged the concerns. The results are in See the winners of each category of the 2022 Best of the Capital Region contest, as determined by popular vote. We continue to foster a close relationship with (the BBB) and make sure every Fever user receives the best possible customer support, said Oliver Davies, a spokesman. The BBB contains 1,286 reviews, he said, which represent a range of different experiences listed across Fevers platform. And thats a small percentage compared to the 2 million tickets sold in the U.S., Davies said, which illustrates that the number of reviews does not fairly represent the experience of millions of people who use Fever every day in their cities. Davies also pointed out high rankings for the company Apples App Store, among other critical accolades. The show, which has been featured in major cities across the U.S., Europe and Asia, has only come as close to the Capital Region as New York City and Boston. The Boston show has ended, but a more permanent installation in Manhattan still attracts people from hundreds of miles away. Judging from the list of cities that are hosting the virtual experience, it appears the show is expanding into smaller markets, with other June shows scheduled for Cincinnati and Grand Rapids, Mich. Fever also responded to BBB last October and outlined the steps it is taking or will take to address the issues, including boosting customer support and adjusting some policies regarding scheduled events. Yet as of this month, BBB is still noting persistent issues with insufficient customer service to appropriately handle event cancellations and delayed refunds. The BBB has outlined a series of recommendations for customers before buying tickets, including purchasing tickets only from trusted vendors, reviewing language carefully and watching for red flags, including the lack of contact information for the producer. And to further muddy the waters, the BBB said there are two other van Gogh events circulating throughout North America, including "Imagine Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience, with exhibitions in Edmonton, Alberta; Vancouver, British Columbia; and Boston, and "Van Gogh Alive, which is currently showing in St. Petersburg, Fla. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate ALBANY Hoping to ease transportation worries around Albany's middle school enrollment redesign, which may have some students attending school farther from home next year, school officials are working on a plan to put hall monitors on bus routes as early as this spring. The district has several vacancies for hall monitors, which officials say can potentially be leveraged into a sort of pilot program in preparation for next year's middle school changes that seek to create more equity in the district. "We want to offer those positions in terms of an early schedule or a late schedule to see if we can have some interest in that particular role," Albany Superintendent Kaweeda Adams said. "Because we already have the cost of the hall monitors in our budget, we are going to look at what that entails ... and look to project that forward in our 2022-23 budget." The district would start by placing the chaperones on bus routes that are having the most challenges and expand from there, Adams said. "I hope it absolutely helps people feel confident about where we are headed with our transportation next year," she said. It is too early in the planning process to anticipate the impact hiring additional bus monitors will have on next year's budget, school officials said. The district is also working with CDTA to add more "tripper" bus lines which are used to transport students to school in order to maximize transportation efficiency next year. Students will also continue to have free access to the entire CDTA network. The additional routes would require an investment of $270,000. With 79 percent of school transportation costs reimbursed by the state, it would add $56,700 to next year's budget. Feeder plan ideas narrow The Albany school board on Thursday moved closer to selecting a middle school feeder plan, narrowing the options down from eight scenarios to two. The new elementary-to-middle-school pipeline seeks to create more equity across three middle schools by ensuring that they are similar in size, student performance, needs and resources. The current middle school alignment was implemented in 2017-2018 as a temporary solution while school officials determined how best to educate students in grades 6-8 equitably. The district was facing unexpected enrollment growth precipitated by the closure of Brighter Choice's boys and girls charter middle schools in 2015. The new feeder pattern would be phased in over three years, with this years fifth-graders moving up to sixth grade in alignment with the new pattern next fall. Students currently in grades 6-7 would remain in their current middle schools until high school. The results are in See the winners of each category of the 2022 Best of the Capital Region contest, as determined by popular vote. Parents raised concerns about lengthy, chaotic bus routes during a series of community meetings last week. Others were worried that programming and building facilities would be lacking at North Albany Middle School, which currently serves a disproportionate number of high needs students and has an older building that is being renovated. School leaders have emphasized the urgent need for the district to continue moving toward equity. School leaders provided an update on construction at North Albany, which would bring the building up to par with Hackett Middle School and Stephen and Harriet Myers Middle School. Adams indicated Thursday that the district is prepared to support sibling preference with any new feeder pattern, and open enrollment also may be an option depending on space availability, facilities and staffing considerations. While board members said none of the eight initial scenarios has been ruled out, the board has zeroed in on the two plans that best align with feedback from parents. As of Thursday, those are the only two scenarios that had more survey respondents choosing fits well than fits poorly. Five of the eight scenarios propose enrolling students from New Scotland Elementary School at North Albany Middle School. The boards discussion Thursday focused on the likelihood of increased transportation expenses and operational challenges with those scenarios. The board members also agreed that all eight proposed scenarios represent significant improvements from the districts current middle school alignment. However, they noted that selected scenarios seem to provide the most academic equity and balance of resources among the middle schools. The board is scheduled to meet Thursday, March 17, and expects to make a final decision on the new enrollment pattern for next school year. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Faculty and alumni of the New York State Summer School of the Arts (NYSSSA) are shocked and disappointed after learning the highly competitive residential arts program has been canceled this summer and may be in peril. Since 1970, the four-week program has allowed talented high school students to study with some of the worlds foremost artists in the visual and performing arts in seven schools: ballet, modern dance, choral studies, orchestral studies, theater, visual arts, and media arts. A petition demanding answers and calling for the state-subsidized program to be reinstated has garnered more than 2,100 signatures as of Tuesday afternoon. "As many of you in the NYSSSA community know, a summer at NYSSSA can be a life-altering experience," the petition states. "It has always been an inclusive community that has helped expand minds, elevate artistic skills and techniques, deepen knowledge of the histories of each discipline, and has been a venue to forming life-long friendships." Without an additional $2 million in annual state funding, state Education Department officials say NYSSSA's future is at risk. The program was offered remotely in summers 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. No virtual or in-person program will be offered in summer 2022 because of several factors, including fiscal challenges and virtual format fatigue, department officials said. The ballet, modern dance and orchestra programs were typically held at Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs each summer, with school directors and teachers coming from the ranks of New York City Ballet, the Philadelphia Orchestra and prominent dance companies presented as part of the Saratoga Performing Arts Center season. Other programs have been based at SUNY's Fredonia, Delhi and Alfred State College in recent years. The open competition for program spots has drawn students from across the state who have demonstrated exceptional artistic skills and talents. About 33 percent of past attendees received partial or full scholarships, according to the Education Department. Haley Rawson, who attended NYSSSA's school of theater in 2004, said the experience was life-changing. "NYSSSA is a huge opportunity for New York kids it gave me the courage as a young person to audition for colleges, start a theater company with my fellow NYSSSA alums, and pursue acting professionally," she said. "The professors who were there then are still there now, they are incredible, brilliant mentors who any teenager interested in pursuing the arts would be lucky to learn from." The results are in See the winners of each category of the 2022 Best of the Capital Region contest, as determined by popular vote. Stella Hobart, who attended NYSSSA's visual arts program in 2018 and 2019, was hoping to return in 2020 and 2021 as a teacher's assistant, but her plans were thwarted by the pandemic. "I was upset to find out a few weeks ago that this year instead of just being postponed, the program was being defunded as a whole," Hobart said. Historically, NYSSSA tuition revenue has been supplemented by three state funding streams. In 2012, those funding sources were consolidated under the Cultural Education Revenue Account, which is now strained by more than $1 million in personnel and non-personnel costs affiliated with the program. The $2 million budget allocation requested by the state Education Department to sustain NYSSSA is not included in Gov. Kathy Hochul's executive budget or in the state Assembly and state Senate budget proposals. The state budget for 2023 is due April 1. For summer 2022, NYSSSA instead will offer $150,000 in scholarship opportunities for high school students to attend other regional summer arts programs, the State Education Department said. We are excited to offer this new scholarship program for students interested in the arts, Board of Regents Chancellor Lester W. Young, Jr. said. The Regents believe that every student should have the opportunity to actively participate in arts education. This scholarship program will allow students from all socioeconomic backgrounds to connect with the arts via summer programs that may have previously posed a financial challenge to their families. Students can apply for a scholarship through May 1 via an online application on the NYSSSA website. Throughout human history, people have gone to great lengths to maintain and enhance their appearance, so much so that it is often said that beauty is pain. Perhaps it is, but that should not be true for innocent animals. Despite the existence of effective alternatives to animal testing, many of the cosmetic products we use every day contain ingredients that are tested on animals. These tests are as unnecessary as they are cruel; they subject innocent animals to pain and often cause severe physical suffering and death. We have the power to stop their suffering by passing the New York Cruelty Free Cosmetics Act (A5653A/S4839A), which would bring New York in line with eight other states. In 2008, New York enacted a law to prohibit unnecessary animal testing for cosmetics in situations where a more humane alternative exists. Since then, modern alternatives to animal testing have become increasingly better, faster and cheaper, with computer-modeling techniques and testing using human volunteers and human tissues and cells, yet animals are still unnecessarily subjected to painful tests to assess the safety of certain chemicals used in cosmetics products. Over the past 10 years, after campaigning by Cruelty Free International and a movement among ethical consumers to purchase cruelty-free cosmetics, more than 40 countries around the world have taken action to end animal testing for cosmetics. New York City is regarded as a global capital of fashion and beauty, and New York state has the third-largest economy in the United States. Imagine the message we could send by passing the New York Cruelty Free Cosmetics Act into law. The act would prohibit the sale of any cosmetic product containing ingredients that are tested on animals after the date of enactment and require manufacturers to meet the new cruelty-free standards. Compliance would pose no hardship on the industry and would save innumerable animals from needless torture. In 2018, California became the first state in the nation to go cruelty-free by prohibiting the sale of cosmetics newly tested on animals. Since then, a steady stream of states has followed suit. As a result, cosmetics companies must already comply with a no-new-animal testing requirement to sell products in California, Nevada, Illinois, Virginia, Maryland, Maine, Hawaii and New Jersey, and in one of the worlds largest cosmetics markets the European Union, which has been cruelty-free since 2013. Sign up for the Observation Deck newsletter Read the latest Times Union opinion, perspective and letters to the editor on Mondays by signing up for our Observation Deck newsletter. Consumers are in great support of ending animal testing for cosmetics. A poll conducted for Cruelty Free International by Survey USA in August 2019 showed that the overwhelming majority of Americans across party lines and generations oppose animal testing for cosmetics. It comes as no surprise that a 2015 Nielsen survey found that not tested on animals was the most important packaging claim for consumers. Animal suffering in laboratories for cosmetics is archaic, inhumane and unnecessary. New Yorkers have long been leaders in protecting animals through progressive legislation. Together, we have led many of those efforts and will do so again on the New York Cruelty Free Cosmetic Act. Now is the time for the people of the nations fashion and cosmetics capital to stand up for animals and support the NY Cruelty Free Cosmetic Act. Assemblywoman Linda Rosenthal, D-Manhattan, represents the 67th Assembly district. Monica Engebretson of Sacremento, Calif., is head of public affairs, North America, for Cruelty Free International, crueltyfreeinternational.org/ make-new-york-cruelty-free. A woman who interrupted a Russian TV news broadcast, with a sign telling nation not to believe propaganda coming from the Putin regime, has gone viral. The incident occurred on the state-controlled broadcaster Channel One, during its flagship 9pm 'Time' news show. The woman has since been identified as Marina Ovsyannikova, an editor at the station Channel One. It is believed that she is now at a Russian police station. While news anchor Yekaterina Andreyeva was reading out a news story relating to Belarus, Ms Ovsyannikova suddenly burst into view, holding up a hand-written poster. The full text of the sign read: "Dont believe the propaganda. Theyre lying to you here." It was also signed in English: "Russians against war." Ms Andreyeva tried to talk over Ms Ovsyannikova in an attempt to continue on as if nothing had happened, but Ms Andreyeva kept talking over, repeatedly saying in Russia: "Stop the war; no to war." PRE-RECORDED MESSAGE Prior to the incident, Ms Ovsyannikova also posted a pre-recorded video via the OVD-Info human rights group, in which she expressed her shame at working for Channel One and for her part in "spreading Kremlin propaganda." According to the Guardian, a portion of her speech in the video was read out as follows: "We are just silently watching this anti-human regime... and now the whole world has turned away from us." "The next 10 generations wont be able to clean themselves from the shame of this fratricidal war. "What is happening in Ukraine is a crime and Russia is the aggressor. The responsibility of this aggression lies on the shoulders of only one person: Vladimir Putin," she added, and also called on Russians to join anti-war protests across the nation. In the video, Ms Ovsyannikova also revealed that her own father is Ukrainian, while her mother is Russian. The protest was welcomed by Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy, who said he is "thankful to those Russians who dont stop trying to deliver the truth, who are fighting against disinformation and tell real facts to their friends and families, and personally, to that woman who went in the studio of Channel One with an anti-war poster." Commenters on social media have also pointed out that the necklace Ms Ovsyannikova was wearing in the pre-recorded video was likely a nod to the colours of the Ukrainian flag. Ireland will take 500 Ukrainian refugees who are currently in Moldova, the Taoiseach has confirmed. Micheal Martin, who is in Washington for the St Patricks Day celebrations, said: We have just had a cabinet meeting by videolink, mainly on the Ukrainian war and the crisis that is unfolding, the humanitarian crisis. We confirmed the support scheme that was agreed earlier in the week in respect of the support for truckers and the haulage industry in light of the exceptional pressures that they are under. The Cabinet also decided to accept 500 Ukrainian refugees who have fled into Moldova, given the enormous pressure Moldova is under at the moment. We will be taking those refugees in towards the end of this week and that is in addition to those that have come in already. Hosting a meeting of the Cabinet from Washington DC this morning as Government discusses our latest response to the situation in #Ukraine pic.twitter.com/tqAI74VY7n Micheal Martin (@MichealMartinTD) March 15, 2022 Mr Martin, who will meet US president Joe Biden this week as part of the traditional St Patricks Day ceremony at the White House, said that about 6,646 Ukrainian refugees have now come into Ireland. He also said the EU had agreed further sanctions against Russia. He said: Thousands of units of accommodation have been secured by the Department of Children and they are continuing to secure additional accommodation. They are looking beyond that at the pledges which have been received and they will commence with those properties that are empty with a view to making sure that we can accommodate those who will continue to come into the country. He added: There is a range of European Union meetings happening over coming days. At todays #Eurogroup we took stock of the economic impact of the war in Ukraine, agreed a statement on budgetary coordination for 2022 and 2023 and discussed further progress on #BankingUnion My remarks at the press conference: https://t.co/eAeYhX9FOt pic.twitter.com/1T38AKXIip Paschal Donohoe (@Paschald) March 14, 2022 The European Union have announced further sanctions this morning particularly in terms of iron and steel, listing further individuals, getting rid of the most favoured nation status that Russia enjoyed at the WTO, so the benefits derived from the WTO would be denied Russia, and a number of other measures as well and further sanctions would be kept under constant review. We again call on Russia to end the war, it is an appalling tragedy unfolding, it is an appalling immoral attack on the people of Ukraine which has shocked the world in terms of its human toll, and it is absolutely vital that Russia would cease all hostilities. Earlier, the Irish Minister for Finance said the sanctions were having an impact on Russia. The measures that have been brought in are, in effect, undermining or may indeed stop the ability of the Russian economy to fund this murderous war, Paschal Donohoe said. And to see what has happened with the value of the rouble, that their stock markets are no longer functioning and that the central bank is now not able to access foreign exchange reserves and needs to convert the rouble, it is a sign that what is in place at the moment has already had a huge effect, combined with the decisions that private sector companies all over the world are now making. Kyiv has been attacked yesterday morning. Residences of hundreds of citizens were destroyed by the hostile missiles. #StopPutin pic.twitter.com/t5IlF5sHFL Larysa Gerasko (@GeraskoLarysa) March 15, 2022 Mr Donohoe also said that the Government is not considering any further measures to mitigate against the rising cost of living and energy costs and warned that the Government is not able to insulate the economy and businesses from higher costs. We will keep all of this under very active review. At the moment, and up to the budget which I will do in October, I and the Government have no further plans to add to what we have just done, he added. The reason for that is were still about to implement the measures that we have just agreed to. So the excise reduction last week between nine and 13 per tank of diesel and petrol, that has been implemented. For many that has been offset by the increase in the price of fuel that has happened since then. Today, Ireland, with over 50 fellow Member States & the EU, launched a joint statement condemning #Russia's aggression against #Ukraine. We reaffirm our full support for the Ukrainian people, in particular women & girls affected!#StandWithUkraine#CSW66 pic.twitter.com/Y1xk5ax2cE Ireland at UN (@irishmissionun) March 15, 2022 But the 125 payments that have been made to those who need additional support with the cost of fuel has just now been made to over 300,000 homes. The 200 credit that will appear in your energy bill is yet to be implemented, but will be implemented soon. The measures that we have put in place we believe are a strong response back to the difficulty that many are facing, but I want to underline that given the challenge that is under way, we will not be able to insulate either economy, businesses or even ourselves from this entire cost. Meanwhile Ukrainian ambassador to Ireland Larysa Gerasko said the Ukrainians who have arrived in Ireland are grateful for the warm welcome. I met many of our Ukrainians, some of them came to the consulate, she added. Our people, of course, they are frustrated, many of them came from the cities that are under shelling and firing. They got accommodation, PPS number, first aid. They have, of course, a lot of question on how to get education, how to register their kid to go school or kindergarten, how would you arrange to see a GP. Its everyday things but its very difficult for them, especially (for those) who havent any relatives or friends here to understand how this system in foreign countries work. Many of them dont speak English. So its also a problem but many people from the Ukrainian community here help our newcomers with the translation and many, many other things. She said that while it is difficult to predict the number of refugees who will seek help in Ireland, she estimates it to be about 80,000 people. She said that Ukrainians have been made aware that Ireland has waived its visa requirements. But many Ukrainians and even my friends, they dont know that they dont need a visa to get to Ireland, Ms Gerasko added. So we will make an information campaign again in Ukrainian mass media. Of course Im sure that many thousands will arrive. An Garda Siochana are urging members of the public to exercise caution when socialising over the St. Patricks Day bank holiday weekend. Particular care should be taken with personal items particularly mobile phones. An Garda Siochana have made a number of recent detections and prosecutions following incidents of theft in Dublin city centre. Following investigations into a number of incidents of theft in Dublin city centre, Gardai conducted a search of two hotel rooms in North Dublin on Sunday March 13, 2022. During the course of the search, six mobile phones were recovered, each one wrapped in tin foil to prevent tracking. A male, aged in his 20s, was arrested and has since been charged. He appeared before Dublin District Court on Monday March 14, 2022 for the offence of handling stolen property. He was remanded in custody and is due to appear before Dublin District Court on Wednesday March 16, 2022 at 10.30am. To date, two of the mobile phones have been returned to their owners. Gardai are continuing to conduct enquiries in an effort to locate the owners of the other phones. During a separate investigation, Gardai recovered two stolen mobile phones and a purse during patrols on Camden Street in the early hours of Sunday morning, March 13, 2022. A male, aged in his 30s, was arrested when the items were found in his possession. He has since been charged in relation to this investigation and was released on bail to appear before court on April 6, 2022. The phones were successfully returned to their owners. As St. Patricks Day celebrations resume after two years of cancelled events due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Gardai are aware of the high volume of people expected to join the festivities. Gardai will continue to conduct high visibility and plain clothes patrols throughout Dublin city centre over the bank holiday weekend, keeping people safe. Younger people in particular are urged to exercise caution while celebrating this weekend and to take measures to ensure personal safety. Personal Safety Advice: Drink alcohol responsibly Never drink and drive, no matter the time of the day/ night Plan your night out, tell someone where youre going and when youll be back Dont let your friends or family walk home alone; there is safety in numbers If you have to, walk in well lit areas and make sure you can be seen by passing traffic (reflective gear/torch) Take care when carrying personal property (handbag, smartphone or tablet) in crowded areas, keep them in a safe location within view Watch out for pickpockets in crowded areas; keep handbags zipped and dont put your wallet in your back pocket. In bars and restaurants take care about where you store coats and handbags. Park and lock your car in secure, well lit areas. Keep valuables including bags and coats hidden. Mobile Phone Safety The following practical measures can help in preventing and reducing mobile phone theft: Register your mobile phone with your service provider. Take careful note of your unique 15 digit mobile phone International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) number. By pressing *#06# on your phone keypad the IMEI will appear on the screen. Enable the PIN Security feature and keep your phone locked at all times. When out and about, keep your mobile phone out of public view, be streetwise and always be aware of your surroundings. If you are making or receiving a phone call in public, do so with your back to a wall and reduce the opportunity to be attacked from behind. Never leave your mobile phone behind in an unattended vehicle. If your mobile phone is lost or stolen, contact your mobile phone service provider immediately to suspend your service and prevent unauthorised calls being made and billed to you. Your provider will block your SIM card and IMEI number to prevent your phone from being used on the mobile network. Report the loss or theft to An Garda Siochana, providing identification numbers for your SIM card and IMEI number. This information may assist in the recovery of your mobile phone. From Kansas City's top politico, here's first LOCAL word about the budget . . . EC From DC: Congress Passes a Bipartisan Budget to Build a Better America Hello Neighbor, Last week, after months of hard-fought but good-faith negotiations, I'm pleased to report that Congress passed a bipartisan budget bill to avoid a government shutdown and ensure the federal government is funded through fiscal year 2022. And I'm thrilled to let you know I was able to secure more than $15 million from the legislation for 10 local projects throughout the Fifth District of Missouri, which will have a profound impact on the residents of our congressional district. In addition to funding for important local projects, the bipartisan government funding package makes historic investments in the American people and communities across the country that will help working families with the cost of living, create good-paying jobs, provide support to our veterans, and protect the most vulnerable in our society. Last, but certainly not least, I'm happy to relay that the legislation also includes more than $13 billion to support Ukrainian freedom fighters and refugees who have been devastated by the atrocities committed by Putin and his cronies. I believe it is imperative that the United States stand with Ukraine and in defense of democracy in this critical moment, and thanks to legislation passed by Congress last week, we will continue to do just that. $15,156,000 For Local Projects Across the Fifth District of Missouri Last year, I submitted my request for 10 separate community projects that would have a major positive impact on local communities in Kansas City, Raytown, Marshall, Lexington, and Slater, Missouri--and I'm ecstatic that I was able to have all 10 projects included in the fiscal year 2022 government funding package passed last week. These projects include: - $3,000,000 for the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) to help provide affordable housing in low-income neighborhoods, homeownership education, down payment assistance, and minor home repair; - $2,800,000 to build the MLK Park Pedestrian Bridge at Brush Creek to connect communities, schools, and affordable housing along the north and south banks of Brush Creek; - $2,500,000 for University Health to create a state-of-the-art substance use treatment center in the heart of Kansas City's UMKC Health Sciences District; - $2,000,000 for the Health Care Coalition of Rural Missouri to improve services in Lexington and Buckner, Missouri; - $2,000,000 for Missouri Valley College to build a new 17,000 square foot Health Professions Building to house the Nursing Program and ultimately other health care profession programs; - $1,259,000 for the Mattie Rhodes Cultural Center to meet the needs of a growing and evolving Westside community in Kansas City; - $1,000,000 for the demolition and abatement of the former Fitzgibbon Hospital in Marshall, Missouri, so the property can be transformed into 56 safe, affordable workforce housing units for families; - $250,000 to support the Aim4Peace Hospital-based Violence Intervention Program, which serves victims of violence and their families; - $200,000 to renovate the 33-year-old Raytown Chamber of Commerce Building and add necessary ADA accessibility at the entrance and interior; and - $147,000 for the City of Slater to develop new well field protection measures to ensure businesses and residents of northeast Saline County have an uninterrupted supply of potable water during periods of seasonal flooding. Whether it is the regional affordable housing initiative in Kansas City, the MLK Pedestrian Bridge at Brush Creek, or a new building to expand Missouri Valley College's nursing program, each of these projects will play a critical role in meeting the local needs of our congressional district. As Congress soon begins working toward the fiscal year 2023 government funding bill, you can count on me to fight each and every day to bring taxpayer dollars back home to the Fifth District. Bipartisan Budget Bill Makes Historic Investments in Middle- and Working-class Families I sincerely believe that the key to a quality, fair, and robust budget bill that meets the needs of the American people is an eagerness from both political parties to work together in good-faith and a willingness to compromise--which is precisely how Congress arrived at the budget I proudly supported last week. The government funding package includes significant investments to help lower costs for Missouri families, create good-paying jobs, support America's veterans, and protect the most vulnerable members of our society. A few ways in which we were able to do this include: - Expanding access to child care and early childhood education and development programs by increasing funding for Head Start, the Child Care Development Block Grant, and Preschool Development Grants; - Strengthening nutrition and energy assistance programs that Missouri families rely on such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) and the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP); - Providing historic funding to strengthen public education, with $42.6 billion for public schools, including a focus on high-poverty schools; - Making post-secondary education more affordable with increased funding for Pell Grants, the Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant Program, Federal Work Study programs, and Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs); - Supporting access to affordable housing and homeownership through increases in housing vouchers, increased funding for rental assistance and public housing, and investments in community revitalization programs; - Honoring our promise to veterans by funding critical benefits, bolstering the VA's health care system, and reducing backlogs; - Connecting rural communities to the internet with $550 billion in funding to expand rural broadband; - Helping small business owners and entrepreneurs grow with $1.3 billion for the Small Business Administration and Community Development Financial Institution; - Expanding high-quality job training and apprenticeship programs with $9.8 billion for the Employment and Training Administration; - Increasing economic development in distressed communities with support for small and medium-sized American manufacturers, as well as increases in the Community Development Block Grant program; - Doubling-down on the transition to renewable energy, with increased funding for the development and deployment of renewable and clean energy technologies across the country; and - Modernizing America's critical infrastructure with $109.2 billion to rebuild crumbling highways, transit, passenger rail, port systems, and more. Instead of fixing the blame for who is responsible for the challenges facing our great nation, I believe the American public wants their representatives to actually sit down and fix a solution for the people--and that's what I have always tried to do. While I have never come across a congressional budget I found to be perfect, including this one, I supported this bipartisan budget because I believe it will help the U.S. take a critical step toward building a better America in every corner of every community. Supporting Ukraine and Democracies Around the World In the wake of Vladimir Putin's unprovoked and unconscionable invasion of Ukraine, I believe the U.S. has a moral obligation, as well as self-interest, to stand with the freedom-loving Ukrainian people. That's why I pushed for--and was happy to see included in the government funding package--emergency supplemental funding to support Ukraine and defend democracy in the face of authoritarian aggression. With more than $13 billion to support Ukraine's fight for freedom, the government funding bill will provide: - Humanitarian assistance that helps address the dire humanitarian needs of the millions of refugees who have fled Ukraine or been displaced within Ukraine; - Defense assistance that provides Ukraine and American allies and partners in the Baltics and Central and Eastern Europe so they can defend themselves against Russian aggression; - Economic assistance that flexibly allows Ukrainian leaders to respond to the economic needs of Ukraine and its neighbors, including energy and cybersecurity efforts; and - Sanctions enforcement that ensures Putin and his cronies cannot escape the financial pain caused by global sanctions levied for their unprovoked and unjustified invasion of a sovereign nation. As President Biden continues to lead our nation through the crisis created by the despot of Moscow, I will continue working with my colleagues in Congress on a bipartisan basis to defend democracy while doing everything possible to ensure Putin--not the American people--feel the pain of economic sanctions and other measures. Sincerely, Emanuel Cleaver, II Member of Congress ################## Developing . . . At the outset of this week the local homicide count continues to keep pace with record breaking numbers. Here's the first latest . . . "Police were called to the Phillips 66 station near Bannister and James A. Reed roads just after 1 p.m. Monday. Officers found one person with life-threatening injuries. The victim later died from their injuries at a local hospital." Here's the report . . . Homicide 8100 block of Bannister This afternoon just after 1pm officers were dispatched to the 8100 block of Bannister Rd on a shooting call. On arrival officers were directed to a vehicle in the convenience store/gas station parking lot, inside that vehicle officers located an adult male shooting victim unresponsive. Officers summoned EMS to the scene who transported the victim to the hospital where he was declared deceased. Preliminary investigation indicates the shooting occurred in the business parking lot when an unknown suspect shot the victim near the vehicle. The suspect then left the scene in an unknown direction. Detectives and crime scene investigators are processing the scene for evidence and canvassing for any potential witnesses. Both Bannister Road and James A Reed road are well traveled this time of day and detectives are hopeful that someone heard or saw something that will give them some indication of what led up to the shooting. If anyone in this area heard or saw anything here or has any information they are asked to contact the Homicide Unit directly at 816-234-5043 or the TIPS hotline anonymously at 816-474-TIPS, There is a reward of up to $25,000 for information leading to an arrest in this case. ################# Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com news links . . . One person killed at gas station in south Kansas City KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Kansas City police are investigating a homicide Monday afternoon after one person was found shot at a gas station. Police were called to the Phillips 66 station near Bannister and James A. Reed roads just after 1 p.m. Monday. Officers found one person with life-threatening injuries. KCPD investigating fatal shooting at Phillips 66 gas station on E. Bannister Road Rodney Taylor // Google business photos SOURCE: Rodney Taylor // Google business photos The Kansas City, Missouri, Police Department confirmed that they are investigating a fatal shooting Monday afternoon. The shooting reportedly occurred at Phillips 66 gas station in the 8100 block of E. Bannister road. Developing . . . Right now here's a glimpse of local support for this increasingly deadly conflict. Take a look . . . Further reading . . . Russia-Ukraine: Parliament of NATO country Estonia calls for 'immediate' establishment of no-fly zone The parliament of Estonia on Monday called for UN member states to "take immediate steps to establish a no-fly zone" over Ukraine to prevent further civilian casualties as Russia's multi-front war against the country rages on. Estonia is the first NATO member nation to have a body formally call for the implementation of a no-fly zone amid Russia's ongoing invasion. Latest Russia-Ukraine news: Russian ground advances remain stalled, US official says Follow the latest news on the war in Ukraine with the New York Post's live coverage as Russia's offensive continues. Squatters occupy London mansion linked to Russian oligarch in pro-Ukraine protest Police worked to clear out a group of squatters who took over a mansion in London in what appeared to be a pro-Ukraine protest Monday. The group gained access to the mansion located in London's upscale Belgrave Square neighborhood and hung signs from the balcony, according to photos and a statement from Metropolitan Police. War in Ukraine live updates: Civilian death toll rises as Russian and Ukrainian officials meet once more for talks Nearly 600 civilian fatalities have been confirmed in the last three weeks, including a U.S. journalist. Officials from Ukraine and Russia will meet via video in a fourth round of talks, while the U.S. will hold high-level talks with China after reports that Russia has asked China for military assistance. China pushes back on reports Russia asked it for help in Ukraine Ahead of the meeting with China's senior diplomat, Sullivan warned that other countries shouldn't consider coming to Russia's aid and singled out China. "We have made it clear to not just Beijing, but every country in the world, that if they think that they can basically bail Russia out, they can give Russia a workaround to the sanctions that we've imposed, they should have another thing coming," he said. Musk challenges Putin to 'single combat' over Ukraine, Russia responds: 'Weakling' Tesla CEO and SpaceX founder Elon Musk wrote to his 77.7 million Twitter followers on Monday that he was challenging Russian President Vladimir Putin to single combat and wagering Ukraine. "I hereby challenge to single combat," Musk wrote, using Putin's Russian name. He added, "Stakes are ," using the Ukrainian spelling for Ukraine. You decide . . . A local killing is raising questions from family, friends and attorneys. Here are the basics of the case that's still under investigation . . . Troopers say officers responded to a disturbance call at a home Friday night when a white sedan sped away from the area. That car crashed into another vehicle at U.S. Highway 24 and Noland Road. As officers got close to the car, Troopers say they saw a rifle. According to a highway patrol spokesman, two officers, both men, then shot the driver. The Highway Patrol is leading the investigation. State troopers say it's unclear right now if Pryor pointed the gun at officers. Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . . MSHP confirms two Independence officers fired weapons in deadly shooting on Friday The Missouri Highway Patrol confirmed that two Independence police officers fired their weapons near the intersection of U.S. Highway 24 and Noland Road on Friday Night in a deadly shooting. Tyrea Pryor, 39, of Kansas City, Missouri, died after the shooting. Family says man was wrongfully killed by Independence police after chase INDEPENDENCE, Mo. - The Missouri State Highway Patrol continues to investigate a deadly police shooting in Independence. Police said it all started with a disturbance call that quickly turned into a high speed chase. That chase ended after the victim, now identified as 39-year-old Tyrea M. Pryor, crashed his car into another vehicle. Developing . . . How can you start investing in stocks? We make it make sense This week, our question comes from 23-year-old Lea. She asks, "What are some basics on entering the stock market and investing in stocks for a first-timer?" COVID-19 vaccination rate jumps for kids as end of masks looms in Ontario schools Vaccination bookings for children jumped after Ontarios chief medical officer revealed mandatory masking in schools would be lifted next Monday as kids return to school from March break. Toronto Police are investigating after a body was found outside a building near the Toronto Reference Library. Jeremy Grimaldi is the crime and justice reporter for yorkregion.com and its sister papers. He is the award-winning author of A Daughters Deadly Deception: The Jennifer Pan Story. Ontario Premier Doug Ford smiles as he removes his mask before making a press conference on March 3. - Nathan Denette / THE CANADIAN PRESS David Nickle is a reporter and columnist for Metroland Media Toronto, who specializes in municipal politics. He is also an author of speculative fiction. His most recent book is VOLK: A Novel of Radiant Abomination. Meanwhile, Manitoba is lifting all remaining public health orders that were put in place to try to slow the spread of COVID-19. Toronto.com has a new website design, but still has your essential local neighbourhood news. - Metroland photo University of Toronto Scarborough released this rendering of its future Academy of Medicine and Integrated Health, announced by the provincial government March 15. - University of Toronto Scarborough photo FILE - Cori Bush poses for a portrait to promote the film "Knock Down the House" during the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah on Jan. 27, 2019. Rep. Cori Bush of Missouri has a memoir coming out this fall. Shell recount her personal struggles, years of activism and her decision to run for office in 2020. (Photo by Taylor Jewell/Invision/AP, File) - The Canadian Press Tempted to emergency-dial for delivery? Try one of these quick-fix dinner ideas from three chefs instead Some of the paintings, done during the pandemic, to be shown March 22 at The Inspiring Seniors Art Show at Malvern Methodist Church in northeast Scarborough. - Letna Allen-Rowe photo Brevard, NC (28712) Today A mix of clouds and sun. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High near 80F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Clear to partly cloudy. Low 52F. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph. HARRISBURG, Pa. A third and final hearing Monday in the Pennsylvania Senate concerning adult-use cannabis focused on the states existing medical program and potential improvements to ensure its viability should the substance be legalized for recreational use. Medical cannabis advocates and representatives of industry operators testified before members of the Law & Justice Committee. Legalization has caused some medical markets to erode, presenters said, potentially jeopardizing research programs and medical guidance for persons using the substance as medicine for serious conditions. The committees chair, Sen. Mike Regan, R-York, plans to introduce formal legislation to legalize adult-use cannabis, previously saying he hoped to decimate the illicit market. Meredith Buettner, executive director of the Pennsylvania Cannabis Coalition, suggested three best practices: consolidating regulation of medical and adult-use cannabis under one agency, ensuring agency staff is educated and informed on the substance, and prioritizing input and feedback from the industry when creating and adjusting policy. Legal marijuana could cut into billions in illegal sales in PA: experts HARRISBURG Two marijuana industry experts valued Pennsylvanias annual illegal trade at between $3 billion and $4 billion, a figure that staggered the chairperson of the state Senate committee exploring legalizing marijuana for adult use. Pa. senators discuss legalizing marijuana with current, former law enforcement HARRISBURG The first in an expected series of public hearings concerning legalizing marijuana for adult recreational use saw Pennsylvania lawmakers on Monday discuss potential impacts with prosecutors, an investigator and former law enforcement officers now coordinating security in the medical marijuana industry. The Pennsylvania Cannabis Coalition is a nonprofit agency comprised of medical cannabis permit holders in the state. As we look toward the future and inevitable federal legalization, if the commonwealth has not developed and implemented its own adult-use program by the time cannabis is federally legal, we run the risk of having the federal government intervene and set up the program for us, Buettner said. Cost control was frequently raised, with concerns expressed about potentially pricing people out of the regulated market for medical or recreational use. Easing testing measures viewed as redundant during processing and eliminating the cost to enroll in the medical cannabis program were suggested as potential ways to control the cost of medical cannabis and keep customers from shifting to the illicit market. Michael Bronstein, president of the American Trade Association for Cannabis and Hemp, suggested increasing production, which drove the price down substantially from the programs earliest days. An amendment to the states medical cannabis law enacted last year established a hardship fund generated by grower-processor fees and taxes. A portion of the funds is meant to assist patients who demonstrate financial hardship. Program enrollment fees can be waived under certain conditions. Joy A. Strand, executive vice president of Green Leaf Medical, said a medical program operating alongside an adult-use program could have specific differences. Some products could have higher dosages for certain medical conditions where those dosages wouldnt be permitted for recreational use. Transdermal patches for absorption of cannabis would continue to have a medical purpose where there is likely none for adult use. There are patients out there who still need the medical program, Strand said. There are 23 qualifying conditions for medical cannabis in Pennsylvania. Deborah Miran, the former commissioner of the Maryland Medical Cannabis Commission, suggested eliminating them to allow more leeway for legitimate enrollment in the medical program. And, she said the state should do away with the $50 fee to get an ID card. Dr. Jarret Patton, a Pennsylvania doctor, said some patients wont join the medical program because it restricts against also having a concealed carry permit. He said cannabis users are no more violent than people on any other type of medication. Addressing Second Amendment issues could help expand enrollment. Bryan A. Murray, executive vice president of government relations for Acreage Holdings, cautioned against over-taxing cannabis. He said an increase of 10% to 15% in prices could keep people in the illegal market where the unregulated product will be cheaper. You dont want to see cannabis as a cash cow. Its not, Murray said. He also suggested expanding the count of medical dispensaries in the state, potentially enticing medical users to remain in the program if adult use is legalized. Presenters praised the establishment of an advisory board. They called for better communication with the program, specifically with the agency that oversees the Office of Medical Marijuana: the Department of Health. Miran said the board needs members who are subject matter experts, not political appointees. As an example, the recent, massive product recall that was ordered by the Office (of Medical Marijuana) for certain products for inhalation, could likely have been averted if the Office had access to subject matter experts to guide their decision-making process, Miran said. Hundreds of vaporized products were recalled by the state in February when certain additives were discovered that were not permitted. Mark Nye, an executive with retailer Parallel and former compliance director with Ohios medical program, suggested licensing for individual employees prior to being hired. He said standardized regulations with clear interpretations are necessary. Its easy to comply when you know what the expectation is, Nye said. Donations for Ukranian homeless The Rotary Club of Johnstown and Interact Club at Greater Johnstown High School are collecting money for ShelterBox, a humanitarian aid group that will be getting supplies to Ukranians forced to flee their country in recent weeks. To donate locally: Online: https://rotary-club-of-johnstown.square.site/ By mail: Mail to Rotary Club of Johnstown, PO Box 42, Johnstown, Pa 15907 Check can be sent to Rotary Club of Johnstown with "ShelterBox Ukraine" on the memo line. Stay up to date on COVID-19 Get Breaking News Sign up now to get our FREE breaking news coverage delivered right to your inbox. Sponsored By: Dorsett Automotive Instant unlimited access to all of our content on triplicate.com. The Triplicate's E-Edition Newsletter emailed to you each week, the night before the paper hits the street! This subscription is for NEW or RENEWING online subscribers. (The charge will appear as "Country Media Inc." on your credit card statement) RTHK: Russia seeks new jail term for Kremlin critic Navalny Russian prosecutors on Tuesday called for jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny to serve 13 years in prison on new fraud charges. Navalny, President Vladimir Putin's most vocal domestic critic, was jailed last year after surviving a poison attack he blames on the Kremlin. "I request that Navalny be sentenced to a term of 13 years and a subsequent two years of probation," prosecutor Nadezhda Tikhonova was quoted as saying by Russian news agencies. The prosecutor also requested "two years of restricted freedom" for Navalny and that he pay a fine of 1.2 million roubles (US$10,600 or 9,700 euros). In a trial held inside a prison colony outside Moscow where Navalny is serving a two-and-a-half-year sentence, Navalny is facing embezzlement and contempt of court charges. It was not immediately clear if the 13 years include the sentence he is currently serving. His corruption charges carry a maximum penalty of 10 years, while contempt of court is punishable by up to six months. A key Navalny aide and former head of his regional offices, Leonid Volkov, said that Russia is seeking to keep Navalny jailed for life. "He was sentenced to life from the very start. So long as Putin is still in the Kremlin," Volkov said on Twitter. Navalny's spokeswoman Kira Yarmysh said his sentence depends on "how long Putin is in power". "Then we will do everything so that he doesn't stay in power long," Yarmysh said. Investigators accuse Navalny of stealing for personal use several million US dollars' worth of donations that were given to his political organisations. Before he was jailed, Navalny was Russia's main opposition leader and his team frequently published investigations into the wealth of Russia's elites that garnered millions of views on YouTube. Navalny's poisoning in 2020 with a military-grade nerve agent and arrest on his return from rehabilitation in Germany last year sparked widespread condemnation abroad as well as sanctions from Western capitals. After his arrest, Navalny's political organisations across the country were declared "extremist" and shut down, while many key aides fled Russia fearing prosecution. Russia has also ramped up its pressure on independent media and NGOs with many declared foreign agents or shut down under fear of prosecution. A string of closures followed after Russia passed a new law introducing up to 15 years in jail for "fake news" about Russia's military operation in Ukraine. In an effort to further control the information available to domestic audience about the Ukraine conflict, Russia this month restricted access to Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, and has blocked the websites of several independent news outlets. On Instagram, Navalny has denounced Russia's action in Ukraine and called on his supporters to protest despite the high likelihood of fines and arrest. Over the past two weeks, close to 15,000 people have been detained at Ukraine demonstrations across Russia, according to independent monitor OVD-Info. (AFP) This story has been published on: 2022-03-15. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. (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 Responsibility for war crimes of the Russian military is inevitable. Responsibility for a deliberate humanitarian catastrophe in Ukrainian cities is inevitable. The whole world sees what is happening in Mariupol, Kharkiv, Chernihiv, Sumy, Okhtyrka, Hostomel, Irpin, and all other Ukrainian cities. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said this in his video address. Free people of a free country! The 19th day of our resistance is over. Historical war. Another difficult day, which is still approaching our victory. Approaching peace for Ukraine. As before, the enemy is confused. They did not expect such resistance. They believed in their propaganda, which has been lying about us for decades.They still can't recollect themselves. But they have already begun to understand that they will not achieve anything by war. Their soldiers know this. Their officers are aware of this. They flee the battlefield. They abandon equipment. We take trophies and use them to protect Ukraine. Today, Russian troops are, in fact, one of the suppliers of equipment to our army. They could not imagine such a thing in a nightmare. And I want to tell the Russian soldiers. Those who have already entered our land. And who are just about to be sent to fight against us. Russian conscripts! Listen to me very carefully. Russian officers! Youve already understood everything. You will not take anything from Ukraine. You will take lives. There are a lot of you. But your life will also be taken. But why should you die? What for? I know that you want to survive. We hear your conversations in the intercepts, we hear what you really think about this senseless war, about this disgrace and about your state. Your conversations with each other. Your calls home to your family. We hear it all. We draw conclusions. We know who you are. Therefore, I offer you a choice. On behalf of the Ukrainian people, I give you a chance. Chance to survive. If you surrender to our forces, we will treat you the way people are supposed to be treated. As people, decently. In a way you were not treated in your army. And in a way your army does not treat ours. Choose! Our brave defenders continue to inflict devastating losses on Russian troops. Soon the number of downed helicopters of Russia will reach hundreds of units. They have already lost 80 warplanes. Hundreds of tanks and thousands of other units of equipment. In 19 days, the Russian army has lost more in Ukraine than in two bloody and years-long wars in Chechnya. For what? I am grateful to those Russians who do not stop trying to convey the truth. To those who fight disinformation and tell the truth, real facts to their friends and loved ones. And personally to the woman who entered the studio of Channel One with a poster against the war. To those who are not afraid to protest. As long as your country has not completely closed itself off from the whole world, turning into a very large North Korea, you must fight. You must not lose your chance. The European Union has approved the fourth package of sanctions against Russia. The fourth - and I'm sure not the last. We are working with partners on new restrictions that will be applied against the Russian state. Everyone who is responsible for the war. Everyone who is responsible for the destruction of democracy. Everyone who is responsible for repression against people. Everyone will get an answer. The answer of the world. And this is just the beginning. Responsibility for war crimes of the Russian military is inevitable. Responsibility for a deliberate humanitarian catastrophe in Ukrainian cities is inevitable. The whole world sees what is happening in Mariupol. Kharkiv. Chernihiv. Sumy. Okhtyrka. Hostomel. Irpin. In all our cities. All our partners are informed of the crimes of the invaders against civilians and local self-government in the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions. In the temporarily occupied areas. There will be an answer for that. Necessarily. For the disrupted humanitarian corridors. Necessarily. During the day of March 14, 3,806 Ukrainians were evacuated from the cities and towns of the Kyiv and Luhansk regions. Our convoy with one hundred tons of what is most necessary for Mariupol is still kept in Berdyansk. For three days already. But we will try. We will do everything to ensure that Mariupol residents receive food, water and medicine. I provided full information about the actions of the invaders on the Ukrainian land in conversations with friends and partners of our state. Every aggressive action of the invaders only pushes the world to new sanctions. I spoke with President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen. With President of Poland Andrzej Duda. Prime Minister of Luxembourg Xavier Bettel. We have 100% mutual understanding. The conversation with Prime Minister of Israel Bennett was also important. As part of a negotiation effort to end this war as soon as possible. With a fair peace. Our delegation also worked on this in negotiations with the Russian party. Pretty good, as I was told. But let's see. They will continue tomorrow. The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine has agreed on a package of decisions to support our economy. So that business works. So that people have jobs. Where security allows. Where people are ready for it. First, we are starting tax reform. Instead of VAT and income tax we give a rate of 2 percent of turnover and simplified accounting. For small businesses - this is the first and second group of sole proprietors - we set a voluntary payment of a single tax. That is, if you can - pay. You can't - no questions asked. The second is maximum business deregulation. We cancel all inspections for all businesses. So that everyone works normally. So that the cities come to life. So that life continues wherever there is no hostilities. The only condition is that you ensure the normal operation of your business in the framework of Ukrainian law. These are just the first two steps of our tax reform. To be continued. And finally. I have just signed a decree on awarding state awards of Ukraine to 234 servicemen of the Armed Forces of Ukraine who showed personal courage and heroism in the fight for our land. For our independence. 59 of them posthumously. May the memory of everyone who gave life for our state live forever! Eternal gratitude to all our heroes! Glory to Ukraine! Russian troops in Ukraine are using the tactics previously applied in Aleppo, Syria, including strikes on civilian targets and hindering humanitarian and evacuation efforts. That's according to a former Turkish ambassador to Moscow, Aydin Adnan Sezgin, quoted by Milliyet, Ukrinform reports. "Currently, there is a trend of attacks being observed in Ukraine, similar to that in Syria. The Russian army fires indiscriminately. There are no military facilities in the places of missile strikes and aerial bombardment, these are all residential neighborhoods," Sezgin said. Read also: Pope condemns killing of children by Russian invaders in Ukraine According to him, Putin is also using the Aleppo tactic when seizing cities. In particular, it is about announcing security guarantees for civilians, while in practice theres no such thing. "When people seek to flee the city for fear of bombing, he says let's open a humanitarian corridor. When the humanitarian corridor is opened, he doesnt allow it to operate at the time thats been agreed and coordinated, so it is also being bombed," said the former ambassador. He also points to similarities between Russia's actions in Chechnya, when the civilian population was used as a human shield. "This is a purely psychological propaganda war. Ukraine isnt attacking, its defending its land and citizens. What would Zelensky achieve by killing his own citizens, civilians? Nothing, so it's a lie. Russia has previously made such allegations in Chechnya. They repeated the same thing in Syria, so its total lies. Russia has already been condemned by the entire international community," Sezgin said. The former Turkish ambassador to Russia believes that the longer the war lasts, the more it "works" against Putin, in particular because his entourage will be putting pressure on him to end the war, and Putin is aware of this. As reported, Russian President Putin declared war on Ukraine on February 24, launching a large-scale invasion. Russian troops have been shelling and destroying infrastructure and residential areas of Ukrainian cities and towns, using artillery, multiple rocket launchers, and ballistic missiles. The United States, the European Union, and other countries have imposed sanctions on Russia as an aggressor, whose international isolation is growing by the day. The International Criminal Court has begun documenting and investigating Russia's war crimes in Ukraine. Photo from mansetaydin.com Eighty people, including two children, were wounded in Russian attacks on Mykolayiv region over the past day. Eighty people, including two children, were wounded in Mykolayiv region over the past day. All the victims were taken to our healthcare institutions and receive the necessary assistance," Head of the Mykolayiv Regional Council Hanna Zamazeyeva posted on Telegram. According to her, 223 people, who suffered from attacks of Russian invaders on Mykolayiv region, stay in local hospitals as of this morning. The vast majority of victims are civilians. On February 24, Russian president Putin declared war on Ukraine and launched a large-scale invasion. Russian troops shell and destroy infrastructure, conduct massive shelling of residential areas of Ukrainian cities and towns using artillery, MLRS, and ballistic missiles. Martial law was imposed in Ukraine and general mobilization was announced. Ukraine repels Russian invaders. ol A delegation of the Polish, Czech and Slovenian prime ministers has already traveled by train to Lviv and is currently heading to Kyiv. The head of the office of the Prime Minister of Poland, Micha Dworczyk, wrote this on Twitter, Ukrinform reports. "A delegation led by Prime Ministers Mateusz Morawiecki and Jaroslaw Kaczynski has traveled to Lviv and is heading to the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv," Dworczyk wrote. He stressed that this is a "historic event" and at the same time an unconditional statement of support for Ukraine by the entire European Union. Earlier reports said that the prime ministers of Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovenia, Mateusz Morawiecki, Petr Fiala and Janez Jansa, as well as Poland's deputy prime minister for security and leader of the ruling Law and Justice party Jaroslaw Kaczynski, are leaving for Kyiv on Tuesday, March 15. As representatives of the European Council, they will meet with President Volodymyr Zelensky and Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal. The trip was organized in agreement with European Council President Charles Michel and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. The purpose of the visit is to confirm the unequivocal support of the European Union for the sovereignty and independence of Ukraine, as well as to present a broad package of support for the Ukrainian state and society. The international community was informed about this visit through international organizations, including the United Nations. This is the first visit by international guests of this level to Kyiv since the beginning of Russia's invasion of Ukraine on February 24. Negotiations between the Ukrainian and Russian delegations are ongoing, and consultations on the main platform have resumed. Mykhailo Podoliak, an adviser to the head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, announced this on Twitter. "Negotiations are ongoing. Consultations on the main negotiation platform renewed," Podoliak said. He added that both parties are discussing general settlement issues, ceasefire and the withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukraine. Podoliak said earlier that the talks between the Ukrainian and Russian delegations have resumed and a rather difficult discussion was underway between both parties. The fourth round of talks between Ukraine and Russia began on March 14. After discussions, the talks were paused until March 15. On February 28, the Ukrainian and Russian delegations held the first round of talks in Belarus and traveled to their capitals for consultations on further decisions. Podoliak noted that negotiations between the delegations were difficult, but without any mandatory ultimatums. On March 3, the second round of talks between the Ukrainian and Russian delegations took place. According to Podoliak, the Ukrainian delegation did not achieve the results it expected in the talks with Russia. At the same time, both parties agreed to jointly provide humanitarian corridors for the evacuation of civilians, as well as for the delivery of medicines and food to the sites of the fiercest fighting with the possibility of a temporary ceasefire for the period of evacuation. During the third round of talks with the Russian delegation, which took place on March 7, the Ukrainian delegation received positive results in the context of the logistics of humanitarian corridors. Veteran Fox News cameraman Pierre Zakrzewski has died after his vehicle was struck by incoming fire in Horenka, outside Kyiv on Monday. That's according to Fox News Media CEO Suzanne Scott, who broke the news Tuesday. Fox News journalist Benjamin Hall was with Zakrzewski while newsgathering and was also injured. Hall remains hospitalized, Scott said. "Pierre was a war zone photographer who covered nearly every international story for FOX News from Iraq to Afghanistan to Syria during his long tenure with us," the report says. "His passion and talent as a journalist were unmatched. Based in London, Pierre had been working in Ukraine since February." As Ukrinform reported earlier, Fox News reporter John Roberts said on Monday that the channel's journalist was injured outside Kyiv while covering Russian aggression against Ukraine. The day before, in Irpin near Ukraine's capital, Russian soldiers shot dead Time journalist Brent Renauld. He was killed on the spot after being shot in the head. Another journalist, Juan Diego Arredondo, was wounded and evacuated to Okhmatdyt Hospital in Kyiv. Photo: Fox News Italian authorities are negotiating with Algeria and Libya on renewable energy generation, and with Tunisian leaders on hydrogen fuel supplies. This was reported by La 7 with reference to a statement by Italian Foreign Minister Luigi Di Mayo, Ukrinform reports. "Italy has many partners in the world," he said. Di Mayo said that he had recently made several business trips, including to Algeria and Qatar, to agree on expanding energy cooperation. "This should reduce Italy's dependence on Russian gas," he said. It should be recalled that Italy is considered to be one of the EU nations most dependent on Russian gas. As of the end of 2021, the share of Russia in Italian gas imports stood at 43%. In turn, the share of Russian gas in Italy's energy sector is 19%, which is significantly more than that even in Germany (12%). China will never attack Ukraine but will support it economically and politically. "China and Ukraine are strategic partners, this year marks the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between our countries. China is a friendly country for the Ukrainian people. As an ambassador, I can responsibly say that China will forever be a good force for Ukraine, both economically and politically. We will always respect your state, we will develop relations on the basis of equality and mutual benefit. We will respect the path chosen by Ukrainians because this is the sovereign right of every nation," Ambassador of the People's Republic of China to Ukraine Fan Xianrong said at a meeting in Lviv Regional Military Administration, Ukrinform reports with reference to the administrations press service. He also said that the Chinese embassy had moved from Kyiv to Lviv and remained working there. China will never attack Ukraine, we will help, in particular in the economic direction. In one year, our country imports goods from around the world worth more than three trillion dollars. We are ready to help you develop. In this situation, which you have now, we will act responsibly. We have seen how great the unity of the Ukrainian people is, and that means its strength, the Ambassador added. Head of Lviv Regional Military Administration Maksym Kozytskyi thanked the Chinese ambassador for his position in supporting Ukraine in its fight against the aggressor. He also spoke about a large number of people willing to enlist in the territorial defense in Lviv region, about the shelter for internally displaced persons, and the supply of humanitarian aid to various regions of Ukraine. The Lviv Regional Military Administration noted that China had already sent two batches of humanitarian aid to the Ukrainian people, and the third one is expected tomorrow. ol NATO allies will continue to provide Ukraine with political, material, and financial support, as well as critically important equipment, to help the country realize its right to self-defense. Thats according to NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, who spoke at a press conference in Brussels on Tuesday ahead of the extraordinary defense ministerial, which is to take place on March 16, an Ukrinform correspondent reports. The whole world has condemned this senseless war. NATO Allies, the European Union and other countries have introduced unprecedented sanctions on Russia. For many years, NATO Allies have trained tens of thousands of Ukrainian troops. Many of them are now fighting on the front-lines. Allies have also provided significant quantities of critical equipment. Including anti-tank and air defense weapons, drones, ammunition and fuel. This training and equipment is helping Ukraine to defend itself, Stoltenberg stressed. Ukraine has a fundamental right to self-defense, enshrined in the UN Charter. And NATO Allies and partners will continue to help Ukraine uphold that right. By providing military equipment, and financial and humanitarian assistance, Stoltenberg added. He said NATO defense ministers will meet on Wednesday, at the moment that is crucial for European security. Read also: NATO chief says Russia could use chemical weapons in Ukraine President Putins brutal invasion of Ukraine is causing death and destruction every day. It has shocked the world. And shaken the international order. The Ukrainian people are fighting bravely. Defending their homes. And their future. And we must support them. Tomorrow we will be joined by the Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov. And our other partners Georgia, Finland, Sweden, and the European Union, Stoltenberg said. He added that the Ukrainian defense chief will be speaking with his NATO counterparts via a secure video link. On February 24, 2022, Russian President Putin unleashed an unprovoked war against Ukraine. Russian troops have been destroying Ukrainian cities and towns, firing MLR systems, carrying out air strikes, and missile attacks. Prime Minister of Poland Mateusz Morawiecki, Prime Minister of the Czech Republic Petr Fiala, and Prime Minister of Slovenia Janez Jansa discuss further support for our state with Ukraines leadership in Kyiv. "Prime ministers Mateusz Morawiecki, Petr Fiala, and Janez Jansa arrived in Kyiv on behalf of the European Council. The courage of true friends of Ukraine! Discussing support for Ukraine and strengthening sanctions against the Russian aggression," Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal posted on Twitter, Ukrinform reports. As Polands PM Mateusz Morawiecki noted, the key task is to end the war unleashed by the Russian Federation as soon as possible. "This war is the result of the cruel tyrant who attacks defenseless civilians, bombs the cities and hospitals of Ukraine! Hence, the world has lost its sense of safety, and innocent people are dying and losing all their property. We must stop the tragedy in the East as soon as possible," Morawiecki posted on Instagram. The prime ministers of Poland, the Czech Republic, and Slovenia arrived in Ukraine on March 15. This is the first visit of international guests of such a level to Kyiv since the beginning of Russia's armed aggression against Ukraine. On February 24, Russian president Putin announced the beginning of the invasion of Ukraine. Russians destroy cities, kill civilians, shell and ruin key infrastructure and residential buildings in Ukraine. ol Canada should make every effort to close the sky over Ukraine. Justin! All friends of our country Ukraine! All friends of the truth! You understand how important it is for us to protect our skies from Russian missiles and planes. You can influence this, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky said in his address to the Parliament of Canada. He also underscored the importance of stepping up sanctions against the aggressor. You have imposed sanctions against Russia truly moral. Really substantial. However, we see that the war, unfortunately, continues. That Russian troops are not leaving our territory That means more needs to be done. Much more! For peace. We all have to do more to stop Russia, the President stressed. Zelensky called on Canada to demand that their companies stop working in Russia. You can force even more companies to leave the Russian market. So that there is not a single dollar for the war. If they stay in Russia and sponsor the war, they are not allowed to work in Canada. Let it be so - and it will give us peace, he said. Zelensky also addressed the Ukrainian community in Canada. It is at this historic moment that we need your effective help. And you must prove with your steps that you are a part of the history of Ukraine, the living history of Ukraine. Remember this living. Because we want to live. And we strive for peace, the President of Ukraine emphasized. As reported, Russian president Putin declared war on Ukraine on February 24 and launched a large-scale invasion. Russian troops shell and destroy infrastructure, conduct massive shelling of residential areas of Ukrainian cities and towns, using artillery, MLRS, and ballistic missiles. The United States, the European Union, and other countries have imposed sanctions on Russia as an aggressor state whose international isolation is growing every day. The International Criminal Court has begun documenting and investigating Russia's war crimes in Ukraine. ol At a meeting in Kyiv, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky informed Prime Minister of Poland Mateusz Morawiecki, Prime Minister of the Czech Republic Petr Fiala, and Prime Minister of Slovenia Janez Jansa about Russian aggression and the overall security situation in the country. "As for weapons. This situation, which we have now, is dangerous. In general, it is dangerous in the country. We bow low to you [for making a visit]. Today, for example, several residential districts in Kyiv were shelled. They fire on all territories, on western Ukraine, on Lviv region," Zelensky said, Ukrinform reports. He told foreign officials that the Russians probably thought people would meet them gladly. "It seemed to them that a certain percent of the population would support them," the Head of State said. Zelensky also informed that there were representatives of other countries among the Russian troops in Ukraine. "They speak a language we do not understand. That is, they are taken either from Syria or from somewhere else," he added. Earlier, Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal informed that Prime Minister of Poland Mateusz Morawiecki, Prime Minister of the Czech Republic Petr Fiala, and Prime Minister of Slovenia Janez Jansa discussed further support for our state with Ukraines leadership in Kyiv. As reported, the prime ministers of Poland, the Czech Republic, and Slovenia arrived in Ukraine on March 15. This is the first visit of international guests of such a level to Kyiv since the beginning of Russia's armed aggression against Ukraine. On February 24, Russian president Putin announced the beginning of the invasion of Ukraine. Russians destroy cities, kill civilians, shell and ruin key infrastructure and residential buildings in Ukraine. Photo credit: Presidents Office ol The United States is providing over $186 million in additional humanitarian assistance to support internally displaced persons and the more than three million refugees affected by Russias war in Ukraine. This will provide further support for humanitarian organizations responding to the crisis and complement the generosity of the neighboring countries that are welcoming and supporting refugees, reads the statement by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken. Blinken also called for an immediate end to Russias continuing war against Ukraine and for Russia to facilitate unhindered humanitarian access in Ukraine and safe passage for those who seek to leave the cities where they are trapped. Humanitarian aid deliveries must be allowed to continue without interference, and humanitarian workers must have safe passage to deliver aid and assistance to those in need, the U.S. Secretary of State underscored. As reported, at the end of last week, the United States allocated $200 million in additional defense support to Ukraine. On Tuesday, the U.S. President approved a law stipulating a $13.6 billion package for the U.S. response to Russia's aggression, as well as support for Ukraine and its allies in Europe. ol Todays visit by Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala and Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Jansa to Kyiv is a courageous step, demonstrating their attitude towards Ukraine. The relevant statement was made by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at a briefing, an Ukrinform correspondent reports. I would like to thank you for helping us a lot. It is a strong position that at such a time when even the ambassadors have left Ukraine due to a full-scale invasion of our land by the Russian Federation, these people the leaders of their beautiful independent European countries are not afraid of anything. They are afraid of our fate, and they are here to support us. This is a great, right, courageous and friendly step. I am confident that, with such friends, such neighboring countries and partners, we can indeed win, Zelensky told. In his words, most importantly, the Ukrainian authorities can absolutely trust these people. Hence, when we are talking of security guarantees, our future in the European Union, or sanctions policy, we are 100% sure that everything we discuss will reach the goal and we will achieve positive results in terms of our security, Zelensky noted. Earlier, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal stated that Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala and Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Jansa were discussing further support for Ukraine with the Ukrainian leadership in Kyiv. A reminder that, on March 15, 2022, the prime ministers of Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovenia arrived in Ukraine. It is the first visit by international guests of such a level to Kyiv since the Russian armed aggression against Ukraine started. On February 24, 2022, Russian President Vladimir Putin initiated a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Russian troops are shelling and destroying the key infrastructure facilities, launching missile and air strikes on residential areas in Ukrainian cities and villages, killing civilians in Ukraine. Photo: Office of the President of Ukraine mk Since the onset of the Russian invasion, Great Britain has issued visas with a temporary residence permit for 4,000 Ukrainian refugees. This was reported by the UK Home Office, Ukrinform wrote, referring to Sky News. It is noted that the type of visa currently issued to refugees from Ukraine under the Ukraine Family Scheme is granted based on information about the applicants relatives residing in the United Kingdom. According to the Office, as of Sunday, March 13, Ukrainians had filled out 32,200 visa applications and 10,600 refugees from Ukraine had signed up for appointments at visa application sites. It is reported that British visas are currently available at visa processing centers across Europe, including Poland and France (Calais). Unlike the European Union, which allows Ukrainians to stay for three years without a visa, the UK has retained entry control as Prime Minister Boris Johnson said it was reasonable to have a basic opportunity to vet those entering the country. There are two main ways to obtain a British refugee visa: an applicant must either have relatives in the UK or a designated British sponsor to stay in the country. Read also: UK delivers humanitarian aid for Ukrainian refugees to Moldova As Ukrinform reported, almost 80,000 people crossed the western border of Ukraine over the past 24 hours. A man rows his canoe on flood waters, past partially submerged houses in Old Fangak, South Sudan. UNHCR/Samuel Otieno Odhiambo Climate change-driven flooding and drought are threatening to aggravate an already precarious situation in vulnerable parts of South Sudan, UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency warned today, stating that concerted action is needed to mitigate its worst impacts. During a five-day visit that ended on Friday, Andrew Harper, UNHCRs Special Advisor on Climate Action, visited flood affected areas of South Sudan including Old Fangak, Malakal and Jamjang, and Yida, which is in the grip of drought. In 2021, South Sudan has already witnessed the worst flooding on record. Such events are set to become the norm, not the exception in the future, Harper said, stressing the underlying vulnerabilities the country faces. South Sudan is the largest source of refugees in Africa, numbering more than 2.3 million, and hosts one of the worlds largest peacekeeping operations. It recently witnessed the highest flood levels in living memory in some parts of the country, while dealing with drought in others, amid intermittent conflict. Access to some of the most vulnerable populations is a major impediment for humanitarian interventions. Poor or no road infrastructure networks make it hard for external support to reach remote locations, such as Old Fangak, where the former airstrip is completely submerged and currently unusable for landing Despite multiple challenges, its people have been extremely generous to those displaced by violence or extreme weather, often sharing the meagre resources they have however, they need sustained support to avert devastating consequences, he cautioned. If we do not step up our support for the people of South Sudan, climate change and environmental degradation, coupled with ongoing insecurity, mean that resources will further shrink, leaving people with no means to survive, Harper said. We know that if we do nothing, the cost will be high. By this I mean the devastating human consequence, but also the actual price tag for the international community. This is why it is so important to invest in preparedness, early warning and adaptation, he added. During his mission to Yida, Jamjang, Bentiu, Malakal and Old Fangak, Harper witnessed what he called remarkable islands of stability and peace. We cannot take these for granted and as a priority need to invest in peaceful coexistence and environmental protection, which are often directly linked. If one thing is clear, then that none of us can tackle the impacts of climate change on their own. This is why I am calling on the international community to come together and work towards a South Sudan where people can return home in safety and dignity. Protected from persecution and conflict, but also from extreme weather. Following the example of the generous people of South Sudan, who have already given so much, Harper said development actors and donors needed to step up and invest in infrastructure, work on governance and climate change adaptation. I can assure you that UNHCR will continue to support refugees and the people of South Sudan and is ready to do even more, he said. For More Information Please Contact: The Irish Refugee Advisory Board. UNHCR/Aoife Harte UNHCR is delighted to announce the formation of the Irish Refugee Advisory Board. The 8-member group is comprised of people originally from Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Syria, South Sudan, Venezuela and Zimbabwe. A refugee led group, the Boards aim is to ensure that the voices of refugees are heard in policy decisions that affect them. In doing so, it will discuss issues that affect their communities and propose solutions to them. To read more about the board members, please click here General Background UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, leads international action to protect people forced to flee their homes because of conflict and persecution. The Global Compact on Refugees (GCR) calls for refugees to be directly involved in the pursuit of the GCRs objectives. The Board consists of a diverse group of refugees who are active and interested in undertaking a number of advocacy activities. It is expected that the Board will build on the skills and capacities of forcibly displaced people and actively pursue innovative ways to amplify their voices. Over time, it is hoped that the members will become experienced and recognized leaders who represent their communities. Selection Process An advertisement for applications to the Irish Refugee Advisory Board was published in late 2021. A competitive interview process followed, with two members of UNHCR staff and four former refugees sitting on the interview panels. Applications were invited from people who resided in Ireland and were: a beneficiary of international protection (refugee status or subsidiary protection); a resettled or programme refugee; a beneficiary of permission to remain in Ireland on the basis of family reunification or statelessness status; or a naturalised Irish citizen who previously met one of these criteria In order to ensure the composition of a representative group of people, the board was selected in accordance with UNHCRs Age Gender and Diversity policy. Board Objectives It is expected that the advisory board will represent refugees interests in Ireland through participation in policy debates and processes at local and national level by: promoting refugees access to rights in their communities; Identifying gaps in legislation, policy implementation, administrative barriers hampering the full enjoyment of rights of beneficiaries of international protection in Ireland and proposing changes to alleviate them; Promoting positive examples of refugee integration and contributions to Irish society; Raising awareness of refugee issues in the media in order to fight prejudice and stereotypes, and prevent and fight discrimination. Syrian refugee Fatima Al Mahmoud, 12, in the informal settlement in Minyeh, northern Lebanon, where her family lives. UNHCR/Diego Ibarra Sanchez UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, appeals to the world to not forget or neglect the growing needs of displaced Syrians inside and outside the country, 11 years since the crisis began. Syria remains the worlds largest displacement crisis. More than 13 million people have either fled the country or are displaced within its borders. Neighbouring and nearby countries require continued international support, having generously welcomed more than 5.6 million Syrian refugees the vast majority worldwide. These countries are under increased financial pressure, especially in light of the devastating socio-economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Refugees and host communities have been hit hard, losing livelihoods and facing surging prices for food and other necessities. Today, most Syrian refugees in the region live in poverty. Prospects are dire for the most vulnerable among them, such as single mothers, children living without a caregiver, and people with disabilities. The situation is particularly dire in Lebanon, where over 90 per cent of Syrians live in extreme poverty, along with an increasing number of the communities that host them. Children are dropping out of school to work. Early marriages are on the rise, especially among the most impoverished families. Improvements in access to education and health care are at risk of being eroded. The situation would be worse still, but for a number of host countries taking positive steps such as allowing refugees access to the labour market, public health care and a range of other services. This has been achieved despite the large number of refugees hosted in these countries. Turkey continues to host the largest refugee population in the world, including over 3.7 million Syrians, while Lebanon and Jordan are among the countries with the highest number of refugees per capita globally. Meanwhile, humanitarian needs inside Syria are mounting. More than 6.9 million people are still displaced inside the country, and 14.6 million people require humanitarian and other forms of assistance. Some 5.9 million people need help to secure safe accommodation, and many still face challenges accessing basic services like education and health care. In 2021, three quarters of all households in the country said they could not meet their most basic needs 10 per cent more than the year before. Nevertheless, some Syrians choose to return home. In 2021, UNHCR verified or monitored the return of close to 36,000 refugees to Syria. Refugees cite various factors in their decision to return or not, such as their safety, property rights and livelihood opportunities. In parallel, many internally displaced Syrians have returned home, adding to the overall reintegration needs. Political solutions are desperately needed to end 11 years of suffering. There is also a need to increase resettlement opportunities for the most vulnerable of Syrian refugees. UNHCR calls on international donors to extend support for refugees and their hosts, and to address the urgent humanitarian needs inside Syria, including for internally displaced people, their host communities and returnees Last year, less than half of the funding required for the Regional Refugee and Resilience Plan to respond to the Syria refugee crisis was received. Inside Syria and as the needs grow, humanitarian organizations urgently require the resources necessary to strengthen their work inside the country. UNHCR has received seven per cent of the US$465.2 million it requires for its work in Syria in 2022. A decisive moment for countries to demonstrate their commitment will be the donor conference on Supporting the Future of Syria and the Region in May, rallying support for refugees and host communities in the region, as well as for people in need within Syria. Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Syrian refugee Fatima Al Mahmoud, 12, in the informal settlement in Minyeh, northern Lebanon, where her family lives. UNHCR/Diego Ibarra Sanchez UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, appeals to the world to not forget or neglect the growing needs of displaced Syrians inside and outside the country, 11 years since the crisis began. Syria remains the worlds largest displacement crisis. More than 13 million people have either fled the country or are displaced within its borders. Neighbouring and nearby countries require continued international support, having generously welcomed more than 5.6 million Syrian refugees the vast majority worldwide. These countries are under increased financial pressure, especially in light of the devastating socio-economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Refugees and host communities have been hit hard, losing livelihoods and facing surging prices for food and other necessities. Today, most Syrian refugees in the region live in poverty. Prospects are dire for the most vulnerable among them, such as single mothers, children living without a caregiver, and people with disabilities. The situation is particularly dire in Lebanon, where over 90 per cent of Syrians live in extreme poverty, along with an increasing number of the communities that host them. Children are dropping out of school to work. Early marriages are on the rise, especially among the most impoverished families. Improvements in access to education and health care are at risk of being eroded. The situation would be worse still, but for a number of host countries taking positive steps such as allowing refugees access to the labour market, public health care and a range of other services. This has been achieved despite the large number of refugees hosted in these countries. Turkey continues to host the largest refugee population in the world, including over 3.7 million Syrians, while Lebanon and Jordan are among the countries with the highest number of refugees per capita globally. Meanwhile, humanitarian needs inside Syria are mounting. More than 6.9 million people are still displaced inside the country, and 14.6 million people require humanitarian and other forms of assistance. Some 5.9 million people need help to secure safe accommodation, and many still face challenges accessing basic services like education and health care. In 2021, three quarters of all households in the country said they could not meet their most basic needs 10 per cent more than the year before. Nevertheless, some Syrians choose to return home. In 2021, UNHCR verified or monitored the return of close to 36,000 refugees to Syria. Refugees cite various factors in their decision to return or not, such as their safety, property rights and livelihood opportunities. In parallel, many internally displaced Syrians have returned home, adding to the overall reintegration needs. Political solutions are desperately needed to end 11 years of suffering. There is also a need to increase resettlement opportunities for the most vulnerable of Syrian refugees. UNHCR calls on international donors to extend support for refugees and their hosts, and to address the urgent humanitarian needs inside Syria, including for internally displaced people, their host communities and returnees Last year, less than half of the funding required for the Regional Refugee and Resilience Plan to respond to the Syria refugee crisis was received. Inside Syria and as the needs grow, humanitarian organizations urgently require the resources necessary to strengthen their work inside the country. UNHCR has received seven per cent of the US$465.2 million it requires for its work in Syria in 2022. A decisive moment for countries to demonstrate their commitment will be the donor conference on Supporting the Future of Syria and the Region in May, rallying support for refugees and host communities in the region, as well as for people in need within Syria. For more information on this topic, please contact: Under leaden skies at the remote Palanca border crossing in southeastern Moldova, groups of refugees from Ukraine brave the bone-chilling wind as they watch their bags and other belongings being loaded onto five waiting buses for the five-hour journey to Husi in Romania. They are among 250 refugees including older people, families with young children and lone women being prioritized for transfer to Romania from Moldova a country on Ukraines southern border with limited resources to deal with the hundreds of thousands of refugees that have arrived there in recent weeks. Once all the passengers are finally on board, the sun briefly breaks through the clouds, throwing the gray surroundings into dazzling focus as the convoy moves off. Some of the travelers give in to exhaustion and sleep, while others check their phones for news of loved ones back in Ukraine. "The worst has befallen us." Natalia holds her sleeping 8-month-old daughter in her arms, with her 6-year-old son sitting in the window seat alongside. The 35-year-old accountant fled the city of Mykolaiv along with three friends and their children. All four women have left their homes and their husbands behind. The worst has befallen us, Natalia says, holding back tears. Before joining up with the rest of the group for the two-day journey to the border, she and her family spent days sheltering in a bunker in the city. Many times, there were bombs, artillery, rockets, and attacks. Our children were very scared, she says, adding that she wants to be able to go home maybe in two or three weeks, but more in hope than conviction. Natalia, 35, and her two children ride the bus to to Husi in Romania after fleeing to Moldova from their home in Mykolaiv, southern Ukraine. UNHCR/Mihai Eremia On another of the buses, Viktoria, 37, sits by herself with a black cat wrapped in a coat on her lap. On the second day of fighting, she sent her teenage daughter from their home in Odesa on an evacuation flight to Turkey with her sister and brother-in-law. She now plans to join another sister living in Italy before travelling to Istanbul to collect her daughter. My cat was allowed to cross the border. It is a blessing that we can bring our pets with us as I do not have veterinary documents, Viktoria says. This cat is a member of our family. We found her on the street a year ago, [she is] a stray. Despite knowing that her daughter is safe and escaping herself, Viktoria is unable to relax. All this is so scary. I have crossed the border now, and I still do not feel safe, she says. Honestly, I do not feel relieved. Relief will come when the war ends. Viktoria, 37, took the family cat with her when she left her home in the Ukrainian Black Sea port of Odesa. UNHCR/Mihai Eremia The bus transfers have been arranged as a gesture of solidarity with the people of Moldova by the governments of both countries, and with the support of UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, and IOM, the International Organization for Migration. Up to three convoys per day have departed from Palanca since the first on 10 March, and will continue as long as necessary to reduce congestion at Moldova's border and protect women, girls and others from risks including human trafficking and gender-based violence. Romania is helping Moldova to move refugees to its territory, explains Roland Schilling, UNHCR Representative for Central Europe. This is urgently needed because Moldova has already seen an influx of 300,000 people, of which 110,000 are staying. This is a tremendous burden for a small country like Moldova, with limited resources. Refugees brave freezing temperatures as they prepare to board buses at the Palanca border crossing in Moldova. UNHCR/Mihai Eremia Staff from UNHCR are on hand throughout the journey to offer information and support to refugees going to Romania. UNHCR/Mihai Eremia UNHCR protection officer Batyr Sapbyiev helps a mother and child towards the waiting buses at Moldova's Palanca border crossing. UNHCR/Mihai Eremia Refugees board buses at the Palanca border crossing in Moldova to be transferred to Romania. UNHCR/Mihai Eremia Staff from UNHCR and IOM are on hand throughout the journey, offering advice to those trying to decide what to do next and providing information on subjects from securing medicines to booking free travel tickets and finding SIM cards. This is the first convoy today taking people from the border of Moldova-Ukraine to Romania, says Batyr Sapbyiev, a protection officer at UNHCR Romania, who rode on one of the buses. This is very important because it helps decongest the situation. Moldova is very crowded, and the reception capacity is overwhelmed. Services will be provided in Romania and people will choose whether they remain or continue to other countries. When the buses reach Husi, a city a few kilometres inside Romanias eastern border with Moldova, the refugees are welcomed at a transit centre by the Romanian Emergency Situations Department, with support from UNHCR and IOM staff. Some of them will spend the night here, while others plan to head to the capital Bucharest or other cities. Among those heading onwards is 16-year-old Mihail, also from Odesa, who is travelling with his mother to stay with an aunt in Slovakia. Before I left Odesa, in my school we talked about security measures, we were told what we have to do if we hear the air-raid siren, where we have to hide, how we are supposed to provide first aid and so on, he says. Before the war, I saw my future as rainbow-coloured and bright. I was about to finish 11th grade and pass the mandatory exams. But now there is practically no studying, so I am missing a big part of the curriculum, Mihail adds. When the war ends completely in Ukraine, we will return immediately. I truly want that to happen as soon as possible. donate Following fast-growing displacement, a quickly deteriorating humanitarian situation and spiraling needs, donations from the private sector towards relief efforts for Ukraine have reached record-breaking amounts, UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, said today. More than 2.8 million people have been forced to flee the country as refugees since 24 February, and at least 2 million more have been displaced within the country. UNHCR fears millions more will be displaced if the war continues. In just over two weeks, companies, foundations and philanthropists have contributed over US$200 million towards UNHCRs Ukraine emergency response. The private sector is demonstrating its generosity and solidarity through direct contributions, while also launching creative initiatives to help engage stakeholders such as employee giving schemes and match funding. The donations come as UNHCR urgently appeals for US$510 million to provide initial emergency assistance to those displaced inside the country and for refugees throughout the region. As more people flee every day and are increasingly in need of urgent humanitarian support, UNHCRs funding requirements are also likely to grow. At this moment, all eyes around the world are on Ukraine. We stand in solidarity with people fleeing for their lives, whose families are being torn apart. We thank the private sector for their overwhelming generosity, said UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador Cate Blanchett. Contributions from the private sector have already enabled UNHCR to respond quickly since the start of the crisis, for example by arranging airlift and truck convoys of assistance both to refugees and displaced people inside Ukraine, and by rolling out emergency cash assistance to those in need so they can find safe shelter, warmth, and food. UNHCR is also providing protection services such as psychosocial support and targeted care to the most vulnerable, including unaccompanied and separated children, deploying scores of emergency experts to help set up reception facilities, and reinforcing operations inside Ukraine and throughout the region. I want to thank the companies, foundations and philanthropists from around the world for the kindness and generosity they have shown in helping the people fleeing the war in Ukraine. Millions are in desperate need of urgent assistance. As the crisis deepens, I call on the private sector to continue its support, said the UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi. In response to the escalating crisis, the IKEA Foundation, UNHCRs decade-long partner, has committed EUR20 million to support the agencys response to the humanitarian emergency. Per Heggenes, CEO, IKEA Foundation, said: This is a human tragedy. We believe everyone deserves a safe place to call home and we have pledged to do all we can to help the children and families affected by the deadly war. UNHCR has been our long-standing partner and they have a proven track record. We therefore call on the worlds governments, businesses, and philanthropies to join us and increase the relief support for UNHCR and the people fleeing Ukraine. As the private sector rallies to support the response to the Ukraine emergency, UNHCR is also appealing to the world not to forget the many humanitarian crises that are far from the spotlight, where people forced to flee are still in dire need of support. Generous private sector donors include: IKEA Foundation, XTX Markets, CTP, Fast Retailing, Akelius Foundation, Samhallsbyggnadsbolaget i Norden AB, The Schorling Foundation, BNP Paribas Foundation, INDITEX, Google.org, Volkswagen, Binance Charity, Novo Nordisk Foundation, HEARTLAND, Latter-day Saint Charities, Liberty Mutual Insurance, SONY, TikTok, Zegna, Generali, Cargolux, Pernod Ricard, Kering Group, Shiseido,The Foundation at Sanofi, Chanel Foundation, La Caixa Foundation, Mitsubishi Electric Corporation, Mazda Motor Corporation, Deloitte, FasterPartner, H&M Group, JYSK, Z Zurich Foundation, Bain & Company, Cisco, BioNtech, Royal Humanitarian Foundation of Bahrain, Fujitsu Ltd., Supercell, Ryan Reynolds & Blake Lively, NTT, Restaurant Brands International, Capcom Co., AUDI, Marks & Spencer, Banco Santander, Vodafone Foundation, Banco BBVA, Usine Foundation ,Haldor Topsoe, Software AG, Armani, BASF Foundation, Continental NEXI, Valentino, Prada Group, SAP, Boehringer Ingelheim, Toyota Motor Corporation, Kao Corporation, Adidas, Roschier, Gucci, Fujifilm, Jones Day Foundation, Ripple, Koei Tecmo Holdings. For more information on this topic, please contact: At the Poland border, Matthew Saltmarsh, [email protected], +41 79 967 99 36 In Geneva, Shabia Mantoo, [email protected], +41 79 337 76 50 In New York, Kathryn Mahoney, [email protected], +1 347 443 764 Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Face masks are now optional when entering most city and county buildings throughout the region. Masks are still required, however, in health care and congregant settings such as jails. Businesses owners may also still require masks if they choose. Two refugees, both on Polands border. But worlds apart Celestine Tention, 64, a retired human resource manager, who is colon cancer-free, poses for a portrait in her home in Philadelphia on Tuesday. Tention is diligent about getting her colonoscopy every three to five years due to colon cancer running in her family. (Tyger Williams/The Philadelphia Inquirer/TNS) 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 Qualified Nebraska students with family incomes of $65,000 or less will be able to attend the University of Nebraska tuition-free under a newly expanded Nebraska Promise program announced today by NU System President Ted Carter. The university launched the Nebraska Promise in 2020, guaranteeing full-tuition coverage for full-time Nebraska undergraduates with family incomes of $60,000 or less. More than 7,000 students at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, University of Nebraska at Omaha, University of Nebraska at Kearney and University of Nebraska Medical Center are attending college tuition-free this year under the Nebraska Promise. The Nebraska Promise expansion will take effect in fall 2022. Under the expanded program, full-time resident undergraduates whose families have an adjusted gross income of $65,000 or less or who qualify for the federal Pell Grant can attend any campus in the NU System and have up to 30 credit hours of tuition covered per academic year. The Nebraska Promise applies to returning, transfer and new undergraduate students, both on-campus and online. Students must be admitted to their intended NU institution and complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) by the priority deadline. No separate application is required beyond the FAFSA. With a higher income threshold that mirrors the states current median income, the university will be able to expand access and opportunity for Nebraskans even further, according to Carter. In turn, the campuses will be positioned to do even more to build the skilled workforce Nebraska needs to grow its economy and quality of life. An estimated 175 additional NU students will be covered under the expanded Nebraska Promise. Over the past two years, the chancellors and I have heard so many stories of students whose dreams of a college education have been made possible because of the Nebraska Promise. We know times are still uncertain and that every dollar matters to students and families, Carter said. Weve decided to extend the Nebraska Promise to more Nebraska families because access to higher education is more important now than ever. Our message to the people of our state is that no matter their circumstance, a University of Nebraska education is within their reach. Carter also announced that all university campuses are moving the priority deadline by which students can file the FAFSA and qualify for the Nebraska Promise from April 1 to June 1. The university has extended the deadline in past years and decided to permanently move the deadline to June 1 in order to give students and families more time to complete the necessary forms to qualify for financial aid. Students who do not qualify for the Nebraska Promise may still qualify for other forms of financial aid by filing the FAFSA. To be eligible for full-tuition coverage under the Nebraska Promise, undergraduate students pursuing their first bachelors degree must take at least 12 credit hours per semester and maintain a 2.5 grade point average. The Nebraska Promise covers up to 30 credit hours per academic year. Students must complete the FAFSA each year by the priority deadline to remain eligible. The program is not intended to cover costs beyond tuition like fees, books, or room and board, but students may receive scholarships and grants from the campuses or private sources to help pay for these costs. Carter noted that the Nebraska Promise is one of a number of steps being taken across the University of Nebraska System to expand access and affordability. Tuition rates at all NU campuses are frozen this year and will remain at the same rates in 2022-23. All NU campuses are among the best values in their peer groups, and the chancellors are continuing to explore strategies to expand access even further. Complete details on the Nebraska Promise are available in both English and Spanish here. Assistance with UNO Admissions and Financial Aid Undergraduate Admissions UNO Office of Financial Support and Scholarships Add this deadline to your calendar (@ChaudhryMAli88) President Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Barrister Sultan Mehmood Chaudhry, has said that the international community must take serious notice of the Indian government's belligerence and its war frenzy attitude that continue to pose a serious threat to peace and stability in the region ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 15th Mar, 2022 ) :President Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Barrister Sultan Mehmood Chaudhry, has said that the international community must take serious notice of the Indian government's belligerence and its war frenzy attitude that continue to pose a serious threat to peace and stability in the region. The AJK President made these views while addressing a crowded press conference at Aiwan-e-Sadr Muzaffarabad. Minister for Local Government and Rural Development Khawaja Farooq Ahmed and Minister for Planning and Development Chaudhry Muhammad Rasheed were also present on the occasion. Referring to the recent incident of a missile "accidentally" fired into Pakistan's Mian Channu area, the AJK president said that mishap amply demonstrates the existing threat to the region's peace and security from India.Barrister Chaudhry further said that India and Pakistan have fought three wars over Kashmir. Leaving the two nuclear powers to their fate, he said, was tantamount to endangering peace in the region. "The international community should not leave the two nuclear powers to their fate, but should play its effective role in resolving the Kashmir issue that has been the cause and consequence of tension in the region", he added. Barrister Chaudhary said that India was hell bent on crushing the Kashmiris' struggle for right to self determination by using its military might. Terming Indian state terrorism an existential threat to Kashmiris in the occupied Kashmir, he said, "More than 900,000 Indian troops in occupied Kashmir are persecuting the Kashmiri people".The Indian troops, he said, were engaged in war crimes but it was quite unfortunate that the world was watching the gory death dance in Kashmir like a silent spectator. Stressing the need for exposing Indian war crimes, the President said that the government of the Base camp (AJK) had chalked out a comprehensive strategy to divert world attention towards the widespread human rights violations being committed by the Indian occupation forces. He said that holding an All Parties Kashmir Rally at Muzaffarabad on March 17 was part of this campaign to sensitize the international community. He was of the view that India cannot suppress the Kashmiris' legitimate struggle by the dint of force. He said that the struggle against India would continue at all fronts unless the dispute was settled in line with UNSC resolutions. The United Nations on Tuesday denounced mass killings in Myanmar and accused the military of possible war crimes and crimes against humanity since last year's coup d'etat Geneva, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 15th Mar, 2022 ) :The United Nations on Tuesday denounced mass killings in Myanmar and accused the military of possible war crimes and crimes against humanity since last year's coup d'etat. The UN human rights office urged the international community to take immediate steps to halt the spiral of violence in Myanmar. Myanmar's military seized power on February 1 last year, ousting the civilian government and arresting its de facto leader, Aung San Suu Kyi. The junta has since waged a bloody crackdown on dissent. In a report covering the period since the takeover, UN human rights chief Michelle Bachelet's office said Myanmar's military and security forces had shown a flagrant disregard for human life. It described how the military had bombarded populated areas with air strikes and heavy weapons and deliberately targeted civilians, many of whom were shot in the head, burned to death, arbitrarily arrested, tortured or used as human shields. (@FahadShabbir) The Pritzker Prize, architecture's most prestigious award, was awarded Tuesday to Burkina Faso-born architect Diebedo Francis Kere -- the first African to win the honor in its more than 40-year history New York, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 15th Mar, 2022 ) :The Pritzker Prize, architecture's most prestigious award, was awarded Tuesday to Burkina Faso-born architect Diebedo Francis Kere -- the first African to win the honor in its more than 40-year history. Kere, 56, was hailed for his "pioneering" designs that are "sustainable to the earth and its inhabitants -- in lands of extreme scarcity," Tom Pritzker, chairman of the Hyatt Foundation that sponsors the award, said in a statement. Kere, a dual citizen of Burkina Faso and Germany, is the 51st recipient of the illustrious prize since it was first awarded in 1979. He is renowned for building schools, health facilities, housing, civic buildings and public spaces across Africa, including Benin, Burkina Faso, Mali, Togo, Kenya, Mozambique, Togo and Sudan. "He is equally architect and servant, improving upon the lives and experiences of countless citizens in a region of the world that is at times forgotten," said Pritzker. Kere won plaudits for his 2001 project for a Primary school in Gando village, in Burkina Faso, where he was born. Unlike traditional school buildings which used concrete, Kere's innovative design combined local clay, fortified with cement to form bricks that helped retain cooler air inside. A wide raised tin roof protects the building from rains while helping the air circulate, meaning natural ventilation without any need for air conditioning. Kere engaged the local community during the design and building phase, and the number of students at the school increased from 120 to 700, the Hyatt Foundation said in its release. The success of the project saw the creation of an extension, a library and teachers' housing in later years. - 'Natural climate' - Kere "empowers and transforms communities through the process of architecture," designing buildings "where resources are fragile and fellowship is vital," the statement add. "Through his commitment to social justice and engagement, and intelligent use of local materials to connect and respond to the natural climate, he works in marginalized countries laden with constraints and adversity," the organizers said. Kere was also one of the architects behind Geneva's International Red Cross and Red Crescent Museum. In 2017, he became the first African architect to design the Serpentine pavilion in London's Hyde Park, a prestigious assignment given to a world-famous architect every year. Kere has also held solo museum shows in Munich and Philadelphia. In the release, Kere said he was "hoping to change the paradigm, push people to dream and undergo risk.""It is not because you are rich that you should waste material. It is not because you are poor that you should not try to create quality," he said. "Everyone deserves quality, everyone deserves luxury, and everyone deserves comfort. We are interlinked and concerns in climate, democracy and scarcity are concerns for us all." (@ChaudhryMAli88) Gulf Arab countries are seeking to host talks between Yemen's warring parties, including the Huthi rebels, in Riyadh at the end of the month, officials said on Tuesday Riyadh, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 15th Mar, 2022 ) :Gulf Arab countries are seeking to host talks between Yemen's warring parties, including the Huthi rebels, in Riyadh at the end of the month, officials said on Tuesday. The Saudi-based Gulf Cooperation Council "is considering holding talks between Yemen's warring parties to put an end to the conflict", said an official from the six-nation bloc, who spoke on condition of anonymity. An official from the Saudi-backed Yemeni government, which has been embroiled in a seven-year conflict with the Huthis, said the conference would take place between March 29 and April 7. "We don't have a problem if the Huthis attend the talks to try to find a solution to security, military and political issues," the official told AFP. But he added it was unlikely the Huthis would accept the invitation to Riyadh, which has been leading a military coalition to back the government against the rebels since 2015. Another official in Riyadh confirmed efforts for talks were underway, saying: "Saudi Arabia will not be party to negotiations."He added that efforts would be led by Oman, which hosts Huthi officials and has regularly played the role of mediator in regional conflicts. The rebels could not be immediately reached for comment. The war has cost hundreds of thousands of lives, directly or indirectly, and displaced millions. (@ChaudhryMAli88) Julian Assange was on Monday denied permission to appeal to the UK Supreme Court against moves to extradite him to the United States, where he could face a lifetime in prison London, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 14th Mar, 2022 ) :Julian Assange was on Monday denied permission to appeal to the UK Supreme Court against moves to extradite him to the United States, where he could face a lifetime in prison. Washington wants to put the WikiLeaks founder on trial in connection with the publication of 500,000 secret military files relating to the US-led wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. He initially won a reprieve not to send him for trial on the grounds he was a suicide risk if he was kept in solitary confinement at a maximum security US facility. But lawyers for the US government appealed, and overturned the lower court's decision, leading to further legal challenges. In January, two judges allowed the 50-year-old Australian publisher permission to apply to the country's highest court on "points of law of general public importance". But a spokeswoman for the court said: "The Supreme Court has refused permission to appeal... as the application didn't raise an arguable point of law". She added: "The parties were informed this afternoon. " WikiLeaks wrote on its Twitter account: "The case now moves to @UKHomeSecretary Priti Patel to authorise the extradition." The long-running case has become a cause celebre for media freedom, with Assange's supporters accusing Washington of trying to muzzle reporting of legitimate security concerns. Assange is wanted to face trial for violating the US Espionage Act by publishing military and diplomatic files in 2010. He could face up to 175 years in jail if found guilty, although the exact sentence is difficult to estimate. He has been held on remand at a top-security jail in southeast London since 2019, for jumping bail in a previous case accusing him of sexual assault in Sweden. That case was dropped but he was not released from prison on the grounds he was a flight risk in the US extradition case. Assange's fiancee Stella Moris, a former member of his legal team who is the mother of his two young sons, announced at the weekend the couple will marry on March 23. The UK authorities have previously given permission for the couple to marry at Belmarsh prison. Russia and Ukraine conducted fresh talks on Monday in an effort to end Moscow's devastating war, despite deadly strikes on a Ukrainian television tower, the capital and a pro-Moscow separatist region Kyiv, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 14th Mar, 2022 ) :Russia and Ukraine conducted fresh talks on Monday in an effort to end Moscow's devastating war, despite deadly strikes on a Ukrainian television tower, the capital and a pro-Moscow separatist region. On the 19th day of the invasion, the fourth round of talks made no breakthrough other than a planned resumption Tuesday, as Russian-backed separatists said fragments from a shot-down Ukrainian Tochka-U missile ripped the centre of Donetsk, killing 23 people. Moscow called it a "war crime" and rebels published photos of bloody corpses strewn in the street, even as the Ukrainian army denied having fired a missile at Donetsk. The United Nations estimates almost 2.8 million people have fled Ukraine since Russian President Vladimir Putin launched the full-scale land and air assault on February 24, most of them to Poland, struggling to provide for the arrivals. Outside the western Ukrainian city of Rivne, nine people died and another nine were injured on Monday when Russian forces hit a television tower, local authorities said. Rescuers were working to free survivors trapped under the rubble in the village of Antopil, the head of the regional administration, Vitaliy Koval, said on messaging app Telegram. As Moscow's military advanced steadily towards several major urban hubs, Russian air strikes killed at least two in Kyiv, now hemmed in on two sides and drained of more than half of its three million residents. "They say that he is too severely burned, that I won't recognise him," sobbed Lidiya Tikhovska, 83, staring at the spot where a paramedic said the remains of her son Vitaliy lay. "I wish Russia the same grief I feel now," she said, tears rolling down her cheeks as she clung to her grandson's elbow for support. During its meeting with Russian representatives, Ukraine said it was demanding "peace, an immediate ceasefire and the withdrawal of Russian troops". The videoconference talks paused without a breakthrough ahead of a planned resumption on Tuesday. (UroToday.com) Dr. Taplin began her discussion of the VISION trial by first reviewing the current therapeutic landscape of prostate cancer. While there are many life-prolonging options, unfortunately, the duration of response to these therapies in sequence is often short. The VISION trial was set up to evaluate the use of lutetium-PSMA in late-stage advanced prostate cancer Read More One Giant Leap for Children With Language Disorders While the United States was reaching milestones in space exploration, Dr. Etoile DuBard was making history of her own. With just three children in a makeshift classroom, Dr. DuBard opened the School for Preschool Deaf and Aphasic Children in 1962. The school was renamed in the founders honor in 1996 and currently averages 80 full-time and 40 outclient students. For 60 years, DuBard School for Language Disorders has brought hope to children with communication disorders and their families. Part of the School of Speech and Hearing Sciences in the College Nursing and Health Professions, DuBard School was founded at The University of Southern Mississippi in 1962 when a faculty members child needed special services. The University President appointed Etoile DuBard to form and direct the School for Preschool Deaf and Aphasic Children. Etoile taught the students using the Association Method - a multisensory, structured approach developed by Mildred McGinnis, who was a teacher at the Central Institute for the Deaf where Etoile studied. Etoile later earned her doctorate and began working with staff to revise and expand the Association Method. Now known as the DuBard Association Method, this process of teaching language is currently used by professionals around the world. DuBard School houses an accredited professional development program that provides trainings in the DuBard Association Method. The program trains hundreds of educators, speech-language pathologists, parents and reading specialists from across the country each year. DuBard School professional development also provides education to various undergraduate and graduate degree programs at The University of Southern Mississippi. In the mid-1970s, the school began to receive partial funding from the Mississippi Department of Education. Today, the DuBard School is a university-based statewide special school providing education to children from across the state. These services are provided at no cost to students and their families. In 2002, the school moved into its state-of-the-art, 17,000 square-foot facility. Eighty percent of the funding for the new facility was provided by private contributions. In six decades, the school has grown from three students to 80 children in the full-time enrollment program. DuBard School also serves 40 additional children through outclient therapy and other services. The school also serves as a resource for evaluations and referrals to hundreds of children and their families each year. Many DuBard School students also require sophisticated technology and specific services to learn including hearing aids, cochlear implants, occupational therapy, FM listening systems, specialized computer software, etc. The cost of serving a single, full-time student each year is approximately $22,500. The money received from the Mississippi Department of Education does not cover that cost, so DuBard School relies on contributions through United Way and private donations to ensure the school is fully funded. In celebration of the 60th anniversary of DuBard School, we pay tribute to the works of Dr. DuBard and those who have given their time and resources to ensure the school has continued to thrive. Countless lives have been changed because of this "one giant leap". Join us on May 19 to tour DuBard School, meet our staff, and learn about the milestones made over the past 60 years. The President of the Pontifical Academy for Life, Archbishop Vincenzo Paglia, offers a reflection on the war in Ukraine, underscoring Pope Francis' "no" to war and appeal for negotiation. By Tiziana Campisi Archbishop Vincenzo Paglia is calling on world leaders to create a "far-sighted policy to be able to point a way forward for all humanity." The President of the Pontifical Academy for Life said Europe needs to imagine and build a different future, so that the conflict in Ukraine will be the last and serve as an example on the need to search and identify new ways of coexistence among peoples. Archbishop Paglia offered a reflection on the war in Ukraine in an article published on Tuesday by the Italian newspaper "Il Riformista", in which he underscores the heartfelt appeal of Pope Francis last Sunday at the Angelus, saying 'In the name of God, stop this massacre!' Wise and renewed Europe Archbishop Paglia says "we need an effective and useful political farsightedness, so that we come out of this trial with a renewed, wise, long-lasting European plan." It seems to me that there are no alternatives: Europe is one; it has two lungs, certainly, East and West have common characteristics and different ones, but it is always about Europe. The Archbishop added that we must "speak of a Jewish-Christian Europe," as John Paul II often termed it. Fair political solution that respects rights For the president of the Pontifical Academy for Life, "it is indispensable to rethink a future that embraces Europe from the Atlantic to the Urals." The Europe of NATO, the European Union, the G-7 that sometimes becomes G-8, must be redesigned with different political solutions, under the auspices of political, economic, financial and cultural project that includes all countries, no one excluded. Europe should bring together the people of the future requires a "political solution that is fair, concrete, respectful of international law and rights," Archbishop Paglia stresses. "We should really and decisively focus on negotiations, the instrument used by people throughout history to come up with solutions," he says. Archbishop Paglia then points out that the world is still experiencing "a pandemic that has not yet been defeated," "an environmental and climate crisis" that will have consequences for everyone, and "a change of era at the level of new technologies" having profound impacts on all. He concludes that weapons and war are not the answer to solving our problems. EMMA SYNDER is a News and Featuers Reporter for The Vidette. Snyder can be contacted at ejsnyde@ilstu.edu. Follow Snyder on Twitter at @ejsnyder21 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 Afghan Embassy and two consulates in the United States will cease operations at noon March 23, Afghan diplomats say. Officials from the U.S. State Department met Afghan diplomats on Monday to inform them about what they call an orderly shutdown of operation of the three Afghan missions. The move comes seven months after the fall of the former Afghan government in Kabul and several months of administrative and diplomatic wrangling in Washington. Under the shutdown plan, the State Departments Office of Foreign Missions will take over the protection and preservation of the embassy in Washington and the consulates in New York and Los Angeles. The tricolor national flag of Afghanistan, which the new Taliban regime replaced with their white banner, will remain hoisted at the Afghan diplomatic buildings in the U.S., according to two Afghan diplomats. Most of the nearly 100 Afghan diplomats who were stationed in the U.S. have already either applied for asylum in the U.S. or have moved to Canada, but there are about 25 diplomats who will have to change their immigration status in the U.S. by April 23. U.S. officials had previously indicated that only Adela Raz could continue her core duties as Afghan ambassador to the U.S., and the assignments of the rest of the Afghan diplomatic corps would terminate, according to a January 18 letter purportedly sent to the Afghan Embassy and which an Afghan diplomat shared with VOA. The Afghan diplomats mulled over the offer collectively and rejected it, the diplomat said. Only financial problems? U.S. officials maintain that severe financial burdens have crippled the operations of the Afghan diplomatic missions. Afghan diplomats have not received their salaries since October 2021, and there have been issues with paying the utility and insurance bills for the three diplomatic premises. The diplomats also lost access to their bank accounts last year, prompting them to channel consular service fees to their personal bank accounts. State Department officials say the decision to suspend the embassys bank accounts was taken by Citibank, which is independent of a U.S. government intervention. Ronald Neumann, president of the American Academy of Diplomacy and a former U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan, told VOA the bank accounts issue is primarily financial. I am pretty sure there is no political motivation, he said. We are taking this action for very pragmatic reasons rather than for any particular policy reasons, a State Department official said Friday. Two Afghan diplomats and one very senior official in the former Afghan government, however, told VOA the State Departments decision was not driven by the financial hurdles facing the Afghan missions. The embassy and the consulates were making sufficient income from consular services, said the former senior official who has maintained contacts with Afghan embassies around the world and asked for anonymity. We have more than $700,000 in our suspended bank accounts, an Afghan diplomat said. No sign of Taliban recognition The U.S. is the first country to close its Afghan embassy. Afghan embassies in European countries, Canada, Russia, Australia and several other nations remain open. Afghanistans permanent mission at the United Nations in New York will also continue its operation. An Afghan ambassador in a European capital told VOA he had received assurances from the host country that he would be able to continue his official duties. They even offered financial support, said the ambassador, who asked not to be identified. So far, no country has recognized the de facto Taliban government in Afghanistan, but many have held diplomatic engagements with Taliban officials. Last week, the Talibans acting foreign minister took part in the Antalya Diplomatic Forum in Turkey, where he met U.S. Special Envoy for Afghanistan Thomas West, among officials from several other countries. U.S. officials say in closing the Afghan embassy they did not consult with Taliban officials and that the move does not imply a desire to recognize the Talibans de facto government. I do not think this means anything for the U.S. relationship with the Taliban acting government, Robin Raphel, a former U.S. diplomat, told VOA. Neumann echoed a similar understanding, saying, To the best of my knowledge, there is no U.S. government intention or interest in establishing relations with the Taliban. Stateless diplomats Despite the collapse of the former Afghan government and the flight from Afghanistan of nearly all former officials, including President Ashraf Ghani and Foreign Minister Mohammad Haneef Atmar, Afghan diplomats have insisted they still represent Afghanistan abroad. Through his verified Twitter handle, which carries his title as Foreign Minister of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, Atmar tweets as if he is still in charge of Afghan diplomatic missions abroad. In practice, however, diplomats have defied him. In December, after Atmar wrote to U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres introducing a new acting head for the Afghan mission at the U.N., incumbent acting representative Naseer Faiq refused to step down, saying Atmar had lost the legitimacy and authority to appoint new diplomats. Every ambassador acts as a sovereign entity, and there is no chain of command, a current Afghan ambassador to a European country, told VOA. We continue to operate not because weve legitimacy, but because the world hates the Taliban, he added. Coming up on #Africa54: As Russia bombards Kyiv, three European Union leaders travel to the besieged Ukrainian capital. Exploring the lesser-known causes of muscle pain - and the importance of pain management for COVID19 recovery. And from pro-democracy leaders to a jailed journalist, the State Department honors women of courage from around the globe. British Iranian aid worker Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe has had her British passport returned, British lawmaker Tulip Siddiq said on Tuesday, as Tehran and London pressed on with talks about a long-standing 400-million-pound ($520 million) debt. "I am very pleased to say that Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe has been given her British passport back," Siddiq, who is the member of parliament for where Zaghari-Ratcliffe used to live in London, said on Twitter. "She is still at her family home in Tehran. I also understand that there is a British negotiating team in Tehran right now," she added on Twitter. Reuters was unable to ascertain if a British team of negotiators was in Tehran nor what the subject of any discussion would be. A spokesperson for Siddiq's office told Reuters the lawmaker had based her remarks on information from Zaghari-Ratcliffe's family. Separately, her lawyer Hojjat Kermani, when asked whether Zaghari-Ratcliffe will be released, told Reuters: "I am hopeful that we will have good news soon." Kermani said his view was based on meetings and discussions he had had with the Iranian judiciary about the case of the Zaghari-Ratcliffe, a project manager with the Thomson Reuters Foundation who was arrested at a Tehran airport in April 2016 and later convicted by an Iranian court of plotting to overthrow the clerical establishment. Her family and the foundation, a charity that operates independently of Thomson Reuters and its news subsidiary Reuters, deny the charge. Asked by a reporter whether he saw signs of optimism on Zaghari-Ratcliffe's case, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson replied that discussions about it were continuing. "I don't want to tempt fate but clearly the negotiations about all our difficult consular cases have been going on for a long time and really I think it would not be sensible for me to comment until we have got a final result," he said. Asked for comment, a spokesperson for Britain's Foreign and Commonwealth Office said: "We have long called for the release of unfairly detained British nationals in Iran. We dont comment on speculation. The Thomson Reuters Foundation declined immediate comment on Siddiq's statement. Richard Ratcliffe did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Iranian officials did not immediately reply to a request for comment on the remarks by Siddiq and Kermani. Reuters was unable to independently establish the status of Zaghari-Ratcliffe. The Thomson Reuters Foundation said that she had traveled to Iran in a personal capacity and had not been doing work in Iran. The Thomson Reuters Foundation is a charity organization that is independent of Thomson Reuters and operates independently of Reuters News. Iran's clerical rulers say Britain owes the money that Iran's Shah paid up front for 1,750 Chieftain tanks and other vehicles, almost none of which were eventually delivered after the Islamic Revolution of 1979 toppled the U.S.-backed leader. While the British and Iranian governments have said there is no connection between the debt and the case of Zaghari-Ratcliffe, Iranian state media in 2021 reported unidentified Iranian officials saying she would be freed once the debt was paid. Read full story Iranian officials did not comment when asked whether the amount has been paid by Britain as reported by some Iranian outlets. Zaghari-Ratcliffe, who served most of her first sentence in Tehran's Evin prison, was released in March 2020 during the coronavirus pandemic and kept under house arrest at her parents' home in Tehran. In March 2021, she was released from house arrest but she was summoned to court again on the new charge. In April 2021, she was then sentenced to a new term in jail on charges of propaganda against Iran's ruling system, charges she denies. However that sentence has not yet started and she is banned from leaving the country. SYDNEY The families of Australians killed in the downing of a Malaysia passenger airliner over Ukraine in 2014 have welcomed Canberras decision to launch legal action against Russia. All 298 people on board, including 38 Australian citizens and residents, died when a Russian-made Buk missile hit the plane. Both Australia and the Netherlands maintain Russia was responsible under international law for the attack, and have now initiated legal proceedings in the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 was en route from Amsterdam in the Netherlands to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, when it was shot down over eastern Ukraine. International prosecutors believe it was downed by a Russian-made surface-to-air missile. All 298 people on board the plane were killed, including 38 Australians. Australia and the Netherlands maintain that Russia was responsible under international law for the attack and have now initiated legal proceedings in the International Civil Aviation Organization, an agency of the United Nations with responsibilities to promote safe international air transport. Its task is to mediate between countries and does have the power to impose sanctions against a member state found to have breached international laws. It could, eventually, demand that Russia pay compensation to victims families of the MH17 tragedy. Legal experts have said the court action launched by Australia and the Netherlands is unlikely to worry the Kremlin. The Russian government has denied any involvement in the downing of the Malaysian Airlines jet. Paul Guards parents, Roger and Jill, were among the Australians who died. He told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation that he supports the legal action. I do support all actions to try to hold Russia accountable because at the end of the day, families really just want the truth, and they just want an apology, Guard said. Most families would be a lot happier, or at least partly satisfied if Russia acknowledged the facts of what happened and owned up to its role. Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne said the legal action was an important step in the fight for truth, justice and accountability for the MH17 victims. Payne said the invasion of Ukraine is another sign of Russian aggression. There is no doubt that Russias invasion has been a painful reminder to those who lost loved ones on flight MH17, Payne said Dutch prosecutors have demanded life sentences for four suspects three Russians and a Ukrainian who are on trial for their alleged involvement in the attack on flight MH17. The men are being tried in absentia. Verdicts are not expected until next year at the earliest. An Australian court on Tuesday overturned a groundbreaking ruling from last year that required the country's environment minister to consider the harm to children from climate change as part of the approval process for a coal mine. The full Federal Court decided in favor of an appeal by Environment Minister Sussan Ley against a judge's ruling that she had a duty of care to avoid harming children when weighing approval for a coal project. "As to the posited duty of care, the Full Court is unanimous in the view that the duty should not be imposed upon the Minister," three Federal Court judges ruled on Tuesday. The original ruling, which related to approval of a coal mine extension in the state of New South Wales, was seen as setting a precedent for other mine applications. The case was brought by eight school children and a nun seeking to require Australia's environment minister to protect children from future harm caused by climate change. Some of the children had gathered outside the court in Sydney to await the ruling and were left in tears when the decision was announced. "Today's ruling leaves us devastated, but it will not deter us in our fight for climate justice," Anjali Sharma, 17, one of the students who brought the original case, said in a statement. Chief Justice James Allsop said the duty should not be imposed because of the "indeterminacy of liability and the lack of proportionality between the tiny increase in risk and lack of control and liability for all damage by heatwaves, bushfires and rising sea levels to all Australians under the age of 18, ongoing into the future." The court also said the duty should not be imposed because it did not fit with the role imposed on the minister under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act, which governs mine approvals. U.S. President Joe Biden will travel next week to Brussels, where he will join an extraordinary NATO summit set to take place on March 24 one month after Russia invaded neighboring Ukraine. White House press secretary Jen Psaki announced Bidens travel plans hours after NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg called for the meeting, tweeting that alliance members will address Russias invasion of Ukraine, our strong support for Ukraine, and further strengthening NATOs deterrence & defense. Biden told reporters Tuesday afternoon, Putins aggression against Ukraine has united people all across America. The administration is expected to announce additional aid measures Wednesday following Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyys speech to the U.S. Congress. Its exceedingly difficult to get supplies into Ukraine while the Russian onslaught continues, Biden said. In Photos: On the Front Lines in Ukraine Russian shelling hit Ukraines capital, Kyiv, early Tuesday, including one that struck an apartment building, killing four people and starting a fire that sparked a frenzied rescue effort, officials said. Kyiv Mayor Vitaly Klitschko announced a 35-hour curfew for the city beginning Tuesday night. Despite the continued shelling, Russian ground forces are making limited to no progress in achieving their objectives in Ukraine, a senior U.S. defense official said Tuesday in an assessment shared with VOA. The official said Kyiv remains under heavy bombardment by long-range fire, with civilian targets to include residential areas being struck with increasing frequency. But leading elements of Russian forces have not appreciably advanced on the city. Fox News reported that video journalist Pierre Zakrzewski was killed when the vehicle in which he was traveling was struck by incoming fire on the outskirts of Kyiv. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and State Department officials have been in touch with Fox News' management regarding correspondent Ben Hall, who was injured while on assignment with Zakrzewski. Spokesperson Ned Price said, "All of us here at the department are rooting for Ben and rooting for his speedy recovery. "We have engaged at multiple levels with Fox News. We've made very clear that we will do everything we possibly can to help Ben and any others who may have been involved and injured in this horrific attack." Despite Russias attacks on Kyiv, three European leaders headed to the capital as Russian forces bombarded the area and other cities nearly three weeks into the invasion. Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala said he was traveling to Kyiv on Tuesday along with Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki and Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Jansa to represent the European Council in a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal. The purpose of the visit is to confirm the unequivocal support of the entire European Union for the sovereignty and independence of Ukraine, Fiala said. The aim of this visit is also to present a broad package of support for the Ukraine and Ukrainians. The European Union announced a new round of sanctions against Russia, including bans on transactions with certain state-owned companies or new investments in Russias energy sector, as well as tighter trade restrictions on iron, steel and luxury goods. There are also sanctions targeting key oligarchs, lobbyist and propagandists pushing the Kremlins narrative on the situation in Ukraine, as well as key companies in the aviation, military and dual use, shipbuilding and machine-building sectors. Much of the international response has been focused on punishing Russia through economic sanctions. Japan on Tuesday announced new asset freezes for 17 Russians, including 11 members of the Russian parliament, billionaire Viktor Vekselberg and family members of banker Yuri Kovalchuk. Russia on Tuesday announced that Biden and a dozen other senior officials have been banned from entering the country, in response to the sanctions from Western countries. Weve made President Putins war of choice a strategic failure, Psaki said Tuesday. The unprecedented costs weve imposed with allies and partners have reversed 30 years of economic progress, something President Putin himself pushed for. Negotiators from Russia and Ukraine began more talks Tuesday following a meeting on Monday, held by video rather than in person in neighboring Belarus like previous sessions, which yielded no major signs of a breakthrough. But Zelenskyy suggested a compromise on Tuesday, saying in a video message that Kyiv was ready to accept security guarantees that fall short of its goal to join NATO. "If we cannot enter through open doors, then we must cooperate with the associations with which we can, which will help us, protect us ... and have separate guarantees," Zelenskyy said. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said it was premature to predict whether the peace talks will lead to progress. "The work is difficult, and in the current situation, the very fact that (the talks) are continuing is probably positive," Peskov said. Psaki told reporters the United States supports the negotiations, but that it is looking for signs that Russia is willing to pair talks with a pullback in violence. Were not seeing any evidence, at this point, that President Putin is doing anything to stop the onslaught or de-escalate, Psaki said. Meanwhile, Biden on Tuesday signed an appropriations package that includes $13.6 billion for emergency military and humanitarian aid for Ukraine. That will be followed Wednesday by an address to Congress by Zelenskyy, who has appealed for international help, including a no-fly zone over Ukraine, that the Biden administration has ruled out. Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said the government hoped to be able to open nine humanitarian corridors Tuesday to evacuate civilians and deliver aid to those in areas besieged by Russian forces, including the southern city of Mariupol where Russian shelling prevented deliveries on Monday. In a rare positive development Monday, Ukrainian officials in Mariupol said a convoy of civilian cars was able to leave after many previous attempts to evacuate civilians collapsed. Officials said 160 cars left in the first two hours that the corridor was open. On Tuesday, the city council said 2,000 civilian cars had left, but it was not immediately clear if the 160 cars that left on Monday were included in the tally. This image contains sensitive content which some people may find offensive or disturbing. Click to reveal This image contains sensitive content which some people may find offensive or disturbing - Click to reveal Bodies of people killed by shelling lay covered outside hospital number 3 in Mariupol, Ukraine, March 15, 2022. Also Tuesday, Ukraine's parliament voted to extend martial law for another month until April 24, barring men between 18 and 60 from leaving the country so they can be called to join the military. The United Nations said Tuesday the number of people who have fled Ukraine since the invasion began had reached 3 million. Eastern Europe Bureau Chief Myroslava Gongadze, White House correspondent Anita Powell, senior diplomatic correspondent Cindy Saine, national security correspondent Jeff Seldin, U.N. correspondent Margaret Besheer, State Department Bureau Chief Nike Ching, and Mandarin service reporters Lin Yang and Si Yang contributed to this report. Some information also came from The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters. The Pritzker Prize, architecture's most prestigious award, was awarded Tuesday to Burkina Faso-born architect Diebedo Francis Kere, the first African to win the honor in its more than 40-year history. Kere, 56, was hailed for his "pioneering" designs that are "sustainable to the earth and its inhabitants in lands of extreme scarcity," said Tom Pritzker, chairman of the Hyatt Foundation that sponsors the award, in a statement. Kere, a dual citizen of Burkina Faso and Germany, said he was the "happiest man on this planet" to become the 51st recipient of the illustrious prize since it was first awarded in 1979. "I have a feeling of an overwhelming honor but also a sense of responsibility," he told AFP during an interview in his office in Berlin. Kere is renowned for building schools, health facilities, housing, civic buildings and public spaces across Africa, including Benin, Burkina Faso, Mali, Togo, Kenya, Mozambique, Togo and Sudan. "He is equally architect and servant, improving upon the lives and experiences of countless citizens in a region of the world that is at times forgotten," Pritzker said. Kere won plaudits for his 2001 project for a primary school in Gando village, in Burkina Faso, where he was born. Unlike traditional school buildings, which used concrete, Kere's innovative design combined local clay, fortified with cement to form bricks that helped retain cooler air inside. A wide, raised tin roof protects the building from rain while helping the air circulate, meaning natural ventilation without any need for air conditioning. Kere engaged the local community during the design and building phase, and the number of students at the school increased from 120 to 700, the Hyatt Foundation said in its release. The success of the project saw the creation of an extension, a library and teachers' housing in later years. Kere "empowers and transforms communities through the process of architecture," designing buildings "where resources are fragile and fellowship is vital," the Pritzker statement added. "Through his commitment to social justice and engagement, and intelligent use of local materials to connect and respond to the natural climate, he works in marginalized countries laden with constraints and adversity," the organizers said. In Kere's native Burkina Faso, his accolade was hailed as a reminder that Burkina Faso should be known internationally for more than a violent jihadi insurgency that has gripped the country. Groups affiliated to al-Qaida and the Islamic State group have killed more than 2,000 people and displaced at least 1.7 million. "In the current pain of the security crisis, our country must remember that it is also the nation of exceptional men like Francis Kere," said Ra-Sablga Seydou Ouedraogo, of the non-profit Free Afrik. Nebila Aristide Bazie, head of the Burkina Faso architects' council, said the award "highlights the African architect and the people of Burkina Faso." In 2017, Kere designed the Serpentine pavilion in London's Hyde Park, a prestigious assignment given to a world-famous architect every year. He was also one of the architects behind Geneva's International Red Cross and Red Crescent Museum and has held solo museum shows in Munich and Philadelphia. "I am totally convinced that everyone deserves quality," he said in his office, where he celebrated his award with his team. "I'm always thinking how can I get the best for my clients, for those who can afford but also for those who cannot afford. "This is my way of doing things, of using my architecture to create structures to serve people, let's say to serve humanity," Kere added. Cameroons government says it will rebuild hospitals and clinics destroyed by Boko Haram terrorists along the border with Nigeria. In a visit to the area this week, officials said the facilities were needed for villagers who have suffered from the conflict as well as for former Boko Haram members who have been rehabilitated. Cameroons Ministry of Public Health says at least 35 hospitals along the countrys border with Nigeria have either been abandoned by medical staff or destroyed by Boko Haram terrorists. Minister of Public Health Manaouda Malachie this week visited some of the remaining hospitals along the border. He says although working and living conditions are very difficult, the few medical staff members in former Boko Haram prone towns and villages are doing their best to save lives. Malachie says Cameroons President Paul Biya has ordered his government to build and equip destroyed hospitals and recruit more health workers. He also says he asked several hundred hospital workers who fled Boko Haram terrorism to return to Cameroons border with Nigeria. Malachie did not say when the hospitals would be re-built. But Cameroons government says it will spend $300 million this year to reconstruct what Boko Haram destroyed, including hospitals and medical equipment. Government troops have been fighting Boko Haram along the northern border with Nigeria since 2014. Cameroons military says there have been about 25 cases of abductions and kidnappings for ransom this year, but no large scale attacks by the terrorist group. The military says the return to peace has allowed several thousand internally displaced persons and former Boko Haram members to return to their villages. But health care in the region is sorely lacking, say social workers like Jean Pierre Ndlend in Kolofata district via a messaging application. Ndlend says youths of between 15 and 35 years old are a majority of the 150 people suffering from mental health disorders that the Kolofata hospital has received since January. He says trauma from seeing people dying or forcefully separated from loved ones, poverty, and risky living conditions are the highest causes of mental health disorders in Cameroon's northern border with Nigeria. Ndlend says the Kolofata hospital receives hundreds of patients every day but has only seven health care workers. Speaking to Cameroon state radio (CRTV) this week, Far North Region Governor Midjiyawa Bakari said the military has been helping civilians while they wait for the government to re-build hospitals. Bakari says most Cameroons troops deployed to fight Boko Haram have been sent to border villages to provide health care and education to both returnees and militants who surrender and leave the terrorist group. He says Cameroon's military health unit visits border villages to provide humanitarian assistance and treat sick returnees, former fighters, and the host community. Bakari said thousands of Boko Haram fighters and supporters have defected from the terrorist group since last May, when the leader of the Nigerian militants Abubakar Shekau was declared killed. The United Nations says the Boko Haram conflict, which started 13 years ago in northeast Nigeria, has killed more than 350,000 people and displaced 2 million across Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad and Niger. China says it does not want to get caught up in the diplomatic and economic blowback Russia is facing from Western nations over its invasion of Ukraine. State media said Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi expressed his governments wishes during a lengthy phone conversation Monday with Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares. According to a transcript of the phone call published Monday by the Chinese foreign ministry, Wang told Albares that Beijing is not a party to the crisis and does not want to be affected by the mounting economic sanctions imposed on Moscow over the nearly 3-week-old invasion. The conversation took place as U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan and officials from the National Security Council and State Department met in Rome with Chinas top foreign policy adviser, Yang Jiechi. The Biden administration has warned that Beijing would face severe "consequences" if it helps Moscow avoid sanctions. Media reports emerged Sunday that Moscow has requested military and economic assistance from China for its war in Ukraine. Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian Tuesday repeated an accusation leveled by Beijing that the United States is spreading disinformation over reports that China has responded positively to Moscows request. Zhao calls the reports not only unprofessional, but also immoral and irresponsible. He told reporters Chinas position is completely objective, impartial and constructive. State Department spokesman Ned Price told reporters Monday that the United States is watching very closely the extent to which China, or any other country, provides any form of support to Russia. We have communicated very clearly to Beijing that we wont stand by, we will not allow any country to compensate Russia for its losses, he said. CNN reported late Monday that the United States told European and Asian allies in a diplomatic cable that China had indicated a willingness to help Russia in the war against Ukraine. CNN said the cable did not state definitively that assistance had been provided and that it warned that China would likely deny any such offer. Chinese arms sales to Russia would have a devastating impact on the U.S.-China relationship, because it would clearly align the Chinese with the Russians, against the United States, Europe in a war, Robert Ross, a political science professor at Boston College, told VOA. China is in a unique position because of its partnership agreement with Russia, according to Stephen Roach, a senior fellow at Yale Universitys Jackson Institute for Global Affairs. He told VOA that China has considerably greater leverage over Russia than even Western countries that have implemented unprecedented sanctions on Russia. China has something that the West does not have, and that is the partnership, with Russia, he said. Some information for this report came from The Associated Press and Agence France Presse. The number of new COVID-19 cases in China more than doubled Tuesday as the nation struggles with its biggest outbreak of the disease since the start of the pandemic two years ago. The National Health Commission said 3,507 new cases of local transmission had been confirmed over the last 24-hour period, far above the 1,337 reported a day earlier. The surge in new cases has prompted authorities across northeast China to impose varying degrees of coronavirus restrictions. Officials in Jilin province have barred residents from traveling both within and outside the province, the worst-hit in the region, with 9 million residents in the provincial capital of Changchun under stay-at-home orders. In the southeastern province of Guangdong, factories in the city of Shenzhen, the center of Chinas technology and manufacturing sector, have suspended operations in an attempt to curb the outbreak. Shenzhen, which borders the semi-autonomous city of Hong Kong, is home to such major operations as Foxconn, a major supplier of U.S. tech giant Apple, as well as Tencent and Huawei. Meanwhile, hundreds of international and domestic flights scheduled to arrive in Shanghai are being diverted to other cities as the financial hub struggles with its own outbreak of new COVID-19 cases. The breakthrough of new COVID-19 cases in China, driven by the highly-transmissible omicron variant, is happening despite Beijings official zero COVID strategy that aims to completely eliminate coronavirus outbreaks across the mainland. Some information in this report came from The Associated Press, Reuters and Agence France-Presse. More than 2.8 million people have fled Ukraine since the Russian invasion, according to the United Nations the swiftest mass exodus of refugees since World War II, some experts say. The overwhelming majority of refugees from Ukraine are fleeing to European Union countries. More than half of those have fled to Poland, while hundreds of thousands are seeking safety in Hungary, Romania, and Slovakia. Leah Zamore, who leads the humanitarian crises program at New York Universitys Center on International Cooperation, told VOA the Syrian refugee crisis took several years to reach the number of people who have left Ukraine in less than two weeks. So the swiftness of this outflow is really, really unprecedented, she said. Zamore said it is going to be difficult for Europe to accommodate so many people so quickly. But it has been a remarkably generous response, at least when it comes to the Ukraine crisis. Infographic: Map: Ukrainians Fleeing Russian Invasion What is the current refugee policy for those fleeing the conflict? Ukrainians already enjoyed visa-free travel to the European Union for up to 90 days. Since the invasion, the situation and the numbers are rapidly evolving. Because of that, the European Unions executive branch, the European Commission, has activated the Temporary Protection Directive, which grants immediate protection to those fleeing the war while providing access to schools, medical care, and work. How can someone qualify for the Temporary Protection Directive (TPD)? The European Commissions decision to activate the TPD is historic. This is the first time it has been activated since 2001, when the commission created it. It applies to all Ukrainian nationals and their relatives displaced by the conflict. Under the guidelines, Ukrainian refugees are allowed to temporarily reside and work in European Union countries. But, in order to qualify for humanitarian status, they must have fled Ukraine after February 24, the day the invasion began. How long can people stay? Refugees from Ukraine will be granted permission for temporary residence in the European Union for at least one year, with the possibility of an extension for two more years. What happens to people who are not Ukrainian nationals? Non-Ukrainian nationals of third countries and stateless persons, as well as their family members, will be protected under TPD as long as they can prove they were legally residing in Ukraine and cannot return to their country of origin. Esther Pozo-Vera, head of the asylum unit and directorate-general for Migration and Home Affairs for the European Commission, said the decision cuts the red tape. You don't have to apply for temporary protection. This is granted by the decision. The only thing you have to do is basically ask for a residence permit and this residence permit will trigger the other rights, Pozo-Vera said during a recent webinar hosted by the Migration Policy Institute. What exactly do refugees get under TPD? Some countries are providing free transportation, which means free rail and bus travel for those fleeing Ukraine. They are also expected to receive medical care and other welfare benefits. Those younger than 18 are allowed to attend school. Unaccompanied children will be placed under the guardianship of foster families, relatives, or facilities run by government officials that were adapted to welcome minors. People will be allowed to apply for jobs, receive training in trades, and use their workplace experience to become self-employed workers. When it comes to housing, members of the European Union must make sure people have access to accommodations, either in reception centers or with European families willing to house them. Can refugees apply for asylum while being protected under TPD? Yes. According to the European Commission's website the right to temporary protection is in addition to the right to apply for international protection. Pozo-Vera explained the hope is that the conflict will not last and because refugees are protected under TPD, they will not ask for asylum immediately. And that means the asylum system of the member states will not be overwhelmed by a new flow of massive applications of asylum. Are there any other ways to receive protection besides TPD or applying for asylum? Yes. Those fleeing might be able to apply for a residence permit if they have a family member who is an EU citizen or if they were already legally residing in the European Union as a student, researcher, trainee, or worker. The Chadian authorities on Monday handed over a former Central African Republic militia leader to the International Criminal Court on suspicion of war crimes and crimes against humanity, the Hague-based court said. Maxime Jeoffroy Eli Mokom Gawaka is suspected of crimes committed in 2013 and 2014 "in Bangui and other locations in the Central African Republic," the ICC said in a statement. Mokom was an "anti-Balaka" group leader, vigilantes from the CAR's Christian and animist majority. In 2019, he became the country's minister for Disarmament, Demobilization, Reintegration and Repatriation (DDRR). The ICC has "found reasonable grounds" to suspect that Mokom, in his capacity as a "National Coordinator of Operations of the Anti-Balaka", was responsible for crimes against humanity, including murder, torture, persecution and "enforced disappearance," the court said in its statement. On the war crimes front, he is suspected of, among other things, "intentionally directing an attack against the civilian population" and an attack against humanitarian assistance personnel as well as enlisting fighters as young as 15. One of the poorest countries in the world, the CAR spiraled into conflict in 2013 when President Francois Bozize was ousted by a rebel coalition called the Seleka, drawn largely from the Muslim minority. The coup triggered a sectarian bloodbath between "anti-Balaka" forces and Seleka rebels. Two former anti-Balaka leaders, Patrice-Edouard Ngaissona and Alfred Yekatom, are already on trial at the ICC. An alleged Seleka leader will go on trial at the ICC in September to face charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity. Journalists Pierre Zakrzewski and Oleksandra Kuvshynova were killed Monday covering the war in Ukraine, in an attack that seriously injured Fox News correspondent Benjamin Hall. U.S. broadcaster Fox News on Tuesday announced that cameraman Zakrzewski had died in Ukraine. Kuvshynova, a 24-year-old Ukrainian journalist, also was killed in the same attack. Zakrzewski, 55, was killed when the vehicle the news crew were in was struck by incoming fire in Horenka, near Kyiv, according to a memo shared with the broadcaster's staff. Kuvshynova, a Ukrainian journalist who was with them at the time, also was killed, said Anton Gerashchenko, the adviser to Ukraine's minister of Internal Affairs. Hall, the State Department correspondent for Fox, is still hospitalized and receiving treatment for injuries. Both Hall and Zakrzewski were experienced journalists who had covered conflicts in Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria. In her memo to staff, Fox News Media CEO Suzanne Scott said that London-based Zakrzewski's "talent was unmatched." Zakrzewski "was profoundly committed to telling the story and his bravery, professionalism and work ethic were renowned," the memo read. "Everyone in the media industry who has covered a foreign story knew and respected Pierre." Journalists paid tribute to Zakrzewski and Kuvshynova, remembering their work. Friends of Zakrzewski recalled on social media his efforts to help get Afghan journalists safely out of Afghanistan when the Taliban seized power last year. Margo Gontar, a Ukrainian journalist working for the 7,62 Project which tracks Russian military movements, recalled Kuvshynova's calm approach to work. The pair worked together on a music project, said Gontar, who used to work for VOA's Russian service. "She is a nice person, great to work with, very calm, focused." Sharing an image that Kuvshynova had sent of herself in a helmet and vest marked "Press," Gontar said that Kuvshynova was working as a fixer for journalists in Kyiv, "close to shelling." On Tuesday, UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay condemned the killings. "Journalists have a critical role in providing information during a conflict and should never be targeted," Azoulay said in a statement. "I call for the respect of international humanitarian standards, to ensure that journalists and media workers are protected." Fox News anchor Bill Hemmer announced the death on the network Tuesday, describing his colleague as "an absolute legend." In a briefing Tuesday, White House press secretary Jen Psaki also paid tribute to Zakrzewski. "He was a war zone photographer who covered nearly every international story for Fox News, from Iraq to Afghanistan to Syria, during his long tenure working there," Psaki said. "Our thoughts, our prayers are with his family with the entire community as well." Risks are increasing for media covering Russia's war in Ukraine. Award-winning American filmmaker Brent Renaud was killed and his colleague Juan Arredondo injured on Sunday, and Yevhenii Sakun, a Ukrainian camera operator for LIVE TV, was killed during a Russian strike on a TV tower in Kyiv on March 1. Several news crews have also reported being fired on despite being identified as press. The Vienna-based International Press Institute has called for attacks and violence directed at media covering the war to cease, saying, No more journalists in Ukraine should be killed while simply doing their job. "Too many innocent lives have already been lost," IPI deputy director Scott Griffen said in a statement Tuesday. "We renew our call on military forces to do everything in their power to ensure the safety of journalists, whose work is essential to documenting this war and who are considered civilians under international humanitarian law." State Department spokesperson Ned Price on Tuesday said there "would be a very serious response" if the U.S. determines civilians or journalists are being deliberately targeted. "That is something that we would take very seriously," Price said in a briefing. He added that review mechanisms exist, saying, "We are supporting independent investigations, we're doing our own analysis into what has taken place." VOA's State Department Bureau Chief Nike Ching and Natasha Mozgovaya contributed to this report. U.S. broadcaster Fox News said Monday one of its correspondents was seriously injured while reporting in Ukraine. British American journalist Benjamin Hall was hospitalized while "newsgathering outside of Kyiv," according to a memo from Fox News Media chief executive Suzanne Scott. Fox News said it had few details about the incident or the extent of Hall's injuries but added that Hall is being treated in a hospital. Hall, a State Department correspondent who joined Fox News in 2015, has covered conflicts in Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan. He previously reported for U.S. and British media, including The New York Times, The Times of London and the BBC. The State Department Correspondents' Association said it was "horrified" to hear of Hall's injuries. "We know Ben for his warmth, good humor and utmost professionalism. We wish Ben a quick recovery and call for utmost efforts to protect journalists who are providing an invaluable service through their coverage in Ukraine," association president Shaun Tandon said in a statement. While reporting from Kyiv, Hall pushed back against a comment made by one of his colleagues at Fox that media are pushing for an emotional response with their reporting. "Speaking as someone on the ground, I want to say that this is not the media trying to drum up some emotional response. This is absolutely what's happening," Hall said in a broadcast earlier in March. Journalist killed Hall's injuries come a day after American filmmaker and journalist Brent Renaud was killed and his colleague Juan Arredondo was injured in Irpin, a suburb on the outskirts of Kyiv, when their vehicle was fired on near a checkpoint. The journalists were in the region working on a documentary about refugees, Time magazine said Sunday in a statement. State Department spokesperson Ned Price on Sunday described the attack on Renaud and Arredondo as "another gruesome example of the Kremlin's indiscriminate actions." At a United Nations Security Council meeting Monday, Russian Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia denied that Russia was responsible and denied any Russian forces were operating in that area. Nebenzia claimed that Renaud wasn't a journalist, saying, "That was something The New York Times itself stated." Renaud was carrying a Times press pass at the time of the attack, leading to some early reports that he was on assignment for the U.S. daily. The Times later issued a statement paying tribute to Renaud and stated that he was not working with them. Renaud and Arredondo were 2018 Nieman Foundation for Journalism fellows at Harvard University, along with VOA Eastern European Correspondent Myroslava Gongadze. Nieman curator Ann Marie Lipinski described Renaud in a statement as an "exceptional" filmmaker who brought "kindness and deep humanity" to his work. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Monday shared a letter addressed to Renaud's family, saying, "The people of Ukraine are mourning with you." The letter, posted to Zelenskyy's official Twitter page, paid tribute to Renaud's bravery and professionalism, saying the journalist "lost his life while documenting human tragedy, devastation and suffering of the millions of Ukrainians." 'Costs and stakes for journalists' Washington's National Press Club has called for an investigation into whether Renaud's killing is a war crime. The filmmaker's death is "a tragic reminder of the costs and stakes for journalists covering war and attacks on civilians," a joint statement by National Press Club president Jen Judson and National Press Club Journalism Institute president Gil Klein. "That so many journalists local and foreign, freelancer and staffer are putting their health, lives and livelihoods on the line in order to cover the human costs of Russia's invasion of Ukraine is a reminder to the world of why a free and independent press is so important and worthy of protection and support," the statement added. The National Press Club and media freedom groups have called on all sides to ensure the safety of media covering the conflict. Members of the Council of Europe Platform for the Protection of Journalism and the Safety of Journalists released a joint statement to demand the safety of news crews. "We emphasize that journalists are considered civilians under international humanitarian law and are not legitimate targets," the statement said. Several journalists have reported being fired at while reporting in Ukraine. Ukrainian cameraman Yevhenii Sakun, who worked for LIVE TV, was killed during a Russian strike on a TV tower in Kyiv on March 1. Media watchdog Reporters Without Borders on Saturday opened a press center in the Ukrainian city of Lviv to provide protective equipment, first aid training, and other resources to journalists. "With this center, we are fighting for the independence of the media in Ukraine and beyond," said Alexander Query, the center's coordinator. Clarissa Ward interrupted her live TV report on Ukrainian refugees to help a distraught older man, then a woman, down a steep and explosion-mangled path, gently urging them on in their language. A day later, Lynsey Addario, a photographer for The New York Times, captured a grim image of a Russian mortar attack's immediate outcome: the bodies of a mother and her two children crumpled on a road, amid their suitcase, backpacks and a pet carrier. The memorable reports illustrate both the skill and gutsiness of female journalists serving as eyewitnesses to Russia's brutal invasion of Ukraine and the way their presence hard-won after overcoming ingrained notions of why women shouldn't cover combat has changed the nature of war reporting. They cover the tactics of war but give equal measure to its toll. "People are so exhausted, they can barely walk," Ward told viewers in her report. "It's just an awful, awful scene. And they're the lucky ones." The author of "You Don't Belong Here," a 2021 book that profiles three pioneering women who covered the Vietnam War, said there's "absolutely no doubt that the reporting is what I would call more humane, looking at the human side of war." Elizabeth Becker argues that Frances FitzGerald of the U.S., Kate Webb of Australia and Catherine Leroy of France were foundational to modern war reporting. Arriving in Southeast Asia on their own dime, without a staff job and little or no journalism experience, they broke the male grip on war reporting with daring and innovation. Traditionally, "the coverage was the battlefield, which is important," said award-winning journalist Becker, a 1970s Cambodian war correspondent. She said it took newcomer FitzGerald to ask, "'OK, what does this mean in terms of the Vietnamese and the villages?'" FitzGerald earned a 1973 Pulitzer and other honors for "Fire in the Lake: The Vietnamese and the Americans in Vietnam," and her 2017 work, "The Evangelicals: The Struggle to Shape America," was short-listed for the National Book Award. In major 20th-century conflicts before Vietnam, including World War II and the Korean War, women faced military obstacles and professional bias. Reporter-novelist Martha Gellhorn famously stowed away on a hospital ship to cover the WWII D-Day landing in France after she and other female journalists were denied frontline access. Newspaper reporter Marguerite Higgins, who had covered WWII, was ordered out of Korea by a U.S. officer when war broke out in 1950, a decision she successfully appealed to Gen. Douglas MacArthur. Higgins earned a Pulitzer Prize in 1951 for her acclaimed reporting, with the jury noting she was "entitled to special consideration by reason of being a woman, since she had to work under unusual dangers." Women went on to excel in reporting on the Vietnam War, including Edith M. Lederer of The Associated Press, who was the first woman assigned full-time to its staff there and is now AP's chief United Nations correspondent. Their numbers increased in subsequent conflicts, including Ukraine where newspapers, online sites and other media outlets are well-represented by female reporters, known by name if not by their on-camera reporting. War reporting is "a sense of mission, it's a sense of purpose, it's a sense of being able to tell a story," said Christiane Amanpour, the London-born chief international anchor for CNN. "And women are really very good at it, it seems." It's also a matter of logic, said Holly Williams, the Istanbul-based correspondent for CBS News on assignment in Ukraine. "I'm acutely aware of the fact that if you don't tell women's stories, you're missing at least half of the picture," said the Australian-born Williams, who has reported on conflicts in Asia, Europe and the Middle East and worked for BBC News. Ward, who also has hopscotched across those regions, worked for CBS News prior to joining CNN and, before that, was based in Moscow and Beijing for ABC News. "Often women do have a different perspective on war, and for a long time that was not really at the forefront of a lot of coverage," Ward said. She strives to include "the humanity behind the story, the experience of ordinary people who are living in war zones. To me, that is equally as important as the military component." The prominence of TV correspondents and the reach of their outlets adds to their impact. Oprah Winfrey offered online praise of network reporters "risking their lives to show the world the truth," singling out Ward as a "fierce, unshakable and outstanding journalist." Many of their male colleagues also contribute nuanced reporting, as ABC News veteran Martha Raddatz and others noted. But Raddatz recalls a not-so-distant time when men tended to "love the equipment, love the airplanes." Ward and other female journalists tip their cap to their predecessors, including FitzGerald and the late Martha Gellhorn, whose reporting stretched from WWII to the U.S. invasion of Panama in 1989-90. They also praise recent trailblazers, including Amanpour. Her decades of conflict reporting include the 1991 Gulf War, subsequent clashes in the Middle East region and, in southeastern Europe, the deadly 1992-96 siege of Sarajevo during the war between Bosnia and Herzegovina. "I think my generation and myself, we were perhaps the last line of the rare woman foreign correspondent," Amanpour said. In every form of media it's "exploded into a very female friendly profession." But parity has yet to be achieved in pay, Amanpour said. Or in all journalism jobs, according to Ward. The growing number of female TV correspondents belies "a fairly male-dominated profession in general," Ward said. "Don't forget, the person in front of the camera is one person. Then you have, for TV, four people holding the camera, behind the camera, and most of them are still men." In journalism overall, men retain a numerical advantage over women even in a changing media industry. according to "The Missing Perspectives of Women in News," a 2020 report from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Despite progress, "the majority of journalists in newsrooms globally are men," the report said, citing several multi-country studies. Female reporters face additional challenges in non-democratic countries and some regions, Amanpour said. "They come under a huge amount of societal pressure in many parts of the developing world, and certainly in the Islamic world and other areas of what I call the patriarchy," she said. "It's very difficult, but they're doing it and coming out into this profession more and more, and I really applaud them." The presence of women reporting in Ukraine is set against a backdrop of traditional roles and expectations, with women and children allowed to flee war's violence while men are required to stay behind and defend their country. Yonat Friling, a Jerusalem-based senior producer for Fox News Channel who worked in Ukraine with correspondent Trey Yingst, is aware of how attitudes can vary. In 2004, she was on the international desk for an Israeli TV channel when she asked her boss to switch her to field producer. "He told me, 'This is a job for men. Only men can do that,'" recalled the Israeli native. "Then I left, I joined Fox (in 2005). And on several occasions, including this time, I keep texting him, 'A job for men? Yeah, right.'" The Ukraine assignment proved deeply emotional for Friling. When she recently joined the stream of refugees leaving Kyiv, it was a reminder of grandparents who fled Nazism and Soviet occupiers in Europe in the 1940s. "I saw children and women, and I (saw) my grandparents in their faces. ... I know how much this is going to influence their whole life and the next generations," she said. Raddatz, who covered early refugee evacuations and returned to Ukraine on Friday, realizes how much has changed for her and her female colleagues over the years. The chief global affairs correspondent for ABC News covered the Bosnian crisis in the late 1990s and has focused on Iraq and Afghanistan. "I remember in Iraq, I always thought that if something happened to me, it (the reaction) would be, 'How could she do that, go over there when she has two children?' whereas they would never say that with a guy," she said. "Now, I don't think they would do that." Family needs and concerns add to the burden of war reporting. NBC News correspondent Erin McLaughlin said that before Russia struck at Ukraine, the threat of what might happen made her parents worry more than they had over her previous assignments, including in Iraq. "My brother went to stay with them for the weekend because they were so nervous," McLaughlin said. "It was really tough, but at the same time they understand that this is my calling. It's an important job, and someone needs to do it." Ward, married and with two children, said her work takes an inevitable toll. "It's my son's 4th birthday today, which has been really hard to miss," Ward said at the end of another draining day in Ukraine, her voice emotional. "There's the entire juggling act you're FaceTiming with your kids and there's air raid sirens and bombs going off in the distance." "I'm not going to pretend this isn't hard. But I also wouldn't be anywhere else right now," she said. India said Tuesday it is reviewing its plan of action for weapons systems, and it promised to fix any shortcomings after accidentally firing an unarmed supersonic missile into arch-rival Pakistan last week. Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh told lawmakers that his government had taken "serious note" of the incident and ordered a high-level probe to determine the cause of the firing. He assured parliament the countrys missile systems were highly safe and reliable. I would also like to state that a review of the standard operating procedures for operations, maintenance and inspections is being conducted in the wake of this incident If any shortcoming is found, the same would be immediately rectified, Singh stated. Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi swiftly rejected Singhs explanation, however, renewing Islamabads demand for New Delhi to agree to a joint probe into the incident, which he said had potentially devastating consequences not only for the region, but the entire world. Let me remind you that it was a missile thats capable of carrying a nuclear warhead, and merely stating that it was an accident is not enough, Qureshi told a news conference in the Pakistani capital. God forbid, if that accidental launch had triggered an accidental reaction [from Pakistan], do people realize the implications and consequence of that? the foreign minister asked. "This missile could have led to an accidental war between two atomic states." Qureshi said he had spoken to United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres by telephone on Monday to draw his attention to the grave nature of the incident. Qureshi added that he also had written to the U.N. Security Council to underscore Pakistans demand for a joint investigation. The chief Pakistani diplomat said he had raised several fundamental questions in his letter to the council, asking for India to share details about the safety mechanisms against accidental or unauthorized launch of missiles in a nuclearized environment, and why New Delhi failed to immediately inform Pakistan afterward. The misfiring of the unspecified surface-to-surface Indian missile took place on March 9. A day later, the Pakistani military announced that an unarmed supersonic missile from India had landed deep inside Pakistan, damaging civilian property but causing no casualties. Army spokesman Maj.-Gen. Babar Iftikhar told reporters the Pakistani air force had tracked the rocket well before it entered Pakistan's airspace. He said the missile was flying at an altitude of about 12 kilometers before it suddenly maneuvered toward Pakistani territory." Two days later, the Indian Defense Ministry in a brief statement acknowledged the missile misfired due to a technical malfunction during routine maintenance. "While the incident is deeply regrettable, it is also a matter of relief that there has been no loss of life due to the accident," the Indian statement said last Friday. Pakistan has since twice summoned the Indian envoy in Islamabad to the Foreign Ministry to protest the irresponsible act and unprovoked violation of the airspace by India. On Monday, China urged India and Pakistan to establish a reporting mechanism for sharing information to avoid such incidents in the future. Pakistan and India are both important countries in South Asia, bearing responsibilities for maintaining regional security and stability, Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian told reporters in Beijing. The U.S. State Department spokesperson also was asked at a Monday news conference for Washingtons response to Indias accidental firing of the missile into Pakistan. Well, we have no indication, as you also heard from our Indian partners, that this incident was anything other than an accident They [India] issued a statement to explain precisely what had happened. We dont have a comment beyond that, Ned Price said. While Qureshi said he appreciated Chinas statement, he criticized the U.S. spokesperson for not taking a clear position on the issue. He [Price] understands its importance, but I am sorry to say he skirted the issue, the foreign minister said. In a significant judgement, an Indian court has upheld a ban imposed in the southern state of Karnataka on wearing the hijab in schools and colleges, asserting the hijab is not an essential practice of Islam. The ruling Tuesday came in response to petition by a group of Muslim women who had challenged the ban on wearing the Muslim headscarf in classrooms in Karnataka, which is ruled by the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party. The judgement could deepen religious fault lines in a country where critics say Muslims, who are Indias largest minority, face discrimination under the BJP. It could also have implications for other states where students from Indias largest minority often wear the headscarf in class. The controversy over the hijab erupted in Karnataka when authorities in a pre-university college barred six Muslim girls from attending classes wearing the head scarf. The issue soon became a flashpoint triggering protests by Muslim students who said they were being deprived of their fundamental rights and counter protests by Hindu boys who turned up wearing saffron scarves, the color associated with Hinduism. As religious tensions spiraled, more government-run institutions banned the hijab and the state government asserted it has the right to mandate a dress code for students. In its ruling, the court said that guidelines on uniforms prescribed by authorities for students were a reasonable restriction on fundamental rights. "We are of the considered opinion that wearing of hijab by Muslim women does not form a part of essential religious practice," said the chief justice of the Karnataka high court, Ritu Raj Awasthi, in the judgement. A federal minister called on people to abide by the order. "I appeal to everyone that the state and country has to go forward, everyone has to maintain peace by accepting the order of high court," said Prahlad Joshi, federal minister for parliamentary affairs. The basic work of students is to study. So leaving all this aside they should study and be united." Karnatakas chief minister, Basavaraj Bommai, also urged female Muslim students who are staying away from classes to protest the ban to respect the judgement and return to school. But several prominent Muslim politicians expressed disappointment at the ruling. Regardless of what you may think about the hijab, its not about an item of clothing, its about the right of a woman to choose how she wants to dress. That the court didnt uphold this basic right is a travesty, said former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister, Omar Abdullah. Ahead of the verdict, the state government had restricted large gatherings and shut educational institutions in some areas to prevent protests. The ruling will likely be appealed to Indias Supreme Court. Several rights activists have thrown their weight behind the students in Karnataka and questioned the ban, pointing out that there had been no objections to wearing it in classrooms earlier. Some Muslim rights activists said that while they agreed that wearing a hijab was not an essential practice in Islam, the ban was selective and discriminatory. We are in a multi faith country where religion is all around us. We have members of parliament who often wear saffron robes. So if somebody believes in wearing the hijab, they should be allowed to do so, said Zakia Soman, founder of a Muslim womens group Bharatiya Muslim Mahila Andolan. This ruling could harm the Muslim community because conservative parents might make girls drop out of school. Girls education should continue with or without the hijab. She pointed out that the issue has already deepened the fault lines between the majority Hindu community and Muslims, who make up about 14 percent of the population. The views on both sides are extremely polarized. It will only help both the right on both sides, whether it is Hindus or Muslim, Soman said. In the months before the controversy over the hijab erupted, the Karnataka state government also banned the sale and slaughter of cows, which Hindus consider sacred, and introduced a tough anti-conversion bill, which proposes prison terms for up to 10 years for unlawful religious conversions and could make it more difficult for interfaith couples to marry or for people to convert to Islam or Christianity. NEW DELHI Chinese Premier Li Keqiang on Friday said the U.S. and China should not close a cultural door between the countries as economic sanctions against neighboring Russia intensify. Since the two sides opened up the door to each other [50 years ago], they should not close it, let alone decouple, Li said, referring to the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the U.S. and China that started with the 1972 trip to Beijing by then-U.S. President Richard Nixon. Echoing several conciliatory statements by Chinese leaders since Russias late-February invasion of Ukraine, Li accepted that Washington and Beijing have different perceptions of the crisis unfolding in eastern Europe. We believe cooperation should be the mainstream because world peace and development are dependent on that, Li told reporters at the conclusion of an annual session of parliament. Even if we are market competitors in economic and trade fronts, that should be benign and equal. Chinese President Xi Jinping on March 8 said his country is ready to work actively with the international community to resolve the conflict in Ukraine. Passing an olive branch or protecting interests? Some observers, however, say Beijing may be making the overtures for financial and political reasons. I think President Xi and the Chinese leadership are a little bit unsettled by what theyre seeing in Ukraine, Central Intelligence Agency director William Burns testified to U.S. lawmakers recently. They did not anticipate the significant difficulties the Russians were going to run into. Burns said China was also concerned about the geopolitical impact of the Russian invasion, including by the way in which [Russian President] Vladimir Putin has driven Europeans and Americans much closer together. Some analysts say Beijing is trying to buy time until it is able to come up with the appropriate policy response to the changing situation. Though the sanctions target Russian trade, they will have wide-ranging impact on Chinese companies and banks that deal with Russian entities. China does not want to offend the West at this stage. But it is unlikely to change its long-term approach towards the U.S., Alexander Sandkamp, assistant professor and an expert on Chinese economy at Kiel University in Germany, told VOA. Chinese officials think that there will be no let-up in fierce economic competition and even diplomatic friction with the U.S., sources said. But they also see sufficient space for cooperation because the worlds two largest economies would try to complement each other in business and other spheres. Scott Kennedy, senior adviser and trustee chair in Chinese business and economics at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said it would be wrong to think China is changing its strategy towards the U.S. at this stage. While Beijing has tried to separate itself from the most brutal consequences of Russias invasion, it has not joined the ranks of the Western alliance in outright opposition to the invasion itself, he said. China still believes that Russia has legitimate security concerns that have not been addressed, he added. It is still collaborating with Russia in spreading disinformation, and it is still strongly opposed to Western sanctions against Russia. Until it adjusts in these areas, talk of Beijing adjusting its stance towards the United States would be mere speculation. More than six months after the U.S. pulled its last troops from Afghanistan, the threat from the Islamic States Afghan affiliate is growing, though new intelligence assessments suggest that earlier warnings the group might be able to strike at America and its allies as early as next month appear to have been overblown. Various intelligence estimates from the U.S. and other countries warn that the group, known as IS-Khorasan and ISIS-K, nearly doubled in size to more than 4,000 fighters during the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan last year. The commander of U.S. forces in the Middle East and South Asia said Tuesday that without sustained pressure from the U.S. and U.S.-backed Afghan forces, the IS affiliate is solidifying its foothold. "We are concerned about the developmental trajectory of ISIS-K, U.S. Central Commands General Kenneth Frank McKenzie told U.S. lawmakers. We continue to watch carefully as ISIS grows, he said. ISIS has been able to execute some high-profile attacks even in Kabul over the last several months. It is my expectation that ISIS attacks will ramp up as we go into the summer." But while IS-Khorasan remains dangerous, the group has not advanced its capabilities as quickly as some U.S. officials initially feared. The Pentagons third-highest ranking official warned lawmakers in October that it appeared the group would be able to regenerate the capabilities needed to launch terror attacks on the West in as little as six months. Since then, however, it appears IS-Khorasan under the leadership of Shahab al-Muhajir, also known as Sanaullah Ghafari, has focused more on its fortunes in Afghanistan. Intelligence shared by United Nations member states indicates the group prioritized retaking territory and now controls some limited areas in eastern Afghanistan. Western intelligence officials and humanitarian groups have seen signs IS-Khorasan is laying the groundwork for expanding its networks among Afghanistans neighbors. Perhaps as a result, the threat of an attack by IS-Khorasan in the West has somewhat diminished, at least for the moment. The best U.S. intelligence estimates now indicate the soonest IS-Khorasan could launch terror attacks in the West is 12 to 18 months, McKenzie told lawmakers, cautioning the timeline could change depending on developments on the ground, where clashes with the ruling Taliban persist. [IS-Khorasan] still aspire to attack the United States and our partners abroad," McKenzie said. "The Taliban are attempting to maintain pressure. They're finding it difficult to do." The U.S. is having its own problems tracking IS-Khorasan, as well as rival terror group, al-Qaida, limited largely to flying reconnaissance flights from neighboring Pakistan now that it no longer has troops on the ground in Afghanistan. It is much harder to do it now than it was before, McKenzie told lawmakers, though he added, It is not impossible. We will be able to do this only so long as CENTCOM has the requisite resources to find, fix and finish threats to the homeland before those threats develop the capability to conduct external operations, he said. CENTCOM has the tools it needs to perform this mission, but the margins are thin, and the risk will increase should resources diminish. The CENTCOM commander also told lawmakers that the U.S. has not carried out any counterterrorism strikes in Afghanistan since the U.S. withdrawal from the country was completed. Syria and Iraq In contrast to Afghanistan, U.S. efforts to contain IS in Syria and Iraq are faring better, McKenzie said. In the Euphrates River Valley in Iraq and Syria, ISIS is unable to think beyond surviving that night or the next night," he told lawmakers, crediting sustained pressure from Iraqi forces and the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces. But in Syria, concerns persist about the large, displaced persons camps, including al-Hol, which hold thousands of people, including the families of IS fighters. The camps, McKenzie said, present IS with "fertile soil for indoctrination and spreading terror. 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: 11:54 p.m.: Over 3 million people have fled Ukraine since Russias invasion began two weeks ago, according to the U.N. The war in Ukraine is also an assault on the worlds most vulnerable people and countries, U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Tuesday. Food, fuel & fertilizer prices are skyrocketing hitting the poorest the hardest, he added. 10:10 p.m.: There have been about 13 fires as a result of Russias shelling throughout the city of Kyiv in Ukraines capital, the country's state emergency services said Tuesday. A total of 132 rescuers and 22 units of equipment were involved, the official account said in a Twitter post showing a video of apartment buildings damaged by Russian shelling. 8:49 p.m.: Russian troops seized a hospital in Mariupol and took about 500 people hostage during another assault on the southern port city late Tuesday, regional leader Pavlo Kyrylenko said, according to The Associated Press. Russians troops drove 400 people from neighboring houses into Regional Intensive Care Hospital, Kyrylenko said on the messaging app Telegram. About 100 doctors and patients also are believed to be inside, he said, according to the AP. 8:36 p.m.: VOA White House Bureau Chief Patsy Widakuswara reports that President Joe Biden is expected to announce on Wednesday an additional $800 million in new security assistance to Ukraine, bringing the total announced in the past week alone to $2 billion, according to White House officials. The announcement will come on the same day Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is to speak to a joint session of the U.S. Congress. 7:32 p.m.: The U.S. Senate unanimously passed on Tuesday a resolution condemning Russian President Vladimir Putin as a war criminal, a rare show of unity in the deeply divided Congress. The resolution, introduced earlier this month by Republican Senator Lindsey Graham and receiving bipartisan support, states the Senate strongly condemns the ongoing violence, war crimes, crimes against humanity, and systematic human rights abuses continually being carried out by the Russian Armed Forces and their proxies and President Putins military commanders, at the direction of President Vladimir Putin. It encouraged the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague and other nations to target the Russian military in any investigation of war crimes committed during Russias invasion of Ukraine. 7:09 p.m.: Ukraine Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal tweeted that the presence of Prime Ministers Petr Fiala of the Czech Republic, Janez Jansa of Slovenia and Mateusz Morawiecki of Poland, who traveled to Kyiv to meet with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy showed the courage of true friends. 6:04 p.m.: VOAs Jeff Seldin shares the latest British defense briefing, which among its findings: Russia is redeploying forces from as far afield as its Eastern Military District, Pacific Fleet and Armenia. 5:35 p.m.: VOAs Eastern Europe Chief Myroslava Gongadze, reporting from the Medyka border crossing in Poland, spoke with U.S. Embassy in Ukraine Charge dAffaires Kristina Kvien. Kvien later tweeted how Ukrainians are fighting an inspiring battle. 4:42 p.m.: Dmitry Rogozin, head of Russias State Space Corporation called Roscosmos and the former deputy prime minister of Russias defense industry, tweeted Tuesday that the only thing we can do to help our fighting army now is to clean out the Fifth Column -- often defined as secret sympathizers of an enemy that engage in espionage or sabotage -- And this is a task - perhaps even more important than the speed of advance of our army. 3:58 p.m.: Hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian children have become refugees since Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24. Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty interviewed several Ukrainian refugee children in Poland and Lithuania and produced this report. The children offer their reflections on the horrors of war, and on politics. 3:42 p.m.: A convoy of 11 trucks carrying 200 tons of aid from the International Committee of the Red Cross, the German Red Cross and other partners of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement has reached Ukraine, according to an ICRC statement released Tuesday. The assistance will soon be delivered to locations around the country based on security conditions, access and where the needs of civilians fleeing from and enduring conflict are most pressing. A priority will be to deliver assistance to people displaced from their homes and living in shelters, the agency added. 3:28 p.m.: U.S. President Joe Biden signed a spending bill that includes nearly $14 billion in additional assistance to Ukraine Tuesday, and some top officials of his administration are crediting aid already provided by the United States with helping the Ukrainians hold off the Russian invaders, according to VOAs Chief National Correspondent Steve Herman. Biden said the package which contains military and humanitarian aid to Ukraine comes on top of the $1.2 billion in U.S. security assistance already provided to the country. With this new security funding and the drawdown authorities in this bill, were moving urgently to further augment the support to the brave people of Ukraine as they defend their country, Biden said 3:11 p.m.: U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and State Department officials have been in touch with Fox News management, according to spokesperson Ned Price, regarding correspondent Benjamin Hall, who was injured Monday in Ukraine in an attack that killed two of his colleagues. VOAs Nike Ching reports. 3:02 p.m.: The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has announced personal sanctions against 13 American citizens, including U.S. President Joe Biden, his son Hunter Biden, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, White House press secretary Jen Psaki, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley, and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, among others, VOAs Natasha Mosgovaya reports. Russia said in its statement that the measure is a response to U.S. sanctions against Russian entities and individuals and that the action became an inevitable consequence of an extremely Russo-phobic direction taken by the current U.S. administration. Americans on the list wont be able to travel to Russia starting on March 15. Russian authorities also threatened to expand the sanctions list to include lawmakers, experts, businessmen and media personalities that encourage hate against Russia. Psaki downplayed the issue Tuesday, saying None of us are planning tourist trips to Russia and none of us have bank accounts that we wont be able to access. 2:59 p.m.: In Donetsk, Ukraine, people are volunteering for a crash course in how to care for the wounded, as they seek ways to help during the current crisis. VOAs Yaroslava Movchan has the story, narrated by Anna Rice. 2:48 p.m.: Russias invasion of Ukraine has prompted tens of thousands of middle-class Russians to flee abroad as they stare at a bleak future in their increasingly isolated homeland. But due to an ever-increasing number of crippling sanctions piled upon Russia, they dont have many destinations to choose from, with many Western countries restricting visas for Russian citizens. Farangis Najibullah has this report for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. 2:35 p.m.: Millions of Ukrainians have now fled their country, mostly to Poland, but also to Hungary, Romania, Slovakia and Moldova. In Hungary, there are reports of some Ukrainians deciding to turn back. VOAs Gabor Ancsin filed this report on Hungarys border with Ukraine, narrated by Jon Spier. 2:26 p.m.: In Photos: Russias Invasion of Ukraine, March 15, 2022 2:21 p.m. : A Russian state media employee detained after her anti-war protest on live TV has appeared in court and was fined $280. Marina Ovsyannikova held up a sign during a live broadcast on Russians Channel One on Monday that read in Russian, NO WAR. Stop the war. Dont believe propaganda. They are lying to you. The bottom line, in English, read, Russians against war. She was accused of violating the countrys protest laws. It is unclear if she will face additional charges. VOA News reports. 2:21 p.m.: More than 100 buses carrying civilians have left the besieged city of Sumy in northeastern Ukraine for a safe area, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said Tuesday. In total, more than 100 buses are traveling in two different convoys, a joint operation between us and the Ukrainian Red Cross, ICRC spokesperson Jason Straziuso told Reuters in Geneva. The buses were heading towards Poltava, in central Ukraine, but might not be able to take a direct route, he said, adding that the Russian side had given a green light for the evacuation. 2:08 p.m.: The United States on Tuesday announced more sanctions on Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko for his role as an ally of Russia during the invasion of Ukraine. The sanctions will block Lukashenko and his wife from accessing U.S. property and limit the ability of Americans to conduct business with them. The U.S. has already sanctioned Lukashenko over the Ukraine invasion, including limiting technological exports. 2 p.m.: The prime ministers of Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovenia arrived in Kyiv to meet with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Tuesday. 1:56 p.m.: Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty asked Muscovites on the last day of McDonalds operations in Russia if they would miss the popular fast food chain. McDonalds has announced it is temporarily closing all its stores inside Russia in response to the invasion of Ukraine. 1:41 p.m.: Russia on Tuesday formally quit the Council of Europe, a human rights watchdog based in Strasbourg, pre-empting possible expulsion over its attack on its neighbor Ukraine, according to Reuters. Pyotr Tolstoy, head of the Russian delegation at the Councils Parliamentary Assembly, handed a letter from Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov to the Councils secretary general announcing Moscows decision, the Tass news agency reported. 1:15 p.m.: U.S. President Joe Biden is now scheduled to travel to Brussels to attend a NATO summit March 24, as VOAs White House Bureau Chief Patsy Widakuswara reports. 1:10 p.m.: In a briefing Tuesday, White House spokesperson Jen Psaki paid tribute to FOX News cameraman Pierre Zakrzewski, who was killed following an attack in Ukraine Monday. He was a war zone photographer who covered nearly every international story for Fox News, from Iraq to Afghanistan to Syria during his long tenure working there, Psaki said. Our thoughts, our prayers are with his family, with the entire community as well. VOAs Press Freedom Editor Jessica Jerreat reports that as a result of the same attack, Zakrzewski died as did Ukrainian journalist Oleksandra Kuvshynova, while Fox News correspondent Benjamin Hall was injured and remains hospitalized. 12:45 p.m.: A Russian state media employee has been released from detention after protesting Russias war in Ukraine on live TV, VOAs Press Freedom Editor Jessica Jerreat reported Tuesday. Speaking to journalists after her release, Marina Ovsyannikova says she was questioned for 14 hours and denied access to a lawyer or her family. She was fined 30,000 roubles ($280) for breaking protest laws, according to the RIA news agency. The fine is believed to be related to a video she posted online before her anti-war protest during a live broadcast on Russias Channel One studio on Monday. 12:35 p.m.: A second journalist was reported to have died Tuesday, following an attack on her media team in Ukraine on Monday. The Vienna-based International Press Institute said that Ukrainian journalist Oleksandra Kuvshynova was killed alongside veteran cameraman Pierre Zakrzewski. FOX News correspondent Benjamin Hall was injured in the attack. The U.S. broadcaster says the vehicle they were in was struck by incoming fire. 12:26 p.m.: Ukraine has come under 3,000 cyberattacks since Febuary 15, Victor Zhora, deputy chair of the countrys State Service of Special Communication and Information Protection, told journalists in a briefing Tuesday, as VOAs Jamie Dettmer reports. Russia is focusing its cyberattacks on Ukraines critical infrastructure in the digital war, targeting the public and financial sectors and telecommunications, Zhora said. It has been seeking to disrupt Ukraine military communications and the militarys communication with Ukraines political leaders, he added. Russias cyberwar campaign has mainly been comprised of distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks. But he confirmed there have also been so-called wiper attacks, overwriting or removing data from the Ukrainian systems targeted. Zhora said Ukraines cyber-defenses have benefited from volunteer groups. Specialists have self organized and are working to help on the cyber front, he said. Ukraine is focused on its own cyber-defense and is not mounting cyber-attacks on Russia, Zhora said. But he acknowledged hacker groups have been doing so, saying he is grateful for their efforts. 12:14 p.m.: VOAs Eastern Europe Chief Myroslava Gongadze reports from an international aid station for refugees at the Poland-Ukraine border. For the past few years, Russias disinformation apparatus has seemed unstoppable. But as Russias armed forces have been caught wrong-footed on the battlefield in Ukraine by a smaller, agile and more motivated opponent, so, too, its propaganda operation has seemed flat-footed. The storylines promulgated by the Kremlin at it seeks to shift blame for its own actions on to others, and to cast its invasion as defensive in nature, have struggled to gain the traction Russian propagandists might have expected, they say. VOAs Jamie Dettmer has more. 11:51 a.m.: The American network FOX News on Tuesday announced that journalist Pierre Zakrzewski died from injuries sustained in an attack in Horenka, near Kyiv, on Monday. Zakrzewski was with FOX correspondent Benjamin Hall when their vehicle was struck by incoming fire, FOX chief executive Suzanne Scott said in a statement to staff. Hall, a British American journalist, remains in the hospital, where he is being treated for injuries. 11:45 a.m.: China says it does not want to get caught up in the diplomatic and economic blowback Russia is facing from Western nations over its invasion of Ukraine. 11:33 a.m.: Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmygal said on Tuesday the government would finance a loan program for farmers worth $846 million as part of a raft of new measures to ease the economic shock of war, Reuters reports. In a video address, Shmygal also outlined new tax breaks for small and medium-sized businesses that were approved earlier by parliament. 11:24 a.m.: A senior German official predicted Tuesday that the war in Ukraine and its impact on fossil fuel prices worldwide will provide a massive boost for the means and measures needed to curb climate change, The Associated Press reports. Patrick Graichen, Germanys deputy energy and climate minister, said rising global prices for oil, gas and coal will accelerate the uptake of low-emission technology that simultaneously reduces countries reliance on imports from Russia. The core technologies to become independent of (Russian President Vladimir) Putin and to drive forward climate protection are the same, he told reporters in Berlin. They are renewables, they are efficiency, and electrification, said Graichen. These three will now get a massive boost, he added. 11:15 a.m.: On Tuesday, Ukraines Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba posted on Twitter a photo of himself smiling next to Lithuanias Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis. He said it was the first official visit by a foreign minister since Russia invaded Ukraine. The visit comes on the same day that the prime ministers of the Czech Republic, Poland, and Slovenia are traveling to Kyiv in an "unequivocal" show of support to Ukraine. 10:53 a.m.: The State Department announced sanctions on 11 key members of Russias defense enterprise Tuesday, adding to a long list of sanctions imposed by the U.S. and other western countries following Russias invasion of Ukraine. VOAs Correspondent Nike Ching has the details. 10:36 a.m.: An overwhelming majority of refugees from Ukraine are fleeing to European Union countries. Ukrainians already enjoy visa-free travel to the European Union for up to 90 days. Recently, the European Unions executive branch, the European Commission, activated the Temporary Protection Directive, which grants immediate protection to those fleeing the war while providing access to schools, medical care, and work. VOAs Immigration Correspondent Aline Barros reports on what this means for the millions of Ukrainian refugees on the move. 10:21 a.m.: Russia will put forth its own draft of a resolution regarding the humanitarian situation in Ukraine, Moscow's ambassador to the United Nations said on Tuesday. Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia also said Russia will stop its invasion when the goals of its special military operation are achieved in Ukraine, including demilitarization. Meanwhile, the sponsors of a draft Security Council resolution on the humanitarian situation in Ukraine, that has been in negotiation for two weeks, said they will not seek a vote in the council but will take it to the wider membership in the General Assembly. Obviously, it would have been difficult in the Security Council, no need to explain to you why, Frances envoy Nicolas de Riviere said in response to a reporters question. Russia holds a veto in the 15-nation council. We think its time to take action to move to the General Assembly and have the whole membership supporting an initiative on humanitarian access, on cessation of hostilities, on respect of international humanitarian law, on respect of the Geneva Conventions, Ambassador de Riviere said. So, we are very optimistic we can do that. The sooner the better. The situation on the ground deteriorates by the hour. VOAs UN Correspondent Margaret Besheer is following the developments. 9:54 a.m.: While tens of thousands of people have fled Ukraine every day since Russias invasion, a small but growing number of women are heading in the other direction, The Associated Press reports. Motivated by a desire to help loved ones in trouble or contribute to the defense and survival of their country, these women are braving the bombs and heading into Ukraine. I will go back and help. I am a health worker, so the hospitals need help, said Iryna Orel, 50, tugging her luggage before boarding a train from Przemysl, Poland, to Lviv, in western Ukraine. And I will stay until the end. I am returning to Ukraine to help people evacuate too, said Maria Khalica, who lives in Italy but was planning to travel to the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv. I am in a more stable state now than my friends, who are under rocket attacks and bombs. With Ukraines government ordering men to stay and fight, the vast majority of people fleeing Ukraine have been women, children and the elderly, according to national officials and the U.N. refugee agency. 9:33 a.m.: As Russias President Vladimir Putin continues his crackdown on media outlets, many observers are asking how members of the Russian public are getting their news about Russias invasion of Ukraine. Natasha Yefimova-Trilling is a news editor at Russia Matters, a project at the Harvard Kennedy Schools Belfer Center that provides research and analysis on Russia and U.S.-Russia relations to policymakers and the public. In an interview in The Harvard Gazette, she cites recent research and anecdotal evidence to examine the media landscape in Russia now. 9:21 a.m.: The prime ministers of the Czech Republic, Poland, and Slovenia are traveling to Kyiv on Tuesday in an "unequivocal" show of support to Ukraine as Russia continues its assault on the country. The three leaders will meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and Prime Minister Denis Shmyhal. Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala, Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, and Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Jansa are traveling to Kyiv by train and crossed from Poland into Ukraine before noon, Michal Dwoczyk, an aide to Moraweicki, told reporters. The Polish leader called it a historic mission. The three leaders will arrive in a city that is still under bombardment, forcing many people to spend nights sheltering in underground stations. Hosting the foreign prime ministers in his own capital would be a symbolic success for Zelenskiy, who has stayed in Kyiv to rally his nation with nightly messages. Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty has the story. 9:12 a.m.: There were more Russian attacks on the Ukrainian capital Kyiv Tuesday, with shells hitting several residential buildings. At least two high-rise buildings in the Svyatoshyn district were heavily damaged and set ablaze. Correspondent Levko Stek, with Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, reported from the site of another attack in the citys Kurenivka district that killed one person and injured 10 on Monday. He spoke with Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko, who said the attacks were further proof that Russian forces are targeting civilians. 8:56 a.m.: A lawyer representing the Russian state media employee detained for her anti-war protest on live TV, says he cannot find his client, VOA Press Freedom Editor Jessica Jerreat reported Tuesday. Marina Ovsyannikova held up a sign during a live broadcast on Russias Channel One on Monday, that read in Russian: NO WAR. Stop the war. Dont believe propaganda. They are lying to you. The bottom line in English, read, Russians against war. Ovsyannikova could face charges under a law that bans discrediting the armed forces, according to Russias Tass state news agency. Ovsyannikova was detained but her lawyer Pavel Chikov says more than 12 hours later she still has not been located. He added on social media that the police investigation does not include grounds for detention and imprisonment." The Kremlin on Tuesday said Ovsyannikovas actions amount to hooliganism, Reuters reported. A spokesperson for the U.N. Human Rights Office said at a briefing Tuesday Russia should ensure that Ovsyannikova does not face any reprisals for exercising her right to freedom of expression. 8:45 a.m.: Memorable reports illustrate both the skill and gutsiness of female journalists serving as eyewitnesses to Russias brutal invasion of Ukraine and the way their presence hard-won after overcoming ingrained notions of why women shouldnt cover combat has changed the nature of war reporting. They cover the tactics of war but give equal measure to its toll. 8:30a.m.: Kyivs mayor Vitali Klitschko has announced a 35-hour curfew for Ukraines battered capital starting at 6pm local time Tuesday to 7am Thursday following heavy bombing that left several high-rise apartment blocks badly damaged in the Svyatoshynskyi and Podilskyi districts. The mayor confirmed that four people died in the airstrikes Tuesday morning. One 15-story apartment block was engulfed in a blaze, VOAs Jamie Dettmer writes from Warsaw, Poland. Klitschko said special permission would be required to move around the city without special permission. The capital is the heart of Ukraine, and it will be defended. Kyiv, which is currently the symbol and forward operating base of Europes freedom and security, will not be given up by us, he added. Also Tuesday, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy issued a life or death ultimatum to Russian soldiers, urging them to surrender. Ukraine planned to make a new attempt to deliver supplies to the besieged city of Mariupol on Tuesday as the first convoy of civilians allowed out by Russia reached safety and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) issued a dire warning about the situation, Reuters reports. Also Tuesday, the Red Cross said it is hoping to organize the evacuation of two convoys of some 30 buses with civilians out of the besieged northeastern Ukrainian city of Sumy and their passage to a safe area. Ewan Watson, a Red Cross spokesperson, told a U.N. briefing in Geneva that the operation would be carried out with the Ukrainian Red Cross but was not underway yet. He noted there had been delays with similar evacuations from Mariupol, where he said people are essentially being suffocated in this city now with no aid. 7:37 a.m.: The International Organization for Migration says more than 3 million people have fled Ukraine since Russia invaded last month, The Associated Press reports. The new milestone also indicated that some 157,000 third-country nationals people who are not Ukrainian were part of the outflow in what U.N. officials have called the largest refugee crisis in Europe since World War II. IOM spokesman Paul Dillon said at a U.N. news briefing in Geneva on Tuesday that the totals were compiled from figures provided by national authorities. The U.N. refugee agency UNHCR, which provides a more detailed count than the IOM though based on similar data, has reported that more than 1.8 million of the refugees were in Poland. UNHCR spokesman Matthew Saltmarsh said some 300,000 had moved on from there to Western Europe and noted that the vast majority of those fleeing have been women and children. 6:47 a.m.: Russian officials have said that they will move to nationalize the assets of Western companies that pull out of their country over its invasion of Ukraine. But White House press secretary Jen Psaki warned that Russia could face further sanctions or legal action if it goes forward with the nationalization plan. "Any lawless decision by Russia to seize the assets of these companies will ultimately result in even more economic pain for Russia," she wrote. VOAs Rob Garver has this story. 6:20 a.m.: Some analysts say China is trying to buy time until it is able to come up with the appropriate policy response to the changing situation in the Russia-Ukraine crisis. Chinese Premier Li Keqiang on Friday said the U.S. and China should not close a cultural door between the countries as economic sanctions against neighboring Russia intensify. Though the sanctions target Russian trade, they will have wide-ranging impact on Chinese companies and banks that deal with Russian entities. For VOA, Saibal Dasgupta reports from New Delhi. 5:30 a.m.: The battle over Ukraines fate is happening on multiple fronts, with U.S. officials flying around the globe to meet with civilians who have been affected by the carnage, but also speaking virtually and in person with officials from other countries who have a role to play in ending this conflict. VOAs Anita Powell reports from the White House, with reporting from VOAs Eastern Europe Bureau Chief Myroslava Gongadze in Warsaw. 5:00 a.m.: Several airstrikes hit the Ukrainian capital early Tuesday, including one that struck an apartment building in Kyiv, killing at least two people. 4:44 a.m.: Investor worries over Russias invasion of Ukraine, surging COVID-19 cases in China and a possible hike of interest rates by the U.S. central bank this week sent financial markets in Asia and Australia into negative territory Tuesday. Australias ASX/S&P index lost 1.2% at the end of its trading day. Shanghais Composite index plunged 4.9%. The KOSPI index in South Korea slipped 0.9%, while Taiwans TSEC index closed 1.9% lower. Hong Kongs benchmark index, the Hang Seng, plummeted 6.5% in late afternoon trading. Japans Nikkei index was the lone bright spot for the region, gaining 0.1%. In commodities markets, gold is selling at $1,935.10 per ounce, down 1.3%. Oil prices are steadily declining, with U.S. crude oil selling at $97.79 per barrel, down just over 5%, while Brent crude, the international benchmark, is selling at $101.25 per barrel, down 5.2%, days after topping $130 per barrel. All three major U.S. indices are trending negatively in futures trading. 4:27 a.m.: Britains Foreign Office is investigating reports that three former British army servicemen were among the 35 killed in a Russian missile strike Sunday on a military training base in western Ukraine near the Polish border, VOAs Jamie Dettmer reports from Warsaw, Poland. All three men reportedly were formerly members of the U.K.s special forces. It is now estimated by Ukrainian authorities that at least a dozen missiles struck the facility, one of Ukraines biggest military training camps, located 25 kilometers from the Polish border. Ukrainian air-defense batteries intercepted other missiles as they hurtled towards the base at Yavoriv, 60 kilometers from Lviv, a major hub for Ukrainian evacuees fleeing the country. The strike on the International Center for Peacekeeping and Security is the westernmost attack by Russia so far, and has raised fears that Lviv may soon embroiled in the conflict. 4:15 a.m.: The leaders of Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovenia are traveling on Tuesday to Kyiv, Ukraines capital which is currently under fire, on a European Union mission to show support for Ukraine as Russias invasion intensifies, The Associated Press reported. Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala said the aim of the visit is to express the European Unions unequivocal support for Ukraine and its freedom and independence, in a Twitter post. Fiala will be joined by Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Jansa, Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki and Jaroslaw Kaczynski, who is Polands deputy prime minister for security and also the conservative ruling party leader, the AP reported. 3:54 a.m.: Over 2.5 million refugees have fled Ukraine since Russia invaded the country over two weeks ago. Aid from around the world has poured into the region often from small groups or lone volunteers. One mayor of a small coastal community in New Jersey is giving back to those who have helped his community. For VOA, Keith Kocinski has the story from Poland. 3:30 a.m.: In its latest intelligence update Tuesday, the British Ministry of Defence said Russia reportedly installed its own mayor in the city of Melitopol following the alleged abduction of mayors of Melitopol and Dniprorudne on Friday. Russian forces, the report added, have also fired warning shots at peaceful protestors in occupied areas of Ukraine in an attempt to disperse crowds. Russia may seek to stage a referendum in Kherson in an attempt to legitimise the area as a breakaway republic similar to Donetsk, Luhansk and Crimea, the report said. 2:44 a.m.: On Tuesday, images of firefighters working in an apartment building damaged by Russian missile shelling surfaced in Kyiv, Ukraine, The Associated Press reported. In one of the images, an elderly resident waits to be rescued by Ukrainian firefighters after the bombing. 2:30 a.m.: When the Ukrainian government issued an international call for cyber warriors, this Silicon Valley tech executive signed-up. VOAs Michelle Quinn and Matt Dibble have the story. 2:00 a.m.: A new report by the International Monetary Fund forecasts a major contraction in the Ukrainian economy as a result of the Russian invasion. The report said the economy is expected to shrink by 10% in 2022, but that could become worse depending on the length of the conflict. The IMF is expected to approve $1.4 billion in emergency funding for the country. The IMF applauded Ukraines efforts to keep its financial system functioning and to fulfill its obligations despite the crisis. Making wage and pension payments, restocking ATMs with cash, opening bank branches ... continuing to make payments on external debt obligations, so that post-war they can resume normal operations with their creditors and markets. Its really actually a remarkable, remarkable effort, Ivanna Vladkova Hollar, the IMF mission chief for Ukraine said, according to Reuters. 1:15 a.m.: Negotiators from Russia and Ukraine are due to hold more talks Tuesday as Russia presses its nearly three-week invasion with bombardments of Kyiv and other major Ukrainian cities. A round of negotiations Monday, held by video rather than in-person in neighboring Belarus like previous sessions, yielded still no major signs of a breakthrough. Ukrainian negotiator Mykhailo Podolyak tweeted after Mondays talks, Communication is being held yet its hard. He had raised hope of progress on Sunday by saying Russia had been listening carefully to our proposals and was beginning to talk constructively. 12:51 a.m.: An employee of Russian state-run Channel One interrupted a live broadcast of the nightly news Monday shouting Stop the war! No to war! News staffer Marina Ovysannikova, whose father is Ukrainian, held up a placard in Russian, saying, Dont believe the propaganda. Theyre lying to you here. Studio producers rushed to cut her off, VOAs Jamie Dettmer reports. This is the second time Russian One has had a problem controlling the message. Last week, on the popular talk show hosted by Vladimir Soloviyev, two pundits broke ranks and likened the war raging in Ukraine to Russias quagmire in Afghanistan in the 1990s. During the broadcast filmmaker Karen Shakhnazarov said Russias invasion risked isolating the country. He called for the war to stop, and warned: If this picture starts to transform into an absolute humanitarian disaster, even our close allies like China and India will be forced to distance themselves from us. Later during the broadcast guest Semyon Bagdasarov, an academic, said: Do we need to get into another Afghanistan, but even worse? 12:00 a.m.: Ukraines President Volodymyr Zelenskyy offered his heartfelt condolences to the family of U.S. filmmaker and journalist Brent Renaud who was killed on Sunday by Russian forces while documenting refugees fleeing the conflict. Zelenskyy wrote: May Brents life & sacrifice inspire the world to stand up in fight for the forces of light against forces of darkness. VOAs Eastern Europe Chief Myroslava Gongadze reflects on her friend and former Nieman fellow. Renaud went to Ukraine to report on refugees feeling the conflict. He was shot dead, and his colleague, Juan Arredondo, who was with him when they came under fire, was injured. VOAs press freedom editor Jessica Jerreat reports. Some information in this report came from The Associated Press and Reuters. A Lebanese judge froze the assets of five top banks and members of their boards while she investigates transactions they undertook with the country's central bank, a judicial document showed on Monday. The asset freeze against the Bank of Beirut, Bank Audi, SGBL, Blom Bank and Bankmed applies to properties, vehicles and shares in companies owned by the banks or the members of their boards. She has not charged any of the parties mentioned with any crime. Lebanon's banks association in the statement said the decision by Judge Ghada Aoun was "illegal" and would further destabilize the country's banking system, already crippled by a financial meltdown that has seen most depositors locked out of their hard currency accounts. Raya Hassan, chairman of the board of Bankmed, declined to comment, as did Blom Bank chairman Saad Azhari and a spokesperson for Bank Audi. Bank of Beirut and SGBL did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Judge Ghada Aoun on Thursday issued travel bans against the heads of the boards of the five Lebanese banks as a precautionary measure while she carried out her probe, she told Reuters. Russian officials have said that they will move to nationalize the assets of Western companies that pull out of their country over its invasion of Ukraine, a decision that will cause significant economic harm to hundreds of businesses while, at least temporarily, preserving the jobs of the tens of thousands of Russians employed by them. As of Monday, at least 375 companies had announced some sort of pullback from Russia, according to a list maintained by the School of Management at Yale University. The list includes companies that have cut ties with Russia completely, as well as those that have suspended operations there while attempting to preserve the option to return. According to multiple media reports, dozens of Western companies have been contacted by prosecutors in Russia with warnings that their assets, including production facilities, offices, and intellectual property, such as trademarks, may be seized by the government if they withdraw from the country. Endorsed by Putin Russian President Vladimir Putin last week endorsed the proposed seizure of Western assets, a plan that was originally aired by a senior member of United Russia, the country's dominant political party. United Russia's proposal went beyond asset seizures, advocating a policy of arresting executives of foreign business who criticize the actions of the Russian government. According to Reuters, another proposal under consideration would target public companies if more than 25% of their shares are held by individuals from "unfriendly states." A bill put forward by United Russia legislators would allow the government to force such firms into "external administration," leading to the elimination of existing shareholder rights and the auctioning of new shares recognized by the Russian government. On Twitter last week, White House press secretary Jen Psaki warned that Russia could face further sanctions or legal action if it goes forward with the nationalization plan. "Any lawless decision by Russia to seize the assets of these companies will ultimately result in even more economic pain for Russia," she wrote. New sort of expropriation There is a long history of governments expropriating the assets of foreign firms, but experts said that what Russia is threatening falls outside the typical pattern. In the past, governments have nationalized foreign businesses in the name of ideology, as Cuba did in the wake of the Communist revolution there, or because they want to capture the revenue going to private enterprise, as with Iran in the nationalization of its oil industry in 1951. Elisabeth Braw, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, told VOA that is not what is happening in Russia. "It's not about Russia saying, 'Well, we think we can run these companies better on our own,'" she said. "It's really about punishing those companies, which makes it so different from various revolutionary governments that have seized Western companies' assets in the past." In other cases of nationalization, Braw said, the government seizing assets typically did so strategically. They chose business sectors, at least in part, based on the assumption that they had, or could quickly develop, the capacity to operate them independently. But Russia's threat of blanket nationalization of foreign companies that leave the country would effectively put the Kremlin into the role of operating everything from McDonald's fast-food franchises to Gillette razor factories to Mercedes-Benz car manufacturing plants. Success unlikely Experts said that Russia is likely to have a difficult time finding people with the expertise to run many of the foreign firms that might be subject to nationalization. The management ranks of most non-Russian firms have historically been heavily weighted with expatriates, many of whom have been rushing to get out of the country. "Some businesses, some manufacturing operations, might well fit the Russian model," James O'Rourke, a professor of Management at the University of Notre Dame's Mendoza College of Business, told VOA. Certain kinds of companies, he said, "might be run by an oligarch or a friend of the regime, and it might work out. But I don't think most of them will." O'Rourke said that even if Russia were able to find the managers needed to keep foreign businesses running, supply chain problems may prove insurmountable. McDonald's, for example, sources its produce and baked goods from multiple different countries, most of which are actively engaged in the international effort to cut off trade with Russia. Gillette's manufacturing facilities in Russia use machines made in the U.S. and Germany, which will be unwilling to supply spare parts. Political benefits The Russian government might be able to score a short-term public relations victory with its own people if it can portray the nationalization of Western businesses as an effort to retain jobs that might otherwise have been lost, said Braw, of the American Enterprise Institute. However, she said, unless the Kremlin can find a way to successfully perpetuate the companies' operations without Western expertise or supplies, the PR benefits of nationalization are likely to be short-lived. Ugandan lawyers and rights activists are demanding the release of an author and eight journalists detained since Thursday. The author is a critic of President Yoweri Museveni. Ugandan police say they were taken into custody after complaints of "offensive communication" from members of the public. On Thursday, nine journalists led by Norman Tumuhimbise an author of books critical of President Museveni and his family -- were arrested at their offices by what lawyers describe as a joint security team of the Uganda Police Force and soldiers of the Uganda Peoples Defense Forces. Documents presented to court state that the security personnel were armed with deadly weapons and brandished them with gusto as they stormed into the offices and made the arrests. All nine of those arrested work for Digitalk, an online TV station led by Tumuhimbise. Tumuhimbise was due to launch a book critical of President Yoweri Museveni on March 30. His lawyer, Geoffrey Turyamusima, speaking to VOA after appearing in court Tuesday. He says the arrests show the government does not respect the publics right to free speech. There has been continuous threats, especially for those who come out to speak the truth or the reality," said Turyamusima. "And the state does not want people to know the truth, especially in regards to infringing on peoples right. Fred Enanga, the Uganda Police Force spokesperson, confirmed to journalists Monday that they are being held at the Special Investigations Division (SID) in Kampala. We always get complaints of offensive communication, hate crimes and polarization from certain sections of the public and concerned authorities. So, they were arrested along that," said Enanga. "And, they are at SID in Kireka. Theres a joint task team that is handling their matter. Robert Sempala, the national coordinator the Uganda Human Rights Network, says the journalists are being held incommunicado and the state should have only arrested Tumuhimbise instead of the whole newsroom. Sempala says the state is trying to intimidate media outlets that air criticism of the president, causing a chilling effect. Meaning, they will even arrest you, torture you, detain you incommunicado, take you to court when theres a lot of noise and they have no convicting evidence in any case," said Sempala. "So, the implication is that the media is strictly being shrank going by the different manifestations that the powerful are resorting to. The arrest of Tumuhimbise and eight journalists comes just a month after Pen International award-winning author Kakwenza Rukirabashaija was arrested, tortured and detained. He was also charged with offensive communication for Twitter posts in which he made derogatory remarks about the presidents son, Muhoozi Kainerugaba, who is widely seen as Musevenis possible successor. Another author, Stella Nyanzi, was arrested in 2019 and jailed for 18 months for a poem criticizing the first family. For the past few years, Russias disinformation apparatus has seemed unstoppable. With the adept planting of falsehoods and red herrings on social media platforms by troll factories, and then amplified by Russias official news outlets such as RT, the Kremlin time and again has been able to confuse issues, obfuscate facts and define false narratives, manipulating audiences which might be receptive, say Western officials and independent analysts. They have often expressed frustration at how Russian disinformation has gained traction, managing to roil the 2016 race for the U.S. presidency, worsen political divisions in Europe during the 2015-16 refugee crisis and in Syria shaping a narrative linking opponents of Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad, as well as the first-responders the White Helmets, with jihadists and the Islamic State terror group. But as Russias armed forces have been caught wrong-footed on the battlefield in Ukraine by a smaller, agile and more motivated opponent, so, too, its propaganda operation has seemed flat-footed. The storylines promulgated by the Kremlin as it seeks to shift blame for its own actions on to others, and to cast its invasion as defensive in nature, have struggled to gain the traction Russian propagandists might have expected, they say. CIA Director Bill Burns told a U.S. congressional committee last week that in his view Russian President Vladimir Putin is losing the information war over Ukraine. He is not the only one who sees it that way. Vladimir Putin has long enjoyed a reputation as a master of information warfare. Over the past decade, his weaponization of social media and aggressive promotion of fake narratives have proven pivotal, notes Anders Aslund, a senior fellow at the Stockholm Free World Forum, a foreign policy think tank in Sweden but Aslund assesses it is already clear that the information war has been decisively lost by Russia. Aslund and other observers say that despite Russias turning to its sophisticated disinformation playbook the international community has rallied overwhelmingly to support Ukraine, judging Russias invasion in good versus evil terms, and has imposed unprecedented economic sanctions. Major global brands and companies have scrambled to cut ties with Russia, and humanitarian donations to Ukraine from institutions and individuals around the world have soared. Martin Griffiths, the U.N.s emergency relief coordinator, noted Monday how his office alone has received aid donations from 143 countries. So why has Russias well-practiced disinformation machine failed to muddy the waters as so often in the recent past when it has had success in confounding facts with fictions? Maybe the reason is simple, says Tetiana Popova, a public-relations expert and a former Ukrainian deputy Minister of Information. The best counter propaganda is truth, she told VOA. Efforts thwarted The on-ground presence of a large international press corps and the speed and alertness of Ukraines own formidable and experienced information warriors, who have been quick to seize on Russian statements to demonstrate their falsity, have thwarted Russian propagandists efforts to control the narrative of the war. Ukraines information warriors have often out-paced their Russian rivals, she and other observers say. Russian disinformation has increasingly been scorned across the world and labeled Orwellian. When Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on March 10 rejected the prodigious visual evidence and eye-witness testimony demonstrating Russian forces have been targeting Ukrainian civilians, his comments were met with widespread astonishment as was his surprising contention Russia had not attacked Ukraine at all. Michael Willard, a former managing director in Russia and Ukraine of the global PR company Burson-Marsteller, believes Putin and his top officials have been clumsy and ham-fisted with their communications tactics. Modern communication has shrunk the globe. News eventually slips out, he says. The distortions, including from the get-go that Putin was merely launching a special military operation and not mounting an invasion, have been too large for Russias infamous disinformation machine to finesse, he and other PR and marketing experts say. Open-source investigators and freelance geo-locators, such as Bellingcat, a journalist consortium founded by British blogger Eliot Higgins, have made it even harder for Russian propagandists to shape a half-convincing narrative for audiences most likely to be receptive. Last week, after Russian shelled a maternity hospital in the besieged port-town of Mariupol, in which three people including a child were killed immediately and 17 people injured, a coordinated effort by Russian embassies around the world, supported by Kremlin-controlled troll factories, sought to establish the story that the hospital had been turned into a military base by Ukrainian-nationalists. The truth is that the maternity hospital has not worked since the beginning of Russia's special operation in Ukraine, tweeted Russias embassy in Israel. The doctors were dispersed by militants of the Azov nationalist battalion, it added. But the photograph Russian embassies posted to show where Ukrainian militiamen were based was geolocated by investigators affiliated with Bellingcat as being ten kilometers from the maternity hospital. RT, the Kremlin-controlled television channel, devoted a whole segment Monday attacking Bellingcat and NGOs such as Amnesty International for what it accused of disinformation in their documentation of the shelling of apartment buildings and humanitarian corridors for civilians to flee as well as the use in residential areas of cluster bombs, air-dropped or ground-launched explosives that release or ejects smaller submunitions. Ordinary Ukrainians have been keen to document the war, using their cell phones to record bombardments and their destructive consequences. Russias information war campaign has also faced other major setbacks with social-media giants Facebook and Twitter taking steps to remove Russian and Belarusian disinformation from their platforms and to dismantle suspicious networks seeking to manipulate algorithms to push inauthentically a pro-Russian narrative. And Russians disinformation campaign has been severely hampered by the European Unions ban on Russian state-controlled media outlets RT and Sputnik broadcasting to the 27-nation bloc. 'Manipulation ecosystem' The EU's top diplomat Josep Borrell told EU lawmakers after the ban was announced: They are not independent media, they are assets, they are weapons, in the Kremlin's manipulation ecosystem. He added: We are not trying to decide what is true and what is false. We don't have ministers of the Truth. But we have to focus on foreign actors who intentionally, in a coordinated manner, try to manipulate our information environment. Above all, Russias disinformation machine has little answer on the global stage to Ukraines social-media savvy President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and his daily video addresses which have become viral sensations and have helped rally support for his embattled nation. In the head-the-head match-up between the man-of-the-people TV comedian versus the stiff spymaster, Zelenskyy comes off better. Seen from the perspective of one who studies crisis leadership, he has been extremely effective, according to historian Nancy Koehn, author of the book Forged in Crisis, which examines wartime leadership. He has demonstrated a deft ability to pivot and improvise as the circumstances of the crisis shift. He is communicating brilliantly with his own people and citizens across the world, seemingly getting better as the days pass, she told the Harvard Gazette. Then add in the emotional awareness and moral clarity that Zelenskyy uses, again and again, to explain to the rest of the world what is happening to his nation and people. And his personal bravery and unshakable commitment to beat back Putins aggression, even in the face of great odds, are not only inspiring to millions of others, they are also a source of real personal power for the leader himself, she added. Even in the rigidly controlled media environment of Russia, the Kremlin has faced challenges. An employee of Russian state-run Channel One managed to interrupt a live broadcast of the nightly news Monday shouting Stop the war! No to war! News staffer Marina Ovsyannikova, whose father is Ukrainian, held up a placard in Russian, saying, Dont believe the propaganda. Theyre lying to you here. Studio producers rushed to cut her off. Three European leaders headed to Kyiv on Tuesday as Russian forces bombarded the Ukrainian capital and other cities nearly three weeks into Russias invasion of its neighbor. Russian shelling hit Kyiv early Tuesday, including one that struck an apartment building, killing four people and starting a fire that sparked a frenzied rescue effort, officials said. Kyiv Mayor Vitaly Klitschko announced a 35-hour curfew for the city beginning Tuesday night. Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala said he was traveling to Kyiv on Tuesday along with Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki and Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Jansa to represent the European Council in a meeting with Ukraines President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal. The purpose of the visit is to confirm the unequivocal support of the entire European Union for the sovereignty and independence of Ukraine, Fiala said. The aim of this visit is also to present a broad package of support for the Ukraine and Ukrainians. In such critical times for the world it is our duty to be where history is forged, Morawiecki wrote on Facebook. "Because its not about us, but about the future of our children who deserve to live in a world free from tyranny. The European Union announced a new round of sanctions against Russia that includes bans on transactions with certain state-owned companies or new investments in Russias energy sector, as well as tighter trade restrictions on iron, steel and luxury goods. There are also sanctions targeting key oligarchs, lobbyist and propagandists pushing the Kremlins narrative on the situation in Ukraine as well as key companies in the aviation, military and dual use, shipbuilding and machine building sectors. This fourth package of sanctions is another major blow to the economic and logistic base upon which Russia relies on to carry out the invasion of Ukraine, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said in a statement Tuesday. The aim of the sanctions is that President Putin stops this inhuman and senseless war. Much of the international response has been focused on punishing Russia through economic sanctions, and Japan also announced Tuesday new asset freezes for 17 Russians, including 11 members of the Russian parliament, billionaire Viktor Vekselberg and family members of banker Yuri Kovalchuk. Negotiators from Russia and Ukraine were due to hold more talks Tuesday following a meeting Monday, held by video rather than in-person in neighboring Belarus like previous sessions, which yielded still no major signs of a breakthrough. But Zelenskyy suggested a compromise on Tuesday, saying in a video message that Kyiv was ready to accept security guarantees that fall short of its goal to join NATO. "If we cannot enter through open doors, then we must cooperate with the associations with which we can, which will help us, protect us ... and have separate guarantees," Zelenskyy said. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said it was premature to predict whether the peace talks will lead to progress. "The work is difficult, and in the current situation, the very fact that (the talks) are continuing is probably positive," Peskov said. White House press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters the United States supports the negotiations, but that it is looking for signs that Russia is willing to pair talks with a pullback in violence. Our view continues to be that, despite words that are said in these talks or coming out of these talks, diplomacy requires engaging in good faith to de-escalate, Psaki said Monday. And what were really looking for is evidence of that. And were not seeing any evidence, at this point, that President Putin is doing anything to stop the onslaught or de-escalate. Psaki also declined to confirm a report that U.S. President Joe Biden is expected to travel to Brussels next week to meet with NATO leaders to discuss the conflict. She said the Biden administration is closely engaged with NATO and European allies about further diplomatic steps, including humanitarian and security assistance, but that no final decision about a Brussels trip has been made. Biden is scheduled to sign an appropriations package Tuesday that includes $13.6 billion for emergency military and humanitarian aid for Ukraine. That will be followed Wednesday by an address to Congress by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who has appealed for international help including a no-fly zone over Ukraine that the Biden administration has ruled out. Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said the government hoped to be able to open nine humanitarian corridors Tuesday to evacuate civilians and deliver aid to those in areas besieged by Russian forces, including the southern city of Mariupol where Russian shelling prevented deliveries on Monday. In a rare positive development Monday, Ukrainian officials in Mariupol said a convoy of civilian cars was able to leave after many previous attempts to evacuate civilians collapsed. Officials said Monday that 160 cars left in the first two hours that the corridor was open. On Tuesday, the city council said 2,000 civilian cars had left, but it was not immediately clear if the 160 cars that left on Monday were included in the tally. Also Tuesday, Ukraine's parliament voted to extend martial law for another month until April 24, barring men between 18 and 60 from leaving the country so they can be called to join the military. The United Nations said Tuesday the number of people who have fled Ukraine since the invasion began had reached 3 million. Infographic: Map: Ukrainians Fleeing Russian Invasion Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters Tuesday that the actions of a woman who interrupted state televisions Channel One evening news broadcast in Moscow with an anti-war poster amounted to hooliganism. The poster said No War in English, and underneath those words, Stop the war. Dont believe the propaganda. Here they are lying to you, in Russian. The poster was signed in English, Russians against the war. Eastern European chief Myroslava Gongadze, White House correspondent Anita Powell, senior diplomatic correspondent Cindy Saine, national security correspondent Jeff Seldin, U.N. correspondent Margaret Besheer, State Department Bureau Chief Nike Ching, and Mandarin Service reporters Lin Yang and Si Yang contributed to this report. Some information also came from The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters. Russian prosecutors are seeking an additional 13-year sentence for high profile Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny, a spokeswoman for Navalny said Tuesday. "We've been saying that [Russian President Vladimir] Putin wants to keep Navalny in prison forever. The upcoming sentence has nothing to do with the law," the spokeswoman, Kira Yarmysh, wrote on Twitter. Navalny, 45, is currently serving a two-and-a-half-year sentence in a prison camp east of Moscow on a 2014 embezzlement conviction. He was arrested in January when he returned to Russia from Germany where he was recovering from what he said was a nerve agent attack by the Kremlin. Russian officials deny his allegation. Yarmysh says prosecutors also want Navalny transferred to a maximum-security prison, alleging he has committed crimes at the prison camp and is thus a repeat offender. "Thirteen years for a fabricated case, for fake 'victims,' for witnesses who had testified under pressure and then publicly denounced their testimonies in court," she wrote. She said there would be another court hearing before any further sentencing is announced. Last summer, officials announced Navalny would face a new charge that a non-profit organization he created encouraged Russians to break the law. The charge is punishable by up to three years in prison. The committee says Navalnys Foundation for Fighting Corruption group encouraged Russians to perform unlawful acts by encouraging Russians to participate in unauthorized protests in January. Authorities in Russia announced last week that Yarmysh had violated COVID-19 safety protocols and restricted her movement. They are also seeking jail time. Navalny is still able to communicate outside the prison camp, but his supporters and other opposition members have faced government crackdowns. In the wake of Russias invasion of Ukraine, he has called for anti-war protests. I am urging everyone to take to the streets and fight for peace, he said. If, to prevent war, we need to fill up the jails and police vans, we will fill up the jails and police vans. Last year, Navalnys foundation was outlawed as extremist, and authorities blocked tens of websites run by his network, charging them with distributing propaganda. Two of Navalnys top allies, Ivan Zhdanov and Leonid Volkov, are facing criminal investigations. Some information in this report comes from Reuters. A Russian state media employee detained after her anti-war protest on live TV has appeared in court and was fined $280. Marina Ovsyannikova held up a sign during a live broadcast on Russians Channel One on Monday that read in Russian, NO WAR. Stop the war. Dont believe propaganda. They are lying to you. The bottom line, in English, read, Russians against war. She was accused of violating the countrys protest laws. It is unclear if she will face additional charges. The Kremlin on Tuesday said Ovsyannikovas actions amount to hooliganism. A spokesperson for the U.N. human rights office said at a briefing Tuesday that Russia should ensure that Ovsyannikova does not face any reprisals for exercising her right to freedom of expression. Ovsyannikova appeared unexpectedly Monday behind the host of Russias main evening TV news program, Vremya, as the host sat at the studio desk discussing the Kremlins plans to ease the effects of Western sanctions applied to Russia following its invasion of Ukraine. Ovsyannikova shouted "Stop the war. No to war," as she held up a sign. After several seconds, the channel switched to another report. Ovsyannikovas protest occurred after the Kremlin blocked or shuttered independent media and made it illegal to contradict the government's narrative of Russias military action in Ukraine. Novaya Gazeta, the renowned Russian news outlet run by Nobel Peace laureate Dmitry Muratov, on Monday reported on the protest on social media, but blurred out the sign Ovsyannikova was holding. In a social media post, Novaya Gazeta said that a protester appeared behind the news show host, holding a poster with content that we are not allowed to report on by [media regulator] Roskomnadzor and the criminal code. Ovsyannikova earlier uploaded a video in which she criticized the war in Ukraine, saying What is going on now is a crime, and adding that Vladimir Putin is solely responsible. Investigators on Tuesday were trying to determine if Ovsyannikova could be prosecuted under the law that took effect eight days after the Feb. 24 invasion and allows for maximum 15-year prison sentences. Russia's state TV routinely reiterates the governments claim that its special military operation is aimed at saving Ukrainians from neo-Nazis and defending Russians from imminent Ukrainian attacks. Ukraines president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, cited Ovsyannikovas case in his daily Telegram address Tuesday, saying in Russian, I am grateful to those Russians who do not cease trying to get the truth out, who fight against disinformation. Some information for this report came from RFE/RL, The Associated Press and Reuters. A Russian tycoon whose name arose prominently in the illegal political contribution case against two associates of Rudy Giuliani was secretly charged with conspiracy in a New York court, prosecutors revealed Monday. Conspiracy and illegal campaign contribution charges that were lodged against Andrey Muraviev in September 2020 in Manhattan federal court were unsealed by prosecutors who told a judge that the businessman was not in custody and was believed to be in Russia. An indictment returned against Muraviev in September said some of Muraviev's money was used for political contributions and donations aimed at launching a business to acquire U.S. retail cannabis and marijuana licenses, but the source of the funds was disguised as coming from the Giuliani associates, Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman. U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said in a release that Muraviev "attempted to influence the 2018 elections by conspiring to push a million dollars of his foreign funds to candidates and campaigns. He attempted to corrupt our political system to advance his business interests." The release described Muraviev as a "Russian oligarch." Michael J. Driscoll, head of New York's FBI office, said Muraviev conspired with Parnas, Fruman and Andrey Kukushkin to make illegal contributions. "The money Muraviev injected into our political system, as alleged, was directed to politicians with views favorable to his business interests and those of his co-conspirators," Driscoll said. "As today's action demonstrates, we will continue to aggressively pursue all those who seek to illegally effect our nation's elections." Parnas and Fruman were involved in Giuliani's unsuccessful efforts to get Ukrainian officials to investigate Joe Biden's son during Biden's campaign for president. Giuliani remains under criminal investigation as authorities decide whether his interactions with Ukraine officials required him to register as a foreign agent, but he wasn't alleged to have been involved in illegal campaign contributions and wasn't part of a recent New York trial. Prosecutors said Muraviev's money was used to reimburse and fund federal and state political donations in Florida, Nevada and Texas, and Muraviev agreed that his money could also be used for donations to politicians in New York and New Jersey. Muraviev, 47, traveled to Nevada as part of the conspiracy and received regular updates from Kukushkin about the political progress of their pursuit of cannabis and marijuana licenses, the indictment said. Kukushkin, a Ukrainian-born investor, was scheduled to be sentenced on Tuesday after he and the Soviet-born Parnas were convicted of campaign finance crimes at an October trial in Manhattan. Kukushkin's lawyer, Gerald Lefcourt, asked a judge Monday to consider sentencing Kukushkin to a counseling program and community service that would allow him to volunteer to work 28 hours a week assisting with the Ukrainian refugee crisis. After the Muraviev charges were unsealed, Lefcourt described the government's timing as a "publicity stunt" designed to influence Kukushkin's sentencing. Prosecutors have asked that Kukushkin be sentenced to four to five years in prison, which would be consistent with the calculations of federal sentencing guidelines. In a pre-sentence submission, they dismissed as "self-serving" Kukushkin's claims that he never agreed to help steer Muraviev's money to U.S. political candidates and was unaware of U.S. election laws. Fruman, who pleaded guilty in September to a single charge of solicitation of a contribution by a foreign national, was sentenced in January to a year and a day in prison. Parnas awaits sentencing. Although calm has returned to the Jebel Moon area of Sudans West Darfur state after a fresh wave of violence that left 19 people dead, an independent group that helps internally displaced persons (IDPs) and refugees says the security situation remains uncertain. Adam Rijal, the spokesperson for the General Coordination for Displaced Persons and Refugees in Darfur, told VOAs South Sudan in Focus radio program on Monday it is too early to tell what will happen next. Darfur, and especially Jebel Moon is experiencing an unstable security situation characterized by violations and crimes taking place under the watch of [Sudans] military coup government against unarmed civilians residing in their villages and these militias come and attack them without any provocation on the side of the civilians, said Rijal. The Central Committee for Sudanese Doctors said Saturday the total death toll in Jebel Moon in March had risen to 35 after armed militiamen attacked civilians and burned their villages. The head of the United Nations Integrated Transition Assistance Mission in Sudan, Volker Perthes, released a statement Sunday condemning the attacks. Perthes said the violence represents another alarming sign of the increasing instability in Sudan. He called on Sudanese authorities to restore stability in the region and urged all parties to act with restraint to prevent further violence. The spokesperson for the Sovereign Council, Salma Abdel-Jabbar Al-Mubarak Musa, said Monday that Sudans ruling body had discussed the implementation of the National Plan for Protection of Civilians and its importance in achieving stability in Darfur. Mubarak said the Council also discussed the urgent need to activate the offices of prosecution and judicial courts across Darfur to facilitate the achievement of justice. Jebel Moon experienced a wave of violence in November last year when Arab nomads attacked farmers in the area. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said at least 43 people were killed and 46 villages were burned and looted. Rijal told VOA similar attacks resumed this month, with attacks on March 3 and 5 leaving 16 people dead, and more attacks last Thursday killing 19. He says another 21 people have been wounded, and four villages burnt to the ground. The Central Committee for Sudanese Doctors released a statement on Saturday confirming the same figures. Thousands of civilians have fled to eastern Chad and are sheltering in Farchana refugee camp near the border with Darfur, said Rijal. He argues that what is happening in Jebel Moon is not an ethnic feud but a battle over minerals and land which involves a systematic campaign to displace the local villagers. Someone wants access to these resources, and they are pitting some groups against others so that they can have the resources of the area. The assailants do not necessarily share a tribal affiliation, Rijal told VOA. If they succeed in displacing the local population, then the government will come and have access to all the resources including gold and other minerals. The area is also conducive to rearing livestock because of the fertile land with plenty of water and lush vegetation. Rijal asserts the militiamen who carried out the recent attacks came from widespread and remote areas, including Nyala in South Darfur, Zalingei in Central Darfur, and from beyond the border in neighboring Chad. The men were armed with machine guns on the backs of pick-up trucks and motorbikes and used those weapons to attack villagers and loot their property, he says. A 2020 peace agreement signed between Sudans transitional government and rebel groups from Darfur provided for a special joint force to protect civilians in Darfur. The force has yet to be formed. Rijal said the militiamen who attacked Jebel Moon and other parts of Darfur are the same groups accused of committing crimes against humanity and other atrocities against civilians in Darfur under former Sudanese president Omar al-Bashir, who was overthrown in April 2019. Sudans military coup in October last year, which ended the civilian-led transitional government, has emboldened militiamen in Darfur to carry out crimes against civilians with impunity according to Rijal. A World Bank study has found South Africa to be the most unequal country in the world, with women of color hit hardest by unemployment and gender-based violence - both made worse by the COVID-19 pandemic. While analysts say apartheid and poor governance are to blame, community aid groups like Phenomenal Women are working to address the issues. Linda Givetash reports from Johannesburg. The ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine has caused a devastating loss of human life and substantial economic damage to the country, with economic output expected to fall by a minimum of 10% in 2022, according to a report by the International Monetary Fund. The report, which the financial institution released Monday, suggests the Ukrainian economy could actually shrink by 25% to 35% based on data on real gross domestic product contraction during wartime collected previously from Iraq, Lebanon, Syria and Yemen. A prolonged recession and mounting reconstruction costs are to be expected on the heels of a humanitarian crisis, the IMF said. More than 2.8 million Ukrainians have fled the country since the onset of Russias invasion, according to statistics released by the United Nations, invoking the largest refugee crisis Europe has seen since World War Two. Already damages on infrastructure are massive and the most valuable part of Ukraines richness its human capital is leaving in numbers we have not seen in Europe since the Second World War, said Kristalina Georgieva, IMF managing director, during a media roundtable on Ukraine. Even if hostilities were to end right now, the recovery and reconstruction costs are already massive. The report states that this mass migration and loss of physical capital stock directly affects Ukraines economic contraction, leading to a collapse in trade flows, further diminished tax collection capacity, and a greater deterioration in the fiscal and external positions. The IMF notes that the financing gap estimates in the report should be seen only as a bare minimum until a thorough post-war damage assessment can be conducted the economic realities of which are likely to be significantly higher than the current estimate. The report comes days after the IMF approved Ukraines request for a $1.4 billion emergency financing package under the institutions Rapid Financing Instrument. VOAs Zoya Mirza contributed to this report . The United States on Tuesday announced more sanctions on Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko for his role as an ally of Russia during the invasion of Ukraine. The sanctions will block Lukashenko and his wife from accessing U.S. property and limit the ability of Americans to conduct business with them. The U.S. has already sanctioned Lukashenko over the Ukraine invasion, including limiting technological exports. The U.S. also sanctioned Lukashenko for using migrants as political pawns on the border with Poland and for what many Western countries consider a rigged election in 2020. Also announced Tuesday were sanctions on several Russian individuals, some under the Magnitsky Act, for their alleged role in human rights violations. Included are Natalia Mushnikova, a Moscow judge, and Nurid Salamov, a prosecuting investigator. "Today's designations demonstrate the United States will continue to impose concrete and significant consequences for those who engage in corruption or are connected to gross violations of human rights," said Office of Foreign Assets Control Director Andrea Gacki. "We condemn Russia's attacks on humanitarian corridors in Ukraine and call on Russia to cease its unprovoked and brutal war against Ukraine." Some information in this report comes from The Associated Press. The U.S. special envoy for Afghan women, Rina Amiri, says womens rights in Afghanistan suffered a tremendous setback after the Taliban seized power in August, but that supporting Afghan women is one area where there is solidarity in the United States and international community. Amiri, who was appointed as a special envoy for Afghan women, girls, and human rights in December, said that the Taliban has consistently pledged to reopen girls schools, but that education without a link to economic opportunities and without the ability to work is not very meaningful. In an interview with Breshna Omarkhel of VOAs Afghan service, Amiri said that the international community needs to step up and provide direct support to Afghan women and civil society. This interview has been edited for brevity and clarity. VOA: In your opinion, have Afghan women lost their two-decade gains after the Taliban seized power in August 2021? Rina Amiri: You know, on August 15, I think we all recognize that Afghan women and the Afghan population, in general, suffered a tremendous setback. Overnight, Afghan women and girls were shut out of schools, shut out of work, and prevented from participating in public and political life after two decades of tremendous gains. But my hope is that the achievements [to be preserved]. And we've already seen the tremendous resilience among Afghan women and girls and their determination to not turn the clock backwards. VOA: How would you respond to some of the activists saying that the U.S. and the international community have left Afghan women to the mercy of the Taliban? Rina Amiri: I'm sympathetic to them. I think that it's understandable that, you know, I was speaking to Afghan women inside the country in the months that led up to the Taliban takeover and on the day of and I, you know, I heard the devastation of their voice and just the level of disbelief that suddenly overnight they were, these were women who were serving as ministers, as parliamentarians, as lawyers as judges, as shopkeepers, that suddenly all of that was being taken away when they had received such support from the international community. So, I can see where that frustration, and that dismay, comes from. But one area where there's solidarity is the issue of Afghan women's rights. There is support among Republicans among Democrats, among the country as a whole. So, this and, you know, I've had the benefit now, not just in this job but in all the work that I've done in the last two decades to be able to speak to a wide variety of countries, civil society actors throughout the world; and they always ask me when they find out that I am from Afghan heritage, the first thing they ask me is what they can do to support Afghan women's rights. And that hasn't changed. In fact, that has been amplified since August 15th. VOA: We know that the Taliban have imposed strict rules and are imposing new restrictions on women. What can the U.S. and the international community do to ensure that women in Afghanistan have their very basic rights? Does the U.S. have any leverage on the Taliban? Rina Amiri: I think there are multiple areas to work on. First, I think it's supporting Afghan women themselves, supporting them not just as victims, but as leaders. These women have shown tremendous courage, tremendous resilience and should not just be treated as victims to be helped, but leadership voices that need to be lifted and to be supported and to be leveraged. And they also need more direct support, and this is a case that I'm making in the U.S. government and to the international community that Afghan women have been stripped of their rights inside the country, but that the donor community needs to step up and provide direct support so that Afghan women, civil society organizations are sustained and that they're supported to carry out their work. That is something that must continue. So that's one element. Two is, you know, since I started, I've had the opportunity to engage the Taliban directly along with other international actors on a wide variety of issues. And what I've been reassured by is that it's not just my position. My role, my mandate, is to leverage and to prioritize the situation of Afghan women and girls and human rights. But I've heard from every single special representative that has been sitting next to me at these tables, including the U.S. special representative, Tom West, the European special representative, those from Muslim majority countries, making the case that the Taliban, the Afghan women's rights are not negotiable and that they are out of step if they believe that they can strip women's educational rights, economic rights and their right and their responsibility to participate in the social life of the political life of the country. VOA: Are women's rights a condition for the Taliban's recognition? Rina Amiri: What is very clear is: for the Taliban to have any level of legitimacy both inside the country and with the international community, they have to enable women's rights, they have to protect women's rights and they have to advance women's rights. And to some degree, I hear that they understand that reality. They have, I think if you look at the course that they've taken in the last seven months on some areas, they have recognized that they need to move for example, in the area of education. They have now consistently said that they are going to be opening up schools for girls. They've opened up university-level education in some areas. And what they said to me which was most encouraging is that they are going to open up schools for girls not just because the international community wants it but because it's a principle of Islam. So that's an area where I think that there has been some progress. What I note to them is that education without a link to economic opportunity and without the ability to work is not very meaningful because for Afghan families, it's a very pragmatic issue. They educate their girls so that they could put food on the table so that they can have a future of economic sustainability. VOA: What are the United States key demands from the Taliban, especially about women? What exactly does the U.S. want the Taliban to change? Rina Amiri: The U.S. has consistently said that the Taliban have to respect the fundamental rights of women, girls and all Afghan citizens, including vulnerable populations, minorities. One is to put forward a process in that country. Right now, the Taliban are in a position where they are saying that they are prepared to govern the country, and the U.S. position has been that governing the country would require an inclusive and transparent process that brings in the voices of all Afghans and women in particular that they have to be able to return to school at all levels, not just the primary and secondary but primary, secondary, tertiary across the country and every part of the country. With much of the world's attention focused on stalled efforts to revive the Iran nuclear deal and keep Tehran's nuclear weapons ambitions in check, a top U.S. commander is warning of an ever-growing threat from Iran's ballistic missile arsenal. U.S. Central Command's General Kenneth "Frank" McKenzie told lawmakers Tuesday that Iran now has about 3,000 ballistic missiles, some of which are capable of hitting the Israeli city of Tel Aviv. "None of them can reach Europe yet, but over the last five to seven years they have invested heavily in their ballistic missile program," McKenzie said. "Their missiles have significantly greater range and significantly enhanced accuracy," he added, describing the advancement of Iran's missile program as "remarkable." McKenzie further warned that Tehran has made major progress in developing increasingly capable long-range drones, and with its efforts to develop land-attack cruise missiles, designed to hit predetermined fixed or mobile ground-based targets. The warning from the general in charge of U.S. forces in the Middle East comes just days after dozens of Iranian ballistic missiles hit the northern Iraqi city of Irbil near a U.S. consulate complex, destroying some residential structures. Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed the attack, saying the targets were Israeli "strategic centers" and suggested the strike was in retaliation for several Israeli strikes on Iranian personnel in Syria. The U.S. immediately blamed Tehran for the strike and promised to support the Iraqi government in holding Iran to account. McKenzie on Tuesday declined to say what Iran was aiming for but told lawmakers, "We do not believe the attack of this last weekend, the ballistic missiles, was actually targeted against us." Still, McKenzie warned that Iran continues to see Iraq as the primary battleground for its efforts to oust the U.S. from the Middle East. "That's we're the most distributed, the most vulnerable," McKenzie said, though he noted efforts by Iran and its various proxies to push the U.S. out using force have failed. "Over the last several months, their attacks have tapered off," he said, noting Iranian-backed attacks have been thwarted in part by better U.S. defensive measures, which have limited the effectives of Tehran's drones. But McKenzie also pointed to Iran's inability to win over Iraqi officials with their anti-American stance. "They're finding it increasingly difficult to get any political traction with the government of Iraq," he said. The U.S. military said Tuesday it has intensified air defense drills in South Korea and conducted an aircraft carrier exercise in the Yellow Sea as part of a demonstration of resolve following two partial North Korean tests of a new long-range missile. The military displays came as U.S. officials warned North Korea could soon conduct a full test of a new intercontinental ballistic missile, possibly under the guise of a satellite launch. South Korean news outlets report U.S. and South Korean authorities have detected signs that a launch could occur as soon as this week. The situation risks a return to tensions not seen since 2017, when North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and former U.S. President Donald Trump exchanged threats of nuclear war before engaging in a series of unprecedented talks. For now, the rhetoric on both sides is much more restrained. In a statement Tuesday, U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) said it increased the intensity of a regular certification exercise involving the Patriot missile defense system. The exercise, which involved a simulated combat scenario, underscores the seriousness USFK takes against the DPRKs recent missile launch behavior, the statement said, using an abbreviation for North Koreas official name. Hours later, the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command (INDOPACOM) announced it had conducted an aircraft carrier-based exercise in the Yellow Sea, which lies off Koreas west coast. The exercise involved fourth and fifth generation aircraft, the most advanced currently in operation. It was a demonstration of our resolve and commitment to our regional allies, INDOPACOM said. Both statements condemned North Koreas significant increase in missile testing. So far this year, North Korea has fired 13 missiles during nine rounds of launches. Last week, the U.S. military said it had intensified its intelligence collection activities around the Korean Peninsula and heightened its ballistic missile defense readiness in response to the North Korean launches. Change in approach Since Trump and Kims diplomacy began in 2018, the U.S. military has downsized or spread out its military exercises and has mostly refrained from public demonstrations of military power that risk raising tensions on the Korean Peninsula. But that era may now be ending, as North Korea ramps up weapons tests that the U.S. sees as a major provocation. It demonstrates the Biden administration's emphasis on strengthening deterrence in the face of North Korean provocation. It also signals to Pyongyang that contrary to its intent, raising tension by toying with ICBMs won't lead to a seat at the negotiating table down the road. In this sense it represents a clear break from the Trump era, said Go Myong-hyon, a research fellow at Seouls Asan Institute for Policy Studies. Under President Joe Biden, U.S. officials have repeatedly said they are willing to meet North Korea anywhere, anytime without preconditions. North Korea has rejected or ignored the offer. Instead, the North has been systematically working through a wish list of strategic weapons laid out by Kim last year. North Korea has many possible reasons for testing weapons, including pressuring the United States to make concessions in nuclear talks, demonstrating deterrence, ensuring the performance of new weapons, and bolstering domestic political support. South Korean President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol, who will take office in May, has promised a more forceful North Korea policy than his predecessor, President Moon Jae-in. Yoon has called Moons outreach to the North a complete failure. North Korea escalates tests Yoon will inherit a tense situation. In January, North Korea fired more rockets than in any previous month on record. According to U.S. and South Korean officials, North Koreas last two launches were partial tests of a new ICBM. The new ICBM was first seen during a military parade in October 2020. Experts dubbed it the "monster missile, noting that it appeared large enough to fit multiple warheads, which could pose a challenge for U.S. missile defenses. North Korea had not given many details about the tests other than to say they were in preparation for the launch of a military spy satellite. North Korea has not conducted a long-range missile launch since 2017. Kim announced a self-imposed moratorium on ICBM and nuclear tests in 2018. U.S. intelligence officials believe North Korea could conduct a nuclear test later this year, according to an assessment released last week. In 2018, North Korea announced the closure and dismantlement of its nuclear test site. Last week, South Koreas military said it had detected activity apparently meant to restore some of the tunnels there. The United States is not currently discussing importing oil from authoritarian Venezuela, the White House said Monday, dampening speculation that Washington could look to Caracas for help in combating tight supplies. "It's not an active conversation at this time," press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters. The United States does not recognize leftist President Nicolas Maduro as the legitimate leader of Venezuela. However, President Joe Biden is looking for ways to relieve pressure on oil prices from the COVID-19 pandemic and now the war unleashed by major oil producer Russia against Ukraine. Speculation grew last week over a potential thaw between the United States and Venezuela after the South American country released from prison two Americans, including a former executive of oil giant CITGO. This came days after a high-level US delegation met with Maduro. The CITGO executive, Gustavo Cardenas, is one of the so-called "CITGO 6" five Venezuela-born American citizens and one with U.S. permanent residency who have been held in Venezuela since 2017, accused of corruption. The meeting was seen as a possible turning point in relations, since the United States ended its Venezuelan embassy operations in 2019, after Maduro claimed victory in a 2018 election that many countries deemed illegitimate. Along with more than 50 countries, the United States recognized opposition leader Juan Guaido as interim president and imposed a battery of sanctions seeking to displace the socialist ruler, including an embargo on oil imports. A court in Zimbabwe dismissed a discharge application Tuesday in a case against a New York Times journalist. Freelance journalist Jeffrey Moyo is accused of flouting Zimbabwe's immigration laws when he allegedly helped two foreign reporters enter the southern African nation illegally last year. Kathleen Mpofu one of Moyo's lawyers said the journalist will go on trial April 28. "The magistrate dismissed the application. He basically found that the state had led enough evidence for Mr. Moyo to be put to his defense and coming to this finding," Mpofu told VOA from Bulawayo, via WhatsApp. "It seems the magistrate relied on the fact that the state had led the evidence of the allegedly false accreditation cards that had been obtained by the foreign journalist and based on his interpretation of the evidence led by the state, he found that it was sufficient to put the accused to his defense." Moyo's lawyers believed the case might be dismissed, after the same court earlier this month acquitted a Zimbabwe Media Commission official, Thabang Manhika, for allegedly processing fake accreditations for two South Africa-based New York Times journalists who entered Zimbabwe and were later deported. Moyo and Manhika were being tried separately. Zimbabwe's government says both Moyo and Manhika broke immigration laws. Information Ministry Permanent Secretary Ndabaningi Nick Mangwana commented on Tuesday's ruling. "We just want to see that there's law and order. If somebody has committed a crime or is perceived, they will have their day in court, so he is having his day in court, so his outcome is not in our hands, it's in the hands of the criminal justice system. That's our position," Mangwana said. Tabani Moyo of the Media Institute of Southern Africa, or MISA, has called for the journalist to be treated fairly. "MISA Zimbabwe underscores the need for fair trial. That is our position throughout till the end of the case. All we are saying is that he, just like any other citizen, deserves a fair trial," Moyo said. Moyo, a Zimbabwean national, faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted. Ukrainian officials say Russian troops fired artillery on suburbs of the capital, Kyiv, Monday, as Russian and Ukrainian delegations held a fourth round of talks without signs of a breakthrough. The talks, which are taking place by video link rather than in neighboring Belarus as in the past, paused for the day, but are set to resume Tuesday. Ukrainian negotiator Mykhailo Podolyak tweeted after the talks, "Communication is being held yet it's hard." He had raised hope of progress on Sunday by saying that Russia had been "listening carefully to our proposals" and was beginning to talk "constructively." Officials in Kyiv say at least one person was killed when a shell hit a nine-story residential building in a northern district of the city early Monday. They say Russian forces also struck an airplane factory in the capital, sparking a large fire. The violence comes a day after Russia launched a lethal cruise missile attack on a western Ukraine military base just 25 kilometers from NATO-member Poland. At least 35 people were killed and 134 wounded in the attack on the International Center for Peacekeeping and Security. A senior U.S. defense official said Monday that "almost all of Russia's advances remain stalled" inside Ukraine. That includes Russian advance forces outside of Kyiv, which are about 15 kilometers from the city center, and a convoy of Russian troops around the city, according to the latest U.S. assessment. In a rare positive development Monday, Ukrainian officials in the southern city of Mariupol said a convoy of civilian cars was able to leave the besieged city through a humanitarian corridor after many previous attempts to evacuate civilians collapsed. Officials said 160 cars left in the first two hours the corridor was open. Ukrainian officials say as many as 2,500 civilians have died in the Mariupol since Russia began its attacks on the southern port city. The figure could not be independently confirmed. Fox News reported one of its journalists, Benjamin Hall, was seriously injured Monday while reporting outside of Kyiv. The development comes one day after an American journalist was killed while reporting on the war. Brent Renaud, an award-winning filmmaker and reporter, died in Irpin, a suburb of Kyiv, according to officials. Washington has dismissed Kyiv's appeals for a no-fly zone over the country and rejected a Polish proposal to send their Russian-made jets to a U.S. airbase in Germany to be sent to Ukraine. On Saturday, President Joe Biden authorized up to $200 million worth of American assistance in the form of military education and training for the Ukrainian army, following a previous security assistance package worth $350 million. "Almost all" of the initial $350 million package has been delivered to Ukraine, according to Pentagon press secretary John Kirby. He said work is starting on the next $200 million package and that the United States is working "as fast as we can and as nimbly as we can." Four U.S. senators visited Poland over the weekend to speak to Ukrainian refugees. Democratic Senator Amy Klobuchar said Congress is looking at more ways to boost Ukraine's defenses. "We're not going to give (Russian President) Vladimir Putin a road map of how that can be done," she told VOA in Warsaw. "There are many ways whether it is more drones, whether it is other weapons that we can help, and clearly we are all committed to doing that. We must do more." Members of the delegation also told VOA they were concerned about the humanitarian crisis the invasion has unleashed. "It's heartbreaking to see what's happening," said Republican Senator Rob Portman, who is retiring this year. "We had a chance to visit with refugees coming over the border and heard their stories of bombings and their homes being destroyed, families split up." Republican Senator Roger Wicker of Mississippi told VOA he was "angry" over Russia's demands to hold on to its gains. "I really reject any of this talk about a settlement whereby Ukraine would retain part of their territory and Russia would get to keep some of the conquered area," he said. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the decision by NATO countries not to initiate a no-fly zone over Ukraine is based on an "analysis that I think we need to be prudent, even if I understand the dramatic appeal of the Ukrainian government." In Russia, an anti-war protester interrupted state TVs Channel One evening news broadcast in Moscow, holding a poster that said "No War" in English, and underneath those words, Stop the war. Dont believe the propaganda. Here they are lying to you, in Russian. The poster was signed in English, "Russians against the war." In another development Monday, U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan and officials from the National Security Council and the State Department met in Rome with China's top diplomat Yang Jiechi. The talks included a "substantial discussion of Russia's war against Ukraine," according to the White House, and "also underscored the importance of maintaining open lines of communication between the United States and China." Media reports emerged Sunday that Moscow has requested military and economic assistance from China for Russia's war in Ukraine. Earlier, the White House warned China of severe "consequences" if it helps Russia avoid sanctions. State Department spokesman Ned Price told reporters Monday that the United States is watching very closely the extent to which China or any other country provides any form of support to Russia. "We have communicated very clearly to Beijing that we won't stand by, we will not allow any country to compensate Russia for its losses," he said. Chinese arms sales to Russia would have "a devastating impact on the U.S.- China relationship, because it would clearly align the Chinese with the Russians, against the United States, Europe in a war," Robert Ross, a political science professor of at Boston College, told VOA. China is in a unique position because of its partnership agreement with Russia, according to Stephen Roach, a senior fellow at Yale University's Jackson Institute of Global Affairs. He told VOA that China has "considerably greater" leverage over Russia than even Western countries that have implemented "unprecedented sanctions" on Russia. "China has something that the West does not have, and that is the partnership" with Russia, he said. Sullivan on Sunday responded to growing concerns that Russia would use chemical weapons in Ukraine. "We can't predict a time and place," he said on CBS, noting an escalation of rhetoric from Moscow falsely accusing the United States and Ukraine of developing chemical or biological weapons to use against Russian troops. Ukraine's human rights ombudswoman said the Russians used a phosphorus munition in an overnight attack on the eastern Ukrainian city of Popasna in the Luhansk region. VOA was not immediately able to verify the claim. While phosphorus is not considered a chemical weapon, its use against human beings is banned under international law. Eastern European chief Myroslava Gongadze, White House correspondent Anita Powell, Senior diplomatic correspondent Cindy Saine, National security correspondent Jeff Seldin, U.N. correspondent Margaret Besheer, State Department Bureau Chief Nike Ching, and Mandarin Service reporters Lin Yang and Si Yang contributed to this report. Some information also came from The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters. Roegchanda Pascoe braved death threats while trying to ease the gang violence plaguing the Cape Flats community just outside Cape Town, South Africa. Facia Boyenoh Harris faced harassment while advocating for womens rights and protections against sexual violence in Liberia. Najla Mangoush a year ago accepted the role of foreign minister in the U.N.-backed transitional government of Libya, a country deeply divided by a decade of civil war. These three Africans are among a dozen women being honored by the U.S. State Department with its 2022 International Women of Courage Awards for demonstrating exceptional courage, strength and leadership in advocating for peace, justice, human rights, gender equity and equality often at great personal risk and sacrifice, according to a press statement. They will be recognized Monday at a ceremony that, because of the pandemic, will bring them together virtually instead of in person in Washington. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will preside, with remarks by first lady Jill Biden. Roegchanda Pascoe Pascoe, 47, is a crime prevention activist working in the Cape Flats, a poor community outside Cape Town where mixed-race people were forcibly resettled in the 1960s under South Africas apartheid system. Gangs have had a decadeslong hold there, trafficking in drugs, guns, prostitution and more. Violence has been so normalized, Pascoe told VOA. But in 2013, after a boy was caught in gang crossfire and killed while playing outside, she co-founded the volunteer Manenberg Safety Forum. Named for the township in which its based, the forum raises awareness about the criminal justice system, trains community advocates, and provides counseling and other support for victims of violence, especially women and children. Pascoe draws an honorarium through a grant from the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime. The forum also has mediated between gangs, aiming to peacefully resolve disputes. On July 20, 2016, Pascoe and several other Manenberg residents witnessed an alleged gang attack on a man who died later that day. Pascoe was the only witness willing to testify at the 2019 murder trial, helping to convict the gangs leader and two others. The day before her scheduled testimony, unknown assailants shot at her house. Pascoe had been moved to a safe house earlier that day, but her young children were still at home. They have since joined her in hiding, fearing gang retaliation. I cannot be silent when injustice is happening to any human being, she told VOA of her decision to testify. But the effect of gang violence has been dire for me. Ill never be able to move back to the community. Yet Pascoe has persevered. Through the forum, she continues to mediate community conflict and support victimized women and families. She set up a crime prevention and intervention program for at-risk youths. She has organized a walking bus system for schoolchildren to be escorted by adults often mothers who had been jobless. They get paid, skilled up and trained how to do emergency first aid, Pascoe said. She has amazing strategies to develop her community, Oscar Nceba Siwali said of Pascoe in an email to VOA. He directs the Southern African Development and Reconstruction Agency, which promotes nonviolence in some of the countrys toughest communities. In workshops to help engage NGOs to work together, she has been most helpful points forward while acknowledging [the] past. Pascoe hopes her selection for a Courage Award will help others realize that, no matter how disadvantaged, they can make valuable contributions. It will mean a lot for our young women leaders, she said. Facia Boyenoh Harris In 2005, Harris was in her first year at African Methodist Episcopal University in Liberias capital, Monrovia, when she and some classmates started the Paramount Young Women Initiative. They raised money for scholarships to help other students struggling with financial need, family burdens, academic difficulties and more. They added workshops. We talked about family life, socioeconomic issues and the inspiration that we needed as Liberia began recovering from civil war, said Harris, now 39. We had a safe space to come together. Today, the nonprofit initiative continues to provide that safe space support for adolescent girls and young women, promoting education, mentoring and leadership. Its just one activist outlet for Harris, a former journalist whose paid job is to direct outreach for Liberias Independent Information Commission. Its charged with enforcing the countrys Freedom of Information Act. Harris co-founded the Liberian Feminist Forum and, as a community organizer, has campaigned for broader political participation and better sanitation. She fights gender-based violence, including rape and female genital mutilation. In Liberia, were dealing with a very strong patriarchal system that continually marginalizes women, Harris said. Liberias president declared rape a national emergency in 2020, and the government recently launched a hotline to report sexual and gender-based violence. But Gender Minister Williametta E. Saydee-Tarr, addressing the nations Senate Thursday [March 10], complained of low rates of reporting and slow criminal prosecution. There are lots of challenges with the system, Harris said. Police sometimes say they lack the capacity to investigate or make arrests, or a victim or relatives may not want to press charges. Cases can get snagged in the criminal justice system. People need timely access to justice, Harris said. Shes also advocating for equal representation in public office. Though Liberia was the first African country to elect a female head of state - Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, president from 2006 to 2018 women remain underrepresented in national elective office. Harris noted that in Liberias Legislature, women hold just 11 of 103 seats in the lower chamber and two of 30 seats in the Senate. Women do not have the same access to money for filing fees and campaigns, said Harris, suggesting campaign finance measures. Harris said the Courage Award honors the women of Liberia who have continuously worked hard to ensure that injustices come to an end while advancing the countrys development. It represents a personal challenge, too: I have a greater responsibility to do more to leave a better Liberia for the generations after us. Najla Mangoush of Libya Mangoush was appointed March 15, 2021, as Libyas foreign minister the first female to hold that position in the North African country of 7 million. A lawyer and human rights advocate, she also is a doctoral candidate at George Mason Universitys School for Conflict Analysis and Resolution, just outside of Washington. Mangoush who holds a masters degree in conflict transformation from Eastern Mennonite University, also in Virginia set aside her dissertation to take the Cabinet position. She wanted to serve her country, said Susan F. Hirsch, a GMU professor of conflict resolution and anthropology supervising Mangoushs research. Shes someone who is very diplomatic. Shes a born peacemaker. Peacemaking skills get put to the test in Libya, an oil-rich country mired in conflict since longtime ruler Moammar Gadhafi was overthrown and killed in 2011. Mangoush is part of the Government of National Unity, a U.N.-based administration installed in Tripoli in early 2021 as a transition to an elected government. But presidential and parliamentary elections set for December were delayed and have not yet been rescheduled. A new government appointed by Libyas parliament March 1 has challenged the unity governments mandate, putting Mangoushs Cabinet post at risk. During the 2011 revolution, Mangoush worked with civil society organizations as head of the National Transitional Councils public engagement unit. She also has represented Libya at the U.S. Institute of Peace. Now shes grappling with issues such as illegal migration and the presence of unwanted foreign military troops. To enter into the fray of Libyan politics and Libyan civil war and take a stand is a pretty courageous thing, said Marc Gopin, who directs GMUs Center for World Religions, Diplomacy and Conflict Resolution, where Mangoush once served as program director for peacebuilding and traditional law. An additional award Beyond Mondays virtual awards ceremony, honorees will take part in a virtual leadership program to connect with their American counterparts and strengthen the global network of women leaders, the State Department said in its press release. More than 170 women from more than 80 countries have been recognized for their work since 2007. To support their work, each honoree also receives a $5,000 stipend from American Women for International Understanding. The nonprofit group and its roughly 125 members promote women-to-women interactions through exchange visits, study programs and events. The groups stipends allow recipients to do more of their essential work, said Julienne Lusenge, a 2021 Courage Award winner and human rights activist in the Democratic Republic of Congo. She told VOA that, with her $5,000, I built bathrooms for the children at a school in Mbau village. AWIU plans a May 24 dinner in Los Angeles to celebrate this years honorees. There, in recognition of its 15-year collaboration with the awards program, the group will receive its own prize: the State Departments Gender Champion Award. This report originated in VOAs Africa Division. Three European leaders headed to Kyiv on Tuesday as Russian forces bombarded the Ukrainian capital and other cities nearly three weeks into Russias invasion of its neighbor. Russian shelling hit Kyiv early Tuesday, including one that struck an apartment building, killing at least two people. Kyiv Mayor Vitaly Klitschko announced a 36-hour curfew for the city beginning Tuesday night. Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala said he was traveling to Kyiv on Tuesday along with Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki and Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Jansa to represent the European Council in a meeting with Ukraines President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal. The purpose of the visit is to confirm the unequivocal support of the entire European Union for the sovereignty and independence of Ukraine, Fiala said. The aim of this visit is also to present a broad package of support for the Ukraine and Ukrainians. In such critical times for the world it is our duty to be where history is forged, Morawiecki wrote on Facebook. "Because its not about us, but about the future of our children who deserve to live in a world free from tyranny. The European Union announced a new round of sanctions against Russia that includes bans on transactions with certain state-owned companies or new investments in Russias energy sector, as well as tighter trade restrictions on iron, steel and luxury goods. There are also sanctions targeting key oligarchs, lobbyist and propagandists pushing the Kremlins narrative on the situation in Ukraine as well as key companies in the aviation, military and dual use, shipbuilding and machine building sectors. This fourth package of sanctions is another major blow to the economic and logistic base upon which Russia relies on to carry out the invasion of Ukraine, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said in a statement Tuesday. The aim of the sanctions is that President Putin stops this inhuman and senseless war. Much of the international response has been focused on punishing Russia through economic sanctions, and Japan also announced Tuesday new asset freezes for 17 Russians, including 11 members of the Russian parliament, billionaire Viktor Vekselberg and family members of banker Yuri Kovalchuk. Negotiators from Russia and Ukraine were due to hold more talks Tuesday following a meeting Monday, held by video rather than in-person in neighboring Belarus like previous sessions, which yielded still no major signs of a breakthrough. White House press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters the United States supports the negotiations, but that it is looking for signs that Russia is willing to pair talks with a pullback in violence. Our view continues to be that, despite words that are said in these talks or coming out of these talks, diplomacy requires engaging in good faith to de-escalate, Psaki said Monday. And what were really looking for is evidence of that. And were not seeing any evidence, at this point, that President Putin is doing anything to stop the onslaught or de-escalate. Psaki also declined to confirm a report that U.S. President Joe Biden is expected to travel to Brussels next week to meet with NATO leaders to discuss the conflict. She said the Biden administration is closely engaged with NATO and European allies about further diplomatic steps, including humanitarian and security assistance, but that no final decision about a Brussels trip has been made. Biden is scheduled to sign an appropriations package Tuesday that includes $13.6 billion for emergency military and humanitarian aid for Ukraine. That will be followed Wednesday by an address to Congress by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who has appealed for international help including a no-fly zone over Ukraine that the Biden administration has ruled out. Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said the government hoped to be able to open nine humanitarian corridors Tuesday to evacuate civilians and deliver aid to those in areas besieged by Russian forces, including the southern city of Mariupol where Russian shelling prevented deliveries on Monday. In a rare positive development Monday, Ukrainian officials in Mariupol said a convoy of civilian cars was able to leave after many previous attempts to evacuate civilians collapsed. Officials said 160 cars left in the first two hours that the corridor was open. The United Nations said Tuesday the number of people who have fled Ukraine since the invasion began had reached 3 million. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters Tuesday that the actions of a woman who interrupted state televisions Channel One evening news broadcast in Moscow with an anti-war poster amounted to hooliganism. The poster said No War in English, and underneath those words, Stop the war. Dont believe the propaganda. Here they are lying to you, in Russian. The poster was signed in English, Russians against the war. Eastern European chief Myroslava Gongadze, White House correspondent Anita Powell, Senior diplomatic correspondent Cindy Saine, National security correspondent Jeff Seldin, U.N. correspondent Margaret Besheer, State Department correspondent Nike Ching, and Mandarin Service reporters Lin Yang and Si Yang contributed to this report. Some information also came from The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters. Former Harare mayor, Herbert Gomba, who was arrested Monday and is facing charges of contravening some sections of the Electoral Act, is expected to appear in court on Wednesday. His lawyer, Harris Nkomo, told VOA Zimbabwe Service that the state claims that Gomba contravened Section 37, sub-section 2(e) of the Electoral Act. The Electoral Act stipulates that any person who transmits or is concerned in transmitting to any person as genuine a declaration false in any material particular, knowing the same to be false or not knowing or believing it to be true shall be guilty of an offence and liable to a fine not exceeding level fourteen or to imprisonment for a period not exceeding two years or to both such fine and such imprisonment. An online publication, ZimLive, reports that Gomba, who will be contesting the forthcoming council elections as a Citizens Coalition for Change candidate, allegedly registered as a voter using a Glen Norah address in Harare where he does not live. The house is said to be owned by his parents. ZimLive also reports that Gomba allegedly registered 12 other voters using the same address. The complainant is Jephson Matewe, the Zanu PF candidate for the Ward 27 by-election, who has lost to Gomba three times in a row, according to ZimLive. Gomba got 7,676 votes in the 2018 ward 27 election and 1,918 voted people for Matewe. Gomba, who was in the opposition Movement for Democratic Change once led by Nelson Chamisa, was recalled by Douglas Mwonzoras MDC-T. Zimbabwe will hold by-elections on March 26 in which 130 council and parliamentary seats are up for grabs. Studio 7 reporter Jonga Kandemiiri contributed to this article Funeral Announcements A daily list of current funeral annoucements as heard on KXRA 1490 AM/100.3 FM News Updates The daily news, sports, and events delivered daily from Voice of Alexandria. Sports Update This current sports headlines delivered daily from Voice of Alexandria. Upcoming Events This email is the events of the area delivered daily from Voice of Alexandria. Breaking News The big news. Sent only as it happens. Western public opinion is outraged by the war in Ukraine and is mobilizing to help Ukrainians in flight. For all, it is obvious: the dictator Putin does not support the new Ukrainian democracy. As in every conflict, we are told that the others are the bad guys, while we are the good guys. Our reaction is that of people abused by war propaganda because they do not remember previous conflicts and do not know anything about Ukraine. Lets start again. Who started it? Like in the playground when our classmates were fighting each other, we want to know who started it. There is no contest: eight years ago, the United States organized a regime change in Kiev with the help of armed groups. These people call themselves "nationalists", but not at all in the sense that we understand it. They claim to be real Ukrainians of Scandinavian or proto-Germanic origin and not Slavs like the Russians. They claim to be Stepan Bandera [1], the leader of the Ukrainian collaborators of the Nazis, the equivalent of Philippe Petain from a symbolic point of view for the French, but above all of Joseph Darnand and the soldiers of the French SS Division Charlemagne. Ukrainians, who until now considered themselves to be of Scandinavian and proto-Germanic origin on the one hand, and Slavic on the other, call them "neo-Nazis". Here in France, the word "Nazi" is an insult that is used for anything. Historically, it is a movement that advocated a racial vision of humanity to explain the colonial empires. According to it, men belong to different "races", today we would say to different "species". They cannot have offspring together, like mares and donkeys. In nature, these two species procreate mules, but these are usually sterile. This is why the Nazis forbade inter-racial mixing. If we are of different races, some are superior to others, hence the Western domination of colonized peoples. In the 1930s, this ideology was considered a "science" and was taught in universities, especially in the United States, Scandinavia and Germany. Some very important scientists defended it. For example, Konrad Lorenz (Nobel Prize in Medicine in 1973) was an ardent Nazi. He wrote that in order to maintain the race, homosexuals had to be removed from the mass and eliminated like a surgeon removes a tumor because they mixed their genetic heritage with that of other races without being noticed. These scientists were no more serious than those who announced the apocalypse during the Covid-19 epidemic. They had the title of "scientist", but not the reasonable approach. Modern Russia was built on the memory of what Russians call the "Great Patriotic War" and we call the "Second World War". It does not have the same meaning for them as for us. Here in France, the war lasted only a few months, then we believed in the Nazi victory and entered into collaboration. We saw the Nazis and the Petainists arrest, from 1940, 66,000 people, generally for "terrorism" (resistance). Then from 1942 onwards, 76,000 Jews were arrested for being of an "inferior race" and sent to the East, in reality to extermination camps. On the contrary, in the Soviet Union, the Nazis did not arrest anyone. They wanted to exterminate or enslave all Slavs within thirty years in order to free up a "living space" where they could build a colonial empire (Generalplan Ost). This is why the USSR suffered 27 million deaths. In Russian memory, the Nazis are an existential danger, not for us. When these people came to power in Kiev, they did not declare themselves as "Nazis", but as "nationalists" in the sense of Stepan Bandera, who also called himself a "nationalist" and not a "Nazi", and even outdid himself with regard to their genocidal intentions against Slavs and Jews. They called the former regime "pro-Russian", which is factually wrong, and banned everything that evokes Russian culture. First of all, the Russian language. The majority of Ukrainians were bilingual, speaking both Russian and Ukrainian. All of a sudden, half of them were told that they would no longer be able to speak their language at school and in the administration. The Donbass region, which is very Russian speaking, rose up. But also the Hungarian minority, who were taught in their own language and who were supported in their demand by Hungary. The Ukrainians of Donbass demanded that the districts of Donestsk and Lugansk be given autonomous status and that they regain their language. These prefectures (oblast in Russian) declared themselves republics. This did not mean that they aspired to independence, but only to autonomy, like the Republic of California in the United States or the former republics of the USSR. In 2014, President Francois Hollande and Chancellor Angela Merkel put the people of Kiev at the same table as those of Donbass and negotiated the Minsk agreements. France, Germany and Russia are the guarantors. Kiev has always refused to implement them even though it signed them. Instead, it has armed "nationalist" militias and sent them to the edge of the Donbass. All the Western extremists then came to fire the shot in Ukraine. These paramilitaries were last month, according to the Kiev government, 102,000. They form one-third of the Ukrainian army and are integrated into the Territorial Defense Forces. 66,000 new "nationalists" - albeit foreign - have just arrived as reinforcements, from all over the world, for the Russian attack. In the eight years since the Minsk agreements, these paramilitaries have killed 14,000 people in Donbass, according to the Kiev government. This figure includes their own casualties, but they are not many. Russia has set up its own commission of inquiry. It did not only count the dead, but also the seriously injured. It found 22,000 victims. President Putin speaks of "genocide", not in the etymological sense of destruction of a people, but in the legal sense of a crime committed by order of the authorities against an ethnic group. This is where the problem lies: the Kiev government is not homogeneous and no one has clearly given the order for such a massacre. However, Russia holds President Petro Poroshenko and his successor Volodymyr Zelensky responsible. We are also responsible because we were the guarantors of the never implemented Minsk agreements. Yes, we are co-responsible for this hecatomb. The worst is yet to come. On July 1, 2021, President Zelensky, who armed the "nationalist" paramilitaries and refused to implement the Minsk agreements, promulgated Law No. 38 "On Indigenous Peoples" [2]. This law guarantees the exercise of the rights of the Tatars and the Karaites (i.e. Jews who do not recognize the Talmud), including the right to speak their language, but not the rights of the Slavs. The latter do not exist. They are not protected by any law. They are Untermenschen, subhuman. It was the first time in 77 years that a racial law was passed on the European continent. You say to yourself that there are human rights organizations and that they must have protested. But nothing. A great silence. Worse: the applause of Bernard-Henri Levy. Why the recourse to war? Our vision of events is distorted by our prejudices. This is even more pronounced in the Baltic States and countries formerly crushed by the "Brezhnev doctrine". These peoples imagine a priori that the Russians are the heirs of the Soviets. However, the main Soviet leaders were not Russian. Joseph Stalin was Georgian, Nikita Khrushchev Ukrainian etc., and even Leonid Brezhnev was Ukrainian. As long as the Donetsk and Lugansk republics were Ukrainian, the massacre of their inhabitants was an exclusively Ukrainian matter. No one was allowed to protect them. However, by signing the Minsk Agreements and having them endorsed by the UN Security Council, France and Germany took responsibility for putting an end to it. They did not do so. The problem changed in nature when, on February 21, 2022, Russia recognized the independence of the two Donbass republics. The massacre of its inhabitants was no longer a domestic issue, but an international one. On February 23, the Security Council met again as the Russian army prepared to intervene. At the meeting, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres did not question the legitimacy of Russias recognition of the Donbass republics, nor of Russias military intervention against the neo-Nazis. He just asked Russia to give peace another chance [3]. International law does not prohibit war, but tries to prevent it. Since this meeting of the Security Council was fruitless, Russia was entitled to come to the aid of the inhabitants of Donbass massacred by the neo-Nazis. This it did the next day, February 24. President Vladimir Putin, who had already waited eight years, could no longer put it off. Not only because people are dying every day, not only because the Ukrainian army was preparing a huge massacre on March 8 [4], but because Russian law makes him personally responsible for the lives of his fellow citizens. In preparation for their eventual exodus, the vast majority of Donbass residents have acquired Russian citizenship in recent years. The exodus of 2 million Ukrainians As in all NATO wars, we are witnessing the flight of the population. For the French, this is reminiscent of the exodus in 1940 when the German troops were advancing. It is a phenomenon of collective panic. The French believed that the Wehrmarcht was going to commit the same mass rapes that had been attributed to the Deutsches Heer at the beginning of the First World War. But the Germans were disciplined and did not engage in this type of violence. In the end, the aimless flight of the French had no objective reason, only fear. NATO, since the Kosovo war, has developed the concept of population movement engineering [5]. In 1999, the CIA organized the displacement of over 290,000 Kosovars from Serbia to Macedonia in three days. If you are older than 30 years, you remember the gruesome videos of the long line of people, marching one after the other, for dozens of kilometers, along railway lines. This was to make it look like ethnic repression by Slobodan Milosevics government and to justify the war that was coming. The Kosovars did not know why they were fleeing, but thought they would find a better future where they went. Seven years ago, you remember the Syrian exodus. It was about weakening the country by depriving it of its population. This time, it is about touching your emotions with women and children, without sending away the men who are required to fight the Russians. Each time, we are upset. But just because the Kosovars, Syrians or Ukrainians are suffering does not mean they are all right. The European Union accepts all Ukrainian refugees. The Schengen states accept all people who present themselves as fleeing the war in Ukraine. According to the German administration, about a quarter of these "refugees", who swear that they work and live in Ukraine, do not have Ukrainian passports, but Algerian, Belarusian, Indian, Moroccan, Nigerian or Uzbek passports; people who obviously take advantage of the open door to be legally registered in the European Union. There is no verification of their previous stay in Ukraine. For the German employers, this is a regularization that does not say its name. We have to ask ourselves why the Ukrainian people do not support their government. During the war in Kosovo, the people of Belgrade stood day and night on the citys bridges to prevent NATO from bombing them. During the war in Libya, several million people gathered in Tripoli to show their support for the leader Muamar Gaddafi. During the Syrian war, a million people expressed their support for President Bashar al-Assad. This time: nothing. On the contrary, we are told that teams of the Territorial Defense are hunting " infiltrated Russian saboteurs ", while the OSCE attests that there were no Russian soldiers in Ukraine before the beginning of the operation. Image shock We should have learned from previous wars that the first victim is always the truth. Since the war in Kosovo, NATO has become a master of war propaganda. At that time, the spokesman of the organization in Brussels was changed. His replacement, Jamie Shea, was detailing an exemplary story every day, either about the horrors of the Serbian criminals, or about the exemplary resistance of the Kosovars. At the time, I was publishing a daily faxed newspaper, the Journal of the War in Europe. I summarized the declarations of NATO and the dispatches of the small press agencies in the Balkans. Every day I saw the two versions getting further apart. In my mind, the truth had to be in between. When the war was over, it became clear that Jamie Sheas story was pure invention designed to blacken the columns of gullible newspapers, while the dispatches from the small Balkan news agencies told the truth. And the truth was not in favor of NATO. So I approach the Western media consensus with some suspicion. For example, when we are told that Russia is bombing a nuclear power plant, I think of President George W. Bushs lies about the weapons of mass destruction of the tyrant "Saddam". Or when we are told that the Russians have just bombed a maternity hospital in Mariupol, I remember the Kuwaiti babies kidnapped in their incubators by the horrible Iraqi soldiers. And when I am assured that the evil Putin is crazy and Hitler-like, I remember how we treated Muamar Gaddafi or President Bashar al-Assad. Thats why I dont take these allegations seriously. The Ukrainian soldiers on Snake Island were not massacred by bombs as President Zelensky claimed, they surrendered to the Russian armies, as he later admitted. The Jewish memorial at Babi Yar was not destroyed by the Russians, who respect all victims of Nazi barbarism. The Zaporizhia power station was not bombed either. It was guarded for several days by mixed Russian and Ukrainian teams. Moreover, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) confirmed that there had never been any radio-active danger. The Marioupol maternity hospital was not bombed either. It had been evacuated three days earlier and transformed into the barracks of the Azov Regiment (neo-Nazis), as Russia had reported to the UN at that time. So when I am told that the "dictator" Putin must be killed, I remain unmoved. The battles How not to notice that the images we see of the victorious "battles" of the Ukrainian army are always the same? How can we not notice that we only see a few destroyed vehicles? Have our war reporters never seen real wars? We do not interpret the images according to what we see, but according to the comments that accompany them. For a week now, we have been told that the Russian army is encircling Kiev at a distance of fifteen kilometers, that it is advancing every day (but remains at a distance of fifteen kilometers) and that it is going to give the final assault. When it is explained to us that the "dictator" Putin wants the skin of the nice president Zelenski (who arms the neo-Nazis and promulgated the racial law), I take a step back. The Russian armies have never had a plan to take the big cities. They are staying away from them (except Marioupol). They are fighting the "nationalist" paramilitaries, the neo-Nazis. As a Frenchman, supporter of the Resistance against the Nazis, the Russian armies have all my admiration. The Russian army applies in Ukraine the same tactics as in Syria: encircle the cities that serve as refuge for the enemies, then open humanitarian corridors in order to make the civilians flee, and finally pound the fighters who remain inside. This is why the neo-Nazi paramilitaries block these corridors and prevent the population from fleeing. This is the principle of human shields. It is a war of movement. We have to move quickly. The Russian troops are moving in trucks and armored vehicles. These are not tank battles. Today, tanks are inoperative in theaters of operation. In 2006, we saw Hezbollah reduce Israeli Merkavas to rubble. Russian troops move around in motor vehicles, which is why they have armored vehicles. Since we have supplied tens of thousands of anti-tank missiles to the Ukrainian army, including neo-Nazi paramilitaries, our weapons destroy them as they destroy their trucks. These are not battles, just ambushes. Three new problems As if the situation was not complicated enough, President Zelensky announced at the Munich Security Conference, just before the war, his intention to acquire the Atomic Bomb, in violation of his countrys signature of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. Then, the Russian military seized and published a working document of the Kiev government planning a military attack on Crimea and Donbass on March 8. Finally, the Russian military uncovered some 15 biological weapons research laboratories that were working for the Pentagon. It announced that it would release the seized documentation and destroyed 320 containers of pathogens. The United States is a signatory to the United Nations Biological Weapons Convention (BWC), which it respects at home but violates abroad. Documents were released two months ago by a Bulgarian journalist. On March 8, the Chinese Foreign Ministry asked the Pentagon to explain the 330 biological laboratories it maintains under various names in 30 countries. The State Department denied the practice at the time. But Under Secretary of State Victoria Nuland, at a Senate hearing, acknowledged that the Pentagon was collaborating on these foreign programs and that she was concerned that the research was falling into Russian hands. When Russia took the matter to the Security Council, the West turned its accusations against it, accusing it of preparing a false-flag biological attack. For its part, the World Health Organization said it had been warned of Ukrainian-US civilian biological research and had asked Ukraine to destroy its pathogens to prevent their dissemination. Thus, Ukraine, which maintains more than one hundred thousand "nationalists" and incorporated them into its "Territorial Defense", then adopted a racial law, is working on illegal biological weapons and hopes to acquire the Atomic Bomb. We have chosen to forget the examples of courage of Jean Moulin and Charles De Gaulle and to support President Zelensky! On 13 March 2022, the Russian army leveled the Yavorov military training camp (photo) in Western Ukraine, the largest one in Europe. It was built by the Soviets to carry out simulation exercises for a combat formation deployment and a tank division attack; they ultimately bestowed it to Ukraine. NATO used it for eight years to train soldiers of the Ukrainian Territorial Defense, that is to say the Banderites (Bandera followers or neo-Nazis, according to Russian terminology). Since the beginning of the conflict, the camp had become the hub for the supply of men and equipment to the Ukrainian army. A gigantic delivery, on 12 March, had just taken place from Poland and Romania. According to the Russian army, at least 180 foreign mercenaries were killed, which the Ukrainian government unconvincingly denied. This case illustrates that: Contrary to NATOs repeated claims, NATO soldiers have been present in Ukraine for eight years. Innumerable photos can be found on the internet attesting to this fact. The weapons destroyed were probably worth several hundred million dollars. They were donated by the European Union and the United States. Photo: TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP via Getty Images Update, Tuesday, March 15, 4:31 p.m.: Der Spiegel reports that Anna Sorokins deportation failed at the last minute when she refused to leave the immigration detention center to be taken to the airport on Monday, March 14. The New York Post reports that ICEs inmate communication system lists Sorokins status as released as of Tuesday morning but that she is in fact still in the Goshen, New York, correctional facility. Sorokins lawyer told the Post a motion to stay the deportation was filed yesterday afternoon, so Sorokin wont be leaving for Germany until a ruling is made. Original story follows. Anna Sorokin (a.k.a. Anna Delvey) is scheduled to be deported to Germany tonight. An attorney for Sorokin confirmed to Insider that she was scheduled to leave her jail in upstate New York around 2 p.m. today and be put on a plane headed to Germany. Around that time, her commissary fund was drained and her video-call account was disconnected. Sorokins schemes and confusing accent were immortalized in Netflixs Inventing Anna after she scammed her way through New York City with nothing but the murmurs of a trust fund and designer clothes that still somehow resembled H&M. Sorokin was detained by ICE in March 2021 for overstaying her visa. She submitted an appeal to remain in the U.S., but the request was denied on February 17 by the U.S. Justice Department Board of Immigration Appeals. Another attorney for Sorokin, Manny Arora, said that because she is still within the 30-day window to submit another appeal, it is not legally appropriate to deport her at this time. In the end, they can do whatever they want, he added. If Sorokin somehow manages to thwart ICE, it may be her greatest scam yet. But for now auf Wiedersehen! If you are currently a print subscriber but don't have an online account, select this option. You will need to use your 7 digit subscriber account number (with leading zeros) and your last name (in UPPERCASE). Decatur, IL (62521) Today Generally cloudy. High 64F. Winds E at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Cloudy skies early, then off and on rain showers overnight. Low 52F. Winds E at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50%. Rome remembers the assassination of Julius Caesar on the Ides of March in 44 BC. The Ides of March was the 74th day in the Roman calendar, determined by the full moon, and corresponded to 15 March. It was traditionally marked by several religious observances and festivals and was also used by Romans as a landmark deadline for settling debts. However the date took on a whole new significance in 44 BC when the assassination of Julius Caesar made the Ides of March a turning point in Roman history. Immensely popular with the people in Rome, Caesar was a successful military leader who expanded the republic to include parts of what are now Spain, France, Germany, Switzerland and Belgium. The Death of Julius Caesar (1806) by Vincenzo Camuccini. Caesar, who had seized power from the Roman Republic and declared himself a dictator for life, was killed by a group of 60 conspirators led by his senator friends, Brutus and Cassius. The assassination took place during a meeting of the senate in the Curia Pompeia, within the larger Pompeys Theatre complex in Romes Torre Argentina archaeological area, today also home to a cat sanctuary among the ruins. According to legend, a soothsayer had warned Caesar of his impending murder, immortalised by William Shakespeare with the ominous phrase "Beware the Ides of March" from his play Julius Caesar. Caesar was said to have been stabbed 23 times and he was cremated in the Roman Forum. The site is marked by the remains of the Temple of Divus Iulius, an altar located to the eastern side of the central Forum area. Gruppo Storico Romano at the Temple of Divus Iulius. Photo: Isabel Eve / Shutterstock.com. Caesar's assassination would result in a long series of civil wars that ended in the demise of the Roman Republic and the birth of the Roman Empire. Eventually it led to the rise of his grand-nephew and adopted heir Octavian, later known as Augustus, who became the first emperor of Rome in 27 BC. It also saw the deification of Caesar 14 months after his murder. Each year people commemorate Caesar's death by leaving flowers inside the temple at the Roman Forum. The Gruppo Storico Romano normally stages a spectacular historical re-enactment of the assassination, as well as a funeral procession to the Forum, however this has been curtailed due to Italy's covid restrictions. Cover photo Gruppo Storico Romano Russia's culture ministry climbs down from original demands. The Hermitage in St Petersburg has dropped its demands for an immediate return of its masterpieces currently on loan to Italian art institutions in Milan and Rome, allowing them to stay in Italy for "several more weeks". The mitigated deal between the Hermitage and the Russian culture ministry was announced on Monday evening following mediation talks by the Ermitage Italia Foundation, reports Italian newspaper La Repubblica. The move comes five days after Russia's culture ministry sought the immediate return of the Hermitage art works on loan to Italy, as the world of culture became embroiled in repercussions from the invasion of Ukraine and international sanctions on Moscow. The news will affect two major exhibitions in Milan: Grand Tour at the Gallerie d'Italia which contains 25 pieces from the Russian museum including Canova's Winged Cupid, and a Titian show at Palazzo Reale, due to end in June, featuring Young Woman with Feather Hat by the Venetian master. There is also Picasso's Young Woman, on loan from the Hermitage, on display for the first time in Italy by the Alda Fendi Foundation at Palazzo Rhinoceros in Rome, due to end in May. The Hermitage works on show at Gallerie d'Italia will be allowed to remain until the exhibition's scheduled end date of 27 March, and while no date has been provided yet for the return of the works on loan to Palazzo Reale and Fondazione Fendi, there is "certainly no longer talk of immediate withdrawal", reports online art newspaper Finestre sull'Arte. Hermitage director Mikhail Piotrovskij, quoted in Italian newspaper La Stampa, stated: "The paintings by Titian and Picasso will continue to hang on the walls of museums for several weeks", while the Hermitage works in the Grand Tour exhibition, "upon agreement with the organisers, will be withdrawn immediately upon official closing." "We are very sorry that cultural relations between our countries have collapsed in such 'darkness'" - Piotrovskij said - "We always say that the bridges of culture are blown up last. Now the time has come to protect them." "Today's museum situation must show a way of solving serious problems in a very complicated world in order not to become an instrument of political struggle", said the Hermitage director, concluding: "We need new approaches and agreements without a return to Cold War rhetoric. Photo ANSA Placeholder while article actions load Recently, my friends manager asked what would stop her from leaving the organization. Higher pay, she responded. Her manager was reluctant to discuss compensation as it was HRs domain and admitted that he hoped my friend would ask for more vacation days. Wp Get the full experience. Choose your plan ArrowRight She told me: Why would I ask for more days off when Im sure the White man next to me is making more money? She quit promptly after to join a competitor for more pay. Like other highly educated and ambitious women of color I know, she has more options than ever to work at an organization that recognizes her worth. How did she know she was getting paid less than the man next to her? She didnt, not for sureher former manager refused to tell her. But women of color are paid less on average, and for her as a Latina woman, the pay gap could be as much as 54% of her white male counterparts salary. Advertisement The issue, she tells me, isnt only about making more money, but the lack of pay transparency from her former manager, which to her felt outdated and exclusionary. Shes not alone: PayScale research has found that even when there isnt a gender pay gap, the perception of its existence could reduce trust in an employer. Pay transparency laws could make these sorts of salary conversations much better for both managers and employees. Such laws are becoming more the norm around the country; a law to disclose salary ranges in all job postings in New York City takes effect in May and Californias Senate has announced a pioneering new pay equity bill. If it becomes law, would require the most detailed pay transparency of any U.S. state. The public report would require employers with 100 or more employees to disclose the median and average hourly rate by demographics (race, ethnicity and gender) within each job category. And current employees could ask for the pay scale of their current jobs, which an employer would be legally required to provide, from May 2023. Pay transparency reduces pay inequality. One study estimates the gender pay gap could be reduced by 40% if pay transparency was widespread. Researchers at HEC Paris studied the pay of 100,000 U.S. academics over two decades and concluded that pay transparency could significantly improve pay equity (people getting paid equally for equal work, regardless of identities such as gender and race) and pay equality (how that pay compares with other roles and organizations). The gender pay gap has reduced significantly in institutions where salaries are publicly available, like in federal government jobs. Advertisement So why has it taken legislation to make this data more available? Because pay secrecy has been institutionalized in our culture. Heres whats realistic. Managers should offer at least a range when offering salaries and raises, with clear criteria on what it takes to be at either end of the range. To ensure fairness, the criteria and the salary ranges need to be set by upper management and HR rather than on a case-by-case basis. Managers should have pay conversations regularly with team members. Ask how each person feels about their compensation. Talk honestly about why theyre making what they are and actionable steps they could take to get to the next level. It can look like this: The range for your role is $100,000-$150,000. You are at $120,000 for this reason and to get to $150,000, lets work on these measurable outcomes within this set amount of time. An employee, especially one from a historically underestimated background, would walk away feeling like she has fair access to information. And in a tight labor market like this one, workers have options and prefer communication at a regular cadencenot during a once-a-year performance review. Advertisement Managers should seek to give specific criteria on how to move up the salary range. One team I worked with did a detailed review of what each job required at the entry point and specified the output required to get to promotion to the next level. That way, when having salary conversations with employees, managers could point to objective criteria rather than subjective reasons for promotion and higher payor lack thereof. Being intentional in this manner also increased the number of women that were promoted from then on. Most of all, regular pay audits should be required at every organization. And every manager should evaluate how pay is distributed among their team on a quarterly basis. In smaller companies, this could be as basic as compiling a spreadsheet. Of course, larger organizations canand shoulduse more sophisticated software that lets them see patterns in who gets access to the highest-paying jobs and who doesnt. Being proactive about addressing any imbalances can make strides toward greater trust within the team. I often encounter well-meaning leaders who are horrified when they see the data about how wide unchecked pay gaps can be, especially by race and gender. Thats why its always important to review the data. Advertisement And in no time, when it becomes the law, leaders wont have a choice. Better late than never, I suppose. More From Writers at Bloomberg Opinion: Stop Punishing Women for Being Ambitious: Stefanie OConnell Rodriguez The Personal Finance Industry Needs a Sobering Dose of History: Erin Lowry How to Cope When Everyone Around You Is Quitting: Teresa Ghilarducci This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners. Ruchika Tulshyan is CEO of Candour, an inclusion strategy practice, and the author of Inclusion on Purpose: An Intersectional Approach to Creating a Culture of Belonging at Work. More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com/opinion 2022 Bloomberg L.P. GiftOutline Gift Article Placeholder while article actions load In a bid to ease pressure on global energy supplies, the U.S. has opened talks with the government of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro, which could lead to the lifting of some sanctions against his regime. Such an outcome would be a blow to Venezuelas opposition and its desire to see Maduro removed from power. The U.S. should move forward anyway. Re-establishing diplomatic ties with Venezuela is a necessary step toward harnessing its immense energy-producing potential. It could also drive a wedge between Venezuela and its chief patron, Russia. Steps toward easing U.S. sanctions against Caracas will face stiff political resistance from lawmakers of both parties, whove already criticized President Joe Biden for engaging with Maduro. Nevertheless, a realistic policy that emphasizes gradual political reform, rather than the illusory hope of regime change, would not just advance the U.S.s strategic interests but also the aspirations of Venezuelans themselves. While still in its earliest stages, Bidens opening to Caracas represents a significant reversal. Since accusing Maduro of stealing the 2018 presidential election, the U.S. has recognized opposition leader Juan Guaido as the countrys leader. Former President Donald Trump placed sanctions on Maduro, his family and much of his inner circle, and blocked purchases from Venezuelas state-owned oil company, Petroleos de Venezuela SA. In recent years, the weight of sanctions, government corruption and the pandemic has exacerbated a humanitarian crisis thats caused 6 million Venezuelans to flee the country. Advertisement Yet there are few signs that this maximum pressure campaign has weakened Maduros grip on power. Maduro has exploited splits within the opposition to consolidate control over the countrys judiciary, security services and electoral system. Hes also pursued a strategic partnership with Russia, which has provided the regime with military hardware, proceeds from oil sales and investments in the countrys energy sector in exchange for allowing Russia to deploy nuclear-capable warships to Venezuelan ports. That bargain may now be in jeopardy, however: Western sanctions imposed on the Kremlin for its invasion of Ukraine have left the Maduro government unable to access funds held in Russian banks. That provides an opening for the U.S. In return for Venezuelas halting military cooperation with Russia, the Biden administration should waive some sanctions against Caracas to allow the country to import equipment to upgrade production facilities and resume selling oil to the U.S. In the short run, the added Venezuelan supply will have a negligible impact on global crude prices, which have already started to fall. On optimistic assumptions, Venezuela could increase production to 1.5 million barrels a day by years end if restrictions are eased, nearly double its current output. Even a more modest pickup in supply would help U.S. refiners make up for the loss of Russian oil imports and potentially limit short-term spikes in consumer gasoline prices. Advertisement Biden should remain clear-eyed about the moral hazard of doing business with an authoritarian like Maduro. Further steps toward normalization should be conditioned on Venezuelas willingness to accelerate market-oriented economic reforms and continue negotiations with the opposition to allow greater political freedoms. The U.S. should insist that the government release political prisoners and prosecute human-rights abuses. Though the European Union no longer recognizes Guaido as Venezuelas president, the U.S. should continue to do so until Maduro commits to a timetable for holding a freely contested presidential election monitored by international observers. Ousting Maduro was a defensible goal at a time of relative stability but the strategic environment has changed. However distasteful, engagement with the Venezuelan regime is critical to protecting Americas core interests and containing Russian influence in the Western Hemisphere. Biden should aim for a policy that balances economic and security needs with a commitment to democratic values and provide a path to a more productive relationship with Venezuela and its long-suffering people. The Editors are members of the Bloomberg Opinion editorial board. More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com/opinion 2022 Bloomberg L.P. GiftOutline Gift Article Placeholder while article actions load Some of the worlds largest economies are taking the unprecedented step of revoking Russias basic trading rights at the World Trade Organization, putting it in the company of other pariah states such as Cuba and North Korea. Theyre canceling Russias most-favored-nation status at the global trade body, clearing the way for more bans on Russian imports or higher tariffs on Russian goods such as diamonds and platinum. The goal is to further isolate Russia and ratchet up pressure on President Vladimir Putin to end the war in Ukraine. 1. What is the most-favored-nation principle? The Geneva-based WTO oversees a set of baseline tariffs for global trade in goods and services. All 164 members agree to deal with each other equally under most-favored nation treatment, known as MFN. Its a cornerstone principle of the WTO and a key reason for nations to participate in the body because it allows all members -- no matter how large or small -- to be treated on roughly equal terms. Advertisement 2. Which nations have denied Russia MFN rights? By mid-March 2022 a quarter of the WTOs 164 members -- collectively representing 58% of the global gross domestic product -- were poised to stop treating Russia as a most-favored-nation under WTO rules. The list includes major economies such as the U.S., the European Unions 27 members, Japan, the U.K., Canada, South Korea and Australia. While more nations were expected to join the alliance, certain major emerging economies -- like China, India, Brazil, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia and Turkey -- continued to offer Russia MFN status. 3. What does it mean for Russian companies? In practice, the move means that Russian exporters may now be subject to: higher tariff rates export bans investment restrictions export licensing requirements customs hurdles Advertisement restrictions on cross-border services unequal treatment of intellectual property and rules of origin 4. Whats the impact for U.S. and European companies? Revoking MFN status is largely symbolic for the U.S. because Russia accounts for only 0.7% of its total imports. Still, it plans to ban imports of non-industrial diamonds, along with alcohol and seafood, targeting iconic goods such as vodka and caviar, though most Russian-branded vodkas are produced in other nations. Previous U.S. sanction packages and a ban on Russian energy imports have made it too onerous for most U.S. companies to maintain ties. Its a much bigger deal in the EU, which backed the plan March 4, because Russia accounts for 5.8% of the blocs total trade in goods. Its the EUs fifth-largest trade partner and a key supplier of fuel, wood, iron, steel and fertilizer. The EU still allows European businesses to import critical Russian products such as oil, natural gas, titanium, aluminum, copper, nickel, palladium and iron ore. The EU is Russias biggest trading partner, accounting for 37% of its total trade in goods with the world in 2020. Advertisement 5. Is this legal? Yes. Governments who revoked Russias MFN status argue that their decision is justified under the WTOs national security exceptions, which allow a country to breach its WTO obligations and take any action which it considers necessary for the protection of its essential security interests. WTO dispute panels have already confirmed that nations can take such measures if imposed in time of war or other emergency in international relations. Notably, in 2019 a WTO dispute settlement panel supported Russias argument that its trade restrictions on Ukraine were justified following Russias annexation of Crimea. 6. Have governments revoked WTO rights before? Yes, though theres never been a collective action like this before and Russia is the worlds 11th-biggest economy. In recent years theres been a rise in WTO members individually setting up national security-related trade restrictions. Former President Donald Trump famously imposed tariffs on steel and aluminum goods because he said the tariffs were necessary to protect Americas defensive capabilities. Saudia Arabia also cited national security concerns in an intellectual property dispute with its neighbor Qatar. More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com 2022 Bloomberg L.P. GiftOutline Gift Article Placeholder while article actions load One question I get repeatedly these days: What is wrong with the Russian military? Many in the West had a mistaken belief that the Russian war machine was a rough match for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, and they are surprised at how much trouble the massive force is having subduing a much smaller and less-equipped neighbor, Ukraine. During my time as NATOs military commander, I spent time with the Russian military and the chief of its general staff at the time, General Nikolai Makarov. A congenial figure, Makarov told me about Russian efforts to modernize his forces, starting with professionalizing them and weaning the nation from a brutal conscript system. There were plans to improve offensive cyber capabilities, precision-guided weaponry and unmanned vehicles. He seemed confident of progress, but from all I have seen in Ukraine, the decade-long effort has not been successful, and draftees abound. There is little evidence of the hardware improvements, either. The Russians present not as a sophisticated 21st-century army, but rather a blunt force in the style of World War IIs militaries. Advertisement Unlike in Syria, where Russian forces have been effective but are not fighting pitched battles against a serious standing military, todays battles in Ukraine are showing the fissures in the Russian approach to training, equipping and organizing. Three key problems are worth highlighting, and none can be solved immediately, meaning they will continue to hobble operations in Ukraine. The first is obvious: logistical failures. In the military, we often say that amateurs study strategy but professionals study logistics. Getting ammunition, fuel, food, heat, electricity and communications equipment to the troops is crucial. In particular, getting fuel forward has proven very challenging for the Russians, which is logistics 101 for a Western force. The image of the 40-mile stalled tank and transport convoy outside of Kyiv is a good example of incompetence any modern Western military would have developed the detailed plans to ensure that such a massive offensive weapon wouldnt sit on highly exposed terrain for days. Supplying relatively small units in Syria is easy compared to providing sustenance for a 200,000-troop force. Advertisement A second challenge is perhaps less obvious but more insidious. A significant number of the troops invading Ukraine are conscripts or reservists. They are not a professional, volunteer force led by career senior enlisted cadres. There have been anecdotal examples of Russian soldiers who are literally unaware of the importance of their mission some surprised to discover they are not on an exercise in Russia when captured by Ukrainians. The third key misstep is the bad generalship on vivid display. The Russian plan encompassed attacking Ukraine from six different vectors, dividing their forces significantly. A battle plan that spreads forces over six axes is inherently flawed. This no doubt can be attributed to flawed assumptions and intelligence: The Russian generals must have expected the Ukrainians to welcome them with flowers and vodka, not bullets and Molotov cocktails. Russian killed-in-action numbers are stunning. In 20 years of hard fighting in Afghanistan, the U.S. suffered roughly 2,000 troops killed in combat. The Russians, in just over two weeks, have lost at least 4,000 and possibly twice that. This will haunt President Vladimir Putin even as he tries (but ultimately fails) to keep those numbers from his public. Advertisement In addition to blood, Russia is bleeding treasure. War is an expensive proposition, especially when your sources of hard currency are drying up due to Western sanctions. And much of the war chest that Putin counted on more than $600 billion in reserves has been locked down in Western institutions under sanctions. Russia is reportedly sending its jets on 200 sorties a day, using a tremendous amount of fuel and spare parts that will be increasingly hard to come by given sanctions. Ukraine claims to have shot down more than 50 aircraft at $20 million to $50 million a pop. One recent estimate put the cost of the war at billions of dollars per day, and at that rate Putin will run out of money even before he runs out of public support. For the Russians on the ground in Ukraine, the worst is still ahead. For Putin to subdue Kyiv, a city of nearly four million, he will have to throw a significant level of combat power into the fight. It took the U.S. First Marine Division the most elite combat troops in the world nearly two months to conquer Fallujah, an Iraqi city about a tenth the size of Kyiv. Advertisement The locals know every corner and intersection of their city, are increasingly well armed by the West, and are motivated to fight with their families behind them or evacuated to Poland. It promises to be a long and bloody battle. Here is the caveat: Despite the failures of the Russian military thus far, it is adapting and learning as the battle unfolds. The Russians have held cyberattack technology in reserve for the moment, probably to preserve certain capabilities to use against the West as sanctions increasingly kick in. Moscows information warfare and decapitation strategies appear to be sharpening. At least two Ukrainian mayors have been kidnapped. Video of one being hauled off with a bag over his head was surely meant as an example to others. And the Russians have mass and sheer scale on their side, with more reserves upon which they can draw. This could be as many as several hundred thousand troops, depending on how much Putin is willing to move from elsewhere. Advertisement As of now, time is on the Russians side if they choose to simply grind down the Ukrainians and reduce the cities to rubble. But over a longer period, dissatisfaction at home, the coming of the spring mud and military failures will compound for Putin. I do not detect an ounce of quit in the Ukrainians, particularly in their Churchillian leader, Volodymyr Zelenskiy. He will address the U.S. congress on Wednesday, and one of the topics upon which he will certainly touch are the tactical failures of the Russian military, coupled with fervent requests for more weapons and ammunition. Barring a peace agreement, this war is likely to be a long haul. I suspect we will learn more about both the tactical failures and underlying weaknesses of the Russian military before it is over. This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners. Advertisement James Stavridis is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist. He is a retired U.S. Navy admiral and former supreme allied commander of NATO, and dean emeritus of the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University. He is also chair of the board of the Rockefeller Foundation and vice chairman of Global Affairs at the Carlyle Group. His latest book is 2034: A Novel of the Next World War. More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com/opinion 2022 Bloomberg L.P. GiftOutline Gift Article Placeholder while article actions load Never before has a spare bedroom stared back like this. Some of us have a child or two out of the home (whether temporarily or permanently) or are lucky enough to have a guest bedroom. Whatever the reason, there is a bed no one is sleeping in. Do we take in a Ukrainian refugee family, for how long and on what basis? For anyone living in Europe or Britain, this feels like a morally urgent question. People are watching a horrific humanitarian disaster unfold in real-time on Europes doorstep. The United Nations estimate that 4 million Ukrainians would flee their war-torn country now looks woefully understated. By day 17 of Russias war against Ukraine, over 2.5 million had. If there are moments in history that test the values of nations, this is surely one. Would you take in a stranger? Over the past two weeks, Britons watched as Poles, Germans and others answered the question almost before it could be asked. They flooded into train stations and places where Ukrainians arrived, offering support and rooms in their homes. The display of solidarity, sympathy and generosity acted as an antidote to the poison of Putins lies, if not an answer yet to his aggression. Advertisement Up until now, its been impossible for those in Britain to show the same generosity, unless they happen to have a Ukrainian relative and even then theres a labyrinthine visa process to navigate. The U.K. Home Office issued only 4,000 visas for Ukrainians to join immediate or extended family members in Britain. Germany and other European countries are already numbering their intake in the tens and hundreds of thousands. Even Ireland, with only one-thirteenth the population size of Britain, has already taken at least a quarter more Ukrainian refugees. Having misjudged the public mood and perhaps the extent of the refugee crisis facing Europe, Boris Johnsons government is now improving its offering. Last week, the government announced that Ukrainians with passports could apply for a visa without first submitting to biometric tests. Now the government is opening the way for individuals, charities and community organizations to provide housing for Ukrainians fleeing the war. The new plan was announced not by Home Secretary Priti Patel (whose name is now synonymous with the misjudged and poorly executed response to date) but by Michael Gove, the cabinet secretary responsible for Boris Johnsons leveling up plan and also for housing. Thats fitting. Patels focus has always been on limiting immigration; but this is the most ambitious refugee program Britain has undertaken since the last world war. Its ostensible goal is to facilitate, not frustrate, Ukrainian migration. Advertisement No system will be perfect and there is obviously a need now to balance speed in finding homes with some precautions to ensure the safety and security of both hosts and refugees. But there is much to like in the outlined Homes for Ukraine plan. There is no limit on the number of Ukrainians who can be sponsored; and refugees will be allowed to stay for at least three years and have access to public services and the entitlement to work. Thats a big improvement over the status of current asylum-seekers, who are barred from working and many of whom live in squalor while waiting months for a decision. Its also a good sign that the government recognizes that the heavy lifting initially will be done by local authorities and households. Local governments will receive 10,500 pounds ($13,657) per refugee going to help meet their needs while individual sponsors will receive a 350-pound tax-free monthly thank you stipend from the government. Under the first phase of the plan, individual sponsors can nominate a named Ukrainian person or family to stay with them rent-free. Those who are sponsored must then fill out a visa application. Applicants and sponsors will undergo vetting and security checks. Advertisement Germany has deep experience of this. In 2015-2016, it took in over a million refugees in a crisis triggered by the Syrian civil war. Then-Chancellor Angela Merkel famously declared wir schaffen das (We can do this). Right now, Britains government is making it up as it goes along. The effort will require providing some kind of orientation assistance for new refugees to help manage expectations, facilitating their settlement in homes, enabling participation in society, including work and schools and ensuring ongoing support. The details, however, are sketchy in places. The government has yet to set out how charities, churches and local community organizations can facilitate connections between sponsors and Ukrainians in need of accommodation. Its also not clear that visa applications will be streamlined and approval expedited; both are much needed. The minimum commitment of six to nine-months which doesnt exist in Germany or elsewhere is likely to be a deterrant. Some families have a room free while older kids are at university but may need it back during the summer months. The average size of a U.K. home is only 729 square feet (compared to about 2,400 square feet for the average family home in the U.S.), so while some well-off families will have a luxury coach-house or granny-flat to spare, many will be sharing rather cozier quarters. Advertisement Ukraine had the lowest vaccination rate in Europe, with a little over a third of the country having received two shots. The unvaccinated may present a complication for some host families and will need to be a focus of government education and outreach efforts. With political will and public support, such things are surmountable. The latter is certainly there. Three in four Britons back the idea of giving refuge to those fleeing war, according to an Ipsos immigration attitudes tracker, conducted before Russia launched its invasion. It was a public outcry at the stinginess of the governments refugee response that resulted in the policy change. Within hours of the governments website going live, 45,000 people signed up to host refugees. This will be a much bigger intake of refugees than the kindertransport that saw mainly Jewish children settle with families during World War II. The Home Office at the time, keen to ensure they would eventually return, would not allow adult family members to accompany the children. It was organizations that funded the operation and host families who underpinned it. Advertisement This too will be a community-driven effort, but no immigration on this scale can proceed smoothly without the appropriate government support, as Germany learned in 2015. Gove and his team will need to cut through red-tape and continually adapt policies to support what is a war-time effort. The bulk of the effort will fall to local authorities, who run threadbare social services and under-resourced schools. And it will fall to individuals and families, since what is required is often much more than providing a bed. More From This Writer and Others at Bloomberg Opinion: Mariupol and Putins War Without Mercy: Therese Raphael Germany Needs a Bigger, Stronger Army: Andreas Kluth The German Army Doesnt Scare Putin. Now Its Beefing Up: Chris Bryant Why the West Must Continue to Arm Ukraine: Ian Buruma (Updates in 14th graf with number of Britons volunteering to house refugees.) 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. More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com/opinion 2022 Bloomberg L.P. GiftOutline Gift Article Placeholder while article actions load correction An earlier version of the obituary for Catherine Beauchamp incorrectly reported her age as 74. She was 94. The obituary has been updated. Obituaries of residents from the District, Maryland and Northern Virginia. Catherine Beauchamp, musician Wp Get the full experience. Choose your plan ArrowRight Catherine Beauchamp, 94, a singer and administrator for the Cathedral Choral Society, died Dec. 30 at her home in Falls Church, Va. The cause was heart disease, said a son, Philip Beauchamp. Mrs. Beauchamp was born Catherine Harris in Miami and grew up in Washington. She taught private piano lessons at her home, was a judge of the National Guild of Piano Teachers for student auditions, and sang in the chorus for the Washington National Opera. She was a member of St. Dunstans Episcopal Church in McLean, Va., where she also served on the vestry and was in the choir. Murat Natirboff, CIA agent Murat Natirboff, 100, a CIA agent who served in Africa, Asia and Europe, including a period as Moscow station chief, before retiring in 1989, died Jan. 10 at his home in Keystone Heights, Fla. The cause was metabolic encephalopathy, said a son, Daniel Natirboff. Advertisement Mr. Natirboff was born in the Crimean Peninsula of what was then imperial Russia, where his father was an officer in the anti-Bolshevik White Army. He grew up in New York and served in the Marine Corps during World War II. He retired from the CIA in 1989 and moved to Florida from Washington in 2018. Calman Cohen, trade group leader Calman Cohen, 76, who from 1981 to 2017 led the Emergency Committee for American Trade, a group that favors open trade and comprises executives of multinational companies, died Jan. 28 at home in Washington. The cause was cancer, said a daughter, Nicole Cohen. Dr. Cohen was born in Brooklyn and settled in the Washington area in 1964. Early in his career, he was an adviser to Democratic senators on trade and economic issues and a congressional liaison in the office of the U.S. trade representative. Mark Judson, businessman Mark Judson, 51, a partner and chief executive of EIM Sensor, a business contracting, consulting and information technology firm, died Jan. 18 at a hospital in Washington. The cause was cancer, said a sister, Karen Kowallis. Mr. Judson, a District resident, was born in Dugway, Utah, and grew up in the Washington area. He was a systems engineer for Electronic Data Systems before helping start EIM Sensor in 2006. The company had several government clients and more recently did work for a museum in Galveston, Tex., honoring the African American-centered holiday of Juneteenth. From staff reports GiftOutline Gift Article Placeholder while article actions load More than 10,000 people poured into the nations capital on the ninth day of protests over police brutality, but what awaited this sprawling crowd the largest yet in Washington was a city that no longer felt as if it was being occupied by its own countrys military. Wp Get the full experience. Choose your plan ArrowRight Gone were the 10-ton, sand-colored tankers in front of Lafayette Square and the legions of officers braced behind riot shields, insisting that citizens stay away. In fact, few police were visible anywhere. And when protesters did see law enforcement authorities in camouflage, grouped in twos or threes and seldom armed they rarely screamed abuse, as many of them had in previous days. Few of Saturdays demonstrations were choreographed, as protesters flowed from one impromptu gathering or march to another. Those who came out in D.C. and San Francisco, Chicago, Philadelphia and dozens of other cities across the country understood that this was a moment in America when change seemed possible. They wanted to be there for it. More than 10,000 demonstrators took to the streets of Washington, D.C., on June 6, the ninth day of protests in the District over police brutality. (Video: The Washington Post) In city after city, both large and small, vast numbers of people clogged streets and halted traffic, circled government buildings and insisted that the leaders of their communities do more to protect the lives of black men and women. Advertisement The cause even led to flares of tension among Washingtons protesters, with some embracing a party atmosphere while others furiously spray-painted Defund The Police in giant yellow letters a block from the citys Black Lives Matter display. Early in the day, though, they were united. As George Floyd was being memorialized in his North Carolina hometown 340 miles south, the crowd in the District packed into six blocks along 16th Street NW to honor his life and condemn his death in police custody. No justice! they chanted. No peace! But the man in whose direction they shouted couldnt hear them. Nearly two miles of metal fencing now surrounded the White House, as if it had been locked in a cage, and inside, President Trump was raging. He retweeted himself, sharing a message from the day before in which he described D.C. Mayor Muriel E. Bowser, a Democrat, as grossly incompetent, and in no way qualified to be running an important city like Washington, D.C. Later, he disparaged the protest turnout, claiming it was much smaller than expected. Advertisement An hour after his attack on Bowser, she stood on the stretch of 16th shed had painted with Black Lives Matter and named in the movements honor. She denounced Trump administration officials for authorizing federal officers to fire chemical irritants and rubber bullets at peaceful protesters, clearing them from Lafayette Square so the president could get his photo taken with a Bible in front of St. Johns Episcopal Church. Now, on the section of fence there, hung protest signs, an American flag, and a torn yellow strip of police tape that read Crime Scene. Inside the square, the graffiti scrawled on a small building captured in photos as Trump made his way to St. Johns had been removed. Today we say no, Bowser told the crowd. In November, we say next. Much of the crowd cheered, but the support for Bowser was not universal. The local leaders of Black Lives Matter had arranged for the spray-painted message to defund police an act of defiance they said was directed at the mayor. Advertisement Nile Joyner-Willey, 4, didnt know about any of that as she sat on her fathers shoulders, wearing a rainbow-colored tutu. She held a Black Lives Matter sign as her father, John Willey, 37, who lives in the District, gently bopped her up and down. This was the first day the family had attended the protests and the first day that Niles parents had talked to their daughter about racism. Why are so many people taking my picture? she asked her mother. Because you give people hope, answered Krystle Joyner, 34. Were doing this for you. In Northwest Washington on June 6, a crowd of protesters decrying the death of George Floyd gathered and heard a voice rise over the street. (Video: The Washington Post) As theyd done all week, the protesters started near Lafayette Square, but also spread throughout the city. They marched down U Streets historic Black Broadway and past Chinatowns brightly painted Friendship Arch. They gathered on the Capitol lawn, beside the Malls Reflecting Pool and under the bronze Joan of Arc statue in Meridian Hill Park. They knelt beneath the folded granite arms of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and at the feet of Abraham Lincoln. Their freedom to roam, unimpeded by police, was by design. Almost all D.C. officers were working or on call, a city official said, but they stayed away from demonstrators as much as possible. With a swath of downtown cut off to traffic, it made it simpler for police to monitor the demonstrations and easier for protesters to get around. A persistent buzz overhead was a reminder of how different these streets had been just a few days earlier, when National Guard helicopters flew as low as a two-story building, scattering broken glass as they terrified the protesters and journalists beneath them. Advertisement The battlespace was how Defense Secretary Mark T. Esper had described the city, but the resulting shows of force meant to send a clear message to protesters stay home had inspired them to do the opposite. By Saturday, the battle space had morphed into what felt like a carnival. Some in the crowds which exceeded 10,000, as people came and went for hours took off their shoes, revealing feet red and swollen from past days marching. Kids played in the water, splashing their parents. A father helped his daughter clamber onto an electric scooter, hopped on beside her, and took her for a slow ride around the rim of the Reflecting Pool, explaining Lincolns fame as he did so. The music thumped all afternoon, from speakers hauled in and running on generators. Many seemed less worried than in previous days about the pandemic still killing so many people of color, with decidedly fewer protesters wearing masks or squirting their hands with hand sanitizer. Advertisement The days activists included a group of Sikhs carrying cardboard signs and two men, both middle-aged and white, who drove 665 miles from Nashville because they felt compelled to do something. Lawyers came out, as did white lab-coated doctors and nurses in turquoise scrubs. A pair of 26-year-old black women came up from Charlotte but didnt tell their parents. A trio of cousins in their 30s one black, one biracial and one white traveled from Baltimore, where they had attended the Freddie Gray protests five years ago. An 82-year-old black man who witnessed the 1968 riots in the District watched it all on Saturday from a folding chair, and a 2-year-old did the same in his green stroller. Dont shoot me, read the handwritten message on the boys hat. "My people are dying," a protester told onlookers at a demonstration in Washingon, D.C. on June 6 that drew thousands in opposition to George Floyd's death. (Video: Rebecca Tan, Jessica Contrera/The Washington Post) As go-go music blared from a truck at the center of 16th and I streets, where five days before protesters had run scrambling from chemicals and cavalry, a fury grew among a faction of onlookers. They watched as hundreds of others pressed around the truck, shimmying and sweating and snacking. Advertisement They were having a good time, but many believed this was not meant to be a good time. Kenny Sway, a D.C. musician who had calmed thousands a few days before with his rendition of Lean On Me, pushed through the crowd, yelling at everyone he could see to stop dancing and start marching. This is not a festival! he shouted into a microphone. This is not a f---ing festival! The dancing demonstrators mostly ignored him, except for one woman who rolled her eyes and complained to a friend. Who made him God? she asked. You cant police a protest. She took a puff of what appeared to be marijuana and again swung her hips to the music. One street over, at the corner of H and Vermont streets, Zamzam Elzain stood on her tiptoes, lofted a sign reading Silence is betrayal and yelled desperately at the people meandering by with strollers and cigarettes and, it seemed, little conviction. Advertisement She was pleading from just outside Lafayette Square, in almost exactly the same spot where shed been hit with rubber bullets and chemicals and shoved by police officers on Monday. Now Elzain, 22, felt insulted. Had her sacrifice, her pain, meant nothing? If this is a protest, we get an F! she yelled at passersby. This is not supposed to be a block party! A man looked up, briefly, then returned to the bag of chips in his hand. Other confrontations unfolded as night fell. Outside the Treasury Department, a white man approached a tall metal fence and shouted at a black Secret Service agent, demanding to know why he didnt quit his job. The black agent had remained silent and stoic as the crowd yelled, but now, he stepped forward and looked directly at the white man. Be sure to remember this, he said in a low, level voice that carried, quieting the crowd. Me putting on this uniform does nothing to take away from being black, and the consequences of being black. Advertisement The white protester stared. The agent took another step toward the fence. So, before you ask me that again, he said, let me ask you this: What does your white privilege taste like? The protester gave an angry shrug. Im out here protesting for black people who are getting killed by cops! he shouted. Did you find yourself at a voting booth last election? the black agent asked in the same low voice. Have you read Malcolm X? The white man stepped back. He had not. By then, DeShawn Rasberry, 6, and his younger brother Davian, 4, were already pooped. They had been at Pennsylvania Avenue and 13th Street since noon with their mother, Janessa Smith, 28, handing out water, Gatorade and granola bars to the people passing by. The brothers had never seen so many people before and neither had Smith. It was the familys first protest. Do you know why all these people are here? Smith asked her younger son. He stared blankly at the crowd, munching on the granola bar that had crumbled to pieces in his tiny hands. Theyre out here for you, Smith said. Davian, dressed in a Superman cap and matching T-shirt, smiled and nodded. Mmhmm, he said. Smith had explained to her sons that they were here to protest which means standing up for something, she said and to help others. She hadnt told them that the protest was against police brutality, spurred by the killing of a man with their same skin color in police custody. Theyre so young now, still so young, Smith said. And right now, theyre in love with law enforcement. . . . I dont want to spoil that. Not yet. The brothers, who live in Prince Georges County, both wear their miniature police uniforms at home as often as they can. DeShawn, squatting in some gravel, said he thinks he may want to be an officer when he grows up. They helps peoples, he said. And was he afraid of them? Nope. Nope, nope. Smith looked at her sons, both just barely coming up to her waist, their hands gripping cold water bottles. One day, shed have to give them the talk about police officers, she thought to herself. But not today. Michael E. Ruane, Perry Stein, Justin Wm. Moyer, Rachel Weiner, Michelle Boorstein, Justin George, Clarence Williams, Freddy Kunkle, Rachel Chason, Michael E. Miller, Kyle Swenson and Marissa Lang contributed to this report. GiftOutline Gift Article Placeholder while article actions load Senate votes for daylight saving time Wp Get the full experience. Choose your plan ArrowRight The Senate voted Tuesday to end the semiannual practice of spring forward and fall back under a bill that would make daylight saving time permanent a move that reflects the increasingly popular view that the twice-yearly disruption hurts sleep and poses health and safety risks. Today the Senate has finally delivered on something Americans all over the country want to never have to change their clocks again, said Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.), who co-authored the bipartisan legislation with Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), among others. The legislation, which passed by unanimous consent, must still get through the House and be signed by President Biden to become law. House leaders and White House officials said Tuesday that they were not immediately prepared to comment on the timing of those steps. Under the measure, the shift to permanent daylight saving time would take effect next year. Advertisement Murray, chair of the Senates health panel, and Rubio have argued that switching clocks back and forth every spring and fall has led to increased heart attacks and strokes, in addition to hurting retailers by curbing daylight shopping hours views backed by health and business groups. More than 40 states, including Maryland, are considering their own changes to end the shifting, pending federal legislation. Dan Diamond No charges against 2 officers in shootings No charges will be filed against the Chicago police officers who chased and fatally shot 13-year-old Adam Toledo and 22-year-old Anthony Alvarez within days of each other last year, prompting sharp criticism of how the department handles foot pursuits, a prosecutor announced Tuesday. Cook County States Attorney Kim Foxx said there was insufficient evidence to charge the officers in the deaths, which were captured on video that showed Toledo and Alvarez appeared to have handguns prior to the shootings. Advertisement The public release of the videos in April 2021 renewed calls for reform of the Chicago Police Department, which for decades has had a reputation for brutality, misconduct and racism. In both Chicago shootings, officers chased people on foot a highly unpredictable situation that critics, including the U.S. Department of Justice, have said is dangerous for both officers and suspects and leads to too many unnecessary shootings. The deaths led to protests and calls for Chicago to adopt clear guidelines for officers on pursuits, though a policy still has not been finalized. In February, Alvarezs family sued the city of Chicago, saying it is partly responsible for his death because of the lack of a foot pursuit policy. Alvarez was walking when officers approached him because of a traffic incident the night before. Advertisement Alvarez ran away, turned a corner and fell, Foxx said. When officer Eric Solano turned the corner, Alvarez was getting up off the ground, and it appeared to the officer that Alvarez was about to shoot him, she said. In the Toledo shooting, police were on the scene after a gunshot detection system the city uses recorded eight shots in the area. When they arrived, the only two people they saw were Toledo and Ruben Roman, then 21, both of whom immediately started to run away. Officer Eric Stillman saw that Toledo had his hands near his waistband, causing him to believe that the teen had a gun, Foxx said. She said that the teen raised his right hand so quickly that it was impossible to determine if hed dropped the gun. Associated Press 'Little Miss Nobody' from 1960 identified Little Miss Nobody finally has a name. Advertisement The Yavapai County Sheriffs Office said Tuesday that the previously unidentified little girl whose burned remains were found over 60 years ago in the Arizona desert was 4-year-old Sharon Lee Gallegos, of New Mexico. The childs remains were found on July 31, 1960, partially buried in a wash in Congress, Ariz. Her age at various times over the years was estimated to be between 6 and 8 years old, then later at between 3 and 6 years old. Residents in the nearby central-north Arizona community of Prescott raised money for a funeral and florists and a mortuary donated their services for the little girl they had dubbed Little Miss Nobody. News reports at the time said a local radio announcer and his wife stood in for the girls parents during the funeral at Prescotts Congregational Church. Sharon Lee Gallegos was reportedly abducted from behind her home in Alamogordo, N.M., on July 21, 1960, a little over a week before her body was found. Authorities say they do not know who took and killed the child. Advertisement The remains were exhumed to get DNA samples, and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System and others worked on the case. The sheriffs office and Texas DNA company Othram raised $4,000 earlier this year to pay for specialized testing that finally identified the girl. Ray Chavez, the childs nephew, thanked authorities at the news conference for not giving up their quest to identify his aunt. He said she had been described to him as a happy-go-lucky girl. Associated Press Students steer school bus to safety after driver collapses: A group of middle and high school students in Topsham, Maine, grabbed the wheel of their school bus Monday morning when their driver suffered a fatal medical condition, steering the vehicle to safety while another classmate attempted to administer first aid to the stricken driver. The bus was carrying 14 students when the driver collapsed at the wheel, police told the Portland Press Herald. Their driver, Arthur McDougall, 77, of Lisbon, was taken to a hospital Monday morning and died, the interim superintendent of Maine School Administrative District 75 said. Associated Press GiftOutline Gift Article Jamestown, site of the first permanent English settlement in North America, is seen last month, sandwiched between the James River and a swamp. (Julia Rendleman for The Post) Retropolis The Past, Rediscovered 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. Western Australias peak doctors lobby has accused WA Health of releasing dumbed down modelling as the state government continues to drag its feet on providing basic COVID-19 information to the public. The modelling, released in February, is a five-page document with one graph showing the growth in predicted cases and hospitalisations over an unknown period of time, without any reference to the public health measures or testing and isolation levels required to achieve the outcome. WAs health authorities are refusing to release the numbers behind the Omicron modelling and details on daily COVID cases. In contrast, the latest federal governments COVID-19 modelling, conducted by the Doherty Institute and provided to the National Cabinet in November, is a 23-page document containing multiple graphs and tables based on various scenarios, with six associated reports. Australian Medical Association WA president Mark Duncan-Smith, academics, politicians and journalists have repeatedly asked WA Health to provide the data behind the modelling report the core document guiding the states public health restrictions. Prime Minister Scott Morrison has contradicted his state Liberal colleagues by commending West Australian Premier Mark McGowans self-imposed seven-day quarantine. Kicking off his partys election campaign in Perth on Tuesday, Mr Morrison avoided criticising the popular Premier, who still enjoys an approval rating of more than 60 per cent, even heaping praise on him and his governments handling of the pandemic. Prime Minister Scott Morrison addresses the media following his tour at ASC in Henderson, south of Perth. Credit:Paul Kane/Getty Mr McGowan entered self-imposed and self-paid quarantine in a Perth apartment after giving evidence at the Clive Palmer defamation trial in Sydney last week. WAs hard border came down on March 3, removing the need to quarantine for fully vaccinated domestic travellers. Homes in the affluent western suburbs are some of the most sought-after locations for foreign buyers returning to Australia after two years of border closures. Nedlands, Applecross, Claremont and Subiaco have been some of the most viewed Domain listings, based on data between January 2021 and February 2022, while the inner city suburbs of South Perth, East Perth and Como also rated in the top 10. Inner Perth suburbs were the most searched by foreign buyers during the pandemic. Credit:Hamish Hastie Those looking to buy were mostly from New Zealand, Singapore, Hong Kong and the US, with prospective buyers from China, Malaysia, Canada, Indonesia, South Africa and Japan rounding out the top 10 nationalities of those wanting a life Down Under. Domain chief of research and economics Nicola Powell said extended state border closures had hampered an element of housing demand, disrupting the flow of new residents into the state. Loading Doctors from other Mariupol hospitals made a video to tell the world about the horrors theyve been seeing. We dont want to be heroes and martyrs posthumously, one woman said. She also said its insufficient to simply refer to people as the wounded: its torn off arms and legs, gouged out eyes, bodies torn into fragments, insides falling out. Meanwhile, the Ukrainian armys general staff said on Wednesday evening that Russian troops had launched another assault on the strategically important city. Fighting has intensified on Kyivs outskirts in recent days, and air raid sirens wailed inside the capital. The mayor imposed a curfew extending through Thursday morning. Tuesdays artillery strikes hit the Svyatoshynskyi district of western Kyiv, adjacent to the suburb of Irpin, which has seen some of the worst fighting of the war. Flames shot out of a 15-storey apartment building and smoke choked the air as firefighters climbed ladders to rescue people. The assault blackened several floors of the building, ripped a hole in the ground outside and blew out windows in neighbouring apartment blocks. Rescue workers said at least one person was killed. Yesterday we extinguished one fire, today another. It is very difficult, a firefighter who gave only his first name, Andriy, said outside the building, tears falling from his eyes. People are dying, and the worst thing is that children are dying. They havent lived their lives and they have already seen this. City authorities also tweeted an image of the blown-out facade of a downtown subway station that had been used as a bomb shelter and said trains would no longer stop at the station. A 10-storey apartment building in the Podilsky district of Kyiv, north of the government quarter, was damaged. Russian forces also stepped up strikes overnight on Irpin and the northwest Kyiv suburbs of Hostomel and Bucha, said the head of the capital region, Oleksiy Kuleba. Loading Many streets have been turned into a mush of steel and concrete. People have been hiding for weeks in basements, and are afraid to go out even for evacuations, Kuleba said on Ukrainian television. In the countrys east, Russian forces launched more than 60 strikes overnight on Monday into Tuesday (local time) on Ukraines second-largest city, Kharkiv, according to regional administration chief, Oleh Sinehubov. The strikes hit the citys historical centre, including the main marketplace. He said the bodies of dozens of civilians were pulled from destroyed apartment buildings. On Tuesday evening, Ukrainian forces repelled Russian troops who tried to storm Kharkiv from their positions in Piatykhatky, a suburb 15 kilometres to the north, and were able to push the enemy back beyond its previous position, Sinehubov said on Telegram. He called it a shameful defeat. The strikes, carried out of the 20th day of Russias invasion, targeted a western district of Kyiv, disrupting a relative calm that returned after an initial advance by Moscows forces was stopped in the early days of the war. A senior US defence official, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss the Pentagons assessment, said that the Russians were using long-range fire to hit civilian targets inside Kyiv with increasing frequency but that their ground forces were making little to no progress around the country. The official said Russian troops were still about 15 kilometres from the centre of the capital. A woman walks past a burning apartment building after shelling in Mariupol. Credit:AP The official said the US has seen indications that Russia believes it may need more troops or supplies than it has on hand in Ukraine, and it is considering ways to get more resources into the country. The official did not elaborate. Another journalist killed in Ukraine A veteran videographer and a 24-year-old Ukrainian journalist working for Fox News were killed when their vehicle came under fire outside of Kyiv, the network said on Tuesday. Pierre Zakrzewski, 55, and Oleksandra Sasha Kuvshynova were was killed when the vehicle they were travelling in came under fire on Monday, the network said. They were the second and third foreign journalists killed in Ukraine in two days. Fox News cameraman Pierre Zakrzewski was killed on Monday while on assignment in Ukraine. Credit:AP The pair were working alongside reporter Benjamin Hall who has been in hospital since the incident, when their vehicle was hit in Horenka, the network said. Brent Renaud, a documentary filmmaker and another veteran of covering war zones, died on Sunday after Russian forces opened fire on his vehicle. President Joe Biden will travel to Europe next week for face-to-face talks with European leaders about the Russian invasion of Ukraine, White House press secretary Jen Psaki announced on Tuesday. Three EU leaders arrive Prime Ministers Mateusz Morawiecki of Poland, Petr Fiala of the Czech Republic and Janez Jansa of Slovenia travelled by train to Kyiv, the first foreign leaders to make such a visit since Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the invasion on February 24. We must stop the tragedy that is happening in the East as soon as possible, Mateusz Morawiecki wrote on Facebook. Salisbury, MD (21801) Today Considerable cloudiness. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 77F. Winds WNW at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight A few clouds. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 57F. Winds light and variable. KYIV, Ukraine Russias relentless bombardment of Ukraine edged closer to central Kyiv as a series of strikes hit a residential neighborhood Tuesday, while the leaders of three European Union countries planned a bold visit to Ukraines capital and the number of people the war has driven from the country passed 3 million. Ukraine war may lead to rethinking of US defense of Europe WASHINGTON Russian President Vladimir Putins war in Ukraine and his push to upend the bro Large explosions thundered across Kyiv before dawn from what Ukrainian authorities said were artillery strikes, as Russias assault on the city appeared to become more systematic. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said barrages hit four multi-story buildings in the city and caused dozens of deaths. The strikes targeted a western district of Kyiv, disrupting a relative calm that returned after an initial advance by Russian forces was stopped in the early days of the war. Tuesdays shelling ignited a huge fire in a 15-story apartment building and spurred a frantic rescue effort. Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko announced a new curfew for the city, saying it would run for 35 hours from 8 p.m. Tuesday until 7 a.m. Thursday. As Russia stepped up its assault on Kyiv, the leaders of Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovenia set out for Ukraines embattled capital by train to show support for the country. The aim of the visit is to express the European Unions unequivocal support for Ukraine and its freedom and independence, Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala said in a tweet. He was joined by Janez Jansa of Slovenia, Mateusz Morawiecki of Poland and Jaroslaw Kaczynski, Polands de-facto leader. EXPLAINER: How plausible is Chinese military aid for Russia? BEIJING (AP) The U.S. says Russia has asked China to provide military assistance for its w EU officials characterized the visit as one the central European leaders had undertaken independently despite security risks. The 27-nation blocs other leaders were informed of the trip but did not sanction it, EU officials said. The International Organization for Migration said the number of people who have fled Ukraine since Russia invaded on Feb. 24 passed 3 million on Tuesday. The U.N. has described the flood of people crossing into Poland and other neighboring countries as Europes biggest refugee crisis since World War II. Russian and Ukrainian negotiators held a second day of talks as Russias invasion of Ukraine reached its 20th day. The Red Cross and the United Nations refugee agency say millions of people face food and medicine shortages along with the immediate conflict threats of shelling and air attacks. The Ukrainian government said new aid and evacuation efforts would take place Tuesday along nine corridors around the country, including the Kyiv region. But past attempts have repeatedly failed amid continued fighting. One of the most desperate situations is in Mariupol, an encircled port city of 430,000 where local officials estimate a lethal siege has killed more than 2,300 people and left residents desperate for food, water, heat and medicine. The Mariupol city council reported Tuesday that civilian evacuations were underway. The council said 2,000 civilian cars had managed to leave along a humanitarian corridor that runs for more than 260 kilometers (160 miles) west to the city of Zaporizhzhia. Foreign fighters in Ukraine await weapons in chaos of war LVIV, Ukraine They are idealists who abandoned their jobs for the battlefields of Ukraine, The city council said another 2,000 cars were waiting to leave along the evacuation route. It was not immediately clear if the number of departed vehicles given Tuesday included 160 cars that left the day before. Russias invasion has shocked the world, upended Europes post-Cold War security order and driven millions from their homes. Russias military is bigger and better equipped than Ukraines, but its troops have faced stiffer-than-expected resistance, bolstered by arms supplied by the West. When Russia launched the war three weeks ago, fear of an imminent invasion gripped the Ukrainian capital, and residents slept in subway stations or crammed onto trains to flee. But as the Russian offensive bogged down, Kyiv saw a relative lull. U.S. officials say Russian forces were about 15 kilometers (9 miles) from the center of the city as of Monday. Fighting has intensified on Kyivs outskirts in recent days, and sporadic air raid sirens ring out around the capital. The early morning artillery strikes hit the Svyatoshynskyi district of western Kyiv, adjacent to the suburb of Irpin, which has seen some of the worst battles of the war. Flames shot out of the 15-story apartment building and smoke choked the air as firefighters climbed ladders to rescue people. The assault blackened several floors of the building, ripped a hole in the ground outside and blew out windows in neighboring apartment blocks. Rescue workers said one person died and several were rescued but others remained inside. Yesterday we extinguished one fire, today another, it is very difficult, said one young firefighter as he took a brief break outside the building, tears falling from his eyes. People are dying, and the worst thing is that children are dying. They havent lived their lives and they have already seen this, this is the worst, said the rescuer, who gave only his first name, Andriy. Braving conflict, many women join flow back into Ukraine PRZEMYSL, Poland While tens of thousands of people have fled Ukraine every day since Russi Shockwaves from an explosion also damaged the entry to a downtown subway station that has been used as a bomb shelter. City authorities tweeted an image of the blown-out facade, saying trains would no longer stop at the station. A 10-story apartment building in the Podilsky district of Kyiv, north of the government quarter, was damaged by unspecified ammunition. Russian forces also stepped up strikes overnight on Irpin and the northwest Kyiv suburbs of Hostomel and Bucha, said the head of the capital region, Oleksiy Kuleba. Many streets (in those areas) have been turned into a mush of steel and concrete. People have been hiding for weeks in basements, and are afraid to go out even for evacuations, Kuleba said on Ukrainian television. In the countrys east, Russian forces launched more than 60 strikes overnight on Ukraines second-largest city, Kharkiv, according to regional administration chief Oleh Sinehubov. The strikes hit the citys historical center, including the main marketplace. Sinehubov said fires were raging and rescuers had pulled dozens of bodies of civilian residents, from the ruins of destroyed apartment buildings. Zelenskyy is seeking to extend martial law until April 24 and to require men ages 18 to 60 to stay in the country to fight. Ukraines parliament is expected to vote on the measure this week. The Ukrainian leader appealed for more weapons to counter Russias military. He said Ukraines forces are rapidly using up weapons and other hardware supplied by Western nations, and he asked northern European leaders to help yourself by helping us. As Russia struggled to gain ground in Ukraine, U.S. administration officials alleged that Moscow had asked China for help, and Beijing had signaled that it would be willing to provide both military support and financial backing to help stave off effects of Western sanctions. Russia and China denied military assistance had been asked for or granted. Talks between Russian and Ukrainian negotiators resumed Tuesday, after failing to make a breakthrough or to break down on Monday. The two sides had expressed some optimism about the negotiations, which Ukrainian presidential aide Mykhailo Podolyak said were discussing ceasefire and withdrawal of troops from the territory of the country. With each day, the human cost of the grinding war continues to rise. The Ukrainian general prosecutors office released details of two deadly Russian attacks that took place Monday: an artillery strike that hit a university and open-air market in the northern city of Chernihiv, killing 10, and the shooting of a 65-year-old woman on a bus that was evacuating civilians from a Kyiv suburb. The number of people killed in a Russian rocket attack on a TV tower in western Ukraine on Monday rose to 19, authorities in the Rivne region said Tuesday. A further nine people were injured in the strike on the TV tower in Antopol, a village about 160 kilometers (100 miles) from the border of NATO member Poland. In Mykolaiv, a strategic southern city near the Black Sea where airstrikes killed nine people Sunday, residents braced for more attacks. Volunteers prepared food and sorted donated clothes at an abandoned naval yard that was turned into a support center for troops. Molotov cocktails were already on hand to take on invaders. Svetlana Gryshchenko, whose soldier son was killed in the fighting, said it was impossible to put into words what was happening to the city. We are bombed during the day and during the night . Its a nightmare what Russia is doing on the territory of Ukraine, she said. ___ Associated Press writers Raf Casert in Brussels, Lolita C. Baldor in Washington and AP journalists from around the world contributed to this report. Police asking for help finding person accused of stealing from southern Indiana Walgreens Weatherford, TX (76086) Today Generally cloudy. A stray severe thunderstorm is possible. High 84F. Winds S at 10 to 20 mph.. Tonight Variable clouds with scattered thunderstorms. A few storms may be severe. Low 67F. Winds SSE at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 70%. Press Release March 15, 2022 De Lima calls for further, independent investigation on killing of 'New Bataan 5' Re-electionist Senator Leila M. de Lima deplored in the strongest sense the alleged barbaric killing of the "New Bataan 5" which included volunteer teacher of Lumad youth Chad Booc. De Lima, a social justice and human rights champion, said their killing warrants further and independent investigation into the circumstances surrounding their deaths and ensure justice and accountability. "I couldn't even bear to finish reading the news reports on the result of the autopsy done on Chad Booc who was killed with his companions, fellow Lumad school volunteer teacher Jurain Ngujo II, community health worker Elegyn Balonga, and their drivers, Tirso Anar and Robert Aragon. "It painted a harrowing picture of what could have really happened in the last moments of their young lives. Brutal! I can't imagine how their loved ones must have felt," she said in her Dispatch from Crame No. 1234. "With the preliminary results of the autopsy done on Chad Booc, it is but right to demand for further, and independent investigation on the incident that led to their deaths," she added. Based on the preliminary findings from the autopsy, forensic pathologist Dr. Raquel Fortun said that Booc suffered multiple gunshots to the body, including one that smashed his right elbow. Booc, Ngujo II, Balonga, Aragon and Anar, were reportedly killed in the alleged clash between Army soldiers and a group of New People's Army (NPA) rebels in Barangay Andap, New Bataan town on Feb. 24. "There was an intent to kill. They sustained multiple gunshot wounds and on top of that, it looks like many things are being concealed," Fortun said. De Lima maintained that this recent killing incident should prompt Filipinos to continue resisting the culture of impunity under the present administration, which has emboldened more killings and abuses. "Impunity murdered these young people who could have lived comfortable lives given their credentials but chose to serve the poor and marginalized," she said. "It may be easier to just send our sympathies to their families, ma-shock ng konti tapos move on na, but we shouldn't. "We must continue to resist this prevailing culture of impunity and the blatant attempt to desensitize us from these atrocities being done to our people. Ibalik ang hustisya sa ating bayan," she added. National Nurses Week is May 6 to May 12, an annual celebration that recognizes the critical role nurses perform in our hospitals and for our community. This year, we recognize our nurses for their continued commitment and unfailing dedication to our patients and their families, and for alway Today Rain ending this morning. Remaining cloudy through the afternoon with some late day peeks of sunshine. Tonight Turning out partly cloudy. Tomorrow Pleasant with times of clouds and sun. The views expressed by public comments are not those of this company or its affiliated companies. Please note by clicking on "Post" you acknowledge that you have read the TERMS OF USE and the comment you are posting is in compliance with such terms. Your comments may be used on air. Be polite. Inappropriate posts or posts containing offsite links, images, GIFs, inappropriate language, or memes may be removed by the moderator. Job listings and similar posts are likely automated SPAM messages from Facebook and are not placed by WFMZ-TV. Rocky Horror Show cast member Kristian Lavercombe has reached a new milestone, now having performed the show 2000 times... and counting. "I've had a reasonably varied career, but Rocky Horror has definitely been the theme of my working life as an actor," Lavercombe commented. "I've played a few different roles in the show, but Riff Raff was unexpectedly the perfect fit for me. Now, with 2000 performances of the show, I've performed with 14 different casts and have spent 18 months of my life rehearsing it full time. What many people find hard to grasp including myself is that my enjoyment and attitude towards working on Rocky Horror has remained the same since the beginning." When asked about the significance of taking on the role, performed in the 1975 film adaptation by the show's creator, Richard O'Brien, Lavercombe continued: "I was a fan of the movie long before I was in the show and I think Richard O'Brien's performance as Riff Raff is absolute perfection. The Rocky Horror fans have been very kind to me over the years and I think this is because they recognise that I'm also a fan of the show and as a result, I treat their much-loved characters with respect." For actors who embody a certain role for any length of time, it naturally becomes a part of their identity, as Lavercombe reveals: "As I get ready for the show, I spend hours a day looking in the mirror as Riff Raff. I certainly don't look at myself that much, so I think my brain now recognises him more than it does myself! It's safe to say that he has become part of my identity and I can't really remember life without him. He's reached old friend status. Riff Raff is constantly evolving, but it's a little like ageing it occurs in such a way that I never notice it happening." And the privilege of the role is certainly not one Lavercombe takes for granted, especially having battled through the restrictions of the pandemic era: "I have to say that the Rocky Horror fans have been incredibly respectful since the tour started back in June," he confides. "Traditionally, Rocky Horror stage doors are a bustling hive of activity after the show, but throughout the last year, the avid Rocky Horror fans have stayed away to protect the performers and keep the show running. In the circumstance, we've been very thankful for that and they have definitely played a big part in Rocky Horror surviving and thriving this past year. Being on tour and performing 8 shows a week during a pandemic has definitely been an experience, but aside from the obvious challenges, our audiences have continued to come along and show their support. It's also become obvious that we all now have a refreshed appreciation for what an important part theatre plays in all our lives.'' Joining Lavercombe in the cast are Ore Oduba (as Brad Majors), Stephen Webb (as Frank 'n' Furter), Philip Franks (as The Narrator), Haley Flaherty (Janet), Lauren Ingram (as Columbia), Suzie McAdam (as Magenta), Ben Westhead (as Rocky) and Joe Allen (as Eddie and Dr Scott). The "Phantoms" are played by Reece Budin, Jordan Fox, Rachel Grundy, Darcy Finden, with Danny Knott (as male swing) and Stefania Du Toit (as female swing and dance captain). The show is directed by Christopher Luscombe, with choreography by Nathan M Wright, set design by Hugh Durant, costumes by Sue Blane, lighting by Nick Richings, sound by Gareth Owen, original arrangements by Richard Hartley, musical supervision and direction by Greg Arrowsmith, associate choreography and direction by Andrew Aherne, associate costumes by Christopher Porter and wig and make-up supervision by Darren Ware. The classic cult musical is currently on tour across the UK, playing at York's Grand Opera House this week (until 19 March), before continuing on to Belfast, Poole, Bromley, Aberdeen, Wycombe, Swansea, Liverpool, Richmond, Bristol, Southend, Stoke-on-Trent, Cambridge, Glasgow, Northampton and Newcastle, with tickets for select dates available below. Thank you for reading the Herald-Whig You have reached our free-content limit. If you are a current subscriber, please log in to continue viewing content or purchase a subscription by clicking the Subscribe button below. Thank you for supporting independent Journalism. Global Partnership Manager, Copenhagen Organization: UNICEF - United Nations Childrens Fund Country: Denmark City: Copenhagen Office: UNICEF Copenhagen Closing date: Friday, 18 March 2022 Do you have solid professional experience in project-managing complex global partnerships? Do you want to drive and develop the industrys best partnership relations with some of Denmarks largest companies and foundations? Can you innovate and set the strategic direction for continuous growth and renewal of partnerships? Are you able to simultaneously ensure tight project management and follow-up while engaging many stakeholders at the highest level? Do you have strong communication skills? And do you have the relevant experience to manage global partnerships across divisions both internally and with the partner? Then you might be the one we are looking for. UNICEF Denmark is expanding our partnerships with the private sector, and we are looking for a Global Partnership Manager to drive and develop the relationship with one of our key global partners with headquarters in Denmark. You will be in close dialogue with the partnerships primary stakeholders, coordinate the many threads and directions in the partnership, and keep an ongoing focus on strategy, advocacy, and communication. As Global Partnership Manager, you will lead a project team dedicated to the partnership, and be the key focal point across UNICEF globally. The partnership project team consists of multinational specialists within the fields of strategic relationship building, program management, communication, and advocacy. The position is based in the Partnership Department, and you will report directly to the Head of Shared Value Partnership Development & Innovation. As Global Partnership Manager you will, in close collaboration with international colleagues, and the Head of SVP Development & Innovation of UNICEF Denmark, fulfil the following responsibilities: Provide best-in-class partnership management and ensure the expansion and renewal of the partnership. Help steer UNICEFs developing program agenda with partners and seek to strengthen engagement opportunities across the wheel of corporate engagement Manage the daily dialogue with the partners - including leading, preparing and following up on weekly coordination meetings, ensuring annual reporting, etc. Prepare and facilitate high-level dialogues with senior stakeholders such as annual and bilateral meetings. Establish new initiatives and maximize the financial and non-financial deliverables of the partnership. Provide overall partnership management and serve as project manager for the team of colleagues. Collaborate closely with UNICEFs HQ, Regional Offices and Country Offices to explore. develop and help bring to fruition collaboration opportunities and liase and manage additional opportunities in relation to the overall strategic direction and partnership parameters Arrange and coordinate field visits and high-level meetings. Ensure that the partnership is monitored and evaluated so that the set objectives are met, and the agreement reporting is delivered on time. c9xexqn Dh7qKS Collaborate closely with the colleagues in the partnership department focusing on creating synergies in partnership engagements and knowledge sharing. The ideal candidate for the position has the following profile: At least 8 years of relevant experience, a long cycle academic education and excellent leadership skills Solid experience with corporate and foundation partnerships, including negotiation and collaboration with stakeholders at the highest corporate level. Proven ability to successfully make and secure multi-million financial and non-financial ask. Demonstrable experience with program collaboration, including program formulation and budget, preferably within or in collaboration with the UN system. Ambitious, entrepreneurial, results-oriented with the ability to independently lead and run a business area, execute effective strategic planning, development and project monitoring. Ability to create coherence between the strategic level and day-to-day activities. Analytically strong and a good communicator of complex material. Experience with communication and advocacy, and the ability to convey complex program material. Fluent in English, written and spoken. Some level of Danish would be preferable but is not a requirement. Strong interpersonal and diplomatic skills. Send us your application If you identify with the above and want to help set new standards for partnership development, then you may be our new colleague in the worlds largest childrens organization. As Global Partnership Manager, you will become part of a dynamic organization and work alongside more than 80 colleagues in UNICEF Denmark, as well as a broad range of international UNICEF colleagues in Geneva, New York and Country offices around the world. The position is 37hours per week including lunch break. UNICEF Denmark values a healthy work-life balance for all employees, and the position includes opportunity for partial working-from-home arrangements based on agreement with the manager. Salary and terms of employment are by agreement and are made on Danish terms. Travel activities to progam implementing UNICEF Country Offices, as well as UNICEF Headquarters in Geneva and New York must be expected. Send your application and CV via our job portal no later than 18th of March. Write "Global Partnership Manager" in the subject field. We expect to hold interviews week commencing 21st of March. Expected start of employment is May 1st. If you have questions about the position, you are welcome to reach out to Head of SVP Development & Innovation, Angelin Larsen on tel. 0045 31853154 Link to the organizations job posting: https://unjobs.org/vacancies/1647022080407 Child Protection Officer, Tashkent, Uzbekistan Organization: UNICEF - United Nations Childrens Fund Country: Uzbekistan City: Tashkent Office: UNICEF in Tashkent Closing date: Thursday, 24 March 2022 Child Protection Officer, (NO-2), Tashkent, Uzbekistan #107240, Fixed-term (Only for Uzbekistan nationals) Job no: 549088 Position type: Fixed Term Appointment Location: Uzbekistan Division/Equivalent: CEE/CIS School/Unit: Republic of Uzbekistan Department/Office: Tashkent, Rep. of Uzbekistan Categories: Child Protection UNICEF works in some of the worlds toughest places, to reach the worlds most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential. Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone. And we never give up. Organizational Context and Purpose for the job The fundamental mission of UNICEF is to promote the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything the organization does in programmes, in advocacy and in operations. The equity strategy, emphasizing the most disadvantaged and excluded children and families, translates this commitment to childrens rights into action. For UNICEF, equity means that all children have an opportunity to survive, develop and reach their full potential, without discrimination, bias or favoritism. To the degree that any child has an unequal chance in life in its social, political, economic, civic and cultural dimensions her or his rights are violated. There is growing evidence that investing in the health, education and protection of a societys most disadvantaged citizens addressing inequity not only will give all children the opportunity to fulfill their potential but also will lead to sustained growth and stability of countries. This is why the focus on equity is so vital. It accelerates progress towards realizing the human rights of all children, which is the universal mandate of UNICEF, as outlined by the Convention on the Rights of the Child, while also supporting the equitable development of nations. Job organizational context: The long-term vision for change in the area of child protection in Uzbekistan is to ensure that by 2025, the most vulnerable children, including children from disadvantaged and low-income families, children at early ages and those with disabilities benefit from a protective environment that prevents separation of children from families and deprivation of liberty, and effectively responds to violence, abuse, exploitation and neglect. To achieve this outcome, UNICEF will support the Government to: (a) Ensure inter-sectoral coordination to prevent unnecessary family separation and shift from large institutional care to family and community-based care (supporting system strengthening, data collection, modelling family support and alternative care services, and the transformation of closed educational institutions); (b) Strengthen a dedicated social service workforce that applies a case management approach and practices social work functions (supporting the development of specialized services and social service workforce university programmes, and strengthening identification and referral of high-risk cases related to violence and other vulnerabilities, with efforts at national and community level to address harmful gender norms and practices that exacerbate violence, including child marriage); and (c) Apply child-friendly and gender-sensitive procedures, diversion and alternatives to deprivation of liberty (strengthening the current justice for children system and ensuring that boys and girls in contact with the law are better served and protected when involved in justice proceedings by introducing practices of alternatives to detention, such as diversion and probation, as well as a restorative justice approach). Purpose for the job: The Child Protection Officer reports to the Child Protection Specialist for supervision. The Child Protection Officer provides professional technical, operational and administrative assistance throughout the programming process for child protection programmes/projects within the Country Programme from development planning to delivery of results. H/She prepares, executes, manages, and implements a variety of technical and administrative programme tasks to facilitate programme development, implementation, programme progress monitoring, evaluating and reporting. The Child Protection Officer will assist the UNICEF Country Office, relevant governmental and non-governmental partners, and Academia in a) planning, developing and supporting the social work and social service workforce, including enhancing normative frameworks for the social work and social service workforce, improving pre- and in-service capacity-building programmes, and strengthening child protection case management procedures and practices, support services and referrals, and b) in advancing the childcare reform, with a focus on reducing the reliance of residential care by strengthening family- and community-based support services and alternative care options, including evidence generation, policy dialogue and advocacy, and technical guidance and support. Key function, accountabilities and related duties/tasks Summary of key functions/accountabilities: Support to programme development and planning Programme management, monitoring and delivery of results Technical and operational support to programme implementation Networking and partnership building Innovation, knowledge management and capacity building Support to programme development and planning Conduct and update the situation analysis for the development, design and management of child protection related programmes/projects. Research and report on development trends (e.g. economic, social, health) and data for use in programme development, management, monitoring, evaluation and delivery of results. Contribute to the development and establishment of sectoral programme goals, objectives, strategies, and results-based planning through research, analysis and reporting of child protection and other related information for development planning and priority and goal setting. Provide technical and operational support throughout all stages of programming processes by executing and administering a variety of technical, programme, operational, and administrative transactions, preparing related materials and documentations, and complying with organizational processes and management systems, to support programme planning, results based planning (RBM) and monitoring and evaluating of results. Prepare required programme documentations, materials and data to facilitate the programme review and approval process. Programme management, monitoring and delivery of results Work closely and collaboratively with colleagues and partners to discuss implementation issues, provide solutions, recommendations and/or to alert appropriate officials and stakeholders for higher-level interventions and/or decisions. Keep records of reports and assessments for easy reference and/or to capture and institutionalize lessons learned. Participate in monitoring and evaluation exercises, programme reviews and annual sectoral reviews with government and other counterparts to assess programmes/projects, and to report on required action/interventions at the higher level of programme management. Monitor and report on the use of sectoral programme resources (financial, administrative and other assets), verifying compliance with approved allocations, organizational rules, regulations, procedures and donor commitments, standards of accountability and integrity. Report on critical issues and findings to ensure timely resolution by management and stakeholders. Follow up on unresolved issues to ensure resolution. Prepare regular and mandated sectoral programme/project reports for management, donors and partners to keep them informed of programme progress. Technical and operational support to programme implementation Conduct regular programme field visits and surveys and exchange information with partners/stakeholders to assess progress and provide technical support. Take appropriate action to resolve issues and/or refer to relevant officials for resolution. Report on critical issues, bottlenecks and potential problems for timely action to achieve results. Provide technical and operational support to government counterparts, NGO partners, UN system partners and other country office partners/donors on the application and understanding of UNICEF policies, strategies, processes and best practices in child protection, to support programme implementation. Networking and partnership building Build and sustain close working partnerships with government counterparts and national stakeholders through active sharing of information and knowledge to facilitate programme implementation and build capacity of stakeholders to achieve and sustain results on child protection. Participate in inter-agency meetings/events on programming to collaborate with inter-agency partners/colleagues on UNSDCF operational planning and preparation of child protection programmes/projects, and to integrate and harmonize UNICEFs position and strategies with UNSDCF development and planning processes. Research information on potential donors and prepare resource mobilization materials and briefs for fund raising and partnership development purposes. Draft communication and information materials for CO programme advocacy to promote awareness, establish partnership/alliances and support fund raising for child protection programmes. Innovation, knowledge management and capacity building Identify, capture, synthesize, and share lessons learned for knowledge development and to build the capacity of stakeholders. Apply innovative approaches and promote good practices to support the implementation and delivery of concrete and sustainable programme results. Research and report on best and cutting edge practices for development planning of knowledge products and systems. c9qwRBE Dh7qKS Participate as a resource person in capacity building initiatives to enhance the competencies of clients and stakeholders. Impact of Results The efficiency and efficacy of support provided by the Child Protection Officer to programme preparation, planning and implementation, contributes to the achievement of sustainable results to create a protective environment for children against harm and all forms of violence, as well as the unnecessary separation of children from their families. Success in child protection programmes and projects in turn contributes to maintaining and enhancing the credibility and ability of UNICEF to provide programme services for mothers and children that promotes greater social equality in the country. To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have... A university degree in one of the following fields is required: international development, human rights, psychology, sociology, international law, or another relevant social science field. A minimum of two years of professional experience in social development planning and management in child protection related areas is required. Experience working in a developing country is considered as an asset. Relevant experience in programme development in child protection related areas in a UN system agency or organization is considered as an asset. Experience in both development and humanitarian contexts is an added advantage. Fluency in English, Uzbek and Russian. For every Child, you demonstrate... UNICEFs values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, and Accountability (CRITA). The UNICEF competencies required for this post are... i) Core Values Care Respect Integrity Trust Accountability Core Competencies Demonstrates Self Awareness and Ethical Awareness (1) Works Collaboratively with others (1) Builds and Maintains Partnerships (1) Innovates and Embraces Change (1) Thinks and Acts Strategically (1) Drive to achieve impactful results (1) Manages ambiguity and complexity (1) To view our competency framework, please visit here. UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization. UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. UNICEF also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check. Remarks: Mobility is a condition of international professional employment with UNICEF and an underlying premise of the international civil service. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process. Advertised: Mar 10 2022 West Asia Standard Time Application close: Mar 24 2022 West Asia Standard Time Link to the organizations job posting: https://unjobs.org/vacancies/1646922810374 Normally, it is my husband saying squirrel to me when in mid-sentence I change gears to a new topic. But, last weekend, it was yours truly yelling at my husband to help me with a squirrel situation. Im very pleased to hear that Keith Denning is running for State Assembly in the new 42nd district. Keith has dedicated his life to public service, both in his profession as a nurse anesthesiologist and in the many voluntary medical missions he has undertaken around the world. He is someone not afraid to address tough, tough problems. Ive grown weary of candidates, nationally and locally, who base their campaigns on fearfear of change, fear of others, and, in this state, fear of Hartford. I dont doubt their sincerity, but I do question their efficacy. Our most effective representatives have worked hard to solve state-wide problems and, in the process, gained the influence necessary to safeguard Wiltons interests. Sen. Will Haskell and Rep. Stephanie Thomas come to mind. Keith is, like them, a compassionate collaborator who will serve us effectively as our first Representative of the 42nd district. Bob Carney The Russian invasion of Ukraine hit shockingly close to home for Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra music director Daniel Raiskin. His wife, Larissa, and his mother-in-law, Galyna Reznikova, barely escaped war-torn Ukraine with little more than the clothes on their backs after a perilous, 40-hour train ride to the relative safety of Slovakia late last month. Supplied Larissa and Daniel Raiskin are remaining together in Bratislava to be with Larissas mother, who is battling cancer and a recent COVID-19 diagnosis. "Total disbelief," Raiskin says of his state of mind over the phone from Bratislava, Slovakias capital. The Russian-born maestro has led the Slovak Philharmonic Orchestra as its principal conductor since 2020 and had been preparing for a concert when the first missiles began raining down on his Ukrainian wifes birthplace of Kharkiv. "This has been a terrible example of how close this tragedy can get to your own front door, and how it can dramatically impact your loved ones where you feel completely desperate. This is not a movie," he said in an interview Saturday. Raiskin recounted how his wife made the decision to take one of the last planes flying into Ukraine from Europe in late February. She travelled via Istanbul from their Amsterdam home to the countrys second most populous city of 1.4 million to support her mother, alone and waging her own battle with cancer, having just begun a gruelling new round of chemotherapy that week. As the Russian bombs and missiles grew more deafening, and after Larissa texted her husband at 5 a.m. on Feb. 24 saying they were under rocket attack, the family made the gut-wrenching decision for the two women to leave Kharkiv, joining the now 2.7 million and counting Ukrainian evacuees desperately attempting to escape their ravaged homeland. After waiting 45 minutes in sub-zero weather on the street, a kindly passerby finally offered to drive them to the local train station, where they were joined by hundreds of fleeing passengers. Squished into a railcar originally designed for four passengers with 11 others, including a five-year old child and a cat, they began slowly snaking their way through western Ukraine for what is normally a 16-hour journey, first stopping at Kyiv, by then nearly surrounded by Russian forces. They were accompanied by a barrage of shelling and the wails of air-raid sirens, often travelling in complete, terrifying darkness to avoid detection by the Russian military. A man and woman stand next to fragments of military equipment on the street in the aftermath of a Russian strike in Kharkiv, Ukraine on Feb. 24. (Andrew Marienko / The Associated Press files) Feeling helpless in Bratislava, Raiskin kept in "sketchy" contact with his family members throughout the ordeal. Fearing losing precious battery power on her cellphone, Larissa could only send short messages and text one-word names of train stations they had just passed to let her husband they were still alive, safe, and on their way. They eventually made it to Ukraine-Slovak border, where Raiskin had been anxiously waiting, literally parking his car by a potato field. "There were many tears and we were able to kiss and embrace each other, but still had to walk a few miles to my car, which was parked outside the village," he says, noting the border had been closed by the military to avoid potential influxes of journalists and gawking, curious bystanders. "We were getting warm pizza shoved into our hands, with volunteers from both sides of the border asking us if we had transportation and somewhere to go. Happily we did," he says. The trio left for a hotel an hours drive away to rest overnight before the next leg of their journey to Amsterdam. There were many tears and we were able to kiss and embrace each other, but still had to walk a few miles to my car, which was parked outside the village. Daniel Raiskin However, Larissas mother unexpectedly tested positive for COVID-19, becoming too ill to travel further. She is now fighting for her life with COVID-19-related pneumonia in a Bratislava hospital, with the Raiskins "hoping and praying" for her recovery. However, they are deeply grateful to be together, with the conductor acknowledging that his wife and mother-in-law were still the "lucky ones" to get out with millions unable to flee. The couple will remain by her side; their son Ilia, 23, and daughter Sophia, 18 are both living in Amsterdam and they hope to take turns visiting them as soon as possible. The conductor, who has been on the WSO podium since 2018, had been billed to lead this past weekends (A)bsolute Classics concert, featuring Ukrainian-born Israeli violinist Vadim Gluzman performing Tchaikovskys Violin Concerto, Op. 35. Associate conductor Julian Pellicano filled in during his absence. Saturday nights program, whch opened with the Ukrainian National Anthem, Shche ne vmerla Ukraina, included Raiskins pretaped video greetings from Bratislava, where he introduced his last-minute program change to include Hymn 2001 by 84-year-old Kyiv-born composer Valentin Silvestrov, who had escaped to Berlin three days prior from Ukraine. His stirring string orchestra work offered a message of peace and solace for the 21st century. Raiskin was audibly exhausted from stress and worry during the interview, but his voice flashed with anger when speaking of President Vladimir Putin, the "monster" leading Russia. Raiskin, who left what was then the Soviet Union in 1989 at age 20, has openly condemned the Russian government for its "senseless barbarism" and atrocities being inflicted on a peaceful sovereign nation. Having made regular past guest appearances with the St. Petersburg-based Mariinsky Orchestra, Moscow Philharmonic, and the St. Petersburg Philharmonic Symphony, among others, the conductor posted a strongly worded statement on his personal website, the WSO home page and his own Facebook page in which he formally suspended all future work and concert engagements in Russia. He says this will last for the foreseeable future, or at least until there has been a radical change in the Russian regime, underscoring that his career-altering decision has been made not for political reasons, but out of respect for "universal basic human values, rights and responsibilities." The probability of me seeing my 86 and 85yearold parents soon is zero, and still alive is questionable. Daniel Raiskin Raiskin, the son of a prominent Russian musicologist and mathematician, grows resigned when asked when or if he expects to see his elderly parents again. They still reside in his native city of St. Petersburg, where Raiskin attended the famed conservatory that claims such illustrious alumni as Tchaikovsky, Prokofiev and Shostakovich. "The probability of me seeing my 86- and 85-year-old parents soon is zero, and still alive is questionable," he says frankly, adding that he keeps in touch via telephone. "This is one of the things that is giving me lots of torment and pain, but I cant stay silent. I feel that especially for us artists, our primary duty is to speak the truth whenever we can, and if its possible, to express it through the art we make. You have to stand up and be loud and clear about what you believe in. "But I can tell you that my parents have seen a great deal over their lifetimes; as children, the horrors of the Second World War; later, the repressions of the Soviet state. They remember everything very well, and are under no illusion of what is happening today." holly.harris@shaw.ca TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) China banned most people from leaving a coronavirus-hit northeastern province and mobilized military reservists Monday as the fast-spreading stealth omicron variant fuels the country's biggest outbreak since the start of the pandemic two years ago. Workers line up for COVID test outside an office building on Monday, March 14, 2022, in Beijing. Chinese authorities reported more than 1,300 locally transmitted cases of COVID-19 across dozens of mainland cities Monday as the fast-spreading variant commonly known as "stealth omicron" fuels China's biggest outbreak in two years. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan) TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) China banned most people from leaving a coronavirus-hit northeastern province and mobilized military reservists Monday as the fast-spreading "stealth omicron" variant fuels the country's biggest outbreak since the start of the pandemic two years ago. The National Health Commission reported 1,337 locally transmitted cases in the latest 24-hour period, including 895 in the industrial province of Jilin. A government notice said that police permission would be required for people to leave the area or travel from one city to another. The hard-hit province sent 7,000 reservists to help with the response, from keeping order and registering people at testing centers to using drones to carry out aerial spraying and disinfection, state broadcaster CCTV reported. Hundreds of cases were reported in other provinces and cities along China's east coast and inland as well. Beijing, which had six new cases, and Shanghai, with 41, locked down residential and office buildings where infected people had been found. "Every day when I go to work, I worry that if our office building will suddenly be locked down then I wont be able to get home, so I have bought a sleeping bag and stored some fast food in the office in advance, just in case," said Yimeng Li, a Shanghai resident. Residents line up for COVID test on Monday, March 14, 2022, in Beijing. Chinese authorities reported more than 1,300 locally transmitted cases of COVID-19 across dozens of mainland cities Monday as the fast-spreading variant commonly known as "stealth omicron" fuels China's biggest outbreak in two years. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan) While mainland China's numbers are small compared to many other countries, and even the semi-autonomous city of Hong Kong, they are the highest since COVID-19 killed thousands in the central city of Wuhan in early 2020. No deaths have been reported in the latest outbreaks. Hong Kong on Monday reported 26,908 new cases and 249 deaths in its latest 24-hour period. The city counts its cases differently than the mainland, combining both rapid antigen tests and PCR test results. The city's leader, Carrie Lam, said authorities would not tighten pandemic restrictions for now. "I have to consider whether the public, whether the people would accept further measures," she said at a press briefing. A worker collects a delivery for residents under lock down in a community on Monday, March 14, 2022, in Beijing. Chinese authorities reported more than 1,300 locally transmitted cases of COVID-19 across dozens of mainland cities Monday as the fast-spreading variant commonly known as "stealth omicron" fuels China's biggest outbreak in two years. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan) Mainland China has seen relatively few infections since the initial Wuhan outbreak as the government has held fast to its zero-tolerance strategy, which is focused on stopping transmission of the coronavirus by relying on strict lockdowns and mandatory quarantines for anyone who has come into contact with a positive case. The government has indicated it will continue to stick to its strategy of stopping transmission for the time being. Officials on Sunday locked down the southern city of Shenzhen, which has 17.5 million people and is a major tech and finance hub that borders Hong Kong. That followed the lockdown of Changchun, home to 9 million people in Jilin province, starting last Friday. People wearing face masks walk through the Central district in Hong Kong, Monday, March 14, 2022. Chinas mainland is seeing a widespread surge of new infections across its main cities. The numbers are small relative to Hong Kong, which had reported 32,000 cases Sunday. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung) On Monday, Zhang Wenhong, a prominent infectious disease expert at a hospital affiliated with Shanghai's Fudan University noted in an essay for China's business outlet Caixin, that the numbers for the mainland were still in the beginning stages of an "exponential rise." China's vast passenger rail network said it would cut service significantly, and both China Railway and airlines said they would offer free refunds to people who had already bought tickets. Shanghai suspended bus service to other cities and provinces. Shanghai has recorded 713 cases in March, of which 632 are asymptomatic cases. China counts positive and asymptomatic cases separately in its national numbers. Schools in China's largest city have switched to remote learning. Ready, Pet, Go! Leesa Dahl looks at everything to do with our furry, fuzzy, feathered, fishy (and more!) pet friends. Arrives in your inbox each Monday. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. Residents walk their dog past shuttered shops in the Huaqiangbei area, the world's biggest electronics market, in Shenzhen, southern China's Guangdong province Monday, March 14, 2022. Officials on Sunday locked down Shenzhen due to rising coronavirus infections, which has 17.5 million people and is a major tech and finance hub that borders Hong Kong. (Chinatopix Via AP) In Beijing, several buildings were sealed off over the weekend. Residents said they were willing to follow the zero-tolerance policies despite any personal impact. "I think only when the epidemic is totally wiped out can we ease up," said Tong Xin, 38, a shop owner in the Silk Market, a tourist-oriented mall in the Chinese capital. Much of the current outbreak across Chinese cities is being driven by the variant commonly known as "stealth omicron," or the B.A.2 lineage of the omicron variant, Zhang noted. Early research suggests it spreads faster than the original omicron, which itself spread faster than the original virus and other variants. "But if our country opens up quickly now, it will cause a large number of infections in people in a short period of time," Zhang wrote Monday. "No matter how low the death rate is, it will still cause a run on medical resources and a short term shock to social life, causing irreparable harm to families and society." ___ Associated Press video producer Olivia Zhang in Beijing and researcher Chen Si contributed to this report from Shanghai. Dozens of Ukrainians fleeing their country and the Russian army are looking for information about moving here from a Manitoba Ukrainian organization. Dozens of Ukrainians fleeing their country and the Russian army are looking for information about moving here from a Manitoba Ukrainian organization. And, if they do, the provincial government will waive the fees for Ukrainian citizens to apply through the provincial nominee program. Ostap Skrypnyk, of the Ukrainian Canadian Congress Manitoba branch, said as of Tuesday, they a list of 157 Ukrainians who had contacted the organizations website for information about moving here. "We will be keeping in touch with them through email," Skrypnyk said. "There are people in Europe now who would like to move here, or are thinking about it, so they can put down their names. We cant promise we can help them, but we wanted to know what their needs are." The congress has a list of 700 people who have offered to open up their homes to Ukrainians. It had to stop taking offers because they had flooded in. "It was such an overwhelming response we had to put a pause on it until we decide how to process these names. And, which shows this is Friendly Manitoba, it seems like a broad cross section of society. I would think the vast majority arent obviously of Ukrainian descent." About 180,000 Manitobans are of Ukrainian descent. Already, Economic Development Winnipeg, which had been planning to go to Ukraine to see if any of its highly skilled work force wanted to move here, but now it is pivoting to help organizations like the UCC help spread the word to Ukrainians there will be temporary or permanent job opportunities here for them. The Stefanson government said Tuesday it will make it easier for Ukrainians to come here. Immigration Minister Jon Reyes said the government would waive the $500 fee for Ukrainian citizens who apply to the nominee program. Reyes said his office has authorized the prioritization of applications from Ukrainian families and flagged approved applications for the federal government to give its stamp of approval to. "Our government will do whatever we can to welcome as many Ukrainians as possible to stay in Manitoba," Reyes said in the house. Speaking to reporters, Reyes said there were about 100 applications from Ukraine citizens in the queue as of two weeks ago, some of whom are already in Manitoba. Updated numbers were not immediately available. RUTH BONNEVILLE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS LOCAL Immigration Minister Jon Reyes said his office has authorized the prioritization of applications from Ukrainian families and flagged approved applications for the federal government to give its stamp of approval to. "Theyre being expedited as quick as possible," Reyes said. The Manitoba government has opened a special application stream for Ukrainians on the provinces website, the minister noted. "Those are for Ukrainians that are actually looking to get out of the Ukraine, if they have relatives in Manitoba or wanted to come to Manitoba," Reyes said. "We know there are Ukrainians who cant get to a Canadian embassy. So, weve communicated that to the federal government and our communication streams to ensure that theyre aware of that link." It was unclear how the processing time for applications could be affected by the fee being waived. The province has not set a cap on the number of applications it will accept and the current processing time is about three months. However, Reyes said the province is still waiting for direction from the federal government on which immigration streams it will make available to Ukrainians, including for those who claim refugee status, which could be faster than the provincial nominee program. People who are in the queue should expect delays. "We know that there are many that want to come to Manitoba," Reyes said. "With a special case like this, there obviously will be some delays. I cant pinpoint on how long it will be, but again were in a very unique situation." NDP MLA Mark Wasyliw, whose family came to Canada as refugees after the Second World War, said the Stefanson government could do even more. "What we can do is be our traditional role as a safe harbour for refugees, Wasyliw said. "We were calling for this at the start of the invasion and we are now at Day 20 and it shouldnt have taken this government 20 days into the invasion, with three million Ukrainian refugees, mostly women and children, and seeing the mass horrors and the war atrocities to get them to act." Wasyliw said the government should provide the Ukrainian Canadian Congress with money to hire full-time resettlement officers. Shelley Cook | Uplift A weekly review of funny, uplifting news in Winnipeg and around the globe that is delivered to your inbox each Wednesday. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. "Manitobans want to be part of this solution, they are lining up to do it. They need their government to partner with them to make that a reality." Liberal Leader Dougald Lamont also called on the government to help the local Ukrainian congress. "We need the government to put money into settlement services," Lamont said. "The other thing, which we think is essential, is to make sure people, basically as soon as they arrive in Manitoba, are treated as full Manitobans and can get access to health care here because youre going to see all sorts of people in distress." kevin.rollason@freepress.mb.ca danielle.dasilva@freepress.mb.ca Danielle Da Silva Reporter Danielle Da Silva is a general assignment reporter. Read full biography WASHINGTON (AP) President Joe Biden on Tuesday signed a bill providing $13.6 billion in additional military and humanitarian aid to Ukraine as part of a $1.5 trillion government spending measure that omits COVID-19 aid the White House says is urgently needed. President Joe Biden speaks at the National League of Cities Congressional City Conference, Monday, March 14, 2022, in Washington. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky) WASHINGTON (AP) President Joe Biden on Tuesday signed a bill providing $13.6 billion in additional military and humanitarian aid to Ukraine as part of a $1.5 trillion government spending measure that omits COVID-19 aid the White House says is urgently needed. The COVID spending was a casualty of negotiations over the larger government bill. The White House had asked for $22.5 billion for vaccines and treatment, but that was trimmed during talks to $15.6 billion and ultimately dropped altogether as rank-and-file Democrats rebelled against proposed cuts in state aid to pay for the new spending. We have made tremendous progress in our fight against COVID-19 but our work isnt done, Biden tweeted Tuesday. We need Congress to immediately provide $22.5 billion in emergency funding to sustain our nations COVID-19 response. In a Tuesday call with governors, White House COVID-19 coordinator Jeff Zients highlighted severe consequences" that the lack of additional funding would have on the nation's response, including federal support for states, according to an administration official. The White House says that without additional funding, the federal government will stop accepting new claims next week for treating uninsured people for COVID-19 and that state allocations of life-saving monoclonal antibody treatments will be slashed by 30% to prolong their supply. The administration says it also needs more money to purchase more antiviral pills and prophylactic treatments for people who are immunocompromised, as well as to buy more vaccine doses in the event regulators recommend additional booster shots or a variant-specific booster, should one arise. Ready, Pet, Go! Leesa Dahl looks at everything to do with our furry, fuzzy, feathered, fishy (and more!) pet friends. Arrives in your inbox each Monday. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. President Joe Biden speaks before signing the Consolidated Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2022 in the Indian Treaty Room in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on the White House Campus in Washington, Tuesday, March 15, 2022. Vice President Kamala Harris listens at left. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky) With cases rising abroad, scientific and medical experts have been clear that in the next couple of months, there could be increasing cases of COVID 19 here in the United States as well," said White House press secretary Jen Psaki. Waiting to provide funding until were in a worse spot but the virus will be too late. We need funding now." The $1.5 trillion bill to fund the government for the current year that runs through Sept. 30 is being enacted five months behind schedule. But the money for Ukraine to fight Russias invasion became a bipartisan rallying point for the measure as Congress urged Biden to take more aggressive steps against Russian President Vladimir Putin. Putin's aggression against Ukraine has united people all across America, united our two parties in Congress, and united the freedom loving world, said Biden. Roughly half the $13.6 billion would arm Ukraine and cover the Pentagons costs for sending U.S. troops to other Eastern European nations that might see the war spill past their borders. Much of the rest is for humanitarian and economic assistance, strengthening regional allies defenses and protecting their energy supplies and cybersecurity needs. The $1.5 trillion government spending bill includes a nearly 7% increase for domestic initiatives, with beefed-up spending for schools, housing, child care, renewable energy, biomedical research, law enforcement grants to communities and feeding programs. It also directs money to minority communities and historically black colleges, renews efforts aimed at preventing domestic violence against women and requires infrastructure operators to report serious hacking incidents to federal authorities. Republicans won an almost 6% boost for defense and prevailed in retaining decades-old restrictions against using federal money to pay for nearly all abortions. VAUGHAN, Ont. - CannTrust Holdings Inc. plans to change its name after exiting creditor protection, with its subsidiary receiving $17 million in financing from a group of investors led by a Netherlands-based private equity investment company. A young cannabis plant is shown in Fenwick, Ont., Tuesday, June 26, 2018. THE CANADIAN PRESS/ Tijana Martin VAUGHAN, Ont. - CannTrust Holdings Inc. plans to change its name after exiting creditor protection, with its subsidiary receiving $17 million in financing from a group of investors led by a Netherlands-based private equity investment company. The beleaguered Ontario-based cannabis company has yet to unveil its new moniker but plans to convene a meeting of its shareholders within the next four months. Marshall Fields International B.V., a subsidiary of Kenzoll B.V., has invested $11.2 million to acquire a 90 per cent equity interest in CannTrust Equity and provided a $5.5 million secured credit facility. CannTrust retains the remaining 10 per cent of the common shares of CannTrust Equity. The company has therefore now emerged from court-supervised proceedings under the Companies Creditors Arrangement Act. It intends to either apply to the Ontario Securities Commission for an order revoking the OSC's "failure-to-file" cease-trade order dated April 13, 2020 or take steps to obtain a stock exchange listing for the common shares of CannTrust Equity. Ready, Pet, Go! Leesa Dahl looks at everything to do with our furry, fuzzy, feathered, fishy (and more!) pet friends. Arrives in your inbox each Monday. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. "This marks the end of one long journey and the beginning of a new, exciting era for CannTrust. Today we can take our first step forward, focusing our attention on the bright future that lies ahead, with our new partners, Kenzoll," stated CannTrust CEO Greg Guyatt in a news release. Founded in 2013, CannTrust faced class-action lawsuits from investors who said they lost millions of dollars after the company allegedly made misrepresentations about having necessary licences for growing cannabis. Securities charges against three former executives former chief executive Peter Aceto, former vice-chairman Mark Litwin, and former chairman Eric Paul are set to be reviewed in Ontario court Sept. 20. Aceto, Paul and Litwin each face charges of fraud, making false or misleading statements and authorizing, permitting or acquiescing in the commission of an offence. Litwin and Paul are also facing insider trading charges and Litwin and Aceto are charged with making a false prospectus and false preliminary prospectus. The quasi-criminal charges were announced in June by the Ontario Securities Commission, roughly three years after CannTrust was found to be growing thousands of kilograms of cannabis in unlicensed rooms. This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 15, 2022. BEIJING (AP) Chinese authorities on Tuesday tightened anti-virus controls at ports, raising the risk of trade disruptions after some auto and electronics factories shut down as the government fights coronavirus outbreaks. Residents line up for a COVID-19 test at a mobile testing site on Tuesday, March 15, 2022, in Beijing. China's new COVID-19 cases Tuesday more than doubled from the previous day as the country faces by far its biggest outbreak since the early days of the pandemic. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan) BEIJING (AP) Chinese authorities on Tuesday tightened anti-virus controls at ports, raising the risk of trade disruptions after some auto and electronics factories shut down as the government fights coronavirus outbreaks. Stock prices in China and Hong Kong sank for a second day following the shutdown on Monday of Shenzhen, a tech and finance hub adjacent to Hong Kong in the south, and Changchun, an auto center in the northeast. Bus service to Shanghai, China's business capital and biggest city, was suspended. Chinas case numbers are low compared with other major countries. But authorities are enforcing a zero tolerance strategy that aims to keep out the virus. It has temporarily shut down major cities to find every infected person. The restrictions come at a time when the global economy is under pressure from Russias war on Ukraine, surging oil prices and weak consumer demand. We can think of no risk to the global economy, excluding nuclear warfare, that is greater than the risk of a COVID outbreak in China that shutters industrial production, said Carl B. Weinberg of High-Frequency Economics in a report. Uncountable manufacturing supply chains pass through China. A medical worker takes swab sample from a resident for COVID-19 test in Hangzhou in eastern China's Zhejiang province Tuesday, March 15, 2022. China's new COVID-19 cases Tuesday more than doubled from the previous day as it faces by far its biggest outbreak since the early days of the pandemic. (Chinatopix via AP) Economists say for now, smartphone makers and other industries can use factories and suppliers in other parts of China. But a bigger threat looms if business is disrupted at ports in Shenzhen, Shanghai or nearby Ningbo. They link Chinese factories that assemble most of the world's smartphones and computers, as well as a big share of appliances and other goods, with foreign components suppliers and customers. A one-month slowdown at Shenzhens Yantian Port last year caused a backlog of thousands of shipping containers and sent shockwaves through global supply chains. The risk here is whether COVID will be found at Yantian Port, said Iris Pang, chief China economist for ING. If the port has to be suspended, it will affect a lot of electronic imports and exports. There was no sign of major disruption, but port operators announced curbs on face-to-face contact with shippers and sailors. The agency that manages the Shanghai port closed windows where customers submit documents and said that function would go online. It gave no indication cargo-handling or other operations were affected. The port of Lianyungang, north of Shanghai, announced foreign sailors were barred from leaving ships or using the city to change crews. Residents line up for COVID-19 test in Yantai city in eastern China's Shandong province Monday, March 14, 2022. China's new COVID-19 cases Tuesday more than doubled from the previous day as the country faces by far its biggest outbreak since the early days of the pandemic. (Chinatopix via AP) Shenzhen suspended cross-border freight service at the Liantang crossing into Hong Kong. It said the Man Kam To crossing would be limited to handling fresh and live food to make sure Hong Kong gets adequate supplies. The lockdown of Shenzhen creates significant risks of supply chain disruptions, said Rajiv Biswas, chief Asia economist for IHS Markit, in an email. The risk of global disruption "would escalate if authorities in Shanghai also decide to implement a lockdown. The number of new cases reported Tuesday on the Chinese mainland more than doubled to 3,507. Nearly 90% were in Jilin province, where Changchun is located, with 3,076 cases. Hong Kong, which reports separately, had 26,908 cases on Monday. The Yantian Port tried to reassure customers operations were normal. A statement on its social media account promised to make every effort to ensure the smoothness and stability of this lifeline for port supply." China, where the pandemic started in late 2019 in the central city of Wuhan, became the first major economy to rebound after Beijing closed factories, shops and offices to contain the disease. A woman and child wait for a COVID-19 test near a mobile testing site on Tuesday, March 15, 2022, in Beijing. China's new COVID-19 cases Tuesday more than doubled from the previous day as the country faces by far its biggest outbreak since the early days of the pandemic. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan) This year, the ruling Communist Party's growth target is 5.5%. If achieved, that would be well below last year's 8.1% expansion. But forecasters consider it aggressive at a time when construction, which supports millions of jobs, is in a slump due to a crackdown on debt in the real estate industry. Leaders are promising tax cuts for entrepreneurs and higher spending on building public works. That might help to boost consumer spending and cushion the economy from a slowdown in manufacturing. The latest infection surge, blamed on a fast-spreading variant dubbed stealth" omicron, is challenging Beijing's pandemic strategy. All businesses in Shenzhen and Changchun except those that supply food, fuel and other necessities were ordered to close. Bus and subway services were suspended. Millions of residents were told to undergo virus testing. Anyone who wants to enter Shanghai, a city of 24 million people with auto factories, China's biggest stock exchange and offices of global companies, must be tested. On Tuesday, the shutdown was extended to Dongguan, an industrial city with 10.5 million people northwest of Shenzhen. The official Xinhua News Agency said all businesses except suppliers of food and other necessities were ordered to close through March 21 while authorities tested the whole population. Residents take their COVID-19 test at a tent as it snows in Changchun city in northeastern China's Jilin province Tuesday, March 15, 2022. China's new COVID-19 cases Tuesday more than doubled from the previous day as the country faces by far its biggest outbreak since the early days of the pandemic. (Chinatopix Via AP) CHINA OUT Elsewhere, the populous eastern province of Shandong had 106 new cases on Tuesday. Guangdong in the south, where Shenzhen is located, reported 48. Shanghai had nine and Beijing, six. Jilin province, where Changchun is located, has barred residents from leaving the province and from traveling between cities within it. Automakers Volkswagen and Toyota, iPhone assembler Foxconn and smaller companies have announced they are suspending production at some factories. Others including telecom equipment maker Huawei Technologies Ltd., Apple Inc., General Motors Co. and electric vehicle brand BYD Auto didn't respond Tuesday to questions about how they might be affected. The risk of broader lockdowns is increasing, Bank of America economists said in a report. Volkswagen AG said Changchun factories for the VW and Audi brands shut down from Monday to Wednesday. Toyota Motor Co. said its Changchun factory that makes RAV4 and Harrier SUVs suspended operations Monday. Shenzhen, a city of 17.5 million people, is home to some of Chinas biggest companies including Huawei, BYD Auto, Ping An Insurance Co. of China and Tencent Holding, operator of the popular WeChat message system. Taiwanese-owned Foxconn, which assembles Apples iPhones, has its China base in Shenzhen. Shelley Cook | Uplift A weekly review of funny, uplifting news in Winnipeg and around the globe that is delivered to your inbox each Wednesday. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. Foxconn assembles some smartphones and tablet computers in Shenzhen but has moved most production out of the city. Other manufacturers also have shifted to less expensive parts of China or abroad. They keep research and development, finance and marketing in Shenzhen functions that can be done by employees working from home. Manufacturing is in other places, so unless all of China is affected by COVID, it is not going to be really a shortage of particular goods. For example, phones, said INGs Pang. Also, authorities appear to be trying out a dynamic zero COVID policy that still aims to keep out the virus but uses targeted lockdowns to try to reduce the economic and social cost, said David Chao of Invesco. Many see this as a huge COVID risk that could potentially cause further weakness in the Chinese economy, said Chao. But I think this gives policymakers the opportunity to evolve their pandemic policies." ___ AP researchers Chen Si in Shanghai and Yu Bing in Beijing contributed. CANBERRA, Australia (AP) An appeals court on Tuesday overturned a groundbreaking ruling that Australias environment minister had a duty to protect younger people against climate change. FILE - Laura Kirwin, Izzy Raj-Seppings, Ava Princi and Liv Heaton pose for a photo outside The Federal Court of Australia in Sydney, Australia on May 27, 2021. An appeals court has overturned a groundbreaking ruling, Tuesday March 15, 2022, that Australia's environment minister has a duty to protect younger people against climate change. (James Gourley/AAP Image via AP, File) CANBERRA, Australia (AP) An appeals court on Tuesday overturned a groundbreaking ruling that Australias environment minister had a duty to protect younger people against climate change. Three Federal Court judges ruled for a variety of reasons that the court should not impose on Environment Minister Sussan Ley a duty of care. Eight Australian teenagers took Ley to court in 2020 in a bid to prevent her from approving the expansion of a coal mine. They lost their attempt to stop the Vickery mines expansion in New South Wales state, but their lawyers claimed victory from the judges ruling last year that Ley had a duty to prevent future climate harm. In the ruling, Justice Mordy Bromberg noted that the expansion of the Whitehaven Coal-owned mine would lead to an additional 33 million metric tons (36 million U.S. tons) of coal being extracted over 25 years and 100 million metric tons (110 million U.S. tons) of carbon dioxide being released into the atmosphere. Chief Justice James Allsop and Justices Jonathan Beach and Michael Wheelahan, in siding with Ley's appeal, ruled for a variety of reasons that the court should not impose on Ley a duty of care in considering the mines extension. Ley argued that some of Brombergs findings were incorrect and reached beyond the evidence, the appeals judges wrote. The Court is unanimously of the view that these complaints are unfounded." Allsop said the plaintiffs evidence was not challenged by Ley. The threat of climate change and global warming was and is not in dispute between the parties in this litigation, Allsop wrote in the first line of his judgment. One of the activists, Anjali Sharma, said floods described as a one-in-500-year event that have devastated communities in northern New South Wales in recent weeks were proof that the government needed to act on climate change. "The Federal Court today may have accepted the ministers legal arguments over ours, but that does not change the ministers moral obligation to take action on climate change and to protect young people from the harms that will bring, Sharma said outside the Sydney court. It does not change the science. It does not put out the fires or drain the floodwaters, Sharma added. The lawyers for the plaintiffs could appeal to the High Court. Ley welcomed Tuesday's ruling and said in a statement her government remains committed to protecting our environment for current and future generations. Shelley Cook | Uplift A weekly review of funny, uplifting news in Winnipeg and around the globe that is delivered to your inbox each Wednesday. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. Australia, which is one of the worlds largest exporters of coal and liquid natural gas, is under mounting international pressure to take tougher action on climate change. Last year, Australia garnered enough international support to defer an attempt by UNESCO, the United Nations cultural organization, to downgrade the Great Barrier Reefs World Heritage status to in danger because of damage caused by climate change. The reef off Australias northeast coast has suffered significantly from coral bleaching caused by unusually warm ocean temperatures in 2016, 2017 and 2020. The bleaching damaged two-thirds of the coral. But the question will be back on the World Heritage Committees agenda at its next annual meeting in June. The opposition center-left Labor Party says Australia would set a more ambitious target of reducing its greenhouse gas emissions by 43% by the end of the decade if the government changes hands in elections due by May. Leys conservative government was widely criticized at a U.N. climate summit in Scotland in November over his governments target of reducing Australias emissions by only 26% to 28% below 2005 levels by 2030. BEIJING (AP) China's new COVID-19 cases Tuesday more than doubled from the previous day as the country faces by far its biggest outbreak since the early days of the pandemic. A man walks across an empty road during the fourth day of a city wide lock down in Changchun in northeastern China's Jilin province Monday, March 14, 2022. China banned most people from leaving the coronavirus-hit northeastern province and mobilized military reservists Monday as the fast-spreading "stealth omicron" variant fuels the country's biggest outbreak since the start of the pandemic two years ago. (Chinatopix Via AP) CHINA OUT BEIJING (AP) China's new COVID-19 cases Tuesday more than doubled from the previous day as the country faces by far its biggest outbreak since the early days of the pandemic. The National Health Commission said 3,507 new locally spread cases had been identified in the latest 24-hour period, up from 1,337 a day earlier. Jen Zoratti | Next A weekly look towards a post-pandemic future delivered to your inbox every Wednesday. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. A fast-spreading variant known as stealth omicron is testing Chinas zero-tolerance strategy, which had kept the virus at bay since the deadly initial outbreak in the city of Wuhan in early 2020. China has recorded more than 10,000 cases in the first two weeks of March, far exceeding previous flare-ups. No new deaths have been reported in the multiple outbreaks across China, and the case count remains low compared to many other places in the world. The U.K. recorded more than 444,000 cases in the past week. Hong Kong, a semi-autonomous city that tracks its outbreak separately from the mainland, reported 26,908 new cases on Monday alone. Nearly three-fourths of China's new infections were in Jilin, a province in the northeast that reported 2,601 cases. Smaller outbreaks have hit more than a dozen provinces and major cities including Beijing and Shanghai. Jilin has barred residents from leaving the province and from traveling between cities within it. The 9 million residents of Changchun, the provincial capital and an auto manufacturing hub, have been locked down since Friday as authorities conduct repeated rounds of mass testing both there and in the city of Jilin. More than 1,000 medical workers have been flown in from other provinces along with pandemic response supplies, and the province has mobilized 7,000 military reservists to help with the response. Elsewhere in China, Shandong province had the most new cases with 106. Guangdong province in the southeast, where the metropolis and major tech center of Shenzhen has been locked down since Sunday, reported 48 new cases. Shanghai had nine, and Beijing, six. DETROIT (AP) First came the beeping alarms and the dashboard lights warning that something had gone haywire. Then the drivers side windows suddenly and mysteriously rolled down. Kendall Heimans Volkswagen SUV then pulled the scariest stunt of all: It abruptly braked for no reason. Kendall Heiman stands with the loner car she has driven for the past two months, Wednesday, March 9, 2022, in Lawrence, Kan., while a dealership works to repair her Volkswagen 2021 Atlas Cross Sport after the car slammed on the brakes for no reason on Jan. 5. Heiman and a dozen other Cross Sport owners have filed complaints about the issues with the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel) DETROIT (AP) First came the beeping alarms and the dashboard lights warning that something had gone haywire. Then the drivers side windows suddenly and mysteriously rolled down. Kendall Heimans Volkswagen SUV then pulled the scariest stunt of all: It abruptly braked for no reason. Heiman, a clinical social worker in Lawrence, Kansas, was driving her 15-year-old son to a class on Jan. 5 when her 2021 Atlas Cross Sport went bonkers. The malfunctions turned a normally routine two-mile round trip into a white-knuckle ordeal. It literally feels like the car is possessed, Heiman said. "Im not feeling like Im driving my car. My car is driving me. Heimans experience, it turns out, wasnt unique. Since late 2020, 47 VW owners have complained to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration about the same glitches in their 2020 and 2021 VW Atlas and Atlas Cross Sport SUVs. Some drivers reported that they narrowly escaped collisions, though a review of the complaints found no reports of crashes. In a statement, NHTSA said it has been gathering information from VW about the problem and is monitoring complaints and other data sources. The agency hasn't opened a formal investigation. And it would have to collect and analyze additional data before it could seek a recall. Complaints about unexpected braking involving the VW SUVs began in September of 2020, eight months before Heiman bought her SUV, NHTSAs records show. In a statement, Volkswagen said it is working on the problem but stopped short of saying it's recalling the affected vehicles. VW is aware of concerns involving faulty door wiring harnesses in certain Atlas and Atlas Cross Sport vehicles, the company said. We are working closely with NHTSA regarding the next steps towards identifying the affected vehicles. After her SUV's unexpected braking on Jan. 5, Heiman initially kept driving, figuring that the problem was a bizarre fluke. The SUV and a VW app flashed malfunction alerts, she said, but neither displayed a message to stop driving the vehicle. Her Cross Sport braked unexpectedly a few more times that day, but she was able to override it with the gas pedal. Heading into a roundabout on the way home with her son the same day, the SUV abruptly braked and came to a complete stop, Heiman said, and another SUV narrowly missed rear-ending her. She shut the engine off and restarted it to override what she thinks was a malfunction of automatic emergency braking. Jan. 5 was the first time she had encountered the problem with the Cross Sport, which she bought new in May 2021. Once home, Heiman called her dealers service department and got an appointment the next day. On the way there, she said, the SUV braked mysteriously again while exiting a two-lane highway. They didn't tell me it wasn't safe to drive to the dealer, she said. In the shop, a mechanic detected a problem with a wiring harness in the drivers door, but she was told there weren't any parts to fix it. (Electrical shorts in wiring harnesses can cause multiple problems in vehicles, including brake activation.) After discussing the safety risks with her, the dealership arranged for a rental car, Heiman said, and eventually the use of a new all-wheel-drive VW SUV. The same day, Heiman reported the problem to VW in an online chat and was referred to a regional manager who was of little help, she said. VW declined to comment on Heiman's assertions. On Jan. 12, Heiman complained to NHTSA but said she never heard back from the agency. (NHTSA says it reviews all complaints but in most cases doesn't respond directly to them.) For more than two months, Heiman said, her burnt orange Cross Sport, which had 12,600 miles on it and had cost $45,000, sat at the dealership waiting for the part. But late last week, after a reporter contacted the dealership, Heiman received a call telling her that the part had come in and that her vehicle had been repaired. Others who filed complaints with NHTSA wrote that dealers told them they were out of loaner cars and that they should keep driving their vehicles. They also could not guarantee that my parking brake would not engage again while the car was in drive, but did not want to offer me a rental car because Volkswagen doesnt consider it a safety issue, one unidentified owner from Sidney Center, New York, wrote in a complaint. Heiman's experience with Volkswagen made her worry about others who have encountered the same problems with the same VW models. She wonders why the automaker and government safety regulators havent recalled them. If there is a recall, it's not clear how many vehicles would have to be repaired. In 2020 and 2021, VW sold 203,000 of both models combined. Many owners wrote in complaints that the automatic emergency braking system had abruptly stopped their Atlas and Atlas Cross Sport SUVs for no reason. Safety advocates say the new technology, which uses cameras and computers to detect obstacles and stop or slow down if a driver doesnt react, shows great promise to prevent crashes. But the technology is also causing concerns for automakers. NHTSA recently opened investigations into unexpected braking by the systems in some Honda and Tesla vehicles. It has been investigating Nissan Rogue small SUVs since 2019. In documents about the Honda investigation, NHTSA said that six people complained of crashes with minor injuries. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. Inadvertent or unexpected braking activation while driving can cause unexpected speed reductions that can lead to increased vulnerability to rear end impact collisions, the agency wrote. Investigations often lead to recalls. But they can take months or even years to complete. NHTSA is working on developing rules that will require automatic emergency braking system on all new light vehicles and heavy trucks. In addition, automakers have agreed to make the system standard on most of their models by September of this year. We all want to have technology, said Michael Brooks, chief counsel for the nonprofit Center for Auto Safety. But if it doesn't work and it actually causes other safety issues like phantom braking, then it suggests they need a bit of a performance standard for all of these AEB systems. ____ AP Researcher Jennifer Farrar in New York contributed to this report. NEW YORK (AP) A Ukraine-born businessman was sentenced Tuesday to a year and a day in prison for his conviction in a conspiracy that enabled a Russian tycoon to make illegal donations to U.S. political candidates with help from two associates of Rudy Giuliani. NEW YORK (AP) A Ukraine-born businessman was sentenced Tuesday to a year and a day in prison for his conviction in a conspiracy that enabled a Russian tycoon to make illegal donations to U.S. political candidates with help from two associates of Rudy Giuliani. Andrey Kukushkin, 49, was sentenced in Manhattan federal court by Judge J. Paul Oetken, who said Kukushkin deserved leniency from federal sentencing guidelines that recommended he spend four to five years behind bars. The judge cited the war in Ukraine and the terrible emotional difficulties resulting from it, along with unusual personal circumstances for Kukushkin, including severe medical issues facing Kukushkin's parents. He also fined Kukushkin $10,000 for his conviction on charges of conspiring to make illegal foreign contributions and aiding and abetting. Prior to the sentence being revealed, Kukushkin, wiping away tears, portrayed himself as a victim of bad decisions by others, telling the judge he had made the colossal mistake of trusting people. Kukushkin, who moved to the U.S. in the 1990s, was convicted at a fall trial by a jury that also convicted Lev Parnas, who awaits sentencing. Parnas and Igor Fruman, who pleaded guilty to a single charge prior to trial and was sentenced to a year in prison, aided Giulianis efforts to get Ukrainian officials to investigate Joe Bidens son during Bidens campaign for president. Giuliani is under criminal investigation as authorities decide whether his interactions with Ukraine officials required him to register as a foreign agent, but he wasnt alleged to have been involved in illegal campaign contributions and wasnt part of the trial of Kukushkin and Parnas. On Monday, prosecutors revealed that the Russian tycoon Andrey Muraviev was secretly indicted in the case in 2020, though he was believed to be residing in Russia. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. An indictment said Muraviev conspired with the other men to funnel $1 million of his fortune toward U.S. political candidates who might support their efforts to acquire U.S. retail cannabis and marijuana licenses. Authorities said Parnas and Fruman pocketed some of the money, using it instead for personal expenses, while also making donations primarily to Republicans in Nevada, Florida and other states. Kukushkins lawyer, Gerald Lefcourt, asked that his client be spared from prison, saying he was different from others charged in the case because he was not accused of multiple frauds and did not lie to financial institutions. Assistant U.S. Attorney Aline Flodr had argued for a sentence of at least four years in prison, saying others who might commit a similar crime need to know that it would be taken seriously. She said members of the American public were the true victims. The case, she said, demonstrated that all the things they fear are happening to the American political system are indeed happening. A Canadian man was injured when a military base near Ukraine's western border was struck by Russian missiles on the weekend, says the head of an organization now helping the volunteer fighter get back home. Displaced Ukrainians onboard a Poland bound train in Lviv, western Ukraine, Sunday, March 13, 2022. Lviv, so far, has been spared the scale of destruction unfolding to its east and south. The city's population of 721,000 has swelled during the war with residents escaping bombarded population centers and as a waystation for the nearly 2.6 million people who have fled the country. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP-Bernat Armangue A Canadian man was injured when a military base near Ukraine's western border was struck by Russian missiles on the weekend, says the head of an organization now helping the volunteer fighter get back home. Chris Ecklund of Fight For Ukraine said the man's injuries are superficial. He was struck by glass and metal fragments that he "basically picked ... out himself" and may have a slight concussion and some hearing loss. Ecklund did not provide details about the man or where in Canada he is from. "I've arranged to have him seen by a doctor, hopefully tomorrow," Ecklund said in an interview late Monday from Hamilton, Ont. "But, I mean, you know, when you go through a missile strike like this I'm sure you've heard of shell shock and PTSD and that's something I hope doesn't traumatize him." Fight for Ukraine has been providing logistical information for Canadians who want to help Ukraine in its fight against Russia's invasion. Ecklund said the injured Canadian is now in a country that neighbours Ukraine. The man was about 20 kilometres from the Ukraine-Poland border, near the Ukrainian city of Lviv, when Russian missiles flew down on the military training base Sunday. Lviv Governor Maksym Kozytskyi said more than 30 Russian cruise missiles targeted the sprawling facility. Most of the Russian missiles "were shot down because the air defence system worked," but the ones that got through killed at least 35 people and wounded 134, he said. Poland is a transit route for Western military aid to Ukraine, and the United States has increased the number of America troops deployed there. Ecklund said the injured Canadian sent pictures of the destruction following the missile strikes, including a huge hole in the ground, structures on fire, broken glass and burning buildings. Some of the man's documents, including his passport, were also destroyed, he said. "The destruction was just incredible," Ecklund said. "He's a lucky young man that he's alive." In a war such as this, Ecklund added, he plans for the worst and hopes for the best. "It was just an absolute miracle that there were no Canadians amongst the dead and the injured," he said. "Right now, we just know of the one this one person." Global Affairs Canada spokesperson Sabrina Williams said in a statement that the department is aware a Canadian was injured in Ukraine following missile strikes over the weekend. "Consular official are in contact with the individual and stand ready to provide assistance," Williams said. "Due to privacy considerations, no further information can be disclosed." Ecklund said his organization, which he described as an information portal, has seen about 300 people "come through our website." The injured Canadian had signed up through the website then followed steps to get authorization from the Ukrainian Embassy, he said. Defence Minister Anita Anand has said it is a person's decision to volunteer to fight, while the Canadian government can provide information about the severity of the situation on the ground in Ukraine. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. The Ukrainian government said about 20,000 foreigners from various nations have joined the so-called International Legion for the Territorial Defense of Ukraine most of them from Western countries. Ecklund said he has been in constant contact with the Canadian since he was injured. "We got him a hot meal to just to kind of raise his spirits a little bit. Because after going through such a traumatic event, I thought, you know what, let's get a nice hot meal in his stomach. Got him a beer too. So he appreciated that," he said. "He's in a much better place, mentally, because he knows that there's a support network there for him." With files from The Associated Press This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 14, 2022. MONTREAL - A Montreal man is facing several charges after a 10-year old girl was beaten and dragged while walking home from school with a friend on Monday. The Montreal Police logo is seen on a police car in Montreal on July 8, 2020. Montreal police say they are investigating the assault of a 10-year old girl who was beaten and dragged in the streets by a man on Monday.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Paul Chiasson MONTREAL - A Montreal man is facing several charges after a 10-year old girl was beaten and dragged while walking home from school with a friend on Monday. Sgt. Raphael Bergeron, a Montreal police spokesman, said the girl was on the sidewalk in the east-end neighbourhood of Pointe-aux-Trembles before noon when a man grabbed and punched her multiple times. Bergeron said officers arrested a 21-year old man after several bystanders intervened and stopped the assault. Audrey Roy-Cloutier, spokeswoman for the provincial prosecutions office, confirmed Tanvir Singh appeared in court Tuesday and was charged with aggravated assault, assault with a weapon, assault causing bodily harm and possession of a weapon. Roy-Cloutier said Singh will return to court on Wednesday for a bail hearing. "He was referred to the psychosocial emergency service so that an assessment of his situation can be made," Roy-Cloutier said. That assessment will determine whether a psychological evaluation is needed. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. Police said the girl was taken to hospital with serious but non-life-threatening injuries to her upper body. A photo of her in hospital, with cuts across her face and her neck braced, was shared online by a family member to show the extent of the attack. "She is suffering from a violent nervous shock as well," Bergeron said. Montreal Mayor Valerie Plante called the assault "very disturbing" during a news conference Tuesday. "There's no room for violence in Montreal," she added on social media, "and a child should never be subjected to it." Quebec Liberal Leader Dominique Anglade tweeted Tuesday that she was heartbroken by the news and demanded justice for the girl. "I would have never believed that someone could assault a young girl on her way back from school," Anglade said. "It's an indescribable horror." This report by The Canadian Press was first published on March 15, 2022. MANITOBAS auditor general will scrutinize provincial addictions services as part of a broad review into supports offered to people struggling with substance use. MANITOBAS auditor general will scrutinize provincial addictions services as part of a broad review into supports offered to people struggling with substance use. Tyson Shtykalo said he ordered the audit as "problematic substance use and addictions can have devastating impacts on those affected, as well as those around them." "I selected this audit because I believe the subject matter is in the public interest," Shtykalo said in a statement to the Free Press. He was not available for an interview. Marion Willis, executive director at St. Boniface Street Links and Morberg House, said the review could serve as a catalyst for modernizing addictions and recovery services in the province. "We need to stop talking about treatment centres and we need to start talking about recovery," Willis said. "We really do need to have a very well-developed, well-defined, seamless system of care that looks at the root cause and treats all that comes with it and supports people long term." Willis said the auditor generals time would be well used evaluating four-week treatment programs which she described as "sacred cows" of the system offered by both provincial and private-sector organizations. "We do know that 28-day addiction treatment programs have had revolving doors for all the decades that Ive been in the sector," Willis said. "They never really worked very well for alcoholics and they certainly are no match for drug addiction, not the level of addiction that we face." Willis also argued there are too few detox centres in Manitoba and current provincial programs do not necessarily meet the needs of people seeking help and rely on exclusionary criteria. Given the rate of overdose deaths reported in 2020, Willis said it is shocking programs have not been overhauled to respond to need. Manitoba reported 372 overdose deaths in 2020, and 199 overdose deaths in the first half of 2021. "Theres never been a more important time to screen people in and meet people where theyre at," Willis said. "We need to better understand the addicted population. Not everyone is coming from the same place, same walk of life, and they didnt enter addiction at the same point." During a desperate search for help while in the midst of opioid withdrawal, Chris Bruce said he was turned away from the Health Sciences Centre and a provincial rapid access to addictions medicine clinic for declining Suboxone, a synthetic opioid treatment. No other treatment options or support were offered as long as he refused the drug, he said. "I felt invisible and more like a statistic than anything else," the 44-year-old said. "It makes you feel helpless." Bruce was on the verge of reaching out to his dealer before connecting with Willis at Morberg House who offered him a bed in the facility earlier this month. Hes now on the mend, gaining weight and was in good spirits when speaking with a reporter Monday. "I wasnt sure if I was going to live through my withdrawal, but I was at a point where I didnt care. I was going to go through the pain or die sober," Bruce said. "I dont think I could ever repay Morberg House." Bruce said the review must look at the scope of current treatment and recovery programs to ensure people in similar situations who prefer to quit "cold turkey" arent left to fend for themselves. "Ive been turned away so many times because I didnt want to go on Suboxone or methadone," Bruce said, adding he has seen too many friends die from drug overdose after trying to quit on their own. "All Ive known was drugs. I dont want that anymore. I want to get better as fast as I can. I quit everything. It was pretty rough on the body," he continued. "I have children, too, that I want to get back to." Willis said she looks forward to an independent analysis of addictions services and hopes the auditor generals review will engage with front-line workers, including those at Morberg House. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. "I think its long overdue," Willis said. "Theres so many reasons why we need to be doing this." In a statement, a spokesman for Mental Health and Wellness Minister Sarah Guillemard said the department is meeting with the auditor general to define the scope of the audit. Last month, Guillemard announced over $40 million in spending to support the governments five-year mental health and community wellness strategy. "These investments will increase access to innovative and evidence-based services across the province and help ensure that when someone needs assistance, programs will be there for them," the spokesman said. The province has yet to determine how the money will be spent, the spokesman said. danielle.dasilva@freepress.mb.ca THE roots of Indigenous communities plunge deep into their lands strata. When the earth shifts and climate changes, advocates say, they are uniquely positioned to feel and see these changes. THE roots of Indigenous communities plunge deep into their lands strata. When the earth shifts and climate changes, advocates say, they are uniquely positioned to feel and see these changes. Tuesdays launch of an Indigenous knowledge section in the Climate Atlas of Canada seeks to recognize those diverse and intimate environmental perspectives. The climate atlas is an interactive climate portal accessible online, created by the University of Winnipegs Prairie Climate Centre. The centre collaborated with a host Indigenous organizations and communities to bring the new addition to life. "This section is meant to help bring Indigenous knowledge and stories and information in a way to connect it to climate research and adaptation planning," said Brett Huson, a Gitxsan Nation author of environmental youth novels and media specialist at Prairie Climate Centre. The atlas will now map climate data for 634 First Nations communities and 53 Inuit communities. Data include jarring predictions of increased days of extreme heat in communities from the West Coast to the east, and fewer days of cold in places such as Northwest Territories, where Inuit communities "rely on the cold, the ice and snow," according to 2007 Nobel Peace Prize nominee Siila Watt-Cloutier, who will take part in Tuesdays online launch. The new section will also include information from Metis climate projects, resources for Indigenous communities, and a series of short documentaries developed with elders, knowledge keepers and Indigenous organizations and communities. Ian Mauro, executive director of the Prairie Climate Centre, said the project takes an important step forward. "This is the first time, anywhere in the world, where youve got climate data available in a format that is specific to Indigenous communities at the scale of an entire country," he said. The project has been many years in the making and, in a way, began before the climate atlas was published in 2018. "Weve been collecting stories and developing documentaries with Indigenous communities for about 15 years," he said. "Through the Prairie Climate Centre, weve taken that to the scale of the entire country that some people call Canada. And so, we now have First Nations, Inuit and Metis climate stories that anchor down that data." Huson said the project provides insight into communities at the forefront of climate change not only into the damages inflicted on the communities but also the generational understanding that drives solutions to environmental issues. One such example Huson cited is the video "Bringing Back the Buffalo," in which University of Lethbridge Prof. Leroy Little Bear of Kainai Nation details efforts to support buffalo populations. Little Bear describes how observation of the environment reveals the animals importance to its ecosystem. "The buffalo is the best environmentalist you can have," Little Bear says in the video. "Wherever the buffalo is, birds that youve never seen before all come back, plants that you dont see anymore end up coming back. The buffalo is a keystone species in regard to environmental issues." Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. Huson said this sort of observational knowledge, learned both firsthand and through generational knowledge, will help all communities to look at climate change with "two-eyed seeing." That means seeing climate change through data and climate models but also through Indigenous perspectives, which may better describe the nuances of effects rippling through the environment. Huson said its important to remember the word "Indigenous" is a catch-all that does not describe a singular culture. There are hundreds of distinct cultures throughout First Nations, Inuit and Metis communities; but there is often a shared closeness to the environment, he said. In turn, that means hundreds of distinct perspectives on the land around them. Those are resources that can help everyone navigates an epoch of climate change, Huson said. Funding for the Indigenous knowledge section launched Tuesday comes from Environment and Climate Change Canada, Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, Assembly of First Nations, and Metis National Council. fpcity@freepress.mb.ca Education leaders are urging students, teachers and community members to be understanding of each others personal choices, as masks become recommended rather than required in schools and across society. Education leaders are urging students, teachers and community members to be understanding of each others personal choices, as masks become recommended rather than required in schools and across society. For some Manitobans, the end of all public health orders March 15, including a mandate face coverings be worn at indoor public facilities and people who have tested positive for COVID-19 temporarily self-isolate, could not come sooner. For others, the changes are premature amid an ongoing pandemic. "I lean toward proactive approaches, not reactive, so its not easy to think of any good reason not to wear a mask at this time particularly in schools where vaccination rates are less than that in the general population," said Andrew Halayko, a professor who studies pulmonary health at the University of Manitoba. Citing the fact Manitoba is in a period of uncertainty with respect to the pandemics next direction, Halayko called the latest changes "an unnecessary risk." As far as the Manitoba School Boards Associations president is concerned, however, there is reason to feel "cautious optimism." "Well start to see a transition of local public schools, in a safe and gradual way, moving back to that central hub role of the community that they enjoyed and frankly, were needed as pre-pandemic," said Alan Campbell, who represents 37 public school boards. Campbell said community access to schools, in-person parent-teacher interviews, and in-person attendance to school functions are all on the horizon after two years of disruptions. Boards with classrooms located in and around the Manitoba capital, including Winnipeg, Pembina Trails, River East Transcona, Seven Oaks, Louis Riel, St. James-Assiniboia, Seine River and the Division scolaire franco-manitobaine, have all released letters about the end of their respective mandates in recent days. Trustees and superintendents have outlined imminent adjustments, for example: the phasing out of physical distancing and cohorting, and called on their respective communities to be compassionate during the transition period. "I understand that many feel these changes may have been made too soon and so, what Ive said to the community is we will continue to monitor the situation closely and carefully, and that is what were doing," said Christian Michalik, who oversees LRSD in southeast Winnipeg. The superintendent said LRSD has always followed public healths lead. The board has been proactive in the past to implement policies it knew were coming down the line from the province, Michalik added. Per the province, divisions and independent schools considering maintaining a mandate were asked to engage with the education department before March 15, and only one undisclosed division of 37 is continuing its mandate until April 21. LRSD is among those who are "strongly recommending" face coverings in its facilities for the foreseeable future. The president of Doctors Manitoba made a similar plea last week, at a news conference during which he compared sending a student to school with a mask to not packing them a peanut butter sandwich if a classmate has an allergy. "As long as COVID is circulating in our communities, its posing a risk to folks. I think we should do everything we can to protect those around us, and that includes wearing a mask," said Dr. Kristjan Thompson. Grade 12 student Brie Villeneuve has no plans to do away with masks. "Theres a lot of anxiety and nervousness and fear," the 18-year-old said Monday. "Were going on spring break soon, and if mask mandates arent around, people are going to see their friends, their families, they are going to be going out without masks." As far as the Grant Park High School student is concerned, it is inevitable cases will rise as restrictions ease and more people particularly, people who have existing health conditions and the elderly will be put in harms way as a result. Villeneuve and other members of MB Students for COVID Safety are organizing another walkout before lunchtime March 21, followed by an after-school protest at the Manitoba Legislative Building to call attention to their concerns. Stay informed The latest updates on the novel coronavirus and COVID-19 delivered to your inbox every weeknight. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. The Manitoba Teachers Society has also been outspoken about worries March 15 is too soon to rollback restrictions in schools and warned it will be incredibly difficult to reimpose them later, if deemed necessary. Union leader James Bedford said empathy is key as directives change. "One of the really important things going forward is to remember that theres a multitude of reasons why an individual in a school setting may choose to wear a mask," Bedford said Monday. with files from Katie May maggie.macintosh@freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @macintoshmaggie The province has paid out more than $5.9 million in COVID-19 sick leave claims to employers for 21,306 employees, Manitobas labour minister said Monday. The province has paid out more than $5.9 million in COVID-19 sick leave claims to employers for 21,306 employees, Manitobas labour minister said Monday. Reg Helwer said in the legislature the Manitoba Pandemic Paid Sick Leave Program, established to help cover the costs of employee sick leave related to COVID-19, expires at the end of the month. Announced in May, the voluntary program provides eligible employers with up to $600 per employee for a maximum of five full days (40 hours) of COVID-19 related sick leave for workers who do not currently have paid sick days through their employer. Helwer was responding Monday to questions from NDP health critic Uzoma Asagwara, who asked the Progressive Conservative government to implement a permanent paid sick leave program. Currently, we are consistent with most other provinces, and were paying close attention to what other jurisdictions are doing, Helwer said. When the premiers talk about removing pandemic restrictions so that we may collectively achieve a return to normal, which normal are they talking about? When the premiers talk about removing pandemic restrictions so that we may collectively achieve a "return to normal," which normal are they talking about? Reclaiming some sort of pre-pandemic normal appears to be Job 1 for Canadas premiers at the moment. They want it so much, theyre all rushing towards a restriction-free state en masse, like a throng of twitchy bargain hunters crashing through the front doors of an electronics warehouse store on Black Friday. They are fixated on that time before terms such as "COVID-19" and "social distancing" invaded our daily lexicon. A time when we moved freely and maskless about our cities, provinces and country without concern. A time when we could visit our elderly friends and family, and they could visit us, without a care in the world. However, even though Manitoba is joining the ranks of jurisdictions trying to roll back the clock, we should all know that this mythical pre-pandemic normal no longer exists. Notwithstanding all of the additional freedoms we have been given this month, were never going back to the kind of life we enjoyed before the pandemic struck. Not that the PC government isnt trying to boot up the wayback machine. Health Minister Audrey Gordon has tried to acknowledge the new normal. (Mikaela MacKenzie / Winnipeg Free Press files) As of Tuesday, you no longer need to wear masks indoors, save for working in or visiting a health-care facility. The province eliminated its vaccine mandate on March 1, meaning you no longer need to show proof of full immunization to enter indoor facilities, including personal-care homes. And those testing positive for COVID-19 no longer need to isolate for any period of time. Does all that mean we no longer need to wear masks indoors, get our booster shots or isolate? In an ultimate act of intellectual dishonesty, the Manitoba government still wants you to do all of those things. It just wont force you. Consider isolation requirements. The province still strongly recommends wearing a mask and steering clear of any "higher-risk people or higher-risk settings" for 10 days after a positive test or onset of symptoms. But it wont force you, leaving sensible people to ask the obvious and appropriate question: how can something be important enough to recommend but not important enough to enforce? If recommendations were enough, wed all be thinner, better drivers and uninterested in any form of video lottery terminal gambling. In fairness, Health Minister Audrey Gordon has tried to acknowledge the new normal. "This path forward will be different for all of us, whether we choose to wear masks or not, or how and when we connect with family and friends," she stated in a Monday news release. "Lets be patient, thoughtful and kind to each other as we navigate this new normal together." However, when you look at what they are doing rather than what they are saying, Gordon and the Tory government are not offering us a new normal; theyre trying to recreate the old normal despite clear signs that its long gone. MIKAELA MACKENZIE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Premier Heather Stefanson scrums in the rotunda at the Manitoba Legislative Building in Winnipeg on Wednesday, March 2, 2022. For Carol/Danielle story. Winnipeg Free Press 2022. The threat of COVID-19 and the emergence of a new and possibly more virulent mutation remains quite high. China is straining under new Omicron outbreaks. In the United Kingdom and parts of the United States where public-health restrictions have been lifted, infections, hospitalizations and deaths are starting to creep back up. These metrics are all reminders that were still facing an existential threat from the novel coronavirus. A threat so clear and present that it will ensure certain groups in society have absolutely no chance at all to return to a pre-pandemic normal. Dan Lett | Not for Attribution A weekly look at politics close to home and around the world that is sent every Tuesday. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. For the foreseeable future, it will continue be very risky to be an elderly person, or someone with underlying health conditions. There is simply no way that anyone over 70 years of age, or who is managing a chronic health condition or immune-system deficiency will be able to resume a pre-pandemic normal. If Gordon were serious about a "new" normal, shed be sustaining the indoor mask mandate. When youre eliminating vaccine mandates and occupancy limits, an indoor mask mandate might be more important now than it was before. Now that weve learned to live with masks, why not keep them? Vaccine mandates should also be part of any definition of the "new" normal. Mandates are the single best way to drive vaccination uptake and are, arguably, just as important now as they were before. Particularly in the health-care sector, where mandates were successful in nudging a lot of vaccine skeptics into getting their shots. For the gross majority of people in this country, masks and vaccines are table stakes for the new normal. Nearly nine in 10 Canadians were navigating daily life with masks and jabs without complaint because they knew it was keeping people safe and protecting our health-care system. We carried masks wherever we went and flashed our vaccine cards without complaint. Will those same people be willing to make the same sacrifices when the next pandemic hits? Maybe, but only if a majority of us reject the false security being offered by the Tory government, and accept that a "next" pandemic is also part of our "new" normal. dan.lett@winnipegfreepress.com A pioneering therapeutic clown program that brings joy to Manitobas sickest children faces uncertainty as it is being reassessed by bureaucrats amid ardent calls for it to continue. A pioneering therapeutic clown program that brings joy to Manitobas sickest children faces uncertainty as it is being reassessed by bureaucrats amid ardent calls for it to continue. The Childrens Hospital program is believed to be the first of its kind in the world, delivering laughter and smiles to young patients with serious injuries or chronic conditions since 1986. Supporters say a clown gives kids, parents and staff moments of levity in harrowing or stressful times, and distracts patients during painful or anxiety-inducing hospital procedures in scary or intimidating surroundings. Therapeutic clown Dr. Bloomsie was featured on goodbear.ca. A hospital source, who claims the program is no longer being funded, is hopeful it will be "revived." "There have been a number of cutbacks over the years," the source said. "Its a great program, and I think well see it happen again." Shared Health, which manages Health Sciences Centre and Childrens Hospital and their spending, insists the program isnt being scrapped. It is being "assessed" as part of a programming review that is looking at what other Canadian hospitals provide and how they use "updated" technology, said a spokesman, who declined to comment on the resident clowns employment status. "The therapeutic clown program is not coming to a close," the spokesman wrote in an email. The "planning work" began years ago, but was delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic, he said, adding Shared Health wants to extend programs to areas such as the emergency department. The Shared Health spokesman said he was unable to get answers regarding the reason for the clown program's reassessment, its annual cost and whether its funding has been pulled. The clown therapy program is part of the hospitals Child Life department, which includes an in-house TV station, music therapy, a toy playroom and libraries. March is Child Life Month. There have been a number of cutbacks over the years. Its a great program, and I think well see it happen again. Source The clown program featured prominently in past Child Life literature and campaigns. It is not among the programs mentioned on a webpage for a current $500,000 fundraising campaign by the Childrens Hospital Foundation of Manitoba (CHFM). "I believe its being reassessed," CHFM president and CEO Stefano Grande wrote in an email in response to whether the program has been discontinued. The hospital makes operational decisions based on staffing and programming to meet the "therapeutic, emotional and developmental needs" of patients and families, a spokeswoman for the foundation added. According to HSCs website, much of Child Lifes funding comes from CHFM donors. The website describes the clown program as "an integral part" of child health at HSC. Shared Healths review has sparked fears the program may not continue or may take on a different form in the future. Karen Ridd, who came up with the idea and was its first clown, would be "heartbroken" if it ended. Winnipeg is seen as the parents of this global movement. It would be tragic for so many reasons to see the program discontinued. Karen Ridd "Winnipeg is seen as the parents of this global movement," she said. "It would be tragic for so many reasons to see the program discontinued." The program began when Ridd, a freelance entertainer who portrayed a silent mime clown named Robo, approached then-Child Life director Ruth Kettner. When Kettner took her to a ward to visit patients, Ridd wearing her clown costume heard the cries of a young boy who was undergoing treatment after being mauled by a dog. His eyes were fixed on her as she entered his room and began playing with one of his toy cars. "Within minutes, he was playing and laughing with me," said Ridd. Convinced the program would be a good fit, Kettner found funding for the role of a therapeutic clown. Hospitals in several countries have copied it since then. This program, which people may feel is an addon, is really essential. It makes a big difference because it helps kids to feel at home. Liberal MLA Dr. Jon Gerrard Liberal MLA Dr. Jon Gerrard, former director of pediatric oncology and hematology at Childrens Hospital, wants the program to continue. Ending it would be a "big mistake" because it helps children heal and recover, and a sign decision makers are "poorly informed" and dont understand kids, said Gerrard, the MLA for River Heights. "This program, which people may feel is an add-on, is really essential. It makes a big difference because it helps kids to feel at home." NDP Leader Wab Kinew agreed. "Were talking about brightening up the day of a young person going through tough times," said the Leader of the Opposition and Fort Rouge MLA. "I would shudder to think the austerity agenda of government has gone so far that we cant afford to help kids that are suffering." David Langdon worked at the hospital until his retirement in 2019. The clown program featured prominently in past Child Life literature and campaigns. (Ruth Bonneville / Free Press files) After starting the program, Ridd stayed on until 1989, and was followed by clowns Dianne Baker and David Langdon, who worked at the hospital until his retirement in 2019. He was followed by Alexandra Bolton, who has a masters degree in drama therapy. Known as Dr. Bloomsie, she was "thoroughly vetted through performance evaluations by patients," according to a Shared Health profile of Child Life in March 2021. CHFM announced Boltons hiring in a series of social media posts that month, sharing a photo of her in costume. "A new clown at HSC Winnipeg Childrens Hospital is bringing laughter, joy, and silliness to sick and injured kids!" posts on Facebook and Twitter stated. "This doctor loves to dance, make jokes, and most of all give kids a reason to smile!" "Youre one in a million Dr. Bloomsie, thank you," the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority tweeted in response. CHFM shared the same photo Jan. 15, as it promoted the program. "The goal of the clown is to give children tools so theyre able to direct play, which is very meaningful in a setting like a hospital where they often dont have much control," a Facebook post read. With files from Malak Abas chris.kitching@freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @chriskitching The Progressive Conservative government has been accused of picking and choosing which byelection communication blackout rules to follow. The Progressive Conservative government has been accused of "picking and choosing" which byelection communication blackout rules to follow. On Monday, the premiers office invited media to an event she attended. Meanwhile, the health minister refused to discuss plans to address Manitobas surgical backlog, saying it would amount to a breach. Eight days before the March 22 byelection in Fort Whyte, Premier Heather Stefansons press secretary notified the media the premier would be attending a news conference, titled: "WestJet to announce summer schedule and Manitoba investments in recovery." According to the provincial document, "Guidelines on Communications During an Election," Manitoba "ministers cannot use government resources (financial, staff or otherwise) to initiate contact with the media, including interviews and news releases." The 10-page government document explains the section of the Election Financing Act that restricts government advertising to ensure government resources are not used to support an election campaign. "When ministers attend meetings or events, government resources should not be used to advertise or publish the ministers speaking event, to invite people to that event or to publish the contents of their speech after it is made." When asked about it Monday, in a scrum with reporters at Winnipeg Richardson International Airport, the premier said she was not in breach of the byelection blackout. "This does not violate any elections laws," said Stefanson, whose speech touched on WestJet being a critical partner to Manitobas economy and that air connectivity is key to its long-term recovery. She said the Tory government is committed to working with its economic development partners and the business community. While advertising the premiers attendance at the good-news event was not considered a breach of the byelection blackout rules by the PC government, talking about the progress made by the surgical and diagnostic task force to address an estimated backlog of 161,000 surgeries and procedures is considered a no-no. Health Minister Audrey Gordon has said a detailed update on the progress of the task force expected March 4 wont be available until after the March 22 byelection. "Theyre just picking and choosing how to follow the (Election Financing) Act and thats not right," said NDP legislative and public affairs critic Malaya Marcelino. She said the government doesnt want to talk about delays in health care but does want to talk about the economy reopening and flights being restored. "Because its a good-news story for the government, its good to go?" said the Notre Dame MLA. "Well, its not. Manitobans still want to know about updates about the surgical task force. This is information that is very pertinent to public health." Marcelino said Monday she will be seeking Manitobas elections commissioners opinion on the matter. Liberal Leader Dougald Lamont, too, said the premier should not have been at the WestJet news conference. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. "The PCs are using government funds and staff to promote the premier in the middle of a campaign. Thats not allowed. Even for the premiers press secretary to send out an e-mail to media promoting her involvement ignores the blackout," said the member for St. Boniface. "The voters of Fort Whyte deserve a free and fair byelection, and it is truly unfortunate that the Stefanson PCs think the rules dont apply to them." University of Manitoba political studies professor emeritus Paul Thomas said the use of political and communications staff to promote Mondays event is "on balance, problematic." It could be argued it was simply to alert the media to the availability of the premier after shed been accused of not making herself available to questions, said Thomas. "The more likely explanation is that the WestJet event is an opportunity for favourable publicity in terms of renewed economic activity, which has been her central message." carol.sanders@freepress.mb.ca A proposed neighbourhood rehabilitation home would strive to help Winnipeggers recover from addictions, with services that could extend over a few years for some patients. A proposed neighbourhood rehabilitation home would strive to help Winnipeggers recover from addictions, with services that could extend over a few years for some patients. Adult and Teen Challenge of Central Canada plans to convert an industrial building at 83 Kate St. in the Centennial neighbourhood into a new addictions treatment centre, which would also incorporate 18 apartments for a transitional successful housing program. "I really believe we can really help families and people cut down on the time that theyre in the destructive pattern of the devastation of addiction and find complete freedom," said Daniel Emond, the organizations president. "We hope and pray that our city will embrace and help us and (help) make this dream a reality." The facility would offer 20-bed short-term and 45-bed long-term recovery programs, as well as transitional housing that helps people who need it gradually re-enter the broader community. Some people who require all those steps could spend years in treatment. "It covers all stages of recovery and the full spectrum of services," said Emond. The facility would be a positive addition to the neighbourhood, he said. "The traffic that we would create is actually good traffic. Its people that are changing their lives, that want help. It wouldnt be driving drugs or drug dealers or crime to the area," said Emond. The full spectrum of treatment services would be expected to increase the likelihood of successful outcomes, while one- to three-bedroom apartments could help families stay close to the person recovering from addiction, he said. "We can actually help families. Maybe dads struggling with alcohol addiction and moms not able to make the mortgage or just in crisis. We want to be able to bring the whole family into the facility," he said. The warehouse at 83 Kate St. is more than 100 years old. (Jessica Lee / Winnipeg Free Press) The project is expected to cost about $8.5 million, with a fundraising campaign expected to begin after a City of Winnipeg zoning process wraps up. While the area is already zoned for residential development, the proposal requires a conditional use hearing at city councils Lord Selkirk-West Kildonan community committee on March 18. The warehouse building is a unique and beautiful structure that is more than 100 years old, Emond said, noting it is worth keeping and renovating Adult and Teen Challenge already operates other recovery beds in the city, but Emond said the pandemic, along with rising food prices, economic uncertainty and other factors, is fuelling a sharp increase in demand for more addictions treatment spaces. "Its devastating to see some of the people with needles and methamphetamine in complete psychosis. There is more of a need than ever (for treatment) with the uncertainty of the world," he said. A city report on the proposal describes the facility as a good fit for the surrounding neighbourhood. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. "The proposal is to utilize an existing building, which in addition to preventing waste from going to the landfill also results in preservation of the existing built form and character of the neighbourhood," the report states. Coun. Cindy Gilroy, who leads the Winnipeg Housing Steering Committee, also believes in the necessity of the facility. "This is something Ive been really championing. This is something that is deeply needed, as we know that we have a major addiction problem in the city," said Gilroy. Adult and Teen Challenge would decide whether the proposed space will serve men or women based on demand. joyanne.pursaga@freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @joyanne_pursaga Speaker Myrna Driedger has dismissed an allegation Health Minister Audrey Gordon deliberately misled the Manitoba legislative assembly on an unfulfilled promise to provide an update on the surgical and diagnostic task force. Speaker Myrna Driedger has dismissed an allegation Health Minister Audrey Gordon deliberately misled the Manitoba legislative assembly on an unfulfilled promise to provide an update on the surgical and diagnostic task force. In her ruling Monday, Driedger said NDP health critic Uzoma Asagwara would have to prove the minister deliberately misled the house and show there was a clear intent to purposely do so by knowingly making statements that would mislead. On March 3, Gordon told the legislature the task force would be providing an update the following day. On March 4, there was no update provided by government officials. Instead, a summary of the task forces progress since its last update Jan. 19 was posted on a provincial government website. No new initiatives were announced. Gordon said she was advised by government unveiling a detailed task force update would be in violation of the Election Financing Act rules limiting government communication during a byelection period. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. The health minister said she wouldnt be able to provide further information until after the March 22 byelection in Fort Whyte. On March 7, Asagwara rose in the house to allege Gordon violated the rules and misled members. The NDP MLA asked the health minister to apologize to the house, and the failure of the government to set a deadline to clear the backlog be moved to a committee for immediate consideration. The Speaker dismissed the matter Monday, citing previous rulings. A burden of proof exists that goes beyond speculation or conjecture but involves providing absolute proof Including a statement of intent by the member involved that the stated goal is to intentionally mislead the house by knowingly putting incorrect information in the record, Driedger said. Providing information showing that some facts are at variance is not the same as providing proof of intent to mislead. carol.sanders@freepress.mb.ca A new program aims to provide refuge to Ukrainians forced to flee a devastating Russian invasion, while also trying to connect them with jobs in Winnipeg. A new program aims to provide refuge to Ukrainians forced to flee a devastating Russian invasion, while also trying to connect them with jobs in Winnipeg. Before the current crisis, Economic Development Winnipeg had planned a mission to recruit new talent from Ukraine, due to the countrys highly skilled labour force. Instead, as millions have left the Eastern European nation, the economic development agency has shifted its focus to supporting those seeking a safe destination, along with federal and other partners. "We are working with cultural organizations, (including) the Manitoba arm of the Ukrainian Canadian Congress, to find expedited pathways for Ukrainian refugees to find safe harbour in our province. We will now use our business networks on the ground in countries that have received displaced Ukrainians to spread the word about temporary or permanent job opportunities that exist here in Winnipeg," Dayna Spiring, the organizations president, told city councils innovation and economic development committee on Monday. The original mission planned to tap into Ukraines strong talent pool in information and communications technology, agribusiness, advanced manufacturing, aerospace and transportation distribution, all of which are also key industries in Manitoba, Spring said. The program will now focus on helping newcomers find jobs quickly, which could also boost Winnipegs economic recovery from COVID-19, she said. Economic Development Winnipeg said its efforts will extend to attracting entire businesses, who could possibly opt to temporarily or permanently move their operations from Ukraine to Winnipeg. "Let us give (them) a safe landing space," said Spiring. Nick Krawetz, a volunteer with the Ukrainian Canadian Congresss Manitoba branch, said he supports the effort to not only help people leave Ukraine, but to proactively attempt to connect them with jobs. Nick Krawetz, a volunteer with the Ukrainian Canadian Congresss Manitoba branch, supports the effort to help people leave Ukraine and connect them with jobs. (Jessica Lee / Winnipeg Free Press) "Theyre fleeing missiles right now, so the ultimate goal is to get them to safety. If they can come to Manitoba temporarily or permanently, seeking a safe refuge, we want to make sure they are supported on all fronts. Were hoping the business community will be able to hire these people rather soon so that they can start recovering and supporting themselves and also supporting their families back in Ukraine," said Krawetz. Since men between the ages of 18 and 60 are not allowed to leave Ukraine, he noted many families are being separated. "The timing is quite dire but these people, (some of whom) are stuck in neighbouring countries, if they have an opportunity to come to Manitoba, they should be welcomed with open arms," said Krawetz. He said hes hopeful a federal announcement will share details of two streams of immigration from Ukraine by Thursday: one that allows people to work or study in Canada for up to two years and another for permanent moves (which could include those who have family already living in Canada). About 180,000 Manitobans have Ukrainian roots, a factor that could help ease the transition for those who move here, Krawetz added. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. "Its kind of a win-win for the people that are seeking refuge but also mobilizing our business community and potentially attracting some of these people to help grow our economy," said Krawetz. Coun. Jeff Browaty, who leads the innovation committee, said "heartbreaking" violence in Ukraine remains the top concern. At the same time, he agreed that proactively planning to help those who move to Winnipeg find jobs is a good idea. "People are not necessarily here by choice, but theyre going to make the best of the circumstances," said Browaty. "One of the ways we can help is matching them with good employment." Following Mondays meeting, Economic Development Winnipeg told the Free Press that the effort to fast-track immigration pathways from Ukraine is still "in the early stages." joyanne.pursaga@freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @joyane_pursaga An attempt by out-of-province crime groups to muscle into the citys illicit drug trade led to a concerning uptick in gun violence last fall, police say. An attempt by out-of-province crime groups to muscle into the citys illicit drug trade led to a "concerning" uptick in gun violence last fall, police say. Subsequent investigations by the Winnipeg Police Service guns and gangs unit initially based on intelligence provided by other, larger police agencies resulted in five arrests and the seizure of large quantities of methamphetamine, fentanyl and cocaine. Beginning in September, separate drug networks one from Alberta/B.C. and another from the Toronto area attempted to quickly take control of pieces of the local market, the WPS organized crime unit commander said Tuesday. "People were coming into the city and essentially using force, they were using violence to try and sell these drugs," Insp. Elton Hall told reporters at police headquarters. "What I mean by that is they had handguns, they were coming in and shooting their way into the city for lack of a better word, and trying to establish themselves they were bulldozing their way into the city." That "immediate violence" was between existing Winnipeg gangs and out-of-province rivals, including drive-by shootings, vehicle chases and shootouts gunplay not often seen in the city, Hall said. "When violence does occur and things do happen, the guns and gangs unit usually finds out pretty quickly and we can usually mediate or arrest our way out of it or talk to individuals in the community to try and hash out the issues and problems," he said. "In this particular case, this type of violence where youre just shooting out of car windows Obviously, now you have issues of innocent people being hit or random discharges going on in the city." Hall said the group from the Toronto area was the one "causing problems," while the network from the west dispersed once investigators got involved. MIKE DEAL / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS People were coming into the city and essentially using force, they were using violence to try and sell these drugs, Insp. Elton Hall told reporters at police headquarters. The first arrests came Nov. 29. Investigators reported a commercial truck delivering a large shipment of drugs at Deacons Corner to the east of Winnipeg, police said. Officers stopped a vehicle and arrested one man, seizing 15 kilograms of methamphetamine, two kg of fentanyl and one kg of cocaine. City police executed a search warrant on the 800 block of Sterling Lyon Way, seizing four kg of meth and 77 grams of fentanyl, and arrested one man. Brandon police later arrested the driver of the commercial tractor trailer and seized the vehicle. A search of the truck located 0.5 kg of fentanyl and $40,000 in cash; Hall said the trucking company not involved. On Feb. 24, the guns and gangs unit executed three warrants: one each on the 700 block of Corydon Avenue, the 100 block of University Crescent, and the 300 block of Salteaux Crescent. Nine kg of meth, eight ounces of fentanyl and nearly $100,000 in cash were seized. Officers arrested two men. Hall said the bust was significant for two reasons. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. "Looking at the bigger picture here, you have a health crisis in Winnipeg right now and across Canada, so you have a large amount of drugs taken off the street, which again alleviates issues that some of our emergency rooms, hospital staff, doctors, nurses etc. (deal with)," he said. The second was the correlated uptick in gang activity and gun violence. Curtis Sugira Ndatirwa, 23, and Nathan Britton Kelly, 26, both of Winnipeg; Marcu Remington Burt, 25, and Tushar Thaman, 20, both of Edmonton; and 24-year-old Manveer Singh of Surrey, B.C., have been charged with drug trafficking and proceeds of crime offences. All were detained in custody. "Whatever group this is, the arm is dismantled for the time being," Hall told the Free Press. erik.pindera@freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @erik_pindera Nick Krawetz, a third-generation Ukrainian-Canadian from Winnipeg, is asking Manitoba universities to cover tuition costs for Ukrainian students impacted by the war. Nick Krawetz, a third-generation Ukrainian-Canadian from Winnipeg, is asking Manitoba universities to cover tuition costs for Ukrainian students impacted by the war. Krawetz wrote a letter to the presidents of Brandon University, the University of Winnipeg and the University of Manitoba on Saturday. In the letter, he calls on them to cover the costs of airfare, tuition, resident fees, meal plans and counselling for Ukrainian students. To read more of this story first reported by CBC News, click here. This content is made available to Free Press readers as part of an agreement with CBC that sees our two trusted news brands collaborate to better cover Manitoba. Questions about CBC content can be directed to talkback@cbc.ca. Before the war, Economic Development Winnipeg had planned a mission to recruit workers from Ukraine. The agency has since shifted its focus to helping people get to safety. Leaders of three European Union countries Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovenia are planning to travel to Kyiv today to show support for Ukraine. A poll found nearly three-quarters of Canadians believe NATO allies should prepare for military intervention over the attack on Ukraine. Here is a look at other foreign leaders who have addressed this nations Parliament. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is scheduled to address a special sitting of Canadas Parliament this morning in the latest in a series of virtual visits to plead for international aid as his country battles Russian invaders. It is the dazed and distant look in their eyes that haunts me, especially now as the massive exodus from Ukraine occupies my thoughts. Opinion It is the dazed and distant look in their eyes that haunts me, especially now as the massive exodus from Ukraine occupies my thoughts. My first experience with people fleeing war was in 2013 in Lebanon, as a writer with Mennonite Central Committee Canada. I visited a settlement for Syrian refugees south of Beirut where MCC provided humanitarian support. I saw Syrian families crowded into abandoned buildings, living in tarp tents, storing their belongings in buckets and boxes and cooking on camp stoves. I watched beautiful children laughing and playing, while not far away people lined up for the few toilets that served hundreds of people. But the image that dominates my memory of that time is not captured in any photograph, notebook or story that I wrote. It lives in my heart, and it is awakened every time I hear or read about people uprooted by war or disaster. A few days after arriving at the settlement, I was sitting with Syrians who had been there for weeks, talking about the many challenges they faced as newcomers to Lebanon. Unexpectedly, a small group of men, women and children came toward us. They had just made the perilous journey from Syria to the safety of the settlement. I had already heard about the horrendous experiences of people fleeing the bombing and brutality; rushing to grab whatever essentials they needed, traveling by night for safety, seeking out transportation, finding shelter in ditches or under bridges. But on this day, it was the look in the eyes of the newly arrived Syrians that seized my heart. As the adage goes the eyes are the window to the soul. Through that portal, I saw fear and shock, devastating loss, and the trauma of flight from their homeland. In that moment, it was as if their minds hadnt yet adjusted to the reassurance of a safe place. They were suspended in an other-world of fatigue, disbelief and mourning. Now, as I watch Russian bombs and tanks roll through Ukraine, I grieve again for people who are on the run. I have been to Ukraine twice, both times to visit MCC projects. On my first visit, in the fall of 2013, I spoke to people who had HIV/AIDS, or were struggling with addictions and poverty. On my second trip, in 2016, I met many people who were, even then, fleeing from Russian incursion. Russia had already annexed Crimea, and the conflict had spread eastward to the Donetsk and Lugansk regions, bordering Russia. I recall some of the names of the people I met in Ukraine, but not all. I do remember their faces. These are some of the people who welcomed me to their homes, told me their stories and proudly shared the culture and history of their country: Ira, who I traveled with on both visits. She was only a child when Ukraine gained independence, but she grew up with her parents memories of life under Russian rule, and a lingering anxiety that the Russians would some day try to reclaim her country. Sixty-seven-year-old Alla, who fled from her home in Donetsk in 2014 because of the fighting in her area. We spoke as she was sitting on a bed in a Soviet era dormitory in Zaporizhzia. She had been there for two years, and told me the war had taken precious years from her life. She wanted so badly to go home. Lena, who talked about the day the air-raid sirens sounded in Lugansk and the warning to take food, water and documents into the basement of her home. She and her two sons fled to Nikopol, while her husband stayed behind to care for elderly parents in a building with no running water. She told me she tried not to think about the shells destroying her home. I remember a pastor wearing a Ukrainian military uniform. It was my first encounter with the complexity and dissonance of being a person of faith in a time of war. He was ministering to Ukrainian soldiers battling the Russian forces in eastern Ukraine. His own son was one of those soldiers. We talked about the challenges of preaching peace and reconciliation as a Christian, while watching Russians and Russian sympathizers claim your home territory. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. Natalia, who described her life as an addict and prisoner in a Ukrainian prison. When she was released, she began a new drug-free life, reunited with her son and helped found an organization to support people living with HIV/AIDS. I met Natalia in 2013. When I returned to Ukraine in 2016 and saw her again, it was like greeting an old friend. I remember the man who helped release an MCC shipment of canned meat from Canada and the United States that was caught up in red tape. I am not sure how he did it, but the much-needed food arrived and was quickly distributed to people displaced by war. And I recall the prescient words of Vadym in 2016. He worked at a humanitarian organization in Zaporizhzhia, about 200 kilometres from the conflict zone. He told me the armed groups kept firing back and forth, and families kept fleeing the region. It is a war, he said, and the rest of the world seems to have forgotten what is happening in my country. Today, as I obsessively scan news reports about Russias invasion of Ukraine, I am remembering the pain and trauma I saw in the eyes of Syrian refugees in Lebanon several years ago. I pray my friends in Ukraine, and all Ukrainians who are under attack and on the run, will find refuge. I know their eyes will tell their stories of despair and loss, long after their feet have carried them to safety. Julie Bell is a Winnipeg-based writer, former senior writer/editor at Mennonite Central Committee Canada and former CBC journalist. Lindsay Wright has considered driving her teenage daughter across borders provincial and international to get her a booster shot against COVID-19. Lindsay Wright has considered driving her teenage daughter across borders provincial and international to get her a booster shot against COVID-19. Wright is immunocompromised, and her husband is a nurse. But pharmacies in Manitoba have told Wright her 13-year-old daughter couldnt get a third dose because she doesnt qualify under the provinces current eligibility requirements. SUPPLIED Pharmacies in Manitoba have told Lindsay Wright her daughter Briony can't get a third dose because she doesnt qualify under the provinces current eligibility requirements. Sites in Kenora, Ont., Wright said, were out of Pfizer but said theyd give the teen a booster if they make the journey. The family has even looked into going to North Dakota. "I know we have vaccines, and we have appointments, and its been nine months since many of these kids had their second doses," Wright told the Free Press on Monday. "I dont know why were not doing everything we can to try and protect them in this next phase of the pandemic." The province has pointed to guidance from the National Advisory Committee on Immunization (which informs the Public Health Agency of Canada) on the reasoning behind its protocol for giving booster shots to 12- to 17-year-olds. The only Manitoba adolescents eligible to receive a booster under this guidance are those with a list of underlying medical conditions that put them at severe risk for COVID-19, youth living in group settings (such as shelters and correctional facilities), and youth in racialized or marginalized communities disproportionately affected by COVID-19. Underlying conditions listed include cancer, diabetes, Down syndrome, and substance use disorders. If the province has Pfizer doses to spare, Wright said, they should be available to anyone who wants their child to receive it especially considering extenuating circumstances (like her and her husbands) havent been taken into account and the province has decided to lift all public health restrictions before giving all youth the opportunity to get a third shot. RUTH BONNEVILLE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS I dont know how my daughters supposed to sit in class and learn math tomorrow while shes worried about getting sick and bringing COVID home to me, Wright said. As of Tuesday, the province has dropped its mask use mandate for public spaces. "I dont know how my daughters supposed to sit in class and learn math tomorrow while shes worried about getting sick and bringing COVID home to me. And I dont want that for her, I dont want her to carry that," Wright said. "I get that the government has given up here, but stop blocking me from being able to protect my family." The decision to follow the NACI recommendation was based on evidence, not supply, Manitoba vaccine implementation task force lead Dr. Joss Reimer said. MIKE DEAL / FREE PRESS FILES The decision to follow the NACI recommendation was based on evidence, not supply, Manitoba vaccine implementation task force lead Dr. Joss Reimer said. "At this point, there is no clear evidence demonstrating a benefit for all teens to receive a third dose of the vaccine. Given that youth are already at lower risk of severe outcomes and that protection against severe outcomes remains high after two doses of the vaccine for people who are young and healthy, NACI has not given a global recommendation to move forward with booster doses for youth at this time," Reimer said in an email. "It is not a matter of supply; it is clinical guidance weighing the risks and benefits of the vaccine for this age group." She went on to say that anyone who doesn't fit into a higher-risk category but wants their child to have a booster can discuss it with their doctor. Alberta, B.C., New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Nunavut, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Quebec, Saskatchewan and Yukon all have opened up booster appointments to anyone 12 and older, after a period of around six months since their second dose. Ontario and New Brunswicks requirements allow 12- to 17-year-olds who dont fall under the NACI recommendations to get boosted with a signed informed consent form. Northwest Territories has opened its booster eligibility to anyone 16 and older. Only Newfoundland has taken the same stance as Manitoba which has confused parents such as Jocelyn Cordeiro, whose 12-year-old son has asthma. "Its odd to me that in other provinces that it doesnt seem to be an issue, but for some reason, in Manitoba, theyre really hesitant about it," she said. SUPPLIED / FREE PRESS FILES Jocelyn Cordeiro's son Davis did get a booster but not without uncertainty hed qualify as having a high risk factor. Her son did get a booster but not without uncertainty hed qualify as having a high risk factor under the NACIs recommendations (which lists "chronic lung diseases, including uncontrolled asthma" as an accepted condition). Cordeiro said her sons asthma isnt considered uncontrolled. But they walked into a Sobeys pharmacy Sunday and got him a shot. "The criteria is not black-and-white, its kind of vague. The way its written, theres no hard criteria in there that has to be," she said. "But it was really simple, I was actually shocked at how simple it was, and we probably would have done it a month ago if Id known it was so simple." Manitoba pharmacist Tim Smith said the industry has been getting calls about youth eligibility for boosters, and the questions mirror those when only some adults were eligible. When only certain populations, age groups and medical conditions are eligible, it hasnt always been easy or clear for the general public, or, in fact, healthcare professionals to stay on top of rapidly changing criteria. Pharmacist Tim Smith "When only certain populations, age groups and medical conditions are eligible, it hasnt always been easy or clear for the general public, or, in fact, health-care professionals to stay on top of rapidly changing criteria," said Smith, who serves as a pharmacy practice adviser with Pharmacists Manitoba. He said its possible for one pharmacist to decide a young person is eligible for a booster, while another might not, because some of the requirements have a grey area that rely on the clinical judgement of the pharmacist delivering the dose. "In some of those areas, it might seem maybe wishy-washy, or a client may not understand why one professional would make one determination and another might make another, but reasonable professionals could come to different conclusions under some circumstances," he said. malak.abas@freepress.mb.ca Despite making masks optional, Manitoba Premier Heather Stefanson said shell be covering her face while doing errands, as venues across Winnipeg opt to stick with mask mandates. Despite making masks optional, Manitoba Premier Heather Stefanson said shell be covering her face while doing errands, as venues across Winnipeg opt to stick with mask mandates. "If people want to continue to wear their masks, good for them," Stefanson told reporters Monday, on the eve of Manitoba lifting most of its remaining pandemic restrictions. "Its sort of a transition phase were going through." On Tuesday, Manitoba will scrap its mask mandate and COVID-19 isolation requirements. But Winnipeggers will find a stricter approach at the airport, optometry offices, most museums and universities. MIKAELA MACKENZIE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS If people want to continue to wear their masks, good for them, said Premier Heather Stefanson. Federal rules require passengers to mask up at the Winnipeg airport and while on a plane, and air travel remains restricted to those who have two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine or a vetted exemption. A similar approach will be in place when visiting the eye doctor. The Manitoba Association of Optometrists says its members "should continue to require patients to wear a non-medical or medical mask, for the duration of their appointment." Some cultural venues still require visitors to wear masks, including the Manitoba Museum and the Winnipeg Art Gallery. The same goes for federal office buildings and Crown corporations such as the Canadian Museum for Human Rights and the Royal Canadian Mint. Probably, going to the grocery store Im going to continue to wear my mask; I think its something that Ive just become accustomed to. Premier Heather Stefanson Both the University of Manitoba and University of Winnipeg will both require vaccinations or exemptions to access most campuses, where masks must also be worn indoors until at least early May. Both universities are asking students and staff to isolate if they have COVID-19 symptoms. Meanwhile, Shared Health continues to require staff to use face masks and eye protection "for all patient interactions," and gloves in certain circumstances. Patients and visitors will still have to wear masks in all health-care facilities. Otherwise its up to private businesses, schools and daycares to set their own rules on masks and isolation. "This is a process for everyone to take at their own pace, and we need to remember to support each other as it happens," wrote Manitobas chief public health officer, Dr. Brent Roussin, in a Monday news release. MIKE DEAL / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Dr. Brent Roussin, chief provincial public health officer, said guidance could change as the novel coronavirus evolves, but now Manitobans are empowered to make their own decisions about what is right for themselves and their families. He said guidance could change as the novel coronavirus evolves, "but now Manitobans are empowered to make their own decisions about what is right for themselves and their families." The disease has killed 10 Manitobans in the past week. Starting Tuesday, people will be asked to stay home if sick, but the provinces COVID-19 isolation requirement has been removed. Roussin, who was not made available for an interview Monday, noted in the release that restrictions place a toll on health, and that Tuesdays changes "may cause different stress and anxiety for some." Stefanson told reporters Monday shell take steps to go beyond her governments loosened rules. "Probably, going to the grocery store Im going to continue to wear my mask; I think its something that Ive just become accustomed to," she said. NDP health critic Uzoma Asagwara argued the Progressive Conservatives are leaving individuals and businesses to fill a leadership gap, as looser protocols risk putting even more strain on the provinces massive backlog of surgeries and diagnostic tests. MIKAELA MACKENZIE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS NDP MLA Uzoma Asagwara argued the Progressive Conservatives are leaving individuals and businesses to fill a leadership gap, as looser protocols risk putting even more strain on the provinces massive backlog of surgeries and diagnostic tests. "Instead of putting people first, Premier Stefanson told Manitobans they were on their own," they wrote. "The PCs continue to abdicate responsibility." Many are watching Saskatchewan to see whether its decision to lift almost all restrictions on Feb. 28 puts added pressure on the health-care system, which officials say theyre closely monitoring now that 14 days have passed (the maximum transmission period for COVID-19). As of last week, 54 per cent of Manitoba adults had a booster shot, compared with 56 per cent of Canadian adults. All adults are eligible for their third shot, which is restricted for children to certain categories. Even if there are no requirements, depending on the virus activity level, people should choose to wear a mask. Dr. Theresa Tam, Canadas chief public health officer Last month, Dr. Theresa Tam, Canadas chief public health officer, said it was prudent to keep a mask on if cases rise, or if an individual has increased vulnerability to COVID-19. "Even if there are no requirements, depending on the virus activity level, people should choose to wear a mask," Tam said on Feb. 25. "It may be the last thing that you want to remove in your personal armamentarium of tools." dylan.robertson@freepress.mb.ca with files from Carol Sanders Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. Press Release March 15, 2022 Red-tagging of Robredo camp by the NTF- ELCAC a desperate attempt to undermine Kakampink revolution - De Lima Re-electionist Senator Leila M. de Lima called the move by the government's anti-communist insurgency task force to red-tag the camp of presidential candidate Vice President Leni Robredo as a desperate attempt at bad propaganda to undermine the strong Kakampink revolution. De Lima, who is seeking reelection under the Robredo-Pangilinan ticket, lamented how red-tagging has been the go-to move of the present administration to mask their incompetency and attack their perceived enemies. "The NTF-ELCAC and its mouthpiece, Loraine Marie T. Badoy, should stop insulting the intelligence of the Filipino people when it uses the age-old trick of red-tagging on VP Leni's camp," she said. "When we rightfully called for government aid and efficient response amid the pandemic, we were red-tagged; when we called for investigations on the killings and persecutions, we were red-tagged. Lahat na lang ng hindi kayang panindigan at pagtakpan, red-tagging ang sagot," she added. The National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) Spokesperson and Undersecretary Lorraine Marie Badoy baselessly accused Robredo of lying about a supposed deal with members of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People's Army-National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF). Badoy accused Robredo, who already denied rumors linking her to the CPP and NPA, of forming a "tactical alliance" with communist terrorists that is allegedly "mutually beneficial to the both of them." "And anything that benefits this terrorist organization means more pain and suffering for the Filipino people," Badoy claimed. In response to Badoy's claim, De Lima stressed: "The NTF-ELCAC do not have any right to speak of the pain and suffering of the Filipino people because for 6 years it served as a rabid enabler of the atrocities that we have been subjected to as a people." De Lima said what is clear now is that the Filipino people are rallying together under the pink banner to ensure that the current reign of terror in the country will no longer persist in the next six years or more. "As long as red-tagging remains to be a go-to strategy of the State against its perceived enemies, hindi titigil ang mga aroganteng enablers na ito. It should be criminalized to sanction those who continue to incite violence against government critics and the opposition," she said. "Puro kayo red-tag. Accuse under oath para magkaalaman na," she added. WINNIPEG - Manitoba's health minister says the province is prepared to respond if infections and hospitalizations begin to rise again with the lifting of all remaining COVID-19 restrictions. Manitoba Health Minister Audrey Gordon is sworn in at the Legislative Building in Winnipeg onTuesday, Jan. 18, 2022. Manitoba is lifting all remaining public health orders that were put in place to try to slow the spread of COVID-19. THE CANADIAN PRESS/David Lipnowski WINNIPEG - Manitoba's health minister says the province is prepared to respond if infections and hospitalizations begin to rise again with the lifting of all remaining COVID-19 restrictions. "If the need be, we have a plan," Audrey Gordon said. "If we have (a) surge, we have a plan ... and if the numbers continue to take a downward trend, we will continue on the path we have been." The provincial mask mandate and other pandemic health orders ended Tuesday. Masks must still be worn by anyone going to a health-care facility. Travel restrictions to northern Manitoba and isolation requirements for people who test positive for COVID-19 also ended, but it is still recommended they isolate for five days after symptoms start. The Progressive Conservative government began loosening public health orders last month as key indicators, including hospitalizations, began to drop. Gordon pointed to a recovery plan which she said ensures hospital capacity if cases surge. That plan notes that as the province moves from restrictions to recommendations, "it is anticipated that COVID-19 activity will increase and hospital admissions and ICU admission may also rise." The plan includes a baseline of 110 adult intensive-care beds, up from the pre-pandemic baseline of 92. There is also capacity to expand that number if needed. The province is also resuming more elective and non-urgent surgeries. Dr. Brent Roussin, chief provincial public health officer, said he will continue to provide guidance, but Manitobans can make their own decisions about gathering sizes and masks. Stay informed The latest updates on the novel coronavirus and COVID-19 delivered to your inbox every weeknight. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. We know these restrictions have taken a toll on many peoples health and well-being, but we also know that this shift may cause different stress and anxiety for some, Roussin has said. This is a process for everyone to take at their own pace and we need to remember to support each other as it happens. The Opposition New Democrats have criticized the government's handling of the pandemic, including its approach to reopening. Uzoma Asagwara, the NDPs health-care critic, said even though restrictions are being lifted, the health-care system is not prepared if there's a surge. "The health-care system still lacks the capacity to ensure people can get the health care they need when they need it," she said. This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 15, 2022. KYIV, Ukraine (AP) Ukraine said it saw possible room for compromise in talks with Russia despite Moscow's stepped up bombardment Tuesday of Kyiv and new assaults on the port city of Mariupol, from where an estimated 20,000 civilians managed to flee through a humanitarian corridor. A resident sits outside a destroyed building after it was hit by artillery shelling in Kyiv, Ukraine, Monday, March 14, 2022. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana) KYIV, Ukraine (AP) Ukraine said it saw possible room for compromise in talks with Russia despite Moscow's stepped up bombardment Tuesday of Kyiv and new assaults on the port city of Mariupol, from where an estimated 20,000 civilians managed to flee through a humanitarian corridor. The fast-moving developments on the diplomatic front and on the ground came as Russia's invasion neared the three-week mark and the number of Ukrainians who have left the country amid Europe's heaviest fighting since World War II eclipsed 3 million. After delegations from Ukraine and Russia met again Tuesday via video, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said early Wednesday that Russias demands were becoming more realistic." The two sides were expected to speak again Wednesday. Efforts are still needed, patience is needed, he said in his nightly video address to the nation. Any war ends with an agreement. Zelenskyy, who was expected to address the U.S. Congress on Wednesday, thanked President Joe Biden and all the friends of Ukraine for $13.6 billion in new support. Volunteers sew Ukrainian flags and first aid kits at a workshop in Lviv, western Ukraine, Monday, March 14, 2022. Russian forces have continued their assault on Ukraine, firing on suburbs around the capital of Kyiv and other cities, even as the two countries held another round of diplomatic talks. The fighting is now in its third week. Thousands of soldiers and civilians have died and the war has forced more than 2.8 million people to flee Ukraine. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue) He appealed for more weapons and more sanctions to punish Russia, and repeated his call to close the skies over Ukraine to Russian missiles and planes. He said Russian forces on Tuesday had been unable to move deeper into Ukrainian territory but had continued their heavy shelling of cities. Over the past day, 28,893 civilians were able to flee the fighting through nine humanitarian corridors, although the Russians refused to allow aid into Mariupol, he said. A local resident searches for his belongings in an apartment building after it was hit by artillery shelling in Kyiv, Ukraine, Monday, March 14, 2022. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda) In other developments, the leaders of three European Union countries Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovenia visited the embattled capital Tuesday, arriving by train in a bold show of support amid the danger. Meanwhile, large explosions thundered across Kyiv before dawn from what Ukrainian authorities said were artillery strikes, as Russias bombardment of the capital appeared to become more systematic and edged closer to the city center, smashing apartments, a subway station and other civilian sites. Zelenskyy said Tuesday that barrages hit four multi-story buildings in the city and killed dozens. The strikes disrupted the relative calm that returned after an initial advance by Moscow's forces was stopped in the early days of the war. Firefighters extinguish fires in an apartment building after being hit by shelling in Kyiv, Ukraine, Tuesday, March 15, 2022. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana) A senior U.S. defense official, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss the Pentagon's assessment, said that the Russians were using long-range fire to hit civilian targets inside Kyiv with increasing frequency but that their ground forces were making little to no progress around the country. The official said Russian troops were still about 15 kilometers (9 miles) from the center of the capital. The official said the U.S. has seen indications that Russia believes it may need more troops or supplies than it has on hand in Ukraine, and it is considering ways to get more resources into the country. The official did not elaborate. Before Tuesday's talks, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Moscow would press its demands that Ukraine drop its bid to join NATO, adopt a neutral status and demilitarize. Firefighters work at the scene of an apartment building bombing in Kyiv, Ukraine, Tuesday, March 15, 2022. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana) In a statement that seemed to signal potential grounds for agreement with Moscow, Zelenskyy told European leaders gathered in London that he realizes NATO has no intention of accepting Ukraine. We have heard for many years about the open doors, but we also heard that we cant enter those doors, he said. This is the truth, and we have simply to accept it as it is. NATO does not admit nations with unsettled territorial conflicts. Zelenskyy has repeatedly said in recent weeks that he realizes NATO isnt going to offer membership to Ukraine and that he could consider a neutral status for his country but needs strong security guarantees from both the West and Russia. Firefighters work in an apartment building damaged by shelling in Kyiv, Ukraine, Tuesday, March 15, 2022. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky) The U.N. said close to 700 civilians in Ukraine have been confirmed killed, with the true figure probably much higher. Two journalists working for Fox News were killed when the vehicle they were traveling in was hit by fire Monday on the outskirts of Kyiv, the network said. Fox identified the two as video journalist Pierre Zakrzewski and Ukrainian journalist Oleksandra Sasha Kuvshynova, who was helping Fox crews navigate the area. Another journalist was killed Sunday in Ukraine. New efforts to bring civilians to safety and deliver aid were underway around the country. The Red Cross said it was working to evacuate people in about 70 buses from the northeastern town of Sumy, near the Russian border. Early this morning, activists from Greenpeace block a rail track leading to the oil refinery in Schwedt, Germany, Tuesday, March 15, 2022. With this action, Greenpeace protests against fossil imports from Russia and the indirect financing of the war in Ukraine. Crude oil from Russia arrives at the PCK oil refinery in Schwedt via the "Friendship" pipeline. Last year, the Russian energy company Rosneft took over a large part of the PCK oil refinery in Schwedt. (Patrick Pleul/dpa via AP) The exodus from Mariupol marked the biggest evacuation yet from the southern city of 430,000, where officials say a weekslong siege has killed more than 2,300 people and left residents struggling for food, water, heat and medicine. Bodies have been buried in mass graves. Kyrylo Tymoshenko, a senior aide to Zelenskyy, said that about 20,000 people managed to leave Mariupol on Tuesday in 4,000 private vehicles via a designated safe corridor leading to the city of Zaporizhzhia. On a day when thousands managed to leave Mariupol, Russian troops seized the city's largest hospital, said regional leader Pavlo Kyrylenko. He said the troops forced about 400 people from nearby homes into the Regional Intensive Care Hospital and were using them and roughly 100 patients and staff as human shields by not allowing them to leave. An elderly resident waits to be rescued by firefighters after the apartment building was hit by shelling in Kyiv, Ukraine, Tuesday, March 15, 2022. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana) Kyrylenko said shelling had already heavily damaged the hospital's main building, but medical staff have been treating patients in makeshift wards in the basement. Doctors from other Mariupol hospitals made a video to tell the world about the horrors they've been seeing. We dont want to be heroes and martyrs posthumously, one woman said. She also said it's insufficient to simply refer to people as the wounded: "its torn off arms and legs, gouged out eyes, bodies torn into fragments, insides falling out. Meanwhile, the Ukrainian armys general staff said Tuesday evening that Russian troops had launched another assault on the strategically important city. A firefighter comforts a woman outside a destroyed apartment building after a bombing in a residential area in Kyiv, Ukraine, Tuesday, March 15, 2022. Russia's offensive in Ukraine has edged closer to central Kyiv with a series of strikes hitting a residential neighborhood as the leaders of three European Union member countries planned a visit to Ukraine's embattled capital. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda) Fighting has intensified on Kyiv's outskirts in recent days, and air raid sirens wailed inside the capital. The mayor imposed a curfew extending through Thursday morning. Tuesday's artillery strikes hit the Svyatoshynskyi district of western Kyiv, adjacent to the suburb of Irpin, which has seen some of the worst fighting of the war. Flames shot out of a 15-story apartment building and smoke choked the air as firefighters climbed ladders to rescue people. The assault blackened several floors of the building, ripped a hole in the ground outside and blew out windows in neighboring apartment blocks. Rescue workers said at least one person was killed. Firefighters work in an apartment building damaged by shelling in Kyiv, Ukraine, Tuesday, March 15, 2022. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky) Yesterday we extinguished one fire, today another. It is very difficult, a firefighter who gave only his first name, Andriy, said outside the building, tears falling from his eyes. People are dying, and the worst thing is that children are dying. They havent lived their lives and they have already seen this." City authorities also tweeted an image of the blown-out facade of a downtown subway station that had been used as a bomb shelter and said trains would no longer stop at the station. A 10-story apartment building in the Podilsky district of Kyiv, north of the government quarter, was damaged. Russian forces also stepped up strikes overnight on Irpin and the northwest Kyiv suburbs of Hostomel and Bucha, said the head of the capital region, Oleksiy Kuleba. Relatives and friends attend a funeral ceremony for four of the Ukrainian military servicemen, who were killed during an airstrike in a military base in Yarokiv, in a church in Lviv, Ukraine, Tuesday, March 15, 2022. At least 35 people were killed and many wounded in Sunday's Russian missile strike on a military training base near Ukraine's western border with NATO member Poland. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue) Many streets have been turned into a mush of steel and concrete. People have been hiding for weeks in basements, and are afraid to go out even for evacuations, Kuleba said on Ukrainian television. In the country's east, Russian forces launched more than 60 strikes overnight Monday into Tuesday on Ukraines second-largest city, Kharkiv, according to regional administration chief, Oleh Sinehubov. The strikes hit the citys historical center, including the main marketplace. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. He said the bodies of dozens of civilians were pulled from destroyed apartment buildings. Relatives and friends attend the funeral of Ukrainian military servicemen Rostyslav Romanchuk in Lviv, Ukraine, Tuesday, March 15, 2022. Romanchuk was killed during Sunday's Russian missile strike on a military training base near Ukraine's western border with NATO member Poland. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue) On Tuesday evening, Ukrainian forces repelled Russian troops who tried to storm Ukraine's second-largest city, Kharkiv, from their positions in Piatykhatky, a suburb 15 kilometers (9 miles) to the north, the regional administration chief, Oleh Sinehubov, said on Telegram. He said the Kharkiv's defenders were able to push the enemy back beyond its previous position, in what he described as a shameful defeat for Russia. ___ Associated Press writers Lolita C. Baldor in Washington, Raf Casert in Brussels and AP journalists from around the world contributed to this report. ___ Follow the APs coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine A Minnesota man who crashed his car in a ditch on the interstate last week is facing a felony charge after law enforcement found heroin in the vehicle. David Jones Jr., 63, Minneapolis, has been charged with possession with intent to deliver heroin after allegedly being found with more than 70 grams of the drug. If found guilty, Jones faces up to 25 years in prison, up to 15 years of extended supervision and up to $100,000 in fines. He was also charged with misdemeanor possession of THC. If convicted on that charge, Jones could face a $1,000 fine and six months in prison. At an initial appearance, Jones cash bond was set at $300. Online records show Jones has posted the cash bond and is no longer in custody. He has also been allowed to travel back to Minnesota where he lives and works while out on bond. According to the criminal complaint: On March 7, a Wisconsin State Trooper made contact with a vehicle in a ditch alongside Interstate 39-90-94 near mile marker 111 in Dekorra. The trooper noted it was snowing that day and could see the vehicles path from the roadway into the ditch. Speaking to Jones, the trooper could smell the odor of marijuana coming from the vehicle and stated they could see a cannabis dispensary package in the pocket of the door. After making contact with Jones, the vehicle was removed from the ditch alongside the interstate. While searching the vehicle, law enforcement located a backpack with a medication bottle with Jones information on the label and mail addressed to Jones. The complaint states there were two small plastic bags allegedly containing suspected heroin. The substance tested positive for the presence of heroin. The trooper reported one of the bags allegedly contained 40 grams of heroin and the other weighed 35 grams. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration reported in 2017 the average price of a gram of heroin was just over $1,000 in the United States. Last year, the DEA reported that the price of heroin has increased since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2020, the Office of National Drug Control Policy suggested the price of a gram of pure heroin could cost as much as $1,400 by 2022. Jones is scheduled to be back in Columbia County Court in front of Judge Todd Hepler in May for a pre-trial conference. Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Developing equal partnerships in unequal societies Wits strengthens EU partnerships through becoming a CIVIS Alliance strategic partner. Wits University is one of six African strategic partners to the CIVIS Alliance, which committed to Deepening African-European science cooperation by tapping the potentials of European University alliances. A delegation from Wits University, led by Vice-Chancellor and Principal, Professor Zeblon Vilakazi, signed the partnership agreement and position paper for cross-Mediterranean collaboration in higher education, on the final day of the three-day conference titled New Horizons for the European-African Partnership, co-hosted by CIVIS and its member university Aix-Marseille Universite, in Marseille, France last week. Academics and policymakers from both sides of the Mediterranean, including the French Minister of Higher Education Frederique Vidal, Wits historian Professor Achille Mbembe and Peter Maassen, and numerous representatives of the European Commission attended the conference. We entered into an ambitious partnership agreement with CIVIS and five other African partners to collaborate on several fronts in the coming years, explains Vilakazi. Although we have numerous direct partnerships with universities in the EU, this new agreement will institutionalise cooperation with the entire Alliance and its members. This is an opportunity for us to level the playing fields and to develop equal partnerships in unequal societies. The position paper put forward makes the case for an EUI which: Acts as a catalyst for challenge-based education, as seen in the CIVIS Hubs. Humanity now faces global problems, so the search for solutions must reach out to partners beyond Europes borders. Broadens the definition of student mobility to include exchanges and study visits which take European students outside Europe or bring students from around the world to European universities. Supports equitable research partnerships, as foreseen in the agreement between the European Union (EU) and African Union (AU) on an EU-AU Innovation Agenda. In terms of this partnership, the six African partners will be integrated into the CIVIS Hubs, where academics will work together to develop educational and other activities to respond to global challenges. This could offer the chance for increased mobility (both physical and virtual) or create new opportunities to leverage our shared capacities to seek external funding. Together we can also build on our work with a positive social impact on our local communities, reads an extract from the statement. About CIVIS CIVIS is a European Civic University formed by the alliance of ten leading research higher education institutions across Europe: Aix-Marseille Universite, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, University of Bucharest, Universite libre de Bruxelles, Universidad Autonoma de Madrid, Sapienza Universita di Roma, Stockholm University, Eberhard Karls Universitat Tubingen, University of Glasgow and the Paris Lodron University of Salzburg. It brings together a community of more than 470 000 students and 58 000 staff members including 35 000 academics and researchers. Six African Strategic Partner Universities The six strategic partner universities are: Universite Hassan II de Casablanca, Morocco, Universite of Sfax, Tunisia, Universite Cheikh Anta Diop de Dakar, Senegal, Makerere University, Uganda, University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa, and Universidade Eduardo Mondlane, Mozambique. FILE - View of the New York state Assembly Chamber as members meet on the opening day of the 2021 legislative session at the state Capitol in Albany, N.Y. Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021, in Albany, N.Y. A bipartisan commission tasked with redrawing New York's congressional districts has until Tuesday to agree on new boundaries or risk having Democratic lawmakers seize control over a reapportionment process voters hoped would minimize gerrymandering. (AP Photo/Hans Pennink, File) Stephen Badsey, Professor of Conflict Studies at the University blogs about the current war in Ukraine, marking another date in history. The shock Russian invasion of Ukraine has made 24th February 2022 yet another date to be remembered in history. And, as so often at the start of a war, we reach for history to help us make sense of what is happening. Until about two weeks ago, it was an established cliche of political debate that the first person to draw an analogy with Hitler and the Third Reich had lost the argument. To attempt any comparison with such a deeply evil regime, and with the colossal destructive scale of the Second World War in Europe, was to invite ridicule. But this time all sides have invoked the memory of Hitlers war from the start: Russia with its absurd claim that Ukraines government are Nazis engaged in genocide against ethnic Russians in the Donbas region, and the Ukrainian governments counter-claim that this is a war for the whole of Europe. There are already too many echoes of the Second World War, from the battles of Kiev and Kharkov (modern Kyiv and Kharkiv), down to small touches like the inclusion in the Russian deception plan of faking a Ukrainian attack to justify their invasion, as Hitlers Germany did for its invasion of Poland in September 1939. Faced with sieges and battles for its cities, Ukraine has deliberately evoked as a warning the most murderous city battle of all, the successful Soviet defence of Stalingrad in 1942-43. Alongside the evocation of Hitler and the devastation of most of Europe in 1939-45, the first Russian attacks on Ukraine have also instantly evoked the more recent Cold War. From the foundation of NATO in 1949 through to the end of the Soviet Union in 1991, it has been axiomatic that European stability is too important to the whole world to be challenged by war, and that since Article 5 of the NATO charter specifies that an attack on one member is an attack on them all, the risks of a devastating global war are so great that NATO forces and in the worst case of all especially US forces should never risk openly going to war with Russian forces, even through accident. Glib talk of possible Russian use of tactical thermonuclear weapons in Ukraine has obscured the fact that such weapons have yields of anywhere between one and 500 kilotons (thousands of tons of TNT equivalent), compared to the more primitive Hiroshima atomic bomb with a yield of about 13 kilotons. It is this which makes present arguments about an overt NATO no-fly zone over Ukraine so problematic. Ukraine itself has held increasing aspirations to join both NATO and the European Union since the early 1990s but is not a member of either. Since the founding of the UN in 1945, cases of member states using war to seize disputed territory from each other have been extremely rare. Neither North or South Korea in the Korean War 1950-53 nor North and South Vietnam in the Second Indo-China War 1961-75 were UN members. Since then, even if they have succeeded militarily, the legitimacy of territorial annexations has been almost universally rejected by the international community. The only previous attempt by a UN member state to annex another completely was the Iraqi seizure of Kuwait in 1990, an action decisively overturned by the Gulf War of 1991. In that war also, the Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein was openly compared to Hitler. If Russias attempt to seize the whole of Ukraine in a lightning campaign had succeeded, the situation facing the world would be very different; that the plan was botched and has presently stalled has only added to the political rejection of Russias actions, as well as to the devastation. Given the flexibility of international law, in 21st Century wars it has been normal for invaders to argue historical equivalence for their actions. It is also normal for countries to use military force in gradual or unusual or ambiguous ways accompanied by politics and propaganda, known by terms such as grey area or asymmetric war. Russias annexation of Crimea in 2014 was a masterclass in conducting such operations. This time, both the politics and the propaganda have also been botched. Russia has attempted to claim that since the legality of the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003 was disputed, denouncing their attack on Ukraine is mere hypocrisy. But there is no equivalent for the present Russian invasion, which has been instantly recognised as going beyond challenging legality to blatantly threatening and rejecting wider concepts of legitimacy and stability that have been taken for granted in Europe for decades. This is the rule based system of relations between countries that goes back at least as far as the Congress of Vienna in 1815, and has become firmly established in the aftermath of the Second World War. Because it is a system, it is flexible and can accommodate considerable strain, including the Yugoslav Wars of Dissolution 1991-99 as well as the Russian annexation of Crimea. But the shock of President Putins complete public rejection of this system which accompanied Russias invasion of Ukraine has prompted an unprecedented international response. Even the most appropriate historical parallel is on a much smaller scale: the British reaction to the brutal German invasion of neutral Belgium at the start of the First World War in August 1914, shattering what was then known as the public peace of Europe, despite the crises and smaller European wars of the previous decade. This time the response has been not just European, but truly global, and massive. Just as the United States stood neutral in 1914, so only one major power has failed to condemn Russias actions: China, which is facing the dilemma of opposing any such violation of international norms on long-held political principles, while not wishing to become directly involved in a war on the other side of the planet, and not wishing to openly support the United States. Once more in history, and despite continuing arguments about the increasing importance of the Pacific and the wider world in the 21st Century. The continuing peace and stability of Europe, and the consequences of war in Europe, have proved central to the wider peace of the world. Even with the shock of this war, it is only history that helps us understand why we are thinking and acting as we are now. To find out more about studying History and War studies click here. William & Mary physicist invited to White House fusion energy summit Saskia Mordijck William & Mary fusion physicist Saskia Mordijck will take a brief leave from her plasma experiments to attend the White House Summit Developing a Bold Decadal Vision for Commercial Fusion Energy on March 17. Photo by Adrienne Berard Photo - of - Hide Caption William & Mary physicist Saskia Mordijck will be among the scientists, industry leaders and government officials at a March 17 White House Summit dedicated to discussions of forging a new national strategy for fusion energy. Developing a Bold Decadal Vision for Commercial Fusion Energy is hosted by the White House Office of Science and Technology and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm tops the list of event leaders. Mordijck is one of the nations leading experts on fusion energy as well as on plasma, the fourth state of matter that is a vital aspect of fusion energy. An assistant professor in William & Marys Department of Physics, she will be flying to the White House Summit from Los Angeles where she is conducting experiments using the LArge Plasma Device (LAPD) at UCLA. The White House describes the event as a gathering of fusion energy leaders from government, industry, academia, and other stakeholder groups to showcase progress made and have inclusive conversations about an updated fusion strategy. The White House events web page notes that fusion the same reaction that powers the sun has the potential to be a game-changing technology to help us achieve net-zero by 2050, protect energy security, and enhance U.S. technology leadership. Mordijck currently serves as vice president of the Fusion University Association and was invited to the White House Summit in that capacity. Universities are not only the natural place to do workforce development, but most of the private companies currently at the forefront of the race to fusion energy in the U.S. are all start-ups founded by scientists at universities, based on the research they performed at these institutions, she said. Universities are an ideal interdisciplinary community for innovative ideas to flourish as they typically have more freedom for exploration. The benefits of commercial energy are many. It would be a safe, clean, efficient, carbon-free method of generating electric power. But there are a number of scientific and engineering challenges that must be solved before the nations power grid begins carrying power from commercial fusion plants. The White House notes that the summit comes at a time of recent scientific advances that have begun to address some of the knottier challenges of fusion energy. Mordijck explained that many of those advances are related to the development of more powerful magnets. Powerful magnets are used to contain super-hot plasmas in fusion reactors, known as tokomaks. There are other advances with respect to protecting the walls of the container from high-heat fluxes that have been developed and are being tested currently in devices, she said. There also has been progress in the passive and active control of the plasmas and we have become better at predicting performance. Mordijck said the U.S. has not built a large magnetic-bases fusion device for a long time a few decades. She added that the technological challenges can only be addressed by building fusion reactors that can create conditions that U.S. scientists cant currently study. Mordijck said that both the Department of Energy and the National Academy of Science have released plans to develop a new U.S. prototype fusion reactor. One of the main recommendations is to leverage public-private partnerships, she said. In the last decade, spurred by the potential of new, stronger magnets and the need to develop clean energy solutions, investment in private fusion companies has accelerated. While Mordijck is at the White House Summit, a William & Mary undergraduate, Leo Murphy 24, will continue work at the LAPD. She said another W&M undergrad, Jameson Crouse 22, is on spring break in Los Angeles, and might visit the lab. She said the White House Summit provides visibility for the fusion work being done at universities and also extends William & Marys reach by highlighting the universitys standing in the fusion community. It will be an excellent opportunity to network with government officials and private companies who are all interested in making fusion energy happen, she said. , 100 year old Gage, passed Sunday, May 1, 2022 . Funeral services are 10:00 a.m. Thursday, May 5, 2022 at the First Baptist Church of Gage. Burial will follow in the Fargo Cemetery. Read obituary at www.billingsfuneralhomewooward.com A suspect has been arrested in connection with the shootings of 5 homeless men in New York City and DC Ukrainian emergency employees and volunteers carry an injured pregnant woman from the damaged by shelling maternity hospital in Mariupol, Ukraine on Wednesday, March 9. A woman cries outside a destroyed apartment block following shelling in the northwestern Obolon district of Kyiv, Ukraine, on Monday. Wisconsin man who called in false threats targeting Murray High School sentenced to seven years in prison Over 88,000 people in UK offer to take in refugees as part of Home for Ukraine scheme As the Russian attack on Ukraine enters its third week, the United Nations estimates that over 2.8 million people have fled the country in what has become the become Europes fastest growing refugee crisis since World War Two. On Monday the UK government launched the Homes for Ukraine sponsorship scheme, with the British public asked to open their homes to those fleeing the war. Within the first five hours of its launch, more 43,000 people had offered to take in refugees, Foreign Office minister James Cleverly has said the number signing up hit 88,000 this morning. The scheme offers a route to those who want to come to the UK who have someone here willing to provide them with a home. It will enable individuals, charities, community groups and businesses to volunteer accommodation and provide a route to safety for Ukrainians, and their immediate family members, forced to escape their homeland. People will be expected to sign up to host a Ukrainian for a minimum of six months and will receive 350 for every month they house a refugee or family. Someone is eligible for the scheme if they are a Ukrainian national or the immediate family member of a Ukrainian national, and were resident in Ukraine prior to 1 January 2022. Ukrainians given a visa under the scheme will be allowed to remain and work in the UK for up to three years and will have full access and unrestricted access to benefits, health care, employment and other support. Welsh Government responds to the scheme First minister of Wales Mark Drakeford has said he welcomes the steps the UK Government has taken over recent days to make it easier for those fleeing the violence in Ukraine to apply for visas or sponsorship to come to the UK. He said: We will work closely with the UK Government as the details of this scheme develop and are finalised to ensure we are ready to receive refugees from this weekend when the first visas and matches under the new scheme are issued. In the meantime, we are working closely with Wales 22 local authorities, the Welsh Local Government Association, the WCVA, the Wales Strategic Migration Partnership and wider partners to make preparations to welcome refugees to Wales. We stand in solidarity with Ukraine and there will be a warm welcome to all those who come to Wales. He said. How to register? The website homesforukraine.campaign.gov.uk allows people to register their interest in hosting a refugee. If you have a named person who you wish to sponsor you should get in contact with them directly and prepare to fill in a visa application with all their details and yours. The visa application will go live on Friday 18 March. If you dont know anyone who you wish to sponsor you may wish to get in touch with charities, faith groups or local community organisations who are starting to make connections between individuals. You can also record your interest as an individual or as an organisation (eg. charity, business, community group). Please read the rest of this form and FAQs first before recording your offer of support, and we will keep in touch with you with updates as the scheme opens and develops. What sort of accommodation are you expected to provide? If you have a residential spare room or separate self-contained accommodation that is unoccupied then please come forward. The accommodation must be available for at least six months, fit for people to live in, and suitable for the number of people to be accommodated. Further details on types of accommodation suitable can be found in our FAQs. Do you need to provide meals or just accommodation? Just accommodation. There is nothing stopping sponsors offering meals should they wish to. You will not be expected to cover the costs of food and living expenses (although you may wish to offer this). After recording your interest, what happens next You will be kept updated. In the first phase of the scheme, sponsors will be able to bring named Ukrainians and their immediate family members to the UK. This will launch later this week, and if you have a named family or individual you wish to support you will be able to fill in a form requesting to sponsor them. See further FAQs for those interested in becoming a sponsor. Wrexham Council to probe man and van social media ads in fly-tipping crackdown as just 24 FPNs issued in a year Council officials in Wrexham are set to investigate whether waste collectors who advertise their services on social media are involved in fly-tipping. The plans to target man and van services form part of a proposed crackdown on people who dump rubbish in the county borough. Last year, senior councillors backed proposals to buy cameras to catch fly-tippers in the act, as well as the introduction of fixed penalty notices of up to 400 for those found responsible. It also placed a duty of care on householders to only give their rubbish to people who are authorised to dispose of it. Wrexham Council has now revealed further plans to reduce littering and fly-tipping in the area, including looking into waste carriers who advertise their services online. It follows the local authority recruiting an officer via the Welsh Government-funded Caru Cymru initiative to cut down on waste. In a report, the councils deputy leader David A Bithell said: Keep Wales Tidy are working with all 22 local authorities across Wales on the biggest ever initiative to change behaviours and to eradicate litter and waste. Caru Cymru (a Welsh phrase meaning Love Wales) aims to inspire everyone to take action and care for their local area and environment. If we are to see lasting improvements in this area it is important that we achieve a change in culture. As part of the councils behavioural change programme, an environment education and quality officer was appointed and commenced work in May 2021 delivering the Caru Cymru all-Wales programme. He added: The council wants to inspire everyone to care for the environment, bring communities together to take action and work in partnership to keep litter off our public spaces. Lasting behaviour change is not just about clearing up, it is about stopping the problems from happening in the first place. Newly released figures show that 24 fixed penalty notices were issued by the authority for littering and fly-tipping in the 12 months leading up to January this year. The total value of the fines amounted to more than 3,000, with 19 further cases currently awaiting a court date and 12 investigations still ongoing. An action plan included with the report highlights other proposals to address environmental issues, including holding discussions with Coleg Cambria to resolve litter problems on Llwyn Isaf in the town centre. Analysis is also being carried out to create a map of dog fouling hot spots in the area. Cllr Bithell said awareness of environmental crimes had grown since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, with more people spending time outdoors. He said: During the health pandemic more people have utilised the local communities for their daily fresh air and exercise. This has undoubtedly increased peoples awareness of their local environment. This increased awareness has resulted in environmental crime being even more unacceptable and anti-social. Despite significant efforts by the council over many years, environmental crime, and particularly fly tipping and littering, remain an issue and an area of concern for Wrexhams communities. The report will be considered by members of the councils homes and environment scrutiny committee at a meeting on Thursday (March 17, 2022). Producer Jacob is the Executive Producer of News 3 This Morning. He joined the News 3 team in December of 2020 as 6 pm Producer. In October of 2021 he was promoted to Executive Producer. Jacob is a proud alum of SIU-Carbondale. The UK Supreme Court has refused to hear WikiLeaks founder Julian Assanges appeal against a High Court decision ordering his extradition to the United States to face charges under the Espionage Act. The case will now be sent to Home Secretary Priti Patel to give a final decision, barring further appeals by Assanges legal team. Assange has four weeks to make submissions to Patel, which is equivalent to asking mercy of the Devil. He can also seek to cross-appeal the original Magistrates Court decision, which sided with the US government on every point bar one on medical groundsnow successfully overturned. WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is taken from court, May 1, 2019. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham, File) His lawyers outlined the basis for such an appeal last April, which stands as an indictment of the pseudo-legal charade the heroic journalist has been subjected to. They argue that Assanges extradition is being illegally sought for a political offence, barred by the US-UK Extradition Treaty; an abuse of due process; in breach of Article 3 (inhuman and degrading treatment), Article 5 (unfair detention), Article 6 (denial of fair trial), Article 7 (retroactive justice) and Article 10 (freedom of expression) of the European Convention on Human Rights; based on a misrepresentation of facts; and being pursued for ulterior political motives. Assanges legal team have also indicated that they may pursue an appeal in the European Court of Human Rights. Assanges life is in grave danger. Neither appeal is likely to be granted and not even such formal legal rights and processes to proceed should be considered a certainty. Assanges prosecution has always been the legal continuation of a lawless assassination-cum-rendition operation organised by the CIA, seeking to silence Assange for good, one way or another. The timeline has now been dramatically accelerated. The Supreme Courts decision came suddenly, without any prior announcement. That it refused even to hear Assanges case is highly unusual. The lower High Court certified on January 24 that a point of law of public importance had been raised by Assange, normally prompting the Supreme Court to consider the appeal. The point of law in question was: In what circumstances can an appellate court receive assurances from a requesting state which were not before the court of first instance. Even on these limited grounds, the case was considered worth examining by the High Court and legal experts in the field. Last month, WikiLeaks cited a report of the case by the highly regarded London law firm Bindmans that noted: Extradition practitioners largely welcome Supreme Court guidance on this point as late assurances designed to alleviate the courts concerns about human rights violations following extradition have become a highly contentious issue, especially when provided by States with a poor record in human rights themselves. However, having been given the option to go through the motions and apply the Supreme Courts legal imprimatur to Assanges effective rendition, the justices instead delivered a one-line rejection: The court ordered that permission to appeal be refused because the application does not raise an arguable point of law. The meaning is clear: the time for charades is over, Assange must be dealt with quickly. This was a decision reached at the highest levels of the British state, delivered by the President of the Supreme Court Lord Reed and the Deputy President Lord Hodge, alongside Lord Briggs. The NATO-Russia war being waged through the proxy conflict in Ukraine, moving ever closer to a direct military confrontation between nuclear armed powers, has doubtless come as a powerful spur to action, underscoring for the ruling class why Assange must be silenced. NATOs drive to war with Russia relies on a wall-to-wall propaganda operation to disguise the predatory ambitions of the imperialist powers and present their intervention as the outcome of humanitarian concern for the Ukrainian people. Government talking points are dutifully regurgitated by the corporate media, whose opinion pages are opened to a torrent of Russophobia and calls for military escalation. Assange has been imprisoned for a decade, his health destroyed and life endangered, because he is a declared enemy of this co-opted journalism and has fearlessly exposed the unrestrained criminality, barbarism and duplicity of American imperialism and its allies. WikiLeaks exposed mass civilian casualties in Iraq and Afghanistan, the use of torture and death squads in both countries, the savagery practised in Guantanamo Bay and US sponsorship of coups and corruption worldwide. Since the Russian invasion, WikiLeakss Twitter account has repeatedly posted a video clip of an interview with Assange where he comments, Nearly every war that has started in the past fifty years has been the result of media lies populations dont willingly and with open eyes go into a war. The account has also published links to secret US diplomatic communications acquired by WikiLeaks and published in 2010. These include a 2008 cable written by current CIA director William Burns, then ambassador to Moscow, warning of Russias deep strategic concerns over NATO membership for Ukraine and the possibility of a civil war in such an event. Another tweet links to A decade of Russia v US gas wars in Europe laid out in US embassy cable (2008). Critical thought of this kind, encouraging a deeper look at the origins of the war in Ukraine than simply, Who fired the first shot, is now routinely branded the work of a traitorous, pro-Putin fifth column. Indeed, Assange was one of the first targets of the Russian stooge witch-hunt, led by the Democratic Party in the US and the Guardian newspaper in the UK, waged in connection with demands for President Donald Trump to take a more aggressive stand towards Moscow. Beyond Assange as an individual, his persecution is intended to spearhead a wider crackdown on opposition to NATO and war in the working class. The World Socialist Web Site wrote ahead of the US governments successful High Court appeal last October, From the beginning, the US and its allies have sought to destroy Assange both as a warning and a precedent to prevent any serious reporting of imperialist war crimes, human rights abuses, diplomatic intrigues and mass state surveillanceto cover up past crimes and to prepare new ones. That new crime has taken the form of a criminal and dangerous ongoing provocation against Russia that was intended to provoke its invasion of Ukraine and which risks spiralling out of control towards a third world war, fought with nuclear weapons. The international working class is confronted with the urgent need to develop a mass anti-war movement in a fight against their criminal governments. Assanges treatment exposes the utter hypocrisy of the imperialist powers condemnations of the Putin governments suppression of anti-war protest in Russia. It proves that any serious opposition to the war plans of British and US imperialism will be met with the same brutal methods. The British, American, Russian and world working class must be mobilised on a common socialist perspective of class struggle to defend democratic rights and overthrow the warmongers. The campaign to free Assange is inseparably connected with that fight. The floods that devastated the east coast of Queensland and New South Wales during February and March have been of an unprecedented nature. The amounts of rainfall that have fallen over a short period are staggering, causing devastating flooding to whole communities and the death of 22 people. The repair bill for roads and bridges is expected to be $1 billion, let alone the damage to homes, public facilities, farms, businesses and infrastructure. Families being rescued in Maryborough, Queensland, February 2022 [Source: Queensland Fire and Emergency Services] The Climate Council has estimated that the flooding event will be the worst on record. It concluded that weather patterns previously described as extreme and thought to occur once in a hundred years are now occurring more frequently. Climate Council scientist Professor Will Steffan told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC): The point is were having extreme events more often. Ordinary extreme events are occurring now in rapid succession. The totals from 9 a.m. on 24 February to 9 a.m. on 28 February at three weather stations give an indication for the colossal amount of rainfall. Mt. Glorious, an area of rainforest located 84 kilometres northwest of the Queensland state capital Brisbane, experienced the largest amount, 1,637 millimetres (64 inches), while Pomona, 135 kilometres north of the capital, had 1,180 mm (46 in) and Bracken Ridge, an outer suburb of Brisbane, experienced 1,094 mm (43 in). Brisbane recorded a record 677 mm (27 in) over three days. Northern New South Wales (NSW) has experienced similar torrential rainfall and flooding. In the northern NSW city of Lismore, the State Emergency Service was overwhelmed within minutes. It was unable to answer calls promptly, hamstrung by a lack of personnel and the availability of only two boats to cover a city of 44,000. Over 14,000 houses were destroyed. In Sydney, the NSW state capital and Australias largest city, the worst-hit areas were working-class suburbs in the citys southwest, with more than 60,000 people affected. Several climate phenomena have conflated to drive the extreme weather event. The immediate cause of the rainfall is an extremely slow-moving low-pressure system that dragged moist air from the Coral Sea onto the Australian east coast, emptying its massive water content over a limited geographic area. The media has dubbed the phenomenon a rain bomb. Nina Ridder, a research associate at the Centre of Excellence for Climate Extremes, told the New Scientist that because its so slow-moving [the weather system]its basically stationaryits dumping all the water that it has on the same area. While determining the exact contribution of climate change to specific extreme weather events is difficult, scientists are drawing general conclusions. According to the vice-chair of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and director of the ANU Institute for Climate, Energy and Disaster Solutions, Mark Howden, the climate crisis was embedded in this event. The latest IPCC report on climate change was released February 28, predicting that increased atmospheric and sea temperatures would lead to an increase in intensity of storms. One of the clear projections is an increase in the intensity of heavy-rainfall events, said the coordinating lead author of an Australia-New Zealand chapter of the IPCC report, Brendan Mackey. Scientists calculate that the atmosphere will hold an extra 7 percent of moisture for every degree rise in atmospheric temperature, leading to heavier rain and more extreme flooding events. Increases in surface ocean warming increases evaporation, delivering greater amounts of moisture into global weather systems. The average atmospheric temperature in Australia has increased 1.4 since records began to be kept in 1910. Current ocean temperatures around eastern and northern Australia are about 1 warmer than the long-term average, and closer to 1.5 warmer than average off the NSW coast, Joelle Gergis, senior lecturer in Climate Science at Australian National University (ANU), stated in the Conversation. Climate change is mostly caused by the burning of fossil fuels such as coal and petrol, producing greenhouse gases including carbon dioxide and methane. How it affects the complex, interacting factors driving Australian weather patterns and therefore extreme events is often difficult to determine precisely. One of the most important drivers of Australian weather systems involves variations in surface ocean temperatures in the Pacific, Indian and Southern oceans. A significant factor is the El NinoSouthern Oscillation (ENSO), currently in the La Nina phase. ENSO is associated with variation in wind and ocean temperatures in the eastern Pacific Ocean. La Nina is usually associated with low surface air pressure on the Australian continent and thus wetter weather patterns. The 20102012 La Nina was associated with the wettest two-year period on record up to that time, including flooding on the Australian east coast and Brisbane. Oceanographers from the University of NSW who studied those floods found that it was likely that climate change had compounded the heavy rains during that La Nina event. Gergis explained that their analysis highlighted how longterm ocean warming can modify rain-producing systems, increasing the probability of extreme rainfall during La Nina events. Other significant factors contributing to current extreme rainfall are the negative Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) and a positive Southern Annular Mode (SAM). The IOD is a difference in sea temperatures between two poles in the Arabian Sea and the eastern Indian Ocean south of Indonesia. This is known to affect rainfall patterns in Australia and neighbouring countries. In its negative phase it is associated with cooler sea surface temperatures and is known to cause more rainfall in northern and southern Australia. The Southern Annular Mode (SAM) refers to the strong westerly winds that blow almost continuously in the mid- to high-latitudes of the southern hemisphere. These winds move from west to east and are known to bring rainfall to southern Australia. In its positive phase, the winds contract towards the South Pole, increasing the chance of summer rain in southwest Australia. Since the 1980s, climate scientists have been warning that as a consequence of global warming extreme weather events would increase in frequency. Australia has been periodically devastated by extreme weather patterns over an extended period, including a record drought, devastating bush fires and floods. While they have previously occurred through history, these phenomena have been exacerbated by climate change, causing an increasing series of devastating climate events. The Millennium drought from late 1996 to mid-2010 was part of a long-term drying trend that has persisted for more than four decades. It affected the Murray-Darling Basin and most of the countrys state capital cities. It caused the northern subtropical areas of Australia to experience higher monsoonal rainfall. This was driven by a very strong El Nino phase. In 2009 the state of Victoria was devastated by bush fires that killed 173 people. The Millennium drought was ended by the double La Nina of 2010-11 and 2011-12. This was accompanied by flooding in Queensland, NSW and Victoria in 2010-11. In 2013 there was significant flooding in NSW and Queensland due to Cyclone Oswald. Honorary professor in the University of Melbourne School of Geography, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences David Karoly told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) that both climate change and the occurrence of La Nina are likely to have contributed to the increased risk of heavy rainfall in southeast Queensland in the current event. The difficult part is to precisely quantify the increase in risk or the contribution to the amount of rainfall, both of which are uncertain, he said. Researchers are continuing to examine more closely the linkages between climate change and the drivers of extreme weather events in Australia. Wenju Cai, director of Southern Hemisphere Oceans Research at the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), and his team published a paper in August 2021 titled Changing El NinoSouthern Oscillation in a warming climate. It examined ENSO events from the 1950s and compared them to the climate indicated by geological records. Their modelling implied that ENSO would become more unstable and favour greater amplitude events under warming. A study by John Fasullo, project scientist at the Climate and Global Dynamics Laboratory, and his associates, titled ENSOs Changing Influence on Temperature, Precipitation, and Wildfire in a Warming Climate, also found that the effects of ENSO would be magnified under global warming. Examining the impact of El Nino, which is the opposite to La Nina, they predicted the worst impact would be felt in the US and Australia with increased impact of bush fires or wildfires and extreme temperatures. Based on the study, Fasullo told the Guardian: We can say that an El Nino of a given magnitude that forms in the future is likely to have more influence over our weather than if the same El Nino formed 50 years ago. Australian politicians attempted to blame the current flood crisis on processes over which they have no control. NSW Liberal Premier Dominic Perrottet described the flooding as a one-in-a-1000-year event, while Queensland Labor Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said I cant do anything about mother nature. While huge natural forces are at work, governments have done little or nothing to warn about the floods, implement flood prevention and mitigation measures, ensure necessary emergency services are available or fund necessary aid and reconstruction. At same time, governments in Australia, like those around the world, have ignored the warnings of climate scientists and refused to implement policies to halt and reverse climate change. Their cosmetic measures will only ensure the extreme weather events, including droughts and floods, will become more frequent and more severe in the future. On Sunday, March 13, representatives of a variety of pro-imperialist pseudo-left tendencies held an online event in which they voiced support for the US/NATO war drive in Ukraine and echoed the accompanying propaganda campaign. The event, titled Against Imperialist War: Ukraine, Russia, NATO and the US, was sponsored by the Democratic Socialists of America-aligned Tempest Collective and was endorsed by Against the Current, Haymarket Books (the publication arm of the now-defunct International Socialist Organization), New Politics, the Madison, Wisconsin, branch of the DSA and a US group associated with the German Marx21. The event was moderated by former ISO member Lee Wengraf and speakers included Gilbert Achcar, Ilya Budraitskis of the Russian Socialist Movement (RSM), Johns Hopkins professor Ho-Fung Hung, and Erin Cass, a DSA member and former writer for the ISOs Socialist Worker. Gilbert Achcar in 2014 (Wikimedia Commons) Achcar was the featured speaker. The longtime Pabloite and professor at Londons School of African and Oriental Studies is also a paid adviser to the British military. Achcars remarks set the tone for the discussion by ignoring the role played by US and European imperialism and focusing almost entirely on the right-wing role of the Putin government. To the extent he mentioned the US and NATO, it was to blame them for facilitating Putins rise. Without criticizing the US or European powers, Achcar said, There is no debate possible about the imperialist character of present day Russia. Achcar equated opposition to US imperialism with support for Putin: You have these knee-jerk reactions which regarded every enemy of the US government as something that should be supported, he said. Now, this kind of attitude we have seen Syria was an important moment of that kind of attitude, part of the left supporting in fact this terrible destructive war that Russia, that Russian imperialism launched in Syria in support of one the worst dictatorships in the world. For more than a decade, Achcars own support for imperialist war has become knee jerk. He supported the US bombing of Libya, which killed 30,000 Libyans, as well as the US-backed civil war in Syria. Earlier this month, Achcar called on the imperialist powers to send more weapons to Ukraine, writing that, We are in favor of the delivery of defensive weapons to the victims of aggression with no strings attached. What Achcar calls knee-jerk opposition to US/NATO imperialism is in reality a basic tenet of Marxism, which bases itself on an analysis of objective social relations and rejects attempts by the democratic imperialist powers to justify their actions under false humanitarian pretenses. By employing the language of a political renegade who has seen the light, Achcar attempts to deny that Marxism has any credible intellectual foundation. By the same logic, Achcar might denounce a hospital patient for their knee-jerk belief in medical science or a scientist for their knee-jerk belief in biology and physics. Achcars references to knee-jerk anti-imperialism are merely attempts to justify his own rotten capitulation to imperialism. Ilya Budraitskis of the Russian Socialist Movement (RSM) spoke next and seconded Achcars attack on left-wing opponents of the US/NATO war drive. Budraitskis, who supported the US-led 2014 coup in Ukraine and called for a Red-Brown alliance with fascist opponents of Russia, said, The western left should not bring any excuses for the reactionary, bloody and criminal dictatorship of Vladimir Putin in Russia. Budraitskis presented Russia as the only party guilty of spreading propaganda and misinformation and called for international solidarity with the people of Ukraine. Ho-Fung Hung then warned that an insufficiently aggressive response to Russia would only strengthen China, calling the two countries modern empires. If Putin succeeds at gaining control of Ukraine, Hung said, then China will feel much more empowered and comfortable and confident in doing a similar thing in Taiwan. DSA member Erin Cass spoke last and said socialists should not speak out against pro-war demands raised by Ukrainian nationalists at demonstrations opposing Putins invasion of Ukraine. Responding to the fact that the protests have called for sanctions, the imposition of a no fly zone and generally for Western intervention, Cass added, Where socialists have managed to actually show up to these actions theyve unfortunately taken a more hostile approach by arguing against those demands. Cass concluded, I want to make clear that I think theres just one very basic position that US socialists should be taking right now together and that is the position of absolute support for Ukrainians right to defend themselves against Russian imperialism. Achcar spoke immediately after Cass and said, I want to second what Erin said, Erin very clearly articulated what should be the socialist internationalist position in the United States and anywhere. He added, The resistance of the Ukrainian people to Russian imperialism is a defining moment to all of us It takes one to be completely blind to keep applauding Vladimir Putin in the name of anti-imperialism. This is really completely, sorry for the term, but idiotic. Roughly 45 minutes into the discussion and after Achcar and Budraitskis remarks, WSWS International Editorial Board Chairman David North posted a written message in the public chat, which the event moderator had encouraged all attendees to use. North, who had registered for the public event and identified himself by name, wrote: This is Shachtmanism on steroids. Forty minutes into this webinar of right-wing social democrats, there has not been a single word of condemnation of US-NATO imperialism. No connection is being made between the last 31 years of wars waged by US-NATO in the Middle East, Central Asia and Africa and the launching of this proxy war. As the event continued, North provided additional commentary in the public chat. This is not opposition to Putin from the Left, North wrote in one message. It presents no perspective whatever to the Russian working class. Genuine socialists would be emphasizing that this war is the tragic and disastrous outcome of the dissolution of the Soviet Union by the Stalinists. North continued in another chat comment: The dissolution of the USSR was based on three delusional conceptions: 1) that the restoration of capitalism would shower riches on Russia; 2) that it would give rise to a flowering of democracy; and 3) that Russia would be embraced by the West. The totally disoriented intelligentsia and others tied to the nomenklatura would laugh when one raised the issue of imperialism, which they claimed was a bogeyman invented by the Bolsheviks. As participants stated their agreement with Norths points, Wengraf, the event moderator, nervously asked attendees to be respectful and comradely to others in the chat. The speakers faces grew sullen as they monitored the chat and the positive response to Norths criticisms. In response to the invocations of Ukraines so-called right to defend itself, North left a comment stating, Ukraines right-wing bourgeois government is not fighting for self-determination, it is fighting for its right to be part of NATO. In a subsequent chat message, North quoted from Leon Trotskys War and the Fourth International. He wrote: Trotsky has just sent a message to the meeting: A socialist who preaches national defence is a petty-bourgeois reactionary at the service of decaying capitalism. Not to bind itself to the national state in time of war, to follow not the war map but the map of the class struggle, is possible only for that party that has already declared irreconcilable war on the national state in time of peace. Only by realizing fully the objectively reactionary role of the imperialist state can the proletarian vanguard become invulnerable to all types of social patriotism. This means that a real break with the ideology and policy of national defence is possible only from the standpoint of the international proletarian revolution. This hit too close to home for the event hosts, who promptly expelled North from the meeting without warning. When attendees were informed of Norths removal, a substantial number of people began denouncing the event hosts as undemocratic proponents of censorship. The event speakers became hesitant to participate in the discussion further. They made hasty closing remarks, and the meeting was brought to an end. The content of the meeting and the organizers decision to expel David North for writing messages in the public chat reveal that the pseudo-left defenders of US imperialism are incapable of answering when confronted with opposition from the socialist left. For all their claims that American imperialism is fighting for democracy in Ukraine, the event organizers proved incapable of respecting democracy in their own event chat. The event was a political debacle for the organizers and the political tendencies associated with it. Residents of almost 3,000 flood-affected Brisbane streets are still waiting for kerbside collection two weeks after floods rushed through many areas of the Queensland state capital. Long piles of now-smelly debris remain. Brook Street, Rocklea [WSWS Media] The delay in clearing ruined household possessions is one of the most visible sights of the ongoing abandonment of ordinary people by governments, and the stark contrast with the rescue and recovery efforts of the volunteers who rushed to help flood victims. On Saturday March 5, a few days after the deluge, the city council told a 15,000-strong volunteer Mud Army to stand down after a single day of clean-up, saying the army and council workers would take over. Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner said there was a liability risk for the council and a safety risk for volunteers. But the result has been further delays in assisting flood victims, despite the influx of 1,500 military personnel. Mountains of foul-smelling flood debris have also remained in 10 suburban parks, which the council designated as temporary tips. Thirteen people have so far been confirmed dead in southeast Queensland due to the floods, with 17 local government areas declared to be in a disaster. More than 20,000 Brisbane homes were inundated, with many rendered uninhabitable, plus 560 homes and businesses flooded in neighbouring Ipswich. Further north, in the regional city of Gympie, 420 homes were damaged with 240 severely affected, and more than 300 homes were damaged in Maryborough. In Brisbane, over 18,000 property damage assessments have been undertaken, with 1,800 homes confirmed as severely damaged. Across the metropolitan areas, over 1,000 people from 461 households received emergency housing. Compared to the floods that devastated Brisbane in 2011, which were worsened by releases from over-filled dams, most of the damage in this years disaster was due to flash flooding. University of Sunshine Coast lecturer Margaret Cook told the media that suburban creeks played a major role this year, resulting in the flooding of areas that were not affected in 2011. Flooded pedestrian tunnel in Tanah Merah, South Brisbane [Source: Wikimedia] As in 2011, however, the worst-affected residents were in low-lying working-class suburbs where many people have moved because of sky-rocketing property prices and rents, often not being told of the flood risks by real estate agents and landlords. Many people in these areas were not insured, due to the exorbitant premiums, or the refusal of the insurance giants to provide flood coverage. Insurance claims on cars, homes and businesses have exceeded $1 billion, with 74,000 disaster claims made by Queensland residents. The Financial Rights Legal Centre warned that thousands of affected victims would potentially be unable to claim on their insurance policies due to varying flood definitions and exclusions of particular types of damage, despite standard definitions supposedly being required after the many refusals by companies to pay victims of the 2011 floods. The past week has seen escalating buck-passing between the federal Liberal-National Coalition government and the state Labor government, each trying to deflect the fury of victims and the wider public outrage onto the other. Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk last week rejected an offer by the federal government to include the state in a national disaster emergency declaration, saying Prime Minister Scott Morrisons move came too late. In what amounted to a denial of the continuing impact on tens of thousands of people, Palaszczuk said the states own local disaster declarations would be lifted last weekend. The time for that national emergency was probably a week ago, so weve actually gone past that, she said. The floodwaters have gone down, theyve subsided. Palaszczuk said Queensland had a very good disaster management and had utilised its own state specific disaster declarations for Gympie, Brisbane and Maryborough. But the Labor government failed to adequately prepare or warn people in time for them to save their possessions and evacuate. Palaszczuk tried to shift the blame, claiming that weather forecasts had kept changing, even though the Bureau of Meteorology issued a specific warning on February 23 that a slow-moving low pressure system was dragging water from the sea and dumping it over the coastline. Since the disaster struck, the victims have been largely abandoned by the local, state and federal governments, and left to fend for themselves with the help of neighbours and volunteers. Palaszczuk asked ordinary people to dig deep and donate to flood-affected households, starting a flood appeal with just $2.1 million, a pittance compared to the losses that residents have suffered. Last Thursday, Palaszczuk called for the use of the federal governments Emergency Response Fund (ERF). That fund now totals nearly $5 billion but has allocated only $150 million to flood mitigation projects, while governments have handed billions of dollars to business in COVID pandemic and flood support packages. However, Morrison insisted flood mitigation was primarily a state responsibility. He said the ERF wasnt an unlimited fund and priorities were set and decisions were made. Questions are also being raised about how the inadequacy of the Wivenhoe Dam, to the west of Brisbane, may have contributed to this years floods, during which rainfall exceeded 1,000mm (40 inches) in three days across more than 30 locations in southeast Queensland. The dam has not met national safety guidelines for large dams since 2002, further documented by findings from an official enquiry into the 2011 floods that the dams design contributed to the flooding of 20,000 homes in Brisbane that year. No major efforts to bring the dam up to international standards have been completed, including a proposed $900 million upgrade to raise its wall by four metres, increasing its capacity by a million megalitres of water. That proposal was made after studies by engineering firm URS in 2014 found that the dams failure would risk 300,000 residents downstream, with a potential for 400 deaths and damage of up to $100 billion. No work has been carried out on the project, despite this assessment, with the governments Wivenhoe manager, SEQWater, insisting that it would not be completed until 2030. Ford Motor Company will sever electrical vehicle (EV) manufacturing from its business selling traditional gas-powered vehicles, the auto giant announced at the beginning of the month. The official announcement came with a pledge to invest huge sums in the global scramble for electric vehicle sales. Ford will invest $30 billion in EVs, a massive infusion which will likely not result in profits for years. To pay for this, the company plans to cut its internal combustion business to the bone in order to squeeze as much profit as possible. The automaker expects EVs to comprise 30 percent of global sales within 5 years and half by 2030. The new EV unit will be called Ford Model e, while the combustion side will be known henceforth as Ford Blue. Both units, along with the recently created Ford Pro that focuses on commercial and government fleet buyers, will collaborate in some areas but operate substantially independently from one another, measuring profits and losses as separate entities. Ford Motor Company World Headquarters (WSWS Media) Ford has set the bar to cut structural expenditure by a whopping $3 billion before 2026, by streamlining its legacy plants. Ford expects to produce 2 million electric vehicles in 2026, far beyond the 600,000 EVs projected next year. Were literally splitting the business in half, said CEO Jim Farley. His strategy is sharpening our effectiveness by making the most of existing capabilities, adding new skills wherever theyre needed, simplifying processes and lowering costs. Hedge fund managers and corporate investors, who had been holding Ford stock at bargain basement levels for more than a decade while they demanded profit margins on a par with Tesla and Amazon, applauded Farleys announcement, boosting Ford shares over 8 percent the very same day. When Farley became CEO at the end of 2020, he referred to himself as a change agent within the company. Since becoming CEO 16 months ago, Farley, 59, has accelerated Fords EV plans, tripling output of the Mustang Mach-E and doubling production for the F-150 Lightning which is due out this spring. Last September, Farley poached Doug Field, the head of the Apples electric car project and a former top executive at Tesla. As president of the Model e division, Fields task will be making the legacy automaker more nimble. Cost-cutting, streamlining, disrupting are all buzzwords for massive attacks on production workers jobs and whatever is left of their wages and working conditions. To hammer the point home, the new president for the internal combustion sector Kumar Galhotra added, We are going to be hyper-competitive on costs and make quality a reason to choose Ford. And by doing all that, Ford Blue will be an engine of cash and profitability for the whole company. Compared to the traditional internal combustion vehicle, an electric vehicle requires far fewer moving parts and a smaller workforce to manufacture. Widespread job destruction is on the agenda, while the company plans to add an even lower fourth tier of ultralow-paid production workers, starting with its new battery factories. Cutting jobs and slashing wages to the bone is the reality behind President Bidens remarks in the State of the Union speech focused on promoting American competitiveness in the emerging electric vehicle market, in which Chinese manufacturers have taken an early lead. Biden cited Fords $11 billion investment in a joint venture with South Koreas SK Innovation to build 3 battery plants in Tennessee and Kentucky and General Motors $7 billion investment in EV facilities in Michigan as examples of companies that are choosing to build new factories here, when just a few years ago, they would have built them overseas. He claimed falsely in his address that this would lead to good-paying union jobs at Ford and GM, but in fact, Biden is seeking to use the corrupt United Auto Workers union to slash wages much as he did during the bailout of the auto industry in 2009 as Obamas vice president. To get a sense of what is in store, autoworkers should take a close look at what happened at GMs Assembly plant in Lake Orion, Michigan, which produces the Chevy Bolt EV and the Chevy Cruise, an experimental autonomous vehicle (AV). In 2018, then UAW Vice President GM Cindy Estrada signed a secret Memorandum of Understanding allowing the company to get rid of full-time workers and run the plant using contractors from GM Subsystems, a dummy company founded in 2009 right before GMs bankruptcy. These workers made far less than regular employees but still had to pay union dues. GM has since announced a $4 billion investment in the Lake Orion plant, as part of its own plans to ramp up EV production. In response to Fords reorganization, the union offered up absurd lies to cover up its role in both the past and the future. As has always been the case, UAW VP for Ford Chuck Browning claimed, the best interests of our members remain at the forefront of discussions with Ford in order to assure job security and shared prosperity as Ford emerges as a leader in the manufacturing of electric vehicles. This is an insult to autoworkers intelligence. They all know perfectly well that the UAW has colluded with the auto companies for decades, to carry out endless rounds of jobs and wage cuts, cynically justified in the name of job security. As for shared prosperity, this is only true for the UAW bureaucracy itself. Through illegal bribes of the type which have led to the indictments of more than a dozen top UAW officials in a recent probe, as well as even more lucrative legal bribes including corporate stock, control of investment funds and billions funneled into joint training centers and other labor-management schemes, the UAW has been totally integrated into management. The companys announcement is part of a bitter international struggle between the major automakers over the market share and profit margins in the rapidly emerging electric vehicle market. During the same week as the Ford announcement, Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares promised to spend $36 billion for electrification and software within 8 years and deliver the companys first electric vehicle by 2025. Stellantis plans to sell 5 million EVs by 2030, including 100 percent of its sales in Europe and half of its sales in North America. In 2019, during the nationwide strike at General Motors, WSWS explained the vast transformations in the global auto industry which were already underway: For the financial aristocracy the defeat of the strike is a strategic, not a short-term, question. In the face of growing signs of a global economic downturn and vast technological changes, Wall Street is seeking a broader restructuring of the global auto industry and a shift of capital towards electric and autonomous vehicles. Though not profitable yet, these technologies promise immense returns to investors from whatever global automaker dominates the market. This will require, however, the destruction of whatever is left of the social rights of autoworkers. The auto industry must impose the conditions that prevail at tech giants like Tesla, Amazon and Google. Rather than having any expectation of long-term employment, annual raises, medical coverage and a pension after retirement, autoworkers will face the same hyper-exploitation as workers in the so-called Gig Economy. The Amazonization of the global auto industry means future workers will be nothing but low-paid contract workers or perma-temps who can be hired and fired at will, depending on which way the economic winds blow. Wall Street is gearing up for a fight that will have vast implications for the future of workers at Ford and Fiat Chrysler, in every auto and auto parts factory in the US and across the planet and for workers in every economic sector. The attack on autoworkers also proceeds along international lines. In Europe, the unions and union-dominated works councils have pitted Ford workers in Saarlouis, Germany, and Valencia, Spain, against each other in a bidding war to secure production of a new electric vehicle. The location of the investment will be based on which plant can offer the most concessions, with the losers losing their jobs. There is also a bitter struggle not only over market share but for government support. Bidens proposed tax credits for EV purchase would extend only to vehicles produced with union labor that is, at companies where the exploitation of the workforce takes place with the collaboration of the pro-corporate union bureaucracy. This would favor the heavily unionized Detroit automakers over their nonunion rivals, including both foreign-owned auto companies which produce vehicles at nonunion plants in the American South, as well as the EV startup Tesla owned by billionaire libertarian blowhard Elon Musk. Musk reacted with a series of sarcastic tweets recently, hereby inviting the UAW to organize an election at his plant in Fremont, California, while making clear his opposition to the UAW. However, the UAW would function as no less a company union at Tesla than it already does at the Detroit Three. Indeed, one of the purposes of Bidens tax credit is to encourage companies to bring in the unions as a bulwark against rank-and-file opposition from below. Bidens worst fear is that this opposition, which will grow tremendously in response to attacks on workers living standards being pushed alongside the transition to EVs, will find an independent outlet. Last month, Queenslands Workplace Health and Safety Prosecutor announced it would not bring charges against any officials of giant mining company Anglo American over the May 6, 2020 explosion at its Grosvenor underground coal mine in central Queensland. Five workers were left with horrendous injuries. Anglo Americans Grosvenor Mine (Photo: Australasian Mine Safety Journal) Prosecutor Aaron Guilfoyle declared: Having assessed the brief of evidence against the guidelines of the Director of Public Prosecutions, I am not satisfied there exists a reasonable prospect of securing a conviction against any of the identified duty holders under the Coal Mining Safety and Health Act 1999. It is some eight months now since the Queensland Board of Inquiry into the deadly incident brought down its finding. The inquiry was commissioned by the Queensland state Labor government of Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk as a damage control exercise to contain the widespread outrage over the May 6 disaster and to whitewash its own responsibility for the disaster, alongside that of the company. Even in the official inquirys highly-orchestrated proceedings, however, it proved impossible to completely suppress evidence that confirmed that Anglos drive for production to maximise investment returns at all costs had created the conditions for the deadly methane gas explosion. It is only necessary here to review the main policies implemented by Anglo at its Grosvenor mine in the lead up to May 6. The key inquiry findings show that the mines management: Enforced a rate of production that continually produced methane gas levels exceeding the capacity of the mines gas drainage system, which at best could only handle gas levels generated from the mining of 10,000 tonnes of coal daily. Production from the mines long wall 104 (LW104), where the five injured men had been working, was frequently in the range of 15,000 to 20,000 tonnes, and sometimes up to 28,000 tonnes a day. Did not cap production to a safe level when mining LW104 and then implemented a system known as bi-directional mining to yield even higher levels of production thereby contributing to a further elevation of gas levels. Abandoned a series of essential safeguards designed to manage gas levels before commencing work on LW104 that would have taken considerable time to implement and would have delayed the start-up of production on the seam. These included pre-gas drainage of the actual seam being worked and the development of an effective strategy to divert gas being generated from coal seams surrounding LW104 as cutting on the long wall proceeded. Did not carry out the required specific spontaneous combustion risk assessment, either prior to starting production on LW104 or at any time during its operation. Did not inform Queenslands Inspectorate of Mines, which supposedly enforces safety, of its failure to carry out these measures. However, in relation to the last listed revelation it must be stated that the inspectorates close working relationship with Anglo included its officials being in constant discussions. It is hardly credible that the inspectorate had no inclination of the companys failure to implement the required safety measures. The damning revelations above were prominent in the 90,000 pieces of evidence handed to the state governments inspectorate at the conclusion of the inquiry last August to enable it to draw up a report for the Work Health and Safety Prosecutor to consider charges against identified duty holders. This included Grosvenors management team tasked with enforcing levels of production. The six-month long period, during which the inspectorate was purportedly examining the evidence and deliberating, was dragged out to take the disaster off the public radar and to diffuse widespread anger. The inspectorates quashing of any prosecution is in line with the state Labor governments close collaboration with the mining companies. Relying heavily on mining royalties, and all kinds of big business patronage, the government has backed the mining companies drive to slash costs through jobs cuts and ever-greater casualisation, a major contributor to the undermining of workplace safety. In response to the Safety Prosecutors decision, Construction Forestry Maritime Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU) Queensland president Stephen Smyth declared: Its deeply unfair that a management team that oversaw a mine blowing up should face no consequences whatsoever. The union, however, was centrally involved in the various official maneuvers, which were clearly aimed at blocking any prosecutions and covering-up responsibility. First, the CFMEU enthusiastically supported the fraudulent Board of Inquiry selling it as an opportunity for a thorough, wide-ranging and independent examination of the shocking events. Then, the CFMEU hailed the inquirys ineffectual recommendations as the basis for a systemic improvements in the industry, even though they left safety in company hands and recommended no charges. The union, in fact, went along with the fraud because it was as anxious as the government to prevent any exposure of its own role in undermining safety including overseeing massive casualisation. Most tellingly, the union clearly knew of the dangerous conditions at Grosvenor, because it was told of them by workers. But it did nothing to prevent production from proceeding, thereby consigning workers to their fate. This was because the CFMEUs main concern, as always, was to maintain its role as a labour bargaining agency. Through its positioning as a virtual arm of company management, the unions officialdom derives lucrative privileges, including six-figure salaries for many of the top bureaucrats. The decision that no charges be laid over the Grosvenor explosion will act as a green light for the continued undermining of workers safety, and its subordination to profit interests. To fight for an end to the carnage, workers must make a decisive break with corporatised unions and with Labor, both of which are instruments of big business. New organisations of struggle, including rank-and-file committees independent of the CFMEU must be formed, to enforce basic safety conditions. This must be linked to the fight for a workers government that would implement socialist policies, including placing the mines, along with the banks and major corporations, under public ownership and democratic workers control. As the war between Russia and Ukraine spirals out of control, with a Russian missile strike on a military training base just 15 miles from the Polish border with Poland, a NATO ally, geo-political fault lines in the Middle East threaten to open another front and destabilise the entire region. On Sunday morning, Iran launched a dozen ballistic missiles that landed near the new US consulate compound eight miles north of the northern Iraqi city of Irbil, capital of the semi-autonomous Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG). The attack resulted in minor damage to the nearby satellite broadcasting channel Kurdistan24 but no casualties, although an Iranian official claimed that two Israeli officials had been killed. Israel has refused to comment on the attack. Damage to the Kurdistan 24 Satellite Channel studios is seen Irbil, Iraq on Sunday, March 13, 2022. (AP Photo/Salar Salim) Irans attack on Irbil marks a significant escalation in the ongoing tensions between Tehran and Israel, and by extension the US. It follows years of covert warfare between the two countries both in Iran, where Israel has carried out assassinations, blown up installations, launched cyber-attacks on vital Iranian computer systems, including nuclear facilities, and attacked sea-going vessels, and in Syria, where Israel has attacked Lebanese Shia Hezbollah fighters, their weapons dumps and Iranian-linked facilities. It was initially thought that the target in Irbil was the American compound, where US forces provide air and other military and intelligence support for its puppet regime in Baghdad. Once complete, the compound will be one of the largest US diplomatic compounds in the world. The relocation to the KRG follows Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimis demand that they leave the al-Asad airbase and other bases where US troops were stationed. He demanded this in the aftermath of the US assassination of Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) commander General Qassem Suleimani in January 2020 that led to several attacks on US forces and facilities in Iraq. However, Washington has insisted the missiles were not aimed at its compound. Tehran said the attack was in retaliation for an Israeli strike on an Iranian base near the Syrian capital of Damascus. That attack on March 7 killed four people, including two members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), who play a key role in supporting the Lebanese Shia Hezbollah fighters with military expertise and supplies. The Revolutionary Guards pledged to make the Zionist regime pay for this crime. The IRGC said the attack was a warning to the US and Israel and was aimed at the strategic center of the Zionist conspiracies in Erbil. A foreign ministry spokesperson said Iran had warned the Iraqi authorities on numerous occasions that its territory should not be used by third parties to conduct attacks against Iran. Lebanese television station Al Mayadeen, which is close to Hezbollah and Iran, said that an Israeli drone attack in mid-February had been launched from Iraqi Kurdistan, causing substantial damage. The Middle East Eye reported that Iranian and Iraqi officials had said the Iranian strike was a response to a previous Israeli attack that targeted an Iranian drone factory in the city of Tabriz, one of Irans most important airbases hosting an army aviation headquarters, F-5 squadrons and a radar station. Tabriz had witnessed two explosions since the beginning of February. Sabereen News, an Iraqi news outlet affiliated with an Iranian-backed network of Shiite militias, claimed the target was two secret Israeli intelligence bases in Irbil, with Iranian state television saying the targets were under the supervision of the Zionist regime in Irbil. That the KRG hosts a secret Israeli base in Irbil is an open secret. Israels relations with Iraqs Kurds go back decades when it supported their rebellion against Baghdad in the 1960s. Under its Periphery Doctrine, it has long viewed the Kurds, who live in Iraq, Iran, Turkey and Syria, as a source of vital intelligence and a counterweight to its regional adversaries. Seymour Hersh, writing in the New Yorker in 2004, cited CIA and military sources claiming that Israeli military and intelligence operatives, including members of Mossad, were providing training for Kurdish commando units and running covert operations, working as businessmen, inside Kurdish areas of Iran and Syria. It was Israels support for the KRG, whom President Recep Tayyip Erdogan accuses of supporting Turkeys Kurdish separatists, that led to Tel Avivs increasingly hostile relations with Ankara, as it gave humanitarian aid to Syrias Kurds, claiming they faced possible ethnic cleansing by Turkey and its armed proxies in Syria. In 2015, it was reported that Israel was importing as much as three-quarters of its oil from the KRG in Iraq, helping to finance Peshmerga soldiers fighting the Islamic State group. In September 2017, Israel was the only country to publicly endorse the KRGs independence referendum staged by KRG Prime Minister Masrour Barzani. Last year, Iranian media reported that Iran had launched drones and missiles near the Irbil airport, wounding Mossad agents. That Sundays strikes near Irbil caused little material damage suggests that they were meant as a signal to Washington and Tel Aviv that Tehran would not tolerate attacks on its forces in Syria. Neither would it tolerate Moscows collusion with Israel over its airstrikes. Irans attack on Irbil takes place amid the stalling last week of the months-long talks in Vienna, aimed at restarting the 2015 nuclear accords the Trump administration unilaterally abandoned in 2018. Washington has rejected demands on March 5 from Russia, one of the signatories to the deal, for written guarantees that if Tehran signed the nuclear deal, Russian trade, investment and military-technical cooperation with Iran would be able to continue despite sanctions over its invasion of Ukraine. Russian interference in the final stages of talks has drawn criticism from Tehran as not constructive. Iran had abstained in the UN General Assembly vote condemning Russias invasion of Ukraine, which was supported by 141 countries, amid calls for Tehran to refrain from supporting Russia and show that it was not dependent upon Moscow. This has become a key political issue in Iran under conditions where Russia has repeatedly allowed Israel to attack Iranian and Hezbollah targets in Syria. With oil and gas prices soaring following the war in Ukraine and US/NATO powers sanctions on Russian energy sectors, the prospect of relief from sanctions and re-entry into the worlds energy markets is an opportunity not to be missed by Irans bourgeois clerical regime. Iran reportedly has 80 million barrels of oil stored in tankers and other Asian countries available for sale. This, plus its ability to produce a further 1.2 million barrels a day, would increase world supplies, lower oil prices and bring much needed revenue to Tehran. It could also provide new sources of investment from international corporations that have had to pull out of Russia. Iran's Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian is set to visit Russia today, after France, Britain, and Germany warned that the talks might collapse because of Russias demands. Further ramping up tensions, Iran has suspended talks with Saudi Arabia, Washingtons other main ally in the region, due to restart this week. It follows Tehrans condemnation of Riyadhs executions of 81 activists, the biggest mass execution in decades. Those killed included 41 Shia Muslims from the impoverished oil producing eastern Qatif region, who the Saudi monarchy accuses of loyalty to Iran. The two countries are involved in open conflicts, having backed opposing sides in regional wars and political conflicts in Syria, Lebanon and Iraq for years, while Saudi Arabia has headed an Arab coalition waging war against the Houthi movement it claims toppled Riyadhs hated puppet in Yemen, President Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi, with Iranian support, since 2015. A Colorado grand jury has indicted two Colorado election officials following a months-long investigation into a security breach involving Mesa Countys voting machines. Tina Peters, the county clerk of Mesa County, and her deputy clerk, Belinda Knisley, face a litany of felony charges alleging their involvement in a conspiracy to breach the security of county election operations and leak secure information. Tina Peters and Belinda Knisley (Source: Mesa County Sheriff's Department) Peters has been charged with 10 counts, including three felony counts of attempting to influence a public servant, two felony counts of conspiracy to commit criminal impersonation, one felony count of identity theft, and several misdemeanor counts of first-degree official misconduct, violation of duty and failing to comply with requirements of the Colorado secretary of state. Knisley is charged with six counts, including three felony counts of attempting to influence a public servant, one felony count of conspiracy to commit criminal impersonation, and additional misdemeanor counts for violation of duty and failing to comply with the requirements of the secretary of state. The central focus of the investigation is the alleged conspiracy of Peters and Knisley to facilitate a security breach of the countys election hardware last May. According to the indictment, Peters and Knisley devised and executed a deceptive scheme which was designed to influence public servants, breach security protocols, exceed permissible access to voting equipment, and set in motion the eventual distribution of confidential information to unauthorized people. In pursuit of these aims, both women allegedly stole the identity of local resident Gerald Wood in order to grant unauthorized access to an as yet unnamed person to ballot-counting machines. Wood is a local employee of the Department of Motor Vehicles. He testified to the grand jury that he had been contacted by Peters to do IT work for the county and that he was issued an official ID on May 19, which he returned that same day. The unidentified person was then granted access as a temp employee using Woods secure access badge. The indictment notes that county records show that a person used that badge to access secured areas of the county election offices on May 23, two days before an annual software update and a few days after security cameras at the office were turned off at Knisleys request. Further allegations from the indictment claim that Peters and the unidentified person copied the hard drives of the countys voting machines and stole secure passwords to their software. Information from these machines and their passwords were then shared on the right-wing website Gateway Pundit. Soon after, the software of the Mesa County ballot machines was shared on large monitors at a South Dakota election symposium organized by the fascistic My Pillow CEO Mike Lindell, who has frequently expressed support for Trumps lie that the 2020 election was stolen through vote fraud . Lindell has been a vocal proponent of a right-wing conspiracy theory that the ballot machine manufacturer Dominion Voting Systems was behind an elaborate fraud scheme to steal the 2020 election from Donald Trump. In an interview with Trump last November, Lindell proposed that all Dominion voting machines be melted down and turned into prison bars, further stating that he wanted to investigate voter rolls and ballot machines, saying he wanted to look right into their routers. Peters, who has also made public comments questioning the validity of the 2020 election, was also in attendance at the event, where she stated, Something didnt seem right in our county from years ago to the 2020 election. And they wanted answers. And I said, You know what? If theres a there there, we'll find it And Ive made that pledge to the citizens of Mesa County and all over Colorado. Dominion is the supplier of voting machines to Mesa County. Peters has denied the accusations and rejected the indictment as a Democratic Party plot against her. Using a grand jury to formalize politically-motivated accusations against candidates is a tactic long employed by the Democrat Party, said Peters in a statement. Using legal muscle to indict political opponents during an election isnt new strategy, but its easier to execute when you have a district attorney who despises President Trump and any constitutional conservative like myself who continues to demand all election evidence be made available to the public. By making election material available to the public she means assisting the fascistic attacks of figures like Lindell. During a Facebook Live event, Peters reportedly said that weve got to get those machines so they are transparent to the people and theyre not able to do what theyre designed to do. The implication of such a statement is that voting machines are rigged, and that only the intervention of right-wing forces into the election process can prevent that. The indictment of Peters and Knisley, and their connection to far-right elements perpetuating Trumps lie of widespread fraud during the 2020 election, has far-reaching implications for the ongoing assault by the Republican Party on voting rights. Nearly two dozen states have already passed laws restricting the ability of citizens to vote over the past year, based on entirely bogus claims of mass vote fraud. Now, as mid-term elections draw close, many states are seeing candidates who publicly endorse this conspiracy theory run for secretary of state, the chief administrator of elections in most states. This year 27 states will have elections for Secretary of State, and in nearly half of them a Republican candidate is running who either questions the validity of Joe Bidens presidential victory or has explicitly declared it to be fraud. Arizona Republican State Representative Mark Finchem, who was present at the attempted coup on January 6, is running for Arizona secretary of state this year and has reportedly received strong support from Trump, who publicly endorsed his candidacy. Trump also endorsed Kristina Karamo, a leading member in attempts by the Michigan Republicans to block the casting of the states electoral votes for Joe Biden, for Michigan secretary of state, and Nevadas Jim Marchant, who attempted to sue to have his congressional loss to a Democrat overturned. In Georgia, he has also endorsed Representative Jody Hice, another proponent of Trumps big lie, who also attempted to block Georgias casting of electoral votes for Biden. Hice is running against incumbent Republican Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, who opposed Trumps attempts to interfere in Georgias ballot counting during the 2020 election. Significantly, Peters herself announced her candidacy for Colorado secretary of state in February of this year. State Republicans have encouraged her to suspend her campaign until her trial is complete, but she has so far refused. The growing assault on democratic rights, and the revelations of a conspiracy by local election officials in support of far-right claims of vote fraud, present a serious threat to the voting rights of the working class. Fascistic elements within and around the Republican Party are becoming increasingly brazen in their attempts to challenge, subvert and repeal the limited democratic rights won by workers over decades of struggle. According to Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold, the investigation into Peters and Knisley uncovered one of the nations first insider threats where an official, elected to uphold free, fair, and secure selections, risked the integrity of the election system in an effort to prove unfounded conspiracy theories. As the investigation continues, it may reveal broader connections between local election officials and the developing fascistic forces operating within and around the Republican Party. I do not know with what weapons World War III will be fought, but World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones. attributed to Albert Einstein In 2017, the World Socialist Web Site published a series of interviews with leading experts on the subject of nuclear war. They spoke on both the inherent dangers of such a conflict, even of a limited nuclear exchange, as well as the decades-long effort by the American military, media and political establishment, to conceal the true horror that such a war would bring. Yesterday, we published an interview with scientist and anti-nuclear activist Steven Starr. Today we are republishing the second of these interviews, conducted with Greg Mello, who spoke on the underlying political and economic interests driving the world toward nuclear war. Mello is the secretary and executive director of the Los Alamos Study Group, an organization that has researched the dangers of nuclear war and advocated for disarmament since 1989. The threat of nuclear war is now more acute than at any time in history. The continuous eastward expansion of NATO following the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991 has culminated in the US-NATO provocation of Russias invasion of Ukraine, which has already had immense global repercussions. Thousands of soldiers and civilians have been killed in Ukraine and nearly 3 million people have been displaced. The Western media and sections of the political establishment recklessly demand that NATO impose a no-fly zone over Ukraine, in which NATO aircraft would attempt to shoot down their Russian counterparts. This would immediately provoke a direct confrontation between the worlds two largest nuclear-armed powers, with incalculable consequences. Amid the war in Eastern Europe, the coronavirus pandemic continues unabated. According to estimates of excess deaths, between 18 and 20 million people have likely died directly or indirectly from COVID-19 during the past two years. A nuclear war would raise such a scale of death from the millions to the billions. The pandemicwhich amounts to a social crime of staggering dimensionshas proven once again the willingness of the capitalist ruling elites to sacrifice the lives of millions of people, as took place in World War I and World War II. The same ruling elites are entirely capable of starting a nuclear war, which could quickly snuff out all human life and potentially all life on Earth. The fundamental conclusion that must be drawn from the present drive to World War III and the ongoing pandemic is that capitalism is a bankrupt social system which threatens the health and very existence of humanity. The international working class must overthrow world capitalism and build a new society upon socialist foundations, based on nuclear and military disarmament, social equality and scientific planning. All workers who understand the present dangers and the need to build a revolutionary movement to stop the drive to war and stop the pandemic should make the decision to join and build the International Committee of the Fourth International (ICFI) as the world party of socialist revolution. * * * * * WSWS: What role have the Democrats played in the increased tensions between the US and Russia over Syria? [This interview was conducted a week after the April 6, 2017 cruise missile strike by the Trump administration against a Syrian airbase, which dramatically escalated tensions between the US and Russia at the time.] Greg Mello: Even as recently as 2013, when there was a fake chemical weapon attack in Syria, I dont think the Democrats were as on board with war as they are today. But now, as a result of the candidacy of Hillary Clinton, the Russia-baiting and the neo-McCarthyite hyperbole has really ratcheted up, marginalizing even those within the party who express any amount of skepticism about the official story, such as Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard. And this is someone who went to Syria to find out what was really going on. She found that the majority of people in Syria want the US to stop funding the rebels and are happy with the Assad governments efforts to oust Al Qaeda and ISIS. But shes being silenced. WSWS: Could you speak on some of the corporate interests involved in this? GM: Fifty-nine cruise missiles cost a lot of money. Each missile used costs, I guess, between $1 and $1.6 million, so the strike as a whole cost between $60 to $100 million. That doesnt include the cost of the deployment of the ships and the other elements that make up a strike. Its probably twice as much, if you include those elements. In terms of the missiles, if they are replaced, thats income for whatever company replaces them. Companies also get free advertising from such a strike. I saw the clip from MSNBCs Brian Williams, who praised the missiles using the Leonard Cohen line, Im guided by the beauty of our weapons. Thats a priceless advertising clip, especially when the same images and videos of the missiles are on primetime news and across the Internet. Im sure their stock values, literally and figuratively, went up. But even this is peanuts compared to the really high dollar amounts that come from continued tensions with Russia and the US governments need to dominate the world. Were talking not about millions of dollars, but billionsreally, trillions. To maintain the idea that we should be in every part of the world, the US spends on all components of national defense about $1 trillion a year. So it really adds up quickly. And the US military just got an increase to its base budget that is comparable to Russias entire defense budget. In the US, we spend way more money on the military than all of our potential adversaries combined. Thats where the real money is. We get NATO to buy the latest versions of military equipment, compatible with ours. All of those arms sales plus our own national purchases are worth trillions. Thats what this strike upholds. A military spending pattern on a colossal scale. This goes along with the geopolitical questions you mentioned. WSWS: Could elaborate on the geopolitical questions? GM: Well, Trump has said that we wont go into Syria, but theres no consistent policy on this. Lets assume there is another strike, will it involve Russia? Will it kill Russians? What will Putin or any other Russian leader feel he needs to do then? Stephen Cohen, professor emeritus of Russian studies at Princeton and New York University, noted that Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev called American and Russian relations ruined. And Medvedev is not a hardliner against the West. For him to say that, you can only imagine what the generals and other hardliners are whispering in Putins other ear. If we make another strike, either with a US airplane or a coalition airplane, it could easily be shot down by the high end anti-aircraft weapons that Syria and Russia have deployed. This would lead to an outcry from the US political establishment to do more, to double down on our mistake. All in all, its difficult to see how an air campaign could have a decisive effect on the war in Syria without creating an extreme risk of escalation between the US and Russia. Geopolitically, the situation in Syria has gone so far towards Assad remaining in power and the terrorists being pushed out that a serious US attack on Syria would either fail, or else it would really damage Russian interests, humiliate Russia and kill her soldiers along with Assads, and therefore tilt the balance toward WWIII. The idea that the poisonings in Khan Sheikhoun occurred because of chemical weapons or precursors released by a conventional munitions attack on an Al Qaeda weapons warehouse or workshop, which is the report of the Russian government, makes the most sense given everything we know. The notion that Assad or some rogue element in his army dropped chemical weapons on his own people, just when he is winning militarily and politically, is ridiculous. Now we see that the US does not want the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons involved in an investigation of the attack. Really? The OPCW is the worlds policeman for chemical weapons, something the US helped create. They got the Nobel Peace Prize in 2013 for verifying that all of Syrias chemical weapons had been destroyed. They destroyed them on a US ship. In this case and in every case, the OPCW would carefully study evidence gathered with chain of custody procedures at an accredited laboratory, all of which are essential when matters of war and peace are at stake. Its the same way youd collect evidence in a high-profile murder case. This hasnt happened for the most recent chemical weapon attackand the US doesnt want it to happen. Instead, the US has recently issued a statement of the facts, a piece of paper claiming to be from all 17 intelligence agencies, but without letterheads or signatures, which uses weasel words like we have confidence. There is no indication what agencies have signed off on this or what actual evidence has been collected. Moreover, an attack like this takes a few weeks to investigate, not a few days. This all is happening because Syria is one of the more important crossroads between the hydrocarbons of the Middle East and European customers. If youre going to get oil and natural gas from Qatar to Europe without going through Iran, you have to have pipelines that go through Syria. This is especially important if you dont want Europe to be dependent on natural gas from Russia, if you want to prevent Germany and Russia and the rest of Asia from further integration economically. The US government does not want Europe dependent on hydrocarbons supplied by Russia or Iran. So, really, Syria is a proxy war between the US and other regional powersIran, allied with Russiafor control over Europes gas and oil. In addition, Israel wants control of the Golan Heights in order to drill in that region. Its also worth considering that Chinas oil production seems to have peaked. The worlds net exports of oilthat is, the oil that can be bought on the international marketare starting to very slowly decline. Since a barrel of oil will produce more value in countries such as China and India because the workers are paid so much less, China can always outbid the US and Europe for oil. Given a free market, they will. Alongside this problem, the oil-producing countries are using more oil internally as their populations and economies grow, which will inevitably produce a crisis in the availability and affordability of oil. That crisis will be upon us in the 2020s and it implies the potential for great power conflicts over these resources. You didnt have this during the Cold War because the US and Russia each had enough resources, as did our allies. But now, the cheap oil is running out and there are no cheap replacements. The potential for conflict, including between nuclear-armed powers, is rising. WSWS: How many people would die during the first day of such a war? GM: To a first approximation, in a nuclear war between the US and Russia, everybody in the world would die. Some people in the southern hemisphere might survive, but probably not even them. Even a couple of nuclear weapons could end the United States as a government and an economy. It wouldnt take a great deal to destroy the just in time supply chains, the financial markets and the Internet. The whole system is very fragile, especially with respect to nuclear weapons. Even in a somewhat limited nuclear war, say a war where only ICBM silos and airfields were targeted, there would be so much fallout from the ICBM fields alone that much of the Midwest would be wiped out, including places like Chicago. Then there is the problem of the nuclear power plants, which have stored within them and their spent fuel pools and storage areas truly vast amounts of radioactivity. If their electricity supply is interrupted, these plants are quite susceptible to fires and meltdowns, as we saw at Fukushima. Keep in mind that nuclear war is not one or two Hiroshima-sized bombs. The imagination cannot encompass nuclear war. Nuclear war means nuclear winter. It means the collapse of very fragile electronic, financial, governmental, administrative systems that keep everyone alive. Wed be lucky to reboot in the early 19th century. And if enough weapons are detonated, the collapse of the Earths ozone layer would mean that every form of life that has eyes could be blinded. The combined effects of a US-Russian nuclear war would mean that pretty much every terrestrial mammal, and many plants, would become extinct. There would be a dramatic biological thinning. I think many parts of the US military just dont get it. Ive talked to people on the National Security Council and they have the idea that Russia will back down. I begged them, about 18 months ago, to bring in some Cold War era veteran diplomats from the realist school, people like former ambassador to Russia Jack Matlock, who was appointed by Ronald Reagan, to try and convince them that Russia wont just do what we want, that they have their own legitimate interests that we would do well to understand and take into consideration. WSWS: What are your thoughts on how to deal with the problem of nuclear war? GM: I would say that the effort to decrease inequality in the world is at the core of dealing with the threat of nuclear war. We have to get the military-industrial-financial complex off peoples backs. If you have so much power concentrated in so few hands, and have such high levels of inequality, the people in power are blinded by their position. They are insulated from societys problems. So gross inequalityeconomic and especially politicalleads to sort of political stupidity. It could lead to annihilation. The ignorant masses are not the problem. Its the ignorance and hubris at the top. It always is. No Russian military operation in the invasion of Ukraine goes by without a torrent of denunciations from the Biden administration and the corporate media in the most strident of terms, portraying Putin as the new Hitler and the Russian military as a modern version of the hordes of Genghis Khan. But when a US ally and major supplier of oil to world capitalism carries out a barbaric massacre, Washington does not make even the mildest protest. Defense Secretary James N. Mattis meets with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz at the Pentagon in Washington D.C., Mar. 22, 2018. (DoD photo by Navy Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Kathryn E. Holm) Neither the White House nor the State Department has issued any statement on the execution of 81 prisoners Saturday in Saudi Arabia, which was widely condemned by human rights and Saudi exile groups. Even when the issue was raised Monday at the regular State Department press briefing, spokesman Ned Price would say nothing more than we are continuing to raise concerns about fair trial guarantees, although he said he cant speak to the timing of that, but we have raised these concerns. In plain English, this means that the administration has said nothing about the executions to the Saudi monarchy and its murderous ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who dispatched a hit squad to murder and dismember Saudi dissident Jamal Khashoggi inside the Saudi consulate in Turkey in 2018. The State Department flack could only point to past statements about giving prisoners a fair trial (after they have been brutally tortured and denied access to legal representation) before the executioner does his bloody work. Beheading is the standard method of execution in Saudi Arabia. The majority of the victims of this medieval barbarism were young men from the eastern region of Saudi Arabia, where the majority of the population is Shiiteregarded as heretical by the Wahhabite Sunni clergy which sets the rules for daily life in the kingdom. According to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, 41 of the victims of the mass execution had taken part in antigovernment protests in 2011-2012. Another seven were Yemenis, allegedly linked to the Houthi rebellion in Yemen which ousted a Saudi-backed regime. Implementation of death sentences following trials that do not offer the required fair trial guarantees is prohibited by international human rights and humanitarian law and may amount to a war crime, she said. It requires little effort to imagine the reaction in Washington if the Russian military had executed 81 prisoners of war in Ukraine claiming they were terrorists. The entire policy of the Saudi monarchy in Yemen is a war crime, targeting the civilian population of that country, the poorest in the Arab world, for starvation and murder. According to a report issued Monday by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, associated with the United Nations Childrens Emergency Fund (UNICEF), 538,000 children in Yemen are already severely malnourished, and that figure will rise to 2.2 million by the end of this year. Around 1.3 million pregnant women or nursing mothers will be acutely malnourished by the end of the year, while 161,000 people are likely to experience famine, the most acute deprivation of food, five times the current figure. These harrowing figures confirm that we are on a countdown to catastrophe in Yemen and we are almost out of time to avoid it, said David Beasley, head of the World Food Program, adding that action was urgently needed to avert imminent disaster and save millions. More than half the population of Yemen, 19 million out of 30 million, will be unable to meet minimum food needs during the second half of this year, according to the IPC report, up from 17.4 million now. According to another UNICEF statement issued Friday, March 11, the UN has verified the killing or injury of at least 10,200 children since the Saudi military intervention began in 2015. Nearly all the casualties came from Saudi bombs and missiles, most of them delivered by US-supplied warplanes and using targeting information provided by US specialists. There is an obvious element of racism in the selective outrage of imperialist governments and the corporate media, expressed in saturation coverage of the suffering of the Ukrainian people, accompanied by virtual silence over the equally terrible suffering of the population of Yemen. This was summed up in the comment by CBS correspondent Charlie DAgata, who blurted out that victims who look like us are more likely to evoke a sympathetic response. He was only one of many. Daniel Hannan of Britains Daily Telegraph remarked, They seem so like us. Thats it. That is what makes it so shocking. Ukraine is a European country. Its people watch Netflix and have Instagram accounts, vote in free elections and read uncensored newspapers. War is no longer something visited upon impoverished and remote populations. Government officials followed suit. Ukraines chief prosecutor, David Sakvarelidze, told the BBC, Its really emotional for me because I see European people with blue eyes and blonde hair being killed, children being killed every day with Putins missiles. Kiril Petkov, prime minister of Bulgaria said, These are not the refugees we are used to. They are Europeans, intelligent, educated people, some are IT programmers ... this is not the usual refugee wave of people with an unknown past. No European country is afraid of them. Retired British general Richard Barrons, former assistant chief of the general staff, said, I think one of the issues is how does public opinion in the UK and other countries react to seeing people who look and live like us being slaughtered. The Arab and Middle Eastern Journalists Association (AMEJA) issued a statement condemning this racist double standard. AMEJA stands in full solidarity with all civilians under military assault in any part of the world, and we deplore the difference in news coverage of people in one country versus another, the organization said. This type of commentary reflects the pervasive mentality in Western journalism of normalizing tragedy in parts of the world such as the Middle East, Africa, South Asia, and Latin America. It dehumanizes and renders their experience with war as somehow normal and expected ... Race is, of course, not the determining factor. There were tears aplenty in the imperialist media for Syrian victims of repression by the Assad regime. The decisive issue is whether the government carrying out the slaughter is allied with American imperialism. Hence the silence over atrocities in Saudi Arabia, Colombia, India and the Philippinesto say nothing of the millions of victims of the Pentagon and CIA in Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria and across North Africain sharp contrast to the screaming headlines and nonstop coverage of the victims of Putins reactionary invasion of Ukraine. The working class should not be swayed by any of the campaigns in the capitalist media, aimed at mobilizing public opinion in support of the foreign policy of American imperialism and its European allies. On Friday the Biden administration announced it will continue to carry forward the brutal immigration policies of the Trump administration, continuing the tight restrictions under Title 42 which force asylum seekers at the southern border to remain in Mexico. The only update announced was that it would continue to apply to all families and persons seeking asylum but would make exceptions for unaccompanied minors, allowing them to enter the US as they seek asylum through immigration courts. Immigrants seeking asylum hold hands as they leave a cafeteria at the ICE South Texas Family Residential Center in Dilley, Texas on August 23, 2019 (AP Photo/Eric Gay, File) The draconian anti-migrant measureimplemented under the guise of combatting the spread of COVID-19is being kept in place even as the Biden administration has spearheaded the lifting of every other pandemic-related public health measure, and the American population has been told they must learn to live with the virus and return to normal. Title 42 was first seized upon in March of 2020 under then President Donald Trump at the outset of the coronavirus pandemic to place the harshest restrictions to date on who can cross the border in the interest of public health. The 1944 statute grants the president broad powers to block foreigners from entering the country in order to prevent the serious threat of a dangerous disease. Trumps fascistic immigration adviser Stephen Miller had attempted to invoke the law twice before, during a mumps outbreak in immigration jails and once again during the flu season. According to White House officials, Miller had long viewed the special protections offered to minors as a major hurdle to carrying out full immigration bans and an obstacle for speedy deportations. The spread of COVID-19 was quickly seized upon to justify a halt to the international protections of asylum and has continued to be pursued just as vociferously by the Biden administration, which has deported over 1 million migrants and detained a record 1.7 million migrants along the US-Mexico border last year. According to the Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA), last month the Biden administration hit a terrible milestone of deporting its 20,000th migrant sent back to Haiti aboard the 198th flight since the presidents inauguration on January 20, 2021. The large figures were the result of a massive deportation blitz carried out by the Biden administration that sent hundreds of flights full of Haitian refugees seeking asylum in the United States back to Haiti. The announcement to maintain Title 42 continues the assault on the international right to asylum. Furthermore, it is yet another version of what the Trump administration did early on in the pandemicusing the threat of COVID-19 to coerce parents to separate from their children by telling parents they will allow only children to leave COVID-infested detention facilities, but not parents. By refusing to process asylum applications for all, aside from unaccompanied youth, the stage is being set for tens of thousands of parents to make a devastating sacrifice and separate from their children in the hopes that at least their children will be able to reach the United States. According to Department of Homeland Security data, the Biden administration carried out 1.8 times the number of Title 42 apprehensions and deportations of migrants at the southern border between February and August 2021 (690,209) as the Trump administration carried out during the same time frame in 2020. Lip service to the plight of migrants has been paid by members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, including Chairman Raul Ruiz (Democrat, Calif.), who stated, It is long overdue to completely end the Trump-initiated Title 42 policy and stop using the pandemic as an excuse to keep it going. The false statements of sympathy by Democratic Party officials could not ring more hollow. The reality is that even if the COVID-19 pandemic had never happened, the prisons, child detentions and separations, the heavily armed and surveilled walls and fences, fit with drones, barbed wire and attack dogsreal and roboticwould still be there to menace and abuse those seeking to cross the border. This brutal reality was in force even prior to the pandemic and has been a key part of Washingtons bipartisan anti-immigrant policy. The overcrowded detention prisons, heavily expanded under the Obama administration, were endorsed by Vice President Kamala Harris just a few months into Bidens presidency. The Biden administration has made only cosmetic changes to Trumps immigration policies including the ending of the Remain in Mexico program that required tens of thousands of immigrants to wait in Mexico for their US immigration hearing, only to shuttle them directly onto deportation planes, carrying forward the attacks on asylum spearheaded by Obama and Trump. The Biden administration resumed the Remain in Mexico policy late last year under court order. The inhumane conditions facing asylum seekers and migrants on the US-Mexico border have been ensured through a collaboration between the Biden administration and the Mexican government of President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador (AMLO) in a brutal campaign to suppress migration. The AMLO government has been tasked by Washington to stop migrants and ensure they do not reach the southern border of the United States. The number of people applying for refugee or asylum status in Mexico almost doubled between 2019 and 2021 and reached a historic high of over 130,000 in January as the economic and political fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic pushed increasing waves of migrants to try to reach the US. While endless barbarism is meted against the people of Latin America, the Middle East and North Africa seeking asylum as refugees from US imperialist interventions throughout the globe, a very different response has met Ukrainian refugees fleeing the US/NATO-provoked war by Russia against Ukraine. On March 2 the European Union (EU) ordered its member states to prepare to receive a mass influx of refugees. According to the order, Ukrainian refugees should be allowed to stay for at least one year and be given the option of extending their stay up to three years without a visa. In contrast to those from the Middle East and Africa who meet the walls of Fortress Europe or the unknown thousands who have perished in the heavily patrolled waters of the Mediterranean, Ukrainian refugees are to be permitted to receive social benefits, housing, education and the right to work. In recent days Russian and Ukrainian citizens fleeing the war have begun turning up at the San Diego-Tijuana, Mexico border crossing in Southern California having boarded flights to Tijuana by way of Moscow and Romanias Bucharest airport. US authorities allowed a Ukrainian woman and her three children to seek asylum Thursday, a reversal from a day earlier when she was denied entry under the Biden administrations sweeping restrictions for seeking humanitarian protection. The 34-year-old woman named Sofia and her children, aged 6, 12 and 14, were initially blocked from entering the US due to Title 42. With the arrival of Ukrainian refugees, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York and other Democrats are suddenly advocating the ending of Title 42. Schumer hypocritically made mention of the Ukrainian family when calling for an end to Title 42 on Friday, noting, They requested refuge in one of the ports of entry on our southern border but were turned away because of Title 42. ... This is not who we are as a country. Continuing this Trump-era policy has defied common sense and common decency. Sofia and her family have dodged the nightmare that tens of thousands in makeshift encampments face along the US-Mexico border, where many migrants have reported kidnapping, extortion and assault from gangs while waiting for the processing of asylum applications in crime-ridden cities in Mexico. If Title 42 should in fact be lifted, it will not be because the right to asylum under international law has been reinstated or has been strengthened. It will be for the purpose of public consumption and propaganda to justify the US/NATO-provoked war against Russia all while the tens of thousands of poor souls from Mexico, the Northern Triangle and Latin America will continue to confront the same brutality. The working class in the United States must demand the right of all workers to live and work wherever they please, with full citizenship rights, and the abolition of the national barriers which have been erected to divide workers against each other and used to justify the exploitation of immigrants and refugees. Over the past few days, Tulsi Gabbard, the former Democratic Party congresswoman from Hawaii, has been attacked for spreading traitorous lies, being treasonous and peddling Russian propaganda by demanding the Biden administration shut down biolabs in Ukraine and destroy the pathogens stored in these facilities managed by the Pentagon. Tulsi Gabbard On Sunday morning, Gabbard posted a video on Twitter with an accompanying text that said, There are 25+ US-funded biolabs in Ukraine which if breached would release & spread deadly pathogens to US/world. We must take action now to prevent disaster. US/Russia/Ukraine/NATO/UN/EU must implement a ceasefire now around these labs until theyre secured & pathogens destroyed. Gabbards statement provoked hysterical denunciations from Sen. Mitt Romney (Republican of Utah) and Rep. Adam Kinzinger (Republican of Illinois). Romney tweeted on Sunday afternoon, Tulsi Gabbard is parroting false Russian propaganda. Her treasonous lies may well cost lives. Kinzinger tweeted later that evening, Actual Russian propaganda. Traitorous. Russia also said the Lugar Center in Georgia was making zombies. Tulsi should go to Russia. The wild denunciations of Gabbard are revealing since she is doing what the US media has refused to do, and that is demand an end to the ongoing refusal of the US government to explain what Under Secretary of State Victoria Nuland was talking about during congressional testimony on March 8 when she admitted that there were biological research facilities in Ukraine. The accusation of treasonous lies by Romney is serious. Treason is defined in the US Constitution as either levying war against the United States or adhering to its enemies. It carries a sentence of death or imprisonment and fines. Meanwhile, Kinzingers reference to the Lugar Center in Georgia also raises additional questions about US involvement in biological facilities in the territories of the former USSR. The center, named after former Republican Sen. Richard Lugar from Indiana, was opened in March 2011 in Tbilisi, according to a report from the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, to promote infectious disease detection, epidemiological surveillance, and research for the benefit of the United States, Georgia, the Caucasus region, and the global community. Tbilisi is approximately 100 miles from the Georgian border with Russia. Once again, the primary American news outletssuch as the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Wall Street Journal, USA Today as well as the TV news networks ABC News and CBS Newshave refused to report on Gabbards comments and the response of Romney and Kinzinger to them. Meanwhile, these outlets are continuing to accept the public relations offensive mounted by the White House and Pentagon that repeatedly denies US involvement in biological weaponsalthough Nuland did not speak of weapons but only facilitiesin Ukraine. These news sources are acting as direct support for the stonewalling of the Biden administration by claiming that any request for more information or that anything should be done about the pathogens in the biolabs are part of Russian disinformation. In addition to the comments from Romney and Kinzinger, Gabbard was also attacked on Monday by the hosts of the ABC television talk show The View. When guest host Alyssa Farah, a former Trump official who is now a CNN contributor, said that Romney was absolutely right and that Gabbard was spreading propaganda that is helping the Russians get away with acts against Ukrainian civilians, the others chimed in. Co-host Ana Navarro then said that the Department of Justice should get involved in investigating people who are shilling for Putin and if you are a foreign asset to a dictator, it should be investigated. The co-host Whoopi Goldberg said, They used to arrest people for doing stuff like this. In her two-minute video on Twitter, Gabbard said that the Ukrainian biolabs are US-funded, and, according to the US government, these labs are conducting research on dangerous pathogens. She warned that the widespread bombing, artillery and shelling in Ukraine can compromise the facilities and release these deadly pathogens, which will then quickly spread all throughout Europe and the United States, and the rest of the world causing untold suffering and death. She went on to say, instead of trying to cover this up, the Biden administration and Congress, need to act now for the health and well-being of Americans and every person on this planet. As part of her increasingly close political relationship with right-wing Republicans and Fox News, Gabbard also claimed the Ukrainian facilities are part of a network of 300 biolabs around the world who are engaging in dangerous research including gain of function, similar to the lab in Wuhan where COVID-19 may have originated from. The World Socialist Web Site has a consistent record of opposing the reactionary conspiracy theory spread by the far-right and ostensibly liberal US corporate media about the Wuhan lab origin of the coronavirus pandemic. We have reported that this fabricated, xenophobic and anti-Chinese lie has been thoroughly debunked by multiple studies that have determined through compelling evidence that the SARS-CoV-2 virus spilled over from animals to humans more than once in late 2019. While the WSWS is politically opposed to the Democrat Gabbard and her collaboration with Fox News in perpetuating the Wuhan lab conspiracy theories, we are also opposed to the likes of Romney, Kinzinger and others who are attempting to silence her by demanding she be investigated by the Justice Department, or worse, for demanding answers about the unexplained response of Nuland during her congressional testimony as well as the extremely defensive behavior of the Biden White House to any questions about the Ukrainian biolabs. On March 9, Gabbard was a featured guest on Fox News with Tucker Carlson, where she took up the testimony of Nuland, saying, First of all, she didnt say no when she was asked by Marco Rubio about there being biological or chemical weapons in Ukraine. She then stated that the Biden administration has been trying to hide the truth and Nuland immediately preemptively started the blame-game and said if anything bad happens its the bad guys to blame. Gabbard was referring to Nulands claims that it is Russia that would use chemical weapons in Ukraine. Early Monday, Gabbard also posted a lengthy tweet thread responding to Mitt Romney and elaborating a series of factual statements about the Ukrainian biolabs from news and US government sources. She then challenged the senator from Utah, tweeting, Senator Romney, please provide evidence that what I said is untrue and treasonous. If you cannot, you should do the honorable thing: apologize and resign from the Senate. Announcing a further escalation of the economic warfare against Russia, US Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo threatened on Monday that the United States was considering the imposition of a full trade embargo on Russia and the closure of international waterways to the country. Both demands had earlier been advanced by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. People retrieve belongings from an apartment in a block which was destroyed by an artillery strike in Kiev, Ukraine, Monday, March 14, 2022. .(AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda) The threats came after another dangerous escalation of the conflict on Sunday, when 8 Russian cruise missiles struck the International Center for Peacekeeping and Security in Yavoriv, a town just 10 miles from Ukraines border with NATO member Poland. The air strike reportedly killed 35 people and injured 134. On Sunday evening, Russia announced that more such attacks could follow, claiming that the attack had killed 180 foreign mercenaries and disrupted Western arms supplies. Speaking to the Washington Post on conditions of anonymity, a US defense official denied that shipments of Western military aid had been disrupted. Twenty NATO countries are involved in large-scale shipments of ammunition, handheld or shoulder-fired anti-tank and antiaircraft systems to Ukraineweapons that are particularly suitable for use in insurgencies. The US alone has pledged a total of $1.2 billion to Ukraine this year, with Biden announcing the latest tranch of $200 million on Saturday. NATO and the Ukrainian government are also explicitly encouraging foreign fighters, as well as far-right forces all over the world, to come to Ukraine to join the International Legion and fight in fascist paramilitary formations, such as the Azov Battalion. The latter has reportedly been able to grow its membership significantly in recent weeks. The Center in Yavoriv, where members of the International Legion have been stationed, has long been a major hub for the military supplies and training that NATO has provided to Ukraines military since the US-backed far-right coup of 2014. According to BuzzFeed, troops from the Florida National Guard were training Ukrainian soldiers at the facility as part of a NATO mission as recently as early February. Fighting, especially in southern Ukraine and around the city of Mariupol, continues to escalate, with signs that both sides are increasingly targeting civilian areas and the Russian military intensifying its attack on Ukrainian cities. On Monday, a missile strike killed at least 23 people in Donetsk in East Ukraine, among them 20 civilians and several children, according to the Russian-backed separatist authorities. Blaming the attack on the Ukrainian military, the separatist leader Denis Pushilin called it a war crime. While the Ukrainian army denied responsibility for the attack, blaming it on Russia, the Western press has maintained a conspicuous silence on the incident which may have been the deadliest for civilians in the war yet. The UNs most recent estimates put the number of civilian deaths at 596, among them 43 children. Over 4 million people have been forced to flee; about 1.5 million of them are now in Poland. Peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine are continuing, and a representative of Zelenskys administration indicated on Monday that a settlement could be reached within a week or two or in May. Both Ukrainian and American officials had earlier pointed to a readiness for compromise on the part of the Kremlin. In the first admission that the war was not going as planned by a Russian military figure, the head of Russias National Guard, General Viktor Zolotov, acknowledged in a speech on Sunday that not everything is going as fast as we would like. The speech has since been removed from the National Guards website. The Kremlin has now also admitted that draftees are being sent to Ukraine, something Russia had earlier denied. There have also been unconfirmed reports that Russia has requested military aid from China. Military analysts are speculating why Russia, which has many times more air power than Ukraine, has so far made only very limited use of it. An analysis in the German magazine DerSpiegel suggested that poor equipment, the lack of experience by pilots, as well as fears of high casualties among soldiers, may be behind the Kremlins hesitancy. Western-delivered air defense systems are reportedly doing serious damage to Russias air force. The latest figures from the Russian Defense Ministry put the number at 498 Russian soldiers have died, but the figures have not been updated in over two weeks and are widely believed to be severe underestimates. The war and the impact of the sanctions have significantly deepened an already serious crisis of the Putin regime. On Friday, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki gloated that with the existing sanctions, the US and its allies had basically crushed the Russian economy. A recent piece in Foreign Affairs gave an inkling of the extraordinary scale of the social disaster that the economic warfare by the imperialist powers is producing: Russians will soon face shortages of basic productsnot just luxury goods such as iPhones and iPads, the import of which is now banned, but also more ordinary goods and commodities such as clothes, cars, household appliances, and food. The piece warned that entire industries could shut down in the coming months, precipitating not just shortages of goods but mass unemployment, a collapse of the tax base, and an inability to pay salaries to state employees. Already, Russias largest automobile producer has had to temporarily halt production because of shortages of imported components. Even before the war, millions of Russian workers had been completely impoverished by the restoration of capitalism in 1991 and were struggling to buy basic food staples. Many, especially pensioners, have been long dependent on home-grown food in order to eke out a living. The impact of the sanctions will extend well beyond Russias borders, compounding the immediate horrific impact of the war itself. Together, Russia and Ukraine provide about 30 percent of the worlds wheat consumption. While Ukraines economy has been brought to a standstill by the war, Russia has banned the export of all grains and sugar until August 31 to counteract the impact of the sanctions. In anticipation of a severe food crisis, countries across the globe have begun imposing export restrictions, and wheat markets have hit an all-time high. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned on Monday of a hurricane of hunger and a meltdown of the global food system. The war in Ukraine, which is increasingly assuming the form of an open conflict with NATO, combined with the impact of the economic sanctions, has also deepened rifts within Russias ruling class and has driven larger sections of the upper middle class into exile or toward openly supporting the pro-US liberal opposition of Alexei Navalny or both. Members of Russias narrow upper and middle classes, who had savings and connections abroad, have left the country in droves for the Baltic states and former Soviet republics in the Caucasus. As of last week, their number was estimated to be as high as 150-200,000, but the real number is likely much higher. In a widely publicized incident on Monday, an editor at Russias state-owned Channel 1 TV station interrupted a show with a no war sign. In a video message, she declared her support for Navalny and called on Russians to join the anti-war demonstrations that have been politically dominated by the liberal opposition. Several oligarchs that used to be close to Putin, including Oleg Deripaska, have also spoken out against the war. Workers must lend no support whatsoever to these forces. They do not stand for peace but a section for the oligarchy and upper middle class that seeks an alignment with NATO and is involved in an imperialist-backed regime change operation that can only lead to further austerity and wars. Workers must oppose the Putin regime and its criminal war in Ukraine from the standpoint of their own independent class interests, fighting on the basis of revolutionary internationalism and in alliance with workers in Ukraine, across Europe and the United States for the overthrow of the capitalist system. The US used a meeting in Rome yesterday between National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan and Chinas top foreign policy official Yang Jiechi to warn Beijing against assisting Russia as Washington ramps up the war in Ukraine. Yang Jiechi in 2019 [Source: Wikimedia] Neither side provided any details of the talks, other than to confirm that there had been substantial discussion of Russias war against Ukraine. In the lead-up to the meeting, however, Sullivan appeared on US talk shows on Sunday and issued blunt threats. The national security adviser told CNN that the US would not allow there to be a lifeline to Russia from these economic sanctions from any country, anywhere in the world. He said Washington was watching closely to see the extent to which China actually does provide any form of support, material support or economic support, to Russia. While he refused to spell out the punitive measures that the US would take, Sullivan said: We are communicating directly, privately to Beijing that there will absolutely be consequences for large-scale sanctions evasion efforts or support to Russia to backfill them. Underscoring the threat, an unnamed senior White House official told the media that the US had deep concerns about Chinas alignment with Russia, adding: The national security adviser was direct about those concerns and the potential implications and consequences of certain actions. Prior to the Rome meeting, the Biden administration upped the ante by circulating unsubstantiated allegations from unnamed US officials that Russia had approached China for military assistance. Official cables to European allies containing the accusation were widely leaked to the US and international media. According to the New York Times report, American officials alleged that Moscow had asked Beijing for military equipment and support for the war in Ukraine as well as additional economic assistance to counter the crippling economic sanctions imposed by the US and its allies. The US officials provided no details of the weapons, military support or economic aid requested by Russia, saying they were determined to keep secret their means of collecting the intelligence. A Reuters report went one step further. Citing comments from two anonymous US officials, it claimed that not only had Russia asked for military aid, but China had signalled its willingness to provide military and economic aid to Russia to support its war. One of the officials told Reuters: Its real, its consequential, and its really alarming. The US claims have all the hallmarks of misinformation concocted by its intelligence agencies to heighten the pressure on China immediately before the talks between Sullivan and Yang. Even if the claims were true, the utter hypocrisy involved is staggering. While accusing China of preparing to assist Russia, the US and its NATO allies are pouring arms to the tune of billions of dollars into the Ukrainian military. Yesterday Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov dismissed the allegations, saying: Russia has an independent potential to continue the [military] operation. Pressed by journalists to confirm if Russia had made a request to China, he flatly declared: No, there wasnt. Liu Pengyu, a spokesman for the Chinese Embassy in Washington, said he had never heard of the request from Russia. He reiterated Chinas call for a peaceful settlement, saying: The high priority now is to prevent the tense situation from escalating or even getting out of control. While China has not condemned the Russian invasion of Ukraine, neither has it endorsed Russian President Vladimir Putins recognition of two pro-Russian separatist-controlled areas of eastern Ukraine as independent. Beijing has insisted that the security interests of all sides in the conflictboth Ukraine and Russiahave to be respected. The US has deliberately stoked the tensions that led to the Russian invasion of Ukraine by refusing to rule out the inclusion of Ukraine as a member of the NATO military alliance. In the aftermath of the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, the US and NATO have not only advanced into Eastern Europe but incorporated former Soviet republics. At the same time, the US over the past decade has escalated its confrontation with China, including through a huge military build-up and the strengthening of alliances across the Indo-Pacific. The intensifying US threats have increasingly driven China and Russia to put aside their differences and consolidate their relations. Putin visited Beijing in early February at the opening of the Winter Olympics to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping. The two leaders issued a lengthy joint statement affirming that their friendship had no limits and outlining broad areas of cooperation. The Russian invasion of Ukraine, however, has cut across Chinese interests in the country, including its Belt and Road Initiative that involves massive infrastructure spending to link China to Europe both overland and by sea. Last June, China signed a major agreement with Ukraine for the construction and financing of transport infrastructure, potentially paving the way for alternate road and rail links between China and Europe. The war also has undermined Chinas efforts to strengthen relations with the major European powers as a means of warding off the United States. Last week President Xi held online talks with President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in a bid to establish the basis for negotiations to end the war. The US threats against China are part of an escalating campaign to pressure Beijing to distance itself from Moscow. Australia has been among the most strident of Washingtons allies in denouncing China and demanding that it condemn the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Earlier this month, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison branded Russia and China as an arc of autocracy threatening the rules-based international order. In comments to the Washington Post, former adviser to the US Indo-Pacific Command Eric Sayers pointed to the wider dangers of the Ukraine crisis. If Beijing is offering any type of military assistance to aid Moscows war in Ukraine, the spill-over effects on US-China policy could be vast, he said. It would abruptly end debate about pathways to working with Beijing. More importantly, it would push Washington to accelerate retaliatory and decoupling actions toward China, and create new pressure on companies now doing business in China, Sayers warned. The latest US threats against China are another warning of the enormous dangers involved in the conflict in Ukraine. Its implications go well beyond Eastern Europe and raise the danger of embroiling other powers in a far wider war. 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 && Employee sentiment can be hard to gauge, even at smaller businesses. This can lead to burnout and attrition when managers least expect it. To solve that problem, inFeedo wants to act as a bridge between workers and their managers, with surveys performed through a chatbot called Amber, which inFeedo refers to as a chief listening officer. The company announced today it has raised $12 million in Series A funding led by Jungle Ventures, with participation from Tiger Global and returning investors like Bling Capital. This brings inFeedos total raised since the U.S.-headquartered company was founded in 2016 to $16 million. Part of the funding will be used for the companys second ESOP buyback for all employees. Other investors in the round included Zeta founder Bhavin Turakhia, Gainsight co-founder Sreedhar Peddineni, Freshworks chief human resources officer Suman Gopalan, and Ankur Warikoo. A screenshot of Amber, inFeedo's chatbot Amber, inFeedo's chatbot. Image Credits: inFeedo Amber, inFeedos chatbot, is available in more than 100 languages, and customers include a wide range of companies in terms of sizes and sector: Samsung, Xiaomi, Lenovo, TATA, Godrej, Bharti, Unacademy, Paytm, OYO, Lenovo, JD.ID., Tiket.com, Mediacom, Sunlife, BukuWarung and Aboitiz. In total, Amber is used by 30,000 employees in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines. The company has 175 enterprise clients in 60 countries, especially Southeast Asia, India and the U.S., and it plans to speed up its go-to-market plans in North America with its new funding. Tanmaya Jain, who founded inFeedo with Varun Puri, told TechCrunch the idea for the platform was planted when the two were still at school. Both Varun and I came from liberal schools and the general concept of a university was a big culture shock. People were encouraged to follow a template rather than think, and new ideas were often ignored, shot down or lost. They found that this continued at workplaces, and that employees often felt neglected, under-appreciated and were afraid to open up and share honest feedback with managers, which led to disengagement and attrition. Story continues After doing research, the two realized that companies do care about employee sentiment, but struggle to stay on top of it. When you have an HR:employee ratio of 1:300, 40% of their time is spent manually tracking, collecting and analyzing feedback, and it becomes humanly impossible to give employees the voice they need, Jain said. While many organizations use annual or pulse surveys, inFeedo was created to standardize surveys across domains and cultures, he added. Amber also builds connections with employees by remembering context from previous chats. Employees can engage with the chatbot as often as they like, but Jain said they typically have three to four chats with Amber in a year. Each conversation is about eight questions long and takes no more than two and a half minutes to answer. The new funding will be used to ship new products over the next two years, with the vision of an all-in-one employee experience platform with predictive people analytics that involve 0 effort HR/IT, said Jain. The company also plans to quadruple its revenue and double its team, and is currently hiring for 140 remote roles, especially marketing, product, engineering and sales in Southeast Asia, India and the United States. The following contains spoilers from the Season 1 finale of How I Met Your Father. Hulus How I Met Your Father returns to its roots with its Season 1 finale, as Hilary Duffs Sophie Tompkins wanders into MacLarens Pub from How I Met Your Mother and crosses paths with none other than Canadas greatest export, Robin Scherbatsky (played, of course, by Cobie Smulders). The famed news reporter buys Sophie a scotch hi, Carl the Bartender! then offers the young woman some sage relationship advice while seated at her favorite booth: More from TVLine Do not waste your time being scared, she tells her. Fear can make you run away from things that could be good great, even! Things that are supposed to be a part of your story. I have been married, I have been single, I have been everything in between, and the only decisions I regret making are the ones I made out of fear. The advice speaks not only to Sophies current predicament involving Jesse, but also to Robins own love story, which remains a work in progress. In the year 2022, she is six years removed from her marriage to Barney and eight years away from rekindling her relationship with Ted. In separate interviews, TVLine spoke with HIMYF creators Isaac Aptaker and Elizabeth Berger, as well as HIMYM director/exec producer Pam Fryman, who continues in both of those roles on HIMYF and directed Smulders return, about the top-secret homecoming. TVLINE | Ahead of air, you all stressed how important it was to distinguish Father from Mother. With that in mind, I imagine there was quite a bit of discussion about when it would be appropriate to have original cast members back and how you wanted to incorporate them into this new show, right? FRYMAN | We certainly had those discussions about who we should have come back, when should that happen, all of that kind of stuff. We hope to be on for a while and we hope to see a lot of old friends, but we didnt want to front-load anything. Cobie just fit so seamlessly into the story that we were telling. Story continues TVLINE | How early into the writing of Season 1 did you come up with the idea to have Robin appear in the finale? BERGER | That was something we started hoping for and wishing for pretty early on. As shes navigating her romantic journey and attempting to come into her own, we loved the idea of Sophie crossing paths with someone who is so pivotal and such a presence from the original. The idea that she would actually get advice and feedback from Robin just seemed so tremendously exciting. How I Met Your Father TVLINE |Who picked up the phone and called Cobie? FRYMAN| [Original series co-creator] Craig [Thomas] reached out to Cobie first, and she was like, When do you need me? She said yes immediately. She couldnt wait. APTAKER| She had no sort of hesitation. She has so much love for Robin. We had that idea that she would be, sort of passing the torch and giving some wisdom to the next generation, and I think she really loved the idea of that dynamic with Hilary. TVLINE | Of HIMYMs core five, I was positive Cobie would be toughest to nail down, if only due to her Marvel commitments. FRYMAN | Its impressive, too. We had to shoot it early TVLINE | How early? FRYMAN | Maybe after the first few episodes? It was definitely early because she was going to London to shoot Marvel stuff. So we shot it quite some time ago, and we managed to keep it a secret. TVLINE|You took additional measures to conceal the returns of Kyle MacLachlan (The Captain) and Laura Bell Bundy (Becky), including turning off the live feeds for those working from home and redacting script pages. I imagine those same measures were implemented to keep Cobies homecoming under wraps? How I Met Your Father BERGER| We definitely turned off the feeds APTAKER| We took out the scenes from the finale script that went out to the studio and to the network, so it was, like, half length, then [those pages featuring Cobie as Robin] went to a very limited group. TVLINE | Did you have a table read, virtual or in person, where you first got to hear Cobie back in character as Robin? FRYMAN | No, we sent the script to her. Craig and [fellow HIMYM co-creator] Carter [Bays] handled that. They really were quite present during that. We waited until she showed up [on set], and I sat down with Cobie and Hilary to hear [the scenes]. For Cobie, it took her four-to-five seconds to be totally back in it. TVLINE | Was it a quick shoot? BERGER | We did shoot it all in one day. It was pretty fast. I mean, everyone involved is such a pro. Pam moves so swiftly, and Cobie seemed to fall back into her old rhythms in absolutely no time. Hilary was having the time of her life and was so locked in, so it was a really swift, wonderful day. And then she was out of there. APTAKER | Cobies been doing bigger things single-cam, movies, action stuff and she was like, Why did I ever leave this? I get to be home and feed my kids dinner. This is crazy! [Laughs] TVLINE | Pam, I cant begin to imagine what it must have been like for you, to be back on that set in particular, with Cobie, all these years later FRYMAN | I was in New York [four years ago] shooting the Murphy Brown reboot, and I got to watch Candice Bergen and all of them come in and see her house again, and all of those sets but I wasnt a part of the original; I was a fly on the wall. I thought, Oh my God, what an emotional time. I cant imagine what that must be like. Cut to being back in MacLarens. Its a really special thing. And you never think thats going to happen. I never would have thought that I would be doing this show at this time. Its so different, yet theres so much connective tissue that is such a part of my heart that makes it so specifically wonderful for me. Even more than that, there was something about watching Cobie walk into MacLarens. It was just such a great moment to be a part of. How I Met Your Father TVLINE |Did you and Cobie have a moment to reflect on the experience not only of being back inside MacLarens, but being a part of this sequel series and the roles youve played in establishing what is now a franchise? FRYMAN| Absolutely and by the way, not just with her. Ive had that conversation with other members of the cast, as well. Thats the beauty of the relationships we all have now. I include Carter and Craig in this. Everybody is rooting for everybody, always, in such a big way, so when this [sequel series] happened in such a promising way, everybody was just thrilled. I mean, I keep texting them and going, Season 10! We could do it guys! Jason [Segel] is always the first one to go Im in, just tell me where to show up. But yes, Cobie and I have talked about that a bunch. Its kind of unbelievable, just unreal. TVLINE | Isaac and Elizabeth, while neither of you were involved with the original series, surely you must have felt that this was a special day. What was this experience like for the two of you? BERGER | It was very emotional [for us], and I think very emotional and surreal for Cobie as well, just to be back on that set, to be directed by Pam, to see crew members that she knows and loves and for us, it was cool to just take a step back and watch these reunions, and also get to be a part of it and bring these people back together. APTAKER | It was really cool to see Pam directing Cobie again. You could tell these were people who worked together for nine seasons, because they just have this shorthand, where Pam would barely get out half a sentence and Cobie would know exactly what the note was. And then afterwards, all of our crew from How I Met Your Father who worked on the original all got together on the MacLarens set and took a picture. FRYMAN | There are enough of us on stage, behind the scenes [from the original series that it was] like a high school reunion. The other thing thats so special is that Isaac and Elizabeth had never met Cobie before she came to the set; theyd literally never seen each other in person. She came in and she was so happy to meet them, and so excited for what they had created. And in as much as she knows Robin backward and forward, she was like, Tell me what you want, so we all got to talk about it and it didnt take long. Hilary was delighted, and I left them alone for a little bit so that they could have time together. Because in as much as Robin was giving Sophie advice, I felt that Cobie could talk to Hilary about this process, and everything that had happened. How I Met Your Father TVLINE |Was that the original MacLarens set, or did you have to rebuild it from scratch? APTAKER| That was the original set but our production design and set decoration team had to do a pretty heroic job, because the bigger elements were all that was there. It was really just the walls and the booths. They had all these archived photos of the original set [to work off of], and that set is pretty complicated theres murals and photos everywhere and they had to go about recreating everything that wasnt just the the bones. TVLINE | Weve mentioned Carter and Craig already. How much of a hand did they have in shaping Robins scenes and dialogue? BERGER | Carter and Craig weighed in on these scenes heavily. It was very important to them, and we were in total agreement, that even though Robin is between romances at this moment in time, she doesnt seem sad, she doesnt seem depressed. This is a woman that is extremely comfortable with her choices that shes made in life. She takes each stage of life and kicks its ass. TVLINE | At the same time, Robin appears to be in a very reflective state of mind. A part of what she says about how timing is everything feels like it speaks to the ending of HIMYM, and her relationship with Ted. Perhaps she has some regrets about letting him get away because of bad timing? FRYMAN | I agree. More than anything, I think when when she walks into that bar, there are ghosts of her past. Shes sitting at the bar, and she takes that glance over to that booth and she talks about how somebody said that he loved her on their first date. Its all of that. We all walk into places where weve been in different times of our lives and say What if I went this way? What if I went that way? Should I call that person? Thats life, and thats what is so special about this to me. We get to see Sophie on this new journey and we get to see somebody that weve known and loved for so long reflecting on hers and shes not done yet. I mean, clearly! Shes getting together with Katie Couric and Savannah Guthrie! [Laughs] How I Met Your Mother TVLINE |When Robin leaves MacLarens, she has a limo waiting outside for her. Was there any talk of having Marshall Manesh reprise his role as Ranjit? BERGER| There was not. [Laughs] We did want people to know that shes very successful and that shes killing it, but no, that was not the intention. APTAKER| He is someone that comes up a lot, though! Ranjits a fan favorite. Whenever we ask people who theyd love to see from the original, hes one of the most common names mentioned. TVLINE | Robin stops short of referring to any of her old friends Ted, Marshall, Lily or Barney by name. Was there ever a version of the script that included more specific references to those HIMYM characters? APTAKER | Not really. We wanted to only give out exactly enough information that was necessary and made sense for this scene. I mean, were making a lot more of these, with this double-sized Season 2 order, so we have a lot more opportunity to learn about what our How I Met Your Mother characters are up to. We didnt want to give too much away in this one episode. TVLINE | What has bringing Robin back taught you about how youd like to approach bringing other HIMYM characters into the HIMYF fold? Will they always be used to impart wisdom onto the next generation? APTAKER | I dont think they always necessarily have to come back to teach a lesson or impart wisdom. What worked really well about Robins return is that she was essential to the story, and was key in Sophies decision making and what happened next in Sophies life. So I think whenever we would bring someone back from the original, the hope would be that they would play an essential role in our story and not just feel like theyre there to say hey and see what whoever is up to. How I Met Your Father TVLINE |What does the timing of Robins return accomplish, in terms of curbing fans expectations for additional Easter eggs in Season 2 (and potentially beyond)? FRYMAN| We got to reveal the apartment in the pilot, which was I mean, you can imagine when I first read the pilot and Im like, New show, totally respect that, this is fantastic, and then Oh my God! But I do think its important look, as much as Carter and Craig were a part of this, and Im a part of this, this is Isaac and Elizabeths baby. They are very talented and have their own stories to tell and theres nothing more important to me than establishing that and giving them the show they have conceived and deserve. But for those of us who are fans of the old show, there is nothing more delightful than a line here or there, whether its about a couple from Wesleyan or whatever, and you go, Oh, I get it. But if we did anything earlier, anything big like bring Cobie on, then youre always waiting for the next thing and it takes away [from the experience]. This show is worthy of standing on its own without that. To get through this first season and have so many people watch and so many people enjoy it, you go, You know what, you guys have been so wonderful. Heres a little something you didnt see coming. I mean, come on! How great is that? Its a gift instead of a promise. What did you think of Smulders surprise return as Robin? And the HIMYF finale overall? Grade the episode (and Season 1 as a whole), then drop a comment with your full review. Launch Gallery: How I Met Your Father: Every HIMYM Cameo, Easter Egg and Future Reveal Best of TVLine Get more from TVLine.com : Follow us on Twitter , Facebook , Newsletter Click here to read the full article. Paramount president and CEO Bob Bakish has revealed further steps to pause operations in Russia following its invasion of Ukraine and has announced a $1 million donation to support humanitarian relief. In an internal memo to staff on Tuesday, seen by Variety, Bakish wrote: Like many of you, I am closely following the devastating, unprovoked invasion of Ukraine. The resulting humanitarian crisis and its ripple effects on the lives of millions of people across Ukraine, Eastern Europe, and in Russia itself, is heartbreaking to witness. More from Variety Since the beginning of this crisis, our teams across the world have been working around the clock to determine the best, and most importantly safest ways we as a business can show our support for all those impacted. I want to be clear, the safety and security of employees and all those who work with us is, and will always be, our top priority. We continue to offer specialized support services to hundreds of staff, freelance and fixed term employees in Ukraine, Russia, and Poland whose lives are being impacted by this crisis. Bakish said that the studio is taking a series of steps to suspend our operations in Russia, including pausing the supply of Paramount Global content. The studio had already suspended theatrical release of films in Russia, including The Lost City and Sonic the Hedgehog 2. Bakish said that publisher Simon & Schuster had suspended sales to accounts in Russia, along with the licensing of translation rights to Russian publishers and tht Paramount Consumer Products would pause all new licensing deals in Russia. Other activity, including the distribution of linear channels and some content licensing, will take more time to pause due to existing contractual, technical and partner complexities, Bakish said. Story continues Revealing a $1 million corporate donation to support humanitarian relief, Bakish encouraged employees to directly help those in need during humanitarian crisis unfolds. Eligible employees in the U.K. and the U.S. can take advantage of the Paramount Matching Program, which we are working to expand to additional international regions, Bakish wrote. In addition, we are using our content and capabilities to help those in need, including the power of our global platforms to ensure the world bears witness to this tragedy, as well as to support humanitarian relief efforts, Bakish wrote. The courageous news teams at CBS News, Channel 5, Chilevision, Network 10, and Telefe have been reporting around the clock from on the ground in Ukraine and neighboring countries. The executive highlighted Paramount group company efforts during the crisis, including the U.K.s Channel 5 recent fundraising special, Ukraine: How YOU Can Help, MTVEs global call to action across linear and social for audiences to donate funds to support relief efforts across several organizations, and the Consumer Products team donating toys, products, and funds to organizations that are supporting kids and families from Ukraine who are seeking refuge. Our team is working to quickly bring Ukrainian-language kids content to European countries like Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Italy, Spain and France for free on Pluto TV, and to Poland through local Nickelodeon distribution partners, Bakish added. And theres more underway and to come. As we pause our operations, we will continue to financially support our dedicated team in Moscow. I also ask everyone across the business to please be sensitive to the effect this crisis is having on colleagues across Europe, and particularly those who are Ukrainian, Russian, and in Eastern Europe, Bakish concluded. Best of Variety Sign up for Varietys Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Click here to read the full article. Press Release March 15, 2022 Dispatch from Crame No. 1,235: Sen. Leila M. de Lima on the red-tagging of Leni Robredo's camp by the NTF-ELCAC The NTF-ELCAC and its mouthpiece, Loraine Marie T. Badoy, should stop insulting the intelligence of the Filipino people when it uses the age-old trick of red-tagging on VP Leni's camp. This is a desperate attempt at bad propaganda to undermine the Kakampink revolution. When we rightfully called for government aid and efficient response amid the pandemic, we were red-tagged; when we called for investigations on the killings and persecutions, we were red-tagged. Lahat na lang ng hindi kayang panindigan at pagtakpan, red-tagging ang sagot. The NTF-ELCAC do not have any right to speak of the pain and suffering of the Filipino people because for 6 years it served as a rabid enabler of the atrocities that we have been subjected to as a people. What is clear is that the Filipino people are rallying together under the pink banner to ensure that this reign of terror will no longer persist in the next 6 years or more. Badoy should know this as a former anti-Marcos, former human rights advocate, and a former "Woman for Leni," until she "made a pact with the devil" and "sold us for a few pieces of silver," (to use her own words against us). As long as red-tagging remains to be a go-to strategy of the State against its perceived enemies, hindi titigil ang mga aroganteng enablers na ito. It should be criminalized to sanction those who continue to incite violence against government critics and the opposition. Puro kayo red-tag. Accuse under oath para magkaalaman na. (Access the handwritten version, here: https://issuu.com/senatorleilam.delima/docs/dispatch_1235) MILAN Responsibility and sustainability at Golden Goose are seen as a journey rather than yet another key performance indicator, according to chief executive officer Silvio Campara. The brand, best known for its successful Superstar sneaker style, was acquired in 2020 by private equity fund Permira from the Carlyle Europe Buyout fund with a price tag pegged at 1.28 billion euros and is now ready to take its responsibility stance a step further. More from WWD Campara told WWD that the ultimate reasoning behind the strategy called Forward Agenda and articulated over four pillars with key initiatives for each is taking care of the Golden Goose community, including employees and their loved ones, as well as the brands audience, be it its customers or social media followers. The new chapter, he said, was already embedded in the brands ethos since the beginning. It may sound like utopia but its in fact very factual, in that its built on drivers that are very logical We dont see it like a performance [indicator], as many of our peers do, he said. The four pillars include innovation, the valuation of craft, care for the people, and engagement with communities. These are articulated with different goals to be met by 2025, many of which, Campara explained, will come to life by 2023. A new chief sustainability officer, Federica Ruzzi, joined the brand last year after stints at Moncler, Fiat and Toyota. Our goal was to give a timeless interpretation to our responsibility journey and unfurl it over a long-term time frame, with clear goals that would allow us to understand where we are at in regard to our ambitions and also to allow stakeholders to understand our ability to turn them into concrete actions, the executive offered. When it comes to driving innovation, Golden Goose has set several objectives connected to responsible sourcing and manufacturing, tackling some of the most pressing challenges for the industry. The brand has pledged to launch its first fully circular design project; enhance the use of low-impact materials by 40 percent and 50 percent for its sneakers and ready-to-wear offering, respectively; extend the Cradle-to-Cradle Certification to all its new products, as well as tracing all raw materials it uses. Story continues The brand is also on a journey to become carbon neutral across its international facilities by 2025. Traceability is particularly high on Camparas agenda. Next month, Golden Goose is expected to announce the merger with an established Italian supplier with strong R&D potential. While Campara didnt share more details, he did say that the acquisition will unlock traceability potential for the footwear specialist, as well as set the foundations for the development of its first bio-based sneaker style. Its a big deal instead of envisioning an R&D-minded partnership to prove our sustainability, our bigger ambition is to imagine a platform, open also to other brands, that will involve the consumers, and unlock innovation thats perceived and perceivable by them, the executive noted. We often hear talking about the most intangible sides of technology think blockchain for instance but the real issue is the obsolescence of the Made in Italy supply chain, not in terms of quality and artisanship but in regards to its lack of a cultural mind-set that acknowledges how important traceability is for consumers, Campara opined. Traceability means preserving the same authentic conversation you have about the brand also about products Made in Italy is no longer enough, new consumers want to know how its done not only where its done, he said. According to Campara, innovation and technology should always go hand in hand with craftsmanship which weve always championed without losing sight of the future. As a company born out of the highly artisanal shoemaking district in the Veneto region, Camparas mission to preserve local craftsmanship is being channeled in the creation of Fondamenta, the companys academy bowing in 2023 to train rising artisans across every stage of the manufacturing pipeline, all the while serving as a creative hub and professional shoemaking school. Over the past 50 years, manufacturing jobs have not been advertised in the best way possible, the executive noted. We need to change the vocabulary and ethics tied to this job and these people that have allowed Made in Italy to be what it is. Fondamenta is the place where we celebrate the return to artisanship, rewriting its vocabulary, putting people under the spotlight, he explained. In sync with Golden Gooses people-centric approach, social corporate responsibility initiatives are tied to the shoemakers community of employees and customers, harkening back to its seminal community-driven bent. They stretch far beyond communication, entailing, for instance, the opening of new, so-called Forward stores in 2022. Dubbed as an innovative retail concept bowing in Milan and New York, the stores, described by Campara as the sexy aspect of the Forward Agenda, will offer opportunities for customers to extend the products life cycle or give them a new life, via repair and customization services. They will also mark a chance for customers and the companys artisans to meet and share their stories. Other social corporate responsibility projects falling under the We Care pillar include the goal to achieve high-level social compliance standard for at least 80 percent of its direct and strategic suppliers and sub-suppliers; attaining premium health and safety, as well as workforce gender equality certifications for its offices and stores worldwide. In response to the humanitarian crisis following Russias invasion of Ukraine the company has pledged an undisclosed donation to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, and its employees and relatives were encouraged to collect essential goods destined to refugees. The brand has also temporarily halted shipments to Russia, where it operates via wholesale accounts. Golden Goose counts 190 stores in 92 countries and generates 70 percent of its business from direct-to-consumer operations. Campara noted the company is de facto listening carefully to what its audience has to say, but he wants to unleash that potential even more. To this end, the fourth pillar in the agenda, called We Share, is about creating a layer in which you can engage the audience, he said. Starting in 2022 Golden Goose will unveil the Golden TV, which incidentally is also the name it gave to its Milans flagship. Under that moniker, the sneaker maker will regroup all its social media activities focusing on people and giving up on the top-down communication approach. Our aim is not to influence people, were not looking for praise No one cares about the stories Golden Goose has to tell, people want to listen to stories from the communities that are relevant to the Golden Goose world, the executive said. The brands social media channels will thus become a platform for employees and fans of the brand to tell their stories and be part of the change, he explained. Sign up for WWD's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Click here to read the full article. Fox News Tulsi Gabbard on Monday voiced her displeasure with a recent report detailing payments her 2020 presidential campaign received from an alleged Russian agent. Appearing on the friendly airwaves of Tucker Carlson Tonight, the former congresswoman criticized so-called journalists and accused the media of lying. Last Thursday, The Daily Beast reported that an alleged Russian agent donated to the Hawaii Democrats 2020 presidential campaign. Dual Russian-American national Elena Branson, also known as Elena Chernykh, illegally pushed pro-Russia policies in the U.S. without registering under the Foreign Agents Registration Act, according to a criminal complaint filed last week. Her only campaign contributions over nearly a decade of lobbying for Kremlin interests went to Gabbard, according to the Beast report. (A spokesperson for Gabbard said she intends to give the total amount donated, $59.95, to a charity.) Branson fled the U.S. last year and is still at large. You saw headlines a couple of days ago: Tulsi Gabbard Paid Off By Russian Agents, the former Democratic candidate said. What the media is lying about is the fact that an American citizen gave my campaign a $59 contribution coming from a woman Ive never met, someone I dont know, I dont know anything about, but somehow they feel justified in saying, Tulsi Gabbard is being paid off. Gabbard, who has parroted the Russian governments stance on its invasion of Ukraine so well that she has been cited approvingly by Russian state television, then accused the press of somehow threatening the U.S. government. The danger in the media lying so blatantly to the American peoplethese so-called journalists who have a responsibility to the publicit poses a very direct threat to our democratic republic because they continue to get away with it, Gabbard asserted, sounding more and more like Carlson. They continue to parrot and propagate these lies and they need to be held accountable. They need to be exposed. Story continues Read more at The Daily Beast. Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now. Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now. The COVID pandemic has made planning a vacation more volatile than ever over the past two years. Throughout the waves of variant surges, we've all likely planned trips thinking we were in the clear and then had to cancel when numbers starting soaring again. But over the last few months, COVID cases and hospitalizations have been falling steadily, and many of us are now looking toward summer 2022 as a safe time to finally travel again. Your plans might have to change depending on where you're going, however. United Airlines just announced that it is dropping flights to four popular cities for the summer. Read on to find out if the latest cuts will affect your upcoming travel plans. RELATED: American Is Cutting Flights From These 4 Major Cities, Starting May 1. United Airlines is cutting flights from Cleveland to four popular cities. United Airlines has confirmed that it is getting rid of several routes from Cleveland, Ohio, in the upcoming months, Cleveland.com reported on March 14. The carrier is discontinuing seasonal summer routes this year from Cleveland Hopkins International Airport to Pensacola, Florida, and Portland, Maine, as well as two different popular vacation cities in South Carolina: Hilton Head and Myrtle Beach. United serviced the routes from around Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day on small, 50-seat aircrafts flown by the carrier's various regional partners. The flights were cut due to a lack of available pilots. A spokeswoman for United Airlines told Cleveland.com that these flight cuts can be attributed to the national pilot shortage. The airline has been vocal about the issue with staffing for months now. In Dec. 2021, United CEO Scott Kirby revealed that the carrier had to ground nearly 100 regional jets because there was no one to fly them. United is also working to address the ongoing lack of pilots by launching its own flight school, the spokeswoman told Cleveland.com. The carrier's school, United Aviate Academy, opened earlier this year outside of Phoenix, Arizona. The school will train "as many as 5,000 pilots this decade, and create a steady pipeline of highly qualified people, most of whom will first fly for one of our regional partners before joining United," per the spokeswoman. Story continues RELATED: For more travel news delivered straight to your inbox, sign up for our daily newsletter. These flights were all part of United's leisure routes. These four flight routes were offered for the first time in summer 2021, Cleveland.com reported. According to the news outlet, all the flights ran three times each week during this time, geared toward leisure travelers. U.S. airlines have been focused on leisure travelers over the past year as a result of the COVID pandemic. But now, business routes are being slowly added back, while leisure routes are being dropped. United's schedule this summer is set to include seven flights per day to Newark, New Jersey, six per day to Chicago, Illinois, three or four each day to Denver, Colorado, and one to two each day to San Francisco, California. The United spokeswoman pointed out that the carrier is not getting rid of all of its leisure-oriented routes from the Cleveland airport. She said that flights are still expected to occur in summer 2022 from Cleveland to both Fort Lauderdale and Orlando in Florida, as well as two destinations abroad: Cancun, Mexico, and Nassau in the Bahamas. The airline is still offering more flights than it has over the past two years. United is working to get its schedule back to pre-pandemic levels. According to Cleveland.com, the carrier is still scheduled to offer 221,378 available seats to and from Cleveland Hopkins International Airport in June 2022even with the new cutswhich is 84 percent of what United offered in 2019 before the pandemic the hit. But that number is substantially higher than what the airline offered in June 2020 and 2021, which were 26,406 seats and 148,497 seats, respectively. "As a globe and as a society, we are moving into the endemic phase where we live with COVID instead of going into lockdown when COVID happens so again I think we will have a very strong summer as a result," Kirby said during a Jan. 20 interview on CNBC's Squawk Box. RELATED: Delta Will Finally Let You Do This on Flights, as of March 15. The Russian journalist who held up an anti-war sign during a state-run news broadcast was fined 30,000 rubles, or around $270, by a Moscow court on Tuesday on charges of organizing unsanctioned actions. Russia's Investigative Committee is also probing whether Marina Ovsyannikova, an editor at the news broadcast service Channel One, might be charged with publicly spread false information, The Associated Press reported. She could still be charged under the "fake news" law the Russian parliament passed after the invasion of Ukraine began, which can carry a sentence of up to 15 years in prison, according to the AP. The Channel One editor on Monday ran behind a news anchor during a live broadcast and held up a sign that read: "Stop the war. Don't believe propaganda. They're lying to you here." The on-air protest was quickly cut off by Channel One, and Ovsyannikova was detained by authorities. Ovsyannikova also recorded a video before she appeared on the broadcast, during which she apologized for working with Channel One and "doing Kremlin propaganda." "I'm very ashamed of it - that I let people lie from TV screens and allowed the Russian people to be zombified," she said in the video. "We didn't say anything in 2014 when it only just began. We didn't protest when the Kremlin poisoned [anti-Russian government protester Alexei Navalny]. We just silently watched this inhuman regime. "Now the whole world has turned away from us, and 10 generations of our descendants won't wash off this fratricidal war," she added. Russia has enforced strict laws that prohibits news services from even calling the conflict in Ukraine a war; instead, publications and channels must refer to it as a "special operation." Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday expressed gratitude for Ovsyannikova's protest, saying he was "grateful to those Russians who do not stop trying to convey the truth." -Updated at 3:40 p.m. COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) The state Senate approved Wednesday a proposal that would add South Carolina to a list of states calling for a convention to propose specific amendments to the U.S. Constitution. Every African American senator voted against the proposal, saying they feared the national meeting could gut protections their ancestors have had to fight for over two centuries. Nearly 20 states have passed similar measures. The U.S. Constitution requires two-thirds of states, or 34, to call for the convention. The 27-13 vote by the South Carolina Senate gave key approval to the proposal that supporters said would limit the convention to a few items spending checks on the federal government, limiting the federal governments jurisdiction and power, and setting term limits for Congress. Two Republicans nervous the convention could go rouge and take up amendments that could eliminate the right to bear arms joined with all but one Democrat voting against the bill. Black Sen. Ronnie Sabb had his own worries thinking about the original, and so far only, constitutional convention in 1787. The Founding Fathers did not ban slavery and counted slaves, who made up most African Americans, as three-fifths of a person despite the Declaration of Independence 11 years earlier proclaiming that all men were created equal. It takes me back to the beginning, when every man wasnt considered a man constitutionally, said Sabb, a Democrat from Greeleyville. Sabb and other Black lawmakers worried a convention could strip away rights to free speech, the prohibition of slavery and the guarantee of full citizenship and rights to anyone born in the country. Why are we willing to risk this experiment in a democracy on an experiment in a convention?" Sabb said. The South Carolina House passed a similar measure 66-42 last month. The Senate made small changes to the proposal, so after one final perfunctory vote, it will return to the House. Supporters said whatever amendments suggested by the convention would have to be passed by three-fourths of the states 38 legislatures or special conventions. Story continues Every time the Constitution has been amended since the 1791 passage of the Bill of Rights has been through the other method to change the document: under Article V of the Constitution, adding an amendment can be done via a two-thirds vote of Congress and then ratification by three-fourths of state legislatures. The backers of the convention said Congress would never agree to check its own power by passing term limits or restrictions on spending. The Framers considered it an important power they gave to the states, said Republican Sen. Chip Campsen of the Isle of Palms. "I don't want to unilaterally disarm and throw away that power and say we'll never use it." Dozens of supporters, many wearing red, white and blue, filled the Statehouse lobby outside the Senate chamber during the first day of debate Tuesday, cheering arguments they agreed with and booing suggestions the convention could spiral out of control. There was even one person dressed up like Uncle Sam. Just before the vote late Wednesday afternoon, Sen, Marlon Kimpson suggested a change he said he knew would fail, adding reparations for slavery to the topics to be discussed. The Black Democrat from Charleston said if his change passed, he thought the extra money and resources should go for helping poorer public schools and historically Black colleges and universities, providing secured loans to businesses in disadvantaged neighborhoods and other help. Im not talking 40 acres and a mule, although Im not dismissing the idea," Kimpson said. Most white Democrats backed their Black party members and voted against the bill. Sen Dick Harpootlian said agreeing to a convention without knowing who would be delegates and how many people would attend was dangerous. The Columbia Democrat suggested minority groups and others without much power could be shut out. This constitutional convention I'm afraid will be just as white as the one in 1787 maybe whiter, Harpootlian said. ___ Follow Jeffrey Collins on Twitter at https://twitter.com/JSCollinsAP. George Clinton had to jump through hoops to become the music icon he is today. Literally. Clinton made hula hoops in a factory on Badger Avenue in his hometown of Newark before he got into the music business. We were there when the company came to Newark looking for a place to open up, said Clinton, who's leading Parliament Funkadelic in a big hometown 80th birthday party show Friday, March 18, at the citys New Jersey Performing Arts Center. Me and my little friends in the hood, we just took over. We ran the place, helped them hire people, bring the machines in and kept them packing. I remember sending them (the hoops) off to Frankfurt, Germany. Oh, we had hula hoops of every size. Clinton has a knack for getting booties moving. George Clinton will celebrate his 80th birthday on Friday, March 18, at NJPAC in Newark. Before the move to music full time, Clinton, a North Carolina native, moved from hula hoops to the barbers chair in Newark. Everything was toward singing, even when I was working in the barbershop. The whole group worked in the barbershops on Springfield Avenue, Jones Street and Belmont Avenue (in Newark), so the history of the group and the barbershop is one in itself. The lineup of the Parliaments included Clinton, Ray Davis, Fuzzy Haskins, Calvin Simon and Grady Thomas. Everybody had a group, a doo-wop group, in 56 and 57, Clinton said. Related: Calvin Simon, original P-Funk and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member, has died But first, an important stop in Plainfield. Clintons friend Eddie King told him that a barbershop in Queen City needed a hand. It was a good chance to break out in the 1960s, and when I got there it was an instant love affair, Clinton said. There was a public service bus out to Plainfield, or the Somerset bus, both of those took me out there. And then I would go from there to New York to audition for companies in the Brill Building as a songwriter and for the group. When we first got our band we got them out of Plainfield when they were kids, Clinton said. Billy Bass, I remember him being 9 years old before he picked up a bass guitar, and then Eddie Hazel was 15 when he first got with us. ... Bernie Worrell was 15 when I first met him. He was a child prodigy, then went off to college in Boston (at the New England Conservatory of Music) and came back to join the band. Story continues The operation touched down in Detroit for a visit to Motown before they became superstars. By the time we got out there the era was changing, Clinton said. Rock n roll was becoming the dominant thing, so we had to change our image from Parliament and we just added Funkadelic and continued the family type of situation that Motown had enticed us with ... We were out of Detroit by this time, so we traveled back in between Plainfield and Detroit. Id work all week in a studio in Detroit and work in the barbershop on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Parliament Funkadelic in Liverpool in 1971: Fuzzy Haskins (left to right), Tawl Ross, Bernie Worrell, Tiki Fulwood, Grady Thomas, George Clinton, Ray Davis, Calvin Simon and seated, Eddie Hazel and Billy Bass Nelson. Clinton, who recently announced that hes not retired after all, will be honored in both Newark and Plainfield on Thursday, March 17. The music room at Avon Elementary School in Newark will be named after him, as well the city's Passaic Street. In Plainfield, the afternoon will include Mayor Adrian Mapp declaring a proclamation in Clinton's honor, and Arne Aakre, president of the Plainfield Arts Council, will present a rendering of a bronze plaque on a funky barbers poll to be erected at the site of the former Silk Palace barbershop at 216 Plainfield Ave., where Clinton formed Parliament Funkadelic. The Silk Palace no longer stands, but the creative energy the place generated has gone around the world. Its wonderful, Aakre said. Everybody in our little group has some kind of connection to him. ... Were all big fans. Clintons Parliaments evolved from a doo-wop group into Parliament Funkadelic, which merged funk, R&B, rock, gospel, classical, doo-wop and jazz. Hits include Atomic Dog, Flashlight, One Nation Under a Groove and We Want the Funk (Tear the Roof Off). The uplifting sounds were set off by outlandish stage costumes, fantastical narratives and stage props like the Mothership. The music became a keystone of hip-hop. The Mothership now resides in the Smithsonians National Museum of African American History and Culture at the Musical Crossroads gallery. Clinton and P-Funk are in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Music: Righteous Brothers' Bill Medley talks Beatles, Phil Spector and keeping the legacy going Questlove, Vernon Reid and Nona Hendryx will help Clinton belatedly celebrate his birthday, which actually was on July 22. A dance party will take place in the NJPACs Grand Lobby after the show. But what if the world never caught on? Could Clinton have remained the funkiest barber in New Jersey? That style (Clinton specialized in) was ending. 'Im Black and Im proud,' that became the motto so Afros became the thing, so the hairstyle we were doing went out for a while. They came back with new versions of it, Clinton said. I dont know what I would have done. My mind was made up when I was 15, 16 years. I went to the Apollo Theater and I said I was going to be one of them. I dont know anything that could have changed my mind from that. George Clinton 80th birthday party with Parliament Funkadelic, Questlove, Vernon Reid and Nona Hendryx, 8 p.m. Friday, March 18, New Jersey Performing Arts Center, 1 Center St., Newark. $39 to $89. www.njpac.org Subscribe to app.com for the latest on the New Jersey music scene. Chris Jordan, a Jersey Shore native, covers entertainment and features for the USA Today Network New Jersey. Contact him at @chrisfhjordan; cjordan@app.com This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: George Clinton: Birthday party with P-Funk, Questlove in Newark Mar. 15AUGUSTA Lawmakers are weighing a proposal to ban discrimination based on hairstyles or texture, an issue of particular concern to people with African ancestry. "We often see the impact of race-based hair discrimination in the communities we serve," Tobin Williamson, advocacy manager for the Lewiston-based Maine Immigrants' Rights Coalition, told legislators at a recent hearing. "Black and Brown students from our communities have been shamed by their teachers because of their hairstyles," Williamson said, and others in foster care "have been questioned about why their haircuts are so expensive." "For decades, hair discrimination has been prevalent in classrooms and workplaces across the nation, even here in Maine,' Williamson said. The bill's sponsor, Sen. Mattie Daughtry, a Brunswick Democrat, said the measure would amend Maine's Human Rights Act based on language that's already law in Maryland. "Hair discrimination is rooted in systemic racism by preventing students and employees from wearing styles such as locks, braids, Bantu knots and afros, Daughtry said. Tasha Judson, a hairstylist in Portland, told the Judiciary Committee that "people deserve to wear their hair the way it grows." "By encouraging individuals to straighten or chemically treat their hair to fit a particular standard, those same individuals deny their culture and damage their hair for the long run," Daughtry said. "Discriminating against appearance is another tool to aggress Black Americans by policing and surveying their choices, eroding trust between authority figures like teachers and students." A ban on discrimination based on hairstyle is already law in 14 states, supporters said, including Connecticut, New Jersey and New York. The Maine Association for the Education of Young Children said the legal revision is needed to "ensure that children are not penalized for embracing their culture through their hairstyles." Story continues Gina Forbes, a consultant in Brunswick, told legislators during Friday's committee hearing that "each child is unique inside and out" and "no child, or person of any age, should be discriminated against because of their hair or hairstyle." "Children with all colors, textures and styles of hair are beautiful and important," Forbes said in written testimony. "When children attend a place of learning, they should not have to question whether their hair is 'presentable' based on standards that promote Eurocentric beauty standards," Forbes said. "This is harmful to their sense of safety, connection and belonging which is foundational to being able and ready to learn, no matter what the age." Whitney Parrish of Augusta, the acting executive director of the Permanent Commission on the Status of Racial, Indigenous, and Tribal Populations, said that "race-based hair discrimination is not a new issue." "Research and experience show that bias against natural hair limits job opportunities for Black and African American women and Black women with natural hair are often seen as less professional and less competent and are less likely to be referred for job interviews," Parrish said. Parrish said that Black hair "is an expression of identity and culture and has deep connection to culture, religion and history. No one should ever be targeted for being who they are, and no one should need to change their hair using chemicals and heat to be taken more seriously, have more access to opportunity, or even be allowed in certain spaces." Kholiswa Mendes Pepani of Portland urged legislators to back the measure. "For most Black people, the intimate relationship shared with our hair is marred by systemic racism," Pepani said. In written testimony, Pepani said, "Black people have for centuries been told that our natural hair is too difficult, unmanageable or unprofessional due to white supremacist standards of beauty and acceptability." "Black hair is a lifelong expression of identity passed down between generations as an oration about our history, culture and resilience," Pepani said. "Passing this bill would support Black people's right to style their hair naturally and defend them against discrimination as it might arise. It is a needed step in dismantling racism." Mar. 15Secretary of State Shenna Bellows asked state lawmakers on Monday to provide funding for five new positions so the state can conduct regular election audits and provide year-round training for municipal election clerks. Maine is one of only six states that does not have a formal election auditing program and the only state controlled by Democrats that does not conduct post-election audits. The Legislature passed a bill last year to add the positions, estimated to cost about $525,000 a year, but the bill has been sitting on the appropriation table, waiting to be funded. Bellows urged the State and Local Government Committee and the Veteran's and Legal Affairs Committee to recommend including the funding in the supplemental budget being negotiated in the Legislature. "We would be very willing and eager to move forward, should the committee decide to suggest those five positions as an amendment to the budget," Bellows told the State and Local Government committee. Gov. Janet Mills proposed a list of spending priorities in her supplemental budget proposal, with half of the projected $822 million surplus going to rebate checks to taxpayers. But Mills also left about $12 million for lawmakers to spend on other priorities. Mills is expected to submit a change package this week, which outline plans for an an additional $411 million in revenue project through mid-2023, so that figure could increase. A spokesperson for the governor said Mills is actively considering the election-related positions. The VLA voted in support of the secretary of state's request on Monday, while the government committee is expected to vote Wednesday. The request is aimed at protecting public trust in Maine elections, and comes as election integrity is being challenged nationally. Former Pres. Donald Trump and his supporters continue to falsely challenge the integrity of the 2020 presidential election despite a lack of credible evidence to support claims of widespread voter fraud. Story continues This session, state lawmakers have moved to strengthen a law prohibiting harassment of election workers and to prohibit partisan third-party audits of elections such as those in Colorado and Arizona. Last week, the House approved a bill that would ban partisan audits, over unified opposition from Republicans. The bill has not yet been taken up by the Senate. But the Legislature has yet to take up another bill that would make threatening an election worker to election law as a Class D crime, putting such crimes under the jurisdiction of the Attorney General, rather than district attorneys. It would create a procedure for election workers to report threats and harassment. That bill came after state officials said they have received two reports of threats against election workers since the 2020 presidential election. The bill, sponsored by Rep. Bruce White, D-Waterville, was voted out of committee, 7-5, along party lines. Cumberland Town Clerk Tammy O'Donnell, who is vice president of the Maine Town and City Clerks Association, said her group has been meeting with the Secretary of State's office frequently over the last two years to discuss in the increased hostility and safety concerns clerks have faced due to misinformation about the 2020 presidential election. She said clerks spend a lot of time trying correct that information, but it doesn't always work. "It's just an uphill battle," O'Donnell said. "It gets very, very frustrating. We have lost a large number of very devoted, exceptional, experienced clerks in the past two years, which is very unfortunate. I hope we don't lose more." Bellows said in an interview that Maine has a history of transparent and secure elections, but there's always room for improvement. "One of the ways to do that is to strengthen the training we provide to municipal clerks, especially as we municipal election clerks retire," Bellows said. "the other way is to institute professional post election audits, just like 44 states have already done." Maine is one of only six states without a formal post-election audit process. Other states without audits are the Republican controlled state of Alabama, Mississippi, New Hampshire and South Dakota, along with Louisiana, which has a Democratic governor and Republican-controlled legislature. Thirty-four states use a traditional post-election audit, which the National Conference of State Legislature says look at a fixed percentage of voting districts, ballots or voting machines and compare those to paper records. And 15 states have requirements, pilot programs or laws allowing for risk-limiting audits, which use statistical sampling to reduce the number of ballots being audited. "If an audit process is in place, it can inform election officials of any bugs or errors in the system, and can act as a deterrent against fraud," the NCSL states. "Proponents of post-election audits argue that they can also help avoid a full recount by revealing when a recount is necessary to verify the correct election outcome. And, ultimately, a robust post-election audit can increase confidence in the results of an election." The Legislature passed the bill allowing for audits, L.D. 1155, last June with bipartisan support. It was sponsored by Rep. Nicole Grohoski, D-Ellsworth, There was no roll call in the House, but Rep. Patrick Corey, R-Windham, supported it as a member of the Veterans and Legal Affairs Committee last year. The Senate passed it unanimously, 32-0. Bellows said the bill would add staff to allow her office to conduct two types of election audits: A process audit, where state officials would ensure that municipalities are following proper ballot and voting machine security protocols and accessibility requirements at polling locations every few years; and a post-election, "risk-limiting audit" that would use a statistical sample to verify election results. Bellows said in an interview that details for a risk-limiting audit, if approved, would be worked out by staff. She said such audits are a "gold standard" nationally and typically involved auditing a statically valid sample of ballots from select communities and extrapolating those results to see if they're in line with the state's totals. Meanwhile, the state provides a two-day training for municipal election workers each fall, but Bellows said additional staffing would be needed to fulfill clerks' requests for more training opportunities throughout the year, especially when new clerks are hired. Rep. Ann Matlack, D-St. George, said she observed similar audits while attending a conference in Colorado last fall and supports the funding. "I think it's important that (this staffing) appear in the budget and that they not languish on the table." The Veterans and Legal Affairs Committee voted 7-0 Monday in support of the proposal. However, only Democratic committee members were present and none of the five committee Republicans had registered their votes by Monday afternoon, according to the clerk. PORTSMOUTH Gov. Chris Sununu pointed to the importance of developing multi-family housing in New Hampshires cities and small towns. Ive got to be really clear. Theres no state (law) thats preventing you guys from building multi-family housing, Sununu said Tuesday. He was responding to a question during his annual local version of his State of the State address for the Chamber Collaborative of Greater Portsmouths Bank of America virtual speaker series. It isnt just high-end condos that we need, thats the last thing we need frankly, we need housing for teachers (and) nurses, Sununu said. Gov. Chris Sununu speaks Thursday, Feb. 17, 2022, during his state of the state address in Concord. He gave a local version of the speech Tuesday for the Chamber Collaborative of Portsmouth. He credited a group of cities and towns including Rochester, Londonderry, Lebanon and Salem for doing a really great job with housing. But, he added, this idea that a small town doesnt have a responsibility and the opportunity to create multi-family housing is just really antiquated. Part of his proposed $100 million affordable housing plan would go to creating a fund to help smaller communities with the resources and expertise needed to update their zoning, he said. Advocates are optimistic: Will Sununu's $100M NH affordable housing fund work? That includes, Sununu said, learning how to do small apartments, small multi-family in a more New Hampshire way. People still think of this like its 1978 Section 8 housing, thats not what were talking about at all, he said. 'Big changes need to happen': Portsmouth launches affordable housing initiative He talked about the need for creating housing for folks on a lower or mid-level income scale that can be designed as something that really fits in your community and support the businesses that are dying for those workers. If youre a small community not making those investments, youre doing wrong by your businesses that tend to be the biggest taxpayers, and the entire community is going to suffer, Sununu said. Sununu favors suspending gas tax, rooms and meals tax, too Story continues The governor cited the states strong economy and pointed to New Hampshire's growing population, which increased by 4.6% in a decade to 1,377,529, according to the 2020 Census. Sununu reminded chamber members when the economy was facing tough times, people said you have to raise taxes. I did completely the opposite, we slashed taxes, the rooms and meals tax, business profits tax, business enterprise tax, the interest and dividends tax, Sununu said. He predicted another great tourism summer for New Hampshire despite surging gas prices and noted the state broke records in summer 2021. I dont know if well break the record in terms of tourism dollars, gas prices could hit that a little bit, but again we still have the lowest gas prices in New England, Sununu said. If the Legislature wants to temporarily suspend the gas tax, I think that would be awesome, he said. Why are gas prices rising so quickly?: And how high are they expected to get? He also backed a plan to suspend the rooms and meals tax while stressing the state would still meet all the obligations to cities and towns. Because we manage our finances so well, we have the flexibility to do it and just give people a little bit of a break during tough times, he said. The governor weighed in on a variety of topics during his address to the chamber and in response to questions from members. Asked about proposed state legislation that would allow short-term rentals by right in state cities and towns, Sununu said, I have a problem with it. I havent seen the latest language, but its a bill that effectively undercuts permitting and zoning within every town in the state, Sununu said. Short-term rentals in Portsmouth: Should city allow it? Mayor says yes, but with limits. Residents who want to make the case for short-term rentals in their community can do so at the town level, he said, rather than having the state come in and say its basically a free for all. I havent seen the latest bill but we are watching it, Sununu said, adding that if its going to strip away local officials ability to manage their town, the character of their town, then yeah thats going to be a problem. This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: NH Gov. Sununu calls for more affordable multi-family housing You are the owner of this article. Help for Washington families with kids in child care expanded earlier this month, but Yakima Valley child care providers said many people still do not know about the changes and only some have seen the effects. One man was fatally stabbed and another man was shot by responding Pasco police officers when he apparently charged at them with a knife Sunday, March 13, 2022, near the intersection of West Lewis Street and 6th Avenue. In space, according to the posters for the 1979 movie Alien, no one can hear you scream. And we have no reason to doubt that. In space, whether youre working with American astronauts or Russian cosmonauts male or female competency and trust are non-negotiable. One misstep and you and your crewmates could be in deep trouble. Scream all you want, but nobodys coming to help you. So as Richland flight engineer Kayla Barron emerges from the International Space Station this morning for the second spacewalk of her career, shes counting on her crew to keep her safe. And theyre counting on her to assemble and install some complex modification kits on the space station that are necessary for upcoming solar upgrades. Shell be doing that while shes floating in zero gravity 250 miles above the Earth. If a wrench slips out of her hands, shes out of luck. It seems appropriate that the mission centers squarely on Barron on this annual Equal Pay Day, which marks the number of extra days women must work to equal the pay their male counterparts make in a year. The average female worker wouldve had to work all of January, February and half of March before shed have earned as much as a man wouldve made by the end of December. That doesnt necessarily mean that Barron is underpaid NASA astronauts average $104,898 to $161,141 a year, Business Insider reports. Some earn considerably more when you add in military pay and potential bonuses. Not too shabby, but it doesnt come easy. Applicants need a college degree in science, engineering or mathematics from an accredited school, plus three years of professional experience or 1,000 hours behind the controls of a jet. On top of all that, a gauntlet of mandatory interviews and selection steps weed out pretty much everybody. In 2017, according to Business Insider, only 12 of 183,000 applicants made the cut. Were certainly not saying NASA slights women astronauts when it comes to pay. Its interesting that nearly 80% of the agencys employees are men, but that could be explained by any number of factors. The point here is that Equal Pay Day should be a thing of the past. Women have proven over and over again that theyre the equal at least of men in pretty much any workplace you want to name. If NASA trusts Barron to do her part at a remote worksite that has no net, earthbound businesses with on-site supervisors and human resources departments have no excuse for treating women as secondary help. So we hope Barron enjoys a safe and successful space stroll today. And we hope she gets a check with just as much mass as her male crewmates. Shes earned it. Our directory features more than 18 million business listings from across the entire US. However, if we're missing your business, add your business by clicking on Add Your Business. YORK A driver who ran from law enforcement in York County, taking them on a high speed chase through the rural area while in possession of cocaine, earlier pleaded guilty to three felonies. However, he didnt show up in York County District Court this week for sentencing so a bench warrant was issued for his arrest. Demari Alston, 22, of Madison, Wis., has pleaded guilty to criminal possession of more than four financial transaction devices, a Class 2A felony; operating a motor vehicle to avoid arrest, a Class 4 felony; and possession of a controlled substance, a Class 4 felony. According to the affidavit of probable cause filed with the court, a deputy with the York County Sheriffs Department was on regular patrol in the middle of the night when he saw a vehicle traveling at 96 miles an hour. The deputy entered the interstate and activated his emergency lights, but the vehicle began to accelerate at a higher rate of speed. The vehicle continued westbound on Interstate 80 until exiting at the Henderson interchange. The deputy said his siren was also activated. The affidavit filed with the court says the driver activated his left turn signal but instead turned right (or northbound) onto Road B without coming to a complete stop at the stop sign at the off-ramp. After turning north, the vehicle came to a sudden stop on the shoulder of the highway. After briefly stopping, the vehicle went one mile north where it stopped again and a heavy set man with dreadlocks exited the vehicle from the front passenger door. The deputy says in the affidavit that he stopped and drew his service weapon and pointed it at the man who exited, giving him loud verbal commands to show his hands. The deputy says the man did not comply. At that point, the vehicle continued north on Road B at speeds reaching in excess of 115 miles per hour. The deputy left the man who had exited and continued pursuing the vehicle. There was a train blocking the road, so the vehicle turned into a private property. The vehicle stopped and the deputy drew his service weapon, with loud verbal commands for the driver to show his hands. The driver was identified as Demari Alston. A canine unit alerted to the presence of narcotics in the vehicle. Meanwhile, another deputy with the York County Sheriffs Department went to the location of the man who had earlier exited the vehicle and it was discovered the passenger had an arrest warrant out of Wisconsin. A search of the vehicle led to the discovery of baggies with marijuana residue, a digital scale and cocaine. This week, Alstons attorney said his client claimed to be sick, but there was no medical documentation to back up the claim. York County Attorney John Lyons asked for an arrest warrant to be issued and Judge James Stecker agreed, based on having no medical proof the defendant was too sick to be at his sentencing hearing. . YORK A 59-year-old Iowa woman is charged with the intent to deliver drugs in York County and she pleaded not guilty this week in York County District Court where arraignment proceedings were held. Judith A. Lindner of Manning, Iowa, has been charged with two Class 2A felonies regarding the substances, as well as possession of more than one pound of marijuana, a Class 4 felony, and having no drug tax stamp, also a Class 4 felony. A deputy with the York County Sheriffs Department was on regular duty on Interstate 80, conducting a ruse checkpoint in the mid-morning hours. According to court documents, the deputy saw a vehicle traveling eastbound, closely following a U-Haul van, and then abruptly exiting at the Bradshaw exit in order to turn around and head west on Interstate 80. Due to a traffic infraction, the deputy stopped the vehicle. The deputy said Lindner, the driver, told him she was coming from California. She also provided unsolicited information, such as that her relatives are firefighters and she appreciated first responder service. When asked where she was going, she stated she was going back to Iowa but had turned around on the interstate to use the restroom which appeared odd that she wouldnt continue east to look for a restroom. The deputy said he also noticed boxes in the back of her van, with different names on them. She told the deputy they were Christmas presents. When asked if he could search the vehicle, Lindner denied permission. Loki, the deputys K-9 partner, was deployed and the dog alerted to the presence of narcotics in the area where the boxes were located. Assisted by a Nebraska State Patrol trooper and a deputy with the Seward County Sheriffs Department, the deputy conducted a probable cause search of the vehicle. They located multiple bags of marijuana, in excess of four pounds, multiple jars of THC wax and multiple THC-infused products. The quantity, in addition to the different names on the boxes, indicated they were being transported with the intent to deliver to multiple different individuals. Multiple boxes were labeled with the name Judy. Court documents indicate she denied knowledge of the contents of the packages, stating she was just supposed to transport it back to Iowa. Upon her not guilty pleas, Judge James Stecker set a jury trial in the matter for July 20. Maruti Suzuki India Limited has announced that they achieved a milestone of selling one million S-CNG vehicles in total. The Indian carmaker has a wide variety of options in the CNG segment, including the recently launched new models. Maruti's range of S-CNG vehicles covers multiple segments like hatchbacks, MPVs and sedans. These segments are covered with vehicles like Alto, S-Presso, WagonR, Celerio, Dzire, Ertiga, Eeco, Super Carry and Tour-S. The Indian carmaker is contributing to the government's efforts to popularise the adoption of S-CNG vehicles in India with the objective of reduction in oil imports by enhancing the share of natural gas in the energy basket of the country from 6.2% presently to 15% by 2030. Also read: Royal Enfield Scram 411 launched in India, prices start at Rs 2.03 lakh The carmaker uses Dual Interdependent ECUs with an Intelligent Injection system that seamlessly communicates with each other to provide an optimal air-fuel ratio during combustion for controlled fuel usage. The cars have also been equipped with a Microswitch that ensures that the vehicle is off and doesnt start while refueling, along with stainless steel CNG pipes with patented ferrule joints that provide corrosion resistance and a leak-proof design. They also have an advanced dual solenoid system that ensures additional safety in case of gas leakage. It auto-cuts fuel during the gas leak and releases high-pressure CNG directly into the atmosphere. Speaking on the achievement, Kenichi Ayukawa, Managing Director & CEO, Maruti Suzuki India Limited, said, Today, there are already over 3,700 CNG stations making CNG more accessible to people. With the Government's target to reach 10,000 CNG stations across the country in the next few years, we expect the demand for CNG vehicles to remain robust. As a technology, CNG will play a bigger and significant role in reducing carbon emission of a large volume of passenger vehicles. Live TV #mute In order to save money, private airlines in India are choosing not to use aerobridges for boarding and deboarding an aircraft. However, aged people are bearing the brunt as they have to use stairs, a Parliamentary committee stated on March 14. "The Committee deplores this apathetic and unreasonable attitude of the private airlines," its report said, adding that such carriers should be penalized by the Ministry of Civil Aviation. Aerobridge is a moveable tunnel that is extended from airport building to the aircraft for boarding or deboarding passengers. Airlines have to pay a certain charge to the airport for using aerobridge facilities. Also read: BCAS permits Sikh aviation sector employees to carry kirpan within airport premises A report of the Parliamentary Committee on Transport, Tourism and Culture was tabled in Rajya Sabha on March 14, wherein it said that despite having aerobridges in some of the airports, the airlines are not using them for boarding and deboarding the passengers and are instead using staircases. "Despite charging passengers, aerobridge facilities are not being used by private airlines to reduce operational cost," it mentioned. Due to this, passengers -- especially the aged ones -- have to bear the brunt and climb the stairs of the parking stand to board an aircraft, it noted. "The committee deplores this apathetic and unreasonable attitude of the private airlines and strongly recommends that its circular on the aforesaid subject may be strictly enforced," it mentioned. The Ministry of Civil Aviation had in 2018 issued a circular to all Indian airport operators stating that if an aerobridge is available for boarding and deboarding passengers, it must be used for their convenience. The Committee on March 14 recommended that the ministry should conduct regular surprise checks to ensure compliance of their circular and "in case there is a default, the concerned private airlines should be penalized." (With inputs from PTI) Live TV #mute The Indian Council of Cultural Relations (ICCR) requested Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia on December 23 to promote Indian music in flights operated by Indian carriers. Hence, the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) on December 27 asked all airlines and airports to consider playing Indian music in their flights and terminals. However, on March 14, the Minister of State for Civil Aviation VK Singh said that the Centre is not planning to make it mandatory for airlines and airports to play Indian music in their flights and terminal premises. During the current Parliament session, when Congress Rajya Sabha MP Ambika Soni asked "whether the government proposes to make it mandatory for Indian airlines and airports to play Indian classical or light vocal and instrumental music," Singh replied in the negative in his written reply. Also read: Airlines not using aerobridge to save cost, passengers facing inconvenience: Parl. Panel On December 27, the MoCA wrote a letter to all airlines and airports stating that music played by most of the airlines across the globe was in quintessential of the country to which the airline belongs, for example, Jazz in an American airline or Mozart in an Austrian airline and Arab music in an airline from the Middle East. "But, Indian Airlines seldom play Indian music in the flight, whereas, our music has a rich heritage and culture and it has one of the many things every Indian has a reason for truly being proud of," the ministry noted. India has a rich diversity of traditional music, it noted. "Owing to India's vastness and diversity, Indian music encompasses numerous genres in multiple varieties and forms, which include classical music, folk, light vocal, instrumental music, etc," it mentioned. India has a history spanning several millennia and developed over several geo-locations spanning the sub-continent, it said. Music in India began as an integral part of socio-religious life, it noted. The ministry said it is in receipt of a request from ICCR for playing Indian music in the aircraft being operated in India and also at airports. Also read: Nitin Gadkari's dream is to build India's first electric highway connecting THESE cities "It is, therefore, requested to kindly consider playing Indian music in the aircraft being operated in India and at airports following the regulatory requisites," the ministry stated. Scindia had on December 23 visited the headquarters of the ICCR here and met its president Vinay Sahasrabuddhe. The ICCR, which works under the Ministry of External Affairs, had said that various suggestions were made during the meeting, "including promotion of Indian music in flights operated by the Indian air companies." Eminent artists and musicians, including Malini Awasthi, Anu Malik, Kaushal S Inamdar, Shounak Abhisheki, Manjusha Patil K, Sanjeev Abhyankar, Rita Ganguly and Wasifuddin Dagar were also present during the meeting, it added. (With inputs from PTI) Live TV #mute Mumbai: Actor Yami Gautam and her husband-filmmaker Aditya Dhar have extended their support to Vivek Agnihotri`s latest directorial The Kashmir Files, which revolves around the genocide of Kashmiri Pandits in 1990. Taking to Twitter, Yami and Aditya shared their reviews of the film and urged people to give it a watch. "You might have seen numerous videos of Kashmiri Pandits breaking down in the theatres after watching #TheKashmirFiles. The emotion is real. It shows how long we kept our pain and tragedy repressed as a community. We didn't have any shoulder to cry on and no ear to hear our pleas," Aditya tweeted. Sharing her husband's tweet, Yami said her marriage to Aditya, a Kashmiri Pandit, has made her more aware of their exodus from the valley. Being married to a Kashmiri Pandit, I know first hand of the atrocities that this peace-loving community has gone through. But majority of the nation is still unaware. It took us 32 years and a film to get to know the truth. Please watch and support #TheKashmirFiles . https://t.co/rjHmKVmiXZ Yami Gautam Dhar (@yamigautam) March 14, 2022 "Being married to a Kashmiri Pandit, I know first hand of the atrocities that this peace-loving community has gone through. But majority of the nation is still unaware. It took us 32 years and a film to get to know the truth. Please watch and support #TheKashmirFiles," she emphasised. The Kashmir Files stars Anupam Kher, Mithun Chakraborty, Pallavi Joshi, Darshan Kumaar, and others. New Delhi: Former BharatPe Co-founder and Managing Director Ashneer Grover has hit back at the company's Board, saying he never bought a dining table worth Rs 10 crore as being reported. In a tweet, Grover said he would rather put Rs 10 crore in business and create employment for 1,000 of people. Reports surfaced last week, claiming that Ashneer "purchased a Porsche" when he was at BharatPe and "told multiple people at the company that he spent millions on a dining table". "Is it a space rocket? Is it a time machine? No it's a Rs 10 cr dining table!! I don't hold the Guinness World Record for the most expensive table ever. Nor do I intend to. Press - don't fall for BharatPe Board (undisclosed sources) lies - you'll lose your credibility like them," Ashneer tweeted. According to reports, "office frugality clashed with the couple's apparently glitzy lifestyle, rubbing some employees the wrong way." "Grover and his wife upgraded their modest home for a rented penthouse and renovated another luxury property," the reports claimed. Ashneer said that the dining table he has at home is not even worth 0.5 per cent of the amount being reported. "I'd rather put Rs 10 crore in business and create employment for 1,000 of folks so that they can earn & put dignified meals on their tables for their families. Score; Self Goal (Loss of Credibility) by BharatPe Board/Investors - 1 : Lavishness : 0," he further tweeted. The fintech platform recently sacked Ashneer's wife Madhuri Jain Grover over alleged financial irregularities during her tenure as Head of Controls to the tune of crores of rupees. Post this, Ashneer had resigned, saying that he is being forced to quit a company of which "I am a founder". In a statement, BharatPe said it "reserves all rights to take further legal action against him (Ashneer Grover) and his family". Live TV #mute New Delih: The share price of Paytm`s parent company One 97 Communications Ltd has tumbled by over 20 percent in the last two days after the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) barred Paytm Payments Bank from onboarding new customers. The scrip of the Digital payments company tumbled 12.2%, extending its slump amid mounting regulatory woes and a decision by investor SoftBank`s representatives to leave the company`s board. The company`s market capitalisation slipped below Rs 40,000 crore for the first time. On the day of its stock market debut on November 18, 2021, the market capitalisation of One 97 Communications Ltd stood at Rs 1.01 lakh crore. The company has lost over Rs 60,000 crore in market capitalisation in less than four months. One97 Communications holds a 49 percent stake in Paytm Payments Bank (PPBL). The RBI last week directed PPBL to stop opening new accounts amid "material supervisory concerns" observed in the bank. The bank has also been directed to appoint an IT audit firm to conduct a comprehensive system audit of its IT system. Reports claimed that PPBL's servers were sharing information with China-based entities that indirectly own a stake in Paytm Payments Bank. In its reply to the RBI`s action, One 97 Communications Ltd said, "The bank (Paytm Payments Bank) is taking immediate steps to comply with RBI directions, including appointment of a reputed external auditor to conduct a comprehensive System Audit of its IT systems. PPBL remains committed to working with the regulator to address their concerns as quickly as possible." Meanwhile, a Reuters report, quoting sources said that representatives of SoftBank Group Corp will step down from the boards of Paytm and the parent of online insurance aggregator Policybazaar. "The decision is part of SoftBank`s global strategy to exit from the boards of most of its listed portfolio companies, said the source, adding that the Japanese tech conglomerate expected it would leave fewer regulatory issues to tackle," added Reuters. Live TV #mute New Delhi: AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Tuesday (March 15) decried the Karnataka High Courts order on upholding the hijab ban in schools and colleges. Owaisi said the judgment violates fundamental rights and asked what is the problem if anyone wears a hijab. Judgment (Hijab row) violates fundamental rights like freedom of religion, culture, expression & Art.15. It'll have negative impact on Muslim women, they'll be targeted. Modernity is not about eschewing religious practices. What's the problem if one wears hijab, ANI quoted the Hyderabad MP as saying. In a series of tweets, Owaisi said the HC order has forced kids to choose between education and Allahs command. "For Muslims it`s Allah`s command to be educated while also following his strictures (salah, hijab, roza, etc). Now govt is forcing girls to choose. So far judiciary has declared masjids, keeping a beard & now hijab as non-essential. What is left of free expression of beliefs?," the AIMIM chief asked. The Hyderabad MP said that imposing a ban on hijab harms devout Muslim women and their families as it prevents them from accessing education. "The excuse being used is that uniform will ensure uniformity. How? Will kids not know who`s from a rich/poor family? Do caste names not denote background?" he added. 6. Banning headscarf definitely harms devout Muslim women and their families as it prevents them from accessing education 7. The excuse being used is that uniform will ensure uniformity. How? Will kids not know whos from a rich/poor family? Do caste names not denote background? Asaduddin Owaisi (@asadowaisi) March 15, 2022 Dismissing petitions filed by a section of Muslim students from the Government Pre-University Girls College in Udupi, the Karnataka High Court announced that the headscarf is not a part of the essential religious practice in Islamic faith. "We are of the considered opinion that wearing of Hijab by Muslim women does not form a part of essential religious practice in Islamic faith," a three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi, and also comprising of Justice Krishna S Dixit and Justice J M Khazi, said. The HC order has received mixed reactions across the political spectrum with BJP hailing it, whereas Telangana CM K Chandrashekar Rao, PDP president Mehbooba Mufti and National Conference (NC) leader Omar Abdullah slamming the judgment. (With agency inputs) Live TV BENGALURU: In a significant development, the Karnataka High Court on Tuesday dismissed various petitions filed by Muslim girl students challenging the ban on wearing Hijab in state's educational institutions. Karnataka High Court dismisses various petitions challenging a ban on Hijab in education institutions pic.twitter.com/RK4bIEg6xX ANI (@ANI) March 15, 2022 In its ruling, the three-judge High Court bench said, "wearing Hijab not an essential religious practice of Islam.'' "We are of the considered opinion that wearing of Hijab by Muslim women does not form a part of essential religious practice in Islamic faith,'' the Karnataka high court bench said further. Karnataka HC says wearing Hijab is not an essential religious practice of Islam. ANI (@ANI) March 15, 2022 The prescription of school uniform is a reasonable restriction which students could not object to, the Karnataka High Court said while pronouncing its judgment in Hijab row case, adding, ''No case is made out for invalidating the Government Order of February 5.'' The ruling was passed by the three-judge bench of the Karnataka High Court comprising Chief Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi, Justice Krishna S Dixit and Justice JM Khazi. The three-judge bench had earlier reserved the matter for judgement earlier after hearing arguments and counterarguments. Welcoming the verdict, Union Minister Pralhad Joshi said, "I welcome the court's decision. I appeal to everyone that the state and country have to go forward, everyone has to maintain peace by accepting the order of HC. The basic work of students is to study. So leaving all this aside they should study and be united.'' I welcome the Court's decision. I appeal to everyone that the state & country has to go forward, everyone has to maintain peace by accepting the order of HC. The basic work of students is to study. So leaving all this aside they should study and be united: Union Min Pralhad Joshi https://t.co/xb3BeAYBQm pic.twitter.com/PBzQHqzX9A ANI (@ANI) March 15, 2022 The hijab protests in Karnataka began in January this year when some students of Government Girls PU college in the Udupi district of the state alleged that they had been barred from attending classes. During the protests, some students claimed they were denied entry into the college for wearing hijab. Following this incident, students of different colleges arrived at Shanteshwar Education Trust in Vijayapura wearing saffron stoles. The situation was the same in several colleges in the Udupi district. The girls later approached the Karnataka High Court and demanded that they should be allowed to enter classrooms while wearing hijabs. In its interim order, the Karnataka high court stated that no hijab or saffron shawl is allowed in the schools and colleges. The petitioners then challenged this in the Supreme Court. However, the apex court refused to hear the matter and asked the petitioners to seek relief from the High Court. Ahead of Tuesday's verdict, the state authorities had ordered all schools and colleges in Dakshina Kannada district to be closed and issued prohibitory orders at several places. "We are declaring holiday for all schools and colleges for tomorrow...external examinations would be there as per schedule... but internal exams of all schools and colleges will be postponed. Issuing prohibitory orders in the entire district," Dr Rajendra KV, Deputy Commissioner, Dakshina Kannada district said. In view of the High Court verdict, the Kalaburagi district administration also imposed Section 144 effective from 8 pm today till 6 am on March 19. "In view of the Hijab row verdict, the district administration has imposed Sec 144 effective from 8 pm today till 6 am on March 19. All educational institutions in the district will remain closed tomorrow," Yeshwanth V Gurukar, DC Kalaburagi said. A similar decision was taken in Shivamogga. Section 144 has been imposed in the district till 21 March and all schools and colleges will remain closed on March 15. "All schools and colleges will remain closed on Tuesday (March 15) in Shivamogga. Section 144 has been imposed in the district till 21 March. Eight companies of KSRP, 6 companies of District Armed Reserve, 1 company of RAF have been deployed," Shivamogga SP, BM Laxmi Prasad said. Commissioner of Police, Kamal Pant also said that "all types of gatherings, agitations, protests, or celebrations in public places are prohibited in Bengaluru for one week from March 15 to March 21." Live TV New Delhi: The Central Board of Secondary Education on Monday set up an expert committee to probe into the alleged discrepancies in the question and answer key of Odia paper of class 10 first term examinations. On the basis of the report of the expert committee, appropriate decision will be taken by the board within 24 hours. "A dispute has been received from a school regarding the answer key of Odia subject in class 10 claiming that the answers given in the answer key for some questions are wrong," the CBSE said in a statement. "Therefore, with a view to ascertain to the factual position, an expert committee to examine the discrepancies raised in the representation," it said. "An appropriate decision will be taken by the board within 24 hours, on the basis of the report of the expert committee," it added. The CBSE on Saturday communicated the result of first term examination to the respective schools. Live TV Beijing: China on Monday said India and Pakistan should hold dialogue as soon as possible and launch a "thorough" investigation into the recent 'accidental firing' of a missile from India which landed in Pakistan's Punjab province. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian, during a media briefing here, said both Pakistan and India are important countries in South Asia and they share the responsibility to uphold regional security and stability. Asked by a Pakistani journalist about China's response to the 'accidental firing' of the Indian missile, he said: 'We have noted the relevant information'. "Pakistan and India are both important countries in South Asia, bearing responsibilities for maintaining regional security and stability," he said. "China calls on the countries to hold dialogue and communication as soon as possible, and look thoroughly into the incident, step up information sharing, and promptly establish a reporting mechanism so that such incidents will not happen again, and misunderstanding and misjudgement can be avoided," he said in revised comments posted on the website of the Chinese Foreign Ministry. ALSO READ | Could have responded but: PM Imran Khan on Indias 'accidental' missile firing into Pakistan On Friday, the Indian government said it accidentally fired a missile two days back that landed in Pakistan and that the "deeply regrettable" incident was caused by a technical malfunction in the course of its routine maintenance. India's defence ministry said that the government has taken a serious view of the incident and ordered a 'Court of Enquiry' into it, a day after Pakistan said a high-speed projectile launched from India entered its airspace and fell near Mian Channu in Khanewal district of the Punjab province. "On March 9, in the course of a routine maintenance, a technical malfunction led to the accidental firing of a missile. The government of India has taken a serious view and ordered a high-level Court of Enquiry. "It is learnt that the missile landed in an area of Pakistan. While the incident is deeply regrettable, it is also a matter of relief that there has been no loss of life due to the accident," the defence ministry said in a statement. On Saturday, Pakistan's Foreign Office (FO) said it was not satisfied with India's "simplistic explanation" on the "accidental firing" of the missile and demanded a joint probe to accurately establish the facts surrounding the incident. The FO summoned the Indian Charge d'Affaires and registered its protest over the "unprovoked" violation of its airspace and said that such "irresponsible incidents" reflected India's "disregard" for air safety. Pakistan also called upon the international community to take serious notice of this incident of grave nature in a nuclearised environment and play its due role in promoting strategic stability in the region, the FO said. Though the statement by India's defence ministry did not specify the name of the missile, the description given by the Pakistan military indicated that it could be a Brahmos missile. Ties between India and Pakistan nose-dived after a terror attack on the Pathankot Air Force base in 2016 by terror groups based in the neighbouring country. Subsequent attacks, including one on an Indian Army camp in Uri, further deteriorated the relationship. The relationship deteriorated after India announced withdrawing the special powers of Jammu and Kashmir and bifurcation of the state into two union territories in August 2019. India's move to revoke the special status of Jammu and Kashmir in 2019 outraged Pakistan, which downgraded diplomatic ties and expelled the Indian High Commissioner in Islamabad. It also snapped all air and land links with India and suspended trade and railway services. India has said that it desires normal neighbourly relations with Pakistan in an environment free of terror, hostility, and violence. India has said the onus is on Pakistan to create an environment free of terror and hostility. New Delhi: As announced by the Union Health Ministry, the Covid vaccination for children in the age group of 12-14 years will begin from Wednesday (March 16, 2022). According to an announcement by the Health Ministry, the Covid-19 vaccine to be administered to the 12-14 years age group would be Corbevax manufactured by Biological E. Limited, Hyderabad. Tweeting the announcement in Hindi, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said, "if the children are safe then the country is safe! I am happy to inform that the COVID vaccination of children in the age group of 12 to 13 and 13 to 14 is starting from March 16. Also, everyone aged 60 years and above will now be able to get precaution doses." Mandaviya also urged the families of children and people in the age group of 60 years and above that they must get the vaccination done. ! 16 12 13 13 14 60+ 60+ Dr Mansukh Mandaviya (@mansukhmandviya) March 14, 2022 The Union Government after due deliberations with scientific bodies has decided to start Covid-19 vaccination for 12-13 year and 13-14 year age groups (those born in 2008, 2009 and 2010 i.E those who are already above 12 years of age) of the population from March 16, 2022, the ministry said in a statement. According to official sources, around 7.11 crore children will be vaccinated under the new age group. Biological E Ltd has supplied 5 crore doses of Corbevax to the Centre and the vaccine has been distributed to states, sources said. The announcement comes at a time when schools across the country are opening up given the considerable decline in the Covid-19 cases. The Government has also decided that the condition of comorbidity for Covid-19 precaution dose for population over 60 years of age will be removed forthwith, the ministry said. "Hence, from 16th March 2022 onwards, the entire population above 60 years of age will be eligible for precautionary doses of COVID19 vaccine," the ministry said. The population above 14 years of age is already being inoculated under the ongoing COVID vaccination program. The countrywide vaccination drive was rolled out on January 16 last year with healthcare workers (HCWs) getting inoculated in the first phase. The vaccination of frontline workers (FLWs) started on February 2 last year. The next phase of COVID-19 vaccination commenced from March 1 for people over 60 years of age and those aged 45 and above with specified comorbid conditions. The country launched vaccination for all aged more than 45 years from April 1, 2021. The Central government then decided to expand its vaccination drive by allowing everyone above 18 to be vaccinated from May 1 last year. The next phase of COVID-19 vaccination commenced on January 3 this year for adolescents aged 15-18 years. India began administering precaution doses of COVID-19 vaccine to healthcare workers, frontline workers and those aged 60 and above with co-morbidities, from January 10 amid a spike in coronavirus infections fuelled by the Omicron variant of the virus in the country. Here's how kids aged 12-14 years can register for vaccination and elder citizens for precautionary doses: 1. Open the Co-WIN portal using the link www.cowin.gov.in 2. Click on the Register/Sign In tab to register for the Covid-19 vaccination 3. If you are already a registered member on the portal then use your credentials to log in otherwise register to create a fresh account. 4. For children, you will be asked to upload certain documents like the Aadhaar card, PAN card, etc. If they don't have it children can also use their school id cards to register. 5. As for elderly people, their eligibility will be based on the date of administration of 2nd dose as recorded in the Co-WIN system. 6. The verification for the elderly will be done preferably using Aadhaar. 7. Apart from that, they can also use a passport, driving license, PAN Card, Smart Card issued by RGI under NPR, or pension documents with photographs. 8. Then an OTP will be sent to your number. You will be required to verify. 9. After the verification is done you can book a slot. For that enter your location, Pincode, etc and tap/click on Book appointment. Live TV New Delhi: The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) on Tuesday (March 14) informed that the metro services will not be available on the occasion of Holi on March 18. On Holi (March 18) all metro services including Rapid Metro/Airport Express will be unavailable till 2:30 pm. "On Holi March 18, metro services will not be available till 2:30 pm on all lines of Delhi Metro, including Rapid Metro/Airport Express Line. Services will start at 2:30 PM from terminal stations on all lines & will continue normally thereafter," tweeted DMRC. Holi Update On Holi (18th March 2022), metro services will not be available till 2:30 PM on all lines of Delhi Metro, including Rapid Metro/Airport Express Line. Services will thus start at 2:30 PM from terminal stations on all lines and will continue normally thereafter. Delhi Metro Rail Corporation I (@OfficialDMRC) March 15, 2022 Services on all lines will normally start at 2:30 from terminal stations. Live TV New Delhi: Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday (March 15, 2022) gave a statement on the accidental firing of a missile that landed in Pakistan and said that India gives the highest priority to the safety and security of its weapon system. Speaking in Rajya Sabha, Singh said that India's missile system is highly safe and secure, and the country's defence establishment accords the highest priority to safety procedures and protocols. "I would like to brief this august House about an incident that took place on 9th March, 2022. This incident relates to inadvertent release of a missile during inspection. During routine maintenance and inspection, a missile was accidentally released at around 7 p.m. It was later learnt that the missile had landed inside the territory of Pakistan. While this incident is regretted, we are relieved that nobody was hurt due to the accident," he said. India's safety procedures and protocol are of the highest standards and its armed forces are well-trained and disciplined, he said. I can assure the House that the missile system is very reliable & safe. Moreover, our safety procedures and protocols are of the highest order and are reviewed from time to time. Our Armed Forces are well-trained and disciplined & are well experienced in handling such systems:RM / RMO India (@DefenceMinIndia) March 15, 2022 Singh said the country's missile system is highly safe and secure. He also said the government is committed to rectify any shortcomings found in the weapon system after an enquiry into the incident. My Statement in Rajya Sabha. pic.twitter.com/zKHypKgNLX Rajnath Singh (@rajnathsingh) March 15, 2022 Earlier on Friday, the Indian Defence Ministry had also said that it has ordered a court of enquiry into the incident adding that it was a matter of relief that there was no loss of life due to the accidental firing. "On 9 March 2022, in the course of routine maintenance, a technical malfunction led to the accidental firing of a missile. The Government of India has taken a serious view and ordered a high-level Court of Enquiry," the Defence Ministry had said in a statement. "It is learnt that the missile landed in an area of Pakistan. While the incident is deeply regrettable, it is also a matter of relief that there has been no loss of life due to the accident," it had said. Meanwhile, China has said that India and Pakistan should hold dialogue as soon as possible and launch a "thorough" investigation into the recent 'accidental firing' of a missile incident. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian, during a media briefing, said both Pakistan and India are important countries in South Asia and they share the responsibility to uphold regional security and stability. "China calls on the countries to hold dialogue and communication as soon as possible, and look thoroughly into the incident, step up information sharing, and promptly establish a reporting mechanism so that such incidents will not happen again, and misunderstanding and misjudgement can be avoided," he said. On Saturday, Pakistan's Foreign Office (FO) said it was not satisfied with India's "simplistic explanation" on the "accidental firing" of the missile and demanded a joint probe to accurately establish the facts surrounding the incident. The FO summoned the Indian Charge d'Affaires and registered its protest over the "unprovoked" violation of its airspace and said that such "irresponsible incidents" reflected India's "disregard" for air safety. Pakistan also called upon the international community to take serious notice of this incident of grave nature in a nuclearised environment and play its due role in promoting strategic stability in the region, the FO said. Though the statement by India's defence ministry did not specify the name of the missile, the description given by the Pakistan military indicated that it could be a Brahmos missile. (With agency inputs) Live TV New Delhi: Several Ukrainian medical universities have started online classes, giving a ray of hope to the Indian students who feared a bleak future after fleeing the war-torn country amid a fierce Russian military offensive. Some students are, however, concerned about not being able to attend practical classes. Several medical universities, mostly located in western Ukraine, have started online classes from Monday (March 14) as holding physical classes in Ukraine has become impossible amid continued shelling by Russian forces. Other universities have also planned to resume online classes in the coming days, according to the Indian students. Danylo Halytsky Lviv National Medical University, Ivano-Frankivsk National Medical University, Vinnytsia National Pirogov Medical University and Bogomolets National Medical University have started online classes from Monday. The Indian students said their teachers are taking classes from their home or safe places amid continued shelling. Kanishk, a first-year student at Danylo Halytsky Lviv National Medical University said he is relieved that the classes have resumed as they were uncertainties around their future. "Something is better than nothing. I am happy that the classes have resumed, finally. We were really worried about what would happen to our future now that Ukraine is engaged in a war with Russia," Kanishk told PTI. Kanishk said he and other students received a notice from the Dean's office about the resumption of classes from March 14. "As of today, the university is working and is ready to resume education online," the notification read. Another first-year student Manogya said the classes resumed on Monday and termed it a "very emotional" moment. "Teachers got very emotional. We discussed a little about the war. They have been teaching us from hideouts and safe places. I am glad the classes have resumed," she said. Giving details about the classes, she said, "We had four classes yesterday from 12:30 till 7. Today also, we have several classes. The time table has been provided to us. Its good and I am happy to see the effort of the teachers even during such times." Thousands of Indian students had to leave their studies mid-way and flee Ukraine following the Russian offensive. As part of the Indian government's Operation Ganga, over 20,000 Indian students have already been brought back from Ukraine. "We know it (online classes) is not enough. But it is still better as finally, we can resume our studies," Kinjal Chauhan, a Vinnytsia National Pirogov Medical student said. The students have also been informed that their exams will also be held online. "We will have vivas daily with a daily test on a site called Misa," Manogya said. The Kharkiv National Medical University is expected to start online classes from March 21. "Our university has announced that online classes will start from March 21. It is a good news that the classes are resuming," Aousaf Hussain (25), a student of the varsity said. However, a major concern among students still is not being able to attend practical classes. "Practical classes have not been held so far. Teachers are giving presentations and showing us slides to ensure maximum understanding. They are also recording videos of chemical reactions so that it is easier for us to understand," said Kanishk. Live TV Live TV New Delhi: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is scheduled to make a statement in Parliament on Tuesday (March 15, 2022) on the "inadvertent firing of Missile" that landed in Pakistan last week. India on Friday had said that a missile was 'accidentally' fired from a military base and had expressed regret that it landed in Pakistan on March 9. The Indian Defence Ministry said that it has ordered a court of enquiry into the incident adding that it was a matter of relief that there was no loss of life due to the accidental firing. "On 9 March 2022, in the course of routine maintenance, a technical malfunction led to the accidental firing of a missile. The Government of India has taken a serious view and ordered a high-level Court of Enquiry," the Defence Ministry had said in a statement. "It is learnt that the missile landed in an area of Pakistan. While the incident is deeply regrettable, it is also a matter of relief that there has been no loss of life due to the accident," it had said. Meanwhile, China has said that India and Pakistan should hold dialogue as soon as possible and launch a "thorough" investigation into the recent 'accidental firing' of a missile incident. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian, during a media briefing, said both Pakistan and India are important countries in South Asia and they share the responsibility to uphold regional security and stability. "China calls on the countries to hold dialogue and communication as soon as possible, and look thoroughly into the incident, step up information sharing, and promptly establish a reporting mechanism so that such incidents will not happen again, and misunderstanding and misjudgement can be avoided," he said. On Saturday, Pakistan's Foreign Office (FO) said it was not satisfied with India's "simplistic explanation" on the "accidental firing" of the missile and demanded a joint probe to accurately establish the facts surrounding the incident. The FO summoned the Indian Charge d'Affaires and registered its protest over the "unprovoked" violation of its airspace and said that such "irresponsible incidents" reflected India's "disregard" for air safety. Pakistan also called upon the international community to take serious notice of this incident of grave nature in a nuclearised environment and play its due role in promoting strategic stability in the region, the FO said. Though the statement by India's defence ministry did not specify the name of the missile, the description given by the Pakistan military indicated that it could be a Brahmos missile. (With agency inputs) Live TV Bengaluru: The Karnataka High Court will pronounce its verdict on the hijab row controversy around 10.30 AM on Tuesday (March 15, 2022). In view of the verdict, the state authorities have ordered all schools and colleges in Dakshina Kannada district to be closed on the day even as prohibitory orders have been imposed in several places. External exams will happen as per schedule but internal exams of all schools and colleges have been postponed. "We are declaring holiday for all schools and colleges for tomorrow...external examinations would be there as per schedule... but internal exams of all schools and colleges will be postponed. Issuing prohibitory orders in the entire district," Dr Rajendra KV, Deputy Commissioner, Dakshina Kannada district said. In view of the High Court verdict, the Kalaburagi district administration has imposed Section 144 effective from 8 pm today till 6 am on March 19. "In view of the Hijab row verdict, the district administration has imposed Sec 144 effective from 8 pm today till 6 am on March 19. All educational institutions in the district will remain closed tomorrow," Yeshwanth V Gurukar, DC Kalaburagi said. A similar decision has also been taken in Shivamogga. Section 144 has been imposed in the district till 21 March and all schools and colleges will remain closed on March 15. "All schools and colleges will remain closed on Tuesday (March 15) in Shivamogga. Section 144 has been imposed in the district till 21 March. Eight companies of KSRP, 6 companies of District Armed Reserve, 1 company of RAF have been deployed," Shivamogga SP, BM Laxmi Prasad said. Commissioner of Police, Kamal Pant also said that "all types of gatherings, agitations, protests, or celebrations in public places are prohibited in Bengaluru for one week from March 15 to March 21." Earlier, the High Court had reserved its order on various petitions challenging the ban on Hijab in educational institutions. Earlier, a bench of the three judges, comprising Chief Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi, Justice Krishna S Dixit and Justice JM Khazi, was hearing various petitions challenging the ban on hijab in educational institutions. The hijab protests in Karnataka began in January this year when some students of Government Girls PU college in the Udupi district of the state alleged that they had been barred from attending classes. During the protests, some students claimed they were denied entry into the college for wearing hijab. Following this incident, students of different colleges arrived at Shanteshwar Education Trust in Vijayapura wearing saffron stoles. The situation was the same in several colleges in the Udupi district. Live TV New Delhi: Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on Tuesday (March 15, 2022) called the Karnataka High Court's decision to uphold the hijab ban as "deeply disappointing". She said it was not only about religion but the freedom to choose. "Karnataka HC's decision to uphold the Hijab ban is deeply disappointing. On one hand we talk about empowering women yet we are denying them the right to a simple choice. Its isn't just about religion but the freedom to choose," PDP president Mehbooba Mufti wrote on Twitter. Karnataka HCs decision to uphold the Hijab ban is deeply disappointing. On one hand we talk about empowering women yet we are denying them the right to a simple choice. Its isnt just about religion but the freedom to choose. Mehbooba Mufti (@MehboobaMufti) March 15, 2022 National Conference (NC) leader Omar Abdullah also said that it was a 'travesty' that the court did not uphold the basic right of a woman to choose how she wants to dress. "Very disappointed by the verdict of the Karnataka High Court. Regardless of what you may think about the hijab it's not about an item of clothing, it's about the right of a woman to choose how she wants to dress. That the court didn't uphold this basic right is a travesty," Omar, also a former J&K CM, said in a tweet. Very disappointed by the verdict of the Karnataka High Court. Regardless of what you may think about the hijab its not about an item of clothing, its about the right of a woman to choose how she wants to dress. That the court didnt uphold this basic right is a travesty. Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) March 15, 2022 The reactions came minutes after the Karnataka HC dismissed petitions filed by a section of Muslim students from the Government Pre-University Girls College in Udupi, seeking permission to wear hijab inside the classroom. (With agency inputs) Live TV New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday (March 15) interacted with various stakeholders, including community organisations and embassy officials from Hungry among other countries neighbouring Ukraine, involved in Operation Ganga and asserted that India has always acted with alacrity to assist its citizens during any international crisis. During the interaction, held virtually, Modi said guided by India's age-old philosophy of 'Vasidhaiva Kutumbakam', the country has also extended humanitarian support to nationals of other countries during emergencies while attaching high priority to the safety of Indians abroad, according to an official statement. Modi expressed his warm appreciation for Indian community leaders, volunteer groups, companies, private individuals and government officials who worked tirelessly for the success of the operation to evacuate Indians from war-hit Ukraine. He praised the patriotic fervor, sense of community service, and team spirit displayed by all stakeholders involved in Operation Ganga. He especially praised the various community organisations, pointing out that their selfless service exemplifies the Indian civilizational values that they continue to embody even on foreign shores, the PMO said. Speaking about the efforts made by his government to ensure the safety of Indian nationals, the Prime Minister recalled his personal interactions with leaders of Ukraine and its neighbouring countries, and expressed gratitude for the support received from all the foreign governments. According to the PMO, Operation Ganga successfully evacuated about 23000 Indian citizens, as well as 147 foreign nationals belonging to 18 countries, from Ukraine. During the interaction, representatives of the Indian community and private sector in Ukraine, Poland, Slovakia, Romania and Hungary narrated their experiences of being part of Operation Ganga, the challenges they faced, and expressed their sense of satisfaction and honour at having contributed to such a complex humanitarian operation, the statement added. Among others, the interaction was attended by Union ministers --Jyotiraditya Scindia, Kiren Rijiju, Hardeep Singh Puri and VK Singh. Modi had sent Scindia to Romania, Rijiju to the Slovak Republic, Puri to Hungary and Singh to Poland as special envoys to coordinate the evacuation process under Operation Ganga. Earlier in the day, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar made a statement in Parliament, saying that despite the challenges posed by the serious ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict, the government ensured that about 22,500 citizens returned home safely. The entire exercise involved a 'whole of government' approach with the prime minister himself chairing review meetings, almost on a daily basis, Jaishankar said. Live TV New Delhi: The Vardhman Mahavir Medical College (VMCC) and Safdarjung Hospital in Delhi will resume the dead organ transplantation facility soon, Hindustan, a Hindi-language daily newspaper reported on Tuesday (March 15, 2022). It is notable that organ donation is the practice of retrieving a human organ from a living or deceased person and transplanting it into a needy recipient. From kidneys to hearts and livers, several organs are donated and transplanted. Tissues such as corneas, skin, bones, etc are donated as well. Meanwhile, the Department of Urology, Robotics and Renal Transplant in Safdarjung Hospital celebrated World Kidney Day on Saturday in collaboration with Notto India. Directorate General of Health Services' Dr Sunil Kumar was the Chief Guest and SJH Delhi's Dr SV Arya was the Chief Patron during the event. The World Kidney Day - celebrated by Department of Urology, Robotics and Renal Transplant in collaboration with @NottoIndia at SJH and VMMC on 12 March 2022. @DghsIndia Prof(Dr )Sunil Kumar was the Chief Guest. MS @SJHDELHI Prof(Dr) SV Arya was the Chief Patron. pic.twitter.com/k7KpiVwEGs Safdarjung Hospital (@SJHDELHI) March 12, 2022 @NottoIndia in collaboration with Department of Urology, Robotics & Renal Transplant felicitates Donor families on the occasion of the World kidney day 2022 in the presence of Prof. Dr. Sunil Kumar, DGHS, MoHFW & Director NOTTO Dr. Rajneesh Sahai. pic.twitter.com/fDlUwsotVN NOTTO (@NottoIndia) March 12, 2022 During the event, Dr Sunil Kumar informed that the Department of Urology, Robotics and Renal Transplant at Safdarjung Hospital will soon be declared a National Center of Excellence. "Work is being done rapidly in this direction," he said. Live TV Hyderabad: Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao on Tuesday slammed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over the Hijab controversy in Karnataka for raking up the issue to allegedly create tensions. "What does the government have to do with who wears what? Why the hijab controversy? Why are you charging up the atmosphere?," said Rao in the state assembly. Karnataka High Court today dismissed several petitions challenging the ban on Hijab in education institutions and said that wearing a Hijab is not an essential religious practice of Islam. It held that the prescription of uniform is a reasonable restriction that students could not object to and dismissed petitions challenging a ban on Hijab in education institutions. The Hijab row erupted in January this year when the Government PU College in Udupi allegedly barred six girls wearing hijab from entering the college. Following this, the girls sat in protest outside the college over being denied entry. After this, boys of several colleges in Udupi started attending classes wearing saffron scarves. This protest spread to other parts of the state leading to a massive uproar. As a result, the Karnataka government said that all students must adhere to the uniform and it banned both hijab and saffron scarves. On February 5, the pre-University education board released a circular stating that the students can only wear the uniform approved by the school administration and no other religious attire will be allowed in colleges. Live TV SRINAGAR: A terrorist has been killed in an ongoing encounter at Charsoo village of Awantipora in the Pulwama district of South Kashmir on Tuesday. Sharing more details. IGP Kashmir Vijay Kumar confirmed that one terrorist has been killed in an ongoing encounter. However, the identity of the slain terrorist is yet to be ascertained, he added. Based on a specific input about the presence of terrorists in the village, a joint team of security forces had launched a cordon and search operation in the area. A police officer monitoring the operation said, "As the searching team cordoned the suspected spot, the hiding terrorist fired on search party which was retailed, and a firefight started." Security forces are suspecting that more terrorists are inside the cordon, so the operation is still on. It may be mentioned that anti-terror operations by the joint teams of Army, J&K police and paramilitary forces continue in Kashmir. This is the 21st encounter of this year and until now, the security forces have managed to be killed 36 terrorists. More than 20 terrorists have been captured alive and the crackdown on terror associates is also continuing. Around three dozen terror associates along with arms and ammunition have been arrested this year so far. Live TV New Delhi: A plea was filed in the Supreme Court on Tuesday (March 15) challenging the Karnataka High Court judgment upholding the hijab ban inside the classroom. As per PTI, the petition has been filed by a Muslim student against the high court order. Dismissing petitions filed by a section of Muslim students from the Government Pre-University Girls College in Udupi, the Karnataka High Court announced earlier today that the headscarf is not a part of the essential religious practice in Islamic faith. "We are of the considered opinion that wearing of Hijab by Muslim women does not form a part of essential religious practice in Islamic faith," a three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi, and also comprising of Justice Krishna S Dixit and Justice J M Khazi, said. The bench also said there was no material placed on record to prima facie show that wearing the hijab was an essential religious practice in Islam, adding that school uniform will cease to be a uniform if hijab is also permitted. "There is absolutely no material placed on record to prima facie show that wearing of Hijab is a part of an essential religious practice in Islam and that the petitioners have been wearing hijab from the beginning," the high court said. "The prescription of school uniform is only a reasonable restriction, constitutionally permissible which the students cannot object to", the bench added. Meanwhile, the Udupi Muslim girls who had sought permission from the High Court to wear Hijab inside the classrooms said that they will not go to college without hijab. "We had approached the High Court seeking permission to wear hijab in the classrooms. The order has come against us. We will not go to the college without hijab but we will fight for it. We will try all the legal ways. We will fight for justice and our rights," one of the girls said in a press conference following the order. Calling the judgment "unconstitutional", she said, "The verdict which came today is unconstitutional...The constitution itself provides us (our rights) to follow my religion and whatever I can wear." (With agency inputs) Live TV New Delhi: Bollywood stunner Vidya Balan recently hosted an Ask Me Anything (AMA) session on Instagram where she fielded questions from her fans. There were a couple of strange questions to which Vidya gave witty replies and shut down trolls. She was asked about her weight, to which she replied with a hilarious meme that depicted a woman with her feet on the weighing scale but with her legs up in the air! Another fan had asked Vidya why she doesn't have any hot photoshoots. Vidya replied, "It is hot and I have been shooting, to hot photoshoot hi hua na (So, it is a hot photoshoot)". Take a look at her hilarious AMA session: Vidya Balan will next be seen in the drama-thriller 'Jalsa'. Known for acing every character with her acting, the actor, plays the role of Maya, a journalist in the film. The trailer introduced us to the characters of Maya (Vidya Balan) and Rukshana (Shefali Shah). Ruksana is a raging mother whose 18-year-old daughter is a victim of a hit and run case. Maya, a high-profile, investigative journalist, tries to unravel this seemingly simple case that will unravel a world with the chaos around them, secrets and lies, truths and deceit and a life-altering incident that ruffles the world around them. Directed by Suresh Triveni, the Drama thriller also stars the powerful performer, Shefali Shah as Rukhsana, Mayas house cook. Apart from Vidya and Shefali, the movie features an ensemble cast of actors like Manav Kaul, Rohini Hattangadi, Iqbal Khan, Vidharti Bandi, Shrikant Mohan Yadav, Shafeen Patel and Surya Kasibhatla. Jalsa will have a global premiere on Amazon Prime Video on March 18, 2022, in India and across 240 countries and territories worldwide. Mumbai: Bollywood actor Kangana Ranaut, who never shies away from speaking her mind, recently praised `The Kashmir Files` after watching the film, saying that it has purged Bollywood of its `sins`. The `Panga` actor watched Vivek Agnihotri`s directorial on Monday and shared her reaction with the paparazzi after stepping out of a theatre. Lauding the film and its makers, Kangana said, "Itni achi film banayi hai inhone ki Bollywood ke paap dho diye (They have made such a great movie that Bollywood's all sins have been washed away)." The actor further said that everyone from the industry should promote `The Kashmir Files`. "Bollywood people make such nonsense movies and promote them like anything. They should promote this movie," Kangana added. She also urged everyone to watch and support the movie, while adding that it should be declared tax-free in all the states.This is not the first time that Kangana has praised the film and slammed the Bollywood industry. Last week, Kangana had shared a note on her Instagram Stories about `The Kashmir Files`. "Please notice the pin-drop silence in the film industry about #thekashmirfiles not just content even its business is exemplary... investment and profit proportion might be such a case study that it will be the most successful and profitable film of the year," she said. The actor added, "It also broke many myths about theatres being exclusive for big budgets event films or visual/VFX spectacles post-pandemic, it is breaking every myth and preconceived notion that was there and bringing back the audiences to the theatres, 6 am shows in multiplexes are full it`s unbelievable!!!"`The Kashmir Files`, which revolves around the genocide of Kashmiri Pandits in 1990, had released in theatres on March 11. It stars Anupam Kher, Mithun Chakraborty, Pallavi Joshi, Darshan Kumaar, and others. The film has been declared tax-free in several states including Uttar Pradesh, Tripura, Goa, Haryana and Uttarakhand.Coming back to Kangana, she will soon be seen in movies including `Tejas`, `Dhaakad`, `Manikarnika Returns: The Legend Of Didda`, `Emergency`, and `The Incarnation: Sita`.She is also producing the upcoming film `Tiku Weds Sheru` under her production house, Manikarnika Films. Currently, she is hosting the OTT reality show `Lock Upp`. New Delhi: Actress Shilpa Shetty's businessman husband Raj Kundra was recently spotted at the movie screening and guess what? He stepped out with his face fully covered and tried to dodge the paps. Raj Kundra's 'fully-covered' mask look in a black jacket, glares and denim got brutally trolled. He got out of his car and went to the lift area then turned around for the paps. Popular celeb pap shared the video on Instagram. Shamita Shetty, her beau Raqesh Bapat and her mom were also seen at The Batman movie screening in Mumbai last night. Kundra's masked-up avatar looks heavily inspired by Kim Kardashian and Kanye West's 'incognito attire' on separate occasions. In July this year, Raj Kundra, who is married to actor Shilpa Shetty, was arrested by Mumbai Police in another case where he was accused of distributing porn films through an app. He was granted bail in September. Kundra had been booked under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code, Indecent Representation of Women (Prevention) Act and Information Technology Act for allegedly distributing/ transmitting sexually explicit videos. Panaji: Actress Shama Sikander tied the knot with her longtime boyfriend James Milliron in a dreamy-white wedding in Goa on Monday (March 14). The two got married as per Christian rituals in the presence of close friends and family members. Sharing the first photos from her D-Day on Instagram, the actress simply captioned her post. Whole along with a ring and a heart emoji. Both Shama and James looked stunning at their wedding. Shama wore a white, figure-hugging gown with delicate work on it, along with a sheer veil. She had minimal makeup and had her hair tied in a messy bun. James was dressed in a a white tuxedo. He styled his hair in a swept-back look. The first photo of the bride and groom is a close up of them standing close to each other and looking intently at the camera. In the second picture, we see Shama coyly looking away as James holds her by the waist with his eyes closed. Shama has her bridal bouquet in one hand while she hugs James from the other in the photo. Earlier, Shama shared glamorous photos from her Sangeet night and captioned her post, A night that shall always be remembered. So much love so much gratitude. Before that, she shared photos from her pre-wedding shoot with James, looking absolutely breathtaking. Check it out: Shama also had an epic bachelorette party before getting hitched. She shared oodles of photos from her celebration, giving us all a good insight into her fun night. Why should boys have all the Fun??, she captioned one of her posts. In another she wrote, My Pyjama Army. Shama and James started dating after they met through a mutual friend in Mumbai in 2015. Since then the two have been going strong. The couple wanted to get married in 2020 but it got delayed due to COVID-19 pandemic. Mumbai: A court here on Tuesday issued a bailable warrant against Bollywood actor Shilpa Shetty's mother in a case related to alleged non-repayment of a loan of Rs 21 lakh. Metropolitan Magistrate (Andheri court) R R Khan had earlier this week issued summons to Shilpa, her mother Sunanda and sister Shamita in a cheating case filed by a businessman over a loan repayment. The family challenged the summons before the sessions court. On Monday, sessions judge A Z Khan stayed the magistrate's order against Shilpa and Shamita, but gave no relief to their mother. The deceased Surendra Shetty (Shilpa's father) and Sunanda seemed to be partners in his firm while no documents have been produced to show that their daughters were partners too and had any concern with the loan, the court had said. On Tuesday, the magistrate refused to grant exemption from appearance to Sunanda Shetty who did not remain present, and issued a bailable warrant against her, said advocate Zain Shroff of Y & A Legal which is representing complainant Parhad Amra. Amra has alleged that Surendra Shetty borrowed money from him in 2015 and it was supposed to be repaid by January 2017 but was never repaid. New Delhi: Fashion designer and stylist Pam Chhatwal established her brand during the tough and challenging times of COVID-19 in 2020. She stepped into the industry with a zeal to support modern women and to promote #MadeInIndia. Talking about her brand's growth, she said, "I had started with 2 members and in just two years, I have expanded my business into a team of 15 members." She further said, "Along with the expansion of brand Pam Chhatwal, I have also done ramp walks for social causes and am always ready to support and stand for the women of today." In her latest photoshoot, she has called for peace amid the Russia-Ukraine war. With a model dressed in a white dress, Pam wants to spread the message of harmony all over the world. In the past, she was honoured by Indian Council for Human Relations and has done a ramp walk to spread cancer awareness. In 2020, she worked as a styling partner and judge for Mrs & Mr India by Beauty and Best magazine. New Delhi: China on Tuesday (March 15, 2022) continued to fight its worst Covid-19 outbreak and witnessed its highest daily count since the start of the pandemic. China reported 5,280 new coronavirus infections in the last 24 hours with the worst-hit area being the Jilin province, which is scrambling to rein in the fast spread of the Omicron BA.2 sub-variant of Covid-19. Over 30% of the 2022 cases have now been recorded in the northeastern province of Jilin. Jilin, which spans 1,87,400 sq km, has announced that all its 24.1 million residents were prohibited from travelling out of or into the province, or across different areas within the province. The recent record surge has also forced the authorities to put at least 10 cities and counties under Covid-19 lockdown, including the tech hub of Shenzhen, which is home to over 17 million people. The high-tech Shenzhen city has sealed all communities, villages and has suspended bus and metro services from Monday to Sunday due to the latest Covid-19 outbreak. China's Covid-19 curbs hit Toyota, Volkswagen and Apple supplier Foxconn China's efforts to curb its largest Covid-19 outbreak in two years has also forced companies from Apple supplier Foxconn to automakers Toyota and Volkswagen to suspend some operations, raising concerns over supply chain disruptions. Shenzhen, known as China's Silicon Valley, is carrying out mass testing after dozens of new local cases were recorded. China on brink of biggest Covid-19 crisis since Wuhan China has now reported more local symptomatic Covid-19 cases so far this year than it recorded in all of 2021. In the past week, new Covid-19 infections have been recorded in Beijing and the financial hub Shanghai - China`s most populous cities - as well as in the provinces of Guangdong, Jiangsu, Shandong and Zhejiang along the coast. The situation is such that China is on the brink of its biggest Covid-19 crisis since Wuhan, a report has claimed. The coronavirus is said to have first broken out in Wuhan in December 2019 before it spread to almost all parts of the world. In Shanghai, China's most populous city with 24 million people, schools have been shut as various provinces continue to fight the Omicron variant. It is noteworthy that the Covid-19 infections in China are on the rise when most of the countries are opening up following a decline in cases. (With agency inputs) Live TV LONDON: An anti-war protester interrupted a live news bulletin on Russia`s state TV Channel One on Monday, holding up a sign behind the studio presenter and shouting slogans denouncing the war in Ukraine. The sign, in English and Russian, read: "NO WAR. Stop the war. Don`t believe propaganda. They are lying to you here." Another phrase, which looked like "Russians against war", was partly obscured. The extraordinary act of dissent took place on day 19 of the war which began when Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24 in what he called a special military operation. "Stop the war. No to war," the woman protester could be heard shouting, as the news anchor continued to read from her teleprompter. The protester could be seen and heard for several seconds before the channel switched to a different report to remove her from the screen. Watch: Marina Ovsyannikova, an editor at a TV channel in Russia, interrupted a live broadcast with a sign that read NO WAR. Stop the war. Don't believe the propaganda. They're lying to you here. She has since been detained. This is an act of incredible courage. pic.twitter.com/BOJ70m2ztv Bernie Sanders (@SenSanders) March 14, 2022 Ukraine`s President Volodymyr Zelenskiy thanked the protester in his nightly video address: "I am grateful to those Russians who do not stop trying to convey the truth. To those who fight disinformation and tell the truth, real facts to their friends and loved ones," Zelenskiy said. "And personally to the woman who entered the studio of Channel One with a poster against the war." Kira Yarmysh, spokeswoman for jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny, wrote on Twitter: "Wow, that girl is cool." She posted a video of the incident, which quickly racked up more than 2.6 million views. PRO-KREMLIN CHANNEL State TV is the main source of news for many millions of Russians, and closely follows the Kremlin line that Russia was forced to act in Ukraine to demilitarise and "denazify" the country, and to defend Russian-speakers there against "genocide". Ukraine and most of the world have condemned that as a false pretext for an invasion of a democratic country. The woman was named by OVD-Info, an independent protest-monitoring group, and by the head of the Agora human rights group, as Marina Ovsyannikova, an employee of the channel. Pavel Chikov, head of Agora, said Ovsyannikova had been arrested and taken to a Moscow police station. Tass news agency said she may face charges under a law against discrediting the armed forces, citing a law enforcement source. The law, passed on March 4, makes public actions aimed at discrediting Russia`s army illegal and bans the spread of fake news or the "public dissemination of deliberately false information about the use of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation". The offence carries a jail term of up to 15 years. In a video recorded before the incident and posted online, a woman who appeared to be Ovsyannikova described herself as a Channel One employee and said she was ashamed to have worked for years spreading Kremlin propaganda. She said her father was Ukrainian, and her mother Russian. "What is happening now in Ukraine is a crime, and Russia is the aggressor country. The responsibility for that aggression lies on the conscience of only one man, and that man is Vladimir Putin," she said. "Now the whole world has turned away from us and the next 10 generations of our descendants will not wash away the shame of this fratricidal war," she said. She urged Russians to go out and demonstrate. Live TV NEW DELHI: American billionaire businessman and the CEO of electric vehicle manufacturing company Tesla, Elon Musk has challenged Russian President Vladimir Putin for a "single combat" over Russias ongoing military offensive on Ukraine. In a series of tweets in Russian, the founder of aerospace company SpaceX said, "I hereby challenge Vladimir Putin to a single combat," adding, "stakes are Ukraine". I hereby challenge to single combat Stakes are Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 14, 2022 The Tesla CEO further asked whether Putin "accepts this fight" and tagged the Kremlin in the post. ? @KremlinRussia_E Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 14, 2022 The tweets from Musk have evoked a sharp response from millions of his followers on Twitter with many asking him whether he has ''seriously'' thought about challenging the Russian President, a trained ex-KGB chief and a black belt holder in Judo-Karate. Replying to those tweets, the 50-year-old businessman said, "absolutely serious". However, there has been no response from the Kremlin to Musk's tweet. It may be noted that the Russian troops have launched a full-blown military invasion against Ukraine on February 27. The war is now in its third week. Musk has been offering support to Ukraine through the micro-blogging site. Elon Musk has provided internet facilities to Ukraine after the network connectivity was disrupted due to the military operation by Russia. Tesla's Starlink internet terminals were shipped to the war-hit zone after Mykhailo Fedorov, Vice Prime Minister of Ukraine, had sought help. The SpaceX boss had donated 50 satellite terminals to restore internet in Tonga earlier this year. Meanwhile, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday said that the Russia-Ukraine war will have 'no winners' and 'only losers' and warned that a resulting meltdown of the global economy is provoking a hunger crisis that is hitting the poorest, hardest. While announcing the release of a further USD 40 million from the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) to ramp up vital assistance, he noted that with each passing hour in Ukraine, the death and destruction is getting worse. Live TV London: Russia said on Tuesday it had put U.S. President Joe Biden, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and a dozen top U.S. officials on a "stop list" that bars them from entering the country. Alongside Biden, U.S. officials on the list included Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, CIA chief William Burns, National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan and former secretary of state and presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. The ban was in response to sanctions imposed by Washington on Russian officials. The foreign ministry later added Trudeau to the list of sanctioned individuals. The measures appeared to be mainly symbolic, as the Foreign Ministry said it was maintaining official relations and if necessary would make sure that high-level contacts with the people on the list could take place. ALSO READ: US spread disinformation: China denies aiding Russia, says it's 'impartial' on Ukraine Live TV New Delhi: UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday (March 14, 2022) said that the Russia-Ukraine war will have 'no winners' and 'only losers' and warned that a resulting meltdown of the global economy is provoking a hunger crisis that is hitting the poorest, hardest. While announcing the release of a further $40 million from the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) to ramp up vital assistance, he noted that with each passing hour in Ukraine, the death and destruction is getting worse. "Whatever the outcome, this war will have no winners, only losers," he told correspondents outside the Security Council chamber in New York as Russian President Vladimir Putin's forces continued invasion of Ukraine on day 19 of fighting. The impact of the war in Ukraine on civilians is reaching terrifying proportions. @UNCERF will allocate a further $40 million to ramp up vital assistance to reach the most vulnerable. This funding will help get food, water, medicines & other lifesaving aid into the country. Antonio Guterres (@antonioguterres) March 14, 2022 The nearly two million now displaced inside the country, and close to three million who have become refugees in the past two weeks - the vast majority women and children are becoming increasingly vulnerable, the UN Chief stated. "For predators and human traffickers, war is not a tragedy, its an opportunity. And women and children are the targets. They need safety and support every step of the way. I will continue to highlight the desperate plight of the people of Ukraine as I am doing again today," he said. Sword of Damocles now hanging over global economy Besides the hour-to-hour devastation inside Ukraine, Antonio Guterres said that the Russia-Ukraine war was reaching far beyond its borders, with a Sword of Damocles now hanging over the global economy especially the developing world. "Russia and Ukraine represent more than half of the worlds supply of sunflower oil and about 30 percent of the worlds wheat," the UN chief added, noting that Ukraine alone provides more than half of the World Food Programmes (WFP) wheat supply. Food, fuel and fertilizer prices are skyrocketing. Supply chains are being disrupted. And the costs and delays of transportation of imported goods when available are at record levels. All of this is hitting the poorest the hardest and planting the seeds for political instability and unrest around the globe, he stated. Prospect of nuclear war, once unthinkable, is now back within realm of possibility The UN Secretary-General said that it is time to stop the horror unleashed on the people of Ukraine and get on the path of diplomacy and peace. "The prospect of a nuclear war, once unthinkable, is now back within the realm of possibility. The security and safety of nuclear facilities must also be preserved," he added. The appeals for peace must be heard. This tragedy must stop. It is never too late for diplomacy and dialogue. We need an immediate cessation of hostilities and serious negotiations based on the principles of the UN Charter and international law, he said. Ukraine is on fire and being decimated before the eyes of the world. This tragedy must stop. We need an immediate cessation of hostilities and serious negotiations based on the principles of the @UN Charter and international law. Antonio Guterres (@antonioguterres) March 14, 2022 Guterres also noted that he had been in close contact with countries including India, China, France, Germany, Israel and Turkey on mediation efforts to end Russias invasion. Press Release March 15, 2022 Address threats to economic recovery amid ongoing pandemic and rising oil prices, says Bong Go Despite the improving pandemic situation in the Philippines, Senator Christopher "Bong" Go urged the government to strengthen measures against other threats to the country's economic recovery, particularly the soaring oil and gas prices brought by the Russia-Ukraine conflict. "We all know by now that there are other challenges coming our way including the tensions that continue to intensify between Russia and Ukraine," said Go. "While this may be far from our shores, there are also Filipinos in the said countries and nearby areas who may be directly affected by the conflict," he added. Go pointed out that the conflict also has profound effects on the global market, making the country vulnerable to oil price hikes. "As a Senator, I am looking into how the government should strengthen our measures to better address these problems," he said. In view of these threats, Go encouraged Filipinos to stay resilient as the government is working on interventions to mitigate the adverse impact of the global crisis on the economy. The Senator added that he supports proposals for the temporary moratorium on the collection of excise taxes on oil products to help the public cope with this challenge. "While I understand that there are possible effects on our revenue collection especially now that we are recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic, there has to be a balance in order to protect the welfare of Filipinos especially the poor who are still trying to recover from the COVID-19 crisis," explained the senator. Go added that he welcomes initiatives, even a special session if necessary, to tackle legislative measures such as adjusting applicable taxes or providing extra budget for targeted support to vulnerable workers particularly in the transportation sector. He also called on the government to fast-track the release of the subsidy allotted to jeepney drivers, many of whom are just recently returning to pre-COVID operations. "As of now, President Rodrigo Duterte has instructed concerned agencies to find solutions to mitigate and address the rising oil prices," shared Go. "My fellow legislators will help work alongside concerned executive agencies to explore all options to combat these challenges and ensure that ordinary Filipinos can be protected from the compounding adverse economic impacts," he added. Despite these challenges, Go said that the nation has learned a lot the past two years, adding that as long as Filipinos maintain their discipline, cooperation and compassion with each other, the Philippines can and will continue moving towards inclusive recovery. "This is our way of recovering the time we lost in the past two years. It took us a while to get here, but finally, we are seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. Thanks to our frontliners, medical professionals, government, and the cooperation of our citizens, we can finally start rebuilding our lives amidst the adverse impacts of the pandemic," said Go. The senator then commended the Coordinated Operations to Defeat Epidemic (CODE) Team, led by the National Task Force (NTF) Against COVID-19, as it conducted its latest round of nationwide multi-stakeholder dialogues on the COVID-19 vaccines. "Through the CODE Team, we are able to step up our localized public education and outreach efforts to build up public trust and combat vaccine hesitancy in the grassroots. This will surely entice other Filipinos to get their vaccines and booster shots as protection from the severe effects of COVID-19," he said. Meanwhile, as the national and local elections draw near, Go expressed hope that the next leaders will be able to build on the legacy of the Duterte Administration so as not to hamper the progress the government has achieved for the past six years. "Looking back at the past six years, I can see the positive changes that he has made for the lives of our people despite the trials we are facing," said Go. "I hope that the next administration whoever the Filipino people would elect can sustain the momentum and ensure that efforts will not go to waste in providing a more comfortable life for all," he added. Go also called on everyone, regardless of political colors, to remain united towards a common goal of uplifting the lives of all Filipinos towards pandemic recovery, collective resilience, and inclusive development that should be felt in every corner of the country. "Let us use this time as upright citizens to carefully and responsibly exercise our right to vote and participate in the democratic process knowing that it is the future of our country and our people that is at stake," he said. [March 15, 2022] Arthur D. Little Promotes Nine New Partners Across Global Offices Arthur D. Little (ADL) today announced the promotion of nine of its consultants to the rank of Partner across a number of its global offices. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220315005634/en/ Arthur D. Little has promoted nine of its consultants to the rank of Partner. (Photo: Business Wire) Each new Partner has demonstrated their commitment to ADL, passion and dedication to the industries and clients they serve, and best-in-class experience and expertise. ADL credits a lot of its ongoing growth and success to the development, promotion and retention of its internal talent, with a recent survey on Vault acknowledging these values for setting ADL apart as an employer. The latest promotions to Partner are as follows: Ryan Alnesayan, Partner, Public Services Practice, Riyadh. Leading ADL Riyadh's office, Ryan has over 14 years of consulting and business advisory experience in strategic planning, economic development, and large-scale transformation projects, with a focus on Saudi Arabia. Leading ADL Riyadh's office, Ryan has over 14 years of consulting and business advisory experience in strategic planning, economic development, and large-scale transformation projects, with a focus on Saudi Arabia. Marcus Beard, Partner, Risk Practice, Cambridge. Marcus' area of expertise is risk management, in which he primarily focuses on developing next-generation risk management approaches, culture assessment, safety and risk governance and assurance, risk analysis, and executive leadership training, with deep industry experience in travel & transportation. Marcus' area of expertise is risk management, in which he primarily focuses on developing next-generation risk management approaches, culture assessment, safety and risk governance and assurance, risk analysis, and executive leadership training, with deep industry experience in travel & transportation. Dr. Engin Beken, Partner, Operations Management Practice, Frankfurt & Vienna. Engin is a key expert in strategic performance improvement and digitalization. He is a strong contributor to ADL's global operations management practice and works with our clients globally, especially in asset-heavy industries. Engin is a key expert in strategic performance improvement and digitalization. He is a strong contributor to ADL's global operations management practice and works with our clients globally, especially in asset-heavy industries. Florence Carlot, Partner, Energy & Utilities Practice, Brussels. lorence focuses on strategy and organization in the energy & utilities industry. She has been working within the European energy and utilities sector for over 15 years, enabling large operational and strategic change initiatives across the energy value chain. lorence focuses on strategy and organization in the energy & utilities industry. She has been working within the European energy and utilities sector for over 15 years, enabling large operational and strategic change initiatives across the energy value chain. Julien Duvaud-Schelnast, Partner, Telecommunications, Information Technology, Media & Electronics (TIME) Practice, Paris & Stockholm. Operating in both France and Sweden, Julien is an expert on trending topics within the TIME practice, including infrastructure, private networks and sustainability. Operating in both France and Sweden, Julien is an expert on trending topics within the TIME practice, including infrastructure, private networks and sustainability. Dr. Michael Eiden, Partner, Technology & Innovation Practice, London. Michael is the Global Head of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning at ADL. He is an industry expert with more than 20 years of hands-on experience in designing, developing and commercializing AI solutions in different industries. Michael is the Global Head of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning at ADL. He is an industry expert with more than 20 years of hands-on experience in designing, developing and commercializing AI solutions in different industries. Ben Enejo, Partner, Healthcare & Life Sciences Practice, Boston. Ben is an experienced management consultant and industry expert, having worked with various global biopharmaceutical companies on strategies to accelerate the development of new medicines through to commercialization. Particular areas of expertise include clinical trial acceleration; R&D transformation, including advanced technology application, increasing success for rare-disease drug development and launch; patient and drug safety; and quality and compliance excellence. Ben is an experienced management consultant and industry expert, having worked with various global biopharmaceutical companies on strategies to accelerate the development of new medicines through to commercialization. Particular areas of expertise include clinical trial acceleration; R&D transformation, including advanced technology application, increasing success for rare-disease drug development and launch; patient and drug safety; and quality and compliance excellence. Mitsuhiro Henry Umebayashi, Partner, Strategy & Organization Practice, Singapore. Henry leads the S&O practice in South-East Asia and supports clients from multiple industries, such as consumer goods, energy & utilities, infrastructure and healthcare. His main focus is supporting clients with business transformation and growth acceleration arising from management challenges such as sustainability, globalization and digitalization. Henry leads the S&O practice in South-East Asia and supports clients from multiple industries, such as consumer goods, energy & utilities, infrastructure and healthcare. His main focus is supporting clients with business transformation and growth acceleration arising from management challenges such as sustainability, globalization and digitalization. Arjun Vir Singh, Partner, Financial Services Practice, Dubai. Arjun joined ADL in 2020 as the Head of Financial Services for the Middle East region. Actively engaged with fintech, payments, and digital banking, as well as the wider start-up ecosystem across the Middle East region and beyond, Arjun has deep sectorial knowledge. He has launched and managed a payments and fintech business for a large conglomerate across multiple markets in the Middle East and SEA region. Ignacio Garcia Alves, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Arthur D. Little, comments: "I would like to congratulate our nine new Partners, who have worked hard and smart to become true entrepreneurs. Each promotion is richly deserved, and we are extremely grateful for the role they have played in the firm. At ADL we place tremendous value on our people. These nine colleagues have shown they are ready for the next step of their careers, and we are truly excited as they enter into their era of partnership." About Arthur D. Little Arthur D. Little has been at the forefront of innovation since 1886. We are an acknowledged thought leader in linking strategy, innovation and transformation in technology-intensive and converging industries. We navigate our clients through changing business ecosystems to uncover new growth opportunities. We enable our clients to build innovation capabilities and transform their organizations. Our consultants have strong practical industry experience combined with excellent knowledge of key trends and dynamics. ADL is present in the most important business centers around the world. We are proud to serve most of the Fortune 1000 companies, in addition to other leading firms and public sector organizations. For further information, please visit www.adlittle.com or www.adl.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220315005634/en/ [ Back to the Next Generation Communications Community's Homepage ] Decrease Font Size Font Size Increase Font Size Notice body Brian Counterman, an assistant professor in the Department of Biological Sciences in the College of Sciences and Mathematics, or COSAM, has been awarded a $1.5 National Science Foundation, or NSF, CAREER award. Countermans research primarily centers around the environment, genetics and mating preferences impacting the Dogface Butterfly. The grant will allow Counterman to help share a passion for science with middle school students within Alabama. The outreach component of Countermans grant will be enacted through reaching out to middle school teachers to offer an interactive summer camp, giving a hands-on research experience. To read the full story, click here. South Africa: No further delays anticipated in Nooitgedacht Water Scheme completion Water and Sanitation Minister, Senzo Mchunu, says there are no further delays anticipated for the completion of the Nooitgedacht/Coega Low Level Water Scheme in the Eastern Cape. Mchunu returned to the Eastern Cape for two days to pay attention to the water issues in the Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality, Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality and Sarah Baartman District Municipality. The visit comes after residents in the municipalities complained about contaminated drinking water. Joined by Deputy Ministers David Mahlobo and Dikeledi Magadzi, Mchunu met with officials from the three municipalities, including Amatola Water Board, Amatola Labour and the province's business sector. The Minister's visit to the province aimed to assess water resource management and the needs for Gqeberha. During the second day of the visit, Mchunu led a site visit to Nooitgedacht Water Treatment Works just outside Gqeberha. The plant is currently on Phase 3 of construction, which is at 99% completion and will serve the residents of Nelson Mandela Bay. The project was anticipated to be completed in 2019, however, due to several delays, the completion date was pushed back. During a meeting, Mchunu heard that the plant will on 1 April 2022 release the first water to the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality. Mchunu said the goal is to increase water security across the country and provide quality water in a sustainable way. We are here to face up to [the] challenge. We are going to households. Every household must get access to water, where they are, Mchunu said. The Minister said the challenge facing Gqeberha in the main is how to deliver quality water during drought, while getting water from low-level reservoirs. I will meet with the technical team to brainstorm ideas [on how to suck from a low level, face the demand and produce quality water] and engage with the metro to come up with possible solutions, the Minister said. He commended the progress in Nooitgedacht, but emphasised that he still expects more efficiency, hard work and service delivery from the Metro. The Minister told the Nelson Mandela Bay Metro officials to start deploying engineers to the plant, noting that the work will not conclude when the handover happens. The plant will need to be maintained for it to be sustainable for the people it will serve. The Minister also raised concerns regarding Amatola Water Boards functionality, saying that the organisation is not stable. It is not stable in finances, in good governance and service delivery. We are not done with them; we will meet with the board again, Mchunu said. The board was also accused for the delays in project at both Sarah Baartman District Municipality and the Nelson Mandela Bay Metro. Their work at Nooitgedacht shows that in part, [they] can do the work. We have made lots of notes regarding the board, however, there is no finding as yet, Mchunu said. He undertook a directive that more research and work need to be done in drought-ridden areas for the utilisation of ground water. There need to be plans that will ensure sustainable use of groundwater Drilling a borehole here and there, and not being sure when it will run out, is not sustainable. We are not comprehensive enough in terms of ground water. I want to propose that [we] do some dedicated and sustainable research with regard to groundwater, Mchunu said. SAnews.gov.za This story has been published on: 2022-03-15. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Welcome Guest! You Are Here: Home Regional News East [March 15, 2022] RingCentral Announces New Webinar Solution Offering an Exceptionally Simple and Stress-Free Experience RingCentral, Inc. (NYSE: RNG), a leading provider of global enterprise cloud communications, video meetings, collaboration, and contact center solutions, today announced the beta launch of RingCentral Webinar, available to customers as an add-on to RingCentral's flagship offering - RingCentral Message Video Phone (MVP). The new product, which can be accessed through a web browser or through RingCentral's unified application, has been built from the ground up to ensure radical simplicity when it comes to set-up, use, and management to democratize the webinar experience - a critical channel of communications enabling today's hybrid work. Kira Makagon, chief innovation officer, RingCentral, said, "We've all been part of webinars and they're not the easiest to join and when it comes to hosting them, they can be even more nerve wracking. At RingCentral our focus is to simplify communications and collaboration technology so it's easy to set-up, use, and manage - with RingCentral Webinar, we're doing exactly that. By leveraging people's muscle memory of hosting and joining RingCentral Video meetings and by adding Webinar capabilities directly to our unified communications app - that already offers team messaging, video meetings, and a cloud phone system - we've made it easier for businesses to deploy and for users to join RingCentral Webinar." Webinar software is often complex and daunting for new users to get the hang of. RingCentral Webinar is a secure solution that makes it easier than ever to plan and host a variety of webinars - whether for all-company meetings, a training session, or a marketing event. Jim Lundy, CEO and lead analyst, Aragon Research, said, "RingCentral's new innovative Webinar offering shows ease of use and simplicity, positioning it well to compete in the market. Traditionally, services like Webinar have been offered as a separate product and have never been easy to join or even schedule. Because RingCentral Webinar looks and feels just like RingCentral MVP, it gives end users and line of business decision-makers the ability to dive right in with zero ramp-time needed." Key capabilities of RingCentral Webinar include: Run webinars with confidence : RingCentral Webinar brings simplicity and ease of use to hosts, panelists, and attendees. RingCentral Webinar is tightly integrated and available as an add-on to RingCentral MVP to run large internal events or marketing events in the same experience and can be hosted and attended on the same app. Additionally, hosts can start ebinars using the RingCentral desktop app or through a browser such as Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge. Panelists can join directly from the desktop, mobile app, and/or a web browser (even on mobile). : RingCentral Webinar brings simplicity and ease of use to hosts, panelists, and attendees. RingCentral Webinar is tightly integrated and available as an add-on to RingCentral MVP to run large internal events or marketing events in the same experience and can be hosted and attended on the same app. Additionally, hosts can start ebinars using the RingCentral desktop app or through a browser such as Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge. Panelists can join directly from the desktop, mobile app, and/or a web browser (even on mobile). Simple set-up : Takes seconds to start: Gives users the ability to set up a webinar in just two clicks directly from the RingCentral app or a web browser. Familiar look and feel: Set up and run webinars with the same confidence of hosting and running meetings - all within the RingCentral app. Asynchronous environment: Move seamlessly between messaging, video, and phone to plan and coordinate your webinar before or after it takes place with internal or external collaborators. : Integrations : RingCentral Webinar will offer simple integrations that enable users to easily track webinar registrations and capture leads in the systems they use. These integrations will be available in the coming quarters and enable users to streamline end-to-end webinar experiences across the CRMs they depend on for easier registration, promotion, and performance tracking. Furthermore, RingCentral Webinar offers integrations for popular Marketing Automation Systems such as Marketo and Task Automation products such as Zapier . : RingCentral Webinar will offer simple integrations that enable users to easily track webinar registrations and capture leads in the systems they use. These integrations will be available in the coming quarters and enable users to streamline end-to-end webinar experiences across the CRMs they depend on for easier registration, promotion, and performance tracking. Furthermore, RingCentral Webinar offers integrations for popular Marketing Automation Systems such as Marketo and Task Automation products such as Zapier Analytics: RingCentral is building an ecosystem of solutions - from analytics to APIs. RingCentral Webinar will deliver Quality of Service (QoS) analytics for real-time and historical reporting of webinars for both host and panelist roles. With analytics at their fingertips, hosts can ensure the highest quality experience of their organization's all-hands webinars with detailed service, quality monitoring, and reporting. Kris Kleinschmidt, IT Specialist at Pacific Fishery Management Council, said, "Setting up a webinar, inviting presenters, running test sessions, and ultimately putting on the show has been streamlined in RingCentral Webinar. It couldn't be easier. RingCentral Webinar also provides optimal security for us, a necessity as our organizations host publicly attended meetings. With RingCentral Webinar, the granular controls to limit who has access to screen share, enable their microphones, and overall participation gives us confidence in successfully broadcasting our conferences without incident. We also love the flexibility - RingCentral has made it easy for our attendees and stakeholders to join via browser, mobile app or whatever device they are running - their choice." The initial launch of RingCentral Webinar is geared towards use cases including - but not limited to - all-hands company meetings, trainings, team celebrations, and company culture events. In summer 2022, webinar features will expand to support marketing use cases and include more features to support and track webinar success across the lead generation lifecycle. RingCentral Webinar is available in beta to all customers in the US, Canada, United Kingdom, Europe, and Australia. RingCentral Webinar is expected to be generally available in Summer 2022. To learn more about RingCentral Webinar click here. About RingCentral RingCentral, Inc. (NYSE: RNG) is a leading provider of business cloud communications and contact center solutions based on its powerful Message Video Phone?(MVP) global platform. More flexible and cost effective than legacy on-premises PBX and video conferencing systems that it replaces, RingCentral empowers modern mobile and distributed workforces to communicate, collaborate, and connect via any mode, any device, and any location. RingCentral offers three key products in its portfolio including RingCentral MVP, a Unified Communications as a Service (UCaaS) platform including team messaging, video meetings, and cloud phone system; RingCentral Video, ?the company's video meetings solution with team messaging that enables Smart Video Meetings; and RingCentral cloud Contact Center solutions. RingCentral's open platform integrates with leading third-party business applications and enables customers to easily customize business workflows. RingCentral is headquartered in Belmont, California, and has offices around the world. 2022 RingCentral, Inc. All rights reserved. RingCentral, Message Video Phone, MVP, RingCentral MVP, RingCentral Video, RingCentral Contact Center, Smart Video Meetings, and the RingCentral logo are trademarks of RingCentral, Inc. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220315005539/en/ [ Back To SIP Trunking Home's Homepage ] According to Congress Chairwoman Maria del Carmen Alva , the Head of State will be received at 5:00 p.m. The spokespersons met this morning after Alva suspended a Congress' plenary session a few minutes after it began to address this issue as a priority theme. On March 11, Prime Minister Anibal Torres asked Congress to receive the President of the Republic during a plenary session on March 15. Torres reported that the presidential message to be presented during said Congress' plenary session was approved through an official letter during an ordinary Council of Ministers session on March 9. The approval came within the framework of the provisions of Paragraph 7 of Article 118 of the Political Constitution of Peru The Constitution states that among the powers and obligations of the President of the Republic is to deliver an address to Congress at any time and compulsorily, in person and in writing, once the first annual ordinary legislature has been set up. It added that "the annual messages contain a detailed statement of the situation of the Republic and the improvements and reforms that the President deems necessary and convenient for consideration by Congress." "The messages of the President of the Republic, except for the first one of them, are approved by the Council of Ministers," it concluded. (END) VVS/CVC/RMB The Board of Spokespersons of the Peruvian Congress has agreed to approve President Castillo 's request to attend the Parliament's plenary session on Tuesday to deliver an address.Publicado: 14/3/2022 CCTV: According to reports, a US official said at a briefing on the meeting between Director Yang Jiechi and National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan that Sullivan reiterated our One China policy based on the Taiwan Relations Act, Three Communiques, and Six Assurances. And he underscored concerns about Beijings courses and provocative actions across the Taiwan Strait. What is Chinas comment? Zhao Lijian: Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Director of the Office of the Central Commission for Foreign Affairs Yang Jiechi met with US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan in Rome, Italy on March 14 local time. The two sides had candid, in-depth and constructive exchange on China-US relations and international and regional issues of common concern. They agreed to jointly follow through on the consensus of the two heads of state, enhance understanding, manage differences, expand consensus, strengthen cooperation and create more conditions to bring China-US relations back to the right track of sound and steady development. Director Yang stressed that the Taiwan question bears on Chinas sovereignty and territorial integrity. In the three China-US Joint Communiques, the US clearly recognized that there is only one China. The one-China principle is the prerequisite for the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and the US and the political foundation for China-US relations. The current US administration has made a commitment on the Taiwan question to adhering to the one-China policy and not supporting Taiwan independence, but its recent actions are obviously not consistent with its statements. China is gravely concerned about and firmly opposed to the US recent erroneous acts and words on the Taiwan question. Any attempt to connive at or support the Taiwan independence separatist forces and to play the Taiwan card to use Taiwan to contain China will get nowhere. China urges the US to fully recognize the highly sensitive nature of the Taiwan question, strictly abide by the one-China principle, the provisions of the three China-US Joint Communiques and the commitments made by the US, and not to go further down the road of great danger. AFP: According to news report, the US told allies that China has signaled willingness to provide military assistance to Russia after Russia requested for equipment like surface-to-air missiles. Can China confirm this? And you mentioned yesterday when we asked about media reports on a similar topic that the US has been spreading disinformation targeting China. So does this mean that China has neither received nor responded to any Russian requests for assistance in the Ukraine war? Or are you saying that parts of these news reports are actually not accurate? And if so, can you please clarify? And which parts exactly are disinformation that you mentioned? Zhao Lijian: Yesterday I answered similar questions. Enough has been said. The US practice is nothing short of spreading disinformation. Macau Monthly: According to unspecified US officials, on March 14, the US government told allies in NATO and several Asian countries in a diplomatic cable and through intelligence agents that China had signaled its willingness to provide military and economic aid to Russia at the latters request. It also noted China was expected to deny those plans. He also said, the move is part of a deliberate strategy move to counter disinformation by being far more open about intelligence matters than usual. What is Chinas comment? Zhao Lijian: Im sure you have noted that Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov denied the claim that Russia requested military aid from China on March 14. The US has been creating and spreading disinformation from time to time. This is neither professional nor ethical, still less responsible. By doing so, the US will further lose the trust of the world. What the US should do is to deeply reflect upon its role in the evolving situation of the Ukraine crisis, and do more things that can help to ease the situation. Peoples Daily: Ambassador Chen Xu, Permanent Representative of China to the United Nations Office at Geneva and other International Organizations in Switzerland, recently delivered a joint statement on behalf of over 40 countries at the 49 session of the Human Rights Council. In his remarks, Ambassador Chen Xu called on the OHCHR to increase its input in economic, social and cultural rights and the right to development, and expressed the opposition to the practice of using human rights as a political tool. Can you share more on that? Zhao Lijian: The global human rights cause is facing grave challenges. Nearly 800 million people globally live in extreme poverty. The coronavirus is still wreaking havoc around the world and could push 71 million people back into poverty. The pandemic has exposed the serious under-investment in economic, social and cultural rights and the right to development by multilateral human rights mechanisms. China welcomes the OHCHRs focus on combating inequalities as the core of its work and looks forward to more constructive efforts by the Office in safeguarding economic, social and cultural rights and the right to development, especially in helping developing countries overcome the challenges of the epidemic and achieve sustainable economic and social development. Ending poverty and hunger, and ensuring that all human beings can enjoy prosperous and fulfilling lives and fulfill their potential in dignity and equality are key elements of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The eradication of poverty is in itself the promotion and protection of human rights. China maintains that all countries should seek coordinated development of two things. One is poverty reduction and economic, social, cultural and environmental development; the other is human rights protection. We call on all countries to put people first, ensure and improve peoples livelihood, effectively protect the rights of vulnerable groups, and, in particular, reduce the impact of COVID-19 on the poor so that no one is left behind. We look forward to the continued positive role of OHCHR in this regard. In the meantime, we hope all parties can promote partnership through constructive dialogue and cooperation, respect the way of human rights development independently chosen by countries in light of their national conditions, and oppose the practice of using human rights as a political tool. CNR: On March 11, the 49th Session of the Human Rights Council held an interactive dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. The Chinese representative expressed concern over the serious problem of police brutality and torture in the US. Do you have more information on that? Zhao Lijian: There has been an endless string of malicious incidents involving deaths caused by police brutality of US law enforcement. In 2021, over 1,124 Americans died of police violence. Most of the victims were killed by the police in circumstances involving non-violent crimes or even without criminal behavior. The Lancet published a study showing that around 30,800 people died from police violence between 1980 and 2018 in the US. Black people is 3.5 times more likely than White people to be killed by police brutality. There are frequent media revelations about torture, abuse and violence in various detention facilities in the US including private prisons. The Guantanamo Bay prison is infamous for the systemic abuse and torture of prisoners. The CIA, using the so-called war on terror as a pretext, has set up black sites in many countries, where so-called terrorist suspects were secretly held in arbitrary detention and confessions were extorted by torture. As the MFA spokespersons and media outlets have revealed many times, the US floating prisons aboard 17 navy ships and network of black sites in countries like Lithuania are more typical examples of how the US prison system wantonly tramples on rule of law and human rights. As has been fully proven by facts, the US is in no position to claim itself a beacon or defender of human rights, still less to make wanton remarks about other countries human rights conditions under false pretenses. China calls on the Human Rights Council and the Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment to pay closer attention to the US violation of human rights and urge it to adopt concrete measures to resolve relevant issues. CRI: According to reports, Yang Yanyi, Representative of State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi, former Ambassador and Head of the Chinese Mission to the EU and former Ambassador to Brunei, visited the Philippines, Indonesia, Cambodia, Singapore and the ASEAN Secretariat not long ago. I wonder if you have some information on that. Zhao Lijian: Yang Yanyi, Representative of State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi, former Ambassador and Head of the Chinese Mission to the EU and former Ambassador to Brunei, visited the Philippines, Indonesia, Cambodia, Singapore and the ASEAN Secretariat not long ago. The purpose of her visit is to strengthen communication with ASEAN countries, implement the outcomes and consensus reached at last years Special Summit to Commemorate the 30th Anniversary of ASEAN-China Dialogue Relations, and advance the building of the China-ASEAN comprehensive strategic partnership. During the visit, Ambassador Yang Yanyi had an in-depth exchange of views with the foreign ministers and senior officials for ASEAN affairs of the four countries, the ASEAN Secretary-General and others on implementing the outcomes of the commemorative summit, deepening bilateral practical cooperation, acting on the Global Development Initiative (GDI) as well as international and regional issues of common interest, reaching broad consensus. All spoke highly of the significance of the commemorative summit and agreed to formulate an action plan on the comprehensive strategic partnership, enhance cooperation in such fields as combating COVID-19, economy and trade, connectivity, digital economy, sustainable development, people-to-people and cultural exchange, step up communication on implementing the GDI, and to jointly boost a full regional recovery in the post-COVID era. All sides stressed the need to support ASEAN centrality in regional cooperation and to properly resolve differences through dialogue and consultation to jointly safeguard the sound momentum for peace, stability, development and prosperity in the region. Bloomberg: More than 2.5 million people have fled Ukraine since Russia invaded on February 24. Thats according to the UN which also says that close to 600 people have died, and 1000 others have been injured. So my questions to you are how worried is China about Russias assaults on cities and the toll on civilians this is taking? And what efforts, if any, has China made to convince Russia to stop its attacks on cities, residential areas and medical facilities that people around the world have been witnessing? Zhao Lijian: The Ukraine issue has a complex historical background and context. China is deeply grieved to see that the situation in Ukraine has reached its current state. The crisis is the result of the interplay of complex factors. The Chinese leadership, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi, MFA spokespersons and other diplomatic officials as well as competent authorities have been working for peace talks. Our spokespersons have also shared with you Chinas efforts in great detail. China has also provided humanitarian assistance to Ukraine. I can share with you that the third batch of humanitarian supplies from China arrived in Poland yesterday and will be soon delivered to Ukraine. Chinas position and statement on the Ukraine issue is completely objective, just and constructive. We have a clear goal, that is, to deescalate the situation and put an end to the conflict as soon as possible. We believe Chinas position will receive understanding and support from more and more countries. AFP: Just to follow up on the issue of disinformation and the Ukraine crisis. So China has previously accused the US of starting the fire and fanning the flames in the Ukraine invasion. In this case, on the other hand, will China commit to not sending help to Russia in its invasion and not adding fuel to the fire? Zhao Lijian: I just clearly stated Chinas position on relevant issues. Our position on the Ukraine issue is beyond reproach. Reuters: Could we get some more details on this third shipment of humanitarian aid you just mentioned? For example, how much is it worth? What is it comprised of? Zhao Lijian: China has released a readout on this. You may refer to that. Global Times: According to reports, an Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson said on March 14, We are currently having a breather from the nuclear talks and We are not at a point of announcing an agreement now since there are some important open issues that need to be decided upon by Washington. On the same day, US State Department spokesperson Ned Price said that Washington would be open to diplomatic alternatives if a deadlock sparked by sanctions against Russia makes a formal return to the 2015 nuclear deal impossible. Do you have any comment on this? Zhao Lijian: Currently, the negotiation on resuming compliance with the JCPOA has entered the final stage. All parties have reached consensus on most of the text of the compliance resumption agreement with a few items yet to be resolved. It is Chinas hope that all sides will step up diplomatic efforts and strive to reach agreement on outstanding issues at an early date. The US, as the culprit of the Iranian nuclear crisis, should make a political decision as soon as possible and respond positively to Irans legitimate concerns. In the meantime, the Iranian nuclear talks are not held in a vacuum. We have noted that the situation in Ukraine has some impacts on the negotiation process. With regard to the concerns raised by Russia, China supports the US, Europe and Russia in stepping up consultation to look for a mutually-acceptable solution. At present, there is no better alternative to the JCPOA. All sides should jointly preserve the hard-won negotiation outcomes. We will continue to participate constructively in the negotiation and remain committed to reviving the JCPOA at an early date, upholding the international nuclear non-proliferation regime and safeguarding peace and stability in the Middle East. CCTV: According to Japanese media reports, digging work is being carried out near unit 5 and unit 6 of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station to build a vertical shaft for storing diluted and treated nuclear contaminated water which will later be released into the ocean. Do you have any comment? Zhao Lijian: China is very concerned about the moves on the Japanese side. For a long time, the international community has been raising its doubts and concerns to the Japanese side over the legitimacy of the discharge into the sea, the rationality of the discharge plan, the credibility of the data about the nuclear contaminated water and the reliability of the equipment to purify the nuclear-contaminated water. The Japanese side has yet to give a full and credible explanation. The IAEA technical working group paid its first visit to Japan last month and raised a host of questions to the Japanese side. The assessment on the disposal of nuclear-contaminated water is still ongoing. It is extremely irresponsible that Japan turns a deaf ear to the concerns of all parties and advances the preparatory work of the ocean discharge in a hasty manner. Japan should earnestly respond to the legitimate concerns of the international community in real earnest, revoke the wrong decision on releasing the nuclear-contaminated water into the ocean, and stop the preparatory work immediately. It should earnestly abide by its due international obligations and avoid taking the liberty of starting the discharge of nuclear-contaminated water into the sea before reaching consensus with stakeholders and relevant international organizations including the IAEA. Beijing Daily: The IAEA Board of Governors Meeting in March once again incorporated nuclear-powered submarine cooperation between the US, the UK and Australia as a full agenda item the other day. The Chinese representative delivered a statement. Can you share more information? Zhao Lijian: The nuclear-powered submarine cooperation between the US, the UK and Australia could create nuclear proliferation risks and shocks to the international non-proliferation system, induce a new round of arms race and undermine regional prosperity and stability. China is gravely concerned about this and firmly opposed to this. After the meeting in November last year, the IAEA board decided by consensus to incorporate the AUKUS issue as a full agenda item at the March meeting at Chinas proposal to discuss issues related to AUKUS nuclear-powered submarine cooperation. This fully reflects the grave concerns of the international community including IAEA board members, which should not be neglected by the three countries. As has been pointed out by the Chinese representative at the meeting, the trilateral nuclear submarine cooperation concerns the integrity, efficacy and authority of the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), and the safeguards arrangement issues bear on the interests of all members of the agency and should be decided by all member states through discussion. To this end, China has suggested that the IAEA launch a special committee open to all member states to focus on discussing the political, legal and technical issues concerned to properly seek a solution acceptable to all parties. The US, the UK and Australia should not proceed with relevant cooperation, and the IAEA Secretariat should not have consultation with the three countries on the so-called safeguards arrangement for their nuclear submarine cooperation until consensus is reached by all parties. China calls on all IAEA member states to continue to have substantive discussions on AUKUS nuclear-powered submarine cooperation through the inter-governmental process, uphold the international non-proliferation system with the NPT as its cornerstone together with real actions, and safeguard international peace and security. Dragon TV: It is reported that Dian Triansyah Djani, Indonesias G20 co-sherpa, said that as the rotating president of G20, Indonesia believes each country has the right to express concerns about various issues, including the situation in Ukraine, but the G20 is a multilateral mechanism for economic cooperation and Indonesia will focus on fulfilling the commitments outlined in the G20 leaders declaration in Rome as well as its own priorities and does not intend to include the Ukraine crisis in the current agenda. Do you have any comment? Zhao Lijian: G20 is the premier forum for international economic cooperation, not an appropriate platform to discuss political security issues such as Ukraine. Under the current circumstances, G20 is shouldering important responsibilities in advancing international anti-epidemic cooperation and upholding the stability and recovery of the world economy. G20 should stick to its mandate, deepen solidarity and cooperation, and work for a joint response to prominent challenges such as global public health and economic and financial issues. China supports Indonesia, the rotating president of G20, in promoting cooperation across the board in accordance with the established agenda under the theme of Recover Together, Recover Stronger. China will continue to get deeply involved in the preparation process of the Bali Summit and work with all relevant parties to make the summit a success and make positive contribution to improving global economic governance and promoting post-COVID economic and social recovery. AFP: We noticed that State Department Spokesman Ned Price said yesterday that National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan and the US delegation had raised directly and very clearly our concerns about the PRCs support to Russia in the wake of the invasion. So he said that we have communicated very clearly to Beijing that we wont stand by and will not allow any country to compensate Russia for its losses. If your position is that media reports have been disinformation targeting China, what is your response to this official statement on the concerns of the US administration? Zhao Lijian: Director Yang Jiechi pointed out in the Rome meeting that China does not want to see the situation in Ukraine to become what it is today. It is important to straighten out the history of the Ukraine issue, address the problem at the root, and respond to the legitimate concerns of all parties. He also stressed the need to take a long-term perspective, actively follow the vision of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security, and encourage the parties concerned to engage in equal-footed dialogue and seek to put in place a balanced, effective and sustainable European security architecture in line with the principle of indivisibility of security, so as to safeguard peace in Europe and the world at large. The Chinese side always maintains that the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries must be respected and the purposes and principles of the UN Charter must be observed. China is committed to facilitating dialogue for peace, and believes that the international community should jointly support the peace talks between Russia and Ukraine for early substantive outcomes, so as to deescalate the situation as soon as possible. All parties should exercise maximum restraint, protect civilians and prevent a massive humanitarian crisis. China has provided emergency humanitarian assistance to Ukraine and will continue to make its efforts to that end. China firmly opposes any words and deeds that spread disinformation and distort and smear Chinas position. AFP: Just a clarification on your answer to my earlier question, is China concerned about any potential sanctions from the US if the situation develops? The US has said that they are watching for any actions on the Chinese side. So is China concerned about potential sanctions and is that part of the consideration in whether or not it could provide assistance to Russia if there is such a request being made as media reports have suggested? Zhao Lijian: China has stated its position on sanctions on multiple occasions. China does not agree with resolving issues with sanctions, still less unilateral sanctions that have no basis in international law. Reality has long proven that sanctions not only fail to resolve problems, but will create new ones. It will result in a situation where multiple players lose, and will disrupt the process of political settlement. The world economy is already struggling due to the impact of COVID-19. Sanctions will only create shocks to world economic recovery and do no good to any parties. We strongly urge the US not to undermine China's legitimate rights and interests when handling the relations with Russia. China and Russia will continue to conduct normal economic and trade cooperation in the spirit of mutual respect, equality and mutual benefits. AFP: Just one more question regarding report saying that Saudi Arabia has invited President Xi Jinping to visit Riyadh. This is supposed to take place after the holy month of Ramadan beginning in early April. Has China received such an invitation and other plans for President Xi to make such a visit? Zhao Lijian: I have no information to offer. PTI: UN Secretary-General Mr. Guterres yesterday said that he is in close touch with China, France, Germany, Israel and Turkey on mediation efforts to end the Ukraine conflict. Do you have any comment on this? Zhao Lijian: Chinas position has been well stated. We support all diplomatic efforts to promote peace talks that are conducive to easing tensions. AFP: The Philippines said on Monday that it had summoned Chinas ambassador to the country after a Chinese navy ship was caught illegally lingering in Philippine waters. The ship was in the Sulu Sea for three days and officials have said this was an illegal intrusion and violation of Philippine sovereignty. Does the Chinese side have any comments on this issue? Zhao Lijian: The Chinese naval vessel's sailing through the Philippine waters was an exercise of the right of innocent passage pursuant to UNCLOS. The Chinese passage was safe and standard, and consistent with international law and international practice. We hope relevant parities can view it in an objective and rational manner. Reuters: You talked about the US embassy in Ukraine deleting certain documents, if Im not mistaken, from its website. These documents talk about the labs that the US says are designed to prevent things like epidemics from breaking out, but it seems that Russia and China have suggested many times that they have a military purpose. Where did you originally get this information from? What I found was on February 26, there was, I think, a Bulgarian journalist who uploaded on Twitter some reporting efforts where she claimed that the US embassy in Ukraine had deleted such documents, even though at present no documents she says were deleted. They are still there. So my question is, was this tweet from this Bulgarian journalist your source or did you get intelligence from Russia? Was it your own intelligence services that provide you this information? Zhao Lijian: Based on our information, the US indeed deleted the documents. You may have to ask the US whether they recovered the documents, or the documents you saw were something missed out by the US, because the US is the one that is responsible for giving an explanation and clarification. You should also ask the US whether its practice is intended to kick up a cloud of dust or to cover more things up? I want to stress that the concerns of the international community about US biological labs in Ukraine boil down to what the US has done and what has been hidden from the public. Why is the US the only party that is opposed to establishing a BWC verification regime? Why not open these bio-labs to independent investigation by international experts? I suggest you ask the US these questions. Follow-up: Thanks for your answer. But I was asking about your source of information. Could you elaborate a little bit more about that? Zhao Lijian: As I said yesterday, according to the 2005 agreement between the US Department of Defense and the Ukrainian side, representatives of the US Department of Defense have the right to participate in all aspects of related activities at facilities in Ukraine. Information marked or designated by the US side as sensitive should be withheld from public disclosure by Ukraine. According to the document the US submitted to the meeting of the state parties to the BWC at the end of 2021, the US has cooperation facilities in Ukraine including 26 labs. However, the US Department of Defense said the other day that the US and Ukraine have cooperation in 46 labs. Isnt this self-contradictory? We also noted that the US Department of Defense representatives have the right to participate in related activities at facilities in Ukraine. The Ukrainian side shall store all dangerous pathogens at laboratories designated for cooperative research and transfer to the US requested copies of dangerous pathogen strains. Key information, including that marked or designated by the US side as sensitive, should be withheld from public disclosure by Ukraine. The US side failed to make clarifications in its statements yesterday. How could this convince anyone? People cannot help but wonder, did the US send personnel to these labs or not? What is their scope of activity exactly? How many cooperation facilities does the US have in Ukraine? Besides, according to open sources, these labs in Ukraine operate on the command of the US Department of Defense and the US has invested over $200 million in them. You were asking about the information I have. We noted that Russia has lately disclosed some US research plans in bio-labs in Ukraine. One of them, the UP-4 project, studies the possibility of the spread of avian viruses through migrating birds. The R-781 project considers bats as carriers of pathogens that can be transmitted to humans. Another project code-named UP-8 is aimed at studying the Congo-Crimean hemorrhagic fever virus and hantaviruses. The evidence revealed by Russia shows that the US is trying to obtain means of releasing biological chemical weapons by experimenting on the relations between migrating birds and the spread of viruses. It also shows that the US and some other Western countries are gathering and transferring in a planned manner biological samples in Ukraine and may have conducted biological research targeting different ethnic populations. When confronted with evidence revealed by Russia, the US is trying to muddle through by simply dismissing the concerns as disinformation. Is this convincing at all? If the US wants to prove its innocence, it needs to give a full account of its bio-military activities in a responsible manner. We welcome a joint assessment of the documents provided by Russia under the framework of the UN and the BWC. More importantly, we call on the US to open up these bio-labs for independent investigations by international experts and stop standing alone in obstructing the establishment of a BWC verification mechanism. The Paper: According to reports, the extraordinary presidential election was successfully held in Turkmenistan the other day. Vice Prime Minister and the candidate of the Democratic Party Serdar Berdimuhamedov was elected as the new President by a vast majority of votes. What is Chinas comment? Will China send a congratulatory message to Turkmenistan? How do you view the development of China-Turkmenistan relations? Zhao Lijian: China expresses warm congratulations to Turkmenistan on the smooth presidential election and Serdar Berdimuhamedovs election as the president. President Xi Jinping has sent a congratulatory message to Serdar Berdimuhamedov. As a strategic partner based on sincerity and mutual trust, China firmly supports Turkmenistan in pursuing a development path suitable for its national conditions. We believe under the leadership of President Serdar Berdimuhamedov, Turkmenistan will continue to maintain stability, realize development goals in various fields and make new achievements in nation building. China attaches great importance to China-Turkmenistan relations. We are ready to work with Turkmenistan to take the opportunity of the 30th anniversary of diplomatic ties to deepen comprehensive and mutually beneficial cooperation, and elevate the bilateral relations to a higher level for the benefit of the two countries and two peoples. Bloomberg: The United Nations Under-Secretary-General of Disarmament Affairs Izumi Nakamitsu said last week that no nation had filed any complaint about biological weapons in Ukraine to the Security Council. Has China filed any complaints that included its supposed evidence since then given its repeated concerns about this topic? Zhao Lijian: I am not aware of the situation you mentioned. The Chinese Permanent Representative to the UN has made Chinas solemn position on this issue at the discussions of US biological labs at the UN Security Council. AFP: A follow-up on Reuters question on the website of US Embassy in Ukraine. You said the US may have recovered or missed to delete some documents. Do you mean the US may have recently recovered the documents that your screenshot showed? According to Chinas knowledge, when were these documents deleted? Zhao Lijian: You can see 404 not found on the screenshot I tweeted. This means you cannot find the document after clicking the URL. As to when the US recovered the documents, and whether the documents are the original ones, you may have to ask the US side. Bloomberg: I just like to go back to the humanitarian situation in Ukraine because it seems like its going to worsen. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov warned that Russias defense ministry does not rule out the possibility of putting large cities which are already fully encircled under its control. And yet Chinese diplomats including Yang Jiechi have called for all parties to exercise restraint to protect civilians. So to what degree is China worried that civilian casualties may mount in Ukraine? And what tools if any is China using to stop that from happening? Zhao Lijian: We have shared many times Chinas position on the humanitarian situation in Ukraine. State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi also elaborated on Chinas six-point initiative on the humanitarian situation in Ukraine. I will not dwell on that. When staying in touch with relevant sides, China has been appealing to the parties to prevent a large-scale humanitarian crisis and protect the safety of civilians. We also noticed some progress has been made on this front in the peace talks between Russia and Ukraine. The two sides have opened humanitarian corridors, through which citizens from various countries including China have evacuated from the conflict zones. China hopes to strengthen communication with all sides to ease the situation in Ukraine as soon as possible. We do not wish to see civilians trapped in the conflicts and deeply sympathize with them. 14:11 | Pataz (La Libertad region), Mar. 15. Locals have captured the precise moment of the landslide, which occurred as a result of heavy rains that have hit the high Andean areas of La Libertad region. "No God! Everything has been buried," a person who recorded a video said, standing several meters away from the disaster. In a statement, the Regional Government of La Libertad reported that Governor Manuel Llempen has summoned the members of the Regional Emergency Operations Center (COER) into an emergency meeting to take urgent action to help the affected population. The document also warns that the magnitude of the disaster in Retamas is unknown, noting that Governor Llempen has already informed Prime Minister Anibal Torres about it, so as to activate the necessary actions. (END) LPZ/MAO/RMB A landslide has buried around 30 homes in Cinco Esquinas an area attached to the locality of Retamas, located in the district of Parcoy, province of Pataz, in the mountains of La Libertad region. The number of casualties is still unknown.Published: 3/15/2022 YEREVAN, MARCH 15, ARMENPRESS. OSCE highly values the Armenian governments strong commitment in developing media freedom and raising the level of media literacy. Teresa Ribeiro, OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, gave a comment to ARMENPRESS during her visit in Yerevan, talking about the dynamics of the media literacy, the current challenges in fighting fake news and disinformation not only in Armenia, but also in the region and around the globe. What I know from media literacy in Armenia is that this is a strong commitment from the government, which, I think, is a very positive step, and we were precisely discussing it how important media literacy is nowadays for engaging people in a better way of looking at information, at this kind of big sphere and strong flow of information coming from everywhere. So, this, I think, is very very positive, and I am really excited about this political will and strong commitment from the authorities in Armenia, Teresa Ribeiro said. In response to the question about the OSCE priorities over the topic, she said the OSCE is not going to compete with UNESCO and other institutions that are deeply involved in media literacy. We are now initiating project, and as I also mentioned we are not going to compete with UNESCO and other institutions that are deeply involved in media literacy. But maybe what we will do is to look at media literacy from the specific point of view that I mentioned, which is media freedom literacy, she said, adding that this means to raise awareness regarding the importance of media literacy to better enjoy media freedom. If you really want to have media freedom, if you really want to preserve media freedom, you need media literacy, she noted. Asked what media outlets and journalists could do to raise the level of the peoples media literacy and protect them from fake news and disinformation, the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media said journalists and media outlets play an important role in that. Nowadays the borders do not exist anymore. So in the case of information, its very important to have a strong strategy to address the challenges related to these very strong flows of disinformation and misinformation. Regarding the responsibility of the media outlets, I think, they have a strong responsibility. It requires more and more, the respect for high standards, high professional standards, which, I think, is very important. And the journalists they may be themselves the fact-checkers, this is very important. Its not something that an organization must do it for the journalists, the journalists themselves, they have to respect first of all the truth, the facts and be the strongest fact-checkers. This, I think, is very important. Its very important for the journalist to be very aware of these new challenges and be more and more careful in checking the facts and in searching the truth. I would say this is the most important from the side of the media outlets and from the side of the journalists, she said. OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Teresa Ribeiro visited Armenia for the first time on March 9. She met with representatives of the civil society, and informed that she had a very constructive conversation and meetings in Yerevan. She participated in a conference on media and information literacy organized by the Armenian Foreign Ministry in cooperation with UNESCO. Aram Sargsyan YEREVAN, MARCH 15, ARMENPRESS. The reports on Azerbaijani military units having advanced is a disinformation, the Ministry of Defense of Armenia said in response to a query from ARMENPRESS. We categorically deny this report. In the mentioned area, which is under Azerbaijani control, the Azerbaijani units have several positions which are unfit for use in winter time because of not being equipped. Now, due to the weather changes, the Azerbaijani military is simply returning to these positions. There cant be any talk about any advance, the Ministry of Defense said. The Ministry of Defense added that the Armenian Armed Forces are fully fulfilling its mission, including also monitoring any movement of the Azerbaijani military and controlling the situation in all parts of the border, including the abovementioned part. The Ministry of Defense again urged to follow exclusively official information regarding the border situation. YEREVAN, MARCH 15, ARMENPRESS. Last year the Armenian Armed Forces acquired helicopters, drones, rocket-artillery and anti-tank measures, armored vehicles and other equipment, Deputy Minister of Defense Arman Sargsyan told lawmakers during the session of the parliamentary committee on defense and security affairs where the 2021 government action plan results were being discussed. Sargsyan presented the replenishments of the Armenian military as part of the acquisition of new weaponry and modernization of military equipment, without mentioning quantities or models. The Armed Forces were supplemented with helicopters, UAVs, rocket-artillery, anti-tank, artillery communication, engineering, firearm measures, armored vehicles, automobile equipment and others. The supplementation is implemented by needs assessment as a result of structural changes, moreover a part of the supplies will be carried out through the companies of the Armenian military-industrial complex, Sargsyan said. He added that the Armenian Ministry of Defense signed contracts with local defense companies for the acquisition of air defense systems, rocket-artillery measures, and communication means, as well as technical maintenance. YEREVAN, MARCH 15, ARMENPRESS. The Russian Aeroflot airline will re-launch flights to Armenia from March 22. The airline said the flights will be carried out with the Russian SSJ100 planes. Tickets are already available for purchase. Flights will be operated every day to Yerevan. Aeroflot suspended international flights, with the exception of flights to Minsk, since March 8. YEREVAN, MARCH 15, ARMENPRESS. The opinions that theres a risk of a new war are unfounded and aimed at causing panic, the National Security Service (NSS) Deputy Director Tigran Harutyunyan told reporters. These are unfounded and panic-spreading reports, at this moment we have no such information, Harutyunyan said, referring to opinions in the press and social media that there is a risk of a new war. Harutyunyan however added that war is always possible but right now there is nothing to indicate that a war will start soon. YEREVAN, MARCH 15, ARMENPRESS. The Armenian banking system has no problems regarding foreign payments, Central Bank Governor Martin Galstyan said at a press conference when asked whether or not Armenian banks were impacted after Russia was banned from SWIFT. During his previous press briefing, when Galstyan was asked about the possible effects on Armenia if Russia were to be disconnected from SWIFT, the cenbank governor said the effect would be heavy. However, now he argues that afterwards the cenbank implemented some works. I think we were right to be proactive in this matter. As of this moment, fortunately, the Armenian banking system has no problems with foreign payments, Galstyan said. According to estimates of the Armenian cenbank, Russias economy will decline 6%, which would in turn have significant effect on Armenia. YEREVAN, MARCH 15, ARMENPRESS. In the period of March 2-15, about 6500 non-residents have entered Armenias banking system, President of the Central bank of Armenia Martin Galstyan said at a press conference, commenting on the problem with the opening of bank accounts facing some Russian citizens who have moved to Armenia. The CBA Governor said regardless of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the sanctions, the requirements for non-residents are always stricter in any banking system. He called the approaches of the Armenian banks in this respect quite right, stating that attraction of new clients by banks is taking place in accordance with proper procedures. This means that banks are properly examining their new clients, trying to understand whether they are transit clients or the center of their economic interest is Armenia. If the clients are attracted to Armenias banking system because the center of their economic interest has changed and became Armenia, I think there is no problem. If, according to the banks, the banking system of Armenia is used as a mechanism for conducting transit deals, in that case banks, of course, act at their own discretion, he said. He informed that as of this moment around 6500 non-residents have already entered Armenias banking system. A technician works at the National Ignition Facility. Scientists used the array of 196 lasers to create conditions similar to the hot gas inside gigantic galaxy clusters. CREDIT National Ignition Facility Galaxies rarely live alone. Instead, dozens to thousands are drawn together by gravity, forming vast clusters that are the largest objects in the universe. "Galaxy clusters are one of the most awe-inspiring things in the universe," said Prof. Emeritus Don Lamb, a University of Chicago astrophysicist and co-author on a new paper published March 9--one that may point the way towards solving a decades-long mystery. Scientists have long known that the hydrogen gas in galaxy clusters is searingly hot--about 10 million degrees Kelvin, or roughly the same temperature as the center of the sun--which is so hot that hydrogen atoms cannot exist. Instead the gas is a plasma consisting of protons and electrons. But a puzzle persists: There is no straightforward explanation for why or how the gas stays so hot. According to the normal rules of physics, it should have cooled within the age of the universe. But it hasn't. The challenge for anyone trying to solve this puzzle is that you can't exactly create these kinds of powerfully hot and magnetic conditions in your backyard. However, there is now one place on Earth where you can: the most energetic laser facility in the world. The National Ignition Facility at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory is able to create such extreme conditions--though only for a tiny fraction of a second in a volume the size of a dime. Scientists from UChicago, the University of Oxford, and the University of Rochester worked together to use the National Ignition Facility--located in Livermore, California--to create conditions similar to the hot gas in gigantic galaxy clusters. "The experiments conducted at the NIF are literally out of this world," said Jena Meinecke, who was the first author on the paper. The scientists focused 196 lasers onto a single tiny target, creating a white-hot plasma with intense magnetic fields that exists for a few billionths of a second. This was long enough for them to determine that instead of a uniform temperature, there were hot and cold spots in the plasma. This dovetails with one of the theories that has been proposed for how heat is trapped inside galaxy clusters. Normally, heat would be easily distributed as electrons collide with each other. But the tangled magnetic fields inside the plasma can affect these electrons, causing them to spiral along the direction of magnetic fields--which can prevent them from evenly distributing and dispersing their energy. In fact, in the experiment they saw that the conduction of energy was suppressed by more than a factor of 100. "This is an incredibly exciting result because we've been able to show that what astrophysicists have proposed is on the right track," said Lamb, the Robert A. Millikan Distinguished Service Professor Emeritus in Astronomy and Astrophysics. "This is indeed an astonishing result," added study co-author University of Rochester Prof. Petros Tzeferacos, who oversaw computer simulations of the complicated experiment. "The simulations were key to untangling the physics at play in the turbulent, magnetized plasma, but the level of thermal transport suppression was beyond what we expected." The simulations were done with a computer code called the FLASH codes, which was developed at the University of Chicago and is now hosted at the University of Rochester's Flash Center for Computational Science, which is led by Tzeferacos. The code allows scientists to simulate their laser experiments in exquisite detail before they do them, so that they can achieve the results they seek. This is critical because the scientists only get a precious few shots at the facility--if something goes wrong, there's no redo. And because the experiment conditions only last nanoseconds, the scientists have to make sure they make the measurements they need at exactly the right time. This means everything has to be precisely plotted out far ahead of time. "It's a challenge when you're at the very extremes of what can be done, but that's where the frontier is," said Lamb. More questions remain about the physics of galaxy clusters, however. Though the hot and cold spots are solid evidence for the impact of magnetic fields on the cooling of the hot gas in galaxy clusters, further experiments are needed to understand exactly what is happening. The group is planning its next round of experiments at NIF later this year. For the moment, though, they're happy to have shed light on why the gas in galaxy clusters is still hot even after billions of years. Galaxies rarely live alone. Instead, dozens to thousands are drawn together by gravity, forming vast clusters that are the largest objects in the universe. "Galaxy clusters are one of the most awe-inspiring things in the universe," said Prof. Emeritus Don Lamb, a University of Chicago astrophysicist and co-author on a new paper published March 9--one that may point the way towards solving a decades-long mystery. Scientists have long known that the hydrogen gas in galaxy clusters is searingly hot--about 10 million degrees Kelvin, or roughly the same temperature as the center of the sun--which is so hot that hydrogen atoms cannot exist. Instead the gas is a plasma consisting of protons and electrons. But a puzzle persists: There is no straightforward explanation for why or how the gas stays so hot. According to the normal rules of physics, it should have cooled within the age of the universe. But it hasn't. The challenge for anyone trying to solve this puzzle is that you can't exactly create these kinds of powerfully hot and magnetic conditions in your backyard. However, there is now one place on Earth where you can: the most energetic laser facility in the world. The National Ignition Facility at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory is able to create such extreme conditions--though only for a tiny fraction of a second in a volume the size of a dime. Scientists from UChicago, the University of Oxford, and the University of Rochester worked together to use the National Ignition Facility--located in Livermore, California--to create conditions similar to the hot gas in gigantic galaxy clusters. "The experiments conducted at the NIF are literally out of this world," said Jena Meinecke, who was the first author on the paper. The scientists focused 196 lasers onto a single tiny target, creating a white-hot plasma with intense magnetic fields that exists for a few billionths of a second. This was long enough for them to determine that instead of a uniform temperature, there were hot and cold spots in the plasma. This dovetails with one of the theories that has been proposed for how heat is trapped inside galaxy clusters. Normally, heat would be easily distributed as electrons collide with each other. But the tangled magnetic fields inside the plasma can affect these electrons, causing them to spiral along the direction of magnetic fields--which can prevent them from evenly distributing and dispersing their energy. In fact, in the experiment they saw that the conduction of energy was suppressed by more than a factor of 100. "This is an incredibly exciting result because we've been able to show that what astrophysicists have proposed is on the right track," said Lamb, the Robert A. Millikan Distinguished Service Professor Emeritus in Astronomy and Astrophysics. "This is indeed an astonishing result," added study co-author University of Rochester Prof. Petros Tzeferacos, who oversaw computer simulations of the complicated experiment. "The simulations were key to untangling the physics at play in the turbulent, magnetized plasma, but the level of thermal transport suppression was beyond what we expected." The simulations were done with a computer code called the FLASH codes, which was developed at the University of Chicago and is now hosted at the University of Rochester's Flash Center for Computational Science, which is led by Tzeferacos. The code allows scientists to simulate their laser experiments in exquisite detail before they do them, so that they can achieve the results they seek. This is critical because the scientists only get a precious few shots at the facility--if something goes wrong, there's no redo. And because the experiment conditions only last nanoseconds, the scientists have to make sure they make the measurements they need at exactly the right time. This means everything has to be precisely plotted out far ahead of time. "It's a challenge when you're at the very extremes of what can be done, but that's where the frontier is," said Lamb. More questions remain about the physics of galaxy clusters, however. Though the hot and cold spots are solid evidence for the impact of magnetic fields on the cooling of the hot gas in galaxy clusters, further experiments are needed to understand exactly what is happening. The group is planning its next round of experiments at NIF later this year. For the moment, though, they're happy to have shed light on why the gas in galaxy clusters is still hot even after billions of years. "It's a reminder that the universe is full of amazing things," said Lamb. The principle investigator on the experiment was Prof. Gianluca Gregori of Oxford University. Team members also included Oxford's Prof. Alexander Schekochihin, Princeton's Archie Bott, and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory's James Steven Ross. Please follow SpaceRef on Twitter and Like us on Facebook. YEREVAN, MARCH 15, ARMENPRESS. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan responded to the interview of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan, stating that "if Armenia also takes the issue of normalization of relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan and the establishment of peace in the region seriously, it should present its concrete proposals, ARMENPRESS reports the press service of MFA Azerbaijan told APA agency. "There is no need to reiterate our position, which we have stated many times. Taking into account the importance of the normalization of relations between the two countries and the chances of building a post-conflicr peace in the region, Azerbaijan has put forward relevant proposals and is ready to move in that direction. If Armenia also takes this issue seriously, it should present its concrete proposals, thereby demonstrating its readiness to start substantive talks," the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry said in a statement. In an interview with ARMENPRESS on March 15, Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan referred to the 5 points presented by the Azerbaijani side on starting negotiations on a peace treaty, emphasizing first of all that the negotiations on a peace treaty should be held without preconditions. As for the main proposals, the two countries, having signed the "Agreement on the Establishment of Cooperation of Independent States" on December 8, 1991, in fact have already recognized each other's territorial integrity and accepted that they have no territorial claims towards each other. It should be noted that the provisions mentioned in the proposal do not fully reflect the whole agenda of the existing problems. It is vital for the Armenian side that the rights and freedoms of the Armenians of Artsakh are clearly guaranteed, and the status of Nagorno-Karabakh is finally clarified. For us, the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is not a territorial issue, but a matter of rights, FM Mirzoyan had said earlier today. On March 11, Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov announced that Baku had sent to Yerevan a five-point document on normalization of relations and is waiting for a response. On March 14, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan made public the contents of the document, noting that Baku is ready to negotiate a peace treaty with Yerevan on the condition that Armenia will accept these "five basic principles." Below are the 5 points of the Azerbaijani document: - Mutual recognition of sovereignty, territorial integrity, inviolability of borders, political independence from each other, - Mutual confirmation of renouncing territorial claims against each other; legal obligation and other encroachments in the future; - The Parties undertake to refrain from threatening each other's security in interstate relations, from threatening political independence and territorial integrity, as well as from other circumstances which are contrary to the Charter of the United Nations; - Demarcation of the state border, establishment of diplomatic relations, - Opening of roads and communications, establishment of other relevant communications and cooperation in other areas of mutual interest. Despite Baku's loud declarations of readiness for normalization of relations and peace in the region, Azerbaijan is doing the exact opposite in practice, continuing to destroy the Armenian historical and cultural heritage of Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding regions, while escalating tensions on both the Armenian-Azerbaijani border and in Artsakh. Last week, the authorities of the Artsakh Republic reported that the Azerbaijani armed forces fired on a number of Armenian settlements, in particular, the communities of Khramort, Nakhichevanik of Askeran region and Khnushinak and Karmir Shuka of Martuni region. On March 10, a resident of the village of Khramort was wounded by Azerbaijani fire while working in the garden of his house. YEREVAN, MARCH 15, ARMENPRESS. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has handed over a letter to the Secretary General of the Council of Europe on quitting Russias mmbership to the organization, ARMENPRESS reports, citing TASS, Deputy Speaker of the Russian State Duma, the head of the Russian delegation to the PACE Pyotr Tolstoy said, adding that Russia is leaving the Council of Europe voluntarily. "It's a well-considered decision," Tolstoy said. Leonid Slutsky, Chairman of the State Duma Committee on Foreign Affairs, in his turn stated that by withdrawing from the Council of Europe, Russia will repeal the European Convention on Human Rights. But he added that despite this, all the rights of Russians will be guaranteed. YEREVAN, 15 MARCH, ARMENPRESS. Within the framework of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum, Foreign Minister of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan gave an interview to "Anadolu" agency. "Armenpress" presents the text of the interview provided by the MFA Armenia. Question: What would you like to express about your participation at the Antalya Diplomacy Forum? Answer: I want to walk you through the highlights of the developments between Armenia and Turkey during the previous months. The leaders of the two countries Prime Minister Pashinyan and President Ergodan exchanged public statements, expressing readiness to launch talks between the two countries. Later the two countries appointed Special Representatives for the dialogue between Armenia and Turkey. They have already had 2 meetings respectively in Moscow and Vienna agreeing to continue negotiations without preconditions aimed at full normalization of the relations. I paid a visit to Antalya to participate in the Antalya Diplomatic Forum to reiterate once again the political will of the Government of the Republic of Armenia to achieve full normalization of relations with Turkey and open the era of peaceful and sustainable development in the region. Question: How would you evaluate the ongoing normalization process between Turkey and Armenia? Answer: Overall, we consider it positive. Armenia is ready to establish diplomatic relations and to the opening of the borders with Turkey. I was glad to hear from my Turkish counterpart that there is a political will on their side to lead the process to that end as well. Amid the rapidly developing situation in the world, I do believe we should not hesitate to undertake concrete steps. Question: What are the benefits of the normalization process for Armenian and Turkish people? Answer: People are already benefiting from direct flights between Yerevan and Istanbul. Opening of the borders will have its positive impact on the connectivity, trade and economic relations between the two countries, people to people contacts and overall stability in the region. Question: Are there going to be reciprocal official visits between Turkey and Armenia? Did you extend an invitation to Turkish officials to visit Armenia or received an invitation to visit Turkey? Answer: Let me emphasize that this is the first visit of a high-level official of Armenia to Turkey in a decade. Needless to mention that if the process of normalization proceeds smoothly and we achieve positive results, mutual visits can take place. Question: What can you tell us about the Armenian people's approach to the normalization process? Answer: Generally, the population of Armenia wants to normalize relations with Turkey. It is reflected in public opinion polls, as well. Of course, both in Armenian and Turkish societies, there are certain groups that, let me say, are skeptical about this process. Officials from both sides should take political leadership to address these issues. During my meeting with Minister Chavushoglu, we have exchanged views on certain sensitivities and I hope that they will be taken into account. YEREVAN, 15 MARCH, ARMENPRESS. The President of the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia Alen Simonyan received a letter of thanks from the Speaker of the US House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi. As ARMENPRESS was infomred from the press service of the parliament of Armenia, the letter runs as follows, Dear Alen Simonyan, It is wonderful that we are celebrating the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Republic of Armenia and the United States. It was a special honor for me to welcome you and your delegation to the United States Capitol on January 19. Our meeting was important for discussing the efforts made in Armenia towards democracy. The Speaker of the House of Representatives also referred to the details of the meeting with Alen Simonyan, emphasizing that she highly appreciates their dialogue on security issues in the region and the world in general. Nancy Pelosi once again thanked for being awarded with the Order of Honor. In the concluding part of the letter, she stressed the need for the continuation of the dialogue. The delegation led by the President of the National Assembly of Armenia Alen Simonyan paid a working visit to Washington in January 2022 at the invitation of the Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi. US Department of State announced the imposition of sanctions again 11 high-ranking representatives of the Russian forces and military-industrial complex Monday, including Russian National Guard head Viktor Zolotov, head of Russian Federal Service on military-technical cooperation Dmitry Shugayev, Rosoboronexport CEO Alexander Mikheyev and eight Russian Deputy Defense Ministers, Tass informs. March 15, 2022, 10:22 US Department of State announces sanctions against 11 Russian defense officials STEPANAKERT, MARCH 15, ARTSAKHPRESS: "The world has watched in horror as Russia has perpetrated a premeditated, unprovoked, and unjustified attack on Ukraine. Russias further invasion of Ukraine. []Today, the Department of State is continuing to impose severe costs on Russian defense leaders," the Department of State said in its statement. "The following 11 individuals are being designated pursuant to E.O. 14024 Section 1(a)(i), as persons who operate or have operated in the defense and related materiel sector of the Russian Federation economy," the statement follows. The sanctions are being imposed, inter alia, against Russian Deputy Ministers of Defense Alexey Krivoruchko, Timur Ivanov, Yunus-Bek Evkurov, Dmitry Bulgakov, Yury Sadovenko, Nikolay Pankov, Ruslan Tsalikov and Gennady Zhidko. The inclusion to the sanctions list means freezing of all assets in the US and ban for US citizens or companies for having business with people on the list, the statement notes. 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 developments unfolding, the Russian Defense Ministry reassured that Russian troops are not targeting Ukrainian cities, but are limited to surgically striking and incapacitating Ukrainian military infrastructure After that, the US, the EU, the UK and a number of other states imposed sanctions against Russian citizens and companies. Cayuga Community College President Brian Durant will be the guest on "Inside Government with Guy Cosentino" on Tuesday. Durant will give an update on the college, including changes to this years commencement in May and the opening of the Advanced Manufacturing Institute in Fulton and Culinary Institute in Auburn. The show airs at 7 p.m. on Spectrum channel 12 on Tuesday and at 8 p.m. Thursday and will replay on Spectrum channels 12 and 98 and Verizon channel 31 on Saturday and Sunday at 5 p.m. from the Auburn Regional Media Access (ARMA). That will be followed by "Beyond The Front Page with Guy Cosentino" with Auburn YMCAs Camp Director Melissa Kanga Cartner to discuss their programming at the Y-Camp on Owasco Lake. The show airs at 7:30 p.m. on Spectrum 12 on Tuesday and at 8:30 p.m. Thursday and will replay on Spectrum 12 and 98 and Verizon channel 31 on Saturday and Sunday at 5:30 p.m. from ARMA. On Thursday, the guest on "Inside Government with Guy Cosentino" will be state Sen. Pamela Helming for a Senate update. The interview airs at 7 p.m. on Spectrum 12 on Thursday and at 8 p.m. March 22 and will replay on Spectrum 12 and 98 and Verizon channel 31 on Saturday and Sunday at 6 p.m. from the ARMA. That will be followed by a second "Inside Government with Guy Cosentino" that will feature state Assemblyman Brian Manktelow for an Assembly update. The interview will air at 7:30 p.m. Thursday and repeat March 22 at 8:30 p.m. as well as Saturday and Sunday at 6:30 p.m. on Spectrum 12 and 98 and Verizon 31. Both Sen. Helming and Assemblyman Manktelow will be asked about where the state is in the process for the 2022-2023 budget that is due on April 1, the recent closure of six prisons and the performance of new Gov. Kathy Hochul. All programs this semester will be streamed live and archived on the departments YouTube channel, Media@Cayuga. Viewers can open YouTube in a browser or app and then enter Media@Cayuga in the search bar. The shows are rebroadcast starting at 10 a.m. each Saturday morning on the CCCs radio station, WDWN89.1 FM. They are also posted to auburnpub.com. Among the remaining guests scheduled in March are Cayuga County Legislative Chairman David Gould, City Manager Jeff Dygert, Auburn Housing Authority Executive Director Stephanie Hutchinson, H. Justin Terreri, the executive director of the Syracuse Regional Airport Authority at Hancock Airport, and representatives of the Auburn Doubledays. The annual Auburn Enlarged City School District Board of Education candidate forum is scheduled for on May 3. Viewers with questions for any of the shows guests can e-mail cozguytho@aol.com. The shows are taped at CCC on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons by the students of the colleges Telecom/Media Department. Love 0 Funny 2 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Village governments throughout New York state are holding elections on Tuesday, March 15, and that includes a handful in the Cayuga County area. In Aurora, voters can head to the polling place at the Aurora Firehouse, 456 Main St., from noon to 9 p.m. To choose mayoral and trustee candidates. James Orman is running for the four-year mayor's term. Seeking two four-year trustee seats are Erin Weber, L. John Miller and Matt Bianconi. A race to fill a two-year trustee position features Frank Zimdahl on the ballot. The village of Cayuga has two trustee seats carrying two-year terms. Shane Ellis is the only candidate on the ballot, meaning the second seat will be filled through write-in votes. The election takes place from noon to 9 p.m. at the village office, 6205 Railroad St. In Fair Haven, where voting runs from noon to 9 p.m. at the village hall, 14523 Cayuga St., David Guynn, Brittany Jackson and Dianna Nesbitt are seeking two four-year trustee seats. In Jordan, an election is being held to fill a vacant trustee seat with one year remaining on the term. Joshua Bates is on the ballot. Voting runs from noon to 9 p.m. At Jordan Bramley Library, 15 Mechanic St. Meridian has two positions on its ballot. Alisha Wheeler is running unopposed for a trustee seat. A village justice seat has no candidate names on the ballot. Voting is from noon to 9 p.m. at Town of Cato Office, 11320 Short Cut Road. Union Springs voters will select two trustee candidates to fill two-year terms. Brian Cornell and Donna O'Hara are running for the seats. The village meeting room, 26 Chapel St., serves as the polling place and is open from noon to 9 p.m. In Weedsport, two four-year terms as village trustees are on the ballot, with two candidates running: Chad Platten and Steven Sims. Voting runs from noon to 9 p.m. at the village office, 8892 South St. Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 1 Sad 0 Angry 0 Cayuga Community College is one of more than 40 State University of New York schools receiving a share of $4.5 million in funding to support campus child care centers. Andrew Poole, a CCC spokesman, confirmed the college's child care center received $108,500. The funding was used to hire and train additional child care staff. "We appreciate New York Gov. Kathy Hochul's support for the Cayuga Community College Child Care Center, and the acknowledgment of how important child care needs are across the state," CCC President Brian Durant said. "Our child care center is an important resource we are proud to offer our community, and the additional support announced (Friday) will help us continue enhancing the services we offer." CCC received the funding through an initiative to support child care centers at SUNY campuses. To support the expansion of child care at SUNY campuses, $4.5 million in federal and state funds were distributed. Most of the funds ($3.9 million) were included in federal COVID-19 relief packages. According to Hochul's office, all SUNY child care centers received grants from this pot of money. An additional $500,000 was provided to 16 SUNY campuses for an early childhood worker paid internship program. The funds will be used to hire students in early childhood programs to work and gain experience in child care settings. The state is also awarding $80,000 to 11 campus child care centers to ensure Americans with Disabilities Act compliance and replace outdated classroom equipment. In the 2020-21 academic year, SUNY child care centers had more than 4,000 slots and served 1,200 student parents. Additional slots were available for children of employees, plus community members. "Child care services are a critical part of our economic recovery, providing parents much-needed support as they pursue an education or join the workforce," Hochul said. "This funding is an important step toward my administration's goal of eliminating child care deserts across SUNY campuses statewide and adequately investing in our state's students, faculty and working parents." In Auburn, Cayuga Community College filled a void by buying the former Neighborhood House property on Wall Street in 2019. Neighborhood House was a day care center that operated for more than a century before it closed in 2016. CCC bought neighboring Wall Street properties to expand its child care center. The sale closed in January. Online producer Robert Harding can be reached at (315) 282-2220 or robert.harding@lee.net. Follow him on Twitter @robertharding. Love 2 Funny 1 Wow 1 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. The November 2018 Woolsey Fire in Southern California left more than a vast burn scar on the landscape. For months it also left unusually high levels of fecal bacteria and suspended sediment in the coastal waters off Los Angeles and Ventura counties. For a new study published in Nature Scientific Reports, scientists combined satellite imagery, precipitation data, and water quality reports to assess two standard parameters for coastal water quality after the fire: the presence of fecal indicator bacteria and the turbidity, or cloudiness, of the water. When it rains, runoff typically carries some bacteria and sediment from the land into coastal waters. But the huge spike in both following the fire was anything but typical. Fecal indicator bacteria originate in the gastrointestinal tracts of humans and other warm-blooded animals. While fecal indicator bacteria are not harmful, they can indicate the presence of other potentially harmful bacteria and pathogens found in feces. Turbidity has other implications: Cloudy, murky water results in less sunlight reaching marine life like kelp and phytoplankton. "Post-fire, we saw drastic water quality changes, particularly at beaches draining the burned area," said the study's lead author, Marisol Cira, a doctoral candidate at the University of California, Los Angeles, and an intern at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). "In those areas, both total coliform bacteria and enterococcus were far greater than pre-fire levels, as was turbidity plume size." The researchers concluded that the post-fire monthly average of total coliforms--a large group of fecal indicator bacteria that can be found in soil, on plants, and in human waste--was ten times higher than it was for any month in the previous twelve years. Enterococcus, which indicates the presence of bacteria that can cause gastrointestinal disease, was 53 times higher, well above what is considered safe for recreational use of the water. (Local authorities issued water quality warnings at the time.) The maps above show satellite measurements of turbidity off the Southern California coast in March 2018, before the Woolsey Fire, and in late November, after it had consumed nearly 100,000 acres of forest and chapparal. The natural-color image below shows turbid coastal waters on November 30, 2018, as observed by the European Space Agency's Sentinel 2 satellite. Cira and colleagues found that bacteria levels remained high through February 2019 and took six months to return to pre-fire levels. Turbidity remained high for three months before returning to previous levels. To assess turbidity levels, the study team analyzed satellite imagery from before, during, and after the fire. They were able to estimate the size of sediment plumes that moved into coastal waters following rain events, when turbidity levels usually increase. They found that the surface areas of turbidity plumes during the first storm following the Woolsey Fire were about 10 times greater than those following similar rain events from pre-fire years. During normal conditions, soil absorbs much of the water that falls when it rains, preventing a lot of bacteria and sediment from making its way to the coast. But after a fire, that is not the case. "When a fire burns through a forest, it increases the amount of vegetation litter on the ground and changes the chemistry of the soils in a way that makes them unable to absorb water," said Christine Lee, a study co-author at JPL. "So rather than getting absorbed into the soil, rain runs off into local water bodies and coastal systems, carrying sediment and bacteria with it." The researchers also examined the amount of post-fire fecal indicator bacteria in the water under different weather conditions. They found that more bacteria were present in wet weather than in dry weather; but in both cases, average monthly bacteria levels showed dramatic and prolonged increases over pre-fire levels. "Usually when there's a spike of bacteria in the water, it only lasts a day or two," said Luke Ginger, scientist and study coauthor from the nonprofit group Heal the Bay. "But after the fire, there were months of sustained high bacteria. So that was a big concern." Wildfire seasons are becoming longer and more intense due to climate change; in fact, the seven largest California wildfires on record have occurred during the past four years. "Climate change will likely exacerbate the effects we see here in terms of water quality as wildfire and rainfall patterns continue to change," said Ginger. "A key part in protecting our ecosystems and communities is understanding these emerging threats and spreading awareness about them." While this study examined only the effects of the 2018 Woolsey Fire, an upcoming NASA project called KelpFire (funded by NASA's Minority University Research and Education Program) will explore additional coastal watersheds in California. This effort will dive deeper into how fire-related impacts like those discussed in this study affect the greater coastal ecosystem, such as kelp forests. NASA Earth Observatory images by Lauren Dauphin, using data from Cira, Marisol, et al. (2022) and using modified Copernicus Sentinel data (2022) processed by the European Space Agency. Story by Esprit Smith, NASA's Earth Science News Team. More imagery Please follow SpaceRef on Twitter and Like us on Facebook. A mobile home park in the town of Fleming has new owners. Locust Meadows, a 7.8-acre property, was sold at auction on Thursday. The winning bid of $160,000 was submitted by Kerry and Jared Smith, according to Cayuga County Sheriff Brian Schenck. The Smiths beat out 12 other bidders to win the auction. The winning bid is slightly higher than the sale price of the mobile home park the last time it was sold. It was purchased by Sharon Hitchings for $145,000 in 2015. The mobile home park was seized last fall after Hitchings failed to pay more than $55,000 in fines for not providing drinking water to residents and not monitoring the water supply. A boil water order that was issued three years ago has been renewed every quarter, the Cayuga County Health Department told The Citizen. The order remains in effect. Seized Cayuga County mobile home park to be auctioned off FLEMING A Cayuga County mobile home park will be auctioned off after its owner failed to p In June 2019, the health department issued a complaint outlining the violations committed by Locust Meadows. But Hitchings did not respond to the complaint and did not attend a hearing in July 2019. The hearing officer concluded that Hitchings was guilty of the violations and ordered her to pay $55,000 in fines. The Cayuga County Board of Health accepted the hearing officer's findings at its September 2019 meeting. Hitchings did not attend the meeting. After Hitchings failed to pay the fines, Cayuga County sought a judgement against her. The judgement issued in September 2021 allowed the sheriff's office to seize the property. At the time of the seizure, interest and fees increased the total amount of fines to $63,668. "The county has really tried to resolve this issue and has assisted but we can't continue to do this," said Eileen O'Connor, who heads the health department's environmental health division. "The park needs to be brought into compliance with the rules and regulations of the state of New York." Once it was seized, the county scheduled an auction to sell the mobile home park. Louise Bonilla, a Locust Meadows resident for more than 25 years, told The Citizen that she is worried the buyer could use the park for another use and evict the residents. The Smiths could not be reached to comment on whether they plan to continue operating the property as a mobile home park. Online producer Robert Harding can be reached at (315) 282-2220 or robert.harding@lee.net. Follow him on Twitter @robertharding. Love 2 Funny 1 Wow 4 Sad 3 Angry 2 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. ALBANY While New Yorkers pay nearly 28% more per capita in federal taxes than residents of other states, the state was the recipient of a larger slice of total federal spending in the 2020 fiscal year than it got for the past several years, according to state Comptroller Tom DiNapoli. In fact, in what proved to be an unusual year in fiscal affairs, New York stopped being an overall "donor state" one that sends more money to the federal government than it gets in return, DiNapoli said in a new report. "Everybody has gotten more money from Washington than they've sent, which is a change from past years," the comptroller said in an interview with CNHI. "The big factor in all of this is the incredible infusion of federal assistance in response to COVID-19," DiNapoli added. But DiNapoli cautioned that it won't be surprising if New York, within the next two years, returns to being one of the donor states. A major part of the federal relief for New York involved aid for the surge in unemployment claims that inundated the state Department of Labor after thousands of businesses were required to close their doors in March 2020 due to pandemic restrictions imposed by the state government. On that score, New Yorkers received $47.4 billion in unemployment compensation. Another $39.3 billion came in via the Paycheck Protection Program. New York received $146 billion more from the federal government in 2020 than it paid in federal taxes, or $7,236 per capita. New York ranked fourth in per capita federal taxes, trailing New Jersey, Massachusetts and Connecticut, the comptroller reported. Meanwhile, federal spending rose in New York more rapidly than it did in other states. That measure looked at both grants to state and local governments and direct payments to individuals, including benefits such as Social Security, food assistance, Medicare and those from veterans' programs. An estimated $228.3 billion in direct payments was made by the federal government to individuals in New York, producing what DiNapoli called a per capita figure that was moderately higher than the national average. DiNapoli has continued a tradition begun by the late Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan of analyzing the balance of payments between the state and federal governments. Moynihan routinely found the state he represented in Washington was routinely being shortchanged in the relationship. The imbalance has continued in most years since. The giant stimulus packages doled out by the federal government altered the conventional trajectory of spending in 2020. DiNapoli found for every dollar New York generated in federal tax receipts it got back $1.59 in 2020. Though that was a better take than the 91 cents return it got the previous year, it was still below the national average of $1.92. Asked if there are any steps that could be taken for New York to do better in the balance of payments, DiNapoli suggested that government officials could try to ensure that all New Yorkers who are eligible for various federal benefit programs enroll in them. He also said members of the state's congressional delegation could seek to rally support for more federal employment in the state. He also said the state could seek more federal contracts that lead to job creation. Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 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. IM sets up new sales unit SAIC Motors premium auto brand IM registers a new sales service company on March 15 with a registered capital of RMB50 million. The new firms business scope covers the sales of automotive parts, sales of charging piles. The new firm is wholly-owned by IM Motors Technology Co., Ltd. Photo credit: IM XPeng registers new company in Dongguan XPengs sales subsidiary in Dongguan incorporates another sales service company in the city with a registered capital of RMB5 million. The new companys business scope covers the evaluation of second-hand vehicles, sales of new energy vehicles and accessories. Lynk&Co opens first virtual showroom in Baidu's metaverse On March 14th, the local automaker, Lynk&Co, has officially launched its digital showroom in Baidus metaverse, XiRang, offering an innovative experience for users. Midea Group plans to produce automotive chips in scale in 2024 On March 15th, Chinas home appliance conglomerate, Midea Group, revealed that the company is planning to mass-produce automotive chips in 2024 for new energy vehicles' water pump control. Hainan expects EV charging piles to cover all cities, counties, towns in 2022 EV charging piles are expected to fully cover all cities, counties, and towns in the southern Chinese island province of Hainan by the end of 2022, according to a document recently issued by the Hainan Provincial Development and Reform Commission. China likely to be second country to recognize L3 autonomous vehicles China local authorities are said to recognize autonomous driving vehicles as part of the open road traffic participants, therefore issuing L3 autonomous vehicles with official license plates, reliable sources told a local media outlet on March 14th. FAW Audi denies to relocate sales unit to Hangzhou on April 15 FAW Audi is reportedly relocating its sales headquarters, namely FAW Audi Sales Co., Ltd., from Changchun to the southern city, Hangzhou on April 15th, local media outlets reported on March 14th. Tesla launches second price rise for China-made models within 1 week Tesla bumped up prices of some versions of the China-made Model 3 and Model Y by 18,000 yuan ($2,830) to 20,000 yuan ($3,145), according to the information updated on March 15 on Tesla China's website. Notably, this was the second-time price increase the U.S. EV manufacturer launched for China-built vehicles within one week. Ganfeng Lithium scores 405% YoY surge in 2021 net profit Jiangxi Ganfeng Lithium Co. Ltd. (Ganfeng Lithium), one of the world's top producers of automotive-grade lithium, announced on Monday its annual gross revenue in 2021 surged 102.07% year on year to roughly 11.162 billion yuan ($1.755 billion). The shocking Russian invasion of Ukraine has left most Americans bewildered, angry and deeply troubled. But exactly how our nation should respond remains unclear. Polls have shown a surprising number of Americans uncertain about the desirability of sanctions or the admission of Ukraine into NATO, although most wholeheartedly support President Joe Bidens refusal to deploy combat troops. But few recognize that another Democratic president, also in office less than two years, faced a near-identical crisis over 100 years ago. In the early weeks of World War I in 1914, news of the brutal German invasion of Belgium reached President Woodrow Wilson and the American public. Wilson, though deeply sympathetic to the Belgians, recognized that the attack complicated his vision for Americas place in the European war. The United States and its people, he had believed, must remain impartial in thought as well as in action. Only then would the nation be in a position to play a significant role in the eventual peace process and postwar reconstruction of Europe. The president, then, consciously refused to denounce the German invasion, a decision Wilsons great political adversary Theodore Roosevelt came to violently oppose. But Roosevelt initially believed Wilson had handled the situation appropriately. The Belgians dilemma, Roosevelt observed, was unfortunate but not surprising. When giants are engaged in a death wrestle, he wrote, they are certain to trample on whoever gets in the way of either of the huge, straining combatants. Just as today, few Americans possessed more than a rudimentary understanding of what had caused the war in Europe or even the Belgian invasion. We are a very shortsighted and ignorant people in international affairs, Roosevelt grumbled. Still, most desperately wanted to do something for Belgium. Some Americans enlisted in the French or British armies, but the easiest way to help was to give to the now-ubiquitous Belgian relief charities. Even children willingly participated, dutifully surrendering their pennies to adopt their starving counterparts in Belgium. For the celebrated social worker Jane Addams, these activities were simply not enough. As a pacifist who viewed war as especially destructive to the reforms she had advocated for years, Addams believed the Wilson administration needed to do much more. Our neutrality should be a vigorous and dynamic kind that is not content to sit still with folded hands waiting for Europe to cease fighting, she said. Such peace is not worthy of a great people. Nor is it enough to send shiploads of food and clothing to destitute Belgians, splendid as that is. Addams, Roosevelt and Wilson, all progressives of the early 20th century stripe, understood that the Belgian invasion and the European war were of critical importance to the United States. Roosevelt, though never quite advocating war, at least before 1917, believed it was essential for the United States to beef up its pathetically small army of some 100,000 men. Otherwise, America would be in no position to assist small nations such as Belgium violated by predatory powers. For Addams, militarism of any kind was never the answer. Americas efforts should be directed toward finding a way to end the conflict. The United States, she said, should throw every bit of its power into the scale for peace. Wilson, like Biden today, faced the greatest burden. He understood that much of the country strongly opposed American involvement in European affairs. On the other hand, American trade with the Allies and travel to Europe resulted in multiple disturbing incidents (the sinking of the British ocean liner RMS Lusitania, among others) between 1914 and 1917, pushing the country dangerously close to involvement in war. For more than two years, Wilson managed to thread a very difficult needle. He placated pacifists such as Addams by his interest in peacemaking and a future League of Nations, while also moving toward the military preparedness Roosevelt advocated. But ultimately Germanys decision to resume unrestricted submarine warfare in early 1917 forced Wilson into a war he never wanted. By then, he came to believe involvement was necessary if the U.S. was to have any influence in the peace process and a new world order. Wilsons decision for war had enormous ramifications. Bolstered by American forces, the Allies decisively defeated Germany in 1918, imposed harsh conditions at Versailles and set the stage for a second World War 20 years later. In 2022, Biden must also weigh the considerable potential impact of his response to the crisis in Ukraine. Any move in the wrong direction might lead to a wider war, a disrupted global order and serious political setbacks for the Democratic Party, the identical challenges faced by Wilson between 1914 and 1917. But unlike Wilson, Biden has at his disposal 21st century tools such as powerful economic sanctions and the support of a virtually united international community. Only time will tell whether they will be enough to resolve the current crisis. Neil Lanctot is the author of The Approaching Storm: Roosevelt, Wilson, Addams, and Their Clash Over Americas Future. The book chronicles Americas path to eventual involvement in World War I. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Debra Edgertons Voices Along the Stream is a piece of art in motion. Narrow slivers of paper cascade down the length of a tall, hanging scroll, each piece filled with the words of African American poets; Japanese haikus penned in tiny lettering. Edgerton is beckoning her audience to really see, look closely. Where the slices of paper meet on the scroll, like two rivers converging to create a larger body, she said, is symbolic of her cultural heritage. The daughter of an African American father and a Japanese mother, through her work Edgerton explores her own identity and the moments of confluence and separation therein. Her exhibit, Between Two Edges, is currently on display at the Episcopal Church of the Epiphany as part of the Art in Action series and features watercolor paintings as well as a set of kakejiku, or hanging scrolls. A professor at Northern Arizona University and working artist, it wasnt until graduate school that Edgerton began to think of her identity as multiple parts of a whole as something that lent itself to her own analysis and examination. Growing up in Junction City, Kansas, she simply existed as would any child with culture, and language and food intermingling seamlessly at home. Breakfast was often green tea over rice with pickled cucumbers, cabbage and fried eggs. Other times meals consisted of fried chicken or black-eyed peas sharing the table with sushi or curry. They lived near Fort Riley Army base where there were other kids who had African American fathers and Asian mothers. Edgertons high school was almost entirely white but both elementary and middle school had been very diverse. Her parents didnt talk much about their past. Edgertons father was military police during the occupation of Japan following World War II and saw her mother walking home one day. He introduced himself with the help of a translator. But their overall silence about the war and about their cultural heritage was palpable. It was something Edgerton began to explore in her art, though not until much later. Her initial interest in and practice of art lay more in its technicality and less in what it might help to convey. Then in grad school, it became, What do you want to talk about in your art,? Edgerton, who has a master of fine arts in painting and interdisciplinary art from both the San Francisco Institute of Art and Vermont College of Fine Art, said Then we started talking in terms of theory and people were taking these ideas and putting them within a visual vocabulary and I said, I can do that." Watercolor The watercolors that comprise Between Two Edges are By the Grace of God, and Matsuri and have been put side by side for the exhibit as if Edgerton is placing her cultural identities in conversation with one another. For the former, Edgerton painted African American women in different formations of grief. Inspired by statues of mourning women in a Venitian cemetery, Edgerton painted her subjectsmany of them her friends and colleagueswhile they recounted their own experiences of death and loss. By collecting their stories and immortalizing those on canvas, Edgerton seeks to restore the agency often taken from Black women in the face of tragedy, specifically in the wake of police shootings when victims mothers and daughters, aunts and sisters so often become public spectacleeven in the throes of something so personal and violent. When I was at the cemetery, what I walked away with was how empowered and spiritual those sculptures looked. I wanted to be able to restructure the narrative of what grief could look like for women of color, something that has been so prominent in the national spotlight, Edgerton said. I didnt want people to walk away without this idea that there is a grace and a power within a womans grief. In Matsuri, Edgerton illustrates festival season in Japan. She painted the series while studying different forms of storytelling in Japan for her scroll series. Matsuri is in many ways Edgertons finding context, that is, witnessing firsthand festivals her mother would have celebrated as a girl, painted years later by her daughter in striking reds and yellows. I attended as many matsuri (the word for festival) as I could in Kyoto, Osaka and Tokyo. I wanted to get a feel for what it would have been like during the Japan of my mother and grandparents days, the music, the kimonos, the colors and textures, and food and celebration, Edgerton said. These festivals celebrated their history and their region. In Matsuri, place, as is true of many Edgerton's works, is tantamount to the art and thus the artists journey of self-discovery. The paintings are firmly rooted in Japan, which in turn is firmly rooted within Edgerton, those ties only growing deeper and more complex with each brushstroke Cultural identity can speak to your own background, but place is also part of it, Edgerton said. Kakejiku and Kawarimono While the watercolor series address what is distinct to Edgertons African American heritage separately of her Japanese one and vice versa, her kakejiku are a means to synthesize the two The only element of Between Two Edges that is displayed in person, Edgerton's kakejiku are made of African and Japanese paper and poetry, but also incorporate materials gathered on the Colorado Plateau. Twigs, berries, leaves and other materials native to the region make their way into several of the scrolls, firmly anchoring both Edgerton and the audience to the land they stand on. We are once again reminded that place informs who she is; a synthesis of cultural elements, from Africa, Japan and Arizona, the scrolls reflect their creator. A fairytale Edgerton wrote accompanies the scrolls. Partially autobiographical, the story, which shares the same title as the exhibit, begins with protagonist Kawarimonos desire to learn more about herself. So she leaves her village, a place where her parents never share stories of their past and where she feels she must wear many masks, never sure what culture she belongs to. She knows her ancestry traces back to two tribes but doesn't know their history and hasnt met any of their members. Kawarimono sets out to find the information for herself She eventually finds the tribes, the shadow people and the mist people, living on different banks of two rivers, that, while separate, flow parallel. She recognizes their language and many of their customs Kawarimono falls asleep on a bank between the rivers but wakes up to a storm that causes them to swell into one powerful body of water. Symbolic of her cultures joining as in the Voices Along the Stream scroll, through this flood, Kawarimono sees how the rivers can exist separately as well as together. The water recedes and Kawarimono begins walking. So, she then waded across the shallow part of the river by the shore and started her journey on the bank between the two rivers. This was the path that she would call her own, Edgerton writes in the fairytale. With the scrolls, I want to tell the story of how this person is trying to find a way of integrating her two identities, she said. For Edgerton herself, that process was in no way simple or linear, but exquisitely complex and drawn out over many years. You are shooting forward and into the past, back and forth. It reminds me of the multiverse in Spiderman or (mythologist) Joseph Campbells heros journey, she said. Its never quite linear but rather a back and forth of understanding. Sometimes Edgerton found herself advocating more loudly for her Japanese side, which seemed to be less readily apparent to people, other times her African American heritage took center stage, as she a woman of color often has to fight to be heard. As the exhibit shows, selfhood and identity exist in a constant state of fluctuation, joining and disjoining in a dance that Edgerton has learned to communicate elegantly and crisply, boldly and completely over many years of close inspection. In terms of dealing with two cultures, I found myself constantly going back and forth. Cultural heritage is a little intangible and I wanted to honor both sides of my heritage in my art, she said. I think it was when I really started talking about cultural intersections and the distinctly different situations that my art started to gell. In the two sets of watercolor paintings, I am speaking to a specific issue that seems to carry more weight in one community over the other. But with the scrolls, I want to tell the story of how the person is trying to find a way of integrating both. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Flagstaff police are searching for Juan Bernardo-Valenzuela Santa Cruz in connection with a shooting early Sunday. The shooting happened shortly before 3:30 a.m. Sunday at a home on South Yale Street, according to Flagstaff Police Department spokesman Sgt. Odis Brockman. Brockman said the shooting stemmed from an argument and the victim's injuries were non-life-threatening. Officials said the suspected shooter has been "tentatively identified" as Cruz of Flagstaff. He was described as a 130-pound, 5-foot-7 Hispanic male with dark-colored hair. A vehicle description was not immediately available. He is believed to be armed, according to Brockman. Police are seeking the public's help in locating Cruz. Officials warned not to approach the man, but instead, call the Flagstaff Police Department at 928-774-1414 or Silent Witness at 928-774-6111. Tips can also be submitted anonymously online at https://new.tipsubmit.com/en/create-report/anonymous/flagstaff.az.gov?fbclid=IwAR1afIbZXDpROt05VITzPNRq6NfrTdSF01TEjrvGkSixahuYM_wqOFbSMS0. Reporter Bree Burkitt can be reached at 928-556-2250 or bburkitt@azdailysun.com. Love 0 Funny 2 Wow 2 Sad 2 Angry 0 Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. To engage with any source of news lately means that Ukraine will be featured prominently, whether you are on social media, scrolling through newspaper articles, or even going old school by listening to the radio or watching television. This column is joining the trend by discussing Ukraines national animal: the Common Nightingale. The Ukrainian word for this bird is soloveiko, which is also used as a term of endearment. The Common Nightingale is best known for its singing, and the name refers to this birds habit of singing at night. (The term galen means to sing in Old English.) In addition to being loud, Common Nightingale songs include a variety of trills, gurgles and whistles. Their song is among the most complex in the avian world, with hundreds of different syllables. Its common to see them singing from exposed perches, though when not singing, they often take cover in thick vegetation and are hard to spot. These birds sing for extended periods, and their songs are all the more noticeable because so few species of birds sing at night. In this species, only unpaired males do so, suggesting the function of nocturnal song is to attract females. Singing at dawn likely serves the purpose of defending ones territory. Though the song is loud in all habitats, that is especially true in urban areas where it is presumed that birds must add extra volume to be heard above the other sounds in the environment. The Common Nightingale is brown above, though the tail has a slight reddish cast. The throat is a light gray and the underparts are also very pale. Overall, the bird is plain in appearance with no distinct markings. Males and females look essentially the same, and both sexes feed and care for the young until they are ready to be independent. These birds feed on invertebrates, berries and seeds. When feeding on the ground, often in leaf litter with dense cover, they are very active, hopping while flicking the wings and holding the tail upright. Common Nightingales spend the winter in central and eastern Africa. They spend the summer breeding season in forest and scrub habitats in Europe and parts of Asia. One legend says they used to live only in India, but one individual came to Ukraine and heard the people singing sad songs. The nightingale sang to cheer them up, and the Ukrainians answered with happy songs. According to this legend, Common Nightingales return every spring to Ukraine to hear Ukrainian songs. The Common Nightingale is symbolic and important in many cultures. Known as a muse, it has inspired poetry, plays, operas and other musical compositions, songs and fables. Among those inspired by the nightingale were Shakespeare, Beethoven, Keats, Homer, Sophocles and Tchaikovsky. In Ukraine, the Common Nightingale is viewed as a harbinger of spring, a creator of sweet sounds, and a builder of homes. Generally, this small bird with a very loud song is considered a sign of love, happiness and all good things. Lets hope so. Karen B. London, Ph.D. is a Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist, Certified Professional Dog Trainer, and an author of six books on canine training and behavior, including her most recent, Treat Everyone Like a Dog: How a Dog Trainers World View Can Improve Your Life. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 1 Beijing urged Washington once again on Monday to fully clarify its biological military activities with a responsible attitude, saying that biological military activities in Ukraine have become a shared concern of the international community. Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian made the remark at a daily news briefing after the United States Representative to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield accused China of spreading disinformation in support of Russia when the UN Security Council met on biological weapons at Moscow's request on Friday. The US has denied Russian claims that Washington is operating bio-warfare laboratories in Ukraine that involve deadly pathogens, including bubonic plague and anthrax. The US embassy in Ukraine has reportedly hastily removed information related to such labs from its website. Zhao said the US could not convince others by simply dismissing the concerns as disinformation in the face of evidence found by Russia in Ukraine, including documents, photos and other materials. According to the information released publicly, Zhao said there are dozens of biological labs in Ukraine that are operated by order of the US Department of Defense. Washington has invested more than $200 million in the activities of these labs, whose research aims to create a mechanism for the covert transmission of deadly pathogens, he said. "As the US has always claimed itself to be open and transparent, why doesn't it release detailed materials and why doesn't it open up these biological labs for independent investigations by international experts, if it wants to prove its innocence?" Zhao asked. Last week, US Under Secretary of State Victoria Jane Nuland said, "Ukraine has biological research facilities" and the US is working with Ukraine on how to prevent any of those research materials from falling into the hands of Russian forces. According to Zhao, the World Health Organization has suggested that Ukraine destroy high-threat pathogens stored in the country's laboratories to avert "any potential spills" that could cause the spread of disease. Two Expedition 66 astronauts are in final preparations today for Tuesday's spacewalk after mission managers gave the final go early Monday. NASA TV will broadcast a live briefing today at 2 p.m. EDT (available below) with International Space Station managers discussing the upcoming spacewalk activities. The U.S. Quest airlock has been configured to host NASA Flight Engineers Kayla Barron and Raja Chari when they set their U.S. spacesuits to battery power on Tuesday at 8:05 a.m. signifying the start of a six-and-a-half-hour spacewalk. The duo will exit Quest then translate over to the Starboard-4 truss structure and install modification kits that will ready the space station for its third roll-out solar array. NASA TV, on the app and the website, will begins its live spacewalk broadcast on Tuesday at 6:30 a.m. Barron and Chari started Monday readying their spacesuits and staging their spacewalk tools inside Quest. They were joined afterward by Flight Engineers Tom Marshburn of NASA and Matthias Maurer of ESA (European Space Agency) for a final procedures review and a conference with specialists on the ground. Marshburn and Maurer will help the spacewalkers in and out of their suits and monitor and guide them during the exterior maintenance job. NASA Flight Engineer Mark Vande Hei focused on another upcoming external job as he set up a small satellite deployer inside the Kibo laboratory module on Monday. He placed the deployer inside Kibo's airlock where it will be grappled by the Japanese robotic arm, placed in the vacuum of outer space, and pointed away from the station. Soon a set of CubeSats will be released into Earth orbit for a variety of educational and scientific research activities. The two cosmonauts in the station's Russian segment, Commander Anton Shkaplerov and Flight Engineer Pyotr Dubrov, continued studying the effectiveness of an antigravity suit that may offset the effects of living in space. Known as the lower body negative pressure suit, it has the ability to draw fluids that pool toward a crew member's head down to the legs and feet expanding veins and tissues. This may prevent space-caused head pressure and vision issues as well as easing a human's return to Earth's gravity. On-Orbit Status Report Payloads: EasyMotion: The crew donned the EasyMotion suit and then performed an Advanced Resistive Exercise Device (ARED) exercise session. The EasyMotion investigation uses whole body Electro-Myo-Stimulation (EMS) with a wearable body skin suit for an ISS crew member to perform pre- and postflight EMS-assisted exercises. EMS technology initiates spontaneous (involuntary) activation of global musculature (muscle, tendon, fascia) to be monitored (muscle tone/tension and stiffness) inflight using the non-invasive Myoton technology that is currently aboard the space station for the Myotones investigation. JEM Small Satellite Orbital Deployer-21 (J-SSOD-21): The crew performed the first series of steps to install the J-SSOD-21 hardware to the JEM airlock slide table. The J-SSOD provides a novel, safe, and small satellite launching capability to the ISS. The J-SSOD is a unique satellite launcher, handled by the Japanese Experiment Module Remote Manipulator System (JEMRMS), which provides containment and deployment mechanisms for several individual small satellites. Manufacturing Device (ManD): A recently printed VelociCalc probe adaptor was removed from the print volume of the ManD and stowed. ManD enables the production of components on the ISS for both NASA and commercial objectives. Parts, entire experiments, and tools can be created on demand utilizing the ManD printer that is installed into an EXpedite the PRocessing of Experiments to Space Station (EXPRESS) locker location. ManD is capable of producing parts out of a wide variety of thermopolymers including engineered plastics. Nutrition Monitoring for the International Space Station (NutrISS): In support of the NutrISS investigation, an ESA Nutritional Assessment (ENA) was performed. In the NutrISS investigation, a periodic assessment of body composition (body weight, fat mass, and fat-free mass) during spaceflight aboard the ISS is carried out using a dedicated bio-impedance analysis device to allow for the measurement of long-term energy balance modification over time. It is hypothesized that an adjusted diet maintaining a near-neutral energy balance, and/or increasing protein intake, can limit microgravity-induced bone and muscle loss. Sampling Quadrangle Assemblages Research Experiment (SQuARE): The crew took photos of the SQuARE experiment sites located in the Node 1 Galley, JEM, Columbus, Node 2, and the US Lab. SQuARE is an investigation that aims to document items within six defined locations around the ISS over time. The idea is to look at the ISS as an archaeological site, and each of the Squares as a "test pit". Systems: Extravehicular Activity (EVA) Preparation: Today, the USOS crew continued preparations for the upcoming 3A IROSA Prep EVA, which will install the assembled Mod Kit, which is a platform that allows attachment of the IROSA, at the S4/3A location. Final preparations included installation of the EVA Pistol Grip Tool (PGT) Battery, an EVA Tool Configuration and Audit, and Equipment Lock (E-LK) Prep to prepare the EVA Mobility Unit (EMU) and Airlock for tomorrow's EVA and suit donning. The crew also reviewed procedures before conducting a conference with ground specialists. US EVA #79 is scheduled for Tuesday, March 15th with Joint Airlock Egress occurring at ~7:10am CST. Environmental Health System (EHS) Total Organic Carbon Analyzer (TOCA) Water Recovery System (WRS) Sample Analysis & Data Record: The crew performed an analysis of the water processing assembly (WPA) using the TOCA. The TOCA unit oxidizes organic carbon species present in the water to carbon dioxide gas and measures the concentration using nondispersive infrared spectroscopy. Analysis of the potable water using the TOCA occurs on a weekly basis. Regenerative ECLSS Recycle Tank Drain/Fill: Today, the crew set up the recycle tank to drain via the Urine Processor Assembly (UPA) Fill Drain Valve into a Brine EDV using the Urine Transfer System (UTS). Following the setup, the ground performed the tank drain using the UTS. Once the ground specialists completed the transfer, the crew verified the recycle tank was empty, terminated the drain, repositioned the fill/drain valve to force fill the recycle tank using UTS, and configured for nominal processing operations. The crew also swapped the EDV in the offload EDV spot of the UTS. Completed Task List Activities: None Today's Ground Activities: All activities are complete unless otherwise noted. ACS Caution & Warning Configuration Airlock MTL Flow Adjust Close Thruster Manifold Isolation Valves for EVA TCS P1 TRRJ Lock A/L CVIU Activation C2V2 Deactivation Joint Airlock (JAL) 10.2 PSIA Operations Initiation UHF 1 Activation IAS EVA Communication Configuration VDS EVA Configuration Look Ahead Plan Tuesday, March 15 (GMT 74) Payloads: APM Status Check AWP NutrISS SQuARE Standard Measures TangoLab Satellite Ops UNIGLO Probe Exchange Systems: 3A IROSA Prep EVA, Network Monitoring Laptop Replace & Setup WHC Urine Filter Hose Configure IFM WHC Pre-Treat Tank R&R Wednesday, March 16 (GMT 75) Payloads: Confocal Space Microscopy EasyMotion/CEVIS ELT2 Setup Food Acceptability LSG Ops Myotones PLCB1 Cable Config Space Biofilms-2 Standard Measures SQuARE UNIGLO Vascular Aging Systems: Columbus Bay Clean-up/Restow EMU Water Recharge Return SSC 12 WHC R&R POC DOUG Software Review EVA QD Training Review HD EMU Camera Assembly Terminate EVA Battery Ops EVA Debrief Thursday, March 17 (GMT 76) Payloads: HRF PC Software Update ISS HAM Pass J-SSOD-21 Install Lumina NutrISS PG Tide SQuARE Standard Measures Touching Surfaces UNIGLO Vascular Aging Wireless Compose-2 Systems: EVA Tool Config OGA Pump ORU Flush Robotics Procedure Print EVA Procedure Review OBT ROBoT Setup IMS Conference WHC Manual Fill OBT ROBoT Session OGA Post Maintenance Flush/Stow SSC 10 and 20 Swap EMU Swap EMU Resize METOX Regeneration Termination Today's Planned Activities: All activities are complete unless otherwise noted. Extravehicular Activity Pistol Grip Tool Battery Installation Cell Biology Experiment Facility Left (CBEF-L) Backup Power Box installation Equipment Lock (E-LK) Preparation MPEP Retrieval from JLP1 Bay 2 Corridor JEM Airlock Slide Table (ST) Extension to JPM Side MPEP Installation to JEM Airlock Slide Table Extravehicular Activity (EVA) Tool Configuring/Audit MPEP Installation to JEM Airlock Slide Table Support Cold Atom Lab MTL Jumper Leak Check Environmental Health System (EHS) Total Organic Carbon Analyzer (TOCA) Water Recovery System (WRS) Sample Analysis JEM Small Satellite Orbital Deployer (SSOD) Wide (1 Deployer) and Single (1 Deployer) onto Multi-Purpose Experiment Platform (MPEP) Installation Part 1 Extravehicular Activity (EVA) #1 Procedure Review for Extravehicular Crew Extravehicular Activity (EVA) Procedure Review JEM Airlock Slide Table (ST) Retraction from JPM Side Extravehicular Activity (EVA) Procedure Conference Health Maintenance System (HMS) Spaceflight Cognitive Assessment Tool for Windows (WinSCAT) Test Environmental Health System (EHS) Total Organic Carbon Analyzer (TOCA) Sample Data Record Health Maintenance System (HMS) Periodic Health Status (PHS) Pre EVA Examination - Subject Health Maintenance System (HMS) Periodic Health Status (PHS) Pre EVA Examination - Crew Medical Officer (CMO) Manufacturing Device Print Removal, Clean and Stow MLC Laptop Shell Changeout Regenerative Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS) Recycle Tank Drain/Fill Health Maintenance System (HMS) Pre-EVA Periodic Health Status Examination - Stow SQuARES Flexible Daily Imagery ESA Monthly Management Conference ISS HAM Kenwood Radio Power Down in Columbus ISS HAM Radio Power Down in Service Module Public Affairs Office (PAO) Event in JEM Extravehicular Activity (EVA) iPad Contingency Procedures preparation Robotic Workstation (RWS) Setup Move SSC (Station Support Computer) 12 to RWS area to support EVA viewing for crew awareness Utility Outlet Panel (UOP) Activation NutrISS - ESA Nutritional Assessment JEM Water Recovery System (JWRS) Bag Check Urine Transfer System Offload EDV Swap Please follow SpaceRef on Twitter and Like us on Facebook. HOA treasurer Q: Do we know why Ms. Li was being evicted? That is not a rapid process. A:The HOA sold a lien for HOA dues to a Vulture Investor, Home Expo Financial, Inc and the Seabreeze Management and the HOA just wanted her gone so the Sheriff was called and told that she was threatening the Staff at Seabreeze. I tried to stop them and had a plan to help her but they held an illegal emergency meeting without notifying me the Treasurer. We voted to not do this 24 hours earlier.(edited) Q: So, youre a voting member of the HOA that voted against this action, but they did so regardless of the vote? A: I was Treasurer and voting member. A vote was held to not sell it and the the HOA Lawyer and Seabreeze manager convinced the HOA president to call an emergency meeting, violation of By Laws without notice to me a voting member. They voted to sell Lien for $32,000. To Vulture Investor. I protested that it was an illegal meeting and they ratified their bad actions. (edited) ----- Nextdoor needs an angry emoji. This sounds very illegal and should be considered a reason for what led up to her being viciously killed. Where was a person with training in mental illnesses? Not being implemented yet? The City has a hand in what went wrong as well.(edited) ------- They sent numerous Pert teams to our building for one tenant we had. Makes me wonder as well. ---------- I heard about this & believe that other action could have been taken with someone with mental illness & who was being forced out of her home. Why couldn''''t a stun gun have been used? Just sad. ------ Two female Sheriff Deputies had TAZERS but the Sheriff in charged called in for SDPD Canine Unit. Ms Li was terrified of all dogs. She had kitchen knife and lunged at the Canine officer and wounded him and then the bullets from guns flew out of control. So Sad. I asked the Lead Guy to wait for the PSYCHIATRIC EMERGENCY RESPONSE TEAM (PERT) with a Psychologist, but they did not wait.(edited) ----------- sounds like they were pretty determined to get her out of the unit by all means possiblethis is so tragic and unnecessary. Another life lost for a profit motive ----------- This should never have been handled this way. At all. ---------- I was on the HOA Board and I tried to stop the other Board members from selling Yan Li''''s lien to a Vulture Investor who is due to steal $300,000 of Yan Li''''s equity she paid in to her condo. The 4 male members of the HOA did this in an emergency meeting without me being notified. I told them to reverse the action and they would not. I spoke to the Sheriff Deputies and the female Deputies tried to allow me to help but their leader got angry with me trying to help. He said I needed to back up. I said please don''''t kill her and wait for the PER Team. He chose to use force after I told him that force was not the only answer. Everyone did not do what they could.. The HOA did not provide the Sheriff Deputies with the emergency contact information. The HOA and Seabreeze Managment did not help. They deleted her emergency contact information. They sold the property out from under Yan Li and did not attempt to get help from local mental health professionals. I did but I was not allowed to have any information about her even when I was on the Board. No one did all they could. I offered to pay that versus selling it to a Vulture Investor to steal her $300,000 equity while she was sick. I was on the Board and the Treasurer of the HOA and the 4 other male members held an illegal meeting in violation of the ByLaws to sell it to the Vulture Investor. Would you want this to happen to your Mother or Sister? I was on the Board and the Treasurer at the time and we voted to not sell the lien and the next day the President Daniel Torres called an emergency meeting. That next day meeting, they did not invite me or reach me, which was illegal. I asked them to reverse their action and they refused and ratified the previous illegal meeting actions. I protested and they retaliated against me. I tired to save her life and they wanted some un-holy deal that the HOA attorney brought to them. I saw it as illegal. Hence their efforts to retaliate against me. Humanities Montana recently awarded $38,350 to humanities projects across the state through its Research Fellowship and Regular Grants. Our mission is to support Montanans through stories, conversation and imaginative ideas, said Randi Lynn Tanglen, Humanities Montana executive director. From providing new ways to engage with history, to disseminating knowledge about traditional land practices, these projects are positioned to spark dialogue and action across the Big Sky State. Humanities Montana Regular Grants program makes awards of $1,000 or more, three times a year. Its Research Fellowships grant awards of up to $4,000 annually. In February, the seven organizations to receive funding included: James Welch Literary Festival, Aasaisstto Language Society, East Glacier, $10,000: The James Welch Native American Literature Festival will be a three-day event celebrating the work of Montana and internationally acclaimed writer James Welch (19402003) and contemporary Native American writers. The festival is scheduled for July 28-30, 2022. First Voices, Thresh Inc., New York City, $2,000: First Voices creates contemporary interpretations of Indigenous stories, bringing intergenerational Native and non-Native artists together to foster better understanding. Their project will result in a digital film integrating traditional Apsaalooke (Crow) stories and the work of tribal artists. Talk Series: Language Reclamation and Beyond, University of Montana, Missoula, $5,000: The Linguistics Program at the University of Montana will host a series of plenary talks on Indigenous language documentation and reclamation in Missoula during the Institute on Collaborative Language Research, June 13-24, 2022. Story of Butte, Butte Citizens for Preservation and Revitalization, Butte, $7,500: Story of Butte will present curated articles about the history of Butte via the development of a website, mobile app and themed tours on Buttes mining and labor history, women in Butte, the immigrant experience and architectural history. Blackfeet Ethnoecology Mapping Project, Blackfeet Tribal Historic Preservation Office, Browning, $6,100: The Blackfeet Ethnoecology Mapping Project will develop an Indigenous science Geographical Information System database informed by the Blackfoot knowledge system to disseminate traditional landscape stewardship principles about ecosystem connectivity and the role and responsibility of Blackfoot people in protecting cultural and natural resources for future generations. Philosophy Symposia Series, Merlin CCC, Helena, $3,750: The 2022 Philosophy Symposia Series will highlight military life and the ethics of war, freedom of speech and humans relationship with nature. The symposia will occur Fall and Winter 2022. Buckskin and Cloth Dresses, April Martin, Busby, $4,000 (Research Fellowship Award): This project will look at the evolution of women's buckskin and cloth dresses with an emphasis on the Cheyenne Nation. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 A barnburner of a Republican primary has taken shape in the few days that Montanas secretary of state was able to certify candidates for the Montana Public Service Commission. Flathead legislator Derek Skees, Montana Pro-Life Coalition leader Ann Bukacek, and former U.S. House candidate Joe Dooling, have all filed for the PSC District 5, which includes Flathead, Lake, Lewis and Clark and Teton counties. The current commissioner for the district is Republican Brad Johnson, who is term-limited out. District 5 and District 1, which include much of the Hi-Line and northeast Montana, were in limbo as a lawsuit over the unconstitutional population differences in the PSC districts played out. A federal court decided the matter last week with a new map that brought the districts into compliance with the one-person, one-vote rule of the 14th Amendment. Before the candidate filing deadline closed, Dooling and Skees were already jousting over the open seat with Dooling telling his social media followers that Skees had threatened to find a primary opponent to challenge Doolings wife, Rep. Julie Dooling for the Montana Legislature. Let the good times roll. My opponent has threatened both me and Julie multiple times, so far doing his best to keep me out, Dooling said on Facebook. The same guy that called our constitution a rag. Its going to be a fun race. Dooling later confirmed the threat was a primary opponent for his wife, not a physical threat. Meanwhile, Skees was telling his Republican rival to quit the PSC race, suggesting that Bukacek entering the race wasnt good for Dooling. Are you sure you want to waste more of your wifes money to fail for the 5th time, Skees texted Dooling. That may become the record for the most primaries lost without a single victory by a Republican in Montana history. Quite a legacy my friend. Skees is the past chairman of the Montana House Federal Relations, Energy and Technology Committee, which he served on for eight years. He announced his candidacy at the end of the 2021 Montana Legislature. Dooling farms near Helena. In the early 2000s, he worked for KLJ Engineering developing infrastructure projects, including the Montana Alberta Tie Line, which transmits power between Great Falls and Lethbridge. Bukacek might be the better known candidate in the Republican race, having been at the forefront of the anti-abortion movement in Montana for years. A doctor, Bukacek has more recently received national attention for suggesting that COVID-19 deaths have been inflated by the Centers for Disease Control when preexisting conditions were the cause. She became a cause celebre in national news for spreading COVID misinformation. In Montana Republican circles, where the politics of COVID and abortion are highly charged and at the forefront of political messaging, Bukacek fits. She also wouldnt be the first candidate for PSC to be an outspoken opponent of abortion. The PSC is a five-member quasi-judicial commission that regulates monopoly utilities, and other service providers like garbage haulers, taxi services and pipelines. Concern about our future quality and standard of living motivated me to serve on the PSC, Bukacek said Monday in an email. I have proven passion for helping people optimize their quality of life." Flathead County voters will have a big impact on the race. The county makes up 49% of the district population. It also punches above its weight in elections with the second-most Republican voters among Montana counties. Yellowstone County has the most Republican voters but is also the most populated, while Flathead County ranks fourth for population. "A Public Service Commissioner should give sane, fair, and balanced protection to Montanas energy needs for its citizens' well-being. I will, she said. This is the first time Bukacek has run for public office. A fourth Republican, Dean Crabb, of Marion, filed in the District 5 race late Monday. Also, a primary emerged in the Democratic race for District 5. John Repke, a retired finance executive joined the race. Repke lives in Whitefish, pushing the total number of Flathead County candidates in the race to four. Repke said in a press release that he was running to bring integrity, competency, and professionalism back to the PSC." He joins Kevin Hamm of Helena in the Democratic primary ballot. Hamm, an internet service provider, announced his candidacy last summer. Hes the chief operating officer at Treasure State Internet and Telegraph. Hes very outspoken about the need to reset the way the Public Service Commission brings the needs of consumers and utilities into balance. There are no Democratic candidates in District 1, where Republican Randy Pinocci is seeking a second, and final, term. That means the June 7 primary, a three-way Republican affair between Pinocci, Arlo Christianson, of Great Falls, and K. Webb Galbreath, of Browning, will decide the election. Christianson didnt answer his phone Monday. His voicemail wasnt taking messages. Angered by the reporting of a PSC email scandal in which he was involved, Pinocci refused to participate in this story. Galbreath, a member of the Blackfeet Tribe, and past Republican legislative candidate, said he decided to run for the PSC because the commission needs new leadership. Rising energy prices are hurting his neighbors, including ranchers. Im a firm believer in reliable, responsible energy. And what I mean by reliable is we dont need to have a thing that went on in Texas happen here in Montana, Galbreath said, referring to the fatal Texas power outage resulting from freezing temperatures in early 2021. I think Montana needs to explore other options of energy. We have great wind here. That could be an option. Hydro can be an option. And I think solar is a great way. But you know, something that's never discussed is nuclear energy. And I think that has to be on the table. Galbreath is also a former Marine sergeant, who served his country for a decade. He was a police officer for the Bureau of Indian Affairs. He is currently operations manager for the Blackfeet Tribe. One person who is a big proponent for nuclear power in Montana is Skees. Love 0 Funny 1 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. A man accused of attacking a police officer on duty at the Bismarck Airport may have attempted to disrupt the power supply to critical information systems at the facility, authorities say. Documents obtained by the Tribune show that Christopher Fonseca, 34, who apparently is homeless and suffers from mental health problems, has a criminal history in Connecticut and has been involved in several recent incidents in Bismarck in which police were called. He allegedly had a box cutter in his hands when he was handcuffed at the airport and brass knuckles in his possession when he was booked into jail. He was arrested Monday before noon. Its still unclear what prompted the alleged attack in which the officer suffered bruising and cuts that required stitches, or if either of the weapons caused the injuries. An airport official told police Fonseca before entering the main airport building turned off electrical breakers at the airport's information technology operation building, according to an affidavit. The building controls the airport's internet; security; radios; and runway, taxiway and wind sock lights, the affidavit states. A backup generator kicked in and returned power to all systems. No flights were disrupted, according to police spokeswoman Officer Lynn Wanner. Airport officials didn't immediately respond to a Tribune request for comment. Police say Fonseca after his arrest made comments about blowing up the airport with a can of lubricating spray that he was carrying. He also said he wasn't going to stop his assault on the officer who was injured, the affidavit states. Police have not released the officer's name because he is a victim and the case is open, Wanner said. The officer was called to the security line on the second floor at the airport on a report that Fonseca was bothering passengers, according to Wanner. The officer was able to get Fonseca downstairs and went to check on his flight status. Fonseca left a backpack near the main check-in area and walked toward the bathrooms. The officer escorted him back to his belongings and told him he had to leave the airport if he didnt have a plane ticket. Fonseca charged the officer and hit him in the face and body, Wanner said. Airport employees and a bystander helped the officer get Fonseca in handcuffs. Authorities arent certain why Fonseca was at the airport. He was not attempting to get through security and did not have a ticket to board a plane. The officer radioed for help about 11 a.m., the same time bystanders started making 911 calls about the incident. The officer is a veteran of the department and one of five who work full time at the airport by federal regulation, according to Wanner. Nobody else was injured, she said. Fonseca is charged with felony simple assault on a peace officer and reckless endangerment, offenses that carry possible five-year prison sentences, as well as misdemeanors for criminal mischief and carrying a concealed weapon. No attorney was listed for him in court records. Past troubles Fonseca and three others faced manslaughter charges in Connecticut in 2016. A man driving a Jeep was struck in the head by a brick and died from the injuries. The charge against Fonseca was later reduced, according to Wanner. He was found guilty of reckless endangerment in 2018, according to an affidavit. He does not have any warrants and is not on probation, Wanner said. Police reports obtained by the Tribune show officers on March 4 made a welfare check on Fonseca at Motel 6 in north Bismarck. Fonsecas family had contacted Connecticut police, who in turn had reached out to Bismarck police for the welfare check. Fonseca was very cooperative and of sound mind, the report states. Fonseca told police hes good when he takes his medication and has been, the report states. Police on Friday were called to a Bismarck hospital where Fonseca was allegedly gesturing at security cameras and running at security guards. He told police the CIA and FBI were after him. He made hand signals of the letters C, I and A at security cameras, told officers he was off his medication, had been admitted to the psych ward 25 times and would not go back. He refused medical help but willingly allowed officers to handcuff him and was given a ride to Motel 6, police reports show. The reports list Fonseca as homeless. He told officers he was seeking help for mental illness through West Central Human Services, liked Bismarck and planned to stay, the report states. It wasn't immediately clear how long he has been in the city. Trespass orders prohibit Fonseca from entering the Simonson Station on Interstate Avenue and the North Dakota Newspaper Association office on Interstate Loop, Wanner said. It's unclear what allegedly happened at Simonsen Station. Newspaper association Executive Director Sarah Elmquist Squires said Fonseca came to that office on March 9 with a briefcase of documents and said he wanted "to get his story out there." "I was afraid of him," she said. "He was ranting and raving. I didn't feel safe." She was able to get Fonseca out of the building and summon police. He returned while an officer was there and was informed that he could not return, Elmquist Squires said. Association employees kept the office door locked all of last week. Reach Travis Svihovec at 701-250-8260 or Travis.Svihovec@bismarcktribune.com Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 1 Sad 3 Angry 7 Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. BNSF Railway calls a local historic preservation group's claim that the Bismarck-Mandan Rail Bridge is state property "legally absurd" and wants the U.S. Coast Guard to move ahead with permitting the construction of a new bridge. The railroad cites both an act of Congress and North Dakota case law in maintaining that it has owned the bridge for more than a century and has every right to tear it down. The Friends of the Rail Bridge nonprofit wants to stop the railway from demolishing the 139-year-old bridge spanning the Missouri River to make way for a new structure. The preservation group and the railroad signed an agreement with the Coast Guard in early 2021 outlining paths to either keeping or removing the bridge. The Coast Guard decides on projects proposed along that part of the Missouri River, and the permitting process has been ongoing for more than four years. FORB's new claim of state ownership is based on legal principles including that the government owns and protects certain natural resources for public use, according to a memo it sent to the Coast Guard. The preservation group maintains North Dakota has held ownership of the bridge since statehood. The nonprofit believes state ownership of the bridge means the structure could not be destroyed without approval from the State Historical Board. The board oversees the State Historical Society, which believes removal of the bridge would have "an adverse effect on a property that has considerable historic value," according to State Historic Preservation Officer Bill Peterson. The bridge was built in 1883, with the spans replaced in 1905. BNSF has questioned the timing of FORB's claim, with the Corps set to release a final environmental impact statement in April. Brian Dunn, chief of the Coast Guard Office of Bridge Programs, said on March 7 that the dispute will delay the release of the EIS and the final permitting decision. State officials last week decided against wading into the ownership debate due to the fact that no state agency or entity is involved in the dispute. BNSF responded to the preservation group's arguments Monday in a memo sent to the Coast Guard, calling FORB's claims "facially and legally absurd." The railway claims it owns the bridge due to an act of Congress that granted Northern Pacific Railroad Co. a right of way through public lands to build and maintain a railroad, including all necessary bridges. Northern Pacific Railway merged with other railroads over the years and is now BNSF. The memo maintains that according to federal law, all railroad property in the right of way, including bridges, becomes part of a railroad company's real estate. FORB claims that Congress owned the riverbed and any structures in it, including the rail bridge, and then transferred that ownership to North Dakota when it joined the union. BNSF argues that ownership of the bridge did not pass to the state because of existing case law that says railroad bridges built over rivers are owned by the railroad the same way that bridges over land are. The railway also added that based on North Dakota case law, it can't have the bridge taken from it because it has continuously operated and maintained it since its completion. "It simply does not follow that upon North Dakota's admission to statehood, the railroad's ownership rights to the Bismarck Bridge, as conferred by the 1864 act, were extinguished and title to the Bismarck Bridge automatically passed to the state of North Dakota," BNSF Director of Bridge Programs Mike Herzog said in the memo. The Friends group in a statement to the Tribune on Monday said BNSF's response cited statutes and case law but did not provide documentation showing that the railway owns the bridge. FORB also maintained the railway attempted to get a permit to destroy the bridge without showing any evidence of ownership. The nonprofit added that it does not contest that the railway has the right of way in the area but said the right of way does not give BNSF the right to the riverbed or the bridge. The group also listed several issues that it says need to be addressed, including what property was transferred to the state and how. FORB President Mark Zimmerman said the group is prepared to take the ownership matter to court. It is unclear what the next steps are to officially determine the ownership of the bridge. Dunn did not respond to a Tribune email Monday. Reach Sam Nelson at 701-250-8264 or sam.nelson@bismarcktribune.com. Love 2 Funny 1 Wow 7 Sad 0 Angry 0 Load restrictions go into effect on all county paved roadways in Morton County at 7 a.m. Friday. Gravel roads will be restricted as needed, the county announced Tuesday. A load restriction map is at www.mortonnd.org/maps. Load limits are aimed at protecting roads left vulnerable by the spring thaw. They're typically implemented until roadbeds have stabilized enough to carry normal loads. Burleigh County announced earlier that load restrictions there also take effect at 7 a.m. Friday. Limits likely will be implemented in Bismarck a few days later, according to city officials. A Burleigh County map is at www.burleighco.com. A city map will be available at: https://www.bismarcknd.gov/DocumentCenter/View/19457/Truck-Route-Map. Load limits are now in effect on state highways in southwest North Dakota. The area includes south of Interstate 94 to the South Dakota border, and from the Montana border to Highway 49 at the junction of Highway 21. Motorists can find detailed information on load restrictions statewide at http://www.dot.nd.gov/loadlimitinfo.asp. For more information on road conditions across North Dakota, call 511 or go to travel.dot.nd.gov. Email and text alerts are available through GovDelivery on that site. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 The one-time standard-bearer of North Dakota's Democratic-NPL Party is running for the Legislature as an independent. Dickinson/Killdeer veterinarian Shelley Lenz is seeking the open Dickinson-area District 37 Senate seat held by retiring Senate Republican Majority Leader Rich Wardner. Lenz was the Democratic-NPL gubernatorial nominee in 2020. She garnered 25% of the statewide vote with running mate Ben Vig, a Sharon-area farmer and former state representative. She also unsuccessfully sought the Democratic-NPL party chair position last year. Lenz on Tuesday said her independent campaign is consistent with her politics. She pointed out she voted for Republican Gov. Doug Burgum in 2016 and has also voted for Democrats. Her legislative platform is that of hers in 2020: "homegrown prosperity," which Lenz said hearkens back to the state's populist Nonpartisan League. The League controlled state politics a century ago, and eventually merged with the Democratic Party. "The other thing is, I just don't think either party really has a platform that's really about North Dakotans and homegrown prosperity," Lenz said, pointing to her disappointment with management of the state's Legacy Fund oil tax savings and what she sees as "crumbs for our vocational schools and our addiction services" in western North Dakota after decades of Republican leadership. "The Republican Party hasn't been doing it. The Democrat Party hasn't been doing it. It's really time for an independent voice that is ready to fight for it," said Lenz, a former Killdeer School Board president. She said "it's time to raise our NPL roots," that neither party "right now has the platform or the energy to really fight for North Dakotans." Democratic-NPL Party Chairman Patrick Hart said Lenz in 2020 "brought us a lot of fresh energy, and at that point she was pretty new to the party, and I had a lot of hope for her candidacy, and I was really impressed by the race she ran." He said "sometimes independents might have a better opportunity to squeak out a win than a Democrat would. That D next to our name sometimes is a death sentence, especially in rural western North Dakota." Lenz said she hopes to be involved in the Democratic-NPL, Libertarian and Republican parties going forward to address "how do we bring prosperity back to the average North Dakotan." "I just see us as North Dakotans first and not political parties, and that's how North Dakotans see each other, I think," Lenz said. Hart said Lenz didn't have "a long history of interaction" with the Democratic-NPL Party, but "if she wanted to take a bigger role in the party, I would welcome anyone who wants to be a part of it to participate." Republican Dean Rummel also is running for the District 37 Senate seat. Ninety-eight seats in the Legislature are on the ballot this year, more than is usual due to decennial redistricting. Republicans control the House of Representatives 80-14 and the Senate 40-7. No independents serve in the Legislature. The filing deadline for candidates is April 11. Reach Jack Dura at 701-250-8225 or jack.dura@bismarcktribune.com. Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 1 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. North Dakotas oil output could climb another 100,000 barrels per day by the end of 2022 amid high crude prices, a state energy regulator estimates. The U.S. could ultimately supplant about 750,000 of the 5 million barrels Russia had exported daily to countries that are now backing sanctions following Russia's invasion of Ukraine last month, State Mineral Resources Director Lynn Helms told reporters Tuesday at his monthly press briefing. The vast majority of that is going to come from the Permian, he said, referring to the prolific oil-producing region in Texas and New Mexico that competes with North Dakotas Bakken oil fields. We think North Dakota could come up with 50,000 to 100,000 (barrels per day) by the end of the year. North Dakotas oil production could climb as high as 1.2 million barrels per day, he said. But he sees two factors tempering the potential for further increased activity in the Bakken: politics and a worker shortage. People are really unwilling to take the risk of massive investment at this point in an industry that is targeted to be out of business by 2050, Helms said. The regulations and the policies of the federal administration are completely countercurrent to ramping up U.S. production. State officials and oil industry leaders have complained about the Biden administrations pauses on federal oil leasing, for example. The Democratic administration has made addressing climate change a priority, upping the rhetoric surrounding renewable energy and moving toward enacting tougher emissions regulations on oil and gas facilities. Helms has spoken recently with representatives of North Dakota oil producers, who say they are thinking long term about the high oil prices. Their investors prefer not to pour a significant amount of money into drilling new wells, instead opting for a return on their existing investments, he said. Meanwhile, oil companies continue to struggle to hire workers for drilling and fracking, as has been the case amid the industrys recovery from the coronavirus pandemic, which caused production to plummet in 2020. Companies statewide are running 11 crews who are busy fracking, a necessary step to start production after a well is drilled. Fracking, also known as hydraulic fracturing, involves injecting sand, chemicals and water down a well at a high pressure to crack open rock and release oil. Typically, two crews work simultaneously to frack a pair of wells side by side in a process that takes about two weeks. Those crews completed an estimated 90 wells in February, up from 75 in January and 65 in December 2021. That really is the area that (the oil) industry is emphasizing in this higher-price environment, Helms said. He expects oil companies this year will frack many of the 449 wells in North Dakota that have been drilled but have yet to start operating. That work will likely outpace the drilling of new wells, he said. Helms expects oil prices will fluctuate between $95 and $125 per barrel for the rest of the year. Oil was trading for $95 per barrel Tuesday. That price is lower than last week, but it is still considered high. The volatility could have ramifications for where Bakken oil ends up, North Dakota Pipeline Authority Director Justin Kringstad said. Its possible more of the states oil could be transported by rail to refineries along the east and west coasts, which accepted Russian imports until President Joe Biden announced a ban on them last week. The oil those refineries imported from Russia tended to be of a quality similar to that produced in the Bakken. The majority of oil extracted in North Dakota is taken by pipelines to markets in other parts of the country. Much of it is transported by the Dakota Access Pipeline toward the Gulf Coast, for example. But about 140,000 barrels per day, or 12% of the states output, is carried by rail. State data released Tuesday shows a 5% drop in North Dakotas daily oil production from December 2021 to January and a 7% drop in daily natural gas production during that time. Helms attributed the drop to bitterly cold weather across the state that month, which caused freezing issues and other problems slowing down activity in the oil fields. The states data lags two months, and the January data reflects oil production before Russia invaded Ukraine and sent oil prices skyrocketing. North Dakota produced 1.087 million barrels of oil per day in January and 2.825 billion cubic feet of gas per day. The state continues to meet its flaring target, capturing 93% of gas statewide that month. The target is 91%. Oil and gas companies flared 114 million cubic feet of gas per day in North Dakota during January. Reach Amy R. Sisk at 701-250-8252 or amy.sisk@bismarcktribune.com. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. President Joe Biden is not very good at his job, and yet, I thank God every day that Biden is president. In the Ukraine crisis, he has redeemed the hopes of those who voted for competence. The administration's warnings to Moscow were unambiguous without being hysterical. Our revelations of intelligence unmasking Russian disinformation and false flag narratives were on the nose. Biden's coordination with European allies was a skillful presentation of unity (special kudos to Secretary of State Antony Blinken). There were some missed opportunities. The president should have placed the invasion of Ukraine in a broader historical context and outlined how the struggle between democracy and authoritarianism is the defining issue of our time, whether abroad or at home. And he ought not to suggest or pretend that Americans can be spared any hardship, even higher gas prices, during this fight. But Biden sees clearly what sort of menace Russian President Vladimir Putin is. Only the most obtuse or twisted soul could fail to see it ... which brings us to the president's predecessor. A quick refresher on former President Donald Trump's relations with Putin and Ukraine leaves little doubt that far from deterring Putin, he was Putin's most reliable "useful idiot." Trump wasn't the first president to go soft on Putin, of course. Barack "Tell Vladimir I'll have more flexibility after the election" Obama plowed that ground very well. But at least Obama knew what he was doing. He chose diffidence and called it wisdom. Trump was a dupe and a dope, a walking refutation of the adage "you can't kid a kidder." At Trump's first meeting with Putin, he accepted the Russian's denials of election interference and announced the creation of "an impenetrable Cyber Security unit so that election hacking, & many other negative things, will be guarded and safe." The plan to let the fox guard the henhouse was dropped after GOP senators exploded. Trump demanded that the translators take no notes at their meetings, but it is clear from the public record that Trump often repeated Putin's talking points. At the Helsinki summit, Trump infamously endorsed Putin's version of the election interference story over that of America's own intelligence agencies. Later, speaking to Tucker Carlson, Trump revealed the other ways Putin had been poisoning his mind, planting ideas about NATO countries. "Montenegro is a tiny country with very strong people. ... They are very strong people. They are very aggressive people, they may get aggressive, and congratulations, you are in World War III." Who believes that Trump had ever heard of Montenegro, far less formed views about their supposed aggressiveness, before that meeting? Trump got other ideas from his conversations with Putin and dutifully lobbied our major trading partners in the G7 to invite Russia back into the fold. They declined. In 2019, defending his decision to withdraw troops from Syria and Afghanistan, Trump offered this little potted history about Russia's engagement with that country: "(T)he reason Russia was in Afghanistan was because terrorists were going into Russia. They were right to be there." As with the other Putin nuggets he regurgitated, Trump said this with perfect ingenuousness. Throughout his presidency, Trump hinted and blustered about withdrawing from NATO, which would fulfill Putin's dearest wish. When his aides objected that this might be harmful politically, Trump conceded the point, as Carol Leonnig and Phil Rucker report, saying "Yeah, the second term. We'll do it in the second term." As for Ukraine, Putin gave Trump the idea that it was Ukraine, not Russia, that had interfered in the 2016 election. As New York Magazine reported, "Trump repeatedly told one senior official that the Russian president said Ukraine sought to undermine him." Trump further believed in a mysterious "missing server" that was hidden in Ukraine containing the missing emails. In his infamous 2019 shake-down call with Volodymyr Zelensky, Trump alluded to it: "I would like you to find out what happened with this whole situation with Ukraine, they say CrowdStrike ... I guess you have one of your wealthy people ... The server, they say Ukraine has it." In 2016, Trump suggested that Russian ownership of Crimea be recognized and again repeated a factoid that seems likely to have come directly from Putin. "The people of Crimea, from what I've heard, would rather be with Russia than where they were," he told ABC News. The GOP platform was changed to omit endorsing arms for Ukraine. Trump is a disturbed human being who is constantly revealing his attraction to violence and "strength." Even as Putin was smashing his tanks into Ukraine, Trump fawned over his "genius" and then boasted that "I know him very, very well." He said it was "wonderful." He backtracked after a day or two, but doubtless only after being advised that it was politically unwise. But if, God forbid, there were ever a second term, political considerations wouldn't be dispositive, and the most sinister and credulous man ever to disgrace the Oval Office would be unconstrained. Mona Charen is a syndicated columnist. Love 4 Funny 0 Wow 1 Sad 0 Angry 1 Our Solar System is believed to have formed from a cloud of gas and dust, the so-called solar nebula, which began to condense on itself gravitationally ~ 4.6 billion years ago. As this cloud contracted, it began to spin and shaped itself into a disk revolving about the highest gravity mass at its centre, which would become our Sun. Our solar system inherited all of its chemical composition from an earlier star or stars which exploded as supernovae. Our Sun scavenged a general sample of this material as it formed, but the residual material in the disk began to migrate based on its propensity to freeze at a given temperature. As the Sun grew dense enough to initiate nuclear fusion reactions and become a star, it scavenged a general sample of this material as it formed, but the residuals in the disk formed solid materials to form planetary bodies based on its propensity to freeze at a given temperature. As the Sun irradiated the surrounding disk, it created a heat gradient in the early solar system. For this reason, the inner planets, Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars, are mostly rock (mostly composed of heavier elements, such as iron, magnesium and silicon), while the outer planets are largely composed of lighter elements, especially hydrogen, helium, carbon, nitrogen and oxygen. Earth is believed to have formed partly from carbonaceous meteorites, which are thought to come from outer main-belt asteroids. Telescopic observations of outer main-belt asteroids reveal a common 3.1 m reflectance feature that suggests their outer layers host either water ices or ammoniated clays, or both, which are only stable at very low temperatures. Interestingly, though several lines of evidence suggest carbonaceous meteorites are derived from such asteroids, the meteorites recovered on Earth generally lack this feature. The asteroid belt thus poses many questions for astronomers and planetary scientists. A new study led by researchers at the Earth-Life Science Institute (ELSI) at Tokyo Institute of Technology suggests these asteroidal materials may have formed very far out in the early Solar System then been transported into the inner Solar System by chaotic mixing processes. In this study, a combination of asteroid observations using the Japanese AKARI space telescope and theoretical modelling of chemical reactions in asteroids suggests that the surface minerals present on outer main-belt asteroids, especially ammonia (NH3)-bearing clays, form from starting materials containing NH3 and CO2 ice that are stable only at very low temperature, and under water-rich conditions. Based on these results, this new study proposes that outer main-belt asteroids formed in distant orbits and differentiated to form different minerals in water-rich mantles and rock-dominated cores. To understand the source of the discrepancies in the measured spectra of carbonaceous meteorites and asteroids, using computer simulations, the team modelled the chemical evolution of several plausible primitive mixtures designed to simulate primitive asteroidal materials. They then used these computer models to produce simulated reflectance spectra for comparison to the telescopically obtained ones. Their models indicated that in order to match the asteroid spectra, the starting material had to contain a significant amount of water and ammonia, a relatively low abundance of CO2, and react at temperatures below 70, suggesting the asteroids formed much further out than their present locations in the early solar system. In contrast, the lack of the 3.1 mm feature in meteorites can be attributed to reaction possibly deeper inside asteroids where temperatures reached higher values thus, recovered meteorites may sample deeper portions of asteroids. If true, this study suggests that Earth's formation and unique properties result from peculiar aspects of the Solar System's formation. There will be several opportunities to test this model, for example, this study provides predictions for what the analysis of Hayabusa 2 returned samples will find. This distant origin of asteroids, if correct, predicts that there will be ammoniated salts and minerals in Hayabusa 2's returned samples. A further check on this model will be provided by the analyses of returned materials from NASA's OSIRIS-Rex mission. This study also examined whether the physical and chemical conditions in outer main-belt asteroids should be able to form the observed minerals. The cold and distant origin of asteroids proposed suggests there should be a significant similarity between asteroids and comets and raises questions about how each of these types of bodies formed. This study suggests the materials that formed the Earth may have formed very far out in the early Solar System and then been brought in during the especially turbulent early history of the solar system. Recent observations of protoplanetary disks by the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) have found many ringed structures, which are believed to be direct observations of planetesimal formation. As lead author Hiroyuki Kurokawa summarises the work, "Whether our solar system's formation is a typical outcome remains to be determined, but numerous measurements suggest we may be able to place our cosmic history in context soon." Distant Formation and Differentiation of Outer Main Belt Asteroids and Carbonaceous Chondrite Parent Bodies, AGU Advances Astrobiology, Astrochemistry, Please follow SpaceRef on Twitter and Like us on Facebook. Many beekeepers feed sugar water to honey bees in the spring time for brood stimulation. What is the best ratio of sugar to water for brood stimulation? Or is there a best ratio? David Tarpy, a professor of apiculture at North Carolina State University in the U.S., recommended 1:2 ratio, that is 1 part sugar in 2 parts water. Bob Binnie, a long-time commercial beekeeper in Georgia, U.S., cited an Indian study that showed the best ratio for spring brood stimulation is 1:1.3, that is, 1 part sugar in 1.3 parts water. Bob Bonnie, however, said he could not find or remember where the Indian study was published. I did a lot of Googling and could not find the source of Bob Binnies citation either. Please leave a comment below if you know the Indian study Bob Binnie was referring to. So a lot of people use 1:1 sugar water for spring stimulation. David Tarpy recommended 1:2 ratio. An Indian study cited by Bob Bobbie showed 1:1.3 to be the best ratio. What is the best ratio? I always believe the truth lies in the middle, so 1 part sugar to 1.3 parts water may be the best ratio for spring feeding. In reality, it will probably not make a huge difference in the outcome. Your bees will be grateful that you remember to feed them. However, 1:1.3 syrup is a little easier to mix than 1:1 syrup, saves you a little money on sugar, which is getting more and more expensive. And could be better for your bees in the spring time. So why not 1:1.3 sugar water? Here is how you make 1:1.3 sugar water. If you use 4 lb sugar, you need to add 10 cups of water. If you use 10 lb sugar, you need to add 25 cups of water. 25 cups is about 6 litres or 1.5 gallons of water. --------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------- The CIA illegally kept a man as a torture training prop at one of its secret prisons in Afghanistan in 2003. Trainee torturers "lined up to take turns at knocking his head against a plywood wall, leaving him with brain damage," reports The Guardian. The technique of "walling" was approved by the "enhanced interrogation technique" guidelines sent by CIA headquarters. It involved placing the detainee's heels against a specially designed plywood wall "which had flexibility to it" and putting a rolled up towel around the detainee's neck. "The interrogators would then grab the ends of the towel in front of and below the detainees face and shove [Baluchi] backwards into the wall, never letting go of the towel," the report said. One of the interrogators (identified only by a code) said the goal was to "bounce" the detainee off the wall. The report noted that Baluchi was "naked for the proceedings." There was no time limit for the "walling" sessions but "typically a session did not last for more than two hours at a time." They went on for so long because Baluchi was being used as a teaching prop. One former trainee told investigators "all the interrogation students lined up to 'wall' Ammar so that [the instructor] could certify them on their ability to use the technique." An editor working at Russia state TV's Channel One walked behind an anchor of a live broadcast on Monday holding a sign that read "NO WAR. Stop the war. Do not believe propaganda they tell you lies here. Russians against war." (See video below.) The protestor, Marina Ovsyannikova, who has worked for Channel One for a few years, was arrested, according to CNN, but her lawyer says "he still does not know her whereabouts." From CNN: Channel One's content is tightly controlled by the Russian government. President Vladimir Putin earlier this month signed a censorship bill that criminalizes "fake" information about the invasion of Ukraine, with a penalty of up to 15 years in prison for anyone convicted, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists. The Kremlin on Tuesday described Ovsyannikova's actions as "hooliganism," a criminal offense in Russia. Dmitry Zakhvatov [Ovsyannikova's lawyer] told CNN Tuesday he has been trying to locate her since her protest. Zakhvatov confirmed to CNN that Ovsyannikova is the woman seen on air holding the sign and that she is an editor for the channel."We didn't find her for now, but we are continuing to search," Zakhvatov said. An anti-war protester on Monday interrupted a live broadcast of Russia's state TV Channel One, denouncing the invasion of Ukraine. The protester, identified as an employee of the channel, was arrested. https://t.co/Q2gyakmVEV pic.twitter.com/WXan1ag3sn CBS News (@CBSNews) March 15, 2022 In a video Ovsyannikova circulated before she interrupted the propaganda broadcast, she said (according to CNN): "What is happening now in Ukraine is a crime, and Russia is the aggressor country, and the responsibility for this aggression lies on the conscience of only one person. This man is Vladimir Putin. "Unfortunately, for the past few years, I have been working on Channel One and doing Kremlin propaganda, and now I am very ashamed of it. It's a shame that I allowed to speak lies from the TV screens, ashamed that I allowed to zombify Russian people. "I am ashamed that we kept silent in 2014, when all this was just beginning. We didn't go to rallies when the Kremlin poisoned Navalny, we just silently watched this anti-human regime and now the world has turned its back on us forever, and another ten generations of our descendants will not be able to wash away from the shame of this fraternal war. "We are Russian people, thinking and smart, and it is only in our power to stop all this madness. Go to the rallies and do not be afraid! They can't transplant us all!" From 1966 to 1981, Peter Marshall hosted the iconic TV game show Hollywood Squares that featured celebrities like Paul Lynde, Eva and Zsa Zsa Gabor, Raymond Burr, Barbara Eden, Vincent Price, and countless other greats. In a new interview, Marshall, 95, shares looks back. From Closer Weekly: How did you get along with the show's celebrity regulars? "Great. I had a lot of dear friends on the show. Wally Cox and I went to P.S. 165 together in New York. Paul Lynde and I go back to when he was struggling in New York. George Gobel was one of my best friends. I knew Vincent Price since I was 18. I also made a lot of great friends on Squares Karen Valentine, Ruta Lee we became very familial. We would all take a vacation every year together. We went to Jamaica and Canada. Those were fun times. I made some lasting friendships." Were there any celebrities you didn't enjoy working with on Squares? "A couple were difficult. Eva Gabor couldn't have been more delightful, but Zsa Zsa was a pain in the a. She demanded a car. There are people I could tell you about, but I'd rather not, because 99 percent of them were wonderful." Is it true that the stars drank alcohol between shows? "We would do three shows, then we would break for dinner. I'm not a drinker but, yes, Paul would have some wine. Then we would just scream and yell [while taping the] Thursday and Friday shows. Those would always be funnier shows because people would drink." A $47 million sale falls through. Now what? Back in December 2015, Weinberg Campus' board of directors hired an investment firm to look into selling the 100-acre senior living community in Amherst. Weinberg was going through some tough times. It had endured a series of operating losses, caused by lower reimbursements from the state as well as challenging trends in the long-term care industry. And for time, it looked like all was going according to plan. A letter of intent was signed seven months later and in November 2017, Weinberg announced it would sell most of the campus to Elderwood operator Post Acute Partners for $47 million. Then, time went on ... and on ... and on. Now, nearly 4 years later, the deal is dead, leaving plenty of questions about what killed the agreement and what's ahead for Weinberg Campus. What killed the deal? A lengthy state approvals process, which was further delayed by the pandemic, is the primary culprit for the deal falling through, according to Weinberg and Elderwood officials. "There was nobody home at the state because of the pandemic," said Kenneth A. Rogers, chairman of Weinberg's board of directors. The Health Department, however, said in a statement that Elderwood did not meet the requirements necessary to complete the sale. It deferred further comment to Elderwood. Elderwood, in a statement of its own, said it and Weinberg tried to move forward with the transaction despite the regulatory backlogs, but that eventually became impossible. "Weinberg has experienced operational challenges, also due to Covid, that they found difficult to address while state approvals remained pending," Elderwood said. "Therefore, the transaction has been terminated." Sign up for the Buffalo Next free newsletter The News' Buffalo Next team covers the changing Buffalo Niagara economy. Get the news in your inbox 5 days a week. What now for Weinberg Campus? Weinberg plans to retain control over its assets and operations, with no plans to seek another buyer. But remaining as an independent nonprofit won't be easy. In 2019, the most recent year that Weinberg Campus' annual filings with the IRS are available, the nonprofit was in the red. When consolidating its financial results for its parent entity and eight tax-exempt operating subsidiaries, Weinberg Campus had a deficit of $2.9 million on revenue of $43.5 million in 2019. While more recent financial information isn't available, Rogers noted that not many long-term care facilities are in better financial condition now than in 2019. That means a turnaround is needed which is why Weinberg is working with a restructuring consultant to refine short- and long-term sustainability plans. Weinberg President and CEO Robert T. Mayer also said the campus is optimistic about the proposed state budget, which would increase Medicaid reimbursement rates. "It sure sounds like this will be a much different year than the last 12 or 14 years, where reimbursement was cut," he said. "I'm optimistic." Jon Harris Want to know more? Three stories to catch you up: Welcome to Buffalo Next. This newsletter from The Buffalo News will bring you the latest coverage on the changing Buffalo Niagara economy from real estate to health care to startups. Read more at BuffaloNext.com. THE LATEST, IN CONTEXT What: Nonprofit behavioral health agency Envision Wellness WNY opened a facility, which it calls a Family Success Center, in Kenmore on Monday. When fully staffed, the site should have 10 to 12 employees, including at least eight counselors to provide behavioral health treatment and a medical practitioner who will do psychiatric assessments and medication management, Executive Director Tara Pace said. Tell me more: The facility, at 1591 Kenmore Ave., will allow the nonprofit to provide services to children and adolescents age 5 to 18, which is a population the agency has not served before, Pace said. "We often received calls from families requesting services for their children, sharing that everywhere else they have called has at least a six-month wait for treatment," Pace said. "Those calls prompted us to provide treatment to this population." Why it matters: As Pace explained, there is a continued need for behavioral health treatment in Western New York, a need that has only increased during the pandemic. "Children had even less capacity to cope and the world became a more frightening place," she said. While the facility is filling a need, it also fits into Envision Wellness WNY's growth plans. The small nonprofit, which was founded in 1974 but rebranded in 2019, has 32 employees and two other locations. It logged revenue last year of $2.1 million, which it aims to increase by 20% in 2022, according to its annual report. "Our vision is to retain our smaller footprint while growing enough to provide any relevant behavioral health service individuals in the community we serve require," Pace said. ICYMI Five reads from Buffalo Next: 1. Buffalo startup Circuit Clinical raises $29 million with focus on hiring, network expansion: The company had some local investors, such as the Western New York Impact Investment Fund and Launch NY. 2. St. Bonaventure's new president pledges to stay on course set by Dennis DePerro: Jeff Gingerich of the University of Scranton says he will continue to increase enrollment and add graduate programs. 3. Starbucks workers vote to join union at three more Buffalo Niagara stores: Workers at a total of five Buffalo-area Starbucks have voted in favor of union representation. 4. Apartments amid grain elevators: How Silo City aims to create a new neighborhood on the Buffalo River: There's a whole new neighborhood taking shape along the river in Buffalo in an area once known for its industrial glory and its more recent decay. 5. Buffalo Niagara consumers experiencing 'real sticker shock' over record-high gas prices: The average price of a gallon of regular gasoline has jumped by more than 80 cents a gallon since Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24, according to AAA of Western and Central New York. The Buffalo Next team gives you the big picture on the regions economic revitalization. Email tips to buffalonext@buffnews.com or reach Deputy Business Editor David Robinson at 716-849-4435. Was this email forwarded to you? Sign up to get the latest in your inbox five days a week. 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. It's not yet Amherst or Clarence, but Grand Island is becoming a hot spot for new housing development. The largely quiet town on the northwestern end of Erie County typically gets only a handful of new homes built each year, and only one new apartment complex of note recently. But new home construction more than doubled last year and a pair of projects are poised to bring hundreds of additional new homes in the coming years. The new Rivertown Center project could bring 27 new patio and townhomes to the island along with 292 apartments. A second proposed development on another part of the island Southpointe would add nearly 300 new single-family houses and townhomes. Sign up for the Buffalo Next free newsletter The News' Buffalo Next team covers the changing Buffalo Niagara economy. Get the news in your inbox 5 days a week. That activity is already pushing Grand Island up in the rankings of the hottest Buffalo Niagara towns for home construction, with the potential to go much higher. The old mainstays Amherst and Clarence remain by far the two most popular destinations among people building new homes, with nearly 30% of the activity last year. But the flurry of recent construction has pushed Grand Island to the sixth spot in the regional rankings of new home construction permits, up from ninth in 2020, when it ranked lower than Buffalo and the Town of Aurora for building. So why is Grand Island getting more popular as a place to build a home? Geography helps. "Whats happening is, as development spreads further east, it becomes more costly to get to the center of Buffalo or Niagara Falls," said Grand Island Town Supervisor John Whitney. "Grand Island is uniquely located between those two municipalities, which is what makes us an attractive destination." But mainly, it's because there's open land available there and it's relatively affordable. It's the same reason why Lancaster, Orchard Park and Hamburg rank even higher than Grand Island for new home construction. Land is the core commodity that is most essential for new construction, but it's also most difficult to come by. Indeed, other towns are starting to run out of shovel-ready ground, where Grand Island still has significant swaths of undeveloped territory in the town's interior. To be sure, Whitney noted, much of the western part of the island, closest to Canada, still lacks sewer connections, "which will definitely restrict development in those areas." Even so, he said, "theres still spaces that can be developed." But it also depends on the regulatory approval process in Grand Island and other towns, and whether there's a willingness to fast-track new projects. And given the past community resistance on Grand Island to change and growth, the jury is still out on that question. "There was a strong input from the community to see the western portion of the island remain in a semi-rural state," Whitney said. "At this point, that still holds true." Most popular vs. most growth Local homebuilders put up nearly 1,000 homes last year in Erie and Niagara counties, as measured by the number of building permits issued by local municipal officials. The tally of 978 was up by 7% from the prior year, according to the data collected by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Not surprisingly, Amherst and Clarence still control the top spots, with 158 and 112 new permits last year, respectively. That's a 6% increase for Amherst, but a 17% gain for Clarence. Activity is high with all types, including single-family houses, patio homes and townhomes. For example, Essex Homes of WNY has just two of 24 lots still open in the fourth phase of its Essex Greens patio home development in Clarence. Similarly, Natale Builders sold most of the 33 lots it had available in a Wheatfield subdivision probably "the most activity of any new development we've been involved in," said President and CEO Angelo S. Natale. Wheatfield added 34 homes last year, up 21% from 2020, ranking it 10th ahead of West Seneca and Elma, but behind Buffalo. But the hottest areas for new growth, besides Grand Island, were places like Aurora and Lockport, where the pace of activity soared even though the totals are still well below Amherst and Clarence. Grand Island in which Forbes-Capretto Homes sold out an entire new development more than doubled, going from just 29 permits in 2020 to 64 last year. Aurora where Marrano Homes has a big patio home project going jumped 44% to 46 new homes, while Lockport's tally rose 71% to 48. And more new builds are coming. Essex is planning a 22-lot subdivision on 14 acres of land on the north side of Pleasant Avenue in the Town of Hamburg. Orchard Park officials are reviewing the proposed 18-lot Quaker Lake Terrace on vacant land at the end of the existing street, while three new lots would be added on the east side of Bussendorfer Road, north of Armor Duells Road. In fact, Orchard Park's take also more than doubled in the past year, from 33 permits in 2020 to 68 last year, and both Essex and Forbes-Capretto have developments going. But builders say that's still a far cry from the days before the 2008 financial crisis, when Orchard Park generated more than 80 to 100 new houses per year. "Its been a difficult town to get construction of a site done," Nanula said. Lancaster saw a 35% drop, from 113 permits to 73. That's a big change for a town that has been a big target of both homebuilders and buyers for years, because of the availability of lower-priced land in a large area that is still close enough to downtown Buffalo. Builders say the shift in Lancaster stems from a combination of market and regulatory factors. There are only a few active developments in the town, and they're far enough along that they're running out of lots on which to build. Meanwhile, town officials are taking longer to approve projects, and subjecting them to more municipal and environmental reviews, "which makes it difficult to bring projects online," Nanula said. But the proposed new Fieldstream subdivision in Lancaster, located on the north side of William Street, would add 52 new lots and a new public road extending off William if and when it's approved by the town. "Normal towns where growth has occurred in the past are having problems," Marrano said. Southpointe Grand Island, on the other hand, has been difficult for years. While Amazon's failed attempt to construct a new $300 million e-commerce distribution center on Grand Island is a well-known example of community opposition to a commercial project, nothing illustrates the challenge of building new housing on Grand Island better than the Southpointe project. Originally proposed more than 25 years ago for a vast swath of land just off I-190, the sprawling residential project has been revived by Long Island businessman Harold Schertz. He wants to bring more than 400 single-family homes, townhomes and apartments to the area just north of the southern Grand Island bridges. His company, Lawrence, N.Y.-based SRI, bought the 284-acre Southpointe property in 2013, after the previous owners a Canadian investor group abandoned its development plan. Now Schertz wants to divide the property into five pieces for his own version of the project including three for single-family housing subdivisions, with a total of 103 houses. And it finally appears to be advancing. "It doesn't surprise me that that's finally coming to fruition," Whitney said, noting the long history. Under the plan, the southwestern portion, formerly known as Southpointe West, is located at the intersection of Love and Baseline roads and would contain 40 homes. The former Southpointe East, at Carl Road and Beaver Island Parkway in the southeast, would be a 44-lot subdivision. And the former Southpointe North, on Staley Road east of Baseline and west of I-190, would contain 19 lots. A fourth lot, totaling 12 acres in the northwest quadrant on Baseline, south of Staley, would be developed at a later date into a three-story assisted-living facility, with 160 units. The largest piece, comprising the majority of the land with 208 acres, would become the "core" of the project, with 192 single-family attached townhouses and 116 apartments. Located between Staley and Glen Avon, it would include two four-story apartment buildings with 58 units in each, and 48 four-unit townhome buildings. Schertz's development concept plan was approved by the Town Board in October. Subdivision and housing lot plans are now under review, while site plans for the assisted-living, apartment and townhome projects would come later. 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. For nearly 150 years, a stately mansion near the bank of the Niagara River has been a focal point of social activity in Niagara Falls. But its owners now have a new goal for the Peter A. Porter Mansion, which overlooks the Niagara Scenic Parkway entrance to Niagara Falls State Park. "We want this to be another attraction in Niagara Falls," said Lori Caso, president of the Tatler Historic Preservation Foundation. That's an outgrowth of the Tatler Club, named after a British magazine and founded in 1925 by a descendant of Peter Porter. The club has owned the house since 1956 and still meets every two weeks in what was once the master bedroom. "The site is widely toured by groups," Caso said. "The site can be utilized for occasions. People have had weddings there, showers there. We open it up for various events." Mayor Robert M. Restaino said the mansion would be an excellent stop on a walking tour of the area near the falls. "This will allow guests, tourists and locals really should take advantage of some of these things, too to see the history of the city and to really get an appreciation for just how big of an impact the City of Niagara Falls had on Western New York." "We are already on a tour route with other historical groups, including the Underground Railroad Museum. And you end where all the Porters ended, at Oakwood Cemetery," Caso said. The Tatler Club has about 50 members. "We are a club of women interested in history who keep the lights on in this house," Caso said. Tuesday, the committee that controls Greenway funding in Niagara County approved the foundation's $235,000 request to pay most of the tab for a planned two-year repair project. Caso submitted a $339,000 budget that included a wide range of repairs and the removal of the aluminum siding that was installed on the house in 1964. If the siding goes, the house, already listed as a local landmark, could be a strong candidate for placement on the National Register of Historic Places, Caso said. Besides admitting tourists on a regular basis, the foundation's plans include building a walking path to the river, outreach to schools, creation of a speakers' series, and promoting the Porters' connection to the Underground Railroad. "We're trying to educate people on the historic nature of the house and the Porter family," Caso said. "It would be a sad thing not to keep it going," said Lee Mathews, the club housekeeper for 26 years. The Porter mansion is one of several historic homes along the upper Niagara River rapids, but the home of Augustus Porter, the Porter family's patriarch, is long gone. "The original house of Augustus Porter was where the parking lot of the Parkway Condominiums is, and we don't want that to happen again," Caso said. Peter A. Porter, the grandson of Augustus Porter's brother, moved into his new home at 6 Fourth St. in 1876, after two years of construction. At various times, Peter Porter was a member of Congress, publisher of the newspaper that is now the Niagara Gazette, and a businessman. He was president of the Niagara Power Co., which pushed for the harnessing of the falls for hydroelectric production in the late 19th century. The Porter family once owned the actual cataracts until New York State bought Goat Island and property on the mainland to create Niagara Reservation State Park in 1885. In 1900, the house was sold to the Natural Food Co., of which Porter was a board member. Later the company changed its name to the Shredded Wheat Co. Restaino said that before the Doubletree Hotel was built at Buffalo Avenue and Fourth Street, the Shredded Wheat plant was visible from the mansion's riverfront deck. The most expensive piece of the restoration plan is the siding job, budgeted at $194,000. The budget also includes $55,000 to renovate access from the garage to the house; $49,000 for a lift to promote accessibility; and $41,000 to repair crumbling dormer windows and six chimneys. Although most of the furniture is not original, the wooden floors date from 1876, along with some other furnishings, such as sinks and a leaded-glass window over the front door. Last month, the Denn family of Lewiston loaned the house President Grover Cleveland's card table, used at a club in Buffalo before Cleveland was elected president. Steve Denn, a Tatler Foundation member, has worked as a volunteer on renovations of the mansion's third floor, Caso said. "We have a campaign that's ongoing called Partners in Preservation, where we have local businesses and individuals giving us money to help with this. We're looking into other grant opportunities," Caso said. The Buffalo News: Good Morning, Buffalo The smart way to start your day. We sift through all the news to give you a concise, informative look at the top headlines and must-read stories every weekday. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Here is a Unique Introduction to the Master of Contemplative Prayer NEWS PROVIDED BYMarch 15, 2022SAN FRANCISCO, March 15, 2022 / Standard Newswire / -- Catholic tradition calls St. John of the Cross the "Mystical Doctor" for his massive treatises on the spiritual life and contemplative prayer. His writings can seem daunting to the average Catholic looking to deepen their spiritual life and relationship with God. Father Donald Haggerty's latest book, SAINT JOHN OF THE CROSS: MASTER OF CONTEMPLATION, seeks to guide readers on a journey of the saint's writings on contemplative prayer, making the works easier to comprehend and put into everyday practice.Father Haggerty is no stranger to the contemplative life. His books, including The Contemplative Hunger and Contemplative Enigmas, shed needed light on the more intense and fruitful aspects of contemplative prayer and the intimacy with God it can bring.SAINT JOHN OF THE CROSS is furnished abundantly with quotations from across the Mystical Doctor's writings, while confronting the mysteries, difficulties and joys of prayer. For all his theological richness, Saint John gave practical, realistic advice on navigating the world of contemplation, and Father Haggerty a spiritual director for decades applies these principles to our lives today in relatable and concrete ways, which is perfect for the Lenten penitential season.Even though the writings of St. John of the Cross can seem daunting, Therese of Lisieux claimed she found no other spiritual reading that could satisfy her soul like those written by John of the Cross. SAINT JOHN OF THE CROSS offers readers a unique step-by-step introduction to the way of contemplation as Saint John understood it and taught it a burning, transformative intimacy with the God who made us.SAINT JOHN OF THE CROSS will appeal to those new to prayer and those who have read and re-read the original writings of St. John of the Cross. Father Haggerty masterfully summarizes and organizes the deep spiritual truths of contemplative prayer that St. John of the Cross revealed during his own lifetime."As a young priest, I learned the treasures of Saint John of the Cross. Later, I was hardly surprised to discover that Pope Saint John Paul II had a deep devotion to this saint," said Timothy Cardinal Dolan, archbishop of New York. "Nor will you be, if you read Father Haggerty's latest gem."For more information, to request a media review copy or to schedule an interview with Father Donald Haggerty, please contact Kevin Wandra (404-788-1276 or KWandra@CarmelCommunications.com ) of Carmel Communications.SOURCE Carmel CommunicationsCONTACT: Kevin Wandra, 404-788-1276, KWandra@CarmelCommunications.com I take issue with the recent quote in The Buffalo News from a developer stating that nothing is going on in Grand Island. In fact a lot is going on. There has been just shy of a 10% increase in population since the 2000 census. The island has a variety of thriving businesses, great schools, recreation programs for all ages and lovely parks. There are now hundreds of acres of protected environmentally significant land resulting from the Western New York Conservancys Greenway/Grand Island land protection program. In addition, there are extensive hiking and multi-use trails with more planned in the coming year. New York State Parks are adding to the many existing canoe launch sites on the Island. Several years ago the Town engaged in the creation of a Comprehensive Plan, utilizing public input to address many facets of life on Grand Island. The result is a tool providing guidance in stewardship of its many assets including additional commercial and residential development. Cred4Gi, an organization of concerned citizens, provides a forum for discussion and dissemination of information on projects before the Town. The fact that the towns residents and various committees take time to review proposals and engage in a process that utilizes a comprehensive plan is a benefit providing some assurance that decisions are made based on the desires of the community. There is a lot going on in Grand Island thanks to the democratic process of public participation. Suzanne Tomkins Grand Island The U.S. and other countries are sending humanitarian relief, weapons and financial assistance to Ukraine, and imposing some severe sanctions on Russia. Is that enough? Volodymyr Zelenskyy has called for the delivery of military aircraft and more advanced weaponry Ukraine still needs, and for cutting off Vladimir Putins main source of financing his war by banning Russian oil and other fossil fuel products to countries, including the U.S., that purchase these imports from Russia. I believe we should give Ukraine all the weapons and military aircraft that Ukrainian President Zelenskyy has asked for. The sooner all our allies follow the lead of President Biden by banning the import of Russian fossil fuels, the better. Researchers analysed lakes on the Tibetan plateau. (Getty) Alpine permafrost is set to melt faster as a result of global warming, in turn releasing greenhouse gases and causing world temperatures to rise more quickly, scientists have warned. Up to 60% of permafrost could melt in Alpine areas, posing serious challenges in the battle against climate change, researchers said. Alpine permafrost - found closer to the equator at high elevations - is less well-understood than arctic permafrost in the ground. Globally, permafrost contains 1,500 trillion grams orbon twice the carbon currently in the atmosphere, and triple the amount emitted by human activity since 1850. Read more: Why economists worry that reversing climate change is hopeless Alpine permafrost, which contains 85 trillion grams of carbon, is expected to melt at a faster rate than arctic permafrost under current global warming conditions, according to research published in Nature Communications. This may contribute even more to rising global temperatures. Scientists believe that Earths future will look similar to the mid-Pliocene warm period an epoch 3.3 million to 3 million years ago when the average air temperature at mid-latitudes rarely dropped below freezing. Co-author Carmala Garzione, dean of the University of Arizona College of Science, said: "Atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations today are similar, or maybe even higher, than the mid-Pliocene because of the burning of fossil fuels, and so scientists point at that time period as an analog for our current and near-future climate. "We're not feeling the full effects of the rise in atmospheric carbon dioxide yet because our Earth system takes time to adjust." Read more: A 1988 warning about climate change was mostly right Feng Cheng, the paper's lead author and a professor at Peking University in China, said: "We wanted to estimate the stability of modern permafrost globally in a warmer-than-today climate scenario. "Our findings were very surprising and highlight the fact that we need to put more effort into monitoring the stability of the permafrost in the alpine region." Story continues The team used carbonate a family of minerals that formed in a Tibetan Plateau lake to estimate temperatures during the Pliocene period (5.3 to 2.6 million years ago) and the Pleistocene period (between 2.6 million and 11,700 years ago). When algae grows in lakes, it absorbs carbon dioxide from the water and, as a result, decreases lake acidity. Read more: Melting snow in Himalayas drives growth of green sea slime visible from space That decrease drives the lake to form finely-grained carbonate minerals that settle at the lake bottom. The atoms in that carbonate reflect the temperature at which the carbonate formed, and can be used like a time-travelling thermometer. Ultimately, the modelling suggests that under current levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide, 20% of arctic permafrost land area and 60% of alpine permafrost land area will be lost in the future. High-altitude alpine regions are more sensitive than high-latitude arctic regions to warming under higher atmospheric carbon dioxide conditions. "The Pliocene is an important period as an ancient analogue for how Earth will adjust to the carbon dioxide that humans have already released to the atmosphere," Garzione said. "We need better and broader studies of the vulnerability of alpine regions under global warming scenarios. There's been a lot of focus on the stability of arctic permafrost, because it covers more land area and contains a huge reservoir of organic carbon trapped in permafrost, but we also need to be aware that alpine regions stand to lose more permafrost proportionally and are important in understanding of potential carbon release under global warming scenarios." Previous research suggested that thawing permafrost could create a dangerous feedback in global warming by releasing greenhouse gases. The feedback mechanism, combined with the loss of heat-reflecting white ice, could increase global warming by 5%, reports suggested. Watch: What sea levels will look like in 2050 The Association of Wisconsin Snowmobile Clubs (AWSC) announces five Wisconsin communities including Chippewa County as a Snowmobile Friendly Community awardees for 2022-2026. In addition to Chippewa County, other communities honored are Arbor Vitae, Conover, Lodi, and Marinette County. These communities achieved their Snowmobile Friendly Community status by working closely with their Snowmobile Club to complete a 21-page application describing how they and their Snowmobile Club volunteers and landowners provide and advocate for safe and responsible snowmobiling in their area. All SFC Awardees receive two retro-reflective, high-visibility, 24x36 highway signs to let all visitors know they are entering a Snowmobile Friendly Community. Created through a partnership between the AWSC and the Wisconsin Department of Tourism, the Wisconsin Snowmobile Friendly Community Program utilizes a statewide Evaluation Panel, to include a state Department of Tourism professional to ensure the program evaluates and accurately identifies which Wisconsin communities and snowmobile clubs are truly best at welcoming, preserving, and providing snowmobile access, support, and services for snowmobilers and their families. The Snowmobile Friendly Community Award is a four-year designation/term, and communities may reapply for subsequent awards. All 2022 Snowmobile Friendly Community Awardees will be formally recognized during the AWSCs annual Spring Convention in Green Bay on 26 March. Annually this statewide convention serves as the final major snowmobiling event for the 610+ Wisconsin Snowmobile Clubs and 72 Wisconsin counties that create and maintain over 24,000 miles of public snowmobile trails throughout Wisconsin. For additional information: AWSC Phone (800) 232.4108/(608) 846.5530, www.awsc.org/Email: awsc@awsc.org Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 By Trend The total nominal income of the population of Azerbaijan amounted to 9.28 million manat ($5.4 million) in January-February 2022, the State Statistical Committee of the Republic of Azerbaijan told Trend. According to the committee, this amount increased by 15.7 percent compared to January-February 2021. The nominal per capita income in Azerbaijan has risen by 15.3 percent over the year and reached 925 manat ($544.4). The Central Community College Adult Education program and Platte Valley Literacy Association are both rapidly expanding, so much so that they will be moving into a new space later this year. Amid this growth, more volunteers are also needed. The programs, which work in tandem with one another, offer a variety of assistance in adult education (English as a second language and GED) as well as services like employability skills. CCC Volunteer Coordinator Sarah Saul said that any and all tutors are needed, especially ESL and math. We also could use tutors who are willing to help with all varieties of things, such as English as a second language, as I mentioned, but also the English component of the GED, and then for the GED test, there's also a science portion and the social studies portion. Really any and all people who are interested in helping out, Saul said. The process to become a volunteer involves meeting with Saul, filling out an application, supplying two references and undergoing training. Once the training process is complete, we ask tutors to volunteer an hour minimum a week, and during that time, they would just meet with an individual student whose schedule happened to line up with theirs, Saul said. I would kind of guide that process in terms of making sure that everything is working out well and helping make sure they have the correct resources. Platte Valley Literacy Association Executive Director Mary Wiegand said that no bachelors degree is required, just a high school diploma or GED. They just have to have the love and the knowledge to help somebody succeed, especially in the math because it seems math is the one that the students struggle with the most, Wiegand said. There are a variety of things that volunteers can do, she added. The most popular of these are tutoring sessions. We also have opportunities for classroom assistants. They would be in the classroom, helping the instructor with small groups, helping them run the class, Wiegand said. Those were pretty popular then we had to quit doing that due to COVID. Once we started to pick it back up again, our volunteers that were doing the classroom assistance have found other volunteer opportunities within the organization or with other organizations. Between CCC Adult Education and the literacy association, the two programs have served 362 students so far this year, Saul said. With all the growth the programs have seen, their original location is being renovated. Wiegand said that COVID-19 dollars are being utilized to expand their area at the Columbus Family Resource Center. They are still at that facility but are currently housed across the hall until the renovations are complete. The number of classrooms will be increased from three to five and there will be designated tutoring areas, a library from which students can check out material and testing areas. We're going from about 3,200 square feet with our old area to about 7,400 square feet, Wiegand said. We've been in our temporary location since beginning of January, which is actually just across the hall from our old location, and the plan is to be in our new area around summer. There are a multiple reasons why people volunteer, Wiegand noted. This can include college-aged students who want something to boost their scholarship application or job resume, or retirees who want to pass the time. The students arent the only ones who benefit the volunteers do as well. They learn where the students come from, they learn their culture, their history, they learn that everybody here has a story, she added. Once they're here, it's very hard to leave. It's a very, very rewarding position. Saul agreed, saying that it provides a satisfaction in knowing theyve helped someone else. Knowing that they have helped someone on their journey. If it's an ESL student, to learn the language because that's incredibly stressful, to not know the language of the country that you're in, Saul said. It's incredibly satisfying to watch a student that you have helped grow and up and get go and get their GED. That's kind of big for a lot of people. Some volunteers start because they want to help out but end up discovering a love for teaching, she added. You're helping out the community, you're helping out an individual and you're also learning a little bit about yourself in the process, Saul said. To find out more about becoming a volunteer, contact Saul at 402-562-1471 or at sarahsaul@cccneb.edu. Hannah Schrodt is the news editor of The Columbus Telegram. Reach her via email at hannah.schrodt@lee.net. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Felipe Vazquez's mother Monday described conversations she had with her son about the 2020 shooting that took the life of Lincoln Police Officer Mario Herrera. "I asked him what happened, to tell me the truth," Adela Gonzalez, of Albuquerque, New Mexico, told the jury, her words translated from Spanish. As Vazquez's trial for first-degree murder, attempted first-degree assault on an officer and five other felonies moved into the second week, jurors heard from both of his parents. On Monday, his mother. Gonzalez, said her ex-husband, Epignio Vazquez, picked up Felipe for a summer vacation when he was 10 or 11 and never brought him back. Their divorce when he was about 3 had been hard on Felipe, she said. So she didn't report it when he took their son first to Colorado and then Nebraska. And she didn't have much contact with her son after. But after his arrest for the shooting at the age of 17, Gonzalez said she got video phone calls from him while he was in custody. He told her that on Aug. 26, 2020, police had surrounded his dad's house at North 33rd and Vine streets. She didn't know it, but police were looking for Velazquez on a felony warrant and he'd barricaded himself inside his stepbrother's bedroom. "He told me that he was afraid," Gonzalez said. "He broke a window with his hand, and he had to run away." She asked him why he didn't just come out and turn himself in. "And what did he say?" Lancaster County Attorney Pat Condon said. "That he was just afraid and wanted to run away," Gonzalez said. Vazquez told her he had a gun and fired it into the air. In fact, police say he fired three shots. One struck Herrera in the torso. He ultimately died from his wound on Sept. 7, 2020. Condon asked her about one recorded conversation. "He told you he didn't think the state could prove their case, correct?" he asked her. "Yes," she said. "And that he didn't intend to shoot the officer?" Condon continued. "That was not his intention. He didn't want to do it," Gonzalez said. "That's what he told you," Condon clarified. "Yes, correct," she said. In the end, that will be a question for the jury. The case continues in Platte County District Court where the trial was moved due to pretrial publicity. Reach the writer at 402-473-7237 or lpilger@journalstar.com. On Twitter @LJSpilger Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 A Carlisle man was found dead after State Police at Carlisle responded to a residence in West Pennsboro Township for a reported shooting Sunday night. State Police on Tuesday said Clarence Bernard Childs, 29, was found dead in a residence in the 2200 block of Newville Road after an investigation into a shooting in which another male was discovered with a gunshot wound about 7:30 p.m. Sunday. Police said they had responded to the scene and found the wounded victim who had a non-life-threatening injury. Initial reports indicated that a second man later identified as Childs was inside the residence and potentially armed. Police said they established a perimeter around the residence and asked nearby residents to shelter in place. They later entered the residence, where they found Childs body. Police said the death investigation is ongoing and they do not believe there is any threat to the public. Email Naomi Creason at ncreason@cumberlink.com or follow her on Twitter @SentinelCreason Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. HARRISBURG Candidates came in a stampede before Tuesdays deadline to file paperwork to get on Pennsylvanias primary ballots, as large fields shape up for the open governors office, lieutenant governors office and U.S. Senate seat. This years election is the first time in decades that Pennsylvania has its governors office and a U.S. Senate seat on the same ballot with no incumbent running. Twelve candidates apiece filed for U.S. Senate and lieutenant governor, while 11 filed for governor, most of them Republicans. Gov. Tom Wolf, a Democrat, is constitutionally barred from running for a third consecutive term, while Sen. Pat Toomey, a second-term Republican, is not running again. Lt. Gov. John Fetterman, a Democrat, is running for U.S. Senate, instead of seeking another term. The 5 p.m. close-of-business deadline to file enough voter signatures to make Pennsylvanias May 17 primary ballot also applied to races for Congress. The state allows one week to file court challenges to a candidates paperwork, and courts have one more week after that until March 29 to render a decision. A look at who has filed, according to information from state election officials: U.S. Senate Both parties will have contested primaries. Five filed for the Democratic Partys nomination. They are: emergency room physician Kevin Baumlin; Fetterman; second-term state Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta of Philadelphia; liberal activist Alex Khalil; and third-term U.S. Rep. Conor Lamb of suburban Pittsburgh. On the Republican side are seven candidates. They are: conservative activist Kathy Barnette, who has aligned herself with leading figures in the Trump-led push to overturn 2020s presidential election; real estate investor Jeff Bartos, who was the partys nominee for lieutenant governor in 2018; lawyer George Bochetto; lawyer Sean Gale; former hedge fund CEO David McCormick; Mehmet Oz, the self-styled health and wellness guru and author best-known as host of daytime TVs The Dr. Oz Show; and Carla Sands, Trumps former ambassador to Denmark who ran her late husbands commercial real estate empire in California. Governor The Democratic Partys presumed nominee, Josh Shapiro, filed to run for governor while serving his second term as Pennsylvanias elected attorney general. He has a clear lane to the partys nomination with no opposition. Ten candidates filed to run on the Republican side. They are: Lou Barletta, the GOPs nominee for U.S. Senate in 2018 and a former congressman known for his crusade against illegal immigration; Jake Corman, the top-ranking state senator; Joe Gale, a Montgomery County commissioner; Charlie Gerow, a marketing consultant and longtime conservative activist; Melissa Hart, a lawyer and former congresswoman; state Sen. Doug Mastriano, a force in Pennsylvanias right-wing politics who aligned himself with Trump and pushed to overturn 2020s presidential election; Bill McSwain, a lawyer who was the Trump-appointed U.S. attorney in Philadelphia; Jason Richey, a Pittsburgh-based lawyer who specializes in commercial and contract litigation; Dave White, who runs a plumbing and HVAC firm and is a former Delaware County councilman; and Nche Zama, a heart surgeon who has directed units at various hospitals in Pennsylvania. Lieutenant governor Both parties have contests for the open seat with Fetterman seeking higher office. On the Democratic side, three filed, including two state lawmakers. They are second-term Pittsburgh-area Rep. Austin Davis, five-term Rep. Brian Sims of Philadelphia and Raymond Sosa, a financial planner who ran unsuccessfully for lieutenant governor in 2018. Davis is running on a ticket with Shapiro. On the Republican side, nine candidates filed. They are: John Brown, a former elected executive of Northampton County and the partys 2016 nominee for lieutenant governor; Jeff Coleman, a former state lawmaker and political and marketing consultant; Teddy Daniels, a former police officer and Army combat veteran who is aligned with Trump and says he was outside the U.S. Capitol on the afternoon of the Jan. 6 insurrection; Carrie DelRosso, a freshman state lawmaker from suburban Pittsburgh; Russ Diamond, a state lawmaker from Lebanon County who was prominent in resistance to pandemic-era government measures; Christopher Frye, the mayor of New Castle; James Jones, who runs an oil and petroleum products trading business; Rick Saccone, a former state lawmaker from the Pittsburgh area who also was outside the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6; and Clarice Schillinger, a Bucks County resident who got politically involved in school board races last year in a push against pandemic-era measures. Congress Fifteen incumbents are running for reelection for Pennsylvanias 17 congressional seats in newly drawn districts. At least 56 candidates filed and most incumbents will have a primary or general election challenge. Two Pittsburgh-area districts lack an incumbent and will provide an opportunity for newcomers. Six filed to run in the Pittsburgh-based district, while five filed in the district just to the west. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Among the latest consumer and food recalls in the last week is one from Olight, which is recalling its M2R Pro and Warrior miniflashlights because they can be turned on inadvertently and overheat while stored in the holster of a pocket, posing a burn hazard. The company has received 127 reports of the flashlight turning on and overheating, resulting in 22 reports of burn injuries. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said three consumers reported receiving second-degree burns. The flashlights were sold online at Olight and Amazon, as well as through small independent stores nationwide from November 2019 to November 2021. Consumers should stop using the flashlights and contact the company at 888-889-6870 for a full refund in the form of a store credit or for a free replacement flashlight. The commission also reported that Crate and Barrel is recalling its Be the Band music sets because the maracas can break or become unscrewed, releasing the metal beads inside, which can pose a choking hazard to children. The company has received six reports of broken or unscrewed maracas, though no injuries have been reported. The recall involves the music sets, which are designed for children 3 and older. The set includes a table about 19 inches high with drum pads and sticks, cymbals, maracas and xylophone keys. They were sold online at Crate and Barrel from September 2021 to January 2022. Consumers should stop using the music sets and contact the company at 800-967-6696 for instructions on how to receive a refund in the form of a $20 store credit for the maracas. Danby Products is recalling its free-standing and slide-in electric and gas ranges over a tip-over hazard, as well as a risk of burn injuries from hot food or liquids in cookware. The company has not received any reports of injuries or incidents but said there was a risk that the ranges that are not secured to the wall or floor can tip over if a heavy weight is placed on an open oven door. The recall involves the ranges sold by Danby Products Limited in white, black and other finish colors. For gas serial ranges, UPCs and model numbers, check out the commissions website at www.cpsc.gov. The ranges were sold at Home Depot and other appliance stores nationwide from June 2021 to November 2021. Consumers should contact Danby Appliances at 877-246-2296 to determine if their unit is part of the recall and to schedule a free in-home service call to inspect the recalled ranges anti-tip bracket to ensure it is securely installed. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration also announced the recalls of a number of food products, all related to unlisted ingredients that pose potential allergy issues. Damascus Bakery is recalling one lot of its Bantam Classic Bagels due to an incorrect item being placed in the carton. The carton is labeled as mini stuffed bagels with cream cheese, though the company did not report what is inside the one lot, other than it has an undeclared egg allergen. The single affected lot has a best by date of May 27, 2023. No illnesses have been reported. Consumers should dispose of the product or contact the companys customer service line at 866-451-6744 for a replacement coupon. Albanese Confectionary Group Inc. is recalling its 9-ounce tub of dark chocolate espresso beans because the tub was inadvertently packaged with dark chocolate panned peanuts. The product was sold under the Albanese brand beginning Dec. 27 in stores in 15 states, including Pennsylvania and Virginia. The affected tub has a sell by date of Oct. 25, 2022, and UPC of 634418621436. Customers who purchased the product can return it to the place of purchase for a full refund. Fairmont Foods Inc. is recalling its corrugated boxes of Schwans brand spinach and artichoke dip because they contain undeclared soy and wheat. The box imprinted with a red Schwans brand has two bowls in each box, and product information code starting with P82013. The recall was initiated after incorrect packaging was used, according to the company, which did not provide further details. The product was distributed to the lower 48 states through Schwans home delivery network. There have been no reported injuries or illnesses. Consumers who purchased the product can contact Schwans at 507-238-9001, ext. 6125, for a full refund. Stutzman Farms is recalling all products containing einkorn because the product labels do not declare wheat. Products included in the recall are organic einkorn berries, organic whole einkorn flour, organic all-purpose einkorn flour, organic all purpose flour, sourdough einkorn pretzels, sprouted einkorn grate nuts and sprouted einkorn crackers. The products were sold through retailers in a number of states including Pennsylvania and Ohio. There have been no reported illnesses. Customers with a wheat allergy who purchased the affected product can return it to Stutzman Farms for a refund. Customers with questions can call 330-674-1289, ext. 2 and leave a message. Email Naomi Creason at ncreason@cumberlink.com or follow her on Twitter @SentinelCreason Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. South Middleton Township supervisors heard a continuation Thursday of a developers conditional use request for a proposed residential development, a journeyed process initiated months ago at township meetings and still set to continue. Thursdays conditional use hearing involved a developers application for zoning exceptions for Wheatstone, a residential development proposed within a township well protection overlay zone. The hearing opened in the township on Oct. 28 and has remained open since then due to various circumstances. The McNaughton Co. proposes to construct and manage Wheatstone as an age-restricted community for older residents comprising 76 single-family detached homes and 182 single-family semidetached homes on property bordered by East Springville and Lindsey roads. The project was first proposed in 2018. Following that, the hearing was continued at a township supervisors meeting Feb. 10. Testifying on behalf of the McNaughton Co. last month were attorney Jeffery Esch McCombie, civil engineer Tim Mellott, and transportation engineer Jay States. The hearing was continued again on Thursday to allow additional testimony by a project hydrologist. McCombie again led testimony for the McNaughton Co. Thursday, first questioning Philip Donmoyer, senior environmental project manager for Engineering Consulting Services. In testimony, Donmoyer concurred that he had no concerns about development on the proposed site with safeguards such as environmental education measures for residents. Also at the hearing, attorney Marcus McKnight III led testimony on behalf of a pair of residents who object to the project Tom and Ann Benjey who live across the road from the proposed development on East Springville Road. McNights witness included ARM Group hydrologist Bill Seaton and Craig Sunday, who resides on East Springville at Lindsey Road. Seaton said that upon inspection of the proposed Wheatstone site he found two areas of bedrock fractures that could infiltrate a well within a matter of days. When you start developing on a (township) Wellhead Protection Zone III, youre setting yourself up for increased contamination, Seaton said. Personally, it looks like a pretty risky place to me. McCombie said the conditional use applicant already said theyre going to provide education to the residents. Sunday said he was concerned about the planned development potentially causing large increases of traffic on surrounding rural roads. McCombie said developers plan to contribute upwards of $125,000 to the township for off-road improvements around the site. Supervisors continued the Wheatstone hearing at 5:30 p.m. March 31 at the township municipal building, 520 Park Drive. Airport improvements contract Also on Thursday, township supervisors approved a professional services contract with Michael Baker International engineers for an open-ended contract for airport improvement consulting services at the Carlisle Airport, which the township purchased last year. The blanket contract that ensures services from the Michael Baker firm comes at no cost to the township. In tandem, the township board Thursday also approved a professional services agreement with Michael Baker for $37,000 to develop a lighting rehabilitation design for the airport. The board also approved another professional services agreement with Michael Baker for $75,000 to complete an airport layout plan. Township engineer Brian ONeill said the contracts will be funded at 90% through federal grants, with the township paying the remaining 10%. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 U.S. Senator Roy Blunt (Mo.) announced the FY2022 government funding bill, which is on its way to the presidents desk, includes key investments that will benefit Missouri. Missouri is on the cutting edge in areas like health research and precision medicine, ag and food innovation, advanced manufacturing, technology, defense aviation, and geospatial intelligence, said Blunt. Smart, targeted federal investments will allow our state to continue growing our footprint in these areas that are critically important in the 21st Century economy. Its an exciting time and Ive been proud to advocate for Missouri-focused federal investments that will allow our state to leverage our central location, our top research institutions, and our public-private partnerships to create new opportunities for people to raise families and build their careers where we live. While I am pleased that this funding package reflects Missouris priorities, I am disappointed we were not able to pass the bill through the regular appropriations process. Every member should have the opportunity to debate funding legislation and ensure that we are spending taxpayer dollars on programs that will have the most benefit for the most people. Blunt previously highlighted investments to strengthen Missouri ag and infrastructure, protect communities, and support military installations. As the top Republican on the Labor/HHS subcommittee, Blunt also previously announced key health, education, and workforce preparedness investments included in the Labor/HHS bill. In addition to these investments, the Labor/HHS bill includes: Ending the HIV Epidemic: $513.25 million, an increase of $70 million, to support the initiative started by the Trump administration in FY2020 to reduce the number of new HIV infections by 90% in 10 years. The majority of these resources are targeted to 48 counties and seven states, including Missouri, for prevention, diagnoses, research, and response activities. Missouri has received $11.7 million in the first two years of the program for these efforts. Opioid Epidemic: $4.28 billion, an increase of $299 million, to combat the opioid epidemic. Funds are targeted toward improving treatment and prevention efforts; finding alternative pain medications; workforce needs, especially in our rural communities; and treating behavioral health. Importantly, the bill gives states flexibility to use opioid response funds on stimulants across multiple government programs. In the last year, the number of drug overdose deaths exceeded 100,000 lives, emphasizing the need to continue these critical investments. Mental Health: As a critical part of both combating opioid abuse and ensuring safety in our schools and communities, the bill provides $4.47 billion, a $394.3 million increase, for mental health research, treatment, and prevention, including: Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics: $315 million, an increase of $65 million, for Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics. In 2018, Blunt targeted funding to community clinics that provide a comprehensive approach to mental health care treatment. Missouri clinics served roughly 150,000 patients in 2021, and have received more than $40 million in funds from this program to date; Mental Health Crisis Response: The bill continues the mental health block grant set-aside started in FY2021, at 5%, to support state efforts to build crisis systems to address the needs of individuals in mental health crisis. The development of these services will promote 24/7 access for individuals in acute mental health crisis to well-trained mental health professionals. The bill also includes $5 million for NEW crisis response partnership pilot grants; Project AWARE: $120 million, a $13 million increase, for the Project AWARE program that supports coordination between schools and state mental health agencies to increase awareness of mental health among school-aged kids, train school personnel on detecting and responding to mental health issues, and connect school-aged kids and their families with needed services. Within this funding, the bill provides $12.5 million to address areas that have experienced civil unrest; Mental Health Awareness Training: $25 million, an increase of $1 million, for Mental Health Awareness Training in which Missouri was one of the first adopters; Suicide Programs: $175 million, an increase of $85 million. This increase provides support to the suicide lifeline, which is transitioning to a 3-digit number (9-8-8) in July 2022, and for grants to help identify and help those at risk of suicide; Behavioral Health Workforce: $162.1 million, an increase of $12.1 million, to support Behavioral Health Education and Workforce Training programs and Mental and Behavioral Health programs. Funding includes $31.7 million for the Mental and Substance Use Disorder (SUD) Workforce Training Demonstration for grants to train professionals to provide SUD and mental health treatment; Pediatric Mental Health Access Grants: $11 million for Pediatric Mental Health Access Grants to expand access to behavioral health services in pediatric primary care settings; National Institute of Mental Health: $2.2 billion for mental health research at NIH, an increase of $115.2 million; and School-Based Mental Health: $111 million, an increase of $90 million, for grants through the Department of Education to increase the number of qualified school-based mental health providers in K-12 schools. Public Health Preparedness: $715 million, a $20 million increase, for programs that help Americas communities and hospitals prepare for, respond to, and recover from public health and medical disasters and emergencies. These events include natural disasters, pandemic diseases, and man-made threats. $75.4 million, a $12 million increase, for the National Disaster Medical System. $745 million, an increase of $148.3 million, for the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Agency. $845 million, an increase of $140 million, for the Strategic National Stockpile. Alzheimers Research and Care: The bill increases investments in groundbreaking Alzheimers research and caregiver support for one of Americas most costly and prevalent diseases. The cost of caring for people with Alzheimers and other forms of dementia is expected to increase from $355 billion this year to $1.1 trillion by 2050, with Medicare and Medicaid paying roughly 70% of the total cost. The bill provides: $3.48 billion for Alzheimers disease research, an increase of $289 million. Under Blunts subcommittee leadership, there has been a five-fold funding increase for Alzheimers research; $30.5 million, of which $25.5 million is for the BOLD Infrastructure for Alzheimers Act to create a national public health infrastructure to increase early detection and diagnosis and support prevention efforts. This is a $10 million increase for BOLD; and $29.5 million, an increase of $2 million, for expanding direct services through the Alzheimers disease program at the Administration for Community Living. Community Health Centers: $1.75 billion for Community Health Centers, an increase of $65 million. There are more than 330 sites in Missouri, with Missouri health centers receiving $112 million in federal grant funding to serve more than 606,000 patients a year. Medical Student Education: $55 million for Medical Student Education for states with the highest projected primary care physician shortages in 2025. Funding will provide supplemental grants to both the University of Missouri and University of Missouri-Kansas City, which have received $19.8 million since the program started in FY2019. Pediatric Pandemic Network: $18 million for a regional pediatric network made up of childrens hospitals to prepare for and respond to global health threats, started in FY2020. Rural Health: $366.1 million for Rural Health Care programs, an increase of $36.6 million. The obstacles faced by patients and providers in rural communities are unique and often significantly different from those in urban areas. Delta States Network Rural Development Network Grant: $25 million, an increase of $1 million, to continue a program to help underserved rural communities in the Delta identify and better address their health care needs. This includes $13 million for the Delta Region Community Health Systems Development (DRCHSD) program, which to help small rural hospitals improve their financial and operational stability. There are currently eight Missouri facilities participating in the program, including four medical centers in Potosi, Sikeston, and Perryville that were added in 2020. Childrens Hospitals Graduate Medical Education (CHGME): $375 million, a $25 million increase, for the CHGME program, which protects childrens access to high quality medical care by providing freestanding childrens hospitals with funding to support the training of pediatric providers. In Missouri, Childrens Mercy Hospital in Kansas City and St. Louis Childrens Hospital received close to $14 million last year in combined funding from this program. This funding level represents an increase of $110 million for CHGME, or 41%, under Senator Blunts leadership since FY2016. Adoption Opportunities: $48 million, an increase of $3.9 million, to help remove barriers to adoption and find permanent homes for children, particularly children with special needs. AmeriCorps: $534.3 million, an increase of $13.6 million, for AmeriCorps State and National grants and $230.8 million, an increase of $5.8 million, for AmeriCorps Seniors programs. Last year, more than 5,500 AmeriCorps and Senior Corps members helped address local needs in schools and communities across Missouri. Community-Based Child Abuse Prevention: $65.7 million, an increase of $5 million, to support community-based efforts to prevent child abuse. Family Violence and Prevention Services: $200 million, an increase of $17.5 million, to provide services and temporary shelter for victims of domestic violence, and $15.5 million, an increase of $2.5 million, for the National Domestic Violence Hotline. Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP): $3.8 billion, an increase of $50 million, to help low-income households with home heating and cooling costs. Runaway and Homeless Youth Program: $120.2 million, an increase of $3.5 million, for services and temporary shelter for homeless youth. Missouri Behavioral Health and Primary Care Funding: The legislation supports continued investments in primary care and behavioral health facilities throughout Missouri. The bill provides: $10 million for Jordan Valley Community Health Center to create a Women and Childrens Health and Life Skills Center in Springfield, Missouri. $12 million for a Center of Excellence for the Missouri Primary Care Association and Missouri Behavioral Health Council to enhance the integration of care and improve access to health care for Missourians. $2.5 million for University Health, to build a state-of-art substance use treatment center for those in the Kansas City region, ensuring access to high-quality care for those with substance use disorders. Missouri Hospital Funding: The legislation prioritizes investments in Missouris hospital facilities. The bill includes: $7.3 million for BJC Healthcare for modifications to a planned campus expansion to design for future pandemics. $2 million for St. Louis Childrens Hospital to purchase of a mobile intensive care, so patients ranging from pre-term infants to adults will have access to critical care during their transport to the hospital. $4.6 million for SoutheastHealth Center for upgrading its diagnostic and therapeutic services in its Cardiac Imaging Center. These services will expedite diagnosis and provide timely therapy intervention in medically unserved communities. Missouri Job Training And Education Funding: This legislation supports investments in STEM job training and education programs. Specifically, the bill provides: $30 million for the Ozarks Health and Life Science Center at Temple Hall at Missouri State University, which will house classrooms, labs, and offices to support STEM, health, and life sciences research, and academic programs. $1.5 million for Ozarks Technical College to expand its existing health sciences and technical programs to include high-demand, high-wage fields such as nursing and surgical technology. The bill also includes $3 million for the OTC Airframe and Powerplant Maintenance Training Program. $3 million for Kansas City University (Joplin campus) to expand their dental training and faculty recruitment for underserved rural and minority populations, and to address the significant oral health needs in southwest Missouri. $13 million for University of Missouri-Kansas City expansion of the St. Joseph Medical School Campus, which will afford medical students the opportunity to learn and train in a rural and underserved community. Missouri Disability Resources: The bill supports programs for those with intellectual and developmental disabilities, autism, and training for counseling programs. Specifically, the bill provides: $500,000 for Best Buddies to provide instructional services for middle and high school students with intellectual disabilities. $900,000 for Truman State University to expand their music therapy and counseling degree programs. Students in these programs will be able to do clinical training at the Greenwood Autism Center. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Presbyterian Children's Homes and Services (PCHAS) in Farmington recently held an open house/ribbon cutting for its new quadplex that is now part of the Single Parent Family Program that opened here last month. Not to be confused with a homeless shelter, the program provides struggling single parents and their children with housing, financial and emotional support, therapy, and services that promote self-sufficiency. Additionally, the program helps parents seeking appropriate daycare and preschool services. While the cottages were formerly used for housing children, the units have been converted to provide housing for four single-parent families from St. Francois and surrounding counties. They all have fully-equipped kitchens, living room areas and bedrooms. February marked the first time PCHAS was ready to move families into the quadplex. When they come in, everything is furnished the bedding everything, said PCHAS Southeast Regional Director Caren Mell. Theyll take the bedding with them, but not the furniture, of course. Well do grocery shopping, so when they come in, they wont have to worry about going out and getting all the food together. Well have supplies in the refrigerator and the cabinets for them, so they can just come in and have a meal waiting. In addition to the quadplex, PCHAS also has Black Knight Apartments for single-parent families on the first floor. On the second floor, there are transitional living apartments for young adults between the ages of 18 and 25 years old who have no children. They are trying to go through that transition of being a youth having everything given to them to where they have responsibilities, Mell said. Instead of just being thrown out there, we help them get jobs because they have to be employed. We have a savings program, so when they get their job, theyre going to contribute a certain amount of money to that. Then, when they are ready to leave to graduate from this program all that savings goes back to them. We have a single mom that left here with several thousand dollars saved up, so shes doing great. She has spoken at some of our luncheons shes doing fantastic. Shes employed and learned a lot about budgeting, things like that. As part of its Residential Care programs, PCHAS also provides a Level 3 Residential program that provides 24-hour supervision and assists 15- to 21-year-old young adults as they grow into independent adults with sustainable plans for the future PCHAS of Missouri traces its roots back to 1914 in Farmington where Presbyterian pastors and elders founded an orphanage for children whose parents died in mining accidents. The Farmington Childrens Home grew to include numerous homes and a working farm. Over the years, additional programs were added to help foster children, young adults, and families. Robert Giegling, PCHAS vice president of programs, was also on hand to celebrate the new housing and greet people who came out for the open house and ribbon cutting. He was very impressed with what he saw. Its very exciting, he said. This used to be a residential facility. The remodeling of this is beautiful, and the program is not just for young moms, but also single-parent dads with a few kids, struggling not necessarily homeless, but theyre probably close to being homeless. So, they come here, settle in, and feel safe and we will work with them with all the services Caren mentioned to reach self-sufficiency. "When they leave here, theyre employed, they have their own resources, and theyre going to make the goal to make it in the community on their own. We had done residential here for a long time, but we did not serve the community. We took kids from all over the state. Most of the kids typically came down from St. Louis for residential placement and they left. When we made the decision to stop doing residential and start serving the community, now an array of services five or six different services all serve the Farmington community. I think thats important. We talked for years, like Well, you know, we operate in Farmington but were not that well known. Thats because kids came here, we served them, and they left. Now were intertwined in the community the school district and other agencies we collaborate with. We truly have become a community program and a community service. The depth and breadth of the former Presbyterian Childrens Homes ministry and outreach in Farmington and the surrounding community began to change for the better as it began its transformation into PCHAS four years ago. PCHAS is the result of two historic mergers of Presbyterian childrens agencies. The first merger involved two Texas childrens agencies, Presbyterian Childrens Homes (PCH) and Presbyterian Childrens Services (PCS). Presbyterian Childrens Homes was founded in 1903 when a young mother dying of tuberculosis, Leontine Hector Blaney, met with the pastor of First Presbyterian Church of Dallas and arranged for the care of her four children upon her death. In response, the women of the church rented a home, hired a matron, and created an orphanage. In 1905, the ministry moved to Itasca, Texas. The campus still operates today as PCHAS Itasca Foster Care Village. A few years later and not too far away, the Presbytery of Abilene started a separate home for orphans in 1916 called the Reynolds Presbyterian Orphanage and School in Albany, Texas. This ministry moved to Dallas in 1923 and then to Waxahachie in 1960. In 1998 its name was changed to Presbyterian Childrens Services (PCS). The Waxahachie campus is still in operation and serves foster families, families experiencing trauma, struggling single parents and youth who have aged out of foster care. In 2002, these two Texas childrens agencies merged to create Presbyterian Childrens Homes and Services (PCHAS) of Texas and Louisiana. The second merger occurred on Jan. 1, 2018, when PCHAS of Texas and Louisiana merged with PCHAS of Missouri to operate under the name Presbyterian Childrens Homes and Services. This year, Presbyterian Childrens Homes and Services has begun its 119th year of service. Its 14 programs in 28 service locations with approximately 325 employees serve an estimated 4,500 children and families with Christ-centered care and support throughout Texas, Missouri, and Louisiana. Other programs offered by PCHAs include: Child and Family This in-home family preservation program stabilizes families during a crisis such as poverty, abuse, neglect or homelessness. Community Counseling This provides mental health services for children, individuals, and families in need, as well as mental health and substance abuse education for groups. Youth Outreach PCHAS provides after school support services such as counseling, life skills, tutoring and transportation services for youth who are experiencing housing instability. Children under age 14 meet as one group and those 14 and older meet as another group. Some participants may be eligible to receive housing. Therapeutic Mentoring Mentors meet weekly with children at home, school or in the community and use customized therapeutic plans to overcome crises or long-term struggles. The Farmington Service Center is located at 400 N. Washington St., Suite 232, in Farmington. For more information visit info@pchas.org or call 573-756-6744. Kevin R. Jenkins is the managing editor of the Farmington Press and can be reached at 573-783-9667 or kjenkins@farmingtonpressonline.com Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. I was amazed to learn that of the more than 300,000 plants on Earth, only 6,000 are edible. Even many of those plants only became familiar to the Europeans after discovery of trade routes to Asia and the explorations of North and South America. Even with this huge number of plants, 150 of those are widely consumed. Today, many of these 150 food plants are grown on commercial farms, with half of them finding their way to the grocery stores. Even fewer are regular items on the home dinner table, particularly root vegetables Many people have always thought that root vegetables are fattening. They really are not, but the cook makes them that way by adding too butter or other fat in their preparation. Root vegetables are full of fiber, vitamins, minerals, proteins and other indispensable nutrients. Each and every one has been designed by nature to be like a miniature utility company that manufactures, produces and stores up energy in their leaves and stems. Thus they are important to our well being and have their place in history. One of the most frequently used (and loved and hated) of the root vegetables is the potato. The great potato famine in Ireland might never have occurred if the explorer Pizarro had not traversed the Andes Mountains four centuries earlier. In these Andes Mountains, Pizarro discovered South American Indians cultivating plants at elevations of 10,000 feet. The plants were very small, with roots about the size of a peanut. Pizarro bout some of the plants back to southern Europe, where they were grown as ornamental plants. Eventually, potatoes became known for what they are: a plant that provides more energy and protein for the human body in a shorter time than any other crop, such as soybeans, corn or wheat. Even in very poorly irrigated or arid soil, potatoes yield about 10,000 pounds of food per acre. For some reason or other, man has considered root crops to be inferior food for inferior people. However, the most expensive, glamorous, exotic and rare food the truffle grows underground. And, when foodies want a satisfying snack, they reach for a bag of potato chips. Over the years, other foods, such as roasted heads of garlic, butter-fried onions, and sweet potato chips have joined the favorite food list. Thus, root vegetables have come out of the closet or, in this case, the cellar. Most root vegetables have been consumed for thousands of years at first through foraging and gathering, and eventually by cultivation. Once humans took up agriculture, about 10,000 years ago, roots became crops wherever he settled. Many of these root vegetables easily took to new soil and climate wherever people settled. Why do we call these vegetables roots when many are not roots at all? They are swollen stems and food storage organs that grow beneath the earth or water. They are classified as bulbs, corms, rhizomes, roots, fungi or tubers. Lets just take one of those: Roots are typically parts of the plant that look like roots underground swollen stems that give birth to new roots and stems. They can be hair-like or fleshy. Tubers, on the other hand, are swollen tips of underground stems that store energy in the form of starch to support new growth from their eyes. Fungi are primitive plants that live on the decaying remains of other plants. The truffle is one of those organisms. It grows beneath the earth with roots of a few trees, like oaks. Lets briefly look at one of those roots the potato. Per unit of land, potatoes provide more protein and calories than any other food crop five times more than wheat, corn, or soybeans. However, only the tubers of the potato are harmless. All other parts of the plant contain poisonous substances. Even though there are 2,000 species of potatoes, only eight are cultivated. Like many other new foods, potatoes gained a reputation for having curative powers. They were prescribed for gout, sunburn and toothache. In 1580, American explorers and settlers brought the potato to the attention of Queen Elizabeth, who was indifferent to them. The scarcity of wheat in the 1830s in Ireland turned the population to the new tuber the potato. A century later, the Irish were consuming eight pounds of potatoes per capita almost every day. When did potatoes arrive in this country? Well leave that until next week, along with a potato sauce for pasta. All Unite the Right key organizers and participants who were ordered by a jury to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars in damages have filed motions seeking to reduce these sums or be re-tried. The prolific Sines v. Kessler federal lawsuit that sought to hold organizers and key participants responsible for the August 2017 violence in Charlottesville has stretched past its November end date, prolonging the already yearslong case. The plaintiffs claimed victory after an 11-person jury found defendants engaged in a conspiracy, as defined by Virginia law, and imposed more than $26 million in financial damages. However, all the defendants who appeared at trial are seeking either a new trial or reduced damages. They are largely citing the jurys lack of a verdict on two counts stemming from a more specific federal conspiracy law that alleged racially motivated violence, and a disparity between punitive damages and compensatory damages. A slew of motions were filed during the second week of March as a post-trial deadline loomed, forcing defendants to file arguments or waive many of their appeal options. Among the defendants who filed motions recently are: Richard Spencer, Matthew Parrott, Matthew Heimbach, Traditionalist Worker Party, League of the South, Michael Hill, Michael Tubbs and James Alex Fields Jr.. Fields was convicted in 2019 of first-degree murder of 32-year-old Heather Heyer when he ran his car into a crowd after the rally ended. He was also found guilty of eight counts of malicious wounding, and hit and run. He was sentenced to life in prison plus an additional 419 years and pleaded guilty to 29 federal hate crime charges in 2019, receiving a second life sentence. Defendants Jeff Schoep, the National Socialist Movement, Chris Cantwell, Jason Kessler, Nathan Damigo and Identity Evropa had already filed motions to reconsider. Though varying in their arguments, the bulk of the defense motions argue that the punitive damages awarded by the jury are too high and should be reduced. Josh Smith, attorney for Heimbach, Parrott and the League, argued that, in his interpretation of Virginia state code, a jury cannot impose punitive damages exceeding a total of $350,000. Smith argues that should reduce the approximately $24 million in punitive damages to $350,000, meaning Heimbach and Parrott need only pay $7,291.67 and TWP need only pay $14,583.33. Smith also urges the court to take into account his clients inability to pay the punitive damages, arguing that they are working-class men with families. [Heimbach], who has no assets and is presently unemployed, is the sole caregiver for his two children; [Parrott], a truck driver, just became a father to twins after his wifes medically intensive high-risk pregnancy and premature delivery, Smith wrote. $500,000 might as well read infinity dollars to them. A motion filed on behalf of Fields also argues for a $350,000 cap on punitive damages, as permitted by state code. A motion on behalf of Tubbs, Hill and the League of the South employs similar nominal damage arguments as Smiths. Nominal damages are awarded when the plaintiff is legally in the right, but has not suffered substantial losses. On the state conspiracy count which the jury found the defendants met, the League of the Souths attorney argues that the punitive damages were not proportional to the nominal damages intended to compensate the plaintiffs. The jury awarded $1 in nominal damages to each of the plaintiffs, except two plaintiffs were awarded $0, attorney Bryan Jones wrote. But the jury awarded the plaintiffs $350,000 in punitive damages against Michael Tubbs and Michael Hill and $1,000,000 in punitive damages against the League of the South. The ratio between the nominal damages awarded the Plaintiffs and the punitive damages is not reasonable. Spencer, who is representing himself, filed a motion arguing that the jury verdict is logically incoherent and inconsistent, making applications of laws unconstitutional and that he is owed a new trial and/or strongly reduced punitive damages. Much of Spencers motion is dedicated to rehashing arguments he made in trial that he was less involved with the organization of the rally and preceding torch march on the University of Virginia grounds, even going so far as to include transcripts. Spencer made similar arguments while representing himself during the trial and, based on the verdict, does not appear to have persuaded the jury. Taking into account the oversized punitive damages, it is apparent that the jury dislikes very much the UTR rally and does not want something like that to occur again. But the Court is left to guess at what statutes Mr. Spencer violated, Spencer wrote. Holding Mr. Spencer accountable in this way is to violate his due process. At the very least, a new trial is in order. According to a post-trial scheduling order, counsel for the plaintiffs has until April 6 to file opposition memoranda. According to the timeline, it appears unlikely that the federal court will rule on any of the post-trial motions until May, at the earliest. Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. By Trend Turkey's business organization TESIAD and the National Confederation of Entrepreneurs (Employers) Organizations of the Republic of Azerbaijan (ASK) have established a joint coordination center, the confederation told Trend. According to the agency, proposals have already been put forward on business-related events to be held in the coming months. "The sides discussed the possibility of holding business forums and B2B meetings, as well as addressed the issue of applying the TESAM Academy experience in Azerbaijan," the confederation said. The online meeting between TESIAD and the ASK was held on March 14. A Portsmouth man will serve two life sentences for the violent rape of a Charlottesville woman while he was on the lam and one of the Virginia Department of Corrections Most Wanted. Lenny Riccardo Dortch, 43, was arrested December 2020 and charged with one felony count of abduction with intent to defile, one count of rape and two counts of felony use of a firearm in the commission of a felony. Dortch pleaded guilty to the charges in a December 2021 hearing, just before his case was to go to a jury. The charges stem from a Dec. 17, 2020 incident in which Dortch raped a woman near a Madison Avenue apartment building. At the time of the incident, Dortch, a registered sex offender, was considered one of the most wanted people in the state by the corrections officials who issued an alert about him a month before the assault. Before Judge Richard E. Moore issued the two life sentences at a Monday hearing, Dortch was allowed to speak. Though occasionally difficult to understand, Dortch urged Moore not to weigh his past too heavily when sentencing him, claiming that he had suffered a traumatic childhood. During a lengthy explanation of his sentencing decision, Moore told Dortch that he was not exclusively considering the defendants past. However, the crimes in Charlottesville were among the worst Moore said he had ever seen and even amongst rapes were a nightmare offense. Moore said Dortchs past crimes came into play when considering whether he would re-offend or not and the judge said he saw no reason to believe Dortch is not an active threat to the community. Many people have experienced terrible things and turned around and said I will never allow that to happen to someone else, Moore said. There comes a point where you have to decide to be accountable for your own actions despite your past. People who deliberately cause fear, shame and pain in others are among the worst in society, Moore said, and sometimes need to be removed from the community. With this in mind, Moore sentenced Dortch to a life sentence for both the rape and abduction charge and three years and five years in prison for each firearm charge. Moore also issued a no contact order forbidding Dortch from ever reaching out to the survivor or her family. After explaining that the order includes messages from third parties, a visibly angry Dortch cursed out Moore and the court before he was escorted away. Prior to his outburst, Dortch had sat in Charlottesville Circuit Court with his hands shackled together as prosecutors outlined the evidence against him, providing medical records, video footage and Dortchs lengthy criminal history. According to Areshini Pather, deputy commonwealths attorney for the city, the 26-year-old victim was attacked by a man wearing a black hooded sweatshirt and black pants soon after leaving a Madison Avenue gym near her home around 9 p.m. on Dec. 17, 2020. The man, later identified as Dortch, approached her, pointed a gun at her and threatened to kill her. He then took her to a concealed area more than 100 yards away and raped her, alternating between pointing the gun at her head and putting it in her mouth. He told the victim If anyone catches us, I will kill you. If anyone catches us, I will kill you both, Pather said, referencing interviews given by the victim in the wake of the attack. Among the evidence presented was a video of the survivor just a few minutes after the attack. The video, shot via the survivors Ring porch camera, shows her returning home after the attack, covered in mud and in a state of undress, clutching her torn and dirty clothing to her chest. Evidence presented in the December 2021 hearing indicated that the victim managed to block Dortchs ejaculate with her hands, which were later swabbed and found to contain DNA material that matched Dortch. After Dortch left the scene, the victim returned home and called police. She was transported to the University of Virginia Medical Center where, according to a physicians report, it was noted she had a litany of injuries consistent with the rape and physical assault she described. To add to horror of the situation, Pather said the survivor of the attack was a mother of a nine-month-old and had gone to the gym instead of for a run at the urging of her husband who believed it would be safer. Charlottesville is a beautiful place where we built our lives and [my wife] worked hard to help those around her, Pather said, reading from an impact statement from the survivors husband. However, in one night he decided to destroy all that, to destroy our trust and faith and just days before Christmas. Pather also presented Dortchs criminal history, which included a previous conviction in 2005 for abduction with the intent to defile. In 2009, Dortch was determined by a Virginia Beach court to be a violent sexual predator and was civilly committed to the Virginia Center for Behavioral Rehabilitation for treatment until he was released in 2020. Upon release in July 2020, Dortch was subject to probation and was monitored by an ankle monitor, according to Pather. However, Dortch soon failed to register as a sex offender and was charged for stalking a female co-worker from his new job. He removed his ankle monitor on Oct. 30, 2020 and was soon added to the states most wanted list until he was arrested following his crimes in Charlottesville. Given the nature of the crimes and the fact that none of the alternatives available to the court, such as probation and treatment, have worked, the Commonwealth cannot request anything lower than the high end of the guidelines, Pather said, requesting a sentence of 72 years or life in prison. Dortchs attorney, Mike Hallahan, argued that his client was already facing a lengthy sentence for crimes in Virginia Beach and would be in his 60s by the time he was released. By avoiding trial and recognizing the harm he caused, Hallahan argued that Dortch had taken responsibility and deserved a sentence more toward the middle of the 30- to 48-year range. According to Hallahan, Dortch plans to appeal his sentence. Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. ROANOKE Season Kincke picked up plastic cups and food containers from a tray as Mary Lou Rakes settled into the blue recliner in her room at The Glebe Retirement Community. How do you need to be set up? Kincke asked. I know you need your tray. Do you need your pillow over here? She dragged the wheeled tray over to the recliner and positioned the TV remotes closer to Rakes. No, I think Ive got everything I need right here, Rakes said. Kincke, The Glebes quality assurance director, left Rakes room and walked down the hall to the next resident. Kincke has worked at The Glebe for close to four years. As quality assurance director, she investigates fall incidents and develops solutions to prevent accidents and ensure the best quality care for residents. Shes also a registered nurse, and during the COVID-19 pandemic has picked up floor shifts to cover gaps in staffing. After two years of living through COVID-19 case surges and declines, Kincke still has trouble describing what it was like to work in a nursing home during a pandemic. There were days where you were either going to laugh about your situation or collapse in a puddle of tears, she said. Wed grab a pizza and sit and decompress because you had to, you were the only ones in it. Nursing homes and assisted living facilities were among the hardest hit during the COVID-19 pandemic. More than a quarter of the states nursing home patients died from the virus and staff members juggled ever-changing rules intended to keep their patients safe. Since the beginning of the pandemic, nearly every industry has seen a decline in their workforce as people left their careers to seek better opportunities. However, just like the pandemic itself, this trend has affected nursing homes more than others. The Virginia Health Care AssociationVirginia Center for Assisted Living conducted a survey in October and found that the workforce situation for nursing facilities was worse in 2021 than 2020. Nearly 60% of the 200 facilities surveyed said there were few to no applicants applying for positions and many were nearing a crisis situation. Recent numbers from the Bureau of Labor Statistics show the trend has continued into this year the assisted living industry in Virginia has lost nearly 12% of its workforce and isnt seeing the same recovery as other sectors. The residents and patients we care for have many underlying conditions that made them particularly vulnerable and susceptible to COVID, said Amy Hewett, vice president of strategy and communications at the Virginia Health Care Association. It was physically and emotionally difficult to care for people in this environment, and that strain has been felt. I think for many people, it was just a lot to continue to work in the sector. Kincke said the Glebe did not experience the same infection rates as many others in the area. She said that took the pressure off some of the nursing staff, but it didnt make the job any easier. The hardest part, she said, was having to lock families out of the facility to keep the residents safe during the early days of the pandemic. Unless there was a crisis situation, no one came in or out. Keeping up with changing guidelines, explaining to families why they couldnt see their loved ones, and maintaining her own familys safety proved to be draining. There were definitely days where we questioned why we went into the field that were in, Kincke said. But we all know why were here. Were here because number one, they need us. And because whatever higher power you believe in, God has put me here for a reason. Im here to make someone elses day better, to take care of things they cant take care of. Its been humbling to work through this. Three quarters of the facilities that responded to the health care associations survey said they did not have enough staff to fill all shifts and most had to ask staff to work overtime or take an extra shift. If there isnt enough staff to care for residents, facilities have to make adjustments. According to the state health care associations survey, 37% of facilities restricted the number of residents they admitted to their communities. Almost 30% placed a hold on new admissions and more than one quarter turned away hospital admissions. It becomes an access to care issue, Hewett said. It may mean that theres other people in the community that need nursing level of care and cant find a facility that can provide that for them. Warm Hearth Village in Blacksburg limited its admissions a few times during the pandemic, CEO Brad Dalton said, but they were only for short periods of time and usually coincided with surges in case numbers. Dalton said the facility has focused on cross-training staff so they could fill multiple roles, and has evaluated each position to make sure resources are going toward jobs that directly care for the patients. Dalton said Warm Hearth has seen a 10% decline in its workforce since the start of the pandemic. In his 15 years of skilled nursing, he said there has always been a steady decline, but COVID-19 exacerbated it. Im just really thankful for our team members, he said. They have really stepped up and taken on a lot of extra duties and responsibilities during this time. Warm Hearth also reevaluated its pay and benefits package to try to recruit more applicants. Dalton said 10 years ago the facility may have been able to analyze its package once per year, but now that review is conducted continually to remain competitive. According to the health care association, 93% of its survey respondents offered bonuses for overtime and 77% increased pay. Ellen DArdenne, executive director of The Glebe in Botetourt County, said the facility tried to get ahead of the curve once the pandemic hit. They raised their base pay to $15 per hour, including for sanitary and kitchen staff, which helped recruit and retain those workers. The community was quick to require the vaccine for its staff, so it didnt experience a large exodus of workers as mandates worked through the court system. And long before the pandemic, The Glebe offered certified nursing assistants a 30-40 program, where they work 30-hour weeks but get paid for 40 hours as a bonus, DArdenne said. The community also operates a house on site where staff who live out of the area can stay between shifts or during inclement weather. Free employee meals, flexible schedules and paid time off if they were infected with COVID-19 are benefits that keep employees at The Glebe, DArdenne said. Our organization knew we had to get ahead of it, and not wait for the fallout and try and get as many of the most qualified individuals in here as we could, she said. What works for you, as someone coming into this organization, well try and meet you there because we value you and youre going to bring a lot to our community and to our residents. The Glebe has maintained its census throughout the pandemic and shifts have been covered. The nursing leadership team jumps in when there is a shortage and maintains the staffing ratio. Thats one thing that Im very proud of the clinical team here, that they are of the mindset that theyre going to get in and support and be beside the rest of the team to make sure that the residents get the support and care that they need, DArdenne said. Officials from Friendship and Richfield Living, other large-scale Roanoke Valley retirement facilities, declined to comment for this story. Thank you for reading! To read this article and more, subscribe now for as little as $1.99. RTHK: Three European leaders travel to under-fire Kyiv Shelling struck Kyiv on Tuesday, killing at least four people according to authorities, as Russian forces closed in on the Ukrainian capital and the mayor announced a 35-hour curfew starting from 8pm. The attacks came as three European prime ministers rode a train for Kyiv, the first visit by foreign leaders to the city since Russia began its campaign some three weeks ago. Two large blasts echoed across the centre of the city just before dawn on Tuesday. Late on Monday, tracer bullets had flashed across the night sky as Ukrainian forces apparently targeted an enemy drone. "Today is a difficult and dangerous moment," said mayor Vitali Klitschko. "The capital is the heart of Ukraine, and it will be defended. Kyiv, which is currently the symbol and forward operating base of Europes freedom and security, will not be given up by us." Kyiv has been spared the worst of the fighting up until now, but the Russian military is slowly tightening pressure on the city and the shelling has intensified. Setting off from Poland with Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala and Janez Jansa of Slovenia, Polands Prime Minister, Mateusz Morawiecki, said: "It is our duty to be where history is forged. Because it's not about us, but about the future of our children who deserve to live in a world free from tyranny." Fiala said the aim was "to confirm the unequivocal support of the entire European Union for the sovereignty and independence of Ukraine." Around half of Kyivs 3.4 million population has fled and many are spending nights sheltering in underground stations. Major road and train routes from the capital are still open, however. Russia has so far failed to seize any big cities in the north and east, but its forces have had more success in the south, where Moscow said on Tuesday it was now in control of the entire region of Kherson. In his most confident public statement yet, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called on Russian troops to surrender, saying they and their officers already knew that the war was hopeless. "You will not take anything from Ukraine, he said. You will take lives. There are a lot of you. But your life will also be taken. But why should you die? What for? I know that you want to survive. Meanwhile, in the city of Rivne in western Ukraine, hundreds of miles from the combat zone, Ukrainian officials said 19 people had been killed in a Russian air strike on a television tower. If confirmed, that would be the worst attack so far on a civilian target in Ukraine's northwest. (Reuters) This story has been published on: 2022-03-15. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. By Azernews By Ayya Lmahamad Azerbaijan and the United Arab Emirates' Masdar company have signed four memorandums of understanding on cooperation in the renewable energy field. The signing ceremony took place during a press conference dedicated to laying the groundwork for the Garadagh solar power plant, which has a capacity of 230 MW. Azerbaijan's Deputy Minister Samir Veliyev and Masdar's Mohamed Jameel Al Ramahi signed a memorandum of understanding on cooperation in the field of integrated renewable energy at sea. Azerbaijan Railways CJSC Deputy Chairman Hijran Valehov and Masdar's chairman Mohamed Jameel Al Ramahi signed a memorandum of understanding in the field of renewable energy and energy efficiency. Moreover, the memorandum in the field of electricity generation from municipal solid waste was signed by the Azerbaijan Investment Company Executive Director Ulvi Mansurov and Masdar's Chairman Mohamed Jameel Al Ramahi. In addition, the memorandum of understanding on cooperation in the field of renewable and clean energy in the Karabakh and East-Zangazur economic regions was signed. State Agency for Renewable Energy Director Tabriz Ammayev and Masdar's Chairman Mohamed Jameel Al Ramahi signed the document. Karabakh region Speaking at the press conference, Azerbaijan's Energy Minister Parviz Shahbazov stated that the country's Karabakh region has great potential for the construction of solar and wind power plants in the future. He noted that the issues of green and clean energy will be worked out in Karabakh and East-Zangazur economic regions within the framework of the memorandums signed. "There are plans to build a wind power plant with an installed capacity of 100 MW in the Kalbajar-Lachin zone. In addition, at the expense of foreign investments it is planned to develop solar energy in the region," he said. Shahbazov highlighted that the Karabakh region has great potential for the construction of a solar power plant with an installed capacity of 200 MW in the future. Additionally, Shahbazov underlined that there are plans to build a wind power plant in the Karabakh region. "Within the framework of the memorandum of understanding signed today, it is planned to study the potential of Azerbaijan in the field of generating electricity from solar energy. It is also planned to use renewable energy sources with an installed capacity of 180 MW on railroads," he said. Garadagh solar power plant The minister also stated that the Garadagh solar power plant will enable Azerbaijan to save 110 million cubic meters of gas. He added that the installed capacity of the power plant will be 230 MW, and its construction is planned to be completed by late 2022. "After the solar power plant is put into operation, we will save 110 million cubic meters of gas. The power plant will produce 3 billion kWh of electricity a year. In addition, we will be able to increase exports of electricity," he said. Noting that the investment cost of the project is $225 million, he stated that the Masdar company will invest these funds. "Commissioning of this solar power plant will not affect the growth or reduction of electricity tariffs in Azerbaijan," he said Moreover, Shahbazov stated that the commissioning of this power plant contributes to the creation of 700 jobs. In turn, the UAE's Energy and Infrastructure Minister Suhail Al Mazroui stated that the implementation of the Garadagh solar power plant construction project in Azerbaijan will reduce CO2 emissions to 2,000 tons per year and ensure power supply to 110,000 residential houses. He noted that Azerbaijan successfully develops its policy in the field of green energy, and the fact that the United Arab Emirates is involved in this is important for the development of the bilateral strategic partnership. "In addition, 20 percent of construction materials will be purchased locally, which is extremely important for the development of Azerbaijani enterprises," he said. He stressed that the Azerbaijani leadership is working to develop "green" energy. "The UAE, including Masdar company, will always support Azerbaijan in the energy sphere," he said. Nokia said that the Chilean conglomerate Antofagasta Minerals (Grupo Antofagasta Minerals) has completed the deployment of an industrial-grade private LTE network to provide secure and reliable support to its Minera Centinela operation. The network allows Antofagasta Minerals to accelerate its digital transformation towards the mining of the future, said a press release from the Finnish telecom giant. The network, already in operation after being deployed in a record four months for Minera Centinela, will initially connect a fleet of autonomous trucks, said the release. It will support a wide array of operations as part of a five-year digitalisation plan. Nokia has designed and deployed the private 4.9G/LTE solution, including Nokia AirScale radio equipment, mobile packet core, IP/MPLS service aggregation routers, and Wavence microwave transmission. Gino Ivani, Technology Manager for Antofagasta Minerals, said: We are transforming the way mining is done. We are very pleased to leverage Nokia industrial-grade private wireless solutions and its experience in mining automation to support our efforts. Leonardo Serra, Corporate Head of IT Projects at Antofagasta Minerals, said: Copper is critical for the delivery of clean energy and consequently to reduce emissions. As demand for copper increases, we are deploying technology innovations, such as Nokia private wireless connectivity, allowing us to enhance productivity smartly and sustainably. A war of words seems to have begun between Angolas mobile market leader Unitel and new entrant Africell Angola over infrastructure sharing. Citing disappointing negotiations on infrastructure sharing with Unitel that have led it to invest more heavily in its own cell sites in the capital than anticipated, Africell Angola has reportedly pushed its launch target date back from the first quarter of this year to April 2022. A source quoted by local news service Expansao cites outdated equipment and "extortion in these negotiations, involving unjustifiable access rates. Unitel denies overpricing, pointing to rates paid by the likes of Helios Towers and IHS in the region as well as local rentals Unitel has paid. Infrastructure sharing is mandated by Angolan telecoms legislation, although, as Unitel has pointed out, sharing requests may be rejected when technically and physically unfeasible, which seems to be its view in this case. Africell apparently concluded in August on the specification of the equipment to be implemented in Unitel's towers including weight, energy required and space needed. Unitel responded in October that it had 87 sites in the requested locations, but some did not have enough energy and none of the sites had the technical capacity to support Africell's equipment. It therefore, says Expansao, "proposed that Africell should invest in adjusting the towers to accommodate the weight of its equipment". The source quoted by the news service suggests Unitel is making access to infrastructure as difficult as possible to stop competition. Unitel has pointed out that to accommodate the weight of Africell's equipment it would have to rebuild a number of sites. Statement by Ambassador Byrne Nason at the UNSC Briefing by the OSCE Chairperson in Office Statement Thank you Mr President. Minister Rau, welcome to the Council and many thanks for your informative briefing. At the outset, I would like to express Irelands admiration and appreciation to the Government and people of Poland for your generosity and solidarity to those fleeing the war in Ukraine. We in Ireland are also fully committed to supporting the humanitarian response. Mr President, The Helsinki Final Act, signed in 1975, laid the foundation for what is now the OSCE. As an inclusive forum where east and west could meet, the OSCE, with its unique concept of comprehensive security, has served the European continent well for almost 50 years. As a founding member of the OSCE, Ireland regards the organisation as a vital instrument for European stability and security. We greatly value the OSCEs work on conflict prevention and resolution, its activities on human rights, and its regional role under the UN Charter. As we now experience another tragic episode in Europes long, and often violent history, the work of the OSCE takes on a renewed significance. The Russian Federations relentless, unprovoked and unjustified attack on Ukraine casts a dark shadow across our continent as innocent civilians in Ukraine suffer unbearably and we watch a humanitarian catastrophe unfold. Ireland once again strongly condemns the Russian Federations invasion of Ukraine, a sovereign and independent country, and calls on it to uphold its international obligations. The Russian Federation must immediately cease hostilities, unconditionally withdraw its troops from the entire territory of Ukraine, and refrain from using further threats or the use of force of any kind against Ukraine or any other OSCE participating State. We urge it to turn away from war and choose the path of dialogue and diplomacy, not bullets and bombs. Mr President, Ireland welcomes the priorities for 2022 outlined by the Chairperson-in-Office of the OSCE. I want to assure Minister Rau of Irelands full support in his important role. As Under-Secretary diCarlo said earlier, the OSCE is a unique organisation extending from Vancouver to Vladivostok. It is the embodiment of a vision for Europes security architecture a vision of creating a different relationship for resolving issues between States. Its strength lies in its value as an essential forum for free and open engagement. This is why we welcome in particular the Renewed European Security Dialogue initiated by the Chairperson-in-Office aimed at using the full potential of the OSCE as a platform for dialogue. Since 2014, the Special Monitoring Mission in Ukraine has made a significant difference to the lives of people living along the contact line in eastern Ukraine, away from public limelight. The mission negotiated local ceasefires enabling repair works on critical civilian infrastructure giving millions in eastern Ukraine access to fundamental services. It was an indispensable, impartial voice, and the eyes and ears of participating States on the ground. Allow me to express our condolences on the death of Maryna Fenina, the SMM national member killed by shelling. We commend the OSCE for evacuation of staff. We recognise the evacuation as a temporary measure, and acknowledge that the mission is working differently right now, and is ready to resume its monitoring work. We stress the importance of an OSCE presence on the ground into the future. Mr President, While the eyes of the world are rightly focused on Ukraine, we are mindful that the institutions and field offices of the OSCE continue to operate throughout the region. Indeed, its vital that they do so. Ireland continues to support renewed efforts towards a negotiated, comprehensive and sustainable settlement of the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan, particularly on the long-term status of Nagorno-Karabakh. We believe the OSCE Minsk Group is the appropriate format through which to achieve this objective; it is essential that both sides meaningfully engage in this effort. Ireland, together with our EU partners, stands ready to contribute to the intensification of negotiations in this format. Ireland strongly supports the Polish Chairs intention to keep conflict prevention and resolution at the top of the OSCEs agenda, including in Georgia and Moldova. Here too will the OSCEs work to advance the Women, Peace and Security agenda be critical, particularly for those women who have been forced to flee Ukraine. We also welcome Polands emphasis on responding to new and emerging threats to regional peace and security, such as violent extremism and attacks in cyberspace, as well as the challenges we may face in a post-Covid environment, through effective multilateralism. Ireland recalls that the OSCE plays a unique role in holding all participating States accountable to OSCE principles and commitments. The inclusion of civil society is essential in this regard. We fully support the OSCEs work on democracy and human rights, and reaffirm our steadfast support for the invaluable role played by the OSCE autonomous institutions, in particular the Office of Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) whose work on election monitoring we support without reservation. In conclusion, Mr President, The OSCEs comprehensive approach to security is as pertinent and relevant as ever - respect for human rights, the rule of law and economic and environmental progress are all essential elements for sustaining peace and prosperity. We look forward to working closely with the Chairperson-in-Office to ensure strong, complementary partnerships between the UN and the OSCE. Thank you President. Previous Item | Next Item Moscow, ID (83843) Today Sunshine this morning then becoming mostly cloudy this afternoon. High 68F. Winds SE at 10 to 15 mph.. Tonight Mainly cloudy. Low near 50F. Winds ESE at 5 to 10 mph. TALLAHASSEE (AP) The Florida Legislature had 60 days to accomplish two things: pass a budget and approve new political maps. Lawmakers didnt finish either on time. But strawberry shortcake will be the official state dessert under a bill Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis already signed. Lawmakers extended their session three days to finish up work on the budget, approving a $112.1 billion spending plan on Monday. Theyll have to call a special session to send DeSantis the congressional maps that will contain a new 28th district. Candidate qualifying for federal office runs from June 13 to June 17. The session was largely driven by DeSantis agenda on cultural issues. Lawmakers sent him bills aimed at keeping immigrants illegally in the country out of Florida, and limiting the way race can be discussed in classrooms and at businesses race sensitivity training. Other bills sent to the governor would add further limits on abortion and also prohibit discussions on LGBTQ issues with young students. I honestly believe this is the strangest session Ive ever seen, said Mac Stipanovich, who spent decades as a Republican political strategist and lobbyist before changing parties ahead of the 2020 presidential election. Theres quite often some performative red meat issue that will characterize or even dominate the session, but we had four or five of them here. Thats all the whole sessions been about culture war red meat. DeSantis sees the session much differently. He spoke with reporters when the session ended, touting recruitment incentives, bonuses and raises for law enforcement; raises for teachers and money for schools,: and environmental funding. Weve been able to leave no doubt that Florida is the best law-and-order state in the country, DeSantis said as supporters cheered. He also got the Office of Election Crimes and Security he wanted under the Florida Department of State that will review election fraud allegations. The legislation also would create a police force dedicated to pursuing election crimes, though critics note that voter fraud is rare and generally detected. DeSantis also said the session is one for parents and praised what opponents call the dont say gay bill, which forbids instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity in kindergarten through third grade. As the parent of three kids that are age 5 and under, thank you for letting me and my wife be able to send our kids to kindergarten without them being sexualized, DeSantis said. Similarly, he touted the bill he called Stop the Wrongs to Our Kids and Employees Act, or Stop WOKE. DeSantis announced his support of the legislation at a campaign-like event in which he attacked the use of critical race theory. Critical race theory is a way of thinking about Americas history through the lens of racism. Scholars developed it during the 1970s and 1980s and it centers on the idea that racism is systemic in the nations institutions and that they function to maintain the dominance of white people in society. We in Florida showed a commitment to education, not to indoctrination, he said. Lawmakers also passed a bill that would ban abortions after 15 weeks with no exceptions for victims of rape or incest. Democrats, particularly Black legislators, saw DeSantis agenda as a way of drumming up political support by creating division. DeSantis is positioning himself for a possible 2024 presidential run. The racist undertone of many of these policies is what many of us are talking about, said Sen. Shevrin Jones, who is Black and gay. All for the sake of getting a vote you march on the heads of Black people, you march on the heads of the LGBTQ community, or you continue to railroad the rights of women for politics? Its small-mindedness at best. One notable bill that died was a response to the Surfside condominium collapse that killed 98 people. The bill would have required recertification after 30 years over every condominium above three stories in height, or 25 years if the building is within 3 miles (5 kilometers) of the coast, and every 10 years thereafter. The Champlain Towers South was 40 years old and was going through the 40-year-recertification process required by Miami-Dade County when it collapsed last June. By Trend The World Bank on Monday announced it was making available nearly $200 million in additional and reprogrammed financing to bolster Ukraines social services for vulnerable people, on top of $723 million approved last week, Trend reports citing Reuters. The financing is part of a $3 billion package of support the World Bank previously announced it is preparing for Ukraine over the coming months. World Bank President David Malpass told a virtual event hosted by the Washington Post that the bank hoped to finalize the $3 billion package of support within six to eight weeks to help Ukraine cover its needs. Florida Power and Light Company (FPL) will host a public barbecue party to celebrate the commissioning of the FPL Blue Springs Solar Energy Center, the second of its kind in Jackson County. Kenyan ultra-premium spirits producer, Procera Gin has announced a partnership with Axiom Brands to accelerate growth in the UK on- and off-trade. The partnership will see Axiom take on responsibility for Procera Gins import and UK sales with immediate effect and will also provide brand building and strategic support. We are delighted to partner with Axiom Brands, an independent, family-owned company which shares our values and is deeply immersed in UK drinks culture, said Guy Brennan, Procera Gin brand co-founder. Weve already found that the story behind Procera has resonated strongly with gin lovers in the UK, and were delighted to see where working with the team at Axiom can take us next. Founded in 2018, Procera Gin is the only gin brand to use African Juniperus Procera, a varietal only found in the Southern Hemisphere at high altitudes. The brand joins Axioms growing portfolio, which also includes Mezcal Amores, Casa Dragones Tequila, Ron Abuelo Rum and Irish whiskey brand J.J. Corry. Were always looking to work with founder-led luxury brands with strong values and incredible provenance, and were delighted to partner with Procera as the team looks to its next stage of growth, said Ian Bayliss owner of Axiom Brands owner. The hand-blown individually numbered Procera Gin Blue Dot 2021 is available now from Master of Malt, Hedonism, Selfridges and Harvey Nichols for rrp 78. Tony Evers, Governor Amy Pechacek, Secretary-designee Department of Workforce Development Secretary's Office 201 E. Washington Avenue P.O. Box 7946 Madison, WI 53707-7946 Telephone: (608) 266-3131 Fax: (608) 266-1784 Email: sec@dwd.wisconsin.gov FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Mar. 08, 2022 CONTACT: DWD Communications CommunicationsOffice@dwd.wisconsin.gov Forward Wisconsin: Women at Work Webinar Celebrates Working Women State efforts to reduce employment barriers advance all workers MADISON Women leading state agencies in Gov. Tony Evers' administration celebrated working women statewide Tuesday, highlighting the crucial role women play in Wisconsin's growing economy as well as state agency efforts to reduce employment barriers and advance all workers. The hourlong webinar, Forward Wisconsin: Women at Work, marked International Women's Day on March 8 and March as Women's History Month. The hourlong webinar, Forward Wisconsin: Women at Work, marked International Women's Day on March 8 and March as Women's History Month. "Wisconsin women participate in the labor force at a rate greater than the national average and make critical contributions across all industries and occupations," Department of Workforce Development Secretary-designee Amy Pechacek said. "Important progress also is being made to close the earnings gap Wisconsin women experience. To continue this progress and reduce employment barriers that affect all workers, DWD proudly joins with other agencies as well as public and private partners to implement the Evers' Administration's innovative and historic workforce development initiatives." In addition to Pechacek, the Forward Wisconsin: Women at Work webinar featured: Department of Administration Secretary-designee Kathy Blumenfeld; Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. CEO and Secretary Missy Hughes; Department of Children and Families Secretary Emilie Amundson; Department of Safety and Professional Services Secretary Dawn Crim; and DWD Bureau of Workforce Information and Technical Support Deputy Director Heather Thompson. Among the key statistics shared by DWD during the webinar, Wisconsin women: Nearly equal men in the workforce, accounting for 47% of the workforce last year; Exceed the national labor force participation rate by 5 to 7 percentage points year after year; In 2020, Wisconsin women who were full-time wage and salary workers had median usual weekly earnings of $885, or 86.5% of the $1,023 median usual weekly earnings of their male counterparts. This has increased from 82.4% in 2019, according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data. While Wisconsin's overall wage rate is slightly lower than the national average, state women appear about 4.2 percentage points closer to achieving pay parity than the national average. Continue to experience some challenges and barriers that prevent them and all workers from achieving their employment potential. According to the U.S. Census Bureau's Pulse Survey, during the four weeks ending Feb. 7, more than 36,000 Wisconsin women cut their hours and more than 5,500 quit their jobs due to lack of childcare. Meanwhile, more than 16,000 men also reported trying to both work at home and care for children. DOA's Blumenfeld pointed to the importance of the administration's historic investments in workforce development and education as well as efforts to connect the dots through improved access to housing, health care and social services. Support for women-owned businesses and entrepreneurs also are administration priorities. "There is much more we can do to not only help women get back to the workforce, and to get equal pay, but to get into leadership roles too," Blumenfeld said. "This work is personally important to me and it's critical for the state as whole." Addressing women entrepreneurs, Blumenfeld said, "You are our future. You have and continue to be the bedrock of our states economy. You are amazing role models for young women to follow, to see and to aspire to greatness. Know that you are valued and appreciated by Governor Evers and all of us here today. Because when women succeed, we all succeed." WEDC Secretary and CEO Hughes noted that funding for women-owned start-ups and women entrepreneurs continues to lag behind male-led businesses, both nationally and in Wisconsin. WEDC is providing both financial and technical assistance to women-owned start-ups, and is working with private sector investors to increase their financial commitments. Hughes noted that one bright spot is the number of women-owned small businesses in Wisconsin communities. A recent WEDC survey of the states 34 Main Street communities found that 51% of small businesses were either fully or jointly owned by women. Hughes said based on her recent visits to new businesses opening with WEDCs Main Street Bounceback grants, those numbers will likely continue to grow. DCF's Amundson pointed to Wisconsin's long history of women leaders and transformative investments the state is making to reduce barriers for the future. "From the Ho-Chunk and Menominee tribes, who were the first women to set foot on Wisconsin soil, to Vel Phillips, Gerda Lerner, and Dorothy Walker, there have been countless women who have made an impact on our state and the nation," Amundson said. "Thanks to their dedication and advocacy, our state has a strong foundation that we continue to build upon today. Governor Evers has made an unprecedented investment of over $824 million in early care and education. This transformative investment has provided us an opportunity to build a childcare system that works for all families and supports a thriving economy." Crim, of DSPS, emphasized the need to address workforce issues facing women of color and credited efforts by industry leaders to encourage women in nontraditional fields. "We need to acknowledge how all of the inequities women face and all of the inequities Black people face are exponentially greater for Black women," Crim said. "At our agency, we work closely with industries and individuals to license plumbers, engineers and electricians and administer trades exams that lead to licensure and family supporting jobs. We appreciate the efforts of leaders in those fields to bring more women and people of color into the workforce. We have a long way to go, but we are on the right path." Governor Evers' cabinet includes five more women, ten of 16 cabinet posts in all, making this administration one of the most diverse and inclusive in Wisconsin history. The others are Rebecca Cameron Valcq, chairperson, Public Service Commission; Karen Timberlake, secretary-designee, Department of Health Services; Cheryll Olson-Collins, secretary-designee, Department of Financial Institutions; Anne Sayers, secretary-designee, Department of Tourism, and Mary M. Kolar, secretary, Department of Veterans Affairs. ABOUT DWD Wisconsin's Department of Workforce Development efficiently delivers effective and inclusive services to meet Wisconsin's diverse workforce needs now and for the future. The department advocates for and invests in the protection and economic advancement of all Wisconsin workers, employers and job seekers through six divisions Employment and Training, Vocational Rehabilitation, Unemployment Insurance, Equal Rights, Worker's Compensation and Administrative Services. To keep up with DWD announcements and information, sign up for news releases and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram. A Chinese Coast Guard patrol ship (L) is seen near an unidentified vessel in the South China Sea, in a handout photo distributed by the Philippine Coast Guard April 15 and taken according to the source either on April 13 or 14, 2021. Photo by Philippine Coast Guard/Handout via Reuters China on March 4 announced the establishment of a no-go zone for a military drill in the East Sea, which experts believe could be used to push its claims in the waterway. Collin Koh Swee Lea, a research fellow at Singapore's S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, told VnExpress International that the drills certainly form part of the routine set of exercises that are conducted with greater intensity in recent years, especially after Chinese President Xi Jinping exhorted the Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) to undertake combat readiness in early 2021. "It also appears to coincide with the announcement on defense spending." On March 5 China announced a 7.1 percent increase in defense spending in 2022 to US$229 billion, continuing years of robust spending on its increasingly powerful military, AP reported. Peter Layton, visiting fellow at the Griffith Asia Institute in Australia, opined the drill is a continuation of China's long-term plan of gradually taking over control of the seas within the nine-dash line, which has been roundly rejected by the international community. To make any future use of force in the South China Sea known in Vietnam as the East Sea appear legal, China has devised numerous laws ostensibly extending its domestic enforcement powers across all and any vessels operating in 80 percent of the sea, which it claims, he said. "These enforcement powers include boarding, inspecting and if necessary using armed force." Such unilateral legal maneuvers aim to progressively shift almost all of the South China Sea under Chinese domestic laws and could be used by the country to justify using violence in some future incident, he said. It could then continue to project its preferred image of that of a peaceful nation, and claim its actions are simply to enforce its laws, he added. China has announced that the drill, conducted southwest of Hainan Island, will last until March 15. On March 8 Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said at a regular press briefing in Beijing: "China's military exercise on its own doorstep is reasonable and lawful. It is beyond reproach." Layton said this is similar to the tactic China used against Indonesia last year, demanding that the latter should stop exploratory drilling for oil and natural gas inside its own EEZ near the Natuna islands. "China makes laws unagreed or recognized by no other state and then tries to enforce them onto other independent countries." Vice Admiral Yoji Koda, former commander in chief of the Japan Self Defense Fleet, said there are two major objectives behind Chin's naval exercise. One is to check the tactical skills of its military, especially the participating naval units, and improvements in the area, he said. The second is more willful and political, he said, contending that China is trying to deny Vietnam's EEZ by making its own EEZ claim off the coast of Vietnam. "China is accumulating as many precedents as possible that would support its groundless claims in territorial and EEZ disputes in the South China Sea." On March 7 Vietnamese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Le Thi Thu Hang said part of the no-go zone for the military drill belongs to Vietnam's EEZ and continental shelf as determined under the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, and urged China to respect them. Hoang Viet, a lecturer at the Ho Chi Minh City University of Law, Vietnam, thought China would use this drill to push its claims in the South China Sea when the international community is focused on the conflict in Ukraine. "This was what China did in 2020 when many countries were focused on dealing with Covid: It undertook many activities to assert its claims in the South China Sea." Put the world on notice Lea said the military posturing and counter-posturing by various parties in the South China Sea have become a norm. Though there is absolutely no way China would roll back such activities, Vietnam should continue to protest to show its consistent approach, he said. It is contingent on Vietnam to push for initiatives among the regional players in the South China Sea that promote confidence and prevent or mitigate untoward incidents potentially arising from such frequent show of military force, he said. Highlighting the conflict between China's utterances and actions, Cmdr. Jonathan Odom of the Marshall Center for Security Studies, a German-American partnership in Germany, said China has told the U.S. and other countries to stay out of the South China Sea to maintain peace in the region, but Beijing is the one "that is making the situation hotter." Speaking in his personal capacity, he said Vietnam should continue to call the attention of the international community to such behaviors by China. "Vietnam needs to put the world on notice about China's inconsistency." The location of the drill is very concerning as it affects commercial maritime traffic in this area, impacting Vietnam economically, he said. Hanoi allows restaurants, cafes to open until midnight A streetside eatery that servers diners until midnight on Hang Dao Street of Hanoi in 2019. Photo by VnExpress/Giang Huy Food and beverage facilities in Hanoi can remain open until midnight instead of having to close before 9 p.m. as currently required. The relaxation of opening hours is one of Hanoi's measures on safe adaptation and resuming tourism activities issued Tuesday afternoon. Last November, the capital city had ordered food and beverage establishments to close up before 9 p.m. as part of measures to curb the spread of Covid-19. The latest move comes as Vietnam lifts most travel restrictions starting Tuesday, allowing foreign tourists to visit without booking tour packages. However, Hanoi continues to maintain its suspension of bars, massage and karaoke parlors. The capital city also requires people to follow Covid-19 prevention protocols including wearing masks, frequently disinfecting their hands, keeping a safe distance from each other, avoiding crowds and completing health declarations. The administration also requires limited participation in events like weddings and funerals. Hanoi has led the nation in daily tally of new Covid cases since last December. In the past 14 days, the average daily confirmed cases in the city surged 477 percent against the previous two weeks to around 58,000. But the city has a high vaccination rate and most infected cases have had mild symptoms not requiring hospitalization. Motorboats at the port at Cua Dai Beach of Hoi An Town on March 15, 2022. Photo by VnExpress/Dac Thanh A speedboat service from Hoi An Town to Cham Islands has been suspended two weeks after authorities deemed it mismanaged. The decision took effect on Monday, as decided by inspectors from the Department of Transport in Quang Nam Province following a proposal from the provinces Hoi An Town, said Truong Van Son, the ministrys chief inspector. Authorities in Hoi An stated last Friday that the inspection and issuance of permits to enter and leave the inland wharf of Cham Islands belongs to the Inspectorate of Quang Nams Department of Transport. However, during the past time, the inspectorate has not arranged a team to work at the wharf on the island, a tourist destination about 18 kilometers from Cua Dai Port in Hoi An, and the task has been temporarily assigned to Tan Hiep Commune on the island. Now, Hoi An authorities stated it is not right to have the commune continue to do the task as employees at the management board of Cham Island Wharf are "not qualified" and usually "face many challenges." Therefore, the town wants the provincial Transport Department to promptly arrange human resources to better manage boats operating between the town and island starting from Monday. As a response, the department decided to temporarily suspend the service until it provides a solution. The suspension, which was not declared in advance, has caught both tourists and businesses by surprise. On Tuesday morning, a speedboat operator had to compensate its customers after almost 50 passengers were told they can no longer take a motorboat tour to Cham Islands. At the same time, there are tourists who have already traveled to the island and have no boats to return to shore. Given the demand, Quang Nam's Transport Department plans to resume the service on Wednesday after discussing with Hoi An officials on safety measures. The service made headlines last month after a speedboat operated by Phuong Dong Company from the island to the shore was engulfed by large waves around three kilometers from Cua Dai Beach. As the boat capsized, 17 passengers were killed. The boat used in the accident was built in 2016 as a motorboat with a roof and an open-top to operate in rivers, lakes and closed bays. Three years later it was converted to have windows to carry more than 30 passengers and operate more than 12 nautical miles from shore following a Ministry of Transports regulation in 2018. With the conversion, it was qualified enough to carry passengers back and forth to Cham Islands. After the accident, many have blamed the conversion, saying it entirely enclosed the vessel and causes a lack of emergency exits. Quang Nam authorities, survivors, and business insiders share the same idea that with open-top motorboats, passengers, who were supposed to wear life jackets, would manage to float, making it easier for rescuers to reach them instead of being stuck inside the closed boat. Police later stated the strong waves that hit the speedboat had caused it to capsize, leading to the tragic accident. Meanwhile, Nguyen Vu Hai, deputy head of Vietnam Register, told VnExpress that motorboats operating away from shore must have all windows closed to avoid water flooding them. "When running at sea, it must be closed because if it's not, strong waves and wind could cause water to splash into the passenger compartment, causing instability and possibly leading to shipwreck, threatening the safety of passengers," he said. There are now 87 closed motorboats operating between Hoi An and Cham Islands. They transported 440,000 passengers in 2019. Under Covid-19 impacts, the figure dropped to 164,000 in 2020, and 32,000 last year. Foreign tourists cheer as they watch a football match on Bui Vien beer street in HCMC, 2018. Photo by VnExpress/Phong Vinh Vietnam is determined to fully reopen its tourism industry and will adopt measures to treat foreign and domestic tourists alike, Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam said Tuesday. "We are not just reopening tourism but also international trade and international exchange from March 15, as it used to be before Covid-19. "The spirit is that we will not treat foreign tourists and local people differently, in terms of pandemic precaution measures," Dam said at a meeting with the ministries of tourism and foreign affairs. Vietnam's tourism reopening has followed a careful roadmap that takes into account the nation's Covid situation, he said. The health and tourism ministries are supposed to announce new regulations for foreign tourists and they are going to be simple, he said. "Tourists traveling by air will need to be tested for Covid-19, and once they're here, they will be treated like Vietnamese people. "Traveling by road and sea will have a few more rules." The news that Vietnam is now reopened has sparked joy among many aviation and tourism firms. However, they all expect that the authorities will come up with specific regulations within Tuesday. Nguyen Manh Quan, permanent Deputy CEO of Bamboo Airways, said that whatever the regulations are, it is necessary to send comprehensive message to business community and foreign tourists that Vietnam is now open. "We believe that all businesses have been ready and that message will support us in destination competition," he said. Vietnam has announced to fully reopen to tourism on March 15, promising to let foreign tourists travel freely without having to book package tours. Specific quarantine and entry rules have been much awaited by foreigners the past weeks. Yet the government only announced earlier on Tuesday to resume immigration procedures as before the pandemic, including 15-day visa exemption for citizens from 13 countries, Belarus, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Norway, Russia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, and the U.K. Deputy PM Dam said Vietnam will continue to collect opinions from ambassadors and businesses worldwide to consider adding more countries to its visa exemption and e-visa policies. Tran Nguyen, Sales Director of Sun Group, suggested that there should be immediate medical regulations and a review of each stage to possibly ensure the most thorough and fastest recovery. She said that for now, it is no longer relevant to ask international visitors to follow all Covid-19 prevention protocols and only the rules of wearing masks and completing health declaration should be kept. Regarding the policy to resume unilateral visa exemption, she said the policy should be valid for 30 days for international visitors. Vietnam closed its borders in March 2020. It partially reopened to tourists last November with a vaccine passport program and has attracted 10,000 arrivals since. But the program requires visitors to book package tours and stay within a resort or hotel, which failed to interest many tourists, and many visitors have been overseas Vietnamese coming to see their relatives. Amid the twin crises of crumbling democratic freedoms and swelling humanitarian need, the coup in Burma has crippled public services even as it exacerbated the need for such services, said Craig Hart, USAID Deputy Assistant Administrator for Asia in his Congressional testimony. By April 2021, three-quarters of the public sector health workforce was on strike in opposition to the coup, and the regime has led a campaign to arrest and harass hundreds of striking healthcare workers. As of December 2021, 50,000 health workers remained on strike. USAID is working with NGOs, ethnic health organizations, and the private sector to deliver health services, especially in communities heavily affected by the public sector shutdown. With regard to COVID-19, Burma has the lowest proportion of people fully vaccinated against the virus in Southeast Asia. Transmission of the COVID-19 Omicron variant is on the rise. To date, the COVID-19 Vaccine Facility, or COVAX, has allocated but not yet delivered 10.7 million doses to Burma. The regime secured 60 million doses from the Peoples Republic of China, India, and Russia and, as of February 20, has administered two doses to about 38 percent of the population; though it is not possible to verify regime statistics. To boost vaccination rates, COVAX should deliver doses through independent, trusted channels, including civil society, ethnic health organizations, non-governmental organizations, and private sector sites, said Deputy Administrator Hart. USAID funds site readiness and preparedness for COVID-19 vaccine doses deployed to Burma. In addition, USAID supports training for vaccinators, reducing vaccine hesitancy, COVID-19 prevention, testing, and treatment in community clinics. But COVID-19 is not the only health threat in Burma. The countrys tuberculosis, or TB, prevalence, at 338 cases per 100,000 people, is two times the regional average and three times the global average, per the World Health Organization. In past years, USAID increased TB cases identification and treatment in Burma, contributing to a 50 percent decline in active TB prevalence over the last decade. Since the coup, however, TB treatment and case notifications plunged by half. USAID will expand TB diagnostic and treatment services in the coming year to reach patients outside the public sector. USAID remains engaged with its NGO partners to protect health gains in Burma. The United States will not stand idly by while the regime fails to meet the needs of the Burmese people. The State Department released its annual International Narcotics Control Strategy Report. This years report stresses that the opioid crisis remains a global challenge. For the third year in a row the loss of life from drug overdoses in the United States reached record highs, with over 91,000 deaths in 2020 and over 100,000 in the 12-month period ending in April 2021, according to preliminary figures from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The deadly synthetic drug fentanyl was responsible for more than 60 percent of overdose deaths. The Western Hemisphere remains a top concern for the United States. Colombia, Peru, and Bolivia are the first, second, and third largest cocaine source countries in the world, continuing an established trend. Even so, Colombia managed to eradicate 103,000 hectares in 2021. In addition, greatly increased numbers of seizures took place, including by Colombia, Ecuador, Panama, and the Dominican Republic. In September 2021, the United States determined that Bolivia and Venezuela once again failed to uphold their obligations under international drug control agreements. In Bolivia, this was largely due to the governments failure to control its legal coca market, although the government took some steps on coca eradication and drug seizures. In Venezuela, the regime of Nicolas Maduro failed to take any meaningful action to combat the illicit drug trade. Mexico remains a major transit country for cocaine from South America to the United States and a destination for fentanyl precursors originating mainly from the Peoples Republic of China, or PRC. Notably, while Mexican fentanyl production has soared, fentanyl seizures by Mexican authorities have as well. The rapid shift in fentanyl production from the PRC to Mexico reflects the ability of transnational criminal organizations to rapidly adapt to changing circumstances and the global reach of the drug trafficking trade. In addition to Mexican criminal organizations establishing a foothold in the PRC, cocaine originating in South America is trafficked to virtually every other region on earth; Nigerian traffickers have expanded their worldwide reach; the cocaine markets in Europe and Asia have exploded; and precursor chemicals from the PRC and India are diverted to all parts of the globe. For a counternarcotics approach to achieve success, supply and demand reduction measures are necessary. The United States will continue to work with partner countries and the private sector to target criminal organizations, address corruption, and strengthen the rule of law. Remember Toonces the Driving Cat from Saturday Night Live? It was a skit that aired back in May 1989 with Steve Martin and Victoria Jackson and everyone talked about it for a long time because it was pretty outrageous. It may have also been a foreshadowing of animal research coming in the next 30 years. New work by a team at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Israel, describes the training of goldfish to drive a small electric cart. You can even view the video of the fish controlling the car at: I have taken several snippets from this link and they are in the photo that usually accompanies my science column. I have also grabbed a photo of Toonces for those too young to remember the vignette. It is from the SNL page on Youtube you can easily download that too. I think you will enjoy the short clip. From the Ben-Gurion website the university says the research they are doing is an actual experiment to explore animal behavior although it may sound straight out of a Dr. Seuss story, they are seeking the answer to the question Is an animals innate navigational abilities universal or is it somehow restricted to their home environment? Taking the premise to the extreme, the researchers designed a set of wheels under a goldfish tank and added a camera system to record and translate the fishs movements into forward and back and side to side directions to control the moving wheels. By doing so, they discovered that a goldfishs navigational ability supersedes its watery environs. In other words, it has the ability to drive a cart or perhaps a car forward to a specific spot if it could. Their findings were published last month in the peer-reviewed journal Behavioral Brain Research in the paper entitled: From Fish Out of Water to New Insights on Navigation Mechanisms in Animals. The researchers, lead by Shachar Givon, a Ph.D. student in the Life Sciences Department, tested whether the fish in the motorized tank was really navigating by placing a clearly visible target on the wall opposite the tank. That is the pink stripe you see in the photo. According to their paper, after a few days of training, the fish navigated to the target where it was offered a reward of food pellets by hand. Moreover, they found the fish were able to do so even if they were interrupted in the middle by hitting a wall and they were not fooled by false targets placed in the path by the researchers. If you watch the video link above you will see the fish push against the front wall of the electric cart trying his (or her) damnedest to get to that treat. As the fish pushed the cart the electric motors wheeled it forward. Now, it goes without saying that navigation is a critical ability for animal survival. It is essential for food foraging, finding shelter, and seeking mates. Because this is a universal function in the animal kingdom, the researchers wanted to explore whether space representation and navigation mechanisms can be utilized by one species embedded in the environment of another species. In other words, can an animal utilize the instrumentalities they have available to cope with a task (such as navigation) while existing in the space completely foreign to them. When the trained goldfish used the Fish Operated Vehicle (FOV), they were using that device to achieve the goal of getting a prize. If you download the video you will see the wheeled platform reacting to the fishs movements. A relatively shallow water level of 15 cm was selected to reduce surface waves while the FOV was moving. The side view in the photo shows the full mechanism. The fish were tasked to drive the FOV towards the visual target in the terrestrial environment, which was observable through the walls of the tank, and indeed were able to operate the vehicle, explore the new environment, and reach the target regardless of the starting point, all while avoiding dead-ends and correcting location inaccuracies. These results demonstrate how a fish was able to transfer its space representation and navigation skills to a wholly different terrestrial environment, thus supporting the hypothesis that the former possess a universal quality that is species-independent. The study led the researchers to two conclusions according to researcher Givon. The study hints that navigational ability is universal rather than specific to the environment. Second, it shows that goldfish have the cognitive ability to learn a complex task in an environment completely unlike the one they evolved in. Gary Hanington is Professor Emeritus of physical science at Great Basin College and Vice President of Engineering at AHV. He can be reached at garyh@ahv.com or gary.hanington@gbcnv.edu. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 By Laman Ismayilova Rice pilaf recipes are both tasty and versatile. Foodies have a chance to enjoy this delicious food at the International Pilaf Festival on March 21. Here you will try more than a dozen kinds of this crown dish of Azerbaijani cuisine served with with lamb, greens, chestnuts, apricots, cornelian and raisins. As part of the festival, Azerbaijan, India, Qatar, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and other countries will share their most mouth-watering food at the Gobustan State Historical and Artistic Reserve. Specular show with actors, pehlivans, Novruz characters, gala concert, exhibition and handicraft fair await the festival`s guests. Pilaf is usually served on its own dish or plate, with sauces or stews served in separate bowls. Qazmaq, a crust made at the bottom of the pan when the rice is steamed, is highly prized and is served in pieces with the rice or on a separate plate. Mining companies talk about doing the right thing, and these days, they have to work hard to prove it. Stakeholdersincluding investors, community members, nongovernmental organizations and otherswant assurance that mining companies are responsible stewards of not just minerals but also the environment and people. The value of a company is no longer measured in ounces of gold produced, stated Nevada Gold Mines, a joint venture between Barrick Gold Corp. and Newmont Corp. that comprises the worlds largest gold mining complex in northeastern Nevada, where Barrick is the operator and majority owner. NGM produced 2.1 million ounces of gold in 2020, according to the companys website. To increase transparency and meet increasing stakeholder demand for information, many mining entities report on environmental, social and governance initiatives, abbreviated ESG. ESG metrics allow companies to share their risk management, performance, and environmental and social strategies with the public, providing insight into their corporate behavior. Under the E for environmental, mining companies generally focus on managing impacts to the environment. S stands for social, encompassing an emphasis on safety, and the social and economic development of host communities and countries. G for governance covers internal systems for decision-making and transparency. ESG reporting is voluntary, but regulators could one day require it. U.S. lawmakers in 2021 considered a bill to require publicly traded companies to report ESG metrics, seeking to improve corporate governance and protect investors. The bill passed the House but not the Senate. Although ESG can incentivize certain behaviorssuch as reducing greenhouse gasessome critics say that the ESG movement allows companies to greenwash operations. A columnist earlier this year wrote in Foreign Policy that the lack of a standard methodology has muddied the water and made the movement susceptible to false claims of greenness that make no real impact. Yet most mining companies say that ESG has been part of their businesses since before it became a movement. ESG is embedded in our business at Barrick and NGM. To operate a sustainable business that delivers long term value means we need to manage our impacts and share the benefits of our operations, NGM wrote in a statement to Mining the West. ESG is part of our company DNA and has always been a priority for us, so this isnt something new for us at Barrick and NGM. Kinross Gold Corp. employs almost 1,500 people at two Nevada mines, one in White Pine County and another in Nye County. Canada-based Kinross has six other producing mines worldwide. Its Nevada mines produced a total of 515,559 ounces of gold in 2020, according Kinross 2020 annual report. For most mining companies, including Kinross, this has been a priority for a long time, just under a different name (Sustainability, License to Operate or Corporate Responsibility), wrote Dominic Channer, vice president of corporate responsibility for Kinross, in an email. Responsible mining companies know that prioritizing health and safety, the environment, communities and working ethically are not only the right things to do, but also directly contribute to a companys success. U.S.-based precious metals producer Coeur Mining Inc. owns and operates the Rochester silver and gold mine outside of Lovelock, along with four other projects in North America. Coeur Rochester, with about 300 employees, produced 3.2 million ounces of silver and 27,147 ounces of gold in 2020, according to the companys website. Coeurs senior vice president and general counsel and secretary, Casey Nault, spoke during an educational session on ESG at MINExpo International in Las Vegas in September 2021. At Coeur, weve been doing ESG since, well, long before it was called ESG, he said, adding later in a question-and-answer session that Coeur has not really encountered a situation yet where there has been an ESG initiative that doesnt also directly align with fundamental business strategy, risk, efficiency, cost savings, health and safety. Although ESG existed before its catchy acronym, the practice has moved into the mainstream. Stakeholders are paying more attention to nonfinancial risks of corporations, including mining companies. There is increased interest from institutional investors who themselves are responding to societal concerns around global issues such as climate change, declining biodiversity, water scarcity, and inclusion and diversity. They want to understand how ESG translates into financial or operational risk for companies, Channer of Kinross said. What this means for us is that its no longer enough just to do the right thing on the ground as a responsible miner. A company needs to have a vision and a set of longer-term, measurable goals relating to how it will address sustainability challenges within its business strategy. For Kinross, that means conducting business under four principles of corporate responsibility: do no harm; make a positive contribution; act ethically and transparently; and continuously improve, according to the companys 2020 Sustainability Report. Kinross first published a corporate responsibility report in 2007 and has had a strategy since then, Channer said. At NGM, the sustainability vision is underpinned by four key pillars: creating economic benefits; protecting health and safety; respecting human rights; and minimizing our environmental impacts, the company stated. NGM published its results in the 2020 Sustainability Report. Barricks sustainability report archives online date back to 2008. Similarly, Coeur outlines goals under four main categories in its 2020 Responsibility Report: people, environment, communities and governance. The company formalized its ESG program in 2018, Nault said during the MINExpo. ESG is a good thing and it gives us an opportunity, gives us a framework to better tell our story to stakeholders, Nault said. Mining companies do internal audits of their progress toward ESG goals and provide reports for the public online. Metrics for ESG reporting are only somewhat standardized, with companies often following reporting frameworks such as the Global Reporting Initiative, GRI, and Sustainability Accounting Standards Board, SASB. Highlights of mining companies ESG initiatives also can be found in their quarterly earnings statements. Externally, rating firms include Sustainalytics, MSCI, ISS, Vigeo Eiris, Refinitiv and S&P Global. Although the approaches for ESG might be the same across a companys portfolio, applying ESG can mean many things, depending on the company and the location of an operation. For Kinross, a focus at the Bald Mountain Mine is protecting biodiversity, while in Africa, the company emphasizes skills training and building infrastructure such as clinics and schools, Channer said. In Nevada, Kinross recent ESG initiatives include partnering with Fox5 and Habitat for Humanity to build a home for a veteran in Las Vegas, providing scholarships for students including Western Shoshone, and undertaking environmental restoration projects. NGMs application of ESG in Nevada manifests in the creation of the I-80 fund to help develop small businesses, collaborative agreements and partnerships with area Native American tribes, and renewable energy use and development of solar at the companys power plants, to name a few examples that NGM provided. Coeur described several ESG successes for Nevada in its 2020 Responsibility Report. At Rochester, the company improved energy efficiency while increasing production; entered an agreement with an area ranch to protect sage-grouse habitat; and collaborated and consulted with local communities on the operation and closure planning of an expansion. Aside from being the right thing to do and helping improve investor confidence, ESG practices can support a mining companys survival in another way. NGM perhaps summed it up, stating: Our ESG commitments are critical because our environmental, social, and health and safety performance dictate whether mining will be as welcome here in the future as it has been in the past. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Theres something funny about a misconception. Once established, even with evidence to the contrary, they can be hard to dispel. Yet, that does not deter the Nevada Mining Association from carrying out one of our principal functions: acting as a credible source of information about Nevadas modern mining industry. Since taking over as president two years ago, one of the topics I am most frequently asked about is how Nevada miners interact with the environment. For years, there has been a false narrative attempting to pigeonhole mining as an industry caught in the past, operating without the same advancements weve seen in every other sector. But that is simply not the case. So, lets talk about how Nevadas mining industry has evolved over the past 150 years to become a leading protector of Nevadas land, air, water, and communities. Nevada has the Strongest Regulations in the World! Nevada is uniformly regarded as being a world leader in regulating mining. With an approach known as Smart from the Start, Nevada imposes high standards on people who seek to mine within the state. On average, the timeline between mineral discovery, to permitting and construction takes 10 years. Thus, by the time a mining operation opens, thousands of hours of review by state and federal regulating agencies have transpired and tens of millions of dollars have been expended in feasibility and environmental impact studies. Before a single shovel breaks ground, mine operators must plan for reclamation and pay a bond covering those costs. Reclamation is the regulatory requirement that upon closure, an operator must return the used land, as close as possible, to its pre-mined state. Nevada requires operators to post a bond to cover the estimated cost of reclamation to ensure citizen dollars are not expended in this process. Currently, Nevada holds more than $3.2 billion in reclamation funding, which guarantees a closed mine will be returned to nature and the public in the best state possible. Nobody mines better than Nevadans! It comes as a surprise to some just how much mining has grown with each passing decade and has been incorporating new technologies aimed at improving environmental and safety standards. Yes, mining, like many other industries, has a complicated past that predates modern practices and regulations. We make no excuses for the mistakes of the past and instead choose to learn from them, even using modern practices to address and correct them. Today, Nevada mine operators monitor air, water, and soil over a hundred times per day. These measurements are required to meet the standards established by federal and state agencies like the Environmental Protection Agency and the Nevada Department of Environmental Protection. If a site cannot comply with these standards, it will not be able to operate. In addition to the many environmental considerations, the mining industry further recognizes the impact on local wildlife when planning operations. Local ecosystem considerations include deer mitigation, and impacts to golden eagles, wild horses, aquatic species, and sage grouse. In partnership with agencies like NDEP, Nevada mining projects work to mitigate potential problems for Nevadas natural species. Mining needs to happen in Nevada!As the national conversation continues to focus around developing a domestic mineral and green energy supply chain, Nevada will play a critical role in producing many of the minerals tomorrow demands, like lithium, gold, silver, and copper. Producing isnt enough if it isnt done the right way, and Nevada will continue to set the global standard when it comes to responsible and sustainable mining. Failure to support mining in Nevada has the opposite impact, by directly endorsing mining in other jurisdictions that do not follow the same strict environmental and civil standards we have in Nevada. Furthermore, it continues our reliance on other countries to provide the critical minerals our nation requires. Ultimately, supporting Nevada mining means domestically sourced minerals, produced responsibly by hardworking Nevadans. Nevadas modern mining industry recognizes a social license needed to operate must be earned from the citizens of Nevada. Nevada mining continues to take on the challenge to operate in a way employees and the citizens of Nevada can be proud of. With only one planet to provide for all our needs, if it cant be grown, it must be mined; and today it cant be grown without the help of mined technology. Nevadas modern mining industry is committed to operating in such a way that protects the Earth and provides all citizens access to the minerals we need for everyday life. Nevada knows mining and nobody does it better, or with more care, than the Silver State. For more information about the environmental impact of mining, visit www.nevadamining.org. Tyre Gray is president of the Nevada Mining Association Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 ELKO A former bank building has new life as a hub for several local businesses. Great Basin Bank and Nevada State Bank inhabited the large bank building on the corner of Fifth and Railroad streets for many years. The building was built in 1925 as a bank, according to local historian Jan Petersen. Later, it was inhabited by the Bakery Saloon. It also held the Elko Clinic when it was first organized. New owners Dusty Shipp and Juanita Gaeta have carved out a new vision for the cornerstone giant, calling it the Elko Business Center. Shipp and Gaeta purchased the building in September. The Gaeta Real Estate Group owns eXp Realty, which officially opened upstairs in November. Other businesses that have moved into the center include the Luke Fitzgerald Group, Shipp Group, Anderson Group, Jones-Laughter Team, Chastity Harrell and the Backherms Group. EXp Realty is the fastest growing Realty company in the U.S. and currently the fourth largest, Gaeta said. They are a national and global real estate company. EXp Realty has cutting edge technology and agents pride themselves in being the local experts making the selling and buying process as smooth as possible. We heard about this new company that is Cloud based, Gaeta said about eXp. When it comes to submitting our paperwork, its a little more modernized. They allow their agents to own stock in the company, Gaeta said. We heard about the opportunity and jumped on it. EXp typically does not run brick and mortar businesses, but Gaeta felt a location was necessary in a small community like Elko. She is a licensed broker. I think there is a balance to not lose the historic value of the building, Shipp said. But, obviously, we want to bring some fresh, new updated look to it. We have done some cosmetic stuff inside, paint, flooring, lighting. We have kind of let each team individualize their space so they all have a different feel as you enter into their suite. As the building gets fuller it will be more multi-purpose, Shipp said. Thats why we called it the Elko Business Center because we are going to have a hub of businesses that revolve around real estate from mortgage, title and insurance. The goal is that people can come here and have all of their needs met. We are going to have lots of fun events going on here, said Elko Business Center office manager Emma Campbell. We also had some training here from Gerber Law. The meeting room upstairs and part of downstairs can be rented out for events. We did the bridal fair, Campbell said. A couple hundred people came in here, Shipp said. It was huge. In the main entrance on Fifth Street, Shipp and Gaeta have installed a metal sculpture of a miner as a tribute to the areas main economic base. It was created by Pedro Zacarias. Being that its (building) in the heart of Elko, people love it, Gaeta said. We have grown so quickly and have so much support. There is a lot of activity and new construction, Gaeta said about the real estate market. We are getting so many people moving from out-of-state, people retiring. There is always something going on in peoples lives and that allows us to serve them and help them make the changes they need. 2018 walking tour of downtown Elko: Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 1 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. ELKO Two men from the Reno area have been sentenced for unlawful possession of a game animal following an October 2020 hunt near Jarbidge. A Nevada Department of Wildlife game warden began investigating the case after one of the hunters called to ask how to dispose of spoiled deer meat. The warden interviewed Justin Jenkins, 38; Gust Colliers, 81; and William Smith, who all said that Colliers and Smith each harvested a deer and they transported the carcasses to the Reno area with the hides on. Temperatures at the time were in the 60s and 70s, according to the warden. A meat processor rejected both deer because they were filled with maggots. The warden took possession of the rotting carcasses. Colliers and Smith were cited for unlawful waste of a game animal but further investigation revealed that Jenkins had shot Smiths deer for him, as Smith stayed in the cabin due to health issues. The warden confiscated Colliers .30-06 rifle, which was used to shoot both deer. Jenkins pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of a big game animal, and Colliers pleaded no contest. On March 2, District Judge Kriston Hill gave Jenkins a suspended sentence of one year in jail. He was placed on probation for one year and was ordered to serve 250 hours of community service, pay a $2,000 fine and pay a $2,000 civil penalty. Colliers was ordered to pay a $1,500 fine, pay a $1,500 civil penalty, and forfeit his rifle. Love 1 Funny 1 Wow 2 Sad 0 Angry 7 Albert Einstein, who knew something about how the world works, believed that freedom is only possible by constantly struggling for it. In our popular conception of history, many of the touchstones of that struggle are far in the past. They are in Philadelphia (1776), Yorktown (1781) and Gettysburg (1863). Many of the more recent settings of the struggle for freedom are far away. They are in Eastern Europe in Budapest (1956), Prague (1968), Gdansk (1981) and, the latest, in Kyiv (2022). Could it be that the lessons of freedom from our own founding, and from the great Civil War, have their analogues behind the old Iron Curtain? Might it be that while for generations, freedom-loving people whether in Selma or Capetown, or in Birminghams jail or South Africas Robben Island once took their inspiration from Americas difficult formative years, we in our peculiar mix of comfort and contention might look to the easternmost expanses of the European plain for fresh inspiration? Could it be that Volodymyr Zelenskyy might be remembered as a modern Nathan Hale, regretting that he had but one life to give for his country, or that his compatriots might be recalled as modern-day Patrick Henrys, hurling into the unforgiving air oaths demanding liberty or death? Might it be that the faceless resisters to the intrigues and indignities of Vladimir Putin, their blue-and-sunshine flags unfurled, could be recalled much like Concords embattled farmers, firing their shots and hurling their Molotov cocktails heard, as Ralph Waldo Emerson put it, round the world? This month, we have been witnessing the uprising the upswelling of the yearning for freedom from, in the words Margaret Atwood employed in The Handmaids Tale, the people who were not in the papers, those who lived in the blank white spaces at the edges of print. It wasnt only those who stood and fought who made stirring statements, testimony in action of their desire for freedom. They also served who made for the borders, for theirs, too, was a solemn and unmistakable symbol of the irrepressible value of freedom. On the other side of the border, in Poland, were scores hundreds, maybe more who offered safety and shelter. They had had their own struggle, their own Lexington and Concord, and it was the American ambassador, Mark Brzezinski the son of a Polish-born American national-security adviser and the grandson of a Polish diplomat who saw the unmistakable parallels in the struggles of Eastern Europe. When we think of Poland, he told the two top members of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, the Democrat Gregory Meeks of New York and the Republican Michael McCaul of Texas, we think of the Solidarity movement. In our lifetime, it repeatedly has been the Eastern Europeans who have taught us the importance of freedom, no matter how determined, how demonic, their oppressors. Rebellions spiked and died in Poland throughout the Cold War, but it was Solidarity that began the fatal crack in the Warsaw Pact. Those who saw Rep. Dan Rostenkowski, the Chicago-born chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, speak at a dinner for Lech Walesa never forgot the sight of one of the most physically intimidating and politically powerful lawmakers of his time overcome with tears. Eastern Europeans have always understood that an authoritarian Russia, whoever rules it, has never tolerated a free state on its borders, the public intellectual Michael Ignatieff, the onetime leader of Canadas Liberal Party, wrote in the Globe and Mail newspaper this month. Mr. Putins brutality has a pedigree. He mirrors the brutality of the czars toward the Poles in the 19th century and the brutality of Joseph Stalin toward his empires national minorities. Like his predecessors, Mr. Putin crushes his foes at home and abroad. Blaming it all on his demonic, even demented personality misses the deep historical continuity in the use of Russian power within and beyond its frontiers. And that is why the example of Zelenskyy almost perfectly represents the ideal John F. Kennedy described in Profiles in Courage, written the very year of the Hungarian uprising, when the Massachusetts senator said that a man does what he must in spite of personal consequences, in spite of obstacles and dangers and pressures and that is the basis of all human morality. Whether in military gear an image from 2019 or in a gray T-shirt, and whether as a performer seeing truths in comedy or a president speaking truth to power, Zelenskyy electrified the world, perhaps even in corners of Russia where flickers of freedom, or at least the yearning for it, persist. He presents the ultimate contrast to Putin. Zelenskyy is a leader hired to do a job, a president who considers himself someone no better or worse morally from the people he leads, said Michael Blake, a University of Washington professor of philosophy, public policy and governance. That ideal is under assault, and to see him present himself as human sometimes scared, worried about his family reminds us that humans can be leaders. It provides hope at a time when democracy is under suspicion and in danger in so many places. The fulcrum of history often is irony, and so it cannot be ignored that this commitment to democracy among Ukrainians comes at a moment when democratic values are undermined and questioned around the world, even in places places where we live whose democratic example inspired others. The American Constitution at one point was the model for the principal legal documents of 160 of the worlds nations. The democratic institutions created in the document of 1787 have been assailed many times by the Confederacy, by Father Charles Coughlin, by Capitol rioters and are under siege again today. The ideas that undergirded American democracy once were so attractive, so irresistible, that much of the world came to agree with Benjamin Franklins prayer: God grant, that not only the Love of Liberty, but a thorough Knowledge of the Rights of Man, may pervade all the Nations of the Earth, so that a Philosopher may set his Foot anywhere on its Surface, and say, This is my Country. Today, people around the world are declaring, in spirit though not in fact, that they are Ukrainians. As they do so, it is our responsibility a glorious burden, you might say to assure that in those sentiments, they are Americans as well. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 From 2015 to October 2020, the United States did not import crude oil from Russia. However, as the pandemic took its toll on the ability of many countries to refine crude oil, the US looked to other markets. Oil imports from the Russian Federation began in October 2020 and peaked at around six percent of crude oil imports in August 2021 as fuel prices began to increase rapidly in the US. Over the last year the United States has imported an average of 179 barrels of Russian oil each day. From an export perspective, the US is not a major market for Russian crude oil, representing only around four percent of the total market share. Where does Russia export crude oil? China is the single largest market, consuming around a third of Russian crude oil exports. While OECD countries in Europe form around forty-nine percent of the Russian crude oil export markets, the Netherlands and Germany combined represent about a quarter the total Russian export market. This is about Ukraine, but it is certainly also about Europe. We must defend European interests and increase our resilience by tackling our own vulnerabilities. It is abundantly clear that we are too dependent on Russia for our energy needs. Frans Timmermans (@TimmermansEU) March 8, 2022 Where does the US import most of its crude oil? According to the US Energy Information Administration, the largest import markets in the US happen to be its neighbors, Canada and Mexico. One of the motivating factors for higher reliance on geographically close markets is based on a need to keep transportation costs low. The largest US crude oil import market is Canada which over the last eighteen months has represented around two thirds of all crude oil brought into the country. This quantity equates to around 3,600 barrels each day. The number of barrels imported from Mexico is much smaller. Over the last year, the figure has averaged around 575 barrels or around ten percent of total crude oil imports. Other major import markets for crude oil include Saudi Arabia, Colombia, Educator, Brazil, Nigeria, and Trinidad and Tobago. How will the US ban on Russian oil impact global markets? Easier this week, President Biden announced that the US would place an import ban on Russian oil and natural gas. To counter these impacts, President Biden said that the US and allies would release around sixty million barrels of oil from their strategic reserves; more than half of which will come from the United States. President Biden has also reached out to leaders of OPEC states asking them to increase production to counter loses that may be seen in Russia. So far, OPEC has made no large commitments, but will move forward with a planned supply increase in April. However, this increase is not expected to reach the levels that would be needed as shortages are felt across markets. The environmental cost of our oil dependence To the dismay of many environmentalists, oil remains the lifeblood of the global economy. As prices of crude oil surge, the White House has release projections that show the US plans to increase its oil production in the coming years. This comes as the International Panel on Climate Change has released, yet another, jarring report showing that climate change is already having extremely damaging consequences on human health. Climate scientists are now saying that without a massive decrease in greenhouse gas emissions, there is less than a fifty percent chance of global climate temperatures staying under 1.5C in the near term. This level of temperature increase is considered as critical to avoid unspeakable damage and harm to people and ecosystems around the world. The most recent report from the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (@IPCC_CH) warns that the climate emergency is at risk of becoming an imminent disaster for human civilization, affecting billions of people. Story via @livingonearth https://t.co/CchCJkbLbA The World (@TheWorld) March 14, 2022 Europe plans to decrease its energy dependence on Russia In light of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Commission of the European Union has stated that the organization will take steps to decrease its dependency on Russian energy. "We must become independent from Russian oil, coal and gas. We simply cannot rely on a supplier who explicitly threatens us," said Ursula van der Leyden, President of the European Commission. One avenue that the EU will focus on is increasing the production and supply of renewables energies sources and making its energy system more efficient. However, in the short term the EU block plans to decrease dependency on Russia by increasing imports of natural gas from the United States. Executive Vice-President for the European Green Deal has sent mixed messages that relate to various time lines under which the EU block could reduce its dependence. In the long-run, Timmermans has said the EU must "tackle our vulnerabilities and rapidly become more independent in our energy choices" by dashing towards "renewable energy at lightning speed." But as the global trade system comes under greater stress, the EU will begin to reduce its dependence by replacing 100 billion cubic meters of natural gas by the end of the year through the increase of imports from the United States and possibly Qatar. The expanded Child Tax Credit has not been sent out since the middle of December 2021. There is no movement from the Democrat wing of Congress on which parts of Biden's Build Back Better plan are negotiable. However, Republicans could end up doing the job for the Democrats by proposing an alternative that is likely to garner support from both sides of the aisle. The American Rescue Plan worked. And the Child Tax Credit worked. It lowered child poverty, reduced hunger, and helped countless families make ends meet. Today would be a good day to renew this critical lifeline. Rep. Shontel Brown (@RepShontelBrown) March 11, 2022 Utah Senator Mitt Romney's Family Security Act is very similar to what the expanded Child Tax Credit was, offering eligible families with children up to five-years old $350 a month, while children six-17-years old would get $250. In comparison, the Child Tax Credit initiated in the American rescue plan gave families $300 a month for children under six, and $250 for children between six and 17. Despite the plans, the bill is yet to be formally proposed and is being negotiated across both sides of Congress. There is a large difference between the two plans that could prove a stumbling block, work requirements. Related stories: What differences are there between the Child Tax Credit and the Family Security Act? Perhaps the greatest difference between Romney's plans and those originally proposed by the Biden administration is that Romney's Family Security Act is likely to have a work stipulation included. This is in the form of work requirement programs that usually require benefit recipients to to work, volunteer or train for 80 hours a month. Romney's plan would also allow parents to start claiming four months before the due date of a child, potentially providing an early boost to finances in preparation for the birth. Maximum monthly payments would be capped at $1,250. The payments would also be reduced is parents earn an amount of money over different thresholds. The old Child Tax Credit plan was available to everyone and having work requirements would not be popular amongst progressive Democrats. However, if Republicans supported the bill then the lack of a progressive vote would not be important. It is emblematic of the current Democrat administration that it could take a Republican proposal to force parts of Biden's plans through Congress. The execution of 81 men in Saudi Arabia in a single day has sent alarm bells ringing for statesmen hoping to court the state for their oil supplies. The huge number dwarves the 67 and 27 executions reported during in the entirety 2021 and 2020 respectively. It had been thought that the Saudi state was on the way to a more liberal outlook, as the infamously repressive state allowed women to drive for the first time amongst other reforms. The Interior Ministry published the names and crimes of the 81 men, with crimes ranging from monitoring and targeting officials and expatriates," to "killing police officers, and planting landmines." Full screen Saudi blogger Raif Badawi has been released from prison in Saudi Arabia after serving a 10-year sentence for advocating an end to religious influence on public life, his wife told AFP. Kenzo Triboulliard AFP Saudi Arabias mass execution of 81 men this weekend was a brutal show of its autocratic rule, and a justice system that puts the fairness of their trials and sentencing into serious doubt. The shocking callousness of their treatment is compounded by the fact that many families found out about their loved ones deaths just like the rest of us, after the fact and through the media. Michael Page, deputy Middle East director at Human Rights Watch The first country that will be appealing to the Saudis over the executions is the United Kingdom, as Prime Minister Boris Johnson will be visiting the country at the weekend. We continue to raise human rights issues with other countries including Saudi Arabia. We will be raising Saturdays executions with the government in Riyadh, a spokesperson said. The Saudi regime executed 81 people on Saturday. Yesterday I asked the government to cancel the Prime Minister's visit to Saudi Arabia and stop selling them weapons. pic.twitter.com/IbuPPdhKFX Nadia Whittome MP (@NadiaWhittomeMP) March 15, 2022 But what nations who want to correct Saudi Arabia's actions can practically do is hampered by two facts; the need for Saudi energy supplies at this time, and their own complicity in supporting a regime which is against all of the values their supporters claim to profess. A renewed focus on Saudi Arabia in wake of Ukraine war The war has put the Saudis in a very advantageous position. Europe and the US are attempting to wean themselves off of Russian oil, meaning Saudi Arabia and its vast oil reserves are likely to have plenty of new customers. The economic necessity of the energy means their bargaining power with the Saudi regime is reduced. This resumed focus on the Gulf state should bring its role in Yemen under the microscope. The Saudi army has been involved in the civil war since 2015, a war that has left 20.7 million people in need of humanitarian aid and over 100,000 dead. There is a serious famine risk, further exacerbated by the lack of exports from Ukraine, one of the world's biggest food producers. Boris Johnson is about to visit Saudi Arabia, which is conducting illegal and inhumane attacks on civilians in #Yemen. It couldn't do this without UK support. This is also a British war. Here's our summary of the UK role. Please retweet. pic.twitter.com/KqUas6Bq33 Declassified UK (@declassifiedUK) March 15, 2022 The Saudi war effort has been characterised by a large number of civilian deaths under airstrikes. In the last eight months alone, more than 2,378 civilians have been reported to be killed in Saudi Arabian airstrikes. But with nations like the UK and US supporting the Saudis through arms sales, there is a complicity with the west over these potential war crimes. Why should Yemen be treated any differently to Ukraine? At the reception, Chinh expressed his delight at the countries growing ties, stressing that given complex COVID-19 developments, bilateral high-level exchanges and interactions as well as cooperation in trade, economy, and investment have been maintained. Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh hosts new New Zealand Ambassador to Vietnam Tredene Dobson (Photo: VNA) The PM thanked the New Zealand Government for providing ODA for Vietnam to realise its sustainable development goals with a focus on agriculture and rural development, human resources, disaster management and response, climate change, and poverty eradication. Lauding the signing of the 2021-2024 action plan between the two countries, PM Pham Minh Chinh recommended that the two sides coordinate the implementation of the plan to practically and effectively deepen and expand their cooperation. In the immediate future, he noted it is necessary to resume the exchange of delegations at all levels, particularly high-level ones, when conditions permit; regularly deploy cooperation mechanisms in a flexible form; and restore and further promote collaboration in education, tourism, culture and society when opening the border. He asked New Zealand to maintain and increase its government scholarships for Vietnam annually and continue its English Language Training for Officials Scholarships for Vietnamese public officials. Appreciating New Zealands aid of 30,000 doses of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine for Vietnam last year and its contributions to Southeast Asias response to the pandemic, PM Pham Minh Chinh wished that the country will give further assistance for Vietnam in its economic recovery as well as for the country and the region in accessing supply sources of COVID-19 vaccines and medical equipment. He asked that the New Zealand Government will continue to create favourable conditions for Vietnamese citizens to live and work there in the context of complicated epidemic conditions, as well as help them to safely return home according to their wish. For her part, Ambassador Dobson congratulated the Vietnamese Government for its controlling of the pandemic serving upcoming reopening and socio-economic development. She vowed to further assist Vietnam in pandemic prevention and recovery, and help fostering the two nations economic and trade ties. She hoped their leaders will soon visit each other at a convenient time. The diplomat pledged to do her utmost in strengthening the two nations relations in the time to come, particularly the implementation of the action plan deploying their strategic partnership for 2021-2024. Both host and guest agreed to continue to support the protection of international order based on rules, especially the United Nations Charter and Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS 1982); as well as to actively participate in and contribute to cooperation for peace, stability and security in the East Sea and in the region./. Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh speaks at the ceremony. (Photo: VNA) The PM, who is also head of the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control, made the remarks at the COVID-19 vaccine appreciation ceremony that saw the attendance of representatives from United Nations organisations, the World Health Organisation (WHO), 40 foreign embassies and vaccine producers in Vietnam. Stressing the significance of vaccines in the pandemic fight, Chinh said the Vietnamese government has rolled out the vaccine strategy, stepped up vaccine diplomacy, established a vaccine fund, boosted the import, research and transfer of vaccine production technology, and launched the biggest-ever vaccination campaign. He highlighted vaccine supplies from Pfizer, Janssen and Moderna of the US, AstraZeneca of the UK, VeroCell and Sinovax of China, Sputnik V of Russia, Abdala of Cuba, and Covaxin of India. Nearly 40 percent of vaccines Vietnam has received came through the COVAX Facility, the Government leader said, noting that more than 30 countries have provided vaccines for Vietnam via the mechanism and the bilateral channel, significantly helping the country roll out its vaccine strategy and immunisation campaign. Vietnam is now among the countries with the highest vaccination coverage in the world, and the rate of hospitalisation as well as the numbers of severe cases and fatalities are decreasing, according to the PM. The country has shifted to safely and flexibly adapting to, and effectively controlling COVID-19 since October 2021, he said, emphasising achievements in socio-economic recovery and development with GDP jumping 5.22 percent in the last quarter of 2021 and 2.58 percent last year. Notably, international commercial flights have been resumed from February 15, and Vietnam will fully open its doors to international tourists from mid-March, he continued. PM Pham Minh Chinh affirmed that Vietnam is always a good friend, a trust-worthy partner and a responsible member of the international community, and the country backs international cooperation in the pandemic combat. Vietnam has provided practical and timely support for many countries in COVID-19 prevention and control, while contributing to the COVAX Facility and the WHOs COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund. As ASEAN Chair 2020, Vietnam worked to promote solidarity and unity within the bloc during the pandemic fight, the PM said, highlighting the countrys contributions to promoting vaccine equity and cooperation at multilateral forums. The PM stressed that Vietnam being selected as a country to receive mRNA vaccine technology transfer would help the Southeast Asian nation churn out mRNA vaccines of international standards to serve domestic demand and supply to other countries. Pointing out difficulties and challenges ahead in the pandemic combat, he called for further international cooperation and solidarity and the support for bilateral and multilateral initiatives to boost vaccine equity. On this occasion, Chinh announced that the Vietnamese government will continue contributing to the COVAX Facility. He also called for more assistance from countries and organisations in vaccines, especially those against new variants and those for children aged from 5 to 12, as well as in school reopening and improving the capacity of the domestic medical system, especially grassroots and preventive health care. Rana Flower, Acting UN Resident Coordinator and UNICEF Representative in Vietnam, lauded efforts by Vietnam in the pandemic combat, saying the country is a model in this regard. UNICEF and UN organisations will continue to support Vietnam in this field, particularly vaccine supply and production, contributing to bringing a better life to Vietnamese, especially women and children, she pledged. In his recorded remarks, WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus also affirmed that Vietnam is among the countries that have successfully contained the pandemic. Vietnam is a model and demonstration of national efforts and international support in vaccination, which should be replicated, he said./. By Azernews By Vugar Khalilov Azerbaijani Deputy Foreign Minister Elnur Mammadov has stated that the opening of the transport and communication lines in the post-war period will contribute to regional peace and development, the ministry has reported. Mammadov made the remarks at an event and exhibition held by the ministry on March 14 to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between Azerbaijan and Iran. The event was attended by the leadership of the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry, the leadership and staff of the Iranian embassy in Azerbaijan, and the heads of several companies operating in Azerbaijan. In his remarks at the event, Mammadov stated that Azerbaijan and Iran's existing historical ties, shared values, and traditions created conditions for the development of bilateral relations. The deputy minister stressed that as a result of the 44-day war, Azerbaijan restored its territorial integrity, including the Azerbaijani-Iranian border, which President Ilham Aliyev had described as the friendship border. In turn, Iranian ambassador to Azerbaijan Seyed Abbas Mousavi extended his sincere congratulations on the establishment of diplomatic relations between friendly Azerbaijan and Iran. The ambassador also paid tribute to the martyrs who died during the 44-day war to ensure Azerbaijan's territorial integrity. Mousavi praised Azerbaijan and Iran's active participation in international organizations such as the United Nations and the Non-Aligned Movement. At the end of the event, the participants got acquainted with the exhibition dedicated to the 30th anniversary of Azerbaijani-Iranian diplomatic relations. Azerbaijan and Iran earlier signed a memorandum of understanding to establish new communication links between the East Zangazur economic region and the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic via Iranian territory. Azerbaijan's Deputy Prime Minister Shahin Mustafayev and Iran's Roads and Urban Development Minister Rostam Ghasemi signed the document in Baku on March 11 within the 15th meeting of the Azerbaijan-Iran state commission on economic, trade and humanitarian cooperation. The Embassy of Vietnam in Russia will continue to closely join hands with Russian relevant agencies to safely receive Vietnamese fleeing to Russia from eastern Ukraine (Photo: VNA) About 70 Vietnamese remain in Kherson and 24 families of 80 people in Mariupol of Ukraine, which are war zones, the Vietnamese Embassy said on March 14. Earlier, a working delegation of the embassy and the Vietnamese Association in Krasnodar received 14 Vietnamese people who fled from Kherson to Krasnodar. The group, including three children, was the first among Vietnamese to leave Kherson. The evacuation of the group was difficult due to the tense conflict. It showed efforts by the Vietnamese Embassy and the Vietnamese association in Russia, together with support from the Russian Ministries of Defence and Foreign Affairs./. BEIJING, March 11 (Xinhua) -- Construction work on the core module of China's Tiangong space station is proceeding steadily, the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) said on Friday. The Shenzhou-13 mission astronauts currently working the project are all in good condition, said the CMSA, adding that they plan to return to Earth in April. The key technologies for the construction of the space station have been fully verified, and the follow-up missions are on course to make solid progress, the CMSA added. The crew members who will carry out two further manned missions during the construction phase have been selected and are now undergoing training. Building a space station for large-scale, long-term manned missions is the third step in the "three-step" development strategy of China's manned spaceflight project. Since 2021, the country has successfully carried out five flight missions in the key technology verification phase of its manned spaceflight project. In 2022, China plans to launch the Wentian and Mengtian experimental modules, the Shenzhou manned spacecraft and the cargo spacecraft. China will also complete the in-orbit construction of its space station and build a national space laboratory that operates stably in orbit, said the CMSA. Meanwhile, China continues its research on key technologies for a human lunar-landing project. Editor: ZAD Photo taken with a mobile phone shows a medical staff member disinfecting a community isolation facility in south China's Hong Kong, March 13, 2022. (Xinhua) Editor's note: China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) has been fighting its worst wave of COVID-19 infections since the outbreak of the pandemic. A mainland-aided community isolation facility (CIF) located in Tsing Yi started admitting its first batch of COVID-19 patients in Hong Kong on March 3. The facility, completed within just one week, is capable of accommodating about 3,900 asymptomatic or mildly ill patients. A resident in Hong Kong hospitalized at the facility presents the first-person experience of how he, along with his new neighbors, feels at the facility. HONG KONG, March 14 (Xinhua) -- On the sixth day of my stay at the Tsing Yi facility, my self-test result finally turned negative. This is the most encouraging news for me over the past few days, and is also a relief to the doctors I consulted for treatment. Based on my personal experience, I would like to share some tips on COVID-19 recovery. First, both Chinese and Western medicine worked in my treatment. On the second night at Tsing Yi facility, I started to develop COVID-19 symptoms. After making a phone call to the medical consultation hotline provided by the Hospital Authority to patients at the CIFs, I received a call back the next morning from a private doctor, who prescribed paracetamol, chlorphenamine and throat lozenges for me. That night, these medicines were delivered to my room. I also brought some Lianhua Qingwen capsules, a traditional Chinese medicine commonly used to treat COVID-19 and other respiratory diseases, with me to the isolation facility. After obtaining doctor's advice from a free online consultation service offered by the School of Chinese Medicine at the Hong Kong Baptist University, I took the capsules every day. Second, food is important. The Tsing Yi facility provides three meals per day of good quality, and ensures that we eat enough protein at lunch and dinner. My neighbors and I also asked for extra food. Oranges and other fruits are provided from time to time to help us get vitamins. I also brought yoghurts to the facility. Third, getting more rest is crucial to recovery. It is actually our own immune system that is playing the major part in defeating the virus. Vaccines, food and medication are only helping the immune system work better. Thanks to the good sound proofing of the rooms at the Tsing Yi facility, I could barely hear any noise and slept very well over the past days. Remember the boy next door from the last diary? He told me he didn't even sleep so well at home as he did here at the Tsing Yi facility. According to the HKSAR government, if I test negative using rapid antigen test kits on the sixth and seventh days, I can be discharged from the Tsing Yi facility. The good news keeps coming: I heard from the staff that the number of people leaving the facility has risen from just more than 100 per day to over 200 per day in the last week. Tonight, I think I will get a good night's sleep again, and tomorrow, I hope to get another negative test result and go home. Photo taken with a mobile phone shows medical staff members working at a community isolation facility in south China's Hong Kong, March 12, 2022. (Xinhua) Photo taken with a mobile phone shows a medical staff member distributing fruits at a community isolation facility in south China's Hong Kong, March 12, 2022. (Xinhua) Photo taken with a mobile phone shows medical staff members working at a community isolation facility in south China's Hong Kong, March 12, 2022. (Xinhua) Photo taken with a mobile phone shows a medical staff member distributing fruits at a community isolation facility in south China's Hong Kong, March 12, 2022. (Xinhua) Editor: Zhang Zhou Ancient magical bowls are shown in Jerusalem, on March 7, 2022. Ancient magical bowls, carrying spells and incantations scripts in the Hebrew and Babylonian-Aramaic languages, were uncovered in Jerusalem, the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) said on Monday. (Photo by Gil Cohen Magen/Xinhua) JERUSALEM, March 7 (Xinhua) -- Ancient magical bowls, carrying spells and incantations scripts in the Hebrew and Babylonian-Aramaic languages, were uncovered in Jerusalem, the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) said on Monday. The bowls, dated to about 1,500 years ago, were seized mong hundreds of ancient finds by the IAA and the Israeli police in a Jerusalem resident's home. The incantation bowls, known as the "swearing bowls", came from Mesopotamia, now present-day Iraq, and were used as a kind of amulet to fight curses, demons, diseases, and pests. It was common practice to bury such bowls under the house floor for protection, according to the IAA. The text was written by artists for a specific client according to their personal needs, it added. One of the bowls carries a painted figure of the "night demon," representing the individual that the bowl was meant to ward off. The finds also include 3,000-year-old rare bone and ivory artifacts, decorated in Phoenician style, with Egyptian motifs that included scenes from the animal world, alongside geometric ornaments. In one of the objects appear two griffons, which are winged lions whose face is human, facing each other, while another artifact has a description of a convoy of four-winged lions marching. These are decorative items attached to wooden furniture by nails, the IAA explained. The IAA assessed that the ivory artifacts were excavated illegally in one of the biblical mounds in the Samaria region. Photo taken on March 7, 2022 shows an ancient magical bowl in Jerusalem. Ancient magical bowls, carrying spells and incantations scripts in the Hebrew and Babylonian-Aramaic languages, were uncovered in Jerusalem, the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) said on Monday. (Photo by Gil Cohen Magen/Xinhua) Ancient magical bowls are shown in Jerusalem, on March 7, 2022. Ancient magical bowls, carrying spells and incantations scripts in the Hebrew and Babylonian-Aramaic languages, were uncovered in Jerusalem, the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) said on Monday. (Photo by Gil Cohen Magen/Xinhua) Photo taken on March 7, 2022 shows an ancient magical bowl in Jerusalem. Ancient magical bowls, carrying spells and incantations scripts in the Hebrew and Babylonian-Aramaic languages, were uncovered in Jerusalem, the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) said on Monday. (Photo by Gil Cohen Magen/Xinhua) Editor: WXY On March 12, 2022, the Fire Rescue Detachment of Urumqi, Xinjiang organized fire rescue personnel to carry out snowfield rescue drill at the northern foot of Tianshan Mountain, honing the comprehensive disposal ability of the fire rescue team in harsh environment. The photo shows fire and rescue workers conducting search and rescue operations during the drill. (Photo by Yu Haiyang/Guangming Photo) On March 12, 2022, the Fire Rescue Detachment of Urumqi, Xinjiang organized fire rescue personnel to carry out snowfield rescue drill at the northern foot of Tianshan Mountain, honing the comprehensive disposal ability of the fire rescue team in harsh environment. The photo shows fire rescue personnel moving rescue targets quickly during the drill. (Photo by Yu Haiyang/Guangming Photo) On March 12, 2022, the Fire Rescue Detachment of Urumqi, Xinjiang organized fire rescue personnel to carry out snowfield rescue drill at the northern foot of Tianshan Mountain, honing the comprehensive disposal ability of the fire rescue team in harsh environment. The photo shows fire rescue personnel using ropes to rescue targets quickly during the drill. (Photo by Yu Haiyang/Guangming Photo) Editor: ZAD Since February 24, Ukrainians and foreigners have transferred UAH 11.75 billion in equivalent, including in foreign currency from abroad - the equivalent of UAH 3.4 billion. According to the NBU website, the money came from the United States, Great Britain, Poland, Germany, Sweden, Finland, the Czech Republic, China, France and Canada. According to the regulator, the balance of funds on the special account amounted to UAH 67.6 million. The NBU transferred UAH 950 million to the needs of the National Guard, UAH 1.65 billion to the National Police, UAH 8.1 billion to the needs of the Ministry of Defense, and UAH 980 million to the needs of the State Border Service. In addition, the account of the Ministry of Social Policy, which the NBU opened on March 1 for humanitarian purposes, received a total of UAH 260.75 million in equivalent, including UAH 128 million received from abroad in foreign currency. Power supply has been restored to the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) site after repeated damage from hostilities, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said. "Ukraine has informed the IAEA that external power had again today been restored to the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant after line had been again damaged by the occupying forces," the IAEA said in a tweet on the night of Monday to Tuesday. Other details are not reported. The IAEA website notes that the "regulatory authority" informed the agency about the resumption of power supply to the Chornobyl nuclear power plant on the afternoon of March 14. "The regulatory authority told the IAEA that at 13:10 CET external power had again been restored and that staff at the Chornobyl NPP had restarted operations to reconnect the NPP to the grid," the agency said. The city council of Slavutych, a satellite city of the Chornobyl nuclear power plant, on its Facebook late on Monday evening announced that the city's power supply had been resumed and the connection of residential buildings would be carried out gradually. As reported with reference to NPC Ukrenergo, on March 14, Russian invaders again damaged the high-voltage line supplying power to the Chornobyl nuclear power plant and Slavutych, after the company had repaired it. The NPP site and Slavutych were de-energized on March 9 due to shelling of energy infrastructure by Russian troops. The Verkhovna Rada adopted bill No. 7038-d on increasing the royalty for gas production during martial law and the state of emergency, MP Yaroslav Zhelezniak (the Holos parliamentary faction) has said. "No. 7038-d an increase in the royalty for gas production during martial law and a state of emergency," the MP said, mentioning the bill as adopted in his Facebook post on Tuesday. According to the report, 270 MPs backed the bill with the required 226 votes. On February 23, the Committee on Finance, Tax and Customs Policy recommended that the Verkhovna Rada adopt at the final reading finalized bill No. 7038-d on increasing gas royalties. As Deputy Finance Minister Svitlana Vorobei said during the meeting, the revised version of the bill provides for an increase in budget revenues by UAH 30.6 billion in 2022 at the expense of private gas producers. "The collected money will be used to finance the increase in salaries of the military, to ensure payments for eAid these are the main directions," she said. According to the deputy minister, the finalized bill provides for maintaining the current royalty rates at a gas selling price of up to $400 per 1,000 cubic meters. "Excess profit, starting from $401 per 1,000 cubic meters, will be calculated at an increased rate, which is 2.2 times more for old wells, and three times more for new ones. Thus, the profitability laid down in drilling planning will be preserved for enterprises The current rates were introduced in 2018, when the price of gas did not exceed $300 per 1,000 cubic meters," she said. Currently, the royalty for gas production from old wells for deposits at a depth of up to 5 km is 29%, at a depth of more than 5 km it is 14%. When gas is produced from new wells drilled since 2018, the royalty for deposits at a depth of up to 5 km is 12%, at a depth of more than 5 km it is 6%. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has assessed the work of Ukraine's delegation during the talks with Russia as good, adding that these negotiations will continue on March 15. "Our delegation has been working on that at the talks with the Russian side. As I have been told, they did quite well. But we shall see. They will continue [the talks] tomorrow [on March 15]," Zelensky said in a video address published in the early hours of Tuesday. Zelensky proposes Rada to extend martial law in Ukraine for another 30 days from March 26 bill Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has submitted a bill to the Verkhovna Rada containing a proposal to extend martial law in Ukraine for another 30 days from 05.30 March 26. "The Verkhovna Rada hereby orders that Ukrainian president's decree No. 133/2022 on the extension of the period of martial law in Ukraine, dated March 14, 2022, be endorsed," according to the bill. On February 24, after the Russian attack and the shelling of all regions, martial law was introduced in Ukraine. By Azernews By Vugar Khalilov The Azerbaijani Army's Land Forces have conducted shooting drills with a tripod-mounted large-caliber machine gun and automatic grenade launcher personnel, the Defence Ministry has reported. The drills were held in accordance with the 2022 combat training plan. Before the shooting, the forces practiced deployment in the area, seizing fire positions and bringing weapons up to battle readiness. During the shooting exercises, the personnel successfully completed the firing tasks from a pre-prepared location to the target. The drills aimed to improve personnel's practical and shooting skills, as well as combat readiness and quick decision-making abilities, drawing on combat experience gained during the 44th war with Armenia in 2020, the ministry said. Azerbaijan holds drills on a regular basis to improve the combat readiness of its military personnel. Azerbaijan and Armenia resumed their second war on September 27, 2020, when Armenia began firing on Azerbaijani civilians and military positions. The war came to an end on November 10, when the Azerbaijani, Russian, and Armenian leaders signed a trilateral ceasefire deal. The peace deal called for the return of Azerbaijan's Armenian-occupied regions of Kalbajar, Aghdam, and Lachin. Prior to the signing of the agreement, the Azerbaijani army liberated approximately 300 villages, settlements, city centers, and the historic Shusha city. The Azerbaijani army declared victory over the Armenian forces. The agreement urged Armenia to withdraw its troops from Azerbaijani territory that it had occupied since the early 1990s. The International Court of Justice will announce the decision on temporary restrictive measures requested by Ukraine in a lawsuit against Russia, March 16. The relevant announcement was distributed by the press service of the Court on Monday. "On Wednesday, March 16, 2022 the International Court of Justice, the principal judicial organ of the United Nations, will deliver its Order on the Allegations of Genocide under the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (Ukraine v. Russian Federation)," the court said in the statement. A public sitting will take place at 4 p.m. at the Peace Palace in The Hague, during which the President of the Court, Judge Joan E. Donoghue, will read out the Court's Order. "In view of the COVID-19 pandemic, only Members of the Court and representatives of the States Parties to the case will be present in the Great Hall of Justice. Members of the diplomatic corps, the media and the public will be able to follow the reading through a live webcast on the Court's website, as well as on UN Web TV, the United Nations online television channel." As part of the first hearing of the case, which took place on March 7, co-agent of Ukraine Oksana Zolotariova announced the provisional measures requested by the court of Ukraine: Russia must immediately stop the military operation launched on February 24, 2022, Russia must immediately ensure that no military or irregular military units, which may be directed or supported by it, and any organizations and persons which may be under its control or influence, will not take any action in advancing the military operation. "Russia must also refrain from taking any action and must provide assurance that no action will be taken that could aggravate or expand the dispute that is the subject of this application, or make this dispute more difficult to resolve," the co-agent said. Russia did not take part in the hearings on this claim. On Monday, the Russian aggressor fired at one of the columns with civilians who were evacuated from Hostomel, one woman died on the spot, the National Police of Ukraine said. "The evacuation from Hostomel took place in two stages. The first convoy of ten buses, which were mostly mothers with children, the elderly and people with disabilities, successfully reached their destination. Russian troops fired mortars at another convoy of four buses. As a result of the shelling, the driver of one of the buses was wounded. Also under fire in the convoy was a Volkswagen car with injured spouses. Unfortunately, the woman died at the scene," the police said in the Telegram channel. The rest of the citizens in the convoy, which was under fire, continued to move and got to a safe place. As of the morning of March 15, some 97 children were killed and more than 100 injured as a result of Russian military operations in Ukraine, the Office of the Prosecutor General reports. "As a result of the armed aggression of the Russian Federation, as of the morning of March 15, 2022, some 97 children were killed and more than 100 wounded. Most of the victims were in Kyiv, Kharkiv, Donetsk, Chernihiv, Sumy, Kherson, Mykolaiv and Zhytomyr regions. At least 5 children die every day under shelling," the office said in a message posted on the Telegram channel. The report notes that more than 400 educational institutions were damaged as a result of bombing and shelling, 59 of them were completely destroyed. According to the Office of the Prosecutor General, the most damage was in Donetsk region - 119, in Kharkiv - 50, Mykolaiv - 30, Sumy - 28, Kyiv - 35, Kherson - 21 and Kyiv - 24. "Some 11 medical institutions, 3 rehabilitation centers, including those for disabled children, were shelled," the agency informs. At the same time, the report emphasizes that these figures are not final due to the lack of the possibility of inspecting the scenes of the incident, where the aggressor country is conducting active hostilities and in the temporarily occupied territories. South Korea will provide Ukraine with non-lethal military assistance, such as bulletproof helmets and blankets, as well as medical supplies, the Yonhap news agency reported. The package of material and technical support that South Korea plans to send to Ukraine is estimated at 1 billion won (more than $804,000). It consists of approximately 20 items including tents, ready-to-eat meals, blankets and first aid kits. "As for the details, including how aid will be sent and other specific related issues, consultations are ongoing," Defense Ministry Spokesman Boo Seung Chan said. A team of doctors with a mobile hospital has arrived in Ukraine from Israel, Head of the President's Office Andriy Yermak said. "A team of doctors with a mobile hospital has already arrived in Ukraine from Israel. The flow of humanitarian aid is growing every day. We are very grateful to the citizens of different countries for their help. For actions that save the lives of many Ukrainians. In this difficult time, it is especially important not to lose humanity," Yermak tweeted on Monday. President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky, addressing the Russian military, offered them to surrender and promised to treat them "as people." "I want to appeal to Russian soldiers. Those who have already entered our land. And who are just about to be sent to fight against us. Russian conscripts! Listen to me especially carefully. Russian officers. You already understood everything. You have nothing in Ukraine take away. You will take your lives. There are a lot of you. But your life will also be taken away. But why are you dying for? And why? I know that you want to survive," Zelensky said in a video statement on Tuesday night. "We hear in the intercepts of your conversations what you really think about this war, about this shame and about your state. Your conversations with each other. Your calls home to your relatives. We hear it all. We draw conclusions. We know who you are like that. That is why I offer you a choice. Here, in the name of the Ukrainian people, I give you a chance, a chance to survive. If you surrender to our forces, we will treat you the way people should be treated. treated in your army. And how your army does not treat ours. Take your choice," the head of state said. As the president said, Ukrainian servicemen continue to inflict crushing losses on the enemy. "Soon, the number of downed Russian helicopters will reach hundreds of units. They have already lost 80 combat aircraft. Hundreds of tanks, thousands of other equipment. Over 19 days, the Russian army lost more killed in Ukraine than in two bloody multi-year wars in Chechnya. For what?" Zelensky said. New Zealand will provide an additional $4 million to support Ukrainian communities, New Zealand Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta said. "Our thoughts are with the people of Ukraine. New Zealand will be providing an additional $4 million in funding to support Ukrainian communities," Mahuta said, according to a post on the New Zealand government website on Tuesday. "This funding is in addition to the initial $2 million we have already provided and will help those immediately on the ground while we continue to look at options for further support," Nanaia Mahuta said. Losses among civilians from February 24, 2022, when Russia started the war against Ukraine, amounted to 1,761 civilians (in the report a day earlier 1,663), including 636 dead (596), reports the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR). "OHCHR believes that the actual figures are considerably higher, especially in Government-controlled territory and especially in recent days, as the receipt of information from some locations where intense hostilities have been going on has been delayed and many reports are still pending corroboration," the UN said in the document. According to him, this applies, for example, to Izium (Kharkiv region), and Mariupol and Volnovakha (Donetsk region) where there are allegations of hundreds of civilian casualties. These figures are being further corroborated and are not included in the above statistics. "Most of the civilian casualties recorded were caused by the use of explosive weapons with a wide impact area, including shelling from heavy artillery and multi-launch rocket systems, and missile and air strikes," the UN said in the report. According to confirmed UN data, some 127 men, some 91 women, ten boys and six girls killed, while the gender of 30 children and 372 adults has not yet been determined. Among the 1,125 injured, some15 girls and four boys, as well as 43 children, whose gender has not yet been determined. Compared to the previous day, according to the UN, three children were killed and five more were injured. OHCHR said that in Donetsk and Luhansk regions, as of midnight March 14, there were 122 (111) dead and 442 (431) injured in government-controlled territory, and 26 (26) dead and 130 (127) injured in territory controlled by self-proclaimed "republics." In other regions of Ukraine under government control (Kyiv, as well as in Zhytomyr, Zaporizhia, Kyiv, Sumy, Odesa, Mykolaiv, Kharkiv, Kherson, Dnipropetrovsk, Cherkasy and Chernihiv regions), the UN recorded 488 (459) killed and 553 (509) wounded. The summary also states that, according to the Presidential Commissioner for Children's Rights and Child Rehabilitation, as of 09:00 on March 14, 90 (85) children were killed and more than 100 children were injured in government-controlled territory. OHCHR also notes the report of the National Police of Kharkiv region, according to which, as of 18:00 on 13 March, 212 civilians (205) had died in the region. The increase in the figures in this report compared to the figures in the previous report should not be attributed only to new cases that occurred on March 13, since OHCHR also verified a number of cases that occurred in previous days during the day, according to the document. Estonia has sent weapons and ammunition, medical and humanitarian aid to Ukraine, the Estonian embassy in Ukraine has reported. "Estonia has sent to Ukraine over 2,000 Euro-pallets of goods weighing around 2,000 tonnes - arms and ammunition, medical and humanitarian aid," the embassy said on Twitter on Tuesday. Missile attack by the occupying forces on a television tower in the village of Antopil near the city of Rivne on Monday morning claimed the lives of at least 19 people, head of Rivne regional military administration Vitaliy Koval said. "We must inform that the number of victims who died is greater. The operation to unblock the blockages continues and as of 08:30 this morning we have 19 dead and nine injured... This is not the final figure. We are working, there are only a few hours left and we are already unblocking the entire littered territory," Koval said on the Rada television channel on Tuesday morning. When asked if there were random people among the dead, or if they were all employees of the broadcasting center, the head of the regional administration replied that "there were definitely no random people there," and said that at present the priority task is to save living people who may still be under blockages. According to him, at present there is access to satellite and cable broadcasting throughout the Rivne region. Koval also said the Rivne region is currently serving as a humanitarian hub, a transit sorting station. "We receive hundreds of tonnes of cargo, we form them according to needs and, in coordination with the President's Office, we send them already sorted by rail and by road. Some cars come with medicines, some with food," he said. The head of the regional administration also said that approximately 2,000 internally displaced residents of Ukraine from other regions currently remain in Rivne region. "There are places, we have deployed more capacities of exactly several tens of thousands of places in order to receive our fellow countrymen from other regions... Many of them stay for several days, and then move, but there are those who stayed for a long time... It is nice the fact that many who are already in search of jobs, get a job at our enterprises... Arriving men are registered with the military registration and enlistment offices," Koval said. By Azernews By Vugar Khalilov Azerbaijans Foreign Ministry has condemned the terrorist attack on an oil refinery in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. In a statement posted on its Twitter account on March 14, the ministry said: We condemn a recent drone attack on an oil refinery in Riyadh in Saudi Arabia. Azerbaijan condemns terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. Azerbaijan expresses solidarity with Saudi Arabia in its measures to maintain security, stability, and territorial integrity of the country. On March 11, Yemen's Houthi group claimed responsibility for a drone strike on a refinery in Riyadh. Saudi official media stated that the attack had no effect on the petroleum supply. Three Samad-3 drones were used by the Houthi movement to attack a Saudi Aramco refinery in Riyadh, according to its military spokesperson Yahya Sarea. Aramco facilities in the Saudi towns of Jizan and Abha were also targeted with six Samad-1 drones. According to Saudi state news agency SPA, the attack sparked a small fire in Riyadh that was quickly put out and caused no injuries or fatalities. Yemen's Houthis, who have been fighting a coalition led by Riyadh for seven years, have launched repeated missile and drone attacks on the world's biggest oil exporter. The European Commission (EC) has welcomed the European Council's decision today to approve a fourth round of sanctions against Russia for the war it has unleashed against Ukraine. This is discussed in a press release issued in Brussels on Tuesday. "The European Commission welcomes the Council's agreement today to adopt a fourth package of restrictive measures against Russia in response to its brutal aggression against Ukraine and its people. These sanctions will further increase economic pressure on the Kremlin and prevent it from financing an invasion of Ukraine. They have been agreed with international partners, in particular with the United States," the press release said. The EC specified that the agreed measures imply "a complete ban on any transactions with certain Russian state-owned enterprises in various sectors of the Kremlin's military-industrial complex," an EU ban on the import of those steel products that are currently under EU protective measures, which amounts to about EUR3.3 billion in lost export profits for Russia." "In compensation, increased import quotas will be distributed among third countries," the EC added. In addition, there will be a "far-reaching ban on new investment in the Russian energy sector, with some exceptions for civilian nuclear power and the transport of certain energy products back to the EU, an EU ban on the export of luxury goods (e.g. luxury cars, jewelry, etc.) which will directly hit the Russian elite." In addition, the list of individuals and entities under sanctions has been expanded to include more oligarchs and business elites associated with the Kremlin, as well as companies working in the military and defense spheres that are financially and materially supporting the invasion. There are also new lists of entities actively engaged in disinformation," the press release said. The ban will also be imposed on the assignment of ratings to Russia and Russian companies by EU credit rating agencies and the provision of rating services to Russian clients, which will lead to further loss of their access to EU financial markets. Australia, Netherlands to appeal to ICAO to hold Russia accountable for downing of flight MH17 over Donbas MFA Australia and the Netherlands will appeal to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) to hold Russia accountable for participating in the downing of Malaysian Airlines flight MH17 over Donbas in July 2014, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry (MFA) said. Earlier, Australia and the Netherlands jointly called on Russia to take responsibility for its role in the downing of the plane under the international law. Negotiations on this score between Russia on the one hand, Australia and the Netherlands on the other were terminated by Russia unilaterally. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that not a single illegal action of Russia will go unanswered by the civilized world and international justice. However, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry will continue to work on bringing Russia to justice using all existing international legal mechanisms. The destruction of the MH17 flight liner is one of the subjects of a lawsuit to the International Court of Justice initiated by Ukraine in 2017. Turkey in contact with Russia and Ukraine on issue of ceasefire - Foreign Minister Ankara continues contacts with Russia and Ukraine on the ceasefire and the evacuation of Turkish citizens from the war zones, Anadolu agency quoted Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu as saying on Tuesday. "Turkey is in contact with Ukraine and Russia on the issue of reaching an agreement on a ceasefire regime," the Turkish Foreign Minister said. He also noted that Turkey is cooperating with both countries on the issue of the evacuation of its citizens from Ukraine. According to him, the evacuation of Turkish citizens from Mariupol is expected "today or tomorrow." The official added that an evacuation bus would leave Odesa on Tuesday. Russia's military offensive against Ukraine forced 2.952 million people to leave the country in 19 incomplete days of the war in search of safety, protection and assistance, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said as of 13:00 (Kyiv time) on March 14. The Office said the Ukrainian-Polish border accounted for 60.7% of all refugees. According to the UNHCR, the number of refugees from Ukraine to Poland since February 24, when Russia started the war, has reached 1.791 million. Romania received 453,430 people, of which 250,800 people were in transit through Moldova, the department said. According to it, some 263,890 people arrived in Hungary, some 213,000 in Slovakia, some 86,380 in Moldova. According to the UNHCR, the flow of refugees from Ukraine to Russia amounted to 142,990, to Belarus (data for March 13) some 1,230. "As the situation continues to evolve, about 4 million people may leave Ukraine," the UNHCR said. According to its estimation two days ago, there are now at least 1.85 million internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Ukraine and another 12.65 million directly affected by the war. UNHCR said that by the middle of 2021 there were 53,470 Ukrainian refugees in the world who applied for the appropriate status, of which 36,490 were in Europe. As of the middle of 2020, the UNHCR estimated the Ukrainian diaspora in the world at 6.1 million, including 5 million in Europe. The organization said the right to free movement within the Schengen area means that there are very few border controls in the European Union, so arrivals in Hungary, Poland and Slovakia only reflect border crossings in these countries, however, according to the UN, a large number of people moved to other countries. In addition, UNHCR does not take into account persons from border countries who leave Ukraine and return home. The Armed Forces of Ukraine are suffering losses in the war against the Russian aggressor, but they are several times less than that of the enemy, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Valeriy Zaluzhny has said. "Some 20 days of open war. Some 20 days of stamina and heroism. Some 20 days of struggle... Unfortunately, we are suffering losses. They are several times less than the enemy's ones. But the life and health of each of our soldiers is priceless. Condolences to the families of the victims," the commander-in-chief said on the Facebook page of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. At the same time, he said the Armed Forces of Ukraine are fulfilling their tasks. "We have stopped the aggressor, deployed reserve units and are going on a counteroffensive in certain areas," Zaluzhny said. According to the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the total combat losses of the personnel of the Russian army from February 24 to March 15 amounted to approximately more than 13,500 people. JSC Ukrzaliznytsia begins the nationalization of Russian railcars that stand on the tracks of Ukraine, head of the company Oleksandr Kamyshin said on his Telegram channel on Tuesday morning. This became possible after the signing by the president of the law on the basic principles of compulsory withdrawal in Ukraine of objects of property rights of the Russian Federation. According to it, more than 15,000 Russian railcars are currently on the Ukrainian routes, of which 10,956 are high-sided cars, 2,057 units - tanks, 587 units - covered wagons, 158 units - platforms, 1,318 units - other. "We act within the law. At the first stage, we draw up a list of wagon owners who have the Russian Federation among the founders. Then there will be the Cabinet of Ministers, the National Security and Defense Council, the presidential decree, and another law of Ukraine. The procedure will take time, so let's start already. Determining which of the wagon owners has a share of the Russian Federation in the capital - this is also not a quick task. But there is time, there is inspiration," Kamyshin wrote. At the same time, he noted that on the ways of Ukraine there are more than 3,000 wagons of companies that are definitely Russian. These are, in particular, VEB-Leasing, VTB-Leasing, Gazpromtrans, GTLK, Sberbank Leasing. "Now the Russian railcars will work for the economy of Ukraine. They will be useful to us, because we are developing new logistics routes to Europe, which will help resume freight work," the head of the company added. At the same time, he clarified that there are only 482 Ukrainian cars in the Russian Federation. The delegations of Ukraine and the aggressor country resumed negotiations after a technical pause taken a day earlier, Ukrayinska Pravda writes, citing a member of the delegation, head of the Servant of the People faction in the Verkhovna Rada David Arakhamia. "Negotiations are already underway," Arakhamia said in a comment to the publication on Tuesday. At the same time, members of the Ukrainian delegation have so far refrained from making any other comments. As reported, on March 14, a technical pause was taken in the negotiations between the Ukrainian and Russian delegations on ending the war for additional work in working subgroups and clarification of individual definitions. Later, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky said that the Ukrainian delegation worked well, and that the negotiations themselves would continue on March 15. The Russian occupiers are fighting against the objective coverage of their war crimes in Ukraine, at least 35 journalists have already been wounded, Verkhovna Rada Commissioner for Human Rights Liudmyla Denisova has said. According to her, three journalists are already killed. Among them are Ukrainian military correspondent Viktor Dudar (killed during the fighting near Mykolaiv), cameraman of the Ukrainian live television channel Yevhen Sakun (killed during the missile attacks in Kyiv) and American documentary journalist Brent Renaud (was killed at a checkpoint in Irpin, Kyiv region). Many journalists were wounded by targeted shelling of the enemy. In particular, the armored car with marking "press" of the Swiss journalist Guillaume Bricke during movement towards Mykolaiv was fired at by the Russian military. The journalist was wounded. Two journalists from the Czech edition of Voxpot, Maida Slamova and Vojtech Bogach, also came under fire from Russian troops. Two Danish correspondents from Ekstra Bladet, Stefan Weichert (journalist) and Emil Filtenborg Mikkelsen (photographer-reporter), received gunshot wounds. Russian troops attacked the British television group Sky News. Chief correspondent Stuart Ramsay and his four colleagues were ambushed while returning to Kyiv. The bullet hit Ramsey in the back, and Richie Mokler's cameraman was rescued by a bulletproof vest that had been shot at twice. The ombudsman also said that television infrastructure facilities were also targeted. The enemy tried to destroy Kyiv, Lutsk, and Rivne television towers, and seized television towers and studios in the temporarily occupied cities. "The killing and shelling of journalists is a gross violation of The Hague Conventions and Declarations, the Geneva Convention for the Protection of Victims of War and its Additional Protocols, and the Convention on the Laws and Customs of Land Warfare, which establishes security for journalists. I call on international human rights organizations increasing pressure on Russia to end military aggression against Ukraine," Denisova said. Russian soldiers are fighting against the objective coverage of their war crimes in Ukraine, according to Verkhovna Rada Human Rights Commissioner Liudmyla Denisova, who said at least 35 journalists have already been injured. According to her, three journalists are already dead. Among them are Ukrainian war correspondent Viktor Dudar (killed during the fighting near Mykolaiv), operator of the Ukrainian Pryamiy TV channel Yevhen Sakun (killed during rocket attacks in Kyiv) and American documentary journalist Brent Renaud (killed at a checkpoint in Irpin, Kyiv region). Many journalists were injured from targeted enemy shelling. In particular, the armored car marked "press" of the Swiss journalist Guillaume Briquet was fired upon by the Russian military while moving towards Mykolaiv, injuring the journalist. Two journalists from the Czech edition of Voxpot, Maida Slamova and Wojciech Bogach, also came under fire from Russian troops. Two Danish correspondents for Ekstra-Bladet, Stefan Weichert (journalist) and Emil Filtenborg Mikkelsen (photographer-reporter) were shot. Russian troops attacked the British television group Sky News. The outlet's chief correspondent Stuart Ramsay and his four colleagues were ambushed while returning to Kyiv. The bullet hit Ramsay in the back, the cameraman Richie Mockler was saved by a bulletproof vest, which was shot twice. Denisova said television infrastructure facilities were also under aimed fire. The enemy tried to destroy the Kyiv, Lutsk, Rivne TV towers, seized the TV towers and television studios in the temporarily occupied cities. "Killings and shootings of journalists are a flagrant violation of The Hague Conventions and Declarations, the Geneva Convention for the Protection of Victims of War and its Additional Protocols, as well as the Convention on the Laws and Customs of War on Land, which establishes guarantees of safety for journalists. I call on international human rights organizations to take all possible measures to increasing pressure on the Russian Federation to stop the military aggression against Ukraine," Denisova said. As a result of shelling in Svyatoshynsky district of Kyiv and a fire in multi-apartment residential buildings, according to preliminary data, four people were killed, according to Kyiv city military administration. "Friends! The whole world should know and see what is happening in Ukraine. How Russia is trying to destroy our state, our cities, how it is killing Ukrainians. This is a house in Svyatoshynsky district of the capital. More precisely, what was left of it after a shell hit. Rescuers the fire is still being extinguished from early morning. According to preliminary data, four people were killed," Kyiv city military administration said in the statement in the Telegram channel on Tuesday. Kyiv city military administration posted a video from the place of work of rescuers with a commentary by Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko, in which he reports that rescue work is still ongoing. "We cannot say the exact number of dead yet, the rescuers have not yet entered all the floors of the building. A large number of wounded," Klitschko said. "We will protect our city, our homes, our children, the future of Ukraine," Klitschko said. According to him, Kyiv authorities will provide Kyiv residents who have lost their homes with a place to stay in schools and kindergartens, where there is everything you need. "Those who want to evacuate to the west of Ukraine, we are ready to organize the departure now," the mayor said. By Azernews By Sabina Mammadli Azerbaijan has evacuated over 7,500 citizens from Ukraine since the outbreak of hostilities there, the Foreign Ministry has reported. More than 4,500 Azerbaijanis were evacuated by road transport and nearly 3,000 - by charter flights. The Azerbaijani government has organized 15 charter flights from Bucharest, Iasi, and Katowice, Romania, as well as Katowice, Poland. First and foremost, women, children, the elderly, and people with health issues were evacuated. Due to the situation in Ukraine, Azerbaijani citizens are still being evacuated via charter flights and buses across neighboring countries' territories. Azerbaijani citizens who have left Ukraine can contact Azerbaijan's diplomatic missions to return home. 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] Ambassador Vladislav Kanevsky earlier thanked Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, the Azerbaijani government and all the Azerbaijani people for providing Ukraine with humanitarian aid at "such a critical and difficult time for Ukraine". "Azerbaijan provides the necessary needs - medicines, medical equipment, food. This is what Azerbaijan and Ukraine have demonstrated for many years. We are not just strategic partners, we are friends," Kanevsky said. As a result of an air strike by Russian troops on the International Airport in Dnipro, one person was wounded, the Prosecutor General's Office (PGO) of Ukraine said. "According to the investigation, on March 15, 2022, at about 03:00, the Russian armed forces carried out another targeted missile attack on Dnipro International Airport. As a result of the attack, one person was wounded," the PGO said in a Telegram channel. According to the department, criminal proceedings have been opened on the fact of violation of the laws and customs of war (part 1 of article 438 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine). Israel has established rules for entry into the country for Ukrainians, in particular, arrival in Israel and boarding a flight are subject to prior permission from the Israeli Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Ukrainian Embassy in Israel has said. "Arrival in Israel and boarding the flight(s) are subject to prior approval from the Israeli Interior Ministry," the embassy website said on Monday. A quota has also been set for 5,000 citizens of Ukraine who will be able to enter the country. It is noted that Israel has already accepted part of the quota and will continue to accept it. "If a citizen of Ukraine wishes to come to Israel at the invitation of an Israeli citizen, the Israeli citizen must sign a declaration for the invitee on the website of the Population and Immigration Authority using an electronic form at this link: https://login.gov.il/nidp/saml2/sso?id=usernamePasswordSMSOtp&sid=0&option=credential&sid=0 Citizens of Ukraine applying for entry to Israel must fill in an electronic application on the website of the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs at this link: https://govforms.gov.il/mw/forms/plitim@mofa.gov.il#!pirteyHamevakesh "The response to the applicant's request will be sent to the applicant's email address," the embassy explained. In addition, if the applicant came to Israel at the invitation of an Israeli citizen residing in Israel, the invited applicant must obtain an invitation from the Israeli citizen before completing the application. It is emphasized that the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Israel is the only authorized body that decides on the admission of foreigners, including Ukrainians in the country. Considering previous cases of refusals to Ukrainians to cross the border or lengthy checks on the grounds for entry into the country, which forced Ukrainian citizens to wait hours for the results of checks, the embassy strongly recommends that Ukrainians take into account that Israel does not accept refugees from Ukraine before traveling to Israel. Also, the Israeli government has identified priority categories of persons who can enter Israel under certain conditions (for example, spouses/children of Ukrainian citizens and Israeli citizens permanently residing in Ukraine; citizens who have previously applied for family reunification with Israeli citizens, family members of Israelis of the first kinship lines, new repatriates and persons with Jewish roots). "Persons who are trying to enter Israel as tourists (for example, you just want to wait out the end of the war in Israel or with Israel friends, relatives who do not have status in Israel) will have difficulty entering the country," the Ukrainian embassy said. The embassy also urged those who are determined to enter Israel to consult with Israeli lawyers, most of whom currently provide free legal advice. "The Embassy urges citizens of Ukraine to take into account the specified information and not to enter Israel if they have a negative visa history (for example, those who were previously in Israel and violated the visa regime, that is, were in the country illegally. Also note that if your relatives are in Israel illegally, you will also be denied entry)," the message says. The Defense Forces of Ukraine continue to successfully resist the occupiers, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said. "The 20th day of the heroic opposition of the Ukrainian nation to the Russian military invasion is underway. The state, position, nature of the actions of the defense forces have not undergone significant changes. The Ukrainian Defense Forces continue to successfully resist the invaders," the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said on Facebook on Tuesday. According to the General Staff, during the day the enemy did not conduct active offensive operations, concentrating efforts on replenishing current losses, recruiting mercenaries from other countries, and solving problematic issues of logistical support for the occupying forces operating on the territory of Ukraine. "Repeatedly there was information about the organization of training centers for mercenaries in Russian Smolensk and Belarusian Gomel and Bobruisk," the General Staff said. The General Staff said in the report that in Volyn direction, the enemy is holding a group to protect the Ukrainian-Belarusian state border. At the same time, there remains a high probability of provocations aimed at drawing the Belarusian side into the occupation forces. "In Polissia direction, the enemy made an unsuccessful attempt to break through the defense of our troops in the direction of Huta-Mezhyhirska, Liutizh. At the same time, the invaders were not successful in capturing Makariv," the General Staff said. According to the General Staff, in Siversky direction, the enemy is trying to increase the grouping, organize logistical support for the resumption of the attack on Chernihiv. In Slobozhansky direction, the main goal of the enemy remains the cordon of the cities of Sumy and Kharkiv. The General Staff said that in Donetsk and Tavriysk directions the occupiers did not achieve success in Lysychansk district, suffered losses and retreated. "In Rubizhne direction, the enemy is trying to gain a foothold on the western outskirts of the city. Continues assault operations in the western and eastern outskirts of Mariupol with the support of aviation and artillery," the General Staff said. The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine also said that, not succeeding in the main areas of action, the occupying forces, in violation of the norms of International Humanitarian Law, continue to launch missile and air strikes on civilian targets, civilians and critical infrastructure. "The morale of the enemy remains at a low level, which creates additional problems for the occupying command to make up for current losses in a timely manner and strengthen the grouping in the areas where the enemy was utterly defeated by the Ukrainian defenders," the General Staff said. The Russian Federation has currently concentrated the use of air strikes mainly on the zone of the Joint Forces Operation in Donbas and on Mariupol, Oleksiy Arestovych, adviser to the President's Office head, said. "As you can see, for the third day already, the enemy has been trying not to use its aircraft in Kyiv, Kharkiv, Sumy, Mykolaiv, or is using it to a limited extent ... The only areas where Russia uses air strikes are the JFO zone and Mariupol. But we are implementing measures that should alleviate the situation in terms of air influence," Arestovych said at a briefing at the President's Office on Tuesday. He attributed Russia's limited use of airstrikes in central, northern and southern parts of Ukraine to the inability of Russian aviation to conduct complex air operations. "In general, the enemy has gathered 500 of their combat aircraft around us, but Russian aviation is not capable of conducting complex air operations. This requires many years of training and money, which they do not have ... Air strikes were carried out by single aircraft, two at a time and up to a maximum of six. So, our Armed Forces have already shot down 83 aircraft of the Russian Federation. This means that they already used 120-140 aircraft out of 500. Half of them are gone," the adviser to the President's Office head said. As Arestovych noted, "you need to understand that now the enemy will shift its main efforts towards missile strikes with Iskander-type ballistic missiles or cruise missiles from Russian aircraft." The Ukrainian leadership is considering the abolition of the visa-free regime for Israeli citizens, a source familiar with the situation told Interfax-Ukraine. "Ukraine may cancel the visa-free regime with Israel after the actual cancellation of such a regime by Israel in relation to Ukrainian refugees," the agency's interlocutor said. Earlier, Israel introduced new entry rules for citizens of Ukraine. Instead of the usual visa-free regime, the country has introduced an alternative procedure for authorizing a trip with permission from the Ministry of Internal Affairs. "Arrival in Israel and boarding the flight are subject to prior permission from the Israeli Ministry of Internal Affairs," the Ukrainian embassy said. A special electronic form has been created on the website of the Israeli Ministry of Internal Affairs to obtain such permission. Over the past day, the SBU in different regions of Ukraine detained dozens of accomplices of the invaders and infiltrators. "The SBU detained 60 collaborators and exposed 20 enemy sabotage-reconnaissance groups in different regions," the SBU said on its Telegram channel on Tuesday. According to the SBU, in particular, a collaborator who worked for the intelligence of the occupier was detained in Cherkasy region. "She transmitted photos and videos about the location of servicemen and equipment of the Armed Forces of Ukraine," the SBU said. In Luhansk region, according to the Ukrainian intelligence service, the SBU records the crimes of the aggressor in the temporarily occupied territory, in particular, the formation of punitive bodies. "In such settlements as Markivka, Bilovodsk and Troitske, the occupiers brought the so-called prosecutors from ORLO, who have already proven themselves in the self-proclaimed "LPR," the SBU said. In Kirovohrad region, according to the SBU, a man was detained who worked in the Russian information field from the territory of Ukraine: he published an anti-Ukrainian position on the forums. "In Zakarpattia region, the SBU detained a local resident who organized a channel for the illegal transfer of citizens of military age abroad," the Ukrainian intelligence service said in the statement. The staff and patients of the Oskol psycho-neurological boarding house (Izium district of Kharkiv region), destroyed as a result of enemy shelling, are being evacuated to a safe place, Head of Kharkiv Regional Military Administration Oleh Synehubov has said. "300 people patients and workers are already heading to safety places along the safe corridor route... The beneficiaries of the special institution are elderly people in need of special care, people with disabilities. We thank everyone involved for the incredible efforts to save people!" Synehubov wrote on his Telegram channel. As reported, on March 11, in an enemy shelling of the village of Oskol, Izium district, Kharkiv region, a shell hit the five-story building of the Oskol psychoneurological boarding house. As a result of the explosion, the building structures were destroyed at the second and third floors, as well as local fires in several places recorded. At the time of the shelling, all 30 employees of the institution and 330 patients (mostly elderly and disabled) were in hiding at the time of the shelling. There were no casualties. President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky has called for an increase in the volume of military assistance from partners. Speaking via video link at a meeting of the leaders of the Joint Expeditionary Force nations on Tuesday, he said "that everyone knows what is vital for us today aircraft," noting that "it would have been difficult without your efforts," Zelenskiy said that "we need more." "Our people take trophies, we capture Russian equipment day and night. We take everything on the battlefield and send it back into battle. They even made the old Soviet equipment combat-ready, which did not work for us, and everything that we receive from you. But the volume that you give for one week we use in 20 hours. We have so many occupiers, our military calls them locusts. For each person - 20-30 of their people, for one of our tanks 100 of them," he said. The Joint Expeditionary Force includes the U.K, Denmark, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Holland, Sweden and Norway. Ukrzaliznytsia offers its production facilities in central, western Ukraine for relocation of production from east of country JSC Ukrzaliznytsia (UZ) offers its production facilities in central and western Ukraine to relocate production from the east of the country, head of the company Oleksandr Kamyshyn said in his Telegram channel on Tuesday. "All redundant workshops and other production infrastructure were a burden for us in peacetime, and now they give us the opportunity to place outside production. In fact, together with the Ministry of Economy, we are building a large technopark on the production infrastructure of Ukrzaliznytsia. If you are a manufacturer and missed the opportunity to continue working, please contact , tell us what you need to resume production, and we will select a production site for you, based on our facilities," Kamyshin said. In addition, he said that Ukrzaliznytsia is ready to help farmers with the logistics of diesel and fertilizers. "Stop dragging Russian scrap metal with tractors, it's time to sow," the head of the company said. Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Russia has fired more than 900 missiles, CNBC cited a spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Defense. "The official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said the Russian arsenal includes short-range, medium-range, ballistic and cruise missiles," according to a report released on Monday. According to the spokesperson of the Department of Defense, a large Russian military convoy, widely tracked by satellite imagery, appears to be stalled on its route to Kyiv. By Azernews By Ayya Lmahamad President Ilham Aliyev has said that Azerbaijan plans to reconstruct five hydropower plants in its liberated lands in 2022. He made the remarks speaking at a groundbreaking ceremony of the 230 MW Garadagh solar power plant to be built in Azerbaijan by the United Arab Emirates Masdar company. Last year, we restored four hydropower plants. Their total generation capacity is 20 MW. This year, there are plans to reconstruct five hydropower plants with a combined generation capacity of 27 MW, he said. Stating that these capacities are not very large compared to other stations, he noted that the number of these stations will be more than 30 in Kalbajar and Lachin regions alone, and these are hydropower plants. Of course, there is a greater potential for the creation of solar and wind power plants. I want to say again that the entire infrastructure has been created, internal lines have been modernized, many substations have been built, including seven in the liberated lands in just one year, he said. Moreover, noting that there is a great potential available in these territories, the president underlined that accurate calculations have already been made and the production of solar and wind energy can reach about 9,000-10,000 MW. He noted that preliminary steps are already being taken, negotiations are underway with BP to build a solar power plant with a generation capacity of more than 200 MW. The president also mentioned that during the 30 years of occupation, Armenia destroyed the entire infrastructure, all the buildings, historical and religious sites in the occupied lands. There are many documents, video and photo information confirming this. In particular, more than 30 hydropower plants have been destroyed in Kalbajar and Lachin regions, and we have already begun large-scale work in the liberated lands, including in the field of electricity, he said. Garadagh solar power plant Speaking about the Garadagh solar power plant, Aliyev noted that this plant will meet the growing energy needs of the country and contribute to the expansion of export potential. I am very glad that this great project is being implemented by Masdar, a world-renowned company with extensive experience in this field, he said. Noting that Masdar represents Azerbaijans friendly country, the United Arab Emirates, he stated that the bilateral relations between the two countries are at a very high level. The president noted that the two countries are successfully cooperating in political, economic and other fields, adding that the trade relations are also growing. Aliyev also added that there are ample opportunities in the field of tourism. In a nutshell, the relations between the United Arab Emirates and Azerbaijan have great prospects. I am glad that cooperation in the field of renewable energy production is starting today, he said. Foreign investment Noting that Masdars investment in Azerbaijan is very commendable, he emphasized that this shows again that Azerbaijan is a very attractive country for foreign investment. Azerbaijan has a very good investment climate. At the same time, Azerbaijan is fulfilling all its obligations to foreign partners, he said. He noted that one of Azerbaijans main priorities is to attract major foreign investment to the countrys non-oil sector. Because over many years, $10 billion have been invested in the oil and gas sector. This has allowed us the opportunity to achieve what we want in the field of energy, he said. The president stressed that today, Azerbaijan is also an exporter of crude oil, natural gas, oil products and electricity, and has great potential in terms of electricity exports. We are already exporting to four neighboring countries, and I am confident that we will access other markets with our electricity in the future. With this in mind, the construction of each new station, as I said, increases our export potential, he said. Energy sector Moreover, Aliyev underlined that very important steps have been taken in the energy sector since the beginning of this year. In this regard, he recalled that in January, Saudi Arabias ACWA Power laid the foundation for a 240 MW wind farm. In addition, a 385 MW power plant built by AzerEnergy was inaugurated in February. In other words, new generation capacities with a capacity of 855 MW are being created in less than three months. A capacity of 385 MW has already been created. I am confident that additional capacities will be included in our overall system in 2023, and this is just the beginning, he said. Stressing that the development of renewable energy is a priority for the country, he added that we have been working to resolve this issue for many years, and today we are seeing tangible results. In general, the existing stability in Azerbaijan, the economic development, our relations with neighboring countries, our transport, communications and close contacts with neighboring countries in terms of power lines have created a unique situation that Azerbaijan is not only a major producer of crude oil, oil products and natural gas but also a major producer and exporter of electricity, he said. He also noted that Azerbaijan produces electricity only from environmentally friendly sources, natural gas, water, solar and wind. I want to say again that the potential for renewable energy in Azerbaijan is enormous. That is why the world's leading energy companies are now very interested in cooperating with Azerbaijan in this area. I am confident that we will launch new projects in the near future, he said. Economic development Aliyev noted that in the first two months of this year, the GDP increased by 6.7 percent, the non-oil sector by 10.1 percent and non-oil industrial production by about 21 percent. He stressed that all these are achievements of the post-pandemic period and show that the reforms carried out in the country are truly commendable steps. I would like to add that Azerbaijan is one of a handful of countries of the world where foreign debt is very low only $7.4 billion. If we want, we can repay this debt in one day, he said. The president also noted that the countrys policy is to ensure the further rapid development of the country and first of all, to restore the liberated lands. At the same time, we want to ensure the sustainable development of our country. It is an axiom that no country can develop without electricity. This is the first condition and it is the main condition, he said. He stated that Azerbaijan has rich oil and gas fields, noting that these fields are being successfully developed and operated. Taking into account all the investment interests, the business interests, I must also say that if there werent close and friendly relations between our countries, we probably would not have seen this project. So a combination of all these factors creates a wonderful opportunity. I think we are using this opportunity very effectively and we will continue to do so, he said. UK denies most favored treatment to hundreds of goods from Russia, Belarus, bans exports of luxury goods to Russia The UK denies Russia and Belarus access to Most Favored Nation tariff for hundreds of their exports, imposes a 35% import duty on a number of Russian goods, including vodka, and, same as the European Union, bans exports of luxury goods to Russia, the British government said in a statement on Tuesday. "The UK denies Russia and Belarus access to Most Favored Nation tariff for hundreds of their exports, depriving both nations key benefits of WTO membership," the statement said. Same as the EU, London bans "exports of luxury goods to Russia alongside its G7 allies," the statement said. The ban applies to vehicles, clothes and art. The British government also "published an initial list of goods worth GBP 900 million - including vodka - which will now face an additional 35 percent tariff, on top of current tariffs," the statement said. Iranian FM conveys message from Kuleba to Lavrov on need to focus on political settlement Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said he had talks with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba on Monday and conveyed his message to Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on the need to resolve the situation through a political settlement. "I had a very lengthy conversation with the Ukrainian foreign minister last night, and the Ukrainian foreign minister asked me to convey a message to Mr. Lavrov that Ukraine is in favor of putting an end to the war and concentrating on a political settlement," Amir-Abdollahian said at a press conference following negotiations with Lavrov in Moscow on Tuesday. Iran is opposed to war and to unilateral sanctions, he said. Amir-Abdollahian said Kuleba asked him to tell Lavrov that "the Ukrainian side is willing to continue negotiations for a political settlement and that Ukraine is in favor of ending the war." Lavrov said his Iranian counterpart informed him about his call with Kuleba and "passed on Kuleba's wish that the war should be stopped as soon as possible." Issues of ceasefire, withdrawal of troops from Ukraine discussed at talks with Russia Podoliak The Ukrainian and Russian delegations are discussing, in particular, issues of the ceasefire and the withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukrainian territory at the talks on Tuesday, adviser to the President's Office head Mykhailo Podoliak has said. "Negotiations are ongoing. Consultations on the main negotiation platform renewed. General regulation matters, ceasefire, withdrawal of troops from the territory of the country," Podoliak said on Twitter. The occupiers continue to shell the civilian population of the cities of Severodonetsk, Lysychansk, Kreminna, Rubizhne of Luhansk region, according to the Telegram channel of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine on Tuesday. "Occupiers again cynically shell the civilian population of Luhansk region. Russian invaders are attacking Severodonetsk, Lysychansk, Kreminna, which is why houses, apartments and garages are on fire in these cities ... In Rubizhne, Russian invaders destroyed a boarding school for children with visual impairments, a city hospital and three schools, there are those who died as a result of the shelling," the report says. Fire and rescue units of the State Emergency Service of the region continue to put out fires and help people, despite enemy shelling. "There is a small victory - yesterday, on March 14, more than 1,700 residents were evacuated from the combat zone of Luhansk region. The enemy did not stop shelling for a minute, but everything was done - people are already safe," the ministry said. On Tuesday, the Verkhovna Rada adopted Bill 7137-d, which proposes to extend the powers of the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) for the duration of martial law in the country. According to Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal, 340 deputies voted for the bill, with the required 226 votes. The bill proposes to allow the NBU to purchase securities from issuers during martial law. In addition, the document provides for the NBU to pay profits for 2021 in the first quarter of 2022, and proposes to stop the right of banks to issue blank loans. As reported by the European Business Association with reference to the decision of the relevant committee on Monday, the document proposes for the period of martial law and "plus" four months after its cancellation to cancel the regulator's obligation to classify banks on the basis if a financial institution has violated the minimum for 30 calendar days in a row the value of the regulatory capital adequacy ratio or at least one of the liquidity ratios is below the minimum. At the same time, the deputies in the bill propose to allow the confiscation of property not only of state-owned companies of the Russian Federation, but also of all citizens and companies of the Russian Federation President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky has stated the need to find effective security guarantees for Ukraine that would not be in doubt. "We need to look for effective guarantees. Guarantees for us, for our skies, and we will not abandon it. We need aircraft. I will continue to talk about this, I will continue to pursue this. We need long-term security guarantees for the state, for all Ukrainians, but concrete things, specific guarantees, legally binding, so that there is no doubt about them," Zelensky said in a video message on Tuesday. The head of the Ukrainian state said that "not everyone took a moral position" in response to the war that the Russian Federation unleashed against Ukraine. "Each of more than 800 Russian missiles that hit our state is the answer to a long-standing question about NATO, about whether the doors of the Alliance were actually open to Ukraine. If they were open, if it were honest, then it wouldn't take 20 days to convince the Alliance to close the sky over our state. Closed from the death that the Russian Air Force brings. But so far they don't hear or don't want to hear us," Zelensky said. He noted that some states of the Alliance "intimidated themselves" with the alleged threat of a third world war. "But what will they say if Russia goes further into Europe, attacking other countries? I am sure that they will say the same thing they say to Ukraine - Article 5 of the NATO Treaty has never been as weak as it is now. This is just our opinion. When some members of the Alliance were afraid to be in fact the Alliance, capable of protecting everything for which it was created - freedom and democracy, humanity and justice," the President of Ukraine said. According to Zelensky, Ukraine needs such security guarantees "so that excuses do not sound like they do now." The Verkhovna Rada has recognized the volunteers of the Territorial Defense Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine as participants in hostilities. Relevant bill No. 7151 has been adopted at the final reading, the Verkhovna Rada website reports. According to an explanatory note to the bill, with the start of Russian military aggression against Ukraine, volunteers of the Territorial Defense Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine began to be actively involved in ensuring the defense of Ukraine, protecting the population and interests of the state. Therefore, in the conditions of the military invasion of Ukraine by the aggressor and in order to strengthen the ability to defend the fatherland, it became necessary to recognize the volunteers of the Terrorist Defense Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine as war veterans at the legislative level. As previously reported, 344 MPs voted for this bill. Halina Lukashenko, the wife of Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, whom the EU and the United States do not recognize as legally elected, is included in the U.S. sanctions list. The document updating the list of individuals in Russia and Belarus against whom U.S. sanctions are in effect was published on Tuesday on the website of the U.S. Department of the Treasury. Some 15 new persons have been added to the sanctions list, including Galina Lukashenko. Also, among the changes made by the document to the sanctions list, there is a clarification according to which 38 possible spellings of the name and surname of Alexander Lukashenko, who was previously included in the number of persons subject to U.S. restrictions, are set out. Options include various forms of transliteration from Russian and Belarusian. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg does not exclude that Russia can fabricate circumstances to justify the use of chemical weapons against Ukraine. For months, we have exposed Russias long list of lies. They claimed they did not plan to invade Ukraine. But they did. They claimed they were withdrawing their troops. But they sent in even more. They claim to be protecting civilians. But they are killing civilians. Now they are making absurd claims about iological labs and chemical weapons in Ukraine, he said in Brussels Tuesday at a press conference on the eve of an extraordinary meeting of the North Atlantic Council at the level of defense ministers, which will be held in Brussels March 16. Stoltenberg stated that any use of chemical weapons would be a violation of international law and a violation of the ban on the use of chemical weapons. He said that they urge Russia not to use chemical weapons, they also ask to withdraw its forces and stop fighting and, especially, not to use chemical weapons. At the same time, he noted that Russia had previously used a chemical element to kill a political opponent, as well as supporting the Assad regime, helped to simplify the use of chemical weapons. At the same time, Stoltenberg declined to answer the question of how NATO would react if Russia did use chemical weapons in the war with Ukraine. He said that their primary responsibility is to protect NATO allies. He said that it is important that Russia understands that they are ready to do this. According to him, Russia is accusing Ukraine and NATO allies of producing chemical weapons, saying that this is a lie. They are concerned that they will do just that. The President of the United States and other allies have made it clear that if they use chemical weapons, they will pay a heavy price. But he refused to speculate about any militaryreaction from NATO, except that NATO will do everything to protect its allies. By Azernews By Sabina Mammadli As the Russian-Ukrainian conflict unfolds, Western hypocrisy toward conflicts in other parts of the world becomes more apparent. Not only has there been universal condemnation of Russia in this conflict and support for Ukraine in their suffering from countries all over the world, but many reporters covering the conflict have made a point of emphasizing their horror at how this could happen to a "civilized" nation. A quote from Charlie D'Agat, a CBS News senior correspondent in Kyiv, demonstrates the existing double standard in Western media toward non-European people suffering from conflict. This isnt a place, with all due respect, like Iraq or Afghanistan that has seen conflict raging for decades. This is a relatively civilized, relatively European I have to choose those words carefully, too the city where you wouldnt expect that or hope that its going to happen, he stated. Double standards are not a new strategy used against our country either. Since gaining independence, Azerbaijan has been targeted by the "civilized world's" dual policy. It is still a mystery how, during the period of Armenian aggression against Azerbaijan, open occupation of our lands, and ethnic cleansing carried out by Armenia, notorious Section 907 of the Freedom Support Act, was adopted in the United States. This hypocritical rhetoric has been used against Azerbaijan for the 30 years of the Azerbaijani-Armenian conflict; however, it was explicitly palpable during the 44-day second Karabakh war in 2020. The current situation in Ukraine brings back memories of our country's war and the West's double standards against it. Today, the Ukrainian army actively employs Turkish Bayraktar drones, reviving the debate over double standards. Bayraktars are unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) that were designed specifically for use in combat. These aren't toy drones; these are combat vehicles designed to aid one army in its fight against another. Despite the fact that this function of Turkish drones is obvious, the outrage over the Azerbaijani army's use of Bayraktars against Armenian occupiers is still fresh in our minds. During the second Karabakh war in 2020, the Azerbaijani army's use of Bayraktars was condemned as an inhuman weapon, a terrorist act, and nearly a means of "genocide". And what do we see? Bayraktar is now referred to as a weapon of hope rather than a killer. The Turkish drone has already become a "weapon of hope", according to an article published in one of Germany's largest tabloid newspapers Bild. It should be noted that the same publication referred to Bayraktar as "Erdogan's killer drone" three years ago. The Canadian newspaper Ottawa Citizen has also reported that the drone cameras Canada will provide to Ukraine for use against the Russian military are the same ones that the government previously prohibited from being exported to Turkey after they were used in combat. According to the paper, some of the funds provided by the Canadian government for humanitarian aid in Ukraine will be used to purchase Wescam surveillance cameras for Ukraine's Bayraktar TB2 armed drones, which were previously sold to Azerbaijan as well. The ban on exporting the sensors to Turkey was imposed after the Canadian government determined that Azerbaijan used Bayraktar drones during the second Karabakh war. This use was not consistent with Canadian foreign policy, nor end-use assurances given by Turkey, stated the publication. In this regard, another hypocritical parallel is the issue of mercenaries. Remember how much our army was condemned and attacked during the 44-day war because of non-existent "terrorists" in their ranks. Threats and warnings were issued by Armenian, Russian, and Western media outlets. Foreign mercenaries are now fighting on both sides of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, with neither the West nor the East condemning them. The silence from Paris and Moscow, which were so vocal in their warnings to Baku during the 44-day war, is now unmistakable. The most recent manifestation of Western double standards was the European Parliament's resolution on the alleged destruction of "Armenian heritage" in liberated territories, which violates international law. These double standards in response to one group's aggression are precisely what characterizes many other bloody conflicts in the post-Soviet space. By setting a good example and condemning Armenian war crimes and ethnic cleansing, further conflicts in neighboring countries could have been avoided. Russia must be held accountable, fully compensate for all losses suffered by Ukraine during invasion foreign ministers of Ukraine, Lithuania Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba held a meeting in Lviv on Tuesday with Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis, during which the parties condemned the Russian invasion and reaffirmed Ukraine's European prospects, the press service of the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry has reported. The ministers condemned the barbaric aggression that the Russian Federation, with the direct participation of the Republic of Belarus, launched against a sovereign, peaceful and independent Ukraine. The ministers noted the importance of the speedy restoration of the Ukrainian economy after the end of the war. Russia must be held accountable and fully compensate for all the losses Ukraine suffered during the invasion, according to the statement. The ministers also discussed Ukraine's membership in the European Union, according to the application filed by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on February 28, 2022. Due to Russia's military invasion, Ukraine and Europe found themselves in a special and unprecedented moment in history. Ukraine is now fighting for its security and the security of all of Europe. This should not be forgotten when assessing the prospects for Ukraine's membership in the EU. An emergency situation requires extraordinary steps and decisions. Ukraine belongs to the family of the European Union, the ministry said. The ministers also discussed the actions of the Russian invaders at the nuclear power facilities of Ukraine, which are a gross violation of many conventions on nuclear safety, in particular, the International Convention for the Suppression of Acts of Nuclear Terrorism. In this context, the ministers called on the international community to find a way to force Russia to withdraw its troops from peaceful nuclear facilities, introduce at least 30-kilometer demilitarized zones around nuclear power plants, as well as ensure proper working conditions for personnel and provide them with the opportunity to rest. Russian invaders are using the tactics of intimidation of residents of the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine, Liudmyla Denisova, Verkhovna Rada Commissioner for Human Rights, reports. In particular, in Energodar, Russian militants turned off the danger warning system for the population, attacks on residents continue, when checking cars, the invaders break the front glass if it is tinted, and also take away mobile devices. In Trostianka, Sumy region, Russian invaders are driving local residents into fake "green corridors" and trying to create "human" shields with their help. Those who disagree are taken prisoner. Armed Russian soldiers also break into houses, knock out windows, doors, tell people that if they do not leave their homes, it will be worse that they need to leave for the territory of the Russian Federation. Thus, the Russians are trying to create a picture for propaganda. Residents of temporarily occupied Kherson region are sent messages with threats and demands to cooperate with the "new government." "Massacre and abuse of civilians is a war crime, defined by the Charter of the International Military Tribunal and the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, and a violation of the norms of the Geneva Convention for the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War. I ask the international community to take these facts into account when increasing pressure on the terrorist state to end the war and withdraw the army of Russian invaders from Ukraine," Denisova wrote on Facebook. The Russian military suffered a defeat near Kharkiv, trying to storm from the village of Piatykhatky, Head of Kharkiv Regional Military Administration Oleh Synehubov has said. "Another proof that the Armed Forces of Ukraine will not retreat even a meter! Today, the Russian invaders suffered a shameful defeat near Kharkiv. After lunch, the invaders tried to storm Kharkiv from Piatykhatky. The Armed Forces of Ukraine inflicted significant losses on the enemy. The enemy was driven back beyond his previous positions," Synehubov wrote on his Telegram channel. Also, according to him, in the morning of March 15 there was a clash in Ruski Tyshky, which lasted more than an hour. "Ukrainian fighters of the Armed Forces also forced the enemy to retreat to their previous positions," the head of the military administration said. He added: "We are counting the losses of the enemy." Russia's decision to withdraw from the Council of Europe (CoE) has been made, the relevant letter of Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has been handed over to the secretary general of the organization, State Duma Deputy Speaker and head of the Russian delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe Pyotr Tolstoy said. "The decision on the withdrawal from the Council of Europe has been made. The relevant letter of Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has been handed over to the secretary-general of the organization," Tolstoy wrote on his Telegram channel on Tuesday. "Russia is withdrawing from the Council of Europe voluntarily, it is an informed and well thought out decision," he said. Rada exempts people with disabilities, those who care for them, seriously ill children from military service The Verkhovna Rada exempted persons with disabilities and persons caring for such persons with disabilities and seriously ill children from military service. The adoption of the relevant bill No. 7140-1 at the first and second reading was supported by 334 MPs at the plenary session on Tuesday. The document amends a number of articles of the laws On military duty and military service and On mobilization training and mobilization, according to which certain categories of persons liable for military service from among persons with disabilities are exempted from military service (urgent, during a special period and mobilization), as well as those who care for such people and the incapacitated. These norms also apply to citizens who support children with disabilities, children with severe perinatal lesions of the nervous system, severe congenital malformations, rare orphan diseases, oncological, oncohematological diseases, cerebral palsy, severe mental disorders, type I diabetes mellitus (insulin-dependent), acute or chronic kidney disease IV degree. The Rada also exempted from military service people who care for children who were seriously injured, in need of organ transplantation, in palliative care, when they cross the state border of Ukraine in a state of emergency or martial law. In addition, the adopted law applies to persons who take care of orphans, children deprived of parental care, under 18 years of age and living or assigned to institutions of various types, children brought up in foster families, family-type orphanages. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg is convening an extraordinary summit of the Alliance on March 24 to discuss Russia's invasion of Ukraine and support for Ukraine. "I have convened an extraordinary Summit on 24 March at NATO HQ. We will address Russia's invasion of Ukraine, our strong support for Ukraine, and further strengthening NATO's deterrence & defence. At this critical time, North America & Europe must continue to stand together," he wrote on Twitter. President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky, addressing Canadian MPs, said that Ukraine is asking for real support to help it withstand Russian military aggression. "Dear Speakers! Mr. Prime Minister! Justin! Members of the Government and Parliament! Dear friends! Canada has always been, is and - I am sure - will be a reliable partner of Ukraine. You came to our aid immediately when we asked for it. You provide us with weapons and other support that we so much need now. You have imposed sanctions against Russia - really moral ones. Really serious. Nevertheless, we see with you that the war continues. That Russian troops do not leave our territory ... We do not ask for much. We ask for justice. We ask for real support that will help us survive. And protect our lives," Zelensky said. He noted that Canada is already showing the necessary leadership in helping Ukraine, but more is needed. "But we need more leadership. More participation from you. You understand how important it is for us to protect our skies. From Russian missiles. From aircraft. You can influence this," he said. "You are able to force even more companies to leave the Russian market. So that there is not a single dollar for the war. If they remain in Russia and sponsor the war, they have no right to work in Canada. So be it - and this will give us peace... Therefore I beg you - do not stop. Do not stop helping Ukraine. In leadership. In trying to restore peace. I believe, I know that you can do it. That with Canada, our anti-war coalition, which we are strengthening, will definitely give results," the president said. The head of state also separately addressed representatives of Ukrainian diaspora in Canada. "It is at this historic moment that we need your effective help. And you must prove with your steps that you are part of the history of Ukraine. The living history of Ukraine. Because we want to live. And we strive for peace," Zelensky said. As a result of air attacks in Malynsky district of Zhytomyr region, a woman was killed, two more people were injured, private houses and industrial premises were destroyed, police of Zhytomyr region reported. "On the afternoon of March 15, the town of Malyn and the village of Yurivka of the local community suffered from air attacks. It is preliminary known that as a result of the aggressor's actions people were injured, private houses and industrial premises were destroyed. Police officers are working at the scenes of war crimes," the regional police said on their Facebook page. According to the police, at about noon on March 15, missile attacks hit the production facilities of two enterprises in Malyn, as a result of which the workshops were destroyed and damaged, information about the victims is being specified. "In the village of Yurivka, as a result of an air strike, two rural houses were destroyed and up to a dozen private estates were damaged. As of 14:00, one dead woman, born in 1944, and another injured, born in 1944, are known. As of 16 :00 it became known about another injured man, born in 1959. Rescue and search operations continue," the regional police said. Investigative and operational groups of Malynsky police department are working on the ground, the circumstances and consequences of war crimes are being recorded. Investigators of the Investigation Department of the SBU Directorate in Kharkiv region, under the procedural leadership of the regional prosecutor's office, have launched a pretrial investigation into the shelling of a bus during the evacuation of civilians from Izium. "According to the investigation, on March 14, 2022, during the evacuation of the civilian population from the city of Izium to the city of Sloviansk and the city of Lozova, the military personnel of the Russian Armed Forces fired at the bus. As a result of these actions of the Russian invaders, people were injured. The number of victims and the degree of damage are currently being established," the press service of Kharkiv Regional Prosecutor's Office reports. Criminal proceedings are open under Part 1 of Article 438 (violation of the laws and customs of war) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. President of European Council speaks with Putin, calls for immediate ceasefire, withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukraine President of the European Council Charles Michel has said that he had a conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin, urging him to an immediate ceasefire and the withdrawal of Russian troops from the territory of Ukraine. "I stressed to President of Russia the urgent need to stop Russia's fratricidal war against Ukraine. The EU is united in condemning Russia's aggression, responding with powerful sanctions and providing further support to Ukraine," he wrote on Twitter on Tuesday. Michel also said that he called for an immediate ceasefire and withdrawal of Russia's military. "Discussed ongoing negotiations between Ukraine and Russia. Protection of civilian lives is an absolute priority. Indiscriminate shelling by Russian forces of Ukraine civilians must stop. Russia must urgently enable humanitarian access and safe passage," he added. By Azernews By Vugar Khalilov Prime Minister Ali Asadov has said that Azerbaijan demined over 20,000 hectares of its liberated territories in 2021, Azertag has reported. He made the remarks on March 15 during a parliamentary discussion of the report on the activities of the Azerbaijani Cabinet of Ministers in 2021. Demining Asadov emphasized the importance of the area and said that the necessary material and technical resources had been provided for demining activities. He added that as a result of the measures taken, the area of the demined lands will be doubled in 2022. "It is expected that as a result of these measures, 40,000 hectares of Azerbaijani territories liberated from Armenian occupation will be cleared of mines in 2022," Asadov said. The prime minister said that the Aghdam Industrial Park and the Araz Valley Economic Zone Industrial Park were established in the East Zangazur economic region under the presidential decrees. In general, industrial zones (parks and neighborhoods) produced goods worth AZN 2.4 billion ($1.4 billion), with AZN 959 million ($564 million) exported in 2021, he said. "The agricultural potential of the liberated lands is important for our country's economic development. In this regard, the Azerbaijani presidential decree of April 27, 2021, should be highlighted. The sowing of approximately 100,000 hectares of liberated lands under the president's instructions will support food security, as well as the creation of agricultural processing areas in this sector," Asadov emphasized. He added that reclaiming lost water resources on liberated territories expands Azerbaijan's opportunities in the fields of water supply, agriculture, and alternative energy. Arms purchase Furthermore, Asadov stated that the necessary steps had been taken to strengthen Azerbaijan's defence capabilities and military force in 2021. He emphasized that new weaponry and military equipment were acquired for this purpose and that the Azerbaijani army's material and technological foundation was strengthened during the aforementioned time period. Asadov went on to say that significant steps were taken to improve the army's professionalism, with the development of commando units standing out. On December 24, 2021, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva, and their son Heydar Aliyev visited liberated Khojavand region's Hadrut village to establish a commando force military unit. Aliyev stated that Azerbaijan will establish numerous commando brigades throughout the country. President Aliyev described the establishment of the commando brigade unit in Hadrut as a significant strategic event. Experts described the formation of commando brigades in Azerbaijan as a new stage in the development of the national army. It was also regarded as a clear message for Armenian supporters of revanchist ideas. 20:13 15.03.2022 Turkish FM to hold talks in Moscow on Wednesday, in Ukraine on Thursday Erdogan 20:14 15.03.2022 Kuleba discusses coordination of steps to close all loopholes that Russia can use to evade sanctions with German foreign minister Biden to visit Europe next week to discuss Russian invasion of Ukraine with European leaders U.S. President Joe Biden will visit Europe next week, where he intends to meet with European leaders to discuss Russia's invasion of Ukraine, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said. Also some news youve been asking about. The President will travel to Brussels, Belgium, later this month, where he will join an extraordinary NATO summit on March 24, Psaki said a briefing on Tuesday. The White House also said that Biden would attend a planned European Council summit to discuss the situation in Ukraine, efforts to impose further sanctions against the Russian Federation and provide humanitarian assistance to those affected by the invasion of Ukraine. In turn, President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen wrote that she was glad to continue the dialogue with Biden regarding the Russian invasion of Ukraine during his visit to Brussels on March 24. Glad to continue discussions with Joe Biden during his visit to Brussels on 24 March, after our very close coordination on Ukraine in the past weeks. Transatlantic unity and coordination remain crucial for ramping up pressure on the Kremlin to stop this unjustified war, she said on Twitter. 20:46 15.03.2022 Ukraine can count on help of friends Polish PM State budget expenditures on the development and purchase of weapons and military equipment in 2022 were increased by UAH 67.57 billion due to UK loans totaling GBP 1.7 billion to develop the capabilities of the Naval Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The relevant law (No. 7167) was adopted by the Verkhovna Rada on Tuesday with 342 votes. According to it, in general, the expenditures of the state budget-2022 have been increased from UAH 1 trillion 525.93 billion to UAH 1 trillion 593.5 billion by increasing the special fund to UAH 221.11 billion. At the same time, the maximum size of the state budget deficit was increased from UAH 188.8 billion to UAH 256.36 billion, including for the special fund - up to UAH 96.1 billion. In addition, the state budget has removed restrictions of 3% of its planned revenues for the provision of state guarantees, as well as UAH 10 billion and UAH 20 billion, respectively, on portfolio guarantees and on loan guarantees to increase the country's defense capability. The law also restricts the use of funds from the road fund. "First of all, they will be spent on state debt payments, defense, maintenance and development of the roads network," the Servant of the People faction commented on the adopted document. As noted in the explanatory note to the law, Ukraine intends to implement state investment projects for the purchase of two minesweepers from British suppliers, their delivery and maintenance, the joint construction of eight missile boats, the delivery and installation of weapons systems on existing ships. In addition, it is planned to jointly build a frigate, as well as consulting and technical support for the construction of naval infrastructure, including the delivery of equipment. As reported, the Verkhovna Rada ratified the Framework Intergovernmental Agreement on Credit Support for the Development of the Naval Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine at the end of January this year. It was signed in London on November 12, 2021 and provides for the allocation of funds for the construction of eight missile boats, the acquisition of two minesweepers from the United Kingdom and the establishment of two naval bases in Ukraine. Ihor Zhdanov, Olha Mashtaler, Information Defence Informational Defence of Ukraine provides a daily review of the military-political situation in Ukraine, morning of March 15th, based on an analysis of open sources. 1. The russian occupiers have not achieved a success in any of the operational areas and have sustained heavy losses as a result of counterattacks by the Armed Forces of Ukraine. According to the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine, the position and nature of the actions of the defence forces remain without significant changes. The Armed Forces of Ukraine are inflicting devastating blows on groups of troops and the rear infrastructure of the occupiers. russian troops are accumulating reserves on their territory to wage war against Ukraine. Detachments of mercenaries are being formed of those who are ready to carry out criminal orders for a reward, for example, more than a thousand people have been recruited in Syria in recent days, and about 400 people have already arrived in russia. The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine also reported that pre-trial inquiries are being carried out in the russian city of Belgorod with russian military refusing to take part in hostilities. In the Polissia direction, russian troops continue to cross the barrier along the Irpin River and gain a foothold in the area of the settlements of Bucha and Irpin. They are trying to organise defence operations, so they are preparing sabotage and reconnaissance groups under the guise of service members of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. In the northern direction, the enemy did not provide active offensive operations and is regrouping in order to resume the attack in the direction of Kyiv. In the Volyn direction, the enemy continues measures to strengthen the protection of the Ukrainian-Belarusian border by units of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Belarus, and with the help of UAVs is conducting air reconnaissance of certain areas along the border. Occupation troops have been stopped in Mykolaiiv and Kryvyi Rih. In the Slobozhanskyi direction, the enemy is concentrating its main efforts on restoring the losses received because of the decisive repulse near Kharkiv and the counterattack of the Armed Forces of Ukraine near Izium. In the Donetsk and Tavriia directions, the enemy continues to conduct active hostilities. Due to the numerical advantage in some areas it has had some success. In the Pivdennyi Buh direction, the enemy is trying to continue the offensive attack in the direction of Kryvyi Rih. The troops were established on the achieved frontiers, regrouped themselves and replenished stocks. The enemy wants to surround Mykolaiiv. In the Mariupol direction, the enemy is trying to capture Mariupol. Ukrainian soldiers successfully repulsed the attacks of the invaders. The total losses of the enemy were about 150 people, 2 tanks, 7 infantry fighting vehicles and one armoured combatant carrier. Meanwhile, the Ukrainian military is demonstrating another success in the fight against the enemy. The total combat losses of the enemy from 24.02 to 15.03 were approximately: combatants - more than 13,500 people, tanks - 404 units, armoured combat vehicles - 1279 units, artillery systems - 150 units, MLRS - 64 units, air defence means - 36 units, aircraft - 81 units, helicopters - 95 units, automotive equipment - 640 units, ships / boats - 3 units, fuel tanks - 60, UAV operational and tactical level - 9. Data are being updated. The calculation is complicated by the high intensity of hostilities. With the help of Bayraktar, the Armed Forces destroyed the enemy artillery fire control point. On Monday morning, Ukrainian defenders took away the russian occupiers and returned the radar station and communications centre to the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Starlink global satellite systems have been delivered to Kyiv, they will work to help ensure the critical infrastructure of the city and the defence of the capital. According to the former commander of the US Army in Europe, retired General Ben Hodges, in 10 days russia will run out of opportunities to conduct active hostilities in Ukraine. Ukrainian citizens who have worked abroad continue to return to Ukraine to protect the country. In particular, more than 17,000 people arrived in Ukraine on March 13th, almost 14,000 of them are men. 2. The russian occupiers continue to violate international humanitarian law by killing civilians in Ukraine. According to the World Health Organization, the previous number of victims in Ukraine is 18 million, of whom 6.7 million are internally displaced. According to First Deputy Minister of Economy Denys Kudin, during the war, russia caused damage for more than $ 119 billion to Ukrainian infrastructure. russia continues to launch missile and bomb strikes on peaceful towns and villages in Ukraine. In Ukraine, during the war with russia as of March 14th, 2022, 90 children died and more than 100 children were injured, according to the Office of the Prosecutor General of Ukraine. The most affected children are in the Kyiv, Kharkiv, Donetsk, Chernihiv, Sumy, Kherson, Mykolaiiv, and Zhytomyr regions. Also during the war, russian invaders damaged 379 educational institutions by shelling and bombing, 59 of which were completely destroyed. According to the SES, on March 14th, 1,003 settlements in Ukraine remain without electricity. The occupiers again damaged the line to the Chornobyl nuclear power plant, which was repaired by Ukrenergo specialists yesterday. According to Energoatom, the russian military, which captured the Zaporizhzhia NPP, detonated some mines that did not explode at the nuclear power plant, but just near Unit G1. It is unknown at this time whether the radiation background at the Zaporizhzhia NPP has changed since the explosions. As of March 14th, about 600 residential buildings in Kharkiv had been destroyed by the russian army due to constant shelling and could not be rebuilt; the city authorities also report that 535 houses will be able restore heating only after the end of hostilities and a large amount of work. In Chuhuiiv, Kharkiv region, on March 14, Russian troops shelled a kindergarten. A fifteen-year-old boy was killed by shell fragments and a number of private houses were damaged. Fifteen settlements in the Donetsk region were shelled, at least two people were killed. In the Obolonskyi district in Kyiv, an artillery shell hit a nine-story building on Bohatyrska Street on the morning of March 14th, killing one person. Russian troops also fired on the Antonov plant, struck three high-rise buildings in Kyiv's Podilskyi and Sviatoshynskyi districts, and killed two others. An enemy shell also hit a two-story private house in Osokorki. In addition, as a result of the fall of the wreckage from a russian missile, which was shot down by Ukrainian air forces, a five-story building in Kyiv Kurenivka was destroyed. One person was killed and six were injured. In Chernihiv, the russian occupiers bombed one of the pumping stations of Chernihivvodokanal; according to preliminary data, 4 people died. The Chernihiv Polytechnic National University was also shelled and damaged in the city. In the Zhytomyr region on the night of March 14th, there was a rocket attack on the village of Stavysche, as a result of which at least 4 people were injured and 7 buildings were destroyed. On March 13th, the russian occupiers intensified their shelling of the administrative centre of the Luhansk region, Severodonetsk, causing fires in various parts of the city. In Rubizhne, the russian occupiers destroyed a boarding school for the visually impaired, a city hospital and three schools, killing four people as a result of enemy shelling. In the morning on March 14th as a result of air attack of the city of Snihurivka of the Mykolaiiv area, five houses were damaged by the russian military, one person was lost. Nine people were killed and 9 were injured in a missile strike by russian troops on a television tower in the village of Antopil near Rivne on the morning of Monday, March 14th . 3. War crimes of the russian aggressors become systemic, the occupiers provide looting. On March 14th, the occupiers shot an experimental physicist in Vorzel in the Kyiv region, deputy director of the V.Ye. Lashkarev Institute of Semiconductor Physics of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine Vasyl Kladko. According to available information today, the abducted mayor of Melitopol Ivan Fedorov is in occupied Luhansk, where he is accused of terrorism. The Russian military searched the apartment of Oleh Nikolaiev, a priest at the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in occupied Berdiansk. He was arrested and taken in an unknown direction. A British journalist (whose name is not provided) suffered a shrapnel fracture on both legs because of hostilities by russian occupation forces. In the Vasilivskyi district of the Zaporizhzhia region, the russian military looted the castle "Popov's Estate" (Sadyba Popova), before the cultural institution was shelled with artillery. According to the director Anna Holovko, everything that could be taken in hand and in bags was taken out. As previously reported by the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine, due to significant logistical problems and stretched communications, russian troops are unable to properly provide their units with fuel, food, equipment, ammunition and rotation. Because of this, they were instructed to move to self-sufficiency to the next orders - that is, to take everything necessary from the local population and rob warehouses, shops, etc. 4. Residents of the temporarily occupied cities continue peaceful protests. On March 14th, the residents of the village of Bilozerka, near Kherson, went on a peaceful rally against the russian occupiers, which was attended by several hundred people. People walked down the street, carrying yellow and blue flags and chanting Ukraine is above all Russian soldier is a Nazi occupier, Glory to Ukraine - glory to heroes. Glory to the nation - death to our enemies!, Putin - hu*lo (Putin is a fuing shit). The previous day, residents of the town of Hola Prystan in the Kherson region held an action during which they were singing together the National Anthem of Ukraine and chanting that Hola Prystan and the entire Kherson region is Ukraine. In Melitopol, on March 14th, the russian occupiers surrounded the central square of Melitopol and prevented residents from holding a daily anti-occupation rally. According to eyewitnesses, the occupiers humiliated and intimidated people, and two activists were abducted and taken away in the unknown direction. 5. The evacuation of the Ukrainian people through humanitarian corridors continues, despite provocations by russian invaders. On March 14th, Ukraine approved the work of 10 humanitarian corridors in the Kyiv and Luhansk regions, of which only 7 actually worked. In the Kyiv region, 2,028 people were rescued on Monday (from Hostomel, Nemyshaievo, Vorzel, Dmytrivka, Peremoha) and 1,780 people from the Luhansk region (from Severodonetsk, Popasna, Horskyi, Rubizhne, Kreminna, and Lysychansk). On March 14th, 20 tons of humanitarian aid were delivered to Balaklia in the Kharkiv region. It was not possible to deliver humanitarian aid to Izium, as active hostilities continue there. On March 14th, the russians missed 160 private cars from Mariupol to Berdiansk and Zaporizhzhia. Approximately 800 people were evacuated, while 300,000 civilians are expected to be evacuated in besieged Mariupol. Thus, the occupiers pretend that they are allegedly opening humanitarian corridors, at the same time holding hostage 300,000 of Mariupol residents. At the same time, the blocking of humanitarian cargo and buses for the residents of Mariupol, who have been staying in Berdiansk for two days, continues, as the russians no longer allow them to arrive. The russians violated the ceasefire agreement in Brovary district of the Kyiv region. Evacuation buses could not pass to the villages of Bohdanovka, Nova Bohdanovka, and Bobryk. During the evacuation from Hostomel on a column of 4 buses, russian troops fired mortars. Clashes in the towns of Popasna and Rubizhne were provoked along the corridors in the Luhansk region during the evacuation of people by the occupying forces, despite the ceasefire. According to Iryna Vereschuk, The Deputy Prime-Minister and Minister for Reintegration of the Temporarily Occupied Territories of Ukraine, almost 150,000 people were able to use humanitarian corridors during the hostilities. In particular, approximately 4,000 people were evacuated on March 14th. 6. The Ukrainian government, business, and citizens are demonstrating solidarity and consolidating their efforts to confront the enemy. The National Bank stated that more than UAH 11.8 billion has already been raised to support the army and humanitarian aid; funds came from both citizens and businesses in Ukraine and from the international community. Kyiv infrastructure works as it should; communal services, doctors, public transport work (from 8 am to 7 pm). Pharmacies, shops, gas stations and service stations are opened. At the same time, residents of the capital are urged to be careful and not to ignore air raids. At the same time, the International Monetary Fund estimates that Ukraine needs about $ 4.8 billion in external financing this year, and the country's GDP will shrink by 10% if the war ends soon. Internally displaced people, territorial defence fighters and service members can receive assistance and temporary housing in the CNAPs, which operate as Care Centres in 14 regions of Ukraine approximately 120 settlements, this list is constantly expanding. The Verkhovna Radas (Ukrainian Parliament) Tax Committee on Monday approved a draft law on business support, which includes tax breaks for small and large businesses, regulating the taxation of donations, and credit vacations. RTHK: Court fines woman for protest on Russian state TV A Russian court fined a woman 30,000 roubles (US$280) on Tuesday after finding her guilty of flouting protest legislation when she interrupted a live news bulletin on state TV to denounce the countrys military operations in Ukraine, the RIA news agency has reported. Marina Ovsyannikova, an editor at Channel One, held up a sign behind a studio presenter reading the news on the channel on Monday night and shouted slogans condemning Russia's actions. Before appearing at the Ostankinsky District Court, she was reported missing by lawyers who said they had been searching for her. Ovsyannikova was convicted on a charge of organising an unauthorised public event. Images of Ms Ovsyannikova's protest were rapidly shared across the world after she ran on to the set of one of Russia's most-watched news programmes, Vremya, holding a sign reading "No war, stop the war, don't believe the propaganda, they are lying to you here." She could also be heard repeating the words "no war, stop the war." The placard was visible for a few seconds before the programme cut away from the live broadcast to a pre-recorded report. Ukraine's President Zelensky praised Ovsyannikova for "telling the truth", while Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov called her actions an act of "hooliganism". (Reuters) This story has been published on: 2022-03-15. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. On March 15, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken made a phone call to President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, Azertag has reported. During the conversation, the sides exchanged views on the issues related to the post-conflict period in the South Caucasus region, including the process of normalization between Armenia and Azerbaijan. They also discussed the regional security issues during the telephone conversation. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken thanked Azerbaijan for providing humanitarian assistance to Ukraine. By Trend Turkmenistan and the Organization of Turkic States discussed the issues of cooperation, Trend reports with reference to Business Turkmenistan. Secretary-General Baghdad Amreev arrived in Ashgabat at the head of the mission of observers from the OTS for the presidential elections of Turkmenistan. At the meeting, he shared his opinion and highly appreciated the presidential elections held in Turkmenistan. Observers from the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) did not reveal violations and confirmed the compliance of the elections in Turkmenistan with international standards, he said. At the same time, issues of cooperation between Turkmenistan and the Organization of Turkic States were discussed, as well as the possibility of partnership with such international organizations as TURKPA, the Council of Elders and the Turkic Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Furthermore, Turkmenistan joined the Organization of Turkic States as an observer in 2021. The European Union plans to sanction the head of the Russian Orthodox Church in its next round of measures to punish Russia's invasion of Ukraine, EU diplomats said Wednesday, opening a new religious front in Europe's sanctions regime. Ukrainian civilians fleeing Russian-occupied parts of the country allege violence, extortion, and theft at the hands of Russian troops, not to mention daily humiliation at checkpoints. The Egyptian government will raise the price of subsidised bread loaves sold at 5 piastres for over 30 years but will make sure that the neediest and most marginalised citizens are not affected, Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly has said. Madboulys remarks come a few months after President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi said it was time for the price of subsidised bread to increase, saying: I cannot provide 20 loaves of bread at the cost of one cigarette. Although El-Sisi affirmed that the state will not raise the price of subsidised bread loaves all the way to their real cost, a number of parliament members have expressed fears that the Ministry of Supply will take El-Sisi's directives as a green light to completely lift bread subsidies. MPs from the leftist Tagammu Party called for a national dialogue, with the participation of parliament and civil society organisations, to discuss bread subsidies, saying 30 percent of Egyptians live under the poverty line. The government provides tens of millions of Egyptians with subsidised bread through a system of food cards. The government is currently setting up a system for raising the prices of subsidised bread, Madbouly said at a press conference on Wednesday, adding that the state will continue subsidising bread despite the price increase. The premier said the government is studying applying a slight yet regular increase in the price of subsidised bread. Madbouly said a loaf of subsidised bread had cost the state 17 piasters when its price was raised to 5 piastres in 1988. Currently, the cost of a loaf of bread is 65 piasters, he said. I confirm that [the rise] will be applied but in a way through which we ensure that the neediest people are not harmed, Madbouly said. In August, El-Sisi issued directives to increase the price of the subsidised bread in order to help cover part of the cost of providing much needed meals to millions of school students, among other urgent social needs that benefit the whole population. The president made the remarks while inaugurating Silo Foods, a mega food industries complex built to provide school meals for millions of students nationwide. El-Sisi said the government needs to procure EGP 7.7 billion to provide school meals to children, affirming that increasing the price of subsidised bread will help the state save money to serve meals to children in schools. Search Keywords: Short link: Yemen's Houthi rebels launched at least one missile into the busy waters of Red Sea over the weekend, the US Navy said Monday, raising the risks of their fire striking one of the many commercial vessels using a waterway crucial to global shipping. The Red Sea connects into the Suez Canal, which sends cargo and energy shipments from the wider Mideast onto Europe. Since seizing Yemen's capital in September 2014, the Houthis have launched missiles, deployed bomb-laden drone boats and released mines into the Red Sea. The missile fire took place Saturday in the Red Sea, the Navy said. ``Although maritime traffic was not impacted in this instance, these actions are destabilizing and present a danger to all vessels transiting a critical international waterway,'' said Cmdr. Timothy Hawkins, a spokesman for the Navy's Mideast-based 5th Fleet. Spokesmen for the Iranian-backed Houthis did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Saudi Arabia, which has led a coalition battling the Houthis since March 2015 and has a coastline stretching some 1,760 kilometers (1,100 miles) along the Red Sea, also did not respond to requests for comment. Houthi missile fire in the Red Sea has come near an American warship before. In October 2016, the US Navy said the USS Mason came under fire from two missiles launched out of Yemen. Neither reached the warship, though the US retaliated with Tomahawk cruise missile strikes on three coastal radar sites in Houthi-controlled territory on Yemen's Red Sea coast. The week before, the Emirati vessel SWIFT-1 came under Houthi missile attack. The Emirati government asserted the SWIFT-1 at the time carried humanitarian aid; UN experts later said of the claim that they were ``unconvinced of its veracity.'' The vessel had been sailing back and forth in the Red Sea between an Emirati troop base in Eritrea and Yemen. In April 2021, an Iranian cargo ship that is said to serve as a floating base for Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard forces came under attack in the Red Sea likely part of a wider shadow war between Israel and Tehran. More recently in January, the Houthis seized the Emirati-flagged ship Rwabee in the Red Sea off Yemen. The Saudi-led coalition asserted the ship carried medical equipment from a dismantled Saudi field hospital. The Houthis released video showing military-style inflatable rafts, trucks and other vehicles on the vessel, as well as rifles. Search Keywords: Short link: Mali says it has banned civilians from a border area where the disappearance of citizens from Mauritania -- blamed by social media on Malian troops -- has stoked tensions between the two neighbours. In a statement late Sunday issued after Mali dispatched envoys to Mauritania, government spokesman Colonel Abdoulaye Maiga announced, "The military authorities have decided to strictly forbid any movement by civilians in the Wagadou forest and Gringale forest zones." Social media in Mauritania have accused the Malian army of killing civilians in a border area south of Adel Bagrou, a town in the southeast of the country. Mauritania's government has accused the army of "recurring criminal acts", but not given further details. A high-level Malian delegation was in Nouakchott, the Mauritanian capital, on Friday and Saturday in a bid to ease friction. The two sides agreed to set up a joint investigation into the disappearances and set up joint patrols in the border area. Maiga, in his statement, said the Wagadou and Gringale zones lay in an area where the Malian military had been conducting anti-jihadist operations since December. But, reiterating Mali's previous positions, Maiga said that the army had had nothing to do with the disappearances. "On the basis of technological evidence, it emerges that no FAMA (Malian armed forces) patrol was present in the zone at the dates given," he said. "At present no evidence supports incriminating our courageous FAMA." - Two separate incidents - Separately, the prosecutor to the military court in Bamako, the Malian capital, announced that an investigation into the disappearances would be carried out by gendarmes. The statement did not give further details -- two series of disappearances have been reported, in January and early March. The authorities had previously promised to investigate the disappearances in January, but any outcome from that probe has not been made public. A Mauritanian MP says at least 15 people had been killed, while unverified voice recordings on social media quote witnesses as blaming the Malian army for the disappearance of as many as 30. Mali and Mauritania are key countries in the poor and troubled Sahel region of West Africa. The military junta in Bamako seized power in August 2020, toppling elected president Ibrahim Boubacar Keita after a wave of public protests over his handling of a jihad insurgency. The country's poorly equipped armed forces are struggling with jihadist insurgents, ethnic violence and criminal gangs. Allegations of abuse by troops are common. In the run-up to the latest incident, the junta had been seeking closer ties with Mauritania to help ease the impact of an embargo by Mali's neighbours over failures to meet a promise to stage elections. Search Keywords: Short link: Russia's war against Ukraine is threatening the global food supply and putting developing countries, especially the world's poorest, at risk, the United Nations chief and the head of the UN food agency warned on Monday. More than 40 African and least-developed countries import at least one-third of their wheat from Ukraine and Russia, and 18 of them import at least 50%, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told reporters. These countries include Egypt, Congo, Burkina Faso, Leban, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen, he said. ``All of this is hitting the poorest the hardest and planting the seeds for political instability and unrest around the globe,'' the secretary-general warned. David Beasley, executive director of the World Food Program, told The Associated Press during a visit to the Ukrainian city of Lviv that 50% of the grain the program buys to feed ``the 125 million people we reach on any given day, week or month'' comes from Ukraine, as does 20% of the world's supply of corn. ``So (the war) is going to have a dynamic global catastrophic impact,'' Beasley said. Guterres announced an additional $40 million from the UN's emergency fund to get critical supplies of food, water, and medicine into Ukraine, where at least 1.9 million people are displaced. Search Keywords: Short link: Iranian authorities have arrested members of a network linked to Israel who tried to sabotage a key nuclear enrichment plant, state media reported late Monday. The suspects "planned on sabotaging the Fordo facility and were arrested by the intelligence services of the Revolutionary Guards", IRNA news agency said. Fordo is an underground uranium enrichment facility located outside the central city of Qom, around 180 kilometres (110 miles) south of Tehran. IRNA did not specify the identity of the suspects or say how many were arrested. But the agency said that Israeli intelligence agents tried "to approach" an employee at Fordo after "recruiting" one of his neighbours, in order to gain information about a centrifuge used at the facility. Iran has repeatedly accused US or Israeli agents of spying on and attempting to sabotage its nuclear programme, including by killing scientists. In August 2012, saboteurs blew up power lines supplying Fordo. Two years later, Iran said it had arrested several "spies" in Bushehr province, where the country's sole nuclear plant is based. In 2020, Tehran accused Israel of being responsible for the killing of top Iranian nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh in an attack near Tehran. The following year it claimed Israel was behind a "small explosion" that hit its Natanz uranium enrichment plant. Monday's allegations came on the eve of a visit to Moscow by Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian for nuclear talks. Negotiations in Vienna to revive Iran's 2015 nuclear deal with world powers had lately made progress, but they were halted after Russia earlier this month demanded guarantees that Western sanctions imposed following its invasion of Ukraine would not damage its trade with Iran. The 2105 deal gave Iran sanctions relief in exchange for curbs on its nuclear programme. But the US unilaterally withdrew from the accord in 2018 under then-president Donald Trump and imposed tough economic sanctions on different sectors, including oil exports. Iran hit back with several actions, including resuming enrichment at Fordo. Search Keywords: Short link: By Trend Israel's National Cyber Directorate said that the country suffered a cyber attack on Monday that briefly took down a number of government web sites, Trend reports citing Al Arabiya In the last few hours, a denial of service (DDoS) attack has been identified on a communications provider which, as a result, has for a short time prevented access to a number of sites, including government sites, the government-funded directorate said on Twitter. As of this hour all the sites are back for activity, it added. But while accessible once again inside Israel, web monitoring group NetBlocks said late Monday Israel's government network was unreachable internationally. Attempts by AFP journalists to reach the home pages of several Israeli ministries and the National Cyber Directorate failed at just after 2000 GMT. The Israeli daily Haaretz said a source in the country's defence establishment believed it was the largest-ever cyber attack launched against the country. Israel's Ministry of Communications said it conducted an assessment of the situation with the emergency services in the Ministry of Communications, following a widespread cyber attack on government websites. It was not immediately clear who carried out the hack. The Egyptian wheat supply season will start by 1 April, instead of mid-April, to shore up the country's strategic reserves of the grain amid disruption of supply lines and global price hikes resulting from the Russian-Ukrainian war. The decision, which was taken following coordination by the Ministry of Supply and Internal Trade, the Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Agriculture, aims to shore up the country's strategic reserves of wheat, Ahmed Kamal, the assistant minister of supply and internal trade, said in a statement. The ministry has prepared for this supply season by increasing the storage capacity of wheat to 3.6 million tonnes through the construction of a large number of field silos, said Kamal who is also the ministrys spokesperson. Last week, the government announced incentives to farmers to increase the amount of wheat deliveries by more than two million tonnes this year. Kamal added that the ministry expects to receive nearly six million tonnes of wheat this year, stressing that the strategic stockpile of the grain is safe and will cover nearly eight months up from the current four months after receiving local wheat supplies. However, Mohamed Reda, the head of the National Wheat Campaign, said in phone-in on DMC channel on Monday that the expected local production will nearly reach 9-10 million tonnes. Egypt, which imports 80 percent of its wheat from Russia and Ukraine, is attempting to diversify its wheat imports thanks to the Russia-Ukraine crisis. The country has been recently seeking 14 alternative markets, including non-European countries like the US, Argentina, Canada and Paraguay to meet its wheat needs. Egypt will receive over the coming days a total of 189,000 tonnes of wheat from Russia, Ukraine and Romania, all of which had been contracted earlier. Moreover, it has already secured an additional 126,000 tonnes of wheat last week, distributed equally from France and Romania, according to the supply ministry. In order to deal with expected shortages in wheat, Egypt has recently banned the export of wheat, fava beans, lentils, pasta, and all kinds of flour for the next three months. Moreover, in light of the advent of the month of Ramadan which will start in early April and typically witnesses an increase in the rate of consumption of food products the Ministry of Trade and Industry imposed on Saturday an export ban on cooking oil, corn and all kinds of cracked green wheat (fereek) for three months. Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly offered assurances to the public last week that Egypt has enough wheat reserves to last until the end of 2022. Search Keywords: Short link: Malaysias Foreign Minister Saifuddin Abdullah urged his country's business community to take advantage of investment opportunities in Egypts mega projects during a joint press conference with Egyptian FM Sameh Shoukry in Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday. We in Malaysia know that Egypt offers many business potentials, Abdullah said, according to Malaysian news agency Bernama, adding that they will continue to encourage business communities in both countries to explore all these opportunities. Abdullah highlighted Egypts two mega projects of the New Administrative Capital and the Suez Canal Economic Zone, noting that Malaysia has a strong desire to encourage business communities to invest in these areas. Shoukry and Abdullah discussed exploring new ways to promote trade and strengthen bilateral relations between the two countries, before voicing his countrys desire to reactivate the Egypt-Malaysia Business Council. A day earlier, Malaysian International Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed called upon all business leaders to seize the opportunities and further expand the Malaysia-Egypt bilateral trade and business collaboration to the next level, according to Malay Mail. Last year, Egypt remained our largest trading partner in the North Africa region and has been among Malaysias top six largest trading partners in Africa. Bilateral trade increased by 84.4 percent to nearly $1 billion compared to 2020, Seri Mohamed said on Monday during a networking dinner held on the occasion of Shoukrys visit. Shoukrys current visit to Malaysia is his first stop in an Asian tour that also includes Singapore, Indonesia, and Pakistan, where the Egyptian top diplomat will participate in the 48th session of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), which will be held in Islamabad from 22 to 23 March. For his part, Shoukry expressed Egypts interest in further developing trade and investment relations with Malaysia, citing Malaysias success story as a source of inspiration for Egypt and many other developing countries. This visit has a special importance for Egypt. It represents a shift in bilateral relations and cooperation between the two countries, Shoukry said during the press conference. I look forward to working closely with my brother the foreign minister of Malaysia Abdallah during the upcoming period to achieve the common aspirations of both our countries and pushing forward our bilateral relations on all levels and to meet the aspirations of our two friendly peoples. We look at the Malaysian experiment with great respect, including by studying how Malaysia is aiming to cope with the Fourth Industrial Revolution and to adopt advanced technologies, Shoukry said. Earlier today, Shoukry met with Malaysian Minister of Environment and Water Tuan Ibrahim, exchanging views on priority issues relating to the agenda of the 27th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP27), which will be held in Sharm El-Sheikh in November of this year, ministry spokesperson Ambassador Ahmed Hafez said. I was happy to receive the confirmation that the Malaysian prime minister is interested in participating in this important conference, Shoukry said during the press conference. In a separate meeting with Malaysian Minister of Defence Hishammuddin Hussein on the same day, Shoukry discussed ways to bolster Egyptian-Malaysian relations and strengthen ties in many key areas. Search Keywords: Short link: Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says the country realizes that it can't join NATO. Speaking Tuesday to representatives of the UK-led Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF), Zelenskyy said that ``we heard for years about the allegedly open doors'' of NATO, but ``we have already heard that we won't be able to join.'' He added that ``it's the truth we must recognize, and I'm glad that our people are starting to realize that and count on themselves and our partners who are helping us.'' The JEF may consist of Denmark, Finland, Estonia, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Sweden, and Norway. Zelenskyy again urged Western allies to provide Ukraine with warplanes. Search Keywords: Short link: Minister of International Cooperation Rania Al-Mashat discussed with a high-level delegation from the African Development Bank (AfDB) on Tuesday cooperation over the upcoming UN Climate Change Conference (COP27) next November in the Red Sea resort city of Sharm El-Sheikh. Al-Mashat held the meeting in Cairo with an AfDB delegation headed by Vice President for Energy, Climate and Green Growth Kevin Kariuki, according to a statement released by the ministry Tuesday. The meeting touched on many common files, including Egypts preparations for COP27, the banks country strategy for Egypt, the ministrys attempts to create an international framework for climate financing and means of harnessing cooperation between countries of the global south. The two sides also discussed the economic impact of global challenges on African countries. Discussing the development of innovative climate financing under the new country strategy 2022-2026, Al-Mashat pointed to the ministrys efforts focusing on gender-responsive climate action, improved climate-smart agriculture practices and increased renewable energy generation capacity. In this regard, Al-Mashat noted that Egypt is pushing cooperative and win-win international partnerships by emphasising technical support and the sharing of existing practices. Moving into the post-Glasgow era, Al-Mashat said COP27 should focus on shifting commitments to action, as the success of the conference will depend on whether parties can reach a consensus on the most prominent issues and put forward several serious and effective initiatives that can be implemented. Meanwhile, the AfDB vice president said, Egypt has undertaken tremendous efforts to address climate change vulnerability and impacts on the key sectors (energy, transport, waste, water, industry and agriculture) and has invested significantly to put forward measures to enhance their resilience. The current portfolio of the Ministry of International Cooperations ongoing projects includes 85 projects worth $11.9 billion directly and indirectly contributing to achieving the UNs sustainable development goal dealing with climate action. Search Keywords: Short link: The architecture of many older buildings in Alexandria is symbolic of how Egypts Levantines were once part and parcel of the countrys cosmopolitan character, writes Farah El-Akkad Imagine going back in time. How would the streets you know today look a century ago? What has changed with the years and what is left? Even if it is possible to get a glimpse of what streets and buildings once looked like from pictures or films, what about the people who once lived in them? When we dig deeper into the backgrounds and culture of those who played a significant role in shaping the society of cosmopolitan Egypt, it is clear that though the people may be long gone, their descendants still carry their inheritance with love and pride. This is particularly true of those coming from the Levant or the Shawam countries of Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, and Palestine. Something of their legacy can be seen in architecture, for example the entrance of an old building in Saad Zaghloul Street in Downtown Alexandria. Known as the Four Seasons building, the entrance is adorned by the statues of four fine ladies, two on either side and each representing a different season. Spring carries a bunch of fruit, winter boasts a rich shawl, and summer is donned in light attire. Digging deeper into the history of this facade, it turns out that the building was once owned by the Souccar family, one of the largest of the Levantine community residing in Egypt. Many of the old buildings remaining in Alexandria today were mostly owned by Levantines. The Levantines were immigrants like the Greeks, Italians, and other communities who came to Egypt during the late 19th century in what was known as the Era of Immigration, so-called by author Massoud Daher in his The Levantine Immigration to Egypt (2009). However, unlike these other nationalities, the Levantines were also Arabs, even if they had privileges that many Egyptians did not have at the time. Many went to Catholic schools where the main teaching language was French. These schools were considered to be more open minded where students from different backgrounds, religions, and cultures coexisted together, unlike the schools of the Egyptian Coptic community which preserved a more local culture. Their education translated into various advantages, among them the fact that they often held administrative positions owing to their cultural openness. They were Arabs and easterners, yet for decades they played a notable role as middlemen between the Egyptian government and foreign organisations in Egypt such as embassies and consulates. They were considered the main link between foreigners and the Egyptian state. There was a time when most positions related to foreign affairs were held by Shawams, one author on the period said. Christians from the Levant also often had closer relations with Egyptian Muslims than they did with Egyptian Copts. When Egypts independence from the former Ottoman Empire was formalised after World War I, the Levantines along with many other immigrants were given the choice to become Egyptian citizens on the condition that they give up their native nationality. Egypt was considered a safe haven at the time and a land of opportunity. Adel Rabaa, the now-retired former director of Air France in Alexandria, is a leader of the Shawam community in the city today. His family is originally from Palestine, and he said that historically the word Shamy was used to describe those coming from Syrian descent. A Lebanese person, for instance, would not usually call himself Shamy. However, today the word Shawam in Egypt usually refers to communities who immigrated from Syria, Lebanon, Jordan and/or Palestine, Rabaa added. In his book, Daher explains that despite being considered Egyptians, the Shawam still have a keen sense of their Syrian-Lebanese ancestors originating from the Levant. They were originally considered as an ethnic group as Lebanon wasnt an independent state at the time they first came to Egypt. It was part of Ottoman Syria, or bilad al-Sham, in Arabic, he said. The majority of Egypts Levantines are Christians, while some others are Muslim or Jewish. However, even though the shawams only became a distinctive minority in late 19th-century Egypt, there had always been a Levantine presence in Egypt. They had started coming to Egypt in the late 18th century for reasons such as their natural propensity for commerce, inherited from the ancient Phoenicians, and their French education that made them seek employment as translators during the French occupation of Egypt under Napoleon Bonaparte from 1798 to 1801. After the eviction of the French, they were employed by Mohamed Ali Pasha, the then ruler of Egypt, to translate books from western languages, especially French, into Arabic, Daher said. During the conflicts that took place between the Syrian Christians and the Druze between 1840 and 1860, hundreds of Syrian-Lebanese, and a few Jordanian and Palestinian Christians too, fled their native lands to come to the safety of Egypt. The country was encouraging people from across the world to come and settle, offering them job opportunities and various concessions especially after the construction of the Suez Canal and the creation of a modern downtown area in Cairo. By the end of the 19th century, the Syrian-Lebanese community was in the midst of rapid growth that began in the 1860s and peaked by the 1930s. As most of them were French-speaking and well educated, they flourished as an active and cosmopolitan community in Egypt until the late 1950s. The Levantines openness and their fluency in languages enabled them to hold various high-ranking positions in society, some of them in the Egyptian government, he added. SHAWAM FAMILIES: Magdi Sabbagh is an Alexandrian architect whose family originally came from Syria during the late 19th century. His great-grandfather Aref Sabbagh and his brothers were friends with other families, such as Nadim Kanawatis grandfather Charles Kanawati in the 1940s. Decades later, the grandsons met through common friends in Alexandria, finding out about this longtime friendship through old photographs. Constantine Sabbagh, Magdis other great grandfather, immigrated to Egypt from Syria. He followed the Greek Orthodox rite, and similar to many people following this rite at the time their names were usually Greek. Constantine came to Egypt as a landowner. He bought land in Tanta and specialised in onion farming, his great-grandson said. His four children had the foresight to predict that Egypt would gain a strong industrial foothold in the future, however, and he decided to focus on dried onions, renting land in Mina Al-Bassal (the onion district), that specialised in this line of production. During the rule of former president Gamal Abdel-Nasser, many such businesses were nationalised, and most of the Sabbagh familys lands were confiscated. Three of the brothers died in tragic circumstances over the years, leaving a sole brother. Nadim Kanawatis family, on the other hand, immigrated from Lebanon to Egypt in the late 19th century and worked in real estate, owning a number of buildings known as dayra from the Arabic word idara (management). Most of the foreign communities living in Egypt decided to leave during Nassers era. However, the Shawam was the biggest community that remained in Egypt, Kanawati said. Sabbagh said that his ancestors onion farms were rented from the prominent Levantine figure Asaad Bassili Pasha (1895-1943), a wood industry tycoon, estate owner, writer and journalist. He is known for building a mosque for his workers, which is still present today in the Al-Wardian district of Alexandria and is called the Bassili Mosque. Co-founder of Alexandrias Chamber of Commerce and head of the Syrian Club, Bassili was an active member of the citys economic, social, and cultural life. His palace was later sold to the US consulate and then to the Egyptian government, where it is being used as the Alexandria National Museum in Fouad Street. Daher points to Sabbaghs family in his book, specifying a relation between the family in Cairo and that in Alexandria, as they both immigrated from Syria and were Greek Orthodox. Hana Sabbagh in Cairo was the secretary of Belgian industrialist Baron Empain, the builder of Heliopolis in the early decades of the last century, and was given the position because of his expertise in French and openness as a Levantine. His grandson George Sabbagh became a well-known artist in France and Egypt. He was known as a French artist in Egypt and an Egyptian artist in France, Sabbagh adds with a note of amusement in his voice. Unlike Sabbagh and Kanawati, the Rabaa family is of Palestinian origin. My great-grandfather fled from Akka in Palestine to escape the Israeli occupation after 1948. At the time Egypt was considered promised land, Rabaa explained. George Abdu Souccar was a prominent real-estate investor in Alexandria, originally from the Bab Touma neighbourhood in Damascus and from the Christian Greek Orthodox rite. He immigrated to Alexandria during the late 19th century and built, owned, and managed more than 30 buildings, most of which were located in the central downtown district. Today, some of these are listed among the citys heritage, such as the Four Seasons building described earlier. Souccar was an active member of the Shawam community, giving regular donations to the Church for reliving the poor. His son Albert Souccar (born 1914) married Marie Madeleine Zahra, daughter of Richard Zahra and Victorine Sabbagh who was an Italian living in Alexandria. Albert and Marie had no children and sold all their properties in the 1990s. Over the years, Souccars main income came from renting out the buildings he owned. The family was known for throwing parties in their apartment on the second floor of the Four Seasons building. They also had a habit of travelling to the Levant for religious pilgrimages and around Europe, often collecting icons from monasteries visited on their travels. Other famous Alexandrian Shawam names include Kordahi Bek, a prominent businessman and cotton industry tycoon. Unfortunately, a number of villas belonging to Kordahi have been demolished, giving way to new buildings without architectural style or historical value. SHAWAM HERITAGE: Walking through downtown Alexandria with Sabbagh and Kanawati, it is impossible not to see the remarkable architecture and the old mosques and churches that bear witness to one of the citys most active communities. One of the most noteworthy aspects of buildings owned by Shawam is their various styles. The architecture did not stick to one specific mode, modern, classical, or art deco, and the buildings, like their owners, were diverse. They were both residential and commercial. One of the best-known Souccar buildings located in the downtown area was actually the first mall of its kind, the first floor being for shop owners and the upper floors for residents. The Levantines were a smart community, always open to change, adaptable, and accepting differences, and mixing and mingling with all sorts of people. They were always on the move, following the latest trends, foreseeing the future, and presenting a striking combination of cultural openness and eastern origins. One famous name is that of Girguis Al-Tawil, a leader of the Greek Catholic community. Al-Tawil facilitated the immigration of shawam to Alexandria, and as a real-estate investor, he built a number of buildings providing them with houses, work opportunities, and a cathedral, the Patriarcat Grecque Catholique located in the Manshiya district, to meet their religious needs. His name is still present on buildings standing today in Manshiya and Attarin streets, reading Foundation G Tawil. Waqf Girguis Al-Tawil. The Church of Debbane located in a small street between Raml Station and Manshiya is also linked to the Shawam community. In 1868, the then emperor of Brazil, Pedro II, ordered the construction of a Brazilian church in Alexandria, which was first established in the garden of the Brazilian consulate. Later, the Brazilian consul, who was of Lebanese descent, built the current church. It is the only church belonging to Brazil in Alexandria. In 1871, it was visited by the emperor and his wife, the first Brazilian head of state to visit Egypt and the Middle East. The Levantines were involved in a wide range of activities and professions, including as civil servants, engineers, doctors, lawyers, craftsmen, shopkeepers, cotton and wood merchants, publishers, etc. The Egyptian newspaper Al-Ahram was established by the Syrian-Lebanese Takla family, and so was the major printing house Dar Al-Hilal, established in 1892 and having an enormous influence on the countrys cultural life, Daher said. Rose Al-Youssef [1898-1958], the great Egyptian cultural figure from the first half of the 20th century, was of Levantine origin. The political and literary magazine named after her continues until today, albeit in state hands. Other well-known Levantine personalities in Egypt between the 1930s and the 1960s include architect Antoine Selim Nahhas, who apart from the Beirut National Museum also built many buildings in Cairo. He was a professor at the Fine Arts School in Zamalek, Daher added. The economic success of the Syrian-Lebanese community led to the foundation of schools, clubs, and charities across Egypt. Only a minority of them returned to their homeland. Most stayed in Egypt until the early 1960s and then left for other parts of the world. The names of the Shawam community are still present in many aspects of our lives today, though they do not come close to describing the true impact they left on this land and what Egypt has given them over the years, such that many of their great-grandchildren still call the country home. *A version of this article appears in print in the 17 March, 2022 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly. Search Keywords: Short link: We stopped in part one of this series at the question of why many observers have focused on Egypt as the origin of a rich flow of knowledge that they believed has always been present throughout human history. The ancient Greek historian Herodotus gave a simple answer: geography. To the Greeks, Egypt was big, its land vast, and unlike Greece with its peninsulas and islands, easy to navigate and move upon. As long as travellers stayed close to the Nile Valley, their trips were safe and pleasant. This safety and quaintness did not inspire great mythological sagas, but they did foster a strong, and over time unbreakable, bond between the land and its people. Herodotus correctly interpreted this to mean social stability. Egypt was also rich. Herodotus is famous for crediting the Nile with sustaining life in Egypt. This sustenance was a highly valued quality in the ancient world, when wars were often fought for access to water or pastures. Reading him closely, however, we see that Herodotus saw beyond the wealth that the Nile had guaranteed. He recognised that ancient Egypts political system was anchored on delivering to Egyptian peasants sufficient flows of water safely and without their having to defend its sources or fight for its distribution. This fostered another form of stability: economic and therefore political. Stability was crucial for preserving valuable knowledge. The ancient Greek philosopher Platos answer to the question of why Egypt was different. To him, Egypt was not the gift of the Nile. In his view, the Nile was part of Egypt. What the Nile had allowed for, and the ensuing stability, quaintness, and richness, were all constituents of Egypt. To Plato, the Nile was not the cause, but along with the entirety of Egypt, its effects. The cause was the essence of the civilisation of ancient Egypt. Plato, and other philosophers, saw this essence in two forms. The first was as a reservoir. The ancient Egyptian civilisation was the only one in the old world that the Greeks could see its grand architecture almost intact. And as discussed in the first article in this series, as many Greeks had studied the thinking of their towering figure Pythagoras, they recognised that Egyptian architecture was laden with advanced mathematics, which, following in the footsteps of Pythagoras, they concluded must carry meanings and be expressions of a deeper knowledge. The fact that these meanings were the only ones that had survived from ancient history led many to believe in a divine choice that this specific knowledge should survive and for it to survive in that specific land. The idea that Egypt was designed to be a vessel of this knowledge gained ground. As a result, Egypt transcended being seen as the land upon which that knowledge had risen, and became instead the land created for this knowledge to rise upon and be preserved in. In the second form Egypt was a school. Not only was Egypts civilisation the only one that had survived ancient history with its grand architecture almost intact, but that architecture was also the projection of its civilisation. We in the modern world began to develop some understanding of ancient Egyptian writing only 200 years ago when the Frenchman Jean-Francois Champollion deciphered hieroglyphics. For the Greeks it was different. They heard directly from the priests of the temples. Herodotus, a historian, put it bluntly when he told his audiences that Egyptian priests had read what it said on walls and columns to him as if they were pages from a book. Plato, a philosopher and educator, was more subtle. He indeed regarded Egypt as an open book. But understanding that book necessitated much more than listening to those who could decipher the drawings on the walls and columns and ceilings and even much more than knowing the language of which these drawings were a part. Plato saw that the designs behind the grand architecture and the mathematical prowess inherent in them were, along with the writings and carvings, parts of a whole. In this view, the entirety of Egypt was the book. The meanings entailed in the stories, narratives, sayings, and myths drawn and carved on the walls of buildings, and the way of life in Egypt, orchestrated since time immemorial by the countrys geography and the peoples way of interacting with that geography, were all the contents of that book, elements of that inner knowledge held and preserved in Egypt. Arriving at that form of knowing was the gate to entering the school of Egypt and the key to accessing that knowledge. For Plato, the knowledge of this school and so, the essence of Egypt was a light illuminating for those in the cave of ignorance the reality outside the darkness in which they lived. In this view, Egypt was not the origin of this knowledge for it is neither Egyptian (despite the place of its birth and preservation), nor Greek (despite its interpretation and later propagation). Instead, this knowledge was always there, before ancient Egypt, and will always be there, inherent in human existence, pervading the collective human consciousness, even if the majority of humans do not recognise it. This is the reason why Plato, in Raphaels famous rendering of the philosopher on the walls of the Vatican in Rome, points his finger upwards in clear contradiction to Aristotle and many of the most influential Greek philosophers who came after him. Platos view was that true knowledge derived from higher meanings. This is why understanding the essence of ancient Egypts knowledge necessitates understanding ancient Egypts conception of the divine, which is the subject of the next article in this series. * The writer is the author of Islamism: A History of Political Islam (2017) and Egypt on the Brink (2010). *A version of this article appears in print in the 17 March, 2022 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly. Search Keywords: Short link: The recruitment of foreign fighters into the international legion in Ukraine has stirred widespread concern that it could create a disaster along the lines of what happened 40 years ago when jihadists were mobilised to fight the Soviet Union in Afghanistan. The Ukrainian crisis will have a profound impact on political, economic and security conditions not just in Europe but also in Asia and the Middle East. Geopolitical complexities related to the conflict will be instrumental to shaping new frameworks for strategic rivalries and vital interests which, in turn, will be reflected in security arrangements in different parts of the world, including the Middle East. To a considerable extent, the course, depth and duration of the crisis will determine the nature of developments in this part of the the world, a locus of the confrontation between Russia and the West. The latter is now keen to reset relations with countries in the Middle East in order to secure alternative sources for Russian oil and natural gas. This is the immediate aim of understandings between the US and its strategic partners in the region now that Western countries are united in their resolve to end their dependency on Russian energy resources. The legitimisation given to foreign recruits (or mercenaries) after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced they could enlist at his countrys embassies abroad, in response to which Russia hinted that it would accept 16,000 volunteers from the Middle East, is another indication that the consequences of that conflict will not be confined to Ukraines borders. Henceforth, every country will be able to cite Ukrainian precedent. Yet, in Ukraines case, Western governments have decided to encourage the international legion and look the other way when their citizens go off to fight even though enlisting in foreign forces is a punishable criminal offence in many of those countries. Under international law, IS and Al-Qaeda are international terrorist groups. Travelling abroad to join their ranks has also been criminalised by many governments. That Western governments are making exceptions to their own laws when it comes to Ukraine has fuelled a heated debate over the question of the recruitment of foreign fighters. With IS and its affiliates still present in many parts of the Middle East and Africa, proxy wars in these regions deploying foreign fighters and mercenaries in escalating hostilities are hardly a remote possibility. Despite the recent death of IS leader Abu Ibrahim Al-Qarashi in what was the most important operation against that organisation in years, there is considerable evidence that IS still has the ability to regroup and intensify its operations. This is why the international jihadist movement has sparked renewed concern and why it will remain the foremost threat in the Middle East for years to come. IS is much less centralised and more fragmented than it was when it first emerged. Paradoxically, this is a reason for its sustainability. As diplomacy fails to produce a political solution to Ukraine crisis and hostilities there continue, the humanitarian disaster will worsen and the global economic crisis will grow more acute due to the mounting costs of raw materials and food. Such grim trends are certain to increase the levels of tension in many countries in the Middle East which are unable to cope with the fallout from the crisis. Extremist and terrorist groups will leap at the chance, capitalising on any unrest that erupts as a consequence of economic straits, especially in those countries that are already gripped by armed conflict. We must not underestimate this danger and the likelihood that terrorist groups and extremists will take advantage of the Western powers preoccupation with Ukraine to stage devastating attacks in certain parts of this region as a means to regain lost influence. The international community should demand a halt to proxy wars now and in the future in order to prevent a repetition of the tragedies they cause. *A version of this article appears in print in the 17 March, 2022 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly. Search Keywords: Short link: A team from Egypts Red Crescent (ERC) has set up a relief centre at the Ukrainian-Romanian border to provide aid to Egyptians and Arabs fleeing Ukraine amid the Russian invasion, the Egyptian Cabinet announced. The ERC set up the relief centre in cooperation with the Romanian Red Cross at the Siret border-crossing. The ERC team arrived in Romania four days ago. The centre aims to provide medical aid, meals and psychological support to those in need, in addition to helping Egyptians reach Bucharest for their return to Egypt. In media statements on Sunday, the executive director of Red Crescent Ramy El-Nazer said that the ERC received over 2,000 messages from Egyptians asking for help in Ukraine and its neighbouring countries through social media. El-Nazer added that another team from the ERC arrived in Poland to assist Egyptians who want to return. Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine on Thursday 24 February, Egypt has expatriated hundreds of citizens who crossed from Ukraine to Romania, Poland, Slovakia, and Hungary. Prior to the Russian invasion, around 6,000 Egyptians lived in Ukraine, 3,000 of which were students studying at the countrys universities. Search Keywords: Short link: Egypts Minister of Emigration and Expatriates' Affairs Nabila Makram welcomed the decision by the German city of Dresden on Monday to name a park after the late Marwa El-Sherbini, who was stabbed to death in a racist attack in 2009. Marwa was a German resident who was born in Alexandria, Egypt in 1977. She graduated from the Faculty of Pharmacy at Alexandia University in 2000 before moving to Germany in 2005. Marwa worked at the University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus in Dresden and was studying to be accredited to practice pharmacy in Gernmany. In July 2009, Marwa, who wore a the Islamic headscarf, was stabbed multiple times in a court by a German man whom she was giving evidence against in a criminal case of verbal abuse and racist insults for her wearing the Islamic headscarf in August 2008. She was was three months pregnant with her second child at the time of her murder. The perpetrator also stabbed and injured Marwa's husband. He was convicted for attempted murder and murder, and sentenced to life imprisonment in the case that sparked public outrage in Egypt. The naming of the park came as part of the International Week Against Racism which was organised by Dresden to fight racism and xenophobia. Makram expressed her appreciation for the events launched by Dresden to assert tolerance and acceptance without any discrimination. In an official statement issued by the ministry, Makram said that tolerance and love are the only way for security and safety to prevail everywhere, adding that Egyptians abroad integrate into their societies and add many positive experiences. An Islamic centre had been previously established and named after Marwa and an award carrying her name was implemented to spread tolerance. Search Keywords: Short link: Egypts Ministry of Foreign Affairs lighted up its building Tuesday evening with 100 to mark its centennial. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs was reopened on 15 March 1922 after being forced to shut down in 1914 following the declaration of the British protectorate in Egypt. In the past weeks, the ministry organised a series of events to celebrate the occasion including important milestones and achievements made in 100 years on social media. Search Keywords: Short link: By Trend Kazakh Agriculture Minister Yerbol Karashukeyev told the Government meeting about the plans to ensure food security, Trend reports citing Kazinform. The plan aimed at maintaining the countrys food security is developed pursuant to the Presidents task. It covers the main directions of the state socioeconomic policy in ensuring the countrys food safety. The Minister stressed that food security is one of the key conditions for maintaining the countrys national security. The National Security Law and Law on state regulation of the agro-industrial development for providing food security defined three criteria. The first is the physical availability of food which refers to peoples access to food. The second is economic availability of food that refers to people's ability to buy food. The third is food security. The plan consists of 3 main sections, including 31 actions. The Commander of the US Central Command (CENTCOM) General Kenneth F. Mckenzie said on Tuesday that US was going to provide Egypt with F-15 aircrafts. In the case of Egypt, I think we have good news, in that we are going to provide them with F-15s, which was a long, hard slog. They felt it was too long, it took too long." General Mckenzie told a US Senate Armed Services Committee during a hearing today. McKenzie did not reveal details on how many F-15s jets would be provided or when they would be delivered. On Thursday, the US Senate backed Thursday with an overwhelming majority in an 81-18 vote a massive arms sale, including military cargo planes, to Egypt worth $2.2 billion. Last month, Mckenzie visited Cairo as part of a Middle East tour where he met with President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi. In an exclusive interview with Ahram Online during his visit, General McKenzie stressed that Egypt and the US have an enduring strategic relationship given Egypts nature as the cultural, historical and geographical centre of the Arab world. Search Keywords: Short link: A number of Egyptian civil society organisations witnessed on Sunday the signing of the Charter of National Alliance for Civil Development Work, which seeks to ensure effective engagement of civil society institutions developing communities and meeting their legitimate needs. In September, Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi launched the National Strategy for Human Rights and declared 2022 Year of Civil Society, urging civil society to "continue working hard side by side with state institutions to achieve sustainable development in all fields." Addressing many areas, the charter covers the ethical aspects that support development work based on a set of governing values, most notably efficiency, quality and participatory development work between the General Federation of NGOs and Foundations and the civil society institutions. The charter highlights rights under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 1966. One of the charters goals is to unify efforts of the civil society to serve target groups and coordinate between civil society organisations to ensure maximum benefit for individuals in the society. The charter also aims to establish a database that would serve as the foundation on which all developmental initiatives will be based to ensure that services provided by civil society groups reach their beneficiaries in coordination between these groups and the state. Hayah Karima Foundation, Bait Al-Zakat Foundation, Al-Joud Foundation, Al-Orman Charity Association, Egyptian Food Bank, Misr El-Kheir, Magdi Yacoub Heart Foundation and the National Cancer Institute attended the signing of the charter. Attendees also included representatives from the Coptic Evangelical Organisation for Social Services, Baheya Foundation, Ahl Masr Foundation, Life Makers Foundation, Raie Misr Organisation, Resala Charity Organisation, Al-Baqyat Al-Salehat Association, Egy Liver Association and Cairo University Hospitals. Also, Elaraby Foundation for Social Development, Dr.Mostafa Mahmoud Charity Association, Sonaa Al Khair Foundation for Development, Care Egypt Foundation, and Justice and Support Foundation. Egypt has called for intensifying the role of the civil society groups and NGOs over the past years, including ratifying a law for regulating NGOs work in 2019, which replaced a piece of 2017 legislation that was heavily criticised by civil society locally and internationally for restricting the work of NGOs. The National Council for Human Rights (NCHR) has also affirmed enhancing cooperation with civil society organisations in the near future to support their participation in implementing the National Strategy for Human Rights. The national strategy will run until 2026 and address civilian and political rights; economic, social and cultural rights; the rights of marginalised groups (women, children, disabled people, youth and the elderly) and education and capacity building in the human rights field. Search Keywords: Short link: Egypts President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi called on the government on Sunday to offer farmers additional incentives to encourage them to deliver the largest possible amount of wheat during this agricultural season. Farmers will be offered additional incentives per ardeb (150 kilograms) of wheat delivered, Presidential Spokesman Bassam Rady said in a statement without specifying the value of the new incentives. The president gave the directives in a meeting with a group of officials, including Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly, Minister of Agriculture El-Sayed El-Quseir, and Minister of Irrigation and Water Resources Mohamed Abdel-Ati. Despite the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine, both major exporters of wheat to Egypt, Egyptian officials have affirmed that the countrys current strategic wheat reserves are sufficient to cover needs for the coming four months. Wheat stocks will also be sufficient for Egypt through the end of the year as farmers are set to begin delivering wheat when the local wheat supply season starts in mid-April. In November, Egypt raised the procurement price for an ardeb of wheat to EGP 820 in a move meant to encourage farmers to increase the amount of cultivated land of wheat amid a global hike in wheat price before the current crisis in Ukraine. Egypt seeks to procure up to 5.5 million tonnes of wheat from local farmers during this wheat season 2 million tonnes more than it procured in 2021 according to the premier and several officials this month. Egyptian farmers have cultivated 3.6 million feddans with wheat this year - an increase of 400,000 feddans over the past year, El-Qusseir said in a press conference last week. In 2021, Egypt imported 5.5 million tonnes of wheat, on top of 3.5 million tonnes that was produced locally, according to data released by the supply ministry in December. 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. Egypt receives 80 percent of its wheat imports from Russia and Ukraine. Last week, Ukraine, which accounts for 12 percent of the world's total wheat exports, announced that it would not be exporting commodities including wheat, corn, grains, salt and meat. Egypt has affirmed it is working on plans to diversify sources of wheat imports, includes buying wheat from countries outside Europe, such as the US, Argentina, Canada and Paraguay. Egypts Minister of Supply and Internal Trade Ali Moselhi affirmed late in February that contracts to import wheat from Russia are still valid. Egypt is set to receive a total amount of 189,000 tonnes of wheat distributed equally from Russia, Ukraine and Romania in the coming days, a statement by the supply ministry said on Sunday. Egypt has already secured 126,000 tonnes of wheat last week, with 63,000 tonnes each from France and Romania, the ministry said. Last week, Egypt announced it was banning the export of wheat, fava beans, lentils, pasta and all kinds of flour for the next three months. This comes as part of the states plan to secure the products that the citizens need, particularly the basic commodities, the supply ministry said in a statement. This comes especially in light of preparations for the holy month of Ramadan, which will start in April, during which the rate of consumption of food products increases considerably, the ministry added. Search Keywords: Short link: Egypt's President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi has directed the government to enforce price controls for unsubsidised bread nationwide to curb recent price hikes, Presidential Spokesman Bassam Rady said in a statement on Tuesday. El-Sisi has directed the government to assess the cost of unsubsidised bread, instructing the Ministry of Supply and Internal Trade to supply bakeries with the required flour to limit any expected hikes in bread prices and also charged the civilian police with ensuring that the price controls are enforced on the ground, Rady said. The president gave the directives during a meeting with Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly, Minister of Interior Mahmoud Tawfik, Minister of Supply and Internal Trade Ali Moselhi and Head of the General Intelligence Service (GIS) Abbas Kamel. The price of unsubsidised bread in Egypt, which is highly dependent on imported wheat, has soared by nearly 50 percent over the past week against the background of an increase in prices of wheat globally due to the Russia-Ukraine war. Globally, the price of wheat has increased by 48 percent, cooking oil by 32 percent, corn by 30 percent, sugar by seven percent, frozen meat by 11 percent, poultry by 10 percent and petroleum by 55 percent. However, the prices of wheat and cooking oil in Egypt have increased by only 17 percent and 10 percent, respectively, according to the PMs remarks last week. This month, the market price of a tonne of flour has soared to EGP 11,000, up from around EGP 9,000 in February, Head of the Bakeries Division at the Cairo Chamber of Commerce Attia Hamad told media earlier in March. Egypt has also seen a hike in price of many strategic goods and commodities, including meat and poultry, on the heels of Ukraine crisis. However, the price of subsidised bread loaves sold at five piastres for over 30 years has remained unchanged. Last year, El-Sisi ordered the government to study raising the price of subsidised bread, a step that the government said it will implement without heavily impacting marginalised groups. Ahead of the holy month of Ramadan, which will start in early April and is typically accompanied by increased rates of food consumption, the president has ordered coordination among relevant authorities to provide low-priced food commodities as well as distribute cartons of food supplies. Moselhi affirmed the availability of strategic stocks of all basic food commodities in sufficient quantities for citizens. El-Sisi ordered boosting stocks of basic commodities for a future period of at least six months. El-Sisi's Tuesday directives come a day after the Egyptian cabinet said it will adopt a new mechanism in coordination with supply ministry to control markets amid the spike in unsubsidised bread price. Egypt, the world's largest wheat importer and where bread is on every table each meal, has affirmed that it is working on diversifying wheat import sources in light of the disruption in supply lines due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, both major exporters of wheat to Egypt. The state has also taken measures to incentivise farmers to sell the largest possible amounts of wheat to the government during the local wheat supply season in April. On Sunday, El-Sisi instructed the government to offer farmers additional incentives per each ardeb (150 kilograms) of wheat they deliver during this agricultural season. Egypt seeks to procure up to 5.5 million tonnes of wheat from local farmers during this wheat season two million tonnes more than it procured in 2021 according to the premier and several officials this month. After the local supply season in April, Egypt will have a stock of wheat that is sufficient to last the country through the end of the year, the officials reiterated During Tuesday's meeting, El-Sisi directed the government to quickly allocate additional incentives for farmers per ardeb. In November, Egypt raised the procurement price for an ardeb of wheat to EGP 820 in a move meant to encourage farmers to increase the amount of cultivated land of wheat amid a global hike in wheat price before the current crisis in Ukraine. Search Keywords: Short link: Israel's National Cyber Directorate said that the country suffered a cyber attack on Monday that briefly took down a number of government web sites. "In the last few hours, a denial of service (DDoS) attack has been identified on a communications provider which, as a result, has for a short time prevented access to a number of sites, including government sites," the government-funded directorate said on Twitter. "As of this hour all the sites are back for activity," it added. But while accessible once again inside Israel, web monitoring group NetBlocks said late Monday Israel's government network was "unreachable internationally". Attempts by AFP journalists to reach the home pages of several Israeli ministries and the National Cyber Directorate failed at just after 2000 GMT. The Israeli daily Haaretz said a source in the country's defence establishment believed it was the largest-ever cyber attack launched against the country. Israel's Ministry of Communications said it conducted an "assessment of the situation with the emergency services in the Ministry of Communications, following a widespread cyber attack on government websites." It was not immediately clear who carried out the hack. Previous hacks on Israeli web sites have been attributed to attackers linked to Iran. Iran and Israel have been locked in a shadow war that includes cyber attacks as well as targeting of physical sites. On Sunday, Iran's Revolutionary Guards announced they had fired missiles at a "strategic centre" belonging to Israel in the northern Iraqi city of Arbil, though Kurdish authorities in control of the region denied Israel had sites there. The missile strike came nearly a week after two Iranian officers were killed in a rocket attack in Syria that Iran blamed on Israel. Israel rarely comments on individual strikes in Syria but has acknowledged launching hundreds on Iranian-linked targets. Search Keywords: Short link: Israeli occupying forces killed two Palestinians in separate shootings in the occupied West Bank Tuesday, as a US envoy tours the region seeking to ease tensions. A 16-year-old died in an exchange of fire with troops carrying out an arrest raid outside the northern city of Nablus, the Palestinian health ministry and Israeli security forces said. Separately, a Palestinian in his twenties was killed in Qalandiya outside Jerusalem, the health ministry said. Teenager Nader Haitham Rayan died in Balata camp near Nablus after being hit by bullets to the head, chest and hand, the ministry said. It did not give further details on the circumstances of his death. A spokesman for Israel's border police confirmed a Palestinian had been killed. "A terrorist fired at our troops who responded and killed him," the spokesman said. The exchange of fire came as Israeli troops were leaving the camp after arresting a Palestinian fugitive wanted for terrorism offences. "Just as they were preparing to exit the camp, a terrorist arrived on a motorbike and fired towards them," the spokesman added. The Palestinian health ministry said another nine people were wounded in the exchanges, one of them seriously. The second death came in the town of Qalandiya on the northern outskirts of Jerusalem. The town hosts the main checkpoint between annexed east Jerusalem and the northern West Bank. Alaa Shaham, in his twenties, was killed by a "live round to the head," the ministry said. Commenting on the Qalandia unrest, the border police said riots erupted when forces entered the area to arrest "two people involved in terrorist activities". "Hundreds of rioters threw heavy objects from the roofs of houses endangering Israeli forces" who fired in response, a statement said, without mentioning the reported fatality. Palestinian authorities said the two deaths bought to 20 the number of Palestinians killed by Israeli forces this year. US visit With violence flaring in the West Bank, US deputy assistant secretary of state Hady Amr was in the region for a tour aimed in part at trying to "reduce tensions", a US embassy spokesperson said. Hadr is also seeking "to implement specific economic steps that will improve lives," the spokesperson added. Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, who opposes Palestinian statehood, has ruled out formal peace talks with the Palestinians during his tenure but has said he is committed to expanding economic opportunities in the West Bank. Israeli officials have said they are specifically seeking to ease tensions ahead of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which begins next month. During Ramadan last year, clashes across east Jerusalem and the West Bank partly triggered an 11-day war in Gaza between Israel and armed Palestinian groups. Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid met Jordan's King Abdullah II last week to discuss maintaining calm through Ramadan and the Jewish holiday of Passover, which this year overlaps with the Muslim holy month. *This story has been edited by Ahram Online Search Keywords: Short link: The Iraqi parliament on Tuesday scheduled a March 26 session for deputies to hold a delayed vote on the country's president. Parliament also released a final list of 40 candidates for the post, a largely ceremonial role reserved for the Kurds. Among the frontrunners are Barham Saleh, the incumbent and member of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, and Rebar Ahmed of the Kurdistan Democratic Party, the PUK's rival. Lack of a quorum and legal issues have held up the contest, adding to war-scarred Iraq's political uncertainty because the president has to name a prime minister backed by the largest bloc in parliament. On February 13, the supreme court ruled out a bid by veteran politician Hoshyar Zebari backed by the KDP to run, after a complaint filed against him over years-old corruption charges. Iraqi politics were thrown further into turmoil following the October 2021 general elections, which were marred by a record-low turnout, post-election threats and violence, and a delay of several months until final results were confirmed. Intense negotiations among political groups have since failed to form a majority parliamentary coalition to appoint a new prime minister to succeed Mustafa al-Kadhemi. The largest political bloc led by firebrand Shia cleric Moqtada Sadr had backed Zebari for the presidency. Tensions rose Sunday with Iranian missile strikes on Arbil, the capital of an autonomous Kurdish region in northern Iraq. Tehran said the attack targeted Israeli sites, but Kurdish authorities denied any such presence. Search Keywords: Short link: In a meeting with the chairman of Australias Fortescue Group Andrew Forrest in Cairo on Monday, Egypts Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouy said that Egypt is keen on exploring opportunities for cooperation with international partners in renewable energy, especially in green hydrogen. Madbouly said Egypt is preparing to launch a national strategy to increase the production, use and export of clean energy, especially green hydrogen, in parallel with the preparations for hosting the UN Conference on Climate (COP27) in November in Sharm El-Sheikh, the Egyptian cabinet said. Madbouly also encouraged the Australian group to establish and expand green hydrogen projects in Egypt like the Benban Solar Park in Upper Egypt's Aswan, which houses more than 32 solar energy projects with a total capacity of about 1,465 megawatts. For his part, Forrest reviewed his Groups expertise in the area of green hydrogen, expressing its readiness to pump investments to produce energy from green hydrogen in Egypt. Forrest said that Egypt's capabilities make it an ideal choice to become a regional hub for energy produced from green hydrogen and to export energy to Europe. At the end of the meeting, an agreement was reached to intensify talks between the Ministry of Electricity and the Australian company in order to quickly finalise the blueprints for the proposed projects to be implemented in Egypt. Search Keywords: Short link: With the declaration of the British Protectorate over Egypt in 1914 the Foreign Ministry was effectively abolished, creating a hiatus that lasted until 15 March 1922 when the ministry was reformed. To mark the centenary, former foreign minister Mohamed Al-Orabi speaks with Al-Ahram Weekly about Egypts foreign policy over the last 100 years The basic principles governing Egyptian foreign policy over the last century, says former Egyptian Foreign Minister Mohamed Al-Orabi, are respect of international law and charters, non-intervention in the domestic affairs of other nations, and establishing balanced and diversified relations with other states. Egyptian decision-making, explained Al-Orabi, has always prioritised the national interests of the homeland. Egypts foreign policy has been attentive to whatever poses an external threat and has aimed to present plans and strategies to the political leadership on how to confront such threats in a way that preserves national security, he said. While the principles may be unchanging, actual policies need to be responsive to shifting circumstances. Egyptian diplomacy has weathered many difficulties: Al-Orabi gives, as examples, the defeat of 1967, the severing of relations with Egypt by Arab states following the Camp David peace accords, and the situation that prevailed following 30 June Revolution. Changes in the leaderships leanings are inevitably reflected in the way the ministry works, says Al-Orabi. As president Gamal Abdel-Nasser promoted pan-Arabism, so the Foreign Ministry worked to consolidate relations with Arab states. Under president Anwar Al-Sadat, relations with Arab states regressed, and Arab states severed relations with Egypt as a result of its signing a peace agreement with Israel, resulting in a different kind of diplomacy. Back then, the ministry worked to limit the losses to Egypt of the Arab boycott and had an important role in confronting attempts to oust Egypt from the Arab League and the Non-Aligned movement, said Al-Orabi. He identified the attempt to negotiate shifting alliances as a permanent challenge. The Soviet Union, for instance, tried to put Egypt under its influence by providing aid and military facilities, but Egypt managed to resist. Even after signing the peace treaty with Israel, Egypt managed to strike a balance in its relations with Russia, the US and other Western states, he said. Egypt, according to the former foreign minister, is used to dealing with changes in the balance of power in the world which seem to occur at intervals of a decade. The ministry dealt with the repercussions of the fall of the Berlin wall in 1989, the fallout from 9/11 in 2001, and the reverberations of the Arab Spring in 2011. The current challenges, however, are different, says Al-Orabi. We are facing major changes that have a trans-boundary effect. Covid-19 has been followed by the challenge of climate change, and finally the war in Ukraine. It is impossible, he continued, to isolate behind your borders and not bother about global developments. The most pressing challenge at present, Al-Orabi believes, is climate change, and he expects the COP27 summit that Egypt will host later this year to be seminal moment in tackling its impact. On Egypts role within regional and international organizations, Al-Al-Orabi says Cairos contributions have always been instrumental. played an important role in establishing the UN when Minister Abdel-Hamid Badawi signed the UN charter in San Francisco, in forming the Arab League during king Farouks reign, and in setting up the Organisation of African Unity, the precursor to the African Union. Egypts presence and the role it plays in these organisations gives it weight and reflects its focus on achieving stability, peace, and development across the Arab world, the African continent, and indeed globally. He pinpointed the ways in which Egypt has helped other nations pursue development, saying any wise country in Africa should espouse such an approach and refrain from taking actions or unilateral decisions that do not conform with the charter of the African Union. Egypt also enjoys a considerable amount of soft power, largely due to its venerable culture, and to the influence of its art and cinema. Al-Orabi recalled that during his tenure in Israel a local television channel used to broadcast a black and white Egyptian film with Hebrew subtitles every Friday, and that many people were keen to watch it. He also recalled that during his service in Berlin, Germans showed enthusiasm for any manifestation of Egyptian culture and civilisation. Al-Orabi includes the Diplomatic Institute, which is affiliated to the ministry, as a tool of soft power given its role in training diplomats from Arab and African countries. Soft power was essential, Al-Orabi argues, in presenting the picture of a stable Egypt following the upheavals that followed the 2011 Revolution. Some countries declined to deal with Egypt immediately after 30 June, but are now happy to establish good relations as a result of the picture of a stable country that we projected to the world, he said. He concluded his review of a century of Egyptian diplomacy by calling on young people to consider a career within the ministry. Al-Orabi joined the Foreign Ministry in March 1976, alongside former foreign minister Nabil Al-Arabi and Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukri. He was deputy chief of the Egyptian mission in Israel from 1994 to 1998. He also served in Kuwait and in the United Kingdom, and as foreign minister Amr Moussas chef de cabinet in 2000. He was Egypts ambassador to Germany from 2001 to 2008, was subsequently appointed assistant foreign minister for economic affairs. He replaced Al-Arabi as foreign minister in June 2011, only to resign the following month. *A version of this article appears in print in the 17 March, 2022 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly. Search Keywords: Short link: Cairo and Moscow are keen to protect bilateral economic relations from the fallout of the war in Ukraine. On 9 March, days after Egypt joined 140 countries voting for a UN General Assembly resolution calling for a halt to the war in Ukraine and an immediate withdrawal of Russian forces, President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin talked by phone. The conversation was the first between the two leaders since the eruption of the war in Ukraine on 24 February. The last time they spoke was in December 2021, when they discussed ways to boost Egyptian-Russian military, economic, business, industrial, and energy cooperation. They also reviewed Russias growing projects in Egypt, including the $26 billion Dabaa nuclear power plant, and investments in the Suez Canal Economic Free Zone. Presidential Spokesman Bassam Radi said the 9 March conversation touched on enhancing strategic cooperation between the two countries through joint development projects currently underway, and confirmed the strength of the deeply rooted relations between the two states. A Kremlin statement gave more details. It said the two presidents discussed further development of the strategic partnership between Russia and Egypt, including major joint projects in nuclear energy and industrial production. Both parties also expressed interest in continuing close cooperation in areas of tourism and agriculture, said the Kremlin, and the two presidents agreed to maintain contacts at various levels to discuss the development of bilateral relations. Since the outbreak of war, Egypt has taken a neutral line. Although it voted in favour of the anti-Russia UN resolution on 3 March, it also said it rejected economic sanctions outside the framework of the international multilateral system given that they aggravate the suffering of civilians. In their most recent phone call, Al-Sisi and Putin were keen to stress that there is a strategic partnership between the two countries and that they are keen to preserve and consolidate it, said Gamal Zahran, a professor of political science at Suez Canal University. According to Zahran, President Al-Sisi also used the call with Putin to clarify the position Egypt and most Arab countries had taken in the UN General Assembly, and stress that condemning Russias invasion of Ukraine did not mean Egypt was joining the West in its economic war against Russia. Journalist Abdallah Al-Sinnawi pointed out that Egypt and other Arab states have been developing stronger ties with Russia and China in recent years. Arab Gulf countries, particularly Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, have become increasingly aware of the dangers of depending on just one superpower, and as a consequence have been keen to forge closer relations with Russia and China. Russia was the first to support Egypts revolution in 2013 and moved to designate the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organisation in 2014, said Al-Sinnawi. Putin was also the first world leader to congratulate Al-Sisi on his election as president of Egypt in June 2014, and the two countries have coordinated policies on Libya. Cairo also supported Moscows role in Syria. Political and military commentator Samir Farag stressed the importance of Egypts 2014 decision to diversify its arms suppliers. Instead of depending for military support on one source, Egypt under Al-Sisi sought to seek other reliable army suppliers, turning to Russia, China, and France, said Farag. Timothy Kaldas, a policy fellow at the Tahrir Institute for Middle East Policy, noted in a press interview that since coming to office in 2014, President Al-Sisi has worked to forge close relations with Russia in a variety of fields, including not just arms, but also energy, transport, and agriculture. Al-Sisi has sought to use his relations with Russia and China to help Egypt absorb Western pressure in the area of human rights and the harm this pressure could cause Egypts internal security and economic needs. Over the past eight years Egypt has also become a major buyer of Russian wheat and train carriages, and opted for a Russian company, Rosatom, to construct its first nuclear power plant at Dabaa near Alexandria. Just as significantly, says Farag, Russians now represent the bulk of foreign tourists to Egypt. Gregory Borisenko, Russias ambassador in Cairo since 2020, told Sky News Arabia last week that Egyptian-Russian relations prospered greatly in 2021. Close personal relations between the presidents of the two countries have pushed economic and military cooperation between Egypt and Russia to new heights, said Borisenko. The commercial exchange between the two countries hit $3.5 billion between January and September 2021, and in April 2021 Moscow announced the return of direct air flights between Russian cities and Egypts Red Sea resorts of Hurghada and Sharm El-Sheikh. Zahran and Al-Sinnawi both warn that Egypts relations with Russia could face a setback if the Ukraine war continues for long and Western sanctions begin to bite. Progress in the construction of the Dabaa nuclear plant could slow, and importing wheat from Russia will become very difficult now Russian banks have been excluded from the SWIFT payment system. Russian tourists could also find it hard to come to Egypt, said Al-Sinnawi. The Russian industrial area in the Suez Canal Economic Zone, construction of which was scheduled to be complete this year, and which was predicted to attract $7 billion in investments, is now expected to come to a halt. Minister of Planning and Economic Development Hala Al-Said said last week that there was no doubt that sanctions against Russia would negatively affect Egypts vital tourism sector. On 5 March, Russias Ural Airlines announced that it was suspending flights to Egypt from 14 March to 20 May. Zahran is also concerned that the West may try to pressure Egypt to do more to isolate Russia. This conflict could end up polarising the world, leading to new alliances and arrangements which will compound the challenges Cairo faces. Egypt might find itself obliged to scrap its strategic relations with Russia, he says. Al-Sinnawi argues that Egypt should endeavour to maintain its extensive ties with both Russia and the West. I think it is in Egypts strategic interest to maintain a neutral line even if the conflict continues for some time, he said. *A version of this article appears in print in the 17 March, 2022 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly. Search Keywords: Short link: By Trend In a Monday phone call, the Turkish and Russian foreign ministers discussed recent developments in the Russian-Ukraine crisis, Trend reports citing Anadolu News Agency. Earlier Monday night, Cavusoglu also spoke on the phone with his Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba to discuss the latest situation and tell him about Turkey's efforts to restore peace. Last week, in an unprecedented meeting, Cavusoglu brought together Lavrov and Kuleba to discuss peace in the southern Turkish city of Antalya. In 2010, a Japanese expert working on plans for Cairo told Prime Minister Mustafa Madbouli, housing minister at the time, that the growth rate of the citys population and road network indicated that cars would soon not be able to go at more than 10 km an hour because of congestion. He would not want to live in Cairo in 10 years time, he said. The solutions will cost hundreds of billions, and in the light of the capabilities of Egypt [at the time] I am not sure the country will be able to do them, the Japanese expert told Madbouli, proposing a series of dream projects to be done over 20 years. However, he said the projects were an impossible mission.== Madbouli said recently that the proposed projects included the expansion of the road network, the development of mass transportation, and the introduction of the monorail and electric trains. In a timeframe of just seven years, we have been able to establish those dream projects that the Japanese expert said would need 20 years, Madbouli said. Last week, President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi inspected construction work on roads and axes connecting east and west Cairo. He inspected work on the Omar Al-Mokhtar axis in the Mostorod area and the extension of the Adli Mansour axis, and toured phase two of the upgrading of the Joseph Tito axis, which extends from Al-Herafyin bridge to the Ring Road, with five lanes in each direction. He also inspected developments on the Shinzo Abe axis, which links the Al-Shahid axis to the New Administrative Capital through the Suez Road and the Ring Road and extends for 15 km, with five lanes in each direction. The axis includes 10 flyovers. The work comes within the framework of the National Road Project launched by Al-Sisi in 2014 with the goal of developing and extending Egypts 23,500 km road network. Egypt has constructed and/or upgraded 7,000 km of highways as part of the project. When it was launched, Egypt had ranked 118th in terms of the quality of its road infrastructure in the World Economic Forums Global Competitiveness Report. By 2019, it had climbed to 28th place. During the inauguration of several national projects last week, Al-Sisi stressed that the state has been implementing the road projects to resolve traffic congestion, facilitate peoples daily movements, and reduce wasted time and fuel consumption. They also serve the economy and commercial movements, the president added. Ali Al-Biali, a professor of urban planning at Al-Azhar University in Cairo, said there can be no real development without an efficient road network. One of the major aims behind the National Road Project is to relieve pressure on the Delta by constructing new desert roads that allow goods to be transported between the north and the south of the country by-passing Cairo. The network links the eastern and western regions of Egypt through crosswise axes, which will allow development in the desert. Al-Sisi has repeatedly drawn attention to road development as a form of economic empowerment that will link the governorates. The National Road Project will not only improve internal trade but also increase foreign trade and movement since it will link the domestic road network with international ones. Economic growth will be boosted, Al-Biali said. In response to questions about why the state is focusing on constructing roads, Al-Sisi said that we are not. The state is doing the same thing in other fields like healthcare, education, agriculture and industry, but because roads are connected to peoples lives, they are more noticeable. Al-Sisi also referred to the new cities the country has been building since he took office in 2014. People criticised us when we started constructing the new cities and said that we were spending too much money with no real benefit, Al-Sisi said, adding that if population growth rates had been taken into account 40 years ago, we would not need such new cities now. Until mid-2020, in the housing sector alone Egypt had completed 1,426 projects over the previous six years at an estimated cost of LE175 billion. The Ministry of Housing, in conjunction with the New Urban Communities Authority, is constructing 14 fourth-generation cities, among which are the New Administrative Capital, New Alamein, New Mansoura, East Port Said, Nasser City in western Assiut, and New Ismailia. According to Hassan Al-Mahdi, a professor of transportation at Ain Shams University in Cairo, the state is currently building 32 new cities nationwide and also carrying out desert reclamation. This would not have happened without the newly built road network, Al-Mahdi said. Regarding the development of roads in eastern Cairo, he said that the area is the capitals gate to new urban communities like the New Administrative Capital, AShorouk, and Badr City, and hence it was necessary to develop and expand the roads to link these new communities. The priority for someone moving to the new communities will be the length of the commute. Thus, wider roads and newly-constructed ones were a must, in addition to having new mass transportation like the monorail and the Light Rail train, he added. The New Administrative Capital will be connected to Greater Cairo by Egypts first monorail and its first Light Rail Transit (LRT) system. Until they go into operation, workers relocated to the New Administrative Capital will rely on a network of shuttle buses. The monorail will consist of two lines. The first 56.5 km line will be served by 22 stations and connect the New Administrative Capital with the east of Cairo and Nasr City. The second, covering 42 km and served by 12 stations, will begin from 6 October City. They are being constructed at a cost of 2.7 billion euros. The two lines will connect with Cairos underground network. When complete, a commuter from 6 October City will be able to take the monorail to Mohandessin, change to the third metro line and travel to Nasr Citys Cairo Stadium, and then take the second monorail east to the New Administrative Capital. The first phase of the Nasr City monorail is scheduled to be operational in June 2022. The LRT system is scheduled to operate later in 2022 and will connect with the third line of the Cairo underground network at Salam Citys Adli Mansour Station. It will link Cairo, Obour, Shorouk, Mostaqbal, Badr, and 10 Ramadan City with the New Administrative Capital and have a length of 90 km and 16 stations and cost LE35 billion. *A version of this article appears in print in the 17 March, 2022 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly. Search Keywords: Short link: Al-Ahram weekly looks at the vocational training being provided for young people from poorer villages as part of Egypts Decent Life initiative. Some 120 km south of Cairo in the Nasser village in the Beni Sweif governorate and the Ministry of Manpowers vocational training centre, Rasha Abdel-Salam, a young woman in her 30s, is attending a sewing and garment-making workshop along with 20 other women from other villages as part of a training programme sponsored by the Directorate of Manpower under the umbrella of the national project for the development of the Egyptian countryside, or the Decent Life initiative. Abdel-Salam, the mother of four whose oldest child is in secondary school, has spent four weeks on tailoring and sewing. She has only one week left before the end of the training. I was looking for a project to supplement my familys income, and so I began a project making simple household linens. I was working from home, but by participating in this sewing workshop I have learned how to fully design ready-made garments including the most difficult step, which is making the pattern. Now I can add clothes to my products as well, she commented. In the second week of training, Abdel-Salam and her peers were trained in entrepreneurship and personal and social skills, which will help them market their products, study the market, and present themselves as professionals. They were also trained in resume writing. The workshops are the product of cooperation between the World Food Programme (WFP) and the Ministry of Manpower as part of a project to develop the countrys most-needy villages or the national project for the Egyptian countryside known as the Decent Life initiative. The programme began by providing the workshops with raw materials, modern sewing machines, interactive displays, laptops and high-speed Internet connections, according to Somaya Samir, field coordinator with the WFP. The Decent Life initiative was launched in January 2019 to improve the standard of living and quality of life among the neediest groups in rural communities across the country by unifying the efforts made by state institutions, civil society, private-sector companies, and partners inside and outside Egypt on sustainable development. The aim is to end multidimensional poverty in 4,658 targeted villages and communities serving more than 58 million people, with investments estimated at LE800 billion in 2021. Multidimensional poverty is measured not only by income, but also by the extent to which people may be deprived of services such as healthcare and education and lack benefits such as an appropriate job and an unpolluted environment. The workshops, despite their short duration, were long enough for Abdel-Salam to form a complete conception of her new project, which she will launch after the last week of training. I have rented a place as a sewing workshop and have started to prepare it, she said. I have also rented a shop to display my new products. I will make womens clothes as well as linens. Thanks to the training, I made my first five skirts from start to finish. I also created a group on WhatsApp and Facebook. With Gods help, I have been able to sell them all. I will now teach two of my neighbours what I have learnt about sewing and tailoring, so I can start my project soon. The concept of multidimensional poverty goes beyond a lack of money for the individual or family concerned, since families whose income is above the poverty line are still considered poor if they lack clean water and sanitation. Only 20 per cent of the countryside in Egypt has access to water and sanitation networks. People can also be considered poor if they lack education and healthcare services. If people have high incomes, but live in areas without good roads and transportation, they can also be considered poor in terms of multidimensional poverty. The existence or otherwise of Internet connections and landline networks is another factor. Mohamed Anwar, director of the Manpower Department in the Beni Sweif governorate, said the ministrys policy is to provide vocational and professional training for everyone who applies for it between the ages of 18 and 35. The governorate hosts several large industrial areas close to the Red Sea ports and is connected to the Mediterranean ports and the capital by road, making it home to industrial complexes run by international companies. Khairiya Shaaban, director of labour research and training at the governorate, said that it has a long waiting list to train technicians in refrigeration, air-conditioning, and mobile-phone repair. There is great demand for such workers in the governorate, she said. Shaaban explained that the governorate plans to train between 125 and 250 people throughout the year, with the targeted professions determined by reports on the labour market and applications by trainees. The data is gathered, the required professions are tallied, and workshops determined to meet the demands of the applicants and the market. Allocations for social security programmes have also been gradually increasing since 2016, with major leaps in recent years to counter the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic and climate change. In its draft budget for 2021-22, the government allocated subsidies worth LE283.4 billion for social security, compared to allocations of LE200 billion in 2019-20, a 41.5 per cent increase. The money funds programmes such as the conditional and unconditional cash-transfer programme, the relief programme for individual and national catastrophes and disasters, and the social security and pensions programme. It might be thought that those attending vocational training workshops have intermediate or lower education or have not completed their education. However, Mahmoud Mohamed, a graduate of Beni Sweif University in commerce, was attending the workshop on refrigeration and air-conditioning with a view to gaining certification. I want to open a maintenance centre in my village for all types of air-conditioning and refrigeration repair, he said. The Nasser village has many customers waiting for these services, including hospitals, pharmacies, pharmaceutical warehouses that store medicine and serums, banks, and frozen and refrigerated meat sellers and distributors. Also, there are people with home air-conditioners. Launching my own business to serve the community is better than looking for a job in the public or private sectors, Mohamed said. Ahmed Kamel Adli, coordinator of the Decent Life initiative in the Nasser village, said that government agencies were intensifying efforts to target the most-needy villages. The Decent Life initiative includes more than 400 projects, all working in tandem, he said. Villages are prioritised based on low income and high population density and then higher income and lower density. The population of the Nasser village is 400,000 people. The initiative has accomplished a breakthrough in the services provided to the most-needy villages, with mobile training workshops travelling to target them. Young men and women receive training in plumbing, electricity, and sewing skills. In my 14 years of experience in community work, I believe mobile training centres are the most successful way of delivering training, and there is huge demand for them along with long waiting lists. We hope we can provide training for everyone who is interested, because the centres only have limited capabilities with a capacity of 10 trainees each and training lasting for four to five weeks, he said. Anwar said that the ministrys training programmes in Beni Sweif have succeeded with flying colours, adding that there has been coordination between the workshops for sewing and clothes design with garment factories in the governorate. 28 young women signed work contracts at two factories after the training programmes. Although mobile-phone repair is not in high demand among companies, it is popular among young people in Beni Sweif as a choice of job. Mohamed Mustafa, an engineer leading a workshop on mobile-phone maintenance, said this was because smart and regular phones are as widespread in villages as they are in cities and because of the expansion of government, banks, and mobile companies in financial services. Tablets, iPads, and mobile phones are found in every Egyptian home, and anyone in this profession must learn the newest trends in technology. This creates high demand in any workshop in this field, whether for beginners or professionals wishing to improve their skills to work on the latest models. It is a service that is sorely lacking in the countryside, Mustafa said. Despite the flexibility and solidarity between state agencies and UN programmes in implementing the objectives of the Decent Life initiative, more still needs to be done, however. Doaa Arafa, head of the WFPs Social Protection Programme, said during a press tour of villages in Beni Sweif that a major challenge facing development projects was population density, adding to the challenges of providing appropriate vocational training for those wishing to benefit from it. *A version of this article appears in print in the 17 March, 2022 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly. Search Keywords: Short link: The Ukraine war will cast a dark shadow on the political, security, and economic situation in Libya should Russia use it as an excuse further to intervene. Russias war on Ukraine, launched by Russian President Vladimir Putin on 24 February, has raised many questions about its possible impact on the situation in Libya, where there are concerns that the country will return to a situation of political strife amid an escalating crisis. Russia became a major player in Libya in 2019 when it became unofficially involved through the presence of Wagner Group forces in the country as a result of a cooperation agreement with the Tobruk Parliament in 2018. The Ukraine war will likely cast an even darker shadow on political, security, and economic conditions in Libya if Moscow takes steps to defuse growing pressure by the West and the USs European allies by intervening further in the situation in the country. Libya continues to be a source of concern in much of Europe in terms of migration, energy, and security issues. The political crisis in Libya escalated in recent days after the Tobruk Parliament chose a new government led by Fathi Bashagha to succeed the national-unity government headed by Abdel-Hamid Dbeiba, who is refusing to hand over power before parliamentary elections areheld in late June to elect a new legislative body. His opponents in the east of the country disagree with Dbeiba, as do his allies in the West who want to succeed him. Presidential elections in Libya slated for 24 December 2021 were postponed amid much controversy, accompanied by the obstruction of the democratic process and despite the hopes of the more than 2.8 million registered Libyan voters. The escalation of the political crisis and growing differences between the Libyan rivals regarding the new political arrangements approved by the parliament have raised fears of a renewed conflict that would take Libya back to square one in the conflict that has been raging in the country. The Western powers and the UN have stressed the need to avoid any further escalation or steps that could destabilise the situation further and are urging the Libyan actors to move forward towards the elections. Russia, which has been reluctant to support the Western-sponsored peace process in Libya, could sabotage the process by disrupting political, security, and economic conditions in this member state of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC). The Western powers are counting on benefiting from Libyas oil and gas production to help fill the shortfall resulting from the impeded access of Russian energy supplies to international markets. Politically, Russia is unhappy about the overthrow of former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011 in an uprising supported by the Western powers and NATO. It objects to Western arrangements made in Libya since 2015 to settle the crisis based on the Skhirat Agreement, amendments resulting from the Berlin Process in 2020 and 2021, and the Paris Conference on Libya. In December 2018, Libyan Parliamentary Speaker Aguila Saleh signed a cooperation agreement with the Russian parliament during a trip to Moscow that included security and military matters and gave Russia its first taste of political and then military involvement in Libya. It then intervened militarily during the campaign of Khalifa Haftar, commander of the Libyan National Army, to take control of Tripoli in April 2019, becoming a key player on the Libyan scene. Since the Tobruk Parliament chose Bashagha as the countrys new prime minister on 10 February, Russia has been the only global power that has welcomed this step and called on others to respect it. This indicates an undeclared insistence by Russia to undermine the Wests efforts to resolve the Libyan crisis, especially since its position is inconsistent with its reservations about Bashagha becoming prime minister, since he had promised the West to undermine Russias influence in Libya and not allow Moscow to establish military bases there. Russian advisers have been giving political support to Saleh, who admitted as much during a meeting with his kinsman at his headquarters in Al-Qubba last year. The support has also been confirmed in the regional and international news media. Over recent years, Russia has worked on renewing its links to several key figures in the former regime, notably by supporting the return of Seif Al-Islam Gaddafi, son of the former Libyan leader, to the political scene. Russia believes it will benefit from undermining the Wests political process in Libya through its connections with Saleh and Haftar, both of whom are supporters of the overthrown regime and have strong influence on the domestic scene. The two men helped to facilitate Russias return to Libya to compete with the Western powers after Gaddafis overthrow. On the military and economic fronts, Russia has the ability to shatter the fragile ceasefire in Libya and turn off the main economic taps there through its paramilitary Wagner Group, which includes professional mercenaries and security contractors who play a substantial role in providing support to Haftars National Army. The latter controls vital regions in the south and centre of Libya and participates in protecting major oil fields and facilities. As the political crisis escalates in the country, some players in Libya have threatened to cut the countrys oil exports, leading to a strongly worded response from the US and its European allies warning against any such moves. This is being seen as an attempt to head off attempts to use energy as leverage to force Dbeiba to step down and hand over power to Bashagha. On 24 February, the embassies of France, Germany, Italy, the UK, and US warned against sabotaging or politicising the work of the Libyan National Oil Corporation (NOC), saying this would threaten Libyas peace and security. In a joint statement, the five embassies called on all the players in the country to respect the unity, integrity, and independence [of Libya] and maintain the non-political and technical nature of the NOC, since its uninterrupted operations will benefit all Libyans. Russia is expected to work to replace current UN Special Adviser to the UN secretary-general on Libya Stephanie Williams and appoint a new head of the UN Support Mission in Libya. It is also expected to continue to undermine the Wests current political process in Libya by insisting on a new and more inclusive process, in order to usher in supporters of the former regime to key seats at the negotiating table if efforts to push for elections next summer fail. *A version of this article appears in print in the 17 March, 2022 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly Search Keywords: Short link: The Arabs must not forget the lessons of fighting other peoples wars in the current crisis in Ukraine. Shortly before the US war on Iraq in 2003, Saddam Hussein called on Arab volunteers willing to fight along with his soldiers against the invading US forces. Most of the volunteers were Islamist activists coming from a number of countries and members of pan-Arab groups that maintained close ties with the Saddam regime. Most of the fighters who responded to the call later joined the Al-Qaeda terror group, which played a major role in the ensuing carnage and carried out suicide bombings and indiscriminate attacks against Iraqi civilians. The group soon morphed into the Islamic State (IS) group, which attracted thousands of foreign fighters and its model and influence spread worldwide. As IS began rapidly losing territory and support after its military defeat in Iraq and Syria in 2017, the question of what the world should do with the thousands of foreign fighters who joined it and remain defiant is still unanswered. While Iraq and Syria face a substantial rebuilding and stabilisation process and are still grappling with what next for the thousands of their citizens who fought with IS, a new challenge is emerging from the conflict in Ukraine, as reports swirl about the two warring parties courting foreign fighters to enter the conflict. Nowhere is this challenge more evident than in the Arab world, where polarisation over the war in Ukraine has been at play. To many Arabs, calls by Russia and Ukraine to recruit foreign fighters stir up political and ideological divisions. Russian President Vladimir Putin has given the green light for volunteers from the Middle East to be deployed alongside Russian-backed rebels to fight in the war he has unleashed against Ukraine, plunging the neighbouring nation deeper into a quagmire. The move came in response to a suggestion by Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu, who said there were 16,000 volunteers in the Middle East ready to come to fight alongside Russian-backed forces in the breakaway Donbass region of eastern Ukraine. If you see that there are these people who want of their own accord, not for money, to come to help the people living in Donbass, then we need to give them what they want and help them get to the conflict zone, Putin told members of the UN Security Council via a video link from the Kremlin. Some military observers were quick to explain that the Russian decision was meant to bolster its flagging invasion just over three weeks after Putin ordered Russian troops in by allowing Moscow to deploy battle-hardened mercenaries from conflicts such as in Syria without risking additional military casualties. Thus far, it is not clear how many foreign fighters have joined the Russian army in Ukraine, although US defence and intelligence officials and the Syrian opposition have confirmed that Russia is seeking to recruit Syrians to fight in Ukraine. Reports of Russian attempts to pull experienced troops from Syria have been circulating for weeks. Syria, where the Russian army has built an immense military power-base since it was deployed to defend the regime of Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad against Syrian rebels, is clearly a main source for fighters. They could include pro-government paramilitary groups, local militias who fought in the Civil War and developed skills in urban and guerilla warfare, and pro-Iran Iraqi and Lebanese militias who fought alongside the Syrian military. The Wall Street Journal has reported that some Syrian mercenaries are already in Russia and prepared to enter the fight in Ukraine. The Russian recruitment effort was first reported by a Syrian news website, DeirEzzor24, which said that Moscow was seeking volunteers to act as guards on six-month contracts for between $200 and $300 a month. Other reports say that the Russian mercenary firm Wagner has been equipping its Syrian operatives, who have served in the Libyan Civil War, and that Chechen forces under Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov, a close ally of Putin, have already been posted in the war zone in Ukraine. However, the Voice of America radio station has quoted US defence sources as saying that Russias efforts to recruit foreign mercenaries to bolster Russian forces fighting in Ukraine do not appear to be paying off just yet. According to the officials, the US has not seen indications that Russian recruiting efforts have borne fruit and resulted in the actual arrival of foreign fighters. On the other hand, the ongoing Russian onslaught on Ukraine has brought to the fore a similar initiative from Kyiv. On 26 February, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky went on television and asked foreign volunteers to join an International Legion and take up arms in his countrys defence. There has been a surge of interest in the project around the world since, and Zelensky later announced that 16,000 people from around the world had already volunteered to join. His foreign minister, Dmytro Kuleba, said that volunteers had signed up from 52 countries, including Europeans and Americans. The British magazine the Economist interviewed volunteers who said they were told to expect to fight on the frontline, where they are most needed after several days of training which include map-reading, medical skills, and practise firing on a range before they are dispatched to the front. Ukrainian embassies in many countries have already started recruiting volunteers to the International Legion through online applications, regardless of military or combat experience with offers including basic training. In several countries, the calls for volunteers to join the war have been received with apprehension and resentment. Both Nigeria and Senegal have condemned the calls and said they will not allow their nationals to join the fight in Ukraine. Historically, enlisting foreigners has been popular for the simple reason that armies always want more troops. Some 91 states counted foreign soldiers within their ranks between 1815 and 2020, according to research by Elizabeth Grasmeder published in the International Security Journal. Fears of Arab young people being courted to take part in the war in Ukraine are well founded and have historical echoes. To many Arabs, such calls conjure up images of how their fathers and grandfathers were enmeshed in foreign wars and how that influenced nation-building. Arab fighters joined the British army and the French Foreign Legion in World War I against the Ottomans and Germany, and the impact on their countries politics and stability was immense, some of it still felt today. In many parts of the Arab world, officers who fought with the allies were rewarded by the colonial powers with privileges in the newly born states that allowed them to keep their preponderance and maintain their supremacy. Though generally Arabs did not participate actively in military operations in World War II, the Middle East was one of the operational theatres of the war, and many of its countries endured its impact, including sharp polarisation over the political ideologies of the warring nations. More recently, thousands of Arab Muslims fought against the Soviets in Afghanistan under Al-Qaeda from 1997-2001 before returning home after the war where they used their acquired jihad ideology, combat skills, and radical networks to establish terrorist groups that severely impacted their countries security. From Morocco and Algeria in the west to Saudi Arabia and Yemen in the east, the so-called returnees from Afghanistan in the 1990s played havoc in several Arab countries, with acts of terrorism and insurgencies representing grave challenges to state power. The Afghan Arabs, as the veterans were also called, and other jihadists who fought in the Bosnia and Chechnya conflict zones continued to generate threats associated with the dispersal of fighters in the region and around the world despite concerted efforts to crack down on them. Owing to the complex nature of the Ukraine crisis, the multiple parties involved, and the broad spectrum of political views among the Arab public on the conflict, it is unclear how this volunteer-assembling campaign will evolve. But the participation of Arab young men in such a divisive global conflict will undoubtedly create a new breed of foreign fighters who will pose a dire challenge for the Arab countries that are already facing a range of security threats. *A version of this article appears in print in the 17 March, 2022 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly Search Keywords: Short link: Russias war on Ukraine has fomented renewed talk of the possible use of unconventional weapons. There has been growing controversy about the possible use of unconventional weapons such as nuclear, chemical, or biological weapons in the Russian war on Ukraine, triggered when Russian President Vladimir Putin issued orders for Russias nuclear forces to be placed on high alert on 27 February. The orders mean the deployment of about 70,000 combatants and the loading of nuclear warheads on missiles in submarines and on railway vehicles. They have raised fears of nuclear terror around the globe and renewed debates about the failure of nuclear arms-control agreements to contain such threats. Although the war in Ukraine still rages on, the fears have been gradually subsiding, however, due to Russian declarations that readiness does not necessarily mean use, as the latter would mean the annihilation of human civilisation. However, Putins orders have been interpreted as a way of showing readiness and of justifying Moscows calls on the US to withdraw its nuclear weapons, estimated by international observers at about 150 warheads at six military bases, from five European countries. Russia sees the presence of these warheads as a form of nuclear proliferation. The US has reiterated its reassurances that the weapons cannot be used, but it has not addressed Moscows demand that they be removed. NATO has asserted that the aim of keeping the weapons in place is to maintain a balance of strategic deterrence. The NATO countries or European powers cannot be expected to abandon this policy when Russia possesses the largest number of nuclear warheads in the world, it said. Russia has been modernising its nuclear-weapons delivery systems based on a declared policy since 2018, followed by announcements of the capabilities of its Tsirkon and Kinzhal missiles and Tupolev Tu-22 bombers, three of which appeared in Syria in May 2021. Four days before the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Tupolev Tu-22 bombers and others were flying over Belarus, though a statement by the Russian Ministry of Defence said they had since returned to their Russian bases. However, the US Military Watch magazine has reported their presence at the Russian Hmeimim Military Base in Syria as part of manoeuvres coinciding with Russias war games in Belarus. The US has deployed B-52H nuclear bombers at Britains Fairford Airbase, indicating that it not only takes the Russian moves seriously, but that it has also begun to take countermeasures. Fears of the possible Russian readiness to deploy nuclear weapons were revived in Ukraine when Russian forces took control of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear reactor in the country on 4 March after a fierce battle between Ukrainian forces and attacking Russian troops. Russian forces seized control of the Chernobyl nuclear power station at the beginning of the war without much resistance, unlike what took place at Zaporizhzhia. The battle at Zaporizhzhia was disturbing because some 250 shells were exchanged between the two sides near the largest nuclear reactor in Europe. When it was clear that a potential disaster at Zaporizhzhia had been averted, Russia made allegations that Ukraine wants to acquire nuclear weapons, citing statements made by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the Munich Security Council and the countrys alleged desire to return to possessing nuclear-weapons capabilities. Many observers believe Moscow is making these claims in order to secure political legitimacy for its invasion of its neighbour or to justify taking control of vital sites in Ukraine such as nuclear facilities. Russia has also made allegations about Ukraines possession of biological and chemical weapons as part of a psychological war relying on the fact that these weapons are just as frightening as nuclear ones. Moscow has accused Washington of operating biological laboratories that pose a serious threat in Ukraine and demanded that the UN Security Council convene as a way of putting the ball in the USs court. It has claimed that experiments have taken place with bats carrying the Covid-19 virus and that lethal weapons have been manufactured at laboratories in Kyiv, Kharkiv, and Odesa in Ukraine. Russia raised these concerns even before the war began. In December 2021, Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu accused those he called American mercenaries of acquiring chemical weapons that could be used to commit provocations in the Donbas region of Ukraine. US and British political and intelligence officials vehemently denied the claims without denying that cooperation was taking place with Ukraine in the scientific field. The US and UK have also accused Moscow of fabricating propaganda in order to justify preemptively sending chemical and biological weapons to Ukraine. Western reports have highlighted precedents of Russia using biowarfare in Chechnya and Syria and its use against opponents of the Russian regime such as Sergei Skripal and Alexei Navalny. US Deputy Ambassador to the UN Richard Mills said that the Russian Federation has repeatedly spread disinformation regarding Syrias repeated use of chemical weapons. The recent web of lies that Russia has cast in an attempt to justify the premeditated and unjustified war it has undertaken against Ukraine should clearly show, once and for all, that Russia also cannot be trusted when it talks about chemical weapons in Syria. The battle over the issue of unconventional weapons in the Ukraine war became heated at the annual meeting of the US Senate Intelligence Committee on 10 March, when statements were made about how to deter Russia from using such weapons. CIA Director William Burns said the US chiefs of intelligence are taking seriously the threat of a chemical weapons attack in Ukraine. He added that the decision to declassify and release intelligence about such possible moves was a deterrent that unified the global response. US Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines said that we do not assess that Ukraine is seeking biological or nuclear weapons, which is propaganda by Russia. She said the US intelligence community was very concerned and was watching anything that might happen regarding Russias strategic nuclear forces. She did not point to significant changes that would indicate the potential use of nuclear weapons. Overall, Russia is oscillating between deterrence and fear-mongering about unconventional weapons, a tactic it has adopted since the start of the Ukraine war. Most international assessments do not believe Russia would risk activating its nuclear forces, seeing its announcements instead as directed at NATO as future leverage. NATO understands this and is affirming that it is only taking precautionary defence measures in case the war spills over outside Ukraine in accordance with Article V of the NATO Charter, the assessments say. Russia has been targeting support to the Ukrainian government coming from across Ukraines borders through Lviv, but without going beyond the western border of that region bordering Poland. The raising of the issue of possible biowarfare in the Ukraine war will remain a source of consternation due to the absence of international institutions in charge of monitoring such weapons. As has been the case in Syria, any use of them will lead to questions regarding the burden of proof and who used what and where. *A version of this article appears in print in the 17 March, 2022 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly Search Keywords: Short link: Russia war in Ukraine was complicated enough when America threw the China card into the crisis this week. It threatened Beijing with severe consequences if it provides Moscow with economic or military support. This has serious consequences. It opens a new front, a new narrative, and potentially divides the world into two camps: the free world against the autocratic. Unnamed US officials reportedly told multiple news outlets that Russia had asked China to provide military assistance, including drones. The Chinese Foreign Ministry did not address the allegation directly, however, but accused the US of spreading disinformation about China. But Chinas anger became clearer after US officials stated that Beijing has already decided to provide Russia with economic and financial support and is contemplating sending military supplies. The US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan, laid out the US case against Russias invasion in an intense meeting in Rome with his Chinese counterpart, Yang Jiechi, pointing out that Moscow had feigned interest in diplomacy while preparing for the invasion, and that the Russian military was clearly showing signs of frailty. After seven-hour talks, the Americans walked away from the Rome meeting with little hope that the Chinese government would change its mind about backing Moscow. Theyve already decided that theyre going to provide economic and financial support, and they underscored that today. The question really is whether they will go further, according to one US official familiar with the discussions in statements made to The Guardian. US sources stated that at the top of the Russian military shopping list from China are armed drones and various forms of ammunition. Russia also needs economic and financial aid quite urgently. Responding to US accusations, China warned of retaliation if hit by the falloutof Russian sanctions. It also slammed what it called the US efforts to spread disinformation and distort and smear its position on Ukraine, according to the countrys foreign minister. China is not party to the crisis, nor does it want sanctions to affect China, Wang Yi told his Spanish counterpart, Jose Manuel Albares, in remarks published by the Chinese Foreign Ministry on Tuesday. China has a right to safeguard its legitimate rights and interests. China is a large importer of Russian energy and agricultural commodities and Western sanctions on these sectors might affect the country as a result. Chinese equities have been hit particularly hard, with Hong Kong-listed Chinese stocks dropping lower than theyve ever been since the global financial crisis in 2008 on Monday. While the White House refused to confirm or deny reports of Chinas openness to supporting Russia militarily and economically, State Department Spokesperson Ned Price said on Monday: We are watching very closely the extent to which the [Peoples Republic of China] or any country in the world provides support, material, economic, financial, rhetorical or otherwise, to this war of choice that President [Vladimir] Putin is waging. We have been very clear, both privately with Beijing, publicly with Beijing, that there would be consequences for any such support. Speaking about the China-Russia alliance, Price said, clearly a case of two autocracies with a desire to see a world that is more closed, less open, less free, come together and in some ways joining forces. And we are watching very closely the form such cooperation may take. European diplomatic sources believe that America is trying to exploit the Russian-Ukrainian crisis to contain China, and this US effort will be evident to many European allies. Since the crisis, France and Germany have been in discussions with China to find a way towards a political settlement. Therefore, excluding Beijing from political solutions will be a potential source of conflict between Washington and its European allies. Beijing and Moscow have grown closer in recent years. Their strong relationships were crowned by Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping signing what was called the no limits partnership. The strategic objectives of this strong partnership are to strengthen economic, political and strategic relations between Moscow and Beijing and end American hegemony over the world order. If at any point in the crisis China decided to support Russia with direct military aid, that would be a game-changer for global geopolitics as China will risk international isolation and a weaker economy because of the pressure that America will exert on its allies to impose sanctions against Beijing. So far, there has been no reaction in European capitals to the US accusations against China. On Tuesday, the US National Security adviser travelled to Paris to discuss the Ukraine crisis there. China is Europes largest trading partner and in recent years economic cooperation has been boosted to unprecedented levels. America is pressing its European allies to set a timetable for ending dependence on Russian oil and gas. So far, the results have been mixed. While Germany announced its intention to reduce its dependence on Russian coal and oil by the end of this year, it refused to set a timetable, warning that this would lead to the loss of hundreds of thousands of jobs in Germany. Germanys Green Economy Minister Robert Habeck admitted that Europe in the past had fed Ukraine false promises, but said Germany could not afford the loss of hundreds of thousands of jobs that a full energy embargo would bring about. He said Germany at best could be freed of Russian coal by autumn, and of its oil by the end of the year, but could set no date for ending German reliance on gas. Allies of the Ukrainian president say Putin will only accept a compromise on Ukraines future neutrality if he is facing a credible threat to his economic power base by a rapid and permanent exclusion of Russias oil and gas exports from its lucrative European markets. The Russian government receives 40 per cent of its budget revenues from energy exports. In an attempt to ensure the availability of enough oil in the markets and reduce the price of the barrel, which has reached record levels since the crisis, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson headed to Saudi Arabia to discuss increasing supply. In an article for the Daily Telegraph, Johnson urged the West to end its addiction to Russian fuel, arguing that Western leaders had made a terrible mistake by letting Putin get away with annexing Crimea in 2014 and becoming more dependent on Russian power sources. We cannot go on like this, he says. The world cannot be subject to this continuous blackmail. As long as the West is economically dependent on Putin, he will do all he can to exploit that dependence. And that is why that dependence must and will now end. Johnson will have talks with Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman in the hope that Saudi Arabia can raise its production of oil and gas to make up for reduced reliance on Russia. On the diplomatic track, negotiations continued between the Russian and Ukrainian delegations towards agreeing on safe humanitarian corridors around the capital, Kyiv, and the city of Mariupol in the south. But talks were taking place amid continued military strikes. Two powerful explosions rocked Kyiv before dawn on Tuesday. Emergency services said two people died when an apartment building in the capital was attacked. The death toll was later updated to four. Meanwhile, Russias Defence Ministry Spokesperson Igor Konashenkov said on Tuesday that Russian forces had taken full control of all territory in Ukraines southern Kherson region, Russian news agencies reported. While the Ukrainian President Volodymr Zelensky warned that the Russian war machine will target other European countries if it is not stopped, his adviser Oleksiy Arestovych said the war in Ukraine is at a crossroads: We are at a crossroads. Either we will agree at the current talks, or the Russians will make a second attempt [at an offensive], and then there will be talks again, he said. In a show of support, the leaders of Poland, the Czech Republic, and Slovenia travelled to Ukraines capital on Tuesday on a European Union mission. The visit aims to express the European Unions unequivocal support for Ukraine and its freedom and independence, Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala said in a tweet. He was joined by Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Jansa, Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, and Jaroslaw Kaczynski, who is Polands deputy prime minister for security and the leader of the ruling Conservative Party. Meanwhile, the EU has formally agreed to the fourth package of sanctions, including an asset freeze and travel ban on Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich. The ban follows discussions among EU leaders in Versailles on Thursday and Friday. Josep Borrell, the EUs foreign affairs chief explained: As President Putins war against Ukrainian people continues, so does our resolve to support Ukraine and cripple the financing of the Kremlins war machinery. This fourth package of sanctions is another major blow to the economic and logistic base on which Russia relies to invade Ukraine. The aim of the sanctions is that President Putin stops this inhuman and senseless war. The sanctions include an EU import ban on a range of steel products, a ban on new investments across the Russian energy sector, with limited exceptions for civil nuclear energy and the transport of certain energy products back to the EU, an EU export ban on luxury goods (e.g. luxury cars and jewellery) of over 300, a ban on the rating of Russia and Russian companies by EU credit rating agencies and the provision of rating services to Russian clients, which would result in them further losing access to the EUs financial markets. *A version of this article appears in print in the 17 March, 2022 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly Search Keywords: Short link: Syria was an exception to the majority of countries that voted in favour of the UN General Assembly resolution condemning Russias invasion of Ukraine. It is the arena that has reflected divergent votes on the resolution on which 141 countries were in favour and five opposed while 35 abstained. As for the parties engaged in the Syrian conflict, Syria voted against the resolution, Turkey and Israel voted in favour, and Iran abstained. Syria thus presents us with a sort of miniature map of the international voting pattern on the resolution. But this map, featuring the most salient players in Syria (including Damascus itself) is actually shaped by an extremely complex weave of relations between regional and international parties. Certainly, the conflict in Syria is a factor that helps explain how each country voted, but it is not the only factor. Starting with Syria, Damascus close relations with Moscow have long been a cornerstone of Syrian foreign policy. Most importantly, the Russian intervention in Syria in September 2015 totally reversed the military balance of power in that conflict. Whereas President Bashar Al-Assads aims at that point had been reduced to defending beneficial Syria, the term he used to refer to the Syrian heartland that he still controlled, against the fierce assault of terrorist groups and their supporters, those groups have since been driven back into Idlib while the regime and its supporters have regained control over most Syrian territory. Therefore, Syrias opposition to the UN General Assembly resolution was a foregone conclusion. Both Turkey and Iran are Russias partners in the Sochi and Astana mechanisms which sidelined the UNs approach to the conflict. Turkey and Russia have close and growing trade and military relations. But Turkey is also a member of NATO and therefore obliged to maintain a minimal degree of conformity with the alliances policy stances. So it was not surprising that Ankara voted in favour of the resolution to condemn Russia. However, it tried to lighten the effect of this by offering to serve as a mediator between Moscow and Kyiv. That Moscow agreed to this is a sign that nothing significant has changed in Turkish-Russian bilateral relations. To a certain extent, Israel is in the same position as Turkey. Israel and Russia still coordinate closely in Syria. Thanks to Moscows understanding of the reasons behind Israels ongoing strikes against Iranian targets in Syria, it was possible to remove Iranian forces from the vicinity of the Syrian-Israeli border. Israel also depends on Russia, as one of its partners in the Iranian nuclear agreement, to help curb Irans nuclear ambitions. In addition, Israel and Russia cooperate on trade and security and there is a large community of Russian origin in Israel. But Israel also has close relations with Ukraine and its president, as well as a significant community of Ukrainian origin. Accordingly, while Israel condemned the Russian intervention in Ukraine, like Turkey, it offered to mediate; then it coordinated with Ankara in this effort. Iran is allied with Russia in Syria. Since the Iranian Revolution, Tehran has maintained generally good relations with Russia, in contrast to the US which it regards as the great devil. True, Iran sided with the US against the Soviet presence in Afghanistan, but that is now ancient history. During the past two decades, Russian-Iranian commercial and economic relations have grown increasingly close, so much so that Russia insisted that Iranian-Russian trade should be exempted from the international sanctions regime against Iran during the negotiations to revive the nuclear agreement. So why did Iran not vote against the UN General Assembly resolution? Most probably this is because it did not want to further complicate its relations with the US and the EU at this delicate juncture in the negotiations in Vienna. What are the implications of Syrian, Turkish, Israeli and Iranian voting behaviour in the UN on the Syrian conflict itself? As we have observed, Turkey and Israel balanced their positions in the General Assembly with carefully considered positive steps towards Russia. It is particularly noteworthy that the Israeli Defence Force asked the Israeli political leadership to remain neutral on the Ukrainian question in the light of the considerable interests that Israel has in common with Russia in Syria and elsewhere. Most likely, the Russian-Israeli and Russian-Turkish lines of contact in Syria will continue as they are in terms of protecting the Israeli border against a threat from Syrian territory and in terms of the management of the situation in Idlib as the stronghold of Turkish-backed militias. Nor is any change likely to happen in Russian support for the Assad regime. Naturally, this is not just due to the No vote cast by Damascus representative in the UN. It is also because of the logistic facilities Russia has obtained in the Syrian port of Tartus which now supply auxiliary support for military operations in Ukraine. In like manner, Russian-Iranian coordination will continue in Syria even though Tehran did not openly side with Russia in the UN vote. Iranian influence in Syria is still needed in order to counter that of Turkey and Israel. It is important to bear in mind that this forecast on the interplay between the above-mentioned powers in Syria depends on Russias ability to accomplish its main aims in Ukraine in the short term. If this condition is not met, then we will have another story. * The writer is professor of political science at Cairo University. *A version of this article appears in print in the 17 March, 2022 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly. Search Keywords: Short link: Leftist infantilism and revolutionary infantilism are among the terms used to refer to the rush to embrace noble ideas when they are stripped of the contexts, processes and ramifications on various dimensions and fluctuations of human affairs. Liberalism is one of the most important schools of political philosophy to have influenced the course of human life. Premised on the belief in the inherent freedom of individuals to organise their societies and governments, its applications have undergone various degrees of success and changes, much as has been the case with the other political belief systems. But liberalism is no exception to the phenomenon of infantilism. We have seen this manifested after the recent US handover of power from the white nationalist camp led by Donald Trump to a form of liberalism under Joe Biden. This is a liberalism whose purity is contested by the progressives who want to apply it literally, especially abroad, while the centrists are less zealous because they believe there is still a lot to work on domestically if the US is to live up to the liberal ideal. The rivalry between these two camps is as old as the American Revolution. They have locked horns from the French Revolution, which threatened to export its principles of freedom, brotherhood and equality to the newly independent American interior, through the Civil War (1860-1865) to the Civil Rights Act in the mid 1960s. Today, President Biden, as Democratic Party leader, is trying to keep both sides happy. The result is a liberalist infantilism that divides the world between democrats and authoritarians while ignoring crucial issues related to racism and the pandemic in the US. This arbitrary division of the world led to the tragic Ukraine crisis. It was a response to China and Russia, which felt it necessary to revise a world order that cared little about internal conditions in countries struggling with economic and social development, and it was a response to the declining popularity of the president and his party in favour of the Republicans. As a consequence the US finds itself in the most dangerous confrontation it has had since the end of the Cold War. This has not precipitated a fresh debate between camps in American democratic liberalism which has never brought itself to a real examination of the failure of its applications despite the globalisation process that the US has steered during the last three decades. A case in point is Ukraine where democracy has not helped much to address demographic and cultural divides or to provide an inclusive model of citizenship for all Ukrainians regardless of ethnic and linguistic affiliation. Instead, what we find in US discourse is another instance of extreme reductionism on extremely complex issues due to a certain laziness or superficiality in the approach to countries and events overseas. One manifestation of this discourse is the clash between the Washington Post and The Atlantic over the legitimacy (from a liberal perspective) of an interview the latter conducted with the Saudi Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman. Needless to say, neither periodical - both pillars of the US political and academic establishment - had undertaken the necessary intellectual footwork about the kingdom and, specifically, about the breakthroughs it has achieved in only a few years thanks to a comprehensive reformist revolution that embraces diverse historic, geographic, social and economic dimensions of the country and, moreover, that has had the courage to grapple with the relationship between religion and the state and related questions that had once been too sensitive to touch. In their debate, both the Washington Post and The Atlantic betrayed a determination to overlook crucial issues. One was the prevailing stereotype of Saudi Arabia until just a few years ago as an ultra conservative, fundamentalist, insular country where women were not allowed to drive. They ignored, secondly, the developmental boom that took place across the country from the Gulf to the Red Sea through a process that entailed absorbing and mobilising the highest levels of technological progress the world has achieved in the course of successive industrial revolutions over the past two centuries. As a result, they ignored the rapid evolution of the Saudi nation state from its establishment to its third reincarnation, with all that has entailed, including the implementation of the principle of citizenship as a foundation of the state. The two periodicals also failed to make an informed comparison between Saudi Arabian progress and that of other countries, including the US and its swings from neoconservatives (George Bush Jr) to neoliberals (Barack Obama) to white conservatives (Donald Trump) to the current liberals (Joe Biden) whose place on the ideological spectrum is hard to pin down. In fact, the debate between The Atlantic and the Washington Post has less to do with Saudi Arabia than the attempt to define and codify liberalism and its relationship to knowledge of the truth. But none of the participants brought up Americas own experience in dealing with itself or the world abroad. In fact, the US experience is very rich and there can be no denying its successes in Germany and Japan after a world war that destroyed both, even if there is a large gap between the liberalism in those two countries today than the one Americans are talking about. But what concerns us here is more recent history, most notably the experiences in Afghanistan and Iraq where experiments in political engineering failed to produce societies cut to the patterns specified by US liberals that did not take into account actual realities on the ground. Amazingly, even after the US exit from Afghanistan, after handing that country back to the Taliban on a silver platter, no one bothered to ask whether this was the consequence of a bankruptcy in engineering state-building projects abroad. Rather, the US came up with Bidens democracy summit which further split an already divided world at a time when it still needed to work together to stop a deadly pandemic. In like manner, the American solution to Iraq - a constitution that resolved nothing, a quota system that could not produce a cabinet and a political system that lacked the ability to run the country - reflects less on the performance of the current government than it does on US management of government in other countries. The debate between The Atlantic and the Washington Post, which expresses the views of a large segment of the establishment in Washington and many on the eastern seaboard, epitomises at once the absence of reality in American thought and the certitude with which it approaches the world. Unfortunately, the effect is to cut off America from the rest of the world. The problem, and perhaps a source of crisis, is that this does not affect the US alone, however unified or divided it may be. In fact, it introduces no small amount of anarchy in other countries and more than enough dissension and dispute in the international order. *A version of this article appears in print in the 17 March, 2022 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly. Search Keywords: Short link: At the very outset, let us admit that a brief snooze, especially at a solemn occasion, is exceedingly enjoyable and refreshing. A majority of us have had a taste of this most pleasant experience. However, in the face of horrific danger, all humans are endowed with alertness, courage and insight and perform with excellence and incisiveness. It is baffling, even mystifying, that a group of peace-loving geniuses would be caught in a deep slumber, while their house is burning. The men who created the United Nations, after suffering catastrophic atrocities of a global war, had a clear and noble purpose in mind: to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war which twice in our lifetime have brought sorrow to mankind and to re-affirm faith in the fundamental human rights in the dignity and worth of the human person and of nations large and small. Such noble promises were made, although they were well aware they were made before by principled men following WWI who formed the League of Nations in 1920, the first international organisation to maintain world peace. It achieved nothing. Fragmented and weak, with the absence of major powers, with no US and no army, Britain and France were not strong enough to impose sanctions, so it died a slow death, 26 years later. The founders of a new league or union were not deterred: China, France, the USSR, the UK, and the US felt strong and capable. No cracks in their union. Why did 50 other countries support them? Their leaders rushed to the International Court of Justice in San Francisco on 24 April 1945 and worked day and night for two months to draft their charter. It was signed on 26 June 1945. There it was, in all its glory, invincible, indispensable, and immortal. Everyone applauded the design and marvelled at the execution. The League of Nations is dead. Long live the United Nations. The devil is in the details as they say, and there was one unforeseen flaw which turned up to be a nuisance: the Security Council. Comprised of 15 members, five of which were permanent members, the founding fathers were chosen in the wake of World War II. The Security Councils primary responsibility under the UN Charter was the maintenance of international peace and security. Was that not the purpose of creating the UN? Ah, but the Security Council had the power to impose sanctions, authorise the use of force, including the deployment of their own peace-keeping forces. Moreover, and here is the hitch, permanent members had veto power. Did it occur to anyone that those members were on opposing sides? The veto allows the permanent member of the Security Council or to reject any resolutions made by the majority, hence the recent Russian veto over Ukraine. What a bizarre situation. Can they not see the conflict of interest? It totally negates the primary purpose of the UN Charter. Rivals exercising vetoes simply negate each other. Can anything meaningful be accomplished under such discrepant conditions? The US and Russia/USSR have used their veto privileges five times more than the other members combined. Ridiculous, to say the least, leaving the General Assembly and the rest of the UN crippled, paralysed, unable to perform. Now we know the reason why over 53 state-based armed conflicts have occurred since the founding of the UN. They pay it no heed. The US was the first to enter a war after five years to the day, of signing the UN Charter. That was the Korean War on 27 June 1950. They must enjoy war as long as it is in faraway places. The US also joined in the Vietnamese War, then there was the Gulf War, followed by Iraq and Afghanistan. The Gulf war was their only victory. There is something mournful about this desire to join a war, let alone wage one. How absurd to have sustained, depended and trusted the UN to end all wars? Notwithstanding the obvious imperfection of mankind, this age of wars has been unconscionably long and shocking to contemplate. There are 27 ongoing conflicts today, one of which can easily draw us into a third world war, at least Cold War II. This is an unsettling situation for all humanity. The longest of these wars has been the Israeli/ Palestinian war, which started when the UN granted Israel almost all of Palestine as a gift. No one knows the whys and whats of this act. It cannot be that the UN was merely mimicking Hitler and his Nazi regime, but that is exactly what happened and what continues to happen in Palestine while the UN watches, the Security Council makes resolutions, and the US vetoes them. How this war will end is anyones guess. We believe it will go on and on as long as the US vetoes all resolutions against Israel. Even if by some miracle a resolution is passed, Israel will simply ignore it, and so will the US, the Security Council and the rest of the world. Is it any wonder that such outright racialism has produced terrorists? No defenders of terrorism, we think the world has done enough, seen enough and will continue to see man killing his fellowman for no good reason. Why does the UN not see the brutal attack killing of women and children and the grotesque perpetrators of such acts? Could it be that it was all a dream? An international organisation formed to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war. Wars begin when you will, but do not end when you please. Niccolo Machiavelli (1469-1527) *A version of this article appears in print in the 17 March, 2022 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly. Search Keywords: Short link: Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki of Poland announced he was joined by Petr Fiala of the Czech Republic and Janez Jansa of Slovenia. Joining them is Jaroslaw Kaczynski, Poland's deputy prime minister for security but also the leader of the conservative ruling party, Law and Justice, a position which allows him to be the most powerful politician in Poland. They are to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal. Morawiecki said on Facebook that he and the other leaders were making their trip in agreement with the European Union, citing the chairman of the Council of the European Union, Charles Michel, and the head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen. He said the United Nations had been informed of the visit. ``In such critical times for the world it is our duty to be where history is forged,'' Morawiecki said. ``Because it's not about us, but about the future of our children who deserve to live in a world free from tyranny.'' The visit had been planned for several days but was kept secret for security reasons, said Michal Dworczyk, the head of Morawiecki's office. He said that a proposal of concrete help for the nation would be presented to Ukraine's leaders. Shortly before dawn, large explosions thundered across Kyiv from what Ukrainian authorities said were artillery strikes. The shelling ignited a huge fire and a frantic rescue effort in a 15-story apartment building. At least one person was killed and others remain trapped inside. Shockwaves from an explosion also damaged the entry to a downtown subway station that has been used as a bomb shelter. City authorities tweeted an image of the blown-out facade, saying trains would no longer stop at the station. Ahead of his departure, Morawiecki on Facebook recalled how the former Polish President Lech Kaczynski had made a visit to the capital of Georgia in 2008 when that ex-Soviet country was under attack from Russia. He quoted President Kaczynski who said at the time in Tbilisi: ``Today Georgia, tomorrow Ukraine, the day after tomorrow the Baltic states, and then maybe it's time for my country, for Poland.'' Jaroslaw Kaczynski's presence also has symbolic significance. He is the surviving twin of Lech Kaczynski, who died in a plane crash with 95 others on Russia soil in 2010 while traveling to commemorate Poles executed by the Soviet secret police during World War II. A Polish investigation determined that plane crash to be an accident. By Trend U.S. President Joe Biden is expected to travel to Brussels next week to meet with NATO leaders to discuss Ukraine,U.S. and foreign sources familiar with the situation said on Monday, Trend reports citing Reuters. The plan, which is still being finalized, calls for Biden to meet with other leaders from the NATO alliance in Brussels on March 23, said three of the sources. They cautioned that the plans could still change given the rapidly evolving situation in Ukraine. NATO is worried Russia is gearing up to carry out a chemical attack in Ukraine, secretary-general Jens Stoltenberg said Tuesday, ahead of a meeting of the alliance's defense ministers. "We are concerned that Moscow could stage a false flag operation possibly including chemical weapons," the NATO chief told reporters, citing "absurd claims" from Russia that Ukraine possesses biological weapons labs. NATO, he said, remains "very vigilant" on that risk and stressed that Russia would have "a high price to pay" if it carried out such a "violation of international law". He refused to "speculate about any military response from the NATO side" if such a chemical attack happened. Wednesday's meeting, Stoltenberg said, would cover "concrete measures to reinforce our security for the longer term in all domains" to adapt to the changing threat environment arising from Russia's "senseless war". "This could include substantially more forces in the eastern part of the alliance at higher readiness and with more pre-positioned equipment," on top of the bolstered NATO forces already sent to NATO countries bordering Ukraine, he said. A long-scheduled NATO summit in Madrid in June would look at longer-term changes for the alliance. "It's important to distinguish greatly about the immediate response -- all the tens of thousands more troops, airpower and naval power -- and then the more long-term adjustment or posture," to be discussed in June, he said. Asked about rumors of a possible NATO summit in Brussels next week with leaders including US President Joe Biden, Stoltenberg demurred. "We are able to convene a NATO summit with NATO leaders on short notice but I cannot go into more details about that now," he said. Presidents and prime ministers of the European Union -- which accounts for most NATO members -- are already to gather in Brussels next Thursday and Friday for a summit focused on Russia's war in Ukraine. Search Keywords: Short link: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will deliver a virtual address this week to the U.S. Congress, part of a series of high-profile speeches from a leader working to rally support as the Russian invasion of his country intensifies. Zelenskyy will speak Wednesday to members of the House and Senate, an event that will be livestreamed for the public. It follows an address he delivered last week to the U.K. Parliament that carried echoes of Winston Churchill's stirring words during World War II. On Tuesday, Zelenskyy is scheduled to deliver a speech to Canada's parliament. ``It's such a privilege to have this leader of this country, where these people are fighting for their democracy and our democracy,'' House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Monday during an event at the Brooklyn Bridge with New York lawmakers. Pelosi said Zelenskyy asked for the meeting when they spoke at the end of last week, and lawmakers are ``thrilled'' to have him address Congress. The talk comes as the Ukrainians are fighting for their country's survival in the escalating war as Russian President Vladimir Putin intensifies his assault, including airstrikes on the capital, Kyiv. Zelenskyy has pleaded with the U.S. for more air support, including the transfer of planes from neighboring Poland. Civilians in Ukraine are taking up arms to hold back Putin's regime, but the war has launched a mass exodus of more then 2.8 million people from Ukraine. ``The Congress, our country and the world are in awe of the people of Ukraine,'' said Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer in a statement Monday announcing the address. They said all lawmakers are invited to the talk that will be delivered via video at the U.S. Capitol. It comes after Congress recently approved $13.6 billion in emergency military and humanitarian aid for Ukraine. Biden is expected to sign a big spending bill containing Ukraine aid into law on Tuesday, but lawmakers expect to hear more from Zelenskyy about his country's immediate needs. During Pelosi's call last week, Zelenskyy said his country would need help rebuilding from the war. ``We have to do more in terms of meeting the needs of some of the 2.7 million refugees,'' she said. She said of the Ukrainians, ``They're fighting for democracy writ large.'' In their statement Monday, the congressional leaders said Congress ``remains unwavering in our commitment to supporting Ukraine as they face Putin's cruel and diabolical aggression.'' Earlier this month, Zelenskyy spoke by video with House and Senate lawmakers, delivering a desperate plea for more military aid. The Ukrainian president has specifically sought air support to battle the Russians, including the transfer of Soviet-era MiGs from Poland, but the Pentagon has closed the door on that idea for now, worried it could escalate U.S. involvement. Schumer said Monday that it's among the highest honors of any Congress to welcome foreign heads of state, ``but it is nearly unheard of in modern times that we hear from a leader fighting for his life, fighting for his country's survival, and fighting to preserve the very idea of democracy.'' Search Keywords: Short link: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy asked Canadians Tuesday to imagine bombs landing in their communities as he urged the Canadian Parliament and government to exert greater economic and military pressure on Russia. Zelenskyy asked Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and lawmakers for help to enact a no-fly zone over Ukraine. ``Justin, can you imagine you and your children hearing all these severe explosions, the bombing of the airport, the bombing of the Ottawa airport?'' Zelenskyy said. ``Cruise missiles are falling down and your children are asking you `What happened?''' Speaking by video from Ukraine to a packed House of Commons chamber, Zelenskyy said the Russian war on his country is designed to annihilate Ukraine and subjugate its people. ``Dear Justin, dear guests. Can you imagine that every day you receive memorandums about the number of casualties, including women and children?'' he said. ``You heard about the bombings. Currently, we have 97 children that died during this war.'' Zelenskyy evoked British wartime leader Winston Churchill as he told the U.K. Parliament last week that his country would fight Russia's invasion to the end in Ukraine's cities. Zelenskyy also was to speak Wednesday to members of the U.S. House and Senate, an event that will be live-streamed for the public. Canadian lawmakers gave him two standing ovations before he even spoke. ``Can you imagine if the famous CN Tower in Toronto was hit by Russian bombs?'' he said. ``This is our reality.'' The video of Zelenskyy, wearing a green military t-shirt and sweater, was projected onto big screens in the Canadian Parliament. He thanked Canada for its humanitarian and military support and called the country a steadfast ally. ``Please close the sky, close the airspace,'' he said. ``Please stop the bombing. How many more cruise missiles have to fall on our cities until you make this happen?`` Zelenskyy said allies are expressing their deep concern, but it's not enough. ``When we talk to our partners, they say please hold on, hold on a little longer,'' he said. Trudeau said Zelenskyy is inspiring democracies and democratic leaders around the world to be more courageous and united. ``Democracies around the world are lucky to have you as their champion,'' Trudeau told Zelenskyy. ``Your courage, and the courage of your people, inspires all of us.'' Meanwhile, the Russian Embassy website said that Trudeau, Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly, and Defense Minister Anita Anand are among multiple Canadians who have been banned from Russia. Canada, for its part, announced new sanctions on 15 more Russians. Canada has also provided weapons to Ukraine. Canada is home to 1.4 million Canadians of Ukrainian descent. Search Keywords: Short link: The Russian Foreign Ministry says Moscow is withdrawing from the Council of Europe. The ministry said it handed a formal notice about Russia's decision to leave the continent's leading human rights organization to the Council of Europe's Secretary-General Marija Pejcinovic Buric on Tuesday. It said the move followed the Council of Europe's decision to suspend Russia's membership that was taken on Feb. 25. The ministry charged that the Council of Europe has become an instrument of exerting pressure on Russia and alleged that it has been heavily influenced by NATO and the European Union. It said in a statement that its withdrawal from the Council of Europe wouldn't impact human rights and freedoms in the country, which officials said are safeguarded by the Russian constitution. Russia's invasion has sparked widespread allegations of war crimes, as hundreds of Ukrainian civilians have been killed and numerous residential areas have been targeted by Russian troops. Search Keywords: Short link: Activists from the environmental group Greenpeace have blocked access to a Russian-owned oil refinery in Germany in protest of the war in Ukraine. Dozens of activists attached themselves to railroad tracks at the PCK refinery Schwedt, northeast of Berlin, early Tuesday to stop the transport of oil they said originates from western Siberia. The activists carried banners reading Peace Not Oil a reference to Germanys continued import of fossil fuels from Russia despite the Russian attack on Ukraine. The refinery is estimated to account for 90% of the gasoline consumed in Berlin and the surrounding region of Brandenburg. PCK is majority-owned by Russian oil giant Rosneft. The German government has pledged to wean itself off Russian coal and oil by the end of the year. Search Keywords: Short link: China does not want to be impacted by Western economic sanctions on Russia, the foreign ministry said Tuesday, as pressure grows on Beijing to withdraw support from an isolated Moscow. Beijing has refused to condemn its close ally Russia over its invasion of Ukraine, while blaming the United States and NATO's "eastward expansion" for worsening tensions. Moscow and Beijing have grown closer in recent times, in what Washington sees as an increasingly hostile alliance of the authoritarian nuclear powers. "China is not a party to the crisis, still less wants to be affected by the sanctions," Foreign Minister Wang Yi said, according to a readout of a phone call with his Spanish counterpart Jose Manuel Albares published on Tuesday. China has "always opposed using sanctions to solve problems, let alone unilateral sanctions that have no basis in international law", Wang said, according to the readout. Around three weeks after Russian troops marched into Ukraine, Moscow's forces have bombarded and besieged several towns and cities. Wang's comments were published after a seven-hour meeting between high-ranking US and Chinese officials in Rome, at which Washington said the US had expressed concern about "alignment" between Russia and China. US media has reported that Russia has asked China for military and economic assistance, as its troops struggle to make ground and its economy faces devastation from Western sanctions. The New York Times, citing unnamed US officials, said there was no indication whether China had responded. But Beijing has so far sent mixed signals on Russia's bloody invasion and US officials say the jury is still out on how China will act. Foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian on Tuesday told reporters that Beijing "strongly urges the US not to harm China's legitimate rights and interests when handling relations with Russia". Asked about articles saying Moscow had asked Beijing for help, Zhao accused the US of "spreading disinformation" against China. "Our aim is very clear, that is, to promote de-escalation of the situation... and end the conflict," he added. 'Deep concerns' In the Rome meeting on Monday with US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, China's senior diplomat Yang Jiechi reiterated the country's stance that Beijing is "committed to promoting peace talks", the official Xinhua news agency reported Tuesday. China called on all parties to exercise "maximum restraint" and "protect civilians" in the Ukraine crisis at the meeting. The international community should support such talks to achieve substantive results as soon as possible, Yang said. Although Beijing does not back Western sanctions, the White House is pressuring the world's second-largest economy to refrain from rescuing Russia from potential default or sending weaponry. "We've communicated very clearly to Beijing that we won't stand by," State Department spokesman Ned Price said. "We will not allow any country to compensate Russia for its losses." Search Keywords: Short link: The United States on Tuesday reauthorized sanctions against Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko and targeted several senior Russian defense officials as it seeks to punish countries that supported Moscow's invasion of Ukraine. "The United States, with support from allies and partners, is taking action to promote accountability for the Russian and Belarusian governments' human rights abuses and violations within and outside their borders," Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement. Washington again condemned Russian President Vladimir Putin's "premeditated, unjustified, and unprovoked war against Ukraine," as well as Lukashenko's "support and facilitation of the Russian Federation's invasion," he said. Lukashenko has been under US sanctions since 2006, and Washington has tightened restrictions on his government and the country's economy in the wake of Moscow's invasion of Ukraine late last month. The US Treasury described Lukashenko as "the head of a corrupt government in Belarus whose patronage network benefits his inner circle and regime." The latest measures freeze his assets, block any transactions with American entities, and ban his entry into the United States. The penalties also affect his wife, two adult sons, and a minor son. Treasury also announced new sanctions against top defense officials in Russia, including eight deputy ministers of defense as well as the director-general of a state-controlled organization that trades military goods internationally. Among the officials is Viktor Zolotov, head of Moscow's National Guard, which Blinken said "has cracked down on Russian citizens who have taken to the streets to protest their government's brutal campaign in Ukraine" and also is "responsible for suppressing dissent in occupied areas of" Russia's neighbor. Two members of Russia's Federal Security Agency are sanctioned for their involvement in torture, the State Department said, while six others are targeted for attacks on dissidents from Chechnya living in Europe. Washington also imposed visa restrictions on 25 people it said were involved in "undermining democracy in Belarus." Search Keywords: Short link: EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell has confirmed the bloc is poised to impose a fourth round of sanctions against Russia for its invasion of Ukraine. Speaking in Skopje during a visit to the North Macedonian capital on Monday, the EU's top diplomat accused Moscow of targeting civilians in its war against Ukraine, noting that "more than" 2,400 civilians had died in the besieged port city of Mariupol alone. "Putin's war is not only about Ukraine, it's about security and stability of our European continent. It affects all of us," Borrell said, adding that another package of sanctions targeting Russia's steel, coal, and energy sectors, as well as its market access and membership in international financial institutions. "This will be another major blow to the economic and logistic base upon which the Kremlin is building the invasion and taking the resources to finance it," Borrell said. He gave no further details. Coronavirus vaccinations for children aged 5-11 will start on March 31 after youngsters aged 12-17 started getting their second jabs on Monday. Health authorities on Monday said 5-11 year-olds will be given a smaller dose of the Pfizer vaccine to "effectively respond to the Omicron variant." The 3.07 million kids in this age group will be vaccinated with an interval of eight weeks between the first and second doses. But they can get a second dose three weeks after their first if they need it for personal reasons. Authorities urged parents to vaccinate immunodeficient children and those with chronic lung, heart, liver or kidney diseases or with diabetes and obesity. Pfizer's Comirnaty developed for the 5-11 year-olds is the same as the vaccine for kids over 12 except for dosage, which is only about one-third. SK will build a battery plant in Turkey in partnership with the largest Turkish industrial company as well as Ford. SK On, SK Innovation's battery subsidiary, said Monday it has signed a memorandum of understanding with the U.S. auto giant and Koc Holding As to form a joint venture to produce batteries in Turkey. SK On will reportedly invest a total of W3 trillion in the joint venture (US$1=W1,238). Koc Holding, the only company in Turkey to be included in Fortune's Global 500 list, has 80 affiliates in the energy, finance, home appliances and automobile sectors. It is Turkey's No. 1 company in terms of sales, exports, number of employees and market capitalization. The joint venture factory, which will be built near Ankara, will produce batteries with an annual capacity of 30-45 GWh and start operations as early as 2025. It will supply batteries for 200,000 to 300,000 cars for Ford Otosan, a car manufacturing company equally owned by Ford and Koc Holding. Ford Otosan is the biggest carmaker in Turkey, with annual production capacity of 455,000 cars including the Transit van. By Azernews By Vugar Khalilov Officers of the State Customs Committee have foiled an attempt to smuggle about 98 kg of heroin into Azerbaijan via the Iranian border, the committee reported on March 14. An X-ray machine was used to inspect a truck driven by an Iranian citizen and carrying cargo to Bulgaria through the territory of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic at the Julfa border checkpoint. Suspicious images were discovered in the vehicle's tank as a result of the X-ray inspection. A total of 97.8 kg of heroin were found in 113 parcels in a three-part secret storage facility made in an artificially made fuel tank on the driver's side of the vehicle. A criminal case has been launched by the investigation department of the State Customs Committee of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic under Azerbaijani Criminal Code Article 206 (smuggling). In an interview with the local media in late 2021, a senior official of the State Customs Committee said that Afghanistan is a major producer of drugs. As Iran borders both Afghanistan and Azerbaijan, drugs are traditionally smuggled in from Afghanistan into Iran and then into Azerbaijan. Given our country's geographical location, drug traffickers attempt to smuggle drugs into European countries along the Balkan route via Azerbaijan. KYODO NEWS - Mar 16, 2022 - 00:07 | All, World Ukraine and Russia resumed their fourth round of cease-fire talks on Tuesday, a Ukrainian official said, as Moscow's forces expanded further into the Eastern European country's territory and conflict raged in several regions. The two sides had paused discussions after meeting online Monday. Cease-fire talks between Kyiv and Moscow have so far failed to yield significant results as the war entered its 20th day. "Negotiations are ongoing," Mykhailo Podolyak, adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, said on Twitter, adding that the renewed consultations included such topics as a cease-fire and the withdrawal of troops from Ukrainian territory. Also Tuesday, the leaders of Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovenia are slated to visit the Ukrainian capital Kyiv and meet with Zelenskyy in a show of support from the European Union, Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala said on Facebook. The visit by Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki and Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Jansa as well as Fiala is to "confirm the unequivocal support of the entire European Union for the sovereignty and independence of Ukraine," the Czech leader said. Morawiecki said on Twitter, "Europe must guarantee Ukraine's independence and ensure that it is ready to help in Ukraine's reconstruction." Meanwhile, Russia's Defense Ministry said Tuesday it has taken full control of the Kherson region in southern Ukraine. If true, it would be the first oblast to be taken by Russia since the invasion began on Feb. 24. An oblast is an administrative division equivalent to a state or province. The capture would also be a strategic win for Russian forces, which can now control Kherson's coastline adjacent to the neighboring Crimean Peninsula, which Moscow seized from Ukraine in 2014. Officials in the western city of Rivne said 19 people were killed after Russian missiles struck a television tower on Monday, while casualties were also reported in Kyiv, where at least four people died after apartment blocks were shelled. As Russian forces edged closer, Kyiv Mayor Vitaliy Klitschko said Tuesday the capital will go under curfew for 35 hours from 8 p.m. The mayor called on residents to avoid going out except when moving into bomb shelters. Many refugees have fled to cities in the west like Lviv, or crossed the border into neighboring countries like Poland. Around 3 million people are estimated to have been displaced by the conflict, according to the International Organization for Migration, a U.N. agency. A humanitarian corridor opened in hard-hit Mariupol has allowed around 2,000 cars to flee the city, the city said Tuesday. The civilian death toll stands at 2,500 since Russian forces began to lay siege to the southeastern port city, according to Reuters news agency, but local authorities reportedly estimate that the true figure is far higher. KYODO NEWS - Mar 15, 2022 - 22:21 | All, Japan Japan asked the United Arab Emirates on Tuesday to make "proactive contributions" as a major oil producer, and the two agreed to work closely to help stabilize surging crude oil prices triggered by Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said. After a phone call with Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Kishida told reporters that Japan and the UAE -- a nonpermanent member of the U.N. Security Council -- will also seek closer coordination in responding to the crisis in Ukraine. The UAE is a member of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and is a major exporter, along with Saudi Arabia, to resource-scarce Japan. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of Japan-UAE diplomatic relations. "I asked for the UAE's proactive contributions as an OPEC member," Kishida told reporters after his roughly 15-minute call. "The presence of the UAE is big when it comes to stabilizing global crude oil markets," he said, without revealing whether he had asked for an output increase. Russia is one of the world's major crude oil and natural gas producers and the war in Ukraine has heightened geopolitical risks and supply concerns. Surging crude oil and other commodity prices have raised alarm among policymakers in Japan, which relies on foreign nations for energy. To mitigate the impact of higher fuel costs, the government has increased its subsidies for wholesalers to lower gasoline prices. The aggression in Ukraine by Russia, a permanent member of the U.N. Security Council, has triggered international condemnation and a raft of economic and financial sanctions to hold Moscow accountable. Kishida has said the "reckless" act of Russia has raised the need for a new framework for global order. He vowed at a ruling party convention on Sunday that his administration will "make its utmost" effort to reform the U.N. Security Council. The UAE abstained from a vote on a U.S.-led resolution condemning Russia's invasion of Ukraine, along with China and India. Russia vetoed it. But the UAE voted for a resolution by the U.N. General Assembly demanding Russia immediately end its military offensive in Ukraine. Related coverage: FOCUS:Resource-poor Japan cautious about sanctions targeting Russian energy Japan foreign minister eyes visit to UAE, Turkey to discuss Ukraine Japan to work closely with G-7 after U.S. ban on Russian oil: Kishida By Ayano Shimizu, KYODO NEWS - Mar 15, 2022 - 09:32 | All, Japan While some Western countries have been backing away from energy resources from Russia as part of sanctions over its invasion of Ukraine, resource-poor Japan is taking a more cautious approach due to its heavy dependence on energy imports. The United States announced earlier this month it will ban Russian oil and other energy imports in what is largely a symbolic move to punish Moscow over its aggression as Washington is not a major importer of Russian oil. Britain also said that it will phase out imports of Russian oil by the end of the year. But experts said it is not easy for Japan and its companies to follow suit, including giving up their stakes in the Sakhalin 1 and Sakhalin 2 large-scale oil and gas projects in the Russian Far East due to their importance to Japan's energy security. Japan's energy self-sufficiency rate was as low as 11.2 percent as of fiscal 2020 through March 2021, according to Japan's Agency for Natural Resources and Energy. Russia accounted for 3.6 percent of Japanese crude oil imports, and 8.8 percent of its liquefied natural gas imports in 2021, data from the Japan External Trade Organization show. The response of the Japanese government and companies to the Sakhalin 1 and Sakhalin 2 projects has been in focus since oil majors Shell PLC of Britain and American Exxon Mobil Corp. announced ends to their respective involvements in them following Moscow's invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24. Japan's Sakhalin Oil and Gas Development Co., invested in by the government as well as trading houses Itochu Corp. and Marubeni Corp. among others, owns a 30 percent stake in Sakhalin 1. Trading houses Mitsui & Co. and Mitsubishi Corp. hold a 12.5 percent and 10 percent stake, respectively, in the Sakhalin 2 project, in which Russian energy giant Gazprom PJSC has about a 50 percent stake. The joint venture produces most of Japan's gas imports from Moscow. Hiroshi Hashimoto, head of the gas group at the Institute of Energy Economics, Japan, said he believes it is "unrealistic" for Japan to pull out of the Sakhalin projects in view of the potential blow to the Japanese economy and people's lives. "Japan is in a different position from oil majors from other countries rich in their own resources," Hashimoto said, stressing the importance of the Sakhalin projects for stable energy supplies to Japan. Japan has been promoting energy imports from Russia due to its geographical vicinity and the necessity to reduce its reliance on the Middle East. Sakhalin island, which hosts the two projects, is located north of Japan's northern main island of Hokkaido. The Sakhalin 1 project, from which Exxon Mobil announced its withdrawal, was launched in 1995 and has been supplying Japan with crude oil since 2006. Meanwhile, the Sakhalin 2 venture, the project exited by Shell, has an annual output capacity of about 10 million tons of LNG, with Japan, China and South Korea among the major importers. It began LNG exports in 2009. Taisuke Abiru, senior research fellow at the Sasakawa Peace Foundation, said the Sakhalin 2 project is not "simply a corporate venture" for Japan. "There have been concerns over the project in light of the risk to the companies' reputations. But Mitsui and Mitsubishi seem to recognize its importance in ensuring Japan's energy security," he said. Both companies have said they will continue discussions about the project with the Japanese government and other relevant stakeholders. Hashimoto said Japan would have to find alternative energy sources if it pulls out of the projects, which could lead to higher energy prices. The country might need to turn more to renewable energy or nuclear power generation, or ask people to save energy to make up for the loss. Senior Japanese government officials and business leaders have also underlined the country's difficult position, expressing reluctance to reach a decision immediately. Koichi Hagiuda, Japan's industry minister, said last week Japan should take a "wait-and-see" approach over joining Western nations in pulling the plug on the energy projects. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida told a press conference earlier this month that ensuring a stable energy supply is a "national interest that must be protected with maximum" efforts. He said a decision on the Sakhalin 1 venture, which involves the Japanese government given its stake in Sakhalin Oil and Gas Development Co., must be made following a sufficient assessment of the situation from the standpoint of stabilizing Japan's energy supply and security. Hashimoto of the Institute of Energy Economics, Japan, said Tokyo must also consider when mulling pulling out of the projects whether companies from other countries would simply take Japan's place in the ventures, rendering the sanctions step ineffective. As the Ukraine crisis continues, the world faces the issue of how to deal with Russia and how much they should depend on the country, Abiru of the Sasakawa foundation said. "Russia is one of the largest natural gas and crude oil producers, so it is difficult to completely remove Moscow from the global economy in the short run," he said. But for Japan, Abiru said, continuing participation in the two Sakhalin projects may bring benefits in the long run. "The relationship between Japan and Russia has worsened due to the Ukraine crisis. But if the two countries continue energy cooperation, it may be a catalyst for improving ties in the future," he said. Related coverage: Ukraine, Russia hold 4th round of cease-fire talks FOCUS: Business exodus from Russia has limited impact on Japan economy G-7 to take steps to strip Russia of trade benefits as WTO member KYODO NEWS - Mar 15, 2022 - 22:30 | World, All U.S. forces stationed in South Korea have increased the intensity of exercises involving the Patriot missile defense system amid growing signs of another North Korean missile test. U.S. Forces Korea on Tuesday said in a statement that an air defense artillery brigade conducted air and missile defense operations with the Patriot missile system emplaced, adding the reinforced exercises underscore "the seriousness" with which USFK takes North Korea's recent missile launches. The announcement of the beefed-up drills comes as speculation has been growing that North Korea will test an intercontinental ballistic missile this week after hinting in January that it could resume nuclear and ICBM tests for the first time since 2017. It has conducted nine series of missile tests this year. "USFK remains at a high level of readiness and continues to maintain a robust combined defense posture to protect the ROK against any threat or adversary," the U.S. forces said, using the acronym for the Republic of Korea, South Korea's official name. On the same day, the U.S. Air Force flew a spy plane over the Korean Peninsula, Yonhap News Agency said, citing a flight-tracking website. The Flightradar24 website showed the RC-135S Cobra Ball spy aircraft left Kadena Air Base in Okinawa Prefecture, southern Japan, and flew a sortie around the peninsula apparently to monitor military activities in North Korea, according to the report. Meanwhile, the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command said it has conducted an exercise of fighter jets from an aircraft carrier in the Yellow Sea in the wake of Pyongyang's increased pace and scale of ballistic missile launches. North Korea's two most recent missile tests, on Feb. 27 and March 5, involved a new ICBM system, the United States said last week, based on an assessment conducted in coordination with Japan and South Korea. Related coverage: U.S. calls on China to rap North Korea over provocative missile tests U.S. sanctions Russian firms after North Korea found testing ICBM system North Korea's Kim seeks to expand key missile facility amid ICBM concern KYODO NEWS - Mar 15, 2022 - 12:32 | World, All U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan warned during talks with top Chinese diplomat Yang Jiechi on Monday that Beijing will face "consequences" if it provides Russia with military and other assistance over its invasion of Ukraine, U.S. officials said. The meeting, which took place in Rome, was "intense" and lasted for seven hours, a senior U.S. official who spoke on condition of anonymity said, adding Sullivan also raised such issues as North Korea's provocative missile tests and Beijing's pressure on Taiwan. No major agreements were announced following the talks. The official said the meeting was "not about negotiating any specific issues or outcomes" but about "a candid direct exchange of views." Concern has been growing inside the U.S. government about China's alignment with Russia, as the war in Ukraine has entered its third week and Moscow is facing severe economic sanctions imposed by the West that have raised the possibility of a Russian debt default. "I think what we have conveyed -- and what was conveyed by our national security adviser in this meeting -- is that should they provide military or other assistance that of course violates sanctions or supports the war effort, that there will be significant consequences," White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said. State Department spokesman Ned Price told a separate press conference that the U.S. delegation "raised directly and very clearly" its concerns about China's support for Russia in the wake of the invasion. The U.S. delegation also noted "the implications that any such support would have" for China's relationship not only with the United States but Washington's allies and partners in Europe and in the Indo-Pacific, Price said. According to some media, the United States determined that China had signaled to Russia that it would be willing to provide both military support for the campaign in Ukraine and financial backing to help cushion the impact of the Western sanctions. The assessment had reportedly been relayed to Western and Asian allies and partners earlier Monday. China's state-run Xinhua News Agency reported Yang said in the meeting that Beijing strongly opposes "any words and deeds that spread false information" or "distort and discredit" its position. Yang was also quoted as saying, "China always stands for respecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries," while suggesting that Russia's security concerns need to be heard. Sullivan and Yang met in person for the first time since October, when they held talks in Switzerland. Their engagement followed up on a virtual meeting between U.S. President Joe Biden and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping in November, according to the U.S. and Chinese governments. The White House said in a press release that the Rome meeting underscored the importance of maintaining open lines of communication between the United States and China amid their growing military and economic rivalry. Sullivan underscored concerns about China's "provocative" actions toward Taiwan, a self-ruled island that Beijing views as its own. He also noted "recent escalatory actions" by Pyongyang that has been advancing its weapons programs, according to the senior U.S. official, apparently referring to recent intercontinental ballistic missile system tests. "The national security adviser was clear...not only about those concerns (on North Korea), but also about the steps that we believe are necessary in this moment and the work that we hope to be able to engage with China on," the official said, apparently taking into consideration that Beijing is Pyongyang's most important ally and economic benefactor. But whether the latest talks will lead China to change its stance on key issues remains unclear. Russia launched a military attack on Ukraine on Feb. 24 after asserting that its own security was under threat from the potential expansion of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and the possibility of Kyiv joining the alliance. Earlier in February, China and Russia declared that their friendship has "no limits" in a joint statement issued after a meeting between Xi and Russian President Vladimir Putin. In the statement, China expressed support for Russia's opposition to the further enlargement of NATO, while Moscow affirmed Taiwan is an "inalienable part" of the Asian country. When the U.N. General Assembly adopted a nonbinding resolution censuring Russia earlier in March, China was among the 35 countries that abstained from voting. Related coverage: Kyiv citizens carry on as before with war on their doorstep G-7 to take steps to strip Russia of trade benefits as WTO member No progress made in Russia-Ukraine top diplomats' cease-fire talks KYODO NEWS - Mar 15, 2022 - 17:59 | All, Japan The House of Representatives approved Tuesday a new Japan-U.S. agreement on Tokyo's budget for hosting U.S. forces in Japan, paving the way for raising the amount for the next five years to 1.05 trillion yen ($8.90 billion). The so-called host nation support for the five-year period from fiscal 2022 starting April is expected to increase 75 billion yen from the amount spent between fiscal 2016 and 2020, reflecting U.S. requests for Tokyo to foot more of the costs amid China's growing assertiveness and the severe security environment in the region. With the current agreement expiring at the end of this month, the government aims to have the new pact quickly endorsed by the House of Councillors. While Tokyo and Washington launched negotiations on the new budget plan in 2020, they extended the previous agreement for a year through fiscal 2021 as the timing coincided with the U.S. presidential election. The largest host nation support shouldered by Tokyo was 1.35 trillion yen spent in the five years from fiscal 1996. The new budget covers the costs to acquire an advanced system to be used in joint exercises of Japan's Self-Defense Forces and U.S troops, as well as for building facilities, such as hangars. Given domestic criticism for covering electricity, fuel and water expenses at the U.S. bases in Japan with the budget, the amount allocated for those items will be gradually reduced. Related coverage: Japan's defense budget for 2022 hits record for 8th year Japan to pay 75 bil. yen more under new 5-yr deal to host U.S. troops Japan to up 5-yr budget for hosting U.S. troops to 1.05 tril. yen BEIRUT, March 14 (Xinhua) -- Visiting Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul-Gheit on Monday called on the international community to help Lebanon through its pressing conditions of hosting hundreds of thousands of refugees in its territory, according to a statement by Lebanon's Presidency. During his meeting with Lebanese President Michel Aoun, Aboul-Gheit said Lebanon had paid a heavy price for more than 10 years because of the presence of refugees on its territories, and this should not be disregarded by the international community. "Lebanon hosted refugees for many years without any external support. We should not miss this point, especially in the current situation," he noted. Aoun told Aboul-Gheit about the difficulties faced by Lebanon in hosting a big number of refugees, urging quick solutions to this crisis especially when stability has prevailed in some of the Syrian cities. On the elections issue, Aboul-Gheit noted "a great determination from President Aoun to organize the elections" at a time when some people fear the postponement of the vote, adding the Arab League is ready to send a team to supervise the legislative elections on May 15. "We have already taken this step in Algeria, Iraq, Palestine, and many other regions, and I think we will implement it in Lebanon," the Arab League chief said. Aboul-Gheit, who arrived on Monday in Lebanon to follow up on the latest developments in the crisis-hit country, also met with Prime Minister Najib Mikati and House Speaker Nabih Berri. Afghans stand in line to leave the country at Islam Qala, a town along the border with Iran in the western Herat province of Afghanistan, March 3, 2022. The U.S.-led coalition force's 20-year war in Afghanistan caused poverty and forced hundreds of thousands of Afghans to leave homeland. In the wake of the withdrawal of the U.S.-led forces in August last year, Washington imposed sanctions on Kabul's new rulers, freezing nearly 10 billion U.S. dollars worth of assets of Afghanistan's central bank, which further worsened the country's smashed economy and forced many Afghans to migrate for livelihood. (Photo by Mashal/Xinhua) HERAT, Afghanistan, March 14 (Xinhua) -- The U.S.-led coalition force's 20-year war in Afghanistan caused poverty and forced hundreds of thousands of Afghans to leave homeland. In the wake of the withdrawal of the U.S.-led forces in August last year, Washington imposed sanctions on Kabul's new rulers, freezing nearly 10 billion U.S. dollars worth of assets of Afghanistan's central bank, which further worsened the country's smashed economy and forced many Afghans to migrate for livelihood. U.S. President Joe Biden in a decree in February moved 7 billion dollars of the frozen Afghan assets to fund humanitarian assistance to Afghan people and compensate victims of the 9/11 terror attacks. The decision has been blasted by Afghans as unjust and illegitimate. On Monday, a large number of children took to the streets in the western Herat city, condemning the U.S. for stealing Afghanistan's fund and calling on the international community to press Biden to unfreeze the assets. Many Afghans are leaving homeland to immediate neighbors including Iran, which borders Herat province. Mohammad Alam Amini is one of the destitute Afghans who has left his home in the northern Sari Pul province for Iran. "We have nothing to eat. It is a daunting challenge, for which I left for Iran hopefully for one or two years, and then I will return home with full hands," Amini said. Waiting at the Islam Qala crossing point, a border town connecting Afghanistan to Iran, Amini told Xinhua, "I wish that Afghanistan would become a stable and prosperous country one day and our people do not need to go abroad," Amini said. Afghanistan has been facing poverty and high unemployment rate. More than 22 million out of the 35 million population in Afghanistan, according to aid agencies, are facing acute food shortage. Many infrastructures were destroyed during decades of war and the new administration in Kabul has been facing cash scarcity. Some, however, seem optimistic about the future of the country. "The security has been improved and criminal activities including theft, robbery, kidnapping and killing have drastically dropped down in Afghanistan and the future of the country seems promising," another Afghan migrant Barakatullah Gulzar told Xinhua at the border crossing point. Having tourist visa, Gulzar, a resident of Herat province, said he is going to visit Iran for merely a few days and then return home. Mawlawi Hamayon Humat, the deputy commissioner for Islam Qala border point, told Xinhua that the number of refugees has reduced due to improved security in Afghanistan. "In the past years, between 3,500 to 4,000 Afghans crossed the border to Iran daily but the number has reduced to 1,500 nowadays due to the improved security and increasing optimism about the future," Humat said. Migrating Afghans are seen at Islam Qala, a town along the border with Iran in the western Herat province of Afghanistan, March 3, 2022. The U.S.-led coalition force's 20-year war in Afghanistan caused poverty and forced hundreds of thousands of Afghans to leave homeland. In the wake of the withdrawal of the U.S.-led forces in August last year, Washington imposed sanctions on Kabul's new rulers, freezing nearly 10 billion U.S. dollars worth of assets of Afghanistan's central bank, which further worsened the country's smashed economy and forced many Afghans to migrate for livelihood. (Photo by Mashal/Xinhua) Afghans stand in line to leave the country at Islam Qala, a town along the border with Iran in the western Herat province of Afghanistan, March 3, 2022. The U.S.-led coalition force's 20-year war in Afghanistan caused poverty and forced hundreds of thousands of Afghans to leave homeland. In the wake of the withdrawal of the U.S.-led forces in August last year, Washington imposed sanctions on Kabul's new rulers, freezing nearly 10 billion U.S. dollars worth of assets of Afghanistan's central bank, which further worsened the country's smashed economy and forced many Afghans to migrate for livelihood. (Photo by Mashal/Xinhua) Afghan men leave the country at Islam Qala, a town along the border with Iran in the western Herat province of Afghanistan, March 3, 2022. The U.S.-led coalition force's 20-year war in Afghanistan caused poverty and forced hundreds of thousands of Afghans to leave homeland. In the wake of the withdrawal of the U.S.-led forces in August last year, Washington imposed sanctions on Kabul's new rulers, freezing nearly 10 billion U.S. dollars worth of assets of Afghanistan's central bank, which further worsened the country's smashed economy and forced many Afghans to migrate for livelihood. (Photo by Mashal/Xinhua) An Afghan woman holds her child as she leaves the country at Islam Qala, a town along the border with Iran in the western Herat province of Afghanistan, March 3, 2022. The U.S.-led coalition force's 20-year war in Afghanistan caused poverty and forced hundreds of thousands of Afghans to leave homeland. In the wake of the withdrawal of the U.S.-led forces in August last year, Washington imposed sanctions on Kabul's new rulers, freezing nearly 10 billion U.S. dollars worth of assets of Afghanistan's central bank, which further worsened the country's smashed economy and forced many Afghans to migrate for livelihood. (Photo by Mashal/Xinhua) Afghans stand in line to leave the country at Islam Qala, a town along the border with Iran in the western Herat province of Afghanistan, March 3, 2022. The U.S.-led coalition force's 20-year war in Afghanistan caused poverty and forced hundreds of thousands of Afghans to leave homeland. In the wake of the withdrawal of the U.S.-led forces in August last year, Washington imposed sanctions on Kabul's new rulers, freezing nearly 10 billion U.S. dollars worth of assets of Afghanistan's central bank, which further worsened the country's smashed economy and forced many Afghans to migrate for livelihood. (Photo by Mashal/Xinhua) Migrating Afghans are seen at Islam Qala, a town along the border with Iran in the western Herat province of Afghanistan, March 3, 2022. The U.S.-led coalition force's 20-year war in Afghanistan caused poverty and forced hundreds of thousands of Afghans to leave homeland. In the wake of the withdrawal of the U.S.-led forces in August last year, Washington imposed sanctions on Kabul's new rulers, freezing nearly 10 billion U.S. dollars worth of assets of Afghanistan's central bank, which further worsened the country's smashed economy and forced many Afghans to migrate for livelihood. (Photo by Mashal/Xinhua) JERUSALEM, March 14 (Xinhua) -- Israel has decided to formulate a national plan to strengthen the development of artificial intelligence (AI), the country's Finance Ministry announced in a statement on Monday. The decision was made against the background of the global race for leadership in the field of AI, according to the statement. The plan includes the promotion of AI in academia, research and development, as well as industry, with the goal to enhance Israel's strength in this strategic field that has become a platform and basis for world economies and thus generate revenues for the Israeli economy, the statement said. Promoting AI is a condition for the continued prosperity of research and hi-tech and their expansion into other fields of industry for accelerating growth and raising productivity, it noted. The plan was agreed by Israeli Finance Minister Avigdor Lieberman and Innovation, Science and Technology Minister Orit Farkash-Hacohen, and is expected to be presented in a month. "Taking part in the global development of AI is expected to reward the Israeli citizens in the long run," Lieberman said. "Investment in future development is expected to be a significant force multiplier in the future development of the Israeli economy," he added. "Artificial intelligence is the basis for the future of Israel's science and hi-tech ... Its use has become critical in almost every field," Farkash-Hacohen noted. The new plan is expected to strengthen a previous national AI program Israel launched in 2020, according to the statement. The amount of investment on the plan is not ready for publication yet, according to the spokesperson of Farkash-Hacohen. According to the statement, the amount of investment on the plan will be included in the state budget for 2023-2024, and the government plans to present the budget to parliament for approval in September. ADEN, Yemen, March 15 (Xinhua) -- At least 12 people were killed and over a dozen others injured when a car bomb went off on a security convoy in Yemen's southern province of Abyan on Tuesday, a government official told Xinhua. The explosives-laden vehicle in the provincial capital of Zinjibar "targeted a convoy of Brigadier Abdul-Lafif Sayed, chief of the newly-recruited security forces" affiliated with the Southern Transitional Council, the local government official said on condition of anonymity. He confirmed that the explosion killed 12 bodyguards of the security official, who himself was slightly injured, and wounded about 15 others, all are members of the security forces based in Abyan. Witnesses said the explosion was very powerful and rocked the neighborhoods of Zinjibar, causing panic among local residents. So far, no one has claimed responsibility for the car bomb attack, but local security officials suspected that gunmen believed to be members of the Yemen-based al-Qaida were behind the terror incident. The Yemen-based al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) network, which mostly operates in eastern and southern provinces, has been responsible for many high-profile attacks against security forces in the country. The AQAP has exploited years of deadly conflicts between the Yemeni government and Houthi militia to expand its presence in some key areas of the war-ravaged Arab country. The e-commerce market value in the UAE reached just over $5 billion in 2021 and is anticipated to surpass $8 billion by 2025, according to a report by EZDubai, an e-commerce zone in Dubai South and Euromonitor International, a top provider for global business intelligence. More consumers in the UAE made online purchases across all categories during 2021 compared to 2020, with an average 75% of respondents typically purchasing online, reported Emirates News Agency WAM, citing the report. The fastest-growing sectors by industry from 2021 2025 will be homewares & home furnishings, food & beverage, and media products. Countries in the Middle East are in a strong position to enable further e-commerce development thanks to high GDP per capita and internet penetration. The UAE and Qatar are in the strongest position, with GDP per capita above $40,000 and internet penetration above 90%. Both countries have successfully implemented fiber access in homes and have the highest active mobile-broadband subscriptions in the region. E-commerce in the Mena region is fast catching up with global powerhouses, such as China, with many online retailers scaling up services during Covid-19; by 2021, the total market size was estimated at $31.7 billion. The expansion of e-commerce in the Mena region is mainly driven by strong internet penetration rates, high possession of digital devices, rising incomes, improving logistic advancements, and the increasing presence of global and recognized players that have brought variety and availability to local consumers amidst the pandemic. While the Mena is mostly a cash-based economy, after the pandemic, consumers shifted quickly to adopt credit and debit cards, driven by increased trust and the improvement of company operations. According to the report, in the UAE, credit/debit cards are the preferred method of payment. UAE consumers purchase from cross-border retailers to access a wider range of products or search for lower prices or higher quality products not offered locally. The UAE also has affordable shipping costs for consumers looking to purchase outside the region. The leading countries, which UAE consumers purchase from include the USA, India and China and are often related to apparel and footwear as well as beauty and personal care. Foreign e-commerce (UAE consumers purchasing outside of the country) is rising fast, from 23% of total e-commerce sales in 2019 to 26% in 2021; this is expected to rise to 32% in 2025. The Mena is an active region for attracting local and international investments in e-commerce. With the current pace of developments and growing consumer preference for online retail, the region will see e-commerce growth of over $18 billion in absolute value terms over 2021-2025 reaching over $49 billion in 2025. Mohsen Ahmad, CEO of the Logistics District - Dubai South, said: "We are pleased to launch the second e-commerce report in partnership with Euromonitor and share the latest insights on the sector with our stakeholders. The growth of e-commerce that is witnessed in the UAE and the Mena region encourages us to work harder and closer with our e-commerce players in order to boost the sector, so that the emirates e-commerce market becomes a global powerhouse. The relentless government support as well as the services and solutions that we tailor for our clients to fulfil their objectives, are key factors in the advancement of the sector. At EZDubai, we will continue to cater to the rising demand that comes in tandem to the growth of online buyers and internet penetration." Hussein Doughan, General Manager of Euromonitor International in Dubai, said: "The launch of the second e-commerce report in the Mena region, is due to several factors, among which is the growth of the e-commerce sector that reached over $31.7 billion in 2021. We are delighted to present the report in partnership with EZDubai, and to provide industry players with a strong understanding of the key opportunities in the e-commerce industry through market growth performance, key success factors and category analysis." BEIJING, March 15 (Xinhua) -- The Group of 20 (G20) is the premier forum for international economic cooperation, not an appropriate platform to discuss political security issues such as Ukraine, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said Tuesday. Spokesperson Zhao Lijian made the remarks at a daily press briefing in response to a query on an Indonesian official's recent comments that the G20 is a multilateral economic cooperation mechanism and, as Indonesia holds the rotating presidency of G20, it does not intend to include the Ukraine crisis in the current agenda. Zhao said that under the current circumstances, G20 is shouldering important responsibilities in advancing international anti-pandemic cooperation and maintaining the stability and recovery of the world economy. He called on G20 to stick to its mandate, deepen solidarity and cooperation, and work for a joint response to prominent challenges such as global public health and economic and financial issues. China supports Indonesia in promoting cooperation across the board in accordance with the established agenda, Zhao said, adding that China will continue to get deeply involved in the preparation process of the Bali Summit and make positive contribution to improving global economic governance and promoting post-pandemic economic and social recovery. * In the name of "press freedom," the Western media have produced piles of fake reports on China with their Chinese employees as authors or co-authors. * It is a miscalculation by the Western media that their anti-China stories will enjoy more credibility if told by journalists with Asian faces. * Manipulating these journalists to misrepresent China and stir up ideological bias against the country has once again revealed that so-called "press freedom" touted by the Western media is just a handy tool to advance a narrow political agenda. BEIJING, March 15 (Xinhua) -- In a recent smear campaign against China, the Western media have recruited a cohort of Chinese media practitioners as pawns to propagate their China-bashing rhetoric. Don't expect these anti-China stories to be convincing, even if narrated by Chinese journalists, most of whom are born in China and appear in front of television screens as so-called "China experts." Manipulating these journalists to misrepresent China and stir up ideological bias against the country has once again revealed that so-called "press freedom" touted by the Western media is just a handy tool to advance a narrow political agenda. ANTI-CHINA MISINFORMATION A staff member carries medical supplies donated by the China Chamber of Commerce in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Jan. 26, 2021. (Xinhua/Michael Tewelde) In the name of "press freedom," the Western media have produced piles of fake reports on China with their Chinese employees as authors or co-authors. The stories have distorted China's domestic and foreign policies and reinforced the highly biased image of China in the Western world, gravely violating basic professional ethics and eliminating any sense of objectivity. China's anti-pandemic fight has been one of the primary targets in this misinformation war. The Western media's Chinese employees have written articles claiming that China covered up the COVID-19 outbreak in Wuhan at the beginning and misled the world in COVID-19 origins tracing. They have also criticized China's approach to handling the pandemic as "too rigid." The facts speak for themselves. China reported the outbreak to the World Health Organization early on, shared the genome sequence of the virus with the rest of the world, and released information about the epidemic in a timely, open and transparent manner. China has also been active in sharing anti-epidemic response experiences with the world and sending large quantities of supplies, vaccines and medicines to other countries, and has been engaged in science-based cooperation on COVID-19 origins tracing. Furthermore, China has enjoyed widespread support from the Chinese public in its approach to stemming the spread of the disease. World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus gives a speech via video during a virtual Briefing on China's Experience on COVID-19 Response in Beijing, capital of China, March 12, 2020. (National Health Commission/Handout via Xinhua) Chinese reporters in Western media have also cobbled together "evidence" depicting China's so-called human rights violations. Among these fabrications are the deplorable reports about the so-called "genocide" and "forced labor" in Xinjiang, which have been debunked by Chinese and foreign experts, ordinary people living there, as well as official data. The same ploy has also been manipulated to slander China as an irresponsible player on the international stage. Such baseless accusations have torn up the Western media's claim of being the epitome of trustworthiness and objectivity. PSEUDO "CHINA EXPERTS" It is a miscalculation by the Western media that their anti-China stories will enjoy more credibility if told by journalists with Asian faces. Nothing could be further from the truth, but that hasn't stopped Western media from claiming their reporters are "China experts." Chi Wang, president of the U.S.-China Policy Foundation who previously served as the head of the Chinese section at the U.S. Library of Congress, said individuals who have no qualms over claiming expertise "are crawling out of the woodwork." In the United States, these so-called experts either smear China or extol the importance of confronting China in critical fields. "It seems everyone with a pen, an opinion, and an audience is suddenly somehow an expert on arguably the most complex bilateral relationship in the world," said Wang, also a professor of U.S.-China relations and modern China at U.S. Georgetown University. A cotton picker works in the fields at Yuli County, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Oct. 24, 2021. (Xinhua/Zhao Ge) Failing to comprehend China's development path, how Confucianism shapes Chinese social interactions and how human rights operate in China, these so-called "China experts" have become accomplices in the Western media's misinformation campaigns and partially explain the public's declining confidence in the news media. In the 21st annual Edelman Trust Barometer released last year, researchers found that for the first time, less than half of all Americans say they have any trust in U.S. mainstream media, with 56 percent believing that "journalists and reporters are purposely trying to mislead people by saying things they know are false or gross exaggerations." In September 2021, Javier Garcia, then head of the Beijing office of Spain's EFE News Agency, announced his decision to leave journalism because "the embarrassing information war against China has taken a good dose of my enthusiasm for this profession." Garcia had enough of the Western media's obsession with tarnishing China's image. The American public is fed up, too. (Video editors: Liu Xiaorui, Mu Xuyao) An Afghan woman holds her child as she leaves the country at Islam Qala, a town along the border with Iran in the western Herat province of Afghanistan, March 3, 2022. (Photo by Mashal/Xinhua) "We have nothing to eat. It is a daunting challenge, for which I left for Iran hopefully for one or two years, and then I will return home with full hands," an Afghan said when waiting at a border checkpoint neighboring Iran. HERAT, Afghanistan, March 15 (Xinhua) -- The U.S.-led coalition force's 20-year war in Afghanistan caused poverty and forced hundreds of thousands of Afghans to leave homeland. In the wake of the withdrawal of the U.S.-led forces in August last year, Washington imposed sanctions on Kabul's new rulers, freezing nearly 10 billion U.S. dollars worth of assets of Afghanistan's central bank, which further worsened the country's smashed economy and forced many Afghans to migrate for livelihood. U.S. President Joe Biden in a decree in February moved 7 billion dollars of the frozen Afghan assets to fund humanitarian assistance to Afghan people and compensate victims of the 9/11 terror attacks. The decision has been blasted by Afghans as unjust and illegitimate. On Monday, a large number of children took to the streets in the western Herat city, condemning the U.S. for stealing Afghanistan's fund and calling on the international community to press Biden to unfreeze the assets. Afghans stand in line to leave the country at Islam Qala, a town along the border with Iran in the western Herat province of Afghanistan, March 3, 2022. (Photo by Mashal/Xinhua) Many Afghans are leaving homeland to immediate neighbors including Iran, which borders Herat province. Mohammad Alam Amini is one of the destitute Afghans who has left his home in the northern Sari Pul province for Iran. Afghan men leave the country at Islam Qala, a town along the border with Iran in the western Herat province of Afghanistan, March 3, 2022. (Photo by Mashal/Xinhua) "We have nothing to eat. It is a daunting challenge, for which I left for Iran hopefully for one or two years, and then I will return home with full hands," Amini said. Waiting at the Islam Qala crossing point, a border town connecting Afghanistan to Iran, Amini told Xinhua, "I wish that Afghanistan would become a stable and prosperous country one day and our people do not need to go abroad," Amini said. Migrating Afghans are seen at Islam Qala, a town along the border with Iran in the western Herat province of Afghanistan, March 3, 2022. (Photo by Mashal/Xinhua) Afghanistan has been facing poverty and high unemployment rate. More than 22 million out of the 35 million population in Afghanistan, according to aid agencies, are facing acute food shortage. Many infrastructures were destroyed during decades of war and the new administration in Kabul has been facing cash scarcity. Some, however, seem optimistic about the future of the country. "The security has been improved and criminal activities including theft, robbery, kidnapping and killing have drastically dropped down in Afghanistan and the future of the country seems promising," another Afghan migrant Barakatullah Gulzar told Xinhua at the border crossing point. Migrating Afghans are seen at Islam Qala, a town along the border with Iran in the western Herat province of Afghanistan, March 3, 2022. (Photo by Mashal/Xinhua) Having tourist visa, Gulzar, a resident of Herat province, said he is going to visit Iran for merely a few days and then return home. Mawlawi Hamayon Humat, the deputy commissioner for Islam Qala border point, told Xinhua that the number of refugees has reduced due to improved security in Afghanistan. "In the past years, between 3,500 to 4,000 Afghans crossed the border to Iran daily but the number has reduced to 1,500 nowadays due to the improved security and increasing optimism about the future," Humat said. UN General Assembly President Abdulla Shahid (bottom) addresses the opening of the 66th session of the Commission on the Status of Women at the UN Headquarters in New York on March 14, 2022. (Eskinder Debebe/UN Photo/Handout via Xinhua) Just four women have been elected president of the General Assembly in its 76 sessions. However, no woman has ever been chosen as the secretary-general. This needs to be corrected, says UN General Assembly President Abdulla Shahid. UNITED NATIONS, March 14 (Xinhua) -- UN General Assembly President Abdulla Shahid said Monday that the next UN secretary-general should be female. Just four women have been elected president of the General Assembly in its 76 sessions. However, no woman has ever been chosen as the secretary-general. This needs to be corrected, Shahid told the opening of the 66th session of the Commission on the Status of Women. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres (at the podium and on screens) addresses the opening of the 66th session of the Commission on the Status of Women at the UN Headquarters in New York on March 14, 2022. (Eskinder Debebe/UN Photo/Handout via Xinhua) "The UN cannot call for the implementation of gold standards throughout the world as far as gender equality and women's empowerment is concerned, but not implement this standard at home," he said. "I personally would lead from the front calling for the next secretary-general to be a woman. Join me in this clarion call," he said. In the past 76 years, all the nine UN secretaries-general have been male. The current secretary-general, Antonio Guterres, is in the first year of his second five-year term. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov (1st L) meets with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba (1st R) in the presence of Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu (C) in Antalya, Turkey, March 10, 2022. It is the first high-level meeting between Moscow and Kiev since Russia launched a "special military operation" in Ukraine on Feb. 24. (Turkish Foreign Ministry/Handout via Xinhua) ANKARA, March 15 (Xinhua) -- Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu will hold talks in Russia on Wednesday and visit Ukraine the next day amid efforts to establish a ceasefire between warring sides. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told reporters after a cabinet meeting on Tuesday that "I am sending our foreign minister to Russia today. He will hold talks in Moscow tomorrow and will travel to Ukraine on Thursday." "He will continue our efforts to achieve a ceasefire and peace through talks with both sides," the Turkish president said. Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu speaks at a press conference after a tripartite meeting in Antalya, Turkey, March 10, 2022. (Xinhua/Li Zhenbei) Turkey hosted the Russian and Ukrainian foreign ministers on the sidelines of a diplomacy forum last week for their first high-level negotiations, although talks did not yield any progress for a ceasefire. Erdogan has repeatedly reiterated that Ankara cannot abandon its ties either with Russia or Ukraine since Turkey is neighboring the two countries in the Black Sea. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (Front) speaks to reporters in Istanbul, Turkey, on Feb. 11, 2022. (Xinhua) ANKARA, March 15 (Xinhua) -- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Tuesday his government would not return refugees to their home countries, despite the public's unease over almost 4 million refugees taking shelter in the country. "We will not send (them) back. We will continue to host (them). We are not worried about it," Erdogan told an international benevolence awards ceremony here. He called on the Turkish citizens not to worry about the burden of hosting these refugees, who are from Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan. Refugees from Syria are seen at a temporary settlement in Hatay, Turkey, on Feb. 26, 2020. (Xinhua/Wang Feng) Erdogan made the remarks after opposition Republican People's Party leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu's called for sending Syrian refugees back to their home country. Kilicdaroglu has said several times that all Syrian and Afghan refugees will be returned to their home states if his party wins the 2023 elections. Turkey is currently home to some 4 million refugees, 3.7 million of whom are Syrians, according to the figures published by Turkey's Interior Ministry. SUVA, March 15 (Xinhua) -- A senior Fijian government official has said the COVID-19 pandemic increased the use of digital platforms in the island nation, which is a key facilitator of Digital Financial Services in the Pacific. Speaking at the World Consumer Rights Day celebration in Suva, capital of Fiji on Tuesday, Fiji's Minister for Trade and Commerce Faiyaz Koya said that throughout the pandemic, more people have adapted to getting their business online. He said remittances through mobile money platforms recorded a threefold increase in 2020 to approximately 82.1 million Fijian dollars (38.4 million U.S. dollars) compared to 2019. "Throughout the pandemic, more people have adapted to getting their business online or handling day-to-today activities. This includes mobile payments by the Fijian government and Fiji National Provident Fund, for disbursement of financial assistance," he said. "Fijian businesses also embraced e-commerce, online payments, quick response (QR) payments and mobile money to continue operating amid the pandemic." "In developing nations, such as ours, the expansion of digital financial services has given Fijians, particularly those with traditionally no access to a bank account, access to financial services for the first time," said the minister. Mobile money payments have increased in Fiji in the first 10 months of 2021, according to Fiji's central bank. Governor of the Reserve Bank of Fiji (RBF) Ariff Ali said mobile money payments increased from around 100 million Fijian dollars (46.8 million U.S. dollars) in 2016 to more than 700 million Fijian dollars (328 million U.S. dollars) in the first 10 months of last year. Personal remittances have been Fiji's largest foreign exchange earner for 2020 and 2021 given the impact of COVID-19 on tourism in the island nation. BAKU, March 14 (Xinhua) -- Azerbaijan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Monday condemned the drone attack on an oil refinery in Saudi Arabia. "Azerbaijan condemns all forms and manifestations of terrorism," the ministry said in a statement on Twitter. Official Baku expressed its solidarity with Saudi Arabia in its efforts to preserve its security, stability and territorial integrity. THE HAGUE, March 15 (Xinhua) -- Two years after announcing the country's first COVID-19 lockdown, the Dutch government abolished the last mandatory measures against the spread of coronavirus on Tuesday. Ernst Kuipers, the country's minister of health, welfare and sport, said that on March 23, the face mask mandate on public transportation will disappear along with the testing requirement at events with more than 500 patrons. One month ago, Kuipers already said that the Netherlands was "returning to normal" as the authorities lifted most of the health measures. "In recent weeks, coronavirus infection rates have once again increased, but the current variant is making people less ill and the number of people being admitted to intensive care is limited," Kuipers said on Tuesday. "So, the government has decided to further ease the current measures." However, certain recommendations remain in force. People with symptoms should stay at home and do a self-test. If the result is positive, they should remain in isolation for at least five days. People should also wash their hands regularly and should cough and sneeze into their elbow. In its weekly update, the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) reported on Tuesday that the number of new positive COVID-19 tests remained fairly stable compared to the previous week. Between March 8 and March 15, the country logged 429,252 positive cases, two percent less than the week before. "Coronavirus has not gone away," Kuipers said. "Fortunately, the vaccines are effective and a lot of people have built up resistance due to having been infected. This means that the impact of a new wave of infections will be less severe than in 2020 and 2021." Washington: A group of 11 Iranian naval vessels made dangerous and harassing maneuvers near U.S. ships in the Persian Gulf near Kuwait on Wednesday, in one case passing within 10 yards (meters) of a Coast Guard cutter, American officials said. Iranian officials did not immediately acknowledge the incident, which comes after armed men believed to be from Iran's Revolutionary Guard seized a Hong Kong-flagged tanker. In a statement, the U.S. Navy's Bahrain-based 5th Fleet said Revolutionary Guard vessels repeatedly crossed the bows and sterns of several American ships at close range and high speed. The American vessels included the USS Paul Hamilton, a Navy destroyer, the USS Lewis B. Puller, a ship that serves as an afloat landing base, and the USCGC Maui. The ships were operating with U.S. Army Apache attack helicopters in international waters, the statement said. The dangerous and provocative actions increased the risk of miscalculation and collision ... and were not in accordance with the obligation under international law to act with due regard for the safety of other vessels in the area, the statement said. The Americans issued multiple warnings via bridge-to-bridge radio, fired five short blasts from the ships' horns and long-range acoustic noise maker devices, but received no immediate response, the statement said. After about an hour, the Iranian vessels responded to the bridge-to-bridge radio queries, then maneuvered away. The semiofficial Fars news agency, believed to be close to the paramilitary Guard, acknowledged the incident in a report that did not include any comment from Iranian officials. Tense incidents remain common between Iranian and U.S. forces in the Persian Gulf and its narrow mouth called the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of all the world's oil passes. Iran seized ships last summer and the U.S. accuses it of attacking tankers in the region amid tensions over President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrawing America from Tehran's nuclear deal with world powers. On Tuesday, armed men boarded and briefly held the Hong Kong-flagged tanker SC Taipei and its Chinese crew before releasing the vessel. The U.S.-led International Maritime Security Construct, a group created to deter Iranian attacks in the region, acknowledged the incident in a statement late Wednesday. The group said it assessed no immediate threat to the free flow of shipping in the area. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Saudi Arabia has presented giga projects to more than 30 Austrian companies at the Saudi-Austrian Business and Investment Forum in Riyadh. The forum coincided with the ministerial visit to the kingdom by Dr Margarete Schrambock, Austrias Minister for Digital & Economic Affairs. The Austrian business delegation, headed by Richard Senz, Vice President of the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber, included business leaders from Austrian companies across a range of strategic sectors, as well as representatives of the Austro-Arab Chamber of Commerce. Designed to showcase investment opportunities, forum delegates heard presentations from executives of Neom, the Red Sea Development Company, and the Royal Commission for Riyadh City. Delegates also heard from Austrian companies AVL and Kostad Steuerungsbau GmbH and Saudi entities Petromin and the National Industrial Development Centre on the provision of efficient and safe automotive vehicles for the future. The Austrian National Tourist Office, IMC Fachhochschule Krems (University of Applied Sciences Krems), the Saudi Ministry of Tourism and Saudi tour operator Seera Group also discussed building capabilities to meet the challenges of the tourism sector. The forum was hosted by the Ministry of Investment of Saudi Arabia (MISA). Also attending the event was a large and high-level representation from the Saudi private sector. After opening the forum, Khalid Al-Falih, Saudi Arabias Minister of Investment, commented: It has been a pleasure to host our Austrian partners here in Saudi Arabia, which reflects the high priority that both our governments place on this strong and fruitful relationship. By investing in each other, both countries will benefit from further sector growth, job creation and ongoing prosperity to support mutual sustainable economic development. Through the ongoing implementation of Vision 2030 and the kingdoms National Investment Strategy we are unleashing Saudi Arabias untapped investment potential and seeking to connect businesses - including those in Austria - with the vast opportunities available in the kingdom today. Dr Schrambock said: It is important to have partners around the world and to have these meetings in person. One important topic that we share is about the next generations of Saudi Arabia and Austria. We need to lay the foundations so that they can strive for the business opportunities that they want to achieve. This forum is a very important cornerstone for the future. I am looking forward to participating in the great projects that are there for our common partnership for the future. Austria and Saudi Arabia have strong existing economic ties, with considerable potential to further deepen trade and investment relations across leading sectors such as iron products, cast steel, plastics, car parts, pharmaceutical products and electronics.-- TradeArabia News Service Washington: Indian auto major Mahindra has said it is retooling their Detroit manufacturing facility to make medical personal protection equipment for healthcare workers in the US combating the COVID-19 pandemic that has infected over 2 million globally. Medical supplies like surgical masks, gowns and ventilators are required in massive number across the globe because of the coronavirus pandemic that surfaced in central China's Wuhan city last year and spread to at least 185 countries and territories. Mahindra is working closely with the State of Michigan, its Congressional Delegation, National Association of Manufacturers, Michigan Manufacturer's Association, Oakland County and others to continually evaluate what it can do to contribute to the COVID-19 fight, the company said in a statement on Wednesday. "We have a company full of people who love to design and make things and they're not people who like to stand on the sidelines. We have ideas coming in from across the company and we're looking hard at all of them, Rick Haas, president and CEO, of Mahindra Automotive North America said in the statement. The Indian company is retooling its Detroit manufacturing facility to produce aspiration box with innovative ease-of-use design; face shields and masks to local frontline healthcare workers and first responders and additional products to be identified through coordination between the State of Michigan and National Association of Manufacturers. According to the Johns Hopkins University data, over 2 million people are infected by the virus and more than 136,000 people have died of the disease globally. According to Detroit news, roughly 20 employees at Mahindra's Auburn Hills manufacturing site are making aspiration boxes from the plastic polycarbonate windshields used in their vehicles, as well as face shields and masks. The boxes shield nurses and doctors when they remove a COVID-19 patient's intubation tubes, the daily reported. "Other boxes can fog, but the version from the windshield material won't. It also is collapsible with six of the Mahindra-designed boxes taking up the space of a traditional one, Detroit News said. "We had the material on hand to get started. We're also making face masks, but we're having challenges keeping supply and material in house. Everyone is trying to do that," Haas was quoted as saying. Mahindra is in the running to manufacture the next generation delivery vehicle for the US Postal Service. It has stopped production of ROXOR vehicles in response to the coronavirus pandemic, Rich Ansell, vice president of marketing for Mahindra was quoted as saying by MLive-The Flint Journal. Mahindra food truck would distribute free meals to Oakland County healthcare workers and first-responders. It is also launching the ROXOR DELIVERS programme that supports ROXOR dealers across the country who have had to close due to state mandates and consumers who are unable or unwilling to leave their homes. The program will deliver ROXORs right to consumers' doors limiting social interaction. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: Accepting the corona virus pandemic as not just a challenge but also a big opportunity for the economy, the Uttar Pradesh government has decided to offer a special package to investors "disenchanted" with China and eager to shift base to other countries, a senior official said Friday. "Many companies appear to be disenchanted with China. If a company or investor wants to invest in the state, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath will give them a special package and facility," Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Awanish Awasthi said. Adityanath has asked officials to work out the package, which could be offered to investors in addition to the existing incentives, Awasthi said, adding the Industrial Development and MSME departments have also been asked to come up with a package. The chief minister has asked his ministers and senior officials to discuss the matter with the embassies of different countries, officials said. On Thursday, he asked his ministers to make all-out efforts to take advantage of this opportunity. He has tasked Industrial Development Minister Satish Mahana and MSME minister Siddharth Nath Singh to start the process of dialogue with the countries who would be interested in investing the state. He has asked his Economic Advisor KV Raju and former Chief Secretary Anup Chandra Pande to draft a plan for this. Uttar Pradesh has the connectivity and the human resources to attract investments, Adityanath has told officials. The outbreak of coronavirus, in the Chinese city of Wuhan, in December last year has dealt a major blow to the global economy because of lockdowns imposed around the world to contain the virus. China itself had to shut down its central Hubei province for over two months since January 23. Data released by the Chinese government on Friday showed the country's GDP took the worst hit since 1976. Chandigarh: A 60-year-old coronavirus patient from Gurdaspur died on Thursday while 11 more people contracted the infection taking the total number of COVID-19 cases in Punjab to 197, an official said.A resident of Bhaini Paswal in Kahnuwan, the man had tested positive for coronavirus two days ago and was being treated at a government hospital in Amritsar. He also had hypertension and diabetes, a medical bulletin said. Among the fresh cases, six were reported from Jalandhar, three from Patiala and two from Pathankot, the bulletin said, adding that the virus has so far claimed the lives of 14 people in the state. Mohali district continued to top the COVID 19-tally in Punjab with a total 56 coronavirus cases, followed by Jalandhar (31), Pathankot (24), Nawanshahr (19) Ludhiana, Mansa and Amritsar (11 each), Hoshiarpur (7), Patiala (6), Moga (4), Rupnagar, Sangrur and Faridkot (3 each), Fatehgarh Sahib, Kapurthala and Barnala (2 each), Muktsar and Gurdaspur (1 each), according to the bulletin. Two patients are critical and on ventilator support while 29 have recovered and discharged from hospital, it said further.A total of 5,524 samples have been taken so far in the state of which 4,727 samples have tested negative and reports of 600 are awaited. Meanwhile, the health minister Balbir Singh Sidhu said the state government is fully prepared to combat the COVID-19 crisis. Sidhu in an official release here said four districts ? Mohali, SBS Nagar, Jalandhar and Pathankot -- have been declared as hotspots by the central government as they have reported more than 15 cases of coronavirus. He further said the health department officials were constantly working to trace all the contacts of affected patients to prevent spread of this infection. He claimed that SBS Nagar, which had reported 19 coronavirus cases, had not seen any fresh case since March 26. "The Chief Minister of Maharashtra said that some persons have been arrested and strict action will be initiated against rest of the accused persons after identifying them." (Photo Credit: News Nation Photo) Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday said he has urged his Maharashtra counterpart to take strict action against the culprits involved in the lynching of three men in Palghar district. "Spoke to Chief Minister of Maharashtra Uddhav Thackeray yesterday evening regarding murder of saints of Juna Akhara Swami Kalpvrikshgiri, Swami Sushilgiri and their driver Neelesh Telgarhe. I have urged him to take strict action against the culprits," he said in a tweet in Hindi. In another tweet, Adityanath said, "The Chief Minister of Maharashtra said that some persons have been arrested and strict action will be initiated against rest of the accused persons after identifying them." On Sunday, Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray had said the culprits involved in the lynching of three men in Palghar district will be brought to justice. "The Palghar incident has been acted upon. The police has arrested all those accused who attacked the 2 sadhus, 1 driver and the police personnel, on the day of the crime itself. "Nobody guilty in this heinous crime and shameful act will be spared and they will be brought to justice in the strongest way possible," the CM said in late night tweets posted on his official Twitter handle. Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh has already announced a high-level inquiry into the incident, that occurred on the night of April 16 when three men from Kandivali in Mumbai were headed towards Surat in a car to attend a funeral. Their vehicle was stopped near a village in Palghar district. The trio was dragged out of the car and beaten to death with sticks by a mob on suspicion that they were thieves. The deceased were identified as Chikne Maharaj Kalpavrukshagiri (70), Sushilgiri Maharaj (35), and their car driver Nilesh Telgade (30). For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. On their way to Surat to attend a funeral, were dragged out of a car and beaten to death by villagers. (Photo Credit: News Nation Photo) Palghar: Three men from Mumbai, on their way to Surat to attend a funeral, were dragged out of a car and beaten to death by villagers in Palghar district of Maharashtra on suspicion that they were thieves, police said on Friday. An initial response team of the police could not save them as it was heavily outnumbered and the victims were beaten up even inside the police vehicle, a senior official said. Inspector Anandrao Kale of the Kasa police station said the gruesome incident took place between 9.30-10 pm on Thursday. The mob attack took place at a time when a nationwide lockdown is in force to curb the spread of coronavirus. A police official identified the deceased as Chikne Maharaj Kalpavrukshagiri (70), Sushilgiri Maharaj (35) their car driver Nilesh Telgade (30), all three hailing from Kandivali in north Mumbai. They were heading to Surat to attend a funeral, a police official said. The car was stopped on the Dhabadi-Khanvel road near village Gadchinchale by local residents, he said. They were pulled out of the car and attacked by villagers with stones and other objects on suspicion that they were thieves, he said. Additional Superintendent of Police Vijay Sagar told PTI that an initial response team of the police (which typically has three or four personnel) reached the spot and tried to rescue the victims by putting them in the police vehicle. But the mob attacked the victims even inside the police vehicle and the police personnel, who were heavily outnumbered, could not do anything, he said. Rumours of a gang of bandits roaming in the district were circulating in the area, Sagar added. An offence under IPC section 302 (murder) along with other sections, including armed rioting and 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant), has been registered, inspector Kale said. IPC section 188 has been invoked in the case due to the coronavirus-enforced lockdown under which sweeping curbs have been imposed on movement and assembly of people, he said. Officials said combing operations were continuing in Gadchinchle village to nab members of the mob involved in the gruesome act. The area has seen similar mob incidents in the past, an official said. Two days ago some police personnel were attacked while probing the assault on a doctor. New Delhi: PM Narendra Modi Government is planning to restart some economic activity as government is planning to restart some manufacturing after April 15 to help offset the economic damage of a nationwide coronavirus lockdown. The 21-day lockdown of India's more than 1.3 billion people is due to end on Tuesday, but the government is widely expected to extend it until the end of the month. One of the sources in government said Prime Minister Narendra Modi had directed some ministries to come up with plans to open up some crucial industries as the livelihoods of the poor were being hit. The source said the government was considering allowing the resumption of some operations under guidelines that were being drawn up. While the decision on the lockdown is work in progress, the government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi had been very clear that it should not sequester millions of people from 161 districts that do not have a single case of coronavirus disease. Not even a suspected case. Health ministry data indicated the four worst-affected states are Maharashtra, Delhi, Tamil Nadu and Rajasthan. These four states account for nearly half of Indias Covid-19 cases. The industries ministry has recommended restarting some manufacturing in the autos, textiles, defence, electronics and other sectors. The Industry ministry said in the letter, addressed to the home ministry, that this could be achieved via reduced shifts with lower staff numbers to ensure social distancing. The home ministry and the Prime Minister's Office are likely to take a final call on the recommendations this week, the sources said. The sources also said that other ministries would soon submit plans on allowing partial resumptions in other sectors. India's economy, which was already growing at its slowest pace in six years before the onset of the coronavirus, is set to take a severe hit amid the lockdown, say economists, who warn that unemployment could rise to record levels. The lockdown resulted in many thousands of daily wage labourers losing their jobs in cities and leaving to return to their homes, raising the risk of spreading the coronavirus into the countryside. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: The Finance Ministry on Wednesday notified changes in FDI rules, which made prior approval of the government mandatory for foreign investments from countries that share border with India, to prevent opportunistic takeover of domestic firms amid COVID-19 pandemic under the FEMA law. The countries which share land borders with India are China, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Bhutan, Nepal, Myanmar and Afghanistan. The Department of Economic Affairs, under the ministry, has notified these amendments to the foreign direct investment (FDI) policy under the Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999 (FEMA). "In exercise of the powers conferred by clauses (aa) and (ab) of sub-section (2) of section 46 of the Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999, the Central Government hereby makes the following rules further to amend the Foreign Exchange Management (Non-debt Instruments) Rules, 2019...," the department said in a notification. Change in FDI policy needs to be notified under FEMA for its implementation. "Provided that an entity of a country, which shares land border with India or the beneficial owner of an investment into India who is situated in or is a citizen of any such country, shall invest only with the Government approval," it said. The the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) on April 18 issued a press note regarding this change in policy, which would impact both direct and indirect FDI from China. It said that the government has amended the FDI (foreign direct investment) policy to curb "opportunistic takeovers/acquisitions" of Indian companies on account of COVID-19 pandemic. China has stated that these new norms violate the World Trade Organisation's (WTO) principle of non-discrimination and are against the general trend of free trade. Indian trade experts have, however, said that India has not violated any norm of the WTO by making these FDI changes as the global body's rules do not cover foreign investments. Currently, such norms were there for investments coming from Pakistan. A company can invest in India, subject to the FDI policy except in those sectors/activities which are prohibited. According to the DPIIT data, India received FDI from China worth USD 2.34 billion (Rs 14,846 crore) between April 2000 and December 2019. During the same period, India has attracted Rs 48 lakh from Bangladesh, Rs 18.18 crore from Nepal, Rs 35.78 crore from Myanmar, and Rs 16.42 crore from Afghanistan. There are no investments from Pakistan and Bhutan. FDI is allowed through automatic route in most of the sectors, however, certain areas such as defence, telecom, media, pharmaceuticals and insurance, government approval is required for foreign investors. Under the government route, foreign investor has to take prior approval of respective ministry/ department. Through automatic approval route, the investor just has to inform the RBI after the investment is made. T here are nine sectors where FDI is prohibited - lottery business, gambling and betting, chit funds, Nidhi company, real estate business, and manufacturing of cigars, cheroots, cigarillos and cigarettes using tobacco. During April-December 2019-20, FDI into India increased by 10 per cent to USD 36.77 billion. For all the Latest Business News, Economy News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: Two women doctors who were par of a group that got assaulted by a mob in Taatpati Bakhal in Indore in Madhya Pradesh on April 1 returned to the area on Tuesday to offer saplings as a sign of moving on through forgiveness.They were welcomed with loud claps and cheering by those present in the locality, and videos of the two giving saplings to 48 people discharged from an isolation centre, went viral soon after on social media. Doctors Trupti Katdare (40) and Zakia Syed (36), who were part of a five-member team that had gone to quarantine relatives and acquaintances of a COVID-19 patient, were injured when stones were pelted by a mob on April 1. "It was an emotional moment giving saplings to those returning after 14-day isolation period as a precautionary measure. We have forgiven and forgotten the stone pelting incident. People here are now cooperating with health officials to fight the coronavirus outbreak. The bitterness is gone," Dr Katdare said. Indore is among the cities in the country worst hit by the virus outbreak, with 915 COVID-19 cases, and 52 deaths from the infection. Indore is one of the cities where the COVID-19 situation was "especially serious", the Centre had warned on Monday. Chandigarh: The Punjab Police on Friday claimed to have busted a gang allegedly involved in making fake curfew passes in the state's Hoshiarpur district for stranded migrant labourers and arrested nine people in this connection. The gang has already transported 71 migrant labourers to Uttar Pradesh and Bihar for a total of Rs 3.5 lakh, the police said. The gang was busted after it came to the notice of the Hoshiarpur police that some people were using fake curfew passes for crossing the border from Punjab to Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, Director General of Police (DGP) Dinkar Gupta said. Nine members of the gang have been arrested and cases registered against them at the Tanda police station in Hoshiarpur, he said, adding that one member of the gang is absconding. Gupta said five fake curfew passes, a stamp of the sub-divisional magistrate of Tanda, a computer, a CPU, a printer and six mobile phones have been seized from the accused. They charged approximately Rs 60,000 for a mini truck and Rs 30,000 for a car to ferry migrants using the forged passes, he said. Of the 71 labourers transported out of Punjab so far with the help of fake curfew passes, 13 were sent in a truck, 20 each in two mini trucks and six each in three cars, he added. The vehicles carrying migrants had already made four rounds since April 12 to Gonda district of Bihar, and Lucknow and Saharanpur in Uttar Pradesh, the police said. The Punjab government has imposed a curfew in the state to control the spread of coronavirus. The curfew will last till May 3, which will also be the last day of a nationwide lockdown announced by the Centre. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: The total number of corona virus cases in Delhi crossed the 2,500 mark on Friday, even as Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said that plasma therapy conducted on four COVID-19 patients has yielded "very encouraging" initial results, giving a ray of hope to those critically ill.'' According to the health bulletin, 136 fresh cases were reported in the national capital, taking the total number of cases to 2,514. With three fresh fatalities, the tally of those who succumbed to the disease rose to 53. The fresh cases also included an assistant sub-inspector of the Delhi Police, posted at the crime branch. So far, more than 21 police personnel have tested positive for coronavirus. A total of 31 staff of Delhi government-run Babu Jagjivan Ram Hospital, including 11 doctors, have tested positive, a senior official of the facility said. Two sanitation workers of the south Delhi MCD have also tested positive, officials said. In the north Delhi MCD, one assistant sanitary inspector has tested positive, while 39 of his co-workers have been advised home quarantine. At the gastroenterology department of the AIIMS, 40 healthcare staff, including doctors and nurses have been advised self-quarantine after a 30-year-old male nurse tested positive for COVID-19. Forty-nine patients recovered from the disease, taking the total number of those who successfully defeated it to 857, the bulletin said. Of these, 802 have reported recovery since April 18. Doctors at LNJP Hospital, a dedicated COVID-19 facility in Delhi, attributed this to patient care and also the will power of people to brave through this crisis. Many have managed to pull through, despite being above 60 years, and having co-morbidities, a senior doctor said. In a positive development, plasma therapy treatment on four patients has been encouraging, Kejriwal said. In an online briefing, he said more clinical trials of plasma therapy will take place over the next two-three days, and his government will seek the Centre's nod next week for using the technique on all critically-ill COVID-19 patients in the city. "Ten days ago, we had got permission from the central government to conduct clinical trial of plasma therapy only on four serious COVID-19 patients admitted at the Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan Hospital. "The initial results are every encouraging and good. It gives a ray of hope to save people's lives from coronavirus," he said. He was joined by S K Sarin, the director of the Institute of Liver and Biliary Science, at the press conference. The four patients who were given plasma therapy have shown improvement in their health condition, respiratory rate and oxygen saturation. Two of the four patients, whose condition was serious, have now been shifted to general ward from the ICU and two others are also responding well, he said. The chief minister, however, said that these are only initial results and nobody should think that the government has found a cure for corona virus. In the plasma therapy, antibodies from the blood of a patient, who has recovered from COVID-19, are used to treat serious patients. Kejriwal appealed to all people who have recovered from the disease to come forward and donate plasma for serious COVID-19 patients to save their lives. The number of containment zones in Delhi stood to 92, with three new zones being added in various areas, authorities said. On the other hand, the Mansara Apartment in east Delhi's Vasundhara Enclave that was declared a coronavirus containment zone has been de-sealed after no new cases were reported over past few weeks. Amid the curbs, the Delhi Police said azaan may be carried out in accordance with the National Green Tribunal guidelines and urged people to follow the lockdown norms during the holy fasting month of Ramzan, beginning Saturday. The police's appeal comes soon after a video surfaced on social media where two policemen were purportedly telling people that azaan was not allowed during the lockdown as per the lieutenant governor's order. The Delhi Minorities Commission also raised the issue with the Delhi government, while AAP MLA Amanatullah Khan shared the video. Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia clarified that there is no restriction on azaan (call for prayer). Etisalat Misr has selected Ericsson to upgrade and modernize its Business Support Systems (BSS) in Egypt to support data and Voice-over-LTE (VoLTE) traffic growth, 5G readiness and Internet of Things (IoT). The agreement will equip Etisalat Misr with a range of upgraded capabilities across all its business operations in the customer, product, and service management domains and for customers, enterprises, partners, network technologies and events. Ericsson BSS will enable Etisalat Misr to further spur innovation and enhance customer satisfaction with more flexibility. The agreement will also secure capacity expansion for Voice-over-LTE (VoLTE) using Ericsson Cloud VoLTE technology which will enable a superior customer experience for several millions of users. The partnership will benefit Etisalat Misr with a low-risk and effective route to address business opportunities in both traditional telecom services, digital services, cloud transformation and IoT. Becoming an integral part of a great customer experience and enabling emerging digital ecosystems, Ericsson BSS products and partner ecosystem are backed by analytics-driven, real-time service and experience control. Hazem Metwally, Chief Executive Officer at Etisalat Misr said: It is a pleasure to have Ericsson as our partner that understands our vision and ambitions to evolve and transform our business. Enhancing our business operations in Egypt is essential to improving customers services and satisfaction. We are looking forward to the outcomes of this partnership that will be brought, especially with evolving our BSS, Digital transformation, latest network technology readiness, Fintech and IoT." The myriad of features offered by the transformation will align Etisalat Misrs digital transformation program with Egypt Vision, thereby increasing consumer and business opportunities through 4G currently and 5G in the future. Ekow Nelson, Vice President at Ericsson Middle East and Africa, said: The acceleration of Digitalization everywhere in the world is transforming lives and opening doors to a whole host of opportunities. Todays partnership with Etisalat Misr underscores our joint role in this transformation. The BSS transformation agreement is testament to the common vision we share with Etisalat Misr and we are excited to work jointly towards its realization. TradeArabia News Service Washington: Alleging that coronavirus was genetically-engineered in a Wuhan lab, an Indian-American survivor of the deadly virus has urged President Donald Trump to seek compensation from China, running into trillions of dollars, for the thousands of deaths and harming the American economy. "The unleashing of global death and suffering with the coronavirus, a plague upon all of us, is worse than Pearl Harbor, and given its deception, and later, cover-up, lack any semblance of Honor," Indian-American attorney Ravi Batra said in a letter to the president. "On the established rules of law, China is at least guilty of negligence in proximately causing a world pandemic, where nearly two million people have suffered its pain and suffering, and nearly 122,000 souls have lost their lives and left their families damaged and fractured," he said in a letter dated April 14. China owes us civil compensation - at least for negligence - a fair and reasonable amount, "which I recommend match our standard for 9/11, but no less than USD1 million dollars for every American who tested positive for Coronavirus, USD5 million for every American who died, and USD100,000 for every American who has to be 'locked down'," he said. "I recommend, given the cover-up, which exacerbated the injury, pain and suffering globally, as well as avoidable deaths, that China's ownership of debts in every country - for example the USD1.2T in China's ownership of our T-Bills - be cancelled," Batra said. In his letter, Batra charged China with hiding the actual source of coronavirus. He also accused Beijing of ignoring "the fraudulent assertion" by the Chinese Communist Party Propaganda Czar that Wuhanan Seafood Market, with zero Bats, has any value to getting to the source." China, it appears, is following an old playbook it developed in SARS outbreak, he alleged. On Wednesday, Fox News, in an exclusive report, said COVID-19 originated in a Wuhan laboratory not as a bio-weapon, but as part of China's effort to demonstrate that its efforts to identify and combat viruses are equal to or greater than the capabilities of the United States. This may be the "costliest government coverup of all time," one of the sources was quoted as saying by Fox News. When asked about the Fox's report, President Donald Trump told reporters at the White House that the administration is doing a thorough investigation of it. "More and more we're hearing the story...we are doing a very thorough examination of this horrible situation," Trump said in response to the question. In his letter, Batra alleged COVID-19 has a reversed-engineered and grafted-on in a lab of the natural-to-bats "receptor-binding" domain structure, the "mushrooms" on the surface, of the "SARS-CoV". "The natural 'mushroom' on the surface of 'SARS-CoV' is in a lab genetically added/spliced/grafted onto '2019-n-CoV' - which I have, from personal experience, called a Trojan Horse to have a friendly 'handshake', is in fact accurate biochemically - as 'receptor-binding' unlocks the human cell, and enters the human body much easier!" he alleged. ?The SARS' 'Bat-SL-CoVZc45' and 'Bat-SL-CoVZXC21' - with its natural Bat-based 'mushrooms on the surface - did not enter humans," Batra said. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address village panchayats across the country on Friday to mark the National Panchayati Raj Day. Due to coronavirus-induced lockdown, he will interact with the participants through video-conference, according to an official release issued on Wednesday. To mark the occasion, the prime minister will launch a unified e-GramSwaraj portal and a mobile app. The unified portal is a new initiative of the Ministry of Panchayati Raj to provide the village panchayats with a single interface to prepare and implement their gram panchayat development plan (GPDP). PM Modi will also launch the Swamitva Scheme on the occasion, the statement said. The scheme provides for an integrated property validation solution for rural India.?Demarcation of inhabited land in rural areas would be done by the use of latest surveying methods -- drone technology with the collaborated efforts of the Ministry of Panchayati Raj, State Panchayati Raj Department, State Revenue Department and the Survey of India. The Swamitva Scheme would add momentum to the efforts to alleviate poverty in rural areas, the prime minister later said in a tweet while referring to the April 24 event he would address. "I look forward to this interaction," he wrote. To mark the occasion, every year the Ministry of Panchayati Raj has been awarding the best-performing panchayats, states and Union Territories under the Incentivisation of Panchayats in recognition of their good work for improving delivery of services and public goods. This year, three such awards --? Nanaji Deshmukh Rashtriya Gaurav Gram Sabha Puraskar (NDRGGSP), Child-friendly Gram Panchayat Award (CFGPA) and Gram Panchayat Development Plan (GPDP) Award have been finalised, the statement said. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: The Congress on Friday said migrants and daily wagers should be incentivised as it put forth a 10-point demand charter before the Arvind Kejriwal government to help those in distress in the national capital due to COVID-19. The party demanded that fixed power charges be waived off and school fees should not be charged from students, besides payment of salaries of school teachers in aided schools and workers in MSMEs by the government. Congress senior spokesperson Ajay Maken sought Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), to be notified as regulations, for delivery boys in the national capital to help stop the spread of the deadly virus through them. He said all 89 people who were in touch with a Pizza delivery boy, feared to be infected with the virus, and have been quarantined should be immediately tested. Addressing a press conference through video-conferencing, Maken said testing should be ramped up in the national capital and asked whether Delhi had entered the community transmission stage-3 of the virus as 135 people have been kept "under investigation". The former Delhi Congress chief said migrants should be incentivised in Delhi and in other towns as they are the backbone of any city and demanded that they be given Rs 7,500 per month immediately to help them cope with the crisis. "Migrants are the backbone of any city and hence they should be incentivised to make them feel safe in Delhi and other towns," maken said. He also demanded payment of ration for two months to the poor and vulnerable, besides advance payment of pension to senior citizens and widows and risk allowance to sanitation and frontline health workers. Maken also asked for an unemployment allowance of Rs 5,000 to all unemployed in the national capital. Indore: Indore, Apr 16 (PTI) Indore police in Madhya Pradesh are planning 'home delivery' of copies of FIRs to those violating curfew in the city, an official said on Thursday. It has been found that many people in the city stay at home during police patrolling, but later venture out and roam around without any valid reason, thus violating the curfew imposed to contain the spread of coronavirus, Superintendent of Police Puneet Gehlot told PTI. "We are identifying such people with the help of drone cameras. The copy of the First Information Report (FIR) will be delivered at the homes of these accused and appropriate legal steps will be taken subsequently," he said. Such persons will be booked under Indian Penal Code Sections 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) and 269 (negligent act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life), he said. Following some recent bad experiences, the police are taking all precautions and wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) while arresting the accused in different cases, he said. "We recently arrested some people. Later, some of them were found to be infected with the coronavirus. As a result, we had to send almost the entire staff of a police station to an isolation centre," Gehlot informed. Indore district is one of the worst hit by coronavirus in the state. Till Thursday morning, Indore reported 696 COVID-19 cases. The patients include an additional superintendent of police and in-charges of two police stations. So far, 39 coronavirus patients have died in Indore. The local administration has imposed curfew in the urban limits of Indore since March 25 after first coronavirus cases were found. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Mumbai: Mumbai, Apr 15 (PTI) Police have seized 81,000 three ply surgical masks which were stocked for sale in the black market in view of the coronavirus outbreak, and arrested one person, an official said on Wednesday. The value of the seized masks was Rs 12.15 lakh, he said. The seizure was made by the Crime Branch of the Mumbai Police. The masks, numbering 81,000, were stocked for sale in the black market at higher prices, said the official. A 35-year-old man, Naushad Kamal Shaikh, was arrested from Dharavi in Central Mumbai, in connection with the seizure, he said. Further probe was on, the official added. The outbreak of coronavirus has led a spike in demand for masks. PTI DC RSY RSY 04160 New Delhi: It is a significant achievement for continuing the war against economic fugitives, an elated CBI said on Monday's verdict of a UK High Court rejecting the appeal of embattled liquor baron Vijay Mallya who had sought an order against his extradition to India. Mallya had escaped from the country after allegations of bank fraud were levelled against him for causing losses up to nearly Rs 9,000 crore to banks. "It is a significant achievement in continuing war against economic fugitives who have been managing to stay away from the judicial process in the country," CBI spokesperson RK Gaur said. He said it also validates the "painstaking and meticulous" investigation done by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). Mallya on Monday lost a UK High Court appeal against his extradition. The dismissal of the appeal by the High Court came as a major achievement for the agency which has been tirelessly pursuing his extradition from the UK. The then Head of Special Investigation Team of the CBI Rakesh Asthana has been regularly attending the London hearings. The ruling by the High Court gives 64-year-old Mallya, who is on bail, 14-days to approach the UK Supreme Court. If he does not file an appeal before the UK's apex court, he would be sent to India in accordance with provisions of the India-UK Extradition Treaty. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. In India, a bottle neck is stopping us from scaling testing from the current 40,000 per day to 1 lakh tests a day. (Photo Credit: News Nation Photo) New Delhi: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to clear "bottlenecks" and ramp up coronavirus testing in the country. Quoting experts, Gandhi said "random testing is the key to beating the virus". India has to scale up COVID-19 testing from the current 40,000 to one lakh tests per day, he said. "Experts agree that mass random testing is the key to beating Corona. In India, a bottle neck is stopping us from scaling testing from the current 40,000 per day to 1 lakh tests a day, for which test kits are already in stock. "PM needs to act fast and clear the bottleneck," Gandhi said on Twitter. The Congress has been urging the government to increase random testing in the country. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. In the probe, the directorate will determine the existence, degree and effect of any alleged dumping in respect of the product under consideration from the four nations. (Photo Credit: News Nation Photo) New Delhi: India has initiated a probe into an alleged dumping of fibre boards, used in furniture industry, from Vietnam, Malaysia, Thailand, and Indonesia following complaint by domestic manufacturers. Greenply Industries, Greenpanel Industries and Century Plyboards have filed application before the commerce ministry's probing arm DGTR for anti-dumping investigation on imports of "plain medium density fibre board having thickness less than 6 mm" imported from these four countries. The applicants have alleged dumping of the board from these countries and requested for imposition of the anti-dumping duties on the imports. The Directorate General of Trade Remedies (DGTR) in a notification has said that on the basis of prima facie evidence submitted by the applicants, "the authority, hereby, initiates an investigation". In the probe, the directorate will determine the existence, degree and effect of any alleged dumping in respect of the product under consideration from the four nations. If it would found that there is a dumping and it is impacting the domestic manufacturers, it will recommend the amount of anti-dumping duty, which if levied, would be adequate to remove the injury to the domestic industry. While the DGTR recommends the duty, the finance ministry imposes the same. The period of investigation is from January- December 2019 (12 months). It would also look into the data of April 2016-19 period. The product under consideration is a composite wood product made out of wood waste fibres. It is widely used for partitions, modular furniture, and cabinets. In international trade parlance, dumping happens when a country or a firm exports an item at a price lower than the price of that product in its domestic market. Dumping impacts price of that product in the importing country, hitting margins and profits of manufacturing firms. According to global trade norms, a country is allowed to impose tariffs on such dumped products to provide a level-playing field to domestic manufacturers. The duty is imposed only after a thorough investigation by a quasi-judicial body, such as DGTR, in India. In its probe, the directorate has to conclude whether the imported products are impacting domestic industries. Imposition of anti-dumping duty is permissible under the World Trade Organization (WTO) regime. These countries are members of this Geneva-based organisation, which deals global trade norms. The duty is aimed at ensuring fair trading practices and creating a level-playing field for domestic producers vis-a-vis foreign producers and exporters. For all the Latest Business News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Moradabad: Four persons were injured as a mob tried to stop a medical team from taking a coronavirus-infected man into isolation and hurled stones at their ambulance in Nawabpura area in Moradabad on Wednesday. Police arrested 17 people including seven women allegedly involved in the incident, a Home department official said. They have been booked under various sections of the IPC, Criminal Law Amendment Act and Epidemic Act, the official said. The FIR was registered at Nagphani police station. In Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said those behind the attack will face action under the tough National Security Act and the cost of damage to public property will be recovered from them. Officials said a doctor and three paramedics were hurt and an ambulance and a police vehicle damaged in the stone-pelting. Moradabad Chief Medical Officer Milind Garg said the mob suddenly appeared as the ambulance was driving away with a man who had tested positive for coronavirus, and started pelting stones. They tried to stop the medical team from taking him away, officials said. Moradabad District Magistrate Rakesh Kumar Singh said the situation has been brought under control and police deployed in large numbers in the area. Condemning the attack, Adityanath in a statement said the attack on policemen, health workers and those involved in the sanitisation campaign is an unpardonable and most condemnable crime. He directed the district administration to identify those responsible and deal strictly with them. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Islamabad: Cash-strapped Pakistan has received an emergency loan of USD 1.39 billion from the IMF to boost its foreign exchange reserves in the wake of the further economic downturn due to the coronavirus crisis. The USD 1.39 billion loan is in addition to the USD 6 billion bailout package that Pakistan has signed with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in July last year to stave off a balance of payment crisis. "SBP (State Bank of Pakistan) has received $1.39 billion under the Rapid Financing Instrument (RFI) from the IMF," the central bank said in a tweet on Wednesday. Pakistan in March had requested the global money lender for a low-cost, fast-disbursing loan under its Rapid Financing Instrument (RFI) to deal with the adverse economic impact of COVID-19. The RFI is used to provide financial assistance to IMF member countries facing an urgent balance of payments need without requiring them to put a full-fledged programme in place. According to a report in The Express Tribune, the USD 1,39 billion loan will push Pakistan's foreign currency reserves apparently to a one-month high above USD 12 billion. The IMF executive board approved the low-cost emergency loan last week to help Pakistan meet the urgent balance of the international payment needs in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a recent IMF statement. With the latest recovery of Rs 0.76 in the inter-bank market on Wednesday, the rupee has cumulatively regained Rs 7.53, or 4.5 per cent, in the past two weeks to a one-month high at Rs 160.36 to the US dollar, the SBP said in a statement. Earlier, the foreign currency reserves had dropped to a four-month low at USD 10.97 billion on April 10, 2020, according to the central bank's weekly update on Thursday last week. The reserves had partly depleted due to capital pullout worth around USD 2.69 billion by short-term foreign investors from Pakistan's debt market over the past five to six weeks. Many of them sold premature treasury bills and long-term Pakistan Investment Bonds in panic following the fast spread of the coronavirus across the world. Foreign debt repayments also consumed the foreign currency reserves in the past four months. Pakistan has also approached other multilateral donors for additional funds to fight the pandemic and its economic implications. The World Bank has earlier approved USD 1 billion and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) USD 1.5 billion for Pakistan to keep its economy afloat. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.